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Focuses on an annual symposium on pediatric dermatology held in Bristol in November 8 to November 9, 2003. Allergic contact dermatitis in children; Case study of all children suffering from the disease; Treatment given to children suffering from the disease.

What are the institutional features that incentivize established powers to join rising powers' new institutions? Going beyond alliance versus rivalry, this paper develops a novel theory in answering this question. We argue that the established power must address two primary design issues: 1. how to navigate the control and burden-sharing trade-off and 2. how to limit the potential diffusion of power by rendering the new institution "complementary" to the existing order. To the extent that these issues are resolved in line with the established power's (EP's) preferences, the EP is more likely to join the rising powers' institutions. We support our theory with an in-depth case analysis of the Japanese-led Asian Development Bank, utilizing primarily archival materials. The relatively under-theorized core question has both historical and contemporary relevance. The paper also advances the history of US multilateral economic policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are various research designs and approaches to investigate how health-promoting activities are implemented in complex, real-world systems, and to identify potential health effects that might occur following implementation. Although literature describes guidelines to perform and report about implementation research and effect evaluations, no specific guidelines exist on analysing and reporting about the combination of effectiveness data and implementation data collected as part of intervention evaluation in complex and diverse settings. This paper describes the evaluation of primary school-based health-promoting activities in complex systems. Furthermore, an approach for data categorization inspired by Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations theory is presented that can facilitate structuring the study's results and relating the degree of implementation to any impact on effectiveness outcomes that might be observed. Researchers interested in using this approach for data categorization have to ensure that the following three conditions are met: (i) data on an intervention's efficacy in a controlled setting with optimal implementation is available; (ii) key points that define an intervention's optimal implementation are available and (iii) an evaluation study is performed, collecting both effectiveness data and implementation data in a real-world context. This data categorization approach can be useful to generate more insight into an intervention's effectiveness under varying circumstances, and optimal support and advice can be provided to stakeholders to achieve maximum impact of population-based health-promoting interventions in complex, real-world systems. However, the proposed approach is a first suggestion and further testing and adaptation is necessary to increase its usefulness. Knowledge and experience sharing among researchers performing comparable research can increase the knowledge base regarding this subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents several abstracts of articles related to dermatology. "Iron Deficiency, Serum Ferritin, Generalized Pruritus and Systemic Disease: A Case Controlled Study," by S. J. Adams; "Coexistence of Bowen's Disease and Neuro-Endocrine Carcinoma: Report of Four Cases," by S. Belaich, J. Delacratez, and C. Azvesti; "Oral Terbinafine: Effective in the Treatment of Chronic Nail Dermatophytosis," by N. Cowley, R. Dawber, and C. Harland.

Background Valuable learning derived from public health practice can be captured through practice-based case studies, also known as practice examples. Practice examples of participatory interventions supplement the evidence base by providing information on the complexities of implementation in communities. This paper reports on a Public Health England project to build a bank of community-centered practice examples based on robust processes of collection and curation. Methods The multidisciplinary project had three phases: (i) development and piloting a process to collect practice examples, (ii) refining review processes and gathering further examples via national and regional teams (iii) maintenance of an accessible collection on the library platform. Results The project resulted in a searchable collection of 55 practice examples illustrating participatory approaches in public health practice. The collection shows diversity in terms of settings, population, focus and type of approach used to work with communities. A secondary outcome was the development of generic guidance and templates for further collections on public health topics. Conclusions This project illustrates how information on the implementation of community-centered approaches in real-life contexts can be gathered and disseminated through a transferable process. Having collections of practice examples supports knowledge exchange in public health as learning is shared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uptake and implementation of universal health coverage (UHC) is primarily a political, rather than a technical, exercise, with contested ideas and diverse stakeholders capable of facilitation or resistance-even veto-of the policy uptake. This narrative systematic review, undertaken in 2018, sought to identify all peer-reviewed publications dealing with concepts relating to UHC through a political economy framing. Of the 627 papers originally identified, 55 papers were directly relevant, with an additional eight papers added manually on referral from colleagues. The thematic analysis adapted Fox and Reich's framework of ideas and ideologies, interests and institutions to organize the analysis. The results identified a literature strong in its exploration of the ideologies and ideas that underpin UHC, but with an apparent bias in authorship towards more rights-based, left-leaning perspectives. Despite this, political economy analyses of country case studies suggested a more diverse political framing for UHC, with the interests and institutions engaged in implementation drawing on pragmatic and market-based mechanisms to achieve outcomes. Case studies offered limited detail on the role played by specific interests, though the influence of global development trends was evident, as was the role of donor organizations. Most country case studies, however, framed the development of UHC within a narrative of national ownership, with steps in implementation often critical political milestones. The development of institutions for UHC implementation was predicated largely on available infrastructure, with elements of that infrastructure-federal systems, user fees, pre-existing insurance schemes-needing to be accommodated in the incremental progress towards UHC. The need for technical competence to deliver ideological promises was underlined. The review concludes that, despite the disparate sources for the analyses, there is an emerging shared narrative in the growing literature around the political economy of UHC that offers an increasing awareness of the political dimensions to UHC uptake and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a growing trend among researchers to make their data publicly available for experimental reproducibility and data reusability. Sharing data with fellow researchers helps in increasing the visibility of the work. On the other hand, there are researchers who are inhibited by the lack of data resources. To overcome this challenge, many repositories and knowledge bases have been established to date to ease data sharing. Further, in the past two decades, there has been an exponential increase in the number of datasets added to these dataset repositories. However, most of these repositories are domain-specific, and none of them can recommend datasets to researchers/users. Naturally, it is challenging for a researcher to keep track of all the relevant repositories for potential use. Thus, a dataset recommender system that recommends datasets to a researcher based on previous publications can enhance their productivity and expedite further research. This work adopts an information retrieval (IR) paradigm for dataset recommendation. We hypothesize that two fundamental differences exist between dataset recommendation and PubMed-style biomedical IR beyond the corpus. First, instead of keywords, the query is the researcher, embodied by his or her publications. Second, to filter the relevant datasets from non-relevant ones, researchers are better represented by a set of interests, as opposed to the entire body of their research. This second approach is implemented using a non-parametric clustering technique. These clusters are used to recommend datasets for each researcher using the cosine similarity between the vector representations of publication clusters and datasets. The maximum normalized discounted cumulative gain at 10 (NDCG@10), precision at 10 (p@10) partial and p@10 strict of 0.89, 0.78 and 0.61, respectively, were obtained using the proposed method after manual evaluation by five researchers. As per the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind on content-based dataset recommendation. We hope that this system will further promote data sharing, offset the researchers' workload in identifying the right dataset and increase the reusability of biomedical datasets. Database URL : http://genestudy.org/recommends/#/ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses language use and identity patterns in ethnic minority/ethnically heterogeneous multigenerational deaf families in Romania, where at least one of the family members belongs to the ethnic Hungarian minority. Early childhood and school linguistic socialization, language use within the family, and cross-generational transmission of identity to children are explored. The research is based on five ethnic minority/ethnically heterogeneous multigenerational deaf family case studies. The research results show that within ethnic-national minority/ethnically heterogeneous multigenerational deaf families, complex identity patterns may develop and multifaceted linguistic communication models may prevail, including the use of national oral languages and national sign languages of the parties involved. At the same time, a kind of special linguistic and cultural enrichment, a striving for cultural-linguistic balance, may occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grassroots social innovations are citizen-led initiatives that develop bottom-up solutions to societal challenges. Alternative food networks (AFNs) are innovations which propose alternative schemes for distribution and consumption of food—such as community-based agriculture or food cooperatives—which can improve the well-being of participants. Its potential for social work and social services has been recognised, but remains underexplored. This paper proposes a theoretical framework based on the capability approach in order to explore the impacts, drivers and factors at play in the expansion of well-being in participants in AFNs. This framework is applied to address seven cases of different kind of AFNs in Valencia (Spain) and to explore implications and strands of action so community social services can make use of AFNs. The study draws on information from thirteen interviews with participants of AFNs, local experts and policymakers; from secondary sources and from participant observation. It deductively uses the categories in the framework and inductively identifies specific capabilities, drivers and factors. The results show that AFNs expand well-being in several aspects of human experience. They are highly diverse, from more reformist to more radical, so they can mobilise different publics. Social services can benefit from this impact and diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a comparison between four methodologies that assist criminal investigators in homicide investigations. The Person of Interest Priority Assessment Tool, Trace Investigate and Evaluate, Rasterfahndung, and Analysis of Competing Hypotheses are compared on their performance in the collection, prioritization, and elimination phase of homicide cases in today's digital era. Three recent Dutch homicide cases are used. The use of categories during collection can assist criminal investigators in the early inclusion of the perpetrator into the investigation, however, in this digital era, the number of persons of interest becomes too large to humanly handle. All four methodologies use techniques to assign weight to pieces of evidence; further research is required to evaluate the effectiveness of these techniques when the amount of pieces of evidence explodes. The use of pre-set elimination categories shows the least promising result leaving most persons of interest not-eliminated by the currently used methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses knowledge-for-practice, the actors involved in this as well as the terms 'evidence-based' and 'evidence-informed practice' and their meaning for social work practice and knowledge utilisation. Additionally, the aim of this paper is to describe the adaptation, reduction and modification of neuroscientific research findings, and how they move from 'scientific' findings to social work practice. Different aspects and perspectives of the knowledge utilisation process are specified. The methodology employed is based on a case study approach with expert interviews and focus groups. It is argued that training providers, and to a lesser extent practitioners, take part in the production of a 'practitioners' neuroscience', whereby Gibbon's (1994) concept of Mode 2 knowledge production is applied. A specific focus is placed on the concept of a professionalisation of social work practice through academic or scientific knowledge in the context of social work as a 'transdisciplinary science' (Büchner, 2012; Kleve, 2000; Obrecht, 2002; Mittlestrass, 2003). The paper concludes with recommendations for knowledge providers and practitioners. These include ways of improving a critical perspective on knowledge from other disciplines and encouraging training providers and practitioners to become more active participants in this knowledge utilisation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper naves as en Introduction to the set of papers on casework that follows and attempts to relate them to the central Issues confronting casework today. Casework, the author points out, has been much criticized, both for excluding many of the persons most in need of help and for not being truly effective. If casework is to retain its usefulness, he says, It must change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers an original examination of the interrelationship between organisational arrangements, supervisory practices and outcomes from supervision in a study funded by the Social Care Institute for Excellence. The study aimed to capture examples of good supervision. Researchers used systems theory to develop a supervision model, which informed the research design and evaluation. Good supervision was identified by 136 online survey participants, and all emerging themes were examined in nineteen interviews, within four case study settings. Social workers within an 'integrated' case-study setting and health workers in a 'partnership' setting said that 'good' supervision was supported by organisational policies, supervisor training and devolved management and professional practice. In the care-home and social-enterprise settings, supervision was similarly supported, but its delivery was a management performance target. In all four case-study settings, good supervision could be negatively transformed by a supervisor's action (e.g. rigid responses to performance issues) or supervisor's inaction (e.g. cancelled supervision sessions). Service-user feedback on supervision is an underdeveloped area that needs further research. This paper concludes by considering the implications of the research findings for the study of supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a methodology and a case study where the proportional hazards model is used to determine the reliability and risk of existing repairable systems in a distribution network utility. After introducing different issues relating to conditioning-maintenance management in these companies, we discuss the modelling possibilities to obtain on-line values for system reliability and risk. In this case, we try to model reliability considering the current operating time of the equipment, the number of maintenance interventions and the value of specific monitored parameters. Reliability is then used to calculate equipment risk for a given failure mode during a certain period, and in order to do so, the effect on the network of the failure mode is estimated from historical data. Finally, the paper presents a possible business process to schedule preventive maintenance activities according to previous findings and a case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of new research on ground-motion relations from three areas in the Upper Silesia Coal Basin (USCB) in Poland and compares them with of ground-motion relations. These three mining areas of the USCB were investigated in order to better predict ground motion caused by seismic events. The study focused on variations in regression parameters and predicted PGA (peak ground acceleration) for different areas to better understand the influence of geology. To compare our results to previous models we had to unify the known ground-motion prediction equations (GMPE). Then, we used various regression models to predict the corresponding PGA values of a relatively strong USCB seismic event with an energy level of 108 J (M L = 3.3) and compared their results. The regression model parameters were compared to each other, particularly those related to energy and distance, which corresponds to a geometrical scattering (attenuation) of seismic waves as well as the influence of wave type (body or surface). Finally, building upon several established regression models, our analysis showed a strong linear correlation between two regression parameters corresponding to energy and distance. However, an open question remains whether this relation can be explained by physics, or, from a mathematical point of view, it is the effect of linear dependence of matrix vectors log E and log R. A comparison of different GMPEs allows for better verification of knowledge about the impact of tremors on ground motion in the USCB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a formal development approach for designing interactive applications using a correct-by-construction approach. In this work, we propose a refinement strategy using model-view-controller (MVC) to structure and design Event-B formal models of the interactive application. The proposed MVC-based refinement strategy facilitates the development of an abstract model and a series of refined models by introducing the possible modes, controller's behaviour and visual components of the interactive application while preserving the required interaction-related safety properties. To demonstrate the effectiveness, scalability, reliability and feasibility of our approach, we use a small example (from automotive domain) and real-life industrial case studies (from aviation). The entire development is realized in Event-B and the associated Rodin tool is used to analyse and verify the correctness of the formalized model. Finally, the developed Event-B models are used to generate source code using EB2ALL tool for going from the specification to the implementation of the interactive application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovative strategies are needed to improve the delivery of evidence-informed health interventions. Embedded implementation research (EIR) seeks to enhance the generation and use of evidence for programme improvement through four core features: (1) central involvement of programme/policy decision-makers in the research cycle; (2) collaborative research partnerships; (3) positioning research within programme processes and (4) research focused on implementation. This paper examines how these features influence evidence-to-action processes and explores how they are operationalized, their effects and supporting conditions needed. We used a qualitative, comparative case study approach, drawing on document analysis and semi-structured interviews across multiple informant groups, to examine three EIR projects in Bolivia, Colombia and the Dominican Republic. Our findings are presented according to the four core EIR features. The central involvement of decision-makers in EIR was enhanced by decision-maker authority over the programme studied, professional networks and critical reflection. Strong research-practice partnerships were facilitated by commitment, a clear and shared purpose and representation of diverse perspectives. Evidence around positioning research within programme processes was less conclusive; however, as all three cases made significant advances in research use and programme improvement, this feature of EIR may be less critical than others, depending on specific circumstances. Finally, a research focus on implementation demanded proactive engagement by decision-makers in conceptualizing the research and identifying opportunities for direct action by decision-makers. As the EIR approach is a novel approach in these low-resource settings, key supports are needed to build capacity of health sector stakeholders and create an enabling environment through system-level strategies. Key implications for such supports include: promoting EIR and creating incentives for decision-makers to engage in it, establishing structures or mechanisms to facilitate decision-maker involvement, allocating funds for EIR, and developing guidance for EIR practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the use of part-time fostering as a means to support families with social care support needs. It is based on a qualitative case study of the support care service. Support care is a supportive intervention for families at risk of breakdown and long-term separation. The service attempts to forge positive relationships with parents and provides short breaks for children and young people. The service aims to be flexible and responsive to individual needs, but is time-limited, with typical intervention periods lasting between six and twelve months. Three support care schemes participated in the research and ten placements were followed for their duration. Eighty-two individual interviews were conducted and data were collected from twenty-two participant observation sessions. The aim of the research was to examine the 'doing' of support care. This included exploring stakeholder experiences, the aims and outcomes associated with the service, together with attempts to facilitate family change. The paper considers the advantages and contradictions inherent in this form of family support. Key aspects are related to broader considerations of family support services including the effectiveness of time-limited interventions and competing social work demands to support families as well as safeguard children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomic systems exhibit self-managing behavior using various algorithms. Case-based reasoning is one the techniques that enable the autonomic manager to learn from past experience. Case-base is partitioned into some clusters in order to improve the retrieval efficiency. Deciding an appropriate number of clusters for a case-base is not a trivial problem. This paper proposes a randomized algorithm for determining the number of clusters to be formed of the case-base. Subsequently, a binary search-based case retrieval strategy has been applied to ensure enhanced retrieval time performance. The paper presents two versions of the randomized algorithm. The first version guarantees success but its computational cost is a function of random variable; the other guarantees a deterministic computational cost but success is not guaranteed. The performance of the proposed algorithms has been reported on a simulated case study of the Autonomic Forest Fire Application. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

How to correctly measure the exposure of general public to extremely low-frequency (ELF) radiation is a key issue for ELF epidemiological studies. This paper proposes a measurement procedure to accurately assess the exposure of people to electric and magnetic field in the frequency band from 5 Hz to 100 kHz in buildings and their premises. As ELF radiation could be particularly harmful to children, the measurement procedure is focused on exposure to ELF in schools. Thus, the students' exposure to ELF fields can be assessed by correlating the ELF measurements to the hours of school activity. In this paper, the measurement protocol was applied to study the ELF exposure on students from García Quintana primary school in Valladolid, Spain. The campaign of measurements for ELF exposure assessment in this primary school was of great interest for the Regional Council of Public Health because of the social alarm generated by the presence of a significant number cancer cases in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background We discuss the aesthetics of grotesque transparency in public health communication campaigns and health-related social marketing initiatives, and its strategic and ethical implications. Methods Some emblematic cases are discussed illustrating the relevance of the grotesque transparency strategy. Results These case studies show aesthetical and emotional considerations that public health scholars and professionals should carefully consider in the context of an expansive visual culture driven by digital communications. They also indicate that with the advent of technologies that expand the capabilities of manipulating and diffusing images the role of the transparently grotesque is more prevalent in public health and social marketing initiatives. Discussion The study of grotesque transparency is particularly important when facing emerging global public health challenges, such as pandemics and climate change-related health issues, in a disruptive communication ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes a quasi-case-study approach to stylised wine industry facts to assess predictions about the optimal sharing rule from a principal–agent model with residual claimancy. An optimal sharing contract is developed between a grape grower and a winery, when a risk-averse grower allocates efforts among multiple activities that differ in measurability, while double-sided moral hazard is assumed to be present. Several comparative static results regarding the Pareto optimal share are in line with certain production practices and properties of observed contracts that are found in markets where residual claimancy is used, namely in Australia, California, New Zealand and France. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper addresses the challenges of communicating the results of a strategic foresight exercise which aimed to support decision-makers in their activities, providing for increased confidence and credibility throughout the process. Foresight recommendations are shaped and derived according to the nature and complexity of the themes being considered, the level of stakeholder participation and, quite frequently, the communication skills of those managing the process. Efforts towards better communication among participants are decisive for successful foresight exercises. This paper stresses that the intangibles are important outcomes, as well as the importance of promoting out-of-the-box thinking during the exercise. Lessons learnt are presented, as well as a case study developed by the Center for Strategic Management and Studies (CGEE), Brasilia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we explore new avenues of analysis on the thorny issue of the impact of participatory technology assessment (PTA). We apply qualitative comparative analysis to data abstracted from a series of detailed country case studies of policy-making on xenotransplantation to explore which factors are decisive for policy outcomes. Contrary to our expectations that PTAs would contribute to restrictive policy outcomes, we find that this is not the case and that a combination of politicisation and public vigilance is pivotal to explaining policy outcomes. Further, our analysis was symmetrical in attempting to account for both permissive and restrictive policies. We conclude that the paper makes both a substantial and a methodological contribution to the literature on public participation in technology assessment and policy-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite decades of concern about reducing health inequity, the Commission on the Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) painted a picture of persistent and, in some cases, increasing health inequity. It also made a call for increased evaluation of interventions that might reduce inequities. This paper describes such an intervention—the Social Inclusion Initiative (SII) of the South Australian Government—that was documented for the Social Exclusion Knowledge Network of the CSDH. This initiative is designed to increase social inclusion by addressing key determinants of health inequity—in the study period these were education, homelessness and drug use. Our paper examines evidence from a rapid appraisal to determine whether a social inclusion initiative is a useful aspect of government action to reduce health inequity. It describes achievements in each specific area and the ways they can be expected to affect health equity. Our study highlighted four factors central to the successes achieved by the SII. These were the independent authority and influence of the leadership of the SII, the whole of government approach supported by an overarching strategic plan which sets clear goals for government and the clear and unambiguous support from the highest level of government. We conclude that a social inclusion approach can be valuable in the quest to reduce inequities and that further research on innovative social policy approaches is required to examine their likely impact on health equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the emergence of public sector international joint laboratories as an increasingly important new phenomenon in the internationalisation of public sector research. Using a survey and interview-based qualitative methodology, it explores the trends in the establishment of such laboratories, the aims for which they are established and the extent to which these aims are met. We find a considerable degree of organisational diversity among them in terms of size, structure, resources and legal status. Since the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and the German Max-Planck-Gesellschaft have been very active in setting up joint laboratories, the paper undertakes two case studies of the instruments of these organisations based on the background literature and in-depth interviews. We argue that their joint laboratories are examples of the institutionalisation of the dymanics of previously self-organised international collaborations and that they have developed these international collaborations to achieve specific organisational goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a conceptual framework in music therapy with adults with severe and profound levels of intellectual disability. Drawing from Carl Rogers' person-centered work and his notion of the good life as a direction, the author presents four core relational experiences (curiosity, invitation, celebration, and recognition) that underpin the therapeutic process with this client population. Case vignettes from the author's clinical work illustrate how core experiences are presented through improvisational musical experiences. Considerations are given to the clinical significance of good-life-oriented experiences on the emotional health of individuals with severe and profound intellectual disability, and to its implications beyond the music therapy space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tests propositions advanced in previous theoretical literature about the impact of international economic integration via trade and investment on environmental protection with a case study of China. We hypothesize that instead of leading to additional environmental degradation, increased openness to trade and foreign investment results in an overall improvement in environmental quality by acting as a transmission belt for superior regulatory standards and environmental technology from China’s key export markets. Additionally, pressure for enhanced environmental regulation and product standards from principal developed-world importers of Chinese goods may induce Chinese firms to self-regulate rather than attempting to reduce the cost of their exports by lowering environmental standards. Statistical analysis of the variation in environmental performance across China’s regions from 1996 to 2004 lends support to this hypothesis, indicating that rather than leading regions to engage in a “race to the bottom” with the lowering of environmental standards, increased trade and investment encourages more stringent policy enforcement and compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the dilemmas faced by developing countries (DCs) in determining their response to the global harmonisation of intellectual property (IP) protection. It focuses on two key questions: will a weak IP regime in DCs deter inward investment/technology transfer and hamper technology development?; and can DCs build up their technology capabilities and thereby overcome the projected negative impacts of global IP harmonisation by a strategy of delaying compliance with the international IP regime? This paper reviews these debates and dilemmas, applying an analytical framework based on technology studies. It uses a case study of the software industry in China to advance the argument that the effects of an IP regime are extremely complex, depending on particular industrial, technological and social factors. The key question is not whether to enforce the global IP regime; rather, policymaking needs to be informed by a more detailed approach. Imposition of the global IP regime may not be effective and may not per se promote innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defensive practice has received attention through the Munro review of child protection, which has identified that current organisational cultures increase the likelihood of defensive practice. Whilst the wider socio-political climate that gives rise to defensive practice has been explored within the literature, little attention has been paid to the everyday realities of defensive practice. This paper reports the findings of a study into final year social work students' attitudes towards defensive practice within social work. Three focus groups were completed with a total of ninety final-year students that collected qualitative and quantitative data using interactive software. This paper examines how participants perceived defensive practice, both in general and when faced with real-life vignettes. Participants distinguished between pro-active behaviour (sins of commission) and passive behaviour (sins of omission), generally regarding the latter as less serious because it was less tangible and easier to attribute to more positive motives. Whilst the literature identifies defensive practice as deliberate behaviour, the focus group discussions suggest that it is a subtler and less conscious process. Whilst there was there was a general consensus about the nature of defensive practice, there was considerable disagreement about specific vignettes and several competing explanations are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

War and conflict negatively impact all facets of a health system; services cease to function, resources become depleted and any semblance of governance is lost. Following cessation of conflict, the rebuilding process includes a wide array of international and local actors. During this period, stakeholders must contend with various trade-offs, including balancing sustainable outcomes with immediate health needs, introducing health reform measures while also increasing local capacity, and reconciling external assistance with indigenous legitimacy. Compounding these factors are additional challenges, including co-ordination amongst stakeholders, the re-occurrence of conflict and ulterior motives from donors and governments, to name a few. Due to these complexities, the current literature on post-conflict health system development generally examines only one facet of the health system, and only at one point in time. The health system as a whole, and its development across a longer timeline, is rarely attended to. Given these considerations, the present article aims to evaluate health system development in three post-conflict environments over a 12-year timeline. Applying and adapting a framework from Waters et al. (2007, Rehabilitating Health Systems in Post-Conflict Situations. WIDER Research Paper 2007/06. United Nations University. http://hdl.handle.net/10419/63390, accessed 1 February 2018.), health policies and inputs from the post-conflict periods of Afghanistan, Cambodia and Mozambique are assessed against health outputs and other measures. From these findings, we developed a revised framework, which is presented in this article. Overall, these findings contribute post-conflict health system development by evaluating the process holistically and along a timeline, and can be of further use by healthcare managers, policy-makers and other health professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues for a re-examination of mental health responses to refugee youth seeking asylum in high-income countries. Reviewing international literature related to mental health and social care services for refugee children and youth and drawing upon Foucault's concepts of power, truth and discourse, we explore and question the predominance of the bio-medical model in responding to refugee children's distress. We demonstrate that, despite notable initiatives and developments in social work theory and practice, the bio-medical model has, in many ways, become a 'regime of truth', with the power to define refugees' problems and thus shape the policies and services that affect their lives. While not denying that many refugee youth and their families may benefit from such therapeutic interventions, it is our contention that working with this population requires a significant expansion, diversification and transformation of the current paradigm informing social work practice to incorporate the multiple and unique cultures and contexts of this population. We conclude with a discussion of promising practices and interventions with refugee youth and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the methodology, programme logic and conceptual framework that drove the evaluation of the Fifth Phase of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network. Towards the end of the phase, 99 cities were designated progressively through the life of the phase (2009-14). The paper establishes the values, systems and aspirations that these cities sign up for, as foundations for the selection of methodology. We assert that a realist synthesis methodology, driven by a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods, is the most appropriate perspective to address the wide geopolitical, demographic, population and health diversities of these cities. The paper outlines the rationale for a structured multiple case study approach, the deployment of a comprehensive questionnaire, data mining through existing databases including Eurostat and analysis of management information generation tools used throughout the period. Response rates were considered extremely high for this type of research. Non-response analyses are described, which show that data are representative for cities across the spectrum of diversity. This paper provides a foundation for further analysis on specific areas of interest presented in this supplement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines a sample of ninety-three child welfare workers' perceptions of emotional relations in risk assessment situations.Workers from England, Norway and California (USA) are interviewed about risk factors in a vignette. Seventy-three per cent of the total workers identify the emotional issues described in the vignette as a risk factor, but a lower percentage of the American workers do so. Nearly all of these workers identify the mother's lack of meeting her daughter's emotional needs as a risk factor; however, the analysis shows that only approximately one-third of these workers elaborate on the possibleconsequencesandreasons for this lack of attachment. Evenfewersuggest services that can improvethe situation.Thefindings suggest thatemotional issues havea relatively low importance in a risk assessment situation but that there are differences by country. Although the sample is small, it is likely that systemic factors in the child welfare system and the risk assessment approach explain some of these differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One core characteristic of active music therapy is the facilitation of emotional expression through the creation of music improvisations. In an attempt to further develop this approach, we created an enhanced form of integrative improvisational music therapy by including 10 minutes of resonance frequency breathing (RFB) at the beginning of the sessions. RFB is a type of slow breathing known for its ability to reduce stress and support emotional regulation. This paper summarizes the common findings of three single-case experimental studies and introduces a provisional model to explain the observed effects of RFB. During the breathing itself, all three clients (two of them healthy and one diagnosed with anxiety disorder) displayed significantly higher relaxation levels compared to the control intervention, as seen through their level of heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of autonomic nervous system response. We also found an association between RFB and the high-frequency HRV component (HFnu) during music-making, with the two healthy clients presenting lower HFnu after RFB, whereas the opposite was true for the diagnosed client. Finally, talking and music-making proved to be two very different activities in terms of HRV, each client perceiving one of them as systematically more stressful than the other. RFB appears to be an adaptive intervention providing either emotional upregulation or downregulation depending on the client's needs, while keeping arousal levels inside the window of tolerance. Between-group studies would be required to determine whether the addition of RFB also leads to better therapeutic outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an ongoing need for clinical accountability related to evaluating the effectiveness of music therapy interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder. Moreover, quantifying outcomes of client-centered approaches, such as music-centered music therapy when working with individuals with ASD, has consistently shown to be challenging. Goal attainment scaling (GAS) provides an established practice-based method for quantitatively evaluating individualized treatment goals. Although GAS has been used by a variety of disciplines, it has yet to be utilized in the field of music therapy. The purpose of this paper was to describe and illustrate the use of GAS as a method of evaluating progress toward developmentally based music-centered music therapy goals for children with autism spectrum disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the health promotion and disease prevention conducted at Australian multi-disciplinary primary health care (PHC) services and considers the ways in which the organizational environment affects the extent and type of health promotion and disease prevention activity. The study involves five PHC services in Adelaide and one in Alice Springs. Four are managed by a state health department and two by boards of governance. The study is based on an audit of activities and on 68 interviews conducted with staff. All the sites undertake health promotion and recognize its importance but all report that this activity is under constant pressure resulting from the need to provide services to people who have health problems. We also found an increased focus on chronic disease management and prevention which prioritized individuals and behavioural change strategies rather than addressing social determinants affecting whole communities. There was little health promotion work that reflected a salutogenic approach to the creation of health. Most activity falls under three types: parenting and child development, chronic disease prevention and mental health. Only the non-government organizations reported advocacy on broader policy issues. Health reform and consequent reorganizations were seen to reduce the ability of some services to undertake health promotion. The paper concludes that PHC in Australia plays an important role in disease prevention, but that there is considerable scope to increase the amount of community-based health promotion which focuses on a salutogenic view of health and which engages in community partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Raising Sexually Healthy Children (RSHC) program is a peer-to-peer leadership training program for immigrant parents in Toronto, Canada. It was established in 1998 with the goal of promoting family sex education and parent–child communication. This evaluative study examined the developmental processes and outcomes of the RSHC program to identify the strengths, challenges and insights that can be used to improve the program. It employed a multi-case study approach to compare the RSHC programs delivered in the Chinese, Portuguese and Tamil communities. Data collection methods included focus groups, individual interviews and document analysis. The cross-case analysis identified both common and unique capacity building processes and outcomes in the three communities. In this paper, we report factors that have enhanced and hindered sustainable capacity building at the individual, group/organizational and community levels, and the strategies used by these communities to address challenges common to immigrant families. We will discuss the ecological and synergetic, but time-consuming processes of capacity building, which contributed to the sustainability of RSHC as an empowering health promotion program for immigrant communities. We conclude the paper by noting the implications of using a capacity building approach to promote family health in ethno-racial-linguistic minority communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of generating evidence-based public health interventions is understood to include steps that define the issue, generate and test solutions in controlled settings, replicate and then disseminate more widely. However, to date models have not considered the types and scale of formative evaluation tasks that are needed to up-scale interventions, from efficacy to population-wide dissemination in the real world. In this paper, we propose that an additional stage of ‘translational formative evaluation’ is necessary for the translation of effectiveness evidence into wide-scale public health practice. We illustrate the utility of translational formative evaluation, through a case study of the Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service® (GHS), a population-based telephone service designed to assist adults change lifestyle-related behaviours. The additional translational formative evaluation steps comprised synthesis of efficacy studies, qualitative research with the wider target audience, environmental analysis and stakeholder consultation. They produced precise recommendations to refine GHS design and implementation. Translational formative evaluation is a necessary intermediate step, following efficacy studies and a precursor to population-wide implementation of public health programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the concept of safeguarding children being ‘everybody's business’ as it is experienced in one neighbourhood in south Wales, UK. Safeguarding is defined here as the protection of children and the enhancement of their well-being. A qualitative case study design engaged residents of all ages, community sector workers and statutory sector workers in discussions about children's safeguarding in their neighbourhood. The analysis focuses on three overlapping spheres of safeguarding: the informal sphere, the community sphere and the formal sphere. Enablers and barriers to relationships between these spheres are identified. The findings explore attributes associated with proximity, time, biographies, style and scope. It is noted that, while these relationships are enacted within the specific social and geographical space of this neighbourhood, this case study provides a potential insight into broader relationships between the statutory services, community groups and neighbourhood residents. It is concluded that the community sector's vital role should be recognised and enhanced and the formal sector encouraged to adopt some of its attributes. Above all, it is recommended that statutory children's social workers be closely located within their local communities, socially and physically, to better understand children's experiences and to work with interventions that recognise community strengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the use of health impact assessment (HIA) as a means of facilitating community engagement in spatial planning. The paper discusses the background to the development of HIA as a tool for assessing the likely impact of policies and wider changes on health with a view to building those into planning and decision-making, and describes the evolution of HIA into more participatory forms. It then goes on to describe a case-study of plans for a waste incinerator in an inner-city area in the UK, where HIA was used in response to community concerns about the development as a means of building in the views of local people to the decision-making around the plan. We describe in detail how the HIA was conducted and additional research undertaken within a timescale set by the planning processes. We discuss the difficulties involved in conducting any kind of research-based HIA so rapidly and in a situation of multiple, competing stakeholder interests. We argue that although the HIA failed to influence the final decisions in this particular instance it does, nonetheless, provide a model for how to create ‘knowledge spaces’ in which different perspectives and information can be brought around the table to create more democratic approaches to planning for waste. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Music therapy school consultation, according to Rickson (2010), is a process in which a music therapist aims to empower team members to use music in an on-going way with students who have special education needs. However, while consultation is primarily an indirect activity, direct interaction between therapist and student continues to be important for modelling strategies and techniques, and highlighting students' strengths. This paper describes student responses to the direct interaction that took place between the music therapist and students as part of a music therapy school consultation in a mainstream city school in New Zealand. The music therapist, who is also the first author, worked with four students and their respective teams over the period of one week. Each team included a teachers' aide, parent and classroom teacher. Follow-up interviews undertaken by an independent researcher, who is the second author, suggest the adults involved were unsure of what to expect of the consultation, and some had reservations about how the students might respond. However, in all cases students engaged relatively easily with the music therapist and, according to team members, each demonstrated higher than usual levels of participation during music therapy activities. Team members therefore developed an increased awareness of the potential benefits of music therapist and student interaction, as well as musical ideas that they might use in their on-going daily interactions with students to help further educational outcomes. In this paper, four contrasting case vignettes describe the complexity of student needs and goals, and demonstrate how the music therapist, in her direct interactions with students, was able to draw on a variety of therapeutic strategies and techniques to illicit the positive responses of the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I argue that ethics and evidence are intricately intertwined within the clinical practice of differential diagnosis. Too often, when a disease is difficult to diagnose, a physician will dismiss it as being "not real" or "all in the patient's head." This is both an ethical and an evidential problem. In the paper my aim is two-fold. First, via the examination of two case studies (late-stage Lyme disease and Addison's disease), I try to elucidate why this kind of dismissal takes place. Then, I propose a potential solution to the problem. I argue that instead of dismissing a patient's illness as "not real," physicians ought to exercise a compassionate suspension of judgment when a diagnosis cannot be immediately made. I argue that suspending judgment has methodological, epistemic, and ethical virtues and therefore should always be preferred to patient dismissal in the clinical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dog health in rural and remote Australian Indigenous communities is below urban averages in numerous respects. Many Indigenous communities have called for knowledge sharing in this area. However, dog health education programs are in their infancy, and lack data on effective practices. Without this core knowledge, health promotion efforts cannot progress effectively. This paper discusses a strategy that draws from successful approaches in human health and indigenous education, such as dadirri, and culturally respectful community engagement and development. Negotiating an appropriate education program is explored in its practical application through four case studies. Though each case was unique, the comparison of the four illustrated the importance of listening (community consultation), developing and maintaining relationships, community involvement and employment. The most successful case studies were those that could fully implement all four areas. Outcomes included improved local dog health capacity, local employment and engagement with the program and significantly improved dog health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Quebec, a Canadian province, public policy focuses on a continuum of services. Non-profit organisations (NPOs), specialised in countering mistreatment of older adults (MOA), are essential partners. They work with social workers from public health and social services (PHSS). The research project Volunteering to Counter Material or Financial Mistreatment of Older Adults documents the roles of NPOs. This paper presents the specific actions assumed by practitioners and volunteers. Case studies were conducted with five French-speaking Canadian NPOs. Data were collected through content analysis of administrative documents and interviews (administrators, practitioners, volunteers and older adults receiving services) (n  = 64 participants). Results are presented according to three roles: prevention, detection and intervention. NPOs that are either ‘specialised’ or ‘collaborative’ respond differently to material and financial MOA. NPOs participating in the project are mainly active in prevention and the volunteers are pivotal to certain activities. In ‘collaborative’ NPOs, detection typically occurs when older adults, while participating in prevention activities, recognise they are victims or witnesses to MOA. The subsequent intervention is mainly limited to referrals to the PHSS, specifically to social workers. In ‘specialised’ NPOs, volunteers are directly involved in detection and intervention when their experiences from their former professions are deemed relevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a study that examined social workers’ and service-user representatives’ perspectives on current options for accessing older people living at home when entry is being obstructed by a third party, there are concerns about possible abuse or neglect and legal approaches are not considered appropriate. In-depth interviews were conducted with social workers (n  = 37) and service-user representatives (n  = 11) from three English local authorities. Professional interviews focused on current practices in dealing with such cases. Service-user representatives were asked to discuss a fictitious obstructive case and potential actions that could be taken by social workers. Participants described current practice in terms of options for negotiation with third parties obstructing access to older people, ranging from ‘softer’ styles aiming to develop rapport to ‘more assertive’ approaches. Making good decisions about case allocation, being creative in pursuing cases and fostering good multi-agency relationships were valued by practitioners. Some service-user representatives questioned the time and resources involved in managing these cases. Policy makers may wish to consider developing guidelines for multi-agency partners outlining their responsibilities in such cases; practitioners may wish to consider whether offering an obstructer the services of an independent advocate would be useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem-based management (EBM) is now widely accepted as the best means of managing the complex interactions in marine systems. However, progress towards implementing and operationalizing it has been slow. We take a pragmatic approach to EBM. Our simple definition is balancing human activities and environmental stewardship in a multiple-use context. In this paper, we present case studies on the development and implementation of EBM in Australia. The case studies (Australia's Ocean Policy, the Great Barrier Reef, New South Wales (NSW) marine estate, Gladstone Harbour, and South Australia and Spencer Gulf) span different spatial scales, from national to regional to local. They also cover different levels of governance or legislated mandate. We identify the key learnings, necessary components and future needs to support better implementation. These include requirements for clearly identified needs and objectives, stakeholder ownership, well defined governance frameworks, and scientific tools to deal with conflicts and trade-offs. Without all these components, multi-sector management will be difficult and there will be a tendency to maintain a focus on single sectors. While the need to manage individual sectors remains important and is often challenging, this alone will not necessarily ensure sustainable management of marine systems confronted by increasing cumulative impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, effective contact tracing was recognized as a crucial public health response to mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and reduce COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality, particularly before widespread vaccination. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended implementing active surveillance strategies to trace and quarantine contacts of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases. Methods: A detailed review and analysis of the COVID-19 contact tracing responses was conducted in five European countries and territories, between March 2021 and August 2022. The countries and territories were selected to ensure geographical representation across the WHO European Region and applied a mixed-methods approach of in-depth interviews with various stakeholders across different administrative levels to identify good practices in COVID-19 contact tracing. The interviews covered 12 themes, including methods and procedures for COVID-19 contact tracing, information technology, quality assurance and key performance indicators. Results: The findings demonstrate that the policy approach, digitalization capabilities and implementation approach varied in the countries and territories and were dynamic throughout the pandemic. The analysis revealed that some practices were applicable across all countries and territories, while others were context-specific, catering to each country's and territory's unique needs. The study highlighted a need for all countries to institutionalize contact tracing as an essential function of existing health systems, to digitalize contact tracing practices and processes, and to build and retain contact tracing capacities for better pandemic preparedness. Conclusion: The lessons related to COVID-19 contact tracing should be utilized to strengthen future outbreak response operations as part of epidemic and pandemic preparedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In (Tucker, J. V. and Zucker, J. I. (2007) Computability of analog networks. Theoret. Comput. Sci., 371, 115–146; Tucker, J. V. and Zucker, J. I. (2011) Continuity of operators on continuous and discrete time streams. Theoret. Comput. Sci., 412, 3378–3403), Tucker and Zucker present a model for the semantics of analog networks operating on streams from topological algebras. Central to their model is a parametrized stream operator representing the network along with a theory that concerns the existence, uniqueness, continuity and computability of a fixed point of that stream operator. We narrow the scope of this paper from general topological algebras to algebras of streams that assume values only from a Banach space. This restriction facilitates the definition of a fairly broad class of stream operators to which the theory described in the above two papers applies. As a demonstration in their original work, the authors provide two case studies: analog networks that model the behavior of simple mass-spring-damper systems. The case studies showcase the theory well, but they seem to require the imposition of somewhat peculiar conditions on the parameters (the masses, the spring constants and the damping coefficients). The extra conditions—while not catastrophic to the case studies—make them somewhat unsatisfying. We show here that while their original mass–spring–damper models do not fall within our new class, they can be trivially reconfigured into equivalent models that do. This modification obviates the extra conditions on the parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a practice-based research example of how critical reflection developed possibilities for emancipatory change. Specifically, it traces the experiential process of one practitioner who participated in a recent research project. This original research tested the possibilities for critical reflection to produce change in practitioners engaged in supporting victims/survivors of sexual assault in the context of the Australian criminal justice system. The paper contributes to addressing a gap that has been identified in the literature concerning a lack of empirical evidence to support the claims made about critical reflection by its proponents. The paper provides an empirical example of the deconstruction and reconstruction processes involved in the research that enabled this practitioner to overcome her initial sense of fatalism and powerlessness, to instead envision new ways to engage with adversity and creative strategies to work towards emancipatory change and social justice within a micro-practice context. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]