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The role of the DSN has expanded considerably in recent years, taking on more complex aspects of diabetes care and education. As part of a series of surveys to review [...]

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9566.2007.01080.x Byline: W.M.L. Finlay (1), Charles Antaki (2), Chris Walton (3), Penny Stribling (4) Keywords: intellectual disabilities; social interaction play; empowerment; conversation analysis; video Abstract: Abstract Games between staff and people with intellectual disabilities serve to promote social engagement and inclusion. However, when the person has limited and idiosyncratic communicative abilities, it may be hard to gauge what his/her own view of the matter is. We examine video-taped records of two episodes in which a staff member of a group home prompted a resident with profound intellectual disabilities to play a verbal and a non-verbal 'game'. We examine how the staff member in these two cases designs her actions to solve the dilemma she faces between, on the one hand, abandoning an activity when the resident does not provide clear indications that she/he wants to continue or, on the other hand, persisting with it until the resident begins to enjoy it or, at least, participate more fully. The solution lies in a pervasive institutional practice: treat resistance or ambiguity as temporary reluctance. We discuss these interactions as examples of how principles of empowerment, inclusion and independence play out in the details of everyday interaction. Author Affiliation: (1)Psychology Department, Surrey University (2)Department of Social Sciences, Loughborough University (3)Psychology Department, Lancaster University (4)Psychology Department, Roehampton University Article note: Address for correspondence: W.M.L. Finlay, Psychology Department, Surrey University, Guildford, GU2 7XH, e-mail: w.finlay@surrey.ac.uk

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9566.2007.01028.x Byline: W. M. L. Finlay (1), Charles Antaki (2), Chris Walton (3) Keywords: empowerment; refusals; interaction; self-determination; intellectual disabilities Abstract: Abstract People with severe communication difficulties may attempt to exercise control over their lives by verbally or non-verbally refusing an activity proposed by supporters. We detail examples in which such refusals are treated by care home staff as a temporary reluctance, warranting further attempts to persuade the individual to co-operate. We identify the following conversational (and bodily) practices by which staff achieve their institutional ends: appreciating a resident's behaviour as something other than refusal; formulating the invitation again in a no-blame format; minimising the task required; escalating the invitation to a request and an order; moving the person bodily; and positively glossing the proceedings. Dealing with refusals illustrates the dilemma faced by institutional personnel in health and care settings in accepting choices which might disrupt the efficient management of the service. Author Affiliation: (1)Psychology Department, Surrey University (2)Department of Social Sciences, Loughborough University (3)Psychology Department, Lancaster University Article note: Address for correspondence: W. M. L. Finlay, Psychology Department, Surrey University, Guildford GU2 7XH, e-mail: w.finlay@surrey.ac.uk

The ability of scientists to apply cloning technology to humans has provoked public discussion and media coverage. The present paper reports on a series of studies examining public attitudes to human cloning in the UK, bringing together a range of quantitative and qualitative methods to address this question. These included a nationally representative survey, an experimental vignette study, focus groups and analyses of media coverage. Overall the research presents a complex picture of attitude to and constructions of human cloning. In all of the analyses, therapeutic cloning was viewed more favourably than reproductive cloning. However, while participants in the focus groups were generally negative about both forms of cloning, and this was also reflected in the media analyses, quantitative results showed more positive responses. In the quantitative research, therapeutic cloning was generally accepted when the benefits of such procedures were clear, and although reproductive cloning was less accepted there was still substantial support. Participants in the focus groups only differentiated between therapeutic and reproductive cloning after the issue of therapeutic cloning was explicitly raised; initially they saw cloning as being reproductive cloning and saw no real benefits. Attitudes were shown to be associated with underlying values associated with scientific progress rather than with age, gender or education, and although there were a few differences in the quantitative data based on religious affiliation, these tended to be small effects. Likewise in the focus groups there was little direct appeal to religion, but the main themes were 'interfering with nature' and the 'status of the embryo', with the latter being used more effectively to try to close down further discussion. In general there was a close correspondence between the media analysis and focus group responses, possibly demonstrating the importance of media as a resource, or that the media reflect public discourse accurately. However, focus group responses did not simply reflect media coverage. Keywords: UK; Human cloning; Attitude; Focus groups; Media analysis; Survey

The fabrication of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) networks by using the evaporation of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-SWNT sessile drops on a hydrophobized silicon substrate is described. The sessile drops are analyzed by contact analysis and video microscopy and their evaporation are characterized by microscopic, spectroscopic and topographical methods.

'Is the door locked?' 'Yes.' 'Who's got the keys?' Jim continued. 'I have, of course', said Simon. 'And why should you keep them? Who said it was your job?' asked [...]

Aim: To identify the baseline demographic and clinical characteristics associated with diabetes‐related distress (DRD) and factors associated with improvement in DRD after initiating use of the FreeStyle Libre (FSL) in people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Methods: The study was performed using baseline and follow‐up data from the Association of British Clinical Diabetologists nationwide audit of people with diabetes who initiated use of the FSL in the United Kingdom. DRD was assessed using the two‐item diabetes‐related distress scale (DDS; defined as the average of the two‐item score ≥3). People living with T1D were categorized into two groups: those with high DRD, defined as an average DDS score ≥3 and those with lower DRD, defined as a DDS score <3. We used a gradient‐boosting machine‐learning (GBM) model to identify the relative influence (RI) of baseline variables on average DDS score. Results: The study population consisted of 9159 patients, 96.6% of whom had T1D. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 45.1 (32‐56) years, 50.1% were women, the median (IQR) baseline body mass index was 26.1 (23.2‐29.6) kg/m2 and the median (IQR) duration of diabetes was 20 (11‐32) years. The two components of the DDS were significantly correlated (r2 = 0.73; P < 0.0001). Higher DRD was prevalent in 53% (4879/9159) of people living with T1D at baseline. In the GBM model, the top baseline variables associated with average DDS score were baseline glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c; RI = 51.1), baseline Gold score (RI = 23.3), gender (RI = 7.05) and fear of hypoglycaemia (RI = 4.96). Follow‐up data were available for 3312 participants. The top factors associated with improvement in DDS score following use of the FSL were change in Gold score (RI = 28.2) and change in baseline HbA1c (RI = 19.3). Conclusions: In this large UK cohort of people living with T1D, diabetes distress was prevalent and associated with higher HbA1c, impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia and female gender. Improvement in glycaemic control and hypoglycaemia unawareness with the use of the FSL was associated with improvement in DRD in people living with T1D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]