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Peter Goodliffe served as a radiographer for the British Army in France and India during World War II. Since 1960 he has taught photography and related visual studies, most recently at Oxford University. His work has been exhibited in England and Sicily, hislatest show at the Library in Warminster (1992). Presently involved in writing a book on the nature of landscape, he divides his time between Oxford and Palermo

Civil Practice & Procedure – Effective use of depositions in English civil proceedings?

Jonathan Goodliffe (Solicitor, Simmonds & Simmons) looks at the role of pre-trial dispositions as a flexible measure for civil procedure in England and draws comparisons with North American procedure. Article published in Amicus Curiae - Journal of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and its Society for Advanced Legal Studies. The Journal is produced by the Society for Advanced Legal Studies at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London

Spatiotemporal development of the forebrain in the Dp(16)1Yey/+ mouse model of Down syndrome

Down syndrome (DS), or trisomy 21 (Ts21), is the most common genetic developmental disorder with a prevalence of about one in 700 live births. The triplication of human chromosome 21 (Hsa21) that characterizes this disorder results in a constellation of cognitive and physical alterations. The cognitive deficits range from mild to severe, and persist throughout life. Post-mortem studies of individuals with DS have revealed various neuropathologic abnormalities that are thought to underlie cognitive dysfunction, including: disruption of neurogenesis, corticogenesis, synapse formation, and myelination. However, the etiology of these alterations remains largely unknown. In order to elucidate the genetic basis of DS-phenotypes, several mouse models have been developed. The Ts65Dn, Ts1Cje, and Ts16 models, recapitulate DS-related phenotypes and have extended our knowledge of the associated pathological changes. Despite this progress, genetic dissimilarities in mouse models may confound phenotypic comparisons between mouse models and human DS. Specifically, the aforementioned models have a limited subset of triplicated Hsa-21 homologs or contain non-syntenic genes. Recently, a novel mouse model, the Dp(16)1Yey/+ (or Dp16), that has the entire Hsa-21 syntenic region of Mmu16 triplicated and no non-syntenic genes has been developed, suggesting that Dp16 may present phenotypes more closely matching the human disorder. In this study, we present the first comprehensive analysis of Dp16 embryonic, young and adult brains that includes a focus on the proliferative, inhibitory/excitatory neuronal and oligodendrocyte-lineage phenotypes using histological, immunohistochemical, and behavioral assessments. We hypothesize that due to the larger triplicated segment, the Dp16 mouse model better recapitulates DS-related neuropathologies relative to other mouse models. Despite the extended triplication, Dp16 animals lack DS-related embryonic phenotypes, however, behavioral and cellular phenotypes arise during the 2nd week following birth. The Dp16 is the first model of DS to develop postnatal phenotypes in the absence of changes to embryonic brain development, as such, Dp16 may not be a reliable model to further understand brain development in the DS fetus. However, when used in conjuncture with other models, the Dp16 will be a useful tool in understanding the contribution of aneuploidy and gene dosage to DS-phenotypes in mouse models of DS

Editors\u27 introduction: the importance of reflective practice

In this issue of LTHE we highlight the importance of reflection in understanding and developing learning and teaching in universities and colleges. Reflection has been described as an active process of exploration and discovery which often leads to very unexpected outcomes (Boud et al, 1985, p. 7). While everyone may agree that experience is an important part of an educator\u27s developmental journey, the ability to reflect on that experience is a vital element of being able to learn from it

Young people’s experiences of social recovery cognitive behavioural therapy and treatment as usual in the PRODIGY trial

Aim: The PRODIGY trial is an ongoing randomised controlled trial of Social Recovery Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (SRCBT), a new intervention designed to improve social functioning in young people at risk of long-term social disability due to severe and complex mental health problems. The aim of this qualitative sub-study was to understand trial participants’ experiences of SRCBT and the control condition, treatment as usual (TAU). Method: Trial participants were aged 16 – 25 with socially disabling severe and complex mental health problems. A purposive sample of trial participants took part in in-depth qualitative interviews which were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Results: Participants from the SRCBT arm valued the relationship with their therapist, the flexibility of intervention delivery and the cognitive and behavioural techniques taught. They viewed SRCBT as challenging but worthwhile. Participants from the TAU arm reported receiving little support, both prior to and during their participation in the trial. Participants from both arms valued opportunities to talk about their difficulties during trial participation. Increased activity was an important goal of participants from both arms and most expressed high motivation and little hopelessness. Conclusions: Currently available services do not meet the needs of some young people with socially disabling mental health problems. Motivation to change appears high at this early stage of disorder, supporting the potential value of intervening early to prevent longer-term social disability. SRCBT was well accepted by participants and so is a promising intervention to meet this objective

Tectonic and magmatic controls on hydrothermal activity in the Woodlark Basin

The Woodlark Basin is one of the rare places on earth where the transition from continental breakup to seafloor spreading can be observed. The potential juxtaposition of continental rocks, a large magmatic heat source, crustal-scale faulting, and hydrothermal circulation has made the Woodlark Basin a prime target for seafloor mineral exploration. However, over the past 20 years, only two locations of active hydrothermalism had been found. In 2009 we surveyed 435 km of the spreading axis for the presence of hydrothermal plumes. Only one additional plume was found, bringing the total number of plumes known over 520 km of ridge axis to only 3, much less than at ridges with similar spreading rates globally. Particularly the western half of the basin (280 km of axis) is apparently devoid of high temperature plumes despite having thick crust and a presumably high magmatic budget. This paucity of hydrothermal activity may be related to the peculiar tectonic setting at Woodlark, where repeated ridge jumps and a re-location of the rotation pole both lead to axial magmatism being more widely distributed than at many other, more mature and stable mid-ocean ridges. These factors could inhibit the development of both a stable magmatic heat source and the deeply penetrating faults needed to create long-lived hydrothermal systems. We conclude that large seafloor massive sulfide deposits, potential targets for seafloor mineral exploration, will probably not be present along the spreading axis of the Woodlark Basin, especially in its younger, western portion

Exploration of the Psychosocial Impact of Coeliac Disease on Adults and Their Family Members

Coeliac disease (CD) is an autoimmune condition triggered by the consumption of gluten; a protein found in grains. In addition to the biological impact, CD impacts the psychosocial wellbeing of people with the condition. The sole treatment available for CD is a life-long gluten-free diet. Food and eating form a key behaviour in daily family life. The management of CD takes place in the family home and external social environment. Family can influence the behaviour and health of individual members. Evidence of how CD impacts family members, and how families support the management of CD is sparse. This thesis explored the lived experiences of nine families with an adult with coeliac disease, examining the psychosocial impact through an integrated biopsychosocial theoretical framework. The research adopted a participatory approach consulting with adult, child, and young person groups, on the research design. Individual (n=18) and dyadic (n=3) participant-generated photo-elicited interviews were conducted via online synchronous video. Transcribed interview data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Data generated three distinct themes of family life; adjusting to life with CD; family life at home with food; and navigating the external social world. An overarching theme, ‘the perpetual presence of coeliac disease’, threaded these themes together. The adult with CD had the initial burden of orchestrating family adjustment to CD. All family members changed food related behaviours at home, constructing a conducive environment to support the management of CD. In the wider social world, stigma and negative affect were experienced by children and adults with CD. This thesis contributes to participatory research methods literature, demonstrating feasibility of public consultation, and application of participatory-photograph methods online. The research contributes to the wider literature on the psychosocial impact on families living with CD, having implications for the inclusion of family members in the management of CD

Coordinated regulation of Myc trans-activation targets by Polycomb and the Trithorax group protein Ash1

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Myc oncoprotein is a transcriptional regulator whose function is essential for normal development. Myc is capable of binding to 10% of the mammalian genome, and it is unclear how a developing embryo controls the DNA binding of its abundant Myc proteins in order to avoid Myc's potential for inducing tumorigenesis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To identify chromatin binding proteins with a potential role in controlling Myc activity, we established a genetic assay for dMyc activity in <it>Drosophila</it>. We conducted a genome-wide screen using this assay, and identified the Trithorax Group protein Ash1 as a modifier of dMyc activity. Ash1 is a histone methyltransferase known for its role in opposing repression by Polycomb. Using RNAi in the embryo and Affymetrix microarrays, we show that <it>ash1 </it>RNAi causes the increased expression of many genes, suggesting that it is directly or indirectly required for repression in the embryo, in contrast to its known role in maintenance of activation. Many of these genes also respond similarly upon depletion of <it>Pc </it>and <it>pho </it>transcripts, as determined by concurrent microarray analysis of <it>Pc </it>and <it>pho </it>RNAi embryos, suggesting that the three are required for low levels of expression of a common set of targets. Further, many of these overlapping targets are also activated by Myc overexpression. We identify a second group of genes whose expression in the embryo requires Ash1, consistent with its previously established role in maintenance of activation. We find that this second group of Ash1 targets overlaps those activated by Myc and that ectopic Myc overcomes their requirement for Ash1.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Genetic, genomic and chromatin immunoprecipitation data suggest a model in which Pc, Ash1 and Pho are required to maintain a low level of expression of embryonic targets of activation by Myc, and that this occurs, directly or indirectly, by a combination of disparate chromatin modifications.</p

The European Debt Crisis in France and Germany through the Lens of the 1930s: A Polanyian Reading

Introduction: In The Great Transformation, Karl Polanyi develops a critique of the nineteenth and twentieth liberal project to create a self-regulating market economy in terms of both its economic and political ramifications. This critique focuses first and foremost on his analysis of the dysfunction of the interwar gold standard, broken down in terms of its international and national articulations. Internationally, Polanyi conceived the gold standard as an institutional mechanism that created and extended the free market economic system across the globe. Politically, it constituted the anchor underpinning the Pax Britannica of the second half of the nineteenth century and, during a fleeting moment in the second half of the 1920s, the liberal Europe of Locarno. At the domestic level, the gold standard served as the policing agent of economic liberalism that went hand in hand with constitutional liberalism as the twin institutional foundations of the 19th century social order. Accordingly, the breakdown of the gold standard during the 1930s augured for Polanyi the destruction of this liberal European economic and political order. The emergence of explicitly anti-liberal political and economic regimes on the continent disrupted the international balance of power and set the stage for the conflagration of World War II. Thus, the breakdown of the interwar gold standard provided “the invisible link between the disintegration of [the] world economy since the turn of the century and the transformation of a whole civilization in the 1930s,” thereby underscoring the historic failure of “the utopian endeavor of economic liberalism to set up a self-regulating market system.”

Can we respond mindfully to distressing voices? A systematic review of evidence for engagement, acceptability, effectiveness and mechanisms of change for mindfulness-based interventions for people distressed by hearing voices

Adapted mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) could be of benefit for people distressed by hearing voices. This paper presents a systematic review of studies exploring this possibility and we ask five questions: (1) Is trait mindfulness associated with reduced distress and disturbance in relation to hearing voices? (2) Are MBIs feasible for people distressed by hearing voices? (3) Are MBIs acceptable and safe for people distressed by hearing voices? (4) Are MBIs effective at reducing distress and disturbance in people distressed by hearing voices? (5) If effective, what are the mechanisms of change through which MBIs for distressing voices work? Fifteen studies were identified through a systematic search (n = 479). In relation to the five review questions: (1) data from cross-sectional studies showed an association between trait mindfulness and distress and disturbance in relation to hearing voices; (2) evidence from qualitative studies suggested that people distressed by hearing voices could engage meaningfully in mindfulness practice; (3) MBIs were seen as acceptable and safe; (4) there were no adequately powered RCTs allowing conclusions about effectiveness to be drawn; and (5) it was not possible to draw on robust empirical data to comment on potential mechanisms of change although findings from the qualitative studies identified three potential change processes; (i) reorientation of attention; (ii) decentring; and (iii) acceptance of voices. This review provided evidence that MBIs are engaging, acceptable, and safe. Evidence for effectiveness in reducing distress and disturbance is lacking however. We call for funding for adequately powered RCTs that will allow questions of effectiveness, maintenance of effects, mechanisms of change and moderators of outcome to be definitively addressed