Shooting Up - An Update: October 2007 (PDF 1208 KB)

Infections among injecting drug users in the United Kingdom 2006

Continuity of Supply of the Home Oxygen Service in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (PDF 96 KB)

Arrangements to support continuity of oxygen supply to patients using the NHS home oxygen service in the four countries within the United Kingdom

Canvi tecnològic i desenvolupament econòmic durant la segona revolució industrial: la transferència tecnològica del sector tèxtil entre Anglaterra i Catalunya

Projecte de recerca elaborat a partir d’una estada a la University of Sussex, Gran Bretanya, entre març i juliol del 2008. L’estada ha estat centrada en obtenir fonts documentals primàries, per avançar en el projecte d’investigació sobre la transferència de tecnologia entre Catalunya i Anglaterra durant la Segona Revolució Industrial. Això ha estat possible gràcies a la consulta de les patents britàniques (Business & Intellectual Property Centre at the British Library). Així mateix, l’obtenció dels recursos documentals especialitzats de diverses biblioteques de referència situades al campus de la University of Sussex (Keith Pavitt Libray (SPRU), Library of Sussex, British Library of Development Studies) i a Ruddignton Framework Knitters’ Library a Nottingham han estat fonamentals, tal i com es pot veure en la relació detallada que es presenta.

Les "grans negociacions" a la Unió Europea: la formació de preferències, les estratègies y l’èxit a les negociacions

Projecte de recerca elaborat a partir d’una estada a la School of politics and international relations, de la University College of Dublin, United Kingdom, entre 2007 i 2009. L’ objectiu del projecte present ha estat contribuir a l’estudi de les negociacions intergovernamentals a la Unió Europea (UE). En primer lloc, s’ha estudiat les estratègies de negociació del estats membres a negociacions intergovernamentals en la UE, per la qual cosa s’ha desenvolupat una tipologia d’estratègies de negociació, diferenciant entre les més agressives (conflictives) i les menys agressives (cooperatives). La conclusió principal ha estat que els actors difereixen en la elecció de les estratègies i que és precisament el poder relatiu dels actors que explica quines estratègies adopten. En segon lloc, s’analitza la ratificació dels resultats a les negociacions intergovernamentals, concentrant-me en l’us dels referèndums. La investigació mostra que els referèndums són sovint usats pels partits polítics com un instrument utilitzat durant les campanyes electorals, posant en dubte la tesis de que l’objectiu principal dels referèndums és influenciar els poder relatiu dels estats membres en negociacions intergovernamentals. Finalment, s’ha estudiat com els actors socials influeixen aquestes negociacions en la UE. La evidencia empírica clarament mostra que la pressió que exerceixen els grups de pressió es sovint subestimada.

Law and the practise of principle in diverse societies

Projecte de recerca elaborat a partir d’una estada a la London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom, entre 2007 i 2009. L’objecte principal del projecte ha estat analitzar les implicacions jurídico-polítiques i institucionals d’una teoria de la justícia i la igualtat liberals aplicada a societats multiculturals amb un marcat predomini de la diversitat cultural. L’anàlisi desenvolupa una línia d'investigació interdisciplinar - entre el dret i la teoria política - iniciada en una tesis doctoral sobre multiculturalisme i drets de les minories culturals (UPF, 2000) que va culminar en la publicació de Group Rights as Human Rights (Springer, 2006). La recerca adopta com a punt de partida les conclusions de l'esmentada obra, en especial, la rellevància del reconeixement de drets col•lectius; tanmateix, el tipus de qüestions plantejades, l’enfoc i la metodologia emprades són substancialment diferents. En concret, s'adrecen preguntes específiques sobre el model i aspiracions del constitucionalisme democràtic i el paper del dret en contextos multiculturals. També s’atorga un pes central a la dimensió institucional dels models de gestió de la diversitat que s’analitzen, prioritzant un enfocament comparatiu a partir de l’estudi de controvèrsies concretes. L’objectiu és superar algunes limitacions importants de la literatura actual, com ara la tendència a examinar en abstracte la compatibilitat de determinades demandes amb el constitucionalisme democràtic, sense abordar el funcionament d'estratègies de gestió de la diversitat cultural emprades en contextos concrets. Els treballs producte d'aquest projecte articulen les línies bàsiques d’un model pluralista, basat en principis més que en regles, que desafia els plantejaments dominants actualment. Aquest model es caracteritza pel compromís amb la legitimitat i igualtat comparatives, rebutjant el paternalisme i les visions liberals típiques sobre el paper de la regulació. La presumpció de l’“standing” moral dels grups identitaris és fonamental per tal de considerar-los interlocutors vàlids amb interessos genuïns. També s’argumenta que la integració social en contextos multiculturals no depèn tant de l’eliminació del conflicte sinó, sobre tot, d’una gestió eficient que eviti abusos de poder sistemàtics. El model defensa el rol del dret en la institucionalització del diàleg intercultural, però admet que el diàleg no necessàriament condueix a l’acord o a una estructura reguladora coherent i uniforme. Les aspiracions del ordre jurídic pluralista són més modestes: afavorir la negociació i resolució en cada conflicte, malgrat la persistència de la fragmentació i la provisionalitat dels acords. La manca d'un marc regulador comú esdevé una virtut en la mesura que permet la interacció de diferents subordres; una interacció governada per una multiplicitat de regles no necessàriament harmòniques. Els avantatges i problemes d’aquest model s'analitzen a partir de l'anàlisi de l’estructura fragmentària de l'ordre jurídic internacional i del règim Europeu de drets humans.

Target-guided synthesis of metal-based phosphatase inhibitors

Report for the scientific sojourn at the Imperial College of London, United Kingdom, from 2007 to 2009. PTEN is a tumour suppressor enzyme that plays important roles in the PI3K pathway which regulates growth, proliferation and survival and is thus related to many human disorders such as diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular complications and cancer. It is hence of great interest to understand in detail its molecular behaviour and to find small molecules that can switch on/off its activity. For this purpose, metal complexes have been synthesized and preliminary studies in vivo show that all are capable of inhibiting PTEN.

Model-based appraisal of minimum unit pricing for alcohol in Northern Ireland

In 2009, the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group (SARG) at Sheffield University developed the Sheffield Alcohol Policy Model version 2.0 (SAPM) to appraise the potential impact of alcohol policies, including different levels of MUP, for the population of England. In 2013, SARG were commissioned by the DHSSPS and the Department for Social Development to adapt the Sheffield Model to NI in order to appraise the potential impact of a range of alcohol pricing policies. The present report represents the results of this work. Estimates from the Northern Ireland (NI) adaptation of the Sheffield Alcohol Policy Model - version 3 - (SAPM3) suggest: 1. Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) policies would be effective in reducing alcohol consumption, alcohol related harms (including alcohol-related deaths, hospitalisations, crimes and workplace absences) and the costs associated with those harms. 2. A ban on below-cost selling (implemented as a ban on selling alcohol for below the cost of duty plus the VAT payable on that duty) would have a negligible impact on alcohol consumption or related harms. 3. A ban on price-based promotions in the off-trade, either alone or in tandem with an MUP policy would be effective in reducing alcohol consumption, related harms and associated costs. 4. MUP and promotion ban policies would only have a small impact on moderate drinkers at all levels of income. Somewhat larger impacts would be experienced by increasing risk drinkers, with the most substantial effects being experienced by high risk drinkers. 5. MUP and promotion ban policies would have larger impacts on those in poverty, particularly high risk drinkers, than those not in poverty. However, those in poverty also experience larger relative gains in health and are estimated to marginally reduce their spending due to their reduced drinking under the majority of policies åÊ

Report to the Minister for Health and Children: Independent Examination related to the Medical Council and South-Eastern Health Board (Dr John Harding Price)

The Minister for Health and Children has requested that an independent review be carried out of the circumstances surrounding the employment of a UK based Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr John Harding-Price, to a locum psychiatrist position with the South Eastern Health Board (SEHB) while he was suspended by the General Medical Council (GMC) in the United Kingdom and consequently the subject of legal proceedings by the Medical Council in Ireland. The Consultant was continuously registered with the Medical Council since 1968. Download the document here

The Prostate Cancer Charitys 2020 goals and 2008-2014 strategy

Transforming the future for prostate cancer’ sets out five major goals that the Charity believe need to be achieved for people affected by prostate cancer by 2020. These goals will be reached when everyone concerned – people affected by the disease, charities, health professionals, the NHS, researchers and supporters –moves in the same direction with a sense of united purpose. The Prostate Cancer Charity, as the UK’s leading voluntary organisation working with people affected by prostate cancer, has an essential role to play in leading the prostate cancer community to reach these 2020 goals. This document explains what The Prostate Cancer Charity will be doing over the next six years (2008-14) to fulfil this role. It explains where The Prostate Cancer Charity will be providing services directly and where The Prostate Cancer Charity will be working with others to secure the vital improvements we must see in men’s experiences of prostate cancer. The strategy focuses on five major goals:By 2020, significantly more men will survive prostate cancer. By 2020, society will understand the key facts about prostate cancer and will act on that knowledgeBy 2020, African Caribbean men and women will know more about prostate cancer and will act on that knowledgeBy 2020, inequalities in access to high quality prostate cancer services will be reducedBy 2020, people affected by prostate cancer will have their information and support needs addressed effectively.

Health Impact of Physical Inactivity (HIPI) Tool

Regular physical activity has substantial health benefits, yet only a minority (approximately 21%) of the population in England achieve the minimum levels as recommended by the four home countries’ Chief Medical Officers, in their Start Active, Stay Active report HIPI has been developed to estimate how many cases of certain diseases could be prevented in each local authority in England, if the population aged 40-79 were to engage in recommended amounts of physical activity. This first release (March 2013) includes the following health impacts: preventable cases of diabetes (only shown for Counties and Unitary Authorities) preventable emergency admissions to hospital with a coronary heart disease preventable new cases of breast and colon cancer total number of preventable deaths (all causes). Users can select geographical areas from a map or list. The data is also provided in a downloadable excel spreadsheet. HIPI uses estimates of local levels of physical activity from the Sport England Active People survey. It models the potential benefit from increased levels of physical activity for each local authority. This is pre-calculated to show the health impacts if 100%, 75%, 50% or 25% of the local population undertake the UK Chief Medical Officers’ recommended levels of physical activity. Other assumptions and sources of data are described in the technical document.

Social and economic inequalities in diet and physical activity

This briefing paper describes social and economic inequalities associated with two of the key determinants of obesity - diet and physical activity. The paper also explores possible explanations for these inequalities.

Obesity and the environment briefing: Increasing physical activity and active travel

This briefing has been written in conjunction with the Local Government Association (LGA). It is aimed at those who work in or represent local authorities. It addresses the issue of taking action to create environments where people are more likely to walk or cycle for short journeys. It summarises the importance of action on obesity and a specific focus on active travel, and outlines the regulatory and policy approaches that can be taken.

Obesity and the environment: regulating the growth of fast food outlets

A ‘healthy people, healthy places’ briefing. This briefing summarises the importance of action on obesity and a specific focus on fast food takeaways, and outlines the regulatory and other approaches that can be taken at local level. Th briefing paper addresses the opportunities to limit the number of fast food takeaways (especially near schools) and ways in which fast food offers can be made healthier.