Great Britain Research Articles

Why the long face? Experiences and observations of bullying behaviour at equestrian centres in Great Britain

This study explored the experiences and observations of equestrians and industry professionals (N = 11) to verify the nature and extent of mistreatment and harassment at equine centres in Great Britain. Guided by conceptions from the social ecological model, thematic analysis of the data from semi-structured interviews was conducted, which confirmed the omnipresence of bullying by underscoring themes that represent personal factors of those involved such as different acts of negativity and autocratic tendencies of influential figures. Themes denoting social-environmental factors comprised the involved parties’ background characteristics, specific locations of occurrences, and subsequent responses in victims that confirm a discontinuation of involvement. Through the adoption of a macroscopic understanding, equestrian associations are encouraged to revise the implementation and regulation of policies that would prevent mistreatment and abuse to foster a safe and inclusive environment. Future research into separate member bodies within the association, gender differences, and barriers in the implementation of strategies could deepen understanding and inform equestrian associations’ efforts to implement positive change where needed.

Centering Slavery in the Age of Abolition: Insights from the Saint Lucia Register of Plantation Slaves, 1815

Abstract: Scholars have used a range of sources, including oral histories, written accounts, and plantation inventories, to reconstruct the lives of people subjected to slavery in the Atlantic world. Yet in contested colonies such as Saint Lucia, the experiences of enslaved people remain little known. Attention to a seemingly static, bureaucratic document—the 1815 Register of Plantation Slaves—provides details about all 12,726 individuals who were enslaved on estates in Saint Lucia just one year after France ceded the island to Great Britain. This, in turn, facilitates the reconstruction of life histories and genealogies of people who labored on the plantation frontier of the British Empire during the age of abolition. As one of 671 such documents created throughout the empire in the decades after Great Britain's 1807 abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, the 1815 Saint Lucia Register of Plantation Slaves illustrates the potential for such documents to significantly enlarge current understandings of slavery. The register testifies to the importance of regional trafficking and the role of reproductive labor in giving rise to a creolized enslaved population in Saint Lucia, and it poignantly illustrates how these phenomena affected enslaved individuals and families.

From anti-colonialism to anti-imperialism: African student associations and activism in 1960s Italy

After the end of European colonial rule, the presence of university students from the newly independent countries increased on both sides of the Iron Curtain. Although the students were involved in political activities both in the Eastern bloc and in Western Germany, France and Great Britain, there is a gap in academic research on this involvement in the Italian case. This article offers the first reconstruction of African student activism in Italy in the 1960s, tracing the modalities of association and mapping the links of this activism with various Italian organisations, in particular anti-colonial student organisations and the Catholic Ufficio Centrale Studenti Esteri in Italia. The article shows that throughout the decade, the African students' interests shifted from anti-colonialism to anti-imperialism and that their associations underwent a process of radicalisation, partly linked to the concurrent transformations of the Italian student movement, and partly to developments in African politics.

Intersection of gambling with smoking and alcohol use in Great Britain: a cross-sectional survey in October 2022

ObjectivesGambling is associated with cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. We explored the intersection of gambling across all risk levels of harm with smoking and alcohol use among adults in Great...

Educating the Younger Generation of Polish Female Refugees in Postwar Britain

Abstract This study explores the education of young Polish female refugees in postwar Britain, and the implications of the establishment of the Committee for the Education of Poles, a body brought into being on April 1, 1947, as a consequence of the passage of the Polish Resettlement Bill in March 1947 (the first ever British legislation dealing with mass immigration). It examines the newly introduced grammar schools for girls, the challenges raised for these new educational establishments, and the strategies introduced by the British authorities in order to cope with the growing numbers of Polish adolescents entering the country after World War II. Based on archival records and supported by oral interviews, the sample case studies presented herein highlight one way in which the young Polish community was rehabilitated in exile at the start of their path towards civic integration. They highlight the key importance of education to that pathway. The studies presented here provide an insight into the experiences of, and challenges faced by, young Polish women during the Process of their education and resettlement. Thanks to extant school reports, it has been possible to ascertain not only the practical and financial problems that impacted the schools presented in the paper, which operated under the auspices of the Committee for the Education of Poles, but also their slow, but steady improvement over time. The paper provides clear evidence that it was thanks to the Committee that a significant proportion of the younger generation of Poles managed to acquire the qualifications needed to secure their first jobs and ultimately a career in industry or business and so play a useful part in the economic life of Great Britain and her overseas territories.

The Level and Dynamics of Socio-Economic Development of Great Britain Regions in 2012-2020

The Level and Dynamics of Socio-Economic Development of Great Britain Regions in 2012-2020

Retrospective analysis of the construction of the national system of hospice and palliative care in Great Britain

Today, Great Britain has one of the best hospice care systems for palliative patients in the world, which leads to interest in the path of building a Hospice and Palliative Care (НPC) system in this country. The hospice care system is mainly financed by the volunteer sector, which indicates a significant development of the state-society partnership in the organization of НPC. The national НPC system consists of inpatient care, day palliative care, care in the community and emergency hospitals. 2004–2008 is considered the key moment in the formation of the country's НPC system, which will be the focus of this study. For specialist palliative care, the National Health Service of Great Britain allocated almost £50 million a year in those days until 2004. At the same time, volunteer support was about 4 times greater. More than 220 volunteer support groups for palliative patients operated in the country. The success of building a national НPC system is described in the Palliative Care White Paper. A number of interrelated national programs may be used as a standard of palliative care in 20 years by many other countries. The development of the НPC system has influenced the British homes for the elderly, the system of primary care, the attitude to the НPC problem of doctors, local communities and society as a whole, increased the quality and availability of palliative care. Palliative care since those years has been provided 24/7, managed by coordination centers located outside medical facilities and hospices. High national НPC standards and mechanisms for monitoring their compliance have been created. Narcotic analgesia for palliative patients with chronic pain, the necessary medical, psychological, social and spiritual care is mostly available. The public debates the question of a dignified death without restrictions. The value for money of НPC is recognized by British society as acceptable. Therefore, studying the British experience of НPC organization as one of the "best practices" is useful for other countries with less developed НPC systems. Keywords: "best practices", place of death, palliative care quality standards.

Training strategies of Chinese and British multinational companies in Germany

In the academic literature, the training strategies of the foreign branches of multinational companies have hardly been considered so far. Consequently, it is unclear how these subsidiaries meet their demand for skilled workers. Since the training cultures in the respective countries of origin are often different from those in the host country, research into this topic is of interest. This article is therefore dedicated to the question of how foreign companies from China and Great Britain behave when they come to Germany with the dual training system that dominates here. Based on 11 qualitative interviews, the training and recruitment strategies of these companies are analyzed as well as the effect of the influences on the adaptation to the German environment.

Assessment of the Global Experience of Strategies for Gender Asymmetry Reduction

Gender asymmetry often denotes significant gender inequality, encompassing disparities in societal norms, cultural convictions, and historical legacies. This asymmetry results in an unequal distribution of opportunities, resources, and power between individuals of different genders, with one gender often enjoying certain privileges over the other. This article analyzes the effectiveness of implemented and tested strategies in reducing gender asymmetry, with a special focus on four countries such as the United States, Great Britain, Germany and Kazakhstan. Special attention is paid to comparing approaches and results in different countries, which makes it possible to identify the most successful practices and general trends. Despite the implementation of various government policies and standards aimed at achieving equal pay for employees of all genders, women still tend to receive lower salaries compared to their male counterparts, even when they hold similar positions and perform similar job responsibilities. Through meticulous investigation and the application of statistical methodologies, it is attempted to gauge whether these strategies have contributed to a reduction in gender asymmetry, comparing the statistics from 2019 to 2023 for the outcomes’ evaluation. In conclusion, the article offers recommendations for the development and implementation of effective strategies that can be used by governments and organizations to further promote gender equality.

Counteracting Crimes in the Field of Professional Sports in the Legislation of the States of the Anglo-Saxon Legal System

One of the “trend setters” in terms of legal regulation of liability for crimes in the field of professional sports are the United States of America and Great Britain. Accordingly, its analysis can be important for developing its own position on this issue, including the possibility of formulating legislative proposals on this issue. The study shows that the legislators of both countries, despite the unconditional similarity of legal systems, nevertheless have different approaches to solving this issue. The experience of each country is of considerable interest in terms of comparative law, and the attention paid to the issues raised indicates its extreme relevance, which requires taking quite strict measures to solve it today. Their success seems to be achieved only if an integrated approach can be achieved precisely to counter the negative phenomenon, the underestimation of which is already costing our society.

Organic carbon accumulation in British saltmarshes

Saltmarshes are a crucial component of the coastal carbon (C) system and provide a natural climate regulation service through the accumulation and long-term storage of organic carbon (OC) in their soils. These coastal ecosystems are under growing pressure from a changing climate and increasing anthropogenic disturbance. To manage and protect these ecosystems for C and to allow their inclusion in emissions and natural-capital accounting, as well as carbon markets, accurate and reliable estimates of OC accumulation are required. However, globally, such data are rare or of varying quality. Here, we quantify sedimentation rates and OC densities for 21 saltmarshes in Great Britain (GB). We estimate that, on average, saltmarshes accumulate OC at a rate of 110.88 ± 43.12 g C m−2 yr−1. This is considerably less than widely applied global saltmarsh averages. It is therefore highly likely that the contribution of northern European saltmarshes to global saltmarsh OC accumulation has been significantly overestimated. Taking account of the climatic, geomorphological, oceanographic, and ecological characteristics of all GB saltmarshes and the areal extent of different saltmarsh zones, we estimate that the 451.65 km2 of GB saltmarsh accumulates 46,563 ± 4353 t of OC annually. These low OC accumulation rates underline the importance of the 5.20 ± 0.65 million tonnes of OC already stored in these vulnerable coastal ecosystems. Going forward the protection and preservation of the existing stores of OC in GB saltmarshes must be a priority for the UK as this will provide climate benefits through avoided emissions several times more significant than the annual accumulation of OC in these ecosystems.

Methods and techniques of architectural environment forming under the conditions of global climate change: the problems of flooding

This article highlights the methods and techniques of forming an architectural environment based on sustainable development, namely, how to adapt to the consequences of global climate change caused by the anthropogenic environment and its activities. One of the serious consequences of global climate change is an increase in the frequency and power of floods, especially they pose a danger to cities, where problems related to the comfort of human life are worsening. Floods destroy city infrastructure and endanger the city's water supply sources. Such natural disasters activate the scientific community to eliminate their consequences, on the one hand, on the other - to solve the shortage of water as an energy resource, raising the issue of developing technologies for accumulating its surplus and further use in many types of human life, as well as in the functioning systems of the city as a whole. The world scientific and practical experience of innovative methods of adaptation of the new and reconstruction of the existing architectural environment to climate changes in countries vulnerable to frequent flooding, which is a problem for Ukraine as well, is analyzed. The article analyzes methods from Denmark, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Pakistan, with which they create a flood-resistant architectural environment and turn the disadvantages of their flood-prone region of residence into advantages. The experience of these countries and their methods of combating natural disasters helps other regions of our planet to form a comfortable architectural environment that corresponds to today's rapidly changing weather conditions and the goals of sustainable development. The conducted analysis demonstrates a wide range of solutions to problems, from small elements of the architectural environment to the planning of individual districts and the city as a whole. These solutions are used individually, as well as in combination, which increases their effectiveness. Therefore, the use of a complex approach as the main method of forming the architectural environment under conditions of global climate change is revealed.

Time in the novel “The Snake’s Pass” by Bram Stoker as a plot-forming element

The article examines time as a plot-forming element in Bram Stoker’s novel “The Snake’s Pass”. The traditional idea of artistic time as a sequence of events flowing from the past into the present and future is interpreted from the point of view of the concept of linear and monumental time. Ireland’s legendary and historical past are intertwined and expressed in the present through the images of the bog, the treasure, the Englishman and the Irish peasant woman. The monumental past is associated with the uneasy relationship between Great Britain and Ireland at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries and the attempt of the author of the novel to metaphorically resolve the contradictions through the marriage of an Englishman and an Irish woman. Linear time is expressed in the image of an Englishman, the development of his relationships with the inhabitants of an Irish village, the engineering study of a bog, and the transformation of a poor Irish village into a prosperous region. The female image is created according to the canon of the “new woman” in the late Victorian novel, combining femininity and heroism, manifested in a difficult situation.

Peculiarities of Realization of Discourse Strategies «Intensify» and «Downplay» in Political Commentary of English-Speaking Quality Press

The article presents the analysis of the use of discourse strategies «intensify» and «downplay» in political commentary of quality press in the USA and Great Britain. The analysis of a vast volume of text material suggests the predominant presence of «downplay» strategy in political commentary as it is used to present a critical overview of most current and urgent political issues and events. In practice this strategy is mostly implemented by analysis-minus tactics and the tactics of accusation, the latter prevails in such type of political discourse. The use of the positively charged «intensify» strategy in texts of political commentary is limited and strongly influenced by the political position and choices of the editorial board. Analysis plus and presentation tactics prevail among the possible choices made to bring into life «intensify» strategy in political commentary. They aim at making the reader share the positive vision of the described events and create a favorable image of the politician.

Securing a lobbying win on XL bully neutering.

Following the introduction of bans on XL bully dogs across Great Britain, and the announcement of restrictions on the breed type in Northern Ireland, we welcomed the extension of the deadlines for neutering XL bullies in England, Wales and Scotland thanks to our campaigning alongside other organisations in the Dog Control Coalition.

Research autopsy programmes in oncology: shared experience from 14 centres across the world.

While there is a great clinical need to understand the biology of metastatic cancer in order to treat it more effectively, research is hampered by limited sample availability. Research autopsy programmes can crucially advance the field through synchronous, extensive, and high-volume sample collection. However, it remains an underused strategy in translational research. Via an extensive questionnaire, we collected information on the study design, enrolment strategy, study conduct, sample and data management, and challenges and opportunities of research autopsy programmes in oncology worldwide. Fourteen programmes participated in this study. Eight programmes operated 24 h/7 days, resulting in a lower median postmortem interval (time between death and start of the autopsy, 4 h) compared with those operating during working hours (9 h). Most programmes (n = 10) succeeded in collecting all samples within a median of 12 h after death. A large number of tumour sites were sampled during each autopsy (median 15.5 per patient). The median number of samples collected per patient was 58, including different processing methods for tumour samples but also non-tumour tissues and liquid biopsies. Unique biological insights derived from these samples included metastatic progression, treatment resistance, disease heterogeneity, tumour dormancy, interactions with the tumour micro-environment, and tumour representation in liquid biopsies. Tumour patient-derived xenograft (PDX) or organoid (PDO) models were additionally established, allowing for drug discovery and treatment sensitivity assays. Apart from the opportunities and achievements, we also present the challenges related with postmortem sample collections and strategies to overcome them, based on the shared experience of these 14 programmes. Through this work, we hope to increase the transparency of postmortem tissue donation, to encourage and aid the creation of new programmes, and to foster collaborations on these unique sample collections. © 2024 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Obliteration of portal venules contributes to portal hypertension in biliary cirrhosis.

The effects of the obliteration of portal venules (OPV) in cirrhotic portal hypertension are poorly understood. To investigate its contribution to portal hypertension in biliary cirrhosis and its underlying mechanism,we evaluated OPV using two-dimensional (2D) histopathology in liver explants from patients with biliary atresia (BA, n = 63), primary biliary cholangitis (PBC, n = 18), and hepatitis B-related cirrhosis (Hep-B-cirrhosis, n = 35). Then, three-dimensional (3D) OPV was measured by X-ray phase-contrast CT in two parallel models in rats following bile duct ligation (BDL) or carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) administration, representing biliary cirrhosis and post-necrotic cirrhosis, respectively. The portal pressure was also measured in the two models. Finally, the effects of proliferative bile ducts on OPV were investigated. We found that OPV was significantly more frequent in patients with biliary cirrhosis, including BA (78.57 ± 16.45%) and PBC (60.00 ± 17.15%), than that in Hep-B-cirrhotic patients (29.43 ± 14.94%, p < 0.001). OPV occurred earlier, evidenced by the paired liver biopsy at a Kasai procedure (KP), and was irreversible even after a successful KP in the patients with BA. OPV was also significantly more frequent in the BDL models than in the CCl4 models, as shown by 2D and 3D quantitative analysis. Portal pressure was significantly higher in the BDL model than that in the CCl4 model. With the proliferation of bile ducts, portal venules were compressed and irreversibly occluded, contributing to the earlier and higher portal pressure in biliary cirrhosis. OPV, as a pre-sinusoidal component, plays a key role in the pathogenesis of portal hypertension in biliary cirrhosis. The proliferated bile ducts and ductules gradually take up the 'territory' originally attributed to portal venules and compress the portal venules, which may lead to OPV in biliary cirrhosis. © 2024 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Polyketide synthase positive Escherichia coli one-time measurement in stool is not informative of colorectal cancer risk in a screening setting.

Environmental factors like the pathogenicity island polyketide synthase positive (pks+) Escherichia coli (E. coli) could have potential for risk stratification in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. The association between pks+ E. coli measured in fecal immunochemical test (FIT) samples and the detection of advanced neoplasia (AN) at colonoscopy was investigated. Biobanked FIT samples were analyzed for both presence of E. coli and pks+ E. coli and correlated with colonoscopy findings; 5020 CRC screening participants were included. Controls were participants in which no relevant lesion was detected because of FIT-negative results (cut-off ≥15 μg Hb/g feces), a negative colonoscopy, or a colonoscopy during which only a nonadvanced polyp was detected. Cases were participants with AN [CRC, advanced adenoma (AA), or advanced serrated polyp (ASP)]. Existing DNA isolation and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) procedures were used for the detection of E. coli and pks+ E. coli in stool. A total of 4542 (90.2%) individuals were E. coli positive, and 1322 (26.2%) were pks+ E. coli positive. The prevalence of E. coli in FIT samples from individuals with AN was 92.9% compared to 89.7% in FIT samples of controls (p = 0.010). The prevalence of pks+ E. coli in FIT samples from individuals with AN (28.6%) and controls (25.9%) was not significantly different (p = 0.13). The prevalences of pks+ E. coli in FIT samples from individuals with CRC, AA, or ASP were 29.6%, 28.3%, and 32.1%, respectively. In conclusion, the prevalence of pks+ E. coli in a screening population was 26.2% and did not differ significantly between individuals with AN and controls. These findings disqualify the straightforward option of using a snapshot measurement of pks+ E. coli in FIT samples as a stratification biomarker for CRC risk. © 2024 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

The Mudros Armistice. The Armenian Question and British Diplomacy

The Ottoman Empire came out of World War I defeated. The representative of Great Britain signed the armistice agreement with the Turks in the port of Mudros on the Greek island of Lemnos. With that, the Turks were subject to capitulation. The terms of the Mudros armistice also had an impact on the Armenian Question. During the war, the Turks organized the Armenian Genocide and the Armenian territories under Ottoman rule (Cilicia and 7 provinces of Western Armenia) were completely ethnically cleansed. Out of 2.5 million Ottoman Armenians, 1.5 million were killed and 1 million became refugees. The task of this study is to demonstrate how Cilicia was immediately liberated from the Turks by the agreement of Mudros and the Armenians were able to return to their homeland, but Western Armenia was not liberated, which led to the emergence of the Kemalist nationalist movement and the failure of the Armenian Question. The article covers the negative consequences of the conditions of the Mudros armistice in the failure of the Armenian Question. The problem has never been considered from this point of view by historiography. Analyzing facts, the article shows that it was due to the intrigues of British imperialist diplomacy, which was directed primarily against France. However, it also aimed to block Russia’s way from the Caucasus to the south. The British tried to achieve their far-reaching goals through another power – the United States. The work mostly refers to archival materials and documents, also drawing on some studies related to the topic. The article is built on comparative and critical analysis, observing the principles of objectivity and historicity. Many representatives of Western and Russian historiography have addressed the Franco-British contradictions over the Ottoman heritage. Armenian historians have also referred to some aspects of the issue in question. In the study, facts previously published for different purposes are presented in a new way. The problem was set to show the influence of the British far-reaching aims on the Armenian Question.

Implementation of an inclusive approach in African countries as a direction of international cooperation within the SDGs

The article analyzes the implementation of the principle of social inclusion in relation to people with disabilities in African countries. The features characteristic of the crisis countries belonging to the Sahel zone are described. The paper outlines the ways of possible cooperation with the Russian Federation on the way to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, i.e. ensuring an inclusive and fair right to social ize people with disabilities through education and encouraging learning opportunities for people with disabilities. The interaction of the countries can be aimed at training personnel for the special education system of African countries, developing adapted educational programs for people with disabilities, and organizing early care for children with developmental disorders of sensory systems. These programs require political, economic, scientific, technological, and socio-cultural cooperation between Russia and African countries. According to the United Nations, the African continent includes 54 independent states. Most of them were colonized and had external control of major European countries — Great Britain, France, and others. In the middle of the 20th century, the process of gaining the independence of African countries began. African countries have a large gap in socio-economic indicators and are heteroge neous. Among them, progressive countries can be distinguished — those with positive experience in achieving the SDGs. Such countries include the Republic of Seychelles, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Tunisia, and so on. Along with progressive countries, there are countries that have many socio-economic problems and low per capita incomes. In addition, health and education systems have not been formed in such countries. Such countries include Niger, Mali, Chad, Gabon, and others. Therefore, cooperation within the framework of BRICS will allow organizing interaction aimed at more effective implementation of the inclusive model in A frican countries.