Asif Afridi - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Asif Afridi

Unedited Workshop Proceedings: Debating Multiculturalism 1, 2012

The Dialogue Society is a registered charity, established in London in 1999, with the aim of adva... more The Dialogue Society is a registered charity, established in London in 1999, with the aim of advancing social cohesion by connecting communities through dialogue. It operates nationwide with regional branches across the UK. Through localised community projects, discussion forums, teaching programmes and capacity building publications it enable people to venture across boundaries of religion, culture and social class. It provides a platform where people can meet to share narratives and perspectives, discover the values they have in common and be at ease with their differences.

Community Organising Against Racism

This chapter outlines the ways in which ethnic minorities have been represented through ‘communit... more This chapter outlines the ways in which ethnic minorities have been represented through ‘community engagement’ work and the close relationship between British race relations policy and the development of a black and minority ethnic (BME) community and voluntary ‘sector’ since the Second World War. It suggests that the relationship between the state and BME communities has been restrained (even contained) and has impeded progress on race equality. It argues that new forms of community engagement may ultimately be required to help progress race equality in the UK, but this requires a reevaluation of societal views on what it means to ‘represent’ and achieve ‘equality’. The chapter focuses specifically on community engagement, an important part of community development in its broadest sense.

This report examines the ways in which people use social networks to help cope with or escape fro... more This report examines the ways in which people use social networks to help cope with or escape from poverty, and how this varies within and between ethnic groups. It shows how networks can also function to restrict ambition and hinder attempts to move on in life. Drawing on interviews and case studies with people from a range of ethnicities and income brackets, the study explores how people's propensity to use networks to move out of poverty is affected by different levels of awareness, access and ability. The report: • explores the ways in which ethnicity, gender and class play important roles in shaping people's networks; • illustrates how it can be hard for people in, or at the margins of, poverty to establish 'bridging' links with others who can create opportunities and advantage; • emphasises the role of voluntary, community and faith organisations in supporting people to make connections that help them address poverty; • suggests ways in which agencies can support people to use and extend their networks to help them move out of poverty. cOntentS Executive summary 1 Introduction 2 Awareness of networks and the capacity to use them 3 Access to networks 4 The use, usefulness and limitations of networks 5 Making the links: implications for policy and practice References Appendix A Summary profile of the interview sample Appendix B Descriptions of the three research areas Appendix C Community profiles Acknowledgements About the authors List of tables A1 Country of birth of respondents A2 Ethnicity of respondents: self-described A3 Length of UK residence A4 Profile: agency interviews List of figures 1 Networking typology 2 Applying the networking typology A1 Gender A2 Age A3 Individual income A4 Household income A5 Assets A6 Outstanding loans/debts A7 Employment status

Pakistan Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 2021

Objective: To determine the frequency of sodium and potassium abnormalities (hyponatremia and hyp... more Objective: To determine the frequency of sodium and potassium abnormalities (hyponatremia and hypokalemia) in children presented with acute diarrhea. Study Design: Prospective Study Place and Duration: Study was conducted at Pediatric department of North West General Hospital, Peshawar during the period from July 2020 to June 2021 (for one Year). Methodology: One hundred and thirty patients of both genders having age upto 5 years presented with acute diarrhea were enrolled in this study. Clinical examination was done after taking written informed consent from patients parents/guardians. Blood sample was taken and sent to laboratory to examine sodium and potassium levels. Data was analyzed by SPSS 24.0. Results: There were 72 (55.38%) males while 58 (44.62%) patients were females with mean age 2.38±1.52 years. Mean disease duration was 3.54±1.33 days. Hyponatremia was found in 40 (30.77%) patients and hypokalemia was observed in 52 (40%) patients. Conclusion: Sodium and potassium abn...

Pakistan Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 2021

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of oral ibuprofen versus paracetamol ... more Objective: The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of oral ibuprofen versus paracetamol for PDA closure in preterm neonates. Study Design: Randomized Control trial Place and Duration: The study was conducted at Neonatology department North West General Hospital, Peshawar for duration of three years from April 2018 to March 2021. Methods: Total one hundred and fifty preterm neonates were included in this study. Patients’ detailed demographics including gestational age, gender; birth and diameter were recorded after taking informed written consent from the parents. Patients were equally divided into two groups, I and II. Group I had 75 patients and received paracetamol for closure for patent ductus arteriosus and group II received oral ibuprofen for closure of PDA. Outcomes among both groups were calculated in terms of effectiveness, mortality and post-operative complications. Data was analyzed by SPSS 22.0 version. Results: Mean gestational age of the patients in group I was...

Abstracts, 2019

screen (from those with history of in-utero exposure) were significant predictors for onset of NA... more screen (from those with history of in-utero exposure) were significant predictors for onset of NAS requiring pharmacological intervention at >96 HOL (OR 0.21; p value 0.011). Conclusions The majority of infants who required pharmacological treatment for NAS during their postnatal observation period were diagnosed within the first 120 HOL. Those atrisk infants, born to mothers with a known history of exposure, who have a negative urine toxicology screen for both baby and mother, should be monitored beyond 5 days as they tend to have a later presentation.

Social Policy & Administration, 2019

Explain or change' was a key term that came into currency in the UK from 2016 onwards to put the ... more Explain or change' was a key term that came into currency in the UK from 2016 onwards to put the onus on public institutions to account for disparities in outcomes on the basis of class, gender and ethnicity, in the main. One of the most prominent outcomes of this policy initiative was the government Race Disparity Audit. This article aims to go behind the headline figures to understand what it means to either 'explain' or 'change' figures and policies around race/ethnicity in particular. It outlines the findings of a survey and some interviews with staff working in the NHS in London and in universities in England. The findings point to difficulties with the quality of data generated by these organisations, as well as the uses of data. Practitioners feel that data is incomplete and do not provide the routes to policy measures that will make a clear difference to outcomes. At the same time there is a feeling there is a lack of will to use data to either explain or change their organisation's response to race inequality. Thus, this article concludes that the use of ethnicity data remains the main concern for many participants in this study.

The Escherichia coli DNA replication machinery has been used as a road map to uncover design rule... more The Escherichia coli DNA replication machinery has been used as a road map to uncover design rules that enable DNA duplication with high efficiency and fidelity. Although the enzymatic activities of the replicative DNA Pol III are well understood, its dynamics within the replisome are not. Here, we test the accepted view that the Pol III holoenzyme remains stably associated within the replisome. We use in vitro single-molecule assays with fluorescently labeled polymerases to demonstrate that the Pol III* complex (holoenzyme lacking the b 2 sliding clamp), is rapidly exchanged during processive DNA replication. Nevertheless, the replisome is highly resistant to dilution in the absence of Pol III* in solution. We further show similar exchange in live cells containing labeled clamp loader and polymerase. These observations suggest a concentrationdependent exchange mechanism providing a balance between stability and plasticity, facilitating replacement of replisomal components dependent on their availability in the environment.

Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, 2016

Local Government Studies, 2015

even though EU Cohesion policy has legitimized regional public policy, the central state is still... more even though EU Cohesion policy has legitimized regional public policy, the central state is still reluctant to allow territories to manage structural funds to any great degree. I particularly liked the historical aspects of this book, and learnt a lot about French government in the Second World War period when ‘exceptional’ Breton and Corsican territories attempted to go it alone as they forged unusual alliances and built separate constellations of power. The Trente Glorieuses (the 30 boom years between 1945 and 1975), was equally illuminating to a non-French reader, not only because of some interesting alliances formed between farmers and miners, but also because the author was able to tease out the numerous conflicts between supporters of the départements and those of the territoires. Apart from the excellent historical narrative, in which the author explains very complex situations very clearly and understandably, the book is also very well written and supported by some very informative and useful tables, maps and figures, especially those illustrating governmental responsibilities at different levels (though others are equally good). Three small weaknesses do not, in any way, detract from the overall impact of this excellent book. Firstly, there were a few contradictory statements throughout, unsurprising in a book of such density; and there were a couple of tables (pages 138 and 139) referred to in the text as ‘in the table below’ where no tables appeared. This might be down to the editing process or word count restrictions. Finally, the section on the EU in Chapter 3 is only eleven pages long, but later in the book, a whole chapter (Chapter 5) covers Regions and European Governance. Structurally, it might have been more effective to combine the two sections. These small gripes apart, I do believe that this is a superb book, full of empirical and historical facts hitherto largely unknown outside of the borders of France. The fact that it is written in excellent English by a renowned European scholar will certainly widen its appeal across Europe and beyond. The level of analysis of data is both sophisticated and user-friendly in format. The findings highlight the continuing importance of territory within governance arrangements, even in a centralised state like France, and emphasise how places take on different identities, manage conflicts, and mobilise actors and resources to further ongoing demands for autonomy, with varying levels of success. This will become a classic book, and should be essential reading for academic scholars, early-career researchers, policymakers and practitioners with an interest in local, regional and European policymaking.

This paper: • explains what social networks are, and their benefits; • explores how social networ... more This paper: • explains what social networks are, and their benefits; • explores how social networks can help address poverty and be made more accessible; and • discusses the impacts of government spending cuts on social networks. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) commissioned this paper as part of its programme on poverty and ethnicity which aims to understand the underlying reasons for variations in low income and deprivation among different ethnic groups in the UK and the problems caused. It also aims to contribute towards solutions to these problems.

This report explores whether the burden placed upon staff in care homes to produce paperwork is h... more This report explores whether the burden placed upon staff in care homes to produce paperwork is having a positive or a detrimental effect on the quality of care. The project collated and reviewed examples of paperwork used in care homes for older people. It also explored recommendations for a more 'streamlined' system of paperwork that meets regulatory requirements but also provides greater scope for care homes to focus on improving relationships between care staff and residents. Using a desk-based review of paperwork as well as interviews, focus groups and observations with care home staff, residents and carers, the report looks at: • what paperwork is for and who decides this; • how paperwork is used in care homes; • whether paperwork contributes to what residents value; • the implications of all of this for the quality of care residents receive; and • recommendations for improving the organisation, application and impact of paperwork to help achieve better-quality care.

Unedited Workshop Proceedings: Debating Multiculturalism 1, 2012

Community Organising Against Racism

Pakistan Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 2021

Abstracts, 2019

Social Policy & Administration, 2019

Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, 2016

Local Government Studies, 2015