Factors influencing the higher incidence of tuberculosis among migrants and ethnic minorities in the UK.

Migrants and ethnic minorities in the UK have higher rates of tuberculosis (TB) compared with the general population. Historically, much of the disparity in incidence between UK-born and migrant populations has been attributed to differential pathogen exposure, due to migration from high-incidence regions and the transnational connections maintained with TB endemic countries of birth or ethnic origin. However, focusing solely on exposure fails to address the relatively high rates of progression to active disease observed in some populations of latently infected individuals. A range of factors that disproportionately affect migrants and ethnic minorities, including genetic susceptibility, vitamin D deficiency and co-morbidities such as diabetes mellitus and HIV, also increase vulnerability to infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) or reactivation of latent infection. Furthermore, ethnic socio-economic disparities and the experience of migration itself may contribute to differences in TB incidence, as well as cultural and structural barriers to accessing healthcare. In this review, we discuss both biological and anthropological influences relating to risk of pathogen exposure, vulnerability to infection or development of active disease, and access to treatment for migrant and ethnic minorities in the UK

Consumer ethnicity three decades after: a TCR agenda

Research into consumer ethnicity is a vital discipline that has substantially evolved in the past three decades. This conceptual article critically reviews its immense literature and examines the extent to which it has provided extensive contributions not only for the understanding of ethnicity in the marketplace but also for personal/collective well-being. We identify two gaps accounting for scant transformative contributions. First, today social transformations and conceptual sophistications require a revised vocabulary to provide adequate interpretive lenses. Second, extant work has mostly addressed the subjective level of ethnic identity projects but left untended the meso/macro forces affecting ethnicity (de)construction and personal/collective well-being. Our contribution stems from filling both gaps and providing a theory of ethnicity (de)construction that includes migrants as well as non-migrants

Endomyocardial Biopsy In Children. Usefulness In Various Myocardial Disorders

Scopu

Out-of-plane permeability measurement for reinforcement textiles: A benchmark exercise

The out-of-plane permeability of two glass fibre fabrics was measured by 26 institutions using silicone oil as a test fluid. Participants in this study were free to select the test procedure, specimen dimensions and data analysis method, provided that testing was carried out at three target fibre volume fractions, 46 %, 50 % and 54 %. While results showed a variability of two orders of magnitude between participants, most values were within a significantly narrower band. A majority of participants used 1D saturated test method. A few selected 1D unsaturated and 3D unsaturated flow method which gave very similar results. Focusing on analysis of data and results of 1D saturated flow measurements, results are not conclusive, but they are consistent with number of layers in a specimen, fibre volume fraction, injection pressure and sealing of specimen edges all having an effect on the measured permeability. Specifying limits for these parameters is expected to result in reduced scatter in measured permeability.ISSN:1359-835XISSN:1878-584