Gender differences in Polish citizens attitudes towards immigration to the UK.

The present study examined gender differences in attitudes towards immigration of Polish citizens to the UK. Participants: 60 men (mean age =26.21, SD=2.51) and 60 women (mean age=26.15, SD=3.73) participated in the investigation. A 30 item questionnaire was administered to the participants and subjected to the Principle Component Analysis. Factor analysis showed 3 strong factors which were labeled as “domestic preference”, “lifestyle patterns” and “social participation”. The results of statistical analysis showed that Polish women have more preference for the Polish lifestyle than Polish men. However, results of regression analysis showed that as well as gender other significant predictors affecting attitudes towards living in the UK are the length of stay and level of education. Implications of the findings are discussed

The influence of 'soft' fair work regulation on union recovery: a case of re-recognition in the Scottish voluntary social care sector

This longitudinal case study contributes to debates concerning how ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ forms of regulation can interact to contribute to the advancement of worker rights. More specifically, the article explores the contribution of Scotland’s ‘soft’ fair work (FW) programme and the UK’s ‘hard’ statutory recognition procedure to union re-recognition in a voluntary sector social care provider. In combination, ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ regulation are found to have added breadth to the pressures for re-recognition exerted by the union, bringing reputational and financial costs associated with derecognition to the employer. Concerns nevertheless arose regarding the depth of impact from this interaction due to union compromises on key issues in the final recognition agreement. Due to the specific public service context of the study, doubts are also expressed regarding the potential for unions in other hard to organise sectors to achieve similar outcomes

Supply chain regulation in Scottish social care: facilitators and barriers

Drawing on a study of a Scottish government initiative to ensure the provision of a living wage to social care workers, the paper sheds new light on the value of regulating domestic supply chains to enhance labour standards in supplier organisations, and the factors that facilitate and hinder such regulation. The study confirms that supply chains driven by monopsonistic purchasers tend to drive down employment conditions, while indicating that the studied initiative met with a good deal of success due to a combination of the government generated ‘soft’ regulation and support from care providers that reflected both value and pragmatic considerations. It also highlights the contradictory tensions that can arise between policy aspirations and business objectives and suggests that to be effective, initiatives to enhance labour standards in supply chains need to address adverse market dynamics

\u3ci\u3eLetters on the Baluch-Afghan Boundary Commission of 1896 (1909)\u3c/i\u3e

Written to the English (Calcutta) and Times of India (Bombay) by their special correspondent with the Mission

Letters on the Baluch-Afghan Boundary Commission of 1896 (1909)

Written to the English (Calcutta) and Times of India (Bombay) by their special correspondent with the Mission

Effect of Immunosuppression on T-Helper 2 and B-Cell Responses to Influenza Vaccination

Background. Influenza vaccine immunogenicity is suboptimal in immunocompromised patients. However, there are limited data on the interplay of T- and B- cell responses to vaccination with simultaneous immunosuppression. Methods. We collected peripheral blood mononuclear cells from transplant recipients before and 1 month after seasonal influenza vaccination. Before and after vaccination, H1N1-specific T- and B-cell activation were quantified with flow cytometry. We also developed a mathematical model using T- and B-cell markers and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) dosage. Results. In the 47 patients analyzed, seroconversion to H1N1 antigen was demonstrated in 34%. H1N1-specific interleukin 4 (IL-4)-producing CD4+ T-cell frequencies increased significantly after vaccination in 53% of patients. Prevaccine expression of H1N1-induced HLA-DR and CD86 on B cells was high in patients who seroconverted. Seroconversion against H1N1 was strongly associated with HLA-DR expression on B cells, which was dependent on the increase between prevaccine and postvaccine H1N1-specific IL-4+CD4+ T cells (R2 = 0.35). High doses of MMF (≥2 g/d) led to lower seroconversion rates, smaller increase in H1N1-specific IL-4+CD4+ T cells, and reduced HLA-DR expression on B cells. The mathematical model incorporating a MMF-inhibited positive feedback loop between H1N1-specific IL-4+CD4+ T cells and HLA-DR expression on B cells captured seroconversion with high specificity. Conclusions. Seroconversion is associated with influenza-specific T-helper 2 and B-cell activation and seems to be modulated by MM

Crack Minimization Model for Hot Weather Concreting

ABSTRACT: This paper addresses fundamental issues of influence of elevated temperature and moderate wind speed on mass transport properties of concrete including moisture diffusivity D and convective moisture transfer coefficient hf. Based on this data for concretes of varying water-cement ratios, certain invariant functional forms are postulated for variables of interest, leading to the development of a minimum crack mix design model

Possibility of the pond culture of Asian sea bass, lates calcarifer in Gwadar farm , Sistan & Baloochestan

In the present study, the possibility of marine culture of Asian sea bass in the shrimp earthen ponds located in the Gwadar region (coastal area of Oman Sea, southeastern of Iran) was investigated. To this end, Asian sea bass frys reared for 7 months including 1 month nursery and 6 months growth-period. During the culturing periods, fish were feed ad libitum by various commercial rainbow trout diets based on fish growth stages. After nursery period, the average weight of 11.05±1.5 g and survival percent of 65 % were obtained for fish. During the growth-out period, the average weight increased continually from 31.4±4.7 g in late June to 252.1±30 g at the end of growth-out period in late Dec. Also, the highest values of monthly weight gain yielded during August, Sept and Oct when fish had the average weight range of (76.9±14.4)-(188.1±12.8) g. The values of monthly feed conversion ratio (FCR) were low and similar from July to Oct and then increased in Nov and Dec. The values of total monthly feed intake (FI) increased continually from July to Oct and then with a decrease in Nov, increased again in Dec. The values of survival percent after nursery and growth-out period were 65 % and 66% respectively. Also, the average of monthly FCR, FCR at the time of fish harvesting, total FI and total harvested biomass were 1.36, 2.5, 630.5 kg and 325 kg. in conclusion, the pond culture of Asian sea bass with marine water results appropriate survival and growth rates so that fish (11.05±1.5 g) obtained marketable weight (252.1±30 g) during 6 months culturing period. It seems that first-half of year in Gwadar area is more suitable for sea bass culture since this time periods results better FCR ( fed by rainbow trout feed) and has economic justification. Also, with regular sorting operation and providing of species-specific feed for Asian sea bass can increase the Production per Unit Area

Long Term Immune Responses to Pandemic Influenza A/H1N1 Infection in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

In solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients it is unknown if natural infection with influenza confers protection from re-infection with the same strain during the next influenza season. The purpose of this study was to determine if infection with pandemic influenza A/H1N1 (pH1N1) resulted in a long-term immunologic response. Transplant recipients with microbiologically proven pH1N1 infection in 2009/2010 underwent humoral and cell-mediated immunity (CMI) testing for pH1N1 just prior to the next influenza season. Concurrent testing for A/Brisbane/59/2007 was done to rule-out cross-reacting antibody. We enrolled 22 adult transplant patients after pH1N1 infection. Follow up testing was done at a median of 7.4 months (range 5.8–15.4) after infection. After excluding those with cross-reactive antibody, 7/19 (36.8%) patients were seroprotected. Detectable pH1N1-specific CD4+ and CD8+ interferon-γ producing T-cells were found in 11/22 (50%) and 8/22 (36.4%) patients respectively. Humoral immunity had a significant correlation with a CD4 response. This is the first study in transplant patients to evaluate long-term humoral and cellular response after natural influenza infection. We show that a substantial proportion of SOT recipients with previous pH1N1 infection lack long-term humoral and cellular immune responses to pH1N1. These patients most likely are at risk for re-infection