Has multiculturalism failed in Britain?

This paper subjects the criticisms advanced against multiculturalism to empirical test. It asks whether ethno-religious groups lead ?parallel lives? and, in consequence, fail to integrate with the wider society. It looks in particular at the alleged corrosive effects of multiculturalism, specifically at the maintenance of an ethnic rather than a British identity, social distance from white people and willingness to contemplate violent protest, but finds that all groups alike have displayed major change across the generations in the direction of a British identity and reduced social distance. It finds no evidence that rates of intergenerational change have been slower among ethno-religious groups that have made successful claims for cultural recognition. In contrast, lower levels of integration are associated with perceptions of individual or group discrimination

Root Caries in an Optimally Fluoridated and a High-fluoride Community

The purpose of this study was to measure the prevalence and distribution of root caries in two New Mexico communities. One community, Deming, had a natural fluoride concentration of 0.7 mglL in its drinking water, optimum for its climate. The other, Lordsburg, was naturally fluoridated at 3.5 mg/L, five times the optimum. Dental examinations were carried out on 151 adults in Deming (mean age, 39.8 years) and 164 in Lordsburg (mean age, 43.2 years); only persons born in the communities were included. Prevalence of root caries was 23.8% in Deming and 7.3% in Lordsburg; mean number of lesions was 0.69 in Deming and 0.08 in Lordsburg (p < 0.0001). Although there was more gingival recession in Lordsburg, Root Caries Index scores were five times greater in Deming. Root caries was more prevalent in older age groups, and was correlated with coronal caries experience in both communities. Root caries was correlated with plaque and calculus scores in Deming only. Logistic regression showed that city of residence was the major predictor of root caries, with other significant predictors being age, education, gingival recession, and loss of periodontal attachment. When combined with previous research, these results confirm that root caries experience is directly related to the fluoride concentration in the drinking water.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66733/2/10.1177_00220345860650090801.pd

An Experimental Study of Coconut Shell with Sugarcane Bagasse Ash as Partial Replacement of Coarse Aggregates and Cement to Concrete

High building material costs and demand can be a significant disadvantage for builders and contractors. The cost of raw materials such as wood, steel, and concrete is always growing, increasing the cost of projects. Due to the high demand for certain materials, they can be difficult to get on time, causing project delays. This is especially true when working on large-scale projects with short deadlines. This research presents an idea to minimize the problem by partially replacing the cement and coarse aggregates with sugarcane bagasse ash and coconut shell. The study has 3 main objectives: (1) To determine the effects of workability (slump cone test) and durability (water absorption test) of concrete when Coconut Shell and Sugarcane Bagasse Ash are used as partial replacements of cement and coarse aggregates after 7, 14, and 28 days of curing.The samples were tested using a Universal Testing Machine (UTM) and the outcomes of the experiment revealed that CS and SCBA have a positive result on the properties of standard concrete

Caribou, Petroleum, and the Limits of Locality in the Canada–US Borderlands

his article discusses Karsten Heuer’s 2006 book Being Caribou in light of debates in ecocriticism and border studies about how to define the local in the context of environmental problems of vast range and uncertain temporality. It explores how Heuer’s book about following the Porcupine Caribou herd’s migration engages in multiple forms of boundary crossing—between countries, between hemispheric locations, and between species—and shows how insights from Indigenous storytelling complicate the book’s appeal to environmentalist readers by asserting a prior, transnational Indigenous presence in the transboundary landscapes of present-day Alaska and the Yukon

Federalism and decentralization: Impact on International and Brazilian Health Policies

This article discusses the implications of decentralization in the light of international and Brazilian federalism, and its effects on public health policy. In a comparative analysis among countries, the authors find there is no single model; rather, each country has a unique structure of institutions and norms that have important implications for the operation of its health system. Brazil shares some similarities with other countries that have adopted a decentralized system and is assuming features ever closer to U.S. federalism, with a complex web of relationships. The degree of inequality among Brazilian municipalities and states, along with the budgetary imbalances caused by the minimal levels of resource utilization, undermines Brazil's constitutional principles and, consequently, its federalism. To ensure the constitutional mandate in Brazil, it is essential, as in other countries, to create a stable source of funds and increase the volume and efficiency of spending. Also important are investing in the training of managers, improving information systems, strengthening the principles of autonomy and interdependence, and defining patterns of cooperation within the federation