Effect of foliar application of Ascochyta rabiei on growth and vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal status of eight chickpea varieties

Eight different (resistant and susceptible) chickpea varieties were studied for various growth parameters including vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal status. This study was carried out before and after the spray of the pathogen, Ascochyta rabiei and the results were evaluated. Resistant varieties showed significantly high values for growth parameters studied. Vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal infections especially arbuscules were recorded high for resistant varieties. In contrast susceptible varieties showed a noticeably low values for all growth parameters. However as far as their mycorrhizal status is concerned, significantly high values for vesicular infections were observed.&nbsp

Ogbu and the debate on educational achievement: an exploration of the links between education, migration, identity and belonging

This paper looks at some of the issues raised by Ogbu’s work in relation to the education of different minority ethnic groups. Ogbu poses questions such as the value attached to education, its links to the future and its measurable outcomes in terms of ‘success’ as experienced by black participants. The desire for better life chances leads families to consider migration to a new country or resettlement within the same country, thus making migration both a local and a global phenomenon. As an example, attention is drawn to the situation facing South Asian children and their families in the UK. In terms of ethnicity and belonging, the wider question that is significant for many countries in the West after ‘Nine-Eleven’ is the education of Muslim children. A consideration of this current situation throws Ogbu’s identification of ‘autonomous minority’ into question. It is argued that a greater understanding of diverse needs has to be accompanied by a concerted effort to confront racism and intolerance in schools and in society, thus enabling all communities to make a useful contribution and to avoid the ‘risk’ of failure and disenchantment

Language support for immigrant children: a study of state schools in the UK and US

In recent decades, immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers have sought a new way of life in large numbers, often leaving their countries of origin behind in search of places that offer a better way of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate how elementary and middle school students in state schools in Reading, England (primarily speakers of Asian languages), and Richmond, Virginia (primarily speakers of Spanish), were supported academically, when most children’s first language was not English. The authors were interested in exploring whether or not there were cultural or structural differences in the way each country helped or hindered these students as they progressed through the school systems. Three UK schools in a district of approximately 100,000 and three US schools in a district of approximately 250,000 were the focus of this exploration from 2000 to 2003. Findings indicated that there were cultural and legislative differences and similarities. Teachers and administrators in both countries attempted to provide services with limited and sometimes diminishing resources. Community support varied based on resources, attitudes toward various ethnic groups, and the coping strategies adopted by these groups in their new environments. Marked differences appeared with regard to the manner in which assessments took place and how the results were made available to the public

Intersectional impact of multiple identities on social work education in the UK

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of the following article: Ben Chi-pun Liu, ‘Intersectional impact of multiple identities on social work education in the UK’, Journal of Social Work, Vol 17(2): 226-242, March 2017. © 2016 The Author(s). DOI to the published version: 10.1177/1468017316637220. Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications.Summary: The study reviews the records of 671 social work students and graduates including the seven intakes from the first cohort in 2003/2004 to the intake in 2010/2011 to examine the interacting effect of learning difficulties, ethnicity and gender on the completion of social work training at a university in the South East of England. Findings: Among the students, 79.9% of them were female, 50.1% were black, 27.9% white, 10.7% Asian and 11.3% other ethnicities. A majority of students did not report any disability. Among those who did (n ¼ 84), 52.3% (n ¼ 44) reported a learning difficulty.The percentage of students who have successfully completed the training is 76.4%, a completion rate that is comparable to the UK’s national figure. Having controlled the confounding variables, hierarchical logistic regression identified the risk factor for dropoutfrom undergraduate social work programme as black female students with learning difficulties (odds ratio ¼ 0.100, 95% confidence interval ¼ 0.012–0.862, p < 0.05). Findings suggested that students with multiplicity of identities, i.e. being black and female and with a learning difficulty, have a lower probability to complete the programme successfully. Applications: Strategies for tackling the intersecting disadvantages of race, gender and disabilities in social work training should embrace three principles: providing continuous support, focusing on how the support is provided and addressing contextual and structural barriers.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Prospects for progress on health inequalities in England in the post-primary care trust era : professional views on challenges, risks and opportunities

Background - Addressing health inequalities remains a prominent policy objective of the current UK government, but current NHS reforms involve a significant shift in roles and responsibilities. Clinicians are now placed at the heart of healthcare commissioning through which significant inequalities in access, uptake and impact of healthcare services must be addressed. Questions arise as to whether these new arrangements will help or hinder progress on health inequalities. This paper explores the perspectives of experienced healthcare professionals working within the commissioning arena; many of whom are likely to remain key actors in this unfolding scenario. Methods - Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 42 professionals involved with health and social care commissioning at national and local levels. These included representatives from the Department of Health, Primary Care Trusts, Strategic Health Authorities, Local Authorities, and third sector organisations. Results - In general, respondents lamented the lack of progress on health inequalities during the PCT commissioning era, where strong policy had not resulted in measurable improvements. However, there was concern that GP-led commissioning will fare little better, particularly in a time of reduced spending. Specific concerns centred on: reduced commitment to a health inequalities agenda; inadequate skills and loss of expertise; and weakened partnership working and engagement. There were more mixed opinions as to whether GP commissioners would be better able than their predecessors to challenge large provider trusts and shift spend towards prevention and early intervention, and whether GPs’ clinical experience would support commissioning action on inequalities. Though largely pessimistic, respondents highlighted some opportunities, including the potential for greater accountability of healthcare commissioners to the public and more influential needs assessments via emergent Health & Wellbeing Boards. Conclusions - There is doubt about the ability of GP commissioners to take clearer action on health inequalities than PCTs have historically achieved. Key actors expect the contribution from commissioning to address health inequalities to become even more piecemeal in the new arrangements, as it will be dependent upon the interest and agency of particular individuals within the new commissioning groups to engage and influence a wider range of stakeholders.</p

Note on the special fillet fatty acid composition of the dwarf carp (Cyprinus carpio carpio) living in thermal Lake Hévíz, Hungary

Fatty acid (FA) composition of the fillet and the intestinal content of dwarf common carp (Cyprinus carpio carpio) living in Lake Hévíz was determined in wintertime collected samples and results were compared to widespread literature data on carp. Fillet FA profile of the thermally adapted (28 oC) Hévíz dwarf carps differed from profiles originated from divergent culture and feeding conditions in the overall level of saturation. Fillet myristic acid proportions largely exceeded all literature data in spite of poor dietary supply. Fillet fatty acid results indicate the effects of thermal adaptation (high saturation level) and the correlative effects of feed components rich in omega-3 fatty acids, with special respect to docosahexaenoic acid. With the application of discriminant factor analysis the Hévíz sample was accurately differentiated from the literature data on carp fillet fatty acid profile, mostly based on C14:0, C18:1 n9, C18:2 n6, C20:1 n9 and C20:4 n6 FAs. In summary, fillet FA profile suggested thermal adaptation, location specificity and the ingestion of algal and bacterial material

Individual common variants exert weak effects on the risk for autism spectrum disorders.

While it is apparent that rare variation can play an important role in the genetic architecture of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), the contribution of common variation to the risk of developing ASD is less clear. To produce a more comprehensive picture, we report Stage 2 of the Autism Genome Project genome-wide association study, adding 1301 ASD families and bringing the total to 2705 families analysed (Stages 1 and 2). In addition to evaluating the association of individual single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we also sought evidence that common variants, en masse, might affect the risk. Despite genotyping over a million SNPs covering the genome, no single SNP shows significant association with ASD or selected phenotypes at a genome-wide level. The SNP that achieves the smallest P-value from secondary analyses is rs1718101. It falls in CNTNAP2, a gene previously implicated in susceptibility for ASD. This SNP also shows modest association with age of word/phrase acquisition in ASD subjects, of interest because features of language development are also associated with other variation in CNTNAP2. In contrast, allele scores derived from the transmission of common alleles to Stage 1 cases significantly predict case status in the independent Stage 2 sample. Despite being significant, the variance explained by these allele scores was small (Vm&lt; 1%). Based on results from individual SNPs and their en masse effect on risk, as inferred from the allele score results, it is reasonable to conclude that common variants affect the risk for ASD but their individual effects are modest

Association of depression with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes among adults aged between 25 to 60 years in Karachi, Pakistan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The combination of depression with type 2 diabetes is a public health problem. If diabetes is managed in its initial phase, the morbidity and mortality due to this combination may be prevented at an early stage. Therefore, we aimed to determine the association of depression with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes among adults aged between 25 to 60 years in Karachi, Pakistan.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From July 2006 to September 2007, a matched case control study (n = 592) was conducted in Civil Hospital, Karachi. Incident cases of type 2 diabetes (n = 296) diagnosed within one month were recruited from diabetic Out Patient Department (OPD) of Civil Hospital, Karachi. They were matched on age and sex with controls (n = 296), who were attendants sitting in the medical out patient department of the same hospital, recruited on the basis of absence of classical symptoms of polyuria and polydispia along with random blood glucose level of <200 mg/dl measured by a glucometer. Depression was identified by the Siddiqui Shah Depression Scale. Conditional logistic regression was applied to examine the association of depression and other independent variables with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes at 95% C.I. and P < 0.05.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The study comprised of 592 subjects with 432(73%) males and 160(27%) females. Depression was significantly associated with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes having mild level (mOR: 3.86; 95%CI: 2.22,6.71) and moderate to severe level (mOR: 3.41; 95%CI: 2.07,5.61). History of (h/o) gestational diabetes (mOR: 2.83; 95%CI: 1.05,7.64), family h/o diabetes (mOR: 1.59; 95%CI: 1.04,2.43), nuclear family (mOR: 1.75; 95%CI: 1.14,2.69), BMI (mOR: 1.62; 95%CI: 1.01,2.60 for obese and mOR: 2.12; 95%CI: 1.19,3.79 for overweight vs healthy to underweight) were also significantly associated with outcome, adjusting for age, sex, marital status, h/o smoking and h/o high BP.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Diabetics should be screened simultaneously for depression and concomitant preventive strategies for gestational diabetes, nuclear family and high BMI should also be used to prevent mortality/morbidity among patients between 25 to 60 years of age.</p