Media representation of migrant crime: Hypotheticals, prominence, and migration pros and cons in select western newspaper coverage

This content analysis examines newspaper representation of migrant criminality in Canada, the UK, and the US. Existing studies demonstrate a dynamic relationship between media coverage, perceptions of migration, and politics/lawmaking, as well as the media’s role in maintaining the gap between empirical knowledge and common understanding of migrant crime. Logistic and OLS regression are employed to evaluate (1) the hypothetical discussion of migrant crime (speculative/risk-oriented content as opposed to the discussion of a real crime event), and (2) article prominence in the form of word count. Qualitative thematic analyses are used to explore the nature of (3) pro-migrant content, such as economic benefits, and (4) anti-migrant content, such as threats to values and resources. Results are considered in the contexts of rising populism, media influence and accountability, promotion of stereotypes and public concern, and the perceived risks of migration and subsequent effects on human and civil rights

The ion exchange behaviour of some trivalent cations in aqueous monoethanolamine

Includes bibliography.This investigation of the behaviour of cation exchange resins in aqueous monoethanolamine has led to some interesting conclusions regarding the influence of the solvent onion exchange resins. The main results and conclusions, which have been discussed in detail in the preceding chapters, will now be summarised. The observed decrease in weight-swelling of the three resins in the various trivalent ionic states with a decrease in the dielectric constant of the ambient medium, by virtue of an increase in the monoethanolamine content of the external phase, may be attributed to :1) a decrease in the solvation tendency of the fixed ionic groups and counter-ions ; 2) an increase in ion-pair formation, resulting in a decrease in the number of osmotically active ions in the resin phase, and tin accompanying reduction in the osmotic pressure difference between resin and solution phases;3) an increase in association between resin anions and counter-ions, giving rise to a lower electrostatic potential of the polymer chains

Chemical characterisation of landfill leachate and its potential mobility through the Cape Flats sand

Researchers have expressed concern about pollution of groundwater at Coastal Park, a large, general waste landfill situated on the False Bay coastline above the Cape Flats Aquifer. The landfill was constructed without a liner, but with an average 2m separation of calcareous sand providing a "buffer" zone between the waste pile and the water table. Water balance studies and application of a model, FLOW, have predicted that leachate will be generated seasonally. This study was initiated as a result of uncertainties about hydrological and geochemical aspects, such as the hydraulic conductivity of the soil in the buffer zone and the degree of leachate attenuation occurring in this zone. The Coastal Park soil was classified as an aeolian, calcareous, medium quartzitic sand with negligible organic carbon content. Extreme clay-depletion would render the soil almost incapable of leachate attenuation, although calcite and aragonite, found by X-ray diffractometry, would impart a significant pH buffering capacity to the soil. The solid phase of a locally-derived landfill leachate (sampled from Vissershok landfill, about 35 km NW of Cape Town) was found to contain amorphous sulfides of iron and heavy metals, and green rusts which are mixtures of Fe²⁺ - Fe³⁺ hydroxides, in addition to organic matter. The solid phase was isolated by centrifugation, freeze-dried, and analyzed by XRF and XRD. Distribution coefficients of heavy metals in the leachate (at pH 7.7) demonstrated the high affinity of heavy metals, such as Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni and Pb, for the solid phase. The leachate solid phase consists of amorphous solids, with high Ca and Cl concentrations in the liquid phase leading to halite and calcite formation upon evaporation of the liquid phase. According to locally specified requirements by Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, a landfill liner material must have a hydraulic conductivity (K) not higher than 1 x 10⁻⁷cm.s⁻¹. Air dried samples of Coastal Park soil were treated with various amendments to test their efficacy as landfill liners. An 8 % kaolinite plus 4 % gypsum treatment was the most effective, maintaining a minimum K of 10⁻⁴⁵ cm.s⁻¹, which, however, is still higher than the local requirement. Amendment with 8 % Na-bentonite initially achieved a minimum K of 10⁻⁷·⁸ cm.s⁻¹, but the high electrical conductivity (EC) of the leachate (26.8mS.cm⁻¹) caused shrinking and severe side-wall seepage, which rapidly enhanced hydraulic conductivity, reaching a maximum K of about 10⁻⁴·⁷ cm.s⁻¹. Both treatments of the sand do show promise as possible liners, although the use of higher percentage concentrations of clay should be investigated further. LEACHW (the water regime submodel of LEACHM) was used to predict leachate discharge from the Coastal Park landfill, assuming a hypothetical capping system of 1 or 2 m soil depth with 0, 50, 70, or 90 % vegetation cover (Acacia cyclops), and based on the assumption that drainage from this layer into the waste pile contributes directly to leachate generation. The model predicted that under average rainfall conditions the landfill, with a 2 m soil depth and 0 % vegetation cover, would not generate leachate. However, under the wettest conditions not even a 90% vegetation cover and 2 m soil cover would be sufficient to prevent the landfill from generating leachate, suggesting that, under such conditions, a more effective leachate management strategy, such as leachate collection sumps, should be implemented. This exercise demonstrated the use of LEACHM as an alternative means of predicting leachate discharge from landfill sites

SEMG: spinal stability post manual facilitation

The importance of stabilising the spine is heightened in athletes with a weak core leading to less efficient movement and potential injury. Evidence indicates that spinal stability training could prevent injury, enhance performance and accelerate post injury rehabilitation. The intervention being investigated has not previously been objectively evaluated in any population. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of a manual facilitation technique on bilateral activity of Multifidis (MT), Transverse Abdominus/Internal Oblique (TA/IO), External Oblique (EO), Erector Spinae (ES) in both sitting and standing. A same subject experimental design was implemented. A healthy convenience sample (mean (SD) age 26.45 years (±5.25) (n = 22; 13 female) was recruited. The intervention is a specific manual facilitation applied to MT, which aims to enhance proprioceptive awareness and facilitate an active neutral alignment of the lumbar spine. This is described as the optimum alignment for efficient spinal stability and activation of the deep muscle stabilisers. Surface Electromyography was used to evaluate. Data was analysed using a repeated measures ANOVA (alpha ≤ 0.05). Local ethical approval was obtained from School of Healthcare studies, Cardiff University. The results indicate that following intervention there was a significant increase in all the target muscles with a highly significant increase of the deep muscle stabilisers, TA/IO and MT. In sitting, left MT (p=0.000), right MT (p=0.002), left ES (p=0.029), right ES (p=0.015), left TA/IO (p=0.000), right TA/IO (p=0.000), left EO (p=0.008), right EO (p=0.044). In standing, left MT (p=0.000), right MT (p=0.000), left ES (p=0.008), right ES (p=0.010), left TA/IO (p=0.000), right TA/IO (p=0.000), left EO (p=0.001), right EO (p=0.001). Clinically this technique has potential to be useful in the retraining of athletes to isolate the deep stabilisers prior to progressing on to independent exercises and integration into more challenging sporting activities

Core stability: evaluation of a therapeutic intervention in sitting and standing

Study Design A same subject experimental design. Objectives To investigate differences in average, normalised, SEMG of bilateral Multifidis (MT), Transverse Abdominus/Internal Oblique (TA/IO), External Oblique (EO), Erector Spinae (ES) from pre to post intervention in both sitting and standing. Background The importance of stabilising the spine is heightened in athletes with a weak core leading to less efficient movement and potential injury (Fredericson and Moore, 2005). Evidence indicates that core stability training could prevent injury (Feaver, 2001), enhance performance (Comerford, 2004) and accelerate post injury rehabilitation. The intervention being investigated has not previously been objectively evaluated in any population. Methods and measures: Healthy volunteer subjects (mean (SD) age 26.45 years (±5.25) (n = 22; 13 female) were recruited. The intervention is a mobilisation applied to MT, which aims to enhance proprioceptive awareness and so facilitate achievement of an active neutral alignment of the lumbar spine. This is described as the optimum alignment for efficient core stability and activation of the local muscle stabilisers (O’Sullivan, 2002). Data was analysed using a repeated measures ANOVA (alpha ≤ 0.05). Local ethical approval was obtained from School of Healthcare studies, Cardiff University. Results: The results indicate that following intervention there was a highly significant increase in all the target muscles with the preferential recruitment of the local muscle stabilisers, TA/IO and MT. In sitting, left MT (p=0.000), right MT (p=0.002), left ES (p=0.029), right ES (p=0.015), left TA/IO (p=0.000), right TA/IO (p=0.000), left EO (p=0.008), right EO (p=0.044). In standing, left MT (p=0.000), right MT (p=0.000), left ES (p=0.008), right ES (p=0.010), left TA/IO (p=0.000), right TA/IO (p=0.000), left EO (p=0.001), right EO (p=0.001). This technique could therefore be useful in the retraining of athletes to isolate these muscles prior to progressing on to independent exercises and integration into more challenging sporting activities

Seeking learning outcomes appropriate for ‘education for sustainable development’ and for higher education

This article shares and extends research-based developments at the University of Otago, New Zealand, that seek to explore how students’ worldviews change as they experience higher education with us. We emphasise that sustainability attributes may be described in terms of knowledge, skills and competencies but that these are underpinned by affective attributes such as values, attitudes and dispositions; so that ‘education for sustainable development’ is substantially a quest for affective change. We describe approaches to categorise affective outcomes and conclude that ‘education for sustainable development’ objectives comprise higher order affective outcomes (leading to behavioural change) that are challenging for higher education to address. Our own work emphasises the need for student anonymity as these higher order outcomes are assessed, evaluated, monitored, researched or otherwise measured using research instruments that focus on worldview. A longitudinal mixed-effects repeat-measures statistical model is described that enables higher education institutions to answer the question of whether or not ‘education for sustainable development’ objectives are being achieved. Discussion links affect to critical reasoning and addresses the possibility of documenting and assessing the development of lower and mid-order affective outcomes. We conclude that ‘education for sustainable development’ objectives need to be clearly articulated if higher education is to be able to assess, or evaluate, their achievement

Empowering Students in Higher-Education to Teach and Learn

We explored opportunities, advantages and barriers to enabling students to establish student-led learning events at a New Zealand university. We used an action-research approach to explore if students felt empowered to use the infrastructure of this university to realise something that they themselves set out to achieve. We discovered that, in achieving a series of open discussions about sustainability, students adopted a democratic, distributed form of decision-making, not unlike a typical academic model, with leaders taking temporary roles that included passing on responsibility to those who followed. Students were proud of the events they created and identified the discussion format as something different from their experience as undergraduate students in our institution. This article, co-authored by staff and students, considers whether higher education processes that do empower students do so adequately and the extent to which students are prepared by higher education to take on powerful roles after they graduate

Evaluation of short‐term safety of ultrasound‐guided foetal fluid sampling in the dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

Background: In humans, analysis of amniotic fluid is widely used for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. Amniocentesis has scarcely been used in veterinary medicine to date, despite a tremendous potential for clinical and research applications in dogs. Our study aimed to establish a safe method for foetal fluid sampling in female dogs. Methods: Two transabdominal ultrasound-guided methods were assessed: the "free hand" and the needle-guided bracket sampling. In addition, through a subsequent routinely scheduled ovariohysterectomy, fluid was directly collected. Samples from 98 conceptuses were collected at day 46.7 +/- 7.5 of pregnancy. Results: The amount of fluid retrieved varied between 0.5 and 5.0 ml per collection. Macroscopic examination of the uterus and conceptuses identified 53% of the puncture sites. Neither fluid leakage nor foetal injury was detected, and six hematomas (5.8%) were visible. Ultrasound-guided foetal fluid collection was found to be potentially safe, and it can be performed by using either transabdominal method. Conclusion: Foetal fluid collection is possible with relative ease and low short-term risk, and may open paths for diagnostic, therapeutic and research purposes in dogs. The procedure can provide new insights into prenatal clinical medicine, including diagnostics of foetal deaths, early identification of heritable diseases and so on

Spermatozoa capture HIV-1 through heparan sulfate and efficiently transmit the virus to dendritic cells

Semen is the main vector for HIV-1 dissemination worldwide. It contains three major sources of infectious virus: free virions, infected leukocytes, and spermatozoa-associated virions. We focused on the interaction of HIV-1 with human spermatozoa and dendritic cells (DCs). We report that heparan sulfate is expressed in spermatozoa and plays an important role in the capture of HIV-1. Spermatozoa-attached virus is efficiently transmitted to DCs, macrophages, and T cells. Interaction of spermatozoa with DCs not only leads to the transmission of HIV-1 and the internalization of the spermatozoa but also results in the phenotypic maturation of DCs and the production of IL-10 but not IL-12p70. At low values of extracellular pH (∼6.5 pH units), similar to those found in the vaginal mucosa after sexual intercourse, the binding of HIV-1 to the spermatozoa and the consequent transmission of HIV-1 to DCs were strongly enhanced. Our observations support the notion that far from being a passive carrier, spermatozoa acting in concert with DCs might affect the early course of sexual transmission of HIV-1 infection