Examining 'window dressing' : the views of black police associations on recruitment and training

In a previous issue of this journal, Ellis Cashmore (2002 Cashmore, E. 2002. ‘Behind the window dressing: minority ethnic police perspectives on cultural diversity’. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 28(2): 327–41. [Taylor & Francis Online], [CSA], [Google Scholar] ) discussed two key issues currently confronting police constabularies in England and Wales: the recruitment of minority ethnic officers and civilian staff, and the impact of diversity training now in place for all police officers. Cashmore argued that not only are these policies ineffective in enhancing cultural diversity within constabularies, but that they are harmful, presenting a false outward image of effective action. This article examines Cashmore's arguments and develops them in light of findings from recent research on Black Police Associations (BPAs) in England and Wales. Our findings firstly suggest that, because of heavy involvement with these initiatives and the close relationship BPAs have developed with senior management (in comparison to non-BPA members), they must be considered in any discussion of minority ethnic recruitment and diversity training. In addition, the majority of the officers we interviewed were supportive of current recruitment and training programmes. Secondly, we argue that BPAs are helping to change the nature of the overall police culture to a certain extent. Many minority ethnic officers no longer feel they must downplay their ethnicity as members of constabularies

A halo and a blow-out in NGC 253

We present the discovery of a 'synchrotron halo' in NGC 253. NGC 253 is an inclined, dusty, barred Sc galaxy in the Sculptor Group. It is also one of the prototype nuclear star burst galaxies. Very Large Array observations at 327 MHz and 1.4 GHz have revealed a synchrotron emitting 'halo' extending 9 kpc above and below the plane of NGC 253 (assuming a distance of 4 Mpc). The spectral index for the radio emission steepens from -0.7 in the disk to -1.0 in the halo. The fractional polarization at 1.4 GHz increases from less than or equal to 2 percent in the disk up to 20 percent in the halo, and the magnetic field vectors project parallel to the plane over most of the halo

International University Students in Canada: Obtaining the Information Needed for Policy Making

International university students represent sources of goodwill and benefits for their host countries. Unfortunately, Canada, although still one of the major receiving countries, has seen a substantial decline in international enrolment during the 1980s. Reasons proposed for this decline include differential fees, insufficient financial support, quotas, and employment restrictions. The problems most frequently encountered by international students in Canada involve immigration procedures, accommodation, language, loneliness, and funding. The formulation of policies concerning these problems and other matters relevant to international university students occurs at the federal, provincial, and institutional levels. Even though the main forces driving such policies are cultural, financial, and political, the policies should take into account information about the needs, desires, and experiences of international students. A comprehensive 1986-87 University of Alberta survey of international students served as a case study to demonstrate how research can better inform policy making in this area. Respondents suggested that they would be helped by being allowed to work in Canada while studying and after graduation, which is a federal policy area, and by having more scholarships available to them and differential fees removed, both of which are provincial and institutional policy areas.Les pays qui reçoivent des étudiants étrangers en retirent bienveillance et avantages. Malheureusement, bien que le Canada soit encore un des pays qui reçoivent le plus, le nombre d'inscriptions venant de l'étranger y a considérable-ment diminué au cours des années 80. Les raisons avancées pour cette baisse comprennent les droits d'inscription différentiels, l'insuffisance de l'appui financier, les quotas et les retrictions d'emploi. Les difficultés auxquelles les étudiants étrangers doivent faire face le plus souvent au Canada se rapportent au processus d'immigrations, au financement, au logement, à la langue et à isolement. La formulation des politiques relatives à toutes ces questions et à d'autres concernant ces étudiants se fait aux niveaux du pays, de la province et de l'établissement. Ces politiques se fondent surtout sur des motifs culturels, économiques et politiques. Elles devraient toutefois tenir compte des besoins, des désirs et de l'expérience des étudiants étrangers. Une enquête détaillée menée auprès des étudiants étrangers par l'Universté de l'Alberta en 1986-1987 a servi pour d'étude de cas pour démontrer comment la recherche peut aider à éclairer les responsables de l'établissement des politiques. Dans cette enquête, les intéressés ont fait savoir qu'il leur serait utile d'avoir la permission de travailler au Canada pendant leurs études et après l'obtention de leur diplome, ce qui est une politique établie au niveau fédéral. Ils désireraient aussi avoir accès à davantage de bourses et voir annuler les frais différentiels, ce qui relève des provinces et des établissements

A brief description of geological and geophysical exploration of the Marysville geothermal area

Extensive geological and geophysical surveys were carried out at the Marysville geothermal area during 1973 and 1974. The area has high heat flow (up to microcalories per square centimeter-second, a negative gravity anomaly, high electrical resistivity, low seismic ground noise, and nearby microseismic activity. Significant magnetic and infrared anomalies are not associated with the geothermal area. The geothermal anomaly occupies the axial portion of a dome in Precambrian sedimentary rocks intruded by Cretaceous and Cenozoic granitic rocks. The results from a 2.4-km-deep test well indicate that the cause of the geothermal anomaly is hydrothermal convection in a Cenozoic intrusive. A maximum temperature of 95 C was measured at a depth of 500 m in the test well

Height-related risk factors for prostate cancer

Previous studies have reported that adult height is positively associated with the risk of prostate cancer. The authors carried out a population-based case–control study involving 317 prostate cancer cases and 480 controls to further investigate the possibility that height is more strongly associated with advanced, compared with localized forms of this disease. Since the inherited endocrine factors, which in part determine height attained during the growing years, may influence the risk of familial prostate cancer later in life, the relationship with height was also investigated for familial versus sporadic prostate cancers. Adult height was not related to the risk of localized prostate cancer, but there was a moderate positive association between increasing height and the risk of advanced cancer (relative risk (RR) = 1.62; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.97–2.73, upper versus lowest quartile, P -trend = 0.07). Height was more strongly associated with the risk of prostate cancer in men with a positive family history compared with those reporting a negative family history. The RR of advanced prostate cancer for men in the upper height quartile with a positive family history was 7.41 (95% CI 1.68–32.67, P -trend = 0.02) compared with a reference group comprised of men in the shortest height quartile with a negative family history. Serum insulin-like growth factor-1 levels did not correlate with height amongst men with familial or sporadic prostate cancers. These findings provide evidence for the existence of growth-related risk factors for prostate cancer, particularly for advanced and familial forms of this disease. The possible existence of inherited mechanisms affecting both somatic and tumour growth deserves further investigation. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig

Aggressive pituitary adenomas occurring in young patients in a large Polynesian kindred with a germline R271W mutation in the AIP gene.

peer reviewedOBJECTIVE: Mutations in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor-interacting protein (AIP) were recently shown to confer a pituitary adenoma predisposition in patients with familial isolated pituitary adenomas (FIPA). We report a large Samoan FIPA kindred from Australia/New Zealand with an R271W mutation that was associated with aggressive pituitary tumors. DESIGN AND METHODS: Case series with germline screening of AIP and haplotype analyses among R271W families. RESULTS: This previously unreported kindred consisted of three affected individuals that either presented with or had first symptoms of a pituitary macroadenoma in late childhood or adolescence. The index case, a 15-year-old male with incipient gigantism and his maternal aunt, had somatotropinomas, and the maternal uncle of the index case had a prolactinoma. All tumors were large (15, 40, and 60 mm maximum diameter) and two required transcranial surgery and radiotherapy. All three affected subjects and ten other unaffected relatives were found to be positive for a germline R271W AIP mutation. Comparison of the single nucleotide polymorphism patterns among this family and two previously reported European FIPA families with the same R271W mutation demonstrated no common ancestry. CONCLUSIONS: This kindred exemplifies the aggressive features of pituitary adenomas associated with AIP mutations, while genetic analyses among three R271W FIPA families indicate that R271W represents a mutational hotspot that should be studied further in functional studies