Minority ethnic students and science participation: a qualitative mapping of achievement, aspiration, interest and capital

In the UK, the ‘leaky pipeline’ metaphor has been used to describe the relationship between ethnicity and science participation. Fewer minority ethnic students continue with science in post-compulsory education, and little is known about the ways in which they participate and identify with science, particularly in the secondary school context. Drawing on an exploratory study of 46 interviews and 22 h of classroom observations with British students (aged 11–14) from Black Caribbean, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian and Chinese ethnic backgrounds, this paper identified five ‘types’ of science participation among minority ethnic students. The five types of science participation emerged from an analysis of students’ science achievement, science aspiration, science interest and science capital. The characteristics of the five types are as follows: Science adverse students have no aspirations towards science and lacked interest, achievement and capital in science. Science intrinsic students have high science aspirations, interest and capital but low science attainment. Students who are science intermediate have some aspirations, interest and capital in science, with average science grades. Science extrinsic students achieve highly in science, have some science capital but lacked science aspirations and/or interest. Science prominent students are high science achievers with science aspirations, high levels of interest and capital in science. The findings highlight that minority ethnic students participate in science in diverse ways. Policy implications are suggested for each type as this paper provides empirical evidence to counter against public (and even some academic) discourses of minority ethnic students as a homogeneous group

Implementation Intentions and Disengagement from a Failing Course of Action

We explored the consequences of forming implementation intentions that call for action (adjustment of chosen course of action) versus reflection (assessment of the appropriateness of chosen course of action) in situations that activate people s tendency to remain committed to failing courses of action. In Study 1, when negative experiences preceded failure, action and reflection implementation intention participants showed higher rates of disengagement than mere goal intention and no intention participants. However, when positive experiences preceded failure, only action implementation intention participants maintained this high disengagement rate. In Study 2, we observed that time pressure moderated the facilitating effects of action and reflection implementation intentions on disengagement when negative experiences preceded failure. Whereas the effect of action implementation intentions benefited from time pressure, the effect of reflection implementation intentions did not. The present studies construe disengagement as a self-regulation process and highlight the benefits of implementation intentions as a self-regulation tool

The Effects of an Implemental Mind-Set on Attitude Strength

The authors investigated whether an implemental mind-set fosters stronger attitudes. Participants who made a decision about how to act (vs. those who held off) expressed a more extreme attitude toward an issue unrelated to the decision (Experiment 1). Participants who planned the implementation of a decision (vs. deliberated vs. control) exhibited less ambivalent (Experiment 2) and more accessible (Experiment 3) attitudes toward various objects unrelated to the decision. Moreover, an attitude reported by planning participants better predicted self-reported behavior 1 week later (Experiment 4). Finally, results suggest that the effect of an implemental mind-set on attitude strength toward unrelated objects is driven by a focus on information that supports an already-made decision (Experiment 5). Implications for attitudes, goals, and mind-sets are discussed

Les conditions de la concurrence internationale entre soja, arachide et colza

[fre] Arachide, colza et soja sont des produits comparables du point de vue alimentaire. Ce sont des oléoprotéa- gineux, dont la composition en huile et protéines varie. Leurs utilisations, la localisation de leurs productions, sont fonction, à un moment donné, des rapports, des flux d'échanges entre pays, et des politiques protectionnistes ou libre- échangistes des Etats. . Ainsi la politique coloniale des pays européens localise la production oléagineuse (arachide, colza et soja) en Asie (Inde, Chine) et en Afrique (Sénégal, Nigeria). Sous couleur libre-échangiste, cette politique compartimente les flux d'échanges en zones d'influences où les vieux pays industriels contrôlent les sources d'approvisionnement en matières premières. . A de telles politiques répondent les politiques protectionnistes des « Jeunes pays ». Les USA dès 1930 développent la production de soja sur la base de protections douanières et d'un soutien direct à la production. . Le démantèlement des relations coloniales après-guerre favorise le soja américain qui domine les échanges oléoprotéagineux, alors que de nouvelles protections en Europe tentent de soutenir des productions nationales (colza en France et en Allemagne). Mais la bataille est inégale. Le soja est, aux USA, une des bases matérielles des firmes multinationales dont la stratégie repose en partie sur le protectionnisme européen. Le colza européen part battu, car les agents économiques nationaux (firmes françaises) sont incapables d'en faire la base d'un modèle alimentaire (huile et protéines) alternatif. . La concurrence (après 1967) entre arachide et soja confronte des conditions de production totalement differences. L'arachide n'est pas au même titre que le soja le fruit d'une agriculture très intégrée au processus de production industriel. [eng] The Conditions of International Competition between Ground-nuts, Soya beans and Colza - Ground nuts, colza and soya beans are comparable p-oducts as foodstuffs. They all contain oil and proteins in varying quantities. Their use and the regions where they are produced depend at any given time on the relations and exchanges between nations and on the protectionist or free-trade policies of states. . Thus the colonial policy of European countired situated table-oil production (ground nuts, colza and soya) in Asia (India, China) and in Africa (Senegal, Nigeria). Under an appearance of free-trade this poHcy fixed the trade flow in zones of influence where the old industrial countries controlled the supply of raw materials. . The protectionist policy of the « Young Countries » are an answer to these policies. In 1930 already the USA developped the production of soya beans with tariff-protection and idirect aid for production. . The break up of the colonial system after the war benefited American soya which dominated oil-protein exchanges while new forms of protection in Europe were an attempt to aid national production (colza in France and Germany). But the struggle is unequal. Soya in the US is one of the bases of multinational firms whose strategy depends partly on European protectionism. European colza cannot win because the national economic agents (French firms) are not able to make it the basis of an alternative food pattern (oil and proteins). . The competition (after 1967) between ground nuts and soya concerns totally different production conditions. Ground nuts are not (unlike colza) the xesult of a form of agriculture integrated in the industrial production process.

Retrospective analysis of hepatitis B virus chronic infection in 247 patients: clinical stages, response to treatment and poor prognostic factors

Background: Chronic hepatitis B is a major cause of cirrhosis, and the natural history of the disease has several clinical stages that should be thoroughly understood for the implementation of proper treatment. Nonetheless, curing the disease with antiviral treatment remains a challenge. Aims: To describe the clinical course, response to treatment, and poor prognostic factors in 247 hepatitis B virus chronic infection patients treated in a tertiary hospital in Brazil. Methods: This was a retrospective and observational study, by analyzing the medical records of HBV infected patients between January 2000 and January 2015. Results: Most patients were male (67.2%) and 74.1% were HBeAg negative. Approximately 41% had cirrhosis and 8.5% were hepatitis C virus coinfected. The viral load was negative after two years on lamivudine, entecavir and tenofovir in 86%, 90.6%, and 92.9% of the patients, respectively. The five-year resistance rates for lamivudine, adefovir, entecavir, and tenofovir were 57.5%, 51.8%, 1.9%, and 0%, respectively. The overall seroconversion rates were 31.2% for HBeAg and 9.4% for HBsAg. Hepatocellular carcinoma was diagnosed in 9.7% of patients, liver transplantation was performed in 9.7%, and overall mortality was 10.5%. Elevations of serum alanine aminotransferase (p = 0.0059) and viral load (p < 0.0001) were associated with progression to liver cirrhosis. High viral load was associated with progression to hepatocellular carcinoma (p < 0.0001). Significant risk factors associated with death were elevated alanine aminotransferase (p = 0.0039), liver cirrhosis (p < 0.0001), high viral load (p = 0.007), and hepatocellular carcinoma (p = 0.0008). HBeAg positive status was not associated with worse outcomes, and treatment may have been largely responsible. Conclusions: Elevations of viral load and serum alanine aminotransferase may select patients with worse prognosis, especially progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, which were strongly association with death. Keywords: Hepatitis B, Clinical stages, Treatment, Liver cirrhosis, Hepatocellular carcinom

Calcareous microfossils and paleoenvironmental changes across the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary at the Cerro Azul Section, Neuquén Basin, Argentina

We investigate changes in calcareous nannofossil and ostracod communities, which reflect surface and bottom water conditions, respectively, across the Cretaceous-Paleogene transition (K-Pg) at the Cerro Azul Section, Jagüel Formation, Neuquén Basin, Argentina. The K-Pg transition at the Cerro Azul Section is characterized by calcareous nannofossil and ostracod turnovers, from assemblages dominated by Cretaceous forms to assemblages composed by incoming Danian taxa and several survivor species. These assemblage changes were associated with a collapse in carbonate production at the K-Pg boundary, probably related to a drop of surface water productivity, and a subsequent recovery in the early Danian, as suggested by carbonate content, log(Ba/Fe) and log(Ba/Ti) trends. During the Late Maastrichtian, peak relative abundances of Eiffellithus spp., just before the K-Pg transition, were probably related to enhanced surface water productivity. High abundances of Cervisiella operculata suggest decreased surface productivity during the earliest Danian. This surface productivity collapse may have reduced food availability in the benthic habitat, which probably led to the stablishment of Citherudiae-dominated ostracod assemblages. Upward in the section, increased relative abundances of Braarudosphaera bigelowii, are probably related to overall intensified weathering conditions and, consequently, increased continental runoff and fresh water input.Fil: Guerra, Rodrigo M.. Universidad de Vale do Rio dos Sinos; BrasilFil: Concheyro, Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Interno y Culto. Dirección Nacional del Antártico. Instituto Antártico Argentino; ArgentinaFil: Kochhann, Karlos G. D.. Universidad de Vale do Rio dos Sinos; BrasilFil: Bom, Marlone H. H.. Universidad de Vale do Rio dos Sinos; BrasilFil: Ceolin, Daiane. Universidad de Vale do Rio dos Sinos; BrasilFil: Musso, Telma Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos, Biotecnología y Energías Alternativas. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos, Biotecnología y Energías Alternativas; ArgentinaFil: Savian, Jairo. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Fauth, Gerson. Universidad de Vale do Rio dos Sinos; Brasi