Empowering Muslim girls? Postfeminism, multiculturalism and the production of the 'model' Muslim female student in British schools

This article draws on an analysis of the narratives of teachers, policy-makers and young Muslim working-class women to explore how schools worked towards producing the model neoliberal middle-class female student. In two urban case-study schools, teaching staff encouraged the girls to actively challenge their culture through discourses grounded in western post-feminist ideals of female ‘empowerment’. The production of the compliant ‘model Muslim female student’ appeared to be a response to the heroic western need to ‘save’ the young women from backward cultural and religious practices. While this approach had many positive and liberating effects for the young women, it ironically produced forms of post-feminist ‘gender friendly’ self-regulation. The article concludes with a black feminist intersectional analysis of race, religion, gender, sexuality and class in the context of British multiculturalism and rising Islamophobia, exploring the contradictions of gendered social justice discourses that do not fully embrace ‘difference’ in educational spaces

Clostridium septicum sepsis and colorectal cancer - a reminder

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Spontaneous clostridium septicum infections are rare and are associated with a high mortality. Association of clostridium infection with colorectal malignancies have been previously reported and most cases are described in tumours of the ascending colon. We report our experience of clostridium septicum infection in the presence of tumour perforation in a series of two patients as a reminder of its association with sepsis in the presence of colorectal malignancy.</p> <p>Case Presentation</p> <p>We isolated clostridium septicum infection in a series of two patients admitted as emergencies. One patient was found to have a perforated caecal tumour intraoperatively whilst the other had a perforated rectal tumour. The clinical outcome and management of each case are reported and underlying reasons for variations in outcome are discussed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although uncomman, the possibility of clostridium septicum sepsis should be borne in mind in patients who present with underlying malignancy and have sepsis. The cumulative effect of sepsis and malignant perforation is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. Awareness and early diagnosis of clostridium septicum may improve the prognosis of what is usually regarded as a fatal infection.</p

Social representations and the politics of participation

Recent work has called for the integration of different perspectives into the field of political psychology (Haste, 2012). This chapter suggests that one possible direction that such efforts can take is studying the role that social representations theory (SRT) can play in understanding political participation and social change. Social representations are systems of common-sense knowledge and social practice; they provide the lens through which to view and create social and political realities, mediate people's relations with these sociopolitical worlds and defend cultural and political identities. Social representations are therefore key for conceptualising participation as the activity that locates individuals and social groups in their sociopolitical world. Political participation is generally seen as conditional to membership of sociopolitical groups and therefore is often linked to citizenship. To be a citizen of a society or a member of any social group one has to participate as such. Often political participation is defined as the ability to communicate one's views to the political elite or to the political establishment (Uhlaner, 2001), or simply explicit involvement in politics and electoral processes (Milbrath, 1965). However, following scholars on ideology (Eagleton, 1991; Thompson, 1990) and social knowledge (Jovchelovitch, 2007), we extend our understanding of political participation to all social relations and also develop a more agentic model where individuals and groups construct, develop and resist their own views, ideas and beliefs. We thus adopt a broader approach to participation in comparison to other political-psychological approaches, such as personality approaches (e.g. Mondak and Halperin, 2008) and cognitive approaches or, more recently, neuropsychological approaches (Hatemi and McDermott, 2012). We move away from a focus on the individual's political behaviour and its antecedents and outline an approach that focuses on the interaction between psychological and political phenomena (Deutsch and Kinnvall, 2002) through examining the politics of social knowledge

Estimation of linear quadratic (LQ) model parameter alpha/beta (α/β) and biologically effective dose (BED) for acute normal tissue reactions in head and neck malignancies

Purpose: Linear-Quadratic (LQ) model has been widely used for describing radiobiological effectiveness of various fractionation schedules on tumour as well as normal tissues. This study estimates α/β for acute normal tissue reactions using Fe-plot method.Methods: 50 cases of locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (stage III and IV) treated with external beam radiotherapy were included in this study. Patients were randomly distributed into Hyper-fractionation (HF) arm (1.2 Gy/fraction, twice daily, 6 hours apart) and conventional fractionation (CF) arm (2 Gy/fraction, once daily) with 25 cases in each arm. α/β and BED were calculated for acute normal tissue reactions using Fe-plot method.Results: In our study, the estimated values of α/β for RTOG (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group) grade 1, 2 and 3 skin reactions were 11.2 Gy, 10.1 Gy and 9 Gy respectively. Estimated values of α/β for RTOG grade 1, 2 and 3 mucosal reactions were 9.7 Gy, 8.0 Gy and 9.1 Gy respectively. For Hyper-fractionation arm, calculated BED values for grade 1, 2 and 3 skin reactions were 54.45 Gy11.239, 66.90 Gy10.114 and 73.43Gy9.001 respectively and for grade 1, 2 and 3 mucosal reactions were 33.5 Gy9.797, 57.8 Gy8.011 and 70.8 Gy9.106 respectively. For conventional fractionation arm, calculated BED values for grade 1, 2 and 3 skin reactions were 54.09 Gy11.239, 66.88 Gy10.114 and 73.33 Gy9.001 respectively and for grade 1, 2 and 3 mucosal reactions were 33.52 Gy9.797, 57.68 Gy8.011 and 70.73 Gy9.106 respectively.Conclusion: LQ model and the concept of BED provide an excellent tool to compare different fractionation schedules in radiotherapy. The estimated values of α/β for acute reacting normal tissues are in good agreement with the available literature

Inhibitors of apoptosis proteins in human cervical cancer

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that IAPs, in particular XIAP, survivin and c-IAP1, are overexpressed in several malignancies. In the present study we investigate the expression of c-IAP1, c-IAP2, XIAP and survivin and its isoforms in cervical cancer. METHODS: We used semiquantitative RT-PCR assays to analyze 41 cancer and 6 normal tissues. The study included 8 stage I cases; 16 stage II; 17 stageIII; and a control group of 6 samples of normal cervical squamous epithelial tissue. RESULTS: c-IAP2 and XIAP mRNA levels were similar among the samples, cervical tumors had lower c-IAP1 mRNA levels. Unexpectedly, a clear positive association was found between low levels of XIAP and disease relapse. A log-rank test showed a significant inverse association (p = 0.02) between XIAP expression and tumor aggressiveness, as indicated by disease relapse rates. There were no statistically significant differences in the presence or expression levels of c-IAP1 and c-IAP2 among any of the clinical variables studied. Survivin and its isoforms were undetectable in normal cervical tissues, in contrast with the clear upregulation observed in cancer samples. We found no association between survivin expression and age, clinical stage, histology or menopausal state. Nevertheless, we found that adenocarcinoma tumors expressed higher levels of survivin 2B and DeltaEx3 (p = 0.001 and p = 0.04 respectively, by Kruskal-Wallis). A multivariate Cox's partial likelihood-based analysis showed that only FIGO stage was an independent predictor of outcome. CONCLUSION: There are no differences in the expression of c-IAP2 and XIAP between normal vs. cancer samples, but XIAP expression correlate in cervical cancer with relapse of this disease in the patients. Otherwise, c-IAP1 was downregulated in the cervical cancer samples. The expression of survivin was upregulated in the patients with cervical cancer. We have found that adenocarcinoma presented higher levels of survivin isoforms 2B and DeltaEx3

Effects of Degraded Optical Conditions on Behavioural Responses to Alarm Cues in a Freshwater Fish

Prey organisms often use multiple sensory cues to gain reliable information about imminent predation threat. In this study we test if a freshwater fish increases the reliance on supplementary cues when the reliability of the primary cue is reduced. Fish commonly use vision to evaluate predation threat, but may also use chemical cues from predators or injured conspecifics. Environmental changes, such as increasing turbidity or water colour, may compromise the use of vision through changes in the optical properties of water. In an experiment we tested if changes in optical conditions have any effects on how crucian carp respond to chemical predator cues. In turbidity treatments we added either clay or algae, and in a brown water colour treatment we added water with a high humic content. We found that carp reduced activity in response to predator cues, but only in the turbidity treatments (clay, algae), whereas the response in the brown water treatment was intermediate, and not significantly different from, clear and turbid water treatments. The increased reliance on chemical cues indicates that crucian carp can compensate for the reduced information content from vision in waters where optical conditions are degraded. The lower effect in brown water may be due to the reduction in light intensity, changes in the spectral composition (reduction of UV light) or to a change in chemical properties of the cue in humic waters

Race discrimination, the politics of knowledge and cultural inequality in England

From the outside, one might assume England’s education system is tolerant of diversity, welcoming and pluralistic. The truth is, to some extent it is. There are thousands of Overseas Trained Teachers (OTTs) and teachers of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) heritage working in schools in England. These two groups of teachers experience one thing in common - race discrimination, built on assumptions of cultural inequality, fuelled by structures that promote a deficit model of difference and a politics of knowledge. For, although thousands of teachers work in English schools, only few from BAME heritage and migrant origin make it to leadership positions, despite having similar aspirations, qualifications and work experience. Drawing on evidence from research on OTTs and teachers of BAME heritage, this chapter will show that five items present as barriers to the progression of OTTs of BAME heritage and teachers of BAME heritage as a whole including: policy, race/racism, institutional practices, group membership and religion (Islam). This chapter also provides a reconceptualisation of promotion, progression for OTTs and teachers of BAME heritage based on three criteria: “Affiliation”, “Appeasement” (or “Adaptation”) and “White sanction”. The chapter considers epistemological and ontological misunderstandings of difference, and highlights the need for courageous and transformative leadership from policy makers and institutions in tackling race inequality in education in England

Evidence that the Human Pathogenic Fungus Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii May Have Evolved in Africa

Most of the species of fungi that cause disease in mammals, including Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii (serotype A), are exogenous and non-contagious. Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii is associated worldwide with avian and arboreal habitats. This airborne, opportunistic pathogen is profoundly neurotropic and the leading cause of fungal meningitis. Patients with HIV/AIDS have been ravaged by cryptococcosis – an estimated one million new cases occur each year, and mortality approaches 50%. Using phylogenetic and population genetic analyses, we present evidence that C. neoformans var. grubii may have evolved from a diverse population in southern Africa. Our ecological studies support the hypothesis that a few of these strains acquired a new environmental reservoir, the excreta of feral pigeons (Columba livia), and were globally dispersed by the migration of birds and humans. This investigation also discovered a novel arboreal reservoir for highly diverse strains of C. neoformans var. grubii that are restricted to southern Africa, the mopane tree (Colophospermum mopane). This finding may have significant public health implications because these primal strains have optimal potential for evolution and because mopane trees contribute to the local economy as a source of timber, folkloric remedies and the edible mopane worm