Histories of hating

This roundtable discussion presents a dialogue between digital culture scholars on the seemingly increased presence of hating and hate speech online. Revolving primarily around the recent #GamerGate campaign of intensely misogynistic discourse aimed at women in video games, the discussion suggests that the current moment for hate online needs to be situated historically. From the perspective of intersecting cultural histories of hate speech, discrimination, and networked communication, we interrogate the ontological specificity of online hating before going on to explore potential responses to the harmful consequences of hateful speech. Finally, a research agenda for furthering the historical understandings of contemporary online hating is suggested in order to address the urgent need for scholarly interventions into the exclusionary cultures of networked media

Automatic transmission: ethnicity, racialization and the car

YesThis article is based on ethnographic research carried out in Bradford, an ethnically diverse city situated in the north of England. The sample of over 60 participants mostly comprises males of British Pakistani Muslim heritage but varies in terms other markers of identity such as social class, profession and residential/working locale. The article analyses the cultural value and meaning of cars within a multicultural context and how a consumer object can feed into the processes which refine and embed racialized identities. Small cases studies reveal the concrete and discursive ways through which ideas around identity and ethnicity are transmitted and how, in particular, racialization continues to feature as a live, active and recognisable process in everyday experience

Measurement and comparison of individual external doses of high-school students living in Japan, France, Poland and Belarus -- the "D-shuttle" project --

Twelve high schools in Japan (of which six are in Fukushima Prefecture), four in France, eight in Poland and two in Belarus cooperated in the measurement and comparison of individual external doses in 2014. In total 216 high-school students and teachers participated in the study. Each participant wore an electronic personal dosimeter "D-shuttle" for two weeks, and kept a journal of his/her whereabouts and activities. The distributions of annual external doses estimated for each region overlap with each other, demonstrating that the personal external individual doses in locations where residence is currently allowed in Fukushima Prefecture and in Belarus are well within the range of estimated annual doses due to the background radiation level of other regions/countries

Racism, anti-racist practice and social work: articulating the teaching and learning experiences of Black social workers

In the mid 1990s a Black practice teacher programme was established in Manchester and Merseyside with the primary aim to increase the number of Black practice teachers in social work organisations, and in turn provide a supportive and encouraging learning environment for Black student social workers whilst on placement. In the north‐west of England research has been undertaken, to establish the quality of the practice teaching and student learning taking place with Black practice teachers and students. This paper is an exploration of the ideas generated within the placement process that particularly focused on the discourse of racism and ant‐racist practice. Black students and practice teachers explain their understanding of racism and anti‐racist practice within social work. From the research, the paper will critique some of the ideas concerning anti‐racism. In particular, it will question whether anti‐racist social work practice needs to be re‐evaluated in the light of a context with new migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. It will concluded, by arguing that whilst the terms anti‐racism, Black and Minority Ethnic have resonance as a form of political strategic essentialism, it is important to develop more positive representations in the future

HAEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN H UMAN I MMUNODEFICIENCY V IRUS POSITIVE INDIVIDUALS ON DIFFERENT HAART REGIMEN .

Highly active antiretroviral viral therapy (HAART), a combination of three antiretrovirals from at least two drug classes for optimization of hindrance to HIV replication has g reatly increased life expectance. There however, exist numerous of these combinations and thus the questions of which is the best HAART combination with respect to the individual’s haematological status. To investigate this, blood samples were collected fr om 231 retropositive subjects on six different HAART combinations at least six months after HAART commencement, assayed for CD4 and some haematological parameters using cyflow and sysmex(KX - 21) autoanalysier. Baseline data was accessed from the LAMIS data base. The difference between baseline and values after HAART was taken and statistically compared. HAART evaluated includes, Combivir(NVP), Combivir(EFV), Truvada(NVP), Truvada(EFV), Lanten(NVP) and Lanten(EFV). The difference in the parameters assayed a re: CD4(cellmm - 3 ): 154, 205, 172, 206, 262, and 230(P=0.478). Haemoglobin(gdl - 1): - 0.78, - 0.73, 2.35, 1.48, 1.11 and 1.27(P=0.010). PCV(%): - 2.34, - 2.19, 7.65, 7.02, 3.36 and 3.12(P=0.0001). WBC(10 3 μl - 1 ): - 1.19, - 1.02, - 0.37, 0.06, 1.14 and - 0.63(P=0.001) . Neutrophil(%): - 1.51, - 1.83, 3.87, 2.07, 2.71, 2.71 and 1.97(P=0.868). Lymphocyte(%): - 4.26, - 2.87, - 1.45, - 0.19, 2.36 and 3.40(P=0.790). Eosinophil(%): - 0.41, 0.14, - 2.65, 0.14, - 0.46 and 0.12(P=0.094). Platelet(10 3 μl - 1 ): - 49, - 39, - 53, - 53, - 47 and - 35 (P=0.931). The Zidovudine based combinations showed anaemic tendencies; Nevirapen based combinations showed Eosinopenic tendencies. All HAART used induced good immunologic responses along with thrombocytopenic tendencies. The data generated was however ins ufficient to discriminate one combination as being better than the other, rather it was observed that the haematological profile of clients must be well considered when selecting HAAR

Cilostazol Activates Function of Bone Marrow-Derived Endothelial Progenitor Cell for Re-endothelialization in a Carotid Balloon Injury Model

BACKGROUND: Cilostazol(CLZ) has been used as a vasodilating anti-platelet drug clinically and demonstrated to inhibit proliferation of smooth muscle cells and effect on endothelial cells. However, the effect of CLZ on re-endothelialization including bone marrow (BM)-derived endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) contribution is unclear. We have investigated the hypothesis that CLZ might accelerate re-endothelialization with EPCs. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Balloon carotid denudation was performed in male Sprague-Dawley rats. CLZ group was given CLZ mixed feed from 2 weeks before carotid injury. Control group was fed normal diet. CLZ accelerated re-endothelialization at 2 weeks after surgery and resulted in a significant reduction of neointima formation 4 weeks after surgery compared with that in control group. CLZ also increased the number of circulating EPCs throughout the time course. We examined the contribution of BM-derived EPCs to re-endothelialization by BM transplantation from Tie2/lacZ mice to nude rats. The number of Tie2-regulated X-gal positive cells on injured arterial luminal surface was increased at 2 weeks after surgery in CLZ group compared with that in control group. In vitro, CLZ enhanced proliferation, adhesion and migration activity, and differentiation with mRNA upregulation of adhesion molecule integrin αvβ3, chemokine receptor CXCR4 and growth factor VEGF assessed by real-time RT-PCR in rat BM-derived cultured EPCs. In addition, CLZ markedly increased the expression of SDF-1α that is a ligand of CXCR4 receptor in EPCs, in the media following vascular injury. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: CLZ promotes EPC mobilization from BM and EPC recruitment to sites of arterial injury, and thereby inhibited neointima formation with acceleration of re-endothelialization with EPCs as well as pre-existing endothelial cells in a rat carotid balloon injury model. CLZ could be not only an anti-platelet agent but also a promising tool for endothelial regeneration, which is a key event for preventing atherosclerosis or restenosis after vascular intervention

Biochemical Discrimination between Selenium and Sulfur 1: A Single Residue Provides Selenium Specificity to Human Selenocysteine Lyase

Selenium and sulfur are two closely related basic elements utilized in nature for a vast array of biochemical reactions. While toxic at higher concentrations, selenium is an essential trace element incorporated into selenoproteins as selenocysteine (Sec), the selenium analogue of cysteine (Cys). Sec lyases (SCLs) and Cys desulfurases (CDs) catalyze the removal of selenium or sulfur from Sec or Cys and generally act on both substrates. In contrast, human SCL (hSCL) is specific for Sec although the only difference between Sec and Cys is the identity of a single atom. The chemical basis of this selenium-over-sulfur discrimination is not understood. Here we describe the X-ray crystal structure of hSCL and identify Asp146 as the key residue that provides the Sec specificity. A D146K variant resulted in loss of Sec specificity and appearance of CD activity. A dynamic active site segment also provides the structural prerequisites for direct product delivery of selenide produced by Sec cleavage, thus avoiding release of reactive selenide species into the cell. We thus here define a molecular determinant for enzymatic specificity discrimination between a single selenium versus sulfur atom, elements with very similar chemical properties. Our findings thus provide molecular insights into a key level of control in human selenium and selenoprotein turnover and metabolism