The roles of value predispositions,communication, and third person perception on public support for censorship of films with homosexual content

This study aims to examine the roles of value predispositions, communication, and third person perception on public support for censorship of films with homosexual content in Singapore. Findings from a nationally representative telephone survey of adults showed that the majority of Singaporeans supported stricter censorship of films with homosexual characters. Conformity to norms, intrinsic religiosity, and Asian orientation were positively associated with public support for censorship. Media exposure and perceived negative media effects on self were negatively associated with public support for censorship. Our results supported the perceptual component but not the behavioral component of the third person effect.     

“Eighty Per Cent is Not Enough for Chinese‐Australians but Seventy Per Cent is Okay for Anglo‐Australians"—Some Disturbing Consequences

In a doctoral study undertaken at Edith Cowan University the author set out to investigate the influence of home and school environments on the academic performance and educational/occupational aspirations of high school students from eight Chinese‐Australian and Anglo‐Australian families residing in a middle class suburb of Perth metropolitan area. These students graduated from a high school where the author conducted this research as a teacher‐researcher. In this longitudinal study data were collected by employing ethnographic techniques such as participant observation, semi‐formal interviewing and document analysis. The author spent 500 hours in the homes of the participating students, observed and interviewed them at school for 2 years, and collected data on their educational performance from Year 8 to Year 12.

Pivotal to this research was the key question: Do Chinese‐Australian and Anglo‐Australian high school students perform differently? If so, how do we account for this difference? An investigation of the home experiences and attitude towards school revealed the existence of “Asian high achieving syndrome” in Chinese‐Australian students and “self‐deprivation syndrome” in Anglo‐Australian students. Nonetheless, the unexpected finding is that excessive parental pressure takes its toll on the mental health of Chinese‐Australian students and deprives them of the other opportunities that Australia offers. On the other hand, the leisure and sports oriented life style of Anglo‐Australian parents leads to low educational expectations and their children fail to reach their full potentials. To substantiate this claim the experiences of students from four families are discussed.     

Teaching-for-Learning (TFL): A Model for Faculty to Advance Student Learning

In light of the widespread recognition of the enduring challenge of enhancing the learning of all students—including a growing number of students representing diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds—there has been an explosion of literature on teaching, learning, and assessment in higher education. Notwithstanding scores of promising new ideas, individual faculty in higher education need a dynamic and inclusive model to help them engage in a systematic and continuous process of exploring and testing various teaching and assessment practices to ensure the learning of their students. This paper introduces a model—Teaching-for-Learning (TFL)—developed to meet this need. Clifton F. Conrad received his bachelor’s degree in History and his master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Kansas and his Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Michigan. He is Professor of Higher Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and his research focus is on college and university curricula with particular emphases on program quality, liberal education, and teaching and learning. Jason Johnson received his bachelor’s degree in Comparative History of Ideas and his master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Washington. He is nearing completion of his Ph.D. and working as a Teaching Assistant in Higher Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his research focuses on rhetoric in higher education. Divya Malik Gupta received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Human Development and Family Studies from Maharaja Sayajirao University in Gujarat, India. She is currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.     

Serum Lp(a) in diabetics with and without evidence of clinical nephropathy—A preliminary study

Type 2 diabetes is associated with a marked increase in the risk of coronary artery disease. Dyslipidaemia is believed to be a major cause of this increased risk. Recently, elevated levels of lipoprotein (a), Lp(a), have been reported to be associated with an increased risk. However there is very little data regarding Lp(a) concentrations and type 2 diabetes from India. The objective of the study was to assess serum Lp(a) levels in type 2 diabetics with and with out evidence of clinical nephropathy. We estimated serum Lp(a) levels in 30 control subjects, 30 diabetics without evidence of clinical nephropathy and 30 diabetics with evidence of clinical nephropathy. Statistical analysis showed that Lp(a) levels were increased in diabetic patients with nephropathy (mean 46.3±17.6 mg/dl). The Lp(a) levels however did not differ significantly between control (mean 20.2±15.9 mg/dl) and diabetics without nephropathy (mean 22.6±13.1mg/dl). Thus diabetes per se seems to have little or no influence on serum Lp(a) levels, however elevated levels were seen in patients with nephropathy.     

African American Students in Counselor Education Programs: Perceptions of Their Experiences

The authors explored 11 African American doctoral students' perceptions of their experiences in counselor education programs, and their findings are presented. Using a phenomenological methodological framework, the authors investigated the various systems of support that students use as they navigate their respective programs. Human agency was the theoretical framework for this study, and 4 themes emerged from the data: assertiveness, more experienced African American students, race‐based organizations, and personal and professional care from advisors. Implications for students and counselor education programs are discussed.     

Prevalence of multiple antibiotic resistance and R-plasmid inEscherichia coli isolates of hospital sewage of Aligarh city in India

R-plasmids that transfer antibiotic resistance are common in the non-pathogenicEscherichia coli of the gastro-intestinal tract of human beings and domestic animals, which inturn may enter into sewage. Therefore we have isolated 30Escherichia coli isolates from hospital sewage of Aligarh city. These isolates were tested for their resistance and sensitivity against 10 antibiotics. 90% isolates showed resistance against ampicillin and sulphamethizole. Of the total 30E. coli isolates 86.6% were resistant to erythromycin and rifampicin but none of them was resistant to kanamycin and streptomycin. Plasmids (mol. wt. 16.5 mega daltons) were isolated from five differentE. coli strains which harboured only a single plasmid and were characterized on the basis of antibiogram. Moreover, the transformation experiments were also performed to confirm the resistant character on the plasmid. We conclude that multiple drug resistance among most of theE. coli isolates is plasmid borne.     

Current/voltage-mode universal filter using FTFNs

A new configuration realizing current/voltage-mode (CM/VM) universal filter using two four terminal floating nullors (FTFN) and four passive components is presented. The current-mode configuration has single input and three outputs and realises simultaneously lowpass (LP), bandpass (BP) and highpass (HP) responses from which allpass (AP) and notch functions can also be implemented. The voltage-mode filter has three inputs and two outputs and can be configured to realise all the five filtering functions. The circuit in current-mode uses grounded capacitors which are ideal for monolithic integration. Besides using a bare minimum number of passive components, the topology enjoys low active and passive sensitivity figures. Experimental and PSPICE simulation results are also included.     

Exploring the interrelationships between technological predictors and behavioral mediators in online tax filing: The moderating role of perceived risk

This study investigates the interrelationships between technological predictors and behavioral mediators in explaining users' continuance intention for online tax filing. Building on information systems (IS) success and IS continuance literature, this study proposes an extended conceptual framework by adding perceived functional benefit (PFB) as mediating, perceived risk as moderating, and demographic characteristics as control variables. The data collected, through a web-based survey, from 409 users of e-tax services in an emerging economy are analyzed through covariance-based structural equation modeling. Results confirm that PFB, confirmation of expectation, and satisfaction are the major antecedents of continuance intention for e-tax filing. The study also finds the evidence for the indirect effects of IS success factors on continuance intention through such antecedents. In addition, results suggest that the relationships between PFB and satisfaction as well as between PFB and continuance intention are contingent on the users' levels of perceived risk. The study concludes with the useful implications for academicians and policymakers in the context of an emerging economy.     

Hydrogen Breath Tests in Gastrointestinal Diseases

Hydrogen breath tests are widely used to explore pathophysiology of functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and carbohydrate malabsorption are disorders detected by these tests that have been proposed to be of great importance for symptoms of GI diseases. Glucose hydrogen breath test is more acceptable for diagnosis of SIBO whereas lactose and fructose hydrogen breath tests are used for detection of lactose and fructose maldigestion respectively. Lactulose hydrogen breath test is also used widely to measure the orocecal transit time for GI motility. These methods are noninvasive and inexpensive. Many patients with functional gut disorders are unaware of the relationship between diet and GI symptoms they present. In particular, patients with chronic symptoms may regard their condition as normal and may not be aware that their symptoms can be effectively managed following a proper diagnosis. Patients with symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence and altered bowel movements (diarrhea and constipation), or with a medical diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome or celiac disease, may have undiagnosed carbohydrate malabsorption or SIBO. Hydrogen breath tests are specific and sensitive diagnostic tests that can be used to either confirm or eliminate the possibility of carbohydrate malabsorption or SIBO in such patients. Breath tests, though valuable tools, are underutilized in evaluating dyspepsia and functional bloating and diarrhea as well as suspected malabsorption. However, because of their simplicity, reproducibility and safety of procedure they are now being substituted to more uncomfortable and expensive techniques that were traditionally used in gastroenterology.     

Categorizations of the interface of evolution and religion

Cultural Studies of Science Education - This piece responds to the article by Arif Rachmatullah, Soonhye Park, and Minsu Ha “Crossing borders between science and religion: Muslim Indonesian...