Imagining multicultural London: containment and excess in snatch

Snatch (Guy Ritchie, 2000) is a comic-book gangster film that can be seen to represent the backlash against perceived notions of political correctness in what is effectively a public-schoolboy fantasy of working-class life in East London. However, the film also delineates the limits of this backlash in its depiction of minorities as either contained or excess. This is highlighted through the comic-book genre itself as well as the characterization. Thus this article explores the tension between the genre, representation and Jewish identity.

HIV/AIDS: use of the ICF in Brazil and South Africa - comparative data from four cross-sectional studies

Introduction Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a serious disease which can be associated with various activity limitations and participation restrictions. The aim of this paper was to describe how HIV affects the functioning and health of people within different environmental contexts, particularly with regard to access to medication. Method Four cross-sectional studies, three in South Africa and one in Brazil, had applied the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a classification instrument to participants living with HIV. Each group was at a different stage of the disease. Only two groups had had continuing access to antiretroviral therapy. The existence of these descriptive sets enabled comparison of the disability experienced by people living with HIV at different stages of the disease and with differing access to antiretroviral therapy. Results Common problems experienced in all groups related to weight maintenance, with two-thirds of the sample reporting problems in this area. Mental functions presented the most problems in all groups, with sleep (50%, 92/185), energy and drive (45%, 83/185), and emotional functions (49%, 90/185) being the most affected. In those on long-term therapy, body image affected 93% (39/42) and was a major problem. The other groups reported pain as a problem, and those with limited access to treatment also reported mobility problems. Cardiopulmonary functions were affected in all groups. Conclusion Functional problems occurred in the areas of impairment and activity limitation in people at advanced stages of HIV, and more limitations occurred in the area of participation for those on antiretroviral treatment. The ICF provided a useful framework within which to describe the functioning of those with HIV and the impact of the environment. Given the wide spectrum of problems found, consideration could be given to a number of ICF core sets that are relevant to the different stages of HIV disease. (C) 2010 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cathepsin L-like genes of Trypanosoma vivax from Africa and South America - characterization, relationships and diagnostic implications

We characterized sequences from genes encoding cathepsin L-like (CatL-like) cysteine proteases from African and South American isolates of Trypanosoma vivax and T. vivax-like organisms, and evaluated their suitability as genetic markers for population structure analysis and diagnosis. Phylogenetic analysis of sequences corresponding to CatL-like catalytic domains revealed substantial polymorphism, and clades of sequences (TviCatL1-9) were separated by large genetic distances. TviCatL1-4 sequences were from cattle isolates from West Africa (Nigeria and Burkina Faso) and South America (Brazil and Venezuela), which belonged to the same T. vivax genotype. T. vivax-like genotypes from East Africa showed divergent sequences, including TviCatL5-7 for isolates from Mozambique and TviCatL8-9 for an isolate from Kenya. Phylogenetic analysis of CatL-like gene data supported the relationships among trypanosome species reflected in the phylogenies based on the analysis of small subunit (SSU) of ribosomal RNA gene sequence data. The discovery of different CatL-like sequences for each genotype, defined previously by ribosomal DNA data, indicate that these sequences provide useful targets for epidemiological and population genetic studies. Regions in CatL-like sequences shared by all T. vivax genotypes but not by other trypanosomes allowed the establishment of a specific and sensitive diagnostic PCR for epidemiological studies in South America and Africa. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Organisational commitment of accountants in Australia and South Africa

This paper examines the independent variables of perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU) and the cultural beliefs of collectivism/individualism between two countries, Australia and South Africa. These countries were chosen because Australia is a stable democracy and South Africa is an emerging democracy which is undergoing significant political, social and economic transformation. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether accountants' commitment to an organisation is associated with perceived environmental uncertainty, collectivism and nationality.

The results of this study suggest that individuals' organizational commitment is associated with nationality (South African and Australian) and that relationship is associated with their cultural beliefs (collectivism/individualism) and an environmental variable, perceived environmental uncertainty.

This research is regarded as important in that multi-national organisations operating in different political and social environments may choose to use different means to ensure the maximum organisational commitment from their employees, in particular, those who are professional accountants.

The rise of China and South Korea : sunshine and beyond

While China’s re-emergence at both the regional and global levels has attracted much attention, a less discernible development has been South Korea’s bid to adopt a more robust foreign policy. For the decade following the establishment of bilateral relations with the mainland in 1992, South Korea viewed China as a valuable partner that could facilitate its foreign policy goals. Although differing in ambition and capacity, in several respects—their preferred methods of resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis, their expanding trade and investment, and their scepticism about Japanese intentions—the regional perspectives of China and South Korea proved to be highly complementary. However, closer ties with China complicate Korea’s relations with the United States, whose regional leadership China is beginning to challenge. In light of the adverse impact of the rise of China on the Korea–US alliance and other developments (notably the dispute involving the Goguryeo kingdom), South Korea’s views of China have cooled. This paper traces the Korean debate about the rise of China and its implications.

Cut-points for waist circumference in Europids and South Asians

There is little strong evidence that currently recommended higher waist circumference cut-points for Europids compared with South Asians are associated with similar risk for type 2 diabetes. This study was designed to provide such evidence. Longitudinal studies over 5 years were conducted among 5,515 Europid and 2,214 ethnically South Asian participants. Age-standardized diabetes incidence at different levels of waist circumference and incidence difference relative to a reference value were calculated. The Youden Index was used to determine waist circumference cut-points. At currently recommended cut-points, estimated annual diabetes incidence for a 50-year-old Europid was <0.6% for both sexes, and for a 50-year-old South Asian, 5.8% for men and 2.1% for women. Annual diabetes incidence of 1% was observed for a 50 year old at a waist circumference 35–40 cm greater in Europid compared to South Asian men and women. Incidence difference between recommended cut-points and a reference value (80 cm in men, 70 cm in women) was 0.3 and 4.4% per year for Europid and South Asian men, and 0.2 and 0.8% per year for Europid and South Asian women, respectively. Waist circumference cut-points chosen using the Youden Index were shown to be dependent on obesity levels in the population. The much higher observed risk of diabetes in South Asians compared to Europids at the respective recommended waist circumference cut-points suggests that differences between them should be greater. Approaches that use the Youden Index to select waist circumference cut-points are inappropriate and should not be used for this purpose.

Global education policy directives : impact on teachers from the north and south

Education policies from international organisations such as the World Bank and OECD are restructuring education to promote a utilitarian vision of education. By examining the experiences and opinions of teachers from countries representing north-south global regions, it is possible to identify the social and political implications of education reform as it impacts on teachers as not only practitioners, but also as social and political agents. As global communities are more inexorably linked through global, macro policies, an outcome of this trend is a growing political and social divide between the global north and south. The paper aims to identify and discuss the significant concerns of teachers from the global north and south in relation to education reform.

Medical tourism : a comparison of Australian, French and South Korean medical and health tourists to Thailand.

The high cost of surgery in Western countries has led to an increase in the demand for surgery in developing countries (York, 2008). The objective of this article is to examine the utilization and satisfaction with medical and health services purchased by Australian, French and South Korean visitors to Thailand. In late 2006 a face-to-face survey was conducted with 1,200 randomly selected tourists who had visited Thailand. Results show substantial usage of medical and health services. Satisfaction levels vary across type of service provided and by country of origin of tourist. Recommendations are provided to the national tourism authority. Future research directions are discussed.