The integrated school in a conflict society: a comparative analysis of two integrated primary schools in Northern Ireland

The purpose of this paper is to compare the approach to promoting positive relationships between Catholics and Protestants in two types of integrated primary school in Northern Ireland. Drawing on qualitative interviews with teachers, governors and parents in one transforming school and one grant maintained integrated school, i.e. one representative of each of the two types, the paper shows that whilst there are distinctions in the ways that the schools promote their image and ethos, the ‘lived reality’ of the schools, as reported by the research participants, is almost indistinguishable. The paper suggests that both schools tend not to refer to or explore cultural difference and that this tendency to ‘minimise difference’ seems to have the potential to silence school members who do wish to explore their own and other cultures. It is argued that such practices are likely to impede rather than facilitate the progress of good inter-community relations.

A comparative study of nursing attitudes towards young male survivors of brain injury: A questionnaire survey.

Background The attitudes members of the nursing profession hold towards survivors of brain injury may impact on the level of help, and degree of involvement they are willing to have. Given that the manner in which an individual receives their brain injury has been shown to impact on public prejudices, the importance of exploring nursing attitudes to this vulnerable group, and the subsequent impact this may have on the caring role, requires investigation. Objective To investigate the attitudes held by members of the nursing profession towards young male survivors of brain injury whose behaviour either contributed, or did not contribute, to their injury. Design Independent groups design. Setting and participants Ninety trainee and sixty-nine qualified nurses respectively drawn from a university in the south west of England and the emergency, orthopaedic and paediatric Departments of the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, UK. Methods Participants were randomly assigned to one of four fictional brain injury scenarios. A young male character was portrayed as sustaining a brain injury as a result of either an aneurysm, or through drug taking, with their behaviour being either a contributory or non-contributory factor. On reading these, participants were asked to complete the prejudicial evaluation scale, the social interaction scale and the helping behaviour scale. Results Analysis of variance showed that qualified nurses held more prejudicial attitudes than student nurses towards survivors of brain injury. Mean scores indicated that individuals seen as contributing towards their injury were likely to experience more prejudice (blame total = 42.35 vs. no blame total = 38.34), less social interaction (blame total = 37.54 vs. no blame total = 41.10), and less helping behaviour (blame total = 21.49 vs. no blame total = 22.34) by both groups. Conclusions Qualified nurses should be mindful of the impact their attitudes and judgements of survivors of brain injury may have on the subsequent care they provide. Greater emphasis on the effects of negative attitudes on patient interactions during training may provide nurses with the understanding to recognise and avoid challenges to their caring role in the future.

Comparative proteome analysis of triclabendazole response in the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica.

Control of Fasciola hepatica infections of livestock in the absence of vaccines depends largely on the chemical triclabendazole (TCBZ) because it is effective against immature and adult parasites. Overdependence on a single drug and improper application is considered a significant factor in increasing global reports of fluke resistant to TCBZ. The mode(s) of action and biological target(s) of TCBZ are not confirmed, delaying detection and the monitoring of early TCBZ resistance. In this study, to further understand liver fluke response to TCBZ, the soluble proteomes of TCBZ-resistant and TCBZ-susceptible isolates of F. hepatica were compared with and without in vitro exposure to the metabolically active form of the parent drug triclabendazole sulphoxide (TCBZ-SO), via two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). Gel image analysis revealed proteins displaying altered synthesis patterns and responses both between isolates and under TCBZ-SO exposure. These proteins were identified by mass spectrometry supported by a F. hepatica expressed sequence tag (EST) data set. The TCBZ responding proteins were grouped into three categories; structural proteins, energy metabolism proteins, and “stress” response proteins. This single proteomic investigation supported the reductionist experiments from many laboratories that collectively suggest TCBZ has a range of effects on liver fluke metabolism. Proteomics highlighted differences in the innate proteome profile of different fluke isolates that may influence future therapy and diagnostics design. Two of the TCBZ responding proteins, a glutathione transferase and a fatty acid binding protein, were cloned, produced as recombinants, and both found to bind TCBZ-SO at physiologically relevant concentrations, which may indicate a role in TCBZ metabolism and resistance.