A comparative analysis of perceived stigma among HIV-positive Ghanaian and African American males

The purpose of this paper was to address two questions: (i) Do Ghanaian and African American males with HIV/AIDS experience different types and degrees of stigma? and (ii) Is the impact of stigma associated with HIV/AIDS on the self different for Ghanaian and African American males? A quantitative method was used, and the four dimensions of stigma (social rejection, financial insecurity, internalised shame, and social interaction) were identified and measured using combination Likert-type questionnaires. Data regarding positive feelings of selfworth and self-deprecation, stress related to body image, and personal control were also collected in Ghana and the southeastern USA.The sample consisted of 55 men from Ghana and 55 men from the southeastern USA. Results indicate that values for the scales measuring stigma and self-perception were significantly higher for the Ghanaian sample than for the African American sample.Thus we conclude that the Ghanaian sample living with HIV/AIDS experienced a greater amount of negative self-perception and stigma-related strife than the African American sample.Keywords: stigma, HIV/AIDS, social rejection, financial insecurity, internalised shame, cultureRésuméLe but de cette communication est d'aborder deux questions, à savoir: (i) Est-ce que les hommes Ghanéens et Afro-Américains vivant avec le VIH/SIDA éprouvent de types et de degrés différents de stigmatisation? et (ii) Estce que l'impact de stigmatisation liée au VIH/SIDA sur le moi est différent chez les Ghanéens en comparaison aux Afro-Américains? Une méthode quantitative a été employée et les quatre dimensions de stigmatisation (le rejet social, l'insécurité financière, la honte intériorisée et l'interaction sociale) ont été identifiés et mesurés grâce à une combinaison des questionnaires Likert-type. Des données concernant des sentiments positifs de la valeur personnelle et d'auto-dénigrement, le stresse lié à l'image corporel et le contrôle de soi-même ont été recueilles au Ghana et au sud-est des États Unis. L'échantillon consistait de 55 hommes du Ghana et 55 hommes du sud-est des États Unis. Les chiffres des barèmes utilisées pour mesurer la stigmatisation et la perception de soi-même étaient sensiblement élevés pour l'échantillon ghanéen par rapport à l'échantillon afro-américain. L'échantillon ghanéen vivant avec le VIH/SIDA a davantage de perception négative de soi-même ainsi que la lutte liée à la stigmatisation par rapport à l'échantillon afro-américain.Mots clés: stigmatisation,VIH, SIDA, rejet social, insécurité financière, honte intériorisée, culture SAHARA J (Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research Alliance) Vol. 2(3) 2005: 344-35

Creative destruction in science

Drawing on the concept of a gale of creative destruction in a capitalistic economy, we argue that initiatives to assess the robustness of findings in the organizational literature should aim to simultaneously test competing ideas operating in the same theoretical space. In other words, replication efforts should seek not just to support or question the original findings, but also to replace them with revised, stronger theories with greater explanatory power. Achieving this will typically require adding new measures, conditions, and subject populations to research designs, in order to carry out conceptual tests of multiple theories in addition to directly replicating the original findings. To illustrate the value of the creative destruction approach for theory pruning in organizational scholarship, we describe recent replication initiatives re-examining culture and work morality, working parents\u2019 reasoning about day care options, and gender discrimination in hiring decisions. Significance statement It is becoming increasingly clear that many, if not most, published research findings across scientific fields are not readily replicable when the same method is repeated. Although extremely valuable, failed replications risk leaving a theoretical void\u2014 reducing confidence the original theoretical prediction is true, but not replacing it with positive evidence in favor of an alternative theory. We introduce the creative destruction approach to replication, which combines theory pruning methods from the field of management with emerging best practices from the open science movement, with the aim of making replications as generative as possible. In effect, we advocate for a Replication 2.0 movement in which the goal shifts from checking on the reliability of past findings to actively engaging in competitive theory testing and theory building. Scientific transparency statement The materials, code, and data for this article are posted publicly on the Open Science Framework, with links provided in the article

A comparative analysis of perceived stigma among HIV-positive Ghanaian and African American males

The purpose of this paper was to address two questions: (i) Do Ghanaian and African American males with HIV/AIDS experience different types and degrees of stigma? and (ii) Is the impact of stigma associated with HIV/AIDS on the self different for Ghanaian and African American males? A quantitative method was used, and the four dimensions of stigma (social rejection, financial insecurity, internalised shame, and social interaction) were identified and measured using combination Likert-type questionnaires. Data regarding positive feelings of selfworth and self-deprecation, stress related to body image, and personal control were also collected in Ghana and the southeastern USA.The sample consisted of 55 men from Ghana and 55 men from the southeastern USA. Results indicate that values for the scales measuring stigma and self-perception were significantly higher for the Ghanaian sample than for the African American sample.Thus we conclude that the Ghanaian sample living with HIV/AIDS experienced a greater amount of negative self-perception and stigma-related strife than the African American sample.Keywords: stigma, HIV/AIDS, social rejection, financial insecurity, internalised shame, cultureRésuméLe but de cette communication est d'aborder deux questions, à savoir: (i) Est-ce que les hommes Ghanéens et Afro-Américains vivant avec le VIH/SIDA éprouvent de types et de degrés différents de stigmatisation? et (ii) Estce que l'impact de stigmatisation liée au VIH/SIDA sur le moi est différent chez les Ghanéens en comparaison aux Afro-Américains? Une méthode quantitative a été employée et les quatre dimensions de stigmatisation (le rejet social, l'insécurité financière, la honte intériorisée et l'interaction sociale) ont été identifiés et mesurés grâce à une combinaison des questionnaires Likert-type. Des données concernant des sentiments positifs de la valeur personnelle et d'auto-dénigrement, le stresse lié à l'image corporel et le contrôle de soi-même ont été recueilles au Ghana et au sud-est des États Unis. L'échantillon consistait de 55 hommes du Ghana et 55 hommes du sud-est des États Unis. Les chiffres des barèmes utilisées pour mesurer la stigmatisation et la perception de soi-même étaient sensiblement élevés pour l'échantillon ghanéen par rapport à l'échantillon afro-américain. L'échantillon ghanéen vivant avec le VIH/SIDA a davantage de perception négative de soi-même ainsi que la lutte liée à la stigmatisation par rapport à l'échantillon afro-américain.Mots clés: stigmatisation,VIH, SIDA, rejet social, insécurité financière, honte intériorisée, culture SAHARA J (Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research Alliance) Vol. 2(3) 2005: 344-35

Fuel and Vehicle Technology Choices for Passenger Vehicles in Achieving Stringent CO2 Targets: Connections between Transportation and Other Energy Sectors

The regionalized Global Energy Transition (GET-R 6.0) modelhas been modified to include a detailed description of light-duty vehicle options and used to investigate the potential impact of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and concentrating solar power (CSP) on cost-effective fuel/vehicle technologies in a carbon-constrained world. Total CO2 emissions were constrained to achieve stabilization at 400-550 ppm, by 2100, at lowest total system cost. The dominant fuel/vehicle technologies varied significantly depending on CO2 constraint, future cost of vehicle technologies, and availability of CCS and CSP. For many cases, no one technology dominated on a global scale. CCS provides relatively inexpensive low-CO2 electricity and heat which prolongs the use of traditional ICEVs. CSP displaces fossil fuel derived electricity, prolongs the use of traditional ICEVs, and promotes electrification of passenger vehicles. In all cases considered, CCS and CSP availability had a major impact on the lowest cost fuel/vehicle technologies, and alternative fuels are needed in response to expected dwindling oil and natural gas supply potential by the end of the century

Fuel and Vehicle Technology Choices for Passenger Vehicles in Achieving Stringent CO2 Targets: Connections between Transportation and Other Energy Sectors

The regionalized Global Energy Transition (GET-R 6.0) modelhas been modified to include a detailed description of light-duty vehicle options and used to investigate the potential impact of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and concentrating solar power (CSP) on cost-effective fuel/vehicle technologies in a carbon-constrained world. Total CO2 emissions were constrained to achieve stabilization at 400-550 ppm, by 2100, at lowest total system cost. The dominant fuel/vehicle technologies varied significantly depending on CO2 constraint, future cost of vehicle technologies, and availability of CCS and CSP. For many cases, no one technology dominated on a global scale. CCS provides relatively inexpensive low-CO2 electricity and heat which prolongs the use of traditional ICEVs. CSP displaces fossil fuel derived electricity, prolongs the use of traditional ICEVs, and promotes electrification of passenger vehicles. In all cases considered, CCS and CSP availability had a major impact on the lowest cost fuel/vehicle technologies, and alternative fuels are needed in response to expected dwindling oil and natural gas supply potential by the end of the century

ZIKV Demonstrates Minimal Pathologic Effects and Mosquito Infectivity in Viremic Cynomolgus Macaques

To evaluate the effects of ZIKV infection on non-human primates (NHPs), as well as to investigate whether these NHPs develop sufficient viremia to infect the major urban vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti, four cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) were subcutaneously infected with 5.0 log10 focus-forming units (FFU) of DNA clone-derived ZIKV strain FSS13025 (Asian lineage, Cambodia, 2010). Following infection, the animals were sampled (blood, urine, tears, and saliva), underwent daily health monitoring, and were exposed to Ae. aegypti at specified time points. All four animals developed viremia, which peaked 3⁻4 days post-infection at a maximum value of 6.9 log10 genome copies/mL. No virus was detected in urine, tears, or saliva. Infection by ZIKV caused minimal overt disease: serum biochemistry and CBC values largely fell within the normal ranges, and cytokine elevations were minimal. Strikingly, the minimally colonized population of Ae. aegypti exposed to viremic animals demonstrated a maximum infection rate of 26% during peak viremia, with two of the four macaques failing to infect a single mosquito at any time point. These data indicate that cynomolgus macaques may be an effective model for ZIKV infection of humans and highlights the relative refractoriness of Ae. aegypti for ZIKV infection at the levels of viremia observed

Role of mutational reversions and fitness restoration in Zika virus spread to the Americas

University of Texas Medical Branch. Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, and Department of Microbiology and Immunology. World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses. Galveston, TX, USA.University of Texas Medical Branch. Institute for Human Infections and Immunity. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Galveston, TX, USA.University of Texas Medical Branch. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Institute for Human Infections and Immunity. Galveston, TX, USA.Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.University of Texas Medical Branch. Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, and Department of Microbiology and Immunology. World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses. Galveston, TX, USA.University of Texas Medical Branch. Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, and Department of Microbiology and Immunology. World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses. Galveston, TX, USA.University of Texas Medical Branch. Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, and Department of Microbiology and Immunology. World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses. Galveston, TX, USA.University of Texas Medical Branch. Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, and Department of Microbiology and Immunology. World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses. Galveston, TX, USA.University of Texas Medical Branch. Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health. Galveston, TX, USA.University of Texas Medical Branch. Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, and Department of Microbiology and Immunology. World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses. Galveston, TX, USA.University of Texas Medical Branch. Department of Pathology, Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, and Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, , Galveston, TX, USAUniversity of Texas Medical Branch. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Institute for Human Infections and Immunity. Galveston, TX, USAUniversity of Texas Medical Branch. Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, and Department of Microbiology and Immunology. World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses. Galveston, TX, USA.Zika virus (ZIKV) emerged from obscurity in 2013 to spread from Asia to the South Pacific and the Americas, where millions of people were infected, accompanied by severe disease including microcephaly following congenital infections. Phylogenetic studies have shown that ZIKV evolved in Africa and later spread to Asia, and that the Asian lineage is responsible for the recent epidemics in the South Pacific and Americas. However, the reasons for the sudden emergence of ZIKV remain enigmatic. Here we report evolutionary analyses that revealed four mutations, which occurred just before ZIKV introduction to the Americas, represent direct reversions of previous mutations that accompanied earlier spread from Africa to Asia and early circulation there. Our experimental infections of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, human cells, and mice using ZIKV strains with and without these mutations demonstrate that the original mutations reduced fitness for urban, human-amplifed transmission, while the reversions restored fitness, increasing epidemic risk. These findings include characterization of three transmission-adaptive ZIKV mutations, and demonstration that these and one identified previously restored fitness for epidemic transmission soon before introduction into the Americas. The initial mutations may have followed founder effects and/or drift when the virus was introduced decades ago into Asia