Ecumenism in St Andrews : a fact and a mandate

In a three-way conversation, ministers from Baptist, Presbyterian, and Episcopal churches in St Andrews, Fife reflect on their experience of ecumenical theology and local church practice. As they wrestle with the reality of the Church’s disunity, they seek to draw out some specific biblical, theological, and practical resources which have been especially helpful in their own ecumenical practice as local church ministers. What clearly emerges as a central feature is the gift which denominational differences and diversities can bring out of ecumenical efforts. Encountering sisters and brothers in other ecclesial communities can play a crucial role in enriching our own ecclesial identities, but, as these authors emphasise, it requires pushing against the consumerist competition which can easily creep up on us in a shrinking church ‘market’. Remaining open to the gift of another – in this case, another Christian communal expression – is at the heart of anything that can be called genuine ecumenism.Peer reviewe

Condoms and Contradictions: Assessing Sexual Health Knowledge in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Queer Youth Labelled with Intellectual Disabilities

Background: Accessible, culturally relevant data collection tools to assess the sexual health knowledge of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) young people labelled with intellectual disabilities are sparse. Materials and Methods: Using community-based participatory research (CBPR) we piloted a variety of interactive activities designed to assess the sexual health knowledge and decision making skills of LGBTQ young people with intellectual disabilities. Results: Posters created by youth participants suggested substantial sexual health knowledge and empowerment, while individual knowledge assessment scores indicated a range in understanding of risks and strategies to avoid pregnancy, HIV and herpes. Conclusions: These findings reinforce the importance of using multiple strategies to assess sexual knowledge with this population. Creative evaluation strategies catering to the cultural specificities, sexual experiences, and cognitive abilities of diverse youth help to clarify gaps in knowledge and areas for renewed attention. Keywords: HIV/AIDS; community-based participatory research; intellectual disabilities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT); sexual health Les outils de collecte des données, accessibles et culturellement appropriés, afin d’évaluer les connaissances sur la santé sexuelle des jeunes LGBT (Lesbiennes, Gais, Bisexuel-les et Trans) ayant des handicaps intellectuels sont rares. Nous avons pilotés une variété d’activités interactives ayant pour but l’évaluation des connaissances en santé sexuelle et des compétences pour la prise de décision de jeunes LGBT ayant des handicaps intellectuels. Les affiches créées par les jeunes participants indiquent une responsabilisation et une connaissance approfondie de la santé sexuelle. Les résultats des évaluations de la connaissance en santé sexuelle indiquent une bonne compréhension des risques et des stratégies pour éviter la grossesse, Le VIH et l’herpès. Les résultats obtenus renforcent l’importance d’utiliser diverses stratégies pour évaluer la connaissance en santé sexuelle de cette population. Des stratégies d’évaluation créatives qui adressent les spécificités culturelles, les expériences sexuelles et les habilités cognitives de différents jeunes aident à clarifier les lacunes en connaissance et les domaines qui nécessitent une attention accrue. Mots-clés: VIH/SIDA; recherche participative axée sur la communauté; handicaps intellectuels; (LGBT) lesbiennes, gais, bisexuel-les et trans; santé sexuell

CAP Reform and the WTO: Potential Impacts on EU Agriculture

Selected Paper prepared for presentation at the American Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado.In 2003 an agreement was finalized to instigate arguably the most significant reform of the European Union's (EU) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) since its inception. In the Luxembourg Agreement many of the direct payments that have been linked to production are decoupled and instead provided in the form of a land-based payment. The reforms did not include any significant changes to either EU border support or the ability of the EU to utilize export subsidies that have been widely criticized by other nations. Even though the reforms do not directly address trade in agricultural products it is argued that World Trade Organization (WTO) concerns played a significant role in the designs of the reforms. In this paper an analysis of the Luxembourg reforms and the European proposal for agriculture under the WTO is presented. The results are used as the basis for a discussion of the interaction of the WTO and CAP reform and the implications for the agricultural sector in the EU

Comparing the effects of sun exposure and vitamin D supplementation on vitamin D insufficiency, and immune and cardio-metabolic function: the Sun Exposure and Vitamin D Supplementation (SEDS) Study

BACKGROUND Adults living in the sunny Australian climate are at high risk of skin cancer, but vitamin D deficiency (defined here as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration of less than 50 nmol/L) is also common. Vitamin D deficiency may be a risk factor for a range of diseases. However, the optimal strategies to achieve and maintain vitamin D adequacy (sun exposure, vitamin D supplementation or both), and whether sun exposure itself has benefits over and above initiating synthesis of vitamin D, remain unclear. The Sun Exposure and Vitamin D Supplementation (SEDS) Study aims to compare the effectiveness of sun exposure and vitamin D supplementation for the management of vitamin D insufficiency, and to test whether these management strategies differentially affect markers of immune and cardio-metabolic function. METHODS/DESIGN The SEDS Study is a multi-centre, randomised controlled trial of two different daily doses of vitamin D supplementation, and placebo, in conjunction with guidance on two different patterns of sun exposure. Participants recruited from across Australia are aged 18-64 years and have a recent vitamin D test result showing a serum 25(OH)D level of 40-60 nmol/L. DISCUSSION This paper discusses the rationale behind the study design, and considers the challenges but necessity of data collection within a non-institutionalised adult population, in order to address the study aims. We also discuss the challenges of participant recruitment and retention, ongoing engagement of referring medical practitioners and address issues of compliance and participant retention. TRIAL REGISTRATION Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12613000290796 Registered 14 March 2013

Incidence of erectile dysfunction among middle-aged and aging sexual minority men living with or without HIV

IntroductionErectile dysfunction (ED) has been established as a comorbidity among men living with HIV, but comparisons by HIV serostatus of ED incidence in a longitudinal follow-up cohort of men are lacking. We sought to evaluate the incidence of ED spanning a period of 12 years in a longitudinal cohort of sexual minority men (SMM) living with and without HIV.MethodsWe analyzed ED incidence data for 625 participants in the longitudinal Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study from visits spanning October 2006 to April 2019.ResultsSMM living with HIV were more likely to have incident ED compared with those living without HIV (rate ratio: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.14–1.75). Older age, current diabetes, cumulative cigarette use, and cumulative antidepressant use were associated with increased incidence of ED in the entire sample. Self-identifying as Hispanic, current diabetes, and cumulative antidepressant use were positively associated with ED incidence among SMM living with HIV. Cumulative cigarette use was positively associated with greater ED incidence only among SMM living without HIV.DiscussionIn summary, age (full sample/ with HIV), current diabetes (full sample/with HIV), cumulative cigarette use (full sample/without HIV), and cumulative antidepressant use (full sample/with HIV) were associated with increased ED incidence. Skillful management of diabetes and careful titration of antidepressants, along with smoking cessation practices, are recommended to mitigate ED in this population

Forty-Year Analysis of Colonoscopic Surveillance Program for Neoplasia in Ulcerative Colitis: An Updated Overview

C.R.C. was funded by the Derek Willoughby Fund for Inflammatory Research. A.L.H. and T.A.G. were funded by Higher Education Funding Council of England

Phenotypic characterisation of Saccharomyces spp. yeast for tolerance to stresses encountered during fermentation of lignocellulosic residues to produce bioethanol.

BACKGROUND: During industrial fermentation of lignocellulose residues to produce bioethanol, microorganisms are exposed to a number of factors that influence productivity. These include inhibitory compounds produced by the pre-treatment processes required to release constituent carbohydrates from biomass feed-stocks and during fermentation, exposure of the organisms to stressful conditions. In addition, for lignocellulosic bioethanol production, conversion of both pentose and hexose sugars is a pre-requisite for fermentative organisms for efficient and complete conversion. All these factors are important to maximise industrial efficiency, productivity and profit margins in order to make second-generation bioethanol an economically viable alternative to fossil fuels for future transport needs. RESULTS: The aim of the current study was to assess Saccharomyces yeasts for their capacity to tolerate osmotic, temperature and ethanol stresses and inhibitors that might typically be released during steam explosion of wheat straw. Phenotypic microarray analysis was used to measure tolerance as a function of growth and metabolic activity. Saccharomyces strains analysed in this study displayed natural variation to each stress condition common in bioethanol fermentations. In addition, many strains displayed tolerance to more than one stress, such as inhibitor tolerance combined with fermentation stresses. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that this study could identify a potential candidate strain or strains for efficient second generation bioethanol production. Knowledge of the Saccharomyces spp. strains grown in these conditions will aid the development of breeding programmes in order to generate more efficient strains for industrial fermentations