Gender, migration and human security: HIV vulnerability among rural to urban migrants in the People's Republic of China

The ‘human security’ paradigm emerged in the early 1990s as a means of refocusing the security referent away from the state to the individual. It is a theory that is grounded in human rights and the provision of basic needs for all of humanity, regardless of their locale, identity or citizenship status. As a theory, it was not intended to replace notions of traditional security, but was instead intended to be a complementary theory on security as it has been argued that human insecurity actually threatens state security. While the concept itself remains somewhat contested in the political sciences, human security nonetheless provides a useful analysis of non-state security issues and dilemmas, particularly those that concern the human condition. In recent years there has been increasing recognition that the human security paradigm has overlooked the vulnerabilities often faced by women, many of which are gender-based and thereby not shared by men. To counter this, there have been attempts to ‘engender’ human security discourse in academic literature. This paper considers the vulnerabilities faced by female rural to urban migrants in the People’s Republic of China and intersects the mainstream discourse on human security in an attempt to contribute further to the engendering of human security discourse

Explainer: who are the Uyghurs and why is the Chinese government detaining them?

[Extract] The Uyghurs are Turkic-speaking Muslims from the Central Asian region. The largest population live in China’s autonomous Xinjiang region, in the country's north-west. The Uyghurs are one of a number of persecuted Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, including the Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Kyrgyz and Hui. The region's name suggests the Uyghurs have autonomy and self-governance. But similar to Tibet, Xinjiang is a tightly controlled region of China. Many Uyghur communities also live in countries neighbouring China, such as Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. An estimated 3,000 Uyghurs live in Australia. China's President Xi Jinping has overseen a hardline approach towards Muslim minorities living in Xinjiang, especially the Uyghurs. In recent years, the government has installed sophisticated surveillance technology across the region, and there has been a surge in police numbers. Muslim minorities are being arbitrarily arrested and imprisoned. It's estimated around one million Uyghurs have been detained in what China calls "vocational training centres". These are purpose-built detention centres, some of which resemble high-security jails. A recent ABC investigation found 28 detention camps had expanded across Xinjiang as part of China’s program of subjugation. There is growing evidence of human rights violations inside the centres as well as reports of deaths in custody and forced labour. Members of the Uyghur diaspora have been reported as requesting "proof of life" from Beijing over disappeared family members back in Xinjiang. The Guardian recently reported an estimate that 80% of Uyghurs in Australia would have a relative who has disappeared into the camps

‘It’s been a long haul, a big haul, but we’ve made it’: hepatitis C virus treatment in post-transplant patients with virus recurrence: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

The lived experience of both interferon-based and new interferon-free treatments in patients with hepatitis C virus remains understudied. To explore their journey through hepatitis C virus treatment, we interviewed seven post-transplant patients with recurrent hepatitis C virus. Three themes were identified using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Participants reported an ongoing sense of ontological uncertainty characterized by lack of control over their condition and treatment. Furthermore, an apposition of scepticism and hope accompanying each stage of hepatitis C virus treatment was described. A staged approach to psychological intervention tailored to the needs of the patient and their associated ‘stage’ of hepatitis C virus treatment was recommended

Fernandez v. California and the Expansion of Third-Party Consent Searches

Imagine a day when the police come knocking at your door: you open the door, and the police ask you if they may conduct a warrantless search of your residence. As any good constitutional law student would, you explain to them that you are well aware of your rights under the Fourth Amendment, and that they should come back with a warrant. Because the dutiful officers believe that you have committed a crime, they arrest you on the spot, rather than obtaining a search warrant for the premises. After arresting you and removing you from the premises the officers then ask your roommate for permission to search the premises—not as well schooled in Fourth Amendment law, your roommate signs over his consent. You protest: “I refused to consent to the search!” you say—“the police can’t ignore my objection!” The Supreme Court in Fernandez v. California recently ruled that the Fourth Amendment does not forbid a search such as the one discussed above. This Comment will discuss the history behind the consent exception to the Fourth Amendment warrant requirement, the Fernandez decision, and its implications for future police activity

Enhancing the Nutritional Quality of Flour Tortillas: An Investigation of Consumer Receptivity to a Fortified Tortilla Product

The majority of U.S. adults consume less than the recommended amount of whole grains, dietary fiber, and vegetables on a daily basis. Increased intake of these foods is linked with reduced risks of developing chronic diseases, such as heart attack, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. With increased prevalence of such chronic health conditions and inadequate intakes of whole grains and vegetables, the need for an appealing enriched food product is evident. Over the past decade, the tortilla industry has been the fastest-growing sector of the U.S. baking industry; therefore, enhancing the nutritional content of tortillas could result in healthier food products acceptable to consumers. This research aimed to determine the effects of altering the flour component and adding a legume ingredient, specifically lentils, on the sensory attributes and overall characteristics of flour tortillas. Sorghum, an ancient whole grain variety, is rich in antioxidants, dietary fiber, and iron. Lentils, a type of grain legume, are high in fiber, B vitamins, minerals, proteins, and complex carbohydrates. Ten phases of bench-top product development using standardized preparation techniques were completed, resulting in two optimal fortified tortilla product formulations. Sensory evaluations were conducted among college students and instructors (n=35) for sensory attributes and overall likeability of four samples: two fortified tortilla products, a commercial tortilla made with refined flour, and a commercial health-enhanced tortilla. Results indicate that fortified tortilla products enhanced with pureed cooked lentils and sorghum flour are acceptable among the sampled population. Future research opportunities include conducting sensory evaluations among a larger population, optimizing product formulation for use in commercial production, extending product shelf life, and further enhancing nutritional qualities of tortillas by reducing sodium and fat content

How One’s Risk Preferences Affect Their Investment Decisions

The purpose of our project was to display how our personal risk preferences affect our investment decisions, if we invested on two assets: one risky asset (stock) and one risk-free asset (bank account). We considered the problem in both discrete and continuous case. In particular, the stock price follows a multinomial tree in the discrete case; and follows a Geometric Brownian motion in the continuous case. We then found the expected value of the stocks at varying times. By setting what we expect our bank account to be at those times equal to these expected values, we solved for the interest rates, at which investing on either asset are equivalent. We then incorporated risk aversion in the power utility function. Using different levels of risk aversion, we again solve for the interest rate, at which investing on either asset are equivalent. By comparing the first interest rate with the interest rate that incorporated the risk aversion, we saw how this risk aversion affects our investment decisions