Using a prisoner advisory group to develop diversity research in a maximum-security prison

This paper addresses groupwork processes with a group of prisoners advising a research project in a maximum-security prison in England. The research project (Appreciative Inquiry into the Diversity Strategy of HMP Wakefield. RES-000-22-3441) was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and lasted 9 months. The research explored the experiences of prisoners in diverse minority groupings and the strategies of the prison to accommodate the complex needs of these groups. The Prisoner Advisory Group (PAG) was made up of representatives from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) prisoners; older prisoners (over 60s); Disabled prisoners (with physical disabilities, learning difficulties; and mental health problems); Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender prisoners; and prisoners affiliated to Faith groups. It met regularly during the research. The paper considers the forming norming and performing aspects of establishing an effective participant voice in a prison-based project. It considers the contribution of the PAG to developing a research strategy that engaged prisoners in the research. It reflects on the nature of ‘participative research’ in general and whether such research is possible within a high-security prison environment

Static Gravitational Global Monopoles

Static solutions in spherical symmetry are found for gravitating global monopoles. Regular solutions lacking a horizon are found for $\eta < 1/\sqrt{8\pi}$, where $\eta$ is the scale of symmetry breaking. Apparently regular solutions with a horizon are found for 1/\sqrt{8\pi} \le \eta \alt \sqrt{3/8\pi}. Though they have a horizon, they are not Schwarzschild. The solution for $\eta = 1/\sqrt{8\pi}$ is argued to have a horizon at infinity. The failure to find static solutions for $\eta > \sqrt{3/8\pi} \approx 0.3455$ is consistent with findings that topological inflation begins at $\eta \approx 0.33$.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure

QOBJ modeling: A new approach in discrete event simulation

This paper deals with a new discrete event simulation modeling concept, calledqobj, which comes from two well-known paradigms:objects andqueuing networks. The first provides important conceptual tools for model organization, while the second one allows for nice visualization of models' internal state and processes. Thanks to the integration of these two paradigms, theqobj concept allows the suppression of several dichotomies characterizing current simulation modeling approaches. For instance,qobj allows the description of system elements which are both mobile and able to do processing, and allows the dynamic instantiation of static and mobile elements during simulation. The design of lift group models for an industrial project illustrates the main features of theqobj concep

The Role of Education in AIDS Prevention

The severity of the current AIDS epidemic, combined with the lack of successful biological interventions, necessitates an active educational program as the primary intervention strategy. Health education theories abound, but relatively little definitive application of these theories has been made to the issues involved with HIV transmission: sexual behavior and the sharing of intravenous drug apparatus. Significant behavior changes have occurred in some people, but the consistency of the behavior change may be difficult to sustain. Thus, the authors suggest that health education should be delivered repeatedly in culturally acceptable language and format, by community leaders, and through many different approaches (churches, schools, media, and so on). Finally, because of the limited definitive evidence regarding these approaches with respect to AIDS, considerable resources should be provided to evaluate these strategies and to revise programs on the basis of the evaluations

Critical Collapse of a Complex Scalar Field with Angular Momentum

We report a new critical solution found at the threshold of axisymmetric gravitational collapse of a complex scalar field with angular momentum. To carry angular momentum the scalar field cannot be axisymmetric; however, its azimuthal dependence is defined so that the resulting stress energy tensor and spacetime metric are axisymmetric. The critical solution found is non-spherical, discretely self-similar with an echoing exponent of 0.42 (+- 4%), and exhibits a scaling exponent of 0.11 (+- 10%) in near critical collapse. Our simulations suggest that the solution is universal (within the imposed symmetry class), modulo a family-dependent constant phase in the complex plane.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Black Hole Critical Phenomena Without Black Holes

Studying the threshold of black hole formation via numerical evolution has led to the discovery of fascinating nonlinear phenomena. Power-law mass scaling, aspects of universality, and self-similarity have now been found for a large variety of models. However, questions remain. Here I briefly review critical phenomena, discuss some recent results, and describe a model which demonstrates similar phenomena without gravity.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures; Submission for the proceedings of ICGC 2000 in the journal Preman

A no-go on strictly stationary spacetimes in four/higher dimensions

We show that strictly stationary spacetimes cannot have non-trivial configurations of form fields/complex scalar fields and then the spacetime should be exactly Minkowski or anti-deSitter spacetimes depending on the presence of negative cosmological constant. That is, self-gravitating complex scalar fields and form fields cannot exist.Comment: 8 page