Sexual networks and the transmission of HIV in London

Copyright @ 1998 Cambridge University Press.This paper discusses ways in which empirical research investigating sexual networks can further understanding of the transmission of HIV in London, using information from a 24-month period of participant observation and 53 open-ended, in-depth interviews with eighteen men and one woman who have direct and indirect sexual links with each other. These interviews enabled the identification of a wider sexual network between 154 participants and contacts during the year August 1994-July 1995. The linked network data help to identify pathways of transmission between individuals who are HIV + and those who are HIV -, as well as sexual links between 'older' and 'younger' men, and with male prostitutes. There appears to be considerable on-going transmission of HIV in London. The majority of participants reported having had unprotected anal and/or vaginal sex within a variety of relationships. The implications of these findings for policies designed to prevent the transmission of HIV are discussed.The Wellcome Trust and The Health Education Authority

Developing a Conceptual Framework of Seroadaptive Behaviors in HIV-Diagnosed Men Who Have Sex With Men

Background. Seroadaptive behaviors are strategies employed by men who have sex with men (MSM) to reduce the transmission risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It has been suggested that they contribute to the increasing diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections in HIV-diagnosed MSM. To understand the context in which the reemerging sexually transmitted infections appear, we developed a social epidemiological model incorporating the multiple factors influencing seroadaptive behaviors. Methods. A literature review of seroadaptive behaviors in HIV-diagnosed MSM was conducted. The literature was synthesized using a social epidemiological perspective. Results. Seroadaptive behaviors are adopted by MSM in high-income countries and are a way for HIV-diagnosed men to manage and enjoy their sexual lives. Influences are apparent at structural, community, interpersonal, and intrapersonal levels. There is little evidence of whether and when the behavior forms part of a premeditated strategy; it seems dependent on the social context and on time since HIV diagnosis. Social rules of HIV disclosure and perception of risk depend on the setting where partners are encountered. Conclusions. Seroadaptive behaviors are strongly context dependent and can reduce or increase transmission risk for different infectious diseases. Further data collection and mathematical modeling can help us explore the specific conditions in more detail

Miniature infrared data acquisition and telemetry system

The Miniature Infrared Data Acquisition and Telemetry (MIRDAT) Phase 1 study was performed to determine the technical and commercial feasibility of producing a miniaturized electro-optical telemetry system. This system acquires and transmits experimental data from aircraft scale models for realtime monitoring in wind tunnels. During the Phase 1 study, miniature prototype MIRDAT telemetry devices were constructed, successfully tested in the laboratory and delivered to the user for wind tunnel testing. A search was conducted for commercially available components and advanced hybrid techniques to further miniaturize the system during Phase 2 development. A design specification was generated from laboratory testing, user requirements and discussions with component manufacturers. Finally, a preliminary design of the proposed MIRDAT system was documented for Phase 2 development

Night-time accidents: a scoping study. Report to The AA Motoring Trust and Rees Jeffreys Road Fund

Context: Only a quarter of all travel by car drivers is undertaken between the hours of 19.00 and 08.00, but it is in this period that 40 percent of fatal and serious injuries are sustained by drivers. This indicates that car travel at night carries a greater risk of being killed or seriously injured than does travel during the day. The literature indicates that disproportionate numbers of young drivers, especially young men, are injured at night. But to be able to introduce measures targeted at this group more needs to be known about the purpose of their journeys, the types of roads they travel on, and how far they drive and at what times in the evening and at night. Older drivers tend to have fewer accidents at night, but little is currently known about how much can be accounted for by exposure related to their driving patterns. People over the age of 60 years form about 20 percent of the population, yet they make up over a quarter of traffic fatalities. These two groups of young and older drivers have been selected for study with the following aims: (a) to assess what information exists which relates to night-time exposure by activity and by group (young and older); (b) to assess what is known about exposure and risk to young and older drivers at night, in conjunction with an analysis of relevant accident data to provide a picture of the size of the potential problem areas, and gaps in current knowledge; (c) to identify people’s concerns, attitudes and beliefs with regard to the problems of night-time driving; and (d) to provide the basis for decision on what measures might be brought to bear on the problem, and what further research would be needed in order to point to focused action. This scoping study is in two parts and provides an assessment of the information available and hence the gaps in our knowledge on the nature and extent of night-time driving, and the risks involved at these times. The first part assesses the available data, and the second uses focus groups to gather the views of drivers themselves, together with their concerns, attitudes and beliefs with regard to the problems of night-time driving. The measurement of exposure, or amount of travel by car, of drivers of different age and gender is central to the assessment of the risk of being killed or injured in a road traffic accident. In this study, the measure of exposure used is distance travelled per person per year. This has been combined with casualty data to make preliminary assessments of risk to people of different ages and gender of driving at during the daytime and at night

Direction discriminating hearing aid system

A visual display was developed for people with substantial hearing loss in either one or both ears. The system consists of three discreet units; an eyeglass assembly for the visual display of the origin or direction of sounds; a stationary general purpose noise alarm; and a noise seeker wand