BOOSHTEE! Survival and Resilience in Ethiopia

Although homosexuality is illegal in Ethiopia, same-sex behaviour is not prosecuted because the government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia views homosexuality as a low law enforcement priority. While this may suggest at first glance that the situation for same-sex attracted men is better in Ethiopia than in other countries that retain laws against homosexuality, in reality the illegality of same-sex relations functions throughout Ethiopian society to drive and justify social and economic exclusion and human rights abuses of samesex attracted people. There is a powerful synergy between church and state and sections of the church are occupied with promulgating extreme homophobia by associating homosexuality with taboo superstition, undesirable foreign influence, child abuse and prostitution. Moreover, Ethiopia’s strong economic growth and geopolitical situation has limited the influence of other countries, donors and agencies in respect of human rights and economic or social policy in the country.UK Department for International Developmen

From Sex Work to Entertainment and Trafficking: Implications of a Paradigm Shift for Sexuality, Law and Activism in Cambodia

At the behest of the US government, policy and legislation were introduced in Cambodia in 2008–9 that made virtually all activities associated with commercial sex illegal. The law confirmed the illegality of human trafficking and procuring for prostitution through the use of force or coercion and extended it to criminalising all third party involvement in sex work. In the wake of this new law, most brothels were closed, street prostitution was dramatically reduced and commercial sex shifted to restaurants, entertainment and massage venues. The law and its enforcement was criticised by sex workers’ networks, human rights organisations and health agencies who said it violated human rights, would fail to capture perpetrators of abuse and contribute to the spread of HIV and STIs. This case study describes and examines the impact of the changes brought about by the law focusing particularly on conditions in the entertainment venues; the role of the many national and international policies and institutions that aim to help sex workers and the opportunities for sex workers to develop, articulate and advance demands. It concludes with ideas about ways in which sex workers might participate in and influence process in which specific, self-identified outcomes can be attained. It argues that re-configuration of the institutions and networks that represent sex workers and victims of trafficking in Cambodia is needed; that grants from international donors should be made to local, member-driven organisations; and recommends that the government revise its definition of trafficking and sexual exploitationDFI

Sex Workers, Empowerment and Poverty Alleviation in Ethiopia

This case study explores economic, legal and social issues that affect sex workers, with a particular focus on the role of poverty in sex workers’ lives and the potential for poverty alleviation policies and programmes to help lift as many sex workers as possible out of poverty in order to reduce the exploitation, illness and violence associated with their work. In surveys, sex workers overwhelmingly indicate they would like another occupation, particularly in very poor countries. This has been taken to mean that relieving the poverty of individual sex workers will lead them to stop or reduce sex work. On this analysis, reduced poverty will mean that the number of women entering the sex industry, or staying in it, will be reduced and/or that the harm associated with sex work would be diminished because the numbers of partners or of unprotected sexual contacts would reduce. However, the validity of this logic and the benefits, costs and consequences (intended and unintended) of poverty alleviation in the context of sex work have not been tested or even well documented.UK Department for International Developmen

Examining the Implications of PrEP as HIV Prevention for Sex Workers

Some people do not want to use condoms – because they want to conceive or they perceive that they are a barrier to intimacy. New medication to prevent HIV, known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), could provide protection where condoms are not used. Integrating it into HIV and sexual health programming for various communities has become a focus of researchers and health and development agencies. However, PrEP raises important challenges in the context of female sex work.* To protect sexual and reproductive health and avoid pregnancy, PrEP must be used with condoms but that may be difficult where clients perceive PrEP as an alternative. Frequent HIV testing and medicalisation of HIV prevention in low-income settings presents challenges for those who lack the rights and power needed to make informed health-related decisions. Policymakers and HIV agencies have a short window in which to ensure that PrEP complements existing programming and plan ways to avert potential negative impacts

Krill: An exploration in underwater sensor networks

While sensor networks have now become very popular on land, the underwater environment still poses some difficult problems. Communication is one of the difficult challenges under water. There are two options: optical and acoustic. We have designed an optical communication board that allows the Fleck’s to communicate optically. We have tested the resulting underwater sensor nodes in two different applications

Kopfschmerzen im Vorschulalter - Prävalenz und Komorbiditäten zu psychischen Symptomen und Ausscheidungsstörungen

Bereits Kinder im Vorschulalter leiden unter Kopfschmerzen, wobei die Häufigkeitsangaben variieren (2 - 52,4%). Es gibt deutliche Hinweise auf eine Komorbidität von Kopfschmerzen mit psychischen Symptomen für Schulkinder, Jugendliche und Erwachsene. Die Datenlage im Vorschulalter ist bisher nur begrenzt. Ziel der vorliegenden Untersuchung war, die Prävalenz von Kopfschmerzen in einer repräsentativen deutschen Stichprobe von Vorschülern zu erfassen. Darüber hinaus sollte der Zusammenhang zwischen Kopfschmerzen, psychischen Symptomen und Ausscheidungsstörungen überprüft werden, wobei vor allem ein Zusammenhang zu internalisierenden Störungen erwartet wurde. Im Rahmen der Einschulungsuntersuchung wurden die Eltern aller Kinder eines Landkreises, die im Sommer 2016 eingeschult wurden, gebeten, einen Fragebogen auszufüllen. Dieser umfasste 14 Fragen zu Kopfschmerzen, vier Fragen zu Ausscheidungsstörungen sowie die 25 Symptomitems des Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Es wurden 1099 Familien angeschrieben. 585 Familien (53.2 %) nahmen an der Befragung teil (mittleres Alter = 5,8 Jahre, 50.6 % männlich). 27% der Eltern gaben an, dass ihr Kind bereits unter Kopfschmerzen gelitten hat. Bei 11.4% der Gesamtstichprobe traten die Kopfschmerzen ohne gleichzeitige andere Erkrankungen auf. Es zeigte sich ein signifikanter Zusammenhang (p = 0.005) zwischen Kopfschmerzen und emotionalen Störungen, erfasst im SDQ. Dagegen zeigten sich keine Zusammenhänge mit den anderen Skalen des SDQ sowie kein Zusammenhang zu Ausscheidungsstörungen. Betrachtete man nur die Kinder, bei denen Kopfschmerzen unabhängig von anderen Erkrankungen auftraten (primäre Kopfschmerzen), zeigte sich ein signifikanter Zusammenhang (p = 0.002) zwischen Kopfschmerzen und dem Gesamtwert des SDQ. Die vorliegenden Daten zeigen, dass bereits Kinder im Vorschulalter von Kopfschmerzen betroffen sind und dass 11.4% der Gesamtgruppe unter Kopfschmerzen litt, die nicht auf akute Erkrankungen zurückzuführen waren. Darüber hinaus wurde ein Zusammenhang zwischen Kopfschmerzen und emotionalen Symptomen bestätigt. Dies spricht für eine frühe Beratung und Behandlung der Kinder und ihrer Familien, die neben der medizinischen auch eine psychiatrische Versorgung umfassen sollte, um einer Chronifizierung vorzubeugen.Preschool children can be affected by headache, but prevalence in this age group (2 – 52.4%) varies. Associations of headache and psychological symptoms are known for school-aged children, whereas in preschool age, less information about this association is available. The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence of headache in a population-based sample of preschool children and assess associations of headache, psychological symptoms and incontinence. It was hypothesized that headache and especially internalizing symptoms were associated. All preschool children of a defined geographical area were examined at school-entry. Parents completed a questionnaire including 14 items regarding headache, 4 items incontinence and the 25 items of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). 1099 families were contacted, questionnaires of 585 children (50.6% males) could be evaluated. 27% of all children had any type of headache. 11.4% had primary headaches. There was a significant association of headache and the emotional problems scale of the SDQ. There were no associations of headache and the other SDQ scales or types of incontinence (nocturnal enuresis, daytime urinary incontinence and fecal incontinence). In children with primary headache, there was a significant association of heachache and the total difficulties score of the SDQ. This population-based study showed that preschool children suffer from headache and even 11.4% in this age group are affected by primary headache. Moreover, the association of headache and emotional symptoms could be confirmed for preschool age. Headache in children should be assessed and treated early in young children. Psychological symptoms should be assessed and treatment considered to prevent a chronification

Shoot yield drives phosphorus use efficiency in Brassica oleracea and correlates with root architecture traits

The environmental and financial costs of using inorganic phosphate fertilizers to maintain crop yield and quality are high. Breeding crops that acquire and use phosphorus (P) more efficiently could reduce these costs. The variation in shoot P concentration (shoot-P) and various measures of P use efficiency (PUE) were quantified among 355 Brassica oleracea L. accessions, 74 current commercial cultivars, and 90 doubled haploid (DH) mapping lines from a reference genetic mapping population. Accessions were grown at two or more external P concentrations in glasshouse experiments; commercial and DH accessions were also grown in replicated field experiments. Within the substantial species-wide diversity observed for shoot-P and various measures of PUE in B. oleracea, current commercial cultivars have greater PUE than would be expected by chance. This may be a consequence of breeding for increased yield, which is a significant component of most measures of PUE, or early establishment. Root development and architecture correlate with PUE; in particular, lateral root number, length, and growth rate. Significant quantitative trait loci associated with shoot-P and PUE occur on chromosomes C3 and C7. These data provide information to initiate breeding programmes to improve PUE in B. oleracea