Core groups and the transmission of HIV: Learning from male sex workers

A growing and substantial body of research suggests that female sex workers play a disproportionately large role in the transmission of HIV in many parts of the world, and they are often referred to as core groups by epidemiologists, mathematical modellers, clinicians and policymakers. Male sex workers, by contrast, have received little attention and it is not known whether it is helpful to conceptualize them as a core group. This paper draws upon ethnographic research documenting social and sexual networks in London and looks at the position of five male sex workers within a network comprising 193 men and seven women (as well as 1378 anonymous sexual contacts and 780 commercial contacts). In so doing, it suggests that there is no evidence to show that male sex workers are more or less likely to acquire or transmit HIV in the course of commercial sex compared with other types of sexual relationships. In addition, men engaging in non-commercial sex all reported having unprotected sex in a variety of contexts and relationships and there is no evidence to suggest that men who are not sex workers play less of a role in the transmission of HIV. In short, these data suggest that it would be inappropriate to conceptualize male sex workers as a core group. This is not to suggest that public policy should continue to overlook male sex workers. New and inventive approaches are required to reach out to a vulnerable but diverse group of men, selling sex for a variety of reasons; even if these men are no more vulnerable to acquiring and/or transmitting HIV than other men and women that form part of their network

The Freedom to Manifest Religious Belief: An Analysis of the Necessity Clauses of the ICCPR and the ECHR

This paper examines Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Both documents affirm freedom of religion as a fundamental human right, yet both recognize the need for restrictions on freedom of religion when “necessary.” The paper discusses the text of Articles 18 and 9, as well as European Court of Human Rights and Human Rights Committee cases interpreting and applying the Articles. The paper then analyzes several current laws restricting religious freedom on necessity grounds as to whether the restrictions are legitimate or illegitimate under the instruments. I conclude that the laws from several States likely do not pass muster, and pose a great risk to religious freedom. My second primary contention is that the “principle of secularism” (as defined primarily in European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence), without more, is an illegitimate justification for restrictions on religious freedom under the ICCPR and the ECHR. More specifically, the principle of secularism functioning as a principle by which religious expression may be excluded from full participation in democratic government is inimical to the ICCPR’s and ECHR’s vision of religious pluralism as “indissociable” from a democratic society. Further, the European Court’s application of the principle improperly equates a “secular” government with a democratic government, and as such is in tension with prior cases in which the Court has affirmed religious pluralism as axiomatic for a democratic society. The paper concludes with a discussion of the case of a pastor in Sweden who was convicted for preaching a sermon condemning homosexuality, as a test case for the application of the principles discussed throughout

Photocatalytic degradation of an organophosphorus compound by porous Au- and WO3- modified TiO2

Organophosphorus (OP) compounds are highly toxic substances that are often used as chemical warfare agents and pesticides. OP pesticides are the most widely used class of pesticide in the world, and due to their ubiquity, the contamination of agricultural runoff by OP pesticides has become a problem of global concern. One of the more attractive solutions that has been proposed is the use of photocatalytic degradation to decontaminate affected water supplies. In the present work, the visible-light photocatalytic activity of a series of porous Au-WO3-TiO2 photocatalysts with variable concentrations of Au (0, 1, 3, and 5 weight percent) synthesized using mesoporous SiO2 as a template was evaluated in the aqueous degradation reaction of an OP agent, dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP). The Au and WO3 were added to the catalysts using sonochemical deposition and incipient wetness impregnation, respectively. The photocatalytic activity of the ternary Au-WO3-TiO2 series was compared to that of a WO3-free series of Au-TiO2 catalysts with comparable Au loadings. The catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder x-ray diffractometry (PXRD), and N2-physisorption. The SEM and N2-physisorption analyses indicated the Au-TiO2 and Au-WO3-TiO2 particles had high surface areas of 135 m2 g-1 and 100 m2 g-1, respectively, with particle diameters of 1-3 μm. No crystalline WO3 was detected on the WO3-containing species, indicating the formation of a monolayer of WO3 on the surface of the TiO2. The sonochemically deposited gold nanoparticles (NPs) were found to be 3-10 nm in diameter. The photocatalytic degradation of DMMP was monitored by quantitative GCMS analysis. The independent addition of Au NPs or WO3 to the surface of the TiO2 did not significantly affect the total degradation of DMMP after 30 hours of irradiation relative to unmodified TiO2, however the presence of both Au and WO3 on the surface of the TiO2 significantly increased the total degradation of DMMP after 30 hours, reaching the detection limit for the 1 and 3 weight percent catalysts. It was found that the photocatalytic activity of the Au-WO3-TiO2 catalysts was not significantly influenced by the weight percent Au for the concentrations studied

Local environmental action in Japan: the transfer of the groundwork approach

This paper is the basis for a report on the transfer of the UK Groundwork approach to Japan. It details the background and history of Groundwork in the UK and sets out some of the relevant context in Japan. A Japanese case study (plus two further secondary cases) is detailed and conclusions and recommendations are drawn from the work to help suggest future directions for GW and environmental action in Japan in the future

Art museums and the incorporation of virtual reality: Examining the impact of VR on spatial and social norms

Art museums implicate established spatial and social norms. The norms that shape these behaviours are not fixed, but rather subject to change as the sociality and physicality of these spaces continues to develop. In recent years, the re-emergence of virtual reality (VR) has led to this technology being incorporated into art museums in the form of VR-based exhibits. While a growing body of research now explores the various applications, uses and effects of VR, there is a notable dearth of studies examining the impact VR might be having on the spatial and social experience of art museums. This article, therefore, reports on an original research project designed to address these concerns. The project was conducted at Anise Gallery in London, United Kingdom, between June and July 2018 and focused on the multisensory, and VR-based, exhibition, Scents of Shad Thames. The research involved 19 semi-structured interviews with participants who had just experienced this exhibition. Drawing on scholarly literature that surrounds the spatial and social norms pertaining to art museums, this study advances along three lines. First, the research explores whether the inclusion of VR might alter the practice of people watching, which is endemic of this setting. Second, the research explores whether established ways of navigating the physical setting of art museums might influence how users approach the digital space of VR. Third, the research examines whether the incorporation of VR might produce a qualitatively different experience of the art museum as a shared social space

The anthropology of public health

Copyright © 2005 Cambridge University PressThe Journal of Biosocial Science regularly publishes papers addressing the social and cultural aspects of disease, sickness and well-being. Most of these papers attempt to understand the prevalence and distribution of disease and sickness within and between populations as well as local responses to biomedical interventions and public health policy more generally. They fall broadly within the remit of human ecology; and they embrace a ‘factorial’ model of disease in which social and cultural factors are deemed to be just one of a number of factors to be considered alongside a range of other factors. These include biological features of the infecting organism; nutritional factors; environmental factors; psychological factors; and genetic factors influencing susceptibility to disease at an individual and population level

Providing written feedback that students will value and read

This article outlines a study undertaken at City University London, involving 51 teaching staff (lecturers or other colleagues with a teaching or facilitation role at the University), who were all undertaking a staff-development module focused on learning, teaching and assessment issues (entitled Learning, Teaching and Assessment). Although all participants of the study were staff, they are referred to as students, as they were students of this module. The study examined whether, having undertaken a module which addressed assessment and provision of good quality feedback, these students applied the advice they received into practice when asked to self-assess and provide feedback on an essay they wrote for the module. Data for the study was collected from analysing the aforementioned self-assessment which students provided for themselves. The findings demonstrated that most had some retention of good practice principles from the day, such as providing feedback that related to the criteria, giving positive comments and outlining areas to develop. However, they provided noticeably less advice on how to develop their assessments according to the different criteria, and, despite being advised to write comments in the second person, many wrote their self-feedback as if it were for a third party. Recommendations from this study include: that there needs to be further consideration of how to emphasise the importance of writing feedback in a personalised style; and that there is a need to ensure that sufficient advice is given to students on how to develop their future assessments

Facilitating Institutional Curriculum Change in Higher Education

This paper discusses the strategies and processes used within one Higher Education institution to support curriculum design and, change the culture around this activity. The paper provides a brief discussion of two institution wide projects related to curriculum design that have been taking place over the last few years and have been used to support this area of development. The discussion will then identify some of the issues around terminology and barriers to staff engaging in curriculum design as well as processes that had been used by staff and then move to discussing the strategies used to support this activity. Throughout the paper there will also be reference to comments gained from peers during the workshop that took place at the Eighteenth International Conference on Learning in Mauritius in July 2011