An Investigation into the relationship between the gender binary and occupational discrimination using the implicit relational assessment procedure

The social construction of gender-as-binary plays an important role within many contemporary theories of gender inequality. However, to date, the field of psychology has struggled with the operationalization and assessment of binarist ideologies. The current article proposes a technical framework for the analysis of the gender binary and assesses the suitability of the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) as a measure of binarist gender beliefs. Forty-seven undergraduate students (26 female; M-age = 23.84) completed two IRAPs assessing the coordination of certain traits exclusively with women and others exclusively with men. Effects found on the IRAP were in the expected direction (i.e., relating men but not women with certain traits and women but not men with other traits). In addition, the traits ascribed to men within the IRAP were evaluated as more hirable by a large majority of participants (83%) on an explicit preference task. The results therefore support the arguments that, first, gender traits do seem to be framed oppositionally in language and, second, this binary may underpin existing gender hierarchies in certain contexts

PDAS as workplace tools for science teachers

This paper reports on work in progress on a project investigating the use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) to help students make use of knowledge gained during the study of a Masters course in science education in their professional practice. We report on a review of the literature on mobile technologies as learning tools in workplace settings. We analyse this literature to suggest possible hypotheses for our study. We also describe the selection and design of activities for use on the PDAs, the evaluation strategy based on an activity theory augmented approach for the project and the issues arising during the project

Just transition toolbox for coal regions

As the worldwide remaining carbon budget decreases rapidly, countries across the globe are searching for solutions to limit greenhouse gas emissions. As the production and use of coal is among the most carbon-intensive processes, it is foreseeable that coal regions will be particularly affected by the consequences of a transformation towards a climate-neutral economy and energy system. Challenges arise in the area of energy production, environmental protection, but also for economic and social aspects in the transforming regions - often coined with the term "Just Transition". For the decision makers in coal regions, there is an urgent need for support tools that help to kick off measures to diversify the local economies while at the same time supporting the local workers and communities. The Wuppertal Institute aims to support coal regions worldwide by developing a Just Transition Toolbox, which illustrates the challenges and opportunities of a sustainable transition for a global audience. It comprises information about strategy development, sets recommendations for governance structures, fostering sustainable employment, highlights technology options and sheds light on the environmental rehabilitation and repurposing of coal-related sites and infrastructure. The toolbox builds on the work of the Wuppertal Institute for the EU Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition and takes into account country-specific findings from the SPIPA-partner countries India, Indonesia, South Africa, Japan, South Korea, Canada and the USA. The acronym SPIPA is short for "Strategic Partnerships for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement" an EU-BMU programme co-financed by the GIZ

Manual para una transición justa en regiones carboníferas

A medida que el presupuesto mundial de carbono disminuye rápidamente, los países de todo el mundo buscan soluciones para limitar las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero. Dado que la producción y el uso del carbón son algunos de los procesos más intensivos en emisiones carbono, es previsible que las regiones que producen carbón se vean especialmente afectadas por las consecuencias de una transformación hacia la neutralidad climática. Estas regiones se enfrentan a retos en el ámbito de la producción de energía y la protección del medio ambiente, pero también a retos económicos y sociales, que se engloban en la necesidad de una "transición justa". Los responsables de la toma de decisiones en las regiones dependientes de la producción de carbón necesitan urgentemente herramientas de apoyo que ayuden a poner en marcha medidas para diversificar las economías locales y, al mismo tiempo, apoyar a los trabajadores y las comunidades locales. Wuppertal Institute busca apoyar a las regiones carboníferas de todo el mundo desarrollando una caja de herramientas para la transición justa, que ilustra los retos y las oportunidades de una transición sostenible para un público global. La caja de herramientas incluye recomendaciones para el desarrollo de estrategias y estructuras de gobernanza, líneas guía para la creación de empleo sostenible, el desarrollo de alternativas tecnológicas, la rehabilitación medioambiental y la reutilización de infraestructuras relacionados con el carbón. La caja de herramientas se basa parte del trabajo de Wuppertal Institute dentro de la Iniciativa de la UE para las Regiones Carboníferas en Transición y tiene en cuenta las circunstancias específicas de los países socios de la SPIPA: India, Indonesia, Sudáfrica, Japón, Corea del Sur, Canadá y Estados Unidos. El acrónimo SPIPA es la abreviatura de "Asociaciones Estratégicas para la Aplicación del Acuerdo de París", un programa UE-BMU cofinanciado por la GIZ

Toolbox Transisi Berkeadilan untuk kawasan batu bara

Dengan semakin berkurangnya "anggaran karbon" atau carbon budget di seluruh dunia, berbagai negara sedang mencari solusi untuk mengurangi emisi gas rumah kaca. Karena produksi dan penggunaan batu bara dapat dikatakan sebagai salah satu penghasil emisi karbon yang sangat besar dan memicu perubahan iklim, oleh karena itu dapat diperkirakan bahwa wilayah penghasil batu bara akan sangat terdampak akibat transformasi energi dari sistem energi yang berbasis bahan bakar fosil menjadi energi terbarukan. Tantangan yang muncul tidak hanya di bidang produksi energi, perlindungan lingkungan, tetapi juga dalam aspek ekonomi dan sosial di kawasan kawasan batu bara yang tengah menghadapi transformasi - sering disebut dengan istilah "Transisi Berkeadilan". Para pengambil keputusan di wilayah penghasil batu bara, sangat membutuhkan alat pendukung untuk memulai langkah-langkah untuk mendiversifikasi ekonomi lokal yang disaat bersamaan juga mendukung pekerja dan masyarakat lokal. Transisi Berkeadilan ini membutuhkan perencanaan yang komprehensif, kebijakan baru dan penyesuaian serta keterlibatan semua pemangku kepentingan. Oleh karena itu, Wuppertal Institute merancang "Just Transition Toolbox" untuk memberikan dukungan bagi para praktisi di kawasan penghasil batu bara di seluruh dunia yang menggambarkan tantangan dan peluang dalam transisi berkelanjutan untuk audiens global. Toolbox Transisi Berkeadilan ini terdiri dari informasi tentang pengembangan strategi, rekomendasi untuk struktur tata kelola, mendorong lapangan kerja berkelanjutan, menunjukan pilihan teknologi dan menyoroti rehabilitasi lingkungan dan penggunaan kembali situs dan infrastruktur terkait batubara. Toolbox ini dikembangkan berdasarkan seperangkat alat yang dirancang oleh Wuppertal Institute melalui kerja sama dengan berbagai pemangku kepentingan atas inisiatif Uni Eropa untuk daerah-daerah kawasan Batubara yang berada dalam masa transisi. Toolbox ini juga menampilkan pelajaran yang diambil dari kawasan batu bara mitra SPIPA seperti India, Indonesia, Afrika Selatan, Jepang, Korea Selatan, Kanada, dan Amerika Serikat. Akronim SPIPA adalah kependekan dari "Kemitraan Strategis untuk Implementasi Perjanjian Persetujuan Paris" pada program UE-BMU yang dibiayai bersama oleh GIZ

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Infected CCR6+ Rectal CD4+ T Cells and HIV Persistence On Antiretroviral Therapy.

BackgroundIdentifying where human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) persists in people living with HIV and receiving antiretroviral therapy is critical to develop cure strategies. We assessed the relationship of HIV persistence to expression of chemokine receptors and their chemokines in blood (n = 48) and in rectal (n = 20) and lymph node (LN; n = 8) tissue collected from people living with HIV who were receiving suppressive antiretroviral therapy.MethodsCell-associated integrated HIV DNA, unspliced HIV RNA, and chemokine messenger RNA were quantified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Chemokine receptor expression on CD4+ T cells was determined using flow cytometry.ResultsIntegrated HIV DNA levels in CD4+ T cells, CCR6+CXCR3+ memory CD4+ T-cell frequency, and CCL20 expression (ligand for CCR6) were highest in rectal tissue, where HIV-infected CCR6+ T cells accounted for nearly all infected cells (median, 89.7%). Conversely in LN tissue, CCR6+ T cells were infrequent, and there was a statistically significant association of cell-associated HIV DNA and RNA with CCL19, CCL21, and CXCL13 chemokines.ConclusionsHIV-infected CCR6+ CD4+ T cells accounted for the majority of infected cells in rectal tissue. The different relationships between HIV persistence and T-cell subsets and chemokines in rectal and LN tissue suggest that different tissue-specific strategies may be required to eliminate HIV persistence and that assessment of biomarkers for HIV persistence may not be generalizable between blood and other tissues

Does digital, multimedia information increase recruitment and retention in a children’s wrist fracture treatment trial, and what do people think of it? A randomised controlled Study Within A Trial (SWAT)

Objectives To evaluate digital, multimedia information (MMI) for its effects on trial recruitment, retention, decisions about participation and acceptability by patients, compared with printed information. Design Study Within A Trial using random cluster allocation within the Forearm Fracture Recovery in Children Evaluation (FORCE) study. Setting Emergency departments in 23 UK hospitals. Participants 1409 children aged 4–16 years attending with a torus (buckle) fracture, and their parents/guardian. Children’s mean age was 9.2 years, 41.0% were female, 77.4% were ethnically White and 90.0% spoke English as a first language. Interventions Participants and their parents/guardian received trial information either via multimedia, including animated videos, talking head videos and text (revised for readability and age appropriateness when needed) on tablet computer (MMI group; n=681), or printed participant information sheet (PIS group; n=728). Outcome measures Primary outcome was recruitment rate to FORCE. Secondary outcomes were Decision Making Questionnaire (nine Likert items, analysed summatively and individually), three ‘free text’ questions (deriving subjective evaluations) and trial retention. Results MMI produced a small, not statistically significant increase in recruitment: 475 (69.8%) participants were recruited from the MMI group; 484 (66.5%) from the PIS group (OR=1.35; 95% CI 0.76 to 2.40, p=0.31). A total of 324 (23.0%) questionnaires were returned and analysed. There was no difference in total Decision-Making Questionnaire scores: adjusted mean difference 0.05 (95% CI −1.23 to 1.32, p=0.94). The MMI group was more likely to report the information ‘very easy’ to understand (89; 57.8% vs 67; 39.4%; Z=2.60, p=0.01) and identify information that was explained well (96; 62.3% vs 71; 41.8%). Almost all FORCE recruits were retained at the 6 weeks’ timepoint and there was no difference in retention rate between the information groups: MMI (473; 99.6%); PIS (481; 99.4%)

The effectiveness and acceptability of multimedia information when recruiting children and young people to trials: the TRECA meta-analysis of SWATs

The information provided to potential trial participants plays a crucial role in their decision-making. Printed participant information sheets for trials have received recurrent criticism as being too long and technical, unappealing and hard to navigate. An alternative is to provide information through multimedia (text, animations, video, audio, diagrams and photos). However, there is limited evidence on the effects of multimedia participant information on research recruitment rates, particularly in children and young people. The study objectives were as follows: 1. to develop template multimedia information resources through participatory design, for use when recruiting children and young people to trials 2. to evaluate the multimedia information resources in a series of Studies Within A Trial, to test their effects on recruitment and retention rates, and participant decision-making, by comparing the provision of multimedia information resources instead of printed participant information sheets, and comparing the provision of multimedia information resources in addition to printed participant information sheets. Two-phase study: 1. multimedia information resources development including qualitative study; user testing study; readability metrics; enhanced patient and public involvement 2. multimedia information resources' evaluation comprising Studies Within A Trial undertaken within host trials recruiting children and young people. United Kingdom trials involving patients aged under 18. Development phase: = 120 (children and young people, parents, clinicians, trial personnel). Evaluation phase: = 1906 (children and young people being asked to take part in trials). Multimedia information resources (comprising text, audio, 'talking heads' video, trial-specific and trial-generic animations). Printed participant information sheets. Primary outcome: trial recruitment rate comparing multimedia information resource-only with printed participant information sheet-only provision. Secondary outcomes: trial recruitment rate comparing combined multimedia information resource and printed participant information sheet with printed participant information sheet-only provision; trial retention rate; quality of participant decision-making. Results for each trial were calculated and combined in a two-stage random-effects meta-analysis. Phase 1 generated two multimedia information resource templates: (1) for children aged 6-11 years; (2) for children aged 12-18 years and parents. In the Phase 2 Studies Within A Trial the multimedia information resources improved trial recruitment, when compared to printed information alone [odds ratio (OR) = 1.54; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05 to 2.28; = 0.03; = 0%]. When printed participant information sheet-only provision was compared to combined multimedia information resource and printed participant information sheet provision, there was no effect on trial recruitment (OR = 0.89; 95% CI 0.53 to 1.50; = 0%). There were no differences between multimedia information resource and printed participant information sheet on trial retention or participant decision-making quality. In a study within a hypothetical trial setting, multimedia information resource-only provision produced higher ratings of 'information was easy to understand' ( = 3.03; = 0.003) and 'I had confidence in decision-making' ( = 2.00; = 0.044) than printed participant information sheet-only provision. It was not possible to include data from three Studies Within A Trial in the meta-analysis due to limited sample size, and questionnaire return rates were low, which reduced the strength of the findings. Use of multimedia information increased the rate of recruitment to trials involving children and young people compared to standard patient information sheets. There should be further evaluation of the effects of multimedia information on recruitment to trials involving children and young people. It would be valuable to assess any impacts of multimedia information resources on communication between trial recruiters, children and young people, and parents. This trial is registered as TRECA ISRCTN 73136092 and Northern Ireland Hub for Trials Methodology Research SWAT Repository (SWAT 97). This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme (NIHR award ref: 14/21/21) and is published in full in ; Vol. 11, No. 24. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information