Conflicting discourses of church youths on masculinity and sexuality in the context of HIV in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Masculinity studies are fairly new and young churchgoers are an under-researched group in the current Congolese church context. In response to this knowledge gap, this paper attempts to explore discourses of young  churchgoers from deprived areas of Kinshasa regarding masculinity and sexuality in the era of HIV. A series of 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted with unmarried young churchgoers from the Salvation Army, Protestant and Revival churches. The interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using discourse analysis. Five main discourses emerged: ‘we are aware of the church message on sex’, ‘young men need sex’, ‘young women need money’, ‘to use or not to use condoms’ and ‘we trust in the church message’. Although all informants knew and heard church messages against premarital sex, many of them were sexually active. The perception was that young men were engaged in sexual activities with multiple partners as a result of sexual motivations surrounding masculinity and sexual potency, while young women sought multiple partners through transactional and intergenerational sex for economic reasons. These sexual practices of young people conflicted with church messages on sexual abstinence and faithfulness. However, a small number of participants challenged current gender norms and suggested alternative ways of being a man or a woman. To elucidate these  alternatives, we suggest that church youths and church leaders might take concrete actions to deconstruct misconceptions about being men. In this way, they can possibly enhance a frank and fruitful dialogue on sex, sexuality and gender to promote positive masculinities and constructive partnerships to prevent HIV.Keywords: masculinity, sexuality, young churchgoers, HIV prevention, gender equality, DR CongoDans le contexte actuel des e´glises Congolaises, les e´tudes relatives a` la masculinite´ sont presque re´centes et les jeunes chre´tiens constituent un groupe d’individus qui ne font pas l’objet des recherches scientifiques  approfondies. En re´ponse a` cette insuffisance de connaissances dans le contexte a` VIH, le pre´sent article tente d’explorer les discours relatifs a` la masculinite´ et a` la sexualite´ des jeunes chre´tiens issus des  quartiers de´favorise´s de Kinshasa. Une se´rie de 16 interviews semi-structure´es ont e´te´ mene´s aupre`s des jeunes chre´tiens ce´libataires appartenant a` l’Arme´e du Salut, aux e´glises Protestantes et a` celles du Re´veil du Congo. Les interviews ont e´te´ enregistre´es et analyse´es en utilisant la me´thode du discours. Cinq discours ont e´merge´ notamment: « Nous connaissons le message des e´glises au sujet du sexe », « les garc¸ons ont besoin des rapports sexuels », « les filles ont besoin d’argent », « faudrait-il utiliser ou ne pas utiliser les condoms » et « nous croyons dans le message des e´glises ». Alors que tous les participants  connaissaient le message des e´glises qui interdisent les rapports sexuels pre´maritaux, beaucoup d’entre eux e´taient de´ja` sexuellement actifs. Les garc¸ons ont e´te´ perc¸us comme des personnes qui ont des rapports sexuels avec plusieurs partenaires concomitants pour prouver leur masculinite´ et leur puissance sexuelle. Les filles chercheraient a` avoir des rapports sexuels mercantiles et interge´ne´rationnels avec des partenaires  multiples a` des fins e´conomiques. Ces pratiques sexuelles des jeunes s’opposent aux discours des e´glises  qui promeuvent l’abstinence sexuelle et la fide´lite´. Cependant, quelques participants ont remis en cause les normes courantes du genre et ont sugge´re´ des alternatives en ce qui concerne l’identite´ des hommes et des femmes. Pour les e´lucider, nous proposons que les jeunes chre´tiens et les leaders des e´glises puissent mener des actions concre`tes dans le but de de´construire les conceptions errone´es de ce que veut dire eˆtre homme. Ce faisant, ils peuvent probablement maximiser les chances d’un dialogue franc et productif en ce qui concerne le sexe, la sexualite´ et le genre afin de promouvoir la masculinite´ positive et le partenariat  constructif, susceptibles de pre´venir l’infection a` VIH.Mots cle´s: masculinite´, sexualite´, jeunes chre´tiens, pre´vention du VIH, e´galite´ du genre, RD Cong

Low-Thermal Conductivity Suspensions Used in the Isolation of the Salt Pills Aboard the Astro-H Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator

An adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR) utilizes the magnetocholoric effect in a paramagnetic salt to produce sub-Kelvin temperatures. It is a solid-state device that has no moving parts and does not rely upon a density gradient in a working fluid. This makes it ideal for cooling space-based instruments. Typically the salt is enclosed in a cylindrical pill that is suspended within the bore of a magnet. The suspension between the salt pill and magnet must be robust enough to survive a launch yet have a thermal conductance that minimizes heat from the magnet that is mechanically, and thermally, anchored to a stage at a higher temperature. Here we detail such a design that uses Kevlar(Trade Mark) as the supporting media in a system that limits motion of the salt pill axial as well as laterally with respect to the magnet bore

Using the Prevalence of Individual Species of Intestinal Nematode Worms to Estimate the Combined Prevalence of Any Species

Mixed infections with roundworm, whipworm and hookworm are common, but survey reports often give only the separate prevalence of each type. However, the combined prevalence is important to estimate accurately the number of individuals who would benefit from control programmes and to make decisions about the frequency of treatment. Previous work suggests that mixed infections involving hookworm occur randomly, but that roundworm and whipworm infections are found together more frequently than would be expected by chance. We used 63 data sets from community surveys that reported both the proportions infected with individual types of worms and the combined proportion infected with any worm. We then calculated the proportion that would be infected with any type of worm if infections had occurred randomly and compared it with the observed combined proportion infected. We found a strong correlation between the observed and predicted combined proportions infected. A small downward correction of the predicted proportion infected by dividing by a factor of 1.06 brought it to a value that nearly equalled the observed proportion infected almost all the time. This simple model could be applied to published survey data to estimate accurately the number of individuals that would benefit from mass deworming

Distorted magnetic orders and electronic structures of tetragonal FeSe from first-principles

We use the state-of-the-arts density-functional-theory method to study various magnetic orders and their effects on the electronic structures of the FeSe. Our calculated results show that, for the spins of the single Fe layer, the striped antiferromagnetic orders with distortion are more favorable in total energy than the checkerboard antiferromagnetic orders with tetragonal symmetry, which is consistent with known experimental data, and the inter-layer magnetic interaction is very weak. We investigate the electronic structures and magnetic property of the distorted phases. We also present our calculated spin coupling constants and discuss the reduction of the Fe magnetic moment by quantum many-body effects. These results are useful to understand the structural, magnetic, and electronic properties of FeSe, and may have some helpful implications to other FeAs-based materials

Toll-like receptor 3 blockade in rhinovirus-induced experimental asthma exacerbations:A Randomized Controlled Study

BACKGROUND: Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) commonly precipitate asthma exacerbations. Toll-like receptor 3, an innate pattern recognition receptor, is triggered by HRV, driving inflammation that can worsen asthma. OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate an inhibitory mAb to Toll-like receptor 3, CNTO3157, on experimental HRV-16 inoculation in healthy subjects and asthmatic patients. METHODS: In this double-blind, multicenter, randomized, parallel-group study in North America and Europe, healthy subjects and patients with mild-to-moderate stable asthma received single or multiple doses of CNTO3157 or placebo, respectively, and were then inoculated with HRV-16 within 72 hours. All subjects were monitored for respiratory symptoms, lung function, and nasal viral load. The primary end point was maximal decrease in FEV1 during 10 days after inoculation. RESULTS: In asthmatic patients (n = 63) CNTO3157 provided no protection against FEV1 decrease (least squares mean: CNTO3157 [n = 30] = -7.08% [SE, 8.15%]; placebo [n = 25] = -5.98% [SE, 8.56%]) or symptoms after inoculation. In healthy subjects (n = 12) CNTO3157 versus placebo significantly attenuated upper (P = .03) and lower (P = .02) airway symptom scores, with area-under-the-curve increases of 9.1 (15.1) versus 34.9 (17.6) and 13.0 (18.4) versus 50.4 (25.9) for the CNTO3157 (n = 8) and placebo (n = 4) groups, respectively, after inoculation. All of the severe and 4 of the nonserious asthma exacerbations occurred while receiving CNTO3157. CONCLUSION: In summary, CNTO3157 was ineffective in attenuating the effect of HRV-16 challenge on lung function, asthma control, and symptoms in asthmatic patients but suppressed cold symptoms in healthy subjects. Other approaches, including blockade of multiple pathways or antiviral agents, need to be sought for this high unmet medical need

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain in the successive pandemic waves on hemodialysis patients and healthcare personnel

(1) Background: The impact of SARS-CoV-2 has been variable over the time course of the pandemic and in different populations. The aim was to analyze the impact of COVID-19 infection in a known population of hemodialysis (HD) patients and professionals in Spain at different times of the pandemic. (2) Methods: We conducted an observational, descriptive study with a follow-up from 3 March 2020 to 23 April 2022 (776 days), using in average of 414 professionals and 1381 patients from 18 HD units in Spain. The data from the positive PCR or the rapid antigen detection test (RADT) subject were analyzed and segmented into six periods (waves). (3) Results: Of 703 positive COVID-19 tests, 524 were HD patients (74.5%), and 179 were HD professionals (25.5%). Overall, 38% of staff and 43% of patients were affected. Differences were observed in regard to incidence (21% vs. 13%), mortality (3.5% vs. 0%), and symptomatology between the patients and professionals and throughout the pandemic. (4) Conclusions: COVID-19 severity varied during different pandemic waves, with a greater impact seen in the first wave. HD professionals and patients had similar infection rates, but patients had higher mortality rates. Community transmission was the primary route of infection.This research received was founded by Fundación Renal Íñigo Álvarez de Toledo (FRIAT). The research groups of S.M.-F. and E.G.-P. are funded by the Ministerio de Economia, Industria y competitividad: FIS/Fondos FEDER (PI20/00487; PI21/01430). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Financiadores Fundación Renal Íñigo Álvarez de Toledo Ministerio de Economia Federación Española de Enfermedades Raras Spain PI21/0143

Efficacy and safety of autologous platelet rich plasma for the treatment of vascular ulcers in primary care: Phase III study

Background: Vascular ulcers are commonly seen in daily practice at all levels of care and have great impact at personal, professional and social levels with a high cost in terms of human and material resources. Given that the application of autologous platelet rich plasma has been shown to decrease healing times in various different studies in the hospital setting, we considered that it would be interesting to assess the efficacy and feasibility of this treatment in primary care. The objectives of this study are to assess the potential efficacy and safety of autologous platelet rich plasma for the treatment of venous ulcers compared to the conventional treatment (moist wound care) in primary care patients with chronic venous insufficiency (C, clinical class, E, aetiology, A, anatomy and P, pathophysiology classification C6). Design: We will conduct a phase III, open-label, parallel-group, multicentre, randomized study. The subjects will be 150 patients aged between 40 and 100 years of age with an at least 2-month history of a vascular venous ulcer assigned to ten primary care centres. For the treatment with autologous platelet rich plasma, all the following tasks will be performed in the primary care setting: blood collection, centrifugation, separation of platelet rich plasma, activation of coagulation adding calcium chloride and application of the PRP topically after gelification. The control group will receive standard moist wound care. The outcome variables to be measured at baseline, and at weeks 5 and 9 later include: reduction in the ulcer area, Chronic Venous Insufficiency Quality of Life Questionnaire score, and percentage of patients who require wound care only once a week. Discussion: The results of this study will be useful to improve the protocol for using platelet rich plasma in chronic vascular ulcers and to favour wider use of this treatment in primary care.This study can be undertaken thanks to the financial support of the Spanish Carlos III Health Institute. We are grateful for funding from the Department of Health and Consumer Affairs of the Government of the Basque Country, the Basque Health Service (Osakidetza) for the pilot support and the Ezkerraldea Enkarterri health region

THE SuperTIGER Instrument: Measurement of Elemental Abundances of Ultra-Heavy Galactic Cosmic Rays

The SuperTIGER (Super Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder) instrument was developed to measure the abundances of galactic cosmic-ray elements from Ne-10 to Zr-40 with individual element resolution and the high statistics needed to test models of cosmic-ray origins. SuperTIGER also makes exploratory measurements of the abundances of elements with 40 or = 10, including approx.1300 with Z > 29 and approx.60 with Z > 49. Here, we describe the instrument, the methods of charge identification employed, the SuperTIGER balloon flight, and the instrument performance