Editorial

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Editorial Team of the 1th Volume

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Attitudes,knowledge and relationship behaviour relating to HIV and AIDS in contact sport.

Student Number : 9801839H - MA research report - School of Human and Community Development - Faculty of HumanitiesThe Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic has spread throughout the world and its prevalence in sport has received increasing attention. The aim of this exploratory study was to examine the knowledge, attitudes and relationship behaviour with respect to HIV and AIDS among athletes participating in contact sport. In addition, this study included a preliminary investigation into whether sport participation facilitates the development of life skills which would act as a buffer against the risky behaviours that increases vulnerability to infection. A self-report questionnaire was specifically constructed to address the aims of the study. The sample comprised of 38 male athletes between the ages of 18 and 30, from the following codes of contact sport: boxing, rugby, and taekwondo in Gauteng. Content analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the participants’ responses. The findings indicated that the athletes had a good level of knowledge, but some misconceptions still remain. Attitudes of the athletes appeared to be in favour of mandatory testing and disclosure of one’s status. Positions on the participation of HIV-positive athletes in sport alternated between exclusion on the basis of safety and inclusion so as not to facilitate the proliferation of stigma. Few athletes reported continued involvement in high-risk behaviour, but it was encouraging that the largest part of participants declared exhibiting preventative behaviour. Sport participation was found to have some biopsychosocial impact on participants, which may extend to enhance health-seeking behaviour. Research findings may be fundamental in directing future AIDS prevention efforts within and beyond the sports arena

Editorial Team of the 1th Volume

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A possível interface entre Educação formal e não-formal : a escola como instrumentalizadora no processo de emancipação da comunidade e a intervenção na realidade social

O texto faz uma discussão sobre a relação entre a ampliação do acesso à escola e o caráter da escola enquanto instrumentalizadora do interesse emancipatório das camadas populares. Historicamente, a ampliação da consciência do direito à escola nas últimas décadas está totalmente associada à luta pela melhoria das condições básicas de sobrevivência, ou seja, as condições sociais, econômicas e políticas. O que queremos ressaltar é que não se pode isolar a escola do contexto histórico e dos movimentos sociais, sob pena de proceder a uma análise parcial e fragmentada do processo educacional. O fortalecimento da escola enquanto um ente a serviço dos interesses populares passa justamente pela luta para abertura dos muros da escola à comunidade. Propomos pensar nos indivíduos na sua integralidade levando em consideração os processos de humanização. Para tanto, parcerias entre a educação formal e educação não-formal representam um caminho fértil para promover o desenvolvimento humano. Assim é necessário que se faça da escola um espaço de transformação e que as escolas funcionem como centros de referência nas suas regiões de influência.The text presents a discussion of the relationship between the expansion of access to education and the nature of the school as knowledge support to the emancipator interest of the working classes. Historically, the increased awareness of the right to schooling in recent decades is fully associated with the struggle for the improvement of the basic survival, in their social, economic and political aspects. What we want to emphasize is that one can not isolate the school from the historical context and social movements, failing to carry out a partial and fragmented analysis of the educational process. The strengthening of the school as an entity to serve the interests of the people depends on the struggle to open the walls of the school to community. We propose to think individuals as a whole taking into account the processes of humanization. Therefore, partnerships between formal and nonformal education represents a fertile way to promote human development. So it is necessary to make the school a place of transformation and that schools function as referral centers in their regions of influence

ANALYSIS OF DISPERSION ERRORS IN ACOUSTIC WAVE SIMULATIONS

The governing equations of the acoustic problem are the compressible Euler equations. The discretization of these equations has to ensure that the acoustic waves are transported with non-dispersive and non-dissipative characteristics. In the present study numerical simulations of a standing acoustic wave are performed. Four different space discretization schemes are tested, namely, a second order finite-differences, a fourth order finitedifferences, a fourth order finite-differences compact scheme and a sixth order finite-differences compact scheme. The time integration is done with a fourth order Runge-Kutta scheme. The results obtained are compared with linearized analytical solutions. The influence of the dispersion on the simulation of a standing wave is analyzed. The results confirm that high order accuracy schemes can be more efficient for simulation of acoustic waves, especially the waves with high frequency

The cultural significance of women’s sexual identities should guide health promotion

The Sydney Women and Sexual Health (SWASH) survey has run biennially since 1996 as a collaboration of ACON Health and researchers at local universities. We conducted a sub-analysis to a) identify the major risk behaviors and health issues for young lesbian, bisexual and queer identified women, and b) combine lifestyle and community engagement data to guide targeted health promotion for these groups. To explore these aims we used 379 completed SWASH surveys from women aged 17-30 years attending community events during the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival period in February 2010 and 2012. We found concerning rates of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use across all groups; a mental illness diagnosis and formal psychological support access were common. Queer women had the highest rates of illicit drug use, experiences of sexual coercion and anti-LGBTQ discrimination; they were also the most proactive with their health. Bisexual women had low STI testing despite having high rates of sexual activity with both men and women. Lesbian women had the poorest uptake of Pap smears and STI testing. Sexual behaviour is irrelevant for the majority of health disparities affecting young sexual minority women. Meaningful engagement with contemporary self-selected sexual identities - and their local social and cultural significance - is essential for the development of appropriate and effective targeted public health interventions

Caractérisation d’un gène de résistance contre la tordeuse des bourgeons de l’épinette (Choristoneura fumiferana) chez l’épinette blanche (Picea glauca (Voss) Moench)

Lors d’une épidémie localisée de tordeuse des bourgeons de l’épinette (Choristoneura fumiferana), certaines épinettes blanches (Picea glauca (Voss.) Moench) furent épargnés. L’expression d’un gène, Pgβglu-1, codant pour une enzyme de type bêta-glucosidase est liée à la production d’acétophénones s’accumulant dans les aiguilles des arbres peu défoliés. La variation de l’expression de Pgβglu-1 semble relèver d’une régulation inhérente et unique aux arbres résistants. Nos résultats permettent d’établir une corrélation entre l’expression du gène, l’accumulation des acétophénones actives et le stade le plus destructif de l’insecte. Ils montrent aussi que le niveau d’expression de Pgβglu-1 est transmis entre les générations d’arbres et peut être induit. Les séquences d’ADN codants du gène ont été obtenues, mais aucune différence n’a été observée permettant de différencier les résistants des non-résistants. Une connaissance plus approfondie du phénomène pourrait aider au développement d’une lutte intégrée visant à mitiger les dégâts causés par la tordeuse en période d’épidémie.A localized spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) outbreak that took place in a white spruce plantation (Picea glauca (Voss.) Moench) left some trees almost untouched while many others had severe defoliation. Expression of agene coding for a beta-glucosidase enzyme was identified (Pgβglu-1) and was linked to the accumulation of two acetophenones in the foliage of resistant trees. We propose that the expression variation of Pgβglu-1 involve regulation that is unique to resistant trees. Our results establish a correlation between gene expression, the accumulation of biologically active acetophenones and the most destructive larval instar of the insect. Our results also show that Pgβglu-1expression is genetically transmitted and can be induced. Coding DNA sequences of the gene were obtained but no differences were observed that could differentiate between resistant and non-resistant trees. A deeper understanding of the phenomenon could help in the development of an integrated management aiming to mitigate damage caused during outbreaks