19683 research outputs found
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Body Image Perceptions and Visualization of Vietnamese MSM
No full textResearch on body image among men who have sex with men (MSM) has predominantly been approached with the assumption that all MSM conform to a culturally preferred body, and have a high risk of body image concerns leading to risky behaviors and negative health outcomes. Scholars have called for a more nuanced understanding of how MSM engage with their body images. In response, we conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with Vietnamese MSM to explore their perceptions and feelings of their bodies, including their current body, idealized body, and sexually desired body. Inductive thematic analysis was utilized. The findings highlight the diversity and complexity in Vietnamese MSM’s perceptions and feelings about their bodies, which Western measurements of body image and body dissatisfaction might not fully capture. The participants also acknowledge the pressure of physical appearance; however, they do not always conform to the dominant body ideals and have a high risk of body dissatisfaction. We conclude with a call for reframing the approach to gay and bisexual men’s body image to understand better how they navigate complex pressures and make sense of their body image instead of assuming they are at risk of body dissatisfaction. </p
Syphilis testing, incidence, and reinfection among gay and bisexual men in Australia over a decade spanning HIV PrEP implementation: an analysis of surveillance data from 2012 to 2022
No full textBackground: Gay and bisexual men (GBM) remain overrepresented among syphilis diagnoses in Australia and globally. The extent to which changes in sexual networks associated with HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and treatment as prevention (TasP) may have influenced syphilis transmission among GBM at the population-level is poorly understood. We describe trends in syphilis testing and incidence among GBM in Australia over eleven years spanning widespread uptake of HIV PrEP and TasP. Methods: We analysed linked clinical data from GBM aged 16 years or older across a sentinel surveillance network in Australia from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2022. Individuals with at least two clinic visits and with at least two syphilis tests during the observations period were included in testing and incidence analyses, respectively. Annual rates of testing and infectious syphilis incidence from 2012 to 2022 were disaggregated by HIV status and PrEP use (record of PrEP prescription; retrospectively categorised as ever or never-PrEP user). Cox regression explored associations between demographics, PrEP use and history of bacterial sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and infectious syphilis diagnosis. Findings: Among 129,278 GBM (mean age, 34.6 years [SD, 12.2]) included in testing rate analyses, 7.4% were living with HIV at entry and 31.1% were prescribed PrEP at least once during the study period. Overall syphilis testing rate was 114.0/100 person-years (py) and highest among GBM with HIV (168.4/100 py). Syphilis testing increased from 72.8/100 py to 151.8/100 py; driven largely by increases among ever-PrEP users. Among 94,710 GBM included in incidence analyses, there were 14,710 syphilis infections diagnosed over 451,560 person-years (incidence rate = 3.3/100 py). Syphilis incidence was highest among GBM with HIV (6.5/100 py), followed by ever-PrEP users (3.5/100 py) and never-PrEP users (1.4/100 py). From 2012 to 2022, syphilis incidence increased among ever-PrEP users from 1.3/100 py to 5.1/100 py, and fluctuated between 5.4/100 py and 6.6/100 py among GBM with HIV. In multivariable Cox regression, previous syphilis diagnosis (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.83–2.14), living with HIV (aHR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.12–1.25) and recent (past 12 m) prescription of PrEP (aHR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.61–1.97) were associated with syphilis diagnosis. Interpretation: Syphilis trends between GBM with HIV and GBM with evidence of PrEP use have converged over the past decade in Australia. Our findings recommend targeting emergent syphilis control strategies (e.g. doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis) to GBM with prior syphilis diagnoses, using HIV PrEP or who are living with HIV. Funding: Australian Department of Health and Aged Care, National Health and Medical Research Council
Countering stereotypes: Exploring the characteristics of Aboriginal Australians who do not drink alcohol in a community representative sample
No full textIntroduction: Contrary to stereotypes, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are more likely to abstain from drinking than other Australians. We explored characteristics and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians who do not drink alcohol. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional, representative survey of 775 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (16+ years) in remote and urban South Australia. We explore correlates of not drinking alcohol using multi-level logistic regression. We describe reasons for non-drinking and harms participants experienced in past 12 months from others' drinking. Results: Non-drinking participants were more likely to be older (OR 1.35 [95% CI 1.21, 1.50] per decade) and unemployed (OR 2.72 [95% CI 1.77, 4.20]). Participants who spoke Aboriginal Australian languages at home were three times more likely to be lifetime abstainers from drinking (OR 3.07 [95% CI 1.52, 6.21]). Common reasons for not drinking alcohol were health and family. Most did not report harms from others' alcohol consumption (79.6%, 76.9%, urban and remote respectively). Stress from others' alcohol consumption was the most reported harm by non-drinkers (14.5% and 23.1%, urban and remote, respectively). Discussion and Conclusions: Culture such as speaking Aboriginal Australian languages might have protective effects that promote abstaining but was rarely explicitly cited as a reason for not drinking. A greater understanding of local values held by people who do not drink alcohol could help inform health messaging and other interventions to reduce alcohol-related harms. Understanding local reasons for abstaining can help tailor health messaging to suit local contexts
Combined uranium-series and electron spin resonance dating from the Pliocene fossil sites of Aves and Milo’s palaeocaves, Bolt’s Farm, Cradle of Humankind, South Africa
No full textBolt’s Farm is the name given to a series of non-hominin bearing fossil sites that have often been suggested to be some of the oldest Pliocene sites in the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa. This article reports the results of the first combined Uranium-Series and Electron Spin Resonance (US-ESR) dating of bovid teeth at Milo’s Cave and Aves Cave at Bolt’s Farm. Both tooth enamel fragments and tooth enamel powder ages were presented for comparison. US-ESR, EU and LU models are calculated. Overall, the powder ages are consistent with previous uranium-lead and palaeomagnetic age estimates for the Aves Cave deposit, which suggest an age between ~3.15 and 2.61 Ma and provide the first ages for Milo’s Cave dates to between ~3.1 and 2.7 Ma. The final ages were not overly dependent on the models used (US-ESR, LU or EU), which all overlap within error. These ages are all consistent with the biochronological age estimate (2.6 Ma) based on the occurrence of Stage I Metridiochoerus andrewsi. Preliminary palaeomagnetic analysis from Milo’s Cave indicates a reversal takes place at the site with predominantly intermediate directions, suggesting the deposit may date to the period between ~3.03 and 3.11 Ma within error of the ESR ages. This further suggests that there are no definitive examples of palaeocave deposits at Bolt’s Farm older than 3.2 Ma. This research indicates that US-ESR dating has the potential to date fossil sites in the Cradle of Humankind to over 3 Ma. However, bulk sample analysis for US-ESR dating is recommended for sites over 3 Ma
A scoping review of the psychosocial aspects of infertility in African countries
No full textAbstract: Infertility refers to the inability to conceive after 12 months of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse. Psychosocial aspects of infertility research are predominant in developed countries. A scoping review of psychosocial aspects of infertility research conducted in Africa between 2000 and 2022 was conducted. Twelve databases and grey literature were searched for articles. Studies were included if they were published in English and included findings from patients diagnosed with primary or secondary infertility. A total of 2 372 articles were initially found and screening resulted in 116 articles being included in the scoping review. Most of the studies (81%) were conducted in Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa. Psychosocial aspects explored included quality of life, barriers to treatment, attitudes and stigma, and sociocultural and religious aspects of infertility, among others. The review maps published psychosocial research in the context of infertility in Africa and identifies gaps for future research.</p
A strategy for covalent anchoring of self-assembling β3 oligoamide nanorods to gold surfaces
No full textOligopeptides stand out for their remarkable structural variability, ease of synthesis, and amenability to functionalization, making them exceedingly appealing for crafting functional nanostructured materials. The low metabolic stability of natural peptides can be overcome by replacing α-amino acids with β3-amino acids, to yield artificial peptides best described as substituted β3-oligoamides. Controlling the morphology of such structures by varying the amino acid residues and altering the oligoamide termini makes it possible to adapt the core design to a range of hierarchical structures and function. Conductivity is a desired property in such nanomaterials; preferably conductive materials should be chemically anchored to a highly conductive metal, such as gold surface to connect to macroscopic electronics. It is preferable to use thiol functionality, however β3 cysteine is not synthetically achieveable. In this study β3 [SLIA] oligoamide has been synthesized and functionalized at the N terminus with a thiol moiety. After successful synthesis and purification, the thiolated oligoamide was physically characterized to confirm binding to gold, self-assembly and hetero assembly on these anchor points. It was demonstrated with a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) that self-assembling monolayers can be formed on a gold surface and the formation of a S-Au bond was confirmed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Growth of Ac-β3[WKLWEL] fibres on these anchor points was confirmed by using atomic force microscopy and QCM. Hence, a viable metal anchor has been established that lays the foundations for the future development of molecular electronics based on β3 oligoamides
Imaging people who use drugs: How parliamentary actors picture and tell stories about the subjects of drug law reform
No full textNo description supplied</p
Pseudo-Riemannian Geodesic Orbit Nilmanifolds of Signature (n-2,2)
No full textThe geodesic orbit property is useful and interesting in itself, and it plays a key role in Riemannian geometry. It implies homogeneity and has important classes of Riemannian manifolds as special cases. Those classes include weakly symmetric Riemannian manifolds and naturally reductive Riemannian manifolds. The corresponding results for indefinite metric manifolds are much more delicate than in Riemannian signature, but in the last few years important corresponding structural results were proved for geodesic orbit Lorentz manifolds. Here we extend Riemannian and Lorentz results to trans-Lorentz nilmanifolds. Those are the geodesic orbit pseudo Riemannian manifolds M=G/H of signature (n-2,2) such that a nilpotent analytic subgroup of G is transitive on M. For that we suppose that there is a reductive decomposition g=h⊕n(vector space direct sum) with[h,n]⊂n and n nilpotent. When the metric is nondegenerate on [n,n] we show that n is abelian or 2-step nilpotent. That is the same result as for geodesic orbit Riemannian and Lorentz nilmanifolds. When the metric is degenerate on [n,n] we show that n is a double extension of a geodesic orbit nilmanifold of either Riemannian or Lorentz signature.</p
Data File: Evaluating working memory functioning in individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis’
No full textThis is the data file for the below project:Background: Individuals that suffer with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) frequently raise concerns regarding their cognitive functioning. Whilst there is extensive literature on how fatigue impacts cognition, investigation into the impacts of ME/CFS is currently limited. Human cognition is a complex hierarchical system that encompasses many domains. Within the domains of cognition, memory constitutes as a modality specific, foundational skill. Understanding the impact on memory, with consideration for verbal and visual information allows researchers to predict what higher order functions may also be impacted, thus allowing a more focussed approach to research to be undertaken.Objectives: This systematic review/meta-analysis aimed to synthesise current research to investigate how ME/CFS impacts working memory systems.Method: Using PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search of 6 databases was undertaken. Initially, 10574 papers were imported and following screening 34 studies of good to strong quality met the inclusion criteria. A series of random effects models were utilised to analyse working memory.Results: Results indicated a significant difference and large effect size between ME/CFS individuals and controls on verbal working memory tasks, however, no significant difference in visual working memory performance was found between the groups. Following the breakdown of these subsystems into span/attentional control tasks and object/spatial tasks these results remained consistent.Conclusions: These findings contribute to the body of ME/CFS research by articulating where specific working memory deficits lie. Specifically, they show that individuals with ME/CFS have impaired verbal memory performance. This knowledge can be used to focus future research on higher order aspects of verbal cognition. Finally, these findings highlight the importance of considering non-physical symptoms in the treatment and management of ME/CFS.</p
Settlement organisation and refuse management at Zahrat adh-Dhra‘ 2, Jordan: a GIS-based investigation of artefact patterning at a Pre-Pottery Neolithic A settlement
No full textA thesis submitted in total fulfilment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.This thesis was a recipient of the Nancy Millis Award for theses of exceptional merit.</p