Legal Responses to HIV and AIDs - by James Chalmers

Book review: The Division of Wrongs: A Historical Comparative Study, by eric descheemaeker. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.

The de-gaying and re-gaying of AIDS:contested homophobias in lesbian and gay awareness training

From the first recognition of AIDS as a disease, it was publicly conceptualized as a 'gay plague'. In response, health education and diversity training sought to counter this association claiming that AIDS is an 'equal opportunity' virus - that it can affect anyone. In this article, we analyse talk about HIV/AIDS within a data corpus of 13 tape-recorded lesbian and gay awareness training sessions. Counter to the way in which interactions are described in the lesbian and gay awareness training literature, we found that it was trainees, rather than trainers, who pursued discussions about HIV/AIDS, and who did so in order to claim the 'de-gaying' of AIDS, which they treated as representing a 'non-prejudiced' position. By contrast, and in response to trainees' insistence on de-gaying AIDS, trainers were 're-gaying' AIDS. Our analysis highlights that in these sessions - designed explicitly to counter homophobic attitudes - apparently 'factual' claims and counter-claims about infection rates and risk groups are underpinned by essentially contested definitions of what constitutes a 'homophobic' attitude. We conclude by pointing to the value of detailed analysis of talk-in-interaction for understanding professional practices, and suggest strategies for improving the pedagogic value of training. Copyright © 2005 SAGE Publications.

AIDS: structure, replication and spread of the AIDS virus

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)was first, described as a new disease of humans in 1981. The origins of the disease are controversial. AIDS is caused by a retrovirus, a type of virus which rarely attacks human cells. The first virus of this type recorded in humans is reponsible for a type of leukaemia and was identified in 1978. AIDS is thus the third type of human retrovirus to be discovered and hence, is referred to as T-lymphotrophic virus III (HTLV-III). For viruses to replicate, they have to invade a host cell which in this case is a T4-lymphocyte, a type of white blood cell that regulates the immune system. The problems of the disease result directly from the death of these cells. As a consequence, the immune system is compromised leading to a number of opportunistic secondary infections and other disorders.

AIDS: neurological and ophthalmological aspects

Although overt ocular symptoms are not often encountered in AIDS patients, many exhibit subtile neuro-ophthalmic signs and symptoms. This article describes the neuropsychiatric symptoms as well as the neuro-ophthalmic conditions which have been reported recently in AIDS patients. The degree to which optometrists may be vulnerable to the AIDS virus from contact with patients in practice will also be discussed.

Estimating the efficiency of healthcare facilities providing HIV/AIDS treatment in Zambia:a data envelopment approach

Zambia and many other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa face a key challenge of sustaining high levels of coverage of AIDS treatment under prospects of dwindling global resources for HIV/AIDS treatment. Policy debate in HIV/AIDS is increasingly paying more focus to efficiency in the use of available resources. In this chapter, we apply Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to estimate short term technical efficiency of 34 HIV/AIDS treatment facilities in Zambia. The data consists of input variables such as human resources, medical equipment, building space, drugs, medical supplies, and other materials used in providing HIV/AIDS treatment. Two main outputs namely, numbers of ART-years (Anti-Retroviral Therapy-years) and pre-ART-years are included in the model. Results show the mean technical efficiency score to be 83%, with great variability in efficiency scores across the facilities. Scale inefficiency is also shown to be significant. About half of the facilities were on the efficiency frontier. We also construct bootstrap confidence intervals around the efficiency scores.

Policy through procurement:introduction of digital signal process (DSP) hearing aids into the English NHS

Despite being a major user of many technologies and innovations, the healthcare sector's role and influence as a procurer of technologies has been poorly represented by the literature and consequently is not fully understood. Providing a practical example of the introduction of digital signal process (DSP) hearing aids in to the English NHS, this paper discusses the role of public sector procurement agencies in the uptake of technologies from the private sector and their adoption by the public sector. Employing a system of innovation (SI) approach, the paper highlights the need for policy-makers to adopt a dynamic as well as systemic perspective that recognises the shifting roles, responsibilities and interactions of key stakeholders throughout the innovation process.

Quantitative risk management aids refinery construction

Conventional project management techniques are not always sufficient to ensure that schedule, cost and quality goals are met on large-scale construction projects. These jobs require complex planning, designing and implementation processes. The main reasons for a project's nonachievement in India's hydrocarbon processing industry are changes in scope and design, altered government policies and regulations, unforeseen inflation, under and/or improper estimation. Projects that are exposed to such an uncertain environment can be effectively managed by applying risk management throughout the project life cycle.

Risk-based model aids selection of pipeline inspection, maintenance strategies

The existing method of pipeline monitoring, which requires an entire pipeline to be inspected periodically, wastes time and is expensive. A risk-based model that reduces the amount of time spent on inspection has been developed. This model not only reduces the cost of maintaining petroleum pipelines, but also suggests an efficient design and operation philosophy, construction method and logical insurance plans.The risk-based model uses analytic hierarchy process, a multiple attribute decision-making technique, to identify factors that influence failure on specific segments and analyze their effects by determining the probabilities of risk factors. The severity of failure is determined through consequence analysis, which establishes the effect of a failure in terms of cost caused by each risk factor and determines the cumulative effect of failure through probability analysis.

Electronic Education in the Field of Electrical Engineering Disciplines. Combined Didactic Interactive Program System

At present in the educational process of electrical engineering disciplines electronic learning program, providing control over reproductive educational-cognitive activity (the decision of standard problems) and universal modeling program systems, for instance Electronics Workbench, giving a chance of organizing productive, in particular research activity are basically used. However universal modeling program systems can not provide auto control over educational-cognitive activity because of the absence of the feedback with students. The combined didactic interactive program system, providing the closed directed auto control over both the reproductive and productive heuristic educational-cognitive activity of the student is offered.

The Methods of Conducting Studies with the Application of Combined Didactic Interactive Programme Systems

The methods of the application of the Combined didactic interactive programme system on electrical engineering disciplines has been worked out and the possibility of its application for providing a complex of different kinds of studies: lectures, tutorials, laboratory studies and also for organizing students’ independent work has been verified. The given methods provide the organization of the reproductive (recognition and reproduction) and productive heuristic educational-cognitive students’ activity in conditions of gradualness and completeness of education with the closed directed automatic control.

The role of volunteer support in the community for adults with hearing loss and hearing aids

Objectives: To explore interactions between audiology patients and volunteers, to describe encounters and define the role of volunteers. Methods: Qualitative ethnographic and interview study of volunteer-patient interactions. Ten volunteer participants from two volunteer schemes in South West England were observed and interviewed. Three patient participants were interviewed. Results: Analysis of observational data showed that volunteers provided support relating to local services and hearing aids, but did not engage in discussions about hearing loss. Interviews with volunteers identified gaps in audiology provision, including accessible services and clear information and highlighted a need for more support from audiology services to enable them to fulfil their role. Volunteer interactions with patients mimicked a clinician-patient encounter and volunteers employed strategies and behaviours used by professional audiologists. Conclusions: Audiology volunteers could provide an accessible bridge between health services and the community but their care is limited to focus on hearing aids. Practice implications: Volunteers enable patients to use hearing aids appropriately and are a core element of current care arrangements. However, volunteers express a need for adequate support from audiology services. Volunteers have the potential to increase service capacity and to bridge the gaps between community and audiology healthcare services.

An exploration of the perspectives of help-seekers prescribed hearing aids

Aim - This pilot study uses qualitative methods to learn about the psycho-social needs of people who seek help with hearing loss. Background - There has been some emphasis in health policy to reduce the number of appointments required between assessment of hearing loss and fitting of hearing aids. This may respond to audiological needs but may not address the psycho-social needs. This study piloted a phenomenological approach to identify the patient's perspective. Methods - A phenomenological approach was taken to provide description of patient perspectives. Findings - Six patients reported that help-seeking was primarily influenced by the need to appease social partners and to improve hearing performance. Hearing aids were not regarded as acceptable treatments. Conclusions - Service providers need to consider the psycho-social consequences of hearing-aid issue alongside audiological needs.

Cognitive-didactic Model for Making Testing Items in Physics

Report published in the Proceedings of the National Conference on "Education and Research in the Information Society", Plovdiv, May, 2015

A Didactic Model of Computer Supported Education in Higher Mathematics

Report published in the Proceedings of the National Conference on "Education and Research in the Information Society", Plovdiv, May, 2016