<p><strong>Bakgrund:</strong> Det har visat sig att en utökad samverkan behövs för att fånga upp de barn och unga som far illa i samhället idag. Därför initierade regeringen år 2006 en nationell samverkanssatsning där målet var att långsiktigt stärka samverkan mellan berörda myndigheter. I anslutning till satsningen som nyligen avslutats har några dokument publicerats, bland annat ett strategidokument vars syfte var att stöda samverkansarbetet, samt en formativ utvärdering som sammanfattar erfarenheterna från projekten. I dokumenten framträdde inledningsvis en otydlig bild av vad som menas med kommunikation samt motstridiga budskap om hur kommunikationen fungerat.</p><p><strong>Syfte</strong>: Syftet med studien var att få en större förståelse för hur begreppet kommunikation kan förstås samt för hur det beskrivs att kommunikationen fungerat i samverkanssatsningen.</p><p><strong>Metod:</strong> En hermeneutisk textanalys har gjorts på ovanstående dokument för att försöka tydliggöra och förstå de oklarheter och paradoxala budskap som kunnat urskiljas i texterna.</p><p><strong>Resultat:</strong> Trots otydliga uttalanden visade textanalysen på att kommunikation i mångt och mycket kan förstås som ett verktyg eller medel för att uppnå en gemensam bas för samverkan. Kommunikation är vidare ett sätt att utbyta kunskap och information på, samt en väg till förståelse. Resultatet visar även att förhållningssättet till kommunikation till stor del överensstämmer med hur kommunikation traditionellt sett brukar uppfattas inom organisationer. På frågan om hur kommunikationen ansetts fungera mellan de samverkande var det svårt att få fram en enhetlig bild. I utvärderingen går det att läsa att det skett få eller inga förbättringar alls, medan det utifrån analysen av dokumentet i sin helhet finns uttalanden som talar både för och emot.</p>

Bakgrund: Det har visat sig att en utökad samverkan behövs för att fånga upp de barn och unga som far illa i samhället idag. Därför initierade regeringen år 2006 en nationell samverkanssatsning där målet var att långsiktigt stärka samverkan mellan berörda myndigheter. I anslutning till satsningen som nyligen avslutats har några dokument publicerats, bland annat ett strategidokument vars syfte var att stöda samverkansarbetet, samt en formativ utvärdering som sammanfattar erfarenheterna från projekten. I dokumenten framträdde inledningsvis en otydlig bild av vad som menas med kommunikation samt motstridiga budskap om hur kommunikationen fungerat. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att få en större förståelse för hur begreppet kommunikation kan förstås samt för hur det beskrivs att kommunikationen fungerat i samverkanssatsningen. Metod: En hermeneutisk textanalys har gjorts på ovanstående dokument för att försöka tydliggöra och förstå de oklarheter och paradoxala budskap som kunnat urskiljas i texterna. Resultat: Trots otydliga uttalanden visade textanalysen på att kommunikation i mångt och mycket kan förstås som ett verktyg eller medel för att uppnå en gemensam bas för samverkan. Kommunikation är vidare ett sätt att utbyta kunskap och information på, samt en väg till förståelse. Resultatet visar även att förhållningssättet till kommunikation till stor del överensstämmer med hur kommunikation traditionellt sett brukar uppfattas inom organisationer. På frågan om hur kommunikationen ansetts fungera mellan de samverkande var det svårt att få fram en enhetlig bild. I utvärderingen går det att läsa att det skett få eller inga förbättringar alls, medan det utifrån analysen av dokumentet i sin helhet finns uttalanden som talar både för och emot.

<p>Eligibility for antiretroviral therapy (ART) in HIV-infected patients is defined either by a cluster of differentiation antigen 4 (CD4) count of less than 200cells/mm3 or clinical diagnosis of WHO stage III and IV. Therefore, the decision to start ART becomes difficult when CD4 cell count is not available. With limited laboratory infrastructure, the decision to start ART is usually made based on clinical symptoms leading to late commencement of ART. This calls for alternative criteria to see if nail discoloration (ND) correlates with low CD4 count among untreated HIV infected patients. This will serve as a complementary screening tool for identifying asymptomatic ARV naive HIV patients with a CD4 cell count of less than 200cells/mm3 which signifies&nbsp / severe immunosuppression. Study Design and Setting: This was a quantitative cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study involving adult ART na&iuml / ve HIV infected patients in WHO stage I and II. Systematic sampling was used to select the participants from all adult ART na&iuml / ve HIV infected patients attending APIN clinic, located at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Jos, Nigeria. Data Collection: Face-to-face interviews, physical examination and relevant laboratory investigations with selected participants were conducted using a questionnaire guide. Questions on socio-demographic characteristics, clinical data, general physical examinations including finger nail examination and photographing with subsequent laboratory investigations including CD4 count and western blot were employed. Data Analysis: Variables were categorized and data analyzed using descriptive statistics including the frequency, percentage frequency / mean and standard deviation of continuous variables. Association between CD4 count of &le / 200cells/mm3 and ND was tested using the chisquare test with an alpha level of 0.05. Prevalence of ND, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values and accuracy of the screening test of ND was calculated. Results: 394 patients had their fingernails photographed and assessed. It was shown that distal banded and grey nails were the common types of ND seen with a prevalence of 38%. There was an association between CD4 count &le / 200cells/mm3 and ND (p&lt / 0.0001). CD4 count &le / 200cells/mm3 was a risk factor for developing ND (RR=2.3[1.8-3.6]). The association has a sensitivity of 78%, specificity of 55%, positive predictive value of 50%, and negative predictive value of 80% and accuracy of test 63%. Conclusion: With a significant association (p&lt / 0.0001) and a sensitivity of 78%, ND can be a useful clinical indicator of immune dysfunction mediated by HIV among patients in WHO stage I or II. ND can either be a clinical sign or a symptom in HIV patients with a CD4 of &le / 200cells/mm3 as seen in the study as the specificity and sensitivity of ND compared favourably with other WHO stage III diagnosis. Recommendations: Nail discoloration should complement CD4 count as an additional staging sign to help identify patients likely to benefit from ART especially in resource-limited settings. Finally, all patients with grey or distal banded should be on co-trimoxaxole prophylaxis in line with WHO /national guideline on the use of co-trimoxaxole for all HIV positive patients with a CD4 cell count of &le / 350cells/mm3.</p>

War has for all through the years adopted various guises and been performed by various actors for a wide variety of destination. But what is really a war? Why is war fought? How is war fought? By whom is war fought? Machiavelli, Clausewitz, Kaplan, Kaldor, Creveld and Krulak are just a few among others who have made valiant attempts to explain war and its nature. What did they find? This essay maps out their studies in the hope of finding some kind of continuity that can give a clearer picture of what war really is. It is important to point out; the goal is not to try to make a definition of war, but merely an attempt to find some kind of continuity. The study finds that as society develops, bridges get built and contracts are signed, everything falls apart at some point and you can  never be sure that something as complex as a war to retain some form of continuity, if any – it would be the power it contains, but barely it.

African-American and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) bear a disproportionately large burden of the Human Immunodefiency Virus (HIV) epidemic in the United States. To further enhance HIV prevention efforts among men of color, a survey was conducted within New York City’s house ball community; a community largely comprised of racial and ethnic minority persons. Time-space sampling was adapted to recruit participants for the survey from venues frequented by members of the house ball community. Using logistic regression analysis, this study examined the effects of perceived stigma, enacted stigma, sense of community and self-esteem on unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) among a sub-sample of men in the survey. Both perceived and enacted stigma had a modest direct effect on engaging in UAI. The direct effect on UAI was significant even after controlling for covariates in the model. The magnitude of the effect on UAI did not vary by race/ethnicity or sexual identity. In addition, perceived and enacted stigma correlated negatively to both sense of community and self-esteem scores. Although sense of community did not buffer the effect of perceived or enacted stigma on UAI, both sense of community and self-esteem were protective against engaging in UAI. However, while the direct effect of sense of community on UAI remained after controlling for covariates in the model, the effect self-esteem had on UAI diminished after adding variables to the model. Further, self-esteem was negatively correlated with both perceived and enacted stigma, but it did not mediate perceived and enacted stigma’s effect on UAI. Implications for HIV prevention strategies given these findings are discussed. Implications include developing multilevel interventions, including structural interventions, to reduce the stigma that is perceived and experienced by men of color as well as building stronger communities for African American and Latino MSM.

Background: Several studies have shown there has been significant lack of knowledge about women who have sex with women cross infect each other with STIs. It has been less likely that women who have sex with women visit health care than heterosexuals, they often felt badly treated, invisible and did not always know where to turn in case of an STI. Objective: The objective was to examine if STI information from Kalmar and Växjö county websites and GCK-summit, targeted women who have sex with women. Method: With a queer theoretical perspective a critical discourse analysis was made by STI information on the internet. Results: Women who have sex with women have been excluded in the STI information currently available through Kalmar and Växjö county websites. The public notices for screening tests have not been designed in such way it includes women who have sex with women. Women who have sex with women have been an obscure group. Conclusion: The conclusion was that women who have sex with women have not been included in the STI information available on the internet within the county councils of Kalmar and Kronoberg.

International aid organizations and wealthy nations have contributed billions to combat the spread and treatment of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa; however, these programs have been critiqued for not addressing the socioeconomic and cultural context of the epidemic, instead relying upon generalized approaches. The prevalence rate in Zanzibar, Tanzania is low in the general population, but high among vulnerable segments of Zanzibari society, resulting in interventions focusing on particular groups (e.g. sex workers, drug users, and men who have sex with men). Through interviews with government agencies, non-profit organizations, medical professionals, vulnerable populations, and HIV/AIDS patients, this paper examines how local realities inform and challenge HIV/AIDS programming in Zanzibar.

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Abstract Title: Manipulation or relation – the language as an instrument for influence (relation eller manipulation – om språket som medel för påverkan) Number of pages: 42 Author: Matilde Johansson Tutor: Peder Hård af Segerstad Course: Media and Communication Studies C Period: Autumn term 2007 University: Division of Media and communication, Department of information science, Uppsala university Purpose/Aim: The aim of this essay is to gain a deeper understanding of how communication consultants work with communication. The purpose is to sort out whether or not the consultants have the same view in their strategic work with influence as they have when they build relations to customers. In the end the essay will answer if the perspective is the same between their strategic work, their relations and the research definition of how to obtain a genuine dialogue and a good relationship. Material/Method: This is a qualitative research. I have interviewed five communication consultants from three different corporations. In the analysis the data from the interviews will be applied with relevant communication theory. Main results: In broad outline the result shows that communication consultants see communication mainly as a verbal instrument with a capacity to influence other people through the conversations between them. It’s the integration and the talk between people that affects them and make changes possible. In their relations with customers they strive for a personal relationship based on dialogue and mutual understanding. To affect others they work with word-of-mouth and storytelling, both of these strategic types deal with verbal communication and networking. The conclusion is that they mainly base their view of communication from a cultural perspective. Key Words: Communication consultants, public relation, relation, dialogue, influence, cultural perspective, sensemaking, mutual understanding, people who influence people, word-of-mouth, storytelling

Tyrimo objektas: sėdimą darbą dirbančių žmonių nugaros raumenų skausmas. Tyrimo problema: spartėjant šiuolaikinėms technologijoms atsiranda vis daugiau sėdimą darbą dirbančių žmonių. Ilgas sėdėjimas prie kompiuterio, dažni aplinkos stresoriai, mažas fizinis aktyvumas, netaisyklinga laikysena ir neergonomiški baldai neigiamai veikia sveikatą. Todėl vis daugiau žmonių skundžiasi su ilgalaike sėdima padėtimi susijusiais negalavimais. Vienas dažniausiai pasitaikančių negalavimų yra nugaros raumenų skausmas, dėl kurio mažėja darbingumas, nukenčia gyvenimo kokybė. Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti aplinkos stresorių, ergonomiškumo ir fizinių pratimų poveikį nugaros skausmui sėdimą darbą dirbantiems žmonėms. Hipotezė: manome, kad daugiau sveikatos sutrikimų turės žmonės, kurie dirba sėdimą darbą, patiria stresą ir jam šalinti pasirenka žalingus įpročius, nei tie, kurie dirba sėdimą darbą, bet renkasi fizinius pratimus. Išvados: sėdim���� darbą dirbantieji teigiamai darbo vietos ergonomiką vertina: privačiame sektoriuje 35%, valstybiniame – 16,25% ir dirbantys nevyriausybiniame sektoriuje – 1,3%. Net 60,6% tiriamųjų visą darbo laiką praleidžia toje pačioje padėtyje. Stresą patiria 77,5% tiriamųjų, o streso poveikis pasireiškia nuovargiu (32,5%), išsiblaškymu (21,3%) ir dėmesio stoka (17,5%). Raumenų skausmą jaučia 98,7% sėdimą darbą dirbančiųjų. Dažniausiai jaučiamas pečių juostos ir kaklo raumenų įtempimas bei nugaros skausmas, kurio dydis 4,8 balo. Fiziniai pratimai patikimai (p<0,05)... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Object of study: Back muscles’ pain of people, who perform sedentary jobs. Problem of study: As modern technologies speed up, more and more people start performing sedentary jobs. The health is negatively influenced by the sitting in front of the computer, by common stressors in surroundings, by decreased physical activity, by wrong posture and by unergonomic furniture. As a result, more and more people start complaining of the conditions, related to the long sitting position. One of the most common complaints is the pain of back muscles that decreases efficiency, affects the quality of life. Aim of study: Determine the impact of the surroundings’ stressors, ergonomicity and physical exercises on the back muscles’ pain of people who perform sedentary job. Hypothesis of study: We believe that the people who perform sedentary jobs, experience stress and choose addiction for its elimination have more health problems than people who perform sedentary jobs, but choose physical activity and exercises. Conclusions: People who perform sedentary jobs positively assess the ergonomics of work place: 35% in private sector, 16.25% in public sector, and 1.3% in non-governmental sector. Stress is experienced by 77.5% of participants, and the impact of stress is manifested by fatigue (32.5%), distraction (21.3%), and the lack of attention (17.5%). The pain of muscles is experienced by 98.7% of sedentary jobs performing people. Most commonly is experienced the pain of shoulder girdle and... [to full text]