What meaning do gay men on PrEP make of their sexuality: a phenomenological investigation

This study aims to explore what meaning gay men on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) make of their sexuality. PrEP is a medication that was approved in 2012 by the US Federal Drugs Agency (FDA) as an effective means of prophylaxis against contracting HIV. Eight gay men in London who have been on PrEP for at least 6 months, and who do not participate regularly in chemsex were interviewed, and the data was analysed using a hybrid method, relying mainly on Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), in addition to a heuristic first step. The results revealed how the participants made sense of their sexualities through lenses of being and doing something sexual, often through the identity and acts of sexual roles. Speaking about their sexualities and PrEP showed to be important to the participants, not only as a means of communication, but also as a manifestation of their sexualities. Despite the notion that PrEP neutralises the threat of contracting HIV, the fear of HIV was still prevalent amongst the participants, and casual sex was still perceived to be potentially dangerous. Finally, the results reveal how these participants constructed and valued ideas and fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘natural’ sex, which PrEP seems to help them uphold. This study can contribute towards a deeper understanding of gay sexuality, particularly given the context of rapid changes in technology in the fight against HIV. The clinical significance of this research, especially for existential therapists, lies in the importance the participants placed on speaking about their sexualities, the insights gained from how these participants navigate their sexual lives, and the challenges and dilemmas they face regarding the choices they make and the risks they are willing or not willing to take as part of their sexuality

An Exploration of Social Media Use in Local Television News Stations: An Evaluation and Development of a Successful New Media Strategy

This paper examines the ways in which Social media have gained popularity over the last decade, amongst the public, and especially in the television news industry. After evaluating the current ways Social media are being implemented and observing national trends, I developed a comprehensive new media strategy to serve as a guide and reference for any television station wanting to incorporate these tools into its regimen

Rendering volumetric haptic shapes in mid-air using ultrasound

We present a method for creating three-dimensional haptic shapes in mid-air using focused ultrasound. This approach applies the principles of acoustic radiation force, whereby the non-linear effects of sound produce forces on the skin which are strong enough to generate tactile sensations. This mid-air haptic feedback eliminates the need for any attachment of actuators or contact with physical devices. The user perceives a discernible haptic shape when the corresponding acoustic interference pattern is generated above a precisely controlled two-dimensional phased array of ultrasound transducers. In this paper, we outline our algorithm for controlling the volumetric distribution of the acoustic radiation force field in the form of a three-dimensional shape. We demonstrate how we create this acoustic radiation force field and how we interact with it. We then describe our implementation of the system and provide evidence from both visual and technical evaluations of its ability to render different shapes. We conclude with a subjective user evaluation to examine users’ performance for different shapes

The effect of big data on financial reporting quality

The current manuscript aimed to explain the impact of big data on the financial reporting quality of the industrial sector in Jordan. To achieve the manuscript goals and validate hypotheses, a field study was conducted by distributing a questionnaire to 325 financial managers in industrial companies listed on the Amman Stock Exchange during a specific period. Gathered data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The manuscript concluded that the big data dimensions, including variety, volume, and velocity, had a positive impact on financial reporting quality. Therefore, a set of recommendations were provided to managers of the industrial companies in Jordan to put in place an extensive data governance system to as-sure data quality, security, privacy, and compliance. To ensure the integrity and dependability of financial reporting, define data ownership, create data quality standards, and develop processes for data access, use, and preservation

Implementation of a PMN-PT piezocrystal-based focused array with geodesic faceted structure

The higher performance of relaxor-based piezocrystals compared with piezoceramics is now well established, notably including improved gain-bandwidth product, and these materials have been adopted widely for biomedical ultrasound imaging. However, their use in other applications, for example as a source of focused ultrasound for targeted drug delivery, is hindered in several ways. One of the issues, which we consider here, is in shaping the material into the spherical geometries used widely in focused ultrasound. Unlike isotropic unpoled piezoceramics that can be shaped into a monolithic bowl then poled through the thickness, the anisotropic structure of piezocrystals make it impossible to machine the bulk crystalline material into a bowl without sacrificing performance. Instead, we report a novel faceted array, inspired by the geodesic dome structure in architecture, which utilizes flat piezocrystal material and maximizes fill factor. Aided by 3D printing, a prototype with f# ≈ 1.2, containing 96 individually addressable elements was manufactured using 1–3 connectivity PMN-PT piezocrystal–epoxy composite. The fabrication process is presented and the array was connected to a 32-channel controller to shape and steer the beam for preliminary performance demonstration. At an operating frequency of 1 MHz, a focusing gain around 30 was achieved and the side lobe intensities were all at levels below −12 dB compared to main beam. We conclude that, by taking advantage of contemporary fabrication techniques and driving instrumentation, the geodesic array configuration is suitable for focused ultrasound devices made with piezocrystal

Automatic control of finite element models for temperature-controlled radiofrequency ablation

BACKGROUND: The finite element method (FEM) has been used to simulate cardiac and hepatic radiofrequency (RF) ablation. The FEM allows modeling of complex geometries that cannot be solved by analytical methods or finite difference models. In both hepatic and cardiac RF ablation a common control mode is temperature-controlled mode. Commercial FEM packages don't support automating temperature control. Most researchers manually control the applied power by trial and error to keep the tip temperature of the electrodes constant. METHODS: We implemented a PI controller in a control program written in C++. The program checks the tip temperature after each step and controls the applied voltage to keep temperature constant. We created a closed loop system consisting of a FEM model and the software controlling the applied voltage. The control parameters for the controller were optimized using a closed loop system simulation. RESULTS: We present results of a temperature controlled 3-D FEM model of a RITA model 30 electrode. The control software effectively controlled applied voltage in the FEM model to obtain, and keep electrodes at target temperature of 100°C. The closed loop system simulation output closely correlated with the FEM model, and allowed us to optimize control parameters. DISCUSSION: The closed loop control of the FEM model allowed us to implement temperature controlled RF ablation with minimal user input

Safety and feasibility study of non-invasive robot-assisted high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy for the treatment of atherosclerotic plaques in the femoral artery: protocol for a pilot study

Introduction Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is an atherosclerotic disease leading to stenosis and/or occlusion of the arterial circulation of the lower extremities. The currently available revascularisation methods have an acceptable initial success rate, but the long-term patency is limited, while surgical revascularisation is associated with a relatively high perioperative risk. This urges the need for development of less invasive and more effective treatment modalities. This protocol article describes a study investigating a new non-invasive technique that uses robot assisted high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to treat atherosclerosis in the femoral artery. Methods and analysis A pilot study is currently performed in 15 symptomatic patients with PAD with a significant stenosis in the common femoral and/or proximal superficial femoral artery. All patients will be treated with the dual-mode ultrasound array system to deliver imaging-guided HIFU to the atherosclerotic plaque. Safety and feasibility are the primary objectives assessed by the technical feasibility of this therapy and the 30-day major complication rate as primary endpoints. Secondary endpoints are angiographic and clinical success and quality of life. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval for this study was obtained in 2019 from the Medical Ethics Committee of the University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands. Data will be presented at national and international conferences and published in a peer-reviewed journal. Trial registration number NL7564