Factors Associated with Sexual Violence against Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgendered Individuals in Karnataka, India

There is a lack of information on sexual violence (SV) among men who have sex with men and transgendered individuals (MSM-T) in southern India. As SV has been associated with HIV vulnerability, this study examined health related behaviours and practices associated with SV among MSM-T.Data were from cross-sectional surveys from four districts in Karnataka, India.Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to examine factors related to SV. Multivariable negative binomial regression models examined the association between physician visits and SV.A total of 543 MSM-T were included in the study. Prevalence of SV was 18% in the past year. HIV prevalence among those reporting SV was 20%, compared to 12% among those not reporting SV (p = .104). In multivariable models, and among sex workers, those reporting SV were more likely to report anal sex with 5+ casual sex partners in the past week (AOR: 4.1; 95%CI: 1.2-14.3, p = .029). Increased physician visits among those reporting SV was reported only for those involved in sex work (ARR: 1.7; 95%CI: 1.1-2.7, p = .012).These results demonstrate high levels of SV among MSM-T populations, highlighting the importance of integrating interventions to reduce violence as part of HIV prevention programs and health services

Učinak topljivosti na kinetiku oslobađanja vodotopljivih i vodonetopljivih lijekova iz matriksnog sustava na bazi HPMC

The purpose of the present research work was to observe the effects of drug solubility on the release kinetics of water soluble verapamil hydrochloride and insoluble aceclofenac from polymer based matrix formulations. Matrix formulations were prepared by the direct compression method. The formulations were evaluated for various physical parameters. Along with the dynamics of water uptake and erosion, SEM and in vitro drug release of tablets were studied. Applying an exponential equation, it was found that the kinetics of soluble drug release followed anomalous non-Fickian diffusion transport whereas insoluble drug showed zero-order release. SEM study showed pore formation on the tablet surface that differed depending on drug solubility. t-Test pointed to a significant difference in the amount of both drugs released due to their difference in solubility. Solubility of the drug affects the kinetics and the mechanism of drug release.Cilj rada bio je praćenje učinka topljivosti na kinetiku oslobađanja vodotopljivog verapamil hidroklorida i netopljivog lijeka aceklofenaka iz matriksnih sustava na bazi hidrofilnog polimera. Matriksni sustavi pripravljeni su izravnom metodom kompresije. Uz ispitivanje uobičajenih fizikalnih svojstava, ispitivana je i dinamika primanja vode, te erozija, SEM i in vitro oslobađanje ljekovite tvari iz tableta. Primjenom eksponencijalne jednadžbe utvrđeno je da mehanizam oslobađanja topljivih lijekova slijedi anomalni ne-Fickov difuzijski transport, dok netopljivi lijekovi slijede kinetiku nultog reda. SEM ispitivanja pokazala su pore na površini matriksa ovisne o topljivosti ljekovite tvari. T-test ukazuje da količina oslobođenog lijeka značajno ovisi o njegovoj topljivosti. Topljivost lijeka ima značajan učinak na kinetiku i mehanizam oslobađanja

A conservation roadmap for the subterranean biome

The 15th UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (COP15) will be held in Kunming, China in October 2021. Historically, CBDs and other multilateral treaties have either alluded to or entirely overlooked the subterranean biome. A multilateral effort to robustly examine, monitor, and incorporate the subterranean biome into future conservation targets will enable the CBD to further improve the ecological effectiveness of protected areas by including groundwater resources, subterranean ecosystem services, and the profoundly endemic subsurface biodiversity. To this end, we proffer a conservation roadmap that embodies five conceptual areas: (1) science gaps and data management needs; (2) anthropogenic stressors; (3) socioeconomic analysis and conflict resolution; (4) environmental education; and (5) national policies and multilateral agreements.Peer reviewe

Planet Formation Imager (PFI): science vision and key requirements

The Planet Formation Imager (PFI) project aims to provide a strong scientific vision for ground-based optical astronomy beyond the upcoming generation of Extremely Large Telescopes. We make the case that a breakthrough in angular resolution imaging capabilities is required in order to unravel the processes involved in planet formation. PFI will be optimised to provide a complete census of the protoplanet population at all stellocentric radii and over the age range from 0.1 to ~100 Myr. Within this age period, planetary systems undergo dramatic changes and the final architecture of planetary systems is determined. Our goal is to study the planetary birth on the natural spatial scale where the material is assembled, which is the "Hill Sphere" of the forming planet, and to characterise the protoplanetary cores by measuring their masses and physical properties. Our science working group has investigated the observational characteristics of these young protoplanets as well as the migration mechanisms that might alter the system architecture. We simulated the imprints that the planets leave in the disk and study how PFI could revolutionise areas ranging from exoplanet to extragalactic science. In this contribution we outline the key science drivers of PFI and discuss the requirements that will guide the technology choices, the site selection, and potential science/technology tradeoffs.S.K. acknowledges support from an STFC Rutherford Fellowship (ST/J004030/1) and Philip Leverhulme Prize (PLP-2013-110). Part of this work was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration