Male escorts’ and male clients’ sexual behavior during their last commercial sexual encounter: Comparing and contrasting findings from two online studies

Much of what is known about commercial sexual encounters between men is based on data gathered from escorts. With few exceptions, studies have not compared male clients’ reports of behavior during commercial sexual encounters with male escorts’. The present study draws from two datasets, a 2012 survey of clients (n = 495) and a 2013 survey of escorts (n = 387)—both used virtually identical measures of sexual behavior during the most recent commercial sexual encounter. For clients and escorts, the majority eschewed having sex without a condom, and kissing and oral sex were among the most common behaviors reported. Using logistic regression, both samples were compared across 15 sexual behaviors, finding significant differences in six—the escort sample had greater odds of reporting their last commercial sexual encounter involved watching the client masturbate, viewing porn, role play (dad/son, dominant/submissive), and having prior sexual experience with their commercial partner. The escort sample had lower odds of reporting that the client watched the escort masturbate, and being told partner’s HIV status. In multivariable modeling, both samples did not significantly differ in reports of condomless anal sex. Male-male commercial sexual encounters appear to involve a wide range of sexual behaviors, many of which convey low-to-no risk of HIV transmission

Evidence for helical microstructure of aragonite fibers in pteropod shells

Planktonic gastropods of the suborder Euthecosomata (order Pteropoda) secrete a unique microstructure made of tightly interlocked, space-filling helically coiled aragonite fibers. This material has a high degree of ordering because all fibers are in phase at a given growth plane. The recognition of the helical nature from mere scanning electron micrographs is somewhat uncertain. In addition, threedimensional (3D) reconstructions of individual helices are hindered by the small dimensions of fibers, and the virtual absence of intervening organic interphases. Here, we (1) reexamine the morphological characteristics of the fibers in fracture and find them compatible with a helical model, (2) provide direct evidence of the helical mode of coiling in the form of anaglyphs, and (3) develop a 3D model, which is fully consistent with the patterns observed in fractures and polished sections. Proposals based on motifs different from helices are not congruent with the observations.Universidad de Granada/CBUAMinistry of Science and Innovation, Spain (MICINN)Instituto de Salud Carlos III Spanish Government CGL2017-85118-P PID2020-116660 GB-I00 Junta de Andalucia B-RNM-265-UGR18 PCIN-2017-098 RNM363Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) KB PPI/APM/2018/1/00049/U/001Unidad Cientifica de Excelencia UCE-PP2016-05University of GranadaEuropean COST Action CA17120Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain (MICINN) Spanish Government FJC2018-035820-ISKA South Africa 844345Malacological Society of London Travel Awar

Comorbidities in a sample of adults with HIV in Puerto Rico: an exploratory study.

Background: Puerto Rico is among the areas with the highest estimated rates of people living with HIV in the United States. Despite the epidemiologic data available, there is limited real-world information that can help understand the comorbidities of people with HIV. In this study, we describe common comorbidities among adults with HIV attending treatment clinics in Puerto Rico. Methods: An exploratory, retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at five HIV clinics in Puerto Rico. A random sample of medical records was reviewed. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize patient demographics, morbidity, and clinical characteristics. Multivariate analyses were conducted to explore comorbidities by age and sex. Results: A total of 250 (179 men; 71 women) medical records were reviewed. Participants\u27 mean age was 47.9 years and on average they had been living with HIV for 9 years. Most (97.6%) had at least one comorbidity. The most common comorbidities were dyslipidemia and hypertension. Men were more likely to have been diagnosed with alcohol misuse while women were more likely to have been diagnosed with obesity, human papillomavirus (HPV), hypothyroidism, and osteoporosis. Participants younger than 50 years of age were more likely to have history of alcohol misuse while older individuals (50 years and old) were more likely to have been diagnosed with dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. Adjusting by sex and age, women were more likely to have been diagnosed with obesity and depression and those older than 50 years were more likely to have had a diagnosis of dyslipidemia, hypertension, HPV, and diabetes. Conclusions: This is one of the few studies assessing comorbidities among adults with HIV in Puerto Rico, among Latino/Hispanics within the United States, and Latin America. Consistent with other studies, cardiovascular diseases are common among adults with HIV in Puerto Rico. Findings support the need for awareness and real-world evidence about comorbidities among people with HIV when implementing screenings and prescribing drugs

Fattening Commercial Zebu with Grazing and Low Supplementation on Small Farms.

The aim of this paper was to describe and group grazing commercial Zebu bulls, with low supplementation. Forty-four beef-producing farms from several cooperatives of credits and services were studied. Their members are private farmers from Sibanicu, Camaguey, Cuba. The farms were visited for three years,  and official records were made of each farmer for these variables: resources, animals, management, production, and economy. The main statigraph for the variables were calculated. The  average  initial weight, final weight, weight gain, and production per ha were, 202.6; 371.6; 501; and 326.2 kg, during 339.7 fattening days, respectively. The principal component  analysis (PCA) showed  a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin coefficient higher than 0.66, and a significant Bartlett  sphericity  coefficient (P < 0.01), with self-values above 1. The two groups were made using a BIETAPIC cluster analysis

Modelación numérica hidrodinámico-hidrológica en zonas de inundación con presencia de infraestructura

Se presenta la modelación numérica computacional de la hidrodinámica superficial e hidrológica de la zona de estudio donde se pretende construir infraestructura para la exploración de hidrocarburos en las márgenes del río Grijalva, México; para ello se muestra el análisis de la información meteorológica, determinando los valores de intensidad de precipitación, temperaturas, evaporación y una estimación de los gastos, correspondiente al año 2014; las zonas de inundación se estimaron con el uso de programas desarrollados en Fortran y Matlab, que resuelven las ecuaciones de Navier-Stokes-Reynolds para flujos a superficie libre y la intensidad de precipitación con la distribución de Gumbel, con parámetros estimados mediante el método de Momentos Ponderados con Probabilidad (MPP), con los cuales, mediante una malla numérica de la topografía, en conjunto con los valores meteorológicos, como condiciones iniciales y forzantes, se determina la magnitud de la inundación del área de estudio, así como la obtención de gastos, velocidades y el funcionamiento hidráulico de las obras de mitigación propuestas para preservar el balance hidrológico del sistema

Academic response to storm-related natural disasters—lessons learned

On 30 October 2017, selected faculty and administrators from Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) grantee institutions gathered to share first-hand accounts of the devastating impact of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, which had interrupted academic activities, including research, education, and training in Puerto Rico, Florida, and Texas. The presenters reviewed emergency response measures taken by their institutions to maintain community health care access and delivery, the storm-related impact on clinical and research infrastructure, and strategies to retain locally grown clinical expertise and translational science research talent in the aftermath of natural disasters. A longer-term perspective was provided through a comparative review of lessons learned by one New Orleans-based institution (now more than a decade post-storm) in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Caring for the internal and external communities associated with each institution and addressing the health disparities exacerbated by storm-related events is one key strategy that will pay long-term dividends in the survival of the academic institutions and the communities they serve

Evaluation of Fattening Efficiency of Grazing Bulls through Panel Data Envelop Analysis

The purpose of this paper was to assess fattening efficiency changes in grazing bulls, using panel data envelop analysis in two periods of time. The panel data were compiled by DEAP 2.1, which included the results of a 3-year period from 38 private farms (beef farms) in cooperatives of credits and services. The farms were on prairie savannahs, located on 21.4831 latitude, and -77.3174 longitude, less than 300 meters above sea level, province of Camagüey, mideastern Cuba. The output variable was total sold kg (TSKG), and the input variables were cost of Norgold (CN), fuel kg per ha (FKGXHA), fuel kg per livestock unit (FKGXLU), and unit of human labor force (UHL), which were highly correlated to the output variable. Table 2 shows that technical efficiency (TE), pure efficiency (PEC), and scale sufficiency (SEC), underwent 0.2%, 0.4, and 0.5%, respectively, by the third year of fattening. Technological change (TC) between the second and third years rose to almost 14%, and the total productivity factor (TPF) spiked as farmers became more skilled and experienced, with a 4.9% increase in comparison to the first year, and 13.7% in the second year

Guía práctica: Preguntas y respuestas sobre cómo desarrollar los Planes de Orientación y Acción Tutorial (POAT) en la enseñanza universitaria

Esta guía es una aproximación al desarrollo práctico de los planes de Orientación y Acción tutorial (POAT) en la Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), centrando especialmente la atención en el modelo de la tutoría de carrera. En la guía y siguiendo un formato de preguntas frecuentes, tratamos de abordar algunos aspectos básicos para la implantación de los programas POAT y el desarrollo de actividades con el alumnado, incluyendo referencias y ejemplos prácticos. En cualquier caso, son simplemente ideas y sugerencias para la práctica, que requerirán su adaptación, en tanto que cada contexto y cada realidad es diferente, lo que exige respuestas adaptadas a las mismas

Syndemic factors associated with adult sexual HIV risk behaviors in a sample of Latino men who have sex with men in New York City

Objective: Syndemic theory has been proposed as a framework for understanding the role of multiple riskfactors driving the HIV epidemic among sexual and gender minority individuals. As yet, the frameworkhas been relatively absent in research on Latinos/as.Methods: We used logistic regression to assess relationships among cumulative syndemic conditions –including clinically significant depression, high-risk alcohol consumption, discrimination, and childhoodsexual abuse – engagement with multiple partners and condomless anal intercourse (CAI) in a sample of176 Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) in New York City.Results: In bivariate analyses, an increase in the number of syndemic factors experienced was associatedwith an increased likelihood of reporting multiple partners and CAI. In multivariable analyses, participantswith 2, 3, and 4 factors were significantly more likely to report multiple partners than those with 0(aOR = 4.66, 95% CI [1.29, 16.85); aOR = 7.28, 95% CI [1.94, 27.28] and aOR = 8.25, 95% CI [1.74, 39.24]respectively; p \u3c 0.05. Regarding CAI, only participants with 3 and 4 factors differed from those with 0aOR = 7.35, 95% CI [1.64, 32.83] and OR = 8.06, 95% CI [1.39, 46.73] respectively.Conclusions: Comprehensive approaches that address syndemic factors, and capitalize on resiliency, areneeded to address the sexual health needs of Latino MSM

Syndemic factors associated with adult sexual HIV risk behaviors in a sample of Latino men who have sex with men in New York City

Objective: Syndemic theory has been proposed as a framework for understanding the role of multiple riskfactors driving the HIV epidemic among sexual and gender minority individuals. As yet, the frameworkhas been relatively absent in research on Latinos/as.Methods: We used logistic regression to assess relationships among cumulative syndemic conditions –including clinically significant depression, high-risk alcohol consumption, discrimination, and childhoodsexual abuse – engagement with multiple partners and condomless anal intercourse (CAI) in a sample of176 Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) in New York City.Results: In bivariate analyses, an increase in the number of syndemic factors experienced was associatedwith an increased likelihood of reporting multiple partners and CAI. In multivariable analyses, participantswith 2, 3, and 4 factors were significantly more likely to report multiple partners than those with 0(aOR = 4.66, 95% CI [1.29, 16.85); aOR = 7.28, 95% CI [1.94, 27.28] and aOR = 8.25, 95% CI [1.74, 39.24]respectively; p \u3c 0.05. Regarding CAI, only participants with 3 and 4 factors differed from those with 0aOR = 7.35, 95% CI [1.64, 32.83] and OR = 8.06, 95% CI [1.39, 46.73] respectively.Conclusions: Comprehensive approaches that address syndemic factors, and capitalize on resiliency, areneeded to address the sexual health needs of Latino MSM