HIV Risk among Substance-Using Men Who Have Sex with Men and Women (MSMW): Findings from South Florida

Compared with men who have sex with men only (MSMO), men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) consistently report higher rates of two HIV risk behaviors: transactional sex (TS) and concurrent substance use and sex (CSS). Within MSMW, little is known about how synergistic epidemics ( syndemics ) affect TS and CSS. Using a sample of substance-using MSM (n = 515) in South Florida, we compared TS and CSS among MSMO and MSMW; examined whether, within MSMW (n = 86), TS and CSS predict unprotected anal intercourse with partners of serodiscordant/unknown HIV status (SU-UAI); and tested whether syndemics predict TS and CSS. MSMW reported higher rates of engaging in both TS and CSS (AOR = 1.7; 95 % CI 1.0-3.0). Within MSMW, engagement in both TS and CSS predicted SU-UAI (AOR = 3.3; 95 % CI 1.2-9.6); and syndemics predicted TS and CSS involvement (p \u3c 0.01). Substance-using MSMW may benefit from interventions targeting TS, CSS, and background syndemics

HIV and STIs Among MSM in Tajikistan: Laboratory-Confirmed Diagnoses and Self-Reported Testing Behaviors

Little is known about the prevalence and associations of HIV/STI diagnoses and testing behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Tajikistan. A non-governmental organization conducted a cross-sectional study of MSM (n = 502) assessing laboratory-confirmed HIV/STI diagnoses, HIV/STI testing behavior in the past 6 months, sociodemographics, HIV/STI risk factors, and victimization/discrimination. Overall, 2.6 % were diagnosed with HIV, 2.2 % with syphilis, 17.6 % with chlamydia, and 56.0 % with herpes. Recent testing rates were low for HIV (35.9 %) and STIs (14.1 %). Compared to MSM who completed university, MSM with a high school education or less had lower odds of recent HIV and STI testing; however, victimization and healthcare discrimination were associated with greater odds of recent STI testing. Given the low HIV prevalence, there is a window of opportunity to extinguish the epidemic before it worsens. Non-governmental organizations are indispensable for expanding testing strategies because they can efficiently reach MSM in Tajikistan

A Discussion of Value Metrics for Data Repositories in Earth and Environmental Sciences

Despite growing recognition of the importance of public data to the modern economy and to scientific progress, long-term investment in the repositories that manage and disseminate scientific data in easily accessible-ways remains elusive. Repositories are asked to demonstrate that there is a net value of their data and services to justify continued funding or attract new funding sources. Here, representatives from a number of environmental and Earth science repositories evaluate approaches for assessing the costs and benefits of publishing scientific data in their repositories, identifying various metrics that repositories typically use to report on the impact and value of their data products and services, plus additional metrics that would be useful but are not typically measured. We rated each metric by (a) the difficulty of implementation by our specific repositories and (b) its importance for value determination. As managers of environmental data repositories, we find that some of the most easily obtainable data-use metrics (such as data downloads and page views) may be less indicative of value than metrics that relate to discoverability and broader use. Other intangible but equally important metrics (e.g., laws or regulations impacted, lives saved, new proposals generated), will require considerable additional research to describe and develop, plus resources to implement at scale. As value can only be determined from the point of view of a stakeholder, it is likely that multiple sets of metrics will be needed, tailored to specific stakeholder needs. Moreover, economically based analyses or the use of specialists in the field are expensive and can happen only as resources permit

Effect of hydrogen on Ca and Mg acceptors in GaN

The influence of minority carrier injection on the reactivation of hydrogen passivated Mg in GaN at 175 C has been investigated in p-n junction diodes. The dissociation of the neutral MgH complexes is greatly enhanced in the presence of minority carrier and the reactivation process follows second order kinetics. Conventional annealing under zero-bias conditions does not produce Mg-H dissociation until temperatures {ge} 450 C. These results provide an explanation for the e-beam induced reactivation of Mg acceptors in hydrogenated GaN. Exposure to a hydrogen plasma at 250 C of p-type GaN (Ca) prepared by either Ca{sup +} or Ca{sup +} plus P{sup +} coimplantation leads to a reduction in sheet carrier density of approximately an order of magnitude (1.6 {times} 10{sup 12} cm{sup {minus}2} to 1.8 {times} 10{sup 11} cm{sup {minus}2}), and an accompanying increase in hole mobility (6 cm{sup 2}/Vs to 18 cm{sup 2}/Vs). The passivation process can be reversed by post-hydrogenation annealing at 400--500 C under a N{sub 2} ambient. This reactivation of the acceptors is characteristic of the formation of neutral (Ca-H) complexes in the GaN. The thermal stability of the passivation is similar to that of Mg-H complexes in material prepared in the same manner (implantation) with similar initial doping levels. Hydrogen passivation of acceptor dopants in GaN appears to be a ubiquitous phenomenon, as it is in other p-type semiconductors

Psychosocial Health Disparities Among Black Bisexual Men in the U.S.: Effects of Sexuality Nondisclosure and Gay Community Support

Compared with Black gay men, Black bisexual men experience psychosocial health disparities, including depression, polydrug use, physical assault, and intimate partner violence (IPV). Black bisexual men are also less likely to disclose their sexuality, which may result in them receiving less sexual minority community support, exacerbating psychosocial health disparities. We assessed relationships between bisexual behavior, bisexual identity, sexuality nondisclosure, gay community support, and psychosocial morbidities among Black men who have sex with men (MSM). Between 2014 and 2017, survey data were collected from Black MSM ≥ 18 years old (n = 4430) at Black Pride events in six U.S. cities. We differentiated between bisexual-identified men reporting past-year sex with men and women (bisexual MSMW, 8.4%); gay-identified men reporting sex with men only (gay MSMO, 73.1%); gay MSMW (8.0%); and bisexual MSMO (8.4%). Multivariable regressions contrasted these groups by psychosocial morbidities, sexuality nondisclosure, and gay community support. Structural equation models assessed total, direct, and indirect effects. Compared with gay MSMO, bisexual MSMW and gay MSMW were significantly more likely to report polydrug use, depression symptoms, IPV, physical assault, sexuality nondisclosure, and lack of gay community support. Lack of gay community support had significant indirect effects on the relationships between bisexual behavior and psychosocial morbidity (p < .001) and between bisexual identity and psychosocial morbidity (p < .001). Sexuality nondisclosure had significant indirect effects on relationships between bisexual behavior (p < .001), bisexual identity (p < .001), and lack of gay community support. Psychosocial health disparities experienced by Black bisexual men are associated with both bisexual behavior and bisexual identity. Interventions decreasing biphobia will facilitate opportunities for protective sexuality disclosure and access to sexual minority community support

Drinking behaviour and alcohol-related harm amongst older adults: analysis of existing UK datasets.

Older adults experience age-related physiological changes that increase sensitivity and decrease tolerance to alcohol and there are a number of age-related harms such as falls, social isolation and elder abuse, which are compounded by alcohol misuse. Despite this unique vulnerability and the fact that the number of older adults is increasing, the literature on drinking behaviour and alcohol-related harm in older adults is sparse. This article describes a secondary analysis of UK data to address this knowledge gap

Gallium nitride junction field effect transistors for high-temperature operation

GaN is an attractive material for use in high-temperature or high-power electronic devices due to its high bandgap (3.39 eV), high breakdown field ({approximately}5 {times} 10{sup 6} V/cm), high saturation drift velocity (2.7 {times} 10{sup 7} cm/s), and chemical inertness. To this end, Metal Semiconductor FETs (MESFETs), High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs), Heterostructure FETs (HFETs), and Metal Insulator Semiconductor FETs (MISFETs) have all been reported based on epitaxial AlN/GaN structures (Khan 1993a,b; Binari 1994 and 1995). GaN Junction Field Effect Transistors (JFETs), however, had not been reported until recently (Zolper 1996b). JFETs are attractive for high-temperature operation due to the inherently higher thermal stability of the p/n junction gate of a JFET as compared to the Schottky barrier gate of a MESFET or HFET. In this paper the authors present the first results for elevated temperature performance of a GaN JFET. Although the forward gate properties are well behaved at higher temperatures, the reverse characteristics show increased leakage at elevated temperature. However, the increased date leakage alone does not explain the observed increase in drain current with temperature. Therefore, they believe this first device is limited by temperature activated substrate conduction

Early observed transient prostate-specific antigen elevations on a pilot study of external beam radiation therapy and fractionated MRI guided High Dose Rate brachytherapy boost

PURPOSE: To report early observation of transient PSA elevations on this pilot study of external beam radiation therapy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy boost. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven patients with intermediate-risk and high-risk localized prostate cancer received MRI guided HDR brachytherapy (10.5 Gy each fraction) before and after a course of external beam radiotherapy (46 Gy). Two patients continued on hormones during follow-up and were censored for this analysis. Four patients discontinued hormone therapy after RT. Five patients did not receive hormones. PSA bounce is defined as a rise in PSA values with a subsequent fall below the nadir value or to below 20% of the maximum PSA level. Six previously published definitions of biochemical failure to distinguish true failure from were tested: definition 1, rise >0.2 ng/mL; definition 2, rise >0.4 ng/mL; definition 3, rise >35% of previous value; definition 4, ASTRO defined guidelines, definition 5 nadir + 2 ng/ml, and definition 6, nadir + 3 ng/ml. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 24 months (range 18–36 mo). During follow-up, the incidence of transient PSA elevation was: 55% for definition 1, 44% for definition 2, 55% for definition 3, 33% for definition 4, 11% for definition 5, and 11% for definition 6. CONCLUSION: We observed a substantial incidence of transient elevations in PSA following combined external beam radiation and HDR brachytherapy for prostate cancer. Such elevations seem to be self-limited and should not trigger initiation of salvage therapies. No definition of failure was completely predictive

A Network-Individual-Resource Model for HIV Prevention

HIV is transmitted through dyadic exchanges of individuals linked in transitory or permanent networks of varying sizes. A theoretical perspective that bridges key individual level elements with important network elements can be a complementary foundation for developing and implementing HIV interventions with outcomes that are more sustainable over time and have greater dissemination potential. Toward that end, we introduce a Network-Individual-Resource (NIR) model for HIV prevention that recognizes how exchanges of resources between individuals and their networks underlies and sustains HIV-risk behaviors. Individual behavior change for HIV prevention, then, may be dependent on increasing the supportiveness of that individual’s relevant networks for such change. Among other implications, an NIR model predicts that the success of prevention efforts depends on whether the prevention efforts (1) prompt behavior changes that can be sustained by the resources the individual or their networks possess; (2) meet individual and network needs and are consistent with the individual’s current situation/developmental stage; (3) are trusted and valued; and (4) target high HIV-prevalence networks

An Intervention to Reduce HIV Risk Behavior of Substance-Using Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Two-Group Randomized Trial with a Nonrandomized Third Group

In a randomized trial of a behavioral intervention among substance-using men who have sex with men, aimed at reducing sexual risk behavior, Mansergh and colleagues fail to find evidence of a reduction in risk from the intervention