Skeletal carbonate mineralogy of Scottish bryozoans

This paper describes the skeletal carbonate mineralogy of 156 bryozoan species collected from Scotland (sourced both from museum collections and from waters around Scotland) and collated from literature. This collection represents 79% of the species which inhabit Scottish waters and is a greater number and proportion of extant species than any previous regional study. The study is also of significance globally where the data augment the growing database of mineralogical analyses and offers first analyses for 26 genera and four families. Specimens were collated through a combination of field sampling and existing collections and were analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and micro-XRD to determine wt% MgCO3 in calcite and wt% aragonite. Species distribution data and phylogenetic organisation were applied to understand distributional, taxonomic and phylo-mineralogical patterns. Analysis of the skeletal composition of Scottish bryozoans shows that the group is statistically different from neighbouring Arctic fauna but features a range of mineralogy comparable to other temperate regions. As has been previously reported, cyclostomes feature low Mg in calcite and very little aragonite, whereas cheilostomes show much more variability, including bimineralic species. Scotland is a highly variable region, open to biological and environmental influx from all directions, and bryozoans exhibit this in the wide range of within-species mineralogical variability they present. This plasticity in skeletal composition may be driven by a combination of environmentally-induced phenotypic variation, or physiological factors. A flexible response to environment, as manifested in a wide range of skeletal mineralogy within a species, may be one characteristic of successful invasive bryozoans

Transactional sex and prevalence of STIs: a cross-sectional study of MSM and transwomen screened for an HIV prevention trial

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have characterised the degree of engagement in transactional sex among men and trans-gender women who have sex with men and explored its association with sexually transmitted infections and human immunodeficiency virus in Ecuador. METHOD: We screened 642 men who have sex with men and transgender women for a pre-exposure prophylaxis clinical trial (iPrEx) in Guayaquil, Ecuador, 2007–2009. We analysed the association of degree of engagement in transactional sex and prevalence of sexually transmitted infections including human immunodeficiency virus using chi-square and analysis of variance tests. RESULTS: Although just 6.2% of those who screened self-identified as sex workers, 52.1% reported having engaged in transactional sex. Compared to those who had never been paid for sex, those who had been paid were more likely to have a sexually transmitted infection (56.6% vs. 45.0%, p =0.007) and trended towards a higher human immunodeficiency virus prevalence (16.6% vs. 10.4%, p =0.082) at screening. Transgender women compared to other men who have sex with men were more likely to have sexually transmitted infections diagnosed at screening (75.6% vs. 50.0%, p =0.001). DISCUSSION: Transactional sex is practiced widely but occasionally among the men who have sex with men and trans-gender women in Guayaquil who screened for the iPrEx study; however, engaging in transactional sex may not lead to a sex worker self-identification. Both transactional sex and being a transgender woman are associated with sexually transmitted infections prevalence