Estimating the Size and Structure of the Underground Commercial Sex Economy in Eight Major U.S. Cities

The underground commercial sex economy (UCSE) generates millions of dollars annually, yet investigation and data collection remain under resourced. Our study aimed to unveil the scale of the UCSE in eight major US cities. Across cities, the UCSE's worth was estimated between $39.9 and$290 million in 2007, but decreased since 2003 in all but two cities. Interviews with pimps, traffickers, sex workers, child pornographers, and law enforcement revealed the dynamics central to the underground commercial sex trade -- and shaped the policy suggestions to combat it

Collections Earning Their Keep. An Overview of International Archiving Initiatives

DOI: 10.12685/027.7-3-1-58The 2014 IFLA Satellite Conference was held in Paris on August 13 and 14 jointly by the Library Buildings and Equipment section and the Acquisitions and Collection Development section. The following article attempts to give an overview of selected projects regarding storage and archiving of print collections focussing on background, goals, financing and challenges. The international contributors were also invited to give their thoughts about future collaborations.Im Anschluss an die von den IFLA-Sektionen Library Buildings and Equipment und Acquisitions and Collection Development gemeinsam organisierte Satellite Conference in Paris (13. und 14. August 2014) liefert dieser Beitrag einen Abriss über ausgewählte bibliothekarische Archivierungsinitiativen. Besondere Berücksichtigung finden dabei Hintergrund, Ziele und Finanzierung der Projekte sowie Herausforderungen, mit denen sich die jeweiligen Verantwortlichen konfrontiert sehen. Ein besonderes Anliegen war, Ideen zur künftigen internationalen Zusammenarbeit zu sammeln.Faisant suite à la conférence satellite de l’IFLA organisée conjointement à Paris le 13 et le 14 août 2014 par la section Library Buildings and Equipment et la section Acquisitions and Collection Development, cet article tente de donner un aperçu de quelques projets choisis, réalisés dans le domaine de l’entreposage et de l’archivage des collections imprimées. L’accent sera mis sur le contexte, les buts visés, le financement et les défis relevés. Les intervenants internationaux ont également été invités à faire part de leurs idées concernant des collaborations futures

Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 episomal cDNA in semen

BACKGROUND: Episomal 2-long terminal repeat (LTR) HIV-1 cDNA, a by-product of HIV-1 infection, is used in clinical trials as a marker for ongoing viral replication. It would be useful to employ 2-LTR cDNA to monitor cryptic HIV-1 infection in the genital tract of men on antiretroviral therapy (ART) to predict the evolution of sexually transmissible drug-resistant HIV-1, but studies thus far have failed to detect this marker in semen. The objectives of this study were: 1) to use a technique that maximizes DNA recovery from HIV-1 infected white blood cells in semen to determine if episomal 2-LTR cDNA is detectable in semen of ART-naïve men with other evidence of genital tract HIV-1 infection, and 2) to compare levels of HIV-1 2-LTR cDNA, RNA, and proviral DNA in semen from HIV-1+ men on ART. RESULTS: Using a somatic cell DNA extraction technique, 2-LTR cDNA was detected by PCR/ELISA in 4 out of 8 semen samples from ART-naïve men selected for other signs of seminal HIV-1 infection (positive controls). Southern blot and DNA sequencing confirmed that the amplified sequences were HIV-1 2-LTR cDNA; copy numbers ranged from 55 to 504 copies/sample. Two semen samples from a cohort of 22 HIV-1-infected men on dual nucleoside therapy, one with and one without detectable seminal HIV-1 RNA, were 2-LTR cDNA positive (336 and 8,560 copies/sample). Following addition of indinavir to the therapy regimen, no semen samples from 21 men with controlled peripheral and seminal viral loads were 2-LTR cDNA positive at 1 and 6 month time points, despite the persistence of HIV-1 proviral DNA+ semen cells and seminal cytomegalovirus (CMV) shedding in some cases. However, one individual who failed indinavir therapy and later developed distinct protease inhibitor (PI) drug resistance mutations in semen, maintained elevated levels of HIV-1 RNA and 2-LTR cDNA in semen. CONCLUSION: 2-LTR HIV-1 cDNA is detectable in semen of HIV-1-infected men. Two men on ART had 2-LTR HIV-1 cDNA in semen, suggesting that this marker may prove to be useful to monitor HIV-1 infection in the genital tract of men on ART to predict the evolution of drug resistance mutations in semen

Factors Associated With Unplanned Hospitalizations Among Patients With Nonmetastatic Colorectal Cancers Intended for Treatment in the Ambulatory Setting

Chemotherapy administration and supportive management for solid tumors is intended to take place in the ambulatory setting, but little is known about why some patients experience treatment-related, adverse events so severe as to require acute inpatient care

Combination Therapy with Ciprofloxacin plus Azlocillin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Effect of Simultaneous versus Staggered Administration in an In Vitro Model of Infection

The effect of dose scheduling on the pharmacodynamics of simulated human doses of ciprofloxacin (200 mg intravenously [iv] every 12 h) and azlocillin (4 g iv every 12 h) alone or in combination against Pseudomonas aeruginosa was studied in a two-compartment in vitro kinetic model of infection. Studies with the two drugs in combination were compared using simultaneous or staggered (first doses of each drug were administered 6 h apart) dosing schedules. Bacterial regrowth and resistance were prevented by all combination dosing schedules; however, the simultaneous regimen consistently provided the greatest extent of killing for all strains, particularly in those initially resistant to ciprofloxacin. These enhanced effects of the combination were corroborated by an increase in the peak and duration of bactericidal activity in the analogous "serum” compartment of the model. These data show the potential usefulness of simultaneous dosing of an antipseudomonal µ-lactam with ciprofloxacin against P. aeruginos

Impactos da Liderança Sobre o Potencial Criativo das Pessoas nas Instituições Universitárias

Questões referentes à liderança e criatividade nas instituições têm sido muito discutidas. Em uma era da informação, do conhecimento, da transformação, do avanço tecnológico e velocidade de mudanças, torna-se essencial a discussão acerca do papel do líder nestas. O líder, como um agente de mudanças, muito exerce influência sobre os colaboradores, suas habilidades e competências. Dentre estas, a criatividade tem se configurado como um diferencial para a conquista das metas almejadas para as instituições e para a inovação das mesmas frente à concorrência exacerbada da contemporaneidade. Este artigo objetivou analisar os efeitos da liderança nas instituições universitárias, no que concerne à criatividade das pessoas. Aborda impactos positivos e negativos que a liderança pode vir a despertar no potencial criativo das pessoas neste âmbito. Analisa as instituições de trabalho, competências essenciais de um colaborador, aspectos relacionados à liderança, como sua conceituação, importância e, por fim, fatores relacionados à criatividade. Identificou-se que é necessário que a liderança atue nos colaboradores com a postura facilitadora, delegando a estes responsabilidades, de forma a estimulá-los e motivá-los, assim a criatividade poderá emergir. Percebeu-se que para a liderança exercer um impacto positivo nas pessoas no que tange à criatividade das mesmas, é necessário primeiramente desvencilhar-se do estereótipo do “chefe”, mais responsável por sua mediocridade do que por um trabalho eficiente de equipe. Caso isto não ocorra, com a presença de um líder autoritário, que cultive a rigidez e crie barreiras comunicacionais, inúmeros obstáculos poderão impedir os colaboradores de se desenvolverem plenamente no que corresponde ao seu potencial criativo. Outros fatores podem desfavorecer o potencial criativo, são eles: a intransigência e o autoritarismo, protecionismo e paternalismo, a falta de integração entre os setores, a falta de apoio para colocar novas idéias em ação e a falta de estímulo aos colaboradores. Nas considerações finais, foram apontados os impactos negativos que a liderança poderá ter sobre o potencial criativo, bem como foram pontuados aspectos positivos da intervenção do líder no que diz respeito à criatividade

Use of Non-Occupational Post-Exposure Prophylaxis does not Lead to an Increase in High Risk Sex Behaviors in Men Who have Sex with Men Participating in the EXPLORE Trial

Non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP) use is an HIV prevention strategy that has been recommended by the CDC to prevent HIV infection after a high risk sexual exposure since 1997. In a behavioral intervention trial of 4,295 MSM we assessed perceptions and use of nPEP over 4 years in six cities across the United States. Overall, 1.9% of MSM reported use of nPEP prior to enrollment, and 6.3% at least once during the trial. Awareness of nPEP was reported by 47.5%, with higher awareness in two sites with funded nPEP programs. Three seroconversions occurred in the 384 visits where nPEP courses were reported, with no effect of nPEP on risk of HIV acquisition in this cohort (hazard ratio = 0.91, 95% confidence interval [0.29, 2.86]). NPEP users were a riskier group: increased odds of nPEP use were observed in association with multiple partners and unprotected receptive and insertive anal sex with HIV infected partners and partners with unknown HIV status. NPEP use was also associated with use of illicit drugs (injection drugs, crack cocaine, hallucinogens, and amphetamines). Importantly, willingness to use nPEP after high risk sex was associated with lower odds of high risk sex. After an episode of nPEP use, nPEP users remained more likely to report high risk sex than those in this cohort who had not previously used nPEP. However, within the subset of people who had previously reported high risk sex, previous nPEP use was not associated with higher odds of high risk sex, thus allaying fears that availability of nPEP would lead to an increase in high risk sex

A Systematic Review of Psychometric Properties of Health-Related Quality-of-Life and Symptom Instruments in Adult Acute Leukemia Survivors

Acute leukemia represents 4% of cancer cases in the United States (US) annually. There are over 302,000 people living with acute and chronic leukemia in the US. Treatment has been shown to have both positive and negative effects on health-related quality of life (HRQOL)

Quality of life domains among non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivors: an integrative literature review

Survival rates of individuals with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) have increased in the past several years, as has the prevalence of older adults who are managing late and long-term effects of the disease and its treatment. In this integrative review, the state of the science for determining the quality of life (QOL) among NHL survivors is outlined. An online search of Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library databases was conducted using the following Keywords: non-Hodgkin lymphoma, health-related quality of life, quality of life, and impact of cancer. Eighteen studies published between 2000 and 2010 are reviewed. Of these, 17 were descriptive, cross-sectional designs, and one was a systematic review. The studies included participants of varying ages and years post-diagnosis as reported in several countries. Importantly, many used one or more QOL measures as outcome variables. Future research is needed on older and minority cancer populations and should include longitudinal and interventional studies