Trends and projections in sexually transmitted infections in people aged 45 years and older in England: analysis of national surveillance data.

AimsWe describe the epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV in people aged ⩾45 years in England and provide future projections about the burden of STIs in this age group.MethodsAnalysis of national surveillance data in England from 2014 to 2019 for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes, syphilis, anogenital warts and HIV was carried out. Time trends were assessed by the Poisson regression and reported using incidence rate ratios (IRRs). Two scenarios were modelled to predict the number of new STI diagnoses and associated costs in 2040.ResultsIn 2019, there were 37,692 new STI diagnoses in people ⩾45 years in England. Between 2014 and 2019, there was a significant increase in the rate of new STI diagnoses in men (IRR = 1.05, p = .05) and those aged 45-64 years (IRR = 1.04, p = .05). Absolute numbers of new STI diagnoses in men who have sex with men increased by 76% between 2014 and 2019 (IRR = 1.15, p p ConclusionSTI rates in England are increasing in people aged ⩾45 years. The population is ageing and older people will contribute an increasing burden to STI costs if this trend continues. The reasons for this trend are not fully understood and further longitudinal epidemiological research is needed. Sexual health promotion campaigns and healthcare interventions targeted at older people should be prioritised

Effect of Crystallization Conditions on the Metastable Zone Width and Nucleation Kinetics of p ‐Aminobenzoic Acid in Ethanol

A detailed knowledge of the metastable zone width (MSZW) and nucleation kinetics is vital for the design of batch cooling crystallization processes. Factors such as cooling rate and impeller speed affect the MSZW and nucleation kinetics. Crystallization and dissolution temperatures were measured as a function of cooling rate and impeller speed during the batch cooling crystallization of p ‐aminobenzoic acid (pABA) from ethanol in a 0.5‐L stirred‐tank crystallizer. The polythermal experimental data were analyzed using the Nyvlt and first principles‐based Kashchiev‐Borissova‐Hammond‐Roberts (KBHR) methods. In all experimental cases, the latter model revealed that the nucleation process of pABA in ethanol was dominated by an instantaneous nucleation mechanism. The Nyvlt and KBHR analyses delivered a range of parameter values associated with a power‐law model describing the nucleation rate as well as the concentration of nuclei

Morphology and Growth of Methyl Stearate as a Function of Crystallization Environment

In situ studies of methyl stearate growing from supersaturated n-dodecane, kerosene, and toluene solutions reveal strong evidence that solvent choice influences the crystal morphology and crystal growth kinetics. Crystals with similar habit are observed in all solvents, with the exception of lower supersaturations in kerosene, where a less symmetric morphology was observed. BFDH analysis based on the monoclinic C2 crystal structure of methyl stearate yielded the morphological indexation to be (110), (1–10), (−110), and (−1–10) for the dominant observed habit and (110) (1–10) (−1–10) (−240) (−3–10) for the less symmetric habit observed in kerosene solvent. Measurements of the growth rate for the (110) and (1–10) faces are similar for all solutions ranging from 0.02 to 1.13 μm/s, for significantly lower values of supersaturation in the case of toluene. The tendency of the growth rate dependence on σ was consistent with the Burton-Cabrera-Frank (BCF) growth mechanism in n-dodecane, the Birth and Spread (B&S) mechanism in kerosene and diffusion controlled in toluene solvent

Solubility and crystallisability of the ternary system: Hexadecane and octadecane representative in fuel solvents

The solubility and crystallisability of a range of binary mixtures of n-hexadecane (C16H34) and n-octadecane (C18H38), as the predominant alkanes present in hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), from three representative fuel solutions (dodecane, toluene and kerosene) is presented. The dissolution (saturation) and crystallisation (supersaturation) points of the solutions are measured using poly-thermal methods utilising turbidometric detection over four concentrations from (192 g/l to 400 g/l). The data reveals the existence of more soluble, less stable crystal structures that form from the alkane mixtures, when compared to the stable triclinic crystal structures formed from the single solute component solutions. An increased carbon chain length results in lower solubility for all three solvents and the solvent type is not found to have any significant effect on the solid forms produced from the mixtures. van’t Hoff analysis reveals the solvent type to influence the solute solubility with the closest to ideal behaviour being dodecane followed by kerosene and toluene, respectively. This finding is further supported by the calculated dissolution enthalpies and activity coefficients, which are the lowest in dodecane followed by kerosene and toluene. Larger values of activity coefficients are observed for compositions with molar fraction (y) = 0.1, 0.5–0.7 C18H38 which reflect the complex multi-phase formation in the solutions when compared with the more simple binary melt crystallisation system

Nucleation mechanism and kinetics from the analysis of polythermal crystallisation data: Methyl stearate from kerosene solutions

A polythermal methodology to assess the mechanisms and the kinetics of solution crystallisation is described and used in connection with a recently proposed model for the dependence of the critical undercooling for crystallisation on the cooling rate (D. Kashchiev, A. Borissova, R. B. Hammond, K. J. Roberts, J. Cryst. Growth, 312 (2010) 698-704; J. Phys. Chem. B, 114 (2010) 5441-5446). This first principles model allows determination of crystallisation parameters that could otherwise only be obtained by combined application of both the isothermal and the polythermal methods. The methodology is validated through analysis of experimental data measured for methyl stearate crystallising from kerosene solutions with concentrations from 200 to 350 g l-1. The analysis reveals a progressive heterogeneous nucleation mechanism and crystallite interfacial tension values between 1.64 and 1.79 with no obvious dependence on the solution concentration, in good agreement with values derived by isothermal methods. Sensitivity analysis leads to the conclusion that a minimum of four different cooling rates spanning at least one order of magnitude together with at least five repeats for crystallisation temperature values at each cooling rate are appropriate. Extensive supplementary material provides a mathematical description of the above authors' model, insight into the relationship between this model and the empirical Nyvlt model, and further detail concerning the results of the sensitivity analysis carried out on the experimental methodology used

Data for crystallisation, dissolution and saturation temperatures of the ternary system: Hexadecane and octadecane representative in fuel solvents

The data presented in this article relates to the crystallisation of hexadecane (C₁₆H₃₄) and octadecane (C₁₈H₃₈), being the predominant alkanes present in hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), from solvents representative of fuel (dodecane, toluene and kerosene). Data was collected for eleven C₁₆H₃₄/C₁₈H₃₈ compositions for each solvent used. Raw crystallisation and dissolution data is provided over a range of solution concentrations and cooling rates used under a poly-thermal crystallisation methodology. Equilibrium saturation temperature data is also presented for each composition, concentration and solvent system, indicating the trend in solubility for each solution

Influence of solution chemistry on the solubility, crystallisability and nucleation behaviour of eicosane in toluene : acetone mixed-solvents

The interplay between the solution chemistry and crystallisability of eicosane in mixed toluene : acetone solutions is examined over the full compositional range from pure toluene to pure acetone, using a combination of polythermal crystallisation experiments and molecular modelling. Enthalpies of dissolution and mixing, as well as metastable zone widths increase with increasing acetone content, up to a mol fraction of 0.85 acetone, followed by a decrease in values to pure acetone solutions. Nucleation is found to occur via an instantaneous pathway for the pure solvent systems and also when toluene is in excess, in contrast to solutions where acetone is in excess, which are found to nucleate progressively. Rationalisation through molecular modelling highlights likely changes in the solution structure, whereby eicosane can be expected to be preferentially solvated by toluene, with this solvated cluster being surrounded by a ‘cage’ of acetone molecules. This proposed structure is consistent with a model whereby solute diffusion and hence clustering is hindered when acetone is in excess, decreasing the crystallisability of the solution and effecting a change in the mechanism of nucleation. However, above a critical acetone composition, the potential for complete toluene solvation is restricted and easier crystallisation is enabled

Nitrogen uptake and internal recycling in Zostera marina exposed to oyster farming: eelgrass potential as a natural biofilter

Oyster farming in estuaries and coastal lagoons frequently overlaps with the distribution of seagrass meadows, yet there are few studies on how this aquaculture practice affects seagrass physiology. We compared in situ nitrogen uptake and the productivity of Zostera marina shoots growing near off-bottom longlines and at a site not affected by oyster farming in San Quintin Bay, a coastal lagoon in Baja California, Mexico. We used benthic chambers to measure leaf NH4 (+) uptake capacities by pulse labeling with (NH4)-N-15 (+) and plant photosynthesis and respiration. The internal N-15 resorption/recycling was measured in shoots 2 weeks after incubations. The natural isotopic composition of eelgrass tissues and vegetative descriptors were also examined. Plants growing at the oyster farming site showed a higher leaf NH4 (+) uptake rate (33.1 mmol NH4 (+) m(-2) day(-1)) relative to those not exposed to oyster cultures (25.6 mmol NH4 (+) m(-2) day(-1)). We calculated that an eelgrass meadow of 15-16 ha (which represents only about 3-4 % of the subtidal eelgrass meadow cover in the western arm of the lagoon) can potentially incorporate the total amount of NH4 (+) excreted by oysters (similar to 5.2 x 10(6) mmol NH4 (+) day(-1)). This highlights the potential of eelgrass to act as a natural biofilter for the NH4 (+) produced by oyster farming. Shoots exposed to oysters were more efficient in re-utilizing the internal N-15 into the growth of new leaf tissues or to translocate it to belowground tissues. Photosynthetic rates were greater in shoots exposed to oysters, which is consistent with higher NH4 (+) uptake and less negative delta C-13 values. Vegetative production (shoot size, leaf growth) was also higher in these shoots. Aboveground/belowground biomass ratio was lower in eelgrass beds not directly influenced by oyster farms, likely related to the higher investment in belowground biomass to incorporate sedimentary nutrients

Managing ethnic conflict : the menu of institutional engineering

The debate on institutional engineering offers options to manage ethnic and other conflicts. This contribution systematically assesses the logic of these institutional designs and the empirical evidence on their functioning. Generally, institutions can work on ethnic conflict by either accommodating (“consociationalists”) or denying (“integrationists”) ethnicity in politics. Looking at individual and combined institutions (e.g. state structure, electoral system, forms of government), the literature review finds that most designs are theoretically ambivalent and that empirical evidence on their effectiveness is mostly inconclusive. The following questions remain open: a) Is politicized ethnicity really a conflict risk? b) What impact does the whole “menu” (not just single institutions) have? and c) How are effects conditioned by the exact nature of conflict risks

Probing host pathogen cross-talk by transcriptional profiling of both Mycobacterium tuberculosis and infected human dendritic cells and macrophages

This study provides the proof of principle that probing the host and the microbe transcriptomes simultaneously is a valuable means to accessing unique information on host pathogen interactions. Our results also underline the extraordinary plasticity of host cell and pathogen responses to infection, and provide a solid framework to further understand the complex mechanisms involved in immunity to M. tuberculosis and in mycobacterial adaptation to different intracellular environments