Nitrous oxide for the treatment of complex regional pain syndrome: a randomized blinded trial.

INTRODUCTION: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a debilitating neuropathic condition often refractory to conventional treatments. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists have a well-established role in the development and modulation of chronic neuropathic pain. Nitrous oxide is widely used and generally safe anesthetic gas with NMDA receptor antagonist activity. We therefore tested the hypothesis that brief periods of nitrous oxide exposure reduce pain in patients with CRPS. METHODS: Patients with a diagnosis of CRPS were randomized to either 2 hours of nitrous oxide exposure on three alternating days (Nitrous Oxide) versus a placebo air/oxygen mixture (Air-Oxygen). Our primary outcome was patient-reported pain scores at 1 week and 1 month. Secondary and exploratory outcomes were physical and mental health (PRMOIS-29 v2 survey), specific neuropathic pain symptoms (McGill short-form questionnaire), and opioid consumption. RESULTS: 44 patients participated in the study; 20 were randomized to Nitrous Oxide and 24 were assigned to Air-Oxygen. Pain scores did not differ significantly, with the estimated difference in means (Nitrous Oxide-Air-Oxygen) of -0.57 (95% CI: -1.42 to 0.28) points, p=0.19. There were also no differences detected in secondary outcomes, with the estimated difference in mean Z-scores for physical health (Nitrous Oxide-Air-Oxygen) of 0.13 (95% CI: -0.16 to 0.43), mental health 0.087 (95% CI: -0.31 to 0.48), and Patient Global Impression of Change score -0.7 (95% CI: -1.85 to 0.46). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with air/oxygen, 2 hours of nitrous oxide/oxygen exposure for three sessions did not provide meaningful therapeutic potential for patients with chronic CRPS. Our results do not support using nitrous oxide for the treatment of CRPS.

Transdisciplinaridade entre psicologia e saúde pública, engajamento acadêmico na modalidade remota em época de pandemia / Transdisciplinarity between psychology and public health, academic engagement in remote modality during the pandemic era / Transdisciplinariedad entre psicología y salud pública, engagement académico en modalidad remota durante la era pandémica

OBJETIVO: Comparar o engajamento acadêmico durante a pandemia de COVID-19 em estudantes de duas universidades. METODOLOGIA: Estudo quantitativo, transversal, correlacional, analítico, utilizando a escala de engajamento acadêmico. A amostra foi composta por 650 alunos de psicologia, selecionados durante o ano de 2021 de forma não aleatória por conveniência, em duas universidades da Baixa Califórnia, México, uma privada e outra pública (319 e 331 alunos respectivamente), a escola privada com experiência anterior em educação à distância, e a segunda, com implantação de educação à distância emergencial durante a pandemia do COVID-19, a coleta de dados foi realizada virtualmente por meio de questionário. RESULTADOS: os alunos da universidade com experiência em educação à distância percebem, em média, um nível de engajamento acadêmico maior do que os universitários sem experiência em educação à distância. VALOR: A transdisciplinaridade de pesquisadores-acadêmicos nas áreas de psicologia e saúde coletiva trouxe evidências sobre a importância dos aspectos psicológicos (engajamento acadêmico) em novos paradigmas de pedagogia educacional (educação à distância), em meio a grandes problemas médico-epidemiológicos (pandemia de COVID-19). CONCLUSÕES: Concluiu-se que o nível de engajamento acadêmico dos alunos está vinculado à experiência anterior em educação à distância.

| OBJECTIVE: To compare academic engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic in students from two universities. METHODOLOGY: Quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational, analytical study, using the academic engagement scale. The sample was 650 undergraduate students in psychology, selected during the year 2021 in a non-random manner for convenience at two universities in Baja California, Mexico, one private and the other public (319 and 331 students respectively), the private school with experience previous in remote education, and the public school migrated to emergency remote education during the COVID-19 pandemic, data collection was carried out virtually through a questionnaire. RESULTS: University students with experience in remote education perceive on average a higher level of academic engagement than university students without experience in remote education. VALUE: The transdisciplinarity of researchers-academics in the areas of psychology and public health, provided evidence on the importance of psychological aspects (academic engagement) in new paradigms of educational pedagogy (remote education), in the midst of major medical-epidemiological problems (COVID 19 pandemic). CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the level of academic engagement of the students is linked to previous experience in remote education.

OBJETIVO: Comparar el engagement académico durante la pandemia COVID-19 en estudiantes de dos universidades. METODOLOGÍA: Estudio cuantitativo, transversal, correlacional, analítico, utilizando la escala engagement académico. La muestra fue de 650 estudiantes de licenciatura en psicología, seleccionados durante el año 2021 de manera no aleatoria por conveniencia en dos universidades de Baja California, México, una privada y la otra pública (319 y 331 alumnos respectivamente), la escuela privada con experiencia previa en educación remota, y la escuela pública migró a la educación remota de emergencia durante la pandemia COVID-19, la recolección de datos se realizó de manera virtual mediante un cuestionario. RESULTADOS: Los estudiantes de la universidad con experiencia en educación remota perciben en promedio mayor nivel de engagement académico que la universidad sin experiencia en educación remota. VALOR: La transdisciplinariedad de los investigadores-académicos en las áreas de psicología y salud pública, aportó evidencia sobre la importancia de aspectos psicológicos (engagement académico) en nuevos paradigmas de la pedagogía educativa (educación remota), en medio de grandes problemas médico-epidemiológicos (pandemia por COVID 19). CONCLUSIONES: Se concluye que el nivel de engagement académico de los alumnos se vincula a la experiencia previa en educación remota.

Factors associated with individual and couple participation in online sexual health research with Latinx sexual minority men.

Latinx sexual minority men (LSMM) have higher rates of HIV incidence than most other ethnic and racial groups. Given that transmission risk is higher among primary partners, it is critical to identify factors that would facilitate partner recruitment into couples-based sexual health research studies. The present study utilizes a sample of index participants (n= 625), which includes 530 LSMM who did not recruit their partner and 95 LSMM who successfully did so (N = 625). Participants completed measures of communication styles and cultural values of masculinity. Findings suggest that caballerismo (chivalry/nurturing) and constructive communication were significantly and positively associated with the odds of recruiting one's partner in an interaction model. Consideration of cultural factors and communication style may enhance the efficiency of recruitment of LSMM and facilitate partner engagement.

Los hombres latinx de minorías sexuales (LSMM) tienen tasas más altas de incidencia del VIH que la mayoría de los otros grupos étnicos. Dado que el riesgo de transmisión es mayor entre las parejas principales, es fundamental identificar los factores que facilitarían el reclutamiento de la pareja en los estudios de investigación sobre salud sexual centrados en las parejas. El estudio actual utiliza una muestra "index partners" (los miembros principales de la pareja), que incluye 530 LSMM que no reclutaron a su pareja y 95 LSMM que pudieron reclutar exitosamente a su pareja (N = 625) en el estudio. Los participantes completaron medidas de estilos de comunicación y valores culturales. Los hallazgos sugieren que a medida que aumentaba el caballerismo y la comunicación constructiva, aumentaban las probabilidades de reclutar a la pareja en un modelo de interacción. La consideración de los factores culturales y el estilo de comunicación es fundamental para aumentar la contratación de LSMM y facilitar la participación de las parejas.

The Use of HIV Pre- and Postexposure Prophylaxis Among a Web-Based Sample of HIV-Negative and Unknown Status Cisgender and Transgender Sexual Minority Men: Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: HIV disproportionately affects sexual minority men (SMM) in the United States. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine past HIV postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) use and current and prior pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use among a web-based sample of cisgender and transgender men who have sex with men. METHODS: In 2019, HIV-negative and unknown status SMM (n=63,015) were recruited via geosocial networking apps, social media, and other web-based venues to participate in a brief eligibility screening survey. Individuals were asked about past PEP use and current and prior PrEP use. We examined associations of demographics, socioeconomic indicators, and recent club drug use with PEP and PrEP use, as well as the association between past PEP use and current and prior PrEP use using generalized linear models and multinomial logistic regression. Statistical significance was considered at P<.001, given the large sample size; 99.9% CIs are reported. RESULTS: Prior PEP use was reported by 11.28% (7108/63,015) of the participants, with current or prior PrEP use reported by 21.95% (13,832/63,015) and 8.12% (5118/63,015), respectively. Nearly half (3268/7108, 46%) of the past PEP users were current PrEP users, and another 39.9% (2836/7108) of the participants who reported past PEP use also reported prior PrEP use. In multivariable analysis, past PEP use was associated with current (relative risk ratio [RRR] 23.53, 99.9% CI 14.03-39.46) and prior PrEP use (RRR 52.14, 99.9% CI 29.39-92.50). Compared with White men, Black men had higher prevalence of past PEP use and current PrEP use, Latino men had higher prevalence of PEP use but no significant difference in PrEP use, and those identifying as another race or ethnicity reported higher prevalence of past PEP use and lower current PrEP use. Past PEP use and current PrEP use were highest in the Northeast, with participants in the Midwest and South reporting significantly lower PEP and PrEP use. A significant interaction of Black race by past PEP use with current PrEP use was found (RRR 0.57, 99.9% CI 0.37-0.87), indicating that Black men who previously used PEP were less likely to report current PrEP use. Participants who reported recent club drug use were significantly more likely to report past PEP use and current or prior PrEP use than those without recent club drug use. CONCLUSIONS: PrEP use continues to be the predominant HIV prevention strategy for SMM compared with PEP use. Higher rates of past PEP use and current PrEP use among Black SMM are noteworthy, given the disproportionate burden of HIV. Nonetheless, understanding why Black men who previously used PEP are less likely to report current PrEP use is an important avenue for future research.

Effects of Oral Zafirlukast, Sildenafil, or Pirfenidone on the Formation of Postsurgical Intra-Abdominal Adhesions in an Experimental Rat Model.

INTRODUCTION: Intra-abdominal adhesions' main etiology is surgical procedures that commonly require reintervention. Oral treatments with sildenafil, zafirlukast, and pirfenidone have yielded decreased severity of fibrotic phenomena secondary to the introduction of foreign material. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of oral zafirlukast, sildenafil, or pirfenidone treatment on reducing or preventing intra-abdominal adhesions in an experimental rat model. METHODS: Four groups, each of 10 male Wistar rats weighing 250-300 g, were used. A midline laparotomy was used to excise an area of 1.5 × 1.5 cm and reconstructed with polypropylene mesh fixed to the abdominal wall. After 12 h, oral doses of zafirlukast (1.25 mg/kg, group B), sildenafil (15 mg/kg, group C), or pirfenidone (500 mg/kg, group D) were given every day for 8 days. The control group, A, received no treatment. At day 9, animals were reoperated. The implant was resected after ethically approved euthanasia, and specimens were fixed in 10% formaldehyde for histopathology. RESULTS: Control group A yielded adhesions with greater fibrovascular density and neighboring organ involvement than the other groups (p = 0.001), as well as intense inflammatory infiltrates and numerous granulomas (p = 0.04). Adhesions in group C had less fibrovascular density (p = 0.03) with decreased serosal injuries (p = 0.001) and less organ involvement. Group D had reduced adhesions without organ involvement (p < 0.01) and less inflammatory infiltrates, collagen fibers, and foreign body granulomas than group B or C (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Oral administration of these agents did not prevent adhesions but ameliorated them. Oral pirfenidone offered the best performance and could be recommended for human use.

A rat model to investigate quality of recovery after abdominal surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Major advances in therapies to optimize recovery after surgery have been limited by the lack of an animal model that can mimic major domains of postoperative sickness behavior in humans. We hypothesized that the integration of commonly impaired domains of quality of recovery in humans could be reproduced in a rat model. OBJECTIVES: To create a rat model that can mimic surgical recovery in humans. METHODS: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in the development of a quality of recovery score after surgery. Six physiological parameters or behaviors were tested in naive, sham, and laparotomized animals. A quality of recovery score was constructed and ranged from 18 (no impairment) to 0 (gross impairment). We treated animals with a nutraceutical intervention consisting of aspirin and eicosapentaenoic acid. Inflammatory markers and specialized proresolving mediators were measured in serum and the intestinal mucosa of rats, respectively. RESULTS: We observed a significant reduction in quality of recovery scores on postoperative days 1 (median, interquartile: 6 [4.75-8.25] vs naive rats: 17.5 [15.5-18]), 2 (median, interquartile: 13 [11.25-13.25], P < 0.001 vs naive rats: 17 [17-18], P = 0.001), and 3 (median, interquartile: 14.5 [13.5-16] vs naive rats: 17 [15.75-18], P < 0.02). Surgery promoted a significant increase in the concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, but it reduced levels of interleukin-12p70 and macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Lipoxin B4 and 13-HODE were significantly higher in laparotomized rats. Aspirin + eicosapentaenoic acid substantially improved recovery scores and modulated the postsurgical inflammatory response. CONCLUSION: Our novel rat model can be used to study mechanisms governing surgical recovery in rats.

Marijuana and illicit drugs: Correlates of condomless anal sex among adolescent and emerging adult sexual minority men.

The association between "illicit drugs" (e.g., cocaine/crack, methamphetamine, gamma-hydroxybutyrate-GHB, ketamine, and ecstasy) and condomless anal sex (CAS) with casual partners is well established for sexual minority men (SMM). Recent evidence from adult SMM has indicated that marijuana is associated with the occurrence of CAS with casual partners above and beyond illicit drug use. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate associations between CAS and the use of marijuana and illicit drugs in a sample of young SMM (aged 15-24). Participants (n = 578) completed an online survey assessing demographics, current PrEP prescription, age, marijuana use, as well as drug use and sexual behavior in the past 90 days. A hurdle model simultaneously predicted the occurrence of CAS as well as the frequency of CAS among those reporting it. Illicit drug use was associated with both the occurrence (OR = 2.26; p = .01) and frequency of CAS (RR = 1.63; p = .02). In contrast, marijuana use was associated with the occurrence (OR = 1.69; p = .01), but not the frequency of CAS (RR = 1.07; p = .74). Findings mirror recent observations in large samples of adult SMM. While the effect size of marijuana is more modest than illicit drug use, marijuana does have significant and unique associations with the occurrence of CAS. HIV prevention services for young SMM may therefore benefit from assessing and addressing marijuana use in the context of HIV sexual behavior.

Heterosexual Cisgender Men Partnered with Transgender Women Exhibit Higher HIV/STI Sexual Risk than Their Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Counterparts: Findings from a U.S.-Based Convenience Sample Recruited Online.

Cisgender men are frequently vectors for HIV transmission among transgender women. Despite this, the correlates of sexual risk among these men remain under-examined. The purpose of the present study was to explore potential differences in relationship characteristics, sexual risk-taking, and risk-reduction strategies among cisgender men partnered with transgender women. The study utilized secondary screening data provided by adult cis men who reported being in a primary relationship with a trans woman (N = 710). Gay men (18%) were comparatively older, and most likely to report both HIV seropositivity and committed pairings. Heterosexual men (14%) were more likely to report exchange sex, briefer relationships, extra-dyadic sex, lesser serostatus awareness or PrEP uptake. Queer men (7%) were youngest, and most likely to access PrEP. Heterosexual cis men with trans women partners may be subject to unique socio-cultural drivers of sexual risk, such as heteronormative pressures and relationship stigma.

Leveraging Technology to Blend Large-Scale Epidemiologic Surveillance With Social and Behavioral Science Methods: Successes, Challenges, and Lessons Learned Implementing the UNITE Longitudinal Cohort Study of HIV Risk Factors Among Sexual Minority Men in the United States.

The use of digital technologies to conduct large-scale research with limited interaction (i.e., no in-person contact) and objective endpoints (i.e., biological testing) has significant potential for the field of epidemiology, but limited research to date has been published on the successes and challenges of such approaches. We analyzed data from a cohort study of sexual minority men across the United States, collected using digital strategies during a 10-month period from 2017 to 2018. Overall, 113,874 individuals were screened, of whom 26,000 were invited to the study, 10,691 joined the study, and 7,957 completed all enrollment steps, including return of a human immunodeficiency virus-negative sample. We examined group differences in completion of the steps towards enrollment to inform future research and found significant differences according to several factors, including age and race. This study adds to prior work to provide further proof-of-concept for this limited-interaction, technology-mediated methodology, highlighting some of its strengths and challenges, including rapid access to more diverse populations but also potential for bias due to differential enrollment. This method has strong promise, and future implementation research is needed to better understand the roles of burden, privacy, access, and compensation, to enhance representativeness and generalizability of the data generated.

Adolescent Sexual Minority Males, Relationship Functioning, and Condomless Sex.

PURPOSE: Adolescent sexual minority males (SMMs) are at a high risk of contracting HIV through condomless sex. Many develop serious partnerships, and sex with main partners accounts for many new infections. Previous research with adolescent SMMs largely focused on relationship seriousness and found a positive association with sexual HIV risk. This study tested associations between three relationship functioning indicators and condomless sex. METHODS: Adolescent SMMs aged 15-19 years (n = 85) completed a brief online survey. Respondents rated commitment, seriousness, and satisfaction on 7-point Likert-type scales. RESULTS: Among adolescent SMMs who had sex in their lifetime, those who were more satisfied in their relationship were less likely to have condomless in the past 90 days (odds ratio = .56, p = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Results support examining multiple domains of relationship functioning in this age group to identify relationship mechanisms that may serve as the target of HIV risk-reduction interventions among adolescent SMMs initiating relationships.

Testing the drug use and condomless anal sex link among sexual minority men: The predictive utility of marijuana and interactions with relationship status.

BACKGROUND: The association between drug use and condomless anal sex (CAS) is well documented among sexual minority men (SMM). Less is known about whether this association generalizes to marijuana and across relationship status and sexual agreements groups (single, partnered monogamous, partnered open -outside partners permitted, and partnered monogamish -outside partners permitted when main partners are together). METHODS: A nationwide sample of SMM (N = 65,707) were recruited through a geosocial networking app between November 2017 and November 2019. Participants reported on drug use and instances of CAS with casual partners in the previous 30 days. RESULTS: Both marijuana and club drug use were associated with the occurrence of CAS with casual partners among single men. Only club drug use was associated with CAS frequency in this group. The association between marijuana and the occurrence of CAS did not differ significantly among monogamous men, while the associations between club drug use and the occurrence as well as frequency of CAS were significantly weaker. Meanwhile, the associations between club drug use and the occurrence as well as frequency of CAS did not differ significantly between single and non-monogamous (open and monogamish) subgroups; however, the association between marijuana and the occurrence of CAS was significantly weaker. CONCLUSIONS: Findings largely replicated the robust association between club drug use and CAS with casual partners. They support the assertion that marijuana use predicts sexual risk for some SMM subgroups. Finally, they illustrate the potential for relationship status - and sexual agreements - to contextualize associations between drug use and CAS.

Growing Acceptability of Undetectable = Untransmittable but Widespread Misunderstanding of Transmission Risk: Findings From a Very Large Sample of Sexual Minority Men in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated no linked HIV transmissions in serodifferent sexual encounters where the partner with HIV has an undetectable viral load. As a result, awareness and dissemination of treatment as prevention, and movements such as "Undetectable = Untransmittable" (U = U), has grown. SETTING: We conducted an online cross-sectional survey from November 2017 through September 2018 to gather data from a total of 111,747 sexual minority men (SMM) in the United States. METHODS: Participants provided sociodemographic data and answered questions regarding biomedical status, HIV and STI prevention behaviors, drug use, condomless anal sex, and perceived accuracy of the U = U message. We conducted analyses to understand factors associated with perceived accuracy of U = U stratified by HIV status. RESULTS: Overall, 53.2% of the sample perceived U = U as accurate, with the highest rates among HIV-positive SMM (83.9%), followed by HIV-negative (53.8%) and status-unknown (39.0%) SMM. Multivariable models showed accuracy beliefs were, on average, 1-2% higher for each consecutive month of recruitment. Consistent with previous work, there was greater heterogeneity among HIV-negative and unknown men, with several factors differentiating perceived accuracy, compared with SMM with HIV. Perceived transmission risk levels with undetectable partners were skewed well above accurate levels, and greater perceived transmission risk was associated with lower perceived accuracy of U = U. CONCLUSIONS: Public confidence in treatment as prevention and U = U is growing, but clear, unequivocal messaging about the effectiveness of U = U is critical. Owing to misunderstandings of risk, language that focuses on protective benefits rather than transmission risks may reach more people and allow for better comparisons with PrEP and condoms.

Microplastics in stormwater runoff in a semiarid region, Tijuana, Mexico.

Land-based sources are considered the most important source of microplastic pollution to marine environment. Stormwater runoff has been identified as one of the main pollutant contributors to water bodies. Seven sites were sampled to identify and quantify microplastics in stormwater runoff in Tijuana, Mexico. The median microplastic abundance found in the samples was between 66 and 191 particles L-1, the highest abundance being recorded in an industrial land use site. The estimated annual total microplastic loads were between 8 × 105 and 3 × 106 particles ha-1. The most abundant microplastic shape and identified polymer type were fibers and polyethylene, respectively. The highest microplastic abundances were observed in events with higher rainfall. The results have shown that stormwater runoff is an important source of microplastic to water bodies.

Motivational Interviewing to Reduce Drug Use and HIV Incidence Among Young Men Who Have Sex With Men in Relationships and Are High Priority for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Project PARTNER): Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol.

BACKGROUND: Men who have sex with men (MSM) currently account for more than two-thirds of new HIV diagnoses in the United States and, among young MSM (YMSM) aged 20 to 29 years, as many as 79% to 84% of new infections occur between primary partners. Contributing to HIV risk, YMSM use drugs at comparatively high rates. To date, no interventions have been developed that specifically address the unique needs of partnered YMSM or incorporate a focus on relationship factors in addressing personal motivation for change. OBJECTIVE: The study's primary aim is to evaluate the efficacy of the PARTNER intervention and evaluate potential moderators or mediators of intervention effects. The study's secondary aims were to gather ideographic data to inform a future effectiveness implementation study and develop a novel biomarker for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) adherence by analyzing PrEP drug levels in fingernails. METHODS: PARTNER is a 4-session motivational interviewing-based intervention that integrates video-based communication training to address drug use and HIV prevention among partnered YMSM. This study utilizes a randomized controlled trial design to compare the PARTNER intervention with an attention-matched psychoeducation control arm that provides information about HIV-risk reduction, PrEP, and substance use. Participants are randomized in a 1-to-1 ratio stratified on age disparity between partners, racial composition of the couple, and relationship length. Follow-up assessments are conducted at 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-months postbaseline. The study recruits and enrolls 240 partnered YMSM aged between 18 to 29 years at a research center in New York City. Participants will be HIV-negative and report recent (past 30-day) drug use and condomless anal sex with casual partners; a nonmonogamous primary partner (regardless of HIV status); or a serodiscordant primary partner (regardless of sexual agreement). Primary outcomes (drug use and HIV sexual transmission risk behavior) are assessed via a Timeline Follow-back interview. Biological markers of outcomes are collected for drug use (fingernail assay), sexual HIV transmission risk (rectal and urethral gonorrhea and chlamydia testing), and PrEP adherence (dried blood spots and fingernails for a novel PrEP drug level assay). RESULTS: The study opened for enrollment in February 2018. Anticipated completion of enrollment is October 2021. Primary outcome analyses will begin after final follow-up completion. CONCLUSIONS: Existing research on partnered YMSM within the framework of Couples Interdependence Theory (CIT) has suggested that relationship factors (eg, dyadic functioning and sexual agreements) are meaningfully related to drug use and HIV transmission risk. Results pertaining to the efficacy of the proposed intervention and the identification of putative moderators and mediators will substantially inform the tailoring of interventions for YMSM in relationships and contribute to a growing body of relationship science focused on enhancing health outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03396367; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03396367 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/78ti7esTc. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/13015.

The Utility of Index Case Recruitment for Establishing Couples' Eligibility: An Examination of Consistency in Reporting the Drug Use of a Primary Partner Among Sexual Minority Male Couples.

Sexual minority men are disproportionately impacted by substance use, which is associated with greater HIV transmission behaviors. Novel approaches to drug use prevention and treatment are needed. Couple-based approaches have garnered significant attention. The recruitment of couples into substance use interventions has proven challenging. We evaluate an index-case approach to screening participants in couples' research. Seventy index cases, aged 18-29, and their main partner (140 individuals), were recruited. At screening, index participants reported their drug use and their partners' drug use for the previous 30 days. At baseline, both partners reported their drug use over the past 30 days. Individuals' self-reports and perceptions of their partner's concurrency were compared within couples using the κ (Kappa) coefficient. We found high levels of personal predictive accuracy from screening to baseline for cannabis (κ = .81, p < .01) and cocaine/crack (κ = .70, p < .01). Predictive accuracy of index case reporting of their partner's drug use behavior were moderately high among cocaine/crack use (κ = .68, p < .01) and MDMA/GHB/Ketamine (κ = .56, p < .01). Perceived partner similarity for recent drug use was also high for all drugs, with the highest levels among cocaine/crack (κ =.82) and prescription drugs (κ =.81). This study demonstrates that index partners report drug use with differing levels of agreement between drug types. Index recruitment has advantages in determining drug use-related eligibility requirements. Discrepancies in reporting were more frequently false positives, which reduces the risk of screening out potentially eligible couples.

Attrition and HIV Risk Behaviors: A Comparison of Young Men Who Have Sex with Men Recruited from Online and Offline Venues for an Online HIV Prevention Program.

In addition to offline venue-based and time-space sampling, recruitment of young men who have sex with men (YMSM) into HIV surveillance and prevention studies has expanded over time to include Internet-based approaches. Despite broadening recruitment strategies, enrolling racially and ethnically diverse YMSM who are disproportionately impacted by HIV continues to be challenging. Additionally, there is little literature on the impact of recruitment venue on participant characteristics and likelihood to enroll YMSM into online randomized control trials (RCT). This study used data from the multisite RCT, Keep It Up! 2.0, to examine the impact of recruitment venue on participant demographics, behavioral HIV risks, and enrollment. A total of 2984 participants were screened for eligibility from community-based organizations, Facebook, dating apps, and outreach events. There were significant differences by venue in age (χ2[3] = 54.38, p < .001), race/ethnicity (χ2[9] = 110.78, p < .001), sexual orientation (χ2[3] = 7.85, p < .05), relationship status (χ2[6] = 27.71, p < .001), and region of recruitment (χ2[6] = 1480.51, p < .001). There were no significant differences by venue in attrition during the enrollment process. The only difference in attrition was by race/ethnicity. Compared to White participants, eligible Black (OR: 0.35, p < .01) and Latino (OR: 0.46, p < .05) participants were significantly less likely to enroll in the intervention. There were also no significant differences by recruitment venue in sexual risk behaviors among enrolled participants. These findings suggest that recruitment into online HIV interventions from a variety of venues is feasible for diverse YMSM who are at similar risk for HIV infection.

Monte Carlo verification of radiotherapy treatments with CloudMC.

BACKGROUND: A new implementation has been made on CloudMC, a cloud-based platform presented in a previous work, in order to provide services for radiotherapy treatment verification by means of Monte Carlo in a fast, easy and economical way. A description of the architecture of the application and the new developments implemented is presented together with the results of the tests carried out to validate its performance. METHODS: CloudMC has been developed over Microsoft Azure cloud. It is based on a map/reduce implementation for Monte Carlo calculations distribution over a dynamic cluster of virtual machines in order to reduce calculation time. CloudMC has been updated with new methods to read and process the information related to radiotherapy treatment verification: CT image set, treatment plan, structures and dose distribution files in DICOM format. Some tests have been designed in order to determine, for the different tasks, the most suitable type of virtual machines from those available in Azure. Finally, the performance of Monte Carlo verification in CloudMC is studied through three real cases that involve different treatment techniques, linac models and Monte Carlo codes. RESULTS: Considering computational and economic factors, D1_v2 and G1 virtual machines were selected as the default type for the Worker Roles and the Reducer Role respectively. Calculation times up to 33 min and costs of 16 € were achieved for the verification cases presented when a statistical uncertainty below 2% (2σ) was required. The costs were reduced to 3-6 € when uncertainty requirements are relaxed to 4%. CONCLUSIONS: Advantages like high computational power, scalability, easy access and pay-per-usage model, make Monte Carlo cloud-based solutions, like the one presented in this work, an important step forward to solve the long-lived problem of truly introducing the Monte Carlo algorithms in the daily routine of the radiotherapy planning process.

Microplastics on sandy beaches of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico.

Microplastics have become a concern in recent years because of their negative impact on marine and freshwater environments. Twenty-one sandy beach sites were sampled to investigate the occurrence and distribution of microplastics on the sandy beaches of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico, as well as their spectroscopic characterization and morphology. Microplastics were separated using the density method and identified using Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The mean abundance of microplastics in the samples was 135 ±â€¯92 particles kg−1, and fiber was the most abundant microplastic found in the samples, comprising 91% of the total microplastics identified. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analysis of the microplastics showed that the main polymers found in microplastics were polyacrylic, polyacrylamide, polyethylene terephthalate, polyesters, and nylon.

Using Online Settings to Identify Gay and Bisexual Men Willing to Take or With Experience Taking PrEP: Implications for Researchers and Providers.

Given the ongoing HIV epidemic, it is essential to identify gay and bisexual men who are interested in starting PrEP as well as active PrEP users. We report on online survey data gathered over a 17-month period in 2014-2015 from gay and bisexual men identified through six sources of recruitment (n = 2903): Facebook, a hookup website, two geosocial-sexual networking apps (herein "App 1: Pop-up ads" and "App 2: Banner ads"), and two types of listservs (one focused on general gay nightlife, and one focused on gay sex parties). Willingness to take PrEP were as follows: sex party listservs (71.3%), both apps (69.8%), Facebook (67.6%), hookup website (65.2%), and nightlife listservs (50.5%). Experience having taken PrEP was as follows: sex party listservs (23.4%), App 2: Banner ads (22.5%), nightlife listservs (17.1) Facebook (14.2%), App 1: Pop-up ads (12.4%), and hookup website (2.1%). In multivariable modeling, willingness to go on PrEP was independently associated with being younger, single, a person of color, and having been tested for HIV in the past 12 months. Source of recruitment was largely unassociated with willingness to start PrEP. Number of recent male partners, number of recent condomless anal sex (CAS) events, and when data were collected (i.e., time in months) were not significantly associated with willingness to start PrEP. In multivariable models, experience having taken PrEP was positively associated with sexual identity as gay, number of recent male sex partners, number of recent CAS acts, being tested for HIV in the past 12 months, and time (in months). Experience taking PrEP varied greatly by recruitment source, suggesting both researchers and providers might be well served to utilize digital mediums to effectively identify these individuals; however, should do so with caution as not all digital options may prove fruitful.

Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Functionalization by Radical Addition Using Hydroxymethylene Groups.

Synthetic methodology and characterization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) function- alized with hydroxymethylene groups are reported. The MWCNTs were synthesized by the spray pyrolysis technique using toluene as carbon source and ferrocene as catalyst. Hydroxymethylation of MWCNTs was carried out by methanol using benzoyl peroxide (BPO) at different quantities (300 to 900 mg); the optimum BPO quantity was 300 mg. The resulting materials were characterized by FT-IR, Raman Spectroscopy, Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The presence of the hydroxymethylene group on the MWCNTs surface was demonstrated by FT-IR, Raman Spectroscopy, TGA, EDS, TEM and Mass Spectrometry. The func- tionalized MWCNTs were not damaged by this methodology.