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BACKGROUND: Interventions to reduce sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among men who have sex with men (MSM) are needed. METHODS: We conducted an open-label, randomized study involving MSM and transgender women who were taking preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (PrEP cohort) or living with HIV infection (persons living with HIV infection [PLWH] cohort) and who had had Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonorrhea), Chlamydia trachomatis (chlamydia), or syphilis in the past year. Participants were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to take 200 mg of doxycycline within 72 hours after condomless sex (doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis) or receive standard care without doxycycline. STI testing was performed quarterly. The primary end point was the incidence of at least one STI per follow-up quarter. RESULTS: Of 501 participants (327 in the PrEP cohort and 174 in the PLWH cohort), 67% were White, 7% Black, 11% Asian or Pacific Islander, and 30% Hispanic or Latino. In the PrEP cohort, an STI was diagnosed in 61 of 570 quarterly visits (10.7%) in the doxycycline group and 82 of 257 quarterly visits (31.9%) in the standard-care group, for an absolute difference of -21.2 percentage points and a relative risk of 0.34 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.24 to 0.46; P

Juvenile populations face a substantial risk of emotional, physical, and psychological harm as a result of bullying and cyberbullying experiences. As a result, there is a need to assess the situational and individual factors contributing to the risk of bullying victimization. There is, however, little research examining cyberbullying victimization using frequency-based measures of victimization. To address this gap in the literature, this study utilized a sample of over 37,000 youth from South Australia to explore the risk factors associated with cyberbullying victimization through a routine activities framework while controlling for verbal, social, and physical bullying. The findings noted partial support for the routine activities theory framework to account for cyberbullying victimization. Additionally, the study found differences in cyberbullying risk factors relative to the frequency with which it was reported, as well as the role of school support from peers and adults in increasing risks.

Considers job rotation, the systematic movement of employees from one job to another, as one of the tools for organizational development. Reviews relevant print and Internet literature, discusses the pros and cons of job rotation, and describes experiences at the Ryerson University library to illustrate process. (Author/LRW)

A sample model of how courses are adapted for distance learning at Toronto's Ryerson Polytechnic University shows how this institution has addressed students' support needs by providing a cohesive and unified support infrastructure. Ultimately, a high degree of collaboration between university and college departments is essential for creating effective distance education programs and resources. (Author/AEF)

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The paper presents new approach to estimation of the coefficients of an elementary bilinear time series model (EB). Until now, a lot of authors have considered different identifiability conditions for EB models which implicated different identifiability ranges for the model coefficient. However, all of these ranges have a common feature namely they are significantly narrower than the stability range of the EB model. This paper proposes a simple but efficient solution which makes an estimation of the EB model coefficient possible within its entire stability range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Transient elastography is increasingly used for assessment of liver fibrosis. Acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) is a new technology to perform liver elastography. Aims: We evaluated the clinical feasibility, validity and accuracy of the ARFI method and compared it to Fibroscan® and liver histology. Methods: Ultrasonographic elastography of the liver using ARFI was performed in 29 patients with liver cirrhosis, 70 patients with liver disease and 23 healthy controls. Results: ARFI was feasible in all patients providing a mean propagation velocity of 1.65±0.93m/s. ARFI results of the right and left liver lobes were comparable (p <0.001). In cirrhotic patients, ARFI gave significantly higher values than in the other patients (p <0.001). Rate of invalid measurements was lower in ARFI than in Fibroscan® (p <0.04). Both elastography methods were highly correlated to each other (p <0.001). Furthermore, ARFI correlated to histological grading of liver fibrosis (p <0.001) and to inflammatory activity (p <0.05). Liver steatosis had no statistical influence on ARFI results (p =0.2) in contrast to Fibroscan® (p <0.05). Conclusions: The new ultrasonographic method of ARFI elastography allows valid, accurate and flexible evaluation of liver stiffness. It seems more feasible in patients with liver cirrhosis than Fibroscan®. ARFI elastography of the left liver lobe is also possible. Liver steatosis does not seem to influence ARFI elastography. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper discusses the results of homology modeling and resulting calculation of key structural and physical properties for close to 300 tubulin sequences, including α, β, γ, δ and ε-tubulins. The basis for our calculations was the structure of the tubulin dimer published several years ago by Nogales et al. (1998), later refined to 3.5 Å resolution by Löwe et al. (2001). While, it appears that the α, β and γ-tubulins segregate into distinct structural families, we have found several differences in the physical properties within each group. Each of the α, β and γ-tubulin groups exhibit major differences in their net electric charge, dipole moments and dipole vector orientations. These properties could influence functional characteristics such as microtubule stability and assembly kinetics, due to their effects on the strength of protein-protein interactions. In addition to the general structural trends between tubulin isoforms, we have observed that the carboxy-termini of α and β-tubulin exists in at least two stable configurations, either projecting away from the tubulin (or microtubule) surface, or collapsed onto the surface. In the latter case, the carboxy-termini form a lattice distinctly different from that of the well-known A and B lattices formed by the tubulin subunits. However, this C-terminal lattice is indistinguishable from the lattice formed when the microtubule-associated protein tau binds to the microtubule surface. Finally, we have discussed how tubulin sequence diversity arose in evolution giving rise to its particular phylogeny and how it may be used in cell- and tissue-specific expression including embryonal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]