Socioecological differences in factors associated with inconsistent condom use with female sex workers and casual partners: an observational study of heterosexual men attending an anonymous HIV testing clinic in Singapore.

Sexual practices among heterosexual men may differ between female sex workers (FSWs) and casual partners. We surveyed 203 heterosexual men and investigated the attributes associated with inconsistent condom use among them. Lower educational attainment was positively associated with inconsistent condom use with FSWs (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) 2.63; P = 0.018) and casual partners (aPR 1.55; P = 0.022), whereas early age of sexual debut (aPR 3.00; P = 0.012) and alcohol use during sex (aPR 7.95; P < 0.001) were positively associated with inconsistent condom use with FSWs. Socioecological factors may explain such differences.

Water transport through graphene oxide membranes: the roles of driving forces.

Graphene oxide (GO) membranes have shown excellent selectivities in nanofiltration and pervaporation. However, the water transport mechanisms in the unique membrane laminar structure are still not well understood, especially in pervaporation which involves selective permeation and evaporation. Herein, water transport in GO membranes was tested under two different modes: pressure-driven permeation and pervaporation. The pure water flux was found to be 1-2 orders of magnitude higher in pervaporation due to the large capillary pressure induced by evaporation. The water flux in pervaporation was suggested to be limited by evaporation at room temperature but surface diffusion at high temperature.

UV-Enhanced Sacrificial Layer Stabilised Graphene Oxide Hollow Fibre Membranes for Nanofiltration.

Graphene oxide (GO) membranes have demonstrated great potential in gas separation and liquid filtration. For upscale applications, GO membranes in a hollow fibre geometry are of particular interest due to the high-efficiency and easy-assembly features at module level. However, GO membranes were found unstable in dry state on ceramic hollow fibre substrates, mainly due to the drying-related shrinkage, which has limited the applications and post-treatments of GO membranes. We demonstrate here that GO hollow fibre membranes can be stabilised by using a porous poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) sacrificial layer, which creates a space between the hollow fibre substrate and the GO membrane thus allowing stress-free shrinkage. Defect-free GO hollow fibre membrane was successfully determined and the membrane was stable in a long term (1200 hours) gas-tight stability test. Post-treatment of the GO membranes with UV light was also successfully accomplished in air, which induced the creation of controlled microstructural defects in the membrane and increased the roughness factor of the membrane surface. The permeability of the UV-treated GO membranes was greatly enhanced from 0.07 to 2.8 L m(-2) h(-1) bar(-1) for water, and 0.14 to 7.5 L m(-2) h(-1) bar(-1) for acetone, with an unchanged low molecular weight cut off (~250 Da).

Gender differences in self-report of recovery after stroke: the Northern Manhattan Study.

We compared subjective responses to simple questions after stroke with interviewer-assessed stroke outcome measures. Among those in the highest functional category, women were more likely to report incomplete recovery and greater need for help than men. Among these women, depressed mood was associated with a response of a need for help despite a good functional recovery. Self-reported responses in stroke outcome assessments require further validation by gender and may need to consider the confounding effects of depression.

Delirium from nicotine withdrawal in neuro-ICU patients.

Five cases of presumed nicotine withdrawal delirium among brain-injured patients treated in a neurologic intensive care unit are presented. Each patient had a history of heavy tobacco use and experienced dramatic and sustained clinical improvement within hours of transdermal nicotine replacement. These preliminary observations suggest that nicotine withdrawal may be an under-recognized cause of delirium in patients with acute brain injury.