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The timeliness of HIV diagnosis and the initiation of antiretroviral treatment are major determinants of survival for HIV-infected people. Injection drug users (IDUs) are less likely than persons in other transmission categories to seek early HIV counseling, testing, and treatment. Our objective was to estimate the proportion of IDUs with a late HIV diagnosis (AIDS diagnosis within 12 months of HIV diagnosis) and determine the factors associated with disease progression after HIV diagnosis. Using data from 33 states with confidential name-based HIV reporting, we determined the proportion of IDUs aged >or=13 years who received a late HIV diagnosis during 1996-2004. We used standardized Kaplan-Meier survival methods to determine differences in time of progression from HIV to AIDS and death, by race/ethnicity, sex, age group, CD4(+) T-cell count, metropolitan residence, and diagnosis year. We compared the survival of IDUs with the survival of persons in other transmission categories. During 1996-2004, 42.2% (11,635) of 27,572 IDUs were diagnosed late. For IDUs, the risk for progression from HIV to AIDS 3 years after HIV diagnosis was greater for nonwhites, males and older persons. Three-year survival after HIV diagnosis was lower for IDU males (87.3%, 95% confidence interval (CI), 87.1-87.4) compared with males exposed through male-to-male sexual contact (91.6%, 95% CI, 91.6-91.7) and males exposed through high-risk heterosexual contact (HRHC) (91.9%, 95% CI, 91.8-91.9). Survival was also lower for IDU females (89.5%, 95% CI, 89.4-89.6) compared to HRHC females (93.3%, 95% CI, 93.3-93.4). A substantial proportion of IDUs living with HIV received their HIV diagnosis late. To improve survival of IDUs, HIV prevention efforts must ensure early access to HIV testing and care, as well as encourage adherence to antiretroviral treatment to slow disease progression.

The continued increase in the number of students participating in online degree programs has led to an increase in the number of students taking online composition courses. Currently, most online writing programs replicate approaches used in face-to-face composition courses and simply transfer them to the online learning environment. However, there is a need to develop teaching practices and approaches to feedback designed specifically for online learning environments. This quasi-experimental study examined whether the use of a combination of audio-visual and text-based commentary in online writing courses was more effective in promoting substantive revision and improvement in students’ writing than the use of text-based commentary alone. The multimodal feedback group showed higher rates of improvement in areas of audience and purpose between first and final drafts than students in the text-only group. Results also indicated that receiving a combination of audio-visual and text-based feedback had a marginally statistically significant effect on categories of content ( p  = .08) and final draft quality ( p  = .06); the effect for both categories was considered medium, partial η 2  = .07. While most previous studies on audio or video feedback have focused on student perceptions of the feedback, this study, by focusing on efficacy, has helped generate empirical data regarding the pedagogical usefulness of audiovisual feedback in online learning environments.

This thesis explores how creators use storytelling in Instagram Reels to build connection, express identity, and navigate the tension between authenticity and algorithmic visibility. In a media platform shaped by fast-paced attention economies and participatory culture, Reels offer a unique case study: they're very brief, visually and emotionally charged, and most of the time, strategic. Through a mixed-methods approach that combines in-depth interviews with ten content creators and an analysis of their engagement metrics, the research reveals how different storytelling techniques influence and shape audience interaction. The work is grounded in three theoretical frameworks: Prosumers and Co-Creation (Toffler, 1980), Convergence and Participatory Culture (Jenkins, 2006, 2009), and Narrative Identity (McAdams & Josselson, 2006). The findings show that while algorithm-aware practices (like using trending audio or subtitles) can enhance visibility, it is often emotionally authentic, story-driven content that creates deeper engagement and connection. This thesis contributes to the academic understanding of social media storytelling and highlights that even within the compressed format of Reels, storytelling remains a deeply human act, shaped by emotion, context, and the desire to be seen, understood, and remembered.

The rapid increase in online learning programs has led to an increase in the number of students taking composition courses online, so there is a need to develop teaching practices and approaches to feedback designed specifically for online learning environments. One Web 2.0 tool that may have numerous pedagogical applications for online writing instruction is the use of screen capture videos to provide feedback on student writing. However, most of the recent research on the use of audio-visual tools to provide feedback has focused on student perceptions of such feedback rather than its efficacy in enhancing students’ revision and writing skills. Using a process model of composition and post-positivist and social constructivist epistemological orientations, the aim of this quasi-experimental, mixed-methods study was to determine whether the use of a combination of audio-visual and text-based commentary was more effective in promoting substantive revision and improvement in students’ writing than the use of text-based feedback alone. Results revealed that receiving a combination of audio-visual and text-based feedback had a moderate effect on final draft quality with student writing with the multimodal feedback group showing higher rates of improvement between first and final drafts than students in the text-only group. Survey and interview results also indicated that students rated the use of audio-visual feedback as more personal, more detailed, easier to comprehend, and more conducive to revision. If given the choice, most students who experienced audio-visual and text-based commentary would prefer to receive a combination of both. Results suggest that smooth integration of audio-visual feedback capabilities in online learning management systems that deliver online writing instruction may help enhance online writing instruction and student course satisfaction by meeting individual learner needs, increasing accessibility, and reducing transactional distance between students and instructors. Key words: online writing instruction, audio-visual feedback, multi-modal feedback, feedback in online learning environments

The Summary of notifiable diseases--United States, 2012 contains the official statistics, in tabular and graphic form, for the reported occurrence of nationally notifiable infectious diseases in the United States for 2012. Unless otherwise noted, the data are final totals for 2012 reported as of June 30, 2013. These statistics are collected and compiled from reports sent by state health departments and territories to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS), which is operated by CDC in collaboration with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE). The Summary is available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwr_nd/index.html. This site also includes Summary publications from previous years.

The carbohydrate specificity of 57 MAbs submitted to the ISOBM TD-4 Workshop on MUC1 were investigated by two versions of ELISA, direct binding and inhibition of binding. The following free saccharides and their polyacrylamide conjugates (Sug-PAA) were used: tetrasaccharides – SiaLe x , SiaLe a ; trisaccharides – Le x , 3′HSO 3 Le x , Le a , 3′HSO 3 Le a , 3′SiaLac, A tri , B tri ; a number of disaccharides including TF, H di , SiaT n , LactNAc, and monosaccharides. It was shown that MAbs 143 and 167 interacted only with SiaLe x , MAbs 127 and 128 only with Le x . Antibodies 123 and 164 interacted preferably with Le a but also recognized Le c . Antibody 151 recognized αGalNAc (T n ) and cross-reacted with βGalNAc. Antibody 157 displayed high affinity to A tri and A tetr (type 1). Neither anti-TF nor anti-SiaT n antibodies were revealed.

We argue that the Declarative Self-improving Python (DSPy) optimizers are a way to align the large language model (LLM) prompts and their evaluations to the human annotations. We present a comparative analysis of five teleprompter algorithms, namely, Cooperative Prompt Optimization (COPRO), Multi-Stage Instruction Prompt Optimization (MIPRO), BootstrapFewShot, BootstrapFewShot with Optuna, and K-Nearest Neighbor Few Shot, within the DSPy framework with respect to their ability to align with human evaluations. As a concrete example, we focus on optimizing the prompt to align hallucination detection (using LLM as a judge) to human annotated ground truth labels for a publicly available benchmark dataset. Our experiments demonstrate that optimized prompts can outperform various benchmark methods to detect hallucination, and certain telemprompters outperform the others in at least these experiments.

Laminarinase, an enzyme with a specific affinity for laminarin—a complex polysaccharide found in the cell walls of brown algae and select marine organisms—was investigated in this study. We cloned and characterized a gene encoding a putative glycoside hydrolase family 16 (GH16) laminarinase derived from the Jermuk hot spring metagenome. The resulting product, named Jermuk-LamM, represents a novel 1,3-β- d -glucanase with 48.1% amino acid sequence similarity to previously characterized GH16 family members catalogued in the NCBI database. To date, this stands as the sole described endo-1,3-β- d -glucanase from the Fidelibacterota phylum, which was recently reclassified from Marinimicrobia . Jermuk-LamM, identified as an acidic laminarinase, exhibits optimal enzymatic activity at pH 5.0 and a temperature of 55 °C, maintaining its function for a duration of at least 7 h. Jermuk-LamM is an enzyme that efficiently hydrolyzes both soluble and insoluble (1,3)-β- d -glucans, as well as (1,3;1,4)-β- d -glucans, with a marked preference for laminarin. This enzymatic activity facilitates the valorization of macroalgal biomass by predominantly producing monosaccharides and disaccharides. These hydrolysis products can subsequently be converted into energy carriers such as alcohol, methane, and hydrogen. The enzyme’s specific activities, coupled with its resistance to various additives, render Jermuk-LamM a promising candidate for various industrial applications, encompassing the realms of biofuel and pharmaceutical production. Key points • Jermuk hot springs have significant potential as a source of novel enzymes . • Jermuk-LamM has less than 50% amino acid similarity to known enzymes . • It is the first enzyme characterized from the Fidelibacterota phylum .

The article deals with the problem of agricultural waste processing, focusing on anaerobic digestion for biogas and fertiliser production. The study is devoted to the optimisation of this process on the example of poultry manure, using a simulation-statistical approach. The developed model of the biotechnological system includes waste separation into fractions, pre-digestion, methane digestion and anaerobic filtration. Substrate loading dose and substrate moisture content were found to have the greatest influence on energy release. Experiments showed that an increase in loading dose leads to an increase in biogas yield. Modelling allowed us to obtain an energy release equation that takes into account humidity, loading dose and digestion temperature. The maximum energy yield is achieved at a certain combination of these parameters. The study also showed that the use of the proposed biotechnological system can contribute to meeting part of the region’s heat energy needs through the production of biogas from waste. Measures to optimise waste collection and processing, including the formation of databases and simulation modelling, have been proposed.