Characteristics of the composition of caucasian blackberry (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rubus caucasicus</Emphasis> L.) leaves as a raw material for tea production

The composition of Caucasian blackberry (Rubus caucasicus L.) six-leaf shoot was studied. The weight of the stem reached 50% of the total weight shoot. The content of moisture, extractive substances, and phenolic compounds was minimal at the beginning and end of the vegetation season. Phenolic compounds were represented by catechins, leukoanthocyanidins, and flavonols. The most abundant phenolic compounds in all parts of the blackberry shoot were leukoanthocyanidins, which accounted for approximately 50% of all compounds of this class. Phenolic compounds accumulated most actively in July and August. The average content of free amino acids in the blackberry leaf during the vegetation season was 26.68 mg/g. Among the total free amino acids, eleven have been identified, five of which proved to be essential (His, Arg, Met, Leu, Val) and accounted for 40 % of the total amount of amino acids. The oxidability of acetone extract of the blackberry leaf was compared to the oxidability of total phenolic compounds and tea tannin. The tea product obtained from the blackberry leaf had good organoleptic parameters and a saturated extractive complex.     

Population Size Estimation of Men Who Have Sex with Men in Tbilisi,Georgia; Multiple Methods and Triangulation of Findings

Introduction

An accurate estimation of the population size of men who have sex with men (MSM) is critical to the success of HIV program planning and to monitoring of the response to epidemic as a whole, but is quite often missing. In this study, our aim was to estimate the population size of MSM in Tbilisi, Georgia and compare it with other estimates in the region.

Methods

In the absence of a gold standard for estimating the population size of MSM, this study reports a range of methods, including network scale-up, mobile/web apps multiplier, service and unique object multiplier, network-based capture-recapture, Handcock RDS-based and Wisdom of Crowds methods. To apply all these methods, two surveys were conducted: first, a household survey among 1,015 adults from the general population, and second, a respondent driven sample of 210 MSM. We also conducted a literature review of MSM size estimation in Eastern European and Central Asian countries.

Results

The median population size of MSM generated from all previously mentioned methods was estimated to be 5,100 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 3,243 ~ 9,088). This corresponds to 1.42% (95%CI: 0.9% ~ 2.53%) of the adult male population in Tbilisi.

Conclusion

Our size estimates of the MSM population (1.42% (95%CI: 0.9% ~ 2.53%) of the adult male population in Tbilisi) fall within ranges reported in other Eastern European and Central Asian countries. These estimates can provide valuable information for country level HIV prevention program planning and evaluation. Furthermore, we believe, that our results will narrow the gap in data availability on the estimates of the population size of MSM in the region.