Accounting for youth audiences’ resistances to HIV and AIDS messages in the television drama Tsha Tsha in South Africa

PubMed Central

Makwambeni, Blessing; Salawu, Abiodun

2018-01-01

Abstract Theoretical debates and literature on E-E efforts in Africa have largely focussed on understanding how and why interventions on HIV and AIDS are effective in influencing behaviour change among target communities. Very few studies have sought to investigate and understand why a substantial number of targeted audiences resist the preferred readings that are encoded into E-E interventions on HIV and AIDS. Using cultural studies as its conceptual framework and reception analysis as its methodology, this study investigated and accounted for the oppositional readings that subaltern black South African youths negotiate from Tsha Tsha, an E-E television drama on HIV and AIDS in South Africa. Results from the study show that HIV and AIDS messages in Tsha Tsha face substantial resistances from situated youth viewers whose social contexts of consumption, shared identities, quotidian experiences and subjectivities, provide critical lines along which the E-E text is often resisted and inflected. These findings do not only hold several implications for E-E practice and research, they further reflect the utility of articulating cultural studies and reception analysis into a more nuanced theoretical and methodological framework for evaluating the ‘impact’ of E-E interventions on HIV and AIDS. PMID:29508641

Total HIV/AIDS expenditures in Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan province in 2010: the first systematic evaluation of both health and non-health related HIV/AIDS expenditures in China.

PubMed

Shan, Duo; Sun, Jiangping; Yakusik, Anna; Chen, Zhongdan; Yuan, Jianhua; Li, Tao; Fu, Jeannia; Khoshnood, Kaveh; Yang, Xing; Wei, Mei; Duan, Song; Bulterys, Marc; Sante, Michael; Ye, Runhua; Xiang, Lifen; Yang, Yuecheng

2013-01-01

We assessed HIV/AIDS expenditures in Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province, one of the highest prevalence regions in China, and describe funding sources and spending for different categories of HIV-related interventions and at-risk populations. 2010 HIV/AIDS expenditures in Dehong Prefecture were evaluated based on UNAIDS' National AIDS Spending Assessment methodology. Nearly 93% of total expenditures for HIV/AIDS was contributed by public sources. Of total expenditures, 52.7% was allocated to treatment and care, 24.5% to program management and administration and 19.8% to prevention. Spending on treatment and care was primarily allocated to the treatment of opportunistic infections. Most (40.4%) prevention spending was concentrated on most-at-risk populations, injection drug users (IDUs), sex workers, and men who have sex with men (MSM), with 5.5% allocated to voluntary counseling and testing. Prevention funding allocated for MSM, partners of people living with HIV and prisoners and other confined populations was low compared to the disproportionate burden of HIV/AIDS in these populations. Overall, people living with HIV accounted for 57.57% of total expenditures, while most-at-risk populations accounted for only 7.99%. Our study demonstrated the applicability of NASA for tracking and assessing HIV expenditure in the context of China, it proved to be a useful tool in understanding national HIV/AIDS response from financial aspect, and to assess the extent to which HIV expenditure matches epidemic patterns. Limited funding for primary prevention and prevention for MSM, prisoners and partners of people living with HIV, signal that resource allocation to these key areas must be strengthened. Comprehensive analyses of regional and national funding strategies are needed to inform more equitable, effective and cost-effective HIV/AIDS resource allocation.

Activist Media in Native AIDS Organizing: Theorizing the Colonial Conditions of AIDS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgensen, Scott

2008-01-01

In this article, the author examines how activist media by Native AIDS organizers promoted anticolonial analyses of AIDS, gender, and sexuality as a contribution to scholarship on Native responses to AIDS. His discussion centers on the organizers who created media as authorities on and in their media. In contrast to recent accounts that popularize…

The Blue Book. Accounting, Recordkeeping, and Reporting by Postsecondary Educational Institutions for Federally Funded Student Financial Aid Programs. [1999 Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Education, Washington, DC.

This guide is intended to provide guidance to college and university business office personnel who handle recordkeeping, accounting, and other fiscal reporting functions for federal Title IV financial aid programs, as authorized by the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. This edition emphasizes the benefits and challenges of electronic…

Priority setting in HIV/AIDS control in West Java Indonesia: an evaluation based on the accountability for reasonableness framework.

PubMed

Tromp, Noor; Prawiranegara, Rozar; Subhan Riparev, Harris; Siregar, Adiatma; Sunjaya, Deni; Baltussen, Rob

2015-04-01

Indonesia has insufficient resources to adequately respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and thus faces a great challenge in prioritizing interventions. In many countries, such priority setting processes are typically ad hoc and not transparent leading to unfair decisions. Here, we evaluated the priority setting process in HIV/AIDS control in West Java province against the four conditions of the accountability for reasonableness (A4R) framework: relevance, publicity, appeals and revision, and enforcement. We reviewed government documents and conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews based on the A4R framework with 22 participants of the 5-year HIV/AIDS strategy development for 2008-13 (West Java province) and 2007-11 (Bandung). We found that criteria for priority setting were used implicitly and that the strategies included a wide range of programmes. Many stakeholders were involved in the process but their contribution could be improved and particularly the public and people living with HIV/AIDS could be better engaged. The use of appeal and publicity mechanisms could be more transparent and formally stated. Public regulations are not yet installed to ensure fair priority setting. To increase fairness in HIV/AIDS priority setting, West Java should make improvements on all four conditions of the A4R framework. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2014; all rights reserved.

GANP regulates the choice of DNA repair pathway by DNA-PKcs interaction in AID-dependent IgV region diversification.

PubMed

Eid, Mohammed Mansour Abbas; Maeda, Kazuhiko; Almofty, Sarah Ameen; Singh, Shailendra Kumar; Shimoda, Mayuko; Sakaguchi, Nobuo

2014-06-15

RNA export factor germinal center-associated nuclear protein (GANP) interacts with activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) and shepherds it from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and toward the IgV region loci in B cells. In this study, we demonstrate a role for GANP in the repair of AID-initiated DNA damage in chicken DT40 B cells to generate IgV region diversity by gene conversion and somatic hypermutation. GANP plays a positive role in IgV region diversification of DT40 B cells in a nonhomologous end joining-proficient state. DNA-PKcs physically interacts with GANP, and this interaction is dissociated by dsDNA breaks induced by a topoisomerase II inhibitor, etoposide, or AID overexpression. GANP affects the choice of DNA repair mechanism in B cells toward homologous recombination rather than nonhomologous end joining repair. Thus, GANP presumably plays a critical role in protection of the rearranged IgV loci by favoring homologous recombination of the DNA breaks under accelerated AID recruitment. Copyright © 2014 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center Need Additional Management Oversight

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-28

L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6 Report No. DODIG-2016-079 Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center Need Additional Management...Department of Defense F r a u d , W a s t e & A b u s e DODIG-2016-079 (Project No. D2015-D000CL-0214.000) │ i Results in Brief Delinquent Medical...objective was to determine whether Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) effectively managed accounts delinquent over 120 days by properly

Modeling and Predicting Hearing Aid Outcome

PubMed Central

Humes, Larry E.

2003-01-01

Following a brief tutorial on the application of factor analysis to hearing aid outcome measures, three studies of hearing aid outcome measures in elderly adults are presented and analyzed. Two of the studies were completed at Indiana University (IU-1 and IU-2), and one was a collaborative multisite study by the Veterans Administration and the National Institute of Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD/VA). IU-1 measured hearing aid outcome in 173 elderly wearers of single-channel, linear, in-the-ear hearing aids with output-limiting compression, whereas IU-2 obtained the same extensive set of outcome measures from 53 elderly wearers of two-channel, wide-dynamic-range compression, in-the-canal hearing aids. In the NIDCD/VA study, 333 to 338 participants wore three single-channel circuits in succession, with each circuit housed within an in-the-ear shell. The three circuits included in that study and in this analysis were: (1) linear with peak clipping, (2) linear with output-limiting compression, and (3) single-channel, wide-dynamic-range compression. Evaluation of the many outcome measures completed in each study using principal components factor analysis revealed that from three (both IU studies) to five (NIDCD/VA study) principal components captured the individual differences in hearing aid outcome. This was independent of hearing aid type (in-the-ear or in-the-canal) and circuitry. Subsequent multiple regression analyses of individual differences in performance along each dimension of hearing aid outcome revealed that these individual differences could be accounted for reasonably well by various prefit variables for some dimensions of outcome, but not others. In general, measures of speech recognition performance were well accounted for by prefit measures, with the best predictors being hearing loss, cognitive performance, and age. Measures of hearing aid usage were less well accounted for by prefit measures, with the most accurate predictor of

Regional material flow accounting and environmental pressures: the Spanish case.

PubMed

Sastre, Sergio; Carpintero, Óscar; Lomas, Pedro L

2015-02-17

This paper explores potential contributions of regional material flow accounting to the characterization of environmental pressures. With this aim, patterns of material extraction, trade, consumption, and productivity for the Spanish regions were studied within the 1996-2010 period. The main methodological variation as compared to whole-country based approaches is the inclusion of interregional trade, which can be separately assessed from the international exchanges. Each region was additionally profiled regarding its commercial exchanges with the rest of the regions and the rest of the world and the related environmental pressures. Given its magnitude, interregional trade is a significant source of environmental pressure. Most of the exchanges occur across regions and different extractive and trading patterns also arise at this scale. These differences are particularly great for construction minerals, which in Spain represent the largest share of extracted and consumed materials but do not cover long distances, so their impact is visible mainly at the regional level. During the housing bubble, economic growth did not improve material productivity.

14 CFR 152.305 - Accounting records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Accounting records. 152.305 Section 152.305... AIRPORT AID PROGRAM Accounting and Reporting Requirements § 152.305 Accounting records. (a) Airport... individual project, an accounting record satisfactory to the Administrator which segregates cost information...

Aid and good governance: Examining aggregate unintended effects of aid.

PubMed

Dijkstra, Geske

2018-06-01

Although donors generally aim to improve governance in recipient countries by various means, critics claim that the aggregate effect of large aid flows is the deterioration of governance. Aid is said to weaken domestic accountability, sustain authoritarian regimes, increase political instability, weaken government capacities, and increase corruption. Conducting a systematic search in Web of Science, this paper reviews the empirical evidence for these unintended aggregate effects of aid on the political, administrative, and judicial dimensions of good governance. It finds that the negative effects of aid on governance are much exaggerated. The aggregate effect of aid on democracy has become more positive after the Cold War, and the effect of aid on government capacity and on reducing corruption has also improved over time. Furthermore, most studies show a positive effect of aid on political stability. These findings imply that donor intentions matter: donors that are serious about their intended effects on governance are able to mitigate the possible negative unintended effects of their aid. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emergy accounting for regional studies: case study of Canada and its provinces.

PubMed

Hossaini, Navid; Hewage, Kasun

2013-03-30

Sustainable regional management (development) requires an understanding of interactions between the social, economic, and ecological systems within the boundaries of a region. In this paper, application of emergy (an environmental accounting method) for regional planning is discussed through a case study. Emergy (spelled with an "m") methodology is an environmental accounting technique that evaluates the energy system for the thermodynamics of an open system. Major renewable and non-renewable resource fluxes to a region, including energy, matter, human activities, and money can be converted to emergy by using corresponding transformity functions. As a case study, this paper discusses the emergy accounting of Canada and its provinces with various emergy-based indicators. Moreover, emergy maps were generated in a form of emergy geography. These maps are multi-dimensional illustrations that show resource consumption, emergy per person, and emergy density across Canada under two parameters: (1) the quantities of resources consumed and (2) the location of consumption. Emergy analysis also highlights concentrations of renewable and natural resources in Canada and distinguishes the provinces with the highest resource consumption. Analysis of emergy indicator for Canadian provinces shows that Alberta with the highest EYR (7.35) provides energy to the economy of Canada. However, ELR value of Alberta (8.5) indicates that the province's current economic approach is not sustainable as it relies mainly on non-renewable emergy inputs (mainly from fossil fuels). ELR of British Columbia and Manitoba indicates that these two provinces created a firm balance between emergy use of renewable and non-renewable resources. The characterizations of regions provided in this paper can be used for future land planning and management both in federal and provincial levels. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrity of immunoglobulin variable regions is supported by GANP during AID-induced somatic hypermutation in germinal center B cells

PubMed Central

Eid, Mohammed Mansour Abbas; Shimoda, Mayuko; Singh, Shailendra Kumar; Almofty, Sarah Ameen; Pham, Phuong; Goodman, Myron F.; Maeda, Kazuhiko; Sakaguchi, Nobuo

2017-01-01

Abstract Immunoglobulin affinity maturation depends on somatic hypermutation (SHM) in immunoglobulin variable (IgV) regions initiated by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). AID induces transition mutations by C→U deamination on both strands, causing C:G→T:A. Error-prone repairs of U by base excision and mismatch repairs (MMRs) create transversion mutations at C/G and mutations at A/T sites. In Neuberger’s model, it remained to be clarified how transition/transversion repair is regulated. We investigate the role of AID-interacting GANP (germinal center-associated nuclear protein) in the IgV SHM profile. GANP enhances transition mutation of the non-transcribed strand G and reduces mutation at A, restricted to GYW of the AID hotspot motif. It reduces DNA polymerase η hotspot mutations associated with MMRs followed by uracil-DNA glycosylase. Mutation comparison between IgV complementary and framework regions (FWRs) by Bayesian statistical estimation demonstrates that GANP supports the preservation of IgV FWR genomic sequences. GANP works to maintain antibody structure by reducing drastic changes in the IgV FWR in affinity maturation. PMID:28541550

How to perform first aid.

PubMed

Gloster, Annabella Satu; Johnson, Phillip John

2016-01-13

RATIONALE AND KEY POINTS: This article aims to help nurses to perform first aid in a safe, effective and patient-centred manner. First aid comprises a series of simple, potentially life-saving steps that an individual can perform with minimal equipment. Although it is not a legal requirement to respond to an emergency situation outside of work, nurses have a professional duty to respond and provide care within the limits of their competency. First aid is the provision of immediate medical assistance to an ill or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. First aid can save lives and it is essential that nurses understand the basic principles. REFLECTIVE ACTIVITY: Clinical skills articles can help update your practice and ensure it remains evidence based. Apply this article to your practice. Reflect on and write a short account of: 1. Your skill in performing first aid and any areas where you may need to extend your knowledge. 2. How reading this article will change your practice. Subscribers can upload their reflective accounts at: rcni.com/portfolio .

33 CFR 74.01-20 - Deposit of payment in special account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... account. 74.01-20 Section 74.01-20 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AIDS TO NAVIGATION CHARGES FOR COAST GUARD AIDS TO NAVIGATION WORK Charges to the Public § 74.01-20 Deposit of payment in special account. Whenever an aid to navigation or other property belonging...

Incorporating Calculators into the Accounting Curriculum. Accounting I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clayton, John

This document is a guide to aid teachers in incorporating the use of calculators in the high school Accounting Curriculum. The guide contains four learning modules. Each module consists of an introductory explanation, student performance objectives, content of the module, and teaching suggestions for using calculators in each application of course…

Incorporating Calculators into the Accounting Curriculum. Accounting II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clayton, John

This document is a guide to aid teachers in incorporating the use of calculators in the high school Accounting II curriculum. The guide contains 16 learning modules. Each module consists of an introductory explanation, student performance objectives, content of the module, and teaching suggestions for using calculators in each application of…

The next 5 years of global HIV/AIDS policy: critical gaps and strategies for effective responses.

PubMed

Szekeres, Greg

2008-08-01

The University of California, Los Angeles Program in Global Health performed a landscape analysis based on interviews conducted between November 2006 and February 2007 with 35 key informants from major international organizations conducting HIV/AIDS work. Institutions represented included multilateral organizations, foundations, and governmental and non-governmental organizations. The purpose of this analysis is to assist major foundations and other institutions to understand better the international HIV/AIDS policy landscape and to formulate research and development programmes that can make a significant contribution to moving important issues forward in the HIV/AIDS policy arena. Topics identified during the interviews were organized around the four major themes of the Ford Foundation's Global HIV/AIDS Initiative: leadership and leadership development; equity; accountability; and global partnerships. Key informants focused on the need for a visionary response to the HIV pandemic, the need to maintain momentum, ways to improve the scope of leadership development programmes, ideas for improving gender equity and addressing regional disparities and the needs of vulnerable populations, recommendations for strengthening accountability mechanisms among governments, foundations, and civil society and on calling for increased collaboration and partnership among key players in the global HIV/AIDS response.

'Low-hanging fruit': counting and accounting for children in PEPFAR-funded HIV/AIDS programmes in South Africa.

PubMed

Reynolds, Lindsey J

2014-01-01

The article traces the social life of a policy that aimed to define and circumscribe the ambiguous and contested category of 'orphaned and vulnerable children' (or OVC) in South Africa at the height of the 'emergency response' to HIV/AIDS. Drawing on several months of institutional ethnographic research conducted over the course of five years with South African organisations receiving funding from the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to provide services to 'OVC', the project interrogates the influence of governmental forms of counting and accounting on health policy and practice in South Africa. Focusing on the experiences of one organisation, the article describes a process of policy 'translation' typified by a series of disconnects between the intentions of a policy and the exigencies of implementation, structured by the ambiguous and flexible nature of the 'OVC' category. In this context, the article argues that the uncertainty produced by the implementation of the guidelines was not simply an artefact of a poorly designed policy, but rather signals an underlying epistemological tension in the practice of 'global health', in which quantitative metrics designed for monitoring and evaluation are often incapable of approximating the complexities of everyday life.

On the representation of the stability region in oscillation problems with the aid of the Hurwitz determinants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sponder, E W

1952-01-01

This report concerns the use of the Hurwitz determinants in defining boundaries of regions where oscillatory phenomena are to be stable or unstable. A simplification is suggested as an aid in reducing the computations usually required, although it is emphasized that point checks in the various regions defined are required using the complete set of Hurwitz determinants or some other complete stability determination.

Integrity of immunoglobulin variable regions is supported by GANP during AID-induced somatic hypermutation in germinal center B cells.

PubMed

Eid, Mohammed Mansour Abbas; Shimoda, Mayuko; Singh, Shailendra Kumar; Almofty, Sarah Ameen; Pham, Phuong; Goodman, Myron F; Maeda, Kazuhiko; Sakaguchi, Nobuo

2017-05-01

Immunoglobulin affinity maturation depends on somatic hypermutation (SHM) in immunoglobulin variable (IgV) regions initiated by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). AID induces transition mutations by C→U deamination on both strands, causing C:G→T:A. Error-prone repairs of U by base excision and mismatch repairs (MMRs) create transversion mutations at C/G and mutations at A/T sites. In Neuberger's model, it remained to be clarified how transition/transversion repair is regulated. We investigate the role of AID-interacting GANP (germinal center-associated nuclear protein) in the IgV SHM profile. GANP enhances transition mutation of the non-transcribed strand G and reduces mutation at A, restricted to GYW of the AID hotspot motif. It reduces DNA polymerase η hotspot mutations associated with MMRs followed by uracil-DNA glycosylase. Mutation comparison between IgV complementary and framework regions (FWRs) by Bayesian statistical estimation demonstrates that GANP supports the preservation of IgV FWR genomic sequences. GANP works to maintain antibody structure by reducing drastic changes in the IgV FWR in affinity maturation. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japanese Society for Immunology.

Student Financial Aid Delivery System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neal, John R.; Carpenter, Catharine A.

1983-01-01

Ohio University's use of computer programing for the need analysis and internal accounting functions in financial aid is described. A substantial improvement of services resulted, with 6,000-10,000 students and the offices of financial aid, bursar, registration, student records, housing, admissions, and controller assisted in the process. Costs…

Should the United States Continue to Provide Aid to Africa?

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-22

this choice.75 History has shown that no amount of foreign aid can lead Africa to a meaningful developmental process without effective governance...aid and what approaches need to be taken into account to ensure it remains an effective ‘strategic investment.” 15. SUBJECT TERMS Foreign Policy...account to ensure it remains an effective ‘strategic investment.” SHOULD THE UNITED STATES CONTINUE TO PROVIDE AID TO AFRICA? The

An ethnobotanical survey of plants used to manage HIV/AIDS opportunistic infections in Katima Mulilo, Caprivi region, Namibia

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Katima Mulilo has the highest burden of HIV/AIDS in Namibia. Due to several constraints of the antiretroviral therapy programme, HIV-infected persons still use ethnomedicines to manage AIDS-related opportunistic infections. Despite the reliance on plants to manage HIV/AIDS in Katima Mulilo, there have been no empirical studies to document the specific plant species used by traditional healers to treat AIDS-related opportunistic infections. In this study, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted to record the various plant families, species, and plant parts used to manage different HIV/AIDS-related opportunistic infections in Katima Mulilo, Caprivi region, Namibia. The results showed that a total of 71 plant species from 28 families, mostly the Combretaceae (14%), Anacardiaceae (8%), Mimosaceae (8%), and Ebanaceae (7%), were used to treat conditions such as herpes zoster, diarrhoea, coughing, malaria, meningitis, and tuberculosis. The most plant parts used were leaves (33%), bark (32%), and roots (28%) while the least used plant parts were fruits/seeds (4%). Further research is needed to isolate the plants' active chemical compounds and understand their modes of action. PMID:20831821

Continuing Professional Development in the Accounting Profession: Practices and Perceptions from the Asia Pacific Region

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Lange, Paul; Jackling, Beverley; Suwardy, Themin

2015-01-01

Drawing on research in the sociology of professions as a reference point, this study examines the practices and perceptions of professional accountants towards the requirements of IES7 on continuing professional development (CPD). Responses from 1310 accountants in the Asia Pacific region suggest while increasing globalisation has led to more…

Accounting Programs' Home Pages: What's Happening.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peek, Lucia E.; Roxas, Maria L.

2002-01-01

Content analysis of 62 accounting programs' websites indicated the following: 53% include mission statements; 62.9% list accreditation; many faculty biographies and personal pages used inconsistent formats; provision of information on financial aid, student organizations, career services, and certified public accountant requirements varied. Many…

SRSF1-3 contributes to diversification of the immunoglobulin variable region gene by promoting accumulation of AID in the nucleus.

PubMed

Kawaguchi, Yuka; Nariki, Hiroaki; Kawamoto, Naoko; Kanehiro, Yuichi; Miyazaki, Satoshi; Suzuki, Mari; Magari, Masaki; Tokumitsu, Hiroshi; Kanayama, Naoki

2017-04-01

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is essential for diversification of the Ig variable region (IgV). AID is excluded from the nucleus, where it normally functions. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for regulating AID localization remain to be elucidated. The SR-protein splicing factor SRSF1 is a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein, a splicing isoform of which called SRSF1-3, has previously been shown to contribute to IgV diversification in chicken DT40 cells. In this study, we examined whether SRSF1-3 functions in IgV diversification by promoting nuclear localization of AID. AID expressed alone was localized predominantly in the cytoplasm. In contrast, co-expression of AID with SRSF1-3 led to the nuclear accumulation of both AID and SRSF1-3 and the formation of a protein complex that contained them both, although SRSF1-3 was dispensable for nuclear import of AID. Expression of either SRSF1-3 or a C-terminally-truncated AID mutant increased IgV diversification in DT40 cells. However, overexpression of exogenous SRSF1-3 was unable to further enhance IgV diversification in DT40 cells expressing the truncated AID mutant, although SRSF1-3 was able to form a protein complex with the AID mutant. These results suggest that SRSF1-3 promotes nuclear localization of AID probably by forming a nuclear protein complex, which might stabilize nuclear AID and induce IgV diversification in an AID C-terminus-dependent manner. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cochlear Dead Regions in Typical Hearing Aid Candidates: Prevalence and Implications for Use of High-Frequency Speech Cues

PubMed Central

Cox, Robyn M; Alexander, Genevieve C; Johnson, Jani; Rivera, Izel

2011-01-01

We investigated the prevalence of cochlear dead regions in listeners with hearing losses similar to those of many hearing aid wearers, and explored the impact of these dead regions on speech perception. Prevalence of dead regions was assessed using the Threshold Equalizing Noise test (TEN(HL)). Speech recognition was measured using high-frequency emphasis (HFE) Quick Speech In Noise (QSIN) test stimuli and low-pass filtered HFE QSIN stimuli. About one third of subjects tested positive for a dead region at one or more frequencies. Also, groups without and with dead regions both benefited from additional high-frequency speech cues. PMID:21522068

Cross-Learning: The Possibilities of a Learning Dialogue between the HIV and AIDS and Disability Movements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rule, Peter

2011-01-01

Sub-Saharan Africa is the region of the world most affected by HIV & AIDS, accounting for two-thirds of the global burden of the pandemic. People with disabilities are regarded as a high-risk group for HIV but have been largely neglected in programmes of education, treatment and support. This paper examines the possibilities for a learning…

14 CFR 151.127 - Accounting and audit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Accounting and audit. 151.127 Section 151...) AIRPORTS FEDERAL AID TO AIRPORTS Rules and Procedures for Advance Planning and Engineering Proposals § 151.127 Accounting and audit. The requirements of § 151.55 relating to accounting and audit of project...

14 CFR 151.55 - Accounting and audit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Accounting and audit. 151.55 Section 151.55... FEDERAL AID TO AIRPORTS Rules and Procedures for Airport Development Projects § 151.55 Accounting and... accounting record to allow appropriate personnel of the FAA to determine all funds received (including funds...

‘Low-hanging fruit’: Counting and accounting for children in PEPFAR-funded HIV/AIDS programmes in South Africa

PubMed Central

Reynolds, Lindsey J.

2014-01-01

The article traces the social life of a policy that aimed to define and circumscribe the ambiguous and contested category of the ‘orphaned and vulnerable children’ (OVC) in South Africa at the height of the ‘emergency response’ to HIV/AIDS. Drawing on several months of institutional ethnographic research conducted over the course of five years with South African organisations receiving funding from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to provide services to ‘OVC’, the project interrogates the influence of governmental forms of counting and accounting on health policy and practice in South Africa. Focusing on the experiences of one organisation, the article describes a process of policy ‘translation’ typified by a series of disconnects between the intentions of a policy and the exigencies of implementation, structured by the ambiguous and flexible nature of the category of the ‘orphaned and vulnerable child’. In this context, the article argues, the uncertainty produced by the implementation of the guidelines was not simply an artifact of a poorly designed policy, but rather signals an underlying epistemological tension in the practice of ‘global health’, in which quantitative metrics designed for monitoring and evaluation are often incapable of approximating the complexities of everyday life. PMID:24498970

Risk analysis. HIV / AIDS country profile: Senegal.

PubMed

1996-12-01

Since the first acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) case was confirmed in 1986, Senegal has conducted an aggressive prevention campaign. Senegal's National AIDS Committee has noted the contributions of poverty and migration to the spread of AIDS. By June 1994, 1297 AIDS cases had been reported and an estimated 500,000 people (1.4% of the population) were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 and 2. The highest rate of HIV infection (14%) exists among commercial sex workers. At present, HIV/AIDS cases are concentrated in Dakar, Kaolack, the Matam region, and Ziguinchor; however, the growing importance of inter-regional trading is expected to spread HIV to the smaller towns and rural areas. Also salient is the recent devaluation by 50% of the CFA franc, which has reduced the public sector workforce and led many poor urban residents into commercial sex work. CFA devaluation has made Senegal attractive to tourists and business visitors--another factor responsible for growth of the legalized commercial sex industry. Although sex workers are instructed in condom use and tested annually for HIV, only 850 of the 2000 registered sex workers have reported for check-ups, and the majority of prostitutes are unregistered. Senegal's AIDS Plan for 1994-98 focuses on care of AIDS patients, pressures placed on family structures by HIV, and AIDS-related erosions in the status of women. Each health service region has its own local plan for AIDS/HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, supervised by a regional committee. Public education has involved outreach to religious leaders, promotion of affordable condoms, and distribution of over 75,000 leaflets to key target populations. About US $16 million of the $25,688,875-budget HIV/AIDS program for 1994-98 was pledged by external donors.

Accountability and Internal Control--Do We Really Need It?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Allan B.

1987-01-01

Briefly looks at some of the basic principles of accountability and internal control as a review of present accounting system procedures to aid administrators to ensure reliable financial records. (MLF)

Adult hearing-aid users with cochlear dead regions restricted to high frequencies: Implications for amplification.

PubMed

Pepler, Anna; Lewis, Kathryn; Munro, Kevin J

2016-01-01

Cochlear dead regions (DR) are common in adult hearing-aid users, but are usually restricted to high frequencies. The aim was to determine the benefit of high-frequency amplification for ears with and without high-frequency DRs. Participants were fitted with the study hearing aid and tested under four conditions: unfiltered (NAL-NL2 prescription), and low-pass filtered at 1.5, 2, and 3 kHz. VCV stimuli were presented at 65 dB (A) in quiet and in 20-talker babble at a signal-to-babble ratio of 0 dB. Experienced adult hearing-aid users: one group of 18 with a DR edge frequency above 1.5 kHz, and a group of 18 matched controls. Overall performance was best in the unfiltered condition. There was no significant difference in mean performance between the two groups when tested in quiet. However, the DR group obtained less benefit from high-frequency amplification when tested in babble: the mean difference between the unfiltered and 3-kHz filtered condition was 6% and 13% for the DR group and controls, respectively. In adults with a moderate hearing loss and a restricted DR, speech recognition was always best in the unfiltered condition, although mean performance in babble was lower for the DR group.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices on HIV / AIDS in the south region of Cameroon: case of the town of Kribi.

PubMed

Sanou, Sobze Martin; Fokam, Joseph Martin; Mabvouna, Biguioh Rodriguez; Guetiya, Wadoum Raoul; Sali, Ben Bechir Adogaye; Teikeu, Tessa Vivaldi Vladimir; Nafack, Sonkeng Sonia; Panà, Augusto; Colizzi, Vittorio; Russo, Gianluca

2014-01-01

The aim of our study was to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding HIV/AIDS in the city of Kribi, southern region of Cameroon. In November 2012, a questionnaire composed of 20 items was administered by trained staff from the Biomedical Sciences Department of the University of Dschang to 200 students selected from four population groups: high school students, local traders, tourism personnel (staff of bars, restaurants, hotels, nightclubs), and motorcycle taxi drivers. A cluster sampling method was used to select the first three groups while motorcycle taxi drivers were selected by the method of all comers. KAP regarding HIV/AIDS was found to be fragmentary in the studied population. Only 6.5% systematically uses condoms, 59% believe that AIDS can be cured by traditional medicine and religious faith and 40.9% developed stigmatizing behaviour toward HIV infected people. Among participants there is a wide discrepancy between knowledge and social behaviours toward HIV/AIDS. Strategic and continuous awareness campaigns that are culturally and socially tailored are urgently needed.

Mismatch repair proteins and AID deaminase activity are required for the dominant negative function of C terminally-deleted AID in class switching

PubMed Central

Ucher, Anna J.; Ranjit, Sanjay; Kadungure, Tatenda; Linehan, Erin K.; Khair, Lyne; Xie, Elaine; Limauro, Jennifer; Rauch, Katherina S.; Schrader, Carol E.; Stavnezer, Janet

2014-01-01

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is essential for class switch recombination (CSR) and somatic hypermutation (SHM) of Ig genes. The AID C terminus is required for CSR but not for S region DNA DSBs during CSR, and it is not required for SHM. AID lacking the C terminus (ΔAID) is a dominant negative (DN) mutant, as human patients heterozygous for this mutant fail to undergo CSR. In agreement, we show that ΔAID is a DN mutant when expressed in AID-sufficient mouse splenic B cells. In order to have DN function,ΔAID must have deaminase activity, suggesting that its ability to induce DSBs is important for the DN function. Supporting this hypothesis, Msh2-Msh6 have previously been shown to contribute to DSB formation in S regions, and here we find that Msh2 is required for the DN activity, as ΔAID is not a DN mutant in msh2−/− cells. Our results suggest that the DNA DSBs induced by ΔAID are unable to participate in CSR, and might interfere with the ability of full-length AID to participate in CSR. We propose thatΔAID is impaired in its ability to recruit non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair factors, resulting in accumulation of DSBs that undergo aberrant resection. Supporting this hypothesis, we find that the S-S junctions induced by ΔAID have longer microhomologies than those induced by full-length AID. In addition, our data suggest that AID binds Sµ regions in vivo as a monomer. PMID:24973444

Origins and Outcomes: An Essay on the History of Student Aid in California. The Eureka Project: A Review of Student Financial Aid in California.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eureka Project, Sacramento, CA.

The history of student aid policies in California is reviewed by the Eureka Project to help guide policy formation and review developments that have accounted for past consensus about the state's role in providing student aid. Attention is directed to: the demographic facts that have made student aid important to California; the evolution of…

DNA/RNA hybrid substrates modulate the catalytic activity of purified AID.

PubMed

Abdouni, Hala S; King, Justin J; Ghorbani, Atefeh; Fifield, Heather; Berghuis, Lesley; Larijani, Mani

2018-01-01

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) converts cytidine to uridine at Immunoglobulin (Ig) loci, initiating somatic hypermutation and class switching of antibodies. In vitro, AID acts on single stranded DNA (ssDNA), but neither double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) oligonucleotides nor RNA, and it is believed that transcription is the in vivo generator of ssDNA targeted by AID. It is also known that the Ig loci, particularly the switch (S) regions targeted by AID are rich in transcription-generated DNA/RNA hybrids. Here, we examined the binding and catalytic behavior of purified AID on DNA/RNA hybrid substrates bearing either random sequences or GC-rich sequences simulating Ig S regions. If substrates were made up of a random sequence, AID preferred substrates composed entirely of DNA over DNA/RNA hybrids. In contrast, if substrates were composed of S region sequences, AID preferred to mutate DNA/RNA hybrids over substrates composed entirely of DNA. Accordingly, AID exhibited a significantly higher affinity for binding DNA/RNA hybrid substrates composed specifically of S region sequences, than any other substrates composed of DNA. Thus, in the absence of any other cellular processes or factors, AID itself favors binding and mutating DNA/RNA hybrids composed of S region sequences. AID:DNA/RNA complex formation and supporting mutational analyses suggest that recognition of DNA/RNA hybrids is an inherent structural property of AID. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predictors of quality of life in AIDS patients.

PubMed

Kemppainen, J K

2001-01-01

While much work has been completed in relation to measuring and defining the varying dimensions of quality of life in HIV/AIDS, very little research attention has been directed toward identifying factors that influence or enhance quality of life. This study examined whether variables relating to demographic characteristics, severity of illness, psychological status, or level of engagement in nursing care would predict quality of life in persons with advanced or late stage HIV/AIDS. A convenience sample of 162 hospitalized male and female patients with AIDS participated in this study. The participants completed the HIV Symptom Checklist, the Beck Depression Inventory, the HIV-QAM (a measure of changes in the status of hospitalized AIDS patients due to nursing care), and two measures of engagement in nursing care. The Living With HIV Scale was used as the measure of quality of life. The two components of this scale were analyzed independently. The strongest predictor of decreased quality of life scores was depression (accounting for 23% of the variance), with symptoms accounting for 9.75% and female gender accounting for an additional 8%. Two measures of patient engagement with nursing care providers contributed a total of 13.44% of the variance in quality of life scores. The findings emphasize the importance of recognizing and treating depression in persons with HIV/AIDS. The number of symptoms and their frequency also has a profound effect on quality of life. Although modest, study findings suggest that quality of life for an acutely ill, hospitalized patient with AIDS is enhanced through more active involvement or engagement in the process of nursing care.

Language Planning and Development Aid: The (In)Visibility of Language in Development Aid Discourse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor-Leech, Kerry; Benson, Carol

2017-01-01

Despite the essential role of local, regional, national and international languages in human development, there is little reference to language planning in development aid discourse. Beginning with definitions of development aid and language planning, the paper examines how the two were linked in pre- and post-colonial times, showing how language…

The examination of nursing work through a role accountability framework.

PubMed

White, Deborah E; Jackson, Karen; Besner, Jeanne; Norris, Jill M

2015-07-01

To use work analysis data to describe the amount of time registered nurses (RNs) and health care aides (HCA) spent on key clinical role accountabilities and other work activities. Health care providers are not effectively utilized. To improve their efficiency and effectiveness, it is necessary to understand how nursing providers enact their role accountabilities. Using palm pilot Function Analysis technology, observers recorded the activities of 35 registered nurse and 17 health care aides shifts on a second-by-second basis over 5 days. Work activities were classified using the Nursing Role Effectiveness Model, which conceptualizes nursing practice in terms of clinical role accountabilities. The registered nurses spent a considerable amount of time on bio-medical assessment/surveillance, relatively little time was spent on patient and family psycho-social-cultural-spiritual assessment/surveillance and support. Unlike other work sampling studies, this research project examined nursing work within a role accountability framework; an important first step in the call for the measurement of the impact of nursing care. Changes to how registered nurses and health care aides enact their role will require a clear vision by unit managers and their staff of their role accountabilities, and the gap between ideal and actual practice. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

New Mechanisms of Incentives and Accountability for Higher Education Institutions: Linking the Regional, National and Global Dimensions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kitagawa, Fumi

2003-01-01

Examines the new mechanisms of accountability and incentives for higher education institutions (HEIs) that are emerging at regional level in relation to the development of knowledge-based economies and new structures of governance. Analyzes new higher education policies of a particular region in the United Kingdom and the influence of multiple…

Foreign Aid to Education: Recent U.S. Initiatives--Background, Risks, and Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heyneman, Stephen P.

2005-01-01

The Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) is a commitment of the United States to raise its grant aid by a factor of 50% over the next 3 years and will result in a $5 billion annual increase over current foreign aid levels. Many other countries and multinational development assistance agencies will be asked to help co-finance this new account, and…

[Descriptive study of homophobia and vulnerability to HIV/AIDS of the transvestites in the Metropolitan Region of Recife, Brazil].

PubMed

de Sousa, Patricia Juliana; Ferreira, Luiz Oscar Cardoso; de Sá, Janilson Barros

2013-08-01

This study sought to ascertain the vulnerabilities to HIV/Aids of transvestites of the Metropolitan Region of Recife. The Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS) method was selected for data collection. Among the 110 transvestites, high indices of homophobia were found in locations such as: security services, work facilities, family and religious environments, neighborhood, school, stores, leisure spaces, and healthcare services. Among the situations of violence experienced, the predominant cases involved verbal aggression (81.8%) and physical aggression (68.2%). The HIV test carried out at some stage in their lives was reported by 84.4% of the subjects. A high level of knowledge of the forms of HIV prevention and transmission was detected. The majority of the transvestites began their sexual activity before 15 years of age without condom use. It was seen that in the context of the HIV/Aids epidemic, the strategies for health promotion can only be effective if factors for enhancing the understanding of the vulnerability to HIV/Aids, such as homophobia, are considered.

Non-coding RNA generated following lariat-debranching mediates targeting of AID to DNA

PubMed Central

Zheng, Simin; Vuong, Bao Q.; Vaidyanathan, Bharat; Lin, Jia-Yu; Huang, Feng-Ting; Chaudhuri, Jayanta

2015-01-01

SUMMARY Transcription through immunoglobulin switch (S) regions is essential for class switch recombination (CSR) but no molecular function of the transcripts has been described. Likewise, recruitment of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) to S regions is critical for CSR; however, the underlying mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Here, we demonstrate that intronic switch RNA acts in trans to target AID to S region DNA. AID binds directly to switch RNA through G-quadruplexes formed by the RNA molecules. Disruption of this interaction by mutation of a key residue in the putative RNA-binding domain of AID impairs recruitment of AID to S region DNA, thereby abolishing CSR. Additionally, inhibition of RNA lariat processing leads to loss of AID localization to S regions and compromises CSR; both defects can be rescued by exogenous expression of switch transcripts in a sequence-specific manner. These studies uncover an RNA-mediated mechanism of targeting AID to DNA. PMID:25957684

'Our Families are Killing Us': HIV/AIDS, Witchcraft and Social Tensions in the Caprivi Region, Namibia.

PubMed

Thomas, Felicity

2007-12-01

The importance of exploring 'indigenous' constructions of illness is vital when explanatory models of ill health differ markedly from dominant biomedical paradigms. In the Caprivi region of Namibia, an upsurge of witchcraft accusations can be seen as a direct reaction to increasing AIDS-related illness and deaths, and to changes in socio-economic attitudes and expectations. The mobilization of witchcraft narratives provides a socially acceptable explanation for illness, and can positively influence decisions regarding the care and identity of the ill person. However, drawing upon data collected at kin and village level, this paper demonstrates that while witchcraft accusations can avert stigma and blame away from the ill person, they can also result in significant disruption to livelihoods, and place considerable tension upon key social capital networks at a time when the household is particularly vulnerable. Such findings have significant implications for the effectiveness of HIV prevention and AIDS mitigation initiatives, and for livelihood security.

Civil war and the spread of AIDS in Central Africa.

PubMed Central

Smallman-Raynor, M. R.; Cliff, A. D.

1991-01-01

Using ordinary least squares regression techniques this paper demonstrates, for the first time, that the classic association of war and disease substantially accounts for the presently observed geographical distribution of reported clinical AIDS cases in Uganda. Both the spread of HIV 1 infection in the 1980s, and the subsequent development of AIDS to its 1990 spatial pattern, are shown to be significantly and positively correlated with ethnic patterns of recruitment into the Ugandan National Liberation Army (UNLA) after the overthrow of Idi Amin some 10 years earlier in 1979. This correlation reflects the estimated mean incubation period of 8-10 years for HIV 1 and underlines the need for cognizance of historical factors which may have influenced current patterns of AIDS seen in Central Africa. The findings may have important implications for AIDS forecasting and control in African countries which have recently experienced war. The results are compared with parallel analyses of other HIV hypotheses advanced to account for the reported geographical distribution of AIDS in Uganda. PMID:1879492

Implications of High-Frequency Cochlear Dead Regions for Fitting Hearing Aids to Adults with Mild to Moderately-Severe Hearing Loss

PubMed Central

Cox, Robyn M.; Johnson, Jani A.; Alexander, Genevieve C.

2012-01-01

Short Summary It has been suggested that existence of high-frequency cochlear dead regions (DRs) has implications for hearing aid fitting, and that the optimal amount of high-frequency gain is reduced for these patients. This investigation used laboratory and field measurements to examine the effectiveness of reduced high-frequency gain in typical hearing aid users with high-frequency DRs. Both types of data revealed that speech understanding was better with the evidence-based prescription than with reduced high-frequency gain, and that this was seen for listeners with and without DRs. Nevertheless, subjects did not always prefer the amplification condition that produced better speech understanding. PMID:22555183

Federal Student Aid and Tuition Growth: Examining the Relationship.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hauptman, Arthur M.; Krop, Cathy S.

A debate has raged over the effect of federal student aid on tuition growth. Former Secretary of Education, William Bennett claimed that colleges and universities explicitly take federal aid into account in setting tuition and other charges, thereby stimulating tuition increases that are higher than the rate of inflation. An alternative view is…

D.C. Teenagers and AIDS: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Population Options, Washington, DC.

Adolescents currently account for less than 1 percent of reported AIDS cases. Yet, because of their experimentation with both sex and drugs, teens face an increasingly high risk of contracting and transmitting the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). A total of 35 innercity black adolescents, ages 14 through 17, were…

Comparing state-only expenditures for AIDS.

PubMed Central

Rowe, M J; Ryan, C C

1988-01-01

The State AIDS Policy Center at the Inter-governmental Health Policy Project (IHPP) at George Washington University surveyed all 50 states to determine state AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) expenditures, without Medicaid or federal funds, for fiscal 1984-88. During this period, state-only expenditures increased 15-fold, to $156.3 million. Between fiscal 1986-1988, the distribution of state funding for AIDS patient care and support services doubled from 16 to 35 per cent and the number of states supplementing federal funds for testing and counseling increased from eight to 20. Five states continue to account for the largest AIDS appropriations. Of these, California leads in funding research; New York, Florida, and New Jersey have directed funds to provide care and services to IV (intravenous) drug users, prisoners, and children. The average state expenditure per diagnosed AIDS case is $3,323 and an increasing number of states with relatively low case loads are appropriating funds beyond this level. Across states, AIDS expenditures per person average $.65 and $.21 for education, testing and counseling--below the level recommended by the Institute of Medicine for AIDS prevention activities. Some jurisdictions support AIDS activities indirectly by shifting resources, often from their STD (sexually transmitted disease) programs--this trend deserves continuing review given the rise in STD cases and their relationship to diagnosed AIDS. PMID:3126674

USAID steps up anti-AIDS program.

PubMed

1991-01-01

This article considers the epidemic proportion of AIDS in developing countries, and discusses the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) reworked and intensified strategy for HIV infection and AIDS prevention and control over the next 5 years. Developing and launching over 650 HIV and AIDS activities in 74 developing countries since 1986, USAID is the world's largest supporter of anti-AIDS programs. Over $91 million in bilateral assistance for HIV and AIDS prevention and control have been committed. USAID has also been the largest supporter of the World Health Organization's Global Program on AIDS since 1986. Interventions have included training peer educators, working to change the norms of sex behavior, and condom promotion. Recognizing that the developing world will increasingly account for an ever larger share of the world's HIV-infected population, USAID announced an intensified program of estimated investment increasing to approximately $400 million over a 5-year period. Strategy include funding for long-term, intensive interventions in 10-15 priority countries, emphasizing the treatment of other sexually transmitted diseases which facilitate the spread of HIV, making AIDS-related policy dialogue an explicit component of the Agency's AIDS program, and augmenting funding to community-based programs aimed at reducing high-risk sexual behaviors. The effect of AIDS upon child survival, adult mortality, urban populations, and socioeconomic development in developing countries is discussed. Program examples are also presented.

How Much Do Young Children Know about HIV/AIDS?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhana, Deevia

2010-01-01

This paper explores the ways in which young South African school children (aged between seven and eight) in a predominantly white primary school give meanings to HIV/AIDS. Using ethnographic methods and interview data, the analysis of young children's responses shows that their accounts of HIV/AIDS draw from their knowledge of disease more…

Regulation of Aicda expression and AID activity

PubMed Central

ZAN, HONG; CASALI, PAOLO

2013-01-01

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is expressed in a B cell differentiation stage-specific fashion and is essential for immunoglobulin (Ig) gene class switch DNA recombination (CSR) and somatic hypermutation (SHM). CSR and SHM play a central role in the maturation of antibody and autoantibody responses. AID displays a mutagenic activity by catalyzing targeted deamination of deoxycytidine (dC) residues in DNA resulting in dU:dG mismatches, which are processed into point-mutations in SHM or double-strand breaks (DSBs) in CSR. Although AID specifically targets the Ig gene loci (IgH, Igκ and Igλ), it can also home into a wide array of non-Ig genes in B- and non-B-cell backgrounds. Aberrant expression of AID is associated with multiple diseases such as allergy, inflammation, autoimmunity and cancer. In autoimmune systemic lupus erythematosus, dysregulated AID expression underpins increased CSR, SHM and autoantibody production. As a potent mutator, AID is under stringent transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational regulation. AID is also regulated in its targeting and enzymatic function. In resting naïve or memory B cells, AID transcripts and protein are undetectable. These, however, are readily and significantly upregulated in B cells induced to undergo CSR and/or SHM. Transcription factors, such as HoxC4 and NF-κB, which are upregulated in a B cell lineage- and/or differentiation stage-specific manner, regulate the induction of AID. HoxC4 induces AID expression by directly binding to the AID gene promoter through an evolutionarily conserved 5’-ATTT-3’ motif. HoxC4 is induced by the same stimuli that induce AID and CSR. It is further upregulated by estrogen through three estrogen responsive elements in its promoter region. The targeting of AID to switch (S) regions is mediated by 14-3-3 adaptor proteins, which specifically bind to 5′-AGCT-3′ repeats that are exist at high frequency in S region cores. Like HoxC4, 14-3-3 adaptors are

[AIDS in Tanzania].

PubMed

Barstad, S

1993-04-20

The World Health Organization has announced that within 3 years 10% of Tanzania's population of 26 million will be infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). But there is some faint hope in the research of Tanzanian traditional medicine. An almost 90-year-man, Waziri Mrisho, is credited with having treated AIDS patients successfully with herbs that strengthen the immune system. Margaret Nakamya was stricken by the symptoms of AIDs in March 1990. She was referred to Waziri and started using his herbs. 3 years later she weighs 49 kg compared to 40 kg before. The old man's son set up a little factory where he pulverizes herbs and sells them at the price he can command The 3 types of trees that the herbal medicine is taken from grow in the wild, but some have also been planted around the factory. Even if these herbs are effective, it will take years before the AIDS epidemic is over, when people have changed their lifestyles. The means of communication (TV, cinema, radio, telephone) are missing or inadequate. In the Kagera region, with 1.2 million inhabitants, 25% of pregnant women are HIV-infected and 65,000 children lost their parents to AIDS. There are 2000 children in Dar Es Salaam living in the streets. The Anglican St. Albans Church runs a center for street kids where they get meals 3 times a week. The nurse Ruth Nesje enlisted a Norwegian physician and homeopath in a research project involving 30 AIDS patients in Norway. The University in Bergen will do in vitro testing. One group of patients will receive both AZT and the herbs, another group will get only AZT, and the 3rd group will obtain only the herbs. The Norwegian Nursing Association, NORAD, and DANIDA also plan various projects in the Tanga region.

SADC establishes a regional action plan.

PubMed

Klouda, T

1997-02-01

The regional meeting held on AIDS strategy in Lilongwe, Malawi, in December, 1996, made important advances. The 12 countries of the SADC (Southern Africa Development Community) joined the European Union to institute a regional action plan for the reduction of susceptibility of people to HIV because of social, cultural, and environmental factors; the vulnerability of people with HIV infection to social and other difficulties; and the vulnerability of institutions because of the foregoing impacts. At the conference the issues explored were employment, mining, medical drugs, education, and tourism. An employment charter was seen as crucial for the success of AIDS and workplace activities. Facilitation of travel across borders was important for the reduction of susceptibility to HIV infection. Enhancement of regional policies for essential drugs was vital for drugs for the treatment of AIDS. The clarification of the regional role was critical for regional support of national action (strengthening technical and institutional capacities) and for regional joint action such as studies on research, harmonization of data collection on HIV/AIDS; organization of training; development of information and education on HIV/AIDS; facilitation of manufacturing of drugs and condoms; and the development of a regional information and education program about HIV/AIDS. The conference also clarified HIV/AIDS programs in relation to other health and socioeconomic problems.

Managerial Accounting. Course Administrative Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Central Michigan Univ., Mount Pleasant. Inst. for Personal and Career Development.

This manual is part of the materials for a college-level programmed course in managerial accounting and intended to aid instructors in helping students to work their way through the self-instructional study guide around which the course is organized. The manual describes the various materials and components used in the self-instructional sequence…

A regional-scale, high resolution dynamical malaria model that accounts for population density, climate and surface hydrology.

PubMed

Tompkins, Adrian M; Ermert, Volker

2013-02-18

The relative roles of climate variability and population related effects in malaria transmission could be better understood if regional-scale dynamical malaria models could account for these factors. A new dynamical community malaria model is introduced that accounts for the temperature and rainfall influences on the parasite and vector life cycles which are finely resolved in order to correctly represent the delay between the rains and the malaria season. The rainfall drives a simple but physically based representation of the surface hydrology. The model accounts for the population density in the calculation of daily biting rates. Model simulations of entomological inoculation rate and circumsporozoite protein rate compare well to data from field studies from a wide range of locations in West Africa that encompass both seasonal endemic and epidemic fringe areas. A focus on Bobo-Dioulasso shows the ability of the model to represent the differences in transmission rates between rural and peri-urban areas in addition to the seasonality of malaria. Fine spatial resolution regional integrations for Eastern Africa reproduce the malaria atlas project (MAP) spatial distribution of the parasite ratio, and integrations for West and Eastern Africa show that the model grossly reproduces the reduction in parasite ratio as a function of population density observed in a large number of field surveys, although it underestimates malaria prevalence at high densities probably due to the neglect of population migration. A new dynamical community malaria model is publicly available that accounts for climate and population density to simulate malaria transmission on a regional scale. The model structure facilitates future development to incorporate migration, immunity and interventions.

A regional-scale, high resolution dynamical malaria model that accounts for population density, climate and surface hydrology

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The relative roles of climate variability and population related effects in malaria transmission could be better understood if regional-scale dynamical malaria models could account for these factors. Methods A new dynamical community malaria model is introduced that accounts for the temperature and rainfall influences on the parasite and vector life cycles which are finely resolved in order to correctly represent the delay between the rains and the malaria season. The rainfall drives a simple but physically based representation of the surface hydrology. The model accounts for the population density in the calculation of daily biting rates. Results Model simulations of entomological inoculation rate and circumsporozoite protein rate compare well to data from field studies from a wide range of locations in West Africa that encompass both seasonal endemic and epidemic fringe areas. A focus on Bobo-Dioulasso shows the ability of the model to represent the differences in transmission rates between rural and peri-urban areas in addition to the seasonality of malaria. Fine spatial resolution regional integrations for Eastern Africa reproduce the malaria atlas project (MAP) spatial distribution of the parasite ratio, and integrations for West and Eastern Africa show that the model grossly reproduces the reduction in parasite ratio as a function of population density observed in a large number of field surveys, although it underestimates malaria prevalence at high densities probably due to the neglect of population migration. Conclusions A new dynamical community malaria model is publicly available that accounts for climate and population density to simulate malaria transmission on a regional scale. The model structure facilitates future development to incorporate migration, immunity and interventions. PMID:23419192

12 CFR 513.8 - Removal, suspension, or debarment of independent public accountants and accounting firms...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... misleading information to the Office or any officer or employee of the Office; (5) Has engaged in, or aided... that there is good cause for the removal, suspension, or debarment of a member or employee of an... members or employees of the accounting firm involved in the performance of audit services; (4) The extent...

Institutional Merit-Based Aid and Student Departure: A Longitudinal Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gross, Jacob P. K.; Hossler, Don; Ziskin, Mary; Berry, Matthew S.

2015-01-01

The use of merit criteria in awarding institutional aid has grown considerably and, some argue, is supplanting need as the central factor in awarding aid. Concurrently, the accountability movement in higher education has placed greater emphasis on retention and graduation as indicators of institutional success and quality. In this context, this…

Major Management Challenges and Program Risks. Performance and Accountability Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC.

In its 2001 performance and accountability report on the Department of Education, the General Accounting Office (GAO) identified challenges with student financial-aid programs, financial management, and other areas facing education. The information presented in this report is intended to help sustain congressional attention and a departmental…

Can we spend our way out of the AIDS epidemic? A world halting AIDS model

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background There has been a sudden increase in the amount of money donors are willing to spend on the worldwide HIV/AIDS epidemic. Present plans are to hold most of the money in reserve and spend it slowly. However, rapid spending may be the best strategy for halting this disease. Methods We develop a mathematical model that predicts eradication or persistence of HIV/AIDS on a world scale. Dividing the world into regions (continents, countries etc), we develop a linear differential equation model of infectives which has the same eradication properties as more complex models. Results We show that, even if HIV/AIDS can be eradicated in each region independently, travel/immigration of infectives could still sustain the epidemic. We use a continent-level example to demonstrate that eradication is possible if preventive intervention methods (such as condoms or education) reduced the infection rate to two fifths of what it is currently. We show that, for HIV/AIDS to be eradicated within five years, the total cost would be ≈ $63 billion, which is within the existing $60 billion (plus interest) amount raised by the donor community. However, if this action is spread over a twenty year period, as currently planned, then eradication is no longer possible, due to population growth, and the costs would exceed $90 billion. Conclusion Eradication of AIDS is feasible, using the tools that we have currently to hand, but action needs to occur immediately. If not, then HIV/AIDS will race beyond our ability to afford it. PMID:19922685

Recent Changes in Federal Student Aid. CRS Report for Congress.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schenet, Margot A.

This report discusses recent changes in federal aid to postsecondary students enacted by Congress during 1992-93, focusing on the 1992 Amendments to the Higher Education Act and the 1993 Federal Direct Student Loan (DL) Program. The report reviews recent issues surrounding federal aid to postsecondary students, such as program accountability and…

National Student Aid Profile: Overview of 2012 Federal Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NJ1), 2012

2012-01-01

From 2000-2001 to 2010-2011, the total amount of federal financial aid awarded to students under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) jumped from $64.0 billion to an estimated $169.1 billion, a 10-year increase of 164%. For 2010-2011, the Title IV programs accounted for 72% of the $235 billion in total financial aid received by college…

Computer-aided Assessment of Regional Abdominal Fat with Food Residue Removal in CT

PubMed Central

Makrogiannis, Sokratis; Caturegli, Giorgio; Davatzikos, Christos; Ferrucci, Luigi

2014-01-01

Rationale and Objectives Separate quantification of abdominal subcutaneous and visceral fat regions is essential to understand the role of regional adiposity as risk factor in epidemiological studies. Fat quantification is often based on computed tomography (CT) because fat density is distinct from other tissue densities in the abdomen. However, the presence of intestinal food residues with densities similar to fat may reduce fat quantification accuracy. We introduce an abdominal fat quantification method in CT with interest in food residue removal. Materials and Methods Total fat was identified in the feature space of Hounsfield units and divided into subcutaneous and visceral components using model-based segmentation. Regions of food residues were identified and removed from visceral fat using a machine learning method integrating intensity, texture, and spatial information. Cost-weighting and bagging techniques were investigated to address class imbalance. Results We validated our automated food residue removal technique against semimanual quantifications. Our feature selection experiments indicated that joint intensity and texture features produce the highest classification accuracy at 95%. We explored generalization capability using k-fold cross-validation and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis with variable k. Losses in accuracy and area under ROC curve between maximum and minimum k were limited to 0.1% and 0.3%. We validated tissue segmentation against reference semimanual delineations. The Dice similarity scores were as high as 93.1 for subcutaneous fat and 85.6 for visceral fat. Conclusions Computer-aided regional abdominal fat quantification is a reliable computational tool for large-scale epidemiological studies. Our proposed intestinal food residue reduction scheme is an original contribution of this work. Validation experiments indicate very good accuracy and generalization capability. PMID:24119354

Computer-aided assessment of regional abdominal fat with food residue removal in CT.

PubMed

Makrogiannis, Sokratis; Caturegli, Giorgio; Davatzikos, Christos; Ferrucci, Luigi

2013-11-01

Separate quantification of abdominal subcutaneous and visceral fat regions is essential to understand the role of regional adiposity as risk factor in epidemiological studies. Fat quantification is often based on computed tomography (CT) because fat density is distinct from other tissue densities in the abdomen. However, the presence of intestinal food residues with densities similar to fat may reduce fat quantification accuracy. We introduce an abdominal fat quantification method in CT with interest in food residue removal. Total fat was identified in the feature space of Hounsfield units and divided into subcutaneous and visceral components using model-based segmentation. Regions of food residues were identified and removed from visceral fat using a machine learning method integrating intensity, texture, and spatial information. Cost-weighting and bagging techniques were investigated to address class imbalance. We validated our automated food residue removal technique against semimanual quantifications. Our feature selection experiments indicated that joint intensity and texture features produce the highest classification accuracy at 95%. We explored generalization capability using k-fold cross-validation and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis with variable k. Losses in accuracy and area under ROC curve between maximum and minimum k were limited to 0.1% and 0.3%. We validated tissue segmentation against reference semimanual delineations. The Dice similarity scores were as high as 93.1 for subcutaneous fat and 85.6 for visceral fat. Computer-aided regional abdominal fat quantification is a reliable computational tool for large-scale epidemiological studies. Our proposed intestinal food residue reduction scheme is an original contribution of this work. Validation experiments indicate very good accuracy and generalization capability. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Computer-aided design and computer science technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fulton, R. E.; Voigt, S. J.

1976-01-01

A description is presented of computer-aided design requirements and the resulting computer science advances needed to support aerospace design. The aerospace design environment is examined, taking into account problems of data handling and aspects of computer hardware and software. The interactive terminal is normally the primary interface between the computer system and the engineering designer. Attention is given to user aids, interactive design, interactive computations, the characteristics of design information, data management requirements, hardware advancements, and computer science developments.

The AID enzyme induces class switch recombination in fibroblasts.

PubMed

Okazaki, Il-mi; Kinoshita, Kazuo; Muramatsu, Masamichi; Yoshikawa, Kiyotsugu; Honjo, Tasuku

2002-03-21

The switch of the immunoglobulin isotype from IgM to IgG, IgE or IgA is mediated by class switch recombination (CSR). CSR changes the immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region (CH) gene from Cmu to one of the other CH genes. Somatic hypermutation introduces massive numbers of point mutations in the immunoglobulin variable (V) region gene, giving rise to immunoglobulin with higher affinity. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), a putative RNA-editing cytidine deaminase, is expressed strictly in activated B cells and is indispensable in both CSR and somatic hypermutation. But the exact function of AID is unknown. Here we show that ectopic expression of AID induces CSR in an artificial switch construct in fibroblasts at a level comparable to that in stimulated B cells. Sequences around recombination junctions in the artificial substrate have features similar to endogenous CSR junctions. Furthermore, AID-induced CSR in fibroblasts is dependent on transcription of the target S region, as shown in endogenous CSR in B cells. The results show that AID is the only B-cell-specific factor required for initiation of the CSR reaction in the activated locus.

7 CFR 981.56 - Assistance of Board in accounting for reserve.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... SERVICE (Marketing Agreements and Orders; Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ALMONDS... accounting for reserve. The Board, on written request, may assist handlers in accounting for their reserve obligations and may aid any handler in acquiring almonds to meet any deficiency in his reserve. ...

7 CFR 981.56 - Assistance of Board in accounting for reserve.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... SERVICE (Marketing Agreements and Orders; Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ALMONDS... accounting for reserve. The Board, on written request, may assist handlers in accounting for their reserve obligations and may aid any handler in acquiring almonds to meet any deficiency in his reserve. ...

Europe’s Shifting Response to HIV/AIDS

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Abstract Despite a history of championing HIV/AIDS as a human rights issue, and a rhetorical commitment to health as a human right, European states and institutions have shifted from a rights-based response to a risk management approach to HIV/AIDS since the economic recession of 2008. An interdisciplinary perspective is applied to analyze health policy changes at the national, regional, and global levels by drawing on data from key informant interviews, and institutional and civil society documents. It is demonstrated that, in the context of austerity measures, member states such as the UK and Greece reduced commitments to rights associated with HIV/AIDS; at the regional level, the EU failed to develop rights-based approaches to address the vulnerabilities and health care needs of key populations affected by HIV/AIDS, particularly migrants and sex workers; and at the global level, the EU backtracked on commitments to global health and is prioritizing the intellectual property rights of pharmaceutical companies over the human rights of people living with HIV/AIDS. The focus within and from the EU is on containment, efficiency, and cost reduction. The rights of those most affected are no longer prioritized. PMID:28559682

The Effect of Student Aid on the Duration of Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glocker, Daniela

2011-01-01

In this paper I evaluate the effect of student aid on the success of academic studies. I focus on two dimensions, the duration of study and the probability of actually graduating with a degree. To determine the impact of financial student aid, I estimate a discrete-time duration model allowing for competing risks to account for different exit…

Trends in AIDS Deaths, New Infections and ART Coverage in the Top 30 Countries with the Highest AIDS Mortality Burden; 1990–2013

PubMed Central

Granich, Reuben; Gupta, Somya; Hersh, Bradley; Williams, Brian; Montaner, Julio; Young, Benjamin; Zuniga, José M.

2015-01-01

Background Antiretroviral therapy (ART) prevents human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease progression, mortality and transmission. We assess the impact of expanded HIV treatment for the prevention of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)-related deaths and simulate four treatment scenarios for Nigeria and South Africa. Methods For 1990–2013, we used the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) database to examine trends in AIDS deaths, HIV incidence and prevalence, ART coverage, annual AIDS death rate, AIDS death-to-treatment and HIV infections to treatment ratios for the top 30 countries with the highest AIDS mortality burden and compare them with data from high-income countries. We projected the 1990–2020 AIDS deaths for Nigeria and South Africa using four treatment scenarios: 1) no ART; 2) maintaining current ART coverage; 3) 90% ART coverage based on 2013 World Health Organization (WHO) ART guidelines by 2020; and 4) reaching the United Nations 90-90-90 Target by 2020. Findings In 2013, there were 1.3 million (1.1 million–1.6 million) AIDS deaths in the top 30 countries representing 87% of global AIDS deaths. Eight countries accounted for 58% of the global AIDS deaths; Nigeria and South Africa accounted for 27% of global AIDS deaths. The highest death rates per 1000 people living with HIV were in Central African Republic (91), South Sudan (82), Côte d’Ivoire (75), Cameroon (72) and Chad (71), nearly 8–10 times higher than the high-income countries. ART access in 2013 has averted as estimated 1,051,354 and 422,448 deaths in South Africa and Nigeria, respectively. Increasing ART coverage in these two countries to meet the proposed UN 90-90-90 Target by 2020 could avert 2.2 and 1.2 million deaths, respectively. Interpretation Over the past decade the expansion of access to ART averted millions of deaths. Reaching the proposed UN 90-90-90 Target by 2020 will prevent additional morbidity, mortality and HIV transmission. Despite progress

Student Financial Aid. High-Risk Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Comptroller General of the U.S., Washington, DC.

This publication discusses areas of concern in the Department of Education's management and oversight of postsecondary student financial aid programs, especially the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), the Federal Direct Student Loan Program (FDSLP), and the Federal Pell Grant Programs. The General Accounting Office determined that, in…

Women and AIDS: introduction.

PubMed

Krieger, N; Margo, G

1991-01-01

Around the world, more and more women--principally poor women of color--are being diagnosed with and are dying of AIDS, the acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Yet, effective and appropriate prevention programs for women are sorely missing from the global program to control AIDS. To help us understand why this gap exists, and what we must do to close it, the three articles in this issue focus on women and AIDS. Examining the situation in such countries as Zimbabwe and South Africa, as well as in other economically underdeveloped and developed regions, the authors argue that women with the least control over their bodies and their lives are at greatest risk of acquiring AIDS. For example, the high rate of infection among women in Africa cannot be understood apart from the legacy of colonialism (including land expropriation and the forced introduction of a migrant labor system) and the insidious combination of traditional and European patriarchal values. Only by recognizing the socioeconomic and cultural determinants of both disease and sexual behavior, and only by incorporating these insights into our AIDS prevention programs, will we be able to curb the spread of this lethal disease.

Accountability and the Struggle over What Counts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Theobald, Paul; Mills, Ed

1995-01-01

Discusses issues defining the boundaries of the current accountability debate, focusing on the historical struggle between the ideas of philosopher John Dewey and psychologist Edward Thorndike. In the Thorndike camp, corporate America wants educators to continue to sort, select, and label children, aided by standardized testing. The…

Regional health accounts for Pakistan--expenditure disparities on provincial and district level.

PubMed

Lorenz, Christian; Khalid, Muhammad

2011-05-01

Since May 2009 the first National Health Accounts (NHA) for Pakistan have been finalised and published by Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) in cooperation with German Technical Cooperation (GTZ). This paper goes one step ahead of the report and analyses in more detail the regional differences in health expenditure structures in Pakistan. The further analyses can be divided into four parts: health expenditures in provinces (Provincial Health Accounts, PHA), Punjab provincial and district governments health expenditures and its comparison with ADB figures, all districts of Pakistan and comparison between total district government and provincial government expenditure for each province; the latter calculation is applied as indication for the degree of fiscal autonomy of the districts in each province. Consequently, first the provincial health expenditures by Financial Agents is analysed and compared between the provinces which leads to very heterogeneous results (section 2); the per capita health expenditures differ from 16 to 23 USD. Secondly, NHA results on Punjab district government are compared with available ADB results and differences in methods as possible reasons for different results are presented (section 3). Third, district data of all district governments in all four Pakistani provinces are analysed on the level of detailed function codes in section 4; the aim is to discover regional differences between districts of the same as well as of different provinces. Fourth, in section 5 the degree of fiscal autonomy on health of the districts in each province is analysed; therefore the ordinance description is reviewed and total district government with total provincial government expenditures are compared per province. Finally recommendations for future rounds of NHA in Pakistan are given regarding formats and necessities of detailed health expenditure data collection to ensure evidence based decision making not only on federal, but also on provincial and

Computer-aided detection of bladder mass within non-contrast-enhanced region of CT Urography (CTU)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cha, Kenny H.; Hadjiiski, Lubomir M.; Chan, Heang-Ping; Caoili, Elaine M.; Cohan, Richard H.; Weizer, Alon; Zhou, Chuan

2016-03-01

We are developing a computer-aided detection system for bladder cancer in CT urography (CTU). We have previously developed methods for detection of bladder masses within the contrast-enhanced region of the bladder. In this study, we investigated methods for detection of bladder masses within the non-contrast enhanced region. The bladder was first segmented using a newly developed deep-learning convolutional neural network in combination with level sets. The non-contrast-enhanced region was separated from the contrast-enhanced region with a maximum-intensityprojection- based method. The non-contrast region was smoothed and a gray level threshold was employed to segment the bladder wall and potential masses. The bladder wall was transformed into a straightened thickness profile, which was analyzed to identify lesion candidates as a prescreening step. The lesion candidates were segmented using our autoinitialized cascaded level set (AI-CALS) segmentation method, and 27 morphological features were extracted for each candidate. Stepwise feature selection with simplex optimization and leave-one-case-out resampling were used for training and validation of a false positive (FP) classifier. In each leave-one-case-out cycle, features were selected from the training cases and a linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifier was designed to merge the selected features into a single score for classification of the left-out test case. A data set of 33 cases with 42 biopsy-proven lesions in the noncontrast enhanced region was collected. During prescreening, the system obtained 83.3% sensitivity at an average of 2.4 FPs/case. After feature extraction and FP reduction by LDA, the system achieved 81.0% sensitivity at 2.0 FPs/case, and 73.8% sensitivity at 1.5 FPs/case.

Psychotherapy with AIDS Patients: Countertransference Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilk, Carole A.

This paper provides a personal account of the process of psychotherapy for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) patients, as seen from both the client's and the psychotherapist's perspective, with a focus on countertransference issues found in the early phases of treatment. Based on case material, the discussion explores themes presented by…

AIDS legislation--turning up the heat?

PubMed Central

Kirby, M D

1986-01-01

This paper is not about the medical condition of AIDS. Nor is it about the history of the condition since it was first reported in Atlanta, Georgia in 1981. It looks rather, at the catalogue of legislative and other legal responses to the spread of AIDS. The paper analyses the AIDS condition in its historical context. The hysteria accompanying the outbreak of AIDS is contrasted with the similar hysteria associated with other previous epidemics experienced in Australia over the past two centuries. The paper categorises the responses of lawmakers to the condition, according to the approach taken; from 'full blast', through 'moderate heat' to 'low key' or an attempt to avoid or minimise legal intervention. It is suggested that the appropriate response should depend upon such factors as the present magnitude of the condition, its likely future course, the availability of cures and protections against its spread and objectives being sought by intervention. Unless these factors are taken into account gross over-reaction can occur, causing social disruption and much personal injustice. PMID:3806630

Autonomous motivation is associated with hearing aid adoption.

PubMed

Ridgway, Jason; Hickson, Louise; Lind, Christopher

2015-07-01

To use the self-determination theory of motivation to investigate whether different forms of motivation were associated with adults' decisions whether or not to adopt hearing aids. A quantitative approach was used in this cohort study. Participants completed the treatment self-regulation questionnaire (TSRQ), which measured autonomous and controlled motivation for hearing aid adoption. Sociodemographic data and audiometric information were also obtained. Participants were 253 adults who had sought information about their hearing but had not consulted with a hearing professional. Participants were categorized as hearing aid adopters if they had been fitted with hearing aids 4-6 months after completing the TSRQ, and as non-adopters if they had not. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine associations between autonomous and controlled motivation, sociodemographic and audiometric variables, and hearing aid adoption (n = 160). Three factors were significantly associated with increased hearing aid adoption when the influence of other variables was accounted for: autonomous motivation, perceived hearing difficulty, and poorer hearing. Controlled motivation was not found to influence hearing aid adoption. These empirical findings that link autonomous motivation to decisions of hearing help-seekers have implications for the ways practitioners may evaluate motivation and could inform discussions with clients about hearing aid adoption.

Psychological correlates of suicidality in HIV/AIDS in semi-urban south-western Uganda.

PubMed

Rukundo, Godfrey Zari; Mishara, Brian; Kinyanda, Eugene

2016-10-01

There is a paucity of data on the prevalence of suicidality in HIV/AIDS, and associated psychological factors in sub-Saharan Africa, shown to be high in Uganda. Yet, the region accounts for over 70% of the world HIV burden. Our study used a cross-sectional survey of 226 HIV-positive (HIV+) adults and adolescents (aged 15-17 years) in Mbarara, Uganda. The relationship between suicidality and depressed mood, anxiety symptoms, state anger, self-esteem, trait anger and hopelessness was examined; anger was the predominant factor in suicidality, suggesting that anger management could potentially lower the prevalence of suicidality. © The Author(s) 2016.

Student Financial Aid. High Risk Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC.

This report discusses the continuing concerns of the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) in regard to the Department of Education's management and oversight of postsecondary student financial aid programs, especially the Federal Family Education Loan, the Ford Direct Loan, and the Federal Pell Grant Programs. GAO commends the department for its…

Chiluba urges Africans to find own solutions to pandemic. AIDS / STD conference news.

PubMed

President Frederick Chiluba of Zambia has urged researchers to find solutions to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa during the 11th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. The 5-day conference, which was attended by 3000 delegates, planned to map out an approach to fight the pandemic affecting 22 million people in Africa. Callisto Madavo, World Bank regional-director for Africa, demanded that African governments should make AIDS the primary focus of their development agenda. The World Bank, which recognizes AIDS as the foremost threat to African development, has made the pandemic an integral part of all its activities in the region. The stigma associated with the disease had to be eliminated, according to executive director Peter Piot of the UN program on HIV/AIDS. He said that the negative attitudes have made anti-AIDS education campaigns difficult and discouraged people from seeking testing and counseling. WHO Africa director Ebrahim Samba has called on the cooperating partners of the region to support the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic with resources commensurate at hand.

Comprehensive Characterization of HIV-1 Molecular Epidemiology and Demographic History in the Brazilian Region Most Heavily Affected by AIDS.

PubMed

Gräf, Tiago; Machado Fritsch, Hegger; de Medeiros, Rúbia Marília; Maletich Junqueira, Dennis; Esteves de Matos Almeida, Sabrina; Pinto, Aguinaldo Roberto

2016-09-15

The high incidence of AIDS cases and the dominance of HIV-1 subtype C infections are two features that distinguish the HIV-1 epidemic in the two southernmost Brazilian states (Rio Grande do Sul [RS] and Santa Catarina [SC]) from the epidemic in other parts of the country. Nevertheless, previous studies on HIV molecular epidemiology were conducted mainly in capital cities, and a more comprehensive understanding of factors driving this unique epidemic in Brazil is necessary. Blood samples were collected from individuals in 13 municipalities in the Brazilian southern region. HIV-1 env and pol genes were submitted to phylogenetic analyses for assignment of subtype, and viral population phylodynamics were reconstructed by applying Skygrid and logistic coalescent models in a Bayesian analysis. A high prevalence of subtype C was observed in all sampled locations; however, an increased frequency of recombinant strains was found in RS, with evidence for new circulating forms (CRFs). In the SC state, subtype B and C epidemics were associated with distinct exposure groups. Although logistic models estimated similar growth rates for HIV-1 subtype C (HIV-1C) and HIV-1B, a Skygrid plot reveals that the former epidemic has been expanding for a longer time. Our results highlight a consistent expansion of HIV-1C in south Brazil, and we also discuss how heterosexual and men who have sex with men (MSM) transmission chains might have impacted the current prevalence of HIV-1 subtypes in this region. The AIDS epidemic in south Brazil is expanding rapidly, but the circumstances driving this condition are not well known. A high prevalence of HIV-1 subtype C was reported in the capital cities of this region, in contrast to the subtype B dominance in the rest of the country. This study sought to comparatively investigate the HIV-1 subtype B and C epidemics by sampling individuals from several cities in the two states with the highest AIDS incidences in Brazil. Our analyses showed distinct

Comprehensive Characterization of HIV-1 Molecular Epidemiology and Demographic History in the Brazilian Region Most Heavily Affected by AIDS

PubMed Central

Machado Fritsch, Hegger; de Medeiros, Rúbia Marília; Maletich Junqueira, Dennis; Esteves de Matos Almeida, Sabrina; Pinto, Aguinaldo Roberto

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT The high incidence of AIDS cases and the dominance of HIV-1 subtype C infections are two features that distinguish the HIV-1 epidemic in the two southernmost Brazilian states (Rio Grande do Sul [RS] and Santa Catarina [SC]) from the epidemic in other parts of the country. Nevertheless, previous studies on HIV molecular epidemiology were conducted mainly in capital cities, and a more comprehensive understanding of factors driving this unique epidemic in Brazil is necessary. Blood samples were collected from individuals in 13 municipalities in the Brazilian southern region. HIV-1 env and pol genes were submitted to phylogenetic analyses for assignment of subtype, and viral population phylodynamics were reconstructed by applying Skygrid and logistic coalescent models in a Bayesian analysis. A high prevalence of subtype C was observed in all sampled locations; however, an increased frequency of recombinant strains was found in RS, with evidence for new circulating forms (CRFs). In the SC state, subtype B and C epidemics were associated with distinct exposure groups. Although logistic models estimated similar growth rates for HIV-1 subtype C (HIV-1C) and HIV-1B, a Skygrid plot reveals that the former epidemic has been expanding for a longer time. Our results highlight a consistent expansion of HIV-1C in south Brazil, and we also discuss how heterosexual and men who have sex with men (MSM) transmission chains might have impacted the current prevalence of HIV-1 subtypes in this region. IMPORTANCE The AIDS epidemic in south Brazil is expanding rapidly, but the circumstances driving this condition are not well known. A high prevalence of HIV-1 subtype C was reported in the capital cities of this region, in contrast to the subtype B dominance in the rest of the country. This study sought to comparatively investigate the HIV-1 subtype B and C epidemics by sampling individuals from several cities in the two states with the highest AIDS incidences in Brazil. Our

The Uniform Chart of Accounts and Its Use in Management Control.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-10-01

accounting reports [Ref. 10: p.45]. Horngren [Ref. 5: p. 162] notes that a common complaint of *, managers is that they are unfairly charged with costs ...aids of amsst 0W somir IM WOR M oo Owp U CA Hospital Management Control Uniform Chart of Accounts Performance Measurement Hospital Cost Accounting ...Output Measurement HCU 30. he.T ACT fCamnnus m .. s ado It 09000*Min d IdWOReeO 661 eammeei ~Full implementation of thc Uniform Chart of Accounts (UCA

Intimate partner violence and challenges facing women living with HIV/AIDS in accessing antiretroviral treatment at Singida Regional Hospital, central Tanzania

PubMed Central

Kosia, Agnes; Kakoko, Deodatus; Semakafu, Ave Maria Emilius; Nyamhanga, Tumaini; Frumence, Gasto

2016-01-01

Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a global public health problem. Sub-Saharan Africa is the region most affected by HIV/AIDS in the world. Globally, and in Tanzania in particular, women are more affected by HIV/AIDS than men. Tanzania has been reported to be among the countries with the highest burden of intimate partner violence (IPV). This study explored the challenges facing women living with HIV/AIDS (LWHA) attending the care and treatment clinic (CTC) in Singida Regional Hospital in Tanzania. Design A qualitative study was performed in which data were collected through in-depth interviews with 35 women LWHA who also experienced IPV. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. Results The study findings showed that women LWHA experienced challenges from their male partners in the form of lack of fare to attend CTC, delayed attendance to CTC, verbal threats and intimidation, mistrust partner resulting in changed antiretroviral (ARV) dosing time. Also, systemic challenges such as malfunction of CD4 count testing apparatus contributed to mistrust from their male partners which led to IPV. Conclusion In this study, women LWHA experienced IPV challenges that resulted in poor adherence to ARV medication and CTC attendance, as well as insufficient time to collect ARV medication. It is recommended that the government address systemic challenges faced by women LWHA, introduce multiple approaches to address the needs of women LWHA experiencing IPV, and develop strong policies to prevent IPV against women in Tanzania, regardless of their HIV status. PMID:27987296

Cognitive hearing aids? Insights and possibilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petersen, Eline Borch; Lunner, Thomas

2015-12-01

The working memory plays an important role in successfully overcoming adverse listening conditions and should consequently be considered when designing and testing hearing aids. A number of studies have established the relationship between hearing in noise and working memory involvement, but with the Sentence-final Word Identification and Recall (SWIRL) test, it is possible to show that working memory is also involved in listening under favorable conditions and that noise reduction has a positive influence in situation with very little noise. Although the capacity of the working memory is a finite individual size, its involvement can differ with fatigue and other factors and individualization of hearing aids should take this into account to obtain the best performance. A way of individually adapting hearing aids is based on changes in the electrical activity of the brain (EEG). Here we present the possibilities that arise from using EEG and show that ear-mounted electrodes is able to record useful EEG that can be explored for individualization of hearing aids. Such an adaptation could be done based on changes in the electrical activity of the brain (EEG). Here we present the possibilities that arise from using EEG and show that ear-mounted electrodes is able to record useful EEG that can be explored for individualization of hearing aids.

Computer Aided Drug Design: Success and Limitations.

PubMed

Baig, Mohammad Hassan; Ahmad, Khurshid; Roy, Sudeep; Ashraf, Jalaluddin Mohammad; Adil, Mohd; Siddiqui, Mohammad Haris; Khan, Saif; Kamal, Mohammad Amjad; Provazník, Ivo; Choi, Inho

2016-01-01

Over the last few decades, computer-aided drug design has emerged as a powerful technique playing a crucial role in the development of new drug molecules. Structure-based drug design and ligand-based drug design are two methods commonly used in computer-aided drug design. In this article, we discuss the theory behind both methods, as well as their successful applications and limitations. To accomplish this, we reviewed structure based and ligand based virtual screening processes. Molecular dynamics simulation, which has become one of the most influential tool for prediction of the conformation of small molecules and changes in their conformation within the biological target, has also been taken into account. Finally, we discuss the principles and concepts of molecular docking, pharmacophores and other methods used in computer-aided drug design.

[Hygiene practices for patients with HIV/AIDS].

PubMed

da Cunha, Gilmara Holanda; de Araujo, Thelma Leite; Lima, Francisca Elisângela Teixeira; Cavalcante, Tahissa Frota; Galvão, Marli Teresinha Gimeniz

2014-09-01

The objective of this study was to analyze the scientific production on health interventions related to hygiene for adults with HIV/AIDS. An integrative literature review was performed using six databases in June 2013. The descriptors AIDS and Hygiene were used, in Portuguese, English or Spanish. A total of 682 articles were found and 16 were selected. Personal hygiene practices were identified, such as hand washing, showers, tooth brushing and quitting smoking. Food hygiene practices involved washing food and kitchen utensils, using treated water, conserving and cooking food. Environmental hygiene took into account raising domestic animals, control of disease vectors, household cleanliness, waste disposal and basic sanitation. In conclusion, these specific hygiene interventions can be applied to the general population and, especially, to people with HIV/AIDS, due to immunosuppression.

The AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource: Role in HIV/AIDS scientific discovery

PubMed Central

Ayers, Leona W; Silver, Sylvia; McGrath, Michael S; Orenstein, Jan M

2007-01-01

The AIDS Cancer and Specimen Resource (ACSR) supports scientific discovery in the area of HIV/AIDS-associated malignancies. The ACSR was established as a cooperative agreement between the NCI (Office of the Director, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis) and regional consortia, University of California, San Francisco (West Coast), George Washington University (East Coast) and Ohio State University (Mid-Region) to collect, preserve and disperse HIV-related tissues and biologic fluids and controls along with clinical data to qualified investigators. The available biological samples with clinical data and the application process are described on the ACSR web site. The ACSR tissue bank has more than 100,000 human HIV positive specimens that represent different processing (43), specimen (15), and anatomical site (50) types. The ACSR provides special biospecimen collections and prepares speciality items, e.g., tissue microarrays (TMA), DNA libraries. Requests have been greatest for Kaposi's sarcoma (32%) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (26%). Dispersed requests include 83% tissue (frozen and paraffin embedded), 18% plasma/serum and 9% other. ACSR also provides tissue microarrays of, e.g., Kaposi's sarcoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, for biomarker assays and has developed collaborations with other groups that provide access to additional AIDS-related malignancy specimens. ACSR members and associates have completed 63 podium and poster presentations. Investigators have submitted 125 letters of intent requests. Discoveries using ACSR have been reported in 61 scientific publications in notable journals with an average impact factor of 7. The ACSR promotes the scientific exploration of the relationship between HIV/AIDS and malignancy by participation at national and international scientific meetings, contact with investigators who have productive research in this area and identifying, collecting, preserving, enhancing, and dispersing HIV/AIDS-related malignancy specimens to

Accounting for urban biogenic fluxes in regional carbon budgets.

PubMed

Hardiman, Brady S; Wang, Jonathan A; Hutyra, Lucy R; Gately, Conor K; Getson, Jackie M; Friedl, Mark A

2017-08-15

Many ecosystem models incorrectly treat urban areas as devoid of vegetation and biogenic carbon (C) fluxes. We sought to improve estimates of urban biomass and biogenic C fluxes using existing, nationally available data products. We characterized biogenic influence on urban C cycling throughout Massachusetts, USA using an ecosystem model that integrates improved representation of urban vegetation, growing conditions associated with urban heat island (UHI), and altered urban phenology. Boston's biomass density is 1/4 that of rural forests, however 87% of Massachusetts' urban landscape is vegetated. Model results suggest that, kilogram-for-kilogram, urban vegetation cycles C twice as fast as rural forests. Urban vegetation releases (R E ) and absorbs (GEE) the equivalent of 11 and 14%, respectively, of anthropogenic emissions in the most urban portions of the state. While urban vegetation in Massachusetts fully sequesters anthropogenic emissions from smaller cities in the region, Boston's UHI reduces annual C storage by >20% such that vegetation offsets only 2% of anthropogenic emissions. Asynchrony between temporal patterns of biogenic and anthropogenic C fluxes further constrains the emissions mitigation potential of urban vegetation. However, neglecting to account for biogenic C fluxes in cities can impair efforts to accurately monitor, report, verify, and reduce anthropogenic emissions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A critical assessment of theories/models used in health communication for HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Airhihenbuwa, C O; Obregon, R

2000-01-01

Most theories and models used to develop human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) communication are based on social psychology that emphasizes individualism. Researchers including communication and health scholars are now questioning the presumed global relevance of these models and thus the need to develop innovative theories and models that take into account regional contexts. In this paper, we discuss the commonly used theories and models in HIV/AIDS communication. Furthermore, we argue that the flaws in the application of the commonly used "classical" models in health communication are because of contextual differences in locations where these models are applied. That is to say that these theories and models are being applied in contexts for which they were not designed. For example, the differences in health behaviors are often the function of culture. Therefore, culture should be viewed for its strength and not always as a barrier. The metaphorical coupling of "culture" and "barrier" needs to be exposed, deconstructed, and reconstructed so that new, positive, cultural linkages can be forged. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has served as a flashpoint to either highlight the importance or deny the relevance of theories and models while at the same time addressing the importance of culture in the development and implementation of communication programs.

Ethics and accountability in nursing people with HIV infection.

PubMed

Murray, E M

This article considers ethical issues in relation to exercising accountability when nursing people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). A range of issues will be explored, some of which may be considered contentious.

Changes in Accounting Education: Improving Principles Content for Better Understanding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, David T.; Boyd, Sanithia C.; Boyd, William L.

2000-01-01

Offers suggestions for more effective teaching of the first course of accounting in terms of time, content, and process. Suggests the use of visual aids and the concepts approach. (Contains 18 references.) (JOW)

[Community-based intervention to control STD/AIDS in the Amazon region, Brazil].

PubMed

Benzaken, Adele Schwartz; Galbán Garcia, Enrique; Sardinha, José Carlos Gomes; Pedrosa, Valderiza Lourenço; Paiva, Vera

2007-12-01

To describe a case study of community-based intervention, developed in a constructionist-emancipatory framework to control STD/AIDS. Descriptive study developed in the town of Manacapuru, in the state of Amazonas, from 1997 to 2004, focusing on procedures designed in collaboration with government agents, health professionals and the community. Data on the dynamics of prostitution and condom sales in this town, preventive practices and STD/AIDS care and process assessment were collected. Actions targeting STD prevention and care in the public healthcare system, a testing center, an epidemiological surveillance system and sex workers' qualification were established concomitantly. It was observed the strengthening of sex workers as peer educators and their legitimization as citizens and health agents in projects involving transvestites, homosexuals and students. There was an increase in condom sales in town, as well as in condom use among sex workers; reduction in bacterial STD; and stabilization of the incidence of HIV/AIDS infections and congenital syphilis. The sustainability of the intervention program studied, organized within the sphere of action of the Sistema Unico de Saúde (National Health System), was promoted by a political pact, which guaranteed headquarters and municipal law-regulated budget, as well as by the constant debate over the process and program results. The study strengthened the notion that effective control of STD/AIDS depends on a synergic approach that combines interventions on individual (biological-behavioral), sociocultural and programmatic levels.

Asia: fighting HIV / AIDS makes business sense.

PubMed

1999-11-15

Three Asian companies are investing in HIV/AIDS education and prevention schemes because they are starting to feel the effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on their workforces. A total of 17 companies from the region signed a document in the Fifth International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific committing to the fight against AIDS. The group said that effective workplace programs can prevent an increase in absenteeism, health care costs and labor turnover, a decrease in productivity, loss of experienced personnel and the need for increased resources to hire and retrain replacements. American International Assurance in Thailand accredits companies with effective HIV/AIDS campaigns in the workplace and gives them a 5-10% discount on premiums on group life insurance policies. At Freeport Mining in Indonesia, an HIV/AIDS campaign markedly improved condom usage rates and decreased incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among workers. Meanwhile, India's Tata Tea Limited expanded its health services to include surveys, training, education, and counseling on HIV/AIDS and STDs.

AIDS in Africa. ILO launches campaign on HIV / AIDS in the world of work.

PubMed

1999-01-01

This article presents the proceedings of the regional workshop on HIV/AIDS and its social and labor impact in Africa conducted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Pretoria. According to the Pretoria report, HIV/AIDS had become a human tragedy in Africa. It affects the health and development of the region and threatens the social and economic growth of almost all sub-Saharan African countries. It is considered to be the single most important impediment to social progress to many countries in Africa. Thus, the primary goal of the ILO, which is promoting opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity, is threatened by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. However, several activities have taken place in response to the need for the prevention and control of the disease. In addition, the report calls for efforts to create an enabling environment for people living with the disease involving governments, employers' and workers' organizations. It noted that the ILO could provide assistance in the adoption of laws and regulations to protect the rights of these people with regards to the access of health insurance, employment, education, as well as labor administration, productivity and the informal sector.

Assessment of regional climate change and development of climate adaptation decision aids in the Southwestern US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darmenova, K.; Higgins, G.; Kiley, H.; Apling, D.

2010-12-01

Current General Circulation Models (GCMs) provide a valuable estimate of both natural and anthropogenic climate changes and variability on global scales. At the same time, future climate projections calculated with GCMs are not of sufficient spatial resolution to address regional needs. Many climate impact models require information at scales of 50 km or less, so dynamical downscaling is often used to estimate the smaller-scale information based on larger scale GCM output. To address current deficiencies in local planning and decision making with respect to regional climate change, our research is focused on performing a dynamical downscaling with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and developing decision aids that translate the regional climate data into actionable information for users. Our methodology involves development of climatological indices of extreme weather and heating/cooling degree days based on WRF ensemble runs initialized with the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis and the European Center/Hamburg Model (ECHAM5). Results indicate that the downscale simulations provide the necessary detailed output required by state and local governments and the private sector to develop climate adaptation plans. In addition we evaluated the WRF performance in long-term climate simulations over the Southwestern US and validated against observational datasets.

Future forest carbon accounting challenges: the question of regionalization

Treesearch

Michael C. Nichols

2015-01-01

Forest carbon accounting techniques are changing. This year, a new accounting system is making its debut with the production of forest carbon data for EPA’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory. The Forest Service’s annualized inventory system is being more fully integrated into estimates of forest carbon at the national and state levels both for the present and the...

77 FR 37892 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests; Federal Student Aid; Electronic Debit Payment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-25

... the bank account information needed by ED to debit the applicant's account. The authority for the PDA... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests; Federal Student Aid; Electronic Debit Payment Option for Student Loans SUMMARY: The Preauthorized Debit Account (PDA) Application...

AID-induced decrease in topoisomerase 1 induces DNA structural alteration and DNA cleavage for class switch recombination.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Maki; Aida, Masatoshi; Nagaoka, Hitoshi; Begum, Nasim A; Kitawaki, Yoko; Nakata, Mikiyo; Stanlie, Andre; Doi, Tomomitsu; Kato, Lucia; Okazaki, Il-mi; Shinkura, Reiko; Muramatsu, Masamichi; Kinoshita, Kazuo; Honjo, Tasuku

2009-12-29

To initiate class switch recombination (CSR) activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) induces staggered nick cleavage in the S region, which lies 5' to each Ig constant region gene and is rich in palindromic sequences. Topoisomerase 1 (Top1) controls the supercoiling of DNA by nicking, rotating, and religating one strand of DNA. Curiously, Top1 reduction or AID overexpression causes the genomic instability. Here, we report that the inactivation of Top1 by its specific inhibitor camptothecin drastically blocked both the S region cleavage and CSR, indicating that Top1 is responsible for the S region cleavage in CSR. Surprisingly, AID expression suppressed Top1 mRNA translation and reduced its protein level. In addition, the decrease in the Top1 protein by RNA-mediated knockdown augmented the AID-dependent S region cleavage, as well as CSR. Furthermore, Top1 reduction altered DNA structure of the Smu region. Taken together, AID-induced Top1 reduction alters S region DNA structure probably to non-B form, on which Top1 can introduce nicks but cannot religate, resulting in S region cleavage.

Marketing Merit Aid: The Response of Flagship Campuses to State Merit Aid Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ness, Erik C.; Lips, Adam J. A.

2011-01-01

This study examines the differences in the portfolio of institutional scholarships and the marketing of these awards between flagship campuses with and without state merit aid programs. Using content analysis techniques to analyze institutional websites of the 16 Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) flagship campuses, three thematic responses…

'Checkmating HIV&AIDS': Using chess to break the silence in the classroom.

PubMed

Esau, Omar

2012-12-01

In this article, I give an account of my 'Checkmating HIV&AIDS' action research project, which was an attempt to break the 'culture of silence' concerning HIV&AIDS and sex and sexuality in my classroom. In this project, I focused specifically on one code of sport, namely chess, and I point out and discuss the potential of using chess as an educational tool in addressing HIV&AIDS. It was found that learners enjoy playing chess and that it can be used in the Life Orientation classroom to promote HIV&AIDS awareness. This type of alternative awareness is relevant as learners in most schools were becoming fatigued by HIV&AIDS information overload. The project portrays the role of the teacher as a researcher and critical change agent in an HIV&AIDS-challenged society.

A GIS-based multicriteria evaluation for aiding risk management Pinus pinaster Ait. forests: a case study in Corsican Island, western Mediterranean Region.

PubMed

Pasqualini, Vanina; Oberti, Pascal; Vigetta, Stéphanie; Riffard, Olivier; Panaïotis, Christophe; Cannac, Magali; Ferrat, Lila

2011-07-01

Forest management can benefit from decision support tools, including GIS-based multicriteria decision-aiding approach. In the Mediterranean region, Pinus pinaster forests play a very important role in biodiversity conservation and offer many socioeconomic benefits. However, the conservation of this species is affected by the increase in forest fires and the expansion of Matsucoccus feytaudi. This paper proposes a methodology based on commonly available data for assessing the values and risks of P. pinaster forests and to generating maps to aid in decisions pertaining to fire and phytosanitary risk management. The criteria for assessing the values (land cover type, legislative tools for biodiversity conservation, environmental tourist sites and access routes, and timber yield) and the risks (fire and phytosanitation) of P. pinaster forests were obtained directly or by considering specific indicators, and they were subsequently aggregated by means of GIS-based multicriteria analysis. This approach was tested on the island of Corsica (France), and maps to aid in decisions pertaining to fire risk and phytosanitary risk (M. feytaudi) were obtained for P. pinaster forest management. Study results are used by the technical offices of the local administration-Corsican Agricultural and Rural Development Agency (ODARC)-for planning the conservation of P. pinaster forests with regard to fire prevention and safety and phytosanitary risks. The decision maker took part in the evaluation criteria study (weight, normalization, and classification of the values). Most suitable locations are given to target the public intervention. The methodology presented in this paper could be applied to other species and in other Mediterranean regions.

A GIS-Based Multicriteria Evaluation for Aiding Risk Management Pinus pinaster Ait. Forests: A Case Study in Corsican Island, Western Mediterranean Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasqualini, Vanina; Oberti, Pascal; Vigetta, Stéphanie; Riffard, Olivier; Panaïotis, Christophe; Cannac, Magali; Ferrat, Lila

2011-07-01

Forest management can benefit from decision support tools, including GIS-based multicriteria decision-aiding approach. In the Mediterranean region, Pinus pinaster forests play a very important role in biodiversity conservation and offer many socioeconomic benefits. However, the conservation of this species is affected by the increase in forest fires and the expansion of Matsucoccus feytaudi. This paper proposes a methodology based on commonly available data for assessing the values and risks of P. pinaster forests and to generating maps to aid in decisions pertaining to fire and phytosanitary risk management. The criteria for assessing the values (land cover type, legislative tools for biodiversity conservation, environmental tourist sites and access routes, and timber yield) and the risks (fire and phytosanitation) of P. pinaster forests were obtained directly or by considering specific indicators, and they were subsequently aggregated by means of GIS-based multicriteria analysis. This approach was tested on the island of Corsica (France), and maps to aid in decisions pertaining to fire risk and phytosanitary risk ( M. feytaudi) were obtained for P. pinaster forest management. Study results are used by the technical offices of the local administration— Corsican Agricultural and Rural Development Agency (ODARC)—for planning the conservation of P. pinaster forests with regard to fire prevention and safety and phytosanitary risks. The decision maker took part in the evaluation criteria study (weight, normalization, and classification of the values). Most suitable locations are given to target the public intervention. The methodology presented in this paper could be applied to other species and in other Mediterranean regions.

International Monetary Fund and aid displacement.

PubMed

Stuckler, David; Basu, Sanjay; McKee, Martin

2011-01-01

Several recent papers find evidence that global health aid is being diverted to reserves, education, military, or other sectors, and is displacing government spending. This is suggested to occur because ministers of finance have competing, possibly corrupt, priorities and deprive the health sector of resources. Studies have found that development assistance for health routed to governments has a negative impact on health spending and that similar assistance routed to private nongovernmental organizations has a positive impact. An alternative hypothesis is that World Bank and IMF macro-economic policies, which specifically advise governments to divert aid to reserves to cope with aid volatility and keep government spending low, could be causing the displacement of health aid. This article evaluates whether aid displacement was greater when countries undertook a new borrowing program from the IMF between 1996 and 2006. As found in existing studies, for each $1 of development assistance for health, about $0.37 is added to the health system. However, evaluating IMF-borrowing versus non-IMF-borrowing countries reveals that non-borrowers add about $0.45 whereas borrowers add less than $0.01 to the health system. On average, health system spending grew at about half the speed when countries were exposed to the IMF than when they were not. It is important to take account of the political economy of global health finance when interpreting data on financial flows.

Financial Aid for Minorities in Business and Law.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garrett Park Press, MD.

This directory of financial aid sources for minority students majoring in business (including accounting, finance, human relations, information services, marketing and production) or law includes the following types of information: (1) summary and description of the fields, including college enrollment statistics, demand for graduates, and…

Quality Daily Physical Education for the Primary School Student: A Personal Account of the Trois-Rivieres Regional Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shephard, Roy J.; Trudeau, Francois

2013-01-01

This article offers a brief and personal account of the historical background, implementation and principal findings from the Trois-Rivieres regional project, a large-scale quasi-experimental intervention that tested the impact of providing a daily hour of specialist-taught quality physical education upon the physical and mental development of…

3D Air Quality and the Clean Air Interstate Rule: Lagrangian Sampling of CMAQ Model Results to Aid Regional Accountability Metrics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fairlie, T. D.; Szykman, Jim; Pierce, Robert B.; Gilliland, A. B.; Engel-Cox, Jill; Weber, Stephanie; Kittaka, Chieko; Al-Saadi, Jassim A.; Scheffe, Rich; Dimmick, Fred;

[HIV/AIDS masks in a therapist's practice].

PubMed

Roshchina, A A; Ponomareva, E Yu; Rebrov, A P

2015-01-01

To investigate clinical manifestations and diagnostic difficulties in patients with HIV/AIDS in the practice of therapeutic units of a multidisciplinary hospital. The investigation included 65 HIV/AIDS patients admitted to the therapy units of a Saratov Regional clinical hospital in 2007 to 2011. The clinical features of HIV/AIDS, immunological status, and viral load were studied. The structure of the clinical manifestation of HIV/AIDS showed a preponderance of lung injury in 45 (69%) patients. There were hematological disorders in 38 (58%) patients and nephropathy in 33 (51 %); 11 (17%) patients were diagnosed with infective endocarditis. Rheumatic symptoms and syndromes mimicking HIV/AIDS were found in 10 (15.4%) patients. The degree of immune disorders was most severe in patients with pulmonary dissemination and rheumatic masks and mutually related to the rate of cutaneous manifestations. The specific features of lung injury, infective endocarditis, pulmonary hypertension, rheumatic symptoms, and kidney injury were discussed in HIV/AIDS patients having different causes for admission to specialized therapy units. In connection with the clinical polymorphism of HIV/AIDS, physicians of all specialties should be alert for the possible clinical manifestations of this disease to timely examine patients.

AID targeting: old mysteries and new challenges.

PubMed

Chandra, Vivek; Bortnick, Alexandra; Murre, Cornelis

2015-09-01

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) mediates cytosine deamination and underlies two central processes in antibody diversification: somatic hypermutation and class-switch recombination. AID deamination is not exclusive to immunoglobulin loci; it can instigate DNA lesions in non-immunoglobulin genes and thus stringent checks are in place to constrain and restrict its activity. Recent findings have provided new insights into the mechanisms that target AID activity to specific genomic regions, revealing an involvement for noncoding RNAs associated with polymerase pausing and with enhancer transcription as well as genomic architecture. We review these findings and integrate them into a model for multilevel regulation of AID expression and targeting in immunoglobulin and non-immunoglobulin loci. Within this framework we discuss gaps in understanding, and outline important areas of further research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AID Targeting: Old Mysteries and New Challenges

PubMed Central

Chandra, Vivek; Bortnick, Alexandra; Murre, Cornelis

2015-01-01

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) mediates cytosine deamination and underlies two central processes in antibody diversification: somatic hypermutation and class-switch recombination. AID deamination is not exclusive to immunoglobulin loci; it can instigate DNA lesions in non-immunoglobulin genes and thus, stringent checks are in place to constrain and restrict its activity. Recent findings have provided new insights into the mechanisms that target AID activity to specific genomic regions, revealing an involvement for non-coding RNAs associated with polymerase pausing and with enhancer transcription as well as genomic architecture. We review these findings and integrate them into a model for multi-level regulation of AID expression and targeting in immunoglobulin and non-immunoglobulin loci. Within this framework we discuss gaps in understanding, and outline important areas of further research. PMID:26254147

The Spread of ICT Innovation in Accounting Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jebeile, Sam; Abeysekera, Indra

2010-01-01

This paper conveys the findings of a study conducted to evaluate the initiation of an interactive online computer-assisted learning module, called WEBLEARN, in an undergraduate introductory accounting course at an Australian university. The purpose was to aid students in the preparation of cash flow statements, a topic that from the student…

Keeping a tight grip on the reins: donor control over aid coordination and management in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Buse, K

1999-09-01

A long-standing consensus that aid coordination should be owned by recipient authorities has been eclipsed by accord on the desirability of recipient management of aid along-side domestic resources. Nonetheless, in many low and lower-middle income countries, donors remain remarkably uncoordinated; where attempts at coordination are made, they are often donor-driven, and only a small proportion of aid is directly managed by recipients. This paper draws on evidence from an in-depth review of aid to the health sector in Bangladesh to analyze the systems by which external resources are managed. Based on interviews with key stakeholders, a questionnaire survey and analysis of documentary sources, the factors constraining the government from assuming a more active role in aid management are explored. The results suggest that donor perceptions of weak government capacity, inadequate accountability and compromised integrity only partially account for the propensity for donor leadership. Equally important is the consideration that aid coordination has a markedly political dimension. Stakeholders are well aware of the power, influence and leverage which aid coordination confers, an awareness which colours the desire of some stakeholders to lead aid coordination processes, and conditions the extent and manner by which others wish to be involved. It is argued that recipient management of external aid is dependent on major changes in the attitudes and behaviours of recipients and donors alike.

Political economy of decentralising HIV and AIDS treatment services to primary healthcare facilities in three Nigerian states.

PubMed

Mbachu, Chinyere; Onwujekwe, Obinna; Ezumah, Nkoli; Ajayi, Olayinka; Sanwo, Olusola; Uzochukwu, Benjamin

2016-09-01

Decentralisation is defined as the dispersion, distribution or transfer of resources, functions and decision-making power from a central authority to regional and local authorities. It is usually accompanied by assignment of accountability and responsibility for results. Fundamental to understanding decentralisation is learning what motivates central governments to give up power and resources to local governments, and the practical significance of this on their positions regarding decentralisation. This study examined key political and institutional influences on role-players' capacity to support decentralisation of HIV and AIDS treatment services to primary healthcare facilities, and implications for sustainability. In-depth interviews were conducted with 55 purposively selected key informants, drawn from three Nigerian states that were at different stages of decentralising HIV and AIDS treatment services to primary care facilities. Key informants represented different categories of role-players involved in HIV and AIDS control programmes. Thematic framework analysis of data was done. Support for decentralisation of HIV and AIDS treatment services to primary healthcare facilities was substantial among different categories of actors. Political factors such as the local and global agenda for health, political tenure and party affiliations, and institutional factors such as consolidation of decision-making power and improvements in career trajectories, influenced role-players support for decentralisation of HIV and AIDS treatment services. It is feasible and acceptable to decentralise HIV and AIDS treatment services to primary healthcare facilities, to help improve coverage. However, role-players' support largely depends on how well the reform aligns with political structures and current institutional practices.

Low-Cost Aids for Elementary Science Teaching in Asia and the Pacific.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. for Educational Research, Tokyo (Japan).

Regional workshops sponsored by the National Institute for Educational Research (Japan) were held to strengthen national efforts in the development of elementary science aids/materials. This document provides: (1) guidelines for the development of appropriate and low-cost aids for science instruction; (2) inventory of aids; (3) synthesis of…

Zimbabwe's national AIDS levy: A case study.

PubMed

Bhat, Nisha; Kilmarx, Peter H; Dube, Freeman; Manenji, Albert; Dube, Medelina; Magure, Tapuwa

2016-01-01

We conducted a case study of the Zimbabwe National AIDS Trust Fund ('AIDS Levy') as an approach to domestic government financing of the response to HIV and AIDS. Data came from three sources: a literature review, including a search for grey literature, review of government documents from the Zimbabwe National AIDS Council (NAC), and key informant interviews with representatives of the Zimbabwean government, civil society and international organizations. The literature search yielded 139 sources, and 20 key informants were interviewed. Established by legislation in 1999, the AIDS Levy entails a 3% income tax for individuals and 3% tax on profits of employers and trusts (which excluded the mining industry until 2015). It is managed by the parastatal NAC through a decentralized structure of AIDS Action Committees. Revenues increased from inception to 2006 through 2008, a period of economic instability and hyperinflation. Following dollarization in 2009, annual revenues continued to increase, reaching US$38.6 million in 2014. By policy, at least 50% of funds are used for purchase of antiretroviral medications. Other spending includes administration and capital costs, HIV prevention, and monitoring and evaluation. Several financial controls and auditing systems are in place. Key informants perceived the AIDS Levy as a 'homegrown' solution that provided country ownership and reduced dependence on donor funding, but called for further increased transparency, accountability, and reduced administrative costs, as well as recommended changes to increase revenue. The Zimbabwe AIDS Levy has generated substantial resources, recently over US$35 million per year, and signals an important commitment by Zimbabweans, which may have helped attract other donor resources. Many key informants considered the Zimbabwe AIDS Levy to be a best practice for other countries to follow.

Zimbabwe's national AIDS levy: A case study

PubMed Central

Bhat, Nisha; Kilmarx, Peter H.; Dube, Freeman; Manenji, Albert; Dube, Medelina; Magure, Tapuwa

2016-01-01

Abstract Background: We conducted a case study of the Zimbabwe National AIDS Trust Fund (‘AIDS Levy’) as an approach to domestic government financing of the response to HIV and AIDS. Methods: Data came from three sources: a literature review, including a search for grey literature, review of government documents from the Zimbabwe National AIDS Council (NAC), and key informant interviews with representatives of the Zimbabwean government, civil society and international organizations. Findings: The literature search yielded 139 sources, and 20 key informants were interviewed. Established by legislation in 1999, the AIDS Levy entails a 3% income tax for individuals and 3% tax on profits of employers and trusts (which excluded the mining industry until 2015). It is managed by the parastatal NAC through a decentralized structure of AIDS Action Committees. Revenues increased from inception to 2006 through 2008, a period of economic instability and hyperinflation. Following dollarization in 2009, annual revenues continued to increase, reaching US$38.6 million in 2014. By policy, at least 50% of funds are used for purchase of antiretroviral medications. Other spending includes administration and capital costs, HIV prevention, and monitoring and evaluation. Several financial controls and auditing systems are in place. Key informants perceived the AIDS Levy as a ‘homegrown’ solution that provided country ownership and reduced dependence on donor funding, but called for further increased transparency, accountability, and reduced administrative costs, as well as recommended changes to increase revenue. Conclusions: The Zimbabwe AIDS Levy has generated substantial resources, recently over US$35 million per year, and signals an important commitment by Zimbabweans, which may have helped attract other donor resources. Many key informants considered the Zimbabwe AIDS Levy to be a best practice for other countries to follow. PMID:26781215

No More Broken Promises: Challenges and Opportunities for Key Populations in Demanding More Transparency, Accountability, and Participation in the Global Response Against the HIV and AIDS Epidemic.

PubMed

Chang Pico, Tomás A; Kohler, Jillian Clare; Hoffmann, Julia; Mungala, Lucy

2017-12-01

The global fight against HIV/AIDS continues to pose challenges: infection rates are on the rise in many settings, stigma and discrimination remain rampant, and the global response is under increasing financial pressure. There is a high risk of losing what has been achieved so far in the fight against HIV and AIDS, but also the momentum to meet the so-called Fast Track targets for 2030. In light of these trends, it is fundamental to focus on the human rights of key populations (KPs)-especially to health, non-discrimination, access to information, and to equal and meaningful participation in political and public affairs-by placing them at the center of the global HIV response. Such rights, and the demand for more transparency, accountability, and participation (TAP), have been recognized as both a necessary social justice imperative, and as a way to build more responsive, inclusive, and sustainable health systems. This article will argue that embracing TAP as key guiding principles of the global HIV response (especially in low- and middle-income countries) could have the potential to create the conditions for KPs to have their human rights fulfilled, and to expand their participation in the decision-making processes that guide the efforts against the epidemic. It will then propose a number of avenues for further engagement between different communities of practice in terms of research, agendas, and policy and practices that could be beneficial in maximizing the impact of the global efforts to end HIV/AIDS.

Individual Substitution Mutations in the AID C Terminus That Ablate IgH Class Switch Recombination

PubMed Central

Kadungure, Tatenda; Ucher, Anna J.; Linehan, Erin K.; Schrader, Carol E.; Stavnezer, Janet

2015-01-01

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is essential for class switch recombination (CSR) and somatic hypermutation (SHM) of Ig genes. The C terminus of AID is required for CSR but not for SHM, but the reason for this is not entirely clear. By retroviral transduction of mutant AID proteins into aid -/- mouse splenic B cells, we show that 4 amino acids within the C terminus of mouse AID, when individually mutated to specific amino acids (R190K, A192K, L196S, F198S), reduce CSR about as much or more than deletion of the entire C terminal 10 amino acids. Similar to ΔAID, the substitutions reduce binding of UNG to Ig Sμ regions and some reduce binding of Msh2, both of which are important for introducing S region DNA breaks. Junctions between the IgH donor switch (S)μ and acceptor Sα regions from cells expressing ΔAID or the L196S mutant show increased microhomology compared to junctions in cells expressing wild-type AID, consistent with problems during CSR and the use of alternative end-joining, rather than non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). Unlike deletion of the AID C terminus, 3 of the substitution mutants reduce DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) detected within the Sμ region in splenic B cells undergoing CSR. Cells expressing these 3 substitution mutants also have greatly reduced mutations within unrearranged Sμ regions, and they decrease with time after activation. These results might be explained by increased error-free repair, but as the C terminus has been shown to be important for recruitment of NHEJ proteins, this appears unlikely. We hypothesize that Sμ DNA breaks in cells expressing these C terminus substitution mutants are poorly repaired, resulting in destruction of Sμ segments that are deaminated by these mutants. This could explain why these mutants cannot undergo CSR. PMID:26267846

Teaching about AIDS/HIV Disease to College Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heller, Joseph R.

This paper presents a psychology professor's account of his experiences teaching a course on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome/Human Immunodeficiency Virus (AIDS/HIV) to college students. The first section discusses how to introduce and market the course on campus, and anticipate students' and colleagues' questions about one's motivations for…

A Comparison of the Diabetes Risk Score in HIV/AIDS Patients on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) and HAART-Naïve Patients at the Limbe Regional Hospital, Cameroon.

PubMed

Dimala, Christian Akem; Atashili, Julius; Mbuagbaw, Josephine C; Wilfred, Akam; Monekosso, Gottlieb L

2016-01-01

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has been associated with dysglycaemia. However, there is scarce data on the risk of developing diabetes mellitus (DM) in HIV/AIDS patients in Africa. Primarily to quantify and compare the risk of having diabetes mellitus in HIV/AIDS patients on HAART and HAART-naïve patients in Limbe, Cameroon; and secondarily to determine if there is an association between HAART and increased DM risk. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Limbe Regional Hospital HIV treatment center between April and June 2013, involving 200 HIV/AIDS patients (100 on first-line HAART regimens for at least 12 months matched by age and gender to 100 HAART-naïve patients). The Diabetes Risk Score (DRS) was calculated using a clinically validated model based on routinely recorded primary care parameters. A DRS ≥ 7% was considered as indicative of an increased risk of developing DM. The median DRS was significantly higher in patients on HAART (2.30%) than in HAART-naïve patients (1.62%), p = 0.002. The prevalence of the increased DM risk (DRS ≥ 7%) was significantly higher in patients on HAART, 31% (95% CI: 22.13-41.03) than in HAART-naïve patients, 17% (95% CI: 10.23-25.82), p = 0.020. HAART was significantly associated with an increased DM risk, the odds ratio of the HAART group compared to the HAART-naïve group was 2.19 (95% CI: 1.12-4.30, p = 0.020). However, no association was found after adjusting for BMI-defined overweight, hypertension, age, sex, family history of DM and smoking (Odds ratio = 1.22, 95% CI: 0.42-3.59, p = 0.708). Higher BMI and hypertension accounted for the increased risk of DM in patients on HAART. Also, more than 82% of the participants were receiving or had ever used Zidovudine based HAART regimens. HIV/AIDS patients on HAART could be at a greater risk of having DM than HAART-naïve patients as a result of the effect of HAART on risk factors of DM such as BMI and blood pressure.

[Sexuality and STD/AIDS prevention: social representations by rural men in a county in the Zona da Mata region in Pernambuco, Brazil].

PubMed

Alves, Maria de Fátima Paz

2003-01-01

This study analyzes the concepts displayed by rural men in the Zona da Mata region in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil, concerning their sexual practices and STD/AIDS prevention. The study adopts a qualitative methodology, having interviewed 22 men According to the interviews, their first sexual intercourse is characterized as a learning experience and is sometimes marked by violence. They make a distinction between the "woman at home" and "street women"; they acknowledge women's sexual desire and value reciprocity in sexual relations, differentiating between the kinds of sex they have with different categories of women. Seven men report homoerotic experiences during adolescence, which they ascribe to immaturity, not affecting their heterosexual identity. Condom use, perceived in a negative light, is inconstant and irregular, inversely proportional to knowing the female partner. STDs in general inspire little fear, while AIDS is associated with death; the interviewees do not see themselves at risk of acquiring HIV. Ambiguities in the men's discourse, together with a basically ineffective approach by health services and preventive campaigns, reveal a high level of exposure to the risk of contracting STDs/AIDS among the interviewees and their female or male partners.

Spatial and temporal analysis of Aids cases in Brazil, 1996-2011: increased risk areas over time.

PubMed

Sousa, Artur Iuri Alves de; Pinto, Vitor Laerte

2016-01-01

to identify areas with greater risk of AIDS transmission in Brazil. this is an ecological study involving georeference of AIDS cases incidence, prevalence and density in Brazilian municipalities using the Kernel method for the periods 1996-1999, 2000-2003, 2004-2007 and 2008-2011. 633,512 AIDS cases were reported between 1996-2011; between 2008-2011, there was increased risk of AIDS transmission in Recife-João Pessoa region, the emergence of areas with average density in the regions of Belém, São Luís, Maceió, Aracaju and Salvador, and a decline in the intensity of risk in São Paulo, Campinas and Ribeirão Preto; prevalence rates were most concentrated in the Southeast, South and Midwest regions of the country. overall, AIDS incidence in Brazil showed successive increases in the periods analyzed; case prevalence indicates spatial clusters, with high concentrations in the Southeast, South and Midwest regions.

Exposing misclassified HIV/AIDS deaths in South Africa.

PubMed

Birnbaum, Jeanette Kurian; Murray, Christopher Jl; Lozano, Rafael

2011-04-01

To quantify the deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) that are misattributed to other causes in South Africa's death registration data and to adjust for this bias. Deaths in the World Health Organization's mortality database were distributed among 48 mutually exclusive causes. For each cause, age- and sex-specific global death rates were compared with the average rate among people aged 65-69, 70-74 and 75-79 years to generate "relative" global death rates. Relative rates were also computed for South Africa alone. Differences between global and South African relative death rates were used to identify the causes to which deaths from HIV/AIDS were misattributed in South Africa and quantify the HIV/AIDS deaths misattributed to each. These deaths were then reattributed to HIV/AIDS. In South Africa, deaths from HIV/AIDS are often misclassified as being caused by 14 other conditions. Whereas in 1996-2006 deaths attributed to HIV/AIDS accounted for 2.0-2.5% of all registered deaths in South Africa, our analysis shows that the true cause-specific mortality fraction rose from 19% (uncertainty range: 7-28%) to 48% (uncertainty range: 38-50%) over that period. More than 90% of HIV/AIDS deaths were found to have been misattributed to other causes during 1996-2006. Adjusting for cause of death misclassification, a simple procedure that can be carried out in any country, can improve death registration data and provide empirical estimates of HIV/AIDS deaths that may be useful in assessing estimates from demographic models.

HIV / AIDS and the retail sector.

PubMed

Michael, K

1999-01-01

Employing approximately 1.5 million employees and comprised of 80,000 employers, the retail and wholesale sector accounted for 16.1% of South Africa's gross domestic product in 1996. HIV/AIDS threatens the retail sector, but it is unclear whether the pandemic threatens equally every sub-sector of the industry. The 4 main sub-sectors are fast-moving consumer goods; clothing, footwear, and textiles; vehicles; and furniture and major appliances. The nature of retail infrastructure and competitive and economic trends are described. Over the next decade, AIDS may reduce the size of consumer markets through increased mortality, and will certainly slow growth in spending. The pandemic may also divert spending away from retail merchandise to health care, and threaten businesses which extend credit and offer death benefits and funeral policies to clients. AIDS morbidity and mortality could also disrupt supply chains, especially for retailers who buy their products locally. The vulnerability of retail activities is discussed, with reference to the Living Standards Measure (LSM) developed by the South African Advertising Research Foundation.

AID-initiated purposeful mutations in immunoglobulin genes.

PubMed

Goodman, Myron F; Scharff, Matthew D; Romesberg, Floyd E

2007-01-01

Exposure brings risk to all living organisms. Using a remarkably effective strategy, higher vertebrates mitigate risk by mounting a complex and sophisticated immune response to counter the potentially toxic invasion by a virtually limitless army of chemical and biological antagonists. Mutations are almost always deleterious, but in the case of antibody diversification there are mutations occurring at hugely elevated rates within the variable (V) and switch regions (SR) of the immunoglobulin (Ig) genes that are responsible for binding to and neutralizing foreign antigens throughout the body. These mutations are truly purposeful. This chapter is centered on activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). AID is required for initiating somatic hypermutation (SHM) in the V regions and class switch recombination (CSR) in the SR portions of Ig genes. By converting C --> U, while transcription takes place, AID instigates a cascade of mutational events involving error-prone DNA polymerases, base excision and mismatch repair enzymes, and recombination pathways. Together, these processes culminate in highly mutated antibody genes and the B cells expressing antibodies that have achieved optimal antigenic binding undergo positive selection in germinal centers. We will discuss the biological role of AID in this complex process, primarily in terms of its biochemical properties in relation to SHM in vivo. The chapter also discusses recent advances in experimental methods to characterize antibody dynamics as a function of SHM to help elucidate the role that the AID-induced mutations play in tailoring molecular recognition. The emerging experimental techniques help to address long-standing conundrums concerning evolution-imposed constraints on antibody structure and function.

Framing rights and responsibilities: accounts of women with a history of AIDS activism.

PubMed

Macgregor, Hayley; Mills, Elizabeth

2011-12-16

In South Africa, policy with respect to HIV/AIDS has had a strong rights-based framing in line with international trends and in keeping with the constitutional overhaul in the post-Apartheid era. There have also been considerable advances since 1994 towards legal enshrinement of sexual and reproductive health rights and in the provision of related services. Since HIV in this setting has heavily affected women of reproductive age, there has been discussion about the particular needs of this subgroup, especially in the context of service integration. This paper is concerned with the way in which HIV positive women conceptualise these rights and whether they wish and are able to actualise them in their daily lives. In 2003 a group of women involved with the Treatment Action Campaign and Medicines Sans Frontières participated in an initiative to 'map' their bodies as affected by the virus. A book containing the maps and narratives was published and used as a political tool to pressure the government of the day to roll out antiretroviral therapy (ART) to the population. In 2008, the authors coordinated an initiative that involved conducting follow-up in-depth interviews in which five of these women reflected on those body maps and on how their lives had changed in the intervening five years since gaining the right to treatment through the public sector. Drawing upon this qualitative data and published sources, these new accounts are analysed in order to reflect the perspectives of these women living with chronic HIV with respect to their sexual relations and fertility desires. The paper reveals difficulties faced by these women in negotiating sexual relationships and disclosure of their HIV positive status. It focuses on how they perceive relative responsibilities in terms of taking preventative measures in sexual encounters. Women adopt tactics within a context characterised by various inequalities in order to 'make do', such as by remaining silent about their status

Reducing World Poverty by Improving Evaluation of Development Aid

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clements, Paul; Chianca, Thomaz; Sasaki, Ryoh

2008-01-01

This article argues that given its structural conditions, development aid bears a particularly heavy burden of learning and accountability. Unfortunately, however, the organization of evaluation guarantees that evaluations will be inconsistent and it creates incentives for positive bias. This article presents evidence from organizational studies…

Prevention implications of AIDS discourses among South African women.

PubMed

Strebel, A

1996-08-01

Social constructionist and feminist analyses have done much to extend the understanding of AIDS beyond the biomedical to include social accounts of the constitution of AIDS knowledge and meanings. However, these frameworks have not translated easily into realistic responses to the paradox of women being seen as responsible for HIV prevention, while they lack the power to implement safe sex behavior. This study explores the range and interplay of discursive themes which South African women drew on regarding AIDS and identifies constraints and opportunities for realistic prevention. The research involved 14 focus group discussions with women. Two main interpretative repertoires regarding AIDS were identified from the texts: one concerning the medicalization and the other the stigmatization of the disease. Although these representations were not unchallenged, the pervasive sense was of denial of own risk, fear, and fatalism. However, the analysis highlighted the complexity of issues to be faced in developing effective prevention initiatives.

GUIDANCE2: accurate detection of unreliable alignment regions accounting for the uncertainty of multiple parameters.

PubMed

Sela, Itamar; Ashkenazy, Haim; Katoh, Kazutaka; Pupko, Tal

2015-07-01

Inference of multiple sequence alignments (MSAs) is a critical part of phylogenetic and comparative genomics studies. However, from the same set of sequences different MSAs are often inferred, depending on the methodologies used and the assumed parameters. Much effort has recently been devoted to improving the ability to identify unreliable alignment regions. Detecting such unreliable regions was previously shown to be important for downstream analyses relying on MSAs, such as the detection of positive selection. Here we developed GUIDANCE2, a new integrative methodology that accounts for: (i) uncertainty in the process of indel formation, (ii) uncertainty in the assumed guide tree and (iii) co-optimal solutions in the pairwise alignments, used as building blocks in progressive alignment algorithms. We compared GUIDANCE2 with seven methodologies to detect unreliable MSA regions using extensive simulations and empirical benchmarks. We show that GUIDANCE2 outperforms all previously developed methodologies. Furthermore, GUIDANCE2 also provides a set of alternative MSAs which can be useful for downstream analyses. The novel algorithm is implemented as a web-server, available at: http://guidance.tau.ac.il. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Aid for Aides.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Townley, Arthur J.

1980-01-01

Recognizing the diversity in experience and training among teacher aides, the Yucaipa School District established a formal inservice program for this employee group. This article describes how the district developed a seminar program to help instructional aides in improving their skills. Reactions to the program were favorable. (Author/SJL)

31 CFR 212.7 - Notice to the account holder.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Notice to the account holder. 212.7 Section 212.7 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) FISCAL... readily understandable language. (1) Means of contacting a local free attorney or legal aid service. (2...

AID to overcome the limitations of genomic information by introducing somatic DNA alterations.

PubMed

Honjo, Tasuku; Muramatsu, Masamichi; Nagaoka, Hitoshi; Kinoshita, Kazuo; Shinkura, Reiko

2006-05-01

The immune system has adopted somatic DNA alterations to overcome the limitations of the genomic information. Activation induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is an essential enzyme to regulate class switch recombination (CSR), somatic hypermutation (SHM) and gene conversion (GC) of the immunoglobulin gene. AID is known to be required for DNA cleavage of S regions in CSR and V regions in SHM. However, its molecular mechanism is a focus of extensive debate. RNA editing hypothesis postulates that AID edits yet unknown mRNA, to generate specific endonucleases for CSR and SHM. By contrast, DNA deamination hypothesis assumes that AID deaminates cytosine in DNA, followed by DNA cleavage by base excision repair enzymes. We summarize the basic knowledge for molecular mechanisms for CSR and SHM and then discuss the importance of AID not only in the immune regulation but also in the genome instability.

[Antiretroviral treatment adherence for HIV/AIDS in women: a sociocultural perspective].

PubMed

Belmar, Julieta; Stuardo, Valeria

2017-08-01

Adequate adherence to HAART has a high impact on survival of AIDA patients. There is little consensus on the causes of low adherence to treatment in women, who are in a situation of inequality in terms of prevention and related care. To explore and describe the socio-cultural aspects related to the adherence of women to antiretroviral treatment for HIV / AIDS. Qualitative, exploratory-descriptive study. The study population was focused on Chilean women, who are 18 years of age or older, living with HIV/AIDS. The sample size was defined by information saturation. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 women contacted in seven public care centers for people living with HIV (PLHIV) in 4 regions of the country, and it was take into account the saturation of the information. There are several sociocultural factors that determine the level of adherence that women adopt in relation to HAART. The most relevant ones are the vital satisfaction, the imaginary about HIV, the availability of their networks in front of diagnosis and the availability of information are fundamental. It is necessary to enter into specific interventions considering the sociocultural aspects and satisfying the psychosocial needs of women. It is imperative that public policies and health teams consider these aspects to improve adherence to HAART.

AIDS, individual behaviour and the unexplained remaining variation.

PubMed

Katz, Alison

2002-01-01

From the start of the AIDS pandemic, individual behaviour has been put forward, implicitly or explicitly, as the main explanatory concept for understanding the epidemiology of HIV infection and in particular for the rapid spread and high prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa. This has had enormous implications for the international response to AIDS and has heavily influenced public health policy and strategy and the design of prevention and care interventions at national, community and individual level. It is argued that individual behaviour alone cannot possibly account for the enormous variation in HIV prevalence between population groups, countries and regions and that the unexplained remaining variation has been neglected by the international AIDS community. Biological vulnerability to HIV due to seriously deficient immune systems has been ignored as a determinant of the high levels of infection in certain populations. This is in sharp contrast to well proven public health approaches to other infectious diseases. In particular, it is argued that poor nutrition and co-infection with the myriad of other diseases of poverty including tuberculosis, malaria, leishmaniasis and parasitic infections, have been neglected as root causes of susceptibility, infectiousness and high rates of transmission of HIV at the level of populations. Vulnerability in terms of non-biological factors such as labour migration, prostitution, exchange of sex for survival, population movements due to war and violence, has received some attention but the solutions proposed to these problems are also inappropriately focused on individual behaviour and suffer from the same neglect of economic and political root causes. As the foundation for the international community's response to the AIDS pandemic, explanations of HIV/AIDS epidemiology in terms of individual behaviour are not only grossly inadequate, they are highly stigmatising and may in some cases, be racist. They have diverted attention from

Adhesive Bonding to Computer-aided Design/ Computer-aided Manufacturing Esthetic Dental Materials: An Overview.

PubMed

Awad, Mohamed Moustafa; Alqahtani, H; Al-Mudahi, A; Murayshed, M S; Alrahlah, A; Bhandi, Shilpa H

2017-07-01

To review the adhesive bonding to different computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) esthetic restorative materials. The use of CAD/CAM esthetic restorative materials has gained popularity in recent years. Several CAD/ CAM esthetic restorative materials are commercially available. Adhesive bonding is a major determinant of success of CAD/ CAM restorations. Review result: An account of the currently available bonding strategies are discussed with their rationale in various CAD/ CAM materials. Different surface treatment methods as well as adhesion promoters can be used to achieve reliable bonding of CAD/CAM restorative materials. Selection of bonding strategy to such material is determined based on its composition. Further evidence is required to evaluate the effect of new surface treatment methods, such as nonthermal atmospheric plasma and self-etching ceramic primer on bonding to different dental ceramics. An understanding of the currently available bonding strategies to CA/CAM materials can help the clinician to select the most indicated system for each category of materials.

The Impact of Quality Assurance Initiatives and Workplace Policies and Procedures on HIV/AIDS-Related Stigma Experienced by Patients and Nurses in Regions with High Prevalence of HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Hewko, Sarah J; Cummings, Greta G; Pietrosanu, Matthew; Edwards, Nancy

2018-02-23

Stigma is commonly experienced by people living with HIV/AIDS and by those providing care to HIV/AIDS patients. Few intervention studies have explored the impact of workplace policies and/or quality improvement on stigma. We examine the contribution of health care workplace policies, procedures and quality assurance initiatives, and self- and peer-assessed individual nurse practices, to nurse-reported HIV/AIDS-stigma practices toward patients living with HIV/AIDS and nurses in health care settings. Our sample of survey respondents (n = 1157) included managers (n = 392) and registered/enrolled nurses (n = 765) from 29 facilities in 4 countries (South Africa, Uganda, Jamaica, Kenya). This is one of the first studies in LMIC countries to use hierarchical linear modeling to examine the contributions of organizational and individual factors to HIV/AIDS stigma. Based on our results, we argue that organizational interventions explicitly targeting HIV/AIDS stigma are required to reduce the incidence, prevalence and morbidity of HIV/AIDS.

[Population, development and AIDS "that is all we needed].

PubMed

Assoga, L N

1990-10-01

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has been undergoing a devastating economic recession forcing the need for structural adjustment programs (SAP's) to correct many of the economic imbalances, but the effects of SAP's have been to destroy rather than to adjust, making the situation worse than ever. Budgets for social welfare expenditures have been depleted and entire families cannot plan a day ahead. The last thing SSA needed was AIDS to add to the region's poverty and misery. The transmission of AIDS has been facilitated by 2 movements: 1) urbanization and 2) spatial migration from the rural areas to the urban. Some other routes that facilitate the transmission of AIDS in SSA are: 1) returning migrants or people with long-term jobs from countries such as Burkina Faso returning to the Ivory Coast; 2) the truck drivers on the highways; 3) prostitution such as in the Ivory Coast with the rich coffee or cocoa planters; 4) multiple sex partners; 5) wars of liberation such as in Angola; and 6) vertical transmission between mother and child. The SAP's have further increased the transmission of AIDS because of the poverty of the region. For example, some of the immediate effects of SAP's have been intensification of migration for economic reasons, destruction of the traditional family and the growth of urban prostitution. Demographic effects of AIDS has been the increase in mortality. It is important that future surveys on AIDS in SSA should be the responsibility of African researchers to ensure that they do not also become "prophets of apocalypse" as have many researchers from the West. These African led surveys and outcomes should become the basis of an AIDS IEC program.

Exposing misclassified HIV/AIDS deaths in South Africa

PubMed Central

Birnbaum, Jeanette Kurian; Murray, Christopher JL

2011-01-01

Abstract Objective To quantify the deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) that are misattributed to other causes in South Africa’s death registration data and to adjust for this bias. Methods Deaths in the World Health Organization’s mortality database were distributed among 48 mutually exclusive causes. For each cause, age- and sex-specific global death rates were compared with the average rate among people aged 65–69, 70–74 and 75–79 years to generate “relative” global death rates. Relative rates were also computed for South Africa alone. Differences between global and South African relative death rates were used to identify the causes to which deaths from HIV/AIDS were misattributed in South Africa and quantify the HIV/AIDS deaths misattributed to each. These deaths were then reattributed to HIV/AIDS. Findings In South Africa, deaths from HIV/AIDS are often misclassified as being caused by 14 other conditions. Whereas in 1996–2006 deaths attributed to HIV/AIDS accounted for 2.0–2.5% of all registered deaths in South Africa, our analysis shows that the true cause-specific mortality fraction rose from 19% (uncertainty range: 7–28%) to 48% (uncertainty range: 38–50%) over that period. More than 90% of HIV/AIDS deaths were found to have been misattributed to other causes during 1996–2006. Conclusion Adjusting for cause of death misclassification, a simple procedure that can be carried out in any country, can improve death registration data and provide empirical estimates of HIV/AIDS deaths that may be useful in assessing estimates from demographic models. PMID:21479092

Poverty, drug abuse fuel Caribbean AIDS outbreak.

PubMed

Kovaleski, S F

1998-01-01

Hatred and fear of homosexuals, together with a fear of losing tourism revenue, drove many high-level policymakers in the Caribbean to ignore the HIV/AIDS in its infancy. With an annual incidence rate of at least 146.6 people per 100,000, the Bahamas now has one of the highest AIDS rates in the world and the highest such rate in the English-speaking Caribbean. AIDS has become the major cause of death for men and women aged 20-44 in the Bahamas. Indeed, throughout the Caribbean, countries like the Bahamas must now cope with a growing AIDS epidemic. UN AIDS Program figures indicate that at least 310,000 people in the Caribbean have either HIV infection or AIDS, and that the prevalence rate among adults is almost 2%. This compares with an estimated 7.4% of the adult population of sub-Saharan Africa which is infected and 0.6% of adults in North America. 65% of reported AIDS cases in the region result from heterosexual intercourse. While the annual number of AIDS cases has been falling in North America over the last several years and rates in Latin America have leveled off, rates in the Caribbean are increasing sharply. Poverty, the population's lack of awareness, low levels of education, internal and international migration, crack cocaine use, promiscuity, high levels of STDs, prostitution, and tourism are also facilitating the spread of HIV in the Caribbean. Social conservatism, mainly in the English-Caribbean, about discussing sex impedes the implementation and success of HIV/AIDS prevention interventions.

Computer-aided detection of breast lesions in DCE-MRI using region growing based on fuzzy C-means clustering and vesselness filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

B. Shokouhi, Shahriar; Fooladivanda, Aida; Ahmadinejad, Nasrin

2017-12-01

A computer-aided detection (CAD) system is introduced in this paper for detection of breast lesions in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). The proposed CAD system firstly compensates motion artifacts and segments the breast region. Then, the potential lesion voxels are detected and used as the initial seed points for the seeded region-growing algorithm. A new and robust region-growing algorithm incorporating with Fuzzy C-means (FCM) clustering and vesselness filter is proposed to segment any potential lesion regions. Subsequently, the false positive detections are reduced by applying a discrimination step. This is based on 3D morphological characteristics of the potential lesion regions and kinetic features which are fed to the support vector machine (SVM) classifier. The performance of the proposed CAD system is evaluated using the free-response operating characteristic (FROC) curve. We introduce our collected dataset that includes 76 DCE-MRI studies, 63 malignant and 107 benign lesions. The prepared dataset has been used to verify the accuracy of the proposed CAD system. At 5.29 false positives per case, the CAD system accurately detects 94% of the breast lesions.

Transcription factor YY1 can control AID-mediated mutagenesis in mice.

PubMed

Zaprazna, Kristina; Basu, Arindam; Tom, Nikola; Jha, Vibha; Hodawadekar, Suchita; Radova, Lenka; Malcikova, Jitka; Tichy, Boris; Pospisilova, Sarka; Atchison, Michael L

2018-02-01

Activation-induced cytidine deminase (AID) is crucial for controlling the immunoglobulin (Ig) diversification processes of somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class switch recombination (CSR). AID initiates these processes by deamination of cytosine, ultimately resulting in mutations or double strand DNA breaks needed for SHM and CSR. Levels of AID control mutation rates, and off-target non-Ig gene mutations can contribute to lymphomagenesis. Therefore, factors that control AID levels in the nucleus can regulate SHM and CSR, and may contribute to disease. We previously showed that transcription factor YY1 can regulate the level of AID in the nucleus and Ig CSR. Therefore, we hypothesized that conditional knock-out of YY1 would lead to reduction in AID localization at the Ig locus, and reduced AID-mediated mutations. Using mice that overexpress AID (IgκAID yy1 f/f ) or that express normal AID levels (yy1 f/f ), we found that conditional knock-out of YY1 results in reduced AID nuclear levels, reduced localization of AID to the Sμ switch region, and reduced AID-mediated mutations. We find that the mechanism of YY1 control of AID nuclear accumulation is likely due to YY1-AID physical interaction which blocks AID ubiquitination. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

[The application of National AIDS spending assessment in a county of Dehong prefecture, Yunnan province, China].

PubMed

Shan, Duo; Sun, Jiang-ping; Yakusik, Anna; Chen, Zhong-dan; Yuan, Jian-hua; Li, Tao; Duan, Song; Yang, Xing; Wei, Mei; Michael, Sante; Ye, Run-hua; Xiang, Li-fen; Yang, Yue-cheng; Ren, Da

2012-11-01

To calculate the actual expenditures in a county of Dehong prefecture, Yunnan province, China by using the method of National AIDS Spending Assessment (NASA) in 2010. Data were collected through NASA data collection form based on adapted NASA classification in the county of Dehong prefecture from October to December, 2011, and complemented by semi-structured interview with 16 well trained programmatic and financial representatives in 8 spending units. Data were entered in Resource Tracking Software (RTS) V 2009.3.0, and SPSS 13.0 was used for data processing and analysis. The NASA estimations showed that the county spent a total of ¥16 235 954 on HIV/AIDS in 2010. Public funds constituted 96.3% of the total expenditure (¥15 630 937), followed by Global Fund which accounted for 3.0% (¥484 585) and private sources which accounted for 0.7% (¥120 432). Findings based on NASA categories showed that AIDS spendings were mainly on 4 areas, and expenditure on Care & Treatment was ¥12 401 382 (76.4% of total expenditure), followed by Prevention which accounted for 14.3% (¥2 325 707), Program Management & Administration which accounted for 7.8% (¥1 268 523) and human resources which accounted for 1.5% (¥240 342). The most beneficial population group was People Living with HIV (PLHIV), accounting for 84.7% of total expenditure. (¥13 753 428), followed by 4.8% for high risk population, including female sex workers and their partners (¥297 333), injection drug users and their partners (¥293 143), men having sex with men and their partners (¥185 136) and 1.5% (¥241 429) for the general population. The local funds for HIV/AIDS in this county was insufficient. The local government should increase corresponding funds based on central government funding. Care and treatment was the first spending priority in the county and the investment of prevention services needs to be increased. Prevention and treatment and care should be combined to ensure the effectiveness of

Skew-t partially linear mixed-effects models for AIDS clinical studies.

PubMed

Lu, Tao

2016-01-01

We propose partially linear mixed-effects models with asymmetry and missingness to investigate the relationship between two biomarkers in clinical studies. The proposed models take into account irregular time effects commonly observed in clinical studies under a semiparametric model framework. In addition, commonly assumed symmetric distributions for model errors are substituted by asymmetric distribution to account for skewness. Further, informative missing data mechanism is accounted for. A Bayesian approach is developed to perform parameter estimation simultaneously. The proposed model and method are applied to an AIDS dataset and comparisons with alternative models are performed.

Information Vaccine: Using Graphic Novels as an HIV/AIDS Prevention Resource for Young Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albright, Kendra S.; Gavigan, Karen

2014-01-01

HIV/AIDS infections are growing at an alarming rate for young adults. In 2009, youth, ages 13-29, accounted for 39% of all new HIV infections in the U.S. (Division of HIV/ AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 2011). South Carolina ranks eighth in the nation for new HIV cases, while the capital city of Columbia ranks seventh…

AID induces intraclonal diversity and genomic damage in CD86+ chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells

PubMed Central

Huemer, Michael; Rebhandl, Stefan; Zaborsky, Nadja; Gassner, Franz J; Hainzl, Stefan; Weiss, Lukas; Hebenstreit, Daniel; Greil, Richard; Geisberger, Roland

2014-01-01

The activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) mediates somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination of the Ig genes by directly deaminating cytosines to uracils. As AID causes a substantial amount of off-target mutations, its activity has been associated with lymphomagenesis and clonal evolution of B-cell malignancies. Although it has been shown that AID is expressed in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a clear analysis of in vivo AID activity in this B-cell malignancy remained elusive. In this study performed on primary human CLL samples, we report that, despite the presence of a dominant VDJ heavy chain region, a substantial intraclonal diversity was observed at VDJ as well as at IgM switch regions (Sμ), showing ongoing AID activity in vivo during disease progression. This AID-mediated heterogeneity was higher in CLL subclones expressing CD86, which we identified as the proliferative CLL fraction. Finally, CD86 expression correlated with shortened time to first treatment and increased γ-H2AX focus formation. Our data demonstrate that AID is active in CLL in vivo and thus, AID likely contributes to clonal evolution of CLL. PMID:25179679

The willingness of private-sector doctors to manage public-sector HIV/AIDS patients in the eThekwini metropolitan region of KwaZulu-Natal

PubMed Central

Jinabhai, Champaklal C.; Taylor, Myra

2010-01-01

ABSTRACT Background South Africa is severely affected by the AIDS pandemic and this has resulted in an already under-resourced public sector being placed under further stress, while there remains a vibrant private sector. To address some of the resource and personnel shortages facing the public sector in South Africa, partnerships between the public and private sectors are slowly being forged. However, little is known about the willingness of private-sector doctors in the eThekwini Metropolitan (Metro) region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa to manage public-sector HIV and AIDS patients. Objectives To gauge the willingness of private-sector doctor to manage public-sector HIV and AIDS patients and to describe factors that may influence their responses. Method A descriptive cross-sectional study was undertaken among private-sector doctors, both general practitioners (GPs) and specialists, working in the eThekwini Metro, using an anonymous, structured questionnaire to investigate their willingness to manage public-sector HIV and AIDS patients and the factors associated with their responses. Chi-square and independent t-tests were used to evaluate associations. Odds ratios were determined using a binary logistic regression model. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Most of the doctors were male GPs aged 30–50 years who had been in practice for more than 10 years. Of these, 133 (77.8%) were willing to manage public-sector HIV and AIDS patients, with 105 (78.9%) reporting adequate knowledge, 99 (74.4%) adequate time, and 83 (62.4%) adequate infrastructure. Of the 38 (22.2%) that were unwilling to manage these patients, more than 80% cited a lack of time, knowledge and infrastructure to manage them. Another reason cited by five doctors (3.8%) who were unwilling, was the distance from public-sector facilities. Of the 33 specialist doctors, 14 (42.4%) indicated that they would not be willing to manage public-sector HIV and AIDS patients

Enhancing the Understanding of Government and Nonprofit Accounting with THE PUZZLE GAME: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elson, Raymond J.; Ostapski, S. Andrew; O'Callaghan, Susanne; Walker, John P.

2012-01-01

Nontraditional teaching aids such as crossword puzzles have been successfully used in the classroom to enhance student learning. Government and nonprofit accounting is a confusing course for students since it has strange terminologies and contradicts the accounting concepts learned in other courses. As such, it is an ideal course for a…

Positive implications from socially accountable, community-engaged medical education across two Philippines regions.

PubMed

Woolley, Torres; Cristobal, Fortunato; Siega-Sur, Jusie; Ross, Simone; Neusy, Andre-Jacques; Halili, Servando; Reeve, Carole

2018-02-01

Hundreds of millions of people worldwide lack access to quality health services, largely because of geographic and socioeconomic maldistribution of qualified practitioners. This study describes differences between the practice locations of Philippines medical graduates from two 'socially accountable, community-engaged' health professional education (SAHPE) schools and the practice locations of graduates from two 'conventionally trained' medical schools located in the same respective geographic regions. Licensed medical graduates were currently practising in the Philippines and had been practising for at least 6 months. Graduates were from two Philippines SAHPE schools (Ateneo de Zamboanga University-School of Medicine (ADZU-SOM) on the Zamboanga Peninsula (n=212) and the University of the Philippines Manila-School of Health Sciences (SHS-Palo) in Eastern Visayas (n=71), and from two 'conventional' medical schools Methods: Current graduate practice locations in municipalities or cities were linked with their respective population size and socioeconomic income class, and geocoded using Geographical Information System software onto a geospatial map of the Philippines. Bivariate analysis compared the population size and socioeconomic class of communities where the SAHPE medical graduates practised to communities where 'conventional' medical school graduates practised. Thirty-one percent of ADZU-SOM medical graduates practised in communities <100 000 population versus 7% of graduates from the conventional school in the Zamboanga region (p<0.001), while 61% of SHS-Palo medical graduates practised in communities <100 000 population versus 12% of graduates from the conventional school in the Visayas region (p<0.001). Twenty-seven percent of ADZU-SOM graduates practised in lower income category communities (categories 2-6) versus 8% of graduates from the conventional school in the same region (p<0.001), while 49% of SHS-Palo graduates practised in lower income category

Computer-aided dental prostheses construction using reverse engineering.

PubMed

Solaberrieta, E; Minguez, R; Barrenetxea, L; Sierra, E; Etxaniz, O

2014-01-01

The implementation of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems with virtual articulators, which take into account the kinematics, constitutes a breakthrough in the construction of customised dental prostheses. This paper presents a multidisciplinary protocol involving CAM techniques to produce dental prostheses. This protocol includes a step-by-step procedure using innovative reverse engineering technologies to transform completely virtual design processes into customised prostheses. A special emphasis is placed on a novel method that permits a virtual location of the models. The complete workflow includes the optical scanning of the patient, the use of reverse engineering software and, if necessary, the use of rapid prototyping to produce CAD temporary prostheses.

How much do parents know about first aid for burns?

PubMed

Davies, M; Maguire, S; Okolie, C; Watkins, W; Kemp, A M

2013-09-01

Prompt first aid reduces burn morbidity. With an estimated 19,000 children attending emergency departments (ED) with a burn or scald every year in the UK, a parent's knowledge of first aid is particularly important. This study evaluates the extent and source of this knowledge. Parents attending the emergency and antenatal departments of a University Hospital answered a structured questionnaire detailing demographics, knowledge of burns first aid and its source. Knowledge was stratified into 4 categories: contraindicated, poor, inadequate and adequate. Individual chi-squared tests and ordered logistic regressions were performed to relate knowledge to demographic features. The 106 respondents (44% men) reflected a wide range of socio-economic (SE) grouping and educational level. Overall 32% had an adequate knowledge of burns first aid while 43% had poor or no knowledge. There was no significant correlation between gender, educational status or age and knowledge; however those from higher SE groups (p<0.05) and those who had undergone first aid training (p<0.01) had greater knowledge. Among 40% of parents who had undergone first aid training, 74% had adequate knowledge. The logistic regression accounting for all significant variables showed that previous first aid training was the most influential factor in knowledge of first aid (p<0.001). Interestingly, although 2/3 of parents wanted further training, 75% of those who did not had poor or no first-aid knowledge. Overall, the knowledge of burns first aid among parents is inadequate and correlates with lower SE groups. There was a significant association between knowledge and previous first aid training. Results suggest that targeting burns first aid training to all new parents, particularly those in low income households, would be of value. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Framing rights and responsibilities: accounts of women with a history of AIDS activism

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background In South Africa, policy with respect to HIV/AIDS has had a strong rights-based framing in line with international trends and in keeping with the constitutional overhaul in the post-Apartheid era. There have also been considerable advances since 1994 towards legal enshrinement of sexual and reproductive health rights and in the provision of related services. Since HIV in this setting has heavily affected women of reproductive age, there has been discussion about the particular needs of this subgroup, especially in the context of service integration. This paper is concerned with the way in which HIV positive women conceptualise these rights and whether they wish and are able to actualise them in their daily lives. Methods In 2003 a group of women involved with the Treatment Action Campaign and Medicines Sans Frontières participated in an initiative to ‘map’ their bodies as affected by the virus. A book containing the maps and narratives was published and used as a political tool to pressure the government of the day to roll out antiretroviral therapy (ART) to the population. In 2008, the authors coordinated an initiative that involved conducting follow-up in-depth interviews in which five of these women reflected on those body maps and on how their lives had changed in the intervening five years since gaining the right to treatment through the public sector. Results Drawing upon this qualitative data and published sources, these new accounts are analysed in order to reflect the perspectives of these women living with chronic HIV with respect to their sexual relations and fertility desires. The paper reveals difficulties faced by these women in negotiating sexual relationships and disclosure of their HIV positive status. It focuses on how they perceive relative responsibilities in terms of taking preventative measures in sexual encounters. Women adopt tactics within a context characterised by various inequalities in order to ‘make do’, such as by

The "first digit law" - A hypothesis on its possible impact on medicine and development aid.

PubMed

Pollach, Gregor; Brunkhorst, Frank; Mipando, Mwapatsa; Namboya, Felix; Mndolo, Samson; Luiz, Thomas

2016-12-01

The "first digit law" or "Benford's law" is a mathematical distribution discovered by Simon Newcomb and Frank Benford. It states, that the probability of the leading number d (d∈{1,…,9}) in many natural datasets follows: P (d)=log 10 (d+1)-log 10 (d)=log 10 (1+1/d). It was successfully used through tax authorities and "forensic accounting" in order to detect fraud and other irregularities. Benfords law was almost neglected for its use outside financial accounting. The planning for health care systems in developing countries is extremely dependant on good, valid data. Whether you plan the catchment area for the future district hospitals, the number of health posts, the staff establishment for the central hospital or the drug budget in the Ministry. The "first digit law" can be used in medicine, public health, physiology and development aid to unmask questionable data, to discover unexpected challenges, difficulties in the data collection process, loss through corruption and criminal fraud. Our hypothesis suggests, that the "first digit law" is a cost effective tool, which is easy to use for most people in the medical profession, which does not really needs complicated statistical software and can be used on the spot, even in the resource restricted conditions of developing countries. Several preconditions (like the size of the data set and its reach over more than two dimensions) have to be fulfilled, but then Benfords law can be used by any clinician, physiologist, public health specialist or aid consultant without difficulties and without deeper statistical knowledge in the four steps, we suggest in this article. The consequences will be different depending on the level (local regional, national, continental, international) on which you will use the law. All levels will be enabled to get insight into the validity of the data-challenges for the other levels without the help of trained statisticians or accountants. We believe that the "first digit law" is a

AID and Reactive Oxygen Species Can Induce DNA Breaks within Human Chromosomal Translocation Fragile Zones.

PubMed

Pannunzio, Nicholas R; Lieber, Michael R

2017-12-07

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) occurring within fragile zones of less than 200 base pairs account for the formation of the most common human chromosomal translocations in lymphoid malignancies, yet the mechanism of how breaks occur remains unknown. Here, we have transferred human fragile zones into S. cerevisiae in the context of a genetic assay to understand the mechanism leading to DSBs at these sites. Our findings indicate that a combination of factors is required to sensitize these regions. Foremost, DNA strand separation by transcription or increased torsional stress can expose these DNA regions to damage from either the expression of human AID or increased oxidative stress. This damage causes DNA lesions that, if not repaired quickly, are prone to nuclease cleavage, resulting in DSBs. Our results provide mechanistic insight into why human neoplastic translocation fragile DNA sequences are more prone to enzymes or agents that cause longer-lived DNA lesions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A transcriptional serenAID: the role of noncoding RNAs in class switch recombination

PubMed Central

Yewdell, William T.; Chaudhuri, Jayanta

2017-01-01

Abstract During an immune response, activated B cells may undergo class switch recombination (CSR), a molecular rearrangement that allows B cells to switch from expressing IgM and IgD to a secondary antibody heavy chain isotype such as IgG, IgA or IgE. Secondary antibody isotypes provide the adaptive immune system with distinct effector functions to optimally combat various pathogens. CSR occurs between repetitive DNA elements within the immunoglobulin heavy chain (Igh) locus, termed switch (S) regions and requires the DNA-modifying enzyme activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). AID-mediated DNA deamination within S regions initiates the formation of DNA double-strand breaks, which serve as biochemical beacons for downstream DNA repair pathways that coordinate the ligation of DNA breaks. Myriad factors contribute to optimal AID targeting; however, many of these factors also localize to genomic regions outside of the Igh locus. Thus, a current challenge is to explain the specific targeting of AID to the Igh locus. Recent studies have implicated noncoding RNAs in CSR, suggesting a provocative mechanism that incorporates Igh-specific factors to enable precise AID targeting. Here, we chronologically recount the rich history of noncoding RNAs functioning in CSR to provide a comprehensive context for recent and future discoveries. We present a model for the RNA-guided targeting of AID that attempts to integrate historical and recent findings, and highlight potential caveats. Lastly, we discuss testable hypotheses ripe for current experimentation, and explore promising ideas for future investigations. PMID:28535205

The vulnerable do-gooders: security strategies of German aid agencies.

PubMed

Schneiker, Andrea

2013-04-01

Humanitarian and development agencies have confronted growing insecurity in some of the regions in which they work over the course of the past decade. Consequently, aid agencies are changing their approach to security issues. Compared to aid agencies from other countries, especially the United Kingdom and the United States, German aid agencies have been relatively slow to adopt security measures. In addition, the security measures they have selected differ from one agency to another, even in comparable security contexts. The literature on organisational learning helps to explain these differences. The findings show that external and internal organisational factors influence an aid agency's choice of a particular security measure. The different responses of German aid agencies to the changing security environment demonstrate that security measures are not only influenced by an organisation's identity but also can be a way for them to demonstrate their identity and thereby distinguish themselves from other actors that deliver aid. © 2013 The Author(s). Journal compilation © Overseas Development Institute, 2013.

HIV/AIDS and bioethics: historical perspective, personal retrospective.

PubMed

Bryan, Charles S

2002-01-01

Problems posed by HIV/AIDS differ from those of past epidemics by virtue of unique properties of the causative agent, dramatic societal changes of the late 20th century, and the transition of medical practice from a professional ethic to a technology-dependent business ethic. HIV/AIDS struck during the coming-of-age of molecular biology and also of bioethics, and the epidemic stimulated the growth of both disciplines. The number of articles published about AIDS and ethics (as identified by a MEDLINE search) peaked in 1990, just before the peak incidence of AIDS in the United States. The character of ethical dialogue has now shifted from familiar moral quandaries such as civil liberty versus public welfare to concerns about vaccine trials and public policy toward the developing world. Physicians and other health care workers who were involved from the onset endured something of an emotional roller coaster. Their compassion-based work ethic was to a large extent replaced by a competence-based work ethic after the introduction in 1996 of highly active antiretroviral therapy. The abundant recent literature on "professionalism" in medicine makes scant mention of AIDS/HIV. The disruptive effect of AIDS/HIV on society would have been substantially greater had relevant technology such as the ability to isolate retroviruses and potent therapy against tuberculosis not been in place. This sobering consideration, along with such recent events as the use of bioterrorism against civilian populations, suggests new relevance for Potter's definition of "bioethics" as a science of survival in which the biology of ecosystems must be taken into account.

The response of the Italian press to AIDS: a 22-month analysis.

PubMed

Aloisi; Girardi, E; Ippolito, G

2001-01-01

This study analyses the way in which the Italian press reported Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) over a 22-month period from September 1993 to June 1995, when no national AIDS information campaigns were made in Italy. During this period we collected, read, and categorized every article relating to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and AIDS in fourteen newspapers and two news magazines with the highest national circulation. Articles were then assigned to one of six content categories: statistics, basic science, cure and vaccine, education/awareness and prevention issue, government or non-goverment organizations response, and people with AIDS (PWA) personal portrayals. A total of 4,228 articles referring to HIV/AIDS were identified. Analysis of the featured topics reveals several clear differences in the coverage of aspects of AIDS. The major category was represented by government or non-goverment organization response which accounted for 1,341 articles. Overall, this analysis suggests that, even long after the beginning of the epidemic, the press continues to see AIDS as an important issue. However, the articles explaining scientifically the AIDS epidemic were very few. The majority of AIDS-related information was spread in consequence of sensational events. Further analysis of PWA coverage shows that most articles discussed news that could provoke a negative feeling towards HIV-infected patients among the general population.

Individual and organizational predictors of health care aide job satisfaction in long term care.

PubMed

Chamberlain, Stephanie A; Hoben, Matthias; Squires, Janet E; Estabrooks, Carole A

2016-10-13

Unregulated health care aides provide the majority of direct health care to residents in long term care homes. Lower job satisfaction as reported by care aides is associated with increased turnover of staff. Turnover leads to inferior job performance and negatively impacts quality of care for residents. This study aimed to determine the individual and organizational variables associated with job satisfaction in care aides. We surveyed a sample of 1224 care aides from 30 long term care homes in three Western Canadian provinces. The care aides reported their job satisfaction and their perception of the work environment. We used a hierarchical, mixed-effects ordered logistic regression to model the relative odds of care aide job satisfaction for individual, care unit, and facility factors. Care aide exhaustion, professional efficacy, and cynicism were associated with job satisfaction. Factors in the organizational context that are associated with increased care aide job satisfaction include: leadership, culture, social capital, organizational slack-staff, organizational slack-space, and organizational slack-time. Our findings suggest that organizational factors account for a greater increase in care aide job satisfaction than do individual factors. These features of the work environment are modifiable and predict care aide job satisfaction. Efforts to improve care aide work environment and quality of care should focus on organizational context.

Europe's Shifting Response to HIV/AIDS: From Human Rights to Risk Management.

PubMed

Smith, Julia

2016-12-01

Despite a history of championing HIV/AIDS as a human rights issue, and a rhetorical commitment to health as a human right, European states and institutions have shifted from a rights-based response to a risk management approach to HIV/AIDS since the economic recession of 2008. An interdisciplinary perspective is applied to analyze health policy changes at the national, regional, and global levels by drawing on data from key informant interviews, and institutional and civil society documents. It is demonstrated that, in the context of austerity measures, member states such as the UK and Greece reduced commitments to rights associated with HIV/AIDS; at the regional level, the EU failed to develop rights-based approaches to address the vulnerabilities and health care needs of key populations affected by HIV/AIDS, particularly migrants and sex workers; and at the global level, the EU backtracked on commitments to global health and is prioritizing the intellectual property rights of pharmaceutical companies over the human rights of people living with HIV/AIDS. The focus within and from the EU is on containment, efficiency, and cost reduction. The rights of those most affected are no longer prioritized.

Q&A: A Conversation With David France - The HIV/AID Plague Years and Where We Stand Now.

PubMed

Wehrwein, Peter

2017-02-01

Journalist David France's How to Survive A Plague is a searing firsthand account of the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York City. AIDS activists, most of them gay men, were fighting for their lives. Researchers, politicians, public health officials, and pharma were slow to respond-or resisted outright.

Regulating infidelity: RNA-mediated recruitment of AID to DNA during class switch recombination.

PubMed

DiMenna, Lauren J; Chaudhuri, Jayanta

2016-03-01

The mechanism by which the DNA deaminase activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is specifically recruited to repetitive switch region DNA during class switch recombination is still poorly understood. Work over the past decade has revealed a strong link between transcription and RNA polymerase-associated factors in AID recruitment, yet none of these processes satisfactorily explain how AID specificity is affected. Here, we review a recent finding wherein AID is guided to switch regions not by a protein factor but by an RNA moiety, and especially one associated with a noncoding RNA that has been long thought of as being inert. This work explains the long-standing requirement of splicing of noncoding transcripts during class switching, and has implications in both B cell-mediated immunity as well as the underlying pathological syndromes associated with the recombination reaction. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Determining an Appropriate Sampling Method. School Accountability Series. Monograph 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCallon, Earl; McClaran, Rutledge

This is one of a series of eight short monographs intended to aid practicing educators in planning and conducting accountability programs in schools. This booklet discusses how to determine a sampling method that is appropriate to the objectives of a particular research or evaluation effort. Short sections focus in turn on why and when to sample,…

Media Accounts of School Performance: Reinforcing Dominant Practices of Accountability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baroutsis, Aspa

2016-01-01

Media reportage often act as interpretations of accountability policies thereby making the news media a part of the policy enactment process. Within such a process, their role is that of policy reinforcement rather than policy construction or contestation. This paper draws on the experiences of school leaders in regional Queensland, Australia, and…

Economic optimal nitrogen application rates for rice cropping in the Taihu Lake region of China: taking account of negative externalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Y.; Yan, X.

2011-07-01

Nitrogen application rates (NARs) is often overestimated over the rice (Oryza sativa L.) growing season in the Taihu Lake region of China. This is largely because only individual nitrogen (N) losses are taken into account, or the inventory flows of reactive N have been limited solely to the farming process when evaluating environmental and economic effects of N fertilizer. Since N can permeate the ecosystem in numerous forms commencing from the acquisition of raw material, through manufacturing and use, to final losses in the farming process (e.g., N2O, NH3, NO3- leaching, etc.), the costs incurred also accumulate and should be taken into account if economically-optimal N rates (EONRs) are to be established. This study integrates important material and energy flows resulting from N use into a rice agricultural inventory that constitutes the hub of the life-cycle assessment (LCA) method. An economic evaluation is used to determine an environmental and economic NAR for the Taihu Lake region. The analysis reveals that production and exploitation processes consume the largest proportion of resources, accounting for 77.2 % and 22.3 % of total resources, respectively. Regarding environmental impact, global warming creates the highest cost with contributions stemming mostly from fertilizer production and raw material exploitation processes. Farming process incurs the biggest environmental impact of the three environmental impact categories considered, whereas transportation has a much smaller effect. When taking account of resource consumption and environmental cost, the marginal benefit of 1 kg rice would decrease from 2.4 to only 1.01 yuan. Accordingly, our current EONR has been evaluated at 185 kg N ha-1 for a single rice-growing season. This could enhance profitability, as well as reduce the N losses associated with rice growing.

[Hegemonic masculinity, vulnerability and the prevention of HIV/AIDS].

PubMed

Marques, Joilson Santana; Gomes, Romeu; do Nascimento, Elaine Ferreira

2012-02-01

The study aims to examine the relationship between masculinity, vulnerability and the prevention of HIV/AIDS, based on reports from young men from the so-called urban working classes, taking into account not only the meanings attributed to prevention by these subjects, but also considering the dialectical relationship between the individual and society. The conceptual framework encompasses the three main aspects of hegemonic masculinity, prevention and vulnerability. This involves qualitative research based on the perspective of dialectical hermeneutics that uses the method of interpretation of meanings. The analysis yielded two main results, namely hegemonic masculinity as a vulnerability factor, and myths and prejudices as factors of vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. By way of conclusion, it reinforces the need for discussion of prevention encompassing the need to put on the agenda the construction of the sex/gender system around which to articulate the social meanings of masculinity and femininity that influence the structural plan of affective sexual relations in general and HIV/AIDS in particular.

HIV/AIDS - resources

MedlinePlus

Resources - HIV/AIDS ... The following organizations are good resources for information on AIDS : AIDS.gov -- www.aids.gov AIDS Info -- aidsinfo.nih.gov The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation -- www. ...

Foreign Aid versus Military Intervention in the War on Terror

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azam, Jean-Paul; Thelen, Veronique

2010-01-01

This article presents a theoretical framework and some empirical results showing that the level of foreign aid received reduces the supply of terrorist attacks from recipient countries, while U.S. military interventions are liable to increase this supply. Due account is taken of endogeneity problems in producing these results. They suggest that…

The Ethical Dimensions of Awarding Financial Aid

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillman, Nicholas

2011-01-01

In countries charging tuition fees, and those that are considering adopting tuition fee policies, recent economic conditions are making education less affordable and accessible for students. To combat these challenges, nations, state/regional governments, and universities are experimenting with financial aid programmes by providing non-repayable…

Epigenetic regulation of HIV, AIDS, and AIDS-related malignancies.

PubMed

Verma, Mukesh

2015-01-01

Although epigenetics is not a new field, its implications for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) research have not been explored fully. To develop therapeutic and preventive approaches against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS, it is essential to understand the mechanisms of interaction between the virus and the host, involvement of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, characterization of viral reservoirs, and factors influencing the latency of the virus. Both methylation of viral genes and histone modifications contribute to initiating and maintaining latency and, depending on the context, triggering viral gene repression or expression. This chapter discusses progress made at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), recommendations from the International AIDS Society Scientific Working Group on HIV Cure, and underlying epigenetic regulation. A number of epigenetic inhibitors have shown potential in treating AIDS-related malignancies. Epigenetic drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and their implications for the eradication of HIV/AIDS and AIDS-related malignancies also are discussed.Past and current progress in developing treatments and understanding the molecular mechanisms of AIDS and HIV infection has greatly improved patient survival. However, increased survival has been coupled with the development of cancer at higher rates than those observed among the HIV/AIDS-negative population. During the early days of the AIDS epidemic, the most frequent AIDS-defining malignancies were Kaposi's sarcoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Now, with increased survival as the result of widespread use in the developed world of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), non-AIDS defining cancers (i.e., anal, skin, and lung cancers, and Hodgkin disease) are on the increase in HIV-infected populations. The current status of AIDS-related malignancies also is discussed.

Patterns of neuroAIDS in Africa.

PubMed

Tadesse, Tizeta; Langford, Dianne; Manji, Karim; Mehari, Enawgaw

2005-01-01

According to UNAIDS, the African population accounts for greater than half of persons infected with HIV. Nevertheless, little information exists characterizing HIV in this population. Thus, the natural history and progression of HIV in the African population is virtually undocumented and therefore, poorly understood. Information regarding virtually every aspect of the disease including microbiology, pathogenicity, virulence, and clinical manifestation is based largely on data from select and limited populations. During the HAART-era, we have seen dramatic and significant changes in patterns of NeuroAIDS in patients in clinical cohorts from the United States and Western Europe. These observations have led to increased understanding of the progression of NeuroAIDS and have improved our ability to design treatment regimens to combat CNS complications resulting from HIV. Despite the existence of antiretroviral therapy for HIV, its absence in Africa along with poor treatments for opportunistic infections associated with HIV have become the main sources of neurological morbidity and mortality. In this context, we are presented with a unique opportunity to cultivate and enhance our understanding of the natural history and progression of NeuroAIDS in the African population thereby, better equipping healthcare providers, patients and their families in addressing this epidemic. This concept is particularly important as rapidly improving and more accessible anti-HIV medications and medications for the treatment of opportunistic infections become available to third world countries such as Africa. We believe that it is imperative to foster research, education and training between institutions in the industrialized world and Africa to close the gap in understanding patterns of NeuroAIDS in Africa.

Beyond the Gender Differential: Very Young Children Coping with HIV/AIDS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayden, Jacqueline

2006-01-01

This article reports on a recent study of HIV/AIDS which investigated the role of gender in the experiences of young children in one region of Namibia. The findings reveal that while gender is reported to shape school-age girls and boys' experiences of being infected or affected by HIV/AIDS in many African nations, gender was not an influential…

Rumor, gossip and blame: implications for HIV/AIDS prevention in the South African lowveld.

PubMed

Stadler, Jonathan

2003-08-01

The HIV/AIDS epidemic provides fertile breeding ground for theories of the origin of HIV/AIDS, its mode of transmission, and the allocation of blame. Drawing on ethnographic research in the Bushbuckridge region of the South African lowveld, this article examines the articulation of AIDS through gossip and rumor. These oral forms create moral readings of behavior and shape folk discourses of AIDS that resist dominant epidemiological explanations. Significantly, constructions of AIDS are not uniform. Although elders claim AIDS as traditional and curable, younger men and women support theories of AIDS as a modern, foreign disease. Witchcraft beliefs are popular in explaining why certain people die and not others. At times, rumor may escalate into a moral panic. The implications of these findings for social responses to the AIDS epidemic and HIV/AIDS prevention are explored.

Camel milk, amoxicillin, and a prayer: medical pluralism and medical humanitarian aid in the Somali Region of Ethiopia.

PubMed

Carruth, Lauren

2014-11-01

This paper details how exposure to new clinics, diagnostic technologies, and pharmaceuticals during humanitarian relief operations in the Somali Region of Ethiopia shaped local pluralistic health systems and altered the ways in which residents subsequently conceived of and treated illness and disease. Despite rising demand for pharmaceuticals and diagnostic technologies among Somalis in Ethiopia, local ethnophysiologies continued to draw upon popular ideas about humoral flows, divine action, and spirit possession. Demands for therapeutic camel milk, Qur'anic spiritual healing, herbal remedies, and other historically popular therapies persisted, but were shaped by concurrent demands for and understandings of diagnostic biotechnologies and pharmaceutical medications. The reverse was also true: contemporary understandings and uses of non-biomedical healing modalities among Somalis shaped evaluations of clinical care, including healthcare during humanitarian responses. To illustrate these phenomena, based on ethnographic research in eastern Ethiopia between 2007 and 2009, this paper explores three topics vital to Somalis' pluralistic healthcare systems: camel milk and the management of digestive bile; women's experiences and clinical presentations with pain and disorder in their reproductive systems; and the rising popularity of high-tech diagnostic tests. I conclude that medical humanitarian aid never happens in a vacuum or among truly treatment-naïve populations. Instead, aid unfolds within ever-changing and pluralistic health cultures, and it permanently alters and is altered by the frames within which people evaluate and make future decisions about healthcare. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

HIV/AIDS knowledge in detention in Hunan province, China.

PubMed

Zhang, Weidong; Wang, Xinya; Chen, Xi; Lv, Fan

2010-04-28

Injection drug use (IDU) is one of the major modes of HIV transmission in China. Drug use is illegal in China, all identified drug users are registered by Public Security Bureau, and most were sent to detention; most detainees engaged in high risk behaviours. In order to well understand the HIV/AIDS knowledge among detainees, a survey was conducted in different detention settings in Hunan province in 2008 to assess knowledge and attitudes about HIV among detainees and to provide useful information for HIV prevention and intervention strategies in detention centers. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 10 detentions in Hunan province, China, and demographic information along with knowledge and attitude of HIV/AIDS was collected through standardized interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to describe HIV knowledge, attitudes, and education services among detainees. There were 956 detainees interviewed from 10 detention centers. The male to female ratio was 2.24:1. The majority detainees received nine years of compulsory education, accounting for 51.5%. There were nine questions to assess HIV/AIDS knowledge of detainees, and 35.7% of those surveyed answered all nine questions correctly. There were 92.3% (882/956) who consented to be informed about the HIV antibody test results when tested, and 81% (774/956) elected that their family members were also informed. All detention centers had an organized HIV/AIDS education program. This study gives us an overview about HIV/AIDS knowledge in detention in Hunan province, and all detention sites in the study provided HIV/AIDS intervention services among detainees that focused on HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitude, and health behaviors.

CIDA funds AIDS counselling and care centre in Zambia.

PubMed

Meehan, S T

1993-12-01

In its fight against the spread of AIDS, which is inextricably linked to the issues of international development, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) has focused support on strengthening existing health care systems, helping vulnerable groups gain control over their lives and health, promoting AIDS prevention measures, and building links to other related health services. Funding includes 1) a grant to Hope House in Zambia (counseling and support for persons with AIDS); 2) a contribution to the Canadian Public Health Association's $11 million Southern Africa AIDS Training Programme (helps regional organizations working in AIDS prevention and support through education, training, hospital outreach, peer education for vulnerable groups, assistance to women's shelters, and networking); 3) support for Laval University's Laval Centre for International Cooperation in Health and Development (runs a $22 million program in French-speaking West Africa that operates in over 10 countries and focuses on epidemiological surveillance, information, education, and communication, control of sexually transmitted diseases [STDs], and management of national AIDS programs); 4) support for the University of Manitoba's $3 million program with the University of Nairobi to slow the spread of HIV (strengthens local health care capabilities for STD/HIV diagnosis, treatment, and counseling, with special emphasis on training and education); 5) support in the past for a study of proposed AIDS legislation and its potential impact on the human rights of PLWHIV/AIDS in Thailand; 6) a contribution to help equip the office of the National Movement for Street Children, Rio de Janeiro (focuses on preventing the spread of AIDS among child prostitutes); and 7) long-term financial support to the Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development, a coalition of Canadian development nongovernmental organizations responding to AIDS in developing countries. An address to obtain a pamphlet giving

Evaluation of computer-aided detection and diagnosis systems.

PubMed

Petrick, Nicholas; Sahiner, Berkman; Armato, Samuel G; Bert, Alberto; Correale, Loredana; Delsanto, Silvia; Freedman, Matthew T; Fryd, David; Gur, David; Hadjiiski, Lubomir; Huo, Zhimin; Jiang, Yulei; Morra, Lia; Paquerault, Sophie; Raykar, Vikas; Samuelson, Frank; Summers, Ronald M; Tourassi, Georgia; Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Zheng, Bin; Zhou, Chuan; Chan, Heang-Ping

2013-08-01

Computer-aided detection and diagnosis (CAD) systems are increasingly being used as an aid by clinicians for detection and interpretation of diseases. Computer-aided detection systems mark regions of an image that may reveal specific abnormalities and are used to alert clinicians to these regions during image interpretation. Computer-aided diagnosis systems provide an assessment of a disease using image-based information alone or in combination with other relevant diagnostic data and are used by clinicians as a decision support in developing their diagnoses. While CAD systems are commercially available, standardized approaches for evaluating and reporting their performance have not yet been fully formalized in the literature or in a standardization effort. This deficiency has led to difficulty in the comparison of CAD devices and in understanding how the reported performance might translate into clinical practice. To address these important issues, the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) formed the Computer Aided Detection in Diagnostic Imaging Subcommittee (CADSC), in part, to develop recommendations on approaches for assessing CAD system performance. The purpose of this paper is to convey the opinions of the AAPM CADSC members and to stimulate the development of consensus approaches and "best practices" for evaluating CAD systems. Both the assessment of a standalone CAD system and the evaluation of the impact of CAD on end-users are discussed. It is hoped that awareness of these important evaluation elements and the CADSC recommendations will lead to further development of structured guidelines for CAD performance assessment. Proper assessment of CAD system performance is expected to increase the understanding of a CAD system's effectiveness and limitations, which is expected to stimulate further research and development efforts on CAD technologies, reduce problems due to improper use, and eventually improve the utility and efficacy of CAD in

Evaluation of computer-aided detection and diagnosis systemsa)

PubMed Central

Petrick, Nicholas; Sahiner, Berkman; Armato, Samuel G.; Bert, Alberto; Correale, Loredana; Delsanto, Silvia; Freedman, Matthew T.; Fryd, David; Gur, David; Hadjiiski, Lubomir; Huo, Zhimin; Jiang, Yulei; Morra, Lia; Paquerault, Sophie; Raykar, Vikas; Samuelson, Frank; Summers, Ronald M.; Tourassi, Georgia; Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Zheng, Bin; Zhou, Chuan; Chan, Heang-Ping

2013-01-01

Computer-aided detection and diagnosis (CAD) systems are increasingly being used as an aid by clinicians for detection and interpretation of diseases. Computer-aided detection systems mark regions of an image that may reveal specific abnormalities and are used to alert clinicians to these regions during image interpretation. Computer-aided diagnosis systems provide an assessment of a disease using image-based information alone or in combination with other relevant diagnostic data and are used by clinicians as a decision support in developing their diagnoses. While CAD systems are commercially available, standardized approaches for evaluating and reporting their performance have not yet been fully formalized in the literature or in a standardization effort. This deficiency has led to difficulty in the comparison of CAD devices and in understanding how the reported performance might translate into clinical practice. To address these important issues, the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) formed the Computer Aided Detection in Diagnostic Imaging Subcommittee (CADSC), in part, to develop recommendations on approaches for assessing CAD system performance. The purpose of this paper is to convey the opinions of the AAPM CADSC members and to stimulate the development of consensus approaches and “best practices” for evaluating CAD systems. Both the assessment of a standalone CAD system and the evaluation of the impact of CAD on end-users are discussed. It is hoped that awareness of these important evaluation elements and the CADSC recommendations will lead to further development of structured guidelines for CAD performance assessment. Proper assessment of CAD system performance is expected to increase the understanding of a CAD system's effectiveness and limitations, which is expected to stimulate further research and development efforts on CAD technologies, reduce problems due to improper use, and eventually improve the utility and efficacy of CAD

Convergent Transcription At Intragenic Super-Enhancers Targets AID-initiated Genomic Instability

PubMed Central

Meng, Fei-Long; Du, Zhou; Federation, Alexander; Hu, Jiazhi; Wang, Qiao; Kieffer-Kwon, Kyong-Rim; Meyers, Robin M.; Amor, Corina; Wasserman, Caitlyn R.; Neuberg, Donna; Casellas, Rafael; Nussenzweig, Michel C.; Bradner, James E.; Liu, X. Shirley; Alt, Frederick W.

2015-01-01

Summary Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) initiates both somatic hypermutation (SHM) for antibody affinity maturation and DNA breakage for antibody class switch recombination (CSR) via transcription-dependent cytidine deamination of single stranded DNA targets. While largely specific for immunoglobulin genes, AID also acts on a limited set of off-targets, generating oncogenic translocations and mutations that contribute to B cell lymphoma. How AID is recruited to off-targets has been a long-standing mystery. Based on deep GRO-Seq studies of mouse and human B lineage cells activated for CSR or SHM, we report that most robust AID off-target translocations occur within highly focal regions of target genes in which sense and antisense transcription converge. Moreover, we found that such AID-targeting “convergent” transcription arises from antisense transcription that emanates from Super-Enhancers within sense transcribed gene bodies. Our findings provide an explanation for AID off-targeting to a small subset of mostly lineage-specific genes in activated B cells. PMID:25483776

Excellence and Accountability. Report of the Governor's Task Force on Higher Education Reform.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New Mexico State Commission on Postsecondary Education, Santa Fe.

A task force report recommends ways to promote educational reform in higher education in New Mexico. Forty recommendations address the following areas: institutional missions, academic excellence and accountability, community colleges, student financial aid, affirmative action, economic development, capital outlay, and funding issues. Specific…

Causes of Death in HIV Patients and the Evolution of an AIDS Hospice: 1988–2008

PubMed Central

Stewart, Ann; Chan Carusone, Soo; To, Kent; Schaefer-McDaniel, Nicole; Halman, Mark; Grimes, Richard

2012-01-01

This paper reports on the transformation that has occurred in the care of people living with HIV/AIDS in a Toronto Hospice. Casey House opened in the pre-HAART era to care exclusively for people with HIV/AIDS, an incurable disease. At the time, all patients were admitted for palliative care and all deaths were due to AIDS-defining conditions. AIDS-defining malignancies accounted for 22 percent of deaths, mainly, Kaposi sarcoma and lymphoma. In the post-HAART era, AIDS-defining malignancies dropped dramatically and non-AIDS-defining malignancies became a significant cause of death, including liver cancer, lung cancer and gastric cancers. In the post-HAART era, people living with HIV/AIDS served at Casey House have changed considerably, with increasing numbers of patients facing homelessness and mental health issues, including substance use. Casey House offers a picture of the evolving epidemic and provides insight into changes and improvements made in the care of these patients. PMID:22666562

A comparison of photospheric electric current and ultraviolet and X-ray emission in a solar active region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haisch, B. M.; Bruner, M. E.; Hagyard, M. J.; Bonnet, R. M.

1986-01-01

This paper presents an extensive set of coordinated observations of a solar active region, taking into account spectroheliograms obtained with the aid of the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) Ultraviolet Spectrometer Polarimeter (UVSP) instrument, SMM soft X-ray polychromator (XRP) raster maps, and high spatial resolution ultraviolet images of the sun in Lyman-alpha and in the 1600 A continuum. These data span together the upper solar atmosphere from the temperature minimum to the corona. The data are compared to maps of the inferred photospheric electric current derived from the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) vector magnetograph observations. Some empirical correlation is found between regions of inferred electric current density and the brightest features in the ultraviolet continuum and to a lesser extent those seen in Lyman-alpha within an active region.

Building a Stronger System for Tracking Nutrition-Sensitive Spending: A Methodology and Estimate of Global Spending for Nutrition-Sensitive Foreign Aid.

PubMed

Ickes, Scott B; Trichler, Rachel B; Parks, Bradley C

2015-12-01

There is growing awareness that the necessary solutions for improving nutrition outcomes are multisectorial. As such, investments are increasingly directed toward "nutrition-sensitive" approaches that not only address an underlying or basic determinant of nutrition but also seek to achieve an explicit nutrition goal or outcome. Understanding how and where official development assistance (ODA) for nutrition is invested remains an important but complex challenge, as development projects components vary in their application to nutrition outcomes. Currently, no systematic method exists for tracking nutrition-sensitive ODA. To develop a methodology for classifying and tracking nutrition-sensitive ODA and to produce estimates of the amount of nutrition-sensitive aid received by countries with a high burden of undernutrition. We analyzed all financial flows reported to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development's Development Assistance Committee Creditor Reporting Service in 2010 to estimate these investments. We assessed the relationships between national stunting prevalence, stunting burden, under-5 mortality, and the amount of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive ODA. We estimate that, in 2010, a total of $379·4 million (M) US dollars (USD) was committed to nutrition-specific projects and programs of which 25 designated beneficiaries (countries and regions) accounted for nearly 85% ($320 M). A total of $1.79 billion (B) was committed to nutrition-sensitive spending, of which the top 25 countries/regions accounted for $1.4 B (82%). Nine categories of development activities accounted for 75% of nutrition-sensitive spending, led by Reproductive Health Care (30·4%), Food Aid/Food Security Programs (14·1%), Emergency Food Aid (13·2%), and Basic Health Care (5·0%). Multivariate linear regression models indicate that the amount of nutrition-sensitive (P = .001) and total nutrition ODA was significantly predicted by stunting prevalence (P = .001

AIDS-related discrimination in Asia.

PubMed

Paxton, S; Gonzales, G; Uppakaew, K; Abraham, K K; Okta, S; Green, C; Nair, K S; Merati, T Parwati; Thephthien, B; Marin, M; Quesada, A

2005-05-01

The Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (APN+) conducted the first regional documentation of AIDS-related discrimination in Asia. This project was an action-based, peer-implemented study that aimed to develop an understanding of the nature, pattern and extent of AIDS-related discrimination in several Asian countries. Trained HIV-positive people interviewed 764 positive people in four countries (India 302; Indonesia 42; Thailand 338; the Philippines 82) using a structured questionnaire. Findings indicate that the major area of discrimination in each country is within the health sector, where over half of those surveyed experienced some form of discrimination. In all countries, the majority of people did not receive pre-test counselling before being tested for HIV. People who reported coerced testing were significantly more likely than other respondents to face subsequent AIDS-related discrimination. A considerable number of respondents were refused treatment after being diagnosed with HIV and many experienced delayed provision of treatment or health services. Breaches of confidentiality by health workers were common. Within the family and the community, women were significantly more likely to experience discrimination than men, including ridicule and harassment, physical assault and being forced to change their place of residence because of their HIV status. These findings have serious implications, particularly in light of the increasing trend in many countries to test all pregnant women in order to prevent transmission of HIV to their unborn children.

[Analysis on funds application of community based organizations involved in HIV/AIDS response and government financial investment in China, 2014].

PubMed

Zhang, G; Zhu, Y X; Wang, P; Liu, P; Li, J F; Sha, S; Yang, W Z; Li, H

2017-03-06

Objective: To understand the government financial investments to community based organizations (CBO) involved in HIV/AIDS Control and Prevention of China and its influencing factors. Methods: Questionnaire of the situation of CBO involved in HIV/AIDS control and prevention were designed, and filled by the staff of Provincial Health Administrative Departments of 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities). The research focused on the fields of CBO involved in HIV/AIDS response in 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), including intervention on HIV/AIDS high risk population (female sex worker (FSW), man who sex with man (MSM), drug user (DU) and case management and care for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH)). 29 valid questionnaires were collecting, with Shanxi Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regions not filled. Questionnaire included financial supports from local governments, transfer payment from central government for CBO involved in HIV/AIDS response in 2014, and unit cost for CBO involved in HIV/AIDS control and prevention. Multivariate analysis was conducted on the project application and financial investment of community based organizations involved in HIV/AIDS control and prevention in 2014. Results: The total amount of CBO to apply for participation in AIDS prevention and control was 64 482 828 Yuan in 2014. The actual total amount of investment was 50 616 367 Yuan, The investment came from the central government funding, the provincial level government funding, the prefecture and county level government funding investment and other sources of funding. 22 of 28 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) received the funds from the central government finance, and median of investment funds 500 000 Yuan. 15 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) gained the funds from the provincial government finance, and median of investment funds 350 000 Yuan. 12 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) got the funds

Health transition in Brazil: regional variations and divergence/convergence in mortality.

PubMed

Borges, Gabriel Mendes

2017-08-21

This study analyzes the main characteristics of the health transition in Brazil and its five major regions, using a framework that accounts for regional inequalities in mortality trends. The regional mortality divergence/convergence process is described and discussed by considering the specific contributions of age groups and causes of death in life expectancy variations. Results show that mortality change in Brazil has follow the epidemiologic transition theory to some extent during the period under analysis - for instance, the sharp decline in infant mortality in all regions (first from infectious and parasitic diseases and then from causes associated with the perinatal period) and the increase in the participation of chronic and degenerative diseases as the main cause of death. However, some features of Brazilian transition have not followed the linear and unidirectional pattern proposed by the epidemiologic transition theory, which helps to understand the periods of regional divergence in life expectancy, despite the long-term trends showing reducing regional inequalities. The emergence of HIV/AIDS, the persistence of relatively high levels of other infections and parasitic diseases, the regional differences in the unexpected mortality improvements from cardiovascular diseases, and the rapid and strong variations in mortality from external causes are some of the examples.

Using a Technology-Based Case to Aid in Improving Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zelin, Robert C., II

2008-01-01

This paper describes how a technology-based case using Microsoft Access can aid in the assessment process. A case was used in lieu of giving a final examination in an Accounting Information Systems course. Students worked in small groups to design a database-driven payroll system for a hypothetical company. Each group submitted its results along…

The adaptive value of tool-aided defense against wild animal attacks.

PubMed

Crabb, Peter B; Elizaga, Andrew

2008-01-01

Throughout history humans have faced the persistent threat of attacks by wild animals, and how humans respond to this problem can make the difference between survival and death. In theory, the use of tools to fend off animal attacks would be more effective than resisting bare-handed, yet evidence for the advantage of tool-aided defense is scarce and equivocal. Two studies of news accounts of wild animal attacks against humans were conducted to test the hypothesis that tool-aided defense is indeed associated with reductions in injuries and deaths. Results of both Study 1 (N=172) and Study 2 (N=370) supported the hypothesis. The observed survival advantage of tool-aided defense for modern humans suggests that this tactic also would have worked for human ancestors who lived more closely to dangerous wild animals. 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

AIDS in Brazilian children: history, surveillance, antiretroviral therapy, and epidemiologic transition, 1984-2008.

PubMed

Ramos, Alberto Novaes; Matida, Luiza Harunari; Hearst, Norman; Heukelbach, Jorg

2011-04-01

We present a systematic review of historical, political, and epidemiologic aspects of AIDS in Brazilian children. Over 25 years, Brazil has developed different strategies to control AIDS in children. Three revisions of criteria for defining AIDS cases in children and nine national guidelines on antiretroviral therapy administration for management of HIV infection were published. These guidelines represent important progress, including aspects of HIV/AIDS surveillance, antiretroviral treatment, opportunistic conditions, prophylaxis, and laboratory testing. Brazil has significantly expanded access to free therapy with different classes of antiretroviral drugs. Initially focusing on treatment for HIV and opportunistic conditions, the scope of treatment guidelines gradually expanded to comprehensive health care for children and adolescents. From 1996 to 2008, the number of AIDS cases and deaths in children has been reduced by 67% and 65%, respectively, as a result of different strategies to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and highly active antiretroviral therapy administration to infected children. Improved morbidity, mortality, and survival of Brazilian children with AIDS demonstrate clear benefits of adopting a policy of free and universal access to antiretroviral drugs associated with comprehensive care. However, important issues remain to be resolved, mainly concerning social, operational, and regional inequalities in coverage and quality of care, and epidemiological surveillance in different regions of the country. This broad review shows that the overall situation of pediatric AIDS in Brazil represents an incomplete process of epidemiologic and demographic transition, with the coexistence of old and new clinical and epidemiologic challenges.

AIDS and Africa. Introduction.

PubMed

Kopelman, Loretta M; van Niekerk, Anton A

2002-04-01

Sub-Saharan Africa is the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and in this issue of the Journal, seven authors discuss the moral, social and medical implications of having 70% of those stricken living in this area. Anton A. van Niekerk considers complexities of plague in this region (poverty, denial, poor leadership, illiteracy, women's vulnerability, and disenchantment of intimacy) and the importance of finding responses that empower its people. Solomon Benatar reinforces these issues, but also discusses the role of global politics in sub-Saharan Africa, especially discrimination, imperialism and its exploitation by first world countries. Given the public health crisis, Udo Schüklenk and Richard E. Ashcroft defend compulsory licensing of essential HIV/AIDS medications on consequentialist grounds. Keymanthri Moodley discusses the importance of conducting research and the need to understand a moderate form of communitarianism, also referred to as "ubuntu" or "communalism", to help some Africans understand research as an altruistic endeavour. Godfrey B. Tangwa also defends traditional African values of empathy and ubuntu, discussing how they should be enlisted to fight this pandemic. Loretta M. Kopelman criticizes the tendency among those outside Africa to dismiss the HIV/AIDS pandemic, attributing one source to the ubiquitous and misguided punishment theory of disease. The authors conclude that good solutions must be cooperative ventures among countries within and outside of sub-Saharan Africa with far more support from wealthy countries.

[A problem-posing educational methodology for the prevention of HIV / AIDS].

PubMed

Magana, J R; Ferreira-pinto, J B; Blair, M; Mata A

1992-01-01

The problem-posing methodology of Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, using the reading circle approach previously deployed in successful literacy campaigns in developing countries, is introduced for application in AIDS information programs. The basis of this educational process is the dialogue where those to be educated resolve their problems by evaluating information critically, capturing concepts by codification and decodification, and transmitting information by creating relevant educational materials. Health circles are organized with women as educators to impart knowledge about AIDS and HIV: definitions, epidemiological components (sex, age, and risk behavior), means of transmission, stages of the progression of AIDS, prevention of HIV infection, and tests for detecting HIV antibodies. The dialogue explores knowledge and feelings about AIDS and how it affects life in the community reveals personal experiences and accounts of knowing someone who was HIV-positive, and develops action plans to minimize AIDS cases in the community. The Latin population of California, mainly of Mexican origin, with low levels of education, income, and acculturation and a high incidence of AIDS, is an appropriate target of such intervention. In 1980, there were 12.3 million people of Hispanic origin in the US. In August 1990, there were 143,280 persons diagnoses with AIDS according to the Centers for Disease Control. 78,878 of these (55%) were Anglos, and 21,752 (15%) were Hispanics. Among the Anglos, the incidence was 300/million inhabitants, while among Hispanics, it was 1059/million, a 3-field higher rate.

HIV/AIDS Competent Households: Interaction between a Health-Enabling Environment and Community-Based Treatment Adherence Support for People Living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa

PubMed Central

Masquillier, Caroline; Wouters, Edwin; Mortelmans, Dimitri; van Wyk, Brian; Hausler, Harry; Van Damme, Wim

2016-01-01

In the context of severe human resource shortages in HIV care, task-shifting and especially community-based support are increasingly being cited as potential means of providing durable care to chronic HIV patients. Socio-ecological theory clearly stipulates that–in all social interventions–the interrelatedness and interdependency between individuals and their immediate social contexts should be taken into account. People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) seldom live in isolation, yet community-based interventions for supporting chronic HIV patients have largely ignored the social contexts in which they are implemented. Research is thus required to investigate such community-based support within its context. The aim of this study is to address this research gap by examining the way in which HIV/AIDS competence in the household hampers or facilitates community-based treatment adherence support. The data was analyzed carefully in accordance with the Grounded Theory procedures, using Nvivo 10. More specifically, we analyzed field notes from participatory observations conducted during 48 community-based treatment adherence support sessions in townships on the outskirts of Cape Town, transcripts of 32 audio-recorded in-depth interviews with PLWHA and transcripts of 4 focus group discussions with 36 community health workers (CHWs). Despite the fact that the CHWs try to present themselves as not being openly associated with HIV/AIDS services, results show that the presence of a CHW is often seen as a marker of the disease. Depending on the HIV/AIDS competence in the household, this association can challenge the patient’s hybrid identity management and his/her attempt to regulate the interference of the household in the disease management. The results deepen our understanding of how the degree of HIV/AIDS competence present in a PLWHA’s household affects the manner in which the CHW can perform his or her job and the associated benefits for the patient and his

Comparison of photospheric electric current and ultraviolet and x-ray emission in a solar active region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Haisch, B.M.; Bruner, M.E.; Hagyard, M.J.

This paper presents an extensive set of coordinated observations of a solar active region, taking into account spectroheliograms obtained with the aid of the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) Ultraviolet Spectrometer Polarimeter (UVSP) instrument, SMM soft x-ray polychromator (XRP) raster maps, and high spatial resolution ultraviolet images of the sun in Lyman-alpha and in the 1600 A continuum. These data span together the upper solar atmosphere from the temperature minimum to the corona. The data are compared to maps of the inferred photospheric electric current derived from the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) vector magnetograph observations. Some empirical correlation is foundmore » between regions of inferred electric current density and the brightest features in the ultraviolet continuum and to a lesser extent those seen in Lyman-alpha within an active region. 29 references.« less

HIV/AIDS among women in Havana, Cuba: 1986-2011.

PubMed

Oliva, Dinorah C; Viñas, Arturo L; Saavedra, Clarivel; Oliva, Maritza; González, Ciro; de la Torre, Caridad

2013-10-01

Women are being diagnosed with HIV infection in increasing numbers, and now account for 50% of cases worldwide. In Cuba, HIV is more frequent in men, but in recent years, a growing number of women have been diagnosed. Describe patterns of HIV among women in Havana, Cuba, 1986-2011. Descriptive study of women with HIV aged >14 years, residents of Havana, Cuba, who were diagnosed with HIV from 1 January 1986 through 31 December 2011. Information was obtained from the limited-access HIV/AIDS database of Cuba's Ministry of Public Health. Data were studied from all reported cases, a total of 1274 women. Variables selected were age at diagnosis, education, municipality of residence, screening group, year of HIV diagnosis, late presentation, AIDS-defining condition, year of diagnosis as AIDS case, vital status at the end of 2011, and year of death (if applicable). Incidence of HIV and AIDS, cumulative incidence by municipality of residence, and case fatality rates were calculated. Those aged 20-29 years were most affected by HIV. Almost half (46.7%) the women had completed middle school, and a further 35.4% had completed high school or middle-level technical studies. HIV incidence began to increase more steeply starting in 1998, as did AIDS incidence by year of diagnosis, though to a lesser extent. Central Havana and Old Havana municipalities had the highest cumulative incidence. Late presentation was seen in 7.4% of cases; mean age of those diagnosed late was 38.9 years. Wasting syndrome and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia were the most frequent AIDS-defining conditions. Case fatality rates started to decline in 1998. HIV infection in women is occurring in a predominantly young, relatively well-educated population. Increasing rates of HIV and AIDS in the past decade are a warning sign of the possible expansion of HIV infection in women, even though mortality is declining.

Global AIDS Reporting-2001 to 2015: Lessons for Monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals.

PubMed

Alfvén, T; Erkkola, T; Ghys, P D; Padayachy, J; Warner-Smith, M; Rugg, D; de Lay, P

2017-07-01

Since 2001 the UNAIDS Secretariat has retained the responsibility for monitoring progress towards global commitments on HIV/AIDS. Key critical characteristics of the reporting system were assessed for the reporting period from 2004 to 2014 and analyses were undertaken of response rates and core indicator performance. Country submission rates ranged from 102 (53%) Member States in 2004 to 186 (96%) in 2012. There was great variance in response rates for specific indicators, with the highest response rates for treatment-related indicators. The Global AIDS reporting system has improved substantially over time and has provided key trend data on responses to the HIV epidemic, serving as the global accountability mechanism and providing reference data on the global AIDS response. It will be critical that reporting systems continue to evolve to support the monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals, in view of ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.

What is AIDS in Guadeloupe? A descriptive and comparative study.

PubMed

Elenga, Narcisse; Georger-Sow, Marie-Thérèse; Messiaen, Thierry; Lamaury, Isabelle; Favre, Isabelle; Nacher, Mathieu; Beaucaire, Gilles

2014-03-01

Since the pathogen ecology differs between Caribbean regions, specific differences in the most frequent clinical presentations of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) may be expected. We therefore conducted the present retrospective cohort study in order to describe the main AIDS-defining events in Guadeloupe and to compare them with those observed in Metropolitan France and in French Guiana. We discuss the local pathogen ecology, the diagnostic limitations of hospitals in overseas territories and the drivers of the epidemic.

Impact of Grants-in-Aid on Collegiate Education: Evidence and Implications of a Regional Study in India.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Narayana, M. R.

2001-01-01

Estimated the impact of grants-in-aid (GIA) and other variables on student performance (in terms of pass percentages) in aided private degree colleges in the Bangalore district in India from 1991-1992 to 1997-1998 using panel data from 31 colleges. Results show that the impact of GIA is positive and significant. (SLD)

Longitudinal Relationship Between Hearing Aid Use and Cognitive Function in Older Americans.

PubMed

Maharani, Asri; Dawes, Piers; Nazroo, James; Tampubolon, Gindo; Pendleton, Neil

2018-04-10

To test whether hearing aid use alters cognitive trajectories in older adults. US population-based longitudinal cohort study SETTING: Data were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), which measured cognitive performance repeatedly every 2 years over 18 years (1996-2014). Adults aged 50 and older who who took part in a minimum of 3 waves of the HRS and used hearing aids for the first time between Waves 4 and 11 (N=2,040). Cognitive outcomes were based on episodic memory scores determined according to the sum of immediate and delayed recall of 10 words. Hearing aid use was positively associated with episodic memory scores (β=1.53, p<.001). Decline in episodic memory scores was slower after (β=-0.02, p<.001) than before using hearing aids (β=-0.1, p<.001). These results were robust to adjustment for multiple confounders and to attrition, as accounted for using a joint model. Hearing aids may have a mitigating effect on trajectories of cognitive decline in later life. Providing hearing aids or other rehabilitative services for hearing impairment much earlier in the course of hearing impairment may stem the worldwide rise of dementia. © 2018, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2018, The American Geriatrics Society.

Acute care hospitals' accountability to provincial funders.

PubMed

Kromm, Seija K; Ross Baker, G; Wodchis, Walter P; Deber, Raisa B

2014-09-01

Ontario's acute care hospitals are subject to a number of tools, including legislation and performance measurement for fiscal accountability and accountability for quality. Examination of accountability documents used in Ontario at the government, regional and acute care hospital levels reveals three trends: (a) the number of performance measures being used in the acute care hospital sector has increased significantly; (b) the focus of the health system has expanded from accountability for funding and service volumes to include accountability for quality and patient safety; and (c) the accountability requirements are misaligned at the different levels. These trends may affect the success of the accountability approach currently being used. Copyright © 2014 Longwoods Publishing.

Is HIV/AIDS Epidemic Outcome of Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa?

PubMed Central

Dzimnenani Mbirimtengerenji, Noel

2007-01-01

Undisputable fact is that 14 000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa are being infected daily with HIV and 11 000 are dying every day due to HIV/AIDS related illnesses. In this region more than 60% of the people live below UN poverty line of US$ 1 per day. Some studies have shown that poverty and HIV infection are in correlation, but none has shown whether HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa is an outcome of poverty. This article, therefore, shows that HIV is an important outcome of poverty, with sexual trade, migration, polygamy, and teenage marriages as its predictors in the Sub Saharan region. I used the examples of 20 countries with the highest poverty level in the region to demonstrate the gravity of the HIV scourge, using the data from different international databases. PMID:17948947

HIV/AIDS Basics

MedlinePlus

... talkHIV Act Against AIDS Get Email Updates on AAA Anonymous Feedback HIV/AIDS Media Infographics Syndicated Content ... talkHIV Act Against AIDS Get Email Updates on AAA Anonymous Feedback HIV/AIDS Media Infographics Syndicated Content ...

Family economic empowerment and mental health among AIDS-affected children living in AIDS-impacted communities: evidence from a randomised evaluation in southwestern Uganda.

PubMed

Han, Chang-Keun; Ssewamala, Fred M; Wang, Julia Shu-Huah

2013-03-01

The authors examine whether an innovative family economic empowerment intervention addresses mental health functioning of AIDS-affected children in communities heavily impacted by HIV/AIDS in Uganda. A cluster randomised controlled trial consisting of two study arms, a treatment condition (n=179) and a control condition (n=118), was used to examine the impact of the family economic empowerment intervention on children's levels of hopelessness and depression. The intervention comprised matched children savings accounts, financial management workshops and mentorship. Data were collected at baseline and 12 months post-intervention. Using multivariate analysis with several socioeconomic controls, the authors find that children in the treatment condition (receiving the intervention) report significant improvement in their mental health functioning. Specifically, the intervention reduces hopelessness and depression levels. On the other hand, children in the control condition (not receiving the intervention) report no changes on both measures. The findings indicate that children with poor mental health functioning living in communities affected by HIV/AIDS may benefit from innovative family economic empowerment interventions. As measures of mental health functioning, both hopelessness and depression have long-term negative psychosocial and developmental impacts on children. These findings have implications for public health programmes intended for long-term care and support of children living in resource poor AIDS-impacted communities.

A Review of Financial Accounting Fraud Detection based on Data Mining Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Anuj; Kumar Panigrahi, Prabin

2012-02-01

With an upsurge in financial accounting fraud in the current economic scenario experienced, financial accounting fraud detection (FAFD) has become an emerging topic of great importance for academic, research and industries. The failure of internal auditing system of the organization in identifying the accounting frauds has lead to use of specialized procedures to detect financial accounting fraud, collective known as forensic accounting. Data mining techniques are providing great aid in financial accounting fraud detection, since dealing with the large data volumes and complexities of financial data are big challenges for forensic accounting. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the literature on the application of data mining techniques for the detection of financial accounting fraud and proposes a framework for data mining techniques based accounting fraud detection. The systematic and comprehensive literature review of the data mining techniques applicable to financial accounting fraud detection may provide a foundation to future research in this field. The findings of this review show that data mining techniques like logistic models, neural networks, Bayesian belief network, and decision trees have been applied most extensively to provide primary solutions to the problems inherent in the detection and classification of fraudulent data.

Response to: Practice of first aid in burn related injuries in a developing country.

PubMed

Baker, Benjamin; Amin, Kavit; Khor, Wee Sim; Khwaja, Nadeem

2015-12-01

Traditional remedies for burns first aid are rarely compliant with current best practice. Greater Manchester is one of the most ethnically diverse regions in the UK. Our burns centre has noted the prevalent use of traditional remedies over recognised first aid prior to presentation. We review traditional burns remedies and highlight the importance of burns first aid education that is accessible to migrant communities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Hearing Aid Assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grugel, Richard N. (Inventor)

2002-01-01

Progress in hearing aids has come a long way. Yet despite such progress hearing aids are not the perfect answer to many hearing problems. Some adult ears cannot accommodate tightly fitting hearing aids. Mouth movements such as chewing, talking, and athletic or other active endeavors also lead to loosely fitting ear molds. It is well accepted that loosely fitting hearing aids are the cause of feedback noise. Since feedback noise is the most common complaint of hearing aid wearers it has been the subject of various patents. Herein a hearing aid assembly is provided eliminating feedback noise. The assembly includes the combination of a hearing aid with a headset developed to constrict feedback noise.

HIV/AIDS and Indian youth--a review of the literature (1980-2008).

PubMed

Nath, Anita

2009-03-01

The main objective of this article is to provide a comprehensive overview of the situation regarding HIV/AIDS among youth in India, and explore the possible strategies that could be effective in combating the spread of this disease. India is in the grip of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, with an increasing number of infections being reported among youth, who comprise a quarter of the population but account for almost one-third of the HIV/AIDS burden. The prevalence in young women appears to be on the rise. Although the majority of youth are aware of the disease, a number of myths and misconceptions still prevail. Furthermore, or as a consequence, a higher percentage of young males report engaging in premarital sexual activity compared with females. Even though condom awareness is fairly high, condom usage is low. Of late, sex tourism and its implications for the HIV/AIDS epidemic present an increasing concern. Indian youth appear to hold negative attitudes towards HIV testing and people living with HIV/AIDS. Although a number of preventive and control programmes and policies exist, these need further strengthening and evaluation.

Activation-induced deoxycytidine deaminase (AID) co-transcriptional scanning at single-molecule resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senavirathne, Gayan; Bertram, Jeffrey G.; Jaszczur, Malgorzata; Chaurasiya, Kathy R.; Pham, Phuong; Mak, Chi H.; Goodman, Myron F.; Rueda, David

2015-12-01

Activation-induced deoxycytidine deaminase (AID) generates antibody diversity in B cells by initiating somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class-switch recombination (CSR) during transcription of immunoglobulin variable (IgV) and switch region (IgS) DNA. Using single-molecule FRET, we show that AID binds to transcribed dsDNA and translocates unidirectionally in concert with RNA polymerase (RNAP) on moving transcription bubbles, while increasing the fraction of stalled bubbles. AID scans randomly when constrained in an 8 nt model bubble. When unconstrained on single-stranded (ss) DNA, AID moves in random bidirectional short slides/hops over the entire molecule while remaining bound for ~5 min. Our analysis distinguishes dynamic scanning from static ssDNA creasing. That AID alone can track along with RNAP during transcription and scan within stalled transcription bubbles suggests a mechanism by which AID can initiate SHM and CSR when properly regulated, yet when unregulated can access non-Ig genes and cause cancer.

Activation-induced deoxycytidine deaminase (AID) co-transcriptional scanning at single-molecule resolution

PubMed Central

Senavirathne, Gayan; Bertram, Jeffrey G.; Jaszczur, Malgorzata; Chaurasiya, Kathy R.; Pham, Phuong; Mak, Chi H.; Goodman, Myron F.; Rueda, David

2015-01-01

Activation-induced deoxycytidine deaminase (AID) generates antibody diversity in B cells by initiating somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class-switch recombination (CSR) during transcription of immunoglobulin variable (IgV) and switch region (IgS) DNA. Using single-molecule FRET, we show that AID binds to transcribed dsDNA and translocates unidirectionally in concert with RNA polymerase (RNAP) on moving transcription bubbles, while increasing the fraction of stalled bubbles. AID scans randomly when constrained in an 8 nt model bubble. When unconstrained on single-stranded (ss) DNA, AID moves in random bidirectional short slides/hops over the entire molecule while remaining bound for ∼5 min. Our analysis distinguishes dynamic scanning from static ssDNA creasing. That AID alone can track along with RNAP during transcription and scan within stalled transcription bubbles suggests a mechanism by which AID can initiate SHM and CSR when properly regulated, yet when unregulated can access non-Ig genes and cause cancer. PMID:26681117

Financial Aid Administrators' Views on Simplifying Financial Aid: NASFAA's 2008 Financial Aid Simplification Survey Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NJ1), 2008

2008-01-01

Despite a decade of simplification efforts, students and families are often still baffled by the student aid process and cringe at the sight of financial aid application forms. Contrary to its purpose of helping students to access college, the student aid application process causes families frustration and confusion that has been cited as an…

"I Can Sort of Slot into Many Different Roles": Examining Teacher Aide Roles and Their Implications for Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Lois Ruth; Aprile, Kerry Therese

2015-01-01

This study utilised role theory to investigate teacher aide roles within regional schools in Queensland, Australia. Twenty primary schoolteacher aides were interviewed; data were triangulated with 27 teacher aides' responses to a follow-up questionnaire and interviews with 6 administrative staff. Data suggest that classroom instructional support…

PACS-Based Computer-Aided Detection and Diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, H. K. (Bernie); Liu, Brent J.; Le, Anh HongTu; Documet, Jorge

The ultimate goal of Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS)-based Computer-Aided Detection and Diagnosis (CAD) is to integrate CAD results into daily clinical practice so that it becomes a second reader to aid the radiologist's diagnosis. Integration of CAD and Hospital Information System (HIS), Radiology Information System (RIS) or PACS requires certain basic ingredients from Health Level 7 (HL7) standard for textual data, Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard for images, and Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) workflow profiles in order to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements to be a healthcare information system. Among the DICOM standards and IHE workflow profiles, DICOM Structured Reporting (DICOM-SR); and IHE Key Image Note (KIN), Simple Image and Numeric Report (SINR) and Post-processing Work Flow (PWF) are utilized in CAD-HIS/RIS/PACS integration. These topics with examples are presented in this chapter.

Health and human rights in today’s fight against HIV/AIDS

PubMed Central

Stemple, Lara

2012-01-01

The development of the health and human rights framework coincided with the beginning of the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS. Since then, the international community has increasingly turned to human rights language and instruments to address the disease. Not only are human rights essential to addressing a disease that impacts marginalized groups most severely, but the spread of HIV/AIDS itself exacerbates inequality and impedes the realization of a range of human rights. Policy developments of the past decade include the United Nations (UN) Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights’ General Comment on the ‘Right to Health’, the UN Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, and the UN’s International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights, among others. Rights-related setbacks include the failure of the Declaration and its 5-year follow-up specifically to address men who have sex with men, sex workers, and intravenous drug users, political restrictions placed on urgently needed US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funds, and the failure of many countries to decriminalize same-sex sex and outlaw discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. Male circumcision as an HIV prevention measure is a topic around which important debate, touching on gender, informed consent and children’s rights, serves to illustrate the ongoing vitality of the health and human rights dialogue. Mechanisms to increase state accountability for addressing HIV/AIDS should be explored in greater depth. Such measures might include an increase in the use of treaty-based judicial mechanisms, the linking of human rights compliance with preferential trade agreements, and rights requirements tied to HIV/ AIDS funding. PMID:18641463

How Batterer Intervention Programs Work: Participant and Facilitator Accounts of Processes of Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silvergleid, Courtenay S.; Mankowski, Eric S.

2006-01-01

Understanding what facilitates change in men who perpetrate domestic violence can aid the development of more effective batterer intervention programs (BIPs). To identify and describe key change processes, in-depth interviews were conducted with nine successful BIP completers and with 10 intervention group facilitators. The accounts described a…

National poverty reduction strategies and HIV/AIDS governance in Malawi: a preliminary study of shared health governance.

PubMed

Wachira, Catherine; Ruger, Jennifer Prah

2011-06-01

The public health and development communities understand clearly the need to integrate anti-poverty efforts with HIV/AIDS programs. This article reports findings about the impact of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) process on Malawi's National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework (NSF). In this article we ask, how does the PRSP process support NSF accountability, participation, access to information, funding, resource planning and allocation, monitoring, and evaluation? In 2007, we developed and conducted a survey of Malawian government ministries, United Nations agencies, members of the Country Coordination Mechanism, the Malawi National AIDS Commission (NAC), and NAC grantees (N = 125, 90% response rate), seeking survey respondents' retrospective perceptions of NSF resource levels, participation, inclusion, and governance before, during, and after Malawi's PRSP process (2000-2004). We also assessed principle health sector and economic indicators and budget allocations for HIV/AIDS. These indicators are part of a new conceptual framework called shared health governance (SHG), which seeks congruence among the values and goals of different groups and actors to reflect a common purpose. Under this framework, global health policy should encompass: (i) consensus among global, national, and sub-national actors on goals and measurable outcomes; (ii) mutual collective accountability; and (iii) enhancement of individual and group health agency. Indicators to assess these elements included: (i) goal alignment; (ii) adequate resource levels; (iii) agreement on key outcomes and indicators for evaluating those outcomes; (iv) meaningful inclusion and participation of groups and institutions; (v) special efforts to ensure participation of vulnerable groups; and (vi) effectiveness and efficiency measures. Results suggest that the PRSP process supported accountability for NSF resources. However, the process may have marginalized key stakeholders, potentially undercutting the

[Health emergencies and first aid at construction sites in the Tuscany Region. The high speed and varying free way of Valico].

PubMed

De Luca, D

2006-01-01

From 1996 the territory of Tuscany region and in particular that one of ASL 10 of Florence, has been interested from the realization of great works: the railway line to High Speed and varying of Valico of the A1 freeway between Florence and Bologna. ASL 10 has stipulated specific economic agreements with the been involved companies in the realization of the plans for a plan finalized to the prevention of the industrial accidents and to limit of the gravity with timely aids it adapts to you also in gallery, to guarantee to the workers the same performances sanitary of the city residents, to guarantee and to improve the quality of existing sanitary services on the territories in spite of the increase of the population weighing on the consequent territory to the takeover of the workers it engages to you in the realization of the great works. This plan has been realized with the creation of integrated aid system a to strengthen the territorial sanitary emergency, I extend the access to the base medicine to the workers and has not been able itself to answer to 93% of the question sanitary to the inside of the same yards with the infirmaries of yard without to resort to external structures.

5 CFR 2412.9 - Accounting of disclosures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Accounting of disclosures. 2412.9 Section... RELATIONS AUTHORITY AND FEDERAL SERVICE IMPASSES PANEL GENERAL PROVISIONS PRIVACY § 2412.9 Accounting of disclosures. (a) All Regional Directors of the Authority and the Director of Administration of the Authority...

Latvian Piano Teachers' Views on an Ideal Teaching Aid for Pupils--Young Pianists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimele-Steina, Ineta

2015-01-01

Currently, in Latvia, an adequate teaching aid that would meet the major requirements of young novice pianists is not available. Consequently, a question arises: "What could be an ideal teaching aid for them?" The opinion survey of 165 piano teachers from all regions of Latvia was carried out according to a three-point scale, in which 30…

Tracking the Global Distribution of Persistent Organic Pollutants Accounting for E-Waste Exports to Developing Regions.

PubMed

Breivik, Knut; Armitage, James M; Wania, Frank; Sweetman, Andrew J; Jones, Kevin C

2016-01-19

Elevated concentrations of various industrial-use Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), have been reported in some developing areas in subtropical and tropical regions known to be destinations of e-waste. We used a recent inventory of the global generation and exports of e-waste to develop various global scale emission scenarios for industrial-use organic contaminants (IUOCs). For representative IUOCs (RIUOCs), only hypothetical emissions via passive volatilization from e-waste were considered whereas for PCBs, historical emissions throughout the chemical life-cycle (i.e., manufacturing, use, disposal) were included. The environmental transport and fate of RIUOCs and PCBs were then simulated using the BETR Global 2.0 model. Export of e-waste is expected to increase and sustain global emissions beyond the baseline scenario, which assumes no export. A comparison between model predictions and observations for PCBs in selected recipient regions generally suggests a better agreement when exports are accounted for. This study may be the first to integrate the global transport of IUOCs in waste with their long-range transport in air and water. The results call for integrated chemical management strategies on a global scale.

Aid for Trade: an opportunity to increase fruit and vegetable supply.

PubMed

Thow, Anne Marie; Priyadarshi, Shishir

2013-01-01

Low fruit and vegetable consumption is an important contributor to the global burden of disease. In the wake of the United Nations High-level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), held in September 2011, a rise in the consumption of fruits and vegetables is foreseeable and this increased demand will have to be met through improved supply. The World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Bank have highlighted the potential for developing countries to benefit nutritionally and economically from the increased production and export of fruit and vegetables.Aid for Trade, launched in 2005 as an initiative designed to link development aid and trade holistically, offers an opportunity for the health and trade sectors to work jointly to enhance health and development. The Aid for Trade work programme stresses the importance of policy coherence across sectors, yet the commonality of purpose driving the Aid for Trade initiative and NCD prevention efforts has not been explored.In this paper food supply chain analysis was used to show health policy-makers that Aid for Trade can provide a mechanism for increasing the supply of fruits and vegetables in developing countries. Aid for Trade is an existing funding channel with clear accountability and reporting mechanisms, but its priorities are determined with little or no input from the health sector. The paper seeks to enable public health policy-makers, practitioners and advocates to improve coherence between trade and public health policies by highlighting Aid for Trade's potential role in this endeavour.

Aid for Trade: an opportunity to increase fruit and vegetable supply

PubMed Central

Priyadarshi, Shishir

2013-01-01

Abstract Low fruit and vegetable consumption is an important contributor to the global burden of disease. In the wake of the United Nations High-level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), held in September 2011, a rise in the consumption of fruits and vegetables is foreseeable and this increased demand will have to be met through improved supply. The World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Bank have highlighted the potential for developing countries to benefit nutritionally and economically from the increased production and export of fruit and vegetables. Aid for Trade, launched in 2005 as an initiative designed to link development aid and trade holistically, offers an opportunity for the health and trade sectors to work jointly to enhance health and development. The Aid for Trade work programme stresses the importance of policy coherence across sectors, yet the commonality of purpose driving the Aid for Trade initiative and NCD prevention efforts has not been explored. In this paper food supply chain analysis was used to show health policy-makers that Aid for Trade can provide a mechanism for increasing the supply of fruits and vegetables in developing countries. Aid for Trade is an existing funding channel with clear accountability and reporting mechanisms, but its priorities are determined with little or no input from the health sector. The paper seeks to enable public health policy-makers, practitioners and advocates to improve coherence between trade and public health policies by highlighting Aid for Trade’s potential role in this endeavour. PMID:23397351

Psychological first-aid: a practical aide-memoire.

PubMed

Leach, J

1995-07-01

Despite advances made in recent years in medical first aid, psychiatric intervention, survival training and equipment design, many people still perish quickly during and immediately following a disastrous event. In this study, individuals and groups of survivors of life-threatening events were debriefed and the behavior of those who coped well during such a threat to life were compared with those who did not. The behaviors of those who coped well were distilled into a set of principles for psychological first aid; that is, a series of simple actions for use within a disaster which serves to recover victims to functional behavior as quickly as possible, thus increasing their chance for survival. These principles of psychological first aid have recently been introduced into basic first aid and survival training courses for both military and civilian units.

AIDS as a leading cause of death among young adults in Italy.

PubMed

Conti, S; Farchi, G; Prati, S

1994-12-01

The objective of this study is to describe the impact of AIDS on the mortality of young adult (aged 25 to 44 years) in Italy, at both the national and regional level. We analyzed the official mortality data for Italy: the most recent data available being from 1990. General mortality trends show that while mortality among young women is still decreasing (i.e. from a standardized rate of 83.8 per 100,000 in 1980 to 68.4 in 1990), mortality among young men began to rise in the mid-1980s, after a steady decrease over many years. Among the 25-34 year olds, however, this reversal in trend is more marked, notwithstanding a decrease or stabilization in most major causes of death. In fact it coincides with the appearance and spread of AIDS in Italy, which has affected young men in particular. (The peak age group for AIDS deaths is the 25-34 year olds). Mortality data from 1990 reveal that AIDS is the fourth leading cause of death in Italy among men between the ages of 25 and 44 years. Among 25-34 year-old men, however, AIDS is the second leading cause of death, after road accidents. AIDS also contributes greatly to the general mortality in individual regions, both among 25-44 year-old men (Lombardy, Liguria, Lazio, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany), and especially among 25-34 year-old men (Lombardy, Liguria, Lazio, Sardinia, where it is the number one cause of death, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, and Veneto, where it is the number two cause of death).

Space Derived Health Aids (AID, Heart Monitor)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

CPI's spinoff from miniaturized pace circuitry is the new heart-assist device, the AID implantable automatic pulse generator. AID pulse generator monitors the heart continuously, recognizes onset of fibrillation, then administers a corrective electrical shock. A mini- computer, a power source, and two electrodes which sense heart activity are included in the unit. An associated system was also developed. It includes an external recorder to be worn by AID patients and a physician's console to display the data stored by the recorder. System provides a record of fibrillation occurrences and the ensuing defibrillation.

Corporate Support of Education. Research Report. Council for Aid to Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for Aid to Education, New York, NY.

A report based on data from the 14th annual Survey of Corporate Contributions cosponsored by the Conference Board and the Council for Aid to Education is presented. Usable questionnaires were returned by 328 companies, which account for three-fifths of the total pretax net income and over one-third of estimated total contributions and educational…

Help: first aid issues.

PubMed

Granitoff, N; Whitaker, I Y; Diccini, S; Goncalves, V C; Marin, H F

1995-01-01

First aid is the initial and immediate care given to a victim outside the hospital environment, with the purpose of assuring life and avoiding worsening conditions until he/she receives qualified assistance. Providing immediate aid to someone requires tranquility and, above all, knowledge on what has to be done or not in each situation. In addition to being treated by health professionals, the chances that a victim will receive early treatment by others are large. However, in Brazil, access to information, and the possibility of reviewing it whenever necessary, may contribute greatly to the process of assimilation of this knowledge, in addition to exercises on simulated cases. Informatics has been shown as an extremely useful tool in the development of educational software, considering its multiplicity of resources and providing for the users: motivation for an interactive experience, an individualized teaching that takes into account his/her own rhythm and desired complexity level, besides making possible the user's capacity for solving problems through simulated situations. Considering that, the number of individuals of the population prepared to act as First Aid helpers in situations of life threatening accidents or sudden illness is still very scarce. The ever increasing use of the computer as a mean of spreading information in schools, enterprises, and even households and considering the advantages of an educational software for the users regarding storage and retrieval of information when needed, we proposed the creation of an interactive teaching software. This software is being developed using Storyboard live. The methodology is the following: literature review, selection of images, development of the program, application tests. The initial selected issues are: assessment of the victim, cardiorespiratory arrest and resuscitation, airway obstruction, wounds, and hemorrhages. After utilizing the program, the user should be able to solve hypothetical

HIV/AIDS and Pediatric AIDS. The Arc Q & A.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kowalski, Jo Anne T.

This fact sheet uses a question-and-answer format to summarize what is known about HIV/AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) and pediatric AIDS and applies this information to children in school settings. Questions and answers address the following topics: what the AIDS disease and HIV infection are; estimates…

Accounting, Recordkeeping, and Reporting by Colleges and Universities for Federally Funded Student Financial Aid Programs (The "Blue Book").

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bureau of Student Financial Assistance (DHEW/OE), Washington, DC.

This manual was prepared to assist postsecondary education institutions in meeting their responsibilities in the administration of federal student aid programs: the Basic Educational Grant Program, College Work-Study Program, National Direct Student Loan Program, and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants Program. Areas are identified in…

Photographing AIDS: On Capturing a Disease in Pictures of People with AIDS.

PubMed

Engelmann, Lukas

2016-01-01

The photography of people with AIDS has been subject to numerous critiques in the 1980s and has become a controversial way of visualizing the AIDS epidemic. While most of the scholarly work on AIDS photography is based in cultural studies and concerned with popular representations, the clinical value of photographs of people with AIDS usually remains overlooked. This article addresses photographs as a "way of seeing" AIDS that contributed crucially to the making of the disease entity AIDS within the history of medicine. Cultural studies methods are applied to analyze clinical photography in the case of AIDS, thus contributing to the medical history of AIDS through the lens of photography. The article reveals the conflation of disease morphology and patient identity as a characteristic feature of both clinical photography and a now historical nature of AIDS.

Teacher's Aide Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coya, Liliam

The teacher's aide guide focuses on the various aspects of an aide's position in a migrant educational situation. Following the introduction, section 1 describes the aide's relationship with the teacher, duties of the aide, and materials that might be required; a glossary of commonly used school terms is also provided. Psychologically oriented,…

DECS tries out instructional materials on AIDS prevention education.

PubMed

1994-01-01

A national try-out of the newly developed print and non-print instructional materials on AIDS Education is being conducted by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) this school year 1993-to 1994. To determine the effectiveness of these materials, various public and private schools in Region IV (Southern Tagalog), VII (Central Visayas) XI (Southern Mindanao) and National Capital Region (Metro, Manila) were chosen as try-out institutions. The AIDS education materials will be tried out in different subjects in some grade and year levels such as civics and culture (grade one); science and health (grades three and six); home economics and livelihood education (grade five); physical education, health and music (second year) and Pilipino Language (third year). The materials for the elementary level consist of posters, cut-out pictures, voice tapes, jingles, talking books and slides, while the secondary school level utilizes modules. For the tertiary level, a Resource Book on AIDS Prevention Education is used by the Teacher Training Institutions and the Non-Formal Education employs the Facilitator's Guide for Levels I-III. These materials will be tried out in both urban and rural schools, with control school and experimental school at each level. full text

Measuring and tracking the flow of climate change adaptation aid to the developing world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donner, Simon D.; Kandlikar, Milind; Webber, Sophie

2016-05-01

The developed world has pledged to mobilize at least US 100 billion per year of ‘new’ and ‘additional’ funds by 2020 to help the developing world respond to climate change. Tracking this finance is particularly problematic for climate change adaptation, as there is no clear definition of what separates adaptation aid from standard development aid. Here we use a historical database of overseas development assistance projects to test the effect of different accounting assumptions on the delivery of adaptation finance to the developing countries of Oceania, using machine algorithms developed from a manual pilot study. The results show that explicit adaptation finance grew to 3%-4% of all development aid to Oceania by the 2008-2012 period, but that total adaptation finance could be as high as 37% of all aid, depending on potentially politically motivated assumptions about what counts as adaptation. There was also an uneven distribution of adaptation aid between countries facing similar challenges like Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. The analysis indicates that data allowing individual projects to be weighted by their climate change relevance is needed. A robust and mandatory metadata system for all aid projects would allow multilateral aid agencies and independent third parties to perform their own analyses using different assumptions and definitions, and serve as a key check on international climate aid promises.

Australia to fund HIV / AIDS projects in Southeast Asia.

PubMed

1994-12-19

Australia will fund 23 new HIV-AIDS projects in Southeast Asian countries, the government announced. "Asia is predicted to be the major growth area for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections over the next decade, " Minister for Development Cooperation Gordon Bilney said. "These projects, worth some $4.35 million over three years, will help meet the challenge of preventing the spread of the disease in the region." The projects--in Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia--emphasize education and prevention activities as well as programs which focus on the care and support of people living with HIV, Bilney said. He also said a variety of Australian and overseas organizations will implement the projects, many of which will feature the significant involvement of communities at risk and people with HIV. "It is in keeping with the fundamental spirit of the aid program that we should seek to share this expertise with our neighbors in the region." Bilney said one Australian success story--the creative "Streetwize comics" (publications in Australia which help street kids and under privileged kids understand HIV/AIDS problems)--will be piloted in Vietnam in conjunction with the Vietnam Youth Federation. He said Vietnamese staff will be trained in the production of a series of bilingual mini-comics on HIV-AIDS prevention for youth. "This project will receive funding of $187,500 over three years," Bilney said. Bilney said the projects would help minimize the individual and social impact of the epidemic in the targeted countries. full text

Human factors of intelligent computer aided display design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunt, R. M.

1985-01-01

Design concepts for a decision support system being studied at NASA Langley as an aid to visual display unit (VDU) designers are described. Ideally, human factors should be taken into account by VDU designers. In reality, although the human factors database on VDUs is small, such systems must be constantly developed. Human factors are therefore a secondary consideration. An expert system will thus serve mainly in an advisory capacity. Functions can include facilitating the design process by shortening the time to generate and alter drawings, enhancing the capability of breaking design requirements down into simpler functions, and providing visual displays equivalent to the final product. The VDU system could also discriminate, and display the difference, between designer decisions and machine inferences. The system could also aid in analyzing the effects of designer choices on future options and in ennunciating when there are data available on a design selections.

Gender and AIDS: time to act.

PubMed

Greig, Alan; Peacock, Dean; Jewkes, Rachel; Msimang, Sisonke

2008-08-01

Gender has long been recognized as being key to understanding and addressing HIV and AIDS. Gender roles and relations that structure and legitimate women's subordination and simultaneously foster models of masculinity that justify and reproduce men's dominance over women exacerbate the spread and impact of the epidemic. Notions of masculinity prevalent in many parts of the world that equate being a man with dominance over women, sexual conquest and risk-taking are associated with less condom use, more sexually transmitted infections, more partners, including more casual partners, more frequent sex, more abuse of alcohol and more transactional sex. They also contribute to men accessing treatment later than women and at greater cost to public health systems. The imperative of addressing the gender dimensions of AIDS has been clearly and repeatedly articulated. Many interventions have been shown to be effective in addressing gender-related risks and vulnerabilities including programmes designed to reach and engage men, improve women's legal and economic position, integrate gender-based violence prevention into HIV services, and increase girls' access to secondary and tertiary education. Despite this, the political will to act has been sorely lacking and not nearly enough has been done to hold governments and multilateral institutions to account. This paper argues that we can no longer simply pay lip service to the urgent need to act on what we know about gender and AIDS. Simply put, it is time to act.

Gender and AIDS: time to act

PubMed Central

Greig, Alan; Peacock, Dean; Jewkes, Rachel; Msimang, Sisonke

2012-01-01

Gender has long been recognized as being key to understanding and addressing HIV and AIDS. Gender roles and relations that structure and legitimate women’s subordination and simultaneously foster models of masculinity that justify and reproduce men’s dominance over women exacerbate the spread and impact of the epidemic. Notions of masculinity prevalent in many parts of the world that equate being a man with dominance over women, sexual conquest and risk-taking are associated with less condom use, more sexually transmitted infections, more partners, including more casual partners, more frequent sex, more abuse of alcohol and more transactional sex. They also contribute to men accessing treatment later than women and at greater cost to public health systems. The imperative of addressing the gender dimensions of AIDS has been clearly and repeatedly articulated. Many interventions have been shown to be effective in addressing gender-related risks and vulnerabilities including programmes designed to reach and engage men, improve women’s legal and economic position, integrate gender-based violence prevention into HIV services, and increase girls’ access to secondary and tertiary education. Despite this, the political will to act has been sorely lacking and not nearly enough has been done to hold governments and multilateral institutions to account. This paper argues that we can no longer simply pay lip service to the urgent need to act on what we know about gender and AIDS. Simply put, it is time to act. PMID:18641466

Examining HIV/AIDS provider stigma: assessing regional concerns in the islands of the Eastern Caribbean.

PubMed

Abell, N; Rutledge, S E; McCann, T J; Padmore, J

2007-02-01

HIV/AIDS provider stigma has been understudied in the context of prevention, testing, and treatment. Results of a survey of persons associated with HIV/AIDS education, health care, and social service delivery in the Eastern Caribbean are described. Reliable constructs were observed for warmth towards PLHA, comfort in association with them, tendencies to distance from or condemn them, beliefs in viral transmission myths, and perceived capacity to counsel effectively. Most discrimination was directed towards MSM and IDUs. Providers whose roles were likely to involve touch felt less comfortable around PLHA and more likely to distance from and condemn them than providers whose roles were not. Implications for improved measurement and incorporation of mindfulness techniques in stigma intervention are discussed.

Journals of the plague years: documenting the history of the AIDS epidemic in the United States.

PubMed Central

Markel, H

2001-01-01

This commentary discusses several journalistic, literary, and historical accounts of the AIDS epidemic as it has unfolded in the United States over the past 2 decades. By examining the different ways that different types of storytellers chronicle the political, social, public health, medical, and economic aspects of epidemic disease, this essay will demonstrate why the AIDS epidemic has been of such intense interest not only to physicians and public health experts but also to journalists, novelists, playwrights, memoirists, and historians. AIDS is a particularly fascinating example of society's broad concern with epidemics because it both is a global pandemic and, in recent years, has become a chronic disease. PMID:11441724

Journals of the plague years: documenting the history of the AIDS epidemic in the United States.

PubMed

Markel, H

2001-07-01

This commentary discusses several journalistic, literary, and historical accounts of the AIDS epidemic as it has unfolded in the United States over the past 2 decades. By examining the different ways that different types of storytellers chronicle the political, social, public health, medical, and economic aspects of epidemic disease, this essay will demonstrate why the AIDS epidemic has been of such intense interest not only to physicians and public health experts but also to journalists, novelists, playwrights, memoirists, and historians. AIDS is a particularly fascinating example of society's broad concern with epidemics because it both is a global pandemic and, in recent years, has become a chronic disease.

HIV/AIDS Communication Inequalities and Associated Cognitive and Affective Outcomes: A Call for a Socioecological Approach to AIDS Communication in Sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Bekalu, Mesfin Awoke; Eggermont, Steven; Viswanath, K Vish

2017-06-01

Three-and-a-half decades on, no cure or vaccine is yet on the horizon for HIV, making effective behavior change communication (BCC) the key preventive strategy. Despite considerable success, HIV/AIDS BCC efforts have long been criticized for their primary focus on the individual-level field of influence, drawing on the more reductionist view of causation at the individual level. In view of this, we conducted a series of studies that employed a household survey, field experiment, and textual content analysis, and explored the macro-social-level effects of HIV/AIDS-related media and messages on HIV/AIDS cognitive and affective outcomes in Ethiopia. Against a backdrop of epidemiological and socioecological differences, urban versus rural residence has emerged as an important community-level factor that impacts HIV/AIDS-related media and message consumption processes and associated outcomes. The central thread crossing through the six studies included in this paper demonstrates that urban and rural people in high HIV prevalence contexts differ in their concern about and information needs on HIV/AIDS, HIV/AIDS-related media use, and HIV/AIDS-related cognitive and affective outcomes, as well as in their reaction to differently designed/framed HIV prevention messages. This paper proposes that HIV prevention media and message effects in high epidemic situations should be considered from a larger community-level perspective and calls for a socioecological approach to AIDS communication in the hard-hit sub-Saharan Africa. With a number of concrete recommendations to current and future HIV/AIDS BCC efforts in the region, the study joins an emerging body of health communication literature and theorizing that suggests the need to consider media and message effects from a macro-social perspective.

Strange Bedfellows: The Catholic Church and Brazilian National AIDS Program in the Response to HIV/AIDS in Brazil

PubMed Central

Murray, Laura R.; Garcia, Jonathan; Muñoz-Laboy, Miguel; Parker, Richard G.

2011-01-01

The HIV epidemic has raised important tensions in the relationship between Church and State in many parts of Latin America where government policies frequently negotiate secularity with religious belief and doctrine. Brazil represents a unique country in the region due to the presence of a national religious response to HIV/AIDS articulated through the formal structures of the Catholic Church. As part of an institutional ethnography on religion and HIV/AIDS in Brazil, we conducted an extended, multi-site ethnography from October 2005 through March of 2009 to explore the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Brazilian National AIDS Program. This case study links a national, macro-level response of governmental and religious institutions with the enactment of these politics and dogmas on a local level. Shared values in solidarity and citizenship, similar organizational structures, and complex interests in forming mutually beneficial alliances were the factors that emerged as the bases for the strong partnership between the two institutions. Dichotomies of Church and State and micro and macro forces were often blurred as social actors responded to the epidemic while also upholding the ideologies of the institutions they represented. We argue that the relationship between the Catholic Church and the National AIDS Program was formalized in networks mediated through personal relationships and political opportunity structures that provided incentives for both institutions to collaborate. PMID:21324573

Characterizing the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the United States and China

PubMed Central

Huang, Ming-Bo; Ye, Li; Liang, Bing-Yu; Ning, Chuan-Yi; Roth, William W.; Jiang, Jun-Jun; Huang, Jie-Gang; Zhou, Bo; Zang, Ning; Powell, Michael D.; Liang, Hao; Bond, Vincent C.

2015-01-01

The HIV/AIDS data from the national surveillance systems of China and the United States from 1985 to 2014 were compared to characterize the HIV/AIDS epidemic in both countries. The current estimated national HIV prevalence rate in China and the United States are 0.0598% and 0.348%, respectively. In the United States, the annual number of new HIV infections has remained relatively stable (~50,000 each year) and has shown a downward trend in recent years. The Chinese national HIV prevalence is still low, and new HIV infections have been contained at a low level (50,000–100,000 each year). However, the epidemic has showed an increasing trend since 2012. By risk group, in both countries, men who have sex with men (MSM), heterosexual sex, and injection drug use (IDU) are the most common modes of transmission of new HIV infections. However, in the United States, MSM is the dominant transmission route, accounting for >60% of new infections; whereas in China, heterosexual sex has now become the dominant route, also accounting for >60% of new infections. A rapid increase in the proportion of HIV cases that were attributed to MSM and an obvious decrease in the proportion of HIV cases attributed to IDU in China in recent years imply that the China’s epidemic is still evolving, to some extent, copying what was experienced in the United States. By age group, the proportions of HIV cases that were attributed to the age group 25–59 were comparable between the two countries. However, the United States had a higher proportion of cases that were attributed to age groups 15–19 and 20–24 than China, indicating that youth account for more infections in the United States. One other fact worth noting: in China there is a significant increase in the number of HIV new infections in individuals over 50 years of age, which results in much higher proportion of cases that were attributed to age groups 60–64 and over 65 in China than those in the United States. By race/ethnicity, in

Traditional beliefs about the cause of AIDS and AIDS-related stigma in South Africa.

PubMed

Kalichman, S C; Simbayi, L

2004-07-01

AIDS-related stigmas are pervasive in some segments of South African society and stigmas can impede efforts to promote voluntary counselling and testing and other HIV-AIDS prevention efforts. The current study examined associations among the belief that AIDS is caused by spirits and supernatural forces, AIDS-related knowledge and AIDS-related stigmas. A street intercept survey with 487 men and women living in a Black township in Cape Town, South Africa showed that 11% (n=54) believed that AIDS is caused by spirits and supernatural forces, 21% (n=105) were unsure if AIDS is caused by spirits and the supernatural, and 68% (n=355) did not believe that AIDS is caused by spirits and supernatural forces. Multiple logistic regression analyses controlling for participant age, gender, years of education and survey venue showed that people who believed HIV-AIDS is caused by spirits and the supernatural demonstrated significantly more misinformation about AIDS and were significantly more likely to endorse repulsion and social sanction stigmatizing beliefs against people living with HIV-AIDS. However, nearly all associations between beliefs that AIDS is caused by spirits and AIDS stigmas were non-significant when logistic regressions were repeated with AIDS-related knowledge included as a control variable. This finding suggests that relationships between traditional beliefs about the cause of HIV-AIDS and AIDS stigmas are mediated by AIDS-related knowledge. AIDS education efforts are urgently needed to reach people who hold traditional beliefs about AIDS to remedy AIDS stigmas.

AIDS guidelines.

PubMed

Berger, R

1986-04-30

The Sun article, "Employers finding that AIDS in the workplace is a managerial nightmare" (April 3), did not accurately portray the status of AIDS in the workplace. The AIDS virus, HTLV III, is transmitted by body fluids, primarily semen and blood, and there is no known risk of transmitting the virus by casual contact in the workplace. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) released guidelines for child care workers last August. Guidelines on preventing transmission of AIDS in the workplace were issued by CDC in November 1985. These guidelines specifically discussed health care, personal service, and food service workers. The recommendations were against routine screening. Furthermore, employment should not be restricted on the basis of a positive HTLV III antibody test. A person with HTLV III infection should be exempt from the workplace only if there are circumstances interfering with job performance. In Maryland, the Governor's Task Force on AIDS has gone on record as endorsing CDC guidelines related to employment. Furthermore, the task force condemns discrimination based on the disease AIDS, AIDS Related Complex (ARC), or HTLV III infection. Increasingly AIDS patients are being considered legally disabled and therefore are protected by federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of a handicap. Marylanders who are subjected to mandatory HTLV III screening in the workplace, or if discriminated against on the basis of HTLV III inefction, should contact the Maryland Commission on Human Relations, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, or the Health Education Resource Organization (HERO). All 3 of these resources guarantee confidentiality. It is only by employees reporting incidents that a nightmare in the workplace can be avoided in Maryland. full text

Global health diplomacy, national integration, and regional development through the monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS programs in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Samoa.

PubMed

Kevany, Sebastian; Gildea, Amy; Garae, Caleb; Moa, Serafi; Lautusi, Avaia

2015-04-27

The South Pacific countries of Vanuatu, Samoa, and Papua New Guinea have ascended rapidly up the development spectrum in recent years, refining an independent and post-colonial economic and political identity that enhances their recognition on the world stage. All three countries have overcome economic, political and public health challenges in order to stake their claim to sovereignty. In this regard, the contributions of national and international programs for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS, with specific reference to their monitoring and evaluation (M&E) aspects, have contributed not just to public health, but also to broader political and diplomatic goals such as 'nation-building'. This perspective describes the specific contributions of global health programs to the pursuit of national integration, development, and regional international relations, in Vanuatu, Samoa and Papua New Guinea, respectively, based on in-country M&E activities on behalf of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) during 2014 and 2015. Key findings include: (1) that global health programs contribute to non-health goals; (2) that HIV/AIDS programs promote international relations, decentralized development, and internal unity; (3) that arguments in favour of the maintenance and augmentation of global health funding may be enhanced on this basis; and (4) that "smart" global health approaches have been successful in South Pacific countries. © 2015 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Profile of Home Care Aides, Nursing Home Aides, and Hospital Aides: Historical Changes and Data Recommendations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yamada, Yoshiko

2002-01-01

Purpose: To examine demographic characteristics and work conditions of home care aides, nursing home aides, and hospital aides in the late 1980s and late 1990s. Design and Methods: This study replicated a previous study which examined the Current Population Survey (CPS) March supplement from 1987 to 1989. The present study examined CPS data from…

Attitudes of pediatric intensive care unit physicians towards the use of cognitive aids: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Weiss, Matthew J; Kramer, Chelsea; Tremblay, Sébastien; Côté, Luc

2016-05-21

Cognitive aids are increasingly recommended in clinical practice, yet little is known about the attitudes of physicians towards these tools. We employed a qualitative, descriptive design to explore physician attitudes towards cognitive aids in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Semi-structured interviews elicited the opinions of a convenience sample of practicing PICU physicians towards the use of cognitive aids. We analyzed interview data for thematic content to examine the three factors of intention to use cognitive aids as defined by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), attitudes, social norms, and perceived control. Analysis of 14 interviews suggested that in the PICU setting, cognitive aids are widely used. Discovered themes related to their use touched on all three TPB factors of intention and included: aids are perceived to improve team communication; aids may improve patient safety; aids may hinder clinician judgment; physicians may resist implementation if it occurs prior to demonstration of benefit; effective adoption requires cognitive aids to be integrated into local workplace culture; and implementation should take physician concerns into account. Our sample of PICU physicians were open to cognitive aids in their practice, as long as such aids preserve the primacy of clinical judgment, focus on team communication, demonstrate effectiveness through preliminary testing, and are designed and implemented with the local culture and work environment in mind. Future knowledge translation efforts to implement cognitive aids would benefit from consideration of these issues.

Rethinking the Poverty-disease Nexus: the Case of HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

PubMed

Pienaar, Kiran

2017-09-01

While it is well-established that poverty and disease are intimately connected, the nature of this connection and the role of poverty in disease causation remains contested in scientific and social studies of disease. Using the case of HIV/AIDS in South Africa and drawing on a theoretically grounded analysis, this paper reconceptualises disease and poverty as ontologically entangled. In the context of the South African HIV epidemic, this rethinking of the poverty-disease dynamic enables an account of how social forces such as poverty become embodied in the very substance of disease to produce ontologies of HIV/AIDS unique to South Africa.

Family Economic Empowerment and Mental Health Among AIDS-Affected Children Living in AIDS-Impacted Communities: Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Southwestern Uganda

PubMed Central

Han, Chang-Keun; Ssewamala, Fred M.; Wang, Julia Shu-Huah

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVE We examine whether an innovative family economic empowerment intervention addresses mental health functioning of AIDS-affected children in communities heavily impacted by HIV/AIDS in Uganda. METHODS A cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) consisting of two study arms: a treatment condition (n=179) and a control condition (n=118) was used to examine the impact of the family economic empowerment intervention on children’s levels of hopelessness and depression. The intervention comprised of matched children savings accounts, financial management workshops, and mentorship. Data were collected at baseline and 12 months post-intervention. RESULTS Using multivariate analysis with several socio-economic controls, we find that children in the treatment condition (receiving the intervention) report significant improvement in their mental health functioning. Specifically, the intervention reduces hopelessness and depression levels. On the other hand, children in the control condition (not receiving the intervention) report no changes on both measures. CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate that children with poor mental health functioning living in communities affected by HIV/AIDS may benefit from innovative family economic empowerment interventions. As measures of mental health functioning, both hopelessness and depression have long-term negative psychosocial and developmental impacts on children. These findings have implications for public health programs intended for long-term care and support of children living in resource poor, AIDS-impacted communities. PMID:23410851

Snakebites: First Aid

MedlinePlus

First aid Snakebites: First aid Snakebites: First aid By Mayo Clinic Staff Most North American snakes aren't dangerous to humans. Some exceptions include the rattlesnake, coral snake, water moccasin ...

Gastroenteritis: First Aid

MedlinePlus

First aid Gastroenteritis: First aid Gastroenteritis: First aid By Mayo Clinic Staff Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of your stomach and intestines. Common causes are: Viruses. Food or water contaminated by ...

The Master Hearing Aid

PubMed Central

Curran, James R.

2013-01-01

As early as the 1930s the term Master Hearing Aid (MHA) described a device used in the fitting of hearing aids. In their original form, the MHA was a desktop system that allowed for simulated or actual adjustment of hearing aid components that resulted in a changed hearing aid response. Over the years the MHA saw many embodiments and contributed to a number of rationales for the fitting of hearing aids. During these same years, the MHA was viewed by many as an inappropriate means of demonstrating hearing aids; the audio quality of the desktop systems was often superior to the hearing aids themselves. These opinions and the evolution of the MHA have molded the modern perception of hearing aids and the techniques used in the fitting of hearing aids. This article reports on a history of the MHA and its influence on the fitting of hearing aids. PMID:23686682

The Blue Book: Accounting, Recordkeeping, and Reporting by Postsecondary Educational Institutions for Federally Funded Student Financial Aid Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Postsecondary Education (ED), Washington, DC.

This volume provides general information on programs, policies, procedures, and fiscal record keeping and reporting for federally funded student financial aid programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965, Title IV. Chapter 1 provides an overview of Title IV programs. Chapter 2 discusses general institutional responsibilities related to managing…

Investigating the association between HIV/AIDS and recent fertility patterns in Kenya.

PubMed

Magadi, Monica Akinyi; Agwanda, Alfred O

2010-07-01

Findings from previous studies linking the HIV/AIDS epidemic and fertility of populations have remained inconclusive. In sub-Saharan Africa, demographic patterns point to the epidemic resulting in fertility reduction. However, evidence from the 2003 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) has revealed interesting patterns, with regions most adversely affected with HIV/AIDS showing the clearest reversal trend in fertility decline. While there is suggestive evidence that fertility behaviour in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa has changed in relation to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, more rigorous empirical analysis is necessary to better understand this relationship. In this paper, we examine individual and contextual community HIV/AIDS factors associated with fertility patterns in Kenya, paying particular attention to possible mechanisms of the association. Multilevel models are applied to the 2003 KDHS, introducing various proximate fertility determinants in successive stages, to explore possible mechanisms through which HIV/AIDS may be associated with fertility. The results corroborate findings from earlier studies of the fertility inhibiting effect of HIV among infected women. HIV-infected women have 40 percent lower odds of having had a recent birth than their uninfected counterparts of similar background characteristics. Further analysis suggests an association between HIV/AIDS and fertility that exists through proximate fertility determinants relating to sexual exposure, breastfeeding duration, and foetal loss. While HIV/AIDS may have contributed to reduced fertility, mainly through reduced sexual exposure, there is evidence that it has contributed to increased fertility, through reduced breastfeeding and increased desire for more children resulting from increased infant/child mortality (i.e. a replacement phenomenon). In communities at advanced stages of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, it is possible that infant/child mortality has reached appreciably high levels where the

Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of HIV Infection/AIDS in Hospitalized Patients.

PubMed

Ahmetagic, Sead; Porobić-Jahic, Humera; Piljic, Dilista; Custovic, Amer; Sabitovic, Damir; Zepic, Denis

2015-02-01

More than three decades after recognition of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the United States, the pandemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has dramatically changed the global burden of disease. The main goal of this research is retrospective analysis of epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 28 HIV infected patients, who were diagnosed and treated at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases in University Clinical Center Tuzla in the period from 1996 until the end of 2013. Retrospective analysis was performed using the medical records of 28 HIV-infected persons. Two rapid tests were used for HIV testing: OraQuick Advance test, Vikia HIV1/2, Elisa combo test, HIV RNA test. AIDS disease was determined by using the criteria from WHO. Among a total of 28 HIV-infected persons, 23 (82.14%) were males and 5 (17.86%) were females, with the male: female ratio of 4,6:1. In terms of the transmission route, a large proportion of cases were infected through heterosexual contact 19 (67.86%). At the time of the first visit, 16 (57.15%) patients showed asymptomatic HIV infection, 4 (14.28%) HIV infection with symptoms other than the AIDS defining diseases, and 8 (28.57) had AIDS. At the time of first hospital visit, the CD4 + cells count ranged from 40 to 1795/µl (conducted in 19 patients), and mean value of CD4 + cells was 365,31/µl, and mean HIV RNA titer was 287 118 copies/ml³. Of 28 HIV-infected persons 39 cases of opportunistic diseases developed in 12 patients (42.9%). In terms of the frequency of opportunistic diseases, tuberculosis (12 cases, 42.9%). Among a total of 28 HIV-infected patients, 6 (21.4%) of them died. This study characterizes the epidemiological and clinical patterns of HIV-infected patients in Tuzla region of Bosnia and Herzegovina to accurately understand HIV infection/AIDS in our region, in the hope to contribute in the establishment of effective HIV guidelines in the Tuzla region of B&H in the future.

AIDS education for primary school children in Tanzania: an evaluation study.

PubMed

Klepp, K I; Ndeki, S S; Seha, A M; Hannan, P; Lyimo, B A; Msuya, M H; Irema, M N; Schreiner, A

1994-08-01

To test the effects of an HIV/AIDS education program. A quasi-experimental, nested cross-sectional design including baseline and 6-month follow-up surveys. Schools, stratified according to location, were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 6) or comparison conditions (n = 12). Public primary schools in Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions, Tanzania. A total of 2026 sixth and seventh grade pupils (average age, 14.0 years) participated at baseline (85%) and 1785 at follow-up. The program was designed to reduce children's risk of HIV infection and to improve their tolerance of and care for people with AIDS. Local teachers and health workers attended a 1-week training workshop before implementing the program over a 2-3-month period (averaging 20 school hours per class). Self-reported exposure to AIDS information, communication regarding AIDS; AIDS knowledge, attitudes towards people with AIDS, attitudes towards having sexual intercourse, subjective norms regarding sexual intercourse, and intention to engage in sexual intercourse. Following this program, intervention pupils reported significantly higher scores for the following outcome measures than pupils attending the comparison schools: AIDS information (13.1 versus 10.5; P = 0.0001), AIDS communication (10.9 versus 7.8; P = 0.0001) AIDS knowledge (14.5 versus 11.5; P = 0.0001), attitudes towards people with AIDS (9.0 versus 6.7; P = 0.0008), subjective norms (45.5 versus 43.9; P = 0.011), and intention (1.3 versus 1.4; P = 0.020). No program effect was seen for attitudes towards sexual intercourse (47.0 versus 46.3, P = 0.44). These results indicate that it is feasible and effective to provide AIDS education for Tanzanian primary school children.

[Problem issues related to HIV/AIDS in Eastern European and Central Asian countries].

PubMed

Onishchenko, G G

2007-01-01

HIV has been spreading over the territories of our countries for 18 years, and it is still possible to resist the epidemic in a unique and efficient way. In June 2001, the UNO General Assembly Special Session was devoted to the problem of HIV/AIDS in full. Its Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS (Resolution S-26/2) defines main directions of this work both in world-wide, regional, and international scopes. It should be stressed that first of all the Declaration emphasizes the necessity to improve management and coordination of efforts at the global, regional, and national levels, which is of special importance to Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where a new phase of HIV infection epidemic has begun and the spread of the virus grows and very soon may gain uncontrollable character. As for the countries of our region, here the epidemic process has been developing mostly through sexual way of transmission for 8 years since 1987, when the first case of HIV infection was revealed. More than 350000 HIV-infected people, including more than 15,000 children, have been registered in Russian Federation. More than 9000 people have died. The proportion of childbearing age women constantly grows, and the number of children born to mothers with AIDS has now exceeded 15,000. To realize the component "Prevention of HIV infection, B and C hepatitis, and revealing and treatment of HIV patients" of the priority national health project, 3.1 billion rubles are allocated for the prophylaxis of and fight against HIV and AIDS. The measures that are planned to take will allow for principle changes in the present situation with medical aid providence of contemporary antiretroviral medicines. Russian Orthodox Church with its parishes, monasteries etc. carries out numerous projects of primary HIV prophylaxis among children and young people in different regions; these projects are directed towards forming moral values.

[AIDS and level of education in Brazil: temporal evolution from 1986 to 1996].

PubMed

Fonseca, M G; Bastos, F I; Derrico, M; Andrade, C L; Travassos, C; Szwarcwald, C L

2000-01-01

This article analyzes the temporal distribution of reported AIDS cases by level of education used as a proxy variable for individual socioeconomic status. All AIDS cases aged 20-69 years and reported through May 29, 1999, with date of diagnosis between 1986-1996, were included in the study. Incidence rates were calculated for men and women according to level of education ("level 1" up to 8 years of schooling and "level 2" with over 8 years of schooling), by five geographic regions, and by year of diagnosis. Incidence rates for men with less schooling were close to or higher than those for men with more schooling (particularly in the Southeast region). For women, a time series showed that incidence rates increased at a higher rate among women with less schooling in all regions of the country; in the Southeast, the incidence rate for women with less schooling was already greater than for women with more schooling by 1989. According to the present analysis, the AIDS epidemic in Brazil began among people from the more highly educated social strata and progressed steadily through to the less educated social strata, especially among women.

Toward an Episodic Context Account of Retrieval-Based Learning: Dissociating Retrieval Practice and Elaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehman, Melissa; Smith, Megan A.; Karpicke, Jeffrey D.

2014-01-01

We tested the predictions of 2 explanations for retrieval-based learning; while the elaborative retrieval hypothesis assumes that the retrieval of studied information promotes the generation of semantically related information, which aids in later retrieval (Carpenter, 2009), the episodic context account proposed by Karpicke, Lehman, and Aue (in…

AIDS: new threat to the third world.

PubMed

Heise, L

1988-01-01

Acquired immuneodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) threatens to have a catastrophic historical impact on the 3rd world, undermining decades of progress toward improved health and sustained economic development. By 1986, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate between 5 and 10 million people worldwide were carriers. By 1990, WHO projects 50 to 100 million may be infected, leaving 15 to 30 million dead by 1995. The extent of AIDS cases in LDCs is most likely underreported as these countries already have limited access to health care. The infection rate could be 100 times higher in African cities than in the US as a whole. With an estimated 2 million infected, Africa is the hardest hit region in the world; Asia is the least affected with Japan having the highest number of reported cases at 43. Overall rate of transmission is likely to remain higher in the 3rd world for numerous reasons including the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, lack of money to screen blood for transfusions, high number of sexual partners due to socio-economic conditions, chronic exposure to viral and parasitic infections, and unhygienic conditions. Unlike developed nations, LDCs do not have the health care budgets to care for the opportunistic infections of AIDS patients. Therefore they often are subject to triage, passed over in favor of patients with curable diseases. AIDS provides an even greater threat as a multiplier of existing but dormant diseases such as tuberculosis. AIDS will undermine the decades of progress in maternal and child health and may soon be significant factor in the mother/child survival quotient. Some African cities report that 8 to 14% of women attending prenatal clinics test positive. Since it strikes the most productive age group--those between 20 and 49-- AIDS threatens to undermine the economies of LDCs at a time when most LDCsa are already struggling. Meeting the global challenge of AIDS will requre unprecedented international cooperation. The fact that both

FlexAID: Revisiting Docking on Non-Native-Complex Structures.

PubMed

Gaudreault, Francis; Najmanovich, Rafael J

2015-07-27

Small-molecule protein docking is an essential tool in drug design and to understand molecular recognition. In the present work we introduce FlexAID, a small-molecule docking algorithm that accounts for target side-chain flexibility and utilizes a soft scoring function, i.e. one that is not highly dependent on specific geometric criteria, based on surface complementarity. The pairwise energy parameters were derived from a large dataset of true positive poses and negative decoys from the PDBbind database through an iterative process using Monte Carlo simulations. The prediction of binding poses is tested using the widely used Astex dataset as well as the HAP2 dataset, while performance in virtual screening is evaluated using a subset of the DUD dataset. We compare FlexAID to AutoDock Vina, FlexX, and rDock in an extensive number of scenarios to understand the strengths and limitations of the different programs as well as to reported results for Glide, GOLD, and DOCK6 where applicable. The most relevant among these scenarios is that of docking on flexible non-native-complex structures where as is the case in reality, the target conformation in the bound form is not known a priori. We demonstrate that FlexAID, unlike other programs, is robust against increasing structural variability. FlexAID obtains equivalent sampling success as GOLD and performs better than AutoDock Vina or FlexX in all scenarios against non-native-complex structures. FlexAID is better than rDock when there is at least one critical side-chain movement required upon ligand binding. In virtual screening, FlexAID results are lower on average than those of AutoDock Vina and rDock. The higher accuracy in flexible targets where critical movements are required, intuitive PyMOL-integrated graphical user interface and free source code as well as precompiled executables for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS make FlexAID a welcome addition to the arsenal of existing small-molecule protein docking methods.

Dangerous medicines: Unproven AIDS cures and counterfeit antiretroviral drugs

PubMed Central

Amon, Joseph J

2008-01-01

Background Increasing access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a critical goal endorsed by the United Nations and all of its member states. At the same time, anecdotal accounts suggest that the promotion of unproven AIDS 'cures' and remedies are widespread, and in the case of The Gambia, Iran and South Africa, have been promoted by governments directly. Although a range of legislative and regulatory measures have been adopted by some governments, and technical assistance has been provided by international agencies to address counterfeit medicines generally, the threat of counterfeit antiretroviral drugs is not being addressed. Discussion Countries, charged with fulfilling the right to health and committed to expanding access to ART must explicitly recognize their obligation to combat unproven AIDS treatments and ensure the availability of a safe and efficacious drugs supply. International donors must help support and coordinate these efforts. PMID:18304316

Embodied history. Uniqueness and exemplarity of South African AIDS.

PubMed

Fassin, Didier

2002-01-01

The exceptionality of AIDS in South Africa, both for its epidemiological features and public controversies, seems to have its correspondence in the exceptionalism of South African history, with its unprecedented regime of apartheid and its unexpected turn to democracy. The article shows that AIDS in this country can simultaneously be seen as unique (because of the historical context in which it is inscribed) and exemplar (of social determinants observed in other countries characterised by similar past or present of domination). As an alternative to cultural and behavioural models of the epidemic which have been widely spread on the African continent, the concept of embodiment of history is proposed in order to account for both the structural facts underlying the epidemic (inequality, violence, migration) and the construction of collective as well as individual narratives of the disease (including victimisation and accusation).

Evaluation of STD/AIDS prevention programs: a review of approaches and methodologies.

PubMed

da Cruz, Marly Marques; dos Santos, Elizabeth Moreira; Monteiro, Simone

2007-05-01

The article presents a review of approaches and methodologies in the evaluation of STD/AIDS prevention programs, searching for theoretical and methodological support for the institutionalization of evaluation and decision-making. The review included the MEDLINE, SciELO, and ISI Web of Science databases and other sources like textbooks and congress abstracts from 1990 to 2005, with the key words: "evaluation", "programs", "prevention", "STD/AIDS", and similar terms. The papers showed a predominance of quantitative outcome or impact evaluative studies with an experimental or quasi-experimental design. The main use of evaluation is accountability, although knowledge output and program improvement were also identified in the studies. Only a few evaluative studies contemplate process evaluation and its relationship to the contexts. The review aimed to contribute to the debate on STD/AIDS, which requires more effective, consistent, and sustainable decisions in the field of prevention.

A Conceptual Design of a Departure Planner Decision Aid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anagnostakis, Ioannis; Idris, Husni R.; Clark, John-Paul; Feron, Eric; Hansman, R. John; Odoni, Amedeo R.; Hall, William D.

2000-01-01

Terminal area Air Traffic Management handles both arriving and departing traffic. To date, research work on terminal area operations has focused primarily on the arrival flow and typically departures are taken into account only in an approximate manner. However, arrivals and departures are highly coupled processes especially in the terminal airspace, with complex interactions and sharing of the same airport resources between arrivals and departures taking place in practically every important terminal area. Therefore, the addition of automation aids for departures, possibly in co-operation with existing arrival flow automation systems, could have a profound contribution in enhancing the overall efficiency of airport operations. This paper presents the conceptual system architecture for such an automation aid, the Departure Planner (DP). This architecture can be used as a core in the development of decision-aiding systems to assist air traffic controllers in improving the performance of departure operations and optimize runway time allocation among different operations at major congested airports. The design of such systems is expected to increase the overall efficiency of terminal area operations and yield benefits for all stakeholders involved in Air Traffic Management (ATM) operations, users as well as service providers.

A community participation intervention to reduce HIV/AIDS stigma, Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast Thailand.

PubMed

Apinundecha, C; Laohasiriwong, W; Cameron, M P; Lim, S

2007-10-01

This paper explores HIV/AIDS stigma in the socio-cultural context of Nakhon Ratchasima Province in the northeastern region of Thailand. Action research was used to develop a community participation intervention. The intervention was implemented in one village over a period of eight months. We describe the intervention and then test its effect on HIV/AIDS knowledge and HIV/AIDS stigma using a non-equivalent pre-test-post-test control group design. Analysis of co-variance confirms that, controlling for initial levels of HIV/AIDS knowledge and stigma, the intervention had a significant effect on HIV/AIDS knowledge score (p<0.01) and HIV/AIDS stigma score (p<0.01). Participatory observations by the researchers on villagers' perceptions and behaviour were consistent with the quantitative results. These results suggest that community interventions which empower the community, combined with a financial contribution to reduce resource constraints, are a useful and effective means of increasing interaction between people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and other community members, increasing tolerance and reducing HIV/AIDS stigma.

HIV and AIDS

MedlinePlus

... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español HIV and AIDS KidsHealth / For Kids / HIV and AIDS ... actually the virus that causes the disease AIDS. HIV Hurts the Immune System People who are HIV ...

Demographic and social factors associated with homophobia and fear of AIDS in a community sample.

PubMed

Walch, Susan E; Orlosky, Paula M; Sinkkanen, Kimberly A; Stevens, Heather R

2010-01-01

Examinations of demographic and social factors associated with homophobia and fear of AIDS are limited by the frequent use of homogeneous, college student samples and limited examination of interrelationships among variables. The present study examined community attitudes toward homosexuality and fear of HIV/AIDS as a function of age, education, race/ethnicity, religious affiliation, political party affiliation, and personal contact with homosexual individuals and persons living with HIV/AIDS. A community sample of 463 adults completed standardized measures of homophobia and fear of AIDS as well as demographic and social background items. When examined separately, each demographic and social factor assessed, with the exception of race/ethnicity, was associated with homophobia and all but race/ethnicity and political party affiliation were associated with fear of AIDS. However, when entered into multiple regression analyses, 24% of the variance in homophobia was predicted by a single variable, including only personal contact with homosexual individuals, while 18% of the variance in fear of AIDS was accounted for by five variables, including personal contact with homosexual individuals, religious affiliation, political affiliation, education, and personal contact with someone living with HIV/AIDS. Findings suggest that it is important to consider intercorrelations among social and demographic factors, particularly when considering homophobia.

7 CFR 1700.32 - Program Accounting and Regulatory Analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... accounting and financial services with respect to electric and telecommunications borrowers and directs and... Southern Region) work directly with borrowers. Each regional office has a staff of headquarters and field...

Is AGC beneficial in hearing aids?

PubMed

King, A B; Martin, M C

1984-02-01

Three different functions of Automatic Gain Control (AGC) circuits in hearing aids are distinguished and the evidence for their benefits is considered. The value of AGC's function as a relatively distortion-free means of limiting output has been well established. With regard to compression, the benefit of short-term or 'syllabic' compression has not been demonstrated convincingly. Most evaluations of this type of AGC have looked for increase in speech intelligibility, but theoretical predictions of its effect do not appear to take account of the acoustic cues to consonant contrasts actually used by hearing impaired people, and empirical studies have often used listening conditions which do not give a realistic test of benefit. Relatively little attention has been paid to long-term compression, or to the effect of AGC on comfort rather than intelligibility. Listening tests carried out at the RNID and reported here have shown that AGC can benefit hearing aid users by allowing them to listen to a wider range of sound levels without either strain or discomfort, and, if time constants are well chosen, without adverse effects on speech intelligibility in quiet or in noise.

Measurement of hearing aid internal noise1

PubMed Central

Lewis, James D.; Goodman, Shawn S.; Bentler, Ruth A.

2010-01-01

Hearing aid equivalent input noise (EIN) measures assume the primary source of internal noise to be located prior to amplification and to be constant regardless of input level. EIN will underestimate internal noise in the case that noise is generated following amplification. The present study investigated the internal noise levels of six hearing aids (HAs). Concurrent with HA processing of a speech-like stimulus with both adaptive features (acoustic feedback cancellation, digital noise reduction, microphone directionality) enabled and disabled, internal noise was quantified for various stimulus levels as the variance across repeated trials. Changes in noise level as a function of stimulus level demonstrated that (1) generation of internal noise is not isolated to the microphone, (2) noise may be dependent on input level, and (3) certain adaptive features may contribute to internal noise. Quantifying internal noise as the variance of the output measures allows for noise to be measured under real-world processing conditions, accounts for all sources of noise, and is predictive of internal noise audibility. PMID:20370034

Buying a Hearing Aid

MedlinePlus

... hearing aids? Federal regulation prohibits any hearing aid sale unless the buyer has first received a physician’s ... care of your hearing aids and other helpful strategies. How should I begin wearing the aids? Start ...

An interactive system for computer-aided diagnosis of breast masses.

PubMed

Wang, Xingwei; Li, Lihua; Liu, Wei; Xu, Weidong; Lederman, Dror; Zheng, Bin

2012-10-01

Although mammography is the only clinically accepted imaging modality for screening the general population to detect breast cancer, interpreting mammograms is difficult with lower sensitivity and specificity. To provide radiologists "a visual aid" in interpreting mammograms, we developed and tested an interactive system for computer-aided detection and diagnosis (CAD) of mass-like cancers. Using this system, an observer can view CAD-cued mass regions depicted on one image and then query any suspicious regions (either cued or not cued by CAD). CAD scheme automatically segments the suspicious region or accepts manually defined region and computes a set of image features. Using content-based image retrieval (CBIR) algorithm, CAD searches for a set of reference images depicting "abnormalities" similar to the queried region. Based on image retrieval results and a decision algorithm, a classification score is assigned to the queried region. In this study, a reference database with 1,800 malignant mass regions and 1,800 benign and CAD-generated false-positive regions was used. A modified CBIR algorithm with a new function of stretching the attributes in the multi-dimensional space and decision scheme was optimized using a genetic algorithm. Using a leave-one-out testing method to classify suspicious mass regions, we compared the classification performance using two CBIR algorithms with either equally weighted or optimally stretched attributes. Using the modified CBIR algorithm, the area under receiver operating characteristic curve was significantly increased from 0.865 ± 0.006 to 0.897 ± 0.005 (p < 0.001). This study demonstrated the feasibility of developing an interactive CAD system with a large reference database and achieving improved performance.

HIV/AIDS clients, privacy and confidentiality; the case of two health centres in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

PubMed

Dapaah, Jonathan Mensah; Senah, Kodjo A

2016-07-16

While most studies on HIV/AIDS often identify stigmatization and patients' unwillingness to access health care as critical problems in the control of the pandemic, very few studies have focused on the possible consequences of accessing health care by sero-positives. This paper examines the socio-psychological trauma patients experience in their desire to access health care in two health facilities in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Through participant observation, informal conversation and in-depth interviews, data were collected from health workers and clients of the voluntary counselling (VCT) and antiretroviral therapy units in the two hospitals. The data gathered were analysed and categorized into themes and supported with illustrative quotes obtained from health workers and clients. The study found that the mere presence of a person at the HIV counselling centre or clinic is enough for the person to be labelled as or suspected to be HIV patient. It demonstrates that stigmatization may occur not only in the community but also overtly or covertly, in the health facility itself. Consequently, for many HIV/AIDS patients, access to antiretroviral therapy and treatment of related nosocomial infections are problematic. Besides, the study found that many clients and potential users of services were uncomfortable with the quality of care given by some health workers, especially as they overtly and covertly breached confidentiality about their clients' health status. This has compelled many patients and potential users of the services to adopt a modus vivendi that provides them access to some care services while protecting their identity. The paper argues that by examining issues relating to privacy and confidentiality in the provision of care for and use of services by seropositives, more light will be shed on the whys of the limited uptake of HIV-related health care services in Ghana.

Effect of the Prevalence of HIV/AIDS and the Life Expectancy Rate on Economic Growth in SSA Countries: Difference GMM Approach.

PubMed

Waziri, Salisu Ibrahim; Mohamed Nor, Norashidah; Raja Abdullah, Nik Mustapha; Adamu, Peter

2015-09-01

The productivity of countries around the globe is adversely affected by the health-related problems of their labour force. This study examined the effect of the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and life expectancy on the economic growth of 33 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries over a period of 11 years (2002-2012). The study employed a dynamic panel approach as opposed to the static traditional approach utilised in the literature. The dynamic approach became eminent because of the fact that HIV/AIDS is a dynamic variable as its prevalence today depends on the previous years. The result revealed that HIV/AIDS is negatively correlated with economic growth in the region, with a coefficient of 0.014, and significant at the 1% level. That is, a 10% increase in HIV/AIDS prevalence leads to a 0.14% decrease in the GDP of the region. Tackling HIV/AIDS is therefore imperative to the developing Sub-Saharan African region and all hands must be on deck to end the menace globally.

Effect of the Prevalence of HIV/AIDS and the Life Expectancy Rate on Economic Growth in SSA Countries: Difference GMM Approach

PubMed Central

Waziri, Salisu Ibrahim; Nor, Norashidah Mohamed; Abdullah, Nik Mustapha Raja; Adamu, Peter

2016-01-01

The productivity of countries around the globe is adversely affected by the health-related problems of their labour force. This study examined the effect of the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and life expectancy on the economic growth of 33 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries over a period of 11 years (2002–2012). The study employed a dynamic panel approach as opposed to the static traditional approach utilised in the literature. The dynamic approach became eminent because of the fact that HIV/AIDS is a dynamic variable as its prevalence today depends on the previous years. The result revealed that HIV/AIDS is negatively correlated with economic growth in the region, with a coefficient of 0.014, and significant at the 1% level. That is, a 10% increase in HIV/AIDS prevalence leads to a 0.14% decrease in the GDP of the region. Tackling HIV/AIDS is therefore imperative to the developing Sub-Saharan African region and all hands must be on deck to end the menace globally. PMID:26573032

Religion and women's health in Ghana: insights into HIV/AIDs preventive and protective behavior.

PubMed

Takyi, Baffour K

2003-03-01

Since the late 1970s when the first cases of HIV/AIDS were identified in Africa, there has been an upsurge of research on the epidemic. Although religious involvement may be germane to AIDS protective and risk behavior, few of these studies deal with religion and AIDS. This article contributes to the discourse on religion and health in Africa by analysing the interrelationship between religion and AIDS behavior in Ghana, a West African country at the early stages of the AIDS epidemic, and one where religious activities are more pronounced. We explore whether a woman's knowledge of HIV/AIDS is associated with her religious affiliation, and whether religious affiliation influences AIDS preventive (protective) attitudes. Findings from our analysis of Ghanaian data indicate that religious affiliation has a significant effect on knowledge of AIDS. However, we did not find religious affiliation to be associated with changes in specific protective behavior, particularly the use of condoms. The limitations and implications of the study are discussed, promising directions for further research on religion and AIDS protective and risk behaviors are also discussed, and the design and development of culturally sensitive programs to help in the ongoing AIDS prevention efforts in the region are proposed.

[AIDS in the Congo].

PubMed

Ekundzola, J R

1990-10-01

In the Congo, the first cases of AIDS were discovered in 1983 a Scientific Committee to Diagnose and Fight AIDS was established by the Ministry of HEALTH whose aim was to officially recognize AIDS in the Congo by: 1) evaluating the national situation, and 2) implementing a prevention program. In 1986 the Government purchased 2 ELISA diagnostic machines and established a blood bank. In 1987 the Government signed an agreement with the World Health Organization (WHO) to implement a short- term plan of action and the National Program Against AIDS was established and implemented with a national policy to prevent and control AIDS. In 1987 a National Symposium on AIDS took place and an IEC strategy developed. In 1988 the Triennial Plan Against AIDS was established for 1989-1991 with WHO to informal and educate people on AIDS, to prevent the HIV transmission through blood, to survey the progress of the epidemic and to treat those infected with HIV. In November 1988 the National Scientific Committee became the Scientific Commission of the national Committee Against AIDS presided over by the Minister of Health and Social Affairs with representation from all other sectors in the country. AIDS in the Congo is transmitted by HIV-1 through sex and blood (10-20%). Women and men alike have been affected representing all strata in society, however those affected are mostly from the urban areas. The seroprevalence in the urban areas is 5%, with 1% in the rural. 20% of those infected had blood transfusions 4-6 years before getting the HIV virus. Between 1983-1989 1940 cases of AIDS were reported to WHO; most of these were in the age group 20-4-. A KAP on AIDS was done showing that more than 90% of the population had head about AIDS: 65% knew about AIDS and 30% were using condoms. (author's modified).

The Untapped Potential of School Directors to Strengthen School-Based Responses to HIV/AIDS. Discussion Paper No. III

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wijngaarden, Jan; Mallik, Arun; Shaeffer, Sheldon

2005-01-01

An evaluation is presented on the impact of HIV/AIDS on the education sector in the Asia Pacific region. The spread of HIV/AIDS not only brings illness and death, it also threatens the efforts already made to achieve the goal of Education for All (EFA). Education can combat the negative consequences wrought by HIV/AIDS. Tactics include (1)…

AIDing Chromatin and Transcription-Coupled Orchestration of Immunoglobulin Class-Switch Recombination

PubMed Central

Vaidyanathan, Bharat; Yen, Wei-Feng; Pucella, Joseph N.; Chaudhuri, Jayanta

2014-01-01

Secondary diversification of the antibody repertoire upon antigenic challenge, in the form of immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) class-switch recombination (CSR) endows mature, naïve B cells in peripheral lymphoid organs with a limitless ability to mount an optimal humoral immune response, thus expediting pathogen elimination. CSR replaces the default constant (CH) region exons (Cμ) of IgH with any of the downstream CH exons (Cγ, Cε, or Cα), thereby altering effector functions of the antibody molecule. This process depends on, and is orchestrated by, activation-induced deaminase (AID), a DNA cytidine deaminase that acts on single-stranded DNA exposed during transcription of switch (S) region sequences at the IgH locus. DNA lesions thus generated are processed by components of several general DNA repair pathways to drive CSR. Given that AID can instigate DNA lesions and genomic instability, stringent checks are imposed that constrain and restrict its mutagenic potential. In this review, we will discuss how AID expression and substrate specificity and activity is rigorously enforced at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, post-translational, and epigenetic levels, and how the DNA-damage response is choreographed with precision to permit targeted activity while limiting bystander catastrophe. PMID:24734031

Stroke: First Aid

MedlinePlus

First aid Stroke: First aid Stroke: First aid By Mayo Clinic Staff A stroke occurs when there's bleeding into your brain or when blood flow to your ... cells start dying. Seek immediate medical assistance. A stroke is a true emergency. The sooner treatment is ...

Hearing-aid tester

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kessinger, R.; Polhemus, J. T.; Waring, J. G.

1977-01-01

Hearing aids are automatically checked by circuit that applies half-second test signal every thirty minutes. If hearing-aid output is distorted, too small, or if battery is too low, a warning lamp is activated. Test circuit is incorporated directly into hearing-aid package.

AIDS (image)

MedlinePlus

AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is caused by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), and is a syndrome that ... life-threatening illnesses. There is no cure for AIDS, but treatment with antiviral medicine can suppress symptoms. ...

Office of Federal Student Aid: Better Strategic and Human Capital Would Help Sustain Management Progress. Report to Congressional Committees. GAO-05-31

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashby, Cornelia M.

2004-01-01

In 2003, the Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) managed about $60 billion in new financial aid. In 1998, the Congress designated FSA as a performance-based organization. In so doing, it specified purposes for the agency, such as to reduce program costs and increase accountability of its officials, and provided…

Aid as Obstacle: Twenty Questions about Our Foreign Aid and the Hungry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lappe, Frances Moore; And Others

Reasons why U.S. foreign aid fails to alleviate hunger and poverty are discussed and a solution to the problem is presented. The United States now channels more foreign aid than ever to the world's poor and hungry through the Agency for International Development, food aid programs, the World Bank, and other multilateral aid agencies, which report…

Assessing Knowledge of, and Attitudes to, HIV/AIDS among University Students in the United Arab Emirates.

PubMed

Haroun, Dalia; El Saleh, Ola; Wood, Lesley; Mechli, Rola; Al Marzouqi, Nada; Anouti, Samir

2016-01-01

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is among the top two regions in the world with the fastest growing HIV epidemic. In this context, risks and vulnerability are high as the epidemic is on the rise with evidence indicating significantly increasing HIV prevalence, new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths. The aim of the survey was to assess HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes related to HIV/AIDS among a wide group of university students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In a cross-sectional survey, a total sample of 2,294 students (406 male; 1,888 female) from four universities in three different Emirates in the UAE were approached to take part in the study. Students self-completed a questionnaire that was designed to measure their knowledge and attitudes to HIV/AIDS. The overall average knowledge score of HIV.AIDS was 61%. Non-Emirati and postgraduates demonstrated higher levels of knowledge compared to Emirati and undergraduate students respectively. No significant differences between males and females; and marital status were found. Eighty-five percent of students expressed negative attitudes towards people living with HIV, with Emirati and single students significantly holding more negative attitudes compared to non-Emiratis and those that are married respectively. The findings provide strong evidence that there is a need to advocate for appropriate National HIV/AIDS awareness raising campaigns in universities to reduce the gaps in knowledge and decrease stigmatizing attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS.

32 CFR Appendix A to Part 504 - Request For Basic Identifying Account Data-Sample Format

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 3 2011-07-01 2009-07-01 true Request For Basic Identifying Account Data-Sample Format A Appendix A to Part 504 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY AID OF CIVIL AUTHORITIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS OBTAINING INFORMATION FROM FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Pt...

The Effects of HIV/AIDS on the Retention of Black Women in College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, Wilma J.

2013-01-01

Although only contributing approximately 12% to the United States population, Black Americans account for the majority (51%) of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in this country. Black women in college between the ages of 18 and 24 fall directly in the center of these alarming statistics. These young women are faced with the psychosocial manifestations of…

A Self-Fitting Hearing Aid

PubMed Central

Keidser, Gitte; Dillon, Harvey; Hartley, Lisa

2011-01-01

The need for reliable access to hearing health care services is growing globally, particularly in developing countries and in remotely located, underserved regions in many parts of the developed world. Individuals with hearing loss in these areas are at a significant disadvantage due to the scarcity of local hearing health care professionals and the high cost of hearing aids. Current approaches to making hearing rehabilitation services more readily available to underserved populations include teleaudiology and the provision of amplification devices outside of the traditional provider-client relationship. Both strategies require access to such resources as dedicated equipment and/or specially trained staff. Another possible strategy is a self-fitting hearing aid, a personal amplification device that is equipped with an onboard tone generator to enable user-controlled, automated, in situ audiometry; an onboard prescription to determine the initial hearing aid settings; and a trainable algorithm to enable user-controlled fine-tuning. The device is thus assembled, fitted, and managed by the user without the need for audiological or computer support. This article details the self-fitting concept and its potential application in both developing and developed countries. Potential advantages and disadvantages of such a device are discussed, and considerations for further investigations into the concept are presented. Overall, the concept is considered technologically viable with the main challenges anticipated to be development of clear, simple user instructions and a delivery model that ensures reliable supplies of instant-fit ear tips and batteries. PMID:22143873

Vulnerable to HIV / AIDS. Migration.

PubMed

Fernandez, I

1998-01-01

This special report discusses the impact of globalization, patterns of migration in Southeast Asia, gender issues in migration, the links between migration and HIV/AIDS, and spatial mobility and social networks. Migrants are particularly marginalized in countries that blame migrants for transmission of infectious and communicable diseases and other social ills. Effective control of HIV/AIDS among migrant and native populations requires a multisectoral approach. Programs should critically review the privatization of health care services and challenge economic models that polarize the rich and the poor, men and women, North and South, and migrant and native. Programs should recognize the equality between locals and migrants in receipt of health services. Countermeasures should have input from migrants in order to reduce the conditions that increase vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. Gender-oriented research is needed to understand women's role in migration. Rapid assessment has obscured the human dimension of migrants' vulnerability to HIV. Condom promotion is not enough. Migration is a major consequence of globalization, which holds the promise, real or imagined, of prosperity for all. Mass migration can be fueled by explosive regional developments. In Southeast Asia, migration has been part of the process of economic development. The potential to emigrate increases with greater per capita income. "Tiger" economies have been labor importers. Safe sex is not practiced in many Asian countries because risk is not taken seriously. Migrants tend to be used as economic tools, without consideration of social adjustment and sex behavior among singles.

Restoration of hearing by hearing aids: conventional hearing aids – implantable hearing aids – cochlear implants – auditory brainstem implants

PubMed Central

Leuwer, R.; Müller, J.

2005-01-01

Aim of this report is to explain the current concept of hearing restoration using hearing aids. At present the main issues of conventional hearing aids are the relative benefits of analogue versus digital devices and different strategies for the improvement of hearing in noise. Implantable hearing aids provide a better sound quality and less distortion. The lack of directional microphones is the major disadvantage of the partially implantable hearing aids commercially available. Two different clinical studies about fully implantable hearing aids have been started in 2004. One of the most-promising developments seems to be the electric-acoustic stimulation. PMID:22073051

Migration and AIDS.

PubMed

1998-01-01

This article presents the perspectives of UNAIDS and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on migration and HIV/AIDS. It identifies research and action priorities and policy issues, and describes the current situation in major regions of the world. Migration is a process. Movement is enhanced by air transport, rising international trade, deregulation of trade practices, and opening of borders. Movements are restricted by laws and statutes. Denial to freely circulate and obtain asylum is associated with vulnerability to HIV infections. A UNAIDS policy paper in 1997 and IOM policy guidelines in 1988 affirm that refugees and asylum seekers should not be targeted for special measures due to HIV/AIDS. There is an urgent need to provide primary health services for migrants, voluntary counseling and testing, and more favorable conditions. Research is needed on the role of migration in the spread of HIV, the extent of migration, availability of health services, and options for HIV prevention. Research must be action-oriented and focused on vulnerability to HIV and risk taking behavior. There is substantial mobility in West and Central Africa, economic migration in South Africa, and nonvoluntary migration in Angola. Sex workers in southeast Asia contribute to the spread. The breakup of the USSR led to population shifts. Migrants in Central America and Mexico move north to the US where HIV prevalence is higher.

Priced out: How the Wrong Financial-Aid Policies Hurt Low-Income Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Mamie; Engle, Jennifer; Cruz, Jose L.

2011-01-01

This report demonstrates how much low-income students must stretch to pay for college, even after grant aid is taken into account. This report finds that just five of the nation's nearly 1,200 four-year colleges and universities have student bodies that are at least 30 percent low-income and offer low-income students a reasonable chance at a…

Scientific approaches to AIDS prevention and control in China.

PubMed

Teng, T; Shao, Y

2011-04-01

The HIV epidemic in China started among intravenous drug users in the late 1980s. The second wave of the epidemic was caused by an outbreak in the paid plasma donors in central China in the mid-1990s. Sexually transmitted HIV cases have steadily increased and comprised more than half the reported HIV/AIDS infections since 2007. In the last 5 years, there has been a sharp increase of HIV infection in men who have sex with men. The HIV epidemic in China has expanded from high-risk groups to the general population and from rural regions to urban areas. This brief article discusses the history of HIV epidemics in China and the challenges facing the current AIDS control efforts in the country. It explains that only scientific approaches can sustain the national AIDS control programs and introduce the type of research needed to address those challenges. The selected research areas include molecular epidemiology, drug resistance surveillance, and the Chinese HIV vaccine research.

Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of pregnant women living with HIV/AIDS in a region of Southern Brazil where the subtype C of HIV-1 infection predominates.

PubMed

Manenti, Sandra Aparecida; Galato Júnior, João; Silveira, Elizângela da Silva; Oenning, Roberto Teixeira; Simões, Priscyla Waleska Targino de Azevedo; Moreira, Jeverson; Fochesato, Celine Maria; Brígido, Luís Fernando de Macedo; Rodrigues, Rosângela; Romão, Pedro Roosevelt Torres

2011-01-01

Southern Brazil has the highest prevalence rate of AIDS in the country and is the only region in the Americas where HIV-1 subtype C prevails. We evaluated the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of pregnant women living with HIV/AIDS in the South region of Santa Catarina, Brazil. All pregnant women with HIV infection attending the obstetric outpatient clinic of Criciúma, State of Santa Catarina, in 2007 (n = 46) were invited to participate. Data of 36 eligible participants were obtained through a standardized questionnaire. The great majority were young, with a steady partner, low family income, low education level and referring early first sexual intercourse. Many reported use of illicit non-injecting drugs (55.5%) and unprotected sex with partners that were HIV-positive (57.7%), injecting drug user (22.2%), male inmate (19.4%), truck driver (13.8%), with history of sexually transmitted disease (11.1%) or men who have sex with men (MSM) (2.8%). Most (66.7%) of the participants had their HIV diagnosis done during the pregnancy, 7 (19.4%) had a previous history of HIV mother-to-child transmission. Therapy based on highly active antiretroviral therapy (94%) was initiated at 19.3 weeks on average and 33% showed irregular antiretroviral adherence. These results confirm previous data on HIV epidemiology in Brazil and suggest that the women partners' sexual behavior and unprotected sexual intercourse are important aspects of HIV epidemic. Additional efforts in education, prophylaxis and medication adherence are needed.

Developing a method to derive alcohol-attributable fractions for HIV/AIDS mortality based on alcohol's impact on adherence to antiretroviral medication

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Alcohol consumption is causally linked to nonadherence to antiretroviral treatment that in turn causes an increase in HIV/AIDS mortality. This article presents a method to calculate the percentage of HIV/AIDS deaths attributable to alcohol consumption and the associated uncertainty. Methods By combining information on risk relations from a number of published sources, we estimated alcohol-attributable fractions (AAFs) of HIV/AIDS in a stepwise procedure. First, we estimated the effect of alcohol consumption on adherence to antiretroviral treatment, and then we combined this estimate with the impact of nonadherence on death. The 95% uncertainty intervals were computed by estimating the variance of the AAFs using Taylor series expansions of one and multiple variables. AAFs were determined for each of the five Global Burden of Disease regions of Africa, based on country-specific treatment and alcohol consumption data from 2005. Results The effects of alcohol on HIV/AIDS in the African Global Burden of Disease regions range from 0.03% to 0.34% for men and from 0% to 0.17% for women, depending on region and age category. The detrimental effect of alcohol consumption was statistically significant in every region and age category except for the North Africa/Middle East region. Conclusions Although the method has its limitations, it was shown to be feasible and provided estimates of the impact of alcohol use on the mortality outcome of HIV/AIDS. PMID:21320310

Task Lists for Health Occupations. Radiologic Aide. Activity Aide. Optometric Assistant. Physical Therapy Aide. Education for Employment Task Lists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lathrop, Janice

These task lists contain employability skills and tasks for the following health occupations: radiologic aide, activity aide, physical therapy aide, and optometric assistant. The duties and tasks found in these lists form the basis of instructional content for secondary, postsecondary, and adult occupational training programs. Employability skills…

AIDS radio triggers.

PubMed

Elias, A M

1991-07-01

In April 1991, the Ethnic Communities' Council of NSW was granted funding under the Community AIDS Prevention and Education Program through the Department of Community Services and Health, to produce a series of 6x50 second AIDS radio triggers with a 10-second tag line for further information. The triggers are designed to disseminate culturally-sensitive information about HIV/AIDS in English, Italian, Greek, Spanish, Khmer, Turkish, Macedonian, Serbo-Croatian, Arabic, Cantonese, and Vietnamese, with the goal of increasing awareness and decreasing the degree of misinformation about HIV/AIDS among people of non-English-speaking backgrounds through radio and sound. The 6 triggers cover the denial that AIDS exists in the community, beliefs that words and feelings do not protect one from catching HIV, encouraging friends to be compassionate, compassion within the family, AIDS information for a young audience, and the provision of accurate and honest information on HIV/AIDS. The triggers are slated to be completed by the end of July 1991 and will be broadcast on all possible community, ethnic, and commercial radio networks across Australia. They will be available upon request in composite form with an information kit for use by health care professionals and community workers.

A double hit model for the distribution of time to AIDS onset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chillale, Nagaraja Rao

2013-09-01

Incubation time is a key epidemiologic descriptor of an infectious disease. In the case of HIV infection this is a random variable and is probably the longest one. The probability distribution of incubation time is the major determinant of the relation between the incidences of HIV infection and its manifestation to Aids. This is also one of the key factors used for accurate estimation of AIDS incidence in a region. The present article i) briefly reviews the work done, points out uncertainties in estimation of AIDS onset time and stresses the need for its precise estimation, ii) highlights some of the modelling features of onset distribution including immune failure mechanism, and iii) proposes a 'Double Hit' model for the distribution of time to AIDS onset in the cases of (a) independent and (b) dependent time variables of the two markers and examined the applicability of a few standard probability models.

Water Accounting Priorities in the American West

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanak, E.

2017-12-01

In regions facing water scarcity, understanding the water balance sheet—how much there is, who has claims to it, and what is actually being "spent"—is key to effectively managing supplies to meet a wide range of societal goals. This is a common challenge across the American West, a region needing to balance the water demands of large irrigated agricultural sectors, growing urban populations, and declining aquatic ecosystems—in a context of increasingly variable, and in some cases diminishing, water supplies. Many local urban water utilities, and some irrigation water suppliers, have developed sophisticated data systems for tracking water availability and use within their systems. But there are still major gaps in essential metrics at the scale of watersheds and river basins. On the supply side, key issues include understanding groundwater availability and surface-groundwater interactions. On the demand side, the biggest challenges relate to understanding groundwater use and return flows—the water that is returned to rivers or aquifers and is available for reuse. In addition, most states lack consistent accounting and data standards for sharing water availability, claims, and use information—and transparent systems for reporting information to users in ways that facilitates oversight and flexible tools such as water trading. Drawing on a detailed study of water accounting in 12 western states and 2 countries with similar water challenges (Escriva Bou et al. 2016, Accounting for Water in Dry Regions: A Comparative Review, Public Policy Institute of California), this talk provides insights on best practices that can help fill critical water accounting gaps.

The Effectiveness of a Single Intervention of Computer-Aided Argument Mapping in a Marketing and a Financial Accounting Subject

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrington, Michal; Chen, Richard; Davies, Martin; Kaur, Jagjit; Neville, Benjamin

2011-01-01

An argument map visually represents the structure of an argument, outlining its informal logical connections and informing judgments as to its worthiness. Argument mapping can be augmented with dedicated software that aids the mapping process. Empirical evidence suggests that semester-length subjects using argument mapping along with dedicated…

The political context of AIDS-related stigma and knowledge in a South African township community

PubMed Central

Forsyth, Brian; Vandormael, Alain; Kershaw, Trace; Grobbelaar, Janis

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the presentation of AIDS-related stigma and knowledge within the political context of the South African government’s response to the AIDS epidemic. It was during the 2000 - 2004 period that key government officials publicly challenged the orthodox views of HIV/AIDS, with the South African president, Thabo Mbeki, actively positing the primary role of poverty and other socio-economic stressors in the progression of the AIDS epidemic. This discursive position had real-time effects for AIDS policy-making and ultimately delayed the implementation of a national antiretroviral (ARV) rollout programme. Consequently this position was criticised by commentators in the media and elsewhere for contributing to an already widespread climate of AIDS stigmatisation and misinformation. To shed more light on these claims we conducted a survey in 2005 in Atteridgeville, a South African township, and compared results with those of a similar survey conducted shortly after ARV medications became available in 2004. Results indicated a reduction in AIDS stigma levels across the 1-year period, and that those participants who endorsed contentious political views (such as those expressed by key government officials) were more likely to have a higher level of AIDS-related stigma than those who disagreed. Nevertheless, this study cautions against drawing a causal relationship between the South African government’s position and AIDS-stigmatising attitudes, and suggests that further political and social factors be accounted for in an attempt to gain a fuller understanding of this seemingly complex relationship. PMID:18709210

IQ, Skin Color, Crime, HIV/AIDS, and Income in 50 U.S. States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Templer, Donald I.; Rushton, J. Philippe

2011-01-01

In 50 U.S. states, we found a positive manifold across 11 measures including IQ, skin color, birth rate, infant mortality, life expectancy, HIV/AIDS, violent crime, and state income with the first principal component accounting for 33% of the variance (median factor loading = 0.34). The correlation with a composite of total violent crime was…

Contributions of international cooperation projects to the HIV/AIDS response in China

PubMed Central

Sun, Jiangping; Liu, Hui; Li, Hui; Wang, Liqiu; Guo, Haoyan; Shan, Duo; Bulterys, Marc; Korhonen, Christine; Hao, Yang; Ren, Minghui

2010-01-01

Background For 20 years, China has participated in 267 international cooperation projects against the HIV/AIDS epidemic and received ∼526 million USD from over 40 international organizations. These projects have played an important role by complementing national efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS in China. Methods The diverse characteristics of these projects followed three phases over 20 years. Initially, stand-alone projects provided technical support in surveillance, training or advocacy for public awareness. As the epidemic spread across China, projects became a part of the comprehensive and integrated national response. Currently, international best practices encourage the inclusion of civil society and non-governmental organizations in an expanded response to the epidemic. Results Funding from international projects has accounted for one-third of the resources provided for the HIV/AIDS response in China. Beyond this strong financial support, these programmes have introduced best practices, accelerated the introduction of AIDS policies, strengthened capacity, improved the development of grassroots social organizations and established a platform for communication and experience sharing with the international community. However, there are still challenges ahead, including integrating existing resources and exploring new programme models. The National Centre for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention (NCAIDS) in China is consolidating all international projects into national HIV prevention, treatment and care activities. Conclusion International cooperation projects have been an invaluable component of China’s response to HIV/AIDS, and China has now been able to take this information and share its experiences with other countries with the help of these same international programmes. PMID:21113032

Contributions of international cooperation projects to the HIV/AIDS response in China.

PubMed

Sun, Jiangping; Liu, Hui; Li, Hui; Wang, Liqiu; Guo, Haoyan; Shan, Duo; Bulterys, Marc; Korhonen, Christine; Hao, Yang; Ren, Minghui

2010-12-01

For 20 years, China has participated in 267 international cooperation projects against the HIV/AIDS epidemic and received ∼526 million USD from over 40 international organizations. These projects have played an important role by complementing national efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS in China. The diverse characteristics of these projects followed three phases over 20 years. Initially, stand-alone projects provided technical support in surveillance, training or advocacy for public awareness. As the epidemic spread across China, projects became a part of the comprehensive and integrated national response. Currently, international best practices encourage the inclusion of civil society and non-governmental organizations in an expanded response to the epidemic. Funding from international projects has accounted for one-third of the resources provided for the HIV/AIDS response in China. Beyond this strong financial support, these programmes have introduced best practices, accelerated the introduction of AIDS policies, strengthened capacity, improved the development of grassroots social organizations and established a platform for communication and experience sharing with the international community. However, there are still challenges ahead, including integrating existing resources and exploring new programme models. The National Centre for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention (NCAIDS) in China is consolidating all international projects into national HIV prevention, treatment and care activities. International cooperation projects have been an invaluable component of China's response to HIV/AIDS, and China has now been able to take this information and share its experiences with other countries with the help of these same international programmes.

Benefits of Imperfect Conflict Resolution Advisory Aids for Future Air Traffic Control.

PubMed

Trapsilawati, Fitri; Wickens, Christopher D; Qu, Xingda; Chen, Chun-Hsien

2016-11-01

The aim of this study was to examine the human-automation interaction issues and the interacting factors in the context of conflict detection and resolution advisory (CRA) systems. The issues of imperfect automation in air traffic control (ATC) have been well documented in previous studies, particularly in conflict-alerting systems. The extent to which the prior findings can be applied to an integrated conflict detection and resolution system in future ATC remains unknown. Twenty-four participants were evenly divided into two groups corresponding to a medium- and a high-traffic density condition, respectively. In each traffic density condition, participants were instructed to perform simulated ATC tasks under four automation conditions, including reliable, unreliable with short time allowance to secondary conflict (TAS), unreliable with long TAS, and manual conditions. Dependent variables accounted for conflict resolution performance, workload, situation awareness, and trust in and dependence on the CRA aid, respectively. Imposing the CRA automation did increase performance and reduce workload as compared with manual performance. The CRA aid did not decrease situation awareness. The benefits of the CRA aid were manifest even when it was imperfectly reliable and were apparent across traffic loads. In the unreliable blocks, trust in the CRA aid was degraded but dependence was not influenced, yet the performance was not adversely affected. The use of CRA aid would benefit ATC operations across traffic densities. CRA aid offers benefits across traffic densities, regardless of its imperfection, as long as its reliability level is set above the threshold of assistance, suggesting its application for future ATC. © 2016, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

AIDS: Education's New Dilemma.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freeland, D. Kay; Faber, Charles F.

The acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is an incurable, fatal disease that is caused by a virus that eventually destroys the body's immune system. While AIDS is contagious, the risk of contracting AIDS through casual contact is said to be negligible. A review of the court cases involving students with AIDS reveals that the precedent has…

Mommy, Daddy--What's AIDS?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners, Cherry Hill, NJ.

This brochure is designed to help parents answer the questions that their children may ask them about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and the Human Immuno Deficiency Virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. It provides basic information about AIDS and HIV, as well as sources for further information, such as the National AIDS Hotline. It…

Interpretation and compendium of historical fire accounts in the Northern Great Plains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Higgins, K.F.

1986-01-01

This interpretation and compendium of historical fire accounts in the northern Great Plains provides resource managers with background information to justify the study or use of fire in management and provides a reference of historic fire accounts for those without ready access to major library collections. Historical accounts of fire are critiqued to aid interpreting the compendium accounts. An interpretation is included by the author.Lightning-set fires were recorded in the literature far less frequently than were Indian-set fires. The kinds of fire most frequently reported were scattered, single events of short duration and small extent. Although fires occurred in wetlands, wetlands as well as sandy soil sites usually were good areas for escape from the effects of fire. Both Indians and wild animals were reportedly injured or killed during prairie fires. The frequency of historic fires was less evident in the literature than the descriptions of fire distribution in time and space. Indian-set fires were reported in every month except January. Fires occurred mainly in two periods, March through May with a peak in April, and July to early November with a peak in October. Grassland fuels burned readily within a few hours or days after rain and even during light snowfall.I agree with arguments that support the concept that Indians of the northern Great Plains generally did not subscribe to annual wholesale or promiscuous burning practices, but that they did purposely use fire as a tool to aid hunting and gathering of food and materials. Apparently, the northern plains Indians did not pattern their use of fire with the seasonal patterns of lightning fires. More likely they developed seasonal patterns of burning the prairies in harmony with bison (Bison bison) herd movements because the hunter-gatherer economy of these nomadic tribes was centrally focused and largely dependent on bison and bison ecology.

African AIDS conference offers hope for the future.

PubMed

Logie, A W

1999-09-25

AIDS in Africa is killing more people than all of Africa's armed conflicts during this century--this is what delegates heard at the 11th International Conference on AIDS and STDs in Lusaka, Zambia, September 12-16, 1999. The epidemic has been contained in the rich Northern Hemisphere. But why the difference? Delegates considered many reasons, such as war, crumbling health infrastructure, increasing unemployment, and poverty. The conference concentrated on the impact of HIV/AIDS on communities, and on socioeconomic, ethical, political, and legal factors. Only one of the five sessions was devoted to basic science and clinical care. There was realism concerning the limited role of antiretroviral therapy and excitement concerning improved prevention of parent-to-child transmission, especially if single-dose nevirapine proves effective. Delegates emphasized the need for more research and development of vaccines, the female condom, and vaginal virucides, all of which are commercially unattractive to drug companies. Callisto Medavo, World Bank vice-president, launched ACT-Africa, which promises extra resources, enhanced treatment, and more technical support. Together these should assist African leaders and mobilize civil society and the private sector to intensify action against HIV/AIDS. Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS, also emphasized the vital importance of sustained political involvement at the highest level to contain the pandemic and prevent this regional crisis from becoming a global catastrophe.

Does State Aid Stimulate Public Library Expenditures? Evidence from Pennsylvania's Enhancement Aid Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stine, William F.

2006-01-01

Pennsylvania public libraries began receiving increased allotments of state aid in 2000. In the first two years of enhancement aid, total state aid received by Pennsylvania libraries more than doubled. This reversed the trend of little growth in the years preceding 2000. The enhancement aid program also redesigned certain categories of state aid…

AIDS cases soar in past year.

PubMed

1994-01-01

The World Health Organization's Global Programme on AIDS (WHO/GPA) released figures on July 1, 1994, estimating that around 1.5 million people developed AIDS between mid-1993 and mid-1994, three times as many as the previous 12 months. Approximately 200,000 new cases were estimated to exist in south and southeast Asia, over eight times as many as during the previous year. Only 985,119 cases of AIDS had actually been reported to WHO by June 30, 1994 since the onset of the pandemic, however, GPA estimates that about 4 million have actually developed AIDS. GPA estimates indicate that more than 16 million adults and over one million children have been infected since its inception. Close to three million new HIV infections occurred between mid-1993 and mid-1994. The cumulative total in south and southeast Asia reached 2.5 million. The cumulative total in this region is expected to escalate to 10 million by the year 2000 with a serious threat of its spread to China and other countries with a potential of new economic growth. HIV levels have been significant among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam (increasing from 2% in late 1992 to more than 30% at the end of 1993), in peninsular Malaysia, and in Yunnan province, China. In Bangkok (Thailand), Manipur (India), and Yangon (Myanmar) HIV prevalence rates among IDUs have risen to 50% since the late 1980s. Heterosexual transmission has been on the rise among female sex workers in several Indian states, in cities of Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia as well as among fishermen in eastern and western Indonesia. In Thailand over 3.5% of military recruits aged 21 years are infected, and in a northern province HIV prevalence exceeds 8% among women attending antenatal clinics and 20% of military recruits are infected. In industrial countries the number did not change much from mid-1993 because the number of new infections was balanced by AIDS deaths.

The contributing role of tourism in the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Caribbean.

PubMed

Orisatoki, R O; Oguntibeju, O O; Truter, E J

2009-01-01

The first confirmed case of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean was reported in 1982, however a recent report by UNAIDS shows that the epidemic has risen to over 250,000 persons living with the virus with the highest prevalence rates shown to be in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Various factors ranging from commercial sex trading to unsafe injection employed for drug abuse have been identified to play a contributing role in this increase. Also, the role and impact of tourism on the spread of HIV infection has been reported. Due to concerns shown by countries and territories who are dependent on tourism and that they rank amongst the most highly affected by HIV/AIDS in the region, this paper endeavours to examine the impact of HIV/AIDS and the contributing role of tourism to HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Caribbean.

How to Get Hearing Aids

MedlinePlus

... batteries and hearing aids away from children and pets. We recommend visiting a hearing healthcare professional on a regular basis to have your hearing aids inspected. More in Hearing Aids Hearing Loss Types of Hearing Aids Benefits and Safety Issues Hearing Aids and Cell Phones ...

Assessing Knowledge of, and Attitudes to, HIV/AIDS among University Students in the United Arab Emirates

PubMed Central

Haroun, Dalia; El Saleh, Ola; Wood, Lesley; Mechli, Rola; Al Marzouqi, Nada; Anouti, Samir

2016-01-01

Background The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is among the top two regions in the world with the fastest growing HIV epidemic. In this context, risks and vulnerability are high as the epidemic is on the rise with evidence indicating significantly increasing HIV prevalence, new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths. Objective The aim of the survey was to assess HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes related to HIV/AIDS among a wide group of university students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods In a cross-sectional survey, a total sample of 2,294 students (406 male; 1,888 female) from four universities in three different Emirates in the UAE were approached to take part in the study. Students self-completed a questionnaire that was designed to measure their knowledge and attitudes to HIV/AIDS. Results The overall average knowledge score of HIV.AIDS was 61%. Non-Emirati and postgraduates demonstrated higher levels of knowledge compared to Emirati and undergraduate students respectively. No significant differences between males and females; and marital status were found. Eighty-five percent of students expressed negative attitudes towards people living with HIV, with Emirati and single students significantly holding more negative attitudes compared to non-Emiratis and those that are married respectively. Conclusions The findings provide strong evidence that there is a need to advocate for appropriate National HIV/AIDS awareness raising campaigns in universities to reduce the gaps in knowledge and decrease stigmatizing attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS. PMID:26913902

Aids and Infectious Diseases (aid) Pmp 2013 Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buonaguro, Franco M.

2014-07-01

The AIDS and Infectious Diseases (AID) PMP of the WFS contributed this year with a session on August 22nd to the Plenary Sessions of the International Seminars on Planetary Emergencies and Associated Meetings--46th Session: The Role of Science in the Third Millennium (Erice, 19-24 August 2013). Furthermore a workshop on August 24th was organized...

Heart attack first aid

MedlinePlus

First aid - heart attack; First aid - cardiopulmonary arrest; First aid - cardiac arrest ... A heart attack occurs when the blood flow that carries oxygen to the heart is blocked. The heart muscle ...

Men and women--still far apart on HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Frasca, Tim

2003-11-01

What could be more logical than a gay-feminist alliance to respond to the AIDS epidemic in Latin America? However, drawing on published articles and the author's experience in HIV/AIDS work in Chile, this paper argues that such an alliance is more rhetorical than real. Instead, both groups tend to stick to their respective niches and view the epidemic through the prism of the particular needs and concerns of their target constituencies, rather than learn from and support each other. Feminist rhetoric sometimes suggests that AIDS is a problem only because it affects women. The African paradigm of vulnerable women is inexactly applied, given the predominantly male and homosexual nature of the epidemic in most Latin American countries. Both women and homosexually active men are highly vulnerable to HIV infection, and little is gained by competing for the top slot on the "tragedy honour roll". Latin American gay men's groups, torn between AIDS and gay rights activism, often resist both protagonism by women and women's issues. Although the fight for access to antiretroviral treatment has obscured this conflict, it resurfaces in associations of HIV-positive people and may increase along with heterosexual transmission in the region. Discussion and exchanges should be encouraged to overcome these largely hidden divisions.

Music and Hearing Aids

PubMed Central

Moore, Brian C. J.

2014-01-01

The signal processing and fitting methods used for hearing aids have mainly been designed to optimize the intelligibility of speech. Little attention has been paid to the effectiveness of hearing aids for listening to music. Perhaps as a consequence, many hearing-aid users complain that they are not satisfied with their hearing aids when listening to music. This issue inspired the Internet-based survey presented here. The survey was designed to identify the nature and prevalence of problems associated with listening to live and reproduced music with hearing aids. Responses from 523 hearing-aid users to 21 multiple-choice questions are presented and analyzed, and the relationships between responses to questions regarding music and questions concerned with information about the respondents, their hearing aids, and their hearing loss are described. Large proportions of the respondents reported that they found their hearing aids to be helpful for listening to both live and reproduced music, although less so for the former. The survey also identified problems such as distortion, acoustic feedback, insufficient or excessive gain, unbalanced frequency response, and reduced tone quality. The results indicate that the enjoyment of listening to music with hearing aids could be improved by an increase of the input and output dynamic range, extension of the low-frequency response, and improvement of feedback cancellation and automatic gain control systems. PMID:25361601

Music and hearing aids.

PubMed

Madsen, Sara M K; Moore, Brian C J

2014-10-31

The signal processing and fitting methods used for hearing aids have mainly been designed to optimize the intelligibility of speech. Little attention has been paid to the effectiveness of hearing aids for listening to music. Perhaps as a consequence, many hearing-aid users complain that they are not satisfied with their hearing aids when listening to music. This issue inspired the Internet-based survey presented here. The survey was designed to identify the nature and prevalence of problems associated with listening to live and reproduced music with hearing aids. Responses from 523 hearing-aid users to 21 multiple-choice questions are presented and analyzed, and the relationships between responses to questions regarding music and questions concerned with information about the respondents, their hearing aids, and their hearing loss are described. Large proportions of the respondents reported that they found their hearing aids to be helpful for listening to both live and reproduced music, although less so for the former. The survey also identified problems such as distortion, acoustic feedback, insufficient or excessive gain, unbalanced frequency response, and reduced tone quality. The results indicate that the enjoyment of listening to music with hearing aids could be improved by an increase of the input and output dynamic range, extension of the low-frequency response, and improvement of feedback cancellation and automatic gain control systems. © The Author(s) 2014.

Figure-ground organization and object recognition processes: an interactive account.

PubMed

Vecera, S P; O'Reilly, R C

1998-04-01

Traditional bottom-up models of visual processing assume that figure-ground organization precedes object recognition. This assumption seems logically necessary: How can object recognition occur before a region is labeled as figure? However, some behavioral studies find that familiar regions are more likely to be labeled figure than less familiar regions, a problematic finding for bottom-up models. An interactive account is proposed in which figure-ground processes receive top-down input from object representations in a hierarchical system. A graded, interactive computational model is presented that accounts for behavioral results in which familiarity effects are found. The interactive model offers an alternative conception of visual processing to bottom-up models.

AIDS is your business.

PubMed

Rosen, Sydney; Simon, Jonathon; Vincent, Jeffrey R; MacLeod, William; Fox, Matthew; Thea, Donald M

2003-02-01

If your company operates in a developing country, AIDS is your business. While Africa has received the most attention, AIDS is also spreading swiftly in other parts of the world. Russia and Ukraine had the fastest-growing epidemics last year, and many experts believe China and India will suffer the next tidal wave of infection. Why should executives be concerned about AIDS? Because it is destroying the twin rationales of globalization strategy-cheap labor and fast-growing markets--in countries where people are heavily affected by the epidemic. Fortunately, investments in programs that prevent infection and provide treatment for employees who have HIV/AIDS are profitable for many businesses--that is, they lead to savings that outweigh the programs' costs. Due to the long latency period between HIV infection and the onset of AIDS symptoms, a company is not likely to see any of the costs of HIV/AIDS until five to ten years after an employee is infected. But executives can calculate the present value of epidemic-related costs by using the discount rate to weigh each cost according to its expected timing. That allows companies to think about expenses on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs as investments rather than merely as costs. The authors found that the annual cost of AIDS to six corporations in South Africa and Botswana ranged from 0.4% to 5.9% of the wage bill. All six companies would have earned positive returns on their investments if they had provided employees with free treatment for HIV/AIDS in the form of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), according to the mathematical model the authors used. The annual reduction in the AIDS "tax" would have been as much as 40.4%. The authors' conclusion? Fighting AIDS not only helps those infected; it also makes good business sense.

A review of computer-aided oral and maxillofacial surgery: planning, simulation and navigation.

PubMed

Chen, Xiaojun; Xu, Lu; Sun, Yi; Politis, Constantinus

2016-11-01

Currently, oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) still poses a significant challenge for surgeons due to the anatomic complexity and limited field of view of the oral cavity. With the great development of computer technologies, he computer-aided surgery has been widely used for minimizing the risks and improving the precision of surgery. Areas covered: The major goal of this paper is to provide a comprehensive reference source of current and future development of computer-aided OMFS including surgical planning, simulation and navigation for relevant researchers. Expert commentary: Compared with the traditional OMFS, computer-aided OMFS overcomes the disadvantage that the treatment on the region of anatomically complex maxillofacial depends almost exclusively on the experience of the surgeon.

GIS-aided low flow mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saghafian, B.; Mohammadi, A.

2003-04-01

Most studies involving water resources allocation, water quality, hydropower generation, and allowable water withdrawal and transfer require estimation of low flows. Normally, frequency analysis on at-station D-day low flow data is performed to derive various T-yr return period values. However, this analysis is restricted to the location of hydrometric stations where the flow discharge is measured. Regional analysis is therefore conducted to relate the at-station low flow quantiles to watershed characteristics. This enables the transposition of low flow quantiles to ungauged sites. Nevertheless, a procedure to map the regional regression relations for the entire stream network, within the bounds of the relations, is particularly helpful when one studies and weighs alternative sites for certain water resources project. In this study, we used a GIS-aided procedure for low flow mapping in Gilan province, part of northern region in Iran. Gilan enjoys a humid climate with an average of 1100 mm annual precipitation. Although rich in water resources, the highly populated area is quite dependent on minimum amount of water to sustain the vast rice farming and to maintain required flow discharge for quality purposes. To carry out the low flow analysis, a total of 36 hydrometric stations with sufficient and reliable discharge data were identified in the region. The average area of the watersheds was 250 sq. km. Log Pearson type 3 was found the best distribution for flow durations over 60 days, while log normal fitted well the shorter duration series. Low flows with return periods of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 year were then computed. Cluster analysis identified two homogeneous areas. Although various watershed parameters were examined in factor analysis, the results showed watershed area, length of the main stream, and annual precipitation were the most effective low flow parameters. The regression equations were then mapped with the aid of GIS based on flow accumulation maps

Cancer as a cause of death among people with AIDS in the United States

PubMed Central

Simard, Edgar P.; Engels, Eric A.

2010-01-01

Background People with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), are at increased risk for cancer. Highly active antiretroviral therapy [(HAART), widely available since 1996] has resulted in dramatic declines in AIDS-related deaths. Methods We evaluated cancer as a cause of death in a U.S. registry-based cohort of 83,282 people with AIDS (1980–2006). Causes of death due to AIDS-defining cancers (ADCs) and non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs) were assessed. We evaluated mortality rates and the fraction of deaths due to cancer. Poisson regression assessed rates according to calendar year of AIDS onset. Results Overall mortality declined from 302 (1980–1989), to 140 (1990–1995), to 29 per 1,000 person-years (1996–2006). ADC mortality declined from 2.95 (1980–1989) to 0.65 per 1,000 person-years (1996–2006) (P<0.01), but the fraction of ADC-deaths increased from 1.05% to 2.47%, due to declines in other AIDS-related deaths. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma was the commonest cancer-related cause of death (36% during 1996–2006). Likewise, NADC mortality declined from 2.21 to 0.84 per 1,000 person-years (1980–1989 vs. 1996–2006, P<0.05), but the fraction of NADC-deaths increased to 3.16% during 1996–2006. Lung cancer was the most common NADC cause of death (21% of cancer-related deaths in 1996–2006). Conclusions Cancer mortality declined in the HAART era, but due to declining mortality from AIDS, cancers account for a growing fraction of deaths. Improved cancer prevention and treatment, particularly for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and lung cancer, would reduce mortality among people with AIDS. PMID:20825305

Retrospective indexing (RI) - A computer-aided indexing technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buchan, Ronald L.

1990-01-01

An account is given of a method for data base-updating designated 'computer-aided indexing' (CAI) which has been very efficiently implemented at NASA's Scientific and Technical Information Facility by means of retrospective indexing. Novel terms added to the NASA Thesaurus will therefore proceed directly into both the NASA-RECON aerospace information system and its portion of the ESA-Information Retrieval Service, giving users full access to material thus indexed. If a given term appears in the title of a record, it is given special weight. An illustrative graphic representation of the CAI search strategy is presented.

HIV Testing and HIV/AIDS Treatment Services in Rural Counties in 10 Southern States: Service Provider Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutton, Madeline; Anthony, Monique-Nicole; Vila, Christie; McLellan-Lemal, Eleanor; Weidle, Paul J.

2010-01-01

Context: Forty percent of AIDS cases are reported in the southern United States, the region with the largest proportion of HIV/AIDS cases from rural areas. Data are limited regarding provider perspectives of the accessibility and availability of HIV testing and treatment services in southern rural counties. Purpose: We surveyed providers in the…

Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding HIV/AIDS among senior secondary school students in Fako Division, South West Region, Cameroon.

PubMed

Nubed, Colins Kingoum; Akoachere, Jane-Francis Tatah Kihla

2016-08-22

Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) regarding HIV/AIDS is one of the corner stones in the fight against the disease. Youths are most vulnerable to infection because they engage in risky practices due to a lack of adequate information. Thus, evaluating their KAPs will help in designing appropriate prevention strategies. This study was aimed at assessing the KAPs of senior secondary school students in Fako Division, Cameroon, on HIV/AIDS. This was a cross-sectional study carried out on 464 students aged 13-25 years, selected by systematic quota random sampling from some secondary schools in Fako, from April to June 2014, to evaluate their KAPs regarding HIV/AIDS. Participants were drawn from one secondary school in each of the four health districts in Fako. Pre-tested questionnaires were administered to the students to obtain information about their KAPs on HIV/AIDS. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. All respondents were aware of HIV/AIDS. Sources of information varied, the most common being sex education in school. The majority of participants demonstrated an adequate understanding of HIV transmission and prevention. However, misconceptions about routes of transmission were observed in 3.4 to 23.3 % of respondents. Risky behaviors were found among participants as about 60 % practice safe sex and 40 % reported not to. Up to 196 (42.2 %) respondents had a history of sexual intercourse of which 108 (56.25 %) had used a condom during their last three sexual encounters. About half of the respondents had negative views about HIV infected people. Students with medium (34.3 %) and high (62.1 %) levels of knowledge were more likely to display positive attitudes Although statistically not significant, we found that as knowledge increased the ability of respondents to report safer sex decreased (95 % CI, P = 0.922). Students had a satisfactory level of knowledge on HIV/AIDS prevention. Those with adequate knowledge were more likely to display

Development of a unified web-based national HIV/AIDS information system in China

PubMed Central

Mao, Yurong; Wu, Zunyou; Poundstone, Katharine; Wang, Changhe; Qin, Qianqian; Ma, Ye; Ma, Wei

2010-01-01

Background In the past, many data collection systems were in operation for different HIV/AIDS projects in China. We describe the creation of a unified, web-based national HIV/AIDS information system designed to streamline data collection and facilitate data use. Methods Integration of separate HIV/AIDS data systems was carried out in three phases. Phase 1, from January 2006 to December 2007, involved creating a set of unified data collection forms that took into account existing program needs and the reporting requirements of various international organizations. Phase 2, from January to October 2007, involved creating a web-based platform to host the integrated HIV/AIDS data collection system. Phase 3, from November to December 2007, involved pilot testing the new, integrated system prior to nationwide application. Results Eight web-based data collection subsystems based on one platform began operation on 1 January 2008. These eight subsystems cover: (i) HIV/AIDS case reporting; (ii) HIV testing and counselling; (iii) antiretroviral treatment (ART) for adults; (iv) ART for children; (v) behavioural interventions for high-risk groups; (vi) methadone maintenance treatment; (vii) sentinel and behavioural surveillance; and (viii) local county background information. The system provides real-time data to monitor HIV testing, prevention and treatment programs across the country. Conclusion China’s new unified, web-based HIV/AIDS information system has improved the efficiency of data collection, reporting, analysis and use, as well as data quality and security. It is a powerful tool to support policy making, program evaluation and implementation of the national HIV/AIDS program and, thus, may serve a model for other countries. PMID:21113041

The political context of AIDS-related stigma and knowledge in a South African township community.

PubMed

Forsyth, Brian; Vandormael, Alain; Kershaw, Trace; Grobbelaar, Janis

2008-07-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the presentation of AIDS-related stigma and knowledge within the political context of the South African government's response to the AIDS epidemic. It was during the 2000 - 2004 period that key government officials publicly challenged the orthodox views of HIV/AIDS, with the South African president, Thabo Mbeki, actively positing the primary role of poverty and other socio-economic stressors in the progression of the AIDS epidemic. This discursive position had real-time effects for AIDS policy-making and ultimately delayed the implementation of a national antiretroviral (ARV) rollout programme. Consequently this position was criticised by commentators in the media and elsewhere for contributing to an already widespread climate of AIDS stigmatization and misinformation. To shed more light on these claims we conducted a survey in 2005 in Atteridgeville, a South African township, and compared results with those of a similar survey conducted shortly after ARV medications became available in 2004. Results indicated a reduction in AIDS stigma levels across the 1-year period, and that those participants who endorsed contentious political views (such as those expressed by key government officials) were more likely to have a higher level of AIDS-related stigma than those who disagreed. Nevertheless, this study cautions against drawing a causal relationship between the South African government's position and IDS-stigmatizing attitudes, and suggests that further political and social factors be accounted for in an attempt to gain a fuller understanding of this seemingly complex relationship.

Wisconsin's Aid to Families with Dependent Children and Child Support Enforcement Programs Could Be Improved.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC.

This report from the General Accounting Office reviews selected aspects of Wisconsin's Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program. Chapter 1 describes AFDC and specifies the scope of the program review. In Chapter 2 the potential for increasing child support collections from parents is explored. Actions which could increase collections…

College Students and AIDS: AIDS Communication and Involvement Effects on Sexual Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Randy; McCain, Thomas

The purpose of this study was to describe college students' AIDS communication and explore the relationships between AIDS communication, involvement, and sexual behavior. A non-random sample of 334 college students was surveyed. AIDS message discrimination and multiple indicators of involvement were tested for associations with sexual behavior…

AIDS-related stigma and social interaction: Puerto Ricans living with HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Varas-Díaz, Nelson; Serrano-García, Irma; Toro-Alfonso, José

2005-02-01

People living with HIV/AIDS are stigmatized. Although personal and social consequences of this stigmatization have been documented, research regarding its impact on social interactions is scarce. Latinos, and Puerto Ricans in particular, have voiced concern regarding AIDS stigma. The authors investigated the key role of social interaction in the process of stigmatization through in-depth, semistructured interviews in a sample of 30 Puerto Ricans living with HIV/AIDS. Participants reported instances in which AIDS stigma negatively influenced social interactions with family, friends, sexual partners, coworkers, and health professionals. Some of the consequences they described were loss of social support, persecution, isolation, job loss, and problems accessing health services. Findings support the need for interventions to address AIDS stigma and its consequences.

Decision aids for patients.

PubMed

Lenz, Matthias; Buhse, Susanne; Kasper, Jürgen; Kupfer, Ramona; Richter, Tanja; Mühlhauser, Ingrid

2012-06-01

Patients want to be more involved in medical decision-making. To this end, some decision aids are now available. We present an overview of this subject, in which we explain the terms "shared decision-making", "decision aid", and "evidence-based patient information" and survey information on the available decision aids in German and other languages on the basis of a literature search in MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycInfo and a current Cochrane Review. We also searched the Internet for providers of decision aids in Germany. Decision aids exist in the form of brochures, decision tables, videos, and computer programs; they address various topics in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. They typically contain information on the advantages and disadvantages of the available options, as well as guidance for personal decision-making. They can be used alone or as a part of structured counseling or patient education. Minimal quality standards include an adequate evidence base, completeness, absence of bias, and intelligibility. Our search revealed 12 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of decision aids in German and 106 RCTs of decision aids in other languages. These trials studied the outcome of the use of decision aids not just with respect to clinical developments, but also with respect to patient knowledge, adherence to treatment regimens, satisfaction, involvement in decision-making, autonomy preference, and decisional conflicts. Only a small fraction of the available decision aids were systematically developed and have been subjected to systematic evaluation. Patients are still not receiving the help in decision-making to which medical ethics entitles them. Structures need to be put in place for the sustainable development, evaluation and implementation of high-quality decision aids.

AIDS, drugs and history.

PubMed

Berridge, V

1992-03-01

This paper analyses the relationship of history to two current and inter-related policy issues, AIDS and drugs. AIDS, in particular in its early years, was a disease surrounded by history; and historians and others actively brought the 'lesson of history' into the public debates. Cholera and the Black Death provided historical examples of reactions to past epidemic disease; and the record of voluntarism in Britain in the area of sexually transmitted diseases was used to justify a non-punitive response to AIDS. As the perception of AIDS has changed from epidemic to chronic disease, as reactions to the disease have become 'normalized', so the type of historical input has also altered. The 'lesson of history' approach has appeared less relevant, or has changed focus to encompass chronic--TB, multiple sclerosis--rather than epidemic disease. The concept of AIDS itself as an historic event, of the 'contemporary history' of AIDS has also come to the fore. The paper contrasts the relationship of AIDS and history with the historical reaction to the particular impact of AIDS on drug policy. The policy reaction to illicit drugs has been historically conscious, in particular in the 1960's. But little of this historical perspective filtered into the reaction to AIDS on drug policy. Drugs, unlike AIDS, was not an open policy arena. The paper argues that overall drug policy objectives were already clear and it suited no policy interest to call on the historical record. The achievement of established policy objectives was better achieved by an emphasis on the newness of development, a response to potentially epidemic and unusual circumstances.

Financial Aid.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graves, Mary A.

This workbook assists college and vocational school bound American Indian students in determining their financial needs and in locating sources of financial aid. A checklist helps students assess the state of their knowledge of financial programs; a glossary defines terms pertinent to the realm of financial aid (i.e., graduate study programs,…

Evaluation of bone mineral density in Iranian HIV/AIDS patients.

PubMed

Badie, Banafsheh Moradmand; Soori, Tahereh; Kheirandish, Parastoo; Izadyar, Saeed; SeyedAlinagh, SeyedAhmad; Foroughi, Maryam; Rostamian, Alireza; Mohraz, Minoo

2011-01-01

Bone disorders have emerged as a worrisome complication in HIV-infected patients in recent years. It is not clear that HIV infection itself or antiretroviral treatment or both are causes of bone loss. However, most studies have found a high prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis in HIV/AIDS patients. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis in HIV-infected patients either untreated or receiving Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy as compared with HIV negative persons. We also assessed the factors associated with these conditions. Bone Mineral Density was assessed by Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry scans at the hip and lumbar spine in 36 AIDS patients receiving antiretroviral therapy and 44 HIV infected patients not receiving antiretroviral therapy (naïve patients) and 40 HIV negative individuals as control. Factors that affect BMD were also determined. Prevalence of osteopenia or osteoporosis in different regions was significantly higher in HIV/AIDS patients compared with HIV negative subjects (77.3% in HIV positive naïve patients, 86.1% in HAART-treated patients and 60% in the control group, P=0.002). Mean serum alkaline phosphatase was higher in HIV/AIDS patients than the control group (P=0.003). Osteopenia and osteoporosis in HIV-infected patients were associated with duration of HIV infection (P<0.0001) and antiretroviral treatment (P=0.012). Prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis in HIV/AIDS patients was higher than HIV negative individuals. Osteopenia and osteoporosis in HIV/AIDS patients was associated with duration of HIV infection and antiretroviral treatment.

Response of parents to learning that their child is homosexual and concern over AIDS: a national study.

PubMed

Robinson, B E; Walters, L H; Skeen, P

1989-01-01

This study was a survey of 402 parents of gay and lesbian children from the northeastern, southern, midwestern, and western regions of the United States. Of particular interest was parental response to the knowledge of their child's homosexuality and the AIDS outbreak. Although parents suffered emotional upset upon learning of their children's homosexuality, many progressed through a five-stage grief process that ended with acceptance. Fear of the spread of AIDS, that their offspring might contract AIDS, or that their child might suffer from the backlash related to AIDS were concerns for most parents. Attitudes toward AIDS were not very different between mothers and fathers. However, older parents were more likely to have more positive attitudes toward AIDS than younger parents, and liberal parents were more likely to have a more positive outlook than their conservative counterparts.

Severe Bleeding: First Aid

MedlinePlus

... 12, 2017. Jevon P, et al. Part 5 — First-aid treatment for severe bleeding. Nursing Times. 2008;104:26. Oct. 19, 2017 Original article: http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-severe-bleeding/basics/ART-20056661 . Mayo ...

Fractures (Broken Bones): First Aid

MedlinePlus

First aid Fractures (broken bones) Fractures (broken bones): First aid By Mayo Clinic Staff A fracture is a ... 10, 2018 Original article: http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-fractures/basics/ART-20056641 . Mayo Clinic ...

Design and operation of the national home health aide survey: 2007-2008.

PubMed

Bercovitz, Anita; Moss, Abigail J; Sengupta, Manisha; Harris-Kojetin, Lauren D; Squillace, Marie R; Emily, Rosenoff; Branden, Laura

2010-03-01

This report provides an overview of the National Home Health Aide Survey (NHHAS), the first national probability survey of home health aides. NHHAS was designed to provide national estimates of home health aides who provided assistance in activities of daily living (ADLs) and were directly employed by agencies that provide home health and/or hospice care. This report discusses the need for and objectives of the survey, the design process, the survey methods, and data availability. METHODS NHHAS, a multistage probability sample survey, was conducted as a supplement to the 2007 National Home and Hospice Care Survey (NHHCS). Agencies providing home health and/or hospice care were sampled, and then aides employed by these agencies were sampled and interviewed by telephone. Survey topics included recruitment, training, job history, family life, client relations, work-related injuries, and demographics. NHHAS was virtually identical to the 2004 National Nursing Assistant Survey of certified nursing assistants employed in sampled nursing homes with minor changes to account for differences in workplace environment and responsibilities. RESULTS From September 2007 to April 2008, interviews were completed with 3,416 aides. A public-use data file that contains the interview responses, sampling weights, and design variables is available. The NHHAS overall response rate weighted by the inverse of the probability of selection was 41 percent. This rate is the product of the weighted first-stage agency response rate of 57 percent (i.e., weighted response rate of 59 percent for agency participation in NHHCS times the weighted response rate of 97 percent for agencies participating in NHHCS that also participated in NHHAS) and the weighted second-stage aide response rate of 72 percent to NHHAS.

Healthy competition drives success in results-based aid: Lessons from the Salud Mesoamérica Initiative.

PubMed

El Bcheraoui, Charbel; Palmisano, Erin B; Dansereau, Emily; Schaefer, Alexandra; Woldeab, Alexander; Moradi-Lakeh, Maziar; Salvatierra, Benito; Hernandez-Prado, Bernardo; Mokdad, Ali H

2017-01-01

The Salud Mesoamérica Initiative (SMI) is a three-operation strategy, and is a pioneer in the world of results-based aid (RBA) in terms of the success it has achieved in improving health system inputs following its initial operation. This success in meeting pre-defined targets is rare in the world of financial assistance for health. We investigated the influential aspects of SMI that could have contributed to its effectiveness in improving health systems, with the aim of providing international donors, bilateral organizations, philanthropies, and recipient countries with new perspectives that can help increase the effectiveness of future assistance for health, specifically in the arena of RBA. Qualitative methods based on the criteria of relevance and effectiveness proposed by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Our methods included document review, key informant interviews, a focus group discussion, and a partnership analysis. A purposive sample of 113 key informants, comprising donors, representatives from the Inter-American Development Bank, ministries of health, technical assistance organizations, evaluation organizations, and health care providers. During May-October 2016, we interviewed regarding the relevance and effectiveness of SMI. Themes emerged relative to the topics we investigated, and covered the design and the drivers of success of the initiative. The success is due to 1) the initiative's regional approach, which pressured recipient countries to compete toward meeting targets, 2) a robust and flexible design that incorporated the richness of input from stakeholders at all levels, 3) the design-embedded evaluation component that created a culture of accountability among recipient countries, and 4) the reflective knowledge environment that created a culture of evidence-based decision-making. A regional approach involving all appropriate stakeholders, and based on knowledge sharing and

Teaching AIDS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tonks, Douglas

This book presents a curriculum to educate students about the risk of AIDS and HIV infection. The opening chapters of the book presents a discussion of: how teachers can create an environment of support for an AIDS education program; the political and educational implications of winning principal, district, and parental support for an AIDS…

Exploring Your Sense of Smell. Science Study Aid No. 10.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boeschen, John; And Others

This Science Study Aid (SSA), structured for grade levels 7-9, is based on work of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) conducted at the Western Regional Research Center in Berkeley, California. It is concerned with food aroma, its intensity and character, and olfactory threshold determinations. The SSA provides…

Computer Aided Detection of Breast Masses in Digital Tomosynthesis

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

the suspicious CAD location were extracted. For the second set, 256x256 ROIs representing the - 8 - summed slab of 5 slices (5 mm) were extracted...region hotelling observer, digital tomosynthesis, multi-slice CAD algorithms, biopsy 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT 18...developing computer-aided detection ( CAD ) tools for mammography. Although these tools have shown promise in identifying calcifications, detecting

The Performance-Perceptual Test (PPT) and its relationship to aided reported handicap and hearing aid satisfaction.

PubMed

Saunders, Gabrielle H; Forsline, Anna

2006-06-01

significant predictors of scores on the HHIE/A such that greater reported handicap is associated with underestimating hearing ability, poorer aided ability to understand speech in noise, and being younger. Scores on the Satisfaction with Amplification in Daily Life were not well explained by the PPT, age, or audiometric thresholds. When individuals were grouped by their HHIE/A scores, it was seen that individuals who report more handicap than expected based on their audiometric thresholds, have a more negative PPDIS, i.e., underestimate their hearing ability, relative to individuals who report expected handicap, who in turn have a more negative PPDIS than individuals who report less handicap than expected. No such patterns were apparent for the Performance SRTN. The study showed the PPT to be a reliable outcome measure that can provide more information than a performance measure and/or a questionnaire measure alone, in that the PPDIS can provide the clinician with an explanation for discrepant objective and subjective reports of hearing difficulties. The finding that self-reported handicap is affected independently by both actual ability to hear and the (mis)perception of ability to hear underscores the difficulty clinicians encounter when trying to interpret outcomes questionnaires. We suggest that this variable should be measured and taken into account when interpreting questionnaires and counseling patients.

The politics of AIDS.

PubMed

1990-02-01

The are political and religious attitudes toward acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) that should be prohibited from effecting policies to prevent and combat it. Some governments do not wish to admit the presence of AIDS which reflects the type of society there, and some churches oppose the use of condoms. There is also an argument about whether AIDS originated in East Africa or in California, where it appeared and spread at about the same time. Zaire does not monitor or report AIDS although, with 300 cases, it is probably the most affected country in Africa, followed by Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. Most African medical services don't have adequate personnel. Many African doctors leave their countries for better opportunities elsewhere. These problems lead the outside world to think governments are attempting cover up or withhold information on AIDS cases. In Zambia it is estimated that 7 % of rural and 10% of urban adult males are HIV positive. Numbers in the army could be as high as 20%. There have been efforts to control or withhold this information, although, the president has led an open policy approach since his son's death from AIDS. Mozambique and Angola are at war: statistics on AIDS are not being gathered there while conditions encouraging the spread of AIDS proceed unchecked. In Namibia, there have been only 6 confirmed cases of AIDS but doctors estimate at least 50-100 persons are infected. These cases are located in Caprivi which is close to the Zambian and Zimbabwean borders. It is evident that political views should not divert attention from the medical treatment of AIDS, and the public must insist on safe methods such as condom use, to prevent its spread.

Corruption and oil exploration: expert agreement about the prevention of HIV/AIDS in the Niger Delta of Nigeria

PubMed Central

Udoh, Isidore A.; Stammen, Ronald M.; Mantell, Joanne E.

2008-01-01

The Niger Delta, according to the Nigerian Ministry of Health, has a disproportionately high HIV infection rate, which is double the national average. The United Nations Development Program attributes the spiraling HIV infection rate in the region to poverty, migration and gender inequality. This paper examines two complementary suppositions: Is the high prevalence of HIV in the Niger Delta related to incompetent leadership and corruption? Is it related to the negative effects of oil exploration in the region? Currently, there is a dearth of research on the effectiveness of government programs or the role of the oil industry on the impact of AIDS in Nigeria. To address this gap, we conducted a survey with 27 internationally renowned experts from diverse disciplines using a three-round modified Delphi to formulate consensus about the impact of weak governance and oil corruption on AIDS in the Niger Delta. Results from the Delphi suggest that these factors and others have exacerbated the transmission of HIV in the region. To mitigate the impact of AIDS in the region, efforts to engage oil companies in implementing HIV prevention programs as part of their corporate environmental responsibility to the community are urgently needed. PMID:17906312

Corruption and oil exploration: expert agreement about the prevention of HIV/AIDS in the Niger Delta of Nigeria.

PubMed

Udoh, Isidore A; Stammen, Ronald M; Mantell, Joanne E

2008-08-01

The Niger Delta, according to the Nigerian Ministry of Health, has a disproportionately high HIV infection rate, which is double the national average. The United Nations Development Program attributes the spiraling HIV infection rate in the region to poverty, migration and gender inequality. This paper examines two complementary suppositions: Is the high prevalence of HIV in the Niger Delta related to incompetent leadership and corruption? Is it related to the negative effects of oil exploration in the region? Currently, there is a dearth of research on the effectiveness of government programs or the role of the oil industry on the impact of AIDS in Nigeria. To address this gap, we conducted a survey with 27 internationally renowned experts from diverse disciplines using a three-round modified Delphi to formulate consensus about the impact of weak governance and oil corruption on AIDS in the Niger Delta. Results from the Delphi suggest that these factors and others have exacerbated the transmission of HIV in the region. To mitigate the impact of AIDS in the region, efforts to engage oil companies in implementing HIV prevention programs as part of their corporate environmental responsibility to the community are urgently needed.

Robot-Aided Neurorehabilitation

PubMed Central

Krebs, Hermano Igo; Hogan, Neville; Aisen, Mindy L.; Volpe, Bruce T.

2009-01-01

Our goal is to apply robotics and automation technology to assist, enhance, quantify, and document neurorehabilitation. This paper reviews a clinical trial involving 20 stroke patients with a prototype robot-aided rehabilitation facility developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, (MIT) and tested at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, White Plains, NY. It also presents our approach to analyze kinematic data collected in the robot-aided assessment procedure. In particular, we present evidence 1) that robot-aided therapy does not have adverse effects, 2) that patients tolerate the procedure, and 3) that peripheral manipulation of the impaired limb may influence brain recovery. These results are based on standard clinical assessment procedures. We also present one approach using kinematic data in a robot-aided assessment procedure. PMID:9535526

The Treatment of Snake Bites in a First Aid Setting: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Avau, Bert; Borra, Vere; Vandekerckhove, Philippe; De Buck, Emmy

2016-10-01

The worldwide burden of snakebite is high, especially in remote regions with lesser accessibility to professional healthcare. Therefore, adequate first aid for snakebite is of the utmost importance. A wide range of different first aid techniques have been described in literature, and are being used in practice. This systematic review aimed to summarize the best available evidence concerning effective and feasible first aid techniques for snakebite. A systematic literature screening, performed independently by two authors in the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and Embase resulted in 14 studies, fulfilling our predefined selection criteria, concerning first aid techniques for snakebite management. Data was extracted and the body of evidence was appraised according to the GRADE approach. The pressure immobilization technique was identified as the only evidence-based first aid technique with effectiveness on venom spread. However, additional studies suggest that proper application of this technique is not feasible for laypeople. Evidence concerning other first aid measures, such as the application of a tourniquet, suggests avoiding the use of these techniques. The practical recommendation for the treatment of snakebite in a first aid setting is to immobilize the victim, while awaiting the emergency services. However, given the low to very low quality of the data collected, high quality randomized controlled trials concerning the efficacy and feasibility of different variations of the pressure immobilization technique are warranted.

AIDS-MEDICOLEGAL ASPECTS.

PubMed

Kotabagi, R B; Pathak, P R; Apte, V V

1999-04-01

AIDS/HIV Positivity has been the most widely debated disease of this century. Reasons for this are manifold, viz-the non-availability of cure and consequent 100% mortality of a full blown case; its mode of transmission-homosexual and heterosexual activities; widespread occurrence amongst 'main liners'; and patients receiving blood and blood products etc. These aspects have created a dreaded halo around AIDS as well as social stigma. Even the medical community is not exempt from these problems. Unfortunately, legislatures around the world, more so in India, have lagged behind in clarifying many legal issues involved by not enacting specific laws pertaining to AIDS. Consequently many legal & ethical doubts arise in the minds of doctors when confronted with a case of AIDS either in a live patient or in a dead body. In addition, the disease being incurable & 100% fatal, makes it essential to adopt effective preventive measures which in turn need thorough knowledge of social aspects of the epidemic. Certain medicolegal, and ethical aspects of the problem of AIDS are recapitulated in this article for the benefit of the medical community.

We are all people living with AIDS: myths and realities of AIDS in Brazil.

PubMed

Daniel, H

1991-01-01

Although AIDS was expected in Brazil, no serious efforts were undertaken to prevent AIDS from taking root. Irresponsible press and media coverage highlighted the spread of AIDS within the gay community of the United States, creating an aura of immunity in Brazil to what was characterized as a "foreign" disorder. When AIDS did surface in 1983, the official response was to adopt an abstract, inappropriate, and ideological "Western" model, in which only stigmatized "others" and "minorities" were at risk of HIV infection. Brazilian health authorities subsequently downplayed the significance of the sale of contaminated blood in HIV transmission, and likewise ignored the rising rates of AIDS among Brazil's one unarguable majority group: the poor. An analysis of efforts to force the "facts" of AIDS to fit a false model's predictions leads to a clearer definition of the broader context of the Brazilian epidemic: we all are people living with AIDS, precisely because we live in this age of AIDS; it is sheer folly to discriminate against persons infected by HIV and to obstruct their participation in efforts to curtail the epidemic's spread; and the necessary response to AIDS is solidarity, not because it is poetic, but because no other response will suffice.

Cell Cycle Regulates Nuclear Stability of AID and Determines the Cellular Response to AID

PubMed Central

Le, Quy; Maizels, Nancy

2015-01-01

AID (Activation Induced Deaminase) deaminates cytosines in DNA to initiate immunoglobulin gene diversification and to reprogram CpG methylation in early development. AID is potentially highly mutagenic, and it causes genomic instability evident as translocations in B cell malignancies. Here we show that AID is cell cycle regulated. By high content screening microscopy, we demonstrate that AID undergoes nuclear degradation more slowly in G1 phase than in S or G2-M phase, and that mutations that affect regulatory phosphorylation or catalytic activity can alter AID stability and abundance. We directly test the role of cell cycle regulation by fusing AID to tags that destabilize nuclear protein outside of G1 or S-G2/M phases. We show that enforced nuclear localization of AID in G1 phase accelerates somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination, and is well-tolerated; while nuclear AID compromises viability in S-G2/M phase cells. We identify AID derivatives that accelerate somatic hypermutation with minimal impact on viability, which will be useful tools for engineering genes and proteins by iterative mutagenesis and selection. Our results further suggest that use of cell cycle tags to regulate nuclear stability may be generally applicable to studying DNA repair and to engineering the genome. PMID:26355458

Representing AIDS in Comics.

PubMed

Czerwiec, M K

2018-02-01

Matthew P. McAllister wrote: "Comic books can and have contributed positively to the discourse about AIDS: images that encourage true education, understanding and compassion can help cope with a biomedical condition which has more than a biomedical relevance" [1]. With this in mind, I combined a 23-narrator oral history and my personal memoir about an inpatient Chicago AIDS hospital unit in my book, Taking Turns: Stories from HIV/AIDS Care Unit 371. In doing so, I built upon the existing rich history of HIV/AIDS in comics, which this article will briefly describe. Although not a comprehensive review of the intersection of AIDS and comics, the book is a tour through influences that proved useful to me. In addition, in making my book, I faced a distinct ethical issue with regard to representing patient experiences with HIV/AIDS, and I describe here how I addressed it. © 2018 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

AIDS: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

PubMed Central

Gilmore, N. J.; Beaulieu, R.; Steben, M.; Laverdière, M.

1983-01-01

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, is a new illness that occurs in previously healthy individuals. It is characterized by immunodeficiency, opportunistic infections and unusual malignant diseases. Life-threatening single or multiple infections with viruses, mycobacteria, fungi or protozoa are common. A rare neoplasm, Kaposi's sarcoma, has developed in approximately one third of patients with AIDS. More than 800 cases of AIDS have been reported in North America, over 24 of them in Canada. The majority of patients are male homosexuals, although AIDS has also developed in abusers of intravenously administered drugs, Haitian immigrants, individuals with hemophilia, recipients of blood transfusions, prostitutes, and infants, spouses and partners of patients with AIDS. The cause of AIDS is unknown, but the features are consistent with an infectious process. Early diagnosis can be difficult owing to the nonspecific symptoms and signs of the infections and malignant diseases. Therefore, vigilance by physicians is of utmost importance. PMID:6342737

AIDS: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome *

PubMed Central

Gilmore, N.J.; Beaulieu, R.; Steben, M.; Laverdière, M.

1992-01-01

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, is a new illness that occurs in previously healthy individuals. It is characterized by immunodeficiency, opportunistic infections and unusual malignant diseases. Life-threatening single or multiple infections with viruses, mycobacteria, fungi or protozoa are common. A rare neoplasm, Kaposi's sarcoma, has developed in approximately one third of patients with AIDS. More than 800 cases of AIDS have been reported in North America, over 24 of them in Canada. The majority of patients are male homosexuals, although AIDS has also developed in abusers of intravenously administered drugs, Haitian immigrants, individuals with hemophilia, recipients of blood transfusions, prostitutes, and infants, spouses and partners of patients with AIDS. The cause of AIDS is unknown, but the features are consistent with an infectious process. Early diagnosis can be difficult owing to the nonspecific symptoms and signs of the infections and malignant diseases. Therefore, vigilance by physicians is of the utmost importance. PMID:1544049

Kinetics of silver release from microfuel with taking into account the limited-solubility effect

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ivanov, A. S., E-mail: asi.kiae@gmail.com; Rusinkevich, A. A., E-mail: rusinkevich_andr@mail.ru

2014-12-15

The effect of a limited solubility of silver in silicon carbide on silver release from a microfuel with a TRISO coating is studied. It is shown that a limited solubility affects substantially both concentration profiles and silver release from a microfuel over a broad range of temperatures. A procedure is developed for obtaining fission-product concentration profiles in a microfuel and graphs representing the flow and integrated release of fission products on the basis of data from neutron-physics calculations and results obtained by calculating thermodynamics with the aid of the Ivtanthermo code and kinetics with the aid of the FP-Kinetics code.more » This procedure takes into account a limited solubility of fission products in protective coatings of microfuel.« less

AIDS:Information on Global Dimensions and Possible Impacts. Fact Sheet to the Honorable Jesse Helms, U.S. Senate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC.

Information is provided on the impact of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) on world population and demographics and the likely effects of AIDS on Zaire. The views of United States and World Health Organization (WHO) officials were obtained on regional differences in the incidence and natural…

AIDS, Metaphor and Ritual: The Crafting of Care in Rural South African Childhoods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, Patricia C

2013-01-01

Based on a two-year study of 31 young people aged 14-20 who had lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS, in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, the article draws on an in-depth ethnographic account of a 17-year-old girl's life process. It traces forms of care between adults and children within her family across several generations, exploring how…

FAMILIES' RESPONSE TO AIDS: NEW INSIGHTS INTO PARENTAL ROLES IN FOSTERING HIV/AIDS KNOWLEDGE.

PubMed

Dimbuene, Zacharie Tsala

2015-11-01

Worldwide, there is a consensus that parents must be involved in children's HIV/AIDS education. However, there is little evidence that speaks to this advocacy for improving adolescent health. This study developed and tested four hypotheses about (i) the relationship between parents' and adolescents' knowledge of HIV/AIDS transmission routes and prevention strategies conditional upon (ii) parents' gender, (iii) communication about sexuality, and (iv) the parent-adolescent education gap. The sample consisted of 306 parent-adolescent dyads from the 2002 Cameroon Family and Health Survey. Adolescents were aged 12-19 years. Overall, fifteen items about HIV/AIDS transmission routes and prevention strategies were analysed. Descriptive results showed that parents fared better than adolescents regardless of the AIDS fact considered. An exception was the correct use of condoms (parents 57% vs adolescents 61%). The generation gap probably explains this result: parents are more conservative, reluctant and distant from condoms compared with adolescents, who are more receptive and open to discussing sex with peers. Multivariate ordered logistic regressions showed a significant positive effect of parents' HIV/AIDS knowledge on adolescents' HIV/AIDS knowledge, thus supporting the main hypothesis of direct parental influences. Parent-adolescent communication about sexuality showed positive and significant effects on adolescents' HIV/AIDS knowledge, suggesting an 'enhancing effect' when combined with the effect of parents' HIV/AIDS knowledge. Against the background that parents in sub-Saharan Africa do not teach their children about sexuality, the study demonstrated that families can play an important role in HIV/AIDS education. These findings have major implications for HIV/AIDS interventions involving adolescents, parents or both, in fostering accurate HIV/AIDS knowledge among adolescents, which could lead to protective sexual behaviours.

Body region dissatisfaction predicts attention to body regions on other women.

PubMed

Lykins, Amy D; Ferris, Tamara; Graham, Cynthia A

2014-09-01

The proliferation of "idealized" (i.e., very thin and attractive) women in the media has contributed to increasing rates of body dissatisfaction among women. However, it remains relatively unknown how women attend to these images: does dissatisfaction predict greater or lesser attention to these body regions on others? Fifty healthy women (mean age=21.8 years) viewed images of idealized and plus-size models; an eye-tracker recorded visual attention. Participants also completed measures of satisfaction for specific body regions, which were then used as predictors of visual attention to these regions on models. Consistent with an avoidance-type process, lower levels of satisfaction with the two regions of greatest reported concern (mid, lower torso) predicted less attention to these regions; greater satisfaction predicted more attention to these regions. While this visual attention bias may aid in preserving self-esteem when viewing idealized others, it may preclude the opportunity for comparisons that could improve self-esteem. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Illicit Drug Use and the Social Context of HIV/AIDS in Alabama's Black Belt

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lichtenstein, Bronwen

2007-01-01

Context: The rural Black Belt of Alabama is among the poorest areas of the nation. Poverty, lack of health infrastructure, and health disparities involving HIV/AIDS and other diseases reflect the lower life expectancy of people in the region. The Black Belt region has the highest HIV rates in rural America. Purpose: Using Alabama as a case…

Research and reform are priorities for South Africa's new AIDS chiefs.

PubMed

Hambridge, M

1995-06-01

Beginning her political career as vice-president of the South Africa Students' Organization, Dr. Nkosazana Zuma has recently been appointed Minister of Health of South Africa. Zuma's appointment reflects her prominent role as an African National Congress (ANC) activist during apartheid, as well as her solid credentials and qualifications for the position. Dr. Zuma has been Director of the Health Refugee Trust, a scientist focused mainly upon AIDS at the Medical Research Council, and head of the ANC Women's League in Southern Natal over the period 1991-94. South African President Nelson Mandela has charged her with restructuring a fragmented and mainly urban-based health system so that all South Africans have access to affordable health care. To that end, Minister Zuma has thus far introduced free health care for children under six and for pregnant women, and a primary school nutrition scheme expected to reach four million children. AIDS has been given high priority. A National AIDS Plan has been adopted with regions given help in developing implementation plans. More money as well as private-public sector collaboration are, however, needed to accomplish the goals of the National Plan. Quarraisha Abdool Karim was appointed in January 1995 by Minister Zuma as the first National AIDS Director of the new South Africa. She is committed to reforming the health system and using intervention-based research as the main tool of change. Karim's extensive background in AIDS research, her involvement in the development of the National AIDS Plan, and her reputation as a campaigner for health reform make her an ideal candidate for the job. She helped draft the national AIDS strategy designed to meet the needs of women, and in 1991 helped establish an AIDS plan for KwaZulu/Natal which was subsequently integrated into the National AIDS Committee of South Africa (NACOSA). Karim's research has earned international acclaim. Among others, she also received a grant from the US National

Scorecards and social accountability for improved maternal and newborn health services: A pilot in the Ashanti and Volta regions of Ghana.

PubMed

Blake, Carolyn; Annorbah-Sarpei, Nii Ankonu; Bailey, Claire; Ismaila, Yakubu; Deganus, Sylvia; Bosomprah, Samuel; Galli, Francesco; Clark, Sarah

2016-12-01

With the limited availability of quality emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) in Ghana, and a lack of dialogue on the issue at district level, the Evidence for Action (E4A) program (2011-2015) initiated a pilot intervention using a social accountability approach in two regions of Ghana. Using scorecards to assess and improve maternal and newborn health services, the intervention study evaluated the effectiveness of engaging multiple, health and non-health sector stakeholders at district level to improve the enabling environment for quality EmONC. The quantitative study component comprised two rounds of assessments in 37 health facilities. The qualitative component is based on an independent prospective policy study. Results show a marked growth in a culture of accountability, with heightened levels of community participation, transparency, and improved clarity of lines of accountability among decision-makers. The breadth and type of quality of care improvements were dependent on the strength of community and government engagement in the process, especially in regard to more complex systemic changes. Engaging a broad network of stakeholders to support MNH services has great potential if implemented in ways that are context-appropriate and that build around full collaboration with government and civil society stakeholders. Copyright © 2016 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changes in RNA polymerase II progression influence somatic hypermutation of Ig-related genes by AID

PubMed Central

Kodgire, Prashant; Mukkawar, Priyanka; Ratnam, Sarayu; Martin, Terence E.

2013-01-01

Somatic hypermutation (SHM) of Ig genes is initiated by the activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), and requires target gene transcription. We previously proposed that AID may associate with the RNA polymerase II (Pol). Here, to determine aspects of the transcription process required for SHM, we knocked-in a transcription terminator into an Ig gene variable region in DT40 chicken B cell line. We found that the human β-globin terminator was an efficient inhibitor of downstream transcription in these cells. The terminator reduced mutations downstream of the poly(A) signal, suggesting that the process of transcription is essential for efficient SHM and that AID has better access to its target when Pol is in the elongating rather than terminating mode. Mutations upstream of the poly(A) site were almost doubled in the active terminator clones compared with an inactivated terminator, and this region showed more single-stranded DNA, indicating that Pol pausing assists SHM. Moreover, the nontranscribed DNA strand was the preferred SHM target upstream of the active terminator. Pol pausing during poly(A) site recognition may facilitate persistence of negative supercoils, exposing the coding single strand and possibly allowing the nascent RNA intermittent reannealing with the template strand, for prolonged access of AID. PMID:23752228

Reducing regional vulnerabilities and multi-city robustness conflicts using many-objective optimization under deep uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, Patrick; Trindade, Bernardo; Jonathan, Herman; Harrison, Zeff; Gregory, Characklis

2016-04-01

Emerging water scarcity concerns in southeastern US are associated with several deeply uncertain factors, including rapid population growth, limited coordination across adjacent municipalities and the increasing risks for sustained regional droughts. Managing these uncertainties will require that regional water utilities identify regionally coordinated, scarcity-mitigating strategies that trigger the appropriate actions needed to avoid water shortages and financial instabilities. This research focuses on the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, seeking to engage the water utilities within Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill in cooperative and robust regional water portfolio planning. Prior analysis of this region through the year 2025 has identified significant regional vulnerabilities to volumetric shortfalls and financial losses. Moreover, efforts to maximize the individual robustness of any of the mentioned utilities also have the potential to strongly degrade the robustness of the others. This research advances a multi-stakeholder Many-Objective Robust Decision Making (MORDM) framework to better account for deeply uncertain factors when identifying cooperative management strategies. Results show that the sampling of deeply uncertain factors in the computational search phase of MORDM can aid in the discovery of management actions that substantially improve the robustness of individual utilities as well as the overall region to water scarcity. Cooperative water transfers, financial risk mitigation tools, and coordinated regional demand management must be explored jointly to decrease robustness conflicts between the utilities. The insights from this work have general merit for regions where adjacent municipalities can benefit from cooperative regional water portfolio planning.

Reducing regional vulnerabilities and multi-city robustness conflicts using many-objective optimization under deep uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trindade, B. C.; Reed, P. M.; Herman, J. D.; Zeff, H. B.; Characklis, G. W.

2015-12-01

Emerging water scarcity concerns in southeastern US are associated with several deeply uncertain factors, including rapid population growth, limited coordination across adjacent municipalities and the increasing risks for sustained regional droughts. Managing these uncertainties will require that regional water utilities identify regionally coordinated, scarcity-mitigating strategies that trigger the appropriate actions needed to avoid water shortages and financial instabilities. This research focuses on the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, seeking to engage the water utilities within Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill in cooperative and robust regional water portfolio planning. Prior analysis of this region through the year 2025 has identified significant regional vulnerabilities to volumetric shortfalls and financial losses. Moreover, efforts to maximize the individual robustness of any of the mentioned utilities also have the potential to strongly degrade the robustness of the others. This research advances a multi-stakeholder Many-Objective Robust Decision Making (MORDM) framework to better account for deeply uncertain factors when identifying cooperative management strategies. Results show that the sampling of deeply uncertain factors in the computational search phase of MORDM can aid in the discovery of management actions that substantially improve the robustness of individual utilities as well as of the overall region to water scarcity. Cooperative water transfers, financial risk mitigation tools, and coordinated regional demand management should be explored jointly to decrease robustness conflicts between the utilities. The insights from this work have general merit for regions where adjacent municipalities can benefit from cooperative regional water portfolio planning.

Hearing Aid Tester

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

Hearing aids often develop malfunctions that are not detected by the wearer. This is particularly true when the wearers are school-age children. Studies of selected groups showed that from 30 to more than 50 percent of school children were not getting adequate benefit from their hearing aids because of unrecognized malfunctions, usually low or dead batteries. This can be serious because hearing impairment retards a child's educational progress. NASA technology incorporated in the Hearing Aid Malfunction Detection Unit (HAMDU), the device pictured, is expected to provide an effective countermeasure to the childrens' hearing aid problem. A patent license has been awarded to a minority-owned firm, Hopkins International Company, a subsidiary of H. H. Aerospace Design Co., Inc., Elmford, New York. The company plans early commercial availability of its version of the device.

Spectrum of cancer risk late after AIDS onset in the United States.

PubMed

Simard, Edgar P; Pfeiffer, Ruth M; Engels, Eric A

2010-08-09

Persons living with AIDS today remain at elevated cancer risk. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), widely available since 1996, prolongs life, but immune function is not fully restored. We conducted this study to assess long-term cancer risk among persons with AIDS relative to the general population and the impact of HAART on cancer incidence. Records of 263 254 adults and adolescents with AIDS (1980-2004) from 15 US regions were matched to cancer registries to capture incident cancers during years 3 through 5 and 6 through 10 after AIDS onset. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were used to assess risks relative to the general population. Rate ratios (RRs) were used to compare cancer incidence before and after 1996 to assess the impact of availability of HAART. Risk was elevated for the 2 major AIDS-defining cancers: Kaposi sarcoma (SIRs, 5321 and 1347 in years 3-5 and 6-10, respectively) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (SIRs, 32 and 15). Incidence of both malignancies declined in the HAART era (1996-2006). Risk was elevated for all non-AIDS-defining cancers combined (SIRs, 1.7 and 1.6 in years 3-5 and 6-10, respectively) and for the following specific non-AIDS-defining cancers: Hodgkin lymphoma and cancers of the oral cavity and/or pharynx, tongue, anus, liver, larynx, lung and/or bronchus, and penis. Anal cancer incidence increased between 1990-1995 and 1996-2006 (RR, 2.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.1-4.0), as did that of Hodgkin lymphoma (RR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.3-2.9). Among people who survived for several years or more after an AIDS diagnosis, we observed high risks of AIDS-defining cancers and increasing incidence of anal cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma.

Imagining the future: Community perceptions of a family-based economic empowerment intervention for AIDS-orphaned adolescents in Uganda

PubMed Central

Ismayilova, Leyla; Ssewamala, Fred; Mooers, Elizabeth; Nabunya, Proscovia; Sheshadri, Srividya

2012-01-01

AIDS-orphaned children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa have inadequate access to basic services, including health and education. Using a qualitative approach, the study explores the meaning of education in rural Uganda, obstacles faced by AIDS-orphaned adolescents and their caregivers to access secondary education, and the potential of an economic empowerment intervention SEED in addressing the challenges of accessing educational opportunities for AIDS-orphaned adolescents. The findings come from 29 semi-structured interviews conducted with eleven adolescents study participants, four caregivers and fourteen community leaders involved in the pilot SEED intervention. Study participants and community members indicated that the savings accounts offer a unique opportunity for orphaned adolescents to stay in school and imagine the future with optimism. PMID:23543861

Answering Your Questions about AIDS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalichman, Seth C.

This book focuses on AIDS education and answers 350 commonly asked questions about Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) taken from questions addressed to two major urban AIDS hotlines (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Houston, Texas). Chapter 1, "HIV - The Virus That Causes AIDS," discusses: the HIV…

[An investigation of psychological state at different stages of occupational AIDS exposure and related influencing factors in Nanning, China].

PubMed

Lin, Q; Ge, X M; Mo, J C; Li, S S; Chen, C C; Chen, S Y

2016-10-20

Objective: To investigate the changes in psychological state after occupational exposure in the AIDS occupational exposure population and related influencing factors, and to provide baseline data and a basis for related departments to conduct mental health prevention and intervention for personnel with occupational AIDS exposure. Methods: AIDS risk assessment was performed for all personnel with occupational AIDS exposure in 2014 in Nanning, China, and the Symptom Checklist - 90 (SCL - 90) psychological scale was used for psychological state evaluation at 24 hours, 1 week, and 3 months after occupational exposure in all persons who met the research criteria. Results: Most of the persons with occupational AIDS exposure came from secondary and tertiary hospitals (85%) , and nurses accounted for the highest percentage (78.3% ). The age ranged from 21 to 50 years, and the mean age was 31.02 ± 7.92 years. The persons with occupational AIDS exposure aged 20~29 years accounted for the highest percentage (51.6%) , and most persons (76.7%) graduated from junior colleges. Compared with the adult norm, there was significant increases in the total psychological score and the number of positive items after occupational exposure ( P <0.05). The scores of all items at 24 hours were significantly higher than those at the other time points, and the scores of all items gradually decreased over time ( F =227.24, 267.57, and 287.46, P <0.05). Compared with the adult norm, there were significant increases in the factor points at 24 hours and significant reductions in the factor points at 3 months ( P <0.05). Compared with those at 24 hours, the factor scores at 3 months decreased significantly ( P <0.05). Conclusion: Occupational AIDS exposure affects the mental status of related personnel, and the mental status at 24 hours after exposure is poor. Related departments should provide corresponding psychological counseling for the occupational exposure population at different exposure

Annotated Bibliography on School Finance: Policy and Political Issues; Federal Government; State Issues; Non-Public Schools; Accountability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gipson, Joella

Limited to periodical literature, this annotated bibliography on school finance contains 81 references grouped in 5 categories: (1) policy and politica issues, (2) federal government, (3) state issues, (4) aid to nonpublic schools, and (5) accountability. Following the bibliographic citations, annotations range from 4 to 15 lines and conclude by…

Report Says Colleges Bilking Loan Program: A Report from the Government Accountability Office of the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pekow, Charles

2005-01-01

A program designed to provide student aid has spun out of control, becoming a cash cow for colleges and universities. The Department of Education has not adequately controlled the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), according to a recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Originally, traditional lending institutions…

AIDS Education Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horry County Board of Education, Conway, SC.

This curriculum guide was developed, based on sound principles of human growth and development, to present the most recently available information on AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). The curriculum presents information on the known facts about AIDS and the AIDS virus infection. It also addresses the potential for adolescents and adults…

Poisoning first aid

MedlinePlus

... page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007579.htm Poisoning first aid To use the sharing features on this page, ... burns Stupor Unconsciousness (coma) Unusual breath odor Weakness First Aid Seek immediate medical help. For poisoning by swallowing ...

First aid kit

MedlinePlus

... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001958.htm First aid kit To use the sharing features on this ... ahead, you can create a well-stocked home first aid kit. Keep all of your supplies in one ...

Depressive symptoms among older caregivers raising children impacted by HIV/AIDS in the Omusati Region of Namibia.

PubMed

Kalomo, Eveline; Lee, Kyoung Hag; Besthorn, Fred

2017-12-01

The study of depressive symptoms among caregivers raising HIV/AIDS-orphans is emerging as an important area of research. However, it has not been explored at length in generational and cultural contexts. In this study, the authors explore the role of financial strain, raising a HIV-infected and/or impacted child, and caregiver knowledge on the depressive symptoms of 89-older caregivers raising HIV/AIDS-orphans in Namibia, Africa. In this study, we found elevated levels of depressive symptoms among this population. Using hierarchical regression, a significant positive association between financial strain and depressive symptoms was found. A significant negative association between caring for an HIV-infected orphan and depression was shown. Our work suggests the need for economic assistance programs and psychosocial interventions for older caregivers.

Managerial innovation in the hospital: an analysis of the diffusion of hospital cost-accounting systems.

PubMed

Counte, M A; Glandon, G L

1988-01-01

Currently much interest is focused on the uses of cost-accounting systems within the hospital industry. Proponents frequently contend that such systems will help hospitals successfully adapt to new methods of financial reimbursement because they are essential to a number of major management functions, including competitive bidding, cost management, pricing, and profitability assessment. This article reports the results of a study conducted to examine the extent to which hospitals in a major market are actually beginning to use standard cost-accounting systems and identify factors that either aid or hinder the diffusion of these methods. Chief financial officers from 94 hospitals (83 percent response rate) participated in the study during the summer of 1986 where less than half of the hospitals (43 percent) had recently purchased a cost-accounting system. Detailed information about the interface of cost-accounting systems with other application systems and their specific management uses is reported.

The domestication of AIDS: stigma, gender, and the body politic in Japan.

PubMed

Cullinane, Joanne

2007-01-01

In this article, I examine the processes by which AIDS has been "domesticated," and Japanese women stigmatized as vectors of HIV/AIDS, once regarded as a "foreign" disease in Japan. Women are associated with ritual pollution and impurity in the Shinto tradition. At the same time, Japanese women are blamed for eschewing marriage and motherhood in favor of material pursuits. As a sequel to the "AIDS panic" of the 1980s, which centered on "foreign women" and women who dated foreigners, in the late 1990s, the Japanese media incited widespread anxiety over a phenomenon known as enjo kosai, or "compensated dating," in which Japanese teenage girls are said to exchange favors (sometimes sexual) for money with older Japanese men. After describing the social and political conditions making the link between young girls, consumption, and AIDS appear natural in late 1990s Japan, I draw on material from some interviews with HIV-positive women to show how these women are marginalized by narratives that fail to take the particularity and the heterogeneity of their experiences into account. While these women resist the stigma that goes along with being labeled a "sex worker," their stories are drowned out by larger stories that speak of the body politic and national concerns over generation divides, demographic shifts, and gender relations in times of rapid social change.

High expression of AID and active class switch recombination might account for a more aggressive disease in unmutated CLL patients: link with an activated microenvironment in CLL disease.

PubMed

Palacios, Florencia; Moreno, Pilar; Morande, Pablo; Abreu, Cecilia; Correa, Agustín; Porro, Valentina; Landoni, Ana Ines; Gabus, Raul; Giordano, Mirta; Dighiero, Guillermo; Pritsch, Otto; Oppezzo, Pablo

2010-06-03

Interaction of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) B cells with tissue microenvironment has been suggested to favor disease progression by promoting malignant B-cell growth. Previous work has shown expression in peripheral blood (PB) of CLL B cells of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) among CLL patients with an unmutated (UM) profile of immunoglobulin genes and with ongoing class switch recombination (CSR) process. Because AID expression results from interaction with activated tissue microenvironment, we speculated whether the small subset with ongoing CSR is responsible for high levels of AID expression and could be derived from this particular microenvironment. In this work, we quantified AID expression and ongoing CSR in PB of 50 CLL patients and characterized the expression of different molecules related to microenvironment interaction. Our results show that among UM patients (1) high AID expression is restricted to the subpopulation of tumoral cells ongoing CSR; (2) this small subset expresses high levels of proliferation, antiapoptotic and progression markers (Ki-67, c-myc, Bcl-2, CD49d, and CCL3/4 chemokines). Overall, this work outlines the importance of a cellular subset in PB of UM CLL patients with a poor clinical outcome, high AID levels, and ongoing CSR, whose presence might be a hallmark of a recent contact with the microenvironment.

HIV/AIDS reference questions in an AIDS service organization special library.

PubMed

Deevey, Sharon; Behring, Michael

2005-01-01

Librarians in many venues may anticipate a wide range of reference questions related to HIV and AIDS. Information on HIV/ AIDS is now available in medical, academic, and public libraries and on the Internet, and ranges from the most complex science to the most private disclosures about personal behavior. In this article, the 913 reference questions asked between May 2002 and August 2004 in a special library in a mid-western community-based AIDS service organization are described and analyzed.

Computer-aided diagnosis of leukoencephalopathy in children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glass, John O.; Li, Chin-Shang; Helton, Kathleen J.; Reddick, Wilburn E.

2005-04-01

The purpose of this study was to use objective quantitative MR imaging methods to develop a computer-aided diagnosis tool to differentiate white matter (WM) hyperintensities as either leukoencephalopathy (LE) or normal maturational processes in children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia with intravenous high dose methotrexate. A combined imaging set consisting of T1, T2, PD, and FLAIR MR images and WM, gray matter, and cerebrospinal fluid a priori maps from a spatially normalized atlas were analyzed with a neural network segmentation based on a Kohonen Self-Organizing Map. Segmented regions were manually classified to identify the most hyperintense WM region and the normal appearing genu region. Signal intensity differences normalized to the genu within each examination were generated for two time points in 203 children. An unsupervised hierarchical clustering algorithm with the agglomeration method of McQuitty was used to divide data from the first examination into normal appearing or LE groups. A C-support vector machine (C-SVM) was then trained on the first examination data and used to classify the data from the second examination. The overall accuracy of the computer-aided detection tool was 83.5% (299/358) with sensitivity to normal WM of 86.9% (199/229) and specificity to LE of 77.5% (100/129) when compared to the readings of two expert observers. These results suggest that subtle therapy-induced leukoencephalopathy can be objectively and reproducibly detected in children treated for cancer using this computer-aided detection approach based on relative differences in quantitative signal intensity measures normalized within each examination.

Physicians Mutual Aid Group: A Response to AIDS-Related Burnout.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garside, Bruce

1993-01-01

Describes origins and functioning of physician's mutual aid group for physicians providing primary care to people with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Offers suggestions related to overcoming resistance physicians might have to participating in such a group and reviews modalities that were helpful in facilitating participants' ability…

Solidarity and AIDS: introduction.

PubMed

Krieger, N

1991-01-01

Perhaps more than any other disease in recent history, AIDS has taught a cruel and crucial lesson: the constraints on our response to this epidemic are as deep as our denial, as entrenched as the inequities that permeate our society, as circumscribed as our knowledge, and as unlimited as our compassion and our commitment to human rights. Elaborating on these themes, the final three articles in this Special Section on AIDS consider three widely divergent yet intimately connected topics: AIDS in Cuba, AIDS in Brazil, and global AIDS prevention in the 1990s. Together, they caution that if we persist in treating AIDS as a problem only of "others," no country will be spared the social and economic devastation that promises to be the cost of our contempt and our folly. Solidarity is not an option; it is a necessity. Without conscious recognition of the worldwide relationship between health, human rights, and social inequalities, our attempts to abate the spread of AIDS--and to ease the suffering that follows in its wake--most surely will fall short of our goals. Finally, as we mourn our dead, we must take to heart the words of Mother Jones, and "fight like hell for living." This is the politics of survival.

Shock: First Aid

MedlinePlus

... et al., eds. American Medical Association Handbook of First Aid and Emergency Care. New York: Random House; 2009. Accessed July 21, 2017. Piazza GM, et al. First Aid Manual. 3rd ed. London, England; New York, N. ...

Sensory Aids for the Blind.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC. Committee on Prosthetics Research and Development.

The problems of providing sensory aids for the blind are presented and a report on the present status of aids discusses direct translation and recognition reading machines as well as mobility aids. Aspects of required research considered are the following: assessment of needs; vision, audition, taction, and multimodal communication; reading aids,…

Study Guide for First Aid Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thygerson, Alton L.

This study guide is designed to accompany the American National Red Cross texts ADVANCED FIRST AID AND EMERGENCY CARE and STANDARD FIRST AID AND PERSONAL SAFETY. Part one serves as an introduction to first aid. The legal aspects of first aid are discussed along with a list of suggested first aid kit contents, and information on first aid books is…

Opinion of AIAW Coaches toward the Use of Selected Ergogenic Aids.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meylink, Willa D.

The purpose of this survey was to determine the attitude of Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) coaches toward the use of selected ergogenic aids by women intercollegiate athletes. Questionnaires were sent to coaches of certain AIAW National and/or Regional Tournament teams. The general opinion items indicated that the…

Burns first aid treatment in remote Northern Australia.

PubMed

Read, David J; Tan, Swee Chin; Ward, Linda; McDermott, Kathleen

2018-03-01

It is well demonstrated that adequate burns first aid treatment (BFAT) improves clinical outcomes for the injured but adequacy remains low in many studies. This study presents a twelve month assessment of the adequacy of burns first aid treatment for patients managed by the Burns Service, Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH). Prospective study design of all patients managed by the Burns Service, Royal Darwin Hospital. Data were collated from two sources; RDH Burns Registry, and the Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand (BRANZ). Inclusion criterion was all patients managed by the Burns Service, Royal Darwin Hospital for the period 1 January 2014-31 December 2014. Variables collected and analysed include: demographics, burn mechanism, burn wound depth and adequacy of and circumstances around first aid. Overall 310 cases were analysed. Most injuries involved adults (68%), 19% Indigenous persons and 70% of all patients had their burn injury occur in the urban region. Adequate BFAT occurred in 41% of cases. Adults, contact burns and those where the burn injury occurred in the remote regions were less likely to receive adequate BFAT. Indigenous persons were less likely to attempt any BFAT at all and when they did receive BFAT it was more likely applied by an emergency responder or health professional. Overall adequacy of BFAT is low in the Top End of the Northern Territory. Remote dwellers and Indigenous persons are at increased risk of not applying or receiving adequate BFAT. The poor level of adequate BFAT demonstrated in this study suggests that the Top End community particularly remote and Indigenous persons would benefit from targeted BFAT education programs that are delivered in a culturally and linguistically appropriate fashion. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

The Student Guide: Financial Aid.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Education, Washington, DC. Student Financial Assistance.

This publication explains what federal student financial aid is and what types of student aid are available. Two introductory sections present: federal student aid at-a-glance (what it is, who gets it, and how to get it) and finding out about student aid. The first section presents general information on the following subjects: student…

The First Aid Training Picture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Ian

2000-01-01

Discusses the history of first aid training provisions in the United Kingdom with respect to the outdoor industry, what to look for in a first aid training provider, an experiential model of first aid training, and the current National Governing Body requirements for first aid training for various types of coaches and instructors. (TD)

Cross-modal activation of auditory regions during visuo-spatial working memory in early deafness.

PubMed

Ding, Hao; Qin, Wen; Liang, Meng; Ming, Dong; Wan, Baikun; Li, Qiang; Yu, Chunshui

2015-09-01

positively correlated with the age of onset of hearing aid use and were negatively correlated with the percentage of lifetime hearing aid use in deaf subjects. These findings suggest that earlier and longer hearing aid use may inhibit cross-modal reorganization in early deaf subjects. Granger causality analysis revealed that, compared to the hearing controls, the deaf subjects had an enhanced net causal flow from the frontal eye field to the superior temporal gyrus. These findings indicate that a top-down mechanism may better account for the cross-modal activation of auditory regions in early deaf subjects.See MacSweeney and Cardin (doi:10/1093/awv197) for a scientific commentary on this article. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Speech Intelligibility Index and the pure-tone average as predictors of lexical ability in children fit with hearing AIDS.

PubMed

Stiles, Derek J; Bentler, Ruth A; McGregor, Karla K

2012-06-01

To determine whether a clinically obtainable measure of audibility, the aided Speech Intelligibility Index (SII; American National Standards Institute, 2007), is more sensitive than the pure-tone average (PTA) at predicting the lexical abilities of children who wear hearing aids (CHA). School-age CHA and age-matched children with normal hearing (CNH) repeated words and nonwords, learned novel words, and completed a standardized receptive vocabulary test. Analyses of covariance allowed comparison of the 2 groups. For CHA, regression analyses determined whether SII held predictive value over and beyond PTA. CHA demonstrated poorer performance than CNH on tests of word and nonword repetition and receptive vocabulary. Groups did not differ on word learning. Aided SII was a stronger predictor of word and nonword repetition and receptive vocabulary than PTA. After accounting for PTA, aided SII remained a significant predictor of nonword repetition and receptive vocabulary. Despite wearing hearing aids, CHA performed more poorly on 3 of 4 lexical measures. Individual differences among CHA were predicted by aided SII. Unlike PTA, aided SII incorporates hearing aid amplification characteristics and speech-frequency weightings and may provide a more valid estimate of the child's access to and ability to learn from auditory input in real-world environments.

Emergy accounting of the Province of Siena: towards a thermodynamic geography for regional studies.

PubMed

Pulselli, R M; Pulselli, F M; Rustici, M

2008-01-01

This research is part of the SPIn-Eco project for the Province of Siena, Italy, and applies an environmental accounting method to a region with reference to its population, human activities, natural cycles, infrastructures and other settings. This study asserts that the consumption of resources due to the human economy is a source of great concern because of the load it places on the biosphere. Environmental resources locally used, whether directly or indirectly, from both renewable energy fluxes and storage of materials and energies, are investigated. In this paper emergy analysis is presented and applied to the Province of Siena and to each of its municipalities, in order to evaluate the main flows of energy and materials that supply the territorial system, including human subsystems, with reference to their actual environmental cost. Therefore, the behaviour of the whole system and the interactions between natural and human agents were studied; in other words, the attitudes of the territorial systems toward resource use as revealed by their patterns of emergy consumption were observed. Once expressed in units of the same form of energy through the emergy evaluation, categories of resource consumption and systems of varying scales and organization are compared. Furthermore, indexes of environmental performance based on emergy are calculated. Flows of energy and materials are assessed, and their intensities, which vary throughout the area of the Province, are then visualized on maps.

Using HIV&AIDS statistics in pre-service Mathematics Education to integrate HIV&AIDS education.

PubMed

van Laren, Linda

2012-12-01

In South Africa, the HIV&AIDS education policy documents indicate opportunities for integration across disciplines/subjects. There are different interpretations of integration/inclusion and mainstreaming HIV&AIDS education, and numerous levels of integration. Integration ensures that learners experience the disciplines/subjects as being linked and related, and integration is required to support and expand the learners' opportunities to attain skills, acquire knowledge and develop attitudes and values across the curriculum. This study makes use of self-study methodology where I, a teacher educator, aim to improve my practice through including HIV&AIDS statistics in Mathematics Education. This article focuses on how I used HIV&AIDS statistics to facilitate pre-service teacher reflection and introduce them to integration of HIV&AIDS education across the curriculum. After pre-service teachers were provided with HIV statistics, they drew a pie chart which graphically illustrated the situation and reflected on issues relating to HIV&AIDS. Three themes emerged from the analysis of their reflections. The themes relate to the need for further HIV&AIDS education, the changing pastoral role of teachers and the changing context of teaching. This information indicates that the use of statistics is an appropriate means of initiating the integration of HIV&AIDS education into the academic curriculum.

Images of crust beneath southern California will aid study of earthquakes and their effects

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fuis, G.S.; Okaya, D.A.; Clayton, R.W.; Lutter, W.J.; Ryberg, T.; Brocher, T.M.; Henyey, T.M.; Benthien, M.L.; Davis, P.M.; Mori, J.; Catchings, R.D.; ten Brink, Uri S.; Kohler, M.D.; Klitgord, Kim D.; Bohannon, R.G.

1996-01-01

The Whittier Narrows earthquake of 1987 and the Northridge earthquake of 1991 highlighted the earthquake hazards associated with buried faults in the Los Angeles region. A more thorough knowledge of the subsurface structure of southern California is needed to reveal these and other buried faults and to aid us in understanding how the earthquake-producing machinery works in this region.

Implementation of Regional and International HIV and AIDS Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support Conventions and Declarations in Lesotho, Malawi and Mozambique

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalanda, Boniface; Mamimine, Patrick; Taela, Katia; Chingandu, Louis; Musuka, Godfrey

2010-01-01

The governments across the world have endorsed numerous international Conventions and Declarations (C&Ds) that enhance interventions to reduce the impact of HIV and AIDS. The objective of this study was to assess the extent to which the governments of Lesotho, Malawi and Mozambique have implemented HIV and AIDS international and regional…

Puppetry and AIDS education.

PubMed

Friedman, G

1992-01-01

The effectiveness of puppet theater in communicating information about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been demonstrated in a project launched in 1988 by the African Research and Education Puppetry Program (AREPP). Puppetry is a vital part of the Bambara, Bozo, and Yoruba cultures. "Puppets Against AIDS" tells the story of a condom refuser who transmits the AIDS virus to his wife and their infant. An evaluation conducted by social epidemiologists in 1989 found the production to be comprehensive in its educational messages and effective in contributing to the audiences' knowledge and intended behavioral changes. A discussion period follows the production. The show was subsequently incorporated into an existing community-based AIDS education program. Because AIDS touches upon sensitive and often taboo areas of social life, the dissemination of information through puppets is not perceived as threatening as interpersonal interaction.

Caregivers' and non-caregivers' knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS and attitude towards HIV/AIDS and orphans in Nigeria.

PubMed

Ohnishi, Mayumi; Nakamura, Keiko; Kizuki, Masashi; Seino, Kaoruko; Inose, Tomoko; Takano, Takehito

2008-09-01

Nigeria has an estimated 930,000 AIDS orphans, which has a marked impact on family and community. This study was performed to characterise caregivers' knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS and their attitude towards HIV/AIDS, orphans in general and AIDS orphans in particular. Caregivers and non-caregivers aged 25-70 years in Nigeria were interviewed from January and March 2003, and logistic regression analysis was used to determine associations between caregivers' knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS, orphans and AIDS orphans, and demographic characteristics and background status regarding HIV/AIDS and orphans. A total of 824 interviewees participated in the survey (82.4% response rate), of whom 290 (35.2%) were current caregivers of orphans. The mean number of orphans per current caregiver was 1.8 (standard deviation 1.4). Factors related to higher knowledge level regarding HIV/AIDS were female gender [odds ratio (OR) = 3.49; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.33, 5.22] and belief that AIDS is a common disease (OR = 3.39; 95% CI: 2.19, 5.26). Factors associated with positive attitudes towards HIV/AIDS, orphans in general and AIDS orphans in particular were age 35-44 years (OR = 1.73; 95% CI: 1.11, 2.69), Koranic schooling (OR = 8.69; 95% CI: 2.42, 31.19), polygamy (OR = 1.76; 95% CI: 1.17, 2.62), belief that there are increasing numbers of orphans in the community (OR = 2.59; 95% CI: 1.32, 5.08) and having relatives or friends with HIV/AIDS (OR = 2.88; 95% CI: 1.61, 1.58). There was a slight correlation (r = 0.17, P < 0.001) between caregivers' knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS and positive attitudes towards HIV/AIDS, orphans and AIDS orphans. Demographic characteristics and personal experience should be taken into consideration to improve attitudes and behaviour related to HIV/AIDS and caring for orphans and AIDS orphans.

Hearing Aids and Music

PubMed Central

Chasin, Marshall; Russo, Frank A.

2004-01-01

Historically, the primary concern for hearing aid design and fitting is optimization for speech inputs. However, increasingly other types of inputs are being investigated and this is certainly the case for music. Whether the hearing aid wearer is a musician or merely someone who likes to listen to music, the electronic and electro-acoustic parameters described can be optimized for music as well as for speech. That is, a hearing aid optimally set for music can be optimally set for speech, even though the converse is not necessarily true. Similarities and differences between speech and music as inputs to a hearing aid are described. Many of these lead to the specification of a set of optimal electro-acoustic characteristics. Parameters such as the peak input-limiting level, compression issues—both compression ratio and knee-points—and number of channels all can deleteriously affect music perception through hearing aids. In other cases, it is not clear how to set other parameters such as noise reduction and feedback control mechanisms. Regardless of the existence of a “music program,” unless the various electro-acoustic parameters are available in a hearing aid, music fidelity will almost always be less than optimal. There are many unanswered questions and hypotheses in this area. Future research by engineers, researchers, clinicians, and musicians will aid in the clarification of these questions and their ultimate solutions. PMID:15497032

HIV / AIDS and tourism.

PubMed

Forsythe, S

1999-01-01

Since it tends to be significantly affected by HIV/AIDS, the tourism sector is a likely target for HIV/AIDS interventions in many countries. The tourist industry is at particular risk from the pandemic because of the mobility of the work force, the presence of sex tourists, and the heavy reliance of many countries upon tourism revenues. Indeed, tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing industries in many countries. Some people have speculated that potential tourists' fear of AIDS could discourage them from visiting certain countries, while others have even suggested that tourism should be discouraged because the industry contributes to the spread of HIV/AIDS. When traveling, tourists often take risks that they would not take at home. They tend to drink more, use drugs more, and be generally more adventurous while on holiday. Such adventures often include taking sexual risks. When tourists have sex with prostitutes, hotel staff, and others in the local population, a bridge can be created for HIV to cross back and forth between the tourist's home country and the tourist destination. The author reviews selected studies on the relationship between HIV/AIDS and tourism. Overall, the existing literature offers no definitive evidence that AIDS has had any lasting impact upon the tourism industry anywhere in the world. Rather, promoting a healthy tourism industry and HIV/AIDS prevention are likely complementary in many ways.

Hearing AIDS and music.

PubMed

Chasin, Marshall; Russo, Frank A

2004-01-01

Historically, the primary concern for hearing aid design and fitting is optimization for speech inputs. However, increasingly other types of inputs are being investigated and this is certainly the case for music. Whether the hearing aid wearer is a musician or merely someone who likes to listen to music, the electronic and electro-acoustic parameters described can be optimized for music as well as for speech. That is, a hearing aid optimally set for music can be optimally set for speech, even though the converse is not necessarily true. Similarities and differences between speech and music as inputs to a hearing aid are described. Many of these lead to the specification of a set of optimal electro-acoustic characteristics. Parameters such as the peak input-limiting level, compression issues-both compression ratio and knee-points-and number of channels all can deleteriously affect music perception through hearing aids. In other cases, it is not clear how to set other parameters such as noise reduction and feedback control mechanisms. Regardless of the existence of a "music program,'' unless the various electro-acoustic parameters are available in a hearing aid, music fidelity will almost always be less than optimal. There are many unanswered questions and hypotheses in this area. Future research by engineers, researchers, clinicians, and musicians will aid in the clarification of these questions and their ultimate solutions.

[Epidemic characteristics of HIV/AIDS among men who have sex with men from 2006 to 2010 in China].

PubMed

Hei, Fa-xin; Wang, Lu; Qin, Qian-qian; Wang, Lan; Guo, Wei; Li, Dong-min; Ding, Zheng-wei

2012-01-01

To analyze the epidemic characteristics of HIV/AIDS among men who have sex with men (MSM) from 2006 to 2010 in China, and to provide evidence for the development of prevention and control measures. Through the network reporting information system. The distribution of MSM transmission was analyzed. Through sentinel surveillance system from 2006 to 2010, data was gathered and analyzed for HIV/AIDS positive rates and condom use to describe the epidemic characteristics of HIV/AIDS among MSM. Data from HIV/AIDS case reporting system showed that the proportion of MSM transmission was on the rise (from 1.5% in 2006 to 10.8% in 2010), becoming the fastest growth of spreading. Compared with other routes of spreading, MSM transmission showed the following obvious characteristics: 15 to 29 years olds (54.6%), having higher culture background (senior high school graduated or above accounting for 69.8%), unmarried (64.8%), being cadres/teacher/doctor/retirees and students (accounted for 14.3% and 7.9%), with high mobility floating population (36.2%), being urban population (72.6%), having history of blood donation without payment (26.7% and 6.4%). In terms of location, they mainly lived in provinces as Beijing, Sichuan, Guangdong, Chongqing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai and Liaoning where economics were more developed. Data from HIV/AIDS sentinel surveillance system showed that, from 2006 to 2010, the HIV positive anti-body detection rate (median) was 3.4% among MSM in this country, much higher than among the female sex workers. Rate on condom usage (median) was 73.2%, lower than among the female sex workers. The proportion of HIV transmission among MSM was on the rapid rise from 2006 to 2010 in China. Through HIV/AIDS sentinel surveillance system, we found that the infection rate was high but the rate of condom usage was low among MSM. Factors as being 15 to 29 years olds, students and blood donors should be under major concern.

Danish first aid books compliance with the new evidence-based non-resuscitative first aid guidelines.

PubMed

Jensen, Theo Walther; Møller, Thea Palsgaard; Viereck, Søren; Roland, Jens; Pedersen, Thomas Egesborg; Lippert, Freddy K

2018-01-10

The European Resuscitation Council (ERC) released new guidelines on resuscitation in 2015. For the first time, the guidelines included a separate chapter on first aid for laypersons. We analysed the current major Danish national first aid books to identify potential inconsistencies between the current books and the new evidence-based first aid guidelines. We identified first aid books from all the first aid courses offered by major Danish suppliers. Based on the new ERC first aid guidelines, we developed a checklist of 26 items within 16 different categories to assess the content; this checklist was adapted following the principle of mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive questioning. To assess the agreement between four raters, Fleiss' kappa test was used. Items that did not reach an acceptable kappa score were excluded. We evaluated 10 first aid books used for first aid courses and published between 2009 and 2015. The content of the books complied with the new in 38% of the answers. In 12 of the 26 items, there was less than 50% consistency. These items include proximal pressure points and elevation of extremities for the control of bleeding, use of cervical collars, treatment for an open chest wound, burn dressing, dental avulsion, passive leg raising, administration of bronchodilators, adrenaline, and aspirin. Danish course material showed significant inconsistencies with the new evidence-based first aid guidelines. The new knowledge from the evidence-based guidelines should be incorporated into revised and updated first aid course material.

Measuring the Regional Economic Significance of Airports.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-10-01

of the economic importance of airports. It is not intended for use in financial feasibility studies or cost/benefit analyses. Rather, it provides...activities involving aviation above and beyond the carriage of passengers. Air cargo accounts for several distinct businesses, including air freight and...selected for the analysis take regional imports into account . More economically self- S-.. sufficient regions have higher multipliers than do regions that

Evidence-based approach to HIV/AIDS policy and research prioritization in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

PubMed

Feizzadeh, A; Nedjat, S; Asghari, S; Keshtkar, A; Heshmat, R; Setayesh, H; Majdzadeh, R

2010-03-01

In formulating the second national strategic plan for prevention of HIV/AIDS in the Islamic Republic of Iran a more evidence-based approach was needed. This paper reports on a systematic review of the local evidence about the determinants of HIV/AIDS transmission in 3 categories: poor knowledge and negative attitudes about HIV transmission; injection drug use; and sexual promiscuity. Of 93 reports reviewed, 53 met the inclusion criteria. Information about the prevalence and magnitude of effect for the 3 risk determinants at the national and regional level was scarce. Heterogeneity between studies, even in the same sub-population, was significant. An improved research base and better sharing of information are needed within countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Predictors of Hearing-Aid Outcomes

PubMed Central

Johannesen, Peter T.; Pérez-González, Patricia; Blanco, José L.; Kalluri, Sridhar; Edwards, Brent

2017-01-01

Over 360 million people worldwide suffer from disabling hearing loss. Most of them can be treated with hearing aids. Unfortunately, performance with hearing aids and the benefit obtained from using them vary widely across users. Here, we investigate the reasons for such variability. Sixty-eight hearing-aid users or candidates were fitted bilaterally with nonlinear hearing aids using standard procedures. Treatment outcome was assessed by measuring aided speech intelligibility in a time-reversed two-talker background and self-reported improvement in hearing ability. Statistical predictive models of these outcomes were obtained using linear combinations of 19 predictors, including demographic and audiological data, indicators of cochlear mechanical dysfunction and auditory temporal processing skills, hearing-aid settings, working memory capacity, and pretreatment self-perceived hearing ability. Aided intelligibility tended to be better for younger hearing-aid users with good unaided intelligibility in quiet and with good temporal processing abilities. Intelligibility tended to improve by increasing amplification for low-intensity sounds and by using more linear amplification for high-intensity sounds. Self-reported improvement in hearing ability was hard to predict but tended to be smaller for users with better working memory capacity. Indicators of cochlear mechanical dysfunction, alone or in combination with hearing settings, did not affect outcome predictions. The results may be useful for improving hearing aids and setting patients’ expectations. PMID:28929903

Meeting the needs of people with AIDS: local initiatives and Federal support.

PubMed Central

Sundwall, D N; Bailey, D

1988-01-01

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), one of the seven agencies of the Public Health Service, is working to meet some of the resource and patient service needs engendered by the epidemic of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Those actions derived from, and support the continuation, expansion, and replication of, initiatives at the community and State levels. HRSA is carrying out many of the recommendations of the Intragovernmental Task Force on AIDS Health Care Delivery by enhancing the AIDS training of health care personnel in prevention, diagnosis, and care and by counseling and encouraging the expansion of facilities outside hospitals to care for AIDS patients. The agency, through its pediatric AIDS demonstration projects, is working on models for the care of children with HIV infections. The needs of AIDS patients are being addressed through a drug therapy reimbursement program; demonstration grants to 13 projects to promote coordinated, integrated systems of care in the community; and grants for the development of intermediate and long-term care facilities for patients. Ten regional education and training centers, funded in 1987 and 1988, will increase the supply of health care providers prepared to diagnose and treat persons with HIV infections. Programs will be conducted for several thousand providers over the next 3 years, using such modalities as televised programs and train-the-trainer courses. The centers will also offer support and referral services for providers. PMID:3131821

Implantable Heart Aid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Medrad utilized NASA's Apollo technology to develop a new device called the AID implantable automatic pulse generator which monitors the heart continuously, recognizes the onset of ventricular fibrillation and delivers a corrective electrical shock. AID pulse generator is, in effect, a miniaturized version of the defibrillator used by emergency squads and hospitals to restore rhythmic heartbeat after fibrillation, but has the unique advantage of being permanently available to the patient at risk. Once implanted, it needs no specially trained personnel or additional equipment. AID system consists of a microcomputer, a power source and two electrodes which sense heart activity.

AIDS in Africa.

PubMed

Mokhobo, D

1989-03-01

Numerous cultural practices and attitudes in Africa represent formidable obstacles to the prevention of the further spread of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Polygamy and concubinage are still widely practiced throughout Africa. In fact, sexual promiscuity on the part of males is traditionally viewed as positive--a reflection of male supremacy and male sexual prowess. The disintegration of the rural African family, brought about by urbanization, the migrant labor system, and poverty, has resulted in widespread premarital promiscuity. Contraceptive practices are perceived by many as a white conspiracy aimed at limiting the growth of the black population and thereby diminishing its political power. Condom use is particularly in disfavor. Thus, AIDS prevention campaigns urging Africans to restrict the number of sexual partners and to use condoms are unlikely to be successful. Another problem is that most Africans cannot believe that AIDS is sexually linked in that the disease does not affect the sex organs as is the case with other sexually transmitted diseases. The degree to which African governments are able to allocate resources to AIDS education will determine whether the epidemic can be controlled. Even with a massive outpouring of resources, it may be difficult to arouse public alarm about AIDS since Africans are so acclimated to living with calamities of every kind.

Financial Aid and For-Profit Colleges: Does Aid Encourage Entry?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cellini, Stephanie Riegg

2010-01-01

Concerns over rising college tuition and slow economic growth have brought renewed attention to the role of federal and state financial aid programs in opening access to education. Despite a large body of literature examining the effects of grant aid on four-year and public two-year college enrollment, for-profit colleges--particularly the vast…

Dietary behaviour and nutritional status in underprivileged people using food aid (ABENA study, 2004-2005).

PubMed

Castetbon, K; Méjean, C; Deschamps, V; Bellin-Lestienne, C; Oleko, A; Darmon, N; Hercberg, S

2011-12-01

Although initiatives are setting up to improve the nutritional status of deprived people, few studies have described the food aid user profile and evaluated their nutritional needs. The contributions of food aid to the food supply, dietary behaviour and nutritional status of food aid users were evaluated in the ABENA study. A cross-sectional study was conducted among food aid users in four urban French zones (n = 1664, age ≥18 years). Sociodemographic and economic characteristics, food insufficiency, food supply and diet behaviours were assessed using standardised questionnaires. A subsample of participants underwent clinical and biochemical examinations. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed taking into account sample weights. Over 70% of participants used food aid as the only source of supply among numerous food groups, and one-quarter of them (27.2%) were using food aid for 3 years or more. The mean food budget was €70.0 per person per month, and 46.0% of subjects were classified as 'food-insufficient'. Half of the subjects fulfilled the French recommendations for starchy foods (48.7%) and 'meat, fish and eggs' (49.4%); 27.3% met the requirements for seafood. Only a very small proportion of participants met the recommendations for fruits and vegetables (1.2%) and dairy products (9.2%). In addition, 16.7% of subjects were obese, 29.4% had high blood pressure, 14.8% were anaemic, 67.9% were at risk of folate deficiency and 85.6% had vitamin D deficiency. These results provide evidence of an unhealthy diet and poor health profiles in severely disadvantaged persons and highlight the importance of food aid in this population. Thus, this study points to the necessity of improving the nutritional quality of currently distributed food aid. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics © 2011 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Impact evaluation of HIV/AIDS education in rural Henan province of China.

PubMed

Lv, Ben-Yan; Xiang, Yuan-Xi; Zhao, Rui; Feng, Zhan-Chun; Liang, Shu-Ying; Wang, Yu-Ming

2013-12-01

Nowadays, there is a trend of HIV prevalence transmitting from high-risk group to average-risk group in China. Rural China is the weak link of HIV prevention, and rural areas of Henan province which is one of the most high-risk regions in China have more than 60% of the AIDS patients in the province. Thus, improving the HIV awareness and implementing health education become the top-priority of HIV/AIDS control and prevention. A multistage sampling was designed to draw 1129 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) and 1168 non-PLWHAs in 4 prevalence counties of Henan province. A health promoting and social-psychological support model was constructed to improve the health knowledge of participants. Chi-square tests and unconditional logistic regression were performed to determine the intervention effect and influencing factors. All groups had misunderstandings towards the basic medical knowledge and the AIDS transmission mode. Before the intervention, 59.3% of the HIV/AIDS patients and 74.6% of the healthy people had negative attitudes towards the disease. There was statistically significant difference in the improvement of knowledge, attitude and action with regards to HIV prevention before and after intervention (P<0.05). PLWHAs who were males (OR=1.731) and had higher education level (OR=1.910) were found to have better HIV/AIDS health knowledge, whereas older PLWHAs (OR=0.961) were less likely to have better HIV/AIDS health knowledge. However, the intervention effect was associated with the expertise of doctors and supervisors, the content and methods of education, and participants' education level. It was concluded that health education of HIV/AIDS which positively influences the awareness and attitude of HIV prevention is popular in rural areas, therefore, a systematic and long-term program of HIV control and prevention is urgently needed in rural areas.

Hospitalizations for Cardiovascular Disease in African Americans and Whites with HIV/AIDS

PubMed Central

Oramasionwu, Christine U.; Morse, Gene D.; Lawson, Kenneth A.; Brown, Carolyn M.; Koeller, Jim M.

2013-01-01

Abstract Therapeutic advances have resulted in an epidemiological shift in the predominant causes of hospitalization for patients with HIV/AIDS. An emerging cause for hospitalization in this patient population is cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, data are limited regarding how this shift affects different racial groups. The objective of this observational, retrospective study was to evaluate the association between race and hospitalization for CVD in African Americans and whites with HIV/AIDS and to compare the types of CVD-related hospitalizations between African Americans and whites with HIV/AIDS. Approximately 1.5 million hospital discharges from the US National Hospital Discharge Surveys for the years of 1996 to 2008 were identified. After controlling for potential confounders, the odds of CVD-related hospitalization in patients with HIV/AIDS were 45% higher for African Americans than whites (odds ratio [OR]=1.45, 95% CI, 1.39–1.51). Other covariates that were associated with increased odds of hospitalization for CVD included chronic kidney disease (OR=1.43, 95% CI, 1.36–1.51), age≥50 years (OR=3.22, 95% CI, 2.94–3.54), region in the Southern United States (OR=1.17, 95% CI, 1.11–1.23), and Medicare insurance coverage (OR=1.71, 95% CI, 1.60–1.83). Male sex was not significantly associated with the study outcome (OR=0.99, 95% CI, 0.96–1.02). Compared to whites with HIV/AIDS, African Americans with HIV/AIDS had more hospitalizations for heart failure and hypertension, but fewer hospitalizations for stroke and coronary heart disease. In conclusion, African Americans with HIV/AIDS have increased odds of CVD-related hospitalization as compared to whites with HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, the most common types of CVD-related hospitalizations differ significantly in African Americans and whites. (Population Health Management 2012;16:201–207) PMID:23194035

Hospitalizations for cardiovascular disease in African Americans and whites with HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Oramasionwu, Christine U; Morse, Gene D; Lawson, Kenneth A; Brown, Carolyn M; Koeller, Jim M; Frei, Christopher R

2013-06-01

Therapeutic advances have resulted in an epidemiological shift in the predominant causes of hospitalization for patients with HIV/AIDS. An emerging cause for hospitalization in this patient population is cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, data are limited regarding how this shift affects different racial groups. The objective of this observational, retrospective study was to evaluate the association between race and hospitalization for CVD in African Americans and whites with HIV/AIDS and to compare the types of CVD-related hospitalizations between African Americans and whites with HIV/AIDS. Approximately 1.5 million hospital discharges from the US National Hospital Discharge Surveys for the years of 1996 to 2008 were identified. After controlling for potential confounders, the odds of CVD-related hospitalization in patients with HIV/AIDS were 45% higher for African Americans than whites (odds ratio [OR]=1.45, 95% CI, 1.39-1.51). Other covariates that were associated with increased odds of hospitalization for CVD included chronic kidney disease (OR=1.43, 95% CI, 1.36-1.51), age≥50 years (OR=3.22, 95% CI, 2.94-3.54), region in the Southern United States (OR=1.17, 95% CI, 1.11-1.23), and Medicare insurance coverage (OR=1.71, 95% CI, 1.60-1.83). Male sex was not significantly associated with the study outcome (OR=0.99, 95% CI, 0.96-1.02). Compared to whites with HIV/AIDS, African Americans with HIV/AIDS had more hospitalizations for heart failure and hypertension, but fewer hospitalizations for stroke and coronary heart disease. In conclusion, African Americans with HIV/AIDS have increased odds of CVD-related hospitalization as compared to whites with HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, the most common types of CVD-related hospitalizations differ significantly in African Americans and whites.