Beyond the hearing aid: Assistive listening devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmes, Alice E.

2003-04-01

Persons with hearing loss can obtain great benefit from hearing aids but there are many situations that traditional amplification devices will not provide enough help to ensure optimal communication. Assistive listening and signaling devices are designed to improve the communication of the hearing impaired in instances where traditional hearing aids are not sufficient. These devices are designed to help with problems created by listening in noise or against a competing message, improve distance listening, facilitate group conversation (help with problems created by rapidly changing speakers), and allow independence from friends and family. With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, assistive listening devices (ALDs) are becoming more accessible to the public with hearing loss. Employers and public facilities must provide auxiliary aids and services when necessary to ensure effective communication for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. However many professionals and persons with hearing loss are unaware of the various types and availability of ALDs. An overview of ALDs along with a discussion of their advantages and disadvantages will be given.

Computer aided drug design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, A.

2017-08-01

Computer based method can help in discovery of leads and can potentially eliminate chemical synthesis and screening of many irrelevant compounds, and in this way, it save time as well as cost. Molecular modeling systems are powerful tools for building, visualizing, analyzing and storing models of complex molecular structure that can help to interpretate structure activity relationship. The use of various techniques of molecular mechanics and dynamics and software in Computer aided drug design along with statistics analysis is powerful tool for the medicinal chemistry to synthesis therapeutic and effective drugs with minimum side effect.

Assessment of AIDS Risk among Treatment Seeking Drug Abusers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, John L.; And Others

Intravenous (IV) drug abusers are at risk for contracting transmittable diseases such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and hepatitis B. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of risk behaviors for acquiring and transmitting AIDS and hepatitis B among treatment-seeking drug abusers (N=168). Subjects participated in a…

Aid-Assisted Decision-Making and Colorectal Cancer Screening

PubMed Central

Schroy, Paul C.; Emmons, Karen M.; Peters, Ellen; Glick, Julie T.; Robinson, Patricia A.; Lydotes, Maria A.; Mylvaganam, Shamini R.; Coe, Alison M.; Chen, Clara A.; Chaisson, Christine E.; Pignone, Michael P.; Prout, Marianne N.; Davidson, Peter K.; Heeren, Timothy C.

2014-01-01

Background Shared decision-making (SDM) is a widely recommended yet unproven strategy for increasing colorectal cancer (CRC) screening uptake. Previous trials of decision aids to increase SDM and CRC screening uptake have yielded mixed results. Purpose To assess the impact of decision aid–assisted SDM on CRC screening uptake. Design RCT. Setting/participants The study was conducted at an urban, academic safety-net hospital and community health center between 2005 and 2010. Participants were asymptomatic, average-risk patients aged 50–75 years due for CRC screening. Intervention Study participants (n=825) were randomized to one of two intervention arms (decision aid plus personalized risk assessment or decision aid alone) or control arm. The interventions took place just prior to a routine office visit with their primary care providers. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was completion of a CRC screening test within 12 months of the study visit. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of test completion and mediators of the intervention effect. Analysis was completed in 2011. Results Patients in the decision-aid group were more likely to complete a screening test than control patients (43.1% vs 34.8%; p=0.046) within 12 months of the study visit; conversely, test uptake for the decision aid and decision aid plus personalized risk assessment arms was similar (43.1% vs 37.1%; p=0.15). Assignment to the decision-aid arm (AOR 1.48; 95% CI=1.04, 2.10), black race (AOR 1.52, 95% CI=1.12, 2.06) and a preference for a patient-dominant decisionmaking approach (AOR, 1.55; 95% CI=1.02, 2.35) were independent determinants of test completion. Activation of the screening discussion and enhanced screening intentions mediated the intervention effect. Conclusions Decision aid–assisted SDM has a modest impact on CRC screening uptake. A decision aid plus personalized risk assessment tool is no more effective than a decision aid alone. PMID:23159252

14 CFR 382.131 - Do baggage liability limits apply to mobility aids and other assistive devices?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... mobility aids and other assistive devices? 382.131 Section 382.131 Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE... BASIS OF DISABILITY IN AIR TRAVEL Stowage of Wheelchairs, Other Mobility Aids, and Other Assistive Devices § 382.131 Do baggage liability limits apply to mobility aids and other assistive devices? With...

14 CFR 382.131 - Do baggage liability limits apply to mobility aids and other assistive devices?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... mobility aids and other assistive devices? 382.131 Section 382.131 Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE... BASIS OF DISABILITY IN AIR TRAVEL Stowage of Wheelchairs, Other Mobility Aids, and Other Assistive Devices § 382.131 Do baggage liability limits apply to mobility aids and other assistive devices? With...

14 CFR 382.131 - Do baggage liability limits apply to mobility aids and other assistive devices?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... mobility aids and other assistive devices? 382.131 Section 382.131 Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE... BASIS OF DISABILITY IN AIR TRAVEL Stowage of Wheelchairs, Other Mobility Aids, and Other Assistive Devices § 382.131 Do baggage liability limits apply to mobility aids and other assistive devices? With...

Math on the Job. Nurse Aide/Assistant.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. National Center for Research in Vocational Education.

This booklet is intended to help mainstreamed mentally retarded, emotionally disturbed, or learning disabled high school students acquire a basic understanding of the responsibilities and working conditions of nurse aides/assistants and to practice basic math skills necessary in the occupation. The first section provides a brief introduction to…

Computer-Aided Drug Design Methods.

PubMed

Yu, Wenbo; MacKerell, Alexander D

2017-01-01

Computational approaches are useful tools to interpret and guide experiments to expedite the antibiotic drug design process. Structure-based drug design (SBDD) and ligand-based drug design (LBDD) are the two general types of computer-aided drug design (CADD) approaches in existence. SBDD methods analyze macromolecular target 3-dimensional structural information, typically of proteins or RNA, to identify key sites and interactions that are important for their respective biological functions. Such information can then be utilized to design antibiotic drugs that can compete with essential interactions involving the target and thus interrupt the biological pathways essential for survival of the microorganism(s). LBDD methods focus on known antibiotic ligands for a target to establish a relationship between their physiochemical properties and antibiotic activities, referred to as a structure-activity relationship (SAR), information that can be used for optimization of known drugs or guide the design of new drugs with improved activity. In this chapter, standard CADD protocols for both SBDD and LBDD will be presented with a special focus on methodologies and targets routinely studied in our laboratory for antibiotic drug discoveries.

Characteristics and knowledge about HIV/AIDS and drug abuse associated with inmates education level within prison populations in Singkawang, West Borneo in 2006.

PubMed

Sigarlaki, Herke G

2008-07-01

to identify the characteristics and knowledge of inmates within prison population in Singkawang city about HIV/AIDS and drugs associated with their education level. a cross-sectional study with 240 respondents was conducted in Singkawang City, West Borneo. The subjects were inmates of prison population. They were interviewed by co-assistant doctors who completed the questionnaire forms about various aspects of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and drugs, including the application of standardized scales on subject characteristics. Data was prepared by using Microsoft Excel 2000 and all data were evaluated by univariate and bivariate analyses. The presentation will be shown in table. at the end of 2006, 91.25% respondents were male and mostly were Malay ethnic group. Moreover, 32.08% of them had formal educational background of Senior High School. Approximately 83.33% of respondents had discovered their status of HIV/AIDS by voluntary counseling and testing (VCT). Their level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS issue particularly that AIDS is caused by HIV was 90.42%. Approximately 48.33% respondents agreed that the risk factor for drug abuse was living with a family member who had taken up smoking and alcoholic consumption. our data indicate that higher education level has better contribution to the better knowledge about HIV/AIDS and drugs.

75 FR 26944 - Federal Student Aid; Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership, Special Leveraging...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-13

... Programs Division, Business Operations, Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education, 830 First Street... Operations, Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education, 830 First Street, NE., room UCP-062E3... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Federal Student Aid; Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership...

14 CFR 382.125 - What procedures do carriers follow when wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive devices must be stowed in the cargo compartment? 382.125... Wheelchairs, Other Mobility Aids, and Other Assistive Devices § 382.125 What procedures do carriers follow when wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive devices must be stowed in the cargo...

14 CFR 382.125 - What procedures do carriers follow when wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive devices must be stowed in the cargo compartment? 382.125... Wheelchairs, Other Mobility Aids, and Other Assistive Devices § 382.125 What procedures do carriers follow when wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive devices must be stowed in the cargo...

14 CFR 382.125 - What procedures do carriers follow when wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive devices must be stowed in the cargo compartment? 382.125... Wheelchairs, Other Mobility Aids, and Other Assistive Devices § 382.125 What procedures do carriers follow when wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive devices must be stowed in the cargo...

Computer-Aided Drug Design in Epigenetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Wenchao; Zhang, Rukang; Jiang, Hao; Zhang, Huimin; Luo, Cheng

2018-03-01

Epigenetic dysfunction has been widely implicated in several diseases especially cancers thus highlights the therapeutic potential for chemical interventions in this field. With rapid development of computational methodologies and high-performance computational resources, computer-aided drug design has emerged as a promising strategy to speed up epigenetic drug discovery. Herein, we make a brief overview of major computational methods reported in the literature including druggability prediction, virtual screening, homology modeling, scaffold hopping, pharmacophore modeling, molecular dynamics simulations, quantum chemistry calculation and 3D quantitative structure activity relationship that have been successfully applied in the design and discovery of epi-drugs and epi-probes. Finally, we discuss about major limitations of current virtual drug design strategies in epigenetics drug discovery and future directions in this field.

Computer-Aided Drug Design in Epigenetics

PubMed Central

Lu, Wenchao; Zhang, Rukang; Jiang, Hao; Zhang, Huimin; Luo, Cheng

2018-01-01

Epigenetic dysfunction has been widely implicated in several diseases especially cancers thus highlights the therapeutic potential for chemical interventions in this field. With rapid development of computational methodologies and high-performance computational resources, computer-aided drug design has emerged as a promising strategy to speed up epigenetic drug discovery. Herein, we make a brief overview of major computational methods reported in the literature including druggability prediction, virtual screening, homology modeling, scaffold hopping, pharmacophore modeling, molecular dynamics simulations, quantum chemistry calculation, and 3D quantitative structure activity relationship that have been successfully applied in the design and discovery of epi-drugs and epi-probes. Finally, we discuss about major limitations of current virtual drug design strategies in epigenetics drug discovery and future directions in this field. PMID:29594101

Does integrating AIDS treatment with food assistance affect labor supply? Evidence from Zambia.

PubMed

Tirivayi, Nyasha; Groot, Wim

2018-02-01

In low income settings, food assistance is increasingly becoming part of AIDS treatment and care programs with the aim of improving adherence to AIDS treatment, enhancing household food security and strengthening economic wellbeing. Yet, evidence of its economic impact is sparse. This paper uses primary data to examine the short term impact of a food assistance program on labor supply as measured by the hours worked, labor market participation rates and transitions to employment within HIV/AIDS affected households in Zambia. We find that food assistance is generally a labor supply disincentive to HIV-infected patients receiving treatment as it reduced their hours worked by up to 54%, transitions to employment by up to 70% and also reduced the labor market participation rates of male patients by 72%. Among non-infected adult family members, there were no significant effects on labor market participation. However, propensity score estimates show that food assistance generally increased the intensity of work by males regardless of the length of AIDS treatment, but for females there was a disincentive effect that disappeared when the patient had spent a longer time on AIDS treatment and was therefore healthier and less likely to be cared for. These findings suggest that food assistance can inadvertently reduce the labor supply of HIV-infected individuals, but this is compensated for by the increased labor supply among other family members. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

75 FR 55341 - Recovery Policy, RP 9523.6, Mutual Aid Agreements for Public Assistance and Fire Management...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-10

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2010-0055] Recovery Policy, RP 9523.6, Mutual Aid Agreements for Public Assistance and Fire Management Assistance....6, Mutual Aid Agreements for Public Assistance and Fire Management Assistance. This is an existing...

77 FR 60128 - Noncompetitive Supplements to Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide Program Grantees

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-02

... Noncompetitive Supplements to Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide Program Grantees AGENCY: Health Resources... expansion supplements of $100,000 to 10 Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide (NAHHA) Program grantees to... University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Nursing, 302 Pine Street, Abilene, TX 79601, T51HP20702...

Identifying work ability promoting factors for home care aides and assistant nurses.

PubMed

Larsson, Agneta; Karlqvist, Lena; Westerberg, Mats; Gard, Gunvor

2012-01-11

In workplace health promotion, all potential resources needs to be taken into consideration, not only factors relating to the absence of injury and the physical health of the workers, but also psychological aspects. A dynamic balance between the resources of the individual employees and the demands of work is an important prerequisite. In the home care services, there is a noticeable trend towards increased psychosocial strain on employees at work. There are a high frequency of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, and a low prevalence of sustainable work ability. The aim of this research was to identify factors promoting work ability and self-efficacy in care aides and assistant nurses within home care services. This study is based on cross-sectional data collected in a municipality in northern Sweden. Care aides (n = 58) and assistant nurses (n = 79) replied to a self-administered questionnaire (response rate 46%). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to assess the influence of several independent variables on self-efficacy (model 1) and work ability (model 2) for care aides and assistant nurses separately. Perceptions of personal safety, self-efficacy and musculoskeletal wellbeing contributed to work ability for assistant nurses (R2adj of 0.36, p < 0.001), while for care aides, the safety climate, seniority and age contributed to work ability (R2adj of 0.29, p = 0.001). Self-efficacy was associated with the safety climate and the physical demands of the job in both professions (R2adj of 0.24, p = 0.003 for care aides), and also by sex and age for the assistant nurses (R2adj of 0.31, p < 0.001). The intermediate factors contributed differently to work ability in the two professions. Self-efficacy, personal safety and musculoskeletal wellbeing were important for the assistant nurses, while the work ability of the care aides was associated with the safety climate, but also with the non-changeable factors age and seniority. All

Identifying work ability promoting factors for home care aides and assistant nurses

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In workplace health promotion, all potential resources needs to be taken into consideration, not only factors relating to the absence of injury and the physical health of the workers, but also psychological aspects. A dynamic balance between the resources of the individual employees and the demands of work is an important prerequisite. In the home care services, there is a noticeable trend towards increased psychosocial strain on employees at work. There are a high frequency of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, and a low prevalence of sustainable work ability. The aim of this research was to identify factors promoting work ability and self-efficacy in care aides and assistant nurses within home care services. Methods This study is based on cross-sectional data collected in a municipality in northern Sweden. Care aides (n = 58) and assistant nurses (n = 79) replied to a self-administered questionnaire (response rate 46%). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to assess the influence of several independent variables on self-efficacy (model 1) and work ability (model 2) for care aides and assistant nurses separately. Results Perceptions of personal safety, self-efficacy and musculoskeletal wellbeing contributed to work ability for assistant nurses (R2adj of 0.36, p < 0.001), while for care aides, the safety climate, seniority and age contributed to work ability (R2adj of 0.29, p = 0.001). Self-efficacy was associated with the safety climate and the physical demands of the job in both professions (R2adj of 0.24, p = 0.003 for care aides), and also by sex and age for the assistant nurses (R2adj of 0.31, p < 0.001). Conclusions The intermediate factors contributed differently to work ability in the two professions. Self-efficacy, personal safety and musculoskeletal wellbeing were important for the assistant nurses, while the work ability of the care aides was associated with the safety climate, but also with the non

14 CFR 382.121 - What mobility aids and other assistive devices may passengers with a disability bring into the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false What mobility aids and other assistive... Aids, and Other Assistive Devices § 382.121 What mobility aids and other assistive devices may... or collapsible wheelchairs; (2) Other mobility aids, such as canes (including those used by persons...

14 CFR 382.121 - What mobility aids and other assistive devices may passengers with a disability bring into the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false What mobility aids and other assistive... Aids, and Other Assistive Devices § 382.121 What mobility aids and other assistive devices may... or collapsible wheelchairs; (2) Other mobility aids, such as canes (including those used by persons...

14 CFR 382.121 - What mobility aids and other assistive devices may passengers with a disability bring into the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false What mobility aids and other assistive... Aids, and Other Assistive Devices § 382.121 What mobility aids and other assistive devices may... or collapsible wheelchairs; (2) Other mobility aids, such as canes (including those used by persons...

Clinical analysis of HIV/AIDS patients with drug eruption in Yunnan, China.

PubMed

Li, Yu-Ye; Jin, Yong-Mei; He, Li-Ping; Bai, Jin-Song; Liu, Jun; Yu, Min; Chen, Jian-Hua; Wen, Jing; Kuang, Yi-Qun

2016-10-31

Drug eruption is the most common clinical presentation in patients with HIV/AIDS. The systemic clinical and risk factors associated with drug eruption remain unknown. A retrospective analysis in HIV/AIDS patients with drug eruption was carried out with demographic data, epidemiological data, clinical characteristics, laboratory data and follow-up data. The risk factors correlated with prognosis were assessed by case control analysis. A total of 134 out of 1817 HIV/AIDS patients (7.4%) presented drug eruptions. The major class of sensitizing drug was HAART drugs (47.7%), followed by antibiotics (47.0%). Nevirapine (39.6%) was the most common sensitizing drug in the HAART regimens. The patients received HAART or had allergic history were prone to develop drug eruption. The alanine aminotransferase, albumin, globulin, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), lymphocytes, red blood cells (RBC) and eosinophils of the drug eruption patients were significantly different the control patients. The allergic history, opportunistic infection, viral load, CD4 cell count, high globulin and low albumin were the risk factors correlated with death in HIV/AIDS patients with drug eruption. It is proposed that patients with higher viral loads, higher globulin levels and lower white blood cells (WBC) should be given special attention for the prevention of complications and death.

NeuroAIDS, drug abuse, and inflammation: building collaborative research activities.

PubMed

Berman, Joan W; Carson, Monica J; Chang, Linda; Cox, Brian M; Fox, Howard S; Gonzalez, R Gilberto; Hanson, Glen R; Hauser, Kurt F; Ho, Wen-Zhe; Hong, Jau-Shyong; Major, Eugene O; Maragos, William F; Masliah, Eliezer; McArthur, Justin C; Miller, Diane B; Nath, Avindra; O'Callaghan, James P; Persidsky, Yuri; Power, Christopher; Rogers, Thomas J; Royal, Walter

2006-12-01

Neurological complications of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are a public health problem despite the availability of active antiretroviral therapies. The neuropathogenesis of HIV infection revolves around a complex cascade of events that include viral infection and glial immune activation, monocyte-macrophage brain infiltration, and secretion of a host of viral and cellular inflammatory and neurotoxic molecules. Although there is evidence that HIV-infected drug abusers experience more severe neurological disease, the biological basis for this finding is unknown. A scientific workshop organized by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) was held on March 23-24, 2006 to address this question. The goal of the meeting was to bring together basic science and clinical researchers who are experts in NeuroAIDS, glial immunity, drugs of abuse, and/or pharmacology in order to find new approaches to understanding interactions between drug abuse and neuroAIDS. The format of the meeting was designed to stimulate open discussion and forge new multidisciplinary research collaborations. This report includes transcripts of active discussions and short presentations from invited participants. The presentations were separated into sections that included: Glial Biology, Inflammation, and HIV; Pharmacology, Neurotoxicology, and Neuroprotection; NeuroAIDS and Virology; and Virus-Drug and Immune-Drug Interactions. Research priorities were identified. Additional information about this meeting is available through links from the NIDA AIDS Research Program website ( http://www.nida.nih.gov/about/organization/arp/arp-websites.htm ).

AIDS--Policies and Prospects: III. AIDS and the Politics of Drug Lag.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vogel, David

1989-01-01

Examines the impact of AIDS on recent reform of the Food and Drug Act Amendments of 1962. Discusses the role of gay activists, consumer protection groups, the American Medical Association, and feminist activist groups. (FMW)

Drug resistance characteristics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates to four first-line antituberculous drugs from tuberculosis patients with AIDS in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Gao, Gui-ju; Lian, Lulu; Sun, Yue; Wei, Jianhao; Xiao, Jiang; Wang, Xiaoying; Zhang, Ling; Zhao, Xiuqin; Yang, Di; Zhao, Hong-xin; Zhao, Hui; Wang, Hui-zhu; Wan, Kang-lin; Li, Xing-wang

2015-02-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the drug resistance characteristics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates to four first-line antituberculous drugs (ATDs) from tuberculosis (TB) patients with AIDS in Beijing, China. All M. tuberculosis strains were isolated from specimens from TB patients with AIDS hospitalised between April 2010 and October 2012. Isolates were cultured by mycobacterial culture methods and were identified by multilocus PCR. Drug sensitivity testing was performed by the proportion method with the following first-line ATDs: isoniazid; rifampicin; streptomycin; and ethambutol. Results were compared with the drug resistance status of M. tuberculosis strains isolated from TB patients without HIV infection in Beijing. Among 41 M. tuberculosis isolates from TB patients with AIDS, the rates of total drug resistance (58.5%), initial drug resistance (46.7%) and acquired drug resistance (90.9%) were significantly higher than in TB patients without HIV infection (34.1%, 24.5% and 48.5%, respectively; P<0.05). In TB patients with AIDS, the rates of acquired drug resistance (90.9%) and acquired multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) (54.5%) were significantly higher than the rates of initial drug resistance (46.7%) and initial MDR-TB (10.0%) (P<0.05). In patients with TB without HIV infection, the rate of acquired drug resistance (48.5%) was significantly higher than the rate of initial drug resistance (24.5%) (P<0.05). M. tuberculosis drug resistance in TB patients with AIDS is significantly more serious than in TB patients without HIV infection. These results showed that more attention should be paid to M. tuberculosis drug resistance in AIDS patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. and the International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

Technological aids in uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

PubMed

Roque Cañas, Sonia Raquelline; Oviedo Argueta, Alonso José; Wu, Ching Feng; Gonzalez-Rivas, Diego

2017-01-01

With the evolution of uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), the technological aids have come to help skill surgeons to improve the results in thoracic surgery and feasible to perform a complex surgery. The technological aids are divided into three important groups, which make surgical steps easy to perform, besides reducing surgical time and surgical accidents in the hands of experienced surgeons. The groups are: (I) conventional thoracoscopic instruments; (II) sealing devices using in uniportal VATS; (III) high definition cameras, robotic arms prototype and the future robotic aids for uniportal VATS surgery. Uniportal VATS is an example of the continuing search for methods that aim to provide the patient a surgical cure of the disease with the lowest morbidity. That is the reason companies are creating more and new technologies, but the surgeon have to choose properly and to know how, when and where is the moment to use each new aids to avoid mistakes. The future of the thoracic surgery is based on evolution of surgical procedures and innovations to try to reduce even more the surgical and anesthetic trauma. This article summarizes the technological aids to improve and help a thoracoscopics surgeons perform a uniportal VATS feasible and safe.

Computer-Assisted Instruction: One Aid for Teachers of Reading.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rauch, Margaret; Samojeden, Elizabeth

Computer assisted instruction (CAI), an instructional system with direct interaction between the student and the computer, can be a valuable aid for presenting new concepts, for reinforcing of selective skills, and for individualizing instruction. The advantages CAI provides include self-paced learning, more efficient allocation of classroom time,…

Experimental study of assistant aids and new nursing method in nursing care work.

PubMed

Motegi, Nobuyuki; Matsuda, Fumiko; Takeuchi, Yuriko; Misawa, Tetsuo

2012-01-01

This study seeks to evaluate the effect of regular and new nursing methods in nursing care work. Nursing care work often causes low back pain in nursing care worker. The principle of not lifting when transferring patients has been proposed as one way to prevent low back pain. This principle incorporates the use of the patient's strength and assistant aids. A sliding seats and transfer boards have been proposed as assistant aids for the transferring patients. It is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of these assistant aids in preventing low back pain. Ten subjects performed two tasks in this experiment. Five were nursing experienced persons and five were the inexperienced. EMG results indicated that the new nursing method was less stressful than the methods. A questionnaire revealed that the new method was evaluated more highly than the regular method. Based on these results, we propose that a sliding seats and transfer boards be used in nursing care work.

Implementation of Audio Computer-Assisted Interviewing Software in HIV/AIDS Research

PubMed Central

Pluhar, Erika; Yeager, Katherine A.; Corkran, Carol; McCarty, Frances; Holstad, Marcia McDonnell; Denzmore-Nwagbara, Pamela; Fielder, Bridget; DiIorio, Colleen

2007-01-01

Computer assisted interviewing (CAI) has begun to play a more prominent role in HIV/AIDS prevention research. Despite the increased popularity of CAI, particularly audio computer assisted self-interviewing (ACASI), some research teams are still reluctant to implement ACASI technology due to lack of familiarity with the practical issues related to using these software packages. The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation of one particular ACASI software package, the Questionnaire Development System™ (QDS™), in several nursing and HIV/AIDS prevention research settings. We present acceptability and satisfaction data from two large-scale public health studies in which we have used QDS with diverse populations. We also address issues related to developing and programming a questionnaire, discuss practical strategies related to planning for and implementing ACASI in the field, including selecting equipment, training staff, and collecting and transferring data, and summarize advantages and disadvantages of computer assisted research methods. PMID:17662924

Implementation of audio computer-assisted interviewing software in HIV/AIDS research.

PubMed

Pluhar, Erika; McDonnell Holstad, Marcia; Yeager, Katherine A; Denzmore-Nwagbara, Pamela; Corkran, Carol; Fielder, Bridget; McCarty, Frances; Diiorio, Colleen

2007-01-01

Computer-assisted interviewing (CAI) has begun to play a more prominent role in HIV/AIDS prevention research. Despite the increased popularity of CAI, particularly audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI), some research teams are still reluctant to implement ACASI technology because of lack of familiarity with the practical issues related to using these software packages. The purpose of this report is to describe the implementation of one particular ACASI software package, the Questionnaire Development System (QDS; Nova Research Company, Bethesda, MD), in several nursing and HIV/AIDS prevention research settings. The authors present acceptability and satisfaction data from two large-scale public health studies in which they have used QDS with diverse populations. They also address issues related to developing and programming a questionnaire; discuss practical strategies related to planning for and implementing ACASI in the field, including selecting equipment, training staff, and collecting and transferring data; and summarize advantages and disadvantages of computer-assisted research methods.

14 CFR 382.131 - Do baggage liability limits apply to mobility aids and other assistive devices?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Do baggage liability limits apply to mobility aids and other assistive devices? 382.131 Section 382.131 Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE... BASIS OF DISABILITY IN AIR TRAVEL Stowage of Wheelchairs, Other Mobility Aids, and Other Assistive...

14 CFR 382.131 - Do baggage liability limits apply to mobility aids and other assistive devices?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Do baggage liability limits apply to mobility aids and other assistive devices? 382.131 Section 382.131 Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE... BASIS OF DISABILITY IN AIR TRAVEL Stowage of Wheelchairs, Other Mobility Aids, and Other Assistive...

International epidemiology of HIV and AIDS among injecting drug users.

PubMed

Des Jarlais, D C; Friedman, S R; Choopanya, K; Vanichseni, S; Ward, T P

1992-10-01

HIV/AIDS and iv drug use (IVDU) are of significant multinational scope and growing. Supporting increased IVDU in many countries are countries' geographical proximity to illicit drug trafficking distribution routes, law enforcement efforts which increase the demand for more efficient drug distribution and consumption, and countries' infrastructural and social modernization. Given the failures of intensified law enforcement efforts to thwart the use and proliferation of illegal drugs, countries with substantial IVDU should look away from preventing use to preventing HIV transmission within drug user populations. With HIV seroprevalence rates rapidly reaching 40-50% in some developing country IVDU groups, a variety of prevention programs is warranted. Such programs should be supported and implemented while prevention remains feasible. This paper examines the variation in HIV seroprevalence among IVD users, rapid HIV spread among users, HIV among IVDUs in Bangkok, emerging issues in HIV transmission among IVDUs, non-AIDS manifestations of HIV infection among IVDUs, prevention programs and effectiveness, and harm reduction.

Computer-Aided Drug Discovery: Molecular Docking of Diminazene Ligands to DNA Minor Groove

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kholod, Yana; Hoag, Erin; Muratore, Katlynn; Kosenkov, Dmytro

2018-01-01

The reported project-based laboratory unit introduces upper-division undergraduate students to the basics of computer-aided drug discovery as a part of a computational chemistry laboratory course. The students learn to perform model binding of organic molecules (ligands) to the DNA minor groove with computer-aided drug discovery (CADD) tools. The…

The analysis of HIV/AIDS drug-resistant on networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Maoxing

2014-01-01

In this paper, we present an Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) drug-resistant model using an ordinary differential equation (ODE) model on scale-free networks. We derive the threshold for the epidemic to be zero in infinite scale-free network. We also prove the stability of disease-free equilibrium (DFE) and persistence of HIV/AIDS infection. The effects of two immunization schemes, including proportional scheme and targeted vaccination, are studied and compared. We find that targeted strategy compare favorably to a proportional condom using has prominent effect to control HIV/AIDS spread on scale-free networks.

[An AIDS-related cognitive map in a sample of drug abusers in Buenos Aires City].

PubMed

Kornblit, A L; Bilyk, A

1990-01-01

This paper is an approach to AIDS as a topic among a drug abusers sample of the city of Buenos Aires. Research was carried out on the basis of a qualitative methodology. In an attempt at surveying opinions and attitudes of such a sample as regards AIDS (i.e. subjects' cognitive map), 21 drug abusers from three different rehabilitation programs operating in the B.A. area were interviewed. On the basis of the research performed, the authors elaborate communication strategies among drug abusers that would be helpful for authorities engaged in AIDS prevention to adopt. To boost a strategy likely to break up the AIDS-drug association existing in the mind of many an abuser would be highly advisable so that a separation be settled between both representations, thus giving drug abusers a higher motivation for self-care practice.

HIV and AIDS among adolescents who use drugs: opportunities for drug policy reform within the sustainable development agenda.

PubMed

Tinasti, Khalid

2018-02-01

The international community's commitment to halve by 2015 the HIV transmission among people who inject drugs has not only been largely missed, instead new HIV infections have increased by 30%. Moreover, drug injection remains one of the drivers of new HIV infections due to punitive responses and lack of harm reduction resourcing. In the midst of this situation, adolescents are a forgotten component of the global response to illegal drugs and their link with HIV infection. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) present an opportunity to achieve the global objective of ending AIDS among adolescents who use drugs, by addressing the structural vulnerabilities they face be they economic, social, criminal, health-related or environmental. The implementation of the SDGs presents an opportunity to address the horizontal nature of drug policy and to efficiently address the drugs-adolescents-HIV risk nexus. Adolescent-focused drug policies are linked to goals 1, 3, 4, 10, 16 and 17. Goals 3 and 16 are the most relevant; the targets of the latter link to the criminalization of drug use and punitive policy environments and their impact on adolescents' health and HIV transmission risks. Moreover, it presents an opportunity to include adolescent needs that are missing in the three drug control conventions (1961, 1971 and 1988), and link them with the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). Finally, the six principles to deliver on sustainable development are also an opportunity to divert adolescents who use drugs away from criminalization and punitive environments in which their vulnerability to HIV is greater. Addressing HIV among adolescents who use drugs is an extremely complex policy issue depending on different sets of binding and non-binding commitments, interventions and stakeholders. The complexity requires a horizontal response provided by the SDGs framework, starting with the collection of disaggregated data on this specific subgroup. Ending

Computer-aided drug design for AMP-activated protein kinase activators.

PubMed

Wang, Zhanli; Huo, Jianxin; Sun, Lidan; Wang, Yongfu; Jin, Hongwei; Yu, Hui; Zhang, Liangren; Zhou, Lishe

2011-09-01

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an important therapeutic target for the potential treatment of metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Recently, various classes of compounds that activate AMPK by direct or indirect interactions have been reported. The importance of computer-aided drug design approaches in the search for potent activators of AMPK is now established, including structure-based design, ligand-based design, fragment-based design, as well as structural analysis. This review article highlights the computer-aided drug design approaches utilized to discover of activators targeting AMPK. The principles, advantages or limitation of the different methods are also being discussed together with examples of applications taken from the literatures.

Injection drug use and HIV/AIDS in China: Review of current situation, prevention and policy implications

PubMed Central

Qian, Han-Zhu; Schumacher, Joseph E; Chen, Huey T; Ruan, Yu-Hua

2006-01-01

Illicit drug abuse and HIV/AIDS have increased rapidly in the past 10 to 20 years in China. This paper reviews drug abuse in China, the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its association with injection drug use (IDU), and Chinese policies on illicit drug abuse and prevention of HIV/AIDS based on published literature and unpublished official data. As a major drug trans-shipment country with source drugs from the "Golden Triangle" and "Gold Crescent" areas in Asia, China has also become an increasingly important drug consuming market. About half of China's 1.14 million documented drug users inject, and many share needles. IDU has contributed to 42% of cumulatively reported HIV/AIDS cases thus far. Drug trafficking is illegal in China and can lead to the death penalty. The public security departments adopt "zero tolerance" approach to drug use, which conflict with harm reduction policies of the public health departments. Past experience in China suggests that cracking down on drug smuggling and prohibiting drug use alone can not prevent or solve all illicit drug related problems in the era of globalization. In recent years, the central government has outlined a series of pragmatic policies to encourage harm reduction programs; meanwhile, some local governments have not fully mobilized to deal with drug abuse and HIV/AIDS problems seriously. Strengthening government leadership at both central and local levels; scaling up methadone substitution and needle exchange programs; making HIV voluntary counseling and testing available and affordable to both urban and rural drug users; and increasing utilization of outreach and nongovernmental organizations are offered as additional strategies to help cope with China's HIV and drug abuse problem. PMID:16451717

Affordable Care Act Qualified Health Plan Coverage: Association With Improved HIV Viral Suppression for AIDS Drug Assistance Program Clients in a Medicaid Nonexpansion State

PubMed Central

McManus, Kathleen A.; Rhodes, Anne; Bailey, Steven; Yerkes, Lauren; Engelhard, Carolyn L.; Ingersoll, Karen S.; Stukenborg, George J.; Dillingham, Rebecca

2016-01-01

Background. With the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, many state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) shifted their healthcare delivery model from direct medication provision to purchasing qualified health plans (QHPs). The objective of this study was to characterize the demographic and healthcare delivery factors associated with Virginia ADAP clients' QHP enrollment and to assess the relationship between QHP coverage and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral suppression. Methods. The cohort included persons living with HIV who were enrolled in the Virginia ADAP (n = 3933). Data were collected from 1 January 2013 through 31 December 2014. Multivariable binary logistic regression was conducted to assess for associations with QHP enrollment and between QHP coverage and viral load (VL) suppression. Results. In the cohort, 47.1% enrolled in QHPs, and enrollment varied significantly based on demographic and healthcare delivery factors. In multivariable binary logistic regression, controlling for time, age, sex, race/ethnicity, and region, factors significantly associated with achieving HIV viral suppression included QHP coverage (adjusted odds ratio, 1.346; 95% confidence interval, 1.041–1.740; P = .02), an initially undetectable VL (2.809; 2.174–3.636; P < .001), HIV rather than AIDS disease status (1.377; 1.049–1.808; P = .02), and HIV clinic (P < .001). Conclusions. QHP coverage was associated with viral suppression, an essential outcome for individuals and for public health. Promoting QHP coverage in clinics that provide care to persons living with HIV may offer a new opportunity to increase rates of viral suppression. PMID:27143661

Laser assisted drug delivery: a review of an evolving technology.

PubMed

Sklar, Lindsay R; Burnett, Christopher T; Waibel, Jill S; Moy, Ronald L; Ozog, David M

2014-04-01

Topically applied drugs have a relatively low cutaneous bioavailability. This article reviews the existing applications of laser assisted drug delivery, a means by which the permeation of topically applied agents can be enhanced into the skin. The existing literature suggests that lasers are a safe and effective means of enhancing the delivery of topically applied agents through the skin. The types of lasers most commonly studied in regards to drug delivery are the carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and erbium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er:YAG) lasers. Both conventional ablative and fractional ablative modalities have been utilized and are summarized herein. The majority of the existing studies on laser assisted drug delivery have been performed on animal models and additional human studies are needed. Laser assisted drug delivery is an evolving technology with potentially broad clinical applications. Multiple studies demonstrate that laser pretreatment of the skin can increase the permeability and depth of penetration of topically applied drug molecules for both local cutaneous and systemic applications. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Analyzing HIV/AIDS and Alcohol and Other Drug Use as a Social Problem

PubMed Central

PATTERSON, DAVID A.; Wolf (Adelv unegv Waya), Silver

2012-01-01

Most prevention and intervention activities directed toward HIV/AIDS and alcohol and other drug use separately as well as the combining of the two (e.g., those who are both HIV/AIDS and using alcohol and other drugs) comes in the form of specific, individualized therapies without consideration of social influences that may have a greater impact on this population. Approaching this social problem from the narrowed view of individualized, mi-cro solutions disregards the larger social conditions that affect or perhaps even are at the root of the problem. This paper analyzes the social problem of HIV/AIDS and alcohol and other drug abuse using three sociological perspectives—social construction theory, ethnomethodology, and conflict theory—informing the reader of the broader influences accompanying this problem. PMID:23264724

Control of corruption, democratic accountability, and effectiveness of HIV/AIDS official development assistance.

PubMed

Lee, Hwa-Young; Yang, Bong-Ming; Kang, Minah

2016-01-01

Despite continued global efforts, HIV/AIDS outcomes in developing countries have not made much progress. Poor governance in recipient countries is often seen as one of the reasons for ineffectiveness of aid efforts to achieve stated objectives and desired outcomes. This study examines the impact of two important dimensions of governance - control of corruption and democratic accountability - on the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS official development assistance. An empirical analysis using dynamic panel Generalized Method of Moments estimation was conducted on 2001-2010 datasets. Control of corruption and democratic accountability revealed an independent effect and interaction with the amount of HIV/AIDS aid on incidence of HIV/AIDS, respectively, while none of the two governance variables had a significant effect on HIV/AIDS prevalence. Specifically, in countries with accountability level below -2.269, aid has a detrimental effect on incidence of HIV/AIDS. The study findings suggest that aid programs need to be preceded or at least accompanied by serious efforts to improve governance in recipient countries and that democratic accountability ought to receive more critical attention.

Use of Lorazepam in drug-assisted interviews: two cases of dissociative amnesia.

PubMed

Lee, Sang-Shin; Park, Sinhyung; Park, Si-Sung

2011-12-01

Drug-assisted interviews are useful for psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. However, amobarbital, a typical medication used for this purpose, is associated with elevated risk of respiratory depression. Benzodiazepines are good substitutes for amobarbital, with similar therapeutic effects and fewer complications. Although drug-assisted interviews are not widely used, they may be beneficial for selected patients who do not respond to conventional treatments such as supportive psychotherapy or psychopharmacotherapy. We report two cases of dissociative amnesia that were treated using lorazepam-assisted interviews. The use of lorazepam in drug-assisted interviews is effective and safe for resolving dissociative amnesia.

Use of Lorazepam in Drug-Assisted Interviews: Two Cases of Dissociative Amnesia

PubMed Central

Lee, Sang-Shin; Park, Sinhyung

2011-01-01

Drug-assisted interviews are useful for psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. However, amobarbital, a typical medication used for this purpose, is associated with elevated risk of respiratory depression. Benzodiazepines are good substitutes for amobarbital, with similar therapeutic effects and fewer complications. Although drug-assisted interviews are not widely used, they may be beneficial for selected patients who do not respond to conventional treatments such as supportive psychotherapy or psychopharmacotherapy. We report two cases of dissociative amnesia that were treated using lorazepam-assisted interviews. The use of lorazepam in drug-assisted interviews is effective and safe for resolving dissociative amnesia. PMID:22216050

Non-injection Drug Use and Injection Initiation Assistance among People Who Inject Drugs in Tijuana, Mexico.

PubMed

Ben Hamida, Amen; Rafful, Claudia; Jain, Sonia; Sun, Shelly; Gonzalez-Zuniga, Patricia; Rangel, Gudelia; Strathdee, Steffanie A; Werb, Dan

2018-02-01

Although most people who inject drugs (PWID) report receiving assistance during injection initiation events, little research has focused on risk factors among PWID for providing injection initiation assistance. We therefore sought to determine the influence of non-injection drug use among PWID on their risk to initiate others. We used generalized estimating equation (GEE) models on longitudinal data among a prospective cohort of PWID in Tijuana, Mexico (Proyecto El Cuete IV), while controlling for potential confounders. At baseline, 534 participants provided data on injection initiation assistance. Overall, 14% reported ever initiating others, with 4% reporting this behavior recently (i.e., in the past 6 months). In a multivariable GEE model, recent non-injection drug use was independently associated with providing injection initiation assistance (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.39-4.20). Further, in subanalyses examining specific drug types, recent non-injection use of cocaine (AOR = 9.31, 95% CI = 3.98-21.78), heroin (AOR = 4.00, 95% CI = 1.88-8.54), and methamphetamine (AOR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.16-3.55) were all significantly associated with reporting providing injection initiation assistance. Our findings may have important implications for the development of interventional approaches to reduce injection initiation and related harms. Further research is needed to validate findings and inform future approaches to preventing entry into drug injecting.

Developing strategies for AIDS prevention research with black and Hispanic drug users.

PubMed Central

Schilling, R F; Schinke, S P; Nichols, S E; Zayas, L H; Miller, S O; Orlandi, M A; Botvin, G J

1989-01-01

More than 8 of 10 intravenous drug users infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are black or Hispanic. Recognizing that sociocultural factors affect HIV transmission, public health officials have called for interventions designed for ethnic-racial minority groups. Considered in this paper are the nature and extent of AIDS among ethnic-racial minorities and the cultural aspects of drug use and sexual behavior related to HIV transmission. That drug users and their associates are practicing safer needle use is evident; that they are changing their sexual behavior is less so. Calling for rapid advances in knowledge and expanded efforts in intervention, Federal agencies have instituted numerous programs to support innovative research and demonstration projects in ethnic-racial minority communities. Needed are studies that (a) describe the phenomena of drug use and sexual behavior among ethnic-racial minority populations, (b) establish the efficacy of culturally specific AIDS prevention strategies in drug treatment and community settings, and (c) demonstrate new ways of recruiting, treating, and reducing relapse among drug users. PMID:2493660

Control of corruption, democratic accountability, and effectiveness of HIV/AIDS official development assistance

PubMed Central

Lee, Hwa-Young; Yang, Bong-Ming; Kang, Minah

2016-01-01

Background Despite continued global efforts, HIV/AIDS outcomes in developing countries have not made much progress. Poor governance in recipient countries is often seen as one of the reasons for ineffectiveness of aid efforts to achieve stated objectives and desired outcomes. Objective This study examines the impact of two important dimensions of governance – control of corruption and democratic accountability – on the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS official development assistance. Design An empirical analysis using dynamic panel Generalized Method of Moments estimation was conducted on 2001–2010 datasets. Results Control of corruption and democratic accountability revealed an independent effect and interaction with the amount of HIV/AIDS aid on incidence of HIV/AIDS, respectively, while none of the two governance variables had a significant effect on HIV/AIDS prevalence. Specifically, in countries with accountability level below −2.269, aid has a detrimental effect on incidence of HIV/AIDS. Conclusion The study findings suggest that aid programs need to be preceded or at least accompanied by serious efforts to improve governance in recipient countries and that democratic accountability ought to receive more critical attention. PMID:27189199

The Save-Your-Life Glossary of Alcohol, AIDS, Drug, & Tobacco Terms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adcock, Deborah

This document presents the Save-Your-Life Glossary, which consists of four parts: (1) the glossary itself, which defines alcohol, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), drug, and tobacco-related terms; (2) the alerts sections, which focus on popular drugs or issues that concern young people; (3) the focus sections, which categorize and…

Advertising for AIDS drugs: it's everywhere lately, but is it helpful?

PubMed

Mirken, B

1998-07-01

The recent proliferation of direct to consumer (DTC) advertisements for prescription drugs, including HIV/AIDS drugs, can present a confusing and unrealistic picture of treatment options and outcomes; however, supporters claim that it stimulates awareness of treatment options and encourages dialogue between doctors and patients. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates DTC advertising, requires that manufacturers disclose a complete description of benefits and adverse effects, similar to the information on the product's label. This balance of information applies to the written portion of the ad, but not to the visual message, which is arguably the most powerful part of the advertisement. Many of the visuals in the AIDS drugs advertisements misconstrue the effect of the virus on the patients. However, the FDA has not yet developed restrictions to more accurately control the visual component of advertisements, in order to depict the downside of disease. Additionally, manufacturers whose advertisements match the wording on their labels have an easier time getting acceptance from the FDA, but use more technical language than the typical lay person can understand. Reliance on the FDA- approved label description, restricts the drug companies from promoting off-label uses of their products, and also does not allow for the constantly changing information of a drug's effectiveness.

An Expert Assistant for Computer Aided Parallelization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jost, Gabriele; Chun, Robert; Jin, Haoqiang; Labarta, Jesus; Gimenez, Judit

2004-01-01

The prototype implementation of an expert system was developed to assist the user in the computer aided parallelization process. The system interfaces to tools for automatic parallelization and performance analysis. By fusing static program structure information and dynamic performance analysis data the expert system can help the user to filter, correlate, and interpret the data gathered by the existing tools. Sections of the code that show poor performance and require further attention are rapidly identified and suggestions for improvements are presented to the user. In this paper we describe the components of the expert system and discuss its interface to the existing tools. We present a case study to demonstrate the successful use in full scale scientific applications.

Successful applications of computer aided drug discovery: moving drugs from concept to the clinic.

PubMed

Talele, Tanaji T; Khedkar, Santosh A; Rigby, Alan C

2010-01-01

Drug discovery and development is an interdisciplinary, expensive and time-consuming process. Scientific advancements during the past two decades have changed the way pharmaceutical research generate novel bioactive molecules. Advances in computational techniques and in parallel hardware support have enabled in silico methods, and in particular structure-based drug design method, to speed up new target selection through the identification of hits to the optimization of lead compounds in the drug discovery process. This review is focused on the clinical status of experimental drugs that were discovered and/or optimized using computer-aided drug design. We have provided a historical account detailing the development of 12 small molecules (Captopril, Dorzolamide, Saquinavir, Zanamivir, Oseltamivir, Aliskiren, Boceprevir, Nolatrexed, TMI-005, LY-517717, Rupintrivir and NVP-AUY922) that are in clinical trial or have become approved for therapeutic use.

Computer-Assisted Drug Formulation Design: Novel Approach in Drug Delivery.

PubMed

Metwally, Abdelkader A; Hathout, Rania M

2015-08-03

We hypothesize that, by using several chemo/bio informatics tools and statistical computational methods, we can study and then predict the behavior of several drugs in model nanoparticulate lipid and polymeric systems. Accordingly, two different matrices comprising tripalmitin, a core component of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), and PLGA were first modeled using molecular dynamics simulation, and then the interaction of drugs with these systems was studied by means of computing the free energy of binding using the molecular docking technique. These binding energies were hence correlated with the loadings of these drugs in the nanoparticles obtained experimentally from the available literature. The obtained relations were verified experimentally in our laboratory using curcumin as a model drug. Artificial neural networks were then used to establish the effect of the drugs' molecular descriptors on the binding energies and hence on the drug loading. The results showed that the used soft computing methods can provide an accurate method for in silico prediction of drug loading in tripalmitin-based and PLGA nanoparticulate systems. These results have the prospective of being applied to other nano drug-carrier systems, and this integrated statistical and chemo/bio informatics approach offers a new toolbox to the formulation science by proposing what we present as computer-assisted drug formulation design (CADFD).

[The effects of multimedia-assisted instruction on the skin care learning of nurse aides in long-term care facilities].

PubMed

Wu, Yu-Ling; Kao, Yu-Hsiu

2014-08-01

Skin care is an important responsibility of nurse aides in long-term care facilities, and the nursing knowledge, attitudes, and skills of these aides significantly affects quality of care. However, the work schedule of nurse aides often limits their ability to obtain further education and training. Therefore, developing appropriate and effective training programs for nurse aides is critical to maintaining and improving quality of care in long-term care facilities. This study investigates the effects of multimedia assisted instruction on the skin care learning of nurse aides working in long-term care facilities. A quasi-experimental design and convenient sampling were adopted in this study. Participants included 96 nurse aides recruited from 5 long-term care facilities in Taoyuan County, Taiwan. The experimental group received 3 weeks of multimedia assisted instruction. The control group did not receive this instruction. The Skin Care Questionnaire for Nurse Aides in Long-term Care Facilities and the Skin Care Behavior Checklist were used for assessment before and after the intervention. (1) Posttest scores for skin care knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and the skin care checklist were significantly higher than pretest scores for the intervention group. There was no significant difference between pretest and posttest scores for the control group. (2) A covariance analysis of pretest scores for the two groups showed that the experimental group earned significantly higher average scores than their control group peers for skin care knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and the skin care checklist. The multimedia assisted instruction demonstrated significant and positive effects on the skin care leaning of nurse aides in long-term care facilities. This finding supports the use of multimedia assisted instruction in the education and training of nurse aides in long-term care facilities in the future.

Objective and perceptual comparisons of two bluetooth hearing aid assistive devices.

PubMed

Clark, Jackie L; Pustejovsky, Carmen; Vanneste, Sven

2017-08-01

With the advent of Bluetooth technology, many of the assistive listening devices for hearing have become manufacturer specific, with little objective information about the performance provided. Thirty native English-speaking adults (mean age 29.8) with normal hearing were tested pseudo-randomly with two major hearing aid manufacturers' proprietary Bluetooth connectivity devices paired to the accompanying manufacturer's specific hearing aids. Sentence recognition performance was objectively measured for each system with signals transmitted via a land-line to the same iPhone in two conditions. There was a significant effect of participant's performance according to listening condition. There was no significant effect between device manufacturers according to listening condition, but there was a significant effect in participant's perception of "quality of sound". Despite differences in signal transmission for each devise, when worn by participants both the systems performed equally. In fact, participants expressed personal preferences for specific technology that was largely due to their perceived quality of sound while listening to recorded signals. While further research is necessary to investigate other measures of benefit for Bluetooth connectivity devices, preliminary data suggest that in order to ensure comfort and compatibility, not only should objective measures of the patient benefit be completed, but also assessing the patient's perception of benefit is equally important. Implications for Rehabilitation All professionals who work with individuals with hearing loss, become aware of the differences in the multiple choices for assistive technology readily available for hearing loss. With the ever growing dispensing of Bluetooth connectivity devices coupled to hearing aids, there is an increased burden to determine whether performance differences could exist between manufacturers. There is a growing need to investigate other measures of benefit for Bluetooth

Knowledge of AIDS and HIV transmission among drug users in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Proper knowledge of HIV transmission is not enough for people to adopt protective behaviors, but deficits in this information may increase HIV/AIDS vulnerability. Objective To assess drug users' knowledge of HIV/AIDS and the possible association between knowledge and HIV testing. Methods A Cross-sectional study conducted in 2006/7 with a convenience sample of 295 illicit drug users in Rio de Janeiro, assessing knowledge on AIDS/HIV transmission and its relationship with HIV testing. Information from 108 randomly selected drug users who received an educational intervention using cards illustrating situations potentially associated with HIV transmission were assessed using Multidimensional Scaling (MDS). Results Almost 40% of drug users reported having never used condoms and more than 60% reported not using condoms under the influence of substances. Most drug users (80.6%) correctly answered that condoms make sex safer, but incorrect beliefs are still common (e.g. nearly 44% believed HIV can be transmitted through saliva and 55% reported that HIV infection can be transmitted by sharing toothbrushes), with significant differences between drug users who had and who had not been tested for HIV. MDS showed queries on vaginal/anal sex and sharing syringes/needles were classified in the same set as effective modes of HIV transmission. The event that was further away from this core of properly perceived risks referred to blood donation, perceived as risky. Other items were found to be dispersed, suggesting inchoate beliefs on transmission modes. Conclusions Drug users have an increased HIV infection vulnerability compared to the general population, this specific population expressed relevant doubts about HIV transmission, as well as high levels of risky behavior. Moreover, the findings suggest that possessing inaccurate HIV/AIDS knowledge may be a barrier to timely HIV testing. Interventions should be tailored to such specific characteristics. PMID:21324119

Impact of use of alcohol and illicit drugs by AIDS patients on adherence to antiretroviral therapy in Bahia, Brazil.

PubMed

Teixeira, Celia; Dourado, Maria De Lourdes; Santos, Marcio P; Brites, Carlos

2013-05-01

Use of alcohol and illicit drugs is a common finding among HIV-infected individuals, but there are many open questions about its impact on adherence to antiretroviral therapy and virological outcomes. Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of the use of alcohol and illicit drugs on the adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among patients starting ART in Salvador, Brazil. We followed up 144 AIDS patients initiating ART for a 6-month period. At baseline, they were interviewed about demographics, behavior, and use of illicit drugs and alcohol. All of them had HIV-1 RNA plasma viral load and CD4(+)/CD8(+) cells count measured before starting therapy. After 60 days of treatment they were asked to answer a new questionnaire on adherence to ART. All patients were monitored during the following months, and new CD4(+) cell count/HIV-1 RNA plasma viral load determinations were performed after 6 months of therapy. Optimal adherence to therapy was defined by self-reported questionnaire, by 95% use of prescribed drug doses, and by using plasma HIV-1 RNA viral load as a biological marker. A total of 61 (42.4%) patients reported alcohol use, 7 (4.9%) used illicit drugs, and 17 (11.8%) used both alcohol and illicit drugs. Being in a steady relationship was protective to nonadherence (95% CI: 0.18-0.84). Missing more than two medical visits was also associated with a 68% higher likelihood of nonadherence (95% CI: 0.10-1.02). After logistic regression we detected a higher risk of nonadherence for patients declaring use of alcohol plus illicit drugs (odds ratio=6.0; 95% CI: 1.78-20.28) or high-intensity use of alcohol (odds ratio=3.29; 95% CI: 1.83-5.92). AIDS patients using alcohol and/or illicit drugs are socially vulnerable, and need specific and flexible programs, combining mental health care, harm reduction strategies, and assisted drug therapy to maximize the chances of successful use of ART.

Computer-aided drug design at Boehringer Ingelheim

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muegge, Ingo; Bergner, Andreas; Kriegl, Jan M.

2017-03-01

Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD) is an integral part of the drug discovery endeavor at Boehringer Ingelheim (BI). CADD contributes to the evaluation of new therapeutic concepts, identifies small molecule starting points for drug discovery, and develops strategies for optimizing hit and lead compounds. The CADD scientists at BI benefit from the global use and development of both software platforms and computational services. A number of computational techniques developed in-house have significantly changed the way early drug discovery is carried out at BI. In particular, virtual screening in vast chemical spaces, which can be accessed by combinatorial chemistry, has added a new option for the identification of hits in many projects. Recently, a new framework has been implemented allowing fast, interactive predictions of relevant on and off target endpoints and other optimization parameters. In addition to the introduction of this new framework at BI, CADD has been focusing on the enablement of medicinal chemists to independently perform an increasing amount of molecular modeling and design work. This is made possible through the deployment of MOE as a global modeling platform, allowing computational and medicinal chemists to freely share ideas and modeling results. Furthermore, a central communication layer called the computational chemistry framework provides broad access to predictive models and other computational services.

Antiretroviral Drugs-Loaded Nanoparticles Fabricated by Dispersion Polymerization with Potential for HIV/AIDS Treatment

PubMed Central

Ogunwuyi, Oluwaseun; Kumari, Namita; Smith, Kahli A.; Bolshakov, Oleg; Adesina, Simeon; Gugssa, Ayele; Anderson, Winston A.; Nekhai, Sergei; Akala, Emmanuel O.

2016-01-01

Highly active antiretroviral (ARV) therapy (HAART) for chronic suppression of HIV replication has revolutionized the treatment of HIV/AIDS. HAART is no panacea; treatments must be maintained for life. Although great progress has been made in ARV therapy, HIV continues to replicate in anatomical and intracellular sites where ARV drugs have restricted access. Nanotechnology has been considered a platform to circumvent some of the challenges in HIV/AIDS treatment. Dispersion polymerization was used to fabricate two types (PMM and ECA) of polymeric nanoparticles, and each was successfully loaded with four ARV drugs (zidovudine, lamivudine, nevirapine, and raltegravir), followed by physicochemical characterization: scanning electron microscope, particle size, zeta potential, drug loading, and in vitro availability. These nanoparticles efficiently inhibited HIV-1 infection in CEM T cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells; they hold promise for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. The ARV-loaded nanoparticles with polyethylene glycol on the corona may facilitate tethering ligands for targeting specific receptors expressed on the cells of HIV reservoirs. PMID:27013886

77 FR 58819 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests; Federal Student Aid; Student Assistance...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-24

... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests; Federal Student Aid; Student Assistance General Provisions--Readmission for Servicemembers SUMMARY: The regulations establish... respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received...

Attitude of Health Care Workers (HCWs) toward Patients Affected by HIV/AIDS and Drug Users: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Ledda, Caterina; Cicciù, Francesca; Puglisi, Beatrice; Ramaci, Tiziana; Nunnari, Giuseppe; Rapisarda, Venerando

2017-03-09

Caring for HIV/AIDS patients and/or drug users requires health care workers (HCWs) to have good knowledge of the issues. Cultural differences in HCWs, combined with professional ethics and personal beliefs, could also result in conflicting attitudes, leading to difficulties related to looking after people affected by HIV/AIDS or drug users. A cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the attitude towards HIV/AIDS patients and/or drug users in a sample of workers operating in a large university hospital in southern Italy. A total of 736 workers were surveyed from May to November 2016. During the periodic occupational health surveillance, a questionnaire was administered about attitudes of discrimination, acceptance and fear towards these patients. Respondents showed average levels of acceptance to HIV/AIDS and drug user patients. As years of experience and professional training increased, scores for discrimination, acceptance of HIV/AIDS, acceptance of drug users and fear decreased. Factors positively influencing levels of attitudes were being female and younger. Supplementary education is needed to strengthen the awareness of HCWs.

Kenyan who "discovered the cure for AIDS" taken to court.

PubMed

1996-06-01

In Nairobi, Kenya, Professor Obel, the Kenyan scientist who produced two drugs that he claimed would cure acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), is being taken to court, and Pearl Omega, one of the drugs, has been banned by the Ministry of Health. Initially, Obel may have gained support in the ministry because of his friendship with Phillip Mbithi, former Chief Secretary in the office of the president, and others. Obel claimed in March to have found a cure for AIDS; he was lambasted by scientists. On April 24, Assistant Health Minister Basil Criticos told parliament that the government was to carry out clinical trials of the drug and that Obel was to be encouraged. On May 2, Health Minister Joshua Angatia stated that Pearl Omega was a herbal concoction whose efficacy had never scientifically been proven. The Society of People with AIDS in Kenya has taken Obel to court; some patients who had taken part in trials of Kemron, Obel's other miracle drug, had been told by the professor that they had become HIV-negative.

Design and Implementation of a Prototype Ontology Aided Knowledge Discovery Assistant (OAKDA) Application

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

speed of search engines improves the efficiency of such methods, effectiveness is not improved. The objective of this thesis is to construct and test...interest, users are assisted in finding a relevant set of key terms that will aid the search engines in narrowing, widening, or refocusing a Web search

Public health the leading force of the Indonesian response to the HIV/AIDS crisis among people who inject drugs

PubMed Central

Mesquita, Fabio; Winarso, Inang; Atmosukarto, Ingrid I; Eka, Bambang; Nevendorff, Laura; Rahmah, Amala; Handoyo, Patri; Anastasia, Priscillia; Angela, Rosi

2007-01-01

Issue Indonesia has an explosive HIV/AIDS epidemic starting from the beginning of this century, and it is in process to build its response. Reported AIDS cases doubled from 2003 – 2004, and approximately 54% of these cases are in people who inject drugs. Setting Indonesia is the 4th largest country in population in the world, a predominantly Muslim country with strong views on drug users and people living with HIV/AIDS. Globally speaking, Indonesia has one of the most explosive epidemics in recent years. The project IHPCP (Indonesia HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care Project) is a joint support project (primarily AusAID-based) that works in partnership with the Government of Indonesia. IHPCP has been a key player of in the country's response, particularly pioneering NSP; stimulating and supporting methadone programs, and being key in promoting ARV for people who currently inject drugs. The project works via both the public health system and NGOs. Outcomes It is still early to measure the impact of current interventions; however, this paper describes the current status of Indonesia's response to the HIV/AIDS crisis among people who inject drugs, and analyses future challenges of the epidemic in Indonesia. PMID:17306033

Health Emergency 2003: The Spread of Drug-Related AIDS and Hepatitis C among African American and Latinos. Health Emergency Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Day, Dawn

This report is the fifth in a series detailing the impact of the injection-related AIDS epidemic on African Americans and Latinos. Ten chapters include: (1) "Health Emergency: The Spread of AIDS among African Americans Who Inject Drugs"; (2) "Health Emergency: The Spread of AIDS Among Latinos Who Inject Drugs"; (3) "A…

Spending on health and HIV/AIDS: domestic health spending and development assistance in 188 countries, 1995-2015.

PubMed

2018-05-05

Comparable estimates of health spending are crucial for the assessment of health systems and to optimally deploy health resources. The methods used to track health spending continue to evolve, but little is known about the distribution of spending across diseases. We developed improved estimates of health spending by source, including development assistance for health, and, for the first time, estimated HIV/AIDS spending on prevention and treatment and by source of funding, for 188 countries. We collected published data on domestic health spending, from 1995 to 2015, from a diverse set of international agencies. We tracked development assistance for health from 1990 to 2017. We also extracted 5385 datapoints about HIV/AIDS spending, between 2000 and 2015, from online databases, country reports, and proposals submitted to multilateral organisations. We used spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression to generate complete and comparable estimates for health and HIV/AIDS spending. We report most estimates in 2017 purchasing-power parity-adjusted dollars and adjust all estimates for the effect of inflation. Between 1995 and 2015, global health spending per capita grew at an annualised rate of 3·1% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 3·1 to 3·2), with growth being largest in upper-middle-income countries (5·4% per capita [UI 5·3-5·5]) and lower-middle-income countries (4·2% per capita [4·2-4·3]). In 2015, $9·7 trillion (9·7 trillion to 9·8 trillion) was spent on health worldwide. High-income countries spent $6·5 trillion (6·4 trillion to 6·5 trillion) or 66·3% (66·0 to 66·5) of the total in 2015, whereas low-income countries spent $70·3 billion (69·3 billion to 71·3 billion) or 0·7% (0·7 to 0·7). Between 1990 and 2017, development assistance for health increased by 394·7% ($29·9 billion), with an estimated $37·4 billion of development assistance being disbursed for health in 2017, of which $9·1 billion (24·2%) targeted HIV/AIDS. Between 2000 and

Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD): Methodological Aspects and Practical Applications in Cancer Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gianti, Eleonora

Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD) has deservedly gained increasing popularity in modern drug discovery (Schneider, G.; Fechner, U. 2005), whether applied to academic basic research or the pharmaceutical industry pipeline. In this work, after reviewing theoretical advancements in CADD, we integrated novel and stateof- the-art methods to assist in the design of small-molecule inhibitors of current cancer drug targets, specifically: Androgen Receptor (AR), a nuclear hormone receptor required for carcinogenesis of Prostate Cancer (PCa); Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 5 (STAT5), implicated in PCa progression; and Epstein-Barr Nuclear Antigen-1 (EBNA1), essential to the Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) during latent infections. Androgen Receptor. With the aim of generating binding mode hypotheses for a class (Handratta, V.D. et al. 2005) of dual AR/CYP17 inhibitors (CYP17 is a key enzyme for androgens biosynthesis and therefore implicated in PCa development), we successfully implemented a receptor-based computational strategy based on flexible receptor docking (Gianti, E.; Zauhar, R.J. 2012). Then, with the ultimate goal of identifying novel AR binders, we performed Virtual Screening (VS) by Fragment-Based Shape Signatures, an improved version of the original method developed in our Laboratory (Zauhar, R.J. et al. 2003), and we used the results to fully assess the high-level performance of this innovative tool in computational chemistry. STAT5. The SRC Homology 2 (SH2) domain of STAT5 is responsible for phospho-peptide recognition and activation. As a keystone of Structure-Based Drug Design (SBDD), we characterized key residues responsible for binding. We also generated a model of STAT5 receptor bound to a phospho-peptide ligand, which was validated by docking publicly known STAT5 inhibitors. Then, we performed Shape Signatures- and docking-based VS of the ZINC database (zinc.docking.org), followed by Molecular Mechanics Generalized Born Surface Area (MMGBSA

3 CFR - Continuation of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Colombia

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 3 The President 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Continuation of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Colombia Presidential Documents Other Presidential Documents Presidential Determination No. 2012-13 of August 10, 2012 Continuation of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government...

New Animal Model Could Boost Research on AIDS Drugs and Vaccines | Poster

Cancer.gov

By Frank Blanchard, Staff Writer, and Jeff Lifson, Guest Writer In a research milestone reported in the June 20 issue of the journal Science, scientists have developed a minimally modified version of HIV-1, the virus that causes AIDS in infected humans, that is capable of causing progressive infection and AIDS in monkeys. The advance should help create more authentic animal models of the disease and provide a potentially invaluable approach for faster and better preclinical evaluation of new drugs and vaccines.

Evolution of antiretroviral drug costs in Brazil in the context of free and universal access to AIDS treatment.

PubMed

Nunn, Amy S; Fonseca, Elize M; Bastos, Francisco I; Gruskin, Sofia; Salomon, Joshua A

2007-11-13

Little is known about the long-term drug costs associated with treating AIDS in developing countries. Brazil's AIDS treatment program has been cited widely as the developing world's largest and most successful AIDS treatment program. The program guarantees free access to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for all people living with HIV/AIDS in need of treatment. Brazil produces non-patented generic antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), procures many patented ARVs with negotiated price reductions, and recently issued a compulsory license to import one patented ARV. In this study, we investigate the drivers of recent ARV cost trends in Brazil through analysis of drug-specific prices and expenditures between 2001 and 2005. We compared Brazil's ARV prices to those in other low- and middle-income countries. We analyzed trends in drug expenditures for HAART in Brazil from 2001 to 2005 on the basis of cost data disaggregated by each ARV purchased by the Brazilian program. We decomposed the overall changes in expenditures to compare the relative impacts of changes in drug prices and drug purchase quantities. We also estimated the excess costs attributable to the difference between prices for generics in Brazil and the lowest global prices for these drugs. Finally, we estimated the savings attributable to Brazil's reduced prices for patented drugs. Negotiated drug prices in Brazil are lowest for patented ARVs for which generic competition is emerging. In recent years, the prices for efavirenz and lopinavir-ritonavir (lopinavir/r) have been lower in Brazil than in other middle-income countries. In contrast, the price of tenofovir is US$200 higher per patient per year than that reported in other middle-income countries. Despite precipitous price declines for four patented ARVs, total Brazilian drug expenditures doubled, to reach US$414 million in 2005. We find that the major driver of cost increases was increased purchase quantities of six specific drugs: patented lopinavir

Prevalence of drug-resistant mutation among drug-treated HIV/AIDS inpatient in Airlangga University teaching hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rachman, B. E.; Khairunisa, S. Q.; Witaningrum, A. M.; Yunifiar, M. Q.; Widiyanti, P.; Nasronudin

2018-03-01

Increased use of antiretroviral therapy did not completely reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDShospitalization. Various factors can be involved. The aim of this study is to examine HIV-1 drug resistance mutations profile in drug-treated HIV/AIDS patients who underwent hospitalization. HIV/AIDS patients who are admitted to hospital who had received ART are included in the study and then examined for the presence of drug resistance-associated mutations. A total of 17 samples were included in the study, but only 11 samples that could be sequence analyzed. On the mutation examination of drug resistance in reverse transcriptase gene, it werefound a major mutation in K103N (9%) and G190A (9%). Most minor mutations were found in A98S (18.1%), followed by M41L, M184V, L210W, T215Y, V108l, Y181C and H221Y at 9% each. Whereas, on examination of drug resistance mutations in protease genes, there is a major mutation in I84V of 9%. Most minor mutations on M36I (45.4%), followed by L10I (36.3%), H69K (36.3%), I93L (27.2%), G16E, L89M, K20R 18.1%, L64V and V771I 9% respectively.A large number of mutated samples pose a challenge in long-term antiretroviral treatment, so a breakthrough policy is needed to minimize the impact.

Magnetically assisted intraperitoneal drug delivery for cancer chemotherapy.

PubMed

Shamsi, Milad; Sedaghatkish, Amir; Dejam, Morteza; Saghafian, Mohsen; Mohammadi, Mehdi; Sanati-Nezhad, Amir

2018-11-01

Intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy has revived hopes during the past few years for the management of peritoneal disseminations of digestive and gynecological cancers. Nevertheless, a poor drug penetration is one key drawback of IP chemotherapy since peritoneal neoplasms are notoriously resistant to drug penetration. Recent preclinical studies have focused on targeting the aberrant tumor microenvironment to improve intratumoral drug transport. However, tumor stroma targeting therapies have limited therapeutic windows and show variable outcomes across different cohort of patients. Therefore, the development of new strategies for improving the efficacy of IP chemotherapy is a certain need. In this work, we propose a new magnetically assisted strategy to elevate drug penetration into peritoneal tumor nodules and improve IP chemotherapy. A computational model was developed to assess the feasibility and predictability of the proposed active drug delivery method. The key tumor pathophysiology, including a spatially heterogeneous construct of leaky vasculature, nonfunctional lymphatics, and dense extracellular matrix (ECM), was reconstructed in silico. The transport of intraperitoneally injected magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) inside tumors was simulated and compared with the transport of free cytotoxic agents. Our results on magnetically assisted delivery showed an order of magnitude increase in the final intratumoral concentration of drug-coated MNPs with respect to free cytotoxic agents. The intermediate MNPs with the radius range of 200-300 nm yield optimal magnetic drug targeting (MDT) performance in 5-10 mm tumors while the MDT performance remains essentially the same over a large particle radius range of 100-500 nm for a 1 mm radius small tumor. The success of MDT in larger tumors (5-10 mm in radius) was found to be markedly dependent on the choice of magnet strength and tumor-magnet distance while these two parameters were less of a concern in small tumors

Convergence of anatomy, technology, and therapeutics: a review of laser-assisted drug delivers.

PubMed

Brauer, Jeremy A; Krakowski, Andrew C; Bloom, Bradley S; Nguyen, Tuyet A; Geronemus, Roy G

2014-12-01

This is a very exciting time in cutaneous laser surgery with an ever-expanding therapeutic armamentarium and an increased sophistication of available technology. These recent trends have allowed for both a rapid development of interest and exploration of laser-assisted drug delivery and its potential applications. We review the current literature on anatomy, technology, and therapeutics as it relates to laser-assisted drug delivery. The focus of our review is on two areas of interest that have received much attention to date - photodynamic therapy in the treatment of actinic keratoses and nonmelanoma skin cancers as well as the treatment of scarring. We will also discuss potential complications of existing modalities used independently and in laser-assisted drug delivery and conclude with future indications for this burgeoning therapeutic methodology.

Coffee shops and clinics: the give and take of doing HIV/AIDS research with injecting drug users.

PubMed

Marsh, A; Loxley, W

1992-06-01

We discuss recruiting and interviewing injecting drug users and using research as health promotion in the context of collecting information related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) from a convenience sample of 200 injecting drug users, half in treatment and half not, in 1989 and 1990 in Perth, Western Australia. A variety of recruiting methods were used including advertising, referral by agency staff, 'snowballing' and approaches to personal contacts and others known to inject by the interviewer. Snowballing and personal contacts were the most successful means of recruiting those not in treatment, while advertising was comparatively unsuccessful with this group because of the importance of establishing the credibility of the study and the interviewer among injecting drug users before they will volunteer to be involved. The promotion of behavioural risk reduction among respondents during the interview is detailed. We argue that the traditionally rigid separation between research and intervention is inappropriate in the HIV/AIDS context. When lives are potentially at stake, any contact with injecting drug users, especially those not in treatment (where may receive HIV/AIDS education), must be used as an HIV/AIDS prevention opportunity, and the interview is an ideal opportunity. The employment of research as community intervention is also discussed.

A situational picture of HIV/AIDS and injection drug use in Vinnitsya, Ukraine

PubMed Central

Barcal, Katerina; Schumacher, Joseph E; Dumchev, Kostyantyn; Moroz, Larisa Vasiliyevna

2005-01-01

Background New and explosive HIV epidemics are being witnessed in certain countries of Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, as well as a rapid and dramatic increase in the supply, use, and negative public health consequences of illicit drugs. A majority of registered HIV cases in Ukraine occur among injection drug users (IDUs), large numbers of whom report HIV risk behaviors such as needle sharing. The purpose of this study was to apply the World Health Organization's Rapid Assessment and Response on Injection Drug Use (IDU-RAR) guide to create a situational picture in the Vinnitsya Oblast, Ukraine, a region with very scarce information about the HIV/AIDS and injection drug use (IDU) epidemics. Methods The IDU-RAR uses a combination of qualitative data collection techniques commonly employed in social science and evaluation research to quickly depict the extent and nature of the given health problem and propose locally relevant recommendations for improvement. The investigators focused their assessment on the contextual factors, drug use, and intervention and policy components of the IDU-RAR. A combination of network and block sampling techniques was used. Data collection methods included direct observation, review of existing data, structured and unstructured interviews, and focus group discussions. Key informants and locations were visited until no new information was being generated. Results The number of registered HIV cases in Vinnitsya has increased from 3 (1987–1995) to 860 (1999–10/2004), 57 of whom have already died. Ten percent of annual admissions to the area's Regional Narcological Dispensary were for opiate disorders, and the number of registered IDUs rose by 20% from 1999 to 2000. The level of HIV/AIDS awareness is generally poor among the general population but high among high-risk populations. Both HIV/AIDS and injection drug use carry a strong stigma in the community, even among medical professionals. There was very little evidence of primary HIV/AIDS

3 CFR - Continuation of U. S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Colombia

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 3 The President 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Continuation of U. S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Colombia Presidential Documents Other Presidential Documents Presidential Determination No. 2013-12 of August 9, 2013 Continuation of U. S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Colombia Memorandum for the Secretary o...

3 CFR - Continuation of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Colombia

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 3 The President 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Continuation of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Colombia Presidential Documents Other Presidential Documents Presidential Determination No. 2011-13 of August 10, 2011 Continuation of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Colombia Memorandum for the Secretary of...

A computer-assisted motivational social network intervention to reduce alcohol, drug and HIV risk behaviors among Housing First residents.

PubMed

Kennedy, David P; Hunter, Sarah B; Chan Osilla, Karen; Maksabedian, Ervant; Golinelli, Daniela; Tucker, Joan S

2016-03-15

Individuals transitioning from homelessness to housing face challenges to reducing alcohol, drug and HIV risk behaviors. To aid in this transition, this study developed and will test a computer-assisted intervention that delivers personalized social network feedback by an intervention facilitator trained in motivational interviewing (MI). The intervention goal is to enhance motivation to reduce high risk alcohol and other drug (AOD) use and reduce HIV risk behaviors. In this Stage 1b pilot trial, 60 individuals that are transitioning from homelessness to housing will be randomly assigned to the intervention or control condition. The intervention condition consists of four biweekly social network sessions conducted using MI. AOD use and HIV risk behaviors will be monitored prior to and immediately following the intervention and compared to control participants' behaviors to explore whether the intervention was associated with any systematic changes in AOD use or HIV risk behaviors. Social network health interventions are an innovative approach for reducing future AOD use and HIV risk problems, but little is known about their feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy. The current study develops and pilot-tests a computer-assisted intervention that incorporates social network visualizations and MI techniques to reduce high risk AOD use and HIV behaviors among the formerly homeless. CLINICALTRIALS. NCT02140359.

Laser-assisted drug delivery in dermatology: from animal models to clinical practice.

PubMed

Ali, Faisal R; Al-Niaimi, Firas

2016-02-01

Topical medicaments are the mainstay of the dermatologists' therapeutic arsenal. Laser-assisted drug delivery enhances the ability of topically applied medicaments to penetrate the skin. We discuss the mechanisms of laser-assisted drug delivery and animal models that have informed clinical practice. We review clinical studies that have employed laser-assisted drug delivery for a range of indications to date including non-melanoma skin cancer, vitiligo, scarring, vaccination, local anaesthesia, analgesia, viral warts, infantile haemangiomas and cosmetic uses. Studies thus far suggest that laser pre-treatment improves transepidermal absorption of topical agents and allows for a much deeper penetration of drugs than is possible with topical medicaments alone. This may allow more efficacious action of current treatments, such that conventional duration of treatment can be shortened or lower concentrations of active agents be used, potentially obviating side effects of treatment. The prospect of using laser technologies to facilitate transdermal vaccination and as an adjunct for inflammatory dermatoses and cosmetic indications remains in its infancy. As larger trials are published, involving greater numbers of patients and utilising various laser and topical medicament parameters, we will enhance our understanding of this nascent modality of treatment delivery.

Ultrasound-assisted drug delivery for treatment of venous thrombosis: a case study.

PubMed

Marchiondo, Kathleen; Frink, Amber

2008-01-01

Ultrasound-assisted drug delivery is a relatively new medical intervention that combines low-intensity ultrasound waves with infusion of a thrombolytic agent directly into a thrombosed vein. Studies have demonstrated that clots are eradicated faster, more completely, and with fewer bleeding events with the use of ultrasound-assisted drug delivery for treatment of deep vein thrombosis compared to that of traditional therapies. Critical care nurses are responsible for preprocedure assessment and teaching and continuous monitoring of the patient during therapy for effectiveness and potential complications. An advantage of this technology from a nursing perspective is the minimal amount of time required for monitoring the drug delivery system, allowing greater focus on patient assessment and care.

Miscellaneous Topics in Computer-Aided Drug Design: Synthetic Accessibility and GPU Computing, and Other Topics.

PubMed

Fukunishi, Yoshifumi; Mashimo, Tadaaki; Misoo, Kiyotaka; Wakabayashi, Yoshinori; Miyaki, Toshiaki; Ohta, Seiji; Nakamura, Mayu; Ikeda, Kazuyoshi

2016-01-01

Computer-aided drug design is still a state-of-the-art process in medicinal chemistry, and the main topics in this field have been extensively studied and well reviewed. These topics include compound databases, ligand-binding pocket prediction, protein-compound docking, virtual screening, target/off-target prediction, physical property prediction, molecular simulation and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) prediction. Message and Conclusion: However, there are also a number of secondary or miscellaneous topics that have been less well covered. For example, methods for synthesizing and predicting the synthetic accessibility (SA) of designed compounds are important in practical drug development, and hardware/software resources for performing the computations in computer-aided drug design are crucial. Cloud computing and general purpose graphics processing unit (GPGPU) computing have been used in virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulations. Not surprisingly, there is a growing demand for computer systems which combine these resources. In the present review, we summarize and discuss these various topics of drug design.

Miscellaneous Topics in Computer-Aided Drug Design: Synthetic Accessibility and GPU Computing, and Other Topics

PubMed Central

Fukunishi, Yoshifumi; Mashimo, Tadaaki; Misoo, Kiyotaka; Wakabayashi, Yoshinori; Miyaki, Toshiaki; Ohta, Seiji; Nakamura, Mayu; Ikeda, Kazuyoshi

2016-01-01

Abstract: Background Computer-aided drug design is still a state-of-the-art process in medicinal chemistry, and the main topics in this field have been extensively studied and well reviewed. These topics include compound databases, ligand-binding pocket prediction, protein-compound docking, virtual screening, target/off-target prediction, physical property prediction, molecular simulation and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) prediction. Message and Conclusion: However, there are also a number of secondary or miscellaneous topics that have been less well covered. For example, methods for synthesizing and predicting the synthetic accessibility (SA) of designed compounds are important in practical drug development, and hardware/software resources for performing the computations in computer-aided drug design are crucial. Cloud computing and general purpose graphics processing unit (GPGPU) computing have been used in virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulations. Not surprisingly, there is a growing demand for computer systems which combine these resources. In the present review, we summarize and discuss these various topics of drug design. PMID:27075578

Technology-Aided Programs for Assisting Communication and Leisure Engagement of Persons with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Two Single-Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lancioni, Giulio E.; Singh, Nirbhay N.; O'Reilly, Mark F.; Sigafoos, Jeff; Ferlisi, Gabriele; Ferrarese, Giacomina; Zullo, Valeria; Addante, Luigi M.; Spica, Antonella; Oliva, Doretta

2012-01-01

Technology-aided programs for assisting communication and leisure engagement were assessed in single-case studies involving two men with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Study I involved a 51-year-old man with a virtually total loss of his motor repertoire and assessed a technology-aided program aimed at enabling him to (a) write and send out…

What about Us? Economic and Policy Changes Affecting Rural HIV/AIDS Services and Care.

PubMed

Albritton, Tashuna; Martinez, Isabel; Gibson, Crystal; Angley, Meghan; Grandelski, Valen R

2017-01-01

Health care budgets and policies are chief drivers in the delivery and access to health services. Place is also a factor that affects patient and provider experiences within the health care system. We examine the impact of policy changes and subsequent budget cuts on rural HIV/AIDS care, support services, and prevention. We interviewed 11 social workers, case managers, and outreach workers who serve rural people living with HIV/AIDS. We conducted telephone interviews inquiring about the effect of economics and policies on direct practice with rural clients. We analyzed data using a content analysis approach. We found several themes from the data. Ryan White funding and policy changes shifted direct practice to a medical case management model. Changes in federal and state poverty levels affected client eligibility for the AIDS Drugs Assistance Program. Policy banning financial support for syringe service programs hindered prevention efforts to reduce HIV/AIDS transmission. Ancillary services were reduced, such as housing assistance, transportation, and emergency financial assistance. In conclusion, we highlight the importance of place-based policies to improve access to healthcare and services. We also provide recommendations for greater inclusion in HIV/AIDS-related policy development, care, and service planning for rural workers.

Estimation of Japanese international financial assistance for HIV/AIDS control for 2003-2007: difficulties and limitations of data collection.

PubMed

Mori, Koichiro; Yonemoto, Kiyoshi; Takei, Teiji; Izazola-Licea, Jose; Gobet, Benjamin

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to: (1) collect relevant data and estimate Japanese international financial assistance for HIV/AIDS control; (2) discuss the difficulties in collecting relevant data and the limitations of the collected data; and (3) conduct a comparative analysis on the estimated data with OECD and Kaiser Family Foundation aggregate data. The point is that we have comprehensively collected and estimated the data on Japanese international expenditures for HIV/AIDS control while there is no reliable data that is totally managed and published. In addition, we discuss the difficulties and limitations of data collection: unpublished data; insufficient data; inseparable data; problems of exchange rates; gaps between disbursement and commitment; and difference in year period among calendar, fiscal and organization-specific years. Furthermore, we show the risk of underestimating the Japanese international contribution to HIV/AIDS control on the basis of OECD and Kaiser data. In this respect, it is significant to comprehensively collect and estimate the data on Japanese international assistance for HIV/AIDS control. Finally, we derive the implication that it is crucial for a relevant international organization and/or individual countries to comprehensively collect and administer data for international cooperation in the development of health policies for HIV/AIDS.

Diagnostic accuracy of a two-item screen for drug use developed from the alcohol, smoking and substance involvement screening test (ASSIST).

PubMed

Tiet, Quyen Q; Leyva, Yani; Moos, Rudolf H; Smith, Brandy

2016-07-01

The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) is a screening instrument to detect substance use in primary care (PC). To screen for illicit substances (excluding tobacco and alcohol), the ASSIST consists of 8-57 questions and requires complicated scoring. To improve the efficiency of screening of drug misuse in PC, this study constructed and validated a two-item screen for drug use from the ASSIST. Guided by previous reviews, the ASSIST was revised. Patients were recruited in VA primary care clinics (N=1283). Half of the sample was used to develop the ASSIST-Drug; the other half was used to validate it. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and the Inventory of Drug Use Consequences were the criterion measures. A brief, two-item ASSIST-Drug was constructed. Based on the development sample, the ASSIST-Drug was 94.1% sensitive and 89.6% specific for drug use disorders. Based on the validation sample, it was 95.4% sensitive and 87.8% specific. The ASSIST-Drug also had comparable sensitivity and specificity to identify drug use negative consequences, as well as for diverse subgroups of patients in terms of gender, age, race/ethnicity, marital status, educational levels, and post traumatic stress disorder status. The ASSIST-Drug may be a useful screening tool for PC settings. It is reliable, brief, and easy to remember, administer and score. It is sensitive and specific for drug use disorders and drug use negative consequences, and the predictive properties are consistent across subgroup of patients. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

77 FR 65373 - Notice of Submission for OMB Review; Federal Student Aid; Student Assistance General Provisions...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-26

... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Notice of Submission for OMB Review; Federal Student Aid; Student Assistance General Provisions--Student Right-to-Know SUMMARY: Section 485 of the Higher Education Act of 1965... addressed to the Director of the Information Collection Clearance Division, U.S. Department of Education...

Training of Home Health Aides and Nurse Aides: Findings from National Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sengupta, Manisha; Ejaz, Farida K.; Harris-Kojetin, Lauren D.

2012-01-01

Training and satisfaction with training were examined using data from nationally representative samples of 2,897 certified nursing assistants (CNAs) from the National Nursing Assistant Survey and 3,377 home health aides (HHAs) from the National Home Health Aide Survey conducted in 2004 and 2007, respectively. This article focuses on the…

Computer-aided drug discovery research at a global contract research organization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitchen, Douglas B.

2017-03-01

Computer-aided drug discovery started at Albany Molecular Research, Inc in 1997. Over nearly 20 years the role of cheminformatics and computational chemistry has grown throughout the pharmaceutical industry and at AMRI. This paper will describe the infrastructure and roles of CADD throughout drug discovery and some of the lessons learned regarding the success of several methods. Various contributions provided by computational chemistry and cheminformatics in chemical library design, hit triage, hit-to-lead and lead optimization are discussed. Some frequently used computational chemistry techniques are described. The ways in which they may contribute to discovery projects are presented based on a few examples from recent publications.

Computer-aided drug discovery research at a global contract research organization.

PubMed

Kitchen, Douglas B

2017-03-01

Computer-aided drug discovery started at Albany Molecular Research, Inc in 1997. Over nearly 20 years the role of cheminformatics and computational chemistry has grown throughout the pharmaceutical industry and at AMRI. This paper will describe the infrastructure and roles of CADD throughout drug discovery and some of the lessons learned regarding the success of several methods. Various contributions provided by computational chemistry and cheminformatics in chemical library design, hit triage, hit-to-lead and lead optimization are discussed. Some frequently used computational chemistry techniques are described. The ways in which they may contribute to discovery projects are presented based on a few examples from recent publications.

Effectiveness of lorazepam-assisted interviews in an adolescent with dissociative amnesia: A case report★

PubMed Central

Seo, Yuna; Shin, Mi-Hee; Kim, Sung-Gon; Kim, Ji-Hoon

2013-01-01

To facilitate gathering information during a psychiatric interview, some psychiatrists advocate augmenting the interview using drugs. Rather than barbiturates, benzodiazepines have been used for drug-assisted interviews. Dissociative amnesia is one of the indications for these interviews. Herein, we present the case of a 15-year-old female who was diagnosed as having dissociative amnesia because of conflicts with her friends. She was administered a lorazepam-assisted interview to aid recovery of her memories. In this case, a small dose of lorazepam was sufficient to recover her memories without any adverse effects. PMID:25206490

Effectiveness of lorazepam-assisted interviews in an adolescent with dissociative amnesia: A case report.

PubMed

Seo, Yuna; Shin, Mi-Hee; Kim, Sung-Gon; Kim, Ji-Hoon

2013-01-15

To facilitate gathering information during a psychiatric interview, some psychiatrists advocate augmenting the interview using drugs. Rather than barbiturates, benzodiazepines have been used for drug-assisted interviews. Dissociative amnesia is one of the indications for these interviews. Herein, we present the case of a 15-year-old female who was diagnosed as having dissociative amnesia because of conflicts with her friends. She was administered a lorazepam-assisted interview to aid recovery of her memories. In this case, a small dose of lorazepam was sufficient to recover her memories without any adverse effects.

77 FR 39498 - Guidances for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff: Computer-Assisted Detection...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-03

...] Guidances for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff: Computer-Assisted Detection Devices Applied... Clinical Performance Assessment: Considerations for Computer-Assisted Detection Devices Applied to... guidance, entitled ``Computer-Assisted Detection Devices Applied to Radiology Images and Radiology Device...

Evaluation of DILearn: An Interactive Computer-Assisted Learning Program for Drug Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tunget, Cynthia L.; And Others

1993-01-01

Use of an interactive computer-assisted learning program to teach basic skills in obtaining drug information was investigated with 26 doctoral pharmacy students and a control group of 25 students receiving lecture instruction. Findings indicated no significant differences in short-term retention of drug information between groups and that students…

Court finds ambiguity in denial of off-label AIDS drug.

PubMed

1998-03-06

A home intravenous drug therapy provider and an insurance company operated by the American Consulting Engineers Council have gone to court over disputed medical claims. An AIDS patient being treated with ganciclovir for CMV retinitis had a decrease in his white blood cell count, neutropenia, that endangered his life. The physicians prescribed neupogen, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for cancer treatment, to counteract the neutropenia. The health care provider, I.V. Services of America, continued the neupogen treatment; the treatments were covered as an inpatient but denied after discharge. I.V. Services sued, alleging that the cause of the neutropenia should not bar coverage. The New York judge found in favor of the health care provider, calling the insurance company's position self serving and the denial of the claim arbitrary.

COMPUTER-AIDED DRUG DISCOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT (CADDD): in silico-chemico-biological approach

PubMed Central

Kapetanovic, I.M.

2008-01-01

It is generally recognized that drug discovery and development are very time and resources consuming processes. There is an ever growing effort to apply computational power to the combined chemical and biological space in order to streamline drug discovery, design, development and optimization. In biomedical arena, computer-aided or in silico design is being utilized to expedite and facilitate hit identification, hit-to-lead selection, optimize the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity profile and avoid safety issues. Commonly used computational approaches include ligand-based drug design (pharmacophore, a 3-D spatial arrangement of chemical features essential for biological activity), structure-based drug design (drug-target docking), and quantitative structure-activity and quantitative structure-property relationships. Regulatory agencies as well as pharmaceutical industry are actively involved in development of computational tools that will improve effectiveness and efficiency of drug discovery and development process, decrease use of animals, and increase predictability. It is expected that the power of CADDD will grow as the technology continues to evolve. PMID:17229415

Drug company-sponsored patient assistance programs: a viable safety net?

PubMed

Choudhry, Niteesh K; Lee, Joy L; Agnew-Blais, Jessica; Corcoran, Colleen; Shrank, William H

2009-01-01

Drug company-sponsored patient assistance programs (PAPs) provide access to brand-name medications at little or no cost and have been advocated as a safety net for inadequately insured patients. Yet little is known about these programs. We surveyed drug company-sponsored PAPs and found much variability in their structures and application processes. Most cover one or two drugs. Only 4 percent disclosed how many patients they had directly helped, and half would not disclose their income eligibility criteria. A better understanding of PAPs might clarify their role in improving access to medications, the adequacy of existing public programs, and their impact on cost-effective medication use.

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 ...

Free software to analyse the clinical relevance of drug interactions with antiretroviral agents (SIMARV®) in patients with HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Giraldo, N A; Amariles, P; Monsalve, M; Faus, M J

Highly active antiretroviral therapy has extended the expected lifespan of patients with HIV/AIDS. However, the therapeutic benefits of some drugs used simultaneously with highly active antiretroviral therapy may be adversely affected by drug interactions. The goal was to design and develop a free software to facilitate analysis, assessment, and clinical decision making according to the clinical relevance of drug interactions in patients with HIV/AIDS. A comprehensive Medline/PubMed database search of drug interactions was performed. Articles that recognized any drug interactions in HIV disease were selected. The publications accessed were limited to human studies in English or Spanish, with full texts retrieved. Drug interactions were analyzed, assessed, and grouped into four levels of clinical relevance according to gravity and probability. Software to systematize the information regarding drug interactions and their clinical relevance was designed and developed. Overall, 952 different references were retrieved and 446 selected; in addition, 67 articles were selected from the citation lists of identified articles. A total of 2119 pairs of drug interactions were identified; of this group, 2006 (94.7%) were drug-drug interactions, 1982 (93.5%) had an identified pharmacokinetic mechanism, and 1409 (66.5%) were mediated by enzyme inhibition. In terms of clinical relevance, 1285 (60.6%) drug interactions were clinically significant in patients with HIV (levels 1 and 2). With this information, a software program that facilitates identification and assessment of the clinical relevance of antiretroviral drug interactions (SIMARV ® ) was developed. A free software package with information on 2119 pairs of antiretroviral drug interactions was designed and developed that could facilitate analysis, assessment, and clinical decision making according to the clinical relevance of drug interactions in patients with HIV/AIDS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A fragmented code: The moral and structural context for providing assistance with injection drug use initiation in San Diego, USA.

PubMed

Guise, Andy; Melo, Jason; Mittal, Maria Luisa; Rafful, Claudia; Cuevas-Mota, Jazmine; Davidson, Peter; Garfein, Richard S; Werb, Dan

2018-05-01

Injection drug use initiation is shaped by social networks and structural contexts, with people who inject drugs often assisting in this process. We sought to explore the norms and contexts linked to assisting others to initiate injection drug use in San Diego, USA, to inform the development of structural interventions to prevent this phenomenon. We undertook qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of people who inject drugs and had reported assisting others to initiate injection (n = 17) and a sub-sample of people who inject drugs (n = 4) who had not reported initiating others to triangulate accounts. We analyzed data thematically and abductively. Respondents' accounts of providing initiation assistance were consistent with themes and motives reported in other contexts: of seeking to reduce harm to the 'initiate', responding to requests for help, fostering pleasure, accessing resources, and claims that initiation assistance was unintentional. We developed analysis of these themes to explore initiation assistance as governed by a 'moral code'. We delineate a fragmented moral code which includes a range of meanings and social contexts that shape initiation assistance. We also show how assistance is happening within a structural context that limits discussion of injection drug use, reflecting a prevailing silence on drug use linked to stigma and criminalization. In San Diego, the assistance of others to initiate injection drug use is governed by a fragmented moral code situated within particular social norms and contexts. Interventions that address the social and structural conditions shaped by and shaping this code may be beneficial, in tandem with efforts to support safe injection and the reduction of injection-related harms. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Trends in Student Aid.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

College Board, Washington, DC. Washington Office.

This report presents annual data on the amount of financial assistance available to postsecondary students in the form of grants, loans, and work-study. The data cover virtually all federal aid and most state and institutional assistance; not included in the study is financial aid in the form of indirect subsidies, students' wages, employer-paid…

Design, Development, and Evaluation of Visual Aids for Communicating Prescription Drug Instructions to Nonliterate Patients in Rural Cameroon.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngoh, Lucy N.; Shepherd, Marvin D.

1997-01-01

Culturally sensitive visual aids designed to help convey drug information to nonliterate female adults requiring antibiotics were developed. Researchers conceptualized the messages, and a local artist produced the visual aids. Comprehension and compliance with prescription instructions were evaluated (N=78). Results and practical implications are…

3 CFR - Continuation of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Colombia

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... reasonably suspected to be primarily engaged in illicit drug trafficking in that country's airspace is necessary, because of the extraordinary threat posed by illicit drug trafficking to the national security of... 3 The President 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Continuation of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to...

3 CFR - Provision of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Brazil

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... reasonably suspected to be primarily engaged in illicit drug trafficking in that country's airspace is necessary because of the extraordinary threat posed by illicit drug trafficking to the national security of... 3 The President 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Provision of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to...

3 CFR - Continuation of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Colombia

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... reasonably suspected to be primarily engaged in illicit drug trafficking in that country's airspace is necessary, because of the extraordinary threat posed by illicit drug trafficking to the national security of... 3 The President 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Continuation of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to...

Student Assistance Programs: An Important Approach to Drug Abuse Prevention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGovern, John P.; DuPont, Robert L.

1991-01-01

Describes a new approach to school-based drug abuse prevention called Student Assistance Programs (SAP). SAP offers various approaches tailored to particular settings and includes students, teachers, parents, and community representatives who define and resolve student problems including substance abuse. SAP facilitates the use of 12-step…

Antiretroviral drugs and acute pancreatitis in HIV/AIDS patients: is there any association? A literature review

PubMed Central

Oliveira, Natalia Mejias; Ferreira, Felipe Augusto Yamauti; Yonamine, Raquel Yumi; Chehter, Ethel Zimberg

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT In HIV-seropositive individuals, the incidence of acute pancreatitis may achieve 40% per year, higher than the 2% found in the general population. Since 1996, when combined antiretroviral therapy, known as HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy), was introduced, a broad spectrum of harmful factors to the pancreas, such as opportunistic infections and drugs used for chemoprophylaxis, dropped considerably. Nucleotide analogues and metabolic abnormalities, hepatic steatosis and lactic acidosis have emerged as new conditions that can affect the pancreas. To evaluate the role of antiretroviral drugs to treat HIV/AIDS in a scenario of high incidence of acute pancreatitis in this population, a systematic review was performed, including original articles, case reports and case series studies, whose targets were HIV-seropositive patients that developed acute pancreatitis after exposure to any antiretroviral drugs. This association was confirmed after exclusion of other possible etiologies and/or a recurrent episode of acute pancreatitis after re-exposure to the suspected drug. Zidovudine, efavirenz, and protease inhibitors are thought to lead to acute pancreatitis secondary to hyperlipidemia. Nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors, despite being powerful inhibitors of viral replication, induce a wide spectrum of side effects, including myelotoxicity and acute pancreatitis. Didanosine, zalcitabine and stavudine have been reported as causes of acute and chronic pancreatitis. They pose a high risk with cumulative doses. Didanosine with hydroxyurea, alcohol or pentamidine are additional risk factors, leading to lethal pancreatitis, which is not a frequent event. In addition, other drugs used for prophylaxis of AIDS-related opportunistic diseases, such as sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim and pentamidine, can produce necrotizing pancreatitis. Despite comorbidities that can lead to pancreatic involvement in the HIV/AIDS population, antiretroviral drug

Study on laser-assisted drug delivery with optical coherence tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Wen-Guei; Tsai, Ting-Yen; Yang, Chih-Hsun; Tsai, Meng-Tsan

2017-04-01

The nail provides a functional protection to the fingertips and surrounding tissue from external injuries. Nail plate divided into three layers including dorsal, intermediate, and ventral layers. The dorsal layer consists of compact, hard keratins, limiting topical drug delivery through the nail. In this study, we investigate the application of fractional CO2 laser that produces arrays of microthermal ablation zones (MAZs) to facilitate drug delivery in the nails. Moreover, optical coherence tomography (OCT) is implemented for real-time monitoring of the laser-skin tissue interaction, sparing the patient from invasive surgical sampling procedure. Observations of drug diffusion through the induced MAZ array are achieved by evaluating the time-dependent OCT intensity variance. Subsequently, nails are treated with cream and liquid topical drugs to investigate the feasibility and diffusion efficacy of laser-assisted drug delivery. Our results show that fractional CO2 laser improves the efficacy of topical drug delivery in the nail plate, and that OCT could potentially be used for in vivo monitoring of the depth of laser penetration as well as real-time observations of drug delivery.

Computer-Aided Drug Design Applied to Marine Drug Discovery: Meridianins as Alzheimer's Disease Therapeutic Agents.

PubMed

Llorach-Pares, Laura; Nonell-Canals, Alfons; Sanchez-Martinez, Melchor; Avila, Conxita

2017-11-27

Computer-aided drug discovery/design (CADD) techniques allow the identification of natural products that are capable of modulating protein functions in pathogenesis-related pathways, constituting one of the most promising lines followed in drug discovery. In this paper, we computationally evaluated and reported the inhibitory activity found in meridianins A-G, a group of marine indole alkaloids isolated from the marine tunicate Aplidium , against various protein kinases involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurodegenerative pathology characterized by the presence of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). Balance splitting between tau kinase and phosphate activities caused tau hyperphosphorylation and, thereby, its aggregation and NTF formation. Inhibition of specific kinases involved in its phosphorylation pathway could be one of the key strategies to reverse tau hyperphosphorylation and would represent an approach to develop drugs to palliate AD symptoms. Meridianins bind to the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding site of certain protein kinases, acting as ATP competitive inhibitors. These compounds show very promising scaffolds to design new drugs against AD, which could act over tau protein kinases Glycogen synthetase kinase-3 Beta (GSK3β) and Casein kinase 1 delta (CK1δ, CK1D or KC1D), and dual specificity kinases as dual specificity tyrosine phosphorylation regulated kinase 1 (DYRK1A) and cdc2-like kinases (CLK1). This work is aimed to highlight the role of CADD techniques in marine drug discovery and to provide precise information regarding the binding mode and strength of meridianins against several protein kinases that could help in the future development of anti-AD drugs.

A Simple and Resource-efficient Setup for the Computer-aided Drug Design Laboratory.

PubMed

Moretti, Loris; Sartori, Luca

2016-10-01

Undertaking modelling investigations for Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD) requires a proper environment. In principle, this could be done on a single computer, but the reality of a drug discovery program requires robustness and high-throughput computing (HTC) to efficiently support the research. Therefore, a more capable alternative is needed but its implementation has no widespread solution. Here, the realization of such a computing facility is discussed, from general layout to technical details all aspects are covered. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Epidemiological Criminology: Contextualization of HIV/AIDS Health Care for Female Inmates.

PubMed

Lanier, Mark M; Zaitzow, Barbara H; Farrell, C Thomas

2015-04-01

Worldwide, women are increasingly being incarcerated. One unintended consequence is the increase in unhealthy female offenders. Among the more serious health concerns are HIV and AIDS. Challenges associated with caring for women with HIV/AIDS impacts not only disease management and infection control within correctional facilities but also the prisoners' home communities where they will need health care, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, housing assistance, and employment opportunities. No bridging theory has been presented that links prison and community health concerns with criminal justice policy. This article not only presents recommendations for effective HIV/AIDS policy but also suggests epidemiological criminology as a means of explicit merging of health with justice issues and consequently provides a bridging framework. © The Author(s) 2015.

Comparing errors in ED computer-assisted vs conventional pediatric drug dosing and administration.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Loren; Kanemori, Joan

2010-06-01

Compared to fixed-dose single-vial drug administration in adults, pediatric drug dosing and administration requires a series of calculations, all of which are potentially error prone. The purpose of this study is to compare error rates and task completion times for common pediatric medication scenarios using computer program assistance vs conventional methods. Two versions of a 4-part paper-based test were developed. Each part consisted of a set of medication administration and/or dosing tasks. Emergency department and pediatric intensive care unit nurse volunteers completed these tasks using both methods (sequence assigned to start with a conventional or a computer-assisted approach). Completion times, errors, and the reason for the error were recorded. Thirty-eight nurses completed the study. Summing the completion of all 4 parts, the mean conventional total time was 1243 seconds vs the mean computer program total time of 879 seconds (P < .001). The conventional manual method had a mean of 1.8 errors vs the computer program with a mean of 0.7 errors (P < .001). Of the 97 total errors, 36 were due to misreading the drug concentration on the label, 34 were due to calculation errors, and 8 were due to misplaced decimals. Of the 36 label interpretation errors, 18 (50%) occurred with digoxin or insulin. Computerized assistance reduced errors and the time required for drug administration calculations. A pattern of errors emerged, noting that reading/interpreting certain drug labels were more error prone. Optimizing the layout of drug labels could reduce the error rate for error-prone labels. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

AIDS and society.

PubMed

Singh, N K

1991-08-01

Noting the hysteria caused by an outbreak of AIDS among intravenous drug users in the state of Manipur, India, the author discusses the social and emotional aspects of the epidemic. Local media has been Manipur's main source of information concerning the outbreak, but this information has often been misleading and has served to stir up fear and hatred of HIV carriers. Many have even begun talking about an Isolation Centre. The author, the director of a drug rehabilitation center, relates his experiences in counseling 50 intravenous drug users on the subject of AIDS. He discovered that the group had very poor knowledge about the disease. When told about AIDS, they became alarmed at the possibility of dying. 1/2 of the group swore to take revenge on those who had introduced them to drugs, but the other 1/2 showed a more positive attitude, saying that they would like to help other drug addicts. The author also describes the case history of a patient who had succeeded in staying off of drugs for 8 months. HIV screening, however, revealed that the young man was seropositive. Somehow, a local newspaper got a hold of this information and published his name as a seropositive along with the names of others. Distraught by this, the young man returned to drugs. The author stresses that revealing the names of HIV carriers serves no social purpose, and in fact, only makes the problem worse. He recommends the following for dealing with the outbreak of AIDS: 1) intensive public health education on AIDS with the aim or removing unwarranted fears; 2) education to prevent drug addiction; 3) counselling to parents of drug addicts; and 4) the establishment of Seropositive Anonymous, an organization designed to help carriers deal with their problems.

ASSISTANT TEACHERS AND TEACHERS' AIDES--TRAINING AND ROLES OF AUXILIARY PERSONNEL FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GOODALE, EUNICE C.; WEISZ, VERA C.

THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER'S AIDE IN THE CLASSROOM HAS OFTEN BEEN DEFINED AS THAT OF A HELPER WITH ROUTINE DUTIES. WHEN PROPERLY PREPARED, HOWEVER, SUCH AUXILIARY PERSONNEL CAN ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE TEACHING-LEARNING SITUATION. THE TEACHER ASSISTANT PERFORMS MANY OF THE SAME DUTIES AS THE HEAD TEACHER BUT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OVERALL…

AIDS and Chemical Dependency.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pohl, Melvin I.

After defining HIV and the AIDS disease and outlining symptoms and means of infection, this fact sheet lists the ways alcohol and drugs are involved with the AIDS epidemic, noting that needle-sharing transmits the virus; that alcohol or mood-altering drugs like crack cocaine cause disinhibition, increase sex drive, encourage sex for drugs, and…

77 FR 65457 - Provision of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Brazil

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-29

... be primarily engaged in illicit drug trafficking in that country's airspace is necessary because of the extraordinary threat posed by illicit drug trafficking to the national security of that country... October 11, 2012 Provision of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Brazil Memorandum for...

76 FR 53299 - Continuation of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Colombia

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-25

... suspected to be primarily engaged in illicit drug trafficking in that country's airspace is necessary, because of the extraordinary threat posed by illicit drug trafficking to the national security of that... August 10, 2011 Continuation of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Colombia...

75 FR 75853 - Provision of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Brazil

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-07

... be primarily engaged in illicit drug trafficking in that country's airspace is necessary because of the extraordinary threat posed by illicit drug trafficking to the national security of that country... October 15, 2010 Provision of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Brazil Memorandum for...

House OK's Russian aid

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

Rothstein, L.

1993-09-01

This article discusses the 2.5 Billion dollar aid package to Russia which House Appropriations Foreign Operations Subcommittee Chairman David Obey successfully defended on the House floor last June. Arizona Republican Jon Kyl offered an admendment that would cut 700 million from the package and was defeated with a 118 to 140 vote. The bill is currently in the hands of the Senate. The controversy over the bill and details concerning the aid package are discussed. The aid deal includes 250 million dollars for nuclear reactor safety and energy as well as environmental technical assistance, 655 million dollars to aid privatemore » sector development, and 704 million dollars for additional technical and economic assistance.« less

Employee Assistance. A Critique of Three Corporate Drug Abuse Policies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Good, Roger K.

1986-01-01

Three employee assistance programs designed to combat employee drug abuse are described and evaluated. The author also provides guidelines to consider when designing a substance abuse program: consult all departments that can make a contribution; keep abreast of technical support; and seek outside help if there is no help available within the…

77 FR 50557 - Continuation of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Colombia

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-21

... trafficking in that country's airspace is necessary, because of the extraordinary threat posed by illicit drug.... 2012-13 of August 10, 2012--Continuation of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of...

Use of computer-assisted drug therapy outside the operating room.

PubMed

Singh, Preet Mohinder; Borle, Anuradha; Goudra, Basavana G

2016-08-01

The number of procedures performed in the out-of-operating room setting under sedation has increased many fold in recent years. Sedation techniques aim to achieve rapid patient turnover through the use of short-acting drugs with minimal residual side-effects (mainly propofol and opioids). Even for common procedures, the practice of sedation delivery varies widely among providers. Computer-based sedation models have the potential to assist sedation providers and offer a more consistent and safer sedation experience for patients. Target-controlled infusions using propofol and other short-acting opioids for sedation have shown promising results in terms of increasing patient safety and allowing for more rapid wake-up times. Target-controlled infusion systems with real-time patient monitoring can titrate drug doses automatically to maintain optimal depth of sedation. The best recent example of this is the propofol-based Sedasys sedation system. Sedasys redefined individualized sedation by the addition of an automated clinical parameter that monitors depth of sedation. However, because of poor adoption and cost issues, it has been recently withdrawn by the manufacturer. Present automated drug delivery systems can assist in the provision of sedation for out-of-operating room procedures but cannot substitute for anesthesia providers. Use of the available technology has the potential to improve patient outcomes, decrease provider workload, and have a long-term economic impact on anesthesia care delivery outside of the operating room.

Streets, drugs, and the economy of sex in the age of AIDS.

PubMed

Weeks, M R; Grier, M; Romero-Daza, N; Puglisi-Vasquez, M J; Singer, M

1998-01-01

Drug addicted women whose economic and social base is urban streets face limited options for income generation and multiple dangers of predation, assault, arrest, and illness. Exchanging sex for money or drugs offers one important source of income in this context. Yet the legal, social, and safety risks associated with these exchanges reduce the likelihood of regular safer sex practices during these encounters, thereby increasing the risk of HIV infection. Such conditions lead women engaged in sexual exchanges for money to varied and complex responses influenced by multiple and often contradictory pressures, both personal and contextual. Street-recruited women drug users in an AIDS prevention program in Hart-ford, Connecticut reported a range of condom use when engaging in sex for money exchanges. This paper explores their differences by ethnicity, economic resources, and drug use, and analyzes these and other factors that impact on street risks through sexual income generation. Surveys and in-depth interviews with drug-addicted women sex workers describe their various approaches to addressing multiple risks on the streets and suggest significant effort by women in these contexts to avoid the many risks, including HIV infection.

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.

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,…

Company fires worker after test reveals AIDS drug in his blood.

PubMed

1996-02-09

[Name removed], a vitamin and herbal supplement manufacturer, claims that it terminated [name removed] because of the presence of a cannabinoid in his blood, not because he has AIDS. A random drug test revealed that Mr. [Name removed], a quality control inspector, had Marinol in his blood, a medication prescribed to enhance appetite. [Name removed]'s AIDS status was revealed when [name removed]'s physician proved that the prescription was legitimate. Solaray's policy allows AIDS patients to continue working as long as they meet acceptable performance standards. The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Utah filed suit on [name removed]'s behalf. Concomitantly, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) concluded that [name removed] violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by demanding medical records and forcing workers to undergo periodic medical exams. [Name removed] justifies its demand by citing an obligation to protect all employees, customers, and other visitors. [Name removed] has refused to settle out of court or to allow [name removed] to return to work. The company contends that Marinol, a psychoactive substance, negatively affects [name removed]'s ability to perform quality control tasks. Attorneys for [name removed] will begin the deposition process in February 1996.

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.

20 CFR 416.121 - Receipt of aid or assistance for December 1973 under an approved State plan under title I, X, XIV...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 1973 under an approved State plan under title I, X, XIV, or XVI of the Social Security Act. 416.121... assistance for December 1973 under an approved State plan under title I, X, XIV, or XVI of the Social... was a recipient of aid or assistance for December 1973 under a State plan approved under title I, X...

20 CFR 416.121 - Receipt of aid or assistance for December 1973 under an approved State plan under title I, X, XIV...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 1973 under an approved State plan under title I, X, XIV, or XVI of the Social Security Act. 416.121... assistance for December 1973 under an approved State plan under title I, X, XIV, or XVI of the Social... was a recipient of aid or assistance for December 1973 under a State plan approved under title I, X...

20 CFR 416.121 - Receipt of aid or assistance for December 1973 under an approved State plan under title I, X, XIV...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 1973 under an approved State plan under title I, X, XIV, or XVI of the Social Security Act. 416.121... assistance for December 1973 under an approved State plan under title I, X, XIV, or XVI of the Social... was a recipient of aid or assistance for December 1973 under a State plan approved under title I, X...

20 CFR 416.121 - Receipt of aid or assistance for December 1973 under an approved State plan under title I, X, XIV...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 1973 under an approved State plan under title I, X, XIV, or XVI of the Social Security Act. 416.121... assistance for December 1973 under an approved State plan under title I, X, XIV, or XVI of the Social... was a recipient of aid or assistance for December 1973 under a State plan approved under title I, X...

20 CFR 416.121 - Receipt of aid or assistance for December 1973 under an approved State plan under title I, X, XIV...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 1973 under an approved State plan under title I, X, XIV, or XVI of the Social Security Act. 416.121... assistance for December 1973 under an approved State plan under title I, X, XIV, or XVI of the Social... was a recipient of aid or assistance for December 1973 under a State plan approved under title I, X...

Using computer-aided drug design and medicinal chemistry strategies in the fight against diabetes.

PubMed

Semighini, Evandro P; Resende, Jonathan A; de Andrade, Peterson; Morais, Pedro A B; Carvalho, Ivone; Taft, Carlton A; Silva, Carlos H T P

2011-04-01

The aim of this work is to present a simple, practical and efficient protocol for drug design, in particular Diabetes, which includes selection of the illness, good choice of a target as well as a bioactive ligand and then usage of various computer aided drug design and medicinal chemistry tools to design novel potential drug candidates in different diseases. We have selected the validated target dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV), whose inhibition contributes to reduce glucose levels in type 2 diabetes patients. The most active inhibitor with complex X-ray structure reported was initially extracted from the BindingDB database. By using molecular modification strategies widely used in medicinal chemistry, besides current state-of-the-art tools in drug design (including flexible docking, virtual screening, molecular interaction fields, molecular dynamics, ADME and toxicity predictions), we have proposed 4 novel potential DPP-IV inhibitors with drug properties for Diabetes control, which have been supported and validated by all the computational tools used herewith.

[Drug using risks screening in primary care patients using the ASSIST test: Cross sectional study].

PubMed

López-Rodríguez, Juan A; Rigabert, Alina; Gómez Llano, M Nieves; Rubio, Gabriel

2018-03-15

The aim of this study is to estimate risky-drug use patterns of consumption of primary care patients. Multicentric descriptive cross-sectional study. five primary health care centers of the South of Madrid. all patients between 16-100 year-old consulting with their family physician. Spanish-validated World Health Organization ASSIST test was use to screen risky drug use in primary care. Total points scored at the test were obtained. A sum of 441 screening test were collected. Mean age was 51,3 years and 51.6% of patients presented a moderate-severe risky drug use out of the nine drugs tested. The more frequent drug use screened were tobacco (41.7%) followed by alcohol (15.4%), hypnotics (13.7%) and cannabis (5.7%). Differences were found between genders in the patterns: men had higher risky drug uses compared to women regarding alcohol and cannabis. Women had higher sedatives/hypnotics consumption prevalence. A 16% of patients presented with polyconsumption drug use patterns. There is risk derived from drug misuse in primary care for tobacco, alcohol, hypnotics and cannabis as detected by the ASSIST test. There is a higher rate of hypnotics than expected. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Drug and alcohol abuse: the bases for employee assistance programs in the nuclear-utility industry

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

Radford, L.R.; Rankin, W.L.; Barnes, V.

This report describes the nature, prevalence, and trends of drug and alcohol abuse among members of the US adult population and among personnel in non-nuclear industries. Analogous data specific to the nuclear utility industry are not available, so these data were gathered in order to provide a basis for regulatory planning. The nature, prevalence, and trend inforamtion was gathered using a computerized literature, telephone discussions with experts, and interviews with employee assistance program representatives from the Seattle area. This report also evaluates the possible impacts that drugs and alcohol might have on nuclear-related job performance, based on currently available nuclearmore » utility job descriptions and on the scientific literature regarding the impairing effects of drugs and alcohol on human performance. Employee assistance programs, which can be used to minimize or eliminate job performance decrements resulting from drug or alcohol abuse, are also discussed.« less

Can donor aid for health be effective in a poor country? Assessment of prerequisites for aid effectiveness in Uganda.

PubMed

Juliet, Nabyonga Orem; Freddie, Ssengooba; Okuonzi, Sam

2009-10-22

Inadequate funding for health is a challenge to attaining health-related Millennium Development Goals. Significant increase in health funding was recommended by the Commission for Macroeconomics and Health. Indeed Official Development Assistance has increased significantly in Uganda. However, the effectiveness of donor aid has come under greater scrutiny. This paper scrutinizes the prerequisites for aid effectiveness. The objective of the study was to assess the prerequisites for effectiveness of donor aid, specifically, its proportion to overall health funding, predictability, comprehensiveness, alignment to country priorities, and channeling mechanisms. Secondary data obtained from various official reports and surveys were analyzed against the variables mentioned under objectives. This was augmented by observations and participation in discussions with all stakeholders to discuss sector performance including health financing. Between 2004-2007, the level of aid increased from US$6 per capita to US$11. Aid was found to be unpredictable with expenditure varying between 174-8722;360 percent from budgets. More than 50% of aid was found to be off budget and unavailable for comprehensive planning. There was disproportionate funding for some items such as drugs. Key health system elements such as human resources and infrastructure have not been given due attention in investment. The government's health funding from domestic sources grew only modestly which did not guarantee fiscal sustainability. Although donor aid is significant there is need to invest in the prerequisites that would guarantee its effective use.

Hearing aid fine-tuning based on Dutch descriptions.

PubMed

Thielemans, Thijs; Pans, Donné; Chenault, Michelene; Anteunis, Lucien

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to derive an independent fitting assistant based on expert consensus. Two questions were asked: (1) what (Dutch) terms do hearing impaired listeners use nowadays to describe their specific hearing aid fitting problems? (2) What is the expert consensus on how to resolve these complaints by adjusting hearing aid parameters? Hearing aid dispensers provided descriptors that impaired listeners use to describe their reactions to specific hearing aid fitting problems. Hearing aid fitting experts were asked "How would you adjust the hearing aid if its user reports that the aid sounds…?" with the blank filled with each of the 40 most frequently mentioned descriptors. 112 hearing aid dispensers and 15 hearing aid experts. The expert solution with the highest weight value was considered the best solution for that descriptor. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to identify a factor structure in fitting problems. Nine fitting problems could be identified resulting in an expert-based, hearing aid manufacturer independent, fine-tuning fitting assistant for clinical use. The construction of an expert-based, hearing aid manufacturer independent, fine-tuning fitting assistant to be used as an additional tool in the iterative fitting process is feasible.

Nursing Assistant/Homemaker-Home Health Aide Component.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

East Hartford Board of Education, CT.

The demand for the services of homemaker-home health aides has increased tremendously. In one year, for example, the Visiting Nurse and Home Care Association of East Hartford, Connecticut, had a nearly 155 percent increase in the demand for homemaker-home health aide service. The East Hartford Public Schools developed a vocational program that…

[Injecting drug users and antiretroviral therapy: perceptions of pharmacy teams].

PubMed

Yokaichiya, Chizuru Minami; Figueiredo, Wagner dos Santos; Schraiber, Lilia Blima

2007-12-01

To understand the perceptions of pharmacy teams about their role in the healthcare assistance challenges and adherence to antiretroviral therapy by injecting drug users living with HIV/AIDS. Qualitative study through focus groups and thematic discourse analysis of pharmacists, technicians and assistants with more than six months of experience with medication supply, in 15 assisting units for STD/AIDS in the city of São Paulo, in 2002. Three groups were formed, totaling 29 participants, originating from 12 out of the 15 existing services, and including 12 university level professionals and 17 high-school level professionals. The groups concluded that the pharmacy has an important role in the antiretroviral drug supply, which is reflected in the treatment adherence, because trust-based relationships can be built up through their procedures. In spite of this, they pointed out that such building-up does not take place through excessively bureaucratic activities. This has negative repercussions for all patients, especially for injecting drug users, considered "difficult people". Such concept sums up their behavior: they are supposed to be confused and incapable to adhere to treatment, and have limited understanding. Staff members, however, affirm they treat these patients equally. They do not realize that, by this acting, the specific needs of injecting drug users may become invisible in the service. There is also the possibility that stigmatizing stereotypes may be created, resulting in yet another barrier to the work on adherence. Although the pharmacy is recommended as a potentially favorable place to listen to and form bonds with users, the results show objective and subjective obstacles to render it suitable for the work on adherence.

14 CFR 382.121 - What mobility aids and other assistive devices may passengers with a disability bring into the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false What mobility aids and other assistive... Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS) SPECIAL REGULATIONS NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF DISABILITY IN AIR TRAVEL Stowage of Wheelchairs, Other Mobility...

Employee assistance programs, drug testing, and workplace injury.

PubMed

Waehrer, Geetha M; Miller, Ted R; Hendrie, Delia; Galvin, Deborah M

2016-06-01

Little is known about the effects of employee assistance programs (EAPs) on occupational injuries. Multivariate regressions probed a unique data set that linked establishment information about workplace anti-drug programs in 1988 with occupational injury rates for 1405 establishments. EAPs were associated with a significant reduction in both no-lost-work and lost-work injuries, especially in the manufacturing and transportation, communication and public utilities industries (TCPU). Lost-work injuries were more responsive to specific EAP characteristics, with lower rates associated with EAPs staffed by company employees (most likely onsite). Telephone hotline services were associated with reduced rates of lost-work injuries in manufacturing and TCPU. Drug testing was associated with reductions in the rate of minor injuries with no lost work, but had no significant relationship with lost-work injuries. This associational study suggests that EAPs, especially ones that are company-staffed and ones that include telephone hotlines, may prevent workplace injuries. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Marketing Financial Aid

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huddleston, Thomas, Jr.; Batty, Burt F.

1978-01-01

Student financial assistance services are becoming a major part of the institutional marketing plan as traditional college-age students decline in numbers and price competition among institutions increases. The effect of financial aid on enrollment and admissions processes is discussed along with the role of the financial aid officer. (Author/LBH)

Health and Human Services Cluster. Task Analyses. Physical Therapist Aide and Physical Therapist Assistant. A Competency-Based Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henrico County Public Schools, Glen Allen, VA. Virginia Vocational Curriculum and Resource Center.

Developed in Virginia, this publication contains task analysis guides to support selected tech prep programs that prepare students for careers in the health and human services cluster. Occupations profiled are physical therapist aide and physical therapist assistant. Each guide contains the following elements: (1) an occupational task list derived…

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.

Directory of Academic Institutions and Organizations Offering Drug, Alcohol, and Employee Assistance Program Educational Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. on Drug Abuse (DHHS/PHS), Rockville, MD.

This directory lists academic institutions, State offices of alcohol and drug abuse, and national organizations which offer drug, alcohol, and employee assistance program (EAP) educational resources. A matrix format is used. Entries include name, address, telephone number, and contact person. A dot appears directly under column headings which are…

History of medication-assisted treatment and its association with initiating others into injection drug use in San Diego, CA.

PubMed

Mittal, Maria Luisa; Vashishtha, Devesh; Sun, Shelly; Jain, Sonia; Cuevas-Mota, Jazmine; Garfein, Richard; Strathdee, Steffanie A; Werb, Dan

2017-10-03

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) remains the gold standard for the treatment of opioid use disorder. MAT also reduces the frequency of injecting among people who inject drugs (PWID). Relatedly, data suggest that PWID play a key role in the initiation of others into drug injecting by exposing injecting practices to injection-naïve drug users. Our primary objective was to test whether a history of MAT enrollment is associated with a reduced odds of PWID providing injection initiation assistance. Preventing Injecting by Modifying Existing Responses (PRIMER; NIDA DP2-DA040256-01), is a multi-site cohort study assessing the impact of socio-structural factors on the risk that PWID provide injection initiation assistance. Data were drawn from a participating cohort of PWID in San Diego, CA. The primary outcome was reporting ever providing injection initiation assistance; the primary predictor was reporting ever being enrolled in MAT. Logistic regression was used to model associations between MAT enrollment and ever initiating others into injecting while adjusting for potential confounders. Participants (n = 354) were predominantly male (n = 249, 70%). Thirty-eight percent (n = 135) of participants reported ever initiating others into injection drug use. In multivariate analysis, participants who reported a history of MAT enrollment had significantly decreased odds of ever providing injection initiation assistance (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR]: 0.62, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.39-0.99). These preliminary findings suggest an association between MAT enrollment and a lower odds that male PWID report providing injection initiation assistance to injection-naïve drug users. Further research is needed to identify the pathways by which MAT enrollment may impact the risk that PWID initiate others into drug injecting.

[The Current State of Inappropriate Drug Use among Elderly Assisted-Living Residents].

PubMed

Hirotani, Yoshihiko; Kawamura, Hitomi; Nakamura, Mayuri; Urashima, Yoko; Myotoku, Michiaki

2015-12-01

Previous studies have reported that elderly assisted-living residents use multiple drug combinations and inappropriate drugs.The aim of this study was to assess the drug use and its consequences in residents of a nursing facility.We examined the prescriptions of all residents in a nursing facility in Osaka from their medical records.Of the total 67 residents, 48 were women.The average age of the residents was 86 years, the average number of prescription drugs they took was 6.4, and the average number of diseases present was 4.9. Correlation between the number of diseases and the drugs taken was significant (p<0.05), but the correlation between the degree of independence for activities of daily living and the number of the drugs taken was not significant.The most commonly present health condition was bone fracture.About 50% of the residents used a psychotropic drug and prescription drugs such as amantadine and hydroxyzine, which are not advisable for elderly people.It is necessary for the elderly to avoid the use of drugs that cause delirium and drowsiness, and future studies should focus on methods to prevent disuse syndrome in the elderly.

Computer Aided Manufacturing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Insolia, Gerard

This document contains course outlines in computer-aided manufacturing developed for a business-industry technology resource center for firms in eastern Pennsylvania by Northampton Community College. The four units of the course cover the following: (1) introduction to computer-assisted design (CAD)/computer-assisted manufacturing (CAM); (2) CAM…

Assessing the Sustainability of Japan's Foreign Aid Program: An Analysis of Development Assistance to Energy Sectors of Developing Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yamaguchi, Hideka

2005-01-01

This article examines the effect of Japan's official development assistance (ODA) over 10 years that proposed to facilitate environmental conservation in developing countries. Special emphasis is given to ODA disbursements in the energy sector to evaluate whether Japan's foreign aid has shifted its policy toward more environmentally sound goals.…

Attitudes toward medication-assisted treatment among fishermen in Kuantan, Malaysia, who inject drugs.

PubMed

Brown, Shan-Estelle; Wickersham, Jeffrey A; Pelletier, Alyssa R; Marcus, Ruthanne M; Erenrich, Rebecca; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Altice, Frederick L

2017-01-01

Fishermen who inject drugs represent an understudied group at high risk for HIV in Malaysia. This study describes fishing, drug use, and attitudes toward medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorders. Thirty-four male ethnic Malay fishermen completed semistructured interviews analyzed by content analysis. Analysis revealed four themes surrounding opioids, which they called ubat ("medicine"): (a) the fishing lifestyle facilitating substance use, (b) previous unsuccessful attempts to quit, (c) categorizing substances as haram or halal, and (d) attitudes toward MAT. Fishermen's environment permits substance use, including injecting drugs on boats. Fishermen expressed more positive attitudes toward methadone and negative attitudes toward buprenorphine.

Challenging Operations: An Ethical Framework to Assist Humanitarian Aid Workers in their Decision-making Processes.

PubMed

Clarinval, Caroline; Biller-Andorno, Nikola

2014-06-23

This paper aims to raise awareness regarding ethical issues in the context of humanitarian action, and to offer a framework for systematically and effectively addressing such issues. Several cases highlight ethical issues that humanitarian aid workers are confronted with at different levels over the course of their deployments. The first case discusses a situation at a macro-level concerning decisions being made at the headquarters of a humanitarian organization. The second case looks at meso-level issues that need to be solved at a country or regional level. The third case proposes an ethical dilemma at the micro-level of the individual patient-provider relationship. These real-life cases have been selected to illustrate the ethical dimension of conflicts within the context of humanitarian action that might remain unrecognized in everyday practice. In addition, we propose an ethical framework to assist humanitarian aid workers in their decision-making process. The framework draws on the principles and values that guide humanitarian action and public health ethics more generally. Beyond identifying substantive core values, the framework also includes a ten-step process modelled on tools used in the clinical setting that promotes a transparent and clear decision-making process and improves the monitoring and evaluation of aid interventions. Finally, we recommend organizational measures to implement the framework effectively. This paper uses a combination of public health/clinical ethics concepts and practices and applies them to the decision-making challenges encountered in relief operations in the humanitarian aid context.

75 FR 49432 - Impact Aid Programs

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-13

... CONTACT. Background The Impact Aid Discretionary Construction Program is authorized under section 8007(b... 2004, when the most recent Impact Aid Discretionary Construction Program regulations were issued, the... Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.041 Impact Aid Discretionary Construction Program) List of Subjects...

At risk, infected, and invisible: older gay men and HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Grossman, A H

1995-01-01

Older gay men over the age of 50 have been and continue to be an invisible part of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The reasons for this phenomenon are many, but among them are societal beliefs, myths, and stereotypes emanating from ageism and homophobia. In addition, HIV/AIDS is sometimes misdiagnosed in older adults because many of its symptoms mimic other illness that affect older people. Among the HIV risk factors of older gay men are internalized homophobia, denial of risk, alcohol and other substance use, and anonymous sexual encounters. The challenge for nurses and other providers is to reach, educate, and assist older gay men effectively in changing and maintaining safe behaviors when they are engaging in sexual and drug-using behaviors that can transmit HIV.

Computational methods in drug discovery

PubMed Central

Leelananda, Sumudu P

2016-01-01

The process for drug discovery and development is challenging, time consuming and expensive. Computer-aided drug discovery (CADD) tools can act as a virtual shortcut, assisting in the expedition of this long process and potentially reducing the cost of research and development. Today CADD has become an effective and indispensable tool in therapeutic development. The human genome project has made available a substantial amount of sequence data that can be used in various drug discovery projects. Additionally, increasing knowledge of biological structures, as well as increasing computer power have made it possible to use computational methods effectively in various phases of the drug discovery and development pipeline. The importance of in silico tools is greater than ever before and has advanced pharmaceutical research. Here we present an overview of computational methods used in different facets of drug discovery and highlight some of the recent successes. In this review, both structure-based and ligand-based drug discovery methods are discussed. Advances in virtual high-throughput screening, protein structure prediction methods, protein–ligand docking, pharmacophore modeling and QSAR techniques are reviewed. PMID:28144341

Computational methods in drug discovery.

PubMed

Leelananda, Sumudu P; Lindert, Steffen

2016-01-01

The process for drug discovery and development is challenging, time consuming and expensive. Computer-aided drug discovery (CADD) tools can act as a virtual shortcut, assisting in the expedition of this long process and potentially reducing the cost of research and development. Today CADD has become an effective and indispensable tool in therapeutic development. The human genome project has made available a substantial amount of sequence data that can be used in various drug discovery projects. Additionally, increasing knowledge of biological structures, as well as increasing computer power have made it possible to use computational methods effectively in various phases of the drug discovery and development pipeline. The importance of in silico tools is greater than ever before and has advanced pharmaceutical research. Here we present an overview of computational methods used in different facets of drug discovery and highlight some of the recent successes. In this review, both structure-based and ligand-based drug discovery methods are discussed. Advances in virtual high-throughput screening, protein structure prediction methods, protein-ligand docking, pharmacophore modeling and QSAR techniques are reviewed.

Implantable Heart Aid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

CPI's human-implantable automatic implantable defibrillator (AID) is a heart assist system, derived from NASA's space circuitry technology, that can prevent erratic heart action known as arrhythmias. Implanted AID, consisting of microcomputer power source and two electrodes for sensing heart activity, recognizes onset of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and delivers corrective electrical countershock to restore rhythmic heartbeat.

[Increase of beta 2-microglobulin in drug addicts with anti-HIV antibodies and high risk of AIDS].

PubMed

D'Angelo, G; Giardini, C; Zanco, M D; Calvano, D; Crovetti, G; De Filippo, C

1991-01-01

The beta 2-Microglobulin is a polypeptide present on the surface membrane of both B and T cells and is integrated into the structure of HLA antigenes. The beta 2-Microglobulin concentration have been used as a reliable indicator of glomerular and tubular function of the kidney. Increased serum concentration of beta 2-Microglobulin are observed also in lymphoproliferative disorders with high cell proliferation rates. More recently, increased concentration of beta 2-Microglobulin was shown in patients with anti-HIV antibodies with or without symptomatic AIDS. We have determined beta 2-Microglobulin in 61 subjects: 40 between the ages of 25 and 35 and seemingly healthy, 21 patients between the ages of 22 and 32 and intravenous drug abuser with anti-HIV antibodies and at high-risk for AIDS. In all subjects we have tested: BUN, creatinine, beta 2-Microglobulin and T4/T8 ratio. In 40 subjects as normal controls, beta 2-Microglobulin average was means = 1.07 mg/L (SD = 0.39), T4/T8 ratio average: means = 1.06 (SD = 0.119). In 21 patients drug abuser with anti-HIV antibodies, the beta 2-Microglobulin average was cleanly increased: means = 4.72 mg/L (SD = 2.23), the T4/T8 ratio average cleanly decreased: means = 0.54 (SD = 0.21). We believe the beta 2-Microglobulin quantitation, even if not specific for patient with symptomatic AIDS, used in conjunction with other laboratory tests, principally T4/T8 ratio, will be a useful marker for recognizing persons with possible asymptomatic AIDS who are members of populations known to be at high-risk for AIDS.

Attitudes toward medication-assisted treatment among fishermen in Kuantan, Malaysia, who inject drugs

PubMed Central

Brown, Shan-Estelle; Wickersham, Jeffrey A.; Pelletier, Alyssa R.; Marcus, Ruthanne M.; Erenrich, Rebecca; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Altice, Frederick L.

2017-01-01

Fishermen who inject drugs represent an understudied group at high risk for HIV in Malaysia. This study describes fishing, drug use, and attitudes toward medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorders. Thirty-four male ethnic Malay fishermen completed semistructured interviews analyzed by content analysis. Analysis revealed four themes surrounding opioids, which they called ubat (“medicine”): (a) the fishing lifestyle facilitating substance use, (b) previous unsuccessful attempts to quit, (c) categorizing substances as haram or halal, and (d) attitudes toward MAT. Fishermen’s environment permits substance use, including injecting drugs on boats. Fishermen expressed more positive attitudes toward methadone and negative attitudes toward buprenorphine. PMID:27404914

21 CFR 338.10 - Nighttime sleep-aid active ingredients.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Nighttime sleep-aid active ingredients. 338.10... (CONTINUED) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE NIGHTTIME SLEEP-AID DRUG PRODUCTS FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER HUMAN USE Active Ingredients § 338.10 Nighttime sleep-aid active ingredients. The active ingredient of the product consists of...

21 CFR 338.10 - Nighttime sleep-aid active ingredients.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Nighttime sleep-aid active ingredients. 338.10... (CONTINUED) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE NIGHTTIME SLEEP-AID DRUG PRODUCTS FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER HUMAN USE Active Ingredients § 338.10 Nighttime sleep-aid active ingredients. The active ingredient of the product consists of...

21 CFR 338.10 - Nighttime sleep-aid active ingredients.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Nighttime sleep-aid active ingredients. 338.10... (CONTINUED) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE NIGHTTIME SLEEP-AID DRUG PRODUCTS FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER HUMAN USE Active Ingredients § 338.10 Nighttime sleep-aid active ingredients. The active ingredient of the product consists of...

21 CFR 338.10 - Nighttime sleep-aid active ingredients.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Nighttime sleep-aid active ingredients. 338.10... (CONTINUED) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE NIGHTTIME SLEEP-AID DRUG PRODUCTS FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER HUMAN USE Active Ingredients § 338.10 Nighttime sleep-aid active ingredients. The active ingredient of the product consists of...

21 CFR 338.10 - Nighttime sleep-aid active ingredients.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Nighttime sleep-aid active ingredients. 338.10... (CONTINUED) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE NIGHTTIME SLEEP-AID DRUG PRODUCTS FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER HUMAN USE Active Ingredients § 338.10 Nighttime sleep-aid active ingredients. The active ingredient of the product consists of...

Personal digital assistant-based drug information sources: potential to improve medication safety.

PubMed

Galt, Kimberly A; Rule, Ann M; Houghton, Bruce; Young, Daniel O; Remington, Gina

2005-04-01

This study compared the potential for personal digital assistant (PDA)-based drug information sources to minimize potential medication errors dependent on accurate and complete drug information at the point of care. A quality and safety framework for drug information resources was developed to evaluate 11 PDA-based drug information sources. Three drug information sources met the criteria of the framework: Eprocrates Rx Pro, Lexi-Drugs, and mobileMICROMEDEX. Medication error types related to drug information at the point of care were then determined. Forty-seven questions were developed to test the potential of the sources to prevent these error types. Pharmacists and physician experts from Creighton University created these questions based on the most common types of questions asked by primary care providers. Three physicians evaluated the drug information sources, rating the source for each question: 1=no information available, 2=some information available, or 3 = adequate amount of information available. The mean ratings for the drug information sources were: 2.0 (Eprocrates Rx Pro), 2.5 (Lexi-Drugs), and 2.03 (mobileMICROMEDEX). Lexi-Drugs was significantly better (mobileMICROMEDEX t test; P=0.05; Eprocrates Rx Pro t test; P=0.01). Lexi-Drugs was found to be the most specific and complete PDA resource available to optimize medication safety by reducing potential errors associated with drug information. No resource was sufficient to address the patient safety information needs for all cases.

U.S. Foreign Aid to East and South Asia: Selected Recipients

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-22

foreign policy and national security goals and respond to global development and humanitarian needs through its foreign assistance programs . In the past...national security strategy.1 Within this context, the Bush Administration reoriented U.S. foreign assistance programs : aid to “front line” states...building as major goals of foreign aid. Toward these ends, the new Strategic Framework for U.S. Foreign Assistance divides aid programming among five

FAF-Drugs2: free ADME/tox filtering tool to assist drug discovery and chemical biology projects.

PubMed

Lagorce, David; Sperandio, Olivier; Galons, Hervé; Miteva, Maria A; Villoutreix, Bruno O

2008-09-24

Drug discovery and chemical biology are exceedingly complex and demanding enterprises. In recent years there are been increasing awareness about the importance of predicting/optimizing the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) properties of small chemical compounds along the search process rather than at the final stages. Fast methods for evaluating ADMET properties of small molecules often involve applying a set of simple empirical rules (educated guesses) and as such, compound collections' property profiling can be performed in silico. Clearly, these rules cannot assess the full complexity of the human body but can provide valuable information and assist decision-making. This paper presents FAF-Drugs2, a free adaptable tool for ADMET filtering of electronic compound collections. FAF-Drugs2 is a command line utility program (e.g., written in Python) based on the open source chemistry toolkit OpenBabel, which performs various physicochemical calculations, identifies key functional groups, some toxic and unstable molecules/functional groups. In addition to filtered collections, FAF-Drugs2 can provide, via Gnuplot, several distribution diagrams of major physicochemical properties of the screened compound libraries. We have developed FAF-Drugs2 to facilitate compound collection preparation, prior to (or after) experimental screening or virtual screening computations. Users can select to apply various filtering thresholds and add rules as needed for a given project. As it stands, FAF-Drugs2 implements numerous filtering rules (23 physicochemical rules and 204 substructure searching rules) that can be easily tuned.

7 CFR 15b.37 - Auxiliary aids.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Auxiliary aids. 15b.37 Section 15b.37 Agriculture... ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Other Aid, Benefits, or Services § 15b.37 Auxiliary aids... appropriate auxiliary aids to persons with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills, where necessary to...

7 CFR 15b.37 - Auxiliary aids.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Auxiliary aids. 15b.37 Section 15b.37 Agriculture... ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Other Aid, Benefits, or Services § 15b.37 Auxiliary aids... appropriate auxiliary aids to persons with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills, where necessary to...

7 CFR 15b.37 - Auxiliary aids.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Auxiliary aids. 15b.37 Section 15b.37 Agriculture... ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Other Aid, Benefits, or Services § 15b.37 Auxiliary aids... appropriate auxiliary aids to persons with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills, where necessary to...

7 CFR 15b.37 - Auxiliary aids.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Auxiliary aids. 15b.37 Section 15b.37 Agriculture... ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Other Aid, Benefits, or Services § 15b.37 Auxiliary aids... appropriate auxiliary aids to persons with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills, where necessary to...

7 CFR 15b.37 - Auxiliary aids.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Auxiliary aids. 15b.37 Section 15b.37 Agriculture... ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Other Aid, Benefits, or Services § 15b.37 Auxiliary aids... appropriate auxiliary aids to persons with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills, where necessary to...

Challenging Operations: An Ethical Framework to Assist Humanitarian Aid Workers in their Decision-making Processes

PubMed Central

Clarinval, Caroline; Biller-Andorno, Nikola

2014-01-01

Introduction: This paper aims to raise awareness regarding ethical issues in the context of humanitarian action, and to offer a framework for systematically and effectively addressing such issues. Methods: Several cases highlight ethical issues that humanitarian aid workers are confronted with at different levels over the course of their deployments. The first case discusses a situation at a macro-level concerning decisions being made at the headquarters of a humanitarian organization. The second case looks at meso-level issues that need to be solved at a country or regional level. The third case proposes an ethical dilemma at the micro-level of the individual patient-provider relationship. Discussion: These real-life cases have been selected to illustrate the ethical dimension of conflicts within the context of humanitarian action that might remain unrecognized in everyday practice. In addition, we propose an ethical framework to assist humanitarian aid workers in their decision-making process. The framework draws on the principles and values that guide humanitarian action and public health ethics more generally. Beyond identifying substantive core values, the framework also includes a ten-step process modelled on tools used in the clinical setting that promotes a transparent and clear decision-making process and improves the monitoring and evaluation of aid interventions. Finally, we recommend organizational measures to implement the framework effectively. Conclusion: This paper uses a combination of public health/clinical ethics concepts and practices and applies them to the decision-making challenges encountered in relief operations in the humanitarian aid context. PMID:24987575

A novel integrated framework and improved methodology of computer-aided drug design.

PubMed

Chen, Calvin Yu-Chian

2013-01-01

Computer-aided drug design (CADD) is a critical initiating step of drug development, but a single model capable of covering all designing aspects remains to be elucidated. Hence, we developed a drug design modeling framework that integrates multiple approaches, including machine learning based quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis, 3D-QSAR, Bayesian network, pharmacophore modeling, and structure-based docking algorithm. Restrictions for each model were defined for improved individual and overall accuracy. An integration method was applied to join the results from each model to minimize bias and errors. In addition, the integrated model adopts both static and dynamic analysis to validate the intermolecular stabilities of the receptor-ligand conformation. The proposed protocol was applied to identifying HER2 inhibitors from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as an example for validating our new protocol. Eight potent leads were identified from six TCM sources. A joint validation system comprised of comparative molecular field analysis, comparative molecular similarity indices analysis, and molecular dynamics simulation further characterized the candidates into three potential binding conformations and validated the binding stability of each protein-ligand complex. The ligand pathway was also performed to predict the ligand "in" and "exit" from the binding site. In summary, we propose a novel systematic CADD methodology for the identification, analysis, and characterization of drug-like candidates.

Antibodies to AIDS-associated retrovirus (HTLV-III/LAV) in drug addicts from Vizcaya, northern Spain.

PubMed

Merino, F; Esparza, B; Aizpiri, J; Fernandez, J; de Masdelval, L; Arrieta, A; Velazquez, M; Volsky, D J; San Cristobal, E; de Izaguirre, A

1986-01-01

Serum samples from 313 asymptomatic intravenous (IV) drug users from Bilbao (Vizcaya, Vasque Country, Spain) were tested for antibodies to HTLV-III/LAV virus, the probable etiologic agent of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Viral antibodies were assayed by ELISA test. 41.9% of the sera gave positive reactions. No seropositivity was detected among 22 normal blood donors, 58 chronic alcoholics, or 20 members of the Drug Control Center personnel. Virus specific reactions were confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence using an HTLV-III/LAV producer cell line, and by Western blotting. 55% of the ELISA-positive sera were also positive in Western blot assay. No differences in seropositivity by age or sex were observed but it increased with the period of parenteral drug use. Presence of antibody statistically correlated with the frequency of syringe sharing, confirming the transmission of viral infection by blood products. Altered T4/T8 ratios and lower number of T4 positive lymphocytes were detected among HTLV-III/LAV positive drug addicts.

An AIDS risk reduction program for Dutch drug users: an intervention mapping approach to planning.

PubMed

van Empelen, Pepijn; Kok, Gerjo; Schaalma, Herman P; Bartholomew, L Kay

2003-10-01

This article presents the development of a theory- and evidence-based AIDS prevention program targeting Dutch drug users and aimed at promoting condom use. The emphasis is on the development of the program using a five-step intervention development protocol called intervention mapping (IM). Preceding Step 1 of the IM process, an assessment of the HIV problem among drug users was conducted. The product of IM Step 1 was a series of program objectives specifying what drug users should learn in order to use condoms consistently. In Step 2, theoretical methods for influencing the most important determinants were chosen and translated into practical strategies that fit the program objectives. The main strategy chosen was behavioral journalism. In Step 3, leaflets with role-model stories based on authentic interviews with drug users were developed and pilot tested. Finally, the need for cooperation with program users is discussed in IM Steps 4 and 5.

International Aid to Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benavot, Aaron

2010-01-01

Recent evidence highlights several worrisome trends regarding aid pledges and disbursements, which have been exacerbated by the global financial crisis. First, while overall development assistance rose in 2008, after 2 years of decline, the share of all sector aid going to the education sector has remained virtually unchanged at about 12 percent…

21 CFR 874.3310 - Hearing aid calibrator and analysis system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Hearing aid calibrator and analysis system. 874.3310 Section 874.3310 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... aid calibrator and analysis system. (a) Identification. A hearing aid calibrator and analysis system...

21 CFR 874.3310 - Hearing aid calibrator and analysis system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Hearing aid calibrator and analysis system. 874.3310 Section 874.3310 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... aid calibrator and analysis system. (a) Identification. A hearing aid calibrator and analysis system...

21 CFR 874.3310 - Hearing aid calibrator and analysis system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Hearing aid calibrator and analysis system. 874.3310 Section 874.3310 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... aid calibrator and analysis system. (a) Identification. A hearing aid calibrator and analysis system...

21 CFR 874.3310 - Hearing aid calibrator and analysis system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Hearing aid calibrator and analysis system. 874.3310 Section 874.3310 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... aid calibrator and analysis system. (a) Identification. A hearing aid calibrator and analysis system...

21 CFR 874.3310 - Hearing aid calibrator and analysis system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Hearing aid calibrator and analysis system. 874.3310 Section 874.3310 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... aid calibrator and analysis system. (a) Identification. A hearing aid calibrator and analysis system...

An analysis of FDA-approved drugs for infectious disease: HIV/AIDS drugs.

PubMed

Kinch, Michael S; Patridge, Eric

2014-10-01

HIV/AIDS is one of the worst pandemics in history. According to the World Health Organization, 26 million people have died since 1981 - 1.6 million in 2012 alone. The dramatic rise in HIV/AIDS mobilized a swift and impressive coordination among governmental, academic and private sector organizations to identify the virus and develop new treatments. Herein, we assess the arsenal of 28 new molecular entities (NMEs) targeting HIV/AIDS. These data demonstrate that the first approval of zidovudine presaged an expansion of the antiviral repertoire over the following years. Whereas the rate of HIV/AIDS NMEs is rapidly declining, so is the number of organizations developing NMEs. We speculate that decisions to abandon further research reflect, in part, growing costs and time required for development. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assisting persons living with HIV/AIDS to return to work: programmatic steps for AIDS service organizations.

PubMed

Brooks, R A; Klosinski, L E

1999-06-01

The objective of this study was to develop a comprehensive picture of the concerns and needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS who are interested in returning to work. To collect information in this new area, a series of focus groups was conducted with a random sample of clients from AIDS Project Los Angeles who were currently unemployed and expressed a desire to return to work. The results indicate a range of concerns among individuals with HIV/AIDS about returning to work, such as a loss of or change in medical benefits, the need for flexibility in employment to address ongoing medical needs, concerns regarding disclosure of their HIV/AIDS status, the possibility of job related discrimination, and the need to address the practical aspects of reentering the labor market after a prolonged absence. The findings suggest a series of action steps for AIDS service organizations and others to address the needs of persons with HIV/AIDS in this new area.

Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Assisted Manufacture Monolithic Restorations for Severely Worn Dentition: A Case History Report.

PubMed

Abou-Ayash, Samir; Boldt, Johannes; Vuck, Alexander

Full-arch rehabilitation of patients with severe tooth wear due to parafunctional behavior is a challenge for dentists and dental technicians, especially when a highly esthetic outcome is desired. A variety of different treatment options and prosthetic materials are available for such a clinical undertaking. The ongoing progress of computer-aided design/computer-assisted manufacture technologies in combination with all-ceramic materials provides a predictable workflow for these complex cases. This case history report describes a comprehensive, step-by-step treatment protocol leading to an optimally predictable treatment outcome for an esthetically compromised patient.

[New drugs, new obstacles in the fight against HIV].

PubMed

Fonseca, M S

1996-01-01

Treatment with protease inhibitors, drugs that inhibit HIV protease, an essential enzyme for the survival of the HIV virus, decreases HIV to undetectable levels and has generated great optimism. Although far from finding a cure, these findings are steps toward understanding HIV. In December 1995, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved saquinavir, followed by Norvir and Crixivan, all of which are protease inhibitors. Although the availability of these drugs varies, efforts are being made to provide the drugs to everyone. President Bill Clinton has asked Congress to approve $52 million, a 50 percent increase for AIDS research, to assist people who need these drugs throughout the country. In Latin America, efforts have been made to approve these drugs. According to Miklos Salgo, director of virology at Hoffmann-La Roche, Brazil has been the first country in Central and South America to approve saquinavir. Other scientists are optimistic that these new drugs will arrive in Latin America within a year.

Personal digital assistant applications for the healthcare provider.

PubMed

Keplar, Kristine E; Urbanski, Christopher J

2003-02-01

To review some common medical applications available for personal digital assistants (PDAs), with brief discussion of the different PDA operating systems and memory requirements. Key search terms included handheld, PDA, personal digital assistants, and medical applications. The literature was accessed through MEDLINE (1999-August 2002). Other information was obtained through secondary sources such as Web sites describing common PDAs. Medical applications available on PDAs are numerous and include general drug references, specialized drug references (e.g., pediatrics, geriatrics, cardiology, infectious disease), diagnostic guides, medical calculators, herbal medication references, nursing references, toxicology references, and patient tracking databases. Costs and memory requirements for these programs can vary; consequently, the healthcare provider must limit the medication applications that are placed on the handheld computer. This article attempts to systematically describe the common medical applications available for the handheld computer along with cost, memory and download requirements, and Web site information. This review found many excellent PDA drug information applications offering many features which will aid the healthcare provider. Very likely, after using these PDA applications, the healthcare provider will find them indispensable, as their multifunctional capabilities can save time, improve accuracy, and allow for general business procedures as well as being a quick reference tool. To avoid the benefits of this technology might be a step backward.

AIDS in the Workplace: What Can Be Done?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masi, Dale A.

1987-01-01

Discusses the legal ramifications for employers concerning acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Suggests that employers should have in place an AIDS policy that addresses such issues as AIDS testing, employee assistance programs, and health insurance coverage. (CH)

78 FR 49755 - Renewal of Charter for the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-15

... on HIV/ AIDS AGENCY: Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, Office of the Assistant... Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/ AIDS (PACHA; the Council) has been renewed. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Caroline Talev, Public Health Assistant, Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AID, Department...

Undergraduates with Employer-Sponsored Aid: Comparing Group Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faulk, Dagney G.; Wang, Zhenlei

2014-01-01

Tuition assistance offered by employers is an understudied area of financial aid research. The purpose of this study is to compare the demographic, socioeconomic, academic and financial aid characteristics of college students who receive employer-sponsored financial aid with students who receive traditional financial aid (institutional, state, or…

Development Aid: A Guide to Facts and Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Silva, Leelananda

This eight-chapter book provides information on Official Development Assistance (ODA), its importance in relation to developed and developing countries, and its prospects and limitations. Major areas discussed include: (1) the institutional evolution of development aid; (2) forms of ODA, including project aid, program aid, bilateral aid,…

Collaborative drug discovery for More Medicines for Tuberculosis (MM4TB)

PubMed Central

Ekins, Sean; Spektor, Anna Coulon; Clark, Alex M.; Dole, Krishna; Bunin, Barry A.

2016-01-01

Neglected disease drug discovery is generally poorly funded compared with major diseases and hence there is an increasing focus on collaboration and precompetitive efforts such as public–private partnerships (PPPs). The More Medicines for Tuberculosis (MM4TB) project is one such collaboration funded by the EU with the goal of discovering new drugs for tuberculosis. Collaborative Drug Discovery has provided a commercial web-based platform called CDD Vault which is a hosted collaborative solution for securely sharing diverse chemistry and biology data. Using CDD Vault alongside other commercial and free cheminformatics tools has enabled support of this and other large collaborative projects, aiding drug discovery efforts and fostering collaboration. We will describe CDD's efforts in assisting with the MM4TB project. PMID:27884746

Experimental and theoretical studies of implant assisted magnetic drug targeting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aviles, Misael O.

One way to achieve drug targeting in the body is to incorporate magnetic nanoparticles into drug carriers and then retain them at the site using an externally applied magnetic field. This process is referred to as magnetic drug targeting (MDT). However, the main limitation of MDT is that an externally applied magnetic field alone may not be able to retain a sufficient number of magnetic drug carrier particles (MDCPs) to justify its use. Such a limitation might not exist when high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) principles are applied to assist MDT by means of ferromagnetic implants. It was hypothesized that an Implant Assisted -- MDT (IA-MDT) system would increase the retention of the MDCPs at a target site where an implant had been previously located, since the magnetic forces are produced internally. With this in mind, the overall objective of this work was to demonstrate the feasibility of an IA-MDT system through mathematical modeling and in vitro experimentation. The mathematical models were developed and used to demonstrate the behavior and limitations of IA-MDT, and the in vitro experiments were designed and used to validate the models and to further elucidate the important parameters that affect the performance of the system. IA-MDT was studied with three plausible implants, ferromagnetic stents, seed particles, and wires. All implants were studied theoretically and experimentally using flow through systems with polymer particles containing magnetite nanoparticles as MDCPs. In the stent studies, a wire coil or mesh was simply placed in a flow field and the capture of the MDCPs was studied. In the other cases, a porous polymer matrix was used as a surrogate capillary tissue scaffold to study the capture of the MDCPs using wires or particle seeds as the implant, with the seeds either fixed within the polymer matrix or captured prior to capturing the MDCPs. An in vitro heart tissue perfusion model was also used to study the use of stents. In general, all

Nutritional assessment in intravenous drug users with HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Smit, E; Tang, A

2000-10-01

Studying metabolic, endocrine, and gastrointestinal (MEG) disorders in drug abuse and HIV infection is important. Equally important, however, are the tools we use to assess these disorders. Assessment of nutritional status may include any combination of biochemical and body composition measurements, dietary intake assessment, and metabolic studies. Each method has its strengths and weaknesses and there is no perfect tool. When assessing nutritional status in injection drug users (IDU) and in HIV-infected people, the decision on which method or methods to use becomes even more complex. A review of studies reported during the XII World Conference on AIDS reveals that of 64 abstracts on the topic of nutrition in HIV-infected adults, only 11 assessed diet, 41 assessed anthropometry, and 24 assessed some form of biochemical measure. The most commonly reported methods for dietary intake included 24-hour recalls, food records, and food frequencies. The commonest methods used for measuring body composition included height, weight, bioimpedance, and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Biochemical measurements included various blood nutrients, lipids, and albumin. Methods varied greatly between studies, and caution should be taken when trying to compare results across studies, especially among those using different methods. Currently, few studies deal with the development of methods that can be used for research in HIV-infected and IDU populations. We need to work toward better tools in dietary intake assessment, body composition, and biochemical measurements, especially methods that will allow us to track changes in nutritional status over time.

Building skills of recovering women drug users to reduce heterosexual AIDS transmission.

PubMed Central

Schilling, R F; el-Bassel, N; Schinke, S P; Gordon, K; Nichols, S

1991-01-01

Although most women infected with HIV are intravenous drug users, some contact the virus through sexual contact with IV drug users. To reach at-risk women, public health officials must develop a range of prevention strategies. One approach, skills training, holds promise as a means of altering risk-related sexual behavior. In this study, 91 women methadone patients were pretested and randomly assigned to an information-only control control group or a skills-building intervention group. Skills-building intervention consisted of five sessions of small groups in which participants identified their own high risk sexual behaviors, discussed their negative associations with condoms, and practiced skills which involved asking partners to use condoms. Compared with members of the control group, respondents in the intervention group reported that they initiated discussion of sexual issues with their partners more frequently, felt more comfortable talking with them about safer sex, and reported using and carrying condoms more frequently. The high rates of attendance and program retention by skills-building participants suggest that such groups may be supportive and useful in the design of risk reduction and drug abuse treatment programs. The modest outcomes of this study underscore the difficulty of altering risk behavior but also serve as a basis for future AIDS prevention studies. PMID:1905051

Instructional Aides.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nielsen, Earl T.

This monograph is designed to assist administrative school personnel in selecting, training, and retaining the best qualified instructional aides available. It covers five areas: (1) employment procedures--outlining important points under recruitment, applications, examinations, interviews, and selection; (2) payroll procedures--outlining how to…

Design, development, and evaluation of visual aids for communicating prescription drug instructions to nonliterate patients in rural Cameroon.

PubMed

Ngoh, L N; Shepherd, M D

1997-03-01

In this study, culturally sensitive visual aids designed to help convey drug information to nonliterate female adults who had a prescription for a solid oral dosage form of antibiotic medications were developed and evaluated. The researchers conceptualized the educational messages while a local artist produced the visual aids. Seventy-eight female ambulatory patients were evaluated for comprehension and compliance with antibiotic prescription instructions. The study was conducted in three health centers in Cameroon, West Africa and followed a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up format for three groups: two experimental, and one control. All participants were randomly assigned to either experimental or control groups, 26 patients to each group. Subjects in the experimental groups received visual aids alone or visual aids plus an Advanced Organizer. A comparison of the three groups showed that subjects in the experimental groups scored significantly higher than the control group in both the comprehension and compliance measures.

Swimming for the Handicapped: A Manual for the Aide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Priest, Louise

Presented is the American National Red Cross Swimming for the Handicapped Program manual designed for volunteer aides. The program's aims, scope, and value are described in the introduction. It is noted that the nonswimming aides can play a vital role in transportation, dressing room assistance, record keeping, and as safety assistants, while…

RASCAL: A Rudimentary Adaptive System for Computer-Aided Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, John Christopher

Both the background of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) systems in general and the requirements of a computer-aided learning system which would be a reasonable assistant to a teacher are discussed. RASCAL (Rudimentary Adaptive System for Computer-Aided Learning) is a first attempt at defining a CAI system which would individualize the learning…

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.

Evaluation of personal digital assistant drug information databases for the managed care pharmacist.

PubMed

Lowry, Colleen M; Kostka-Rokosz, Maria D; McCloskey, William W

2003-01-01

Personal digital assistants (PDAs) are becoming a necessity for practicing pharmacists. They offer a time-saving and convenient way to obtain current drug information. Several software companies now offer general drug information databases for use on hand held computers. PDAs priced less than 200 US dollars often have limited memory capacity; therefore, the user must choose from a growing list of general drug information database options in order to maximize utility without exceeding memory capacity. This paper reviews the attributes of available general drug information software databases for the PDA. It provides information on the content, advantages, limitations, pricing, memory requirements, and accessibility of drug information software databases. Ten drug information databases were subjectively analyzed and evaluated based on information from the product.s Web site, vendor Web sites, and from our experience. Some of these databases have attractive auxiliary features such as kinetics calculators, disease references, drug-drug and drug-herb interaction tools, and clinical guidelines, which may make them more useful to the PDA user. Not all drug information databases are equal with regard to content, author credentials, frequency of updates, and memory requirements. The user must therefore evaluate databases for completeness, currency, and cost effectiveness before purchase. In addition, consideration should be given to the ease of use and flexibility of individual programs.

14 CFR 382.129 - What other requirements apply when passengers' wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... passengers' wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive devices must be disassembled for stowage... Stowage of Wheelchairs, Other Mobility Aids, and Other Assistive Devices § 382.129 What other requirements apply when passengers' wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive devices must be...

14 CFR 382.129 - What other requirements apply when passengers' wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... passengers' wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive devices must be disassembled for stowage... Stowage of Wheelchairs, Other Mobility Aids, and Other Assistive Devices § 382.129 What other requirements apply when passengers' wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive devices must be...

14 CFR 382.129 - What other requirements apply when passengers' wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... passengers' wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive devices must be disassembled for stowage... Stowage of Wheelchairs, Other Mobility Aids, and Other Assistive Devices § 382.129 What other requirements apply when passengers' wheelchairs, other mobility aids, and other assistive devices must be...

Drugs for rare disorders.

PubMed

Cremers, Serge; Aronson, Jeffrey K

2017-08-01

Estimates of the frequencies of rare disorders vary from country to country; the global average defined prevalence is 40 per 100 000 (0.04%). Some occur in only one or a few patients. However, collectively rare disorders are fairly common, affecting 6-8% of the US population, or about 30 million people, and a similar number in the European Union. Most of them affect children and most are genetically determined. Diagnosis can be difficult, partly because of variable presentations and partly because few clinicians have experience of individual rare disorders, although they may be assisted by searching databases. Relatively few rare disorders have specific pharmacological treatments (so-called orphan drugs), partly because of difficulties in designing trials large enough to determine benefits and harms alike. Incentives have been introduced to encourage the development of orphan drugs, including tax credits and research aids, simplification of marketing authorization procedures and exemption from fees, and extended market exclusivity. Consequently, the number of applications for orphan drugs has grown, as have the costs of using them, so much so that treatments may not be cost-effective. It has therefore been suggested that not-for-profit organizations that are socially motivated to reduce those costs should be tasked with producing them. A growing role for patient organizations, improved clinical and translational infrastructures, and developments in genetics have also contributed to successful drug development. The translational discipline of clinical pharmacology is an essential component in drug development, including orphan drugs. Clinical pharmacologists, skilled in basic pharmacology and its links to clinical medicine, can be involved at all stages. They can contribute to the delineation of genetic factors that determine clinical outcomes of pharmacological interventions, develop biomarkers, design and perform clinical trials, assist regulatory decision

Hair and urine testing to assess drugs of abuse consumption in couples undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART).

PubMed

Pichini, Simona; De Luca, Roberto; Pellegrini, Manuela; Marchei, Emilia; Rotolo, Maria Concetta; Spoletini, Roberta; D'Aloja, Paola; Pacifici, Roberta; Mortali, Claudia; Scaravelli, Giulia

2012-05-10

For the first time in Europe hair and urine testing have been applied to assess drugs of abuse consumption in couples undergoing assisted reproductive technology and the eventual association of toxic habits with other lifestyle, health status and sociodemographic factors was also investigated. Couples attending five assisted reproduction centers in Rome were invited to join the study. When they presented at the Centre for the visit, they were asked to answer a structured questionnaire concerning sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle habits, and at the same time to provide hair and urine samples. Hair and urine testing for drugs of abuse, urinary profile of principal endogenous steroids involved in fertility process (testosterone, epitestosterone, androsterone, etiocholanolone and dehydroepiandrosterone) and of alcohol and tobacco smoke biomarkers were performed with validated methodologies. Of the 594 enrolled individuals (297 couples), 352 (164 couples and 24 single individuals from the couple) completed the questionnaire and gave both hair and urine samples, apart from 3 bald men, who only gave urine samples. Urine testing showed an overall 4.8% (17 individuals) positivity to drugs of abuse: 4.2% to cannabinoids, 1.4% to cocaine and 0.85% to both drugs. Results of 4cm segment hair samples testing matched those from urine samples. Thus, taking together, results of urine and hair testing confirmed repeated use of cannabis, cocaine and both drugs in 3.7, 0.85 and 0.57% examined individuals, respectively. Drug consumers were in a statistically higher percentage active smokers and alcohol drinkers, less prone to physical activity and with a trend towards higher weight than non consumers. Finally, repeated drug consumption was associated with significant lower concentration of urinary testosterone in males and of urinary dehydroepiandrosterone in females. The findings of the present study confirm the suitability of urine testing to disclose recent drugs of

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.

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…

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 Efficacy of Dog Assisted Therapy in Detained Drug Users: A Pilot Study in an Italian Attenuated Custody Institute

PubMed Central

Toson, Marica; Montanaro, Maria; Farina, Luca; Costa, Aldo; Nava, Felice Alfonso

2017-01-01

Drug addiction is a major care and safety challenge in prison context. Nowadays, rehabilitation and specific therapeutic programs are suggested to improve health and well-being of inmates during their detention time and to reduce substance abuse relapse after release from prison. Among these programs, several studies reported the benefits for inmates coming from animal assisted interventions. In this pilot controlled study, we investigated the efficacy of a dog assisted therapy program addressed to 22 drug addicted male inmates housed in an attenuated custody institute in Italy. The study lasted six months, the treated group (12 inmates) was involved once a week for one hour in 20 dog assisted therapy sessions, whereas the control group (10 inmates) followed the standard rehabilitation program. One week before the beginning and one week after the end of the sessions, all inmates involved were submitted to symptom checklist-90-revised and Kennedy axis V. Inmates involved in the dog assisted therapy sessions significantly improved their social skills, reducing craving, anxiety and depression symptoms compared to the control group. Despite the limitation due to the small number of inmates enrolled and to the absence of follow up, we found these results encouraging to the use of dog assisted therapy as co-therapy in drug addicted inmates rehabilitation programs, and we claim the need of more extensive study on this subject. PMID:28672787

The Efficacy of Dog Assisted Therapy in Detained Drug Users: A Pilot Study in an Italian Attenuated Custody Institute.

PubMed

Contalbrigo, Laura; De Santis, Marta; Toson, Marica; Montanaro, Maria; Farina, Luca; Costa, Aldo; Nava, Felice Alfonso

2017-06-24

Drug addiction is a major care and safety challenge in prison context. Nowadays, rehabilitation and specific therapeutic programs are suggested to improve health and well-being of inmates during their detention time and to reduce substance abuse relapse after release from prison. Among these programs, several studies reported the benefits for inmates coming from animal assisted interventions. In this pilot controlled study, we investigated the efficacy of a dog assisted therapy program addressed to 22 drug addicted male inmates housed in an attenuated custody institute in Italy. The study lasted six months, the treated group (12 inmates) was involved once a week for one hour in 20 dog assisted therapy sessions, whereas the control group (10 inmates) followed the standard rehabilitation program. One week before the beginning and one week after the end of the sessions, all inmates involved were submitted to symptom checklist-90-revised and Kennedy axis V. Inmates involved in the dog assisted therapy sessions significantly improved their social skills, reducing craving, anxiety and depression symptoms compared to the control group. Despite the limitation due to the small number of inmates enrolled and to the absence of follow up, we found these results encouraging to the use of dog assisted therapy as co-therapy in drug addicted inmates rehabilitation programs, and we claim the need of more extensive study on this subject.

AIDS education in an Islamic nation: content analysis of Farsi-language AIDS-education materials in Iran.

PubMed

Kalkhoran, Sara; Hale, Lauren

2008-09-01

Inconsistent statistics about the number of HIV/AIDS cases in Iran and misinformation about HIV/AIDS among Iranian adolescents necessitate proper understanding and knowledge of HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention. This is particularly important since many issues related to HIV/AIDS, such as sex, homosexuality, and drug use, are taboo topics in the Islamic world. We analyzed Farsi-language educational and informational small media items to ascertain the nature of HIV/AIDS-related material available in society. While all of the documents mentioned sexual contact as a means of transmitting the virus, and the majority (87%) mentioned condom use as a preventive means, mention of homosexuality (43%) and prostitution (17%) was lacking in most. Thus, mention of "safe sex" strategies was not avoided due to fear of promoting sex outside of marriage, as has been noted in other Islamic nations. Mention of intravenous drug use in 90% of the documents shows an acknowledgment of the drug problem in the nation, and an effort to curb its harmful sequelae. Therefore, while certain issues such as sex, condoms, and drug use were well represented in the documents analyzed, additional inclusion of topics such as homosexuality and prostitution, issues already discussed infrequently in society, can help to better educate the population and curb the spread of this life-threatening disease.

Protocol of the impact of alternative social assistance disbursement on drug-related harm (TASA) study: a randomized controlled trial to evaluate changes to payment timing and frequency among people who use illicit drugs.

PubMed

Richardson, Lindsey; Laing, Allison; Milloy, M-J; Maynard, Russ; Nosyk, Bohdan; Marshall, Brandon; Grafstein, Eric; Daly, Patricia; Wood, Evan; Montaner, Julio; Kerr, Thomas

2016-07-29

Government social assistance payments seek to alleviate poverty and address survival needs, but their monthly disbursement may cue increases in illicit drug use. This cue may be magnified when assistance is disbursed simultaneously across the population. Synchronized payments have been linked to escalations in drug use and unintended but severe drug-related harms, including overdose, as well as spikes in demand for health, social, financial and police services. The TASA study examines whether changing payment timing and frequency can mitigate drug-related harm associated with synchronized social assistance disbursement. The study is a parallel arm multi-group randomized controlled trial in which 273 participants are randomly allocated for six assistance cycles to a control or one of two intervention arms on a 1:1:1 basis. Intervention arm participants receive their payments: (1) monthly; or (2) semi-monthly, in each case on days that are not during the week when cheques are normally issued. The study partners with a community-based credit union that has developed a system to vary social assistance payment timing. The primary outcome is a 40 % increase in drug use during the 3 days beginning with cheque issue day compared to other days of the month. Bi-weekly follow-up interviews collect participant information on this and secondary outcomes of interest, including drug-related harm (e.g. non-fatal overdose), exposure to violence and health service utilization. Self-reported data will be supplemented with participant information from health, financial, police and government administrative databases. A longitudinal, nested, qualitative parallel process evaluation explores participant experiences, and a cost-effectiveness evaluation of different disbursement scenarios will be undertaken. Outcomes will be compared between control and intervention arms to identify the impacts of alternative disbursement schedules on drug-related harm resulting from synchronized income

Sexual Risk Behaviors, AIDS Knowledge, and Beliefs about AIDS among Runaways.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rotheram-Borus, Mary Jane; Koopman, Cheryl

1991-01-01

Examined young runaways' current risk behaviors, knowledge of AIDS, and beliefs about preventing AIDS by questioning 130 male and female subjects from shelters in New York City in 1988-89. Results did not explain the 6.7 percent seroprevalence rate reported in l988. Recommends closer inquiries regarding IV drug use and prostitution. (DM)

Towards nanomedicines for neuro-AIDS

PubMed Central

Sagar, Vidya; Pilakka-Kanthikeel, Sudheesh; Pottathil, Ravi; Saxena, Shailendra K; Nair, Madhavan

2014-01-01

Although Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) has resulted in remarkable decline in the morbidity and mortality in AIDS Patients, controlling HIV infections still remain a global health priority. HIV access to the central nervous system (CNS) serves as the natural viral preserve because most anti-retro viral (ARV) drugs possess inadequate or zero delivery across the brain barriers. Thus, development of target-specific, effective, safe and controllable drug-delivery approach is an important health priority for global elimination of AIDS progression. Emergence of nanotechnology in medicine has shown exciting prospect for development of novel drug delivery systems to administer the desired therapeutic levels of ARV drugs in the CNS. Neuron-resuscitating and/or anti-dependence agents may also be delivered in the brain though nanocarriers to countercheck the rate of neuronal degradation during HIV infection. Several nanovehicles such as liposomes, dendrimers, polymeric nanoparticles, micelles, solid lipid nanoparticles, etc. have been intensively explored. Recently, magnetic nanoparticles and monocytes/macrophages have also been used as carrier to improve the delivery of nanoformulated ARV drugs across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Nevertheless, more rigorous research-homework has to be elucidated to sort out the shortcomings that affect the target specificity, delivery, release and/or bioavailability of desired amount of drugs for treatment of neuroAIDS. PMID:24395761

Current use of anti-HIV drugs in AIDS.

PubMed

Clumeck, N

1993-07-01

Since 1987 major advances have been made in our understanding of the pathogenesis of infection and the possible inhibition of the HIV virus. Various drugs targeted to the different steps of viral replication have been selected, but drugs such as soluble CD4 or dextran derivatives aimed to inhibit or interfere with the GP120-CD4 attachment step have shown little or no clinical benefit. Protease inhibitors or interferons acting at the post-transcriptional level are currently under phase I to II investigation. The only group of compounds clinically active belong to the nucleosides analogues that act as DNA chain terminators and by inhibiting viral reverse transcriptase. Zidovudine (AZT), didanosine (ddI) and dideoxycytidine (ddC) have been extensively studied, and used on a large clinical scale. Stavudine (D4T), deoxyfluorothymidine (FLT) and 3'thiacytidine (3TC) are entering phase I-II studies. Being the first nucleoside analogue discovered and used since early 1985, zidovudine remains the gold standard of anti-HIV therapy. Zidovudine is indicated at a dosage varying between 500 and 1000 mg in patients with AIDS and ARC, in asymptomatic patients with CD4 < 200/mm3 and in asymptomatic patients with CD4 between 200 and 500 cells/mm3 with a rapid decrease of CD4 cell count or a positive P24 circulating antigen. There is as yet no consensus concerning patients with more than 500 cell/mm3. ddI and ddC are currently indicated for patients intolerant to AZT or in those who have not responded (clinically or biologically) to AZT. Emergence of resistance to AZT has been reported in 30 to 80% of patients at various stages of the disease and after six to nine months of therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

U.S. Foreign Aid to the Palestinians

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-30

Office (GAO) audits . These requirements appear to be aimed at, among other things, preventing U.S. aid from benefitting terrorists or abetting corruption...8 See, e.g., P.L. 112-74, §§7039-7040. GAO audits are available on the following U.S. aid programs to the Palestinians: (1) Economic Support Fund...including direct assistance to the PA and project assistance ( audit for FY2010-FY2011 accessible at http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/592431.pdf), (2

Computer-Aided Drug Discovery Approaches against the Tropical Infectious Diseases Malaria, Tuberculosis, Trypanosomiasis, and Leishmaniasis.

PubMed

Njogu, Peter M; Guantai, Eric M; Pavadai, Elumalai; Chibale, Kelly

2016-01-08

Despite the tremendous improvement in overall global health heralded by the adoption of the Millennium Declaration in the year 2000, tropical infections remain a major health problem in the developing world. Recent estimates indicate that the major tropical infectious diseases, namely, malaria, tuberculosis, trypanosomiasis, and leishmaniasis, account for more than 2.2 million deaths and a loss of approximately 85 million disability-adjusted life years annually. The crucial role of chemotherapy in curtailing the deleterious health and economic impacts of these infections has invigorated the search for new drugs against tropical infectious diseases. The research efforts have involved increased application of computational technologies in mainstream drug discovery programs at the hit identification, hit-to-lead, and lead optimization stages. This review highlights various computer-aided drug discovery approaches that have been utilized in efforts to identify novel antimalarial, antitubercular, antitrypanosomal, and antileishmanial agents. The focus is largely on developments over the past 5 years (2010-2014).

Software Infrastructure for Computer-aided Drug Discovery and Development, a Practical Example with Guidelines.

PubMed

Moretti, Loris; Sartori, Luca

2016-09-01

In the field of Computer-Aided Drug Discovery and Development (CADDD) the proper software infrastructure is essential for everyday investigations. The creation of such an environment should be carefully planned and implemented with certain features in order to be productive and efficient. Here we describe a solution to integrate standard computational services into a functional unit that empowers modelling applications for drug discovery. This system allows users with various level of expertise to run in silico experiments automatically and without the burden of file formatting for different software, managing the actual computation, keeping track of the activities and graphical rendering of the structural outcomes. To showcase the potential of this approach, performances of five different docking programs on an Hiv-1 protease test set are presented. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Living with AIDS: Part II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daedalus: Journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1989

1989-01-01

A series of articles concerning various aspects of AIDS and the dilemmas it poses for U.S. society, culture, and government are presented, in this theme issue, e.g., "Introduction to the Issue" (K. Keniston); "Prospects for the Medical Control of the AIDS Epidemic" (W. Haseltine); "Social Policy: AIDS and Intravenous Drug Use" (N. Zinberg);…

Clinical decision support tools: performance of personal digital assistant versus online drug information databases.

PubMed

Clauson, Kevin A; Polen, Hyla H; Marsh, Wallace A

2007-12-01

To evaluate personal digital assistant (PDA) drug information databases used to support clinical decision-making, and to compare the performance of PDA databases with their online versions. Prospective evaluation with descriptive analysis. Five drug information databases available for PDAs and online were evaluated according to their scope (inclusion of correct answers), completeness (on a 3-point scale), and ease of use; 158 question-answer pairs across 15 weighted categories of drug information essential to health care professionals were used to evaluate these databases. An overall composite score integrating these three measures was then calculated. Scores for the PDA databases and for each PDA-online pair were compared. Among the PDA databases, composite rankings, from highest to lowest, were as follows: Lexi-Drugs, Clinical Pharmacology OnHand, Epocrates Rx Pro, mobileMicromedex (now called Thomson Clinical Xpert), and Epocrates Rx free version. When we compared database pairs, online databases that had greater scope than their PDA counterparts were Clinical Pharmacology (137 vs 100 answers, p<0.001), Micromedex (132 vs 96 answers, p<0.001), Lexi-Comp Online (131 vs 119 answers, p<0.001), and Epocrates Online Premium (103 vs 98 answers, p=0.001). Only Micromedex online was more complete than its PDA version (p=0.008). Regarding ease of use, the Lexi-Drugs PDA database was superior to Lexi-Comp Online (p<0.001); however, Epocrates Online Premium, Epocrates Online Free, and Micromedex online were easier to use than their PDA counterparts (p<0.001). In terms of composite scores, only the online versions of Clinical Pharmacology and Micromedex demonstrated superiority over their PDA versions (p>0.01). Online and PDA drug information databases assist practitioners in improving their clinical decision-making. Lexi-Drugs performed significantly better than all of the other PDA databases evaluated. No PDA database demonstrated superiority to its online counterpart

Molecular docking and spectroscopic investigations aided by density functional theory of Parkinson's drug 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethylamine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherlin, Y. Sheeba; Vijayakumar, T.; Roy, S. D. D.; Jayakumar, V. S.

2018-05-01

Molecular geometry of Parkinson's drug 2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)ethylamine hydrochloride (Dopamine, DA) has been evaluated and compared with experimental XRD data. Molecular docking and vibrational spectral analysis of DA have been carried out using FT-Raman and FT-IR spectra aided by Density Functional Theory at B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p). The present investigation deals with the analysis of structural and spectral features responsible for drug activities, nature of hydrogen bonding interactions of the molecule and the correlation of Parkinson's nature with its molecular structural features.

Heuristic lipophilicity potential for computer-aided rational drug design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Qishi; Arteca, Gustavo A.; Mezey, Paul G.

1997-09-01

In this contribution we suggest a heuristic molecular lipophilicitypotential (HMLP), which is a structure-based technique requiring noempirical indices of atomic lipophilicity. The input data used in thisapproach are molecular geometries and molecular surfaces. The HMLP is amodified electrostatic potential, combined with the averaged influences fromthe molecular environment. Quantum mechanics is used to calculate theelectron density function ρ(r) and the electrostatic potential V(r), andfrom this information a lipophilicity potential L(r) is generated. The HMLPis a unified lipophilicity and hydrophilicity potential. The interactions ofdipole and multipole moments, hydrogen bonds, and charged atoms in amolecule are included in the hydrophilic interactions in this model. TheHMLP is used to study hydrogen bonds and water-octanol partitioncoefficients in several examples. The calculated results show that the HMLPgives qualitatively and quantitatively correct, as well as chemicallyreasonable, results in cases where comparisons are available. Thesecomparisons indicate that the HMLP has advantages over the empiricallipophilicity potential in many aspects. The HMLP is a three-dimensional andeasily visualizable representation of molecular lipophilicity, suggested asa potential tool in computer-aided three-dimensional drug design.

'It's risky to walk in the city with syringes': understanding access to HIV/AIDS services for injecting drug users in the former Soviet Union countries of Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Despite massive scale up of funds from global health initiatives including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) and other donors, the ambitious target agreed by G8 leaders in 2005 in Gleneagles to achieve universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment by 2010 has not been reached. Significant barriers to access remain in former Soviet Union (FSU) countries, a region now recognised as a priority area by policymakers. There have been few empirical studies of access to HIV/AIDS services in FSU countries, resulting in limited understanding and implementation of accessible HIV/AIDS interventions. This paper explores the multiple access barriers to HIV/AIDS services experienced by a key risk group-injecting drug users (IDUs). Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted in two FSU countries-Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan-with clients receiving Global Fund-supported services (Ukraine n = 118, Kyrgyzstan n = 84), service providers (Ukraine n = 138, Kyrgyzstan n = 58) and a purposive sample of national and subnational stakeholders (Ukraine n = 135, Kyrgyzstan n = 86). Systematic thematic analysis of these qualitative data was conducted by country teams, and a comparative synthesis of findings undertaken by the authors. Results Stigmatisation of HIV/AIDS and drug use was an important barrier to IDUs accessing HIV/AIDS services in both countries. Other connected barriers included: criminalisation of drug use; discriminatory practices among government service providers; limited knowledge of HIV/AIDS, services and entitlements; shortages of commodities and human resources; and organisational, economic and geographical barriers. Conclusions Approaches to thinking about universal access frequently assume increased availability of services means increased accessibility of services. Our study demonstrates that while there is greater availability of HIV/AIDS services in Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan, this does not equate with greater accessibility because

Assistance for emergency health.

PubMed

Rivera, Antonio

2002-03-01

The public health agencies of Pacific island nations have the responsibility of maintaining health during national emergencies. Assistance for completion of this task is available to the Pacific islands in the form of technical, informational, educational and humanitarian aid. Assistance for Pacific island preparedness and response may originate from local, jurisdictional, regional and international levels. The Internet also now offers many useful resources for disaster education, collaboration and aid. This article discusses mechanisms and resources that Pacific island health officials may utilize to promote emergency health within their own jurisdictions.

21 CFR 344.12 - Ear drying aid active ingredient.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Ear drying aid active ingredient. 344.12 Section...) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE TOPICAL OTIC DRUG PRODUCTS FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER HUMAN USE Active Ingredients § 344.12 Ear drying aid active ingredient. The active ingredient of the product consists of isopropyl...

21 CFR 344.10 - Earwax removal aid active ingredient.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Earwax removal aid active ingredient. 344.10... (CONTINUED) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE TOPICAL OTIC DRUG PRODUCTS FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER HUMAN USE Active Ingredients § 344.10 Earwax removal aid active ingredient. The active ingredient of the product consists of...

21 CFR 344.12 - Ear drying aid active ingredient.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Ear drying aid active ingredient. 344.12 Section...) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE TOPICAL OTIC DRUG PRODUCTS FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER HUMAN USE Active Ingredients § 344.12 Ear drying aid active ingredient. The active ingredient of the product consists of isopropyl...

21 CFR 344.12 - Ear drying aid active ingredient.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Ear drying aid active ingredient. 344.12 Section...) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE TOPICAL OTIC DRUG PRODUCTS FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER HUMAN USE Active Ingredients § 344.12 Ear drying aid active ingredient. The active ingredient of the product consists of isopropyl...

21 CFR 344.10 - Earwax removal aid active ingredient.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Earwax removal aid active ingredient. 344.10... (CONTINUED) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE TOPICAL OTIC DRUG PRODUCTS FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER HUMAN USE Active Ingredients § 344.10 Earwax removal aid active ingredient. The active ingredient of the product consists of...

21 CFR 344.10 - Earwax removal aid active ingredient.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Earwax removal aid active ingredient. 344.10... (CONTINUED) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE TOPICAL OTIC DRUG PRODUCTS FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER HUMAN USE Active Ingredients § 344.10 Earwax removal aid active ingredient. The active ingredient of the product consists of...

21 CFR 344.12 - Ear drying aid active ingredient.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Ear drying aid active ingredient. 344.12 Section...) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE TOPICAL OTIC DRUG PRODUCTS FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER HUMAN USE Active Ingredients § 344.12 Ear drying aid active ingredient. The active ingredient of the product consists of isopropyl...

21 CFR 344.12 - Ear drying aid active ingredient.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Ear drying aid active ingredient. 344.12 Section...) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE TOPICAL OTIC DRUG PRODUCTS FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER HUMAN USE Active Ingredients § 344.12 Ear drying aid active ingredient. The active ingredient of the product consists of isopropyl...

21 CFR 344.10 - Earwax removal aid active ingredient.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Earwax removal aid active ingredient. 344.10... (CONTINUED) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE TOPICAL OTIC DRUG PRODUCTS FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER HUMAN USE Active Ingredients § 344.10 Earwax removal aid active ingredient. The active ingredient of the product consists of...

21 CFR 344.10 - Earwax removal aid active ingredient.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Earwax removal aid active ingredient. 344.10... (CONTINUED) DRUGS FOR HUMAN USE TOPICAL OTIC DRUG PRODUCTS FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER HUMAN USE Active Ingredients § 344.10 Earwax removal aid active ingredient. The active ingredient of the product consists of...

Active-learning strategies in computer-assisted drug discovery.

PubMed

Reker, Daniel; Schneider, Gisbert

2015-04-01

High-throughput compound screening is time and resource consuming, and considerable effort is invested into screening compound libraries, profiling, and selecting the most promising candidates for further testing. Active-learning methods assist the selection process by focusing on areas of chemical space that have the greatest chance of success while considering structural novelty. The core feature of these algorithms is their ability to adapt the structure-activity landscapes through feedback. Instead of full-deck screening, only focused subsets of compounds are tested, and the experimental readout is used to refine molecule selection for subsequent screening cycles. Once implemented, these techniques have the potential to reduce costs and save precious materials. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the various computational active-learning approaches and outline their potential for drug discovery. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experiences of using Bestic, an eating aid for people with intellectual disabilities.

PubMed

Dag, Munir; Svanelöv, Eric; Gustafsson, Christine

2017-03-01

This article reports on the results of a pilot study exploring whether and how the meal situations of persons with intellectual disabilities (PWIDs) in need of help and support during meal situations were affected by an eating aid. This article also analyzes how PWIDs and their assistants perceived their experiences of using an eating aid during meal situations. Data for the study were collected in interviews with PWIDs and their assistants. The results are presented in five themes: independence in the meal situation, motivation to use the eating aid, functions of the eating aid, social aspects of using the eating aid, and design corresponding to intellectual disability. The eating aid's function, user-friendliness, and the assistants' attitudes appear to be crucial for using the eating aid. Another important aspect is the introductory and training phase, which must be fundamentally adapted to suit the PWIDs ability to learn and understand. When these aspects are controlled, the eating aid can be a tool for increased independence during meal situations for PWIDs who are unable to move their arms or hands.

Student Aid Research. A Manual for Financial Aid Administrators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Jerry Sheehan, Ed.

This manual contains nine articles intended to assist student financial aid professionals in conducting research. Initial chapters provide basic information for those starting to do such research while later chapters deal with more complex issues. Some chapters include appendices that provide examples of the techniques under consideration. from…

Assistive Technology: What Every School Leader Should Know

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dyal, Allen; Carpenter, Laura Bowden; Wright, James V.

2009-01-01

For many students with disabilities to be successful learners in the general education curriculum, they must receive supplemental aids and services. Assistive Technology commonly referred to as AT, fits both the definition of supplemental aids as well as related services for students with disabilities. Assistive Technology services and devices…

Exploring drug-target interaction networks of illicit drugs.

PubMed

Atreya, Ravi V; Sun, Jingchun; Zhao, Zhongming

2013-01-01

Drug addiction is a complex and chronic mental disease, which places a large burden on the American healthcare system due to its negative effects on patients and their families. Recently, network pharmacology is emerging as a promising approach to drug discovery by integrating network biology and polypharmacology, allowing for a deeper understanding of molecular mechanisms of drug actions at the systems level. This study seeks to apply this approach for investigation of illicit drugs and their targets in order to elucidate their interaction patterns and potential secondary drugs that can aid future research and clinical care. In this study, we extracted 188 illicit substances and their related information from the DrugBank database. The data process revealed 86 illicit drugs targeting a total of 73 unique human genes, which forms an illicit drug-target network. Compared to the full drug-target network from DrugBank, illicit drugs and their target genes tend to cluster together and form four subnetworks, corresponding to four major medication categories: depressants, stimulants, analgesics, and steroids. External analysis of Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) second sublevel classifications confirmed that the illicit drugs have neurological functions or act via mechanisms of stimulants, opioids, and steroids. To further explore other drugs potentially having associations with illicit drugs, we constructed an illicit-extended drug-target network by adding the drugs that have the same target(s) as illicit drugs to the illicit drug-target network. After analyzing the degree and betweenness of the network, we identified hubs and bridge nodes, which might play important roles in the development and treatment of drug addiction. Among them, 49 non-illicit drugs might have potential to be used to treat addiction or have addictive effects, including some results that are supported by previous studies. This study presents the first systematic review of the network

Exploring drug-target interaction networks of illicit drugs

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Drug addiction is a complex and chronic mental disease, which places a large burden on the American healthcare system due to its negative effects on patients and their families. Recently, network pharmacology is emerging as a promising approach to drug discovery by integrating network biology and polypharmacology, allowing for a deeper understanding of molecular mechanisms of drug actions at the systems level. This study seeks to apply this approach for investigation of illicit drugs and their targets in order to elucidate their interaction patterns and potential secondary drugs that can aid future research and clinical care. Results In this study, we extracted 188 illicit substances and their related information from the DrugBank database. The data process revealed 86 illicit drugs targeting a total of 73 unique human genes, which forms an illicit drug-target network. Compared to the full drug-target network from DrugBank, illicit drugs and their target genes tend to cluster together and form four subnetworks, corresponding to four major medication categories: depressants, stimulants, analgesics, and steroids. External analysis of Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) second sublevel classifications confirmed that the illicit drugs have neurological functions or act via mechanisms of stimulants, opioids, and steroids. To further explore other drugs potentially having associations with illicit drugs, we constructed an illicit-extended drug-target network by adding the drugs that have the same target(s) as illicit drugs to the illicit drug-target network. After analyzing the degree and betweenness of the network, we identified hubs and bridge nodes, which might play important roles in the development and treatment of drug addiction. Among them, 49 non-illicit drugs might have potential to be used to treat addiction or have addictive effects, including some results that are supported by previous studies. Conclusions This study presents the first systematic

Patient and Physician Perceptions of Drug Safety Information for Sleep Aids: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Kesselheim, Aaron S; McGraw, Sarah A; Dejene, Sara Z; Rausch, Paula; Dal Pan, Gerald J; Lappin, Brian M; Zhou, Esther H; Avorn, Jerry; Campbell, Eric G

2017-06-01

The US Food and Drug Administration uses drug safety communications (DSCs) to release emerging information regarding post-market safety issues, but it is unclear the extent of awareness by patients and providers of these communications and their specific recommendations. We conducted semi-structured interviews with patients and physicians to evaluate their awareness and understanding of emerging drug safety information related to two sleep aids: zolpidem or eszopiclone. We conducted interviews with 40 patients and ten physicians recruited from a combination of insurer claims databases and online sources. We evaluated (1) sources of drug safety information; (2) discussions between patients and physicians about the two medications; (3) their knowledge of the DSC; and (4) preferences for learning about future drug safety information. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed thematically. Patients cited their physicians, pharmacy inserts, and the Internet as sources of drug safety information. Physicians often referred to medical journals and online medical sources. Most patients reported being aware of information contained in the DSC summaries they were read. Almost all patients and physicians reported discussing side effects during patient-provider conversations, but almost no patients mentioned that physicians had communicated with them key messaging from the DSCs at issue: the risk of next-morning impairment with zolpidem and the lower recommended initial dose for women. Some risks of medications are effectively communicated to patients and physicians; however, there is still a noticeable gap between information issued by the Food and Drug Administration and patient and physician awareness of this knowledge, as well as patients' decisions to act on this information. Disseminators of emerging drug safety information should explore ways of providing user-friendly resources to patients and healthcare professionals that can update them on new risks in a timely manner.

[The impact of AIDS on the organizational development of nongovernmental organizations: a case study on Casa de Assistência Filadélfia].

PubMed

Bochio, Ieda Maria Siebra; Fortes, Paulo Antonio de Carvalho

2008-11-01

AIDS has been a unique event due not only to its devastating effects, but also to the ways in which it has stimulated solidarity and mobilization of society in the defense of the rights of persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families, friends, and contacts. Beginning as initiatives to ensure dignity in death, AIDS NGOs have undergone structural changes to respond to the demands raised by the epidemic. The current study describes the history of the Brazilian AIDS NGO "Casa de Assistência Filadélfia" in relation to the evolution of the AIDS epidemic, highlighting the issue of organizational development. A qualitative case study methodology was used, and the data were collected from document analysis and semi-structured interviews with key informants identified by the organization. Data analysis was based on the theoretical premises of organizational development and shows how the organization made the transition from the pioneering phase marked by improvisation and expanded to a phase of regulation until reaching flexibility and innovation by diversifying its projects. The study highlights the importance of organizational development as an essential element in building healthy, agile organizations in the response to their demands.

42 CFR 483.154 - Nurse aide competency evaluation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Nurse aide competency evaluation. 483.154 Section... Requirements That Must Be Met by States and State Agencies: Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation, and Paid Feeding Assistants § 483.154 Nurse aide competency evaluation. (a) Notification to Individual. The...

42 CFR 483.154 - Nurse aide competency evaluation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Requirements That Must Be Met by States and State Agencies: Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation, and Paid Feeding Assistants § 483.154 Nurse aide competency evaluation. (a) Notification to Individual. The... 42 Public Health 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Nurse aide competency evaluation. 483.154 Section...

42 CFR 483.154 - Nurse aide competency evaluation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Requirements That Must Be Met by States and State Agencies: Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation, and Paid Feeding Assistants § 483.154 Nurse aide competency evaluation. (a) Notification to Individual. The... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Nurse aide competency evaluation. 483.154 Section...

42 CFR 483.154 - Nurse aide competency evaluation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Requirements That Must Be Met by States and State Agencies: Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation, and Paid Feeding Assistants § 483.154 Nurse aide competency evaluation. (a) Notification to Individual. The... 42 Public Health 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Nurse aide competency evaluation. 483.154 Section...

42 CFR 483.154 - Nurse aide competency evaluation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Requirements That Must Be Met by States and State Agencies: Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation, and Paid Feeding Assistants § 483.154 Nurse aide competency evaluation. (a) Notification to Individual. The... 42 Public Health 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Nurse aide competency evaluation. 483.154 Section...

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE--TO WHAT END.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern Regional Council, Atlanta, GA.

THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE FINDINGS OF A STUDY OF THE 100 POOREST COUNTIES IN THE UNITED STATES--97 IN 11 SOUTHERN STATES, TWO IN ALASKA, AND ONE IN OKLAHOMA. DATA WERE OBTAINED PRIMARILY ON THE MAJOR PROGRAMS OF OLD AGE ASSISTANCE, AID TO THE BLIND, AID TO FAMILIES WITH DEPENDENT CHILDREN, AID TO THE PERMANENTLY AND TOTALLY DISABLED, MEDICAL…

21 CFR 874.3330 - Master hearing aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Master hearing aid. 874.3330 Section 874.3330 Food... DEVICES EAR, NOSE, AND THROAT DEVICES Prosthetic Devices § 874.3330 Master hearing aid. (a) Identification. A master hearing aid is an electronic device intended to simulate a hearing aid during audiometric...

21 CFR 874.3330 - Master hearing aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Master hearing aid. 874.3330 Section 874.3330 Food... DEVICES EAR, NOSE, AND THROAT DEVICES Prosthetic Devices § 874.3330 Master hearing aid. (a) Identification. A master hearing aid is an electronic device intended to simulate a hearing aid during audiometric...

21 CFR 874.3330 - Master hearing aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Master hearing aid. 874.3330 Section 874.3330 Food... DEVICES EAR, NOSE, AND THROAT DEVICES Prosthetic Devices § 874.3330 Master hearing aid. (a) Identification. A master hearing aid is an electronic device intended to simulate a hearing aid during audiometric...

21 CFR 874.3330 - Master hearing aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Master hearing aid. 874.3330 Section 874.3330 Food... DEVICES EAR, NOSE, AND THROAT DEVICES Prosthetic Devices § 874.3330 Master hearing aid. (a) Identification. A master hearing aid is an electronic device intended to simulate a hearing aid during audiometric...

21 CFR 874.3330 - Master hearing aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Master hearing aid. 874.3330 Section 874.3330 Food... DEVICES EAR, NOSE, AND THROAT DEVICES Prosthetic Devices § 874.3330 Master hearing aid. (a) Identification. A master hearing aid is an electronic device intended to simulate a hearing aid during audiometric...

Estimation of the Standardized Risk Difference and Ratio in a Competing Risks Framework: Application to Injection Drug Use and Progression to AIDS After Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy

PubMed Central

Cole, Stephen R.; Lau, Bryan; Eron, Joseph J.; Brookhart, M. Alan; Kitahata, Mari M.; Martin, Jeffrey N.; Mathews, William C.; Mugavero, Michael J.; Cole, Stephen R.; Brookhart, M. Alan; Lau, Bryan; Eron, Joseph J.; Kitahata, Mari M.; Martin, Jeffrey N.; Mathews, William C.; Mugavero, Michael J.

2015-01-01

There are few published examples of absolute risk estimated from epidemiologic data subject to censoring and competing risks with adjustment for multiple confounders. We present an example estimating the effect of injection drug use on 6-year risk of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) after initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy between 1998 and 2012 in an 8-site US cohort study with death before AIDS as a competing risk. We estimate the risk standardized to the total study sample by combining inverse probability weights with the cumulative incidence function; estimates of precision are obtained by bootstrap. In 7,182 patients (83% male, 33% African American, median age of 38 years), we observed 6-year standardized AIDS risks of 16.75% among 1,143 injection drug users and 12.08% among 6,039 nonusers, yielding a standardized risk difference of 4.68 (95% confidence interval: 1.27, 8.08) and a standardized risk ratio of 1.39 (95% confidence interval: 1.12, 1.72). Results may be sensitive to the assumptions of exposure-version irrelevance, no measurement bias, and no unmeasured confounding. These limitations suggest that results be replicated with refined measurements of injection drug use. Nevertheless, estimating the standardized risk difference and ratio is straightforward, and injection drug use appears to increase the risk of AIDS. PMID:24966220

42 CFR 483.156 - Registry of nurse aides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Registry of nurse aides. 483.156 Section 483.156... That Must Be Met by States and State Agencies: Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation, and Paid Feeding Assistants § 483.156 Registry of nurse aides. (a) Establishment of registry. The State must...

42 CFR 483.156 - Registry of nurse aides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... That Must Be Met by States and State Agencies: Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation, and Paid Feeding Assistants § 483.156 Registry of nurse aides. (a) Establishment of registry. The State must... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Registry of nurse aides. 483.156 Section 483.156...

42 CFR 483.156 - Registry of nurse aides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... That Must Be Met by States and State Agencies: Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation, and Paid Feeding Assistants § 483.156 Registry of nurse aides. (a) Establishment of registry. The State must... 42 Public Health 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Registry of nurse aides. 483.156 Section 483.156...

42 CFR 483.156 - Registry of nurse aides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... That Must Be Met by States and State Agencies: Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation, and Paid Feeding Assistants § 483.156 Registry of nurse aides. (a) Establishment of registry. The State must... 42 Public Health 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Registry of nurse aides. 483.156 Section 483.156...

42 CFR 483.156 - Registry of nurse aides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... That Must Be Met by States and State Agencies: Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation, and Paid Feeding Assistants § 483.156 Registry of nurse aides. (a) Establishment of registry. The State must... 42 Public Health 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Registry of nurse aides. 483.156 Section 483.156...

Reimagining Financial Aid to Improve Student Access and Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NJ1), 2013

2013-01-01

As the student aid programs rapidly approach reauthorization in 2014, they continue to face severe funding and efficiency problems. With grant assistance from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through their "Reimagining Aid Design and Delivery" (RADD) project, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators…

Translational medicine in the field of ablative fractional laser (AFXL)-assisted drug delivery: A critical review from basics to current clinical status.

PubMed

Haedersdal, Merete; Erlendsson, Andrés M; Paasch, Uwe; Anderson, R Rox

2016-05-01

Ablative fractional lasers enhance uptake of topical therapeutics and the concept of fractional laser-assisted drug delivery has now been taken into clinical practice. We systematically reviewed preclinical data and clinical evidence for fractional lasers to enhance drug uptake and improve clinical efficacy. We searched PubMed and Embase databases; 34 articles met the inclusion criteria. Studies were categorized into experimental preclinical studies and clinical trials, the latter graded according to level of evidence. All preclinical trials (n = 16) documented enhanced topical drug uptake into skin after ablative fractional laser treatment. Clinical evidence encompassed 18 studies, of which 9 were randomized controlled trials and 2 were controlled trials, examining neoplastic lesions, photodamaged skin, scars, onychomycosis, and topical anesthetics. The highest level of evidence was reached for actinic keratoses treated with methylaminolevulinate for photodynamic therapy (level IB, 5 randomized controlled trials), substantiating superior and long-lasting efficacy versus conventional photodynamic therapy. No adverse events were reported, but ablative fractional laser-assisted drug delivery implies risks of systemic drug absorption, especially when performed over large skin areas. Fractional laser-assisted drug delivery is beneficial in enhancing preclinical and clinical outcomes for certain skin conditions. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

AIDS--Challenges to Basic and Clinical Biomedical Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fauci, Anthony S.

1989-01-01

Clinical trials and access to therapeutic drugs pose dilemmas for researchers, physicians, and AIDS patients. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recognizing the need for greater access to drugs by a broader spectrum of the infected population, is establishing the Community Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS. (Author/MLW)

Federal Student Aid Annual Report, 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents the Federal Student Aid Annual Report for 2010. Federal Student Aid experienced an extraordinary year in 2010. The passage and enactment of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 ushered in sweeping reforms to the federal student financial assistance programs, resulting in tens of billions of dollars in…

78 FR 62951 - Provision of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Brazil

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-22

... Vol. 78 Tuesday, No. 204 October 22, 2013 Part II The President Presidential Determination No. 2014-02 of October 10, 2013--Provision of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Brazil..., October 22, 2013 / Presidential Documents#0;#0; #0; #0;Title 3 #0;The President [[Page 62953...

Do Medicare Beneficiaries Living With HIV/AIDS Choose Prescription Drug Plans That Minimize Their Total Spending?

PubMed

Desmond, Katherine A; Rice, Thomas H; Leibowitz, Arleen A

2017-01-01

This article examines whether California Medicare beneficiaries with HIV/AIDS choose Part D prescription drug plans that minimize their expenses. Among beneficiaries without low-income supplementation, we estimate the excess cost, and the insurance policy and beneficiary characteristics responsible, when the lowest cost plan is not chosen. We use a cost calculator developed for this study, and 2010 drug use data on 1453 California Medicare beneficiaries with HIV who were taking antiretroviral medications. Excess spending is defined as the difference between projected total spending (premium and cost sharing) for the beneficiary's current drug regimen in own plan vs spending for the lowest cost alternative plan. Regression analyses related this excess spending to individual and plan characteristics. We find that beneficiaries pay more for Medicare Part D plans with gap coverage and no deductible. Higher premiums for more extensive coverage exceeded savings in deductible and copayment/coinsurance costs. We conclude that many beneficiaries pay for plan features whose costs exceed their benefits.

Do Medicare Beneficiaries Living With HIV/AIDS Choose Prescription Drug Plans That Minimize Their Total Spending?

PubMed Central

Desmond, Katherine A.; Rice, Thomas H.; Leibowitz, Arleen A.

2017-01-01

This article examines whether California Medicare beneficiaries with HIV/AIDS choose Part D prescription drug plans that minimize their expenses. Among beneficiaries without low-income supplementation, we estimate the excess cost, and the insurance policy and beneficiary characteristics responsible, when the lowest cost plan is not chosen. We use a cost calculator developed for this study, and 2010 drug use data on 1453 California Medicare beneficiaries with HIV who were taking antiretroviral medications. Excess spending is defined as the difference between projected total spending (premium and cost sharing) for the beneficiary’s current drug regimen in own plan vs spending for the lowest cost alternative plan. Regression analyses related this excess spending to individual and plan characteristics. We find that beneficiaries pay more for Medicare Part D plans with gap coverage and no deductible. Higher premiums for more extensive coverage exceeded savings in deductible and copayment/coinsurance costs. We conclude that many beneficiaries pay for plan features whose costs exceed their benefits. PMID:28990452

Computer-assisted instruction in programming: AID

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friend, J.; Atkinson, R. C.

1971-01-01

Lessons for training students on how to program and operate computers to and AID language are given. The course consists of a set of 50 lessons, plus summaries, reviews, tests, and extra credit problems. No prior knowledge is needed for the course, the only requirement being a strong background in algebra. A student manual, which includes instruction for operating the instructional program and a glossary of terms used in the course, is included in the appendices.

Effect of educational intervention on knowledge, perceived benefits, barriers and self-efficacy regarding AIDS preventive behaviors among drug addicts

PubMed Central

Bastami, Fatemeh; Mostafavi, Firoozeh; Hassanzadeh, Akbar

2015-01-01

Background and Objectives: Addicts account for approximately 68.15% of AIDS cases in Iran and injection drug users are considered as a major factor in the spread of AIDS in Iran. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of an educational intervention on the perceived self-efficacy, benefits, and barriers concerning AIDS preventive behaviors among drug addicts in Khorramabad, Iran. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study carried out in 2013 on 88 addicts kept in rehabilitations center in Khorramabad. The data collection instruments included a questionnaire on self-efficacy, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, knowledge and preventive behaviors regarding HIV. Data were analyzed by paired t-test, independent t-test, Chi-square and analysis of covariance. Results: Paired t-test showed that the mean scores for perceived benefits and barriers, knowledge and preventive behaviors significantly increased in the intervention group after the intervention than before the intervention. But the increase in self-efficacy score was not statistically significant. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that training and education based on the health belief model led to an increase in knowledge, self-efficacy, perceived benefits, performance and reduction in perceived barriers in addicts. It is recommended that future studies should include strategies for enhancing self-efficacy and perceived benefits as well as strategies for reducing barriers to the adoption of preventive behaviors. PMID:27462632

Effect of Premolar Axial Wall Height on Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Assisted Manufacture Crown Retention.

PubMed

Martin, Curt; Harris, Ashley; DuVall, Nicholas; Wajdowicz, Michael; Roberts, Howard Wayne

2018-03-28

To evaluate the effect of premolar axial wall height on the retention of adhesive, full-coverage, computer-aided design/computer-assisted manufacture (CAD/CAM) restorations. A total of 48 premolar teeth randomized into four groups (n = 12 per group) received all-ceramic CAD/CAM restorations with axial wall heights (AWH) of 3, 2, 1, and 0 mm and 16-degree total occlusal convergence (TOC). Specimens were restored with lithium disilicate material and cemented with self-adhesive resin cement. Specimens were loaded to failure after 24 hours. The 3- and 2-mm AWH specimens demonstrated significantly greater failure load. Failure analysis suggests a 2-mm minimum AWH for premolars with a TOC of 16 degrees. Adhesive technology may compensate for compromised AWH.

Urine drug testing results and paired oral fluid comparison from patients enrolled in long-term medication-assisted treatment in Tennessee.

PubMed

Miller, Katie L; Puet, Brandi L; Roberts, Ali; Hild, Cheryl; Carter, Jason; Black, David L

2017-05-01

Urine drug testing is recommended for individuals receiving medication-assisted treatment. It provides objective information for practitioners to consider and may serve as a protective factor against drug-related mortality. The primary objective of our study was to describe urine drug testing results for patients undergoing long-term medication-assisted treatment (≥6months). The secondary objective was to provide further evidence to establish oral fluid as a reliable alternative to urine. All subjects (n=639) included in the study were enrolled in one of five treatment centers in the state of Tennessee, and all urine specimens were positive for either methadone or buprenorphine. Nicotine (87%), caffeine (70%), marijuana (15%), alcohol (14%) and gabapentin (10%) were the most prevalent substances identified through urine drug testing. The presence of non-maintenance opioids (prescription and/or heroin) may represent relapse; these drugs were present in 10% of specimens tested. Evidence of illicit drug use (cocaine, heroin, marijuana and/or methamphetamine) was detected in 19% specimens. For 126 of the 639 subjects included in the study, paired oral fluid and urine test results were compared for agreement. Of the total paired urine and oral fluid tests, approximately 7% were positive for a drug in both specimen types and 91% were negative in both, resulting in an overall agreement of 98%. The study demonstrates continued use of illicit and commercially available medications in a medication-assisted treatment population undergoing long-term treatment. The results affirm the reliability of oral fluid as an alternative specimen type for compliance testing in this population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Data mining analysis of professor Li Fa-zhi AIDS itchy skin medical record].

PubMed

Wang, Dan-Ni; Li, Zhen; Xu, Li-Ran; Guo, Hui-Jun

2013-08-01

Analysis of professor Li Fa-zhi in the treatment of AIDS drug laws of itchy skin, provide the corresponding drug reference basis for Chinese medicine treatment of AIDS, skin itching. By using the method of analyzing the complex network of Weishi county, Henan in 2007 October to 2011 July during an interview with professor Li Fa-zhi treatment of AIDS patients with skin pruritus, etiology and pathogenesis analysis, skin itching AIDS syndrome differentiation of old Chinese medicine treatment and medication rule. The use of multi-dimensional query analysis, core drug skin itching AIDS treatment in this study as a windbreak, cicada slough, bupleurum, Qufeng solution table drug, licorice detoxification efficacy of drugs, Radix Scutellariae, Kochia scoparia, clearing away heat and promoting diuresis medicine; core prescription for Jingfang San streak virus. Professor Li Fa-zhi treatment of AIDS in the skin itching Qufeng solution table dehumidification antipruritic treatment.

ANN multiscale model of anti-HIV drugs activity vs AIDS prevalence in the US at county level based on information indices of molecular graphs and social networks.

PubMed

González-Díaz, Humberto; Herrera-Ibatá, Diana María; Duardo-Sánchez, Aliuska; Munteanu, Cristian R; Orbegozo-Medina, Ricardo Alfredo; Pazos, Alejandro

2014-03-24

This work is aimed at describing the workflow for a methodology that combines chemoinformatics and pharmacoepidemiology methods and at reporting the first predictive model developed with this methodology. The new model is able to predict complex networks of AIDS prevalence in the US counties, taking into consideration the social determinants and activity/structure of anti-HIV drugs in preclinical assays. We trained different Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) using as input information indices of social networks and molecular graphs. We used a Shannon information index based on the Gini coefficient to quantify the effect of income inequality in the social network. We obtained the data on AIDS prevalence and the Gini coefficient from the AIDSVu database of Emory University. We also used the Balaban information indices to quantify changes in the chemical structure of anti-HIV drugs. We obtained the data on anti-HIV drug activity and structure (SMILE codes) from the ChEMBL database. Last, we used Box-Jenkins moving average operators to quantify information about the deviations of drugs with respect to data subsets of reference (targets, organisms, experimental parameters, protocols). The best model found was a Linear Neural Network (LNN) with values of Accuracy, Specificity, and Sensitivity above 0.76 and AUROC > 0.80 in training and external validation series. This model generates a complex network of AIDS prevalence in the US at county level with respect to the preclinical activity of anti-HIV drugs in preclinical assays. To train/validate the model and predict the complex network we needed to analyze 43,249 data points including values of AIDS prevalence in 2,310 counties in the US vs ChEMBL results for 21,582 unique drugs, 9 viral or human protein targets, 4,856 protocols, and 10 possible experimental measures.

Heuristic lipophilicity potential for computer-aided rational drug design.

PubMed

Du, Q; Arteca, G A; Mezey, P G

1997-09-01

In this contribution we suggest a heuristic molecular lipophilicity potential (HMLP), which is a structure-based technique requiring no empirical indices of atomic lipophilicity. The input data used in this approach are molecular geometries and molecular surfaces. The HMLP is a modified electrostatic potential, combined with the averaged influences from the molecular environment. Quantum mechanics is used to calculate the electron density function rho(r) and the electrostatic potential V(r), and from this information a lipophilicity potential L(r) is generated. The HMLP is a unified lipophilicity and hydrophilicity potential. The interactions of dipole and multipole moments, hydrogen bonds, and charged atoms in a molecule are included in the hydrophilic interactions in this model. The HMLP is used to study hydrogen bonds and water-octanol partition coefficients in several examples. The calculated results show that the HMLP gives qualitatively and quantitatively correct, as well as chemically reasonable, results in cases where comparisons are available. These comparisons indicate that the HMLP has advantages over the empirical lipophilicity potential in many aspects. The HMLP is a three-dimensional and easily visualizable representation of molecular lipophilicity, suggested as a potential tool in computer-aided three-dimensional drug design.

21 CFR 874.3950 - Transcutaneous air conduction hearing aid system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Transcutaneous air conduction hearing aid system. 874.3950 Section 874.3950 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... Conduction Hearing Aid System (TACHAS); Guidance for Industry and FDA.” See § 874.1 for the availability of...

Drug companies cut HIV drug prices in the developing world.

PubMed

Yamey, G

2000-05-20

The UN has reported that five multinational pharmaceutical companies would cut down HIV drug prices in the developing world. One of these drug companies is GlaxoWellcome, which has promised to reduce the price of zidovudine and lamivudine to US$2 in the poorest nations, a fifth of its price in the US. Although Peter Piot, director of the UN Program on HIV/AIDS, welcomed the companies' promises, he warned that price cuts alone will not curb the epidemic. He stated that this initiative is only one critical factor in what must become a much broader and more urgent effort to help people living with HIV/AIDS. Moreover, health and development agencies expressed concern that AIDS drugs will still be unaffordable for the vast majority of those in need in developing countries. In addition, poor countries lack the infrastructure to deliver these drugs safely and effectively. During the time of the UN announcement, US President Bill Clinton also signed an executive order allowing sub-Saharan Africa to adopt legal measures to obtain cheap HIV drugs. Meanwhile, South Africa's reaction to the offer to cut antiretroviral drug prices has been lukewarm.

Estimation of the standardized risk difference and ratio in a competing risks framework: application to injection drug use and progression to AIDS after initiation of antiretroviral therapy.

PubMed

Cole, Stephen R; Lau, Bryan; Eron, Joseph J; Brookhart, M Alan; Kitahata, Mari M; Martin, Jeffrey N; Mathews, William C; Mugavero, Michael J

2015-02-15

There are few published examples of absolute risk estimated from epidemiologic data subject to censoring and competing risks with adjustment for multiple confounders. We present an example estimating the effect of injection drug use on 6-year risk of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) after initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy between 1998 and 2012 in an 8-site US cohort study with death before AIDS as a competing risk. We estimate the risk standardized to the total study sample by combining inverse probability weights with the cumulative incidence function; estimates of precision are obtained by bootstrap. In 7,182 patients (83% male, 33% African American, median age of 38 years), we observed 6-year standardized AIDS risks of 16.75% among 1,143 injection drug users and 12.08% among 6,039 nonusers, yielding a standardized risk difference of 4.68 (95% confidence interval: 1.27, 8.08) and a standardized risk ratio of 1.39 (95% confidence interval: 1.12, 1.72). Results may be sensitive to the assumptions of exposure-version irrelevance, no measurement bias, and no unmeasured confounding. These limitations suggest that results be replicated with refined measurements of injection drug use. Nevertheless, estimating the standardized risk difference and ratio is straightforward, and injection drug use appears to increase the risk of AIDS. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[Robot-aided training in rehabilitation].

PubMed

Hachisuka, Kenji

2010-02-01

Recently, new training techniques that involve the use of robots have been used in the rehabilitation of patients with hemiplegia and paraplegia. Robots used for training the arm include the MIT-MANUS, Arm Trainer, mirror-image motion enabler (MIME) robot, and the assisted rehabilitation and measurement (ARM) Guide. Robots that are used for lower-limb training are the Rehabot, Gait Trainer, Lokomat, LOPES Exoskeleton Robot, and Gait Assist Robot. Robot-aided therapy has enabled the functional training of the arm and the lower limbs in an effective, easy, and comfortable manner. Therefore, with this type of therapy, the patients can repeatedly undergo sufficient and accurate training for a prolonged period. However, evidence of the benefits of robot-aided training has not yet been established.

Computer-Aided Structure Based Drug Design Approaches for the Discovery of New Anti-CHIKV Agents.

PubMed

Jadav, Surender Singh; Sinha, Barij Nayan; Hilgenfeld, Rolf; Jayaprakash, Venkatesan

2017-11-10

Chikungunya is a viral infection caused by Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an arbovirus transmitted through mosquito (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus) bite. The virus from sylvatic cycle in Africa mutated to new vector adaptation and became one of the major emerging and re-emerging viral infections in the past decade, affecting more than 40 countries. Efforts are being made by many researches to develop means to prevent and control the infection through vaccines and vector control strategy. On the other hand, search for novel chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of infected patients is on. Approach of repurposed drug is one way of identifying an existing drug for the treatment of CHIKV infection. Review the history of CHIKV nsp2 protease inhibitors derived through structure-based computer-aided drug design along with phytochemicals identified as anti-CHIKV agents. A survey on CHIKV inhibitors reported till date has been carriedout. The data obtained were organized and discussed under natural substances and synthetic derivatives obtained as result of rational design. The review provides a well organized content in chronological order that has highly significant information for medicinal chemist who wish to explore the area of Anti-CHIKV drug design and development. Natural compounds with different scaffolds provides an opportunity to explore Ligand based drug design (LBDD), while rational drug design approaches provides opportunity to explore the Structure based drug design. From the presented mini-review, readers can understand that this area is less explored and has lots of potential in anti-CHIKVviral drug design & development. of reported literature inferred that, unlike other viral proteases, the nsP2 protease can be targeted for CHIKV viral inhibition. The HTVS process for the identification of anti-CHIK agents provided a few successive validated lead compounds against CHIKV infections. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email

Recent development on computer aided tissue engineering--a review.

PubMed

Sun, Wei; Lal, Pallavi

2002-02-01

The utilization of computer-aided technologies in tissue engineering has evolved in the development of a new field of computer-aided tissue engineering (CATE). This article reviews recent development and application of enabling computer technology, imaging technology, computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD and CAM), and rapid prototyping (RP) technology in tissue engineering, particularly, in computer-aided tissue anatomical modeling, three-dimensional (3-D) anatomy visualization and 3-D reconstruction, CAD-based anatomical modeling, computer-aided tissue classification, computer-aided tissue implantation and prototype modeling assisted surgical planning and reconstruction.

AIDS and Adolescents: The Time for Prevention Is Now.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haffner, Debra W.

Due to indiscriminate experimentation with drugs and sex, teens are increasingly at risk of contracting AIDS. Goals of prevention include reducing the panic and misinformation surrounding the disease, helping teenagers delay sexual intercourse, ensuring condom use, and preventing I.V. drug use. AIDS prevention as a shared responsibility includes…

Instructional Aides: Employment, Payroll Procedures, Supervision, Performance Appraisal, Legal Aspects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nielsen, Earl T.

Designed to assist school administrators in their efforts to secure, train, and retain the most qualified instructional aides available, the monograph discusses procedures for employment, payroll processing, aide supervision, performance appraisal, and legal aspects involved in the hiring of instructional aides. Specific topics include…

Speech-Language Pathologists' Knowledge and Skills Regarding Hearing Aids.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodford, Charles M.

1987-01-01

Speech-language pathologists (n=49) and speech-language pathology graduate students (n=53) were administered a written examination on hearing aids and a practical examination concerning the functioning of two types of hearing aids. The majority lacked basic knowledge and skills necessary to assist hearing-impaired students with their hearing aids.…

21 CFR 886.5900 - Electronic vision aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Electronic vision aid. 886.5900 Section 886.5900...) MEDICAL DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 886.5900 Electronic vision aid. (a) Identification. An electronic vision aid is an AC-powered or battery-powered device that consists of an...

21 CFR 886.5900 - Electronic vision aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Electronic vision aid. 886.5900 Section 886.5900...) MEDICAL DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 886.5900 Electronic vision aid. (a) Identification. An electronic vision aid is an AC-powered or battery-powered device that consists of an...

21 CFR 886.5900 - Electronic vision aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Electronic vision aid. 886.5900 Section 886.5900...) MEDICAL DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 886.5900 Electronic vision aid. (a) Identification. An electronic vision aid is an AC-powered or battery-powered device that consists of an...

21 CFR 886.5900 - Electronic vision aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Electronic vision aid. 886.5900 Section 886.5900...) MEDICAL DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 886.5900 Electronic vision aid. (a) Identification. An electronic vision aid is an AC-powered or battery-powered device that consists of an...

21 CFR 886.5900 - Electronic vision aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Electronic vision aid. 886.5900 Section 886.5900...) MEDICAL DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 886.5900 Electronic vision aid. (a) Identification. An electronic vision aid is an AC-powered or battery-powered device that consists of an...

Drug delivery strategies and systems for HIV/AIDS pre-exposure prophylaxis and treatment.

PubMed

Nelson, Antoinette G; Zhang, Xiaoping; Ganapathi, Usha; Szekely, Zoltan; Flexner, Charles W; Owen, Andrew; Sinko, Patrick J

2015-12-10

The year 2016 will mark an important milestone - the 35th anniversary of the first reported cases of HIV/AIDS. Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) including Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) drug regimens is widely considered to be one of the greatest achievements in therapeutic drug research having transformed HIV infection into a chronically managed disease. Unfortunately, the lack of widespread preventive measures and the inability to eradicate HIV from infected cells highlight the significant challenges remaining today. Moving forward there are at least three high priority goals for anti-HIV drug delivery (DD) research: (1) to prevent new HIV infections from occurring, (2) to facilitate a functional cure, i.e., when HIV is present but the body controls it without drugs and (3) to eradicate established infection. Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) represents a significant step forward in preventing the establishment of chronic HIV infection. However, the ultimate success of PrEP will depend on achieving sustained antiretroviral (ARV) tissue concentrations and will require strict patient adherence to the regimen. While first generation long acting/extended release (LA/ER) DD Systems (DDS) currently in development show considerable promise, significant DD treatment and prevention challenges persist. First, there is a critical need to improve cell specificity through targeting in order to selectively achieve efficacious drug concentrations in HIV reservoir sites to control/eradicate HIV as well as mitigate systemic side effects. In addition, approaches for reducing cellular efflux and metabolism of ARV drugs to prolong effective concentrations in target cells need to be developed. Finally, given the current understanding of HIV pathogenesis, next generation anti-HIV DDS need to address selective DD to the gut mucosa and lymph nodes. The current review focuses on the DDS technologies, critical challenges, opportunities, strategies, and approaches by which novel

AIDS knowledge and high risk behaviors in the chronic mentally ill.

PubMed

Katz, R C; Watts, C; Santman, J

1994-08-01

Chronic mentally ill adults are a high risk group for AIDS. In the present study, we used a questionnaire to assess AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and risk behaviors in 54 men and women who were clients at a "drop in" center for mentally ill adults. Most of the subjects were suffering from schizophrenia and about one-third of them had co-existing drug problems. Results showed widespread misunderstandings about AIDS transmission, high risk groups, and practices. Many of the subjects had been treated for STDs such as syphilis and gonorrhea and were engaging in behaviors that increased their vulnerability to AIDS. These include casual sex, anal sex, sex with an IV drug user, or sex in exchange for money, drugs, or a place to sleep. Subjects expressed a moderately high level of concern about acquiring AIDS/HIV, and 15% of those tested (5/33) said they already had the illness. We observed a significant correlation between misinformation about AIDS and the frequency of high risk behaviors. We also detected ambivalence about using condoms and i.v. drugs. Although males and females did not differ in AIDS knowledge or risk behaviors, the AIDS knowledge of both groups was significantly lower than a comparison sample of public high school students. Taken together, the results underscore the immediate need for comprehensive AIDS assessment, education, and prevention in this segment of the population.

AIDS susceptibility in a migrant population: perception and behavior.

PubMed

McBride, D C; Weatherby, N L; Inciardi, J A; Gillespie, S A

1999-01-01

Within the framework of the Health Belief Model, this paper examines correlates of perception of AIDS susceptibility among 846 drug-using migrant farm workers and their sex partners. Significant but relatively small differences by ethnicity and gender were found. The data showed a consistent significant statistical relationship between frequency of drug use, high-risk sexual behavior, and perception of AIDS susceptibility. Perception of AIDS susceptibility was significantly related to a subsequent reduction in sexual risk behaviors. Consistent with the Health Belief Model, the data suggest that increasing perception of AIDS susceptibility may be an important motivator in reducing high-risk behaviors.

Fabrication of high specificity hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles assisted by Eudragit for targeted drug delivery.

PubMed

She, Xiaodong; Chen, Lijue; Velleman, Leonora; Li, Chengpeng; Zhu, Haijin; He, Canzhong; Wang, Tao; Shigdar, Sarah; Duan, Wei; Kong, Lingxue

2015-05-01

Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) are one of the most promising carriers for effective drug delivery due to their large surface area, high volume for drug loading and excellent biocompatibility. However, the non-ionic surfactant templated HMSNs often have a broad size distribution and a defective mesoporous structure because of the difficulties involved in controlling the formation and organization of micelles for the growth of silica framework. In this paper, a novel "Eudragit assisted" strategy has been developed to fabricate HMSNs by utilising the Eudragit nanoparticles as cores and to assist in the self-assembly of micelle organisation. Highly dispersed mesoporous silica spheres with intact hollow interiors and through pores on the shell were fabricated. The HMSNs have a high surface area (670 m(2)/g), small diameter (120 nm) and uniform pore size (2.5 nm) that facilitated the effective encapsulation of 5-fluorouracil within HMSNs, achieving a high loading capacity of 194.5 mg(5-FU)/g(HMSNs). The HMSNs were non-cytotoxic to colorectal cancer cells SW480 and can be bioconjugated with Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) for efficient and specific cell internalization. The high specificity and excellent targeting performance of EGF grafted HMSNs have demonstrated that they can become potential intracellular drug delivery vehicles for colorectal cancers via EGF-EGFR interaction. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

21 CFR 886.5915 - Optical vision aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Optical vision aid. 886.5915 Section 886.5915 Food... DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 886.5915 Optical vision aid. (a) Identification. An optical vision aid is a device that consists of a magnifying lens with an accompanying AC-powered or...

21 CFR 886.5915 - Optical vision aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Optical vision aid. 886.5915 Section 886.5915 Food... DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 886.5915 Optical vision aid. (a) Identification. An optical vision aid is a device that consists of a magnifying lens with an accompanying AC-powered or...

What is an Investigational HIV Drug?

MedlinePlus

... AIDS Drugs Clinical Trials Apps skip to content HIV Overview Home Understanding HIV/AIDS Fact Sheets What ... Send us an email What is an Investigational HIV Drug? Last Reviewed: August 25, 2017 Key Points ...

China's health assistance to Africa: opportunism or altruism?

PubMed

Lin, Shuang; Gao, Liangmin; Reyes, Melissa; Cheng, Feng; Kaufman, Joan; El-Sadr, Wafaa M

2016-12-03

China has made substantial health commitments to Africa in the past several decades. However, while much has been written regarding China-Africa aid overall, relatively little attention has been given to China's health aid. To better understand these investments, we provide an overview of the current framework and characteristics of China's health aid to Africa. China's health assistance has been perceived by some as opportunistic, largely as a demonstration of China's engagement in "soft power" and an attempt to enhance its access to natural resources and political favors by African countries. Others have attributed altruistic intent, aiming to support the advancement of the health of populations in the African continent with a "no strings attached" approach. Our overview demonstrated that despite the magnitude of China's health assistance, many questions remain regarding the scope of this aid, its effectiveness and the governance mechanisms that guide the conceptualization and implementation of such efforts. We also identified the need for a systematic and rigorous evaluation of the various elements of China's health assistance to African countries in order to gain a deeper understanding of how priorities and allocations for health aid are determined, how such aid fits within the specific African country's health strategies and to assess the effectiveness of such aid. Insights garnered through such an assessment could help determine future priorities for investment as well as inform efforts to optimize the value of China's aid for the populations of the recipient countries.

Multimodal assessment of spatial distribution of drug-tracer uptake by brain tissue after intra-arterial injections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh-Moon, Rajinder; Chaudhuri, Durba; Wang, Mei; Straubinger, Robert; Bigio, Irving J.; Joshi, Shailendra

2014-02-01

It is challenging to track the rapid changes in drug concentrations after intra-arterial (IA) administration to elucidate the pharmacokinetics of this method of drug delivery. Traditional pharmacokinetic parameters (such as protein binding) that are highly relevant to intravenous (IV) administration do not seem to apply to IA injections. Regional drug delivery is affected by the biomechanics of drug injection, resting blood flow, and local tissue extraction. In-vivo and ex-vivo, optical methods for spatial mapping of drug deposition can assist in visualizing drug distributions and aid in the screening of potential drugs and carrier candidates. We present a multimodal approach for the assessment of drug distribution in postmortem tissue specimens using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, multispectral imaging, and confocal microscopy and demonstrate feasibility of distinguishing route of administration advantages of liposome-dye conjugate delivery. The results of this study suggest that insight on drug dynamics gained by this aggregated approach can be used to help screen and/or optimize potential drug candidates and drug delivery protocols.

Comparison of two techniques of robot-aided upper limb exercise training after stroke.

PubMed

Stein, Joel; Krebs, Hermano Igo; Frontera, Walter R; Fasoli, Susan E; Hughes, Richard; Hogan, Neville

2004-09-01

This study examined whether incorporating progressive resistive training into robot-aided exercise training provides incremental benefits over active-assisted robot-aided exercise for the upper limb after stroke. A total of 47 individuals at least 1 yr poststroke were enrolled in this 6-wk training protocol. Paretic upper limb motor abilities were evaluated using clinical measures and a robot-based assessment to determine eligibility for robot-aided progressive resistive training at study entry. Subjects capable of participating in resistance training were randomized to receive either active-assisted robot-aided exercises or robot-aided progressive resistance training. Subjects who were incapable of participating in resistance training underwent active-assisted robotic therapy and were again screened for eligibility after 3 wks of robotic therapy. Those subjects capable of participating in resistance training at 3 wks were then randomized to receive either robot-aided resistance training or to continue with robot-aided active-assisted training. One subject withdrew due to unrelated medical issues, and data for the remaining 46 subjects were analyzed. Subjects in all groups showed improvement in measures of motor control (mean increase in Fugl-Meyer of 3.3; 95% confidence interval, 2.2-4.4) and maximal force (mean increase in maximal force of 3.5 N, P = 0.027) over the course of robot-aided exercise training. No differences in outcome measures were observed between the resistance training groups and the matched active-assisted training groups. Subjects' ability to perform the robotic task at the time of group assignment predicted the magnitude of the gain in motor control. The incorporation of robot-aided progressive resistance exercises into a program of robot-aided exercise did not favorably or negatively affect the gains in motor control or strength associated with this training, though interpretation of these results is limited by sample size. Individuals with

Iraq: Recent Developments in Reconstruction Assistance

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-12-20

Developments in Reconstruction Assistance Summary Large-scale reconstruction assistance programs are being undertaken by the United States following the war...in grant aid and as much as $13.3 billion in possible loans. On June 28, 2004, the entity implementing assistance programs , the Coalition... programs are being undertaken by the United States in Iraq. This report describes recent developments in this assistance effort. The report will be

Defining and refining international donor support for combating the AIDS pandemic.

PubMed

Attaran, A; Sachs, J

2001-01-06

The international aid effort against AIDS is greatly incommensurate with the severity of the epidemic. Drawing on the data that international aid donors self-reported to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), we find that, between 1996 and 1998, finance from all rich countries to sub-Saharan Africa for projects designated as AIDS control averaged US $69 million annually, and, assuming a safe margin for under-reporting and misreporting, we estimate that total donor spending on HIV/AIDS control was perhaps twice that at most. Since the late 1980s, aid levels have dropped relative to the prevalence of HIV infection, and stood recently at about $3 per HIV-infected person. Lack of finance is now the primary constraint on progress against AIDS, notwithstanding the widespread belief that a lack of interest from the goveements of poor countries is limiting. We argue that to produce a meaningful response to the pandemic, international assistance must be based on grants, not loans, for the poorest countries; be increased within the next 3 years to a minimum of $7.5 billion or more; be directed toward funding projects which are proposed and desired by the affected countries themselves, and which are judged as having epidemiological merit against the pandemic by a panel of independent scientific experts; and fund concurrent needs, including prevention, drug treatment (such as highly active antiretroviral therapy), and blocking mother-to-child HIV transmission. An effort of this scope and scale will both radically alter the prospects for intervention against AIDS in poor countries, and together with comparable efforts to control other infectious diseases, is easily afforded by the OECD donor economies, whose aggregate national income recently surpassed $21 trillion annually.

Can AIDS drugs be afforded?

PubMed

1997-11-01

UNAIDS has launched an 'HIV Drug Access Initiative' in the Ivory Coast, Uganda, Chile, and Vietnam; the pilot project will attempt to improve access to HIV drugs. Public and private sector efforts will be coordinated. The Glaxo Wellcome, Hoffman-La Roche, and Virco pharmaceutical companies will participate. Each country will 1) adapt its present system with regard to HIV and 2) establish both an HIV drug advisory board and a non-profit company which will import the drugs. Health ministries within each country will be required to find sources of funding for the programs. Uganda will probably use funds from its sexually transmitted disease (STD) program, which is supported by the World Bank; the Ivory Coast will combine corporate contributions, new tariffs, and non-profit insurance system monies into a 'solidarity fund.' UNAIDS funds will be used for oversight and evaluation. UNAIDS also released a review of 68 studies which examined the impact of sex education on the sex behavior of young people; it indicated that, in 65 of the studies, sex education did not increase the sexual activity of youth. UNAIDS concluded that quality programs helped delay first intercourse and often reduced the number of sexual partners, resulting in reduced rates of STDs and unplanned pregnancy. UNAIDS further concluded that effective sex education should begin before the onset of sexual activity, and curriculums should be focused. Openness in communicating about sex should be encouraged, and social and media influences on behavior should be addressed. Young people should be taught negotiating skills (how to say 'no' to sex and how to insist on safer sex).

Impact of treatment for depression on desire for hastened death in patients with advanced AIDS.

PubMed

Breitbart, William; Rosenfeld, Barry; Gibson, Christopher; Kramer, Michael; Li, Yuelin; Tomarken, Alexis; Nelson, Christian; Pessin, Hayley; Esch, Julie; Galietta, Michele; Garcia, Nerina; Brechtl, John; Schuster, Michael

2010-01-01

Despite the development of multi-drug regimens for HIV, palliative care and quality-of-life issues in patients with advanced AIDS remain important areas of clinical investigation. Authors assessed the impact of treatment for depression on desire for hastened death in patients with advanced AIDS. Patients with advanced AIDS (N=372) were interviewed shortly after admission to a palliative-care facility, and were reinterviewed monthly for the next 2 months. Patients diagnosed with a major depressive syndrome were provided with antidepressant treatment and reinterviewed weekly. Desire for hastened death was assessed with two questionnaire measures. Desire for death was highly associated with depression, and it decreased dramatically in patients who responded to antidepressant treatment. Little change in desire for hastened death was observed in patients whose depression did not improve. Although improved depression was not significantly associated with the use of antidepressant medication, those individuals prescribed antidepressant medication showed the largest decreases in desire for hastened death. Successful treatment for depression appears to substantially decrease desire for hastened death in patients with advanced AIDS. The authors discuss implications of these findings for palliative-care treatment and the physician-assisted suicide debate.

Impact of Treatment for Depression on Desire for Hastened Death in Patients With Advanced AIDS

PubMed Central

Breitbart, William; Rosenfeld, Barry; Gibson, Christopher; Kramer, Michael; Li, Yuelin; Tomarken, Alexis; Nelson, Christian; Pessin, Hayley; Esch, Julie; Galietta, Michele; Garcia, Nerina; Brechtl, John; Schuster, Michael

2013-01-01

Background Despite the development of multi-drug regimens for HIV, palliative care and quality-of-life issues in patients with advanced AIDS remain important areas of clinical investigation. Objective Authors assessed the impact of treatment for depression on desire for hastened death in patients with advanced AIDS. Method Patients with advanced AIDS (N=372) were interviewed shortly after admission to a palliative-care facility, and were reinterviewed monthly for the next 2 months. Patients diagnosed with a major depressive syndrome were provided with antidepressant treatment and reinterviewed weekly. Desire for hastened death was assessed with two questionnaire measures. Results Desire for death was highly associated with depression, and it decreased dramatically in patients who responded to antidepressant treatment. Little change in desire for hastened death was observed in patients whose depression did not improve. Although improved depression was not significantly associated with the use of antidepressant medication, those individuals prescribed antidepressant medication showed the largest decreases in desire for hastened death. Discussion Successful treatment for depression appears to substantially decrease desire for hastened death in patients with advanced AIDS. The authors discuss implications of these findings for palliative-care treatment and the physician-assisted suicide debate. PMID:20332284

21 CFR 886.5910 - Image intensification vision aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Image intensification vision aid. 886.5910 Section... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 886.5910 Image intensification vision aid. (a) Identification. An image intensification vision aid is a battery-powered device intended for...

21 CFR 886.5910 - Image intensification vision aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Image intensification vision aid. 886.5910 Section... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 886.5910 Image intensification vision aid. (a) Identification. An image intensification vision aid is a battery-powered device intended for...

21 CFR 886.5910 - Image intensification vision aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Image intensification vision aid. 886.5910 Section... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 886.5910 Image intensification vision aid. (a) Identification. An image intensification vision aid is a battery-powered device intended for...

21 CFR 886.5910 - Image intensification vision aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Image intensification vision aid. 886.5910 Section... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 886.5910 Image intensification vision aid. (a) Identification. An image intensification vision aid is a battery-powered device intended for...

21 CFR 886.5910 - Image intensification vision aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Image intensification vision aid. 886.5910 Section... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 886.5910 Image intensification vision aid. (a) Identification. An image intensification vision aid is a battery-powered device intended for...

Design Aids for Real-Time Systems (DARTS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Szulewski, P. A.

1982-01-01

Design-Aids for Real-Time Systems (DARTS) is a tool that assists in defining embedded computer systems through tree structured graphics, military standard documentation support, and various analyses including automated Software Science parameter counting and metrics calculation. These analyses provide both static and dynamic design quality feedback which can potentially aid in producing efficient, high quality software systems.

An Approach to Coping with Anxiety about AIDS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krieger, Irwin

1988-01-01

Describes a stepwise counseling approach for assisting persons with heightened anxiety about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and ways to handle fears about the sexual transmission of AIDS. Five steps discussed include getting accurate information, assessing fear prior to exposure, learning to protect oneself and others, gathering peer…

Iraq: Recent Developments in Reconstruction Assistance

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-27

Developments in Reconstruction Assistance Summary Large-scale reconstruction assistance programs are being undertaken by the United States following the war...in grant aid and as much as $13.3 billion in possible loans. On June 28, 2004, the entity implementing assistance programs , the Coalition Provisional... programs are being undertaken by the United States in Iraq. This report describes recent developments in this assistance effort. The report will be updated

Medication assisted treatment in US drug courts: results from a nationwide survey of availability, barriers and attitudes.

PubMed

Matusow, Harlan; Dickman, Samuel L; Rich, Josiah D; Fong, Chunki; Dumont, Dora M; Hardin, Carolyn; Marlowe, Douglas; Rosenblum, Andrew

2013-01-01

Drug treatment courts are an increasingly important tool in reducing the census of those incarcerated for non-violent drug offenses; medication assisted treatment (MAT) is proven to be an effective treatment for opioid addiction. However, little is known about the availability of and barriers to MAT provision for opioid-addicted people under drug court jurisdiction. Using an online survey, we assessed availability, barriers, and need for MAT (especially agonist medication) for opioid addiction in drug courts. Ninety-eight percent reported opioid-addicted participants, and 47% offered agonist medication (56% for all MAT including naltrexone). Barriers included cost and court policy. Responses revealed significant uncertainty, especially among non-MAT providing courts. Political, judicial and administrative opposition appear to affect MAT's inconsistent use and availability in drug court settings. These data suggest that a substantial, targeted educational initiative is needed to increase awareness of the treatment and criminal justice benefits of MAT in the drug courts. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. 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

Reimagining Financial Aid to Improve Student Access and Outcomes. Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NJ1), 2013

2013-01-01

As the student aid programs rapidly approach reauthorization in 2014, they continue to face severe funding and efficiency problems. With grant assistance from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through their "Reimagining Aid Design and Delivery" (RADD) project, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) examined…

A guided interview process to improve student pharmacists' identification of drug therapy problems.

PubMed

Rovers, John; Miller, Michael J; Koenigsfeld, Carrie; Haack, Sally; Hegge, Karly; McCleeary, Erin

2011-02-10

To measure agreement between advanced pharmacy practice experience students using a guided interview process and experienced clinical pharmacists using standard practices to identify drug therapy problems. Student pharmacists enrolled in an advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) and clinical pharmacists conducted medication therapy management interviews to identify drug therapy problems in elderly patients recruited from the community. Student pharmacists used a guided interview tool, while clinical pharmacists' interviews were conducted using their usual and customary practices. Student pharmacists also were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the interview tool. Fair to moderate agreement was observed on student and clinical pharmacists' identification of 4 of 7 drug therapy problems. Of those, agreement was significantly higher than chance for 3 drug therapy problems (adverse drug reaction, dosage too high, and needs additional drug therapy) and not significant for 1 (unnecessary drug therapy). Students strongly agreed that the interview tool was useful but agreed less strongly on recommending its use in practice. The guided interview process served as a useful teaching aid to assist student pharmacists to identify drug therapy problems.

A Guided Interview Process to Improve Student Pharmacists' Identification of Drug Therapy Problems

PubMed Central

Miller, Michael J.; Koenigsfeld, Carrie; Haack, Sally; Hegge, Karly; McCleeary, Erin

2011-01-01

Objective To measure agreement between advanced pharmacy practice experience students using a guided interview process and experienced clinical pharmacists using standard practices to identify drug therapy problems. Methods Student pharmacists enrolled in an advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) and clinical pharmacists conducted medication therapy management interviews to identify drug therapy problems in elderly patients recruited from the community. Student pharmacists used a guided interview tool, while clinical pharmacists' interviews were conducted using their usual and customary practices. Student pharmacists also were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the interview tool. Results Fair to moderate agreement was observed on student and clinical pharmacists' identification of 4 of 7 drug therapy problems. Of those, agreement was significantly higher than chance for 3 drug therapy problems (adverse drug reaction, dosage too high, and needs additional drug therapy) and not significant for 1 (unnecessary drug therapy). Students strongly agreed that the interview tool was useful but agreed less strongly on recommending its use in practice. Conclusions The guided interview process served as a useful teaching aid to assist student pharmacists to identify drug therapy problems. PMID:21451770

Pakistan combats hidden AIDS menace.

PubMed

1996-05-20

The conservative Islamic society in Pakistan associates human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) with prostitution, homosexuality, and drug abuse, activities which are prohibited in Pakistan. There are 1000 reported cases of HIV, 55 with advanced AIDS (53 have died) in Pakistan. Birjees Mazhar Kazi, head of the National AIDS Program, believes that, based on the computer model of the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of HIV cases in Pakistan can be 50,000 to 80,000. Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's government has allocated $2 million for AIDS prevention. Although some officials argue that Islamic strictures and traditional social pressures discourage sexual license, the poor public health and education standards in Pakistan make it vulnerable to AIDS. Drug abuse has risen in the last 20 years; there are an estimated 1.5 million heroin users among an estimated 3 million addicts. According to Health Ministry Director General Naik Muhammad Shaikh, the government has established 30 HIV/AIDS screening centers and is sponsoring a law that would require all blood banks to provide only safe blood and blood products for transfusion. Marvi states that the reuse and poor disposal of needles, a common practice in Pakistan, could be responsible for most of the transmission there of AIDS and hepatitis C. Health experts acknowledge the obstacles placed in the way of AIDS awareness campaigns by sex taboos and religious sensitivities; condoms cannot be mentioned or displayed in shops, or used in electronic or print media campaigns. They can be mentioned in a recorded message on a 24-hr AIDS hotline. Community-based and nongovernmental organizations are being used to reach segments of society who cannot use the hotline. Eunuchs (hijras), who are much in demand as "female" entertainers at weddings, are particularly resistant to safe sex messages, according to Abid Atiq, head of the information and education section of the

Benefits planning--what you must know: interview with Daniel Fortuno, AIDS Benefits Counselors. Interview by John S. James.

PubMed

Fortuno, D

1996-09-20

Daniel Fortuno, a counselor with AIDS Benefits Counselors (ABC), summarizes key insurance and benefits information for persons living with AIDS (PWAs), particularly those who reside in California. Fortuno explains the managed care concept and basic health insurance terms, such as pre-existing conditions, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations (PPOs), contestability, and the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). Fortuno explains a California law that became effective in July 1993 that greatly restricts the ability of health insurance companies to refuse insurance due to preexisting conditions to small groups of persons. This law, AB 1672, makes health insurance available to the sick with little overall rises in prices. Federal insurance laws and regulations that impact PWAs and HIV-positive individuals are outlined. In the interview, Fortuno also discusses Medicaid/Medi-Cal (California's Medicaid), Social Security programs, State disability, and the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. Fortuno offers suggestions for obtaining good private insurance and evaluates the pros and cons of HMOs, PPOs, and indemnity insurance.

Anti AIDS drug design with the help of neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tetko, I. V.; Tanchuk, V. Yu.; Luik, A. I.

1995-04-01

Artificial neural networks were used to analyze and predict the human immunodefiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Training and control set included 44 molecules (most of them are well-known substances such as AZT, TIBO, dde, etc.) The biological activities of molecules were taken from literature and rated for two classes: active and inactive compounds according to their values. We used topological indices as molecular parameters. Four most informative parameters (out of 46) were chosen using cluster analysis and original input parameters' estimation procedure and were used to predict activities of both control and new (synthesized in our institute) molecules. We applied pruning network algorithm and network ensembles to obtain the final classifier and avoid chance correlation. The increasing of neural network generalization of the data from the control set was observed, when using the aforementioned methods. The prognosis of new molecules revealed one molecule as possibly active. It was confirmed by further biological tests. The compound was as active as AZT and in order less toxic. The active compound is currently being evaluated in pre clinical trials as possible drug for anti-AIDS therapy.

Provision of legal services to persons with HIV or AIDS: barriers and trends.

PubMed

Carey, R

Canadian HIV/AIDS legal clinics address their agendas, funding, activities, and observed trends. The HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic (Ontario) (HALCO) is profiled in the first of a series. HALCO is a poverty law clinic for HIV-positive people with limited financial means in Ontario. The profile of legal problems handled by HALCO includes government assistance payments, inadequate or too-expensive housing, wills and substitute decision making, bankruptcy, human rights, prison health issues, employment concerns, immigration issues, and family law. HALCO has a limited budget, and can only afford one full-time lawyer and one full-time community worker on staff. HALCO is tracking a trend of diminishing legal protections for HIV-positive employees. They have also recorded increased opposition in the insurance industry to cover HIV drug treatment. Medical malpractice litigations are also increasing due to the doctors failing to inform patients of their HIV status or to treat them adequately once they have been notified.

The Shift in Assistive Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vlasak, Erin; Ranaldo, Michelle

2012-01-01

It is becoming increasingly clear that executive functioning deficits are a common area of concern for students and young adults with a variety of different intellectual disabilities. Assistive technology can be invaluable in aiding students and young adults in compensating for these deficits. The Assistive Technology Act of 1998, and the IDEA…

Predicting survival in AIDS: refining the model.

PubMed

Hutchinson, S J; Brettle, R P; Gore, S M

1997-11-01

We tested the validity of a previously-published AIDS staging system by examining AIDS-defining diseases (ADDs) and CD4 counts as prognostic factors for survival of the 248 AIDS patients in the Edinburgh City Hospital Cohort, of whom 56% were injecting drug-users (IDUs). Cox regression was used to model the proportionality of risk of death as the CD4 count declined and more ADDs were experienced, and dependence upon post-AIDS treatment. Using the system of Mocroft et al. (Lancet 1995; 346:12-17) to grade severity, our data were well enough modelled, but we suggest: (i) regrading of HIV dementia (RR 3.9, 95% CI 2.5-6.0), mainly attributed to the drug users, to a very severe ADD; (ii) reduction in risk from zidovudine (RR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-1.0) during AIDS follow-up for patients starting treatment at or after AIDS diagnosis; (iii) improved management of first mild ADDs (from 1987-89 to 1994-95: 40% reduction in IDUs appearing with mild index diseases, and an approximate three-fold reduction in risk associated with a mild ADD). This study supports previous findings on the significance of ADDs and lowest CD4 count in predicting the lifetime of AIDS patients.

HIV/AIDS and Pregnancy: MedlinePlus Health Topic

MedlinePlus

... with HIV Using Tenofovir-Emtricitabine. Article: Next-generation sequencing provides an added value in determining drug resistance... ... Division of AIDS (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) Patient Handouts HIV/AIDS - pregnancy and infants ( ...

Audio-Visual Aids for Pre-School and Primary School Children. A Training Document. Aids to Programming UNICEF Assistance to Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Narayan, Shankar

This discussion of the importance and scope of audiovisual aids in the educational programs and activities designed for children in developing countries includes the significance of audiovisual aids in pre-school and primary school education, types of audiovisual aids, learning from pictures, creative art materials, play materials, and problems…

AIDS, Alcohol & Health Care. Chapter 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acampora, Alfonso P., Ed.; Nebelkopf, Ethan, Ed.

This document contains 10 papers from the ninth World Conference of Therapeutic Communities (TC) that deal with a variety of health-related subjects. Papers include: (1) "AIDS among IV Drug Users: Epidemiology, Natural History & TC Experiences" (Don C. Des Jarlais, et al.); (2) "AIDS and Therapeutic Communities: Policy Implications" (Don C. Des…

Drug use patterns at major rock concert events.

PubMed

Erickson, T B; Aks, S E; Koenigsberg, M; Bunney, E B; Schurgin, B; Levy, P

1996-07-01

To describe alcohol and drug use patterns in patients presenting to first aid stations at major rock concerts. We retrospectively reviewed all charts generated at the first aid stations of five major rock concerts featuring the rock groups Pink Floyd, the Grateful Dead, and the Rolling Stones. The first aid stations, located at a sports stadium, were staffed by paramedics, emergency medicine nurses, and physicians. We recorded the following data: patient demographics, history of drug or ethanol use, time spent by patient in first aid station, treatment rendered, diagnosis, and patient disposition. A total of 253, 286 spectators attended the five concert events. The rate of use of the first aid station was 1.2 per 1,000 patrons. The average age of the patrons was 26.3 +/- 7.9 years (range, 3 to 56 years). The most common diagnoses were minor trauma 130 (42%) and ethanol or illicit drug intoxication 98 (32%). Of the patients treated, 147 (48%) admitted to using illicit drugs or ethanol while attending the concerts. The median time spent in the first aid station was 15 +/- 22.5 minutes (range, 5 to 150 minutes). One hundred patients (32.5%) were treated and released, 98 (32%) were transported to emergency departments, and 110 (35.5%) signed out against medical advice. Minor trauma and the use of illicit drugs and ethanol were common in spectators presenting to first aid stations at these concert events. Physicians and paramedical personnel working at rock concerts should be aware of the current drug use patterns and should be trained in treating such drug use.

Use of personal digital assistants for data collection in a multi-site AIDS stigma study in rural south Nyanza, Kenya.

PubMed

Onono, M A; Carraher, N; Cohen, R C; Bukusi, E A; Turan, J M

2011-09-01

To describe the development, cost effectiveness and implementation of a PDA based electronic system to collect, verify and manage data from a multi-site study on HIV/AIDS stigma and pregnancy in a rural, resource-poor area. We worked within a large prevention of mother-to-child-transmission (PMTCT) program in nine rural health facilities to implement a PDA-based data collection system and to study the feasibility of its use in a multisite HIV research study in rural Kenya. The PDAs were programmed for collecting screening and eligibility data, and responses to structured interviews on HIV/AIDS stigma and violence in three local languages. Between November 2007 and December 2008, nine PDAs were used by Clinic and Community Health Assistants to enrol 1,270 participants on to the PMTCT program. Successes included: capacity-building of interviewers, low cost of implementation, quick turnaround time of data entry with good data quality, and convenience. Our study demonstrated the feasibility of utilizing PDAs for data collection in a multi-site observational study on HIV/AIDS stigma conducted in remote rural health facilities in Kenya. However, appropriate and frequent data backup protocols need to be established and paper forms are still needed as backup tools in resource-poor settings.

Pre-AIDS mortality in the Edinburgh City Hospital HIV cohort.

PubMed

Seaman, S R; Brettle, R P; Gore, S M

1997-11-15

In this paper, we look at the incidence and predictive factors of pre-AIDS mortality among HIV-infected individuals, and injecting drug users (IDUs) in particular, and compare IDUs with non-IDUs. 627 patients (73 per cent IDUs) of the Edinburgh City Hospital HIV Cohort were enrolled pre-AIDS and followed up until September 1994. Analyses were performed using cumulative hazard and cumulative incidence estimators for a competing risks model, the Cox proportional hazards model and the non-parametric hazard estimator of Fusaro et al. (1993). The effects of age and CD4 T-lymphocyte cell count, progressively depleted during HIV progression, were investigated. 60 deaths occurred in AIDS-free patients during follow-up; 25 were drug-related deaths in IDUs. Pre-AIDS mortality was higher among IDUs than non-IDUs (p = 0.07). The cumulative incidences of pre-AIDS death after five years from enrollment were 11 per cent in IDUs and 6 per cent in non-IDUs; the cumulative AIDS incidences were, respectively, 19 per cent and 32 per cent. After eight years, cumulative pre-AIDS death incidence was 15 per cent among IDUs; cumulative AIDS incidence among IDUs was 35 per cent. Both groups had similar risks of medically-related (non-AIDS)-MRNA-death. Age and CD4 count were both individually predictive of MRNA death (relative risks (RRs); 2.1 per decade of life, p < 0.01; and 1.9 for each 100 cells per 100 microliters lost, p < 0.0001), although when used together age was less significant (RR 1.6, p = 0.07). Neither was statistically significant for drug-related mortality, although hazard may be lower in older individuals and may increase with falling CD4 count. The drug-related mortality was 1.1 per cent: 2.3 per cent in the first two years after enrollment, and 0.4 per cent thereafter. We conclude that older HIV-infected individuals are at greater risk of medically-related death before AIDS. This risk increases as CD4 count declines. Drug-related hazard may be greater in younger

Influence of Computer-Aided Detection on Performance of Screening Mammography

PubMed Central

Fenton, Joshua J.; Taplin, Stephen H.; Carney, Patricia A.; Abraham, Linn; Sickles, Edward A.; D'Orsi, Carl; Berns, Eric A.; Cutter, Gary; Hendrick, R. Edward; Barlow, William E.; Elmore, Joann G.

2011-01-01

Background Computer-aided detection identifies suspicious findings on mammograms to assist radiologists. Since the Food and Drug Administration approved the technology in 1998, it has been disseminated into practice, but its effect on the accuracy of interpretation is unclear. Methods We determined the association between the use of computer-aided detection at mammography facilities and the performance of screening mammography from 1998 through 2002 at 43 facilities in three states. We had complete data for 222,135 women (a total of 429,345 mammograms), including 2351 women who received a diagnosis of breast cancer within 1 year after screening. We calculated the specificity, sensitivity, and positive predictive value of screening mammography with and without computer-aided detection, as well as the rates of biopsy and breast-cancer detection and the overall accuracy, measured as the area under the receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curve. Results Seven facilities (16%) implemented computer-aided detection during the study period. Diagnostic specificity decreased from 90.2% before implementation to 87.2% after implementation (P<0.001), the positive predictive value decreased from 4.1% to 3.2% (P = 0.01), and the rate of biopsy increased by 19.7% (P<0.001). The increase in sensitivity from 80.4% before implementation of computer-aided detection to 84.0% after implementation was not significant (P = 0.32). The change in the cancer-detection rate (including invasive breast cancers and ductal carcinomas in situ) was not significant (4.15 cases per 1000 screening mammograms before implementation and 4.20 cases after implementation, P = 0.90). Analyses of data from all 43 facilities showed that the use of computer-aided detection was associated with significantly lower overall accuracy than was nonuse (area under the ROC curve, 0.871 vs. 0.919; P = 0.005). Conclusions The use of computer-aided detection is associated with reduced accuracy of interpretation of

Evaluating Imaging and Computer-aided Detection and Diagnosis Devices at the FDA

PubMed Central

Gallas, Brandon D.; Chan, Heang-Ping; D’Orsi, Carl J.; Dodd, Lori E.; Giger, Maryellen L.; Gur, David; Krupinski, Elizabeth A.; Metz, Charles E.; Myers, Kyle J.; Obuchowski, Nancy A.; Sahiner, Berkman; Toledano, Alicia Y.; Zuley, Margarita L.

2017-01-01

This report summarizes the Joint FDA-MIPS Workshop on Methods for the Evaluation of Imaging and Computer-Assist Devices. The purpose of the workshop was to gather information on the current state of the science and facilitate consensus development on statistical methods and study designs for the evaluation of imaging devices to support US Food and Drug Administration submissions. Additionally, participants expected to identify gaps in knowledge and unmet needs that should be addressed in future research. This summary is intended to document the topics that were discussed at the meeting and disseminate the lessons that have been learned through past studies of imaging and computer-aided detection and diagnosis device performance. PMID:22306064

Developing a Seamless System for Meeting the Needs of Young Children Affected by Alcohol and Other Drugs through Training and Technical Assistance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antoniadis, Anastasia

This paper describes a cross-agency model of training and technical assistance which prepares preschool teachers, therapists, social workers, drug treatment providers, parents, administrators, service coordinators, and bureaucrats to work with and understand children and families affected by alcohol and other drugs. Presented first is a brief…

78 FR 19710 - Meeting of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-02

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Meeting of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS... on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) will hold a meeting to discuss implementation of the Patient Protection and... CONTACT: Ms. Caroline Talev, Public Health Assistant, Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS...

Role of the laboratory in the evaluation of suspected drug abuse.

PubMed

Gold, M S; Dackis, C A

1986-01-01

Despite the high incidence of substance abuse, it remains a common cause of misdiagnosis. In patients who have abused or who are currently abusing drugs, symptoms of a psychiatric illness may be mimicked by either the drug's presence or absence. The laboratory can aid in making a differential diagnosis and eliminating drugs from active consideration as a cause of psychosis, depression, mania, and personality changes. Treatment planning and prevention of serious medical consequences often rest on the accuracy of the admission drug screen. Testing is widely used to assess improvement in substance abuse in both inpatient and outpatient settings. In occupational settings, testing has been used as an early indicator that a problem exists and as a successful prevention tool. The appropriate use of analytic technology in drug abuse testing requires an understanding of available test methodologies. These include drug screens by thin-layer chromatography, comprehensive testing using enzyme immunoassay, and computer-assisted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Testing for specific drugs considered likely causes or precipitants of "psychiatric" complaints is available with enzyme assays, radioimmunoassay, or definitive forensic-quality testing using GC-MS.

In vivo evaluation of zirconia ceramic in the DexAide right ventricular assist device journal bearing.

PubMed

Saeed, Diyar; Shalli, Shanaz; Fumoto, Hideyuki; Ootaki, Yoshio; Horai, Tetsuya; Anzai, Tomohiro; Zahr, Roula; Horvath, David J; Massiello, Alex L; Chen, Ji-Feng; Dessoffy, Raymond; Catanese, Jacquelyn; Benefit, Stephen; Golding, Leonard A R; Fukamachi, Kiyotaka

2010-06-01

Zirconia is a ceramic with material properties ideal for journal bearing applications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of zirconium oxide (zirconia) as a blood journal bearing material in the DexAide right ventricular assist device. Zirconia ceramic was used instead of titanium to manufacture the DexAide stator housing without changing the stator geometry or the remaining pump hardware components. Pump hydraulic performance, journal bearing reliability, biocompatibility, and motor efficiency data of the zirconia stator were evaluated in six chronic bovine experiments for 14-91 days and compared with data from chronic experiments using the titanium stator. Pump performance data including average in vivo pump flows and speeds using a zirconia stator showed no statistically significant difference to the average values for 16 prior titanium stator in vivo studies, with the exception of a 19% reduction in power consumption. Indices of hemolysis were comparable for both stator types. Results of coagulation assays and platelet aggregation tests for the zirconia stator implants showed no device-induced increase in platelet activation. Postexplant evaluation of the zirconia journal bearing surfaces showed no biologic deposition in any of the implants. In conclusion, zirconia ceramic can be used as a hemocompatible material to improve motor efficiency while maintaining hydraulic performance in a blood journal bearing application.

Attitudes and Usage of the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System Among Gastroenterology Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants.

PubMed

Salk, Allison; Ehrenpreis, Eli D

2016-01-01

The Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) is used for postmarketing pharmacovigilance. Our study sought to assess attitudes and usage of the FAERS among gastroenterology nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs). A survey was administered at the August 2012 Principles of Gastroenterology for the Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant course, held in Chicago, IL. Of the 128 respondents, 123 (96%) reported a specialty in gastroenterology or hepatology and were included in analysis. Eighty-nine participants were NPs and 32 PAs, whereas 2 did not report their profession. Although 119 (98%) agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that accurately reporting adverse drug reactions is an important process to optimize patient safety, the majority of participants (54% NPs and 81% PAs) were unfamiliar with the FAERS. In addition, only 20% of NPs and 9% of PAs reported learning about the FAERS in NP or PA schooling. Our study shows enthusiasm among gastroenterology NPs and PAs for the reporting of adverse drug reactions, coupled with a lack of familiarity with the FAERS. This presents an opportunity for enhanced education about reporting of adverse drug reactions for gastroenterology NPs and PAs.

Competencies for Financial Aid Officers: A Competency Model for Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woolf, Michael Neil

2012-01-01

Financial aid officers play a vital role in assisting prospective and current college students in enrolling and graduating from college. This study explores the competencies that financial aid officers need to be successful in their jobs. A survey of thirty competencies was distributed to 508 practicing financial aid officers in the Western United…

“People Knew They Could Come Here to Get Help”: An Ethnographic Study of Assisted Injection Practices at a Peer-Run ‘Unsanctioned’ Supervised Drug Consumption Room in a Canadian Setting

PubMed Central

McNeil, Ryan; Small, Will; Lampkin, Hugh; Shannon, Kate; Kerr, Thomas

2013-01-01

People who require help injecting are disproportionately vulnerable to drug-related harm, including HIV transmission. North America’s only sanctioned SIF operates in Vancouver, Canada under an exemption to federal drug laws, which imposes operating regulations prohibiting assisted injections. In response, the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) launched a peer-run unsanctioned SIF in which trained peer volunteers provide assisted injections to increase the coverage of supervised injection services and minimize drug-related harm. We undertook qualitative interviews (n=23) and ethnographic observation (50 hours) to explore how this facility shaped assisted injection practices. Findings indicated that VANDU reshaped the social, structural, and spatial contexts of assisted injection practices in a manner that minimized HIV and other health risks, while allowing people who require help injecting to escape drug scene violence. Findings underscore the need for changes to regulatory frameworks governing SIFs to ensure that they accommodate people who require help injecting. PMID:23797831

AIDSinfo Drug Database

MedlinePlus

... HIV/AIDS-related drugs for that condition. OK Filters Approval: What's this? FDA-Approved Investigational Class: What's ... Encephalitis Tuberculosis Varicella-Zoster Virus Diseases Update Loading... Filter by approval status, drug class, and condition Browse ...

The Successful Diagnosis and Typing of Systemic Amyloidosis Using A Microwave-Assisted Filter-Aided Fast Sample Preparation Method and LC/MS/MS Analysis

PubMed Central

Zou, Lili; Shen, Kaini; Zhong, Dingrong; Zhou, Daobin; Sun, Wei; Li, Jian

2015-01-01

Laser microdissection followed by mass spectrometry has been successfully used for amyloid typing. However, sample contamination can interfere with proteomic analysis, and overnight digestion limits the analytical throughput. Moreover, current quantitative analysis methods are based on the spectrum count, which ignores differences in protein length and may lead to misdiagnoses. Here, we developed a microwave-assisted filter-aided sample preparation (maFASP) method that can efficiently remove contaminants with a 10-kDa cutoff ultrafiltration unit and can accelerate the digestion process with the assistance of a microwave. Additionally, two parameters (P- and D-scores) based on the exponentially modified protein abundance index were developed to define the existence of amyloid deposits and those causative proteins with the greatest abundance. Using our protocol, twenty cases of systemic amyloidosis that were well-typed according to clinical diagnostic standards (training group) and another twenty-four cases without subtype diagnoses (validation group) were analyzed. Using this approach, sample preparation could be completed within four hours. We successfully subtyped 100% of the cases in the training group, and the diagnostic success rate in the validation group was 91.7%. This maFASP-aided proteomic protocol represents an efficient approach for amyloid diagnosis and subtyping, particularly for serum-contaminated samples. PMID:25984759

77 FR 59196 - Meeting of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-26

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Meeting of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS... on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) will hold a meeting. The meeting will be open to the public. DATES: The meeting... CONTACT: Ms. Caroline Talev, Public Health Assistant, Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS...

Nanodrug formulations to enhance HIV drug exposure in lymphoid tissues and cells: clinical significance and potential impact on treatment and eradication of HIV/AIDS

PubMed Central

Shao, Jingwei; Kraft, John C; Li, Bowen; Yu, Jesse; Freeling, Jennifer; Koehn, Josefin; Ho, Rodney JY

2016-01-01

Although oral combination antiretroviral therapy effectively clears plasma HIV, patients on oral drugs exhibit much lower drug concentrations in lymph nodes than blood. This drug insufficiency is linked to residual HIV in cells of lymph nodes. While nanoformulations improve drug solubility, safety and delivery, most HIV nanoformulations are intended to extend plasma levels. A stable nanodrug combination that transports, delivers and accumulates in lymph nodes is needed to clear HIV in lymphoid tissues. This review discusses limitations of current oral combination antiretroviral therapy and advances in anti-HIV nanoformulations. A ‘systems approach’ has been proposed to overcome these limitations. This concept has been used to develop nanoformulations for overcoming drug insufficiency, extending cell and tissue exposure and clearing virus for treating HIV/AIDS. PMID:26892323

Student Financial Aid Handbook, 2000-2001. Volume 1: Student Eligibility.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Education, Washington, DC. Student Financial Assistance.

This handbook helps financial aid administrators determine students' eligibility for aid from the U.S. Department of Education's Student Financial Assistance (SFA) programs. An introduction describes information sources, conflicting information, fraud case referral, status change, electronic requirements, the application system, and recent…

Turning assistive machines into assistive robots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Argall, Brenna D.

2015-01-01

For decades, the potential for automation in particular, in the form of smart wheelchairs to aid those with motor, or cognitive, impairments has been recognized. It is a paradox that often the more severe a person's motor impairment, the more challenging it is for them to operate the very assistive machines which might enhance their quality of life. A primary aim of my lab is to address this confound by incorporating robotics autonomy and intelligence into assistive machines turning the machine into a kind of robot, and offloading some of the control burden from the user. Robots already synthetically sense, act in and reason about the world, and these technologies can be leveraged to help bridge the gap left by sensory, motor or cognitive impairments in the users of assistive machines. This paper overviews some of the ongoing projects in my lab, which strives to advance human ability through robotics autonomy.

AIDS in the workplace: current practices and possible implications.

PubMed

Nykodym, N; Miners, I A; Simonetti, J L; Patel, N S

1989-01-01

The testing of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) remains a political factor. Questions are being raised as to an individual's right to privacy and the public's concern for safety. Despite the controversy, the law protects contagious disease sufferers from employment discrimination. Along with AIDS testing, drug testing remains a controversial issue. Mandatory drug testing remains in both the public and private sectors. Legislative activity in California continues to the present.

Maintenance of Airport Visual Aid Facilities

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-08-26

This advisory circular provides recommended guidelines for maintenance of : airport visual aid facilities. Since the function of such facilities is to : assist in the safe and efficient movement of aircraft during landing, takeoff, : and taxiing mane...

[First-aid in France. Current situation and future perspectives].

PubMed

Larcan, Alain; Julien, Henri

2010-06-01

First-aid--treatment aimed at enabling a victim to survive pending the arrival of qualified medical support--is less well developed in France than in many other industrialized countries, especially among the general public. The current status of first-aid in France is paradoxical: schooling is free and obligatory, the ambulance service and emergency services are of the highest quality, but the general public are too often passive and unknowledgeable when faced with an emergency situation. This situation is due to several factors, including the complexity of first-aid training and regulations, the involvement of too many public bodies, the legal liability of the first-aider, and a lack of ongoing training. The French National Academy of Medicine recommends 8 measures to improve this situation: Provide a legal definition of first-aid: "a set of recognized measures aimed, in an emergency setting, at preserving the physical and psychological integrity of the victim of an accident or illness, notably pending the arrival of professional medical assistance". Waive, as in many other countries, civil and legal responsibility for the non professional first-aider, except in case of clear negligence. Reinforce the organization of first-aid in France in order to monitor the number and quality of first-aiders, and to ensure theoretical and pedagogic research; create a communications department capable of supporting and promoting first-aid. Improve access to first-aid training by increasing the number of situations in which it is obligatory (driving tuition, school and university examinations, group responsibility, at-risk practices), by providing financial assistance for certain groups, and by ensuring routine training at school, in the armed forces, and in the workplace. Create a progressive and integrated citizen first-aid training course with individual modules, ensuring that first-aiders update and perfect their knowledge throughout life. Soften pedagogic rules and shorten

Women and the AIDS epidemic: no longer hidden.

PubMed

Williams, A B

1992-07-01

1. Women acquire HIV infection along one of three routes: parenteral, sexual, or vertical (perinatal). The HIV/AIDS epidemic among women in the US is growing primarily through parenteral and heterosexual exposures, which are tightly linked to social issues of substance abuse. 2. The majority of AIDS clinical trial participants have been white men. Differences in male and female physiology, hormonal influences on drug pharmacokinetics, and the social context of disease may render protocols ineffective or even harmful for women. 3. To respond effectively to the AIDS epidemic among women in the US, major public health issues, such as access to care, availability of family planning and drug treatment services, and racial discrimination, must be addressed.

Improving Aid Effectiveness or Transforming the Global Capitalist System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ginsburg, Mark

2010-01-01

In the introduction to his article, "Aid, Development, and Education," Klees (2010) poses the question, has the "hundreds of billions of dollars in international aid... loaned to [or otherwise targeted to "assist"] developing countries through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms... helped?" He then posits the question to be "too complicated to…

Aiding in the Abatement of Drug Abuse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jalkanen, Arthur W.

1972-01-01

Oakland Community College (Michigan) has instituted a center for drug studies that could serve as a model for other institutions. It includes in-service training programs for counselors, teachers and volunteers, referral services, and drug abuse education programs. (NF)

77 FR 74017 - Meeting of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-12

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Meeting of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS... on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) will hold a conference call. The call will be open to the public. DATES: The call...: Ms. Caroline Talev, Public Health Assistant, Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, Department of...

42 CFR 483.158 - FFP for nurse aide training and competency evaluation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false FFP for nurse aide training and competency... CARE FACILITIES Requirements That Must Be Met by States and State Agencies: Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation, and Paid Feeding Assistants § 483.158 FFP for nurse aide training and competency...

AIDS Prevention. Guidelines for Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore.

These instructional guidelines contain information for school systems and teachers in Maryland to assist them in preparing to deliver instruction on Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) prevention to students. The instruction is appropriate to the age, intellectual development, maturity, and curiosity of the…

In Vitro Evaluation of a Program for Machine-Aided Indexing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacquemin, Christian; Daille, Beatrice; Royaute, Jean; Polanco, Xavier

2002-01-01

Presents the human evaluation of ILIAD, a program for machine-aided indexing that was designed to assist expert librarians in computer-aided indexing and document analysis. Topics include controlled indexing and free indexing; natural language and concept-based information retrieval; evaluation methodology; syntactic variations; and a comparison…

CImbinator: a web-based tool for drug synergy analysis in small- and large-scale datasets.

PubMed

Flobak, Åsmund; Vazquez, Miguel; Lægreid, Astrid; Valencia, Alfonso

2017-08-01

Drug synergies are sought to identify combinations of drugs particularly beneficial. User-friendly software solutions that can assist analysis of large-scale datasets are required. CImbinator is a web-service that can aid in batch-wise and in-depth analyzes of data from small-scale and large-scale drug combination screens. CImbinator offers to quantify drug combination effects, using both the commonly employed median effect equation, as well as advanced experimental mathematical models describing dose response relationships. CImbinator is written in Ruby and R. It uses the R package drc for advanced drug response modeling. CImbinator is available at http://cimbinator.bioinfo.cnio.es , the source-code is open and available at https://github.com/Rbbt-Workflows/combination_index . A Docker image is also available at https://hub.docker.com/r/mikisvaz/rbbt-ci_mbinator/ . asmund.flobak@ntnu.no or miguel.vazquez@cnio.es. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

A New Era for Cancer Target Therapies: Applying Systems Biology and Computer-Aided Drug Design to Cancer Therapies.

PubMed

Wong, Yung-Hao; Chiu, Chia-Chiun; Lin, Chih-Lung; Chen, Ting-Shou; Jheng, Bo-Ren; Lee, Yu-Ching; Chen, Jeremy; Chen, Bor-Sen

In recent years, many systems biology approaches have been used with various cancers. The materials described here can be used to build bases to discover novel cancer therapy targets in connection with computer-aided drug design (CADD). A deeper understanding of the mechanisms of cancer will provide more choices and correct strategies in the development of multiple target drug therapies, which is quite different from the traditional cancer single target therapy. Targeted therapy is one of the most powerful strategies against cancer and can also be applied to other diseases. Due to the large amount of progress in computer hardware and the theories of computational chemistry and physics, CADD has been the main strategy for developing novel drugs for cancer therapy. In contrast to traditional single target therapies, in this review we will emphasize the future direction of the field, i.e., multiple target therapies. Structure-based and ligand-based drug designs are the two main topics of CADD. The former needs both 3D protein structures and ligand structures, while the latter only needs ligand structures. Ordinarily it is estimated to take more than 14 years and 800 million dollars to develop a new drug. Many new CADD software programs and techniques have been developed in recent decades. We conclude with an example where we combined and applied systems biology and CADD to the core networks of four cancers and successfully developed a novel cocktail for drug therapy that treats multiple targets.

IGO-NGO relations and HIV / AIDS: innovation or stalemate?

PubMed

Jonsson, C; Soderholm, P

1995-01-01

This paper is concerned with the emergence of transnational cooperative structures in response to AIDS. Of chief concern are efforts to create and maintain links among and between intergovernmental organizations (IGO) in the UN system and the many heterogenous organizations usually included under the nongovernmental organization (NGO) label. After discussing the nature of the AIDS issue, the authors focus upon the various ways of framing the AIDS issue and the effort by the Global Program on AIDS to coordinate IGO and NGO activities. In closing, they identify lessons and insights of broader applicability emanating from the AIDS case. The paper discusses the nature of AIDS, AIDS as a medical problem, AIDS as a human rights problem, AIDS as a socioeconomic problem, forging IGO-NGO links, an international NGO forum, informal networking, NGOs and AIDS-related foreign assistance, representation, formal versus informal coordination, costs of network building, degree of organization, and expertise.

Characteristics of substance abuse treatment programs providing services for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C virus infection, and sexually transmitted infections: the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network.

PubMed

Brown, Lawrence S; Kritz, Steven Allan; Goldsmith, R Jeffrey; Bini, Edmund J; Rotrosen, John; Baker, Sherryl; Robinson, Jim; McAuliffe, Patrick

2006-06-01

Illicit drug users sustain the epidemics of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), hepatitis C (HCV), and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Substance abuse treatment programs present a major intervention point in stemming these epidemics. As a part of the "Infections and Substance Abuse" study, established by the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network, sponsored by National Institute on Drug Abuse, three surveys were developed; for treatment program administrators, for clinicians, and for state and District of Columbia health and substance abuse department administrators, capturing service availability, government mandates, funding, and other key elements related to the three infection groups. Treatment programs varied in corporate structure, source of revenue, patient census, and medical and non-medical staffing; medical services, counseling services, and staff education targeted HIV/AIDS more often than HCV or STIs. The results from this study have the potential to generate hypotheses for further health services research to inform public policy.

AIDS and adolescents: why should we be concerned?

PubMed

1987-11-01

AIDS most often strikes people aged 20-40 years old. However, due to the long period of incubation from initial infection with HIV to the development of AIDS, many young adults with AIDS may have been infected with the virus while they were teenagers. Many adolescents could be unsuspecting carriers of the virus. It is normal for developing adolescents to experiment with their bodies and those of their peers. Inherent to this experimentation and growth is risk taking with sex and drugs. Sexual intercourse without condom use and IV drug use with non-sterile injecting equipment are risk factors for contracting and transmitting HIV. Without creating undue fear, teenagers must be taught how AIDS is spread, how it is not spread, and how they can protect themselves from HIV. They need to understand that certain behaviors are risky, not belonging to a certain population subgroup. This article describes efforts underway in Finland, Mexico, Chile, the US, and Thailand to teach adolescents about AIDS. At the start of Finland's AIDS education campaign in early January 1987, the use of a condom was demonstrated on national television news. The country's National Board of Health also distributed a booklet on AIDS and a sample condom to all 16-21 year olds in Finland. Teens themselves can also be effective AIDS educators. Efforts to teach adolescents about HIV/AIDS and promote behavior change should be the product of comprehensive community involvement.

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 .

OPEC Aid to the Developing Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OECD Observer, 1978

1978-01-01

For the third consecutive year, OPEC aid amounted to more than $5.5 billion, representing more than two percent of the gross national product. This is compared to 0.31 percent for members of OECD's Development Assistance Committee. (Author/BB)

Assistive Technology: Enhancement for Daily Life.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, Theresa, Ed.

1994-01-01

This theme issue of a newsletter that focuses on transition of youths who are deaf-blind discusses the topic of assistive technology. An introduction introduces the issue and notes the vast array of homemade low technology and commercially available high technology assistive aids and devices that enable adults with sensory disabilities to live,…

Association of injection drug use with incidence of HIV-associated non-AIDS-related morbidity by age, 1995–2014

PubMed Central

Lesko, Catherine R.; Moore, Richard D.; Tong, Weiqun; Lau, Bryan

2016-01-01

Objective Incidence of HIV-associated non-AIDS (HANA) related comorbidities is increasing in HIV-infected individuals. Our objective was to estimate the risk of HANA comorbidity associated with history of injection drug use (IDU), correctly accounting for higher death rates among people who inject drugs (PWID). Design We followed HIV-infected persons aged 25–59 years who enrolled in the Johns Hopkins HIV Clinical Cohort between 1995 and May 2014, from enrollment until HANA comorbidity diagnosis, death, age 60 or administrative censoring. Methods We compared cumulative incidence (“risk”), by age, of validated diagnoses of HANA comorbidities among HIV-infected PWID and non-IDU; specifically, we considered end-stage renal disease (ESRD), end-stage liver disease (ESLD), myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and non-AIDS-defining cancer. We used competing risk methods appropriate to account for death, standardized to the marginal distribution of baseline covariates and adjusted for potential differential loss-to-clinic. Results Of 5,490 patients included in this analysis, 37% reported IDU as an HIV transmission risk. By age 55 years, PWID had higher risk of ESLD (risk difference=6.8, 95% CI: −1.9, 15.5) and ESRD (risk difference=11.1, 95% CI: 1.2, 21.0) than did non-IDU. Risk of MI and stroke were similar among PWID and non-IDU. Risk of non-AIDS-defining cancer was lower among PWID than among non-IDU (risk difference at 55 years: −4.9, 95% CI: −11.2, 1.3). Conclusions Not all HANA comorbidities occur with higher incidence in PWID compared to non-IDU. However, higher incidence of ESRD and ESLD among PWID highlights the importance of recognition and management of markers of these comorbidities in early stages among PWID. PMID:26990627

Cognitive representations of AIDS: a phenomenological study.

PubMed

Anderson, Elizabeth H; Spencer, Margaret Hull

2002-12-01

Cognitive representations of illness determine behavior. How persons living with AIDS image their disease might be key to understanding medication adherence and other health behaviors. The authors' purpose was to describe AIDS patients' cognitive representations of their illness. A purposive sample of 58 men and women with AIDS were interviewed. Using Colaizzi's (1978) phenomenological method, rigor was established through application of verification, validation, and validity. From 175 significant statements, 11 themes emerged. Cognitive representations included imaging AIDS as death, bodily destruction, and just a disease. Coping focused on wiping AIDS out of the mind, hoping for the right drug, and caring for oneself. Inquiring about a patient's image of AIDS might help nurses assess coping processes and enhance nurse-patient relationships.

Vulnerable salvation: Evangelical Protestant leaders and institutions, drug use and HIV and AIDS in the urban periphery of Rio de Janeiro

PubMed Central

Garcia, Jonathan; Muñoz-Laboy, Miguel; Parker, Richard

2011-01-01

This analysis focuses on the evangelical Protestant responses to drug use and HIV prevention, treatment and care in the urban periphery of Rio de Janeiro. We question how religious institutions, and the positions of pastors, create or reduce various elements of societal illness and vulnerability. We aim to show that the views of pastors may symbolise a form of social regulation that may have a meaningful social impact on drug use and HIV and AIDS. The interviews of 23 evangelical religious leaders were collected using a theoretical sample and analysed through a grounded theory approach. Two case studies of evangelical drug rehabilitation centres are derived from five qualitative interviews. Evangelical drug rehabilitation centres generally reflect pastors' discourses of reintegration into social networks including marriage, family, and employment. We found important differences in the discourses and practices in private versus state-funded rehabilitation centres that may reveal ways social and programmatic vulnerabilities may affect the efficacy of public health interventions. PMID:21512922

Creating a bridge between data collection and program planning: a technical assistance model to maximize the use of HIV/AIDS surveillance and service utilization data for planning purposes.

PubMed

Logan, Jennifer A; Beatty, Maile; Woliver, Renee; Rubinstein, Eric P; Averbach, Abigail R

2005-12-01

Over time, improvements in HIV/AIDS surveillance and service utilization data have increased their usefulness for planning programs, targeting resources, and otherwise informing HIV/AIDS policy. However, community planning groups, service providers, and health department staff often have difficulty in interpreting and applying the wide array of data now available. We describe the development of the Bridging Model, a technical assistance model for overcoming barriers to the use of data for program planning. Through the use of an iterative feedback loop in the model, HIV/AIDS data products constantly are evolving to better inform the decision-making tasks of their multiple users. Implementation of this model has led to improved data quality and data products and to a greater willingness and ability among stakeholders to use the data for planning purposes.

13 CFR 147.625 - Criminal drug statute.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Criminal drug statute. 147.625 Section 147.625 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (NONPROCUREMENT) Definitions § 147.625 Criminal drug statute. Criminal drug...

13 CFR 147.635 - Drug-free workplace.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Drug-free workplace. 147.635 Section 147.635 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (NONPROCUREMENT) Definitions § 147.635 Drug-free workplace. Drug-free...

13 CFR 147.635 - Drug-free workplace.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Drug-free workplace. 147.635 Section 147.635 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (NONPROCUREMENT) Definitions § 147.635 Drug-free workplace. Drug-free...

13 CFR 147.625 - Criminal drug statute.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Criminal drug statute. 147.625 Section 147.625 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (NONPROCUREMENT) Definitions § 147.625 Criminal drug statute. Criminal drug...

13 CFR 147.625 - Criminal drug statute.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Criminal drug statute. 147.625 Section 147.625 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (NONPROCUREMENT) Definitions § 147.625 Criminal drug statute. Criminal drug...

13 CFR 147.635 - Drug-free workplace.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Drug-free workplace. 147.635 Section 147.635 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (NONPROCUREMENT) Definitions § 147.635 Drug-free workplace. Drug-free...

Fractional erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser-assisted drug delivery of hydroquinone in the treatment of melasma

PubMed Central

Badawi, Ashraf M; Osman, Mai Abdelraouf

2018-01-01

Background Melasma is a difficult-to-treat hyperpigmentary disorder. Ablative fractional laser (AFL)-assisted delivery of topically applied drugs to varied targets in the skin has been an area of ongoing study and research. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fractional erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser as an assisted drug delivery for enhancing topical hydroquinone (HQ) permeation into the skin of melasma patients. Patients and methods Thirty female patients with bilateral melasma were randomly treated in a split-face controlled manner with a fractional Er:YAG laser followed by 4% HQ cream on one side and 4% HQ cream alone on the other side. All patients received six laser sessions with a 2-week interval. The efficacy of treatments was determined through photographs, dermoscopic photomicrographs and Melasma Area Severity Index (MASI) score, all performed at baseline and at 12 weeks of starting therapy. The patient’s level of satisfaction was also recorded. Results Er:YAG laser + HQ showed significantly better results (p<0.005) with regard to decrease in the degree of pigmentation as assessed on the 4-point scale than HQ alone. There was a significant decrease in MASI scores on Er:YAG laser + HQ side vs HQ side. Minor reversible side effects were observed on both sides. Conclusion AFL-assisted delivery of HQ is a safe and effective method for the treatment of melasma. PMID:29379308

Computer aided drug discovery of highly ligand efficient, low molecular weight imidazopyridine analogs as FLT3 inhibitors

PubMed Central

Frett, Brendan; McConnell, Nick; Smith, Catherine C.; Wang, Yuanxiang; Shah, Neil P.; Li, Hong-yu

2015-01-01

The FLT3 kinase represents an attractive target to effectively treat AML. Unfortunately, no FLT3 targeted therapeutic is currently approved. In line with our continued interests in treating kinase related disease for anti-FLT3 mutant activity, we utilized pioneering synthetic methodology in combination with computer aided drug discovery and identified low molecular weight, highly ligand efficient, FLT3 kinase inhibitors. Compounds were analyzed for biochemical inhibition, their ability to selectively inhibit cell proliferation, for FLT3 mutant activity, and preliminary aqueous solubility. Validated hits were discovered that can serve as starting platforms for lead candidates. PMID:25765758

Micro-segmental hair analysis for proving drug-facilitated crimes: Evidence that a victim ingested a sleeping aid, diphenhydramine, on a specific day.

PubMed

Kuwayama, Kenji; Nariai, Maika; Miyaguchi, Hajime; Iwata, Yuko T; Kanamori, Tatsuyuki; Tsujikawa, Kenji; Yamamuro, Tadashi; Segawa, Hiroki; Abe, Hiroko; Iwase, Hirotaro; Inoue, Hiroyuki

2018-07-01

Sleeping aids are often abused in the commission of drug-facilitated crimes. Generally, there is little evidence that a victim ingested a spiked drink unknowingly because the unconscious victim cannot report the situation to the police immediately after the crime occurred. Although conventional segmental hair analysis can estimate the number of months since a targeted drug was ingested, this analysis cannot determine the specific day of ingestion. We recently developed a method of micro-segmental hair analysis using internal temporal markers (ITMs) to estimate the day of drug ingestion. This method was based on volunteer ingestion of ITMs to determine a timescale within individual hair strands, by segmenting a single hair strand at 0.4-mm intervals, corresponding to daily hair growth. This study assessed the ability of this method to estimate the day of ingestion of an over-the-counter sleeping aid, diphenhydramine, which can be easily abused. To model ingestion of a diphenhydramine-spiked drink unknowingly, each subject ingested a dose of diphenhydramine, followed by ingestion of two doses of the ITM, chlorpheniramine, 14days apart. Several hair strands were collected from each subject's scalp several weeks after the second ITM ingestion. Diphenhydramine and ITM were detected at specific regions within individual hair strands. The day of diphenhydramine ingestion was estimated from the distances between the regions and the days of ITM ingestion. The error between estimated and actual ingestion day ranged from -0.1 to 1.9days regardless of subjects and hair collection times. The total time required for micro-segmental analysis of 96 hair segments (hair length: 3.84cm) was approximately 2days and the cost was almost the same as in general drug analysis. This procedure may be applicable to the investigation of crimes facilitated by various drugs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Making drugs accessible.

PubMed

1999-01-01

Making drugs accessible for common HIV-associated illnesses in West Africa is discussed. HIV-positive people in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, could not afford drugs for treating their illnesses; thus, volunteers from La Bergerie-FUC, a Christian organization, have established a day care center for HIV-positive people. A French church supplies the drugs; oral rehydration salts are provided through the Ministry of Health. Since the organization did not have enough drugs to meet the needs of all its patients, two strategies were developed to improve its drug supply. The first strategy was to raise money to buy drugs through the support of a local NGO, the Initiative Privee et Communautaire de lutte contre le SIDA (IPC). IPC initially refused to support them, but, eventually agreed to fund drug purchasing as a pilot project. The second strategy was to look at ways of reducing the cost of drugs, which resulted in a list of essential drugs for HIV-associated infections. The list was approved by Care and Support Committee of the national AIDS program for use by other organizations. The organizations have created a national network to improve the delivery of community-based care and support services in Burkina Faso. Recently, the national AIDS program has asked this network to help them change the national essential drugs list to include essential drugs for treating common HIV-associated infections.

Deep-reasoning fault diagnosis - An aid and a model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yoon, Wan Chul; Hammer, John M.

1988-01-01

The design and evaluation are presented for the knowledge-based assistance of a human operator who must diagnose a novel fault in a dynamic, physical system. A computer aid based on a qualitative model of the system was built to help the operators overcome some of their cognitive limitations. This aid differs from most expert systems in that it operates at several levels of interaction that are believed to be more suitable for deep reasoning. Four aiding approaches, each of which provided unique information to the operator, were evaluated. The aiding features were designed to help the human's casual reasoning about the system in predicting normal system behavior (N aiding), integrating observations into actual system behavior (O aiding), finding discrepancies between the two (O-N aiding), or finding discrepancies between observed behavior and hypothetical behavior (O-HN aiding). Human diagnostic performance was found to improve by almost a factor of two with O aiding and O-N aiding.

10 CFR 607.625 - Criminal drug statute.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Criminal drug statute. 607.625 Section 607.625 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Definitions § 607.625 Criminal drug statute. Criminal drug statute means a Federal or...

The First AIDS Drugs | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Faced with the burgeoning HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, NCI’s intramural program developed the first therapies to effectively treat the disease. These discoveries helped transform a fatal diagnosis to the manageable condition it is for many today.

Student Financial Aid Handbook, 2000-2001. Volume 2: Institutional Eligibility.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Education, Washington, DC. Student Financial Assistance.

The "Student Financial Aid Handbook" explains the policies and procedures required for institutions of higher education to administer federally funded student financial assistance programs properly. This volume focuses on institutional eligibility and explains how a school becomes eligible to participate in the Student Financial Assistance (SFA)…

Guided Immediate Implant Placement with Wound Closure by Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Assisted Manufacture Sealing Socket Abutment: Case Report.

PubMed

Finelle, Gary; Lee, Sang J

Digital technology has been widely used in the field of implant dentistry. From a surgical standpoint, computer-guided surgery can be utilized to enhance primary implant stability and to improve the precision of implant placement. From a prosthetic standpoint, computer-aided design/computer-assisted manufacture (CAD/CAM) technology has brought about various restorative options, including the fabrication of customized abutments through a virtual design based on computer-guided surgical planning. This case report describes a novel technique combining the use of a three-dimensional (3D) printed surgical template for the immediate placement of an implant, with CAD/CAM technology to optimize hard and soft tissue healing after bone grafting with the use of a socket sealing abutment.

The Real Costs of Federal Aid to Higher Education. Heritage Lectures. No. 984

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vedder, Richard

2007-01-01

New federal spending on student aid is unlikely to improve college access. The increase in access in higher education in America largely came before massive federal involvement in student financial aid programs. Evidence suggests that federal subsidies for student aid may be counterproductive. Modest provision of financial assistance serves to…

10 CFR 607.635 - Drug-free workplace.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Drug-free workplace. 607.635 Section 607.635 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE) Definitions § 607.635 Drug-free workplace. Drug-free workplace means a site for the...

32 CFR 516.73 - Assistance from HQDA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Assistance from HQDA. 516.73 Section 516.73 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY AID OF CIVIL AUTHORITIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS LITIGATION Cooperation With the Office of Special Counsel § 516.73 Assistance from HQDA...

32 CFR 516.73 - Assistance from HQDA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 3 2011-07-01 2009-07-01 true Assistance from HQDA. 516.73 Section 516.73 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY AID OF CIVIL AUTHORITIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS LITIGATION Cooperation With the Office of Special Counsel § 516.73 Assistance from HQDA...

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.

Student Aides for Handicapped College Students. Final Report and Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urie, Robert M.; And Others

The stated purpose of the project was to demonstrate that the use of student aides to assist selected physically handicapped students in the college setting, in conjunction with special physical facilities and individual counseling sessions for both the physically handicapped and the student aides, would result in a more satisfactory academic,…

Dietetic Aide. [Teacher's Copy]. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas Education Agency, Austin. Dept. of Occupational Education and Technology.

The curriculum guide, one of a series prepared to assist teacher-coordinators in promoting and teaching home economics cooperative education programs, provides a course of study for the dietetic aide occupation. In addition to a brief overview, job description, and job analysis of the occupation, the guide's four main sections are: instructional…

Directional Hearing Aid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jhabvala, M.; Lin, H. C.

1989-01-01

Hearing-aid device indicates visually whether sound is coming from left, right, back, or front. Device intended to assist individuals who are deaf in at least one ear and unable to discern naturally directions to sources of sound. Device promotes safety in street traffic, on loading docks, and in presence of sirens, alarms, and other warning sounds. Quadraphonic version of device built into pair of eyeglasses and binaural version built into visor.

The feasibility of an efficient drug design method with high-performance computers.

PubMed

Yamashita, Takefumi; Ueda, Akihiko; Mitsui, Takashi; Tomonaga, Atsushi; Matsumoto, Shunji; Kodama, Tatsuhiko; Fujitani, Hideaki

2015-01-01

In this study, we propose a supercomputer-assisted drug design approach involving all-atom molecular dynamics (MD)-based binding free energy prediction after the traditional design/selection step. Because this prediction is more accurate than the empirical binding affinity scoring of the traditional approach, the compounds selected by the MD-based prediction should be better drug candidates. In this study, we discuss the applicability of the new approach using two examples. Although the MD-based binding free energy prediction has a huge computational cost, it is feasible with the latest 10 petaflop-scale computer. The supercomputer-assisted drug design approach also involves two important feedback procedures: The first feedback is generated from the MD-based binding free energy prediction step to the drug design step. While the experimental feedback usually provides binding affinities of tens of compounds at one time, the supercomputer allows us to simultaneously obtain the binding free energies of hundreds of compounds. Because the number of calculated binding free energies is sufficiently large, the compounds can be classified into different categories whose properties will aid in the design of the next generation of drug candidates. The second feedback, which occurs from the experiments to the MD simulations, is important to validate the simulation parameters. To demonstrate this, we compare the binding free energies calculated with various force fields to the experimental ones. The results indicate that the prediction will not be very successful, if we use an inaccurate force field. By improving/validating such simulation parameters, the next prediction can be made more accurate.

If I Didn't Have HIV I'd Be Dead Now: Illness Narratives of Drug Users Living with HIV/AIDS

PubMed Central

Mosack, Katie E.; Abbott, Maryann; Singer, Merrill; Weeks, Margaret R.; Lucy, Rohena

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to illuminate the experiences of poor, urban HIV-positive drug users. Sixty participants were asked about HIV risk behaviors, the impact of HIV on their lives, religious beliefs, life plans, relationships, and work-related issues both prior to and since diagnosis. A theoretical framework was developed using Frank's (1995; 1998) Illness Narratives and Boss and Couden's (2002) Ambiguous Loss theories. Themes pertaining to both physical and emotional or spiritual dimensions were located within Benefit, Loss, or Status Quo orientations. The findings contribute to researchers' understanding of the HIV/AIDS illness experiences among the very marginalized and they have important implications for physical and mental health care professionals working with HIV-positive drug users. PMID:15802537

Animal models for HIV/AIDS research

PubMed Central

Hatziioannou, Theodora; Evans, David T.

2015-01-01

The AIDS pandemic continues to present us with unique scientific and public health challenges. Although the development of effective antiretroviral therapy has been a major triumph, the emergence of drug resistance requires active management of treatment regimens and the continued development of new antiretroviral drugs. Moreover, despite nearly 30 years of intensive investigation, we still lack the basic scientific knowledge necessary to produce a safe and effective vaccine against HIV-1. Animal models offer obvious advantages in the study of HIV/AIDS, allowing for a more invasive investigation of the disease and for preclinical testing of drugs and vaccines. Advances in humanized mouse models, non-human primate immunogenetics and recombinant challenge viruses have greatly increased the number and sophistication of available mouse and simian models. Understanding the advantages and limitations of each of these models is essential for the design of animal studies to guide the development of vaccines and antiretroviral therapies for the prevention and treatment of HIV-1 infection. PMID:23154262

Computer Assisted Language Learning. Routledge Studies in Computer Assisted Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennington, Martha

2011-01-01

Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is an approach to language teaching and learning in which computer technology is used as an aid to the presentation, reinforcement and assessment of material to be learned, usually including a substantial interactive element. This books provides an up-to date and comprehensive overview of…

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.

Modeling HIV/AIDS Drug Price Determinants in Brazil: Is Generic Competition a Myth?

PubMed Central

Meiners, Constance; Sagaon-Teyssier, Luis; Hasenclever, Lia; Moatti, Jean-Paul

2011-01-01

Background Brazil became the first developing country to guarantee free and universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment, with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) being delivered to nearly 190,000 patients. The analysis of ARV price evolution and market dynamics in Brazil can help anticipate issues soon to afflict other developing countries, as the 2010 revision of the World Health Organization guidelines shifts demand towards more expensive treatments, and, at the same time, current evolution of international legislation and trade agreements on intellectual property rights may reduce availability of generic drugs for HIV care. Methods and Findings Our analyses are based on effective prices paid for ARV procurement in Brazil between 1996 and 2009. Data panel structure was exploited to gather ex-ante and ex-post information and address various sources of statistical bias. In-difference estimation offered in-depth information on ARV market characteristics which significantly influence prices. Although overall ARV prices follow a declining trend, changing characteristics in the generic segment help explain recent increase in generic ARV prices. Our results show that generic suppliers are more likely to respond to factors influencing demand size and market competition, while originator suppliers tend to set prices strategically to offset compulsory licensing threats and generic competition. Significance In order to guarantee the long term sustainability of access to antiretroviral treatment, our findings highlight the importance of preserving and stimulating generic market dynamics to sustain developing countries' bargaining power in price negotiations undertaken with originator companies. PMID:21858138

Modeling HIV/AIDS drug price determinants in Brazil: is generic competition a myth?

PubMed

Meiners, Constance; Sagaon-Teyssier, Luis; Hasenclever, Lia; Moatti, Jean-Paul

2011-01-01

Brazil became the first developing country to guarantee free and universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment, with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) being delivered to nearly 190,000 patients. The analysis of ARV price evolution and market dynamics in Brazil can help anticipate issues soon to afflict other developing countries, as the 2010 revision of the World Health Organization guidelines shifts demand towards more expensive treatments, and, at the same time, current evolution of international legislation and trade agreements on intellectual property rights may reduce availability of generic drugs for HIV care. Our analyses are based on effective prices paid for ARV procurement in Brazil between 1996 and 2009. Data panel structure was exploited to gather ex-ante and ex-post information and address various sources of statistical bias. In-difference estimation offered in-depth information on ARV market characteristics which significantly influence prices. Although overall ARV prices follow a declining trend, changing characteristics in the generic segment help explain recent increase in generic ARV prices. Our results show that generic suppliers are more likely to respond to factors influencing demand size and market competition, while originator suppliers tend to set prices strategically to offset compulsory licensing threats and generic competition. In order to guarantee the long term sustainability of access to antiretroviral treatment, our findings highlight the importance of preserving and stimulating generic market dynamics to sustain developing countries' bargaining power in price negotiations undertaken with originator companies.

Undergraduate design projects for assistive technology needs: assisted fishing.

PubMed

Borrego, Nick; Bilan, Kristi; Gebes, T J; Barrett, S F; Morton, S A

2012-01-01

In 2010 the University of Wyoming, College of Engineering and Applied Science was funded for a five year increment of the National Science Foundation’s Research to Aid Persons with Disabilities. This program provides a vital link between challenged individuals who require custom assistive technology devices with senior capstone design students who require challenging, meaningful projects. The program also provides education for our next generation of engineers on the needs of all individuals. In this paper we describe the program organization including project partners in the College and Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND). We also provide a case study of a recently completed project for an assistive fishing device.

The social network of international health aid.

PubMed

Han, Lu; Koenig-Archibugi, Mathias; Opsahl, Tore

2018-06-01

International development assistance for health generates an emergent social network in which policy makers in recipient countries are connected to numerous bilateral and multilateral aid agencies and to other aid recipients. Ties in this global network are channels for the transmission of knowledge, norms and influence in addition to material resources, and policy makers in centrally situated governments receive information faster and are exposed to a more diverse range of sources and perspectives. Since diversity of perspectives improves problem-solving capacity, the structural position of aid-receiving governments in the health aid network can affect the health outcomes that those governments are able to attain. We apply a recently developed Social Network Analysis measure to health aid data for 1990-2010 to investigate the relationship between country centrality in the health aid network and improvements in child health. A generalized method of moments (GMM) analysis indicates that, controlling for the volume of health aid and other factors, higher centrality in the health aid network is associated with better child survival rates in a sample of 110 low and middle income countries. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trends in Student Aid, 2011. Trends in Higher Education Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baum, Sandy; Payea, Kathleen

2011-01-01

"Trends in Student Aid," an annual College Board publication since 1983, is a compendium of detailed, up-to-date information on the funding that is available to help students pay for college. This report sorts aid into grants, loans, tax benefits, and Federal Work-Study assistance. It documents funding from federal and state governments, colleges…

Student Performance in Computer-Assisted Instruction in Programming.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friend, Jamesine E.; And Others

A computer-assisted instructional system to teach college students the computer language, AID (Algebraic Interpretive Dialogue), two control programs, and data collected by the two control programs are described. It was found that although first response errors were often those of AID syntax, such errors were easily corrected. Secondly, while…

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.

Mandela restores morale of AIDS conference.

PubMed

Sidley, P

2000-07-22

During the 13th international AIDS conference in Durban, former president Nelson Mandela pulled the morale of the conference highlighting the need to confront the needs and concerns of those suffering and dying of HIV/AIDS in South Africa, mostly in sub-Saharan. He also stated that to challenge the grave threat posed by HIV and AIDS, efforts should be combined to save the people. This concluding remark was in direct contrast to the opening words of South Africa's current president, Thabo Mbeki, who failed to deal with the impression he has created internationally that he has doubts about the etiology of AIDS. In addition, the need to focus on the accessibility and affordability of treatment for HIV/AIDS or the opportunistic infections associated with it was highlighted. The conference focused on this issue with the help of AIDS activists, who emphasized that pharmaceutical companies needed to address how their drugs could reach those who most need them.

Trends in Student Aid, 2003.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baum, Sandy; Payea, Kathleen

This report presents annual data on the amount of financial assistance--grants, loans, and work-study--available to students to help pay for postsecondary education. The College Board began this data series in 1983 to track the value of financial aid over time from federal, state, and institutional sources. The report also contains information on…

Trends in Student Aid, 2002.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

College Board, New York, NY.

This report presents annual data on the amount of financial assistance--grants, loans, and work-study--available to help students pay for postsecondary education. The College Board began this data series in 1983 to track the value of such aid over time from federal, state, and institutional sources. This year, information on federal education tax…

Visual presentations of efficacy data in direct-to-consumer prescription drug print and television advertisements: A randomized study.

PubMed

Sullivan, Helen W; O'Donoghue, Amie C; Aikin, Kathryn J; Chowdhury, Dhuly; Moultrie, Rebecca R; Rupert, Douglas J

2016-05-01

To determine whether visual aids help people recall quantitative efficacy information in direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertisements, and if so, which types of visual aids are most helpful. Individuals diagnosed with high cholesterol (n=2504) were randomized to view a fictional DTC print or television advertisement with no visual aid or one of four visual aids (pie chart, bar chart, table, or pictograph) depicting drug efficacy. We measured drug efficacy and risk recall, drug perceptions and attitudes, and behavioral intentions. For print advertisements, a bar chart or table, compared with no visual aid, elicited more accurate drug efficacy recall. The bar chart was better at this than the pictograph and the table was better than the pie chart. For television advertisements, any visual aid, compared with no visual aid, elicited more accurate drug efficacy recall. The bar chart was better at this than the pictograph or the table. Visual aids depicting quantitative efficacy information in DTC print and television advertisements increased drug efficacy recall, which may help people make informed decisions about prescription drugs. Adding visual aids to DTC advertising may increase the public's knowledge of how well prescription drugs work. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

76 FR 48863 - Renewal of Charter for the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-09

... on HIV/ AIDS AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of HIV/ AIDS Policy. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Department of... on HIV/ AIDS (PACHA; the Council) has been renewed. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Melvin Joppy...

77 FR 71802 - Guidance on Investigational New Drug Applications for Positron Emission Tomography Drugs...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-04

...] Guidance on Investigational New Drug Applications for Positron Emission Tomography Drugs; Availability... Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Drugs.'' The guidance is intended to assist manufacturers of PET drugs... ``Investigational New Drug Applications for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Drugs.'' The guidance summarizes the...

Preventing alcohol and drug exposed births in Washington state: intervention findings from three parent-child assistance program sites.

PubMed

Grant, Therese M; Ernst, Cara C; Streissguth, Ann; Stark, Kenneth

2005-01-01

Home visitation interventions show promise for helping at-risk mothers, yet few programs have been developed and evaluated specifically for alcohol and drug-abusing pregnant women. This study examines outcomes among 216 women enrolled in the Washington State Parent-Child Assistance Program, a three-year intervention program for women who abuse alcohol and drugs during an index pregnancy. Pretest-posttest comparison was made across three sites: the original demonstration (1991-1995), and the Seattle and Tacoma replications (1996-2003). In the original demonstration, the client group performed significantly better than controls. Compared to the original demonstration, outcomes at replication sites were maintained (for regular use of contraception and use of reliable method; and number of subsequent deliveries), or improved (for alcohol/drug treatment completed; alcohol/ drug abstinence; subsequent delivery unexposed to alcohol/drugs). Improved outcomes at replication sites are not attributable to enrolling lower-risk women. Public policies and programs initiated over the study period may have had a positive effect on outcomes. Study findings suggest that this community-based intervention model is effective over time and across venues.

Aid alignment: a longer term lens on trends in development assistance for health in Uganda

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Over the past decade, development assistance for health (DAH) in Uganda has increased dramatically, surpassing the government’s own expenditures on health. Yet primary health care and other priorities identified in Uganda’s health sector strategic plan remain underfunded. Methods Using data available from the Creditor Reporting System (CRS), National Health Accounts (NHA), and government financial reports, we examined trends in how donors channel DAH and the extent to which DAH is aligned with sector priorities. The study follows the flow of DAH from the donor to the implementing organization, specifying the modality used for disbursing funds and categorizing funds based on program area or support function. Findings Despite efforts to improve alignment through the formation of a sector-wide approach (SWAp) for health in 1999 and the creation of a fund to pool resources for identified priorities, increasingly DAH is provided as short-term, project-based support for disease-specific initiatives, in particular HIV/AIDS. Conclusion These findings highlight the need to better align external resources with country priorities and refocus attention on longer-term sector-wide objectives. PMID:23425287

Recent in vivo advances in cell-penetrating peptide-assisted drug delivery.

PubMed

Kurrikoff, Kaido; Gestin, Maxime; Langel, Ülo

2016-01-01

Delivery of macromolecular drugs is an important field in medical research. However, macromolecules are usually unable to cross the cell membrane without the assistance of a delivery system. Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) are unique tools to gain access to the cell interior and deliver a bioactive cargo into the cytosol or nucleus. In addition to macromolecular delivery, CPPs have been used to deliver smaller bioactive molecules. Therefore CPPs have become an intensive field of research for medical treatment. In this review, we highlight studies that include CPP in vivo disease models. We review different strategies and approaches that have been used, with specific attention on recent publications. The approaches that have been used include CPP-cargo covalent conjugation strategies and nanoparticle strategies. Various additional strategies have been used to achieve disease targeting, including active targeting, passive targeting, and combined active/passive strategies. As a result, delivery of various types of molecule has been achieved, including small drug molecules, proteins and nucleic acid-based macromolecules (e.g. siRNA, antisense nucleotides and plasmid DNA). Despite recent advances in the field, confusions surrounding CPP internalization mechanisms and intracellular trafficking are hindering the development of new and more efficient vectors. Nevertheless, the recent increase in the number of publications containing in vivo CPP utilization looks promising that the number of clinical trials would also increase in the near future.