Digital Commons Network^™

Perceptions Of Medical Students Of The Role Of The Speech-Language Pathologist In Hiv/Aids Intervention, Kendal Klein, Emily Wagner, Kristi Moore, Tanvi Amin, Brenda Louw

Brenda Louw

Survey research was utilized to explore Medical students’ perceptions of Speech-Language Pathologists’(SLP) and Medical Practitioner’s roles in meeting the healthcare needs of people living with HIV/AIDS(PLWHA). Results identified participants’ knowledge and perceptions. Recommendations suggest interprofessional education and training for both professions, at the pre-professional and professional levels.

Nutrition Students’ Perception Of The Role Of The Slps In Treating People Living With Hiv/Aids, Stephanie Bare, Natalie Dubin, Haley Hawks, Kathleen Quinn, Brittany Ratliff, Brenda Louw

Brenda Louw

This project explores nutrition students’ perceptions of SLPs' and Nutritionists’ role in healthcare needs of PLWHA through survey research. The results will describe participants’ perceptions of the SLPs' and Nutritionists’ roles in the healthcare needs of PLWHA. Recommendations are made regarding interprofessional training curricula for SLP and Nutrition students.

Ccl2 Responses To Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Are Associated With Disease Severity In Tuberculosis, Zahra Hasan, Jacqueline M. Cliff, Hazel M. Dockrell, Bushra Jamil, Muhammad Irfan, Mussarat Ashraf, Rabia Hussain

Bushra Jamil

Background Leucocyte activating chemokines such as CCL2, CCL3, and CXCL8 together with proinflammatory IFNγ, TNFα and downmodulatory IL10 play a central role in the restriction of M. tuberculosis infections, but is unclear whether these markers are indicative of tuberculosis disease severity. Methodology We investigated live M. tuberculosis- and M. bovis BCG- induced peripheral blood mononuclear cell responses in patients with tuberculosis (TB) and healthy endemic controls (ECs, n = 36). TB patients comprised pulmonary (PTB, n = 34) and extrapulmonary groups, subdivided into those with less severe localized extrapulmonary TB (L-ETB, n = 16) or severe disseminated ETB (D-ETB, n …

Comparison Of Need And Supply Of Syringes For Therapeutic Injections In Pakistan, Adnan Ahmad Khan, Momina Saleem, Huma Qureshi, Rashid Jooma, Ayesha Khan

Rashid Jooma

Abstract OBJECTIVES: To determine the extent of shortfall in syringes by measuring the need from nationally validated sources and comparing it with position on the supply side. This was done in order to contribute to the ongoing national discussions that have focused on increasing syringe supply to curtail syringe reuse. METHODS: Using 'Injections received' data from the Pakistan Demographic Health Survey 2006-7 (N: 5429) and the National Hepatitis Survey (N: 47,043), the study estimated the number of injections received in Pakistan. We matched these against the local syringe production figures from the syringe manufacturers' association and import figures from the …

Using A Network-Based Approach And Targeted Maximum Likelihood Estimation To Evaluate The Effect Of Adding Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis To An Ongoing Test-And-Treat Trial, Laura Balzer, Patrick Staples, Jukka-Pekka Onnela, Victor De Gruttola

Laura B. Balzer

Using Survival Analysis To Identify Risk Factors For Treatment Interruption Among New And Retreatment Tuberculosis Patients In Kenya, Enos O. Masini, Omar Mansour, Clare E. Speer, Vittorio Addona, Christy L. Hanson, Joseph K. Sitienei, Hillary K. Kipruto, Martin Muhingo Githiomi, Brenda Nyambura Mungai

Vittorio Addona

" Despite high tuberculosis (TB) treatment success rate, treatment adherence is one of the major obstacles to tuberculosis control in Kenya. Our objective was to identify patient-related factors that were associated with time to TB treatment interruption and the geographic distribution of the risk of treatment interruption by county. Data of new and retreatment patients registered in TIBU, a Kenyan national case-based electronic data recording system, between 2013 and 2014 was obtained. Kaplan-Meier curves and log rank tests were used to assess the adherence patterns. Mixed-effects Cox proportional hazards modeling was used for multivariate analysis. Records from 90,170 patients were …

An Assessment Of The Role Of Chimpanzees In Aids Vaccine Research, Jarrod Bailey

Jarrod Bailey, PhD

Prior to Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV)-infected macaques becoming the ‘model of choice’ in the 1990s, chimpanzees were widely used in AIDS vaccine research and testing. Faced with the continued failure to develop an effective human vaccine, some scientists are calling for a return to their widespread use. To assess the past and potential future contribution of chimpanzees to AIDS vaccine development, databases and published literature were systematically searched to compare the results of AIDS vaccine trials in chimpanzees with those of human clinical trials, and to determine whether the chimpanzee trials were predictive of the human response. Protective and/or therapeutic …

Applying The Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model Of Hiv- Risk To Youth In Psychiatric Care, Geri Donenberg, Rebecca Schwartz, Erin Emerson, Helen Wilson, Fred Bryant, Gloria Coleman

Fred B. Bryant

This study examined the utility of cognitive and behavioral constructs (AIDS in-formation, motivation, and behavioral skills) in explaining sexual risk taking among 172 12–20–year-old ethnically diverse urban youths in outpatient psy-chiatric care. Structural equation modeling revealed only moderate support for the model, explaining low to moderate levels of variance in global sexual risk taking. The amount of explained variance improved when age was included as a predictor in the model. Findings shed light on the contribution of AIDS informa-tion, motivation, and behavioral skills to risky sexual behavior among teens re-ceiving outpatient psychiatric care. Results suggest that cognitive and behavioral factors …

Impact Of Specialty Pharmacy On Hiv-Positive Clinical Outcomes, Bhumi Gandhi-Patel, Clark Kebodeaux, Daron Smith, Noah Tennyson, Kellye Holtgrave, Nicole Gattas

Clark Kebodeaux

Interview With Celia Schiffer, Celia Schiffer

Celia A. Schiffer

Celia Schiffer, a Professor in Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology; a former Director of UMass Center for AIDS Research; and a Founder and Co-Director for the Institute for Drug Resistance (University of Massachusetts Medical School, MA, USA). Schiffer has an undergraduate degree in physics from the University of Chicago, with a PhD in biophysics from University of California, San Francisco (CA, USA). She was a postdoctoral associate first at the ETH in Zurich and then at Genentech in San Francisco. Schiffer has published more than 100 peer reviewed journal articles. Her laboratory primarily uses structural biology, biophysical and chemistry techniques to …

The Impact Of Hiv-Related Stigma On Older And Younger Adults Living With Hiv Disease: Does Age Matter?, Charles A. Emlet, David J. Brennan, Sarah Brennenstuhl, Sergio Rueda, Trevor A. Hart, Sean B. Rourke

Charles Emlet

The Human/Animal Interface: Emergence And Resurgence Of Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Michael Greger

Michael Greger, MD, FACLM

Emerging infectious diseases, most of which are considered zoonotic in origin, continue to exact a significant toll on society. The origins of major human infectious diseases are reviewed and the factors underlying disease emergence explored. Anthropogenic changes, largely in land use and agriculture, are implicated in the apparent increased frequency of emergence and reemergence of zoonoses in recent decades. Special emphasis is placed on the pathogen with likely the greatest zoonotic potential, influenzavirus A.

Risk And Protective Factors Associated With Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Older Gay And Bisexual Men Living With Hiv Disease, Charles A. Emlet, Karen I. Fredriksen-Goldsen

Charles Emlet

No abstract provided.

Experiences Of Community And Parental Violence Among Hiv Positive Young Racial/Ethnic Minority Men Who Have Have With Men, Sheldon D. Fields

Sheldon D. Fields

Adolescents and young adults (ages 13–24) in the USA are frequently exposed to violence in their community and home. While studies have examined the prevalence and impact of violence exposure among adolescents, there is a lack of data focusing specifically on adolescent men of color who have sex with men. Eight demonstration sites funded through a Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Initiative recruited 363 HIV-positive racial/ethnic minority young men who have sex with men (YMSM) for a longitudinal study between 2006 and 2009. Over two-thirds of participants (83.8%) had witnessed community violence, 55.1% in the prior three months. Witnessing …

Coinfection With Hepatitis C Virus Among Hiv-Positive People In The Kathmandu Valley, Nepal (Journal Of The International Association Of Providers Of Aids Care), Krishna C. Poudel, Paula H. Palmer, Masamine Jimba, Tetsuya Mizoue, Jun Kobayashi, Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar

Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar

Coinfection With Hepatitis C Virus Among Hiv-Positive People In The Kathmandu Valley, Nepal (Journal Of The International Association Of Providers Of Aids Care), Krishna C. Poudel, Paula H. Palmer, Masamine Jimba, Tetsuya Mizoue, Jun Kobayashi, Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar

Krishna C. Poudel

A Review Of Cardiovascular And Renal Function Monitoring: A Consideration Of Older Adults With Hiv, Clark Kebodeaux, Alexandria Garavaglia Wilson, Daron L. Smith, Scott Martin Vouri

Clark Kebodeaux

Sociodemographic Profile Of Older Adults With Hiv/Aids: Gender And Sexual Orientation Differences, David J. Brennan, Charles A. Emlet, Sarah Brennenstuhl, Sergio Rueda

Charles Emlet

Hiv Testing Practices Among Black Primary Care Physicians In The United States, Eric Y. Wong, Wilbert C. Jordan, David J. Malebranche, Lori L. Delaitsch, Rebecca Abravanel, Alisha Bermudez, Bryan P. Baugh

David J Malebranche

Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends routine HIV testing in all healthcaresettings, but it is unclear how consistently physicians adopt the recommendation. Making the most of each interaction between black physicians and their patients is extremely important to address the HIV health disparities that disproportionately afflict the black community. The goal of this survey-based study was to evaluate the perceptions and practices of black, primary care physicians regarding HIV testing.

Methods: A physician survey was administered at the 2010 National Medical Association Annual Convention, via online physician panels, and by email. Physician eligibility criteria: black race; practicing …

Exposé Of Misleading Claims That Male Circumcision Will Increase Hiv Infections In Africa, Brian J. Morris, Jake H. Waskett, Ronald H. Gray, Daniel T. Halperin, Richard Wamai, Bertran Auvert, Jeffrey D. Klausner

Richard G. Wamai

Despite over two decades of extensive research showing that male circumcision protects against heterosexual acquisition of HIV in men, and that includes findings from large randomized controlled trials leading to acceptance by the WHO/UNAIDS and the Cochrane Committee, opponents of circumcision continue to generate specious arguments to the contrary. In a recent issue of the Journal of Public Health in Africa, Van Howe and Storms claim that male circumcision will increase HIV infections in Africa. Here we review the statements they use in support of their thesis and show that there is no scientific basis to such an assertion. We …

Independent Evolution Of Macrophage-Tropism And Increased Charge Between Hiv-1 R5 Envelopes Present In Brain And Immune Tissue, Maria Paz Gonzalez-Perez, Olivia O’Connell, Rongheng Lin, W Matthew Sullivan, Jeanne Bell, Peter Simmonds, Paul R. Clapham

Rongheng Lin

Background: Transmitted HIV-1 clade B or C R5 viruses have been reported to infect macrophages inefficiently, while other studies have described R5 viruses in late disease with either an enhanced macrophage-tropism or carrying envelopes with an increased positive charge and fitness. In contrast, our previous data suggested that viruses carrying non-macrophage-tropic R5 envelopes were still predominant in immune tissue of AIDS patients. To further investigate the tropism and charge of HIV-1 viruses in late disease, we evaluated the properties of HIV-1 envelopes amplified from immune and brain tissues of AIDS patients with neurological complications. Results: Almost all envelopes amplified were …

Mexico's Northern Border Conflict: Collateral Damage To Health And Human Rights Of Vulnerable Groups, Leo Beletsky, Gustavo Martinez, Tommi Gaines, Lucie Nguyen, Remedios Lozada, Gudelia Rangel, Alicia Vera, Heather L. Mccauley, Andrea Sorensen, Steffanie A. Strathdee

Leo Beletsky

Objectives: Given links between policing environment and infectious disease risk among vulnerable groups, we surveyed female sex workers who inject drugs in Tijuana and Ciudad (Cd.) Juarez. Data were used to 1. compare distributions of human rights violations and disease risk, 2. juxtapose these patterns against demographic and structural environment variables, and 3. formulate implications for structural interventions. Methods: Structured interviews and testing for sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) were conducted (October 2008-October 2009). Frequency of individual and environmental factors, including police abuse, HIV risk and protective behaviors were compared between sites using univariate logistic regression. Results: Of 624 women, almost half …

A New Analytical Framework Of 'Continuum Of Prevention And Care' To Maximize Hiv Case Detection And Retention In Care In Vietnam, Masami Fujita, Krishna C. Poudel, Nhan Do Thi, Duong Bui Duc, Kinh Nguyen Van, Kimberly Green, Thu Nguyen Thi Minh, Masya Kato, David Jacka, Thuy Cao Thi Thanh, Long Nguyen Thanh, Masamine Jimba

Krishna C. Poudel

Background: The global initiative ‘Treatment 2.0’ calls for expanding the evidence base of optimal HIV service delivery models to maximize HIV case detection and retention in care. However limited systematic assessment has been conducted in countries with concentrated HIV epidemic. We aimed to assess HIV service availability and service connectedness in Vietnam. Methods: We developed a new analytical framework of the continuum of prevention and care (COPC). Using the framework, we examined HIV service delivery in Vietnam. Specifically, we analyzed HIV service availability including geographical distribution and decentralization and service connectedness across multiple services and dimensions. We then identified system-related …

A New Analytical Framework Of 'Continuum Of Prevention And Care' To Maximize Hiv Case Detection And Retention In Care In Vietnam, Masami Fujita, Krishna C. Poudel, Nhan Do Thi, Duong Bui Duc, Kinh Nguyen Van, Kimberly Green, Thu Nguyen Thi Minh, Masaya Kato, David Jacka, Thuy Cao Thi Thanh, Long Nguyen Thanh, Masamine Jimba

Krishna C. Poudel

Male Circumcision For Hiv Prevention: Current Evidence And Implementation In Sub-Saharan Africa, Richard G. Wamai, Brian J. Morris, Stefan A. Bailis, David Sokal, Jeffrey D. Klausner, Ross Appleton, Nelson Sewankambo, David A. Cooper, John Bongaarts, Guy De Bruyn, Alex D. Wodak, Joya Banerjee

Richard G. Wamai

Heterosexual exposure accounts for most HIV transmission in sub-Saharan Africa, and this mode, as a proportion of new infections, is escalating globally. The scientific evidence accumulated over more than 20 years shows that among the strategies advocated during this period for HIV prevention, male circumcision is one of, if not, the most efficacious epidemiologically, as well as cost-wise. Despite this, and recommendation of the procedure by global policy makers, national implementation has been slow. Additionally, some are not convinced of the protective effect of male circumcision and there are also reports, unsupported by evidence, that non-sex-related drivers play a major …

Pepfar’S Declining Investment In Treatment, Matthew Kavanagh, Marguerite Thorp

Matthew M. Kavanagh

Since its inception in 2003, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has saved millions of lives through providing anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS. However, our analysis of publicly available PEPFAR operational plans shows that funding to AIDS treatment has actually fallen significantly since 2008 in both absolute dollars and as a portion of total budgets—just at a pivotal moment when investment could change the course of the epidemic.

Mobile Outreach Strategies For Screening Hepatitis And Hiv In High-Risk Populations, D. Zucker, Jeungok Choi, E. Gallagher

Jeungok Choi

No abstract provided.

U.S. Cultural Involvement And Its Association With Co-Occurring Substance Abuse And Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Youth In The Dominican Republic, Elián P. Cabrera-Nguyen, Juan B. Peña

Elián P. Cabrera-Nguyen

We examined the relationship of US cultural involvement with substance abuse and sexual risk behavior profiles from our nationally representative sample of public high school students in the Dominican Republic. Using a novel methodological approach to control for selection bias, we examined explanations for the so-called Latino or Hispanic immigrant paradox. A latent class regression analysis with manifest and latent covariates found that US cultural involvement indicators were independent and robust predictors of increased risk of co-ocurring substance abuse and sexual risk behaviors. Implications for prevention efforts targeting risk behaviors among Latino/a adolescents in the US and abroad are considered.

Risky Behaviour And Hiv Prevalence Among Zambian Men, Nisha Malhotra, Jonathan Young

Nisha Malhotra

The objective of this paper is to identify demographic, social and behavioural risk factors for HIV infection among men in Zambia. In particular, the role of alcohol, condom use, and number of sex partners is highlighted as being significant in the prevalence of HIV. Multivariate Logistic Regressions were used to analyse the latest cross-sectional population-based demographic health survey for Zambia (2007). The survey included socio-economic variables and HIV serostatus for consenting men (N = 4,434). Risk for HIV was positively related to the wealth status. Men who considered themselves to be at high risk for HIV-positive were most likely to …

The Effect Of Aids Clinical Trials Group Protocol 5164 On The Time From Pneumocystis Jirovecii Pneumonia Diagnosis To Antiretroviral Initiation In Routine Clinical Practice: A Case Study Of Diffusion, Dissemination And Implementation, Elvin Geng

Elvin H Geng

No abstract provided.