Digital Commons Network^™

Developing And Testing Strategies For Increasing Awareness Of The Iud As A Contraceptive Option, Ricardo Vernon, M.E. Khan, Harriet Birungi, Ian Askew, William Stones

Reproductive Health

A workshop was held in England in 2004 to identify the most promising interventions for increasing access to the IUD and to generate protocols for small-scale operations research projects to be undertaken in selected countries. Participants were academics, policymakers, program staff, and service providers from Bangladesh, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Kenya, and Nepal. The workshop objectives were to review international experiences with approaches to increase access to and use of the IUD; identify factors explaining the decline in IUD use in many countries; identify factors favoring client demand for IUD; review barriers to effective IUD service delivery; identify issues of …

Technical Assistance To The Institute Of Reproductive Health, Georgetown University In Researching Introduction Strategies For The Standard Days Contraceptive Method (Sdm), Saumya Ramarao, James R. Foreit

Reproductive Health

The Institute of Reproductive Health (IRH), Georgetown University tested the impact of introducing the standard days contraceptive method (SDM) with the technical assistance (TA) of Population Council staff. FRONTIERS technical assistance had the immediate effect of allowing IRH to carry out evaluations of the SDM in Asia and Latin America. The IRH studies also produced important lessons learned on strategies for the introduction of natural methods. IRH staff responsible for the India and Ecuador projects learned specific skills in cost-analysis and research instrument design.

Effect Of Introducing An 'Afternoon Pay Clinic' On Service Utilization And Cost Recovery (Nepal), Mahendra Pd. Shrestha, Rajesh Swar, Pradeep Panda, M.E. Khan, Rick Homan

Reproductive Health

An operations research study was initiated with financial and technical assistance from the FRONTIERS program to examine whether introducing an afternoon clinic at the Chhetrapati Family Welfare Center (CFWC) in Nepal with a substantially higher registration fee could improve cost recovery by adding more to program revenues than to program costs. The study showed, however, that premium pricing of afternoon services generated very little additional demand for services. Even with a premium price, the afternoon clinic could reach its cost recovery goal only if the volume of afternoon clients were to increase significantly. However, client perceptions about the ability of …

Assessing The Feasibility, Acceptability And Cost Of Introducing Postabortion Care In Health Centres And Dispensaries In Rural Tanzania, Monica Wanjiru, Ian Askew, Nzoya Munguti, Saumya Ramarao, Rick Homan, Reheme Kahando, John M. Pile

Reproductive Health

The EngenderHealth ACQUIRE Project has been supporting the Tanzanian Ministry of Health (MOH) since early 2005 to decentralize the management of postabortion care (PAC) services to primary healthcare facilities (health centers and dispensaries), with the intention of bringing services closer to women who are unable to access them at district hospitals. Findings from this study were provided to the MOH and ACQUIRE to address issues arising from introduction of the intervention; and in September 2006, to assess the feasibility, cost, and effectiveness of the intervention. Findings show that the intervention appears to have broadened service providers’ range of clinical skills …

Testing The Effectiveness Of The Men As Partners Program (Map) In Soweto, South Africa, Prudence Ditlopo, Saiqa Mullick, Ian Askew, Ricardo Vernon, Edwin Maroga, Sgidi Sibeko, Mokgethi Tshabalala, Rabbuh Raletsemo, Dean Peacock, Andrew Levack

Reproductive Health

This project was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the Men as Partners (MAP) program in South Africa in terms of: changing men’s gender attitudes, norms and behaviors; changing aspects of gender dynamics in relationships; reducing the prevalence of unwanted pregnancy risk behaviors at individual and community levels; and increasing male involvement in gender based violence (GBV) and HIV prevention and in HIV care and support activities. The intervention activities implemented were MAP workshops, public demonstrations, and participation in community action teams. The evaluation of the interventions showed that about 30% of the workshop participants had also attended other MAP …

Addressing The Needs Of Seasonal Migrants In Nashik, Maharashtra, Anjali B. Borhade

Reproductive Health

In order to identify the opportunities and options available to address the vulnerabilities of and socioeconomic needs of seasonal migrants, an intervention project was launched by the Disha Foundation, a nongovernmental organization in Nashik city, Maharashtra, India. This report intends to use the project experience as a case study to provide a blueprint for interventions for seasonal migrants to access a range of basic services in areas of destination and to exercise their rights to access available services. The report documents the array of strategies used to enable seasonal migrants to recognize their entitlement and to access available public sector …

Informed Consent In Sterilisation Services: Evidence From Public And Private Health Care Institutions In Chennai, Raja Lakshmi

Reproductive Health

The objective of this paper is to explore the experiences of women undergoing a particular form of fertility regulation, namely sterilization or tubal ligation, in a variety of facilities in Chennai, India. The paper examines specifically the nature of information provided to clients, the consent-taking process, the nature of its documentation, and the extent to which clients made an informed choice. The findings underscore that although all the women respondents did wish to practice a method of contraception, and did want to adopt sterilization, several limitations were noted in the process of providing informed consent: inadequate information was provided to …

Young People's Sexual And Reproductive Health In India: Policies, Programmes And Realities, K.G. Santhya, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy

Reproductive Health

This paper presents an overview of key policies and government programmes intended to reduce HIV vulnerability and improve sexual and reproductive health among young people in India, and identifies the extent to which these policies and programmes have addressed the gamut of unique sexual and reproductive needs of young women and men. It also explores the extent to which programmes have been adapted to accommodate state-level differences in the sexual and reproductive vulnerability of youth; the review takes the examples of two states, namely, Andhra Pradesh, characterised by both early marriage and high HIV prevalence, and Madhya Pradesh, characterised by …

Articulation Trends In Allied Health Programs, Felicia M. Toreno

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The educational environment emphasizes student access to instructional opportunities. Many health programs are located in community colleges or hospitals, and in order to advance educational status, students must be able to transfer credits between multiple educational institutions. Unfortunately, programs are not uniform and many fields of study are guided by strict accreditation regulations. These conflicting requirements often make transfer for students cumbersome. Transfer pathways are often considered by institutions on a program by program basis. This research was designed to analyze the existing pathways present in urban Virginian allied health programs in order to establish trends in articulation. These instructional …

A Comparison Between The Success Of Technological Literacy Programs At Landstown High School And Academy And Chantilly Academy, Vanessa Barger

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

This research project sought to determine answers for each of the following research objectives: Discover the difference in curriculum offering between the two schools; Find the total enrollment numbers for both schools for courses offered; Find the program completion totals for each school per year; and Summarize the factors necessary for the creation of superior technological literacy programs for high school students.

Assessment Of Carilion Health System Call Center, Donna Miller

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The problem will be addressed with the following hypotheses: 1. There will be a significant difference in the length of time taken to answer a call comparing the operators and the call representatives of the Carilion Health System Call Center; 2. There will be a significant difference in performance of hospital operators compared to the performance of call center representatives in the amount of calls each group receives in a month's time.

Edison College 2007 Holocaust Memorial Event Schedule Flyer, Edison College

Program Schedules

Edison College Holocaust Memorial Event Schedule Flyer. March 26-March 30, 2007.

Supplemental file includes the Edison College Holocaust Memorial Homeschool Program Event Schedule Flyer. March 27, 2007.

The American Indian And Alaskan Native Development Index: The Progress Of And Prospects For Indian Country, Tom Niblock

Undergraduate Economic Review

Over the past century, the public consciousness has created a stereotype of the modern Native American as a poor, hopeless person sustained only by the charity of others. While it is certainly true that American Indians are generally poor compared to the rest of the United States, some Native American populations have grown quite wealthy as this project will demonstrate. This problem is the classic question of development that has vexed economists for years: why did some tribes become rich, when the rest did not?

Ancient Bonds, Contemporary Powers: Investigating The Causes Of Center/Periphery Conflict In The Russian Federation, Brett A. Strand '08

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

What are the real causes of conflict between the federal regions and central authority in the Russian Federation? Why is it that some regions are compelled to act assertively towards Moscow, while others are not? These questions are relevant for any actor concerned with Russian affairs; moreover, they represent a critical debate for those who hope to bring aid to Russia’s struggling regional populations. This research furthers the debate through a test of the two major schools of ethno-federal thought: primordialism and bargaining theory. The study (1) identifies relevant variables, (2) constructs indices to represent each of the theories, and …

Itf Enhancing Human Security Annual Report 2007, Itf-Enhancy Human Security

Global CWD Repository

Since 1998, ITF has grown into an internationally recognized organization, supported by donations from extensive number of governments, public and private organizations, companies and individuals that has already surpassed the figure of 240 million USD. Invaluable experience that has been accumulated in the last 10 years of work of ITF in Mine Action related areas as well as the experience gathered in the operations in the crisis-hit areas in which the Republic of Slovenia has been successfully involved proves that the decision to expand humanitarian and peace keeping operations in and beyond our region is proving to be the right …

Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices Related To Landmines And Unexploded Ordnance, Hi

Global CWD Repository

In Somalia, there is an identified need to undertake a mine risk education program. Although the quantitative number of landmines and UXO has been reliably established since the Landmine Impact Survey conducted in 2003, it is clear that communities living in particular areas of Somalia have a high perception of living in a mined area. An initial first step in designing an appropriate mine risk education program in Somaliland has been established by Handicap International and UNICEF collaboratively through a survey conducted in 2002, which undertook this Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in three regions of the North West Zone. The …

Living Behind The Plastic Curtain: Living Faithfully In A Consumerist Society, Ken Badley

Faculty Publications - College of Education

Compared to the rest of the world, the average Canadian is incredibly wealthy. Some Christians in poorer countries worry that our faith is at risk of fatal compromise. What can we do to hold fast under an avalanche of material things?

Adults' Perceived Prevalence Of Enteric Fever Predicts Laboratory-Validated Incidence Of Typhoid Fever In Children, Xinguang Chen, Bonita Stanton, Al Pach, Andrew Nyamete, R. Leon Ochiai, Linda Kaljee, Baiqing Dong, Dipika Sur, S.K. Bhattacharya, Siti Sapardiyah Santoso, Magdarina Agtini, Zahid Memon, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Canh Gia Do, Lorenz Von Seidlein, John Clemens

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

This study was undertaken to develop a model to predict the incidence of typhoid in children based on adults’ perception of prevalence of enteric fever in the wider community. Typhoid cases among children, aged 5-15 years, from epidemic regions in five Asian countries were confirmed with a positive Salmonella Typhi culture of the blood sample. Estimates of the prevalence of enteric fever were obtained from random samples of adults in the same study sites. Regression models were used for establishing the prediction equation. The percentages of enteric fever reported by adults and cases of typhoid incidence per 100,000, detected through …

Detection Of Rifampin Resistant Tuberculosis Meningitis By Polymerase Chain Reaction Linked Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism Analysis Of Cerebrospinal Fluid, Kiarash Ghazvini, Ashraf T. Sani, Sara Rastegari, Javad Ghanaat, Mahdi Behdani

Neurosciences

OBJECTIVE: To rapidly detect rifampin resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates causing meningitis in northeast Iran. METHODS: This study presents the results of a polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis for the evaluation of rifampin resistance directly from the CSF of 47 patients strongly suspicious to have tuberculosis meningitis in Emam Reza University Hospital, Mashhad, Iran over 3 years (2002 to 2005). Each CSF sample underwent microscopic examination, culture and DNA amplification by 2 PCR protocols and subsequent detection of mutations by SSCP analysis. RESULTS: Among these patients, no mutations were revealed in the rpoB segment by SSCP. CONCLUSION: …

High Frequency Of Igm Antiphospholipid Antibodies In Young Iranian Patients With Stroke, Mohammad Saadatnia, Mohammad Zare, Sassan Haghighi, Marzieh Tajmirriahi, Silva Hovsepian

Neurosciences

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the presence of IgG and IgM types of anticardiolipin (aCL) and antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies in younger Iranian patients with ischemic stroke. METHODS: Both IgG and IgM types of aPL (cardiolipin, anti phosphatidyl inositol, anti phosphatidyl serine, anti phosphatidic acid and beta 2-glycoprotein I [B2-GPI]) and aCL alone (cardiolipin and B2-GPI) were measured in 117 patients with ischemic stroke (aged <45 years) during an 18-month period from September 2002 to March 2004 in Al-Zahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran. The demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of patients with a positive titer were recorded. RESULTS: Seven men and 16 women (23 patients, 19.6%) had increased IgG types of aPL antibodies. Increased titers of IgM and IgG were found in 19 (82.6%) and 6 (26%) patients for aPL antibodies and in 15 (83.3%) and 8 (44.4%) cases for aCL alone. CONCLUSION: Despite European studies, high titers of IgM aPL antibodies found in a large number of patients can be caused by the presence of unknown triggering factors (infections or poisons), that are more prevalent in developing countries compared to developed countries. This hypothesis remains to be investigated further.

Clinical And Epidemiological Aspects Of Headache In A Neurology Clinic In Babol, Northern Iran, Alijan A. Ahangar, Seyd R. Hosseini, Seyd M. Beykaie

Neurosciences

No abstract provided.

Anticardiolipin Antibodies In Stroke Patients In Sudan. Appraisal Of Their Significance In A Region Of High Burden Of Endemic Infections, Hassab A. Ali, Rasha R. Osman, Mohamed N. Idris, Tag-Eldin O. Sokrab

Neurosciences

OBJECTIVE: To screen and evaluate the significance of anticardiolipin seroprevalence in patients with acute ischemic stroke, in patients with infectious disease, and in healthy subjects resident in Sudan, a tropical country endemic for several infectious diseases. METHODS: We conducted the study in Khartoum Teaching Hospital in Khartoum, Sudan between July 2003 and January 2005. We included 89 stroke cases, 30 infectious disease patients, and 30 asymptomatic healthy subjects. We estimated IgG and IgM anticardiolipin antibody titers in serum samples from all subjects in the 3 study categories at the time of hospital admission. RESULTS: We found a significantly higher prevalence …

Preoperative Transcranial And Carotid Doppler Study In Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Patients, Mehdi Farhoudi, Rezayat Parvizi, Eisa Bilehjani, Mohammad K. Tarzamni, Kaveh Mehrvar, Abdolrasool Safaiyan

Neurosciences

OBJECTIVE: To assess the correlation of postoperative neurologic complications with preoperative transcranial and carotid Doppler study findings of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients. METHODS: In a descriptive, analytic, follow up study we prospectively studied 201 patients undergoing elective and isolated CABG surgery during a 12 month period from October 2003 to September 2004 at Madani Hospital of Tabriz Medical Sciences University, Iran. Neurologic examination, intracranial cerebral arterial study using transcranial Doppler (TCD) and carotid duplex were performed preoperatively. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were followed up for one month. RESULTS: Two hundred and one patients (158 male, 43 female) with …

Subclinical Autonomic Neuropathy In Saudi Type 2 Diabetic Patients, Taha S. Ahmed, Mohamed A. Al-Maatouq, Ali S. Al-Tuwaijri

Neurosciences

OBJECTIVE: To compare the results of autonomic function tests obtained from diabetic patients who had no symptoms or signs of somatic or autonomic neuropathy with those obtained from control subjects. METHODS: We studied 32 diabetic Saudi patients (17 males, 15 females) and 34 control subjects (17 of either gender) at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, in the period 2004-2005. The mean age of patients was 50.3+/-5.04, and of controls was 49.9+/-5.86 years. In diabetics, the mean duration of the disease was 8.7+/-3.1 years (range 5-15 years), and the mean glycated hemoglobin was 7.76 +/-1.14. The same observer performed the autonomic …

Sensation Seeking Behavior Among Schizophrenics, Yadollah Farhady, Farbod Fadai, Robabeh Mazinani, Zabih Ashtari, Morteza Alawijeh

Neurosciences

OBJECTIVE: To compare sensation seeking between schizophrenic patients (and clinical subtypes of schizophrenia) according to criteria of DSM-IV-TR; and a healthy control group. Two hypotheses were assumed: 1. Sensation seeking in the control group is higher than schizophrenic patients. 2. The levels of sensation seeking are different among clinical subtypes of schizophrenia. METHODS: The sample comprised a study group of 69 schizophrenic inpatients at Raazy Psychiatric Center, Tehran, Iran in 2005 (10 males and 10 females for each of paranoid, undifferentiated and residual subtypes, and 9 males from disorganized subtype), and 50 randomly selected healthy people, the control group. To …

Community-Acquired Escherichia Coli Meningitis In A Diabetic Patient, Mohammed N. Miah, Tarig S. Al-Khuwaitir, Abdulkhaliq Wandroo, Tauqeer A. Siddiqui

Neurosciences

No abstract provided.

Pediatric Epilepsy And Psychopathology, Monisha Goyal

Neurosciences

The association of psychiatric disorders and pediatric epilepsy is under appreciated by clinicians. Behavioral disorders, especially depression, are often perceived as “reactionary” processes. In fact, these comorbid disorders can be more disabling than the epilepsy itself. This review discusses the common behavioral comorbidities associated with epilepsy including autistic spectrum disorders, psychosis, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, and mood disorders.

Comparison Of Recovery After Anesthesia With Remifentanil Infusion Versus Halothane In Children Undergoing Strabismus Surgery, Masoud Parish, Ata Mahmoodpoor, Susan Rasuli, Sheida Asadnasab, Sarvin Sanaie

Neurosciences

OBJECTIVE: To compare recovery after anesthesia with remifentanil infusion versus halothane for strabismus surgery METHODS: This study was performed from September 2004 to March 2005 in Tabriz Nikookary Hospital, Tabriz, Iran on children aged 2-12 years scheduled for strabismus surgery randomized into 2 groups of 25 patients each: the H group in which anesthesia was maintained with halothane and the R group in which anesthesia was maintained with remifentanil. RESULTS: There was no meaningful difference in extubation time after discontinuing drugs between the 2 groups (p=0.14). However, there was a significant difference in the time of purposeful movements, proper oxygenation, …

Decreased Handgrip Strength And Increased Hip Osteoporosis In Patients With Alzheimer’S Disease, Figen Ayhan, Feray Soyupek, Burak Tonuk, Figen Gokoglu, Rezan Yorgancioglu

Neurosciences

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the causes of disability in the musculoskeletal system, and depression in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and healthy controls. METHODS: A case-controlled study in which healthy elderly patients (n=56) and patients with AD (n=75) attending the Geriatric Rehabilitation Unit of Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation were compared on several measures of disability including handgrip strength, knee x-rays graded for osteoarthritis, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry results for osteoporosis, and depression scores in the training period of 2003-2004. RESULTS: Handgrip strength values were significantly lower in patients with AD compared to the controls (19.4 …

Hypertension In Saudi Arabia, Mansour M. Al-Nozha, Moheeb Abdullah, Mohammed R. Arafah, Mohamed Z. Khalil, Nazeer B. Khan, Yaqoub Y. Al-Mazrou, Mohammed A. Al-Maatouq, Khalid Al-Marzouki, Akram Al-Khadra, Mohammed S. Nouh, Saad S. Al-Harthi, Maie S. Al-Shahid, Abdulellah Al-Mobeireek

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of hypertension among Saudis of both gender, between the ages of 30-70 years in rural as well as urban communities. This work is part of a major national study on Coronary Artery Disease in Saudis Study (CADISS). METHODS: This is a community-based study conducted by examining subjects in the age group of 30-70 years of selected households during a 5-year period between 1995 and 2000 in Saudi Arabia. Data were obtained from history using a validated questionnaire, and examination including measurement of blood pressure. The data were analyzed to provide prevalence of hypertension. Logistic regression …