HIV/AIDS risk perception and behavior of college students of the Metekel Zone,Benishangul Gumuz regional state,Ethiopia

Sexual and reproductive health problems are the main causes of death, disability and disease among young people in the world, particularly in Africa. The objective of this study was to assess human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) risk perception and behavior, and factors associated with risk perception, among college students of the Metekel Zone, Ethiopia. An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was used. The data were collected using a pretested and self-administered questionnaire, were entered into EPI INFO version 6 and exported into Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16 for analysis. Variables with p < 0.02 in the bivariate logistic regression were entered to multivariate logistic regression and variables with p < 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Three hundred and eighty-eight students were participated. Total 43% of respondents (50.70% males and 34.10% females) had had sex. About 48.81% of the sexually active respondents reported that they had had sexual intercourse with two or more partners. About 16.49% of study participants perceived themselves at risk of getting HIV/AIDS and the most frequently, cited reasons for perceiving oneself at risk were having sex without a condom, having multiple sexual partners and having sex with commercial sex workers (CSW). Chewing khat (adjusted OR = 3.54, 95% CI: 1.45?8.63); being willing to undergo voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) (adjusted OR = 4. 30, 95% CI: 1.09?16.88); having seen a person infected/dead of HIV (adjusted OR = 4.23, 95% CI: 1.36?13.13) and having multiple sexual partners (adjusted OR = 6.10, 95% CI: 2.40?15.44) were significantly associated with HIV risk perception. The risk perception of HIV/AIDS among the college students was low despite their involvement in different risky sexual behaviors. The government should use mass media techniques, such as television, radio, mobile services and posters to spread information on HIV transmission prevention among college students, especially information on the importance of condom use, minimizing the number of sexual partners and VCT. College administrations need to disseminate information through special lectures, and group discussions about khat chewing, HIV/AIDS and VCT.     

Genetic characterization and progression of B3 measles genotype in Ethiopia: a study of five measles outbreak cases

BACKGROUND: One of the countries where measles remains endemic is Ethiopia. Previously, sequence data from Measles Viruses (MV) circulating in Ethiopia were obtained from clinical specimens. Now the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute (ENHRI) has implemented cell culture techniques to isolate measles virus and molecular epidemiologic studies can be generated more easily. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the strains of Measles Virus circulating in Ethiopia during measles outbreaks in 2006 using viral isolates, and compare the results to previously identified Ethiopian strains. METHODS: A case study and convenience sampling method were conducted on five measles outbreak cases tb identify the circulating measles virus genotype in Addis Ababa and Amhara regions of Ethiopia in 2006. RESULTS: Three isolates were obtained from five specimens collected in two regions (1 from Amhara: Bahir Dar, and 2 from Addis Ababa: Addis Ketema and Kolefe Keranio subcities) in Ethiopia during 2006. The viral isolates were analyzed using standard genotyping protocols and were classified as genotype B3, identical to the strain circulating widely in West Africa and imported into Europe (Britain, Netherlands, Germany) and America (Mexico, USA, Canada). CONCLUSION: The conserved sequences among three isolates, covering a 3-month period, suggest that this B3 strain was circulating in Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar and possibly elsewhere in Ethiopia. To interrupt the transmission and circulation of MV, Ethiopia needs a strong national program of epidemiological surveillance, with characterization of circulating MV performed in a timely manner.     

Cholecalciferol significantly increases 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in adults with cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency is increasingly being recognized and treated in patients with cystic fibrosis, although the treatment guidelines are not proven and the effectiveness of vitamin D preparations is untested. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] deficiency in a large cohort of adults with cystic fibrosis and to evaluate the effectiveness of supplementation with cholecalciferol. DESIGN: In this retrospective cohort design, baseline 25(OH)D concentrations were measured, and the effects of clinical interventions that involved either counseling on compliance or increasing supplemental cholecalciferol on serum 25(OH)D concentrations in those subjects with baseline concentrations 相似文献   

Adverse events in healthy subjects exposed to single and multiple doses of LY2140023 monohydrate: pooled results from 10 phase 1 studies

Ten phase 1 studies of LY2140023 monohydrate (LY2140023), an mGlu2/3 receptor agonist, in healthy male and female subjects were pooled to evaluate the adverse event profile. These studies included both single-dose (5-200 mg) and multiple-dose (20-160 mg 2 times a day) treatment groups. The percentage of subjects reporting treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were assessed in placebo and LY2140023 dose groups: 5 to 20, 40, 60 to 80, and more than 80 mg (120-200 mg). The severity and duration of TEAEs were also determined. Electroencephalograms were performed in 1 study to detect if there were any prodromal signs of convulsions or seizures. Subjects who received either placebo or LY2140023 and participated in the single-dose (n = 159) and multiple-dose (n = 102) treatment groups were included in these analyses. No clear trends for increased TEAE incidence occurred with higher doses of LY2140023 in both the single-dose and multiple-dose treatment groups. The TEAEs with the highest incidence were gastrointestinal and nervous system events. No serious adverse events occurred in any of the 10 studies, and most TEAEs were mild in severity and transient in nature. There were no clinically significant changes in electroencephalograms in subjects receiving LY2140023 (n = 26). LY2140023 was generally well tolerated in healthy subjects.     

Determining relative importance of variables in developing and validating predictive models

Background  

Multiple regression models are used in a wide range of scientific disciplines and automated model selection procedures are frequently used to identify independent predictors. However, determination of relative importance of potential predictors and validating the fitted models for their stability, predictive accuracy and generalizability are often overlooked or not done thoroughly.     

Predictors of adherence to antiretroviral therapy among people living with HIV/AIDS in resource-limited setting of southwest ethiopia

Background  

Good adherence to antiretroviral therapy is necessary to achieve the best virological response, lower the risk that drug resistance will develop, and reduce morbidity and mortality. Little is known about the rate and predictors of adherence in Ethiopia. Therefore this study determines the magnitude and predictors of adherence to antiretroviral therapy among people living with HIV/AIDS in Southwest Ethiopia.     

Clamp and sew techniques in thoracoabdominal aortic surgery using naloxone and CSF drainage

Surgical repair of thoracoabdominal (TAA) and thoracic aneurysm is challenging, with the potentials for high morbidity and mortality. There is no standardized operative approach. Operative management of TAA consists of simple clamp-and-sew techniques with adjuncts, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage, naloxone administration, and intraoperative hypothermia, to protect the spinal cord. The use of CSF drainage and naloxone administration has reduced paraplegia to 3.4%, compared with 21% when none of these adjunctive spinal cord measures were used. The authors discuss their operative strategy, surgical technique, and results at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics.     

Effect of pulmonary exacerbations on long-term lung function decline in cystic fibrosis

It is unknown what proportion of long-term lung function decline in cystic fibrosis (CF) is explained by pulmonary exacerbations. The aim of this study was to determine how exacerbations requiring hospitalisation contribute to the course of CF lung disease. This was a retrospective cohort study. The primary outcome was the rate of decline of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) % predicted. Out of 851 subjects, 415 (48.8%) subjects had ≥ 1 exacerbation. After adjustment for confounders, the annual rate of FEV(1) decline in those without an exacerbation was 1.2% per yr (95% CI 1.0-1.5), compared with 2.5% per yr (95% CI 2.1-2.8) in those with an exacerbation. The proportion of overall FEV(1) decline associated with ≥ 1 exacerbation was 52% (95% CI 35.0-68.9). For a given number of exacerbations, the annual rate of FEV(1) decline was greatest in subjects with ≤ 6 months between exacerbations. Half of FEV(1) decline seen in CF patients was associated with pulmonary exacerbations. Time between exacerbations, specifically ≤ 6 months between exacerbations, plays an important contribution to overall lung function decline. These findings support using time to next exacerbation as a clinical end-point for CF trials.