Support group participation among persons with HIV: demographic characteristics and perceived barriers

Support groups are widely available for persons living with HIV and some evidence supports their efficacy. However, limited information exists regarding characteristics of those who utilize HIV support groups. The present study examined demographic characteristics and perceived barriers of attenders and non-attenders of HIV support groups via a mail survey. The 35 respondents were predominantly white (71.4%), male (65.7%), homosexual/bisexual (57.1%) and diagnosed with HIV within the last five years (62.8%). Results suggested that HIV support group attenders had higher educational attainment and a longer time since diagnosis than non-attenders. Respondents who expressed interest in HIV support group participation were diagnosed more recently than those who did not express interest. Respondents who had attended other types of support groups reported fewer perceived barriers to participation in HIV support groups. Overall, findings suggest that the perception of barriers may be related to interest and participation in support groups for HIV and other problems.     

A multicenter study of 210 rotator cuff tears treated by arthroscopic acromioplasty.

We followed 210 cases of rotator cuff tears treated in four French centers by arthroscopic acromioplasty in 195 cases and by a tenotomy of the Long Head of Biceps (LHB) in 15 cases. All patients were evaluated by means of the Constant score (CS) and radiographic imaging. The mean age was 61 years and the mean follow-up period was 26.6 months (range, 12 to 93 months). The preoperative CS was 38.2 points; 41% were supraspinatus tears, 40.2% were supra and infraspinatus tears, 10.5% were three-tendon tears, and 8.1% were supraspinatus and subscapularis tears. The LHB was altered or disrupted in 77% of cases, dislocated or subluxated in 44% of cases. Acromioplasty was associated to tear debridement in 183 cases (88%) and to a tenotomy of the LHB in 38 cases (19%) of which 15 did not benefit from an associated acromioplasty. Global objective results shown by the corrected CS reached 79.7% and were satisfying in 73% of cases. Poor clinical factors were preoperative shoulder stiffness, postoperative painful crises, worker compensation, a preoperative history longer than 4 years, and young age. The poor anatomic factors were osteoarthritis, a lesion of the acromioclavicular joint or of the LHB tendon. An isolated supraspinatus tear will produce much better results than a triple-tendon tear. The persistence of an aggressive acromion was a prejudicial factor. The benefits of LHB tenotomy were evident and could be isolated in case of massive rotator tears. It seems that LHB tenotomy was particularly effective for massive tears of two or more tendons. Arthroscopic acromioplasty is an excellent indication for elderly patients without professional activity, functionally less demanding that a younger patient.     

Knowledge-based femur detection in conventional radiographs of the pelvis

In this paper we present a knowledge-based femur detection algorithm. The algorithm uses femur corpus constraints, Canny edge detection and Hough lines. For optimal femur template placement in the local area we use cross-correlation. The segmentation itself is done with an optimized active shape modeling technique. Using the knowledge-based technique we have located 95% of the femur shapes of N=117 X-rays. From those 83% of the target femur shapes have been segmented successfully (point-to-point error: approximately 14 pixels, point-to-boundary error = approximately 9 pixels).     

The impact of a multidisciplinary educational intervention to reduce PEG tube placement in patients with terminal-stage dementia: a translation of research into practice

The purpose of this translation of research into practice (TRIP) project was to to determine the impact of a multidisciplinary education-consultation intervention to reduce percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement in patients with terminal-stage dementia at a single urban hospital in a city characterized by numerous health care transitions. We attempted a "just-in-time" approach to educate busy clinicians through explicit recommendations offered during routine and requested consultation. The project results showed that the intervention had a modest positive clinical impact.     

Traditional Food Practices,Attitudes, and Beliefs in Urban Alaska Native Women Receiving WIC Assistance

Objective

To identify practices, attitudes, and beliefs associated with intake of traditional foods among Alaska Native women.