Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Patients Diagnosed with HIV in Accra and Kumasi Metropolis

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is RNA virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). In Ghana the AIDS epidemic is spreading very fast in densely populated areas with higher numbers of cases occurring in the southern regions especially the densely populated capitals such as Kumasi, Koforidua and Accra as well as mining towns like Obuasi and Tarkwa, and in border towns. Data was collected from Accra and Kumasi on socio-economic backgrounds such as age, sex, education, marital status, household size, among others with a structured questionnaire and analysed using statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.0. About 72% females and 28% males were interviewed with close to 74% lying between 22 to 40 age brackets. Also 63% of these completed JHS/Middle school, Seventeen (36.1%) are married people, 15 (31.9%) widowed. Majority of them are Akans who are also Christians with different denominations. Among these people, 20 (42.6%) of them are unemployed, and 3 (6.4%) claimed to be self-employed in various disciplines. Most of them said they use condoms as contraceptives in order to prevent the spread of the disease. Income level of the respondents predominantly lies between GH¢50.00- GH¢450.00 per annum. Some of the interventions for preventing the disease include promoting abstinence and faithfulness, promoting reductions in the number of sexual partners, encouraging delays in the onset of sexual activity among others

The Effects of Achievement Motivation and Perceived Teacher Involvement in Academic Tasks on the Academic Achievement and Psychological Well-being of Rural Students in the Interior Sabah Division, Malaysia

This study examines the effects of achievement motivation and perceived teacher involvement on academic achievement and psychological well-being of rural students in the Interior Sabah Division (Beaufort, Keningau, Kuala Penyu, Membakut, Pensiangan, Sipitang, Tambunan & Tenom). We predicted that achievement motivation contributes to both academic achievement and psychological well-being. We also predicted teachers’ involvement in students’ academic work also contributes to both dependent variables. A total of 1586 students participated in this study from 21 rural schools in the Interior Division Sabah. A questionnaire, divided into four sections, was used to measure all the variables. Section A measured the demographic variables, such as the academic achievement, academic level, age, gender and location; Section B; measured achievement motivation; Section C measured the perception of teacher involvement in students’academic work and Section D measured psychological well-being. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to analyze the data. The study found that achievement motivation contributed 4% to the variance in academic achievement and 16% on psychological well-being. In regards to teachers’ involvement in academic studies, it contributed 6% to students’ psychological well-being but not in academic achievement. These significant findings may create awareness and bring the matter to the attention of the Ministry of Education, the schools and Parent-Teacher Association. From this study, it is our hope that the Educational Institution may provide more achievement motivational programs to enhance rural students’ psychological well-being and academic achievement

The Influence of Context Aspects towards Input Aspects of Science Practical among Science Teachers in Rural Secondary Schools of Sabah

This study aims to explore the influence of science practical context towards the input of science practical among the science teachers in 69 rural secondary schools in Sabah. A total of 357 science teachers were selected by stratified sampling method. This study is a quantitative non-experimental study using the survey method to collect data. The instrument of science practical context aspects and science practical input aspects questionnaires were used to collect data. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 21.0 for Windows and the software of 'Smart Partial Least Square (SmartPLS) version 3.2.7 was used to analyze the collected quantitative data. The findings show that the level of the science practical context aspects and science practical input aspects are at the stage of 'High' (3:46- 4.64) among the science teachers at rural secondary schools in Sabah. The value of composite reliability for context aspects is 0.984 and for input aspects is 0.939. The results also showed there is a significant positive correlation between the science practical context aspects and the science practical input aspects (β=0.473, p<0.05). There is a modest positive effect and significant between the science practical context aspects towards the science practical input aspects (β = 0.473, p <0.05). A total of 16% of science practical context can affect the science practical input aspects. The implications of this study showed that science teachers should examine the science practical input aspects coincides with the implementation of science practical in addition to considering the science practical process and product aspects

Recent Innovations & Daily Problems. A new prosthesis in inguinal hernia repair:preliminary results of a pilot study.

Introduction: Elective surgery for inguinal hernia is affected by very low mortality « 1 per 10000 operation); in contrast, when surgery is carried out for complicated inguinal hernia, risks of postoperative complication are higher. TAPP is a world-wide accepted surgical practice in the treatment of elective bilateral or recurrent inguinal hernia, above all in young patients. Few exploratory studies were published on laparoscopic approach in the treatment of urgent complicated inguinal hernia. Aim of this study was to analyze feasibility (operative time, conversion rate), safety (postoperative morbidity, length of hospital stay) and quality of life (acute and chronic pain, return to work) of trans-abdominal pre-peritoneal laparoscopic hernia repair in acute incarcerated inguinal hernia. Rationale of laparoscopic trans-abdominal approach is the easier hernia reduction under vision and a better exploration of the abdominal cavity. Methods: from September 2012 to September 2013, 15 consecutive patients admitted in emergency at the Division of General Surgery of University "Sapienza", Polo Pontino, for acute incarcerated inguinal hernia were submitted to TAPP using 3 trocars (1 of 10 mm and 2 of 5mm) and polyester prosthesis fixed by fibrin glue. Exclusion criteria for laparoscopic approach were age III, previous abdominal surgery, signs of strangulated hernia. All of them were evaluated for operative time, conversion rate, postoperative morbidity, organ resection or other surgery required. All patients were scored for pain by Visual Analogic Scale (VAS) during postoperative in hospital stay at 7 days, 1,6 and 12 months after surgery. Results: median follow-up was 16 months and 12 as minimum. In all cases reduction of hernia was always possible and none conversion to open surgery was recorded, median operative time was 89 minutes (55-137 as range), omental resection was carried out in one patient (6,6%), no other organ resections needed, whereas contralateral hernia was diagnosed and repaired at the same time in 4 patients (26,6%). No major complications were observed, median blood loss was 100 ml, minor morbidity was contained to 18% represented by fever and wound infection of surgical umbilical scar. Median in hospital stay was 1,5 days with 1-5 days as range. Postoperative median acute pain, measured by visual analogic scale (VAS), was 2 (range:0-4), none patient referred any pain during follow-up. Median time of return to work was 6,5 days, ranged between 3 to 15 days. Patients' compliance to treatment and to follow-up was complete as well their satisfaction. Conclusions: In centres skilled for laparoscopy in emergency, TAPP could be considered a feasible and safe technique. In well-selected patients (especially if emolled in controlled clinical trial) TAPP could represent an alternative surgical approach for complicated incarcerated inguinal hernia to conventional open surgery even in urgency. The main advantages of laparoscopic approach are the ability to perform surgical hernia reduction under vision, a better exploration and evaluation of abdominal cavity and diagnosis and treatment of eventual contralateral defect of wall, otherwise often missed. Finally, the good control of acute and chronic pain, faster return to normal activity and work, better aesthetic results contributed to total satisfaction and compliance of the patients

Observation of Top Quark Production in Proton-Nucleus Collisions

Peer reviewe

Search for gamma (1S,2S) -> Z(c)(+)Z(c)((')-) and e(+)e(-) -> Z(c)(+)Z(c)((')-) at root s=10.52, 10.58, and 10.867 Gev

The first search for double charged charmoniumlike state production in gamma (IS) and gamma (2S) decays and in e(+) e(-) annihilation at root s = 10.52, 10.58, and 10.867 GcV is conducted using data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric energy electron-positron collider. No significant signals are observed in any of the studied modes, and the 90% credibility level upper limits on their product branching fractions in gamma(1S) and gamma(2S) decays [B(gamma(1S, 2S) -> Z(c)(+)Z(c)((')-)) x B(Z(c)(+) -> pi(+) + c (c) over bar ) (c (c) over bar = J / psi, chi(c1) (1P), psi(2S))] and the product of Born cross section and branching fraction for e(+)e(-) -> Z(c)(+)Z(c)((')-)) (sigma(e(+)e(-) -> Z(c)(+)Z(c)((')-)) x B(Z(c)(+) -> pi(+) + c (c) over bar )) at root s = 10.52, 10.58, and 10.867 GeV are determined. Here, Z(c) refers to the Z(c) (3900) and Z(c) (4200) observed in the pi J/psi final state, the Z(c1)(4050) and Z(c2)(4250) in the pi chi(c1)(1P) final state, and the Z(c)(4050) and Z(c)(4430) in the pi psi(2S) final state

Do authors of research funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research comply with its open access mandate? : A meta-epidemiologic study

Since 2008, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has mandated that studies it funds either in whole or in part are required to publish their results as open access (OA) within 12 months of publication using either online repositories and/or OA journals. Yet, there is evidence that authors are poorly compliant with this mandate. Specifically, there has been an apparent decrease in OA publication after 2015, which coincides with a change in the OA policy during the same year. One particular policy change that may have contributed to this decline was lifting the requirement that authors deposit their article in an OA repository immediately upon publication. We investigated the proportion of OA compliance of CIHR-funded studies in the period before and after the policy change of 2015 with manual confirmation of both CIHR funding and OA status