Evaluation of the Total Design Method in a survey of Japanese dentists

BACKGROUND: This study assessed the application of the Total Design Method (TDM) in a mail survey of Japanese dentists. The TDM was chosen because survey response rates in Japan are unacceptably low and the TDM had previously been used in a general population survey. METHODS: Four hundred and seventy eight dentist members of the Okayama Medical and Dental Practitioner's Association were surveyed. The nine-page, 27-item questionnaire covered dentist job satisfaction, physical practice, and dentist and patient characteristics. Respondents to the first mailing or the one-week follow-up postcard were defined as early responders; others who responded were late responders. Responder bias was assessed by examining age, gender and training. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 46.7% (223/478). The response rates by follow-up mailing were, 18% after the first mailing, 35.4% after the follow-up postcard, 42.3% after the second mailing, and 46.7% after the third mailing. Respondents did not differ from non-respondents in age or gender, nor were there differences between early and late responders. CONCLUSION: The application of TDM in this survey of Japanese dentists produced lower rates of response than expected from previous Japanese and US studies

Prevalence and factors associated with traditional herbal medicine use among patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy in Uganda

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Africa, herbal medicines are often used as primary treatment for Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) related problems. Concurrent use of traditional herbal medicines (THM) with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) is widespread among HIV infected patients. However, the extent of THM use is not known in most settings in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed at determining the prevalence and factors associated with THM use among HIV infected patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) attending The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) in Uganda. TASO is a non-governmental organization devoted to offering HIV/AIDS care and treatment services in the population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was a cross-sectional study carried out in two TASO treatment centres in Uganda among 401 randomly selected eligible participants. We included participants who were 18 years and above, were enrolled on HAART, and consented to participate in the study. Data was collected using an interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire. THM use referred to someone who had ever used or was currently using herbal medicine while on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) by the time of the study. Data was captured in Epi-data version 3.1 and exported to STATA version 9.0 for analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence of THM use was 33.7%. Patients on HAART for < 4 years were more likely to use THM (OR = 5.98, 95% CI 1.13 - 31.73) as well as those who experienced HAART side effects (OR = 3.66, 95% CI: 1.15 - 11.68). Older patients (≥39 years) were less likely to use THM (OR = 0.26 95% CI: 0.08 - 0.83). Participants with HAART adherence levels > 95% were less likely to use THM (OR = 0.09, 95% CI 0.01 - 0.65).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The prevalence of THM use among participants on HAART was high. This raises clinical and pharmacological concerns that need attention by the health care service providers.</p

HIV risk behaviors among female IDUs in developing and transitional countries

Abstract Background A number of studies suggest females may be more likely to engage in injection and sex risk behavior than males. Most data on gender differences come from industrialized countries, so data are needed in developing countries to determine how well gender differences generalize to these understudied regions. Methods Between 1999 and 2003, 2512 male and 672 female current injection drug users (IDUs) were surveyed in ten sites in developing countries around the world (Nairobi, Beijing, Hanoi, Kharkiv, Minsk, St. Petersburg, Bogotá, Gran Rosario, Rio, and Santos). The survey included a variety of questions about demographics, injecting practices and sexual behavior. Results Females were more likely to engage in risk behaviors in the context of a sexual relationship with a primary partner while males were more likely to engage in risk behaviors in the context of close friendships and casual sexual relationships. After controlling for injection frequency, and years injecting, these gender differences were fairly consistent across sites. Conclusion Gender differences in risk depend on the relational contexts in which risk behaviors occur. The fact that female and male risk behavior often occurs in different relational contexts suggests that different kinds of prevention interventions which are sensitive to these contexts may be necessary.</p

Alcohol and HIV Disease Progression: Weighing the Evidence

Heavy alcohol use is commonplace among HIV-infected individuals; however, the extent that alcohol use adversely impacts HIV disease progression has not been fully elucidated. Fairly strong evidence suggests that heavy alcohol consumption results in behavioral and biological processes that likely increase HIV disease progression, and experimental evidence of the biological effect of heavy alcohol on simian immunodeficiency virus in macaques is quite suggestive. However, several observational studies of the effect of heavy alcohol consumption on HIV progression conducted in the 1990s found no association of heavy alcohol consumption with time to AIDS diagnosis, while some more recent studies showed associations of heavy alcohol consumption with declines of CD4 cell counts and nonsuppression of HIV viral load. We discuss several plausible biological and behavioral mechanisms by which alcohol may cause HIV disease progression, evidence from prospective observational human studies, and suggest future research to further illuminate this important issue

Recovered memories, satanic abuse, Dissociative Identity Disorder and false memories in the UK: a survey of Clinical Psychologists and Hypnotherapists

An online survey was conducted to examine psychological therapists’ experiences of, and beliefs about, cases of recovered memory, satanic / ritualistic abuse, Multiple Personality Disorder / Dissociative Identity Disorder, and false memory. Chartered Clinical Psychologists (n=183) and Hypnotherapists (n=119) responded. In terms of their experiences, Chartered Clinical Psychologists reported seeing more cases of satanic / ritualistic abuse compared to Hypnotherapists who, in turn, reported encountering more cases of childhood sexual abuse recovered for the first time in therapy, and more cases of suspected false memory. Chartered Clinical Psychologists were more likely to rate the essential accuracy of reports of satanic / ritualistic abuse as higher than Hypnotherapists. Belief in the accuracy of satanic / ritualistic abuse and Multiple Personality Disorder / Dissociative Identity Disorder reports correlated negatively with the belief that false memories were possible

Inhibition of HIV-1 entry by extracts derived from traditional Chinese medicinal herbal plants

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) is the current HIV/AIDS treatment modality. Despite the fact that HAART is very effective in suppressing HIV-1 replication and reducing the mortality of HIV/AIDS patients, it has become increasingly clear that HAART does not offer an ultimate cure to HIV/AIDS. The high cost of the HAART regimen has impeded its delivery to over 90% of the HIV/AIDS population in the world. This reality has urgently called for the need to develop inexpensive alternative anti-HIV/AIDS therapy. This need has further manifested by recent clinical trial failures in anti-HIV-1 vaccines and microbicides. In the current study, we characterized a panel of extracts of traditional Chinese medicinal herbal plants for their activities against HIV-1 replication.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Crude and fractionated extracts were prepared from various parts of nine traditional Chinese medicinal herbal plants in Hainan Island, China. These extracts were first screened for their anti-HIV activity and cytotoxicity in human CD4+ Jurkat cells. Then, a single-round pseudotyped HIV-luciferase reporter virus system (HIV-Luc) was used to identify potential anti-HIV mechanisms of these extracts.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Two extracts, one from <it>Euphorbiaceae</it>, <it>Trigonostema xyphophylloides </it>(TXE) and one from <it>Dipterocarpaceae</it>, <it>Vatica astrotricha </it>(VAD) inhibited HIV-1 replication and syncytia formation in CD4+ Jurkat cells, and had little adverse effects on host cell proliferation and survival. TXE and VAD did not show any direct inhibitory effects on the HIV-1 RT enzymatic activity. Treatment of these two extracts during the infection significantly blocked infection of the reporter virus. However, pre-treatment of the reporter virus with the extracts and treatment of the extracts post-infection had little effects on the infectivity or gene expression of the reporter virus.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results demonstrate that TXE and VAD inhibit HIV-1 replication likely by blocking HIV-1 interaction with target cells, i.e., the interaction between gp120 and CD4/CCR5 or gp120 and CD4/CXCR4 and point to the potential of developing these two extracts to be HIV-1 entry inhibitors.</p

Effect of the anti-retroviral drug, rilpivirine, on human subcutaneous adipose cells and its nutritional management using quercetin

Rilpivirine, a recently developed drug of choice for initial treatment of HIV-1 infection, can greatly reduce HIV-related inflammation, but in turn, may be associated with adverse secondary effects, including disturbances in lipid metabolism and ultimately in adipose tissue distribution and function. In recent years, research findings on the benefits of anti-oxidant foods and supplements have been employed in counter-acting both oxidative stress as well as inflammation in order to reduce the adverse side effects of anti-retroviral therapy. One such natural flavonoid which possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties is quercetin. This study investigated the effect of quercetin in overcoming the side effects incurred due to rilpivirine administration. The results show substantial reduction in the accumulation of triglyceride levels in a dose- and time- dependent manner for adipose cells treated with either rilpivirine or quercetin alone and in combination, as evidenced by morphological pictures and quantitative measurement of triglycerides throughout the differentiation process. Levels of inflammatory markers such as resistin and IL-8 were increased as compared to the untreated cells. No significant changes in leptin were observed on treatment of adipose cells with rilpivirine alone and its levels were almost comparable to control. Levels of oxidative markers like superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione were also decreased. Treatment with quercetin showed a decrease in the inflammatory status and an increase in the oxidative status of adipose cells, thereby, exhibiting its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. However, further assessment of lipid metabolism and adipose tissue function in patients administered with rilpivirine-based regimes is advisable considering that totally neutral effects of rilpivirine on lipid homeostasis cannot be anticipated from the current study in vitro. It is concluded that rilpivirine causes an anti-adipogenic and pro-inflammatory response pattern but only at high concentrations, whereas quercetin has been observed to decrease inflammation and restore the levels of anti-oxidant enzyme

The role of ETG modes in JET-ILW pedestals with varying levels of power and fuelling

We present the results of GENE gyrokinetic calculations based on a series of JET-ITER-like-wall (ILW) type I ELMy H-mode discharges operating with similar experimental inputs but at different levels of power and gas fuelling. We show that turbulence due to electron-temperature-gradient (ETGs) modes produces a significant amount of heat flux in four JET-ILW discharges, and, when combined with neoclassical simulations, is able to reproduce the experimental heat flux for the two low gas pulses. The simulations plausibly reproduce the high-gas heat fluxes as well, although power balance analysis is complicated by short ELM cycles. By independently varying the normalised temperature gradients (omega(T)(e)) and normalised density gradients (omega(ne )) around their experimental values, we demonstrate that it is the ratio of these two quantities eta(e) = omega(Te)/omega(ne) that determines the location of the peak in the ETG growth rate and heat flux spectra. The heat flux increases rapidly as eta(e) increases above the experimental point, suggesting that ETGs limit the temperature gradient in these pulses. When quantities are normalised using the minor radius, only increases in omega(Te) produce appreciable increases in the ETG growth rates, as well as the largest increases in turbulent heat flux which follow scalings similar to that of critical balance theory. However, when the heat flux is normalised to the electron gyro-Bohm heat flux using the temperature gradient scale length L-Te, it follows a linear trend in correspondence with previous work by different authors