Critiquing the Health Belief Model and Sexual Risk Behaviours among Adolescents: A Narrative Review of Familial and Peer Influence

Research into the rising rates of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies among adolescents has highlighted the challenge in developing sexual education campaigns that affect behavioural change. Frequent attempts to apply the otherwise robust Health Belief Model to the challenge of high-risk sexual behaviours have yielded confounding results from sexually active teens who discount the seriousness of consequences or their susceptibility to them. Social dynamics involving familial and peer relationships may strongly influence teen sexual risk-taking; the growing population of sexual risk-takers is strongly associated with disengaged family environments and a shift in alliance from family to peer community. This shift in identification to peer groups, in the absence of supportive parental relationships, is correlated with permissive and coercive sexual behaviour and a future of substance abuse, depression, sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy.This paper seeks to explore the correlation between peer interaction and parental relationships and availability, while assessing the predictive value of the Health Belief Model in relation to adolescent high risk sexual behaviour. Doing so can inform research to further clarify the nature of these associations and investigate new insights into adolescent sexual dynamics and new policy and programming approaches to sexual health promotion

Which prosthetic foot to prescribe? Biomechanical differences found during a single session comparison of different foot types hold true one year later

YesIntroduction: Clinicians typically use findings from cohort studies to objectively inform judgements regarding the potential (dis)advantages of prescribing a new prosthetic device. However, before finalising prescription a clinician will typically ask a patient to ‘try out’ a change of prosthetic device while the patient is at the clinic. Observed differences in gait when using the new device should be the result of the device’s mechanical function, but could also conceivably be due to patient related factors which can change from day-to-day and can thus make device comparisons unreliable. To determine whether a device’s mechanical function consistently has a more meaningful impact on gait than patient-related factors, the present study undertook quantitative gait analyses of a trans-tibial amputee walking using two different foot-ankle devices on two occasions over a year apart. If the observed differences present between devices, established using quantitative gait analysis, were in the same direction and of similar magnitude on each of the two occasions, this would indicate that device-related factors were more important than patient-related factors. Methods: One adult male with a unilateral trans-tibial amputation completed repeated walking trials using two different prosthetic foot devices on two separate occasions, 14 months apart. Walking speed and sagittal plane joint kinematics and kinetics for both limbs were assessed on each occasion. Clinically meaningful differences in these biomechanical outcome variables were defined as those with an effect size difference (d) between prosthetic conditions of at least 0.4 (i.e. ‘medium’ effect size). Results: Eight variables namely, walking speed, prosthetic ‘ankle’ peak plantar- and dorsi- flexion and peak positive power, and residual knee loading response flexion, peak stance-phase extension and flexion moments and peak negative power, displayed clinically meaningful differences (d > 0.4) between foot devices during the first session. All eight of these showed similar effect size differences during the second session despite the participant being heavier and older. Conclusions: Findings suggest that a prosthetic device’s mechanical function consistently has a more meaningful impact on gait than patient-related factors. These findings support the current clinical practice of making decisions regarding prosthetic prescription for an individual, based on a single session evaluation of their gait using two different devices. However, to confirm this conclusion, a case series using the same approach as the present study could be undertaken

Correlation between placental malaria parasitaemia at delivery and infant birth weight in a Nigerian tertiary health centre

Background: Untreated malaria during pregnancy is detrimental to the health and survival of the mother, foetus and neonate due to its great potential to cause maternal anaemia, foetal death and intrauterine growth restriction leading to low birth weight. The foetal complications are due to impaired placental function that results from placental malaria parasitaemia as well as impaired foetal oxygenation from maternal anaemia. This study was conducted to determine the influence of placental malaria parasitaemia on infant birth weight.Methodology: This was a prospective cross-sectional analytical study of 205 parturients recruited consecutively as they presented for delivery at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. After delivery, the neonates were weighed and placental blood was collected for microscopy to detect malaria parasites. Data was analysed using SPSS version 22.Results: The prevalence of placental malaria parasitaemia was 13.7% and Plasmodium falciparum was the only parasite species detected. Placental malaria parasitaemia was associated with a reduction of the mean infant birth weight by 335 grams (P = 0.01).Conclusion: Malaria during pregnancy is still an important public health problem among our obstetric population, with a high prevalence of placental malaria parasitaemia and a significant negative effect on the birth weight of neonates. To enable the developing foetus achieve its full genetic growth potential, pregnant women should be encouraged to register early for antenatal care and utilize all the recommended malaria preventive measures.Keywords: Placenta, malaria infestation, birth weigh

Placental Malaria Parasitization at Delivery: Experience at a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

Background: In malaria endemic areas, pregnant women are constantly at risk of repeated malaria infestation which if left untreated, poses a significant threat to the health and survival of the mother and her baby. Objective: This study determined the prevalence and risk factors for placental malaria parasitaemia among parturients at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, Nigeria. Methodology: A prospective cross-sectional analytical study of 205 parturients recruited consecutively at presentation for delivery. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. After delivery, placental blood was collected for microscopy to detect malaria parasites. Data was analysed using SPSS version 22. Results: The prevalence of placental malaria parasitaemia was 13.7%. Maternal age <25 years (P<0.001), low educational status (P = 0.03), low parity (P = 0.03), unbooked status (P < 0.001) and non-use of intermittent preventive treatment (P <0.001) were significantly associated with placental malaria parasitaemia. Receiving three or more doses of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy was by far, more protective for placental malaria than receiving 2 doses (odds ratio = 0.25). Plasmodium falciparum was the only parasite species detected. Conclusion: Malaria still ravages our obstetric population and the significant contributors include low maternal age, low educational status, low parity, unbooked status and non-use of intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy. Women should be encouraged to utilize antenatal care. There should be a prompt adoption of the recent WHO recommendations regarding malaria prophylaxis in pregnancy in all obstetric units and the medication should be given as Directly Observed Therapy

Solid State Systems for Electron Electric Dipole Moment and other Fundamental Measurements

In 1968, F.L. Shapiro published the suggestion that one could search for an electron EDM by applying a strong electric field to a substance that has an unpaired electron spin; at low temperature, the EDM interaction would lead to a net sample magnetization that can be detected with a SQUID magnetometer. One experimental EDM search based on this technique was published, and for a number of reasons including high sample conductivity, high operating temperature, and limited SQUID technology, the result was not particularly sensitive compared to other experiments in the late 1970's. Advances in SQUID and conventional magnetometery had led us to reconsider this type of experiment, which can be extended to searches and tests other than EDMs (e.g., test of Lorentz invariance). In addition, the complementary measurement of an EDM-induced sample electric polarization due to application of a magnetic field to a paramagnetic sample might be effective using modern ultrasensitive charge measurement techniques. A possible paramagnetic material is Gd-substituted YIG which has very low conductivity and a net enhancement (atomic enhancement times crystal screening) of order unity. Use of a reasonable volume (100's of cc) sample of this material at 50 mK and 10 kV/cm might yield an electron EDM sensitivity of $10^{-33}$ e cm or better, a factor of $10^6$ improvement over current experimental limits.Comment: 6 pages. Prepared for ITAMP workshop on fundamental physics that was to be held Sept 20-22 2001 in Cambride, MA, but was canceled due to terrorist attack on U.S New version incorporates a number of small changes, most notably the scaling of the sensitivity of the Faraday magnetometer with linewidth is now treated in a saner fashion. The possibility of operating at an even lower temperarture, say 10 microkelvin, is also discusse

Design of dynamic load-balancing tools for parallel applications

The design of general-purpose dynamic load-balancing tools for parallel applications is more challenging than the design of static partitioning tools. Both algorithmic and software engineering issues arise. The authors have addressed many of these issues in the design of the Zoltan dynamic load-balancing library. Zoltan has an object-oriented interface that makes it easy to use and provides separation between the application and the load-balancing algorithms. It contains a suite of dynamic load-balancing algorithms, including both geometric and graph-based algorithms. Its design makes it valuable both as a partitioning tool for a variety of applications and as a research test-bed for new algorithmic development. In this paper, the authors describe Zoltan's design and demonstrate its use in an unstructured-mesh finite element application

Spring-mass behavioural adaptations to acute changes in prosthetic blade stiffness during submaximal running in unilateral transtibial prosthesis users

YesBackground: Individuals with lower-limb amputation can use running specific prostheses (RSP) that store and then return elastic energy during stance. However, it is unclear whether varying the stiffness category of the same RSP affects spring-mass behaviour during self-selected, submaximal speed running in individuals with unilateral transtibial amputation. Research question: The current study investigates how varying RSP stiffness affects limb stiffness, running performance, and associated joint kinetics in individuals with a unilateral transtibial amputation. Methods: Kinematic and ground reaction force data were collected from eight males with unilateral transtibial amputation who ran at self-selected submaximal speeds along a 15 m runway in three RSP stiffness conditions; recommended habitual stiffness (HAB) and, following 10-minutes of familiarisation, stiffness categories above (+1) and below (-1) the HAB. Stance-phase centre of mass velocity, contact time, limb stiffness’ and joint/RSP work were computed for each limb across RSP stiffness conditions. Results: With increased RSP stiffness, prosthetic limb stiffness increased, whilst intact limb stiffness decreased slightly (

African horse sickness vaccination status correlated with disease outcome in South Africa

African horse sickness (AHS) is one of the economically most important equid diseases in southern Africa, contributing significantly to equine morbidity and mortality. Annual vaccination with the Onderstepoort Biological Products polyvalent live attenuated vaccine has been the mainstay of prevention in South Africa. The study objectives were to determine if there is a significant relationship between multiple variables (vaccination status, number of AHSV [African horse sickness virus] serotypes contracted, clinical presentation, order of vaccine administration, age, sex and mean Ct value) and case outcome. The study population consisted of samples of AHS cases from South Africa submitted to the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, University of Pretoria, that were confirmed positive by real-time RT-qPCR from 1 September 2017 to 30 June 2019 with a definitive disease outcome. At a univariable level, unvaccinated horses were 8.7 times more likely to die compared with horses that were vaccinated annually. Vaccination status was not statistically significant at a multivariable level, possibly due to insufficient sample size. Annual vaccination was shown to be protective. The pulmonary form of the disease and a lower Ct value had an increased likelihood of non-survival. Vaccination order was significant at a multivariable level (AHS2 vaccine administered first had a higher likelihood of survival). The study confirmed that increased case fatality was not due to vaccine failure but instead due to multiple variables, with an increased population of unvaccinated horses being one of these.Sam Cohen Scholarships.http://www.jsava.co.zaam2024Veterinary Tropical DiseasesSDG-03:Good heatlh and well-bein