The cost effectiveness of integrated care for people living with HIV including antiretroviral treatment in a primary health care centre in Bujumbura, Burundi

The incremental cost effectiveness of an integrated care package (i.e., medical care including antiretroviral therapy (ART) and other services such as psychological and social support) for people living with HIV/AIDS was calculated in a not-for-profit primary health care centre in Bujumbura run by Society of Women against AIDS-Burundi (SWAA-Burundi), an African non-governmental organisation (NGO). Results are expressed as cost-effectiveness ratio 2007, constant US$per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted. Unit costs are estimated from the NGO's accounting data and activity reports, healthcare utilisation is estimated from the medical records of a cohort of 149 patients. Effectiveness is modelled on the survival of this cohort, using standard calculation methods. The incremental cost of integrated care for people living with HIV/AIDS in the Bujumbura health centre of SWAA-Burundi is 258 US$ per DALY averted. The package of care provided by SWAA-Burundi is therefore a very cost-effective intervention in comparison with other interventions against HIV/AIDS that include ART. It is however, less cost effective than other types of interventions against HIV/AIDS, such as preventive activities

Advanced gastrointestinal endoscopic imaging for inflammatory bowel diseases

Gastrointestinal luminal endoscopy is of paramount importance for diagnosis, monitoring and dysplasia surveillance in patients with both, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Moreover, with the recent recognition that mucosal healing is directly linked to the clinical outcome of patients with inflammatory bowel disorders, a growing demand exists for the precise, timely and detailed endoscopic assessment of superficial mucosal layer. Further, the novel field of molecular imaging has tremendously expanded the clinical utility and applications of modern endoscopy, now encompassing not only diagnosis, surveillance, and treatment but also the prediction of individual therapeutic responses. Within this review, we describe how novel endoscopic approaches and advanced endoscopic imaging methods such as high definition and high magnification endoscopy, dye-based and dye-less chromoendoscopy, confocal laser endomicroscopy, endocytoscopy and molecular imaging now allow for the precise and ultrastructural assessment of mucosal inflammation and describe the potential of these techniques for dysplasia detection

Studies on the inheritance of leaf blast resistance in rice

Studies on the inheritance of leaf blast resistance in seven differential varieties of rice tested against two Indian isolates of the international races IA-11 add ID-1 of Pyricularia oryzae Cav. under standardized experimental conditions revealed the presence of three dominant genes, one each in Zenith. Tetep and Ginga conferring resistance to IA-11 and two, one each in Zenith and Tetep, to the race ID-1. The genes of Zenith were independent of those of Tetep. C.l. 5309 possessed inhibitory genes inhibiting the resistance of Zenith but not of Telep. Mode of segregation of resistance o Norin 20 to the race IA-11 was found to be anamolous. Studies on the crosses among susecptible varieties showed the existence of dominant genes conferring susceptibility, two each in P.I. 180061 and Yakeiko. This is a new feature of the present studies and its utility in evolving homozygous recessive resistant varieties have been pointed out

Formulation and Evaluation of Chitosan-Based Ampicillin Trihydrate Nanoparticles

Purpose: To develop ampicillin trihydrate-loaded chitosan nanoparticles by modified ionic gelation method and evaluate their antimicrobial activity. Methods: Ampicillin trihydrate-loaded chitosan nanoparticles were prepared by ionic gelation method with the aid of sonication. Parameters such as the zeta potential, polydispersity, particle size, entrapment efficiency and in vitro drug release of the nanoparticles were assessed for optimization. The antibacterial properties of the nanoparticle formulation were evaluated and compared with that of a commercial formulation (reference). Results: Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the nanoparticles were in the nanosize range but irregular in shape. Concentrations of 0.35 %w/v of chitosan and 0.40 %w/v sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) and a sonication time of 20 min constituted the optimum conditions for the preparation of the nanoparticles. In vitro release data showed an initial burst followed by slow sustained drug release. The nanoparticles demonstrated superior antimicrobial activity to plain nanoparticles and the reference, due probably to the synergistic effect of chitosan and ampicillin trihydrate. Conclusion: Modified ionic gelation method can be utilized for the development of chitosan nanoparticles of ampicillin trihydrate. Polymer and crosslinking agent concentrations and sonication time are rate-limiting factors for the development of the optimized formulation. The chitosan nanoparticles developed would be capable of sustained delivery of ampicillin trihydrate.Keywords: Ampicillin trihydrate; Chitosan; Nanoparticles; Ionic gelation method; Antibacterial activit