70 research outputs found
Perspectives of US women participating in a candidate PrEP study: adherence, acceptability and future use intentions
Introduction
Limited data exist on acceptability of candidate preâexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) regimens among US women. We evaluated PrEP experiences, attitudes and future use intentions among sexually active women who completed the USâbased HIV Prevention Trials Network 069/AIDS Clinical Trials Group 5305 study. Methods
Women participated in the study between March 2013 and November 2015. We analysed computerâassisted selfâinterview (CASI) surveys among 130 women and conducted inâdepth interviews among a subset of 26 women from three sites. Interviews were conducted in mid/lateâ2015. Results
Most women (57%) reported very good/excellent PrEP adherence on CASI, although 21% acknowledged overâreporting adherence at least some of the time. Commitment to preventing HIV infection, a sense of ownership of the study, and keeping pills stored in a visible location facilitated adherence. Adherence barriers included âsimply forgettingâ and being away from home. Most women interviewed did not intend to use PrEP in the future because of lack of perceived need due to their own (as opposed to their partnersâ) lowârisk behaviour and concerns about affordability â but not because of side effects or other characteristics of the regimens. Conclusions
Improving HIV prevention options for US women will require access to affordable PrEP as well as expanding women\u27s understanding of relationshipâ and communityâlevel factors that increase their risk of acquiring HIV
Perspectives of US women participating in a candidate PrEP study: adherence, acceptability and future use intentions
IntroductionLimited data exist on acceptability of candidate preĂą exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) regimens among US women. We evaluated PrEP experiences, attitudes and future use intentions among sexually active women who completed the USĂą based HIV Prevention Trials Network 069/AIDS Clinical Trials Group 5305 study.MethodsWomen participated in the study between March 2013 and November 2015. We analysed computerĂą assisted selfĂą interview (CASI) surveys among 130 women and conducted inĂą depth interviews among a subset of 26 women from three sites. Interviews were conducted in mid/lateĂą 2015.ResultsMost women (57%) reported very good/excellent PrEP adherence on CASI, although 21% acknowledged overĂą reporting adherence at least some of the time. Commitment to preventing HIV infection, a sense of ownership of the study, and keeping pills stored in a visible location facilitated adherence. Adherence barriers included Ăą simply forgettingĂą and being away from home. Most women interviewed did not intend to use PrEP in the future because of lack of perceived need due to their own (as opposed to their partnersĂą ) lowĂą risk behaviour and concerns about affordability Ăą but not because of side effects or other characteristics of the regimens.DiscussionImproving HIV prevention options for US women will require access to affordable PrEP as well as expanding womenâs understanding of relationshipĂą and communityĂą level factors that increase their risk of acquiring HIV.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/148389/1/jia225247_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/148389/2/jia225247.pd
Managerial Responses to Incentives: Control of Firm Risk, Derivative Pricing Implications, and Outside Wealth Management
We model a firmâs value process controlled by a manager maximizing expected utility from
restricted shares and employee stock options. The manager also dynamically controls allocation
of his outside wealth. We explore interactions between those controls as he partially hedges his exposure to firm risk. Conditioning on his optimal behavior, control of firm risk increases the expected time to exercise for his employee stock options. It also reduces the percentage gap
between his certainty equivalent and the firmâs fair value for his compensation, but that gap remains substantial. Managerial control also causes traded options to exhibit an implied volatility smile
Low-intensity focused ultrasound targeting the nucleus accumbens as a potential treatment for substance use disorder: safety and feasibility clinical trial
IntroductionWhile current treatments for substance use disorder (SUD) are beneficial, success rates remain low and treatment outcomes are complicated by co-occurring SUDs, many of which are without available medication treatments. Research involving neuromodulation for SUD has recently gained momentum. This study evaluated two doses (60 and 90 W) of Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound (LIFU), targeting the bilateral nucleus accumbens (NAc), in individuals with SUD.MethodsFour participants (three male), who were receiving comprehensive outpatient treatment for opioid use disorder at the time of enrollment and who also had a history of excessive non-opioid substance use, completed this pilot study. After confirming eligibility, these participants received 10 min sham LIFU followed by 20 min active LIFU (10 min to left then right NAc). Outcomes were the safety, tolerability, and feasibility during the LIFU procedure and throughout the 90-day follow-up. Outcomes also included the impact of LIFU on cue-induced substance craving, assessed via Visual Analog Scale (VAS), both acutely (pre-, during and post-procedure) and during the 90-day follow-up. Daily craving ratings (without cues) were also obtained for one-week prior to and one-week following LIFU.ResultsBoth LIFU doses were safe and well-tolerated based on reported adverse events and MRI scans revealed no structural changes (0 min, 24 h, and 1-week post-procedure). For the two participants receiving âenhancedâ (90 W) LIFU, VAS craving ratings revealed active LIFU attenuated craving for participantsâ primary substances of choice relative to sham sonication. For these participants, reductions were also noted in daily VAS craving ratings (0 = no craving; 10 = most craving ever) across the week following LIFU relative to pre-LIFU; Participant #3 pre- vs. post-LIFU: opioids (3.6 ± 0.6 vs. 1.9 ± 0.4), heroin (4.2 ± 0.8 vs. 1.9 ± 0.4), methamphetamine (3.2 ± 0.4 vs. 0.0 ± 0.0), cocaine (2.4 ± 0.6 vs. 0.0 ± 0.0), benzodiazepines (2.8 ± 0.5 vs. 0.0 ± 0.0), alcohol (6.0 ± 0.7 vs. 2.7 ± 0.8), and nicotine (5.6 ± 1.5 vs. 3.1 ± 0.7); Participant #4: alcohol (3.5 ± 1.3 vs. 0.0 ± 0.0) and nicotine (5.0 ± 1.8 vs. 1.2 ± 0.8) (all pâs < 0.05). Furthermore, relative to screening, longitudinal reductions in cue-induced craving for several substances persisted during the 90-day post-LIFU follow-up evaluation for all participants.DiscussionIn conclusion, LIFU targeting the NAc was safe and acutely reduced substance craving during the LIFU procedure, and potentially had longer-term impact on craving reductions. While early observations are promising, NAc LIFU requires further investigation in a controlled trial to assess the impact on substance craving and ultimately substance use and relapse
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Advancing Biological Understanding and Therapeutics Discovery with Small-Molecule Probes
Small-molecule probes can illuminate biological processes and aid in the assessment of emerging therapeutic targets by perturbing biological systems in a manner distinct from other experimental approaches. Despite the tremendous promise of chemical tools for investigating biology and disease, small-molecule probes were unavailable for most targets and pathways as recently as a decade ago. In 2005, the U.S. National Institutes of Health launched the decade-long Molecular Libraries Program with the intent of innovating in and broadening access to small-molecule science. This Perspective describes how novel small-molecule probes identified through the program are enabling the exploration of biological pathways and therapeutic hypotheses not otherwise testable. These experiences illustrate how small-molecule probes can help bridge the chasm between biological research and the development of medicines, but also highlight the need to innovate the science of therapeutic discovery.Chemistry and Chemical Biolog
The association between adolescent condom use and individual and environmental resilience protective factors
Abstract Objective: Individual and environmental resilience protective factors are suggested to be associated with adolescent condom use; however, previous studies have not comprehensively examined such associations. This study aimed to determine the associations between condom use, and numerous individual and environmental resilience protective factors in sexually active Australian adolescents. Methods: Participants were Grade 10 students attending 28 Australian government high schools (n=1,688). An online survey (2011) collected data regarding: sexual intercourse (past year), condom use and 14 individual and environmental resilience protective factors. Multivariable backward stepwise logistic regression models examined associations between student condom use and protective factors (total, subscale). Results: Only total environmental protective factors remained in the final total score model; students with higher total environmental protective factors scores were 2.59 times more likely to always use a condom(95%CI:1.80â3.74). Only three of 14 protective factor subscales were associated with a higher likelihood of always using a condom in the final subscale model (individual: goals/aspirations; environmental: community participation, proâsocial peers). Conclusions: Total environmental and three protective factor subscales demonstrated prominent associations with consistent use of condoms in sexually active adolescents. Implications for public health: Consideration of particular resilience protective factors in adolescent sexual risk behaviour prevention, such as condom use, is warranted
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