Creating the conditions for scaling up the integration of reproductive health services for men in health and family welfare centers in Bangladesh

An operations research study, supported by the Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) program, showed that reproductive health services for men could be feasibly and acceptably integrated within the Health and Family Welfare Centres in Bangladesh, which have been primarily women-centered health facilities. Given these findings, a follow-up study was implemented to create the conditions for scaling up the model through identifying and piloting the operational details to consider when taking the intervention to scale. The findings presented in this report suggest that this model of service delivery and training can be scaled up countrywide, preferably in stages. To ensure compliance with systematic screening by all providers, the report recommends instituting supportive supervision, especially during the early stages of expansion, and holding clinical training in a facility where many RTI/STI cases are treated (such as a district hospital)

Osmotin-loaded magnetic nanoparticles with electromagnetic guidance for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent age-related neurodegenerative disease, pathologically characterized by the accumulation of aggregated amyloid beta (Aβ) in the brain.</p

Phase 2 study of pembrolizumab in patients with advanced rare cancers

Background Patients with advanced rare cancers have poor prognosis and few treatment options. As immunotherapy is effective across multiple cancer types, we aimed to assess pembrolizumab (programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitor) in patients with advanced rare cancers. Methods In this open-label, phase 2 trial, patients with advanced rare cancers whose tumors had progressed on standard therapies, if available, within the previous 6 months were enrolled in nine tumor-specific cohorts and a 10th cohort for other rare histologies. Pembrolizumab 200 mg was administered intravenously every 21 days. The primary endpoint was non-progression rate (NPR) at 27 weeks; secondary endpoints were safety and tolerability, objective response rate (ORR), and clinical benefit rate (CBR). Results A total of 127 patients treated between August 15, 2016 and July 27, 2018 were included in this analysis. At the time of data cut-off, the NPR at 27 weeks was 28% (95% CI, 19% to 37%). A confirmed objective response (OR) was seen in 15 of 110 (14%) evaluable patients (complete response in one and partial response in 14). CBR, defined as the percentage of patients with an OR or stable disease ≥4 months, was 38% (n=42). Treatment was ongoing in 11 of 15 patients with OR at last follow-up. In the cohort with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin, the NPR at 27 weeks was 36%, ORR 31%, and CBR 38%. In patients with adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), NPR at 27 weeks was 31%, ORR 15%, and CBR 54%. In the patients with carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP), NPR at 27 weeks was 33%, ORR 23%, and CBR 54%. In the paraganglioma–pheochromocytoma cohort, NPR at 27 weeks was 43%, ORR 0%, and CBR 75%. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 66 of 127 (52%) patients, and 12 (9%) had grade ≥3 TRAEs. The most common TRAEs were fatigue (n=25) and rash (n=17). There were six deaths, all of which were unrelated to the study drug. Conclusions The favorable toxicity profile and antitumor activity seen in patients with SCC of skin, ACC, CUP, and paraganglioma–pheochromocytoma supports further evaluation of pembrolizumab in this patient population. Trial registration number NCT0272173

Gender and Ethnic Differences in Learning and Study Strategies

Saenz and Ponjuan (2009) stated that research on the experiences of Latino male college students is needed, especially considering the growing gender gap in educational attainment. Although an increasing number of Latino students are pursuing and graduating from college, the proportion of male Latino students continues to decline in comparison to women. One important aspect of the college experience is successfully employing adaptive learning and study strategies. In this study we explored gender differences in learning and study strategies for 106 white (41 men, 65 women) and 56 Mexican American (31 men, 25 women) undergraduates attending a mid-sized public university in the Pacific Northwest. Variables measured included control of learning beliefs, self-efficacy for learning and performance, peer learning, help seeking, and time and study environment. For white students no significant gender differences were found. However, for Mexican American students the multivariate effect of gender was significant, (Wilk’s lambda = .73, F= 3.24, P \u3c .05, Partial Eta squared = .27). Follow-up tests revealed that men scored higher than females on self-efficacy for learning and performance and time study environment . The effect sizes for both were in the large range. These results add to our knowledge base regarding gender differences in learning and study strategies among students from diverse ethnic groups. In this sample, Mexican American men scored higher than women in the area of self-efficacy for learning and performance and time study environment

Obstructing barriers to accept palliative care among advanced cancer patients.

Obstructing barriers to accept palliative care among advanced cancer patients.</p

Distribution of type of cancers among respondents.

Distribution of type of cancers among respondents.</p

Socio-demographic and economic status (N = 398).

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to assess willingness of advanced cancer patients to receive palliative care and its determinants at Cancer Care Centre in Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre Northern Tanzania.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to assess willingness of advanced cancer patients to receive palliative care and its determinants at Cancer Care Centre in Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre Northern Tanzania.MethodsThis was an institution-based cross-sectional study and the target population was all advanced cancer patients attending care at Cancer care Centre in Northern Tanzania. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using Stata for windows 15. A descriptive analysis was conducted to summarize the data using mean standard deviation, while categorical data was summarized using frequency and percentages. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the predictors associated with willingness to receive palliative care.ResultsThe results showed that more than half of the respondents had willingness to accept palliative care. The degree of willingness PC among advanced cancer patients was high 60.6% (95%CI: 55.8–65.3). The predictors which remained significant associated with willingness to receive palliative care in multivariate analysis were the knowledgeable of palliative care [AOR: 2.86; 95%CI: 1.69–4.85] and high perceived benefits of palliative care [AOR: 3.58; 95%CI: 2.12–6.04].ConclusionWillingness to accept palliative care services was more than half of the patients just 60.6% among patients with advanced cancer from the study site. Advanced age of a patient, occupations, better knowledge, and perceived benefits for palliative care was the significant predictor for patients’ willingness to accept palliative care.</div