Conjunctival cancers in HIV patients at the university hospital of Brazzaville

Background: Conjunctival cancers are masses raised or flat, located in or directly under the conjunctival mucous membrane covering the anterior sclera, tarsus and conjunctival dead-end. These tumours usually occur in the elderly or in cases of HIV/AIDS.Objective: To list the different types of conjunctival cancer in cases of HIV/AIDS at the University Hospital of Brazzaville.Design: It was a descriptive and transversal study, conducted between January 2008 and December 2012.Setting: The University Hospital of Brazzaville.Subjects: HIV patients under anti-retroviral treatment or not seen for conjunctival cancer histologically proven were selected.Results: Twenty-eight patients (28) were selected including a woman at 30 weeks of gestation. Two types of cancers were diagnosed, Carcinoma in situ (28.57%) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (71.43%), no secondary tumour. There were anti-retroviral treatment failure in 89.29% of the cases.Conclusion: Squamous Cell Carcinoma was the most common conjunctival cancer. Better compliance of anti-retroviral treatment can reduce the prevalence of these tumours

Synthesis and characterization of polyesters from renewable cardol

The preparation and thermal characteristics of new polyesters from cardol, a renewable monomer obtained as a by-product of the cashew industry, are reported. Cardol - a diol component of the natural product cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) was isolated and reacted with adipoyl chloride and terephthaloyl chloride in a 1:1 molar ratio in hexane and toluene as solvents at 170 °C under nitrogen atmosphere. The cardol based polyesters [poly(cardyl adipate) and poly(cardyl terephthalate)] were produced in good yields of up to 63 and 54%, respectively. The polymers were analysed by FT-IR for functional groups elucidation and by combined thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for thermal stability. The cardol-based polyesters were thermally stable up to about 400 °C. The thermal stability of poly(cardyl terephthalate) was higher than that of poly(cardyl adipate) under similar conditions. All prepared polyesters were insoluble in common laboratory solvents at room temperature

“Facing Our Fears”: Using facilitated film viewings to engage communities in HIV research involving MSM in Kenya

Kenya is a generally homophobic country where homosexuality is criminalised and people who engage in same sex sexuality face stigma and discrimination. In 2013, we developed a 16 min documentary entitled "Facing Our Fears" that aimed at sharing information on how and why men who have sex with men (MSM) are involved in on-going KEMRI HIV prevention research, and associated community engagement. To consider the film's usefulness as a communication tool, and its perceived security risks in case the film was publicly released, we conducted nine facilitated viewings with 122 individuals representing seven different stakeholder groups. The documentary was seen as a strong visual communication tool with potential to reduce stigma related to homosexuality, and facilitated film viewings were identified as platforms with potential to support open dialogue about HIV research involving MSM. Despite the potential, there were concerns over possible risks to LGBT communities and those working with them following public release. We opted-giving emphasis to the "do no harm" principle-to use the film only in facilitated settings where audience knowledge and attitudes can be carefully considered and discussed. The results highlight the importance of carefully assessing the range of possible impacts when using visuals in community engagement.</p

A cross-country review of strategies of the German development cooperation to strengthen human resources

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Recent years have seen growing awareness of the importance of human resources for health in health systems and with it an intensifying of the international and national policies in place to steer a response. This paper looks at how governments and donors in five countries - Cameroon, Indonesia, Malawi, Rwanda and Tanzania - have translated such policies into action. More detailed information with regard to initiatives of German development cooperation brings additional depth to the range and entry doors of human resources for health initiatives from the perspective of donor cooperation. METHODS: This qualitative study systematically presents different approaches and stages to human resources for health development in a cross-country comparison. An important reference to capture implementation at country level was grey literature such as policy documents and programme reports. In-depth interviews along a predefined grid with national and international stakeholders in the five countries provided information on issues related to human resources for health policy processes and implementation. RESULTS: All five countries have institutional entities in place and have drawn up national policies to address human resources for health. Only some of the countries have translated policies into strategies with defined targets and national programmes with budgets and operational plans. Traditional approaches of supporting training for individual health professionals continue to dominate. In some cases partners have played an advocacy and technical role to promote human resources for health development at the highest political levels, but usually they still focus on the provision of ad hoc training within their programmes, which may not be in line with national human resources for health development efforts or may even be counterproductive to them. Countries that face an emergency, such as Malawi, have intensified their efforts within a relatively short time and by using donor funding support also through new initiatives such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. CONCLUSIONS: The country case studies illustrate the range of initiatives that have surged in recent years and some main trends in terms of donor initiatives. Though attention and priority attributed to human resources for health is increasing, there is still a focus on single initiatives and programmes. This can be explained in part by the complexity of the issue, and in part by its need to be addressed through a long-term approach including public sector and salary reforms that go beyond the health secto

Experimental determination of nanofiltration models: application to nitrate removal

[EN] Nowadays, nitrate contamination of groundwater is a growing problem both in developed and developing countries. Such contamination comes mainly from the intensive use of nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture. Other possible sources of water contamination by nitrates are improper discharges of industrial effluents, the inadequate management of leachate from landfill of municipal solid waste and effluents from intensive farming. The maximum permissible concentration of nitrates in the water for public consumption in the EU countries is 50mg/L, although the World Health Organization established a value of 25mg/L to be considered a quality water. This problem of nitrate contamination, widespread in countries of the European Union, is very important in Spain, where there are some regions with a high presence of aquifers with nitrate concentrations significantly higher than the established limits. Among the possible treatments for nitrate removal from contaminated waters, nanofiltration (NF) is a technically proven process that eliminates nitrates without causing a significant imbalance in the rest of dissolved salts. In this work, the removal of nitrates from water using a commercial NF membrane is studied. Synthetic feeds with levels of nitrate concentration higher than the ones usually found in contaminated aquifers have been considered. On the other hand, the experimental results have been fitted to the solution-diffusion model, having found mathematical expressions that can be used to predict membrane performance for feed concentrations higher than 100mg/L. The model considers the concentration on the surface of the membrane, estimated by the film theory model. It has been proved that concentration polarization cannot be neglected for this application. The tested membrane allows nitrate decontamination of water (concentration below the legal limit) in one pass for values of feed concentration up to 100mg/L, with a transmembrane pressure of 5bar.Sancho, M.; Alvarez-Blanco, S.; Kombo, G.; García-Fayos, B. (2016). Experimental determination of nanofiltration models: application to nitrate removal. Desalination and Water Treatment. 57(48):22852-22859. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443994.2016.1173380S22852228595748Van der Bruggen, B., Mänttäri, M., & Nyström, M. (2008). Drawbacks of applying nanofiltration and how to avoid them: A review. Separation and Purification Technology, 63(2), 251-263. doi:10.1016/j.seppur.2008.05.010Van der Bruggen, B., & Vandecasteele, C. (2003). Removal of pollutants from surface water and groundwater by nanofiltration: overview of possible applications in the drinking water industry. Environmental Pollution, 122(3), 435-445. doi:10.1016/s0269-7491(02)00308-1Bhatnagar, A., & Sillanpää, M. (2011). A review of emerging adsorbents for nitrate removal from water. Chemical Engineering Journal, 168(2), 493-504. doi:10.1016/j.cej.2011.01.103Santafé-Moros, A., Gozálvez-Zafrilla, J. M., & Lora-García, J. (2005). Performance of commercial nanofiltration membranes in the removal of nitrate ions. Desalination, 185(1-3), 281-287. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2005.02.080Garcia, F., Ciceron, D., Saboni, A., & Alexandrova, S. (2006). Nitrate ions elimination from drinking water by nanofiltration: Membrane choice. Separation and Purification Technology, 52(1), 196-200. doi:10.1016/j.seppur.2006.03.023Tepuš, B., Simonič, M., & Petrinić, I. (2009). Comparison between nitrate and pesticide removal from ground water using adsorbents and NF and RO membranes. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 170(2-3), 1210-1217. doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.05.105Van der Bruggen, B., Everaert, K., Wilms, D., & Vandecasteele, C. (2001). Application of nanofiltration for removal of pesticides, nitrate and hardness from ground water: rejection properties and economic evaluation. Journal of Membrane Science, 193(2), 239-248. doi:10.1016/s0376-7388(01)00517-8Bowen, W. R., & Welfoot, J. S. (2002). Modelling the performance of membrane nanofiltration—critical assessment and model development. Chemical Engineering Science, 57(7), 1121-1137. doi:10.1016/s0009-2509(01)00413-4Garba, Y., Taha, S., Gondrexon, N., & Dorange, G. (1999). Ion transport modelling through nanofiltration membranes. Journal of Membrane Science, 160(2), 187-200. doi:10.1016/s0376-7388(99)00085-xWang, D.-X., Su, M., Yu, Z.-Y., Wang, X.-L., Ando, M., & Shintani, T. (2005). Separation performance of a nanofiltration membrane influenced by species and concentration of ions. Desalination, 175(2), 219-225. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2004.10.009Santafé-Moros, A., Gozálvez-Zafrilla, J. M., & Lora-García, J. (2008). Applicability of the DSPM with dielectric exclusion to a high rejection nanofiltration membrane in the separation of nitrate solutions. Desalination, 221(1-3), 268-276. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2007.01.083Cséfalvay, E., Pauer, V., & Mizsey, P. (2009). Recovery of copper from process waters by nanofiltration and reverse osmosis. Desalination, 240(1-3), 132-142. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2007.11.070Wang, R., Li, Y., Wang, J., You, G., Cai, C., & Chen, B. H. (2012). Modeling the permeate flux and rejection of nanofiltration membrane separation with high concentration uncharged aqueous solutions. Desalination, 299, 44-49. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2012.05.014Silva, P., Han, S., & Livingston, A. G. (2005). Solvent transport in organic solvent nanofiltration membranes. Journal of Membrane Science, 262(1-2), 49-59. doi:10.1016/j.memsci.2005.03.052Yaroshchuk, A., Martínez-Lladó, X., Llenas, L., Rovira, M., & de Pablo, J. (2011). Solution-diffusion-film model for the description of pressure-driven trans-membrane transfer of electrolyte mixtures: One dominant salt and trace ions. Journal of Membrane Science, 368(1-2), 192-201. doi:10.1016/j.memsci.2010.11.037Koter, S. (2006). Determination of the parameters of the Spiegler–Kedem–Katchalsky model for nanofiltration of single electrolyte solutions. Desalination, 198(1-3), 335-345. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2006.02.009Lau, W. J., Ismail, A. F., & Firdaus, S. (2013). Car wash industry in Malaysia: Treatment of car wash effluent using ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes. Separation and Purification Technology, 104, 26-31. doi:10.1016/j.seppur.2012.11.012De la Rubia, Á., Rodríguez, M., León, V. M., & Prats, D. (2008). Removal of natural organic matter and THM formation potential by ultra- and nanofiltration of surface water. Water Research, 42(3), 714-722. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2007.07.049Caus, A., Vanderhaegen, S., Braeken, L., & Van der Bruggen, B. (2009). Integrated nanofiltration cascades with low salt rejection for complete removal of pesticides in drinking water production. Desalination, 241(1-3), 111-117. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2008.01.061Schock, G., & Miquel, A. (1987). Mass transfer and pressure loss in spiral wound modules. Desalination, 64, 339-352. doi:10.1016/0011-9164(87)90107-xYeh, H. S., & Wills, G. B. (1970). Diffusion coefficient of sodium nitrate in aqueous solution at 25.deg. as a function of concentration from 0.1 to 1.0M. Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data, 15(1), 187-189. doi:10.1021/je60044a025Koutsou, C. P., Yiantsios, S. G., & Karabelas, A. J. (2009). A numerical and experimental study of mass transfer in spacer-filled channels: Effects of spacer geometrical characteristics and Schmidt number. Journal of Membrane Science, 326(1), 234-251. doi:10.1016/j.memsci.2008.10.007Paugam, L., Taha, S., Cabon, J., & Dorange, G. (2003). Elimination of nitrate ions in drinking waters by nanofiltration. Desalination, 152(1-3), 271-274. doi:10.1016/s0011-9164(02)01073-

Engaging religious leaders to support HIV prevention and care for gays, bisexual men, and other men who have sex with men in coastal Kenya

In Kenyan communities, religious leaders are important gatekeepers in matters of health and public morality. In a context that is generally homophobic, religious leaders may aggravate or reduce stigmatization of sexual minorities such as gay and bisexual men, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). Literature indicates mixed results in efforts to encourage religious leaders to work effectively and sensitively with issues regarding HIV and sexuality. This paper describes the implementation of an engagement intervention with religious leaders from different denominations, which took place following a homophobic hate attack that was led by local religious leaders, at an HIV research clinic for GBMSM on the Kenyan coast. After the homophobic attack, tailored engagement activities, including a comprehensive four-day online sensitivity training course took place between June 2015 and October 2016 in the Kenyan coast. HIV researchers, together with trained GBMSM activists, organized the series of engagement activities for religious leaders which unfolded iteratively, with each subsequent activity informed by the results of the previous one. Facilitated conversations were used to explore differences and disagreements in relation to questions of scripture, mission, HIV, and human sexuality. As a result, researchers noted that many religious leaders, who initially expressed exceedingly negative attitudes towards GBMSM, started to express far more accepting and supportive views of sexuality, sexual identities, and same-sex relations. This paper describes the changes in religious leaders' discourses relating to GBMSM, and highlights the possibility of using engagement interventions to build trust between research institutes, religious leaders, and GBMSM

Engaging religious leaders to support HIV prevention and care for gays, bisexual men, and other men who have sex with men in coastal Kenya

In Kenyan communities, religious leaders are important gatekeepers in matters of health and public morality. In a context that is generally homophobic, religious leaders may aggravate or reduce stigmatization of sexual minorities such as gay and bisexual men, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). Literature indicates mixed results in efforts to encourage religious leaders to work effectively and sensitively with issues regarding HIV and sexuality. This paper describes the implementation of an engagement intervention with religious leaders from different denominations, which took place following a homophobic hate attack that was led by local religious leaders, at an HIV research clinic for GBMSM on the Kenyan coast. After the homophobic attack, tailored engagement activities, including a comprehensive four-day online sensitivity training course took place between June 2015 and October 2016 in the Kenyan coast. HIV researchers, together with trained GBMSM activists, organized the series of engagement activities for religious leaders which unfolded iteratively, with each subsequent activity informed by the results of the previous one. Facilitated conversations were used to explore differences and disagreements in relation to questions of scripture, mission, HIV, and human sexuality. As a result, researchers noted that many religious leaders, who initially expressed exceedingly negative attitudes towards GBMSM, started to express far more accepting and supportive views of sexuality, sexual identities, and same-sex relations. This paper describes the changes in religious leaders' discourses relating to GBMSM, and highlights the possibility of using engagement interventions to build trust between research institutes, religious leaders, and GBMSM