Previous reproductive history and post-natal family planning among HIV-infected women in Ukraine

BACKGROUND: Ukraine has the highest antenatal HIV prevalence in Europe. The national prevention of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) programme has reduced the MTCT rate, but less attention has been given to the prevention of unintended pregnancy among HIV-positive women. Our objectives were to describe the reproductive health, condom use and family planning (FP) practices of HIV-positive childbearing Ukrainian women and to identify factors associated with different methods of post-natal contraception. METHODS: HIV-infected childbearing women, diagnosed before or during pregnancy, were enrolled prospectively in a post-natal cohort study in four regional HIV/AIDS centres in Ukraine from December 2007. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with post-natal FP practices. RESULTS: Data were available for 371 women enrolled by March 2009; 82% (n = 303) were married or cohabiting, 27% (97 of 363) reported a current HIV-negative sexual partner and 69% were diagnosed with HIV during their most recent pregnancy. Overall, 21% (75 of 349) of women were not using contraception post-natally (of whom 80% reported no current sexual activity), 50% (174 of 349) used condoms, 20% (74 of 349) relied solely/partially on coitus interruptus and 4% used hormonal methods or intrauterine device. Among married/cohabiting women, consistent use of condoms in the previous pregnancy [AOR 1.96 (95%CI 1.06–3.62)], having an HIV-positive partner [AOR 0.42 (0.20–0.87)], current sexual activity [AOR 4.53 (1.19–17.3)] and study site were significantly associated with post-natal condom use; 16% of those with HIV-negative partners did not use condoms. Risk factors for non-use of FP were lack of affordability [AOR 6.34 (1.73–23.2)] and inconsistent use of condoms in the previous pregnancy [AOR 7.25 (1.41–37.2)]. CONCLUSIONS: More than 40% of HIV-positive women in this population are at risk of unintended pregnancy and the one in six women in HIV-discordant couples not using barrier methods risk transmitting HIV to their partners. Our study results are limited by the observational nature of the data and the potential for both measured and unmeasured confounding

Cervical Screening within HIV Care: Findings from an HIV-Positive Cohort in Ukraine

HIV-positive women have an increased risk of invasive cervical cancer but cytologic screening is effective in reducing incidence. Little is known about cervical screening coverage or the prevalence of abnormal cytology among HIV-positive women in Ukraine, which has the most severe HIV epidemic in Europe

Foresight as a tool of public administration in the field of science, technology and innovation

Given the growing role of technological foresight as a tool for reconciling visions, goals and ways of STI development in an era of rapid technological change and global challenges, the approach to foresight research to select priorities for science and innovation in Ukraine for 2022-2026 has been improved. It takes into account a wide range of national targets for achieving SDGs by 2030. The developed Methodological recommendations provided a thorough analysis of more than 3.000 potentially acceptable technological and innovative proposals. The approach to setting STI priorities is new for Ukraine and involves a consistent process of selecting the top 30 most acceptable proposals in each of the seven thematic areas through five stages of discussions and evaluations. The result was the formation of a database of technology passports and developments on the experts’ proposals, their selection by practitioners, ranking, evaluation in terms of the potential of Ukrainian science and relevance in terms of world science and new technologies using international databases. They are the basis for decisions by the Expert Councils and the High-Level Working Group on key thematic areas and the preparation of a relevant draft government decision. Despite the conditions of quarantine, for the first time more than 2.500 experts from science, business, state and public organizations took part in the discussions, which is the basis for impartial and public decision-making. To strengthen the role of foresight as a tool for public planning and management in the field of STI, it is proposed to develop a STI roadmap as part of a research and innovation strategy for smart specialization (RIS 3) at the national leve

Collapse of the bridge span extended by prefabri-cated-monolitic plate after 30 years of operation

The structural solution of reconstruction of reinforced concrete bridge, built in 60th of the last century according to the scheme 3×22,2 m, with widening of the span structure from the G-7+2×0,75 m to G-10+2×1,5 m by precast-monolithic ribbed plate with cantilever overhangs is considered. The main advantages and disadvantages of this structural solution, which during the reconstruction of the bridge was a new scientific and technical development of the Lviv Polytechnic Institute and under the decision of the Scientific and Technical Council of the Ministry of Construction of Ukraine, were implemented in the reconstruction of bridges at the stage of experimental construction.During the reconstruction, the strengthening of the intermediate support was carried out, which, due to the erosion of the base under the foundation, had a one-sided inclination up to 30 cm. The strengthening is arranged on both sides of the existing support of 1,2 m diameter concrete pillars, supported on a rocky base, and united above by a monolithic reinforced concrete crossbar located within the height of the existing beams and the paving slab. Thus, for the two adjacent to this support spans, the static scheme was changed from a simply supported section to a frame-non-slit with a rigid knot above the support capable of perceiving the bending moment and thereby reducing the bending moment in the span, that is, to strengthen the beams. However, due to the mistake made in the bridge reconstruction project – the lack of a pressure longitudinal working armature in a rigid frame assembly, the statically indetermination over the support was fictitious and did not provide strengthening of the beams in adjacent spans.The circumstances of the accident of the reconstructed bridge after 30 years of its operation with the destruction and collapse of the beams of medium (channel) span are described. Inspection and analysis of the operating conditions revealed significant violations of the normative rules for maintaining the bridge and the presence of non-liquidated defects of the paving slab and the bridge web, which in time caused the corrosion and destruction of concrete shelves (compressed zone) of existing beams, as well as a significant reduction in their strength and destruction from the crush of the compressed zone without any warning signs to the fluidity of the longitudinal working armature.Checking calculations of the extended span structure for the load normalized at the time of designing are performed in order to check the correctness of the made design decisions of reconstruction, as well as the actual operating loads at the time of destruction of the span structure. These calculations confirmed the possibility of the destruction of the beams due to the decrease of concrete strength.In the conclusion, the causes of the bridge accident are formulated as a result of a coincidence of adverse factors: unpatched defects of the plate and bridge pavement, designers’ error, violation of the rules of bridge operation

ПРОГНОЗУВАННЯ РЕЖИМУ ТИМЧАСОВОЇ ЕКСПЛУАТАЦІЇ ЗАЛІЗОБЕТОННОГО МОСТА ЗА ПРИВЕДЕНИМ КОЕФІЦІЄНТОМ ЗАПАСУ

Technical condition of strings span bridge and method of operation mode prediction by the lead safety factor of strength are described.Описано техническое состояние струнобетонного пролетного строения моста и методика прогнозирования режима его эксплуатации по приведенному коэффициенту запаса прочности.Описаний технічний стан струнобетонної прольотної будови моста та методика прогнозування режиму її експлуатації за приведеним коефіцієнтом запасу міцності

Moscow Meson Factory Dtl Rf System Upgrade

this paper. DTL RF system consists of 5 identical channels plus reserve one. Every channel includes the four-stage 198,2 MHz amplifier, two anode modulators (one of them for the first two amplifier stages on the valves GS-31B and the other for the two output stages on the valves GI-51A and GI-54A), coaxial system, phase and amplitude automatic control systems (Fig.1)

Peculiarites of the quality of higher medical education in Ukraine in modern conditions

Increasing the quality of higher education has occupied a dominant place in recent years in the issues of ensuring the competitiveness of the educational system of Ukraine and training personnel with appropriate qualifications. The influence of integration processes, the growing role of globalization cause the need to use international educational standards and quality assessment criteria in the field of education. At the same time, the difference in potential opportunities and resource provision of higher education in Ukraine in comparison with developed countries, does not allow us to talk about equal approaches to issues of improving the quality of education. The difficulties and new challenges faced by the educational process in higher medical educational institutions of Ukraine recently, namely the COVID-19 pandemic, the introduction of martial law in Ukraine, have a great negative impact not only on the life and development of the country, the functioning of its various spheres of activity, but also on the development of the educational process itself

Клінічні особливості застосування високочастотної технології електрозварювання і холодно-плазмової коагуляції при видаленні внутрішньочерепних кістозних менінгіом

The aim of the work: improving surgical technique and reducing intraoperative blood loss by means of soft tissue electric welding (EW) and the use of cold-plasma coagulation during the curative operations for patients with extracerebral cystic meningiomas.Materials and Methods. At the Department of Extracerebral Tumors and Endoscopic Neurosurgery of A. Romodanov Neurosurgery Institute, National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine from 2012 to 2017 there were conducted surgical interventions for 54 patients (22 men aged from 20 to 79 years old and 32 women aged from 42 to 77 years old) with supratentorial cystic tumors, using the soft tissue EW generator (multifunctional and cross functional device EKVZ - 300 "PATONMED").Results and Discussion. The HPC method has high tolerability, provides a high rate of wound epithelialization, is painless and shows a decrease in exudation. Studying of the terms of complete wound epithelization showed an accelerated recovery rate of the epithelium and decrease of the recurrence rate. With considering low cicatricial changes after the use of HPC it can be recommend as a method of CNS tumors surgery in order to prevent the secondary postoperative epileptic syndromes.Nowadays, together with the staff members of Paton Electric Welding Institute we are actively working on the development and imple­mentation into practice of a new method of contactless thermospray treatment of living tissues, which makes it possible to achieve stable hemostasis quickly and effectively if there is bleeding from vessels up to 3 mm in diameter, or from the parenchymatous organs, also it contributes to successful bloodless tissue dissection, thermoablation of tumors and metastases. Implementation of the technique of contactless thermospray treatment of living tissues proves its effectiveness in preventing wound infections and significant tissue damage, which makes it indispensable providing the surgical treatment in hospitals and in outpatient conditions.Conclusions. There is presented the data of our own researches of use the high-frequency technology of electric welding and cold-plasma coagulation during intracranial meningiomas removal. The application of surgical welding technologies allows us to shorten the duration of surgical procedure, to provide a stable hemostasis, to reduce the blood loss volume, to decrease the number of complications and to minimize the use of suture materials.Цель работы: улучшить оперативную технику и снизить интраоперационную кровопотерю методом электросварки (ЭС) мяг­ких тканей и применения холодно-плазменной коагуляции в ходе выполнения радикальных оперативных вмешательств у па­циентов с ВКМ.Материалы и методы. В отделении внемозговых опухолей и эндоскопической нейрохирургии ГУ “Институт нейрохирургии им. акад. А. П. Ромоданова НАМН Украины” ” в течение 5 лет (2012 – 2017 гг.) выполнено 54 оперативных вмешательства (у 22 мужчин в возрасте от 20 до 79 лет и 32 женщин от 42 до 77 лет) при ВКМ различной локализации с использованием генератора ЭС мягких тканей, представленным многофункциональным и универсальным аппаратом ЕКВЗ-300 “ПАТОНМЕД”. Все опухоли были супратенториальной локализации.Результаты исследований и их обсуждение. Метод ГПК обладает хорошей переносимостью, обеспечивает високий темп эпителизации раны, отличается отсутствием боли и уменьшением экссудации. Изучение сроков полной эпителизации раны показали ускоренные темпы восстановления эпителия ТМО и уменьшение числа рецидивов заболевания. Отсутствие рубцовых изменений после использования ГПК позволяет рекомендовать применение метода для лечения опухолей ЦНС с целью профилактики вторичного постоперационного эписиндрома.В настоящее время совместно с сотрудниками Института электросварки им. Е. О. Патона ведется активная работа по разработке и внедрению в практику новой методики бесконтактной термоструйной обработки живых тканей (БТОЖТ), позволяющей быстро и эффективно достичь стойкого гемостаза при кровотечении из сосудов диаметром до 3 мм, паренхиматозных органов, выполнить бескровное рассечение тканей, термоабляцию опухолей и метастазов. Применение методики БТОЖТ доказывает ее эффективность в профилактике гнойных осложнений при обширных поражениях тканей, что делает ее незаменимой при оказании хирургической помощи в стационарах и амбулаторных условиях.Мета роботи: поліпшити оперативну техніку і зменшити інтраопераційну крововтрату методом електрозварювання (ЕЗ) м’яких тканин і застосування холодно-плазмової коагуляції в ході виконання радикальних оперативних втручань у пацієнтів із ВКМ.Матеріали і методи. У відділенні позамозкових пухлин і ендоскопічної нейрохірургії ДУ “Інститут нейрохірургії імені акад. А. П. Ромоданова НАМН України” протягом 5 років (2012 – 2017 рр.) проведено 54 оперативні втручання при ВКМ різної локалізації з використанням генератора ЕЗ м’яких тканин, представленим багатофункціональним і універсальним апаратом ЕКВЗ- 300 “ПАТОНМЕД”. Всі пухлини були супратенторіальної локалізації.Результати досліджень та їх обговорення. Метод ГПК має хорошу переносимість, забезпечує високий темп епітелізації рани, відрізняється відсутністю болю і зменшенням ексудації. Вивчення термінів повної епітелізації рани показали прискорені темпи відновлення епітелію ТМО і зменшення числа рецидивів захворювання. Відсутність рубцевих змін після використання ГПК дозволяє рекомендувати застосування методу для лікування пухлин ЦНС з метою профілактики вторинного постопераційного епісиндрому.Нині спільно із співробітниками Інституту електрозварювання імені Є. О. Патона триває активна робота з розробки та впровадження в практику нової методики безконтактної термоструминної обробки живих тканин (БТОЖТ), що дозволяє швидко і ефективно досягти стійкого гемостазу при кровотечі з судин діаметром до 3-х мм, паренхіматозних органів, виконати безкровний розтин тканин, термоабляцію пухлин і метастазів.Застосування методики БТОЖТ доводить її ефективність у профілактиці гнійних ускладнень при значних ураженнях тканин, що робить її незамінною при наданні хірургічної допомоги в стаціонарах і в амбулаторних умовах