Personalized Normative Feedback for College Student Condom Use

Personalized normative feedback (PNF) interventions provide corrective normative feedback and have been found to successfully elicit behavior change (e.g., related to alcohol consumption, gambling). There are no known PNF interventions that explicitly target risky sexual behavior (RSB). PNF interventions have demonstrated significant reductions on drinking outcomes and normative perceptions, highlighting the potential utility of a PNF intervention specifically for RSB. The current study tested the utility of a web-based PNF intervention to correct normative perceptions regarding condom use as well as to increase condom use among college students. A sample of 189 undergraduate students (80.6% female, 62.2% non-Hispanic Caucasian) who reported engaging in intercourse over the past month completed the study online and were randomized to one of two conditions: (1) PNF (n = 95) or (2) attention-control (n = 94). At a one-month follow-up, students reported on their condom use and perception of other students’ condom use. At follow-up, conditions did not significantly differ on norms or condom use. In the PNF condition, students who endorsed lower baseline perceived normative beliefs exhibited significantly greater normative beliefs at follow-up, however students who endorsed lower baseline condom use did not exhibit greater condom use at follow-up. Potential for an iatrogenic effect of the PNF intervention (i.e., a decrease in condom use among individuals whose baseline use was higher than the norm) was evaluated; the overall effect was nonsignificant. Continued research efforts in this area are necessary to identify intervention strategies to best target college student condom use

FEASIBILTY ANALYSIS OF WALKING OF PASSIVE DYNAMIC BIPED ROBOT

  Passive dynamic walking is an essential development for the biped robots. So the focus of our work is a systematic analysis of the passive walk of a planar biped robot on an inclined slope. The dynamics of passive biped robot is only caused of gravity. The biped robot with two point masses at kneeless legs and a third point mass at the hip-joint is kinematically equivalent to a double pendulum. In this paper, we represent a general method for developing the equations of motion and impact equations for the study of multi-body systems, as in bipedal models. The solution of this system depends on the initial conditions. But it is difficult to find the proper initial conditions for which the system has solutions, in other words, the initial conditions for which the robot can walk. In this paper, we describe the cell mapping method which able to compute the feasible initial conditions for which the biped robot can move forward on the inclined ramp. The results of this method described the region of feasible initial conditions is small and bounded. Moreover, the results of cell mapping method give the fixed of Poincare map which explains the symmetric gait cycle of the robot and describe the orientation of legs of robot

Helicobacter pylori eradication: A randomised comparative trial of 7-day versus 14-day triple therapy

Background. Helicobacter pylori is associated with several upper gastrointestinal conditions including chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric malignancy. Proton pump inhibitor-based triple therapies are considered the standard regimens for H. pylori eradication, but the optimal duration of therapy is controversial. To prevent infection and complications, local studies should be undertaken to evaluate H. pylori eradication rates in a country.Objectives. We compared 7-day and 14-day regimens to determine the optimum duration of triple therapy for H. pylori eradication.Methods. We undertook a prospective randomised comparative trial of 7-day and 14-day triple therapy regimen for H. pylori eradication at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi; 120 patients with dyspepsia and H. pylori infection were randomised to receive esomeprazole, amoxicillin and clarithromycin for either 7 days (EAC 7) or 14 days (EAC 14). Compliance and side-effects were assessed 2 weeks after the start of therapy and H. pylori eradication was assessed by stool antigen tests 4 weeks after treatment.Results. Both the intention-to-treat (ITT; N=120) and per protocol (PP; N=97) analyses showed no significant differences between the eradication rates of EAC 7 (ITT 76.7%; PP 92%) and EAC 14 (ITT 73.3%; PP 93.6%) (ITT p=0.67; PP p=0.76). Poor compliance was reported in one patient in the EAC 14 group. The incidence of adverse events was comparable in the two groups.Conclusion. One-week and 2-week triple treatments for H. pylori eradication are similar in terms of efficacy, safety and patient compliance.S Afr Med J 2012;102(6):368-371

Study of arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using single bundle hamstring auto-graft by trans-portal technique

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is a serious injury that results in immediate knee instability, lengthy rehabilitation and increased risk of early onset knee osteoarthritis. The goal of anatomic reconstruction is to place the ACL graft at a more anatomic location on both tibia and femur. The purposes of the study were to evaluate the outcome of trans-portal arthroscopic ACL reconstruction clinically and radiologically and to compare the results with reported studies.Methods: 52 patients with complete tear of the ACL were treated with arthroscopic ACL reconstruction. The patients were regularly followed up at 4, 8, 12 and 24 weeks whereby laxity, pain and range of motion were assessed.Results: There were 43 male and 9 females with the mean age being 30.38 years. Left sided injury was more common seen in 31 patients (59.62%) where domestic twist injury caused most of the ACL tears. Only 4 cases (7.69%) had isolated ACL tears and lateral meniscus was the most common associated injury found in 25 patients (48.07%) Average operative time was 113 minutes. Pain was the most common post-op complication seen in 16 patients (30.76%) while laxity was noted in 4 patients. Average flexion of 111.44 degrees was reached at 6 months. 37 cases (71.15%) had excellent post-op outcome at 6 months as per the modified cincinnati rating system.Conclusions: ACL reconstruction using the arthroscopic trans-portal technique provides good post-op knee stability and satisfactory range of motion

The effect of a postpartum IUD intervention on counseling and choice: Evidence from a cluster-randomized stepped-wedge trial in Sri Lanka

BACKGROUND: The International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), in collaboration with the Sri Lankan College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists (SLCOG), launched an initiative in 2014 to institutionalize immediate postpartum IUD (PPIUD) services as a routine part of antenatal counseling and delivery room services in Sri Lanka. In this study, we evaluate the effect of the FIGO-SLCOG PPIUD intervention in six hospitals by means of a cluster-randomized stepped-wedge trial. METHODS/DESIGN: Six hospitals were randomized into two groups of three using matched pairs. Following a 3-month baseline period, the intervention was administered to the first group, while the second group received the intervention after 9 months of baseline data collection. We collected data from 39,084 women who delivered in these hospitals between September 2015 and January 2017. We conduct an intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis to determine the impact of the intervention on PPIUD counseling and choice of PPIUD, as measured by consent to receive a PPIUD, as well as PPIUD uptake (insertion following delivery). We also investigate how factors related to counseling, such as counseling timing and quality, are linked to choice of PPIUD. RESULTS: We find that the intervention increased rates of counseling, from an average counseling rate of 12% in all hospitals prior to the intervention to an average rate of 51% in all hospitals after the rollout of the intervention (0.307; 95% CI 0.148-0.465). In contrast, we find the impact of the intervention on choice of PPIUD to be less robust and mixed, with 4.1% of women choosing PPIUD prior to the intervention compared to 9.8% of women choosing PPIUD after the rollout of the intervention (0.027; 95% CI 0.000-0.054). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that incorporating PPIUD services into postpartum care is feasible and potentially effective. Taking the evidence on both counseling and choice of PPIUD together, we find that the intervention had a generally positive impact on receipt of PPIUD counseling and, to a lesser degree, on choice of the PPIUD. Nevertheless, it is clear that the intervention's effectiveness can be improved to be able to meet the demand for postpartum family planning of women. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02718222 . Registered on 11 March 2016 (retrospectively registered).Published version and Accepted manuscript versions

Successive-approximation-register based quantizer design for high-speed delta-sigma modulators

High-speed delta-sigma modulators are in high demand for applications such as wire-line and wireless communications, medical imaging, RF receivers and high-definition video processing. A high-speed delta-sigma modulator requires that all components of the delta-sigma loop operate at the desired high frequency. For this reason, it is essential that the quantizer used in the delta-sigma loop operate at a high sampling frequency. This thesis focuses on the design of high-speed time-interleaved multi-bit successive-approximation-register (SAR) quantizers. Design techniques for high-speed medium-resolution SAR analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) using synchronous SAR logic are proposed. Four-bit and 8-bit 5 GS/s SAR ADCs have been implemented in 65 nm CMOS using 8-channel and 16-channel time-interleaving respectively. The 4-bit SAR ADC achieves SNR of 24.3 dB, figure-of-merit (FoM) of 638 fJ/conversion-step and 42.6 mW power consumption, while the 8-bit SAR ADC achieves SNR of 41.5 dB, FoM of 191 fJ/conversion-step and 92.8 mW power consumption. High-speed operation is achieved by optimizing the critical path in the SAR ADC loop. A sampling network with a split-array with unit bridge capacitor topology is used to reduce the area of the sampling network and switch drivers

Doppler predictors of perinatal outcome in intra-uterine growth retarded foetuses

Background: The study aims at early detection of intrauterine growth retarded fetuses which are at high risk of perinatal complications. It can help obstetricians take appropriate preventive steps and prevent serious perinatal complications.Methods: The study undertaken over 100 pregnant women with pregnancy induced hypertension between 28-36 weeks subjected to umbilical artery and uterine artery doppler. The outcome data including gestational age at birth, birth height, APGAR score, admission to NICU, need for positive pressure ventilation and neonatal mortality.Results: The study shows that 58% mothers with IUGR foetuses were primigravida; gestational age at delivery is 34.2 weeks and 82% of IUGR foetuses were delivered by C-section. Average birth weight of foetus with abnormal doppler was significantly lower and there was high incidence of NICU admission. The study also shows that oligohydroamnios was common with abnormal doppler group.Conclusions: Umbilical artery doppler velocity in addition to uterine artery velocity doppler should be considered as a primary tool for foetal surveillance in pregnancy induced hypertension patients and for planning management of IUGR foetuses