Derailing Gautengs HIV/AIDS train: An evaluation of the provincial governments implementation of a life skills education programme in primary and secondary schools

Student Number : 0513068K - MA research report - School of Graduate School - Faculty of HumanitiesThe aim of this study it to evaluate the Gauteng Government’s attempt to implement a life skills education programme in all primary and secondary schools. A chosen strategy of the National HIV/AIDS/STD Strategic Plan for South Africa: 2000-2005, a universal programme of life skills and HIV/AIDS education in primary and secondary schools was identified as a vital means to contain South Africa’s HIV/AIDS epidemic. Broadly, the life skills and HIV/AIDS education programme is intended to “promote improved health seeking behaviour and [the] adoption of safe sex practices” (DOH, 2000) amongst school going youth. Responsibility for the implementation of this programme in all primary and secondary schools is decentralised to the provincial level. Accordingly, this study seeks to analyse and evaluate the Gauteng Provincial Government’s (GPG) progress in the implementation of the life skills programme. A case study design centered upon documentary analysis and key informant interviews was employed in order to capture the necessary and predominantly qualitative data. These data are analyzed using the conceptual framework developed through the work of Hildebrand and Grindle (1994 in Brijal and Gilson, 1997), and Brijal and Gilson (1997). This study found that numerous implementation deficits arising at the organisational, task network, public sector institutional and external environmental levels combined to hamper implementation of the life skills programme according to the time frames set out within the National Integrated Plan for Children Infected and Affected by HIV/AIDS. Nevertheless, this study also found that political stability in Gauten gprovince was a significant factor promoting steady and progressive programme implementation and expansion. To conclude, this study indicates that policy implementation requires numerous complimentary factors (for instance, a strong level of local service delivery capacity) to be in place in order for public HIV/AIDS policy implementation to be achieved in an efficient and sustainable manner

Synthesis and characterization of polymer nanocomposites

Polymer nanocomposites were produced by solution mixing of a commercial flexible acrylic polymer paint, with nanofillers of different size, shape, aspect ratio and purity such as hydrotalcite (HT), sodium montmorillonite (MMT), single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) and fullerenes (FUL), at 5 and 10 wt% loading. Structural characteristics and mechanical, thermal and barrier properties of the nanocomposites were characterized by different techniques and compared to those of the unfilled polymer. The presence of partially exfoliated and intercalated nanoplatelets in the polymer resulted in increased 2% secant tensile modulus, and decreased tensile strength and elongation at break, to different extents. While the presence of SWNT improved the mechanical properties of the polymer, the presence of FUL hampered the mechanical properties. Storage modulus of the polymer was also improved in the presence of 10 wt% MMT and SWNT. While moderate changes in the Tg were observed in the presence of fillers the thermal stability of the polymer was not improved by their presence. The presence of all impermeable filler particles in the polymer improves its water vapor baffler property. Significant differences in the properties of different composites when compared to those of the unfilled polymer are attributed to the variations in microstructure and properties, which greatly depend on the aspect ratio, surface area, inherent properties, orientation and extent of interactions of the nanofillers with the acrylic polymer

Survival after <i>Pneumocystis jirovecii</i> pneumonia requiring ventilation: A case report

Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in patients with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is associated with a high mortality rate, which increases substantially with the need for mechanical ventilation. Local experience of patients with PCP admitted to the intensive care unit has revealed mortality rates close to 100%. We present a case of a 39-year-old HIV-infected man diagnosed with PCP who was successfully weaned from mechanical ventilation after presenting with respiratory distress and severe hypoxaemia. A short review of the literature will also be presented

Survival after Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia requiring ventilation: A case report

Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in patients with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is associated with a high mortality rate, which increases substantially with the need for mechanical ventilation. Local experience of patients with PCP admitted to the intensive care unit has revealed mortality rates close to 100%. We present a case of a 39-year-old HIV-infected man diagnosed with PCP who was successfully weaned from mechanical ventilation after presenting with respiratory distress and severe hypoxaemia. A short review of the literature will also be presented

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF RILPIVIRINE NANOPARTICLE CONTAINING CHITOSAN USING IONIC GELATION METHOD FOR HIV INFECTIONS

Objective: The primary objective of the current research was to prepare rilpivirine loaded Nanoparticles containing Chitosan using the ionic gelation method for HIV infections. Methods: The nanoparticles of rilpivirine were prepared using the ionic gelation technique. Further, nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and in vitro drug release. Results: The optimized nanoparticles were found with a particle size of 130.30±5.29 nm (mean±SD) and entrapment efficiency (% EE) of 77.10±0.50%. Scanning electron microscopy technique exposed spherical particles with uniform size. It was observed that the nanoparticles created showed the absence of the crystalline nature of the drug and its switch to the amorphous state. Results showed that more than 45% of the pure drug is released in 50 min and after 90 min almost about 95% of the drug is released. Conclusion: The research study concluded that the in vitro release profile of nanoparticles was found to be sustained up to 24 hr. Sustained release of the rilpivirine could improve patient obedience to drug regimens, growing action&nbsp;effectiveness.&nbsp

A Novel Approach for improving Post Classification Accuracy of Satellite Images by Using Majority Analysis

In past one year, due to climatic changes and some anthropogenic activities, the forests of Uttarakhand are burning. To identify the damage caused by the forest fires, an area of Nainital district has been taken for the study. Multi temporal Landsat 7 images were taken from April - 2020 and April – 2021. This paper shows a novel approach to increase the accuracy of the classified image. The Support Vector Machine classification is first done and then to improve the accuracy of the classified image, a post-classification technique called Majority Analysis is applied. This method helps to classify the unclassified pixel and it also smoothens out the boundary of the classified pixels, leading to higher accuracy rate. The classification accuracy has improved significantly for April 2020 and April 2021 images from 89.35% to 98.71% and from 88.52% to 99.76% respectively. The change detection study showed a drastic increase in the barren land due to the forest fires and on the contrary, the forest, scarce forest and the shrub land areas have decreased

INVESTIGATION OF CAPACITY GAINS IN MIMO CORRELATED RICIAN FADING CHANNELS SYSTEMS

This paper investigate the effect of Rician fading and correlation on the capacity and diversity of MIMO channels. The use of antenna arrays at both sides of the wireless communication link (MIMO systems) can increase channel capacity provided the propagation medium is rich scattering or Rayleigh fading and the antenna arrays at both sides are uncorrelated. However, the presence of line-of-sight (LOS) component and correlation of real world wireless channels may affect the system performance. Along with that we also investigate power distribution methods for higher capacity gains and effect of CSI at the transmitter on the capacity for range of SNR. Our investigation follows capacity gain as function of number of antennas and signal-to-noise (SNR) power ratio Block and frequency nonselective Rician fading channel is assumed, and the effect of Rician factor (L) and the correlation parameter (ρ) on the capacity and diversity gains of MIMO channels are found. Inde

Box-Behnkenov eksperimentalni dizajn u izradi pektin-kompritol ATO 888 obloženih tableta za ciljanu isporuku mesalamina u kolon

The aim of this study was to investigate the combined influence of 3 independent variables in the compression coated tablet of mesalamine for ulcerative colitis. A 3-factor, 3-level Box-Behnken design was used to derive a second order polynomial equation and construct contour plots to predict responses. The independent variables selected were: percentage of polymers (pectin and compritol ATO 888) in compression coating (X1), coating mass (X2) and coating force (X3). Fifteen batches were prepared and evaluated for percent of drug released in 5 h (Y5), time required for 50 % mesalamine to disolve (t50) with rat cecal (RC) content and without rat cecal content (t50), percent of drug released in 24 h in the presence of rat cecal content (Y24 with RC). Transformed values of independent and dependent variables were subjected to multiple regressions to establish a full-model second-order polynomial equation. F was calculated to confirm the omission of insignificant terms from the full-model equation. The computer optimization process and contour plots predicted the levels of independent variables X1, X2, and X3 (0, 0.2 and –0.15 respectively) for colon targeting and total percent of drug released up to 24 h.Cilj rada bio je ispitati utjecaj tri nezavisne varijable u obloženim tabletama mesalamina za ulcerativni kolitis. 3-faktorijalni, Box-Behnkenov dizajn na 3 nivoa upotrijebljen je za dobivanje polinomske jednadžbe drugog reda i konstruiranje konturnih krivulja za predviđanje odgovora. Izabrane nezavisne varijable bile su: udio polimera (pektin i kompritol ATO 888) u oblaganju kompresijom (X1), masa tvari za oblaganje (X2) i sila za oblaganje (X3). Izrađeno je petnaest pripravaka kojima su ispitani sljedeći parametri: udio lijeka oslobođenog nakon 5 h (Y5), vrijeme potrebno za otapanje 50 % mesalamina (t50) uz i bez prisutnosti crijevnog sadržaja štakora (RC), postotak oslobođenog lijeka tijekom 24 h u prisutnosti crijevnog sadržaja (Y24 uz RC). Transformirane vrijednosti nezavisnih i zavisnih varijabla podvrgnute su višestrukoj regresijskoj analizi da se odredi polinomska jednadžba drugog reda potpunog modela. F vrijednost izračunata je da se potvrdi izostavljanje neznačajnih članova iz jednadžbe potpunog modela. Kompjutorski optimizirani proces i krivulje predviđaju nezavisne varijable X1, X2 i X3 (0, 0,2, odnosno –0,15) za ciljanu isporuku u kolon i ukupni postotak lijeka oslobođenog tijekom 24 h

Application of an innovative method (aerial infrared thermography) for the energetic evaluation of existing buildings

The building sector's high share of energy consumption for heating is a global concern, as it contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Poorly insulated building envelopes are the primary cause of energy loss, and it is challenging to measure a building's energy performance on a large scale to identify weak points and possible renovation options. Traditional methods like the heat flux meter (HFM) require long measurement times and large manpower, making them impractical for large-scale use. Therefore, this master thesis deals with using non-contact drone-based infrared thermography to evaluate the energy performance of buildings on a large scale. The method offers the potential for a fast, large-scale, and automatable inventory that can contribute to resource-efficient modernization of the building stock. This thesis presents the principle of drone-based dynamic quantitative infrared thermography and its practical application on an exemplary building complex. The methodology involves generating a time series of surface temperature for each building surface based on several measurement flights during one night. The presented research applies the technology to calculate U-values and compare them to reference values acquired through conventional heat flux plate measurements. An important aspect of the thesis is the reduction of errors in the infrared camera measurement. The potential of a reference blackbody camera correction approach to solve the problem is investigated. The findings of the study demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in identifying weak points and possible renovation options as well as accuracy issues. All in all, the thesis presents the development status of the proposed method and its potential for further development

Knowledge, attitude and practice of adverse drug reaction reporting among healthcare professionals of a tertiary care hospital in Gujarat

Background: The objective of the present study was to assess knowledge, attitude and practice of adverse drug reaction reporting among healthcare professionals of Parul Sevashram Hospital, Parul University, Vadodara.Methods: The study was prospective, observational and questionnaire-based involving medical doctors, nurses and pharmacists of Parul Sevashram Hospital. A total number of 210 structured questionnaires were distributed among health care professionals (100 clinicians from various specialities, 100 nurses and 10 pharmacists). Written informed consent forms were obtained from participants as their consent to participate in the study.Results: All questionnaires were filled and returned producing overall response rate of 100%. 80% of the respondents were aware of the existence of Pharmacovigilance Program of India (PvPI). 90.95% and 91.90% of respondents felt ADR reporting is necessary and it would be beneficial to the patients respectively. Only 11.43% of respondents had reported ADRs. 90.95% and 85.24% of respondents suggested training is required in reporting ADR and regular information should be provided regarding ADR by PvPI respectively.Conclusions: The health care professionals had positive knowledge and attitude towards pharmacovigilance and there is a need to create awareness for better practice of ADR reporting. It would help to improve patient care