Reproductive Healthcare Needs and Desires in a Cohort of HIV-Positive Women

Background. The aim of this study was to determine current contraceptive use, contraceptive desires and knowledge, future fertility desires, and sterilization regret in a cohort of HIV-positive women. Study Design. 127 HIV-positive women receiving care at an urban infectious disease clinic completed a survey addressing their contraceptive and reproductive histories as well as their future contraceptive and fertility desires. Results. The most common forms of contraception used were sterilization (44.4%) and condoms (41.3%). Less than 1% used a long-term reversible method of contraception (LARC) despite these being the methods that best fit their desired attributes of a contraceptive method. Overall, 29.4% desired future fertility. Only 50.6% of those sexually active had spoken with a provider within the last year regarding their contraceptive plans. There was a high degree of sterilization regret (36.4%), and 18.2% of sterilized women desired future fertility. Multivariate analysis found women in a monogamous relationship had a statistically increased rate of regret compared to women who were not sexually active (OR 13.8, 95% CI 1.6–119, P = 0.17). Conclusion. Given the diversity in contraceptive and fertility desires, coupled with a higher rate of sterilization regret than is seen in the general population, integration of comprehensive family planning services into HIV care via increased contraceptive education and access is imperative

Further Improvements in Decoding Performance for 5G LDPC Codes Based on Modified Check-Node Unit

One of the most important units of Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) decoders is the Check-Node Unit. Its main task is to find the first two minimum values among incoming variable-to-check messages and return check-to-variable messages. This block significantly affects the decoding performance, as well as the hardware implementation complexity. In this paper, we first propose a modification to the check-node update rule by introducing two optimal offset factors applied to the check-to-variable messages. Then, we present the Check-Node Unit hardware architecture which performs the proposed algorithm. The main objective of this work aims to improve further the decoding performance for 5th Generation (5G) LDPC codes. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm achieves essential improvements in terms of error correction performance. More precisely, the error-floor does not appear within Bit-Error-Rate (BER) of 10^(-8), while the decoding gain increases up to 0.21 dB compared to the baseline Normalized Min-Sum, as well as several state-of-the-art LDPC-based Min-Sum decoders

Activity and Process Stability of Purified Green Pepper (Capsicum annuum) Pectin Methylesterase

Pectin methylesterase (PME) from green bell peppers (Capsicum annuum) was extracted and purified by affinity chromatography on a CNBr-Sepharose-PMEI column. A single protein peak with pectin methylesterase activity was observed. For the pepper PME, a biochemical characterization in terms of molar mass (MM), isoelectric points (pI), and kinetic parameters for activity and thermostability was performed. The optimum pH for PME activity at 22 °C was 7.5, and its optimum temperature at neutral pH was between 52.5 and 55.0 °C. The purified pepper PME required the presence of 0.13 M NaCl for optimum activity. Isothermal inactivation of purified pepper PME in 20 mM Tris buffer (pH 7.5) could be described by a fractional conversion model for lower temperatures (55?57 °C) and a biphasic model for higher temperatures (58?70 °C). The enzyme showed a stable behavior toward high-pressure/temperature treatments. Keywords: Capsicum annuum; pepper; pectin methylesterase; purification; characterization; thermal and high-pressure stabilit

Improving the quality of set yoghurt using milk fat globule membrane fragments

Lacprodan PL20, a dairy ingredient that is rich in protein and polar lipids, was added into set yoghurts produced from nonhomogenized raw milk. The set yoghurts were prepared using concentrations of 2%, 4%, and 6% Lacprodan PL20, while the control sample was only supplemented with skim milk powder. The effect of Lacprodan PL20 concentrations on the physical and chemical properties, rheology, and microstructure of set yoghurt was thoroughly investigated to determine some likely improvement or changes in quality. Consequently, Lacprodan PL20 showed a gradual improvement in the set yoghurt nutritive values, water holding capacity, and apparent viscosity. The results indicated that the firmness of set yoghurt was altered which steadily improved the gel strength, especially at 4% and 6% concentrations. The fermentation process was slightly delayed at 4% and 6% concentrations and pH values were raised as Lacprodan PL20 concentration increased. The microstructures of the set yoghurts produced with Lacprodan PL20, as examined by scanning electron microscopy, revealed compacted structures with fewer and smaller holes in the gel matrices. Also, a slight color change was observed in set yoghurt using a colorimeter. These results vividly showed that Lacprodan PL20, an enriched milk fat globule membrane fragment, has the potential to improve set yoghurt quality by reducing some defects associated with set yoghurt, such as low gel strength, low dry solids, and the likes

Clinical significance of VEGF-A, -C and -D expression in esophageal malignancies

Vascular endothelial growth factors ( VEGF)- A, - C and - D are members of the proangiogenic VEGF family of glycoproteins. VEGF-A is known to be the most important angiogenic factor under physiological and pathological conditions, while VEGF-C and VEGF-D are implicated in the development and sprouting of lymphatic vessels, so called lymphangiogenesis. Local tumor progression, lymph node metastases and hematogenous tumor spread are important prognostic factors for esophageal carcinoma ( EC), one of the most lethal malignancies throughout the world. We found solid evidence in the literature that VEGF expression contributes to tumor angiogenesis, tumor progression and lymph node metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma ( SCC), and many authors could show a prognostic value for VEGF-assessment. In adenocarcinoma (AC) of the esophagus angiogenic properties are acquired in early stages, particularly in precancerous lesions like Barrett's dysplasia. However, VEGF expression fails to give prognostic information in AC of the esophagus. VEGF-C and VEGF-D were detected in SCC and dysplastic lesions, but not in normal mucosa of the esophagus. VEGF-C expression might be associated with lymphatic tumor invasion, lymph node metastases and advanced disease in esophageal SCC and AC. Therapeutic interference with VEGF signaling may prove to be a promising way of anti-angiogenic co-treatment in esophageal carcinoma. However, concrete clinical data are still pending

Low prevalence of cysticercosis and Trichinella infection in pigs in rural Cambodia

Cysticercosis and Trichinella spp. infection are parasitic zoonoses prevalent among pigs in Southeast Asia, where pork is the most important source of meat. In rural Cambodia, many pigs are raised extensively in family backyards, and information regarding the prevalence in rural small-scale pig production is very limited. This study was conducted in four provinces in north-eastern Cambodia to determine the seroprevalence of porcine cysticercosis and Trichinella spp. infection in rural villages, and to identify possible risk factors. Only households with less than 10 pigs above three months old were eligible. In total, 139 households participated, and 242 blood samples were collected. Farmers were interviewed about food and hygiene habits, disease knowledge and practices. The serum samples were analysed by ELISA to determine antigens to Taenia spp. cysticerci or antibodies to Trichinella spp. muscle larvae. Positivity among the pigs was 11.2% (95% CI 7.5–15.8) for Taenia spp. cysts and 2.5% (95% CI 0.9–5.4) for Trichinella spp. Cysticerci were more common in the province Preah Vihear (p < 0.001) than in the other provinces. Risk factors associated with porcine cysticercosis were management systems for the pigs and access to human faeces (p < 0.001). Trichinella spp. infection in pigs was more common in the province Ratanakiri (p = 0.001). The main risk factor associated with Trichinella spp. transmission was feeding pigs with food waste (p = 0.048). More men had heard about cysticercosis than women (p = 0.002), and men also consumed undercooked pork meat to a greater extent (p = 0.004). Although the present study is relatively small, several risk factors could be identified for porcine infection with Taenia spp. and Trichinella spp., which can be used to guide future interventions to improve both porcine and human health in these provinces

Pregnancy Intentions Among Women Living With HIV in the United States

The number of HIV-infected women giving birth in the U.S. is increasing. Research on pregnancy planning in HIV-infected women is limited