62 research outputs found
The efficacy of assertiveness levels of African male graduate students on their self-concepts, educational objectives and career decision making, 1984
No full textInformation and Communication Technology (ICT) for Development – The Exigent and Foundational Approaches for Nigeria
No full textHaving identified ICT production as the component of the ICT revolution that can enhance true socio-economic development to developing countries like Nigeria. This paper
provides a way to achieving this by closely examining what ICT production entails and
positioned that since ICT production is closely related to science, engineering/ technology,
a more meaningful policy implementation in the area of technological growth and Science & Technology education is desirable. The paper is aimed at suggesting the redesigning of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) policy to inculcate ICT production knowledge into Nigerian child from the primary school level if our dream of ICT for development be fulfilled
Design and experimentation of a simple fuzzy pi-based ac chopper electronic load controller for pico hydropower system
No full textThe use of electronic load controllers (ELCrs) is widely adopted in pico hydropower systems to maintain output power supplied to the consumer load, regardless of changes in consumer demand. This is due to the absence of moving mechanical parts, affordability, prevention of the hammer effect in pipes, and being more efficient than the governor systems. However, implementing existing ELCrs in a pico hydropower system can pose challenges related to power quality, efficiency, or costs. In this paper, a fuzzy PI-based single-switch bidirectional AC chopper electronic load controller (FP-SSBAC ELCr) is proposed. This configuration reduces the number of insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) from two, typically found in the conventional bidirectional AC choppers, to one per phase, resulting in cost reduction. A hybrid controller, comprising fuzzy and PI controllers, is designed to quickly maintain a constant output voltage and frequency when consumer load abruptly changes. The gains of the PI controller are updated by the fuzzy logic controller based on the voltage error and its derivative. The proposed model is simulated in MATLAB/Simulink and validated experimentally under sudden changes in consumer load. The results achieved with the FP-SSBAC ELCr demonstrate improved dynamic performance without overshoot compared to PI-based ELCrs. The highest recorded voltage and current total harmonic distortions (THDs) are 2.8 % and 2.1 %, respectively, meeting the IEEE 519 standard. Therefore, the proposed model has the potential to enhance performance and efficiency and can be implemented cost-effectively in pico hydropower systems
Brief Report: The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Physical, Social, and Mental Health of Black and Latinx Young People With HIV in the United States
No full textBACKGROUND: Whereas national attention has been paid to the ongoing mental health crises among young people triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, less is known about the social, physical and psychological impacts of COVID-19 on young people living with HIV, especially racial/ethnic minorities.
SETTING: Online survey of participants across the U.S.
METHOD: A national cross-sectional survey of non-Latinx Black and Latinx young adults (18-29) living with HIV. Between April and August 2021, participants answered survey questions about several domains (eg, stress, anxiety, relationships, work, quality of life) that were worsened, improved, or unchanged during the pandemic. We ran a logistic regression estimating the self-reported impact of the pandemic on these domains between 2 age groups (ages 18-24 versus 25-29).
RESULTS: The sample size was 231 (186 non-Latinx Black, 45 Latinx) and mainly male (84.4%) and gay identified (62.2%). Nearly 20% of participants were 18-24 years old and 80% were ages 25-29. Participants who were 18-24 years old reported 2-3 times the odds for having worse sleep quality and mood and greater stress, anxiety, and weight gain compared with those 25-29 years old.
CONCLUSION: Our data provide a nuanced picture of the negative impacts that COVID-19 had on non-Latinx Black and Latinx young adults living with HIV in the U.S. Given that these adults represent a priority population for HIV treatment outcomes, it is critical to better understand the ongoing toll that these dual pandemics have on their lives
Overcoming Challenges of Online Research: Measures to Ensure Enrollment of Eligible Participants
No full textBACKGROUND: Internet-based surveys are increasingly used for health research because they offer several advantages including greater geographic reach, increased participant anonymity, and reduced financial/time burden. However, there is also a need to address inherent challenges, such as the likelihood of fraudulent responses and greater difficulty in determining eligibility.
METHODS: We conducted an online nationwide survey of 18-29 year olds living with HIV in the United States, to assess willingness to participate in HIV cure research. To ensure that respondents met age and HIV serostatus inclusion criteria, we instituted screening procedures to identify ineligible respondents using tools that were built into the survey platform (eg, reCAPTCHA, geolocation) and required documentation of age and serostatus before providing access to the incentivized study survey.
RESULTS: Of 1308 eligibility surveys, 569 were incomplete or ineligible because of reported age or serostatus. Of the remaining 739 potentially eligible respondents, we determined that 413 were from fraudulent, bot, or ineligible respondents. We sent individual study survey links to 326 participants (25% of all eligibility survey respondents) whose eligibility was reviewed and confirmed by our study team.
CONCLUSION: Our multicomponent strategy was effective for identifying ineligible and fraudulent responses to our eligibility survey, allowing us to send the study survey link only to those whose eligibility we were able to confirm. Our findings suggest that proactive fraud prevention can be built into the screening phase of the study to prevent wasted resources related to data cleaning and unretrievable study incentives and ultimately improve the quality of data
Participant experiences in a combination HIV cure-related trial with extended analytical treatment interruption in San Francisco, United States
No full textBACKGROUND: There is limited systematic information available about the perspectives of participants enrolled in intensive combination HIV cure-related trials inclusive of an extended analytical treatment interruption (ATI).
OBJECTIVE: To assess and understand experiences of people with HIV involved in a combination HIV cure-related trial with an extended ATI.
METHODS: The trial included five interventions and was followed by an ATI lasting up to 52 wk. From 2022 - 2023, we conducted in-depth interviews with study participants following their extended ATIs. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed via conventional thematic analysis.
RESULTS: We interviewed seven participants. The majority were male, White, and non-Hispanic, with a median age of 37 years. Trust in the research team, scientific altruism and hope of becoming a post-intervention controller were key motivators for joining the trial. Interviewees reported being satisfied with their decision to participate in the trial and the extended ATI. Most recounted feelings of worry related to viral rebound during the ATI. Participants reported both defeat and relief with ART restart. Four faced challenges with protecting partners from HIV during their ATI, such as trying to find out if their partner(s) were using pre-exposure prophylaxis.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate potential improvements for future ATI trial participant experiences, such as more robust resources for psychosocial support and partner protections. Dedicating greater effort to understanding participant ATI experiences can inform the design of future participant-centered HIV cure trial protocols
Perceptions of Risks and Benefits of Participating in HIV Cure-Related Research Among Diverse Young Adults Living with HIV in the United States: Qualitative Research Findings
No full textMedical Mistrust of Health Systems as a Moderator of Resilience and Self-Reported HIV Care Engagement in Black and Latinx Young Adults Living With HIV
No full textOBJECTIVE: To study resilience and its association with HIV care engagement in a sample of young adult Black and Latinx people living with HIV (PLWH) in the United States and to test if a systems-level barrier, medical mistrust, would moderate the resilience-engagement association. METHOD: Between April and August 2021, we recruited participants through social media and dating apps (N = 212) and verified age and HIV status through a review process of digital text-messaged and emailed photos. Participants completed a one-time online survey consisting of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, The Index of Engagement in HIV Care, and the Medical Mistrust Index. We ran a regression-based moderation analysis using the Johnson-Neyman Technique to estimate regions of significance. RESULTS: The sample (N = 212) was 80.5% Black and 19.5% Latinx with a mean age of 25.8 years (SD = 2.84). Higher resilience scores were associated with higher HIV care engagement scores (b = 0.72, p = .003), and medical mistrust moderated this relationship as evidenced by a mistrust by resilience interaction (b = -0.16, p = .01). Our regions of statistical significance showed that as mistrust increased, the size of the resilience-engagement association decreased. CONCLUSION: Resilience may be a protective factor associated with greater participation and sense of connection to HIV care, but is diminished by mistrust of the medical system at large. This suggest that systems-level changes, in addition to individual-level interventions, are needed to address medical mistrust to fully harness the resilience of young PLWH
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Antiretroviral therapy experience, satisfaction, and preferences among a diverse sample of young adults living with HIV
No full textYouth and young adults living with HIV (YLWH) have a high HIV infection rate and suboptimal oral medication adherence. Biomedical researchers hope that long-acting antiretroviral therapy (LAART) modalities can help those who struggle with daily oral adherence. While adults living with HIV have expressed interest in LAART, little research has explored perspectives of YLWH. This study explores ART experiences and perspectives on LAART through qualitative interviews with twenty diverse YLWH (18-29) in the United States. Data were analyzed using framework analysis. Most participants were satisfied with their current ART yet had experienced side effects or had struggled with daily adherence. Preferences for improving daily oral ART included making pills smaller and reformulating ART into flavored chewable gummies. Most expressed enthusiasm for LAART, although needle aversion and previous injection drug use were potential barriers for some. Approximately half were interested in an ART patch, though its visibility and fear of stigmatization was concerning. Few expressed interest in implantable ART, calling it unappealing. Although younger people are most likely to benefit from these advancements in HIV treatment, additional research is needed to identify gaps in uptake and to further explore perspectives of YLWH to improve the success of new treatment modalities
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Perceptions of Risks and Benefits of Participating in HIV Cure-Related Research Among Diverse Young Adults Living with HIV in the United States: Qualitative Research Findings
No full textIn the United States, young adults have the highest rates of new HIV infections, and are less likely to be aware of their infection, be engaged in care, or achieve HIV viral suppression. As biomedical HIV research increasingly focuses on achieving long-term suppression without antiretroviral therapy (ART) and finding an HIV cure, little is known about perceptions of young adults living with HIV (YLWH) regarding HIV cure research. We recruited a diverse sample of 20 YLWH (18-29 years old) to participate in individual semistructured qualitative interviews to explore knowledge and perceptions of HIV cure research, and motivations and barriers to participation. Most participants had little knowledge of HIV cure research. Motivators of HIV cure research participation included altruism, stigma reduction, and the elimination of the clinical burdens of HIV. Barriers included potential physical side effects, psychological distress, the possibility of disclosure as a result of participating, and the amount of time required to participate. Most participants had concerns about analytic treatment interruptions (i.e., ART interruption to assess HIV remission), and indicated that they would want more frequent laboratory testing and protection for their sex partners during this time. Finally, participants suggested that, if other YLWH are considering participation in cure research, they should first learn as much as possible about the research, and then consider the potential personal benefits and the contribution that they could make to science and their communities. As HIV cure research advances, the participation of YLWH will be critical. Our study provides knowledge about how YLWH view HIV cure research. More sociobehavioral research is needed to ensure that those who are most likely to be the decision-makers and beneficiaries of an HIV cure are included at all levels of research
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