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This experiment was conducted during 2021-2022 in the Duhok University nursery, Iraqi Kurdistan region, to study the effects of three different Apple cultivars (Super red, Scarlet and Royal caka), three different budding dates (28th August,18th September and 8th October of 2021) and three levels of balanced fertilizer N20%, P20% and K20 %; (0 g, 2g and 4g. l-1) on the budding successful percentage and some vegetative growth characteristics of apple transplants. The results indicated that the Royal caka cultivar had significant effect on the budding success percentage, transplant(scion) height, transplant (scion) diameter, lateral branches number, leaves number and single leaf area. On the other hand, the date (8th Oct.) give the highest significant effect on budding success, transplant(scion) height, leaves number, and single leaf area. However, the 3rd fertilization concentration (4 g. l-1) had a significant effect on the budding success percentage, transplant (scion) height and transplant (scion) diameter, lateral branches number, leaves number and single leaf area. The triple interaction among (Royal caka cultivar + 3rd budding date (8th Oct.) + 3rd fertilization concentration (4 g. l-1) significantly affected on budding successful percentage and most vegetative growth characteristics

This study was conducted during the growing season of 2021 and 2022 in horticulture station located at Akre city center Duhok Iraqi Kurdistan region, the study was aimed to investigate the effect of growth regulators on seedling growth of apricot and determined the best concentration of Gibberellin, Benzyl adenine and Kinetin to improve vegetative growth of seedling of apricot . so it consisted of three concentration of GA3 (0, 250 and 500 mg.L-1), BA (0,150 and 300 mg.L-1), KIN (0,150 and 300 mg.L-1) on some vegetative growth characteristics of apricot seedlings (Prunus armeniaca L.).The best results include the following. apricot seedlings sprayed with different concentrations of GA3 significantly affected and gave the seedling height, number of leaves, dry weight, single leaf area and total chlorophyll. Also, seedling sprayed with different BA concentration effected significantly and gave the highest seedling diameter, number of leaves, single leaf area, and dry weight. Whereas seedling spray with different KIN concentrations significantly affected on seedling diameter and total chlorophyll. Generally, interaction between GA3 and KIN and interaction between GA3 and BA and the interaction between BA and KIN was effected significantly on most growth parameters. The best result was in the treatment (GA3 500 mg.L-1 + BA 300 mg.L-1 + KIN 150 mg.L-1) which significantly affected on all growth parameters (seedling height, seedling diameter, single leaf area, total chlorophyll, number of leaves and dry weight)

The purpose of this literature review was to understand the current practices and gaps in HIV prevention for the emerging adult population in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and to review the current stat...

This retrospective cross-sectional study examined the association of HIV status with wealth in Malawi using the 2004, 2010, and 2015/16 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) data. A harmonized wealth index was generated using factor analysis of the pooled data. Bivariate and multivariate linear regression models were estimated to examine the association of HIV status with wealth stratified by urban and rural communities in Malawi. The sample consisted of 33,484 individuals(3,419 were HIV positive and 30,065 HIV-negative). While only 52% of the participants were female, women constituted 61% of those who were HIV positive. Findings showed a positive association between HIV status and wealth in rural but not in urban locations. In rural locations, HIV status was significantly associated with increased wealth (β=0.11; 0.07, 0.15), whereas having more children in the household (β=-0.02; -0.03, -0.02) and being employed (β=-0.07; -0.09, -0.04) were associated with decreased wealth. Given our findings of increased HIV prevalence among those with a higher wealth index in rural Malawi, broadening HIV-prevention efforts to include programs that target the wealthy in Malawi might help mitigate new HIV infections. To effectively address HIV in Malawi, HIV programming policies must target women and men at all socioeconomic status levels.

Child malnutrition persists globally. While progress in reducing stunting has been witnessed over the last six years, this progress is not sufficient to meet Sustainable Development Goal targets on stunting. In Africa, child malnutrition is estimated to result in between 1.6 to 16% losses in gross domestic product. Undernutrition is also attributed as a cause of death for 11% of African children aged five years and below. Men and women play distinct roles in supporting a child's nutrition. Women frequently carry the bulk of the workload related to food, care, and health, all of which are critical factors in child nutrition. Using focus group discussions and individual interviews with communities in rural Central Malawi, we sought to understand the roles played by men and women in achieving child nutrition in this qualitative study. We found that both men and women were involved in productive, reproductive, and community work. However, consistent with the literature, women carried a disproportionate workload in supporting child nutrition compared to men. Women's heavier workloads often prevented them from being able to meet children's food needs. Nevertheless, shifts in gender roles were observed in some of the sampled communities, with men taking up responsibilities that have been typically associated with women. This undoing of gender roles did not necessarily increase women's power within the household. Improving gender equality and child nutrition will require efforts to redistribute gendered work and encourage men to move towards shared power over household decision-making and control over income with women.

African American women are at higher risk of poor mental ill health compared with other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. For low-income and homeless African American populations, the risk of poor mental ill health is even higher. The purpose of our study was to learn what programmes at a long-term transitional living centre helped at-risk and homeless African American mothers to succeed on their own, in accordance with self-identified goals. We conducted ten focus group interviews with 39 graduates of a long-term transitional living centre located in a Midwestern city, and an individual interview with the founder of that centre (N = 40). Our study was informed by Black Feminist Thought, Life Course Theory, and an instrumental case study design. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in the qualitative data collected. Findings pertaining to mental health included impacts of adverse childhood experiences, lack of social networks, child placement in foster care, and implications on self-esteem and self-worth. Our findings demonstrate the need for healthcare providers to take into account the intersecting factors facing African American women experiencing homelessness undergirded by systemic racism, which impacts their mental health and well-being.

Background: It is widely acknowledged that experiences of poor treatment during health care encounters can adversely impact how individuals and communities engage with the health care system. Hence, understanding the health care seeking experiences of diverse patient populations is central to identifying ways to effectively engage with marginalized patients and provide optimal care for all patients, particularly those with marginalized identities. Purpose: Drawing on the narratives of 24 undocumented African immigrant women, this qualitative study aimed to understand their experiences seeking health care. Methods: Our study was undergirded by a postcolonial feminist perspective which aims to situate participants’ experiences within their given, broader societal context. Data were analyzed using the principles of thematic analysis. Findings: Our findings indicate that women experienced insensitivity during health care encounters and harbored a mistrust of health care staff. Discussion: Findings uncover the need for health care providers to provide culturally safe care and to identify ways to create safe spaces for undocumented patients within the health care setting.

Gender inequality in the form of gender-based violence manifests throughout the course of women's lives but has a particularly unique impact at end of life. We sampled 26 patients and 14 caregivers for this qualitative critical ethnographic study. The study purpose was to describe the lived experience of female palliative care patients in rural Malawi and their caregivers. The specific aims were to (i) analyse physical, spiritual and mental health needs and (ii) guide best healthcare practice. The study was informed by feminist epistemology, which drew us to an analysis focused on how gender inequality and gender-based violence affect the care of those with terminal illness. In this article, based on our findings, we demonstrate how gender inequality manifests through the intersecting gendered vulnerabilities of patients and their caregivers in rural Malawi. The findings specifically provide insight into the gendered nature of care work and how the gendered life trajectories of both patients and caregivers intersect to impact the health and well-being of both groups. Our findings have implications on how palliative care can be scaled up in rural Malawi in support of women who are experiencing intimate partner violence at end of life, and the caregivers responsible for their well-being.

Aim This qualitative descriptive study aimed to evaluate the role of a short-term interprofessional study abroad program in Kenya on beginning awareness of cultural humility. Background Students in the health care professions, including nursing, must learn to work effectively with diverse patient populations and provide culturally safe care. Method Course assignments of 21 students were thematically analyzed to discover how students applied concepts of cultural attunement to learn cultural humility while interacting with people in rural and urban Kenya. Results Student narrations acknowledged all aspects of cultural attunement during the experience: the pain of oppression; acted with reverence; reported coming from a place of not knowing; engaged in acts of humility; engaged in mutuality; and reported attaining harmony, cooperation, and accord. Conclusion Findings suggest a short-term community-focused study abroad experience can be a valuable tool for beginning stages of becoming culturally humble and providing culturally safe health care.

OBJECTIVE To learn how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impacted the life course trajectory of formerly homeless and at-risk African American women. DESIGN Intersectionality and life course theory informed this qualitative pilot study, based on an instrumental case study design. SAMPLE Forty previously homeless and at-risk African American women, who were graduates from a long-term transitional living facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. MEASUREMENTS Focus group interviews and one individual interview provided data about participants' life experiences prior to, during, and following their time at the transitional living facility, which provided supportive wrap-around services. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and line-by-line thematic analysis was conducted to identify themes. Fifteen focus group participants also completed ACE questionnaires. RESULTS Participants reported a high prevalence of multiple ACEs, and three themes were identified: childhood experiences with family conflict, childhood experiences of abuse, and negative coping mechanisms. One-hundred percent of women had experienced at least one ACE, based on ACE questionnaire responses. CONCLUSIONS ACEs affect various parts of patient's lives as adults. For nurses and other healthcare professionals, connecting with community resources provides the opportunity to strategically approach health improvement with wrap-around resources to improve health outcomes.

OBJECTIVE As HIV transitions to a chronic disease, measures that foster continued health are critical. Peer support groups can help in reducing stigma and ensuring wellbeing for those living with HIV. The purpose of our study was to gain an understanding of the ways in which women living with HIV in rural areas sustain peer support groups. DESIGN AND SAMPLE For this descriptive qualitative study, 20 women living with HIV participated in the study. Women were randomly divided into two peer support groups of ten women each; the groups met over a 12-month period. monthly for the first two months and then every three months for the remainder of the year. RESULTS Discussion themes indicated women found ways to sustain the groups by using them as a platform for engaging in income generation; starting and participating in table banking; addressing food security; and finding financial and moral support. Problem-solving challenges of sustaining peer support groups was also a major theme. CONCLUSION As people live longer with HIV, long-term peer support will be needed to maintain wellbeing. Community-based peer support groups can be sustained by engaging women in common income-generation activities.

Patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 (PNPLA3) and transmembrane 6-superfamily member 2 (TM6SF2) polymorphisms have major impact for fibrosis due to steatohepatitis. However, there are scant data about correlations between cirrhosis-related complications and the polymorphisms of these genes. Therefore, we aimed to determine the role of the PNPLA3 and TM6SF2 polymorphisms in fibrosis progression for patients with liver cirrhosis. A multicenter study was performed at six hospitals in Japan enrolling 400 patients with liver cirrhosis caused by virus (n = 157), alcohol (n = 104), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (n = 106), or autoimmune disease (n = 33). These cirrhotic patients included those with complications of variceal bleeding, hepatic ascites, and/or hepatic encephalopathy and those without. To assess the role of the PNPLA3 and TM6SF2 polymorphisms in patients with cirrhosis related complications, we calculated the odds ratio and relative risk for the rs738409 and rs58542926 polymorphisms. We also accessed whether or not the interaction between these two polymorphisms contributed to cirrhosis related complications. As a result, the odds ratio for complications in the NAFLD group significantly increased in the presence of the rs738409 GG genotype when the CC genotype was used as the reference. There were no significant risks between complications and the presence of the rs738409 G allele in the virus or alcohol groups. There were no significant risks of complications in the frequency of the rs58542926 T polymorphism regardless of the etiology of liver cirrhosis. The interaction between the rs738409 and rs58542926 polymorphisms had the highest odds ratio of 2.415 for complications in the rs738409 GG + rs58542926 (CT+TT) group when rs738409 (CC+CG) + TM6SF2 CC was used as the reference in the NAFLD group although there was no statistically interaction between these gene polymorphisms (P=0.085).

To understand barriers and facilitators of recovery for critical illness survivors', who are discharged home from the hospital and do not have access to dedicated outpatient care.Multi-site descriptive study guided by interpretive phenomenology using semi-structured interviews.Interviews were conducted between December 2017 -July 2018. Eighteen participants were included. Data were collected from interview recordings, transcripts, field notes, and a retrospective chart review for sample demographics. Analysis was completed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis which provided a unique view of recovery through the survivors' personal experiences and perception of those experiences.Participants encountered several barriers to their recovery; however, they were resilient and initiated ways to overcome these barriers and assist with their recovery. Facilitators of recovery experienced by survivors included seeking support from family and friends, lifestyle adaptations, and creative management of their multiple medical needs. Barriers included unmet needs experienced by survivors such as mental health issues, coordination of care, and spiritual needs. These unmet needs left participants feeling unsupported from healthcare providers during their recovery.This study highlights important barriers and facilitators experienced by critical illness survivors during recovery that need be addressed by healthcare providers. New ways to support critical illness survivors, that can reach a broader population, must be developed and evaluated to support survivors during their recovery in the community.This study addressed ICU survivors' barriers and facilitators to recovery. Participants encountered several barriers to recovery at home, such as physical, cognitive, psychosocial, financial, and transportation barriers, however, these survivors were also resilient and resourceful in the development of strategies to try to manage their recovery at home. These results will help healthcare providers develop interventions to better support ICU survivors in the community.目的: 了解出院后回家且无法获得专业门诊护理的危重病幸存者的康复障碍和促进因素。 设计: 在解释性现象学的指导下, 利用半结构式访谈进行多地点描述性研究。 方法: 在2017年12月至2018年7月期间进行访谈。访谈有18名参与者。通过访谈记录、访谈笔录、现场笔记和样本人口统计的回顾性图表审查进行数据采集。采用解释性现象学分析法完成分析, 解释性现象学分析通过幸存者的个人经历和对这些经历的看法, 提供了一个独特的康复观点。 结果: 参与者在康复过程中遇到了一些障碍; 不过, 他们表现出坚韧乐观的态度, 并主动提出了克服这些障碍和帮助康复的方法。幸存者所经历的促进康复的因素包括寻求家人和朋友的支持、调整生活方式以及创造性地管理其多种医疗需求。障碍包括幸存者所经历的未被满足的需求, 如心理健康问题、护理协调和精神需求。这些未被满足的需求使参与者觉得在康复过程中得不到医疗服务提供者的支持。 结论: 本研究强调了危重病幸存者在康复过程中遇到的重要障碍和促进因素, 这些障碍和促进因素需要由医疗服务提供者解决。必须制定和评估支持危重病幸存者的新方法, 以覆盖更广泛的人群, 为幸存者在社区康复期间提供支持。 影响: 本研究涉及ICU幸存者的康复障碍和促进因素。参与者在家休养康复时遇到了一些障碍, 如身体、认知、社会心理、经济和交通障碍, 不过, 在制定居家自身康复管理策略时, 这些幸存者保持着坚韧乐观和理智的态度。这些结果将帮助医疗服务提供者制定干预措施, 以更好地支持社区中的ICU幸存者。.

Background One of the poorest countries in the world, Malawi's palliative care system is under-resourced, and one-third of the population is food-insecure. Aims This study describes the lived experience of female palliative care patients, and their caregivers, and aimed to: (1) analyse their physical, spiritual and mental health needs; and (2) analyse best palliative nursing practice for patients at the end of life. An unexpected finding was the impact of food insecurity on the women and their caregivers. Methods We conducted interviews with 26 women who at the end of life and 14 of their caregivers. All were participating in a community palliative care programme offered by an AIDS support organisation in Kasungu, Malawi. We used deductive qualitative analysis to organise identified themes using the four pillars of food security: availability, access, utilisation and stability. Findings All study participants experienced challenges with food security. Conclusions We offer policy recommendations for palliative care nurses, and other allied health professionals.

This qualitative study assessed the impact of the Nia Imani model of care on homeless African-American women, many of whom abused drugs, experienced interpersonal violence, and faced other challenges when seeking to improve their lives and health. Nia Imani Family, Inc., is Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s, only long-term transitional living facility. Grounded in Black feminist thought, our study included focus group interviews with 39 women who had lived at Nia Imani, and successfully completed its programs; and one individual interview with the founder, who had also experienced homelessness (N=40). Themes were identified through thematic analysis, and included the following: crucial social support, learning self-worth, stability and structure, appreciation for strict rules, and importance of parenting and financial literacy classes. To ensure effective interventions, there is a need for nurses to understand how community-based and community-led programs, like Nia Imani, impact the health and well-being of African-American women, who have experienced homelessness.

Objectives To examine the wealth index over a decade utilizing Malawi’s Demographic and Health (DHS) survey data from 2004, 2010, and 2015/16, and to explore factors that predict higher wealth. Study design This was a retrospective descriptive study. Methods The study utilized DHS data from 2004, 2010, and 2015/2016. The total number of participants was 77,194. Linear regression models were used to assess the effects of the predictors. All analyses were conducted in Stata version 13. Results Findings showed no significant increase in wealth between the survey years. However, significant increases in wealth were associated with smaller family size (−0.09[-0.10, −0.08]), age (0.02[0.02,0.02]), having formal education (0.21[0.18, 0.24]), and living in urban areas (−1.84[-1.98, −1.70]). Differences in wealth also existed among the different ethnic and religious groups with the Chewa reporting less wealth than other groups, and people with any form of religion reporting more wealth than people with no religion. Conclusions Minimal changes in wealth have occurred in Malawi between 2004 and 2015/16, and sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and cultural factors are associated with wealth in this population.

Nurses teach, work, and conduct research in an increasingly hostile sociopolitical climate where health inequities persist among marginalized communities. Current approaches to cultural competency do not adequately equip nurses to address these complex factors and risk perpetuating stereotypes and discrimination. A theory-driven emancipatory approach to cultural competency will instead lead to lasting change and uphold the core nursing value of commitment to social justice. This article explicates key tenets of critical race, postcolonial feminist, and intersectionality theories and then applies them, using an emancipatory approach to cultural competency that can reshape nursing education, research, and practice.

This descriptive, qualitative study was conducted to gain insight into how pre-clinical nursing students' worldviews about people different from themselves are formed, changed, and expanded. 90 mid-term and 87 end- of-term reflection papers in a cultural diversity course were analyzed. Krathwohl's taxonomy of learning guided the evaluation of students' development. Our findings showed that the course content supported most students' in their affective development. It was also evident that students' perspectives, which were influenced by past experiences, changed as the course progressed. However, while a positive change in perspective towards providing culturally safe care was evident, this was not the case for all students. Our findings have implications for informing the development of undergraduate nursing courses that prepare future nurses for their professional role in providing culturally safe care.

Hunger and inadequate nutrition are ongoing concerns in rural Malawi and are exemplified in traditional proverbs. Traditional proverbs and common expressions offer insight into commonly held truths across societies throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Strong oral traditions allow community beliefs embodied in proverbs to be passed down from generation to generation. In our qualitative study, we conducted 8 individual and 12 focus group interviews with a total of 83 participants across two districts in rural central Malawi with the aim of soliciting context-specific details on men and women’s knowledge, attitudes and practices related to nutrition, gender equality and women’s empowerment. Each interview began by asking participants to share common proverbs related to nutrition. Our qualitative analysis, informed by an indigenous-based theoretical framework that recognises and centres African indigenous knowledge production, yielded six themes: ‘a black dog enters the home’, ‘don’t stay with your hands hanging’, ‘a man is at the stomach’, ‘showers have fallen’, ‘we lack peace in our hearts’ and ‘the hunger season’. Traditional proverbs can provide insight into the underlying causes of hunger and malnutrition. Physicians, nurses and other allied health professionals around the world have a role to play in addressing hunger and malnutrition, which have been exacerbated by climate change. We have an ethical duty to educate ourselves and others, and change our behaviours, to mitigate the root causes of climate change, which are contributing to food insecurity and resultant poor health outcomes in countries like Malawi.

The aim of this review article is to gain an understanding of the mental health issues of women released from jail or prison. Thirty-six studies were synthesized using the biopsychosocial model. Results indicate that released women's mental health issues include psychiatric diagnoses, psychological trauma, substance use disorders; access to psychological medications and services; and motherhood challenges, support, access to basic needs, and criminalized behaviors. Nurses can promote released women's mental health through pre-release assessment and treatment of mental health issues and ensuring access to post-release resources. Future research should examine released women's mental health experiences.

Objective To describe community pharmacists’ perceptions on their current role in direct patient care services, an expanded role for pharmacists in providing patient care services, and changes needed to optimally use pharmacists’ expertise to provide high-quality direct patient care services to people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Four Midwestern cities in the United States in August through October 2009. Participants 28 community-based pharmacists practicing in 17 pharmacies. Interventions Interviews. Main Outcome Measures Opinions of participants about roles of specialty and nonspecialty pharmacists in caring for patients living with HIV infections. Results Pharmacists noted that although challenges in our health care system characterized by inaccessible health professionals presented opportunities for a greater pharmacist role, there were missed opportunities for greater level of patient care services in many community-based nonspecialty settings. Many pharmacists in semispecialty and nonspecialty pharmacies expressed a desire for an expanded role in patient care congruent with their pharmacy education and training. Conclusion Structural-level policy changes needed to transform communitybased pharmacy settings to patient-centered medical homes include recognizing pharmacists as important players in the multidisciplinary health care team, extending the health information exchange highway to include pharmacist-generated electronic therapeutic records, and realigning financial incentives. Comprehensive policy initiatives are needed to optimize the use of highly trained pharmacists in enhancing the quality of health care to an ever-growing number of Americans with chronic conditions who access care in community-based pharmacy settings.

Since 2012, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) faculty from nursing and physical therapy (PT) have been working together towards a common goal: to meet the healthcare needs of vulnerable populations in Malawi and Milwaukee. Sharing valuable knowledge and understanding one another's professions have allowed us to develop interprofessional education (IPE) learning experiences for students to help identify how quality of life could be improved or enhanced for children and their families across two different geographic spaces, one in rural Malawi and the other in urban Milwaukee. IPE learning modules were implemented in UWM's community health-focused short-term study abroad programmes to Malawi. IPE learning modules were also piloted at one of UWM's nurse-managed community health centres, located in a low-income, African American community in the inner city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Based on survey data collected from 10 participating IPE students in Milwaukee, from nursing, occupational therapy, PT, and speech and language pathology, a pilot study yielded a statistically significant change in a positive direction for increased understanding of three interprofessional collaborative practice core competencies: values and ethics, roles and responsibilities, and teams and teamwork. In this article, we discuss the processes used to develop, implement, and evaluate IPE experiences for UWM students, which may enable other professionals to envision the various projects they can embark upon from an interprofessional perspective.

The purpose of our study was to develop an in-depth understanding of the reactions of 40 urban and rural HIV-infected Kenyan women to HIV diagnosis. We employed narrative inquiry principles to guide this qualitative cross-sectional study. We conducted individual in-depth interviews using open-ended questions in April and May 2006. In this article we focus on women's reactions to HIV diagnosis, under which four subthemes emerged: immediate intense emotions; keeping HIV status secret; acceptance of HIV diagnosis; and finding liberation in disclosure. We offer important implications for health care professionals serving women in sub-Saharan Africa from the findings of our study.

Our purposes in writing this article are to: (1) raise consciousness and prompt dialogue about issues contributing to the lack of racial/ethnic diversity among faculties of nursing, and (2) offer a vision for mentoring women faculty of color in nursing academia that is inclusive and supportive of scholarly growth and retention. Drawing from our own experiences as mentees and mentors, and bringing in literature to substantiate our argument, we examine racism and its ramifications for academic nursing and recommend strategies for opposing racism and encouraging collaborative mentorship.

This study describes the psychosocial distress experiences of HIV-positive women in Kenya. In-depth narrative interviews were conducted three times over six months between 2009 and 2010 with 54 HIV-positive women living in Kenya to explore how the women perceived psychological distress and the steps they took to find support to cope with their HIV-positive diagnosis. Thematic analysis revealed that the women described psychological distress as: physical and emotional shock, worry, and hopelessness and suicidality. The women reported receiving support to cope through spiritual connections, family and friends, others coping with HIV/AIDS, and health care agencies. This study heightens awareness of the critical value of understanding culturally relevant mental health evaluations in a limited mental health access context.

We have developed a MCG system for mice as a powerful tool to study the incidence of heart disease non-invasively. The spatial resolution and the magnetic field sensitivity of the system are 500 μm and 0.75 pT/Hz1/2 in the frequency range of 100 Hz–10 kHz. The objective of this study is the evaluation of the incidence of heart disease without individual difference by using MCG measurement on disease-model mice. First, we measured the MCG on aconitine-induced arrhythmia model mice and a drug-free wild-type mice to confirm the ability of the system to detect anomalies due to heart diseases. The results show that the system could give significant information relevant to heart disease. Second, MCG could track the course of a disease and the recovery because of non-invasive measurement. We routinely measured mice from 7 to 13 weeks old with a high incidence of cardiac infarction (CI). Abnormal MCG was measured from 2 weeks before death. The results suggest that the MCG on mice has a potential to monitor the progress of heart disease.

In this critical ethnography, 72 HIV-infected women in Southern Malawi participated in 12 focus groups discussing the impact of HIV and violence. Our analysis, informed by a postcolonial feminist perspective, revealed women’s capacity to collectively engage in safety planning. We present our findings about women’s experiences based on narratives detailing how women collectively strategized safety planning efforts to mitigate the impact of violence. This study helps to fill a gap in the literature on the intersection between HIV and violence in women’s lives. Strategies discussed by the women could form a basis for safety planning interventions for women in similar circumstances.

Early HIV testing is critical to prevention and timely treatment. Missed opportunities for HIV diagnosis can result in unnecessary deaths at a time when access to antiretroviral treatment proves life saving. While HIV prevention and treatment research has increased, less research exists on women's experiences with HIV diagnosis, despite the fact that women are most affected. Insights from local women are critical in designing culturally meaningful interventions that thwart missed opportunities for early HIV diagnosis. The purpose of our study was to uncover steps women took to know their HIV diagnosis. Using narrative inquiry methodology informed by post-colonial feminism, we interviewed 40 HIV- positive women in Kenya. Five themes emerged related to uptake of HIV testing for women: (a) spouse's critical illness or death; (b) years of suffering from HIV-related symptoms; (c) sick children; (d) prenatal testing; and (e) personal desire to know one's HIV status. These findings centered on women experiences provide an important basis for health promotion interventions related to HIV prevention, earlier detection, and treatment.

HIV-related stigma has a negative effect on women's health and can hinder interventions aimed at eradicating HIV. In Kenya, women withstand the worst of HIV-related stigma, because they are the most affected. In this longitudinal qualitative study, we explored experiences of stigma among 54 HIV-positive Kenyan women. Using Goffman's stigma definition and Foucault's social construction of stigma to analyze women's narratives, two main themes emerged: (1) women's experience of socially constructed HIV-related stigma and (2) women's resistance of socially constructed HIV-related stigma. Even though women are creative in resisting HIV-related stigma, psychological impact of stigma can hinder HIV prevention, care, treatment, and support. Interventions that empower women are critical in reducing HIV-related stigma.

Historically, African women have been viewed through a colonizing and Eurocentric lens emphasizing poverty, oppression, and suffering. A postcolonial, feminist approach to our two qualitative studies with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women in Malawi and Kenya led us to depart from this discourse, highlighting women's capacity. Through this article, not only is a forum created for African women's voices to be heard as subaltern knowledge leading to transformational change, but also health care providers are made aware, through women's words, of how they might capitalize on grassroots women's movements, particularly in resource-poor communities, to implement effective HIV prevention and treatment strategies.

The gender inequalities that characterise intimate partner relationships in Malawi, a country with one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world, arguably place marriage as an important risk factor for HIV infection among women, yet few studies detail the complex interactions of marriage and risk. In order to develop HIV-prevention interventions that have lasting impacts in such communities, we need a deeper understanding of the intricacies of women's lives, how and why they are involved in marital relationships, and the implications of these relationships for HIV transmission or prevention. This article describes how women understand marriage's effects on their lives and their HIV risks. Drawing from focus group discussions with 72 women attending antiretroviral clinics in Malawi, we explore why women enter marriage, what women's experiences are within marriage and how they leave spouses for other relationships. Based on their narratives, we describe women's lives after separation, abandonment or widowhood, and report their reflections on marriage after being married two or three times. We then review women's narratives in light of published work on HIV, and provide recommendations that would minimise the risks of HIV attendant on marriage.

As people live longer and more productively with HIV infection, issues of agency in reducing HIV risk are particularly important for HIV-infected women living in high prevalence, under-resourced countries such as Kenya. Because of their gendered lives, in that being masculine is associated with dominance, while being feminine is associated with passiveness, women in rural Kenya must cope with continued HIV transmission risk even after knowing they are infected with HIV. In this narrative interview study, informed by theories of gender and post-colonial feminism, we examined personal accounts of HIV risk and risk reduction of 20 rural women in eastern Kenya who were living with HIV. From our analysis of the women's narratives, two major themes emerged: gender-based obstacles even in the context of a known HIV diagnosis, and struggles with economic pressures amid HIV risks. Implications for policy, programs, and research are discussed.

Background Support groups’ important role in destigmatizing HIV/AIDS and addressing social-psychological needs of persons living with HIV (PLWH) is well documented. However, the impact of support groups in economic activities is less studied. Our study compares HIV- and non-HIV- support groups in providing social-psychological and economic empowerment for PLWH or at-risk groups in rural Kenya. Methods We recruited 72 participants in 12 support groups (42 women, 30 men; 6 HIV, 6 non-HIV). Interviews lasted 1.5–4 h. Participants were asked to describe the benefits and challenges of support groups. We used MAXQDA qualitative software. We used thematic analysis informed by Grounded Theory principles to develop themes. Results HIV- and non-HIV groups provided socio-psychological benefits to members. However, HIV groups engaged in community-based HIV testing promotion, and empowered members on fight HIV-stigma and to disclose HIV-status. HIV-groups—mostly donor-financed—had challenges related to financial mismanagement and lack of transparency of disbursements. Non-HIV groups—mostly micro-financing initiatives—offered financial assistance (e.g., school fees, hospital expenses), start-up capital for business projects, and improved the standard of living for members. Non-HIV-groups had challenges related to marital conflict and violence about finances, high rate of loan-default among members; and high direct (e.g., membership financial contribution, transport costs) and indirect (e.g., time commitments) costs of group participation. Conclusion HIV-support groups are underutilised in economic empowerment initiatives for PLWH, and face challenges of sustainability, in part due to poor leadership, financial mismanagement and high financial dependency on external funding. Non-HIV groups are underutilised as venues for community-based HIV prevention efforts. Before engaging in micro-finance activities, support groups should receive leadership and financial training to ensure their long-term sustainability and increase group effectiveness in uplifting the quality and standards of living for persons living with or at-risk for HIV in rural communities. Disclosure of interest statement This study was funded by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing Start-Up funds, U. S. A. No pharmaceutical grants were received in the development of this study.

An actuator control SOI BiCDMOS LSI for automotive applications has been designed using trench-isolation process technologies. This LSI includes the very low on-resistance output circuits, bipolar circuits and the analog and digital CMOS. Using the trench-isolation technology, the very small chip size and high temperature capability can be achieved. This LSI can simplify automotive actuator control circuits and allow high precision automotive control.

Summary form only given. Highly manufacturable and high performance 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS technology for logic LSIs with excellent process controllability has been proposed. N/sub 2/O based oxynitride process and OPC (Optical Proximity Correction) technology was developed and realized superior uniformity in CMOSFET characteristics. A new Ti salicide technology which was fine line effect free down to 0.15 /spl mu/m was also established. These technologies were demonstrated and verified by application to 0.18 /spl mu/m high performance logic LSI with high performance interconnects technology.

We reported here an adult patient with vanishing bile duct syndrome due to chronic EBV infection. A 22-year-old male was admitted to a nearby hospital complaining of a sore throat and jaundice. He received a high dose of prednisolone for bile stasis of acute viral hepatitis. However, the hepatitis did not improve, and he was transferred to our hospital. He had exhibited jaundice for one year as well as hemophagocytic syndrome and intestinal perforation. Subtotal intestinal resection was successfully performed. Three follow-up biopsied liver specimens indicated vanishing bile duct syndrome. Positive results of EBV-DNA in his serum and mRNA of EBV by in situ hybridization of his liver indicated that massive doses of prednisolone caused chronic EBV infection and vanishing bile duct syndrome.