Symptoms Of AIDS Research Articles

A cross-sectional study of knowledge and stated practices regarding HIV among truck drivers in Basirhat health district, West Bengal

Background: HIV is an important public health problem throughout the world as well as in India and truck drivers are a vulnerable population. A cross-sectional study was designed aiming to assess the knowledge and stated practices of truck drivers regarding HIV transmission, and prevention of its associated factors in Basirhat Health District, West Bengal. Methods: This study employed a rigorous cross-sectional design to assess the knowledge and practices of 111 truck drivers in Basirhat Health District, West Bengal, regarding HIV. Participants were selected using simple random sampling from parking zones and Dhaba. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Results: The study uncovered intriguing insights into the knowledge and practices of truck drivers regarding HIV/AIDS. While the majority of participants had heard about HIV/AIDS, around half of the participants demonstrated good knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Surprisingly, misconceptions prevailed, including the belief that mosquitoes can transmit HIV. Participants displayed limited knowledge of AIDS symptoms and preventive measures, with uncertainty surrounding free HIV testing locations and free treatment availability. Alarmingly, a staggering 88.29% of truck drivers had never sought HIV testing, citing various reasons. Conclusions: The study underscores the necessity of targeted interventions to address knowledge gaps and promote safe sexual practices among truck drivers in the Basirhat Health District. Health workers and media campaigns can play a pivotal role in increasing awareness and prevention of HIV/AIDS among this population.

The role of governance in mitigating an epidemic disease: evidence from HIV prevalence in 45 Sub-Saharan African countries, 1996–2019

PurposeThis study proposed a theoretical framework to illustrate how governance can be instrumental in preventing the proliferation of HIV. It decomposed governance into six multidimensional facets and empirically examined their effects on HIV prevalence.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilized panel data from 45 sub-Saharan African countries from 1996 to 2019. HIV prevalence, the dependent variable, was estimated based on the number of adults aged 15–49 years infected with HIV, irrespective of the progression to AIDS symptoms. The independent variables included governance and its six dimensions: voice and accountability, political stability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law, and control of corruption. The analysis incorporated the random and fixed effects models while controlling for economic development, economic inequality, foreign aid, sanitation, and population.FindingsThe findings revealed a significant association between good governance and lower HIV prevalence. Improved governance quality in sub-Saharan African countries has led to a reduction in HIV prevalence among adults. Specifically, governance dimensions, such as voice and accountability, political stability, rule of law, and control of corruption, contributed to reducing HIV prevalence. Conversely, government effectiveness and regulatory quality did not show significant impacts on HIV prevalence.Originality/valueThis study underscores the significant role of good governance in effectively curbing the spread of epidemic diseases, highlighting its importance in controlling HIV in sub-Saharan African countries.

Survival Analysis and Immune Differences of HIV Long-Term Non-progressors in Xinjiang China: A 12-Year Prospective Cohort Observation

This 12-year cohort study of 80 long-term non-progressors (LTNPs) observed a cumulative follow-up duration of 628.5 person-years. Among them, 60 received antiretroviral therapy (ART) for a total of 418.6 person-years. Twenty-four deaths occurred during the follow-up period, with an average age of 42.36 years and a lowest 8-year survival rate of 0.90. Cox model analysis revealed that the risk of AIDS-related death was 1.47 times higher for non-marital, non-commercial heterosexual transmission than for injection drug use. Treatment initiation at ages 31–40 was correlated with an elevated risk of mortality, while treatment for 3–10 years reduced mortality risks in untreated LTNPs. Flow cytometry observed significant differences in the proportion of NK cells. Long-term ART (> 2 years) before LTNPs developed AIDS symptoms could lower mortality risk and potentially extend lifespan, especially when it was initiated at a younger age without affecting NK cell balance. Epidemiological and immunological studies on ART-treated LTNPs are vital for advancing HIV treatment and achieving functional cures for AIDS individuals.

Direct Characterisation and the Depiction of HIV/Aids Theme in the Zulu Novel, Ngidedele Ngife

This paper aims to explore how E.D.M. Sibiya uses direct characterisation in presenting the theme of HIV and Aids in his Zulu novel, Ngidedele Ngife (2006). Although Sibiya uses both the direct and indirect methods of character delineation in his novel, the focus of this paper is on the direct method. And, as we intend to argue, his strategy seems to be effective as it enables him to present the intended themes successfully. The HIV/Aids theme is one of the sensitive themes from which writers shy away, but Sibiya manages to explore it to educate people. A narratology theory is used to examine the effect of characterisation in the presentation of theme, and the focus is on personality traits and physical appearances of characters. This paper reveals that Sibiya successfully handles direct characterisation to educate people about the HIV and Aids symptoms, how they manifest, and the stereotypes linked to the HIV/Aids pandemic.

The illness that dare not speak its name: HIV/AIDS in Gil de Biedma’s diaries

ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the implications of illness and queerness for the identity Gil de Biedma constructs through his personal diary of 1985. This is a unique case of a Spanish author providing a complex picture of the effect of HIV/AIDS on his own life and work. In addition, the author’s diaries are a rare example of Spanish autobiographical writing on illness. Gil de Biedma kept several diaries throughout his life. The last diary, titled “Diario de 1985”, is an account of his stay at a French hospital while undergoing treatment for Kaposi’s sarcoma. This short diary offers crude yet insightful material on human illness, suffering and the stigma of HIV/AIDS in Spain during the 1980s. By close reading a selection of fragments of the author’s diary, utilizing an approach that combines psychoanalysis and social history, this paper exposes the connections between illness, sexuality and identity in Gil de Biedma’s autobiographical writing. This paper claims that Gil de Biedma (un)consciously represses naming the illness in his diaries while being very descriptive about the physical symptoms of AIDS and its treatment. This evidences the brutal social and familial pressure to conform to a certain identity, ultimately giving way to a very particular symbiosis between the author’s literary persona and his bourgeois self.

‘These symptoms are 100 per cent symptoms of AIDS’: Trauma and health anxiety in later life – A case study

This case study presents the delivery of brief cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) for health anxiety, in the context of older age. Elements of standard CBT for health anxiety and psychoeducation techniques were employed. A collaborative case formulation adapted for older clients, comprising two models were developed and used as a roadmap for intervention. Psychometric assessment was conducted across six-time points alongside a narrative assessment of the client’s mental health needs. A detailed description of the case is presented, including an outline of the treatment and set of interventions employed, informed by the formulation. This case study calls for a nuanced understanding of health anxiety and highlights the importance of considering trauma and individualised approaches in clinical practice.

The Influence of Saturated and Bilinear Incidence Functions on the Dynamical Behavior of HIV Model Using Galerkin Scheme Having a Polynomial of Order Two

Mathematical modelling has been extensively used to measure intervention strategies for the control of contagious conditions. Alignment between different models is pivotal for furnishing strong substantiation for policymakers because the differences in model features can impact their prognostications. Mathematical modelling has been widely used in order to better understand the transmission, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases. Herein, we study the dynamics of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection model with four variables: S (t), I (t), C (t), and A (t) the susceptible individuals; HIV infected individuals (with no clinical symptoms of AIDS); HIV infected individuals (under ART with a viral load remaining low), and HIV infected individuals (with two different incidence functions (bilinear and saturated incidence functions). A novel numerical scheme called the continuous Galerkin-Petrov method is implemented for the solution of the model. The influence of different clinical parameters on the dynamical behavior of S (t), I (t), C (t) and A (t) is described and analyzed. All the results are depicted graphically. On the other hand, we explore the time-dependent movement of nanofluid in porous media on an extending sheet under the influence of thermal radiation, heat flux, hall impact, variable heat source, and nanomaterial. The flow is considered to be 2D, boundary layer, viscous, incompressible, laminar, and unsteady. Sufficient transformations turn governing connected PDEs into ODEs, which are solved using the proposed scheme. To justify the envisaged problem, a comparison of the current work with previous literature is presented.

Plant Profile, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of Asparagus Racemosus (Shatavari): A Review

Abstract: Asparagus racemosus is one of the member of family Liliaceae and popularly called as Satavari. It is observed all over in INDIA at a low altitude. It is utilized as herbal medicine and served as food. All the parts of the plant have therapeutically importance for the treatment of the various disorders such as liver disorder, stomach ulcer, inflammation, stress related disorders, dyspepsia. It also regulates blood fat and cholesterol levels. It is found that the drug also control the symptoms of AIDS. This mini review highlights the importance and pharmacological Activity of the A. racemosus. Key points: Asparagus racemosus, morphology, Classification, phytochemicals, pharmacological Activity.

Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma Presenting as Symptom of AIDS.

The development of metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in an otherwise healthy and young individual should prompt physicians to investigate for an underlying cause of immunosuppression. The following case presents an individual who underwent Mohs surgery of a poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Four months following Mohs surgery, the patient presented with lymphadenopathy and new skin nodules. Metastatic disease or infection were included in the differential diagnosis. An immunosuppression work-up was completed and the patient was diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Treatment with antiretroviral therapy was initiated 1 month prior to treatment of the metastatic disease with an immunomodulator, cemimplimab-rwlc. This contribution highlights the importance of determining the immunological status of a patient who presents with metastatic disease following a complete tumor clearance.

Neuroendocrine Tumor in a Patient Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are epithelial neoplasms with predominant neuroendocrine differentiation, potentially arising from anywhere along the alimentary tract. We report a case of NET in a patient living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLWH). A 58-year-old gentleman presented to the emergency department with a 2-week history of dry cough, loose motions, and fatigue; he had unintended weight loss ongoing during the past 4 months. Examination is significant for hepatomegaly (20 cm). On evaluation, a diagnosis of both HIV/AIDS and metastatic NET of gastrointestinal origin was confirmed. The chronic antigenic stimulation, cytokine dysregulation, and inflammation observed in PLWH are believed to influence the development of variety of malignancy. Hence, a high index of suspicion for neoplasms in HIV/AIDS (PLWH) regardless of their viral load or immunosuppression status is necessity when presented with red flag malignancies, especially with the overlapping symptoms of AIDS and the constitutional symptoms of cancers.

AIDS and its representation in the works of William S. Burroughs

In 1983, when the discovery of AIDS was publicly disclosed, many readers and admirers of William S. Burroughs pointed out how he had described the disease in his work. AIDS is very similar to the scarlet fever of Cities of the Red Night as reported by Burroughs (Cities of the red night, Picador, London 1981). Those who spoke of prophecy highlighted that the B-23 virus Burroughs described originated in Africa and is sexually transmitted, like HIV. This led to the idea that Burroughs had anticipated the spread of the virus. Burroughs played on this coincidence and commented that it is part of a writer’s job to “shape” reality, but there are significant differences between the characteristics of the two viruses. In the first decades of the AIDS epidemic, there were alternative theories and disputes concerning the official aetiology at the same time that there was, as Burroughs represents, diffidence towards government healthcare systems. Many other plagues have been described in American fiction, and Burroughs might have invented his B-23 virus starting from these earlier examples. Thus, Burroughs’s viruses, rather than foreshadowing the physical symptoms of AIDS, foreshadow the pseudo-scientific theories, thoughts and beliefs arising from the spread of the disease.

Intracranial myopericitoma

Myopericytoma is a benign, soft tissue tumor probably derived from perivascular myoid cells. They are usually found in subcutaneous tissues in the extremities. Intracranial localization of myopericitoma is exceedingly uncommon. We report a 43 years old male patient with incidentally found myopericitoma of the posterior fossa. Patient was operated and tumor was completely removed. Patient was subsequently diagnosed with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome due to human immunodeficiency virus infection. One year after operation tumor showed no signs of recurrence, but patient developed progressive symptoms of AIDS and started highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Connection of intracranial myopericitoma appearance and HIV/AIDS has been reported before, but clear connection is yet to be elucidated.

AIDS symptoms in America: Close-ups from the underground

After the explosion of the AIDS epidemic in the United States was virtually ignored because it was mostly hitting the gay community, gay authors started to employ their work for two main purposes: to protest the situation and, particularly in the beginning, to spread information about the virus. The portrayal of physical details is one of the most interesting devices employed in AIDS texts. In the early AIDS years, when the cause of the epidemic was unknown, literary tools such as the list of symptoms were widely used: authors were addressing their own community, and gave people a way to recognize the early signs of illness, such as the night sweats and the Kaposi’s sarcoma lesions. Even after the discovery of HIV, when there was not a cure yet, AIDS texts represented a crucial source of information: the first official leaflet was provided by Surgeon General Koop in 1986. The act of incorporating medical information in literary texts was considered an act of service within the community: authors such as Paul Monette and Larry Kramer regarded the gay underground as a more credible source of information, since in the beginning people who had gotten through it often knew more than the doctors. Later on, as information became more available, the display of those same physical manifestations of the disease and of AIDS-ridden bodies became an effective way to denounce the persisting silence from the government, with works such as Kushner’s Angels in America and Wojnarowicz’s portraits of Peter Hujar’s body. This article focuses on how the display of symptoms and other physical manifestations of the epidemic turned the cultural production into a key element in shaping the discourse around AIDS, highlighting the evolution in the use of physical medical evidence – from information to outcry.

WS3.8. Cranial Nerve Assessment (with Demonstration)

The cranial nerve condition commonly tested in an EMG laboratory comprise mono or polyneuropathies affecting the accessory, trigeminal or facial nerve. A posterior triangle tumor or surgical procedures can damage the spinal accessory nerve. Other causes include stretch induced injury, carotid endarterectomy, and ligature injury during surgical exploration. The paralysis of the sternocleidomastoid causes weakness when the face is rotated toward the opposite shoulder. Stimulation of this nerve behind the sternocleidomastoid elicits a compound action potential (CMAP) recordable from the upper trapezius muscle. The differential diagnosis of facial palsy, which constitutes the most common disorder of the cranial nerve seen in an EMG laboratory, deserves a special mention. Weakness of the orbicularis oculi and frontalis suggests a peripheral type of facial palsy, which may herald other symptoms of multiple sclerosis, Lyme borreliosis and AIDS. Patients with Guillain Barre Syndrome and Charcot Marie tooth disease type 1 may develop bilateral, or rarely unilateral, involvement. An acoustic neuroma may compress the facial nerve. Bell's palsy develops sporadically, 80% showing a good prognosis with demyelination, and 20%, a less favorable outcome with axonal degeneration as in herpes zoster infection. The conduction study of the facial nerve and blink reflex reveal various degrees of abnormality in most of these patients. Stimulation of the facial nerve evokes CMAP usually recorded from the nasalis. Blink reflex elicited by supraspinal nerve consists of ipsilateral R1 and bilateral R2 components. The latency of R1 represents the conduction time along the trigeminal and facial nerves and poutine relay. Inherent latency variability makes R2 less reliable for diagnostic purpose. During the session, participants will observe various electrodiagnostic techniques currently in use for the evaluation of the cranial nerves, and learn pit falls which may lead to an erroneous interpretation of the acquired results. All these should lead to a better understanding of the use of electrodiagnostic studies in attending patients with a disorder of cranial nerves in the clinical practice. In patients with a diffuse process such as polyneuropathy, examination of the cranial nerves complements the routine studies of the upper and lower limb nerves.

AIDS Presenting in an Adolescent Male With Persistent Conjunctivitis and Eye Pain

An adolescent male with persistent conjunctivitis and an episcleral nodule presented with new-onset focal seizures and headaches. The patient was found to have cotton wool spots and papilledema on retinal examination. He was ultimately diagnosed with HIV retinopathy and AIDS. Ocular manifestations are rare presenting symptoms of AIDS among adolescents in the United States. Ocular disease in pediatric HIV/AIDS patients is most often caused by opportunistic infections. HIV retinopathy, the most common cause of blindness in patients with HIV, is usually a late disease manifestation. It is important for providers caring for adolescents to be aware of the potential ocular manifestations of HIV/AIDS. Teenagers are less likely to be aware of their HIV status and less likely to be tested for HIV, despite high risk exposures, and therefore, universal and routine HIV screening is recommended for all patients.

An Evolutionary Model of Progression to AIDS.

The time to the onset of AIDS symptoms in an HIV infected individual is known to correlate inversely with viremia and the level of immune activation. The correlation exists against the background of strong individual fluctuations demonstrating the existence of hidden variables depending on patient and virus parameters. At the moment, prognosis of the time to AIDS based on patient parameters is not possible. In addition, it is of paramount importance to understand the reason of progression to AIDS in untreated patients to be able to learn to control it by means other than anti-retroviral therapy. Here we develop a mechanistic mathematical model to predict the speed of progression to AIDS in individual untreated patients and patients treated with suboptimal therapy, based on a single-time measurement of several virological and immunological parameters. We show that the gradual increase in virus fitness during a chronic infection causes slow gradual depletion of CD4 T cells. Using the existing evolution models of HIV, we obtain general expressions predicting the time to the onset of AIDS symptoms in terms of the patient parameters, for low-viremia and high-viremia patients separately. We show that the evolution model of AIDS fits the existing data on virus-time correlations better than the alternative model of the deregulation of homeostatic response.

Optimal control for variable order fractional HIV/AIDS and malaria mathematical models with multi-time delay

In this article, optimal control for variable order fractional multi-delay mathematical model for the co-infection of HIV/AIDS and malaria is presented. This model consists of twelve differential equations, where the variable order derivative are in the sense of Caputo. Three control variables are presented in this model to minimize the number of the co-infected individuals showing no symptoms of AIDS, the infected individuals with malaria, and the individuals asymptomatically infected with HIV/AIDS. Necessary conditions for the control problem are derived. The Grünwald-Letnikov nonstandard finite difference scheme is constructed to simulating the proposed optimal control system. The stability of the proposed scheme is proved. In order to validate the theoretical results numerical simulations and comparative studies are given.

Assessment of knowledge of HIV and AIDS among tribal college students: a cross-sectional study

Background: AIDS mainly affects people aged 15-40 years. The co-infection of HIV/AIDS with other infectious diseases is an escalating public health problem. Public health intervention tools are effective only when knowledge needs are ably assessed. The objective of this study was to assess knowledge regarding HIV, routes of transmission, prevention and treatment in tribal students.Methods: Questionnaire was used to carry out this study in 120 tribal students enrolled in BA (bachelor of Arts) course in a college of tribal district of Maharashtra.Results: Out of 120 students, 104 students 86.67% completed the self-administered questionnaire. Out of 104 the 62.50% were males and 37.50% were females. 99.03% were aware of the word ‘HIV/AIDS’. 58.65% were aware of all possible routes of HIV transmission. Only 12.5% knew that unprotected anal sex carries high risk for HIV transmission.70.19% knew that HIV infection was not curable. 75% students said that weight loss was the major symptom of AIDS. 49.03% knew that tuberculosis was the principal opportunistic infection. 25% were aware of the ELISA test and 21.03% knew the location of treatment centre. The main sources of this information were television and the internet (72% and 71%).Conclusions: Tribal students have inadequate knowledge regarding routes of HIV transmission and its prevention. It is imperative to increase awareness by various channels of communications such as the mass media.

Regarding new positive, bounded and convergent numerical solution of nonlinear time fractional HIV/AIDS transmission model

Abstract HIV/AIDS is a lethal disease that breaks down immune system of a human body making the victim susceptible to life threatening infections, unusual malignancies or neurological disorders. HIV/AIDS is a major transmissible disease. An analysis with a nonlinear time fractional epidemic system model of HIV/AIDS transmission for humans is carried out. Its solution is found using fractional variational iteration method with convergence analysis of the series solution. The outcomes are discussed with figures that display the variation in the population of susceptible, HIV infected (with or without symptom of AIDS) and HIV infected under antiretroviral treatment with time. The results confirm that FVIM is highly reliable, efficient, effective and also easy to use.

Sustained HIV viral suppression among men who have sex with men in the Miami-Dade County Ryan White Program: the effect of demographic, psychosocial, provider and neighborhood factors

BackgroundHIV viral suppression is associated with health benefits for people living with HIV and a decreased risk of HIV transmission to others. The objective was to identify demographic, psychosocial, provider and neighborhood factors associated with sustained viral suppression among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men.MethodsData from adult men who have sex with men (MSM) enrolled in the Miami-Dade County Ryan White Program (RWP) before 2017 were used. Sustained viral suppression was defined as having an HIV viral load < 200 copies/ml in all viral load tests in 2017. Three-level (individual, medical case management site, and neighborhood) cross-classified mixed-effect models were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for sustained viral suppression.ResultsOf 3386 MSM, 90.8% were racial/ethnic minorities, and 84.4% achieved sustained viral suppression. The odds of achieving sustained viral suppression was lower for 18–24 and 25–34 year-old MSM compared with 35–49 year-old MSM, and for non-Latino Black MSM compared with White MSM. Those not enrolled in the Affordable Care Act, and those with current AIDS symptoms and a history of AIDS had lower odds of achieving sustained viral suppression. Psychosocial factors significantly associated with lower odds of sustained viral suppression included drug/alcohol use, mental health symptoms, homelessness, and transportation to appointment needs. Individuals with an HIV physician who serves a larger volume of RWP clients had greater odds of sustained viral suppression. Neighborhood factors were not associated with sustained viral suppression.ConclusionDespite access to treatment, age and racial disparities in sustained viral suppression exist among MSM living with HIV. Addressing substance use, mental health, and social services’ needs may improve the ability of MSM to sustain viral suppression long-term. Furthermore, physician characteristics may be associated with HIV outcomes and should be explored further.