Abstract not available

Aim: The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of people living with the human immunodeficiency virus who underwent a physiotherapy rehabilitation programme, with the aim of informing and improving future physiotherapy rehabilitation interventions. Methodology: Design: A qualitative research design was adopted, using the International Classification of Function, Disability and Health as a guiding framework. Population: All adult HIV positive patients who were referred for physiotherapy rehabilitation at a public-funded South African hospital during the course of a five week clinical block. Sample: Fourteen participants were eligible for the study. Eight of these participants, who were able to attend the post-rehabilitation interview, were considered for final analysis in the study. Study setting: A public-funded hospital within the eThekwini district of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Research procedure: All eligible participants were requested to complete a questionnaire, the World Health Organisation Disability Assessment Schedule, prior to commencing a physiotherapy rehabilitation programme. After the period of rehabilitation, participants were interviewed using 14 open-ended questions designed to explore their experiences of this programme. Results: The questionnaire data described the participants’ demographics and illustrated the varying cognitive and physical challenges faced by these eight individuals. Content analysis of the eight interviews revealed the following themes: the participants’ knowledge of their health conditions and their prescribed medication, the impact of their illness on their impairments, activities and participation in their daily lives, the context in which these factors exist, the participants’ experience of physiotherapy rehabilitation and the barriers they faced in accessing continued rehabilitation. Conclusion: While participants reported mostly positive experiences related to physiotherapy rehabilitation, they face a number of barriers that limit their access to continued rehabilitation. It is hoped that the results of this study will assist in informing the development of future physiotherapy interventions, which are better designed to suit the needs of PLHIV in a South African public health context. / Thesis (M.Physio.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2012.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Duke University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

HIV-2 is a contemporary human retrovirus with the majority of infections localised to West Africa. Both HIV-1 and HIV-2 are able to cause AIDS; however, in contrast to HIV-1 infection, a common outcome following HIV-2 infection (∼ 37% of patients in this study cohort) is long-term non-progression (LTNP), where patients remain aviraemic and asymptomatic in the absence of treatment, often for decades. HIV-1 and HIV-2 both arose following zoonotic transmission of SIVs from non-human primates at around the beginning of the 20^th century and when patients develop AIDS caused by HIV-2 infection, it is clinically indistinguishable from AIDS following HIV-1 infection. Whilst the estimated number of HIV-2 infections remains small in the context of the global HIV pandemic (HIV-2 ∼ 2 million, HIV-1 group M ∼75 million), the differences in pathogenicity between these two viruses has been a source of great interest, particularly the features of LTNPs that allow control of viral replication in the absence of anti-retroviral treatment. The studies described in this thesis were carried out using samples collected from a well-characterised longitudinal community cohort in Caió, Guinea-Bissau. Chapter 3 of this thesis presents an investigation into the variation and evolution present in the HIV-2 specific accessory gene vpx. The data showed significantly increased signals of positive selection pressure in vpx in viraemic when compared to non-viraemic patients and also allowed the identification of novel variations at high frequencies (up to 22%) in this cohort that were previously un-described. Chapters 4 and 5 present a novel application of shotgun RNA sequencing (RNA- Seq) to HIV ex vitro and ex vivo samples. Chapter 4 demonstrates the divergence seen in a cultured viral isolate at the level of the whole genome, in the absence of many of the biases typically involved in sequencing of RNA viruses. Chapter 5 further extends this method to show the applicability of using RNA-Seq on primary patient HIV samples for the first time. Analysis of diversity estimates over the whole genome in the context of a low bias sequencing method show a high level of diversity in HIV-2 pol and low diversity in vpx. The aim of this work was to combine traditional and novel sequencing methods to facilitate assessment of the variation and evolution acting on vpx and to generate an accurate picture of the genetic diversity over the whole genome of HIV-2.

Thesis (MPH.) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / Purpose / Aim: To find out determinants affecting adherence to antiretroviral therapy in patients receiving free treatment from the wellness clinic at Bela Bela District Hospital in Limpopo province of South Africa. Objectives: To identify the determinants which affect the adherence to ART treatment among patients living with HIV and AIDS and to determine which of these determinants are significant predictors of adherence among HIV and AIDS patients. Methodology: a descriptive retrospective, quantitative research. Sampling: A population of 800 patients existing in the recording book was retrieved from the patients’ records at the wellness clinic. Out of 800 a sample of 260 was derived using a simple size calculator tool. Analysis: data were analysed by SPSS Windows Version 21.0. Descriptive statistics means and frequencies were calculated. Chi-Square tests were done in order to test the association between variables (such as age groups, gender, weight groups, regimens and WHO stages). Logistic regression was run to assess the effect of different determinants on the adherence to ART (e.g. viral load affected the adherence contrary to age, gender and others). Results: Female (65%) was more compliant to their male counterpart (35%). Most of the patients (47.3%) in the study belonged to the age group 21 to 35 years and only (2.7%) in the age group less or equal to 20 years. Most patients were categorised into WHO stage I (31.2%). Only 9.2% of the patients were categorised into WHO Stage IV. Most of the patients in group 2 (41.3%) had a weight between 40kgs and 54kgs and group 1 (4.2%) with patients whose weight was less than 40kgs. One of the patients has no record on weight. The majority of patients (44.2%) had CD4 count, less or equal to 100. Only 2.7% had CD4 count 300 and more. After 6 months of treatment, 37% of patients had CD4 count from 300 and above; 9.7% of the patients had CD4 countless than 200. For 136 (52.3%) of the patients in the sample the information on CD4 count at 6 xi months was missing. The majority of patients (72.7%) in the sample had low viral load and only (27.3%) of the patients had high viral load. Majority of patients (48.5%) were on New 1a Regimen instead of Regimen 1a (30.8%) because of the side effects the latter has on them. Some patients (11.2%) were on Regimen 1b, followed by patients (8.1%) on Regimen New 1b. The remaining patients were on Regimen 1c, Reg 2 and Truvada (1.6%). Findings: The majority of patients were young females; in the age-group of 21-35 years. This is reproductive age with many challenges: earlier exposed to infection, more vulnerable than males, stigmatisation, rape, fear of isolation. Majority of patients were in the WHO stage 1 and 2. The WHO stage does not depend on the level of CD4 count. It is important to consider the weight of the patient before to initiate the treatment. More than the half patients had a CD4 count required to start with ART. After 6 months they were more adherent. Most of them were on regimen Reg (New 1a) because of less side effects. The findings showed also different types of associations with some variables were significant determinants such as CD4 count had significant associations with gender, viral load, regimen, WHO staging, the p-value was lesser than 0.05. Conclusion: The results showed that viral load was the only determinant affecting adherence in the current study. The number of males in this study population was lower than females from the age group of less than 20 and age group of 21 to 35, and females than males in age group 36 to 50 and 51 or more. The lower infectivity of males is linked to the state of denial and not testing for HIV. The lower number in females can be due to their positive trends to the ART in their old age. The reasons for the low number need to be investigated. Awareness campaigns should be intentioned towards males. There should be publicity about the equality of both male and female genders.

PhD (Microbiology) / Department of Microbiology

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves : 68-76).

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2006. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1993. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [72]-90).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 217-241).