Introduction:
Myanmar is one of the countries in the Asia-Pacific region hit hardest by the HIV epidemic that is concentrated among urban areas and key populations. In 2014, the National AIDS Programme (NAP) launched a new model of decentralized service delivery with the establishment ART satellite sites with care delivered by HIV peer workers.
Methods:
ART satellite sites are implemented by non-government organizations to service high burden HIV areas and populations that suffer stigma or find access to public sector services difficult. They provide continuity of HIV care from outreach testing, counseling, linkage to care, and retention in care. Anti-retroviral (ART) initiation occurs at health facilities by specialist physicians. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of people living with HIV (PLHIV) who were initiated on ART from 2015 to 2016 at five ART satellite sites in Yangon, Myanmar to assess outcomes and time from enrolment to ART initiation.
Results:
Of 1,339 PLHIV on ART treatment in 2015–16, 1,157 (89%) were retained, and 5% were lost from care and 5% reported dead, at the end of March 2018. Attrition rates (death and lost-to-follow-up) were found to be significantly associated with a CD4 count ≤ 50 cells/mm
3
and having baseline weight ≤ 50 kg. Median time taken from enrolment to ART initiation was 1.9 months (interquartile range: 1.4–2.5).
Conclusion:
We report high rates of retention in care of PLHIV in a new model of ART satellite sties in Yangon, Myanmar after 3 years of follow-up. The delays identified in time taken from enrolment to ART initiation need to be explored further and addressed. This initial study supports continuation of plans to scale-up ART satellite sites in Myanmar. To optimize outcomes for patients and the program and accelerate progress to reduce HIV transmission and end the HIV epidemic, operational research needs to be embedded within the response.
Currently used dispersion methods are not able to provide sufficient dispersion of nanomodifiers in liquids. This circumstance significantly reduces the effectiveness of the subsequent use of liquid-phase nanomodifiers which are widely used in the production of a variety of composite polymer and ceramic structures. The article discusses a new method of dispersing and suspending liquids using ultra-jet technology. The results of experimental testing confirming the effectiveness of ultra-jet technologies for producing liquid suspensions with nanomodifiers are presented. Two different types of powder were chosen as liquid modifiers: boehmite and carbon nanotubes. Moreover, special technological equipment was developed to conduct the experiment. The results of the analysis of the obtained liquid suspensions containing nanomodifiers allow us to recommend this dispersion technology for use on an industrial scale.
The article deals with the actual problem of finding new highly efficient methods for dispersing suspensions prepared using nanomaterials. The criterion of efficiency is taken to ensure the minimum particle size, after the implementation of a particular dispersion technology. The results of experiments on the dispersion of nanoscale suspensions by the method of ultrasonic and ultrajet processing are presented. It is shown that the ultra-jet dispersion method can be applied to deagglomerate microparticles and solve problems of providing the necessary dispersion in suspensions. Based on comparative experimental data, it has been shown that the ultra-jet method has several advantages.
The article considers the urgent problem of finding new highly effective methods for dispersing suspensions prepared using nanomaterials (boehmite, graphene, nanotubes). Based on comparative experimental data, it is shown that the ultra-jet treatment method has several advantages. For experiments, standard equipment for waterjet cutting of materials was used. A single crystal of diamond was used as a target for a high-speed nanosized suspension, the fastening of which was carried out in special technological equipment, which also performs the functions of collecting the treated liquid. The experimental results showed that the particle size after ultra-jet treatment exceeds the result of the traditional method of homogenization – ultrasonic treatment. An important result of the research was the establishment of the fact that the homogenization process begins at the stages of the passage of the nanosuspension through the focusing tube, and not only in the process of collision of the ultrajet liquid with the barrier.
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