Expanding options for HIV testing: A process evaluation of a community-led HIV self-testing intervention among men who have sex with men in Kenya.

Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) in Kenya continue to face barriers to HIV testing, which leads to delays in HIV prevention and care. An HIV self-testing (HIVST) intervention was implemented in three Kenyan counties to increase coverage and frequency of HIV testing among MSM communities with high HIV prevalence. The evaluation study examined how HIVST can increase testing among MSM who are unaware of their status by increasing coverage, frequency, and early uptake of testing and support linkages to prevention and treatment.

Measuring the radiation of sound sources with the radiation mode method: Towards realistic problems.

The measurement of the pressure field radiated by a sound source has many applications in the fields of noise control and loudspeaker system design. In this paper, the radiation mode method is used to measure the field radiated by a complex acoustic source whose surface impedance is arbitrary and does not correspond to the Neumann boundary condition used for the calculation of radiation modes. The most effective radiation modes are used as test functions to calculate a pressure expansion around the source under test, an expansion that matches the measured pressure at a limited number of points close to the source.

A reduced-order-model-based equivalent circuit for piezoelectric micro-electro-mechanical-system loudspeakers modeling.

Piezoelectric micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) speakers are emerging as promising implementations of loudspeakers at the microscale, as they are able to meet the ever-increasing requirements for modern audio devices to become smaller, lighter, and integrable into digital systems. In this work, we propose a finite element model (FEM)-assisted lumped-parameters equivalent circuit for a fast and accurate modeling of these types of devices. The electro-mechanical parameters are derived from a pre-stressed FEM eigenfrequency analysis, to account for arbitrarily complex geometries and for the shift of the speaker resonance frequency due to an initial non-null pre-deflected configuration.

Online adaptive identification of multichannel systems for audio applications.

Impulse responses (IRs) estimation of multi-input acoustic systems is a prerequisite for many audio applications. In this paper, an adaptive identification problem based on the Autostep algorithm is extended to the simultaneous estimation of room IRs for multiple input single output linear time invariant systems without any a priori information. To do so, the proposed algorithm is initially evaluated in a simulated room with several sound sources active at the same time.

Assessing awareness and use of HIV self-testing kits after the introduction of a community-based HIV self-testing programme among men who have sex with men in Kenya.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) bear a disproportionate burden of new HIV infections in Kenya, while experiencing discrimination, leading to suboptimal levels of HIV care. HIV self-testing (HIVST) is a tool to increase HIV screening and earlier diagnosis; however, questions remain regarding how best to scale-up HIVST to MSM in Kenya. The main objective of this study was to examine changes in knowledge and use of HIVST after implementation of a community-led HIVST project.

Comparison of three full-field optical measurement techniques applied to vibration analysis.

Digital image correlation, deflectometry and digital holography are some of the full-field optical measurement techniques that have matured in recent years. Their use in vibroacoustic applications is gaining attention and there is a need for cataloging their performance in order to provide, to a broad community of users and potential future users, quantitative and qualitative evaluations of these three approaches. This paper presents an experimental comparison of the three optical methods in the context of vibration measurements, along with classical reference measurements provided by an accelerometer and a laser Doppler vibrometer.

The ACOUCOU platform: Online acoustic education developed by an interdisciplinary team.

The ACOUCOU platform is a web-based, interactive, acoustics training platform that includes a set of free educational materials in various technical fields of acoustics. Educational materials are designed to serve as a modern self-development tool for students and engineers, as well as a comprehensive solution for professional education in the work environment. On the other hand, the provided materials of the platform can be a useful tool, supporting teachers, company researchers, and academic lecturers in the process of teaching acoustics.

Understanding socio-sexual networks: critical consideration for HIVST intervention planning among men who have sex with men in Kenya.

Background: HIV self-testing (HIVST) has emerged as a way of reaching individuals who may be less likely to access testing, including men who have sex with men (MSM). Understanding the social networks of MSM is key to tailoring interventions, such as HIVST, for particular locations.

Methods: We undertook a socio-sexual network study to characterize and identify patterns of connection among MSM and inform an HIVST intervention in three sites in Kenya.

Experimental acoustic scene analysis using One-Eighth spherical fraction microphone array.

This paper investigates the performance of one-eighth Spherical Fraction Microphone Array through experimental measurement to analyze acoustic scenes in one-eighth of space. The array geometry is designed to be placed in a room corner at the junction of three acoustically rigid walls. Two prototypes are built with 8 and 16 microphones, respectively.

Use of the filtered-x least-mean-squares algorithm to adapt personal sound zones in a car cabin.

One of the main fields of application of personal sound zones (PSZs) is the car industry. PSZ systems are usually designed assuming that the acoustic environment is not changing. However, due to variability in the car cabin's acoustic conditions, it is necessary to design a system capable of adapting to these variations.

HIV testing amid COVID-19: community efforts to reach men who have sex with men in three Kenyan counties.

In comparison to European and American countries, Kenya has been less impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of reported cases and mortalities. However, everyday life has been dramatically affected by highly restrictive government-imposed measures such as stay-at-home curfews, prohibitions on mobility across national and county boundaries, and strict policing, especially of the urban poor, which has culminated in violence. This open letter highlights the effects of these measures on how three community-based organizations (CBOs) deliver HIV programs and services to highly stigmatized communities of men who have sex with men living in the counties of Kisumu, Kiambu and Mombasa.

HIV prevalence, testing and treatment among men who have sex with men through engagement in virtual sexual networks in Kenya: a cross-sectional bio-behavioural study.

Introduction: In Kenya, men who have sex with men (MSM) are increasingly using virtual sites, including web-based apps, to meet sex partners. We examined HIV testing, HIV prevalence, awareness of HIV-positive status and linkage to antiretroviral therapy (ART), for HIV-positive MSM who solely met partners via physical sites (PMSM), compared with those who did so in virtual sites (either solely via virtual sites (VMSM), or via both virtual and physical sites (DMSM)).

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional bio-behavioural survey of 1200 MSM, 15 years and above, in three counties in Kenya between May and July 2019, using random sampling of physical and virtual sites.

Characterization of acoustic material at oblique incidence using a spherical microphone array.

This paper proposes two distinct methods for estimating the surface impedance Z of acoustic materials using a spherical microphone array. The first method is based on the spherical ambisonic representation of sound fields to estimate the normal particle velocity and the sound pressure at the surface of the material. The second method uses an optimization process, where the measured sound pressure field is constrained to match a theoretical model.

Discussing advance care planning: insights from older people living in nursing homes and from family members.

Unlabelled: ABSTRACTBackground:Evidence concerning when and in which manner older people living in nursing homes (NHs) would prefer to discuss advance care planning (ACP) is still scarce. This study explored the attitudes of NH residents and family members toward ACP and their opinions as to the right time to broach the subject, the manner in which it should be approached, and the content of ACP.

Methods: This was a qualitative study using face-to-face interviews with 30 residents (age range 66-94), and 10 family members from 4 Italian NHs.

Activated PI3Kδ syndrome type 2: Two patients, a novel mutation, and review of the literature.

Background: Autosomal dominant gain-of-function mutations in PIK3R1 encoding for the regulatory subunit (p85α, p55α, and p50α) of Class IA phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) result in the activated PI3Kδ syndrome (APDS) type 2 characterized by childhood-onset combined immunodeficiency, lymphoproliferation, and immune dysregulation. To improve clinical awareness and understanding of these rare diseases, we reviewed all hitherto published cases with APDS type 1 and type 2 for their clinical and immunologic symptoms and added novel clinical, immunologic, and genetic findings of two patients with APDS type 2.

Methods: Clinical, immunologic, and genetic evaluation of two new patients with APDS2 was performed followed by the systematic collection of all available previously published data of patients with APDS1 and APDS2.

Hemispherical double-layer time reversal imaging in reverberant and noisy environments at audible frequencies.

Time reversal is a widely used technique in wave physics, for both imaging purposes and experimental focusing. In this paper, a complete double-layer time reversal imaging process is proposed for in situ acoustic characterization of non-stationary sources, with perturbative noise sources and reverberation. The proposed method involves the use of a hemispherical array composed of pressure-pressure probes.

Evaluation of a separation method for source identification in small spaces.

This paper investigates the efficiency of a field separation method for the identification of sound sources in small and non-anechoic spaces. When performing measurements in such environments, the acquired data contain information from the direct field radiated by the source of interest and reflections from walls. To get rid of the unwanted contributions and assess the field radiated by the source of interest, a field separation method is used.

Evaluation of a method for the measurement of subwoofers in usual rooms.

This paper evaluates the potential of the field separation method (FSM) for performing subwoofer measurements in a small test room with poor absorbing properties, as is commonly available. The FSM requires the knowledge of both acoustic pressure and velocity fields on a closed surface surrounding the tested source. Pressures and velocities, measured using a p-p probe on a half-sphere mesh, are collected under various conditions: in a room with variable reverberation time (6.

Measurement of confined acoustic sources using near-field acoustic holography.

Due to excessive reverberation or to the presence of secondary noise sources, characterization of sound sources in enclosed space is rather difficult to perform. In this paper a process layer is used to recover the pressure field that the studied source would have radiated in free space. This technique requires the knowledge of both acoustic pressure and velocity fields on a closed surface surrounding the source.

Boundary element method for the acoustic characterization of a machine in bounded noisy environment.

In this article, a boundary element method is used to recover free field conditions from noisy bounded space situations. The proposed approach is based on the Helmholtz integral formulation. The method requires the knowledge of double layer pressure fields on two parallel closed surfaces surrounding the source.

Application of sunscreen preparations among young Polish people.

Background: The efficacy of sunscreens is assessed on the basis that 15-20 g/m(2) (1.5-2 mg/cm(2)) is applied. However, expecting people to apply such large amounts is perhaps unrealistic.

Nosocomial outbreak due to a multiresistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa P12: efficacy of cefepime-amikacin therapy and analysis of beta-lactam resistance.

Over a 3-year period, 67 patients of the Hospital of Pau (Pau, France), including 64 patients hospitalized in the adult intensive care unit (ICU), were colonized and/or infected by strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa P12, resistant to all potentially active antibiotics except colistin. Most patients were mechanically ventilated and presented respiratory tract infections. Since cefepime and amikacin were the least inactive antibiotics by MIC determination, all ICU patients were treated with this combination, and most of them benefited.