Browsing by Subject "HIV infections"
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Item An application of attribution theory in persons' willingness and obligation to disclose HIV-positive status to family members(Texas Tech University, 1996-05) Kimberly, Judy A.The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to be one of this country's most severe health issues for both those infected with the disease and those affected by the disease. Utilizing attribution theory as a framework, this analogue study examined factors associated with the HIV-positive individual and his/her relationship with specific family members that may be associated with the willingness and obligation to disclose an HIV-positive diagnosis. Results indicated that for the 585 men and women of this study, the gender of the actor, the mode by which the actor contracted HTV, and the gender of the participant were all significantly related to the willingness and obligation of the actor to disclose his/her diagnosis to family members. Interestingly, symptomology was not significantly related to disclosure. Each of the five relationship variables (closeness, past response, attitude, health, and financial assistance) were also statisticaUy significantly related to disclosure. Limitations and future research directions are also presented.Item Are HIV prevention programs effective in addressing rising HIV/AIDS rates among Central Asian labor migrants?(2011-05) Fleming, Thomas Rolland; Neuburger, Mary, 1966-; Weinreb, AlexanderWithin the last ten years HIV rates in Central Asia have more than quadrupled amongst the general population. Labor migrants from the region who are working in Russia are considered at high risk of HIV infection due to risky sexual practices. Similar behavior has been documented among labor migrants in sub Saharan Africa. By reviewing medical data and literature written by international health professionals in both regions, I analyze the chain of sexual contact of labor migrants within female partners that contribute to the spread of HIV from Russia to the general population within Central Asia. I use Tajikistan as a case study. The findings of this study recommend that existing behavior modification strategies need to recognize existing gender structures when addressing at risk populations. They must also emphasize collaboration with community religious leaders and civil society organizations to promote effective and appropriate HIV/AIDS education efforts in order to curb the growing prevalence rates among male labor migrants in Central Asia.Item Glycomic approaches to understanding HIV-1 budding in T cells(2008-12) Krishnamoorthy, Lakshmipriya, 1978-; Mahal, Lara K.The causative agent of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), is one of the most extensively studied pathogens in modern history. The virus has multiple mechanisms of persisting in the host including evading host immune response. Since HIV-1 depends heavily on the host machinery for various aspects of its life cycle, unraveling the complex interplay between the host and HIV-1 could provide new clues to therapeutic avenues. In T cells, HIV assembles and subsequently buds through the plasma membrane incorporating host derived proteins and lipids in the viral envelope. HIV is thought to utilize a pre-existing mechanism for the budding of normal cellular vesicles called microvesicles to exit host cells. The evidence for this theory comes from reports of similarities between HIV and microvesicles observed for a small subset of proteins and lipids, leading to controversies about its validity. To further test this hypothesis, we utilized lectin microarrays to obtain a comprehensive glycomic profile of HIV and microvesicles derived from a panel of T cell lines. Glycosylation is critical to protein sorting and has a crucial role in HIV-1 biology, making it an ideal marker to compare the particles and the host cell membrane. We observed similar glycomic profiles for HIV-1 and microvesicles strongly suggesting an analogous mode of egress. Glycosylation of both particles seems to vary based on the parent cell line, providing additional evidence for this hypothesis. Microvesicles are involved in immune response modulation; hence the incorporation of microvesicular proteins could influence interactions of HIV with the immune system. The differences in glycosylation between these two particles could be potentially explained by the heavily glycosylated viral envelope glycoprotein. I also demonstrated that these vesicles bud from particular glycan enriched domains of the plasma membrane. Additionally, this work sheds light on the potential mode of interaction between galectin, an immune lectin and HIV-1. This work strongly argues for a conserved mechanism of exocytosis for both particles and sets the stage for examining the role of glycosylation in trafficking of proteins to the sites of microvesicular and viral budding.Item Pharmaceutical governance in Brazil : globalization, institutions and AIDS(2010-12) Flynn, Matthew Brian; Roberts, Bryan R., 1939-; Buckley, Cynthia J.; Ward, Peter; Ugalde, Antonio; Charrad, Mounira; Wilson, RobertThe Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) represents one of the biggest challenges facing today's globalized world. Meanwhile, transnational drug companies have strengthened their market positions in developing countries as a result of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (or TRIPS). Patent protection provided by TRIPS has led to higher prices and reduced access to essential medicines. Low- and middle-income countries are under increased pressure to provide expensive life-saving medicines to their citizens. Brazil's AIDS program is deemed successful in reducing morbidity and mortality rates through universal provision of free AIDS medicines. The program's sustainability came under threat as the result of TRIPS, pressures by transnational corporations, and trade threats by the US government. The research question that drove my dissertation centered on the impact of these threats on policy space available to Brazilian government to sustain its universal social program. How has the incorporation of patent protections for drugs affected the ability of local firms to develop pharmaceutical technology and challenged states like Brazil to fulfill social democratic obligations? Under what conditions can a developing country challenge the interests of transnational drug companies? I employed mixed methods for gathering and analyzing data. These included ethnographic field techniques, content analysis, and archival research. My findings are threefold. First, TRIPS has increased the power of foreign firms to secure monopoly positions in Brazil’s drug markets and weakened Brazil's labs to quickly make generic copies of essential medicines. Second, policy space, though curtailed due to external pressures and treaty obligations, expanded through the development of symbolic power, or what I call "reputational dividends," based on a successful social program. Third, by adroitly marketing its banner AIDS program by employing human rights principles, health officials constructed a triple alliance between the state, local private drug manufacturers, and domestic activists tied into transnational advocacy networks. I employ institutional and power analyses to examine the changing sources of power for transnational capital, social movements, and state actors, as well as analyze the impact patent protection has on the ability of Brazilian firms to produce medicines locally. I posit that globalization results in the formation of strong domestic coalitions who are capable of exploiting the "reputational dividends" of a successful social program in order to contest transnational corporate power. This symbolic form of power appears particularly well-disposed for "middle-income" countries that lack the material forms of power held by a global hegemon or transnational corporations.