Dynamically reconfigurable Field Programmable Gate Array(dr-FPGA) based electronic systems on board mission-critical systems are highly susceptible to radiation induced hazards that may lead to faults in the logic or ...Dynamically reconfigurable Field Programmable Gate Array(dr-FPGA) based electronic systems on board mission-critical systems are highly susceptible to radiation induced hazards that may lead to faults in the logic or in the configuration memory. The aim of our research is to characterize self-test and repair processes in Fault Tolerant(FT) dr-FPGA systems in the presence of environmental faults and explore their interrelationships. We develop a Continuous Time Markov Chain(CTMC) model that captures the high level fail-repair processes on a dr-FPGA with periodic online Built-In Self-Test(BIST) and scrubbing to detect and repair faults with minimum latency. Simulation results reveal that given an average fault interval of 36 s, an optimum self-test interval of 48.3 s drives the system to spend 13% of its time in self-tests, remain in safe working states for 76% of its time and face risky fault-prone states for only 7% of its time. Further, we demonstrate that a well-tuned repair strategy boosts overall system availability, minimizes the occurrence of unsafe states, and accommodates a larger range of fault rates within which the system availability remains stable within 10% of its maximum level.展开更多
Objective To examine HIV self-testing uptake and its determinates among men who have sex with men(MSM) in Beijing, China. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Beijing, China in 2016. Participants w...Objective To examine HIV self-testing uptake and its determinates among men who have sex with men(MSM) in Beijing, China. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Beijing, China in 2016. Participants were users of a popular Chinese gay networking application and had an unknown or negative HIV status. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine factors associated with HIV self-testing based on adjusted odds ratio(AOR) and 95% confidence interval(CI). Results Among the 5,996 MSM included in the study, 2,383(39.7%) reported to have used HIV self-testing kits. Willingness to use an HIV self-test kit in the future was expressed by 92% of the participants. High monthly income(AOR = 1.49; CI = 1.10-2.02; P = 0.010), large number of male sex partners(≥ 2: AOR = 1.24; CI = 1.09-1.43; P = 0.002), sexual activity with commercial male sex partners(≥ 2: AOR = 1.94; CI = 1.34-2.82; P = 0.001), long-term drug use(AOR = 1.42; CI = 1.23-1.62; P < 0.001), and long-term HIV voluntary counseling and testing(VCT) attendance(AOR = 3.62; CI = 3.11-4.22; P < 0.001) were all associated with increased odds of HIV self-testing uptake. Conclusion The nearly 40% rate of HIV self-testing uptake among MSM in our sample was high. In addition, an over 90% willingness to use kits in the future was encouraging. HIV self-testing could be an important solution to help China achieve the global target of having 90% of all people living with HIV diagnosed by 2020.展开更多
Self-positioning of a shearer is the key technology for mining with a man-less working face. In an underground coal mine all radio navigation; satellite positioning or celestial navigation methods have their limitatio...Self-positioning of a shearer is the key technology for mining with a man-less working face. In an underground coal mine all radio navigation; satellite positioning or celestial navigation methods have their limitations. We analyzed an inertial navi-gation system intended to guide the movement a shearer and designed a self-positioning device for the shearer. Simulation tests were also performed on the system. We analyzed the errors observed in these tests to show that the main reason for the low preci-sion of the self-positioning system is accumulated error in the inertial sensor. A Kalman filtering algorithm used in combination with the shearer motion model effectively reduces the measurement errors of the self-positioning system by compensating for gyroscopic drift. Finally, we built an error compensation model to reduce accumulated errors using continuous correction to provide self-positioning of the shearer within a certain range of accuracy.展开更多
Circular self test path (CSTP) is an attractive technique for testing digital integrated circuits(IC) in the nanometer era, because it can easily provide at-speed test with small test data volume and short test applic...Circular self test path (CSTP) is an attractive technique for testing digital integrated circuits(IC) in the nanometer era, because it can easily provide at-speed test with small test data volume and short test application time. However, CSTP cannot reliably attain high fault coverage because of difficulty of testing random-pattern-resistant faults. This paper presents a deterministic CSTP (DCSTP) structure that consists of a DCSTP chain and jumping logic, to attain high fault coverage with low area overhead. Experimental results on ISCAS'89 benchmarks show that 100% fault coverage can be obtained with low area overhead and CPU time, especially for large circuits.展开更多
An adaptive ramp generator based on linear histogram was proposed for the built-in selftest (BIST) of analog to digital convertor (ADC) in CMOS image sensor. By comparing the generated ramp signal to a reference volta...An adaptive ramp generator based on linear histogram was proposed for the built-in selftest (BIST) of analog to digital convertor (ADC) in CMOS image sensor. By comparing the generated ramp signal to a reference voltage and feeding back a calibration signal, the slope adjustment was implemented, and high linearity and precision of ramp slope were realized. By modulating the pulse width and reference voltage, sweep length varied from microsecond to second and signal swing could reach 3 V with 5.6 mW power consumption. The ramp was used as input to an ideal 10-bit single-slope ADC, and the corresponding DNL and INL were 0.032 LSB and 0.078 LSB, re-spectively.展开更多
On the basis of local measurements of hydraulic conductivity,geostatistical methods have been found to be useful in heterogeneity characterization of a hydraulic conductivity field on a regional scale. However,the met...On the basis of local measurements of hydraulic conductivity,geostatistical methods have been found to be useful in heterogeneity characterization of a hydraulic conductivity field on a regional scale. However,the methods are not suited to directly integrate dynamic production data,such as,hydraulic head and solute concentration,into the study of conductivity distribution. These data,which record the flow and transport processes in the medium,are closely related to the spatial distribution of hydraulic conductivity. In this study,a three-dimensional gradient-based inverse method-the sequential self-calibration (SSC) method-is developed to calibrate a hydraulic conductivity field,initially generated by a geostatistical simulation method,conditioned on tracer test results. The SSC method can honor both local hydraulic conductivity measurements and tracer test data. The mismatch between the simulated hydraulic conductivity field and the reference true one,measured by its mean square error (MSE),is reduced through the SSC conditional study. In comparison with the unconditional results,the SSC conditional study creates the mean breakthrough curve much closer to the reference true curve,and significantly reduces the prediction uncertainty of the solute transport in the observed locations. Further,the reduction of uncertainty is spatially dependent,which indicates that good locations,geological structure,and boundary conditions will affect the efficiency of the SSC study results.展开更多
The seismic performance of a self-centering precast reinforced concrete(RC)frame with shear walls was investigated in this paper.The lateral force resistance was provided by self-centering precast RC shear walls(SPCW)...The seismic performance of a self-centering precast reinforced concrete(RC)frame with shear walls was investigated in this paper.The lateral force resistance was provided by self-centering precast RC shear walls(SPCW),which utilize a combination of unbonded prestressed post-tensioned(PT)tendons and mild steel reinforcing bars for flexural resistance across base joints.The structures concentrated deformations at the bottom joints and the unbonded PT tendons provided the self-centering restoring force.A 1/3-scale model of a five-story self-centering RC frame with shear walls was designed and tested on a shake-table under a series of bi-directional earthquake excitations with increasing intensity.The acceleration response,roof displacement,inter-story drifts,residual drifts,shear force ratios,hysteresis curves,and local behaviour of the test specimen were analysed and evaluated.The results demonstrated that seismic performance of the test specimen was satisfactory in the plane of the shear wall;however,the structure sustained inter-story drift levels up to 2.45%.Negligible residual drifts were recorded after all applied earthquake excitations.Based on the shake-table test results,it is feasible to apply and popularize a self-centering precast RC frame with shear walls as a structural system in seismic regions.展开更多
AIM:To assess feasibility of a finger prick-based kit as method for self-testing of first and second-degree relatives of coeliac disease (CD) patients. METHODS:A total number of 379 subjects were invited to participat...AIM:To assess feasibility of a finger prick-based kit as method for self-testing of first and second-degree relatives of coeliac disease (CD) patients. METHODS:A total number of 379 subjects were invited to participate in this study,consisting of 197 first- degree and 182 second-degree relatives of CD patients. The self-testing kit (BiocardTM) was sent out with included instructions for use. Completed tests were sent back to the study coordinator for assessment. RESULTS:One hundred and ninety-six invited relatives carried out the BiocardTM test at home. Amongst these,70% were children. In 97% of the cases the test was performed correctly. Three tests revealed a positive result,all of which were later confirmed by serology and histology as coeliac disease.CONCLUSION:Our study indicates that BiocardTM test is a reliable,easy to use and well-accepted tool for home testing of first- and second-degree relatives of CD patients.展开更多
Recently, Tavakoli et al.proposed a self-testing scheme in the prepare-and-measure scenario, showing that self-testing is not necessarily based on entanglement and violation of a Bell inequality [Phys.Rev.A 98 062307(...Recently, Tavakoli et al.proposed a self-testing scheme in the prepare-and-measure scenario, showing that self-testing is not necessarily based on entanglement and violation of a Bell inequality [Phys.Rev.A 98 062307(2018)].They realized the self-testing of preparations and measurements in an N → 1(N ≥ 2) random access code(RAC), and provided robustness bounds in a 2 → 1 RAC.Since all N → 1 RACs with shared randomness are combinations of 2 → 1 and 3 → 1 RACs, the3 → 1 RAC is just as important as the 2 → 1 RAC.In this paper, we find a set of preparations and measurements in the3 → 1 RAC, and use them to complete the robustness self-testing analysis in the prepare-and-measure scenario.The method is robust to small but inevitable experimental errors.展开更多
Globally, there is increasing evidence that HIV self-testing (HIVST) is commonly practiced among health care workers (HCWs). Although HIVST kits are available in South Africa, their distribution and use remain unregul...Globally, there is increasing evidence that HIV self-testing (HIVST) is commonly practiced among health care workers (HCWs). Although HIVST kits are available in South Africa, their distribution and use remain unregulated and its acceptability, undocumented. The aim of the study was to explore the acceptability of HIV self-testing among student nurses, examine their willingness to use self-testing, and evaluate their views on the implementation of a regulated HIV self-testing programme. This was a qualitative explorative study, and six focus group discussions were conducted with 67 student nurses recruited from a private nursing college, in Pretoria, South Africa. Thematic analysis and NVivo10 qualitative software were used for data analysis. The nurses perceived HIVST as an acceptable option for HIV testing and most were willing to self-test. Self-testing will provide confidential and accessible HIV testing services, reduce the stigma associated with the condition, and increase partner testing and disclosure. HIVST is more likely to be practised if self-testing kits are easily accessible and affordable, and there are strategies to educate people before the adoption of HIVST. The lack of pre- and post-test counselling, the risk of inaccurate test results, and lack of strategies for the confirmation of self-testing results were the main arguments against HIVST. The high acceptance of HIVST among nurses suggests that HIVST is a feasible option to increase the uptake of HIV-testing among HCWs. However, pre- and post-test counselling should be considered important components in the implementation of self-testing services. Educational and awareness campaigns should precede the roll-out of the self-testing programs.展开更多
Background: Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus Self-Testing (HIVST) is a process where an individual who wants to know their HIV status collects a specimen, performs a test and interprets the result by themselves. HIVST da...Background: Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus Self-Testing (HIVST) is a process where an individual who wants to know their HIV status collects a specimen, performs a test and interprets the result by themselves. HIVST data from the Zimbabwe AIDS and TB Program (ATP) directorate showed that between 2019-2020, only 31% of the target HIVST kits were distributed in the country. Mashonaland West Province was one of the least performing provinces in meeting targets for HIVST kits distribution. Gaps in the implementation of the HIVST in the province ultimately affect the nationwide scaleup of targeted testing, a key enabler in achieving HIV epidemic control. We analyzed HIVST trends in Mashonaland West Province to inform HIV testing services programming. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using HIVST secondary data obtained from the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) electronic database. We conducted regression analysis for trends using Epi Info 7.2 and tables, bar graphs, pie charts and linear graphs were used for data presentation. Results: A total of 31,070 clients accessed HIVST kits in Mashonaland West Province from 2019-2020. A slightly higher proportion (50.4% and 51.7%) of females as compared to males accessed HIVST kits in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Overall, an increase in the trend of HIVST kits uptake was recorded (males R<sup>2</sup> = 0.3945, p-value = 0.003 and females R<sup>2</sup> = 0.4739, p-value = 0.001). There was generally a decline in the trend of community-based distribution of HIVST kits from the third quarter of 2019 throughout 2020 (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.2441, p-value = 0.006). Primary distribution of HIVST kits remained the dominant method of distribution, constituting more than half of the kits distributed in both 2019 (67%) and 2020 (86%). Conclusion: Mashonaland West Province was mainly utilising facility-based distribution model for HIVST over the community-based distribution model. We recommended training more community-based distribution agents to increase community distribution of HIVST kits.展开更多
The energy efficiency design of the exterior wall in the buildings of the hot summer and cold winter zone of China should consider the heat prevention in summer and the heat insulation in winter. The self-insulation o...The energy efficiency design of the exterior wall in the buildings of the hot summer and cold winter zone of China should consider the heat prevention in summer and the heat insulation in winter. The self-insulation of the exterior?wall is a more feasible design to satisfy the energy efficiency of buildings in the?zone. However, the systematic research is urgently needed for the self-insulation of the exterior wall in the hot summer and cold winter zone of China. The paper tested the thermal performance of the common non-clay materials such as shale sintered hollow brick, sand autoclaved aerated concrete block, etc. by means of indoor experiments. The energy efficiency effect of the common materials was verified using dynamic calculation soft PKPM and several constitutions of exterior wall with different main bricks and insulation materials on the heat bridge were simulated, too. Besides, the tests of the thermal performance of exterior wall in real constructions were carried out to testify the practical effect of the recommended constitutions of exterior wall with different main bricks and insulation materials on the heat bridge. The conclusions are: the physical and thermal properties of the six non-clay wall material are better than the clay porous brick;the thermal performance of the non-clay brick can be improved obviously through the rational arrangement of the holes;shale sintered hollow brick after increasing the holes and rationalizing the hole arrangement and sand autoclaved aerated concrete block are recommended for buildings in the hot summer and cold winter area of China. The dynamic calculation results show that the thermal performances?of the non-clay materials are all satisfied with the energy efficiency;The heat transfer coefficient of the exterior wall with composition?③,?in which?the main wall was sand autoclaved aerated concrete block and the material on the heat bridge was sand autoclaved aerated concrete plate, is the smallest among the three recommended compositions.展开更多
文摘Dynamically reconfigurable Field Programmable Gate Array(dr-FPGA) based electronic systems on board mission-critical systems are highly susceptible to radiation induced hazards that may lead to faults in the logic or in the configuration memory. The aim of our research is to characterize self-test and repair processes in Fault Tolerant(FT) dr-FPGA systems in the presence of environmental faults and explore their interrelationships. We develop a Continuous Time Markov Chain(CTMC) model that captures the high level fail-repair processes on a dr-FPGA with periodic online Built-In Self-Test(BIST) and scrubbing to detect and repair faults with minimum latency. Simulation results reveal that given an average fault interval of 36 s, an optimum self-test interval of 48.3 s drives the system to spend 13% of its time in self-tests, remain in safe working states for 76% of its time and face risky fault-prone states for only 7% of its time. Further, we demonstrate that a well-tuned repair strategy boosts overall system availability, minimizes the occurrence of unsafe states, and accommodates a larger range of fault rates within which the system availability remains stable within 10% of its maximum level.
基金funded by China-US Collaboration on HIV/AIDS(Grant#5U2GGH001153)China National Health&Family Planning Commission(131-16-000-105-02)
文摘Objective To examine HIV self-testing uptake and its determinates among men who have sex with men(MSM) in Beijing, China. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Beijing, China in 2016. Participants were users of a popular Chinese gay networking application and had an unknown or negative HIV status. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine factors associated with HIV self-testing based on adjusted odds ratio(AOR) and 95% confidence interval(CI). Results Among the 5,996 MSM included in the study, 2,383(39.7%) reported to have used HIV self-testing kits. Willingness to use an HIV self-test kit in the future was expressed by 92% of the participants. High monthly income(AOR = 1.49; CI = 1.10-2.02; P = 0.010), large number of male sex partners(≥ 2: AOR = 1.24; CI = 1.09-1.43; P = 0.002), sexual activity with commercial male sex partners(≥ 2: AOR = 1.94; CI = 1.34-2.82; P = 0.001), long-term drug use(AOR = 1.42; CI = 1.23-1.62; P < 0.001), and long-term HIV voluntary counseling and testing(VCT) attendance(AOR = 3.62; CI = 3.11-4.22; P < 0.001) were all associated with increased odds of HIV self-testing uptake. Conclusion The nearly 40% rate of HIV self-testing uptake among MSM in our sample was high. In addition, an over 90% willingness to use kits in the future was encouraging. HIV self-testing could be an important solution to help China achieve the global target of having 90% of all people living with HIV diagnosed by 2020.
基金Financial support for this work, provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.50504014), is gratefully acknowledged
文摘Self-positioning of a shearer is the key technology for mining with a man-less working face. In an underground coal mine all radio navigation; satellite positioning or celestial navigation methods have their limitations. We analyzed an inertial navi-gation system intended to guide the movement a shearer and designed a self-positioning device for the shearer. Simulation tests were also performed on the system. We analyzed the errors observed in these tests to show that the main reason for the low preci-sion of the self-positioning system is accumulated error in the inertial sensor. A Kalman filtering algorithm used in combination with the shearer motion model effectively reduces the measurement errors of the self-positioning system by compensating for gyroscopic drift. Finally, we built an error compensation model to reduce accumulated errors using continuous correction to provide self-positioning of the shearer within a certain range of accuracy.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 60633060 and 60576031)the National Basic Research and Development (973) Program of China (No. 2005CB321604)
文摘Circular self test path (CSTP) is an attractive technique for testing digital integrated circuits(IC) in the nanometer era, because it can easily provide at-speed test with small test data volume and short test application time. However, CSTP cannot reliably attain high fault coverage because of difficulty of testing random-pattern-resistant faults. This paper presents a deterministic CSTP (DCSTP) structure that consists of a DCSTP chain and jumping logic, to attain high fault coverage with low area overhead. Experimental results on ISCAS'89 benchmarks show that 100% fault coverage can be obtained with low area overhead and CPU time, especially for large circuits.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.60576025)Tianjin Science and Technology Development Program (No.06YFGZGX03400)
文摘An adaptive ramp generator based on linear histogram was proposed for the built-in selftest (BIST) of analog to digital convertor (ADC) in CMOS image sensor. By comparing the generated ramp signal to a reference voltage and feeding back a calibration signal, the slope adjustment was implemented, and high linearity and precision of ramp slope were realized. By modulating the pulse width and reference voltage, sweep length varied from microsecond to second and signal swing could reach 3 V with 5.6 mW power consumption. The ramp was used as input to an ideal 10-bit single-slope ADC, and the corresponding DNL and INL were 0.032 LSB and 0.078 LSB, re-spectively.
基金This study is partially supported by the Program of Outstanding Overseas Youth Chinese Scholar,the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40528003)partially supported by USA National Science Foundation.
文摘On the basis of local measurements of hydraulic conductivity,geostatistical methods have been found to be useful in heterogeneity characterization of a hydraulic conductivity field on a regional scale. However,the methods are not suited to directly integrate dynamic production data,such as,hydraulic head and solute concentration,into the study of conductivity distribution. These data,which record the flow and transport processes in the medium,are closely related to the spatial distribution of hydraulic conductivity. In this study,a three-dimensional gradient-based inverse method-the sequential self-calibration (SSC) method-is developed to calibrate a hydraulic conductivity field,initially generated by a geostatistical simulation method,conditioned on tracer test results. The SSC method can honor both local hydraulic conductivity measurements and tracer test data. The mismatch between the simulated hydraulic conductivity field and the reference true one,measured by its mean square error (MSE),is reduced through the SSC conditional study. In comparison with the unconditional results,the SSC conditional study creates the mean breakthrough curve much closer to the reference true curve,and significantly reduces the prediction uncertainty of the solute transport in the observed locations. Further,the reduction of uncertainty is spatially dependent,which indicates that good locations,geological structure,and boundary conditions will affect the efficiency of the SSC study results.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)under Grant Nos.51638012 and 51578401
文摘The seismic performance of a self-centering precast reinforced concrete(RC)frame with shear walls was investigated in this paper.The lateral force resistance was provided by self-centering precast RC shear walls(SPCW),which utilize a combination of unbonded prestressed post-tensioned(PT)tendons and mild steel reinforcing bars for flexural resistance across base joints.The structures concentrated deformations at the bottom joints and the unbonded PT tendons provided the self-centering restoring force.A 1/3-scale model of a five-story self-centering RC frame with shear walls was designed and tested on a shake-table under a series of bi-directional earthquake excitations with increasing intensity.The acceleration response,roof displacement,inter-story drifts,residual drifts,shear force ratios,hysteresis curves,and local behaviour of the test specimen were analysed and evaluated.The results demonstrated that seismic performance of the test specimen was satisfactory in the plane of the shear wall;however,the structure sustained inter-story drift levels up to 2.45%.Negligible residual drifts were recorded after all applied earthquake excitations.Based on the shake-table test results,it is feasible to apply and popularize a self-centering precast RC frame with shear walls as a structural system in seismic regions.
基金Supported by Teddy Schwarzohr Verein zur Unterstützung von chronisch kranken Kindern
文摘AIM:To assess feasibility of a finger prick-based kit as method for self-testing of first and second-degree relatives of coeliac disease (CD) patients. METHODS:A total number of 379 subjects were invited to participate in this study,consisting of 197 first- degree and 182 second-degree relatives of CD patients. The self-testing kit (BiocardTM) was sent out with included instructions for use. Completed tests were sent back to the study coordinator for assessment. RESULTS:One hundred and ninety-six invited relatives carried out the BiocardTM test at home. Amongst these,70% were children. In 97% of the cases the test was performed correctly. Three tests revealed a positive result,all of which were later confirmed by serology and histology as coeliac disease.CONCLUSION:Our study indicates that BiocardTM test is a reliable,easy to use and well-accepted tool for home testing of first- and second-degree relatives of CD patients.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.61572081,61672110,and 61671082)
文摘Recently, Tavakoli et al.proposed a self-testing scheme in the prepare-and-measure scenario, showing that self-testing is not necessarily based on entanglement and violation of a Bell inequality [Phys.Rev.A 98 062307(2018)].They realized the self-testing of preparations and measurements in an N → 1(N ≥ 2) random access code(RAC), and provided robustness bounds in a 2 → 1 RAC.Since all N → 1 RACs with shared randomness are combinations of 2 → 1 and 3 → 1 RACs, the3 → 1 RAC is just as important as the 2 → 1 RAC.In this paper, we find a set of preparations and measurements in the3 → 1 RAC, and use them to complete the robustness self-testing analysis in the prepare-and-measure scenario.The method is robust to small but inevitable experimental errors.
文摘Globally, there is increasing evidence that HIV self-testing (HIVST) is commonly practiced among health care workers (HCWs). Although HIVST kits are available in South Africa, their distribution and use remain unregulated and its acceptability, undocumented. The aim of the study was to explore the acceptability of HIV self-testing among student nurses, examine their willingness to use self-testing, and evaluate their views on the implementation of a regulated HIV self-testing programme. This was a qualitative explorative study, and six focus group discussions were conducted with 67 student nurses recruited from a private nursing college, in Pretoria, South Africa. Thematic analysis and NVivo10 qualitative software were used for data analysis. The nurses perceived HIVST as an acceptable option for HIV testing and most were willing to self-test. Self-testing will provide confidential and accessible HIV testing services, reduce the stigma associated with the condition, and increase partner testing and disclosure. HIVST is more likely to be practised if self-testing kits are easily accessible and affordable, and there are strategies to educate people before the adoption of HIVST. The lack of pre- and post-test counselling, the risk of inaccurate test results, and lack of strategies for the confirmation of self-testing results were the main arguments against HIVST. The high acceptance of HIVST among nurses suggests that HIVST is a feasible option to increase the uptake of HIV-testing among HCWs. However, pre- and post-test counselling should be considered important components in the implementation of self-testing services. Educational and awareness campaigns should precede the roll-out of the self-testing programs.
文摘Background: Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus Self-Testing (HIVST) is a process where an individual who wants to know their HIV status collects a specimen, performs a test and interprets the result by themselves. HIVST data from the Zimbabwe AIDS and TB Program (ATP) directorate showed that between 2019-2020, only 31% of the target HIVST kits were distributed in the country. Mashonaland West Province was one of the least performing provinces in meeting targets for HIVST kits distribution. Gaps in the implementation of the HIVST in the province ultimately affect the nationwide scaleup of targeted testing, a key enabler in achieving HIV epidemic control. We analyzed HIVST trends in Mashonaland West Province to inform HIV testing services programming. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using HIVST secondary data obtained from the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) electronic database. We conducted regression analysis for trends using Epi Info 7.2 and tables, bar graphs, pie charts and linear graphs were used for data presentation. Results: A total of 31,070 clients accessed HIVST kits in Mashonaland West Province from 2019-2020. A slightly higher proportion (50.4% and 51.7%) of females as compared to males accessed HIVST kits in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Overall, an increase in the trend of HIVST kits uptake was recorded (males R<sup>2</sup> = 0.3945, p-value = 0.003 and females R<sup>2</sup> = 0.4739, p-value = 0.001). There was generally a decline in the trend of community-based distribution of HIVST kits from the third quarter of 2019 throughout 2020 (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.2441, p-value = 0.006). Primary distribution of HIVST kits remained the dominant method of distribution, constituting more than half of the kits distributed in both 2019 (67%) and 2020 (86%). Conclusion: Mashonaland West Province was mainly utilising facility-based distribution model for HIVST over the community-based distribution model. We recommended training more community-based distribution agents to increase community distribution of HIVST kits.
文摘The energy efficiency design of the exterior wall in the buildings of the hot summer and cold winter zone of China should consider the heat prevention in summer and the heat insulation in winter. The self-insulation of the exterior?wall is a more feasible design to satisfy the energy efficiency of buildings in the?zone. However, the systematic research is urgently needed for the self-insulation of the exterior wall in the hot summer and cold winter zone of China. The paper tested the thermal performance of the common non-clay materials such as shale sintered hollow brick, sand autoclaved aerated concrete block, etc. by means of indoor experiments. The energy efficiency effect of the common materials was verified using dynamic calculation soft PKPM and several constitutions of exterior wall with different main bricks and insulation materials on the heat bridge were simulated, too. Besides, the tests of the thermal performance of exterior wall in real constructions were carried out to testify the practical effect of the recommended constitutions of exterior wall with different main bricks and insulation materials on the heat bridge. The conclusions are: the physical and thermal properties of the six non-clay wall material are better than the clay porous brick;the thermal performance of the non-clay brick can be improved obviously through the rational arrangement of the holes;shale sintered hollow brick after increasing the holes and rationalizing the hole arrangement and sand autoclaved aerated concrete block are recommended for buildings in the hot summer and cold winter area of China. The dynamic calculation results show that the thermal performances?of the non-clay materials are all satisfied with the energy efficiency;The heat transfer coefficient of the exterior wall with composition?③,?in which?the main wall was sand autoclaved aerated concrete block and the material on the heat bridge was sand autoclaved aerated concrete plate, is the smallest among the three recommended compositions.
