The Multi-functional Variable Refrigerant Flow (MFVRF) system is designed to realize simultaneous heating and cooling for temperature regulation of individual zones by allowing the heat exchangers of both indoor and outdoor units to operate as an evaporator or condenser. It is thus desirable to use measurements readily available on the MFVRF system to determine switching between different modes...

BACKGROUND Assisted injection is common among people who inject drugs (IDU), and has been associated with elevated risk for HIV infection and overdose. However, this practice has not been explored in the Asian context, including in Thailand, where HIV prevalence among IDU remains high. METHODS Using multivariate logistic regression, we examined the prevalence and correlates of assisted inject...

BACKGROUND For decades, Thailand has experienced high rates of illicit drug use and related harms. In response, the Thai government has relied on drug law enforcement to address this problem. Despite these efforts, high rates of drug use persist, and Thailand has been contending with an enduring epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among people who inject drugs (IDU). METHODS In res...

BACKGROUND Aboriginals are over-represented in Canada's HIV epidemic and are commonly infected with HIV via injection drug use (IDU); however, little is known about the impact of Aboriginal ethnicity on mortality after starting highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Therefore, we compared mortality rates between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal HIV patients and between IDU and non-IDU HIV p...

BACKGROUND To date, the great majority of Russian HIV infections have been diagnosed among IDUs and concerns about the potential for a sexual transmission of HIV beyond the IDU population have increased. This study investigated differences in the prevalence of sexual risk behaviors between IDUs and non-IDUs in St. Petersburg, Russia and assessed associations between substance use patterns and s...

BACKGROUND Regular HIV testing among people who inject drugs is an essential component of HIV prevention and treatment efforts. We explored HIV testing behaviour among a community-recruited sample of injection drug users (IDU) in Bangkok, Thailand. METHODS Data collected through the Mitsampan Community Research Project were used to examine correlates of HIV testing behaviour among IDU and to ...

Study objective: To estimate the prevalence of injecting drug use (IDU) in three cities in England and to measure the coverage of key public health indicators. Design: Capture-recapture techniques with covariate effects. Setting: Liverpool, Brighton, and 12 London boroughs, 2000/01. Participants: IDU collated and matched across five data sources—community recruited survey, specialist drug treat...

BACKGROUND In 2003, a phase III placebo-controlled trial (VAX003) was completed in Bangkok, Thailand. Of the 2,546 individuals enrolled in the trial based on high risk for infection through injection drug use (IDU), we obtained clinical samples and HIV-1 sequence data (envelope glycoprotein gene gp120) from 215 individuals who became infected during the trial. Here, we used these data in combin...

Targeted sampling (TS) and respondent-driven sampling methods (RDS) are commonly used methods to sample ‘hard-toreach’ populations, like injection drug users (IDU). There are notable differences between each: TS uses street-based and community based outreach, informed by ethnographic data to locate and recruit a target population [1], but lacks statistical methods to correct for potential biase...

BACKGROUND Incarcerated populations are at high risk for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, yet prisoners are not routinely screened or treated for HCV infection. Understanding the risk factors of HCV infection among prisoners could help improve HCV interventions. METHODS Prevalence and risk of HCV infection among 469 prisoners entering California State correctional facilities were assessed u...