MedWorm: HIV/AIDS

‘Noon Walk on the Asylum Lawn’ (psychoanalytic observations during counselling sessions at an AIDS Clinic)

Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:29:24 +0100

(Source: Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing)

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Experts Warn of Antibiotic-Resistant Gonorrhea

The Doctors Lounge - Health News — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:00:00 +0100

Arsenal of drugs effective against the sexually transmitted disease running dry, researchers say (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Health News)

e-HAP Direct: Dear Colleague Letter

CDC HIV/AIDS Prevention — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:47:11 +0100

Today is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD). The theme for this observance day, “I Am My Brother/Sister’s Keeper: Fight HIV/AIDS!” holds much significance as we reflect on opportunities to bring an end to the spread of HIV in the United States. (Source: CDC HIV/AIDS Prevention)

When to Start ART? More DataWhen to Start ART? More Data

Medscape Today Headlines — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:18:28 +0100

Paul E. Sax, MD, describes a new study providing guidance on when to start ART in HIV, based on CD4 cell counts. Medscape HIV/AIDS (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Uganda: Naton Makes New Aids Drug

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:15:37 +0100

[New Vision] Quality Chemicals, a Ugandanbased pharmaceutical company, will next month start producing a new anti-retroviral(ARV) drug, Tenofovir. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Zimbabwe: Majority Living With HIV/Aids Are in Unions - Report

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:27:21 +0100

[The Herald] THE majority of people living with HIV and Aids in Zimbabwe are in unions, a recent report compiled by stakeholders involved in HIV and Aids work has said. The report, which is the first of its kind to be conducted in the country, is meant to update Zimbabwe's evidence base for the formulation of the Zimbabwe National Aids Strategic Plan (ZNASP) 2011-2015, and to look back and learn from what has been achieved. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

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Angola: Students, Teachers Urged to Join Sensitisation on HIV/Aids

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:55:28 +0100

[ANGOP] Luanda - Teachers and students were urged to join sensitisation and monitoring rogrammes on serious endemic diseases, such as hiv/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis, ANGOP has learnt. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Factors That Influence HIV Risk among Hispanic Female Immigrants and Their Implications for HIV Prevention Interventions

Journal of Oncology — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:24:10 +0100

Hispanics are the fastest growing minority group in North Carolina with increasing incidence of HIV infection. Gender roles, cultural expectations, and acculturation of women may explain some of Hispanic women’s risks. The perspectives of Hispanic female immigrants and community-based providers were sought to identify services they offer, understand HIV risk factors, and support the adaptation of a best-evidence HIV behavioural intervention for Hispanic women. Two sets of focus groups were conducted to explicate risks and the opportunities to reach women or couples and the feasibility to conduct HIV prevention in an acceptable manner. Salient findings were that Hispanic female immigrants lacked accurate HIV/AIDS and STI knowledge and that traditional gender roles shaped issues surroundin...

Namibia: Longest HIV Survivor Rides Through Erongo

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:51:22 +0100

[Namibian] THE longest known survivor of HIV in the world, Andre van Zijl (62) of South Africa, visited the coast recently to speak to high school learners about HIV and abstinence. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

In HIV Prevention More Focus Needed On Men

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Edward Mills of the University of Ottawa, Canada and colleagues argue in this week's PLoS Medicine that the HIV/AIDS response in Africa needs a more balanced approach to gender, so that both men and women are involved in HIV treatment and prevention. Traditionally, targeted efforts at reducing the impact of the HIV epidemic have focused on women and children while men have received considerably less attention... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

HIV/AIDS deaths drop among NYC blacks

Health News - UPI.com — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:08:00 +0100

NEW YORK, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- New York City logged a 41 percent drop in deaths among blacks living with HIV/AIDS from 2001 to 2010, health department officials said. (Source: Health News - UPI.com)

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FDA grants priority review to GI agent for controlling diarrhea in HIV/AIDS patients

Drug Topics - Top News — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

FDA has granted priority review to crofelemer 125-mg tablets (Salix Pharmaceuticals) for the control and symptomatic relief of diarrhea in patients with HIV/AIDS on anti-retroviral therapy (ART). (Source: Drug Topics - Top News)

Horizon scanning: FDA Grants priority review of crofelemer for diarrhoea in patients with HIV/AIDS on anti-retroviral therapy

NeLM - News — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Source: BioSpace Area: News According to a Biospace report, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Priority Review for crofelemer 125 mg tablets for the control and symptomatic relief of diarrhoea in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) on anti-retroviral therapy. (Source: NeLM - News)

Women's HIV Disclosure to Family and Friends

AIDS Patient Care and STDs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:00:54 +0100

AIDS Patient Care and STDs , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: AIDS Patient Care and STDs)

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Nonprofit, subject of scandal, to merge

bizjournals.com Health Care:Physician Practices headlines — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:06:01 +0100

An organization that nearly shut down after its executive director embezzled more than $100,000, Boston Living Center, will merge into Victory Programs, according to a news release. Both organizations work in the realm of HIV/AIDS. When the merger is complete on March 1, Boston Living Center will be considered a program of Victory Programs. All Boston Living Center staff have been offered jobs, said Alison Merrill, spokeswoman for Victory Programs. Since July 2011, the two organizations have been collaborating under a management agreement... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Physician Practices headlines)

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0100

President, Founder and CEO of Black AIDS Institute, Phill Wilson, released a letter in light of the 12th annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, stating that the Institute will be releasing their 8th annual State of AIDS in Black America Report. He comments that "It will highlight a reality that would have been unthinkable not long ago. Wilson continues: "We are at a deciding moment in the trajectory of the AIDS epidemic; we now possesses the tools we need to the the AIDS epidemic... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Substantial Multiclass Transmitted Drug Resistance and Drug-Relevant Polymorphisms Among Treatment-Naïve Behaviorally HIV-Infected Youth

AIDS Patient Care and STDs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:45:19 +0100

AIDS Patient Care and STDs , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: AIDS Patient Care and STDs)

Southern Africa: New President for HIV Clinicians Society

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:30:01 +0100

[Health-e] The Southern African HIV Clinicians Society has appointed a new President, Dr Francesca Conradie. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Congo-Kinshasa: Future Bleak for Aids Patients

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:05:13 +0100

[RNW Africa] Kinshasa - According to an alarming report published by nongovernmental organisation Doctors Without Borders (DWB), 85% of AIDS patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) do not have access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

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Nigeria: Bauchi to Reduce Malaria Deaths By 50 Percent By 2013

AllAfrica News: Malaria — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:34:50 +0100

[Daily Trust] Bauchi - The Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis/Leprosy and Malaria (BACATMA) has pledged to curtail the incidence of malaria and reduce deaths caused by the illness by 50 per cent in the state by the year 2013. (Source: AllAfrica News: Malaria)

Uganda: Soaring in Business Despite HIV

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:17:42 +0100

[EA Business] Kampala - HIV positive women feel frustrated only because they lack the right counselors. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Simultaneously Confronting HIV/AIDS, Malaria, And The Need For Clean Water Improves Health At A Lower Cost

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

The great paradox of global health efforts is that regions of the world most plagued by poverty, poor infrastructure and rampant disease are often the most difficult to deliver care to. In addition, when development and public health agencies focus their efforts on one individual disease or another, instead of taking a unified approach, their programs can work at cross-purposes, contributing to rising costs and lost lives... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Africa: Continent Needs U.S. $4 Billion to Bridge Global Fund Shortfall

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:20:34 +0100

[East African] Africa requires at least $12 billion for its HIV/Aids response in the next three years to stem the scourge, although this financial injection is threatened as donors hold back due to mismanagement of funds. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Zimbabwe: Clinic Card Crucial to Health

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:13:34 +0100

[The Herald] A Zambian nurse told her brothers on the night she died to return a 21-year-old boy that she had stolen from a mother in Zimbabwe at birth. The mother from Chiweshe was reunited with her son after two decades because she had failed to travel with her clinic card to Harare. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

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Angola: Education Ministry Concerned About HIV/Aids Spread

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:50:59 +0100

[ANGOP] Luanda - Angolan Education minister, Mpinda Simão, said Monday that the relentless HIV/AIDS spread is becoming a serious problem to his sector, leading to its insertion into educative reform. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Angola: Education Ministry Points Out Plans for Combat HIV/Aids

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:32:10 +0100

[ANGOP] Luanda - The national director for social actions of Education Ministry, Domingos Torres Júnior mentioned the training of teachers and students next three years, as one of the goals of study and strategic plan of the sector in fighting HIV/AIDS. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

More focus on men needed in HIV prevention

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Public Library of Science) Edward Mills of the University of Ottawa, Canada and colleagues argue in this week's PLoS Medicine that the HIV/AIDS response in Africa needs a more balanced approach to gender, so that both men and women are involved in HIV treatment and prevention. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

FDA grants priority review to GI agent for controlling diarrhea in HIV/AIDS patients

Modern Medicine — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

GFR in Naive HIV-infected Patients After TreatmentGFR in Naive HIV-infected Patients After Treatment

Medscape Today Headlines — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:00:00 +0100

Which ART regimen causes a greater decrease in GFR in HIV-infected patients? JAIDS: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Ghana: Number of People Living With HIV to Increase

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:20:24 +0100

[Public Agenda] Despite the ongoing extensive anti-HIV/AIDS campaigns, the total number of people living with HIV in Ghana is projected to increase to 317,872 by 2015 from 272,780 in 2010, states the Ghana AIDS Commission in its National HIV& AIDS Strategic Plan 2011-2015. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Africa: Why Are World Leaders Turning Their Backs On the Continent?

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:58:19 +0100

[OSI] The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is the most important and effective financial facility addressing AIDS. It has saved and prolonged millions of lives. Yet at this precise moment when the global community should be doing all it can to support the Fund, it is under the most serious assault it has endured in its ten-year history. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Merck Has Positive Results With New Insomnia Drug

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0100

Merck has announced positive results in a phase 3 trial of its insomnia drug. It's a key player in the companies up and coming products, especially considering the loss of patent protection on its top drugs for asthma and allergys. The experimental drug known as suvorexant, uses a new mechanism created to help people sleep, but at the same time aiming to mitigate side effects associated with popular sleep aids. Analysts think that annual sales of the drug could top $500 million within several years. Peter S... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

e-HAP Direct: Dear Colleague Letter

CDC HIV/AIDS Prevention — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0100

After multiple discussions and considerations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has elected to postpone the next HPLS until 2013. HPLS is an important meeting for HIV prevention in the United States. We appreciate your leadership and support for HPLS and your ongoing commitment to ending the HIV epidemic. (Source: CDC HIV/AIDS Prevention)

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Kenya: Meru Fights Aids Stigma

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:53:44 +0100

[Nairobi Star] Men living with HIV/Aids have beenurged to help in the fight against stigma. The men have been urged to join People Living with HIV/AIDS support groups in their areas. Methodist Church, Kaaga Synod HIV/AIDSProgram Manager Florence Murugu said men abhor coming out and joining supportgroups due to fear of losing their status in the society once they go public. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

Nigeria: HIV Treatment Vaccine Expected in Five Years - Institute

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:12:03 +0100

[Daily Trust] The Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN), says vaccine for treatment of Human Immuno-deficiency Virus that causes AIDS, may be available in the next five years. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

Angola: Education Ministry to Analyse HIV/Aids Fight Strategy

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:02:20 +0100

[ANGOP] Luanda - The Ministry of Education (MED) will run a workshop from February 6-8 in Luanda to review and draft a Strategic Plan to fight Hiv/Aids and the great endemic diseases in the sector, Angop learned Friday here. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

Zimbabwe: Global Fund Cancellation Jeopardises Health Sector

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:15:19 +0100

[Financial Gazette] THE termination of funding by the Global Fund could jeopardise Zimbabwe's under-funded health sector in the next two years, stakeholders cautioned this week, amid fears of a reversal in the gains achieved against the HIV and Aids scourge, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria, especially in the rural areas. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

Uganda: Blind Faith - a Herbalist Promised Her a Cure From the Virus and She Believed

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:56:29 +0100

[Monitor] Because in our country, and on our continent, HIV has pervaded the most intimate moments in peoples' relationships, it has burrowed itself deep into the very soul of our most unmentionable of taboos- sex. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

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Tanzania: Organisation Determined to Defeat Aids

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:48:01 +0100

[Citizen] Arusha - About 40,000 residents of Arusha City would benefit from a sensitisation programme against HIV/Aids to be implemented by a non-governmental organisation, ARV Esupat. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Uganda: Health Experts' Assessment of Male Circumcision

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:43:07 +0100

[Monitor] More than 600,000 Ugandan male have been circumcised since the Safe Male circumcision policy was introduced in Uganda in 2009 to consolidate the fight against HIV/Aids. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

Africa: Paying for Health

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:29:22 +0100

[AfricaFocus] "Simply put, if we allow the fund to fail, many people will die, and we will forfeit the chance at the "AIDS-free generation" that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for in November. This is no time to step back." - Paul Farmer (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

When HIV Patients Waver On Meds

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

According to a new analysis of hundreds of recorded office visits, doctors and nurse practitioners typically issued orders and asked closed or leading questions when talking to their HIV-positive patients about adherence to antiretroviral therapy. Attempts at problem-solving with patients who had lapsed occurred in less than a quarter of visits. Take your medicine, Doctor's orders. It's a simple idea that may seem especially obvious when the pills are the antiretroviral (ARV) drugs that add decades to the lives of HIV-positive patients... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Disease Severity, Psychiatric Symptoms, and Functional Outcomes in Perinatally Infected Youth [Article]

Archives of Pediatrics — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion Human immunodeficiency virus illness severity markers are associated with the severity of some psychiatric symptoms and, notably, with cognitive, academic, and social functioning, all of which warrant additional study. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00100542 (Source: Archives of Pediatrics)

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Effects of a Family Intervention in Reducing HIV Risk Behaviors Among High-Risk Hispanic Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Trial [Article]

Archives of Pediatrics — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion These results suggest that culturally tailored, family-centered prevention interventions may be appropriate and efficacious in reducing HIV risk behaviors among Hispanic delinquent adolescents. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01257022 (Source: Archives of Pediatrics)

Enhanced levels of CCL19 in patients with advanced acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Clinical and Developmental Immunology — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:25:26 +0100

Authors: Damås JK, Oktedalen O, Ueland T, Landrø L, Barstad J, Müller F, Frøland SS, Flo TH, Aukrust P Abstract Based on the ability to recruit lymphocytes and dendritic cells to lymphoid tissue and to promote inflammation, we hypothesized a role for dysregulated CCL19 and CCL21 levels in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with advanced immunodeficiency, and in particular in those with accompanying Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection. The hypothesis was explored by studies in HIV-infected patients with and without MAC infection, as well as in vitro, examining the ability of proteins from MAC to promote CCL19 and CCL21 responses in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) during highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). Our main findings were: (i)...

Lay Health Workers and HIV Care in Rural Lesotho: A Report from the Field

AIDS Patient Care and STDs — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:02:23 +0100

AIDS Patient Care and STDs , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: AIDS Patient Care and STDs)

Activating Transcription Factor 4 (ATF4) Promotes HIV Type 1 Activation

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:01:37 +0100

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses)

Announcement: National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day — February 7, 2012

CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:57:06 +0100

(Source: CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report)

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Liberia: No Time for Complacency in HIV Fight

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:42:28 +0100

[allAfrica.com] Monrovia - Smartly seated behind his computer, crunching out numbers and making calls to colleagues, Anthony*, a 38-year-old father of three, is amongst those looking to check the spread of HIV in Liberia. He received confirmation of his own positive status after testing in 2007. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Direct and efficient cellular transformation of primary rat mesenchymal precursor cells by KSHV

Journal of Clinical Investigation — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:50:49 +0100

Infections by viruses are associated with approximately 12% of human cancer. Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is causally linked to several malignancies commonly found in AIDS patients. The mechanism of KSHV-induced oncogenesis remains elusive, due in part to the lack of an adequate experimental system for cellular transformation of primary cells. Here, we report efficient infection and cellular transformation of primary rat embryonic metanephric mesenchymal precursor cells (MM cells) by KSHV. Cellular transformation occurred at as early as day 4 after infection and in nearly all infected cells. Transformed cells expressed hallmark vascular endothelial, lymphatic endothelial, and mesenchymal markers and efficiently induced tumors in nude mice. KSHV established latent ...

The Measurement of Condom Use in Four Countries in East and Southern Africa

AIDS and Behavior — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:12:23 +0100

Abstract Measurement of condom use is important to assess progress in increasing use. Since 2003, the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and AIDS Indicator Surveys (AIS) have included new measures of self-reported condom use. We use data from Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Zambia to compare measures of condom use accounting for type of sexual partner. Condom use at last sex ranged from 20% in Tanzania to 57% in Namibia for men, and from 12% in Tanzania to 41% in Namibia for women. Reported condom use was lower in response to questions about condom use every time with last partner (from 13 to 47% for men and from 8 to 33% for women). Condom use was highest among people with two or more partners in the last year and lowest with marital partners. Overall, the prevalence ...

Zimbabwe: Improved Aids Levy Collections Fill Part of Funding Gap

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:34:43 +0100

[PlusNews] Harare - With global funding for on the decline, Zimbabwe's innovative AIDS levy - a 3 percent tax on income - has become a promising source of funding for the country, with a dramatic increase in revenue collected in the past two years. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

Fighting malaria with one hand tied back

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:29:00 +0100

Malaria does not just kill babies and children under five – it kills adults too, in nearly as large proportionsDecades of assumptions about the lethality of malaria have been overturned by the publication of a paper in the Lancet from an academic institute in Seattle which says the disease kills twice as many as everybody thought. Even more extraordinary – it would seem that conventional wisdom about the disease has been wrong all this time.It does not just kill babies and children under five — it kills adults too, in nearly as large proportions.The Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation has astounded the global health community by claiming it has been fighting malaria apparently with one hand behind its back. The death toll has come down since 2004, thanks to huge efforts to get...

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Altered frequency and phenotype of CD4+FOXP3+ T cells and its association with autoantibody production in HIV‐infected paediatric patients

Clinical and Experimental Immunology — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

SummaryThe association between immune dysfunction and the development of autoimmune pathology in patients with HIV/AIDS is not clear. The frequency and phenotype of regulatory T cells, as well as the presence of autoantibodies were evaluated in a paediatric cohort of HIV‐infected patients without clinical evidence of autoimmune disease. Lower absolute counts but higher percentages of total CD4+FOXP3+ T cells were recorded in children with severe immunosuppression than in those without evidence of immunosuppression. The frequencies of classical CD4+CD25+FOXP3+regulatory T cells were not altered, whereas CD4+FOXP3+CD25–T cells were found significantly increased in patients with severe immunosuppression. Like classical regulatory T cells, CD4+FOXP3+CD25–T cells display higher CTLA‐4 b...

Shared decision making in inflammatory bowel disease: helping patients understand the tradeoffs between treatment options

Gut — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The treatment of inflammatory bowel disease is becoming more complicated with new medications and new treatment paradigms. Although data are accumulating that the earlier use of immunomodulators and anti-tumor necrosis factor agents are more effective than the standard "step-up" pyramidal treatment algorithm, patients may not be comfortable with this more intensive therapeutic approach. The process of shared decision making engages patients in treatment decisions to optimize the chance that a chosen therapy matches their personal preferences for care. Decision aids are standard shared decision making tools, which are used to present evidence-based data in a patient-friendly manner to help patients with preference- sensitive decisions. Not all care decisions are preference-sensitive, and no...

NIAID Issues Requests for Applications for HIV/AIDS Clinical Research Networks

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

NIAID has issued five new requests for applications (RFAs) to establish leadership groups for clinical research networks focused on distinct areas of HIV/AIDS research. Specifically, the leadership groups will have overall responsibility for developing, implementing, and adapting clinical research agendas to address NIAID's HIV/AIDS scientific priorities in the following areas: HIV/AIDS and HIV-associated Infections in Pediatric and Maternal Populations Integrated Strategies to Prevent HIV Infection Microbicides to Prevent HIV Infection Therapeutics for HIV/AIDS and HIV-associated Infections in Adults Vaccines to Prevent HIV Infection Applications will be accepted until September 28, 2012. For more information, visit the Restructuring the NIAID Clinical Trials Networks webpage....

Join AIDSinfo in Observing National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

February 7, 2012, marks the 12th annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day that serves to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS in the African-American community. According to the 2009 HIV Surveillance Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), African Americans are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. In the 40 states with confidential name-based HIV reporting, African Americans accounted for 52% of all diagnoses of HIV infection in 2009 and for 44% of people living with AIDS in 2008. For information and resources about HIV/AIDS and African Americans, visit the AIDSinfo webpage highlighting National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day [en español]. (Source: AIDSinfo At-a-Glance: Offering Information on HIV/AIDS Treatment, Prevention, and Research, A Ser...

infoSIDA Mobile Site Features a New Domain Name

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The infoSIDA mobile site now has a new domain name (http://m.infosida.nih.gov/)! The new name mirrors the distinct Web address created for infoSIDA (http://infosida.nih.gov/) as part of the recent AIDSinfo and infoSIDA redesign efforts. The infoSIDA mobile site offers the same Spanish-language features that are available on infoSIDA. Features include educational materials, webpages on annual HIV/AIDS awareness days, a clinical trials search tool, and links to HIV-related health topics. (Source: AIDSinfo At-a-Glance: Offering Information on HIV/AIDS Treatment, Prevention, and Research, A Service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS))

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Intersubunit Bridge Formation Governs Efficacy of {alpha}4{beta}2 Agonists [Molecular Biophysics]

Journal of Biological Chemistry — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The α4β2 subtype of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor has been pursued as a drug target for treatment of psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders and smoking cessation aids for decades. Still, a thorough understanding of structure-function relationships of α4β2 agonists is lacking. Using binding experiments, electrophysiology and x-ray crystallography we have investigated a consecutive series of five prototypical pyridine-containing agonists derived from 1-(pyridin-3-yl)-1,4-diazepane. A correlation between binding affinities at α4β2 and the acetylcholine-binding protein from Lymnaea stagnalis (Ls-AChBP) confirms Ls-AChBP as structural surrogate for α4β2 receptors. Crystal structures of five agonists with efficacies at α4β2 from 21–76% were determined in complex with Ls-A...

Kenya: Patients Demand More Funds for Aids Drugs

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:41:23 +0100

[Nation] People living with HIV/Aids and rights activists have protested against lack of funding and a government policy they say is intent on stripping the disease of its special status. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Kenya: 'He Gave Me HIV, Then I Sought Revenge on Womanisers'

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:39:28 +0100

[Nation] Because in our country, and on our continent, HIV has pervaded the most intimate moments in peoples' relationships, it has burrowed itself deep into the very soul of our most unmentionable of taboos -- sex. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Malaria kills twice as many people as previously thought, research finds

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:41:00 +0100

Malaria kills 1.2 million people every year, a finding that has implications for global efforts to eliminate the diseaseMalaria kills twice as many people every year as formerly believed, taking 1.2 million lives and causing the deaths not only of babies but also older children and adults, according to research that overturns decades of assumptions about one of the world's most lethal diseases.The findings from the research, published on Friday, which has reanalysed 30 years of data on the disease using new techniques, will force a rethink of the huge global effort that has been under way to eliminate malaria. That ambition now looks highly unlikely by the UN target date of 2015.It also raises urgent questions about the future of the troubled Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria, whic...

Low free testosterone in HIV‐infected men is not associated with subclinical cardiovascular disease

HIV Medicine — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:44:50 +0100

ConclusionsCompared with HIV‐uninfected men, HIV‐infected men had lower FT, as well as more prevalent carotid lesions. In both groups, FT was not associated with CAC presence, log carotid IMT, or carotid lesion presence, suggesting that FT does not influence subclinical CVD in this population of men with and at risk for HIV infection. (Source: HIV Medicine)

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Africa: Empowering Women to Fight HIV

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:10:51 +0100

[allAfrica.com] What makes a young African doctor decide to devote her career to helping women fight HIV? Dr. Sengeziwe Sibeko is a 37-year-old medical researcher with a degree in obstetrics and gynecology from the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN) in South Africa, an MSc in epidemiology from Columbia University in the United States, and is about to take up a fellowship to study for her PhD at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. AllAfrica's Julie Frederikse interviewed Dr. Sibeko at the (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Africa: Back to the Lab

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:54:52 +0100

[allAfrica.com] Professor Salim Abdool Karim, director of the Centre for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa (Caprisa) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Columbia University in the United States, spoke to AllAfrica's Julie Frederikse about the unexpected halt of a study into tenofovir vaginal gel. This followed a finding that the microbicide failed to prevent HIV transmission, in contrast to the positive result in a previous study conducted by his Caprisa team. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Africa: No Changing Mindset on Contraception 'Overnight'

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:41:32 +0100

[allAfrica.com] Dr. Quarraisha Abdool Karim is an infectious diseases epidemiologist and associate scientific director of the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa (Caprisa). AllAfrica's Julie Frederikse spoke to the 51-year-old and asked her about the challenges facing her team as they search for effective ways to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Phylogenetic Analysis of the Latvian HIV-1 Epidemic

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:34:50 +0100

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses)

High Prevalence of Transmitted Antiretroviral Drug Resistance Among Newly HIV Type 1 Diagnosed Adults in Mombasa, Kenya

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:34:43 +0100

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses)

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APOBEC3-Mediated Editing in HIV Type 1 from Pediatric Patients and Its Association with APOBEC3G/CUL5 Polymorphisms and Vif Variability

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:34:40 +0100

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses)

Africa: No Time to 'Give Up' on HIV-Fighting Gel

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:32:57 +0100

[allAfrica.com] Durban, South Africa - Africans tracking the worldwide HIV epidemic have not found much to celebrate since Aids began ravaging the continent 30 years ago, but researchers are optimistic that they are learning as much from their failures as their successes. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Serum Leptin Level Mediates the Association of Body Composition and Serum C-Reactive Protein in HIV-Infected Persons on Antiretroviral Therapy

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:32:10 +0100

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses)

Opportunistic Intestinal Infections and Risk of Colorectal Cancer Among People with AIDS

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:30:35 +0100

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses)

Colony-Forming Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells Are Not Preferentially Infected by HIV Type 1 Subtypes A and D in Vivo

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:30:28 +0100

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses)

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Angola: Population Urged to Do HIV Voluntary Testing

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:01:26 +0100

[ANGOP] Luanda - The director of the National Institute to Fight against Aids (INLS), Dulcelina Serrano, urged on Thursday in Luanda every population to regularly do the HIV testing, so as to learn about their Hiv condition. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Africa: Nation, Sub-Saharan Africa Told to Reduce HIV Cases

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:55:18 +0100

[ANGOP] Luanda - The Angolan Health vice minister, Evelize Frestas, defended on Wednesday in Luanda the need for Angola and Sub-Saharan countries to continue making effort to reduce the cases of HIV/AIDS infections, and thus slow down the death rate caused by this pandemic disease. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Zambia: State Urges Partnership in HIV/Aids Fight

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:12:52 +0100

[Times of Zambia] THE Government has reaffirmed its commitment to partnering with the Church in fighting diseases and poverty in Zambia. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Zambia: Kaseba Urges Rekindling of Activism Against HIV/Aids

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:12:37 +0100

[Times of Zambia] Addis Ababa - Zambia's First Lady Christine Kaseba has called for the rekindling of a high spirit of activism among members in the Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA). (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Congo-Kinshasa: Alarm Bells Over Poor Funding for HIV Treatment

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:05:10 +0100

[PlusNews] Naihasa - The lives of thousands of HIV-positive people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are at risk as the country faces declining donor funding and a severe shortage of HIV treatment, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

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Kenya: Aids Control Agency Seeks to Tighten Leash On NGOs

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:55:45 +0100

[Business Daily] Non-governmental organisations involved in the fight against HIV/Aids will be placed under the National Aids Control Council (Nacc) if proposals seeking to enhance the agency's mandate are passed by Parliament. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Angola: Population Urged to Make HIV Voluntary Testing

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:03:01 +0100

[ANGOP] Luanda - The director of the National Institute to Fight against Aids (INLS), Dulcelina Serrano, urged on Thursday in Luanda every population to make regularly HIV testing, so as to learn about their serological status. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Enhanced levels of CCL19 in patients with advanced acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)

Clinical and Experimental Immunology — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:18:41 +0100

SummaryBased on the ability to recruit lymphocytes and dendritic cells to lymphoid tissue and to promote inflammation, we hypothesized a role for dysregulated CCL19 and CCL21 levels in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐infected patients with advanced immunodeficiency, and in particular in those with accompanying Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection. The hypothesis was explored by studies in HIV‐infected patients with and without MAC infection, as well as in vitro, examining the ability of proteins from MAC to promote CCL19 and CCL21 responses in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) during highly active anti‐retroviral therapy (HAART). Our main findings were: (i) raised serum levels of CCL19 in HIV‐infected patients with CD4+ T cell count <50 cells/µl compared with ...

South Africa: An Inspirational Woman - Living With Aids

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:00:03 +0100

[Health-e] Walking away from being a successful business person in her community to start a non-governmental AIDS programme, Lorna Fisher gave away the opportunity to get very rich. But her work in the HIV field has now gained her recognition as one of the most inspirational women in South Africa. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Africa: Global Fund Shake-Up Signals New Direction

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:42:31 +0100

[PlusNews] Nainnesburg - The appointment of a new general manager, Gabriel Jaramillo, at the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis could be a "turning point" for the troubled organization, which has suffered from a funding crisis and allegations of corruption. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

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Angola: Country, Sub-Saharan Africa Urged to Reduce HIV Cases

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:32:45 +0100

[ANGOP] Luanda - The Angolan Health Vice-minister, Evelize Frestas, defended on Wednesday in Luanda the need for Angola and sub-Saharan to continue making efforts to reduce the cases of HIV/AIDS infections, and thus slow down the death rate caused by this pandemic disease. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Stinging Nettle is effective in treating BPH, arthritis, and aids post-partum mothers

NaturalNews.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:00:00 +0100

(NaturalNews)Many people can relate to the experience of brushing up against a stinging nettle plant in a pasture or meadow. The unforgettable chemical burn creates mean welts which can sting for a week. However, stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) has such healing capabilities that... (Source: NaturalNews.com)

The U.S. HIV Epidemic Suggests an EmergencyThe U.S. HIV Epidemic Suggests an Emergency

Medscape Today Headlines — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:00:00 +0100

The latest nationwide data illustrate the need for much greater effort across the spectrum of care for HIV/AIDS. AIDS Clinical Care (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Wall Street Journal rapped over climate change stance

Guardian Unlimited Science — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:12:08 +0100

Leading scientists, including climate change experts, complain about opinion piece akin to 'dentists practising cardiology'The Wall Street Journal has received a dressing down from a large group of leading scientists for promoting retrograde and out-of-date views on climate change.In an opinion piece run by the Journal on Wednesday, nearly 40 scientists, including acknowledged climate change experts, took on the paper for publishing an article disputing the evidence on global warming.The offending article, No Need to Panic About Global Warming, which appeared last week, argued that climate change was a cunning ploy deployed by governments to raise taxes and by non-profit organisations to solicit donations to save the planet.It was signed by 16 scientists who don't subscribe to the conventi...

Occurrence of New Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Males After HIV Diagnosis

AIDS and Behavior — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:12:57 +0100

The objective of this retrospective cohort study of 6,965 HIV-positive males was to evaluate the joint risk of new reportable STDs in males after HIV diagnosis by race/ethnicity and risk behavior. This investigation linked HIV case reports with STD surveillance, clinical care and laboratory datasets to determine new STD acquisition in HIV positive individuals. Compared to White MSM with high care engagement, Black MSM had a significantly higher rate of new reportable STDs for the full time period after HIV diagnosis, ≤1 year after diagnosis, and >1 year after diagnosis. High HIV care engagement was not as protective against new STD acquisition for Black MSM as it was for White MSM and reasons for this health disparity should be explored. Content Type Journal Artic...

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Sexual Risk Taking in Relation to Sexual Identification, Age, and Education in a Diverse Sample of African American Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in New York City

AIDS and Behavior — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:12:53 +0100

Abstract HIV disproportionately affects African American men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. To inform this epidemiological pattern, we examined cross-sectional sexual behavior data in 509 African American MSM. Bivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the extent to which age, education, and sexual identity explain the likelihood of engaging in sex with a partner of a specific gender and the likelihood of engaging in unprotected sexual behaviors based on partner gender. Across all partner gender types, unprotected sexual behaviors were more likely to be reported by men with lower education. Younger, non-gay identified men were more likely to engage in unprotected sexual behaviors with transgender partners, while older, non-gay ident...

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Relative Efficacy of Enhanced Versus Standard Voluntary Counseling and Testing on Promoting Condom Use among Men Who Have Sex with Men in China

AIDS and Behavior — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:12:53 +0100

Abstract The randomized controlled trial investigated the relative efficacy of an enhanced (EVCT) versus standard (SVCT) voluntary counseling and testing in reducing unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. 295 participants who recruited by respondent driven sampling methods were randomly allocated to the two arms. In addition to the SVCT, the EVCT group watched a theory-based video narrated by a HIV positive MSM, received enhanced counseling and a reminder gift. As compared to the SVCT group, the EVCT group reported lower prevalence of UAI with any male sex partners (48.4% versus 66.7%, RR = 0.7, ARR = −18.3%, p = 0.010) and with regular male sex partners (52.2% versus 68.9%, RR = 0.8, ARR&...

Tanzania: Korogwe Residents Can Now Smile at Their Achievements

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:22:42 +0100

[Daily News] DESPITE their health status, Maliwaza Mdoe and Sabina Augustino residents of Korogwe township in Tanga region are happy with life. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Nigeria: Why Excessive Alcohol Promotes Risky Sexual Behaviour

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:12:30 +0100

[Leadership] It is a fact that there is a relationship between sex and alcohol. There is also a commonly held belief that alcohol is an aphrodisiac- some people take alcohol to loosen themselves up in anticipation of having sex with a partner. But the effects of alcohol are complicated as there are many serious negative sexual consequences of drinking, such as unsafe sex which could lead to contracting STDs and even HIV /AIDS, writes RALIAT AHMED. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Medication Errors In Hospitals Reduced By e-Prescribing

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

A study published in this week's PLoS Medicine shows that commercial electronic prescribing systems (commonly known as e-prescribing, in which prescribers use a computer to order medications for their patients through a system with the help of prompts, aids, and alerts) could substantially reduce prescribing error rates in hospital in-patients... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Zimbabwe: Prevention Better Than Cure - Madzorera

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:27:19 +0100

[The Herald] ZIMBABWE is still experiencing a huge burden of communicable diseases with acute respiratory infections, intestinal infections, pulmonary tuberculosis, with HIV being among the top 10 causes of morbidity and mortality, a Cabinet minister has revealed. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Africa: Global Fund for Aids, TB and Malaria Faces Challenges

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:43:20 +0100

[allAfrica.com] Cape Town - In its short 10-year history, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has saved millions of lives, but as it marks its anniversary it finds itself the subject of questions and concern, rather than celebration. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Wayne State University project aims to reduce HIV, AIDS among African-Americans

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Wayne State University - Office of the Vice President for Research) A grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, administered by the Michigan Department of Community Health, is helping a Wayne State University researcher's effort to promote HIV testing among African-Americans. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

[News] Nicotine replacement: effective in the long term?

The Lancet Oncology — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs), such as patches and gum, are widely available both over-the-counter and by prescription as aids for smoking cessation. However, the results of a prospective cohort study cast doubt on the long-term effectiveness of these products, challenging the relevance to real-world settings of previous randomised trial results that have shown that NRTs are effective at helping smokers quit. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)

Combination Antiretroviral Therapy and Chronic HIV Infection affect Serum Retinoid Concentrations: Longitudinal and Cross-sectional Assessments

AIDS Research and Therapy — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Background: Several lines of evidence suggest that retinoids (retinol-ROL or vitamin A, and its active metabolites, retinoic acids-RAs) play important pathogenic roles in HIV infection and combination antiretroviral therapy (cART)-related events. We previously reported that antiretrovirals alter RAs synthesis in vitro. We hypothesised that in vivo serum retinoid concentrations are affected by both cART and HIV infection. This might explain several clinical and laboratory abnormalities reported in HIV-infected patients receiving cART. Methods: The effects of optimal cART and chronic HIV on serum retinoids were firstly assessed longitudinally in 10 HIV-infected adults (group1=G1): twice while on optimal cART (first, during long-term and second, during short term cART) and twice during 2 cART...

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Letter to the Editor

Nurse Leader — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

This article was very intriguing because the author discussed the importance of a leader serving as a role model and being able to encourage and implement change. As a current nurse manager and aspiring leader, I am astounded to find literature that aids in the development of future nurse leaders; so astounded that I would like to include my thoughts on this article. (Source: Nurse Leader)

Food Portion Estimation by Children with Obesity: The Effects of Estimation Method and Food Type

Journal of the American Dietetic Association — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Abstract: Several factors influence children's ability to report accurate information about their dietary intake. To date, one understudied area of dietary assessment research relates to children's ability to estimate portion sizes of food. The purpose of this cross-sectional research was to examine food portion size estimation accuracy in 7- to 18-year-old children with obesity. Two within-subject experiments (Experiment 1: n=28, Experiment 2: n=27) were conducted in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, during 2007-2008. Three types of portion size measurement aids (PSMAs) (eg, measuring cups and spoons, household objects [full and half-sized], and modeling clay) were counterbalanced in a Latin Square design for participants to estimate four types of foods (ie, solid, liquid, amorphous pieces, and...

A Peek at PEEP in Patients With AIDS.

Respiratory Care — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Mehta S, Lapinsky SE PMID: 22304799 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Respiratory Care)

Kenya: Activists Protest Withdrawal of Global Aids Fund

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:36:47 +0100

[Nairobi Star] Activists yesterday took to the streets to protest Global Fund's intention to stop further remittance of the vital financial aid that isused to cushion the HIV's deadly effects. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

HIV Shedding in the Oral CavityHIV Shedding in the Oral Cavity

Medscape Today Headlines — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:03:35 +0100

What factors contribute to the shedding of HIV in the oral cavity? Sexually Transmitted Infections (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

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Study Finds E-Prescribing To Be More Effective Than Typical Prescribing Methods

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0100

A recent study published in the journal PLoS Medicine has found that there are substantially fewer errors with the use of electronic prescribing systems (e-prescribing) compared to typical prescribing methods. E-prescribing - as it is commonly known - is where prescribers order medications for their patients on a computer with the help of additional aids and prompts... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Behavioral Responses of Patients in AIDS Treatment Programs: Sexual Behavior in Kenya

Forum for Health Economics and Policy — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:47:15 +0100

We estimate changes in sexual behavior for HIV-positive individuals enrolled in an AIDS treatment program using longitudinal household survey data collected in western Kenya. We find that sexual activity is lowest at the time that treatment is initiated and increases significantly in the subsequent six months, consistent with the health improvements that result from ART treatment. More importantly, we find large and significant increases of 10 to 30 percentage points in the reported use of condoms during last sexual intercourse. The increases in condom use appear to be driven primarily by a program effect, applying to all HIV clinic patients regardless of treatment status. (Source: Forum for Health Economics and Policy)

South Africa Recalls Millions Of Condoms

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0100

Health authorities in South Africa have recalled more than a million condoms that were handed out in the lead up to the African National Congress centenary celebrations. The action was taken after South Africa's HIV group Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) issued a warning, having received complaints from the public, that large numbers of faulty condoms appeared to be in circulation in the Bloemfontein area. 8,700 boxes of condoms, with the South African Bureau of Standards stamp, were delivered to guesthouses, hotels, restaurants and bars before the ANC celebrations... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

NIH-funded HIV clinical research sites to join pediatric tuberculosis vaccine study

National Institutes of Health (NIH) News Releases — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:31:00 +0100

Several U.S. government-funded HIV/AIDS clinical research sites in Africa will join other collaborators in an ongoing clinical trial testing an investigational tuberculosis (TB) vaccine in infants at risk for TB infection. "We are pleased to be able to tap into our existing HIV/AIDS clinical research infrastructure to help test promising investigational vaccines against TB," said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. The sites are funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. (Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH) News Releases)

FlexCessory Stand Aids Single-Use Fluid Transfers

Pharmaceutical Online News — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:33:00 +0100

Meissner offers a stainless steel FlexCessory stand to secure and support FlexFill single-use fluid transfer assemblies during use. (Source: Pharmaceutical Online News)

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Sexual Behavior and HIV Testing Among Bisexual Men: A Nationwide Comparison of Australian Bisexual-Identifying and Gay-Identifying Men

AIDS and Behavior — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:07:19 +0100

In this study, patterns of sexual behavior and rates of HIV testing were compared between 854 gay-identifying and 164 bisexual-identifying men who participated in an Australian nationwide online survey. Approximately half of both groups engaged in unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) at their most recent sexual encounter, but bisexual-identifying men were more likely to have had sex with a partner who was either serodiscordant or with whom their seroconcordance was unknown. Despite these patterns, only 62% of bisexual-identifying men had ever been tested for HIV compared to 84% of gay-identifying men. Multivariate logistic regression focused on rates of UAI and HIV testing among bisexual-identifying men. Patterns were similar across all age groups and educational backgrounds. However,...

HIV Risk Behaviors Among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latina Female Partners of Men Who Have Sex With Men and Women

AIDS and Behavior — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:07:18 +0100

We examined the frequencies of HIV-related risk factors among women reporting and not reporting sex with a man who has sex with men and women (MSMW). We used data from 15,625 visits of Black and Hispanic/Latina females, ages 15–64 years, to Los Angeles County HIV testing sites (2007–2008). The following risk factors were associated with reporting an MSMW partner: number of sex partners, use of party drugs, anal sex, and sexual partners with other risk factors. Overall, females who reported an MSMW partner differed little in their likelihood of testing HIV positive (0.93%) compared to those who did not (0.58%, p value = 0.19). Among females reporting one male sex partner, having an MSMW partner was strongly associated with HIV (2.8 vs. 0.63%, p = 0.03). Intervention...

Pets Help Women Cope With HIV/AIDS

MedicineNet Alzheimer — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:00:00 +0100

Title: Pets Help Women Cope With HIV/AIDSCategory: Health NewsCreated: 1/30/2012 4:06:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 1/31/2012 (Source: MedicineNet Alzheimer)

NIH to join multi-center clinical trial of new tuberculosis vaccine

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Aeras) The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the United States National Institutes of Health, has joined as a partner for a Phase II proof-of-concept clinical trial of a tuberculosis vaccine candidate jointly developed by Aeras and Dutch biopharmaceutical company Crucell. This is thee first time that NIH is leveraging its HIV/AIDS clinical trial networks to advance a tuberculosis vaccine candidate. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Benefits of Male Circumcision [Letters]

JAMA — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: JAMA)

Benefits of Male Circumcision--Reply [Letters]

JAMA — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: JAMA)

New HIV Target? [Lab Reports]

JAMA — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: JAMA)

Autophagy regulates lipolysis and cell survival through lipid droplet degradation in androgen‐sensitive prostate cancer cells

The Prostate — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONAutophagy mediates LD degradation and lipolysis in androgen‐sensitive PCa cells during androgen deprivation which aids the survival of PCa cells during hormone therapy. Prostate © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: The Prostate)

Out of the Closet and Into the Trenches: Gay Male Baby Boomers, Aging, and HIV/AIDS.

The Gerontologist — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

This article argues for the application of this latter approach to research into the lasting impacts of HIV/AIDS on this cohort of gay men. We examine HIV/AIDS mortality within this cohort at the epidemic's height, these deaths' concentration in urban gay communities, and the growing and increasingly diverse population of HIV-positive gay men born in the Baby Boom Years. Our conclusion suggests that a fuller examination of the role of HIV/AIDS in the lives of gay male Baby Boomers, using a life course perspective, is critical to appreciating this generation's heterogeneity and to expanding knowledge of how later life is shaped by the intersection between historical events, personal biography, and social and community ties. PMID: 22298746 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The...

Rwanda: Mrs. Kagame Takes Part in First Ladies' Assembly Against HIV

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:20:40 +0100

[New Times] Rwanda's First Lady, Mrs. Jeannette Kagame, was among other African First Ladies who attended the eleventh Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/ Aids (OAFLA) General Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

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AIDS Prevention Inspires Ways to Simplify Circumcision

NYT Health — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:38:56 +0100

Donors are pinning their hopes on several devices being tested in efforts to increase speed and reduce pain. (Source: NYT Health)

Pets Help Women Cope with HIV/AIDS

MedlinePlus Health News — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:00:00 +0100

Small study also found being a mother, worker, advocate made a difference, as did faith Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Page: Living with HIV/AIDS (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)

Study Looks at Possible HIV Drugs-Birth Defect Link

MedlinePlus Health News — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0100

More research needed into unconfirmed association between antiretrovirals and cleft lip/palate Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Cleft Lip and Palate, HIV/AIDS and Pregnancy, Pregnancy and Medicines (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)

Alberta's sexually transmitted infection rates decrease

Alberta.ca from- Health and Wellness — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:30:00 +0100

Alberta’s rates for new cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) fell in 2010, the first decrease since 2004. In addition, rates for new cases of HIV and AIDS continued to decrease for a second straight year. (Source: Alberta.ca from- Health and Wellness)

Provider-patient Adherence Dialogue in HIV Care: Results of a Multisite Study

AIDS and Behavior — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:04:33 +0100

Abstract Few studies have analyzed physician–patient adherence dialogue about ARV treatment in detail. We comprehensively describe physician–patient visits in HIV care, focusing on ARV-related dialogue, using a system that assigns each utterance both a topic code and a speech act code. Observational study using audio recordings of routine outpatient visits by people with HIV at specialty clinics. Providers were 34 physicians and 11 non-M.D. practitioners. Of 415 patients, 66% were male, 59% African–American. 78% reported currently taking ARVs. About 10% of utterances concerned ARV treatment. Among those using ARVs, 15% had any adherence problem solving dialogue. ARV problem solving talk included significantly more directives and control parameter utterances by provid...

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Suicidality among individuals with HIV/AIDS in Benin City, Nigeria: a case-control study. - Chikezie UE, Otakpor AN, Kuteyi OB, James BO.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:32:08 +0100

Abstract Suicidality has been reported to be common in persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Reports from sub-Saharan countries have been scanty. We surveyed the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempt among PLWHAs (n=150) and compared them with staff ... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Rwanda: HIV Positive Women Denied Inheritance Rights - Report

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:30:58 +0100

[New Times] Women living with HIV/Aids in Gasabo and Nyanza districts are being denied their rights to inherit family property by their spouses and other relatives, a research conducted by the Women's Network for Rural Development, commonly known by its French moniker Reseaux Des Femmes, has shown. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Tanzania: Search On for New Supplier of HIV Test Kits

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:07:51 +0100

Daily News (Dar es Salaam)-THE process to get a new supplier of HIV/Aids Rapid Test Kits in the country is undergoing requisite procedures, to make sure that only a reputable firm lands the tender, it has been said. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

Africa: Africa's HIV/Aids Treatment Hits U.S.$12 Billion

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:33:04 +0100

[Leadership] There are indications that Africa will need at least $12billion from now to 2015 to respond to issues of HIV/ADIS. This amount is $4billion higher than the curent spending in the region. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Angola: Women Urged to Use Condoms to Prevent HIV Contamination

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:56:40 +0100

[ANGOP] Luanda - The representative of Health Ministry, Maria Antonio, called on Sunday in Luanda for women to use condoms while making sexual intercourse so as to prevent the propagation of HIV/AIDS and make voluntary testing to learn about their serological state. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

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Estimates of Age-Specific Mortality Rates from Sequential Cross-Sectional Data in Malawi

International Journal of Biomedical Imaging — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:33:45 +0100

This paper uses a method for estimating age-specific event rates for adults (15–49 years) in Malawi between 1977 and 1998. This method, which is based on the development of unstable populations, is similar to the “variable-r” methods. Data from Malawi demonstrate mortality reduction nearly for all age groups between 1977 and 1987 for males whereas for females the reduction was observed for age groups 15–19 and 40–44. Contrary to this finding, the 1987–1998 intercensal period shows that mortality increased at a higher rate in the ages 20 and above for males than females. However, the increase for the females is much higher in the 1987–1998 intercensal period than in the 1977–1987 intercensal period. These findings may be related to the onset...

Rwanda: New HIV Test Kit Under Evaluation

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:59:04 +0100

[New Times] A new HIV testing kit is under evaluation to replace the SD Bioline, an HIV testing device, which was recently removed by the World Health Organization (WHO) from its list of approved rapid test kits after it failed quality assurance tests. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Zimbabwe: Decade of Living With HIV - Still Going Strong

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:41:36 +0100

[Financial Gazette] 2012 marks exactly 10 years since the discovery of my HIV positive status in January of 2002 at the age of 36 years. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

As Global Fund Turns Ten, Lack of Political Support to Health Threatens Gains Against AIDS, TB, and Malaria

MSF News — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:24:00 +0100

South Africa 2011 © Chelsea Maclachlan/Le Monde A woman receives antiretroviral medication at an MSF clinic in Cape Town. While MSF relies solely on private donors, a loss of funding from the Global Fund will leave thousands without treatment. NAIROBI, JANUARY 30, 2012 - As the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria marks its tenth anniversary—and on the heels of its leadership changes—people living with HIV/AIDS and those delivering and supporting HIV and TB treatment took to the streets as they warned that the political commitment made 10 years ago to address global health is evaporating, and that drastic funding shortfalls could cause an unraveling of a decade’s progress against the three diseases. The Global Fund Board in November took t...

Spirulina significantly aids allergy sufferers and improves exercise performance

NaturalNews.com — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0100

(NaturalNews)Spirulina is a blue-green algae which is commercially produced and widely marketed as a "superfood" and immune booster. It is also a rich source of natural, plant-based iron, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin C, and an excellent source of plant protein, with up to 70% of... (Source: NaturalNews.com)

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Short-term risk of anemia following initiation of combination antiretroviral treatment in HIV-infected patients in countries from sub-Saharan Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Central and South America

Journal of the International AIDS Society — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: In data from 34 cohorts of HIV-infected patients from sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South America, and Asia, the risk of anaemia within 12 months of initiating cART was moderate. Routine haemoglobin monitoring was recommended in patients at risk of developing anaemia following cART initiation. (Source: Journal of the International AIDS Society)

HIV-free survival among nine- to 24-month-old children born to HIV-positive mothers in the Rwandan national PMTCT programme: a community-based household survey

Journal of the International AIDS Society — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: HIV-free survival among HIV-exposed children aged nine to 24 months is estimated at 91.9% in Rwanda. The national PMTCT programme could achieve greater impact on child survival by ensuring access to HAART for all HIV-positive pregnant women in need, improving the quality of the programme in rural areas, and strengthening linkages with community-based support systems, including associations of people living with HIV. (Source: Journal of the International AIDS Society)

Performance evaluation of the point-of-care CD4 analyser Pima using capillary blood sampling in field tests in South Africa

Journal of the International AIDS Society — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

This study evaluated performance of the point-of-care Pima CD4 device using capillary blood sampling in representative primary health care clinics doing HIV testing. Methods: Prior to testing, prescribed capillary-sampling and instrument training was undertaken by suppliers across all sites. Matching venous EDTA samples were drawn throughout for comparison to laboratory predicate methodology (PLG/CD4). In Phase I, Pima cartridges were pipette-filled with EDTA venous blood in the laboratory (N=100). In Phase II (N=77), Pima CD4 with capillary sampling was performed by a single operator in a hospital-based antenatal clinic. During subsequent field testing, Pima CD4 with capillary sampling was performed in primary health care clinics on HIV-positive patients by multiple attending nursing pers...

Drugs and Treatment on Lifetime Cost of Care for HIVDrugs and Treatment on Lifetime Cost of Care for HIV

Medscape Today Headlines — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:00:00 +0100

What is the lifetime cost of an HIV infection, and how do we lower it? AIDS (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

New Chief Unveils Plan to Revive Disease-Fighting Fund

WSJ.com: Health — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:10:07 +0100

The new chief of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria plans a major overhaul of operations following an assessment urging improved management. (Source: WSJ.com: Health)

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DHEA aids sex function in menopause

Health News - UPI.com — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:43:33 +0100

CHARLESTON, S.C., Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Low doses of the hormone DHEA -- dehydroepiandrosterone -- may help sexual function and menopausal symptoms in women, researchers in Italy suggest. (Source: Health News - UPI.com)

Africa: Continent At 'Make-It or Break-It Moment' Over Aids

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:25:39 +0100

AIM (Maputo)-Africa is now at "a make-it or break-it moment" in the response to the HIV-AIDS epidemic, according to Michael Sidibe, the Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Africa: Continent Needs U.S. $12 Billion to Fight HIV/Aids

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:55:55 +0100

Leadership (Abuja)-There are indications that Africa will need at least $12billion from now to 2015 to respond to issues of HIV/ADIS. This amount is $4billion higher than the current spending in the region. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)