Variations in Patterns of Sexual Risk Behavior among Seattle-Area MSM Based on their HIV Status,the HIV Status of their Partner and Partner Type

We evaluated sexual risk behavior in 368 Seattle-area MSM recruited in the 2008 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance survey. We found significant concordance between participants’ self-reported HIV status and that of their sexual partners. Persons unaware of partners’ HIV status were more likely to report only oral sex. Those aware were less likely to report non-concordant unprotected anal intercourse (UAI). Participants reporting themselves HIV-positive were more likely than those self-reporting HIV-negative status to report non-concordant UAI and several other sexual risk behaviors. The level of non-concordant UAI did not materially differ by whether their partner was a main or casual partner.     

Acute effect of calcium citrate on serum calcium and cardiovascular function

Calcium supplements have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. However, the validity of these findings has been questioned. A major concern is that the mechanism underlying an increase in cardiovascular events has not been demonstrated. Calcium initiates cardiac and vascular contraction following influx of calcium into cardiac and smooth muscle from extracellular fluid. We have investigated whether the acute rise in serum calcium following calcium supplement administration is associated with adverse changes in cardiovascular function. In an open interventional study, we recruited 25 volunteers (16 female, age 60.3 ± 6.5 years, body mass index 25.7 ± 2.7 kg/m²) from the community who were not taking calcium supplements. Participants were studied before and 3 hours after a single oral dose of 1000 mg calcium citrate. We assessed well‐validated markers of arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity [PWV]), arterial wave reflection (augmentation index [AIx]), and myocardial perfusion (subendocardial viability ratio [SEVR]) by pulse wave analysis and endothelial function (reactive hyperemia index [RHI]) by peripheral arterial tonometry. Total and ionized serum calcium were acutely increased by 0.10 ± 0.07 and 0.06 ± 0.03 mmol/L, respectively, 3 hours after calcium citrate administration (p < 0.0001 for both comparisons). Following administration of calcium citrate there was a fall in AIx from a median of 29.7% (23.8% to 34.0%) to 26.4% (22.7% to 34.0%, p = 0.03) and an increase in SEVR from 163% (148% to 174%) to 170% (149% to 185%, p = 0.007). PWV and RHI were not significantly altered. The change in total calcium was negatively correlated with the change in AIx (r = –0.48, p = 0.02). In summary, the acute increase in serum calcium following calcium supplement administration is associated with reduced arterial wave reflection and a marker of increased myocardial perfusion. If maintained long‐term, these changes would be expected to reduce cardiovascular risk. Acute serum calcium–mediated changes in these parameters of cardiovascular function are unlikely to underlie an association between calcium supplementation and cardiovascular events. © 2013 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research     

Real-world application of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in 507 patients with multiple sclerosis

Journal of Neurology - To investigate the results of real-world application of non-myeloablative autologous HSCT for multiple sclerosis (MS). Between July 2003 and October 2019 at a single center...     

Preferences for symmetry in faces change across the menstrual cycle

Symmetry in human male faces may be a cue to heritable fitness benefits and is found attractive. Preferences for facial masculinity, another proposed marker of genetic quality, have been found to vary in ways that may maximise evolutionary relevant benefits and masculinity is found to be of increased attractiveness at peak fertility across the menstrual cycle. Here we show that women prefer more symmetric faces at peak fertility (Study 1) and that such shifting preferences may be potentially strategic preferences as we found them to occur only for judgements concerning short-term relations and when women already had a partner (Study 2). Such preferences potentially indicate a strategy that maximises the quality of extra-pair/short-term partners or a quality dependent response to hormones. Such strategic preferences for symmetry may support the role of symmetry in signalling potential good-gene benefits.     

Rural-metropolitan disparities in ovarian cancer survival: a statewide population-based study

Purpose

To investigate rural-metropolitan disparities in ovarian cancer survival, we assessed ovarian cancer mortality and differences in prognostic factors by rural-metropolitan residence.

Inhibition of day-12 spleen colony-forming units by a monoclonal antibody to the murine macrophage/monocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor

Primitive hematopoietic stem cells differentiate into committed progenitors that are thought to selectively express hematopoietic growth factor receptor(s), thereby acquiring hematopoietic growth factor responsiveness. To assess whether hematopoietic stem cells express hematopoietic growth factor receptors, the progenitor activity of bone marrow (BM) fractions, isolated by expression of receptors for macrophage/monocyte colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), were examined. Recovery of day-12 spleen colony-forming units (CFU-S) is diminished in both M-CSF receptor-positive (M-CSFR+) and M-CSFR- fractions, indicating antibody inhibition of day-12 CFU-S. Incubation of BM cells with antibody without fractionation inhibits 50% to 60% of day-12 CFU- S. This inhibition is specific (control antibodies have no effect) and reversible by removal of bound antibody at low pH. Incubating BM cells with control or antireceptor antibody does not affect day-8 CFU-S, which are predominantly erythroid. Treating sublethally irradiated mice with antibody inhibits endogenous day-12 CFU-S. These results indicate that some early progenitors express M-CSFRs, and blocking M-CSFRs inhibits the ability of these progenitors to form colonies, possibly because of inactivation caused by prolonged receptor blockade.     

A five-drug remission induction regimen with intensive consolidation for adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: cancer and leukemia group B study 8811

The goal of this phase II multicenter clinical trial was to evaluate a new intensive chemotherapy program for adults with untreated acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and to examine prospectively the impact of clinical and biologic characteristics on the outcome. One hundred ninety-seven eligible and evaluable patients (16 to 80 years of age; median, 32 years of age) received cyclophosphamide, daunorubicin, vincristine, prednisone, and L-asparaginase; 167 patients (85%) achieved a complete remission (CR), 13 (7%) had refractory disease, and 17 (9%) died during induction. A higher CR rate was observed in younger patients (94% for those < 30 years old, 85% for those 30 to 59 years old, and 39% for those > or = 60 years old, P < .001) and in those who had a mediastinal mass (100%) or blasts with a T-cell immunophenotype. Eighty percent of B-lineage and 97% of T-cell ALL patients achieved a CR (P = .01). The coexpression of myeloid antigens did not affect the response rate or duration. Seventy percent of those with cytogenetic or molecular evidence of the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome and 84% of those without such evidence achieved a CR (P = .11). Patients in remission received multiagent consolidation treatment, central nervous system prophylaxis, late intensification, and maintenance chemotherapy for a total of 24 months. After a median follow-up time of 43 months, the median survival for all 197 patients is 36 months; the median remission duration for the 167 CR patients is 29 months. Favorable pretreatment characteristics relative to remission duration or survival are younger age, the presence of a mediastinal mass or lymphadenopathy, a white blood cell count (WBC) less than 30,000/microL, L1 morphology, T or TMy immunophenotype, and the absence of the Ph chromosome. The estimates of the proportion surviving at 3 years are 69% for patients less than 30 years old, 39% for those 30 to 59 years old, 89% for those who had a mediastinal mass, 59% with WBC less than 30,000/microL, 63% with L1 morphology, 69% for T or TMy antigen expression, and 62% for those who lack the Ph chromosome. Fifteen patients (8%) had no unfavorable prognostic factors and have an estimated probability of survival at 5 years of 100% (95% confidence interval, 77% to 100%). This intensive chemotherapy regimen produces a high remission rate and a high proportion of durable remissions in adults with ALL.     

Rapid prenatal diagnosis of beta thalassemia using DNA amplification and nonradioactive probes

We used in vitro DNA amplification by the polymerase chain reaction and nonradioactive probes for prenatal diagnosis of beta thalassemia in Chinese from the Guangdong province. Exact molecular diagnoses were made in all 20 fetuses studied over a 6-month period. We conclude that this method of prenatal diagnosis for beta thalassemia is a viable approach in many parts of the world where this disease is common.