Pheromones and Same-Sex Sexual Behavior

Archives of Sexual Behavior -     

Mindfulness-based interventions for eating disorders: The potential to mobilize multiple associative-learning change mechanisms

Mindfulness is a two-component skill that includes mindful awareness (attentional monitoring of present moment experience) and mindful acceptance (adopting an attitude of acceptance toward this experience). Although mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are efficacious for many conditions, there is a lack of research on MBIs for eating disorders (EDs). We propose that MBIs may be promising for EDs given their potential to mobilize not one, but multiple associative-learning change mechanisms in EDs–defined as adaptive processes of change involving one of two forms of associative-learning: Pavlovian and operant learning. We hypothesize how MBIs–via increasing either mindful awareness or mindful acceptance–may mobilize up to eight associative-learning change mechanisms, two involving Pavlovian learning, and six involving operant learning. We also elaborate on similarities and differences between MBIs and CBT approaches for EDs, as well as opportunities for synergy. Finally, we present recommendations for future research related to the development and evaluation of novel MBI interventions for EDs and the testing of mechanisms and patient-treatment matching hypotheses.     

Immunological evidence of an early seroconversion to oncogenic Merkel cell polyomavirus in healthy children and young adults

Oncogenic Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) provokes a widespread and asymptomatic infection in humans. Herein, sera from healthy children and young adults (HC, n = 344) aged 0–20 years old were evaluated for anti-MCPyV immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antibodies employing a recently developed immunoassay. Serum MCPyV IgG data from healthy subjects (HS, n = 510) and elderlies (ES, n = 226), aged 21–65/66–100 years old, from our previous studies, were included. The anti-MCPyV IgG and IgM rates in HC sera were 40.7% and 29.7%, respectively. A lower prevalence of anti-MCPyV IgGs was found in HC aged 0–5 years old (13%) compared to 6–10 (52.3%), 11–15 (60.5%) and 16–20 years old (61.6%) cohorts. Age-stratified HCs exhibited similar anti-MCPyV IgM rates (27.9%–32.9%). Serological profiles indicated that anti-MCPyV IgGs and IgMs had low optical densities (ODs) during the first years of life, while IgM ODs appeared to decrease throughout young adulthood. A lower anti-MCPyV IgGs rate was found in HC (40.7%) than HS (61.8%) and ES (63.7%). Upon the 5-years range age-stratification, a lower anti-MCPyV IgGs rate was found in the younger HC cohort aged 0–5 years old compared to the remaining older HC/HS/ES cohorts (52.3%–72%). The younger HC cohort exhibited the lowest anti-MCPyV IgG ODs than the older cohorts. Low anti-MCPyV IgMs rates and ODs were found in the 21–25 (17.5%) and 26–30 (7.7%) years old cohorts. Our data indicate that, upon an early-in-life seroconversion, the seropositivity for oncogenic MCPyV peaks in late childhood/young adulthood and remains at high prevalence and relatively stable throughout life.     

Thermoresponsive Reversible Unimer Micelles of Amphiphilic Fluorinated Copolymers

Amphiphilic fluorinated copolymers PEGMAx-co-FAy and TEGMAx-co-FAy are prepared by activators regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET-ATRP). All polymers present a reversible thermoresponsive lower critical solution temperature-type behavior, and a cloud point temperature (T_c) in the range of 30–60 °C strictly dependent on the length of the oxyethylene side chain, the content of the hydrophobic counits, and the concentration of the solution. Combined small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and dynamic light scattering measurements are used to study the self-assembly behavior in water, organic solvents (tetrahydrofuran [THF] and dimethylformamide [DMF]), and a fluorinated solvent (hexafluorobenzene [HFB]). SAXS confirms the formation of compact-globular single-chain self-folded unimer micelles in water below T_c, which generally presents small hydrodynamic diameters (D_h ≤ 8 nm) as a result of the folding of the hydrophobic perfluorohexylethyl acrylate counits. The copolymers are also able to form reverse unimer micelle in HFB. The copolymers are not able to self-assemble in unimer micelles in THF or DMF solutions, in which they adopt conventional random coil conformations.     

Chronic morphine affects working memory during treatment and withdrawal in rats: possible residual long-term impairment

An eight-arm radial maze was used to investigate a possible short-term (during the development of tolerance and dependence) and long-term (6, 9 and 12 months after treatment) effect on working memory, in young rats, which drank morphine (0.5mg/ml) for 1 month, or to which the drug was administered by i.p. injection (at weekly increasing doses of 20, 50, 100, 200mg/kg). Tail flick test and cortically derived electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings were also carried out in the same rats to determine any modifications in analgesia and in total EEG mean power spectra during treatment and withdrawal. Complete tolerance to morphine analgesia developed during the period of drug treatment. Chronic morphine significantly impaired radial maze performance in the working memory components of the task during both treatment and early withdrawal, but only in the i.p. group. Six and 9 months after morphine treatment, both the oral and i.p. group showed a significant impairment of radial maze performance. The mean power spectra were altered during treatment but returned to baseline values during abstinence, except for the first day. These findings suggest the possibility of morphine-induced premature ageing, which is more evident in i.p. treated animals. The mechanism by which morphine treatment produces residual long-term learning impairment requires further elucidation.     

Retrospective study of children born to HIV-1-infected mothers in a pediatric hospital in Argentina

The aim of this retrospective study, which included 103 children born to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)- infected mothers, is to initiate a database on HIV-infected children, which has to date been unavailable in Argentina. All HIV-1 seropositive children admitted to the Pedro de Elizalde Children's Hospital in Buenos Aires from March 1, 1987, to December 31, 1992, were enrolled in this study. The number of patients enrolled dramatically increased each year during the period of study. Of the 60 infected children, 22 (36.66%) have died with a clinical diagnosis of HIV-1 infection; in 10 of those children HIV infection was also confirmed by P24 antigenemia and/or polymerase chain reaction (PCR): 20 qualified for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) P2D class (P2D1 = 7, P2D2 = 10, P2D3 = 3), 1 for P2C, and 1 for P2A, whose cause of death was pneumonia. The mean age of death was 14.8 months, 18 (82%) died before 18 months. When immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, and IgA levels were determined according to age and clinical status, significant differences (P < 0.005) were observed when both asymptomatic and symptomatic infected children (P1, P2) were compared with noninfected children (P3). A significant difference was also obtained between those children who qualified for P2 classification prior to 12 months of age who died early (at or prior to 25 months) and those who reached stage P2 after 12 months of age and have survived to date (X2 = 24.73, p < 0.0001; RR = 5.83, 2.52 < RR < 13.49).     

Postzygotic instability of the myotonic dystrophy p[AGC]n repeat supported by larger expansions in muscle and reduced amplifications in sperm

We have analysed the [AGC] expansion in leucocytes, muscle and sperm from 17 individuals affected by myotonic dystrophy (DM). Skeletal muscle showed a larger repeat number than leucocytes in the same patient. A similar degree of expansion was detected in differently affected muscles of a single patient. The germline mutation ( 350 repeats) was expanded in somatic cells of the progeny in all patients examined. Our results provide evidence of an early postzygotic instability of the [AGC] repeat in DM.     

Health effects of chronic high exposure to hexachlorobenzene in a general population sample

Hexachlorobenzene, an organochlorine compound that accumulates in humans, is widespread throughout the environment. In this study, we describe the health status of inhabitants of a rural village that surrounds an electrochemical factory characterized by high levels of hexachlorobenzene in the air. During 1994, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 1 800 inhabitants in the south of Catalonia, Spain, who were older than 14 y of age. We obtained information on lifestyles and occupational and medical histories via questionnaire. Self-reported health outcomes were validated against clinical records and cancer registry data. Serum levels of hexachlorobenzene were very high in males who worked in the electrochemical factory (geometric mean = 54.6 ng/ml in randomized participants). Levels were lower among subjects who had never worked in the electrochemical factory (females, 14.9 ng/ml; males, 9.0 ng/ml). Levels of other organochlorine compounds (i.e., beta-hexachlorocy-clohexane, 2,2-bis[p-chlorophenyl]-1,1-dichloroethylene) were in the same range found in other communities. Perceived health, prevalence of self-reported common chronic conditions, and porphyria cutanea tarda, thyroid pathology, Parkinson's disease, cancer, and reproductive outcomes were within the ranges observed in other studies. Employment in the plant, however, was associated with having any of the a priori selected health outcomes that were potentially related to exposure to hexachlorobenzene (odds ratio for cancer prevalence = 1.9; 95% confidence interval = 0.5, 7.6). Our population of workers and nonworkers had the highest levels of hexachlorobenzene ever described. The results suggest that exposure to hexachlorobenzene did not affect the general health status of the this population, but it was associated with specific health effects of the most highly exposed subjects.