Virologic determinants of success after structured treatment interruptions of antiretrovirals in acute HIV-1 infection.

Background: Latently infected resting memory CD4 T cells are thought to be the major reservoir that contributes to rebound viremia after cessation of antiretrovirals (ARVs). Commencing ARVs during primary HIV-1 infection (PHI) may limit the size of the latent pool and lead to improved control of viral replication during structured treatment interruption (STI).

Methods: Individuals with PHI (n = 59) were randomized to receive ARVs with or without hydroxyurea.

Why religion is nothing special but is central.

It is proposed that explaining religion in evolutionary terms is a misleading enterprise because religion is an indissoluble part of a unique aspect of human social organization. Theoretical and empirical research should focus on what differentiates human sociality from that of other primates, i.e.

Association of the serotonin transporter polymorphism and obsessive-compulsive disorder: systematic review.

We investigated the association between the long (l) and short (s) alleles of the serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in the promoter region of the SLC6A4 gene and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) using meta-analysis to combine all published data from case-control and family based association studies (2,283 cases). In stratified meta-analysis we investigated whether age of sample (child and adult), ethnicity (Caucasian and Asian) and study design (case-control and family-based association studies) moderated any association. In the overall meta-analysis we found no evidence of association between genetic variation at the 5-HTTLPR locus and OCD.

Correlates of smoking before, during, and after pregnancy.

Objectives: To use recent, national data to examine correlates of smoking before, during, and after pregnancy; quitting smoking during pregnancy; and relapsing by 24 months postpartum.

Methods: Multivariate logistic regression models used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort and accounted for relevant socio-demographic, clinical, and contextual covariates.

Results: Although socio-demographic characteristics including education, income, race/ethnicity, and marital status were associated with smoking at all time points, contextual factors including alcohol consumption, breast-feeding, and living with other smokers were also strongly associated with smoking, quitting, and relapsing.

Brain imaging study of the acute effects of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on attention and motor coordination in regular users of marijuana.

Procedure: Twelve regular users of marijuana underwent two positron emission tomography (PET) scans using [18F] Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), one while subject to the effects of 17 mg THC, the other without THC. In both sessions, a virtual reality maze task was performed during the FDG uptake period.

Results: When subject to the effects of 17 mg THC, regular marijuana smokers hit the walls more often on the virtual maze task than without THC.

Systematic review: pharmacological and behavioral treatment for trichotillomania.

Trichotillomania is a psychiatric condition characterized by compulsive hair pulling. Three interventions have been studied in the treatment of trichotillomania: habit-reversal therapy (HRT) and pharmacotherapy with either selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) or clomipramine. This systematic review compared the efficacy of these interventions in blinded, randomized clinical trials.

Potential role of the endocannabinoid receptor antagonist rimonabant in the management of cardiometabolic risk: a narrative review of available data.

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is an endogenous physiological system composed of two cannabinoid receptors and several endogenous ligands. The ECS is intimately involved in appetite regulation and energy homeostasis, which makes it an intriguing target for pharmacological treatment of obesity, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome. Rimonabant is the first cannabinoid receptor (CB-1) antagonist being studied and utilized to treat obesity (it is approved in Europe but is currently under review in the United States).

The acute ghrelin response to a psychological stress challenge does not predict the post-stress urge to eat.

Ghrelin is a growth hormone and cortisol secretagogue that plays an important role in appetite and weight regulation. It is not known whether ghrelin is involved in the eating response to stress in humans. In the present study we examined the effects of psychologically induced stress on plasma ghrelin levels in patients with binge-eating disorder (BED) (n=8) and in healthy subjects of normal (n=8) or increased (n=8) body mass index (BMI).

Diagnosis and management of renovascular disease and renovascular hypertension.

Renovascular disease is a common but complex disorder, the most common causes of which are fibromuscular dysplasia and atherosclerosis. Clinically, it can present as asymptomatic renal artery stenosis, renovascular hypertension, or ischemic nephropathy. Assessing the clinical index of suspicion remains essential in determining an appropriate diagnostic strategy.

Long-term effects of early parental loss due to divorce on the HPA axis.

We investigated the long-term effects of divorce and early separation from one parent on HPA axis reactivity, in young adults without psychopathology. Participants were 44 young subjects, 22 whose parents divorced before they reached age 10, and 22 controls. Psychiatric symptomatology was measured with the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), family perceived stress by the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and bonding by the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI).