PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Study of HIV increase in Pakistan could benefit other research

2011-08-25
(Press-News.org) GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Rates of HIV have increased in Pakistan's general population, as the virus has spread beyond at-risk groups to women and their children, according to an international team of researchers, including a University of Florida scientist.

The researchers raise concern that the transmission across subgroups into Pakistan's general population may serve as indication that the virus may be spreading into populations within neighboring Afghanistan. The team's epidemiological findings were published in July in the journal PLoS One.

The technique used to understand the forces that drive the HIV epidemic in Pakistan could also help health care professionals understand and intervene in other deadly disease outbreaks wherever they occur, researchers say.

"Are the strains in Pakistan and Afghanistan of two different epidemic origins, or are they the same? It's an important question," said paper author Marco Salemi, a UF College of Medicine professor and a member of the UF Emerging Pathogens Institute and the UF Genetics Institute. "Genetic evidence can be used to test how different populations are intersecting. As you can imagine, behavioral data is difficult to get in some countries and this is why molecular tools are important."

Salemi analyzed DNA sequences of blood samples from three HIV-positive groups: intravenous drug users, men who have sex with men, and women who have become infected by their bisexual spouses. By examining the evolutionary makeup of HIV strains, scientists say one of the strongest factors of the disease's spread is through men who sleep with male intravenous drug users.

The study was led by scientists at Aga Khan University and Dow University of Health Sciences, both in Karachi, Pakistan's capital, and the team is part of a larger consortium of researchers worldwide who have published in the last year, further documenting the spread of HIV in predominantly Muslim countries. The scientists say they will continue the epidemiological work in Afghanistan.

Deriving information from molecular studies is also essential to complement information that may not necessarily be accurate, or truthful, from in-person interviews.

"These questions are very sensitive and most of the behaviors we deal with, even in countries outside the Middle East, are illegal behaviors," said Willi McFarland, director of the HIV Epidemiology Section at the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

McFarland is an author of a PLoS One paper that also appeared this summer. That research was led by scientists from the Qatar branch of Weill Cornell Medical College who examined smaller studies from the Middle East and North Africa of men who hid their sexuality out of fear of prosecution.

Despite certain social and legal limitations that may make conducting similar studies difficult in some parts of the world, McFarland says the trust and confidentiality established between physicians and their patients proved crucial in providing the demographic information needed to conduct international studies such as these.

"Despite the legal consequences, the doctor patient-relationship does seem to be respected," McFarland said.

INFORMATION:

Credits
Writer
Claudia Adrien, c.adrien@epi.ufl.edu
Source
Marco Salemi, salemi@pathology.ufl.edu, 352-273-9567

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Sexual satisfaction tied to overall 'successful aging' as reported by women age 60 to 89

2011-08-25
A study by researchers at the Stein Institute for Research on Aging at the University of California, San Diego finds that successful aging and positive quality of life indicators correlate with sexual satisfaction in older women. The report, published online in the August edition of the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, also shows that self-rated successful aging, quality of life and sexual satisfaction appear to be stable even in the face of declines in physical health of women between the ages of 60 and 89. The study looked at 1,235 women enrolled at the San ...

Orion Systems Integrators Named One of America's Fastest Growing Private Companies for Second Year in a Row

2011-08-25
For more than 30 years, Inc.'s list has served as evidence of the significant accomplishments of enterprises such as Orion. Earning a place for the second year in a row on this prestigious list is a testament to the creativity and resilience of Orion Systems Integrators, Inc. and its growth of 108% over a three year period. The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy--America's independent entrepreneurs. Orion Systems Integrators, Inc. joins Spirit Airlines, television maker Vizio, Honest Tea, Dunkin Donuts and Metrokane, ...

Bone marrow transplantation may increase cancer resistance in patients

2011-08-25
VIDEO: Bone marrow transplantation with genetically modified cells may prolong the period of disease-free survival for cancer patients, suggests a study led by Dr. Vivek Rangnekar, associate director of translational research... Click here for more information. LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 23, 2011) — Bone marrow transplantation with genetically modified cells may prolong the period of cancer-free survival, suggests a study led by Dr. Vivek Rangnekar, associate director of translational ...

How do I remember that I know you know that I know?

2011-08-25
"I'll meet you at the place near the thing where we went that time," says the character Aaron in the 1987 movie Broadcast News. He and the woman he's talking to have a lot of common ground, the shared territory that makes conversations work. Common ground is why, after you've mentioned Great-Aunt Mildred's 80th birthday party once in a conversation, you can just refer to it as "the party." In a new study to be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, the authors pinpoint the type of memory required ...

Brits Fear Sticky Pits During Heatwave

2011-08-25
The recent sunny weather may have been a reason to rejoice for many Brits keen to lie back and top up their tans, but not everyone appears to have been celebrating. According to figures released by Transform Cosmetic Surgery Group, a 45% surge in enquiries about BOTOX injections to treat excessive sweating was recorded during a three-day period at the height of the heatwave. For scores of Brits, worries about sticky pits and clammy hands took prescience over soaking up the sun and enjoying the weather. Also known has Hyperhidrosis, excessive sweating is caused ...

Scientists reengineer antibiotic to overcome dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Scientists reengineer antibiotic to overcome dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria
2011-08-25
LA JOLLA, CA – August 24, 2011 – A team of scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have successfully reengineered an important antibiotic to kill the deadliest antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The compound could one day be used clinically to treat patients with life-threatening and highly resistant bacterial infections. The results were published in an advanced online issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society. "[These results] have true clinical significance and chart a path forward for the development of next generation antibiotics for the treatment ...

Some Family Reunions Aren't All Fun & Games; Some Are Deadly

Some Family Reunions Arent All Fun & Games; Some Are Deadly
2011-08-25
From Imajin Books and author Gloria Ferris comes the paranormal suspense, CHEAT THE HANGMAN, which delves into old family secrets, an ill-fated family reunion and the murder of an innocent child. "Southern Ontario Gothic at its spine-chilling, provocative, hilarious best."--John Moss, author of Reluctant Dead Lyris Pembrooke unearths a terrible family secret in the old mansion she recently inherited. Investigating the tragedy, she delves into the psyche of a damaged WWII soldier, aided by her irrepressible spirit guide and the family psychic. After inheriting ...

Single protein, key to ebola virus infection, could aid in drug design

2011-08-25
Research published by two teams of Army scientists and collaborators has identified a cellular protein that plays a critical role in Ebola virus infection. The findings, published online today in separate studies in the journal Nature, suggest a possible strategy for combating one of the world's most deadly viruses. Ebola causes hemorrhagic fever with case fatality rates as high as 90 percent in humans. The virus is of concern both as a global public health threat and as a potential agent of biological terrorism. Currently there are no available vaccines or therapies ...

New study benchmarks current critical care practices in the United States

2011-08-25
New nationwide benchmarks representing current critical care practices for ICUs may highlight opportunities for care improvement. Researchers from the University of Massachusetts, the University of Maryland, and Maine Medical Center analyzed data representing 243,553 adult admissions from 271 ICUs and 188 US nonfederal hospitals during 2008. Using electronic medical records, they found that more than half of these critically ill adults were less than 65 years old and returned to their homes after discharge. Admission to an ICU in 2008 involved active treatments, frequently ...

Achieving realistic physical activity goals benefits RA patients

2011-08-25
Researchers from The Netherlands report that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have higher levels of self-efficacy for physical activity are more likely to achieve their physical activity goals. According to the study now available in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), achievement of physical activity goals is associated with lower self-reported arthritis pain and increased health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that RA, a chronic autoimmune disease causing inflammation ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

From octopus intelligence to smart artificial blood vessels: 2025 Schmidt Science Fellows to break new ground with interdisciplinary research

Experts challenge aspirin guidelines based on their undue reliance on a flawed trial

McGill discovery sheds new light on autism, intellectual disabilities

Cellular changes occur even below the hexavalent chromium limit

Study suggests a new way to curb social media’s body image toll

Plant doctor: An AI system that watches over urban trees without touching a leaf

Study tracks chromium chemistry in irradiated molten salts

Scientists: the beautiful game is a silver bullet for global health

Being physically active, even just a couple of days a week, may be key to better health

High-fat diet promote breast cancer metastasis in animal models

A router for photons

Nurses and AI collaborate to save lives, reduce hospital stays

Multi-resistance in bacteria predicted by AI model

Tinker Tots: A citizen science project to explore ethical dilemmas in embryo selection

Sensing sickness

Cost to build multifamily housing in California more than twice as high as in Texas

Program takes aim at drinking, unsafe sex, and sexual assault on college campuses

Inability to pay for healthcare reaches record high in U.S.

Science ‘storytelling’ urgently needed amid climate and biodiversity crisis

KAIST Develops Retinal Therapy to Restore Lost Vision​

Adipocyte-hepatocyte signaling mechanism uncovered in endoplasmic reticulum stress response

Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid

Low LDL cholesterol levels linked to reduced risk of dementia

Thickening of the eye’s retina associated with greater risk and severity of postoperative delirium in older patients

Almost one in ten people surveyed report having been harmed by the NHS in the last three years

Enhancing light control with complex frequency excitations

New research finds novel drug target for acute myeloid leukemia, bringing hope for cancer patients

New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans

Illuminating single atoms for sustainable propylene production

New study finds Rocky Mountain snow contamination

[Press-News.org] Study of HIV increase in Pakistan could benefit other research