Impact of IL28B genotype on first-week response to telaprevir-based therapy in HIV-HCV coinfection

BACKGROUND IL28B genotype predicts response to treatment against hepatitis C virus (HCV) with pegylated interferon/ribavirin (PR) and impacts on the outcome of therapy including telaprevir (TVR). This study aimed to determine the influence of the favorable IL28B genotype on early viral kinetics during therapy with TVR/PR in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients. METHODS All HIV/HCV genotype 1-coinfected subjects who received TVR/PR for at least 4 weeks were included from populations prospectively followed in 22 centers throughout Germany, Switzerland and Spain. RESULTS Of the 129 subjects included, 38 (29.5%) presented with IL28B genotype CC and 94 (72.9%) were treatment-experienced. Ninety-six (73.8%) patients showed undetectable plasma HCV-RNA at treatment week (W) 4: 30 (78.9%) of the IL28B-CC carriers and 65 (71.4%) of the non-CC carriers (p=0.377). Among treatment-naïve patients, proportions of undetectable HCV-RNA among IL28B-CC versus non-CC carriers were 8/9 (88.9%) versus 3/9 (33.3%, p=0.016) and 14/17 (82.4%) versus 11/18 (61.1%, p=0.164) at W2 and W4. The decrease of HCV-RNA at W2 and W4 was similar among the IL28B carriers. CONCLUSIONS IL28B genotype does not predict W4 response to TVR/PR in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients, regardless of their treatment history. However, there is evidence of an impact on response during the first weeks in treatment-naïve patients.

The women of Israel or: characters and sketches from the holy scriptures and Jewish history : illustrative of the past history, present duties, and future destiny of the Hebrew females, as based on the words of god

by Grace Aguilar

Habituation and consolidation of prospective memory over a week: An ERP study

Prospective memory (ProM) is the ability to remember and perform an intention in the future. If a prospective memory task is to be performed only once, it is episodic. If it is repeated, then it becomes habitual. Thus, with repetition, a task changes from episodic to habitual. The goal of this study was to investigate the transition from episodic to habitual prospective memory with event-related potentials (ERP). The ProM task was to respond to a target word which was embedded in an ongoing lexical decision task. 40 ProM trials were administered in each of two sessions that were separated by a week. The results revealed a behavioural consolidation effect with increased ProM performance after one week. The ERP-analyses showed that when the task became more habitual a difference occurred in a time-window between 450-650 ms post-stimulus in an ERP-component. In addition, a covariance analysis revealed that this transition is continued in the second session. These results demonstrate that the transition from episodic to habitual prospective memory is long-lasting and continuous.

Time pressure, social work stressors and blood pressure in a team of seven IT-workers during one week of intense work

Background. In the field of information technology (IT) time pressure is common. Working with tight deadlines together on the same task increases the risk of social stressors referring to tensions and conflicts at work. Purpose. This field study tested both the association of time pressure and social stressors with blood pressure during work. Method. Seven employees – staff of a small IT enterprise – participated in repeated ambulatory blood pressure measurements over the course of one week. Time pressure and social stressors at work were assessed by questionnaire at the beginning of the study. Results. Multilevel regression analyses of 138 samples revealed higher levels of time pressure to be related to marginally significant increases in mean arterial blood pressure at noon and in the afternoon. In addition, higher levels of social stressors at work were significantly associated to elevated mean arterial pressure in the afternoon. Conclusion. Findings support the view that threats to the social self play an important role in occupational health.

Translations of a letter addressed by Sir Moses Montefiore to the Jewish Congregations in the Holy Land, on the promotion of agriculture and other industrial pursuits in that country and of the replies received thereto

London Comm. of Deputies of the Brit. Jews

An open letter addressed to Sir Moses Montefiore ... on the day of his arrival in the holy city of Jerusalem

by Meyer Auerbach and Samuel Salant

Kadesh-Barnea : its importance and probable site, with the story of a hunt for it, including studies of the route of the exodus and the southern boundary of the Holy Land

by H. Clay Trumbull