Search

Rates of osteoporosis and fracture may be increased in HIV but there are few UK data. Our aim was to examine the prevalence of and risk factors for osteoporosis and fractures among a homogeneous cohort of well-characterized HIV-infected men. In total, 168 men were recruited, median age 45 years, 37 combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) naïve, 46 with <3 years cART exposure and 85 cART-exposed longer term (median >10 years). All participants provided information on bone health and underwent DEXA scanning. Osteopenia was found in 58% of subjects and osteoporosis in 12%; 14% reported fractures since HIV diagnosis. Number of fractures since HIV diagnosis was significantly increased among those with osteoporosis (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.2–10.4, p = 0.018). Duration of infection greater than 13 years was significantly associated with osteoporosis. Duration of cART was associated in univariate but not multivariate analyses. Strategies to prevent osteoporosis and fractures in HIV will require attention to viral and lifestyle factors and not just cART. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Examines call centers that serve both Web customers using Internet telephony and traditional customers contacting agents by phone. Description of a system of an Internet protocol (IP)/public switched telephone network (PSTN) blended call center; Development of a methodology for mathematically modeling the system; Blended call center analysis tool. INSET: To Read More..

Cytosolic phospholipase A2α (cPLA2α) may play a critical role in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders associated with oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. An effective PET radioligand for imaging cPLA2α in living brain might prove useful for biomedical research, especially on neuroinflammation. We selected four high-affinity (IC 50 2.1-12 nm) indole-5-carboxylic acid-based inhibitors of cPLA2α, namely 3-isobutyryl-1-(2-oxo-3-(4-phenoxyphenoxy)propyl)-1H-indole-5-carboxylic acid (1); 3-acetyl-1-(2-oxo-3-(4-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy)phenoxy)propyl)-1H-indole-5-carboxylic acid (2); 3-(3-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl)-1-(2-oxo-3-(4-phenoxyphenoxy)propyl)-1H-indole-5-carboxylic acid (3); and 3-(3-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl)-1-(3-(4-octylphenoxy)-2-oxopropyl)-1H-indole-5-carboxylic acid (4), for labelling in carboxyl position with carbon-11 (t 1/2 =20.4 min) to provide candidate PET radioligands for imaging brain cPLA2α. Compounds [ 11 C]1-4 were obtained for intravenous injection in adequate overall yields (1.1-5.5 %) from cyclotron-produced [ 11 C]carbon dioxide and with moderate molar activities (70-141 GBq μmol -1 ) through the use of Pd 0 -mediated [ 11 C]carbon monoxide insertion on iodo precursors. Measured logD 7.4 values were within a narrow moderate range (1.9-2.4). After intravenous injection of [ 11 C]1-4 in mice, radioactivity uptakes in brain peaked at low values (≤0.8 SUV) and decreased by about 90 % over 15 min. Pretreatments of the mice with high doses of the corresponding non-radioactive ligands did not alter brain time-activity curves. Brain uptakes of radioactivity after administration of [ 11 C]1 to wild-type and P-gp/BCRP dual knock-out mice were similar (peak 0.4 vs. 0.5 SUV), indicating that [ 11 C]1 and others in this structural class, are not substrates for efflux transporters., (© 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)