BAGHDAD ? An al-Qaida front group in Iraq has claimed responsibility for the wave of attacks that ripped through markets, cafes and government buildings in Baghdad on a single day last week, killing 69 people and raising new worries about the country's path.
The coordinated attacks struck a dozen mostly Shiite neighborhoods on Thursday in the first major bloodshed since U.S. troops completed a full withdrawal this month after nearly nine years of war. They also coincided with a government crisis that has again strained ties between Iraq's Sunnis and Shiites to the breaking point, tearing at the same fault line that nearly pushed Iraq into all-out civil war several years ago.
The claim of responsibility made no mention of the U.S. withdrawal. Instead, it focused its rage on the country's Shiite-dominated leadership, which Sunni insurgents have battled since it came to power as a result of the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.
"The series of special invasions (was) launched ... to support the weak Sunnis in the prisons of the apostates and to retaliate for the captives who were executed," said the statement in the name of the Islamic State of Iraq.
According to the SITE Intelligence Group, a U.S.-based organization that monitors jihadist Web traffic, the claim of responsibility was posted late Monday on militant websites.
The group said the attacks were proof that they "know where and when to strike and the mujahedeen will never stand with their hands tied while the pernicious Iranian project shows its ugly face."
The remark was in reference to accusations by Sunni militants that Iraq's Shiite-dominated government has allied itself too closely with neighboring Shiite power Iran, a bitter enemy of Iraq under the regime of Saddam Hussein.
The Baghdad military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, said al-Qaida in Iraq ? no longer focused on fighting U.S. forces ? is hoping to take advantage of the current political tension to re-ignite sectarian warfare.
"It has become a clear scheme to draw Iraq into a sectarian war again," al-Moussawi said. "Al-Qaida in Iraq played a major role in 2005 and 2006 in pushing the county into a civil war and they succeeded."
On Tuesday morning, a car bomb exploded near a police station in the town of Hawija, 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of Baghdad, killing two civilians and injuring another, said Kirkuk police commander Brig. Gen. Sarhad Qadir.
U.S. and some Iraqi officials have warned of a resurgence of Sunni and Shiite militants and an increase in violence after the U.S. troop withdrawal.
Along with the security challenge, Iraq is facing an increase in political tension as Iraq's Shiite prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, is engaged in a showdown with the top Sunni political leader in the country.
Al-Maliki's government has issued an arrest warrant for Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi on charges that he ran hit squads against government officials.
Al-Hashemi has denied the charges and said they are politically motivated.
___
Associated Press writer Qassim Abdul-Zahra contributed to this report.
Air Dictate is an iPhone 4S app by Avatron that allows you to use Siri to dictate text to your Mac. To use, first you must visit avatron.com/i to install the Air Dictate Receiver app for you Mac. Then, over your shared Wi-Fi network, you can share your...
TOKYO (Reuters) ? Europe should boost the total firepower of its rescue fund and frontload its funding to send a positive signal to investors and international partners that it is determined to solve its debt crisis, Japanese officials said on Monday.
Japan has repeatedly expressed its willingness to help Europe contain its debt crisis, but has also stressed it wanted to see a convincing action plan before making any firm commitments.
"Japan like other non-euro countries is prepared to do something, but unless European countries take decisive action it is hard to make those steps effective," a senior Japanese government official said.
Lifting the combined size of the current bailout fund (EFSF) and the new permanent European Stability Mechanism (ESM) beyond the current 500 billion euros would be a major step and an encouraging signal.
"We expect European countries will review the combined ceiling of 500 billion euro of EFSF (European Financial Stability Fund) and ESM in a very positive manner," the official told Reuters.
European leaders agreed in Brussels earlier this month to accelerate the launch of the ESM by a year to mid-2012 with an effective lending capacity of 500 billion euros ($650 billion), but questions have arisen about the size and timing of contributions.
Japanese officials said that while bringing forward the launch of the fund was positive, a more ambitious ceiling might be needed given that Europe had little success in bringing in outside investors to boost the firepower of the EFSF fund.
"The leveraging of EFSF money by investors' money doesn't look like materializing very well. That's why they are frontloading the ESM and the review of the ceiling of 500 billion euro is very important," said the official, who declined to be named.
"European countries may think what they've already decided is a major step forward, but markets want Europe to act more decisively."
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble signaled over the weekend that Europe's biggest economy and its main paymaster could boost its contribution to the fund and support its swift launch, although any decisions would have to be made in January.
Since the beginning of the crisis more than two years ago, European leaders have orchestrated bailouts of Greece, Ireland and Portugal, set up a euro zone rescue fund and earlier this month agreed to boost the International Monetary Fund's resources by 150 billion euros.
Still, throughout the crisis that has also shaken Italy and Spain, investors have repeatedly been left with the impression that whatever was agreed in Brussels was too little, too late.
Japan, the United States, Canada and others have voiced their frustration with Europe's piecemeal progress and repeatedly called for bold steps that would create effective "firewalls" around the euro zone's weaker, heavily indebted economies.
Another Japanese government official reiterated on Monday that Tokyo, which led an international effort to boost the IMF's coffers after the Lehman crisis, was open to contributing more but that its decision depended on Europe's actions.
Officials in Tokyo said markets needed to see both effective defenses in the form of funds sufficient enough to cover the crisis-hit nations' financing needs and commitments to fiscal discipline.
"Fiscal discipline is very important. Even if we provide firewalls we need fiscal discipline," the official said.
While Tokyo has repeatedly voiced concern about developments in Europe, its plans to buy Chinese government debt did not reflect lack of confidence in the euro or U.S. dollar assets, another official said.
He said the plans, discussed during Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's visit to Beijing, aimed at strengthening economic ties between the two nations rather than diversifying Japan's exchange reserves, mostly made up of dollar and euro assets.
"The idea is not to depart from the dollar or U.S. government bonds or the euro, so it should not be interpreted as diversification of our portfolio," the official said.
"I don't have any doubts about creditworthiness of the dollar or U.S. government bonds. The dollar will remain the most important currency for the foreseeable future."
Where should I go to dinner in Eureka California? | ChaChaX
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Eureka is an American television show that airs on the Syfy channel. It premiered on July 18, 2006 and is still airing new episodes. The story revolves around a town called Eureka, Oregon that is solely inhabited by scientists and the mischief that ensues.
San Francisco 49ers' David Akers kicks a field goal against the Seattle Seahawks in the second half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Kevin Casey)
San Francisco 49ers' David Akers kicks a field goal against the Seattle Seahawks in the second half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Kevin Casey)
San Francisco 49ers' David Akers reacts after kicking a field goal against the Seattle Seahawks as Andy Lee looks on in the second half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Kevin Casey)
San Francisco 49ers' Alex Smith scrambles against the Seattle Seahawks in the first half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch scores on a run as San Francisco 49ers' Tarell Brown defends in the second half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Kevin Casey)
Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch scores on a run as San Francisco 49ers' Tarell Brown defends in the second half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, in Seattle. The 49ers won 19-17. (AP Photo/Kevin Casey)
SEATTLE (AP) ? David Akers kicked four field goals, including a 39-yarder with 2:57 left to give San Francisco the lead, and the 49ers held on for a 19-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday.
Larry Grant sealed the win by forcing Tarvaris Jackson's fumble that was recovered by Donte Whitner with 1:07 left. San Francisco, which already clinched the NFC West, remained in position for the No. 2 seed in the conference and a first-round playoff bye.
Akers set an NFL record with his 42nd field goal of the season. Frank Gore had a 4-yard touchdown run on the 49ers' first drive of the second half.
Marshawn Lynch scored on a 4-yard run with 6:41 left to give Seattle a 17-16 lead. It was the first touchdown rushing allowed by San Francisco this season and his 11th straight game with a score.
HONOLULU, Hawaii (Reuters) ? President Barack Obama spent a low-key Christmas Day with his wife and daughters in Hawaii, going to church and thanking U.S. troops for their service before hosting friends for dinner at the first family's rented beach house.
The Obamas started opening gifts around 8 a.m. on Sunday and then ate breakfast and sang carols together before heading to the chapel at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii for a Christmas service, the White House said.
Far from Washington officialdom, and making the most of a bright, warm day, Obama dressed casually in a polo shirt and khaki pants to church and Michelle and their daughters Sasha and Malia wore summer dresses.
After a few hours back at their multi-million-dollar temporary home, the president and Michelle Obama returned to the base to shake hands, hold babies and pose for pictures with hundreds of sailors and marines stationed there.
"In the evening, the First Family and friends will celebrate with a Christmas dinner at home," a White House official said. Sam Kass, the White House chef, is spending the holidays with the Obamas and was expected to do the cooking.
(Reporting By Travis Quezon; Writing by Laura MacInnis; Editing by Todd Eastham)
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Just because there are a few celebrations going on this time of year, doesn't mean mobile news stops coming -- for one, AT&T lobbyists and lawyers are getting some well-deserved time off for the holidays! So in honor of the season, we feel like getting a little jolly today and are ready to crank out a podcast for all the world to hear. So join Myriam and Brad -- and our very own Richard Lai -- for a special holiday episode of the Engadget Mobile Podcast today at 4PM ET!
Note: The recorded podcast will likely not be available for download until after the weekend. All the more reason to join us today for the livecast!
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Economic Growth to Slow in Canada: Concerns over commodity prices, slowing global growth create challenges for s... bit.ly/tEChlTIl y a environ 2 heuresvia twitterfeed
Before video games and robotics competitions, toys were much simpler: girls got dolls; boys got model trains and bicycles. Toys that promoted learning and experimentation were rare until one inventor, Alfred Carlton (?A. C.?) Gilbert, started making toys that taught children about science and engineering. His most famous, the Erector set, became one of the best -selling toys of its day and inspired children across the country to build everything from bridges to robots.
Gilbert was a man of many talents. He financed his medical degree from Yale University by working as a magician, invented the pole-vaulting box and won a gold medal in the sport in 1908, and broke the world record for consecutive chin-ups?39 in a row. In 1918 he became "the man who saved Christmas" by convincing Congress not to ban toy production during the war.
But he is most famous for his toys. Gilbert founded the A. C. Gilbert Companyand went on to invent and sell all kinds of classic science toys from chemistry sets to robots to microscopes. Gilbert's real innovation was to provide kids with a way to experiment with real-life tools and parts, says William Brown, director of the Eli Whitney Museum in Hamden, Conn., where a large collection of Gilbert toys is on display. "They had that feel of being not symbolic but part of the real world," he says. "You were working with a motor for your Erector set that could actually move heavy things."
And that real-life appeal did not just apply to kids. In 1949 doctors at the Yale School of Medicine used an Erector set to build a precursor to the modern artificial heart.
At the time of Gilbert's death in 1961, he had patented more than 150 toys. But his company was faltering and, by 1967, it went out of business. There was a new generation of entertainment, Brown says: television. Gilbert's toys were a product of the radio generation. "You could listen to the radio and spend all 19 hours that it takes to build the Ferris wheel" from the Erector set, Brown says. Once television sets made it into people's homes, that time went away.
Today those toys remind us of the power of creativity and of how important it is to let kids play and learn. "The way to teach kids about tools is not to tell them what to be afraid of," Brown says, "but how to use them, and that's what Gilbert did."
Here, Scientific American takes a look at some of the classic A. C. Gilbert toys.
? View the slide show of classic toys
(Thanks to the Eli Whitney Museum for providing the classic toy ads.)
George Clooney and Stacy Keibler are skipping a white Christmas, unless you count the white sands of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
The Golden Globe nominee, 50, and the former WWE star, 32, were photographed in the resort town on Tuesday, marking the third time the pair has visited Cabo in the last two months.
PLAY IT NOW: Access Hollywood Live: Stacy Keibler Responds To George Clooney?s Joke That She Could Kick His Butt
"The Descendants" star looked comfy in a T-shirt and board shorts, while Stacy was all smiles in a tie-dyed top, pink shorts and a fedora. The paired was spotted stopping their golf cart at a local outdoor bar where they grabbed a drink.
The couple also spent Thanksgiving in Cabo and celebrated Stacy's 32nd birthday there in October.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: George Clooney?s (Many) Women Over The Years!
Check out more hot shots of George's ladylove, HERE!
Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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The doors open 6am on December 26th and they close at 9pm. On December 27th they open at 9am and close at 10pm. The times may vary slightly by region, so be sure to check your local flyer.
Despite news of NCAA sanctions that felt like ?a sucker punch that hit me right in the stomach,? new Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said he?s ready to move on and not worry about them, The New York Times reports.
Along with a postseason ban for 2012, Ohio State also will lose a total of nine scholarships over the next three years and be placed on probation for the same amount of time as a result of transgressions that occurred during the Jim Tressel era. Tressel resigned on Memorial Day amid pressure that he played six players despite knowing that they were receiving cash and benefits in exchange for tattoos from a Columbus-area tattoo parlor owner.
Meyer, well-known for being consumed by his profession, says spending time worrying about the sanctions would be counterproductive. He also doesn?t think the sanctions will hurt the program long-term.
?Something that I?m trying to do personally is not worry about things I can?t control,? Meyer told The New York Times. ?I?m in charge of the football program, recruits and my family and that?s my focus. I have absolutely no control over that. Wasting time on that is taking away from family time or recruiting.?
What is good for Meyer, according to the Times, is the sanctions haven?t had any immediate impact on recruiting. No one has decommitted since Tuesday?s news broke.
?They understand what we?re building,? Meyer said. ?We?re on a mission at Ohio State. This is not going to deter our mission.?
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? The London Film Critics Circle, which this year moved its awards a few weeks earlier so as not to become an awards-season afterthought, has given Tomas Alfredson's "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and Nicolas Winding Refn's "Drive" the most nominations for its 32nd annual Film Awards.
Both films received six nominations, including Film of the Year, where they will be competing with "The Artist," "A Separation" and "The Tree of Life."
In the British Film of the Year category, "Tinker, Tailor" was nominated along with "The Guard," "Kill List," "Shame" and "We Need to Talk About Kevin."
Director of the Year nominees are Refn, Asghar Farhadi for "A Separation," Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist," Terrence Malick for "The Tree of Life" and Lynne Ramsay for "We Need to Talk About Kevin."
Acting nominations went to a combination of performers in the thick of the Oscar race (George Clooney for "The Descendants," Jean Dujardin for "The Artist," Meryl Streep for "The Iron Lady," Michelle Williams for "My Week With Marilyn") and those who have been overlooked in the stateside awards so far: Gary Oldman in "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy," Anna Paquin in "Margaret," Michael Smiley in "Kill List."
The awards are voted by more than 120 critics, broadcasters and writers from the UK, and will be given out at a ceremony in London on January 19. In previous years, they have been given out at a ceremony in mid-February, long after all the other critics groups have announced their winners.
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Cox Communications announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell to Verizon Wireless its 20 MHz Advanced Wireless Services spectrum licenses covering 28 million POPs for $315 million. The sale of Cox's AWS spectrum to Verizon Wireless is an important step to ensure that consumers' growing demands for mobility will be met. This agreement does not include Cox's 700 MHz spectrum licenses, the company's Cox Wireless customer accounts or any other assets.
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NEW STRIKES: Greek civil servants walked off the job for three hours on Thursday to protest austerity measures that include pension and salary cuts and the suspension of tens of thousands of workers on partial pay.
THE BACKDROP: The IMF and eurozone countries have been propping up Greece's economy with euro110 billion ($143 billion) in rescue loans since May 2010. In return, the country has imposed harsh austerity measures including slashing pensions and salaries and raising taxes that have driven the country into recession.
NEW LOANS: The protests come as Greece is negotiating the terms of a second rescue package worth euro130 billion with the eurozone and private bondholders.
Each Advent in recent years, around the time when those prefab, do-it-yourself gingerbread house kits appear on supermarket shelves, Fox News launches its (allegedly) defensive campaign commonly known as the ?War on Christmas.?
Fox News? ?war? is designed to criticize the ?secularization? of our culture wrought by atheists, agnostics, liberals, leftists, progressives, and separation of church and state zealots? i.e. Democrats. This irreligious coalition force is allegedly waging a strategic offensive on Christmas, trying to banish the sacred symbols of the season, denying our religious heritage, and even undermining the spiritual rubrics upon which our great nation is built.
Fox News positions itself as the defender of the faith and all things sacred. And Bill O?Reilly fancies himself the ?watchdog? of Christmas.
Fox News? usual targets include shopping malls and stores that replace their ?Merry Christmas? greetings with ?Happy Holidays,? and state governments that no longer call their official "Christmas" trees by their rightful name, or municipalities that ban any depictions of, or references to, the Christmas season in public places. Those who are attacked defend themselves, often claim that they are really religious too, and the perennial war is on.
But what we actually have here is a theological problem, where cultural and commercial symbols are confused with truly Christian ones, and the meaning of the holy season is missed all together.
The war on Christmas is really about what brand of ?civil religion? America should have. The particular (read: biblical) meaning of Christmas, for Christians, has almost nothing to do with the media war.
What a surprise.
What is Christmas? It is the celebration of the Incarnation, God?s becoming flesh ? human ? and entering into history in the form of a vulnerable baby born to a poor, teenage mother in a dirty animal stall. Simply amazing. That Mary was homeless at the time,a member of a people oppressed by the imperial power of an occupied country whose local political leader, Herod, was so threatened by the baby?s birth that he killed countless children in a vain attempt to destroy the Christ child, all adds compelling historical and political context to the Advent season.
The theological claim that sets Christianity apart from any other faith tradition is the Incarnation. God has come into the world to save us. God became like us to bring us back to God and show us what it means to be truly human.
That is the meaning of the Incarnation. That is the reason for the season.
In Jesus Christ, God hits the streets.
It is theologically and spiritually significant that the Incarnation came to our poorest streets. That Jesus was born poor, later announces his mission at Nazareth as ?bringing good news to the poor,? and finally tells us that how we treat ?the least of these? is his measure of how we treat him and how he will judge us as the Son of God, radically defines the social context and meaning of the Incarnation of God in Christ. And it clearly reveals the real meaning of Christmas.
The other explicit message of the Incarnation is that Jesus the Christ?s arrival will mean ?peace on earth, good will toward men.? He is ?the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.? Jesus later calls on his disciples to turn the other cheek, practice humility, walk the extra mile, put away their swords, love their neighbors ? and even their enemies ? and says that in his kingdom, it is the peacemakers who will be called the children of God. Christ will end our warring ways, bringing reconciliation to God and to one another.
None of that has anything to do with the Fox News Christmas. In fact, quite the opposite.
Making sure that shopping malls and stores greet their customers with ?Merry Christmas? is entirely irrelevant to the meaning of the Incarnation. In reality it is the consumer frenzy of Christmas shopping that is the real affront and threat to the season.
Last year, Americans spent $450 billion on Christmas. Clean water for the whole world, including every poor person on the planet, would cost about $20 billion. Let?s just call that what it is: A material blasphemy of the Christmas season.
Imagine Jesus walking into the mall, seeing the Merry Christmas signs, and expressing his humble thanks for how the pre- and post-Christmas sales are honoring to him. How about credit cards for Christ?
While we?re at it, here?s another point of clarification: The arrival of the Christ child has nothing to do with trees or what we call them.
Evergreens and wreaths, holly and ivy, and even mistletoe turn out to be customs borrowed from ancient Roman and Germanic winter solstice celebrations, assimilated and co-opted by the church after Constantine made peace between his empire and the Christians.
Now, my family loves our Christmas tree, but its bright lights and wonderful ornaments don?t teach my children much about why Jesus came into the world. We do that in other ways, such as giving needed gifts ? goats, sheep, and chickens and the like ? to the poorest children and families of the world though the World Vision web site on Christmas Day. The goal is to make our sons more excited about the gifts they give than the ones they get, and it usually works. Last year, my boys sponsored a child in Ghana.
I have no problem with the public viewing of symbols from all of the world?s religions at appropriate times in their religious calendars (which can actually be educational for all of our children) and believe that doing so is consistent with our democratic and cultural pluralism.
But I don?t believe that respectfuly and publicly honoring those many religious symbols has changed many lives, for better or for worse. Much more important than symbols and symbolism is how we live the faith that we espouse. And here is where Fox News?s war on Christmas is most patently unjust.
The real Christmas announces the birth of Jesus to a world of poverty, pain, and sin, and offers the hope of salvation and justice.
The Fox News Christmas heralds the steady promotion of consumerism, the defense of wealth and power, the adulation of money and markets, and the regular belittling or attacking of efforts to overcome poverty.
The real Christmas offers the joyful promise of peace and the hope of reconciliation with God and between humankind.
The Fox News Christmas proffers the constant drumbeat of war, the reliance on military solutions to every conflict, the demonizing of our enemies, and the gospel of American dominance.
The real Christmas lifts up the Virgin Mary?s song of praise for her baby boy: ?He has brought the mighty down from their thrones, and lifted the lowly, he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich empty away.?
The Fox News Christmas would label Mary?s Magnificat as ?class warfare.?
So if there is a war on Christmas it's the one being waged by Fox News.
Jim Wallis is the author of Rediscovering Values: A Guide for Economic and Moral Recovery, and CEO of Sojourners. He blogs at www.godspolitics.com. Follow Jim on Twitter @JimWallis.
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Study suggests early ART in recently HIV-infected patients preferable to delayed treatmentPublic release date: 16-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: John Heys jheys@idsociety.org 703-299-0412 Infectious Diseases Society of America
Among people recently infected with HIV, immediate antiretroviral therapy (ART) appears preferable to deferring treatment, according to a new study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases and now available online. Although the benefits of ART during early HIV-1 infection remain unproven, the findings support growing evidence favoring earlier ART initiation.
Christine Hogan, MD, of the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, led a team of researchers from various institutions to investigate the effects of ART on individuals infected with HIV-1 within the previous six months. The multicenter clinical trialthe AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) Setpoint Studyenrolled 130 men and non-pregnant women who were at least 18 years old and had not received ART previously. Participants were randomized into two groups: In the immediate treatment group, patients were to receive ART treatment for 36 weeks, after which treatment was stopped; treatment was deferred for patients in the second group. All individuals were followed throughout the study.
The study's primary endpoint was the patients' virologic setpoint at 72 weeks. The researchers also sought to compare the virologic setpoint at 72 weeks for patients in the immediate treatment group with that of patients in the deferred treatment group at 36 weeks.
Investigators found that the immediate treatment group had a better outcome than the deferred group. Individuals in the deferred arm experienced higher than anticipated rates of disease progression, necessitating the start of HIV treatment before the study endpoint. Half of the participants in the deferred treatment group required treatment on medical grounds within 18 months.
According to Dr. Hogan and colleagues, the results suggest that "if immediate therapy is not begun, progression to meeting standard criteria for ART initiation may occur more rapidly than expected, especially with changing treatment paradigms." In addition, patients who received treatment immediately appear to have been protected not only during treatment but for a brief period of time afterward.
In an accompanying editorial, Harout Tossonian, MD, PhD, and Brian Conway, MD, of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, noted that "immune preservation and reduction in the latent pool of HIV-1-carrying CD4 T-cells seems to require intervention at the earliest possible time of acute infection." They noted that the advantages of immediate treatment appear to be achieved with little to no harm to the patient, either in terms of drug-related toxicity or emergence of drug resistance. "The initial course of 36 weeks of treatment may delay the need for re-starting it more than the 36 weeks spent on it from the time of initial presentation," Drs. Tossonian and Conway wrote. "Thus over the lifetime of the patient, there will be less cumulative drug exposure."
Dr. Hogan and her team suggest that the findings may be of interest to clinicians and patients struggling with when to begin ART. An additional sub-study is underway "to address whether immediate versus deferred treatment during primary HIV infection results in improvements in markers of inflammation and immune activation, which may provide further insight into potential benefits of treating primary infection," the authors wrote.
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Fast Facts:
1) In a comparative randomized trial of immediate versus deferred antiretroviral therapy (ART) in early HIV infection, patients whose therapy was deferred experienced higher than anticipated rates of disease progression.
2) Participants who received treatment immediately appear to have been protected not only during treatment but also for a brief period of time after treatment was stopped.
The study and the accompanying editorial are available online. They are embargoed until 12:01 a.m. EST on Friday, Dec. 16, 2011:
The Setpoint Study (ACTG A5217): Effect of Immediate Versus Deferred Antiretroviral Therapy on Virologic Set Point in Recently HIV-1Infected Individuals
Recent HIV-1 Infection: To Treat or Not to Treat, That Is the Question
Published continuously since 1904, the Journal of Infectious Diseases is the premier global journal for original research on infectious diseases. The editors welcome major articles and brief reports describing research results on microbiology, immunology, epidemiology, and related disciplines, on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious diseases; on the microbes that cause them; and on disorders of host immune responses. The journal is an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Based in Arlington, Va., IDSA is a professional society representing more than 9,000 physicians and scientists who specialize in infectious diseases. For more information, visit http://www.idsociety.org.
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Study suggests early ART in recently HIV-infected patients preferable to delayed treatmentPublic release date: 16-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: John Heys jheys@idsociety.org 703-299-0412 Infectious Diseases Society of America
Among people recently infected with HIV, immediate antiretroviral therapy (ART) appears preferable to deferring treatment, according to a new study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases and now available online. Although the benefits of ART during early HIV-1 infection remain unproven, the findings support growing evidence favoring earlier ART initiation.
Christine Hogan, MD, of the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, led a team of researchers from various institutions to investigate the effects of ART on individuals infected with HIV-1 within the previous six months. The multicenter clinical trialthe AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) Setpoint Studyenrolled 130 men and non-pregnant women who were at least 18 years old and had not received ART previously. Participants were randomized into two groups: In the immediate treatment group, patients were to receive ART treatment for 36 weeks, after which treatment was stopped; treatment was deferred for patients in the second group. All individuals were followed throughout the study.
The study's primary endpoint was the patients' virologic setpoint at 72 weeks. The researchers also sought to compare the virologic setpoint at 72 weeks for patients in the immediate treatment group with that of patients in the deferred treatment group at 36 weeks.
Investigators found that the immediate treatment group had a better outcome than the deferred group. Individuals in the deferred arm experienced higher than anticipated rates of disease progression, necessitating the start of HIV treatment before the study endpoint. Half of the participants in the deferred treatment group required treatment on medical grounds within 18 months.
According to Dr. Hogan and colleagues, the results suggest that "if immediate therapy is not begun, progression to meeting standard criteria for ART initiation may occur more rapidly than expected, especially with changing treatment paradigms." In addition, patients who received treatment immediately appear to have been protected not only during treatment but for a brief period of time afterward.
In an accompanying editorial, Harout Tossonian, MD, PhD, and Brian Conway, MD, of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, noted that "immune preservation and reduction in the latent pool of HIV-1-carrying CD4 T-cells seems to require intervention at the earliest possible time of acute infection." They noted that the advantages of immediate treatment appear to be achieved with little to no harm to the patient, either in terms of drug-related toxicity or emergence of drug resistance. "The initial course of 36 weeks of treatment may delay the need for re-starting it more than the 36 weeks spent on it from the time of initial presentation," Drs. Tossonian and Conway wrote. "Thus over the lifetime of the patient, there will be less cumulative drug exposure."
Dr. Hogan and her team suggest that the findings may be of interest to clinicians and patients struggling with when to begin ART. An additional sub-study is underway "to address whether immediate versus deferred treatment during primary HIV infection results in improvements in markers of inflammation and immune activation, which may provide further insight into potential benefits of treating primary infection," the authors wrote.
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Fast Facts:
1) In a comparative randomized trial of immediate versus deferred antiretroviral therapy (ART) in early HIV infection, patients whose therapy was deferred experienced higher than anticipated rates of disease progression.
2) Participants who received treatment immediately appear to have been protected not only during treatment but also for a brief period of time after treatment was stopped.
The study and the accompanying editorial are available online. They are embargoed until 12:01 a.m. EST on Friday, Dec. 16, 2011:
The Setpoint Study (ACTG A5217): Effect of Immediate Versus Deferred Antiretroviral Therapy on Virologic Set Point in Recently HIV-1Infected Individuals
Recent HIV-1 Infection: To Treat or Not to Treat, That Is the Question
Published continuously since 1904, the Journal of Infectious Diseases is the premier global journal for original research on infectious diseases. The editors welcome major articles and brief reports describing research results on microbiology, immunology, epidemiology, and related disciplines, on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious diseases; on the microbes that cause them; and on disorders of host immune responses. The journal is an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Based in Arlington, Va., IDSA is a professional society representing more than 9,000 physicians and scientists who specialize in infectious diseases. For more information, visit http://www.idsociety.org.
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Public release date: 16-Dec-2011
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A new Chicago-based startup is emerging today as a contender in the local business customer loyalty and rewards space.