Syringe possession arrests are associated with receptive syringe sharing in two Mexico-US border cities.

Aims: To identify factors associated with receptive syringe sharing among injection drug users (IDUs) and elucidate the association between syringe possession arrests and syringe sharing.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Mexican border cities of Tijuana, Baja California and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua.

Mass spectrometric and physiological validation of a sensitive, automated, direct immunoassay for serum estradiol using the Architect.

Background: Measurement of estradiol (E(2)) plays a critical role in the diagnosis and clinical management of reproductive disorders. The challenge for all currently available direct methods for measuring E(2) is to provide accuracy and precision across a wide dynamic range.

Methods: We describe the development and multi-site performance evaluation of a direct E(2) assay on the Architect i2000.

Berberine activates GLUT1-mediated glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

It has recently been known that berberine, an alkaloid of medicinal plants, has anti-hyperglycemic effects. To explore the mechanism underlying this effect, we used 3T3-L1 adipocytes for analyzing the signaling pathways that contribute to glucose transport. Treatment of berberine to 3T3-L1 adipocytes for 6 h enhanced basal glucose uptake both in normal and in insulin-resistant state, but the insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was not augmented significantly.

Interhemispheric connections of the ventral premotor cortex in a new world primate.

This study describes the pattern of interhemispheric connections of the ventral premotor cortex (PMv) distal forelimb representation (DFL) in squirrel monkeys. Our objectives were to describe qualitatively and quantitatively the connections of PMv with contralateral cortical areas. Intracortical microstimulation techniques (ICMS) guided the injection of the neuronal tract tracers biotinylated dextran amine or Fast blue into PMv DFL.

Microdialysis methods for in vivo neuropeptide measurement in the stalk-median eminence in the Rhesus monkey.

Direct measurement of neuropeptides in the hypothalamus is essential for neuroendocrine studies. However, the small quantities of peptides released at their neuroterminals and relatively large molecular sizes make these measurements difficult. We have evaluated microdialysis probes with two membrane materials (polycarbonate and polyarylethersulfone, both: molecular cut off 20,000 Da) in vitro, and adapted the method for in vivo hypothalamic sample collection in non-human primates.

Mapping protease inhibitor resistance to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 sequence polymorphisms within patients.

Resistance genotyping provides an important resource for the clinical management of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). However, resistance to protease (PR) inhibitors (PIs) is a complex phenotype shaped by interactions among nearly half of the residues in HIV-1 PR. Previous studies of the genetic basis of PI resistance focused on fixed substitutions among populations of HIV-1, i.

Neuronal HIF-1 alpha protein and VEGFR-2 immunoreactivity in functionally related motor areas following a focal M1 infarct.

Clinical and experimental data support a role for the intact cortex in recovery of function after stroke, particularly ipsilesional areas interconnected to the infarct. There is, however, little understanding of molecular events in the intact cortex, as most studies focus on the infarct and peri-infarct regions. This study investigated neuronal immunoreactivity for hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) in remote cortical areas 3 days after a focal ischemic infarct, as both HIF-1alpha and VEGFR-2 have been implicated in peri-infarct neuroprotection.

Discordance of longitudinal changes in bone density between densitometers.

Unlabelled: This study examined the concordance in BMD measurement and longitudinal change in BMD between the GE Lunar Prodigy and GE Lunar DPX. Even though a high concordance between the densitometers was observed on a single measurement occasion, a significant discordance in longitudinal changes in BMD was observed.

Introduction: Measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) technology plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis.

Therapeutic efficacy of astatine-211-labeled trastuzumab on radioresistant SKOV-3 tumors in nude mice.

Purpose: To investigate the potential use of astatine-211 (211At)-labeled trastuzumab for the treatment of HER-2-positive, radioresistant ovarian carcinoma.

Methods And Materials: Four-week-old nude mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with 5 . 10(6) SKOV-3 cells in 0.

Nurse-led triage of acute medical admissions: accurate and time-efficient.

In many hospitals a variety of triage systems are used by senior medical staff to identify likely length of stay (LOS) of acute medical admissions and thus facilitate a streamlined admission under either acute medicine or general internal medicine (GIM). The authors evaluated if senior nursing staff on the medical assessment unit could triage patients depending on their predicted LOS as accurately as consultant acute physicians. Each of 193 medical admissions were independently triaged by both groups to either acute medicine (<48 hours) or GIM (>48 hours) depending on predicted LOS.

Angiogenic factors for the prediction of preeclampsia in high-risk women.

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate angiogenic factors for the prediction of preeclampsia in high-risk women.

Study Design: We collected serial serum specimens from 94 women at high preeclampsia risk between 22 and 36 weeks' gestation. Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt1) and placental growth factor (PlGF) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Using sexual affiliation networks to describe the sexual structure of a population.

The structure of sexual networks has a central role in the dynamics of transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to obtain reliable data on sexual contacts between individuals. However, the venues where people recruit sexual partners may provide valuable information on sexual networks.

Fossil Cercopithecidae from the Middle Pleistocene Dawaitoli Formation, Middle Awash Valley, Afar region, Ethiopia.

A series of fossil cercopithecoids has been recovered from the Dawaitoli Formation, in the Middle Awash study area, Ethiopia. The Dawaitoli Fm. has been dated to approximately 600 Ka.

Middle Pleistocene fossil Cercopithecidae from Asbole, Afar Region, Ethiopia.

A sample of 117 fossil cercopithecids has been collected from the Middle Pleistocene site of Asbole, Afar Region, Ethiopia. A minimum of five species is present. There are two species of Cercopithecini, here recognized as cf.

Localized components analysis.

We introduce Localized Components Analysis (LoCA) for describing surface shape variation in an ensemble of biomedical objects using a linear subspace of spatially localized shape components. In contrast to earlier methods, LoCA optimizes explicitly for localized components and allows a flexible trade-off between localized and concise representations. Experiments comparing LoCA to a variety of competing shape representation methods on 2D and 3D shape ensembles establish the superior ability of LoCA to modulate the locality-conciseness tradeoff and generate shape components corresponding to intuitive modes of shape variation.

Motivation to change in recent onset and long-standing bulimia nervosa: are there differences?

Unlabelled: REASON FOR THE STUDY: Little is known about how motivation to change evolves over the course of an eating disorder. The present study compared 'stage of change' and motivation, confidence and readiness to change in two groups of patients with bulimia nervosa (BN), adolescents with a short duration of illness and adults with a long duration of illness.

Method: Patients completed the Severity of eating disorder symptomatology scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and measures of stage of change and motivation, readiness and confidence to change their bulimic symptomatology at pre-treatment.

Long-term persistence of transmitted HIV drug resistance in male genital tract secretions: implications for secondary transmission.

Background: Transmitted drug-resistant HIV slowly reverts in the blood to drug-sensitive virus. The environment of the male genital tract (MGT) may result in even slower rates of reversion to drug susceptibility.

Methods: We measured the decay of resistance in longitudinally collected blood and semen samples from 5 individuals newly infected with HIV containing resistance mutations to nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs).

Evolution of the interferon alpha gene family in eutherian mammals.

Interferon alpha (IFNA) genes code for proteins with important signaling roles during the innate immune response. Phylogenetically, IFNA family members in eutherians (placental mammals) cluster together in a species-specific manner except for closely related species (i.e.

Computational analysis and identification of amino acid sites in dengue E proteins relevant to development of diagnostics and vaccines.

We have identified 72 completely conserved amino acid residues in the E protein of major groups of the Flavivirus genus by computational analyses. In the dengue species we have identified 12 highly conserved sequence regions, 186 negatively selected sites, and many dengue serotype-specific negatively selected sites. The flavivirus-conserved sites included residues involved in forming six disulfide bonds crucial for the structural integrity of the protein, the fusion motif involved in viral infectivity, and the interface residues of the oligomers.

Comparative study of methods for detecting sequence compartmentalization in human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects different organs and tissues. During these infection events, subpopulations of HIV type 1 (HIV-1) develop and, if viral trafficking is restricted between subpopulations, the viruses can follow independent evolutionary histories, i.e.

A randomized controlled trial of family therapy and cognitive behavior therapy guided self-care for adolescents with bulimia nervosa and related disorders.

Objective: To date no trial has focused on the treatment of adolescents with bulimia nervosa. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of family therapy and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) guided self-care in adolescents with bulimia nervosa or eating disorder not otherwise specified.

Method: Eighty-five adolescents with bulimia nervosa or eating disorder not otherwise specified were recruited from eating disorder services in the United Kingdom.

Adaptation to human populations is revealed by within-host polymorphisms in HIV-1 and hepatitis C virus.

CD8(+) cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) perform a critical role in the immune control of viral infections, including those caused by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). As a result, genetic variation at CTL epitopes is strongly influenced by host-specific selection for either escape from the immune response, or reversion due to the replicative costs of escape mutations in the absence of CTL recognition. Under strong CTL-mediated selection, codon positions within epitopes may immediately "toggle" in response to each host, such that genetic variation in the circulating virus population is shaped by rapid adaptation to immune variation in the host population.

Herpes simplex virus type 2 infection does not influence viral dynamics during early HIV-1 infection.

Objective: We sought to compare baseline and longitudinal plasma HIV-1 loads between herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2)-seropositive and -seronegative individuals who are enrolled in a primary HIV-1 infection cohort in San Diego, California.

Design: The study was a retrospective cohort analysis.

Methods: We categorized antiretroviral-naive subjects on the basis of HSV-2 serostatus at baseline using an HSV-2 enzyme immunoassay.

Gender-specific effects of prenatal and adolescent exposure to tobacco smoke on auditory and visual attention.

Prenatal exposure to active maternal tobacco smoking elevates risk of cognitive and auditory processing deficits, and of smoking in offspring. Recent preclinical work has demonstrated a sex-specific pattern of reduction in cortical cholinergic markers following prenatal, adolescent, or combined prenatal and adolescent exposure to nicotine, the primary psychoactive component of tobacco smoke. Given the importance of cortical cholinergic neurotransmission to attentional function, we examined auditory and visual selective and divided attention in 181 male and female adolescent smokers and nonsmokers with and without prenatal exposure to maternal smoking.

Development of a nomogram for individualizing hip fracture risk in men and women.

Unlabelled: Until now there has been no published prognostic tool available for predicting of hip fracture to primary care settings. We have developed a nomogram for predicting the absolute risk of hip fracture for any individual by using clinical factors, including age, prior fracture and fall, in addition to BMD that was based on a 15-year follow-up cohort study.

Introduction: Bone mineral density or clinical risk factors alone are useful but limited tools for the identification of individuals with high-risk of hip fracture.