Lack of evidence for protease evolution in HIV-1-infected patients after 2 years of successful highly active antiretroviral therapy.

The mechanisms involved in maintaining a latent replication-competent integrated human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reservoir after successful highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) have not been fully described. The objective of this study was to assess whether low-level, persistent HIV-1 replication can be detected in the protease gene, in 10 HIV-1-infected patients who have undergone 2 years of successful HAART. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from 10 HIV-1-infected patients receiving a triple-drug combination therapy (2 nucleoside analogues and 1 protease inhibitor).

Effect of the fluid in the inclusions of cement paste on the ultrasonic velocity.

The durability of cement composites significantly depends on the movement of the fluids into the material through the porous system. The aqueous phase contained in the pores can cause irreversible damage from the dimensional stability viewpoint. In this sense, methods for non-destructive characterization of both, the porous structure and water content should be investigated.

Influence of preservation solution on early lung function (Euro-Collins vs Perfadex).

Background: This clinical study was performed to evaluate the efficiency of 2 different preservation solutions (Euro-Collins [EC] vs Perfadex [P]) on organ function in human lung transplantation.

Methods: The donor lungs for 46 patients were flushed either with EC solution (25 cases, EC group) or Perfadex (21 cases, P group). Transplant function was assayed using PaO2/FiO2 ratio after transplantation upon intensive care unit (ICU) arrival and at 12 and 24 hours later (T1, T2, and T3, respectively).

On-chip integration of enzyme and immunoassays: simultaneous measurements of insulin and glucose.

A microfluidic device coupling immunological and enzymatic assays within a single microchannel has been developed for simultaneous measurements of insulin and glucose. Such a dual-mode (enzyme/immuno) protocol involves precolumn reactions of insulin and glucose with the enzyme-labeled anti-human insulin and glucose-dehydrogenase/NAD+, respectively, followed by the electrophoretic separation of the free antibody, antibody-antigen complex, and the NADH product of the enzymatic reaction. The separation is followed by a postcolumn reaction of the alkaline-phosphatase tracer with the p-NPP substrate and a downstream amperometric detection of the p-nitrophenol and NADH products.

Paroxetine treatment of pathological gambling: a multi-centre randomized controlled trial.

Previous studies have suggested the efficacy of serotonergic agents in the treatment of pathological gambling. The aim of the present study was to determine whether treatment with paroxetine in a large sample of subjects with pathological gambling would effectively diminish the severity of gambling symptoms. A 16-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at five outpatient academic research centres in two countries (USA and Spain).

Gender differences in pathological gambling.

Background: To determine the differences in clinical presentation, gambling behavior, and psychiatric comorbidity of male and female treatment-seeking pathological gamblers.

Method: Sixty-nine consecutive individuals with DSM-IV pathological gambling (47 men and 22 women) applying to a specialized out-patient treatment program were evaluated with structured interviews, self-report questionnaires, and psychological scales.

Results: Sixty-seven percent of men (N = 26) versus 25% of women (N = 5) had been exposed to gambling in adolescence.

Genetics of pathological gambling.

Pathological gambling (PG) is an impulse control disorder and a model 'behavioral' addiction. Familial factors have been observed in clinical studies of pathological gamblers, and twin studies have demonstrated a genetic influence contributing to the development of PG. Serotonergic, noradrenergic, and dopaminergic dysfunction have been reported as biological factors contributing to the pathophysiology of PG.

Efficacy of venlafaxine in major depression resistant to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

Introduction: Some studies suggest that venlafaxine, due to its pharmacodynamic characteristics, could be an effective drug in depression, resistant to other antidepressive agents. This investigation explores the efficacy and tolerability of venlafaxine in major depression, resistant to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).

Methods: A multicenter naturalistic study was performed during 6 months and included those patients diagnosed of major depression according to the criteria of DSM-IV who had a minimum score of 18 on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and who had not responded to previous treatment with a SSRI at therapeutic doses for a minimum of 4 weeks.

Microchip-based amperometric immunoassays using redox tracers.

A new chip-based electrochemical immunoassay protocol, based on the use of a ferrocene redox label, is described. Two reaction formats, based on direct (noncompetitive) and competitive modes of operation, were employed for illustrating the use of redox tracers in chip-based electrochemical immunoassays. The direct assay consisted of mixing the ferrocene-tagged antibody and the antigen analyte, a rapid electrophoretic separation of labeled free antibody and the labeled antigen/antibody complex, and a downstream anodic detection of the ferrocene tracer at gold-plated carbon screen-printed electrode detector.

Nefazodone in the treatment of elderly patients with depressive disorders: a prospective, observational study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and tolerability of nefazodone for the treatment of depression in elderly patients in clinical routine practice.

Patients And Study Design: Seventy-nine patients with a mean age of 72.81 years, who had major depression or dysthymia according to DSM-IV criteria, were enrolled into this open label study.

[A comparative study of the follow-up and hemodynamics in vivo of 21 mm Carpentier-Edwards supra-annular and perimount bioprostheses].

Introduction And Objectives: Analysis and comparison of the clinical performance and hemodynamics in vivo of 21 mm Carpentier-Edwards supra-annular (CESA) and Perimount (CEPM) aortic bioprostheses.

Methods: A follow-up study was made of 40 patients implanted a 21 mm CESA (n = 21) or CEPM (n = 19) prosthesis between October 1992 and September 1997. All eligible survivors (14 CESA, 12 CEPM) were assessed echocardiographically.

A pilot placebo-controlled study of fluvoxamine for pathological gambling.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of fluvoxamine in the treatment of pathological gambling. Thirty-two patients were treated for 6 months in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of fluvoxamine 200 mg/day. Outcome measures included reduction in money and time spent gambling per week.

Plasma testosterone and pathological gambling.

The authors studied plasma testosterone levels and psychological characteristics of male pathological gamblers. Twenty-nine male pathological gamblers and a group of healthy volunteers matched for age and gender were compared on levels of plasma testosterone and scores on the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and the Psychopathic Deviance scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Plasma testosterone levels were similar in the pathological gambling and comparison group (476.

Electrochemical enzyme immunoassays on microchip platforms.

A microfluidic device for conducting electrochemical enzyme immunoassays is described. The new "lab-on-a-chip" protocol integrates precolumn reactions of alkaline phosphatase-labeled antibody (anti-mouse IgG) with the antigen (mouse IgG), followed by electrophoretic separation of the free antibody and antibody-antigen complex. The separation is followed by a postcolumn reaction of the enzyme tracer with the 4-aminophenyl phosphate substrate and a downstream amperometric detection of the liberated 4-aminophenol product Factors influencing the reaction, separation, and detection processes were optimized, and the analytical performance was characterized.

Psychiatric comorbidity in pathological gamblers seeking treatment.

Objective: The authors' goal was to determine the frequency of psychiatric comorbidity among treatment-seeking pathological gamblers, compare the severity of gambling and psychological problems in gamblers with and without comorbid disorders, and investigate differences between gamblers with and without comorbid disorders in the dopamine D(2) receptor gene (DRD(2)).

Method: Sixty-nine pathological gamblers who consecutively applied to a specialized outpatient treatment program were evaluated with structured interviews, self-report questionnaires, and psychological scales and were genotyped for a DRD(2) polymorphism.

Results: A comorbid psychiatric disorder was present in 43 (62.

Glucose biochip: dual analyte response in connection to two pre-column enzymatic reactions.

This article describes a novel 'Lab-on-a-Chip' protocol generating two electrophoretic peaks for a single analyte, based on the coupling of two different pre-column enzymatic reactions of the same substrate followed by electrophoretic separation of the reaction products. Such operation is illustrated for the measurement of glucose in connection to the corresponding glucose oxidase (GOx) and glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) reactions. The pre-column enzymatic reactions generate hydrogen peroxide and NADH species, that are separated (based on their different charges) and detected at the end-column amperometric detector.

Pathological gambling: addiction or compulsion?

There is considerable debate about the appropriate conceptualization of pathological gambling and its place in psychiatric nosology. The authors examined the existing research on different areas of pathological gambling to find evidence for a particular model of this disorder. There are 2 dominant models of pathological gambling: as a nonpharmacologic addiction and as an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder.

Absence of genetic diversity reduction in the HIV-1 integrated proviral LTR sequence population during successful combination therapy.

We report the integrated proviral LTR sequence variation in four patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Integrated proviral fragments of LTR taken from four time points were PCR amplified from PBMCs and 10 to 12 individual clones were sequenced for each time point. Intrasample genetic distances and phylogenetic reconstruction of all LTR sequences demonstrated that 1-2 years of successful HAART did not significantly reduce the genetic repertoire of the integrated reservoir of HIV-1.

Cryptic 6q subtelomeric deletion associated with a paracentric inversion in a mildly retarded child.

We report on a girl with minor anomalies and developmental delay carrying an apparently balanced paracentric inversion of chromosome 6q (q22qter). Fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis demonstrated a deletion of the subtelomeric region of 6q. This illustrates the use of specific subtelomeric fluorescent in situ hybridization probes to detect cryptic deletions as an important cause of mental retardation in seemingly balanced chromosome rearrangements.

Ser186Pro mutation of RHO gene in a Spanish autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (ADRP) family.

A Spanish family affected with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (ADRP) with a diffuse phenotype showed a mutation in the rhodopsin gene. The mutation was the transition T-->C in codon 186, which has been reported once before in an American patient (Dryja et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1991;88:9370-9374).

Epidemiology and Control of Citrus Greasy Spot in Different Citrus-Growing Areas in Florida.

Greasy spot, caused by Mycosphaerella citri, causes defoliation and yield losses on grapefruit in all areas of Florida, but is more severe in southwest Florida and the east coast than in central Florida. The amount of leaf litter, numbers of ascospores produced, and severity of greasy spot on trap plants were monitored throughout 1997 and 1998 in Immokalee (southwest Florida) and Lake Alfred (central Florida). Leaf litter and ascospore production were greatest from March to July in both locations, with little litter and few ascospores thereafter.

Choroideremia, sensorineural deafness, and primary ovarian failure in a woman with a balanced X-4 translocation.

We present clinical and cytogenetic studies of a female patient affected with choroideremia, mild sensorineural deafness, and primary amenorrhea showing a balanced translocation between chromosomes X and 4. The breakpoint was precisely defined applying FISH techniques: 46,X,t(X;4)(q21.2;p16.