An individualized functional magnetic resonance imaging protocol to assess semantic congruency effects on episodic memory in an aging multilingual population.

The cognitive stimulation induced by multilingualism may slow down age-related memory impairment. However, a suitable neuroscientific framework to assess the influence of multilingualism on age-related memory processes is missing. We propose an experimental paradigm that assesses the effects of semantic congruency on episodic memory using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Active Components from Prevent HIV-1 Entry by Distinct Mechanisms of Action.

is widely used in Sub-Saharan Africa for treating many diseases, including HIV-1 infection. We have recently described the chemical structures of 28 compounds isolated from an alcoholic crude extract of barks and roots of , and showed that six bioactive compounds inhibit HIV-1 infection. In the present study, we demonstrate that the six compounds block HIV-1 entry into cells: oleanolic acid, palmitic acid, taxifolin, piceatannol, guibourtinidol-(4α→8)-epiafzelechin, and a novel compound named as cassiabrevone.

Chemical Constituents of and Their Anti-HIV-1 Activity.

Three new (-) and 25 known compounds were isolated from the crude extract of . The chemical structures of new compounds were established by extensive spectroscopic analyses including 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS. Cassiabrevone () is the first heterodimer of guibourtinidol and planchol A.

Predominance of the heterozygous CCR5 delta-24 deletion in African individuals resistant to HIV infection might be related to a defect in CCR5 addressing at the cell surface.

Introduction: The chemokine receptor CCR5 is the main co-receptor for R5-tropic HIV-1 variants. We have previously described a novel 24-base pair deletion in the coding region of CCR5 among individuals from Rwanda. Here, we investigated the prevalence of hCCR5Δ24 in different cohorts and its impact on CCR5 expression and HIV-1 infection in vitro.

Challenges and benefits of integrating diverse sampling strategies in the observation of cardiovascular risk factors (ORISCAV-LUX 2) study.

Background: It is challenging to manage data collection as planned and creation of opportunities to adapt during the course of enrolment may be needed. This paper aims to summarize the different sampling strategies adopted in the second wave of Observation of Cardiovascular Risk Factors (ORISCAV-LUX, 2016-17), with a focus on population coverage and sample representativeness.

Methods: Data from the first nationwide cross-sectional, population-based ORISCAV-LUX survey, 2007-08 and from the newly complementary sample recruited via different pathways, nine years later were analysed.

Hypertension burden in Luxembourg: Individual risk factors and geographic variations, 2013 to 2015 European Health Examination Survey.

Hypertension is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but it remains the main cause of death in Luxembourg. We aimed to estimate the current prevalence of hypertension, associated risk factors, and its geographic variation in Luxembourg.Cross-sectional, population-based data on 1497 randomly selected Luxembourg residents aged 25 to 64 years were collected as part of the European Health Examination Survey from 2013 to 2015.

The Envelope Cytoplasmic Tail of HIV-1 Subtype C Contributes to Poor Replication Capacity through Low Viral Infectivity and Cell-to-Cell Transmission.

The cytoplasmic tail (gp41CT) of the HIV-1 envelope (Env) mediates Env incorporation into virions and regulates Env intracellular trafficking. Little is known about the functional impact of variability in this domain. To address this issue, we compared the replication of recombinant virus pairs carrying the full Env (Env viruses) or the Env ectodomain fused to the gp41CT of NL4.

The global spread of HIV-1 subtype B epidemic.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) was discovered in the early 1980s when the virus had already established a pandemic. For at least three decades the epidemic in the Western World has been dominated by subtype B infections, as part of a sub-epidemic that traveled from Africa through Haiti to United States. However, the pattern of the subsequent spread still remains poorly understood.

Isolation of an HIV-1 neutralizing peptide mimicking the CXCR4 and CCR5 surface from the heavy-chain complementary determining region 3 repertoire of a viremic controller.

Objectives: The recent identification of neutralizing antibodies able to prevent viral rebound reemphasized the interest in humoral immune responses to control HIV-1 infection. In this study, we characterized HIV-1-inhibiting sequences from heavy-chain complementary determining region 3 (HCDR3) repertoires of a viremic controller.

Design And Methods: IgM and IgG-derived HCDR3 repertoires of a viremic controller presenting plasma-neutralizing activity and characterized by over 20 years of infection with a stable CD4 T-cell count were displayed on filamentous phage to identify HCDR3 repertoire-derived peptides inhibiting HIV-1 entry.

Transmission of HIV Drug Resistance and the Predicted Effect on Current First-line Regimens in Europe.

Background: Numerous studies have shown that baseline drug resistance patterns may influence the outcome of antiretroviral therapy. Therefore, guidelines recommend drug resistance testing to guide the choice of initial regimen. In addition to optimizing individual patient management, these baseline resistance data enable transmitted drug resistance (TDR) to be surveyed for public health purposes.

Near Full-Length Characterization and Population Dynamics of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type I Circulating Recombinant Form 42 (CRF42_BF) in Luxembourg.

A new recombinant form representing a mosaic of HIV-1 subtype B and F1 and designated as CRF42_BF was identified in Luxembourg. We confirmed the inedited nature of CRF42_BF by near full-length genome characterization and retrieved a possible ancestor originating from Brazil. The demographic history of CRF42_BF in Luxembourg using Bayesian coalescent-based methods was investigated.

Global Dispersal Pattern of HIV Type 1 Subtype CRF01_AE: A Genetic Trace of Human Mobility Related to Heterosexual Sexual Activities Centralized in Southeast Asia.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtype CRF01_AE originated in Africa and then passed to Thailand, where it established a major epidemic. Despite the global presence of CRF01_AE, little is known about its subsequent dispersal pattern.

Methods: We assembled a global data set of 2736 CRF01_AE sequences by pooling sequences from public databases and patient-cohort studies.

COMET: adaptive context-based modeling for ultrafast HIV-1 subtype identification.

Viral sequence classification has wide applications in clinical, epidemiological, structural and functional categorization studies. Most existing approaches rely on an initial alignment step followed by classification based on phylogenetic or statistical algorithms. Here we present an ultrafast alignment-free subtyping tool for human immunodeficiency virus type one (HIV-1) adapted from Prediction by Partial Matching compression.

Increase in transmitted resistance to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors among newly diagnosed HIV-1 infections in Europe.

Background: One out of ten newly diagnosed patients in Europe was infected with a virus carrying a drug resistant mutation. We analysed the patterns over time for transmitted drug resistance mutations (TDRM) using data from the European Spread program.

Methods: Clinical, epidemiological and virological data from 4317 patients newly diagnosed with HIV-1 infection between 2002 and 2007 were analysed.

Patterns of transmitted HIV drug resistance in Europe vary by risk group.

Background: In Europe, a continuous programme (SPREAD) has been in place for ten years to study transmission of drug resistant HIV. We analysed time trends of transmitted drug resistance mutations (TDRM) in relation to the risk behaviour reported.

Methods: HIV-1 patients newly diagnosed in 27 countries from 2002 through 2007 were included.

Neutralising properties of peptides derived from CXCR4 extracellular loops towards CXCL12 binding and HIV-1 infection.

The chemokine receptor CXCR4 interacts with a single endogenous chemokine, CXCL12, and regulates a wide variety of physiological and pathological processes including inflammation and metastasis development. CXCR4 also binds the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein, gp120, resulting in viral entry into host cells. Therefore, CXCR4 and its ligands represent valuable drug targets.

Creation of a federated database of blood proteins: a powerful new tool for finding and characterizing biomarkers in serum.

Protein biomarkers offer major benefits for diagnosis and monitoring of disease processes. Recent advances in protein mass spectrometry make it feasible to use this very sensitive technology to detect and quantify proteins in blood. To explore the potential of blood biomarkers, we conducted a thorough review to evaluate the reliability of data in the literature and to determine the spectrum of proteins reported to exist in blood with a goal of creating a Federated Database of Blood Proteins (FDBP).

Structure prediction of GPCRs using piecewise homologs and application to the human CCR5 chemokine receptor: validation through agonist and antagonist docking.

This article describes the construction and validation of a three-dimensional model of the human CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) receptor using multiple homology modeling. A new methodology is presented where we built each secondary structural model of the protein separately from distantly related homologs of known structure. The reliability of our approach for G-protein coupled receptors was assessed through the building of the human C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) receptor of known crystal structure.

HIV-1 tropism determination using a phenotypic Env recombinant viral assay highlights overestimation of CXCR4-usage by genotypic prediction algorithms for CRF01_AE and CRF02_AG [corrected].

Background: Human Immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV) entry into target cells involves binding of the viral envelope (Env) to CD4 and a coreceptor, mainly CCR5 or CXCR4. The only currently licensed HIV entry inhibitor, maraviroc, targets CCR5, and the presence of CXCX4-using strains must be excluded prior to treatment. Co-receptor usage can be assessed by phenotypic assays or through genotypic prediction.

Clinical evaluation of Rega 8: an updated genotypic interpretation system that significantly predicts HIV-therapy response.

Introduction: Clinically evaluating genotypic interpretation systems is essential to provide optimal guidance in designing potent individualized HIV-regimens. This study aimed at investigating the ability of the latest Rega algorithm to predict virological response on a short and longer period.

Materials Methods: 9231 treatment changes episodes were extracted from an integrated patient database.

Limited cross-border infections in patients newly diagnosed with HIV in Europe.

Background: International travel plays a role in the spread of HIV-1 across Europe. It is, however, not known whether international travel is more important for spread of the epidemic as compared to endogenous infections within single countries. In this study, phylogenetic associations among HIV of newly diagnosed patients were determined across Europe.

HIV-1 subtype distribution and its demographic determinants in newly diagnosed patients in Europe suggest highly compartmentalized epidemics.

Background: Understanding HIV-1 subtype distribution and epidemiology can assist preventive measures and clinical decisions. Sequence variation may affect antiviral drug resistance development, disease progression, evolutionary rates and transmission routes.

Results: We investigated the subtype distribution of HIV-1 in Europe and Israel in a representative sample of patients diagnosed between 2002 and 2005 and related it to the demographic data available.

Treatment-associated polymorphisms in protease are significantly associated with higher viral load and lower CD4 count in newly diagnosed drug-naive HIV-1 infected patients.

Background: The effect of drug resistance transmission on disease progression in the newly infected patient is not well understood. Major drug resistance mutations severely impair viral fitness in a drug free environment, and therefore are expected to revert quickly. Compensatory mutations, often already polymorphic in wild-type viruses, do not tend to revert after transmission.

Function, diversity and therapeutic potential of the N-terminal domain of human chemokine receptors.

Chemokines and their receptors play fundamental roles in many physiological and pathological processes such as leukocyte trafficking, inflammation, cancer and HIV-1 infection. Chemokine-receptor interactions are particularly intricate and therefore require precise orchestration. The flexible N-terminal domain of human chemokine receptors has regularly been demonstrated to hold a crucial role in the initial recognition and selective binding of the receptor ligands.

Phages and HIV-1: from display to interplay.

The complex hide-and-seek game between HIV-1 and the host immune system has impaired the development of an efficient vaccine. In addition, the high variability of the virus impedes the long-term control of viral replication by small antiviral drugs. For more than 20 years, phage display technology has been intensively used in the field of HIV-1 to explore the epitope landscape recognized by monoclonal and polyclonal HIV-1-specific antibodies, thereby providing precious data about immunodominant and neutralizing epitopes.