BEAT-IT: A de-novo cardiac screening programme in Maltese adolescents.

Aims: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young individuals is often unexpected, provoking substantial emotional stress for family and friends of the deceased. Cardiac screening may identify individuals who harbour disorders linked to SCD. The feasibility and diagnostic yield of a nationwide cardiac screening programme in adolescents has never been explored.

Strategy for good dispersion of well-defined tetrapods in semiconducting polymer matrices.

The morphology or dispersion control in inorganic/organic hybrid systems is studied, which consist of monodisperse CdSe tetrapods (TPs) with grafted semiconducting block copolymers with excess polymers of the same type. Tetrapod arm-length and amount of polymer loading are varied in order to find the ideal morphology for hybrid solar cells. Additionally, polymers without anchor groups are mixed with the TPs to study the effect of such anchor groups on the hybrid morphology.

Directing the self-assembly of semiconducting copolymers: the consequences of grafting linear or hyperbranched polyether side chains.

The synthesis and self-assembly of novel semiconducting rod-coil type graft block copolymers based on poly(para-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) copolymers is presented, focusing on the ordering effect of linear versus hyperbranched side chains. Using an additional reactive ester block, highly polar, linear poly(ethylene glycol), and hyperbranched polyglycerol side chains are attached in a grafting-to approach. Remarkably, the resulting novel semiconducting graft copolymers with polyether side chains show different solubility and side-chain directed self-assembly behavior in various solvents, e.

Former heroin addicts with or without a history of cocaine dependence are more impulsive than controls.

Background: Personality traits such as impulsivity and sensation seeking may contribute to the initiation and maintenance of illicit drug use. Since studies have reported higher impulsivity and sensation seeking traits in cocaine dependent subjects, we were interested in determining whether former heroin addicts in methadone pharmacotherapy with comorbid cocaine addiction have greater impulsivity than those without.

Methods: Instruments to assess impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version 11) and sensation seeking (Sensation Seeking Scale version V) were administered to former severe heroin addicts meeting Federal criteria for methadone maintenance pharmacotherapy with (n = 71) or without cocaine dependence (n = 31) and to 145 normal healthy (non-methadone-maintained) volunteers.

Electrochemically induced reversible and irreversible coupling of triarylamines.

The electrochemical coupling and dimerization behavior of the low molecular compounds triphenylamine (TPA) and 9-phenylcarbazole (PHC) in comparison to tri-p-tolylamine (p-TTA) with para-blocked methyl groups has been investigated in detail. In contrast to the unsubstituted radical cations of TPA and PHC, the radical cations of p-TTA are stable in the radical cation state and do not undergo any further coupling reactions. However, we found that the dicationic state of p-TTA does undergo two different competitive reaction pathways: (1) an irreversible intramolecular coupling reaction which leads to phenylcarbazole moieties and (2) a reversible intermolecular dimerization leading to charged σ-dimers.

Pharmacotherapy in the treatment of addiction: methadone.

Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is the most widely available pharmacotherapy for opioid addiction and has been shown to be an effective and safe treatment over a period of 40 years. Although women comprise approximately 40% of clients currently being treated in MMT programs, comparatively little research geared specifically toward this group has been published. This article begins with an overview of neurobiological studies on opioid addiction, including a discussion of gender differences, followed by a review of the pharmacology of methadone.

ABCB1 (MDR1) genetic variants are associated with methadone doses required for effective treatment of heroin dependence.

Methadone is a mu-opioid receptor agonist used for treating opiate dependence. The range of effective methadone doses is broad. Part of the large inter-individual variability in efficacy may be accounted for by genetic factors.

Altered levels of basal cortisol in healthy subjects with a 118G allele in exon 1 of the Mu opioid receptor gene.

The mu opioid receptor is centrally involved in the development of the addictive diseases. It also modulates the stress responsive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Receptors encoded by the variant 118G polymorphism in exon 1 of the mu opioid receptor gene have a threefold increase in beta-endorphin binding and beta-endorphin is three times more potent in receptor-mediated activation of G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channels.

Glucocorticoid negative feedback in methadone-maintained former heroin addicts with ongoing cocaine dependence: dose-response to dexamethasone suppression.

Combined cocaine and illicit opiate use is common. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that cocaine dependence in former heroin-addicted patients maintained on methadone treatment is associated with enhanced glucocorticoid negative feedback. Multiple dose dexamethasone suppression tests, using a conventional 2.

Nalmefene induced elevation in serum prolactin in normal human volunteers: partial kappa opioid agonist activity?

In humans, mu- and kappa-opioid receptor agonists lower tuberoinfundibular dopamine, which tonically inhibits prolactin release. Serum prolactin is, therefore, a useful biomarker for tuberoinfundibular dopamine. The current study evaluated the unexpected finding that the relative mu- and kappa-opioid receptor selective antagonist nalmefene increases serum prolactin, indicating possible kappa-opioid receptor agonist activity.

Suppressed prolactin response to dynorphin A1-13 in methadone-maintained versus control subjects.

Dynorphin A1-13, a shortened sequence of the natural peptide dynorphin A1-17, is a primarily kappa-opioid receptor-preferring peptide. Previously, we showed that dynorphin A1-13 administered to normal volunteers causes a prompt dose-dependent elevation in serum prolactin that may reflect a reduction in tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic tone. This study was conducted to determine whether tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic tone is reduced in methadone-maintained patients.

Hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus-1 co-infection in former heroin addicts in methadone maintenance treatment.

Objectives: To investigate hepatitis C (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) prevalence in former opiate or heroin addicts currently in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT).

Methods: Retrospective chart review for patients (n = 342) currently attending two MMT clinics affiliated with New York Presbyterian Hospital (Adolescent Development Program, ADP: n = 106, median age 30 years; Adult Clinic, AC: n = 236, median age 45 years), as of May 2000.

Results: Overall seroprevalence of those tested was 67% for HCV (ADP, 44%; AC, 80%), and 29% for HIV-1 (ADP, 13%, AC, 39%).

The use of levo-alpha-acetylmethadol (LAAM) in methadone patients who have not achieved heroin abstinence.

Levo-alpha-acetylmethadol (LAAM) pharmacotherapy was offered to twelve patients who continued illicit opioid abuse after > or = eleven months in methadone maintenance treatment. After 6-8 weeks on LAAM, plasma concentrations of the norLAAM metabolite varied significantly by LAAM dosing day, plasma adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) concentrations were significantly increased compared to methadone, and two of the seven subjects remaining in LAAM treatment were free of illicit opioids and nonprescribed methadone. After one year, one of five remaining subjects was using illicit opioids, and three were using non-prescribed methadone.

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis response and biotransformation of oral naltrexone: preliminary examination of relationship to family history of alcoholism.

We examined HPA axis response to 50 mg oral naltrexone compared with placebo in 17 healthy male and female nonalcoholic subjects, approximately half of whom had a positive family history of alcoholism (FH+) and half of whom who did not (FH-). Mood response and naltrexone biotransformation were also examined at various intervals. Subjects participated in two morning test sessions (50 mg naltrexone or identical placebo pill) after an overnight stay in the Rockefeller University GCRC.