Olfactory, partner preference and Fos expression in the vomeronasal projection pathway of sexually sluggish male rats.

Sexually sluggish (S) male rats take a long time to ejaculate or sometimes they don't achieve ejaculation when tested on repeated occasions with receptive females. In order to further understand what factors might contribute to the inconsistent display of sexual behavior in these animals and determine if S and non-copulating males have a different neurobiological profile, the present study was design to characterize sex-related behaviors of S male rats. We tested their preference to physically interact between a sexually receptive female and a sexually active male.

Chromatin remodeling and transcriptional activity of the bone-specific osteocalcin gene require CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta-dependent recruitment of SWI/SNF activity.

Tissue-specific activation of the osteocalcin (OC) gene is associated with changes in chromatin structure at the promoter region. Two nuclease-hypersensitive sites span the key regulatory elements that control basal tissue-specific and vitamin D3-enhanced OC gene transcription. To gain understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in chromatin remodeling of the OC gene, we have examined the requirement for SWI/SNF activity.

Long-term safety and efficacy of nevirapine-based approaches in HIV type 1-infected patients.

Using a multicenter, cross-sectional, observation study, the long-term safety, metabolic profile, and viral efficacy of nevirapine (NVP)-based approaches in HIV-1-infected patients treated for at least 2 years were assessed. For 4 months, all consecutive HIV-1-infected patients who had been receiving an NVP-containing regimen for at least 2 years were recruited. A total of 613 patients were included with a median follow-up period of 43 months (IQR: 31-51).

The role of the dorsolateral tegmentum in the control of male sexual behavior: a reevaluation.

The medial preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus (MPOA/AH) plays a key role in the control of male sexual behavior. Independently of the type, MPOA/AH lesions permanently eliminate male sexual behavior in the rat. The MPOA/AH projects among other structures to the dorsolateral tegmentum (DLT).

Kinetic roughening and pinning of two coupled interfaces in disordered media.

We studied the kinetic roughening dynamic of two coupled interfaces formed in paper wetting experiments at low evaporation rate. We observed three different regimes of impregnation in which kinetic roughening dynamics of coupled precursor and main fronts belong to different universality classes; nevertheless both interfaces are pinned in the same configuration. Reported experimental observations provide a novel insight into the nature of kinetic roughening phenomena occurring in the vast variety of systems far from equilibrium.

Intrinsically anomalous roughness of admissible crack traces in concrete.

We study the roughness of postmortem cracks in concrete plates of different size. We find that the set of admissible crack paths exhibits an intrinsically anomalous roughness; nevertheless, any individual crack trace in concrete is essentially self-affine. We also find that both the local and the global amplitudes of crack traces are distributed according to a log-logistic distribution characterized by the same scaling exponent, whereas the mean-square width distribution is best fitted by the Pearson distribution, while the log-normal distribution also provides quite good adjustments and cannot be clearly rejected.

Comparative analysis of immunoreactive cells for androgen receptors and oestrogen receptor alpha in copulating and non-copulating male rats.

In some species, including gerbils, guinea pigs, mice, rams and rats, some apparently normal males fail to mate. These kinds of animals have been named 'noncopulating (NC)'. The cause of this behavioural deficit is unknown.

Topological transition in a two-dimensional model of liquid crystal.

Simulations of nematic-isotropic transition of liquid crystals in two dimensions are performed using an O2 vector model characterized by nonlinear nearest neighbor spin interaction governed by the fourth Legendre polynomial P4. The system is studied through standard finite-size scaling and conformal rescaling of density profiles of correlation functions. A topological transition between a paramagnetic phase at high temperature and a critical phase at low temperature is observed.

Olfactory preference and Fos expression in the accessory olfactory system of male rats with bilateral lesions of the medial preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus.

In the present study we evaluated if a medial preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus lesion affects the olfactory preference toward soiled bedding from receptive females in comparison to bedding from anestrous females or clean bedding. In the second part of the study we evaluated the accessory olfactory system response to estrous bedding with Fos immunoreactivity to determine if the preoptic lesions modify the processing of sexually relevant olfactory cues. Before medial preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus lesions, male rats spent more time investigating estrous bedding as opposed to anestrous or clean bedding.

Compromised immunologic recovery in treatment-experienced patients with HIV infection receiving both tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and didanosine in the TORO studies.

The effect of therapy with a combination of tenofovir and full-dose didanosine on increases in CD4+ cell count was examined in 2 large trials of treatment-experienced patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (the T-20 versus Optimized Regimen Only [TORO] 1 and 2 clinical trials). Individuals receiving both agents showed little additional increase in CD4+ cell count after week 8 of therapy, whereas those receiving 1 or neither of the agents had continuous increases over a 48-week period.

Benefit of switching from a protease inhibitor (PI) to nevirapine in PI-experienced patients suffering acquired HIV-related lipodystrophy syndrome (AHL): interim analysis at 3 months of follow-up.

This multicentre, randomized, open-label, prospective trial is evaluating the effects of switching treatment from a protease inhibitor (PI)-containing regimen to one containing the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitor nevirapine in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with durable viral suppression but suffering from lipodystrophy. Objectives of this ongoing study are to evaluate the effects of this switch on changes in body shape and metabolic abnormalities associated with acquired HIV-related lipodystrophy syndrome (AHL), as well as on maintenance of viral suppression and immunological and psychological effects. Preliminary data involving 57 patients with 3 months of follow-up show an initial improvement of AHL in two regions, the face and arms.

Prenatal blockade of androgen receptors reduces the number of intromissions needed to induce conditioned place preference after paced mating in female rats.

Estrous female rats pace their coital contacts to control the rate of cervical/vaginal stimulation. Females that receive at least 10 paced intromissions develop a reward state, evaluated by conditioned place preference (CPP), whereas females that do not pace their coital contacts do not develop CPP. We asked if the blockade of androgen receptors could modify the number of intromissions needed during paced mating to develop CPP.

Antiretroviral treatment simplification with 3 NRTIs or 2 NRTIs plus nevirapine in HIV-1-infected patients treated with successful first-line HAART.

Objectives: To assess the virologic noninferiority of an antiretroviral treatment simplification with coformulated zidovudine/lamivudine/abacavir (group 1) vs. coformulated zidovudine/lamivudine plus nevirapine (group 2) in HIV-1-infected patients receiving successful first-line highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Methods: This is a prospective, multicenter, open-label, comparative, randomized, noninferiority study.

Cancer in first degree relatives of Latin American women with cervical cancer. A pilot study.

Background: Cervical cancer is the most frequent cancer of women in Latin America, being strongly associated with infection by certain human papillomavirus (HPV) types. Familial cancer clustering can be due to interactions between infectious agents and host genes.

Materials And Methods: A cancer-related family history of first degree relatives was elicited in 335 women with invasive cervical cancer (probands) and in 335 women without cancer (controls) in Honduras, Peru and Uruguay, and the frequency of reported familial cancers among the relatives was compared between proband and control relatives.

Reversal of HIV-1-associated osteoporosis with once-weekly alendronate.

HIV-1-infected patients with osteoporosis were randomly assigned to alendronate 70 mg once-weekly plus dietary counselling (n = 11) or diet counselling alone (n = 14). At week 96, 27% of patients on alendronate versus 96% of controls presented with osteoporosis. Spine bone mineral density (BMD) increases were detected at week 48, and progressed thereafter.

Sexual behavior of female rats in a multiple-partner preference test.

In this study, sexually experienced female rats were tested in a multiple-partner preference test (MPPT) in which they were allowed to pace their sexual contacts with four sexually active males. Four cylinders, with a small hole through which only the female could move freely from one cylinder to another, were assembled forming in the center an empty compartment. An intact female was placed in the central compartment and a sexually active male in each cylinder.

Alternation of antiretroviral drug regimens for HIV infection. Efficacy, safety and tolerability at week 96 of the Swatch Study.

Introduction: Alternation of antiretroviral drug regimens has been proposed as a novel treatment strategy for HIV infection. However, some concerns persist regarding antiviral efficacy, adherence, toxicity and resistance evolution in the long term.

Methods: A total of 161 antiretroviral-naive HIV-1-infected patients were randomized to receive stavudine/didanosine/efavirenz (group A) or zidovudine/lamivudine/ nelfinavir (group B) or to alternate between the two regimens every 3 months starting with regimen A (group C).

Advances in adjuvant therapy against acute bacterial meningitis.

Death and co-morbidity derived from acute bacterial meningitis remain unacceptably high and are mainly related to immune-mediated cerebral dysfunction. Cerebral edema, hydrocephalus and ischaemic cerebrovascular events are severe complications that eventually occur following the activation of a complex network of cytokines, chemokines, proteases and oxidants released after cerebrospinal fluid infection. The caspase pathway appears to play a central role in the induction and amplification of the host inflammatory response.

Cellular organization and appearance of differentiated structures in developing stages of the parasitic platyhelminth Echinococcus granulosus.

Echinococcus granulosus is the causative agent of hydatidosis, a major zoonoses that affects humans and herbivorous domestic animals. The disease is caused by the pressure exerted on viscera by hydatid cysts that are formed upon ingestion of E. granulosus eggs excreted by canine.

Bone-specific transcription factor Runx2 interacts with the 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptor to up-regulate rat osteocalcin gene expression in osteoblastic cells.

Bone-specific transcription of the osteocalcin (OC) gene is regulated principally by the Runx2 transcription factor and is further stimulated in response to 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 via its specific receptor (VDR). The rat OC gene promoter contains three recognition sites for Runx2 (sites A, B, and C). Mutation of sites A and B, which flank the 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-responsive element (VDRE), abolishes 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-dependent enhancement of OC transcription, indicating a tight functional relationship between the VDR and Runx2 factors.

Sexual incentive motivation, olfactory preference, and activation of the vomeronasal projection pathway by sexually relevant cues in non-copulating and naive male rats.

There are some apparently healthy male rats that fail to mate after repeated testing with receptive females. We have previously shown that these "non-copulator (NC)" males show no partner preference for a receptive female when given the opportunity to physically interact with a sexually receptive female or a sexually active male. We also demonstrated that although NC males prefer odors from estrous females to odors from anestrous females, this preference is significantly reduced in comparison to the preference displayed by copulating (C) males.

Intrafetal alcohol chemosclerosis of acardiac twins: a multicenter experience.

Objective: To report a multicenter experience with intrafetal alcohol chemosclerosis in the treatment of pregnancies complicated with the twin reversed arterial perfusion sequence.

Methods: Percutaneous injection of 1- 2 ml of absolute alcohol into the intra-abdominal segment of the single umbilical artery was performed in 8 acardiac twins. Cases were collected from 5 centers following a standardized protocol.

Progestins and place preference conditioning after paced mating.

When female rats pace their coital interaction, a reward state evaluated by conditioned place preference is induced. Progesterone (P) is essential for the expression of proceptive behavior and for the induction of CPP. However, the functional significance of ring A reduction of P for the induction of this state during estrous is unsettled.

Sexual experience and conditioned place preference in male rats.

We have previously shown that sexual behavior induces a reward state, as evaluated by conditioned place preference (CPP), only when males or females are able to control the rate of sexual interaction. In the present experiment, we evaluated if male rats that are repeatedly tested in a situation in which they are not able to control the sexual interaction eventually develop CPP. Three groups of sexually naïve male rats were used.