Gaining Greater Insight into HCV Emergence in HIV-Infected Men Who Have Sex with Men: The HEPAIG Study

OBJECTIVES: The HEPAIG study was conducted to better understand Hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission among human immuno-deficiency (HIV)-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) and assess incidence of HCV infection among this population in France. METHODS AND RESULTS: Acute HCV infection defined by anti-HCV or HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) positivity within one year of documented anti-HCV negativity was notified among HIV-infected MSM followed up in HIV/AIDS clinics from a nationwide sampling frame. HIV and HCV infection characteristics, HCV potential exposures and sexual behaviour were collected by the physicians and via self-administered questionnaires. Phylogenetic analysis of the HCV-NS5B region was conducted. HCV incidence was 48/10 000 [95% Confidence Interval (CI):43-54] and 36/10 000 [95% CI: 30-42] in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Among the 80 men enrolled (median age: 40 years), 55% were HIV-diagnosed before 2000, 56% had at least one sexually transmitted infection in the year before HCV diagnosis; 55% were HCV-infected with genotype 4 (15 men in one 4d-cluster), 32.5% with genotype 1 (three 1a-clusters); five men were HCV re-infected; in the six-month preceding HCV diagnosis, 92% reported having casual sexual partners sought online (75.5%) and at sex venues (79%), unprotected anal sex (90%) and fisting (65%); using recreational drugs (62%) and bleeding during sex (55%). CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasizes the role of multiple unprotected sexual practices and recreational drugs use during sex in the HCV emergence in HIV-infected MSM. It becomes essential to adapt prevention strategies and inform HIV-infected MSM with recent acute HCV infection on risk of re-infection and on risk-reduction strategies

International trends in new HIV diagnoses among men who have sex with men in North America, Western Europe and Australia 2000-2014

An increase in HIV diagnoses in men who have sex with men (MSM) in high-income countries was identified from 2000-2005. We sought to investigate recent trends through 2014 to better inform treatment and prevention strategies.N/

A semi-automated data processing system for root growth analysis: application to a growing oak seedling

International audienc

First round of a focused library of cholera toxin inhibitors

C-Galactosides have been used as scaffolds to design a library of non-hydrolysable inhibitors of cholera toxin (CT). Test elements from the library were synthesized and found to inhibit CT binding to an asialofetuin-coated SPR chip with micromolar affinity. Preliminary results are reported

Bucureşti – centrul istoric. Campania 2007. Raport preliminar privind cercetările arheologice efectuate pe strada Smârdan / Bucarest – Historical Center. Archaeological researches in Smârdan Street

During the XVII century the historical documents mentioned a „ Lane going from the Princely Court towards the Greek’s Church’ while later on, until the second half of the XIX century the street was known as the German Lane. It acquired the present day name with the end of the Independence War in 1878. The 2007 excavations were the first ones focusing on the entire street. No archaeological remains were identified on the segment stretching from Lipscani St to Sf. Dumitru St. Foundations of brick constructions were exposed throughout the next segment, from Sf. Dumitru St. to Şelari St. Several fragments of wall foundations were observed at street numbers 30, 37, 39 and 41 and while dismanteling the sidewalk other short wall remains were exposed at street numbers 14, 26, 27, 28, 29. The excavations also uncovered the outlines of four XIX century constructions and one from the XVIII century. Other features included two garbage pits and remains of the old street paved with timber. The trench at no. 41 also yielded an area paved with small river boulders. A large number of pot sherds was recovered, resulted from various pottery types and also a large range of glass items. The majority was found within the cultural layer and only few from closed complexes such as pits or cellars. The ceramics was very fragmented, dating mostly from the XVII– XIX centuries. A major drawback constitutes the fact that this period is at the confluence between Late Medieval archaeology and ethnography, preventing a more refined chronology. The pottery material was grouped in two – the XVI– XVII centuries and the XVIII– XIX centuries, hoping that further publications will be more detailed. Mixed with the above mentioned fragments, isolated sherds, typical for the Dridu culture (X century) also occurred, in the soil resulted while digging the wall foundations.În documentele de secol XVII strada Smârdan este menţionată drept „ Uliţa care merge de la Curtea Domnească spre biserica Grecilor”, pentru ca mai târziu, până în a doua jumătate a secolului XIX să fie cunoscută drept „ Uliţa nemţească”. Numele actual a fost adoptat în 1878, după sfârşitul războiului de Independenţă. Cercetările arheologice din 2007 sunt primele care se ocupă de studiul întregii străzi în Bucureştiul medieval. Pe tronsonul dintre străzile Lipscani şi Sf. Dumitru nu au apărut materiale arheologice. Între Sf. Dumitru şi intersecţia cu str. Şelari au fost identificate fundaţii de construcţii şi ziduri atât în stradă, cât şi sub trotuar. Au fost cercetate, parţial, patru construcţii de secol XIX, una din secolul XVIII, două gropi menajere (sec XVIII), vechile podiri de lemn ale străzii şi un fragment de pavaj stradal din piatră de râu (sec XVIII– XIX). A fost recuperat un număr important de fragmente provenind de la diverse tipuri ceramice şi obiecte din sticlă. Datarea pieselor, majoritatea provenind din strat, este cuprinsă între secolele XVII– XIX. Foarte puţine dintre ele au apărut în complexe închise (gropi, pivniţe) care ar fi permis o încadrare cronologică mai clară. Materialele sunt în stare fragmentară, la foarte puţine fiind posibilă reconstituirea unui profil complet. Un alt handicap major îl reprezintă perioada de provenienţă a majorităţii materialelor (sec. XVIII– XIX) aflată la confluenţa între arheologia medievală târzie şi etnografie. Studiul materialului ceramic se constituie astfel într-o prezentare succintă a descoperirilor, grupate în sec. XVI– XVII, respectiv XVIII– XIX cu speranţa că în viitor ele vor beneficia de un studiu mai amplu. Alături de ceramica menţionată au fost descoperite şi fragmente ceramice izolate specifice culturii Dridu, databile în secolul X, antrenate de săpăturile pentru fundaţiile locuinţelor din Evul Mediu.Mănucu-Adameşteanu Gheorghe, Măgureanu Andrei, Panait Panait I., Boroneanţ Adina, Gavrilă Elena, Popescu Raluca-Iuliana, Rădulescu Maria-Venera, Toderaş Meda, Velter Ana-Maria, Boglárka Tóth, Botár István. Bucureşti – centrul istoric. Campania 2007. Raport preliminar privind cercetările arheologice efectuate pe strada Smârdan / Bucarest – Historical Center. Archaeological researches in Smârdan Street. In: Materiale şi cercetãri arheologice (Serie nouã), N°3 2008. 2007. pp. 163-223

MLL2 Mutation Spectrum in 45 Patients with Kabuki Syndrome

Genetics of disease, diagnosis and treatmen

Synthesis and Pharmacological Characterization of Two Novel, Brain Penetrating P2X₇ Antagonists

The synthesis and preclinical characterization of two novel, brain penetrating P2X₇ compounds will be described. Both compounds are shown to be high potency P2X₇ antagonists in human, rat, and mouse cell lines and both were shown to have high brain concentrations and robust receptor occupancy in rat. Compound <b>7</b> is of particular interest as a probe compound for the preclinical assessment of P2X₇ blockade in animal models of neuro-inflammation