Jenny Gonzalez - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Jenny Gonzalez

Fuel and Energy Abstracts, 2011

A measurement of the cross-section for ϒ(1S) → µ + µ − production in proton-proton collisions at ... more A measurement of the cross-section for ϒ(1S) → µ + µ − production in proton-proton collisions at centre of mass energy of 7 TeV is presented. The cross-section is measured as a function of the ϒ(1S) transverse momentum in two bins of rapidity, |y ϒ(1S) | < 1.2 and 1.2 < |y ϒ(1S) | < 2.4. The measurement requires that both muons have transverse momentum p µ T > 4 GeV and pseudorapidity |η µ | < 2.5 in order to reduce theoretical uncertainties on the acceptance, which depend on the poorly known polarization. The results are based on an integrated luminosity of 1.13 pb −1 , collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The cross-section measurement is compared to theoretical predictions: it agrees to within a factor of two with a prediction based on the NRQCD model including colour-singlet and colour-octet matrix elements as implemented in PYTHIA while it disagrees by up to a factor of ten with the next-to-leading order prediction based on the colour-singlet-model.

A detailed study is presented of the expected performance of the ATLAS detector. The reconstructi... more A detailed study is presented of the expected performance of the ATLAS detector. The reconstruction of tracks, leptons, photons, missing energy and jets is investigated, together with the performance of b-tagging and the trigger. The physics potential for a variety of interesting physics processes, within the Standard Model and beyond, is examined. The study comprises a series of notes based on simulations of the detector and physics processes, with particular emphasis given to the data expected from the first years of operation of the LHC at CERN.

This paper is dedicated to the memory of our ATLAS colleagues who did not live to see the full im... more This paper is dedicated to the memory of our ATLAS colleagues who did not live to see the full impact and significance of their contributions to the experiment.

Interactions, 2011

Search for supersymmetry using final states with one lepton, jets, and missing transverse momentu... more Search for supersymmetry using final states with one lepton, jets, and missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS detector in √ s = 7 TeV pp collisions

A search is presented for production of a heavy up-type quark (t ′ ) together with its antipartic... more A search is presented for production of a heavy up-type quark (t ′ ) together with its antiparticle, assuming subsequent decay to a W boson and a b quark, t ′t ′ → W + bW −b . The search is based on 1.04 fb −1 of proton-proton collisions at √ s = 7 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Data are analyzed in the lepton+jets final state, characterized by a high transverse momentum isolated electron or muon, high missing transverse momentum and at least three jets. No significant excess of events above the background expectation is observed. A 95% C.L. lower limit of 404 GeV is set for the mass of the t ′ quark.

This Letter presents the results of a direct search with the ATLAS detector at the LHC for a Stan... more This Letter presents the results of a direct search with the ATLAS detector at the LHC for a Standard Model Higgs boson of mass 110 ≤ m H ≤ 130 GeV produced in association with a W or Z boson and decaying to bb. Three decay channels are considered: ZH → ℓ + ℓ − bb, W H → ℓνbb and ZH → ννbb, where ℓ corresponds to an electron or a muon. No evidence for Higgs boson production is observed in a dataset of 7 TeV pp collisions corresponding to 4.7 fb −1 of integrated luminosity collected by ATLAS in 2011. Exclusion limits on Higgs boson production, at the 95% confidence level, of 2.5 to 5.5 times the Standard Model cross section are obtained in the mass range 110-130 GeV. The expected exclusion limits range between 2.5 and 4.9 for the same mass interval.

European Physical Journal C, 2011

A measurement of the production cross-section for top quark pairs (tt) in pp collisions at √ s = ... more A measurement of the production cross-section for top quark pairs (tt) in pp collisions at √ s = 7 TeV is presented using data recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Events are selected in two different topologies: single lepton (electron e or muon μ) with large missing transverse energy and at least four jets, and dilepton (ee, μμ or eμ) with large missing transverse energy and at least two jets. In a data sample of 2.9 pb −1 , 37 candidate events are observed in the single-lepton topology and 9 events in the dilepton topology. The corresponding expected backgrounds from non-tt Standard Model processes are estimated using data-driven methods and determined to be 12.2 ± 3.9 events and 2.5 ± 0.6 events, respectively. The kinematic properties of the selected events are consistent with SM tt production. The inclusive top quark pair production cross-section is measured to be σ tt = 145 ± 31(stat.) +42 −27 (syst.) pb.

√ s = 7 TeV using final states with an electron or a muon and a hadronically decaying τ lepton

Parasites & Vectors, 2010

PCD in protozoan parasites has emerged as a fascinating field of parasite biology. This not only ... more PCD in protozoan parasites has emerged as a fascinating field of parasite biology. This not only relates to the underlying mechanisms and their evolutionary implications but also to the impact on the parasite-host interactions within mammalian hosts and arthropod vectors. During recent years, common functions of apoptosis and autophagy in protozoa and during parasitic infections have emerged. Here, we review how distinct cell death pathways in Trypanosoma, Leishmania, Plasmodium or Toxoplasma may contribute to regulation of parasite cell densities in vectors and mammalian hosts, to differentiation of parasites, to stress responses, and to modulation of the host immunity. The examples provided indicate crucial roles of PCD in parasite biology. The existence of PCD pathways in these organisms and the identification as being critical for parasite biology and parasite-host interactions could serve as a basis for developing new anti-parasitic drugs that take advantage of these pathways.

A search for direct pair production of supersymmetric top squarks (t 1 ) is presented, assuming t... more A search for direct pair production of supersymmetric top squarks (t 1 ) is presented, assuming thet 1 decays into a top quark and the lightest supersymmetric particle,χ 0 1, and that both top quarks decay to purely hadronic final states. A total of 16 (4) events are observed compared to a predicted Standard Model background of 13.5 + 3.7 − 3.6 (4.4 + 1.7 − 1.3 ) events in two signal regions based on L dt = 4.7 fb −1 of pp collision data taken at √ s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. An exclusion region in thet 1 versusχ 0 1 mass plane is evaluated: 370 < mt 1 < 465 GeV is excluded for mχ0 1 ∼ 0 GeV while mt 1 = 445 GeV is excluded for mχ0 1 ≤ 50 GeV. Technology, Ankara; (e)

Physics Letters B, 2012

A search for diphoton events with large missing transverse momentum has been performed using prot... more A search for diphoton events with large missing transverse momentum has been performed using proton-proton collision data at √ s = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.8 fb −1 . No excess of events was observed above the Standard Model prediction and model-dependent 95 % confidence level exclusion limits are set. In the context of a generalised model of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking with a bino-like lightest neutralino of mass above 50 GeV, gluinos (squarks) below 1.07 TeV (0.87 TeV) are excluded, while a breaking scale Λ below 196 TeV is excluded for a minimal model of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking. For a specific model with one universal extra dimension, compactification scales 1/R < 1.40 TeV are excluded. These limits provide the most stringent tests of these models to date.

A search for tt resonances in lepton+jets events with highly boosted top quarks collected in pp c... more A search for tt resonances in lepton+jets events with highly boosted top quarks collected in pp collisions at √ s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

European Physical Journal C, 2011

Measurements of luminosity obtained using the ATLAS detector during early running of the Large Ha... more Measurements of luminosity obtained using the ATLAS detector during early running of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at sqrts=7\sqrt{s} = 7sqrts=7 TeV are presented. The luminosity is independently determined using several detectors and multiple algorithms, each having different acceptances, systematic uncertainties and sensitivity to background. The ratios of the luminosities obtained from these methods are monitored as a function of time and of μ, the average number of inelastic interactions per bunch crossing. Residual time- and μ-dependence between the methods is less than 2% for 0<μ<2.5. Absolute luminosity calibrations, performed using beam separation scans, have a common systematic uncertainty of ±11%, dominated by the measurement of the LHC beam currents. After calibration, the luminosities obtained from the different methods differ by at most ±2%. The visible cross sections measured using the beam scans are compared to predictions obtained with the PYTHIA and PHOJET event generators and the ATLAS detector simulation.

Physics Letters B, 2011

This Letter reports on a first measurement of the inclusive W+jetsW+jets cross section in proton–... more This Letter reports on a first measurement of the inclusive W+jetsW+jets cross section in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV at the LHC, with the ATLAS detector. Cross sections, in both the electron and muon decay modes of the W -boson, are presented as a function of jet multiplicity and of the transverse momentum of the leading and next-to-leading jets in the event. Measurements are also presented of the ratio of cross sections σ(W+⩾n)/σ(W+⩾n−1)σ(W+⩾n)/σ(W+⩾n−1) for inclusive jet multiplicities n=1–4n=1–4. The results, based on an integrated luminosity of 1.3 pb−11.3 pb−1, have been corrected for all known detector effects and are quoted in a limited and well-defined range of jet and lepton kinematics. The measured cross sections are compared to particle-level predictions based on perturbative QCD. Next-to-leading order calculations, studied here for n⩽2n⩽2, are found in good agreement with the data. Leading-order multiparton event generators, normalized to the NNLO total cross section, describe the data well for all measured jet multiplicities.

Fuel and Energy Abstracts, 2011

A measurement of the Z/γ⁎Z/γ⁎ transverse momentum (pTZ) distribution in proton–proton collisions ... more A measurement of the Z/γ⁎Z/γ⁎ transverse momentum (pTZ) distribution in proton–proton collisions at s=7 TeV is presented using Z/γ⁎→e+e−Z/γ⁎→e+e− and Z/γ⁎→μ+μ−Z/γ⁎→μ+μ− decays collected with the ATLAS detector in data sets with integrated luminosities of 35 pb−1 and 40 pb−1, respectively. The normalized differential cross sections are measured separately for electron and muon decay channels as well as for their combination up to pTZ of 350 GeV for invariant dilepton masses 66 GeV&lt;mℓℓ&lt;116 GeV66 GeV&lt;mℓℓ&lt;116 GeV. The measurement is compared to predictions of perturbative QCD and various event generators. The prediction of resummed QCD combined with fixed order perturbative QCD is found to be in good agreement with the data.

Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 2009

Genotypic tools may allow easier and less expensive estimation of HIV tropism before prescription... more Genotypic tools may allow easier and less expensive estimation of HIV tropism before prescription of CCR5 antagonists compared with the Trofile assay (Monogram Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA, USA). Paired genotypic and Trofile results were compared in plasma samples derived from the maraviroc expanded access programme (EAP) in Europe. A new genotypic approach was built to improve the sensitivity to detect X4 variants based on an optimization of the webPSSM algorithm. Then, the new tool was validated in specimens from patients included in the ALLEGRO trial, a multicentre study conducted in Spain to assess the prevalence of R5 variants in treatment-experienced HIV patients. A total of 266 specimens from the maraviroc EAP were tested. Overall geno/pheno concordance was above 72%. A high specificity was generally seen for the detection of X4 variants using genotypic tools (ranging from 58% to 95%), while sensitivity was low (ranging from 31% to 76%). The PSSM score was then optimized to enhance the sensitivity to detect X4 variants changing the original threshold for R5 categorization. The new PSSM algorithms, PSSM(X4R5-8) and PSSM(SINSI-6.4), considered as X4 all V3 scoring values above -8 or -6.4, respectively, increasing the sensitivity to detect X4 variants up to 80%. The new algorithms were then validated in 148 specimens derived from patients included in the ALLEGRO trial. The sensitivity/specificity to detect X4 variants was 93%/69% for PSSM(X4R5-8) and 93%/70% for PSSM(SINSI-6.4). PSSM(X4R5-8) and PSSM(SINSI-6.4) may confidently assist therapeutic decisions for using CCR5 antagonists in HIV patients, providing an easier and rapid estimation of tropism in clinical samples.

Journal of Urology, 2007

We evaluated sexual function in adult patients with spina bifida and its impact on quality of lif... more We evaluated sexual function in adult patients with spina bifida and its impact on quality of life. Between March 2005 and May 2006, 76 adult patients with spina bifida, including 34 women and 42 men, with a mean age of 24.4 years (range 18 to 37) were seen for followup at our institution. Following institutional review board approval data were collected from medical records and validated questionnaires were completed, including the Watts Sexual Function Questionnaire to assess sexual function and SF-36 to assess quality of life. Of the 76 patients 18 (24%), including 9 women and 9 men, achieved sexual intercourse at least once in the last 2 months. There was no difference regarding gender distribution and mean age +/- SD in sexually active vs not sexually active patients (25.8 +/- 4.2 vs 24 +/- 4.5 years, p = 0.13). All levels (thoracic to sacral) of myelomeningocele were seen in the 2 groups with significant higher lesions of neurological impairment in not sexually active than in sexually active patients. No difference was seen in relation to ambulatory status and urinary incontinence. Overall total Watts Sexual Function Questionnaire scores in sexually active patients were similar in men and women. When comparing the 4 domain scores on desire, arousal, orgasm and satisfaction, women scored similar to men. Only 2 men tried to achieve paternity but failed and 1 woman gave birth. When evaluating SF-36 for quality of life, there was no significant difference in physical health (42.4 +/- 11.9 vs 38.7 +/- 7.2, p = 0.11) and mental health (54.1 +/- 11.3 vs 58.6 +/- 10.7, p = 0.12) subscores in sexually active vs not sexually active patients. In our cohort 24% of adult patients with spina bifida were sexually active. Sexual activity was not related to gender, level of urinary incontinence or extent of physical disability but it was more likely in patients with more caudal levels of neurological impairment. Sexual function seems not to affect health related quality of life in these patients.

Fuel and Energy Abstracts, 2011

A measurement of the cross-section for ϒ(1S) → µ + µ − production in proton-proton collisions at ... more A measurement of the cross-section for ϒ(1S) → µ + µ − production in proton-proton collisions at centre of mass energy of 7 TeV is presented. The cross-section is measured as a function of the ϒ(1S) transverse momentum in two bins of rapidity, |y ϒ(1S) | < 1.2 and 1.2 < |y ϒ(1S) | < 2.4. The measurement requires that both muons have transverse momentum p µ T > 4 GeV and pseudorapidity |η µ | < 2.5 in order to reduce theoretical uncertainties on the acceptance, which depend on the poorly known polarization. The results are based on an integrated luminosity of 1.13 pb −1 , collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The cross-section measurement is compared to theoretical predictions: it agrees to within a factor of two with a prediction based on the NRQCD model including colour-singlet and colour-octet matrix elements as implemented in PYTHIA while it disagrees by up to a factor of ten with the next-to-leading order prediction based on the colour-singlet-model.

A detailed study is presented of the expected performance of the ATLAS detector. The reconstructi... more A detailed study is presented of the expected performance of the ATLAS detector. The reconstruction of tracks, leptons, photons, missing energy and jets is investigated, together with the performance of b-tagging and the trigger. The physics potential for a variety of interesting physics processes, within the Standard Model and beyond, is examined. The study comprises a series of notes based on simulations of the detector and physics processes, with particular emphasis given to the data expected from the first years of operation of the LHC at CERN.

This paper is dedicated to the memory of our ATLAS colleagues who did not live to see the full im... more This paper is dedicated to the memory of our ATLAS colleagues who did not live to see the full impact and significance of their contributions to the experiment.

Interactions, 2011

Search for supersymmetry using final states with one lepton, jets, and missing transverse momentu... more Search for supersymmetry using final states with one lepton, jets, and missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS detector in √ s = 7 TeV pp collisions

A search is presented for production of a heavy up-type quark (t ′ ) together with its antipartic... more A search is presented for production of a heavy up-type quark (t ′ ) together with its antiparticle, assuming subsequent decay to a W boson and a b quark, t ′t ′ → W + bW −b . The search is based on 1.04 fb −1 of proton-proton collisions at √ s = 7 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Data are analyzed in the lepton+jets final state, characterized by a high transverse momentum isolated electron or muon, high missing transverse momentum and at least three jets. No significant excess of events above the background expectation is observed. A 95% C.L. lower limit of 404 GeV is set for the mass of the t ′ quark.

This Letter presents the results of a direct search with the ATLAS detector at the LHC for a Stan... more This Letter presents the results of a direct search with the ATLAS detector at the LHC for a Standard Model Higgs boson of mass 110 ≤ m H ≤ 130 GeV produced in association with a W or Z boson and decaying to bb. Three decay channels are considered: ZH → ℓ + ℓ − bb, W H → ℓνbb and ZH → ννbb, where ℓ corresponds to an electron or a muon. No evidence for Higgs boson production is observed in a dataset of 7 TeV pp collisions corresponding to 4.7 fb −1 of integrated luminosity collected by ATLAS in 2011. Exclusion limits on Higgs boson production, at the 95% confidence level, of 2.5 to 5.5 times the Standard Model cross section are obtained in the mass range 110-130 GeV. The expected exclusion limits range between 2.5 and 4.9 for the same mass interval.

European Physical Journal C, 2011

A measurement of the production cross-section for top quark pairs (tt) in pp collisions at √ s = ... more A measurement of the production cross-section for top quark pairs (tt) in pp collisions at √ s = 7 TeV is presented using data recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Events are selected in two different topologies: single lepton (electron e or muon μ) with large missing transverse energy and at least four jets, and dilepton (ee, μμ or eμ) with large missing transverse energy and at least two jets. In a data sample of 2.9 pb −1 , 37 candidate events are observed in the single-lepton topology and 9 events in the dilepton topology. The corresponding expected backgrounds from non-tt Standard Model processes are estimated using data-driven methods and determined to be 12.2 ± 3.9 events and 2.5 ± 0.6 events, respectively. The kinematic properties of the selected events are consistent with SM tt production. The inclusive top quark pair production cross-section is measured to be σ tt = 145 ± 31(stat.) +42 −27 (syst.) pb.

√ s = 7 TeV using final states with an electron or a muon and a hadronically decaying τ lepton

Parasites & Vectors, 2010

PCD in protozoan parasites has emerged as a fascinating field of parasite biology. This not only ... more PCD in protozoan parasites has emerged as a fascinating field of parasite biology. This not only relates to the underlying mechanisms and their evolutionary implications but also to the impact on the parasite-host interactions within mammalian hosts and arthropod vectors. During recent years, common functions of apoptosis and autophagy in protozoa and during parasitic infections have emerged. Here, we review how distinct cell death pathways in Trypanosoma, Leishmania, Plasmodium or Toxoplasma may contribute to regulation of parasite cell densities in vectors and mammalian hosts, to differentiation of parasites, to stress responses, and to modulation of the host immunity. The examples provided indicate crucial roles of PCD in parasite biology. The existence of PCD pathways in these organisms and the identification as being critical for parasite biology and parasite-host interactions could serve as a basis for developing new anti-parasitic drugs that take advantage of these pathways.

A search for direct pair production of supersymmetric top squarks (t 1 ) is presented, assuming t... more A search for direct pair production of supersymmetric top squarks (t 1 ) is presented, assuming thet 1 decays into a top quark and the lightest supersymmetric particle,χ 0 1, and that both top quarks decay to purely hadronic final states. A total of 16 (4) events are observed compared to a predicted Standard Model background of 13.5 + 3.7 − 3.6 (4.4 + 1.7 − 1.3 ) events in two signal regions based on L dt = 4.7 fb −1 of pp collision data taken at √ s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. An exclusion region in thet 1 versusχ 0 1 mass plane is evaluated: 370 < mt 1 < 465 GeV is excluded for mχ0 1 ∼ 0 GeV while mt 1 = 445 GeV is excluded for mχ0 1 ≤ 50 GeV. Technology, Ankara; (e)

Physics Letters B, 2012

A search for diphoton events with large missing transverse momentum has been performed using prot... more A search for diphoton events with large missing transverse momentum has been performed using proton-proton collision data at √ s = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.8 fb −1 . No excess of events was observed above the Standard Model prediction and model-dependent 95 % confidence level exclusion limits are set. In the context of a generalised model of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking with a bino-like lightest neutralino of mass above 50 GeV, gluinos (squarks) below 1.07 TeV (0.87 TeV) are excluded, while a breaking scale Λ below 196 TeV is excluded for a minimal model of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking. For a specific model with one universal extra dimension, compactification scales 1/R < 1.40 TeV are excluded. These limits provide the most stringent tests of these models to date.

A search for tt resonances in lepton+jets events with highly boosted top quarks collected in pp c... more A search for tt resonances in lepton+jets events with highly boosted top quarks collected in pp collisions at √ s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

European Physical Journal C, 2011

Measurements of luminosity obtained using the ATLAS detector during early running of the Large Ha... more Measurements of luminosity obtained using the ATLAS detector during early running of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at sqrts=7\sqrt{s} = 7sqrts=7 TeV are presented. The luminosity is independently determined using several detectors and multiple algorithms, each having different acceptances, systematic uncertainties and sensitivity to background. The ratios of the luminosities obtained from these methods are monitored as a function of time and of μ, the average number of inelastic interactions per bunch crossing. Residual time- and μ-dependence between the methods is less than 2% for 0<μ<2.5. Absolute luminosity calibrations, performed using beam separation scans, have a common systematic uncertainty of ±11%, dominated by the measurement of the LHC beam currents. After calibration, the luminosities obtained from the different methods differ by at most ±2%. The visible cross sections measured using the beam scans are compared to predictions obtained with the PYTHIA and PHOJET event generators and the ATLAS detector simulation.

Physics Letters B, 2011

This Letter reports on a first measurement of the inclusive W+jetsW+jets cross section in proton–... more This Letter reports on a first measurement of the inclusive W+jetsW+jets cross section in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV at the LHC, with the ATLAS detector. Cross sections, in both the electron and muon decay modes of the W -boson, are presented as a function of jet multiplicity and of the transverse momentum of the leading and next-to-leading jets in the event. Measurements are also presented of the ratio of cross sections σ(W+⩾n)/σ(W+⩾n−1)σ(W+⩾n)/σ(W+⩾n−1) for inclusive jet multiplicities n=1–4n=1–4. The results, based on an integrated luminosity of 1.3 pb−11.3 pb−1, have been corrected for all known detector effects and are quoted in a limited and well-defined range of jet and lepton kinematics. The measured cross sections are compared to particle-level predictions based on perturbative QCD. Next-to-leading order calculations, studied here for n⩽2n⩽2, are found in good agreement with the data. Leading-order multiparton event generators, normalized to the NNLO total cross section, describe the data well for all measured jet multiplicities.

Fuel and Energy Abstracts, 2011

A measurement of the Z/γ⁎Z/γ⁎ transverse momentum (pTZ) distribution in proton–proton collisions ... more A measurement of the Z/γ⁎Z/γ⁎ transverse momentum (pTZ) distribution in proton–proton collisions at s=7 TeV is presented using Z/γ⁎→e+e−Z/γ⁎→e+e− and Z/γ⁎→μ+μ−Z/γ⁎→μ+μ− decays collected with the ATLAS detector in data sets with integrated luminosities of 35 pb−1 and 40 pb−1, respectively. The normalized differential cross sections are measured separately for electron and muon decay channels as well as for their combination up to pTZ of 350 GeV for invariant dilepton masses 66 GeV&lt;mℓℓ&lt;116 GeV66 GeV&lt;mℓℓ&lt;116 GeV. The measurement is compared to predictions of perturbative QCD and various event generators. The prediction of resummed QCD combined with fixed order perturbative QCD is found to be in good agreement with the data.

Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 2009

Genotypic tools may allow easier and less expensive estimation of HIV tropism before prescription... more Genotypic tools may allow easier and less expensive estimation of HIV tropism before prescription of CCR5 antagonists compared with the Trofile assay (Monogram Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA, USA). Paired genotypic and Trofile results were compared in plasma samples derived from the maraviroc expanded access programme (EAP) in Europe. A new genotypic approach was built to improve the sensitivity to detect X4 variants based on an optimization of the webPSSM algorithm. Then, the new tool was validated in specimens from patients included in the ALLEGRO trial, a multicentre study conducted in Spain to assess the prevalence of R5 variants in treatment-experienced HIV patients. A total of 266 specimens from the maraviroc EAP were tested. Overall geno/pheno concordance was above 72%. A high specificity was generally seen for the detection of X4 variants using genotypic tools (ranging from 58% to 95%), while sensitivity was low (ranging from 31% to 76%). The PSSM score was then optimized to enhance the sensitivity to detect X4 variants changing the original threshold for R5 categorization. The new PSSM algorithms, PSSM(X4R5-8) and PSSM(SINSI-6.4), considered as X4 all V3 scoring values above -8 or -6.4, respectively, increasing the sensitivity to detect X4 variants up to 80%. The new algorithms were then validated in 148 specimens derived from patients included in the ALLEGRO trial. The sensitivity/specificity to detect X4 variants was 93%/69% for PSSM(X4R5-8) and 93%/70% for PSSM(SINSI-6.4). PSSM(X4R5-8) and PSSM(SINSI-6.4) may confidently assist therapeutic decisions for using CCR5 antagonists in HIV patients, providing an easier and rapid estimation of tropism in clinical samples.

Journal of Urology, 2007

We evaluated sexual function in adult patients with spina bifida and its impact on quality of lif... more We evaluated sexual function in adult patients with spina bifida and its impact on quality of life. Between March 2005 and May 2006, 76 adult patients with spina bifida, including 34 women and 42 men, with a mean age of 24.4 years (range 18 to 37) were seen for followup at our institution. Following institutional review board approval data were collected from medical records and validated questionnaires were completed, including the Watts Sexual Function Questionnaire to assess sexual function and SF-36 to assess quality of life. Of the 76 patients 18 (24%), including 9 women and 9 men, achieved sexual intercourse at least once in the last 2 months. There was no difference regarding gender distribution and mean age +/- SD in sexually active vs not sexually active patients (25.8 +/- 4.2 vs 24 +/- 4.5 years, p = 0.13). All levels (thoracic to sacral) of myelomeningocele were seen in the 2 groups with significant higher lesions of neurological impairment in not sexually active than in sexually active patients. No difference was seen in relation to ambulatory status and urinary incontinence. Overall total Watts Sexual Function Questionnaire scores in sexually active patients were similar in men and women. When comparing the 4 domain scores on desire, arousal, orgasm and satisfaction, women scored similar to men. Only 2 men tried to achieve paternity but failed and 1 woman gave birth. When evaluating SF-36 for quality of life, there was no significant difference in physical health (42.4 +/- 11.9 vs 38.7 +/- 7.2, p = 0.11) and mental health (54.1 +/- 11.3 vs 58.6 +/- 10.7, p = 0.12) subscores in sexually active vs not sexually active patients. In our cohort 24% of adult patients with spina bifida were sexually active. Sexual activity was not related to gender, level of urinary incontinence or extent of physical disability but it was more likely in patients with more caudal levels of neurological impairment. Sexual function seems not to affect health related quality of life in these patients.