A method for fluorescent labeling of PCR products has been developed. This method consists in a two-step procedure in which a first exponential classical PCR is followed by a "linear amplification". This second step relies on incorporation of fluorescent dNTP (dUTP or dCTP) in order to label the product on only one strand. The products can be applied without prior purification directly to a gel...

Split preorders are preordering relations on a domain whose composition is defined in a particular way by splitting the domain into two disjoint subsets. These relations and the associated composition arise in categorial proof theory in connection with coherence theorems. Here split preorders are represented isomorphically in the category whose arrows are binary relations, where composition is ...

Split cuts are among the most important and well-understood cuts for general mixed-integer programs. In this paper we consider some recent generalizations of split cuts and compare their relative strength. More precisely, we compare the elementary closures of split, cross, crooked cross and general multi-branch split cuts as well as cuts obtained from multi-row and basic relaxations. We present...

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been reported to be the most common cause of chronic viral Hepatitis with increased prevalence rate worldwide. HCV genotype is an important predictive factor in the outcome of HCV treatment, therefore an essential component of clinical practice. Molecular methods are the most common diagnostic tools for HCV genotyping. HCV genotype might also have relevan...

We re-tested stored (frozen) DNA samples in 5 independent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) replicates and confirmed that equivocal test results from a previous study on white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in brooders and their offspring arose because amounts of WSSV DNA in the test samples were near the sensitivity limits of the detection method. Since spawning stress may trigger WSSV replication, ...

PCR has been used as an aid in the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis for almost 2 decades. A lack of standardization has limited both its acceptance as a diagnostic tool and multicenter clinical evaluations, preventing its inclusion in disease-defining criteria. In 2006, the European Aspergillus PCR Initiative was formed. The aim of the initiative was to provide optimal standardized protocols...

Objective: Cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6) is involved in the metabolism of several therapeutically important drugs and abused intoxicants including methadone. The preferential binding target for methadone is the μ opioid receptor OPRM1. Various SNPs in CYP2B6 and OPRM1 may contribute to clinical outcomes in methadone maintenance therapy. The aim of the present study was to develop a consistent an...

BACKGROUND Strongyloidiasis is mostly an asymptomatic infection and diagnosis of latent infections is difficult due to limitations of current parasitological and serological methods. This study was conducted to set up a PCR-based method for molecular diagnosis of Strongyloides stercoralis infection by detection of copro-DNA in stool samples. METHODS A total of 782 fresh stool samples were col...