Human Lymphadenopathy Caused by Ratborne Bartonella,Tbilisi, Georgia

Lymphadenopathy and fever that developed in a woman in Tbilisi, Georgia, most likely were caused by a ratborne Bartonella strain related B. tribocorum and B. elizabethae. The finding suggests that this Bartonella strain could be spread by infected rats and represents a potential human risk.     

Hope,coping skills,and the prefrontal cortex in alcohol use disorder recovery

Background: Alcohol use disorders adversely affect individual and societal health. These disorders are a chronic brain disease, and protective factors against relapse should be studied. Prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunction is evident in alcohol use disorders, and research that explores recovery of the PFC in alcohol use disorders is needed, specifically in regard to how psychological and behavioral factors can augment medicalized treatments and protect against relapse. For example, hope or a belief that recovery is possible is an important cognitive construct—thought to precede behavioral action—that has been associated with relapse. Objectives: In this study, associations between healthy coping skills and hope (psychological/behavioral factors) and PFC regional activation in response to alcohol cue exposure were examined. It was also examined whether such associations were unique to alcohol cues. Methods: Forty-two participants, 32 males and nine females in recovery from an alcohol use disorder (AUD), were administered a subjective hope and coping in recovery measure. They also viewed alcohol, positive, negative, and neutral cues during functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIR) PFC assessment. Results: Levels of healthy coping skills positively correlated with activation in the right dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) in response to alcohol cues. This finding was unique to alcohol cues. Conclusion: The association between coping skills and activation of the right DMPFC in response to alcohol cues may reflect greater action restraint and top-down PFC control processing that may protect against relapse.     

Bioluminescence methodology for the detection of protein-protein interactions within the voltage-gated sodium channel macromolecular complex

Protein-protein interactions are critical molecular determinants of ion channel function and emerging targets for pharmacological interventions. Yet, current methodologies for the rapid detection of ion channel macromolecular complexes are still lacking. In this study we have adapted a split-luciferase complementation assay (LCA) for detecting the assembly of the voltage-gated Na+ (Nav) channel C-tail and the intracellular fibroblast growth factor 14 (FGF14), a functionally relevant component of the Nav channelosome that controls gating and targeting of Nav channels through direct interaction with the channel C-tail. In the LCA, two complementary N-terminus and C-terminus fragments of the firefly luciferase were fused, respectively, to a chimera of the CD4 transmembrane segment and the C-tail of Nav1.6 channel (CD4-Nav1.6-NLuc) or FGF14 (CLuc-FGF14). Co-expression of CLuc-FGF14 and CD4-Nav1.6-NLuc in live cells led to a robust assembly of the FGF14:Nav1.6 C-tail complex, which was attenuated by introducing single-point mutations at the predicted FGF14:Nav channel interface. To evaluate the dynamic regulation of the FGF14:Nav1.6 C-tail complex by signaling pathways, we investigated the effect of kinase inhibitors on the complex formation. Through a platform of counter screenings, we show that the p38/MAPK inhibitor, PD169316, and the IκB kinase inhibitor, BAY 11-7082, reduce the FGF14:Nav1.6 C-tail complementation, highlighting a potential role of the p38MAPK and the IκB/NFκB pathways in controlling neuronal excitability through protein-protein interactions. We envision the methodology presented here as a new valuable tool to allow functional evaluations of protein-channel complexes toward probe development and drug discovery targeting ion channels implicated in human disorders.     

Effects of intraperitoneal and intranasal application of Lentinan on cellular response in rats

Lentinan (Ajinomoto, Japan) was administrated intraperitoneally (i.p.) and intranasally (i.n.) at different doses (1, 5 and 10 mg/kg) to rats. Effectiveness of Lentinan treatment was evaluated by comparative testing of cell activation (establishing the number, glycolytic and acid phosphatase activity, H2O2 production and killing ability against Salmonella enteritidis and Staphylococcus aureus) at two different compartments--peritoneal and broncho-alveolar cavities. The results indicated that Lentinan induced high-grade activation of peritoneal cells (PCs) and especially of broncho-alveolar cells (BACs) with markedly enhanced effector function (killing ability against S. aureus). Generally, Lentinan, known usually with its parenteral routes of application, can be successful to stimulate the host cell response in the respiratory tract by intranasal route of administration.     

Cell cycle regulation distinguishes lymphocytes from sporadic and familial Alzheimer's disease patients

Cell cycle (CC) reactivation in neurons seems to underlie the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We analyzed whether CC alterations can be detected in immortalized lymphocytes from patients with the sporadic and the familial form of AD (SAD and FAD). Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-arrays, immunoblotting, and flow cytometry demonstrated differences in the regulation of G1/S phases between SAD lymphocytes and cells from nondemented subjects, as well as between SAD and FAD cells. SAD compared to FAD lymphocytes showed differences in expression profiles of the 90 CC genes, and a marked increase in the level of the p21 protein, which promotes G1-arrest. Accordingly, SAD but not FAD cells had a prolonged G1-phase. γ-secretase inhibition did not change the CC profiles of the cell lines. These data show that SAD involves a prolongation of the G1 phase driven by p21 pathway, which is not activated in FAD cells. Thus, the mechanism in SAD differs from FAD. Moreover, disturbances of the CC in lymphocytes have a potential diagnostic value.     

Phantom Limb Phenomena in Cancer Amputees

Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of phantom pain and correlated conditions such as phantom sensations and stump pain in a population of cancer patients who had undergone limb amputation. Method: A cross‐sectional study was carried out in adult patients submitted to limb amputation, who were being followed up at the Physiotherapy Department between April 3 and November 30, 2006. The presence of phantom pain and associated conditions was quantified using a verbal numerical scale. The data obtained were analyzed for means, medians, and proportions with their respective confidence intervals, as appropriate. Results: Seventy‐five patients participated in this study, 50 men (66.7%) and 25 women (33.3%). Mean age was 54.4 years (SD ± 18.5); range 19 to 88 years. The prevalence of phantom pain was 46.7% (95%CI: 35.1 to 58.6), phantom sensation 90.7% (95%CI: 81.7 to 96.2), and surgical stump pain 32.0% (95%CI: 21.7 to 43.8). Conclusion: Phantom pain and phantom sensations are highly prevalent among cancer patients. Further studies should be carried out to determine the main factors associated with their onset.     

周迅:爱情,无关聚散

听闻周迅与李大齐分手，将信将疑。看了官方的确认声明才打消了疑虑。说将信将疑，是因为跟很多人一样，我曾经是希望这一对儿能够修成正果．也就是俗称的“结婚”。     

Treatment of disease-negative but mucin-like carcinoma-associated antigen-positive breast cancer patients with tamoxifen: preliminary results of a prospective controlled randomized trial

Increasing levels of tumor markers such as carcinoembryonic antigen, mucin-like carcinoma-associated antigen (MCA), CA 15.3, and monoclonal antibody H23 in breast cancer patients following the treatment of the primary disease and adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy reflect subclinical development of metastatic disease. Overt metastatic disease is usually incurable and prolongation of life at this stage is impossible, and the treatment is only palliative. The efficacy of tamoxifen, a least-toxic agent, in the treatment of early and minimal metastatic disease detected only by increasing serum levels of MCA was studied prospectively in a randomized study. Our preliminary, albeit encouraging, results showed that the rate of relapse within a median follow-up period of 11 months was 24.1% in the control arm as compared with 0% in the tamoxifen arm (Fisher's exact test,P=0.012). None of the patients with a relapse had positive progesterone receptors (PR). We may carefully conclude that early treatment may be warranted in young patients with negative PR and continuously increasing serum levels of the marker.