Perceived Cognitive Impairment in Breast Cancer Survivors and Its Relationships with Psychological Factors

Cognitive complaints are common adverse effects for breast cancer survivors, with potential negative impacts on quality of life or return to work. Identifying subjects at risk could allow to reduce cognitive disorders or to set up appropriate care. In this study we explored current cognitive complaints reported by breast cancer survivors, using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognition (FACT-Cog) questionnaire and examined the relationships between current cognitive complaints and current psychological symptoms (especially post-traumatic stress symptoms). This large survey showed that about half of breast cancer survivors reported cognitive complaints after cancer treatments. These complaints were mainly associated with chemotherapy, age, self-reported sleep difficulties, the frequency of psychotropic treatments and psychological factors including post-traumatic stress symptoms or. Some modifiable risk factors should be detected early to reduce persistent cognitive complaints after cancer, including sleep difficulties and post-traumatic stress symptoms

Monitoring programme of antimicrobial resistance in sentinel bacteria isolated from intestinalflora of pigs and poultry 1999-2001

Un programme de surveillance des taux de résistance aux antibiotiques chez des bactéries indicatrices ( Escherichia coli et Enterococcus faecium) isolées de la flore intestinale du poulet de chair et du porc a été mis en place, en France, pour déterminer leurs évolutions en fonction du temps. Plusieurs antibiotiques représentatifs des classes d’antibiotiques utilisées comme médicaments vétérinaires ou comme facteurs de croissance ont été étudiés. Une évolution statistiquement significative du niveau de résistance à trois antibiotiques a été mis en évidence chez les souches d’ Enterococcus faecium isolées chez le poulet de chair. L’hypothèse d’égalité des niveaux de résistance entre les différentes années d’études n’a pas pu être rejetée pour les souches d' Enterococcus faecium isolées chez le porc. Une réduction statistiquement significative de la résistance chez les souches d' Escherichia coli est observée pour la streptomycine et le triméthoprime pour celles isolées du poulet de chair et pour la streptomycine et l’apramycine pour celles isolées du porc.A monitoring programme of antimicrobial resistance of sentinel bacteria (Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecium) isolated from intestinal flora of poultry and pigs has been implemented to follow trends in France. Several antimicrobials representative of different antimicrobial families used as veterinary drugs and feed additives has been tested. A statistically significant variation between the different years has been observed for Enterococcus faecium strains isolated from poultry for resistance against three antimicrobials while the hypothesis of equality could not be rejected for pig strains. A statistically significant decrease of Escherichia coli resistance was observed in each animal species for two antimicrobials tested (streptomycin and trimethoprim in poultry, streptomycin and apramycin in pig)

A type I interferon autocrine–paracrine loop is involved in Toll-like receptor-induced interleukin-12p70 secretion by dendritic cells

Dendritic cells (DC) produce interleukin-12 (IL-12) in response to Toll-like receptor (TLR) activation. Two major TLR signaling pathways participate in the response to pathogens: the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)–dependent pathway leading to inflammatory cytokine secretion including IL-12 and the interferon (IFN)-dependent pathway inducing type I IFN and IFN-regulated genes. Here we show that the two pathways cooperate and are likely both necessary for inducing an optimal response to pathogens. R-848/Resiquimod (TLR7 ligand in the mouse and TLR7/8 ligand in human) synergized with poly(I:C) (TLR3 ligand) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS; TLR4 ligand) in inducing high levels of bioactive IL-12p70 secretion and IFN-β mRNA accumulation by mouse bone marrow–derived DC (BM-DC). Strikingly, IL-12p70 but not IL-12p40 secretion was strongly reduced in BM-DC from STAT1−/− and IFNAR−/− mice. STAT1 tyrosine-phosphorylation, IL-12p35, and IFN-β mRNA accumulation were strongly inhibited in IFNAR−/− BM-DC activated with the TLR ligand combinations. Similar observation were obtained in human TLR8-expressing monocyte-derived DC (moDC) using neutralizing anti-IFNAR2 antibodies, although results also pointed to a possible involvement of IFN-λ1 (also known as IL-29). This suggests that TLR engagement on DC induces endogenous IFNs that further synergize with the NF-κB pathway for optimal IL-12p70 secretion. Moreover, analysis of interferon regulatory factors (IRF) regulation in moDC suggests a role for IRF7/8 in mediating IRF3-independent type I IFN and possibly IL-12p35 synthesis in response to TLR7/8

Linking phytoplankton pigment composition and optical properties: A framework for developing remote-sensing metrics for monitoring cyanobacteria

International audienceThis study has been performed in the framework of a research program aiming to develop a low-cost aerial sensor for the monitoring of cyanobacteria in freshwater ecosystems that could be used for early detection. Several empirical and mechanistic remote-sensing tools have been already developed and tested at large scales and have proven useful in monitoring cyanobacterial blooms. However, the effectiveness of these tools for early detection is hard to assess because such work requires the detection of low concentrations of characteristic pigments amid complex ecosystems exhibiting several confounding factors (turbidity, blooms of other species, etc.). We developed a framework for performing high-throughput measurements of the absorbance and reflectance of small volumes (~= 20 mL) of controlled mixtures of phytoplankton species and studied the potential of this framework to validate remote-sensing proxies of cyanobacteria concentration. The absorption and reflectance spectra of single and multiple cultures carried a specific signal that allowed for the quantitative analysis of culture mixes. This specific signal was shown to be related to known pigment absorbance spectra. The concentrations of chlorophyll-a and -b, phycocyanin and phycoerythrin could be obtained from direct absorbance measurements and were correlated with the concentration obtained after pigment extraction (R2 ≥ 0.96 for all pigments). A systematic test of every possible two-band and three-band normalized difference between optical indices was then performed, and the coincidental correlation with chlorophyll-b (absent in cyanobacteria) was used as an indicator of non-specificity. Two-band indices were shown to suffer from non-specificity issues and could not yield strong and specific relationships with phycocyanin or phycoerythrin (maximum R2  0.8)

High-resolution CT phenotypes in pulmonary sarcoidosis: a multinational Delphi consensus study

One view of sarcoidosis is that the term covers many different diseases. However, no classification framework exists for the future exploration of pathogenetic pathways, genetic or trigger predilections, patterns of lung function impairment, or treatment separations, or for the development of diagnostic algorithms or relevant outcome measures. We aimed to establish agreement on high-resolution CT (HRCT) phenotypic separations in sarcoidosis to anchor future CT research through a multinational two-round Delphi consensus process. Delphi participants included members of the Fleischner Society and the World Association of Sarcoidosis and other Granulomatous Disorders, as well as members' nominees. 146 individuals (98 chest physicians, 48 thoracic radiologists) from 28 countries took part, 144 of whom completed both Delphi rounds. After rating of 35 Delphi statements on a five-point Likert scale, consensus was achieved for 22 (63%) statements. There was 97% agreement on the existence of distinct HRCT phenotypes, with seven HRCT phenotypes that were categorised by participants as non-fibrotic or likely to be fibrotic. The international consensus reached in this Delphi exercise justifies the formulation of a CT classification as a basis for the possible definition of separate diseases. Further refinement of phenotypes with rapidly achievable CT studies is now needed to underpin the development of a formal classification of sarcoidosis

Vivre comme on lit : Hommages

Professeur de littérature comparée, critique et écrivain, Philippe Chardin (1948-2017) avait fait sienne la célèbre formule de Robert Musil, « Vivre comme on lit ». Son enseignement et ses livres ont fait rayonner sa confiance passionnée dans les pouvoirs de la littérature. Ce volume lui rend hommage. Parcourant les genres, les époques et les cultures européennes, cet ouvrage interroge les représentations changeantes du livre et de la lecture et revient sur la notion de réception créatrice chère à Philippe Chardin : ce mystérieux processus qui « transforme, de manière diffuse, dans un inconscient littéraire d’écrivain, de la lecture en écriture »

Vivre comme on lit. Hommages à Philippe Chardin

International audienc

A convenient one-pot synthesis of cyclam-β-cyclodextrins new ligands

International audienc