Need for Aeromedical Evacuation High-Level Containment Transport Guidelines

Circumstances exist that call for the aeromedical evacuation high-level containment transport (AE-HLCT) of patients with highly hazardous communicable diseases. A small number of organizations maintain AE-HLCT capabilities, and little is publicly available regarding the practices. The time is ripe for the development of standards and consensus guidelines involving AE-HLCT

The effects of poetry-writing SANTEL on erotic body image in remission of cancer in women: a pilot study

International audienceAbstract Aim: Our pilot study aims to describe the effects ofa new specific and structured protocol focused on poetic/erotic writing (named SANTEL) on the (re)sexualization ofbody image in women, who have experienced cancer.Procedure: The protocol consists of four steps: to choose alist of erotic verses focused on the body parts, to fill a semistructuredpoetic text, to write sentences after target phraseson the body; and in the end, to write a free poem. Mrs V.suffered from breast cancer, and one breast was removed.She and her husband participated in this poetic writing protocol,separately. We analyzed the linguistic metaphors ofthe body by QSR Nvivo10 software.Results: Using this protocol, we showed discourse variationsof metaphors before and after the experience of writing.Patient V used “I feel like an alien” as a starting metaphorto describe her cancer experience and after poetic writingsessions, she used other bodily metaphors like “My body isa flower” and “My sensual and white flesh”.Conclusion: This poetic perspective promises a type of“perceptive-literary surgery”, characterized by a sensualinvestment process after remission: a poetic reconstructionof erotic body image.Les effets d'un protocole d'écriture poétique SANTEL sur l'image érotique du corps dans le traitement du cancer féminin : étude pilote The effects of poetry-writing SANTEL on erotic body image in remission of cancer in women: a pilot study A. Santarpia · J. Tellène · M. Carrier Résumé Objectif : Cette étude pilote de type qualitative et exploratoire vise à décrire les effets d'un nouveau protocole d'écriture poético-érotique (nommée SANTEL) sur la rééro-tisation de l'image du corps chez une femme, ayant vécu un cancer. Matériel et méthodes : Il s'agit d'un protocole composé de quatre étapes : une liste des phrases à caractères poétiques et érotiques à choisir, un texte à trous à remplir, des amorces de phrases ciblées sur le corps et en fin un poème libre. Madame V. a subi un cancer du sein nécessitant une ablation complète. Madame V. et son conjoint exécutent le protocole d'écriture séparément. Nous montrons les variations discursives des métaphores utilisées avant et après l'expérience de l'écriture, à travers le logiciel d'analyse qualitative QSR NVivo10. Résultats : Madame V. passera de la métaphore initiale « je me sens une extraterrestre » vers la plus atténuée « Non. Je me dis qu'extraterrestre c'était peut-être un peu énorme ». En plus, elle utilisera de nouvelles métaphores linguistiques du corps pour raconter son image du corps telles que « ce corps de chair blanche » et « une fleur qui s'ouvre délicatement ». Conclusion : Cet exercice spécifique d'écriture promet un type de « chirurgie perceptive-littéraire » dans le processus d'investissement sensuel et affectif après la rémission, une reconstruction perceptive et poétique de l'image érotique du corps. Mots clés Métaphores perceptives · Image du corps · Cancer féminin · Corps érotique · Écriture poétique · Chirurgie perceptive-littéraire · Logiciel QSR NVivo10. Abstract Aim: Our pilot study aims to describe the effects of a new specific and structured protocol focused on poetic/ erotic writing (named SANTEL) on the (re)sexualization of body image in women, who have experienced cancer. Procedure: The protocol consists of four steps: to choose a list of erotic verses focused on the body parts, to fill a semi-structured poetic text, to write sentences after target phrases on the body; and in the end, to write a free poem. Mrs V. suffered from breast cancer, and one breast was removed. She and her husband participated in this poetic writing protocol , separately. We analyzed the linguistic metaphors of the body by QSR Nvivo10 software. Results: Using this protocol, we showed discourse variations of metaphors before and after the experience of writing. Patient V used " I feel like an alien " as a starting metaphor to describe her cancer experience and after poetic writing sessions, she used other bodily metaphors like " My body is a flower " and " My sensual and white flesh ". Conclusion: This poetic perspective promises a type of " perceptive-literary surgery " , characterized by a sensual investment process after remission: a poetic reconstruction of erotic body image. Keywords Bodily metaphors · Body image · Feminine cancer · Erotic body · Poetry writing · Perceptive-literary surgery · QSR Nvivo10 software

Need for Aeromedical Evacuation High-Level Containment Transport Guidelines

Circumstances exist that call for the aeromedical evacuation high-level containment transport (AE-HLCT) of patients with highly hazardous communicable diseases. A small number of organizations maintain AE-HLCT capabilities, and little is publicly available regarding the practices. The time is ripe for the development of standards and consensus guidelines involving AE-HLCT

miR-34a Silences c-SRC to Attenuate Tumor Growth in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype with no clinically proven biologically targeted treatment options. The molecular heterogeneity of TNBC and lack of high frequency driver mutations other than TP53 have hindered the development of new and effective therapies that significantly improve patient outcomes. miRNAs, global regulators of survival and proliferation pathways important in tumor development and maintenance, are becoming promising therapeutic agents. We performed miRNA-profiling studies in different TNBC subtypes to identify miRNAs that significantly contribute to disease progression. We found that miR-34a was lost in TNBC, specifically within mesenchymal and mesenchymal stem cell-like subtypes, whereas expression of miR-34a targets was significantly enriched. Furthermore, restoration of miR-34a in cell lines representing these subtypes inhibited proliferation and invasion, activated senescence, and promoted sensitivity to dasatinib by targeting the proto-oncogene c-SRC. Notably, SRC depletion in TNBC cell lines phenocopied the effects of miR-34a reintroduction, whereas SRC overexpression rescued the antitumorigenic properties mediated by miR-34a. miR-34a levels also increased when cells were treated with c-SRC inhibitors, suggesting a negative feedback exists between miR-34a and c-SRC. Moreover, miR-34a administration significantly delayed tumor growth of subcutaneously and orthotopically implanted tumors in nude mice, and was accompanied by c-SRC downregulation. Finally, we found that miR-34a and SRC levels were inversely correlated in human tumor specimens. Together, our results demonstrate that miR-34a exerts potent antitumorigenic effects in vitro and in vivo and suggests that miR-34a replacement therapy, which is currently being tested in human clinical trials, represents a promising therapeutic strategy for TNBC. Cancer Res; 76(4); 1-13. (c)2015 AACR

L’usage de la poésie haïku en psycho-oncologie

International audienceAbstract Aim: Our study aims to describe the discourseeffects of specific and structured protocol focused on severalhaiku poems about one patient, who have experienced cancer.Procedure: The protocol consists of 4 steps: a preliminaryexploratory interview, fifteen haiku proposed without a partof the poem (a creative writing filled in by the patient), a freeform haiku composed by the patient, and finally, a finalinterview.Clinical case: A man, D., aged 25, had tumor.Result: Using this protocol, we showed discourse variationson the illness before and after the experience of poetrywriting, by Tropes V8.4 software.Conclusion: Haiku poetry can be a useful tool in the contextof supportive interventions or as preparatory work for engagementin psychotherapeutic intervention. We believe thatthe formal structure of haikus can create conditions for aspecific poetic work composed of: poetic evocation, synthesis,and mapping of the most intimate experiences in oncologyenvironment.Résumé Objectif : Cette étude qualitative et exploratoirevise à décrire les effets d’un protocole poétique centré surles haïkus en psycho-oncologie sur l’approche de la maladiechez un patient atteint de cancer.Matériel et méthodes : Il s’agit d’un protocole d’écriturepoétique composé de quatre étapes : un entretien préliminaire,la proposition de 15 haïkus (sans le vers du milieu)tirés de grands auteurs japonais, la réalisation d’un poèmecomposé librement par deux patients atteints de cancer, unentretien final sur l’expérience de l’écriture poétique.Cas clinique : Un homme, M. D., âgé de 25 ans, qui est entraitement pour un cancer.Résultats : Nous montrons les variations discursives utiliséesavant et après l’expérience de l’écriture poétique, à travers lelogiciel Tropes V8.4.Conclusion : Le travail poétique avec le haïku peut être unoutil utile, dans un contexte de support clinique en institutionou comme préparation à un travail de psychothérapie. Nouspensons que la structure formelle des haïkus peut inviter à untravail poétique spécifique : évocation poétique, synthèse etschématisation des vécus plus intimes en milieu oncologique

Longitudinal Metagenomic Analysis of the Water and Soil from Gulf of Mexico Beaches Affected by the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill

Estimates of 7x105 cubic meters of crude oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico as a consequence of the April 20th, 2010 Deep Water Horizon drilling rig explosion, leaving thousands of square miles of earth's surface covered in crude oil. Dispersants were used on large slicks and injected at the well head, resulting in oil being suspended throughout the water column. Starting in June 2010, oil reached hundreds of miles of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida shoreline disturbing the ecological balance and economic stability of the region. While visible damages are evident in the wildlife populations and marine estuaries, the most significant affect may be on the most basic level of the ecosystems: the bacterial and plankton populations.We present results from high throughput DNA sequencing of close-to-shore water and beach soil samples before and during the appearance of oil in Louisiana and Mississippi. Sixteen samples were taken over a two month period at approximately two week intervals from Grand Isle, LA and Gulfport, MS and were sequenced using the Illumina GAIIx platform. Significant genomic-based population fluctuations were observed in the soil and water samples. These included large spikes in the human pathogen Vibrio cholera, a sharp increase in Rickettsiales sp., and decrease of Synechococus sp. in water samples. Analysis of the contiguous de-novo assembled DNAs (contigs) from the samples also suggested the loss of biodiversity in water samples by the time oil appeared at the shores in both locations. Our observations lead us to the conclusion that oil strongly influenced microbial population dynamics, had a striking impact on the phytoplankton and other flora present prior to the appearance of oil, and that the microbial community had not recovered to pre-spill conditions by the end of our observational period

MicroRNA-21 links epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and inflammatory signals to confer resistance to neoadjuvant trastuzumab and chemotherapy in HER2-positive breast cancer patients

Patients with primary HER2-positive breast cancer benefit from HER2-targeted therapies. Nevertheless, a significant proportion of these patients die of disease progression due to mechanisms of drug resistance. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as critical core regulators of drug resistance that act by modulating the epithelial- to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer-related immune responses. In this study, we investigated the association between the expression of a specific subset of 14 miRNAs involved in EMT processes and immune functions and the response to neoadjuvant trastuzumab and chemotherapy in 52 patients with HER2-overexpressing breast tumors. The expression of only a single miRNA, miR-21, was significantly associated with residual disease (p = 0.030) and increased after trastuzumab-chemotherapy (p = 0.012). A target prediction analysis coupled with in vitro and in vivo validations revealed that miR-21 levels inversely correlated with the expression of PTEN (rs = -0.502; p = 0.005) and PDCD4 (rs = -0.426; p = 0.019), which differentially influenced the drug sensitivity of HER2-positive breast cancer cells. However, PTEN expression was only marginally associated with residual disease. We further demonstrated that miR-21 was able to affect the response to both trastuzumab and chemotherapy, triggering an IL-6/STAT3/NF-\u3baB-mediated signaling loop and activating the PI3K pathway. Our findings support the ability of miR-21 signaling to sustain EMT and shape the tumor immune microenvironment in HER2-positive breast cancer. Collectively, these data provide a rationale for using miR-21 expression as a biomarker to select trastuzumab-chemotherapy-resistant HER2-positive breast cancer patients who may benefit from treatments containing PI3K inhibitors or immunomodulatory drugs

miRpower: a web-tool to validate survival-associated miRNAs utilizing expression data from 2178 breast cancer patients

PURPOSE: The proper validation of prognostic biomarkers is an important clinical issue in breast cancer research. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as a new class of promising breast cancer biomarkers. In the present work, we developed an integrated online bioinformatic tool to validate the prognostic relevance of miRNAs in breast cancer. METHODS: A database was set up by searching the GEO, EGA, TCGA, and PubMed repositories to identify datasets with published miRNA expression and clinical data. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to validate the prognostic value of a set of 41 previously published survival-associated miRNAs. RESULTS: All together 2178 samples from four independent datasets were integrated into the system including the expression of 1052 distinct human miRNAs. In addition, the web-tool allows for the selection of patients, which can be filtered by receptors status, lymph node involvement, histological grade, and treatments. The complete analysis tool can be accessed online at: www.kmplot.com/mirpower . We used this tool to analyze a large number of deregulated miRNAs associated with breast cancer features and outcome, and confirmed the prognostic value of 26 miRNAs. A significant correlation in three out of four datasets was validated only for miR-29c and miR-101. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we established an integrated platform capable to mine all available miRNA data to perform a survival analysis for the identification and validation of prognostic miRNA markers in breast cancer