The tyrosine kinase inhibitor dasatinib (SPRYCEL) inhibits chondrocyte activity and proliferation

Letter to the EditorK Vandyke, S Fitter and ACW Zannettin

A diagnostic dilemma between psychosis and post-traumatic stress disorder: a case report and review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Post-traumatic stress disorder is defined as a mental disorder that arises from the experience of traumatic life events. Research has shown a high incidence of co-morbidity between post-traumatic stress disorder and psychosis.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report the case of a 32-year-old black African woman with a history of both post-traumatic stress disorder and psychosis. Two years ago she presented to mental health services with auditory and visual hallucinations, persecutory delusions, suicidal ideation, recurring nightmares, hyper-arousal, and initial and middle insomnia. She was prescribed trifluoperazine (5 mg/day) and began cognitive-behavioral therapy for psychosis. Her psychotic symptoms gradually resolved over a period of three weeks; however, she continues to experience ongoing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. In our case report, we review both the diagnostic and treatment issues regarding post-traumatic stress disorder with psychotic symptoms.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>There are many factors responsible for the symptoms that occur in response to a traumatic event, including cognitive, affective and environmental factors. These factors may predispose both to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder and/or psychotic disorders. The independent diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder with psychotic features remains an open issue. A psychological formulation is essential regarding the appropriate treatment in a clinical setting.</p

Impact of Prison Status on HIV-Related Risk Behaviors

Baseline data were collected to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions on completion of the hepatitis A and B vaccine series among 664 sheltered and street-based homeless adults who were: (a) homeless; (b) recently (<1 year) discharged from prison; (c) discharged 1 year or more; and (d) never incarcerated. Group differences at baseline were assessed for socio–demographic characteristics, drug and alcohol use, sexual activity, mental health and public assistance. More than one-third of homeless persons (38%) reported prison time and 16% of the sample had been recently discharged from prison. Almost half of persons who were discharged from prison at least 1 year ago reported daily use of drugs and alcohol over the past 6 months compared to about 1 in 5 among those who were recently released from prison. As risk for HCV and HIV co-infection continues among homeless ex-offenders, HIV/HCV prevention efforts are needed for this population

Impact of housing on the survival of persons with AIDS

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Homeless persons with HIV/AIDS have greater morbidity and mortality, more hospitalizations, less use of antiretroviral therapy, and worse medication adherence than HIV-infected persons who are stably housed. We examined the effect of homelessness on the mortality of persons with AIDS and measured the effect of supportive housing on AIDS survival.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The San Francisco AIDS registry was used to identify homeless and housed persons who were diagnosed with AIDS between 1996 and 2006. The registry was computer-matched with a housing database of homeless persons who received housing after their AIDS diagnosis. The Kaplan-Meier product limit method was used to compare survival between persons who were homeless at AIDS diagnosis and those who were housed. Proportional hazards models were used to estimate the independent effects of homelessness and supportive housing on survival after AIDS diagnosis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 6,558 AIDS cases, 9.8% were homeless at diagnosis. Sixty-seven percent of the persons who were homeless survived five years compared with 81% of those who were housed (p < 0.0001). Homelessness increased the risk of death (adjusted relative hazard [RH] 1.20; 95% confidence limits [CL] 1.03, 1.41). Homeless persons with AIDS who obtained supportive housing had a lower risk of death than those who did not (adjusted RH 0.20; 95% CL 0.05, 0.81).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Supportive housing ameliorates the negative effect of homelessness on survival with AIDS.</p

Performance of the CMS Cathode Strip Chambers with Cosmic Rays

The Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) constitute the primary muon tracking device in the CMS endcaps. Their performance has been evaluated using data taken during a cosmic ray run in fall 2008. Measured noise levels are low, with the number of noisy channels well below 1%. Coordinate resolution was measured for all types of chambers, and fall in the range 47 microns to 243 microns. The efficiencies for local charged track triggers, for hit and for segments reconstruction were measured, and are above 99%. The timing resolution per layer is approximately 5 ns

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente

GSI-I (Z-LLNle-CHO) inhibits γ-secretase and the proteosome to trigger cell death in precursor-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Gamma secretase inhibitors (GSIs) comprise a growing class of compounds that interfere with the membrane-bound Notch signaling protein and its downstream intra-nuclear transcriptional targets. As GSI-I (Z-LLNle-CHO) is also a derivative of a widely used proteosome inhibitor MG-132, we hypothesized that this compound might be active in precursor-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell lines and patient samples. We found that GSI-I treatment of precursor-B ALL blasts induced apoptotic cell death within 18–24 h. With confirmation using RNA and protein analyses, GSI-I blocked nuclear accumulation of cleaved Notch1 and Notch2, and inhibited Notch targets Hey2 and Myc. Microarray analyses of 207 children with high-risk precursor-B ALL demonstrate that Notch pathway expression is a common feature of these neoplasms. However, microarray studies also implicated additional transcriptional targets in GSI-I-dependent cell death, including genes in the unfolded protein response, nuclear factor-κB and p53 pathways. Z-LLNle-CHO blocks both γ-secretase and proteosome activity, inducing more robust cell death in precursor-B ALL cells than either proteosome-selective or γ-secretase-selective inhibitors alone. Using Z-LLNle-CHO in a nonobese diabetes/severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID) precursor-B ALL xenograft model, we found that GSI-I alone delayed or prevented engraftment of B-lymphoblasts in 50% of the animals comprising the experimental group, suggesting that this compound is worthy of additional testing