Coexistence of Two Forms of LTP in ACC Provides a Synaptic Mechanism for the Interactions between Anxiety and Chronic Pain

SummaryChronic pain can lead to anxiety and anxiety can enhance the sensation of pain.　Unfortunately, little is known about the synaptic mechanisms that mediate these re-enforcing interactions. Here we characterized two forms of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC); a presynaptic form (pre-LTP) that requires kainate receptors and a postsynaptic form (post-LTP) that requires N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. Pre-LTP also involves adenylyl cyclase and protein kinase A and is expressed via a mechanism involving hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels. Interestingly, chronic pain and anxiety both result in selective occlusion of pre-LTP. Significantly, microinjection of the HCN blocker ZD7288 into the ACC in vivo produces both anxiolytic and analgesic effects. Our results provide a mechanism by which two forms of LTP in the ACC may converge to mediate the interaction between anxiety and chronic pain

Novel Bismuth-Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide Photocatalytic Nanomaterial for Antibacterial Applications

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) have become a global concern, especially with the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria which can survive on surfaces from days to months. In order to combat these infections, a superior, next-generation antimicrobial agent was generated since conventional agents offer no residual effect beyond its single-use. This novel composite material contained a bismuth-based photocatalyst, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), a known antiseptic surfactant which does not require photoactivation, allowing antibacterial activity under both indoor fluorescent light and dark conditions. The as-prepared Bi-CTAB composites have a highly crystalline, layered sheet-like structure with the thickness of a single layer around 0.5 nm. The number of layers can be easily tuned from single layer to multiple layers by the control of the hydrolysis process. These ultra-thin Bi-CTAB composites exhibited superior antibacterial action in both light and dark conditions, tested in a modified broth microdilution assay against E. coli concentrations of 5 x 10^5 CFU/mL. In the presence of light, Bi-CTAB composites retained significant bactericidal effect after four cycles of bacterial inoculation, demonstrating an advantage over single-use conventional agents. We anticipate these assay results to be a starting point in translating the composite into clinical setting as a general disinfectant.M.Sc

Physical Frailty and Cognitive Impairment is Associated with Diabetes and Adversely Impact Functional Status and Mortality

10.1080/00325481.2018.1491779Postgraduate Medicine1306561-56

Proton Beam Therapy in the Oligometastatic/Oligorecurrent Setting: Is There a Role? A Literature Review

Background: Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) with conventional photon radiotherapy (XRT) are well-established treatment options for selected patients with oligometastatic/oligorecurrent disease. The use of PBT for SABR-SRS is attractive given the property of a lack of exit dose. The aim of this review is to evaluate the role and current utilisation of PBT in the oligometastatic/oligorecurrent setting. Methods: Using Medline and Embase, a comprehensive literature review was conducted following the PICO (Patients, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcomes) criteria, which returned 83 records. After screening, 16 records were deemed to be relevant and included in the review. Results: Six of the sixteen records analysed originated in Japan, six in the USA, and four in Europe. The focus was oligometastatic disease in 12, oligorecurrence in 3, and both in 1. Most of the studies analysed (12/16) were retrospective cohorts or case reports, two were phase II clinical trials, one was a literature review, and one study discussed the pros and cons of PBT in these settings. The studies presented in this review included a total of 925 patients. The metastatic sites analysed in these articles were the liver (4/16), lungs (3/16), thoracic lymph nodes (2/16), bone (2/16), brain (1/16), pelvis (1/16), and various sites in 2/16. Conclusions: PBT could represent an option for the treatment of oligometastatic/oligorecurrent disease in patients with a low metastatic burden. Nevertheless, due to its limited availability, PBT has traditionally been funded for selected tumour indications that are defined as curable. The availability of new systemic therapies has widened this definition. This, together with the exponential growth of PBT capacity worldwide, will potentially redefine its commissioning to include selected patients with oligometastatic/oligorecurrent disease. To date, PBT has been used with encouraging results for the treatment of liver metastases. However, PBT could be an option in those cases in which the reduced radiation exposure to normal tissues leads to a clinically significant reduction in treatment-related toxicities