Concussion: Will Smith as pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu

Concussion

Will Smith as pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu

James A. Robb, Lynn Bry, Patrick M. Sluss, Elizabeth A. Wagar, Mary F. Kennedy, and for the College of American Pathologists Diagnostic Intelligence and Health Information Technology Biorepository Working Group 2 (2015) A Call to Standardize Preanalytic Data Elements for Biospecimens, Part II. Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine: September 2015, Vol. 139, No. 9, pp. 1125-1128.

CAP LABORATORY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS

A Call to Standardize Preanalytic Data Elements for Biospecimens, Part II

James A. Robb, MD; Lynn Bry, MD, PhD; Patrick M. Sluss, PhD; Elizabeth A. Wagar, MD; Mary F. Kennedy, CT(ASCP), MPH; for the College of American Pathologists Diagnostic Intelligence and Health Information Technology Biorepository Working Group 2

From the Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital (Dr Bry), and the Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital (Dr Sluss), Boston; the Department of Pathology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (Dr Wagar); and the College of American Pathologists, Northfield, Illinois (Ms Kennedy). Dr Robb is a consulting pathologist in Boca Raton, Florida.

Context.— Biospecimens must have appropriate clinical annotation (data) to ensure optimal quality for both patient care and research. Additional clinical preanalytic variables are the focus of this continuing study.

Objective.— To complete the identification of the essential preanalytic variables (data fields) that can, and in some instances should, be attached to every collected biospecimen by adding the additional specific variables for clinical chemistry and microbiology to our original 170 variables.

Design.— The College of American Pathologists Diagnostic Intelligence and Health Information Technology Committee sponsored a second Biorepository Working Group to complete the list of preanalytic variables for annotating biospecimens. Members of the second Biorepository Working Group are experts in clinical pathology and microbiology. Additional preanalytic area–specific variables were identified and ranked along with definitions and potential negative impacts if the variable is not attached to the biospecimen. The draft manuscript was reviewed by additional national and international stakeholders.

Results.— Four additional required preanalytic variables were identified specifically for clinical chemistry and microbiology biospecimens that can be used as a guide for site-specific implementation into patient care and research biorepository processes.

Humana suddenly drops Baylor doctors out of network

Humana suddenly drops Baylor doctors out of network

By Jenny Deam

"The decision by Humana also set off alarm bells at Baylor, where administrators were shocked by the change they say came out of nowhere. National health policy experts, too, call the decision both unusual and troubling because it extends the ways insurance companies are finding to narrow coverage options even as the federal health care law works to expand access for more Americans.

..........

Orlowski said there have been scattered examples across the country of some marketplace plans severely limiting access to faculty doctors connected with academic hospitals. She now worries that trend is spreading to group plans as well.

"On the one hand teaching hospitals and their doctors tend to be the most expensive. But on the other hand they are also very good at complex care. They often offer a lot of services other hospitals don't," she said."

HT:JS

Amr Mahmoud and Michael Bennett (2015) Introducing 3-Dimensional Printing of a Human Anatomic Pathology Specimen: Potential Benefits for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Education and Anatomic Pathology Practice. Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine: August 2015, Vol. 139, No. 8, pp. 1048-1051.

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Introducing 3-Dimensional Printing of a Human Anatomic Pathology Specimen: Potential Benefits for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Education and Anatomic Pathology Practice

Amr Mahmoud, MB BCh; Michael Bennett, MRCPI, PhD, FFPath RCPI

From the Pathology Department, School of Medicine, University College Cork (Dr Mahmoud), and the Pathology Department, National Cancer Screening Service, Cork University Hospital (Dr Bennett), Cork, Ireland.

Context.— Three-dimensional (3D) printing, a rapidly advancing technology, is widely applied in fields such as mechanical engineering and architecture. Three-dimensional printing has been introduced recently into medical practice in areas such as reconstructive surgery, as well as in clinical research. Three-dimensionally printed models of anatomic and autopsy pathology specimens can be used for demonstrating pathology entities to undergraduate medical, dental, and biomedical students, as well as for postgraduate training in examination of gross specimens for anatomic pathology residents and pathology assistants, aiding clinicopathological correlation at multidisciplinary team meetings, and guiding reconstructive surgical procedures.

Objective.— To apply 3D printing in anatomic pathology for teaching, training, and clinical correlation purposes.

Design.— Multicolored 3D printing of human anatomic pathology specimens was achieved using a ZCorp 510 3D printer (3D Systems, Rock Hill, South Carolina) following creation of a 3D model using Autodesk 123D Catch software (Autodesk, Inc, San Francisco, California).

Results.— Three-dimensionally printed models of anatomic pathology specimens created included pancreatoduodenectomy (Whipple operation) and radical nephrectomy specimens. The models accurately depicted the topographic anatomy of selected specimens and illustrated the anatomic relation of excised lesions to adjacent normal tissues.

Conclusions.— Three-dimensional printing of human anatomic pathology specimens is achievable. Advances in 3D printing technology may further improve the quality of 3D printable anatomic pathology specimens.

Am J Surg Pathol. 2014 Jul;38(7):990-8. doi: 10.1097/PAS.0000000000000200.

Well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma with invasive foci.

Churg A1, Allen T, Borczuk AC, Cagle PT, Galateau-Sallé F, Hwang H, Murer B, Murty VV, Ordonez N, Tazelaar HD, Wick M.

Author information

• 1*Department of Pathology, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada †Department of Pathology, The University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston §Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital **Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX ‡Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY ¶PhenoPath Laboratories, Seattle, WA ††Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Scottsdale, AZ ‡‡Department of Pathology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA ∥Department of Pathology, CHU Caen, Caen, France #Department of Clinical Pathology, Ospedale dell'Angelo Venezia, Mestre, Italy.

Abstract

Well-differentiated papillary mesotheliomas (WDPMs) are usually encountered as incidental findings in the peritoneal cavity in women. Most WDPMs are benign, and the histologic features that indicate a more aggressive course are controversial. We report 20 cases of WDPM, which contained invasive foci. Thirteen cases arose in the peritoneal cavity, 1 in a hernia sac, 3 in the pleural cavity, and 3 in hydroceles. The female:male ratio was 16:4, and age range was 7 to 74 years. Tumor was multifocal in 15 cases. Some tumors showed back-to-back papillae, a pattern mimicking invasion but discernible on pan-keratin stain as compressive crowding. True invasive patterns ranged from simple bland-appearing glands invading the stalks of the papillae to solid foci of invasive tumor of higher cytologic grade than the original WDPM. All 5 tested cases were negative for p16 deletion by fluorescence in situ hybridization, but 2/3 had abnormal karyotypes. Recurrences were seen in 8 patients, and in 4 multiple recurrences were documented. Of 16 patients with follow-up, 14 are alive from periods of 6 months to 6 years (average 3.5 y), and 2 have known recurrent disease. One patient died of disseminated tumor at 8 years but without histologic confirmation of the nature of the tumor. We conclude that WDPM with invasive foci in the papillae appear to be prone to multifocality and recurrence, but that they rarely give rise to life-threatening disease. We suggest that these lesions be called WDPM with invasive foci to alert clinicians to the possibility of recurrence.

Nannystate big gulp redux

NY Politician Is Looking to Resurrect the Soda Ban Just for Minors

"Fortunately, there is no interest in the NY State Senate (so far) to sponsor this garbage legislation. Kill it with fire."

Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2014 Sep 15;307(6):L435-48. doi: 10.1152/ajplung.00234.2013. Epub 2014 Aug 1.

Silencing Bruton's tyrosine kinase in alveolar neutrophils protects mice from LPS/immune complex-induced acute lung injury.

Krupa A1, Fol M2, Rahman M3, Stokes KY4, Florence JM3, Leskov IL4, Khoretonenko MV4, Matthay MA5, Liu KD5, Calfee CS5, Tvinnereim A3, Rosenfield GR3,Kurdowska AK6.

Author information

• 1Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, Tyler, Texas; Institute of Medical Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodz, Poland;
• 2Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, Tyler, Texas; Department of Immunology and Infectious Biology, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
• 3Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, Tyler, Texas;
• 4Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Center for Molecular and Tumor Virology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, Louisiana;
• 5Departments of Medicine and Anesthesia, University of California, San Francisco, California; and.
• 6Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, Tyler, Texas; anna.kurdowska@uthct.edu.

Abstract

Previous observations made by our laboratory indicate that Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) may play an important role in the pathophysiology of local inflammation in acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We have shown that there is cross talk between FcγRIIa and TLR4 in alveolar neutrophils from patients with ALI/ARDS and that Btk mediates the molecular cooperation between these two receptors. To study the function of Btk in vivo we have developed a unique two-hit model of ALI: LPS/immune complex (IC)-induced ALI. Furthermore, we conjugated F(ab)2 fragments of anti-neutrophil antibodies (Ly6G1A8) with specific siRNA for Btk to silence Btk specifically in alveolar neutrophils. It should be stressed that we are the first group to perform noninvasive transfections of neutrophils, both in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, our present findings indicate that silencing Btk in alveolar neutrophils has a dramatic protective effect in mice with LPS/IC-induced ALI, and that Btk regulates neutrophil survival and clearance of apoptotic neutrophils in this model. In conclusion, we put forward a hypothesis that Btk-targeted neutrophil specific therapy is a valid goal of research geared toward restoring homeostasis in lungs of patients with ALI/ARDS.

"The statistics of physical inactivity in the U.S. are staggering."

‘Epidemic’ of Inactivity Tied to Poor Health, Rising Costs

By Rick Nauert PhD

"The statistics of physical inactivity in the U.S. are staggering. According to Healthy People 2020, approximately 36 percent of adults do not engage in any leisure-time physical activity, despite the fact that walking may be comparable to more vigorous exercise in preventing a cardiovascular event.

Even in patients who have had a heart attack and who undergo cardiac rehabilitation, it’s estimated that less than 15 percent actually participate in cardiac rehabilitation following discharge."

Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2015 Aug 21:1-3. [Epub ahead of print]

Post-Ebolavirus disease syndrome: What do we know?

Carod-Artal FJ1.

Author information

• 1a 1 Neurology Department, Raigmore hospital, Old Perth road, IV2 3UJ, Inverness, UK.

Abstract

As the current Zaire ebolavirus disease outbreak in West Africa fades, the health problems of the more than 16,500 survivors have come to light. A wide range of mental and physical symptoms may occur during the convalescence stage. Reported symptoms of "post-Ebolavirus disease syndrome" (PEVDS) include chronic joint and muscle pain, fatigue, anorexia, hearing loss, blurred vision, headache, sleep disturbances, low mood and short-term memory problems. PEVDS has been associated with a decrease in functionality and difficulties to return to work. Further studies are needed to fully categorize the clinical spectrum of PEVDS. Diagnostic criteria and surrogate markers for the early diagnosis of PEVDS, and implementation of specialized health services to treat and follow-up survivors are also needed.

No, Democrats, the American system isn't rigged

No, Democrats, the American system isn't rigged


"It is unquestionably true that money often distorts political outcomes, because it plays an intolerably large role in the political system. Warren, Sanders and Lessig are right to emphasize that monied interests sometimes block desirable action. And as Nobel Prize-winning economists George Akerlof and Robert Shiller explain in a forthcoming book, those interests have especially harmful effects on complex or technical issues to which ordinary voters pay little attention."

"...Goffman’s admitted conduct raises serious questions about the ethical obligations of social science researchers in general, and ethnographers in particular."

Alice Goffman on the run

Paul Campos

"Third, Lubet points out that Goffman omits to provide readers of On the Run the story of what happened to Chuck’s killers, which is a significant omission for reasons that his article makes clear. He also emphasizes that Goffman’s admitted conduct raises serious questions about the ethical obligations of social science researchers in general, and ethnographers in particular."



HT: DC

J Med Ethics. 2015 Aug 14. pii: medethics-2014-102599. doi: 10.1136/medethics-2014-102599. [Epub ahead of print]

Ethical implications of HIV self-testing.

Youngs J1, Hooper C2.

Author information

• 1Department of Renal Medicine, St George's Healthcare NHS Trust, St George's Hospital, London, UK.
• 2Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education, St George's University of London, London, UK.

Abstract

In April 2015, the first legally approved HIV self-testing kit went on sale in the UK-except Northern Ireland where they remain illegal. These tests allow individuals to test their HIV status and read the result in the privacy of their own home, much like a home pregnancy test. This paper explores the ethical implications of HIV self-testing. We conclude that there are no strong ethical objections to self-testing being made widely available in the UK. Pretest counselling for an HIV test is not an ethical necessity, and self-testing has the potential to increase early diagnosis of HIV infection and thus improve prognosis and reduce ongoing transmission. Self-testing kits might also empower people and promote autonomy by allowing people to dictate the terms on which they test their HIV status. We accept that there are some potential areas of concern. These include the possibility of user error with the tests, and the concern that individuals may not present to health services following a reactive result. False negatives have the potential to cause harm if the 'window period' is not understood, and false positives might produce psychological distress. There is, however, little evidence to suggest that self-testing kits will cause widespread harm, and we argue that the only way to properly evaluate whether they do cause significant harm is to carefully evaluate their use, now that they are available on the market.

""What the former president has, he said, is melanoma..."

Jimmy Carter Cancer Spreads

Jimmy Carter 'at ease' as he prepares for first radiation treatment on cancer spots on brain.

"What the former president has, he said, is melanoma, and experts say his lifelong activities may have increased his risk for skin cancer. He lives in the South, is fair-skinned and freckled, and through Habitat for Humanity and travel, has spent a lot of time outdoors, noted Dr. Anna Pavlick, co-director of the melanoma program at NYU's Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center."

"The heterogeneity and complexity of advanced cancers strongly support the rationale for an enhanced focus on molecular prevention as a priority strategy to reduce the burden of cancer."

CA Cancer J Clin. 2015 Aug 18. doi: 10.3322/caac.21287. [Epub ahead of print]

Molecular cancer prevention: Current status and future directions.

Maresso KC1, Tsai KY2, Brown PH3, Szabo E4, Lippman S5, Hawk ET6.

Author information

• 1Program Manager, Division of Cancer Prevention & Population Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
• 2Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
• 3Chair, Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
• 4Chair, Lung and Upper Aerodigestive Cancer Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
• 5Director, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA.
• 6Vice President and Division Head, Boone Pickens Distinguished Chair for Early Prevention of Cancer, Division of Cancer Prevention & Population Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.

Abstract

The heterogeneity and complexity of advanced cancers strongly support the rationale for an enhanced focus on molecular prevention as a priority strategy to reduce the burden of cancer. Molecular prevention encompasses traditional chemopreventive agents as well as vaccinations and therapeutic approaches to cancer-predisposing conditions. Despite challenges to the field, we now have refined insights into cancer etiology and early pathogenesis; successful risk assessment and new risk models; agents with broad preventive efficacy (eg, aspirin) in common chronic diseases, including cancer; and a successful track record of more than 10 agents approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of precancerous lesions or cancer risk reduction. The development of molecular preventive agents does not differ significantly from the development of therapies for advanced cancers, yet it has unique challenges and special considerations given that it most often involves healthy or asymptomatic individuals. Agents, biomarkers, cohorts, overall design, and endpoints are key determinants of molecular preventive trials, as with therapeutic trials, although distinctions exist for each within the preventive setting. Progress in the development and evolution of molecular preventive agents has been steadier in some organ systems, such as breast and skin, than in others. In order for molecular prevention to be fully realized as an effective strategy, several challenges to the field must be addressed. Here, the authors provide a brief overview of the context for and special considerations of molecular prevention along with a discussion of the results from major randomized controlled trials. 

Nationalized health care: "...the system is wide open to abuse..."

NHS is 'fuelling Britain's obesity crisis' by funding prescriptions for PIZZAS and BURGERS

"Another said that the system is wide open to abuse, with one patient even being caught bulk-ordering gluten-free flour on prescription and using it for an online cake business.


Although only coeliacs should be eligible for the handouts, medics believe that some people are abusing the system to feed their whole families even if they have not been properly diagnosed with the condition."

J Ment Health. 2015 Jul 20:1-6. [Epub ahead of print]

What is the impact of self-stigma? Loss of self-respect and the "why try" effect.

Corrigan PW1, Bink AB, Schmidt A, Jones N, Rüsch N.

Author information

• 1Department of Psychology, Illinois Institute of Technology , Chicago, IL , USA .

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The "Why Try" phenomenon, a consequence of self-stigma, is a sense of futility that occurs when people believe they are unworthy or incapable of achieving personal goals because they apply the stereotypes of mental illness to themselves.

AIMS:

This study examines a four-stage model of self-stigma (aware, agree, apply, and self-stigma harm) and examines the "why try" effect as a result. We do that by testing a measure of "why try."

METHOD:

Two hypothetical path models were tested. In the first, applying stereotypes to oneself leads to diminished self-respect and a sense of "why try". In the second, the effect of applying stereotypes on "why try" is mediated by diminished self-respect. Participants completed the "why try" measure along with measures of self-stigma, public stigma, recovery, and empowerment.

RESULTS:

Results show application of stereotypes to oneself predicts diminished self-respect and "why try". "Why try" was significantly associated with agreement with public stigma, depression, and diminished sense of personal recovery.

CONCLUSIONS:

Findings from this study reveal the complex impact of self-stigma demonstrating its emotional and behavioral consequences. Implications for impacting self-stigma are discussed.

Nearly half of all adults do absolutely NO exercise

Big Fat Zero: Nearly half of all adults do absolutely NO exercise a new study has revealed

A NEW survey into British lifestyles has revealed the shocking levels of laziness and obesity in the UK.

Why women’s clothing sizes make no sense

When more is less: Why women’s clothing sizes make no sense

"Enter the era of vanity sizing. Clothing manufacturers realized that they could flatter consumers by revising sizes downward. The measurements that added up to a size 12 in 1958 would get redefined to a size 6 by 2011. And different manufacturers defined sizes differently too — a fascinating New York Times graphic from 2011 shows how a size 8 waist measurement could differ by as much as 5 inches of cloth between different designers."

"Muckraking journalism is 'a perverse stepchild of the culture of freedom'; that said, for as long as we want to champion freedom of speech it remains a necessary evil we must put up with."

Dying art

by Malcolm Forbes

"Vargas Llosa is consistently adept at showing us both sides of the coin, causes and effects, the rough and the smooth. He concedes that culture can be a “pleasing pastime” but argues that if it is only this then the concept becomes debased and is transformed into a cheap catch-all term that apportions equal weight to a Verdi opera and a Rolling Stones concert. Muckraking journalism is “a perverse stepchild of the culture of freedom”; that said, for as long as we want to champion freedom of speech it remains a necessary evil we must put up with."

"...normally clothes don't tell lies."

7 ways you lie to yourself about your weight

My jeans don't fit because they shrunk in the wash.
Sure, this might be true with some of your clothing, said Dr. Brian Quebbemann, a bariatric surgeon in Newport Beach, Calif. "All my patients know, however, that normally clothes don't tell lies. If you ask, 'Have I gained weight?' just put on that sleek dress, or Speedo from your swim team days, and you'll have the honest answer."

Absolutely Amazonian

Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace

"At Amazon, workers are encouraged to tear apart one another’s ideas in meetings, toil long and late (emails arrive past midnight, followed by text messages asking why they were not answered), and held to standards that the company boasts are “unreasonably high.” The internal phone directory instructs colleagues on how to send secret feedback to one another’s bosses. Employees say it is frequently used to sabotage others. (The tool offers sample texts, including this: “I felt concerned about his inflexibility and openly complaining about minor tasks.”)"

HT:CRA

Wikipedia: still not a substitute for medical school textbooks

PLoS One. 2015 Aug 14;10(8):e0134454. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134454.

Content Volatility of Scientific Topics in Wikipedia: A Cautionary Tale.

Wilson AM1, Likens GE2.

Author information

• 1Geography Department, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States of America; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States of America.
• 2Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States of America; Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York, United States of America.

Abstract

Wikipedia has quickly become one of the most frequently accessed encyclopedic references, despite the ease with which content can be changed and the potential for 'edit wars' surrounding controversial topics. Little is known about how this potential for controversy affects the accuracy and stability of information on scientific topics, especially those with associated political controversy. Here we present an analysis of the Wikipedia edit histories for seven scientific articles and show that topics we consider politically but not scientifically "controversial" (such as evolution and global warming) experience more frequent edits with more words changed per day than pages we consider "noncontroversial" (such as the standard model in physics or heliocentrism). For example, over the period we analyzed, the global warming page was edited on average (geometric mean ±SD) 1.9±2.7 times resulting in 110.9±10.3 words changed per day, while the standard model in physics was only edited 0.2±1.4 times resulting in 9.4±5.0 words changed per day. The high rate of change observed in these pages makes it difficult for experts to monitor accuracy and contribute time-consuming corrections, to the possible detriment of scientific accuracy. As our society turns to Wikipedia as a primary source of scientific information, it is vital we read it critically and with the understanding that the content is dynamic and vulnerable to vandalism and other shenanigans.

Growth Horm IGF Res. 2015 Jul 20. pii: S1096-6374(15)30019-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ghir.2015.07.008. [Epub ahead of print]

Crosstalk between the TNF and IGF pathways enhances NF-κB activation and signaling in cancer cells.

Li S1, Pinard M2, Wang Y2, Yang L1, Lin R3, Hiscott J4, Su B5, Brodt P6.

Author information

• 1Dept of Medicine, McGill University and the McGill University Health Center, Canada.
• 2Dept of Surgery, McGill University and the McGill University Health Center, Canada.
• 3Dept of Medicine, McGill University and the McGill University Health Center, Canada; The Terry Fox Molecular Oncology Group, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montreal QC, Canada.
• 4Dept of Medicine, McGill University and the McGill University Health Center, Canada; Dept of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Canada; The Terry Fox Molecular Oncology Group, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montreal QC, Canada.
• 5Dept of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.
• 6Dept of Medicine, McGill University and the McGill University Health Center, Canada; Dept of Surgery, McGill University and the McGill University Health Center, Canada. Electronic address: pnina.brodt@mcgill.ca.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The receptor for type I insulin like growth factor (IGF-IR) and NFκB signaling both play essential roles in cancer initiation and progression but relatively little is known about possible crosstalk between these pathways. We have shown that the IGF-IR could rescue lung and colon carcinoma cells from Tumor necrosis factor -α (ΤΝF-α)-induced apoptosis by activating autocrine, pro-survival IL-6/gp130/STAT3 signaling, suggesting that IGF-IR expression could alter NF-κB signaling that is required for transcriptional activation of IL-6.

OBJECTIVE:

Here we sought to determine if and how IGF-IR signaling promotes TNF-α-induced NFκB activation.

DESIGN:

We used lung carcinoma M-27 and colon carcinoma MC-38 cells to investigate IGF-IR-induced changes to the IKK/IκBα/NFκB pathway by a combination of qPCR, Western blotting, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, a reporter assay and gene silencing.

RESULTS:

We show that in the presence of increased IGF-IR expression or activation levels, nuclear translocation of NFκB in response to TNF-α was enhanced in lung and colon carcinoma cells and this was due to accelerated phosphorylation and degradation of IκBα. This effect was AKT-dependent and mediated via mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 3(MEKK3) activation.

CONCLUSION:

The results suggest that ligand-mediated activation of IGF-IR alters NF-κB signaling in cancer cells in an AKT/MEKK3-dependent manner and that temporal aspects of NF-κB activation can regulate the cytokine profile of the tumor cells and thereby, their interaction with the microenvironment.

"We worship purposefulness."

In Praise of Boredom

By Claire Messud

"But the message that our generation has disseminated into the broader culture isn’t this. It isn’t even conflicted. We’ve cast off the grousing of our elders and are teaching our children differently. We waste resources galore (in spite of our belated efforts to change), and, glued to our devices, playing video games, or checking the Daily Mail, we waste enormous amounts of time — even while pretending otherwise. I can’t tell you how many women I see buying bathing suits on their phones on the subway. But we persuade ourselves that this is a more substantive activity than having coffee with a friend: shopping while traveling, we’re multitasking! We worship purposefulness. To embark on an endeavor that has no clear aim — to amble through a city, or to spend an entire afternoon conversing in a restaurant, or to lie in bed and read a book chosen at random from the shelf, or to major in English literature, for that matter — has come to be seen as wasteful."

The Coddling of the American Mind

The Coddling of the American Mind

In the name of emotional well-being, college students are increasingly demanding protection from words and ideas they don’t like. Here’s why that’s disastrous for education—and mental health.

"Burns defines emotional reasoning as assuming “that your negative emotions necessarily reflect the way things really are: ‘I feel it, therefore it must be true.’ ” Leahy, Holland, and McGinn define it as letting “your feelings guide your interpretation of reality.” But, of course, subjective feelings are not always trustworthy guides; unrestrained, they can cause people to lash out at others who have done nothing wrong. Therapy often involves talking yourself down from the idea that each of your emotional responses represents something true or important.

Emotional reasoning dominates many campus debates and discussions. A claim that someone’s words are “offensive” is not just an expression of one’s own subjective feeling of offendedness. It is, rather, a public charge that the speaker has done something objectively wrong. It is a demand that the speaker apologize or be punished by some authority for committing an offense."

"Violence is not a simple, self-contained phenomenon with a straightforward set of causes, and thus a common package of remedies."

Rowan Williams: Violence is an unavoidable part of being human

Violence in human beings has something to do with our sense of meaning, our sense that something is at stake in our identity or integrity.

"Violence is not a simple, self-contained phenomenon with a straightforward set of causes, and thus a common package of remedies. It is one of the things that happens to and in human beings, precisely because human beings are always “transgressing” simple states of placid self-satisfaction and passive coexistence, and discovering or generating new things to care about, to invest themselves in – people, causes, faiths (secular or otherwise). We project ourselves into the life of others and their lives are projected into ours. We live not as rational atoms, but on the edge of various sorts of “ecstasy”. When this capacity for  ecstasy takes root, perhaps in damaged or weakly developed egos, it becomes a ­capacity for forcible and uncontrolled intrusion into the reality of what is other – because the other is felt to be intruding on the self."

J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv. 2015 Aug 1;53(8):18-22. doi: 10.3928/02793695-20150720-03.

Binge Eating Disorder and Youth.

Lipsky RK, McGuinness TM.

Abstract

Children and adolescents who eat unusually large amounts of food, feel guilty about it, and try to hide their overeating may be struggling with binge eating disorder (BED), a condition associated with suicidal ideation and other eating disorders. Although BED is new to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the syndrome is becoming increasingly recognized. The study of BED in children and adolescents is in its natal phase, but the importance of recognition and possible treatment strategies are discussed in the current article along with psychiatric nursing implications.

Proc Nutr Soc. 2015 Aug 12:1-11. [Epub ahead of print]

The wasting continuum in heart failure: from sarcopenia to cachexia.

von Haehling S1.

Author information

• 1Department of Cardiology and Pneumology,University of Göttingen Medical School,Göttingen,Germany.

Abstract

Sarcopenia (muscle wasting) and cachexia share some pathophysiological aspects. Sarcopenia affects approximately 20 %, cachexia <10 % of ambulatory patients with heart failure (HF). Whilst sarcopenia means loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength that predominantly affects postural rather than non-postural muscles, cachexia means loss of muscle and fat tissue that leads to weight loss. The wasting continuum in HF implies that skeletal muscle is lost earlier than fat tissue and may lead from sarcopenia to cachexia. Both tissues require conservation, and therapies that stop the wasting process have tremendous therapeutic appeal. The present paper reviews the pathophysiology of muscle and fat wasting in HF and discusses potential treatments, including exercise training, appetite stimulants, essential amino acids, growth hormone, testosterone, electrical muscle stimulation, ghrelin and its analogues, ghrelin receptor agonists and myostatin antibodies.