Dietary intake of arginine can enhance the immune response against cancer

https://goo.gl/dx2kyW

A study led by researchers from the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) affiliated to the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), shows that L-arginine, an amino acid that is consumed through diet, can boost the activity of a particular type of immune cells, so called T cells. When the levels of L-arginine are increased the metabolism of these cells is re-organized and the cells survive longer and are more effective in fighting tumors. These findings are published in the renowned scientific journal Cell and open up new ways to improve T cell therapies against cancer.

This possibility was tested in the laboratory of Federica Sallusto (IRB Bellinzona) and led to the discovery that orally administered L-arginine endowed T cells with a higher survival capacity and a better effectiveness against tumors. To understand the underlying molecular mechanism, the researchers collaborated with another team headed by Paola Picotti (ETH Zürich) that developed a method for the identification of proteins that interact with metabolites. Using this approach three proteins were identified that sense increased L-arginine levels and participate in the remodeling of T cells toward increased survival.


Final Nursing Home Rule: Big Changes!

Decent if not perfect overview of the huge rule in slide form...

Making the greatest changes to nursing home care since the passage of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act in 1987, the Center for Medicare Services published the final rule for requirements of care delivery in long term care facilities on October 4.  The new regulations, which you can read about here, dictated by the final rule will be implemented in phases over the next 4 years, the first of which will take effect November 28, 2016.

We have taken the liberty of scanning the 700-page document and sharing what we believe to be the biggest take-aways in this short slide-show!


Reporting of adverse events in targeted therapy and immunotherapy trials is "suboptimal"

This is especially important because of the far-reaching complexity of every part of our immune system.....

https://goo.gl/U23kCB

In this study, researchers reviewed publications from 81 trials of targeted therapies and immunotherapies approved by the US Food and Drug Administration between 2000-2015 for solid malignancies in adult patients. Each publication was assessed according to a 24-point score card based on the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidance.

More than 90% of trials scored poorly in their reporting of recurrent and late toxicities, and in reporting the duration of adverse events; 86% of trials did not adequately report on the time of the adverse event occurrence; and 75% of trials only reported on adverse events that occurred at a frequency above a fixed threshold.

More than half of the analysed papers showed limitations in the method for presenting adverse events, in describing the toxicities leading to therapy withdrawal, and in the follow-up interval assessment, while dose reductions due to adverse events were not reported in one-third of trials.

"Toxicities of targeted agents and immunotherapy are obviously different from the toxicities we are used to observing and treating due to chemotherapy, and there are some aspects of the toxicities of these newer agents that we are not so well informed about," Dr Bossi said.

He highlighted the issue of duration of an adverse event - the so-called 'third axis' (the other being severity and frequency) in the evaluation of toxicities - which is not regularly considered with a new drug comes to market.

How changes in barometric pressure affect the human body

Actual information, not just anecdotes.....

https://goo.gl/qlTS5M

Although it's been indicated as a possible cause for everything from changes in blood pressure to an increase in joint pain, it can be difficult to pinpoint barometric pressure changes as the definitive cause for these issues when so many other atmospheric changes — like temperature, precipitation and wind speed and direction — often accompany shifts in weather.

Blood pressure: 

Headaches: 

Joint pain: 

Blood sugar: 

Vestibular Disorder, Vertigo And Falls – Infographic

Though Canadian data, the infographic is useful for us too.....

https://goo.gl/SRBm8L

Vestibular disorders affect the parts of the inner ear and brain that process sensory information, which are tasked with controlling balance and eye movements (vestibular system).

If this system succumbs to disease or is injured, then problems with balance or dizziness can happen, and falls can occur. Vestibular disorders also can be a result of, or be made more pronounced by, genetics.

With about 7 million people annually seeing their healthcare provider for symptoms of dizziness and injuries from falls causing about one-half of deaths due to injury, this is a very serious issue; especially for older adults.

You will find this infographic by Sturgeon Valley Physiotherapy very informative about these issues.

Vitamin E may prevent pneumonia in nonsmoking elderly men

https://goo.gl/PnCaLJ

Administration of 50 mg per day of vitamin E decreased the risk of pneumonia in elderly male smokers by 72% after theyquit smoking, according to a paper published in Clinical Interventions in Aging.

The age when the participant had started to smoke significantly modified the effect of vitamin E on pneumonia. Vitamin E decreased the risk of pneumonia by 35% in 7,469 participants who had started smoking at a later age, at 21 years or older, whereas the vitamin had no apparent effect on pneumonia for those who had started to smoke at a younger age.

Among the 7,469 participants who started to smoke at a later age, vitamin E supplementation reduced the incidence of pneumonia by 69% in a subgroup of 2,216 light smokers who exercised in their leisure time. In this subgroup, vitamin E prevented pneumonia in 12.9% of the participants by the time they reached the age of 74 years, which corresponds to one in eight getting a benefit from the vitamin. The vitamin did not have a significant effect on participants who smoked heavily or had not been taking exercise.


AAP researchers release guidelines on new pediatric neurobehavioral disorder

The field seems to be evolving toward a kind of continuum of disability characteristics resulting from alcohol exposure during pregnancy....

https://goo.gl/OGae7I

The CDC reported that 10.2% of pregnant women consumed alcohol within the last 30 days and 3.1% reported binge drinking. Recent studies estimated that between 2% and 5% of school-aged children in the U.S. have FASD and that most of these children are not diagnosed. In addition, only 25% of children affected by alcohol exposure alcohol in utero show physical features of FASD. As a result, in 2011, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the CDC organized a group of researchers to evaluate the FASDs that lack physical features. They found that the three main features that affected this population were neuro-cognition, self-regulation and adaptive functioning. These features then formed the basis of the ND-PAE diagnostic criteria.

Neurocognitive impairment includes either global impairment, executive dysfunction, deficits in learning, memory problems or trouble with visual-spatial reasoning. These criteria can be assessed by standardized testing, clinical observation or clinical history. Approximately 86% of individuals with FASDs have an IQ in the low average or borderline ranges.

Self-regulation impairment includes difficulty regulating mood or behavior, attention deficits or poor impulse control. Early signs of mood and behavior regulation problems include sleep issues or severe reactions to discomfort for infants, extended tantrums for toddlers and increased incidence of externalizing behaviors as well as severe reactions to stress for older children.

Adaptive functioning impairment can occur either in communication, social communication and interaction, daily living skills or motor skills for very young children. Children might show difficulty in understanding figurative language — idioms, jokes or sarcasm — and social communication conventions, such as how to effectively enter a conversation. Socially, they can be overly friendly with strangers and have difficult learning social rules through experience — eg, how to join a group on the playground — placing them at high risk for bullying and being manipulated by others. While a child with ND-PAE might learn hygiene or house rules, maintaining those skills is a challenge. In addition, their motor skills are impaired at the fine motor level, such as writing, or gross motor level such as coordination and balance.


Respiratory tract bacterium uncovered as trigger for Guillain-Barré syndrome

https://goo.gl/G1suaU

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute life-threatening disease of the nervous system that leads to sensory disturbances and acute flaccid paralysis. A group of researchers involving the University of Zurich has now shown for the first time that bacteria, which often cause pneumonia, can trigger the autoimmune disease GBS. Antibodies that not only attack the bacteria but also the outer layer of the body's own nerve cells are a critical step in the pathogenesis of GBS after this respiratory infection.

The bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae has been under suspicion for quite a while. Now, researchers at the University of Zurich, the University Children's Hospital Zurich, and the Erasmus University in Rotterdam have proved without a doubt that it is the culprit. In fact, mycoplasma is not only responsible for respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia in children and adults, it can also trigger Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in infected individuals. The scientists have succeeded for the first time in culturing mycoplasma from a GBS patient in a laboratory setting.

Antibodies attack not only the bacteria but also the nerve pathways

The reason for this is the similarity between structures on the surface of the bacteria and the body's own nerve-sheath structures (molecular mimicry). This leads to an immune reaction, which attacks both the mycoplasma and the surrounding myelin sheath of nerve pathways. "Antibodies recognize a certain glycolipid structure present at the cell membrane of the bacteria. These antibodies cross-react with and bind to galactocerebroside (GalC), one of the most common components of human myelin", explains Patrick Meyer Sauteur, the study's first author. This fatty substance ensures electrical conductivity of the nerve fibers. If it is destroyed, the patient experiences GBS, characterized by paralysis in arms and legs, weakness, and sensory disturbances.


Mayo Clinic earns recognition for efforts in disability-inclusion practices

You shouldn't have to go to Mayo to get accessible and inclusive medical services....

https://goo.gl/0tqDVN

Mayo Clinic has been recognized by the U.S. Business Leadership Network and the American Association of People With Disabilities for its efforts in its disability inclusion efforts. On a survey of Fortune 1,000 companies, Mayo Clinic was 1 of 42 companies that scored a perfect 100 on the Disability Equality Index. Mayo Clinic is featured on the 2016 DEI Best Places to Work list.

"It is an honor for Mayo Clinic to be recognized among the leaders in disability-inclusion practices," says Sharonne Hayes, M.D., a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and director of Mayo's Office of Diversity and Inclusion. "Mayo prides itself on bringing healing, hope and inclusiveness for not just our patients, but our employees, as well."

The Disability Mayo Employee Resource Group plays a vital role in improving the work environment and patient experience for those with disabilities.

Mayo Clinic created its Return to Work Program more than 30 years ago. Mayo collaborates with a variety of external organizations, including Rochester Public Schools, Olmsted County, the Minnesota Department of Education, and Regional Workforce Investment Board.

Return to Work brings together Occupational Health Services, employees, their supervisors and Human Resources to bring supports to employees as they recover from an injury or illness by providing accommodations that allow employees to return to the position they held before their disability, keep employees at work in a transitional job until a return to a regular assignment, or help employees in a job search if they cannot continue in their current role.