Cost of government services: trends and comparisons for Kentucky and its neighboring states

Federal Reserve District, 8th ; Local government ; Kentucky

Mentes Positivas en Acción: Feasibility Study of a Promotor-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Stress Management Program for Low-Income Spanish-Speaking Latinas.

Purpose: Low-income Latino immigrants lack access to mental health providers. We explored the feasibility of training promotores to deliver a stress management program in community settings. Methods: We trained promotores to deliver an 8-week intervention program comprising evidence-based cognitive-behavioral stress management techniques. Trained promotores then delivered the program to Spanish-speaking Latino immigrants. Results: Promotores (n=10) improved their knowledge significantly after the training (p<0.001) and delivered the program demonstrating excellent fidelity. Participants who received the program (n=50) had significantly improved scores on immigration stress, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms (p<0.001). Conclusion: It is feasible to train Latino promotores to deliver an effective stress management program to low-income Latino immigrants in their communities. Results contribute to a growing literature on the value of such interventions in community settings. If it is found to be effective in future studies, the program could help fill a large need in the Latino community

Social support as a moderator in the relationship between intrusive thoughts and anxiety among Spanish-speaking Latinas with breast cancer.

ObjectiveIntrusive thoughts, defined as unwanted and recurrent thoughts about a stressful experience, are associated with psychological distress in women with breast cancer. This study assessed moderating effects of various social support dimensions on associations between intrusive thoughts and psychological distress among Latina breast cancer survivors.MethodsWe used baseline data from a randomized controlled trial of a stress management intervention delivered to 151 Spanish-speaking Latinas with nonmetastatic breast cancer within 1 year of diagnosis. Intrusive thoughts, four dimensions of social support (emotional/informational, tangible, affectionate, and positive social interaction), and symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed through in-person interviews. Information on age, time since diagnosis, breast cancer variables, history of depression, and marital status served as covariates. Generalized linear models were used to investigate bivariate and multivariate associations and to explore moderation effects of the four dimensions of social support.ResultsIn bivariate models, intrusive thoughts were associated positively with depression (β = .024, .001) and anxiety (β = .047, P < .001) symptoms. Adjusting for other factors, intrusive thoughts remained associated with depression symptoms (β = .022, .008), regardless of level of social support (for all support dimensions). For anxiety, there were significant interactions of tangible (β = -.013, .034) and affectionate (β = -.022, .005) support with intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts were associated more strongly with anxiety symptoms among women reporting less tangible and affectionate support than those with higher levels of these types of support.ConclusionsTangible and affectionate support have protective effects on anxiety symptoms among Spanish-speaking Latina breast cancer survivors experiencing intrusive thoughts, but not depression symptoms

The impact of modelling method selection on predicted extent and distribution of deep-sea benthic assemblages

Predictive modelling of deep-sea species and assemblages with multibeam acoustic datasets as input variables is now a key tool in the provision of maps upon which spatial planning and management of the marine environment can be based. However, with a multitude of methods available, advice is needed on the best methods for the task at hand. In this study, we predictively modelled the distribution and extent of three vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) at the assemblage level (‘Lophelia pertusa reef frameworks’; ‘Stylasterids and lobose sponges’; and ‘Xenophyophore fields’) on the eastern flank of Rockall Bank, using three modelling methods: MaxEnt; RandomForests classification with multiple assemblages (gRF); and RandomForests classification with the presence/absence of a single VME (saRF). Performance metrics indicated that MaxEnt performed the best, but all models were considered valid. All three methods broadly agreed with regard to broad patterns in distribution. However, predicted extent presented a variation of up to 35 % between the different methods, and clear differences in predicted distribution were observed. We conclude that the choice of method is likely to influence the results of predicted maps, potentially impacting political decisions about deep-sea VME conservation

Recruitment and baseline characteristics of the Community of Voices choir study to promote the health and well-being of diverse older adults.

Objective:To describe the recruitment and baseline results of the Community of Voices study that aims to examine the effect of a community choir intervention on the health and well-being of older adults from diverse racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Method:Using community-based participatory research methods, we recruited adults age 60 and over from 12 Administration on Aging-supported senior centers in San Francisco into a 2-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial of the community choir intervention. Multiple outreach methods were used. We tracked outreach, screening, and recruitment metrics and collected demographics and baseline outcomes via community-based, interviewer-administered surveys and performance measures of cognition, physical function, and psychosocial variables. Results:The study contacted 819 individuals, screened 636, and enrolled 390 diverse older adults over a 42-month, phased recruitment period. The mean age was 71.2 (SD = 7.3), and the majority were women. Two-thirds of the sample are non-white, and 20% of participants reported having financial hardship. Discussion:Outreach and recruitment methods used in the Community of Voices trial facilitated enrollment of a large proportion of minority and lower-SES older adults in the final sample. Similar recruitment approaches could serve as a model for recruiting diverse racial/ethnic and socioeconomic older adults into research

Changes in initial COPD treatment choice over time and factors influencing prescribing decisions in UK primary care : a real-world study

Acknowledgements Samantha Holmes (CircleScience, an Ashfield Company, part of UDG Healthcare plc) and Paul Hutchin (contracted to CircleScience, an Ashfield Company, part of UDG Healthcare plc) provided medical writing assistance. Funding The study was funded by Novartis Pharma AG (Basel, Switzerland).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

PLGA‐PEG‐PLGA hydrogels induce cytotoxicity in conventional in vitro assays

Significance statement: We identified that PLGA‐PEG‐PLGA hydrogels, which have been used in human clinical trials and possess a demonstrable safety profile, induced significant cytotoxicity in conventional in vitro assays. This major contradiction may lead to inconsistent and misleading toxicology due to the limited biological representation of these assays. Cytotoxicity evaluation is a crucial element of screening the biological response to new biomaterials. However, as standard test methods do not recapitulate the in vivo environment, tailored adaptations may be required to reflect the true biological response elicited toward novel biomaterials

Cellular and microenvironmental cues that promote macrophage fusion and foreign body response

During the foreign body response (FBR), macrophages fuse to form foreign body giant cells (FBGCs). Modulation of FBGC formation can prevent biomaterial degradation and loss of therapeutic efficacy. However, the microenvironmental cues that dictate FBGC formation are poorly understood with conflicting reports. Here, we identified molecular and cellular factors involved in driving FBGC formation in vitro. Macrophages demonstrated distinct fusion competencies dependent on monocyte differentiation. The transition from a proinflammatory to a reparative microenvironment, characterised by specific cytokine and growth factor programmes, accompanied FBGC formation. Toll-like receptor signalling licensed the formation of FBGCs containing more than 10 nuclei but was not essential for cell-cell fusion to occur. Moreover, the fibroblast-macrophage crosstalk influenced FBGC development, with the fibroblast secretome inducing macrophages to secrete more PDGF, which enhanced large FBGC formation. These findings advance our understanding as to how a specific and timely combination of cellular and microenvironmental factors is required for an effective FBR, with monocyte differentiation and fibroblasts being key players

Offsetting of CO₂ emissions by air capture in mine tailings at the Mount Keith Nickel Mine, Western Australia: Rates, controls and prospects for carbon neutral mining

The hydrated Mg-carbonate mineral, hydromagnesite [Mg₅(CO₃)₄(OH)₂•4H₂O], precipitates within mine tailings at the Mount Keith Nickel Mine, Western Australia as a direct result of mining operations. We have used quantitative mineralogical data and δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O and F¹⁴C isotopic data to quantify the amount of CO₂fixation and identify carbon sources. Our radiocarbon results indicate that at least 80% of carbon stored in hydromagnesite has been captured from the modern atmosphere. Stable isotopic results indicate that dissolution of atmospheric CO₂ into mine tailings water is kinetically limited, which suggests that the current rate of carbon mineralization could be accelerated. Reactive transport modeling is used to describe the observed variation in tailings mineralogy and to estimate rates of CO₂ fixation. Based on our assessment, approximately 39,800 t/yr of atmospheric CO₂ are being trapped and stored in tailings at Mount Keith. This represents an offsetting of approximately 11% of the mine's annual greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, passive sequestration via enhanced weathering of mineral waste can capture and store a significant amount of CO₂. Recommendations are made for changes to tailings management and ore processing practices that have potential to accelerate carbonation of tailings and further reduce or completely offset the net greenhouse gas emissions at Mount Keith and many other mines