Independence at Risk: Older Californians With Disabilities Struggle to Remain at Home as Public Supports Shrink

Presents findings about aging Californians with disabilities who depend on paid public programs and unpaid help to live at home. Makes policy recommendations, including consolidating long-term care programs and enhancing support for caregivers

Warped product approach to universe with non-smooth scale factor

In the framework of Lorentzian warped products, we study the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmological model to investigate non-smooth curvatures associated with multiple discontinuities involved in the evolution of the universe. In particular we analyze non-smooth features of the spatially flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe by introducing double discontinuities occurred at the radiation-matter and matter-lambda phase transitions in astrophysical phenomenology.Comment: 10 page

Holding On: Older Californians With Disabilities Rely on Public Services to Remain Independent

Presents findings from a study of low-income older Californians with disabilities receiving Medicare, Medi-Cal, and In-Home Supportive Services; their unmet physical, mental health, and social needs; and limited care options. Outlines policy implications

Effects of 8-Week Ketogenic Diet on Anthropometrics, Body Composition, Metabolic Parameters, and Psychological Factors in Young Obese Population

Obese have a significantly higher Body Mass Index (BMI), which can be associated with poor nutritional intake and sedentary lifestyles. The ketogenic diet is a form of a dietary intervention which is often implemented for metabolic syndrome individuals such as obese populations. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of a ketogenic diet on anthropometrics, body composition, metabolic parameters, and psychological factors in young obese population. METHODS: Seven young obese participants (n=7, height (cm); 174.8 ± 10.9, weight (kg); 105 ± 20.7, BMI (kg∙m-2); 34.6 ± 4.8) completed an 8-week intervention with a 70:20:10 ratio of fats to proteins to carbohydrates. Participants within the study were provided three meals per day, for a total of 8 weeks. Statistical analyses were performed with IBM Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS 27.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, USA). All data was reported as mean and standard deviation (SD). Dependent paired t-Test was used to determine ketogenic diet intervention effects. Frequencies were used to measure results from psychological factors. Statistical significance was set a priori p ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: Participants within the study noted significant reductions in anthropometric variables during 8 weeks: body mass (Pre: 105.8 ± 20.5 kg Post: 98.9 ± 18.8 kg, p= 0.000), BMI (Pre: 34.6 ± 4.8 kg·m-2, Post: 32.2 ± 4.2 kg·m-2, p= 0.001), waist circumference (Pre: 101.5 ± 13.9 cm, Post: 96.3 ± 13.3 cm, p= 0.000), and hip circumference (Pre: 112.6 ± 11.5 cm, Post: 107.3 ± 10.8 cm, p= 0.000). Significant reductions were shown in body composition variables: body fat (Pre: 25.6 ± 0.8%, Post: 21.1 ± 1.4%, p=0.000), and lean body mass (Post: 78.9 ± 14.9 kg, Post: 78.2 ± 14.5 kg, p=.0035). Significant reductions were shown in metabolic parameters: systolic blood pressure (Post: 126.6 ± 10.0 mmHg, Post: 120 ± 6.6 mmHg, p=0.029), diastolic blood pressure (Pre: 81.7 ± 4.9 mmHg, Post: 76.3 ± 1.8 mmHg, p= 0.020), and VO2max (Pre: 47.6 ± 8.9 mL·kg-1·min-1, Post: 51.8 ± 9.2 mL·kg-1·min-1, p=0.001. Question 1 within the psychological questionnaire results shown a reduction in the negative aspect in poor health score, with a significant increase shown towards good health. Question 3g results shown that here was a significant increase in frequencies of improvement towards having no limitations regarding walking a one-mile distance. Question 9g had significant increase in individuals selecting improved overall energy levels in comparison to baseline. CONCLUSION: The 8 weeks of ketogenic diet intervention may contribute or change bioenergetics pathways and results in significant adaptations on anthropometrics, body composition, metabolic parameters, and psychological factors in young obese population

Rapid translocation of nanoparticles from the lung airspaces to the body

Nano-size particles show promise for pulmonary drug delivery, yet their behavior after deposition in the lung remains poorly understood. In this study, a series of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent nanoparticles were systematically varied in chemical composition, shape, size and surface charge, and their biodistribution and elimination were quantified in rat models after lung instillation. We demonstrate that nanoparticles with hydrodynamic diameter (HD) less than ≈34 nm and a noncationic surface charge translocate rapidly from the lung to mediastinal lymph nodes. Nanoparticles of HD < 6 nm can traffic rapidly from the lungs to lymph nodes and the bloodstream, and then be subsequently cleared by the kidneys. We discuss the importance of these findings for drug delivery, air pollution and carcinogenesis

Pimecrolimus interferes the therapeutic efficacy of human mesenchymal stem cells in atopic dermatitis by regulating NFAT-COX2 signaling

Abstract Background Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) therapy has recently been considered a promising treatment for atopic dermatitis (AD) due to their immunomodulation and tissue regeneration ability. In our previous studies, we demonstrated that hMSCs alleviate allergic inflammation in murine AD model by inhibiting the activation of mast cells and B cells. Also our phase I/IIa clinical trial showed clinical efficacy and safety of hMSCs in moderate-to-severe adult AD patients. However, hMSCs therapy against atopic dermatitis have had poor results in clinical field. Therefore, we investigated the reason behind this result. We hypothesized that drug–cell interaction could interfere with the therapeutic efficacy of stem cells, and investigated whether coadministration with pimecrolimus, one of the topical calcineurin inhibitors, could influence the therapeutic potential of human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) in AD. Methods hUCB-MSCs were subcutaneously injected to AD-induced mice with or without pimecrolimus topical application. To examine whether pimecrolimus influenced the immunomodulatory activity of hUCB-MSCs, hUCB-MSCs were treated with pimecrolimus. Results Pimecrolimus disturbed the therapeutic effect of hUCB-MSCs when they were co-administered in murine AD model. Moreover, the inhibitory functions of hUCB-MSCs against type 2 helper T (Th2) cell differentiation and mast cell activation were also deteriorated by pimecrolimus treatment. Interestingly, we found that pimecrolimus decreased the production of PGE2, one of the most critical immunomodulatory factors in hUCB-MSCs. And we demonstrated that pimecrolimus downregulated COX2-PGE2 axis by inhibiting nuclear translocation of NFAT3. Conclusions Coadministration of pimecrolimus with hMSCs could interfere with the therapeutic efficacy of hMSCs in atopic dermatitis, and this is the first study that figured out the interaction of hMSCs with other drugs in cell therapy of atopic dermatitis. Therefore, this study might give rise to improvement of the clinical application of hMSCs therapy and facilitate the widespread application of hMSCs in clinical field

Thermoelectric properties of Cu-dispersed bi0.5sb1.5te3

A novel and simple approach was used to disperse Cu nanoparticles uniformly in the Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 matrix, and the thermoelectric properties were evaluated for the Cu-dispersed Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3. Polycrystalline Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 powder prepared by encapsulated melting and grinding was dry-mixed with Cu(OAc)2 powder. After Cu(OAc)2 decomposition, the Cu-dispersed Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 was hot-pressed. Cu nanoparticles were well-dispersed in the Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 matrix and acted as effective phonon scattering centers. The electrical conductivity increased systematically with increasing level of Cu nanoparticle dispersion. All specimens had a positive Seebeck coefficient, which confirmed that the electrical charge was transported mainly by holes. The thermoelectric figure of merit was enhanced remarkably over a wide temperature range of 323-523 K

IFNAR1-Signalling Obstructs ICOS-mediated Humoral Immunity during Non-lethal Blood-Stage Plasmodium Infection

Funding: This work was funded by a Career Development Fellowship (1028634) and a project grant (GRNT1028641) awarded to AHa by the Australian National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC). IS was supported by The University of Queensland Centennial and IPRS Scholarships. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Submucosal Gland Myoepithelial Cells Are Reserve Stem Cells That Can Regenerate Mouse Tracheal Epithelium

The mouse trachea is thought to contain two distinct stem cell compartments that contribute to airway repair-basal cells in the surface airway epithelium (SAE) and an unknown submucosal gland (SMG) cell type. Whether a lineage relationship exists between these two stem cell compartments remains unclear. Using lineage tracing of glandular myoepithelial cells (MECs), we demonstrate that MECs can give rise to seven cell types of the SAE and SMGs following severe airway injury. MECs progressively adopted a basal cell phenotype on the SAE and established lasting progenitors capable of further regeneration following reinjury. MECs activate Wnt-regulated transcription factors (Lef-1/TCF7) following injury and Lef-1 induction in cultured MECs promoted transition to a basal cell phenotype. Surprisingly, dose-dependent MEC conditional activation of Lef-1 in vivo promoted self-limited airway regeneration in the absence of injury. Thus, modulating the Lef-1 transcriptional program in MEC-derived progenitors may have regenerative medicine applications for lung diseases