Opioids exacerbate inflammation in people with well-controlled HIV

IntroductionPeople with HIV (PWH) are known to have underlying inflammation and immune activation despite virologic control. Substance use including opioid dependence is common in this population and is associated with increased morbidity and reduced lifespan. The primary objective of the present study termed opioid immunity study (OPIS), was to investigate the impact of chronic opioids in PWH.MethodsThe study recruited people with and without HIV who had opioid use disorder (OUD). Study participants (n=221) were categorized into four groups: HIV+OP+, n=34; HIV-OP+, n=66; HIV+OP-, n=55 and HIV-OP-, n=62 as controls. PWH were virally suppressed on ART and those with OUD were followed in a syringe exchange program with confirmation of OP use by urine drug screening. A composite cytokine score was developed for 20 plasma cytokines that are linked to inflammation. Cellular markers of immune activation (IA), exhaustion, and senescence were determined in CD4 and CD8 T cells. Regression models were constructed to examine the relationships of HIV status and opioid use, controlling for other confounding factors.ResultsHIV+OP+ participants exhibited highest inflammatory cytokines and cellular IA, followed by HIV-OP+ for inflammation and HIV+OP- for IA. Inflammation was found to be driven more by opioid use than HIV positivity while IA was driven more by HIV than opioid use. In people with OUD, expression of CD38 on CD28-CD57+ senescent-like T cells was elevated and correlated positively with inflammation.DiscussionGiven the association of inflammation with a multitude of adverse health outcomes, our findings merit further investigations to understand the mechanistic pathways involved

Combinatorial Polymer Electrospun Matrices Promote Physiologically-Relevant Cardiomyogenic Stem Cell Differentiation

Myocardial infarction results in extensive cardiomyocyte death which can lead to fatal arrhythmias or congestive heart failure. Delivery of stem cells to repopulate damaged cardiac tissue may be an attractive and innovative solution for repairing the damaged heart. Instructive polymer scaffolds with a wide range of properties have been used extensively to direct the differentiation of stem cells. In this study, we have optimized the chemical and mechanical properties of an electrospun polymer mesh for directed differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) towards a cardiomyogenic lineage. A combinatorial polymer library was prepared by copolymerizing three distinct subunits at varying molar ratios to tune the physicochemical properties of the resulting polymer: hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG), hydrophobic poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), and negatively-charged, carboxylated PCL (CPCL). Murine ESCs were cultured on electrospun polymeric scaffolds and their differentiation to cardiomyocytes was assessed through measurements of viability, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), α-myosin heavy chain expression (α-MHC), and intracellular Ca2+ signaling dynamics. Interestingly, ESCs on the most compliant substrate, 4%PEG-86%PCL-10%CPCL, exhibited the highest α-MHC expression as well as the most mature Ca2+ signaling dynamics. To investigate the role of scaffold modulus in ESC differentiation, the scaffold fiber density was reduced by altering the electrospinning parameters. The reduced modulus was found to enhance α-MHC gene expression, and promote maturation of myocyte Ca2+ handling. These data indicate that ESC-derived cardiomyocyte differentiation and maturation can be promoted by tuning the mechanical and chemical properties of polymer scaffold via copolymerization and electrospinning techniques

Impact of 1981 AFDC reforms on months worked and welfare duration

In 1981 Congress enacted major changes in Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) as part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA). Describes the impact of OBRA on months worked while receiving AFDC and on welfare duration. (PAS

A History of the Fitzner/Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology Reserve: Four Decades of Environmental Research

This book describes the history of the Fitzner/Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology Reserve. It briefly describes the setting; outlines historical land uses of the Reserve; describes its establishments and designations; and provides examples of the types of research and education projects PNNL conducted on the Reserve for over four decades. A comprehensive bibliography also is provided

Sound Spirals

This early version of Sound Spirals used field recorded soundscapes of human voices, physical actions such as walking on gravel paths and insect sounds as material for computational, digitally-fabricated sculptures. The sculptures share some similarity in process with Andy Huntington’s Sound Cylinder and Luke Jerram’s data sculpture but used different spiral aesthetics and audio analysis techniques. They demonstrate the potential for spirals forms to encode periodic data and explore questions of legibility in data sculpture. Also, the making process was made more broadly accessible by using open source programming tools and audio software, and inexpensive 3D printers. The work was presented at EVA London in 2015 and subsequently shown at Ravensbourne throughout the next two years

Purposeful Ephemera: The Implications of Self-Destructing Technology for the Future Practice of Archaeology

This chapter is presented from the perspective of a professional archaeologist who specializes in Greek archaeology, intercultural contact and exchange, and the ethics of cultural heritage. His chapter investigates the mandates for discard and “design for demise” of space objects in the wider context of cultural phenomena from all cultures. The chapter finds comparanda for purposeful ephemera in examples from the media of performance, architecture, and visual art.https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/art_books/1000/thumbnail.jp