Global case studies can help improve healthy aging and adult caregiving policies

The need to transform health and long-term care systems to adapt to an ageing population is a global issue. In October 2023, the LSE Aging and Health Incentives Lab and the University of Pennsylvania’s Population Aging Research Center convened a workshop on Healthy Aging and Adult Caregiving, featuring evidence on healthy aging with a global focus. Nilesh Raut gives an overview of the workshop and its key takeaways, which included case studies from the UK, US, and low- and middle-income countries worldwide

BIOSENSING SYSTEMS FOR THE DETECTION OF BACTERIAL QUORUM SENSING MOLECULES: A TOOL FOR INVESTIGATING BACTERIA-RELATED DISORDERS AND FOOD SPOILAGE PREVENTION

Quorum sensing enables bacteria to communicate with bacteria of the same or different species, and to modulate their behavior in a cell-density dependent manner. Communication occurs by means of small quorum sensing signaling molecules (QSMs) whose concentration is proportional to the population size. When a QSM threshold concentration is reached, certain genes are expressed, thus allowing control of several processes, such as, virulence factor production, antibiotic production, and biofilm formation. Not only many pathogenic bacteria are known to produce QSMs, but also QSMs have been identified in some bacteria-related disorders. Therefore, quantitative detection of QSMs present in clinical samples may be a useful tool in the investigation and monitoring of bacteria-related diseases, thus prompting the use of QSMs as biomarkers of disease. Herein, we have developed and utilized whole-cell biosensing systems and protein based biosensing systems to detect QSMs in clinical samples, such as, saliva, stool, and bowel secretions. Additionally, since bacteria are responsible for food spoilage, we employed the developed biosensing systems to detect QSMs in food samples and demonstrated their applicability for early identification of food contamination. Furthermore, we have utilized these biosensing systems to screen antibacterial compounds employed for food preservation, namely, generally regarded as safe (GRAS) compounds, for their effect on quorum sensing

Essays on economics of aging

Ageing and inequality – these are two major challenges the world has been facing for ages. Inequality is a condition of not being equal on various grounds, whereas ageing is inevitable process that affects individual’s ability to participate fully in society and in economy, affecting the need of support to undertake activities of daily living (ADLs) or instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). The process of ageing involves multiple factors such as the decline of physical and mental health and rise of demand for access to health and care services. The focus of my PhD dissertation is on the demand and supply of caregiving, and how best to finance such demand. The initial two chapters of my dissertation deal with informal caregiving supply available for elderly individuals and with caregivers’ outcomes. The first chapter investigates the effect of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion on the mental wellbeing of spousal caregivers. The results indicate that availability of health insurance to adult spousal caregivers can significantly reduce the mental burden associated with informal caregiving. The findings from this chapter offer some answers to the demand of sustainable arrangements for informal caregiving. The second chapter of the dissertation examines the intergenerational transmission of caregiving duties and finds strong evidence suggesting the presence of intergenerational transmission of caregiving. The subsequent chapters of this dissertation study care-financing arrangements. The third chapter investigates the impact of Deficit Reduction Act’s (2005) long-term care insurance partnership (LTCIP) on the uptake of public (Medicaid) and private-LTCI. The findings reveal that the rollout of LTCIP increased the uptake of LTCI coverage. LTCIP program has a direct impact on means testing component of the implicit tax on private-LTCI. The fourth chapter identifies the impact of housing and financial wealth on public and private insurance. It documents that the individuals view their housing assets as a form of self-insurance to be used in financing their future long-term care costs

Nanostructured Cubosomes in a Thermoresponsive Depot System: An Alternative Approach for the Controlled Delivery of Docetaxel

The aim of the present study was to develop and evaluate a thermoresponsive depot system comprising of docetaxel-loaded cubosomes. The cubosomes were dispersed within a thermoreversible gelling system for controlled drug delivery. The cubosome dispersion was prepared by dilution method, followed by homogenization using glyceryl monooleate, ethanol and Pluronic® F127 in distilled water. The cubosome dispersion was then incorporated into a gelling system prepared with Pluronic®F127 and Pluronic® F68 in various ratios to formulate a thermoresponsive depot system. The thermoresponsive depot formulations undergo a thermoreversible gelation process i.e., they exists as free flowing liquids at room temperature, and transforms into gels at higher temperatures e.g., body temperature, to form a stable depot in aqueous environment. The mean particle size of the cubosomes in the dispersion prepared with Pluronic® F127, with and without the drug was found to be 170 and 280 nm, respectively. The prepared thermoresponsive depot system was evaluated by assessing various parameters like time for gelation, injectability, gel erosion, and in-vitro drug release. The drug-release studies of the cubosome dispersion before incorporation into the gelling system revealed that a majority (∼97%) of the drug was released within 12 h. This formulation also showed a short lag time (∼3 min). However, when incorpo- rated into a thermoresponsive depot system, the formulation exhibited an initial burst release of∼21%, and released only∼ 39% drug over a period of 12 h, thus indicating its potential as a controlled drug delivery system

Systems and Methods for Diagnosis and Monitoring of Bacteria-Related Conditions

The presently-disclosed subject matter provides systems, methods, and kits for diagnosing and/or monitoring a bacteria-related condition of interest in a subject by providing a cell sensing system, each system containing a reporter molecule capable of detecting binding of a quorum sensing molecule and capable of generating a detectable signal

Long-Term Care Partnership Effects on Medicaid and Private Insurance

Can the expansion of Medicaid, a means-tested health and long-term care insurance, be slowed down by incentivising the purchase of private long-term care insurance (LTCI)? We study the implementation of the long-term care insurance partnership (LTCIP) program, a joint federal and state-level program that intended to promote LTCI coverage. Drawing on a difference-in-differences (DD) design we study the effect of the rollout of the LTCIP program between 2005 and 2016 on both LTCI uptake and Medicaid eligibility, and we estimate the effect on Medicaid savings. Drawing on a difference-in-differences (DD) design, we find that, unlike previous estimates, the introduction of the LTCIP does significantly increase LTCI coverage and reduce the uptake of Medicaid. The effects are driven by the introduction of LTCIP in states after 2010. We estimate that the adoption of LTCIP has given rise to an average Medicaid saving of $36 for every 65-year-old. This suggests scope for LTCI arrangements to reduce Medicaid spending

edgar: an R package for the U.S. SEC EDGAR retrieval and parsing of corporate filings

This paper introduces the R package edgar to download and analyze the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) mandatory public disclosures in the United States. Corporations in the U.S. submit their periodic reports, registration statements, and financial reports electronically to the SEC. The SEC makes these reports publicly accessible to everyone through the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval System (EDGAR). As financial reporting is one of the most crucial aspects of the financial system, efficient retrieval of EDGAR filings becomes imperative for analysts and researchers. We summarize the implementation of edgar package that facilitates downloading, parsing, searching, and sentiment analysis of corporate reports

Long-Term Care Partnership Effects on Medicaid and Private Insurance

Can the expansion of Medicaid, a means-tested health and long-term care insurance, be slowed down by incentivising the purchase of private long-term care insurance (LTCI)? We study the implementation of the long-term care insurance partnership (LTCIP) program, a joint federal and state-level program that intended to promote LTCI coverage. Drawing on a difference-in-differences (DD) design we study the effect of the rollout of the LTCIP program between 2005 and 2016 on both LTCI uptake and Medicaid eligibility, and we estimate the effect on Medicaid savings. Drawing on a difference-in-differences (DD) design, we find that, unlike previous estimates, the introduction of the LTCIP does significantly increase LTCI coverage and reduce the uptake of Medicaid. The effects are driven by the introduction of LTCIP in states after 2010. We estimate that the adoption of LTCIP has given rise to an average Medicaid saving of $36 for every 65-year-old. This suggests scope for LTCI arrangements to reduce Medicaid spending