Long-Term Neighborhood Effects on Low-Income Families: Evidence from Moving to Opportunity

We examine long-term neighborhood effects on low-income families using data from the Moving to Opportunity (MTO) randomized housing-mobility experiment. This experiment offered to some public-housing families but not to others the chance to move to less-disadvantaged neighborhoods. We show that ten to 15 years after baseline, MTO: (i) improves adult physical and mental health; (ii) has no detectable effect on economic outcomes or youth schooling or physical health; and (iii) has mixed results by gender on other youth outcomes, with girls doing better on some measures and boys doing worse. Despite the somewhat mixed pattern of impacts on traditional behavioral outcomes, MTO moves substantially improve adult subjective well-being.Economic

Neighborhood Effects on the Long-Term Well-Being of Low-Income Adults

Nearly 9 million Americans live in extreme-poverty neighborhoods, places that also tend to be racially segregated and dangerous. Yet, the effects on the well-being of residents of moving out of such communities into less distressed areas remain uncertain. Using data from Moving to Opportunity, a unique randomized housing mobility experiment, we found that moving from a high-poverty to lower-poverty neighborhood leads to long-term (10- to 15-year) improvements in adult physical and mental health and subjective well-being, despite not affecting economic self-sufficiency. A 1–standard deviation decline in neighborhood poverty (13 percentage points) increases subjective well-being by an amount equal to the gap in subjective well-being between people whose annual incomes differ by $13,000—a large amount given that the average control group income is$20,000. Subjective well-being is more strongly affected by changes in neighborhood economic disadvantage than racial segregation, which is important because racial segregation has been declining since 1970, but income segregation has been increasing.Economic

Increased Action Potential Firing Rates of Layer 2/3 Pyramidal Cells in the Prefrontal Cortex are Significantly Related to Cognitive Performance in Aged Monkeys

The neurobiological substrates of significant age-related deficits in higher cognitive abilities mediated by the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are unknown. To address this issue, whole-cell current-clamp recordings were used to compare the intrinsic membrane and action potential (AP) firing properties of layer 2/3 pyramidal cells in PFC slices from young and aged behaviorally characterized rhesus monkeys. Most aged subjects demonstrated impaired performance in Delayed Non-Match to Sample (DNMS) task acquisition, DNMS 2 min delay and the Delayed Recognition Span task. Resting membrane potential and membrane time constant did not differ in aged relative to young cells, but input resistance was significantly greater in aged cells. Single APs did not differ in terms of threshold, duration or rise time, but their amplitude and fall time were significantly decreased in aged cells. Repetitive AP firing rates were significantly increased in aged cells. Within the aged group, there was a U-shaped quadratic relationship between firing rate and performance on each behavioral task. Subjects who displayed either low or very high firing rates exhibited poor performance, while those who displayed intermediate firing rates exhibited relatively good performance. These data indicate that an increase in AP firing rate may be responsible, in part, for age-related PFC dysfunction

Guanabenz repurposed as an antiparasitic with activity against acute and latent toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that persists as a chronic infection. Toxoplasma evades immunity by forming tissue cysts, which reactivate to cause life-threatening disease during immune suppression. There is an urgent need to identify drugs capable of targeting these latent tissue cysts, which tend to form in the brain. We previously showed that translational control is critical during infections with both replicative and latent forms of Toxoplasma. Here we report that guanabenz, an FDA-approved drug that interferes with translational control, has antiparasitic activity against replicative stages of Toxoplasma and the related apicomplexan parasite Plasmodium falciparum (a malaria agent). We also found that inhibition of translational control interfered with tissue cyst biology in vitro. Toxoplasma bradyzoites present in these abnormal cysts were diminished and misconfigured, surrounded by empty space not seen in normal cysts. These findings prompted analysis of the efficacy of guanabenz in vivo by using established mouse models of acute and chronic toxoplasmosis. In addition to protecting mice from lethal doses of Toxoplasma, guanabenz has a remarkable ability to reduce the number of brain cysts in chronically infected mice. Our findings suggest that guanabenz can be repurposed into an effective antiparasitic with a unique ability to reduce tissue cysts in the brain

Acetylene Fuels TCE Reductive Dechlorination by Defined Dehalococcoides/Pelobacter Consortia.

Acetylene (C2H2) can be generated in contaminated groundwater sites as a consequence of chemical degradation of trichloroethene (TCE) by in situ minerals, and C2H2 is known to inhibit bacterial dechlorination. In this study, we show that while high C2H2 (1.3 mM) concentrations reversibly inhibit reductive dechlorination of TCE by Dehalococcoides mccartyi isolates as well as enrichment cultures containing D. mccartyi sp., low C2H2 (0.4 mM) concentrations do not inhibit growth or metabolism of D. mccartyi. Cocultures of Pelobacter SFB93, a C2H2-fermenting bacterium, with D. mccartyi strain 195 or with D. mccartyi strain BAV1 were actively sustained by providing acetylene as the electron donor and carbon source while TCE or cis-DCE served as the electron acceptor. Inhibition by acetylene of reductive dechlorination and methanogenesis in the enrichment culture ANAS was observed, and the inhibition was removed by adding Pelobacter SFB93 into the consortium. Transcriptomic analysis of D. mccartyi strain 195 showed genes encoding for reductive dehalogenases (e.g., tceA) were not affected during the C2H2-inhibition, while genes encoding for ATP synthase, biosynthesis, and Hym hydrogenase were down-regulated during C2H2 inhibition, consistent with the physiological observation of lower cell yields and reduced dechlorination rates in strain 195. These results will help facilitate the optimization of TCE-bioremediation at contaminated sites containing both TCE and C2H2

Hyperspectral Imaging for Burn Depth Assessment in an Animal Model

Differentiating between superficial and deep-dermal (DD) burns remains challenging. Superficial-dermal burns heal with conservative treatment; DD burns often require excision and skin grafting. Decision of surgical treatment is often delayed until burn depth is definitively identified. This study\u27s aim is to assess the ability of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) to differentiate burn depth. METHODS: Thermal injury of graded severity was generated on the dorsum of hairless mice with a heated brass rod. Perfusion and oxygenation parameters of injured skin were measured with HSI, a noninvasive method of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, at 2 minutes, 1, 24, 48 and 72 hours after wounding. Burn depth was measured histologically in 12 mice from each burn group (n = 72) at 72 hours. RESULTS: Three levels of burn depth were verified histologically: intermediate-dermal (ID), DD, and full-thickness. At 24 hours post injury, total hemoglobin (tHb) increased by 67% and 16% in ID and DD burns, respectively. In contrast, tHb decreased to 36% of its original levels in full-thickness burns. Differences in deoxygenated and tHb among all groups were significant (P \u3c 0.001) at 24 hours post injury. CONCLUSIONS: HSI was able to differentiate among 3 discrete levels of burn injury. This is likely because of its correlation with skin perfusion: superficial burn injury causes an inflammatory response and increased perfusion to the burn site, whereas deeper burns destroy the dermal microvasculature and a decrease in perfusion follows. This study supports further investigation of HSI in early burn depth assessment

Malaria and anaemia among children in two communities of Kumasi, Ghana: a cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND: A survey in Kumasi, Ghana found a marked Plasmodium falciparum prevalence difference between two neighbouring communities (Moshie Zongo and Manhyia). The primary objective of this follow-up study was to determine whether this parasite rate difference was consistent over time. Secondary objectives were to compare prevalences of clinical malaria, anaemia, intestinal parasite infections, and malnutrition between these communities; and to identify potential risk factors for P. falciparum infection and anaemia. METHODS: A cross-sectional house-to-house survey of P. falciparum parasitaemia, clinical malaria, anaemia, anthropometric indices, and intestinal helminths was conducted in April-May 2005. Data collection included child and household demographics, mosquito avoidance practices, distance to nearest health facility, child's travel history, symptoms, and anti-malarial use. Risk factors for P. falciparum and anaemia (Hb < 11 g/dl) were identified using generalized linear mixed models. RESULTS: In total, 296 children were tested from 184 households. Prevalences of P. falciparum, clinical malaria, anaemia, and stunting were significantly higher in Moshie Zongo (37.8%, 16.9%, 66.2% and 21.1%, respectively) compared to Manhyia (12.8%, 3.4%, 34.5% and 7.4%). Of 197 children tested for helminths, four were positive for Dicrocoelium dendriticum. Population attributable risks (PAR%) of anaemia were 16.5% (P. falciparum) and 7.6% (malnutrition). Risk factors for P. falciparum infection were older age, rural travel, and lower socioeconomic status. Risk factors for anaemia were P. falciparum infection, Moshie Zongo residence, male sex, and younger age. CONCLUSION: Heterogeneities in malariometric indices between neighbouring Kumasi communities are consistent over time. The low helminth prevalence, and the twofold higher PAR% of anaemia attributable to P. falciparum infection compared to malnutrition, indicate the importance of malaria as a cause of anaemia in this urban population

Engaging Low-Income Parents in Childhood Obesity Prevention from Start to Finish: A Case Study

Prevention of childhood obesity is a national priority. Parents influence young children’s healthy lifestyles, so it is paradoxical that obesity interventions focus primarily on children. Evidence and theory suggest that including parents in interventions offers promise for effective childhood obesity prevention. This case study engaged parents’ as co-researchers in the design, implementation and evaluation of an intervention for low-income families with a child enrolled in Head Start. Parent engagement mechanisms include: (1) targeted partnership development (2) operationalizing a Community Advisory Board (CAB) that was the key decision making body; (3) a majority of CAB members were parents who were positioned as experts, and (4) addressing structural barriers to parent participation. Lessons learned are provided for future research, and practice