Understanding the effect of ethnic density on mental health: multi-level investigation of survey data from England

Objectives To determine if living in areas where higher proportions of people of the same ethnicity reside is protective for common mental disorders, and associated with a reduced exposure to discrimination and improved social support. Finally, to determine if any protective ethnic density effects are mediated by reduced exposure to racism and improved social support

Cohort Differences in Cognitive Aging in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to examine cohort differences in cognitive performance and rates of change in episodic memory, processing speed, inductive reasoning, and general cognitive performance and to investigate whether these cohort effects may be accounted for by education attainment. METHOD: The first cohort (N = 705) was born between 1920 and 1930, whereas the second cohort (N = 646) was born between 1931 and 1941. Both birth cohorts were aged 65 to 75 years at baseline and were followed up 3 and 6 years later. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models. RESULTS: The later born cohort had better general cognitive performance, inductive reasoning, and processing speed at baseline, but cohort differences in inductive reasoning and general cognitive performance disappeared after adjusting for education. The later born cohort showed steeper decline in processing speed. Memory decline was steeper in the earlier born cohort but only from Time 1 to Time 3 when the same memory test was administered. Education did not account for cohort differences in cognitive decline. DISCUSSION: The later born cohort showed better initial performance in certain cognitive abilities, but no better preservation of cognitive abilities overtime compared with the earlier born cohort. These findings carry implications for healthy cognitive aging

The economic status of older people’s households in urban and rural settings in Peru, Mexico and China: a 10/66 INDEP study cross-sectional survey

Few data are available from middle income countries regarding economic circumstances of households in which older people live. Many such settings have experienced rapid demographic, social and economic change, alongside increasing pension coverage. Population-based household surveys in rural and urban catchment areas in Peru, Mexico and China. Participating households were selected from all households with older residents. Descriptive analyses were weighted back for sampling fractions and non-response. Household income and consumption were estimated from a household key informant interview. 877 Household interviews (3177 residents). Response rate 68 %. Household income and consumption correlated plausibly with other economic wellbeing indicators. Household Incomes varied considerably within and between sites. While multigenerational households were the norm, older resident’s incomes accounted for a high proportion of household income, and older people were particularly likely to pool income. Differences in the coverage and value of pensions were a major source of variation in household income among sites. There was a small, consistent inverse association between household pension income and labour force participation of younger adult co-residents. The effect of pension income on older adults’ labour force participation was less clear-cut. Historical linkage of social protection to formal employment may have contributed to profound late-life socioeconomic inequalities. Strategies to formalise the informal economy, alongside increases in the coverage and value of non-contributory pensions and transfers would help to address this problem

“Bull's-eye” sign on gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance venography determines thrombus presence and age: A preliminary study

AbstractPurpose: Venous thrombosis is associated with a significant inflammatory response, which can be visualized by gadolinium magnetic resonance venography (MRV). Gadolinium extravasates into tissue during inflammation, producing perithrombus enhancement on magnetic resonance scanning. This study determines (1) whether gadolinium enhancement occurs during deep venous thrombosis (DVT); and (2) whether this enhancement changes with time and can therefore establish the age of thrombus.Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of iliofemoral DVT by duplex ultrasound who were referred for MRV to document central thrombus extent were studied. T1 weighted images were obtained before and after gadolinium injection (0.1 mmol/kg); repeat scans were obtained up to 3 months thereafter. At the level of maximum thrombus, measurements of signal intensity were made at the periphery (rim), and the center of the thrombosed vein, as well as the contralateral normal vein, on images after gadolinium enhancement. Rim-center vein signal intensity ratios were then calculated and followed.Results: A total of 39 scans were obtained in 14 patients (eight men, six women). The thrombosed veins were enlarged, with a peripheral rim of enhancement (“bull's-eye” sign). The rim-center ratio for thrombosed veins (2.16 ± 0.18) was different from that of normal veins (0.66 ± 0.10; n = 39; p < 0.001). For all acute studies (≤14 days) the rim-center ratio was 2.38 ± 0.17 (n = 31), whereas for all chronic studies (>14 days) the rim-center ratio was 1.29 ± 0.44 (n = 8; p = 0.001). Among patients who underwent both early and late studies, the rim-center ratio dropped significantly, from 2.33 ± 0.20 acutely to 1.29 ± 0.44 in chronic studies (n = 8; p = 0.03). One patient with active malignancy had a paradoxic increase in rim-center ratio over time and a clinical recurrence of symptoms, suggesting active thrombosis.Conclusions: We conclude that (1) a pattern of peripheral gadolinium enhancement (bull's-eye sign) is seen around acutely thrombosed veins on gadolinium-enhanced MRV, facilitating DVT diagnosis; and (2) the ratio of signal intensity at the rim versus the center of the thrombosed vein may be a good discriminator of acute compared with chronic DVT, which may help direct therapy. (J Vasc Surg 1997;26:809-16.

Heat shock proteins are essential components in transformation and tumor progression: Cancer cell intrinsic pathways and beyond

Heat shock protein (HSP) synthesis is switched on in a remarkably wide range of tumor cells, in both experimental animal systems and in human cancer, in which these proteins accumulate in high levels. In each case, elevated HSP concentrations bode ill for the patient, and are associated with a poor outlook in terms of survival in most cancer types. The significance of elevated HSPs is underpinned by their essential roles in mediating tumor cell intrinsic traits such as unscheduled cell division, escape from programmed cell death and senescence, de novo angiogenesis, and increased invasion and metastasis. An increased HSP expression thus seems essential for tumorigenesis. Perhaps of equal significance is the pronounced interplay between cancer cells and the tumor milieu, with essential roles for intracellular HSPs in the properties of the stromal cells, and their roles in programming malignant cells and in the release of HSPs from cancer cells to influence the behavior of the adjacent tumor and infiltrating the normal cells. These findings of a triple role for elevated HSP expression in tumorigenesis strongly support the targeting of HSPs in cancer, especially given the role of such stress proteins in resistance to conventional therapies.Fil: Lang, Benjamin J.. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Guerrero Gimenez, Martin Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Prince, Thomas L.. Geisinger Medical Center; Estados UnidosFil: Ackerman, Andrew. Geisinger Medical Center; Estados UnidosFil: Bonorino, Cristina. Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre; Brasil. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Calderwood, Stuart K.. Harvard Medical School; Estados Unido

HSF1: Primary Factor in Molecular Chaperone Expression and a Major Contributor to Cancer Morbidity

Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) is the primary component for initiation of the powerful heat shock response (HSR) in eukaryotes. The HSR is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for responding to proteotoxic stress and involves the rapid expression of heat shock protein (HSP) molecular chaperones that promote cell viability by facilitating proteostasis. HSF1 activity is amplified in many tumor contexts in a manner that resembles a chronic state of stress, characterized by high levels of HSP gene expression as well as HSF1-mediated non-HSP gene regulation. HSF1 and its gene targets are essential for tumorigenesis across several experimental tumor models, and facilitate metastatic and resistant properties within cancer cells. Recent studies have suggested the significant potential of HSF1 as a therapeutic target and have motivated research efforts to understand the mechanisms of HSF1 regulation and develop methods for pharmacological intervention. We review what is currently known regarding the contribution of HSF1 activity to cancer pathology, its regulation and expression across human cancers, and strategies to target HSF1 for cancer therapy.Fil: Prince, Thomas L.. Geisinger Clinic. Department of Molecular Functional Genomics; Estados UnidosFil: Lang, Benjamin J.. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Guerrero Gimenez, Martin Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez Muñoz, Juan Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Ackerman, Andrew. Geisinger Clinic. Department of Molecular Functional Genomics; Estados UnidosFil: Calderwood, Stuart K.. Harvard Medical School; Estados Unido

Synergies of Robotic Asteroid Redirection Technologies and Human Space Exploration

This paper summarizes the results of a 2014 KISS workshop that identified a wide variety of ways that the technologies (and their near-term derivatives) developed for the proposed Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) would beneficially impact the Nation’s space interests including: human missions to Mars and its moons, planetary defense, orbital debris removal, robotic deep-space science missions, commercial communication satellites, and commercial asteroid resource utilization missions. This wide applicability of asteroid retrieval technology is, in many ways, is just as surprising as was the initial finding about the feasibility of ARM. The current Asteroid Redirect Mission concept consists of two major parts: the development of an advanced Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) capability and the retrieval of a near-Earth asteroid. The improvement in SEP technology required by ARM provides an extensible path to support human missions to Mars, is applicable to all planetary defense techniques, could reduce the time required for the LEO-to-GEO transfer of large commercial or military satellites, would enable new deep space robotic science missions, and could enable affordable removal of large orbital debris objects. The asteroid retrieval part of ARM would greatly improve the understanding of the structure of rubble-pile asteroids necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of primary asteroid deflection techniques, demonstrate at least one secondary asteroid deflection technique, greatly accelerate the use of material resources obtained in space to further space exploration and exploitation, and further planetary science