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ObjectivesIncreasingly diverse caregiver populations have prompted studies examining culture and caregiver outcomes. Still, little is known about the influence of sociocultural factors and how they interact with caregiving context variables to influence psychological health. We explored the role of caregiving and acculturation factors on psychological distress among a diverse sample of adults.DesignSecondary data analysis of the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS).ParticipantsThe 2009 CHIS surveyed 47,613 adults representative of the population of California. This study included Latino and Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) caregivers and non-caregivers (n = 13,161).MeasurementsMultivariate weighted regression analyses examined caregiver status and acculturation variables (generational status, language of interview, and English language proficiency) and their associations with psychological distress (Kessler-6 scale). Covariates included caregiving context (e.g., support and neighborhood factors) and demographic variables.ResultsFirst generation caregivers had more distress than first-generation non-caregivers (β=0.92, 95% CI: (0.18, 1.65)); the difference in distress between caregivers and non-caregivers was smaller in the third than first generation (β=-1.21, 95% CI: (-2.24, -0.17)). Among those who did not interview in English (β=1.17, 95% CI: (0.13, 2.22)) and with low English proficiency (β=2.60, 95% CI: (1.21, 3.98)), caregivers reported more distress than non-caregivers.ConclusionsNon-caregivers exhibited the "healthy immigrant effect," where less acculturated individuals reported less distress. In contrast, caregivers who were less acculturated reported more distress.

The detection and treatment monitoring of inflammatory states remain challenging in part due to the multifactorial mechanisms of immune activation and spectrum of clinical manifestations. Currently, diagnostic strategies tend to be subjective and limited quantitative tools exist to monitor optimal treatment strategies. Pro-inflammatory M1 polarized macrophages exhibit a distinct metabolic glycolytic phenotype compared to the continuum of M2 polarization states. In the present study, the distinct metabolic phenotypes of resting and activated macrophages were successfully characterized and quantified using hyperpolarized carbon-13 (13C) labeled pyruvate and its metabolic products, i.e. lactate, as a biomarker of resting, disease and treated states. Methods: Mouse macrophage J774A.1 cells were used as a model system in an NMR compatible bioreactor to facilitate dynamic hyperpolarized 13C measurements. The glycolytic metabolism of the cells in the quiescent or resting state were compared with macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide, a classical M1 activator using hyperpolarized 13C labeled pyruvate. Additionally, the activated macrophages were also treated with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug to assess the changes in hyperpolarized lactate signal. The hyperpolarized lactate signals were then correlated using biochemical and molecular assays. Results: We first validated our model system of inflammatory cells by the hallmarks of M1 polarization using steady state metabolic profiling with high resolution NMR in conjunction with nitric oxide Greiss assay, enzyme activity, and mRNA expression. Subsequently, we clearly showed that the cutting edge technology of hyperpolarized 13C NMR can be used to detect elevated lactate levels in M1 polarized macrophages in comparison to control and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug treated M2 states. Conclusion: Hyperpolarized 13C lactate has the potential to serve as a biomarker to non-invasively detect and quantify pro-inflammatory state of immune regulatory cells and its response to therapy.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) are a type of pancreatic cancer with limited therapeutic options. Consequently, most patients with advanced disease die from tumor progression. Current evidence indicates that a subset of cancer cells is responsible for tumor development, metastasis, and recurrence, and targeting these tumor-initiating cells is necessary to eradicate tumors. However, tumor-initiating cells and the biological processes that promote pathogenesis remain largely uncharacterized in PanNETs. Here we profile primary and metastatic tumors from an index patient and demonstrate that MET proto-oncogene activation is important for tumor growth in PanNET xenograft models. We identify a highly tumorigenic cell population within several independent surgically acquired PanNETs characterized by increased cell-surface protein CD90 expression and aldehyde dehydrogenase A1 (ALDHA1) activity, and provide in vitro and in vivo evidence for their stem-like properties. We performed proteomic profiling of 332 antigens in two cell lines and four primary tumors, and showed that CD47, a cell-surface protein that acts as a "don't eat me" signal co-opted by cancers to evade innate immune surveillance, is ubiquitously expressed. Moreover, CD47 coexpresses with MET and is enriched in CD90(hi)cells. Furthermore, blocking CD47 signaling promotes engulfment of tumor cells by macrophages in vitro and inhibits xenograft tumor growth, prevents metastases, and prolongs survival in vivo.

This letter, published in the Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus, discusses the epidemiology of pediatric dog bite-associated ocular injuries in the United States. The study used the National Trauma Data Bank to analyze cases from 2007 to 2014. The findings show that children under 10 years old are at the highest risk of ocular injuries from dog bites, particularly at home and likely from family dogs. The study also highlights the types of injuries and the need for careful management and surgical intervention. These findings can help inform safety recommendations for children interacting with dogs. [Extracted from the article]