Detecting Risk of Neglect in NSHAP Round 3 Using New Follow-Up Questions to Activities of Daily Living Measures.

OBJECTIVES: Elder neglect is a type of elder abuse wherein an older adult's basic needs remain unmet through negligence. The risk of neglect and its harmful consequences coincides with the need for care that arises with difficulties completing activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). In this paper, we describe how new questions included in Round 3 (2015-2016) of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP-R3) can help detect the risk of elder neglect. METHODS: Based on the 2,340 respondents who indicated problems with at least one ADL or IADL, we categorized respondents as at a higher risk of neglect if they were either: (a) not getting wanted help (WANTHELP) or (b) getting help from an undependable caregiver (UNRELIABLE). We tested the external validity of these indicators by examining their association with NSHAP-R3 measures of physical and mental health, personal hygiene, home tidiness, social support, and elder mistreatment, using t tests and chi-square tests. RESULTS: Those labeled higher neglect risk based on the WANTHELP variable showed significantly worse self-rated physical health, personal hygiene, room tidiness, mental health, partner support, family support, and elder mistreatment. The same correlates were significantly associated with higher neglect risk based on the UNRELIABLE variable, except for self-rated physical health, personal hygiene, and room tidiness. DISCUSSION: Findings suggest that these new measures can be useful for identifying NSHAP respondents who are at risk of types of neglect that can be associated with having I/ADL limitations.

Respuesta inmune en la infección por el virus del Ébola / Immune Response to Ebola Virus Infection

El virus del Ébola pertenece a la familia de los filovirus y produce una fiebre hemorrágica con una elevada letalidad. Los pacientes afectados muestran una respuesta inmune deteriorada como consecuencia de los mecanismos de evasión del virus. La catepsina es una enzima presente en los gránulos de los fagocitos que escinde las glicoproteínas de la superficie viral, permitiendo al virus la entrada a la célula anfitriona. Por otro lado, este virus es resistente a los efectos antivirales del interferón tipo I, promueve la síntesis de citoquinas proinflamatorias e induce la apoptosis de los monocitos y los linfocitos. Otros efectos del mismo son: inducir una activación incompleta de las células dendríticas con lo que evita la presentación de los antígenos virales. A pesar de que después de la primera semana se producen anticuerpos específicos, estos tienen una capacidad neutralizante dudosa. El virus evade la respuesta inmune y se replica de forma incontrolada en el hospedero. Se realizó este trabajo con el propósito de resumir los principales aspectos relacionados con las particularidades de la respuesta inmune durante la infección por el virus del Ébola.

Ebola virus belongs to the family Filoviridae and causes a highly lethal hemorrhagic fever. Affected patients show an impaired immune response as a result of the evasion mechanisms employed by the virus. Cathepsin is an enzyme present in the granules of phagocytes which cleaves viral surface glycoproteins, allowing virus entry into the host cell. In addition, this virus is resistant to the antiviral effects of type I interferon, promotes the synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines and induces apoptosis of monocytes and lymphocytes. It also induces an incomplete activation of dendritic cells, thus avoiding the presentation of viral antigens. Although specific antibodies are produced after the first week, their neutralizing capacity is doubtful. The virus evades the immune response and replicates uncontrollably in the host. This paper aims to summarize the main characteristics of the immune response to Ebola virus infection.