Hyperlipidemia and the Aging Brain: The Impact of High Cholesterol on Cognitive Decline among the Aging Population

Introduction: Dementia is a collective term for a number of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by cognitive impairment, memory loss, imparied judgement, and personality changes. There is currently no known cure and current treatment is focused mainly on symptomatic relief. Therefore, an intervention that can reduce the risk of dementia can have a major public health impact. This review aims to examine the current literature on cardiovascular health, specifically hyperlipidemia, and whether such a condition increases the risk of developing dementia in those ages 65 to 85. Methods: A literature search was performed in November 2019 through PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar. Six articles consisting of randomized control trials (RCTs) and cohort studies were selected based on publication date and sample population. The results of these articles were then analyzed and compared. Results: Overall, five out of six studies found significant relationships between high cholesterol and cognitive decline. Three studies examined the impact of cholesterol-lowering drugs on Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) pathogenesis, two specifically explored the impact of dietary cholesterol, and one looked at atherosclerosis as a result of high cholesterol on the development of dementia. Five studies found a significant relationship between high cholesterol and cognitive decline, and two found ApoE to be a mediator of the relationship. Due to several limitations within the studies, the collective evidence is not strong enough to confirm a relationship between high cholesterol and cognitive decline. Discussion: Significant results were found in five out of six articles. However, there were several limitations that prevent the findings from reaching clinical significance. These include the lack of standardization among the variables in the studies, small sample sizes, a lack of blinding, and insufficient timelines and follow-up. All such factors enable the introduction of bias that weakens internal validity and hinders the ability to draw strong conclusions. Conclusion: The aging population and high prevalence of both dementia and hyperlipidemia among adults in the US highlight the need to explore a potential relationship between cardiovascular health and cognitive decline. Given the shortcomings of the various studies, few recommendations can be made regarding changes to clinical practice. However, the findings contribute to a greater knowledge base on the complex interplay between cholesterol, cognitive decline and related brain changes. Future studies are warranted to further investigate this relationship, develop more robust conclusions, and hopefully reduce the burden of disease on the aging population

Community Engagement in Sustainable Design: A Case Study of the Oberlin Project

The Oberlin Project is an unprecedented opportunity for the city of Oberlin, Oberlin College, and other participating institutions to work together to achieve sustainable development and carbon neutrality. How might these institutions engage Oberlin citizens in some of the planning decisions that will shape Oberlin\u27s future? Collaborating with citizens is important because in theory, encouraging participatory, collaborative planning contributes to just, equitable, and diverse cities. Study of sustainability initiatives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for instance, reveal that it is possible for cities to make great leaps at sustainable urbanism while simultaneously building up a strong base of social capital aimed at meeting sustainability goals. This social capital includes both public and private sector organizations, as well as a large percentage of active citizenry. Based on a survey response involving interviews with twenty Oberlin citizens in the government, business, and community development sectors, the two greatest strains on citizen engagement in the Oberlin Project as of spring 2011 may be 1) existing social tensions between the town and College, and 2) a lack of widespread knowledge about the objectives of the Oberlin Project. Drawing from the theory and demonstration of collaborative planning, two means to overcome these difficulties are 1) establishing a culture and environment of listening and dialogue, and 2) creating outlets that allow citizens ownership in different projects. These are two policy goals that may prove useful to the Oberlin Project as it continues to evolve

A Patchwork of Progress

Outlines changes in childhood obesity and overweight rates in California between 2005 and 2010 by county. Considers implications of regional variations, including public policy options for promoting healthy diets and physical activity

MutY-Homolog (MYH) inhibition reduces pancreatic cancer cell growth and increases chemosensitivity

Patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PC) have a poor prognosis due to metastases and chemoresistance. PC is characterized by extensive fibrosis, which creates a hypoxic microenvironment, and leads to increased chemoresistance and intracellular oxidative stress. Thus, proteins that protect against oxidative stress are potential therapeutic targets for PC. A key protein that maintains genomic integrity against oxidative damage is MutY-Homolog (MYH). No prior studies have investigated the function of MYH in PC cells. Using siRNA, we showed that knockdown of MYH in PC cells 1) reduced PC cell proliferation and increased apoptosis; 2) further decreased PC cell growth in the presence of oxidative stress and chemotherapy agents (gemcitabine, paclitaxel and vincristine); 3) reduced PC cell metastatic potential; and 4) decreased PC tumor growth in a subcutaneous mouse model in vivo. The results from this study suggest MYH may be a novel therapeutic target for PC that could potentially improve patient outcome by reducing PC cell survival, increasing the efficacy of existing drugs and reducing metastatic spread

Navigating The Male Preserve Of Higher Education Leadership: A Feminist Poststructural Discourse Analysis Of Presidential Inaugural Addresses By Women At Colonial Colleges

Followers grant legitimacy to leaders whom they perceive to be a good fit for the role, yet the conceptual framework for this study illustrated how dominant discourses related to gender and leadership continue to negatively affect a woman’s potential in achieving legitimacy as an academic president. This study examined the predominant discourses taken up by women during their inaugural addresses to legitimate their role as leaders of the colonial colleges—a unique sample of institutions because of their long legacies of male leadership and strong organizational sagas deeply rooted in masculine preferences and cultures. The inaugural address represents a celebration of the organizational saga while also being a challenge of discourse for any new leader in establishing legitimacy before becoming fully incorporated into the institution’s community. By applying a feminist poststructural approach to discourse analysis, the methods of this study involved multiple phases of deductive and inductive coding of the speeches along with a parallel interrogation of the data which revealed gendered subjectivities that positioned the women in this study as relatively powerful or powerless in their quest for presidential legitimacy. The conceptual model that emerged from this analysis illustrated how the negotiation of gendered discourses and the accommodation of discourses related to institutional, environmental, and moral legitimacy positioned the women as relatively powerful in their speeches, and thus, charted a course for navigating the male preserve of higher education leadership. Perspectives provided from this study challenged the dominant discourses of gender differentiation and expanded the discourses available to those aspiring to the college presidency

Caffeine Consumption, Exercise, and MotivationKylie Harrison, Amanda Chiarelli, Jaclyn Flynn, Erica Goldstein, Rachel Helfer

Caffeine is a widely used stimulant found in drinks, like coffee, tea, and energy drinks, and is often used to stay awake and alert, as well used for exercise and getting work done. This research aimed to determine if caffeine had an impact on people\u27s motivation, as well as the way that people exercise, by asking the question: “does caffeine consumption have an impact on motivation and exercise?” The study was conducted by distributing a Google Forms Survey through word of mouth, GroupMe, email, and text messages. The survey was anonymous for all users. A total of 150 participants completed the survey. The demographics of each participant were examined, including their location, level of education, gender, age, nutritional habits, motivational patterns, and how often they exercise and consume caffeine. The data was analyzed and interpreted using SPSS version 25.0. The results supported the initial hypothesis that caffeine does have a positive effect on motivation and exercise. The study results suggest that people who consumed caffeine for motivation also consumed pre-workout before exercise (p\u3c.05). It also showed that people who consumed more cups of coffee in a day were more motivated to complete tasks (p\u3c.01). The widespread use of caffeine among college students makes this study especially relevant when considering the high workload and high stress typical of this environment. The amount of caffeine consumed daily is also an important factor to examine when considering the exercise routines and motivation patterns among a population of mainly college students.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2022/1089/thumbnail.jp

Driving with Para-Central Visual Field Loss: Pilot Study

We studied how para-central visual field loss affects pedestrian detection in a driving simulator. Participants with para-central field loss had relatively good visual acuity (20/15 – 20/60) and 3 of 5 met local vision requirements for an unrestricted drivers license; however, they had lower detection rates and longer reaction times to pedestrians likely to appear within the blind area than in their seeing areas. They were at collision risk for 7% to 30% of pedestrians, whereas controls were at a collision risk for 0 to 4% of pedestrians

The Impact of Macular Disease on Pedestrian Detection: A Driving Simulator Evaluation

We describe the design of a driving simulator study to determine the effect of central visual field loss (due to macular disease) on pedestrian detection when driving. Pilot data suggest that a scotoma (blind area) in the central visual field can impair driving by increasing response time to hazardous circumstances

Raising the Legal Age of Tobacco Sales: Policy Support and Trust in Government, 2014–2015, U.S.

IOM has called for an increase in the minimum age of tobacco product sales. It is not clear what age increase would garner the greatest public support, or whether trust in the U.S. government predicts policy support