ASSOCIATION BETWEEN NUTRITION AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN COSTA RICAN OLDER ADULTS

Older adults are among the fastest-growing segment of the world\u27s population. In Costa Rica, life expectancy is comparable to developed countries, such as the United States and Western European countries. The loss of cognitive capacity is one of the most significant issues affecting the quality of life of older adults and their families. Although the causes of cognitive decline remain uncertain, it has been linked to cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure. Dietary fatty acids have an important role in these conditions, making it is plausible that they could play a role in cognitive deterioration The purpose of this research is to examine the association among fatty acid intake, lipid profile, and cognitive health in Costa Rican elders. To examine these issues, a cross-sectional secondary data analysis was performed using public data from the Costa Rican Longevity and Healthy Aging Study, a nationally representative longitudinal survey of health and socioeconomic indicators of Costa Rican residents ages 60 and over in 2005 (n=2878). All data and specimens in the study were collected at the participants\u27 homes, usually during two visits. Diet information was collected using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Cognitive disability was assessed with an adaptation of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Participants who answered the 15 items with fewer than 75% correct answers were considered to be \u27cognitively impaired.\u27 Serum lipid analyses were conducted by nationally certified laboratories. General characteristics between cognitively disabled and non-cognitively disabled participants were explored using descriptive statistics. Regression models were controlled for age, caloric intake, and lipid medication. The study found highly significant differences between cognitively disabled and non-cognitively disabled older adults. The demographic data indicated that adults with less than 75% accuracy on the MMSE were younger, had lower monthly income, and had completed fewer years of formal education. Important differences were also found in the health profile. Medical diagnoses of diabetes, stroke, and heart attack were significantly higher among the cognitively disabled. Non-cognitively disabled adults had a higher rate of medical diagnosis of dyslipidemia and presented a higher rate of metabolic syndrome. Anthropometric data confirmed that cognitively disabled elders had a lower BMI, lower body weight, and higher percentage of underweight. The dietary analysis revealed a lower energy, total fat, and monounsaturated fatty acids intake compared to their counterparts. The lipid profile from adults who were not cognitively disabled indicated significantly higher levels of LDL, triacylglycerides, and total cholesterol. The multiple regression analysis suggested a significant (p Differences in Costa Rican elders\u27 demographic, health, and diet characteristics were found between cognitively disabled individuals and those not disabled. Dietary fat intake and serum lipid profile were weakly associated with cognitive outcomes. Further research, particularly longitudinal studies, are needed to better examine this relationship

Beacon Satellite Symposium: Session 5B - June 30th 2016: Radio Occultation Techniques and Measurements

During the Beacon Satellite Symposium, held in Trieste, Italy, between June 26 and July 1 2016, the JRC chaired the session 5B: Radio Occultation Techniques and Measurements. The corresponding abstract of the session is provided as follows: Since the mid-1960s, the GNSS based radio occultation technique has been used to study the structure and properties of the atmospheres of not only Earth but also other planets, such as Venus, Mars, some other outer planets, and many of their moons. By measuring the phase delay of radio waves from GNSS satellites as they are occulted by the Earth’s atmosphere, the vertical density profiles of the bending angles of radio wave trajectories can be estimated using measurements onboard LEO satellites. The success of the GPS/MET mission in 1995 inspired a number of follow‐on missions that include radio occultation experiment, including the CHAMP, GRACE, SAC-C, COSMIC, Metop-A/B, C/NOFS, and upcoming COSMIC-2 satellites. The combined profiles from these different LEO satellites provide excellent opportunities to explore the dynamics and structure of the ionosphere, especially in the regions that have been devoid of ground-based instruments, allowing for investigation of the longitudinal variability of the ionospheric density structure. This session seeks contributions that advance the application of RO technique for space weather studies. In addition, we welcome presentations exploring innovative methodologies that address the current problem on RO inversion technique at the equatorial region where ionospheric irregularity, such as sporadic E and spread F, present and degrade the linear combination technique that affect the quality of density profile extracted in the region. The session was organized among Endawoke Yizengaw (Institute for Scientific Research, Boston College), Jann-Yenq Liu (National Space Organization –NSPO- Chief Scientist), and Angela Aragon-Angel (Joint Research Centre). The session consisted of both oral and poster presentation parts. This document presents the process of the session preparation within the Beacon Satellite Symposium organization. Moreover, the abstracts of the different contributions accepted to the session are also included for completeness.JRC.E.2-Technology Innovation in Securit

Reading under the Common Core: Latinx Students’ Agency and Meaning-Making Practices in Peer Discussions about Text

The widespread adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), since 2010, has led to a growing concern among education scholars and practitioners about how the new standards will impact the educational trajectories of students from minoritized linguistic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds (Bunch, Walqui, & Pearson, 2014; Hakuta, Santos, & Fang, 2013; Lee, Quinn, & Valdés, 2013). In the area of English Language Arts (ELA), the close reading of texts, particularly informational texts, is identified as one of the primary reading skills students are expected to acquire, and is presented as central to students’ academic success in school and beyond. The CCSS narrowly define close reading as the practice of extracting knowledge and evidence from texts, paying limited attention to students’ broader learning contexts and existing funds of knowledge (Moll et al., 1992). The CCSS’s conceptualization of close reading contrasts with a sociocultural orientation to literacy (Castanheira, Crawford, Dixon, & Green, 2001; Hull & Moje, 2012) in which students’ language and literacy practices are viewed as socially situated and constructed. Drawing on the latter perspective, as well as on Neo-Vygotskian sociocultural theory (Rogoff, 1990) and a sociocultural linguistic framework (Bucholtz & Hall, 2005), the present study examines student interactions within and across instructional activities designed to support the acquisition of literacy skills required for close reading and analysis of complex texts. This dissertation presents a discourse analysis of classroom interaction in a 6th grade public school classroom in Southern California that was documented over the course of five months using video and audio recordings, participant observation, field notes, and samples of students’ work. The observations and analysis focus on peer discussions involving emergent bilinguals (García, 2009) from Latinx immigrant backgrounds, several of whom had been recently transitioned out of the school’s English Language Development (ELD) program. Findings suggest that students fluidly employed a range of linguistic and cultural resources, such as the use of their funds of knowledge and various linguistic registers, to make meaning and co-construct their understanding of texts with others. Students often used academic language as part of these interactions and demonstrated strong awareness of their language choices—particularly how they were connected to discourses about “standard” and “academic” language. Lastly, students’ engagement in different literacy tasks was locally constructed and influenced by factors such as the characteristics of specific texts and students’ affective responses to those texts. These finding have implications for how teaching practices associated with reading can be designed to leverage students’ knowledge and interests and expand learning opportunities for linguistically and racially marginalized students. Based on the findings, I propose an integrative and dynamic sociocultural approach to conceptualizing, teaching, and assessing students’ literacy practices in the classroom

Measuring the activity of mental health services in England : variation in categorising activity for payment purposes

In the context of international interest in reforming mental health payment systems, national policy in England has sought to move towards an episodic funding approach. Patients are categorised into care clusters, and providers will be paid for episodes of care for patients within each cluster. For the payment system to work, clusters need to be appropriately homogenous in terms of financial resource use. We examine variation in costs and activity within clusters and across health care providers. We find that the large variation between providers with respect to costs within clusters mean that a cluster-based episodic payment system would have substantially different financial impacts across providers