Metabolic syndrome and cognition: A systematic review across cognitive domains and a bibliometric analysis

The aim of this review is to investigate the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cognitive decline in distinct cognitive domains, and to perform a complementary study description through the bibliometric analysis. PubMed and Scopus databases were searched from inception to 15 December 2021 to identify longitudinal studies that examined the association of MetS with incident decline, in order to prevent reverse causality. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis checklist was used to conduct the present systematic review. Thirty studies were included and results were analyzed across the cognitive domains of global cognition, memory, executive functions, attention, visuoconstructive abilities, and language. The majority of the studies reviewed did not report statistically significant results for most cognitive domains investigated, and decline in specific cognitive domains was not consistently associated with the presence of MetS. Meta-analyses were not conducted due to the high degree of between-study heterogeneity regarding the MetS definitions, the cognitive domains examined, the specific tests used for each cognitive domain and the different measures of association used. Bibliometric analysis revealed that most studies are conducted by research teams from USA and China, and that cognitive tasks that reflect real-life abilities are rarely examined. Future studies should employ larger sample sizes, longer follow-up periods, a global consensus for MetS definition and standardized tests of the above mentioned cognitive domains as well as problem-solving tasks with high sensitivity and specificity to clarify the impact of MetS on cognition and its underlying mechanisms

Epitaxial 2D MoSe₂ (HfSe₂) Semiconductor/2D TaSe₂ Metal van der Waals Heterostructures

Molecular beam epitaxy of 2D metal TaSe₂/2D MoSe₂ (HfSe₂) semiconductor heterostructures on epi-AlN(0001)/Si(111) substrates is reported. Electron diffraction reveals an in-plane orientation indicative of van der Waals epitaxy, whereas electronic band imaging supported by first-principles calculations and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicate the presence of a dominant trigonal prismatic 2H-TaSe₂ phase and a minor contribution from octahedrally coordinated TaSe₂, which is present in TaSe₂/AlN and TaSe₂/HfSe₂/AlN but notably absent in the TaSe₂/MoSe₂/AlN, indicating superior structural quality of TaSe₂ grown on MoSe₂. Apart from its structural and chemical compatibility with the selenide semiconductors, TaSe₂ has a workfunction of 5.5 eV as measured by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, which matches very well with the semiconductor workfunctions, implying that epi-TaSe₂ can be used for low-resistivity contacts to MoSe₂ and HfSe₂

The cognitive and behavioral correlates of functional status in patients with frontotemporal dementia: A pilot study

Objective: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) impinges significantly on cognition, behavior, and everyday functioning. Goal of the present study is the detailed description of behavioral disturbances and functional limitations, as well as the investigation of associations between cognition, behavior, and functional impairment among FTD patients. Given the importance of maintaining a satisfying functional status as long as possible, this study also aims to identify the cognitive correlates of compensatory strategy use in this clinical group.Methods: A total of 13 patients diagnosed with FTD (behavioral variant FTD = 9, non-fluent variant primary progressive aphasia = 3, semantic dementia = 1) were administrated a broad range of neuropsychological tests for the assessment of different cognitive abilities. Behavioral symptomatology and performance on everyday activities were rated with informant-based measures. Descriptive statistics were used for the delineation of behavioral and functional patterns, whereas stepwise multiple regression analyses were performed to identify associations between cognition, behavior, and functional status.Results: Negative symptoms, especially apathy, were found to predominate in the behavior of FTD patients. Instrumental tasks, such as housework and leisure activities, appeared to be the most impaired functional domains. Working memory was the strongest cognitive correlate of performance across various domains of everyday functioning, whereas working memory along with short-term verbal memory accounted for a great proportion of variance in compensatory strategy use. Behavioral disturbances and especially negative symptoms were also found to contribute significantly to functional impairment in FTD.Conclusions: Executive dysfunction, as well as behavioral disturbances contribute significantly to functional disability in FTD. Early interventions tailored at these domains may have the potential to improve functional outcomes and delay the rate of functional decline among FTD patients

Minimalkonsens in Nairobi: Ein Scheitern der Doha-Runde gefährdet die WTO

Nach vierzehn Jahren Verhandlungen im Rahmen der Doha-Runde ist auch auf der 10. Ministerkonferenz in Nairobi bei den grundlegenden Themen keine Einigung in Sicht. Um ihre handelspolitischen Interessen durchzusetzen, haben sich die großen Handelsnationen bereits mehr und mehr mega-regionalen Abkommen wie TTIP und TPP zugewandt. Doch scheitert die Doha-Runde endgültig, ist auch die WTO als Hüterin des Welthandels in Gefahr

Prevalence and determinants of sex-specific dietary supplement use in a greek cohort

We describe the profile of dietary supplement use and its correlates in the Epirus Health Study cohort, which consists of 1237 adults (60.5% women) residing in urban north-west Greece. The association between dietary supplement use and demographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviors, personal medical history and clinical measurements was assessed using logistic regression models, separately for women and men. The overall prevalence of dietary supplement use was 31.4%, and it was higher in women (37.3%) compared to men (22.4%; p-value = 4.2−08). Based on multivariable logistic regression models, dietary supplement use in women was associated with age (positively until middle-age and slightly negatively afterwards), the presence of a chronic health condition (OR = 1.71; 95% CI, 1.18–2.46), lost/removed teeth (OR = 0.52; 95% CI, 0.35–0.78) and diastolic blood pressure (OR per 5 mmHg increase =0.84; 95% CI, 0.73–0.96); body mass index and worse general health status were borderline inversely associated. In men, dietary supplement use was positively associated with being employed (OR = 2.53; 95% CI, 1.21–5.29). A considerable proportion of our sample used dietary supplements, and the associated factors differed between women and men

Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease Based on Disease-Specific Autoantibody Profiles in Human Sera

After decades of Alzheimer's disease (AD) research, the development of a definitive diagnostic test for this disease has remained elusive. The discovery of blood-borne biomarkers yielding an accurate and relatively non-invasive test has been a primary goal. Using human protein microarrays to characterize the differential expression of serum autoantibodies in AD and non-demented control (NDC) groups, we identified potential diagnostic biomarkers for AD. The differential significance of each biomarker was evaluated, resulting in the selection of only 10 autoantibody biomarkers that can effectively differentiate AD sera from NDC sera with a sensitivity of 96.0% and specificity of 92.5%. AD sera were also distinguishable from sera obtained from patients with Parkinson's disease and breast cancer with accuracies of 86% and 92%, respectively. Results demonstrate that serum autoantibodies can be used effectively as highly-specific and accurate biomarkers to diagnose AD throughout the course of the disease

The contrasting role of technology as both supportive and hindering in the everyday lives of people with mild cognitive deficits: a focus group study

Background: It is well known that people with mild cognitive deficits face challenges when performing complex everyday activities, and that the use of technology has become increasingly interwoven with everyday activities. However, less is known of how technology might be involved, either as a support or hindrance, in different areas of everyday life and of the environments where challenges appear. The aim of this study was to investigate the areas of concern where persons with cognitive deficits meet challenges in everyday life, in what environments these challenges appear and how technology might be involved as part of the challenge and/or the solution to the challenge. Methods: Data were gathered through four focus group interviews with participants that live with cognitive deficits or cohabit with a person with cognitive deficits, plus health professionals and researchers in the field. Data were transcribed, coded and categorized, and finally synthesized to trace out the involvement of technology. Results: Five areas of concern in everyday life were identified as offering challenges to persons with cognitive deficits: A) Managing personal finances, B) Getting around, C) Meeting family and friends, D) Engaging with culture and media and, E) Doing everyday chores. Findings showed that the involvement of technology in everyday activities was often contrastive. It could be hindering and evoke stress, or it could bring about feelings of control; that is, being a part of the solution. The involvement of technology was especially obvious in challenges linked to Managing personal finances, which is a crucial necessity in many everyday activities. In contrast, technology was least obviously involved in the area Socializing with family and friends. Conclusions: The findings imply that technology used for orientation and managing finances, often used outside home, would benefit from being further developed in order to be more supportive; i.e. accessible and usable. To make a positive change for many people, the ideas of inclusive design fit well for this purpose and would contribute to an age-friendly society

The instrumental activity of daily living profile in aging:A feasibility study

BACKGROUND: Dysfunctions in complex activities of daily living (ADLs) are a normal part of the aging process. However, differentiating functional decline associated with healthy aging from the subtle decline experienced by individuals with mild cognitive impairment and early dementia constitutes a challenge. Finding an appropriate tool that can capture these subtle but important functional changes represents a priority. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to evaluate the feasibility of using the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Profile (IADL Profile) with elderly participants and to describe their level of difficulty encountered in each task. METHODS: The tool was administered to a group of 40 elderly participants living in the community. RESULTS: The IADL Profile was found to be feasible to use in older individuals; the tool also showed sensitivity to the difficulties experienced by this population in everyday functioning. CONCLUSION: The IADL Profile is a promising ecological tool to evaluate independence in aging and may help to identify individuals with MCI. This tool may also contribute to the development of tailored interventions to enhance everyday functioning in the older population