Executive Function Deficits in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment: Exploring the Impact of Substance Use

Substance use is pervasive in the United States. With overdose deaths on the rise for the past decade, studies have examined the detrimental effects of a range of substances. Substance use has been shown to affect the domains of executive functioning, while diseases such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis-C (Hep-C) have been shown to increase the severity of these deficits when comorbid with substance use. Alzheimer’s Dementia (AD) also affects many of the same domains of executive functioning as substance use. However, because of the rapid degenerative nature of the disease, individuals clinically determined to have Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) with a risk of progression to AD are more uniform in symptom presentation and discerned deficits, and are therefore more feasible to examine. This study examined whether a history of substance abuse impairs executive function in a cumulative manner when comorbid with MCI with a clinically indicated risk of progression to AD. While those subject to both MCI and substance use history did have the lowest scores in all of the assessments and in each of the conditions measured, those differences were insignificant. The hypothesis was not supported, even though the trend in scores was in the predicted trajectory. These results and implications are discussed, while limitations and possible future research directions are outlined

The Impact of Tariffs on U.S. Exports of Value-Added Wheat Products

International Relations/Trade,

A dynamic simulation of low-carbon policy influences on endogenous electricity demand in an isolated island system

This paper considers the dynamics of electricity demand in response to changes arising from low-carbon policies and socio-economic developments. As part of an investigation into the evolution of such systems on small economically-developed islands, endogenous electricity demand and associated policies are studied for the Azorean island of São Miguel. A comprehensive System Dynamics (SD) model covering the period 2005 − 2050 is presented which captures both historical behaviours and real-world influences on the endogenous demand dynamics of an island-based electricity system. The impact of tourism, energy efficiency and electric vehicles (EV) expansion allied with associated policy options, are critically evaluated by the SD model using a series of scenarios. The model shows that energy efficiency measures exhibit the most significant long-term impact on electricity demand, while in contrast, policies to increase tourism have a much less direct impact and EV expansion has thought-provoking impacts on the long-term demand, although this is not as influential as energy efficiency measures

Global Market Segmentation for Value-Added Agricultural Products

International Relations/Trade,

Global Import Demand for Value-Added Wheat Products

International Relations/Trade,

U.S. Exports of Value-added Wheat Products: Recent Trends and Contributing Factors

International Relations/Trade,

WORLD MALT AND MALTING BARLEY: COMPETITION, MARKETING, AND TRADE

Recent trends in production marketing, trade, and policies affecting world malting barley and malt sector are examined. A spatial equilibrium model of production and trade is used to assess the effects of alternative levels of supply, demand, and policy variables on composition and direction of malting barley and malt trade flows.malting barley, malt, beer, trade, spatial equilibrium, Marketing, International Relations/Trade,