Do social networks impact perceived loneliness in caregivers to older adults with chronic conditions?

The abstract is not published at this time to protect intellectual property

Controlled incremental filtration: a simplified approach to design and fabrication of high-throughput microfluidic devices for selective enrichment of particles.

The number of microfluidic strategies aimed at separating particles or cells of a specific size within a continuous flow system continues to grow. The wide array of biomedical and other applications that would benefit from successful development of such technology has motivated the extensive research in this area over the past 15 years. However, despite promising advancements in microfabrication capabilities, a versatile approach that is suitable for a large range of particle sizes and high levels of enrichment, with a volumetric throughput sufficient for large-scale applications, has yet to emerge. Here we describe a straightforward method that enables the rapid design of microfluidic devices that are capable of enriching/removing particles within a complex aqueous mixture, with an unprecedented range of potential cutoff diameter (below 1µm to above 100µm) and an easily scalable degree of enrichment/filtration (up to 10-fold and well beyond). A simplified model of a new approach to crossflow filtration – controlled incremental filtration – was developed and validated for its ability to generate microfluidic devices that efficiently separate particles on the order of 1–10µm, with throughputs of tens of µL/min, without the use of a pump. Precise control of the amount of fluid incrementally diverted at each filtration “gap” of the device allows for the gap size (~20µm) to be much larger than the particles of interest, while the simplicity of the model allows for many thousands of these filtration points to be readily incorporated into a desired device design. This new approach should enable truly high-throughput microfluidic particle-separation devices to be generated, even by users only minimally experienced in fluid mechanics and microfabrication techniques

Effects of Caffeine on Prospective and Retrospective Working Memory in Rodents

Caffeine is a substance that many people now consider to be a necessary part of their daily routines due to its desired effect of keeping us awake and functional. It’s been subject to much 59 debate over the years as to how it affects performance in terms of memory and cognitive ability. In our study, we examined the performance of 15 male rats in a delayed matching-toposition task (delayed from 1-20 seconds) after administering intraperitoneal injections of caffeine (10 mg/kg) to assess their levels of working memory and compared them to a control group that was similarly injected with saline. Each group of rats were trained in this task prior to experimental trials using methods of either differential outcomes (DO) or non-differential outcomes (NDO) and their performance measured as using prospective and retrospective working memory respectively. Pairwise comparisons using Fischer’s LSD showed a significant decrease in performance of those injected with caffeine at the 5 and 10 second delay in the DO group and at the 5 second delay in the NDO group when compared with those in the control groups in each condition. The results show that more can be learned about caffeine’s effects on working memory and that further research with a larger subject pool would be a promising way to do so.https://openriver.winona.edu/urc2019/1099/thumbnail.jp

Spatial Working Memory Under Differential and Nondifferential Outcomes IV: Effects of Dextromethorphan

Previous studies have demonstrated the potential for nicotine to enhance cognitive ability including learning, attention, and memory in both animal and human models. The effects of 62 nicotine were examined while subjects performed a discrimination task under delayed conditions. Subjects were trained under nondifferential outcomes (NDO), or differential outcomes (DO) procedures. While subjects that were trained under (DO) did exhibit performance gains across delays indicative of the differential outcomes effect (DOE), no evidence of significant performance gain as a function of nicotine exposure were found under either condition. We are currently engaged in a follow-up study using a wider range of doses in which we investigate the effects of ethanol, scopolamine, MK-801, and dextromethorphan.https://openriver.winona.edu/urc2019/1043/thumbnail.jp

Spatial Working Memory Under Differential and Nondifferential Outcomes I: Effects of Scopolamine

This project examined the effects of drugs associated with working memory on the accuracy of subjects completing tasks under differential outcomes (DO), that utilize a unique outcome after each stimulus and response sequence, or tasks with non-differential outcomes (NDO) where the two available outcomes randomly occur after each stimulus and response. Such drug can indicate neurochemical differences and similarities between these tasks, and insight into working memory. Tasks that administer differential outcomes are linked to prospective memory (foreseeing future events), while tasks with non-differential outcomes and common outcomes are associated with retrospective memory (memory of past events). Scopolamine, an acetylcholine antagonist, is prescribed to treat nausea and motion sickness, and is also a muscarinic cholinergic antagonist. Depending on the effect of scopolamine on memory performance at different doses in tasks that utilize differential and non-differential outcomes will indicate acetylcholine’s role in prospective and retrospective memory. Subjects were required to complete delayed matching to position tasks with specific or randomized outcomes for each stimulus and response. Results suggested that acetylcholine mediated prospective and retrospective memory, with scopolamine effecting tasks that utilized differential outcomes less than tasks that utilized non-differential outcomes. This indicates that acetylcholine is linked to the accuracy in performance of tasks that utilize differential and non-differential outcomes, or prospective and retrospective memory.https://openriver.winona.edu/urc2019/1076/thumbnail.jp

Telomere length associations with cognition depend on Alzheimer's disease biomarkers

Introduction While telomere shortening, a marker of cellular aging, may impact the progression of age‐related neurodegenerative diseases, its association with cognition is unclear, particularly in the context of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Methods Telomere, cognitive, and CSF data from 482 participants in the AD Neuroimaging Initiative (148 cognitively normal, 283 mild cognitive impairment, 51 AD) was leveraged to assess telomere length associations with cognition (measured by memory and executive function) and interactions with CSF amyloid‐β, tau, and APOE‐ε4. Secondary analyses assessed brain volume and thickness outcomes. Results Longer telomeres at baseline were associated with faster executive function decline. Amyloid‐β and tau interacted with telomere length on cognition, with longer telomeres related to faster decline among biomarker‐positive individuals. Discussion Telomere associations with cognition shift with AD progression, with longer telomeres related to worse outcomes as pathology increases, highlighting the need for further investigation of telomere length along the AD neuropathological cascade

Biological correlates of elevated soluble TREM2 in cerebrospinal fluid

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-2 (sTREM2) is an emerging biomarker of neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Yet, sTREM2 expression has not been systematically evaluated in relation to concomitant drivers of neuroinflammation. While associations between sTREM2 and tau in CSF are established, we sought to determine additional biological correlates of CSF sTREM2 during the prodromal stages of AD by evaluating CSF Aβ species (Aβx-40), a fluid biomarker of blood-brain barrier integrity (CSF/plasma albumin ratio), and CSF biomarkers of neurodegeneration measured in 155 participants from the Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project. A novel association between high CSF levels of both sTREM2 and Aβx-40 was observed and replicated in an independent dataset. Aβx-40 levels, as well as the CSF/plasma albumin ratio, explained additional and unique variance in sTREM2 levels above and beyond that of CSF biomarkers of neurodegeneration. The component of sTREM2 levels correlated with Aβx-40 levels best predicted future cognitive performance. We highlight potential contributions of Aβ homeostasis and blood-brain barrier integrity to elevated CSF sTREM2, underscoring novel biomarker associations relevant to disease progression and clinical outcome measures

The Geriatric Emergency Care Applied Research (GEAR) network approach: A protocol to advance stakeholder consensus and research priorities in geriatrics and dementia care in the emergency department

INTRODUCTION: Increasingly, older adults are turning to emergency departments (EDs) to address healthcare needs. To achieve these research demands, infrastructure is needed to both generate evidence of intervention impact and advance the development of implementation science, pragmatic trials evaluation and dissemination of findings from studies addressing the emergency care needs of older adults. The Geriatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (https://gearnetwork.org) has been created in response to these scientific needs-to build a transdisciplinary infrastructure to support the research that will optimise emergency care for older adults and persons living with dementia. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: In this paper, we describe our approach to developing the GEAR Network infrastructure, the scoping reviews to identify research and clinical gaps and its use of consensus-driven research priorities with a transdisciplinary taskforce of stakeholders that includes patients and care partners. We describe how priority topic areas are ascertained, the process of conducting scoping reviews with integrated academic librarians performing standardised searches and providing quality control on reviews, input and support from the taskforce and conducting a large-scale consensus workshop to prioritise future research topics. The GEAR Network approach provides a framework and systematic approach to develop a research agenda and support research in geriatric emergency care. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This is a systematic review of previously conducted research; accordingly, it does not constitute human subjects research needing ethics review. These reviews will be prepared as manuscripts and submitted for publication to peer-reviewed journals, and the results will be presented at conferences.Open Science Framework registered DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/6QRYX, 10.17605/OSF.IO/AKVZ8, 10.17605/OSF.IO/EPVR5, 10.17605/OSF.IO/VXPRS

Prospectus, September 13, 1978

ELECTION DAYS ARE HERE!; Students get refund from hungry Canteen machines; Recipes for college students; CPR saves lives; Advertising Policy; PC band formed; \u27Lost in a masquerade\u27 Benson creates ecstasy; Creative writers receive assistance; Health issues program new WPCD addition; Operetta to begin tomorrow; Shaker photograph exhibition; Student Elections -- Today!; Cadaver lab is added; Apathetic turnout; Poet contest sponsored; Volleyball clinic held Sept. 9; Meeting Sept. 26 for cheerleaders; WPCD\u27s Top 15 For The Week Of Sept. 11; German club to begin activities; Classifieds; Cimmeron review \u27mediocre\u27; Thought food offered for older adults; Student Activities-\u2778; Doehring keeps on truckin\u27; Coach Jim Reed gets many players; Klems wins first Freddy contest; Cooper recruits well; Williams has busy year ahead of him; Fast Freddy Contest; Cross Country Schedulehttps://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1978/1012/thumbnail.jp

Visual and Verbal Serial List Learning in Patients with Statistically-Determined Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Background and Objective: Prior research with patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) suggests that visual versus verbal episodic memory test performance may be more sensitive to emergent illness. However, little research has examined visual versus verbal episodic memory performance as related to MCI subtypes. Research Design and Methods: Patients were diagnosed with non-MCI, amnestic MCI (aMCI), and combined mixed/dysexecutive MCI (mixed/dys MCI). Visual and verbal episodic memory were assessed with the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R) and the 12-word Philadelphia (repeatable) Verbal Learning Test (P[r]VLT), respectively. Results: BVMT-R and P(r)VLT scores yielded similar between-group patterns of performance. Non-MCI patients scored better than other groups on all parameters. aMCI and mixed/dys MCI did not differ on immediate or delayed free recall. Both delayed BVMT-R and P(r)VLT recognition test performance dissociated all three groups. Logistic regression analyses found that BVMT-R delayed free recall and delayed recognition scores correctly classified more patients with MCI (75.40%) than analogous P(r)VLT scores (66.20%). Visual versus verbal memory within-group analyses found no differences among non-MCI patients; P(r)VLT immediate free recall was worse among aMCI patients, but BVMT-R immediate free recall and delayed recognition were worse among mixed/dys MCI patients. Discussion and Implications: Between-group analyses found convergent patterns of performance such that both tests identified elements of amnesia. However, logistic and within-group analyses found differing performance patterns suggesting that impaired visual episodic memory performance may be specific to emergent illness in mixed/dys MCI. Complementary but divergent neurocognitive networks may underlie visual versus verbal episodic memory performance in some patients with MCI