Informal caregiving and diurnal patterns of salivary cortisol : Results from the Whitehall II cohort study

The objective was to investigate the relationship between various aspects of informal caregiving and diurnal patterns of salivary cortisol, with special attention to the moderating effect of sex and work status. The study population was composed of 3727 men and women from the British Whitehall II study. Salivary cortisol was measured six times during a weekday. Aspects of caregiving included the relationship of caregiver to recipient, weekly hours of caregiving, and length of caregiving. Diurnal cortisol profiles were assessed using the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and diurnal cortisol slopes. Results showed that men, but not women, providing informal care had a blunted CAR compared with non-caregivers (P-Interaction = 0.03). Furthermore, we found a dose-response relationship showing that more weekly hours of informal care was associated with a more blunted CAR for men (P-trend = 0.03). Also, the blunted CAR for men was especially pronounced in short-term caregivers and those in paid work. In women, the steepest cortisol slope was seen among those in paid work who provided informal care (P-Interaction = 0.01). To conclude, we found different cortisol profiles in male and female informal caregivers. Male caregivers had a blunted CAR, which has previously been associated with chronic stress and burnout. Future research should investigate whether results are generalizable beyond UK citizens with a working history in the civil service.Peer reviewe

UNBOUND

Featured here, are the extraordinary works of our graduating Fanshawe Design class. This accomplishment is truly a celebration of the three years of passion, hard work, and dedication put forth by our students. It is our greatest hope that family, friends and the fashion industry will enjoy the creative endeavors of these emerging designers from the Fashion Design program at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario.https://first.fanshawec.ca/famd_design_fashiondesign_unbound/1001/thumbnail.jp

Cross-Sectional Exploration of Plasma Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease in Down Syndrome: Early Data from the Longitudinal Investigation for Enhancing Down Syndrome Research (LIFE-DSR) Study

With improved healthcare, the Down syndrome (DS) population is both growing and aging rapidly. However, with longevity comes a very high risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The LIFE-DSR study (NCT04149197) is a longitudinal natural history study recruiting 270 adults with DS over the age of 25. The study is designed to characterize trajectories of change in DS-associated AD (DS-AD). The current study reports its cross-sectional analysis of the first 90 subjects enrolled. Plasma biomarkers phosphorylated tau protein (p-tau), neurofilament light chain (NfL), amyloid β peptides (Aβ1-40, Aβ1-42), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were undertaken with previously published methods. The clinical data from the baseline visit include demographics as well as the cognitive measures under the Severe Impairment Battery (SIB) and Down Syndrome Mental Status Examination (DS-MSE). Biomarker distributions are described with strong statistical associations observed with participant age. The biomarker data contributes to understanding DS-AD across the spectrum of disease. Collectively, the biomarker data show evidence of DS-AD progression beginning at approximately 40 years of age. Exploring these data across the full LIFE-DSR longitudinal study population will be an important resource in understanding the onset, progression, and clinical profiles of DS-AD pathophysiology

Changes in Emotional Vitality as a Predictor of Levels and Change in Allostatic Load:Longitudinal Results From the Whitehall II Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE: Increasing evidence has shown an association between reduced psychological well-being and long-term morbidity. However, longitudinal studies addressing potential biobehavioral mechanisms, such as physiological function, are lacking. The aim of this study is to examine the association between changes in emotional vitality on levels and changes in allostatic load (AL), a measure of multisystem physiological dysregulation, as well as its composite risk markers. METHODS: Participants comprised 5,919 British civil servants from phases 3, 5 and 7 of the Whitehall II study. Psychological well-being was operationalized as emotional vitality. AL was measured using 9 biomarkers of the cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune system. Linear mixed-effect models were used to determine the association between changes in emotional vitality between phases 3 and 5 and subsequent levels and change in AL from phases 5 to 7. Generalized linear models were used to address the association between changes in emotional vitality and individual risk markers. RESULTS: Increase in emotional vitality was associated with a lower mean level of AL, while the AL slope was not markedly affected. Among the included risk markers, only IL-6 was weakly associated with changes in emotional vitality, with a 7% reduced risk of high levels of IL-6 pr. one-unit increase in emotional vitality. CONCLUSION: This study found that an increase in emotional vitality was associated with subsequent lower levels, but not rate of change, of AL over time. Further research is needed to address the relationship between trajectories of psychological well-being and physiological dysregulation

Article ID: IJCET_06_11_002 TMRP-NDP: Trust based Multipoint Relay-Neighbor Discover Protocol for Duplicate Address Detection in MANET

ABSTRACT I

Does Experience Matter for Patterns of Expansion by U.S. Companies in Latin America and the Caribbean

We describe expansion patterns by U.S. companies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) between 1980 and 2005 using a unique sample that utilizes country, industry and time-series information on firms’ investments. We build on previous research to explore the effect of experience on firms’ preference for equity commitment. Using the time series properties of our data, we examine the extent to which previous investments in the region influence firms’ expansion patterns. Our analysis includes the traditional determinants of entry mode choices such as firm-specific factors, market seeking factors, resource seeking factors, and country specific factors. Bivariate probit results indicate that companies with previous experience in the region are more likely to commit equity going forward and this also holds for more recent companies with greater growth opportunities

Cross-Sectional Exploration of Plasma Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease in Down Syndrome: Early Data from the Longitudinal Investigation for Enhancing Down Syndrome Research (LIFE-DSR) Study.

With improved healthcare, the Down syndrome (DS) population is both growing and aging rapidly. However, with longevity comes a very high risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The LIFE-DSR study (NCT04149197) is a longitudinal natural history study recruiting 270 adults with DS over the age of 25. The study is designed to characterize trajectories of change in DS-associated AD (DS-AD). The current study reports its cross-sectional analysis of the first 90 subjects enrolled. Plasma biomarkers phosphorylated tau protein (p-tau), neurofilament light chain (NfL), amyloid β peptides (Aβ1-40, Aβ1-42), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were undertaken with previously published methods. The clinical data from the baseline visit include demographics as well as the cognitive measures under the Severe Impairment Battery (SIB) and Down Syndrome Mental Status Examination (DS-MSE). Biomarker distributions are described with strong statistical associations observed with participant age. The biomarker data contributes to understanding DS-AD across the spectrum of disease. Collectively, the biomarker data show evidence of DS-AD progression beginning at approximately 40 years of age. Exploring these data across the full LIFE-DSR longitudinal study population will be an important resource in understanding the onset, progression, and clinical profiles of DS-AD pathophysiology