Impact of gender and generational differences in work values and attitudes in an Arab culture

In this article, the work values and attitudes of 241 nationals from the United Arab Emirates are examined. Specifically, we assessed the impact of generational membership and gender on the Islamic work ethic, individualism, attitudes toward women at work, and perceptions of the utility of wasta. Results suggest that values and attitudes held by people in the Middle East are changing on the one hand (e.g., individualism) but are also deeply held on the other (e.g., the Islamic work ethic). Results also suggest that the perceptions about the utility of wasta differ across generations. The implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Roles of Education and IQ in Cognitive Reserve in Parkinson's Disease-Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Background/aimsThe role of cognitive reserve in Parkinson's disease (PD)-mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is incompletely understood.MethodsThe relationships between PD-MCI, years of education, and estimated premorbid IQ were examined in 119 consecutive non-demented PD patients using logistic regression models.ResultsHigher education and IQ were associated with reduced odds of PD-MCI in univariate analysis. In multivariable analysis, a higher IQ was associated with a significantly decreased odds of PD-MCI, but education was not.ConclusionThe association of higher IQ and decreased odds of PD-MCI supports a role for cognitive reserve in PD, but further studies are needed to clarify the interaction of IQ and education and the impact of other contributors such as employment and hobbies

Diversity and occurrence of siphonophores in Irish coastal waters

Siphonophores are at times amongst the most abundant invertebrate zooplankton predators in the oceans. Historically, siphonophores have been under-sampled and of the studies conducted there has been a bias towards oceanic oligotrophic waters where they are considered to be more important. In temperate coastal regions, comparatively less is known about the diversity and abundance of siphonophores, where periodic blooms can restructure the plankton communities and have been correlated with high mortalities in the salmon aquaculture industry. To address this lack of knowledge, plankton samples were collected during two periods (March 2009-March 2011 and April 2014-November 2015) from a coastal embayment in the southwest of Ireland. In total, three siphonophore species were found, the calycophoran Muggiaea atlantica, and the physonects, Nanomia bijuga and Agalma elegans. Muggiaea atlantica was the most abundant species (250 colonies m−3), with densities an order of magnitude higher than either physonect. Muggiaea atlantica displayed a distinct seasonality, whereas the physonect species were sporadic in occurrence. Comparing siphonophores in Bantry Bay and the Western English Channel (Plymouth Marine Laboratory's L4 station) indicates both regions share a similar pattern of inter-annual occurrence and provides novel information on the seasonality and occurrence of siphonophores in Irish coastal waters

Longitudinal relationships between subjective fatigue, cognitive function, and everyday functioning in old age

Background: The present study examined the prospective relationships between subjective fatigue, cognitive function, and everyday functioning. Methods: A cohort study with secondary data analysis was conducted using data from 2,781 community-dwelling older adults without dementia who were enrolled to participate in the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) randomized intervention trial. Measures included demographic and health information at baseline, and annual assessments of subjective fatigue, cognitive function (i.e. speed of processing, memory, and reasoning), and everyday functioning (i.e. everyday speed and everyday problem-solving) over five years. Results: Four distinct classes of subjective fatigue were identified using growth mixture modeling: one group complaining fatigue some of the time at baseline but most of the time at five-year follow-up (increased fatigue), one complaining fatigue a good bit of the time constantly over time (persistent fatigue), one complaining fatigue most of the time at baseline but some of the time at five-year follow-up (decreased fatigue), and the fourth complaining fatigue some of the time constantly over time (persistent energy). All domains of cognitive function and everyday functioning declined significantly over five years; and the decline rates, but not the baseline levels, differed by the latent class of subjective fatigue. Except for the decreased fatigue class, there were different degrees of significant associations between the decline rates of subjective fatigue and all domains of cognitive function and everyday functioning in other classes of subjective fatigue. Conclusion: Future interventions should address subjective fatigue when managing cognitive and functional abilities in community-dwelling older adults

Frequency of mentally stimulating activities modifies the relationship between cardiovascular reactivity and executive function in old age

Objectives Recent evidence suggests that younger and middle-age adults who show greater cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) to acute mental stress demonstrate better reasoning and memory skills. The purpose of this study was to examine whether older adults would exhibit a similar positive association between CVR and executive function and whether regular engagement in mentally stimulating activities (MSA) would moderate this association. Design Secondary cross-sectional analysis. Setting Three clinical research centers in the Midwest and on the West Coast and East Coast. Participants A total of 487 older adults participating in an ongoing national survey. Measurements Heart rate (HR) and low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) domains of heart rate variability (HRV) were measured at baseline and in response to standard mental stress tasks (Stroop color word task and mental arithmetic). Executive function was measured separately from the stress tasks by using five neuropsychological tests. MSA was measured by self-reported frequency of six common MSA. Results Higher HR reactivity was associated with better executive function after controlling for demographic and health characteristics and baseline HR, and the interaction between HR reactivity and MSA was significant for executive function. Higher LF-HRV reactivity was also associated with executive function, but subsequent analyses indicated that frequency of MSA was the strongest predictor of executive function in models that included LF-HRV or HF-HRV. Conclusions Higher HR reactivity to acute psychological stress is related to better executive function in older adults. For those with lower HR reactivity, engaging frequently in MSA produced compensatory benefits for executive function

Tackling the jelly web: Trophic ecology of gelatinous zooplankton in oceanic food webs of the eastern tropical Atlantic assessed by stable isotope analysis

Gelatinous zooplankton can be present in high biomass and taxonomic diversity in planktonic oceanic food webs, yet the trophic structuring and importance of this “jelly web” remain incompletely understood. To address this knowledge gap, we provide a holistic trophic characterization of a jelly web in the eastern tropical Atlantic, based on δ13C and δ15N stable isotope analysis of a unique gelatinous zooplankton sample set. The jelly web covered most of the isotopic niche space of the entire planktonic oceanic food web, spanning > 3 trophic levels, ranging from herbivores (e.g., pyrosomes) to higher predators (e.g., ctenophores), highlighting the diverse functional roles and broad possible food web relevance of gelatinous zooplankton. Among gelatinous zooplankton taxa, comparisons of isotopic niches pointed to the presence of differentiation and resource partitioning, but also highlighted the potential for competition, e.g., between hydromedusae and siphonophores. Significant differences in spatial (seamount vs. open ocean) and depth‐resolved patterns (0–400 m vs. 400–1000 m) pointed to additional complexity, and raise questions about the extent of connectivity between locations and differential patterns in vertical coupling between gelatinous zooplankton groups. Added complexity also resulted from inconsistent patterns in trophic ontogenetic shifts among groups. We conclude that the broad trophic niche covered by the jelly web, patterns in niche differentiation within this web, and substantial complexity at the spatial, depth, and taxon level call for a more careful consideration of gelatinous zooplankton in oceanic food web models. In light of climate change and fishing pressure, the data presented here also provide a valuable baseline against which to measure future trophic observations of gelatinous zooplankton communities in the eastern tropical Atlantic

Fatigability disrupts cognitive processes' regulation of inflammatory reactivity in old age

Objective High fatigability, a dysfunctional adaption to fatigue, may lead to difficulties performing otherwise regularly encountered cognitive activities and may be related to pro-inflammatory reactivity. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of fatigability on cognitive processes and inflammatory response after an acute cognitive stress task in older adults. Methods In an observational stress reactivity study conducted in a light-and temperature-controlled laboratory, we measured IL-6, self-reported acute fatigue, and frontally oriented cognitive processes in 55 community-dwelling individuals aged 75 years or older as part of a demanding set of cognitive tasks intended to induce stress. Results Subjects were classified into groups of low and high fatigability based on cluster analysis of their self-report acute fatigue before and after the cognitive tasks. The two clusters were comparable on levels of baseline IL-6 and cognitive processes; however, the high fatigability cluster had significantly higher levels of IL-6 response than the low fatigability cluster. After controlling for multiple covariates, fatigability moderated the relationship between speed of processing and IL-6 reactivity. Further exploratory analyses indicated significant adverse associations between speed of processing and attention and IL-6 reactivity in the group with low but not high fatigability. Conclusion Although observational, these data are consistent with the notion that pro-inflammatory states in older adults might be reduced by improvements in cognitive processes. Because fatigability was associated with increased acute inflammatory response and disrupted the normal stress regulation provided by the cognitive processes, future randomized studies might examine whether fatigability alleviation reduces IL-6

Cognitive and Neural Effects of Vision-Based Speed-of-Processing Training in Older Adults with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Study

Objectives: To examine the cognitive and neural effects of vision-based speed-of-processing (VSOP) training in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and contrast those effects with an active control (mental leisure activities (MLA)). Design: Randomized single-blind controlled pilot trial. Setting: Academic medical center. Participants: Individuals with aMCI (N = 21). Intervention: Six-week computerized VSOP training. Measurements: Multiple cognitive processing measures, instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), and two resting state neural networks regulating cognitive processing: central executive network (CEN) and default mode network (DMN). Results: VSOP training led to significantly greater improvements in trained (processing speed and attention: F1,19 = 6.61, partial η2 = 0.26, P = .02) and untrained (working memory: F1,19 = 7.33, partial η2 = 0.28, P = .01; IADLs: F1,19 = 5.16, partial η2 = 0.21, P = .03) cognitive domains than MLA and protective maintenance in DMN (F1, 9 = 14.63, partial η2 = 0.62, P = .004). VSOP training, but not MLA, resulted in a significant improvement in CEN connectivity (Z = −2.37, P = .02). Conclusion: Target and transfer effects of VSOP training were identified, and links between VSOP training and two neural networks associated with aMCI were found. These findings highlight the potential of VSOP training to slow cognitive decline in individuals with aMCI. Further delineation of mechanisms underlying VSOP-induced plasticity is necessary to understand in which populations and under what conditions such training may be most effective

Lateral specialization in unilateral spatial neglect : a cognitive robotics model

In this paper, we present the experimental results of an embodied cognitive robotic approach for modelling the human cognitive deficit known as unilateral spatial neglect (USN). To this end, we introduce an artificial neural network architecture designed and trained to control the spatial attentional focus of the iCub robotic platform. Like the human brain, the architecture is divided into two hemispheres and it incorporates bio-inspired plasticity mechanisms, which allow the development of the phenomenon of the specialization of the right hemisphere for spatial attention. In this study, we validate the model by replicating a previous experiment with human patients affected by the USN and numerical results show that the robot mimics the behaviours previously exhibited by humans. We also simulated recovery after the damage to compare the performance of each of the two hemispheres as additional validation of the model. Finally, we highlight some possible advantages of modelling cognitive dysfunctions of the human brain by means of robotic platforms, which can supplement traditional approaches for studying spatial impairments in humans