Associations between physical activity parenting practices and adolescent girls’ self-9 perceptions and physical activity intentions

Background: The present study investigated cross-sectional associations between maternal and paternal logistic and modelling physical activity support and the self-efficacy, self-esteem and physical activity intentions of 11-12 year old girls. Method: 210 girls reported perceptions of maternal and paternal logistic and modelling support and their self-efficacy, self-esteem and intention to be physically active. Data were analysed using multivariable regression models. Results: Maternal logistic support was positively associated with participants’ self-esteem, physical activity self-efficacy and intention to be active. Maternal modelling was positively associated with self-efficacy. Paternal modelling was positively associated with self-esteem and self-efficacy but there was no evidence that paternal logistic support was associated with the psychosocial variables. Conclusions: Activity-related parenting practices were associated with psychosocial correlates of physical activity among adolescent girls. Logistic support from mothers, rather than modelling support or paternal support may be a particularly important target when designing interventions aimed at preventing the age-related decline in physical activity among girls

Toward one‐pot olefin/thiophene block copolymers using an in situ ligand exchange

Block copolymers containing both conducting and insulating segments are of interest due to their enhanced electrical properties arising from their increased crystallization. Yet few methods exist for generating these copolymers, because the reaction conditions for synthesizing each block are often incompatible. Herein, efforts toward identifying a one‐pot, living polymerization method for synthesizing block copolymers of 1‐pentene and 3‐hexylthiophene is described. An in situ ligand exchange enables the optimal catalyst to be utilized for synthesizing each block. Even under these conditions, however, only homopolymers are observed. Computational studies modeling the ligand exchange reveal that the added stabilizing ligands likely inhibit propagation of the second block. These results suggest an ancillary ligand‐based “goldilocks” effect wherein catalysts that are stable yet still reactive are required. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1601–1605Combined experimental and computational studies revealed unexpected challenges in applying sequential catalysis for the streamlined synthesis of insulating/conducting block copolymers.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150553/1/pola29426_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150553/2/pola29426.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150553/3/pola29426-sup-0001-AppendixS1.pd

Trials and tribulations of designing multitasking catalysts for olefin/thiophene block copolymerizations

Block copolymers containing both insulating and conducting segments have been shown to exhibit improved charge transport properties and air stability. Nevertheless, their syntheses are challenging, relying on multiple post‐polymerization functionalization reactions and purifications. A simpler approach would be to synthesize the block copolymer in one pot using the same catalyst to enchain both monomers via distinct mechanisms. Such multitasking polymerization catalysts are rare, however, due to the challenges of finding a single catalyst that can mediate living, chain‐growth polymerizations for each monomer under similar conditions. Herein, a diimine‐ligated Ni catalyst is evaluated and optimized to produce block copolymer containing both 1‐pentene and 3‐hexylthiophene. The reaction mixture also contains both homopolymers, suggesting catalyst dissociation during and/or after the switch in mechanisms. Experimental and theoretical studies reveal a high energy switching step coupled with infrequent catalyst dissociation as the culprits for the low yield of copolymer. Combined, these studies highlight the challenges of identifying multitasking catalysts, and suggest that further tuning the reaction conditions (e.g., ancillary ligand structure and/or metal) is warranted for this specific copolymerization. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018, 56, 132–137Block copolymers containing insulating segments (derived from 1‐pentene) and conducting segments (derived from 3‐hexylthiophene) are synthesized in one pot using a single multitasking catalyst. Notably, this process requires different enchainment mechanisms (coordination/insertion vs. cross‐coupling) mediated by the same precatalyst. Nevertheless, the block copolymer is the minor product due to a slow switching step between the mechanisms coupled with catalyst dissociation from the polymer chain.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/139919/1/pola28885_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/139919/2/pola28885.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/139919/3/pola28885-sup-0001-suppinfo.pd

More Differences Between Writing with the Dominant and Nondominant Hand by Normal Geriatric Subjects: Eight Perceptual And Eight Computerized Measures on a Sentence Dictation Task

TB

Differences Between Writing with the Dominant and Nondominant Hands by Normal Geriatric Subjects on a Word-Dictation Task

TB

Association of polygenic scores with chronic kidney disease phenotypes in a longitudinal study of older adults

Risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is influenced by environmental and genetic factors and increases sharply in individuals 70 years and older. Polygenic scores (PGS) for kidney disease-related traits have shown promise but require validation in well-characterized cohorts. Here, we assessed the performance of recently developed PGSs for CKD-related traits in a longitudinal cohort of healthy older individuals enrolled in the Australian ASPREE randomized controlled trial of daily low-dose aspirin with CKD risk at baseline and longitudinally. Among 11,813 genotyped participants aged 70 years or more with baseline eGFR measures, we tested associations between PGSs and measured eGFR at baseline, clinical phenotype of CKD, and longitudinal rate of eGFR decline spanning up to six years of follow-up per participant. A PGS for eGFR was associated with baseline eGFR, with a significant decrease of 3.9 mL/min/1.73m2 (95% confidence interval -4.17 to -3.68) per standard deviation (SD) increase of the PGS. This PGS, as well as a PGS for CKD stage 3 were both associated with higher risk of baseline CKD stage 3 in cross-sectional analysis (Odds Ratio 1.75 per SD, 95% confidence interval 1.66-1.85, and Odds Ratio 1.51 per SD, 95% confidence interval 1.43-1.59, respectively). Longitudinally, two separate PGSs for eGFR slope were associated with significant kidney function decline during follow-up. Thus, our study demonstrates that kidney function has a considerable genetic component in older adults, and that new PGSs for kidney disease-related phenotypes may have potential utility for CKD risk prediction in advanced age

Cancer Incidence Among Patients of the U.S. Veterans Affairs Health Care System

Approximately 40,000 incident cancer cases are reported in VA Central Cancer Registry (VACCR) annually (~3% of United States cancer cases). Our objective was to provide the first comprehensive description of cancer incidence as reported in VACCR

Prediction of disability-free survival in healthy older people.

Prolonging survival in good health is a fundamental societal goal. However, the leading determinants of disability-free survival in healthy older people have not been well established. Data from ASPREE, a bi-national placebo-controlled trial of aspirin with 4.7 years median follow-up, was analysed. At enrolment, participants were healthy and without prior cardiovascular events, dementia or persistent physical disability. Disability-free survival outcome was defined as absence of dementia, persistent disability or death. Selection of potential predictors from amongst 25 biomedical, psychosocial and lifestyle variables including recognized geriatric risk factors, utilizing a machine-learning approach. Separate models were developed for men and women. The selected predictors were evaluated in a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model and validated internally by bootstrapping. We included 19,114 Australian and US participants aged ≥65 years (median 74 years, IQR 71.6-77.7). Common predictors of a worse prognosis in both sexes included higher age, lower Modified Mini-Mental State Examination score, lower gait speed, lower grip strength and abnormal (low or elevated) body mass index. Additional risk factors for men included current smoking, and abnormal eGFR. In women, diabetes and depression were additional predictors. The biased-corrected areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the final prognostic models at 5 years were 0.72 for men and 0.75 for women. Final models showed good calibration between the observed and predicted risks. We developed a prediction model in which age, cognitive function and gait speed were the strongest predictors of disability-free survival in healthy older people.Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01038583)