Development of the CogDrisk tool to assess risk factors for dementia

Introduction: We aimed to develop a comprehensive risk assessment tool for Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), and any dementia, that will be applicable in high and low resource settings. Method: Risk factors which can easily be assessed in most settings, and their effect sizes, were identified from an umbrella review, or estimated using meta-analysis where new data were available. Results: Seventeen risk/protective factors met criteria for the algorithm to estimate risk for any dementia including age, sex, education, hypertension, midlife obesity, midlife high cholesterol, diabetes, insufficient physical activity, depression, traumatic brain injury, atrial fibrillation, smoking, social engagement, cognitive engagement, fish consumption (diet), stroke, and insomnia. A version for AD excluded atrial fibrillation and insomnia due to insufficient evidence and included pesticide exposure. There was insufficient evidence for a VaD risk score. Discussion: Validation of the tool on external datasets is planned. The assessment tool will assist with implementing risk reduction guidelines

Associations Between Planned Exercise, Walking, Incidental Physical Activity, and Habit Strength in Older People: A Cross-Sectional Study

Habits play an important role in physical activity (PA) engagement; however, these associations in older people are not well understood. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between engagement in types of PA and their automaticity in older people, using an observational, cross-sectional design. Current hours engaged in planned exercise (excluding walking), planned walking, and incidental activities and the automaticity of those PA behaviors were measured in 127 community-dwelling Australians aged 65 years and older via an online questionnaire. After controlling for demographic and health factors (age, gender, education level, body mass index, history of falls, and anxiety and depression symptoms), higher automaticity scores were associated with more hours undertaking planned walking and incidental activity but not planned exercise. Although preliminary, these findings indicate that the role of habit in maintaining PA in older people may, therefore, differ depending on the type of activity

A Technology-Enriched Approach to Studying Microlongitudinal Aging Among Adults Aged 18 to 85 Years: Protocol for the Labs Without Walls Study

Background: Traditional longitudinal aging research involves studying the same individuals over a long period, with measurement intervals typically several years apart. App-based studies have the potential to provide new insights into life-course aging by improving the accessibility, temporal specificity, and real-world integration of data collection. We developed a new research app for iOS named Labs Without Walls to facilitate the study of life-course aging. Combined with data collected using paired smartwatches, the app collects complex data including data from one-time surveys, daily diary surveys, repeated game-like cognitive and sensory tasks, and passive health and environmental data. Objective: The aim of this protocol is to describe the research design and methods of the Labs Without Walls study conducted between 2021 and 2023 in Australia. Methods: Overall, 240 Australian adults will be recruited, stratified by age group (18-25, 26-35, 36-45, 46-55, 56-65, 66-75, and 76-85 years) and sex at birth (male and female). Recruitment procedures include emails to university and community networks, as well as paid and unpaid social media advertisements. Participants will be invited to complete the study onboarding either in person or remotely. Participants who select face-to-face onboarding (n=approximately 40) will be invited to complete traditional in-person cognitive and sensory assessments to be cross-validated against their app-based counterparts. Participants will be sent an Apple Watch and headphones for use during the study period. Participants will provide informed consent within the app and then begin an 8-week study protocol, which includes scheduled surveys, cognitive and sensory tasks, and passive data collection using the app and a paired watch. At the conclusion of the study period, participants will be invited to rate the acceptability and usability of the study app and watch. We hypothesize that participants will be able to successfully provide e-consent, input survey data through the Labs Without Walls app, and have passive data collected over 8 weeks; participants will rate the app and watch as user-friendly and acceptable; the app will allow for the study of daily variability in self-perceptions of age and gender; and data will allow for the cross-validation of app- and laboratory-based cognitive and sensory tasks. Results: Recruitment began in May 2021, and data collection was completed in February 2023. The publication of preliminary results is anticipated in 2023. Conclusions: This study will provide evidence regarding the acceptability and usability of the research app and paired watch for studying life-course aging processes on multiple timescales. The feedback obtained will be used to improve future iterations of the app, explore preliminary evidence for intraindividual variability in self-perceptions of aging and gender expression across the life span, and explore the associations between performance on app-based cognitive and sensory tests and that on similar traditional cognitive and sensory tests

Large-Scale Modeling and DR Control of Electric Water Heaters With Energy Star and CTA-2045 Control Types in Distribution Power Systems

The paper proposes a generalized energy storage (GES) model for battery energy storage systems (BESS), electric water heaters (EWH) and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems to enable demand response control complying to Energy Star and CTA-2045 standards. The demand response control has been implemented in the DER integration testbed, which was originally developed by EPRI, to demonstrate that the “energy content” and “energy take” for BESS and EWH with mixing valve technology are comparable for typical residential ratings. A distribution power system was modeled using the modified IEEE 123-bus feeder system, measured residential loads, and EWH power simulated based on realistic hot water draws from CBECC-Res software. The demand response control, which complies to CTA-2045 standards was implemented to the EWHs considering the energy take values. Results demonstrate that the EWHs can be controlled to postpone the peak power at the distribution system level and provide a large amount of energy storage, while maintaining system robustness. The impact on occupant comfort was also analyzed

Perceived change in tobacco use and its associated factors among older adults residing in rohingya refugee camps during the covid-19 pandemic in bangladesh

This study explored the perceived change in tobacco use during the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated factors among older adults residing in Rohingya refugee camps, also referred to as Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals in Bangladesh. The study followed a cross-sectional design and was conducted in October 2020 among 416 older adults aged 60 years and above. A purposive sampling technique was applied to identify eligible participants, and face-to-face interviews were conducted using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire to collect the data. Participants were asked if they noted any change in their tobacco use patterns (smoking or smokeless tobacco) during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to pre-pandemic. Binary logistic regression models determined the factors associated with the perceived change in tobacco use. More than one in five participants (22.4%) were current tobacco users, of whom 40.8% reported a perceived increase in tobacco use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adjusted analysis revealed that participants who were concerned about COVID-19 had significantly (p < 0.05) lower odds of perceived increase in tobacco use (aOR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.06–0.73), while older adults who were overwhelmed by COVID-19 (aOR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.06–1.18) and communicated less frequently with others during the pandemic than before (aOR = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.03–1.20) had marginally significantly (p < 0.1) lower odds of perceived increase in tobacco use during this pandemic. Relevant stakeholders, policymakers, and practitioners need to focus on strengthening awareness-raising initiatives as part of an emergency preparedness plan to control tobacco use during such a crisis period

Generalized Energy Storage Model-in-the-Loop Suitable for Energy Star and CTA-2045 Control Types

The paper proposes a generalized energy storage (GES) model for battery energy storage systems (BESS), electric water heaters (EWH) and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. The analogies, including state of charge versus water temperature differential, are identified and explained, and models-in-the-loop (MIL) are introduced, which are compatible with the Energy Star and CTA-2045 general specifications and command types. Emphasis is placed on the proposed EWH model as it needfully fulfills a gap in present literature. The corresponding MIL has been implemented in the DER integration testbed, which was originally developed by EPRI, and satisfactorily validated against experimental results. A case study is included to illustrate that the daily “energy content” and “energy take” for BESS and EWH with mixing valve technology are comparable for typical residential ratings. The BESS, which requires more initial investment, has advantages in terms of flexibility for contributing to grid services, which are illustrated through a combined simulation and experimental study based on data collected from a field demonstration site with four smart homes

Estimating the Magnitude of Illicit Cigarette Trade in Bangladesh:Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Study

The illicit tobacco trade undermines the effectiveness of tobacco tax policies; increases the availability of cheap cigarettes, which, in turn, increases tobacco use and tobacco related deaths; and causes huge revenue losses to governments. There is limited evidence on the extent of illicit tobacco trade particularly cigarettes in Bangladesh. The paper presents the protocol for a mixed-methods study to estimate the extent of illicit cigarette trade in Bangladesh. The study will address three research questions: (a) What proportion of cigarettes sold as retail are illicit? (b) What are the common types of tax avoidance and tax evasion? (c) Can pack examination from the trash recycle market be considered as a new method to assess illicit trade in comparison to that from retailers and streets? Following an observational research method, data will be collected utilizing empty cigarette packs from three sources: (a) retailers; (b) streets; and (c) trash recycle market. In addition, a structured questionnaire will be used to collect information from retailers selling cigarettes. We will select post codes as Primary Sampling Unit (PSU) using a multi-stage random sampling technique. We will randomly select eight districts from eight divisions stratified by those with land border and non-land border; and within each district, we will randomly select ten postcodes, stratified by rural (five) and urban (five) PSU to ensure maximum geographical variation, leading to a total of eighty post codes from eight districts. The analysis will report the proportions of packs that do not comply with the study definition of illicit. Independent estimates of illicit tobacco are rare in low-and middle-income countries such as Bangladesh. Findings will inform efforts by revenue authorities and others to address the effects of illicit trade and counter tobacco industry claims