Gender differences in social mortality differentials in Switzerland (1990-2005)

Using data from the 1990 and 2000 Swiss Federal Censuses linked to the death records of the years 1990-1995 and 2000-2005, this paper investigates gender differences in mortality differentials by level of educational achievement and by marital status. In both periods, the differential by level of education is clearly more pronounced among men, but the difference in the educational gradient between men and women decreases between the two periods of observation. Health behavior might contribute to the gender difference in the educational mortality gradient, but it is probably not the main reason for this finding. The mortality differential by marital status is also stronger in men, but the difference between men and women narrows over time. Our analysis also shows that gender differences in the mortality differential by marital status almost disappear when gender differences in population composition by level of education, nationality, employment status, and housing situation are taken into account.differential mortality, education, gender, linked census data, marital status, Switzerland

Functional Cognition In Long-Term Care: Implementing Allen’S Cognitive Level Screen

Title: Functional Cognition in Long-Term Care: Implementing Allen’s Cognitive Level Screen Purpose: It is motivating to many individuals to remain as independent as possible for as long as possible. As we age, there is a shift to balancing needed support while maintaining independence. According to Allen (1991), cognition is the number one factor affecting an individual’s ability to live independently. Within long-term care, specifically assisted living facilities, cognitive screening processes are in place to measure one’s cognition, however, often the tools in place do not measure functional cognition (Stewart, O’Riley, Edelstein, & Gould, 2012). The purpose of this scholarly project is to provide staff within long-term care the education and resources to improve the screening process to measure functional cognition and determine supports to ensure both safety and independence of residents within the facility. Method: In addition to completing a needs assessment with stakeholders at a local long-term care facility, an extensive review of the literature was conducted to gather the most up-to-date information on widely used cognitive screening tools used within long-term care facilities and the effect of cognition on one’s health, well-being, and quality of life. Several occupational therapy models were considered through the development of this product including the Person- Environment-Occupation (PEO) model, Environment-Health-Occupation-Well-Being (E-HOW) model, and the Cognitive Disabilities Model. Based on the needs identified, an educational inservice was created and delivered to staff on the Allen’s Cognitive Level Screen and associated cognitive levels. Summary: An educational training was developed using the PEO, E-HOW, and Cognitive Disabilities models to understand the new screening tool and structure the in-service. The training session was designed to fill the gap between cognitive screening tools used in long-term care facilities and those that are evidence-based. Training materials created include: an instructor’s guide for an in-service training addressing the need for a new assessment, as well as a detailed description of the Allen’s Cognitive Disabilities Model, cognitive levels, and the screening tool; “Quick Guide” handouts on the cognitive levels and screen implementation; and a handout of useful community resources for residents

From Perception to Cognition: Multisensory object recognition and navigation in the weakly electric fish <em>Gnathonemus petersii</em>

Within a multisensory system, individual senses can interact in several beneficial ways increasing the reliability and flexibility of the multisensory percept. Such a multisensory system is found in the African weakly electric fish Gnathonemus petersii , which uses active electrolocation and a specialised visual system for the perception of its environment. Additionally, these fish possess a mechanosensory lateral line system, which, however, has been scarcely investigated. In this thesis I used two behavioural paradigms, object recognition and navigation, as well as anatomical methods to investigate how the sensory systems of G. petersii operate together and how multisensory information is processed. The results during object recognition show that G. petersii is capable of spontaneous cross-modal object recognition, a highly cognitive ability previously known only in a few mammalian species, during which object related information can be transferred between senses and used for object recognition in a flexible manner. Furthermore, I found that these fish process multisensory information similarly to mammals, by using dynamic weighting of sensory inputs. The anatomical studies of the mechanosensory lateral line system additionally show a reduction of the peripheral lateral line system, explaining why the lateral line system was not involved in object recognition during my experiments. In the second part of my thesis the results of the navigational experiments show that G. petersii uses an egocentric strategy aided by visual landmarks for navigation in a familiar environment and is able to use cross-modal landmark recognition to fulfil the task. In conclusion, the results of my thesis show that the multisensory system of G. petersii optimally exploits the advantages of possessing multiple senses, which provide similar information on different spatial scales and provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying multisensory processing in non-mammalian vertebrates

Wet chemical syntheses of Ag-nanoparticles

[no abstract available

Fingernail Cortisol: A Biological Signal of Lifetime Major Depressive Disorder

Introduction: Elevated levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hormone cortisol are a frequently replicated finding in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the current state of research is inconclusive as to whether hypercortisolism represents a trait- or state-like biological signal of MDD. The aim of the present study was to investigate, for the first time, whether cortisol in fingernails, a highly accessible tissue, could distinguish currently remitted individuals with MDD from healthy controls. A further aim was to identify potential confounders of nail cortisol. Methods: A total of N = 100 individuals from the general population were recruited. A structured clinical interview was administered, which resulted in two groups: n = 48 with lifetime MDD and n = 52 healthy controls. All participants answered questions on sociodemographic, lifestyle, and psychosocial characteristics. They also grew their nails for 14 days and cut them for the subsequent determination of cortisol. Results: The groups differed in their nail cortisol concentrations, such that the individuals with lifetime MDD had significantly higher concentrations than the healthy controls (p = 0.041). Within the group of individuals with lifetime MDD, the number of experienced episodes was significantly correlated with cortisol (p = 0.011). Income emerged as the only significant confounder of cortisol (p = 0.008). Conclusion: Elevated fingernail cortisol appears to be a biological signal of MDD, even in the absence of a current major depressive episode. Its high accessibility and robustness render it a promising methodology for remote research as well as for the integration of biomarkers into clinical research and practice

Intervention Strategies for Older Adults in Rural Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF)

Older adults in SNFs are facing occupational deprivation due to their environments restricting occupational performance. Individuals seeking residence in SNF in urban settings tend to face more issues surrounding client-centered interventions than those in rural communities. Due to the large population of occupational therapy practitioners working in this setting, there is potential to change the culture of care residents receive in SNFs. The purpose of this CAT is to determine if implementation of occupation-based interventions decrease occupational deprivation in SNFs in rural areas

Genetic Engineering of the Rock Inhabitant Knufia petricola Provides Insight Into the Biology of Extremotolerant Black Fungi

Black microcolonial fungi (Ascomycetes from Arthonio-, Dothideo-, and Eurotiomycetes) are stress-tolerant and persistent dwellers of natural and anthropogenic extreme habitats. They exhibit slow yeast-like or meristematic growth, do not form specialized reproduction structures and accumulate the black pigment 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanin in the multilayered cell walls. To understand how black fungi live, survive, colonize mineral substrates, and interact with phototrophs genetic methods are needed to test these functions and interactions. We chose the rock inhabitant Knufia petricola of the Chaetothyriales as a model for developing methods for genetic manipulation. Here, we report on the expansion of the genetic toolkit by more efficient multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 using a plasmid-based system for expression of Cas9 and multiple sgRNAs and the implementation of the three resistance selection markers genR (geneticin/nptII), baR (glufosinate/bar), and suR (chlorimuron ethyl/sur). The targeted integration of expression constructs by replacement of essential genes for pigment synthesis allows for an additional color screening of the transformants. The black-pink screening due to the elimination of pks1 (melanin) was applied for promoter studies using GFP fluorescence as reporter. The black-white screening due to the concurrent elimination of pks1 and phs1 (carotenoids) allows to identify transformants that contain the two expression constructs for co-localization or bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) studies. The co-localization and interaction of the two K. petricola White Collar orthologs were demonstrated. Two intergenic regions (igr1, igr2) were identified in which expression constructs can be inserted without causing obvious phenotypes. Plasmids of the pNXR-XXX series and new compatible entry plasmids were used for fast and easy generation of expression constructs and are suitable for a broad implementation in other fungi. This variety of genetic tools is opening a completely new perspective for mechanistic and very detailed study of expression, functioning and regulation of the genes/proteins encoded by the genomes of black fungi

Mechanisms Controlling Kv channel Surface Density in Cardiac Myocytes.

Conventional antiarrhythmic drugs target the ion permeability of channels. This therapeutic strategy, however, is limited by proarrhythmia in the ventricles due to a lack of ion channel selectivity and overlap in channel expression. Kv1.5 (KCNA5) mediates the ultrarapid potassium current (IKur) that controls atrial action potential duration. Given its atrial-specific expression and alterations in human AF, Kv1.5 has emerged as a promising pharmacological target for the treatment of AF. The research presented here revealed a novel effect of antiarrhythmic drugs in the acute modulation of surface channel density. This modulation was subunit-dependent and stereospecific and demonstrated partial, but incomplete overlap in the amino acid requirements for pore block and channel internalization, highlighting the potential for channel trafficking as a novel therapeutic approach. A necessary step in the development of novel agents that selectively modulate trafficking pathways is identification of the cellular machinery controlling surface density, of which little is yet known. Here, we show that the unconventional myosin motors Va and Vb controlled both the cell surface density of Kv1.5 and the Kv1.5-encoded IKur current in myocytes, demonstrating both functional distinction and subunit selectivity. Together, these data highlight the potential for new compounds that selectively alter the membrane stability of Kv1.5 as a means to gain atrial selectivity in the treatment of AF and as a novel approach for treating other cardiovascular arrhythmias.Ph.D.PharmacologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89852/1/smschu_1.pd