Impact of COPD and anemia on motor and cognitive performance in the general older population: results from the English longitudinal study of ageing

Background: Cognitive and motor-performance decline with age and the process is accelerated by decline in general health. In this study, we aimed to estimate the effects of COPD and HB levels on cognitive and motor performance in the general older population and assess potential interaction. Methods: The English Longitudinal Study of Aging is a population-based cohort study including measurements of lung-function and HB levels together with cognitive and motor performance testing. Data were collected from 5709 participants including three measurement time over eight years. COPD was defined using lung-function-parameters and clinical symptoms. HB was assessed continuously and low HB was defined using clinical anemia cutoffs. Linear mixed-effects regression models were used to quantify the associations of COPD and HB with outcome measures, both individually and in combination. Results: Participants with both low HB and COPD demonstrated worse motor performance compared to individuals with only one exposure, resulting in up to 1 s (95%CI, 0.04–1.8) longer time needed to complete the five times sit to stand task than what would be expected based on purely additive effects. Additionally in individuals with COPD, the time to complete the motor-performance task per unit decrease in continuous HB levels was longer than in participants without COPD after full adjustment for confounding (up to 1.38 s/unit HB level, 95% CI: 0.65–2.11). Conclusion: In persons with COPD low HB levels may contribute to low motor-performance in a supra additive fashion. Further studies should re-evaluate whether earlier treatment of lower HB in these individuals might be beneficial

Does ethnic density influence community participation in mass participation physical activity events? The case of parkrun in England

Background: parkrun has been successful in encouraging people in England to participate in their weekly 5km running and walking events. However, there is substantial heterogeneity in parkrun participation across different communities in England: after controlling for travel distances, deprived communities have significantly lower participation rates. Methods: This paper expands on previous findings by investigating disparities in parkrun participation by ethnic density. We combined geo-spatial data available through the Office for National Statistics with participation data provided by parkrun, and fitted multivariable Poisson regression models to study the effect of ethnic density on participation rates at the Lower layer Super Output Level. Results: We find that areas with higher ethnic density have lower participation rates. This effect is independent of deprivation. Conclusions: An opportunity exists for parkrun to engage with these communities and reduce potential barriers to participation

Secular changes in the association between advanced maternal age and the risk of low birth weight : A cross-cohort comparison in the UK

Peer reviewe

Monitoring and evaluation of family interventions (Information on families supported to March 2010) RR044

Josie Dixon, Vera Schneider, Cheryl Lloyd, Alice Reeves, Clarissa White, Wojtek Tomaszewski, Rosie Green and Eleanor Irelan

The reversing association between advanced maternal age and child cognitive ability: evidence from three UK birth cohorts

Background Studies on advanced maternal age – defined here as age 35 or older – and children’s cognitive development report mixed evidence. Prior studies have not analysed how the time period considered in existing studies influences the association. Methods We analysed trends in the association between maternal age and cognitive development using data from the 1958 National Child Development Study (n=10969), the 1970 British Cohort Study (n=9362), and the 2001 Millennium Cohort Study (n=11600). The dependent variable measures cognitive ability at age 10/11. Cognitive scores were standardised to a mean of zero and a standard deviation of one. Results For the 1958-1970 cohorts, maternal ages 35-39 were associated with 0.06 (95% CI: -0.13, 0.00) and 0.12 (95% CI: -0.20, -0.03) standard deviations (SD) lower cognitive ability compared to mothers in the reference category (25-29), while for the 2001 cohort with 0.16 (95% CI: 0.09-0.23) SD higher cognitive ability. For maternal ages 40+ the pattern was qualitatively similar. These cross-cohort differences appeared to be explained by the fact that in the earlier cohorts advanced maternal age was associated with high parity, whereas in the 2001 cohort it was associated with socioeconomically advantaged family background. Conclusions The results suggest that the association between advanced maternal age and children’s cognitive development changed from negative in the 1958 and 1970 cohorts to positive in the 2001 cohort because of changing parental characteristics. The time period considered can constitute an important factor in determining the association between maternal age and cognitive ability

Monitoring and evaluation of family interventions: information on families supported to March 2010 (Research report DFE-RR044)

"This report updates and builds on the previous research by presenting and analysing FIIS [Family intervention Information system] data provided by family intervention staff up to and including 31 March 2010. The report is primarily based on simple descriptive statistics which provide a summary of the quantitative evidence. In addition statistical modelling (logistic regression) was used to look at the factors associated with successful and unsuccessful outcomes." - Page 14

Uncertainties in the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment: a literature review

A systematic literature search has been conducted at the intersection of e‐waste and uncertainty and the mai n uncertainties identified have been categorized. The main uncertainties identified were: Different recycling technolog ies; unknown environmental impacts; different product design and composition; unknown reverse logistics costs; vari able cost of recycling; rapidly changing nature of electrical and electronic equipment; unpredictability about return o f items concerning quantity, quality and timing; unknown destination flow of e‐waste; different value of scrap mater ials; competition between the manufacturer and the remanufacturer; no common legislation at the national and global level ; outdated political aspects; and complexity of regulation

Community care coordination for stroke survivors: results of a complex intervention study

Background: Outpatient follow-up care for stroke survivors is often inadequate and mostly self-organized by the patients themselves. In the German health care system, there are no standard care programs for patients after they are discharged from the hospital to support them with their multifaceted and heterogeneous health care needs. The objective of this complex intervention study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a post-stroke care coordination program in comparison to standard care in the first year after a stroke. Methods: Patients aged 55 and older who had survived a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA) within the last 6 months before enrollment were included. Participants received care coordination either by telephone or face-to-face for up to 1 year. Patients’ health insurance claims data were used to measure outcomes. The control group consisted of stroke survivors receiving standard care and was constructed by exact matching based on six criteria. Outcome measures were health services utilization, rate of recurrent events, readmissions and accompanying costs, and mortality. Outcomes were tested using different multiple models. Results: In total, N = 361 patients were included in the analyses. Intervention participants had seen an outpatient neurologist more often (OR = 4.75; 95% CI: 2.71–8.31) and were readmitted to a hospital less frequently (IRR = 0.42; 95% CI: 0.29–0.61), resulting in lower hospital costs (IQR = €0–1910 in the intervention group, IQR = €0–4375 in the control group). There were no substantial group differences in the rate of recurrent events and mortality. Conclusion: This study showed the beneficial potential of care coordination for a vulnerable patient population: the utilization rate of important health services was increased, and the rate of hospital readmissions decreased as a result. Future research should focus on the risk of recurrent strokes and the long-term effects of improved care. Trial registration: DRKS00017526 on DRKS – German Clinical Trials Register (retrospectively registered: 21 June 2019)

Enhanced and reduced atom number fluctuations in a BEC splitter

We measure atom number statistics after splitting a gas of ultracold 87Rb atoms in a purely magnetic double-well potential created on an atom chip. Well below the critical temperature for Bose-Einstein condensation T_c, we observe reduced fluctuations down to -4.9dB below the atom shot noise level. Fluctuations rise to more than +3.8dB close to T_c, before reaching the shot noise level for higher temperatures. We use two-mode and classical field simulations to model these results. This allows us to confirm that the super-shot noise fluctuations directly originate from quantum statistics

Dysfunctional beliefs about sleep and insomnia symptoms in early adulthood: A twin and sibling study

This study examines the associations between dysfunctional belief about sleep (DBAS), its subtypes and insomnia symptoms and estimates the relative contribution of genetic and environmental influences to these variables and the associations between them. The data came from G1219, a twin/sibling study that comprises 862 individuals (aged 22–32 years, 34% male). The Insomnia Symptoms Questionnaire was used to measure insomnia symptoms and a 10‐item version of the Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale was used to assess DBAS. A higher DBAS score was associated with more insomnia symptoms. Overall DBAS showed a mainly non‐shared environmental influence (86%). The genetic correlation between overall DBAS and insomnia symptoms was large but not significant, the shared environmental correlation was very small, negative and not significant, whereas a moderate, significant overlap in the non‐shared environmental influences was evident (non‐shared environmental correlation = 0.32). For the association between the subscales of DBAS and insomnia symptoms no significant overlap for genetic (weak to strong associations) or shared environmental factors (very weak negative to strong associations) was indicated. Most of the non‐shared environmental influences on the four variables were significantly moderately correlated (non‐shared environmental correlation = 0.24–0.46). These findings help to deepen our understanding of cognitive theories of insomnia by dissecting one of its crucial elements and illuminating the factors involved in its association with insomnia symptoms