Effects of computer-based cognitive training combined with physical training for older adults with cognitive impairment: A four-arm randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: Combined physical (PHY) and cognitive (COG) training in sequential (SEQ) and simultaneous (SIMUL) sessions may delay the progression of cognitive impairment. To date, no study has directly compared in older adults with cognitive impairment the effects of COG training, PHY training, SEQ motor-cognitive training and SIMUL motor-cognitve training on specific indices of cognitive performance and activities of daily living (ADL). The purpose of this study was to determine whether SEQ and SIMUL motor-cognitive training can improve treatment outcomes compared with PHY or COG training alone. We also aimed to compare the effects of SEQ versus SIMUL motor-cognitive training on cognitive functions and instrumental ADL (IADL) in older adults with cognitive impairment. METHODS: A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted. Eighty older adults with cognitive impairment were randomly assigned to COG, PHY, SEQ or SIMUL training groups. The intervention consisted of 90-min training sessions, totaling 36 sessions. Outcome measures were the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, three subtests of the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) and the Lawton IADL scale. RESULTS: Significant interaction effects between group and time were found in WMS-spatial span ( CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed SEQ and SIMUL motor-cognitive training led to more pronounced improvements in visuospatial working memory or verbal memory compared with isolated COG or PHY training for community-based older adults with cognitive impairment. For enhancing effects on IADL, we suggest the use of sensitive measurement tools and context-enriched cognitive training involving real-life task demands

1,1′-Bicyclo­hexyl-1,1′-diyl 1,1′-biphenyl-2,2′-dicarboxyl­ate

The title compound, C26H28O4, lies about a crystallographic twofold rotation axis. The cyclo­hexane rings adopt a chair conformation. The two benzene rings form a dihedral angle of 40.82 (3)°. No significant intra- or inter­molecular inter­actions are observed in the crystal structure

Gender Differences in Pathways to Compulsive Buying in Chinese College Students in Hong Kong and Macau

The addictive nature of compulsive buying implies that mood disturbances, stress, and cognitive biases that underlie compulsive buying might operate in ways similar in both genders. In the current study, we aimed to test hypothetical pathways of mood compensation and irrational cognitions, which may explain compulsive buying tendencies. We also examined potential gender differences in these pathways. Methods Two-hundred and thirty-two male (age: M = 20.30, SD = 1.74) and 373 female Chinese college students (age: M = 19.97, SD = 1.74) in Hong Kong and Macau completed measures assessing compulsive buying, psychological distress, avoidance coping, materialism, and buying-related cognitions. Mediation analyses via a structural equation modeling approach explained by Cheung (2007, 2009) were conducted, with gender as a grouping variable. Results There was a gender difference in the mood compensation pathway; avoidance coping partially mediated the link between psychological distress and compulsive buying severity in females only. On the other hand, the irrational cognitive pathway, in which irrational buying-related cognitions fully mediated the link between materialism and compulsive buying severity, was supported for both genders. There was no gender difference in the extent of mediation within the irrational cognitive pathway, and the mediation effect within the irrational cognitive pathway was larger than that within the mood compensation pathway for both genders. Conclusions Mood compensation processes in compulsive buying might be female specific, and secondary to irrational cognitions, which were gender invariant. Gender-dependent mechanisms and irrational cognitions should be emphasized in compulsive buying treatment

Unraveling the Allosteric Mechanism of Serine Protease Inhibition by an Antibody

SummaryRecent structural studies have outlined the mechanism of protease inhibition by active site-directed antibodies. However, the molecular basis of allosteric inhibition by antibodies has been elusive. Here we report the 2.35 Å resolution structure of the trypsin-like serine protease hepatocyte growth factor activator (HGFA) in complex with the allosteric antibody Ab40, a potent inhibitor of HGFA catalytic activity. The antibody binds at the periphery of the substrate binding cleft and imposes a conformational change on the entire 99-loop (chymotrypsinogen numbering). The altered conformation of the 99-loop is incompatible with substrate binding due to the partial collapse of subsite S2 and the reorganization of subsite S4. Remarkably, a single residue deletion of Ab40 abolished inhibition of HGFA activity, commensurate with the reversal of the 99-loop conformation to its “competent” state. The results define an “allosteric switch” mechanism as the basis of protease inhibition by an allosteric antibody

Investigating the Optimum Efficiency of Acoustoelectric Conversion Plate Devices

This study aims to develop the acoustoelectric conversion plate in terms of electromagnetic induction law to convert sound energy to electricity, where the developed apparatus is made of three parts, the thin film coil, the spring, and the high-intensity magnetic framework. In process, the thin film coil receives the injecting sound vibration in connection with the spring to cause the reciprocating motion between the coil and the high-intensity magnet, which yields the electromotive force (EMF). In this study, a pearl plate of length 95 mm, width 95 mm, and thickness 1.5 mm adhered with a PET film of thickness 0.08mm is built as the substrate plate due to it has good properties of light and elasticity. In connection with the substrate plate and the electric coil is the thin film coil. Experiments used the speaker with output frequencies of 30~156 Hz and sound power of 0.5 W (sound intensity 0.32 W/m2 , sound pressure level 115 dB) as the sound source. The sound energy is captured by the acoustoelectric conversion plate for working efficiency and optimization parameters analysis. The studied parameters content of diameter, turns, and width of electric coil as well as distance between high intensity magnet and coil. The results show that diameter 0.11 mm, turns 220, and width 3 mm of the electric coil, in connection with steel spring of diameter 0.2 mm while input sound is 30 Hz, receives the average output voltage of 0.57 V, the average output current of 5.46 mA, the average output power of 3.13 mW, and the sound electric conversion efficiency of 0.63%. This innovation device could be used in highway, near waterfalls, and some high noise factories to capture energy for immediately charging cell-phone to save human life

2-Phenyl-2,3-dihydro­phenanthro[9,10-b][1,4]dioxine

In the title compound, C22H16O2, the phenanthrene ring system is essentially planar [maximum deviation = 0.058 (1) Å] and is inclined at an angle of 58.39 (6)° to the phenyl ring. The 1,4-dioxane ring is in a chair conformation. In the crystal, mol­ecules are stacked along the b axis, but no significant hydrogen bonds are observed

Resonance in modulation instability from non-instantaneous nonlinearities

To explore resonance phenomena in the nonlinear region, we show by experimental measurements and theoretical analyses that resonance happens in modulation instability (MI) from non-instantaneous nonlinearities in photorefractive crystals. With a temporally periodic modulation in the external bias voltage, corresponding to a modulation in the nonlinear strength, an enhancement in the visibility of MI at resonant frequency is reported through spontaneous optical pattern formations. Modeled by such temporally periodic nonlinear driving force to the system, theoretical curves obtained from a nonlinear non-instantaneous Schr\"{o}dinger equation give good agreement to experimental data. As MI is a universal signature of symmetry-breaking phenomena, our observation on the resonance in MI may provide a control on chaotic, solitary, and turbulence waves.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

NDRG2 Ameliorates Hepatic Fibrosis by Inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad Pathway and Altering the MMP2/TIMP2 Ratio in Rats

Liver fibrosis is a worldwide clinical issue. It has been well established that activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are responsible for excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition in chronically damaged livers. The identification of key elements that control HSCs activation will help to further our understanding of liver fibrosis and improve the outcome of clinical treatment. This study demonstrates that N-Myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) is a potential regulator of liver fibrosis as NDRG2 mRNA and protein levels were reduced during HSCs activation. In addition, enhanced NDRG2 expression reduced Smad3 transcription and phosphorylation, which inhibited HSCs activation by blocking the TGF-β1 signal. Moreover, NDRG2 contributed to an increase in the ratio of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) to tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP2), which may facilitate the degradation of the ECM. In dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)-induced fibrotic rat livers, adenovirus-mediated NDRG2 overexpression resulted in decreased ECM deposition and improved liver function compared with controls. In conclusion, the present findings indicate that the modulation of NDRG2 is a promising strategy for the treatment of liver fibrosis