Ethical perspectives on advances in biogerontology

Worldwide populations are aging with economic development as a result of public health initiatives and advances in therapeutic discoveries. Since 1850, life expectancy has advanced by 1 year for every four. Accompanying this change is the rapid development of anti‐aging science. There are three schools of thought in the field of aging science. One perspective is the life course approach, which considers that aging is a good and natural process to be embraced as a necessary and positive aspect of life, where the aim is to improve the quality of existing lifespan and “compress” morbidity. Another view is that aging is undesirable, and that rejuvenation and indeed immortality are possible since the biological basis of aging is understood, and therefore, strategies are possible for engineering negligible senescence. Finally, a hybrid approach is that life span can be extended by anti‐aging medicines but with uncertain effects on health. While these advances offer much promise, the ethical perspectives are seldom discussed in cross‐disciplinary settings. This article discusses some of the key ethical issues arising from recent advances in biogerontology

Triode for Magnetic Flux Quanta

In an electronic triode, the electron current emanating from the cathode is regulated by the electric potential on a grid between the cathode and the anode. Here we demonstrate a triode for single quantum magnetic field carriers, where the flow of individual magnetic vortices in a superconducting film is regulated by the magnetic potential of striae of soft magnetic strips deposited on the film surface. By rotating an applied in-plane field, the magnetic strip potential can be varied due to changes in the magnetic charges at the strip edges, allowing accelerated or retarded motion of magnetic vortices inside the superconductor. Scaling down our design and reducing the gap width between the magnetic stripes will enable controlled manipulation of individual vortices and creation of single flux quantum circuitry for novel high-speed low-power superconducting electronics

Cognitive effects of calligraphy therapy for older people: a randomized controlled trial in Hong Kong

BACKGROUND: This pilot study investigated the effects of calligraphy therapy on cognitive function in older Hong Kong Chinese people with mild cognitive impairment. METHODS: A single-blind, randomized controlled trial was carried out in a sample of 31 adults aged 65 years or older with mild cognitive impairment. They were randomly assigned to receive either intensive calligraphy training led by a trained research assistant for eight weeks (calligraphy group, n = 14) or no calligraphy treatment (control group, n = 17). Participants' cognitive function was assessed by the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (CMMSE) before and after calligraphy treatment. Repeated measures analysis of variance and paired samples t-tests were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: A significant interaction effect of time and intervention was detected [F (1, 29) = 9.11, P = 0.005, eta(2) = 0.24]. The calligraphy group was found to have a prominent increase in CMMSE global score, and scores in the cognitive areas of orientation, attention, and calculation after two months (DeltaM = 2.36, P < 0.01), whereas their counterparts in the control group experienced a decline in CMMSE score (DeltaM = -0.41, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Calligraphy therapy was effective for enhancing cognitive function in older people with mild cognitive impairment and should be incorporated as part of routine programs in both community and residential care settings. © 2011 Kwok et al, publisher and licensee Dove Medical Press Ltd.published_or_final_versio

Support needs and experiences of young people living in families with mental illness

Introduction: Children and adolescents living in families affected by mental illness are at elevated risk of developing mental health problems. A range of interventions have been designed to help these young people; however, the effectiveness of these programs is, in some cases, mixed. Our aim was to understand in detail the support needs and experiences of a group of Australian children and adolescents living in families with mental illness. Methods: Our study is a qualitative in nature. In 2020−2021, we interviewed 25 Australian young people (Mage = 13.60, SD = 2.26, 20 females and 5 males) living with family members affected by mental illness to understand their (the young people's) experiences, and to identify the types of support that these young people considered important or effective. We conducted reflexive thematic analyses of interview data, underpinned by interpretivist assumptions. Results: We identified seven themes within two higher-order categories reflecting our aims to understand (1) lived experiences within families affected by mental illness (i.e., increased responsibilities, missing out, and stigmatization), and (2) support experiences, needs, and preferences (i.e., respite, shared experiences with like-minded others, education, and flexibility). Conclusions: Our findings hold substantial practical value by informing services, interventions, and conversations that better support young people living in families affected by mental illness

Who would benefit from memory training? A pilot study examining the ceiling effect of concurrent cognitive stimulation

Diverse effects of memory training were observed in the literature. One possible factor is the amount of concurrent cognitive training received during the training program. In this pilot study, we recruited 24 elderly adults with or without concurrent cognitive stimulations to attend a memory-training program. Findings suggested that elderly people without concurrent cognitive stimulation could benefit from a memory-training program in the form of improved initiation and memory functioning. Self-rated quality of life measure also showed improvements alongside the cognitive benefits. Elderly people with regular concurrent cognitive stimulation, on the other hand, seemed to plateau in their level of performance and did not show any significant change. Our preliminary findings suggested nonlinear concurrent cognitive stimulation in the elderly

A measurement technique to determine the calibration accuracy of an electromagnetic tracking system to radiation isocenter

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135100/1/mp3910.pd

Emerging Technologies and Approaches for In Situ, Autonomous Observing in the Arctic

Understanding and predicting Arctic change and its impacts on global climate requires broad, sustained observations of the atmosphere-ice-ocean system, yet technological and logistical challenges severely restrict the temporal and spatial scope of observing efforts. Satellite remote sensing provides unprecedented, pan-Arctic measurements of the surface, but complementary in situ observations are required to complete the picture. Over the past few decades, a diverse range of autonomous platforms have been developed to make broad, sustained observations of the ice-free ocean, often with near-real-time data delivery. Though these technologies are well suited to the difficult environmental conditions and remote logistics that complicate Arctic observing, they face a suite of additional challenges, such as limited access to satellite services that make geolocation and communication possible. This paper reviews new platform and sensor developments, adaptations of mature technologies, and approaches for their use, placed within the framework of Arctic Ocean observing needs

Antibody recognizing 4-sulfated chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans restores memory in tauopathy-induced neurodegeneration

Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) are the main active component of perineuronal nets (PNNs). Digestion of the glycosaminoglycan chains of CSPGs with chondroitinase ABC or transgenic attenuation of PNNs leads to prolongation of object recognition memory and activation of various forms of plasticity in the adult central nervous system. The inhibitory properties of the CSPGs depend on the pattern of sulfation of their glycosaminoglycans, with chondroitin 4-sulfate (C4S) being the most inhibitory form. In this study, we tested a number of candidates for functional blocking of C4S, leading to selection of an antibody, Cat316, which specifically recognizes C4S and blocks its inhibitory effects on axon growth. It also partly blocks binding of semaphorin 3A to PNNs and attenuates PNN formation. We asked whether injection of Cat316 into the perirhinal cortex would have the same effects on memory as chondroitinase ABC treatment. We found that masking C4S with the Cat316 antibody extended long-term object recognition memory in normal wild-type mice to 24 hours, similarly to chondroitinase or transgenic PNN attenuation. We then tested Cat316 for restoration of memory in a neurodegeneration model. Mice expressing tau with the P301S mutation showed profound loss of object recognition memory at 4 months of age. Injection of Cat316 into the perirhinal cortex normalized object recognition at 3 hours in P301S mice. These data indicate that Cat316 binding to C4S in the extracellular matrix can restore plasticity and memory in the same way as chondroitinase ABC digestion. Our results suggest that antibodies to C4S could be a useful therapeutic to restore memory function in neurodegenerative disorders.This work was supported by the ERC advanced grant ECM Neuro (294502), by a fellowship to SY from Alzheimer's Research UK (ARUK-RF2016A-1), and by the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre