Performance In Other Domains Research Articles

Atomic Basal Defect-Rich MoS2 by One-Step Synthesis and Mechanism Exploration.

Two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (2D MoS2) shows great promise as a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate due to its strong exciton resonance. However, the inert basal plane limits the performance of SERS. In this work, a strategy is proposed for the one-step synthesis of atomically basal defect-rich MoS2. The study first reveals that NaCl plays a two-stage role in the growth process, where NaCl initially promotes the rapid growth of large MoS2 as previously reported, and then promotes the formation of atomic basal defects dominated by single sulfur vacancies. Additionally, spectral changes induced by modulation of experimental parameters and density function theory calculation show that defect generation occurs during cooling. Meanwhile, the ratio of to A1g in defect-rich MoS2 exhibits different variation trends compared with pristine MoS2 in power-dependent Raman, and the ratio increases with increasing basal defects. In SERS tests, the limit of detection for rhodamine 6G reached 10-9m, which is comparable to the performance of conventional noble metal SERS substrate. The activation strategy of the inert basal plane is applicable to other 2D transition metal dichalcogenides, and further has the potential to enhance performance in other domains, such as SERS and hydrogen evolution reactions.

Performance of probable dementia classification in a European multi-country survey

Feasibility constraints limit availability of validated cognitive assessments in observational studies. Algorithm-based identification of ‘probable dementia’ is thus needed, but no algorithm developed so far has been applied in the European context. The present study sought to explore the usefulness of the Langa–Weir (LW) algorithm to detect ‘probable dementia’ while accounting for country-level variation in prevalence and potential underreporting of dementia. Data from 56 622 respondents of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE, 2017) aged 60 years and older with non-missing data were analyzed. Performance of LW was compared to a logistic regression, random forest and XGBoost classifier. Population-level ‘probable dementia’ prevalence was compared to estimates based on data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. As such, application of the prevalence-specific LW algorithm, based on recall and limitations in instrumental activities of daily living, reduced underreporting from 61.0 (95% CI, 53.3–68.7%) to 30.4% (95% CI, 19.3–41.4%), outperforming tested machine learning algorithms. Performance in other domains of health and cognitive function was similar for participants classified ‘probable dementia’ and those self-reporting physician-diagnosis of dementia. Dementia classification algorithms can be adapted to cross-national cohort surveys such as SHARE and help reduce underreporting of dementia with a minimal predictor set.

4 Assessing Visuospatial Skills in Parkinson’s Disease Using the Identi-Fi

Objective:Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) commonly show deficits on tests of visuospatial functioning. The Identi-Fi is a new measure of visual organization and recognition composed of two components. The Visual Recognition (VR) subtest asks persons to identify an object that has been broken its pieces and rearranged, akin to the Hooper Visual Organization Test, but using updated and colorful pictures. The Visual Matching (VM) subtest involves showing the same stimuli, but the examinee must select the correct response from among five choices (1 correct and 4 foils), placing greater demand on visuospatial discrimination. Together, the two subtests comprise the Visual Organization Index (VOI), reflecting overall visual processing and organization ability. The present study examined performance on the Identi-Fi in patients with PD and its association with other aspects of cognition.Participants and Methods:Participants were 23 patients with PD (95% male; mean age = 69.7 years [SD = 7.8], range = 47-79) and 12 patients with cognitive concerns (CC) who were intact on neuropsychological testing (excluding consideration of Identi-Fi scores; 50% male, mean age = 71.08 [SD = 6.27], range = 60-78) seen for a neuropsychological evaluation at a large Northeastern medical center. As part of a larger battery, patients completed the Identi-Fi, Trail Making Test (TMT), Category Fluency, Test of Premorbid Functioning (TOPF), and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test, Revised (BVMT-R).Results:The PD group performed significantly worse than the CC group on VR and VM, as well as VOI, of the Identi-Fi (p < .001). Within the PD group, poorer VR, VM, and VOI performance was associated with lower scores on the TOPF (p < .05), BVMT-R learning (p < .05) and delayed recall (p < .05), as well as TMT Parts A and B (p < .05). VR was significantly correlated with Category Fluency (p < .05), while a trend was seen for the association between VOI and Category Fluency (p = .094).Conclusions:Identi-Fi performance was worse in the PD group than the CC group, which is consistent with prior research indicating that visuospatial processing is often abnormal in patients with PD. Furthermore, findings indicate that poorer performance on the Identi-Fi in the PD group is associated with poorer cognitive functioning in other domains (i.e., visuospatial learning and memory, processing speed, cognitive flexibility, and semantic fluency), as well as lower premorbid intellectual functioning. While these findings suggest that the Identi-Fi is useful in identifying visuospatial dysfunction in PD, findings should be interpreted with caution given the small sample sizes and uneven gender distribution

Characterizing oldest‐old SuperAgers based on cognitive domains and demographic factors: The Life After 90 study

AbstractBackgroundSuperAgers are individuals who maintain superior cognitive performance despite advanced age. Most studies define SuperAgers as superior performers only in episodic memory. Our aim was to assess in a diverse oldest‐old cohort if superior performance in one domain indicates superior performance in other domains and explore demographic characteristics.MethodsThe LifeAfter90 study is a multi‐ethnic cohort of members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California aged 90 or older. Baseline verbal episodic memory (VEM), semantic memory (SM), and executive function (EF) were evaluated using the Spanish and English Neuropsychological Assessment Scale (SENAS). SuperAgers were individuals who scored above the mean of domain and race‐specific SENAS scores from a reference cohort aged 65‐70 years. The reference group were similar participants from the Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experiences (KHANDLE) study. To assess the association between age, sex, education, and being a SuperAger, odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using multiple logistic regression.ResultsThe 617 study participants (236 men and 381 women) had a mean age of 92.9 years (Table1). 53.6% of individuals were SuperAgers in one domain, 22.8% in any two domains, and 7.7% in all three domains. 7.0% of individuals were SuperAgers in SM and EF, 4.5% in VEM and EF, and 3.5% in VEM and SM (Figure1). SuperAgers were younger than non‐SuperAgers. Women were more likely to be SuperAgers in VEM (OR = 2.13; 95%CI: 1.43,3.18) and EF (OR = 2.18; 95%CI: 1.44,3.30) and less likely in SM (OR = 0.49; 95%CI: 0.34,0.71) compared to men. Higher education was related to being a SuperAger in SM (OR = 1.85; 95%CI: 1.28,2.67) and EF (OR = 2.56; 95%CI: 1.74,3.78) but not VEM (Table2).ConclusionIn this diverse cohort of oldest‐old SuperAgers we found that exceptional episodic memory performance does not indicate exceptional performance in other cognitive domains. Education was not a predictor of exceptional performance in all domains. Future work should investigate predictors of exceptional cognitive aging after age 90.

(267) Ecstasy' - Accurate or Deceptive Name? A Systematic Review of MDMA Effects on the Male Sexual Response Cycle

Abstract Introduction 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘Ecstasy’ or ‘Molly’) is a synthetic psychostimulant and entactogenic drug of abuse that augments feelings of pleasure, increases energy, and distorts sensory perception. MDMA increases serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine neurotransmission within the mesolimbic reward pathway, which impacts human sexual function. While dopamine is implicated as a facilitator of sexual arousal and orgasm, serotonin is associated with inhibitory effects. Unlike most psychostimulants that function primarily via increased dopaminergic neurotransmission, MDMA generates approximately equivalent and simultaneous increases in both dopamine and serotonin. In alignment with its central neurochemical impact, MDMA is reported to enhance arousal while impairing sexual function in other domains, such as orgasm, erectile function, and ejaculation. Objective To evaluate MDMA effects on different domains of the male sexual response cycle. Methods We conducted a systematic review of the effects of MDMA on various domains of male sexual response. PubMed, Embase, and MEDLINE were queried, and results were screened using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Six search terms, including “MDMA” or “ecstasy” in combination with “desire,” “orgasm,” “pleasure,” “libido,” “erection,” and “ejaculation” were utilized. Inclusion criteria were: MDMA was used by study subjects, outcomes in at least 1 domain of the sexual response cycle were reported, and the manuscript was written in English and published between January 2000 and June 2022. Case reports and studies that did not examine male sexual response were excluded. Results We identified a total of 90 studies, and 8 met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Seven studies evaluated the effects of MDMA on desire and/or arousal, 5 on erection, 3 on orgasm, and 2 on ejaculation. The average age of study participants was 25 years. Primary outcome measures were highly variable and largely qualitative; however, common measures included the Sexual Arousal and Desire Inventory (SADI) and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) score. Two studies were double-blind, crossover trials that evaluated MDMA effects relative to placebo or other psychostimulants (methylphenidate, modafinil) with mixed conclusions. One reported no effect of MDMA on sexual arousal compared to placebo and less arousal than methylphenidate, while the other reported increased sexual desire with MDMA compared to both methylphenidate and modafinil. The remaining studies were interview-based, with 5 of 6 evaluating sexual arousal. Sixty percent of interview-based studies reported increased desire, while 40% reported mixed or no effect. Of 5 studies evaluating erection, 2 reported impairment, 2 reported mixed effects, and 1 reported “fear of erection impairment.” All studies evaluating orgasm reported difficulty achieving orgasm, but increased intensity and pleasure if achieved. Conclusions This systematic review demonstrates mixed effects of MDMA on different domains of male sexual response. While there are few high-quality studies investigating effects on distinct domains of male sexual response, our findings suggest that MDMA increases sexual desire, enhances sexual pleasure, and intensifies orgasm in males despite potential impairments in erectile and ejaculatory function. Given MDMA's illicit and unregulated nature, these results should be interpreted with caution and MDMA users must consider the potential for adverse drug-related behavioral and health effects. Disclosure Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Abbvie, Coloplast

Development of technology opportunity analysis based on technology landscape by extending technology elements with BERT and TRIZ

Technology opportunity analysis (TOA) has been the subject of many prior studies, most of which have focused on deconstructing and restructuring the original knowledge structure in a single domain. This study suggests a method by extending technology elements with BERT and TRIZ that endeavors to address these issues. First, patents collected from the Derwent database were used as data sources. Second, BERT was employed to construct a technology landscape as a vector space model where similar technology elements are classified into the same technology topic. Meanwhile, TEMPEST was employed to cluster technology topics and elements according to different functions and other dimensions. Third, technology elements were extended by function-oriented search (FOS), which is a useful method of TRIZ. It includes extracting new technology elements from newly retrieved patents about implementing a specific function in other domains. Fourth, technology opportunities were identified by recombining original and new technology elements and then verifying their feasibility. Finally, the proposed approach was employed in empirical analysis for unmanned ships and 10 technology opportunities generated through knowledge migration. The process designed in this study combines quantitative modeling and qualitative analysis, which realizes accurate search and efficient innovation among different domains.

A prospective longitudinal study of multidomain resilience among youths with and without maltreatment histories.

The majority of children with maltreatment histories do not go on to develop depression in their adolescent and adult years. These individuals are often identified as being "resilient", but this characterization may conceal difficulties that individuals with maltreatment histories might face in their interpersonal relationships, substance use, physical health, and/or socioeconomic outcomes in their later lives. This study examined how adolescents with maltreatment histories who exhibit low levels of depression function in other domains during their adult years. Longitudinal trajectories of depression (across ages 13-32) in individuals with (n = 3,809) and without (n = 8,249) maltreatment histories were modeled in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. The same "Low," "increasing," and "declining" depression trajectories in both individuals with and without maltreatment histories were identified. Youths with maltreatment histories in the "low" depression trajectory reported lower romantic relationship satisfaction, more exposure to intimate partner and sexual violence, more alcohol abuse/dependency, and poorer general physical health compared to individuals without maltreatment histories in the same "low" depression trajectory in adulthood. Findings add further caution against labeling individuals as "resilient" based on a just single domain of functioning (low depression), as childhood maltreatment has harmful effects on a broad spectrum of functional domains.

Exploring the Quantum Nature of Human Cognition: Integrating Quantum Cognitive Science and Advanced Cognitive Assessment through the Verbovisual Cognitive Function Screening Tool (VCFST)

The Verbovisual Cognitive Function Screening Tool (VCFST) is a cognitive screening tool that aims to evaluate cognitive abilities by drawing upon established theories such as dual-coding theory, common coding theory, propositional theory, and ideomotor theory. However, recent developments in quantum cognitive science offer promising applications to enhance the assessment model. This article explores the utilization of quantum cognition concepts within the VCFST and discusses its implications for cognitive assessment. Quantum cognitive science is an emerging interdisciplinary field that applies principles from quantum physics to the study of human cognition. It suggests that cognitive processes may not adhere strictly to classical logic and linear thinking but can exhibit characteristics of quantum phenomena such as superposition, entanglement, and contextuality. By incorporating quantum concepts into cognitive assessment, a more nuanced understanding of complex cognitive processes can be achieved.The VCFST, with its focus on verbovisual factors and comprehensive assessment of cognitive domains, can benefit from the integration of quantum cognitive science principles. Superposition, borrowed from quantum physics, implies that individuals can simultaneously perceive and attend to multiple stimuli. By considering the superposition of verbovisual stimuli within the VCFST, a more accurate representation of cognitive abilities can be obtained, capturing the simultaneous processing of different types of information. Entanglement, another key principle of quantum cognition, can be applied to evaluate the interconnectedness of cognitive domains within the VCFST. Analogous to entangled particles, changes in one cognitive domain may influence others. By assessing the impact of changes in one domain on performance in other domains, the VCFST can provide a holistic understanding of cognitive functioning. Contextuality, a fundamental concept in quantum cognition, emphasizes the role of context in shaping cognitive processes. By incorporating contextuality into the VCFST, contextual cues can be introduced, and stimulus presentation can be varied to reflect real-world cognitive demands. This approach enables a more ecologically valid measure of cognitive abilities, considering the influence of context on cognitive processing. Embracing quantum cognitive science principles in the VCFST offers several advantages, including capturing the complexity of cognitive processes, accounting for non-linear dynamics, and exploring potential quantum-like effects within human cognition. Future research can further refine the VCFST by conducting quantitative studies to assess the efficacy of incorporating quantum concepts into cognitive assessment and developing computational models inspired by quantum cognitive science.The utilization of quantum cognitive science concepts within the VCFST shows promise for advancing cognitive assessment practices. By incorporating principles such as superposition, entanglement, and contextuality, the VCFST can provide a comprehensive and nuanced evaluation of cognitive abilities. Further research in quantum cognitive science and the refinement of assessment methodologies can contribute to the development of more advanced and accurate cognitive assessment tools, facilitating personalized diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for cognitive disorders and neurodegenerative conditions. The integration of quantum cognitive science into cognitive assessment represents an exciting frontier that can revolutionize our understanding of human cognition.

Model Focus Improves Performance of Deep Learning-Based Synthetic Face Detectors

Deep learning-based models generalize better to unknown data samples after being guided “where to look” by incorporating human perception into training strategies. We made an observation that the entropy of the model’s salience trained in that way is lower when compared to salience entropy computed for models training without human perceptual intelligence. The research problem addressed by this paper is whether lowering the entropy of model’s class activation map helps in further increasing the performance, on top of the performance increase we observe for human saliency-based model’s training. In this paper we propose and evaluate four new entropy-based loss functions controlling the model’s focus, covering the full range of the level of such control, from none to its “aggresive” minimization. We show, using a problem of synthetic face detection, that improving the model’s focus, through lowering entropy by the proposed loss components, leads to models that perform better in an open-set scenario (in which the test samples are synthesized by unknown generative models): the obtained average Area Under the ROC curve (AUROC) ranges from 0.72 to 0.78, compared to AUROC = 0.64 observed for a state-of-the-art human-salience-only-based control of the model’s focus. We also show that optimal performance is obtained when the model’s loss function blends three aspects: regular classification performance, low-entropy of the model’s focus, and closeness of the model’s focus to human saliency. The major conclusion from this work is that maximization of the model’s focus is an important regularizer allowing the models to generalize better in an open set scenario. Future work directions include methods of blending classification-, human salience-, and model’s salience entropy-based loss components to achieve optimal performance in other domains than the synthetic face detection.

Dissociating motor impairment from five-choice serial reaction time task performance in a mouse model of Angelman syndrome.

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a single-gene neurodevelopmental disorder associated with cognitive and motor impairment, seizures, lack of speech, and disrupted sleep. AS is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the UBE3A gene, and approaches to reinstate functional UBE3A are currently in clinical trials in children. Behavioral testing in a mouse model of AS (Ube3am–/p+) represents an important tool to assess the effectiveness of current and future treatments preclinically. Existing behavioral tests effectively model motor impairments, but not cognitive impairments, in Ube3am–/p+ mice. Here we tested the hypothesis that the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT) can be used to assess cognitive behaviors in Ube3am–/p+ mice. Ube3am–/p+ mice had more omissions during 5CSRTT training than wild-type littermate controls, but also showed impaired motor function including open field hypoactivity and delays in eating pellet rewards. Motor impairments thus presented an important confound for interpreting this group difference in omissions. We report that despite hypoactivity during habituation, Ube3am–/p+ mice had normal response latencies to retrieve rewards during 5CSRTT training. We also accounted for delays in eating pellet rewards by assessing omissions solely on trials where eating delays would not impact results. Thus, the increase in omissions in Ube3am–/p+ mice is likely not caused by concurrent motor impairments. This work underscores the importance of considering how known motor impairments in Ube3am–/p+ mice may affect behavioral performance in other domains. Our results also provide guidance on how to design a 5CSRTT protocol that is best suited for future studies in Ube3a mutants.

Dimensional label learning contributes to the development of executive functions

A key to understanding how the brain develops is to understand how learning can change brain function. One index of learning that takes place in early childhood involves the comprehension and production of labels describing the shape and color features of objects, a process known as dimensional label learning (DLL). DLL requires integrating auditory and visual stimuli to form a system of mappings that link label representations (e.g. “red” and “color”) and visual feature representations (e.g. “red” and the hue red). Children gain expertise with these labels between the ages of 2 and 5 years, and at the same time they begin to demonstrate skills in using labels to guide cognitive function in other domains. For example, one of the hallmark measures of executive function development requires children to use verbally instructed rules to guide attention to visual dimensions. The broader impact of DLL, however, has not yet been explored. Here, we examine how the neural processes associated with the comprehension and production of labels for visual features predicts later performance on executive function tasks. Specifically, we show that left frontal cortex is activated during comprehension and production tasks at 33 months of age. Moreover, we find that neural activation in this region during label production at 33 months is associated with dimensional attention, but not spatial selective attention, at 45 months. These results shed new light on the role of label learning in developmental changes in brain and behavior. Moreover, these data suggest that dimensional label learning generalizes beyond the learned information to influence other aspects of cognition. We anticipate that these results may serve as a starting point for future work to implement label training as an intervention to influence later cognition.

Processing speed and working memory are predicted by components of successful aging: a HUNT study

BackgroundResearch has demonstrated that cognitive heterogeneity occurs with aging both within and between individuals. The purpose of this study was to explore whether the cognitive heterogeneity in aging was related to the subgroups of successful and usual aging.MethodParticipants were a representative sample of normal older adults (n = 65, age range 70–89 years). All subjects had participated in the third phase of the Nord-Trøndelag Health Survey (HUNT3) and completed all subtests in the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS-III) and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III). Successful aging was defined in four ways in the study: as (1) absence of disease, (2) high functioning, (3) active engagement with life, or (4) all three components combined. Five domains of memory and intelligence functions were investigated using linear regression analysis, with group membership (successful versus usual aging) as predictors and age, sex and education as correlates.ResultsProcessing speed performance was correlated with the successful aging component absence of disease, younger age and being of the female sex, while working memory performance was correlated with the successful aging component absence of disease and more years of education. Performance in other domains (verbal, visuospatial, and episodic memory) were not related to any successful aging definition. Age had a consistent negative effect on the processing speed domain for all successful aging definitions. Education was positively linked to cognitive performance on the verbal and working memory domains. Being female was positively linked to processing speed and episodic memory.ConclusionsProcessing speed and working memory were linked to successful aging when it was defined as absence of disease, but not by other components of successful aging, i.e. domain-specific. In contrast, other cognitive domains were not related to any components of successful aging.

Effects of Intradialytic Cognitive and Physical Exercise Training on Cognitive and Physical Abilities in Hemodialysis Patients: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

The prevalence of cognitive impairment in hemodialysis (HD) patients is extremely high. Despite the well-documented benefits of interventions on cognitive function, there is a widespread call for effective strategies that will show the long-term consequences in patients undergoing dialysis. The aim of this research protocol was to investigate the effect of cognitive training combined with physical exercise on cognitive function, physical performance, and frailty indicators in the HD population. We will conduct a randomized controlled intervention trial to examine the effects of a combined non-pharmacological intervention in the form of intradialytic physical exercise and intradialytic cognitive training on cognitive function, indicators of frailty, and physical performance measures in HD patients. The group of patients receiving the study intervention will be compared to the control group receiving standard HD care. The duration of the intervention will be 12 weeks. We will use sensitive instruments (cognitive domain tests) to assess cognitive functions. The primary outcome of the study at 12 weeks will be performance on the Alertness subtest of the computerized Test of Attentional Performance. Secondary study outcomes are: Performance in other domains of cognitive function (executive function, psychomotor speed, information processing efficiency, working memory, and attention), physical fitness (10 repetition sit-to-stand test, timed up and go test, handgrip strength test, spontaneous gait speed, and stork balance test), and assessment of frailty (Edmonton Frail Scale). Study outcomes will be assessed at baseline, immediately after the 12-week intervention, and 6 months after the end of the study without specific further intervention (retention effect assessment). This study will be among the first to test the synergistic effects of a uniquely designed physical exercise and cognitive training intervention on functional status in HD patients. We believe our results will contribute to dementia prevention research by demonstrating the long-term efficacy of our combined intervention.Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.Gov, NCT05150444.

Virtual reality cognitive intervention for heart failure: CORE study protocol.

IntroductionHeart failure (HF) is a prevalent, serious chronic illness that affects 6.5 million adults in the United States. Among patients with HF, the prevalence of attention impairment is reported to range from 15% to 27%. Although attention is fundamental to human activities including HF self‐care, cognitive interventions for patients with HF that target improvement in attention are scarce. The COgnitive intervention to Restore attention using nature Environment (CORE) study aims to test the preliminary efficacy of the newly developed Nature‐VR, a virtual reality‐based cognitive intervention that is based on the restorative effects of nature. Nature‐VR development was guided by Attention Restoration Theory. The target outcomes are attention, HF self‐care, and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). Our exploratory aims examine the associations between attention and several putative/established HF biomarkers (eg, oxygen saturation, brain‐derived neurotrophic factor, apolipoprotein E, dopamine receptor, and dopamine transporter genes) as well as the effect of Nature‐VR on cognitive performance in other domains (ie, global cognition, memory, visuospatial, executive function, and language), cardiac and neurological events, and mortality.MethodsThis single‐blinded, two‐group randomized‐controlled pilot study will enroll 74 participants with HF. The Nature‐VR intervention group will view three‐dimensional nature pictures using a virtual reality headset for 10 minutes per day, 5 days per week for 4 weeks (a total of 200 minutes). The active comparison group, Urban‐VR, will view three‐dimensional urban pictures using a virtual reality headset to match the Nature‐VR intervention in intervention dose and delivery mode, but not in content. After baseline interviews, four follow‐up interviews will be conducted to assess sustained effects of Nature‐VR at 4, 8, 26, and 52 weeks.DiscussionThe importance and novelty of this study consists of using a first‐of‐its kind, immersive virtual reality technology to target attention and in investigating the health outcomes of the Nature‐VR cognitive intervention among patients with HF.

Once Good, Always Good? Testing Nudge’s Spillovers on Pro Environmental Behavior

It is a common assumption to believe that encouraging pro environmental behavior (PEB) in one domain would lead to increased PEB in other domains (best-case scenario) or just be restricted to the initial targeted domain (worst-case scenario). Evidence from a rapidly growing literature on moral licensing suggests that interventions targeting behavioral change could lead to an even worse scenario, with individuals starting to underperform in one domain, as a compensation for their good performance in other domains. We propose to study the dynamic of PEBs when individuals are exposed to a specific nudge (priming) via an original experiment designed to capture actual behavior. We found that priming could increase PEB, but does not thwart moral licensing. Primed individuals end up doing worse than non-primed individual under a moral licensing condition. A more comprehensive view of the mechanisms underlying behavioral change is essential to support sustainable policies.

The role of transactive memory systems, psychological safety and interpersonal conflict in hospital team performance

Safe patient care in hospitals relies on teamwork. Transactive Memory Systems (TMS), are shared cognitive systems that have been linked to team performance in other domains, but have received limited attention in healthcare. This study investigated the role of TMS, psychological safety and interpersonal conflict in predicting team performance in hospital ward teams where team membership is dynamic and often loosely defined. Hospital staff (n = 106) in four wards completed a battery of instruments assessing team performance, TMS, psychological safety and interpersonal conflict. TMS was a weak predictor of team performance, but the relationship was mediated by psychological safety. Overall, team performance was predicted by high psychological safety, low interpersonal conflict and low reliance on team members’ knowledge (i.e. TMS credibility). These findings suggest that, in hospital teams, TMS is not a strong predictor of team performance but team culture is critical to ensure the quality and safety of patient care. Practitioner summary: This study investigated the role of Transactive Memory Systems (TMS) and cultural factors in hospital team performance. Team performance was predicted by psychological safety, low interpersonal conflict and low reliance on team members’ untested knowledge. This highlights the importance of a supportive and psychologically safe team culture for safe care in hospitals. Abbreviations: TMS: transactive memory systems; HCA: health care assistant

Associations Between Air Pollution Exposure and Empirically Derived Profiles of Cognitive Performance in Older Women.

Elucidating associations between exposures to ambient air pollutants and profiles of cognitive performance may provide insight into neurotoxic effects on the aging brain. We examined associations between empirically derived profiles of cognitive performance and residential concentrations of particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in older women. Women (N = 2,142) from the Women's Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging completed a neuropsychological assessment measuring attention, visuospatial, language, and episodic memory abilities. Average yearly concentrations of PM2.5 and NO2 were estimated at the participant's addresses for the 3 years prior to the assessment. Latent profile structural equation models identified subgroups of women exhibiting similar profiles across tests. Multinomial regressions examined associations between exposures and latent profile classification, controlling for covariates. Five latent profiles were identified: low performance across multiple domains (poor multi-domain; n = 282;13%), relatively poor verbal episodic memory (poor memory; n = 216; 10%), average performance across all domains (average multi-domain; n = 974; 45%), superior memory (n = 381; 18%), and superior attention (n = 332; 15%). Using women with average cognitive ability as the referent, higher PM2.5 (per interquartile range [IQR] = 3.64μg/m3) was associated with greater odds of being classified in the poor memory (OR = 1.29; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.10-1.52) or superior attention (OR = 1.30; 95% CI = 1.10-1.53) profiles. NO2 (per IQR = 9.86 ppb) was associated with higher odds of being classified in the poor memory (OR = 1.38; 95% CI = 1.17-1.63) and lower odds of being classified with superior memory (OR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.67-0.97). Exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 are associated with patterns of cognitive performance characterized by worse verbal episodic memory relative to performance in other domains.

Associations between air pollution exposure and subtypes of cognitive performance in older women

AbstractBackgroundAir pollution exposure is a novel environmental risk factor in brain aging. It remains unclear whether long‐term exposure in older adulthood is associated with profiles of cognitive performance across multiple domains.MethodParticipants included 2,185 women (aged 66‐83 years) without dementia from the Women’s Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging. Baseline neuropsychological assessment included tests of verbal episodic memory (California Verbal Learning Test), figural memory (Benton’s Visual Recognition Test), language (letter and category fluency), attention (Digit Span Forward and Backwards), and visuospatial ability (Card Rotations Test). Testes were adjusted for demographic age, education, and race/ethnicity. Average annual levels of particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter&lt;2.5 (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were estimated at the participant’s residence using regionalized national universal kriging models and averaged over the 3‐year period before the baseline assessment. Latent class structural equation models (SEM) were constructed to identify latent classes of women who had similar patterns of performance across cognitive tests. After identifying the number of latent classes extract in the model, we constructed a second SEM to examine associations between air pollution exposure and latent class membership using multinomial regression while adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, and clinical confounders.ResultFive significant latent classes were identified (Figure 1): multidomain cognitive impairment (n=247; 11%), amnestic cognitive impairment (n=263; 12%), superior memory (n=407; 19%), superior attention (n=351; 16%), and average cognitive ability (n=917; 42%). Women living in locations with higher levels of PM2.5 (per interquartile range [IQR] = 3.63 μg/m3) or NO2 (per IQR = 10.33) were more likely to be classified as having amnestic cognitive impairment compared to having average cognitive ability (OR=1.27; p=.021). One IQR increase in NO2 was also associated with decreased likelihood of having superior memory (OR=.81; p=.024) compared to average cognitive ability.ConclusionOur cross‐sectional study illustrates that long‐term exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 may be associated with specific patterns of cognitive performance; mainly worse episodic memory relative to performance in other domains. Our findings provide further evidence that air pollution may exert neurotoxic effects on brain areas underlying episodic memory in older women.

Longitudinal Cognitive Performance of Older Adults With ADHD Presenting to a Cognitive Neurology Clinic: A Case Series of Change Up to 21 Years.

Background: The neuropsychological features of older adults with ADHD are largely unknown. This retrospective chart review aims to elucidate their cognitive trajectories using a case series of six older adults with ADHD presenting with memory complaints to a cognitive neurology clinic, whom we argue are a particularly relevant group to study due to their potential to mimic neurodegenerative syndromes.Methods: Participants were included if they were age 40 or older at intake, had ADHD based on DSM-5 criteria, and had cognitive data collected prior to 2014 with follow-up at least 5 years later.Results: Five men and one woman were included (M = 53.8 years at intake) and had an average of 135.0 months of follow-up data available. Despite notable between- and within-subject variability, cognition generally improved or remained stable across visits. Two participants experienced notable memory decline, but a global consideration of their performance in other domains suggests these deficits may be frontally-mediated.Conclusion: In this small sample, cognition remained generally unchanged across 5–21 years. Isolated impairments likely reflect substantial intra-individual variability across time and measures.

Collocational knowledge in children: a comparison of English-speaking monolingual children, and children acquiring English as an Additional Language.

Collocations, e.g., apples and pears, hard worker, constitute an important avenue of linguistic enquiry straddling both grammar and the lexicon. They are sensitive to language experience, with adult L2 learners and children learning English as an Additional Language (EAL) exhibiting poor collocational knowledge. The current study piloted a novel collocational assessment with children (mean age 6;3, 40 monolingual, 32 EAL). It investigated (1) the feasibility of a collocational assessment at this age, (2) whether collocational knowledge is associated with other language domains (receptive grammar and vocabulary), and (3) whether collocational knowledge is more affected than other domains. The assessment demonstrated good psychometric properties and was highly correlated with performance in other domains, indicating shared psycholinguistic mechanisms. Unlike adult counterparts, the EAL children performed equally poorly across domains. Given the role played by collocations in vocabulary development and reading, a focus on this domain may be beneficial for EAL children.