Steep Decline Research Articles

Childhood trauma and hair cortisol response over the year following onset of a chronic life event stressor

ObjectiveChildhood trauma may contribute to poor lifelong health in part through programming of the HPA-axis response to future life stressors. To date, empirical evidence shows an association of childhood trauma with dysregulation of the HPA-axis and blunted cortisol reactivity to acute stressors. Here, we conduct an initial examination of childhood trauma as a moderator of changes over time in perceived stress levels and HPA-axis response to a major chronic stressor in adulthood. MethodsParticipants were 83 maternal caregivers of children newly diagnosed with cancer who completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and who, over the year following their child’s cancer diagnosis, had hair samples collected up to 7 times for the assessment of cortisol and completed monthly measures of perceived stress. ResultsCTQ scores were in the expected range for a community sample and associated with changes in perceived stress and cortisol concentration over time (γ =.003, p =.002; γ = −.0004, p =.008, respectively) independently of age, education, treatment intensity and randomization to stress management intervention. Maternal caregivers who endorsed lower childhood trauma showed a steeper decline in perceived stress and a larger increase in cortisol levels across the year than caregivers who recalled more childhood trauma. ConclusionsFindings extend animal models and studies that examine cortisol reactivity to acute stressors and suggest that childhood trauma may program a phenotype that is more psychologically reactive but shows a blunted HPA-axis response to chronic stress. While adaptive in the short-term, this early life programming may incur long-term costs for health. Further work is warranted to examine this possibility.

Sex Differences in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Survival and Progression: A Multidimensional Analysis.

To investigate sex-related differences in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) prognosis and their contributing factors. Our primary cohort was the Piemonte and Aosta Register for ALS (PARALS); the Pooled Resource Open-Access ALS Clinical Trials (PRO-ACT) and the Answer ALS databases were used for validation. Survival analyses were conducted accounting for age and onset site. The roles of forced vital capacity and weight decline were explored through a causal mediation analysis. Survival and disease progression rates were also evaluated after propensity score matching. The PARALS cohort included 1,890 individuals (44.8% women). Men showed shorter survival when stratified by onset site (spinal onset HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.00-1.44, p = 0.0439; bulbar onset HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.09-1.70, p = 0.006917), although women had a steeper functional decline (+0.10 ALSFRS-R points/month, 95% CI 0.07-0.15, p < 0.00001) regardless of onset site. Instead, men showed worse respiratory decline (-4.2 forced vital capacity%/month, 95% CI -6.3 to -2.2, p < 0.0001) and faster weight loss (-0.15 kg/month, 95% CI -0.25 to -0.05, p = 0.0030). Causal mediation analysis showed that respiratory function and weight loss were pivotal in sex-related survival differences. Analysis of patients from PRO-ACT (n = 1,394, 40.9% women) and Answer ALS (n = 849, 37.2% women) confirmed these trends. The shorter survival in men is linked to worse respiratory function and weight loss rather than a faster disease progression. These findings emphasize the importance of considering sex-specific factors in understanding ALS pathophysiology and designing tailored therapeutic strategies. ANN NEUROL 2024;96:159-169.

Alzheimer's Disease and Cognitive Decline in Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases Along the Heart-Brain Axis.

We hypothesize that Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related pathology may accelerate cognitive decline in patients with cardiovascular diseases. To investigate the association between blood-based biomarkers of AD, astrocyte activation, and neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. From the multi-center Heart-Brain study, we included 412 patients with heart failure, carotid occlusive disease or vascular cognitive impairment (age:68.6±9.0) and 128 reference participants (65.7±7.5). Baseline amyloid-β42/40 (Aβ42/40), phosphorylated-tau181 (pTau181), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and neurofilament light (NfL) were determined using SiMoA (Quanterix). Memory, attention, language, and executive functioning were evaluated (follow-up:2.1±0.3 years). We applied linear mixed models with terms for biomarker, time and biomarker*time interactions, adjusted for age, sex, education, and site, to assess associations between biomarkers and cognitive decline. Among patients, Aβ42/40 was not associated with cognitive performance at baseline. However, lower Aβ42/40 was associated with steeper decline in global cognition (β±SE:0.04±0.02). Higher pTau181 was associated with worse baseline performance on global cognition (-0.14±0.04) and memory (-0.31±0.09) and with steeper decline in global cognition (-0.07±0.02), memory (-0.09±0.04), attention (-0.05±0.02), and language (-0.10±0.03). Higher GFAP was associated with worse baseline performance on global cognition (-0.22±0.05), memory (-0.43±0.10), attention (-0.14±0.06), language (-0.15±0.05), and executive functioning (-0.15±0.05) and steeper decline in global cognition (-0.05±0.01). Higher NfL was associated with worse baseline performance on global cognition (-0.16±0.04), memory (-0.28±0.09), attention (-0.20±0.06), and executive functioning (-0.10±0.04), but was not associated with performance over time. In reference participants, no associations were found. Our findings suggest that blood-based biomarkers of AD-related pathology predict cognitive decline in patients with cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiometabolic disease, cognitive decline, and brain structure in middle and older age.

The presence of multiple cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) has been linked to increased dementia risk, but the combined influence of CMDs on cognition and brain structure across the life course is unclear. In the UK Biobank, 46,562 dementia-free participants completed a cognitive test battery at baseline and a follow-up visit 9 years later, at which point 39,306 also underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging. CMDs (diabetes, heart disease, and stroke) were ascertained from medical records. Data were analyzed using age-stratified (middle age [<60] versus older [≥ 60]) mixed-effects models and linear regression. A higher number of CMDs was associated with significantly steeper global cognitive decline in older (β=-0.008; 95% confidence interval: -0.012, -0.005) but not middle age. Additionally, the presence of multiple CMDs was related to smaller total brain volume, gray matter volume, white matter volume, and hippocampal volume and larger white matter hyperintensity volume, even in middle age. CMDs are associated with cognitive decline in older age and poorer brain structural health beginning already in middle age. We explored the association of CMDs with cognitive decline and brain MRI measures.CMDs accelerated cognitive decline in older (≥60y) but not middle (<60) age.CMDs were associated with poorer brain MRI parameters in both middle and older age.Results highlight the connection between CMDs and cognitive/brain aging.

Implementing Statcheck During Peer Review Is Related to a Steep Decline in Statistical-Reporting Inconsistencies

We investigated whether statistical-reporting inconsistencies could be avoided if journals implement the tool statcheck in the peer-review process. In a preregistered pretest–posttest quasi-experiment covering more than 7,000 articles and more than 147,000 extracted statistics, we compared the prevalence of reported p values that were inconsistent with their degrees of freedom and test statistics in two journals that implemented statcheck in their peer-review process ( Psychological Science and Journal of Experimental and Social Psychology) and two matched control journals ( Journal of Experimental Psychology: General and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology) before and after statcheck was implemented. Preregistered multilevel logistic regression analyses showed that the decrease in both inconsistencies and decision inconsistencies around p = .05 is considerably steeper in statcheck journals than in control journals, offering preliminary support for the notion that statcheck can be a useful tool for journals to avoid statistical-reporting inconsistencies in published articles. We discuss limitations and implications of these findings.

CDC’s Hospital-Onset Clostridioides difficile Prevention Framework in a Regional Hospital Network

Despite modest reductions in the incidence of hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infection (HO-CDI), CDI remains a leading cause of health care-associated infection. As no single intervention has proven highly effective on its own, a multifaceted approach to controlling HO-CDI is needed. To assess the effectiveness of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Strategies to Prevent Clostridioides difficile Infection in Acute Care Facilities Framework (hereafter, the Framework) in reducing HO-CDI incidence. This quality improvement study was performed within the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network from July 1, 2019, through March 31, 2022. In all, 20 hospitals in the network participated in an implementation study of the Framework recommendations, and 26 hospitals did not participate and served as controls. The Framework has 39 discrete intervention categories organized into 5 focal areas for CDI prevention: (1) isolation and contact precautions, (2) CDI confirmation, (3) environmental cleaning, (4) infrastructure development, and (5) antimicrobial stewardship engagement. Monthly teleconferences supporting Framework implementation for the participating hospitals. Primary outcomes were HO-CDI incidence trends at participating hospitals compared with controls and postintervention HO-CDI incidence at intervention sites compared with rates during the 24 months before the intervention. The study sample included a total of 2184 HO-CDI cases and 7 269 429 patient-days. In the intervention cohort of 20 participating hospitals, there were 1403 HO-CDI cases and 3 513 755 patient-days, with a median (IQR) HO-CDI incidence of 2.8 (2.0-4.3) cases per 10 000 patient-days. The first analysis included an additional 3 755 674 patient-days and 781 HO-CDI cases among the 26 controls, with a median (IQR) HO-CDI incidence of 1.1 (0.7-2.7) case per 10 000 patient-days. The second analysis included an additional 2 538 874 patient-days and 1751 HO-CDI cases, with a median (IQR) HO-CDI incidence of 5.9 (2.7-8.9) cases per 10 000 patient-days, from participating hospitals 24 months before the intervention. In the first analysis, intervention sites had a steeper decline in HO-CDI incidence over time relative to controls (yearly incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.79 [95% CI, 0.67-0.94]; P = .01), but the decline was not temporally associated with study participation. In the second analysis, HO-CDI incidence was declining in participating hospitals before the intervention, and the rate of decline did not change during the intervention. The degree to which hospitals implemented the Framework was associated with steeper declines in HO-CDI incidence (yearly IRR, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.90-0.99]; P = .03). In this quality improvement study of a regional hospital network, implementation of the Framework was not temporally associated with declining HO-CDI incidence. Further study of the effectiveness of multimodal prevention measures for controlling HO-CDI is warranted.

Abstract 6114: Trends in hematological cancer subtype mortality by educational attainment and sex in the United States, 2000-2020

Abstract Objective: To examine mortality trends for hematological cancer subtypes (leukemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and myeloma) by educational attainment and sex in the United States. Methods: Using data on 1,082,234 U.S. deaths from 2000-2020, age-standardized death rates were calculated by sex and educational attainment (high school/GED or less, some college, and 4 years of college or more). Annual percentage change (APC) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for mortality rates were generated using Joinpoint regression. Results: For all hematological cancer subtypes, mortality rates were largest among males and those with the least education for all study years. In general, decreasing trends were observed in recent years for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, myeloma, and leukemia mortality rates. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma mortality rates, for example, decreased among males and females in 2009-2020 (APC: -2.0%; 95%CI: -2.4%, -1.5% and APC: -2.8%; 95%CI -3.2%, -2.3%). As another example, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma mortality rates among most educated males decreased in 2000-2012 (APC: -1.8%; 95%CI: -2.2%, -1.3%) followed by a steeper decline in 2012-2020 (APC: -3.7%; 95%CI: -4.4%, -2.9%); a similar pattern was observed among most educated females (APC: -1.6%; 95%CI: -2.2%, -1.0% in 2000-2011 and APC: -4.1%; 95%CI: -4.9%, -3.4% in 2011-2020). Trends in Hodgkin’s lymphoma death rates however differed by educational attainment. For example, mortality rates among least educated males increased in 2000-2009 (APC: 1.7%; 95%CI: 0.8%, 2.5%) and remained unchanged in 2009-2020 (APC: -0.3%; 95%CI: -0.9%, 0.3%). Rates among least educated females also increased in 2000-2020 (APC: 0.4%; 95%CI: 0.1%, 0.7%). In contrast, mortality rates declined for most educated males from 2010-2020 (APC: -1.9%; 95%CI: -2.6%, -1.2%) and most educated females from 2011-2020 (APC: -3.5%; 95%CI: -4.8%, -2.2%). Conclusion: Hematological cancer mortality rates were highest among males and those with least education. In general, mortality rates have declined in recent years for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, myeloma, and leukemia for males and females among all educational attainment groups, while Hodgkin’s lymphoma has shown a slight increasing trend among least educated males and females. Citation Format: Emily C. Marlow, Farhad Islami, Ahmedin Jemal. Trends in hematological cancer subtype mortality by educational attainment and sex in the United States, 2000-2020 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 6114.

Positive school climate and strong school identification as protective factors of adolescent mental health and learning engagement: A longitudinal investigation before and during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant disruptions for children and youth around the world, especially given school closures and shifts in teaching modes (on-line and hybrid). However, the impact of these disruptions remains unclear given data limitations such as a reliance on cross-sectional and/or short-interval surveys as well as a lack of broad indicators of key outcomes of interest. The current research employs a quasi-experimental design by using an Australian four-year longitudinal survey with student responses from Grade 7 to 10 (aged 12–15 years old) (N = 8,735 from 20 schools) in one education jurisdiction. Responses are available pre-pandemic (2018 and 2019) and during the pandemic (2020 and 2021). Importantly the survey included measures of well-being, mental health and learning engagement as well as potential known school-environment factors that could buffer against adversity: school climate and school identification. The findings were generally in line with key hypotheses; 1) during COVID-19 students’ learning engagement and well-being significantly declined and 2) students with more positive school climate or stronger school identification pre-COVID-19 fared better through the disruption of the pandemic. However, these same students suffered from a steeper decline in well-being and engagement which may be explained through the impact of losing meaningful social or group connections. This decline was evident after controlling for gender, academic grade (as a proxy of age), parental education, and socioeconomic status. It is concluded that investing in the social environment of schools is important in crisis preparedness and can facilitate better crisis response among youth.

Change Over Time in Pre–End-Stage Renal Disease 24-Hour Urine Creatinine as Muscle Mass Surrogate and Post–End-Stage Renal Disease Mortality

Loss of muscle mass and sarcopenia are common in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and sarcopenia can worsen insidiously in patients with advancing CKD. The temporal dynamics of sarcopenia in patients with progressive loss of kidney function, and its association with future outcomes, is unclear. In a contemporary national cohort of incident ESRD US veterans, we selected 661 patients who had at least 2 24-hour urine creatinine (24hrUC) measurements, a surrogate of muscle mass, performed during the 3-year prelude period prior to ESRD transition. We estimated 24hrUC slopes in mixed effects models. To assess the temporal dynamics of pre-ESRD changes in 24hrUC and its association with changing eGFR, we separately fitted in mixed effects models a penalized spline regression of 24hrUC on time and on eGFR. We examined the association of 24hrUC slopes with postdialysis all-cause mortality using Cox models adjusted for confounders. The mean slope of 24hrUC versus time was -78mg/year (95% confidence interval: -102 to -54), with a steeper decline noted in the last year prior to ESRD. More severe decreases in 24hrUC were associated with higher all-cause mortality: a 100mg/year decrease in 24hrUC was associated with a multivariable adjusted death hazard ratio of 1.41 (95% confidence interval: 1.00-1.98, P=.05). Patients with advanced CKD lose a substantial proportion of their muscle mass each year during pre-ESRD prelude. Loss of muscle mass accelerates near ESRD transition, and more loss of muscle mass is associated with higher mortality after ESRD transition.

Time to death explains the chronological decline of voter turnout among the older population

Age is possibly the strongest known individual-level socio-demographic determinant of participation in elections. Despite its substantial influence in shaping electoral outcomes, evidence-based understanding of the steep decline in turnout at older ages is scarce. We suggest that time-related proximity to death and the associated decline in cognitive and physical functioning may explain this relationship. With full population data on the participation of the 65+ year-old electorate in the 1999 parliamentary elections in Finland linked to a more than 21-year mortality follow-up, we demonstrate that the remaining lifetime is a more powerful predictor of voting than age, often by an order of magnitude. These results offer a novel theoretical principle into understanding the fundamental age-related decline in electoral participation at older ages: It is not the time from the cradle, but the time to the grave, that counts more.

Virus decay and community composition in virus-amended sterile soil under slurry and unsaturated conditions

Soil viruses are abundant and diverse. The available research suggests viruses play a significant role in shaping the structure and function of soil microbial communities. Their effects are modulated by various environmental factors, including soil temperature, moisture, and geochemical conditions. This study investigated the persistence/inactivation of naturally occurring soil viruses added to sterilized soil, providing insights into virus decay under abiotic conditions. Soil microcosm experiments under saturated (slurry) conditions (5 g:12 mL) and unsaturated conditions (60% of field capacity) revealed a consistent decline in viral abundance over time. Under saturated conditions, there was a reduction of over 90% in viral abundance after 10 d, a steeper decline than the 55% reduction observed under unsaturated conditions during the same length of incubation. Notably, the composition of viruses also changed over time, and the remaining viruses demonstrated infectious capabilities for up to 13 d in saturated and 16 d in unsaturated soil, evidenced by changes in viral abundance upon the addition of live bacteria. Introducing live bacteria reduced the net viral dissipation in saturated soil but resulted in a net increase in viral abundance in unsaturated soil from 4.49 × 108 to 6.76 × 109 within 3 days. The increase in viral abundance in the unsaturated soil was partly due to the emergence of new viruses from prophage induction. This research presents a preliminary exploration into extracellular persistence of soil viruses under varying moisture conditions.

Quantifying seasonal thrips population dynamics in relation to temperature and wheat senescence

AbstractThe incidence of thrips in the High Plains of Texas (USA) was investigated using sticky traps during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Yellow sticky traps were placed in wheat fields and collected and replaced weekly and thrips were counted under a dissecting scope. Weekly wheat reflectance measurements were taken using a hyperspectral radiometer from which normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was calculated for each measurement. Temperature (degree day) and NDVI values were then related to weekly thrips incidence using regression. Thrips incidence curvilinearly increased over time during each of the two seasons and reached a maximum in the middle of June, after which it declined sharply. There was a strong positive relationship between degree days and thrips incidence until the incidence reached a maximum, whereas the incidence was negatively related to NDVI values. Analysis of the thrips changes over time progress with the two variables together showed that degree day has greater impact on thrips incidence than NDVI. However, the steep decline in thrips abundance after its peak in mid‐June suggests that senesced wheat fields with NDVI values near zero are not significant sources of thrips, signifying the importance of wheat growth stages in the seasonal population dynamics of thrips. Overall, the 2‐year results were generally consistent in trends of thrips incidence during the season, which may need to be considered when choosing vegetable planting dates in the region.

Psychopathology as long-term sequelae of maltreatment and socioeconomic disadvantage: Neurocognitive development perspectives.

Neuroscience research underscores the critical impact of adverse experiences on brain development. Yet, there is limited understanding of the specific pathways linking adverse experiences to accelerated or delayed brain development and their ultimate contributions to psychopathology. Here, we present new longitudinal data demonstrating that neurocognitive functioning during adolescence, as affected by adverse experiences, predicts psychopathology during young adulthood. The sample included 167 participants (52% male) assessed in adolescence and young adulthood. Adverse experiences were measured by early maltreatment experiences and low family socioeconomic status. Cognitive control was assessed by neural activation and behavioral performance during the Multi-Source Interference Task. Psychopathology was measured by self-reported internalizing and externalizing symptomatology. Results indicated that higher maltreatment predicted heightened frontoparietal activation during cognitive control, indicating delayed neurodevelopment, which, in turn predicted higher internalizing and externalizing symptomatology. Furthermore, higher maltreatment predicted a steeper decline in frontoparietal activation across adolescence, indicating neural plasticity in cognitive control-related brain development, which was associated with lower internalizing symptomatology. Our results elucidate the crucial role of neurocognitive development in the processes linking adverse experiences and psychopathology. Implications of the findings and directions for future research on the effects of adverse experiences on brain development are discussed.

A comprehensive analysis of APOE genotype effects on human brain structure in the UK Biobank

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk is increased in carriers of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele and decreased in ε2 allele carriers compared with the ε3ε3 genotype. The aim of this study was to determine whether: the APOE genotype affects brain grey (GM) or white matter (WM) structure; and if differences exist, the age when they become apparent and whether there are differential effects by sex. We used cross-sectional magnetic resonance imaging data from ~43,000 (28,494 after pre-processing) white British cognitively healthy participants (7,446 APOE ε4 carriers) aged 45–80 years from the UK Biobank cohort and investigated image-derived phenotypes (IDPs). We observed no statistically significant effects of APOE genotype on GM structure volumes or median T2* in subcortical structures, a measure related to iron content. The volume of white matter hyperintensities differed significantly between APOE genotype groups with higher volumes in APOE ε4ε4 (effect size 0.14 standard deviations [SD]) and ε3ε4 carriers (effect size 0.04 SD) but no differences in ε2 carriers compared with ε3ε3 carriers. WM integrity measures in the dorsal (mean diffusivity [MD]) and ventral cingulum (MD and intracellular volume fraction), posterior thalamic radiation (MD and isotropic volume fraction) and sagittal stratum (MD) indicated lower integrity in APOE ε4ε4 carriers (effect sizes around 0.2–0.3 SD) and ε3ε4 (effect sizes around 0.05 SD) carriers but no differences in ε2 carriers compared with the APOE ε3ε3 genotype. Effects did not differ between men and women. APOE ε4 homozygotes had lower WM integrity specifically at older ages with a steeper decline of WM integrity from the age of 60 that corresponds to around 5 years greater “brain age”. APOE genotype affects various white matters measures, which might be indicative of preclinical AD processes. This hypothesis can be assessed in future when clinical outcomes become available.

Intrinsic capacity trajectories and socioeconomic inequalities in health: the contributions of wealth, education, gender, and ethnicity

BackgroundLife-long health inequalities exert enduring impacts and are governed by social determinants crucial for achieving healthy aging. A fundamental aspect of healthy aging, intrinsic capacity, is the primary focus of this study. Our objective is to evaluate the social inequalities connected with the trajectories of intrinsic capacity, shedding light on the impacts of socioeconomic position, gender, and ethnicity.MethodsOur dynamic cohort study was rooted in three waves (2009, 2014, 2017) of the World Health Organization’s Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health in Mexico. We incorporated a nationally representative sample comprising 2722 older Mexican adults aged 50 years and over. Baseline measurements of socioeconomic position, gender, and ethnicity acted as the exposure variables. We evaluated intrinsic capacity across five domains: cognition, psychological, sensory, vitality, and locomotion. The Relative Index of Inequality and Slope Index of Inequality were used to quantify socioeconomic disparities.ResultsWe discerned three distinct intrinsic capacity trajectories: steep decline, moderate decline, and slight increase. Significant disparities based on wealth, educational level, gender, and ethnicity were observed. Older adults with higher wealth and education typically exhibited a trajectory of moderate decrease or slight increase in intrinsic capacity. In stark contrast, women and indigenous individuals were more likely to experience a steeply declining trajectory.ConclusionsThese findings underscore the pressing need to address social determinants, minimize gender and ethnic discrimination to ensure equal access to resources and opportunities across the lifespan. It is imperative for policies and interventions to prioritize these social determinants in order to promote healthy aging and alleviate health disparities. This approach will ensure that specific demographic groups receive customized support to sustain their intrinsic capacity during their elder years.

Purpose in life and cognitive health: a 28-year prospective study.

To examine the prospective association between purpose in life measured at three points across middle and older adulthood and cognitive outcomes assessed 8-28 years later. Prospective Study. Wisconsin Longitudinal Study of Aging (WLS). WLS participants who reported on their purpose in life at Round 4 (1992-1994; Mage = 52.58), Round 5 (2003-2007; Mage = 63.74), and/or Round 6 (2010-2012; Mage = 70.25) and were administered a cognitive battery at Round 7 (2020; Mage = 79.94) were included in the analysis (N = 4,632). Participants completed the Ryff measure of purpose in life and were administered the telephone interview for cognitive status and measures of verbal fluency, digit ordering, and numeric reasoning. Purpose in life measured at age 52 was related to better global cognitive function and verbal fluency but unrelated to dementia at age 80. In contrast, purpose in life at ages 63-70 was associated with lower likelihood of dementia, as well as better global cognitive function and verbal fluency at age 80. The effect sizes were modest (median Beta coefficient = .05; median odds ratio = .85). A slightly steeper decline in purpose in life between ages 52 and 70 was found for individuals with dementia at age 80. Purpose in life is associated with healthier cognitive function measured up to 28 years later. Individuals with lower purpose, especially in their 60s or older, and with steeper declines in purpose, are more likely to have dementia at age 80.

Spatial working memory in a disappearing object task is impaired in female but not male dogs with chronic osteoarthritis

Chronic pain in humans is associated with impaired working memory but it is not known whether this is the case in long-lived companion animals, such as dogs, who are especially vulnerable to developing age-related chronic pain conditions. Pain-related impairment of cognitive function could have detrimental effects on an animal’s ability to engage with its owners and environment or to respond to training or novel situations, which may in turn affect its quality of life. This study compared the performance of 20 dogs with chronic pain from osteoarthritis and 21 healthy control dogs in a disappearing object task of spatial working memory. Female neutered osteoarthritic dogs, but not male neutered osteoarthritic dogs, were found to have lower predicted probabilities of successfully performing the task compared to control dogs of the same sex. In addition, as memory retention interval in the task increased, osteoarthritic dogs showed a steeper decline in working memory performance than control dogs. This suggests that the effects of osteoarthritis, and potentially other pain-related conditions, on cognitive function are more clearly revealed in tasks that present a greater cognitive load. Our finding that chronic pain from osteoarthritis may be associated with impaired working memory in dogs parallels results from studies of human chronic pain disorders. That female dogs may be particularly prone to these effects warrants further investigation.

Tide impacts the dispersion of eDNA from nearshore net pens in a dynamic high‐latitude marine environment

AbstractEnvironmental DNA (eDNA) is increasingly used to detect animals in aquatic habitats, but uncertainty remains about the relationship between the present location of an animal relative to eDNA detections. In marine environments, physical characteristics—such as tides and currents—can influence the distribution of eDNA. In this study, we make use of hatchery net pens containing &gt;46 million juvenile chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) in nearshore Southeast Alaska to test for dispersion of eDNA and the effects of tide. Initially, we collected and filtered surface water every 80 m along a 2 km transect to test eDNA attenuation over surface distance during incoming and outgoing tides on a single day. The following year, we sampled at three depths (0 m, 5 m, and 10 m) every 500 m along the same transect as well as along a perpendicular transect, to understand dispersion by depth and in additional directions. Chum salmon eDNA was quantified using species‐specific qPCR. We found that surface samples showed a consistent signal of decreasing chum salmon eDNA across the 2 km transect (R2 = 0.665), with the majority of eDNA detections within 1.5 km of the net pens. Tide had a significant effect, resulting in higher concentrations of chum DNA throughout the transect during incoming tide and a steeper decline in eDNA over distance during outgoing tide (R2 = 0.759). Depth affected chum salmon DNA concentration, with the majority of eDNA at the surface and a decreasing amount of DNA with increasing depth. This study addresses one of the critical knowledge gaps in applying eDNA to marine fisheries management by providing empirical evidence of eDNA dispersion and demonstrating that most eDNA detections are likely from nearby individuals that are either currently or recently present. Yet even at close proximity, eDNA signal strength fluctuates and depends on the physical environmental variables during a given sampling event.

Hoarding of insulin and oral antidiabetics in the first phase oftheCOVID-19 pandemic: Regulatory actions taken to avoid shortage.

To report on hoarding of prescribed medicines, with focus on insulins, in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and on regulatory actions taken to avoid shortage. The National Prescribed Drug Register which utilizes the Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification System and covers the total Swedish population was used. We calculated the number of packages of insulins (ATC code A10A), oral anti-diabetics (A10B), and all medicines across all ATC codes combined (A-S) dispensed per week in 2019 and 2020. Correspondingly, the number of packages of glucose test strips dispensed was calculated using the data source Concise held by the Swedish eHealth Agency. Prompt increases in numbers of dispensed packages were observed in March, peaking at week 11/2020. The absolute numbers of packages dispensed in week 11/2019 and week 11/2020 were: insulin, 49,694 and 95,767, an increase by +92.7%; oral antidiabetics, 55,478 and 82,684, +47.1%; glucose test strips, 18,119 and 23,476, +29:6%; and all medicines across all ATC codes combined, 1,988,456 and 2,659,421, +33.7%. Voluntary restriction of dispensing and a rapid change to applicable regulation were implemented within 2 weeks. A steep decline occurred, which became more pronounced after temporary regulation came in force from April 1, then leveling out during the following months. A signal of insulin hoarding was detected early in the COVID-19 pandemic. A temporary regulation, reducing dispensing to a maximum supply of 3 months was rapidly implemented. A shortage of vitally important prescribed medicines was avoided.

No place to call home: Distribution patterns of the tufted ghost crab, Ocypode cursor, populations in nature reserves, Israel, Eastern Mediterranean

Abstract The once plentiful population of the tufted ghost crab, Ocypode cursor, a legally protected species, suffered a steep decline along the densely populated Mediterranean coast of Israel. Here we assessed the effects of recreational disturbance on crab populations in three sandy shore nature reserves and adjacent bathing beaches with differing accessibility during the summers of 2020–2021, employing burrow counts and burrow opening diameter as proxies for population abundance and population size structure. A total 6270 burrows were identified, counted and their opening diameter measured during the study period. The number of burrows was greatest close by the waterline and diminished landwards; this landwards decline was notable in the smallest burrows (&lt;20 mm), representing the youngest population fraction. Comparison of population abundance between the surveyed nature reserves and adjacent bathing beaches revealed greater numbers in the former. However, a pronounced postweekend reduction in the number of burrows was apparent in nature reserves during both survey years, across sites and months and clearly indicates elevated recreational activity. The number of burrows in the nature reserve nearest to main population centres and abutting a popular bathing beach was smaller compared with the peripheral nature reserves. We observed no postsunrise activity of adult crabs, though in strictly access‐restricted beaches, crabs were active diurnally. We thus suggest that the crabs shifted their diel activity patterns as avoidance response to chronic anthropogenic disturbance, enduring a forced curfew and a temporal habitat loss. If the sandy nature reserves are to function as true refugia for the tufted ghost crab, restorative management is to include significant conservation and mitigation intervention measurements/actions.