Caregiving-Related Depression Increases Neuroinflammation in Spousal Caregivers to Individuals With Cognitive Impairment: A Longitudinal Study.

Background: The caregiving burden of the spousal caregivers (SCGs) to individuals with cognitive impairment poses public health challenges with adverse psychosocial and physiological effects. However, few studies have investigated the neurobiological impact of caregiving, particularly through the investigation of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.

Methods: Using data from a longitudinal cohort at Chungnam National University Hospital, the relationship between caregiving burden, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration was examined in 38 older adult couples over a 16-month period.

Influence of Branched Alkyl Ester-Labeled Side Chains on Specific Chain Arrangement and Charge-Transport Properties of Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Conjugated Polymers.

A series of diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based copolymers, with DPP and bithiophene (BT) as the electron-acceptor and donor backbone units, respectively, are synthesized with branched alkyl side chains that are either directly coupled to the N-positions of DPP or separated by an alkyl ester group. The ester moieties in the side chains induce specific cohesive molecular interactions between these side chains, as compared to the alkyl-only side chains with weak van der Waals interactions. Structure analysis of the DPPBT-based copolymers demonstrated that the introduction of a proper alkyl ester spacer to the branched alkyl chains can shorten the π-π stacking distance between the DPPBT backbones down to 3.