Impact of remote social interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic on the cognitive and psychological status of older adults with and without cognitive impairment: A randomized controlled study.

Background: Social isolation and loneliness have both been associated with psychological health and cognitive decline in older adults. This study investigated the impact of social interaction through remote communication technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic on the cognitive and psychological status of older adults with and without cognitive impairment.

Methods: Participants were recruited from Boston (USA) and Chieti (Italy).

Characteristics of Home and Neighborhood Built Environments During COVID-19 for Older Adults in the United States and Italy.

The home and neighborhood environments impact the social and mental health of older adults, yet little research has addressed the various contexts that can affect these relationships, such as community culture, built and natural elements, and demographics. This survey-based study examined community-dwelling older adults' access and use of transitional outdoor/indoor space (i.e.

Algorithmic Spaced Retrieval Enhances Long-Term Memory in Alzheimer Disease: Case-Control Pilot Study.

Background: Spaced retrieval is a learning technique that involves engaging in repeated memory testing after increasingly lengthy intervals of time. Spaced retrieval has been shown to improve long-term memory in Alzheimer disease (AD), but it has historically been difficult to implement in the everyday lives of individuals with AD.

Objective: This research aims to determine, in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD, the efficacy and feasibility of a mobile app that combines spaced retrieval with a machine learning algorithm to enhance memory retention.

The Use of Event Related Potentials to Predict Amyloid PET Status Among Patients from a Memory Disorders Clinic.

Background: Amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) scans provide in vivo evidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, their high cost limits their use in standard clinical care. Event related potentials (ERPs) may represent an inexpensive and non-invasive additional method for detecting AD pathology.

Objective: We investigated whether ERPs, along with neuropsychological data, serve as predictors of amyloid PET status in patients with memory complaints.

Recent advances in the relationships between biofilms and microplastics in natural environments.

Plastic pollution in the form of microplastics (MPs), poses a significant threat to natural ecosystems, with detrimental ecological, social, and economic impacts. This review paper aims to provide an overview of the existing research on the interaction between microbial biofilms and MPs in natural environments. The review begins by outlining the sources and types of MPs, emphasizing their widespread presence in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems.

Valorization of Agricultural Waste Lignocellulosic Fibers for Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate-Co-Valerate)-Based Composites in Short Shelf-Life Applications.

Biocircularity could play a key role in the circular economy, particularly in applications where organic recycling (composting) has the potential to become a preferred waste management option, such as food packaging. The development of fully biobased and biodegradable composites could help reduce plastic waste and valorize agro-based residues. In this study, extruded films made of composites of polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHBV) and lignocellulosic fibers, namely almond shell (AS) and Oryzite (OR), a polymer hybrid composite precursor, have been investigated.

Pleasure before business: emotions and age effects on daily activity scheduling.

Activity scheduling represents a key process in daily life, involving the evaluation of the costs and benefits of the resources to be invested, but also a preference for when to engage in pleasant or unpleasant activities. Aging affects the evaluation processes and individual preferences due to changes in cognitive functioning and life perspectives. The present study investigated the differences between younger adults (age range 19-33) and older adults (age range 65-87) in a task assessing preferential scheduling of activities.

Recent advances in understanding Alzheimer's Disease: diagnosis and management strategies.

As the rates of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) increase in the world due to the aging of the population, research has made tremendous advances to target the two hallmark pathologies of AD: amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque deposition and neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated tau. Here, we discuss recent advances in the clinical evaluation and management of AD, with a focus on new hypotheses related to the etiology of AD and new evidence related to AD-mimicking neurodegenerative diseases. Though recent clinical studies suggest anti-amyloid disease modifying agents may slow the progression of AD, there is currently no medication that stops it.

Side of motor symptom onset predicts sustained attention deficits and motor improvements after attention training in Parkinson's disease.

Objective: Parkinson's disease (PD) side of motor symptom onset has been associated with distinct cognitive deficits; individuals with left-side onset (LPD) show more visuospatial impairments, whereas those with right-side onset (RPD) show more verbal impairments. Non-spatial attention is a critical cognitive ability associated with motor functioning that is right hemisphere lateralized but has not been characterized with regard to PD side of onset. We compared individuals with LPD and RPD on non-spatial attention tasks and examined differential responses to a 4-week sustained attention training program.

Changing Decisions: The Interaction between Framing and Decoy Effects.

Background: Cognitive biases are popular topics in psychology and marketing, as they refer to systematic cognitive tendencies in human thinking that deviate from logical and rational reasoning. The framing effect (FE) and the decoy effect (DE) are examples of cognitive biases that can influence decision making and consumer preferences. The FE involves how options are presented, while the DE involves the addition of a third option that influences the choice between the other two options.

Microbiological Characterization of the Biofilms Colonizing Bioplastics in Natural Marine Conditions: A Comparison between PHBV and PLA.

Biodegradable polymers offer a potential solution to marine pollution caused by plastic waste. The marine biofilms that formed on the surfaces of poly(lactide acid) (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) were studied. Bioplastics were exposed for 6 months to marine conditions in the Mediterranean Sea, and the biofilms that formed on their surfaces were assessed.

Effect of the Presence of Lignin from Woodflour on the Compostability of PHA-Based Biocomposites: Disintegration, Biodegradation and Microbial Dynamics.

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate--3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) has gained attention as a possible substitute for conventional polymers that could be integrated into the organic recycling system. Biocomposites with 15% of pure cellulose (TC) and woodflour (WF) were prepared to analyze the role of lignin on their compostability (58 °C) by tracking the mass loss, CO evolution, and the microbial population. Realistic dimensions for typical plastic products (400 µm films), as well as their service performance (thermal stability, rheology), were taken into account in this hybrid study.

With or without the Mask: Age Differences in Perceived Trustworthiness and Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the obligation to wear surgical face masks have affected social interactions. Wearing a mask can cause impairments in face identification, emotion recognition, and trait impressions. The present study investigated, during the COVID-19 period, age-related differences in perceived trustworthiness (Study 1) and health (Study 2) when viewing faces with or without masks.

Perceptions of COVID-19 Maternal Vaccination among Pregnant Women and Healthcare Workers and Factors That Influence Vaccine Acceptance: A Cross-Sectional Study in Barcelona, Spain.

COVID-19 is associated with poor maternal and pregnancy outcomes. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended in Spain, yet vaccination rates in pregnancy are suboptimal. This study investigates the perceptions of pregnant women and healthcare workers (HCW) regarding COVID-19 vaccination.

Home-Based Electronic Cognitive Therapy in Patients With Alzheimer Disease: Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Can home-based computerized cognitive training programs be a useful tool to sustain cognition and quality of life in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD)? To date, the progressive nature of the disease has made this question difficult to answer. Computerized platforms provide more accessibility to cognitive trainings; however, the feasibility of long-term, home-based computerized programs for patients with AD dementia remains unclear.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the feasibility of a 24-week home-based intervention program using the Constant Therapy app and its preliminary efficacy on cognition in patients with AD.

Amyloid PET ordering practices in a memory disorders clinic.

Introduction: This study assessed the ordering of amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) scans in a Veterans Affairs (VA) memory disorders clinic as part of routine clinical care, with possible implications for the extent to which ordering may occur outside of the VA in the future if covered by insurance.

Methods: Clinical features predictive of ordering amyloid PET scans were retrospectively assessed; the percentage of patients who met appropriate use criteria were evaluated.

Results: Among 565 veterans, 34.

Impact of amyloid PET in the clinical care of veterans in a tertiary memory disorders clinic.

Introduction: We aimed to characterize the clinical impact of amyloid PET (APET) in a veteran population with cognitive decline by comparing differences in management between those who did and did not have an APET.

Methods: This was a retrospective observational study. Poisson regressions and logistic regression were used for comparisons.

Distinguishing Between Genuine and Feigned Dementia Using Event-related Potentials.

Background: Individuals with probable Alzheimer disease (AD) may perform below cutoffs on traditional, memory-based performance validity tests. Previous studies have found success using event-related potentials (ERPs) to detect feigned neurocognitive impairment in younger populations.

Objective: To evaluate the utility of an auditory oddball task in conjunction with the P3b peak amplitude to distinguish probable AD from simulated dementia.

Nano- and micro-sized carnauba wax emulsions-based coatings incorporated with ginger essential oil and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose on papaya: Preservation of quality and delay of post-harvest fruit decay.

Carnauba wax nano and micro-sized emulsions and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose coatings, alone or combined with ginger essential oils (GEO) were applied on papayas and evaluated under several storage conditions. In a first experiment, storage parameters were: 6 days at 22 °C, and 9 days at 13 °C followed by 5 days at 22 °C. In a second experiment, storage was: 5 days at 22 °C, and 10 days at 16 °C followed by 3 days at 22 °C.

Updating the Chieti Affective Action Videos database with older adults.

Validation of the Chieti Affective Action Videos (CAAV) database was replicated with a sample of older adults (age range 65-93). When designing experimental studies of emotions, it is crucial to take into consideration the differences in emotional processing between young and older adults. Therefore, the main goal of the present study was to provide an appropriate dataset for the use of CAAV in aging research.

Head Injury Exposure in Veterans Presenting to Memory Disorders Clinic: An Observational Study of Clinical Characteristics and Relationship of Event-Related Potentials and Imaging Markers.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and repetitive head impacts (RHI) related to blasts or contact sports are commonly reported among military service members. However, the clinical implications of remote TBI and RHI in veterans remains a challenge when evaluating older veterans at risk of neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). This study aimed to test the hypothesis that veterans in a memory disorders clinic with remote head injury would be more likely to have neurodegenerative clinical diagnoses, increased rates of amyloid PET positivity, higher prevalence of cavum septum pellucidi/vergae, and alterations in event-related potential (ERP) middle latency auditory evoked potentials (MLAEPs) and long latency ERP responses compared to those without head injuries.

"What's next?" Individual differences in expected repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the future are hardly predictable, and people differ in terms of expected repercussions on their future. This study investigated individual differences in the pandemic's expected repercussions, with particular attention to a Balanced Time Perspective (BTP). BTP reflects an individual profile with optimal temporal orientations, it is positively associated with mental health, and it has proven to promote successful coping with unexpected crises.

Data on the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on people's expectations about their future.

The worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has unpredictably changed the way people live, by influencing their behaviors and beliefs. This article presents the raw data that have been used to investigate how the pandemic affected people's beliefs and expectations about their future. A total of 3991 participants (18-85 years old) were recruited through an online survey using the Qualtrics platform.