Ancestral Genomic Functional Differences in Oligodendroglia: Implications for Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: This study aims to elucidate ancestry-specific changes to the genomic regulatory architecture in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived oligodendroglia, focusing on their implications for Alzheimer's disease (AD). This work addresses the lack of diversity in previous iPSC studies by including ancestries that contribute to African American (European/African) and Hispanic/Latino populations (Amerindian/African/European).

Methods: We generated 12 iPSC lines-four African, four Amerindian, and four European- from both AD patients and non-cognitively impaired individuals, with varying genotypes ( and ).

Exploring heterogeneity in mild cognitive impairment.

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a heterogeneous diagnostic entity, without a clear prognosis, often accompanied by psychiatric symptomatology and physical frailty.

Objective: Understanding the heterogeneity within MCI is a critical step in improving the early detection of cognitive decline and developing effective interventions.

Methods: Cross-sectional multivariate latent mixture analyses of data from patients evaluated between 2015 and 2019, who were routinely entered into a multidisciplinary database for research purposes.

Characteristics of people who have received treatment for late-onset problem drinking and alcohol use disorder: A systematic review and narrative synthesis.

The current review investigated the psychosocial characteristics of late-onset problem drinkers, an under-researched area of alcohol harm that accounts for one-third of older problem drinkers. Following the PRISMA model, the protocol and search strategy included a scoping search and main search of nine databases. A total of 1,595 papers were identified; after screening, 26 papers were considered eligible and were included in the review.

Who makes AI? Gender and portrayals of AI scientists in popular film, 1920-2020.

It is well established both that women are underrepresented in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and that media representations of professions have impact on career choices and prospects. We therefore hypothesised that women are underrepresented in portrayals of AI researchers in influential films. We tested this by analysing a corpus of the 142 most influential films featuring AI from 1920 to 2020, of which 86 showed one or more AI researchers, totalling 116 individuals.

Perceptions from Newcomer Multilingual Adolescents: Predictors and Experiences of Sense of Belonging in High School.

Background: Recently arriving to US schools, 405 immigrant adolescents in a large, urban high school shared backgrounds and perspectives on what variables and sociocultural factors contributed to their sense of belonging in their new school. This study occurred in 2019-2020 and examined belonging during a xenophobic socio-political climate.

Objective: This study examines what predictors and experiences, if any, contributed to belonging for a large population of multilingual, newcomer youth.

Validity of the NIH toolbox cognitive battery in a healthy oldest-old 85+ sample.

Objective: To evaluate the construct validity of the NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery (NIH TB-CB) in the healthy oldest-old (85+ years old).

Method: Our sample from the McKnight Brain Aging Registry consists of 179 individuals, 85 to 99 years of age, screened for memory, neurological, and psychiatric disorders. Using previous research methods on a sample of 85 + y/o adults, we conducted confirmatory factor analyses on models of NIH TB-CB and same domain standard neuropsychological measures.

Measuring the Frailty Phenotype and its Association with Cognition in Mid-Life and Older Age.

Background: Frailty is directly linked to physical robustness and cognitive decline in older age. The Fried Frailty phenotype (FP) is a construct composed of five core symptoms that has been studied predominately in older age. There is little research contrasting the psychometric properties of the FP in mid-life versus older age.

Results and insights from a phase I clinical trial of Lomecel-B for Alzheimer's disease.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that Lomecel-B, an allogeneic medicinal signaling cell (MSC) therapeutic candidate for Alzheimer's disease (AD), is safe and potentially disease-modifying via pleiotropic mechanisms of action.

Key Predictions: We prospectively tested the predictions that Lomecel-B administration to mild AD patients is safe (primary endpoint) and would provide multiple exploratory indications of potential efficacy in clinical and biomarker domains (prespecified secondary/exploratory endpoints).

Strategy And Key Results: Mild AD patient received a single infusion of low- or high-dose Lomecel-B, or placebo, in a double-blind, randomized, phase I trial.

Neuropsychological correlates of subjective fatigue in non-demented older adults and the moderating effect of physical activity.

This study examined the association between self-reported fatigue and neuropsychological performance in 167 middle-aged and older (age range: 50-91 years) adults without dementia. Participants completed the Fatigue Symptom Inventory, a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation, and frailty assessment. Higher levels of fatigue were significantly associated with poorer attention/information processing, executive functioning, and psychomotor speed, even after controlling for depression, sleep quality, physical weakness, and other covariates.

Sleep quality mediates the relationship between frailty and cognitive dysfunction in non-demented middle aged to older adults.

Unlabelled: ABSTRACTObjectives:Frailty is associated with cognitive decline in older adults. However, the mechanisms explaining this relationship are poorly understood. We hypothesized that sleep quality may mediate the relationship between frailty and cognition.

Exercise for cognitive brain health in aging: A systematic review for an evaluation of dose.

Purpose Of Review: We systematically appraised randomized controlled trials proposing exercise to influence cognition in older adults to (1) assess the methodologic quality using Cochrane criteria; (2) describe various exercise dose measures and assess their relationship with improved cognitive performance; and (3) identify consistent patterns of reported effects on cognition.

Recent Findings: There was overall good methodologic quality in all 98 included studies. The assessment of the relationship between improved cognition and various measures of exercise dose (session duration, weekly minutes, frequency, total weeks, and total hours) revealed a significant correlation with total hours.

Obstetrical and neonatal outcomes after benzodiazepine exposure during pregnancy: Results from a prospective registry of women with psychiatric disorders.

Objective: The goal of this analysis was to examine the effect of benzodiazepine use during pregnancy on maternal and neonatal outcomes in a cohort of women with psychiatric disorders.

Methods: 794 evaluable women from the Massachusetts General Hospital National Pregnancy Registry for Psychiatric Medications were followed across pregnancy (N = 144 exposed to benzodiazepines and N = 650 unexposed). Data obtained through maternal report and medical records included maternal outcomes (cesarean section, preeclampsia) and neonatal outcomes (birth weight, breathing difficulty, feeding difficulty, head circumference, 5-minute Apgar score, muscular and/or extrapyramidal symptoms, NICU admission, prematurity).

Lubricant use during intercourse and time to pregnancy: a prospective cohort study.

Objective: To assess the extent to which lubricant use during intercourse is associated with time to pregnancy (TTP).

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Denmark and North America.

The Effect of Vaccination Against Human Papillomavirus on Fecundability.

Background: The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was developed to prevent infection with strains of HPV that cause cervical cancer. While HPV infection has been associated with reduced semen quality and lower pregnancy rates in some studies, no studies have examined the relationship between HPV vaccination and fecundability. We hypothesize that HPV prevention via vaccination will protect fecundity.

Preconception use of pain-relievers and time-to-pregnancy: a prospective cohort study.

Study Question: To what extent is preconception use of pain-relieving medication associated with female fecundability?

Summary Answer: Women who used naproxen or opioids had slightly lower fecundability than women who did not use any pain-relieving medications; use of acetaminophen, aspirin and ibuprofen was not appreciably associated with fecundability.

What Is Known Already: Over-the-counter pain-relieving medications are commonly used by women of reproductive age in the USA. Studies investigating the effects of pain-relieving medication use on ovulation, implantation and fecundability have shown conflicting results.

Vigorous physical activity and risk of breast cancer in the African American breast cancer epidemiology and risk consortium.

The relationship between physical activity and breast cancer risk has been extensively studied among women of European descent, with most studies reporting inverse associations. However, data on American women of African ancestry (AA) and by tumor subtypes are sparse. Thus, we examined associations of vigorous exercise and breast cancer risk overall, and by estrogen receptor (ER) status, in the African American Breast Cancer Epidemiology and Risk Consortium.

Neuropsychological Correlates of Hazard Perception in Older Adults.

Objectives: Hazard perception, the ability to identify and react to hazards while driving, is of growing importance in driving research, given its strong relationship to real word driving variables. Furthermore, although poor hazard perception is associated with novice drivers, recent research suggests that it declines with advanced age. In the present study, we examined the neuropsychological correlates of hazard perception in a healthy older adult sample.

Ultrasound-guided peripheral deep vein cannulation to perform automated red cell exchange-A pilot study in a single centre.

Background: Securing adequate vascular access is essential for a successful apheresis procedure. In most, peripheral access is preferred but it is not always technically possible. Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral Vascular Access (USG-PIVA) is a well-documented technique in the setting of Emergency departments.

Reproductive Safety of Second-Generation Antipsychotics: Current Data From the Massachusetts General Hospital National Pregnancy Registry for Atypical Antipsychotics.

Objective: Second-generation antipsychotics are used to treat a spectrum of psychiatric illnesses in reproductive-age women. The National Pregnancy Registry for Atypical Antipsychotics was established to determine the risk of major malformations among infants exposed to second-generation antipsychotics during pregnancy relative to a comparison group of unexposed infants of mothers with histories of psychiatric morbidity.

Method: Women were prospectively followed during pregnancy and the postpartum period; obstetric, labor, delivery, and pediatric medical records were obtained.