The Shape Trail Test Is Sensitive in Differentiating Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Culture-neutral Five-minute Test.

Introduction: The Shape Trail Test (STT) was developed based upon the Trail Making Test, as a culture-neutral test for measuring processing speed and mental flexibility. This study aims to evaluate the accuracy and validity of this five-minute test for differentiating individuals with normal cognition (NC), subjective memory impairment (SMI), and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Method: The study included 210 participants aged 50-80 years, with 70 participants in each group matched for age, education, and gender.

Association between Comorbidity Indices and Functional Autonomy in Individuals with Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review aimed to examine whether higher comorbidity burden, as assessed by comorbidity indices, was associated with a functional autonomy decline in individuals with cognitive impairment. The search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, Cochrane, and Embase. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies that examined the relationship between comorbidity indices and scales measuring activities of daily living (ADL) in individuals with cognitive impairment were included.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Negative Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy: Cerebrospinal Fluid Amyloid-β42 over Amyloid Positron Emission Tomography.

Background: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) pathology is becoming increasingly important in Alzheimer's disease (AD) because of its potential link to amyloid-related imaging abnormalities, a critical side effect observed during AD immunotherapy. Identification of CAA without typical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers (MRI-negative CAA) is challenging, and novel detection biomarkers are needed.

Methods: We included 69 participants with high neuritic plaques (NP) burden, with and without CAA pathology (NP with CAA vs.

Safety, Efficacy and Clinical Applications of Focused Ultrasound-Mediated Blood Brain Barrier Opening in Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review.

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder marked by cognitive decline and brain pathology involving amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Current drug development focuses on disease-modifying therapies, primarily antibodies targeting amyloid or tau. However, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) poses a challenge for drug delivery to the brain.

Change in Digital Cognitive Test Performance between Solanezumab and Placebo Groups in Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease: Secondary Analyses from the A4 Study.

Background: Primary results from the Anti-Amyloid in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's disease Study (A4) suggested no benefit of solanezumab on its primary cognitive outcome, a composite of paper and pencil tests (the Preclinical Alzheimer's Cognitive Composite; PACC).

Objective: To determine whether change in cognitive performance, assessed using the Computerized Cognitive Composite (C3) summary score and C3 individual tests, differed between treatment groups over 240 weeks, differed based on baseline Aβ burden, and tracked with PACC decline.

Design: Longitudinal analysis of cognitive change over 240 weeks on the C3 Summary Score and C3 individual tests between participants randomly assigned to solanezumab at a dose of up to 1600 mg intravenously every 4 weeks versus placebo.

Longitudinal Trajectories of the Cognitive Function Index in the A4 Study.

Background: The Anti-Amyloid in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's Disease (A4) Study failed to show a treatment benefit with solanezumab, but the longitudinal consequences of elevated amyloid were observed in study participants with objective decline on the Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite (PACC) and subjective decline on the combined Cognitive Function Index (participant + study partner CFI), during the trial period.

Objectives: We sought to expand on previous findings by comparing longitudinal patterns of participant and study partner CFI separately and their associations with the PACC stratified by baseline amyloid tertile over the course of the A4 Study.

Design: Cognitively unimpaired older adult participants and their study partners were independently administered the CFI at screen prior to amyloid PET disclosure and then at 3 subsequent visits (week 48, week 168, week 240) of the study.

Characterizing Clinical Progression in Cognitively Unimpaired Older Individuals with Brain Amyloid: Results from the A4 Study.

Background: Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) global (CDR-G) and sum of box scores (CDR-SB) are commonly used as primary outcome variables to measure progression or treatment effects in symptomatic Alzheimer disease (AD) clinical trials.

Objectives: We sought to determine whether the CDR is sensitive to change in pre-symptomatic AD and whether there are specific CDR boxes that are dynamic during the multi-year Anti-Amyloid in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's Disease (A4) secondary prevention study.

Design: All participants entered the study with a CDR-G of 0.

Pharmacist-initiated interventions using RxChange message communication with prescribers for electronic prescriptions: A retrospective descriptive study.

Background: RxChange messages improve patient medication management by enhancing pharmacist-prescriber communication, but their usage patterns in the United States are not well-documented.

Objective: To determine intervention characteristics by pharmacists and prescribers using RxChange messages.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of electronic prescription and RxChange messages from 2022 to 2023, using data from Surescripts, LLC, was conducted.

The incremental design of a machine learning framework for medical records processing.

Objectives: This work presents the development and evaluation of coordn8, a web-based application that streamlines fax processing in outpatient clinics using a "human-in-the-loop" machine learning framework. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the platform at reducing fax processing time and producing accurate machine learning inferences across the tasks of patient identification, document classification, spam classification, and duplicate document detection.

Methods: We deployed coordn8 in 11 outpatient clinics and conducted a time savings analysis by observing users and measuring fax processing event logs.

Narrative and Behavioral Engagement as Indicators for the Effectiveness of Intentionally Designed Virtual Simulations of Interpersonal Interactions.

Interventions involving simulated interactions aimed at mimicking real situations must be engaging to maximize their effectiveness. This study aimed to assess how a sample of middle school girls displayed behavioral and cognitive indicators of engagement when interacting with avatars representing game characters that were controlled by a human digital puppeteer. The simulation game, is a component of an intervention intended to reduce at-risk girls' sexual and other risky behaviors.

Resource utilization of medical waste incineration fly ash to activate peroxydisulfate for tetracycline degradation: Synergy between adsorption and PDS activation.

Medical waste incineration fly ash (MWI FA) is classified as a hazardous solid waste. Therefore, the development of recycling technologies to convert MWI FA into useful products is necessary and challenging. In this study, we developed a sustainable approach for preparing a catalyst through the pyrolysis of water-washed MWI FA (WW FA-x, where x corresponds to the pyrolysis temperature).

Blockade of Sialylation with Decrease in Polysialic Acid Levels Counteracts Transforming Growth Factor β1-Induced Skin Fibroblast-to-Myofibroblast Transition.

Aberrant sialylation with overexpression of the homopolymeric glycan polysialic acid (polySia) was recently reported in fibroblasts from fibrotic skin lesions. Yet, whether such a rise in polySia levels or sialylation in general may be functionally implicated in profibrotic activation of fibroblasts and their transition to myofibroblasts remains unknown. Therefore, we herein explored whether inhibition of sialylation could interfere with the process of skin fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition induced by the master profibrotic mediator transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1).

An approach to anxiety during watch-and-wait for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Monitor and move on.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is the most frequently diagnosed hematologic malignancy with the majority of patients at diagnosis in the "watch and wait" stage of treatment - language that gives the perception of an axe waiting to fall, belying the fact that up to 30% of patients will never need treatment in their lifetime. While receiving active surveillance, patients report anxiety, distress, and depression, yet there is little research capturing the experience of this patient population, nor describing interventions to improve their experience (Damen, 2022). In an effort to "do something," patients may turn to often expensive and unproven alternative therapies.

A comparison of textured vs smooth surfaced implants in sub fascial breast augmentation.

Background: Subfascial placement of breast implants has the advantages of subglandular and submuscular placement without the adverse outcomes. This study examined the differences in outcomes between textured and smooth implants.

Methods: A total of 385 patients underwent subfascial breast augmentation in two cohorts.

Use of coronary physiology to guide revascularization in clinical practice: results of the F(FR) registry.

Background: Despite the recommendation of coronary physiology to guide revascularization in angiographically intermediate stenoses without established correlation to ischemia, its uptake in clinical practice is slow.

Aims: This study aimed to analyze the use of coronary physiology in clinical practice.

Methods: Based on a multicenter registry (Fractional Flow Reserve Fax Registry, F(FR), ClinicalTrials.

Characterization of feruloylated arabinoxylan - acorn starch double network gel composite film and its application in postharvest preservation of Agaricus bisporus.

To obtain efficient natural food packaging materials, we utilized acorn starch (AS)-based film strengthened by feruloylated arabinoxylan (FAX) gel and additional retrogradation treatment to extend the shelf life of Agaricus bisporus (A. bisporus). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses showed that due to the strong hydrogen bonding between FAX and starch molecules, physical crosslinking occurred between FAX and starch molecules in the composite film, and the microstructure became more compact.

Fish and Shellfish Consumption, Cognitive Health and Mortality from Alzheimer's Disease among US Adults Aged 60 and Older.

Background: Relationships of fish-shellfish consumption, cognitive health and mortality from Alzheimer's disease (AD) among US adults aged 60 years and older have not been adequately studied.

Objectives: To determine the relationship of fish-shellfish consumption, cognitive health and mortality from AD in US adults aged 60 years and older.

Design, Setting And Participants: The data of this cross-sectional study of US adults aged 60 years and older were from the National Nutrition and Health Examination Survey (NHANES) datasets.

Combined Social Frailty and Life-Space Activities Associated with Risk of Disability: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Objectives: To examine the association between social frailty and life-space activities, and determine whether a combined status of life-space activities and social frailty is associated with risk of disability among older adults.

Design: A prospective cohort study.

Setting And Participants: The participants were 8,301 older adults (mean age 72.

Dose-Responsive Impacts of Social Frailty on Intrinsic Capacity and Healthy Aging among Community-Dwelling Middle-aged and Older Adults: Stronger Roles of Social Determinants over Biomarkers.

Objective: The intricate relationship between social determinants, e.g., social frailty, biomarkers and healthy aging remains largely unexplored, despite the potential for social frailty to impact both intrinsic capacity (IC) and functional ability in the aging process.

Serum Creatinine-Cystatin C Based Screening of Sarcopenia in Community Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Objectives: To compare the discriminative capabilities for the manifestation of sarcopenia or physical frailty between serum creatinine- and cystatin C-derived indices among community-dwelling older adults.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Primary Care and Community.

New Perspectives in the Association between Anthropometry and Mortality: The Role of Calf Circumference.

Aims: Considering the impact of sarcopenia on mortality, and the difficulty to assessment of body composition, the hypothesis of the study is that calf circumference (CC) is closely related to mortality in older patients. The aim of the study was to analyze the potential role of CC to predict mortality in old individuals at 3, 6 and 12 months after discharge from hospital.

Methods: Patients aged >65 years were recruited for this retrospective study from September 2021 to March 2022.

Associations Between Hypertension, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors, and Physical Performance in Very Old Adults: Results from the ilSIRENTE Study.

Background: Results regarding the associations between hypertension-related parameters and physical performance in older adults are conflicting. A possible explanation for these divergent results is that investigations may not have adjusted their analyses according to the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs).

Objectives: To examine the associations between hypertension-related parameters, ACEI use, and a set of physical performance tests in very old adults.

MicroRNAs and Other Non-Coding RNAs as Regulators, Biomarkers, and Therapeutic Targets.

Over the past few decades, the field of RNA research in molecular and cellular biology has undergone a dramatic transformation [...

Insider Threats to the Military Health System: A Systematic Background Check of TRICARE West Providers.

Background: To address the pandemic, the Defense Health Agency (DHA) expanded its TRICARE civilian provider network by 30.1%. In 2022, the DHA Annual Report stated that TRICARE's provider directories were only 80% accurate.