Midlife and Late-Life Depressive Symptoms Associated with Dementia
ScienceDaily (May 7, 2012) ? Depressive symptoms that are present in midlife or in late life are associated with an increased risk of developing dementia, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, a JAMA Network publication.
Nearly 5.3 million individuals in the United States have Alzheimer disease (AD) and the resulting health care costs in 2010 were roughly $172 billion, the authors write as background information in the study. "Prevalence and costs of AD and other dementias are projected to rise dramatically during the next 40 years unless a prevention or a cure can be found. Therefore, it is critical to gain a greater understanding of the key risk factors and etiologic underpinnings of dementia from a population-based perspective," the authors write.
Deborah E. Barnes, Ph.D., M.P.H., of the University of California, San Francisco and the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and colleagues evaluated data from 13,535 long-term Kaiser Permanente members and examined depressive symptoms assessed in midlife (1964-1973) and in late life (1994-2000) and risks of developing dementia, Alzheimer disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD; dementia resulting from brain damage from impaired blood flow to the brain).
Depressive symptoms were present in 14.1 percent of study participants in midlife only, 9.2 percent in late life only and 4.2 percent in both. During six years of follow-up, 22.5 percent of patients were diagnosed with dementia; 5.5 percent with Alzheimer disease and 2.3 percent with VaD.
When examining AD and VaD separately, patients with late-life depressive symptoms had a two-fold increase in AD risk, and patients with midlife and late-life symptoms had more than a three-fold increase in VaD risk.
"Our findings suggest that chronic depression during the life course may be etiologically associated with an increased risk of dementia, particularly VaD, whereas depression that occurs for the first time in late life is likely to reflect a prodromal stage of dementia, in particular AD," the authors conclude.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Medical Association (AMA), via Newswise.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
D. E. Barnes, K. Yaffe, A. L. Byers, M. McCormick, C. Schaefer, R. A. Whitmer. Midlife vs Late-Life Depressive Symptoms and Risk of Dementia: Differential Effects for Alzheimer Disease and Vascular Dementia. Archives of General Psychiatry, 2012; 69 (5): 493 DOI: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.1481
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Third annual BrickMagic LEGO Festival brings LEGO Spaceships ...
The third annual BrickMagic LEGO Festival takes place May 19-20 at the Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown, bringing more than 150 adult LEGO builders to the Triangle to display their creations for young and old alike. At the 2-day ticketed event, presented by TwoMorrows Inc. and BrickJournal magazine, The LEGO Group will be unveiling sets from the their newest theme, Monster Hunters, giving local fans a chance to be the first to see these exciting sets up-close.
Among other activities planned for BrickMagic this year are:
? LEGO Certified Professional Dan Parker will work with the public to construct a giant Star Wars Death Star. ? Custom Star Wars-themed LEGO creations will be auctioned, with proceeds benefitting Make-A-Wish? Eastern North Carolina. ? Star Wars characters will be on hand for photo opportunities, courtesy of the 501st Legion, Carolina Garrison. ? A 10,000 sq. ft exhibition hall will showcase hundreds of custom LEGO creations by top builders from around the country. ? Creativity will flow loose in our Free Build Room, with tens of thousands of loose LEGO bricks for everyone to build with. ? Workshops on building techniques, minifigure customizing, and more will be featured both days. ? Kids can register in advance for one of three age groups in a Spaceship Building Contest, judged the night before BrickMagic opens. ? Parents can kick back and enjoy some quiet time while kids watch their favorite LEGO stop-motion animation videos in the theater room. ? Robotics demonstrations will be conducted by local FIRST LEGO League teams.
The public can also shop for hard-to-find LEGO sets and pieces, and much more.
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Founded in 2010 by Raleigh-based TwoMorrows Inc., BrickMagic is one of several independent LEGO fan festivals held in major cities such as Washington, DC and Chicago. The last two years have seen more than 15,000 people attend the Raleigh public event, and while BrickMagic is independent of the LEGO company, the Denmark-based toy manufacturer fully supports and sponsors the Raleigh Festival in numerous ways, and exhibits there.
BrickMagic co-organizer John Morrow notes, ?Just as our Raleigh-based magazine BrickJournal continues to appeal to LEGO builders of all ages, BrickMagic also continues to grow. We expect another tremendous turnout this year, based on how popular LEGO is in the Triangle area. And we?ve lined up even more demonstrations, workshops, and interactive building projects for both kids and adults.?
Tickets are available for pre-ordering online at www.brickmagic.org or by phone at 919-449-0344. Single-day tickets are $12 for adults, and $8 for children age 4-16 and seniors. Pre-orders get a $1 discount per ticket, and doors open both days at 10:00 am. Full information and the daily programming schedule are available online.
Male college students believe taking performance-enhancing drugs for sports is more unethical than using stimulants to improve grades
ScienceDaily (May 8, 2012) ? In the eyes of young college men, it's more unethical to use steroids to get an edge in sports than it is to use prescription stimulants to enhance one's grades, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.
And students who had themselves used stimulants without a prescription were more inclined to see such drug use as acceptable, according to the findings, which were published online in the APA journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. This is one of the first studies to compare perceptions of off-label prescription drug use with perceptions of steroids performance enhancers.
"This is consistent with the idea that using performance enhancers is viewed as less ethical in the sporting world than in the academic world," said the study's lead author, Tonya Dodge, PhD, of George Washington University. "Interestingly, the students in our study considered off-label prescription drug use as more effective for success than using steroids."
Approximately 1,200 college freshmen (73 percent white) at Pennsylvania State University answered a questionnaire that presented two scenarios. One described "Bill," a sprinter for his college track team who does not have a lot of time to train before the championship meet and is worried he won't be able to improve. He gets steroids from a friend and ends up performing better than expected and wins the championship race.
The second scenario presents "Jeff," a college student facing midterm exams who is worried that his grades in class may be low. He doesn't have much time to study so he gets some Adderall, a prescription stimulant, from a friend who tells him it will help him focus at exam time. Jeff takes the pills and ends up getting better midterm grades than he expected.
After reading both scenarios, the students were asked how strongly they agreed or disagreed with four statements: "Bill/Jeff is a cheater for using steroids/Adderall," and, "Taking steroids/Adderall was necessary for Bill/Jeff to do well."
The students were also asked if they had ever misused prescription stimulant drugs, such as Adderall, Ritalin or Dexedrine, or if they had ever used steroids. Less than 1 percent of the sample reported having ever used steroids while about 8 percent said they had misused prescription stimulants in the last 12 months. This compares to 8 percent to 34 percent of college students who have reported misusing prescription stimulants and 1.5 percent of adolescents and young adults who have misused anabolic steroids.
The researchers also asked the men if they had played a sport in high school to determine if that would affect their judgments.
Participants significantly rated Bill, the steroid user, as more of a cheater than Jeff, the prescription drug user. This difference got bigger if the students reported having misused prescription stimulants themselves in the past or if they had played a sport.
Overall, the students were more likely to consider Jeff's Adderall use more necessary to succeed than Bill's steroid use regardless of whether they had misused prescription stimulants in the past or had played a sport. "One reason students may have felt Adderall was more necessary than steroids for success is because people may believe intelligence is less malleable than athletic ability. This view of intelligence might have led the students in this study to believe that taking Adderall would increase intellectual capacity," said Dodge. "This research can help mold future prevention efforts around off-label prescription stimulant use in the academic world."
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 137,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting health, education and human welfare.
Article: "Judging Cheaters: Is Substance Misuse Viewed Similarly in the Athletic and Academic Domains?" Tonya Dodge, PhD, George Washington University and Skidmore College; Kevin J. Williams, PhD, University at Albany, State University of New York; Miesha Marzell, PhD, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation; Rob Turrisi, PhD, Pennsylvania State University; Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, online, April 2012.
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Psychological Association (APA), via Newswise.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Tonya Dodge, Kevin J. Williams, Miesha Marzell, Rob Turrisi. Judging Cheaters: Is Substance Misuse Viewed Similarly in the Athletic and Academic Domains?Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 2012; DOI: 10.1037/a0027872
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Kickstarter talks to us about product 'pre-orders,' won't force refunds when creators flake
Kickstarter has proven an incredibly effective venue for connecting project creators with monetary support -- inventors pitch directly to consumers, indie filmmakers meet indie producers and food trucks get the financial push necessary to take their restaurants to the road. With the latter two, backers don't necessarily expect goods in return, save for an overvalued t-shirt, bumper sticker or film credit. When it comes to electronics, however, funders are often promised a first-off-the-line gadget -- one that may never arrive at their door.
One oft-overlooked, yet critical detail should help curb expectations, while also serving to filter out pledges that are motivated by the pre-order promise, from those that offer financial support without a guaranteed return. Like it or not, all transactions fall into that second category. Pre-order offers may go unfulfilled, and some pledges may be reduced to donations, if a project creator ends up unable to deliver an item as intended. And such situations may not prompt a refund, souring the experience for an increasing number of hopeful device owners. Join us past the break for an explanation from the Kickstarter team, and a closer look at some recent examples.
Beetle-fungus disease threatens crops and landscape trees in Southern California
Beetle-fungus disease threatens crops and landscape trees in Southern CaliforniaPublic release date: 8-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Iqbal Pittalwala iqbal@ucr.edu 951-827-6050 University of California - Riverside
'Fusarium dieback' severely damaged avocados in Israel, says UC Riverside plant pathologist Akif Eskalen, who identified the fungus
RIVERSIDE, Calif. A plant pathologist at the University of California, Riverside has identified a fungus that has been linked to the branch dieback and general decline of several backyard avocado and landscape trees in residential neighborhoods of Los Angeles County.
The fungus is a new species of Fusarium. Scientists are working on characterizing its specific identification. It is transmitted by the Tea Shot Hole Borer (Euwallacea fornicatus), an exotic ambrosia beetle that is smaller than a sesame seed. The disease it spreads is referred to as "Fusarium dieback."
"This beetle has also been found in Israel and since 2009, the beetle-fungus combination has caused severe damage to avocado trees there," said Akif Eskalen, an extension plant pathologist UC Riverside, whose lab identified the fungus.
To date, the Tea Shot Hole Borer has been reported on 18 different plant species worldwide, including avocado, tea, citrus, guava, lychee, mango, persimmon, pomegranate, macadamia and silk oak.
Eskalen explained that the beetle and fungus have a symbiotic relationship.
"When the beetle burrows into the tree, it inoculates the host plant with the fungus it carries in its mouth parts," he said. "The fungus then attacks the vascular tissue of the tree, disturbing water and nutrient flow, and eventually causing branch dieback. The beetle larvae live in galleries within the tree and feed on the fungus."
Although the beetle was first detected in Los Angeles County in 2003, reports of its negative impact on tree health were paid no attention until February 2012, when Eskalen found both the beetle and fungus on a backyard avocado tree showing dieback symptoms in South Gate, Los Angeles County. The Agricultural Commissioner of Los Angeles County and the California Food and Drug Administration have confirmed the identity of the beetle.
"This is the very same fungus that caused avocado dieback in Israel," Eskalen said. "The California Avocado Commission is concerned about the economic damage this fungus can do to the industry here in California.
"For now, we are asking gardeners to keep an eye on their trees and report to us any sign of the fungus or beetle," he added. "Symptoms in avocado include the appearance of white powdery exudate in association with a single beetle exit hole on the bark of the trunk and main branches of the tree. This exudate could be dry or it can appear as a wet discoloration."
A team of UCR scientists has been formed to study Fusarium dieback in Southern California. Eskalen and Alex Gonzalez, a field specialist, are already conducting a survey to determine the extent of the beetle infestation and the likely extent of the fungus infection in avocado trees and other host plants. Richard Stouthamer, a professor of entomology, and Paul Rugman-Jones, an associate specialist in entomology, are studying the biology and genetics of the beetle.
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Members of the public can report sightings of the Tea Shot Hole Borer and signs of Fusarium dieback by calling (951) 827-3499 or emailing aeskalen@ucr.edu.
The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment has exceeded 20,500 students. The campus will open a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion. A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. UCR also has ISDN for radio interviews. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Beetle-fungus disease threatens crops and landscape trees in Southern CaliforniaPublic release date: 8-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Iqbal Pittalwala iqbal@ucr.edu 951-827-6050 University of California - Riverside
'Fusarium dieback' severely damaged avocados in Israel, says UC Riverside plant pathologist Akif Eskalen, who identified the fungus
RIVERSIDE, Calif. A plant pathologist at the University of California, Riverside has identified a fungus that has been linked to the branch dieback and general decline of several backyard avocado and landscape trees in residential neighborhoods of Los Angeles County.
The fungus is a new species of Fusarium. Scientists are working on characterizing its specific identification. It is transmitted by the Tea Shot Hole Borer (Euwallacea fornicatus), an exotic ambrosia beetle that is smaller than a sesame seed. The disease it spreads is referred to as "Fusarium dieback."
"This beetle has also been found in Israel and since 2009, the beetle-fungus combination has caused severe damage to avocado trees there," said Akif Eskalen, an extension plant pathologist UC Riverside, whose lab identified the fungus.
To date, the Tea Shot Hole Borer has been reported on 18 different plant species worldwide, including avocado, tea, citrus, guava, lychee, mango, persimmon, pomegranate, macadamia and silk oak.
Eskalen explained that the beetle and fungus have a symbiotic relationship.
"When the beetle burrows into the tree, it inoculates the host plant with the fungus it carries in its mouth parts," he said. "The fungus then attacks the vascular tissue of the tree, disturbing water and nutrient flow, and eventually causing branch dieback. The beetle larvae live in galleries within the tree and feed on the fungus."
Although the beetle was first detected in Los Angeles County in 2003, reports of its negative impact on tree health were paid no attention until February 2012, when Eskalen found both the beetle and fungus on a backyard avocado tree showing dieback symptoms in South Gate, Los Angeles County. The Agricultural Commissioner of Los Angeles County and the California Food and Drug Administration have confirmed the identity of the beetle.
"This is the very same fungus that caused avocado dieback in Israel," Eskalen said. "The California Avocado Commission is concerned about the economic damage this fungus can do to the industry here in California.
"For now, we are asking gardeners to keep an eye on their trees and report to us any sign of the fungus or beetle," he added. "Symptoms in avocado include the appearance of white powdery exudate in association with a single beetle exit hole on the bark of the trunk and main branches of the tree. This exudate could be dry or it can appear as a wet discoloration."
A team of UCR scientists has been formed to study Fusarium dieback in Southern California. Eskalen and Alex Gonzalez, a field specialist, are already conducting a survey to determine the extent of the beetle infestation and the likely extent of the fungus infection in avocado trees and other host plants. Richard Stouthamer, a professor of entomology, and Paul Rugman-Jones, an associate specialist in entomology, are studying the biology and genetics of the beetle.
###
Members of the public can report sightings of the Tea Shot Hole Borer and signs of Fusarium dieback by calling (951) 827-3499 or emailing aeskalen@ucr.edu.
The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment has exceeded 20,500 students. The campus will open a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion. A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. UCR also has ISDN for radio interviews. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Gogo grabs 1MHz spectrum from JetBlue subsidiary LiveTV, beefs up in-flight bandwidth
In-flight internet provider Gogo's been increasing its domestic presence of late, so it makes sense for the company to snag some additional spectrum as well. Its new wireless license is for a chunk of 1 MHz spectrum that Gogo got from Live TV, the subsidiary of JetBlue that handles all of that airline's in-air entertainment and communications services. Gogo's new spectrum will augment its existing Air-to-Ground network here in the US -- pending FCC approval, of course -- and provide road (sky?) warriors with a bit more bandwidth once above 10,000 feet. For all you jet-setters, we should mention that your Gulfstream's Airfone bill will be going to Gogo from now on, as LiveTV tossed the venerable voice service in the deal, too.
TUAW Bookshelf -- The Business of iPhone and iPad Development ...
A recommendation by Chris Forsythe pointed me to Dave Wooldridge and Michael Schneider's book "The Business of iPhone and iPad Development: Making and Marketing Apps" (Apress, 2011).
A practical primer on creating your business plan, the book offers advice on topics diverse as protecting your intellectual property and why testing and usability is crucial for app success.
It's an easy read (admittedly a little choppy in the writing at times) but I found it full of valuable advice, especially for anyone who is thinking about entering the App Store ecosystem but hasn't jumped in yet.
You'll find coverage about competitive research and being realistic about what it takes to succeed in App Store. From pricing your app (free or not), monetizing free apps (iAds and other in-app opportunities), to Freemium models (leveraging in-app purchase), a large part of the book centers on understanding how to sell. A final series of chapters covers marketing issues, like creating pre-release buzz and press releases.
If I have any criticism, it's that the authors sometimes went a little too technical (there's actual code in the book and their intro recommends a programming background) for a general business text. The advice here is perfectly valid for people hiring tech personnel, not just one-man dev shops. There's also a bunch of lists that seem to be there to increase the page count rather than offer a practical value to the reader and the ebook table of contents was set up in an odd way (you have to click on page numbers, not section names). Those are minor quibbles.
I wish the authors had spent more time on the strength of the book (creating a business plan) and less on technical implementation details. That said, there's plenty of good, solid advice and you should not be scared away from purchasing this title if you're not a programmer.
[Full disclosure: Steve Sande and I are writing Pitch Perfect, which talks about how to pitch your app for reviews and has some (but not much) topic overlap with this book.]
The third annual BrickMagic LEGO Festival takes place May 19-20 at the Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown, bringing more than 150 adult LEGO builders to the Triangle to display their creations for young and old alike. At the 2-day ticketed event, presented by TwoMorrows Inc. and BrickJournal magazine, The LEGO Group will be unveiling sets from the their newest theme, Monster Hunters, giving local fans a chance to be the first to see these exciting sets up-close.
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Public release date: 8-May-2012
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