536 - Moderating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the efficacy of cognitive stimulation. A controlled trial.

Background:It´s been proved that cognitive stimulation (CS) has direct effects over the improvement of general cognitive functions in people with cognitive impairment (PCI). The restrictions in daily life associated to COVID-19 pandemic had an impact in the quality of life of PCI and it might have affected the efficacy of the CS programs targeting this population.Research Objective:To analyse if there was a moderating effect of the pandemic on the efficacy of CS programs.Method:Participants were enrolled in a public memory clinic; 213 PCI were assigned to two groups: 173 received CS treatment before the pandemic (PRECOVID) and 40 received CS during the pandemic (COVID). Pre and post assessments were carried out with the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE), the clock-test and the brief Geriatric Depression Scale. The treatment consisted of 32 sessions of CS held twice a week during 4 months. No significant differences (p<.05) were found between groups at baseline in age (74.46±7.80 years), cognitive function (MMSE=23.43±3.30), gender (58% women) and the remaining variables.Preliminary results of the ongoing study:After treatment, both samples improved in depression (t = 4.56, p < .05), the COVID group improved in MMSE (t = -3.40, p < .05) and clock-test (t= -3.78, p < .05), the rest of the changes were not significant. Between group effect sizes favoured the COVID group intervention for MMSE (dc = 0.74) and the clock test (dc = 0.48). No between group differences were found for depression (dc = -0.48).Conclusions:Older people participating of CS during the pandemic benefited more from the treatment than those participating before the pandemic. This apparently contradictory result might be explained by the context of lack of social, emotional and cognitive stimulation associated to the restrictions inherent to social confinement. The continuity of CS care to PCI is essential in the context of generalised restrictions in daily life associated to COVID-19 pandemic and might play an important role in preventing cognitive loss and associated disabilities.

Angiotensin–Converting Enzyme (ACE) 1 Gene Polymorphism and Phenotypic Expression of COVID-19 Symptoms

The renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) appears to play an important role in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Polymorphisms within the genes that control this enzymatic system are candidates for elucidating the pathogenesis of COVID-19, since COVID-19 is not only a pulmonary disease but also affects many organs and systems throughout the body in multiple ways. Most striking is the fact that ACE2, one of the major components of the RAAS, is a prerequisite for SARS-COV-2 infection. Recently, we and other groups reported an association between a polymorphism of the ACE1 gene (a homolog of ACE2) and the phenotypic expression of COVID-19, particularly in its severity. The ethnic difference in ACE1 insertion (I)/deletion (D) polymorphism seems to explain the apparent difference in mortality between the West and East Asia. The purpose of this review was to further evaluate the evidence linking ACE1 polymorphisms to COVID-19. We searched the Medline database (2019–2021) for reference citations of relevant articles and selected studies on the clinical outcome of COVID-19 related to ACE1 I/D polymorphism. Although the numbers of patients are not large enough yet, most available evidence supports the notion that the DD genotype adversely influences COVID-19 symptoms. Surprisingly, small studies conducted in several countries yielded opposite results, suggesting that the ACE1 II genotype is a risk factor. This contradictory result may be the case in certain geographic areas, especially in subgroups of patients. It may also be due to interactions with other genes or to yet unexplained biochemical mechanisms. According to our hypothesis, such candidates are genes that are functionally involved in the pathophysiology of COVID-19, can act in concert with the ACE1 DD genotype, and that show differences in their frequency between the West and East Asia. For this, we conducted research focusing on Alu-related genes. The current study on the ACE1 genotype will provide potentially new clues to the pathogenesis, treatment, and diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Positive and Negative Impacts of COVID-19 in Digital Transformation

This study was designed to research the impact of pandemic situations such as COVID-19 in digital transformation (DT). Our proposed study was designed to research whether COVID-19 is a driver of digital transformation and to look at the three most positive and negative DT disruptors. Our study suggests that COVID-19 is a driver of digital transformation, since 94 percent of respondents agreed that COVID-19 is a driver of DT. The second phase of our study shows that technology, automation, and collaboration (TAC) is the most positive significant factor which enables work from anywhere (WFA) (or work from home) arrangements and also leads to the third positive factor of a work-life balance (WLB). The top three negative factors are no work-life balance (NWL), social employment issues (SEI), and data security and technology issues (DST). The negative factors show a contradictory result since NWL is the most negative factor, even though WLB is the third most positive factor. While the pandemic situation is leading to a positive situation for economies and organizations at a micro level, the negative impacts, which will affect overall economic growth as well as social, health, and wealth wellbeing, need to be kept in mind. The motivation of this study was to research positive and negative effects of COVID-19 on DT, since COVID-19 is impacting everyone and everyday life, including businesses. Our study developed a unique framework to address both positive and negative adoption. Our study also highlights the need for organizations and the economy to establish mitigation plans, as the pandemic has already been disrupting the entire world for the past three quarters.

Reconciling Seemingly Contradictory Results from the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment and the Massachusetts Health Reform

A headline result from the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment is that emergency room (ER) utilization increased. A seemingly contradictory result from the Massachusetts health reform is that ER utilization decreased. I reconcile both results by identifying treatment effect heterogeneity within the Oregon experiment and extrapolating it to Massachusetts. Even though Oregon compliers increased their ER utilization, they were adversely selected relative to Oregon never takers, who would have decreased their ER utilization. Massachusetts expanded coverage from a higher level to healthier compliers. Therefore, Massachusetts compliers are comparable to a subset of Oregon never takers, which can reconcile the results.

The human problem in the context of New European theory of progress

This article analyzes the anthropological paradigm of modernism in light of the New European theory of progress. The author underlines the importance of these worldview constructs for understanding the phenomenon of modernism, and based on the hermeneutical method conducts a historical-philosophical reconstruction of the corresponding ideas. It is noted that the specific features of New European anthropology alongside New European interpretation of the idea of progress, can be understood only in relation to each other. Special attention is given to determination and analysis of the fundamental, although not implicit contradictions arising within the worldview of modernism The New European image of the world is based on the synthesis of progressive pathos and assurance in fundamental imperfection of human nature. A participant of the progressive movement is proclaimed an atomized subject that follows selfish principles. Such way of thought leads to a contradictory result: namely the imperfect essence of a human is the foundation for the development. An important role is assigned to the idea of historical law that regulates the collision of selfish human for producing social good. This paradoxical construct can be viewed as an attempt to solve the fundamental for modernism problem of the part and the whole. Based on the research of H. Blumenberg, the origins of this problem can be traced in the dispute on the universals that took place in the late Middle Ages . The victory of nominalism with its thesis on the primacy of the singular undermined the medieval model of integrity, depriving human of the ontological foundations. Namely the crisis of integrity underlied the philosophical pursuits of modernism. By reconciling the singular represented by an atomized subject and the universal represented by the historical law, the theory of progress resembles the model of integrity. However, this model can only be effective in a situation of &ldquo;comfortability&rdquo; of the historical process. In the conditions of catastrophism of the XX century, the confidence in the progress is being problematized, and the problem of human nature becomes increasingly relevant.

Population Density or Populations Size. Which Factor Determines Urban Traffic Congestion?

A large number of articles have documented that as population density of cities increases, car use declines and public transit use rises. These articles had a significant impact of promoting high-density compact urban development to mitigate traffic congestion. Another approach followed by other researchers used the urban scaling model to indicate that traffic congestion increases as population size of cities increases, thus generating a possible contradictory result. Therefore, this study examines the role of both density and population size on traffic congestion in 164 global cities by the use of Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology model. We divide 164 cities into the two subgroups of 66 low density cities and 98 high density cities for analysis. The findings from the subgroups analysis indicated a clear-cut difference on the critical role of density in low-density cities and the exclusive role of population size in high-density cities. Furthermore, using threshold regression model, 164 cities are divided into the two regions of large and small population cities to determine population scale advantage of traffic congestion. Our findings highlight the importance of including analysis of subgroups based on density and/or population size in future studies of traffic congestion.

On the Variability of Microbial Populations and Bacterial Metabolites within the Canine Stool. An in-Depth Analysis

Canine faecal microbial populations and metabolome are being increasingly studied to understand the interplay between host and gut microbiome. However, the distribution of bacterial taxa and microbial metabolites throughout the canine stool is understudied and currently no guidelines for the collection, storage and preparation of canine faecal samples have been proposed. Here, we assessed the effects that different sampling points have on the abundance of selected microbial populations and bacterial metabolites within the canine stool. Whole fresh faecal samples were obtained from five healthy adult dogs. Stool subsamples were collected from the surface to the inner part and from three equally sized areas (cranial, central, caudal) along the length axis of the stool log. All samples were finally homogenised and compared before and after homogenisation. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Clostridium cluster I, Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp. and Enterococcus spp. populations were analysed, as well as pH, ammonia and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) concentrations. Compared to the surface of the stool, inner subsamples resulted in greater concentrations of SCFA and ammonia, and lower pH values. qPCR assay of microbial taxa did not show any differences between subsamples. Homogenisation of faeces does not affect the variability of microbial and metabolome data. Although the distribution patterns of bacterial populations and metabolites are still unclear, we found that stool subsampling yielded contradictory result and biases that can affect the final outcome when investigating the canine microbiome. Complete homogenisation of the whole stool is therefore recommended.

Geometry and thickness dependant anomalous mechanical behavior of fabricated SU-8 thin film micro-cantilevers

SU-8 micro-cantilever arrays consisting of V- and M-shaped structures fabricated using a simplified single hard mask step. Bending tests were performed under similar peak loads (ranging 2–10 µN), with thickness ranging between micron (3.5 µm) and sub-micron (0.2 µm) scales. Various mechanical properties such as stiffness and hysteresis are determined from the load versus deflection curves. When the thickness of the V-shaped beam is decreased from 2 µm to 0.2 µm, the stiffness increases by a factor of 2.7, which is in contradiction with the classical beam theory according to which the stiffness for 0.2 µm beam should be three orders of magnitude less than that of 2 µm beam. Micropolar elasticity theory with a variable-intrinsic length scale (thickness dependant) is used to explain such an anomalous response. Experimentally obtained stiffness of two M-shaped beams of thickness 2 µm and 0.2 µm are almost identical. Reason behind this contradictory result is that the thicker beam has a residual strain with a large plastic deformation which usually increases the cross-linking network density, leading to increase in elastic modulus, hardness and thus stiffness of polymers. But the thinner beam has undergone an elastic deformation. The size effect of V- and M-shaped cantilever beams is discussed.

Factors Related to Childbirth Intention of Migrant Women in Multicultural Marriages in Korea

Background: We aimed to identify factors related to childbirth intention in multicultural marriage migrant women in Korea. The study was based on the raw data of a National Survey on Multicultural Families 2015 in Korea, covering 7 countries and 31,047 participants. Methods: Data were analyzed with multiple regression analysis using SPSS and WIN 21.0 programs. Results: First, the consistent outcome in the seven countries was Residence period in Korea. The shorter the period of residence in Korea and the lower the age, the higher childbirth intentions. Second, the major factors according to country were Economic Activity, Satisfaction of Marital Relationship, Life Satisfaction, and Education. The most influential factors in each country were economic activity in Taiwan and Hong Kong, satisfaction with marital relationships in Korean-China, life satisfaction in Cambodia, and education in Mongolia and the Philippines. The higher the participation in economic activities, satisfaction with marital relationship, life satisfaction, and education level, the greater the number of childbirth intentions. Third, a contradictory result was found in State of health. In Vietnam, better health predicted greater numbers of childbirth intentions, while in China, Korean-Chinese, Mongolia, Cambodia, worse health predicated greater numbers of childbirth intentions. Conclusion: The findings suggest a need for a comprehensive multicultural policy and support services for multicultural marriage migrant women that considers characteristics such as country, cultural differences, and nationality in order to contribute to family formation and settlement of Korean society.

Afro-descendants and social stratification in Mexico. New evidence from the 2015 Intercensal Survey

The 2015 Intercensal Survey marks the first time African descent self-identification was included on a nationally representative survey in Mexico. Before that, there were no nation-wide official counts of the Afro-Mexican population. In this paper we use ordinal logistic regression models to examine the effect of being Afro-descendant on the educational and occupational status of Mexi-cans. Contrary to expectations, our results show that, at the national level, there is no evidence that the self-identified Afro-Mexican population has a lower socioeconomic status than other Mexicans. This contradictory result may be attributed to a higher likelihood of Afro-descendant self-identification among more educated people, and lower among the most disadvantaged, par-ticularly in areas where Afro-Mexicans are less represented.