Re-engaging in Aging and Mobility Research in the COVID-19 Era: Early Lessons from Pivoting a Large-Scale, Interdisciplinary Study amidst a Pandemic

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, those planning and conducting research involving older adults have faced many challenges, in part because of the public health measures in place. This article details the early steps and corresponding strategies implemented by our multidisciplinary team to pivot our large-scale aging and mobility study. Based on the premise that all current and emerging research in aging has been impacted by the pandemic, we propose a continuum approach whereby the research question, analysis, and interpretation are situated in accordance with the stage of the pandemic. Using examples from our own study, we outline potential ways to partner with older adults and other stakeholders as well as to encourage collaboration beyond disciplinary silos even under the current circumstances. Finally, we suggest the formation of a Canadian-led consortium that leverages cross-disciplinary expertise to address the complexities of our aging population in the COVID-19 era and beyond.

Comparative analysis of general practice and digital methods to recruit stroke survivors to a clinical mobility study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Participant recruitment remains a barrier to conducting clinical research. The disabling nature of a stroke, which often includes functional and cognitive impairments, and the acute stage of illness at which patients are appropriate for many trials, make recruiting patients particularly complex and challenging. In addition, people aged 65 years and older, which includes most stroke survivors, have been identified as a disadvantaged group that is commonly underrepresented in health research, particularly clinical trials. Digital media may provide effective tools to support enrollment efforts of stroke survivors in clinical trials. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of general practice and digital methods to recruit stroke survivors to a clinical mobility study. METHODS Recruitment for a clinical mobility study began in July 2018. Eligible study participants included individuals 18 years and older who had a single stroke and were currently ambulatory in the community. Standard recruiting practice included calling individuals listed in a stroke registry, contacting local physical therapists, and placing study flyers throughout a University Campus. Between May 21, 2019, and June 26, 2019, the study was also promoted digitally using the social network Facebook and the search engine marketing tool Google AdWords. The recruitment ads included a link to the study page to which users who clicked were referred. Primary outcomes of interest for both conventional and digital methods included recruitment speed (enrollment rate) and sample characteristics. The data were analyzed using the Lilliefors test, Welch’s two-sample t-test, and the Mann-Wittney test. Significance was set at P<0.05. All statistical analyses were performed in Matlab 2019b. RESULTS Our results indicate that digital recruitment methods can address recruitment challenges regarding stroke survivors. Digital recruitment methods allowed us to enroll study participants at a faster rate (1.8 participants/week), compared to using general recruitment practice (0.57 participants/week). Our findings also demonstrate that digital and general recruitment practices can achieve an equivalent level of sample representativeness. The characteristics of the enrolled stroke survivors did not differ significantly by age (P=.95) or clinical scores (P=.22; P=.82). Comparing the cost-effectiveness of Facebook and Google, we found that the use of Facebook resulted in a lower cost per click and cost per enrollee per advertisement. CONCLUSIONS Both general practice and digital media recruitment methods will be important to the successful recruitment of stroke survivors. Future studies could focus on testing the effectiveness of additional general practice and digital media approaches and include robust cost-effectiveness analyses. Examining the effectiveness of different messaging and visual approaches tailored to culturally diverse and underrepresented target subgroups could provide further data to move toward evidence-based recruitment strategies.

The Praxis of Cultural Narratives in International Mobility

Many discourses encourage the international mobility of students as a proof of intercultural openness. The studies abroad are included in all the curricula and satisfy the international profile of future candidates coming in the labour market. In this context, the international mobility of high school pupils is also promoted to acquire a form of personal autonomy with the acquisition of a new language. There is a strong mobility of international pupils that spend a year abroad in another educational system. In Sweden, the choice of a high school depends on the grades obtained earlier but also on what the high schools offer in terms of short international mobility (study trip to England). The programme “One Year in France/Spain/Germany/Austria” was created at the end of the 1980s with the board of international programmes from the Swedish Ministry of Education, some embassies and cultural centres from the concerned countries, the Swedish Institute in Paris. The chapter analyzes the narratives of the students who took part in the programme.

Effects of Detergent on α-Synuclein Structure: A Native MS-Ion Mobility Study

The intrinsically disordered protein α-synuclein plays a major role in Parkinson’s disease. The protein can oligomerize resulting in the formation of various aggregated species in neuronal cells, leading to neurodegeneration. The interaction of α-synuclein with biological cell membranes plays an important role for specific functions of α-synuclein monomers, e.g., in neurotransmitter release. Using different types of detergents to mimic lipid molecules present in biological membranes, including the presence of Ca2+ ions as an important structural factor, we aimed to gain an understanding of how α-synuclein interacts with membrane models and how this affects the protein conformation and potential oligomerization. We investigated detergent binding stoichiometry, affinity and conformational changes of α-synuclein taking detergent concentration, different detergent structures and charges into account. With native nano-electrospray ionization ion mobility-mass spectrometry, we were able to detect unique conformational patterns resulting from binding of specific detergents to α-synuclein. Our data demonstrate that α-synuclein monomers can interact with detergent molecules irrespective of their charge, that protein-micelle interactions occur and that micelle properties are an important factor.

MOBIS-COVID19/01: Results as of 06/04/2020

This series of working papers presents the ongoing analysis of the mobility behaviour in Switzerland during the period of special measures to combat the Corona virus. A sample of over 1200 participants was recruited from a previous GPS-based mobility study, MOBIS. A 4 week baseline period is therefore available for each participant from the second half of 2019, as well as socio-economic variables. Mobility indicators considered include modal splits, hourly counts, average daily distances, activity spaces and daily-radius. First results indicate drastic changes in mobility behaviour, with identifiable differences between socio-economic groups. The analysis continues to be updated as the situation progresses