Fast-food for thought: Retail food environments as resources for cognitive health and wellbeing among aging Americans?

In this exploratory sequential mixed-methods study, interviews with 125 adults aged 55–92 (mean age 71) living in the Minneapolis (Minnesota) metropolitan area suggested that eateries, including coffee shops and fast-food restaurants, represent popular neighborhood destinations for older adults and sources of wellbeing. Thematic analysis of how older adults perceived and utilized local eateries included sites of familiarity and comfort; physical and economic accessibility; sociability with friends, family, staff, and customers; and entertainment (e.g., destinations for outings and walks, free newspapers to read). To test the hypothesis that these sites, and the benefits they confer, are associated with cognitive welfare, we analyzed data from urban and suburban community-dwelling participants in the Reasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a national racially diverse sample of older Americans followed since 2003 (n = 16,404, average age at assessment 72 years). Results from multilevel linear regression models of these data demonstrated a positive association between kernel density of local eateries and cognitive functioning, which corroborated qualitative findings. Taken together, these results complicate our understanding of casual eatery settings as possible sites of wellbeing through social interaction and leisure activities. Results prompt further research investigating whether and how retail food environments can serve as community spaces for older adults that may help buffer against cognitive decline.     

Partial coherence and frustration in self‐organizing spherical grids

Nearby grid cells have been observed to express a remarkable degree of long‐range order, which is often idealized as extending potentially to infinity. Yet their strict periodic firing and ensemble coherence are theoretically possible only in flat environments, much unlike the burrows which rodents usually live in. Are the symmetrical, coherent grid maps inferred in the lab relevant to chart their way in their natural habitat? We consider spheres as simple models of curved environments and waiting for the appropriate experiments to be performed, we use our adaptation model to predict what grid maps would emerge in a network with the same type of recurrent connections, which on the plane produce coherence among the units. We find that on the sphere such connections distort the maps that single grid units would express on their own, and aggregate them into clusters. When remapping to a different spherical environment, units in each cluster maintain only partial coherence, similar to what is observed in disordered materials, such as spin glasses.     

Sex differences in behavior and neuropharmacology of zebrafish

Sex is an important variable in biomedical research. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is increasingly utilized as a powerful new model organism in translational neuroscience and pharmacology. Mounting evidence indicates important sex differences in zebrafish behavioral and neuropharmacological responses. Here, we discuss the role of sex in zebrafish central nervous system (CNS) models, their molecular mechanisms, recent findings and the existing challenges in this field. We also emphasize the growing utility of zebrafish models in translational neuropharmacological research of sex differences, fostering future CNS drug discovery and the search for novel sex‐specific therapies. Finally, we highlight the interplay between sex and environment in zebrafish models of sex‐environment correlations as an important strategy of CNS disease modeling using this aquatic organism.     

Association Between Parental Marital Status and Types of Suicidal Behavior Among Korean Adolescents: A Cross-sectional Study

ObjectivesAdolescent suicide is a global problem. This study aimed to identify associations between parental marital status and suicidal behavior.MethodsThis study analyzed 118 715 middle and high school students from the 13th and 14th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey. The odds ratios (ORs) of suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts were calculated based on parental marital status, living situation, and socioeconomic factors. The data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression.ResultsWhen compared to those living with 2 married biological parents, the ORs of suicidal ideation among adolescents living with either remarried or no parents were 1.34 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17 to 1.53) and 1.36 (95% CI, 1.11 to 1.66), respectively. For suicidal planning, the OR of those living with 1 remarried biological parent was 1.24 (95% CI, 1.01 to 1.52), and that of those living without parents was 1.28 (95% CI, 0.95 to 1.73), when compared to adolescents living with 2 married biological parents. For suicide attempts, when compared to adolescents with 2 married biological parents, the OR of those living with 1 remarried biological parent was 1.48 (95% CI, 1.17 to 1.87) and that of those living without parents was 2.02 (95% CI, 1.44 to 2.83). For adolescents living with 1 remarried biological parent, suicidal behavior was strongly associated with having no siblings and were weakly associated with not living with grandparents.ConclusionsSuicidal behavior among adolescents was associated with the remarriage and loss of parents. Therefore, special attention and interventions are needed for adolescents in those situations.     

医学信息管理专业网络技术模拟仿真实验教学

针对网络技术实验,采用模拟仿真的实验环境,将抽象的教学内容变成直观教学,利用基于问题的教学法培养学生科学思维,以任务驱动法激发学习积极性,实现理论与实验交叉教学     

小耳畸形分型与父母围孕期危险因素调查研究

目的调查围孕期危险因素对小耳畸形不同分型间的影响。方法选取2013年1月至2015年1月就诊于整形外科医院的600例患者为研究对象,向患者父母进行问卷调查,收集人口学及围孕期危险因素暴露情况。根据小耳畸形分型及严重程度分组,采用卡方、秩和检验行单因素分析,非条件Logistic回归行多因素分析。结果共收集572份问卷。单因素分析表明,性别、妊娠年龄、孕期腹部受外力冲击及孕期接受保胎治疗在不同分型小耳畸形间差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。多因素分析提示,孕期腹部受外力冲击可能是严重小耳畸形的独立危险因素(OR=2.157,95%CI:1.267~3.674),出生体质量在3~5 kg可能是保护因素(OR=0.112,95%CI:0.015~0.841;OR=0.110,95%CI:0.013~0.921)。结论围孕期多种危险因素暴露对小耳畸形发病的严重程度值得进一步关注和探讨。