Search Results (34,000)

Cognitive frailty (CF), characterized by concurrent cognitive and motor decline, is a major challenge to healthy aging, yet effective interventions remain limited. Klotho, an anti-aging protein that declines with age, has been implicated in both hippocampal function and skeletal muscle homeostasis. In this study, we investigated whether aerobic exercise combined with multisensory stimulation training (CT) ameliorates age-related CF through systemic Klotho signaling. A 16-month-old mouse model of age-related CF was assigned to aerobic training, multisensory stimulation, or combined training, and behavioral, electrophysiological, histological, and molecular assessments were performed. To examine the mechanistic role of Klotho, dual-route shRNA delivery was used to inhibit systemic Klotho expression. CT significantly improved cognitive and motor performance compared with either intervention alone. CT also increased hippocampal dendritic spine density and long-term potentiation, reduced collagen deposition in gastrocnemius muscle, and upregulated Klotho, FGF19, and FGFR1 expression in both hippocampus and muscle, accompanied by elevated serum Klotho levels. Klotho knockdown attenuated these beneficial effects, reduced PSD95 and GluN2B expression, and increased MuRF3 and TNF-α levels. These findings suggest that CT alleviates cognitive frailty and that systemic Klotho is a key mediator linking hippocampal synaptic function and skeletal muscle homeostasis. Full article

Background: Vascular dysfunction and neurovascular inflammation are increasingly recognized as contributors to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathophysiology, particularly through interactions with tau-related neurodegeneration. Endothelial adhesion molecules, including vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), play key roles in blood–brain barrier regulation and immune-vascular crosstalk, yet their relevance to long-term disease progression and established AD biomarkers remains incompletely understood. Methods: Using data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), we examined associations between baseline cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 and clinical progression, CSF biomarkers, neuroimaging measures, and cognitive outcomes over up to 10 years of follow-up. This study included 294 participants (87 cognitively normal, 129 with mild cognitive impairment, and 78 with AD). Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess associations with diagnostic progression, and linear regression models examined relationships with baseline and longitudinal measures of tau, amyloid-β, hippocampal volume, Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET) metabolism, and cognition. Models were adjusted for age, sex, apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 (APOE ε4) status, baseline diagnosis, and baseline CSF amyloid-β, with false discovery rate correction applied for multiple comparisons. Results: Baseline CSF VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 levels did not differ across diagnostic groups. However, higher baseline levels of both markers were nominally associated with increased odds of disease progression. Notably, ICAM-1 showed a strong and robust association with baseline CSF phosphorylated tau, which remained significant after multiple-comparison correction. VCAM-1 was also associated with tau pathology, though this did not survive correction. Neither marker was associated with baseline or longitudinal changes in hippocampal volume, FDG-PET metabolism, or cognitive performance. Conclusion: CSF VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 appear to reflect neurovascular inflammatory processes linked to tau pathology rather than markers of clinical stage or longitudinal neurodegeneration. These findings support a role for endothelial activation in AD pathophysiology and highlight vascular–immune mechanisms as potential contributors to tau-related disease vulnerability. Full article

This study examined the critical sustainability challenge of regional demographic decline in South Korea by analyzing how young people’s mobility decisions are intricately influenced by structurally and socially constructed meaning systems. Countering strictly economic deterministic views, this research posited that youth out-migration is a complex socio-cognitive process mediated by social representations of place—collectively constructed and circulated meanings attached to regions. Applying a secondary analysis of Q-sort data from 24 undergraduate students at a regional national university, the study integrated Q methodology with Social Representation Theory to systematically identify youth typologies regarding regional identity, territorial stigma, and local extinction. Participants sorted 44 statements encompassing place attachment, local consumption, cultural experiences, and policy effectiveness. Rigorous factor analysis revealed four distinct perception typologies: identity-based strategic mobility, conditional leaving based on internalized success norms, re-anchoring toward alternative lifestyles, and skeptical leaving rooted in profound institutional distrust. The findings empirically demonstrated that identical structural constraints can produce highly divergent mobility trajectories—ranging from active retention to complete resignation—depending entirely on the region’s socio-cognitive representation. This study demonstrates that local extinction is not merely a demographic condition, but a socially constructed framework of meaning and an object of social representation that shapes youth perception typologies and mobility judgments. Accordingly, moving beyond conventional technical interventions, meaning governance, and strategic communication are needed to help reimagine regional futures. Full article

Fear of missing out (FoMO) is a cognitive-affective factor that has been consistently linked to problematic social media use (PSMU), but less is known about whether this association differs across severity-based subgroups or changes over time at the node level. This study examined the cross-sectional and two-wave associations between FoMO and PSMU in Chinese university students. Two-wave data were collected one year apart from 853 participants at Time 1 and 817 participants at Time 2. Partial correlation and regression analyses showed that FoMO was positively associated with PSMU. Latent profile analysis identified broad higher- and lower-level subgroups for both FoMO and PSMU. Node-level network analyses further indicated that FoMO and PSMU nodes were positively interconnected. Most subgroup and two-wave network comparisons suggested that overall network structure was relatively stable. The clearest temporal difference emerged in the global strength of the PSMU network. When differences were observed, they were more evident in the relative prominence of specific nodes, including several bridging nodes, than in broader network organization. Overall, the findings suggest that the FoMO-PSMU association is robust, whereas subgroup- and time-related variation appears limited and is better understood as node-level variation within a broader pattern of structural stability. Full article

Det Norske Misjonsselskap (Norwegian Missionary Society, NMS) was founded in Stavanger, Norway, in 1842. Having established its first mission field in Africa, it then made plans to work in Asia. In 1902, the first missionaries were sent out to Hunan, an inland, culturally isolated, and conservative Chinese province that experienced particularly strong anti-foreigner and anti-Christian waves. This article argues that the NMS developed a distinctive, pragmatic strategy of political accommodation—rooted in its Pietistic Lutheran social ethos and a Norwegian pioneering spirit—to ensure its institutional survival in Hunan. Examining the NMS’s responses to two major political turning points, the Anti-Christian Movement (1924–1927) and the New Life Movement (1934–1937), the article reveals three key findings: First, the NMS’s proclaimed “neutrality” was not merely a passive stance but an active survival tactic, evolving from a claim grounded in Norway’s geopolitical neutrality into a strategic rhetoric for navigating local political risks. Second, the missionaries’ “excessive expectations” of the Nationalist government, particularly during the New Life Movement, stemmed from a structural cognitive bias shaped by their deep institutional embedding in the KMT-governed local order. Third, their ultimate withdrawal was less a simple political misjudgement than the logical endpoint of a survival model that lacked a contingency plan for revolutionary change. By tracing this specific case, the article contributes to the historiography of Christianity in modern China by illuminating the diversity of missionary strategies beyond the dominant Anglo-American coastal narratives. Full article

Background/Objectives: In Palliative Care (PC), the communication is an essential aspect of care becoming particularly significant at the end-of-life. In neurodegenerative diseases, communication involves additional complexity due to prolonged disease trajectories, early cognitive decline, and frequent loss of decision-making capacity. The aim of this study was to explore PC healthcare professionals’ experiences with communication process and relational dynamics involving families of patients with advanced and terminal neurogenerative disease. Methods: The study design was qualitative, using semi-structured interviews and reflexive thematic analysis. Participants were healthcare professionals directly involved in communication with the family. Results: Twenty PC professionals were interviewed, generating 792 coded excerpts. Four themes emerged: (1) Navigating PC in neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting shift from oncology-centred palliative models toward neuropalliative care, with distinctive relational challenges; (2) Navigating conversations between professionals and families, describing multidisciplinary communication, core clinical and emotional topics, and goal-oriented decision-making in contexts of impaired patient capacity; (3) Facing challenges in health care professional–family communication, including conspiracy of silence, absence of Advance Treatment Directives (ATD) or Shared Care Planning (SCP), and limited collaboration with neurologists; and (4) Envisioning methods for improvement, emphasizing the need for disease-specific competencies, advanced relational skills, interprofessional coordination, and support for professionals’ emotional wellbeing. Conclusions: Communication in neurodegenerative palliative care is an ongoing relational and interpretative process requiring professionals to mediate uncertainty, surrogate decision-making, and caregiver burden. Strengthening disease-specific communication skills, early integrated PC, and structured interprofessional collaboration may enhance shared decision-making, caregiver support, and care continuity. Full article

Astrocytes are now recognized as active and essential participants in neural circuit function, extending far beyond their traditional roles as passive support cells. Emerging evidence highlights their critical involvement in synaptic modulation, information processing, and complex behaviors, making them key targets for understanding cognitive dysfunction in psychiatric disorders. This narrative review synthesizes current findings from rodent models to elucidate the relationship between astrocytic networks and multidomain cognitive performance. We first outline the morphological and physiological features of astrocytes, followed by a comprehensive overview of the modern experimental toolkit, including observational markers and advanced interventional strategies. Next, we evaluate commonly used behavioral assays that capture distinct cognitive domains, ranging from basic spatial and recognition memory to higher-order executive functions, cognitive flexibility, and social cognition. By integrating recent experimental evidence, we detail the specific mechanistic pathways, such as intracellular calcium signaling, gliotransmission, and neuroinflammatory reactivity, through which astrocytes directly govern these cognitive processes. Finally, we highlight critical knowledge gaps stemming from methodological limitations, arguing for the integration of more ethologically relevant, high-throughput behavioral tasks alongside highly specific targeting tools to better capture the functional heterogeneity of astrocytes in cognitive health and disease. Full article

In Latin America, the double burden of malnutrition is the region’s single most important public health concern for the incoming decade. Latin America’s burden of disease has distinct features in comparison to high-income countries: nearly 20 percent of NCDs are diagnosed in people under 60 years of age in Latin America, whereas only about 13 percent of people under 60 years of age in North America and Europe are diagnosed with these diseases. We aimed to better understand decision-making processes, preferences, and norms around food choices to provide input for future programming and policy suggestions at national and regional levels. We included key informant interviews and focus group discussions with parents and adolescents from urban and rural communities in three regions in Colombia and in Mexico. Results showed that food choices considered to be affordable, acceptable, accessible, and aspirational are driven by environmental and social factors that influence individual cognitive decisions. Across the study groups, cognitive biases influenced food decision-making in relation to eating out, natural, homemade, and “moderation”. At the sociological level, conversations, and social influences at home and in communities were strong indicators of dietary practices, health beliefs, and body size attitudes. Full article

Background/Objectives: Diet is a primary and modifiable determinant of gut microbiota composition, diversity, and metabolic activity, thereby shaping microbial-derived metabolites, immune and inflammatory signalling, neuroendocrine regulation, and neural communication with the central nervous system. Western dietary patterns, characterised by high intake of ultra-processed foods, saturated fats, and low dietary fibre, are consistently associated with gut dysbiosis, impaired intestinal barrier function, chronic low-grade inflammation, and increased risk of depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment, and neurodegenerative disorders. Methods: This narrative review synthesises evidence from human observational studies, randomised controlled trials, animal models, and mechanistic investigations examining interactions among diet, gut microbiota, and mental health or neurobiological outcomes. Literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for articles published up to December 2025. Results: The study highlights the therapeutic potential and limitations of dietary interventions, prebiotics, probiotics, and psychobiotics, and critically evaluates them. Also facilitates an improved understanding of diet–microbiome–brain interactions, which may help the development of personalised, nutrition-based strategies integrated into mental health prevention and clinical care. Conclusions: These findings support diet-based, microbiome-informed strategies as scalable adjuncts in mental health prevention and care. Full article

In recent years, the generation and animation of avatars in virtual reality (VR) have undergone a definitive paradigm shift, transitioning from pre-rendered, manually rigged meshes to autonomous, AI-driven digital entities. While individual algorithms have been extensively studied, there is a critical lack of comprehensive synthesis regarding how these generative models impact the broader sociotechnical ecosystem of Spatial Computing. To address this gap, this systematic literature review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, analyzed 48 primary studies to evaluate the intersection of Generative AI, hardware architecture, human psychology, and digital ethics. The synthesis reveals a deeply interdependent ecosystem. While advanced neural rendering and diffusion models (RQ1) successfully bypass traditional 3D authoring bottlenecks, their pursuit of absolute visual fidelity severely antagonizes the thermal and latency constraints of standalone mobile hardware (RQ2). The literature demonstrates that failing to mitigate these bottlenecks through hardware–software co-design (e.g., specialized ASICs, gaze-contingent foveation) inevitably shatters the user’s sensorimotor loop, collapsing the sense of agency and triggering the Kinematic Uncanny Valley (RQ3). Furthermore, as these hyper-realistic avatars achieve kinematic autonomy, they introduce unprecedented sociotechnical vulnerabilities regarding spatial privacy, dataset bias, and post-mortem digital identity (RQ4). Ultimately, this review concludes that realizing a compelling and inclusive AI-driven Metaverse is no longer an isolated computer graphics challenge; it demands a rigorous, interdisciplinary paradigm shift where algorithms, silicon architectures, and cognitive psychology are inextricably co-designed under a foundational framework of digital ethics. Full article

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are major causes of cognitive decline. Antidiabetic medications such as metformin, pioglitazone, and GLP-1 receptor agonists have been proposed as potential neuroprotective therapies. We assessed whether these agents slow cognitive decline or disease progression in people with AD or MCI. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central were searched for randomized controlled trials and observational studies of metformin, pioglitazone, or GLP-1 receptor agonists in AD/MCI. Results were synthesized narratively by drug class. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Metformin, particularly in early-stage disease and metabolically vulnerable groups, demonstrated improvements in episodic memory and selective executive outcomes. Observational data in diabetic MCI suggested improved cognition and preservation of hippocampal and cortical structure, with limited amyloid-β and tau changes. Pioglitazone findings varied. Benefits were mainly reported in mild AD with type-2 diabetes, but not in non-diabetic AD/MCI. GLP-1 receptor agonists demonstrated preserved cerebral glucose metabolism and improved blood-to-brain glucose transport but did not improve cognitive function. Current evidence does not support antidiabetic therapies as effective treatments in AD/MCI. Any benefits appear to depend on disease stage and metabolic status, with metformin being the most promising candidate. Larger, longer-duration biomarker-defined trials are needed to determine whether any sustained clinical benefit is observed. Full article

Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is an age-related condition affecting over 10–20% of individuals older than 70 years, characterized by the expansion of hematopoietic stem cell clones carrying somatic mutations in leukemia-associated driver genes in the absence of overt hematologic disease. Initially recognized as a precursor to hematologic malignancies, CHIP has since been implicated in diverse non-malignant disorders, notably increasing the risk of cardiovascular events by 40%. Recent epidemiological and experimental evidence suggests a potential disease-modifying influence of CHIP in neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD), although findings remain heterogeneous and sometimes contradictory. This review synthesizes recent evidence linking CHIP to AD risk, neuropathology, and disease progression. In this study, we summarize population-based cohort studies reporting a 36 to 54% reduction in the odds of clinical AD among CHIP carriers, alongside emerging data indicating that DNMT3A and TET2 mutations may exert divergent effects on neurodegeneration. Mechanistic insights from experimental models are examined, highlighting the ability of mutated myeloid cells to infiltrate the central nervous system and modulate neuroinflammation and amyloid clearance. We discuss conflicting findings and analyze how CHIP-driven vascular disease and stroke confound neuroprotective signals. We propose that CHIP may differentially influence AD and vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia, shaping mixed dementia phenotypes. Methodological challenges, including survivor bias, competing risks, variable mutation detection thresholds, and incomplete Apolipoprotein E stratification, are discussed. Ultimately, our review clarifies that CHIP is not a simple protective factor, but a complex systemic modulator that reshapes the neurodegenerative and vascular drivers of cognitive decline, necessitating cross-disciplinary neuro-hematology collaboration to establish its role as a novel risk stratificator for improving diagnostic precision and personalizing clinical outcomes in Alzheimer’s disease. Full article

Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are vital for brain health and cognitive function. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) regulates mood via serotonin, while the hypothalamus (HYP) controls energy homeostasis. Flaxseed oil (FLAX) is rich in omega-3 PUFAs like α-linolenic acid (ALA), and has been reported to influence serotonergic signaling in mammals, but data in poultry are scarce. This study investigated the effects of FLAX on metabolites crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to serotonergic brain regions and on growth performance in broiler chickens. Day-old chicks (n = 160) were assigned to two diets (5 replicates/treatment): control (CON; poultry fat-based diet) or FLAX (3% inclusion level). Growth performance was recorded, and DRN, HYP, and plasma were analyzed using HPLC-MS metabolomics. Serotonin and its metabolite 5-HIAA were quantified using LC-MS/MS. FLAX-fed birds had higher body weight gain (p < 0.0055) and better feed conversion ratio (p < 0.0049) than CON. Metabolomics identified 2271 features, of which 650 were annotated as metabolites. Of 35 differentially abundant plasma metabolites, eight were also differentially abundant in brain tissues. In the DRN, tryptophan (serotonin precursor) and corydaline (neuroprotective) were upregulated. Serotonin levels were significantly higher in both the DRN and HYP of FLAX-fed birds compared to CON. This suggest that dietary flaxseed oil may modulate stress responses, behavior, and welfare in broilers. In the HYP, dethiobiotin (energy), galanthamine (neuroprotective), and gambogic acid (antioxidative) were upregulated, while xanthoxyletin (anti-inflammatory) was downregulated. In conclusion, flaxseed oil improved growth and elevated serotonin in the DRN and HYP via enhanced tryptophan availability, suggesting potential benefits for stress resilience and welfare. Full article

Background/Objectives: Test anxiety can impair working memory, attention, and executive function, raising questions about what might increase cognitive readiness prior to testing. Methods: This study examined how brief meditation, social media use, and calming or upbeat music influence neural activity and performance on a second-language exam using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Results: Forty-five advanced German students completed two matched exams—one preceded by a randomly assigned three-minute activity and one taken without a pre-test activity. fNIRS measured cortical activity in the prefrontal cortex, Broca’s area, and Wernicke’s area during both the pre-test activity and the exam. Behaviorally, meditation significantly improved exam scores compared to control (p < 0.02), social media use significantly reduced scores (p < 0.002), calming music showed no effect (p = 0.06), and upbeat music had no effect (p = 0.27). Neural analyses revealed that social media increased activation in socially oriented prefrontal regions, including the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), while reducing activation in right Broca’s area, corresponding with lower performance. Due to technical issues, fNIRS data during the meditation condition were excluded from neural analyses. Conclusions: These findings indicate that short pre-exam interventions can influence neural engagement and academic performance, highlighting the potential benefits of meditation and the possible negative impact of social media immediately before testing. Full article

Construction waste minimisation remains a persistent challenge in developing country contexts, where technical and regulatory deficiencies are often compounded by limited behavioural evidence on how professionals understand and respond to waste generation. This study examines the awareness, attitudes, perceptions, and self-reported waste minimisation practices of construction professionals in Lagos, Nigeria, to clarify how these cognitive factors relate to waste minimisation. Using a quantitative cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 243 construction professionals through a structured questionnaire and analysed using exploratory factor analysis, such as the relative importance index, the Kruskal–Wallis H test, and Spearman’s rank correlation. The findings indicate a high level of awareness of waste reduction strategies, with organised waste sorting for material reuse ranked the highest (RII = 0.868). However, 54.3% of respondents still perceived waste as an inevitable by-product of construction projects, revealing an important cognitive–behavioural gap. Spearman’s rank correlation showed no statistically significant association between awareness and attitudes (r = 0.113, p = 0.079) and no significant association between awareness and perceptions (r = 0.049, p = 0.452). A statistically significant but weak positive association was found between attitudes and perceptions (r = 0.204, p ≤ 0.001), which is consistent with the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) theoretical expectations but does not constitute a direct test of the full TPB model. The study contributes context-specific behavioural evidence showing that awareness alone may be insufficient to support waste minimisation unless accompanied by more favourable perceptions of feasibility and value. These findings have implications for behaviourally informed policy, professional training, and circular construction strategies in Nigeria and similar contexts. Full article