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BACKGROUND: Dementia and depression are highly prevalent, comorbid conditions in older adults residing in care homes and are associated with individual distress and associated challenges for care staff. Music-based interventions are widely used and potentially effective nonpharmacological interventions, due to the relative preservation of the ability of people with dementia to respond to music even with disease progression. However, there is a lack of large-scale studies evaluating the effectiveness of music-based interventions in dementia care. Music Interventions for Dementia and Depression in the Elderly (MIDDEL) is the first large-scale international cluster-randomised controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness of small group music therapy (GMT), recreational choir singing (RCS) and their combination on levels of depression in residents with dementia. The trial is currently being conducted across six countries, and this presentation will outline the study outcomes from the Australian arm of the trial. METHOD: Between June 2018 and November 2019, 20 care home units were randomised to music interventions (GMT, RCS, GMT and RCS) or standard care delivered over 6 months. The primary outcome was level of depression as measured by the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Secondary outcomes included neuropsychiatric symptoms, quality of life, care staff burden and adverse events collected at baseline, 3-months, 6-months and 12-months post-randomisation. Outcomes were analysed as intention-to-treat, per-protocol, and with exploratory predictor analyses. RESULTS: 318 participants (215 female; 103 male) aged 65 years or more with diagnoses of dementia and at least mild depressive symptoms (as defined by score of 8 or above on MADRS) residing in care homes were recruited. In addition, 131 care staff (108 female; 23 male) answered questions regarding perceived care burden to search for potential ripple effects of the music interventions. We will present

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a global impact on the tourism sector. With tourism numbers dramatically reduced, millions of jobs could be lost, and progress made in equality and sustainable economic growth could be rolled back. Widespread reports of dramatic changes to protected and conserved1 area visitation have negative consequences for conservation finances, tourism businesses and the livelihoods of people who supply labour, goods and services to tourists and tourism businesses. This paper aims to share experiences from around the world on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on protected area tourism; and considers how to build resilience within protected area tourism as a regenerative conservation tool.

Background For researchers working in gerontology or the demography of ageing, knowledge of and access to population-based data, which includes mature age respondents, is critical. The collection of metadata (information describing data) supports researchers in their search for relevant data. Aims This proof-of-concept project seeks to develop a metadata database including metadata on Australian sample surveys relevant to ageing over the period 2010–2018. Data and methods We used a five-stage approach to create the Centre for Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR) metadata database on ageing: 1) identification of in-scope survey datasets; 2) indexing the in-scope surveys; 3) scraping metadata from publicly available sources; 4) appending metadata to a master database; and 5) creation of a webtool to enable users to search and export metadata and obtain contact details for the relevant data custodian. Results The CEPAR Metadata Database webtool is available from: https://mspgh.unimelb.edu.au/centres-institutes/centre-for-health-policy/research-group/metadata-database. Conclusions Metadata database collections can assist researchers to identify what data has been collected (for their specific research interest in ageing), how it was collected and how to gain access to the data.

In recent years, traditional power systems have undergone a significant transition, mainly related to the massive penetration of renewable generation. More specifically, the transformation of residential consumers into prosumers has been challenging the existing operation of the electricity market. This transition brings new challenges and opportunities to the power system, leading to new business models. One widely discussed change is related to a consumer-centric or prosumer-driven approach, promoting increased participation of small consumers in power systems. The present paper aims at discussing the recent business models as enablers of the increasing prosumers’ role. To do so, it defines the main features of prosumers and their related regulation as well as possible market designs within power systems. In addition, it discusses enabling technologies to properly create the conditions that sustain new prosumer-driven markets. Then, it presents a comprehensive review of existing and innovative business models and a discussion on their future roles in modern power systems. Moreover, a set of recommendations for promoting these business models in the power system is provided. An important conclusion is that, even though economically possible, not all innovative business models can spread around the world due to regulatory obstacles.

Cytoprotective bile acids such as ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) are known for their ability to inhibit apoptosis at submicellar concentrations in both hepatic and nonhepatic cells. The exact mechanism by which they exert this cytoprotection is not yet entirely clear, but their effect seems to be related with the blockage of processes that converge on mitochondrial damage. Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) plays a key role in apoptosis, which is achieved through translocation of the protein to the mitochondria from the cytosol after an apoptotic stimulus and formation of pores in mitochondrial membranes. We show here that both UDCA and TUDCA inhibit the interaction of Bax with activator molecules such as the Bid-BH3 peptide and decrease the affinity of Bax for liposomes mimicking outer mitochondrial membrane composition. Importantly, UDCA and TUDCA are shown to dramatically inhibit Bax-induced permeabilization of model membranes. The direct impact of apoptotic and cytoprotective bile acids on Bax translocation is monitored in HCT116 Bax/Bak DKO cells expressing Bax-GFP. The findings presented here clearly show that at physiologically active submicellar concentrations, bile acids have the ability to inhibit Bax poreforming activity and suggest that the cytoprotective activity of UDCA and TUDCA could be the result of this process., Supplement: 1Meeting Abstract: P-396

In a ARMA-APARCH time series model with innovations Z, the delta-stationarity condition of the APARCH process involves the delta-th moment of the difference between the absolute value of the innovations with the product of the asymmetry parameter and the innovations. This moment allows calculating more efficiently the estimates of the parameters of the model by maximum likelihood. In this article, we obtain explicit expressions of this delta - th moment where Z has stable and GEV distribution. These moments have been implemented in our GEVStableGarch package available in CRAN R-PROJECT developed to estimate the parameters of ARMA-GARCH / APARCH models with stable innovations and GEV., En un modelo de series temporales ARMA-APARCH con innovaciones Z, la condición de delta - estacionariedad del proceso APARCH envuelve el delta-ésimo momento de la diferencia entre el valor absoluto de las innovaciones con el producto del parámetro de asimetría y las innovaciones. Este momento permite calcular de forma mas eficiente las estimativas de máxima verosimilitud de los parámetros del modelo. En este artículo, son obtenidas expresiones explícitas de ese delta-ésimo momento onde Z tem distribución estable y GEV. Esos momentos se han implementado en nuestro paquete GEVStableGarch disponible en CRAN R-PROJECT desarrollado para estimar los parámetros de los modelos ARMA-GARCH / APARCH con innovaciones estables y GEV.

There is no sign of saturation in accumulation of alien species (AS) introductions worldwide, additionally the rate of spread for some species has also been shown to be increasing. However, the challenges of gathering information on AS are recognized. Recent developments in citizen science (CS) provide an opportunity to improve data flow and knowledge on AS while ensuring effective and high quality societal engagement with the issue of IAS (Invasive Alien Species). Advances in technology, particularly on-line recording and smartphone apps, along with the development of social media, have revolutionized CS and increased connectivity while new and innovative analysis techniques are emerging to ensure appropriate management, visualization, interpretation and use and sharing of the data. In early July 2018 we launched a European CO-operation in Science and Technology (COST) Action to address multidisciplinary research questions in relation to developing and implementing CS, advancing scientific understanding of AS dynamics while informing decision-making specifically implementation of technical requirements of relevant legislation such as the EU Regulation 1143/2014 on IAS. It will also support the EU biodiversity goals and embedding science within society. The Action will explore and document approaches to establishing a European-wide CS AS network. It will embrace relevant innovations for data gathering and reporting to support the implementation of monitoring and surveillance measures, while ensuring benefits for society and citizens, through an AS CS European network. The Action will, therefore, increase levels of participation and quality of engagement with current CS initiatives, ensuring and evaluating educational value, and improve the value outcomes for potential users including citizens, scientists, alien species managers, policy-makers, local authorities, industry and other stakeholders.