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Background: Social isolation and loneliness have both been associated with psychological health and cognitive decline in older adults. This study investigated the impact of social interaction through remote communication technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic on the cognitive and psychological status of older adults with and without cognitive impairment. Methods: Participants were recruited from Boston (USA) and Chieti (Italy). The study used a randomized single-blinded controlled crossover design with an intervention (remote social conversations with research staff over 20-minute video or telephone calls three times per week) and a passive control condition, each one of 4-weeks duration. The primary outcome was a composite cognitive score change from baseline to week 4. Secondary outcomes included scales for mood, anxiety, and loneliness. Results: Out of 196 participants recruited from April 2020 to April 2021, 17% dropped out. Based on the blind MoCA, 52% had cognitive impairment, and 25% were at risk of social isolation according to the Lubben social network scale. We observed that larger social networks were linked to better cognitive status and lower depression and anxiety levels, while loneliness was directly associated to depression severity. Older adults with cognitive impairment exhibited higher levels of depression and anxiety and were at greater risk for social isolation. In terms of the intervention, 91% preferred telephone over video calls. The intervention did not lead to improvements in cognitive or psychological scores. Conclusions: More work is needed to assess the utility of this intervention for the support of a heterogenous cross-cultural sample of older adults at-risk for social isolation, including individuals with cognitive impairment. Future research should explore longer intervention periods, categorize participants by call type, and target those meeting social isolation criteria. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04480112. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) scans provide in vivo evidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, their high cost limits their use in standard clinical care. Event related potentials (ERPs) may represent an inexpensive and non-invasive additional method for detecting AD pathology. Objective: We investigated whether ERPs, along with neuropsychological data, serve as predictors of amyloid PET status in patients with memory complaints. Methods: Veterans aged 50–100 were recruited from a memory disorders clinic. Participants underwent a neuropsychological battery and an ERP auditory oddball protocol. Twenty-eight patients had a positive amyloid PET scan, and thirty-nine patients had a negative scan. Results: ERP-P200 target amplitude and P200 standard latency were predictors of amyloid PET status. When submitting to ROC analysis, P200 standard latency exhibited the highest specificity and sensitivity in predicting amyloid PET positivity, correctly classifying the amyloid PET status for 86% of patients. Conclusions: ERP-P200 measures are strong indicators of amyloid-β presence in patients from a memory disorder clinic. Increased P200 amplitude and decreased P200 latency in patients with a positive amyloid PET scan may be attributed to hyperactivation of perceptual bottom-up processes compensating for AD-related synaptic loss in the fronto-parietal networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the article is to inform about the Cuban Vocational Education and Training System. Based on the analyse of different studies, on expert interviews and on field experiences the authors give a clear overview of the Cuban VET-System. This description is embedded in the presentation of the general education system in Cuba and in a short look on the specific Cuban labour market. Due to the beginning economic changes in Cuba the actual development and the future changes in the Cuban vocational education and training system is outlined. Open questions are discussed at the end in the conclusion. (Contains 3 figures.)

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7976.2007.00089.x Byline: Jill J. McCluskey (1), Ron C. Mittelhammer (2), Anna B. Marin (3), Khaliela S. Wright (4) Abstract: This paper uses individual apple-level data that include consumer sensory assessments and instrumental measurements of internal quality to analyze willingness to pay for Washington State Gala apples. Three distinct models are estimated: a model that includes destructive internal quality measures of apple characteristics, a model that utilizes only non-destructive internal quality measures, and a consumer model that includes subjective consumer sensory evaluations and consumer socio-demographic characteristics. The objective is to identify instrumental measures of internal quality that can be used to inform the apple industry of consumer preferences. The consumer model serves as a benchmark. Finally, we evaluate whether non-destructive measures of internal quality can substitute for destructive measures. We find that firmness and soluble solids content are significant and can be measured effectively using non-destructive measures. Implications of the findings for the apple industry in terms of marketing and possible 'elite' standards for apples are discussed. Le present article utilise des donnees individuelles, notamment des evaluations sensorielles et des mesures instrumentales, pour analyser la volonte de payer des consommateurs pour des pommes Gala de l'Etat de Washington. Nous avons estime trois modeles : un modele comprenant des mesures instrumentales qui affectent la qualite interne des pommes; un modele qui utilise des mesures instrumentales qui n'affectent pas la qualite interne; un modele du consommateur qui comprend des evaluations sensorielles subjectives et des caracteristiques sociodemographiques. L'objectif consistait a identifier les mesures instrumentales qui pourraient etre utilisees pour renseigner l'industrie pomicole sur les preferences des consommateurs. Le modele du consommateur a servi de point de reference. Finalement, nous avons examine si les techniques non destructives de mesure de la qualite interne pouvaient ou non remplacer les techniques destructives. Nous avons trouve que la fermete et la teneur en solides solubles sont des caracteristiques importantes et qu'elles peuvent etre mesurees efficacement au moyen de techniques non destructives. Nous discutons des repercussions de ces resultats sur l'industrie pomicole sur le plan du marketing et de l'etablissement possible de normes ≪elite≫. Author Affiliation: (1)Associate Professor, School of Economic Sciences, and Food Policy Fellow, IMPACT Center, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington (corresponding author: phone: 509-335-2835; fax: 509-335-1173; e-mail:mccluskey@wsu.edu). (2)Regents Professor, School of Economic Sciences and Department of Statistics, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington. (3)Sensory & Consumer Program Director, Food Innovation Center, 1207 NW Naito Pkwy., Portland, Oregon. (4)Former Graduate Student, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington.