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BackgroundOur goal was to investigate the role of physical exercise to protect brain health as we age, including the potential to mitigate Alzheimer's-related pathology. We assessed the effect of 52 weeks of a supervised aerobic exercise program on amyloid accumulation, cognitive performance, and brain volume in cognitively normal older adults with elevated and sub-threshold levels of cerebral amyloid as measured by amyloid PET imaging.Methods and findingsThis 52-week randomized controlled trial compared the effects of 150 minutes per week of aerobic exercise vs. education control intervention. A total of 117 underactive older adults (mean age 72.9 [7.7]) without evidence of cognitive impairment, with elevated (n = 79) or subthreshold (n = 38) levels of cerebral amyloid were randomized, and 110 participants completed the study. Exercise was conducted with supervision and monitoring by trained exercise specialists. We conducted 18F-AV45 PET imaging of cerebral amyloid and anatomical MRI for whole brain and hippocampal volume at baseline and Week 52 follow-up to index brain health. Neuropsychological tests were conducted at baseline, Week 26, and Week 52 to assess executive function, verbal memory, and visuospatial cognitive domains. Cardiorespiratory fitness testing was performed at baseline and Week 52 to assess response to exercise. The aerobic exercise group significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness (11% vs. 1% in the control group) but there were no differences in change measures of amyloid, brain volume, or cognitive performance compared to control.ConclusionsAerobic exercise was not associated with reduced amyloid accumulation in cognitively normal older adults with cerebral amyloid. In spite of strong systemic cardiorespiratory effects of the intervention, the observed lack of cognitive or brain structure benefits suggests brain benefits of exercise reported in other studies are likely to be related to non-amyloid effects.Trial registrationNCT02000583; ClinicalTrials.gov.

INTRODUCTION: Hispanics remain underrepresented in dementia clinical research. This one-arm trial aimed to assess the preliminary efficacy of a culturally tailored recruitment educational strategy among Hispanic older adults on dementia knowledge, research participation attitudes, and enrollment. METHOD: The recruitment strategy included 6 one-session culturally tailored dementia education events at trusted community senior centers. Participants received a pre-post survey including a 5-point Likert-type scale and the Epidemiology/Etiology Disease Scale to assess dementia knowledge, and a 4-point Likert-type scale assessing research participation attitudes. We gave participants contact information slips to complete if interested in dementia research. We also tracked participants enrollment into the National Alzheimers Coordinating Center Cohort. RESULTS: Dementia knowledge increased 0.9 points (5-point Likert-type scale) and 2.2 points (epidemiology/etiology disease scale, p < .001). Interest in participating in dementia research increased from 61.7% to 80.9% (p = .039), 64.0% returned their contact information slips, and 41.1% successfully enrolled into the National Alzheimers Coordinating Center Cohort. CONCLUSION: A recruitment strategy including culturally tailored dementia education improves dementia knowledge, research participation attitudes, and enrollment among Hispanic older adults.

Division is an essential skill for math fluency and achievement in higher-order math skills. Using a partial quotients algorithm is one way to support a student's ability to develop both conceptual and computational knowledge of long division. We used the self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) framework to develop lesson plans and a mnemonic to guide students through the long division process. Using a multiple-baseline across participants design, SRSD instruction resulted in a functional relation between the intervention and both correct answers and rubric scores. The intervention was implemented by a practitioner with high levels of fidelity and had high levels of acceptability from both teacher and student perspectives. We present limitations and future directions in this area.

Students with mathematics difficulties often struggle with conceptual and procedural understanding of fractions. Self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) is an evidence-based framework for teaching a variety of academic skills, including mathematics. The purpose of this study was to extend preliminary work using "SRSD Fractions" to support the fraction performance of fourth-grade students with mathematics difficulties. Using a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, we evaluated the effects of a Tier 2 intervention implemented within a multitiered systems of support framework with 60 participants, 16 of whom participated in the intervention. While students in the treatment group had higher scores on the posttest, the local average treatment effect was not statistically significant, but the overall difference in difference score suggested a large effect (g = 0.81; 95 percent CI 0.18 and 1.43). Limitations and future directions are discussed.

This article provides results from a study examining the impact of a self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) intervention on the fraction calculations of three Grade 5 male students with or at-risk for emotional or behavioral disorders using a multiple-baseline across students, single-case design. The teacher-led SRSD Fractions intervention addressed adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators using the FILMS (Find the denominator, Identify the multiples, Locate the least common multiple, Multiply to make new fractions, Solve the problem) strategy. Results of fraction probes are reported along with a discussion of the study with respect to the research question posed, limitations, and future directions for research.

The intertwined academic and behavior deficits, often referred to as the failure cycle, of students with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) negatively impact learning and skill acquisition. Reading comprehension is one academic area where students with and at risk for EBD display significant deficits. The self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instructional approach is one method that accounts for students' metacognitive skills and learning behaviors, making it a promising approach for use with students with and at risk for EBD, including students served in more restrictive settings. This article provides an overview of SRSD, a reading comprehension strategy taught using the SRSD instructional approach, and describes how to integrate low-intensity behavior strategies into SRSD reading instruction to further support the needs of students with and at risk for EBD.

Self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) is an effective instructional approach used to teach academic strategies for skills such as writing and reading comprehension. Included in SRSD are direct strategy instruction and explicit procedures for teaching self-regulation skills, a method that has been effective at improving academic skills of students with disabilities, including those with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). However, due to pre-existing deficits in self-regulation skills, students with EBD may benefit from intensifying the four self-regulation skills already present in SRSD. This article provides practical examples for intensifying goal setting, self-monitoring, self-instructions, and self-reinforcement within the existing SRSD instructional approach.

Fractions are an imperative skill for students to master to achieve success in future mathematics concepts and classes. Yet many students, especially those experiencing math difficulties and/or characteristics of emotional and behavioral disorders, continue to exit elementary school without a concrete foundation of fractions skills required to successfully transition into higher level math courses. In this article, we present an overview of SRSD Fractions, a strategy instructional framework to teach adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. We highlight the benefits of using the framework to promote student engagement and skill mastery and identify free-access resources for educators to successfully implement the math intervention in their own classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop a flexible, vendor‐neutral EPI sequence for hyperpolarized 13C metabolic imaging. Methods: An open‐source EPI sequence consisting of a metabolite‐specific spectral‐spatial RF excitation pulse and a customizable EPI readout was created using the Pulseq framework. To explore the flexibility of our sequence, we tested several versions of the sequence including a symmetric 3D readout with different spatial resolutions for each metabolite (1.0 cm3 and 1.5 cm3). A multichamber phantom constructed with a Shepp‐Logan geometry, containing two chambers filled with either natural abundance 13C compounds or hyperpolarized (HP) [1–13C]pyruvate, was used to test each sequence. For experiments involving HP [1–13C]pyruvate, a single chamber was prefilled with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydride and lactate dehydrogenase to facilitate the conversion of [1–13C]pyruvate to [1–13C]lactate. All experiments were performed on a Siemens Prisma 3T scanner. Results: All the sequence variations localized natural‐abundance 13C ethylene glycol and methanol to the appropriate compartment of the multichamber phantom. [1–13C]pyruvate was detectable in both chambers following the injection of HP [1–13C]pyruvate, whereas [1–13C]lactate was only found in the chamber containing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydride and lactate dehydrogenase. The conversion rate from [1–13C]pyruvate to [1–13C]lactate (kPL) was 0.01 s−1 (95% confidence interval [0.00, 0.02]). Conclusion: We have developed and tested a vendor‐neutral EPI sequence for imaging HP 13C agents. We have made all of our sequence creation and image reconstruction code freely available online for other investigators to use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To demonstrate hyperpolarization of 15N‐caffeine and report exploratory findings as a potential probe of liver function and perfusion. Methods: An amorphous formulation of [1,3‐15N2]caffeine was developed for hyperpolarization via dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization. Polarizer hardware was augmented to support monitoring of solid‐state 15N MR signals during the buildup of hyperpolarization. Liquid state hyperpolarized 15N MR signals were obtained in a preclinical 3T magnet by interfacing an external spectrometer console with home‐built RF surface coils. 15N signal decay constants were estimated in H2O and in vivo in liver and brain regions of rats at 3 T. Decays were also measured at 9.4 T to assess the effect of B0, and in the presence of albumin to assess the impact of protein binding. Results: Polarization levels of 3.5% and aqueous T1 relaxation times of nearly 200 s were attained for both N1 and N3 positions at 3 T. Shorter apparent decay constants were observed in vivo, ranging from 25 s to 43 s, with modest extensions possible by exploiting competitive binding of iophenoxate with plasma albumin. Downstream products of caffeine could not be detected on in vivo 15N‐MR spectra of the liver region, even with metabolic stimulation by β$$ \beta $$‐naphthoflavone treatment. Considering the high perfusion rate of brain, persistence of caffeine signal in this region is consistent with potential value as a perfusion imaging agent. Conclusion: These results establish the feasibility of hyperpolarization of hyperpolarized 15N‐caffeine, but further work is necessary to establish the role of this new agent to probe liver metabolism and perfusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized from its early stages by a profound remodeling of the liver microenvironment, encompassing changes in the composition and activities of multiple cell types and associated gene expression patterns. Hyperpolarized (HP) 13C MRI provides a unique view of the metabolic microenvironment, with potential relevance for early diagnosis of liver disease. Previous studies have detected changes in HP 13C pyruvate to lactate conversion, catalyzed by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), with experimental liver injury. HP ∝ -ketobutyrate (∝ KB) is a close molecular analog of pyruvate with modified specificity for LDH isoforms, specifically attenuated activity with their LDHA-expressed subunits that dominate liver parenchyma. Building on recent results with pyruvate, we investigated HP ∝ KB in methionine-choline deficient (MCD) diet as a model of early-stage NASH. Similarity of results between this new agent and pyruvate (~ 50% drop in cytoplasmic reducing capacity), interpreted together with gene expression data from the model, suggests that changes are mediated through broad effects on intermediary metabolism. Plausible mechanisms are depletion of the lactate pool by upregulation of gluconeogenesis (GNG) and pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) flux, and a possible shift toward increased lactate oxidation. These changes may reflect high levels of oxidative stress and/or shifting macrophage populations in NASH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the audiences that scholars imagine encountering online and the ways in which these audiences impact scholars' online participation and presentation of self. Prior research suggests that imagined audiences affect what users share and how they present themselves on social media, but little research has examined this topic in the context of faculty members and doctoral students (i.e., scholars). An analysis of interviews with 16 scholars shows that imagined audiences span the personal-professional continuum. Further, most scholars imagined their online audiences as known and familiar. Though many recognized collapsed contexts as problematic, several others appeared more comfortable with audience collapse than prior literature suggests. Findings also suggest that scholars' conceptualizations of their audiences differ from those of their universities, principally in that scholars imagine their audiences as communities rather than as venues for attracting professional attention.

The article discusses how we experience and manage our urges, filling a notable gap in the philosophical literature on self-knowledge. It mentions that 'active' or 'occurrent' motivational episodes such as urges and impulses, the theory not only advances our grasp of motivational states but also sheds light on the phenomenology of these experiences. Three key components: the nature of urges, our awareness of these urges, and our ability to control them are also explored.

INTRODUCTION: Recruitment of sufficient and diverse participants into clinical research for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias remains a formidable challenge. The primary goal of this manuscript is to provide an overview of an approach to diversifying research recruitment and to provide case examples of several methods for achieving greater diversity in clinical research enrollment. METHODS: The University of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (KU ADRC) developed MyAlliance for Brain Health (MyAlliance), a service‐oriented recruitment model. MyAlliance comprises a Primary Care Provider Network, a Patient and Family Network, and a Community Organization Network, each delivering tailored value to relevant parties while facilitating research referrals. RESULTS: We review three methods for encouraging increased diversity in clinical research participation. Initial outcomes reveal an increase in underrepresented participants from 17% to 27% in a research registry. Enrollments into studies supported by the research registry experienced a 51% increase in proportion of participants from underrepresented communities. DISCUSSION: MyAlliance shifts power, resources, and knowledge to community advocates, promoting brain health awareness and research participation, and demands substantial financial investment and administrative commitment. MyAlliance offers valuable lessons for building sustainable, community‐centered research recruitment infrastructure, emphasizing the importance of localized engagement and cultural understanding. Highlights: MyAlliance led to a significant increase in the representation of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and individuals from rural areas.The service‐oriented approach facilitated long‐term community engagement and trust‐building, extending partnerships between an academic medical center and community organizations.While effective, MyAlliance required substantial financial investment, with costs including infrastructure development, staff support, partner organization compensation, and promotional activities, underscoring the resource‐intensive nature of inclusive research recruitment efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education institutions have embraced social media platforms. Yet, little research has examined the characteristics of institutional social media accounts and the narratives their posts construct for faculty and student life. By investigating these topics, researchers can better understand the actual and potential roles of these tools in contemporary universities. This study focused on understanding how Canada's public universities use Twitter, reporting descriptive, inferential, and qualitative analyses of large-scale Twitter data. Findings show extensive variability in participation patterns among institutions. Although rhetoric surrounding Twitter suggests an interactive platform, institutions mostly use it to broadcast information and construct overwhelmingly positive representations of institutional life. While the identified representations are partly authentic, they are also incomplete and misleading. Such representations suggest difficulty for students and faculty seeking to use social media to accurately anticipate campus life or to interact online in these spaces.

This article examines science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education as represented in North American educational contexts. In this article we will argue that the dominant view of STEM education as currently circulated and practiced in the United States and Canada is not much more than an acronym of discrete disciplinary areas. We offer a critical review of popular literature about STEM education and argue that too much emphasis in popular culture is currently on a quick fix of recent global economic conditions. Critical inquiry is proposed as a method for teacher candidates to "reflexively deliberate" on why curriculum integration (i.e., ®), the arts and humanities [i.e., (A)] and sustainability education [i.e., (S)] are important areas of STEM education. We discuss why an integrated view of ST®E(A)M(S) education that honors disciplinary content but does not succumb to disciplinary isolation is needed.