Prospective exploration of the role of combined internalizing symptoms in self-reported memory among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: A growing literature suggests depression and anxiety increase risk of cognitive decline. However, few studies have examined their combined effects on cognition, among older adults, especially during periods of high stress. METHOD: Based on a sample of community dwelling older adults (N = 576), we evaluated the effects of pre-pandemic anxiety and depressive symptoms, obtained in September 2018, to changes in self-reported memory (SRM) assessed 3 months into the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: In separate models, we found participants with depression scores at least 1-SD above the mean and participants with anxiety scores at least 2-SD above the mean to report a significant decline in SRM. Moderation analyses revealed those with high depressive symptoms (at or above the mean) showed a decrease in SRM regardless of anxiety. The extent to which high pre-pandemic anxiety symptoms influenced SRM is dependent on whether pre-pandemic depression was at or above the mean. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-pandemic depression predicted a decline in SRM regardless of anxiety. Moderation analyses revealed that the extent to which anxiety symptoms influenced SRM was dependent on depression being at or above the mean. Those with high anxiety and depression are at highest risk of experiencing cognitive consequences related to stressful exposures like COVID-19.

A longitudinal examination of the protective effect of resilience against anxiety among older adults with high COVID-related worry.

This longitudinal study of community dwelling older adults (N = 453) examined consequences of COVID-related worries on changes in anxiety symptoms before relative to during the pandemic. We further evaluated if pre-COVID psychological resilience (PR) buffered the impact of COVID-related worry. Pre-COVID data were collected in September 2018. COVID-related worry and COVID anxiety symptoms were collected in October 2020 (Wave 2). Controlling for pre-COVID anxiety symptoms, we examined if COVID-related worries (e.g. I'm worried that I might die from COVID-19) were associated with increased anxiety symptoms, and whether pre-COVID PR moderated the association between COVID-related worries and prospective increases in anxiety symptoms. COVID-related worries were associated with increased anxiety symptoms (ß = 0.005, p < .01), whereas pre-COVID PR was associated with a decrease in anxiety symptoms (ß = -0.029, p < .05). PR moderated the association; COVID-related worries were associated with greater increases in anxiety symptoms among those with low pre-COVID PR (Model η2 = 0.35). Thus, the extent to which COVID-related worries influenced psychological health was dependent on pre-COVID levels of PR. We conclude the combined vulnerabilities of low pre-COVID PR and high COVID-related worries significantly increased the psychological consequences of COVID-19 for our sample of older adults.

Negative effects of internet interventions: a qualitative content analysis of patients' experiences with treatments delivered online.

Internet interventions are defined as the delivery of health care-related treatments via an online or a smartphone interface, and have been shown to be a viable alternative to face-to-face treatments. However, not all patients benefit from such treatments, and it is possible that some may experience negative effects. Investigations of face-to-face treatments indicate that deterioration occurs in 5-10% of all patients. The nature and scope of other negative effects of Internet interventions is, however, largely unknown. Hence, the current study explored patients' reported negative experiences while undergoing treatments delivered via the Internet. Data from four large clinical trials (total N = 558) revealed that 9.3% of patients reported some type of negative effects. Qualitative content analysis was used to explore the patients' responses to open-ended questions regarding their negative experiences. Results yielded two broad categories and four subcategories of negative effects: patient-related negative effects (insight and symptom) and treatment-related negative effects (implementation and format). Results emphasize the importance of always considering negative effects in Internet-based interventions, and point to several ways of preventing such experiences, including regular assessment of negative events, increasing the flexibility of treatment schedules and therapist contact, as well as prolonging the treatment duration.

Metabolic cost of rope training.

Rope training, consisting of vigorously undulating a rope with the upper body, has become a popular cardiovascular training choice in fitness centers and athletic performance enhancement facilities. Despite widespread use and growing popularity, little is known about the metabolic demands of rope training. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to quantify the cardiovascular and metabolic cost from an acute 10-minute bout of rope training. Eleven physically active participants used a 15.2-m rope anchored by a post, resulting in the participant holding 7.6 m of rope in each hand. The 10-minute protocol consisted of 15 seconds of vertical double-arm waves followed by 45 seconds of rest for 10 total repetitions. The metabolic cost was estimated from heart rate, lactate, resting O2 uptake, exercise O2 uptake, and excess postexercise O2 consumption measurements. The average heart rate for the workout was 163 ± 11 b·min with peak (Equation is included in full-text article.) of 35.4 ± 5.4 mL·kg(-1)·min(-1), and peak METs were 10.1 ± 1.6. Total energy expenditure was 467.3 ± 161.0 kJ. When expressed per unit of time, EE was 41.3 ± 14.1 kJ·min(-1). The results of this study suggest an acute 10-minute bout of rope training in a vigorous-intensity workout, resulting in high heart rates and energy expenditure, which meet previously established thresholds known to increase cardiorespiratory fitness.

Evaluating competing models of distress tolerance via structural equation modeling.

Distress Tolerance (DT) is a transdiagnostic risk and maintenance factor implicated in a wide range of internalizing spectrum (INT) disorders. DT is commonly conceptualized as a higher-order construct, yet its lower-order dimensions are still debated. While the tolerance of negative emotions, frustration, and physical discomfort are widely considered to be central features of DT, the inclusions of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and anxiety sensitivity (AS) are disputed. This study is the first to compare the two leading hierarchical models of DT directly. We also propose and test a DT model which includes IU and AS as lower-order dimensions. This "combined" model drew from the prior hierarchical theories and subsequent research demonstrating IU and AS to be highly correlated. To evaluate the competing models of DT, structured equation modeling was used to construct latent models representing each leading model and our novel "combined" model. A clinical sample was analyzed (N = 278), with participants having completed self-report scales measuring DT's theorized lower-order dimensions. Of the proposed models, the "combined" model demonstrated the best fit indices in the context of INT. A regression model with our "combined" model indicated that even after its shared variance with the Distress Intolerance Index (DII) was removed, it still had a moderate association with INT (ß = 0.805, p < .01). This suggests that the only extant measure of the higher-order DT construct, the DII, fails to capture considerable variance in its latent structure. Future directions are discussed.

Self-reported COVID-19 symptoms and perceived likelihood of suicide attempt among Latinx individuals who experience acculturative stress.

The impact of COVID-19 has led to a substantial economic and psychosocial burden on the Latinx population. However, few studies have evaluated how COVID-19 symptoms may exacerbate suicide risk indicators among Latinx persons, or the particular social determinants of health facilitating such detrimental effects. The present study examined the association between self-reported COVID-19 symptoms and suicide likelihood (i.e., self-reported perceived likelihood that one will attempt suicide in the future) among Latinx individuals within a timeframe involving high COVID-19 contagion before the onset of vaccine dissemination. Further, the possible moderating role of acculturative stress in the association between COVID-19 symptoms and suicide likelihood was examined. The sample included 200 Latinx participants (67.5% male, Mage = 34.67 years, SD = 9.15) who completed self-report measures on COVID-19 symptoms, suicide likelihood, acculturative stress, depressive symptoms, trauma symptoms, somatic symptoms, and general COVID-19 emotional impact. Findings indicated that self-reported COVID-19 symptoms were positively associated with suicide likelihood. Further, the association between COVID-19 symptoms and suicide likelihood was moderated by acculturative stress, such that the association was only statistically significant at mean or higher levels of acculturative stress but was not significant among participants with lower acculturative stress. The moderation effect was statistically significant after controlling for sociodemographic factors, depressive symptoms, trauma symptoms, somatic symptoms, and the general emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The current findings indicate that, among Latinx individuals, acculturative stress is a key social determinant of health for marked psychological distress in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Older adults and smoking: Characteristics, nicotine dependence and prevalence of DSM-IV 12-month disorders.

OBJECTIVES: There are few studies investigating the characteristics of older smokers. Research on younger adults has determined that (1) the diagnostic and statistical manual (DSM) diagnosis of nicotine dependence (ND) excludes a sizable portion of the smoking population, and (2) younger smokers have high rates of comorbid DSM disorders. In this study, we sought to replicate these results in an older population. METHOD: Based on a large representative sample, we examined the smoking patterns in adults aged 50 and over (N = 2139). We describe the characteristics of the current smokers (n = 410). We identified differences in smoking characteristics and prevalence rates of DSM-IV 12-month diagnoses by smoking severity. RESULTS: Most smokers did not meet the criteria for DSM 12-month ND. Older smokers identified as having ND were first diagnosed at a relatively older age. Smokers with ND differed from smokers without a diagnosis in several ways: they smoked more; they had more symptoms of ND and had substantially higher rates of comorbid DSM 12-month disorders. Nonetheless, there were a number of older smokers with dependency symptoms who continue to smoke throughout their lifetimes, but never meet the criteria for ND. CONCLUSION: Smokers without ND are most likely to have a mood disorder whereas those smokers with ND are most likely to have an anxiety or substance use disorder. Smokers without ND still have relatively high rates of dependency symptoms. Given the late onset of ND, smoking dependence may be a progressive disorder. High rates of psychiatric disorders may interfere with smoking cessation.

Eligibility Classification as a Factor in Understanding Student-Athlete Responses to Collegiate Volleyball Competition.

The current study examined differences in heart rate variability (HRV) across student-athletes of different eligibility classifications and analyzed differences in HRV when competing at home or away. Fourteen female collegiate volleyball players volunteered for the study. Data collection encompassed an entire collegiate season, with comparisons in HRV made between home and away games, as well as pre-gameday, gameday, and post-gameday recordings for the whole squad. Comparisons were also made between student-athlete eligibility classification, with self-reported measures of sleep quality, fatigue, muscle soreness, stress, and mood recorded at the time of HRV measurement. Freshman athletes reported a significantly (p < 0.05, η2 = 0.17) lower HRV (80.3 ± 9.7) compared to sophomore (85.7 ± 7.2), junior (91.2 ± 8.3), and senior (86.5 ± 7.2) athletes, while junior athletes had a significantly higher HRV when compared to sophomore and senior athletes. All athlete classifications reported similar HRV for home and away games, and there was no difference in HRV for any athlete classification group when comparing pre-gameday, gameday, and post-gameday measures. Freshman athletes reported significantly (p < 0.05, η2 = 0.23) worse mood states compared to the other eligibility classifications, while self-reported stress was significantly (p < 0.05) worse in junior and senior athletes. Results suggest that monitoring the workload of student-athletes based on their eligibility classification holds merit. Collegiate coaching and support staff should be aware of the academic and competitive demands placed on their student-athletes. In particular, freshman athletes adjusting to the increased demands placed on them as collegiate student-athlete may warrant additional support.

12.5 Gbit/s carrier-injection-based silicon micro-ring silicon modulators.

We show a scheme for achieving high-speed operation for carrier-injection based silicon electro-optical modulator, which is optimized for small size and high modulation depth. The performance of the device is analyzed theoretically and a 12.5-Gbit/s modulation with high extinction ratio >9dB is demonstrated experimentally using a silicon micro-ring modulator.

Cascaded silicon micro-ring modulators for WDM optical interconnection.

We experimentally demonstrate cascaded silicon micro-ring modulators as the key component of a WDM interconnection system. We show clean eye-diagrams when each of the four micro-ring modulators is modulated at 4 Gbit/s. We show that optical inter-channel crosstalk is negligible with 1.3-nm channel spacing.

seco-Hinokiol, a new abietane diterpenoid from Rosmarinus officinalis.

seco-Hinokiol (1), a new abietane diterpenoid, has been isolated from the leaves of Rosmarinus officinalis. Its structure was elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. To our knowledge, this is the fourth report of a seco-abietane having been isolated. In addition, methyl carnosate (4) was synthesized from carnosic acid (3), and detailed NMR spectroscopic data are provided to clarify previous literature reports.