Melanoma is the deadliest form of all skin cancers and is highly linked to sun-related behavior in patients. However, sun-protection behavior to prevent melanoma in this population has been shown to be inadequate to date. The objective of this study was to compare changes in sun protection habit before and after patients' diagnosis with malignant melanoma. The study also seeks patients' advice on how to improve public education on melanoma prevention. A retrospective survey study was conducted on 68 respondents of patients diagnosed with melanoma from six different dermatologic practices in various boroughs of New York and Long Island in the state of New York by telephone interviews. There was a significant positive change in patients' sun-protection behavior after they were diagnosed with melanoma. Various methods of sun protection, such as avoiding sun exposure, applying and reapplying sunscreen, and wearing protective clothing were practiced more frequently after diagnosis. In addition, the frequency of sunbathing decreased drastically. Most patients were aware about the dangers of sun exposure before their diagnosis. They, however, did not feel the need to adopt sun-protection measures before their diagnosis. Respondents advised that education on dangers to excess sun exposure should be provided at an early age through multiple venues. The study reflected that 71% of diagnosed patients who completed the survey were informed about sun protection before their diagnosis. Many patients did not follow strict guidelines to prevent sun damage as shown by their behaviors before diagnosis. Diagnosis of the disease was apparently the main motivating factor to initiate challenging behavioral changes.

Huntington's disease is caused by a polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in the huntingtin protein which results in its abnormal aggregation in the nervous system. Huntingtin aggregates are linked to toxicity and neuronal dysfunction, but a comprehensive understanding of the aggregation mechanism in vivo remains elusive. Here, we examine the morphology of polyQ aggregates in Caenorhabditis elegans mechanosensory neurons as a function of age using confocal and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. We find that aggregates in young worms are mostly spherical with homogenous intensity, but as the worm ages aggregates become substantially more heterogeneous. Most prominently, in older worms we observe an apparent core/shell morphology of polyQ assemblies with decreased intensity in the center. The fluorescence lifetime of polyQ is uniform across the aggregate indicating that the dimmed intensity in the assembly center is most likely not due to quenching or changes in local environment, but rather to displacement of fluorescent polyQ from the central region. This apparent core/shell architecture of polyQ aggregates in aging C. elegans neurons contributes to the diverse landscape of polyQ aggregation states implicated in Huntington's disease.

Background and objectives:This prospective study seeks to examine the utility of SCD as a marker of future progression to dementia in a community-based cohort of non-Latinx White, non-Latinx Black and Latinx individuals. Debate surrounds the utility of Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD), the subjective perception of decline in one’s cognition before such impairment is evident in traditional neuropsychological assessments, as an early indicator of impending Alzheimer’s disease. Unfortunately, most studies examining SCD have been conducted in non-Latinx White samples and commonly exclude groups of individuals shown to be most vulnerable to dementia.Methods:Participants were enrolled into this cohort study from the Washington Heights–Inwood Columbia Aging Project (WHICAP) if they were cognitively unimpaired, had baseline measurement of SCD and self-identified as non-Latinx White, non-Latinx Black or Latinx. SCD was measured as a continuous sum of 10-items assessing cognitive complaints. Competing risk models tested main effects of baseline SCD on progression to dementia. Models were adjusted for age, sex/gender, years of education, medical comorbidity burden, enrollment cohort and baseline memory test performance with death jointly modelled as a function of race/ethnicity.Results:A total of 4,043 (1,063 non-Latinx White, 1,267 non-Latinx Black and 1,713 Latinx) participants were selected for this study with mean age of 75 years, 67% women and with a mean follow up of 5 years. Higher baseline SCD was associated with increased rates of incident dementia over time in the full sample (HR=1.085, CI=1.047, 1.125, p<.001) as well as within Latinx (HR=1.084, CI=1.039, 1.130, p<.001) and Black individuals (HR=1.099, CI=1.012, 1.194, p=.024).Discussion:Overall results of this study support SCD as a prodromal marker of dementia in a multiracial community sample, and in Latinx and non-Latinx Black individuals in particular. As models examining the risk of dementia were adjusted for baseline memory test performance, results support the idea that SCD, a subjective reflection of one’s own current cognitive functioning, contributes information above and beyond standard memory testing. Current findings highlight the importance of carefully evaluating any memory concerns raised by older adults during routine visits and underscore the potential utility of screening older adults for SCD.

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