Objective
To evaluate the role of comorbidity and pain in the association between hip/knee osteoarthritis (OA) with self‐reported as well as performance‐based functional limitations in a general ...elderly population.
Methods
We analyzed the data of 2,942 individuals, ages between 65 and 85 years, who participated in the European Project on Osteoarthritis, which was made up of 6 European cohorts (from Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the UK). Outcomes included self‐reported physical function measured by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and the participants’ performance‐based physical function was evaluated using the walking test.
Results
While comorbidity did not affect the significant association between hip/knee OA and physical function limitations found in the participants, pain reduced the effect of OA on self‐reported physical function, and it cancelled the effect of OA on the walking test. Obesity, anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular diseases were associated with the worst WOMAC scores. Obesity, cognitive impairment, depression, peripheral artery disease, and stroke were associated with the worst walking times.
Conclusion
These findings demonstrate that while comorbidity is strongly and independently associated with functional limitations, it does not affect the OA–physical function association. Hip/knee OA is associated with self‐reported impairment in physical function, which was only partially mediated by pain. Its association with physical function, as evaluated by the walking test, was instead completely mediated by pain.
Nuclear physics midterm plan at LNS De Filippo, E.; Nania, R.; Pizzone, R. G. ...
European physical journal plus,
11/2023, Letnik:
138, Številka:
11
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The next years will see the completion of several new facilities at Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare – Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS) opening up new possibilities in the fields of nuclear ...structure, nuclear dynamics, nuclear astrophysics and applications. These include a new line for high-intensity cyclotron beams, a new facility for in-flight production of radioactive ion beams, the PANDORA plasma trap for multidisciplinary studies and a high-power laser for basic science and applied physics. The nuclear physics community has organized a workshop to discuss the new physics opportunities that will be possible in the middle term (5–7 years) by employing state-of-the-art detection systems. A detailed discussion of the outcome from the workshop is presented in this report.
Polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed in Annona deceptrix (Annonaceae) to evaluate its genetic diversity and population structure. This species is a relevant agricultural and food ...resource for society because its edible fruit that can be considered as a consumption option. However, natural populations have a high degree of vulnerability caused for human activities and disturbances. The objective of this study was to isolate and characterize SSR loci as a tool to determine the genetic diversity in A. deceptrix and others in Annonaceae family. Twenty-two polymorphic Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) loci were isolated from A. deceptrix using a new-generation kit Nextera of miseq illumine technology. The mean number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 8. Observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.00 to 1.0 and 0.00 to 0.93, respectively. The average the inbreeding coefficient in the Humedad site was 0.007, while in Agua Blanca and Tachina, they obtained negative values of -0.090 and -3.222, respectively. These are the first microsatellite markers developed for A. deceptrix. All SSR markers developed are promising candidates for analysing genetic variation within or between natural populations and can be transferable to other species of the genus Annona.
Background and aims
Cognitive impairments associated with aging and dementia are major sources of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPs) and deterioration in quality of life (QoL). Preventive measures to ...both reduce disease and improve QoL in those affected are increasingly targeting individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at early disease stage. However, NPs and QoL outcomes are too commonly overlooked in intervention trials. The purpose of this study was to test the effects of physical and cognitive training on NPs and QoL in MCI.
Methods
Baseline data from an MCI court (
N
= 93, mean age 74.9 ± 4.7) enrolled in the Train the Brain (TtB) study were collected. Subjects were randomized in two groups: a group participated to a cognitive and physical training program, while the other sticked to usual standard care. Both groups underwent a follow-up re-evaluation after 7 months from baseline. NPs were assessed using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and QoL was assessed using Quality of Life-Alzheimer’s Disease (QOL-AD) scale.
Results
After 7 months of training, training group exhibited a significant reduction of NPs and a significant increase in QOL-AD with respect to no-training group (
p
= 0.0155,
p
= 0.0013, respectively). Our preliminary results suggest that a combined training can reduce NPs and improve QoL.
Conclusions
Measuring QoL outcomes is a potentially important factor in ensuring that a person with cognitive deficits can ‘live well’ with pathology. Future data from non-pharmacological interventions, with a larger sample and a longer follow-up period, could confirm the results and the possible implications for such prevention strategies for early cognitive decline.
This paper describes the diversity of rodent fauna in an area endemic for hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) in Brazil, the population dynamics and the relationship of rodents with hantavirus ...in the Cerrado (savanna-like) biome. Additionally, an analysis is made of the partial S segment sequences of the hantaviruses obtained from serologically confirmed human HCPS cases and from rodent specimens. Rodents were collected during four campaigns. Human serum samples were collected from suspected cases of HCPS at hospitals in the state of Minas Gerais. The samples antibody-reactive by ELISA were processed by RT–PCR. The PCR product was amplified and sequenced. Hantavirus was detected only in Necromys lasiurus, the wild rodent species most prevalent in the Cerrado biome (min-max: 50–83·7%). All the six human serum samples were hantavirus seropositive and five showed amplified PCR products. The analysis of the nucleotide sequences showed the circulation of a single genotype, the Araraquara hantavirus. The environmental changes that have occurred in the Cerrado biome in recent decades have favoured N. lasiurus in interspecific competition of habitats, thus increasing the risk of contact between humans and rodent species infected with hantavirus. Our data corroborate the definition of N. lasiurus as the main hantavirus reservoir in the Cerrado biome.
We present a detailed account of neutron capture experiments of astrophysical relevance on 78,80,84,86Kr (n, γ) reactions at the border between weak and main s process. The experiments were performed ...with quasi-Maxwellian neutrons from the Liquid-Lithium Target (LiLiT) and the mA-proton beam at 1.93 MeV (2-3 kW) of the Soreq Applied Research Accelerator Facility (SARAF). The setup yields high-intensity approximate to 40 keV quasi-Maxwellian neutrons (3-5 x1010 n/s) closely reproducing the conditions of s-process stellar nucleosynthesis. A sample of 100 mg of atmospheric, pre-nuclear-age Kr gas contained in a Ti spherical shell was activated in the LiLiT neutron field. The abundances of long-lived Kr isotopes (81,85gKr) were measured by atom counting via atom trap trace analysis (ATTA) at Argonne National Laboratory and low-level counting (LLC) at University of Bern. This work is the first measurement of a nuclear cross section using atom counting via ATTA. The activities of short-lived Kr isotopes (79,85m,87Kr) were measured by gamma-decay counting with a high-purity germanium detector. Maxwellian-averaged cross sections for s-process thermal energies are extracted. By comparison to reference values, our nucleosynthesis network calculations show that the experimental cross sections have a strong impact on calculated abundances of krypton and neighboring nuclides, in some cases improving agreement between theory and observations.
Background
Physical activity and exercise have been suggested as effective interventions for the prevention and management of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, but there are no ...international guidelines.
Objectives
To create a set of evidence- and expert consensus-based prevention and management recommendations regarding physical activity (any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure) and exercise (a subset of physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive), applicable to a range of individuals from healthy older adults to those with MCI/dementia.
Methods
Guideline content was developed with input from several scientific and lay representatives’ societies. A systematic search across multidisciplinary databases was carried out until October 2021. Recommendations for prevention and management were developed according to the GRADE and complemented by consensus statements from the expert panels.
Recommendations
Physical activity may be considered for the primary prevention of dementia. In people with MCI there is continued uncertainty about the role of physical activity in slowing the conversion to dementia. Mind–body interventions have the greatest supporting evidence. In people with moderate dementia, exercise may be used for maintaining disability and cognition. All these recommendations were based on a very low/low certainty of evidence.
Conclusions
Although the scientific evidence on the beneficial role of physical activity and exercise in preserving cognitive functions in subjects with normal cognition, MCI or dementia is inconclusive, this panel, composed of scientific societies and other stakeholders, recommends their implementation based on their beneficial effects on almost all facets of health.
Older adults with osteoarthritis (OA) often report that their disease symptoms are exacerbated by weather conditions. This study examines the association between outdoor physical activity (PA) and ...weather conditions in older adults from 6 European countries and assesses whether outdoor PA and weather conditions are more strongly associated in older persons with OA than in those without the condition.
The American College of Rheumatology classification criteria were used to diagnose OA. Outdoor PA was assessed using the LASA Physical Activity Questionnaire. Data on weather parameters were obtained from weather stations.
Of the 2439 participants (65-85 years), 29.6% had OA in knee, hand and/or hip. Participants with OA spent fewer minutes in PA than participants without OA (Median = 42.9, IQR = 20.0 to 83.1 versus Median = 51.4, IQR = 23.6 to 98.6; P < .01). In the full sample, temperature (B = 1.52; P < .001) and relative humidity (B = -0.77; P < .001) were associated with PA. Temperature was more strongly associated with PA in participants without OA (B = 1.98; P < .001) than in those with the condition (B = 0.48; P = .47).
Weather conditions are associated with outdoor PA in older adults in the general population. Outdoor PA and weather conditions were more strongly associated in older adults without OA than in their counterparts with OA.
Action update, substituting a prepotent behavior with a new action, allows the organism to counteract surprising environmental demands. However, action update fails when the organism is uncertain ...about when to release the substituting behavior, when it faces temporal uncertainty. Predictive coding states that accurate perception demands minimization of precise prediction errors. Activity of the right anterior insula (rAI) is associated with temporal uncertainty. Therefore, we hypothesize that temporal uncertainty during action update would cause the AI to decrease the sensitivity to ascending prediction errors. Moreover, action update requires response inhibition which recruits the frontostriatal indirect pathway associated with motor control. Therefore, we also hypothesize that temporal estimation errors modulate frontostriatal connections. To test these hypotheses, we collected fMRI data when participants performed an action-update paradigm within the context of temporal estimation. We fit dynamic causal models to the imaging data. Competing models comprised the inferior occipital gyrus (IOG), right supramarginal gyrus (rSMG), rAI, right presupplementary motor area (rPreSMA), and the right striatum (rSTR). The winning model showed that temporal uncertainty drove activity into the rAI and decreased insular sensitivity to ascending prediction errors, as shown by weak connectivity strength of rSMG→rAI connections. Moreover, temporal estimation errors weakened rPreSMA→rSTR connections and also modulated rAI→rSTR connections, causing the disruption of action update. Results provide information about the neurophysiological implementation of the so-called horse-race model of action control. We suggest that, contrary to what might be believed, unsuccessful action update could be a homeostatic process that represents a Bayes optimal encoding of uncertainty.
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