Abstract
Background
Recent investigations suggest that obesity may be associated with an increased risk of falls; however, this theory has yet to be definitively confirmed. This systematic review and ...meta-analysis examined the strength of the association between obesity and falls, multiple falls, fall-related injuries, and fall-related fractures among older adults.
Methods
MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, LILACS, and Web of Science databases were searched to identify observational studies that assessed the association between obesity and fall-related outcomes in participants aged 60 years and older. Two independent reviewers performed data extraction and quality assessment. Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were pooled using random effect meta-analyses.
Results
Thirty-one studies including a total of 1,758,694 participants were selected from 7,815 references. Pooled estimates showed that obese older adults have an increased risk of falls compared with nonobese counterparts (24 studies; relative risk: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.07–1.26; I2: 90%). Obesity was also associated with an increased risk of multiple falls (four studies; relative risk: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.08–1.29; I2: 0%). There was no evidence, however, of an association between obesity and fall-related injuries (seven studies; relative risk: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.92–1.18; I2: 65%). Fall-related fractures were reported in only one study, which demonstrated a lower risk of hip fracture with obesity (odds ratio: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.63–0.68).
Conclusions
Obesity increases the risk of falls and multiple falls in people aged 60 years and older; however, there is insufficient evidence of an association with fall-related injuries or fractures. Prevention and treatment of obesity may play a role in preventing falls in older age.
Foliar water uptake (FWU) is a common water acquisition mechanism for plants inhabiting temperate fog-affected ecosystems, but the prevalence and consequences of this process for the water and carbon ...balance of tropical cloud forest species are unknown.
We performed a series of experiments under field and glasshouse conditions using a combination of methods (sap flow, fluorescent apoplastic tracers and stable isotopes) to trace fog water movement from foliage to belowground components of Drimys brasiliensis. In addition, we measured leaf water potential, leaf gas exchange, leaf water repellency and growth of plants under contrasting soil water availabilities and fog exposure in glasshouse experiments to evaluate FWU effects on the water and carbon balance of D. brasiliensis saplings.
Fog water diffused directly through leaf cuticles and contributed up to 42% of total foliar water content. FWU caused reversals in sap flow in stems and roots of up to 26% of daily maximum transpiration. Fog water transported through the xylem reached belowground pools and enhanced leaf water potential, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and growth relative to plants sheltered from fog.
Foliar uptake of fog water is an important water acquisition mechanism that can mitigate the deleterious effects of soil water deficits for D. brasiliensis.
Many tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) trees are capable of foliar water uptake (FWU) during leaf-wetting events. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that maintenance of leaf turgor during ...periods of fog exposure and soil drought is related to species’ FWU capacity.
We conducted several experiments using apoplastic tracers, deuterium labeling and leaf immersion in water to evaluate differences in FWU among three common TMCF tree species. We also measured the effect of regular fog exposure on the leaf water potential of plants subjected to soil drought and used these data to model species’ response to long-term drought.
All species were able to absorb water through their leaf cuticles and/or trichomes, although the capacity to do so differed between species. During the drought experiment, the species with higher FWU capacity maintained leaf turgor for a longer period when exposed to fog, whereas the species with lower FWU exerted tighter stomatal regulation to maintain leaf turgor. Model results suggest that without fog, species with high FWU are more likely to lose turgor during seasonal droughts.
We show that leaf-wetting events are essential for trees with high FWU, which tend to be more anisohydric, maintaining leaf turgor during seasonal droughts.
Microparticulate systems such as microparticles, microspheres, microcapsules or any particle in a micrometer scale (usually of 1-1000 µm) are widely used as drug delivery systems, because they offer ...higher therapeutic and diagnostic performance compared to conventional drug delivery forms. These systems can be manufactured with many raw materials, especially polymers, most of which have been effective in improving the physicochemical properties and biological activities of active compounds. This review will focus on the in vivo and in vitro application in the last decade (2012 to 2022) of different active pharmaceutical ingredients microencapsulated in polymeric or lipid matrices, the main formulation factors (excipients and techniques) and mostly their biological activities, with the aim of introducing and discussing the potential applicability of microparticulate systems in the pharmaceutical field.
Sarcopenia is a risk factor for adverse outcomes in older adults, but this has yet to be confirmed in chronic kidney disease (CKD). We conducted a systematic review to investigate the association ...between sarcopenia and its traits with mortality, hospitalization, and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) progression in CKD patients.
Five electronic databases were searched, including MEDLINE and Embase. Observational cohort studies with CKD patients were included. The sarcopenia traits assessed were low muscle strength, low muscle mass, and low physical performance, as well as diagnosed sarcopenia (combined low muscle mass and low strength/performance). Hazard ratios (HR), risk ratios (RR), odds ratios (OR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were pooled using random-effect meta-analyses.
From a total of 4922 screened studies, 50 (72,347 patients) were included in the review and 38 (59,070 patients) in the meta-analyses. Most of the included studies were in dialysis patients (n = 36, 72%). Pooled analyses showed that low muscle strength (15 studies; HR:1.99; 95%CI:1.65 to 2.41; I2:45%), low muscle mass (20 studies; HR:1.51; 95%CI:1.36 to 1.68; I2:26%) and low physical performance (five studies; HR:2.09; 95%CI:1.68 to 2.59; I2:0%) were associated with increased mortality risk in CKD patients. Diagnosed sarcopenia was also associated with the mortality risk in dialysis patients (eight studies; HR:1.87; 95%CI:1.35 to 2.59; I2:40%). On the other hand, it was uncertain whether low muscle mass was associated with hospitalization (two studies in dialysis patients; RR:1.81; 95% CI:0.78 to 4.22; I2:59%). Further, limited ESKD progression measures prevented meta-analysis for this outcome.
Low muscle strength, low muscle mass, and low physical performance were associated with higher mortality in CKD patients. In dialysis patients, diagnosed sarcopenia also represented higher mortality risk. Evidence to conclude associations with hospitalization and ESKD progression is currently lacking.
CRD42020192198.
With the objective of analyzing which kind of reference data is appropriate for benchmarking quantum chemical approaches for transition metal compounds, we present the following, (a) a collection of ...60 transition metal diatomic molecules for which experimentally derived dissociation energies, equilibrium distances, and harmonic vibrational frequencies are known and (b) a composite computational approach based on coupled-cluster theory with basis set extrapolation, inclusion of core–valence correlation, and corrections for relativistic and multireference effects. The latter correction was obtained from internally contracted multireference coupled-cluster (icMRCC) theory. This composite approach has been used to obtain the dissociation energies and spectroscopic constants for the 60 molecules in our data set. In accordance with previous studies on a subset of molecules, we find that multireference corrections are rather small in many cases and CCSD(T) can provide accurate reference values, if the complete basis set limit is explored. In addition, the multireference correction improves the results in cases where CCSD(T) is not a good approximation. For a few cases, however, strong deviations from experiment persist, which cannot be explained by the remaining error in the computational approach. We suggest that these experimentally derived values require careful revision. This also shows that reliable reference values for benchmarking approximate computational methods are not always easily accessible via experiment and accurate computations may provide an alternative way to access them. In order to assess how the choice of reference data affects benchmark studies, we tested 10 DFT functionals for the molecules in the present data set against experimental and calculated reference values. Despite the differences between these two sets of reference values, we found that the ranking of the relative performance of the DFT functionals is nearly independent of the chosen reference.
In this review, we provide an overview of the current understanding of the main mechanisms of pharmacological action of essential oils and their components in various biological systems. A brief ...introduction on essential oil chemistry is presented to better understand the relationship of chemical aspects with the bioactivity of these products. Next, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and antimicrobial activities are discussed. The mechanisms of action against various types of viruses are also addressed. The data show that the multiplicity of pharmacological properties of essential oils occurs due to the chemical diversity in their composition and their ability to interfere with biological processes at cellular and multicellular levels via interaction with various biological targets. Therefore, these natural products can be a promising source for the development of new drugs.
This study introduces modified carbon paste electrodes with carbon nitride nanosheets (CNNS) and outlines their application for the determination of hydroxychloroquine sulfate (HCQ) in tablets and ...synthetic urine samples. CNNS were synthesized by hydrothermal route (200 °C, 10 h) using melamine and citric acid as their precursors. The carbon nitride nanosheets‐based electrode (CNNS/E) presented a linear dynamic range for HCQ (LDR), ranging from 10.0 nmol l−1 to 6.92 μmol l−1, and detection (LOD) and quantification limits (LOQ) of 0.16 nmol l−1 and 0.52 nmol l−1, respectively. LOD and LOQ were calculated by the equations: LOD=3(Sd/b), and LOQ=10(Sd/b). The modified sensor presented excellent relative standard deviations for parameters such as repeatability (2.39 % and 1.87 %) and reproducibility (3.22 % and 2.32 %) in HCQ oxidation peaks (1 and 2). The CNNS/E has not shown significant variations in its anodic signal intensity in the presence of some organic and inorganic substances. It is worth bearing in mind that CNNS/E can be easily manufactured and the sensor has the lowest HCQ detection limits reported so far. The proposed sensor was successfully applied for HCQ determination in tablets and synthetic urine, showing good recovery values and an error of 0.60 % about comparative method in tablet samples, assuring the quality of the method.
Data Ecosystems are socio-technical complex networks in which actors interact and collaborate with each other to find, archive, publish, consume, or reuse data as well as to foster innovation, create ...value, and support new businesses. While the Data Ecosystem field is thus arguably gaining in importance, research on this subject is still in its early stages of development. Up until now, not many academic papers related to Data Ecosystems have been published. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, there has been no systematic review of the literature on Data Ecosystems. In this study, we provide an overview of the current literature on Data Ecosystems by conducting a systematic mapping study. This study is intended to function as a snapshot of the research in the field and by doing so identifies the different definitions of Data Ecosystem and analyzes the evolution of Data Ecosystem research. The studies selected have been classified into categories related to the study method, contribution, research topic, and ecosystem domains. Finally, we analyze how Data Ecosystems are structured and organized, and what benefits can be expected from Data Ecosystems and what their limitations are.
Biodegradable films have been a great alternative compared to non-renewable sources because of their cytocompatibility, biodegradability, and antimicrobial features. These properties may raise the ...foodstuff shelf life, reducing costs and economic losses. Indeed, biodegradable films can also reduce the environmental pollution promoted by non-biodegradable conventional packs. For the first time, biodegradable films were produced by casting commercials kappa-carrageenan (κ-car) and cassava starch at different κ-carrageenan/cassava starch weight ratios. Physical, thermal, and mechanical properties were evaluated. Apparent opacity and color analyses suggest that the films present high transparency. The sample 0κ-c supported a film with high water solubility (39.22%) and a low swelling degree (391.6%). The lowest water vapor permeability (WVP) was observed for 50κ-c (3.01×10−8g (Pams)−1). The oil permeability varied from 0.0033 to 0.0043mmm2 d−1. The 100κ-c and 75κ-c films (with high κ-carrageenan contents) had higher stiffness (19.23 and 25.88MPa, respectively) than the 25κ-c and 0κ-c films with elongation at break (ε) of 21.60 and 67.65%, respectively. The thermal stability increased as the starch concentration raised in the blend. We produced low-cost biodegradable films from commercial polysaccharides. These films can be used as food packs.
•Cassava starch:kappa-carrageenan:glycerol:poly(vinyl alcohol) blends provide films.•A low water vapor permeability occurs at 50:50 starch:kappa-carrageenan molar ratio.•The thermal stability increases with the addition of starch in the blend.•The kappa-carrageenan is responsible for producing stiff films.•The starch supports films with high elongation at break.
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