Positive associations between social connection/engagement and cognitive function are well documented. However, little is known about whether social connection/engagement can buffer the impact of serious brain injury such as stroke on cognitive functioning.
Participants were 898 individuals with incident stroke from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) between 1998-2012. Multilevel modeling was used to examine how social connection/engagement were associated with episodic memory pre- and post-stroke. Models controlled for age, gender, education, race/ethnicity, number of health conditions, and functional health.
Participants who were lonely pre-stroke recalled significantly fewer words at time of stroke, and participants who had children residing within 10 miles pre-stroke showed significantly less decline in word recall over time. Participants who provided help to others pre-stroke showed less stroke-related decline in word recall. Within-person increase in partnered status, having friends, and helpindocumented benefits of social connection/engagement to well-being, they may also increase cognitive stimulation and cognitive reserve and thus contribute to stroke recovery in the cognitive domain. MLN0128 mw Social connection/engagement is an important and modifiable risk factor in older adults.The neuromuscular junction (NMJ), a peripheral synaptic connection between motoneurons and skeletal muscle fibers, controls movement. Dysregulation of NMJs has been implicated in various motor disorders. Because of their large size and easy accessibility, NMJs have been extensively investigated in the neuroscience field and have greatly contributed to our understanding of the fundamental principles of synapses in the central nervous system. Researchers have tried multiple ways to develop models to recreate NMJs. Rapid progress in the research and development of tissue-like organoids has made it possible to produce human NMJ three-dimensional (3D) models in vitro, providing an additional powerful strategy to study NMJs. Here, we introduce the most recent advances of human embryonic stem cell- or induced pluripotent stem cell-derived organoids to model 3D NMJs.
Recent studies suggest that cortical bone could also play a role in vertebral fracture (VF) development in acromegaly.
Evaluate the occurrence of the VF and their relationship to DXA-derived bone parameters.
A single-center two year prospective study of acromegaly patients was conducted. Each subject had L1-4 spine, femoral neck and total hip (TH) aBMD measured using DXA, and TBS measurement performed. 3D Shaper™ was used to assess proximal femur trabecular and cortical volumetric (v)BMD, cortical surface (s)BMD and cortical thickness (Cth). VF assessment was performed using the lateral spine imaging IVA™ mode with a Hologic Horizon® densitometer using semi-quantitative approach. Study outcomes were assessed at two time points -baseline and month 24.
Seventy acromegaly patients (34 M/36F; average 55.1 years) were studied, including 26 with active disease. In 13 patients, nine of whom with controlled disease, VF was observed. A decrease of TBS, sBMD, neck trabecular vBMD, TH and neck cortical vBMD in VF in comparison to non-VF subjects was observed (p<0.05). Multivariate analysis of fracture prediction showed TH cortical vBMD as best fracture prediction parameter with AUC 0.774. TBS was negatively associated with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and HBA1c at each time point during the follow-up.
From the total number of 13 VF subjects, 9 of whom occurred in controlled disease group. The most sensitive and specific predictor of incident VF was TH cortical vBMD, suggesting that cortical bone is involved in fracture development.
From the total number of 13 VF subjects, 9 of whom occurred in controlled disease group. The most sensitive and specific predictor of incident VF was TH cortical vBMD, suggesting that cortical bone is involved in fracture development.Diptera is one of the biggest insect orders and displays a large diversity of visual adaptations. Similarly to other animals, the dipteran visual process is mediated by opsin genes. Although the diversity and function of these genes are well studied in key model species, a comprehensive comparative genomic study across the dipteran phylogeny is missing. Here we mined the genomes of 61 dipteran species, reconstructed the evolutionary affinities of 528 opsin genes, and determined the selective pressure acting in different species. We found that opsins underwent several lineage-specific events, including an independent expansion of Long Wave Sensitive opsins in flies and mosquitoes, and numerous family-specific duplications and losses. Both the Drosophila and the Anopheles complement are derived in comparison with the ancestral dipteran state. Molecular evolutionary studies suggest that gene turnover rate, overall mutation rate, and site-specific selective pressure are higher in Anopheles than in Drosophila. Overall, our findings indicate an extremely variable pattern of opsin evolution in dipterans, showcasing how two similarly aged radiations, Anopheles and Drosophila, are characterized by contrasting dynamics in the evolution of this gene family. These results provide a foundation for future studies on the dipteran visual system.
Frailty is a health condition leading to many adverse clinical outcomes. The relationship between frailty and advanced age, multimorbidity and disability has a significant impact on healthcare systems. Frailty increases cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality both in patients with or without known CV disease. Though the recognition of this additional risk factor has become increasingly clinically relevant in CV diseases, uncertainty remains about operative definitions, screening, assessment, and management of frailty. Since the burdens of frailty components and domains may vary in the various CV diseases and clinical settings, the relevance of specific frailty-related aspects may be different. Understanding these issues may allow general cardiologists a clearer focus on frailty in CV diseases and thereby make more tailored clinical decisions and therapeutic choices in outpatients. Guidance on identification and management of frailty are sparse and an international consensus document on frailty in general cardiology is lacking.MLN0128 mw
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