Midlife Vascular Factors and Prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Late-Life in Mexico

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and its subtypes and investigate the impact of midlife cardiovascular risk factors on late-life MCI among the aging Mexican population. Method: Analyses included a sample of non-demented adults over the age of 55 living in both urban and rural areas of Mexico (N = 1807). MCI diagnosis was assigned based on a comprehensive cognitive assessment assessing the domains of memory, executive functioning, language, and visuospatial ability. The normative sample was selected by means of the robust norms approach. Cognitive impairment was defined by a 1.5-SD cut-off per cognitive domain using normative corrections for age, years of education, and sex. Risk factors included age, education, sex, rurality, depression, insurance status, workforce status, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. Results: The prevalence of amnestic MCI was 5.9%. Other MCI subtypes ranged from 4.2% to 7.7%. MCI with and without memory impairment was associated with older age (OR = 1.01 [1.01, 1.05]; OR = 1.03 [1.01, 1.04], respectively) and residing in rural areas (OR = 1.49 [1.08, 2.06]; OR = 1.35 [1.03, 1.77], respectively). Depression (OR = 1.07 [1.02, 1.12]), diabetes (OR = 1.37 [1.03, 1.82]), and years of education (OR = 0.94 [0.91, 0.97]) were associated with MCI without memory impairment. Midlife CVD increased the odds of MCI in late-life (OR = 1.76 [1.19, 2.59], which was driven by both midlife hypertension and diabetes (OR = 1.70 [1.18, 2.44]; OR = 1.88 [1.19, 2.97], respectively). Conclusions: Older age, depression, low education, rurality, and midlife hypertension and diabetes were associated with higher risk of late-life MCI among older adults in Mexico. Our findings suggest that the causes of cognitive impairment are multifactorial and vary by MCI subtype

Out of resistance comes strength: A Multi-Phased Fidelity Study of an Equipment-Based Resistance Program for Older Adults

Purpose: Within the US, people are experiencing longer life expectancy, yet these extended lifespans have not necessarily translated into years living in good health. Research shows that regular resistance exercise carries distinct preventive health benefits for older adults. The purpose of this research is to conduct a multi-phased study to evaluate the fidelity of an equipment-based resistance training program designed specifically for older adults. Methods: A three-phased study has been designed. Phase 1 consisted of a systematic literature review to identify salient measures of internal and external validity for equipment-based resistance training programs for older adults. Phase 2 is a pilot study at one location with 10 participants. The Senior Fitness Test and a pre-post survey are being used to measure the physical function and quality of life outcomes of the program. Four dimensions of internal validity (adherence, exposure, quality of delivery, and participant responsiveness) are being measured via seven observational tools, pre-post surveys, and post-program focus groups. These observational tools include a session checklist, teacher movement analysis, demonstration analysis, instructor feedback analysis, a system for observing fitness instruction time (SOFIT), and time analysis. Phase 3 scales up the evaluation program to 5 locations. Measures utilized in Phase 3 will be informed by the results of the pilot study. Results: Our paper presents the pilot evaluation protocol. By the end of the pilot, we will evaluate the degree of internal validity, estimate the effect on physical function and quality of life outcomes, and present program feedback from instructors and participants. Conclusions: The anticipated outcomes of the study will inform the implementation of equipment-based resistance training programs with older adults

Mesoporous Silicon Particles Favor the Induction of Long-Lived Humoral Responses in Mice to a Peptide-Based Vaccine

Vaccinology faces the challenge of developing improved immunization approaches that are able to induce long-term immunity with the desired Th profile according to the pathology. In this context, new vehicles for efficient antigen delivery that exert adjuvant effects play a critical role in addressing this goal. Herein, mesoporous silicon particles (PSiP) were assessed as carriers for a peptide-based vaccine targeting the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), which is a relevant receptor in Alzheimer´s disease and other diseases. A RAGE peptide was adsorbed onto PSiP (PSiP vaccine) and administered to BALB/c mice, leading to immune responses that were similar in magnitude to those induced by the soluble peptide. However, the response induced by PSiP lasted for a significantly longer period when compared with the behavior of the group immunized with the peptide alone. Therefore, PSiP are proposed as carriers to enhance immune memory, which is critical in vaccination. This study opens interesting perspectives related to the application of PSiP in vaccinology

Distribución de dosis para CBCT como ayuda para la protección radiológica en odontología

To characterize effective dose distributions in the craniofacial area for different acquisition parameters of dental cone beam CT, thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) were placed within an anthropomorphic phantom for measuring effective dose. Results showed higher effective doses with 8 mA compared to 3 mA. The relative high effective dose distribution was concentrated around the field of view (FOV) but extended beyond it, irradiating nearby tissues. Understanding these effective dose distributions can aid in optimizing patient safety in dental radiology practices.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Atómicas Nucleares y Moleculares (CICANUM)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Salud::Facultad de Medicina::Escuela de Tecnologías en SaludUCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Salud::Facultad de Odontologí

Genomewide analysis of Episodic Memory trajectories in The Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS)

Background Genetic characterization of age-related memory changes can help identify population subgroups at-risk of memory decline and dementia. The majority of genetic studies examining memory trajectories in old age have used data from non-Hispanic White populations. To our knowledge, there are no reports of genetic factors underlying memory function over time in the Mexican population. Method Using a previously described latent curve model approach, we estimated episodic memory trajectories in a longitudinal sample from the Mexican Health and Aging Study. We conducted GWAS analyses in a sub-sample of 6,343 participants. Analyses were stratified by memory stability (Stables, n = 4,437) and APOE status. Three independent cohorts were used for replication purposes: two Non-Hispanic White samples from the Alzheimer’s Disease Genetic Consortium and the Religious Orders Study, and a Caribbean-Hispanic sample from the Washington Heights Inwood Community Aging Project. Result The strongest genome-wide significant association was found for an intronic variant in the NR2F1-AS1 gene (rs555528825, p = 1.8×10−9) among APOE non-E4 carriers in the “Stables” group. NR2F1 gene is an evolutionarily conserved long non-coding RNA that enhances neuronal cell maturation and regulates transcription of neuronal genes. SNP variants located less than 50Kb apart from the identified signal showed also nominally significant associations in the three replication datasets (p = 3.9×10−4, p = 1.8×10−4, and p = 0.006 respectively). Additional replication efforts using the UK biobank recourse are ongoing. Conclusion Our study nominates novel genetic variants associated with longitudinal changes in episodic memory performance using data from the Mexican Health and Aging Study, a representative and comprehensive longitudinal study that includes genetic data on a sub-sample of participants 50 years and older

Midlife Vascular Factors and Prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Late-Life in Mexico

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and its subtypes and investigate the impact of midlife cardiovascular risk factors on late-life MCI among the aging Mexican population. METHOD: Analyses included a sample of non-demented adults over the age of 55 living in both urban and rural areas of Mexico (N = 1807). MCI diagnosis was assigned based on a comprehensive cognitive assessment assessing the domains of memory, executive functioning, language, and visuospatial ability. The normative sample was selected by means of the robust norms approach. Cognitive impairment was defined by a 1.5-SD cut-off per cognitive domain using normative corrections for age, years of education, and sex. Risk factors included age, education, sex, rurality, depression, insurance status, workforce status, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. RESULTS: The prevalence of amnestic MCI was 5.9%. Other MCI subtypes ranged from 4.2% to 7.7%. MCI with and without memory impairment was associated with older age (OR = 1.01 [1.01, 1.05]; OR = 1.03 [1.01, 1.04], respectively) and residing in rural areas (OR = 1.49 [1.08, 2.06]; OR = 1.35 [1.03, 1.77], respectively). Depression (OR = 1.07 [1.02, 1.12]), diabetes (OR = 1.37 [1.03, 1.82]), and years of education (OR = 0.94 [0.91, 0.97]) were associated with MCI without memory impairment. Midlife CVD increased the odds of MCI in late-life (OR = 1.76 [1.19, 2.59], which was driven by both midlife hypertension and diabetes (OR = 1.70 [1.18, 2.44]; OR = 1.88 [1.19, 2.97], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Older age, depression, low education, rurality, and midlife hypertension and diabetes were associated with higher risk of late-life MCI among older adults in Mexico. Our findings suggest that the causes of cognitive impairment are multifactorial and vary by MCI subtype

Production and Immunogenicity Assessment of LTp50: An <i>Escherichia coli</i>-Made Chimeric Antigen Targeting S1- and S2-Epitopes from the SARS-CoV-2/BA.5 Spike Protein

Subunit vaccines stand as a leading approach to expanding the current portfolio of vaccines to fight against COVID-19, seeking not only to lower costs but to achieve long-term immunity against variants of concern and have the main attributes that could overcome the limitations of the current vaccines. Herein a chimeric protein targeting S1 and S2 epitopes, called LTp50, was designed as a convenient approach to induce humoral responses against SARS-CoV-2. LTp50 was produced in recombinant Escherichia coli using a conventional pET vector, recovering the expected antigen in the insoluble fraction. LTp50 was purified by chromatography (purity > 90%). The solubilization and refolding stages helped to obtain a stable protein amenable for vaccine formulation. LTp50 was adsorbed onto alum, resulting in a stable formulation whose immunogenic properties were assessed in BALB/c mice. Significant humoral responses against the S protein (BA.5 variant) were detected in mice subjected to three subcutaneous doses (10 µg) of the LTp50/alum formulation. This study opens the path for the vaccine formulation optimization using additional adjuvants to advance in the development of a highly effective anti-COVID-19 vaccine directed against the antigenic regions of the S protein, which are less prone to mutations