The two-photon reversible reaction of the bistable jumping spider rhodopsin-1

Bistable opsins are photopigments expressed in both invertebrates and vertebrates. These light-sensitive G-protein-coupled receptors undergo a reversible reaction upon illumination. A first photon initiates the cis to trans isomerization of the retinal chromophore—attached to the protein through a protonated Schiff base—and a series of transition states that eventually results in the formation of the thermally stable and active Meta state. Excitation by a second photon reverts this process to recover the original ground state. On the other hand, monostable opsins (e.g., bovine rhodopsin) lose their chromophore during the decay of the Meta II state (i.e., they bleach). Spectroscopic studies on the molecular details of the two-photon cycle in bistable opsins are limited. Here, we describe the successful expression and purification of recombinant rhodopsin-1 from the jumping spider Hasarius adansoni (JSR1). In its natural configuration, spectroscopic characterization of JSR1 is hampered by the similar absorption spectra in the visible spectrum of the inactive and active states. We solved this issue by separating their absorption spectra by replacing the endogenous 11-cis retinal chromophore with the blue-shifted 9-cis JSiR1. With this system, we used time-resolved ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy after pulsed laser excitation to obtain kinetic details of the rise and decay of the photocycle intermediates. We also used resonance Raman spectroscopy to elucidate structural changes of the retinal chromophore upon illumination. Our data clearly indicate that the protonated Schiff base is stable throughout the entire photoreaction. We additionally show that the accompanying conformational changes in the protein are different from those of monostable rhodopsin, as recorded by light-induced FTIR difference spectroscopy. Thus, we envisage JSR1 as becoming a model system for future studies on the reaction mechanisms of bistable opsins, e.g., by time-resolved x-ray crystallography

Mortality attributable to COVID-19 in nursing home residents: a retrospective study

Aim: Coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) is a widespread condition in nursing home (NH). It is not known whether COVID-19 is associated with a higher risk of death than residents without COVID-19. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess whether COVID-19 is associated with a higher mortality rate in NH residents, considering frailty status assessed with the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI). Methods: In this retrospective study, made in 31 NHs in Venice, Italy, the presence of COVID-19 was ascertained with a nasopharyngeal swab. Frailty was evaluated using the MPI, modified according to the tools commonly used in our NHs. A Cox’s regression analysis was used reporting the results as hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), using COVID-19 as exposure and mortality as outcome and stratified by MPI tertiles. Similar analyses were run using MPI tertiles as exposure. Results: Overall, 3946 NH residents (median age = 87 years, females: 73.9%) were eligible, with 1136 COVID-19 +. During a median follow-up of 275 days, higher values of MPI, indicating frailer people, were associated with an increased risk of mortality. The incidence of mortality in COVID-19 + was more than doubled than COVID-19- either in MPI-1, MPI-2 and MPI-3 groups. The presence of COVID-19 increased the risk of death (HR = 1.85; 95% CI 1.59–2.15), also in the propensity score model using MPI as confounder (HR = 2.48; 95% CI 2.10–2.93). Conclusion: In this retrospective study of NH residents, COVID-19 was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality than those not affected by COVID-19 also considering the different grades of frailty. © 2021, The Author(s)

Lifetime self-reported arthritis is associated with elevated levels of mental health burden: A multi-national cross sectional study across 46 low- and middle-income countries

Population-based studies investigating the relationship of arthritis with mental health outcomes are lacking, particularly among low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We investigated the relationship between arthritis and mental health (depression spectrum, psychosis spectrum, anxiety, sleep disturbances and stress) across community-dwelling adults aged ≥18 years across 46 countries from the World Health Survey. Symptoms of psychosis and depression were established using questions from the Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Severity of anxiety, sleep problems, and stress sensitivity over the preceding 30 days were self-reported. Self-report lifetime history of arthritis was collected, including presence or absence of symptoms suggestive of arthritis: pain, stiffness or swelling of joints over the preceding 12-months. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were undertaken. Overall, 245,706 individuals were included. Having arthritis increased the odds of subclinical psychosis (OR = 1.85; 95%CI = 1.72–1.99) and psychosis (OR = 2.48; 95%CI = 2.05–3.01). People with arthritis were at increased odds of subsyndromal depression (OR = 1.92; 95%CI = 1.64–2.26), a brief depressive episode (OR = 2.14; 95%CI = 1.88–2.43) or depressive episode (OR = 2.43; 95%CI = 2.21–2.67). Arthritis was also associated with increased odds for anxiety (OR = 1.75; 95%CI = 1.63–1.88), sleep problems (OR = 2.23; 95%CI = 2.05–2.43) and perceived stress (OR = 1.43; 95%CI = 1.33–1.53). Results were similar for middle-income and low-income countries. Integrated interventions addressing arthritis and mental health comorbidities are warranted to tackle this considerable burden

Mitochondrial genetic haplogroups and depressive symptoms: A large study among people in North America

Background: A possible relationship between mitochondrial haplogroups and psychiatric diseases (e.g. schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) has been postulated, but data regarding depression is still limited. We investigated whether any mitochondrial haplogroup carried a significant higher risk of depressive symptoms in a large prospective cohort of North American people included in the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Methods: Cross sectional data was derived from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. The haplogroup was assigned through a combination of sequencing and PCR-RFLP techniques. All the mitochondrial haplogroups were named following this nomenclature: H, U, K, J, T, V, SuperHV, I, W, X or Others. Depression was ascertained through the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies- Depression (CES-D), with >16 indicating depressive symptoms. Results: Overall, 3,601 Caucasian participants (55.9% women), mean age of 61.7±9.3 years were included. No difference was observed in mitochondrial haplogroups frequency among those with depressive symptoms (n=285, =7.9% of the baseline population) compared to participants with no depressive symptoms (N=3,316) (chi-square test=0.53). Using a logistic regression analysis, adjusted for eight potential confounders, with those having the haplogroup H as the reference group (the most common haplogroup), no significant mitochondrial haplogroup was associated with prevalent depressive symptoms. The same results were evident in secondary analysis in which we matched depressed and non-depressed participants for age and sex. Limitations: cross-sectional design; only CES-D for evaluating mood; participants not totally representative of general population. Conclusions: We found no evidence of any relationship between specific mitochondrial haplogroups and depressive symptoms. Future longitudinal research is required to confirm/ refute these findings

The Association Between Objectively Measured Vision Impairment and Self-Reported Physical Activity Among 34,129 Adults Aged ≥50 Years in Six Low- and Middle-Income Countries

The authors investigated the association between vision impairment and physical activity among older adults from low- and middle-income countries. Visual acuity was measured using the tumbling ElogMAR chart, and vision impairment was defined as visual acuity worse than 6/18 (0.48 logMAR) in the better seeing eye. Physical activity was assessed by the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression and meta-analysis were conducted to assess associations. The sample included 34,129 individuals aged 50–114 years (mean [SD] age 62.4 [16.0] years; 47.9% male). After adjustment for confounders, near vision impairment was not significantly associated with low physical activity, but far vision impairment showed a significant association (odds ratio = 1.32; 95% confidence interval [1.17, 1.49], I2 = 0.0%). Far vision impairment was dose-dependently associated with low physical activity (e.g., severe [<6/10] vs. no [≥6/12] far vision impairment; odds ratio = 1.80; 95% confidence interval [1.03, 3.15]). Interventions to address low levels of physical activity in the visually impaired in low- and middle-income countries should target those with far vision impairment

Association between Arthritis and Migraine: A US Nationally Representative Study Including 2649 Adults

This study aimed to investigate the cross-sectional association between arthritis and migraine in a large representative sample of the US adult population. The study used data from adults who participated in the RAND American Life Panel (ALP). Arthritis (excluding rheumatoid arthritis) and migraine were self-reported. Control variables included sex, age, ethnicity, marital status, education, employment, annual family income, stroke, epilepsy, coronary artery disease, asthma, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and alcohol dependence. The association between arthritis and migraine was investigated using multivariable logistic regression models, while sex and age interaction analyses were also conducted. This study included 2649 adults (51.7% women; mean (SD) age 50.6 (15.9 years). The prevalence of migraine was 10.7% in the sample. After adjusting for several potential confounders, there was a significant association between arthritis and migraine (OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.20-2.81). Further sensitivity analyses revealed that the association was significant in women, adults aged ≤45 years, and those aged >65 years. The mere fact that arthritis and migraine may coexist is problematic, as this could lead to an important medical and economic burden. Therefore, strategies should be implemented to reduce the cooccurrence of these two chronic conditions

Food insecurity (hunger) and fast-food consumption among 180 164 adolescents aged 12-15 years from sixty-eight countries

Food insecurity has been shown to be associated with fast-food consumption. However, to date, studies on this specific topic are scarce. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the association between food insecurity and fast-food consumption in adolescents aged 12-15 years from 68 countries (7 low-income, 27 lower middle-income, 20 upper middle-income, 14 high-income countries). Cross-sectional, school-based data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey were analyzed. Data on past 30-day food insecurity (hunger) and fast-food consumption in the past 7 days were collected. Multivariable logistic regression and meta-analysis were conducted to assess associations. Models were adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index. There were 180,164 adolescents aged 12-15 years [mean (SD) age 13.8 (1.0) years; 50.8% boys] included in the analysis. Overall, severe food insecurity (i.e., hungry because there was not enough food in home most of the time or always) was associated with 1.17 (95%CI=1.08-1.26) times higher odds for fast-food consumption. The estimates pooled by country-income levels were significant in low-income countries (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=1.30; 95%CI=1.05-1.60), lower middle-income countries (aOR=1.15; 95%CI=1.02-1.29), and upper middle-income countries (aOR=1.26; 95%CI=1.07-1.49), but not in high-income countries (aOR=1.04; 95%CI=0.88-1.23). The mere co-occurrence of food insecurity and fast-food consumption is of public health importance. To tackle this issue, a strong governmental and societal approach is required to utilize effective methods as demonstrated in some high-income countries such as the implementation of food banks and the adoption of free school meals

The association of pain with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts with depressive symptoms among adults aged ≥50 years from low- and middle-income countries

Objectives: We aimed to examine the relationship of pain with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts with depressive symptoms among adults aged ≥50&nbsp;years from six low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa). Methods: Cross-sectional, community-based, nationally representative data from the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health were analyzed. Self-reported information on past 12-month suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among people with depressive symptoms was collected. Pain was assessed with the question “Overall in the last 30&nbsp;days, how much of bodily aches or pain did you have?” With answer options: “none”, “mild”, “moderate”, “severe/extreme”. Multivariable logistic regression was done to assess associations. Results: Data on 34,129 adults aged ≥50&nbsp;years (mean [SD] age 62.4 [16.0] years; males 47.9%) were analyzed. Compared to no pain, mild, moderate, and severe/extreme pain were associated with 2.83 (95% CI&nbsp;=&nbsp;1.51–5.28), 4.01 (95% CI&nbsp;=&nbsp;2.38–6.76), and 12.26 (95% CI&nbsp;=&nbsp;6.44–23.36) times higher odds for suicidal ideation. For suicide attempt, only severe/extreme pain was associated with significantly increased odds (OR&nbsp;=&nbsp;4.68; 95% CI&nbsp;=&nbsp;1.67–13.08). Conclusions: In this large sample of older adults from multiple LMICs, pain was strongly associated with suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts with depressive symptoms. Future studies should assess whether addressing pain among older people in LMICs may lead to reduction in suicidal thoughts and behaviors