Frailty is associated with objectively assessed sedentary behaviour patterns in older adults: Evidence from the Toledo Study for Healthy Aging (TSHA)

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the association of sedentary behaviour patterns with frailty in older people. Setting: Clinical setting. Design: Cross-sectional, observational study. Participants and measurements: A triaxial accelerometer was used in a subsample from the Toledo Study for Healthy Aging (519 participants, 67–97 years) to assess several sedentary behaviour patterns including sedentary time per day, the number and duration (min) of breaks in sedentary time per day, and the proportion of the day spent in sedentary bouts of 10 minutes or more. Frailty was assessed using the Frailty Trait Scale (FTS). Regression analysis was used to ascertain the associations between sedentary behaviour patterns and frailty. Results: Sedentary time per day and the proportion of the day spent in sedentary bouts of 10 minutes or more, were positively associated with frailty in the study sample. Conversely, the time spent in breaks in sedentary time was negatively associated with frailty. Conclusion: In summary, breaking up sedentary time and time spent in sedentary behaviour are associated with frailty in older people

Secondary Prevention of Cancer in the Older Individual

The incidence and the mortality of cancer increase with age. This article explores the possibility of decreasing cancerrelated mortality in the aged with secondary prevention of cancer deaths that entails early diagnosis of cancer through the screening of asymptomatic older individuals. We establish that screening of asymptomatic individuals should be based on physiologic rather than chronologic age that may be estimated from a comprehensive geriatric assessment and possibly with the utilization of biologic markers of aging. It is reasonable to offer some form of screening for lung and colorectal cancer to individuals with a life expectancy of at least five years and screening for breast and prostate cancer to women and men respectively with a life expectancy of at least ten years. The ideal number of screening sessions and the ideal interval between screening sessions is unestablished. The aging of the population, the diversity of the older population, the development of new and more sensitive screening interventions, the discovery of new biologic markers of cancer and age represent the main challenges in studying the value of cancer screening in the aged. Probably the most reliable information may be obtained from rapid-learning databases in which information related to each person's physiologic age is included. Worldwide, the incidence and prevalence of cancer increase with age [1]. In the meantime the risk of cancer-related mortality increases with age at diagnosis [2-4]. As the world population is aging, cancer in the older person is an ever more common problem, and the reduction of cancer deaths in older individuals represents the most urgent goal of cancer control. In this article we explore secondary cancer prevention as representing a strategy to reduce the risk of mortality in the aged.This hypothesis is based on four considerations: i. Several studies showed that the practice of screening asymptomatic individuals for cancer becomes less common with the aging of the population [5]. ii. The average life expectancy of the Western population is rapidly increasing1. Consequently the benefits of early detection of cancer that emerges several years after diagnosis may be present even for those undergoing screening at an advanced age. iii. New forms of cancer treatment, including minimally invasive surgery [6], stereotactic radio surgery [7], and targeted systemic therapy [8], are associated with decreased risk of complications. They may be safely utilized in individuals with limited tolerance of stress who might be hurt by more aggressive treatments. It is now possible to personalize cancer screening according to individual life expectancy and tolerance of stress, as the estimate of a person's physiologic age is becoming more precise [1,9]. After reviewing the principles and the effectiveness of cancer screening and early detection, this article will explore the benefits and risks of secondary cancer prevention in older individuals. In particular we will review the current evidence and the limitations of previous clinical trials. At the end we will propose a conceptual framework to guide the screening of older individuals for cancer, and we will propose a research agenda

Mortality from mental disorders and suicide in male professional American football and soccer players: A meta-analysis

Objective To determine the risk of mortality from mental disorders and suicide in professional sports associated with repeated head impacts. Methods A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus (since inception to June 8, 2021) to find studies comparing the incidence of mortality from mental disorders or suicide in former or active professional athletes of sports characterized by repeated head impacts vs athletes with no such exposure or the general non-athletic population. Results Seven retrospective studies of moderate-to-high quality that included data from boxers and from basketball, ice hockey, soccer, and National Football League (NFL) players, respectively (total = 27 477 athletes, 100% male) met all inclusion criteria. Former male NFL players (n = 13 217) had a lower risk of mortality from mental disorders (standard mortality rate [SMR] = 0.30; 0.12-0.77; p = 0.012) and suicide (SMR = 0.54; 0.37-0.78; p < 0.001) than the general population. This finding was also corroborated in male soccer players (n = 13,065; SMR = 0.55; 0.46-0.67; p < 0.001). Male athletes participating in sports associated with repeated head impacts (n = 18,606) had also a lower risk of all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer mortality (all p < 0.01) than the general population. Conclusions Participation of male athletes in American football or soccer at the professional level might confer a certain protective effect against mortality from mental disorders or suicide, besides its association with a lower risk of all-cause, CVD, or cancer-related mortality.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Instituto de Salud Carlos III) [grant PI18/00139, AL

Effect of hot-water treatment on grapevine viability, yield components and composition of must

Abstract Background and Aims: Hot-water treatment (HWT) has been shown to be effective for the control of several endogenous and exogenous grapevine pests and diseases in dormant grapevine cuttings and young rooted vines. Little is still known, however, about the long-term effect of HWT on plant viability under field conditions. The effect of HWT on the performance of dormant plants in a four-growing seasons study was investigated. Methods and Results: The effect of HWT at 53°C for 30 min on shoot mass, yield parameters and composition of must in dormant grafted plants (Tempranillo cultivar grafted onto 110 Richter rootstock) was evaluated. Eight bundles of 20 grafted plants were assigned to HWT, and eight additional bundles of 20 untreated grafted plants were prepared as a control (non-HWT). Dormant grafted plants were immediately planted in two field sites in April 2007. Shoot fresh mass was evaluated during winter in four consecutive growing seasons. Yield parameters and must composition were evaluated in the third and fourth growing seasons. In general, there was no significant difference in shoot mass at pruning, yield parameters and must components between treatments, with the exception of the must total soluble solids and volumetric mass in the fourth growing season. Conclusions: The findings obtained in this study indicate that HWT at 53°C for 30 min did not affect plant viability, yield parameters and the main components of must composition, and could be successfully used commercially. Significance of the Study: This study represents the first approach to investigate the long-term effect of HWT on plant development, yield and composition of must under field conditions. It suggests that the success of HWT depends not only on the most adequate protocol applied by nurseries, but also on management practices before, during and after the propagation process that could affect the viability of HWT grapevine propagating material

Strain Switching in van der Waals Heterostructures Triggered by a Spin-Crossover Metal-Organic Framework

Van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) provide the possibility of engineering new materials with emergent functionalities that are not accessible in another way. These heterostructures are formed by assembling layers of different materials used as building blocks. Beyond inorganic 2D crystals, layered molecular materials remain still rather unexplored, with only few examples regarding their isolation as atomically thin layers. Here, the family of van der Waals heterostructures is enlarged by introducing a molecular building block able to produce strain: the so-called spin-crossover (SCO). In these metal-organic materials, a spin transition can be induced by applying external stimuli like light, temperature, pressure, or an electric field. In particular, smart vdWHs are prepared in which the electronic and optical properties of the 2D material (graphene and WSe2) are clearly switched by the strain concomitant to the spin transition. These molecular/inorganic vdWHs represent the deterministic incorporation of bistable molecular layers with other 2D crystals of interest in the emergent fields of straintronics and band engineering in low-dimensional materials

Changes in health behaviors, mental and physical health among older adults under severe lockdown restrictions during the covid-19 pandemic in spain

We used data from 3041 participants in four cohorts of community-dwelling individuals aged =65 years in Spain collected through a pre-pandemic face-to-face interview and a telephone interview conducted between weeks 7 to 15 after the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown. On average, the confinement was not associated with a deterioration in lifestyle risk factors (smoking, alcohol intake, diet, or weight), except for a decreased physical activity and increased sedentary time, which reversed with the end of confinement. However, chronic pain worsened, and moderate declines in mental health, that did not seem to reverse after restrictions were lifted, were observed. Males, older adults with greater social isolation or greater feelings of loneliness, those with poorer housing conditions, as well as those with a higher prevalence of chronic morbidities were at increased risk of developing unhealthier lifestyles or mental health declines with confinement. On the other hand, previously having a greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet and doing more physical activity protected older adults from developing unhealthier lifestyles with confinement. If an-other lockdown were imposed during this or future pandemics, public health programs should spe-cially address the needs of older individuals with male sex, greater social isolation, sub-optimal housing conditions, and chronic morbidities because of their greater vulnerability to the enacted movement restrictions. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Relaxin-3 Innervation From the Nucleus Incertus to the Parahippocampal Cortex of the Rat.

Spatial learning and memory processes depend on anatomical and functional interactions between the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex. A key neurophysiological component of these processes is hippocampal theta rhythm, which can be driven from subcortical areas including the pontine nucleus incertus (NI). The NI contains the largest population of neurons that produce and presumably release the neuropeptide, relaxin-3, which acts via the G i/o -protein-coupled receptor, relaxin-family peptide 3 receptor (RXFP3). NI activation induces general arousal including hippocampal theta, and inactivation induces impairment of spatial memory acquisition or retrieval. The primary aim of this study was to map the NI/relaxin-3 innervation of the parahippocampal cortex (PHC), including the medial and lateral entorhinal cortex, endopiriform cortex, perirhinal, postrhinal, and ectorhinal cortex, the amygdalohippocampal transition area and posteromedial cortical amygdala. Retrograde tracer injections were placed in different parts of the medial and lateral entorhinal cortex, which produced prominent retrograde labeling in the ipsilateral NI and some labeling in the contralateral NI. Anterograde tracer injections into the NI and immunostaining for relaxin-3 produced fiber labeling in deep layers of all parahippocampal areas and some dispersed fibers in superficial layers. Double-labeling studies revealed that both hippocampal projecting and calcium-binding protein-positive (presumed GABAergic) neurons received a relaxin-3 NI innervation. Some of these fibers also displayed synaptophysin (Syn) immunoreactivity, consistent with the presence of the peptide at synapses; and relaxin-3-positive fibers containing Syn bouton-like staining were frequently observed in contact with hippocampal-projecting or calcium-binding protein-positive neuronal somata and more distal elements. Finally, in situ hybridization studies revealed that entorhinal neurons in the superficial layers, and to a lesser extent in deep layers, contain RXFP3 mRNA. Together, our data support functional actions of the NI/relaxin-3-parahippocampal innervation on processes related to memory, spatial navigation and contextual analysis

Relaxin-3 Innervation From the Nucleus Incertus to the Parahippocampal Cortex of the Rat

Spatial learning and memory processes depend on anatomical and functional interactions between the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex. A key neurophysiological component of these processes is hippocampal theta rhythm, which can be driven from subcortical areas including the pontine nucleus incertus (NI). The NI contains the largest population of neurons that produce and presumably release the neuropeptide, relaxin-3, which acts via the Gi/o-protein-coupled receptor, relaxin-family peptide 3 receptor (RXFP3). NI activation induces general arousal including hippocampal theta, and inactivation induces impairment of spatial memory acquisition or retrieval. The primary aim of this study was to map the NI/relaxin-3 innervation of the parahippocampal cortex (PHC), including the medial and lateral entorhinal cortex, endopiriform cortex, perirhinal, postrhinal, and ectorhinal cortex, the amygdalohippocampal transition area and posteromedial cortical amygdala. Retrograde tracer injections were placed in different parts of the medial and lateral entorhinal cortex, which produced prominent retrograde labeling in the ipsilateral NI and some labeling in the contralateral NI. Anterograde tracer injections into the NI and immunostaining for relaxin-3 produced fiber labeling in deep layers of all parahippocampal areas and some dispersed fibers in superficial layers. Double-labeling studies revealed that both hippocampal projecting and calcium-binding protein-positive (presumed GABAergic) neurons received a relaxin-3 NI innervation. Some of these fibers also displayed synaptophysin (Syn) immunoreactivity, consistent with the presence of the peptide at synapses; and relaxin-3-positive fibers containing Syn bouton-like staining were frequently observed in contact with hippocampal-projecting or calcium-binding protein-positive neuronal somata and more distal elements. Finally, in situ hybridization studies revealed that entorhinal neurons in the superficial layers, and to a lesser extent in deep layers, contain RXFP3 mRNA. Together, our data support functional actions of the NI/relaxin-3-parahippocampal innervation on processes related to memory, spatial navigation and contextual analysis

Beam-helicity asymmetry in photon and pion electroproduction in the Delta(1232) resonance region at Q^2= 0.35 (GeV/c)^2

The beam-helicity asymmetry has been measured simultaneously for the reactions (e p \to e p \gamma) and (e p \to e p \pi^0) in the $\Delta (1232)$ resonance region at $Q^2=$ 0.35 (GeV/c)$^2$. The experiment was performed at MAMI with a longitudinally polarized beam and an out-of-plane detection of the proton. The results are compared with calculations based on Dispersion Relations for virtual Compton scattering and with the MAID model for pion electroproduction. There is an overall good agreement between experiment and theoretical calculations. The remaining discrepancies may be ascribed to an imperfect parametrization of some $\gamma^{(*)} N \to \pi N$ multipoles, mainly contributing to the non-resonant background. The beam-helicity asymmetry in both channels ($\gamma$ and $\pi^0$) shows a good sensitivity to these multipoles and should allow future improvement in their parametrization.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, version to appear in EPJ