Investigation of possible risk factors for depression in Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review of the evidence

Background: Depression is common in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and is associated with increased risk of institutionalization and mortality. Understanding risk factors for depression in AD is key to its development and treatment. / Methods: We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CINAL databases for longitudinal prospective cohort studies that evaluated risk factors for depression in people with AD. Two authors independently selected articles for inclusion and assessed quality of studies using predetermined criteria. / Results: In seven studies that met the inclusion criteria, 2029 participants were followed up for a median of 5 years. Gender and educational attainment were not predictors of depression risk. History of a past psychiatric disorder and greater cognitive impairment predicted increased risk of depression in more than one study. In single studies, younger age, having a family history of psychiatric disorder, neuroticism, functional decline, presence of sleep disturbance and aggression, and increased cardiovascular risk predicted depression risk. Not being within 6 months of dementia onset and, counterintuitively having two comorbid disorders were protective factors in one study. / Limitations: A small number of studies exist overall and only a few have examined the same risk factors. Most of the studies have measured depression using scales that are not validated in AD. / Conclusions: These results inform a preliminary model of depression risk in people with AD. Unlike in the general population, men and women and those with higher and lower educational levels of attainment may be equally at risk of depression. Clinicians should be aware of these possible differences in the risk profile for depression in AD populations, to assist detection and enable early treatment. Interventions to delay cognitive and functional decline may reduce depression risk

Use of Hopfield Neural Networks in Optimal Guidance

A Hopfield neural network architecture is developed to solve the optimal control problem for homing missile guidance. A linear quadratic optimal control problem is formulated in the form of an efficient parallel computing device known as a Hopfield neural network. Convergence of the Hopfield network is analyzed from a theoretical perspective, showing that the network, as a dynamical system approaches a unique fixed point which is the solution to the optimal control problem at any instant during the missile pursuit. Several target-intercept scenarios are provided to demonstrate the use of the recurrent feedback neural net formulation

B4galnt2-mediated host glycosylation influences the susceptibility to Citrobacter rodentium infection

Histo-blood group antigens in the intestinal mucosa play important roles in host-microbe interactions and modulate the susceptibility to enteric pathogens. The B4galnt2 gene, expressed in the GI tract of most mammals, including humans, encodes a beta-1,4-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase enzyme which catalyzes the last step in the biosynthesis of the Sd(a) and Cad blood group antigens by adding an N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) residue to the precursor molecules. In our study, we found that loss of B4galnt2 expression is associated with increased susceptibility to Citrobacter rodentium infection, a murine model pathogen for human enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. We observed increased histopathological changes upon C. rodentium infection in mice lacking B4galnt2 compared to B4galnt2-expressing wild-type mice. In addition, wild-type mice cleared the C. rodentium infection faster than B4galnt2(-/-) knockout mice. It is known that C. rodentium uses its type 1 fimbriae adhesive subunit to bind specifically to D-mannose residues on mucosal cells. Flow cytometry analysis of intestinal epithelial cells showed the absence of GalNAc-modified glycans but an increase in mannosylated glycans in B4galnt2-deficient mice compared to B4galnt2-sufficient mice. Adhesion assays using intestinal epithelial organoid-derived monolayers revealed higher C. rodentium adherence to cells lacking B4galnt2 expression compared to wild-type cells which in turn was reduced in the absence of type I fimbriae. In summary, we show that B4galnt2 expression modulates the susceptibility to C. rodentium infection, which is partly mediated by fimbriae-mannose interaction

Development of a yeast model to study the contribution of vacuolar polyphosphate metabolism to lysine polyphosphorylation

A recently discovered protein post-translational modification, lysine polyphosphorylation (K-PPn), consists of the covalent attachment of inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) to lysine residues. The non-enzymatic nature of K-PPn means that the degree of this modification depends on both polyP abundance and the amino acids surrounding the modified lysine. K-PPn was originally discovered in budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), in which polyP anabolism and catabolism are well characterized. However, yeast vacuoles accumulate large amounts of polyP, and upon cell lysis, the release of the vacuolar polyP could non-physiologically cause K-PPn of nuclear and cytosolic targets. Moreover, yeast vacuoles possess two very active endopolyphosphatases, Ppn1 and Ppn2, that could have opposing effects on the extent of K-PPn. Here, we characterized the contribution of vacuolar polyP metabolism to K-PPn of two yeast proteins, Top1 (DNA topoisomerase 1) and Nsr1 (nuclear signal recognition 1). We discovered that whereas Top1-targeting K-PPn is only marginally affected by vacuolar polyP metabolism, Nsr1-targeting K-PPn is highly sensitive to the release of polyP and of endopolyphosphatases from the vacuole. Therefore, to better study K-PPn of cytosolic and nuclear targets, we constructed a yeast strain devoid of vacuolar polyP by targeting the exopolyphosphatase Ppx1 to the vacuole and concomitantly depleting the two endopolyphosphatases (ppn1Δppn2Δ, vt-Ppx1). This strain enabled us to study K-PPn of cytosolic and nuclear targets without the interfering effects of cell lysis on vacuole polyP and of endopolyphosphatases. Furthermore, we also define the fundamental nature of the acidic amino acid residues to the K-PPn target domain

Hereditary Systemic Angiopathy (HSA) with cerebral calcifications, retinopathy, progressive nephropathy, and hepatopathy

Several hereditary conditions affecting cerebral, retinal and systemic microvessels have recently been described. They include CADASIL, CRV, and HERNS. We here report on a variant form of a hereditary systemic angiopathy (HSA) affecting two generations of a Caucasian family. Clinical symptoms of HSA appear in the mid-forties and are characterized by visual impairment, migrainelike headache, skin rash, epileptic seizures, progressive motor paresis and cognitive decline. Late symptoms include hepatic and renal failure. Retinal capillary microaneurysms and arteriolar tortuosity are associated with marked optic disc atrophy. Radiological hallmarks consist of multiple cerebral calcifications and tumor-like subcortical white matter lesions. Brain, peripheral nerve, muscle, kidney and colon biopsies have revealed a multi organ small vessel involvement with partly altered endothelium, perivascular inflammation and thrombotic microangiopathy. No curative therapeutic options are known for hereditary cerebral vasculopathies. The use of cyclophosphamide, azathioprine and methotrexate was of no benefit in our cases of HSA. Early diagnosis of hereditary systemic angiopathies is important in order to prevent patients from repetitive invasive diagnostic measures and to avoid the use of inappropriate and potentially harmful drug

Masificaci?n de telemedicina como estrategia institucional para mejorar el servicio en los establecimientos de segundo nivel de atenci?n de las redes asistenciales de provincias ? EsSalud

La masificaci?n de Telemedicina como estrategia institucional para mejorar el servicio en los establecimientos de segundo nivel de atenci?n de las redes asistenciales de provincias ? Essalud, comprende ampliar el servicio que actualmente se viene desarrollando, con la Teleconsulta y el Telediagn?stico desde el Centro Nacional de Telemedicina (CENATE), a fin de reducir los tiempos de espera de las citas m?dicas para los pacientes, ante la brecha de especialistas en las regiones y el d?ficit de infraestructura en Essalud del orden de 30 mil millones. Esto permitir? un ahorro tanto para la entidad, como para los pacientes que ya no tendr?n que incurrir en costos de traslados y podr?n ser atendidos desde sus domicilios. El servicio de Teleconsulta, plantea expandir los servicios, pasando de 14 a 37 hospitales generales, con lo cual el servicio pasar? de realizar 29,714 a casi 132,000 atenciones al a?o, totalizando en cinco a?os 636,615 teleconsultas. La inversi?n se estima en S./15,181,500.00. El servicio de Teleradiolog?a pasar? de 13 a 44 IPRESS, el servicio pasar? de realizar 108,318 a 468,089 informes de im?genes radiol?gicas en promedio al a?o. La inversi?n total se estima en S/. 33,204,000

Transceiver ASIC in HVCMOS Technology for 3D Ultrasound Computer Tomography

Abstract3D Ultrasound Computer Tomography (3D USCT) is an imaging method for the early de-tection of breast cancer. It provides three-dimensional multimodal images of the breast. Thenew 3D USCT device developed currently at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology containsmore than two thousand ultrasound transducers placed in a water-filled aperture where thepatient submerges one breast. The ultrasound transducers are grouped as transducer arraysystems (TAS) of 18 receiver (RX) and transmitter (TX) elements. The transducer front-end electronics contain high-voltage (HV) and low-voltage (LV) amplifiers and switcheswhich are implemented as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). This contribu-tion presents a patented mixed signal, multichannel, transceiver ASIC developed in a com-mercial 350 nm high-voltage CMOS (HV-CMOS) process. The HV-CMOS process provideslow-voltage and high-voltage transistors that can be combined on the same substrate. TheHV transistors can sustain voltages up to 120 V

The validity of the Landau-Zener model for output coupling of Bose condensates

We investigate the validity of the Landau-Zener model in describing the output coupling of Bose condensates from magnetic traps by a chirped radiofrequency field. The predictions of the model are compared with the numerical solutions of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation. We find a dependence on the chirp direction, and also quantify the role of gravitation.Comment: 4 pages, Late