The Role of Education in the Relationship Between Age of Migration to the United States and Risk of Cognitive Impairment Among Older Mexican Americans

Prior research indicates age of migration is associated with cognitive health outcomes among older Mexican Americans; however, factors that explain this relationship are unclear. This study used eight waves from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly to examine the role of education in the risk for cognitive impairment (CI) by nativity, age of migration, and gender. Foreign-born women had a higher risk for CI than U.S.-born women, regardless of age of migration. After adjusting for education, this risk remained significant only for late-life migrant women (risk ratio [RR] = 1.28). Foreign-born men who migrated at \u3e50 had significantly higher risk for CI compared to U.S.-born men (RR = 1.33) but not significant after adjusting for education. Findings from a decomposition analysis showed education significantly mediated the association between age of migration and CI. This study highlights the importance of education in explaining the association between age of migration and CI

Cosmology of extended proca-nuevo

Proca-Nuevo is a non-linear theory of a massive spin-1 field which enjoys a non-linearly realized constraint that distinguishes it among other generalized vector models. We show that the theory may be extended by the addition of operators of the Generalized Proca class without spoiling the primary constraint that is necessary for consistency, allowing to interpolate between Generalized Proca operators and Proca-Nuevo ones. The constraint is maintained on flat spacetime and on any fixed curved background. Upon mixing extended Proca-Nuevo dynamically with gravity, we show that the constraint gets broken in a Planck scale suppressed way. We further prove that the theory may be covariantized in models that allow for consistent and ghost-free cosmological solutions. We study the models in the presence of perfect fluid matter, and show that they describe the correct number of dynamical variables and derive their dispersion relations and stability criteria. We also exhibit, in a specific set-up, explicit hot Big Bang solutions featuring a late-time self-accelerating epoch, and which are such that all the stability and subluminality conditions are satisfied and where gravitational waves behave precisely as in General Relativity

To half-be or not to be?

It has recently been argued that half degrees of freedom could emerge in Lorentz and parity invariant field theories, using a non-linear Proca field theory dubbed Proca-Nuevo as a specific example. We provide two proofs, using the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian pictures, that the theory possesses a pair of second class constraints, leaving D − 1 degrees of freedom in D spacetime dimensions, as befits a consistent Proca model. Our proofs are explicit and straightforward in two dimensions and we discuss how they generalize to an arbitrary number of dimensions. We also clarify why local Lorentz and parity invariant field theories cannot hold half degrees of freedom

A higher proportion of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) when combined with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in omega-3 dietary supplements provides higher antioxidant effects in human retinal cells

Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a key regulator of retinal function and is directly related to the transport, delivery, and metabolism of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n3-PUFA), in the retina. Due to their functions and location, RPE cells are constantly exposed to oxidative stress. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have shown to have antioxidant effects by different mechanisms. For this reason, we designed an in vitro study to compare 10 formulations of DHA and EPA supplements from different origins and combined in different proportions, evaluating their effect on cell viability, cell proliferation, reactive oxygen species production, and cell migration using ARPE-19 cells. Furthermore, we assessed their ability to rescue RPE cells from the oxidative conditions seen in diabetic retinopathy. Our results showed that the different formulations of n3-PUFAs have a beneficial effect on cell viability and proliferation and are able to restore oxidative induced RPE damage. We observed that the n3-PUFA provided different results alone or combined in the same supplement. When combined, the best results were obtained in formulations that included a higher proportion of EPA than DHA. Moreover, n3-PUFA in the form of ethyl-esters had a worse performance when compared with triglycerides or phospholipid based formulations

Novel association of high C-reactive protein levels and A69S at risk alleles in wet age-related macular degeneration women

Purpose: To explore the relationship between plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, the main ARMS2 gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and gender in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). Methods: Our study included 131 patients with wetAMD [age-related eye disease study (AREDS) category 4] and 153 control participants (AREDS category 1) from two Spanish retinal units. CRP levels were determined on blood samples by high-sensitivity ELISA assay. According to their CRP level, subjects were categorized into three well-established CRP categories: low (3.00 mg/L, H-CRP). Genomic DNA was extracted from oral swabs using QIAcube (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) and the A69S; rs10490924 of ARMS2 gene was genotyped by allelic discrimination with validated TaqMan assays (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression adjusted for age was used to analyze the genomic frequencies and to calculate odds ratio (OR) using SNPStats software. Results: Considering CRP risk categories, H-CRP group showed a significant [OR 4.0 (1.9-8.3)] association with wetAMD compared to L-CRP group. The risk genotypes of A69S (TT) SNPs showed an association with wetAMD risk [OR 14.0 (4.8-40.8)]. Interestingly, the gender stratification of the CRP categories showed a significant increase in CRP levels in wetAMD women compared with control women [OR 6.9 (2.2-22.3)] and with wetAMD men [OR 4.6 (1.3-16.9)]. In addition, the subgroup analysis of CRP within A69S genotype and gender showed a link in women between the A69S and CRP levels in the AMD group compared to controls [OR 4.2 (1.4-12.6)]. Conclusion: Our study shows, for the first time, that a different genetic association related with gender could contribute to AMD risk. As a consequence, the risk of female gender in the different CRP levels and A69S SNP frequencies could be taken into consideration to the established risk relationship of high levels of CRP and its association with risk A69S genotype

The role of retinal fluid location in atrophy and fibrosis evolution of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration long-term treated in real world

Purpose: To assess the effect of clinical factors on the development and progression of atrophy and fibrosis in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) receiving long-term treatment in the real world. Methods: An ambispective 36-month multicentre study, involving 359 nAMD patients from 17 Spanish hospitals treated according to the Spanish Vitreoretinal Society guidelines, was designed. The influence of demographic and clinical factors, including the presence and location of retinal fluid, on best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and progression to atrophy and/or fibrosis were analysed. Results: After 36 months of follow-up and an average of 13.8 anti-VEGF intravitreal injections, the average BCVA gain was +1.5 letters, and atrophy and/or fibrosis were present in 54.8% of nAMD patients (OR = 8.54, 95% CI = 5.85-12.47, compared to baseline). Atrophy was associated with basal intraretinal fluid (IRF) (OR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.09-3.20), whereas basal subretinal fluid (SRF) was associated with a lower rate of atrophy (OR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.23-0.71) and its progression (OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.26-0.75), leading to a slow progression rate (OR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.14-0.83). Fibrosis development and progression were related to IRF at any visit (p < 0.001). In contrast, 36-month SRF was related to a lower rate of fibrosis (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.29-0.81) and its progression (OR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.31-0.81). Conclusion: Atrophy and/or fibrosis were present in 1 of 2 nAMD patients treated for 3 years. Both, especially fibrosis, lead to vision loss. Subretinal fluid (SRF) was associated with good visual outcomes and lower rates of atrophy and fibrosis, whereas IRF yields worse visual results and a higher risk of atrophy and especially fibrosis in routine clinical practice

Oxidative stress and histological changes in a model of retinal phototoxicity in rabbits

Photochemical damage occurs after an exposure to high energy radiation within the visible spectrum of light, causing morphological changes in the retina and the formation of superoxide anion. In this study we created a model of phototoxicity in rabbits. Animals were exposed to a light source for 120 minutes and were sacrificed immediately or one week after exposure. Outer nuclear layer and neurosensory retina thickness measurements and photoreceptor counting were performed. Caspase-1 and caspase-3 were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Dihydroethidium was used to evaluate in situ generation of superoxide and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were measured in retinal homogenates as indicators of lipid peroxidation. The total antioxidant capacity and oxidative ratio were also determined. Retinas from rabbits exposed to light showed higher levels of lipid peroxidation than the unexposed animals and a decrease in outer nuclear layer and neurosensory retina thickness. Our study demonstrates that light damage produces an increase in retinal oxidative stress immediately after light exposure that decreases one week after exposure. However, some morphological alterations appear days after light exposure including apoptotic phenomena. This model may be useful in the future to study the protective effect of antioxidant substances or new intraocular lenses with yellow filters

Spatial abundance and clustering of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) on a local scale

BACKGROUND: Biting midges, Culicoides, of the Obsoletus group and the Pulicaris group have been involved in recent outbreaks of bluetongue virus and the former was also involved in the Schmallenberg virus outbreak in northern Europe. METHODS: For the first time, here we investigate the local abundance pattern of these two species groups in the field by intensive sampling with a grid of light traps on 16 catch nights. Neighboring trap catches can be spatially dependent on each other, hence we developed a conditional autoregressive (CAR) model framework to test a number of spatial and non-spatial covariates expected to affect Culicoides abundance. RESULTS: The distance to sheep penned in the corner of the study field significantly increased the abundance level up to 200 meters away from the sheep. Spatial clustering was found to be significant but could not be explained by any known factors, and cluster locations shifted between catch nights. No significant temporal autocorrelation was detected. CAR models for both species groups identified a significant positive impact of humidity and significant negative impacts of precipitation and wind turbulence. Temperature was also found to be significant with a peak at just below 16 degrees Celcius. Surprisingly, there was a significant positive impact of wind speed. The CAR model for the Pulicaris group also identified a significant attraction to the smaller groups of sheep placed in the field. Furthermore, a large number of spatial covariates which were incorrectly found to be significant in ordinary regression models were not significant in the CAR models. The 95% C.I. on the prediction estimates ranged from 20.4% to 304.8%, underlining the difficulties of predicting the abundance of Culicoides. CONCLUSIONS: We found that significant spatial clusters of Culicoides moved around in a dynamic pattern varying between catch nights. This conforms with the modeling but was not explained by any of the tested covariates. The mean abundance within these clusters was up to 11 times higher for the Obsoletus group and 4 times higher for the Pulicaris group compared to the rest of the field