Associated Factors for Falls among the Community-Dwelling Older People Assessed by Annual Geriatric Health Examinations

BACKGROUND: Falls are very common among the older people. Nearly one-third older people living in a community fall each year. However, few studies have examined factors associated with falls in a community-dwelling population of older Taiwanese adults. OBJECTIVES: To identify the associated factors for falls during the previous 12 months among the community-dwelling Taiwanese older people receiving annual geriatric health examinations. PARTICIPANTS: People aged sixty-five years or older, living in the community, assessed by annual geriatric health examinations METHODS: 1377 community-dwellers aged ≥65 years who received annual geriatric health examinations at one hospital in northern Taiwan between March and November of 2008. They were asked about their history of falls during the year prior to their most recent health examination. RESULTS: The average age of the 1377 participants was 74.9±6.8 years, 48.9% of which were women. Three-hundred and thirteen of the participants (22.7%) had at least one fall during the previous year. Multivariate analysis showed that odds ratio for the risk of falling was 1.94 (95% CI 1.36-2.76) when the female gender group is compared with the male gender group. The adjusted odds ratios of age and waist circumference were 1.03 (95% CI 1.00-1.06) and 1.03 (95% CI 1.01-1.05) respectively. The adjusted odds ratios of visual acuity, Karnofsky scale, and serum albumin level were 0.34 (95% CI 0.15-0.76), 0.94 (95% CI 0.89-0.98), and 0.37 (95% CI 0.18-0.76) respectively. Larger waist circumference, older age, female gender, poorer visual acuity, lower score on the Karnofsky Performance Scale, and lower serum albumin level were the independent associated factors for falls. CONCLUSION: In addition to other associated factors, waist circumference should be included as a novel risk factor for falls

A Novel Conserved Isoform of the Ubiquitin Ligase UFD2a/UBE4B Is Expressed Exclusively in Mature Striated Muscle Cells

Yeast Ufd2p was the first identified E4 multiubiquitin chain assembly factor. Its vertebrate homologues later referred to as UFD2a, UBE4B or E4B were also shown to have E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. UFD2a function in the brain has been well established in vivo, and in vitro studies have shown that its activity is essential for proper condensation and segregation of chromosomes during mitosis. Here we show that 2 alternative splice forms of UFD2a, UFD2a-7 and -7/7a, are expressed sequentially during myoblast differentiation of C2C12 cell cultures and during cardiotoxin-induced regeneration of skeletal muscle in mice. UFD2a-7 contains an alternate exon 7, and UFD2a-7/7a, the larger of the 2 isoforms, contains an additional novel exon 7a. Analysis of protein or mRNA expression in mice and zebrafish revealed that a similar pattern of isoform switching occurs during developmental myogenesis of cardiac and skeletal muscle. In vertebrates (humans, rodents, zebrafish), UFD2a-7/7a is expressed only in mature striated muscle. This unique tissue specificity is further validated by the conserved presence of 2 muscle-specific splicing regulatory motifs located in the 3′ introns of exons 7 and 7a. UFD2a interacts with VCP/p97, an AAA-type ATPase implicated in processes whose functions appear to be regulated, in part, through their interaction with one or more of 15 previously identified cofactors. UFD2a-7/7a did not interact with VCP/p97 in yeast 2-hybrid experiments, which may allow the ATPase to bind cofactors that facilitate its muscle-specific functions. We conclude that the regulated expression of these UFD2a isoforms most likely imparts divergent functions that are important for myogenisis

Fetal alleles predisposing to metabolically favourable adiposity are associated with higher birth weight

This is the final version. Available on open access from Oxford University Press via the DOI in this record Data Availability: Our study used both published summary results (i.e. taking results from published research papers and websites) and individual participant cohort data as follows: The data for the GWAS of BMI is available here. https://portals.broadinstitute.org/collaboration/giant/index.php/GIANT_consortium_data_files The data for the GWAS of body fat percentage is available here. https://walker05.u.hpc.mssm.edu The data for the GWAS of birth weight is available here. https://egg-consortium.org/birth-weight-2019.htm The references to those published data sources are provided in the main paper. We used individual participant data for the genetic association analyses from the UK Biobank, ALSPAC, BiB, EFSOCH and HAPO cohorts. The data in UK Biobank, ALSPAC and BiB are fully available, via managed systems, to any researchers. The managed system for both studies is a requirement of the study funders but access is not restricted on the basis of overlap with other applications to use the data or on the basis of peer review of the proposed science. UK Biobank. Full information on how to access these data can be found here - https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/using-the-resource/ ALSPAC. The ALSPAC data management plan (http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/researchers/data-access/documents/alspac-data-managementplan.pdf ) describes in detail the policy regarding data sharing, which is through a system of managed open access. The steps below highlight how to apply for access to the data included in this paper and all other ALSPAC data. 27 1. Please read the ALSPAC access policy (PDF, 627kB) which describes the process of accessing the data and samples in detail, and outlines the costs associated with doing so. 2. You may also find it useful to browse the fully searchable ALSPAC research proposals database, which lists all research projects that have been approved since April 2011. 3. Please submit your research proposal for consideration by the ALSPAC Executive Committee. You will receive a response within 10 working days to advise you whether your proposal has been approved. If you have any questions about accessing data, please email [email protected]. BiB. Full information on how to access these data can be found here - https://borninbradford.nhs.uk/research/how-to-access-data/ HAPO. For access to the data used in this study, please contact Dr. Rachel Freathy ([email protected]) and Prof. William Lowe Jr ([email protected]). The website describing the study and other data available is https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/projects/gap/cgibin/study.cgi?study_id=phs000096.v4.p1 If you have further questions, please email Dr William Lowe at [email protected] EFSOCH. Requests for access to the original EFSOCH dataset should be made in writing in the first instance to the EFSOCH data team via the Exeter Clinical Research Facility [email protected]: Higher birthweight is associated with higher adult BMI. Alleles that predispose to greater adult adiposity might act in fetal life to increase fetal growth and birthweight. Whether there are fetal effects of recently identified adult metabolically favourable adiposity alleles on birthweight is unknown. Aim We aimed to test the effect on birthweight of fetal genetic predisposition to higher metabolically favourable adult adiposity and compare that with the effect of fetal genetic predisposition to higher adult BMI. METHODS: We used published GWAS data (n = upto 406 063) to estimate fetal effects on birthweight (adjusting for maternal genotype) of alleles known to raise metabolically favourable adult adiposity or BMI. We combined summary data across SNPs with random effects meta-analyses. We performed weighted linear regression of SNP-birthweight effects against SNP-adult adiposity effects to test for a dose-dependent association. RESULTS: Fetal genetic predisposition to higher metabolically favourable adult adiposity and higher adult BMI were both associated with higher birthweight (3grams per effect allele (95%CI, 1 to 5) averaged over 14 SNPs; p = 0.002; 0.5grams per effect allele (95%CI, 0 to 1) averaged over 76 SNPs; p = 0.042, respectively). SNPs with greater effects on metabolically favourable adiposity tended to have greater effects on birthweight (R2 = 0.2912, p = 0.027). There was no dose-dependent association for BMI (R2 = -0.0019, p = 0.602). CONCLUSIONS: Fetal genetic predisposition to both higher adult metabolically favourable adiposity and BMI is associated with birthweight. Fetal effects of metabolically favourable adiposity-raising alleles on birthweight are modestly proportional to their effects on future adiposity, but those of BMI-raising alleles are not.US National Institute of HealthEuropean Research Council (ERC)British Heart Foundatio

Higher maternal adiposity reduces offspring birthweight if associated with a metabolically favourable profile

This is the final version. Available on open access from Springer via the DOI in this recordData availability: The data for the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of BMI are available at https://portals.broadinstitute.org/collaboration/giant/index.php/GIANT_consortium_data_files. The data for the GWAS of body fat percentage are available at https://walker05.u.hpc.mssm.edu.Aims/hypothesis Higher maternal BMI during pregnancy is associated with higher offspring birthweight, but it is not known whether this is solely the result of adverse metabolic consequences of higher maternal adiposity, such as maternal insulin resistance and fetal exposure to higher glucose levels, or whether there is any effect of raised adiposity through non-metabolic (e.g. mechanical) factors. We aimed to use genetic variants known to predispose to higher adiposity, coupled with a favourable metabolic profile, in a Mendelian randomisation (MR) study comparing the effect of maternal ‘metabolically favourable adiposity’ on offspring birthweight with the effect of maternal general adiposity (as indexed by BMI). Methods To test the causal effects of maternal metabolically favourable adiposity or general adiposity on offspring birthweight, we performed two-sample MR. We used variants identified in large, published genetic-association studies as being associated with either higher adiposity and a favourable metabolic profile, or higher BMI (n = 442,278 and n = 322,154 for metabolically favourable adiposity and BMI, respectively). We then extracted data on the metabolically favourable adiposity and BMI variants from a large, published genetic-association study of maternal genotype and offspring birthweight controlling for fetal genetic effects (n = 406,063 with maternal and/or fetal genotype effect estimates). We used several sensitivity analyses to test the reliability of the results. As secondary analyses, we used data from four cohorts (total n = 9323 mother–child pairs) to test the effects of maternal metabolically favourable adiposity or BMI on maternal gestational glucose, anthropometric components of birthweight and cord-blood biomarkers. Results Higher maternal adiposity with a favourable metabolic profile was associated with lower offspring birthweight (−94 [95% CI −150, −38] g per 1 SD [6.5%] higher maternal metabolically favourable adiposity, p = 0.001). By contrast, higher maternal BMI was associated with higher offspring birthweight (35 [95% CI 16, 53] g per 1 SD [4 kg/m2] higher maternal BMI, p = 0.0002). Sensitivity analyses were broadly consistent with the main results. There was evidence of outlier SNPs for both exposures; their removal slightly strengthened the metabolically favourable adiposity estimate and made no difference to the BMI estimate. Our secondary analyses found evidence to suggest that a higher maternal metabolically favourable adiposity decreases pregnancy fasting glucose levels while a higher maternal BMI increases them. The effects on neonatal anthropometric traits were consistent with the overall effect on birthweight but the smaller sample sizes for these analyses meant that the effects were imprecisely estimated. We also found evidence to suggest that higher maternal metabolically favourable adiposity decreases cord-blood leptin while higher maternal BMI increases it. Conclusions/interpretation Our results show that higher adiposity in mothers does not necessarily lead to higher offspring birthweight. Higher maternal adiposity can lead to lower offspring birthweight if accompanied by a favourable metabolic profile.National Institutes of Health (NIH)European Union FP7British Heart FoundationNational Institute for Health Research (NIHR)Medical Research Council (MRC)Wellcome TrustUniversity of Bristo

Fetal alleles predisposing to metabolically favourable adiposity are associated with higher birth weight

This is the final version. Available on open access from Oxford University Press via the DOI in this record Data Availability: Our study used both published summary results (i.e. taking results from published research papers and websites) and individual participant cohort data as follows: The data for the GWAS of BMI is available here. https://portals.broadinstitute.org/collaboration/giant/index.php/GIANT_consortium_data_files The data for the GWAS of body fat percentage is available here. https://walker05.u.hpc.mssm.edu The data for the GWAS of birth weight is available here. https://egg-consortium.org/birth-weight-2019.htm The references to those published data sources are provided in the main paper. We used individual participant data for the genetic association analyses from the UK Biobank, ALSPAC, BiB, EFSOCH and HAPO cohorts. The data in UK Biobank, ALSPAC and BiB are fully available, via managed systems, to any researchers. The managed system for both studies is a requirement of the study funders but access is not restricted on the basis of overlap with other applications to use the data or on the basis of peer review of the proposed science. UK Biobank. Full information on how to access these data can be found here - https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/using-the-resource/ ALSPAC. The ALSPAC data management plan (http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/researchers/data-access/documents/alspac-data-managementplan.pdf ) describes in detail the policy regarding data sharing, which is through a system of managed open access. The steps below highlight how to apply for access to the data included in this paper and all other ALSPAC data. 27 1. Please read the ALSPAC access policy (PDF, 627kB) which describes the process of accessing the data and samples in detail, and outlines the costs associated with doing so. 2. You may also find it useful to browse the fully searchable ALSPAC research proposals database, which lists all research projects that have been approved since April 2011. 3. Please submit your research proposal for consideration by the ALSPAC Executive Committee. You will receive a response within 10 working days to advise you whether your proposal has been approved. If you have any questions about accessing data, please email [email protected]. BiB. Full information on how to access these data can be found here - https://borninbradford.nhs.uk/research/how-to-access-data/ HAPO. For access to the data used in this study, please contact Dr. Rachel Freathy ([email protected]) and Prof. William Lowe Jr ([email protected]). The website describing the study and other data available is https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/projects/gap/cgibin/study.cgi?study_id=phs000096.v4.p1 If you have further questions, please email Dr William Lowe at [email protected] EFSOCH. Requests for access to the original EFSOCH dataset should be made in writing in the first instance to the EFSOCH data team via the Exeter Clinical Research Facility [email protected]: Higher birthweight is associated with higher adult BMI. Alleles that predispose to greater adult adiposity might act in fetal life to increase fetal growth and birthweight. Whether there are fetal effects of recently identified adult metabolically favourable adiposity alleles on birthweight is unknown. Aim We aimed to test the effect on birthweight of fetal genetic predisposition to higher metabolically favourable adult adiposity and compare that with the effect of fetal genetic predisposition to higher adult BMI. METHODS: We used published GWAS data (n = upto 406 063) to estimate fetal effects on birthweight (adjusting for maternal genotype) of alleles known to raise metabolically favourable adult adiposity or BMI. We combined summary data across SNPs with random effects meta-analyses. We performed weighted linear regression of SNP-birthweight effects against SNP-adult adiposity effects to test for a dose-dependent association. RESULTS: Fetal genetic predisposition to higher metabolically favourable adult adiposity and higher adult BMI were both associated with higher birthweight (3grams per effect allele (95%CI, 1 to 5) averaged over 14 SNPs; p = 0.002; 0.5grams per effect allele (95%CI, 0 to 1) averaged over 76 SNPs; p = 0.042, respectively). SNPs with greater effects on metabolically favourable adiposity tended to have greater effects on birthweight (R2 = 0.2912, p = 0.027). There was no dose-dependent association for BMI (R2 = -0.0019, p = 0.602). CONCLUSIONS: Fetal genetic predisposition to both higher adult metabolically favourable adiposity and BMI is associated with birthweight. Fetal effects of metabolically favourable adiposity-raising alleles on birthweight are modestly proportional to their effects on future adiposity, but those of BMI-raising alleles are not.US National Institute of HealthEuropean Research Council (ERC)British Heart Foundatio

Accelerated discovery of two crystal structure types in a complex inorganic phase field

The discovery of new materials is hampered by the lack of efficient approaches to the exploration of both the large number of possible elemental compositions for such materials, and of the candidate structures at each composition1. For example, the discovery of inorganic extended solid structures has relied on knowledge of crystal chemistry coupled with time-consuming materials synthesis with systematically varied elemental ratios2,3. Computational methods have been developed to guide synthesis by predicting structures at specific compositions4,5,6 and predicting compositions for known crystal structures7,8, with notable successes9,10. However, the challenge of finding qualitatively new, experimentally realizable compounds, with crystal structures where the unit cell and the atom positions within it differ from known structures, remains for compositionally complex systems. Many valuable properties arise from substitution into known crystal structures, but materials discovery using this approach alone risks both missing best-in-class performance and attempting design with incomplete knowledge8,11. Here we report the experimental discovery of two structure types by computational identification of the region of a complex inorganic phase field that contains them. This is achieved by computing probe structures that capture the chemical and structural diversity of the system and whose energies can be ranked against combinations of currently known materials. Subsequent experimental exploration of the lowest-energy regions of the computed phase diagram affords two materials with previously unreported crystal structures featuring unusual structural motifs. This approach will accelerate the systematic discovery of new materials in complex compositional spaces by efficiently guiding synthesis and enhancing the predictive power of the computational tools through expansion of the knowledge base underpinning them

Structural Characterization of CYP51 from Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma brucei Bound to the Antifungal Drugs Posaconazole and Fluconazole

Chagas Disease is caused by kinetoplastid protozoa Trypanosoma cruzi, whose sterols resemble those of fungi, in both composition and biosynthetic pathway. Azole inhibitors of sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51), such as fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole, successfully treat fungal infections in humans. Efforts have been made to translate anti-fungal azoles into a second-use application for Chagas Disease. Ravuconazole and posaconazole have been recently proposed as candidates for clinical trials with Chagas Disease patients. However, the widespread use of posaconazole for long-term treatment of chronic infections may be limited by hepatic and renal toxicity, a requirement for simultaneous intake of a fatty meal or nutritional supplement to enhance absorption, and cost. To aid our search for structurally and synthetically simple CYP51 inhibitors, we have determined the crystal structures of the CYP51 targets in T. cruzi and T. brucei, both bound to the anti-fungal drugs fluconazole or posaconazole. The structures provide a basis for a design of new drugs targeting Chagas Disease, and also make it possible to model the active site characteristics of the highly homologous Leishmania CYP51. This work provides a foundation for rational synthesis of new therapeutic agents targeting the three kinetoplastid parasites

Neocortical Axon Arbors Trade-off Material and Conduction Delay Conservation

The brain contains a complex network of axons rapidly communicating information between billions of synaptically connected neurons. The morphology of individual axons, therefore, defines the course of information flow within the brain. More than a century ago, Ramón y Cajal proposed that conservation laws to save material (wire) length and limit conduction delay regulate the design of individual axon arbors in cerebral cortex. Yet the spatial and temporal communication costs of single neocortical axons remain undefined. Here, using reconstructions of in vivo labelled excitatory spiny cell and inhibitory basket cell intracortical axons combined with a variety of graph optimization algorithms, we empirically investigated Cajal's conservation laws in cerebral cortex for whole three-dimensional (3D) axon arbors, to our knowledge the first study of its kind. We found intracortical axons were significantly longer than optimal. The temporal cost of cortical axons was also suboptimal though far superior to wire-minimized arbors. We discovered that cortical axon branching appears to promote a low temporal dispersion of axonal latencies and a tight relationship between cortical distance and axonal latency. In addition, inhibitory basket cell axonal latencies may occur within a much narrower temporal window than excitatory spiny cell axons, which may help boost signal detection. Thus, to optimize neuronal network communication we find that a modest excess of axonal wire is traded-off to enhance arbor temporal economy and precision. Our results offer insight into the principles of brain organization and communication in and development of grey matter, where temporal precision is a crucial prerequisite for coincidence detection, synchronization and rapid network oscillations