The aging process and potential interventions to extend life expectancy

Aging is commonly defined as the accumulation of diverse deleterious changes occurring in cells and tissues with advancing age that are responsible for the increased risk of disease and death. The major theories of aging are all specific of a particular cause of aging, providing useful and important insights for the understanding of age-related physiological changes. However, a global view of them is needed when debating of a process which is still obscure in some of its aspects. In this context, the search for a single cause of aging has recently been replaced by the view of aging as an extremely complex, multifactorial process. Therefore, the different theories of aging should not be considered as mutually exclusive, but complementary of others in the explanation of some or all the features of the normal aging process. To date, no convincing evidence showing the administration of existing “anti-aging” remedies can slow aging or increase longevity in humans is available. Nevertheless, several studies on animal models have shown that aging rates and life expectancy can be modified. The present review provides an overlook of the most commonly accepted theories of aging, providing current evidence of those interventions aimed at modifying the aging process

Oropharyngeal Dysphagia After Hospitalization for COVID-19 Disease: Our Screening Results

A high percentage of patients suffered symptoms also after recovery from the Coronavirus Disease—2019 (COVID-19) infection. It is not well clear what are the specific long-term sequelae (complications and symptoms). During the acute phase the patients may develop a multi-organ system pathology including aerodigestive tract. As the pathophysiology of COVID-19 emerges, the aim of our study was to describe the prevalence of oropharyngeal dysphagia after COVID-19 disease. From March to July 2020 we enrolled patients recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection who had been previously hospitalized for the disease. They were screened for dysphagia by mean of the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10). The cases with EAT-10 score > 3 were graded for the aspiration risk by applying the Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS) and were submitted to the Swal-QoL questionnaire. The cases with a GUSS score > 19 were subjected to FEES. 8/117 (7%) patients had positive screening result. 4/8 (50%) revealed an abnormal health related quality of life in oropharyngeal dysphagia with a mean Swal-QoL score of 69.73. The most affected domain was the “time of meals” (mean score 65) following by the “sleep” (mean score 66) and “eating desire” (mean score 72). 1/8 cases showed increased risk for aspiration and did not showed endoscopic signs of oropharyngeal dysphagia. Our results showed that the prevalence of upper dysphagia after hospitalization for SARS-CoV-2 is not anecdotal and that probably this long-lasting sequela has a psychogenic etiology

Inappropriate Drugs in Elderly Patients with Severe Cognitive Impairment: Results from the Shelter Study

It has been estimated that Nursing Home (NH) residents with impaired cognitive status receive an average of seven to eight drugs daily. The aim of this study was to determine prevalence and factors associated with use of inappropriate drugs in elderly patients with severe cognitive impairment living in NH in Europe

Assessment of nursing home residents in Europe: the Services and Health for ELderly in Long TERm care (SHELTER) study

Kaisu Pitkälä ryhmän SHELTER project jäsen. Jäseniä yhteensä 32. WOS:000300767900001Peer reviewe

Metabolites

An altered amino acid metabolism has been described in frail older adults which may contribute to muscle loss and functional decline associated with frailty. In the present investigation, we compared circulating amino acid profiles of older adults with physical frailty and sarcopenia (PF&S, = 94), frail/pre-frail older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (F-T2DM, = 66), and robust non-diabetic controls ( = 40). Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) models were built to define the amino acid signatures associated with the different frailty phenotypes. PLS-DA allowed correct classification of participants with 78.2 ± 1.9% accuracy. Older adults with F-T2DM showed an amino acid profile characterized by higher levels of 3-methylhistidine, alanine, arginine, ethanolamine, and glutamic acid. PF&S and control participants were discriminated based on serum concentrations of aminoadipic acid, aspartate, citrulline, cystine, taurine, and tryptophan. These findings suggest that different types of frailty may be characterized by distinct metabolic perturbations. Amino acid profiling may therefore serve as a valuable tool for frailty biomarker discovery

Malnutrition in COVID-19 survivors: prevalence and risk factors

Background: Nutritional status is a critical factor throughout COVID-19 disease course. Malnutrition is associated with poor outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Aim: To assess the prevalence of malnutrition and identify its associated factors in COVID-19 survivors. Methods: Study cohort included 1230 COVID-19 survivors aged 18-86 attending a post-COVID-19 outpatient service. Data on clinical parameters, anthropometry, acute COVID-19 symptoms, lifestyle habits were collected through a comprehensive medical assessment. Malnutrition was assessed according to Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria. Results: Prevalence of malnutrition was 22% at 4-5 months after acute disease. Participants who were not hospitalized during acute COVID-19 showed a higher frequency of malnutrition compared to those who needed hospitalization (26% versus 19%, p < 0.01). Malnutrition was found in 25% COVID-19 survivors over 65 years of age compared to 21% younger participants (p < 0.01). After multivariable adjustment, the likelihood of being malnourished increased progressively and independently with advancing age (Odds ratio [OR] 1.02; 95% CI 1.01-1.03) and in male participants (OR 5.56; 95% CI 3.53-8.74). Malnutrition was associated with loss of appetite (OR 2.50; 95% CI 1.73-3.62), and dysgeusia (OR 4.05; 95% CI 2.30-7.21) during acute COVID-19. Discussion: In the present investigation we showed that malnutrition was highly prevalent in a large cohort of COVID-19 survivors at 4-5 months from acute illness. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need to implement comprehensive nutritional assessment and therapy as an integral part of care for COVID-19 patients

COVID-19 atypical Parsonage-Turner syndrome: a case report

Background Neurological manifestations of Sars-CoV-2 infection have been described since March 2020 and include both central and peripheral nervous system manifestations. Neurological symptoms, such as headache or persistent loss of smell and taste, have also been documented in COVID-19 long-haulers. Moreover, long lasting fatigue, mild cognitive impairment and sleep disorders appear to be frequent long term neurological manifestations after hospitalization due to COVID-19. Less is known in relation to peripheral nerve injury related to Sars-CoV-2 infection. Case presentation We report the case of a 47-year-old female presenting with a unilateral chest pain radiating to the left arm lasting for more than two months after recovery from Sars-CoV-2 infection. After referral to our post-acute outpatient service for COVID-19 long haulers, she was diagnosed with a unilateral, atypical, pure sensory brachial plexus neuritis potentially related to COVID-19, which occurred during the acute phase of a mild Sars-CoV-2 infection and persisted for months after resolution of the infection. Conclusions We presented a case of atypical Parsonage-Turner syndrome potentially triggered by Sars-CoV-2 infection, with symptoms and repercussion lasting after viral clearance. A direct involvement of the virus remains uncertain, and the physiopathology is unclear. The treatment of COVID-19 and its long-term consequences represents a relatively new challenge for clinicians and health care providers. A multidisciplinary approach to following-up COVID-19 survivors is strongly advised

Enhancing Ozone Monitoring with Low-Cost Sensors and Deep Neural Network: A Novel Approach

Ozone is a crucial component of the Earth’s atmosphere, playing a critical role in protecting the planet from harmful ultraviolet radiation. However, its concentration can vary greatly across different regions with significant impacts on human health and environment equilibrium. The aim of this work was to calibrate a low-cost sensing platform, based on chemoresistive gas sensors, to monitor the environmental concentration of O3. The ongoing on-field calibration is performed with a deep neural network using the concentration of O3 collected by the local environmental protection agencies through certified tools as the gold standard

Gas Sensing Capabilities of CuInS2/ZnO Core–Shell Quantum Dot

Chemoresistive gas sensors are surely one of the easiest and most commonly used methods to monitor the presence of different polluting gases. Nevertheless, there are still several challenges to overcome in order for these sensors to be widely used. In particular, the selectivity and sensitivity of chemoresistive gas sensors towards a wide range of analytes need to be improved. This is why new sensing materials capable of detecting different analytes in a sensitive and selective manner are being investigated. In this regard, this work is focused on the development and characterization of a new sensing material based on the quantum dot (QD) core–shell of CuInS2/ZnO (CIS-ZO). Optimized films of the QD core–shell of CIS-ZO were integrated into a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS)-based gas sensor platform, showing excellent sensing performance versus different gases and especially towards ethanol (C2H5OH)

Power Controlling, Monitoring and Routing Center Enabled by a DC-Transformer †

The penetration of various types of renewable sources and on-site storage devices have recently focused attention towards DC power distribution in consumer grids to achieve the target of zero/positive energy buildings and communities. To achieve this target, the most important component is the DC consumer grid architecture which can integrate not only renewable sources and storage, but also enable the implementation in any conventional AC distribution network without any significant upgrade. To this end, a unique DC Transformer enabled DC microgrid architecture is presented in this paper. The architecture, called PCmRC (power controlling monitoring routing center) is proposed to manage distributed energy sources and storage at any stage and also directly interconnects the DC consumer grid with the conventional AC power grid. This paper also investigates detailed control algorithms of each component and the DC Transformer topology in addition to proposing four unique stages of grid operational modes to enhance the overall grid stability in any operational condition. The main objectives are to maximize the exploitation of renewable sources, to decrease reliance on fossil fuels, to boost the overall efficiency of the grid by reducing the power conversion losses and demand side management in all possible forms. The simulation platform is designed in MATLAB/Simulink. Simulation results of several types of case studies show the effectiveness of the proposed power distribution and management model