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Background: After its introduction in the ICD-10-CM in 2016, sarcopenia is a condition widely considered to be a medical disease with important consequences for the elderly. Considering its high prevalence in older adults and its detrimental effects on health, it is essential to identify its risk factors to inform targeted interventions. Methods: Taking data from wave 2 of the ELSA, using ML-based methods, this study investigates which factors are significantly associated with sarcopenia. The Minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance algorithm has been used to allow for an optimal set of features that could predict the dependent variable. Such a feature is the input of a ML-based prediction model, trained and validated to predict the risk of developing or not developing a disease. Results: The presented methods are suitable to identify the risk of acquired sarcopenia. Age and other relevant features related with dementia and musculoskeletal conditions agree with previous knowledge about sarcopenia. The present classifier has an excellent performance since the "true positive rate" is 0.81 and the low "false positive rate" is 0.26. Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of sarcopenia in elderly people, with age and the presence of dementia and musculoskeletal conditions being strong predictors. The new proposed approach paves the path to test the prediction of the incidence of sarcopenia in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is linked to an increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden. Albeit underappreciated, sex differences are evident in CKD with females being more prone to CKD development, but males progressing more rapidly to kidney failure (KF). Cardiovascular remodelling is a hallmark of CKD with increased arterial and valvular calcification contributing to CKD. However, little is known regarding sex differences in calcific cardiovascular remodelling in KF patients. Thus, we hypothesise that sex differences are present in coronary artery calcification (CAC) and aortic valve calcification (AVC) in patients with KF. Methods: KF patients, males (n = 214) and females (n = 107), that had undergone computer tomography (CT) assessment for CAC and AVC were selected from three CKD cohorts. All patients underwent non-contrast multi-detector cardiac CT scanning, with CAC and AVC scoring based on the Agatston method. Baseline biochemical measurements were retrieved from cohort databases, including plasma analyses for inflammation markers (IL-6, TNF, hsCRP) and oxidative stress by skin autofluorescence measuring advanced glycation end-products (AGE), amongst other variables. Results: Sex-disaggregated analyses revealed that CAC score was associated with age in both males and females (both p < 0.001). Age-adjusted analyses revealed that in males CAC was associated with diabetes mellitus (DM) (p = 0.018) and CVD (p = 0.011). Additionally, for females CAC associated with IL-6 (p = 0.005) and TNF (p = 0.004). In both females and males CAC associated with AGE (p = 0.042 and p = 0.05, respectively). CAC was associated with mortality for females (p = 0.015) independent of age. AVC in females was not reviewed due to low AVC-positive samples (n = 14). In males, in multivariable regression AVC was associated with age (p < 0.001) and inflammation, as measured by IL-6 (p = 0.010). Conclusions: In female KF patients inflammatory burden and oxidative stress were associated with CAC. Whereas in male KF patients oxidative stress and inflammation were associated with CAC and AVC, respectively. Our findings suggest a sex-specific biomarker signature for cardiovascular calcification that may affect the development of cardiovascular complications in males and females with KF. Plain language summary: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition that affects the kidneys and increases the risk of heart problems. Males and females may experience CKD differently, and our study aimed to understand the differences in the development of calcification in the blood vessels of the heart (coronary artery calcification, or CAC) and the heart valves (aortic valve calcification, or AVC) between males and females with CKD. We analysed 214 males and 107 females with CKD who had undergone a heart scan (computer tomography, or CT) to measure CAC and AVC. We collected information on age, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. Our results showed that in both males and females CAC was associated with age. In males, CAC was associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, while in females, it was linked to markers of inflammation. In females, CAC was also associated with mortality regardless of age. Unfortunately, we had insufficient samples of females with AVC for analysis. However, in males AVC was associated with age and inflammation. Overall, our study indicates sex-specific differences in the development of calcification in the blood vessels and heart valves of CKD patients. In females, inflammation and oxidative stress are associated with CAC, while in males, oxidative stress and inflammation are associated with CAC and AVC, respectively. These findings underscore the importance of considering these differences when assessing cardiovascular complications in CKD patients. It may help in developing personalised treatment approaches for both males and females with CKD. Highlights: The gold standard technique of computer-tomography was used to measure coronary artery calcification (CAC) and aortic valve calcification (AVC) scores in males and females with kidney failure. In male kidney failure patients age and inflammatory burden was significantly associated with AVC. In addition, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and oxidative stress were significantly associated with CAC score. In female kidney failure patients age, oxidative stress, and inflammation were significantly associated with CAC score. Cardiovascular calcification presents with a sex-specific biomarker signature that may affect cardiovascular complications in males and females with kidney failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been more than 200 years since James Parkinson made the first descriptions of the disease that bears his name. Since then, knowledge about Parkinson's disease has been improved, and its pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatments are well described in the scientific and medical literature. However, there is no way to prevent the disease from its progressive nature yet and only its symptoms can be minimized. It is known that the process of neurodegeneration begins before the onset of motor signs and symptoms of the disease, when diagnosis is usually made. Therefore, recognizing manifested non-motor symptoms can make an early diagnosis possible and lead to a better understanding of the disease. Autonomic dysfunctions are important non-motor manifestations of Parkinson's disease and affect the majority of patients. Importantly, heart failure is the third leading cause of death in people suffering from Parkinson's disease. Several evidences have shown the correlation between Parkinson's disease and the preexistence of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, cardiovascular monitoring and identification of its dysfunctions can have a prodromal role for Parkinson's disease. This review presents studies of the literature that can lead to a better understanding of Parkinson's disease with special attention to its relation to heart and cardiovascular parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human ageing can be characterized by a profile of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs), which are potentially predictors of biological age. They can be used as a biomarker of risk for age-related inflammatory outcomes, and senescent endothelial cells (ECs) have emerged as a possible source of circulating miRNAs. In this paper, a panel of four circulating miRNAs including miR-146a-5p, miR-126-3p, miR-21-5p, and miR-181a-5p, involved in several pathways related to inflammation, and ECs senescence that seem to be characteristic of the healthy ageing phenotype. The circulating levels of these miRNAs were determined in 78 healthy subjects aged between 22 to 111 years. Contextually, extracellular miR-146a-5p, miR-126-3p, miR-21-5p, and miR-181a-5p levels were measured in human ECs in vitro model, undergoing senescence. We found that the levels of the four miRNAs, using ex vivo and in vitro models, progressively increase with age, apart from ultra-centenarians that showed levels comparable to those measured in young individuals. Our results contribute to the development of knowledge regarding the identification of miRNAs as biomarkers of successful and unsuccessful ageing. Indeed, they might have diagnostic/prognostic relevance for age-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is an upsurge of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Irrespective of biological sex, gender-related factors could be the precursor of these conditions. Objective: To examine the associations between biological sex, gender-related variables, and cardiovascular health (CVH) risk factors in SSA countries. Methods: We used data from the STEPwise approach to surveillance of risk factors for non-communicable disease survey, conducted in adults from Ghana, Gambia, Mali, Guinea, and Botswana. The main outcome was CVH, measured through the health index with values ranging from 0 (worst) to 5 (best or ideal) CVH. Multivariable logistic regression was applied to determine the gender-related factors related to poorer CVH (index less than 4). Results: Data included 15,356 adults (61.4% females, mean age 36.9 years). The prevalence of hypertension (21.6% vs. 13.8%) and overweight/obesity (48.3% vs. 27.5%) was higher among females as compared to males. Females were more likely to be unemployed (17.3% vs. 9.7%) or reported unpaid work (36.8% vs. 15.2%). Overall, females showed worse CVH than males (ORfemale = 0.95, 95% CI:0.91--0.99). Being married was associated with better CVH compared with being single, more so for males (ORmale = 1.09, 95% CI:0.96--1.24, pinteraction < 0.01). Males with unpaid work (ORmale = 1.28, 95% CI:1.12--1.47) had better CVH than their unpaid female counterparts (ORfemale = 1.08, 95% CI:1.01--1.17). Conclusion: In SSA populations, being female was associated with poorer CVH given the disproportionate burden of hypertension and overweight/obesity. Gender-related factors such as marital status and unpaid work were associated with better CVH in males compared to females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Sex and gender-based differences in cardiovascular health (CVH) has been explored in the context of high-income countries. However, these relationships have not been examined in low- and middle-income countries. The main aim of this study was to examine how sex and gender-related factors are associated with cardiovascular risk factors of people in South Asian countries. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of the World Health Organization's "STEPwise approach to surveillance of risk factors for non-communicable disease" or "STEPS" from six South Asian countries, surveys conducted between 2014-2019. The main outcomes were CVH as measured by a composite measure of STEPS-HEART health index (smoking, physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, overweight/obesity, diabetes and hypertension), values ranging from 0 (worst) to 6 (best or ideal) and self-reported occurrence of cardiovascular disease (ie, heart attack and stroke). Multivariate linear and logistic regression models were performed. Multiple imputation with chained equations was performed. Results The final analytic sample consisted of 33 106 participants (57.5% females). The mean STEPS-HEART index score in the South Asian population was 3.43 [SD: 0.92]. Female sex (β: 0.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.01-0.08, P < 0.05) was significantly associated with better CVH compared to males. Being married (βmale = -0.30, 95% CI = -0.37, -0.23 vs βfemale = -0.23, 95% CI = -0.29, -0.17; P < 0.001) and having a household size ≥5 (βmale = -0.15, 95% CI = -0.24, -0.06 vs βfemale = -0.11, 95% CI = -0.16, -0.04; P < 0.01) were associated with poorer CVH, more so in males. Being married was also associated with high risk of CVD (ORmale = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.68-3.86, P < 0.001 vs ORfemale = 1.19, 95% CI = 0.84-1.68, P = 0.31), significant in males. Conclusions Among the South Asian population, being female may be advantageous in having an ideal CVH. However, gender-related factors such as marital status and large household size were associated with poorer CVH and greater risk of CVD, regardless of sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patient attitudes about health and healthcare have emerged as important outcomes to assess in clinical studies. Gender is increasingly recognized as an intersectional social construct that may influence health. Our objective was to determine potential sex differences in self-reported overall health and access to healthcare and whether those differences are influenced by individual social factors in two relatively similar countries.Methods: Two public health surveys from countries with high gender equality (measured by UN GII) and universal healthcare systems, Canada (CCHS2014, n = 57,041) and Austria (AT-HIS2014, n = 15,212), were analysed. Perceived health was assessed on a scale of 1 (very bad) to 4 (very good) and perceived unmet healthcare needs was reported as a dichotomous variable (yes/no). Interactions between sex and social determinants (i.e. employment, education level, immigration and marital status) on outcomes were analysed.Results: Individuals in both countries reported high perceived health (Scoring > 2, 85.0% in Canada, 79.9% in Austria) and a low percentage reported unmet healthcare needs (4.6% in Canada, 10.7% in Austria). In both countries, sex and several social factors were associated with high perceived health, and a sex-by-marital status interaction was observed, with a greater negative impact of divorce for men. Female sex was positively associated with unmet care needs in both countries, and sex-by-social factors interactions were only detected in Canada.Conclusions: The intersection of sex and social factors in influencing patient-relevant outcomes varies even among countries with similar healthcare and high gender equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background : Parkinson's disease (PD) is described as an age-related neurodegenerative disorder. However, the vast majority of research is carried out using experimental models of young animals lacking the implications of the decline processes associated with aging. It has been suggested that several molecular pathways are involved in the perpetuation of the degeneration and the neuroinflammation in PD. Among others, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) have been highly implicated in the development of PD, and regulating components of their activity are indicated as promising therapeutic targets. Methods : To further define how MAPKs expression is related to the glial response and neuronal cell death, Parkinsonism was induced under an acute regimen in old mice. Moreover, the sacrifice was carried out at different time points (4, 8, 24, and 48 h) after 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine hydrochloride (MPTP) injections to describe the early dynamic changes over time produced by the intoxication. Results : The results revealed that neuronal death increases as glial response increases in the nigrostriatal pathway. It was observed that both processes increase from 4 h in the ventral mesencephalon (VM), and neuronal death becomes significant at 48 h. In the striatum, they were significantly increased from 48 h after the MPTP administration compared with that in the control mice. Moreover, the p-ERK levels decrease, while phospho-p38 expression increases specifically in the striatum at 48 h after MPTP intoxication. Conclusions : The importance of these data lies in the possibility of elucidating the underlying mechanisms of neurodegenerative processes under aging conditions to provide knowledge for the search of solutions that slow down the progression of PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Parkinson's disease, synucleinopathy is hypothesized to spread from the enteric nervous system, via the vagus nerve, to the CNS. Here, we compare, in baboon monkeys, the pathological consequences of either intrastriatal or enteric injection of α-synuclein-containing Lewy body extracts from patients with Parkinson's disease. This study shows that patient-derived α-synuclein aggregates are able to induce nigrostriatal lesions and enteric nervous system pathology after either enteric or striatal injection in a non-human primate model. This finding suggests that the progression of α-synuclein pathology might be either caudo-rostral or rostro-caudal, varying between patients and disease subtypes. In addition, we report that α-synuclein pathological lesions were not found in the vagal nerve in our experimental setting. This study does not support the hypothesis of a transmission of α-synuclein pathology through the vagus nerve and the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. Instead, our results suggest a possible systemic mechanism in which the general circulation would act as a route for long-distance bidirectional transmission of endogenous α-synuclein between the enteric and the central nervous systems. Taken together, our study provides invaluable primate data exploring the role of the gut-brain axis in the initiation and propagation of Parkinson's disease pathology and should open the door to the development and testing of new therapeutic approaches aimed at interfering with the development of sporadic Parkinson's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inappropriate training assessment might have either high social costs and economic impacts, especially in high risks categories, such as Pilots, Air Traffic Controllers, or Surgeons. One of the current limitations of the standard training assessment procedures is the lack of information about the amount of cognitive resources requested by the user for the correct execution of the proposed task. In fact, even if the task is accomplished achieving the maximum performance, by the standard training assessment methods, it would not be possible to gather and evaluate information about cognitive resources available for dealing with unexpected events or emergency conditions. Therefore, a metric based on the brain activity (neurometric) able to provide the Instructor such a kind of information should be very important. As a first step in this direction, the Electroencephalogram (EEG) and the performance of 10 participants were collected along a training period of 3 weeks, while learning the execution of a new task. Specific indexes have been estimated from the behavioral and EEG signal to objectively assess the users' training progress. Furthermore, we proposed a neurometric based on a machine learning algorithm to quantify the user's training level within each session by considering the level of task execution, and both the behavioral and cognitive stabilities between consecutive sessions. The results demonstrated that the proposed methodology and neurometric could quantify and track the users' progresses, and provide the Instructor information for a more objective evaluation and better tailoring of training programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is aimed at demonstrating the correlation between a neuroscientific index - the Approach/Withdrawal one (A/W), which is related to the brain performance - and the level of perceived pleasantness in young subjects undergoing diverse olfactory stimuli. The above mentioned index is employed in the assessment of audio-visual stimuli, and has been hereby estimated by using the elettroencephalogram (EEG), thanks to which it has been possible to study the activity of the Pre- Frontal Cortex (brain region connected with the pleasantness emotion experienced during a sensorial stimulation). In order to do so, this study recorded the EEG signals from several healthy no-smokers subjects (12 males and 12 females, 25 ± 2,6 years) during the perception of 10 diverse odors. Each olfactory stimulus has returned a cerebral A/W index for every subject: the related values have been statistically compared with the appreciation numeric scores assessed by the subjects in a questionnaire. Originality and value of this research lie in the following finding: the level of pleasantness towards odorous substances is measurable by analysing the EEG signals returned when presenting such substances to a pre-determined sample. From a managerial perspective, this method represents a biasfree technique for the assessment of a perfume performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is lack of consistent evidence as to how well PD patients are able to accurately time their movements across space with an external acoustic signal. For years, research based on the finger-tapping paradigm, the most popular paradigm for exploring the brain's ability to time movement, has provided strong evidence that patients are not able to accurately reproduce an isochronous interval [i.e., Ref. (1)]. This was undermined by Spencer and Ivry (2) who suggested a specific deficit in temporal control linked to emergent, rhythmical movement not event-based actions, which primarily involve the cerebellum. In this study, we investigated motor timing of seven idiopathic PD participants in event-based sensorimotor synchronization task. Participants were asked to move their finger horizontally between two predefined target zones to synchronize with the occurrence of two sound events at two time intervals (1.5 and 2.5 s). The width of the targets and the distance between them were manipulated to investigate impact of accuracy demands and movement amplitude on timing performance. The results showed that participants with PD demonstrated specific difficulties when trying to accurately synchronize their movements to a beat. The extent to which their ability to synchronize movement was compromised was found to be related to the severity of PD, but independent of the spatial constraints of the task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The retina is sensitive to age-dependent degeneration. To find suitable animal models to understand and map this process has particular importance. The degu (Octodon degus) is a diurnal rodent with dichromatic color vision. Its retinal structure is similar to that in humans in many respects, therefore, it is well suited to study retinal aging. Histological, cell type-specific and ultrastructural alterations were examined in 6-, 12- and 36-months old degus. The characteristic layers of the retina were present at all ages, but slightly loosened tissue structure could be observed in 36-month-old animals both at light and electron microscopic levels. Elevated Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression was observed in Müller glial cells in aging retinas. The number of rod bipolar cells and the ganglion cells was reduced in the aging specimens, while that of cone bipolar cells remained unchanged. Other age-related differences were detected at ultrastructural level: alteration of the retinal pigment epithelium and degenerated photoreceptor cells were evident. Ribbon synapses were sparse and often differed in morphology from those in the young animals. These results support our hypothesis that (i) the rod pathway seems to be more sensitive than the cone pathway to age-related cell loss; (ii) structural changes in the basement membrane of pigment epithelial cells can be one of the early signs of degenerative processes; (iii) the loss of synaptic proteins especially from those of the ribbon synapses are characteristic; and (iv) the degu retina may be a suitable model for studying retinal aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CCL2 is a chemokine involved in brain inflammation, but the way in which it contributes to the entrance of lymphocytes in the parenchyma is unclear. Imaging of the cell type responsible for this task and details on how the process takes place in vivo remain elusive. Herein, we analyze the cell type that overexpresses CCL2 in multiple scenarios of T-cell infiltration in the brain and in three different species. We observe that CCL2+ astrocytes play a part in the infiltration of T-cells in the brain and our analysis shows that the contact of T-cells with perivascular astrocytes occurs, suggesting that may be an important event for lymphocyte extravasation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate whether prolactin, melatonin and cortisol are altered in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated monkeys and if so, whether MPTP may alter the availability of these hormones in chronic experimental parkinsonism. Furthermore, vegetative and sleep disorders have been described in both parkinsonian patients and in MPTP chronic monkeys; these may result indirectly from concomitant hormonal variations. Seven adult male cynomolgus monkeys were used for this experiment. Five were treated with systemic doses of intravenous MPTP but not with L-DOPA or dopaminergic agonists. In their 3rd year of parkinsonism, plasma samples were obtained day and night at 3-hour intervals. Sample collection was repeated three times for each animal. Prolactin, melatonin and cortisol concentrations were determined by enzyme immunoassay and compared with samples taken from the control group. Both MPTP-treated monkeys and the control group displayed a similar secretion pattern for the three hormones, except at several specific times when prolactin and melatonin showed significant differences. No changes were found for cortisol. The results suggest a possible alteration of hormonal metabolism in chronic MPTP parkinsonian monkeys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]