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1.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38509032

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the cross-sectional and prospective associations between self-reported functionality of complete dentures (FCD), satisfaction with complete dentures (SCD) and the ability to chew hard food (ACHF) on the one hand and the frailty index (FI) on the other hand among edentulous community-dwelling older Japanese people. METHODS: The study examined 770 edentulous participants of the Nihon University Japanese Longitudinal Study of Aging. The self-reported FCD, SCD and ability to chew six groups of food (from hardest to softest) with complete dentures were the independent variables at the baseline. The FI was computed including 40 deficits as the dependent variable at the baseline and 4 years later. Cross-sectional and prospective generalized linear regression models were fitted controlling for age, gender, marital status, education, working status and area of residence. RESULTS: The use of non-functional complete dentures and dissatisfaction with complete dentures were both associated with a higher FI cross-sectionally (3.9% [95% CI 2.2-5.6] and 3.2% [95% CI 1.5-4.9], respectively) and prospectively (3.9% [95% CI 2.0-6.0] and 3.3% [95% CI 1.3-5.3], respectively). Regarding the ability to chew, a higher FI at baseline was observed among those able to chew food of Group 2 (1.9%, [95% CI 0.1-3.7]) and Groups 4-6 (1.9%, [95% CI 0.1-3.7]), and a progressive increment in the FI, as the participants reported being able to chew softer groups of food at the follow-up (Group 2: 2.2% [95% CI 0.05-4.3]; Group 3: 3.6% [95% CI 1.2-6.0]; and Groups 4-6: 3.4 [95% CI 0.7-6.1]). CONCLUSION: Self-reported use of non-functional complete dentures, dissatisfaction with dentures and a reduced ACHF with complete dentures were associated with a higher FI both cross-sectionally and prospectively.

2.
Int J Mol Sci ; 24(8)2023 Apr 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37108547

ABSTRACT

Sleep disorders, including insomnia, are common during aging, and these conditions have been associated with cognitive decline in older adults. Moreover, during the aging process, neurotransmitters, neurohormones, and neurotrophins decrease significantly, leading to the impairment of cognitive functions. In this sense, BDNF, the most abundant neurotrophic factor in the human brain, has been suggested as a potential target for the prevention and improvement of cognitive decline during aging; however, the current evidence demonstrates that the exogenous administration of BDNF does not improve cognitive function. Hence, in the present study, we quantified pro-BDNF (inactive) and BDNF (active) concentrations in serum samples derived from older individuals with insomnia and/or cognitive decline. We used linear regression to analyze whether clinical or sociodemographic variables impacted the levels of BNDF concentration. We observed that insomnia, rather than cognitive decline, is significantly associated with BDNF concentration, and these effects are independent of other variables. To our knowledge, this is the first study that points to the impact of insomnia on improving the levels of BDNF during aging and suggests that opportune treatment of insomnia may be more beneficial to prevent cognitive decline during aging.


Subject(s)
Cognitive Dysfunction , Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders , Humans , Aged , Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism , Brain/metabolism , Cognition
3.
BMC Geriatr ; 23(1): 45, 2023 01 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36698115

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Plenty of evidence shows how social isolation and loneliness are associated with increased risk for numerous diseases and mortality. But findings about their interactive or combined effects on health outcomes and mortality remains inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: Analyze the longitudinal association of loneliness, social isolation and their interactions, with the all-cause mortality among older adults in Mexico. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted. Mexican adults older than 50 years were included. Data from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) in the 2015 and 2018 waves were used. The subjects were classified according to their level of loneliness and the presence of social isolation. Multivariate logistic regression analyzes were performed to determine the degree of association between loneliness and social isolation with all-cause mortality at a 3-year follow-up. RESULTS: From the total sample of 11,713 adults aged 50 years or over, 707 (6%) did not survive, 42% presented loneliness, and 53% were classified as socially isolated. After multivariate adjustment only social isolation (OR = 1.30, 95%CI:1.03-1.64) was associated with all-cause mortality, loneliness (Mild: OR = 0.83, 95%CI:0.59-1.16; Severe: OR = 1.03, 95%CI:0.71-1.64), and the interaction between loneliness and social isolation were not associated with all-cause mortality. CONCLUSION: Social isolation, but not loneliness or their interaction, was associated with all-cause mortality in Mexican adults older than 50 years. This finding may help direct possible future interventions that help improve mental health in older adults from a highly collectivistic country.


Subject(s)
Loneliness , Social Isolation , Humans , Aged , Mexico/epidemiology , Social Isolation/psychology , Loneliness/psychology , Aging/psychology , Retrospective Studies
4.
Gerodontology ; 40(3): 372-381, 2023 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36358062

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the relationship between the Frailty Index and 10 oral conditions controlling for nutritional status among Mexican community-dwelling older people. BACKGROUND: Studies suggest that the association between frailty and oral conditions are mediated by nutrition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis includes 487 community-dwelling men and women aged ≥70 years old. Interview and clinical examinations were performed at participants' homes. Objective (number of natural teeth, root remnants, dental condition, utilisation and functionality of removable dental prostheses and periodontitis) and subjective (utilisation of dental services, self-rated oral health, chewing difficulties and xerostomia) oral variables were collected by trained personnel. The Frailty Index was calculated considering 35 deficits. Nutritional status measured with the Mini-Nutritional assessment (MNA), age, sex, education, and marital status were included as covariates. We fitted 11 multivariate generalised linear models (one for each oral condition), assuming gamma distribution for Frailty Index as the outcome. RESULTS: Participants average age was 78.1 years, 52.1% were women. We observed a higher Frailty Index among those rating their oral health as worse than others their age (5.1%), reporting chewing difficulties often (4.9%) and fairly and very often (7.0%), and xerostomia (4.8%). Age, gender and MNA were consistently associated with the Frailty Index. CONCLUSION: Subjective oral conditions are compatible with the Frailty Index after controlling for older people's nutritional status and covariates.


Subject(s)
Frailty , Mouth Diseases , Xerostomia , Male , Humans , Female , Aged , Cohort Studies , Cross-Sectional Studies , Frailty/epidemiology , Mouth Diseases/epidemiology , Oral Health , Nutritional Status , Xerostomia/complications , Xerostomia/epidemiology , Geriatric Assessment , Frail Elderly
5.
Front Plant Sci ; 13: 837441, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35845677

ABSTRACT

A survey of plant-based wastes identified sunflower (Helianthus annuus) bark extract (SBE), produced via twin-screw extrusion, as a potential biostimulant. The addition of SBE to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings cultured in vitro showed a dose-dependent response, with high concentrations causing severe growth inhibition. However, when priming seeds with SBE, a small but significant increase in leaf area was observed at a dose of 0.5 g of lyophilized powder per liter. This optimal concentration of SBE in the culturing medium alleviated the growth inhibition caused by 100 mM NaCl. The recovery in shoot growth was accompanied by a pronounced increase in photosynthetic pigment levels and a stabilization of osmotic homeostasis. SBE-primed leaf discs also showed a similar protective effect. SBE mitigated salt stress by reducing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (e.g., hydrogen peroxide) by about 30% and developing more expanded true leaves. This reduction in ROS levels was due to the presence of antioxidative agents in SBE and by activating ROS-eliminating enzymes. Polyphenols, carbohydrates, proteins, and other bioactive compounds detected in SBE may have contributed to the cellular redox homeostasis in salt-stressed plants, thus promoting early leaf development by relieving shoot apical meristem arrest. Sunflower stalks from which SBE is prepared can therefore potentially be valorized as a source to produce biostimulants for improving salt stress tolerance in crops.

6.
Int J Mol Sci ; 23(9)2022 Apr 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35563054

ABSTRACT

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is among the main causes of mortality worldwide. A rapid and opportune diagnosis is crucial to improve a patient's outcomes; despite the current advanced image technologies for diagnosis, their implementation is challenging. MicroRNAs have been recognized as useful as biomarkers since they are specific and stable for characterization of AIS. However, there is still a lack of consensus over the primary miRNAs implicated in AIS. Here, we performed a systematic review of the literature covering from 2015-2021 regarding miRNAs expression during AIS and built structural networks to analyze and identify the most common miRNAs expressed during AIS and shared pathways, genes, and compounds that seem to influence their expression. We identified two sets of miRNAs: on one side, a set that was independent of geographical location and tissue (miR-124, miR-107, miR-221, miR-223, miR-140, miR-151a, miR-181a, miR-320b, and miR-484); and on the other side, a set that was connected (hubs) in biological networks (miR-27b-3p, miR-26b-5p, miR-124-3p, miR-570-3p, miR-19a-3p, miR-101-3p and miR-25-3p), which altered FOXO3, FOXO4, and EP300 genes. Interestingly, such genes are involved in cell death, FOXO-mediated transcription, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling pathways. Finally, our pharmacological network analysis depicted a set of toxicants and drugs related to AIS for the first time.


Subject(s)
Ischemic Stroke , MicroRNAs , Biomarkers , Gene Regulatory Networks/genetics , Humans , Ischemic Stroke/genetics , MicroRNAs/genetics
7.
Sci Rep ; 12(1): 8792, 2022 05 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35614331

ABSTRACT

Recovering biostimulant compounds from by-products of crops is a promising strategy to add value, enhance sustainability, and increase the environmental safety of the agricultural production chain. Here, we report consistent root and shoot growth-stimulating bioactivity present in water-based extracts from Belgian endive forced roots (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum) over two consecutive harvest years. The shoot and the primary root of in vitro cultivated Arabidopsis thaliana treated with Belgian endive extract were about 30% increased in size compared to plants grown under control conditions. The ornamental species Plectranthus esculentus also showed enhanced in vitro shoot and root growth, suggesting bioactivity on a broad range of species. Fractionation of the Belgian endive extracts into aqueous and organic subfractions coupled with bioactivity measurements showed that the principal root and shoot growth-promoting ingredients are primarily water-soluble. NMR-based characterization of the bioactive aqueous fractions revealed the presence of predominantly sugars and organic acids. Malate and sugars were abundant and common to all water fractions, suggesting these molecules contributed to the growth stimulation phenotype. The findings indicate that Belgian endive roots are a source for the development of organic waste-derived biostimulants with potential for application in tissue culture and putatively for soil-grown crop production.


Subject(s)
Arabidopsis , Asteraceae , Cichorium intybus , Belgium , Crops, Agricultural , Plant Extracts , Plant Roots , Sugars , Vegetables , Water
8.
Geospat Health ; 17(s1)2022 03 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35352540

ABSTRACT

spatio-temporal analysis of the first wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Mexico (April to September 2020) was performed by state. Descriptive analyses through diagrams, mapping, animations and time series representations were carried out. Greater risks were observed at certain times in specific regions. Various trends and clusters were observed and analysed by fitting linear mixed models and time series clustering. The association of co-morbidities and other variables were studied by fitting a spatial panel data linear model (SPLM). On average, the greatest risks were observed in Baja California Norte, Chiapas and Sonora, while some other densely populated states, e.g., Mexico City, had lower values. The trends varied by state and a four-order polynomial, including fixed and random effects, was necessary to model them. The most common risk development was observed in states belonging to two clusters and consisted of an initial increase followed by a decrease. Some states presented cluster configurations with a retarded risk increase before the decrease, while the risk increased throughout the time of study in others. A cyclic behaviour with a second increasing trend was also observed in some states. The SPLM approach revealed a positive significant association with respect to case fatality risk between certain groups, such as males and individuals aged 50 years and more, and the prevalence of chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, asthma and hypertension. The analysis may provide valuable insight into COVID-19 dynamics applicable in future outbreaks, as well as identify determinants signifying certain trends at the state level. The combination of spatial and temporal information may provide a better understanding of the fatalities due to COVID-19.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Aged , Cluster Analysis , Humans , Male , Mexico/epidemiology , Middle Aged , Pandemics , Spatio-Temporal Analysis
9.
J Popul Ageing ; 15(3): 605-622, 2022 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37800095

ABSTRACT

We aimed to determine the association between the duration of widowhood and cognition decline. We compared the decline observed in widowed people compared with married, single, or separated persons using the scores obtained in the cognitive assessment of memory, learning, and visual exploration by adults and older adults in Mexico. The Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) provides the base for this paper. This study is an analysis of the fourth data wave (2015), except for the independent variable: marital status. Marital status was built longitudinally with information from the four surveys (2001, 2003, 2012, and 2015). The sample comprised 6898 adults aged 50 and over. Cognition was assessed with an adapted Cross-Cultural Cognitive Examination (CCCE). Confounders include sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, schooling, self-perception of economic status, and whether the individual worked or not), multimorbidity, functionality, support networks, and psychological characteristics. Of the total sample, 4094 (59.3%) were women. The mean age was 70.86 years (SD = 7.4). The baseline of the study is 2001. In 2001, 8.7% (n = 600) were widows or widowers. People widowed by 2001 scored -0.158 points in cognition while divorced participants scored - 0.095 points.

10.
BMJ Open ; 11(8): e045261, 2021 08 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34353793

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the transitions of disability onset and recovery, estimate life expectancy (LE) with and without disability and explore the relation between insurance and disability patterns in the population aged 50+ in Mexico. DESIGN: Multistate life table analysis of data from a longitudinal cohort survey. SETTING: Data came from the Mexican Health and Aging Study, a longitudinal and representative survey of older adults in Mexico. PARTICIPANTS: 10 651 individuals aged 50+ interviewed in 2012 and 2015, including those who died between waves. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Disability is measured using the activities of daily living (ADL) scale. Transition rates between disability free, ADL disabled and death were employed to estimate total life expectancy (TLE) and disability-free life expectancy (DFLE). RESULTS: 46% of the individuals who reported an ADL limitation in 2012 recover from disability by 2015. TLE at age 60 for people without ADL limitations is 30 years (95% CI 28.9 to 31), out of which 4.7 years (95% CI 4.1 to 5.4) are lived with ADL limitations, while TLE at age 60 in the initially disabled is 18.7 years (95% CI 17.3 to 20), with 9.4 years (95% CI 8.4 to 10.3) lived with disability. DFLE at age 60 in people with social security is 24.2 years (95% CI 23.3 to 25.2), in people with public insurance is 24.6 years (95% CI 23.7 to 25.4) and in uninsured people is 26.9 years (95% CI 25.9 to 27.9). CONCLUSIONS: In Mexico, a substantial proportion of ADL disabled individuals recover from disability. Nevertheless, initially disabled individuals have a considerably lower DFLE regardless of age when compared with initially active individuals. There appeared to be no differences in terms of disability and LEs between the individuals with social security and public insurance.


Subject(s)
Disabled Persons , Life Expectancy , Activities of Daily Living , Aged , Humans , Insurance, Health , Life Tables , Mexico/epidemiology , Middle Aged
11.
Salud pública Méx ; 63(4): 565-574, jul.-ago. 2021. tab, graf
Article in Spanish | LILACS-Express | LILACS | ID: biblio-1432290

ABSTRACT

Resumen: Objetivo: Estudiar las transiciones de la discapacidad de acuerdo con la afiliación a servicios de salud en adultos mayores de 50 años en México, así como el conjunto de variables socioeconómicas y de salud asociadas. Material y métodos: La información proviene de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Envejecimiento en México (Enasem-encuesta). Se ajustaron 20 modelos de regresión para las transiciones de la discapacidad medida a través de actividades básicas de la vida diaria en el periodo 2012-15, usando variables socioeconómicas y de salud. Resultados: Los afiliados al Seguro Popular tuvieron la mayor frecuencia de transición hacia la discapacidad con 13.26%. La afiliación a instituciones de salud no tuvo relación con ninguna de las cuatro transiciones estudiadas. Las enfermedades asociadas con el desarrollo de discapacidad varían de acuerdo con la afiliación. Conclusiones: Los factores socioeconómicos y de salud asociados con las transiciones de la discapacidad son diferentes entre afiliaciones.


Abstract: Objective: To study the transitions of disability according to health insurance in the population of adults over 50 in Mexico, as well as the set of socioeconomic and health variables associated with these transitions. Materials and methods: Data comes from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS). Twenty regression models were fitted for the transitions of disability measured through activities of daily living in the period 2012-15, using socioeconomic and health as explanatory variables. Results: Enrollees with Seguro Popular had the highest frequency of transition to disability with 13.26%. Health insurance was not found to be related to any of the four transitions studied. Diseases associated with the development of disability vary according to health insurance. Conclusions: The socioeconomic and health factors associated with disability transitions are different between health insurance enrolees.

12.
PLoS One ; 16(7): e0254884, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34288952

ABSTRACT

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, which has significantly impacted economic and public healthcare systems worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 is highly lethal in older adults (>65 years old) and in cases with underlying medical conditions, including chronic respiratory diseases, immunosuppression, and cardio-metabolic diseases, including severe obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. The course of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico has led to many fatal cases in younger patients attributable to cardio-metabolic conditions. Thus, in the present study, we aimed to perform an early spatial epidemiological analysis for the COVID-19 outbreak in Mexico. Firstly, to evaluate how mortality risk from COVID-19 among tested individuals (MRt) is geographically distributed and secondly, to analyze the association of spatial predictors of MRt across different states in Mexico, controlling for the severity of the disease. Among health-related variables, diabetes and obesity were positively associated with COVID-19 fatality. When analyzing Mexico as a whole, we identified that both the percentages of external and internal migration had positive associations with early COVID-19 mortality risk with external migration having the second-highest positive association. As an indirect measure of urbanicity, population density, and overcrowding in households, the physicians-to-population ratio has the highest positive association with MRt. In contrast, the percentage of individuals in the age group between 10 to 39 years had a negative association with MRt. Geographically, Quintana Roo, Baja California, Chihuahua, and Tabasco (until April 2020) had higher MRt and standardized mortality ratios, suggesting that risks in these states were above what was nationally expected. Additionally, the strength of the association between some spatial predictors and the COVID-19 fatality risk varied by zone.


Subject(s)
COVID-19/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Age Distribution , Aged , COVID-19/metabolism , COVID-19/mortality , Cluster Analysis , Female , Human Migration/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Male , Mexico/epidemiology , Middle Aged , Risk Factors , Spatial Analysis , Young Adult
13.
Preprint in English | medRxiv | ID: ppmedrxiv-21260793

ABSTRACT

We study case-fatality risks (risks of dying in sick individuals) corresponding to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. Spatio-temporal analysis by state were performed, mainly from April to September 2020, including descriptive analyses through mapping and time series representations, and the fit of linear mixed models and time series clustering to analyze trends by state. The association of comorbidities and other variables with the risks were studied by fitting a spatial panel data linear model (splm). As results, we observed that on average the greatest risks were reached by July, and that highest risks were observed in some states, Baja California Norte, Chiapas, and Sonora; interestingly, some densely populated states, as Mexico City, had lower values. Different trends by state were observed, and a four-order polynomial, including fixed and random effects, was necessary to model them. The most general structure is one in which the risks increase and then decrease and was observed in states belonging to two clusters; however, there is a cluster corresponding to states with a retarded increase, and another in which increasing risks through time were observed. A cyclic behavior in terms of states having a second increasing trend was observed. Finally, according to the splm, percentage of men, being in the group of 50 years and over, chronic kidney disease failure, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and hypertension were positively associated with the case-fatality risks. This analysis may provide valuable insight into COVID-19 dynamics in future outbreaks, as well as the determinants of these trends at a state level; and, by combining spatial and temporal information, provide a better understanding of COVID-19 case-fatality.

14.
Salud Publica Mex ; 63(4): 565-574, 2021 06 18.
Article in Spanish | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34098598

ABSTRACT

Objective: To study the transitions of disability according to health insurance in the population of adults over 50 in Mexico, as well as the set of socioeconomic and health variables associated with these transitions. Materials and methods: Data comes from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS). Twenty regression models were fitted for the transitions of disability measured through activities of daily living in the period 2012-15, using socioeconomic and health as explanatory variables. Results: Enrollees with Seguro Popular had the highest frequency of transition to disability with 13.26%. Health insurance was not found to be related to any of the four transitions studied. Diseases associated with the development of disability vary according to health insurance. Conclusions: The socioeconomic and health factors associated with disability transitions are different between health insurance enrollees.


Subject(s)
Activities of Daily Living , Disabled Persons , Aged , Humans , Insurance, Health , Mexico
15.
PLoS One ; 16(4): e0249910, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33852635

ABSTRACT

Random intercept models are linear mixed models (LMM) including error and intercept random effects. Sometimes heteroscedasticity is included and the response variable is transformed into a logarithmic scale, while inference is required in the original scale; thus, the response variable has a log-normal distribution. Hence, correction terms should be included to predict the response in the original scale. These terms multiply the exponentiated predicted response variable, which subestimates the real values. We derive the correction terms, simulations and real data about the income of elderly are presented to show the importance of using them to obtain more accurate predictions. Generalizations for any LMM are also presented.


Subject(s)
Models, Statistical , Aged , Humans , Income , Linear Models , Middle Aged
16.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis ; 14(11): e0008875, 2020 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33206644

ABSTRACT

The Islamic Republic of Iran reported its first COVID-19 cases by 19th February 2020, since then it has become one of the most affected countries, with more than 73,000 cases and 4,585 deaths to this date. Spatial modeling could be used to approach an understanding of structural and sociodemographic factors that have impacted COVID-19 spread at a province-level in Iran. Therefore, in the present paper, we developed a spatial statistical approach to describe how COVID-19 cases are spatially distributed and to identify significant spatial clusters of cases and how socioeconomic and climatic features of Iranian provinces might predict the number of cases. The analyses are applied to cumulative cases of the disease from February 19th to March 18th. They correspond to obtaining maps associated with quartiles for rates of COVID-19 cases smoothed through a Bayesian technique and relative risks, the calculation of global (Moran's I) and local indicators of spatial autocorrelation (LISA), both univariate and bivariate, to derive significant clustering, and the fit of a multivariate spatial lag model considering a set of variables potentially affecting the presence of the disease. We identified a cluster of provinces with significantly higher rates of COVID-19 cases around Tehran (p-value< 0.05), indicating that the COVID-19 spread within Iran was spatially correlated. Urbanized, highly connected provinces with older population structures and higher average temperatures were the most susceptible to present a higher number of COVID-19 cases (p-value < 0.05). Interestingly, literacy is a factor that is associated with a decrease in the number of cases (p-value < 0.05), which might be directly related to health literacy and compliance with public health measures. These features indicate that social distancing, protecting older adults, and vulnerable populations, as well as promoting health literacy, might be useful to reduce SARS-CoV-2 spread in Iran. One limitation of our analysis is that the most updated information we found concerning socioeconomic and climatic features is not for 2020, or even for a same year, so that the obtained associations should be interpreted with caution. Our approach could be applied to model COVID-19 outbreaks in other countries with similar characteristics or in case of an upturn in COVID-19 within Iran.


Subject(s)
COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/transmission , Pandemics , Bayes Theorem , Geography , Humans , Iran/epidemiology , SARS-CoV-2 , Spatial Analysis
17.
Preprint in English | medRxiv | ID: ppmedrxiv-20239376

ABSTRACT

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, which has significantly impacted economic and public healthcare systems world-wide. SARS-CoV-2 is highly lethal in older adults (>65 years old) and in cases with underlying medical conditions including chronic respiratory diseases, immunosuppression, and cardio-metabolic diseases including severe obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. The course of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico has led to many fatal cases in younger patients attributable to cardio-metabolic conditions. Here, we aimed to perform an early spatial epidemiological analysis for the COVID-19 outbreak in Mexico to evaluate how tested case-fatality risks (t-CFRs) are geographically distributed and to explore spatial predictors of early t-CFRs considering the variation of their impact on COVID-19 fatality across different states in Mexico, controlling for the severity of the disease. As results, considering health related variables; diabetes and obesity were highly associated with COVID-19 fatality. We identified that both external and internal migration had an important impact over early COVID-19 risks in Mexico, with external migration having the second highest impact when analyzing Mexico as a whole. Physicians-to-population ratio, as a representation of urbanity, population density, and overcrowding households, has the highest impact on t-CFRs, whereas the age group of 10 to 39 years was associated with lower risks. Geographically, the states of Quintana Roo, Baja California, Chihuahua, and Tabasco had higher t-CFRs and relative risks comparing with a national standard, suggesting that risks in these states were above of what was nationally expected; additionally, the strength of the association between some spatial predictors and the COVID-19 fatality risks variates by zone depending on the predictor.

18.
Preprint in English | medRxiv | ID: ppmedrxiv-20071605

ABSTRACT

The Islamic Republic of Iran reported its first COVID-19 cases by 19th February 2020, since then it has become one of the most affected countries, with more than 73,000 cases and 4,585 deaths at the date. Spatial modeling could be used to approach an understanding of structural and sociodemographic factors that have impacted COVID-19 spread at a province-level in Iran. In the present paper, we developed a spatial statistical approach to describe how COVID-19 cases are spatially distributed and to identify significant spatial clusters of cases and how the socioeconomic features of Iranian provinces might predict the number of cases. We identified a cluster of provinces with significantly higher rates of COVID-19 cases around Tehran, which indicated that the spread of COVID-19 within Iran was spatially correlated. Urbanized, highly connected provinces with older population structures and higher average temperatures were the most susceptible to present a higher number of COVID-19 cases. Interestingly, literacy is a protective factor that might be directly related to health literacy and compliance with public health measures. These features indicate that policies related to social distancing, protecting older adults, and vulnerable populations, as well as promoting health literacy, might be targeted to reduce SARS-CoV2 spread in Iran. Our approach could be applied to model COVID-19 outbreaks in other countries with similar characteristics or in case of an upturn in COVID-19 within Iran.

19.
Planta ; 251(3): 58, 2020 Feb 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32020353

ABSTRACT

MAIN CONCLUSION: pRbcS-T1 and pMALD1, two new trichome-specific promoters of Nicotiana tabacum, were identified and their strength and specificity were compared to those of previously described promoters in this species. Nicotiana tabacum has emerged as a suitable host for metabolic engineering of terpenoids and derivatives in tall glandular trichomes, which actively synthesize and secrete specialized metabolites. However, implementation of an entire biosynthetic pathway in glandular trichomes requires the identification of trichome-specific promoters to appropriately drive the expression of the transgenes needed to set up the desired pathway. In this context, RT-qPCR analysis was carried out on wild-type N. tabacum plants to compare the expression pattern and gene expression level of NtRbcS-T1 and NtMALD1, two newly identified genes expressed in glandular trichomes, with those of NtCYP71D16, NtCBTS2α, NtCPS2, and NtLTP1, which were reported in the literature to be specifically expressed in glandular trichomes. We show that NtRbcS-T1 and NtMALD1 are specifically expressed in glandular trichomes like NtCYP71D16, NtCBTS2α, and NtCPS2, while NtLTP1 is also expressed in other leaf tissues as well as in the stem. Transcriptional fusions of each of the six promoters to the GUS-VENUS reporter gene were introduced in N. tabacum by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Almost all transgenic lines displayed GUS activity in tall glandular trichomes, indicating that the appropriate cis regulatory elements were included in the selected promoter regions. However, unlike for the other promoters, no trichome-specific line was obtained for pNtLTP1:GUS-VENUS, in agreement with the RT-qPCR data. These data thus provide two new transcription promoters that could be used in metabolic engineering of glandular trichomes.


Subject(s)
Nicotiana/genetics , Promoter Regions, Genetic , Trichomes/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Organ Specificity/genetics , Plant Leaves/genetics , Plant Stems/genetics , Plants, Genetically Modified , RNA, Messenger/genetics , RNA, Messenger/metabolism
20.
Exp Gerontol ; 128: 110747, 2019 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31665658

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Frailty remains a challenge in the aging research area with a number of gaps in knowledge still to be filled. Frailty seems to behave as a network, and in silico evidence is available on this matter. Having in vivo evidence that frailty behaves as a complex network was the main purpose of our study. METHODS: Data from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (main data 2012, mortality 2015) was used. Frailty was operationalized with a 35-deficit frailty index (FI). Analyzed nodes were the deficits plus death. The edges, linking those nodes were obtained through structural learning, and an undirected graph associated with a discrete probabilistic graphical model (Markov network) was derived. Two algorithms, hill-climbing (hc) and Peter and Clark (PC), were used to derive the graph structure. Analyses were performed for the whole population and tertiles of the total FI score. RESULTS: From the total sample of 10,983 adults aged 50 or older, 43.8% were women, and the mean age was 64.6 years (SD = 9.3). The number of connections increased according to the tertile level of the FI score. As the FI score raised, groups of interconnected deficits increased and how the nodes are connected changed. CONCLUSIONS: Frailty phenomenon can be modeled using a Bayesian network. Using the full sample, the most central nodes were self-report of health (most connected node) and difficulty walking a block, and all deficits related to mobility were very interconnected. When frailty levels are considered, the most connected nodes differ, but are related with vitality, mainly at lower frailty levels. We derived that not all deficits are equally related since clusters of very related deficits and non-connected deficits were obtained, which might be considered in the construction of the FI score. Further research should aim to identify the nature of all observed interactions, which might allow the development of specific interventions to mitigate the consequences of frailty in older adults.


Subject(s)
Aging , Frailty , Aged , Bayes Theorem , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged
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