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Ageing Research Reviews Sep 2023Dementia is prevalent in aged populations and is associated with disability and distress for those affected. Therapeutic benefits of drugs targeting dementia are small.... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Dementia is prevalent in aged populations and is associated with disability and distress for those affected. Therapeutic benefits of drugs targeting dementia are small. Impaired nutrient sensing pathways have been implicated in the pathogenesis of dementia and may offer a novel treatment target.
AIMS
This systematic review collated evidence for novel therapeutic compounds that modify nutrient sensing pathways, particularly the sirtuin pathway, in preventing cognitive decline or improving cognition in normal ageing, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia.
METHODS
PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases were searched using key search terms. Articles were screened using Covidence systematic review software. The risk of bias was assessed using the Systematic Review Center for Laboratory animal Experimentation (SYRCLE)'s risk of bias tool for animal studies and Cochrane Risk of Bias tool v 2.0 for human studies.
RESULTS
Out of 3841 articles, 68 were included describing 38 different novel therapeutic compounds that modulate the nutrient sensing pathway via the sirtuin pathway. In animal models (58 studies), all investigated novel therapeutic compounds showed cognitive benefits. Ten studies were human intervention trials targeting normal ageing (1 study) and dementia populations (9 studies). Direct sirtuin (silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog) 1 (SIRT1) activators Resveratrol and Nicotinamide derivatives improved cognitive outcomes among human subjects with normal cognition and MCI.
CONCLUSION
Animal studies support that modulation of the sirtuin pathway has the potential to improve cognitive outcomes. Overall, there is a clear lack of translation from animal models to human populations.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Alzheimer Disease; Sirtuins; Cognitive Dysfunction; Cognition; Nutrients
PubMed: 37549873
DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102029 -
Malaria Journal Mar 2024Anopheles vagus (subgenus Cellia) has been identified as a vector for malaria, filariasis, and Japanese encephalitis in Asia. Sporozoites of Plasmodium falciparum and... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Anopheles vagus (subgenus Cellia) has been identified as a vector for malaria, filariasis, and Japanese encephalitis in Asia. Sporozoites of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax have been found in this zoophilic mosquito in Asia and Indonesia. This study systematically reviews publications regarding An. vagus species, variation, bio-ecology, and malaria transmission in various localities in Asia, especially Indonesia, to determine whether the current data support An. vagus as a species complex.
METHODS
The databases Pubmed, Scopus, Europe PMC, and Proquest were searched to identify information regarding the morphology, karyotypes, polytene chromosome, cross-mating, ecology, and molecular identification of An. vagus was then evaluated to determine whether there were possible species complexes.
RESULTS
Of the 1326 articles identified, 15 studies were considered for synthesis. The Anopheles spp. samples for this study came from Asia. Eleven studies used morphology to identify An. vagus, with singular studies using each of karyotype identification, chromosomal polytene identification, and cross-breeding experiments. Ten studies used molecular techniques to identify Anopheles spp., including An. vagus. Most studies discovered morphological variations of An. vagus either in the same or different areas and ecological settings. In this review, the members of An. vagus sensu lato grouped based on morphology (An. vagus, An. vagus vagus, An. vagus limosus, and An. limosus), karyotyping (form A and B), and molecular (An. vagus genotype A and B, An. vagus AN4 and AN5). Genetic analysis revealed a high conservation of the ITS2 fragment among members except for the An. vagus genotype B, which was, in fact, Anopheles sundaicus. This review also identified that An. vagus limosus and An. vagus vagus were nearly identical to the ITS2 sequence.
CONCLUSION
Literature review studies revealed that An. vagus is conspecific despite the distinct morphological characteristic of An. vagus and An. limosus. Further information using another barcoding tool, such as mitochondrial COI and ND6 and experimental cross-mating between the An. vagus and An. limosus may provide additional evidence for the status of An. vagus as a species complex.
Topics: Animals; Phylogeny; Anopheles; Genotype; Mosquito Vectors; Malaria
PubMed: 38539155
DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-04888-0 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Dec 2023Social recognition is crucial for survival in social species, and necessary for group living, selective reproduction, pair bonding, and dominance hierarchies. Mice and...
Social recognition is crucial for survival in social species, and necessary for group living, selective reproduction, pair bonding, and dominance hierarchies. Mice and rats are the most commonly used animal models in social memory research, however current paradigms do not account for the complex social dynamics they exhibit in the wild. To assess the range of social memories being studied, we conducted a systematic analysis of neuroscience articles testing the social memory of mice and rats published within the past two decades and analyzed their methods. Our results show that despite these rodent's rich social memory capabilities, the majority of social recognition papers explore short-term memories and short-term familiarity levels with minimal exposure between subject and familiar stimuli - a narrow type of social memory. We have identified several key areas currently understudied or underrepresented: kin relationships, mates, social ranks, sex variabilities, and the effects of aging. Additionally, reporting on social stimulus variables such as housing history, strain, and age, is limited, which may impede reproducibility. Overall, our data highlight large gaps in the diversity of social memories studied and the effects social variables have on social memory mechanisms.
PubMed: 38187659
DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.20.572606 -
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual... Jul 2023The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the available data on the epidemiology of oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) around the world, and to determine whether a...
PURPOSE
The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the available data on the epidemiology of oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) around the world, and to determine whether a generalizable, worldwide prevalence figure could be proposed.
METHODS
Extensive literature search strategies were conducted, interrogating PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, to locate relevant literature. Ultimately 34 studies reporting original data were included for analysis.
RESULTS
Findings showed that most data were outdated, and only 6 of 34 articles (18%) were published after 2010. There were few good studies with sound methodology and large, clearly defined population samples. Only a small proportion of countries worldwide (26/193 [13%]) have produced prevalence figures for OCA. By continent, African studies were disproportionately represented (15/34 [44%]). The highest prevalence rates (range, 1 in 22 to 1 in 1300; mean, 1 in 464) were reported in population isolates. The mean prevalence from four African countries was 1 in 4264 (range, 1 in 1755 to 1 in 7900). Prevalence for three countries in Europe (mean, 1 in 12,000; range, 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 15,000) may be underestimated, as the phenotype, in fair-skinned populations, may be missed or misdiagnosed as ocular albinism or isolated visual impairment. Population rates may vary depending on local cultural factors (e.g., consanguineous matings) and may change over time.
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of OCA varies widely between continents and population groups, and it is often influenced by local factors. It was not possible, therefore, to determine a single, generalizable worldwide prevalence rate for OCA, although continental rates for Africa and Europe are useful.
Topics: Humans; Mutation; Prevalence; Albinism, Oculocutaneous; Phenotype; Albinism, Ocular
PubMed: 37440261
DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.10.14 -
Archives of Physical Medicine and... Nov 2023To examine the evidence regarding the potential of hybrid functional electrical stimulation (FES) cycling for improving cardiorespiratory fitness for people with a... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Effects of Functional Electrical Stimulation Cycling Combined With Arm Cranking Exercise on Cardiorespiratory Fitness in People With Central Nervous System Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the evidence regarding the potential of hybrid functional electrical stimulation (FES) cycling for improving cardiorespiratory fitness for people with a mobility disability related to a central nervous system (CNS) disorder.
DATA SOURCES
Nine electronic databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycInfo, SPORTDiscus, Pedro, Cochrane, and Scopus, were searched from inception until October 2022.
STUDY SELECTION
Search terms included multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury (SCI), stroke, Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy, synonyms of FES cycling, arm crank ergometry (ACE) or hybrid exercise, and V̇o. All experimental studies, including randomized controlled trials that included an outcome measure related to peak or sub-maximal V̇o were eligible.
DATA EXTRACTION
From a total of 280 articles, 13 were studies included. The Downs and Black Checklist was used to assess study quality. Random effects (Hedges' g) meta-analyses were undertaken to determine whether there were differences in V̇o during acute bouts of hybrid FES cycling vs other modes of exercise and changes resulting from longitudinal training.
DATA SYNTHESIS
During acute bouts of exercise, hybrid FES cycling was moderately more effective than ACE (effect size [ES] of 0.59 (95% CI 0.15-1.02, P=.008) in increasing V̇o from rest. There was a large effect on the increase of V̇o from rest for hybrid FES cycling compared with FES cycling (ES of 2.36 [95% CI 0.83-3.40, P=.003]). Longitudinal training with hybrid FES cycling showed a significant improvement in V̇o from pre to post intervention with a large, pooled ES of 0.83 (95% CI 0.24-1.41, P=.006).
CONCLUSIONS
Hybrid FES cycling produced higher V̇o compared with ACE or FES cycling during acute bouts of exercise. Hybrid FES cycling can improve cardiorespiratory fitness in people with SCI. Additionally, there is emerging evidence that hybrid FES cycling might increase aerobic fitness in people with mobility disability related to CNS disorders.
Topics: Humans; Cardiorespiratory Fitness; Arm; Electric Stimulation Therapy; Exercise Therapy; Spinal Cord Injuries; Electric Stimulation
PubMed: 37098358
DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2023.03.026 -
Scientific Reports Jan 2024Social recognition is crucial for survival in social species, and necessary for group living, selective reproduction, pair bonding, and dominance hierarchies. Mice and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Social recognition is crucial for survival in social species, and necessary for group living, selective reproduction, pair bonding, and dominance hierarchies. Mice and rats are the most commonly used animal models in social memory research, however current paradigms do not account for the complex social dynamics they exhibit in the wild. To assess the range of social memories being studied, we conducted a systematic analysis of neuroscience articles testing the social memory of mice and rats published within the past two decades and analyzed their methods. Our results show that despite these rodent's rich social memory capabilities, the majority of social recognition papers explore short-term memories and short-term familiarity levels with minimal exposure between subject and familiar stimuli-a narrow type of social memory. We have identified several key areas currently understudied or underrepresented: kin relationships, mates, social ranks, sex variabilities, and the effects of aging. Additionally, reporting on social stimulus variables such as housing history, strain, and age, is limited, which may impede reproducibility. Overall, our data highlight large gaps in the diversity of social memories studied and the effects social variables have on social memory mechanisms.
Topics: Animals; Rats; Memory, Short-Term; Recognition, Psychology; Reproducibility of Results; Social Behavior; Social Dominance; Mice
PubMed: 38278973
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52277-z -
Nature Human Behaviour Sep 2023Positive correlations between mates can increase trait variation and prevalence, as well as bias estimates from genetically informed study designs. While past studies of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Positive correlations between mates can increase trait variation and prevalence, as well as bias estimates from genetically informed study designs. While past studies of similarity between human mating partners have largely found evidence of positive correlations, to our knowledge, no formal meta-analysis has examined human partner correlations across multiple categories of traits. Thus, we conducted systematic reviews and random-effects meta-analyses of human male-female partner correlations across 22 traits commonly studied by psychologists, economists, sociologists, anthropologists, epidemiologists and geneticists. Using ScienceDirect, PubMed and Google Scholar, we incorporated 480 partner correlations from 199 peer-reviewed studies of co-parents, engaged pairs, married pairs and/or cohabitating pairs that were published on or before 16 August 2022. We also calculated 133 trait correlations using up to 79,074 male-female couples in the UK Biobank (UKB). Estimates of the 22 mean meta-analysed correlations ranged from r = 0.08 (adjusted 95% CI = 0.03, 0.13) for extraversion to r = 0.58 (adjusted 95% CI = 0.50, 0.64) for political values, with funnel plots showing little evidence of publication bias across traits. The 133 UKB correlations ranged from r = -0.18 (adjusted 95% CI = -0.20, -0.16) for chronotype (being a 'morning' or 'evening' person) to r = 0.87 (adjusted 95% CI = 0.86, 0.87) for birth year. Across analyses, political and religious attitudes, educational attainment and some substance use traits showed the highest correlations, while psychological (that is, psychiatric/personality) and anthropometric traits generally yielded lower but positive correlations. We observed high levels of between-sample heterogeneity for most meta-analysed traits, probably because of both systematic differences between samples and true differences in partner correlations across populations.
Topics: Female; Humans; Male; Academic Success; Biological Specimen Banks; Chronotype; Educational Status; United Kingdom
PubMed: 37653148
DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01672-z -
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease : JAD 2024To date, the magnitude of association and the quality of evidence for cognitive decline (mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and dementia) in couples and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
To date, the magnitude of association and the quality of evidence for cognitive decline (mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and dementia) in couples and risk factors for outcomes have not been reviewed and analyzed systematically.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the concordance of cognitive impairment in unrelated spouses and to qualitatively describe potential risk factors.
METHODS
Eight databases were searched from inception to October 20, 2023. Eligible studies were independently screened and assessed for quality. Statistical analysis was conducted using Stata 15.1 software. The study was preregistered with PROSPERO (CRD42023488024).
RESULTS
Eleven studies involving couples were included, with moderate to high evidence quality. Compared to controls, spouses of individuals with cognitive impairment had lower cognitive scores (Cohen's d: 0.18-0.62) and higher risk of cognitive decline (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.15-1.76). The consistency of cognitive impairment between spouses was attributed to three theories: 1) the impact of caregiving stress experienced by the spouse; 2) assortative mating, which suggests that individuals select partners with similar characteristics; and 3) the influence of shared living environments and lifestyles.
CONCLUSIONS
The cognitive status of one spouse can affect the cognitive function of the other spouse. It is important to consider shared lifestyle, environmental, and psychobehavioral factors, as they may contribute to the risk of cognitive decline by couples. Identifying these factors can inform the development of targeted recommendations for interventions and preventive measures.
Topics: Humans; Cognitive Dysfunction; Spouses; Risk Factors; Male; Alzheimer Disease
PubMed: 38848191
DOI: 10.3233/JAD-240325 -
Biological Reviews of the Cambridge... Dec 2023Novel biotic interactions in shifting communities play a key role in determining the ability of species' ranges to track suitable habitat. To date, the impact of biotic...
Novel biotic interactions in shifting communities play a key role in determining the ability of species' ranges to track suitable habitat. To date, the impact of biotic interactions on range dynamics have predominantly been studied in the context of interactions between different trophic levels or, to a lesser extent, exploitative competition between species of the same trophic level. Yet, both theory and a growing number of empirical studies show that interspecific behavioural interference, such as interspecific territorial and mating interactions, can slow down range expansions, preclude coexistence, or drive local extinction, even in the absence of resource competition. We conducted a systematic review of the current empirical research into the consequences of interspecific behavioural interference on range dynamics. Our findings demonstrate there is abundant evidence that behavioural interference by one species can impact the spatial distribution of another. Furthermore, we identify several gaps where more empirical work is needed to test predictions from theory robustly. Finally, we outline several avenues for future research, providing suggestions for how interspecific behavioural interference could be incorporated into existing scientific frameworks for understanding how biotic interactions influence range expansions, such as species distribution models, to build a stronger understanding of the potential consequences of behavioural interference on the outcome of future range dynamics.
Topics: Species Specificity; Ecosystem; Territoriality; Reproduction
PubMed: 37364865
DOI: 10.1111/brv.12993 -
Health Promotion International Aug 2023Suicide is a major public health issue globally. The World Health Organization has called for nations to create comprehensive national suicide prevention strategies...
Suicide is a major public health issue globally. The World Health Organization has called for nations to create comprehensive national suicide prevention strategies including multisectoral collaboration, awareness raising, advocacy and capacity building. The workplace provides opportunity and structure for suicide prevention programs. However, many of these programs are poorly documented and evaluated. The MATES in Construction (MATES) program is a multimodal workplace-based suicide prevention program designed for and by the construction industry. This systematic review examined the available evidence for the effectiveness of the MATES program and is reported according to PRISMA guidelines. A literature search resulted in the inclusion of 12 peer-reviewed articles published between January 2010 and February 2023 containing primary data of evaluations of MATES. There was evidence of the effectiveness of the MATES program in improving mental health and suicide prevention literacy, helping intentions and reducing stigma. The results highlighted the importance of worker-to-worker peer approaches with workers consistently stating that supervisors were the least trusted resources for mental health and suicide concerns. Favourable results were found in relation to reduced suicide risk in the construction industry. The evidence base for MATES is limited in terms of causal inference with very few controlled evaluations and no experimental studies having been conducted to date. Improved understanding of how the program motivates volunteers, their experiences and research on the longer-term impacts of the program on the industry is required.
Topics: Humans; Suicide Prevention; Australia; Capacity Building; Construction Industry; Intention
PubMed: 37647522
DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daad082