Polycomb group proteins (PcG) mediate epigenetic silencing of important developmental genes and other targets. In Drosophila, canonical PcG-target genes contain Polycomb Response Elements (PREs) that recruit PcG protein complexes including PRC2 that trimethylates H3K27 forming large H3K27me3 domains. In the OFF transcriptional state, PREs loop with each other and this looping strengthens silencing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Persistent pain is common in older people and people living with frailty. Pain or the impact of pain on everyday life is potentially modifiable. We sought to map research evidence and information from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of pain management programmes and psychological therapies targeting community-dwelling older people, and explore appropriate strategies and interventions for managing or reducing the negative impact of pain for older people, particularly those with frailty.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The Pain in Older People with Frailty Study is a mixed-method, co-design study, which aims to develop the content, implementation strategies, service and professional guidance to support older adults with frailty to manage their pain.
Methods And Analysis: The study has four phases: Phase 1, research evidence and information synthesis from randomised controlled trials of multicomponent pain management programmes and psychological therapies for community-dwelling older adults. Phase 2, qualitative interviews with 30 community-dwelling older adults (≥75 years) living with frailty and persistent pain, including dyadic interviews with a spouse or unpaid carer.
Background And Objectives: Understanding how older people experience independence has implications for person-centered care. Existing understanding of older people's experience of independence, generated through methods that provide a "snapshot" view of a person's independence at a given time point, provides little insight into the process of maintaining independence through time. The aim of this study was to explore older participants' perceptions to understand the processes and resources that were most important for maintaining independence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are fundamental epigenetic regulators that control the repressive state of target genes in multicellular organisms. One of the open questions is defining the mechanisms of PcG recruitment to chromatin. In Drosophila, the crucial role in PcG recruitment is thought to belong to DNA-binding proteins associated with Polycomb response elements (PREs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProblem: Little is known about the breadth of midwifery scope within Australia, and few midwives work to their full scope of practice.
Background: Midwives in Australia are educated and professionally accountable to work in partnership with childbearing women and their families, yet they are currently hindered from practicing within their full scope of practice by contextual influences.
Aims: To perform a scoping review of the literature to map out the role and scope of contemporary midwifery practice in Australia To identify any key issues that impact upon working within the full scope of midwifery practice in the Australian context METHODS: A scoping review of the literature guided by the Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage methodological framework, and the 'best fit' framework synthesis using the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia's Midwifery Standards for Practice.
Introduction: Growing numbers of older patients occupy hospital beds despite being 'medically fit' for discharge. These Delayed Transfers of Care amplify inefficiencies in care and can cause harm. Delayed transfer because of family or patient choice is common; yet, research on patient and family perspectives is scarce.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCochrane Database Syst Rev
November 2021
Background: A stroke is a sudden loss of brain function caused by lack of blood supply. Stroke can lead to death or physical and cognitive impairment and can have long lasting psychological and social implications. Research shows that stroke survivors and their families are dissatisfied with the information provided and have a poor understanding of stroke and associated issues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The Community Ageing Research 75+ (CARE75+) study is a longitudinal cohort study collecting extensive health and social data, with a focus on frailty, independence and quality of life in older age. CARE75+ was the first international experimental frailty research cohort designed using trial within cohorts (TwiCs) methodology, aligning epidemiological research with clinical trial evaluation of interventions to improve the health and well-being of older people. CARE75+ REMOTE is an extension of CARE75+ using a remote model that does not require face-to-face interactions for data collection in the current circumstances of a global pandemic and will provide an efficient, sustainable data collection model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To evaluate if depression contributes, independently and/or in interaction with frailty, to loss of independence in instrumental activities of daily living (ADL) in older adults with frailty.
Methods: Longitudinal cohort study of people aged ≥75 years living in the community. We used multi-level linear regression model to quantify the relationship between depression (≥5 Geriatric Depression Scale) and frailty (electronic frailty index), and instrumental activities of daily living (Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living scale; range: 0-66; higher score implies greater independence).
Background: In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the UK government introduced social distancing measures and identified specific populations at high risk from the virus. People ≥70 were deemed 'Clinically Vulnerable'. Distancing measures were introduced to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOlder people from a South Asian background, particularly Pakistanis, are under-represented in health research, possibly because their recruitment to studies is hampered by language barriers and cultural differences. This article describes the observations of two bi-lingual researchers (FM and IJ) who successfully recruited older people (≥75 years) from Bradford's South Asian population to the Community Ageing Research 75+ Study (CARE 75+), a longitudinal cohort study collecting an extensive range of health, social and economic outcome data. The researchers recruited non-English-speaking Pakistani participants, ensuring they were flexible with appointments to accommodate the wishes of family members, who were often present during consent and assessment visits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn Parkinson disease (PD), gait impairments often coexist with nonmotor symptoms such as anxiety and depression. Biofeedback training may improve gait function in PD, but its effect on nonmotor symptoms remains unclear. This study explored the cognitive and global effects of Ambulosono, a cognitive gait training method utilizing step size to contingently control the real-time play of motivational music.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Frailty is an important predictor of adverse health events in older people, and improving quality of life (QOL) is increasingly recognised as a focus for services in this population. This systematic review synthesised evidence of the relationship between frailty and QOL in community-dwelling older people, with an emphasis on how this relationship varied across QOL domains.
Methods: We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Introduction: The Community Ageing Research 75+ Study (CARE75+) is a longitudinal cohort study collecting an extensive range of health, social and economic data, with a focus on frailty, independence and quality of life in older age. CARE75+ is the first international experimental frailty research cohort designed using Trial within Cohorts (TwiCs) methodology, to align applied epidemiological research with clinical trial evaluation of interventions to improve the health and well-being of older people living with frailty.
Methods And Analysis: Prospective cohort study using a TwiCs design.
Background: the electronic frailty index (eFI) has been developed and validated using routine primary care electronic health record data. The focus of the original big data study was on predictive validity as a form of criterion validation. Convergent validity is a subtype of construct validity and considered a core component of the validity of a test.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
February 2018
Polycomb group (PcG) proteins maintain the silenced state of key developmental genes in animals, but how these proteins are recruited to specific regions of the genome is still poorly understood. In , PcG proteins are recruited to Polycomb response elements (PREs) that include combinations of sites for sequence specific DNA binding "PcG recruiters," including Pho, Cg, and Spps. To understand their roles in PcG recruitment, we compared Pho-, Cg-, and Spps-binding sites against H3K27me3 and key PcG proteins by ChIP-seq in wild-type and mutant third instar larvae.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlain English Summary: There are well documented benefits to involving patients and the public in research. However, there is little research published about their involvement in large complex studies such as cohort multiple Randomised Controlled Trials (cmRCTs). The cmRCT method establishes a group of participants, with a common characteristic (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The presence of a rhythmic beat in the form of a metronome tone or beat-accentuated original music can modulate gait performance; however, it has yet to be determined whether gait modulation can be achieved using commercially available music.
Objective: The current study investigated the effects of commercially available music on the walking of healthy young adults. Specific aims were (a) to determine whether commercially available music can be used to influence gait (i.
People with Parkinson's disease (PD) can exhibit disabling gait symptoms such as freezing of gait especially when distracted by a secondary task. Quantitative measurement method of this type of cognitive-motor abnormality, however, remains poorly developed. Here we examined whether stepping-in-place (SIP) with a concurrent mental task (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCochrane Database Syst Rev
June 2015
Background: The proportion of the world's population aged over 60 years is increasing. Therefore, there is a need to examine different methods of healthcare provision for this population. Medical day hospitals provide multidisciplinary health services to older people in one location.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Bridge employment (scheduled paid work after retirement age) may promote successful aging and continued health, as work can be an important component of daily physical activity. Appropriate work demands for older adults are neither well-established nor well-applied, however, and excessive loading or increased perceptions of discomfort may negate the health benefits of work activity.
Objective: This study examined work status and musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD) amongst older Albertans.