Childhood adverse events and promoter methylation in later-life.

Studies have shown that the effects of early-life stress and trauma can be enduring, with long-term negative effects on health. Epigenetics, including DNA methylation, have been implicated as a potential mechanism for these effects. Brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) is a neurotransmitter involved in learning and memory, and altered promoter methylation measured in peripheral tissue has been found with early-life stress.

Sex differences in dementia risk and risk factors: Individual-participant data analysis using 21 cohorts across six continents from the COSMIC consortium.

Introduction: Sex differences in dementia risk, and risk factor (RF) associations with dementia, remain uncertain across diverse ethno-regional groups.

Methods: A total of 29,850 participants (58% women) from 21 cohorts across six continents were included in an individual participant data meta-analysis. Sex-specific hazard ratios (HRs), and women-to-men ratio of hazard ratios (RHRs) for associations between RFs and all-cause dementia were derived from mixed-effect Cox models.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) variants and promoter I methylation are associated with prolonged nocturnal awakenings in older adults.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is important for sleep physiology. This study investigates whether BDNF variants and promoter I methylation may be implicated in sleep disturbances in older adults. Genotyping was performed for seven BDNF single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 355 community-dwelling older adults (aged ≥65 years) and BDNF exon 1 promoter methylation was measured in blood samples at baseline (n = 153).

Selection and Analytical Performances of the Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer Gas Chromatographic Columns to Support the Search for Organic Molecules of Astrobiological Interest on Titan.

Titan is a key planetary body for astrobiology, with the presence of a subsurface ocean and a dense atmosphere, in which complex chemistry is known to occur. Approximately 1-Titan-year after the Cassini-Huygens mission arrived in the saturnian system, rotorcraft will land on Titan's surface by 2034 for an exhaustive geophysical and chemical investigation of the Shangri-La organic sand sea region. Among the four instruments onboard , the Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer (DraMS) is dedicated to analyze the chemical composition of surface samples and noble gases in the atmosphere.

Objectively Assessed Weight Change and All-Cause Mortality among Community-Dwelling Older People.

Later life changes in body weight may be associated with an increased risk of mortality in older adults. The objective of this study was to examine whether weight change over four years was associated with a 17-year mortality risk in older adults. Participants were 1664 community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years in the longitudinal Enquete de Sante’ Psychologique-Risques, Incidence et Traitement (ESPRIT) study.