Better beans: designer TALE-mediated discovery of common bacterial blight resistance.

This article comments on: 2025. A dTALE approach demonstrates that induction of common bean promotes resistance to common bacterial blight. Journal of Experimental Botany , 607–620.

Biomarkers.

Background: The human brain integrity relies on the synergistic interplay between neural activity and supporting vascular and metabolic processes throughout life. This relationship, ruled by allostatic mechanisms, regulates brain architecture and activity. White matter hyperintensities (WMH) serve as indicators of the vascular impact on brain structure.

Biomarkers.

Background: Sleep disturbances have been identified as a risk factor for developing dementia. The hypothalamus is involved in sleep regulation and may be affected early by neurodegeneration. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between subjective sleep and hypothalamic structure in adults at higher risk of developing dementia.

Biomarkers.

Background: Many outcome measures used in AD clinical trials require clinic visits and are paper based, making them infrequent and burdensome 'snapshots', subject to rater bias. A consortium of 10 pharma companies came together with Cumulus Neuroscience to design a solution for frequent, objective, real-world measurement across a range of domains. We present a study that examined the feasibility of asking patients with mild dementia to use the neuroassessment platform repeatedly at home for one year.

Biomarkers.

Background: Current tools for Alzheimer's disease screening and staging used in clinical research (e.g. ACE-3, ADAS-Cog) require substantial face-to-face time with trained professionals, and may be affected by subjectivity, "white coat syndrome" and other biases.

Biomarkers.

Background: White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are very common brain MRI signal abnormalities linked to age, small vessel cerebrovascular disease, cognitive impairment, and dementia. Despite extensive research on WMH in Alzheimer's disease (AD), their prevalence in behavioral variant Frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) remains less explored. Additionally, Latin American countries (LA) exhibit a higher prevalence of cerebrovascular disease due to distinct demographic, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethno-racial factors.

Biomarkers.

Background: Dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease (AD), is a significant public health concern, with midlife emerging as a critical period for preventive intervention (Livingston, 2017). Dementia's heterogeneity renders single risk factor insufficient for accurate identification of individuals at risk (Stephen, 2021). Multifactorial risk scores, such as the cardiovascular risk factors, aging, and dementia (CAIDE) score (Kivipelto, 2006), which include both cardiovascular (blood pressure, cholesterol, BMI, physical inactivity) and non-modifiable factors (age, sex, APOE ε4 genotype), are vital in assessing dementia risk.

Biomarkers.

Background: Inflammation is becoming increasingly recognised as a core feature of dementia and neurodegenerative processes. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and homocysteine are blood-based markers of non-specific inflammation used in clinical settings. This study aimed to 1) investigate the associations of hs-CRP and homocysteine on neuropsychological performance (i.

Changes in pressure distribution of the solar surface after a single trimming event are associated with external hoof measurements in the equine fore foot.

Background: Trimming is critical for a functioning equine hoof. Pressure distribution provides information on loading; however, information on the effects of trimming on pressure distribution is lacking.

Objectives: To describe the pressure changes of equine fore feet following trimming.

Biomarkers.

Background: Dementia, encompassing Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), poses a substantial public health challenge in Latin America. Barriers such as a shortage of healthcare professionals, limited medical accessibility, and underdiagnosis contribute to the complexity. While biomarkers aligned with the ATN framework (Amyloid, Tau, Neurodegeneration) have revolutionized diagnosis, their cost limits adoption in Latin America.

Public Health.

Background: How and why healthcare utilisation and costs vary between patients with Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD) is not well understood but is important in ensuring that efforts to improve the diagnosis and treatment of ADD are prioritised effectively. We aimed to investigate variation in healthcare resource utilisation (HCRU) among patients with ADD in England and identify the clinical and demographic factors which characterise subpopulations with the highest HCRU.

Method: This was a retrospective cohort study using Discover, a linked electronic health record database of 2.

Public Health.

Background: While two-thirds of the 57 million people with dementia worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries, research to inform dementia-related policy in these regions remains scarce. We aimed to increase early dementia diagnosis and the use of standardized cognitive assessment by PCP in primary care settings in Cuba METHOD: We selected 16 Primary care clinics, with an estimated 160-200 providers. Clinics were carefully paired based on a number of providers, population demographics, and baseline rates of cognitive impairment diagnosis before being randomized into two groups: one to receive a targeted intervention and the other to continue with usual care practices.

Public Health.

Background: A healing garden is a non-pharmacological approach that supports the interaction of humans and elements of nature towards improving well-being and quality of life. It has gained increased utilization in managing the health outcomes of older persons with and without dementia. However, there is a paucity of evidence of its use and benefits in African countries with increasing prevalence of dementia, such as Nigeria.

Public Health.

Background: At a population level, it is acknowledged that around 40% of all causes of dementia are attributable to twelve potentially modifiable risk factors (MRFs) identified by The Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention. Preventative measures that target these MRFs should be integrated into clinical practice, alongside biomarker-supported diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or Dementia. However, most memory services do not routinely provide a preventative Brain Health Clinic (BHC).

Public Health.

Background: Latin American Countries (LACs) have major health-related inequities due to historical, cultural, and social aspects. These factors have been suggested as important determinants of healthy aging in LACs. Here, we evaluated classic and socioeconomic risk factors for healthy brain aging across five large cohorts of LACs.

Public Health.

Background: The Clinical Dementia Rating scale Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) measure is commonly used in specialist research settings and clinical trials. In clinical practice, shorter cognitive assessments, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), are commonly used. A targeted literature search identified existing MMSE - CDR-SB mappings; such as Balsis et al.

Public Health.

Background: Dementia prevalence is projected to treble worldwide by 2040 highlighting the critical need for effective primary dementia prevention strategies. Initiatives to shape health behaviours/beliefs in childhood increase likelihood of engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviours during adulthood however some subgroups of children are more vulnerable to poor brain health during ageing. Therefore, children must have opportunities to learn about how they can engage in behaviours to improve cardiovascular and psychological health that will protect their brain as they age, contributing to dementia risk reduction (DRR) in later life.

Public Health.

Background: Research identified individual-level socioeconomic factors as key determinants of cognitive health. This study investigated the effect of area-based socioeconomic deprivation on cognitive outcomes in midlife to early late-life New Zealanders without cognitive impairment. Understanding geographical dimensions of socioeconomic determinants of cognitive health is important from an equity perspective.

Public Health.

Background: Smartphone-based assessments are a promising tool for early detection of cognitive decline in midlife. Previous research has shown such cognitive markers can be sensitive to a range of potentially modifiable dementia risk factors even in healthy adults. However, their sensitivity to genetic risk factors like APOE-ε4 is likely to differ by cognitive domain, with evidence of strong negative effects on wayfinding tasks but mixed for other domains.

Public Health.

Context: The development of new effective and sustainable dementia care interventions requires active engagement of all service users in research studies. This ensures that interventions are tailored to meet individual needs and preferences. Here, we describe modelling and development of a multi-faceted sensory health support intervention for residents with dementia in long-term care, co-designed with dementia care users and their supporters.

Public Health.

Background: Hand-grip strength (HGS) is known to be a surrogate marker of not only fitness and frailty, but of cognitive and cardiometabolic health. It is cheap, readily deployed and can be a valuable tool in resource-limited settings. Little however is known about the determinants and correlates of HGS in sub-Saharan Africa, where stroke and vascular cognitive disorders are projected to exponentially increase.

Public Health.

Background: By 2050, the prevalence of dementia is projected to triple with the greatest increases anticipated in Africa and Asia - largely attributable to population growth and cardiometabolic disorder. Hand-grip strength (HGS) is a known predictor of cardiometabolic and cognitive health. The relationship between HGS and cognitive impairment (CI) among elderly West Africans is not known.

Public Health.

Background: International collaboration is crucial to the future of research in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Although it is hoped that a single global DLB cohort can be created through combination of data from the many longitudinal studies conducted internationally, a high likelihood of phenotypic heterogeneity may prohibit harmonisation and analysis of datasets. Our primary objective is to determine whether significant heterogeneity is observed in the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of people with DLB globally.

Public Health.

Background: High purpose in life - the extent of engagement in activities that are personally valued and give a sense of direction and meaning to life - has been associated with higher cognitive functioning and may protect against dementia. Less is known about gender differences in cognitive functioning regarding purpose in life. Understanding gender-specific links can inform tailored interventions aimed at promoting cognitive health.