👤 Abbas Masjedi Arani

Physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) are associated with many diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and all-cause dementia. However, the specific biological mechanisms through which PA protects against disease are not entirely understood. This study aims to address this gap, with a specific focus on all-cause dementia. We first assessed the conventional observational associations of three self-reported and three device-based PA/SB measures with circulating levels of 2,911 plasma proteins measured in the UK Biobank (n max =39,160) and assessed functional enrichment of identified proteins. We then used bi-directional Mendelian randomization (MR) to further evaluate the evidence for causal relationships of PA/SB with protein levels. Finally, we performed mediation analyses to identify proteins that may mediate the relationship of PA with incident all-cause dementia. Our findings revealed 41 proteins consistently associated with all PA measures and 1,027 proteins associated with at least one PA measure. Both conventional observational and MR study designs converged on proteins that appear to increase as a result of PA, including integrins such as ITGAV and ITGAM, as well as MXRA8, CLEC4A, CLEC4M, LPL, and ADGRG2; on proteins that appear to decrease as a result of PA such as LEP, INHBC, CLMP, PTGDS, ADM, OGN, and PI3; and on proteins that are more responsive to high-intensity PA, such as CA14, CA6, CA4, KIT, and ANGPT2. Functional enrichment analyses revealed processes such as cell-matrix adhesion, integrin-mediated signaling, and collagen binding. Finally, GDF15, ITGAV, ITGAM, ITGA11, HPGDS, GFAP, ADM, AHNAK, and DPP4 were among 21 unique proteins found to mediate the relationship of PA with all-cause dementia, implicating processes such as synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, and inflammation. Our results provide insights into how PA affects biological processes and protects against dementia, and provide avenues for future research into the health-promoting effects of PA. Show less

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a complex and heterogeneous condition characterized by diverse patterns of emotional, interpersonal, behavioral, and identity-related dysfunctions. This study employed both variable-centered and person-centered approaches to examine the relationship between specific BPD domains and key pretreatment client characteristics. A total of 801 combined sample of university students (n = 513, Mean age = 25.30, SD = 6.74, 39.80 % male) and psychiatric outpatients (n = 288, Mean age = 34.96, SD = 8.92, 38.20 % male) completed the Five Factor Borderline Inventory-Short Form (FFBI-SF) alongside measures of defense mechanisms, insight, interpersonal problems, and attachment styles. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the a priori four-factor structure of the FFBI-SF which included Affective Dysregulation, Interpersonal Difficulties, Behavioral Dysregulation, and Identity Problems domains. Variable-centered analyses revealed that these domains showed distinct patterns of associations with client variables. Furthermore, latent profile analysis (LPA) identified five distinct profiles based on FFBI-SF domain scores, which showed clinically important differences in pretreatment client variables, including defense mechanisms, insight, interpersonal problems, and attachment patterns. Overall, findings highlight the importance of integrating variable- and person-centered approaches to understanding BPD as a multidimensional construct. Also, recognizing domain-specific patterns and subgroup differences can support the development of more individualized and clinically responsive interventions. Show less

Physical activity (PA), including sedentary behavior, is associated with many diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and all-cause dementia. However, the specific biological mechanisms through which PA protects against disease are not entirely understood. To address this knowledge gap, we first assessed the conventional observational associations of three self-reported and three device-based PA measures with circulating levels of 2,911 plasma proteins measured in the UK Biobank (n Show less