Greater Increase Research Articles

Is there a right time for dairy Alpine goat kid weaning: How does the weaning age of dairy Alpine goat kids affect their growth and behavior?

In dairy goat kids, weaning is often associated with poor growth leading to a decline in welfare and performance; however, little is known about optimal weaning practices. This study aimed to determine the optimal weaning age for dairy goat kids to maximize outcome measures of welfare related to growth, feed intake, and behavior. Thirty-six newborn female Alpine kids were blocked by weight and birth date, paired with a similar male companion and randomly allocated to one of the three weaning age treatments: 6 (6W), 8 (8W), and 10wk (10W). Kids had ad libitum access to acidified milk replacer refilled twice daily, concentrates, hay, and water. Milk consumption was measured daily, and concentrate consumption, weekly. Ten behaviors were live observed on days -8, -4, 0, 6, and 12 relative to weaning (i.e., weaning day = 0). Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to assess differences from baseline between the 6W, 8W, and 10W treatments. Post hoc analysis using the Dwass, Steel, Critchlow-Fligner (DSCF) multiple comparison analysis was used to evaluate pairwise treatment differences based on two-sample Wilcoxon comparisons. Kids weaned at 10wk had the greatest increase compared to baseline in concentrate consumption (P = 0.0160), and greatest decrease compared to baseline in vocalization (P = 0.0008) while both 8- and 10- wk kid's groups had the greatest increase compared to baseline in self-grooming time (P < 0.0001), and cross-sucking time (P = 0.0006). Kids weaned at 6wk of age were found to have the smallest increase compared to baseline in concentrate consumption (P = 0.0160) and self-grooming time (P < 0.0001), and the greatest increase compared to baseline in allogrooming time (P = 0.0032) and in redirected behaviors aimed towards the environment (biting and licking time [P = 0.0173]; displacement at the nipple frequency [P = 0.0236]). No negative impact of weaning on growth of either group was identified. Overall, our results tend towards a higher degree of discomfort behaviors (allogrooming, biting/licking, displacement, and vocalizations) in kids weaned earlier compared to later weaning, while kids weaned later showed higher levels of positive behaviors (lying time and self-grooming).

Exaggerated Peripheral and Systemic Vasoconstriction During Trauma Recall in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Co-Twin Control Study

BackgroundIndividuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) face an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but the mechanisms linking PTSD to cardiovascular disease remain incompletely understood. We used a co-twin control study design to test the hypothesis that individuals with PTSD exhibit augmented peripheral and systemic vasoconstriction during a personalized trauma recall task. MethodsIn 179 older male twins from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry, lifetime history of PTSD and current (last month) PTSD symptoms were assessed. Participants listened to neutral and personalized trauma scripts while peripheral vascular tone (Peripheral Arterial Tone ratio) and systemic vascular tone (e.g., total vascular conductance) were measured. Linear mixed-effect models were used to assess the within-pair relationship between PTSD and vascular tone indices. ResultsThe mean age of participants was 68 years, and 19% had a history of PTSD. For the Peripheral Arterial Tone ratio analysis, 32 twins were discordant for a history of PTSD, and 46 were discordant for current PTSD symptoms. Compared with their brothers without PTSD, during trauma recall, participants with a history of PTSD had greater increases in peripheral (β = −1.01, 95% CI [−1.72, −0.30]) and systemic (total vascular conductance: β = −1.12, 95% CI [−1.97, −0.27]) vasoconstriction after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors. Associations persisted after adjusting for antidepressant medication use and heart rate and blood pressure during the tasks. Analysis of current PTSD symptom severity showed consistent results. ConclusionsPTSD is associated with exaggerated peripheral and systemic vasoconstrictor responses to traumatic stress reminders, which may contribute to elevated risk of cardiovascular disease.

Pulmonary hypertension alters blood flow distribution and impairs the hyperemic response in the rat diaphragm.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling, respiratory muscle and cardiac impairments, and exercise intolerance. Specifically, impaired gas exchange increases work of the diaphragm; however, compromised contractile function precludes the diaphragm from meeting the increased metabolic demand of chronic hyperventilation in PH. Given that muscle contractile function is in part, dependent upon adequate blood flow (), diaphragmatic dysfunction may be predicated by an inability to match oxygen delivery with oxygen demand. We hypothesized that PH rats would demonstrate a decreased hyperemic response to contractions compared to healthy controls. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into healthy (HC, n = 7) or PH (n = 7) groups. PH rats were administered monocrotaline (MCT) while HC rats received vehicle. Disease progression was monitored via echocardiography. Regional and total diaphragm blood flow and vascular conductance at baseline and during 3min of electrically-stimulated contractions were determined using fluorescent microspheres. Results: PH rats displayed morphometric and echocardiographic criteria for disease (i.e., acceleration time/ejection time, right ventricular hypertrophy). In all rats, total costal diaphragm increased during contractions and did not differ between groups. In HC rats, there was a greater increase in medial costal compared to PH rats (55% ± 3% vs. 44% ± 4%, p < 0.05), who demonstrated a redistribution of to the ventral costal region. Conclusion: These findings support a redistribution of regional diaphragm perfusion and an impaired medial costal hyperemic response in PH, suggesting that PH alters diaphragm vascular function and oxygen delivery, providing a potential mechanism for PH-induced diaphragm contractile dysfunction.

Investigation of heat transfer characteristics in air-to-air heat exchanger with steady flow, oscillating flow and sound waves

A steady flow with a high flow rate, oscillating flow, and audible sound waves can enhance the heat transfer performance in air-to-air heat exchangers, while the comparison of influence mechanisms and degrees of different methods is ignored. This study investigates flow instability and heat transfer characteristics in an air-to-air heat exchanger under steady flow, oscillating flow and sound waves. The results show that steady flow and oscillating flow with different amplitudes have little effect on the distribution characteristics of velocity and vortices. However, the vortices disappear and generate periodically under 140 dB. Moreover, oscillating flow and sound waves exert distinct influences on flow instability. The cold side experiences the highest increase in turbulence kinetic energy when subjected to high-amplitude oscillating flow, while the greatest increase on the hot side occurs under high-amplitude sound waves, and the influence of steady flow on turbulence kinetic energy is relatively low. Additionally, the steady flow enhances the heat transfer performance by increasing flow rate, while the oscillating flow and sound waves promote the heat transfer between the fluid and surface. Under the effect of steady flow, oscillating flow, and sound waves, the values of heat flux are 1.22, 1.24, and 1.31 times that of the initial condition with the amplitude increasing to 0.683 m/s (140 dB). The results demonstrate that with the increase in amplitude acting on the inlet, the sound waves have the greatest impact on heat transfer performance, followed by oscillating flow, and the effect of steady flow is relatively slight. The research can provide guidelines for the development of heat transfer enhancement in air-to-air heat exchangers.

Temporal trends of migraine and tension-type headache burden across the BRICS: implications from the Global Burden of Disease study 2019.

Headache disorders have become a significant global public health issue, with a notably high prevalence observed in developing countries. However, few studies have assessed headache disorders trends in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of headache disorders in individuals across the BRICS, spanning the years 1990 to 2019. We obtained headache disorders data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study (GBD2019). This evaluation examined incidence rates, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for migraine and tension-type headache (TTH) across demographic factors like age, gender, year, and country. Migraine and TTH were diagnosed based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3) criteria. We used disease codes from the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision to identify migraine and TTH cases. Statistical analyzes included calculating age-standardized rates and estimated annual percentage changes. Future disease burden was projected using a log-linear age-period-cohort model. In 2019, India had the highest prevalence of migraine (213890207.93 cases) and TTH (374,453,700 cases). Brazil had the highest migraine age-standardized prevalence rate (18,331 per 100,000) and incidence rate (1,489 per 100,000). For TTH, India had the highest prevalence (26,160 per 100,000) while Russia had the highest incidence (11,512 per 100,000). From 1990 to 2019, China showed the greatest increase in migraine and TTH prevalence. India had the highest migraine (7,687,692) and TTH (741,392) DALYs in 2019. Migraine and TTH remain highly prevalent in BRICS nations, inflicting considerable disability burden. While India and China face mounting disease prevalence, Brazil contends with high incidence rates. Tailored interventions based on country-specific epidemiological profiles are warranted to mitigate the public health impact.

METHYLATION RISK SCORES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS IN OLDER US ADULTS

Abstract DNA methylation risk scores (MRS) are biomarkers that may prove clinically useful by enabling earlier prevention and individualized treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, it is unclear whether relationships between methylation and CVD risk factors differ by demographics or health behaviors. Using existing epigenome-wide association studies, we created MRSs for eight CVD risk factors: systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), C-reactive protein (CRP), low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterols (LDL-C, HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and fasting glucose. Methylation was measured in whole blood samples from Health and Retirement Study participants (N=3,996, mean age=69.5 years). In linear regression, each MRS was positively associated with its corresponding CVD risk factor after controlling for demographics and health behaviors (all p&amp;lt; 0.001). Adding interaction terms between each MRS and age, gender, or alcohol use revealed differences in MRS associations with their corresponding CVD risk factors across groups: higher MRSs were associated with greater increases in BMI, HDL-C, and TG in younger participants than older participants, greater increases in BMI and HDL-C in females than males, and a greater increase in CRP in non-drinkers than heavy drinkers (≤65 years old: &amp;gt;2 per day for males and &amp;gt;1 per day for females; &amp;gt;65 years old: &amp;gt;1 per day for both genders). In conclusion, some MRSs for CVD risk factors have stronger associations in younger adults, women, and non-drinkers. Additional research is needed to better understand the potential clinical utility of MRSs for early CVD prevention and intervention.

PRACTICE AND THEORY: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PARTICIPATING IN CULTURALLY-RELEVANT CRAFTS FOR DIVERSE OLDER ADULTS

Abstract In the last 25 years, there has been a great increase in interest in the benefits of creative activities for older adults, especially for dementia patients. More recent research (Adams-Price et al., 2018) has identified specific benefits that healthy older adults get from participating in arts activities. However, little research has featured the benefits of traditional craft activities, especially those prominent in different ethnic groups. The focus of this symposium will be on the benefits of traditional crafts for older adults, especially when those crafts are traditional to one’s culture and have benefits for identity. The proposed symposium will include papers by Chen and Alcantar on the impact of craft participation on diverse older adults. Kaori Otera Chen will be discussing older women weavers in New York State, and the psychological growth they experience from learning and practicing skills associated with weaving, and from creating beautiful pieces. Sandy Alcantar will be discussing a program that she runs for older Hispanic immigrants that promotes participation in traditional crafts to provide income and connect the immigrants to their culture of origin. Adams-Price will be discussing life-span developmental psychology and the sociocultural theory of creativity from Vlad Glaveanu, and their implications of the theory for discussing the significance of long-term participating in culturally-relevant crafts in later life, singly and in groups. She will tie in examples from diverse cultures, including older rural African American women who quilt.

Bendamustine lymphodepletion before axicabtagene ciloleucel is safe and associates with reduced inflammatory cytokines

AbstractLymphodepletion (LD) is an integral component of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CART) immunotherapies. In this study, we compared the safety and efficacy of bendamustine (Benda) to standard fludarabine/cyclophosphamide (Flu/Cy) LD before CD19-directed, CD28-costimulated CART axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) for patients with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL). We analyzed 59 patients diagnosed with LBCL (n = 48) and FL (n = 11) consecutively treated with axi-cel at the University of Pennsylvania. We also analyzed serum samples for cytokine levels and metabolomic changes before and after LD. Flu/Cy and Benda demonstrated similar efficacy, with complete remission rates of 51.4% and 50.0% (P = .981), respectively, and similar progression-free and overall survivals. Any-grade cytokine-release syndrome occurred in 91.9% of patients receiving Flu/Cy vs 72.7% of patients receiving Benda (P = .048); any-grade neurotoxicity after Flu/Cy occurred in 45.9% of patients and after Benda in 18.2% of patients (P = .031). In addition, Flu/Cy was associated with a higher incidence of grade ≥3 neutropenia (100% vs 54.5%; P < .001), infections (78.4% vs 27.3%; P < .001), and neutropenic fever (78.4% vs 13.6%; P < .001). These results were confirmed both in patients with LBCL and those with FL. Mechanistically, patients with Flu/Cy had a greater increase in inflammatory cytokines associated with neurotoxicity and reduced levels of metabolites critical for redox balance and biosynthesis. This study suggests that Benda LD may be a safe alternative to Flu/Cy for CD28-based CART CD19-directed immunotherapy with similar efficacy and reduced toxicities. Benda is associated with reduced levels of inflammatory cytokines and increased anabolic metabolites.

HETEROGENEITY OF PREFRONTAL CORTICAL ACTIVITY DURING WALKING AMONG OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Higher prefrontal cortical (PFC) activity during simple walking may indicate neural compensation for impaired gait automaticity. On average, older adults have higher PFC activity during walking than younger adults, but the heterogeneity amongst older adults is understudied. We examined PFC activity during simple and dual-task walking in adults aged 65+ (n=173, mean age=72, 62% female). Participants walked quietly and while reciting every-other-letter of the alphabet (dual-task; 4 repsx15 meters). Change in PFC activity from standing was estimated using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. We grouped participants with significantly increased, significantly decreased, or no change in PFC activity from standing to simple walking (t-test, alpha=0.05). We tested for group differences in PFC activity change from simple to dual-task walking, task performance (gait speed, rate of correct letters), age, and cognitive function (trail-making A/B). PFC activity increased from standing to walking in 52 (30%), decreased in 21 (12%), and did not change in 100 (58%) participants. Those who reduced PFC activity from standing to simple walking (vs no change or increased, respectively) walked faster (mean+/-SD=1.12+/-0.17 vs 1.00+/-0.17 0.99+/-0.18m/s; both p=0.014) and had a greater increase in PFC activity from simple to dual-task walking (t-stat=1.96+/-2.2 vs 0.49+/-1.53 vs -0.26+/-1.43; p=0.008, p=0.0006). Those who increased PFC activity from standing to simple walking had a smaller PFC change (vs no change) from simple to dual-task walking (p=0.005). Age, alphabet performance, and cognitive function did not differ across groups. Differences in PFC activity during simple walking may contribute to differences in task performance and capacity for walking challenges.

USING THE ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD OF NURSING HOME RESIDENTS FOR IMPROVED MEASURE OF BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS

Abstract Behavioral symptoms as study outcomes are measured by routinely collected data such as the Minimum Data Set (MDS), the standardized assessment of nursing home (NH) residents. However, MDS under-detects neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with dementia, and better identification in this outcome measurement is needed. This work aims to determine if the electronic medical record (EMR) NH data, the Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers (eINTERACT) form, could improve the identification of agitated behaviors (behaviors). 77,936 assessments of the MDS and the EMR of 19,705 long-stay residents with dementia from 322 NHs, conducted between January 2020 and August 2022, were used. MDS behaviors were defined as any verbal or physical behaviors directed at others, resistance to care, or other behaviors (e.g., pacing). eINTERACT behaviors were defined as any general agitation or verbal or physical aggression. 96% of NHs used eINTERACT forms for at least half of their residents. On average, 14.8% (SD 35.6) of residents with a qualifying assessment in a given month had an MDS-documented behavior, and 2.4% (SD 15.2) had an eINTERACT-documented behavior. 1.4% (SD 11.7) had behaviors documented only on the eINTERACT form representing about a 10% increase in detectable behaviors in a given month over MDS alone. Results were robust to stratification by NH-level prevalence of MDS behaviors. Using the eINTERACT forms in addition to the MDS behavioral items increased in detection among long-stay residents with ADRD. There is some indication that greater use of eINTERACT is associated with greater increases in behavior identification.

A LONGITUDINAL EXAMINATION OF THE EFFECT OF RESILIENCE AGAINST ANXIETY DURING COVID-19

Abstract This longitudinal study of community dwelling older adults (N = 453) examined consequences of COVID-related worries on changes in anxiety symptoms before relative to during the pandemic. We further evaluated if pre-COVID psychological resilience (PR) buffered the impact of COVID-related worry. Pre-COVID data were collected in September 2018. COVID-related worry and COVID anxiety symptoms were collected in October 2020 (Wave 2). Controlling for pre-COVID anxiety symptoms, we examined if COVID-related worries (e.g., I’m worried that I might die from COVID-19) were associated with increased anxiety symptoms, and whether pre-COVID PR moderated the association between COVID-related worries and prospective increases in anxiety symptoms. COVID-related worries were associated with increased anxiety symptoms (β = 0.005, p &amp;lt; .01), whereas pre-COVID PR was associated with a decrease in anxiety symptoms (β = -0.029, p &amp;lt; .05). PR moderated the association; COVID-related worries were associated with greater increases in anxiety symptoms among those with low pre-COVID PR (Model η2 = 0.35). Thus, the extent to which COVID-related worries influenced psychological health was dependent on pre-COVID levels of PR. We conclude the combined vulnerabilities of low pre-COVID PR and high COVID-related worries significantly increased the psychological consequences of COVID-19 for our sample of older adults.

THE RELATIONSHIPS OF VOICE PROSODY MEASURES TO COGNITIVE CHANGES OVER 10 YEARS

Abstract Voice prosody measures, especially jitter and shimmer, can differentiate cognitive impairment from healthy cognition, and may be promising early biomarkers for identifying high risk before later-life disease onset. In our past work, higher jitter and lower pulse assessed during the second cognitive assessment were associated with 10-year cognitive declines in middle-age and older adults from the Midlife in the U.S. (MIDUS) study. The current study assessed voice biomarkers taken at baseline, 10 years before the second cognitive assessment, and measured voice on speech that was independent of the cognitive assessments to address the possible influence of cognitive performance on concurrent voice prosody measures. Participants (ages 34 to 82 at the first occasion) were included if they were in the Boston Longitudinal Study (BOLOS, a subset of MIDUS) and had voice measures collected from the audio recordings of the cognitive interviews. Multilevel analyses controlled for age, sex, education, race, neurological conditions, and depressive symptoms at baseline. Higher jitter, lower shimmer, and lower pulse predicted greater 10-year declines in episodic memory. Higher pitch and lower pulse were associated with greater increases in reaction time on an executive functioning task. Thus, voice biomarkers previously associated with cognitive impairment could be useful as early indicators of later-life cognitive declines. Identifying voice biomarkers that could predict 10-year cognitive change may facilitate earlier intervention for decline through modification of disease risk factors.

The role of discrete emotional reactions to child sexual abuse (CSA) testimony in mock juror decision-making

ABSTRACT Child sexual abuse (CSA) cases often involve graphic descriptions of abuse. Jurors may experience emotional reactions to this type of evidence, which may impact decision making. Two studies were conducted to understand mock jurors’ emotions in response to children’s testimony about alleged CSA, how emotions relate to moral outrage, objective verdict decisions, sentence recommendations, and witness evaluations. Jury-eligible participants (Study 1 N = 143, Study 2 N = 169) reported their emotions (i.e. anger, sadness, and disgust) before and after exposure to child testimony in a CSA case, and then provided case decisions (i.e. verdict decision, verdict confidence, sentencing length) and reported moral outrage. Participants experienced increases in all emotions from pre to post transcript, with the greatest increase in disgust. Moral outrage mediated the relationship between disgust and sentencing recommendations (Study 1 & 2), and between disgust and credibility ratings (Study 2). These studies reveal that CSA cases elicit negative emotions in jurors and emotions predict more punitive decision-making, posing a concern for objectivity.

EXAMINING THE ASSOCIATION OF HISTORICAL REDLINING WITH NURSING HOME QUALITY

Abstract Aim Redlining systemically relegated people of color to lower-resourced areas which are known to have had long-term effects on access to healthcare; however, it is not currently known if access to nursing home (NH) quality was impacted. Methods In this cross-sectional descriptive study, we created a Geographical Information Systems map of the distribution of Massachusetts NH in the year 2021, layered over a 1934 redlining map with neighborhood categories: Best, Still Desirable, Declining, and Hazardous. Our dataset included redlining categories, 2021 NH characteristics (e.g., bed size, 5-star quality rating), and change in median household income from 1930 – 2021 (proxy for resources, in 2021 dollars). Descriptive statistics estimated the association of each variable with NHs’ 5-star quality rating. Results The majority of NHs were in historically Declining (n=45,71%) or Hazardous (n=10,16%) neighborhoods. While 3% (n=2) were in Best neighborhoods. Both NHs in Best neighborhoods were 5-star, while 1 NH was 5-star in Hazardous neighborhoods. There were 63 NH included with a mean change in median household income of $47,684.06 (SD $37,844.01). The greatest increases in mean income were observed in hazardous neighborhoods containing 1-4-star NHs. The highest increase in mean income was $140,000 (n=1), occurring in a neighborhood with a 4-star NH. Conclusion Despite the growth of resources in hazardous neighborhoods, most NHs in these areas were less than 4-stars. Increasing resources may not benefit NH quality in historically redlined/hazardous areas. Future research should examine this phenomenon at a national level.

REFRAMING AGING AND VISION LOSS AS A PUBLIC HEALTH IMPERATIVE

Abstract Severe vision impairment and blindness often have profound effects upon older people and those who care for and about them. Recent translational research reveals in the United States, 7.3% of older people report severe vision impairment or blindness. A recent study estimated that the population of people with vision impairment will increase by 118% by 2050. The greatest increases will be among the most senior, women, African Americans, and Hispanics. People with vision impairment report greater prevalence of chronic conditions, poorer health, and poorer quality of life than older people without vision impairment, and they are much more likely to experience multiple disabilities. These factors point to grave disparities in health equity. While the multiple studies have informed social, health, and economic disparities among older people with vision impairment at the national level, virtually nothing is known about the variability of the prevalence of vision impairment, chronic conditions, health-related quality of life, and disability at the state level. The geographic distribution of vision impairment varies among and within states. Often rural and poorer areas have a higher prevalence of vision impairment — areas that generally have a paucity of eye care providers, social support systems, and vision rehabilitation services. As aging issues are addressed at state and federal levels, vision loss and vision rehabilitation are frequently omitted from the conversations and plans (e.g., Master Plans on Aging and/or Age-Friendly Plans) and from policy instruments such as the Older Americans Act, which has no mention of vision or vision loss.

AGE DIFFERENCES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AFTER MULTIPLE DISASTER EXPOSURES: EFFECT OF NEGATIVE COVID-19 IMPACTS

Abstract This study examined how older adults differed from their younger counterparts in psychological distress following exposures to tornadoes and the COVID-19 pandemic; and how the multidimensional negative COVID-19 impacts contextualized the above age differences. Data used were from a two-wave panel study of tornado victims during the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 554). Latent class analysis was first conducted to explore the underlying patterns of negative COVID-19 impacts at T1 (October 2020-August 2021). Negative binomial regressions were performed to examine the age differences in psychological distress at T2 (May-August 2022), as well as the moderating effect of the identified latent classes, with baseline psychological distress and covariates controlled. Three latent classes were identified: class 1 “low overall impacts” (39.24%), class 2 “moderate overall impacts with high emotional distress” (47.71%), and class 3 “severe overall impacts” (13.05%). Individuals aged 65+ reported lower psychological distress at T1 relative to those aged 18-34, 35-49, and 50-64, and their advantages in mental health over people under 50 can be maintained over time. However, compared to people aged 18-34, 35-49, and 50-64, those aged 65+ reported the greatest increases in T2 psychological distress if they had experienced moderate or severe overall COVID-19 impacts at T1. These findings highlighted the resilience and vulnerability of older adults in post-disaster recovery. As the frequency and intensity of cumulative disasters increase across the globe, there is a pressing need for mental health interventions that are tailored to multi-disaster scenarios and age-related differences in long-term disaster recovery.

KYNURENINE PATHWAY INHIBITORS COMBINED WITH NAD+ PRECURSORS INCREASES LONGEVITY GENE EXPRESSION IN DROSOPHILA

Abstract With rates of aging-related functional decline rising, the need for novel intervention strategies to extend lifespan has increased. In humans, the kynurenine pathway (KP) metabolizes tryptophan and produces nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). KP is correlated negatively with longevity and increased KP metabolite concentrations decrease the average and maximum lifespans in flies. However, genetic and pharmacological inhibition of tryptophan metabolism and dietary supplementation of NAD+ precursors increase the average and maximum lifespans in flies. To comprehensively explore the effects of KP manipulation, we fed DGRP_229 Drosophila males diets infused with ⍺-MT (KP inhibitor), nicotinamide (NAM, an NAD+ precursor), or the combination of NAM and ⍺-MT. We found that all treatments resulted in increased average and maximum lifespans, with the combination treatment displaying the greatest increase compared to the control of 30% (P&amp;lt; 0.0001). The combination treatment resulted in an average lifespan increase of 15% in relation to ⍺-MT alone (P&amp;lt; 0.0001) and 18% in comparison to NAM alone (P&amp;lt; 0.0001). To gain more insight into the biological mechanisms through which different treatments affect lifespan, we performed qRT-PCR on 11 longevity genes in Drosophila. We found that the combination treatment significantly increased the expression of gigas (Gig) (P=0.03), which interacts with Tsc1 to control cellular growth by regulating insulin and TOR signaling pathways, and sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) (P=0.03), an NAD+-dependent histone deacetylase. Our results demonstrate that the combined treatment of KP inhibition and NAD+ precursor elicits a transcription response similar to other lifespan-enhancing treatments and could be used as an alternative intervention method.

Improved interlayer performance of short carbon fiber reinforced composites with bio-inspired structured interfaces

The weak layer interfaces of 3D-printed short carbon fiber (SCF) reinforced polymer composites have remained an issue due to planar layer printing by traditional 3D printers. Recently, multi-axis 3D printing technology which can realize non-planar layer printing has been developed. This study’s aim was to evaluate and compare the bonding performance of non-planar interfaces produced by multi-axis 3D printing with that of planar interfaces. The tested non-planar interfaces were designed as bio-inspired structured interfaces (BISIs) based on microstructural interfacial elements in biological materials. The standard specimens with the 0°/90° and 0° infill line directions were printed by a robotic arm multi-axis 3D printer. Double cantilever beam (DCB) and end-notched flexure (ENF) tests were conducted to obtain Mode Ⅰ and Mode Ⅱ interlaminar toughness of SCF-reinforced composites. Test results showed that the critical energy release rates of the integrally formed BISI were significantly improved compared with the planar interface (PLAI) for both Mode I and Mode II delamination. In particular, the BISI with 0° infill line direction exhibited the greatest increase in critical energy release rate, and the damaged areas were spatially swept through the curved interfaces of the BISI with different infill line directions by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and computed tomography (CT), which showed that the higher critical energy release rate was always accompanied with a larger damaged area. In addition, the tensile and flexural properties of 0°-infilled PLAI and BISI specimens were also measured. This work provides an in-depth investigation of the PLAI and BISI properties of SCF-reinforced composites, demonstrating the potential benefits of integrally formed BISI by multi-axis 3D printing and fostering new perspectives to enhance layer interfaces of 3D printed composites.

Emotions and inventor productivity: Evidence from terrorist attacks

AbstractWe examine whether the emotional shocks associated with terrorist attacks affect local inventors' productivity. We find that high‐fatality attacks make inventors less innovative, and low‐fatality attacks make them more innovative. Inventors living in high risk‐taking environments have greater increase in productivity following low‐fatality attacks, while less decrease in productivity following high‐fatality attacks. Further, the effect of terrorist attacks on inventor productivity comes mainly from exploratory innovation which involves more risks. Inventors affected by high‐fatality attacks are also more likely to move to places without any significant terrorist attack history, but there is no such effect for low‐fatality attacks.

Yield and grain quality of oat (Avena sativa L.) varieties grown on typical chernozems

Purpose. To determine the yield potential and grain qua­lity of varieties of oat (Avena sativa L.) as a function of the nutritional and climatic conditions. Methods. Field, laboratory (grain quality determination) and statistical methods were used in the research. Results. Using different fertilization systems, seven oat varieties were studied, of which the most productive were ‘Ayvori’, ‘Lehin Nosivskyi’ and ‘Zakat’. The greatest increase in yield due to the use of fertilizers in 2022–2023 (1.24–2.73 t/ha with average increases of 0.32–2.83 t/ha) was observed for the cultivation of the ‘Ayvori’ variety. Additional increases due to the introduction of sulphur, compared to the options where only nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were used, were observed for the varieties ‘Neptun’ – 0. 26–0.39 t/ha; ‘Lehin Nosivskyi’ – 0.47–0.49; ‘Svitanok’ – 0.23–0.66; ‘Zakat’ – 0.39–0.64; ‘Zubr’ – 0.41–0.54; ‘Albatros’ – 0.58–0.78; ‘Ayvori’ – 0.34–0.66 t/ha. The average yield of the control varieties in 2021–2023 was as follows 2.28 t/ha – ‘Neptun’; 2.64 – ‘Lehin Nosivskyi’; 2.50 – ‘Svitanok’; 2.70 – ‘Zakat’; 2.71 – ‘Zubr’; 2.60 – ‘Albatros’; 2.81 t/ha – ‘Ayvori’. Increasing the rate of nutrient application to the soil helped to improve grain quality. Thus, with the addition of N30P30K30 + N30 BBCH32, the protein content in the grain was within 10.2–10.8%; N60P60K60 + N30 ВВСН32 – 10.4–11.2; N90P90K90 + N30 ВВСН32 – 11.0–11.8; N120P120K120 + N30 BBCH32 – 11.4–12.4%. The addition of sulphur to the fertilization system resulted in a more efficient use of nitrogen and therefore an increase in the protein content of the grain of 1.3–1.8% compared to the options where the rate of macronutrients was the same for all varieties. The content of albumins and globulins was higher in the grain of the control variant (17.0–19.3 and 20.1–21.6% respectively) and did not vary significantly between varieties. The amount of reserve proteins – prolamins and glutelins – increased (from 28.4–30.2 to 34.8–36.2%) with an increase in fertilizer rate, especially with the introduction of N120P120K120S45 + N30. Conclusions. All investigated oat varieties are highly productive and give yields in the range of 3.33–5.54 t/ha, depending on the fertilizer rate. The variety ‘Neptun’ is slightly lower in yield than the others, but has grain with a significant content of biologically valuable protein fractions. The application of sulphur­containing fertilizers increases yield, improves grain quality and allows a more efficient use of nitrogen, which makes it possible to reduce the basic rate of addition of macronutrients to the soil.