Intermediate Age Research Articles

On the role of dust and mass-loss in the extended main sequence turnoff of star clusters: the case of NGC 1783

ABSTRACT The colour–magnitude diagram (CMD) morphology of the ‘extended’ main sequence turnoff (eMSTO) and upper main sequence (MS) of the intermediate age (≲ 2 Gyr) Large Magellanic Cloud Cluster NGC 1783 shows the presence of a small group of UV-dim stars, that, in the ultraviolet Hubble Space Telescope filters, are located at colours on the red side of the typical ‘fan’ shape displayed by the eMSTO. We model the UV-dim stars by assuming that some of the stars which would intrinsically be located on the left side of the eMSTO are obscured by a ring of dust due to grain condensation at the periphery of the excretion disc expelled when they spin at the high rotation rates typical of stars in the Be stage. A reasonably low optical depth at 10μ is necessary to model the UV-dim group. Introduction of dust in the interpretation of the eMSTO may require a substantial re-evaluation of previous conclusions concerning the role of age and/or rotation spreads in the MC clusters: the entire eMSTO can be populated by dusty stars, and the reddest UV-dim stars simply represents the tail of the distribution with both maximum obscuration and the dust ring seen along the line of sight. The model stars having higher rotational projected velocity (vsin i) are predicted to be preferentially redder than the slowly rotating stars. The mass-loss responsible for the dust may also cause the non-monotonic distribution of stars in the upper main sequence, with two peaks and gaps showing up in the UV CMD.

Digging Up Jericho: Past, Present and Future

Digging Up Jericho: Past, Present and Future

Assessment of Antarctic minke whales using statistical catch-at-age analysis (SCAA)

Statistical catch-at-age analysis (SCAA) is applied to data for Antarctic minke whales. The SCAA model is spatially-structured, can model multiple stocks of minke whales, and can utilise several data types for parameter estimation. The application to Antarctic minke whales considers two stocks (I and P) in five areas which cover Antarctic Areas III–E to VI–W. The parameters of the model (annual deviations about the stock-recruitment relationship, changes over time in carrying capacity, density-dependence parameters related to productivity and carrying capacity, and the parameters which determine growth by stock, age-specific natural mortality by stock, and vulnerability by area and ‘fleet’) are estimated by fitting the model to data on catches, catch-at-length, conditional age-at-length, and estimates of absolute and relative abundance. A reference case analysis is selected, and sensitivity explored using retrospective analyses and by varying the assumptions on which the reference case analysis is based. The reference case analysis is able to mimic all of the data sources adequately. Most of the analyses (reference and sensitivity) indicates that Antarctic minke whales in the assessed area increased from 1930 until the mid-1970s and have declined thereafter, with the extent of the decline greater for minke whales in Antarctic Areas III–E to V–W than for those further east. Natural mortality is consistently estimated to be higher for younger and older individuals than for individuals of intermediate age. Estimates of MSYR1+ (the exploitation rate on animals 1 and older at which sustainable yield is maximised) are presented, but are unreliable owing to the lack of contrast.

Perception of the Effects of Working from Home on Isolation and Stress by Spanish Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic

This paper tests the explanatory capability of the individual, organizational, environmental and job factors regarding Spanish workers’ perception of isolation and stress owing to working from home (WFH). We used a survey of the Spanish agency Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas on the Spanish population’s perceptions of several aspects of information technologies that was carried out in March 2021. Information overload, work overload and isolation are perceived to be the principal factors involved in WFH. Because WFH could be inhibit professional development, drawbacks in the infrastructure include overload and impediments to career development as the most relevant variables to explain the perception of isolation. Age and balance between family and work also have explanatory power, but less so for isolation and stress. While people with intermediate ages are less sensitive to isolation and stress, having a correct balance between work and personal life is a protective factor against these effects. From the results in this paper, we outline several questions that must be addressed by labour authorities via legal regulations and by firms and workers to adapt organizational and working culture to ensure the efficient implementation of WFH settings compatible with employees’ well-being.

International Comparisons of Mortality from Diabetes Mellitus and Other Cardiometabolic Diosorders in The Ontopathogenic Model

Previously we have studied relative morbidity and mortality in Southern region of Brazil, and recently we have compared these parameters with epidemiologic indices of Argentina and Chile. In the present work we have used the database of World Health Organization (WHO), in order to perform direct comparisons of relative or proportional mortality caused by diabetes mellitus and other cardiometabolic disorders in Argentina and 3 European countries: Spain, France and United Kingdom (UK), during the two chronologic periods: 2008-2010 and 2011-2013. It was shown that age-related dynamics of relative mortality from hypertensive disorders was similar in the countries evaluated, however the patterns of such dynamics for diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart diseases were different in Argentina, as compared to 3 European counties evaluated. On the other hand, the calculation of feminine fraction of mortality has shown in all the 4 countries evaluated significant masculine predominance in mortality caused by hypertensive disorders and ischemic heart diseases in the intermediate age categories, as well progressive increase in feminine fraction of relative mortality, beginning from the age category 50-59 years, thus confirming our earlier proposal about accelerated aging of women with the onset of menopause. It is concluded that ontopathogenic model should be elaborated further by means of analyzing different databases including that of WHO, via international comparisons in various regions of the world.

The evolution of soil microstructure and micromineralogy along a soil age gradient on the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador)

The islands of the Galápagos archipelago are of different ages due to the combination of a geostationary volcanic hotspot and the eastward movement of the Nazca tectonic plate. Taking advantage of this, a soil chronosequence (1.5–1070 ka) has recently been established covering four of the islands. This was used to investigate the temporal development of soil microstructure and micromineralogy using micromorphological methods in combination with synchrotron-based mineralogical and geochemical microanalyses. Along the chronosequence, the microstructure changed from intergrain microaggregates in the young soils to angular blocky microaggregates in the older soils. In the young soils, a high amount of vitric scoria and weatherable minerals occur, but they quickly disappear with age, and micromass increased fast. The micromorphological studies as well as micro-XRD and micro-XRF revealed increasing heterogeneity of soil microstructure and micromineralogy due to weathering and pedogenic processes until intermediate soil age. In the oldest soils, the microstructure became more uniform again, de-mixing pedofeatures like clay coatings have completely disappeared, and kaolinite, hematite and gibbsite dominate the mineralogical composition. Our study shows that the development of soil microstructure mirrors macroscopic soil profile development showing increasing differentiation until intermediate developmental stages and receding heterogeneity in highly weathered soils.

Sexual conflict and the evolution of monandry: The case of the damselfly Ischnura hastata (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) in the Galápagos Islands

Abstract Sexual selection favours the evolution and maintenance of polygamy, which is the dominant reproductive strategy in insects. Monogamy can evolve in very short‐lived species due to time constraints. Here we study adult activity and mating behaviour of a population of the damselfly Ischnura hastata, a species rarely seen mating, and which has been suggested to be monandric, in wetlands of Isabela Island, Galápagos. By means of mark‐recapture methods, we estimated that the daily survival rate was low, ranging from 0.385 to 0.876, yielding average life expectancies of mature individuals of only 1.2–3.2 days. Adults showed very low activity before 7:00, indicating that mating does not occur early. The number of male–female interactions and mating attempts was extremely low, with only 44 copulations recorded on over 230 h of observations. Copulations were brief, with a mean duration of 11 min (but only two were observed from the start). Males showed clear preference to attempt to grasp in tandem females of intermediate age (in 94.3% of cases), rather than young (31.3%) or mature females (24.0%). Males were very persistent once a tandem was achieved, retaining females for up to 139 min, but most females resisted and did not copulate. We conclude that females of I. hastata show a very short time window to mate, exactly when they change colour from juvenile to mature, and live only enough to mate once. Short lifespan has selected for female monandry in I. hastata, creating an intense sexual conflict over mating rates.

Community structure of medium-large mammals across a tree plantation cycle in natural grasslands of Uruguay

Community structure of medium-large mammals across a tree plantation cycle in natural grasslands of Uruguay

An integrative machine-learning meta-analysis of high-throughput omics data identifies age-specific hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an incredibly complex and presently incurable age-related brain disorder. To better understand this debilitating disease, we collated and performed a meta-analysis on publicly available RNA-Seq, microarray, proteomics, and microRNA samples derived from AD patients and non-AD controls. 4089 samples originating from brain tissues and blood remained after applying quality filters. Since disease progression in AD correlates with age, we stratified this large dataset into three different age groups: <75 years, 75-84 years, and ≥85 years. The RNA-Seq, microarray, and proteomics datasets were then combined into different integrated datasets. Ensemble machine learning was employed to identify genes and proteins that can accurately classify samples as either AD or control. These predictive inputs were then subjected to network-based enrichment analyses. The ability of genes/proteins associated with different pathways in the Molecular Signatures Database to diagnose AD was also tested. We separately identified microRNAs that can be used to make an AD diagnosis and subjected the predicted gene targets of the most predictive microRNAs to an enrichment analysis. The following key themes emerged from our machine learning and bioinformatics analyses: cell death, cellular senescence, energy metabolism, genomic integrity, glia, immune system, metal ion homeostasis, oxidative stress, proteostasis, and synaptic function. Many of the results demonstrated unique age-specificity. For example, terms highlighting cellular senescence only emerged in the earliest and intermediate age ranges while the majority of results relevant to cell death appeared in the youngest patients. Existing literature corroborates the importance of these hallmarks in AD.

Potential of ALOS2 Polarimetric Imagery to Support Management of Poplar Plantations in Northern Italy

Poplar is one of the most widespread fast-growing forest species. In Northern Italy, plantations are characterized by large interannual fluctuations, requiring frequent monitoring to inform on wood supply and to manage the stands. The use of radar satellite data is proving useful for forest monitoring, being weather independent and sensitive to the changes in forest canopy structure, but it has been scarcely tested in the case of poplar. Here, L-band ALOS2 (Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2) dual-pol data were tested to detect clear-cut plantations in consecutive years. ALOS2 quad-pol data were used to discriminate among different age classes, a much complex task than detecting poplar plantations extent. Results from different machine learning algorithms indicate that with dual-pol data, poplar forest can be discriminated from clear-cut areas with 80% overall accuracy, similar to what is usually obtained with optical data. With quad-pol data, four age classes were classified with moderate overall accuracy (73%) based on polarimetric decompositions, three 3 age classes with higher accuracy (87%) based on HV band. Sources of error are represented by poplar areas of intermediate age when stems, branches and leaves were not developed enough to detect by scattering mechanisms. This study demonstrates the feasibility of monitoring poplar plantations with satellite radar, which represents a growing source of information thanks to already-planned future satellite missions.

Towards a Comprehensive View of Accretion, Inner Disks, and Extinction in Classical T Tauri Stars: An ODYSSEUS Study of the Orion OB1b Association

The coevolution of T Tauri stars and their surrounding protoplanetary disks dictates the timescales of planet formation. In this paper, we present magnetospheric accretion and inner disk wall model fits to near-UV (NUV) to near-IR (NIR) spectra of nine classical T Tauri stars in Orion OB1b as part of the Outflows and Disks around Young Stars: Synergies for the Exploration of ULLYSES Spectra (ODYSSEUS) survey. Using NUV–optical spectra from the Hubble UV Legacy Library of Young Stars as Essential Standards (ULLYSES) Director’s Discretionary Program and optical–NIR spectra from the PENELLOPE VLT Large Programme, we find that the accretion rates of these targets are relatively high for the region’s intermediate age of 5.0 Myr; rates are in the range of (0.5–17.2) × 10−8 M ☉ yr−1, with a median value of 1.2 × 10−8 M ☉ yr−1. The NIR excesses can be fit with 1200–1800 K inner disk walls located at 0.05–0.10 au from the host stars. We discuss the significance of the choice in extinction law, as the measured accretion rate depends strongly on the adopted extinction value. This analysis will be extended to the complete sample of T Tauri stars being observed through ULLYSES to characterize accretion and inner disks in star-forming regions of different ages and stellar populations.

Soil carbon storage in unreclaimed post mining sites estimated by a chronosequence approach and comparison with historical data

Soil carbon storage in unreclaimed post mining sites estimated by a chronosequence approach and comparison with historical data

Plant Biodiversity Homogenization across the Chronosequence in Highly Fragmented Landscapes in the Colombian Andean–Amazonian Transition

Succession in abandoned pastures in the tropics can progress along different pathways, and the changes in biodiversity on local and landscape scales, as well as in species turnover (β diversity), are still unclear. This study assessed the role of secondary forests as a plant biodiversity reservoir or as evidence of a pattern of biodiversity homogenization in a chronosequence of abandoned pastures in two highly fragmented landscapes (hills and mountains) in the Colombian Amazon. In each landscape, the plant community composition, growth habits, species richness accumulation, indicator species identification, composition dissimilarity, and influence of above- and below-ground environmental filters were evaluated in four successional stages: (i) degraded pastures (DP) (&lt;3 years old), (ii) early forests (EF) (10–20 years old), (iii) intermediate forests (IF) (25–40 years old), and (iv) old-growth forests (OF) (&gt;90 years old). A total of 918 species, 78 families, and 11,284 individuals were recorded. The most representative growth habits were trees and shrubs, while palms and lianas were minimal. The species accumulated rapidly in DP and EF, contrary to that observed in IF and OF; thus, DP and EF achieve inventory completeness faster than IF and OF. It was necessary to include more plots to obtain inventory completeness in IF and OF. OF had a high α diversity with similar species composition throughout (low β diversity) and high homogeneity, suggesting biotic homogenization. On the other hand, IF presented the highest species differentiation (high β diversity) and a higher divergence in species composition than OF. The spatial distance and environmental dissimilarity had the most important role in determining species composition. Finally, our results show divergence in the plant composition across the chronosequence, where DP was opposite from OF in hills. However, in mountains, DP followed the EF and IF categories. The deviation in the species composition in EF and IF suggests an exchange of species in intermediate forest ages.

Needle age and precipitation as drivers of Hg accumulation and deposition in coniferous forests from a southwestern European Atlantic region

Needle age and precipitation as drivers of Hg accumulation and deposition in coniferous forests from a southwestern European Atlantic region

Immunofluorescence signal intensity measurements as a semi-quantitative tool to assess sarcoglycan complex expression in muscle biopsy.

Sarcoglycanopathies are highly heterogeneous in terms of disease progression, muscular weakness, loss of ambulation and cardiac/respiratory involvement. Their clinical severity usually correlates with the residual protein amount, which makes protein quantification extremely relevant. Sarcoglycanopathy diagnosis is genetic, but skeletal muscle analysis - by both immunohistochemistry and Western blot (WB) - is still mandatory to establish the correct diagnostic process. Unfortunately, however, WB analysis cannot be performed if the bioptic specimen is scarce. This study provides a sensitive tool for semi-quantification of residual amount of sarcoglycans in patients affected by sarcoglycanopathies, based on immunofluorescence staining on skeletal muscle sections, image acquisition and software elaboration. We applied this method to eleven sarcoglycanopathies, seven Becker muscular dystrophies, as pathological control group, and four age-matched controls. Fluorescence data showed a significantly reduced expression of the mutated sarcoglycan in all patients when compared to their respective age-matched healthy controls, and a variable reduction of the other sarcoglycans. The reduction is due to the effect of gene mutation and not to the increasing age of controls. Fluorescence normalized data analyzed in relation to the age of onset of the disease, showed a negative correlation of a-sarcoglycan fluorescence signal vs fibrosis in patients with an early age of onset and a negative correlation between d-sarcoglycan signal and fibrosis in both intermediate and late age of onset groups. The availability of a method that allows objective quantification of the sarcolemmal proteins, faster and less consuming than WB analysis and able to detect low residual sarcoglycan expression with great sensitivity, proves useful also in view of possible inferences on disease prognosis. The proposed method could be employed also to monitor the efficacy of therapeutic interventions and during clinical trials.

CHRONOLOGY OF IBA SHAFT TOMBS IN THE SOUTHERN LEVANT: INTEGRAL PART OF THE IBA CULTURE FROM BEGINNING TO END

ABSTRACTVast burial fields, some with hundreds of burials, categorize the southern Levant’s Intermediate Bronze Age period (IBA). This phenomenon contrasts with a limited number of burials found from the preceding Early Bronze III period. This paper presents the first radiocarbon dating research of sampled bones from shaft tombs from five IBA burial sites across Israel: Yehud, Jebel Qaaqir, Sheikh-Danon, Hazorea, and Kefar-Veradim. Prescreening methods, including Fourier transform infrared analysis, were applied to identify best-preserved collagen in archaeological bones for radiocarbon dating. Overall, the measured date ranges cover the IBA timeline, supporting the observation that the IBA signature shaft tombs are a fundamental tradition of the IBA culture, at least in Israel. A single IBA shaft tomb at Jebel Qaaqir which contained remains of multiple humans, supplied different dates for various people, spanning over a few hundred years. These results suggest a tribal or family-oriented IBA community with a long-lasting tradition reflected in centuries of collective burial practices.

Prevalence of chronic comorbidities in people with multiple sclerosis: descriptive study based on administrative data in Tuscany (Central Italy)

ObjectiveChronic comorbidities are common in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), thus worsening their prognosis and quality of life, and increasing disease burden. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of common comorbidities in PwMS in Tuscany (Central Italy) and to compare it with the general population.MethodsThe prevalence of comorbidities, including diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hypertension, stroke, heart failure (HF), cardiac infarction and ischemic heart disease (IHD), was assessed in PwMS and in general population resident in Tuscany, aged > 20 years, using administrative data.ResultsIn total, we identified 8,274 PwMS. Among them, 34% had at least one comorbidity, with hypertension being the most common (28.5%). Comparing PwMS with the general population, PwMS had a higher frequency of hypertension and stroke when considering the whole group, and of diabetes, COPD, and IHD when considering sex and age subgroups. This increased risk was especially evident in the young and intermediate age groups, where multiple sclerosis may play an important role as risk factor for some comorbidities.In PwMS, as well as in the general population, prevalence of chronic diseases was higher in males and increased with age.ConclusionsComorbidities frequently coexist with multiple sclerosis and they may have an impact on this complex disease, from the health, clinical, and socioeconomic points of view. Therefore, a routine screening of chronic comorbidities should be a crucial step in clinical practice, as well as the promotion of healthy lifestyles to prevent the onset and to reduce their burden.

The Negev in the Intermediate Bronze Age: Questions of Subsistence, Trade, and Status

Abstract The northern Negev—a region both geographically peripheral and environmentally marginal for human habitation—experienced increased settlement and activity in the Intermediate Bronze Age in the southern Levant (ca. 2500–2000/1950 BCE). Most interpretations link this phenomenon with Egyptian demand for copper and the accompanying development of trade networks that transported this valuable resource. However, the function of these networks, the subsistence of the peoples who operated them, and the social and economic systems that supported them remain unclear. This paper examines the means of subsistence and sustenance of the populations of these sites in the northern Negev, together with their role in supporting connections between Egypt and the southern Levant, and suggests that while their location may have been marginal, their identity and role in the social and economic system of the Intermediate Bronze Age southern Levant was not.

Geochemistry of Late Cretaceous granitoids in the Yidun Terrane: Implications for petrogenesis and tectonic evolution in the eastern Tibetan Plateau

Granites from the eastern Tibetan Plateau record information about the Tethys evolution. This paper reports a systematic study on the N‐S‐trending Late Cretaceous granite belt in the Yidun Terrane. The studied rocks are A‐type granites and I‐type granites with adakitic affinity. From north to south, the studied rocks have intermediate ages and whole‐rock geochemistry that shows a transitional composition. The granites from the northern Yidun Terrane were emplaced at 106–90 Ma. They are characterized by high silica (SiO2 &gt; 70 wt.%) contents, low Mg# (10–38), Eu/Eu*(0.09–0.70), Sr/Y (1–12), and La/Yb (5–21) values and positive to negative εHf(t) (−7.6 to +2.5). In contrasts, granites from the southern Yidun Terrane were emplaced at 87–75 Ma and are intermediate to felsic with SiO2 &lt; 70 wt.%, and higher Mg# (34–69), Eu/Eu* (0.64–1.01), Sr/Y (16–71), La/Yb (22–41) values, and negative εHf(t) values (−9.1 to −1.3). These features together with the Sr–Nd isotopic compositions show that granites from the northern Yidun Terrane were derived from partial melting of ancient crustal from the Yidun Terrane (Xiuwacu granite), with contributions of mantle‐derived components (Queershan and Genie batholiths). Granites from the southern Yidun Terrane likely originated from ancient thickened‐crustal source. The increase of Sr/Y and (La/Yb)N ratios from north to south suggests a crustal thickening, which influenced the magmatic process, resulting in the transition of geochemical composition of the studied granites. An eastward migrating arc post‐collisional model is proposed for the Lhasa‐Qiangtang collision when compared to the eastward younging Late Cretaceous granites in the Qiangtang Terrane. The southward migrating granitic magmatism in the Yidun Terrane was triggered by the eastward migrating rollback of the flat‐subducted Bangong–Nujiang oceanic slab beneath the Qiangtang Terrane.

Age-Related Posterior Cruciate Ligament Surgical Anatomy in a Skeletally Immature Population: An MRI Study

Age-Related Posterior Cruciate Ligament Surgical Anatomy in a Skeletally Immature Population: An MRI Study