Lifespan Of Individual Research Articles

Both age and social environment shape the phenotype of ant workers

Position within the social group has consequences on individual lifespans in diverse taxa. This is especially obvious in eusocial insects, where workers differ in both the tasks they perform and their aging rates. However, in eusocial wasps, bees and ants, the performed task usually depends strongly on age. As such, untangling the effects of social role and age on worker physiology is a key step towards understanding the coevolution of sociality and aging. We performed an experimental protocol that allowed a separate analysis of these two factors using four groups of black garden ant (Lasius niger) workers: young foragers, old foragers, young nest workers, and old nest workers. We highlighted age-related differences in the proteome and metabolome of workers that were primarily related to worker subcaste and only secondarily to age. The relative abundance of proteins and metabolites suggests an improved xenobiotic detoxification, and a fuel metabolism based more on lipid use than carbohydrate use in young ants, regardless of their social role. Regardless of age, proteins related to the digestive function were more abundant in nest workers than in foragers. Old foragers were mostly characterized by weak abundances of molecules with an antibiotic activity or involved in chemical communication. Finally, our results suggest that even in tiny insects, extended lifespan may require to mitigate cancer risks. This is consistent with results found in eusocial rodents and thus opens up the discussion of shared mechanisms among distant taxa and the influence of sociality on life history traits such as longevity.

Exploring student teachers’ experiences of vulnerability in higher education spaces

Recently, scientific interest in higher education students’ wellbeing has increased. The highlighted issues include professional development, professional identity, and personal behaviour. The significance of this study relates specifically to supporting students’ wellbeing by gaining an understanding of factors contributing to their experiences of vulnerability. Through the arts-informed methodology of Photovoice, which emerges from community-based participatory research, 16 student teachers explored the concept of vulnerability in the context of a higher education institution. The research project required student teachers to take photos of that which represents what they perceive as vulnerability. Student teachers explored their personal, school and campus space with this project. Ultimately, this research speaks to the Sustainable Development Goal of good health and wellbeing, which seeks to promote wellbeing across the individual life span, and ensure healthy lives, as well as the Sustainable Development Goal of quality education, which emphasises the need to improve quality of life and quality teacher training.

PS-P07-5: PHARMACEUTICAL INFLUENCES ON IN-HOSPITAL DEATH IN PATIENTS WITH AND THOSE WITHOUT DIABETES AT A JAPANESE COMMUNITY GENERAL HOSPITAL

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with increased risks of cancers, cardiovascular disease (CVD), liver disease and death. In recent years, cardiovascular and metabolic medications have been developed for reducing cardiovascular events and mortality. We examined mortality statistics by cause of in-hospital death in patients with DM and patients without DM and we analyzed the effects of cardiovascular and metabolic medications on the lifespans of patients in a Japanese community general hospital during the past decade. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of cause of death in hospitalized patients at Anan Medical Center, a community general hospital in Tokushima, Japan, during the period from 2011 to 2020. Information on clinical characteristics of the patients including age at death, cause of death, complications and medications used was obtained from medical records. Statistical comparisons were performed in patients with DM and those without DM. Multivariate analysis was also carried out to determine the effects of medications on age at death. Results: A total of 2336 deaths were recorded during the 10-year period. The mean age at death was not significantly different between diabetic and nondiabetic patients for both sexes (78.9 (DM) vs. 79.6 (non DM) years in males and 82.5 (DM) vs. 83.6 (non DM) years in females). The rates of hepato-pancreatic cancer and cardio-renal failure as a cause of death were significantly higher in patients with DM than in patients without DM (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). The incidences of hepato-renal failure, CVD, hypertension and dyslipidemia as comorbidities were significantly higher in diabetic patients than in nondiabetic patients (all p < 0.01). The percentages of patients taking antihypertensive, antiplatelet, diuretic and statin medications were higher in diabetic patients than in nondiabetic patients (all p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis of medications for determinants of age at death showed that insulin was a negative contributor in diabetic patients. On the other hand, the use of an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB)/angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) or Ca antagonists was a positive correlator for longevity in all of the subjects including diabetic and nondiabetic patients. Conclusions: In our community general hospital, DM had no influence on age at death. It is possible that comprehensive treatment for DM and its complications eliminates the difference between lifespans of individuals with DM and those without DM. In addition, treatment of hypertension with ARB/ACEi or Ca antagonists was positively associated with the longevity of Japanese community subjects.

Comparative evaluation of postoperative pain after single-visit endodontic treatment using protaper gold and hyflex electrical discharge machining rotary file system

Background: Endodontics has a widened range due to its increase in success rate and increase in lifespan of individuals. As of today, extracting the tooth has become a rare situation, and endodontic intrusion has become a custom. Although after having detailed knowledge about the internal anatomy of tooth, it is a must to know about the upcoming evolution of instruments as well as materials and complete knowledge regarding techniques of treatment modalities. Postoperative pain could leave a significant control on the quality of life, which will begin after completion of endodontic treatment having a range of 3%–58% cases. Materials and Methods: Twenty-six patients with irreversible pulpitis were selected for single-visit endodontics. The teeth were blindly assigned to two groups based on the instrumentation systems used: Group A (Protaper Gold) and Group B (Electrical Discharge Machining [EDM] Hyflex). Participants were asked to note the incidence of preand postoperative pain on the Visual Analog Scale at different time intervals. Results: The greatest mean pain in both Group A and B was found to be maximum in the first 24 h, with a significant reduction in pain at the subsequent observation time points of 48 h, 72 h, and 7 days. The least painful group was Group A, followed by Group B. Conclusion: In single-visit endodontics, both Protaper Gold and EDM Hyflex both may prove to be a better system, but according to statistics Protaper gold being slightly superior as it produces minimal postoperative pain, thus improving the overall acceptance of endodontic treatment.

Age-Related Alterations in Immune Function and Inflammation: Focus on Ischemic Stroke.

The aging of the global population poses significant scientific challenges. Moreover, the biological process of aging is the most significant risk factor for most chronic illnesses; therefore, understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying these aging-related challenges is crucial for extending the healthy lifespan of older individuals. Preventing brain aging remains a priority public health goal, and integrative and comprehensive aging analyses have revealed that immunosenescence is a potential cause of age-related brain damage and disease (e.g., stroke). Importantly, the neuroinflammatory and immune systems present two-way contact and thus can affect each other. Emerging evidence supports the numerous effects of immunosenescence- and inflammation-mediated immunity in neurologically injured brains. In this study, we briefly outline how aging alters the pathophysiology and transcriptional amplitude in patients who experienced stroke and then discuss how the immune system and its cellular components and molecular mechanisms are affected by age after stroke. Finally, we highlight emerging interventions with the potential to slow down or reduce aging and prevent stroke onset.

Same-sex Pairs Retain Their Reproductive Capacity as a Potential Opportunity for Individual Reproductive Success in Termites

In eusocial termites, successful pairing is an essential element of dispersal and distribution after the departure of alates from natal colonies. Two situations could arise during the pairing process: mixed-sex pairs and same-sex pairs. However, most previous studies focused on mixed-sex pairs, overlooking groups formed by same-sex pairings, especially potential fecundity (the total number of oocytes or ovarioles), oogenesis and the development stage of oocytes of females in female-female pairs, and spermatogenesis and testis development of males in male-male pairs. In this study, through experimentation, we investigated the reproductive ability of virgin dealates based on various pairing types as mentioned above. We found that the life spans of virgin dealates can cover 1 yr or even more when they establish a nest with a partner, which is more than 10-fold longer than the life span of individuals establishing a colony alone. After 1 yr of pairing, the potential fecundity of virgin same sex dealates did not degenerate significantly compared with newly emerged dealates, including the number of ovarioles, size of testis, oogenesis, and the development stage of the oocytes. Moreover, when individuals of same-sex pairings experimentally changed into mixed-sex pairs after 1 yr, the eggs produced in the colony hatched into larvae. These findings suggest that dealates which through same-sex pairs retain fecundity after 1 yr have more reproductive potential than dealates that failed to pair with heterosexuals, shedding light on the ecological significance of homosexual behaviors in terms of the successful extension and fecundity of eusocial termites.

Subjective Overview of Accelerated Aging in Schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia, like many other human diseases, particularly neuropsychiatric diseases, shows evidence of accelerated brain aging. The molecular nature of the process of aging is unknown but several potential indicators have been used in research. The concept of accelerated aging in schizophrenia took hold in 2008 and its timing, pace, determinants and deterrents have been increasingly examined since. The present overview of the field is brief and selective, based on diverse studies, expert opinions and successive reviews. Current thinking is that the timing of age acceleration in schizophrenia can occur at different time periods of the lifespan in different individuals, and that antipsychotics may be preventive. The majority opinion is that the cognitive decline and premature death often seen in schizophrenia are, in principle, preventable.

Semantic context‐aware attention UNET for lung cancer segmentation and classification

AbstractLung cancer is a serious type of cancer, leading to increased mortality to death in both men and women as the symptoms are noticed only at later stages. Life span of individuals' may be extended if lung cancer is detected in its early stages. One of the imaging modalities used to diagnose lung cancer is computed tomography (CT). A nodule or mass is a small abnormal growth observed in a lung CT scan that, in most cases, may turn out to be benign. A computer‐aided system is essential to help physicians in precisely diagnosing the disease. The main objective of this work is to detect and classify the nodules in the lung CT scan images as benign or malignant. A context‐aware attention UNET architecture is proposed to segment the nodule from the lung CT scan image. Further, the segmented nodule is classified as benign or malignant using a Convolutional Neural Network architecture. The experiments are performed using the LUNA 16 and LIDC‐IDRI lung CT scan image datasets. From the results obtained, it is observed that the context‐aware attention UNET shows a noteworthy improvement in the following metrics: Dice Score, Sensitivity, Specificity, and F‐Measure. A significant improvement is obtained compared to the existing systems in detecting the lesion as a benign nodule or malignant nodule. Further, an ablation study is performed to validate the significance of each component in the architecture. The experimental results have reported 98.81% and 99.15% for specificity and sensitivity, respectively, and therefore the proposed system has potential clinical value in the detection of lung cancer.

Ammonium effects on oxidative stress, telomere length, and locomotion across life stages of an anuran from habitats with contrasting land-use histories

Understanding the mechanistic implications behind wildlife responses to global changes is a central topic in eco-evolutionary research. In particular, anthropic pollution is known to impact wild populations across the globe, which may have even stronger consequences for species with complex life cycles. Among vertebrates, amphibians represent a paradigmatic example of metamorphosis, and their characteristics make them highly vulnerable to pollution. Here, we tested for differences in the redox status, telomere length, and locomotor performance across life stages of green frogs (Pelophylax perezi) from agrosystem and natural habitats, both constitutively and in response to an experimental ammonium exposure (10 mg/L). We found that larvae from the agrosystem constitutively showed an enhanced redox status (better antioxidant balance against H2O2, lower lipid peroxidation) but shorter telomeres as compared to larvae from the natural environment. The larval redox response to ammonium was, overall, similar in both habitats. In contrast, after metamorphosis, the redox status of individuals from the natural habitat seemed to cope better with ammonium exposure (denoted by lower lipid peroxidation), and differences between habitats in telomere length were no longer present. Intriguingly, while the swimming performance of larvae did not correlate with individual's physiology, metamorphs with lower glutathione reductase activity and longer telomeres had a better jumping performance. This may suggest that locomotor performance is both traded off with the production of reactive oxygen species and potentiated directly by longer telomeres or indirectly by the mechanisms that buffer their shortening. Overall, our study suggests that contrasting land-use histories can drive divergence in physiological pathways linked to individual health and lifespan. Since this pattern was life-stage dependent, divergent habitat conditions can have contrasting implications across the ontogenetic development of species with complex life cycles.

Mortality in Pedigrees with Acute Intermittent Porphyria.

High mortality rates have been reported in historical cohorts of acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) patients. The mortality associated with (hydroxymethylbilane synthase) HMBS variant heterozygosity is unknown. This study estimates all-cause mortality in pedigrees with HMBS gene variants that cause AIP. We collected data on the lifespan of individuals in Dutch AIP pedigrees and performed analyses using the family tree mortality ratio method. This gave us standardized mortality ratios for these pedigrees compared to the Dutch general population as a primary outcome. Between 1810 and 2017, the overall mortality in these pedigrees was identical to that of the general Dutch population: (SMR 1.01, p = 0.441). However, compared with the general population the SMR was significantly higher in women aged 45−64 years (SMR 1.99, p = 0.00003), which was based on excess mortality between 1915 and 1964 (SMR 1.94, p < 0.00002). In men aged 70−74 years, the SMR was 1.55 (p = 0.0021), based on excess mortality that occurred between 1925 and 1964 (SMR 1.92, p = 0000000003). Overall, mortality from HMBS variant heterozygosity was not increased compared with the general population. Severe excess mortality occurred in young women and old men between 1915 and 1964. Heterozygotes reached a normal lifespan during the past half-century, in parallel with disease awareness and the prevention of new attacks through family counselling.

Measuring Physical Activity in Younger and Older Adults with Sickle Cell Disease Using Accelerometers

Background Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder of hemoglobin with hemolysis and vaso-occlusion that leads to pain, joint damage, and impairment in physical function. Advancements in care have increased the lifespan of individuals with SCD. Even with improvements in care, there is limited knowledge regarding how to measure and maintain physical activity in adults with SCD. Wearable devices can remotely track physiologic markers of pain in people with SCD and are used in older adults in the general population to track physical activity and health-related outcomes. Despite the popularity of wearable devices, the feasibility of using accelerometers to measure physical activity in older adults with SCD is unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of the Actigraph accelerometer to objectively measure physical activity in adults with SCD. Methods We enrolled younger adults (age 18-39) and older adults (age ≥ 40 years) with SCD in a prospective cohort study of physical activity using an Actigraph accelerometer. We instructed participants to wear the Actigraph wGT3X-BT or GT9X Link device on their non-dominant wrist for 7 consecutive days during waking hours and to remove it when they showered. If they missed a day of wearing the accelerometer, we asked them to add an additional day to complete 7 days. Activity data was processed in ActiLife Software 6 (ActiGraph, LLC). We defined feasibility endpoints by the percent of participants who returned the accelerometer and percent of participants who wore it for ≥ 3 days for a least 10 hours/day. We analyzed physical activity by measuring steps per day and proportion of wear time spent being sedentary, doing light activity, and doing moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). We assessed relationships between physical activity (steps per day), physical performance measures (six-minute walk distance (6MWD), usual gait speed, Timed-Up and Go (TUG), seated grip strength, and 30-second chair stands), and the 36-item Short Form (SF-36) physical functioning. Results Sixty participants received an accelerometer. Out of these 60 participants, 90% (n=54) returned the accelerometer after 7 days. Among those who returned accelerometers, the mean age was 43 years (range 19 - 71). The mean age was 26 (range 19-36) for younger adults and 54 (range 40- 71) for older adults. The majority (61%) of participants were older adults. Most (56%) participants were female. Most (56%) had HbSS, 6% HbSβ0-thalassemia, 30% HbSC, and 9% HbSβ+-thalassemia. On wear time validation, 83% (n=50) of participants wore the monitor for at least 3 days for at least 10 hours per day. The mean wear time was 7 days (range 0-15 days). The median steps per day for all participants was 7235 (range 0-14916; IQR 5892-9406). The median steps per day for younger adults was 9397 (IQR 6739 - 10578) and 6678 (IQR 5621-8268) for older adults. There was a significant difference in steps per day between younger and older adults (p-value = 0.021). On average, participants were sedentary 39% (±15%) of the time, doing light activity 45% (±14%) of the time, and MVPA 11% (±6%) of the time. The average daily time spent doing MVPA was 111 minutes (± 66 minutes). Physical activity (median steps per day) had moderate correlations with the TUG (rs = -0.3; p=0.03), 6MWD (rs = 0.29; p=0.04), 30-second chair stands (rs = 0.32; p=0.02), and SF-36 (rs = 0.34; p=0.036). When we controlled for age, there no longer was a relationship between steps per day and 6MWD (p=0.99) and TUG (p=0.12); however, the positive correlation between step per day and 30-second chair stands remained (p=0.047). Usual gait speed (rs = 0.056; p=0.69) and seated grip strength (rs =0.17; p=0.23) did not correlate with physical activity. Conclusion The results of the study support accelerometers as a feasible measure of physical activity in younger and older adults with SCD. Most participants wore and were able to return their activity monitors without difficulty. There was a moderate positive correlation between steps per day and physical function that was mostly driven by age. There remained a significant relationship between steps per day and number of chair stands when we controlled for age, which suggests that consistent physical activity may play a role in maintaining lower body strength in adults with SCD. In future studies we will use accelerometers to monitor physical activity in response to geriatric-based interventions for older adults with SCD. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Water provisioning increases caged worker bee lifespan and caged worker bees are living half as long as observed 50 years ago

The high loss rates of honey bee colonies drive research for solutions aimed to mitigate these losses. While honey bee colonies are superorganisms, experiments that measure the response to stressors often use caged individuals to allow for inference in a controlled setting. In an initial experiment, we showed that caged honey bees provisioned with various types of water (deionized, 1%NaCl in deionized, or tap) have greater median lifespans than those that did not. While researching the history of water provisioning in cage studies, we observed that the median lifespan of caged honey bees has been declining in the US since the 1970’s, from an average of 34.3 days to 17.7 days. In response to this, we again turned to historical record and found a relationship between this trend and a decline in the average amount of honey produced per colony per year in the US over the last 5 decades. To understand the relationship between individual bee lifespan and colony success we used an established honey bee population model (BEEHAVE) to simulate the predicted effects of decreased worker lifespans. Declines in downstream measures of colony population, overall honey production, and colony lifespan resulted from reduced worker bee lifespans. Modeled colony lifespans allowed us to estimate colony loss rates in a beekeeping operation where lost colonies are replaced annually. Resulting loss rates were reflective of what beekeepers’ experience today, which suggests the average lifespan of individual bees plays an important role in colony success.

A STUDY ON POLYPHARMACY AMONG ELDERLY PATIENTS IN MEDICINE WARD OF A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL OF EASTERN INDIA

Background: In the modern era, with the increase in the lifespan of individuals with increasing access to health-care facilities, the population of elderly is also increasing with an equal pace. However, on the other hand, with the increasing population of the elderly another important issue of polypharmacy has also emerged. Elderly people usually have more disease conditions for which more of medications are prescribed in older individuals as compared to younger population. Hence, optimizing drug therapy in this aging population is a challenging task for physician. Polypharmacy can also lead to increase in drug interactions, adverse drug reactions, and medication errors. It was an observational, cross-sectional, prospective study. The Materials and Methods: study was conducted in patients admitted in general medicine wards at College of Medicine&amp; JNM Hospital, Kalyani, West Bengal. The study involved 320 elderly patients (above 65 years of age) of either sex for 3 months from January to March 2020. The information recorded included the demographic details of the patients, diagnosis, comorbid illnesses, details about medications being, the total number of drugs being used, and the factors associated with polypharmacy. A total of 320 geriatric patients were included in the study. Pol Results: ypharmacy was found (&gt;5 medications/day) in 79.71% of geriatrics. Pantoprazole , antimnicrobials and NSAIDS were most commonly prescribed drugs. To counteract the problems Conclusion: associated with polypharmacy, regular follow- ups and proper monitoring of drug regimens of older individuals are the need of the hour.

Reduced injury risk links sociality to survival in a group-living primate

Sociality has been linked to a longer lifespan in many mammals, including humans. Yet, how sociality results in survival benefits remains unclear. Using 10 years of data and over 1,000 recorded injuries in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), we tested two injury-related mechanisms by which social status and affiliative partners might influence survival. Injuries increased individual risk of death by 3-fold in this dataset. We found that sociality can affect individuals' survival by reducing their risk of injury but had no effect on the probability of injured individuals dying. Both males and females of high social status (measured as female matrilineal rank and male group tenure) and females with more affiliative partners (estimated using the number of female relatives) experienced fewer injuries and thus were less likely to die. Collectively, our results offer rare insights into one mechanism that can mediate the well-known benefits of sociality on an individual's fitness.

Differential H3K9me2 heterochromatin levels and concordant mRNA expression in postmortem brain tissue of individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar, and controls.

The existence of repressive and durable chromatin assemblies along gene promoters or networks, especially in the brain, is of theoretical and therapeutic relevance in a subset of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia who experience a chronic, persistent, and treatment-resistant trajectory. We used chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-Seq) to generate an epigenomic map that includes differential sites occupied by di-methylated lysine 9 of histone 3 (H3K9me2), a repressive modification that is yet unexplored in human postmortem brain tissue. We have discovered over 150 significantly differential promoter sites in the postmortem prefrontal cortex tissue of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia (n = 15) when compared to controls (n = 15). Potentially dysregulated gene categories include postsynaptic proteins, processing enzymes (for proproteins, lipids, and oxidative stress), cadherin family genes, the complement system, and peptide hormones. Ten genes with significantly increased or decreased H3K9me2 promoter occupation were selected through statistical analysis, function, or previous GWAS association, and Quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed on an extended sample of postmortem brain tissue, adding an additional 17 controls, 7 individuals with schizophrenia, and 19 individuals with bipolar samples (n = 32 control, 22 schizophrenia, 19 bipolar). This approach revealed that mRNA expression levels correlated with chromatin modification levels in eight of 10 selected genes, and mRNA expression in the total sample could be predicted by the occupancy of H3K9me2. Utilization of this method and replication in a larger sample open a pathway to durable and restrictive epigenomic assemblies whose accumulation across the lifespan of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia may explain treatment resistance, and advance therapeutic options.

EFFECTS OF EXERCISE ON COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING AND MENTAL HEALTH: A MUSCLE - BRAIN CONNECTION

During the last decades, the benefits of regular exercise for brain health, particularly for cognition and mental health, have been well-reported by both observational and experimental human studies. Although many of these studies were focused on the effects of chronic exercise in cognitively impaired subjects, recent investigations have highlighted the role of exercise in improving cognitive abilities and preventing the decline of cognition across the lifespan in healthy individuals. On the other hand, significant evidence exists to suggest that exercise programs can improve treatment outcomes for different mental disorders, especially those that affect mood. However, the mechanisms of acute and chronic exerciseimproved brain function are still not completely known. In this context, it is important to consider that exercise induces muscle responses and adaptations that affect remote tissues. Like other secretory cells, myocytes produce cytokines and other peptides called myokines which exert an autocrine function in regulating muscle metabolism as well as a paracrine/endocrine regulatory function on distant organs, such as the gut, liver, and brain. Thus, the aim of this manuscript is to reinforce the potential of exercise as a useful tool to improve cognitive functioning and mental health and how muscle-brain crosstalk could play a key role in these exercise-related benefits.

Triplication of Synaptojanin 1 in Alzheimer's Disease Pathology in Down Syndrome.

Down Syndrome (DS), caused by triplication of human chromosome 21 (Hsa21) is the most common form of intellectual disability worldwide. Recent progress in healthcare has resulted in a dramatic increase in the lifespan of individuals with DS. Unfortunately, most will develop Alzheimer's disease like dementia (DS-AD) as they age. Understanding similarities and differences between DSAD and the other forms of the disease - i.e., late-onset AD (LOAD) and autosomal dominant AD (ADAD) - will provide important clues for the treatment of DS-AD. In addition to the APP gene that codes the precursor of the main component of amyloid plaques found in the brain of AD patients, other genes on Hsa21 are likely to contribute to disease initiation and progression. This review focuses on SYNJ1, coding the phosphoinositide phosphatase synaptojanin 1 (SYNJ1). First, we highlight the function of SYNJ1 in the brain. We then summarize the involvement of SYNJ1 in the different forms of AD at the genetic, transcriptomic, proteomic and neuropathology levels in humans. We further examine whether results in humans correlate with what has been described in murine and cellular models of the disease and report possible mechanistic links between SYNJ1 and the progression of the disease. Finally, we propose a set of questions that would further strengthen and clarify the role of SYNJ1 in the different forms of AD.

Postoperative Outcomes following a Multidisciplinary Approach to HIV-positive Breast Cancer Patients

Background:Improvements in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment resulted in drastic increases in the lifespan of HIV-positive individuals, resulting in higher rates of non-AIDS-defining cancers. We describe our postoperative outcomes in HIV+ breast cancer (BC) patients, highlighting our multidisciplinary experience with this high-risk population.Methods:A 7-year multi-institutional retrospective review of all HIV+ BC patients who underwent surgical intervention was performed. Patient demographics, therapeutic interventions, and treatment outcomes were collected.Results:Twenty-four patients were identified, including one male patient (4.2%). Most patients were African American (83.3%). Mean age was 52.1 + 9.7 years at the time of diagnosis in HIV+ BC patients. Surgical interventions included lumpectomy (n = 16, 66.7%), simple mastectomy (n = 3, 12.5%), and skin-sparing mastectomy (n = 5. 20.8%). All patients were on antiretroviral therapy, and 81.3% had undetectable viral loads at the time of operation. Seventeen patients (70.8%) underwent breast reconstruction, with three (17.7%) undergoing delayed reconstruction. Thirty-day postoperative complications occurred in three patients (17.6%), including flap necrosis (11.8%), infection (11.8%), dehiscence (5.9%), and return to OR (11.8%). Three patients (12.5%) experienced recurrence at a median of 18 months since operation. Mean follow-up was 51.4 + 33.3 months since BC diagnosis.Conclusions:While postoperative complication rates in HIV+ patients trended higher (17.6%) compared with the existing data on breast reconstruction patients overall (10.1%), HIV+ patients did not exhibit increased risk of BC recurrence (12.5%) compared with BC patients overall (12-27%). This highlights the importance of a combined multidisciplinary approach involving infectious disease, breast surgery, and plastic and reconstructive surgery to optimize surgical and oncologic outcomes in these high-risk patients.

Environmental conditions experienced upon first breeding modulate costs of early breeding but not age-specific reproductive output in peregrine falcons.

Although once considered uncommon, there is growing evidence of widespread senescence in wildlife populations. However, few studies have examined the traits involved, inter-sexual differences, and environmental correlates of age-specific performance in raptors. We studied age-specific reproductive performance and actuarial senescence (decrease in survival probability with age) in a peregrine falcon population monitored for 21 years. We analysed changes with age in the number of offspring produced and incubation start date. We also inspected variation in lifespan and breeding lifespan (number of breeding occasions in a lifetime). In every case, we assessed associations between variations in traits and age, sex, recruitment age, and environmental conditions (cumulative rainfall during breeding season) experienced upon the first breeding attempt. We found scarce evidence for reproductive senescence. Only the incubation start date in females, which was delayed after approximately 8 cy (calendar years), suggested reproductive senescence in our study population. Regarding actuarial senescence, our data did not support it as we only found evidence of higher juvenile mortality. Furthermore, expected lifespan in peregrines recruited at 2 cy was associated with conditions experienced upon the first breeding attempt. The lifespan and breeding career of individuals recruited as yearlings and experiencing low rainfall upon first breeding did not significantly differ from those recruited as adults. However, those recruited as yearlings and experiencing poor environmental conditions upon the first breeding attempt showed reduced lifespan and breeding lifespan.

A comprehensive assessment of neurocognitive and psychological functioning in adults with early-treated phenylketonuria.

Relative to youth with early-treated phenylketonuria (ETPKU), much less is known regarding the cognitive profile of adults with ETPKU. The present study aimed to address this gap by providing a comprehensive assessment of neuropsychological functioning among adults with ETPKU. A sample of 40 adults with ETPKU (ages 18 - 36) and a demographically matched group of 32 healthy individuals without PKU participated. Participants completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery including the NIH Toolbox, Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence - Second Edition (WASI-II), Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CPT-3), select subtests from the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale - Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) as well as several self-report measures of cognitive and psychoemotional functioning. Scores from these tests were combined to create cognitive composites reflecting overall task performance in the areas of verbal ability, visuospatial skills, executive functioning, motor skills, and processing speed. No group differences were observed for full scale IQ or verbal ability. However, individuals with ETPKU demonstrated poorer performance on measures of executive functioning, processing speed, motor skills, and visuospatial skills as compared to the non-PKU group. Within the ETPKU group, recent blood phenylalanine levels (an indicator of metabolic control) were significantly correlated with performance across most cognitive domains and aspects of psychological functioning. Present findings suggest that the neuropsychological profile of adult ETPKU is characterized by circumscribed impairments in select cognitive domains. In addition, the results underscore the importance of maintaining metabolic control across the lifespan in individuals with ETPKU.