Aging Process Research Articles

Trehalose attenuates testicular aging by activating autophagy and improving mitochondrial quality.

Reproductive aging can adversely affect male fertility and the health of offspring. The aging process is accompanied by impaired autophagy. Recent studies have shown that Trehalose plays an important role in the prevention of various diseases by regulating autophagy. However, the roles of Trehalose in testicular aging and reproductive decline remain to be clarified. The present study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of Trehalose on testes in an aging mouse model. In this study, an in vivo aging model in mice by administering D-galactose was established to explore the protective effect of Trehalose on testicular aging. We examined histological changes and related indicators of apoptosis, autophagy, mitochondrial biogenesis, and sperm quality. D-galactose treatment induced oxidative stress, apoptosis, and impairment of autophagy of testicular cells in mouse testes. Trehalose administration significantly reduced germ cell apoptosis and DNA damage caused by D-galactose-induced oxidative stress. Notably, Trehalose activated autophagy activity and improved mitochondrial function in testicular cells. Furthermore, Trehalose treatment increased the expression level of the tight junction protein ZO-1, and accelerated clearance of damaged mitochondria in Sertoli cells, indicating that Trehalose ameliorated Sertoli cell function in D-galactose-induced aging testes. These findings suggest that Trehalose administration activated the autophagy activity in testicular cells and improved mitochondrial function, thereby effectively preventing testicular aging. Trehalose and its activated autophagy are crucial for preventing testicular aging, thus restoring autophagy activity by administering Trehalose could be a promising means to delay aging.

Untangling the Uncertain Role of Overactivation of the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System with the Aging Process Based on Sodium Wasting Human Models.

Every individual at some point encounters the progressive biological process of aging, which is considered one of the major risk factors for common diseases. The main drivers of aging are oxidative stress, senescence, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) includes several systematic processes for the regulation of blood pressure, which is caused by an imbalance of electrolytes. During activation of the RAAS, binding of angiotensin II (ANG II) to angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AGTR1) activates intracellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase to generate superoxide anions and promote uncoupling of endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase, which in turn decreases NO availability and increases ROS production. Promoting oxidative stress and DNA damage mediated by ANG II is tightly regulated. Individuals with sodium deficiency-associated diseases such as Gitelman syndrome (GS) and Bartter syndrome (BS) show downregulation of inflammation-related processes and have reduced oxidative stress and ROS. Additionally, the histone deacetylase sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) has a significant impact on the aging process, with reduced activity with age. However, GS/BS patients generally sustain higher levels of sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) activity than age-matched healthy individuals. SIRT1 expression in GS/BS patients tends to be higher than in healthy age-matched individuals; therefore, it can be assumed that there will be a trend towards healthy aging in these patients. In this review, we highlight the importance of the hallmarks of aging, inflammation, and the RAAS system in GS/BS patients and how this might impact healthy aging. We further propose future research directions for studying the etiology of GS/BS at the molecular level using patient-derived renal stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells.

Omega-3 PUFAs slow organ aging through promoting energy metabolism

Energy metabolism disorder, mainly exhibiting the inhibition of fatty acid degradation and lipid accumulation, is highly related with aging acceleration. However, the intervention measures are deficient. Here, we reported Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omega-3 PUFAs), especially EPA, exerted beneficial effects on maintaining energy metabolism and lipid homeostasis to slow organ aging. As the endogenous agonist of peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor α (PPARα), Omega-3 PUFAs significantly boosted fatty acid β-oxidation and ATP production in multiple aged organs. Consequently, Omega-3 PUFAs effectively inhibited age-related pathological changes, preserved organ function, and retarded aging process. The beneficial effects of Omega-3 PUFAs were also testified in mfat-1 transgenic mice, which spontaneously generate abundant endogenous Omega-3 PUFAs. In conclusion, our study innovatively demonstrated Omega-3 PUFAs administration in diet slow aging through promoting energy metabolism. The supplement of Omega-3 PUFAs or fat-1 transgene provides a promising therapeutic approach to promote healthy aging in the elderly.

Accelerated aging protocols design for Li-ion batteries based on equivalence of the degradation mechanisms

A reasonable and efficient accelerated aging protocol is crucial for the design and application of Li-ion batteries. Most of the current research on accelerated aging protocols simply apply higher level of stress to raise the acceleration rate, without considering the aging mechanism. However, the same capacity attenuation doesn't mean the same state of health, considering the nonequivalence of mechanism. For the first time, this study proposes a method to design the accelerated aging protocols completely equivalent to the normal aging state and have a high acceleration ratio. Firstly, two degradation mechanisms, loss of lithium inventory (LLI) and active materials of positive electrode (LAM_PE), are decoupled quantitatively for the normal aging process. The LLI accelerated protocol: The protocol involves two parts: first is charging at low-temperature. Charging with low rate under low temperature can generate large amount of plated lithium metal, second is resting at high-temperature(60 °C) after charging, which leads to transformation of the deposited lithium into SEI film faster because of Arrhenius formula. The resting temperature is not designed to be too high to avoid thermal runaway of battery.Secondly, different cycle protocols are designed to specifically accelerate single mechanism. The equivalence of these mechanisms is experimentally verified through CP-SEM, SEM-EDS, HRTEM and XPS. Finally, combined accelerated protocols are designed by combining and matching single accelerated protocols based on the proportions of degradation mechanisms during normal aging. Under these protocols, cells experience the same aging pathway as the normal aging ones. The proposed aging protocols could accelerate the battery aging experiment by 62 times and 39 times under the extreme and gentle conditions respectively.

Gerotherapeutics: Aging Mechanism-based Pharmaceutical and Behavioral Interventions to Reduce Cancer Racial and Ethnic Disparities.

The central premise of this article is that a portion of the established relationships between social determinants of health and racial/ethnic disparities in cancer morbidity and mortality are mediated through differences in rates of biological aging processes. We further posit that using knowledge about aging could enable discovery and testing of new mechanism-based pharmaceutical and behavioral interventions ("gerotherapeutics") to differentially improve the health of minoritized cancer survivors and reduce cancer disparities. These hypotheses are based on evidence that lifelong differences in adverse social determinants of health contribute to disparities in rates of biological aging ("social determinants of aging"), with minoritized groups having accelerated aging (ie, a steeper slope or trajectory of biological aging over time relative to chronological age) more often than non-minoritized groups. Acceleration of biological aging can increase the risk, age of onset, aggressivity and/or stage of many adult cancers. There are also documented negative feedback loops whereby the cellular damage caused by cancer and its therapies act as drivers of additional biological aging. Together, these dynamic intersectional forces can contribute to differences in cancer outcomes between minoritized vs non-minoritized survivor populations. We highlight key targetable biological aging mechanisms with potential applications to reducing cancer disparities and discuss methodological considerations for pre-clinical and clinical testing of the impact of gerotherapeutics on cancer outcomes in minoritized populations. Ultimately, the promise of reducing cancer disparities will require broad societal policy changes that address the structural causes of accelerated biological aging and ensure equitable access to all new cancer control paradigms.

Research on the aging mechanism of polypropylene nonwoven geotextiles under simulated heavy metal aging scenarios

We conducted accelerated aging experiments on two types of polypropylene (PP) nonwoven geotextiles (filament geotextile and staple fiber geotextile), immersing them in five different simulated liquids at temperatures of 25 °C, 55 °C, and 85 °C for 200 days. At 85 °C and a pH of 1, the tensile strength and elongation at break of PP filament materials decreased by 95% and 86%, respectively. The presence of heavy metals(arsenic and cadmium), speeds up the aging process in both types of PP geotextiles. Under identical conditions, these heavy metals can increase the loss of tensile strength in geotextiles by more than 7% in 200 days. Increases in temperature, acidic environment, and heavy metal concentration all contribute to faster aging of these geotextiles. Although filament geotextiles exhibit higher tensile strength and elongation at break, staple fiber geotextiles show a lower rate of tensile strength loss during aging and better maintain their tensile strength in high-temperature acidic conditions. During the aging process, cross-linking and recrystallization occur, both of which control the aging rate and the formation of microplastics.

Rice Protein Reduces Triglyceride Levels through Modulating CD36, MTP, FATP, and FABP Expression in Growing and Adult Rats.

To elucidate the effect of rice protein on the regulation of triglyceride transport to reduce triglyceride levels, growing and adult male Wistar rats were fed with casein and rice protein for 2 weeks. With the intake of rice protein, the gene and protein expressions of cluster determinant 36 (CD36), microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP), fatty acid transport protein-2 (FATP-2), and fatty acid-binding protein-1 (FABP-1) were, respectively, downregulated in growing and adult rats, suggesting rice protein could effectively regulate triglyceride transport. As a result, rice protein significantly reduced plasma levels of triglyceride and fatty acids, while hepatic accumulations of triglyceride and fatty acids were also decreased via rice protein. The present study demonstrates that RP exerts regulatory effects on CD36, MTP, FATP-2, and FABP-1 expression in growing and adult rats, revealing a link to triglyceride-lowering actions and the modulations of triglyceride transport exerted by rice protein. Results suggest that the aging process cannot attenuate the depression of CD36, MTP, FATP, and FABP 19 expression to reduce triglyceride levels induced by rice protein.

Vanadium Molybdenum Disulfide Nanosheets Anchoring on Carbon Cloth as High-Energy Density Cathode for Magnesium-Lithium Hybrid Batteries.

Magnesium-lithium-ion hybrid batteries (MLIBs) have gained significant attention since the combination of a dendrite-free and low-cost magnesium anode with lithium-ion storage cathodes. However, the lack of high-performance cathodes has severely hindered their development, limited by the lower operating voltages of electrolytes. Herein, vanadium molybdenum disulfide nanosheets anchoring on flexible carbon cloth (VMS@CC) are constructed as high-performance cathodes for MLIBs, which inherit the electrochemical properties of high-voltage VS2 and high-capacity MoS2, simultaneously. By adjusting the V and Mo atomic ratio, the VMS@CC cathode for MLIBs delivers a record maximum energy density of 275.5 Wh kg-1 with a high working voltage of 1.07 V at 50 mA g-1. Meanwhile, under the synergistic effects of the conductive carbon cloth matrix, abundant hetero-interfaces and defects, as well as expanded interlayer spacing, the VMS@CC cathode displays superior rate capability and long-term cycling stability. Ex situ analyses demonstrate the VMS nanosheets cathode exhibits a Li+/Mg2+ co-insertion/extraction mechanism in MLIBs, following the in situ insertion of organic species in the hybrid electrolyte during the aging process. The fabricated flexible cathode herein provides a new insight into the construction of high-energy density cathodes for MLIBs.

A two-step framework integrating lasso and Relaxed Lasso for resolving multidimensional collinearity in Chinese baijiu aging research

The aging process is crucial for Chinese Baijiu production, significantly enhancing the spirit's flavor, aroma and quality. However, aging involves a complex interplay of numerous compounds, and the extensive duration required for aging leads to a scarcity of samples available for scientific research. These limitations pose a challenge in analyzing high-dimensional data with collinearity, complicating the understanding of the intricate chemical processes at play. In this article, a two-step framework was proposed that integrated Relaxed Lasso regression models with Lasso-selected predictors to address this issue. Baijiu samples subjected to various aging conditions were analyzed using direct GC-MS and HS-GC-MS, and the obtained data was processed by this approach. The results demonstrate significantly superior performance compared to other methods, including PLSR and Gradient Boosting. Analyses were also performed on a previously documented dataset, yielding enhanced results and underscoring the method's advantage in processing high dimensional data with multicollinearity. Moreover, this method proved effective in screening of potential indicative compounds, highlighting its utility in Baijiu aging research.

Comprehensive Understanding on the Aging Process and Mechanism of Microplastics in the Sediment-Water Interface: Untangling the Role of Photoaging and Biodegradation.

Microplastics (MPs) in coastal wetlands have been of great concern, but information on the aging behavior of MPs in the sediment-water interface is still lacking. In this study, the contribution of a typical abiotic (photoaging) and biotic (biodegradation) process and the underlying aging pathway of MPs with different degradabilities (including polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polylactic acid) were studied. With a quantified relative importance of photoaging (>55%) vs biodegradation, the crucial contribution of photoaging on MP aging was highlighted. This was likely attributed to more generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under sunlight irradiation conditions, containing O2•- and H2O2. By raising higher the level of malondialdehyde (0.5-3.5 times as high as that in the dark condition), these photochemically formed ROS caused oxidative stress and inhibited the selective attachment of plastic-degrading microbes on the MP surface, thereby weakening the effect of biodegradation. On this basis, the aging characteristics and potential pathway of different MPs were revealed. The functional group of nondegradable polypropylene tends to be broken by ROS first, while biodegradation (Arthrobacter oryzae and Bacillus sp.) played a relatively dominant role in biodegradable polylactic acid. This study provides a new sight for the understanding on the aging behaviors of MPs in the sediment-water interface.

Lifestyle Changes in Aging and their Potential Impact on POAG.

Primary open angle glaucoma is a primary mitochondrial disease with oxidative stress triggering neuroinflammation, eventually resulting in neurodegeneration. This affects many other areas of the brain in addition to the visual system. Aging also leads to inflammaging - a low-grade chronic inflammatory reaction in mitochondrial dysfunction, so these inflammatory processes overlap in the aging process and intensify pathophysiological processes associated with glaucoma. Actively counteracting these inflammatory events involves optimising treatment for any manifest systemic diseases while maintaining chronobiology and improving the microbiome. Physical and mental activity also provides support. This requires a holistic approach towards optimising neurodegeneration treatment in primary open angle glaucoma in addition to reducing intraocular pressure according personalised patient targets.

The transcriptional landscape and clinico-biological characterization of human endogenous retroviruses in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are emerging as critical elements in host genomic regulation. Aberrant HERV transcription has been implicated in developmental and tissue-specific aging and pathological processes. In this study, we presenteda comprehensive locus-specific characterization of the HERV expression landscape in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We demonstrated the transcriptional diversity among patients and identified 12 clinically relevant HERVs in the SCH cohort, which were experimentally validated by Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) in the CAMS cohort. ESCC patients were stratified into three HERV-based subtypes (HERVhigh, HERVmedian and HERVlow) with distinct clinical and biological characteristics. The HERVhigh subtype was associated with worse survival, increased CD4+ T cellsinfiltration and decreased metabolic activity, whereas the HERVlow subtype was characterized by abundant CD8+ T cells, increased metabolic activity, and better survival. The HERV-based tumor subtyping was further robustly validated by RNA sequencing and RT-qPCR in two additional external cohorts. Our findings demonstrate the clinical significance of HERVs for tumor subtyping and prognosis, provide insights into the functional role of HERVs and a valuable resource for developing novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets in ESCC.

Double‐sided queues and their applications to vaccine inventory management

AbstractWe consider a double‐sided queueing model with batch Markovian arrival processes (BMAPs) and finite discrete abandonment times, which arises in various stochastic systems such as perishable inventory systems and financial markets. Customers arrive at the system with a batch of orders to be matched by counterparts. While waiting to be matched, customers become impatient and may abandon the system without service. The abandonment time of a customer depends on its batch size and its position in the queue. First, we propose an approach to obtain the stationary joint distribution of age processes via the stationary analysis of a multi‐layer Markov modulated fluid flow process. Second, using the stationary joint distribution of the age processes, we derive a number of queueing quantities related to matching rates, fill rates, sojourn times and queue length for both sides of the system. Last, we apply our model to analyze a vaccine inventory system and gain insight into the effect of uncertainty in supply and demand processes on the performance of the inventory system. It is observed that BMAPs are better choices for modeling the supply/demand process in systems with high uncertainty for more accurate performance quantities.

Application of sports rehabilitation training in mobile edge computing to treatment of patients with knee arthritis

According to the data of the National Bureau of Statistics, in 2019, the proportion of elderly people aged 65 and above in the total population reached 12.6%, and with the acceleration of the aging process, the incidence of knee osteoarthritis has increased significantly. According to the Chinese Journal of Orthopedics, the number of patients with knee osteoarthritis is growing at a rate of 6% every year, and there are more than 100 million patients with knee osteoarthritis in China, which significantly affects the quality of life of middle-aged and elderly people. This paper uses mobile edge computing technology and nanotubes to cooperate with reasonable sports to study the rehabilitation of patients with knee arthritis in the rehabilitation stage. The subjects of the study were 60 patients with knee arthritis, and the 60 patients were divided into 4 groups: group A used nanotubes and exercise rehabilitation training; group B used nanotubes but no exercise rehabilitation training; group C did not use nanotubes Tube, but sports rehabilitation training after the operation; D does not use nanotubes, and does not perform sports rehabilitation training after the operation. The 4 groups of patients performed routine exercises on the basis of rehabilitation exercise care. The study lasted for six months, with the 60 patients assessed monthly on their self-care ability, knee function and quality of life. Self-care ability was assessed by the Barthel Index (BI), knee function was assessed by the Knee Score Scale (KSS), and quality of life was assessed by the SF-36 Health questionnaire. The experimental results showed that all indexes of group A were higher than those of group B, KSS value was 2 higher than that of control group, ADL (activities of daily living) comprehensive value was 0.4 higher than that of control group, and SF-36 (The Short-From-36 Health Survey) value was 0.8 higher than that of control group. The self-care ability and health status of patients who performed balance exercises were significantly higher than those who did not perform balance exercises. The quality of life of patients who used nanotubes was significantly higher than that of those who did not. Therefore, the method of using nanotubes in combination with exercise rehabilitation training can restore the function of patients with knee arthritis and promote high quality of life.

Betaine delays age-related muscle loss by mitigating Mss51-induced impairment in mitochondrial respiration via Yin Yang1.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the hallmarks of aging and a leading contributor to sarcopenia. Nutrients are essential for improving mitochondrial function and skeletal muscle health during the aging process. Betaine is a nutrient with potential muscle-preserving properties. However, whether and how betaine could regulate the mitochondria function in aging muscle are poorly understood. We aimed to explore the molecular target and underlying mechanism of betaine in attenuating the age-related mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle. Young mice (YOU, 2months), old mice (OLD, 15months), and old mice with betaine treatment (BET, 15months) were fed for 12weeks. The effects of betaine on muscle mass, strength, function, and subcellular structure of muscle fibres were assessed. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was conducted to identify the molecular target of betaine. The impacts of betaine on mitochondrial-related molecules, superoxide accumulation, and oxidative respiration were examined using western blotting (WB), immunofluorescence (IF) and seahorse assay. The underlying mechanism of betaine regulation on the molecular target to maintain mitochondrial function was investigated by luciferase reporter assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation and electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Adenoassociated virus transfection, succinate dehydrogenase staining (SDH), and energy expenditure assessment were performed on 20-month-old mice for validating the mechanism in vivo. Betaine intervention demonstrated anti-aging effects on the muscle mass (P=0.017), strength (P=0.010), and running distance (P=0.013). Mitochondrial-related markers (ATP5a, Sdha, and Uqcrc2) were 1.1- to 1.5-fold higher in BET than OLD (all P≤0.036) with less wasted mitochondrial vacuoles accumulating in sarcomere. Bioinformatic analysis from RNA-seq displayed pathways related to mitochondrial respiration activity was higher enriched in BET group (NES=-0.87, FDR=0.10). The quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed betaine significantly reduced the expression of a novel mitochondrial regulator, Mss51 (-24.9%, P=0.002). In C2C12 cells, betaine restored the Mss51-mediated suppression in mitochondrial respiration proteins (all P≤0.041), attenuated oxygen consumption impairment, and superoxide accumulation (by 20.7%, P=0.001). Mechanically, betaine attenuated aging-induced repression in Yy1 mRNA expression (BET vs. OLD: 2.06 vs. 1.02, P=0.009). Yy1 transcriptionally suppressed Mss51 mRNA expression both in vitro and in vivo. This contributed to the preservation of mitochondrial respiration, improvement for energy expenditure (P=0.008), and delay of muscle loss during aging process. Altogether, betaine transcriptionally represses Mss51 via Yy1, improving age-related mitochondrial respiration in skeletal muscle. These findings suggest betaine holds promise as a dietary supplement to delay skeletal muscle degeneration and improve age-related mitochondrial diseases.

Dietary Choline Intake Is Beneficial for Cognitive Function and Delays Cognitive Decline: A 22-Year Large-Scale Prospective Cohort Study from China Health and Nutrition Survey.

Pre-clinical studies have discovered the neuroprotective function and the benefit for cognitive function of choline. However, it remains unclear whether these benefits observed in animal studies also work in humans. The aims of this study are to examine the effects of dietary choline intake on cognitive function and cognitive decline during ageing in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. We included 1887 subjects aged 55~79 years with 6696 observations from the China Health and Nutrition Survey cohort study. The subjects were followed up for 6 to 21 years, with an average of 12.2 years. A dietary survey was conducted over 3 consecutive days with a 24 h recall, using household weight-recording methods. Based on the China Food Composition, data from USDA, and published literature, the dietary choline intake was calculated as the sum of free choline, phosphocholine, phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, and glycerophosphocholine. Cognitive function was assessed using a subset of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-modified (TICS-m) items. In order to eliminate the different weight of scores in each domain, the scores were converted by dividing by the maximum score in each domain, which ranged from 0 to 3 points. Higher cognitive scores represented better cognition. We used two-level mixed effect models to estimate the effects of dietary choline intake on cognitive score and cognitive decline rate in males and females, respectively. The average dietary choline intake was 161.1 mg/d for the baseline. After adjusting for confounders, the dietary choline intake was significantly associated with higher cognitive score in both males and females. The cognitive score in the highest quartile group of dietary choline was 0.085 for males and 0.077 for females-higher than those in the lowest quartile group (p < 0.01 for males, p < 0.05 for females). For every 10-year increase in age, the cognitive score decreased by 0.266 for males and 0.283 for females. The cognitive score decline rate of the third quartile group of dietary choline was 0.125/10 years lower than that of the lowest quartile group in females (p < 0.05). Dietary choline intake not only improves cognitive function, but also postpones cognitive decline during the aging process. The findings of this study highlight the neuroprotective benefit of choline in the middle-aged and elderly Chinese population, especially among females.

Understanding the Mellowing Effect of Bottle Aging on the Sensory Perceptions of Varietal Dry White Wines

The aging ability of dry white wines has been increasingly recognized. The present work aimed to identify which sensory features drive their quality assessment by experienced tasters. Individuals assessed several sensory attributes, using dark tasting glasses. Wines originated from the grape varieties Alvarinho, Arinto, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Bianco with a wide range of ages. Basic physical–chemical analysis, browning (Abs 420 nm), elemental composition and a partial volatile fraction were also determined. The overall quality scores were a function of complexity and balance and were negatively influenced by the perception of faultiness. The aging process could be associated with a continuous sensory space characterized by a declining perception of freshness and an intensification in the mellowed flavors. Despite their age, wines were characterized by an austere perception caused by their acidity, saltiness, bitterness, smoothness and dryness. Nevertheless, quality scores were similar from the youngest to the oldest tasted wines (17 years old). The exception was a Sauvignon Blanc wine from a recent vintage that was judged as faulty due to the perception of earthiness. Overall, the tasted wines displayed an unexpected aging ability as demonstrated by the difference between the predicted and real wine ages. To improve the recognition of old wines, the metaphor “mellowed by age” is proposed to describe flavors resulting from beneficial aging instead of “oxidized by age”.

High-altitude aquatic ecosystems offer faster aging rate of plastics

While research on the aging behavior of plastics in aquatic systems is extensive, studies focusing on high-altitude ecosystems, characterized by higher solar radiation and lower temperatures, remain limited. This study investigated the long-term aging behavior of non-biodegradable plastics (non-BPs), namely polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP) and biodegradable plastics (BPs), specifically polylactic acid plus polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PLA + PBAT) and starch-based plastic (SBP), in a tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo River on the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau. Over 84 days of field aging, all four types of plastics exhibited initial rapid aging followed by deceleration. This aging process can be divided into two phases: rapid surface oxidation aging and an aging plateau phase. Notably, PP aged at a rate comparable to BPs, contrary to expectations of faster aging for BPs. Compared to low-altitude aquatic ecosystems, plastics in this study showed a faster aging rate. This was primarily due to intense ultraviolet radiation causing severe photoaging. Furthermore, the lower temperatures contributed to the formation of thinner biofilms. These thinner biofilms exhibited a reduced capacity to block light, further exacerbating the photoaging process of plastics. Statistical analysis results indicated that temperature, total nitrogen TN, and total phosphorus TP were likely the main water quality parameters influencing plastic aging. The varying effects of water properties and nutrients underscore the complex interaction of water quality parameters in high-altitude environments. Given the delicate nature of the high-altitude environment, the environmental impact of plastics, especially BPs, warrants careful consideration.

Simalungun Batak Family Support for Elderly Independence

Aging is an event that will be experienced by everyone who is blessed with a long life. Biologically, elderly people experience a continuous aging process characterized by decreased physical resistance to disease. These various changes often cause elderly people to experience problems in facing life, so family support is needed. This study aims to analyze the influence of Simalungun Batak family support on the independence of the elderly in the working area of the Haranggaol Community Health Center. Type of quantitative research with a cross-sectional approach. The subjects were 149 elderly people who lived at home with family members in Harangaol who were selected using purposive sampling. The instrument was adopted and modified from existing family support, and elderly independence questionnaires and validity and reliability tests were carried out on 30 subjects with r-table &gt;.361, with Cronbach's alpha reliability of .761. The results of the univariate analysis show that the majority of emotional family support is in the excellent category 68 (46%), the appreciation family support is good 63 (43%), the informational family support is sufficient 100 (67%) the instrumental family support is good 75 (50%), the total independence of the elderly is 96 (65%). The Pearson product-moment analysis results show a significant relationship between emotional, appreciative, informational, and instrumental family support and the independence of the elderly. There is a significant relationship between emotional family support, appreciation family support, informational family support, and instrumental family support for the independence of the elderly at the Haranggaol Health Center. It is recommended that the family support the elderly in participating in integrated services, elderly activities, and customary activities to maintain the elderly's level of independence in fulfilling daily living activities.

Transition from γ' to γ'' in Mg-Gd-Zn-Mn alloys investigated by the experiments and combined calculation method (HKD)

The phase transformation during the aging process of magnesium alloys is crucial for controlling the precipitation-strengthening phase. This study discovered a novel phase transition from γ' to γ'' with experiments and utilized a combination method of high-throughput density functional theory (DFT) and kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) methods (HKD) to calculate and analyze the γ' → γ'' transition in Mg-Gd-Zn-Mn alloys from both thermodynamic and statistical perspectives. The results indicate that during the doping process of 13 representative elements, Mn doping is relatively stable. When Mn is doped into the γ' precipitate, it preferentially diffuses to the center of the structure, specifically to one of the bridge sites. This diffusion repels Gd atoms, keeping them away from the middle atomic layer. Consequently, the Zn and Mn atomic networks jointly form a coordinated atomic plane, ultimately completing the transformation to the γ'' precipitate.