Remarkable Longevity Research Articles

Sicilian Semi- and Supercentenarians: Age-related NK Cell Immunophenotype and Longevity Trait Definition.

The immune system of semi- and supercentenarians (i.e., the oldest centenarians) is believed to have peculiar characteristics that enable them to reach extreme longevity in a relatively healthy state. Therefore, in previous papers, we investigated, through flow cytometry, variations in the percentages of the main subsets of Tαβ and Tγδ cells in a Sicilian cohort of 28 women and 26 men (age range 19-110 years), including 11 long-living individuals (>90 years old) and 8 oldest centenarians. These investigations suggested that some observed immunophenotypic changes may contribute to the extreme longevity of the oldest centenarians. In the present study, to further characterize the immunophenotype of the oldest centenarians, we examined the percentages of Natural Killer (NK) cells identified as CD3-CD56 + CD16+ in the previously described Sicilian cohort. We found a highly significant increase in NK cell percentages with age. When stratified by gender, this significant increase with age was maintained in both sexes, with higher significance observed in males. Our findings on NK cells, together with the previously obtained results, discussed in the context of the literature, suggest that these changes are not unfavourable for centenarians, including the oldest ones, supporting the hypothesis that immune aging should be considered as a differential adaptation rather than a general immune alteration. These adapted immune mechanisms allow the oldest centenarians to successfully adapt to a history of insults and achieve remarkable longevity.

What kills the virtually immortal palms of the Florida scrub?

Life span varies greatly across plants, with some species being capable of extreme longevity. Yet even long-lived individuals are susceptible to climatic events, fire, and other challenges. We examined rare mortality events and their causes in two long-lived palmettos over four decades. We monitored the survival of the clonal Serenoa repens and non-clonal, Florida-endemic Sabal etonia from 1981 to 2022 in four habitats along an elevational gradient within the globally imperiled Florida scrub ecosystem. We considered several challenges to palmetto survival, including extreme fires, shading due to lack of fire, droughts, periods of high precipitation, and possible pathogens. Survival of palmettos was remarkably high, and mortality was infrequent (Serenoa: cumulative, 5.7%; annualized, 0%-0.68%; Sabal: cumulative, 3.5%; annualized, 0%-0.43%). Mortality was highest in higher-elevation habitats with greater soil drainage, and smaller palmettos were more likely to die. When subjected to extreme fire, Serenoa suffered greater mortality than Sabal. Mortality in long-unburned habitats with increased shading rivaled that which occurred with extreme fire. There was no evidence of mortality due to lethal bronzing palm disease. Both palmettos had exceptionally low mortality rates, which, coupled with earlier work showing slow rates of transition from seedling to adult and remarkable adult longevity, suggest notably low rates of population turnover. Observed mortality in long-unburned habitats suggests the importance of fire-management planning with prescription burning. Lengthy age to reproduction and/or dependency on clonal propagation limits migration or genetic adaptation to altered conditions caused by climate change.

Cardiolipin prolongs the lifetimes of respiratory proteins in Drosophila flight muscle

Respiratory complexes and cardiolipins have exceptionally long lifetimes. The fact that they co-localize in mitochondrial cristae raises the questions of whether their longevities have a common cause and whether the longevity of OXPHOS proteins is dependent on cardiolipin. To address these questions, we developed a method to measure side-by-side the half-lives of proteins and lipids in wildtype Drosophila and cardiolipin deficient mutants. We fed adult flies with stable isotope-labeled precursors (13C615N2-lysine or 13C6-glucose) and determined the relative abundance of heavy isotopomers in protein and lipid species by mass spectrometry. To minimize confounding effects of tissue regeneration, we restricted our analysis to the thorax, the bulk of which consists of post-mitotic flight muscles. Analysis of 680 protein and 45 lipid species showed that the subunits of respiratory complexes I-V and the carriers for phosphate and ADP/ATP were among the longest-lived proteins (average half-life of 48±16 days) while the molecular species of cardiolipin were the longest-lived lipids (average half-life of 27±6 days). The remarkable longevity of these crista residents was not shared by all mitochondrial proteins, especially not by those residing in the matrix and the inner boundary membrane. Ablation of cardiolipin synthase, which causes replacement of cardiolipin by phosphatidylglycerol, and ablation of tafazzin, which causes partial replacement of cardiolipin by monolyso-cardiolipin, decreased the lifetimes of the respiratory complexes. Ablation of tafazzin also decreased the lifetimes of the remaining cardiolipin species. These data suggest that an important function of cardiolipin in mitochondria is to protect respiratory complexes from degradation.

Post-metamorphic body growth and remarkable longevity in Archey's frog and Hamilton's frog in New Zealand

Post-metamorphic body growth and remarkable longevity in Archey's frog and Hamilton's frog in New Zealand

Stretchable conductive hydrogel with super resistance-strain stability and ultrahigh durability enabled by specificity crosslinking strategy for high-performance flexible electronics

Stretchable ionic conductive hydrogels (SICHs) are regarded as one of the indispensable components for flexible electronics desirable to provide stable signal transmission and functional reproducibility. However, the state-of-the-art SICHs demonstrate a narrow resistance-stability range and poor cyclical fatigue reliability due to ion migration limitations and the absence of the molecular design regime. Herein, we present a novel synthetic strategy that utilizes the dynamic Zn-carboxyl physical bonding, adjacent to B-hydroxyl chemical bonding, to realize the “specificity” cross-linking in pectin polymeric networks. This approach significantly extends the resistance-stability range of SICHs, while also providing remarkable longevity. Via “specificity” crosslinking design, the Zn-carboxyl physical bonding, bearing thermodynamically stable and dynamic exchange character, can break the resistance-strain dependence of ionic conductive hydrogel, offering an unprecedented resistance-stability under largely applied strain (300%). Moreover, the B-hydroxyl chemical bonding effectively overcomes the conductivity and mechanical strength trade-off dilemma due to its strong but dynamic feature, realizing the high durability of SICHs. In addition, the extraordinary tolerate harsh environment capacity was achieved by introducing glycerin to form rich hydrogen bonds in the SICHs network, which is crucial for the avoidance of congelation at subzero temperatures and dehydration resulting from the circuit heat. As a stretchable conductive component of deformable electronic devices, the SICH demonstrates extraordinary long life and stable operation. These observations reveal fresh stretchable conductive materials.

A Comparative Study on CO2-Switchable Foams Stabilized by C22- or C18-Tailed Tertiary Amines

The CO2 aqueous foams stabilized by bioresource-derived ultra-long chain surfactants have demonstrated considerable promising application potential owing to their remarkable longevity. Nevertheless, existing research is still inadequate to establish the relationships among surfactant architecture, environmental factors, and foam properties. Herein, two cases of ultra-long chain tertiary amines with different tail lengths, N-erucamidopropyl-N,N-dimethylamine (UC22AMPM) and N-oleicamidopropyl-N,N-dimethylamine (UC18AMPM), were employed to fabricate CO2 foams. The effect of temperature, pressure and salinity on the properties of two foam systems (i.e., foamability and foam stability) was compared using a high-temperature, high-pressure visualization foam meter. The continuous phase viscosity and liquid content for both samples were characterized using rheometry and FoamScan. The results showed that the increased concentrations or pressure enhanced the properties of both foam samples, but the increased scope for UC22AMPM was more pronounced. By contrast, the foam stability for both cases was impaired with increasing salinity or temperature, but the UC18AMPM sample is more sensitive to temperature and salinity, indicating the salt and temperature resistance of UC18AMPM-CO2 foams is weaker than those of the UC22AMPM counterpart. These differences are associated with the longer hydrophobic chain of UC22AMPM, which imparts a higher viscosity and lower surface tension to foams, resisting the adverse effects of temperature and salinity.

Eisenhower & Cambodia: Diplomacy, Covert Action and the Origins of the Second Indochina War by William J. Rust

<i>Eisenhower &amp; Cambodia: Diplomacy, Covert Action and the Origins of the Second Indochina War</i> by William J. Rust

Characterization of sinoatrial automaticity in Microcebus murinus to study the effect of aging on cardiac activity and the correlation with longevity

Microcebus murinus, or gray mouse lemur (GML), is one of the smallest primates known, with a size in between mice and rats. The small size, genetic proximity to humans and prolonged senescence, make this lemur an emerging model for neurodegenerative diseases. For the same reasons, it could help understand how aging affects cardiac activity. Here, we provide the first characterization of sinoatrial (SAN) pacemaker activity and of the effect of aging on GML heart rate (HR). According to GML size, its heartbeat and intrinsic pacemaker frequencies lie in between those of mice and rats. To sustain this fast automaticity the GML SAN expresses funny and Ca2+ currents (If, ICa,L and ICa,T) at densities similar to that of small rodents. SAN automaticity was also responsive to β-adrenergic and cholinergic pharmacological stimulation, showing a consequent shift in the localization of the origin of pacemaker activity. We found that aging causes decrease of basal HR and atrial remodeling in GML. We also estimated that, over 12 years of a lifetime, GML generates about 3 billion heartbeats, thus, as many as humans and three times more than rodents of equivalent size. In addition, we estimated that the high number of heartbeats per lifetime is a characteristic that distinguishes primates from rodents or other eutherian mammals, independently from body size. Thus, cardiac endurance could contribute to the exceptional longevity of GML and other primates, suggesting that GML’s heart sustains a workload comparable to that of humans in a lifetime. In conclusion, despite the fast HR, GML replicates some of the cardiac deficiencies reported in old people, providing a suitable model to study heart rhythm impairment in aging. Moreover, we estimated that, along with humans and other primates, GML presents a remarkable cardiac longevity, enabling longer life span than other mammals of equivalent size.

LOVE OR OBLIGATION TO “SEE THEM THROUGH:” BURDENS AND GAINS IN CAREGIVING FOR CENTENARIANS

Abstract In Hong Kong, the population of centenarians increased from about 3,000 in 2011 to over 10,000 in 2021. The growth of this population has led to challenges concerning how far family caregivers, who are usually older adults themselves, could care for their spouse or parents. In 2021, we launched the 2nd Hong Kong Centenarian Study and included the voices of family caregivers. Notwithstanding the increased difficulties of caregiving during COVID outbreaks, our interviews with 120 caregivers revealed low to moderate scores of caregiving burden and gains (measured by 4-items from the Zarit Burden Scale and 5-items from the Positive Aspects of Caregiving Scale). Female and older (aged 70 or above) caregivers reported more emotional distress, burden, and poorer self-rated health, while younger caregivers (less than 70 years old) sustained a wider social network. Financial stress was related to smaller social network size and more emotional distress. When being asked what sustained their motivation to care for their spouse or for their parents, “filial obligation to see them through” and “repaying for love” were answered as key motivators. Caregivers also derived pride and satisfaction from contributing to the remarkable longevity of their loved ones or from witnessing their loved ones recovering from life-threatening traumas (e.g., falls, hospitalization), but felt helpless when faced with escalating care needs due to their own deteriorating physical health and capacities. “Double-old caregiving” will become more common, and society will need to overhaul the care system to support these motivated families who have escalated care needs.

De Novo Transcriptome Assembly and Analysis of Longevity Genes Using Subterranean Termite (Reticulitermes chinensis) Castes.

The longevity phenomenon is entirely controlled by the insulin signaling pathway (IIS-pathway). Both vertebrates and invertebrates have IIS-pathways that are comparable to one another, though no one has previously described de novo transcriptome assembly of IIS-pathway-associated genes in termites. In this research, we analyzed the transcriptomes of both reproductive (primary kings “PK” and queens “PQ”, secondary worker reproductive kings “SWRK” and queens “SWRQ”) and non-reproductive (male “WM” and female “WF” workers) castes of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes chinensis. The goal was to identify the genes responsible for longevity in the reproductive and non-reproductive castes. Through transcriptome analysis, we annotated 103,589,264 sequence reads and 184,436 (7G) unigenes were assembled, GC performance was measured at 43.02%, and 64,046 sequences were reported as CDs sequences. Of which 35 IIS-pathway-associated genes were identified, among 35 genes, we focused on the phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (Pdk1), protein kinase B2 (akt2-a), tuberous sclerosis-2 (Tsc2), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (EIF4E) and ribosomal protein S6 (RPS6) genes. Previously these genes (Pdk1, akt2-a, mTOR, EIF4E, and RPS6) were investigated in various organisms, that regulate physiological effects, growth factors, protein translation, cell survival, proliferation, protein synthesis, cell metabolism and survival, autophagy, fecundity rate, egg size, and follicle number, although the critical reason for longevity is still unclear in the termite castes. However, based on transcriptome profiling, the IIS-pathway-associated genes could prolong the reproductive caste lifespan and health span. Therefore, the transcriptomic shreds of evidence related to IIS-pathway genes provide new insights into the maintenance and relationships between biomolecular homeostasis and remarkable longevity. Finally, we propose a strategy for future research to decrypt the hidden costs associated with termite aging in reproductive and non-reproductive castes.

Polar gigantism and remarkable taxonomic longevity in new palaeoscolecid worms from the Late Ordovician Tafilalt Lagerstätte of Morocco

ABSTRACT The Late Ordovician Tafilalt Biota of the Moroccan Anti-Atlas includes a diverse range of soft-bodied organisms, including palaeoscolecids, paropsonemid eldonioids, graptolites and cheloniellid arthropods, as well as a rich assemblage of mineralised taxa, among them conulariids, trilobites and echinoderms, often found as articulated skeletons. The new fossil locality, not far from the original Bou Nemrou site, has produced two new palaeoscolecid taxa, the new genus and species Anguiscolex africanus and the new species Wronascolex superstes. They are preserved as compression fossils in fine-grained mudstones, where the original phosphatic sclerites have been diagenetically substituted by pyrite and later weathered to iron oxides, giving them a characteristic rusty colour. This area of Gondwana was located adjacent to the Late Ordovician South Pole and both Anguiscolex africanus gen. et sp. nov. and Wronascolex superstes sp. nov. present a degree of polar gigantism, which has been suggested for other taxa in such high palaeolatitudes such as bryozoans, conulariids, trilobites and radiodonts. Lastly, the occurrence of Wronascolex extends the distribution of this typically Cambrian taxon into the Late Ordovician, indicating a total range for the genus exceeding 60 million years, more than any other palaeoscolecid genus described to date. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6FD5F086-FBC6-465C-B5B7-D29EF9A6B8FB

Lubricating organohydrogel with ultrahigh durability and super-weatherability enabled by molecular chains aligned strategy for drag-reduction coating

Lubricating hydrogel (LHO) is regarded as one of the promising candidate materials for protective coating desirable to provide drag-reduction and energy-saving functions. However, the state-of-the-art LHOs have poor durability in harsh conditions due to mechanical strength limitations and the absence of the weather resistance regime. Here we report a molecular chains aligned strategy driven by the methyl silicone oil submerging poly(oxy-1,4-butanediyl)(PEG)-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)matrix interior to significantly enhance the durability of lubricating organohydrogel while simultaneously making them tolerate harsh conditions. Via aligned state-driven effects, the methyl silicone oil could accelerate the aligned arrangement of the PEG-PDMS molecular chains via interface phase exclusiveness, which can greatly facilitate the mechanical toughness of lubricating organohydrogel, leading to the remarkable longevity and wear stability. Moreovre, the extraordinary weather-fastness of lubricating organohydrogel was achieved by combining the intrinsic constant feature (featuring a high boiling point and low freezing point) of methyl silicone oil and subzero temperature inhibition-freeze effect of hydrogen bonds. The lubricating organohydrogel shows high longevity and wear stability (over 18,000 friction cycles), excellent drag-reduction performance (friction coefficient is as low as 0.08), and superior tolerated-extreme environment capacity (withstand −40° to 150 °C temperature). As a drag-reduction coating, the lubricating organohydrogel demonstrates extraordinarywear-protection and anti-icing performance. These observations indicatefresh friction-reduction and energy-saving engineering materials.

098 Intrinsic anti-tumorigeneic properties of the skin mediate resistance to chemically-induced carcinogenesis in naked mole-rats

Naked mole-rats (NMRs, Heterocephalus glaber) are unique long-lived mammals that possess marked resistance to cancer and other age-related pathologies maintaining a sustained healthy life-span for over 30 years. Despite remarkable longevity, there is a lack of any reported spontaneous skin cancer incidents in NMRs, including basal/squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. To explore the suitability of the NMR skin for studying the mechanisms of epithelial carcinogenesis and cancer resistance, we applied chemical skin carcinogenesis (DMBA/TPA) protocol to NMRs and FVB mice used as controls.

Oldestwoodenobjects.net – A Compilation of Wooden Goods with Remarkable Longevity

Abstract The website oldestwoodenobjects.net serves as a platform for the scientific community to collect, display and share early traces of wood utilization. It also serves educational purposes, to teach a wide audience about how multifunctional and durable wood can be, when wisely used. The collection of objects is large and diverse, ranging from simple tools for hunting, like spears, to musical instruments of the high culture, such as violins. The first means of transport, dugout canoes or early infrastructure, like water wells, are remarkably old. Due to weathering, early buildings or constructions are poorly or only partially preserved. But some sacred buildings that are still in use today have an impressive age. At the time of writing this manuscript, a total of 211 prehistoric and historic wooden objects from around the globe were gathered and can be compared at the online application. The oldest item on the list is from 300 000 years before present. To continue expanding the database, the community is encouraged to contribute new entries.

Momentum of light in complex media

An important issue in phenomenological macroscopic electrodynamics of moving media is the definition of the energy and momentum of the electromagnetic field in matter. Rather surprisingly, this topic has demonstrated a remarkable longevity, and the problem of the electromagnetic energy and momentum in matter remained open, despite numerous theoretical and experimental investigations. We overview the definition of the momentum of light in matter and demonstrate that, for the correct understanding of the problem, one needs to carefully distinguish situations when the material medium is modeled either as a background for light or as a dynamical part of the total system. The status of Minkowski and Abraham energy-momentum tensors of the electromagnetic field is clarified for the two particular types of complex matter, the spinning fluid and the liquid crystal medium, and summarized for the case of general anisotropic moving material media with a linear constitutive law.

No longer “As Crappy as Possible”?: Cult sensibilities and the high-definition revisioning and “Unbleeping” of early seasons of South Park

ABSTRACT This article will consider the recent ‘remastered’ editions of the first twelve seasons of the Comedy Central animated series South Park (1997-), and the impact that this may have upon the meanings associated with the original episodes. The show is now produced in a high-definition format, and most circulating versions of new instalments present any swearing ‘unbleeped’. These choices were not present from the very beginning of the series, however, and retrospectively applying them to past works serves to complicate the linear production history of the show. South Park has been quite vocal in its criticism of the revisionist practices of directors such as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas (most notably in the episode ‘Free Hat’, airdate 07/10/2002). As such, this decision to submit to an apparently similar process raises questions about South Park’s ‘cult’ status, and the previous tendency to celebrate its (self-professed) ‘crappy’ aesthetics. The show’s remarkable longevity offers a valuable case study into the complexities and contradictions of preserving television history, while also attempting to maximize a text’s profitability and ‘afterlife’ in the online streaming marketplace.

Probing β-Cell Biology in Space and Time.

β-Cells in the islet of Langerhans have a central role in maintaining energy homeostasis. Understanding the physiology of β-cells and other islet cells requires a deep understanding of their structural and functional organization, their interaction with vessels and nerves, the layout of paracrine interactions, and the relationship between subcellular compartments and protein complexes inside each cell. These elements are not static; they are dynamic and exert their biological actions at different scales of time. Therefore, scientists must be able to investigate (and visualize) short- and long-lived events within the pancreas and β-cells. Current technological advances in microscopy are able to bridge multiple spatiotemporal scales in biology to reveal the complexity and heterogeneity of β-cell biology. Here, I briefly discuss the historical discoveries that leveraged microscopes to establish the basis of β-cell anatomy and structure, the current imaging platforms that allow the study of islet and β-cell biology at multiple scales of resolution, and their challenges and implications. Lastly, I outline how the remarkable longevity of structural elements at different scales in biology, from molecules to cells to multicellular structures, could represent a previously unrecognized organizational pattern in developing and adult β-cells and pancreas biology.

Taming and Training Greek “Peasant Girls” and the Gendered Politics of Whiteness in Postwar Canada: Canadian Bureaucrats and Immigrant Domestics, 1950s–1960s

Drawing on the voluminous government records as well as selective interviews in a large oral history archive created over several years, this article explores Canada’s recruitment of Greek female domestics in the 1950s and early 1960s within the context of the feminist scholarship on female labour schemes as well as more recent whiteness literature on the in-between racial status of peripheral Europeans. In considering the contradictory features of a large but little-known labour scheme through which more than ten thousand Greek women arrived, many of them before their families, it documents the role of the bureaucrats – who envisioned the domestics’ transformation into models of modern domesticity while portraying them as victims of their patriarchal communities and manipulators of Canadian immigration policy – and that of the women who negotiated various challenges. To account for the scheme’s remarkable longevity, a key argument probes the mix of factors that repositioned a traditionally non-preferred Southern European group of women into a desirable white source of immigrant labour and future Canadian motherhood. Ultimately, Greek women enjoyed a racial privilege and mobility not afforded to later arriving women from the Caribbean and Philippines.

Long-lived mitochondrial cristae proteins in mouse heart and brain.

Long-lived proteins (LLPs) have recently emerged as vital components of intracellular structures whose function is coupled to long-term stability. Mitochondria are multifaceted organelles, and their function hinges on efficient proteome renewal and replacement. Here, using metabolic stable isotope labeling of mice combined with mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic analysis, we demonstrate remarkable longevity for a subset of the mitochondrial proteome. We discovered that mitochondrial LLPs (mt-LLPs) can persist for months in tissues harboring long-lived cells, such as brain and heart. Our analysis revealed enrichment of mt-LLPs within the inner mitochondrial membrane, specifically in the cristae subcompartment, and demonstrates that the mitochondrial proteome is not turned over in bulk. Pioneering cross-linking experiments revealed that mt-LLPs are spatially restricted and copreserved within protein OXPHOS complexes, with limited subunit exchange throughout their lifetimes. This study provides an explanation for the exceptional mitochondrial protein lifetimes and supports the concept that LLPs provide key structural stability to multiple large and dynamic intracellular structures.

Genome‐wide profiling and identification of insulin signaling pathway genes of subterranean termite castes

AbstractAging and longevity is a dynamic, chronological process assumed to originate from several hallmarks causing archetypal and beguiling cycles with incredible natural diversity. This phenomenon is widely observed in different animals, and the estimated age of Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans, Daphnia longispina are a few days to weeks. Reproductive termites live for 30 years, although the root cause of longevity in termite castes is still debated for molecular and cellular changes. Insulin and insulin signaling pathway‐related (IIS) genes are important metabolic factors (glucose) highly conserved in lower to higher organisms. Therefore, in this study, we pooled Reticulitermes chinensis castes as primary king (PK), primary queen (PQ), ergatoid king “SWRK” and queen “SWRQ”, male (WM), and female (WF) workers. We determined transcriptome sequencing of R. chinensis castes as a model organism for longevity to investigate the insulin signaling pathway and longevity genes. Through RNA‐sequencing, we identified 35 IIS‐pathway‐related genes out of 343 to the KEGG pathway in ergatoid king and queen, PK, PQ, WM, and WF. Among these genes, Tsc2, akt2‐a, mTOR, EIF4E, Pdk1, and RPS expressed highly in ergatoid king and queen, PK, and PQ. However, a significant cornerstone tradeoff between reproductive and non‐reproductive efforts for early life is essential for evolutionary longevity. The present study concludes that a highly conserved IIS‐pathway is evidence for the prolonged termite reproductive life span. We recommended devoting insulin signaling pathway genes to their biological function for termite survival and new insights into the maintenance and relationships between biomolecular homeostasis and remarkable longevity.