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Objective: Frailty and hypoproteinaemia are common in older individuals. Although there is evidence of a correlation between frailty and hypoproteinaemia, the relationship between frailty and hypoproteinaemia in hospitalized/critically ill and older community residents has not been clarified. Therefore, the aim of our meta-analysis was to evaluate the associations between frailty and hypoproteinaemia in different types of patients. Methods: A systematic retrieval of articles published in the PubMed, Embase, Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane, Wanfang, and CNKI databases from their establishment to April 2024 was performed to search for studies on the associations between severity of frailty or prefrailty and hypoproteinaemia in older adults. The Newcastle‒Ottawa Scale and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Scale were used to assess study quality. Results: Twenty-two studies were included including 90,351 frail older people were included. Meta-analysis revealed an association between frailty or prefrailty and hypoproteinaemia (OR = 2.37, 95% CI: 1.47, 3.83; OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.23, 2.15), there was no significant difference in the risk of hypoproteinaemia between patients with severe frailty and those with low or moderate frailty (OR = 0.62, 95% CI:0.44, 0.87). The effect of frailty on the occurrence of hypoproteinaemia was more obvious in hospitalized patients/critically ill patients than in surgical patients (OR = 3.75, 95% CI: 2.36, 5.96), followed by older community residents (OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.18, 4.49). Conclusion: Frailty is associated with hypoproteinaemia in surgical patients, hospitalized older patients and older community residents. Future studies should focus on the benefits of albumin supplementation in preventing or alleviating frailty and related outcomes in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study's objective is to create a method to select the best course of maintenance action for each state of ship propulsion system degradation while considering both the present and future costs and associated carbon intensity indicator, CII, rates. The method considers the effects of wind and wave action when considering fouling and ageing. The ship resistance in calm, wave, and wind conditions has been defined using standard operating models, which have also been used to estimate the required engine power, service speed, fuel consumption, generated CO2, CII, and subsequent maintenance costs. The maintenance takes into consideration the effects of profit loss because of lost opportunities and efficiency over time. Any maintenance choice has total costs associated with it, including extra fuel, upkeep, and missed opportunities. Using a discrete-time Markov chain, the ship's propulsion system maintenance schedule is optimized. A decision has been reached regarding the specific maintenance measures to be undertaken for each state of the Markov chain among various alternatives. The choice of optimal maintenance is related to a Markov decision process and is made by considering both the current and future costs. The developed method can forecast the propulsion system's future states and any required maintenance activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine if basal linear deposit (BLinD) is a specific lesion of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: The cohort was selected from a clinically and histopathologically validated archive (Sarks Archive) and consisted of 10 normal eyes (age 55–80 years) without any macular basal laminar deposit (BLamD) (Sarks Group I) and 16 normal aged eyes (age 57–88 years) with patchy BLamD (Sarks Group II). Only eyes with in vivo fundus assessment and corresponding high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs of the macula were included. Semithin sections and fellow-eye paraffin sections were additionally examined. BLinD was defined as a diffuse layer of electron-lucent vesicles external to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) basement membrane by TEM and was graded as follows: (i) Grade 0, absence of a continuous layer; (ii) Grade 1, a continuous layer up to three times the thickness of the RPE basement membrane (0.9 µm); (iii) Grade 2, a continuous layer greater than 0.9 µm. Bruch's membrane (BrM) hyalinisation and RPE abnormalities were determined by light microscopic examination of corresponding semithin and paraffin sections. Results: BLinD was identified in both normal (30%) and normal aged (62.5%) eyes. BLinD was thicker in normal aged eyes (p = 0.045; 95% CI 0.04–3.4). BLinD thickness positively correlated with both the degree of BrM hyalinisation (p = 0.049; 95% CI 0.05–2.69) and increasing microscopic RPE abnormalities (p = 0.022; 95% CI 0.188–2.422). RPE abnormalities were more likely to be observed in eyes with increased BrM hyalinisation (p = 0.044; 95% CI 0.61–4.319). Conclusions: BLinD is most likely an age-related deposit rather than a specific lesion of AMD. Its accumulation is associated with increasing BrM hyalinisation and microscopic RPE abnormalities, suggesting a relationship with dysregulated RPE metabolism and/or transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In humans, gut microbiome (GM) differences are often correlated with, and sometimes causally implicated in, ageing. However, it is unclear how these findings translate in wild animal populations. Studies that investigate how GM dynamics change within individuals, and with declines in physiological condition, are needed to fully understand links between chronological age, senescence and the GM, but have rarely been done. Here, we use longitudinal data collected from a closed population of Seychelles warblers (Acrocephalus sechellensis) to investigate how bacterial GM alpha diversity, composition and stability are associated with host senescence. We hypothesised that GM diversity and composition will differ, and become more variable, in older adults, particularly in the terminal year prior to death, as the GM becomes increasingly dysregulated due to senescence. However, GM alpha diversity and composition remained largely invariable with respect to adult age and did not differ in an individual's terminal year. Furthermore, there was no evidence that the GM became more heterogenous in senescent age groups (individuals older than 6 years), or in the terminal year. Instead, environmental variables such as season, territory quality and time of day, were the strongest predictors of GM variation in adult Seychelles warblers. These results contrast with studies on humans, captive animal populations and some (but not all) studies on non‐human primates, suggesting that GM deterioration may not be a universal hallmark of senescence in wild animal species. Further work is needed to disentangle the factors driving variation in GM‐senescence relationships across different host taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hair bundle of cochlear hair cells comprises specialized microvilli, the stereocilia, which fulfil the role of mechanotransduction. Genetic defects and environmental noise challenge the maintenance of hair bundle structure, critically contributing to age‐related hearing loss. Stereocilia fusion is a major component of the hair bundle pathology in mature hair cells, but its role in hearing loss and its molecular basis are poorly understood. Here, we utilized super‐resolution expansion microscopy to examine the molecular anatomy of outer hair cell stereocilia fusion in mouse models of age‐related hearing loss, heightened endoplasmic reticulum stress and prolonged noise exposure. Prominent stereocilia fusion in our model of heightened endoplasmic reticulum stress, Manf (Mesencephalic astrocyte‐derived neurotrophic factor)‐inactivated mice in a background with Cadherin 23 missense mutation, impaired mechanotransduction and calcium balance in stereocilia. This was indicated by reduced FM1‐43 dye uptake through the mechanotransduction channels, reduced neuroplastin/PMCA2 expression and increased expression of the calcium buffer oncomodulin inside stereocilia. Sparse BAIAP2L2 and myosin 7a expression was retained in the fused stereocilia but mislocalized away from their functional sites at the tips. These hair bundle abnormalities preceded cell soma degeneration, suggesting a sequela from stereociliary molecular perturbations to cell death signalling. In the age‐related hearing loss and noise‐exposure models, stereocilia fusion was more restricted within the bundles, yet both models exhibited oncomodulin upregulation at the fusion sites, implying perturbed calcium homeostasis. We conclude that stereocilia fusion is linked with the failure to maintain cellular proteostasis and with disturbances in stereociliary calcium balance. Key points: Stereocilia fusion is a hair cell pathology causing hearing loss.Inactivation of Manf, a component of the endoplasmic reticulum proteostasis machinery, has a cell‐intrinsic mode of action in triggering outer hair cell stereocilia fusion and the death of these cells.The genetic background with Cadherin 23 missense mutation contributes to the high susceptibility of outer hair cells to stereocilia fusion, evidenced in Manf‐inactivated mice and in the mouse models of early‐onset hearing loss and noise exposure.Endoplasmic reticulum stress feeds to outer hair cell stereocilia bundle pathology and impairs the molecular anatomy of calcium regulation.The maintenance of the outer hair cell stereocilia bundle cohesion is challenged by intrinsic and extrinsic stressors, and understanding the underlying mechanisms will probably benefit the development of interventions to promote hearing health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Methods Results Conclusions To investigate: (i) whether mood states associated with bipolar disorder are associated with poorer quality of life in older adults, and (ii) what are some of the predictors of quality of life in older adults with mood states associated with bipolar disorder.The authors completed a cross‐sectional multilevel analysis of panel data from seven waves of The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing dataset. The main analysis included 567 participants who reported experiencing mood states associated with bipolar disorder. Some participants reported this in more than one wave, resulting in 835 observations of mood states associated with bipolar disorder across the seven waves. Quality of life was assessed using the Control, Autonomy, Self‐realization, and Pleasure‐19 (CASP‐19) measure.The presence of mood states associated with bipolar disorder was significantly associated with poorer quality of life, even after controlling for multiple covariates (age, sex, social isolation, loneliness, alcohol use, education level, and economic status). Loneliness significantly predicted poorer quality of life in older adults with mood states associated with bipolar disorder. In contrast, higher educational attainment and being female predicted better quality of life in this group.Older adults with mood states associated with bipolar disorder have potentially worse quality of life compared to the general population, which may be partly driven by loneliness. This has ramifications for the support offered to this population and suggests that treatments should focus on reducing loneliness to improve outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Methods Results Conclusion This study was designed to compare the effects of mental load, caused by concurrent auditory tasks, on attended and non‐attended visual stimuli in older and younger adults.Participants performed a visual orientation discrimination task involving two spatially separated Gabor patches of 4 cycles/degree and 55% contrast. Participants received either a valid‐cue, invalid‐cue or a neutral‐cue for the patch whose orientation they were required to determine. An auditory n‐back task was performed simultaneously to impose mental load. Repeated‐measures ANOVA was used for investigation of main effects and interactions of ageing, mental load and attention condition on orientation discrimination.A total of 27 younger (mean age ± SD, 22.6 ± 1.3 years) and 23 older adults (54.7 ± 4.3 years) participated in the study. There was a significant effect of age (p = 0.01) and mental load (p < 0.001) on the proportion of correct orientation discrimination responses. Attentional condition significantly affected the proportion of correct responses (p = 0.02), but there was no significant interaction between attention, mental load and age group (p = 0.85). There was no overall difference in the proportion of no responses (the proportion of trials in which the participants failed to respond) between the two age groups (p = 0.53) nor on the overall effect of attention on the proportion of no responses (p = 0.25). There was, however, a significant effect of mental load on the proportion of no responses (p = 0.002).Although mental load reduced performance equally for both age groups and for all attentional conditions, older adults had poorer overall performance. Therefore, a given mental load is more likely to drive older observers to unacceptable levels of task performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Methods Results Conclusions First‐line managers in Swedish communities have responsibility for that care to older people is provided, staffing is sufficient and the budget is balanced in their unit. It is a struggle with limited resources due to a growing population in need of care. This can lead to missed nursing care. The aim was to describe first‐line managers´ perceptions of missed nursing care in community health care for older people.A qualitative design with a phenomenographic approach, interviewing 24 first‐line managers. Ethics approval for the study was received from the Research Ethics Committee at Karlstad University (Dnr HNT 2020/566).The results are shown in six descriptive categories containing 15 perceptions. The descriptive categories are ‘occurrence of missed nursing care’, ‘becoming aware of missed nursing care’, ‘reasons for missed nursing care’, ‘missed nursing care has consequences for the older persons’, ‘missed nursing care has consequences for the staff’ and ‘taking action to decrease missed nursing care’.It is important for first‐line managers to become aware of the existence and reasons for missed nursing, as it has consequences for older people and staff. Managers need to take missed nursing care seriously in order to work with improvements for maintaining good quality of care and patient safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of frailty on loneliness among older adults receiving home care, in correlation to their socioeconomic and homebound statuses. This cross-sectional study recruited 218 individuals aged ≥65 years receiving home-based health services from the "Help at Home" program in the Region of Evrytania, Greece through an open invitation from the municipality authorities from March to June 2022. The Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) was used for the evaluation of frailty, the UCLA Loneliness Scale version 3 was used for loneliness, and social isolation was accessed through five questions (living alone, frequency of interaction with children, relatives, friends, and participation in social organizations). The mean age of the participants was 81.48 ± 9.06, 61.9% were female, 54.1% experienced high levels of loneliness (UCLA-3 mean 45.76 ± 11.10 [range 20–68]), and 46.3% of the participants were found to be socially isolated. Also, 58.3% of the individuals were identified as frail (TFI mean 5.95 ± 3.07) [TFI range 0–13], with 57.3% experiencing physical frailty, 43.6% experiencing psychological frailty, and 27.1% experiencing social frailty. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) using UCLA-3 as the dependent variable revealed that loneliness across all domains of TFI was significantly higher in participants with frailty (total frailty [Yes] 49.27 vs. [No] 40,87 p < 0.001) (physical frailty [Yes] = 48.99 vs. [No] = 41.42, p < 0.001, psychological: 48.60 vs. 43.57 p < 0.001, and social: 53.38 vs. 42.94 p < 0.001), particularly compared to non-frail individuals, even after adjusting for potential confounding effects (covariates: gender, age, marital status, family status, living status, educational level, annual income, chronic diseases, homebound status, and social isolation). Our findings indicate that frail older adults experienced higher levels of loneliness, suggesting that frailty and loneliness are independently associated among older adults who receive home-based healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that sedentary behavior (SB) and obesity are associated with disabilities in basic activities (BADL) and instrumental (IADL) activities of daily living. However, there is a lack of studies investigating this association in community-dwelling older adults. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between different SB typologies, isolated and in conjunction with obesity, and their associations with BADL and IADL disabilities in community-dwelling Brazilian older adults. This was a cross-sectional study using data from older adults (≥60 years) who participated in the Brazilian National Health Survey (2019). The exposures were obesity (BMI > 27 kg/m2) and the amount of time spent daily on SB watching television (SB TV < 3 and ≥3 h/day) and engaging in leisure activities (SB leisure < 3 and ≥3 h/day), analyzed both separately and jointly. The outcomes were BADL and IADL disabilities. The main results showed that isolated SB TV ≥ 3 h/day (OR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.14; 1.39) and SB TV ≥ 3 h/day combined with obesity (OR: 1.55; 95% CI: 1.37; 1.75) increased the odds of BADL and IADL disabilities. Obesity alone (OR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.07; 1.36) increased only the odds of BADL disabilities. Moreover, SB leisure ≥ 3 h/day without obesity reduced the odds of IADL disabilities (OR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.41; 0.76). Ideally, older adults should be encouraged to prevent obesity, reduce excessive periods spent in SB watching TV, and increase the daily periods spent in leisure activities, thus minimizing the likelihood of disabilities in functional activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until recently, research on the pathogenesis and treatment of osteoporosis and sarcopenia has primarily focused on local and systemic humoral mechanisms, often overlooking neuronal mechanisms. However, there is a growing body of literature on the neuronal regulation of bone and skeletal muscle structure and function, which may provide insights into the pathogenesis of osteosarcopenia. This review aims to integrate these neuronal regulatory mechanisms to form a comprehensive understanding and inspire future research that could uncover novel strategies for preventing and treating osteosarcopenia. Specifically, the review explores the functional adaptation of weight‐bearing bone to mechanical loading throughout evolutionary development, from Wolff's law and Frost's mechanostat theory to the mosaic hypothesis, which emphasizes neuronal regulation. The recently introduced bone osteoregulation reflex points to the importance of the osteocytic mechanoreceptive network as a receptor in this neuronal regulation mechanism. Finally, the review focuses on the bone myoregulation reflex, which is known as a mechanism by which bone loading regulates muscle functions neuronally. Considering the ageing‐related regressive changes in the nerve fibres that provide both structural and functional regulation in bone and skeletal muscle tissue and the bone and muscle tissues they innervate, it is suggested that neuronal mechanisms might play a central role in explaining osteosarcopenia in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the current women's retirement age reform in Israel that raised their retirement age from 62 to 65, suggesting that high-income salaried women are more likely to benefit from the reform. It found that raising women's Retirement Age (RA) alone does not improve their Replacement Rate (REP) and recommends implementing a two-stage policy reform. In the first stage, gender wage gaps should be mitigated during working-time period; in the second stage, women's RA should be raised to the average of 63.81 years of the OECD countries. These suggestions should be adopted by policymakers in countries with low REP, such as Britain and Japan, accompanied by ensuring equal employment opportunities for relatively older women approaching RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcopenia is a multifactorial age-related disorder that causes a decrease in muscle mass, strength, and function, leading to alteration of movement, risk of falls, and hospitalization. This article aims to review recent findings on the factors underlying sarcopenia and the strategies required to delay and counteract its symptoms. We focus on molecular factors linked to ageing, on the role of low-grade chronic and acute inflammatory conditions such as cancer, which contributes to the onset of sarcopenia, and on the clinical criteria for its diagnosis. The use of drugs against sarcopenia is still subject to debate, and the suggested approaches to restore muscle health are based on adequate dietary protein intake and physical exercise. We also highlight the difference in the amount and quality of amino acids within animal- and plant-based diets, as studies have often shown varying results regarding their effect on sarcopenia in elderly people. In addition, many studies have reported that non-pharmacological approaches, such as an optimization of dietary protein intake and training programs based on resistance exercise, can be effective in preventing and delaying sarcopenia. These approaches not only improve the maintenance of skeletal muscle function, but also reduce health care costs and improve life expectancy and quality in elderly people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ageing and chronic stress have been linked to reduced telomere length (TL) in mixed‐age groups. Whether stress response components are linked to TL during the midlife‐to‐late adulthood transition remains unclear. Our study aimed to synthesise evidence on the relationship between psychological and biological components of stress response on TL in middle‐aged and older adults. We conducted a systematic review of studies obtained from six databases (PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus) and evaluated by two independent reviewers. Original research measuring psychological and biological components of stress response and TL in human individuals were included. From an initial pool of 614 studies, 15 were included (n = 9446 participants). Synthesis of evidence showed that higher psychological components of the stress response (i.e., global perceived stress or within a specific life domain and cognitive appraisal to social‐evaluative stressors) were linked to shorter TL, specifically in women or under major life stressors. For the biological stress response, cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and IGF‐1/cortisol imbalance, IL‐6, MCP‐1, blood pressure, and heart rate presented a significant association with TL, but this relationship depended on major life stressors and the stress context (manipulated vs. non‐manipulated conditions). This comprehensive review showed that psychological and biological components of the stress response are linked to shorter TL, but mainly in women or those under a major life stressor and stress‐induced conditions. The interaction between stressor attributes and psychological and biological reactions in the transition from middle to late adulthood still needs to be fully understood, and examining it is a critical step to expanding our understanding of stress's impact on ageing trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skeletal muscle (SM) acts as a secretory organ, capable of releasing myokines and extracellular vesicles (SM‐EVs) that impact myogenesis and homeostasis. While age‐related changes have been previously reported in murine SM‐EVs, no study has comprehensively profiled SM‐EV in human models. To this end, we provide the first comprehensive comparison of SM‐EVs from young and old human primary skeletal muscle cells (HPMCs) to map changes associated with SM ageing. HPMCs, isolated from young (24 ± 1.7 years old) and older (69 ± 2.6 years old) participants, were immunomagnetically sorted based on the presence of the myogenic marker CD56 (N‐CAM) and cultured as pure (100% CD56+) or mixed populations (MP: 90% CD56+). SM‐EVs were isolated using an optimised protocol combining ultrafiltration and size exclusion chromatography (UF + SEC) and their biological content was extensively characterised using Raman spectroscopy (RS) and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC‐MS). Minimal variations in basic EV parameters (particle number, size, protein markers) were observed between young and old populations. However, biochemical fingerprinting by RS highlighted increased protein (amide I), lipid (phospholipids and phosphatidylcholine) and hypoxanthine signatures for older SM‐EVs. Through LC‐MS, we identified 84 shared proteins with functions principally related to cell homeostasis, muscle maintenance and transcriptional regulation. Significantly, SM‐EVs from older participants were comparatively enriched in proteins involved in oxidative stress and DNA/RNA mutagenesis, such as E3 ubiquitin‐protein ligase TTC3 (TTC3), little elongation complex subunit 1 (ICE1) and Acetyl‐CoA carboxylase 1 (ACACA). These data suggest SM‐EVs could provide an alternative pathway for homeostasis and detoxification during SM ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age‐related vision loss caused by retinal neurodegenerative pathologies is becoming more prevalent in our ageing society. To understand the physiological and molecular impact of ageing on retinal homeostasis, we used the short‐lived African turquoise killifish, a model known to naturally develop central nervous system (CNS) ageing hallmarks and vision loss. Bulk and single‐cell RNA‐sequencing (scRNAseq) of three age groups (6‐, 12‐, and 18‐week‐old) identified transcriptional ageing fingerprints in the killifish retina, unveiling pathways also identified in the aged brain, including oxidative stress, gliosis, and inflammageing. These findings were comparable to observations in the ageing mouse retina. Additionally, transcriptional changes in genes related to retinal diseases, such as glaucoma and age‐related macular degeneration, were observed. The cellular heterogeneity in the killifish retina was characterized, confirming the presence of all typical vertebrate retinal cell types. Data integration from age‐matched samples between the bulk and scRNAseq experiments revealed a loss of cellular specificity in gene expression upon ageing, suggesting potential disruption in transcriptional homeostasis. Differential expression analysis within the identified cell types highlighted the role of glial/immune cells as important stress regulators during ageing. Our work emphasizes the value of the fast‐ageing killifish in elucidating molecular signatures in age‐associated retinal disease and vision decline. This study contributes to the understanding of how age‐related changes in molecular pathways may impact CNS health, providing insights that may inform future therapeutic strategies for age‐related pathologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated pure-tone audiometry is frequently used in teleaudiology and hearing screening. Given the high prevalence of age-related hearing loss, older adults are an important target population. This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of automated audiometry in older adults, and to examine the influence of test frequency, age, sex, hearing and cognitive status. In a population-based study, two age-homogeneous samples of 70-year-olds (n = 238) and 85-year-olds (n = 114) were tested with automated audiometry in an office using circum-aural headphones and, around 4 weeks later, with manual audiometry conducted to clinical standards. The differences were analysed for individual frequencies (range: 0.25–8 kHz) and pure-tone averages. The mean difference varied across test frequencies and age groups, the overall figure being −0.7 dB (SD = 8.8, p < 0.001), and 68% to 94% of automated thresholds corresponded within ±10 dB of manual thresholds. The poorest accuracy was found at 8 kHz. Age, sex, hearing and cognitive status were not associated with the accuracy (ordinal regression analysis). Automated audiometry seems to produce accurate assessments of hearing sensitivity in the majority of older adults, but with larger error margins than in younger populations, and is not affected by relevant patient factors associated with old age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older adults residing in refugee settlements with unhealthy living environments, inadequate access to health care services, and limited psychosocial support are vulnerable to experience mental health problems jeopardizing their mental well-being. The present study aims to explore the mental well-being status and its socio-economic determinants among the older adults living in the Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study was conducted among adults aged ≥ 60 residing in five sub-camps within the Rohingya refugee camp of Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews conducted between November and December 2021. The 14-item Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale was used to assess mental well-being. A cumulated score was derived using the scale ranging from 14 to 70, with higher scores indicating greater levels of mental well-being. A generalized linear regression model was used to examine the socio-economic factors associated with the mental well-being of older adults. A total of 864 older adults participated in the study having a mean mental well-being score of 45.4. Regression analysis revealed that the difference in the logs of mental well-being score was expected to be significantly lower among participants aged 70–79 years (β: − 1.661; 95% CI: − 2.750 to − 0.572; p = 0.003), aged ≥ 80 years (β: − 3.198; 95% CI: − 5.114 to − 1.282; p = 0.001), and those with any non-communicable chronic conditions (β: − 2.903; 95% CI: − 3.833 to − 1.974; p < 0.001) when compared to their counterparts. Conversely, the difference in the logs of mental well-being score was expected to be significantly higher among individuals with formal schooling (β: 3.370, 95% CI: 1.855 to 4.886, p < 0.001) and those having additional income besides aid (β: 1.629; 95% CI: 0.642 to 2.615; p = 0.001), compared to their respective counterparts. Our findings highlight the need to provide psychosocial assistance to older individuals, particularly those who live in large families, suffer from chronic diseases, and live in socio-economic deprivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced age is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in both sexes. This is thought to be due, in part, to age-dependent cellular, structural, and functional changes in the heart, a process known as cardiac aging. An emerging view is that cardiac aging leads to the accumulation of cellular and subcellular deficits that increase susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases. Still, people age at different rates, with those aging rapidly considered frail. Evidence suggests that frailty, rather than simply age, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and predicts adverse outcomes in those affected. Recent studies in mouse models of frailty show that many adverse changes associated with cardiac aging are more prominent in mice with a high degree of frailty. This suggests that frailty sets the stage for late life cardiovascular diseases to flourish and raises the possibility that treating frailty may treat cardiovascular diseases. These studies show that ventricular dysfunction increases with frailty in males only, whereas atrial dysfunction increases with frailty in both sexes. These results may shed light on the reasons that men and women can be susceptible to different cardiovascular diseases as they age, and why frail individuals are especially vulnerable to these disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maintaining sexual health and function is important to many older adults. Although older patients are regular users of primary care, opportunities to address sexual health concerns are missed. Building on interview studies, this research aimed to collect a larger number of older adults' perspectives to deepen understanding of sexual healthcare needs and formulate recommendations for the Australian primary care context. Methods: As part of the SHAPE2 Survey of older adults' sexual health information-seeking behaviours, participants (aged ≥60 years and living in Australia) were asked what sexual health issues were most important to them, and the barriers they experienced in managing their sexual health. Data were collected in 2021 in the form of free-text comments. The sub-set of comments that related to healthcare experiences were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Out of 1470 survey participants, 864 responded to the relevant questions, and of these 107 wrote about healthcare experiences. Some comments described positive experiences seeking sexual health care; however, the majority outlined barriers to accessing support. Barriers were categorised into seven categories: patient embarrassment, barriers to rapport, uncertainty about finding solutions, ageism, barriers unique to minorities, needing general practitioners to initiate conversations and structural barriers. Conclusions: Older patients want general practitioners to initiate sexual health conversations as part of routine care, and, crucially, sexual issues raised by the patient should be legitimised and treated with due attention. Although challenges, such as time, embarrassment and pressing health concerns, may hamper sexual health discussions, it is important that this area of holistic care is given more attention. Sexual health is an aspect of holistic care that is often missed for older patients. Using 107 free-text comments from survey participants aged ≥60 years, we investigate the barriers in accessing sexual health care in the Australian primary care setting. The findings highlight the need for practitioners to initiate sexual health conversations with their older patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being a well‐known problem, bearing faults are still one of the major challenges that the industry face. The growing use of voltage source inverters imposed the alertness of possible bearing damage due to their high‐frequency signals. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of capacitive discharges on a rolling element bearing to obtain a series of faulty bearings with different deterioration levels. An ageing test bench is built to generate bearing roughness using Electric Discharge Machining. The purpose is to study the effect of operation conditions, such as frequency of drive, amplitude of shaft voltage, radial load level as well as rotational speed, on the capacitive discharge occurrence within the bearing. Having the desire to further understand this phenomenon, the influence of each parameter on the discharge activity and the discharge waveform is analysed. A worst‐case scenario is conducted and applied to a series of bearings. Finally, the bearing damage is examined, and a quantitative fault detection method is presented based on a microscopic inspection of the bearing's surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain atrophy and cortical thinning are typically observed in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and, to a lesser extent, in those with mild cognitive impairment. In asymptomatic middle‐aged apolipoprotein ε4 (ΑPOE4) carriers, who are at higher risk of future AD, study reports are discordant with limited evidence of brain structural differences between carriers and non‐carriers of the ε4 allele. Alternative imaging markers with higher sensitivity at the presymptomatic stage, ideally quantified using typically acquired structural MRI scans, would thus be of great benefit for the detection of early disease, disease monitoring and subject stratification. In the present cross‐sectional study, we investigated textural properties of T1‐weighted 3T MRI scans in relation to APOE4 genotype, age and sex. We pooled together data from the PREVENT‐Dementia and ALFA studies focused on midlife healthy populations with dementia risk factors (analysable cohort: 1585 participants; mean age 56.2 ± 7.4 years). Voxel‐based and texture (examined features: contrast, entropy, energy, homogeneity) based morphometry was used to identify areas of volumetric and textural differences between APOE4 carriers and non‐carriers. Textural maps were generated and were subsequently harmonised using voxel‐wise COMBAT. For all analyses, APOE4, sex, age and years of education were used as model predictors. Interactions between APOE4 and age were further examined. There were no group differences in regional brain volume or texture based on APOE4 carriership or when age × APOE4 interactions were examined. Older people tended to have a less homogeneous textural profile in grey and white matter and a more homogeneous profile in the ventricles. A more heterogeneous textural profile was observed for females in areas such as the ventricles, frontal and parietal lobes and for males in the brainstem, cerebellum, precuneus and cingulate. Overall, we have shown the absence of volumetric and textural differences between APOE4 carriers and non‐carriers at midlife and have established associations of textural features with ageing and sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to research on everyday resistance as a means of citizens' political subjectification in autocracies and advances the literature on the manipulation of news. Through analysis of state-controlled media and individual interviews, it traces how older people in Belarus engage in anti-authoritarian protests by relying on pre-existing patterns of interactions with the state. My analysis demonstrates that to promote its legitimacy, the paternalist regime cultivates dependence in older citizens and represents itself as the primary solution to problems associated with old-age vulnerability. In response to their systemic marginalisation in the job market, urban development and public health policies, older people claim their equal rights by resisting old-age vulnerability or performing it to challenge the system. The article argues that by practising low-key acts of insubordination, older Belarusians acquire the collective self-awareness and cultural competence that allowed them to engage in the 2020 protests as a distinct political subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyploidy in hepatocytes has been proposed as a genetic mechanism to buffer against transcriptional dysregulation. Here, we aim to demonstrate the role of polyploidy in modulating gene regulatory networks in hepatocytes during ageing. We performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing in hepatocyte nuclei of different ploidy levels isolated from young and old wild-type mice. Changes in the gene expression and regulatory network were compared to three independent strains that were haploinsufficient for HNF4A, CEBPA or CTCF, representing non-deleterious perturbations. Phenotypic characteristics of the liver section were additionally evaluated histologically, whereas the genomic allele composition of hepatocytes was analysed by BaseScope. We observed that ageing in wild-type mice results in nuclei polyploidy and a marked increase in steatosis. Haploinsufficiency of liver-specific master regulators (HFN4A or CEBPA) results in the enrichment of hepatocytes with tetraploid nuclei at a young age, affecting the genomic regulatory network, and dramatically suppressing ageing-related steatosis tissue wide. Notably, these phenotypes are not the result of subtle disruption to liver-specific transcriptional networks, since haploinsufficiency in the CTCF insulator protein resulted in the same phenotype. Further quantification of genotypes of tetraploid hepatocytes in young and old HFN4A-haploinsufficient mice revealed that during ageing, tetraploid hepatocytes lead to the selection of wild-type alleles, restoring non-deleterious genetic perturbations. Our results suggest a model whereby polyploidisation leads to fundamentally different cell states. Polyploid conversion enables pleiotropic buffering against age-related decline via non-random allelic segregation to restore a wild-type genome. The functional role of hepatocyte polyploidisation during ageing is poorly understood. Using single-nucleus RNA sequencing and BaseScope approaches, we have studied ploidy dynamics during ageing in murine livers with non-deleterious genetic perturbations. We have identified that hepatocytes present different cellular states and the ability to buffer ageing-associated dysfunctions. Tetraploid nuclei exhibit robust transcriptional networks and are better adapted to genomically overcome perturbations. Novel therapeutic interventions aimed at attenuating age-related changes in tissue function could be exploited by manipulation of ploidy dynamics during chronic liver conditions. [Display omitted] • In hepatocytes, an increase in nuclear ploidy is a fundamental cellular state that preserves tissue function. • Tetraploid hepatocyte nuclei, carrying multiple copies of the genome, attenuate age-related transcriptomic changes. • Early accumulation of tetraploid nuclei in hepatocytes reduces age-related steatosis. • The impact of gene haploinsufficiency is modulated in tetraploid hepatocyte nuclei. • The protective phenotype from polyploidisation relies on non-random selection of wild-type alleles during ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mid-later life adults, early-onset and late-onset (i.e., onset ≥50 years) depression appear to be underpinned by different pathophysiology yet have not been examined in relation to autonomic function. Sleep provides an opportunity to examine the autonomic nervous system as the physiology changes across the night. Hence, we aimed to explore if autonomic profile is altered in mid-later life adults with remitted early-onset, late-onset and no history of lifetime depression. Participants aged 50–90 years (n = 188) from a specialised clinic underwent a comprehensive clinical assessment and completed an overnight polysomnography study. General Linear Models were used to examine the heart rate variability differences among the three groups for four distinct sleep stages and the wake after sleep onset. All analyses controlled for potential confounders – age, sex, current depressive symptoms and antidepressant usage. For the wake after sleep onset, mid-later life adults with remitted early-onset depression had reduced standard deviation of Normal to Normal intervals (SDNN; p =.014, d = −0.64) and Shannon Entropy (p =.004, d = −0.46,) than those with no history of lifetime depression. Further, the late-onset group showed a reduction in high-frequency heart rate variability (HF n.u.) during non-rapid eye movement sleep stage 2 (N2; p =.005, d = −0.53) and non-rapid eye movement sleep stage 3 (N3; p =.009, d = −0.55) when compared to those with no lifetime history. Causality between heart rate variability and depression cannot be derived in this cross-sectional study. Longitudinal studies are needed to examine the effects remitted depressive episodes on autonomic function. The findings suggest differential autonomic profile for remitted early-onset and late-onset mid-later life adults during sleep stages and wake periods. The differences could potentially serve as peripheral biomarkers in conjunction with more disease-specific markers of depression to improve diagnosis and prognosis. • Autonomic dysfunction is a key risk factor and symptom of major depressive disorder. • No known studies have examined the relationship between HRV and history of depression. • History of depression is associated with the integrity of autonomic functioning in mid-later life adults. • HRV has the potential to be a biomarker of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ageing induces a decline in GABAergic intracortical inhibition, which seems to be associated not only with decremental changes in well‐being, sleep quality, cognition and pain management but also with impaired motor control. So far, little is known regarding whether targeted interventions can prevent the decline of intracortical inhibition in the primary motor cortex in the elderly. Therefore, the present study investigated whether age‐related cortical dis‐inhibition could be reversed after 6 months of balance learning and whether improvements in postural control correlated with the extent of reversed dis‐inhibition. The results demonstrated that intracortical inhibition can be upregulated in elderly subjects after long‐term balance learning and revealed a correlation between changes in balance performance and intracortical inhibition. This is the first study to show physical activity‐related upregulation of GABAergic inhibition in a population with chronic dis‐inhibition and may therefore be seminal for many pathologies in which the equilibrium between inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters is disturbed. Key points: Ageing induces a decline in GABAergic intracortical inhibition.So far, little is known regarding whether targeted interventions can prevent the decline of intracortical inhibition in the primary motor cortex in the elderly.After 6 months of balance learning, intracortical inhibition can be upregulated in elderly subjects.The results of this study also revealed a correlation between changes in balance performance and intracortical inhibition.This is the first study to show physical activity‐related upregulation of GABAergic inhibition in a population with chronic dis‐inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) represent a subset of the mesenchymal stem cells in every adipose compartment throughout the body. ADSCs can differentiate into various cell types, including chondrocytes, osteocytes, myocytes, and adipocytes. Moreover, they exhibit a notable potential to differentiate in vitro into cells from other germinal lineages, including endothelial cells and neurons. ADSCs have a wide range of clinical applications, from breast surgery to chronic wounds. Furthermore, they are a promising cell population for future tissue-engineering uses. Accumulating evidence indicates a decreased proliferation and differentiation potential of ADSCs with an increasing age, increasing body mass index, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, or exposure to radiotherapy. Therefore, the recent literature thoroughly investigates this cell population's senescence mechanisms and how they can hinder its possible therapeutic applications. This review will discuss the biological mechanisms and the physio-pathological causes behind ADSC senescence and how they can impact cellular functionality. Moreover, we will examine the possible strategies to invert these processes, re-establishing the full regenerative potential of this progenitor population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The population of older people is steadily increasing and the majority live at home. Although the home and community are the largest care settings worldwide, most of the evidence on dermatological care relates to secondary and tertiary care. The overall aims were to map the available evidence regarding the epidemiology and burden of the most frequent skin conditions and regarding effects of screening, risk assessment, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of the most frequent skin conditions in older people living in the community. A scoping review was conducted. MEDLINE, Embase and Epistemonikos were systematically searched for clinical practice guidelines, reviews and primary studies, as well as Grey Matters and EASY for grey literature published between January 2010 and March 2023. Records were screened and data of included studies extracted by two reviewers, independently. Results were summarised descriptively. In total, 97 publications were included. The vast majority described prevalence or incidence estimates. Ranges of age groups varied widely and unclear reporting was frequent. Sun-exposure and age-related skin conditions such as actinic keratoses, xerosis cutis, neoplasms and inflammatory diseases were the most frequent dermatoses identified, although melanoma and/or non-melanoma skin cancer were the skin conditions investigated most frequently. Evidence regarding the burden of skin conditions included self-reported skin symptoms and concerns, mortality, burden on the health system, and impact on quality of life. A minority of articles reported effects of screening, risk assessment, diagnosis, prevention and treatment, mainly regarding skin cancer. A high number of skin conditions and diseases affect older people living at home and in the community but evidence about the burden and effective prevention and treatment strategies is weak. Best practices of how to improve dermatological care in older people remain to be determined and there is a particular need for interventional studies to support and to improve skin health at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In prevailing Western media discourses, older women's anger and resistance are often portrayed as a result of the physical and mental decline inherently associated with ageing. These representations reinforce the image of older women as vulnerable subjects who are weak, frail and excluded from society. This article proposes an alternative reading of expressions of unruliness related to ageing, gender and sexuality in Western media and visual culture through the lens of Halberstam's concept of gaga feminism. The aim is to explore how gaga feminism's aesthetics of collapse, creative anarchy and experimentation can construct new constellations of ageing, sexuality and gender. We have conducted a critical, contextualised reading of a selection of cultural artefacts that express various elements of a gaga aesthetic. Our analysis reflects on the three central principles of gaga, specifically (1) new forms of social relations and sexualities, (2) more fluid articulations of gender and (3) creative anarchy; and on what they can mean for an anti-ageist project in media and visual culture. In this way, this article offers insights into the creative and unruly ways in which ageism, heteronormativity and sexism can be subverted and destabilised in representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by a line dancing club in Stoke-on-Trent, and drawing principally on cultural theorist Raymond Williams, this article makes the case for appreciating the ways that cultural practices age and change over time. This group of line dancers held a deep, long, and collective familiarity with their practice, and through this intimacy an idiosyncratic attitude to dancing mistakes emerged. Taking these mistakes, collectively recast by dancers as 'variations', as the central empirical focus, I describe a sense of collective agency manifesting a solidaristic style of ageing together. Raymond Williams helps make this articulation political: in defending the time and space needed for such attitudes around practice to emerge, and the attitudes themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Switching one's focus of attention between to-be-remembered items in working memory (WM) is critical for cognition, but the mechanisms by which this is accomplished are unclear. A long-term memory (LTM) account suggests that switching attention away from an item, and passively retaining and reactivating such "latent" items back into the focus of attention involves episodic LTM retrieval processes, even for delays of only a few seconds. We tested this hypothesis using a two-item, double-retrocue WM task that requires participants to switch attention away from and reactivate items followed by subsequent LTM tests for reactivated items from the initial WM task (vs. continuously retained or untested control items). We compared performance on these tests between older adults (a population with LTM deficits) and young adults with either full (Experiment 1) or divided (Experiment 2) attention during the WM delay periods. The effects of reactivating latent items, as well as ageing and divided attention, had significant effects on WM performance, but did not interact with or systematically affect subsequent LTM for reactivated versus control items on item-, location-, or associative-recognition memory judgements made with either high or low confidence. Experiment 3 confirmed that these effects did not depend on whether or not young participants were warned about the subsequent LTM tests before performing the WM task. These dissociations between WM and LTM are inconsistent with the LTM account of latent WM; they are more consistent with the dynamic processing model of WM (Current Directions in Psychological Science). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Footwear, orthoses, and insoles have been shown to influence balance in older adults; however, it remains unclear which features, singular or in combination, are considered optimal. The aim of this scoping review was to identify and synthesise the current evidence regarding how footwear, orthoses, and insoles influence balance in older adults. Four electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, and AMED) were searched from inception to October 2023. Key terms such as "shoe*," "orthoses," "postural balance" and "older people" were employed in the search strategy. Studies meeting the following criteria were included: (i) participants had a minimum age ≥60 years, and were free of any neurological, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular diseases; (ii) an active intervention consisting of footwear, foot orthoses, or insoles was evaluated; and (iii) at least one objective outcome measure of balance was reported. Summary: A total of 56 studies from 17 different countries were included. Three study designs were utilised (cross-sectional study, n = 44; randomised parallel group, n = 6; cohort study n = 6). The duration of studies varied considerably, with 41 studies evaluating immediate effects, 14 evaluating effects from 3 days to 12 weeks, and 1 study having a duration of 6 months. Seventeen different interventions were evaluated, including/consisting of textured insoles (n = 12), heel elevation (n = 8), non-specific standardised footwear and changes in sole thickness or hardness (n = 7 each), sole geometry or rocker soles, contoured or custom insoles and high collar height (n = 6 each), insole thickness or hardness and vibrating insoles (n = 5 each), outsole tread (n = 4), minimalist footwear and slippers (n = 3 each), balance-enhancing shoes, footwear fit, socks, and ankle-foot orthoses (n = 2 each), and eversion insoles, heel cups, and unstable footwear (n = 1 each). Twenty-three different outcomes were assessed, and postural sway was the most common (n = 20), followed by temporo-spatial gait parameters (n = 17). There was uncertainty regarding intervention effectiveness. Overall, features such as secure fixation, a textured insole, a medium-to-hard density midsole and a higher ankle collar, in isolation, were able to positively impact balance. Conversely, footwear with an elevated heel height and the use of socks and slippers impaired balance. Key Messages: There is a substantial body of literature exploring the effects of footwear, orthoses, and insoles on balance in older adults. However, considerable uncertainty exists regarding the efficacy of these interventions due to variability in methodological approaches. Further high-quality research is necessary to determine whether a singular intervention or a combination of interventions is most effective for enhancing balance in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this review was to synthesise qualitative literature on physical activity experiences of community-dwelling older adults with physical disabilities. We conducted a scoping review of peer-reviewed, qualitative studies on physical activity with community-dwelling older adults with physical disabilities. We analysed eligible studies identified through electronic database searches (CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus) and manual searches undertaken up to June 2023. Twenty-eight articles with 306 participants were included. As regard the experience of physical activity, although physical activity could elicit pleasure and enjoyment, many reported that physical activity sometimes produced pain. Various outcomes of physical activity were reported, with several physical, psychological, social, and lifestyle benefits prominent. Analyses of barriers and facilitators demonstrated how intrapersonal, interpersonal, environmental, and systems and programme factors influenced physical activity participation among older adults with physical disabilities. Our findings contribute to literature on physical activity in older adults with physical disabilities by synthesising qualitative research on physical activity experiences, outcomes, barriers, and facilitators in this population. Findings demonstrate the need for knowledgeable and supportive healthcare and exercise professionals, environments that support physical activity, and activities that promote pleasure and social connections. Physical activity is perceived to have wide-ranging benefits for community-dwelling older adults with physical disabilities. Various intrapersonal, interpersonal, environmental, and systems and programme barriers constrain physical activity in physically disabled people. Knowledgeable and supportive healthcare and exercise professionals, accessible environments, and activities that promote pleasure and social connections could enhance engagement in physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offspring provisioning can act as a proxy of resource acquisition and vary with parental sex and age. Age-related variation can arise from individual experience and senescence, but also from selective disappearance of poor-quality parents. Distinguishing between these processes and quantifying their effect on the resource acquisition and fate of individual chicks requires longitudinal monitoring of known-age individuals, which is still rare. In our longitudinal study, we observed offspring provisioning of common terns, Sterna hirundo , across a 6-year period and analysed provisioning behaviour from both a parental and offspring perspective. Using repeated measures of provisioning of individual parents, our analyses showed that provisioning did not increase with age, but that parents that were observed at older ages provisioned more, suggesting selective disappearance of parents that provisioned less. Parental provisioning was higher in males than females and increased with brood size in both sexes. For offspring, energetic acquisition declined with hatching order and increased with age. Acquisition from the mother increased faster with chick age than that from the father, and mothers distributed their provisioning more evenly across chicks of different hatching order. Parental age, however, did not affect the energetic acquisition of the offspring. The early energetic acquisition rate of chicks predicted their fledging success, but not fledging mass. When decomposing effects on energetic provisioning and acquisition rate into effects on feeding rate, prey energetic density and prey size, we found that all arose from variation in feeding rate. Overall, these results therefore show that both parents and offspring vary in quality, which is reflected in their feeding rate. • Resource acquisition levels can reflect parental and/or offspring quality. • We studied offspring provisioning in common terns across 6 years. • We found selective disappearance with age of parents that provisioned at low levels. • For offspring, energetic acquisition rate predicted fledging success. • Both parents and offspring vary in quality, which is reflected in their feeding rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistance to and avoidance of stress slow aging and confer increased longevity in numerous organisms. Honey bees and other superorganismal social insects have two main advantages over solitary species to avoid or resist stress: individuals can directly help each other by resource or information transfer, and they can cooperatively control their environment. These benefits have been recognised in the context of pathogen and parasite stress as the concept of social immunity, which has been extensively studied. However, we argue that social immunity is only a special case of a general concept that we define here as social stress protection to include group‐level defences against all biotic and abiotic stressors. We reason that social stress protection may have allowed the evolution of reduced individual‐level defences and individual life‐history optimization, including the exceptional aging plasticity of many social insects. We describe major categories of stress and how a colonial lifestyle may protect social insects, particularly against temporary peaks of extreme stress. We use the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) to illustrate how patterns of life expectancy may be explained by social stress protection and how modern beekeeping practices can disrupt social stress protection. We conclude that the broad concept of social stress protection requires rigorous empirical testing because it may have implications for our general understanding of social evolution and specifically for improving honey bee health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key summary points: Aim: To study doctor's degree of agreement with an artificial intelligence tool (ChatGPT) that provided answers to different problems or situations in geriatric medicine. Findings: Specialists rated ChatGPT answers lower than those residents. Answers from questions related to general or theoretical aspects obtained higher mean scores, while those related to clinical complex decisions obtained lower scores. Message: ChatGPT could be a good tool for generating hypotheses and ordering and articulating ideas, but it is still far from being used for medical decision-making in our context. Purpose: The purposes of the study was to describe the degree of agreement between geriatricians with the answers given by an AI tool (ChatGPT) in response to questions related to different areas in geriatrics, to study the differences between specialists and residents in geriatrics in terms of the degree of agreement with ChatGPT, and to analyse the mean scores obtained by areas of knowledge/domains. Methods: An observational study was conducted involving 126 doctors from 41 geriatric medicine departments in Spain. Ten questions about geriatric medicine were posed to ChatGPT, and doctors evaluated the AI's answers using a Likert scale. Sociodemographic variables were included. Questions were categorized into five knowledge domains, and means and standard deviations were calculated for each. Results: 130 doctors answered the questionnaire. 126 doctors (69.8% women, mean age 41.4 [9.8]) were included in the final analysis. The mean score obtained by ChatGPT was 3.1/5 [0.67]. Specialists rated ChatGPT lower than residents (3.0/5 vs. 3.3/5 points, respectively, P < 0.05). By domains, ChatGPT ​​scored better (M: 3.96; SD: 0.71) in general/theoretical questions rather than in complex decisions/end-of-life situations (M: 2.50; SD: 0.76) and answers related to diagnosis/performing of complementary tests obtained the lowest ones (M: 2.48; SD: 0.77). Conclusion: Scores presented big variability depending on the area of knowledge. Questions related to theoretical aspects of challenges/future in geriatrics obtained better scores. When it comes to complex decision-making, appropriateness of the therapeutic efforts or decisions about diagnostic tests, professionals indicated a poorer performance. AI is likely to be incorporated into some areas of medicine, but it would still present important limitations, mainly in complex medical decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the global demographic shift, a scientific symposium was organised by the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) to address nutrition-related challenges of the older population and provide an overview of the current state of knowledge. Eighteen nutrition-related issues of the ageing global society were presented by international experts during the symposium and summarised in this report. Anorexia of ageing, dysphagia, malnutrition, frailty, sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity, and the metabolic syndrome were highlighted as major nutrition-related geriatric syndromes. Great progress has been made in recent years through standardised definitions of some but not all syndromes. Regarding malnutrition, the GLIM approach has shown to be suitable also in older adults, justifying its continuous implementation. For anorexia of ageing, a consensus definition is still required. Intervention approaches should be integrated and person-centered with the aim of optimizing intrinsic capacity and maintaining functional capacity. Landmark studies like EFFORT and FINGER have impressively documented the potential of individualised and multifactorial interventions for functional and health benefits. Combining nutritional intervention with physical training seems particularly important whereas restrictive diets and drug treatment should generally be used with caution because of undesirable risks. Obesity management in older adults should take into account the risk of promoting sarcopenia. In the future, even more individualised approaches like precision nutrition may enable better nutritional care. Meanwhile all stakeholders should focus on a better implementation of currently available strategies and work closely together to improve nutritional care for older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diet and health are strongly linked, though the strict changes in diet required to improve health outcomes are usually difficult to sustain. We sought to understand whether short-term bouts of amino acid–specific modifications to the diet of Drosophila melanogaster could mimic the lifespan and stress resistance benefits of dietary restriction, without the requirement for drastic reductions in food intake. We found that flies that were transiently fed diets lacking the essential amino acid isoleucine, but otherwise nutritionally complete, exhibited enhanced nicotine tolerance, indicating elevated detoxification capacity. The protection from isoleucine deprivation increased with the duration of exposure, up to a maximum at 7-day isoleucine deprivation for flies 2, 3, or 4 weeks of age, and a 5-day deprivation when flies were 5 weeks of age. Because of these beneficial effects on toxin resistance, we intermittently deprived flies of isoleucine during the first 6 weeks of adulthood and monitored the effect on lifespan. Lifespan was significantly extended when flies experienced short-term isoleucine deprivation at 3 and 5 weeks of age, regardless of whether they were also deprived at 1 week. These results indicate that short-term bouts of isoleucine deprivation can extend lifespan and highlight its cumulative and time-dependent benefits. Interestingly, we found that isoleucine-deprived flies lost their protection against nicotine within 3 days of returning to fully fed conditions. Therefore, the mechanisms underlying lifespan extension may involve transient damage clearance during the bouts of isoleucine deprivation rather than sustained enhanced detoxification capacity. These data highlight a new time-restricted, nutritionally precise method to extend life in Drosophila melanogaster and point to a more manageable dietary method to combat ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this article, we analyse loneliness trajectories for older people aged 50 or more in selected European countries by gender. We also focus on the relationship between disability and loneliness trajectories. We use three waves of the longitudinal SHARE database. Loneliness trajectories are non-linear, increasing with age for both genders, and have the same shape irrespective of disability status but with different levels of loneliness. Loneliness persistence increases with disability and disability severity, especially for women. Worsening (improving) disability increases (decreases) the risk of loneliness persistence. We build rankings of the country's effects on loneliness persistence by gender. Mediterranean and Eastern European countries have the highest persistence rates, while the lowest rates are in Northern countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preclinical models (typically ovariectomized rats and genetically altered mice) have underpinned much of what we know about skeletal biology. They have been pivotal for developing therapies for osteoporosis and monogenic skeletal conditions, including osteogenesis imperfecta, achondroplasia, hypophosphatasia, and craniodysplasias. Further therapeutic advances, particularly to improve cortical strength, require improved understanding and more rigorous use and reporting. We describe here how trabecular and cortical bone structure develop, are maintained, and degenerate with aging in mice, rats, and humans, and how cortical bone structure is changed in some preclinical models of endocrine conditions (eg, postmenopausal osteoporosis, chronic kidney disease, hyperparathyroidism, diabetes). We provide examples of preclinical models used to identify and test current therapies for osteoporosis, and discuss common concerns raised when comparing rodent preclinical models to the human skeleton. We focus especially on cortical bone, because it differs between small and larger mammals in its organizational structure. We discuss mechanisms common to mouse and human controlling cortical bone strength and structure, including recent examples revealing genetic contributors to cortical porosity and osteocyte network configurations during growth, maturity, and aging. We conclude with guidelines for clear reporting on mouse models with a goal for better consistency in the use and interpretation of these models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional and folk medicine has used the placenta to treat a wide range of ailments. Fatigue is one of the frequent physiological reactions resulting from hard physical and mental work or severe life stress. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of sheep placental extract (SPE) on memory and exercise performance in aged mice. Senescence-accelerated mouse prone-8 (SAMP8) was used as an ageing model and mice were fed with 3 (low, medium, and high) doses of SPE. Passive and active avoidance tests were performed to assess the memory function, treadmill exercise, forelimb grip strength test, liver glycogen and serum lactate were measured to assess the exercise performance. The memory of the aged mice was improved after SPE administration. Further, SPE treatment increased exercise performance by increasing forelimb grip strength and liver glycogen levels and decreasing serum lactate levels. To conclude, feeding sheep placental extract improves learning, memory, and exercise performance in ageing mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has emerged as a significant global public health concern. Recent epidemiological studies have highlighted the link between exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and a decline in renal function. PM2.5 exerts harmful effects on various organs through oxidative stress and inflammation. Acute kidney injury (AKI) resulting from ischaemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) involves biological processes similar to those involved in PM2.5 toxicity and is a known risk factor for CKD. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of PM2.5 exposure on IRI‐induced AKI. Through a unique environmentally controlled setup, mice were exposed to urban PM2.5 or filtered air for 12 weeks before IRI followed by euthanasia 48 h after surgery. Animals exposed to PM2.5 and IRI exhibited reduced glomerular filtration, impaired urine concentration ability, and significant tubular damage. Further, PM2.5 aggravated local innate immune responses and mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as enhancing cyclic GMP–AMP synthase‐stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS–STING) pathway activation. This increased renal senescence and suppressed the anti‐ageing protein klotho, leading to early fibrotic changes. In vitro studies using proximal tubular epithelial cells exposed to PM2.5 and hypoxia/reoxygenation revealed heightened activation of the STING pathway triggered by cytoplasmic mitochondrial DNA, resulting in increased tubular damage and a pro‐inflammatory phenotype. In summary, our findings imply a role for PM2.5 in sensitising proximal tubular epithelial cells to IRI‐induced damage, suggesting a plausible association between PM2.5 exposure and heightened susceptibility to CKD in individuals experiencing AKI. Strategies aimed at reducing PM2.5 concentrations and implementing preventive measures may improve outcomes for AKI patients and mitigate the progression from AKI to CKD. © 2024 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoene is a colourless carotenoid widely available from dietary sources and a precursor for the synthesis of other carotenoids. Although present at high concentrations across different tissues, phytoene is largely viewed as not having physiological activity. Here, we utilize the model organism C. elegans to show that phytoene is bioactive and has anti-ageing properties. Supplementation with phytoene protects against oxidative damage and amyloid-β42 proteotoxicity (a major pathology of Alzheimer's disease), and extends lifespan. We also examine extracts from two microalgae, Chlorella sorokiniana and Dunaliella bardawil. We show that the extracts contain high levels of phytoene, and find that these phytoene-rich extracts have protective effects similar to pure phytoene. Our findings show that phytoene is a bioactive molecule with positive effects on ageing and longevity. Our work also suggests that phytoene-rich microalgae extracts can utilized to produce foods or supplements that promote healthy ageing and prevent the development of chronic age-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on early retirement (ER) decisions in Europe. For the analysis, we utilize microdata from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, along with occupation-level data on AI advances and AI exposure. Initially, we investigate the influence of AI advances and AI exposure separately, finding in both instances a significant reduction in ER likelihood, though this only applies to workers with higher education. Subsequently, we explore the interaction between AI advances and AI exposure concerning ER probability. This interaction proves critical in determining AI's impact on ER transitions. Specifically, we observe a significant reduction in ER probabilities for workers whose occupations exhibit high levels of AI advances and high expectations for further implementation of this technology in the future. Finally, we jointly analyse the interaction between AI advances, AI exposure, and education level. This analysis highlights that workers' ER probabilities may either increase or decrease in response to the AI revolution, depending on their education level and the characteristics of their occupations in terms of AI advances and AI exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction Endothelial dysfunction (ED) promotes the development of atherosclerosis, and studies suggest an association with age-related neurocognitive disorders. It is currently unclear whether ED is also associated with the risk of perioperative neurocognitive disorders. Method We included 788 participants aged ≥ 65 years of the BioCog study. Patients were scheduled to undergo elective surgery with expected duration > 60 min. Blood was collected before surgery for measurement of 5 biomarkers of ED: asymmetric and symmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA; SDMA), intercellular and vascular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1, VCAM-1), and von Willebrand factor (vWF). Patients were monitored for the occurrence of postoperative delirium (POD) daily until the 7th postoperative day. 537 (68.1%) patients returned for a 3-month follow-up. Post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) was defined from the change in results on a battery of 6 neuropsychological tests between baseline and 3 months, compared to the change in results of a control group during the 3-month interval. The associations of each of the 5 ED biomarkers with POD and POCD respectively were determined using multiple logistic regression analyses with adjustment for age, sex, surgery type, pre-morbid IQ, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, HbA1C, triglyceride, total and HDL cholesterol. Results 19.8% of 788 patients developed POD; 10.1% of 537 patients had POCD at 3 months. Concentrations of ED biomarkers were not significantly associated with a POD. A higher VCAM-1 concentration was associated with a reduced POCD risk (adjusted odds ratio 0.55; 95% CI: 0.35–0.86). No further statistically significant results were found. Conclusion Pre-operative concentrations of ED biomarkers were not associated with POD risk. We unexpectedly found higher VCAM-1 to be associated with a reduced POCD risk. Further studies are needed to evaluate these findings.

Ageing is an inherent and intricate biological process that takes place in living organisms as time progresses. It involves the decline of multiple physiological functions, leading to body structure and overall performance modifications. The ageing process differs among individuals and is influenced by various factors, including lifestyle, environment and genetic makeup. Metabolic changes and reduced locomotor activity are common hallmarks of ageing. Our study focuses on exploring these phenomena in prematurely ageing PolgA(D257A/D257A) mice (also known as PolgA) aged 41–42 weeks, as they closely mimic human ageing. We assess parameters such as oxygen consumption (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), respiratory exchange ratio (RER) and locomotor activity using a metabolic cage for 4 days and comparing them with age‐matched wild‐type littermates (WT). Our findings revealed that VO2, VCO2, RER, locomotor activities, water intake and feeding behaviour show a daily rhythm, aligning with roughly a 24‐h cycle. We observed that the RER was significantly increased in PolgA mice compared to WT mice during the night‐time of the light–dark cycle, suggesting a shift towards a higher reliance on carbohydrate metabolism due to more food intake during the active phase. Additionally, female PolgA mice displayed a distinct phenotype with reduced walking speed, walking distance, body weight and grip strength in comparison to male PolgA and WT mice, indicating an early sign of ageing. Taken together, our research highlights the impact of sex‐specific patterns on ageing traits in PolgA mice aged 41–42 weeks, which may be attributable to human ageing phenotypes. The unique genetic composition and accelerated ageing characteristics of PolgA mice make them invaluable in ageing studies, facilitating the investigation of underlying biological mechanisms and the identification of potential therapeutic targets for age‐related diseases.

Abstract Frontal and parietal brain regions are involved in attentional control and prospective memory. It is debated, however, whether increased or decreased activity in those regions is beneficial for older adults’ task performance. We therefore aimed to systematically modulate activity in those regions using high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation. We included n = 106 healthy adults (60–75 years old, 58% female) in a randomized, double-blind, and sham-controlled study. We evaluated task performance twice in the laboratory and at home and additionally assessed heart rates. Participants received cathodal, anodal, or sham stimulation of the left or right inferior frontal lobe, or the right superior parietal lobe (1 mA for 20 min). Performance improved at visit two in laboratory tasks but declined in at-home tasks. Stimulation did not modulate performance change in laboratory tasks but prevented decline in at home-tasks. Heart rates increased at visit two but only when right inferior frontal lobe activity was inhibited. Repeating a task seems more beneficial than stimulation for laboratory tasks. This might be different for at-home tasks. Inhibiting right frontal brain function increases heart rates, possibly due to a modulation of the frontal-vagal brain-heart axis.

Abstract Background Sarcopenia, the gradual and generalized loss of muscle mass and function with ageing, is one of the major health problems in older adults, given its high prevalence and substantial socioeconomic implications. Despite the extensive efforts to reach consensus on definition and diagnostic tests and cut‐offs for sarcopenia, there is an urgent and unmet need for non‐invasive, specific and sensitive biomarkers for the disease. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are present in different biofluids including plasma, whose cargo reflects cellular physiology. This work analysed EV proteome in sarcopenia and robust patients in the search for differentially contained proteins that can be used to diagnose the disease. Methods Plasma small EVs (sEVs) from a total of 29 robust controls (aged 73.4 ± 5.6 years; 11 men and 18 women) and 49 sarcopenic patients (aged 82.3 ± 5.4 years; 15 men and 34 women) aged 65 years and older were isolated and their cargo was analysed by proteomics. Proteins whose concentration in sEVs was different between sarcopenic and robust patients were further validated using ELISA. The concentration of these candidates was correlated to the EWGSOP2 sarcopenia tests for low muscle strength and low physical performance, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were carried out to evaluate their diagnostic power, sensitivity and specificity. Results Proteomic analysis identified 157 sEVs proteins in both sarcopenic and robust samples. Among them, 48 proteins had never been reported in the ExoCarta nor Vesiclepedia databases. Statistical analysis revealed eight proteins whose concentration was significantly different between groups: PF4 (log2 FC = 4.806), OIT3 (log2 FC = −1.161), MMRN1 (log2 FC = −1.982), MASP1 (log2 FC = −0.627), C1R (log2 FC = 1.830), SVEP1 (log2 FC = 1.295), VCAN (FC = 0.937) and SPTB (log2 FC = 1.243). Among them, platelet factor 4 (PF4) showed the lowest concentration while Complement C1r subcomponent (C1R) increased the most in sarcopenic patients, being these results confirmed by ELISA (P = 1.07E‐09 and P = 0.001287, respectively). The concentrations of candidate proteins significantly correlated with EWGSOP2 tests currently used. ROC curve analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.8921 and 0.7476 for PF4 and C1R, respectively. Choosing the optimal for PF4, 80% sensitivity and 85.71% specificity was reached while the optimal cut‐off value of C1R would allow sarcopenia diagnosis with 75% sensitivity and 66.67% specificity. Conclusions Our results support the determination of EV PF4 and C1R as plasma diagnostic biomarkers in sarcopenia and open the door to investigate the role of the content of these vesicles in the pathogeny of the disease.

Abstract Background Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), the third gasotransmitter discovered, regulates a variety of physiological functions. Whether H2S alleviates skeletal muscle ageing by regulating autophagy has not been reported. Methods Mice were administered 150 mg/kg/day of D‐galactose (D‐gal), and C2C12 myotubes were cultured in 20 g/L D‐gal to induce ageing. Sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) was employed as an exogenous donor in the treatment group. The intracellular concentration of H2S was quantified by the 7‐azido‐4‐methylcoumarin fluorescence probe. The proteins involved in the ubiquitin‐mediated degradation of AMPKα1 were detected by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and co‐immunoprecipitation (Co‐IP). S‐sulfhydration of USP5 was tested by a biotin‐switch assay. Associated proteins were analysed by western blot. Results NaHS was found to effectively restore the H2S content in both ageing gastrocnemius (+91.89%, P