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The evolutionary theory of aging has set the foundations for a comprehensive understanding of aging. The biology of aging has listed and described the "hallmarks of aging," i.e., cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in human aging. The present paper is the first to infer the order of appearance of the hallmarks of bilaterian and thereby human aging throughout evolution from their presence in progressively narrower clades. Its first result is that all organisms, even non-senescent, have to deal with at least one mechanism of aging – the progressive accumulation of misfolded or unstable proteins. Due to their cumulation, these mechanisms are called "layers of aging." A difference should be made between the first four layers of unicellular aging , present in some unicellular organisms and in all multicellular opisthokonts, that stem and strike "from the inside" of individual cells and span from increasingly abnormal protein folding to deregulated nutrient sensing, and the last four layers of metacellular aging , progressively appearing in metazoans, that strike the cells of a multicellular organism "from the outside," i.e., because of other cells, and span from transcriptional alterations to the disruption of intercellular communication. The evolution of metazoans and eumetazoans probably solved the problem of aging along with the problem of unicellular aging. However, metacellular aging originates in the mechanisms by which the effects of unicellular aging are kept under control – e.g., the exhaustion of stem cells that contribute to replace damaged somatic cells. In bilaterians, additional functions have taken a toll on generally useless potentially limited lifespan to increase the fitness of organisms at the price of a progressively less efficient containment of the damage of unicellular aging. In the end, this picture suggests that geroscience should be more efficient in targeting conditions of metacellular aging rather than unicellular aging itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcriptome‐based drug screening is emerging as a powerful tool to identify geroprotective compounds to intervene in age‐related disease. We hypothesized that, by mimicking the transcriptional signature of the highly conserved longevity intervention of FOXO3 (daf‐16 in worms) overexpression, we could identify and repurpose compounds with similar downstream effects to increase longevity. Our in silico screen, utilizing the LINCS transcriptome database of genetic and compound interventions, identified several FDA‐approved compounds that activate FOXO downstream targets in mammalian cells. These included the neuromuscular blocker atracurium, which also robustly extends both lifespan and healthspan in Caenorhabditis elegans. This longevity is dependent on both daf‐16 signaling and inhibition of the neuromuscular acetylcholine receptor subunit unc‐38. We found unc‐38 RNAi to improve healthspan, lifespan, and stimulate DAF‐16 nuclear localization, similar to atracurium treatment. Finally, using RNA‐seq transcriptomics, we identify atracurium activation of DAF‐16 downstream effectors. Together, these data demonstrate the capacity to mimic genetic lifespan interventions with drugs, and in doing so, reveal that the neuromuscular acetylcholine receptor regulates the highly conserved FOXO/DAF‐16 longevity pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beneath the continents and island arcs, a seismic discontinuity is often detected around 300 km depth, referred to as the X‐discontinuity. Various mineralogical and petrological mechanisms have been put forth to explain its occurrence. Because of the large depth variability, it is challenging to explain its origin invoking a single mineralogical phase transition. In order to investigate this discontinuity beneath India, we analyzed 10,216 P wave receiver functions at seismological stations deployed on the Indian shield and the Himalayas. We detect the X‐discontinuity as a sporadic and thin feature, in the depth range of 246–335 km, with a sharp shear velocity jump of 2.5%–3.6%. It neither bears a clear tectonic affinity nor has any correlation with the transition zone discontinuities. Interpreting its origin due to a single mineralogical change warrants a large spatial variation in the mantle temperature. Therefore, we suggest that the observed widespread X‐discontinuity beneath the Indian shield owes its origin to two mechanisms, that is, Orthoenstatite to high pressure Clinoenstatite transformation which shifts to lower pressures (∼2 GPa) due to the presence of water (0.13 wt% H2O) in MgSiO3 and coesite‐stishovite transition occurring at 8–11 GPa due to excess silica in an eclogitic component derived from the Tethys oceanic lithosphere subducted during lower Eocene. The identification of such a discontinuity could allow tracking of subducted material within the upper mantle providing a measure of mantle geochemical heterogeneity. Plain Language Summary: In addition to 410 and 660‐km global mantle discontinuities, a number of seismological studies reveal an intriguing phase in the uppermost mantle, termed as X‐discontinuity. A large number of P‐to‐s wave receiver functions have clearly shown such X‐discontinuity below Indian shield at a depth range of 246–335 km. We found that this discontinuity is sporadic, thin, and sharp seismic shear wave velocity jump of 2.5–3.6%. Its large variability in depth below the Indian shield suggests that its origin cannot be explained by single petrological transformation. Therefore, we suggest that the main cause of its occurrence is Oen to HPCen transformation and secondly, coesite‐stishovite transition occurring due to excess silica in an eclogitic component derived from the Tethys oceanic lithosphere subducted during the lower Eocene. Hence, the closing of the Tethys ocean not only generated the mighty Himalayas and Tibet but also, contributed to the mantle geochemical heterogeneity. Key Points: P‐receiver functions have been analyzed using the seismological data from Indian plate to investigate the X‐discontinuityIt has been observed wide‐spread in Indian mantle at a depth of 246–335 km and originates from Orthoenstatite‐high pressure Clinoenstatite and coesite‐stishovite transitionsIt is suggested that the observed X‐discontinuity is thin body derived from the remnant of subducted Tethys oceanic lithosphere [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the response of Dracocephalum kotschyi Boiss. production to the livestock and chemical fertilizers, an experiment was conducted as a split plot with three replications in 2018 and 2019. The experimental treatments included the control (without fertilizer), chemical fertilizer, and different levels (100, 143, and 250 kg nitrogen ha-1) of poultry (PM100, PM143, and PM250), sheep (SM100, SM143, and SM250), and cattle (CM100, CM143, and CM250) manures. The traits including photosynthetic pigments, leaf area index, plant biomass, and percentage and essential oil yield were investigated. The effects of fertilizer, cutting, and the interaction of fertilizer and cutting were significant on all the triats. In the first cutting, the PM250 treatment produced more photosynthetic pigments than the chemical fertilizer. Also, the SM100 and CM100 treatments caused higher chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll compared to the chemical fertilizer. In the second cutting, the average photosynthetic pigments in the manure treatments were not superior to the chemical fertilizer. In the first cutting, the high level of livestock manures had a higher leaf area index compared to the chemical fertilizer, but in the second cutting, the medium and high levels of poultry manure and high level of sheep manure showed this superiority. In the first cutting, the all livestock manures treatments except CM100 produced the plant biomass similar to the chemical fertilizer, but in the second cutting, the PM143 treatment produced higher biomass compared to the chemical fertilizer. In the first cutting, the essential oil content of SM250 treatment was significantly superior to the chemical fertilizer. In the first cutting, the highest essential oil yield was obtained with the high level of livestock manures, but in the second cutting, there was no significant difference between the essential oil yield of different livestock manures levels and chemical fertilizer. In general, it could be concluded that the high level of poultry manure is a desirable alternative to the chemical fertilizer in D. kotschyi cultivation by creating the favorable conditions for the plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of processing on starch composition, glycemic indices (sugar, starch, amylose and amylopectin contents, and estimated glycemic index [eGI]), phenolic profiles, and α‐amylase and glucosidase inhibitory effects of cassava (Manihot esculenta) flours was investigated in vitro. Roasted cassava flours had higher starch, amylopectin, and amylose contents but lower sugar and phenolic contents compared to sun‐dried cassava flour. Roasted cassava flour showed higher α‐amylase and lower α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity than sun‐dried flour. Roasted cassava flour possessed higher content of gallic and caffeic acids, catechin, quercetin, and kampferol, while sun‐dried cassava flour is rich in chlorogenic and ellagic acids and rutin. This study revealed that different processing confers changes in the starch composition and biological effects cassava flour. However, roasted cassava showed promising dietary intervention in diabetes management than sun‐dried cassava flour. Practical applications: Different traditional processing methods employed in the processing of cassava tuber reduce toxicity and enhances palatability and durability of fresh cassava root into stable products. Cassava starch is used industrially for the preparation of products such as glucose and as a thickening agent. The findings of this research showed that roasting as well as sun drying causes changes in the starch composition and biological effects of cassava flour. Thus, roasted showed promising dietary intervention in diabetes management than sun‐dried flour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main loss mechanisms in photovoltaic solar cells is the thermalization of photogenerated hot carriers via phonon-mediated relaxation. By inhibiting these relaxation mechanisms and reducing thermalization losses, it may be possible to improve the power conversion efficiency of solar cells beyond the single gap limit. Here, type-II InAs/AlAsSb multi-quantum well (MQW) structures are investigated to study the impact of the phononic properties of the AlAsSb barrier material in hot carrier thermalization. Experimental and theoretical results show that by increasing the barrier thickness (increasing the relative contribution of AlAsSb content in the superlattices), the relaxation of hot carriers is reduced as observed in power-dependent photoluminescence and thermalization analysis. This is attributed to an increase in the phononic bandgap of the MQW with increasing AlAsSb composition reducing the efficiency of the dominant Klemens mechanism as the phononic properties shift toward a more AlSb-like behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses about Moldavian Dragonhead and Smoke Tree essential oils from Bulgaria. Topics of discussion includes oil reaches its maximum level of major components during the flowering which include geranyl acetate, geranial, and geraniol. The major components Smoke Tree essential oil are limonene, cisbocimene, and a-pinene.

The article focuses on various topics related to veterinary practice, including clinical errors and biases in diagnostic test interpretation, concerns about the welfare of horses used in hormone production, challenges associated with Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) overdosing in horses, and a critical examination of the efficacy of Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) vaccines.

Introduction: Individuals living in low-income neighborhoods have disproportionately high rates of obesity, Type-2 diabetes, and cardiometabolic conditions. Perceived safety in one's neighborhood may influence stress and physical activity, with cascading effects on cardiometabolic health. Methods: In this study, we examined relationships among feelings of safety while walking during the day and mental health [perceived stress (PSS), depression score], moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (PA), Body Mass Index (BMI), and hemoglobin A1C (A1C) in low-income, high-vacancy neighborhoods in Detroit, Michigan. We recruited 69 adults who wore accelerometers for one week and completed a survey on demographics, mental health, and neighborhood perceptions. Anthropometrics were collected and A1C was measured using A1CNow test strips. We compiled spatial data on vacant buildings and lots across the city. We fitted conventional and multilevel regression models to predict each outcome, using perceived safety during daytime walking as the independent variable of interest and individual or both individual and neighborhood-level covariates (e.g., number of vacant lots). Last, we examined trends in neighborhood features according to perceived safety. Results: In this predominantly African American sample (91%), 47% felt unsafe during daytime walking. Feelings of perceived safety significantly predicted PSS (β = − 2.34, p = 0.017), depression scores (β = − 4.22, p = 0.006), and BMI (β = − 2.87, p = 0.01), after full adjustment. For PA, we detected a significant association for sex only. For A1C we detected significant associations with blighted lots near the home. Those feeling unsafe lived in neighborhoods with higher park area and number of blighted lots. Conclusion: Future research is needed to assess a critical pathway through which neighborhood features, including vacant or poor-quality green spaces, may affect obesity—via stress reduction and concomitant effects on cardiometabolic health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many cell types display the remarkable ability to alter their cellular phenotype in response to specific external or internal signals. Such phenotypic plasticity is apparent in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans when adverse environmental conditions trigger entry into the dauer diapause stage. This entry is accompanied by structural, molecular, and functional remodeling of a number of distinct tissue types of the animal, including its nervous system. The transcription factor (TF) effectors of 3 different hormonal signaling systems, the insulin-responsive DAF-16/FoxO TF, the TGFβ-responsive DAF-3/SMAD TF, and the steroid nuclear hormone receptor, DAF-12/VDR, a homolog of the vitamin D receptor (VDR), were previously shown to be required for entering the dauer arrest stage, but their cellular and temporal focus of action for the underlying cellular remodeling processes remained incompletely understood. Through the generation of conditional alleles that allowed us to spatially and temporally control gene activity, we show here that all 3 TFs are not only required to initiate tissue remodeling upon entry into the dauer stage, as shown before, but are also continuously required to maintain the remodeled state. We show that DAF-3/SMAD is required in sensory neurons to promote and then maintain animal-wide tissue remodeling events. In contrast, DAF-16/FoxO or DAF-12/VDR act cell-autonomously to control anatomical, molecular, and behavioral remodeling events in specific cell types. Intriguingly, we also uncover non-cell autonomous function of DAF-16/FoxO and DAF-12/VDR in nervous system remodeling, indicating the presence of several insulin-dependent interorgan signaling axes. Our findings provide novel perspectives into how hormonal systems control tissue remodeling. This study explores the mechanisms governing cellular plasticity during diapause in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, revealing that this is controlled by inter-organ signaling via a combination of different hormone-controlled transcription factors; the FoxO homolog DAF-16 and the vitamin D receptor homolog DAF-12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current scenario, there are negligible or no approved anti-neurodegenerative therapies globally; only the conventional drugs provide very short-term relief. For centuries, due to multi-component and multi-target approaches of herbal or natural medicines have been used to treat various neurodegenerative like senile dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The present review reveals several most prominent medicinal plants and their respective constituents, utilized in traditional medicine systems for cognitive impairment treatment, and various biomarkers have been discussed. This review attempts to direct the urgent need for new and proved herbal therapeutic agents to obviate neurogenesis. Most of predominant neuro-degenerative such as Alzheimer's disease has ailment characterized by progressive cognitive deterioration. This highlights the urgent need for new and improved herbal-based therapeutic agents to obviate neurogenesis. Various biomarkers have been well established which diagnose neurodegenerative diseases such as SD (Full Form) and AD, which is linked with an assortment of symptoms, nowadays almost 100 impending new herbal medicines are currently developed. The present review is expected to provide an into the current progress of herbal antineurodegenerative drugs, with a particular focus on their mechanism to escort target. We expect this review to provide a rational perspective-management vision on the significance of future anti-neurodegenerative herbal preparations to be effective in the preclusion and managing various neurodegenerative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key processes characterizing human aging are immunosenescence and inflammaging. The capacity of the immune system to adequately respond to external perturbations (e.g., pathogens, injuries, and biochemical irritants) and to repair somatic mutations that may cause cancers or cellular senescence declines. An important goal remains to identify genetic or biochemical, predictive biomarkers for healthy aging. We recruited two cohorts in the age range 70 to 82, one afflicted by chronic illnesses (non-healthy aging, NHA) and the other in good health (healthy aging, HA). NHA criteria included major cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and chronic pulmonary diseases, diabetes, and cancers. Quantitative analysis of forty proinflammatory cytokines in blood plasma and more than 500 proteins in urine was performed to identify candidate biomarkers for and biological pathway implications of healthy aging. Nine cytokines revealed lower quantities in blood plasma for the NHA compared with the HA groups (fold change > 1.5; p value < 0.025) including IL-12p40 and IL-12p70. We note that, sampling at two timepoints, intra-individual cytokine abundance patterns clustered in 86% of all 60 cases, indicative of person-specific, highly controlled multi-cytokine signatures in blood plasma. Twenty-three urinary proteins were differentially abundant (HA versus NHA; fold change > 1.5; p value < 0.01). Among the proteins increased in abundance in the HA cohort were glycoprotein MUC18, ephrin type-B receptor 4, matrix remodeling–associated protein 8, angiopoietin-related protein 2, K-cadherin, and plasma protease C1 inhibitor. These proteins have been linked to the extracellular matrix, cell adhesion, and vascular remodeling and repair processes. In silico network analysis identified the regulation of coagulation, antimicrobial humoral immune responses, and the IL-12 signaling pathway as enriched GO terms. To validate links of these preliminary biomarkers and IL-12 signaling with healthy aging, clinical studies using larger cohorts and functional characterization of the genes/proteins in cellular models of aging need to be conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence of global heterochromatin decay and aberrant gene expression in models of physiological and premature ageing have long supported the "heterochromatin loss theory of ageing", which proposes that ageing is aetiologically linked to, and accompanied by, a progressive, generalised loss of repressive epigenetic signatures. However, the remarkable plasticity of chromatin conformation suggests that the re-establishment of such marks could potentially revert the transcriptomic architecture of animal cells to a "younger" state, promoting longevity and healthspan. To expand our understanding of the ageing process and its connection to chromatin biology, we screened an RNAi library of chromatin-associated factors for increased longevity phenotypes. Results: We identified the lysine demethylases jmjd-3.2 and utx-1, as well as the lysine methyltransferase mes-2 as regulators of both lifespan and healthspan in C. elegans. Strikingly, we found that both overexpression and loss of function of jmjd-3.2 and utx-1 are all associated with enhanced longevity. Furthermore, we showed that the catalytic activity of UTX-1, but not JMJD-3.2, is critical for lifespan extension in the context of overexpression. In attempting to reconcile the improved longevity associated with both loss and gain of function of utx-1, we investigated the alternative lifespan pathways and tissue specificity of longevity outcomes. We demonstrated that lifespan extension caused by loss of utx-1 function is daf-16 dependent, while overexpression effects are partially independent of daf-16. In addition, lifespan extension was observed when utx-1 was knocked down or overexpressed in neurons and intestine, whereas in the epidermis, only knockdown of utx-1 conferred improved longevity. Conclusions: We show that the regulation of longevity by chromatin modifiers can be the result of the interaction between distinct factors, such as the level and tissue of expression. Overall, we suggest that the heterochromatin loss model of ageing may be too simplistic an explanation of organismal ageing when molecular and tissue-specific effects are taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal microbiota play an essential role in the health of a host organism. Here, we define how commensal Escherichia coli (E. coli) alters its host after long term exposure to glucose using a Caenorhabditis elegans-E. coli system where only the bacteria have direct contact with glucose. Our data reveal that bacterial processing of glucose results in reduced lifespan and healthspan including reduced locomotion, oxidative stress resistance, and heat stress resistance in C. elegans. With chronic exposure to glucose, E. coli exhibits growth defects and increased advanced glycation end products. These negative effects are abrogated when the E. coli is not able to process the additional glucose and by the addition of the anti-glycation compound carnosine. Physiological changes of the host C. elegans are accompanied by dysregulation of detoxifying genes including glyoxalase, glutathione-S-transferase, and superoxide dismutase. Loss of the glutathione-S-transferase, gst-4 shortens C. elegans lifespan and blunts the animal's response to a glucose fed bacterial diet. Taken together, we reveal that added dietary sugar may alter intestinal microbial E. coli to decrease lifespan and healthspan of the host and define a critical role of detoxification genes in maintaining health during a chronic high-sugar diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seafloor structures related to the emission of different fluids, such as submarine mud volcanoes (MVs), have been recently reported to largely contribute with dissolved organic matter (DOM) into the oceans. Submarine MVs are common structures in the Gulf of Cádiz. However, little is known about the biogeochemical processes that occur in these peculiar environments, especially those involving DOM. Here, we report DOM characterization in the sediment pore water of three MVs of the Gulf of Cádiz. Estimated benthic fluxes of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and chromophoric DOM (CDOM) were higher than in other marine sediments with an average of 0.11 ± 0.04 mmol m−2 d−1 for DOC and ranging between 0.11 and 2.86 m−1 L m−2 d−1, for CDOM. Protein-like components represented ~ 70% of the total fluorescent DOM (FDOM). We found that deep fluids migration from MVs (cold seeps) and anaerobic production via sulfate-reducing bacteria represent a source of DOC and FDOM to the overlying water column. Our results also indicate that fluorescent components can have many diverse sources not captured by common classifications. Overall, MVs act as a source of DOC, CDOM, and FDOM to the deep waters of the Gulf of Cádiz, providing energy to the microbial communities living there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bursaphelenchus xylophilus is the causal agent of pine wilt disease, which leads to the devastation of millions of hectares of pine trees worldwide. Protein kinase B (AKT) is a structurally conserved serine/threonine kinase with a pleckstrin homology domain and a kinase domain, and it plays versatile biological roles across different animal kingdoms. We, therefore, investigated the molecular characteristics and biological function of akt‐1 in B. xylophilus (Bxy‐akt‐1). In propagative stages, reverse transcription quantitative real‐time PCR revealed that Bxy‐akt‐1 expression gradually increased during embryogenesis, reaching the highest level at the second‐stage juvenile (J2), and then steadily decreased from J3 to adults. Intriguingly, the expression of Bxy‐akt‐1 was significantly higher in males than in females. Moreover, the expression level of Bxy‐akt‐1 in dispersal third‐stage dauer larvae (DL3) was higher than that in J2, but it decreased to normal level in DL4. Bxy‐akt‐1 promoter::gfp reporter constructed in Caenorhabditis elegans was utilized to mimic the spatio‐temporal expression pattern of Bxy‐akt‐1. The results showed that Bxy‐akt‐1 was broadly expressed in the hypodermis around the head during embryogenesis and was mainly expressed in the muscle cells of pharynx, vulva, tail and nerve systems in post‐embryonic stages. Abnormal embryos were observed, and the hatching rate was significantly decreased after Bxy‐akt‐1 was knocked down in B. xylophilus, but no constitutive developmental arrest of dauer larvae was observed. The results indicated that Bxy‐akt‐1 is indispensable for embryogenesis, but might not play a significant role in controlling dauer entry, as in C. elegans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine whether impairments in sensorimotor peripheral nerve function are associated with a higher likelihood of swallowing impairment in older adults. Methods: Health, Aging and Body Composition participants (n = 607, age = 75.8 ± 2.7 years, 55.8% women, 32.3% black) underwent peripheral nerve testing at Year 4 and 11 with swallowing difficulty assessed at Year 4 and 15. Nerve conduction amplitude and velocity were measured at the peroneal motor nerve. Sensory nerve function was assessed with the vibration detection threshold and monofilament (1.4-g/10-g) testing at the big toe. Symptoms of lower extremity peripheral neuropathy and difficulty swallowing were collected by self-report. Data analysis was performed using a hierarchical approach. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated using non-conditional logistic regression. Results: At Year 15 108 (17.8%) participants had swallowing impairments. In fully adjusted models, the peripheral nerve impairments associated with swallowing impairment were numbness (OR 4.67; 95%CI 2.24–9.75) and poor motor nerve conduction velocity (OR 2.26; 95%CI 1.08–4.70). Other peripheral nerve impairments were not related to swallowing. Conclusions: The association between slow motor nerve conduction velocity and numbness and a higher likelihood of swallowing difficulties a decade later in our prospective study identifies an important area for further investigation in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize is the food crop with the highest total output in the world. However, corn bran is only a by‐product with low price. The 5,5′‐diferulic acid glucoside esters (DFG) were obtained from corn bran using the enzymatic method. DFG showed obvious antioxidant capacity in cell, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) and in mouse. DFG decreased ROS and MDA content in 500 μM H2O2 stimulated ARPE‐19 cells to 48.6% and 32.2%, respectively. DFG decreased ROS content in C. elegans to 49.1% and MDA content in acute ethanol (50%, 12 ml/kg) stimulated mouse to 30.4%. DFG also increased SOD protein content significantly in cell, C. elegans and mouse to 175.5%, 120.1%, and 126.2%, respectively. DFG significantly extended the lifespan of C. elegans both under heat stress and natural situation. The median survival time was prolonged to 133.3% and 116.7%, respectively. This capacity relied on the SIR‐2.1 activity. SIR‐2.1 is an ortholog of human Sirtuin‐1 (SIRT‐1). DFG also upregulated SIRT‐1 and PCG‐1α expression level obviously in H2O2‐stimulated ARPE‐19 cells (to 134.4% and 127.1%, respectively) and in acute ethanol stimulated mouse eyes (to 135.1% and 111.5%, respectively) and liver (to 123.3% and 113.6%, respectively). These results indicate that DFG has multiple bioactivities. Our research provides a new application prospect of corn bran. And to our best knowledge, this is the first time, the sirtuins‐relied lifespan extension activity of the 5,5′‐diferulic acid extracted from corn bran was reported. Practical applications: The traditional method for extracting diferulic acid from corn bran is to use the strong alkali. Obviously, this is not welcomed by the food industry. We employed the biological enzyme method in a relatively mild pH range during the extraction process. It is more environmentally friendly and more economical. DFG can be added as a raw material for functional foods like yogurt, fruit juice, and cereals. As well, the solid precipitate obtained after extraction can also be used as high‐quality dietary fiber to produce functional food. Meanwhile, concerning for the 5,5′‐diferulic acid derived from corn bran, the relevant research is still not abundant. And to our best knowledge, we have reported for the first time about the effect of this kinds of diferulic acid on prolonging life span and its SIRT‐1‐dependent activity. It also provides a new perspective for the study of diferulic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was aimed to develop the powder from Moldavian balm extract using a spray dryer to preserve the valuable phytochemicals such as hydroxycinnamic acid and flavonoids. In order to produce optimum Moldavian balm spray‐dried powder, response surface methodology was applied. The inlet air temperature (120–180°C), compressed airflow rate (5–10 L/min), and carriers' concentration (10%–30%) were kept as independent variables, while moisture content, drying performance, porosity, total phenol content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity were selected as responses. The process was optimized with inlet air temperature of 140.36°C, compressed airflow rate of 9.13 L/min and carriers' concentration of 18%, resulting in powder with moisture content of 7.68%, drying performance of 62.52%, porosity of 76.4%, total phenol content of 6.295 mg GAE/g, total flavonoid content of 0.378 mg QUE/g, and antioxidant activity of 51.78%. The optimized process led to attain the powder having significantly better phytochemical properties compared with others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf spot on lemon balm is frequently observed in Korea, causing considerable damage to crops. In 2014 and 2015, the occurrence of leaf spot was observed in several production greenhouses at Suwon, Gongju, and Namwon in Korea. Symptoms on lower leaves initially developed as small, distinct, discolored lesions, which enlarged progressively turning into dark brown, angular spots surrounded by purplish-brown margins. Based on the morphological characteristics and sequence analysis of actin (ACT), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1α), internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 28S nrDNA (LSU), and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2), the fungus associated with the lemon balm leaf spot was determined as Septoria melissae. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of lemon balm leaf spot caused by S. melissae in Asia as well as in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Software product line (SPL) is one of the most recent and effective reuse approaches. SPL derives several products from the core artefacts. SPL engineering includes two processes: domain engineering, which identifies the common and variable features to develop the core artefacts, and application engineering, which reuses the core artefacts to derive products. Once the artefacts are reused across multiple products, quality assessment is necessary to prevent inconsistencies from spreading across all SPL products. There are several frameworks and standards, as ISO/IEC 25010:2011, to evaluate quality characteristics. In this study, the authors provide an overview of the SPL quality assessment. Therefore, they perform a systematic mapping to compile and synthesise data regarding the quality characteristics assessed in studies from 2000 to 2019. The results include the identification of 346 metrics applied in 16 software properties to evaluate three quality characteristics of the ISO/IEC 25010:2011. Additionally, they find the domain engineering evaluation frequently occurs regarding the maintainability characteristic. Moreover, they provide analyses of the: (i) metrics used by programming paradigm, (ii) metrics used by software properties, (iii) software properties evaluated for each quality characteristic, (iv) tools used to extract metrics, (v) systems used as benchmarks, and (vi) datasets used for extracting metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinity in arid and semi-arid regions is one of the most important abiotic stresses causing negative effects on the growth and yield of medicinal plants. To investigate the effect of Zn nanoparticles foliar spray at different levels on growth characteristic, antioxidant enzymes, and essential oil yield of dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica L.) under salinity stress conditions, a factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications in the greenhouse of Mohaghegh Ardabili University during 2018-2019. Experimental treatments included salinity stress at four levels (0, 50, 100, and 150 mM of NaCl) and foliar spray with Zn nanoparticles at three levels (0, 100, and 500 mg.l-1). Traits including plant height, aerial parts fresh and dry weight, chlorophyll, cell membrane electrolyte leakage, relative water content, proline, antioxidant enzymes, and percentage and yield of essential oil were measured. Results showed that salinity significantly decreased plant height, shoot fresh and dry weight, chlorophyll, the relative water content of leaves, and essential oil yield, and increased electrolyte leakage from cell membranes and proline content of the leaves. While nano-Zn foliar spray reduced the negative effects of salinity stress by increasing the growth and activity of antioxidant enzymes such as ascorbate peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. Treatment of 500 mg.l-1 nano-Zn caused the best-improving effect on traits including plant height, stem dry weight, chlorophyll, electrolyte leakage, antioxidant enzymes, and essential oil yield under salinity stress conditions. Therefore, the use of 500 mg.l-1 nano-Zn is recommended as a reduction of the negative effects of salinity stress in dragonhead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is much debate today over the problem of unused buildings. This debate is often conducted in alarmed and concerned tones. Our idea is that it is indispensable to reconsider the issue with greater critical reflection and some necessary distinctions: in particular, between situations and aspects relating to public buildings and situations and aspects relating to private buildings; and, within the latter category, between totally natural and legitimate situations and truly problematic ones. To this end, we shall focus on definitory issues, quantitative issues, ethical issues and policy issues. We shall do so with particular attention to the Italian situation, which we believe is especially challenging, and to a specific case study, the city of Milan. However, part of what we shall say also applies to other contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Caenorhabditis elegans genome possesses homologs of about two-thirds of all human disease genes. Based on its physiological aging characteristics and superiority, the use of C. elegans as a model system for studies on aging, age-related diseases, mechanisms of longevity, and drug screening has been widely acknowledged in recent decades. Lifespan increasing mutations in C. elegans were found to delay aging by impinging several signaling pathways and related epigenetic modifications, including the insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways. Interestingly, dietary restriction (DR) has been shown to increase the lifespan of numerous metazoans and protect them from multiple age-related pathologies. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. In recent decades, C. elegans has been used as a unique model system for high-throughput drug screening. Here, we review C. elegans mutants exhibiting increased in lifespan and age-dependent changes under DR, as well as the utility of C. elegans for drug screening. Thus, we provide evidence for the use of this model organism in research on the prevention of aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Higher comorbidity and older age have been reported as correlates of poor outcomes in COVID-19 patients worldwide; however, US data are scarce. We evaluated mortality predictors of COVID-19 in a large cohort of hospitalized patients in the United States.Design: Retrospective, multicenter cohort of inpatients diagnosed with COVID-19 by RT-PCR from 1 March to 17 April 2020 was performed, and outcome data evaluated from 1 March to 17 April 2020. Measures included demographics, comorbidities, clinical presentation, laboratory values and imaging on admission. Primary outcome was mortality. Secondary outcomes included length of stay, time to death and development of acute kidney injury in the first 48-h.Results: The 1305 patients were hospitalized during the evaluation period. Mean age was 61.0 ± 16.3, 53.8% were male and 66.1% African American. Mean BMI was 33.2 ± 8.8 kg m-2 . Median Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was 2 (1-4), and 72.6% of patients had at least one comorbidity, with hypertension (56.2%) and diabetes mellitus (30.1%) being the most prevalent. ACE-I/ARB use and NSAIDs use were widely prevalent (43.3% and 35.7%, respectively). Mortality occurred in 200 (15.3%) of patients with median time of 10 (6-14) days. Age > 60 (aOR: 1.93, 95% CI: 1.26-2.94) and CCI > 3 (aOR: 2.71, 95% CI: 1.85-3.97) were independently associated with mortality by multivariate analyses. NSAIDs and ACE-I/ARB use had no significant effects on renal failure in the first 48 h.Conclusion: Advanced age and an increasing number of comorbidities are independent predictors of in-hospital mortality for COVID-19 patients. NSAIDs and ACE-I/ARB use prior to admission is not associated with renal failure or increased mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the effects of nitrogen fertilizer on quantitative and qualitative traits of Dracocephalum kotschyi Boiss, a field experiment was conducted in the Research Field of Tarbiat Modares University during 2018 growing season. The experiment was performed at three replications in a completely randomized blocks design. The experimental treatments included eight nitrogen fertilizer amounts (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 and 350 kg Nitrogen/ha). Urea as nitrogen fertilizer and the seedling of Fereydun Shahr as ecotype were used. The results showed that the maximum height (29.63 cm) was obtained from the application of 136.6 kg N ha-1. The highest total fresh weight was observed with 2966 kg ha-1 from the application of 126.8 kg N ha-1. The highest stems and leaves fresh weight was produced by using 112.69 and 162.69 kgNha-1, respectively. Application of 112.69 and 126.5 kg N ha-1 had the highest total flavonoid (7.69 µmol/g of fresh leaf weight) and essential oil yield respectively. Because the purpose of cultivating medicinal plants to produce essential oil yields, therefore, the recommended amount of nitrogen to achieve maximum essential oil yield for D. kotschyi is 126.5 kg ha-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Group I catalytic introns are widespread in bacterial, archaeal, viral, organellar, and some eukaryotic genomes, where they are reported to provide regulatory functions. The group I introns are currently divided into five types (A-E), which are themselves distributed into several subtypes, with the exception of group I type D intron (GI-D). GI-D introns belong to the rarest group with only 17 described to date, including only one with a putative role reported in fungi, where it would interfere with an adaptive response in the cytochrome b (COB) gene to quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicide resistance. Using homology search methods taking into account both conserved sequences and RNA secondary structures, we analysed the mitochondrial genomes or COB genes of 169 fungal species, including some frequently under QoI selection pressure. These analyses have led to the identification of 216 novel GI-D introns, and the definition of three distinct subtypes, one of which being linked with a functional activity. We have further uncovered a homing site for this GI-D intron type, which helps refine the accepted model of quinone outside inhibitor resistance, whereby mobility of the intron across fungal mitochondrial genomes, would influence a fungus ability to develop resistance to QoIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High glucose diets are unhealthy, although the mechanisms by which ikelevated glucose is harmful to whole animal physiology are not well understood. In Caenorhabditis elegans, high glucose shortens lifespan, while chemically inflicted glucose restriction promotes longevity. We investigated the impact of glucose metabolism on aging quality (maintained locomotory capacity and median lifespan) and found that, in addition to shortening lifespan, excess glucose negatively impacts locomotory healthspan. Conversely, disrupting glucose utilization by knockdown of glycolysis-specific genes results in large mid-age physical improvements via a mechanism that requires the FOXO transcription factor DAF-16. Adult locomotory capacity is extended by glycolysis disruption, but maximum lifespan is not, indicating that limiting glycolysis can increase the proportion of life spent in mobility health. We also considered the largely ignored role of glucose biosynthesis (gluconeogenesis) in adult health. Directed perturbations of gluconeogenic genes that specify single direction enzymatic reactions for glucose synthesis decrease locomotory healthspan, suggesting that gluconeogenesis is needed for healthy aging. Consistent with this idea, overexpression of the central gluconeogenic gene pck-2 (encoding PEPCK) increases health measures via a mechanism that requires DAF-16 to promote pck-2 expression in specific intestinal cells. Dietary restriction also features DAF-16-dependent pck-2 expression in the intestine, and the healthspan benefits conferred by dietary restriction require pck-2. Together, our results describe a new paradigm in which nutritional signals engage gluconeogenesis to influence aging quality via DAF-16. These data underscore the idea that promotion of gluconeogenesis might be an unappreciated goal for healthy aging and could constitute a novel target for pharmacological interventions that counter high glucose consequences, including diabetes. Author summary: It is known that high levels of dietary sugar can negatively impact human health, but the mechanisms underlying this remain unclear. Here we use the facile Caenorhabditis elegans genetic model to extend understanding of the impact of glucose and glucose metabolism on health and aging. We show that the two opposing glucose metabolism pathways–glycolysis and gluconeogenesis–have dramatically opposite effects on health: glycolytic activity responsible for sugar catabolism is detrimental, but driving gluconeogenesis promotes healthy aging. The powerful longevity regulator DAF-16 is required for the healthspan effects of gluconeogenesis. Our data highlight the intriguing possibility that driving the biosynthetic gluconeogenesis pathway could be a novel strategy for healthspan promotion. Indeed, we find that increasing levels of the core gluconeogenic enzyme PEPCK (PCK-2) in just a few intestinal cells can increase overall health in a DAF-16-dependent manner. Dietary restriction, which can promote health and longevity across species, increases PCK-2 levels in the intestine via DAF-16, and PCK-2 is required for the health benefits seen when calories are limited. Our results define gluconeogenic metabolism as a key component of healthy aging, and suggest that interventions that promote gluconeogenesis may help combat the onset of age-related diseases, including diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Moldavian balm essential oil contains numerous medicinal values in addition to its other wide application. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of plant growth-promoting bacteria and mycorrhiza-like fungi inoculation on Moldavian balm (Dracocephalum moldavica L.) essential oil yield and composition under drought stress condition. The experiment was arranged as factorial based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. The first factor was drought stress at four levels including no drought stress, low, medium and high drought stress. The second factor was inoculation treatments comprising of non-inoculated control, inoculation with Enterobacter sp., Pseudomonas sp., Agrobacterium sp. and Piriformospora indica. The results indicated that the interaction effect of drought stress × inoculation was significant on dry weight, essential oil content and yield of D. moldavica. Under all drought stress levels, inoculation with Enterobacter, Agrobacterium and Piriformospora increased the dry weight and essential oil yield of D. moldavica, compared with those in non-inoculated control. While the result of dry weight and essential oil yield from inoculation with Pseudomonas was almost equal to that of the non-inoculated control. The main components of essential oil were geranial followed by geraniol, geranyl acetate, neral, neryl acetate and geranyl formate. The chemical composition of essential oil was affected by drought stress and inoculation levels. Under all drought stress levels, the geranyl acetate content was found to increase in inoculation treatments with Enterobacter sp., Pseudomonas sp., Agrobacterium sp. and Piriformospora indica respectively. In general, inoculations with Piriformospora indica, Agrobacterium and Enterobacter increased the dry weight and essential oil yield under all drought stress levels and could be recommended to growers to reduce the application of chemical fertilizers in D. moldavica production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple molecular initiating events exist that disrupt male sexual differentiation in utero including androgen receptor (AR) antagonism and inhibition of synthesis, and metabolism of fetal testosterone. Disruption of androgen signaling by AR antagonists in utero reduces anogenital distance (AGD) and induces malformations in F1 male rat offspring. We are developing a quantitative network of adverse outcome pathways that includes multiple molecular initiating events and key events linking anti-AR activities to permanent reproductive abnormalities. Here, our objective was to determine how accurately the EC50s for AR antagonism in vitro or ED50s for reduced tissue growth in the Hershberger assay (HA) (key events in the adverse outcome pathway) predict the ED50s for reduced AGD in male rats exposed in utero to AR antagonists. This effort included in-house data and published studies from the last 60 years on AR antagonism in vitro and in vivo effects in the HA and on AGD after in utero exposure. In total, more than 250 studies were selected and included in the analysis with data from about 60 potentially antiandrogenic chemicals. The ability to predict ED50s for key events and adverse developmental effects from the in vitro EC50s displays considerable uncertainty with R 2 values for HA and AGD of < 6%. In contrast, there is considerably less uncertainty in extrapolating from the ED50s in the HA to the ED50s for AGD (R 2 value of about 85%). In summary, the current results suggest that the key events measured in the HA can be extrapolated with reasonable certainty to predict the ED50s for the adverse in utero effects of antiandrogenic chemicals on male rat offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of iron oxide nanoparticle (NP) at four concentrations (0, 30, 60 and 90 ppm) and salinity at three levels (0, 50 and 100 mM) were investigated on rosmarinic acid (RA) production in 5‐week‐old Moldavian balm (Dracocephalum moldavica L.) plants. Salinity and spraying iron oxide NPs significantly affected tyrosine (Tyr), phenylalanine (Phe) and proline (Pro) amino acids content, Phenylalanine Ammonia‐Lyase (PAL), Tyrosine Aminotransferase (TAT) and Rosmarinic Acid Synthase (RAS) genes expression levels, RA content, Polyphenol Oxidase (PPO), PAL and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activities, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and DPPH (1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity. PAL, TAT and RAS genes expression rate and content of RA were enhanced in Moldavian balm plants exposed by NaCl + NPs. The results of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) revealed that simultaneous application of 50 mM NaCl and 90 ppm NPs increases the RA content in leaf by 81.15% as compared to control plants. The Tyr and Phe contents decreased in Moldavian balm plants exposed to salt stress. Application of NPs had a positive effect on the content of these amino acids. Proline content increased under salinity stress and application of iron NPs induced a significant increase in the Pro content of leaf. The results revealed that PAL, PPO and SOD enzymes activities increased under salinity conditions. The highest activity of PPO and SOD was observed in 100 mM NaCl + 60 ppm NPs treatment. Simultaneous application of 100 mM NaCl + 90 ppm NPs increased the MDA content and DPPH radical scavenging activity compared to control plants. It can be concluded that the application of appropriate levels of NPs moderates the effect of salinity stress in D. moldavica L. and results in an increased amount of RA compared to control plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain intriguing circular shear wave splitting patterns in the Pacific Northwest, invoking either 2‐D entrained flows or 3‐D return flows. Here, we present some hitherto unidentified, depth‐dependent anisotropic signatures to reconcile different conceptual models. At depths shallower than 200 km, the fast propagation directions of seismic waves to the west of the Rocky Mountain are aligned sub‐parallel to the subduction direction of the Juan de Fuca and Gorda Plates. This pattern is consistent with previous onshore/offshore shear wave splitting measurements and indicates that 2‐D entrained flows dominate at shallower depths. From 300 to 500 km, two large‐scale return flows are revealed, one circulating around Nevada and Colorado and the other running around the edge of the descending Juan de Fuca slab. These observations suggest the development of toroidal‐mode mantle flows, driven by the fast rollback of the narrow, fragmented Juan de Fuca and Gorda slabs. Key Points: The fast directions are aligned sub‐parallel to the subduction direction of the Juan de Fuca Plates at depths shallower than 200 kmTwo large‐scale return flows are revealed, circulating around the edges of the descending Juan de Fuca and Gorda slabsThe uppermost lower mantle beneath the Cascadian Subduction Zone is dominated by a NE‐SW oriented flow field [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Short Form Qualiveen (SF-Qualiveen) is an 8-item version of the Qualiveen questionnaire used to evaluate the impact of urinary symptoms on the quality of life in patients with urological dysfunction due to neurological disorders. The questionnaire was never available in the Russian language before. The study is aimed at providing the translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of a Russian version of the SF-Qualiveen for the use in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Materials and Methods. The original English language version of the SF-Qualiveen was translated into Russian according to the cultural and linguistic adaptation algorithm. The participants (50 MS patients with neurogenic bladder and 10 relatively healthy volunteers) filled out the finalized Russian version of the SF-Qualiveen and the Neurogenic Bladder Symptom Score (NBSS) twice, 2 weeks apart. The data obtained was used to determine the internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), external validity (the Spearman correlation), and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)) of the questionnaire. Results. The mean SF-Qualiveen total score was 2.51 ± 0.79 in patients with a neurogenic bladder and 0.1 ± 0.02 in the control group (p < 0.001). Cronbach's alpha exceeded 0.9 indicating an excellent internal consistency of the questionnaire. The retest did not reveal any significant differences between the findings. The test-retest reliability was good for all items and domains (ICC 0.81-0.89). The total score demonstrated the highest ICC (0.89). The external validity was verified by a strong correlation demonstrated between the SF-Qualiveen and NBSS scores. Conclusions. The Russian SF-Qualiveen questionnaire is a reliable, valid, and consistent tool for the assessment of a urinary disorder impact on the quality of life in patients with MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder manifested by decline in memory and mild cognitive impairment leading to dementia. Despite global occurrence of AD, the severity and hence onset of dementia vary among different regions, which was correlated with the customary use of medicinal herbs and exposure level to the causatives. In spite of execution of versatile therapeutic strategies to combat AD and other neurodegenerative diseases, success is only limited to symptomatic treatment. The role of natural remedies remained primitive and irreplaceable in all ages. In some examples, the extracted drugs failed to show comparable results due to lack of micro ingredients. Micro ingredients impart a peerless value to natural remedies which are difficult to isolate and/or determine their precise role during treatment. A variety of plants have been used for memory enhancement and other dementia-related complications since ages. Acetyl choline esterase inhibition, antioxidant potential, neuroprotection, mitochondrial energy restoration, and/or precipitated protein clearance put a vast taxonomic variety into a single group of anti-AD plants. Secondary metabolites derived from these medicinal plants have the potential to treat AD and other brain diseases of common pathology. This review summarizes the potential of taxonomically diverse medicinal plants in the treatment of AD serving as a guide to further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Loopamp™ MTBC kit (TB-LAMP) is recommended by WHO for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex detection in low-income countries with a still low drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) rate. This study is aimed at testing its feasibility in Cambodia on sputa collected from presumptive tuberculosis patients. 499 samples were tested at a smear microscopy center and 200 at a central-level mycobacteriology laboratory. Using mycobacterial cultures as reference, TB-LAMP results were compared with those of LED fluorescent microscopy (LED-FM) and Xpert® MTB/RIF. At the microscopy center, TB-LAMP sensitivity was higher than that of LED-FM (81.5% [95% CI, 74.5-87.6] versus 69.4% [95% CI, 62.2-76.6]), but lower than that of the Xpert assay (95.5% [95% CI 92.3-98.8]). At the central-level laboratory, TB-LAMP sensitivity (92.8% [95% CI, 87.6-97.9]) was comparable to that of Xpert (90.7% [95% CI, 85.0-96.5]) using stored sample. No significant difference in terms of specificity between TB-LAMP and Xpert assays was observed in both study sites. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that TB-LAMP could be implemented at microscopy centers in Cambodia to detect TB patients. In addition, TB-LAMP can be a better choice to replace smear microscopy for rapid TB diagnosis of new presumptive TB patients, in settings with relative low prevalence of drug-resistant TB and difficulties to implement Xpert assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Urinalysis is one of the most commonly performed tests in clinical practice and supplies important information for a series of clinical conditions, including renal and urinary tract diseases. The clinical laboratory often completes urinalysis through the combined use of urinary dry-chemistry and formed-element analyzers. Urine red blood cell (RBC) morphology test is often used to discriminate the source of hematuria by manual microscopy. Case presentation: In this case report, we describe a 39-year-old woman with chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) who underwent both urine routine test and RBC morphology test. Her RBC count was in the normal range and the occult blood test was negative in routine test, while the RBC morphology test indicated the presence of non-homogeneous hematuria. Conclusions: Therefore, we analyzed the causes of false-negative result on the urine chemical analyzer and the automatic microscope system, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective : This study evaluated cortical encoding of voice onset time (VOT) in quiet and noise, and their potential associations with the behavioral categorical perception of VOT in children with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD). Design : Subjects were 11 children with ANSD ranging in age between 6.4 and 16.2 years. The stimulus was an /aba/-/apa/ vowel-consonant-vowel continuum comprising eight tokens with VOTs ranging from 0 ms (voiced endpoint) to 88 ms (voiceless endpoint). For speech in noise, speech tokens were mixed with the speech-shaped noise from the Hearing In Noise Test at a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of +5 dB. Speech-evoked auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) and behavioral categorization perception of VOT were measured in quiet in all subjects, and at an SNR of +5 dB in seven subjects. The stimuli were presented at 35 dB SL (re: pure tone average) or 115 dB SPL if this limit was less than 35 dB SL. In addition to the onset response, the auditory change complex (ACC) elicited by VOT was recorded in eight subjects. Results : Speech evoked ERPs recorded in all subjects consisted of a vertex positive peak (i.e., P1), followed by a trough occurring approximately 100 ms later (i.e., N2). For results measured in quiet, there was no significant difference in categorical boundaries estimated using ERP measures and behavioral procedures. Categorical boundaries estimated in quiet using both ERP and behavioral measures closely correlated with the most-recently measured Phonetically Balanced Kindergarten (PBK) scores. Adding a competing background noise did not affect categorical boundaries estimated using either behavioral or ERP procedures in three subjects. For the other four subjects, categorical boundaries estimated in noise using behavioral measures were prolonged. However, adding background noise only increased categorical boundaries measured using ERPs in three out of these four subjects. Conclusions : VCV continuum can be used to evaluate behavioral identification and the neural encoding of VOT in children with ANSD. In quiet, categorical boundaries of VOT estimated using behavioral measures and ERP recordings are closely associated with speech recognition performance in children with ANSD. Underlying mechanisms for excessive speech perception deficits in noise may vary for individual patients with ANSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-long-duration gamma-ray burst GRB 111209A was found to be associated with a very luminous supernovae (SNe) SN 2011kl. The physics of GRB 111209A/SN 2011kl has been extensively studied in the literature, but such research has not yet settled down. By investigating in detail the characteristics of the X-ray light curve of GRB 111209A, coupled with the temporal and spectral features observed in SN 2011kl, we argue that a short-lived supramassive magnetar could be responsible for the initial shallow X-ray emission. Then the electromagnetic extraction of spin energy from a black hole (BH) results in the steeply declining X-ray flux when the magnetar collapses into a BH. A fraction of the envelope materials falls back and activates the accretion onto the newborn BH, which produces the X-ray rebrightening bump at late times. During this process, a centrifugally driven baryon-rich quasi-isotropic Blandford & Payne outflow from the revived accretion disk deposits its kinetic energy on the SN ejecta, which powers luminous SN 2011kl. Finally, we place a limitation on the magnetar's physical parameters based on the observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upon sensing starvation stress, Caenorhabditis elegans larvae (L2d) elicit two seemingly opposing behaviors to escape from the stressful condition: food-seeking roaming mediated by the opioid peptide NLP-24 and dauer formation mediated by pheromones. Because opioid and pheromone signals both originate in ASI chemosensory neurons, we hypothesized that they might act sequentially or competitively to avoid starvation stress. Our data shows that NPR-17 opioid receptor signaling suppressed pheromone biosynthesis and the overexpression of opioid genes disturbed dauer formation. Likewise, DAF-37 pheromone receptor signaling negatively modulated nlp-24 expression in the ASI neurons. Under short-term starvation (STS, 3 h), both pheromone and opioid signaling were downregulated in gpa-3 mutants. Surprisingly, the gpa-3;nlp-24 double mutants exhibited much higher dauer formation than seen in either of the single mutants. Under long-term starvation (LTS, >24 h), the stress-activated SKN-1a downregulated opioid signaling and then enhanced dauer formation. Both insulin and serotonin stimulated opioid signaling, whereas NHR-69 suppressed opioid signaling. Thus, GPA-3 and SKN-1a are proposed to regulate cross-antagonistic interaction between opioids and pheromones in a cell-specific manner. These regulatory functions are suggested to be exerted via the selective interaction of GPA-3 with NPR-17 and site-specific SKN-1 binding to the promoter of nlp-24 to facilitate stress avoidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aimed to evaluate the phytochemical contents of the methanol (ME), ethanol (ET), water (W), acetone (AC), ethyl acetate (EA), and hexane (HE) of Aristolochia bodamae root (ABR) as well as inhibition potential, antioxidative, and antimicrobial activities. The chemical composition analysis and antioxidant activity of ABR extracts were performed by commonly used assays. Antibacterial activities of ABR extracts were tested against three gram‐positive and three gram‐negative bacteria using disk diffusion and microdilution methods. The inhibition potential of the extract was adopted for urease and esterases. The extraction yield (27.10%), total phenolic (47.53 mg gallic acid equivalent/g), and flavonoid (9.74 mg quercetin equivalent/g) content of ABRME were found higher than other extracts. Vanillic acid, caffeic acid, epicatechin, p‐coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and protocatechuic acid were recognized as major components. ABRET, ABRHE, and ABREA extracts had a more effective total antioxidant activity than that of other extracts. The lipid peroxidation inhibition, H2O2, and superoxide scavenging activities of ABRME were found to be 35.94, 35.94, and 3.98 µg/mL, respectively. The ABRET exhibited a reduction force with the A0.5 values of 48.77 µg/mL. The inhibition levels of ABRAC and ABREA to esterases were determined to be more effective than galantamine. ABRME was identified as a more potent urease inhibitor (IC50: 188.42 µg/mL) than thiourea. ABRET demonstrated the antibacterial activity with the highest inhibition zone of 14.4 mm against Staphylococcus aureus. The ABRET found the lowest MIC value against Bacillus cereus (128 µg/mL). In these in vitro studies, it has been found that ABR extracts were a good source of antioxidant, antibacterial, and inhibition potent when evaluated together with phenolic components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adequate dietary intake of essential metals such as zinc is important for maintaining homeostasis. Abnormal zinc intake in Caenorhabditis elegans has been shown to increase or decrease normal lifespan by influencing the insulin/IGF‐1 pathway. Distribution of zinc is achieved by a family of highly conserved zinc transport proteins (ZIPT in C. elegans). This study investigated the role of the zipt family of genes and showed that depletion of individual zipt genes results in a decreased lifespan. Moreover, zipt‐16 and zipt‐17 mutants synthetically interact with the insulin/IGF cofactors daf‐16 and skn‐1, and cause abnormal localisation of DAF‐16. This study suggests that the zipt family of genes are required for maintaining normal lifespan through influencing the insulin/IGF‐1 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no complete description of the emission physics during the prompt phase in gamma-ray bursts. Spectral analyses, however, indicate that many spectra are narrower than what is expected for nonthermal emission models. Here, we reanalyze the sample of 37 bursts in Yu et al. by fitting the narrowest time-resolved spectrum in each burst. We perform a model comparison between photospheric and synchrotron emission models based on Bayesian evidence. We compare the shapes of the narrowest expected spectra: emission from the photosphere in a non-dissipative flow and slow cooled synchrotron emission from a narrow electron distribution. We find that the photospheric spectral shape is preferred by 54% ± 8% of the spectra (20/37), while 38% ± 8% of the spectra (14/37) prefer the synchrotron spectral shape; three spectra are inconclusive. We hence conclude that GRB spectra are indeed very narrow and that more than half of the bursts have a photospheric emission episode. We also find that a third of all analyzed spectra, not only prefer, but are also compatible with a non-dissipative photosphere, confirming previous similar findings. Furthermore, we notice that the spectra that prefer the photospheric model all have low-energy power-law indices α ≳ −0.5. This means that α is a good estimator for which model is preferred by the data. Finally, we argue that the spectra that statistically prefer the synchrotron model could equally as well be caused by subphotospheric dissipation. If that is the case, photospheric emission during the early, prompt phase would be even more dominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Findings: What is the central question of this study?How does an extract of Melissa officinalis L. ameliorate anxiety‐ and depressive‐like behaviour of mice?What is the main finding and its importance?An extract of Melissa officinalis L. possessed anxiolytic and anti‐depressant effects, which could mainly be mediated through its antioxidant and anti‐apoptotic properties. This study evaluated the effects of a hydro‐alcoholic extract of Melissa officinalis (HAEMO) on anxiety‐ and depressive‐like behaviours, oxidative stress and apoptosis markers in restraint stress‐exposed mice. In order to induce a depression‐like model, mice were subjected to restraint stress (3 h day−1 for 14 days) and received normal saline or HAEMO (50, 75 and 150 mg kg−1 day−1) for 14 days. The administered doses of HAEMO were designated based on the concentration of one of the main phenolic compounds present in the extract, rosmarinic acid (2.55 mg kg−1 at lowest dose); other phytochemical analyses including assays for antioxidant activity, total phenols and flavonoids were also carried out. The behavioural changes in an open field task, elevated plus maze, tail suspension and forced swimming tests were evaluated. Also, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, and total antioxidant capacity were assessed in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Moreover, levels of Bcl‐2, Bax and caspase 3 in the brain as well as serum concentration of corticosterone were evaluated. HAEMO (75 and 150 mg kg−1) significantly reversed anxiety‐ and depressive‐like behaviours. Also, HAEMO reduced MDA levels, enhanced enzymatic antioxidant activities and restored serum levels of corticosterone. An immunoblotting analysis also demonstrated that HAEMO decreased levels of pro‐apoptotic markers and increased anti‐apoptotic protein levels in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of restraint stress‐exposed mice. Our findings suggested that HAEMO reduced inflammation and had anxiolytic and antidepressant effects in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]