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BACKGROUND: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels are higher in those who are physically active and lower in people with cognitive dysfunction. This study investigated whether brain-derived neurotrophic factor mediated or modified the association of sedentary time to MRI-estimated brain volumes in midlife. METHODS: Baseline (n = 612) and five-year follow-up (n = 418) data were drawn from the multicenter Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Brain MRI sub-study, including Black and White participants (aged 50.3 years, 51.6% females, 38.6% Black). Sedentary time (hours per day) was categorized into quartiles with low ≤ 4.3 (reference) and high > 8.4. Outcomes of the study were total brain, white matter, gray matter, hippocampal volumes, and white matter fractional anisotropy at baseline and 5-year percent change from baseline. The study used general linear regression models to examine the mediation and moderation effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (natural log transformed) on the associations of sedentary time to brain outcomes. The authors adjusted the regression model for age, sex, race, intracranial volume, education, and vascular factors. RESULTS: Cross-sectionally, baseline participants with the highest sedentary time had a lower total brain (-12.2 cc; 95%CI: -20.7, -3.7), gray matter (-7.8 cc; 95%CI: -14.3, -1.3), and hippocampal volume (-0.2 cc; 95%CI: -0.3, 0.0) compared with populations with the lowest sedentary time. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels did not mediate the associations between brain measures and sedentary time. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor was found to moderate associations of sedentary time to total brain and white matter volume such that the brain volume difference between high and low sedentary time decreased as brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels increased. Longitudinally, higher baseline brain-derived neurotrophic factor level was associated with less brain volume decline. The longitudinal associations did not differ by sedentary time, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor did not mediate or moderate the association of sedentary time to brain measure changes. CONCLUSIONS: Higher brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels may buffer the negative effects of sedentary time on the brain.

ObjectiveExpression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a marker of reactive astrocytosis, colocalizes with neuropathology in the brain. Blood levels of GFAP have been associated with cognitive decline and dementia status. However, further examinations at a population-based level are necessary to broaden generalizability to community settings.MethodsCirculating GFAP levels were assayed using a Simoa HD-1 analyzer in 4338 adults without prevalent dementia from four longitudinal community-based cohort studies. The associations between GFAP levels with general cognition, total brain volume, and hippocampal volume were evaluated with separate linear regression models in each cohort with adjustment for age, sex, education, race, diabetes, systolic blood pressure, antihypertensive medication, body mass index, apolipoprotein E ε4 status, site, and time between GFAP blood draw and the outcome. Associations with incident all-cause and Alzheimer's disease dementia were evaluated with adjusted Cox proportional hazard models. Meta-analysis was performed on the estimates derived from each cohort using random-effects models.ResultsMeta-analyses indicated that higher circulating GFAP associated with lower general cognition (ß = -0.09, [95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.15 to -0.03], p = 0.005), but not with total brain or hippocampal volume (p > 0.05). However, each standard deviation unit increase in log-transformed GFAP levels was significantly associated with a 2.5-fold higher risk of incident all-cause dementia (Hazard Ratio [HR]: 2.47 (95% CI: 1.52-4.01)) and Alzheimer's disease dementia (HR: 2.54 [95% CI: 1.42-4.53]) over up to 15-years of follow-up.InterpretationResults support the potential role of circulating GFAP levels for aiding dementia risk prediction and improving clinical trial stratification in community settings.

[Objective] The carbon sinks of soil and vegetation were monitored and evaluated in order to provide technology and methodology for implementing dynamic monitoring and evaluation of carbon sinks for soil and water conservation projects, and to provide theoretical and methodological support for soil and water conservation projects to participate in carbon emissions trading, and to research and formulate relevant rules. [Methods] The carbon storage capacity of the vegetation carbon pool and soil carbon pool in Luodihe small watershed at Changting County, Fujian Province during 2001—2022 was calculated through field sampling analysis and LiDAR collection of relevant parameters. Carbon sink capacity of various soil and water conservation management measures in the small watershed was evaluated. [Results] ① After 21 years of comprehensive management, various soil and water conservation measures in the study area have significantly improved the role and capacity of carbon sinks. The carbon storage of the small watershed increased by 3.97×104 t, with an average annual increase of 1.89×103 t/yr. ② The carbon storage of soil and vegetation carbon pools increased by 73.73% and 346.41%, respectively, during 2001—2022. The carbon sink of the small watershed reached 3.05×104 t, of which 1.66×104 t was attributed to the soil carbon sink and 1.39×104 t was attributed to the vegetation carbon sink. ③ There were differences in the ability of various measures to increase the carbon sinks. Chestnut forest land and fertilized Pinus massoniana forest land increased carbon sink the most obviously, followed by coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest, nursery and managed P. massoniana, horizontal grade land preparation of P. massoniana forest, and finally close management and bayberry forest land. [Conclusion] Various soil and water conservation measures had obvious effects on carbon retention, carbon sequestration, and carbon sink increase. The carbon sink capacity of forest land such as chestnut forest and fertilized P. massoniana forest land with land preparation, afforestation, and fertilization and breeding measures was even more significant. These practices provide an effective means for improving the efficiency of soil and water retention and for increasing carbon sink.

Byline: Xin. Li, Qi. Liu, Tongyang. Niu, Hongning. Jia, Tingting. Liu, Zikai. Xin, Zhiguang. Li, Xiaomeng. Zhou, Rui. Li, Yaling. Liu, Hui. Dong Objectives: Sleep disturbances are common in amyotrophic [...]

In this paper, modified SiO2 nanoparticles were selected to improve the surface roughness and decrease the surface energy to improve the hydrophobic performance of cotton fabric. Tetraethoxysilane and octadecyltriethoxysilane were used as raw materials to synthesize octadecyltriethoxysilane-modified SiO2 nanoparticles (siloxane-SiO2), and combined with cotton fabric. The chemical composition and surface morphology of the fabric were measured. The contact angles of the modified cotton fabrics prepared under different reaction conditions were approaching or above 150°. In addition, dynamic evolutions of water droplets on the modified cotton fabric surface were discussed. The adhesive force and the energy conversion of droplet during the collision were investigated. The water droplet bounced due to the superhydrophobic properties of the cotton fabric surface producing enough residual energy. Finally, through the acid–base chemical resistance treatments, the rubbing and washing durability, and anti-fouling experiment, the modified fabric indicated excellent hydrophobic durability and self-cleaning performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to examine the influence of academic founders on firm innovation performance from the perspective of equity distribution in entrepreneurial teams. Based on the prospectus data of 466 science and technology enterprises that applied for registration on the STAR Market from 2016 to 2020, we use textual analysis to classify founder identities into academic founder, technical founder, and business founder. Our results show that the performance of technical innovation in Sci‐Tech enterprises is optimal for academic founder‐led firms, followed by technical founders, and finally business founders. Ownership structure suppresses the positive direct relationship between the academic founder and innovation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]