Female-specific association between the APOE E4 allele and age at diagnosis of glaucoma in UK Biobank.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) E4 allele in the gender-specific aging process in glaucoma by illustrating the interaction between risk factors, including the APOE E4 allele, gender and intraocular pressure (IOP), for age at diagnosis (AAD) of glaucoma. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study included UK Biobank participants with complete data (2006-2010) for analysis. Data were analyzed in December 2023. PARTICIPANTS: 2,236 glaucoma patients and 103,232 controls. METHODS: We evaluated multivariable-adjusted associations of AAD of glaucoma, APOE E4 allele (0: absence; 1: presence), and IOP using linear mixed model (LMM) analyses across groups stratified by AAD of mean age of menopause (50 years) and gender. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: AAD of glaucoma, APOE E4 allele and IOP. RESULTS: Glaucoma patients were older and had a higher percentage of males and a higher mean IOP compared to controls (all P < 0.001). Further stratifying the glaucoma patients by AAD of 50 and gender, lower IOP (Model 1 adjusted by age, ßIOP=-0.096±0.041, P=0.019) and positive APOE E4 allele (Model 2 adjusted by age and IOP, ße4=1.093±0.488, P=0.026) were associated with an older AAD in females with an AAD < 50 years under univariate LMM. In multivariate LMM adjusted by age (Model 3), the effect size of both factors increased in the multivariate model as the beta-value increased. (ßIOP=-0.111±0.040, P=0.007; ße4=1.235±0.485, P=0.012) (Model 1 vs Model 3: P=0.011). In females with an AAD ≥50 years, only positive APOE E4 allele (adjusted by age and IOP, ße4=-1.121±0.412, P=0.007) was associated with a younger AAD. In males, only higher IOP was associated with an older AAD in those with an AAD ≥50 years (ßIOP=0.088±0.032, P=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: APOE E4 allele may initially delay and later accelerate the development of glaucoma in females around the transition period of 50 years, which is the mean age of menopause, and importantly, this is independent of IOP. Understanding the specific transition states and modifiable factors within each age phase is crucial for developing interventions or strategies that promote healthy aging.

The auxin-responsive CsSPL9-CsGH3.4 module finely regulates auxin levels to suppress the development of adventitious roots in tea (Camellia sinensis).

The cutting technique is extensively used in tea breeding, with key emphasis on promoting the growth of adventitious roots (ARs). Despite its importance in tea cultivation, the mechanisms underlying AR development in tea remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated the essential role of auxins in the initiation and progression of AR and established that the application of exogenous 1-naphthaleneacetic acid-enhanced AR formation in tissue-cultured seedlings and cuttings. Then, we found that the auxin-responsive transcription factor CsSPL9 acted as a negative regulator of AR development by reducing the levels of free indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in tea plants. Furthermore, we identified CsGH3.4 as a downstream target of CsSPL9, which was activated by direct binding to its promoter. CsGH3.4 also inhibited AR development and maintained low levels of free IAA. Thus, these results revealed the inhibitory effect of the auxin-responsive CsSPL9-CsGH3.4 module on AR development by reducing free IAA levels in tea. These findings have significant theoretical and practical value for enhancing tea breeding practices.

Postweaning sodium citrate exposure induces long-lasting and sex-dependent effects on social behaviours in mice.

BACKGROUND: Postweaning is a pivotal period for brain development and individual growth. As an important chemical used in medicines, foods and beverages, sodium citrate (SC) is commonly available. Although some effects of SC exposure on individual physiology have been demonstrated, the potential long-lasting effects of postweaning dietary SC exposure on social behaviours are still elusive. METHODS: Both postweaning male and female C57BL/6 mice were exposed to SC through drinking water for a total of 3 weeks. A series of behavioural tests, including social dominance test (SDT), social interaction test (SIT), bedding preference test (BPT) and sexual preference test (SPT), were performed in adolescence and adulthood. After these tests, serum oxytocin (OT) levels and gut microbiota were detected. RESULTS: The behavioural results revealed that postweaning SC exposure decreased the social dominance of male mice in adulthood and female mice in both adolescence and adulthood. SC exposure also reduced the sexual preference rates of both males and females, while it had no effect on social interaction behaviour. ELISA results indicated that SC exposure decreased the serum OT levels of females but not males. 16S rRNA sequencing analysis revealed a significant difference in ß-diversity after SC exposure in both males and females. The correlation coefficient indicated the correlation between social behaviours, OT levels and dominant genera of gut microbiota. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that postweaning SC exposure may have enduring and sex-dependent effects on social behaviours, which may be correlated with altered serum OT levels and gut microbiota composition.

Dispersive Fourier transform based dual-comb ranging.

Laser-based light detection and ranging (LIDAR) offers a powerful tool to real-timely map spatial information with exceptional accuracy and owns various applications ranging from industrial manufacturing, and remote sensing, to airborne and in-vehicle missions. Over the past two decades, the rapid advancements of optical frequency combs have ushered in a new era for LIDAR, promoting measurement precision to quantum noise limited level. For comb LIDAR systems, to further improve the comprehensive performances and reconcile inherent conflicts between speed, accuracy, and ambiguity range, innovative demodulation strategies become crucial. Here we report a dispersive Fourier transform (DFT) based LIDAR method utilizing phase-locked Vernier dual soliton laser combs. We demonstrate that after in-line pulse stretching, the delay of the flying pulses can be identified via the DFT-based spectral interferometry instead of temporal interferometry or pulse reconstruction. This enables absolute distance measurements with precision starting from 262 nm in single shot, to 2.8 nm after averaging 1.5 ms, in a non-ambiguity range over 1.7 km. Furthermore, our DFT-based LIDAR method distinctly demonstrates an ability to completely eliminate dead zones. Such an integration of frequency-resolved ultrafast analysis and dual-comb ranging technology may pave a way for the design of future LIDAR systems.

Co-utilization of wastewater sludge and heavy metals for single-atom electrocatalytic reduction of gaseous CO2.

Synergetic management of waste activated sludge, heavy metals (HMs) and CO2 for their valorization and cyclic utilization is rarely reported. Herein, we employed sludge-derived extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and HMs in wastewater to fabricate a gas diffusion electrode (GDE) for electrochemical CO2 reduction. This approach atomically dispersed Ni at each nanofiber of the GDE. Abundant N element in the EPS proved to play a key role in the formation of Nx-Ni (mixture of N3-Ni and N4-Ni) sites for highly efficient CO2 to CO conversion. The atomical Ni3+ shows high catalytic activity. Direct gaseous CO2 reduction in a membrane electrode assembly generated a current density up to 50 mA·cm-2 with CO:H2 ratio of ∼100 and ∼75% FECO under 2.69 cell voltage. This strategy takes advantage of all waste streams generated on site and consolidates traditionally separated treatment processes to save costs, produces value-added products and generates carbon benefits during wastewater treatment.

The Impact of Water Potential and Temperature on Native Species' Capability for Seed Germination in the Loess Plateau Region, China.

Global warming is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat waves and droughts. One important phase in the life cycle of plants is seed germination. To date, the association of the temperature and water potential thresholds of germination with seed traits has not been explored in much detail. Therefore, we set up different temperature gradients (5-35 °C), water potential gradients (-1.2-0 MPa), and temperature × water potential combinations for nine native plants in the Loess Plateau region to clarify the temperature and water combinations suitable for their germination. Meanwhile, we elucidated the temperature and water potential thresholds of the plants and their correlations with the mean seed mass and flatness index by using the thermal time and hydrotime models. According to our findings, the germination rate was positively correlated with the germination percentage and water potential, with the former rising and the latter decreasing as the temperature increased. Using the thermal time and hydrotime models, the seed germination thresholds could be predicted accurately, and the germination thresholds of the studied species varied with an increase in germination percentage. Moreover, temperature altered the impact of water potential on the germination rate. Overall, the base water potential for germination, but not the temperature threshold, was negatively correlated with mean seed mass and was lower for rounder seeds than for longer seeds. This study contributes to improving our understanding of the seed germination characteristics of typical plants and has important implications for the management and vegetation restoration of degraded grasslands.

PI3K/AKT pathway modulation and cold acclimation alleviation concerning apoptosis and necroptosis in broiler thymus.

Moderate cold stimulation regulates the thymus's growth and function and facilitates cold acclimatization in broilers. However, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. To explore the possible mechanism of the thymus in cold-acclimated broilers against cold stress, 240 one-day-old Arbor Acres (AA) broilers were assigned to 2 groups randomly. The control group (C) was housed at conventional temperatures. The temperature during the first week was 33°C to 34°C. Between the ages of 8 and 32 d, the temperature was lowered by 1°C every 2 d, i.e., gradually from 32°C to 20°C, and then maintained at 20°C until 42 d of age. The cold-acclimated group (C-3) was housed at the same temperature as C from 1 to 7 d after birth. Between 8 and 42 d, the temperature of C-3 was 3°C colder than C. After 24 h exposure to acute cold stress (ACS) at 42 d, C and C-3 were named as S and S-3. The results showed that ACS was able to induce oxidation stress, modulate PI3K/AKT signal, and cause necroptosis and apoptosis in broiler thymus. By contrast, cold acclimation could alleviate apoptosis and necroptosis induced by cold stress via alleviating oxidative stress, efficiently activating the PI3K/AKT signal, as well as decreasing apoptotic and necrotic genes' levels. This study offers a novel theoretical basis for cold acclimation to improve the body's cold tolerance.

Postweaning stress affects behavior, brain and gut microbiota of adolescent mice in a sex-dependent manner.

Aggression is an instinctive behavior that has been reported to be influenced by early-life stress. However, the potential effects of acute stress during the postweaning period, a key stage for brain development, on defensive aggression and the associated mechanism remain poorly understood. In the present study, aggressive behaviors were evaluated in adolescent mice exposed to postweaning stress. Serum corticosterone and testosterone levels, neural dendritic spine density, and gut microbiota composition were determined to identify the underlying mechanism. Behavioral analysis showed that postweaning stress reduced locomotor activity in mice and decreased defensive aggression in male mice. ELISA results showed that postweaning stress reduced serum testosterone levels in female mice. Golgi staining analysis demonstrated that postweaning stress decreased neural dendritic spine density in the medial prefrontal cortex of male mice. 16S rRNA sequencing results indicated that postweaning stress altered the composition of the gut microbiota in male mice. Combined, these results suggested that postweaning stress alters defensive aggression in male mice, which may be due to changes in neuronal structure as well as gut microbiota composition. Our findings highlight the long-lasting and sex-dependent effects of early-life experience on behaviors.

Changes in frailty and incident cardiovascular disease in three prospective cohorts.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Previous studies found that frailty was an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, previous studies only focused on baseline frailty status, not taking into consideration the changes in frailty status during follow-up. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of changes in frailty status with incident CVD. METHODS: This study used data of three prospective cohorts: China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), and Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Frailty status was evaluated by the Rockwood frailty index and classified as robust, pre-frail, or frail. Changes in frailty status were assessed by frailty status at baseline and the second survey which was two years after the baseline. Cardiovascular disease was ascertained by self-reported physician-diagnosed heart disease (including angina, heart attack, congestive heart failure, and other heart problems) or stroke. Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) after adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: A total of 7116 participants from CHARLS (female: 48.6%, mean age: 57.4 years), 5303 from ELSA (female: 57.7%, mean age: 63.7 years), and 7266 from HRS (female: 64.9%, mean age: 65.1 years) were included according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The median follow-up periods were 5.0 years in the CHARLS, 10.7 years in the ELSA, and 9.5 years in the HRS. Compared with stable robust participants, robust participants who progressed to pre-frail or frail status had increased risks of incident CVD (CHARLS, HR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.54-2.21; ELSA, HR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.25-1.86; HRS, HR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.31-1.92). In contrast, frail participants who recovered to robust or pre-frail status presented decreased risks of incident CVD (CHARLS, HR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.47-0.81; ELSA, HR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.34-0.69; HRS, HR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.55-0.89) when compared with stable frail participants. These decreased risks of incident CVD were also observed in pre-frail participants who recovered to robust status (CHARLS, HR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.52-0.83; ELSA, HR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.49-0.85; HRS, HR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.56-0.91) when compared with stable pre-frail participants. CONCLUSIONS: Different changes in frailty status are associated with different risks of incident CVD. Progression of frailty status increases incident CVD risks, while recovery of frailty status decreases incident CVD risks.

Polysaccharides from Dendrobium officinale improve obesity-induced insulin resistance through the gut microbiota and the SOCS3-mediated insulin receptor substrate-1 signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Obesity induces insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, impacting human health. The relationship between obesity, gut microbiota, and regulatory mechanisms has been studied extensively. Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide (DOP), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, potentially reduces insulin resistance. However, the mechanism through which DOP affects gut microbiota and alleviates obesity-induced insulin resistance in rats requires further investigation. RESULTS: The current study aimed to assess the impact of DOP on gut microbiota and insulin resistance in rats on a high-fat diet. The results revealed that DOP effectively reduced blood lipids, glucose disorders, oxidative stress, and inflammatory infiltration in the liver of obese Sprague Dawley rats. This was achieved by downregulating SOCS3 expression and upregulating insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) by regulating the JAK/STAT/SOCS3 signaling pathway. Notably, DOP intervention enhanced the abundance of beneficial gut microbiota and reduced harmful microbiota. Correlation analysis demonstrated significant associations among intestinal microbiota, SOCS3-mediated IRS-1 expression, and inflammatory factors. CONCLUSION: Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide regulated the gut microbiota, enhanced IRS-1 expression, and mitigated liver injury and insulin resistance due to a high-fat diet. These findings depict the potential anti-insulin resistance properties of DOP and offer further evidence for addressing obesity and its complications. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Zero-Velocity Update-Based GNSS/IMU Tightly Coupled Algorithm with the Constraint of the Earth's Rotation Angular Velocity for Cableway Bracket Deformation Monitoring.

Cableways have been widely used in industrial areas, cities, and scenic spots due to their advantages, such as being a convenient mode of transportation, time-saving, labor-saving, and low cost, as well as offering environmental protection. To ensure the safe operation of a cableway, based on the characteristic that the velocity of the cableway bracket is approximately zero in a static deformation monitoring environment, a deformation monitoring method called zero velocity update (ZUPT)-based GNSS/IMU tightly coupled algorithm with the constraint of the Earth's rotation angular velocity was proposed. The proposed method can effectively solve the problem of a single GNSS being unable to output attitude, which is directly related to the status of wire ropes and cable cars. Meanwhile, ZUPT is used to restrain the Kalman filter's divergence when IMU is stationary. However, the improvements of ZUPT on attitude are not obvious, so the constraint of the Earth's rotation angular velocity was applied. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated through monitoring the cableway bracket of the Yimeng Mountain Tourism area in Shandong. Compared with the ZUPT-based GNSS/IMU tightly coupled algorithm (ZUPT-TC), the proposed method can further constrain the error accumulation of IMU while stationary and, therefore, it can provide reliable position and attitude information on cableway brackets.