Distinct longevity mechanisms across and within species and their association with aging.

Lifespan varies within and across species, but the general principles of its control remain unclear. Here, we conducted multi-tissue RNA-seq analyses across 41 mammalian species, identifying longevity signatures and examining their relationship with transcriptomic biomarkers of aging and established lifespan-extending interventions. An integrative analysis uncovered shared longevity mechanisms within and across species, including downregulated Igf1 and upregulated mitochondrial translation genes, and unique features, such as distinct regulation of the innate immune response and cellular respiration. Signatures of long-lived species were positively correlated with age-related changes and enriched for evolutionarily ancient essential genes, involved in proteolysis and PI3K-Akt signaling. Conversely, lifespan-extending interventions counteracted aging patterns and affected younger, mutable genes enriched for energy metabolism. The identified biomarkers revealed longevity interventions, including KU0063794, which extended mouse lifespan and healthspan. Overall, this study uncovers universal and distinct strategies of lifespan regulation within and across species and provides tools for discovering longevity interventions.

Earliest known human burial in Africa.

The origin and evolution of hominin mortuary practices are topics of intense interest and debate1-3. Human burials dated to the Middle Stone Age (MSA) are exceedingly rare in Africa and unknown in East Africa1-6. Here we describe the partial skeleton of a roughly 2.5- to 3.0-year-old child dating to 78.3 ± 4.1 thousand years ago, which was recovered in the MSA layers of Panga ya Saidi (PYS), a cave site in the tropical upland coast of Kenya7,8. Recent excavations have revealed a pit feature containing a child in a flexed position. Geochemical, granulometric and micromorphological analyses of the burial pit content and encasing archaeological layers indicate that the pit was deliberately excavated. Taphonomical evidence, such as the strict articulation or good anatomical association of the skeletal elements and histological evidence of putrefaction, support the in-place decomposition of the fresh body. The presence of little or no displacement of the unstable joints during decomposition points to an interment in a filled space (grave earth), making the PYS finding the oldest known human burial in Africa. The morphological assessment of the partial skeleton is consistent with its assignment to Homo sapiens, although the preservation of some primitive features in the dentition supports increasing evidence for non-gradual assembly of modern traits during the emergence of our species. The PYS burial sheds light on how MSA populations interacted with the dead.

Author Correction: The dental proteome of Homo antecessor.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

The dental proteome of Homo antecessor.

The phylogenetic relationships between hominins of the Early Pleistocene epoch in Eurasia, such as Homo antecessor, and hominins that appear later in the fossil record during the Middle Pleistocene epoch, such as Homo sapiens, are highly debated1-5. For the oldest remains, the molecular study of these relationships is hindered by the degradation of ancient DNA. However, recent research has demonstrated that the analysis of ancient proteins can address this challenge6-8. Here we present the dental enamel proteomes of H. antecessor from Atapuerca (Spain)9,10 and Homo erectus from Dmanisi (Georgia)1, two key fossil assemblages that have a central role in models of Pleistocene hominin morphology, dispersal and divergence. We provide evidence that H. antecessor is a close sister lineage to subsequent Middle and Late Pleistocene hominins, including modern humans, Neanderthals and Denisovans. This placement implies that the modern-like face of H. antecessor-that is, similar to that of modern humans-may have a considerably deep ancestry in the genus Homo, and that the cranial morphology of Neanderthals represents a derived form. By recovering AMELY-specific peptide sequences, we also conclude that the H. antecessor molar fragment from Atapuerca that we analysed belonged to a male individual. Finally, these H. antecessor and H. erectus fossils preserve evidence of enamel proteome phosphorylation and proteolytic digestion that occurred in vivo during tooth formation. Our results provide important insights into the evolutionary relationships between H. antecessor and other hominin groups, and pave the way for future studies using enamel proteomes to investigate hominin biology across the existence of the genus Homo.

Soil nematode abundance and functional group composition at a global scale.

Soil organisms are a crucial part of the terrestrial biosphere. Despite their importance for ecosystem functioning, few quantitative, spatially explicit models of the active belowground community currently exist. In particular, nematodes are the most abundant animals on Earth, filling all trophic levels in the soil food web. Here we use 6,759 georeferenced samples to generate a mechanistic understanding of the patterns of the global abundance of nematodes in the soil and the composition of their functional groups. The resulting maps show that 4.4 ± 0.64 × 1020 nematodes (with a total biomass of approximately 0.3 gigatonnes) inhabit surface soils across the world, with higher abundances in sub-Arctic regions (38% of total) than in temperate (24%) or tropical (21%) regions. Regional variations in these global trends also provide insights into local patterns of soil fertility and functioning. These high-resolution models provide the first steps towards representing soil ecological processes in global biogeochemical models and will enable the prediction of elemental cycling under current and future climate scenarios.

Segmental motor neuron dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Insights from H reflex paradigms.

INTRODUCTION/AIMS: In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the role of spinal interneurons in ALS is underrecognized. We aimed to investigate pre- and post-synaptic modulation of spinal motor neuron excitability by studying the H reflex, to understand spinal interneuron function in ALS. METHODS: We evaluated the soleus H reflex, and three different modulation paradigms, to study segmental spinal inhibitory mechanisms. Homonymous recurrent inhibition (H'RI ) was assessed using the paired H reflex technique. Presynaptic inhibition of Ia afferents (H'Pre ) was evaluated using D1 inhibition after stimulation of the common peroneal nerve. We also studied inhibition of the H reflex after cutaneous stimulation of the sural nerve (H'Pos ). RESULTS: Fifteen ALS patients (median age 57.0 years), with minimal signs of lower motor neuron involvement and good functional status, and a control group of 10 healthy people (median age 57.0 years) were studied. ALS patients showed reduced inhibition, compared to controls, in all paradigms (H'RI 0.35 vs. 0.11, p = .036; H'Pre 1.0 vs. 5.0, p = .001; H'Pos 0.0 vs. 2.5, p = .031). The clinical UMN score was a significant predictor of the amount of recurrent and presynaptic inhibition. DISCUSSION: Spinal inhibitory mechanisms are impaired in ALS. We argue that hyperreflexia could be associated with dysfunction of spinal inhibitory interneurons. In this case, an interneuronopathy could be deemed a major feature of ALS.

Adherence to a healthy lifestyle behavior composite score and cardiometabolic risk factors in Spanish children from the CORALS cohort.

To assess the associations between the adherence to a composite score comprised of 6 healthy lifestyle behaviors and its individual components with several cardiometabolic risk factors in Spanish preschool children. Cross-sectional analyses were conducted in 938 participants included in the CORALS cohort aged 3-6 years. Six recognized healthy lifestyle behaviors (breastfeeding, sleep duration, physical activity, screentime, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and eating speed) were assessed in a composite score. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were fitted to assess the associations with cardiometabolic risk factors (weight status, waist circumference, fat mass index, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and lipid profile). In the adjusted multiple linear and logistic regression models, compared with the reference category of adherence to the healthy lifestyle behavior composite score, those participants in the category of the highest adherence showed significant decreased prevalence risk of overweight or obesity [OR (95% CI), 0.4 (0.2, 0.6)] as well as significant lower waist circumference, fat mass index (FMI), systolic blood pressure and fasting plasma glucose concentration [ß (95% CI), - 1.4 cm (- 2.5, - 0.4); - 0.3 kg/m2 (- 0.5, - 0.1); and - 3.0 mmHg (- 5.2, - 0.9); - 1.9 mg/dL (- 3.5, - 0.4), respectively]. Slow eating speed was individually associated with most of the cardiometabolic risk factors.   Conclusions: Higher adherence to the healthy lifestyle behavior composite score was associated with lower waist circumference, FMI, other cardiometabolic risk factors, and risk of overweight or obesity in Spanish preschool children. Further studies are required to confirm these associations. What is Known: • Lifestyle is a well-recognized etiologic factor of obesity and its comorbidities. • Certain healthy behaviors such as adhering to a healthy diet, increasing physical activity, and decreasing screentime are strategies for prevention and treatment of childhood obesity. What is New: • Higher adherence to the healthy lifestyle behavior composite score to 6 healthy behaviors (breastfeeding, sleep duration, physical activity, screentime, eating speed, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet) was associated with decreased adiposity, including prevalence risk of overweight or obesity, and cardiometabolic risk in preschool children. • Slow eating and greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet were mainly associated to lower fasting plasma and serum triglycerides concentration, respectively.

Real-life clinical practice in Spain in the setting of new drug availability for ITP treatment. A Delphi-based Spanish expert panel consensus.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a common autoimmune hematological disorder. Despite this, diagnosis is still challenging due to clinical heterogeneity and the lack of a specific diagnostic test. New findings in the pathology and the availability of new drugs have led to the development of different guidelines worldwide. In the present study, the Delphi methodology has been used to get a consensus on the management of adult patients with ITP in Spain and to help in decision-making. The Delphi questionnaire has been designed by a scientific ad hoc committee and has been divided into 13 topics, with a total of 127 items, covering the maximum possible scenarios for the management of ITP. As a result of the study, a total consensus of 81% has been reached. It is concluded that this Delphi consensus provides practical recommendations on topics related to diagnosis and management of ITP patients to help doctors to improve outcomes. Some aspects remain unclear, without consensus among the experts. Thus, more advances are needed to optimize ITP management.

What is the context? Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a hematologic autoimmune disease characterized by accelerated destruction and inadequate production of platelets mediated by autoantibodies (platelet count <100 × 10⁹ /L).Despite being a common condition, its heterogeneous clinical course makes its diagnosis and management still a challenge.In recent years, new molecules with different mechanisms of action have emerged for the treatment of ITP.Due to the increasing information about the pathology and its therapies, several international guidelines have recently been established to provide recommendations for the management and treatment of ITP.There are still many patient scenarios and disease aspects which are not addressed in the guidelines.What is new? Our Spanish ITP Expert Group has developed a Delphi consensus study to provide recommendations and promote standardization of the management of adult patients with ITP in Spain.The scientific committee defined 127 statements for consensus, corresponding to 13 chapters: (i) Diagnosis of ITP, (ii) First-line treatment, (iii) Second-line treatment, (iv) Treatment of refractory patients, (v) Follow-up, (vi) Emergency and surgery, (vii) ITP in the elderly, (viii) ITP in pregnancy, (ix) Anticoagulation and antiplatelet, (x) Secondary ITP, (xi) Quality of life, (xii) Discontinuation of TPO-RA, and (xiii) ITP and Covid.The total number of agreed statements achieved was 103, giving a final percentage of consensus in the Delphi questionnaire of 81%.What is the impact? This Delphi consensus provides recommendations based on real clinical practice data, regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients and scenarios in ITP to assist clinicians in addressing this disease and achieving optimal outcomes for the patient.

Population-level trends in self-reported healthcare utilization among older adults in Mexico with and without cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: Older adults with cognitive impairment exhibit different patterns of healthcare utilization compared to their cognitively healthy counterparts. Despite extensive research in high-income countries, similar studies in low- and middle-income countries are lacking. This study aims to investigate the population-level patterns in healthcare utilization among older adults with and without cognitive impairment in Mexico. METHODS: Data came from five waves (2001-2018) of the Mexican Health and Aging Study. We used self-reported measures for one or more over-night hospital stays, doctor visits, visits to homeopathic doctors, and dental visits in the past year; seeing a pharmacist in the past year; and being screened for cholesterol, diabetes, and hypertension in the past two years. Cognitive impairment was defined using a modified version of the Cross Cultural Cognitive Examination that assessed verbal memory, visuospatial and visual scanning. Total sample included 5,673 participants with cognitive impairment and 34,497 without cognitive impairment interviewed between 2001 and 2018. Generalized Estimating Equation models that adjusted for time-varying demographic and health characteristics and included an interaction term between time and cognitive status were used. RESULTS: For all participants, the risk for one or more overnight hospital stays, doctor visits, and dental visits in the past year, and being screened for diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol increased from 2001 to 2012 and leveled off or decreased in 2015 and 2018. Conversely, seeing a homeopathic doctor decreased. Cognitive impairment was associated with higher risk of hospitalization (RR = 1.13, 1.03-1.23) but lower risk of outpatient services (RR = 0.95, 0.93-0.97), cholesterol screening (RR = 0.93, 0.91-0.96), and diabetes screening (RR = 0.95, 0.92-0.97). No significant difference was observed in the use of pharmacists, homeopathic doctors, or folk healers based on cognitive status. Interaction effects indicated participants with cognitive impairment had lower risk for dental visits and hypertension screening but that these trajectories differed over time compared to participants without cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: We identified distinct population-level trends in self-reported healthcare utilization and differences according to cognitive status, particularly for elective and screening services. These findings highlight the necessity for policy interventions to ensure older adults with cognitive impairment have their healthcare needs met.

Improving the ability to discriminate medical multiple-choice questions through the analysis of the competitive examination to assign residency positions in Spain.

INTRODUCTION: Psychometrics plays a vital role in evaluating educational research, including the analysis of multiple-choice exams. This study aims to improve the discriminatory ability of the "Médico Interno Residente" (MIR) medical exam in Spain, used to rank candidates for specialized healthcare training, through psychometric analysis. METHODS: We analyzed 2,890 MIR exam questions from 2009 to 2021 (totaling 147,214 exams), categorizing them based on methodology and response type. Evaluation employed classical test theory and item response theory (IRT). Classical test theory determined difficulty and discrimination indices, while IRT assessed the relationship between knowledge levels and question performance. RESULTS: Question distribution varied across categories and years. Frequently addressed knowledge areas included various medical specialties. Non-image-associated clinical cases were the easiest, while case-based clinical questions exhibited the highest discriminatory capacity, differing significantly from image-based case or negative questions. High-quality questions without images had longer stems but shorter answer choices. Adding images reduced discriminatory power and question difficulty, with image-based questions being easier. Clinical cases with images had shorter stems and longer answer choices. CONCLUSIONS: For improved exam performance, we recommend using a clinical case format followed by direct short-answer questions. Questions should be of low difficulty, providing clear and specific answers based on scientific evidence and avoiding ambiguity. Typical clinical cases with key characteristic features should be presented, excluding uncertain boundaries of medical knowledge. Questions should have lengthy stems and concise answer choices, minimizing speculation. If images are used, they should be typical, clear, consistent with the exam, and presented within clinical cases using clinical semiotics and propaedeutics.

[Health alerts for substandard, falsified, and unregistered medical products at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the AmericasAlertas de saúde para produtos médicos abaixo do padrão, falsificados e não registrados no início da pandemia de COVID-19 nas Américas]. / Alertas sanitarias de productos médicos subestándares, falsificados y no registrados al inicio de la pandemia de COVID-19 en las Américas.

Objective: Identify and analyze incidents of substandard, falsified, unregistered, and stolen medical products at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Detailed search of the websites of regulatory authorities in the Americas. Identification of incidents of substandard, falsified, unregistered, and stolen medicines and medical devices (including in vitro diagnostics). The types of products were determined, as were the stages in the supply chain where they were detected, and the actions taken by authorities. Results: A total of 1 273 incidents were identified in 15 countries (1 087 substandard, 44 falsified, 123 unregistered, and 19 stolen products). The largest number of incidents involved medical devices, disinfectants, and antiseptics. The most frequently reported point in the supply chain was online purchasing. The principal measures taken by the regulatory authorities were: alerts, prohibition of use, prohibition of advertising and manufacture, recall, and monitoring of adverse events. Conclusions: A substantial number of incidents involving substandard, falsified, unregistered, and stolen medical products at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic were identified. Shortages of supplies, easing of regulatory requirements, and increased demand are factors that may have led to an increase in the number of incidents. The national regulatory authorities of reference reported more frequent detection of incidents and more frequent application of health measures. A regulatory strategy is needed in order to address online sales and ensure the safe distribution of medical products.

Objetivo: Identificar e analisar incidentes de produtos médicos abaixo do padrão, falsificados, não registrados e roubados no início da pandemia de COVID-19. Métodos: Foi realizada uma busca detalhada nos sites das autoridades reguladoras das Américas. Foram identificados incidentes envolvendo medicamentos e dispositivos médicos (incluindo para diagnóstico in vitro) abaixo do padrão, falsificados, não registrados e roubados. Foram determinados os tipos de produtos, os estágios da cadeia de abastecimento em que foram detectados e as medidas tomadas pelas autoridades. Resultados: Foram identificados 1 273 incidentes em 15 países (1 087 produtos abaixo do padrão, 44 falsificados, 123 não registrados e 19 roubados). O maior número de incidentes estava relacionado a dispositivos médicos, desinfetantes e antissépticos. O ponto na cadeia de abastecimento com a maior frequência de relatos foi a de aquisição pela internet. As medidas tomadas pelas autoridades reguladoras foram principalmente alertas, proibições de uso, proibições de publicidade e fabricação, recolhimento de produtos do mercado e monitoramento de eventos adversos. Conclusões: Houve um número significativo de incidentes envolvendo produtos médicos abaixo do padrão falsificados, não registrados e roubados no início da pandemia de COVID-19. A escassez de insumos, a flexibilização das exigências regulatórias e o aumento da demanda são fatores que podem levar a um maior número de incidentes. As autoridades reguladoras nacionais de referência informaram um aumento na frequência de detecção de incidentes e implementação de medidas sanitárias. O canal de vendas pela internet precisa ser abordado com alguma estratégia regulatória para garantir a distribuição segura de produtos médicos.

Tourniquet Use in Extremity-Based Microsurgery.

BACKGROUND: The use of tourniquets and their role in extremity-based microsurgery has not been thoroughly investigated. The purpose of this study was to investigate tourniquet use and its associated outcomes and complications. The authors hypothesize that tourniquets enhance visualization, bloodless approaches to vessel harvest, flap elevation, and anastomosis without added complications. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was completed for patients who had undergone extremity-based microsurgery with the use of a tourniquet between January 2018 and February 2022 at two large academic institutions. Demographic characteristics, initial reasons for surgery, complications, and outcomes were recorded. Patients were separated into groups based on tourniquet use during three operative segments: (1) flap elevation, (2) vessel harvest, and (3) microvascular anastomosis. An internal comparison of complication rate was performed between cases for which a tourniquet was used for one operative segment to all cases in which it was not used for the same operative segment. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were performed to identify statistically significant results. RESULTS: A total of 99 patients (106 surgeries) were included in this study across sites. The mean age was 41.2 years and 67.7% of the patients were male. The most common reason for microsurgical reconstruction was trauma (50.5%). The need for an additional unplanned surgery was the most common surgical complication (16%). A total of 70, 61, and 32% of procedures used a tourniquet for flap elevation, vessel harvest, and for anastomosis, respectively. Statistical analyses identified no difference in complication rates for procedures for which a tourniquet was or was not used for interventions. CONCLUSION: Based on these results, the authors state that tourniquets can be utilized for extremity-based microsurgery to enable bloodless dissection without the concern of increased complication rates.

The Boomerang Effect of Suppression of Emotional Expression: Relationship Power, Affectivity and Adolescent and Youth Male-To-Female Dating Violence.

Scarce research has been performed on the role of power, affectivity, and suppression of emotional expression in the use of dating violence by adolescents and young men. This study aims to analyze a model of the associations between perceived power (control and dominance), affectivity (positive and negative affect), suppression of emotional expression and the frequency of use of male-to female dating violence. Participants in this cross-sectional and correlational study were 786 Spanish students aged between 13 and 25 years (M = 18.80; SD = 2.93) divided in two groups: 13-18 (316 adolescents, M = 15.58; SD = 1.02) and 18-25 (462 young men, M = 20.79; SD = 1.98) with 8 participants not stating their age. Different sequential mediation models confirmed that, only in young men, affectivity (negative and positive affect) and suppression of emotional expression mediate the relationship between power and the use of dating violence. Fostering equal relationships, associating them with positive emotional states, avoiding the frustration derived from low power perception, and providing young men with strategies for appropriately expressing their emotions may help decrease the use of dating violence.

Early feeding practices and eating behaviour in preschool children: The CORALS cohort.

This study aimed to investigate if the duration of breastfeeding and the method at initiation of complementary feeding affect eating behaviour in children aged 3-6 years. This is a cross-sectional analysis from the Childhood Obesity Risk Assessment Longitudinal Study project, an ongoing longitudinal cohort study that aims to identify childhood obesity risk factors in Spanish children. A total of 1215 children aged 3-6 years were included. Breastfeeding duration and the method of initiation of complementary feeding [baby-led weaning (BLW), traditional/spoon or mixed method] were evaluated. Eating behaviour at 3-6 years was assessed with the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Generalized linear models were fitted to assess the association between the aforementioned exposures and eating behaviour. Children breastfed for ≥4 months were less likely to be fussy eaters at 3-6 years compared to those breastfed for <1 month (OR: 0.86 95% CI: 0.76-0.98; p = 0.031). Compared to those children using the traditional/spoon-feeding method, those initiating complementary feeding through BLW or through a mixed approach were more likely to have higher scores on the enjoyment of food (EF) (OR, 95% CI: 1.33, 1.13-1.57; p = 0.001 and 1.17, 1.05-1.30; p = 0.002, respectively) and lower scores on food fussiness (FF) at 3-6 years (0.76, 0.62-0.91; p = 0.004 and 0.87, 0.78-0.98; p = 0.033, respectively). Breastfeeding for ≥4 months and initiation of complementary feeding with the BLW and a mixed approach were associated with greater EF and lower FF, which should endure practice.

Assessing the impact of long-term inhaled corticosteroid therapy on patients with COVID-19 and coexisting chronic lung disease: A multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Background: Patients with chronic lung disease (CLD), such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, were expected to have an increased risk of clinical manifestations and severity of COVID-19. However, these comorbidities have been reported less frequently than expected. Chronic treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) may impact the clinical course of COVID-19. The main objective of this study is to know the influence of chronic treatment with ICS on the prognosis of COVID-19 hospitalized patients with CLD. Methods: A multicenter retrospective cohort study was designed, including patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Epidemiological and clinical data were collected at admission and at seven days, and clinical outcomes were collected. Patients with CLD with and without chronic treatment with ICS were compared. Results: Two thousand five hundred ninety-eight patients were included, of which 1,171 patients had a diagnosis of asthma and 1,427 of COPD (53.37% and 41.41% with ICS, respectively). No differences were found in mortality, transfer to ICU, or development of moderate-severe ARDS. Patients with chronic ICS had a longer hospital stay in both asthma and COPD patients (9 vs. 8 days, p = 0.031 in asthma patients), (11 vs. 9 days, p = 0.018 in COPD patients); although they also had more comorbidity burden. Conclusions: Patients with chronic inhaled corticosteroids had longer hospital stays and more chronic comorbidities, measured by the Charlson comorbidity index, but they did not have more severe disease at admission, evaluated with qSOFA and PSI scores. Chronic treatment with inhaled corticosteroids had no influence on the prognosis of patients with chronic lung disease and COVID-19.

Associations Between Eating Speed, Diet Quality, Adiposity, and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the associations between eating speed, adiposity, cardiometabolic risk factors, and diet quality in a cohort of Spanish preschool-children. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study in 1371 preschool age children (49% girls; mean age, 4.8 ± 1.0 years) from the Childhood Obesity Risk Assessment Longitudinal Study (CORALS) cohort was conducted. After exclusions, 956 participants were included in the analyses. The eating speed was estimated by summing the total minutes used in each of the 3 main meals and then categorized into slow, moderate, or fast. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were fitted to assess the ß-coefficient, or OR and 95% CI, between eating speed and body mass index, waist circumference, fat mass index (FMI), blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and lipid profile. RESULTS: Compared with participants in the slow-eating category, those in the fast-eating category had a higher prevalence risk of overweight/obesity (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.8-4.4; P < .01); larger waist circumference (ß, 2.6 cm; 95% CI, 1.5-3.8 cm); and greater FMI (ß, 0.3 kg/m2; 95% CI, 0.1-0.5 kg/m2), systolic blood pressure (ß, 2.8 mmHg; 95% CI, 0.6-4.9 mmHg), and fasting plasma glucose levels (ß, 2.7 mg/dL, 95% CI, 1.2-4.2 mg/dL) but lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet (ß, -0.5 points; 95% CI, -0.9 to -0.1 points). CONCLUSIONS: Eating fast is associated with higher adiposity, certain cardiometabolic risk factors, and lower adherence to a Mediterranean diet. Further long-term and interventional studies are warranted to confirm these associations.

A very unusual wide QRS tachycardia: VT or SVT?

INTRODUCTION: A 13 old girl presented with recurrent wide QRS tachycardia since she was 4. METHODS: An electrophysiologic study was performed. RESULTS: The electrophysiologic study showed that QRS complexes identical to those of the tachycardia could be elicited with premature atrial extrastimuli but with a shorter atrioventricular (AV) delay when the QRS was wide compared with narrow QRS complexes. The tachycardia was ablated at 9 o'clock on the tricuspid annulus demonstrating the presence of an atriofascicular fiber. CONCLUSION: We believe that this atypical behavior can be explained by AV nodal like longitudinal dissociation of a slowly conducting accessory pathway.

Morphological and morphometric analyses of a late Middle Pleistocene hominin mandible from Hualongdong, China.

Excavations in Hualongdong (HLD), East China, have yielded abundant hominin fossils dated to 300 ka. There is a nearly complete mandible that fits well with a partial cranium, and together they compose the skull labeled as HLD 6. Thus far, detailed morphological description and comparisons of the mandible have not been conducted. Here we present a comprehensive morphological, metric, and geometric morphometric assessment of this mandible and compare it with both adult and immature specimens of Pleistocene hominins and recent modern humans. Results indicate that the HLD 6 mandible exhibits a mosaic morphological pattern characterized by a robust corpus and relatively gracile symphysis and ramus. The moderately developed mental trigone and a clear anterior mandibular incurvation of the HLD 6 mandible are reminiscent of Late Pleistocene hominin and recent modern human morphology. However, the weak expression of all these features indicates that this mandible does not possess a true chin. Moreover, a suite of archaic features that resemble those of Middle Pleistocene hominins includes pronounced alveolar planum, superior transverse torus, thick corpus, a pronounced endocondyloid crest, and a well-developed medial pterygoid tubercle. The geometric morphometric analysis further confirms the mosaic pattern of the HLD 6 mandible. The combination of both archaic and modern human features identified in the HLD 6 mandible is unexpected, given its late Middle Pleistocene age and differs from approximately contemporaneous Homo members such as Xujiayao, Penghu, and Xiahe. This mosaic pattern has never been recorded in late Middle Pleistocene hominin fossil assemblages in East Asia. The HLD 6 mandible provides further support for the high morphological diversity during late Middle Pleistocene hominin evolution. With these findings, it is possible that modern human morphologies are present as early as 300 ka and earlier than the emergence of modern humans in East Asia.

Faecal Microbiota Divergence in Allopatric Populations of Podarcis lilfordi and P. pityusensis, Two Lizard Species Endemic to the Balearic Islands.

Gut microbial communities provide essential functions to their hosts and are known to influence both their ecology and evolution. However, our knowledge of these complex associations is still very limited in reptiles. Here we report the 16S rRNA gene faecal microbiota profiles of two lizard species endemic to the Balearic archipelago (Podarcis lilfordi and P. pityusensis), encompassing their allopatric range of distribution through a noninvasive sampling, as an alternative to previous studies that implied killing specimens of these IUCN endangered and near-threatened species, respectively. Both lizard species showed a faecal microbiome composition consistent with their omnivorous trophic ecology, with a high representation of cellulolytic bacteria taxa. We also identified species-specific core microbiota signatures and retrieved lizard species, islet ascription, and seasonality as the main factors in explaining bacterial community composition. The different Balearic Podarcis populations are characterised by harbouring a high proportion of unique bacterial taxa, thus reinforcing their view as unique and divergent evolutionary entities.

Excess and excited-state dipole moments of real-life dyes: a comparison between wave-function, BSE/GW, and TD-DFT values.

In this work, we assess the accuracy of the Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE) many-body Green's function formalism, adopting the eigenvalue-self-consistent evGW exchange-correlation kernel, for the calculation of the excited-state (µES) and excess dipole moments (Δµ), the latter ones being the changes of dipole amplitude between the ground and excited states (ES), in organic dyes. We compare the results obtained with wave-function methods [ADC(2), CC2, and CCSD], time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT), and BSE/evGW levels of theory. First, we compute the evolution of the dipole moments of the two lowest singlet excited states of 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile (DMABN) upon twisting of the amino group. Next, we use a set of 25 dyes having ES characters ranging from locally excited to charge transfer to determine both µES and Δµ. For DMABN our results show that BSE/evGW provides Δµ values closer to the CCSD reference and more consistent trends than TD-DFT. Moreover, a statistical analysis of both Δµ and µES for the set of 25 dyes shows that the BSE/evGW accuracy is comparable or sometimes slightly better than that of TD-M06-2X and TD-CAM-B3LYP, BSE/evGW outperforming TD-DFT in challenging cases (zwitterionic and cyanine transitions). Finally, the starting point dependency of BSE/evGW seems to be larger for Δµ, ES dipoles, and oscillator strengths than for transition energies.