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Background Structural neuroimaging findings in Subthreshold depression (StD) patients at different ages are highly heterogeneous. This study aims to investigate the pathophysiology of StD across different ages. Methods Literature searches for MRI studies of StD were conducted in 11 databases, including PubMed and Embase, from database inception to June 18, 2024. An activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis was performed on the studies across different ages. Results A total of 24 studies were included. The results revealed that the significant convergent brain regions in StD patients across different ages were primarily located within the frontostriatal circuit. Age-related differences were observed. For adolescent patients, the significant convergent brain regions were the caudate, putamen, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and medial frontal gyrus (MFG). For young adult patients, the significant convergent brain regions were the inferior frontal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, insula, putamen, claustrum, and medial globus pallidus. For middle-aged and older patients, the significant convergent brain regions were the ACC, the MFG, and the superior frontal gyrus. Conclusions This study revealed that abnormalities in the frontostriatal circuit were neuroimaging features common in StD patients across different ages. Additionally, unique different brain regions were identified between age groups. These findings elucidated the mechanisms of StD and provided a theoretical basis for its prevention and treatment.

Background Wood is a secondary xylem generated by vascular cambium. Vascular cambium activities mainly include cambium proliferation and vascular tissue formation through secondary growth, thereby producing new secondary phloem inward and secondary xylem outward and leading to continuous tree thickening and wood formation. Wood formation is a complex biological process, which is strictly regulated by multiple genes. Therefore, molecular level research on the vascular cambium of different tree ages can lead to the identification of both key and related genes involved in wood formation and further explain the molecular regulation mechanism of wood formation. Results In the present study, RNA-Seq and Pac-Bio Iso-Seq were used for profiling gene expression changes in Eucalyptus urophylla  ×  Eucalyptus grandis ( E. urograndis ) vascular cambium at four different ages. A total of 59,770 non-redundant transcripts and 1892 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. The expression trends of the DEGs related to cell division and differentiation, cell wall biosynthesis, phytohormone, and transcription factors were analyzed. The DEGs encoding expansin, kinesin, cycline, PAL, GRP9, KNOX, C2C2-dof, REV, etc., were highly expressed in E. urograndis at three years old, leading to positive effects on growth and development. Moreover, some gene family members, such as NAC , MYB , HD-ZIP III , RPK , and RAP , play different regulatory roles in wood formation because of their sophisticated transcriptional network and function redundantly. Conclusions These candidate genes are a potential resource to further study wood formation, especially in fast-growing and adaptable eucalyptus. The results may also serve as a basis for further research to unravel the molecular mechanism underlying wood formation.

Feather pecking (FP) in laying hens remains an important economic and welfare issue. This paper reviews the literature on causes of FP in laying hens. With the ban on conventional cages in the EU from 2012 and the expected future ban on beak trimming in many European countries, addressing this welfare issue has become more pressing than ever. The aim of this review paper is to provide a detailed overview of underlying principles of FP. FP is affected by many different factors and any approach to prevent or reduce FP in commercial flocks should acknowledge that fact and use a multifactorial approach to address this issue. Two forms of FP can be distinguished: gentle FP and severe FP. Severe FP causes the most welfare issues in commercial flocks. Severe FP is clearly related to feeding and foraging behaviour and its development seems to be enhanced in conditions where birds have difficulty in coping with environmental stressors. Stimulating feeding and foraging behaviour by providing high-fibre diets and suitable litter from an early age onwards, and controlling fear and stress levels through genetic selection, reducing maternal stress and improving the stockmanship skills of the farmer, together offer the best prospect for preventing or controlling FP.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and obesity are two serious public health problems. Although there have been some research on both, there have few studies on differences in obesity among MDD patients at different ages of onset. The study aims to evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with obesity in MDD patients at different ages of onset. This study totally recruited 1718 first-episode drug-naive MDD patients aged from 18 to 60 years. All subjects were divided into two subgroups: early adulthood onset (EAO, 18–45 years) and mid-adulthood onset (MAO, 45–60 years). Clinical symptoms of patients were evaluated using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) positive subscale. Baseline parameters including body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, and hematological biochemical parameters were assessed to investigate the association between these parameters and weight gain risk. The percentages of overweight and obesity patients with MDD in EAO group were 54.4% and 4.1%, respectively, and the percentages of overweight and obesity patients with MDD in MAO group were 60.4% and 2.8%, respectively. MDD patients in the MAO group had a longer duration of illness and higher scores in HAMD, HAMA, and PANSS positive subscale. They also had higher levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), anti-thyroglobulin (TgAb), fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP and DBP) levels. BMI did not differ significantly between the two groups. In the EAO group, statistically significant differences were found among normal weight, overweight and obese group in duration of illness, age of onset, TSH, TgAb, thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), free thyroxine (FT4), TC, triglycerides (TG), SBP and DBP. The TSH, TgTb and SBP were identified as risk factors for weight gain. In the MAO group, statistically significant differences were found among normal weight, overweight and obese group in TSH and FBG. The two indicators were identified as risk factors for weight gain. There were no significant differences in the weight of MDD patients at different ages of onset, while the factors that could potentially lead to obesity did show some differences.

To elucidate how seedling age affects shade adaptation mechanisms in Pinus yunnanensis , we conducted a light intensity experiment with 1- and 3-year-old seedlings under five light levels (100%, 80%, 45%, 30%, and 5% of full sunlight). We evaluated the root non-structural carbohydrates (NSC), carbon:nitrogen:phosphorus (C:N:P) stoichiometry, and biomass allocation using phenotypic plasticity indices and correlation analysis. Phenotypic plasticity analysis revealed distinct age-dependent strategies: 1-year-old seedlings prioritized root morphological features (biomass, surface area) and starch storage, whereas 3-year-old seedlings prioritized metabolic flexibility (soluble sugar/starch ratio, N/P balance). Correlation analyses further demonstrated age-specific resource allocation patterns; in 1-year-old seedlings, biomass was associated with the root C/P ratio and starch reserves, whereas in 3-year-old seedlings, growth was associated with soluble sugars and N metabolism. Investment in photosynthetic organs (needle biomass) was prioritized under shade in 1-year-old seedlings, which is consistent with the source-sink theory; however, the root C content of these seedlings was reduced, and their N uptake was enhanced to maintain chlorophyll synthesis. Conversely, survival was prioritized in 3-year-old seedlings by increasing the amount of structural C in roots and optimizing C:N:P stoichiometry (e.g., lower C/N ratio and higher N/P ratio), which is consistent with the C storage priority hypothesis. These findings highlight a developmental transition from growth-driven C allocation in young seedlings to survival-oriented stoichiometric adjustments in older seedlings, which provides important insights for silvicultural practices in heterogeneous light environments.

IntroductionThis study aimed to use the Mendelian randomization study method to verify the causal relationship between grip strength and bone mineral density (BMD) in different ages and different parts of the body.Materials and methodsThe analysis was based on pooled data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Hand grip strength (right) was used as the exposure variable and total body bone mineral density (BMD) of different age groups was used as the outcome variable. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms highly correlated with exposure variables were used as instrumental variables. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the primary analysis method, and the Mendelian randomization Egger (MR-Egger) regression and weighted median methods were used as supplementary evidence for the IVW results. Horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity tests were conducted to ensure the stability of the results.ResultsAnalyzing the GWAS data on osteoporosis as the outcome variable, the IVW analysis showed that osteoporosis risk was associated with decreased grip strength in the 45–60 age group and the risk of declining lumbar spine BMD was associated with decreased grip strength. However, there was no significant correlation between the risk of osteoporosis in other age groups and changes in grip strength.ConclusionA causal relationship exists between decreased grip strength and osteoporosis risk in people aged 45–60 years. The risk of BMD declining in the lumbar spine was associated with reduced grip strength.

To investigate differences in fresh leaves of tea plants at different ages in gene expression, metabolism, and dried tea quality, and to provide references to a deep exploration on metabolite differential accumulation of fresh leaves of tea plants at different ages as well as the regulation mechanism, two groups of fresh leaves from tea plants at different ages (group JP: 20-, 200-, and 1,200-year tea plants; group YX: 50-, 100-, and 400-year tea plants) were chosen as materials, and their differences in gene expression, metabolites, and metabolic regulatory network were investigated by transcriptomics and metabolomics. A total of 12,706 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened from the fresh tea leaves in the JP group, of which tea-20 vs. tea-200 had the largest number of DEGs, up to 9,041 (4,459 down-regulated genes, 4,582 up-regulated genes). A total of 644 common genes in the fresh leaves of three different ages of tea plants in the JP group were differentially expressed. A total of 8,971 DEGs were screened from the fresh leaf samples of tea plants in the YX group, of which the number of DEGs obtained in the tea-50 vs. tea-400 comparison combination was the largest with a total of 3,723 (1,722 up-regulated genes and 2,001 down-regulated genes). A total of 147 common genes were differentially expressed in the fresh leaves of three different tree ages in the YX group. The pathway enrichment analysis showed that most up-regulated DEGs and their related metabolic pathways were similar in the two groups, and that the metabolic pathways of common significant enrichment included flavonoid biosynthesis, phenylpropane biosynthesis, carbon metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, and plant pathogen interaction. The metabolomics results showed that 72 and 117 different metabolites were screened from the JP and YX groups, respectively. Most of the different metabolites in the two groups were flavonoids, phenolic acids, amino acids, and their derivatives. Among them, the number of down-regulated flavonoids in older tea plants is generally higher than the number of up-regulated flavonoids. Moreover, according to the sensory evaluation results of dried tea of fresh leaves from tea plants of different ages, tea-1200 and tea-400 showed the highest sensory evaluation scores in their groups. With increase in plant age, the fragrance of the tea was more elegant, and it changed from a dense scent to a faint scent; the tea tasted sweet and its freshness increased, while the sense of astringency was weakened and the concentration declined. Therefore, the quality difference of tea of different tree ages is mainly related to secondary metabolic pathways such as the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway. With increase in tea age, a large number of gene expression in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway is down-regulated, which reduces the content of bitter flavonoid substances in fresh leaves and makes tea soup more mellow.

Equity of urban medical services affects human health and well-being in cities and is important in building ‘just’ cities. We carried out a quantitative analysis of the spatial accessibility of medical services considering the diverse demands of people of different ages, using outpatient appointment big data and refining the two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method. We used the traditional 2SFCA method to evaluate the overall spatial accessibility of medical services of 504 communities in Xiamen city, considering the total population and the supply of medical resources. Approximately half the communities had good access to medical services. The communities with high accessibility were mainly on Xiamen Island, and those with low accessibility were further from the central city. The refined 2SFCA method showed a more diverse and complex spatial distribution of accessibility to medical services. Overall, 209 communities had high accessibility to internal medicine services, 133 to surgery services, 50 to gynecology and obstetrics services, and 18 to pediatric services. The traditional method may over-evaluate or under-evaluate the accessibility of different types of medical services for most communities compared with the refined evaluation method. Our study can provide more precise information on urban medical service spatial accessibility to support just city development and design.

Background The pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis ( L. stagnalis ), has served as a valuable model organism for neurobiology studies due to its simple and easily accessible central nervous system (CNS). L. stagnalis has been widely used to study neuronal networks and recently gained popularity for study of aging and neurodegenerative diseases. However, previous transcriptome studies of L. stagnalis CNS have been exclusively carried out on adult L. stagnalis only. As part of our ongoing effort studying L. stagnalis neuronal growth and connectivity at various developmental stages, we provide the first age-specific transcriptome analysis and gene annotation of young (3 months), adult (6 months), and old (18 months) L. stagnalis CNS. Results Using the above three age cohorts, our study generated 55–69 millions of 150 bp paired-end RNA sequencing reads using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform. Of these reads, ~ 74% were successfully mapped to the reference genome of L. stagnalis . Our reference-based transcriptome assembly predicted 42,478 gene loci, of which 37,661 genes encode coding sequences (CDS) of at least 100 codons. In addition, we provide gene annotations using Blast2GO and functional annotations using Pfam for ~ 95% of these sequences, contributing to the largest number of annotated genes in L. stagnalis CNS so far. Moreover, among 242 previously cloned L. stagnalis genes, we were able to match ~ 87% of them in our transcriptome assembly, indicating a high percentage of gene coverage. The expressional differences for innexins, FMRFamide, and molluscan insulin peptide genes were validated by real-time qPCR. Lastly, our transcriptomic analyses revealed distinct, age-specific gene clusters, differentially expressed genes, and enriched pathways in young, adult, and old CNS. More specifically, our data show significant changes in expression of critical genes involved in transcription factors, metabolisms (e.g. cytochrome P450), extracellular matrix constituent, and signaling receptor and transduction (e.g. receptors for acetylcholine, N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid, and serotonin), as well as stress- and disease-related genes in young compared to either adult or old snails. Conclusions Together, these datasets are the largest and most updated L. stagnalis CNS transcriptomes, which will serve as a resource for future molecular studies and functional annotation of transcripts and genes in L. stagnalis .

Background Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in the advanced world, and age is an important determinant of cardiac function. The purpose of the study is to determine whether the PM 2.5 -induced cardiac dysfunction is age-dependent and whether the adverse effects can be restored after PM 2.5 exposure withdrawal. Methods Female C57BL/6 mice at different ages (4-week-old, 4-month-old, and 10-month-old) received oropharyngeal aspiration of 3 mg/kg b.w. PM 2.5 every other day for 4 weeks. Then, 10-month-old and 4-week-old mice were exposed to PM 2.5 for 4 weeks and withdrawal PM 2.5 1 or 2 weeks. Heart rate and systolic blood pressure were measured using a tail-cuff system. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography. Left ventricles were processed for histology to assess myocardial fibrosis. ROS generation was detected by photocatalysis using 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFHDA). The expression of cardiac fibrosis markers (Col1a1, Col3a1) and possible signaling molecules, including NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX-4), transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1), and Smad3, were detected by qPCR and/ or Western blot. Results PM 2.5 exposure induced cardiac diastolic dysfunction of mice, elevated the heart rate and blood pressure, developed cardiac systolic dysfunction of 10-month-old mice, and caused fibrosis in both 4-week-old and 10-month-old mice. PM 2.5 exposure increased the expression of Col1a1, Col3a1, NOX-4, and TGFβ1, activated Smad3, and generated more reactive oxygen species in the myocardium of 4-week-old and 10-month-old mice. The withdrawal from PM 2.5 exposure restored blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac function, expression of collagens, and malonaldehyde (MDA) levels in hearts of both 10-month-old and 4-week-old mice. Conclusion Juvenile and older mice are more sensitive to PM 2.5 than adults and suffer from cardiac dysfunction. PM 2.5 exposure reversibly elevated heart rate and blood pressure, induced cardiac systolic dysfunction of older mice, and reversibly induced fibrosis in juvenile and older mice. The mechanism by which PM 2.5 exposure resulted in cardiac lesions might involve oxidative stress, NADPH oxidase, TGFβ1, and Smad-dependent pathways.