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Dark energy, assumed to be a cosmological constant, varied over time, new data show

Unusual experiment suggests managed bees can outcompete wild bees and contribute to their decline

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope captures the afterglow of the Big Bang in unprecedented detail

Understanding the trajectory of in vivo locus coeruleus (LC) signal intensity across the adult lifespan and among various demographic groups, particularly during middle age, may be crucial for early detection of neurodegenerative diseases, which begin in the LC decades before symptom onset. Even though pathological changes in the LC are thought to begin in middle age, its characteristics across the adult lifespan, and its consistency and variation across demographic groups, remain not well...

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are important in maintaining tolerance and are key players in immunity. In aging, increased Treg function along with low-grade inflammation has been reported. This dichotomy of enhanced Treg function along with inflammation highlights the importance of understanding Treg biology and communication patterns in the very old. In this proof-of-concept study, we demonstrate that aged Tregs (85 years) do not significantly communicate with CD4^(+) and CD8^(+) T effectors when...

Neuronal mitochondrial function is critical for orchestrating inter-tissue communication essential for overall fitness. Despite its significance, the molecular mechanism underlying the impact of prolonged mitochondrial stresses on neuronal activity and how they orchestrate metabolism and aging remains elusive. Here, we identified the evolutionarily conserved transmembrane protein XBX-6/TMBIM-2 as a key mediator in the neuronal-to-intestinal mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt). Our...

The detrimental effects of lockdowns have already been proven by numerous studies, mainly using psychometric measurements. Since telomere shortening is a driver of aging and aging-associated disorders, including cognitive decline, the telomere length in the older population has been investigated in the current study. Measurements were taken over a 6-month period just before and during the 6 months that included the first lockdown. The cohort of 55 persons aged 64 to 70 years was investigated in...

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder characterized mainly by poor sleep quality and insufficient sleep duration. It affects a significant proportion of the global population and is correlated with physical and mental consequences such as cognitive decline, anxiety, chronic fatigue, poor concentration, and memory impairment. Interestingly, it is also linked to ageing and age-related diseases (cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative). On the other hand, as we age, DNA methylation patterns...

Aging is the risk factor for chronic pancreatitis and severity determinant for its acute attack, yet the underlying cause is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that senescent β-cells of endocrine pancreas decide the onset and severity of chronic and acute pancreatitis. During physiological aging, senescent β-cells increase the expression of miR-503-322 which is secreted as small extracellular vesicles to enter exocrine acinar cells, driving a causal and reversible role on aging-associated...

While most people contain Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, some individuals develop active disease, usually within two years of infection. Why immunity fails after initially controlling infection is unknown. C57BL/6 mice control Mycobacterium tuberculosis for up to a year but ultimately succumb to disease. We hypothesize that the development of CD4 T cell dysfunction permits bacterial recrudescence. We developed a reductionist model to assess antigen-specific T cells during chronic...

Changes in nuclear shape and in the spatial organization of chromosomes in the nucleus commonly occur in cancer, ageing and other clinical contexts that are characterized by increased DNA damage. However, the relationship between nuclear architecture, genome organization, chromosome stability and health remains poorly defined. Studies exploring the connections between the positioning and mobility of damaged DNA relative to various nuclear structures and genomic loci have revealed nuclear and...

CONCLUSIONS: An association between falls and depression was observed. Depressive symptoms were associated with an increased risk of falls, even after controlling for other co-factors. The CIT method leveraged us to select the most important variables to predict falls with great precision. To prevent and manage falls among the expanding and diverse older-aged population, a multilevel and cross-sectoral approach is required. Mental health, especially depression, should be dealt with greater...

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that excess weight may have a varying effect on cancer risk through life with its impact potentially being more pronounced in later adulthood, and that adulthood weight gain might be a better indicator of obesity-related cancer risk than BMI measured at a single point in time.