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‘Superarm’ helps male octopuses deliver sperm to females
Specialized appendage responds to female sex hormones, allowing males to find sex organs in the dark
Russia’s plan for ‘colossal’ science spending boost faces skepticism
Government pledges to more than triple research spending by 2030
Is the Parkinson's-associated protein TMEM175 a proton channel: Yay or nay?
The abnormal protein degradation implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease was previously attributed to defective H+ leakage from lysosomes via TMEM175 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2022.05.021). In this issue, Riederer et al. (https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202501145) demonstrate that TMEM175 is instead a K+ channel, minimally permeable to H+.
Who built a mysterious ancient city in western China?
DNA recovered from people buried at the site reveals surprises
A puzzling, 3.4-million-year-old fossil foot belonged to a contemporary of the famed Lucy
Identity of the toe bones and other fossils could shake up the human family tree
The association between body fat distribution and osteosarcopenia in older adults: evidence from the PoCOsteo study
CONCLUSION: Osteosarcopenia and its components (osteoporosis and sarcopenia) are inversely associated with BMI and fat mass, particularly in the trunk and android regions.
Gender Gap in Cancer-Free Life Expectancy in the United States: The Association With Smoking, Poor Diet, and Physical Inactivity
BackgroundWhile life expectancy has increased globally, chronic disease burdens remain high. Cancer, despite improved survival, remains a major cause of disability and the second leading cause of death. Though behavioral risks such as smoking, poor diet, and physical inactivity are linked to cancer, few studies examine their impact on cancer-free life expectancy and gender disparities.MethodsUsing U.S. Health and Retirement Study data (2004-2020) and a multistate model approach, we estimated...
Striving for purposeful autonomy: a qualitative method to enhance autonomy measurement in older adults
CONCLUSIONS: To effectively assess autonomy in older adults, the focus must be on life goals and insights from caregivers. Our future tool may address this gap in clinical practice by capturing these essential aspects, ultimately enhancing quality of life in older adults.
Examination of the healthy aging center data
CONCLUSION: Frailty, malnutrition, cognitive impairment, and depressive symptoms were frequent among community-dwelling very old adults, particularly women. These cross-sectional findings emphasize the need for multidisciplinary and gender-sensitive strategies within HACs to support functional independence and mental well-being. Longitudinal and multivariate studies are warranted to confirm these associations.
Defining successful program configurations in VA home-based primary care: a study protocol to identify key difference-makers through investigating cross-case heterogeneity in program implementation
BACKGROUND: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States and serves a rapidly aging patient population. The VA's Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) program is a home care model for older, complex, high-risk Veterans that provides comprehensive, longitudinal primary care delivered by an interdisciplinary team of VA staff, with plans for expansion by 2027. HBPC program implementation varies considerably across local sites and contexts....
Association between spouse health and cognitive function in older Chinese adults: a moderated mediation of frailty and activity engagement
CONCLUSION: This study shows a significant association between spousal health and cognitive function among older adults, with frailty serving as a fully mediator in this association. Crucially, activity engagement is associated with a weaker impact of frailty on cognitive abilities, with greater involvement linked to less pronounced cognitive decline. These findings emphasize the dual protective roles of a spouse's health and activity engagement in sustaining cognitive health.
Vision screening in older adults who attend hospital following a fall: a scoping review
CONCLUSIONS: The literature on vision screening in this population was sparse and there was heterogeneity in current practices, highlighting the need for standardised screening protocols. More research is needed to evaluate vision screening services in this population and to explore implementation barriers.
Multifactorial predictors of falls in older adults: a decade of data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study
CONCLUSIONS: This study presents a decade-spanning model that reflects the multifactorial nature of fall risk and the diversity of aging trajectories in the U.S., providing a foundation for more inclusive and personalized fall prevention strategies.
Translation, cultural adaptation, and Turkish validation of the tool 25-question geriatric locomotive function scale
CONCLUSIONS: The Turkish adaptation of GLFS-25 is a valid, reliable, and culturally appropriate tool for assessing locomotive dysfunction in Turkish older adults. Its strong psychometric properties and high correlation with functional mobility indicators suggest that it can be effectively integrated into geriatric healthcare and rehabilitation programs. Given the rapid aging of Turkey's population, this tool can support early detection, prevention strategies, and policy development to mitigate...
Explaining higher functional disability in women compared to men among older adults - the Singapore Chinese Health Study
CONCLUSION: Lower educational attainment, musculoskeletal conditions, and abdominal obesity may contribute to a higher likelihood of disability in women. Additionally, abdominal obesity, arthritis and cardiometabolic diseases showed stronger associations with functional disability in women than in men.
The prevalence and associated factors of perceived physical and mental fatigability among older adults in regional China
CONCLUSIONS: Perceived fatigability is prevalent among older adults and exhibits strong associations with age, educational level, alcohol drinking, PA, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and sleep quality in regional China. These findings suggested that fatigability is a public health problem among older adults in China and particular attention should be paid to burden caused by fatigability and its associated factors.
Swedish centenarian health - a nationwide, observational study on care utilization, drug use, morbidity, and mortality among Swedish centenarians in 1990 to 2022
CONCLUSION: Overall, the data suggest that the health status of Swedish centenarians has worsened over time. Although some of these changes may reflect improved diagnostics and increased drug prescriptions, it is likely that morbidity has also risen as a result of greater survival from disease at older ages.
Impact of free health check-ups on elderly healthcare utilization and health: a pooled cross-sectional study
CONCLUSION: The free health check-up program for the elderly was associated with a reduction in their medical use and an increase in their health, positioning it as a potential model for other countries grappling with an ageing populace. Despite free nature of the program, the increment in the health check-up utilization remains low among the elderly. Enhanced efforts to promote effective use and follow-up consultation are necessary.