Phylogenomics of Brachystegia: Insights into the origin of African miombo woodlands.

PREMISE: Phylogenetic approaches can provide valuable insights on how and when a biome emerged and developed using its structuring species. In this context, Brachystegia Benth, a dominant genus of trees in miombo woodlands, appears as a key witness of the history of the largest woodland and savanna biome of Africa. METHODS: We reconstructed the evolutionary history of the genus using targeted-enrichment sequencing on 60 Brachystegia specimens for a nearly complete species sampling. Phylogenomic inferences used supermatrix (RAxML-NG) and summary-method (ASTRAL-III) approaches. Conflicts between species and gene trees were assessed, and the phylogeny was time-calibrated in BEAST. Introgression between species was explored using Phylonet. RESULTS: The phylogenies were globally congruent regardless of the method used. Most of the species were recovered as monophyletic, unlike previous plastid phylogenetic reconstructions where lineages were shared among geographically close individuals independently of species identity. Still, most of the individual gene trees had low levels of phylogenetic information and, when informative, were mostly in conflict with the reconstructed species trees. These results suggest incomplete lineage sorting and/or reticulate evolution, which was supported by network analyses. The BEAST analysis supported a Pliocene origin for current Brachystegia lineages, with most of the diversification events dated to the Pliocene-Pleistocene. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a recent origin of species of the miombo, congruently with their spatial expansion documented from plastid data. Brachystegia species appear to behave potentially as a syngameon, a group of interfertile but still relatively well-delineated species, an aspect that deserves further investigations.

The Influence of Separate and Combined Exercise and Foreign Language Acquisition on Learning and Cognition.

Aging contributes significantly to cognitive decline. Aerobic exercise (AE) has been shown to induce substantial neuroplasticity changes, enhancing cognitive and brain health. Likewise, recent research underscores the cognitive benefits of foreign language learning (FLL), indicating improvements in brain structure and function across age groups. However, the lack of a comprehensive paradigm integrating language learning with exercise limits research on combined effects in older adults. In order to address this gap, we devised a novel approach using a virtual world tourism scenario for auditory-based language learning combined with aerobic cycling. Our study examines the impact of simultaneous AE and FLL integration on cognitive and language learning outcomes compared to FLL alone. A total of 20 older adults were randomly assigned to AE + FLL and FLL-only groups. The results revealed significantly improved Spanish language learning outcomes in both combined and language learning-only groups. Additionally, significant cognitive function improvement was observed in the FLL group following short-term language learning.

CarcassFormer: an end-to-end transformer-based framework for simultaneous localization, segmentation and classification of poultry carcass defect.

In the food industry, assessing the quality of poultry carcasses during processing is a crucial step. This study proposes an effective approach for automating the assessment of carcass quality without requiring skilled labor or inspector involvement. The proposed system is based on machine learning (ML) and computer vision (CV) techniques, enabling automated defect detection and carcass quality assessment. To this end, an end-to-end framework called CarcassFormer is introduced. It is built upon a Transformer-based architecture designed to effectively extract visual representations while simultaneously detecting, segmenting, and classifying poultry carcass defects. Our proposed framework is capable of analyzing imperfections resulting from production and transport welfare issues, as well as processing plant stunner, scalder, picker, and other equipment malfunctions. To benchmark the framework, a dataset of 7,321 images was initially acquired, which contained both single and multiple carcasses per image. In this study, the performance of the CarcassFormer system is compared with other state-of-the-art (SOTA) approaches for both classification, detection, and segmentation tasks. Through extensive quantitative experiments, our framework consistently outperforms existing methods, demonstrating re- markable improvements across various evaluation metrics such as AP, AP@50, and AP@75. Furthermore, the qualitative results highlight the strengths of CarcassFormer in capturing fine details, including feathers, and accurately localizing and segmenting carcasses with high precision. To facilitate further research and collaboration, the source code and trained models will be made publicly available upon acceptance.

Polyester degradation by soil bacteria: identification of conserved BHETase enzymes in Streptomyces.

The rising use of plastic results in an appalling amount of waste which is scattered into the environment. One of these plastics is PET which is mainly used for bottles. We have identified and characterized an esterase from Streptomyces, annotated as LipA, which can efficiently degrade the PET-derived oligomer BHET. The Streptomyces coelicolor ScLipA enzyme exhibits varying sequence similarity to several BHETase/PETase enzymes, including IsPETase, TfCut2, LCC, PET40 and PET46. Of 96 Streptomyces strains, 18% were able to degrade BHET via one of three variants of LipA, named ScLipA, S2LipA and S92LipA. SclipA was deleted from S. coelicolor resulting in reduced BHET degradation. Overexpression of all LipA variants significantly enhanced BHET degradation. All variants were expressed in E. coli for purification and biochemical analysis. The optimum conditions were determined as pH 7 and 25 °C for all variants. The activity on BHET and amorphous PET film was investigated. S2LipA efficiently degraded BHET and caused roughening and indents on the surface of PET films, comparable to the activity of previously described TfCut2 under the same conditions. The abundance of the S2LipA variant in Streptomyces suggests an environmental advantage towards the degradation of more polar substrates including these polluting plastics.

High-Resolution Fluorespirometry to Assess Dynamic Changes in Mitochondrial Membrane Potential in Human Immune Cells.

Peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMCs) exhibit robust changes in mitochondrial respiratory capacity in response to health and disease. While these changes do not always reflect what occurs in other tissues, such as skeletal muscle, these cells are an accessible and valuable source of viable mitochondria from human subjects. PBMCs are exposed to systemic signals that impact their bioenergetic state. Thus, expanding our tools to interrogate mitochondrial metabolism in this population will elucidate mechanisms related to disease progression. Functional assays of mitochondria are often limited to using respiratory outputs following maximal substrate, inhibitor, and uncoupler concentrations to determine the full range of respiratory capacity, which may not be achievable in vivo. The conversion of adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by ATP-synthase results in a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (mMP) and an increase in oxygen consumption. To provide a more integrated analysis of mitochondrial dynamics, this article describes the use of high-resolution fluorespirometry to measure the simultaneous response of oxygen consumption and mitochondrial membrane potential (mMP) to physiologically relevant concentrations of ADP. This technique uses tetramethylrhodamine methylester (TMRM) to measure mMP polarization in response to ADP titrations following maximal hyperpolarization with complex I and II substrates. This technique can be used to quantify how changes in health status, such as aging and metabolic disease, affect the sensitivity of mitochondrial response to energy demand in PBMCs, T-cells, and monocytes from human subjects.

Human dopaminergic system in the exercise-cognition link.

While the dopaminergic system is important for cognitive processes, it is also sensitive to the influence of physical activity (PA). We summarize current evidence on whether PA-related changes in the human dopaminergic system are associated with alterations in cognitive performance, discuss recent advances, and highlight challenges and opportunities for future research.

Physical exercise, cognition, and brain health in aging.

Exercise training is an important strategy to counteract cognitive and brain health decline during aging. Evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses supports the notion of beneficial effects of exercise in cognitively unimpaired and impaired older individuals. However, the effects are often modest, and likely influenced by moderators such as exercise training parameters, sample characteristics, outcome assessments, and control conditions. Here, we discuss evidence on the impact of exercise on cognitive and brain health outcomes in healthy aging and in individuals with or at risk for cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration. We also review neuroplastic adaptations in response to exercise and their potential neurobiological mechanisms. We conclude by highlighting goals for future studies, including addressing unexplored neurobiological mechanisms and the inclusion of under-represented populations.

Associations of meeting 24-hour movement behavior guidelines with social and emotional function in youth with ASD/ADHD.

BACKGROUND: The 24-hour movement behavior (24-HMB) guidelines recommend that children and adolescents (youth) should limit screen time (ST), get an adequate amount of sleep (SL), and engage in sufficient physical activity (PA) to ensure health and healthy development. Meeting 24-HMB guidelines is associated with positive mental health outcomes (e.g., social and emotional function) in the general population. However, it is unclear whether such findings extend to youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Thus, we examined associations of meeting 24-HMB guidelines with social and emotional function in youth with comorbid ASD/ADHD. METHODS: Data from the 2020-2021 National Survey of Children's Health - a U.S. national, population-based, cross-sectional study - were used. We extracted and analyzed data on youth (aged between 6 and 17 years) diagnosed with comorbidity of ASD/ADHD. Data on movement behaviors (PA, ST, and SL) and specific outcome variables (social function and emotional function) were collected through caregiver-proxy reports. Logistic regressions were performed to examine the associations between meeting 24-HMB guidelines and social and emotional outcomes adjusting for covariates (e.g., age, sex, ethnicity, weight status, birth status, socio-economic status, and receiving medication/behavioral treatment). RESULTS: Among 979 children and adolescents with comorbid ASD/ADHD, only 3.8 % met all three 24-HMB guidelines. In total, 45.0 % of participants met at least one guideline, and 25.5 % of those met at least two guidelines. Compared to those who did not meet any 24-HMB guidelines, meeting SL + ST guidelines was significantly associated with lower odds of poorer social function (being bullied: OR = 0.3, 95%CI [0.1-0.7]; arguing: OR = 0.2, 95%CI[0.1-0.4]). Furthermore, meeting PA + ST + SL guidelines was associated with lower odds of poorer emotional function (depression: OR = 0.5, 95%CI[0.3-0.7]). CONCLUSION: Meeting 24-HMB guidelines was associated with better social and emotional function in U.S. youth with comorbid ASD/ADHD; however, currently very few with comorbid ASD/ADHD meet all 24-HMB guidelines. These results emphasize the importance of promoting adherence to the 24-HMB guidelines among youth facing the challenges of comorbid ASD/ADHD. These cross-sectional findings point to the need for further empirical evidence from longitudinal studies to support our conclusions.

Intracellular Oxygen Transient Quantification in Vivo During Ultra-High Dose Rate FLASH Radiation Therapy.

PURPOSE: Large, rapid extracellular oxygen transients (ΔpO2) have been measured in vivo during ultra-high dose rate radiation therapy; however, it has been unclear if they match intracellular oxygen levels. Here, the endogenously produced protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) delayed fluorescence signal was measured as an intracellular in-vivo oxygen sensor to quantify these transients, with direct comparison to extracellular pO2. Intracellular ΔpO2 is closer to the cellular DNA, the site of major radiobiological damage, and therefore should help elucidate radiochemical mechanisms of the FLASH effect and potentially be translated to human tissue measurement. METHODS AND MATERIALS: PpIX was induced in mouse skin through intraperitoneal injection of 250 mg/kg of aminolevulinic acid. The animals were also administered a 50 µL intradermal injection of 10 µM oxyphor G4 (PdG4) for phosphorescence lifetime pO2 measurement. Paired oxygen transients were quantified in leg or flank tissues while delivering 10 MeV electrons in 3 µs pulses at 360 Hz for a total dose of 10 to 28 Gy. RESULTS: Transient reductions in pO2 were quantifiable in both PpIX delayed fluorescence and oxyphor phosphorescence, corresponding to intracellular and extracellular pO2 values, respectively. Reponses were quantified for 10, 22, and 28 Gy doses, with ΔpO2 found to be proportional to the dose on average. The ΔpO2 values were dependent on initial pO2 in a logistic function. The average and standard deviations in ΔpO2 per dose were 0.56 ± 0.18 mm Hg/Gy and 0.43 ± 0.06 mm Hg/Gy for PpIX and oxyphor, respectively, for initial pO2 > 20 mm Hg. Although there was large variability in the individual animal measurements of ΔpO2, the average values demonstrated a direct and proportional correlation between intracellular and extracellular pO2 changes, following a linear 1:1 relationship. CONCLUSIONS: A fundamentally new approach to measuring intracellular oxygen depletion in living tissue showed that ΔpO2 transients seen during ultra-high dose rate radiation therapy matched those quantified using extracellular oxygen measurement. This approach could be translated to humans to quantify intracellular ΔpO2. The measurement of these transients could potentially allow the estimation of intracellular reactive oxygen species production.

Anesthetic Oxygen Use and Sex Are Critical Factors in the FLASH Sparing Effect.

Purpose: Ultra High Dose-Rate (UHDR) radiation has been reported to spare normal tissue, compared with Conventional Dose-Rate (CDR) radiation. However, important work remains to be done to improve the reproducibility of the FLASH effect. A better understanding of the biologic factors that modulate the FLASH effect may shed light on the mechanism of FLASH sparing. Here, we evaluated whether sex and/or the use of 100% oxygen as a carrier gas during irradiation contribute to the variability of the FLASH effect. Methods and Materials: C57BL/6 mice (24 male, 24 female) were anesthetized using isoflurane mixed with either room air or 100% oxygen. Subsequently, the mice received 27 Gy of either 9 MeV electron UHDR or CDR to a 1.6 cm2 diameter area of the right leg skin using the Mobetron linear accelerator. The primary postradiation endpoint was time to full thickness skin ulceration. In a separate cohort of mice (4 male, 4 female), skin oxygenation was measured using PdG4 Oxyphor under identical anesthesia conditions. Results: Neither supplemental oxygen nor sex affected time to ulceration in CDR irradiated mice. In the UHDR group, skin damage occured earlier in male and female mice that received 100% oxygen compared room air and female mice ulcerated sooner than male mice. However, there was no significant difference in time to ulceration between male and female UHDR mice that received room air. Oxygen measurements showed that tissue oxygenation was significantly higher when using 100% oxygen as the anesthesia carrier gas than when using room air, and female mice showed higher levels of tissue oxygenation than male mice under 100% oxygen. Conclusions: The skin FLASH sparing effect is significantly reduced when using oxygen during anesthesia rather than room air. FLASH sparing was also reduced in female mice compared to male mice. Both tissue oxygenation and sex are likely sources of variability in UHDR studies. These results suggest an oxygen-based mechanism for FLASH, as well as a key role for sex in the FLASH skin sparing effect.

The Benefits of Acute Exercise for Children's Cognition are Associated with Trait Anxiety.

INTRODUCTION: Children's anxiety is associated with decreased cognitive performance. One well-established behavioral intervention to transiently improve cognitive performance in children is acute aerobic exercise (AAE). Thus far, however, it is unclear whether the benefits of AAE on cognition vary based on individual differences in children's anxiety level. Therefore, we investigated whether trait anxiety levels mediate the effects of AAE on cognitive outcomes in preadolescent children. METHODS: Ninety-five preadolescent children (9-11 years, 41 females) underwent two experimental interventions in a random, crossover, and counterbalanced design: an exercise protocol (20 minutes of walking at 65-75% of HRpeak) and a non-exercise control (seated rest). Behavioral indices of cognitive performance (accuracy, reaction times, response time variability) were assessed before and after each intervention using a modified flanker task. The effects of each intervention on cognitive performance were calculated as pre- to post-intervention differences (effect scores). These scores were first correlated with children's personal characteristics: anxiety (STAIC), sex, age, BMI, IQ, and aerobic fitness. Significant correlations guided subsequent hierarchical regression models, which specifically tested for associations between the effects scores and anxiety levels while controlling for remaining relevant covariates. RESULTS: Regression analysis revealed that anxiety was a significant predictor of the effects that AAE and rest had on cognitive performance. Specifically, higher anxiety scores were associated with greater exercise-induced cognitive benefits (increased accuracy, decreased response time variability; p's < 0.05) and greater rest-induced cognitive impairments (decreased accuracy, increased response time variability; p's < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that children reporting higher trait anxiety might experience greater cognitive benefits from a single bout of AAE.

Enhanced surface colonisation and competition during bacterial adaptation to a fungus.

Bacterial-fungal interactions influence microbial community performance of most ecosystems and elicit specific microbial behaviours, including stimulating specialised metabolite production. Here, we use a co-culture experimental evolution approach to investigate bacterial adaptation to the presence of a fungus, using a simple model of bacterial-fungal interactions encompassing the bacterium Bacillus subtilis and the fungus Aspergillus niger. We find in one evolving population that B. subtilis was selected for enhanced production of the lipopeptide surfactin and accelerated surface spreading ability, leading to inhibition of fungal expansion and acidification of the environment. These phenotypes were explained by specific mutations in the DegS-DegU two-component system. In the presence of surfactin, fungal hyphae exhibited bulging cells with delocalised secretory vesicles possibly provoking an RlmA-dependent cell wall stress. Thus, our results indicate that the presence of the fungus selects for increased surfactin production, which inhibits fungal growth and facilitates the competitive success of the bacterium.

Testing the structural disconnection hypothesis: Myelin content correlates with memory in healthy aging.

INTRODUCTION: The "structural disconnection" hypothesis of cognitive aging suggests that deterioration of white matter (WM), especially myelin, results in cognitive decline, yet in vivo evidence is inconclusive. METHODS: We examined age differences in WM microstructure using Myelin Water Imaging and Diffusion Tensor Imaging in 141 healthy participants (age 20-79). We used the Virginia Cognitive Aging Project and the NIH Toolbox® to generate composites for memory, processing speed, and executive function. RESULTS: Voxel-wise analyses showed that lower myelin water fraction (MWF), predominantly in prefrontal WM, genu of the corpus callosum, and posterior limb of the internal capsule was associated with reduced memory performance after controlling for age, sex, and education. In structural equation modeling, MWF in the prefrontal white matter and genu of the corpus callosum significantly mediated the effect of age on memory, whereas fractional anisotropy (FA) did not. DISCUSSION: Our findings support the disconnection hypothesis, showing that myelin decline contributes to age-related memory loss and opens avenues for interventions targeting myelin health.

The Association of the 24-Hour Activity Cycle Profiles With Cognition in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: The relationship of cognition and the 24-h activity cycle (24-HAC), encompassing physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep, in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains uncertain. Distinct combinations of 24-HAC behaviors can characterize unique activity profiles and influence cognition. We aimed to characterize 24-HAC activity profiles in older adults with MCI and assess whether differences in cognition exist across profiles. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis utilizing baseline data from 3 randomized controlled trials involving 253 community-dwelling older adults (55 + years) with MCI (no functional impairment, dementia diagnosis, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment score <26/30). Using MotionWatch8© wrist-worn actigraphy (+5 days), we captured the 24-HAC. Cognition was indexed by the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale Cognitive Plus (ADAS-Cog-Plus). Compositional data and latent profile analyses identified distinct 24-HAC activity profiles. Analysis of covariance examined whether 24-HAC activity profiles differed in cognition. RESULTS: Four distinct activity profiles were identified. Profile 1 ("Average 24-HAC," n = 103) engaged in all 24-HAC behaviors around the sample average. Profile 2 ("Active Chillers," n = 70) depicted lower-than-average engagement in physical activity and higher-than-average sedentary behavior. Profile 3 ("Physical Activity Masters," n = 54) were the most active and the least sedentary. Profile 4 ("Sedentary Savants," n = 26) were the least active and the most sedentary. Sleep was similar across profiles. There were no significant differences in ADAS-Cog-Plus scores between 24-HAC activity profiles (p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Older adults with MCI exhibited four 24-HAC activity profiles conforming to recommended physical activity and sleep guidelines. Nonetheless, cognition was similar across these profiles.

Genetic analysis of feed efficiency and novel feeding behavior traits measured in group-housed broilers using electronic feeders.

This study aimed to estimate genetic parameters for feeding behavior (FB) traits and to assess their genetic relationship with performance traits in group-housed broilers. In total, 99,472,151 visits were recorded for 95,711 birds between 2017 and 2022 using electronic feeders. The visits were first clustered into 2,667,617 daily observations for ten FB traits: daily feed intake (DFI), daily number of visits (NVIS), time spent at the feeders (TSF), number of visited feeders (NVF), visiting activity interval (VAI), feeding rate (FR), daily number of meals (NMEAL), average intake per meal (INTMEAL), number of visits per meal (VISMEAL) and interval between meals (MEALIVL). All FB traits were then considered as the average per bird across the feeding test period. Three growth traits (body weight at the start - SBW and at the end of the feeding test - FBW, and weight gain over the test period - BWG), and 2 feed efficiency (FE) traits (Feed Conversion Rate - FCR and Residual Feed Intake - RFI) were also recorded. The (co)variance components were estimated using multitrait animal mixed models. For growth and FE, the heritability (h2) estimates were moderate, ranging from 0.20 ± 0.01 (BWG) to 0.32 ± 0.02 (RFI). Overall, the h2 estimates for FB traits were higher than for productive traits, ranging from 0.31 ± 0.01 (DFI) to 0.56 ± 0.02 (TSF). DFI presented high genetic correlations (0.53-0.86) with all performance traits. Conversely, the remaining FB traits presented null to moderate genetic correlations with these traits, ranging from -0.38 to 0.42 for growth traits and between -0.14 and 0.25 for FE traits. Genetic selection for favorable feeding behavior is expected to exhibit a fast genetic response. The results suggest that it is possible to consider different feeding strategies without compromising the genetic progress of FE. Conversely, breeding strategies prioritizing a higher bird activity might result in lighter broiler lines in the long term, given the negative genetic correlations between visit-related traits (NV, NVF, and NMEAL) and growth traits (SBW and FBW).

Protoplast-mediated transformation of Madurella mycetomatis using hygromycin resistance as a selection marker.

Madurella mycetomatis is the main cause of mycetoma, a chronic granulomatous infection for which currently no adequate therapy is available. To improve therapy, more knowledge on a molecular level is required to understand how M. mycetomatis is able to cause this disease. However, the genetic toolbox for M. mycetomatis is limited. To date, no method is available to genetically modify M. mycetomatis. In this paper, a protoplast-mediated transformation protocol was successfully developed for this fungal species, using hygromycin as a selection marker. Furthermore, using this method, a cytoplasmic-GFP-expressing M. mycetomatis strain was created. The reported methodology will be invaluable to explore the pathogenicity of M. mycetomatis and to develop reporter strains which can be useful in drug discovery as well as in genetic studies.

Terminologica Anatomica2: are we working toward achieving a unified consensus based anatomical terminology?

This paper focuses on the authors perspectives of the terminology developed by the Gross and Clinical Anatomy Working Group for Terminologica Anatomica2. Terminologica Anatomica2 represents a great deal of work by the Gross and Clinical Anatomy Working Group of the Federative International Program for Anatomical Terminology. Listing of synonyms and eponyms can be of great utility in terms of historical translation. However, the initial goal of achieving an international standard for anatomical terminology derived through a scholarly, consensus based process has been lost in Terminologica Anatomica2 as it provides a variety of choices that can be used to name a particular structure, in contrast to Terminologica Anatomica1 where preferred terminology is explicitly stated.

The complex associations between adiposity, fitness, mental wellbeing and neurocognitive function after exercise: A randomized crossover trial in preadolescent children.

The aim of the present study was to examine the associations of adiposity and fitness on the preadolescent brain's response to acute exercise. In a sample of 58 children (ages 8-10; 19 females), demographic measures of age, sex, IQ, puberty, and socioeconomic status were considered. Children participated in a randomized crossover study, whereby they completed two different interventions; seated rest or treadmill walking, counterbalanced across participants. Associations between adiposity measures (standardized body mass index [BMI-Z], whole body percent fat [%Fat], visceral adipose tissue [VAT]), cardiorespiratory fitness measures (VO2max and Fat-Free VO2) were assessed on self-reported measures of mental wellbeing, and cognitive performance (response accuracy, reaction time) and neuroelectric (P3 amplitude and latency) indices of a Go/NoGo task following both exercise and rest interventions. Higher adiposity (whole-body percent fat, BMI-Z) was associated with higher trait anxiety (P's≤0.05) and disordered eating (P's≤0.05) scores. Higher fitness (VO2max) was associated with lower childhood depression scores (P=0.02). Regression analyses yielded specific post-exercise neurocognitive associations with adiposity-related (VAT, BMI-Z), and fitness-related (FF-VO2) outcomes, after controlling for post-rest neurocognitive outcomes. VAT was positively associated with post-exercise P3 ERP Latency for the Go task (P≤0.001); BMI-Z was negatively associated with P3 ERP amplitudes for the Go task (P's≤0.005); FF-VO2 was negatively associated with P3 ERP latency for the Go/NoGo task (P's≤0.05), and positively associated with NoGo task accuracy (P≤0.001). Overall, adiposity and fat-free fitness measures yield sensitive and differential associations with neurocognitive performance after exercise and after rest interventions.

Associations of meeting 24-hour movement behavior guidelines with prescribed eyeglasses/contact lenses among children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Vision health is crucial for many aspects of life especially in developing populations such as children and adolescents. However, there is a high proportion of children and adolescents who suffer from visual impairments. Notably, accumulating evidence indicates that meeting the 24-hour movement behaviors (24-HMB) guidelines is associated with positive physical and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents. However, the relationship between being prescribed eyeglasses/contact lenses and meeting the 24-HMB guidelines has yet to be investigated. Thus, this study aimed to address this gap in the existing literature by using the 2021 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) dataset. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, data was retrieved from the 2021 NSCH. A total of 14,193 U.S. children and adolescents aged between 6 and 17 years were included for data analyses. We used items of the NSCH concerning the 24-HMB guidelines (i.e., physical activity, screen time, and sleep duration) and prescription of eyeglasses/contact lenses that were answered by the legal guardian of the children. Binary logistic regression was performed to investigate whether meeting the 24-HMB guidelines is associated with prescription eyeglasses/contact lenses and whether wearing eyeglasses/contact lenses predicts adherence to the 24-HMB guidelines among children and adolescents. RESULTS: More than half of the participants (59.53%) wore eyeglasses/contact lenses and only 8.40% of them met all three of the 24-HMB guidelines. Compared to meeting none of the 24-HMB guidelines, meeting one (OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.62-0.93, p = 0.008), two (OR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.43-0.67, p < 0.001), and all three 24-HMB guidelines (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.34-0.64, p < 0.001) were associated with a lower risk of being prescribed eyeglasses/contact lenses among children and adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the current study provided evidence that the prevalence of U.S. children and adolescents aged between 6 and 17 years who wore eyeglasses/contact lenses was relatively high. Furthermore, meeting the 24-HMB guidelines was associated with a lower risk of being prescribed eyeglasses/contact lenses. Future studies focusing on the effects of 24-HMB interventions on vision health among children and adolescents are needed to better inform public health actions.

Physical activity-related individual differences in functional human connectome are linked to fluid intelligence in older adults.

The study examined resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC) associated with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MV-PA), sedentary time (ST), TV viewing, computer use, and their relationship to cognitive performance in older adults. We used pre-intervention data from 119 participants from the Fit & Active Seniors trial. Multivariate pattern analysis revealed two seeds associated with MV-PA: right superior frontal gyrus (SFG; spanning frontoparietal [FPN] and ventral attention networks [VAN]) and right precentral (PrG) and postcentral gyri (PoG) of the somatosensory network (SN). A positive correlation between the right SFG seed and a cluster spanning default mode (DMN), dorsal attention (DAN), FPN, and visual networks (VIS) was linked to higher fluid intelligence, as was FC between the right PrG/PoG seed and a cluster in VIS. No significant rs-FC patterns associated with ST, TV viewing, or computer use were found. Our findings suggest that greater functional integration within networks implementing top-down control and within those supporting visuospatial abilities, paired with segregation between networks critical and those not critical to top-down control, may help promote cognitive reserve in more physically active seniors.