Instrumental activities of daily living function and cognitive status among Chinese older adults: a serial multiple mediation model

ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop and validate a serial multiple mediation model to investigate the association between instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) function and cognitive status among older adults while exploring the underlying mechanisms.MethodsThis cross-sectional study involved 3,665 individuals aged 60 years and older who participated in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS). A serial multiple mediation model was utilized to explore the direct and indirect relationship between IADL function and cognitive status and whether sleep duration, social engagement, and depressive symptoms mediated this relationship.ResultsDecreased IADL function was associated with worse cognitive status [effect = −0.620, 95% CI: (−0.692, −0.540)]. Sleep duration, social participation (SP), and depressive symptoms all acted as mediators in the relationship between IADL function and cognitive status.ConclusionThis study found both direct and indirect associations between IADL function and cognitive status, providing new insights into the effective prevention and intervention of cognitive decline among older adults

NV Energy Solar Integration Study: Cycling and Movements of Conventional Generators for Balancing Services

With an increasing penetration level of solar power in the southern Nevada system, the impact of solar on system operations needs to be carefully studied from various perspectives. Qualitatively, it is expected that the balancing requirements to compensate for solar power variability will be larger in magnitude; meanwhile, generators providing load following and regulation services will be moved up or down more frequently. One of the most important tasks is to quantitatively evaluate the cycling and movements of conventional generators with solar power at different penetration levels. This study is focused on developing effective methodologies for this goal and providing a basis for evaluating the wear and tear of the conventional generator

Calculated Epithelial/Absorbed Power Density for Exposure from Antennas at 10–90 GHz: Intercomparison Study Using a Planar Skin Model

International audienceInternational organizations have collaborated to revise standards and guidelines for human protection from exposure to electromagnetic fields. In the frequency range of 6-300 GHz, the permissible spatially averaged epithelial/absorbed power density, which is primarily derived from thermal modeling, is considered as the basic restriction. However, for the averaging methods of the epithelial/absorbed power density inside human tissues, only a few groups have presented calculated results obtained using different exposure conditions and numerical methods. Because experimental validation is extremely difficult in this frequency range, this paper presents the first intercomparison study of the calculated epithelial/absorbed power density inside a human body model exposed to different frequency sources ranging from 10-90 GHz. This intercomparison aims to clarify the difference in the calculated results caused by different numerical electromagnetic methods in dosimetry analysis from 11 research groups using planar skin models. To reduce the comparison variances caused by various key parameters, computational conditions (e.g., the antenna type, dimensions, and dielectric properties of the skin models) were unified. The results indicate that the maximum relative standard deviation (RSD) of the peak spatially averaged epithelial/absorbed power densities for one- and three-layer skin models are less than 17.49% and 17.39%, respectively, when using a dipole antenna as the exposure source. For the dipole array antenna, the corresponding maximum RSD increases to 32.49% and 42.55%, respectively. Under the considered exposure scenarios, the RSD in the spatially averaged epithelial/absorbed power densities decrease from 42.55% to 16.7% when the frequency is increased from 10-90 GHz. Furthermore, the deviation from the two equations recommended by the exposure guidelines for deriving the spatially averaged epithelial/absorptive power density is mostly within 1 dB. The fair agreement in the intercomparison results demonstrates that the variances of the spatially averaged epithelial/absorbed power densities calculated using planar skin models are marginal

The discovery of Halictivirus resolves the Sinaivirus phylogeny.

By providing pollination services, bees are among the most important insects, both in ecological and economical terms. Combined next-generation and classical sequencing approaches were applied to discover and study new insect viruses potentially harmful to bees. A bioinformatics virus discovery pipeline was used on individual Illumina transcriptomes of 13 wild bees from three species from the genus Halictus and 30 ants from six species of the genera Messor and Aphaenogaster. This allowed the discovery and description of three sequences of a new virus termed Halictus scabiosae Adlikon virus (HsAV). Phylogenetic analyses of ORF1, RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase (RdRp) and capsid genes showed that HsAV is closely related to (+)ssRNA viruses of the unassigned Sinaivirus genus but distant enough to belong to a different new genus we called Halictivirus. In addition, our study of ant transcriptomes revealed the first four sinaivirus sequences from ants (Messor barbarus, M. capitatus and M. concolor). Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses were performed on a 594 nt fragment of the ORF1/RdRp region from 84 sinaivirus sequences, including 31 new Lake Sinai viruses (LSVs) from honey bees collected in five countries across the globe and the four ant viral sequences. The phylogeny revealed four main clades potentially representing different viral species infecting honey bees. Moreover, the ant viruses belonged to the LSV4 clade, suggesting a possible cross-species transmission between bees and ants. Lastly, wide honey bee screening showed that all four LSV clades have worldwide distributions with no obvious geographical segregation

Sound-localization-related activation and functional connectivity of dorsal auditory pathway in relation to demographic, cognitive, and behavioral characteristics in age-related hearing loss

BackgroundPatients with age-related hearing loss (ARHL) often struggle with tracking and locating sound sources, but the neural signature associated with these impairments remains unclear.Materials and methodsUsing a passive listening task with stimuli from five different horizontal directions in functional magnetic resonance imaging, we defined functional regions of interest (ROIs) of the auditory “where” pathway based on the data of previous literatures and young normal hearing listeners (n = 20). Then, we investigated associations of the demographic, cognitive, and behavioral features of sound localization with task-based activation and connectivity of the ROIs in ARHL patients (n = 22).ResultsWe found that the increased high-level region activation, such as the premotor cortex and inferior parietal lobule, was associated with increased localization accuracy and cognitive function. Moreover, increased connectivity between the left planum temporale and left superior frontal gyrus was associated with increased localization accuracy in ARHL. Increased connectivity between right primary auditory cortex and right middle temporal gyrus, right premotor cortex and left anterior cingulate cortex, and right planum temporale and left lingual gyrus in ARHL was associated with decreased localization accuracy. Among the ARHL patients, the task-dependent brain activation and connectivity of certain ROIs were associated with education, hearing loss duration, and cognitive function.ConclusionConsistent with the sensory deprivation hypothesis, in ARHL, sound source identification, which requires advanced processing in the high-level cortex, is impaired, whereas the right–left discrimination, which relies on the primary sensory cortex, is compensated with a tendency to recruit more resources concerning cognition and attention to the auditory sensory cortex. Overall, this study expanded our understanding of the neural mechanisms contributing to sound localization deficits associated with ARHL and may serve as a potential imaging biomarker for investigating and predicting anomalous sound localization

PIAS1 regulates CP2c localization and active promoter complex formation in erythroid cell-specific α-globin expression

Data presented here extends our previous observations on α-globin transcriptional regulation by the CP2 and PIAS1 proteins. Using RNAi knockdown, we have now shown that CP2b, CP2c and PIAS1 are each necessary for synergistic activation of endogenous α-globin gene expression in differentiating MEL cells. In this system, truncated PIAS1 mutants lacking the ring finger domain recruited CP2c to the nucleus, as did wild-type PIAS1, demonstrating that this is a sumoylation-independent process. In vitro, recombinant CP2c, CP2b and PIAS1 bound DNA as a stable CBP (CP2c/CP2b/PIAS1) complex. Following PIAS1 knockdown in MEL cells, however, the association of endogenous CP2c and CP2b with the α-globin promoter simultaneously decreased. By mapping the CP2b- and CP2c-binding domains on PIAS1, and the PIAS1-binding domains on CP2b and CP2c, we found that two regions of PIAS1 that interact with CP2c/CP2b are required for its co-activator function. We propose that CP2c, CP2b, and PIAS1 form a hexametric complex with two units each of CP2c, CP2b, and PIAS1, in which PIAS1 serves as a clamp between two CP2 proteins, while CP2c binds directly to the target DNA and CP2b mediates strong transactivation

Capacity Value of PV and Wind Generation in the NV Energy System

Calculation of photovoltaic (PV) and wind power capacity values is important for estimating additional load that can be served by new PV or wind installations in the electrical power system. It also is the basis for assigning capacity credit payments in systems with markets. Because of variability in solar and wind resources, PV and wind generation contribute to power system resource adequacy differently from conventional generation. Many different approaches to calculating PV and wind generation capacity values have been used by utilities and transmission operators. Using the NV Energy system as a study case, this report applies peak-period capacity factor (PPCF) and effective load carrying capability (ELCC) methods to calculate capacity values for renewable energy sources. We show the connection between the PPCF and ELCC methods in the process of deriving a simplified approach that approximates the ELCC method. This simplified approach does not require generation fleet data and provides the theoretical basis for a quick check on capacity value results of PV and wind generation. The diminishing return of capacity benefit as renewable generation increases is conveniently explained using the simplified capacity value approach

Capacity Value of PV and Wind Generation in the NV Energy System

Calculation of photovoltaic (PV) and wind power capacity values is important for estimating additional load that can be served by new PV or wind installations in the electrical power system. It also is the basis for assigning capacity credit payments in systems with markets. Because of variability in solar and wind resources, PV and wind generation contribute to power system resource adequacy differently from conventional generation. Many different approaches to calculating PV and wind generation capacity values have been used by utilities and transmission operators. Using the NV Energy system as a study case, this report applies peak-period capacity factor (PPCF) and effective load carrying capability (ELCC) methods to calculate capacity values for renewable energy sources. We show the connection between the PPCF and ELCC methods in the process of deriving a simplified approach that approximates the ELCC method. This simplified approach does not require generation fleet data and provides the theoretical basis for a quick check on capacity value results of PV and wind generation. The diminishing return of capacity benefit as renewable generation increases is conveniently explained using the simplified capacity value approach

ALKBH5 inhibited autophagy of epithelial ovarian cancer through miR-7 and BCL-2

Abstract Background ALKBH5 regulated the malignant behavior of breast cancer and glioblastoma. However, the expression and function of ALKBH5 in epithelial ovarian cancer have not yet been determined. In the present study, we investigated the expression and function of ALKBH5 in epithelial ovarian cancer with respect to its potential role in the tumorigenesis of the disease as well as an early diagnostic marker. Methods Immunohistochemistry and western blot were used to detect protein expression. Gene silencing and over-expression experiment were used to study gene function. Cell proliferation assay and Matrigel invasion assays were used to detect cell proliferation and invasion, respectively. The nude mouse tumor formation experiment was used to evaluate the growth of cells in vivo. Results The expression of ALKBH5 was found to be increased in epithelial ovarian cancer tissue as compared to the normal ovarian tissues. The silencing of ALKBH5 in SKOV3 cells enhanced the autophagy and inhibited the proliferation and invasion in vitro and in vivo, whereas the ectopic expression of ALKBH5 in A2780 cells exerted an opposite effect. Mechanical study revealed that ALKBH5 physically interacted with HuR. ALKBH5 activated EGFR-PIK3CA-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway. Also, ALKBH5 enhanced the stability of BCL-2 mRNA and promoted the interaction between Bcl-2 and Beclin1. Conclusion Overall, the present study identified ALKBH5 as a candidate oncogene in epithelial ovarian cancer and a potential target for ovarian cancer therapy