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The last decades of neuroimaging research has revealed atypical development of intrinsic functional connectivity within and between large-scale cortical networks in autism spectrum disorder, but much remains unknown about cortico-subcortical developmental connectivity atypicalities. This study examined cortico-striatal developmental intrinsic functional connectivity changes in autism spectrum disorder and explored how those changes may be correlated with autistic traits. We studied 49 individuals with autism spectrum disorder and 52 age-, sex-, and head motion–matched typically developing individuals (5–30 years old (14.0 ± 5.6)) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Age-related differences in striatal intrinsic functional connectivity were compared between the two groups by adopting functional network–based parcellations of the striatum as seeds. Relative to typically developing individuals, autism spectrum disorder individuals showed atypical developmental changes in intrinsic functional connectivities between almost all striatal networks and sensorimotor network/ default network, with connectivity increasing with age in the autism spectrum disorder group and decreasing or constant in typically developing individuals. Age-related degree centrality and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity atypicalities in sensorimotor network/default network and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity disruptions in striatal regions were also observed in autism spectrum disorder. Significant correlations were found between cortico-striatal intrinsic functional connectivities and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule communication/repetitive and restricted-behavior subscores in autism spectrum disorder. Our results indicated that developmental atypicalities of cortico-striatal intrinsic functional connectivities might contribute to the neuropathology of autism spectrum disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To evaluate the relationships between objectively measured physical activity and physical fitness among preschool children. Methods. A total of 346 participants (201 boys and 145 girls) aged 3.5–5.5 years (M=4.5 yr, SD = 0.47) from Shanghai, China, completed physical fitness assessments, including triceps skinfold thickness (TSFT), grip strength, tennis throwing, sit and reach test, standing long jump, balance beam, 10mSRT, and 20mSRT. Physical activity was objectively measured by ActiGraphGT3X+ accelerometer. Multiple linear regression models were used to explore the cross-sectional associations between PA and physical fitness after adjusting for age, gender, BMI, and valid wearing time. Results. Positive associations were observed between stand long jump (p<.01), tennis throwing (p<.01), laps in 20mSRT (p<.01), and MVPA. However, TSFT (p<.05), time in 10mSRT (p<.01), and balance beam (p<.05) were negatively associated with MVPA. Furthermore, positive associations were found between stand long jump (p<.01), tennis throwing (p<.01), and MVPA only in boys. Negative associations were found between time on balance beam (p<.01) and MVPA only in girls. Conclusions. MVPA appears to be an effective and reliable predictor of preschoolers’ physical fitness. Boys’ body composition, muscular strength, explosive strength, agility, aerobic fitness, girls’ agility, aerobic fitness, and balance could improve as MVPA increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Most species of temperate regions are believed to have shifted to lower latitudes or elevations during the glacial periods of the Quaternary. In this study we test whether this phylogeographic assumption is also true for the plateau zokor ( Eospalax baileyi), a fossorial rodent endemic to the climate-sensitive Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP), which ranges in elevation from 2600 to 4600 m. Location The QTP of western China. Methods Phylogeographic analyses were conducted based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences of 193 individuals from 20 populations over the entire range of the species. Results A total of 54 haplotypes identified in the present study clustered into four geographically correlated clades located in the interior of the QTP (clade A) and at the plateau edge (B, C and D). Molecular calibrations suggest that the interior plateau (A) and plateau-edge (B–D) clades diverged at 1.2 Ma and that the three plateau-edge clades diverged between 0.85 and 0.80 Ma. These estimates are concordant with diastrophism and glaciation events in the QTP. Coalescent tests rejected both the hypothesis that all current populations originated from a single refugium at a low elevation during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the hypothesis that the two lineages diverged during the LGM. The tests instead supported the hypothesis that there were four refugia during the LGM, and that the four clades diverged prior to the late Pleistocene. Main conclusions Our results suggest that Quaternary diastrophisms and glaciations repeatedly promoted allopatric divergence of the plateau zokor into geographical clades, and that these regional clades subsequently persisted at high elevations, rather than migrating to the low-elevation plateau edge during subsequent glacial ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forty-three diarylheptanoids were isolated from Alpinia officinarum rhizomes among them eight ones (1-6) were undescribed compounds whose structures were identified by UV, IR, HRESIMS, and NMR. The neuroprotective effects of these diarylheptanoids were evaluated on H 2 O 2 -damaged SH-SY5Y cells. Compounds 7, 10, 12, 20, 22, 25, 28, 33, 35, 37, and 42 presented significant neuroprotective effects than that of the positive control (EGCG) at the concentrations of 5, 10 or 20 μM. Compounds 10, 22, 25, and 33 significantly reduced the ROS levels and inhibited the generations of MDA and NO in oxidative injured cells to display neuroprotective effects. This study lay the foundation for the application of Alpinia officinarum rhizomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Introduction: The aim here is to examine the association between objectively measured usual walking speed (UWS) and bone status in community-dwelling older Chinese., Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of a population of 1528 adults (817 females, mean age 68.5 ± 5.3; 711 males, mean age 69.1 ± 5.2) aged 60-79, living in communities in Shanghai. Walking speed was assessed using a 4-m walk test at a usual-pace walking speed a walking speed at which the subject felt relaxed-and bone status measured by quantitative ultrasound (QUS). The health-related characteristics of participants include family background, physical activity level, chronic disease, smoking and alcohol consumption, frequency of falls, vitamin intake, and hormone therapy., Results: Multiple linear regression is used to analyses any association between UWS and bone status, adjusting for confounding factors showing a significant association between faster UWS and a higher calcaneal stiffness index (SI) (p < 0.01). Comparing the lowest quartile of the data set with the highest at UWS, a high SI is achieved with 5.34 (95% CI = 3.22, 7.46) (p < 0.01), after adjusting for confounders. An increase of 1 dm/s was associated with a 0.91 (95% CI = 0.53, 1.29) increase in SI. This relationship for most subgroups is consistent., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that UWS can be a sensitive indicator of calcaneal bone loss among an older population., (© 2023. The Japanese Society Bone and Mineral Research.)

Objective: Engaging in physical activity (PA) plays an important role in promoting physical and mental health, but the PA data for Chinese preschool children are lacking. This study aims to objectively assess the PA levels of preschool children in Shanghai, China and to evaluate their PA levels relative to age-specific recommendations., Design, Setting and Participants: A cross-sectional study was conducted among preschool children in Shanghai, city of China. There were a total of 303 preschool children (boys, 174; girls, 129) recruited from eight kindergarten classes in the Yangpu and Baoshan Districts of Shanghai., Main Outcome Measures: Daily PA was assessed using ActiGraph GT3X + accelerometers for seven consecutive days. Children were required to have data from at least 2 weekdays and 1 weekend day, with a minimum daily wear time of 480 min to be included in the analysis., Results: Preschool children in Shanghai accumulated, on average, 70.9 min of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and 168.0 min of total PA (TPA) per day (d). Boys engaged in more MVPA and TPA than girls (72.8 min/day vs 68.3 min/day and 171.9 min/day vs 162.9 min/day, respectively). Overall, 72.9% of the participants met the age-specific recommendations of MVPA, while 35.3% met TPA recommendations., Conclusions: Findings of this study warn of the insufficiency of PA in Shanghai preschool children, suggesting there is substantial room to improve their PA., Trial Registration Number: ChiCTR-OOC-15007439; Results., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)