Low‐Operating Temperature,High‐Rate and Durable Solid‐State Sodium‐Ion Battery Based on Polymer Electrolyte and Prussian Blue Cathode

A solid‐state polymer electrolyte (PFSA‐Na membrane) for solid‐state sodium‐ion batteries (SSIBs) to overcome severe safety issues caused by traditional liquid electrolytes is explored. The PFSA‐Na membranes, synthesized by an environmentally and economically friendly method, display high ionic conductivity, excellent thermal stability, and outstanding mechanical flexibility in a wide temperature range. SSIBs based on the PFSA‐Na membranes and Prussian blue cathode exhibit a superior rate performance of 87.5 mA h g^?1 at 8 C and a durable cycling life of up to 1100 cycles at 1 C with only a slight capacity decay of ≈0.014% per cycle. Furthermore, due to the intrinsic advantages of the PFSA‐Na membranes, the cyclic performance of the proposed SSIBs is more stable than that of its liquid counterpart even at the rather low temperature of ?35 °C.     

Life history,resting egg formation,and hatching may explain the temporal-geographical distribution ofArtemia strains in the Mediterranean basin

Life history traits are presented for the sexual species (Artemia tunisiana) and for parthenogenetic diploid and tetraploid strainsA. parthenogenetica reared at 15 °, 24 ° and 29.5 °C.In laboratory cultures, we present evidence that the seasonal appearance of the sexualArtemia tunisiana (the dominant winter-spring population), and of two parthenogenetic populations ofArtemia (the dominant spring-summer populations) in certain Spanish saltworks is controlled by temperature through its effect on reproductive and survival traits. Minimum and maximum reproductive output and survival for the sexual and parthenogenetic populations, respectively, occurred at a typical temperature (24 °C) of the late-spring season when the sexual population is replaced by parthenogenetic forms. Furthermore, the high production and hatchability of cysts from the sexual population at low temperatures (15 °C), and of the parthenogenetic populations at middle temperature (24 °C), indicate the role of dormancy as an adaptation regulating seasonal occurrence.     

Distinct physiological characteristics and altered glucagon signaling in GHRH knockout mice: Implications for longevity

Our previous research has demonstrated that mice lacking functional growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) exhibit distinct physiological characteristics, including an extended lifespan, a preference for lipid utilization during rest, mild hypoglycemia, and heightened insulin sensitivity. They also show a further increase in lifespan when subjected to caloric restriction. These findings suggest a unique response to fasting, which motivated our current study on the response to glucagon, a key hormone released from the pancreas during fasting that regulates glucose levels, energy expenditure, and metabolism. Our study investigated the effects of an acute glucagon challenge on female GHRH knockout mice and revealed that they exhibit reduced glucose production, likely due to suppressed gluconeogenesis. However, these mice showed an increase in energy expenditure. We also observed alterations in pancreatic islet architecture, with smaller islets and a reduction of insulin-producing beta cells but no changes in glucagon-producing alpha cells. Additionally, the analysis of hepatic glucagon signaling showed a decrease in glucagon receptor expression and phosphorylated CREB. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the unique metabolic phenotype observed in these long-lived mice may be partly explained by changes in glucagon signaling. Further exploration of this pathway may lead to new insights into the regulation of longevity in mammals.     

Distinct longevity mechanisms across and within species and their association with aging

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Telomere dynamics may link stress exposure and ageing across generations

Although exposure to stressors is known to increase disease susceptibility and accelerate ageing, evidence is accumulating that these effects can span more than one generation. Stressors experienced by parents have been reported to negatively influence the longevity of their offspring and even grand offspring. The mechanisms underlying these long-term, cross-generational effects are still poorly understood, but we argue here that telomere dynamics are likely to play an important role. In this review, we begin by surveying the current connections between stress and telomere dynamics. We then lay out the evidence that exposure to stressors in the parental generation influences telomere dynamics in offspring and potentially subsequent generations. We focus on evidence in mammalian and avian studies and highlight several promising areas where our understanding is incomplete and future investigations are critically needed. Understanding the mechanisms that link stress exposure across generations requires interdisciplinary studies and is essential to both the biomedical community seeking to understand how early adversity impacts health span and evolutionary ecologists interested in how changing environmental conditions are likely to influence age-structured population dynamics.