Guided by sight, scent, texture, and taste, animals ingest food. Once ingested, it is up to the gut to make sense of the food's nutritional value. Classic sensory systems rely on neuroepithelial circuits to convert stimuli into signals that guide behavior. However, sensation of the gut milieu was thought to be mediated only by the passive release of hormones until the discovery of synapses in enteroendocrine cells. These are gut sensory epithelial cells, and those that form synapses are referred to as neuropod cells. Neuropod cells provide the foundation for the gut to transduce sensory signals from the intestinal milieu to the brain through fast neurotransmission onto neurons, including those of the vagus nerve. These findings have sparked a new field of exploration in sensory neurobiology—that of gut-brain sensory transduction.

Fruits containing high antioxidant capacities and other bioactivities are ideal for promoting longevity and healthspan. However, few fruits are known to improve the survival and healthspan in animals, let alone the underlying mechanisms. Here we investigate the effect of nectarine, a globally consumed fruit, on lifespan and healthspan in Drosophila melanogaster. Wild-type flies were fed the standard, dietary restriction (DR) or high fat diets supplemented with 0–4% nectarine extract. We measured lifespan, food intake, locomotor activity, fecundity, gene expression changes, and oxidative damage indicated by the level of 4-Hydroxynonenal-protein adduct in these flies. We also measured lifespan, locomotor activity and oxidative damage of sod1 mutant flies on the standard diet supplemented with 0–4% nectarine. Supplementation of 4% nectarine extended lifespan, increased fecundity and decreased expression of some metabolic genes, including a key gluconeogenesis gene PEPCK, and oxidative stress response genes, including peroxiredoxins, in female wild-type flies fed the standard, DR or high fat diet. Nectarine reduced oxidative damage in wild-type females fed the high fat diet. Moreover, nectarine improved the survival and reduced oxidative damage in female sod1 mutant flies. Together, these findings suggest that nectarine promotes longevity and healthspan partly through modulating glucose metabolism and reducing oxidative damage.

Chronic cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection may contribute significantly to T-cell immunosenescence, chronic inflammation, and adverse health outcomes in older adults. Recent studies suggest detectable CMV DNA in peripheral monocytes as a better indicator for this persistent viral infection than anti-CMV IgG serology. Here, we conducted longitudinal comparisons of anti-CMV IgG titers, CMV DNA in the peripheral monocytes, serum IL-6 levels, and CMV pp65 (NLV)-specific CD8+ T-cell frequencies in fifteen community-dwelling older women with twelve year follow-up. The results showed that anti-CMV IgG titers did not change over twelve years. Women with detectable CMV DNA had significantly higher IL-6 levels than those without, both at baseline (3.06+0.58 vs 1.19±0.37 pg/ml, respectively, p< .001) and at the follow-up (3.23±0.66 versus 0.98±0.37 pg/ml, respectively, p< .001). In addition, CMV pp65 (NLV)-specific CD8+ T cells were detected only in women who had CMV DNA with similar frequencies at both time points. These findings indicate that anti-CMV IgG serology is not sensitive to change nor useful for monitoring chronic CMV infection over time. They also provide a basis for further investigation into chronic CMV infection as defined by detectable CMV DNA in the peripheral monocytes and its impact on immunity and health in the elderly.

ABSTRACT:Research on language learning strategies in Malaysia has been carried out extensively since mid 1990s. However, these studies have not covered the language learning strategies among native pupils in suburban primary school in Mukah, Sarawak. The main objective of the study was to identify the language learning strategies used by English as Second Language (ESL) learners. Data was collected using a survey questionnaire with 20 outstanding Year 5 ESL Iban learners in one of the suburban schools in Mukah, Sarawak. The instrument used in this study include a Language Strategy Use Questionnaire adapted from Language Strategy Use Inventory by Cohen, Oxford and Chi (2002). The adapted version of Language Strategy Use Questionnaire consists of 60 statements concerning the four major English language skills, namely listening, speaking and reading as well as acquisition of vocabulary and grammar. Data was analyzed through mean, frequency, percentage and standard deviation. The findings revealed that these learners were moderate users of listening, reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary strategies and low users of speaking strategies. There were variations in responses with regard to the use of language learning strategies among primary school learners. The pedagogical implications of the findings are also discussed.