Detrital Zircon Provenance of the Cenozoic Sequence, Kotli, Northwestern Himalaya, Pakistan; Implications for India–Asia Collision

This study reported the detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology of the Cenozoic sequence exposed in Kotli, northwestern Himalaya, Pakistan, which forms part of the Kashmir foreland basin. The U-Pb detrital age patterns of the Paleocene Patala Formation show a major age cluster between ~130–290 Ma, ~500–1000 Ma and ~1000–1500 Ma, which mainly resembles the lesser and higher Himalayan sequence. However, the younger age pattern (~130–290 Ma) can be matched to the ages of the ophiolites exposed along the Indus–Tsangpo suture zone. In addition, two younger grains with 57 Ma and 55 Ma ages may indicate a contribution from the Kohistan-Ladakh arc. The detrital zircons in the upper Tertiary sequence show the increased input of younger detrital ages <100 Ma, with more pronounced peaks at ~36–58 Ma, ~72–94 Ma and ~102–166 Ma, indicating the strong resemblance to the Asian sources including the Kohistan–Ladakh arc, Karakoram block and Gangdese batholith. This provenance shift, recorded in the upper portion of Patala Formation and becoming more visible in the upper Tertiary clastic sequence (Kuldana and Murree formations), is related to the collision of the Indian and Asian plates in the northwestern Himalayas. Considering the age of the Patala Formation, we suggest that the Indian and Asian plates collided during 57–55 Ma in the northwestern Himalayas, Pakistan.

The Pandemic and Older Women in the United States: Impacts on Social Networks and Well-Being

The current study examines the unique impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic on the well-being of middle aged to older women from the 2020 Health and Retirement Study (n = 1252) and how their reports of social contact during the pandemic compare to age-matched women from 2018 (n = 2063). Although up to a third of women across age categories reported changes in social contact due to the pandemic, their rates of communication with friends and family were not significantly different from their counterparts in 2018. Results find expected age patterns in satisfaction with life during the pandemic), where the young-old report the highest levels. However, the association of life satisfaction with the extent to which women reported more loneliness during the pandemic was only significant among the young old and oldest old. Age differences in pandemic-specific experiences in relation to well-being are discussed within a life course developmental framework.

Personality Traits Across the Life Cycle: Disentangling Age, Period, and Cohort Effects

Economists increasingly recognise the importance of personality traits for socio-economic outcomes, but little is known about the stability of these traits over the life cycle. Existing empirical contributions typically focus on age patterns and disregard cohort and period influences. This paper contributes novel evidence for the separability of age, period, and cohort effects for a broad range of personality traits based on systematic specification tests for disentangling age, period and cohort influences. Our estimates document that for different cohorts, the evolution of personality traits across the life cycle follows a stable, though non-constant, age profile, while there are sizeable differences across time periods.

Protein glycation and drought response of pea (Pisum sativum L.) root nodule proteome: a proteomics approach

Because of ongoing climate change, drought is becoming the major factor limiting productivity of all plants, including legumes. As these protein-rich crops form symbiotic associations with rhizobial bacteria — root nodules — they readily lose their productivity under drought conditions. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms might give access to new strategies to preserve the productivity of legume crops under dehydration. As was shown recently, development of drought response is accompanied by alterations in the patterns of protein glycation and formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that might be a part of unknown regulatory mechanisms. Therefore, here we address the effects of moderate drought on protein dynamics and AGE patterns in pea (Pisum sativum) root nodules. For this, plants inoculated with rhizobial culture were subjected to osmotic stress for one week, harvested, the total protein fraction was isolated from root nodules by phenol extraction, analyzed by bottom-up LC-MS-based proteomics, and AGE patterns were characterized. Surprisingly, despite the clear drought-related changes in phenotype and stomatal conductivity, only minimal accompanying expressional changes (14 rhizobial and 14 pea proteins, mostly involved in central metabolism and nitrogen fixation) could be observed. However, 71 pea and 97 rhizobial proteins (mostly transcription factors, ABC transporters and effector enzymes) were glycated, with carboxymethylation being the major modification type. Thereby, the numbers of glycated sites in nodule proteins dramatically decreased upon stress application. It might indicate an impact of glycation in regulation of transport, protein degradation, central, lipid and nitrogen metabolism. The data are available at Proteome Xchange (accession: PXD024042).

Estimating the infant mortality rate from DHS birth histories in the presence of age heaping

Background The infant mortality rate (IMR) is a critical indicator of population health, but its measurement is subject to response bias in countries without complete vital registration systems who rely instead on birth histories collected via sample surveys. One of the most salient bias is the fact that child deaths in these birth histories tend to be reported with a large amount of heaping at age 12 months. Because of this issue, analysts and international agencies do not directly use IMR estimates based on surveys such as Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS); they rely instead on mortality models such as model life tables. The use of model life tables in this context, however, is arbitrary, and the extent to which this approach appropriately addresses bias in DHS-based IMR estimates remains unclear. This hinders our ability to monitor IMR levels and trends in low-and middle-income countries. The objective of this study is to evaluate age heaping bias in DHS-based IMR estimates and propose an improved method for adjusting this bias. Methods and findings Our method relies on a recently-developed log-quadratic model that can predict age-specific mortality by detailed age between 0 and 5. The model’s coefficients were derived from a newly constituted database, the Under-5 Mortality Database (U5MD), that represents the mortality experience of countries with high-quality vital registration data. We applied this model to 204 DHS surveys, and compared unadjusted IMR values to IMR values adjusted with the log-quadratic model as well as with the classic model life table approach. Results show that contrary to existing knowledge, age heaping at age 12 months rarely generates a large amount of bias in IMR estimates. In most cases, the unadjusted IMR values were not deviating by more than +/- 5% from the adjusted values. The model life table approach, by contrast, introduced an unwarranted, downward bias in adjusted IMR values. We also found that two regions, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, present age patterns of under-5 mortality that strongly depart from the experience represented in the U5MD. For these countries, neither the existing model life tables nor the log-quadratic model can produce empirically-supported IMR adjustments. Conclusions Age heaping at age 12 months produces a smaller amount of bias in DHS-based IMR estimates than previously thought. If a large amount of age heaping is present in a survey, the log-quadratic model allows users to evaluate, and whenever necessary, adjust IMR estimates in a way that is more informed by the local mortality pattern than existing approaches. Future research should be devoted to understanding why Sub-Saharan African and South Asian countries have such distinct age patterns of under-five mortality.

Age Patterns in Self-Reported Cognitive Impairment among Older Latino Subgroups and Non-Latino Whites in the U.S., 1997 to 2018: Implications for Public Health Policy

Background and objectives U.S. Latinos are a heterogeneous population with unique characteristics related to individual-level socioeconomic and contextual factors based on nativity status and country of origin. Population aging and greater public awareness of dementia may contribute to an increasing prevalence of self-reported cognitive impairment. However, population-level trends in self-reported cognitive impairment among Latinos are unclear and it is unknown whether there are differences among Latino subgroups. Thus, this study aims to examine heterogeneity in self-reported cognitive impairment among older U.S. Latino subgroups. Research design and methods We used data from the 1997-2018 National Health Interview Survey to document age-specific patterns in self-reported cognitive impairment among U.S.-born Mexican, foreign-born Mexican, island-born Puerto Rican, foreign-born Cuban, and U.S.-born non-Latino Whites aged 60 and older. We estimated hierarchical age period–cohort cross-classified random-effects (HAPC-CCREM) models to isolate age patterns in self-reported cognitive impairment across disaggregated Latino subgroups and U.S.-born non-Latino Whites. Results The overall prevalence of self-reported cognitive impairment increased from 6.0% in 1997 to 7.1% in 2018. This increase was evident among U.S.-born non-Latino Whites and U.S.-born and foreign-born Mexicans but not other Latino subgroups. Fully-adjusted HAPC-CCREM estimates indicated that Latinos were more likely to self-report cognitive impairment than U.S-born non-Latino Whites (b=0.371, p&lt;0.001). When disaggregated by Latino subgroup, the difference in the likelihood for self-reported cognitive impairment compared to U.S.-born non-Latino Whites was greatest for island-born Puerto Ricans (b=0.598, p&lt;0.001) and smallest for foreign-born Cubans (b=0.131, p&gt;0.05). Discussion and implications We found evidence of considerable heterogeneity in the age-patterns of self-reported cognitive impairment among U.S. Latino subgroups. We also detected large differences in the likelihood for self-reported cognitive impairment between U.S. Latino subgroups compared to U.S.-born non-Latino Whites. These results underscore the importance of differentiating between unique Latino subpopulations when studying population-level trends in cognitive function.

Fertility Projections in a European Context: A Survey of Current Practices among Statistical Agencies

Projection studies have often focused on mortality and, more recently, migration. Fertility is less studied, although even small changes can have significant repercussions for the size and age structure of future populations. Across Europe, there is no consensus on how fertility is best projected. In this article, we identify different approaches used to project fertility among statistical agencies in Europe and provide an assessment of the different approaches according to the producers themselves. Data were collected using a mixed-method approach. First, European statistical agencies answered a questionnaire regarding fertility projection practices. Second, an in-depth review of select countries was performed. Most agencies combine formal models with expert opinion. While many attempt to maximise the use of relevant inputs, there is more variation in the detail of outputs, with some agencies unable to account for changing age patterns. In a context of limited resources, most are satisfied with their approaches, though some are assessing alternative methodologies to improve accuracy and increase transparency. This study highlights the diversity of approaches used in fertility projections across Europe. Such knowledge may be useful to statistical agencies as they consider, test and implement different approaches, perhaps in collaboration with other agencies and the wider scientific community.