Regional specialization, polyploidy, and seminal fluid transcripts in the female reproductive tract.

Sexual reproduction requires the choreographed interaction of female cells and molecules with sperm and seminal fluid. In internally fertilizing animals, these interactions are managed by specialized tissues within the female reproductive tract (FRT), such as a uterus, glands, and sperm storage organs. However, female somatic reproductive tissues remain understudied, hindering insight into the molecular interactions that support fertility.

A meta-analysis of butterfly structural colors: their color range, distribution and biological production.

Butterfly scales are among the richest natural sources of optical nanostructures, which produce structural color and iridescence. Several recurring nanostructure types have been described, such as ridge multilayers, gyroids and lower lamina thin films. While the optical mechanisms of these nanostructure classes are known, their phylogenetic distributions and functional ranges have not been described in detail.

Feasibility of a Telehealth Compensatory Cognitive Training Program for Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Objectives: Older adults experiencing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may benefit from compensatory cognitive training (CCT). This study investigated the feasibility of telehealth CCT among older adults with MCI.

Methods: Adults age 55+ with MCI ( = 28) and a care partner ( = 18) participated in telehealth CCT.

Cannabis Use and Resting State Functional Connectivity in the Aging Brain.

Several lines of evidence suggest that older adults (aged 65+) sharply increased their cannabis use over the last decade, highlighting a need to understand the effects of cannabis in this age group. Pre-clinical models suggest that cannabinoids affect the brain and cognition in an age-dependent fashion, having generally beneficial effects on older animals and deleterious effects on younger ones. However, there is little research on how cannabis affects the brains of older adults or how older adults differ from younger adults who use cannabis.

Long-Term Recreational Cannabis Use Is Associated With Lower Executive Function and Processing Speed in a Pilot Sample of Older Adults.

More older adults are using cannabis for recreational and/or medical purposes, but most studies examining cognitive function and cannabis use do not include older adults. The current small pilot study sought to compare cognitive function and emotional functioning among adults age 60 and older who were regular, primarily recreational cannabis users ( = 28) and nonusers ( = 10). A bimodal distribution was observed among cannabis users such that they had either initiated regular use more recently ("short-term" users; ≤7 years, = 13) or earlier in life ("long-term" users; ≥19 years, = 15).