TianQin is a proposal for a space-borne detector of gravitational waves in the millihertz frequencies. The experiment relies on a constellation of three drag-free spacecraft orbiting the Earth. Inter-spacecraft laser interferometry is used to monitor the distances between the test masses. The experiment is designed to be capable of detecting a signal with high confidence from a single source of gravitational waves within a few months of observing time. We describe the preliminary mission concept for TianQin, including the candidate source and experimental designs. We present estimates for the major constituents of the * experiment's error budget and discuss the project's overall feasibility. Given the current level of technology readiness, we expect TianQin to be flown in the second half of the next decade.

Mangrove species are uniquely adapted to tropical and subtropical coasts, and although relatively low in number of species, mangrove forests provide at least US $1.6 billion each year in ecosystem services and support coastal livelihoods worldwide. Globally, mangrove areas are declining rapidly as they are cleared for coastal development and aquaculture and logged for timber and fuel production. Little is known about the effects of mangrove area loss on individual mangrove species and local or regional populations. To address this gap, species-specific information on global distribution, population status, life history traits, and major threats were compiled for each of the 70 known species of mangroves. Each species' probability of extinction was assessed under the Categories and Criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Eleven of the 70 mangrove species (16%) are at elevated threat of extinction. Particular areas of geographical concern include the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Central America, where as many as 40% of mangroves species present are threatened with extinction. Across the globe, mangrove species found primarily in the high intertidal and upstream estuarine zones, which often have specific freshwater requirements and patchy distributions, are the most threatened because they are often the first cleared for development of aquaculture and agriculture. The loss of mangrove species will have devastating economic and environmental consequences for coastal communities, especially in those areas with low mangrove diversity and high mangrove area or species loss. Several species at high risk of extinction may disappear well before the next decade if existing protective measures are not enforced.

Background In a previous study, higher concordance to the MIND diet, a hybrid Mediterranean-DASH diet, was associated with slower cognitive decline. In this study we related these three dietary patterns to incident Alzheimer’s disease. Methods We investigated the diet-AD relations in a prospective study of 923 participants, ages 58 to 98 years, followed on average 4.5 years. Diet was assessed by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Results In adjusted proportional hazards models, the second (HR=0.65, 95% CI 0.44, 0.98) and highest tertiles (HR=0.47, 95% CI 0.26, 0.76) of MIND diet scores had lower rates of AD versus tertile 1 whereas only the third tertiles of the DASH (HR=0.61, 95% CI 0.38, 0.97) and Mediterranean (HR=0.46, 95% CI 0.26, 0.79) diets were associated with lower AD rates. Conclusion High adherence to all three diets may reduce AD risk. Moderate adherence to the MIND diet may also decrease AD risk.

Background The Mediterranean and DASH diets have been shown to slow cognitive decline, however, neither diet is specific to the nutrition literature on dementia prevention. Methods We devised the MIND diet score that specifically captures dietary components shown to be neuroprotective and related it to change in cognition over an average 4.7 years among 960 participants of the Memory and Aging Project. Results In adjusted mixed models, the MIND score was positively associated with slower decline in global cognitive score (β=0.0092; p<.0001) and with each of 5 cognitive domains. The difference in decline rates for being in the top tertile of MIND diet scores versus the lowest was equivalent to being 7.5 years younger in age. Conclusion The study findings suggest that the MIND diet substantially slows cognitive decline with age. Replication of these findings in a dietary intervention trial would be required to verify its relevance to brain health.

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Weaning disturbs the intestinal barrier function and increases the risk of infection in piglets. Probiotics exert beneficial health effects, mainly by reinforcing the intestinal epithelium and modulating the gut microbiota. However, the mechanisms of action, and especially, the specific regulatory effects of modulated microbiota by probiotics on the intestinal epithelium have not yet been elucidated. The present study aimed to decipher the protective effects of the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum strain ZLP001 on the intestinal epithelium and microbiota as well as the effects of modulated microbiota on epithelial function. Paracellular permeability was measured with fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FD-4). Gene and protein expression levels of tight junction (TJ) proteins, proinflammatory cytokines, and host defense peptides were determined by RT-qPCR, ELISA, and western blot analysis. Short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations were measured by ion chromatography. Fecal microbiota composition was assessed by high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that pretreatment with 108 colony forming units (CFU) mL−1 of L. plantarum ZLP001 significantly counteracted the increase in gut permeability to FD-4 induced by 106 CFU mL−1 enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). In addition, L. plantarum ZLP001 pretreatment alleviated the reduction in TJ proteins (claudin-1, occludin, and ZO-1) and downregulated proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8, and TNFα expression and secretion caused by ETEC. L. plantarum ZLP001 also significantly increased the expression of the host defense peptides pBD2 and PG1-5 and pBD2 secretion relative to the control. Furthermore, L. plantarum ZLP001 treatment affected piglet fecal microbiota. The abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria Anaerotruncus and Faecalibacterium was significantly increased in L. plantarum ZLP001-treated piglets, and showed a positive correlation with fecal butyric and acetic acid concentrations. In addition, the cell density of Clostridium sensu stricto 1, which may cause epithelial inflammation, was decreased after L. plantarum ZLP001 administration, while the beneficial Lactobacillus was significantly increased. Our findings suggest that L. plantarum ZLP001 fortifies the intestinal barrier by strengthening epithelial defense functions and modulating gut microbiota.

Background Lower household income has been consistently associated with poorer diet quality. Household food purchases may be an important intervention target to improve diet quality among low income populations. Associations between household income and the diet quality of household food purchases were examined. Methods Food purchase receipt data were collected for 14 days from 202 urban households participating in a study about food shopping. Purchase data were analyzed using NDS-R software and scored using the Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI 2010). HEI total and subscores, and proportion of grocery dollars spent on food categories (e.g. fruits, vegetables, sugar sweetened beverages) were examined by household income-to-poverty ratio. Results Compared to lower income households, after adjusting for education, marital status and race, higher income households had significantly higher HEI total scores (mean [sd] = 68.2 [13.3] versus 51.6 [13.9], respectively, adjusted p = 0.05), higher total vegetable scores (mean [sd] = 3.6 [1.4] versus 2.3 [1.6], respectively, adjusted p < .01), higher dairy scores (mean [sd] = 5.6 [3.0] versus 5.0 [3.3], p = .05) and lower proportion of grocery dollars spent on frozen desserts (1% [.02] versus 3% [.07], respectively, p = .02). Conclusions Lower income households purchase less healthful foods compared with higher income households. Food purchasing patterns may mediate income differences in dietary intake quality. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02073643.

Objectives: We examined whether accordance to the DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) and Mediterranean diets is associated with slower cognitive decline in a prospective Chicago cohort study of older persons, the Memory and Aging Project. Methods:The sample comprised 826 Memory and Aging Project participants (aged 81.5 6 7.1 years) who completed a 144-item food frequency questionnaire at baseline and 2 or more cognitive assessments over 4.1 years. Dietary scores were computed for accordance to the DASH diet (0-10) and the Mediterranean diet (MedDietScore) (0-55). For both, higher scores reflect greater accordance. Both patterns share at least 3 common food components. Cognitive function was assessed annually with 19 cognitive tests from which global cognitive scores and summary measures are computed. Results:The mean global cognitive score at baseline was 0.12 (range, 23.23 to 1.60) with an overall mean annual change in score of 20.08 standardized units. Only 13 participants had possible dementia. The mean DASH score was 4.1 (range, 1.0-8.5) and the MedDietScore was 31.3 (range, 18-46). In mixed models adjusted for covariates, a 1-unit difference in DASH score was associated with a slower rate of global cognitive decline by 0.007 standardized units (standard error of estimate 5 0.003, p 5 0.03). Similarly, a 1-unit-higher MedDietScore was associated with a slower rate of global cognitive decline by 0.002 standardized units (standard error of estimate 5 0.001, p 5 0.01).Conclusions: These findings support the hypothesis that both the DASH and Mediterranean diet patterns are associated with slower rates of cognitive decline in the same cohort of older persons.