Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the foremost cause of global dementia, also characterized by retinal changes involving Aβ, hyperphosphorylated-tau (p-tau), neuronal degeneration, and tissue atrophy. Mitochondrial-driven reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, linked to synaptic dysfunction, is common to various neurodegenerative conditions, including AD. Despite synaptic dysfunction being an early predictor of cognitive decline in AD, its occurrence in the AD retina is unexplored.

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: This study identifies and quantifies diverse pathological tau forms in the retina at both early and advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and assesses their correlation with disease status. In the pathogenesis of AD, the tau protein undergoes post-translational modifications, including hyperphosphorylation (p-tau). As the disease progresses, pathological tau can propagate as oligomers, aggregate into fibrils, and paired helical filaments (PHF), and ultimately form intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs).

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: Genome-wide association studies have identified genetic risk factors for AD, including a single nucleotide polymorphism in the bridging integrator 1 (BIN1) gene that is present in approximately 40% of the population and has the largest effect size of the common AD genetic risk factors. While the association between BIN1 and AD has been established, the mechanisms by which BIN1 contributes to AD remain understudied. We previously showed that increasing BIN1 expression in primary hippocampal neurons increases neuronal excitability (Voskobiynyk & Roth et al.

Ancient structural variants control sex-specific flowering time morphs in walnuts and hickories.

Balanced mating type polymorphisms offer a distinct window into the forces shaping sexual reproduction strategies. Multiple hermaphroditic genera in Juglandaceae, including walnuts () and hickories (), show a 1:1 genetic dimorphism for male versus female flowering order (heterodichogamy). We map two distinct Mendelian inheritance mechanisms to ancient (>37 million years old) genus-wide structural DNA polymorphisms.

Examining the Association Between Public Health Accreditation and COVID-19 Outcomes.

Objective: To examine the association between local health department (LHD) accreditation and COVID-19 community outcomes, including rates of adult vaccination, hospitalization, and death.

Design: We examined county level rates of adult vaccination, hospitalization, and death by LHD accreditation status over the course of the COVID pandemic. Additional independent variables included time period, COVID-19 Community Vulnerability Index (CCVI), state public health governance structure, and state policy environment.