Associations Between Walking Pace, APOE-ε4 Genotype, and Brain Health in Middle-Aged to Older Adults.

Poor physical function and possession of the e4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene are each associated with increased dementia risk, but it is unclear how these exposures interact to influence brain health. Purpose: To investigate whether self-reported walking pace (a marker of physical function) and the presence of APOE-ε4 allele interact to modify brain health outcomes. Methods: We used data from a prospective cohort study of middle-aged to older adults from the UK Biobank who self-reported walking pace (slow or steady-to-brisk), and who were initially free of dementia (n = 415,110).

Exaptation of an evolutionary constraint enables behavioural control over the composition of secreted venom in a giant centipede.

Venoms are biochemical arsenals that have emerged in numerous animal lineages, where they have co-evolved with morphological and behavioural traits for venom production and delivery. In centipedes, venom evolution is thought to be constrained by the morphological complexity of their venom glands due to physiological limitations on the number of toxins produced by their secretory cells. Here we show that the uneven toxin expression that results from these limitations have enabled Scolopendra morsitans to regulate the composition of their secreted venom despite the lack of gross morphologically complex venom glands.

Beyond the here and now: hunter-gatherer socio-spatial complexity and the evolution of language.

Human evolutionary ecology stands to benefit by integrating theory and methods developed in movement ecology, and in turn, to make contributions to the broader field of movement ecology by leveraging our species' distinct attributes. In this paper, we review data and evolutionary models suggesting that major changes in socio-spatial behaviour accompanied the evolution of language. To illustrate and explore these issues, we present a comparison of GPS measures of the socio-spatial behaviour of Hadza hunter-gatherers of northern Tanzania to those of olive baboons (), a comparatively small-brained primate that is also savanna-adapted.

Associations between accelerometer-derived sedentary behavior and physical activity with white matter hyperintensities in middle-aged to older adults.

Introduction: We examined the relationship between sedentary behavior (SB), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volumes, a common magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) marker associated with risk of neurodegenerative disease in middle-aged to older adults.

Methods: We used data from the UK Biobank ( = 14,415; 45 to 81 years) that included accelerometer-derived measures of SB and MVPA, and WMH volumes from MRI.

Results: Both MVPA and SB were associated with WMH volumes (β= -0.