Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: Vascular cognitive impairment/dementia (VD) is the second most prevalent cause of dementia following Alzheimer's disease (AD). VD is characterized by the progression of white matter hyperintensity burden (WMH) and associated neurodegeneration. GFAP, a biomarker for reactive astrogliosis, is associated with Aβ pathology and mediates tau-pathology in preclinical AD.

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: Dysregulation of cholesterol metabolism contributes to the increase of cerebral vascular diseases, favoring the development of dementia. In this sense, high levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) are considered protective against the outcomes associated with cardiovascular diseases. However, little is known about the effect of plasma HDL levels to alterations of cerebral volume in non-vascular AD and vascular AD individuals.

Clinical Manifestations.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is classically viewed as a predominantly amnestic syndrome, with other cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) being non-integral associations. Emerging Evidence suggests that within typical AD, these symptoms are core features from the onset.

Methods: We employed K-modes clustering on 2483 cognitively impaired (CI) individuals (CDR ≥ 0.

Feeding behavior and prey characteristics of great egrets (Ardea alba) in eco-friendly and conventional rice fields in South Korea.

Rice fields are important wildlife habitats; however, intensive agricultural practices have reduced the population of farmland birds. As a high-level consumer, the great egret (Ardea alba) serves as an indicator of the overall biodiversity of rice fields. However, little is known about the effects of farming methods on the feeding habitat selection of the great egret.

Soybean mitogen-activated protein kinase GmMPK6 enhances drought tolerance.

Soybeans are a critical crop that provides both protein and oil. In response to environmental stresses, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MPKs) play a key role in transmitting stress signals to the nucleus to initiate stress-responsive actions. Drought stress reduces plant development and productivity but the specific MPK responsible for drought stress responses has not been previously identified.