Cross-sectional and longitudinal assessments of function in prodromal-to-mild Alzheimer's disease: A comparison of the ADCS-ADL and A-IADL-Q scales.

Introduction: Prior observational work in a heterogeneous cohort of participants with mild cognitive impairment suggests the Amsterdam Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire (A-IADL-Q) may have greater sensitivity for functional decline than the more established Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (ADCS-ADL) scale. However, the relative utility of the A-IADL-Q versus the ADCS-ADL for clinical trials in early Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains uncertain.

Methods: We compared baseline and longitudinal performance of the A-IADL-Q and ADCS-ADL in participants with biomarker-confirmed prodromal (pAD;  = 158) or mild (mAD;  = 283) AD enrolled in the 18-month Tauriel study of semorinemab (NCT03289143).

The comparative energetics of the turtles and crocodiles.

The Add-my-Pet collection of data on energetics and Dynamic Energy Budget parameters currently contains 92 species of turtles and 23 species of crocodiles. We discuss patterns of eco-physiological traits of turtles and crocodiles, as functions of parameter values, and compare them with other taxa. Turtles and crocodiles accurately match the general rule that the life-time cumulated neonate mass production equals ultimate weight.

Visualized analysis of trends and hotspots in global oral microbiome research: A bibliometric study.

The oral microbiome contains numerous bacteria, which directly or indirectly participate in various human functions and continuously exchange signals and substances with the human body, significantly affecting human life cycle, health, and disease. This study aimed to conduct bibliometric studies on the scientific outputs of global oral microbiome research by Citespace software. The data were obtained from the Thomson Reuters' Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), from the first relevant literature published until December 31st, 2019, and a total of 2225 articles and reviews were identified.

White matter microstructure disruption in early stage amyloid pathology.

Introduction: Amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulation is the first pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and it is associated with altered white matter (WM) microstructure. We aimed to investigate this relationship at a regional level in a cognitively unimpaired cohort.

Methods: We included 179 individuals from the European Medical Information Framework for AD (EMIF-AD) preclinAD study, who underwent diffusion magnetic resonance (MR) to determine tract-level fractional anisotropy (FA); mean, radial, and axial diffusivity (MD/RD/AxD); and dynamic [F]flutemetamol) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to assess amyloid burden.

On the Use of the Term "Evapotranspiration".

Evaporation is the phenomenon by which a substance is converted from its liquid into its vapor phase, independently of where it lies in nature. However, language is alive, and just like regular speech, scientific terminology changes. Frequently, those changes are grounded on a solid rationale, but sometimes these semantic transitions have a fragile foundation.

Global 3-D Simulations of the Triple Oxygen Isotope Signature ΔO in Atmospheric CO.

The triple oxygen isotope signature ΔO in atmospheric CO, also known as its "O excess," has been proposed as a tracer for gross primary production (the gross uptake of CO by vegetation through photosynthesis). We present the first global 3-D model simulations for ΔO in atmospheric CO together with a detailed model description and sensitivity analyses. In our 3-D model framework we include the stratospheric source of ΔO in CO and the surface sinks from vegetation, soils, ocean, biomass burning, and fossil fuel combustion.

High level of sperm competition may increase transfer of accessory gland products carried by the love dart of land snails.

Postcopulatory adaptations that increase reproductive success compared to rivals, like the transfer of accessory gland products that promote paternity, are common when sperm competition occurs among males. In land snails, the dart shooting behavior and its adaptive significance, in promoting individual fitness through enhanced paternity of the successful dart shooter, have been considered such an adaptation. The fitness result gained is mediated by the transfer of mucus components on the love dart capable of altering the physiology of the receiver's reproductive tract.

Conservative treatment of a young adult patient with a moderate skeletal Class III malocclusion by applying the temporary anchorage devices and the surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion.

We present the orthodontic treatment of a 20-year-old Chinese man with the moderate skeletal Class III malocclusion. The usages of the temporary anchorage devices and the surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion (SARPE) have provided a variety of options for the treatment of Class III malocclusion.

Potential and limitations of inferring ecosystem photosynthetic capacity from leaf functional traits.

The aim of this study was to systematically analyze the potential and limitations of using plant functional trait observations from global databases versus in situ data to improve our understanding of vegetation impacts on ecosystem functional properties (EFPs). Using ecosystem photosynthetic capacity as an example, we first provide an objective approach to derive robust EFP estimates from gross primary productivity (GPP) obtained from eddy covariance flux measurements. Second, we investigate the impact of synchronizing EFPs and plant functional traits in time and space to evaluate their relationships, and the extent to which we can benefit from global plant trait databases to explain the variability of ecosystem photosynthetic capacity.

A novel imaging technique to evaluate airflow characteristics in the upper airway of an obstructive sleep apnea patient.

We report about a novel imaging technique for airflow analysis, particle image velocimetry (PIV), used in a moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patient. By measuring the airflow characteristics in the upper airway at different protrusion positions, the effect of mandibular advancement device (MAD) on OSA was further understood.

Towards the co-ordination of terrestrial ecosystem protocols across European research infrastructures.

The study of ecosystem processes over multiple scales of space and time is often best achieved using comparable data from multiple sites. Yet, long-term ecological observatories have often developed their own data collection protocols. Here, we address this problem by proposing a set of ecological protocols suitable for widespread adoption by the ecological community.

Tonic immobility differentiates stress responses in PTSD.

Background: Tonic immobility (TI) is a state of physical immobility associated with extreme stress and the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, it is unknown whether TI is associated with a distinct actual stress response, i.e.

Engaging in Rather than Disengaging from Stress: Effective Coping and Perceived Control.

Being able to cope effectively with stress can help people to avoid negative consequences for their psychological well-being. The purpose of this study was to find out why some coping strategies are effective in reducing the negative effect of stressors on well-being and some are not. We argue that the degree to which such coping strategies engage or disengage people from stressful incidents is related to their perceived control of the situation that, in turn, is positively associated with their psychological well-being.

Rising methane emissions from northern wetlands associated with sea ice decline.

The Arctic is rapidly transitioning toward a seasonal sea ice-free state, perhaps one of the most apparent examples of climate change in the world. This dramatic change has numerous consequences, including a large increase in air temperatures, which in turn may affect terrestrial methane emissions. Nonetheless, terrestrial and marine environments are seldom jointly analyzed.

Sustained Attentional States Require Distinct Temporal Involvement of the Dorsal and Ventral Medial Prefrontal Cortex.

Attending the sensory environment for cue detection is a cognitive operation that occurs on a time scale of seconds. The dorsal and ventral medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) contribute to separate aspects of attentional processing. Pyramidal neurons in different parts of the mPFC are active during cognitive behavior, yet whether this activity is causally underlying attentional processing is not known.

Does the Component Processes Task Assess Text-Based Inferences Important for Reading Comprehension? A Path Analysis in Primary School Children.

Using a component processes task (CPT) that differentiates between higher-level cognitive processes of reading comprehension provides important advantages over commonly used general reading comprehension assessments. The present study contributes to further development of the CPT by evaluating the relative contributions of its components (text memory, text inferencing, and knowledge integration) and working memory to general reading comprehension within a single study using path analyses. Participants were 173 third- and fourth-grade children.

Young and Middle-Aged Schoolteachers Differ in the Neural Correlates of Memory Encoding and Cognitive Fatigue: A Functional MRI Study.

This investigation was inspired by growing evidence that middle-aged persons in a cognitively demanding profession might be characterized by subtle cognitive fatigue. We studied young and middle-aged male schoolteachers. They were compared in a study with functional magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate differences during successful memory encoding.

Effect of Light Acclimation on the Organization of Photosystem II Super- and Sub-Complexes in Arabidopsis thaliana.

To survive under highly variable environmental conditions, higher plants have acquired a large variety of acclimation responses. Different strategies are used to cope with changes in light intensity with the common goal of modulating the functional antenna size of Photosystem II (PSII). Here we use a combination of biochemical and biophysical methods to study these changes in response to acclimation to high light (HL).

Booze, Bars, and Bystander Behavior: People Who Consumed Alcohol Help Faster in the Presence of Others.

People help each other less often and less quickly when bystanders are present. In this paper, we propose that alcohol consumption could attenuate or reverse this so-called bystander effect. Alcohol impairs people cognitively and perceptually, leading them to think less about the presence of others and behave less inhibited.

Mindfulness, Resilience, and Burnout Subtypes in Primary Care Physicians: The Possible Mediating Role of Positive and Negative Affect.

Purpose: Primary care health professionals suffer from high levels of burnout. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the associations of mindfulness and resilience with the features of the burnout types (overload, lack of development, neglect) in primary care physicians, taking into account the potential mediating role of negative and positive affect.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was used.

Teaching About "Brain and Learning" in High School Biology Classes: Effects on Teachers' Knowledge and Students' Theory of Intelligence.

This study evaluated a new teaching module about "Brain and Learning" using a controlled design. The module was implemented in high school biology classes and comprised three lessons: (1) brain processes underlying learning; (2) neuropsychological development during adolescence; and (3) lifestyle factors that influence learning performance. Participants were 32 biology teachers who were interested in "Brain and Learning" and 1241 students in grades 8-9.

H-Channels Affect Frequency, Power and Amplitude Fluctuations of Neuronal Network Oscillations.

Oscillations in network activity are ubiquitous in the brain and are involved in diverse cognitive functions. Oscillation characteristics, such as power, frequency, and temporal structure, depend on both network connectivity and intrinsic cellular properties, such as ion channel composition. An important class of channels, with key roles in regulating cell excitability, are h-channels.

Neuroinflammation is not a Prerequisite for Diabetes-induced Tau Phosphorylation.

Abnormal phosphorylation and aggregation of tau is a key hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder for which Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a risk factor. In animal models for DM, the phosphorylation and aggregation of tau is induced or exacerbated, however the underlying mechanism is unknown.