New insights into the genetic etiology of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

Characterization of the genetic landscape of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADD) provides a unique opportunity for a better understanding of the associated pathophysiological processes. We performed a two-stage genome-wide association study totaling 111,326 clinically diagnosed/'proxy' AD cases and 677,663 controls. We found 75 risk loci, of which 42 were new at the time of analysis. Pathway enrichment analyses confirmed the involvement of amyloid/tau pathways and highlighted microglia implication. Gene prioritization in the new loci identified 31 genes that were suggestive of new genetically associated processes, including the tumor necrosis factor alpha pathway through the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex. We also built a new genetic risk score associated with the risk of future AD/dementia or progression from mild cognitive impairment to AD/dementia. The improvement in prediction led to a 1.6- to 1.9-fold increase in AD risk from the lowest to the highest decile, in addition to effects of age and the APOE ε4 allele

Aechmea rodriguesiana (L. B. Sm.) L. B. Sm. (Bromeliaceae) uma espécie endêmica da Amazônia brasileira Aechmea rodriguesiana (L. B. Sm.) L. B. Sm. (Bromeliaceae), an endemic species of the Brazilian Amazon

Aechmea subgênero Chevaliera (Gaudich. ex Beer) Baker está representado na Amazônia brasileira pelas espécies A. fernandae (E. Morren) Baker e A. rodriguesiana (L. B. Sm.) L. B. Sm., sendo a última restrita para esta região. A. rodriguesiana se caracteriza pelas flores dispostas em racemo de espigas, com brácteas florais ovais, margens inteiras, envolvendo o ovário e pelas pétalas alvas e cuculadas. O presente trabalho apresenta a complementação da descrição e ilustrações desta espécie. São apresentados dados de distribuição geográfica, hábitats e fenológicos.<br>Aechmea subgenus Chevaliera (Gaudich. ex Beer) Baker, is represented in the Brazilian Amazon by two species: A. fernandae (E. Morren) Baker and A. rodriguesiana (L. B. Sm.) L. B. Sm., the latter being restricted to this region. A. rodriguesiana is characterized by flowers arranged on racemes of spikes, oval floral bracts with entire margins that completely surround the ovary, and by cuculate white petals. The present work has as main goal to complement the description and illustration of this species, exclusive to the Brazilian Amazon, allowing its recognition and conservation. Data on geographical distribution, habitat, and phenology are presented