Amyloid and tau pathology associations with personality traits, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and cognitive lifestyle in the preclinical phases of sporadic and autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease

Background Major prevention trials for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are now focusing on multidomain lifestyle interventions. However, the exact combination of behavioral factors related to AD pathology remains unclear. In 2 cohorts of cognitively unimpaired individuals at risk of AD, we examined which combinations of personality traits, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and cognitive lifestyle (years of education or lifetime cognitive activity) related to the pathological hallmarks of AD, amyloid-β, and tau deposits. Methods A total of 115 older adults with a parental or multiple-sibling family history of sporadic AD (PREVENT-AD [PRe-symptomatic EValuation of Experimental or Novel Treatments for AD] cohort) underwent amyloid and tau positron emission tomography and answered several questionnaires related to behavioral attributes. Separately, we studied 117 mutation carriers from the DIAN (Dominant Inherited Alzheimer Network) study group cohort with amyloid positron emission tomography and behavioral data. Using partial least squares analysis, we identified latent variables relating amyloid or tau pathology with combinations of personality traits, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and cognitive lifestyle. Results In PREVENT-AD, lower neuroticism, neuropsychiatric burden, and higher education were associated with less amyloid deposition (p = .014). Lower neuroticism and neuropsychiatric features, along with higher measures of openness and extraversion, were related to less tau deposition (p = .006). In DIAN, lower neuropsychiatric burden and higher education were also associated with less amyloid (p = .005). The combination of these factors accounted for up to 14% of AD pathology. Conclusions In the preclinical phase of both sporadic and autosomal dominant AD, multiple behavioral features were associated with AD pathology. These results may suggest potential pathways by which multidomain interventions might help delay AD onset or progression

Insect pests of cowpeas

Cowpeas (blackeye peas, or simply beans in many parts of Africa), Vigna unguiculata, are widely grown in the tropics and subtropics for human as well as for animal food. Nigeria, Brazil, and Niger are among the major producers and account for over 70% of the world crop (137, 174). Nigeria alone produces ca 900,000 tons annually (172). Grown mainly as a secondary crop in association with other staples such as maize, sorghum, millet, and cassava, cowpeas constitute the cheapest source of dietary protein and energy for most poor people in the tropical world (132). They are eaten as green seeds, green pods, and dry grains, and tender leaves are used as a vegetable (101, 104, 132). In addition, the haulm is fed to cattle in a number of countries (132). ..

Autophagy-modulating aminosteroids isolated from the sponge Cliona celata

Clionamines A−D (1−4), new aminosteroids that modulate autophagy, have been isolated from South African specimens of the sponge Cliona celata. Clionamine D (4) has an unprecedented spiro bislactone side chain