Interactions between physical exercise, associative memory, and genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease.

The ε4 allele of the APOE gene heightens the risk of late onset Alzheimer's disease. ε4 carriers, may exhibit cognitive and neural changes early on. Given the known memory-enhancing effects of physical exercise, particularly through hippocampal plasticity via endocannabinoid signaling, here we aimed to test whether a single session of physical exercise may benefit memory and underlying neurophysiological processes in young ε3 carriers (ε3/ε4 heterozygotes, risk group) compared with a matched control group (homozygotes for ε3). Participants underwent fMRI while learning picture sequences, followed by cycling or rest before a memory test. Blood samples measured endocannabinoid levels. At the behavioral level, the risk group exhibited poorer associative memory performance, regardless of the exercising condition. At the brain level, the risk group showed increased medial temporal lobe activity during memory retrieval irrespective of exercise (suggesting neural compensatory effects even at baseline), whereas, in the control group, such increase was only detectable after physical exercise. Critically, an exercise-related endocannabinoid increase correlated with task-related hippocampal activation in the control group only. In conclusion, healthy young individuals carrying the ε4 allele may present suboptimal associative memory performance (when compared with homozygote ε3 carriers), together with reduced plasticity (and functional over-compensation) within medial temporal structures

Searches for violation of fundamental time reversal and space reflection symmetries in solid state experiments

The electric dipole moment (EDM) of a particle violates both time reversal (T) and space reflection (P) symmetries. There have been recent suggestions for searches of the electron EDM using solid state experiments [1,2]. These experiments could improve the sensitivity compared to present atomic and molecular experiments by several orders of magnitude. In the present paper we calculate the expected effect. We also suggest that this kind of experiment is sensitive to T,P-violation in nuclear forces and calculate effects caused by the nuclear Schiff moment. The compounds under consideration contain magnetic Gd$^{3+}$ ions and oxygen O$^{2-}$ ions. We demonstrate that the main mechanism for the T,P-odd effects is related to the penetration of the Oxygen 2p-electrons to the Gd core. All the effects are related to the deformation of the crystal lattice.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure

Evaluation of a vacuum-induced concentrated-load sandwich tester

This report is one of a series issued in cooperation with the Air Force-Navy-Civil Subcommittee on Aircraft Design Criteria under the supervision of the Aircraft Committee of the Munitions Board

Preliminary evaluation of a vacuum-induced concentrated-load sandwich tester

Information reviewed and reaffirmed 1958. Original report issued June 1952

Shear stability of flat panels of sandwich construction

Revised May 1962. Original report dated May 1947

Paper honeycomb cores for structural building panels : effect of resins, adhesives, fungicide, and weight of paper on strength and resistance to decay

Information reviewed and reaffirmed September 1961. Report originally dated June 1951

Enhancement of the electron electric dipole moment in gadolinium garnets

Effects caused by the electron electric dipole moment (EDM) in gadolinium garnets are considered. Experimental studies of these effects could improve current upper limit on the electron EDM by several orders of magnitude. We suggest a consistent theoretical model and perform calculations of observable effects in gadolinium gallium garnet and gadolinium iron garnet. Our calculation accounts for both direct and exchange diagrams.Comment: 9 page

A bovine lymphosarcoma cell line infected with theileria annulata exhibits an irreversible reconfiguration of host cell gene expression

Theileria annulata, an intracellular parasite of bovine lymphoid cells, induces substantial phenotypic alterations to its host cell including continuous proliferation, cytoskeletal changes and resistance to apoptosis. While parasite induced modulation of host cell signal transduction pathways and NFκB activation are established, there remains considerable speculation on the complexities of the parasite directed control mechanisms that govern these radical changes to the host cell. Our objectives in this study were to provide a comprehensive analysis of the global changes to host cell gene expression with emphasis on those that result from direct intervention by the parasite. By using comparative microarray analysis of an uninfected bovine cell line and its Theileria infected counterpart, in conjunction with use of the specific parasitacidal agent, buparvaquone, we have identified a large number of host cell gene expression changes that result from parasite infection. Our results indicate that the viable parasite can irreversibly modify the transformed phenotype of a bovine cell line. Fifty percent of genes with altered expression failed to show a reversible response to parasite death, a possible contributing factor to initiation of host cell apoptosis. The genes that did show an early predicted response to loss of parasite viability highlighted a sub-group of genes that are likely to be under direct control by parasite infection. Network and pathway analysis demonstrated that this sub-group is significantly enriched for genes involved in regulation of chromatin modification and gene expression. The results provide evidence that the Theileria parasite has the regulatory capacity to generate widespread change to host cell gene expression in a complex and largely irreversible manner

Tick-, mosquito-, and rodent-borne parasite sampling designs for the National Ecological Observatory Network

Parasites and pathogens are increasingly recognized as significant drivers of ecological and evolutionary change in natural ecosystems. Concurrently, transmission of infectious agents among human, livestock, and wildlife populations represents a growing threat to veterinary and human health. In light of these trends and the scarcity of long-term time series data on infection rates among vectors and reservoirs, the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) will collect measurements and samples of a suite of tick-, mosquito-, and rodent-borne parasites through a continental-scale surveillance program. Here, we describe the sampling designs for these efforts, highlighting sampling priorities, field and analytical methods, and the data as well as archived samples to be made available to the research community. Insights generated by this sampling will advance current understanding of and ability to predict changes in infection and disease dynamics in novel, interdisciplinary, and collaborative ways. (Résumé d'auteur