Riisgravesen1400

duction of disability.

CF is a novel concept and regardless of the definitions, is a target for reversing frailty, functional limitation and cognitive impairment through dual-task exercise. Long-term prospective studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of dual-task interventions in delaying the conversion to dementia and reduction of disability.The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a 10-week tai chi intervention on psychoemotional state, cognition, and motor learning in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants aged 60-78 years were randomized to either a control group (n = 15) or a tai chi group (n = 15) for a 10-week period. The tai chi group received two, 8-form tai chi classes of 60 min duration per week. Changes in psychoemotional state, cognition, and the learning of fast and accurate reaching movements were assessed. In addition, the potential roles of the autonomic nervous system and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were investigated. Tai chi practice decreased (P less then 0.05) perceived stress, whereas no change in autonomic nervous system activity was observed. Improvements in mental switching correlated with decreased depressive symptoms and increased BDNF levels (P less then 0.05), whereas improvements in inhibitory control tended to correlate with BDNF levels (P = 0.08). Improvements in visuospatial processing tended to correlate with decreased depressive symptoms (P = 0.07) while improved visuospatial processing correlated with improved motor planning during learning tasks (P less then 0.05). This study suggests that tai chi is an effective intervention that can be delivered under pandemic conditions to improve mental and physical function in older adults.Cadmium (Cd), a heavy metal with cytotoxicity, can activate autophagy. This study aimed to explore the effects and mechanisms of Potentilla anserine L. polysaccharide (PAP) on autophagy in N2a cells, primary neurons, and the brain of BALB/c mice exposed to Cd. The CCK-8 assay results showed that the cell viability decreased and the number of acidic vesicular organelles, autophagic vacuoles, lysosomes, and dysfunctional mitochondria increased in the cytoplasm of Cd-exposed N2a cells and primary neurons, as revealed by acridine orange staining, monodansylcadaverine staining, and transmission electron microscopy. PAP mitigated Cd-induced neuronal death and characteristic changes in autophagy. The expression of LC3 IILC3 II, Bcl-2, p62, Beclin-1, and PI3K class III was examined by Western blot analysis. Furthermore, the PI3K inhibitor (LY294002 or 3-MA) and/or PAP reversed the Cd-induced upregulated expression of LC3 II, Beclin-1, and PI3K class III, with a synergy between PI3K inhibitor and PAP against Cd-induced autophagy. The findings suggested that PAP partially prevented Cd-induced autophagic cell death in neurons by inhibiting the PI3K class III/Beclin-1 signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo.Inherent limitations of the traditional approaches to study brain function and disease, such as rodent models and 2D cell culture platforms, have led to the development of 3D in vitro cell culture systems. selleckchem These systems, products of multidisciplinary efforts encompassing stem cell biology, materials engineering, and biofabrication, have quickly shown great potential to mimic biochemical composition, structural properties, and cellular morphology and diversity found in the native brain tissue. Crucial to these developments have been the advancements in stem cell technology and cell reprogramming protocols that allow reproducible generation of human subtype-specific neurons and glia in laboratory conditions. At the same time, biomaterials have been designed to provide cells in 3D with a microenvironment that mimics functional and structural aspects of the native extracellular matrix with increasing fidelity. In this article, we review the use of biomaterials in 3D in vitro models of neurological disorders with focus on hydrogel technology and with biochemical composition and physical properties of the in vivo environment as reference.The blood-brain barrier represents the major challenge for delivering drugs to the central nervous system (CNS). It separates the blood circulation from the brain tissue, thereby protecting the CNS and maintaining its ion homeostasis. Unfortunately, most drugs are not able to cross this barrier in vivo despite promising in vitro results. One approach to solve this problem is the delivery of drugs via surface modified nanocarrier systems. This review will give an overview on currently tested systems, mainly liposomes and solid nanoparticles and inform about new developments.Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a broad class of hundreds of fluorinated chemicals with environmental health concerns due to their widespread presence and persistence in the environment. Several of these chemicals have been comprehensively studied for experimental toxicity, environmental fate and exposure, and human epidemiology; however, most chemicals have limited or no data available. To inform methods for prioritizing these data-poor chemicals for detailed toxicity studies, we evaluated 142 PFAS using an in vitro screening platform consisting of two multiplexed transactivation assays encompassing 81 diverse transcription factor activities and tested in concentration-response format ranging from 137 nM to 300 μM. Results showed activity for various nuclear receptors, including three known PFAS targets--specifically estrogen receptor alpha and peroxisome proliferator receptors alpha and gamma. We also report activity against the retinoid X receptor beta, the key heterodimeric partner of type II, non-steroidal nuclear receptors. Additional activities were found against the pregnane X receptor, nuclear receptor related-1 protein, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, a sensor of oxidative stress. Using orthogonal assay approaches, we confirmed activity of representative PFAS against several of these targets. Finally, we identified key PFAS structural features associated with nuclear receptor activity that can inform future predictive models for use in prioritizing chemicals for risk assessment and in the design of new structures devoid of biological activity.