The question whether such degeneracy liftings are physical or virtual is discussed. The random terms in the effective Hamiltonian can be Monte Carlo modeled as piecewise constant in time, which affords the stochastic equation of motion to be solved numerically in the Hilbert spin space. For sixfold rotators, this website this way of calculating the spectra can be useful in the instances where the Liouville space formalism

of the original DQR theory is numerically unstable. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3526943]“
“Background: While scholarship on alcohol use and homelessness has focused on the impact of alcohol abuse and dependence, little is known about the effects of lower levels of misuse such as hazardous use. Veterans receiving care in the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System (VA) constitute a

population that is vulnerable to alcohol misuse and homelessness. This research examines the effects of hazardous drinking on homelessness in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study, a sample of 2898 older veterans (mean age=50.2), receiving care in 8 VAs across the country.\n\nMethods: Logistic regression models examined the associations between (1) hazardous drinking at baseline and homelessness at 1-year GW4869 molecular weight follow-up, (2) transitions into and out of hazardous drinking from baseline to follow-up and homelessness at follow-up, learn more and (3) transitioning to hazardous drinking and transitioning to homelessness from baseline to follow-up during that same time-period.\n\nResults: After controlling for other correlates including alcohol dependence, hazardous drinking at baseline increased the risk of homelessness at follow-up (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02, 1.88). Transitioning to hazardous drinking more than doubled the risk of homelessness at follow-up (AOR=2.42,95% CI=1.41, 4.15), while more than doubling the risk of transitioning from being housed at baseline to being homeless at follow-up (AOR=2.49, 95% CI=1.30, 4.79).\n\nConclusions: Early intervention that seeks to prevent transitioning

into hazardous drinking could increase housing stability among veterans. Brief interventions which have been shown to be effective at lower levels of alcohol use should be implemented with veterans in VA care. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.”
“Arteriosclerotic renal artery stenosis (RAS) has an increased incidence in patients with cardiovascular risk factors. Clinically RAS presents in some patients as secondary, sometimes resistant arterial hypertension and in others as chronic renal insufficiency, sometimes with acute renal failure and in a third group both symptoms are observed. Doppler ultrasound plays a central role in the diagnosis of RAS. Therapeutically, it is important to identify hemodynamically relevant RAS before interventional therapy is initiated.

In our current study, 411 cases were analyzed over a period of 5 years, which reflected the incidence of cytogenetic abnormalities in Romania. Down syndrome showed the highest frequency at 79%. At 2.6% structural chromosome abnormality syndromes and Turner syndrome followed suit. Next were the Edwards and Patau syndromes with an incidence of 1.2%. Klinefelter, Cri du chat and Wolf-Hirschhorn syndromes all had an incidence of 0.7%. Finally, the lowest frequencies were shown by Williams at 0.4% and only one case of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome with abnormal karyotype. The average maternal age at childbirth Rabusertib was 31.15 years (SD = 6.96) and the average paternal

age was 33.41 years (SD

= 7.17).”
“Sodium alginate microspheres of domperidone for intranasal systemic delivery were developed to eliminate first pass metabolism, MI-503 manufacturer improve patient compliance and obtain improved therapeutic efficacy in treatment of migraine, gastro-esophageal reflux and chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting. Domperidone was encapsulated as ternary inclusion complex with beta-cyclodextrin and citric acid to improve solubility. The phase solubility studies were performed in order to select suitable acid and ternary inclusion complex was prepared by kneading method. The complex was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In vitro dissolution study was carried out in simulated nasal electrolyte solution, pH 6.4. The microspheres of optimised ternary inclusion complex were prepared by emulsification-cross-linking method and WH-4-023 in vivo were evaluated for particle size, encapsulation efficiency, equilibrium swelling degree, in vitro mucoadhesion and in vitro drug release. The effect of various formulation variables such as drug loading, polymer concentration, cross-linking agent concentration and cross-linking time on microsphere characteristics were studied. The microspheres size range was 57.63-65.3 mu m, whereas the percentage drug encapsulation was within the

range 15-50 %. All microspheres showed good bioadhesive properties. The formulation variables influenced the drug release profile. The treatment of in vitro release kinetics with kinetic equations indicated that the domperidone release followed Higuchi’s matrix model.”
“Background: Apart from their main role in transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide, erythrocytes play also an important role in organism antioxidative defence. Direct exposure to reactive oxygen species (ROS) results in shortening of their half-life, even by 50%. The presence of glucose, being the substrate in pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) cycle, is one of the factors that can have influence on the level of oxidative stress. The activity of PPP increases during oxidative stress.

(C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“The present study was carried out to investigate the protective effect of vitamin C as antioxidant to reduce hepatotoxicity and spleen toxicity induced by lead. Lead acetate administered at 20 mg/kg intake caused severe alterations in liver and spleen manifested by hepatocytes degeneration and leucocytes infiltration and fibrosis in liver, ill-defined architecture and large macrophages in the spleen. Vitamin C administered at 500 mg/kg of vitamin C one hour prior to lead reduced hepatotoxicity but did not affect liver

fibrosis. Moreover, Vitamin C reduced the toxicity in spleen characterized by well-defined spleen architecture.”
“Coenzyme A (CoA) is an ubiquitous and essential cofactor, synthesized AZD6094 purchase from the precursor pantothenate. Vitamin biosynthetic pathways are normally tightly regulated, including the pathway from pantothenate to CoA. However, no regulation of pantothenate biosynthesis has been identified. EVP4593 order We have recently described an additional component in the pantothenate biosynthetic pathway, PanZ, which promotes the activation

of the zymogen, PanD, to form aspartate a-decarboxylase (ADC) in a CoA-dependent manner. Here we report the structure of PanZ in complex with PanD, which reveals the structural basis for the CoA dependence of this interaction and activation. In addition, we show that PanZ acts as a CoA-dependent inhibitor of ADC catalysis. This inhibitory effect can effectively regulate the biosynthetic pathway to pantothenate, and thereby also regulate CoA biosynthesis. This represents a previously unobserved mode of metabolic regulation whereby a cofactor-utilizing protein negatively regulates the biosynthesis of the same cofactor.”
“Environmental chemicals can disrupt endocrine signaling and adversely impact sexual differentiation in wildlife. Bisphenol A (BPA) is an estrogenic chemical commonly found in PXD101 mouse a variety of habitats. In this study, we used painted turtles (Chrysemys picta), which have temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), as an animal model for ontogenetic endocrine disruption by BPA. We hypothesized

that BPA would override TSD and disrupt sexual development. We incubated farm-raised turtle eggs at the male-producing temperature (26 degrees C), randomly assigned individuals to treatment groups: control, vehicle control, 17 beta-estradiol (E2, 20 ng/g-egg) or 0.01, 1.0, 100 mu g BPA/g-egg and harvested tissues at hatch. Typical female gonads were present in 89% of the E2-treated “males”, but in none of the control males (n = 35). Gonads of BPA-exposed turtles had varying amounts of ovarian-like cortical (OLC) tissue and disorganized testicular tubules in the medulla. Although the percentage of males with OLCs increased with BPA dose (SPA-low = 30%, BPA-medium = 33%, BPA-high = 39%), this difference was not significant (p = 0.85).

5, the electrical double layer repulsion between two negatively charged surfaces gives low friction. From these results, it is concluded that although the PCDME gels behave like neutral gels in the bulk properties, their surface properties sensitively change with pH and ionic strength of the medium.”
“In addition to initial sex determination, genes on the sex chromosomes are theorized to play a particularly important role in phenotypic differences between males and females. Sex chromosomes in many species display molecular signatures consistent with these theoretical predictions, particularly Batimastat datasheet through sex-specific gene

expression. However, the phenotypic implications of this molecular signature are unresolved, and the role of the sex chromosomes in quantitative genetic studies of phenotypic sex differences is largely equivocal. In this article, we examine molecular and phenotypic data in the light of theoretical predictions about masculinization and feminization of the sex chromosomes. Additionally, we discuss the role of genetic and regulatory complexities in the genome-phenotype relationship, and ultimately how these affect the overall role of the sex chromosomes in sex differences.”
“The authors

have presented microstructural, ac- and dc-electrical properties, and magnetic and optical studies of Zn1-xFex/2Cox/2O (x = 0.1 and 0.2) semiconducting nanoparticles, prepared through low temperature chemical “pyrophoric reaction process.” Structural characterizations confirm HCS assay the formation of single phase (at a calcination temperature of selleck 300 degrees C), chemically homogeneous, nanometric sample (similar to 7 nm). Electrical studies on those samples have been carried out using an ac impedance spectroscopy and dc resistivity technique. Temperature dependent relaxation processes have been investigated by studying complex impedance

spectroscopy. The authors have also estimated activation energy from both ac and dc resistivity data of those nanoparticles. Magnetic data clearly reveal the presence of some sort of magnetic behavior, even up to room temperature, in the x 0.2 sample, whereas for x 0.1 sample, there in no such magnetic behavior. This feature has been explained through magnetic polaron percolation theory. The authors have also estimated semiconducting band gap of those nanoparticles using recorded absorbance spectra. (C) 2014 American Vacuum Society.”
“Do we as mental health workers suggest by our language that patients are “other,” foreign, and different from ourselves? Do the terms with which we refer to patients reflect an unconscious attitude that they do not belong to “our set” and we do not belong to theirs? Do we stereotype our patients without intending to? By the words we use, do we intimate that whatever is wrong with our patients is a permanent flaw, a condition that will remain forever? These are the questions explored in this Open Forum.

“
“The membranolytic activity of silica particles toward red blood cells (RBCs) has been known for a long time and is sometimes associated with silica pathogenicity. However, the molecular mechanism and the reasons why hemolysis differs according to the silica form are still obscure. A panel of 15 crystalline (pure and Copanlisib commercial) and amorphous (pyrogenic, precipitated from aqueous solutions, vitreous) silica samples differing in size, origin, morphology, and surface chemical composition were selected and

specifically prepared. Silica particles were grouped into six groups to compare their potential in disrupting RBC membranes so that one single property differed in each group, while other features were constant. Free radical production and crystallinity were not strict determinants of hemolytic activity. Particle curvature and morphology modulated the hemolytic effect, but silanols and siloxane bridges at the surface were the main actors. Hemolysis was unrelated to the Selleckchem CH5424802 overall concentration of silanols as fully rehydrated surfaces (such as

those obtained from aqueous solution) were inert, and one pyrogenic silica also lost its membranolytic potential upon progressive dehydration. Overall results are consistent with a model whereby hemolysis is determined by a defined surface distribution of dissociated/undissociated silanols and siloxane groups strongly interacting with specific epitopes on the RBC membrane.”
“The in vitro activity of doripenem was evaluated against a recent collection of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates (201 ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae [153 Escherichia coli and 48 Klebsiella pneumoniae] and 201 P. aeruginosa). Comparator agents included amikacin, tobramycin, ciprofloxacin, cefepime, cefotaxime, ceftazidime

piperacillin-tazobactam, imipenem, and meropenem. Both doripenem and meropenem inhibited 100% of the ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae at a parts per thousand currency sign0.5 A mu g/mL. For these isolates, ACY-1215 cost the MIC(90) of doripenem (0.12 A mu g/mL) was 4-fold lower than that of imipenem (0.5 A mu g/mL). Against P. aeruginosa, the MIC(90) of doripenem and meropenem was 2 A mu g/mL, 4-fold lower than that of imipenem (8 A mu g/mL). At an MIC of a parts per thousand currency sign2 A mu g/mL, doripenem, meropenem, and imipenem inhibited 90.5%, 89.6%, and 82.1% of P. aeruginosa isolates, respectively. Doripenem maintained activity against imipenem-nonsusceptible isolates of P. aeruginosa; at an MIC of a parts per thousand currency sign4 A mu g/mL, it inhibited 15 of the 25 isolates with MICs for imipenem of > 4 A mu g/mL. Doripenem is active against ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae and P. aeruginosa isolates.

In addition, a toxic dose of 1.2 mg/kg/day was subsequently tested in the GD 6-10, GD 11-15, and GD 16-20 https://www.selleckchem.com/products/iwr-1-endo.html periods of rat pregnancy A pharmacokinetic Study was also conducted to evaluate the bioavailability of AS following the IM. administrations. Results showed that no significant adverse effects were found in maternal rate All of the fetuses were either damaged or reabsorbed by placentas in treated Pregnant rats, but doses did not show an adverse effect at 0 4 and 0 5 mg/kg after Wand IM administrations, respectively. The Survival fate of fetuses is dose-dependent and the 50% fetus

re-absorption doses (FRD(50)) were 0 61 and 0 60 mg/kg following the IV and IM, respectively. The most drug-sensitive period, showing severe embryotoxicity, was between GD 11 and 15 for injectable AS. When Calculated with total concentrations of AS and dihydroartemisinin, LCL161 in vitro in active

metabolite of AS, the bioavailability of 97 8% after intramuscular injection was fulfilled to a bioequivalence of that in intravenous treatment The fact that injectable AS exhibited severe embryolethality after both IV and IM injections seems related to their comparable pharmacokinetic profiles that indicate high peak concentrations in Pregnant animals. Birth Defects Res (Part B) 86 385-393, 2009 Published 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc”
“Although patients with musculoskeletal tumors are at risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), few detailed studies on the incidence, clinical course, and risk factors of this condition have been reported.\n\nA total of 299 patients with musculoskeletal tumors during the preceding 3 years were enrolled. D-dimer (DD) levels on admission and on postoperative days 1, 7, and 14 were routinely assessed. For patients who were receiving chemotherapy, an examination was performed every 2-3 days for the survey. Multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) was used for the detection of VTE in patients with DD levels > Selleck Quizartinib 10 mu g/ml. The incidence of clinically detected VTE and the clinical courses of the patients with VTE were reviewed. The risk factors for VTE were

analyzed. For statistical analysis, Fisher’s exact test, the Mann-Whitney U-test, and logistic regression were used.\n\nVTE was detected in eight cases (2.7%). Six cases were detected postoperatively, and the remaining two cases were detected during chemotherapy. Pulmonary embolism was evident in four cases. No VTE-related lethal events were detected during the study period. In the univariate analysis, malignancy (P = 0.003), chemotherapy (P = 0.004), plastic surgery (P = 0.006), tumor size (P = 0.008), and elevated DD levels at admission (P = 0.03) were found to be significant risk factors for VTE. Among these factors, the multivariate analysis indicated that tumor size (P = 0.00 006), plastic surgery (P 0.

Here we describe two case reports of patients suffering from brain abscesses caused by Nocardia that required neurosurgical treatment.”
“This investigation was conducted in order to investigate selleck compound the efficacy of the detoxifying agent Mycofix (R) Plus (MP) in the prevention and/or alleviation in vivo adverse effects of T-2 toxin in broilers. In addition, the adsorbing potential of MP was estimated in vitro. Mean degradation levels of T-2 toxin with MP in vitro, as measured by HPTLC, varied from 26.06 to 31.02 % and the adsorption ability was elevated in acidic environment

(pH 3). In vivo trial was performed on 160 one day old “Ross” broiler chicks and lasted for 21 days. Birds were divided into 4 equal groups as follows: Group 1 – negative control; Group 2 – positive control -2 ppm T-2 toxin; Group 3 – 2 ppm T-2 toxin + 2 kg/t MP; Group 4 – 2 kg/t MP\n\nBroilers fed the diet containing 2 mg/kg of T-2 toxin without MP developed typical T-2 toxicosis. Birds that were fed the diet containing both T-2 and MP had better performances and no oral ulcerations as the dominant sign of selleck products T-2 toxicosis were

observed. Histopathological examination of tissues originating from birds fed the diet containing T-2 toxin revealed degenerative changes in the oral and small intestine mucosa, necroses of enterocytes and hepatocytes, as well as depletion of lymphocytes in the bursa Fabricii. Immunohistochemical examination also revealed negative effects of T-2 toxin on cells proliferation in intestineal and bile duct mucosa, as well as on lymphocytes from

bursa Fabricii. The macroscopic and microscopic structure of the liver, intestine and bursa Fabricii of broilers fed a diet containing T-2 toxin and MP was mostly preserved. Cutaneous basophile hypersensitivity reaction was weaker in broilers fed mixtures containing 2 mg/kg T-2 toxin.”
“Background: Pediatric oligodendrogliomas are rare and appear to show a different molecular profile from adult tumors. Some gliomas display allelic losses at 1p/19q this website in pediatric patients, although less frequently than in adult patients, but this is rare in tumors with an oligodendroglial component. The molecular basis of this genomic abnormality is unknown in pediatric gliomas, but it represents a relatively common finding in pediatric oligodendroglioma-like neoplasms with leptomeningeal dissemination. Results: Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) analysis using SALSA P088-B1 for the analysis of the 1p/19q allelic constitution in a pediatric anaplastic (oligodendro) glioma showed homozygous co deletion for markers: TNFRSF4 (located at 1p36.33), TP73 (1p36.32), PPAP2B (1pter-p22.1), DPYD (1p21.3), and PDCD5 (19q13.12), and hemizygous deletion of BAX (19q13.3-q13.4). No sequence changes for R132 and R172 of the IDH1/2 genes were identified.

This co-culture system may serve as a model NSC 683864 to investigate other bovine enteric pathogens.”
“As a group of economically important species, linkage mapping of polysomic autotetraploids, including potato, sugarcane and rose, is difficult to conduct due to their unique meiotic property of double reduction that allows sister chromatids to enter into the same gamete. We describe and assess a statistical model for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in polysomic autotetraploids. The model incorporates double reduction, built in the mixture model-based framework and implemented with the expectation-maximization algorithm. It allows the simultaneous

estimation of QTL positions, QTL effects and the degree of double reduction as well as the assessment of the estimation precision of these parameters. We performed computer simulation to examine the statistical properties of the method and validate its use through analyzing real data in tetraploid switchgrass.”
“The identification of novel scaffolds for the development of effective and safe treatments to fight malaria is urgently needed. One of the main opportunities is the discovery of new molecules from natural origin. A simple, robust and cost-effective colorimetric assay based on the inhibition of beta-hematin

has been adapted to routinely screen plant extracts with the ultimate goal to identify novel antimalarial ingredients. The development of this assay has included a careful optimization of all critical experimental parameters. The beta-hematin assay can be completed in less than one working day, VS-6063 clinical trial MK-0518 cell line requiring a 96-well UV-vis plate reader and low-cost commercially available reagents using a standard operating protocol. it can be used on its own or in combination with the well-known Plasmodium growth inhibition assay and has the obvious merit to be informative at the early stage of drug discovery regarding the mechanism of action

of the actives. A total of 40 diverse natural products and 219 plants extracts were tested. Good correlations in respect with specificity (pure compounds 85%, extracts 93%) and positive predictive value (pure compounds 72%, extracts 50%) were obtained in comparison with Plasmodium growth inhibition assay that was used as the reference assay. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is considered as the early stage of dementia which currently has no effective treatments. Reducing progression of cognitive decline at the MCI stage could be an important strategy for preventing conversion to dementia. The goal of this work was to screen for clinical predictors indicating the prognosis of MCI comprehensively; therefor, we assumed vascular risk factors (VRFs), carotid stenosis, and white matter changes (WMC) to be independent predictors.

Changes were evident, predominantly as decreased MNTs within and between treatment periods. Flexion testing revealed stiffness or avoidance in 19 of 20 horses. Results of the flexion testing showed an increased number of physiologic reactions at the end of both treatment periods compared with baseline values. The effect of PEMF on back pain and range of induced back movement could not be proven in this study. Although pretherapy values indicated the horses

might have experienced back pain, all horses were still actively used in sport, Selleck Emricasan and back pain might not have been severe enough to allow a significant effect to be demonstrated. (c) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Small RNAs (miRNA, siRNA, and piRNA) regulate gene expression through targeted destruction or translational repression of specific messenger RNA in a fundamental

biological process called RNA interference (RNAi). The Argonaute proteins, which derive from a highly conserved family of genes found in almost all eukaryotes, are critical mediators of this process. Four AGO genes are present in humans, three of which (AGO 1, 3, and 4) reside in a cluster on chromosome 1p35p34. The effects of germline AGO variants or dosage alterations in humans are not known, however, prior studies have implicated dysregulation of the selleckchem RNAi mechanism in the pathogenesis of several https://www.selleckchem.com/products/Nilotinib.html neurodevelopmental disorders. We describe five patients with hypotonia, poor feeding, and developmental delay who were found to have microdeletions of chromosomal region 1p34.3 encompassing the AGO1 and AGO3 genes. We postulate that haploinsufficiency of AGO1 and AGO3 leading to impaired RNAi may be responsible for the neurocognitive deficits present in these patients. However, additional studies with rigorous phenotypic characterization of larger cohorts of affected individuals and systematic

investigation of the underlying molecular defects will be necessary to confirm this.”
“Despite the important role of temperature regulation in human behavior, it is frequently overlooked as a thermoregulatory response during both rest and exercise. During rest. the initiation of thermoregulatory behavior is preceded by changes in thermal comfort/sensation, with the temperature of the skin playing a vital signaling role. This behavior maintains heat balance and prevents the activation of autonomic thermoregulatory responses. Recently, self-paced exercise in the heat has been used as a thermo-behavioral model and accordingly, reductions in exercise work-rate in the heat appear sufficient to maintain regulation. this behavior is mediated by elevations in skin temperature, however the perception of effort Similar to rest, appears to be the perceptual trigger. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

01) after both

types of exercise. Contrary to our hypothesis, the results demonstrate that ER, performed after E, amplifies the adaptive signaling response of mitochondrial biogenesis compared with single-mode endurance exercise. The mechanism may relate to a cross talk between signaling pathways mediated by mTOR. The results suggest that MLN4924 concurrent training may be beneficial for the adaptation of muscle oxidative capacity.”
“Apolipoprotein-E protein is an endogenous immunomodulatory agent that affects both the innate and the adaptive immune responses. Since individuals with the APOE4 gene demonstrate worsened pathology and poorer outcomes in many neurological disorders, we examined isoform-specific differences in the response of microglia, the primary cellular component of the brain’s innate immune response, in detail. Our data demonstrate that microglia derived from APOE4/4 targeted replacement mice demonstrate a pro-inflammatory phenotype that includes altered cell morphology, increased NO production associated

with increased NOS2 mRNA levels, and higher pro-inflammatory cytokine production (TNF alpha, IFL-6, IL12p40) compared to microglia derived from APOE-3/3 targeted replacement mice. The effect is gene dose-dependent and increases with the number of APOE4 gene alleles. The APOE genotype-specific immune profile observed in the microglial Nutlin-3 Apoptosis inhibitor immune response is also observed in the cortex of aged APOE3/3 and APOE4/4 mice treated with lipopolysacchride (LPS) https://www.selleckchem.com/products/GSK1904529A.html and in peripheral (peritoneal)

macrophages. To determine if APOE4′s action resulted from an isoform-specific difference in effective levels of the apolipoproteins, we generated mice expressing only a single allele of APOE3. Immune-stimulated macrophages from APOE3/0 mice demonstrated an increased inflammatory response compared to APOE3/3 mice, but less than in APOE4/4 mice. These data suggest that inhibition of inflammation depends upon the dose of apoE3 protein available and that apoE4 protein may alter inflammation partly by dose effects and partly by being qualitatively different than apoE3. Overall, these data emphasize the important role of apolipoprotein E and of the APOE genotype on the immune responses that are evident in most, if not all, neurological disease. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“ATP-sensitive potassium channels (K(ATP)) play a crucial role in coupling metabolic energy to the membrane potential of cells, thereby functioning as cellular “metabolic sensors.” Recent evidence has showed a connection between the amyloid neurotoxic cascade and metabolic impairment. With regard to their neuroprotection in other neuronal preparations, K(ATP) channels may mediate a potential neuroprotective role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).