A series of three studies were conducted to generate, develop, and validate the Attitudes toward Transgender Men and Women (ATTMW) scale. In Study 1, 120 American adults responded to an open-ended ...questionnaire probing various dimensions of their perceptions of transgender individuals and identity. Qualitative thematic analysis generated 200 items based on their responses. In Study 2, 238 American adults completed a questionnaire consisting of the generated items. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed two non-identical 12-item subscales (ATTM and ATTW) of the full 24-item scale. In Study 3, 150 undergraduate students completed a survey containing the ATTMW and a number of validity-testing variables. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) verified the single-factor structures of the ATTM and ATTW subscales, and the convergent, discriminant, predictive, and concurrent validities of the ATTMW were also established. Together, our results demonstrate that the ATTMW is a reliable and valid measure of attitudes toward transgender individuals.
The learning and memory deficits associated with non‐pathological ageing mainly result from alterations to the plasticity of neuronal network dynamics within the hippocampus. In addition to the broad ...spectrum of changes that affect the morphology and function of hippocampal excitatory circuits in the ageing brain, the impaired activation of the N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate subtype of glutamate receptors (NMDA‐R) is a typical feature, altering the induction and maintenance of long‐term potentiation, a major form of synaptic plasticity. In addition to glutamate, the binding of a co‐agonist at the strychnine‐insensitive glycine‐binding site is required for NMDA‐R activation. This review presents recent evidence that: (i) the amino acid d‐serine is an endogenous co‐agonist of synaptic NMDA‐R and necessary for long‐term potentiation expression, (ii) reduced d‐serine levels in the hippocampus contribute to synaptic plasticity and memory deficits in normal ageing, and (iii) age‐related oxidative stress selectively targets hippocampal serine racemase to impact d‐serine availability in neuronal networks. These results emphasize the critical role of the hippocampal d‐serine‐dependent pathway in changes affecting neuronal network dynamics in physiological ageing that underlie memory deficits. In addition, the central role of serine racemase in these changes opens new perspectives in the search for relevant therapeutic strategies aimed at reducing age‐related memory defects.
The learning and memory deficits associated with non pathological aging mainly result from alterations to the plasticity of neuronal network dynamics within the hippocampus. Besides the broad spectrum of changes that affect the morphology and function of hippocampal excitatory circuits in the aging brain, the impaired activation of the N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate subtype of glutamate receptors (NMDA‐R) by D‐serine is a typical feature, altering the induction and maintenance of long‐term potentiation (LTP), a major form of synaptic plasticity.
The future TESSERACT experiment will search for individual galactic DM particles below the proton mass through interactions with advanced, ultra-sensitive detectors. Currently TESSERACT is in a ...design phase aiming to produce fully defined detector technologies that will explore DM masses down to 10 MeV. It is designed to be sensitive to DM candidates interacting with the detector target material in producing both nuclear recoil DM (NRDM) and electron recoil (ERDM). To do so, multiple target materials will be used with varying detection strategies to ensure the capability to both actively reject the so-called low-energy excess and discriminate nuclear recoils against electron recoils. In addition to maximizing sensitivity to a variety of DM interactions, this provides an independent handle on instrumental backgrounds. Nowadays, the TESSERACT project encompasses two US-based technologies, namely HeRALD using superfluid helium as a target material, and SPICE using polar crystals (Al2O3 and SiO2) and scintillating crystals such as GaAs. In these proceedings, we discuss the recent proposal to host the future TESSERACT experiment at the Modane Underground Laboratory (LSM) and add a third French-based cryogenic semiconducting (Ge, Si) detector technology to the TESSERACT payload.
Abstract To gain insight into the contribution of d -serine to impaired cognitive aging, we compared the metabolic pathway and content of the amino acid as well as d -serine-dependent synaptic ...transmission and plasticity in the hippocampus of young and old rats of the Wistar and Lou/C/Jall strains. Wistar rats display cognitive impairments with aging that are not found in the latter strain, which is therefore considered a model of healthy aging. Both mRNA and protein levels of serine racemase, the d -serine synthesizing enzyme, were decreased in the hippocampus but not in the cerebral cortex or cerebellum of aged Wistar rats, whereas the expression of d -amino acid oxidase, which degrades the amino acid, was not affected. Consequently, hippocampal levels of endogenous d -serine were significantly lower. In contrast, serine racemase expression and d -serine levels were not altered in the hippocampus of aged Lou/C/Jall rats. Ex vivo electrophysiological recordings in hippocampal slices showed a marked reduction in N -methyl- d -aspartate-receptor (NMDA-R)-mediated synaptic potentials and theta-burst-induced long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 area of aged Wistar rats, which were restored by exogenous d -serine. In contrast, NMDA-R activation, LTP induction and responses to d -serine were not altered in aged Lou/C/Jall rats. These results further strengthen the notion that the serine racemase-dependent pathway is a prime target of hippocampus-dependent cognitive deficits with aging. Understanding the processes that specifically affect serine racemase during aging could thus provide key insights into the treatment of memory deficits in the elderly.
Les nouvelles techniques génomiques révolutionnent le dépistage et le diagnostic anténatals, en permettant l’accès à des diagnostics d’affections foetales et/ou parentales dont la pénétrance n’est ...pas toujours complète. Ces techniques soulèvent de nombreuses questions, dans un contexte sensible, éthiquement différent du suivi postnatal. La création de groupes de réflexion multidisciplinaires nationaux et internationaux est fondamentale pour réfléchir aux diagnostics ou facteurs de susceptibilité importants à rapporter au couple en cours de grossesse.
Cosmological observations indicate that most of the matter in the Universe is Dark Matter. Dark Matter in the form of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) can be detected directly, via its ...elastic scattering off target nuclei. Most current direct detection experiments only measure the energy of the recoiling nuclei. However, directional detection experiments are sensitive to the direction of the nuclear recoil as well. Due to the Sun’s motion with respect to the Galactic rest frame, the directional recoil rate has a dipole feature, peaking around the direction of the Solar motion. This provides a powerful tool for demonstrating the Galactic origin of nuclear recoils and hence unambiguously detecting Dark Matter. Furthermore, the directional recoil distribution depends on the WIMP mass, scattering cross section and local velocity distribution. Therefore, with a large number of recoil events it will be possible to study the physics of Dark Matter in terms of particle and astrophysical properties. We review the potential of directional detectors for detecting and characterizing WIMPs.
Activation of the glycine modulatory site of the N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate glutamate receptor (NMDAR) may reduce cognitive impairments associated with normal ageing. In order to test this hypothesis, we ...assessed the effects of the partial agonist d‐cycloserine (DCS) on cellular activities involved in memory formation. This was performed in CA1 cellular networks of adult and aged Sprague–Dawley rat hippocampal slices using extracellular field excitatory postsynaptic potential recordings. Synaptic potentials specifically mediated by NMDAR were significantly reduced in aged animals. DCS increased the magnitude of these responses in both adult and old rats but this effect was significantly higher in the latter, thus reversing the age‐related decrease in NMDAR synaptic potentials. NMDAR‐mediated theta burst long‐term potentiation (TBS‐LTP) as well as long‐term depression (LTD) of synaptic transmission, prominent models for the cellular basis of learning and memory, were also weakened in aged animals. Age‐related alterations of both forms of synaptic plasticity were rescued by DCS. In addition, the DCS‐induced decrease in basal fast glutamatergic neurotransmission involving the activation of inhibitory glycinergic receptors, previously reported in young rats (Rouaud & Billard, 2003), was severely attenuated in aged animals. In summary, our results indicate that the facilitation of NMDAR activation through its glycine‐binding site rescues the age‐related deficit of cellular mechanisms of learning and memory. Such physiological evidences suggest that this modulation site of NMDAR represents an important target to alleviate cognitive deficits associated with normal ageing.
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