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The post-translational modification of proteins by ubiquitin-like modifiers (UbLs), such as SUMO, ubiquitin, and Nedd8, regulates a vast array of cellular processes. Dedicated UbL deconjugating proteases families reverse these modifications. During bacterial infection, effector proteins, including deconjugating proteases, are released to disrupt host cell defenses and promote bacterial survival. NopD, an effector protein from rhizobia involved in legume nodule symbiosis, exhibits deSUMOylation activity and, unexpectedly, also deubiquitination and deNeddylation activities. Here, we present two crystal structures of Bradyrhizobium (sp. XS1150) NopD complexed with either Arabidopsis SUMO2 or ubiquitin at 1.50 Å and 1.94 Å resolution, respectively. Despite their low sequence similarity, SUMO and ubiquitin bind to a similar NopD interface, employing a unique loop insertion in the NopD sequence. In vitro binding and activity assays reveal specific residues that distinguish between deubiquitination and deSUMOylation. These unique multifaceted deconjugating activities against SUMO, ubiquitin, and Nedd8 exemplify an optimized bacterial protease that disrupts distinct UbL post-translational modifications during host cell infection. The unique structural features of the NopD catalytic domain, an effector protease from symbiotic bacteria rhizobia, grant a surprising versatility to remove various regulatory tags (SUMO, ubiquitin, Nedd8) from host plant proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urease is an important virulence factor involved in the colonization and infection of gastric mucosa by Helicobacter pylori. In this work, the urease inhibitory activity of a series of γ-alkylidenebutenolides analogues of natural rubrolides is presented. The compounds were prepared from a commercial 3,4-dibromofuran-(5H)-2-one, as previously reported, including three new derivatives. The rubrolide analogues (at 500 µM) showed percentages of urease inhibition ranging from 20.7 to 99.3%. The most active compounds (IC50 from 111.5 to 306.0 µM) were shown to be more potent than hydroxyurea (IC50 844.4 µM), a standard urease inhibitor. Rubrolide analogues with phenolic hydroxyl groups revealed higher potency compared with other substances evaluated. Their physicochemical parameters (partition coefficient, molecular weight, hydrogen bonding acceptors, number of hydrogen bonding donor groups, number of rotatable bonds, and the number of aromatic bonds) related to general pharmacokinetic requirements showed drug-like properties for the evaluated rubrolide analogues. Docking studies suggest that the presence of hydroxy groups at the ortho position favors both the formation of reversible interactions with urease and the formation of a covalent adduct with the active site causing blocking of the enzyme, like what happens with catechol, its natural inhibitor. The high biological activity herein reported indicates that rubrolides constitute promising leads for the development of a new class of urease inhibitor drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botrytis cinerea, Rhizoctonia solani and Hemileia vastatrix are three species of phytopathogenic fungi behind major crop losses worldwide. These have been selected as target models for testing the fungicide potential of a series of bis(ylidene) cyclohexanones. Although some compounds of this chemical class are known to have inhibitory activity against human pathogens, they have never been explored for the control of phytopathogens until now. In the present work, bis(ylidene) cyclohexanones were synthesized through simple, fast and low-cost base- or acid-catalyzed aldol condensation reaction and tested in vitro against B. cinerea, R. solani and H. vastatrix. bis(pyridylmethylene) cyclohexanones showed the highest activity against the target fungi. When tested at 200 nmol per mycelial plug against R. solani., these compounds completely inhibited the mycelial growth, and the most active bis(pyridylmethylene) cyclohexanone compound had an IC50 of 155.5 nmol plug−1. Additionally, bis(pyridylmethylene) cyclohexanones completely inhibited urediniospore germination of H. vastatrix, at 125 μmol L−1. The most active bis(pyridylmethylene) cyclohexanone had an IC50 value of 4.8 µmol L−1, which was estimated as approximately 2.6 times lower than that found for the copper oxychloride-based fungicide, used as control. Additionally, these substances had a low cytotoxicity against the mammalian Vero cell line. Finally, in silico calculations indicated that these compounds present physicochemical parameters regarded as suitable for agrochemicals. Bis(ylidene) cyclohexanones may constitute promising candidates for the development of novel antifungal agents for the control of relevant fungal diseases in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we look at how one specific form of temporary employment - employment with fixed-term contracts - fits into employers' hiring policies. We find that human capital variables, measured at the levels of the worker and the workplace, are important determinants of the employers' decisions to hire with temporary contracts and to promote temporary workers to permanent positions. Those employers that hire more with temporary contracts are also those that are more likely to offer a permanent position to their newly-hired temporary employees. Our results indicate that fixed-term contracts are a mechanism for screening workers for permanent positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High precision and accuracy make Pb-Fire assay the method of choice for gold analysis in mineralogical samples. The second stage of this method, called cupellation, leaves the used container (cupel) highly contaminated with PbO. Since tons of cupel waste are generated annually from gold analysis worldwide, the disposal of such material constitutes a serious risk to the environment. In the present paper the recovery of the lead from cupel waste by means of an alkaline fusion in the presence of sulfur was evaluated considering the effects of the following variables: amount of NaOH and sulfur, time, and temperature. Gravimetric analyses indicated 81.3% (w/w) recovery of lead in the form of metallic lead from 5.00 g of cupel waste using 3.00 g of NaOH, 0.5 g of S8, after 15 min at 650 °C. During the process, sulfur promoted the reduction of lead oxide. After the process, both the cupel wastes and the resulting secondary wastes presented lead concentrations below the maximum limits determined by both Brazilian legislation and that followed by US Environmental Protection Agency, and can be considered safe for disposal. Furthermore, the proposed method allows cupel wastes to be converted from an environmental liability to a raw material for the production of metallic Pb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-translational protein modifications by ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like modifiers regulate many major pathways in the cell. These modifications can be reversed by de-ubiquitinating enzymes such as ubiquitin-specific proteases (USPs). Proteolytic activity towards ubiquitin-modified substrates is common to all USP family members except for USPL1, which shows a unique preference for the ubiquitin-like modifier SUMO. Here, we present the crystal structure of USPL1 bound to SUMO2, defining the key structural elements for the unusual deSUMOylase activity of USPL1. We identify specific contacts between SUMO2 and the USPL1 subdomains, including a unique hydrogen bond network of the SUMO2 C-terminal tail. In addition, we find that USPL1 lacks major structural elements present in all canonical USPs members such as the so-called blocking loops, which facilitates SUMO binding. Our data give insight into how a structural protein scaffold designed to bind ubiquitin has evolved to bind SUMO, providing an example of divergent evolution in the USP family. USPL1 is a non-canonical member of the ubiquitin-specific protease (USP) family with activity toward SUMO instead of ubiquitin. Here, the authors present a crystal structure of USPL1 bound to SUMO2, revealing how this enzyme has evolved to bind SUMO as an example of divergent evolution in the USP family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-label classification is the task of inferring the set of unseen instances using the knowledge obtained through the analysis of a set of training examples with known label sets. In this paper, a multi-label classifier fusion ensemble approach named decision templates for ensemble of classifier chains is presented, which is derived from the decision templates method. The proposed method estimates two decision templates per class, one representing the presence of the class and the other representing its absence, based on the same examples used for training the set of classifiers. For each unseen instance, a new decision profile is created and the similarity between the decision templates and the decision profile determines the resulting label set. The method is incorporated into a traditional multi-label classifier algorithm: the ensemble of classifier chains. Empirical evidence indicates that the use of the proposed decision templates adaptation can improve the performance over the traditionally used combining schemes, especially for domains with a large number of instances available, improving the performance of an already high-performing multi-label learning method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents an analysis of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based forecasting models for vehicular traffic flow. The forecasting was performed for three periods of time: 1 week, 1 month and 1 year. The vehicular traffic flow data analysed were collected from Interstate 87, a highway located within the U.S. state of New York. Temporal and climate information, such as weekday, time of day, precipitation, visibility and temperature, were provided to the ANNs. Two different architectures were implemented to forecast vehicular traffic flow: Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). The performance was evaluated using the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and comparing the predicted flow with the real data in the evaluated period. The MLP resulted in RMSE of 113.96, 185.98 and 201.19, and MAP of 9.56%, 15.49% and 16.95% for a forecasting interval of 1 week, 1 month and 1 year, respectively. Similarly, the LSTM network resulted in RMSE of 122.20, 179.55 and 203.63 and MAPE of 14.66%, 17.89% and 24.10% for the same time periods. Additionally, the two developed ANNs were evaluated to perform a forecasting vehicular traffic flow for another highway, the Interstate 88. The results from the two ANNs are similar, the MLP network resulted in MAPE of 17.15%, 25.65% and 19.76% for a forecasting interval of 1 week, 1 month and 1 year, respectively. On the other hand, the LSTM network presented RMSE of 19.14%, 31.87% and 22.97%. The results obtained come close to the similar work results when considered shorter prediction periods. The results for longer prediction time could not be compared to the literature due to the lack of work in this area, being a novelty of the current work. Moreover, the models implemented in this paper were precise and stable and can be used as strategy information to help road and cities planning. In addition, results have shown that the model can be replicated for other roads in the same region or either from other states or countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-translational modification of proteins by ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like modifiers, such as SUMO, are key events in protein homeostasis or DNA damage response. Smc5/6 is a nuclear multi-subunit complex that participates in the recombinational DNA repair processes and is required in the maintenance of chromosome integrity. Nse2 is a subunit of the Smc5/6 complex that possesses SUMO E3 ligase activity by the presence of a SP-RING domain that activates the E2~SUMO thioester for discharge on the substrate. Here we present the crystal structure of the SUMO E3 ligase Nse2 in complex with an E2-SUMO thioester mimetic. In addition to the interface between the SP-RING domain and the E2, the complex reveals how two SIM (SUMO-Interacting Motif) -like motifs in Nse2 are restructured upon binding the donor and E2-backside SUMO during the E3-dependent discharge reaction. Both SIM interfaces are essential in the activity of Nse2 and are required to cope with DNA damage. Nse2 is a SUMO E3 ligase component of the Smc5/6 multisubunit complex involved in the DNA repair and chromosome integrity. Here, the structure of the Nse2 in complex with an E2-SUMO thioester mimetic reveals the combined action of two SIM motifs during the E3- dependent conjugation reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The initial objective of our work was to synthesize a series of 2-amino-4H-pyran-3-carbonitriles to be tested for their antifungal activities against economically relevant phytopathogenic fungi. Fourteen compounds were prepared in up to 94% yield and shown percentages of Botrytis cinerea inhibition above 70%. Despite the promising biological results, we observed that stock solutions prepared for biological tests showed color changing when kept for a few days on the laboratory bench, under room conditions, illuminated by common LED daylight tubes (4500–6000 k). This prompted us to investigate the possible photo-induced degradation of our compounds. FT-IR ATR experiments evidenced variations in the expected bands for functional of -amino-4H-pyran-3-carbonitriles stored under LED daylight. Following, HPLC–UV analysis showed reductions in the intensity of chromatographic peaks of 2-amino-4H-pyran-3-carbonitriles, and but not for solutions kept in the dark. A solution of (E)-2-amino-8-(4-nitrobenzylidene)-4-(4-nitrophenyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-4H-chromene-3-carbonitrile underwent 84.4% of conversion after 72 h of exposure to continuous LED daylight in a BOD chamber, and the reaction product was isolated in 36% yield and characterized as (E)-7-cyano-5-(4-nitrobenzylidene)-8-(4-nitrophenyl)bicyclo[4.2.0]oct-1(6)-ene-7-carboxamide (7*). Despite freshly prepared solutions of 2-amino-4H-pyran-3-carbonitriles produced antifungal activities, these solutions lost biological activity when left on the bench for a week. Besides, compound 7* formed from photo-induced degradation of 7 also showed no antifungal activity. With this, we hope to bring two contributions: (1) production of cyclobutenes through photochemical reactions of 2-amino-4H-pyran-3-carbonitriles can be carried out through exposure to simple white LED daylight; (2) biological applications of such 2-amino-4H-pyran-3-carbonitriles may be impaired by their poor photostability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last chapter of the evolutionary history of the Permian (Artinskian–Wuchiapingian) endemic bivalves of the Passa Dois Group, Brazil, is depicted. They evolved in a vast, isolated epeiric sea under progressive continentalization. Previously, bivalves that thrived during times of marked non-marine (limnic) conditions have been poorly investigated. Hence, a systematic survey of the bivalves between the Leinzia similis assemblage (Serrinha Member) and the Palaeomutela platinensis assemblage (Morro Pelado Member), Rio do Rasto Formation, is presented. Over two hundred specimens were examined, and three bivalve assemblages were identified: (a) the Terraia decarinata assemblage in the uppermost part of the Serrinha Member, including Relogiincola delicata gen. et sp. nov., Palaeomutela australis sp. nov., and Palaeomutela platinensis (Reed, 1935); (b) the Terraia cf. decarinata assemblage in the transition between the Serrinha and Morro Pelado members, including T. decarinata, and P. platinensis, and (c) the Palaeomutela australis assemblage in the lowermost part of the Morro Pelado Member, also including R. delicata and P. platinensis. The investigated bivalves were recorded above the last occurrences of Terraia altissima (Holdhaus, 1918) and Cowperesia emerita Mendes, 1952 in the Serrinha Member. In the Gai-As Formation, Huab Basin, Namibia, these species are found in well-constrained Wordian–Capitanian strata, suggesting a Capitanian–Wuchiapingian age for the studied assemblages. The Permian cosmopolitan freshwater genus Palaeomutela occurs in all three assemblages and is also found in the lower Beaufort Group (South and Central Africa). Therefore, our record may represent the maximum paleobiogeographic expansion of Palaeomutela in Western Gondwana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae can stimulate antioxidant defense systems as adaptive responses to oxidative stress. Therefore, these organisms can be a potential source of natural antioxidants. In this work, forty-two strains of microalgae and cyanobacteria were selected within major groups held in the Coimbra Collection of Algae (ACOI). The antioxidant capacity of ethanolic extracts was determined by two spectrophotometric methods: the 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) assay and the 2,2-di(4-tert-octylphenyl)-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Raspberry extract was used as a reference for comparison purposes. The ABTS assay showed an antioxidant capacity range of 16.61 ± 0.15 to 258.20 ± 0.65 mg Trolox (TE) (100 g) fresh biomass (FW). High antioxidant capacity was observed in Eustigmatophyceae and Chlorophyta, with high results achieved for Vischeria helvetica ACOI 299, Characiopsis aquilonaris ACOI 2424, and Micrasterias radiosa var. elegantior ACOI 1568. The DPPH assay revealed that the eustigmatophytes Characiopsis sp. ACOI 2428, Characiopsis minima ACOI 2426, and V. helvetica ACOI 299, the cryptophyte Cryptomonas pyrenoidifera ACOI 1850, and the chlorophyte Mychonastes homosphaera ACOI 1850 had the highest scavenging activity. Cyanophytes revealed low antioxidant capacity, and mucilagineous strains of different taxa remained undetermined. The assessment of these strains and the broadening of a screening survey of the ACOI Culture Collection are expected to reveal very promising antioxidant-producing strains that may be applied in the field of human nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This paper presents a complete approach for the automatic classification of heartbeats to assist experts in the diagnosis of typical arrhythmias, such as right bundle branch block, left bundle branch block, premature ventricular beats, premature atrial beats and paced beats. Methods: A pre-processing step was performed on the electrocardiograms (ECG) for baseline removal. Next, a QRS complex detection algorithm was implemented to detect the heartbeats, which contain the primary information that is employed in the classification approach. Next, ECG segmentation was performed, by which a set of features based on the RR interval and the beat waveform morphology were extracted from the ECG signal. The size of the feature vector was reduced by principal component analysis. Finally, the reduced feature vector was employed as the input to an artificial neural network. Results: Our approach was tested on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology arrhythmia database. The classification performance on a test set of 18 ECG records of 30 min each achieved an accuracy of 96.97%, a sensitivity of 95.05%, a specificity of 90.88%, a positive predictive value of 95.11%, and a negative predictive value of 92.7%. Conclusion: The proposed approach achieved high accuracy for classifying ECG heartbeats and could be used to assist cardiologists in telecardiology services. The main contribution of our classification strategy is in the feature selection step, which reduced classification complexity without major changes in the performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This work analyzes polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and heavy metal contamination in fluvial sediments and soils in an urban catchment, according to the geo-accumulation index and to soil and sediment quality guidelines. The catchment is located in Coimbra, Portugal, being affected by frequent flooding, and its main stream is a tributary to one of the major rivers in Portugal (Mondego). Given the presence of industrial activities over time, some inputs of pollutants are expected, but so far, the legacy of historic pollution in this catchment has not yet been investigated. Materials and methods: Twenty-five samples were collected from nine sampling sites at the depths of 0-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm (to provide a historic perspective) along longitudinal profiles (streamlines) and in soils downstream of pollution sources. These samples were analyzed for six heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Pb, Cd, Zn, Ni), organic carbon, pH and ten PCBs (IUPAC numbers 28, 30, 52, 101, 138, 153, 166, 180, 204, 209). Results and discussion: Total PCB concentrations ranged 0.47-5.3 ng g dry weight (dw), and levels increase from the bottom to the top layers, suggesting an increased input over the last 100 years. PCB congener distribution shows the dominance of hexachlorobiphenyls, especially PCB138, suggesting the existence of local sources. PCB levels did not exceed sediment quality levels, placing sediments/soil under class 1 (not contaminated) or class 2 (trace contamination) with respect to PCB. All six metals exceeded the lowest effect level for sediment quality criteria, and three (Cd, Pb and Zn) largely exceeded the clean levels for dredged materials, placing sediments in class 5 (heavily contaminated). Sampling site S1 presented the highest concentrations of Zn, Pb and Cd, and historic vehicle traffic was identified as the most likely source, given the vertical and horizontal profiles. Conclusions: High levels of Pb, Cd and Zn were found in fluvial sediments at some locations of the Loreto catchment, likely from historic traffic sources. This urban area is frequently affected by flooding events and is currently being subject to urban redevelopment. During these events/actions, historic pollutants in the sediments might surface and be redistributed, impacting the downstream ecosystem of the major Mondego River or increasing the risk of exposure of the urban population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate measurement of employment adjustment rigidity is essential to assist labour market reforms that are currently viewed as a key to economic recovery of the Euro Zone peripheral countries. Usually, labour market rigidity is assessed through the researcher's reading of the legislation or other similar measures. In this work we propose a new indicator for labour market rigidity computed from data on the adjustment of employment and hours per worker. We model employment dynamics with a linear play model of hysteresis, which is adequate in the presence of non-convex employment adjustment costs, and derive a switching regression model with a time-varying splitting factor estimated on monthly data for 15 OECD countries and 14 years (1995-2008). The numerical results provide an employment rigidity ranking of countries that is neither vulnerable to enforcement issues nor to subjective interpretations of the law. With this new and practical procedure, a single parameter summarizes different labour markets according to their readiness of employment adjustment. Moreover, it is easily computed and updated from publicly available data. Comparing the new proposed ranking with others, used as a benchmark for the rigidity of employment protection legislation, we find a positive and significant association between the common employment protection legislation indices and our employment adjustment indicator. The rank correlations are especially high with the OECD indicators. Yet, our findings indicate that the OECD rankings seem to overstate employment rigidity at the ranking top positions and understate it at the bottom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore matched employer-employee data for a new destination of international migrants in Europe-Portugal. We conclude that the difference between the earnings of immigrants and natives with similar personal characteristics is for the most part due to the characteristics of the matches they form, immigrants being penalized on two different counts: absence of match-specific human capital and occupational downgrading. Moreover, we show that non-random sorting across workplaces has a significant detrimental effect on immigrants' wages. This is the flip side of joining migrant-crowded workplaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, image segmentation is addressed as the starting point within a motion analysis methodology intended for rat biomechanics behavior characterization. First, we propose a general segmentation framework that uses interval valued fuzzy sets (IVFSs) to determine the optimal image threshold value. The amplitude values of the IVFSs are used for representing the unknowledge/ignorance of an expert on determining whether a pixel belongs to the background or to the object of the image. Then, we introduce an extension of this methodology that uses a heuristic-based multi-threshold approach to determine the optimal threshold. Experimental results are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using longitudinal employer-employee data spanning over a 22-year period, we compare age-wage and age-productivity profiles and find that productivity increases until the age range of 50-54, whereas wages peak around the age 40-44. At younger ages, wages increase in line with productivity gains but as prime-age approaches, wage increases lag behind productivity gains. As a result, older workers are, in fact, worthy of their pay, in the sense that their contribution to firm-level productivity exceeds their contribution to the wage bill. On the methodological side, we note that failure to account for the endogenous nature of the regressors in the estimation of the wage and productivity equations biases the results towards a pattern consistent with underpayment followed by overpayment type of policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Iron Quadrangle has been one of the most important gold production regions in Brazil since the end of the seventeenth century. There, arsenic occurs in close association with sulfide-rich auriferous rocks. The most abundant sulfide minerals are pyrite and arsenopyrite, yet trace metal sulfides occur in subordinate phases as well. Historical mining activities have been responsible for the release of As and trace metals to both aquatic and terrestrial environments close to mining sites in the region. Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate the distribution and mobility of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in streams in the southeast portion of the Iron Quadrangle between the municipalities of Ouro Preto and Mariana, the oldest Brazilian Au mining province. Total concentrations of some trace metals and arsenic in water were determined. The four-stage sequential extraction procedure proposed by the commission of the European Communities Bureau of Reference (BCR) was used to investigate the distribution of these elements in stream sediments. Arsenic concentration in water was >10 μg L (maximum limit permitted by Brazilian environmental regulations for water destined for human consumption) at all sampling sites, varying between 36.7 and 68.3 μg L. Sequential extraction in sediments showed high concentrations of As and trace metals associated with easily mobilized fractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Iron Quadrangle (IQ) region, located in the state of Minas Gerais, has been the most important gold producing area in Brazil since the end of seventeenth century. The use of mercury for gold amalgamation in small scale mines has been responsible for large release of Hg to aquatic and terrestrial environments during 300 years of mining. The present work sought to evaluate the fractionation of Hg in stream sediments is the southern region of the IQ by utilizing sequential extraction. Since mobility and availability of Hg are related to its distribution among sediment partitions, fractionation methods provide detailed information on the ecotoxicological impact and risks associated to the presence of Hg in sediments. The total Hg concentration varied from 179.3 to 690.1 μg kg − 1 and Hg0 accounted for the majority at all sample sites, ranging from 42% to 56% of the total. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life experiences at early ages, such as physical activity in childhood and adolescence, can result in long-lasting brain effects able to reduce future risk of brain disorders and to enhance lifelong brain functions. However, how early physical exercise promotes these effects remains unclear. A possible hypothesis is that physical exercise increases the expression of neurotrophic factors and stimulates neuronal growth, resulting in a neural reserve to be used at later ages. Basing our study on this hypothesis, we evaluated the absolute number and morphology of neuronal cells, as well as the expression of growth, proliferation and survival proteins (BDNF, Akt, mTOR, p70S6K, ERK and CREB) in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal formation throughout of a sedentary period of rats who were physically active during youth. To do this, male Wistar rats were submitted to an aerobic exercise protocol from the 21st to the 60th postnatal days (P21–P60), and evaluated at 0 (P60), 30 (P90) and 60 (P120) days after the last exercise session. Results showed that juvenile exercise increased, and maintained elevated, the number of cortical and hippocampal neuronal cells and dendritic arborization, when evaluated at the above post-exercise ages. Hippocampal BDNF levels and cortical mTOR expression were found to be increased at P60, but were restored to control levels at P90 and P120. Overall, these findings indicate that, despite the short-term effects on growth and survival proteins, early exercise induces long-lasting morphological changes in cortical and hippocampal neurons even during a sedentary period of rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]