Blood-based epigenome-wide association study and prediction of alcohol consumption.

Alcohol consumption is an important risk factor for multiple diseases. It is typically assessed via self-report, which is open to measurement error through recall bias. Instead, molecular data such as blood-based DNA methylation (DNAm) could be used to derive a more objective measure of alcohol consumption by incorporating information from cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites known to be linked to the trait.

Thioether-NHC bidentate manganese complexes as efficient phosphine-free catalysts for hydrogenation at room temperature.

A series of four original phosphine-free thioether-NHC manganese complexes have been synthesised and fully characterized. These complexes have been applied as efficient catalysts for the hydrogenation of alkenes and ketones at room temperature, with low catalyst loadings (TON up to 900).

Clinical Relevance of 'Cap' and 'Track' Development after Recent Small Subcortical Infarct.

Objective: After a recent small subcortical infarct (RSSI), some patients develop perilesional or remote hyperintensities ('caps/tracks') to the index infarct on T2/FLAIR MRI. However, their clinical relevance remains unclear. We investigated the clinicoradiological correlates of 'caps/tracks', and their impact on long-term outcomes following RSSI.

Fracture Prevention with Infrequent Zoledronate in Women 50 to 60 Years of Age.

Background: Zoledronate prevents fractures in older women when administered every 12 to 18 months, but its effects on bone density and bone turnover persist beyond 5 years. Whether infrequent zoledronate administration would prevent vertebral fractures in early postmenopausal women is unknown.

Methods: We conducted a 10-year, prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving early postmenopausal women (50 to 60 years of age) with bone mineral density T scores lower than 0 and higher than -2.

Brain maps of general cognitive function and spatial correlations with neurobiological cortical profiles.

In this paper, we attempt to answer two questions: 1) which regions of the human brain, in terms of morphometry, are most strongly related to individual differences in domain-general cognitive functioning ( )? and 2) what are the underlying neurobiological properties of those regions? We meta-analyse vertex-wise -cortical morphometry (volume, surface area, thickness, curvature and sulcal depth) associations using data from 3 cohorts: the UK Biobank (UKB), Generation Scotland (GenScot), and the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936), with the meta-analytic = 38,379 (age range = 44 to 84 years old). These morphometry associations vary in magnitude and direction across the cortex (|β| range = -0.12 to 0.

Segmental MRI pituitary and hypothalamus volumes post Fontan: An analysis of the Australian and New Zealand Fontan registry.

Objective: Short stature, central hypothyroidism and infertility are common in those with a Fontan circulation. Given that the Fontan circulation often results in hepatic portal venous congestion, we hypothesize that the hypothalamic-pituitary portal circulation is also affected, contributing to subsequent hypothalamic-pituitary axis dysfunction.

Methods: MRI data from the Australian and New Zealand Fontan Registry (86 cases) was compared to 86 age- and sex-matched normal published controls.

Efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor engineered natural killer cells in the treatment of hematologic malignancies: a systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical studies.

Background: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) engineered NK cells (CAR-NK) are a novel approach to the immunotherapy of hematologic malignancies which seeks to overcome some of the challenges faced by CAR-T cells (CAR-T). With few published clinical studies, preclinical studies can identify strategies to accelerate clinical translation. We conducted a systematic review on the preclinical in vivo use of CAR-NK for the treatment of hematologic malignancies to assess these therapies in a holistic and unbiased manner.

The neonatal gut microbiota: A role in the encephalopathy of prematurity.

Preterm birth correlates with brain dysmaturation and neurocognitive impairment. The gut microbiome associates with behavioral outcomes in typical development, but its relationship with neurodevelopment in preterm infants is unknown. We characterize fecal microbiome in a cohort of 147 neonates enriched for very preterm birth using 16S-based and shotgun metagenomic sequencing.

Lifetime brain atrophy estimated from a single MRI: measurement characteristics and genome-wide correlates.

A measure of lifetime brain atrophy (LBA) obtained from a single magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan could be an attractive candidate to boost statistical power in uncovering novel genetic signals and mechanisms of neurodegeneration. We analysed data from five young and old adult cohorts (MRi-Share, Human Connectome Project, UK Biobank, Generation Scotland Subsample, and Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 [LBC1936]) to test the validity and utility of LBA inferred from cross-sectional MRI data, i.e.

The Multiple Dimensions of Familiarity: From Representations to Phenomenology.

This article focuses on familiarity, the form of memory allowing humans to recognize stimuli that have been encountered before. We aim to emphasize its complex nature which includes representational and phenomenological dimensions. The former implies that its neural correlates depend on the type and complexity of the cue stimulus, as different classes of stimuli are represented in distributed ventral visual and medial temporal regions.

Validation of the Peel Plate Staphylococcus Aureus (SA) Test for Enumeration of S. aureus in Selected Foods and Non-cultured Dairy Products: AOAC Performance Tested MethodSM 082401.

Background: The microbial testing platform, Peel Plate™, was developed with Baird Parker ingredients for Staphylococcus aureus (SA) specificity. After rehydrating with 1 mL of the diluted food sample, Peel Plate SA is incubated for 24-48 h at 35-37 °C and observed for purple colonies.

Objective: A validation study was performed to evaluate Peel Plate SA for enumeration of S.

DNAm scores for serum GDF15 and NT-proBNP levels associate with a range of traits affecting the body and brain.

Background: Plasma growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) and N-terminal proB-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are cardiovascular biomarkers that associate with a range of diseases. Epigenetic scores (EpiScores) for GDF15 and NT-proBNP may provide new routes for risk stratification.

Results: In the Generation Scotland cohort (N ≥ 16,963), GDF15 levels were associated with incident dementia, ischaemic stroke and type 2 diabetes, whereas NT-proBNP levels were associated with incident ischaemic heart disease, ischaemic stroke and type 2 diabetes (all P < 0.

Optimal level of human intracranial theta activity for behavioral switching in the subthalamo-medio-prefrontal circuit.

The ability to switch between rules associating stimuli and responses depend on a circuit including the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and the subthalamic nucleus (STN). However, the precise neural implementations of switching remain unclear. To address this issue, we recorded local field potentials from the STN and from the dmPFC of neuropsychiatric patients during behavioral switching.

Sex-Dependent Effects of Cardiometabolic Health and on Brain Age: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Background And Objectives: The aging population is growing faster than all other demographic strata. With older age comes a greater risk of health conditions such as obesity and high blood pressure (BP). These cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRs) exhibit prominent sex differences in midlife and aging, yet their influence on brain health in females vs males is largely unexplored.

Cerebral glucose metabolism in Alzheimer's disease.

18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is a useful paraclinical exam for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this narrative review, we report seminal studies in clinically probable AD that have shown the importance of posterior brain metabolic decrease and the paradoxical variability of the hippocampal metabolism. The FDG-PET pattern was a sensitive indicator of AD in pathologically confirmed cases and it was used for differential diagnosis of dementia conditions.

Discriminating motilities: Coordinating IFT with flagellar beating patterns.

Intraflagellar transport has traditionally been studied in immobilized flagella. In this issue, Gray et al. (https://doi.