Hypoxia-induced conversion of sensory Schwann cells into repair cells is regulated by HDAC8.

After a peripheral nerve injury, Schwann cells (SCs), the myelinating glia of the peripheral nervous system, convert into repair cells that foster axonal regrowth, and then remyelinate or re-ensheath regenerated axons, thereby ensuring functional recovery. The efficiency of this mechanism depends however on the time needed for axons to regrow. Here, we show that ablation of histone deacetylase 8 (HDAC8) in SCs accelerates the regrowth of sensory axons and sensory function recovery.

Association of mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin with office and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure in a Swiss general population sample.

Objective: Adrenomedullin (ADM) is a potent vasodilator. The association between plasma ADM levels and blood pressure (BP) remains unclear. We assessed the association between mid-regional-pro-ADM (MR-proADM) and BP in a multicenter population- and family-based cohort.

The future backbone of nutritional science: integrating public health priorities with system-oriented precision nutrition.

Adopting policies that promote health for the entire biosphere (One Health) requires human societies to transition towards a more sustainable food supply as well as to deepen the understanding of the metabolic and health effects of evolving food habits. At the same time, life sciences are experiencing rapid and groundbreaking technological developments, in particular in laboratory analytics and biocomputing, placing nutrition research in an unprecedented position to produce knowledge that can be translated into practice in line with One Health policies. In this dynamic context, nutrition research needs to be strategically organised to respond to these societal expectations.

Protein Adequacy, Plant Protein Proportion, and Main Plant Protein Sources Consumed Across Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescovegetarian, and Semivegetarian Diets: A Systematic Review.

Background: There are several types of plant-based diets, with unknown differences across diets on total/plant protein intake and variety of plant protein sources consumed.

Objectives: This systematic review aimed to compare total protein intake, proportion of plant proteins, and main plant protein sources consumed across 4 primarily plant-based diets: vegan, vegetarian, pescovegetarian, and semivegetarian.

Methods: We included observational studies reporting on protein intake and/or protein sources in generally healthy adults that were published between 2002 and 2023.

Willingness to participate in a personalized health cohort - insights from the swiss health study pilot phase.

Background: This paper explores the feasibility of establishing a large-scale population-based cohort and biobank in Switzerland by assessing potential participants' needs, expectations, and concerns about such an infrastructure providing information on health, lifestyle, and exposure trajectories, the development of disease, and risk factors over time.

Methods: We utilized a scenario-based questionnaire in the Swiss Health Study pilot phase (2020-2021), involving 1349 adults aged 20-69 from the cantons Vaud and Bern. We conducted descriptive statistics supported by R and qualitative content analysis of n = 374 open responses related to attitudes towards research.

Reference values for plasma and urine trace elements in a Swiss population-based cohort.

Objectives: Trace elements (TEs) are ubiquitous. TE concentrations vary among individuals and countries, depending on factors such as living area, workplaces and diet. Deficit or excessive TEs concentrations have consequences on the proper functioning of human organism so their biomonitoring is important.

A New Model for Ranking Schools of Public Health: The Public Health Academic Ranking.

As there is no ranking designed for schools of Public Health, the aim of this project was to create one. To design the Public Health Academic Ranking (PHAR), we used the InCites Benchmarking and Analytics™ software and the Web Of Science™ Core Collection database. We collected bibliometric data on 26 schools of Public Health from each continent, between August and September 2022.

A cohort analysis of residential radon exposure and melanoma incidence in Switzerland.

Radon is a radioactive noble gas found in Earth's crust. It accumulates in buildings, and accounts for approximately half the ionizing radiation dose received by humans. The skin is considerably exposed to ionizing radiation from radon.

Interplay of Digital Proximity App Use and SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Uptake in Switzerland: Analysis of Two Population-Based Cohort Studies.

Our study aims to evaluate developments in vaccine uptake and digital proximity tracing app use in a localized context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We report findings from two population-based longitudinal cohorts in Switzerland from January to December 2021. Failure time analyses and Cox proportional hazards regression models were conducted to assess vaccine uptake and digital proximity tracing app (SwissCovid) uninstalling outcomes.

Towards a Swiss health study with human biomonitoring: Learnings from the pilot phase about participation and design.

Background: A large-scale national cohort aiming at investigating the health status and determinants in the general population is essential for high-quality public health research and regulatory decision-making. We present the protocol and first results of the pilot phase to a Swiss national cohort aiming at establishing the study procedures, evaluating feasibility, and assessing participation and willingness to participate.

Methods: The pilot phase 2020/21 included 3 components recruited via different channels: a population-based cross-sectional study targeting the adult population (20-69 years) of the Vaud and Bern cantons via personal invitation, a sub-study on selenium in a convenience sample of vegans and vegetarians via non-personal invitation in vegan/vegetarian networks, and a self-selected sample via news promotion (restricted protocol).

Between data providers and concerned citizens: Exploring participation in precision public health in Switzerland.

This empirical article explores the dynamics of exchange and reciprocity between cohorters, that is, study organizers, and cohortees, that is, study participants. Drawing on literature on bioeconomy and valuation, we analyze cohortees' expectations in return for the "clinical labor" they perform in the pilot phase of a Swiss precision public health study. Based on an ethnography of this cohort and data from seven focus groups with cohortees ( = 37), we identified four positions: (1) the good citizen participant, (2) the critical participant, (3) the concerned participant, and (4) the self-oriented participant.

Development of hybrid immunity during a period of high incidence of Omicron infections.

Background: Seroprevalence and the proportion of people with neutralizing activity (functional immunity) against SARS-CoV-2 variants were high in early 2022. In this prospective, population- based, multi-region cohort study, we assessed the development of functional and hybrid immunity (induced by vaccination and infection) in the general population during this period of high incidence of infections with Omicron variants.

Methods: We randomly selected and assessed individuals aged ≥16 years from the general population in southern (n = 739) and north-eastern (n = 964) Switzerland in March 2022.

The urine-to-plasma urea concentration ratio is associated with eGFR and eGFR decline over time in a population cohort.

Background: Evaluation of renal function and of factors associated with its decline are important public health issues. Besides markers of glomerular function [e.g.

Factors Associated With COVID-19 Non-Vaccination in Switzerland: A Nationwide Study.

We compared socio-demographic characteristics, health-related variables, vaccination-related beliefs and attitudes, vaccination acceptance, and personality traits of individuals who vaccinated against COVID-19 and who did not vaccinate by December 2021. This cross-sectional study used data of 10,642 adult participants from the Corona Immunitas eCohort, an age-stratified random sample of the population of several cantons in Switzerland. We used multivariable logistic regression models to explore associations of vaccination status with socio-demographic, health, and behavioral factors.

Investigating the association of measures of epigenetic age with COVID-19 severity: evidence from secondary analyses of open access data.

Background: Epigenetic modifications may contribute to inter-individual variation that is unexplainable by presently known risk factors for COVID-19 severity (e.g., age, excess weight, or other health conditions).

Association of plasma zinc levels with anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgA seropositivity in the general population: A case-control study.

Introduction: Some micronutrients have key roles in immune defence, including mucosal defence mechanisms and immunoglobulin production. Altered micronutrient status has been linked with COVID-19 infection and disease severity. We assessed the associations of selected circulating micronutrients with anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgA seropositivity in the Swiss community using early pandemic data.

Differences in the Food Consumption Between Kidney Stone Formers and Nonformers in the Swiss Kidney Stone Cohort.

Objective: Diet has a major influence on the formation and management of kidney stones. However, kidney stone formers' diet is difficult to capture in a large population. Our objective was to describe the dietary intake of kidney stone formers in Switzerland and to compare it to nonstone formers.

Towards a consensus definition of allostatic load: a multi-cohort, multi-system, multi-biomarker individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis.

Background: Allostatic load (AL) is a multi-system composite index for quantifying physiological dysregulation caused by life course stressors. For over 30 years, an extensive body of research has drawn on the AL framework but has been hampered by the lack of a consistent definition.

Methods: This study analyses data for 67,126 individuals aged 40-111 years participating in 13 different cohort studies and 40 biomarkers across 12 physiological systems: hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) axis, parasympathetic nervous system functioning, oxidative stress, immunological/inflammatory, cardiovascular, respiratory, lipidemia, anthropometric, glucose metabolism, kidney, and liver.

Seroprevalence trends of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and associated risk factors: a population-based study.

Purpose: We aimed to assess the seroprevalence trends of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in several Swiss cantons between May 2020 and September 2021 and investigate risk factors for seropositivity and their changes over time.

Methods: We conducted repeated population-based serological studies in different Swiss regions using a common methodology. We defined three study periods: May-October 2020 (period 1, prior to vaccination), November 2020-mid-May 2021 (period 2, first months of the vaccination campaign), and mid-May-September 2021 (period 3, a large share of the population vaccinated).

The Swiss Kidney Stone Cohort: A Longitudinal, Multicentric, Observational Cohort to Study Course and Causes of Kidney Stone Disease in Switzerland.

Background: Kidney stone disease has a high prevalence worldwide of approximately 10% of the population and is characterized by a high recurrence rate. Kidney stone disease results from a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle risk factors, and the dissection of these factors is complex.

Methods: The Swiss Kidney Stone Cohort (SKSC) is an investigator-initiated prospective, multicentric longitudinal, observational study in patients with kidney stones followed with regular visits over a period of 3 years after inclusion.