Are trait impulsivity and exposure to cannabis or alcohol associated with the age of trajectory of cocaine use? A gender-specific dimensional analysis in humans with cocaine dependence diagnosis.

Cocaine use disorders (CUD) cause major morbidity and optimized prevention efforts are critical. It is unclear if trait impulsivity and exposure to cannabis or alcohol are associated with age trajectory of cocaine use (e.g.

Assessment of inorganic contamination of private wells and demonstration of effective filter-based reduction: A pilot-study in Stokes County, North Carolina.

Well water is the primary drinking source for nearly a quarter of North Carolina residents. Many communities across the state have been concerned about their well water quality and inorganic contamination. The "Well Empowered" study worked alongside a community in Stokes County, North Carolina to measure toxic metals in their well water as well as provide and test ZeroWater® filter pitchers in homes with arsenic (As) or lead (Pb) contamination.

Acetaminophen use during pregnancy and DNA methylation in the placenta of the extremely low gestational age newborn (ELGAN) cohort.

Acetaminophen is considered the safest antipyretic and analgesic medication for pregnant women. However, studies have reported that acetaminophen has endocrine disrupting properties and prenatal exposure has been associated with early life epigenetic changes and later life health outcomes. As the placenta is the central mediator of maternal and fetal interactions, exposure to acetaminophen during pregnancy could manifest as perturbations in the placenta epigenome.

Placental CpG Methylation of Inflammation, Angiogenic, and Neurotrophic Genes and Retinopathy of Prematurity.

Purpose: Extremely preterm infants are at increased risk for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). We previously identified several inflammatory proteins that were expressed early in life and are associated with an increased risk of ROP and several angiogenic and neurotrophic growth factors in the neonatal systemic circulation that are associated with a lower risk of ROP. In this paper, we report the results of a set of analyses designed to test the hypothesis that placental CpG methylation levels of 12 inflammation-, angiogenic-, and neurotrophic-associated genes predict the occurrence of prethreshold ROP in extremely preterm newborns.

Effects of Preconception and in Utero Inorganic Arsenic Exposure on the Metabolic Phenotype of Genetically Diverse Collaborative Cross Mice.

In humans and mice, in utero exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) is associated with adverse health outcomes later in life. The contribution of preconception exposure to the adverse outcomes in offspring has never been studied. Here combined in utero and postnatal exposures produce insulin resistance in two collaborative cross strains.

Predictors of toxic metal exposures among US women of reproductive age.

Background: Arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury are ubiquitous toxicants that may be especially harmful to unborn children. We therefore sought to identify temporal trends and predictors of toxic metal biomarkers among US women of reproductive age, including those who were pregnant and/or breastfeeding.

Methods: Interviews and examinations were performed among a representative sample of women, aged 20-44 years, as part of the 2003-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.

Developing novel in vitro methods for the risk assessment of developmental and placental toxicants in the environment.

During pregnancy, the placenta is critical for the regulation of maternal homeostasis and fetal growth and development. Exposures to environmental chemicals during pregnancy can be detrimental to the health of the placenta and therefore adversely impact maternal and fetal health. Though research on placental-derived developmental toxicity is expanding, testing is limited by the resources required for traditional test methods based on whole animal experimentation.

Associations between placental CpG methylation of metastable epialleles and childhood body mass index across ages one, two and ten in the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborns (ELGAN) cohort.

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis posits that and early life conditions can disrupt normal fetal development and program susceptibility to later-life disease. Metastable epialleles are genomic loci in which CpG methylation patterning is responsive to maternal diet and conserved across time and tissues. Thus, these sites could serve as 'signatures' of gestational environment conditions.

Correction to: Maternal one carbon metabolism and arsenic methylation in a pregnancy cohort in Mexico.

A correction to this paper has been published and can be accessed via link at the top of the paper.

Epigenome-wide DNA methylation in placentas from preterm infants: association with maternal socioeconomic status.

This study evaluated the hypothesis that prenatal maternal socioeconomic status (SES) adversity is associated with DNA methylation in the placenta. SES adversity was defined by the presence of, as well as a summative count of, four factors: less than college education, single marital status, food and nutritional service assistance, and public health insurance. Epigenome-wide DNA methylation was assessed using the Illumina EPIC array in 426 placentas from a sample of infants born < 28 weeks of gestation from the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn cohort.

Microorganisms in the Placenta: Links to Early-Life Inflammation and Neurodevelopment in Children.

Prenatal exposure to various stressors can influence both early and later life childhood health. Microbial infection of the intrauterine environment, specifically within the placenta, has been associated with deleterious birth outcomes, such as preterm birth, as well as adverse neurological outcomes later in life. The relationships among microorganisms in the placenta, placental function, and fetal development are not well understood.

Longitudinal access and exposure to green-blue spaces and individual-level mental health and well-being: protocol for a longitudinal, population-wide record-linked natural experiment.

Introduction: Studies suggest that access and exposure to green-blue spaces (GBS) have beneficial impacts on mental health. However, the evidence base is limited with respect to longitudinal studies. The main aim of this longitudinal, population-wide, record-linked natural experiment, is to model the daily lived experience by linking GBS accessibility indices, residential GBS exposure and health data; to enable quantification of the impact of GBS on well-being and common mental health disorders, for a national population.

Early life antecedents of positive child health among 10-year-old children born extremely preterm.

Background: To identify modifiable antecedents during pre-pregnancy and pregnancy windows associated with a positive child health at 10 years of age.

Methods: Data on 889 children enrolled in the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn (ELGAN) study in 2002-2004 were analyzed for associations between potentially modifiable maternal antecedents during pre-pregnancy and pregnancy time windows and a previously described positive child health index (PCHI) score at 10 years of age. Stratification by race was also investigated for associations with investigated antecedents.

How much space do drivers provide when passing cyclists? Understanding the impact of motor vehicle and infrastructure characteristics on passing distance.

Background: Understanding factors that influence the distance that drivers provide when passing cyclists is critical to reducing subjective risk and improving cycling participation. This study aimed to quantify passing distance and assess the impact of motor vehicle and road infrastructure characteristics on passing distance.

Methods: An on-road observational study was conducted in Victoria, Australia.

The Length Versus Diameter Relationship and Radial Force Properties of the Amplatzer™ Vascular Plug Type IV: Observations for Oversizing.

Background: In palliated single ventricle patients aortopulmonary collateralization is a cause for significant loss of cardiovascular efficiency. In larger vessels, device occlusion becomes an alternative to embolization with multiple coils. The physical characteristics of the Amplatzer ™ Vascular Plug Type IV (AVPIV) are potentially conducive to oversizing the device allowing coverage of a longer portion of vessel.

RNA-Sequencing of Umbilical Cord Blood to Investigate Spontaneous Preterm Birth: A Pilot Study.

 To analyze the transcriptomic gene expression of umbilical cord blood leukocytes using RNA-sequencing from preterm birth (PTB) and term birth (TB).  Eight women with spontaneous PTB (sPTB) and eight women with unlabored TB were enrolled prospectively. The sPTB and TB cohorts were matched for maternal age, race, mode of delivery, and fetal sex.

Inorganic Arsenic as an Endocrine Disruptor: Modulation of the Glucocorticoid Receptor Pathway in Placental Cells via CpG Methylation.

Prenatal exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) has been associated with adverse developmental and reproductive outcomes. These outcomes may be tied to altered functionality of nuclear transcription factors such as the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the placenta and associated gene expression. The GR pathway is integral for proper fetal and placental development, and perturbations in this pathway may underlie observed associations between prenatal iAs exposure and adverse birth outcomes.

Using Geographic Information Systems to investigate variations in accessibility to 'extended hours' primary healthcare provision.

There are ongoing policy concerns surrounding the difficulty in obtaining timely appointments to primary healthcare services and the potential impact on, for example, attendance at accident and emergency services and potential health outcomes. Using the case study of potential access to primary healthcare services in Wales, Geographic Information System (GIS)-based tools that permit a consideration of population-to-provider ratios over space are used to examine variations in geographical accessibility to general practitioner (GP) surgeries offering appointment times outside of 'core' operating hours. Correlation analysis is used to explore the association of accessibility scores with potential demand for such services using UK Population Census data.

Disinfection Byproducts Bind Human Estrogen Receptor-α.

Disinfection byproducts are formed during most drinking water treatment and presently number >800, some of which are implicated in human health outcomes including bladder cancer and infertility, with unknown mechanisms of action. In particular, it is not yet understood whether these compounds can disrupt the estrogen-signaling pathway through binding to the human estrogen receptor (ER). In the present study, 21 disinfection byproducts, selected for their predicted involvement in endocrine-related diseases and their structural diversity, were individually evaluated for their binding affinity to the human ER and in silico, and then a subset of these chemicals was studied in binary mixtures with the known weak estrogen, 4-n-nonylphenol.

Maxillary sinus augmentation.

The placement of endosseous implants in posterior edentulous maxilla is normally a challenging task in implant dentistry due to maxillary sinus pneumatization. Various sinus augmentation techniques have been used with impressive success rates aimed at developing these sites for implant placement. Knowledge of anatomy of maxillary sinus guides us not only in proper preoperative treatment planning but also helps us to avoid the possible complications that may arise during sinus augmentation procedure.

One-carbon metabolism nutrient intake and the association between body mass index and urinary arsenic metabolites in adults in the Chihuahua cohort.

Background: Exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) via drinking water is a serious global health threat. Various factors influence susceptibility to iAs-associated health outcomes, including differences in iAs metabolism. Previous studies have shown that obesity is associated with iAs metabolism.

Circulating miRNAs Associated with Arsenic Exposure.

Arsenic (As) is a toxic metalloid. Inorganic arsenic (iAs) is a form of As commonly found in drinking water and in some foods. Overwhelming evidence suggests that people chronically exposed to iAs are at risk of developing cancer or cardiovascular, neurological, and metabolic diseases.