Associations of gestational and childhood exposure to lead, cadmium, and fluoride with cognitive abilities, behavior, and social communication at 4 years of age: NICE birth cohort study.

Background: Early-life lead exposure affects cognitive development and emerging evidence suggests similar effects of cadmium and fluoride.

Objective: To assess the impact of gestational and childhood exposure to lead, cadmium, and fluoride on cognitive abilities and behavioral and social communication problems.

Methods: We studied 470 pregnant women (gestational week 29) and their 4-year-old children from the NICE cohort in northern Sweden.

Establishment of a Poliovirus Containment Program and Containment Certification Process for Poliovirus-Essential Facilities, United States 2017-2022.

Upon declaration of poliovirus (PV) type 2 eradication in 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) published PV containment requirements in the Global Action Plan III (GAPIII) for mitigating the risk of a facility-associated release post eradication. In 2018, the 71st World Health Assembly resolution urged member states retaining PV to appoint a National Authority for Containment (NAC), reduce the number of PV facilities, and submit applications for containment certification. The United States (US) NAC was established in 2018 for containment oversight, and two paths to WHO GAPIII containment certification were developed.

Toxic metals and essential trace elements in placenta and their relation to placental function.

Introduction: Placental function is essential for fetal development, but it may be susceptible to malnutrition and environmental stressors.

Objective: To assess the impact of toxic and essential trace elements in placenta on placental function.

Methods: Toxic metals (cadmium, lead, mercury, cobalt) and essential elements (copper, manganese, zinc, selenium) were measured in placenta of 406 pregnant women in northern Sweden using ICP-MS.

Extracellular Matrix Influences Gene Expression and Differentiation of Mouse Trophoblast Stem Cells.

Trophoblast stem (TS) cells were first isolated from the mouse placenta; however, little is known about their maintenance and niche in vivo. TS cells, like other stem cells, have a unique microenvironment in which the extracellular matrix (ECM) is a component. Placental pathology is associated with ECM change.

Associations of gestational and early-life exposure to toxic metals and fluoride with a diagnosis of food allergy or atopic eczema at 1 year of age.

Studies have indicated that early-life exposure to toxic metals and fluoride affects the immune system, but evidence regarding their role in allergic disease development is scarce. We aimed to evaluate the relations of exposure to such compounds in 482 pregnant women and their infants (4 months of age) with food allergy and atopic eczema diagnosed by a paediatric allergologist at 1 year of age within the Swedish birth-cohort NICE (Nutritional impact on Immunological maturation during Childhood in relation to the Environment). Urinary cadmium and erythrocyte cadmium, lead, and mercury concentrations were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), urinary inorganic arsenic metabolites by ICP-MS after separation by ion exchange chromatography, and urinary fluoride by an ion-selective electrode.

Biomarkers of seafood intake during pregnancy - Pollutants versus fatty acids and micronutrients.

Intake of fish and seafood during pregnancy may have certain beneficial effects on fetal development, but measurement of intake using questionnaires is unreliable. Here, we assessed several candidate biomarkers of seafood intake, including long-chain omega 3 fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA), selenium, iodine, methylmercury, and different arsenic compounds, in 549 pregnant women (gestational week 29) in the prospective birth cohort NICE (Nutritional impact on Immunological maturation during Childhood in relation to the Environment). Proportions of the fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in erythrocytes were measured using gas chromatography with flame ionization detector.

Self-blame predicts anxiety and depression in infertile couples who opt for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment.

The study examined the use of maladaptive coping strategies such as conflict, avoidance and self-blame in predicting anxiety and depression in couples undergoing IVF procedure. The target group consisted of 80 couples who started the IVF treatment at the Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ljubljana's University Medical Centre in Slovenia. The participants completed three scales: S/T Anxiety Inventory, CES Depression Scale, and Marital Coping Inventory.

Association of maternal urinary fluoride concentrations during pregnancy with size at birth and the potential mediation effect by maternal thyroid hormones: The Swedish NICE birth cohort.

Background: Observational studies have indicated that elevated maternal fluoride exposure during pregnancy may impair child neurodevelopment but a potential impact on birth outcomes is understudied.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of gestational fluoride exposure on birth outcomes (birth size and gestational age at birth) and to assess the potential mediating role of maternal thyroid hormones.

Methods: We studied 583 mother-child dyads in the NICE cohort in northern Sweden.

Gestational and childhood urinary iodine concentrations and children's cognitive function in a longitudinal mother-child cohort in rural Bangladesh.

Background: Severe iodine deficiency adversely affects neurodevelopment; however, evidence regarding the association of non-severe deficiency and child cognitive functioning is inconclusive.

Methods: This prospective mother-child cohort study was nested in a population-based nutritional supplementation trial in Bangladesh (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions in Matlab [MINIMat]). Participants with data on cognitive abilities at 5 and 10 years of age (n = 1530) and at least one measurement of urinary iodine concentration (UIC) (gestational week 8, 5, and 10 years) were selected.

Assessment of Joint Impact of Iodine, Selenium, and Zinc Status on Women's Third-Trimester Plasma Thyroid Hormone Concentrations.

Background: Iodine is essential for synthesizing thyroid hormones, but other micronutrients are also required for optimal thyroid function. However, there is a lack of data on combined micronutrient status in relation to thyroid hormones in pregnancy.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the joint associations of iodine, selenium, and zinc status with plasma concentrations of thyroid hormones and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in pregnancy.

Infant Iodine and Selenium Status in Relation to Maternal Status and Diet During Pregnancy and Lactation.

Iodine and selenium are essential trace elements. Recent studies indicate that pregnant and lactating women often have insufficient intake of iodine and selenium, but the impact on fetal and infant status is unclear. Here, we assessed iodine and selenium status of infants in relation to maternal intake and status of these trace elements in the birth cohort NICE, conducted in northern Sweden ( = 604).

Inherent Heterogeneity of Influenza A Virus Stability following Aerosolization.

Efficient human-to-human transmission represents a necessary adaptation for a zoonotic influenza A virus (IAV) to cause a pandemic. As such, many emerging IAVs are characterized for transmissibility phenotypes in mammalian models, with an emphasis on elucidating viral determinants of transmission and the role host immune responses contribute to mammalian adaptation. Investigations of virus infectivity and stability in aerosols concurrent with transmission assessments have increased in recent years, enhancing our understanding of this dynamic process.

Thyroid hormones in relation to toxic metal exposure in pregnancy, and potential interactions with iodine and selenium.

Background: Several endocrine-disrupting metals may affect thyroid function, but the few available studies of exposure during pregnancy and thyroid hormones are inconclusive.

Objective: To explore if environmental exposure to cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and methylmercury (MeHg) impacts thyroid function in pregnancy, and interacts with iodine and selenium status.

Methods: Women in a Swedish birth cohort provided blood and urine samples in early third trimester.

Low-level maternal exposure to cadmium, lead, and mercury and birth outcomes in a Swedish prospective birth-cohort.

Observational studies have indicated that low-to-moderate exposure to cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) adversely affects birth anthropometry, but results are inconclusive. The aim of this study was to elucidate potential impact on birth anthropometry of exposure to Cd, Pb, and Hg in pregnant women, and to identify the main dietary sources. In the NICE (Nutritional impact on Immunological maturation during Childhood in relation to the Environment) birth-cohort in northern Sweden, blood and urine were collected from pregnant women in early third trimester.

Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure during rat pregnancy leads to symmetrical fetal growth restriction and labyrinth-specific vascular defects in the placenta.

1 in 5 women report cannabis use during pregnancy, with nausea cited as their primary motivation. Studies show that (-)-△9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), the major psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, causes fetal growth restriction, though the mechanisms are not well understood. Given the critical role of the placenta to transfer oxygen and nutrients from mother, to the fetus, any compromise in the development of fetal-placental circulation significantly affects maternal-fetal exchange and thereby, fetal growth.

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Nonstructural Protein 1 Beta Interacts with Nucleoporin 62 To Promote Viral Replication and Immune Evasion.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) blocks host mRNA nuclear export to the cytoplasm, and nonstructural protein 1 beta (nsp1β) of PRRSV has been identified as the protein that disintegrates the nuclear pore complex. In the present study, the molecular basis for the inhibition of host mRNA nuclear export was investigated. Nucleoporin 62 (Nup62) was found to bind to nsp1β, and the region representing the C-terminal residues 328 to 522 of Nup62 was determined to be the binding domain for nsp1β.

Reduced Uteroplacental Perfusion Pressure (RUPP) causes altered trophoblast differentiation and pericyte reduction in the mouse placenta labyrinth.

This study characterized the effect of the reduced utero-placental perfusion pressure (RUPP) model of placental insufficiency on placental morphology and trophoblast differentiation at mid-late gestation (E14.5). Altered trophoblast proliferation, reduced syncytiotrophoblast gene expression, increased numbers of sinusoidal trophoblast giant cells, decreased Vegfa and decreased pericyte presence in the labyrinth were observed in addition to changes in maternal blood spaces, the fetal capillary network and reduced fetal weight.

Cadmium exposure and cognitive abilities and behavior at 10 years of age: A prospective cohort study.

Background: We have previously reported inverse associations of prenatal and childhood cadmium exposure with cognition in 5-year-old Bangladeshi children.

Objectives: To assess if cadmium exposure affected cognition and behavior in the Bangladeshi children at 10 years.

Methods: Cadmium exposure was assessed by urinary concentrations at 10 (n = 1498) and 5 years of age (n = 1453), and of the mothers in early pregnancy (n = 1299), measured by ICP-MS.

Methylmercury exposure and cognitive abilities and behavior at 10years of age.

Background: Methylmercury (MeHg) is a known developmental neurotoxicant present in fish, yet the impact of childhood exposure is uncertain, especially in children with poor nutrition.

Objectives: To evaluate associations of MeHg exposure with cognitive abilities and behavior in children from a poor rural area in Bangladesh.

Methods: The MeHg exposure was assessed in 1434 ten-year-old children by measuring mercury concentrations in hair (hair-Hg), using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

Enhanced virulence of clade 2.3.2.1 highly pathogenic avian influenza A H5N1 viruses in ferrets.

Sporadic avian to human transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) viruses necessitates the analysis of currently circulating and evolving clades to assess their potential risk. Following the spread and sustained circulation of clade 2 viruses across multiple continents, numerous subclades and genotypes have been described. To better understand the pathogenesis associated with the continued diversification of clade 2A(H5N1) influenza viruses, we investigated the relative virulence of eleven human and poultry isolates collected from 2006 to 2013 by determining their ability to cause disease in the ferret model.

Mammalian Pathogenesis and Transmission of H7N9 Influenza Viruses from Three Waves, 2013-2015.

Unlabelled: Three waves of human infection with H7N9 influenza viruses have concluded to date, but only viruses within the first wave (isolated between March and September 2013) have been extensively studied in mammalian models. While second- and third-wave viruses remain closely linked phylogenetically and antigenically, even subtle molecular changes can impart critical shifts in mammalian virulence. To determine if H7N9 viruses isolated from humans during 2013 to 2015 have maintained the phenotype first identified among 2013 isolates, we assessed the ability of first-, second-, and third-wave H7N9 viruses isolated from humans to cause disease in mice and ferrets and to transmit among ferrets.

Proteolysis of MDA5 and IPS-1 is not required for inhibition of the type I IFN response by poliovirus.

Background: The type I interferon (IFN) response is a critical component of the innate immune response to infection by RNA viruses and is initiated via recognition of viral nucleic acids by RIG-like receptors (RLR). Engagement of these receptors in the cytoplasm initiates a signal transduction pathway leading to activation of the transcription factors NF-κB, ATF-2 and IRF-3 that coordinately upregulate transcription of type I IFN genes, such as that encoding IFN-β. In this study the impact of poliovirus infection on the type I interferon response has been examined.

Selective Removal of FG Repeat Domains from the Nuclear Pore Complex by Enterovirus 2A(pro).

Unlabelled: Enteroviruses proteolyze nuclear pore complex (NPC) proteins (Nups) during infection, leading to disruption of host nuclear transport pathways and alterations in nuclear permeability. To better understand how enteroviruses exert these effects on nuclear transport, the mechanisms and consequences of Nup98 proteolysis were examined. The results indicate that Nup98 is rapidly targeted for degradation following enterovirus infection and that this is mediated by the enterovirus 2A protease (2A(pro)).

Detection and Characterization of Clade 1 Reassortant H5N1 Viruses Isolated from Human Cases in Vietnam during 2013.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 is endemic in Vietnamese poultry and has caused sporadic human infection in Vietnam since 2003. Human infections with HPAI H5N1 are of concern due to a high mortality rate and the potential for the emergence of pandemic viruses with sustained human-to-human transmission. Viruses isolated from humans in southern Vietnam have been classified as clade 1 with a single genome constellation (VN3) since their earliest detection in 2003.

Environmental Conditions Affect Exhalation of H3N2 Seasonal and Variant Influenza Viruses and Respiratory Droplet Transmission in Ferrets.

The seasonality of influenza virus infections in temperate climates and the role of environmental conditions like temperature and humidity in the transmission of influenza virus through the air are not well understood. Using ferrets housed at four different environmental conditions, we evaluated the respiratory droplet transmission of two influenza viruses (a seasonal H3N2 virus and an H3N2 variant virus, the etiologic virus of a swine to human summertime infection) and concurrently characterized the aerosol shedding profiles of infected animals. Comparisons were made among the different temperature and humidity conditions and between the two viruses to determine if the H3N2 variant virus exhibited enhanced capabilities that may have contributed to the infections occurring in the summer.