Associations of maternal peripregnancy cannabis use with behavioral and developmental outcomes in children with and without symptoms of autism spectrum disorder: Study to Explore Early Development.

Some studies report increased prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and associated symptoms with prenatal cannabis exposure. We examined whether associations of maternal cannabis use from 3 months preconception through delivery ("peripregnancy") with behavior and development in the offspring varied with the presence of ASD symptoms. Children ages 30-68 months with ASD symptoms (i.

Changes in Autism and Co-Occurring Conditions from Preschool to Adolescence: Considerations for Precision Monitoring and Treatment Planning.

Purpose: To describe retention of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis from preschool to adolescence and the most common co-occurring diagnoses among children with ASD in preschool and adolescence. A second objective was to identify co-occurring diagnoses more likely to emerge between preschool and adolescence among children with ASD vs. another developmental or mental health diagnosis in preschool.

Long-term ambient sulfur dioxide exposure during gestation and preterm birth in North Carolina, 2003-2015.

Background: Coal-fired power plants are major contributors of ambient sulfur dioxide (SO) air pollution. Epidemiological literature suggests an adverse association between SO exposure during gestation and preterm birth (PTB; <37 weeks completed gestation). PTB is strongly associated with infant mortality and increased risk for later life morbidities.

Malpresentation and autism spectrum disorder in the study to explore early development.

Background: An infant's presentation at delivery may be an early indicator of developmental differences. Non-vertex presentation (malpresentation) complicates delivery and often leads to caesarean section, which has been associated with neurodevelopmental delays, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, malpresentation could be an early sign of an existing developmental problem that is also an upstream factor from caesarean delivery.

The effect of youth-friendly health services on risk of pregnancy among adolescent girls and young women in Lilongwe, Malawi: a secondary analysis of the girl power-Malawi study.

In sub-Saharan Africa, adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 (AGYW) experience high risk of early and unintended pregnancy. We assessed the impact of youth-friendly health services (YFHS) on pregnancy risk among AGYW who participated in the Girl Power study. In 2016, Girl Power randomly assigned four government-run health centers in Lilongwe, Malawi, to provide a standard (n=1) or youth-friendly (n=3) model of service delivery.

Depressive symptoms and activity engagement in autistic adolescents and those with other developmental disabilities.

Background: Autistic adults and those with other developmental disabilities (DD) have increased depressive symptoms and decreased activity engagement when compared to those with no DD. Few studies explore activities related to depressive symptoms in autistic people and those with other DD during adolescence.

Objective: The objectives of this analysis were to describe depressive symptoms and activity engagement among autistic adolescents and those with other DD and no DD and explore types of activities associated with depressive symptoms, stratified by study group.

Racial and ethnic disparities in the co-occurrence of intellectual disability and autism: Impact of incorporating measures of adaptive functioning.

Intellectual disability (ID) commonly co-occurs in children with autism. Although diagnostic criteria for ID require impairments in both cognitive and adaptive functioning, most population-based estimates of the frequency of co-occurring ID in children with autism-including studies of racial and ethnic disparities in co-occurring autism and ID-base the definition of ID solely on cognitive scores. The goal of this analysis was to examine the effect of including both cognitive and adaptive behavior criteria on estimates of co-occurring ID in a well-characterized sample of 2- to 5-year-old children with autism.

Risk factors and clinical correlates of sensory dysfunction in preschool children with and without autism spectrum disorder.

Sensory dysfunction is a common feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The objectives of this analysis were to examine risk factors and clinical correlates of sensory dysfunction in preschool children with and without ASD. Children aged 2-5 years were enrolled in a multi-site case-control study.

Leveraging External Validation Data: The Challenges of Transporting Measurement Error Parameters.

Approaches to address measurement error frequently rely on validation data to estimate measurement error parameters (e.g., sensitivity and specificity).

The Use of a Dehydrated Cellularized Collagen Matrix to Replace Fibrotic Vocal Fold Mucosa.

Objectives: Fibrosis of the vocal fold lamina propria reduces vocal cord vibration resulting in a chronically hoarse voice. We describe a novel approach using umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells in a dehydrated collagen matrix (cellogen) to reconstruct the delicate balance of extracellular matrix within the vocal fold lamina propria whilst limiting the host inflammatory response to the implant.

Methods: Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem-cells were embedded in bovine type I collagen hydrogel and dehydrated using the RAFT™ 3D culture system.

Accounting for nonmonotone missing data using inverse probability weighting.

Inverse probability weighting can be used to correct for missing data. New estimators for the weights in the nonmonotone setting were introduced in 2018. These estimators are the unconstrained maximum likelihood estimator (UMLE) and the constrained Bayesian estimator (CBE), an alternative if UMLE fails to converge.

Perinatal Factors and Emotional, Cognitive, and Behavioral Dysregulation in Childhood and Adolescence.

Objective: This cohort study assessed perinatal factors known to be related to maternal and neonatal inflammation and hypothesized that several would be associated with emotional, cognitive, and behavioral dysregulation in youth.

Method: The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) is a research consortium of 69 pediatric longitudinal cohorts. A subset of 18 cohorts that had both Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) data on children (6-18 years) and information on perinatal exposures including maternal prenatal infections was used.

Future directions in managing aniridia-associated keratopathy.

Congenital aniridia is a panocular disorder that is typically characterized by iris hypoplasia and aniridia-associated keratopathy (AAK). AAK results in the progressive loss of corneal transparency and thereby loss of vision. Currently, there is no approved therapy to delay or prevent its progression, and clinical management is challenging because of phenotypic variability and high risk of complications after interventions; however, new insights into the molecular pathogenesis of AAK may help improve its management.

Sulfur dioxide reduction at coal-fired power plants in North Carolina and associations with preterm birth among surrounding residents.

Unlabelled: Coal-fired power plants (CFPP) are major contributors of air pollution, including the majority of anthropogenic sulfur dioxide (SO) emissions, which have been associated with preterm birth (PTB). To address a 2002 North Carolina (NC) policy, 14 of the largest NC CFPPs either installed desulfurization equipment (scrubbers) or retired coal units, resulting in substantial reductions of SO air emissions. We investigated whether SO air emission reduction strategies at CFPPs in NC were associated with changes in prevalence of PTB in nearby communities.

Hsa-miR-150-5p inhibits Wnt-β-catenin signaling in human corneal epithelial stem cells.

Purpose: In our earlier study, we identified hsa-miR-150-5p as a highly expressed miRNA in enriched corneal epithelial stem cells (CESCs). In this study, we aimed to understand the molecular regulatory function of hsa-miR-150-5p in association with the maintenance of stemness in CESCs.

Methods: The target mRNAs of hsa-miR-150-5p were predicted and subjected to pathway analysis to identify targets for functional studies.

North Carolina's Changing Energy Generation Profile and Reductions in Key Air Pollutants, 2000-2019.

Coal combustion releases a number of airborne toxins. The North Carolina Clean Smokestacks Act (CSA) of 2002 required North Carolina coal-fired power plants (CFPP) to reduce nitrogen oxides (NO) emissions by 2009 and sulfur dioxide (SO) emissions to 2 benchmarks by 2009 and 2013. We utilized publicly available databases from the Energy Information Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency to characterize North Carolina's electricity generation profile from 2000 until 2019 and evaluate corresponding NO and SO emissions by sector over the same time period.

Hsa-miR-143-3p inhibits Wnt-β-catenin and MAPK signaling in human corneal epithelial stem cells.

Our previous study demonstrated hsa-miR-143-3p as one of the highly expressed miRNAs in enriched corneal epithelial stem cells (CESCs). Hence this study aims to elucidate the regulatory role of hsa-miR-143-3p in the maintenance of stemness in CESCs. The target genes of hsa-miR-143-3p were predicted and subjected to pathway analysis to select the targets for functional studies.

Patterns of Children's Blood Lead Screening and Blood Lead Levels in North Carolina, 2011-2018-Who Is Tested, Who Is Missed?

Background: No safe level of lead in blood has been identified. Blood lead testing is required for children on Medicaid, but it is at the discretion of providers and parents for others. Elevated blood lead levels (EBLLs) cannot be identified in children who are not tested.

Human Oral Mucosal Fibroblasts from Limbal Stem Cell Deficient Patients as an Autologous Feeder Layer for Epithelial Cell Culture.

Purpose: To investigate if human oral mucosal fibroblasts (HOMF) from patients with limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) can be used as an autologous feeder layer to support the culture of epithelial cells for potential clinical use.

Methods: HOMF were isolated from oral mucosal biopsies obtained from the following groups of patients with LSCD: aniridia, mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), and ectodermal dysplasia (ED). The ability of these cells to support the culture of human limbal epithelial cells (HLE) was compared to that of HOMF from non-LSCD donors and 3T3s commonly used to culture epithelial cells for use in the clinic to treat LSCD.

Pre- and Postnatal Fine Particulate Matter Exposure and Childhood Cognitive and Adaptive Function.

Increasing evidence exists for an association between early life fine particulate matter (PM) exposure and several neurodevelopmental outcomes, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, the association between PM and adaptive and cognitive function remains poorly understood. Participants included 658 children with ASD, 771 with a non-ASD developmental disorder, and 849 population controls from the Study to Explore Early Development. Adaptive functioning was assessed in ASD cases using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS); cognitive functioning was assessed in all groups using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL).

Cardiometabolic Pregnancy Complications in Association With Autism-Related Traits as Measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale in ECHO.

Prior work has examined associations between cardiometabolic pregnancy complications and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but not how these complications may relate to social communication traits more broadly. We addressed this question within the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes program, with 6,778 participants from 40 cohorts conducted from 1998-2021 with information on ASD-related traits via the Social Responsiveness Scale. Four metabolic pregnancy complications were examined individually, and combined, in association with Social Responsiveness Scale scores, using crude and adjusted linear regression as well as quantile regression analyses.

Reasons for participation in a child development study: Are cases with developmental diagnoses different from controls?

Background: Current knowledge about parental reasons for allowing child participation in research comes mainly from clinical trials. Fewer data exist on parents' motivations to enrol children in observational studies.

Objectives: Describe reasons parents of preschoolers gave for participating in the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED), a US multi-site study of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental delays or disorders (DD), and explore reasons given by child diagnostic and behavioural characteristics at enrolment.

Family Composition and Stability for Orphans: A Longitudinal Study of Well-Being in 5 Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Many orphaned children in low- and middle-income countries live with family. Yet, their household composition and its stability are not well-characterized, nor is impact of stability on longer-term outcomes. We used the longitudinal, multi-country Positive Outcomes for Orphans cohort to describe adult family living with orphans.