Publications by authors named "Knapp E"

Purpose: The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort has enrolled over 60,000 children to examine how early environmental factors (broadly defined) are associated with key child health outcomes. The ECHO Cohort may be well-positioned to contribute to our understanding of rural environments and contexts, which has implications for rural health disparities research. The present study examined the outcome of child obesity to not only illustrate the suitability of ECHO Cohort data for these purposes but also determine how various definitions of rural and urban populations impact the presentation of findings and their interpretation.

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  • The study investigates how prenatal dietary quality, assessed through the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern (EDIP), impacts infant sizes at birth and growth patterns up to age 24 months.
  • Researchers analyzed data from 2854 parent-child pairs participating in a long-term health program, highlighting the diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds of the participants.
  • Results revealed that a healthier diet during pregnancy (high HEI score) is linked to lower likelihoods of having large infants at birth and experiencing rapid growth, suggesting that dietary choices may play a vital role in combating obesity later in life.
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Climate change is a complex, global issue that is impacting human health in various ways, with healthcare being a significant contributor to carbon emissions in the United States. This review discusses the environmental impact of important aspects of gynecologic oncology care, including surgery, anesthesia care, radiology, chemotherapy, and radiation oncology. Operating room energy and material use is highlighted, with a focus on the environmental impact of robotic surgery.

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  • The study investigates a specific genetic variant in the IP3 receptor that results in a significant disorder affecting multiple systems, characterized by immunodeficiency and disturbed calcium release in cells.
  • The variant (c.7570C>T, p.Arg2524Cys) leads to cellular defects, particularly impacting T cells, and is shown to affect calcium regulation and mitochondrial function, evidenced in laboratory models.
  • Patients exhibited a range of symptoms beyond immunodeficiency, such as ectodermal dysplasia and short stature, suggesting that this genetic mutation plays a unique and broader role in disease compared to previously documented cases.
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Purpose Of Review: Clearly defining and measuring neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) is a key first step in achieving environmental justice, as the disproportionate distribution of environmental hazards and access to resources is heavily influenced by socioeconomic factors. This scoping review explores the definition of neighborhoods, measurement of neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES), and studies that evaluated the association between nSES and child health in accordance with PRISMA guidelines.

Recent Findings: We identified 4112 articles published on US pediatric populations between 2013 and 2022.

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Introduction: The long-term impact of deployment-related trauma on mental and physical health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among military personnel is not well understood. We describe the mental and physical HRQoL among military personnel following deployment-related polytrauma after their discharge from the hospital and examine factors associated with HRQoL and longitudinal trends.

Materials And Methods: The U.

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Drosophila matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) is specifically expressed in posterior follicle cells of stage-14 egg chambers (mature follicles) and is crucial for the breakdown of the follicular wall during ovulation, a process that is highly conserved from flies to mammals. The factors that regulate spatiotemporal expression of MMP2 in follicle cells remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate crucial roles for the ETS-family transcriptional activator Pointed (Pnt) and its endogenous repressor Yan in the regulation of MMP2 expression.

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Aminergic signaling is known to play a critical role in regulating female reproductive processes in both mammals and insects. In Drosophila, the ortholog of noradrenaline, octopamine, is required for ovulation as well as several other female reproductive processes. Two octopamine receptors have already been shown to be expressed in the Drosophila reproductive tract and to be required for egg-laying: OAMB and Octβ2R.

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Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the biomechanical effect of medial displacement calcaneal osteotomy (MDCO), subtalar joint fusion (SF), and medial ligament reconstruction (MLR: deltoid-spring ligament) in a severe flatfoot model. We hypothesized that (1) combination of MDCO and SF improves the tibiotalar and foot alignment in severe progressive collapsing foot deformity (PCFD) cadaver model. (2) However, if a residual valgus heel alignment remains after MCDO and SF, it can lead to increased medial ligament strain, foot malalignment, and tibiotalar valgus tilt, which will be mitigated by the addition of MLR.

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  • The study examines the link between breastfeeding practices and child BMI (body mass index) in relation to mothers' BMI, particularly focusing on women with obesity.* -
  • Data from 8,134 mother-child pairs showed that longer breastfeeding duration was associated with lower child BMIz scores across all maternal BMI categories (underweight, healthy weight, overweight, obese).* -
  • The findings suggest that breastfeeding may serve as an effective strategy to reduce the risk of obesity in children, regardless of the mother's BMI status.*
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  • Osteoporosis is often diagnosed using DXA scans, but screening is low, leading to preventable fractures; Raman spectroscopy (RS) offers a potentially accessible alternative for assessing fracture risk by evaluating bone quality through the skin.
  • The study focused on measuring RS from the phalangeal bones of human hands to see if it correlates with fracture strength in the distal radius, which could indicate risks for fractures in the spine and hip.
  • Results showed significant differences in bone composition among healthy, osteopenic, and osteoporotic bones, with RS parameters proving effective in predicting bone strength and matching DXA outcomes, suggesting RS could be a viable method for assessing bone health.
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Background: Drinking water is a common source of exposure to inorganic arsenic. In the US, the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was enacted to protect consumers from exposure to contaminants, including arsenic, in public water systems (PWS). The reproductive effects of preconception and prenatal arsenic exposure in regions with low to moderate arsenic concentrations are not well understood.

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Monoamine neurotransmitters such as noradrenalin are released from both synaptic vesicles (SVs) and large dense-core vesicles (LDCVs), the latter mediating extrasynaptic signaling. The contribution of synaptic versus extrasynaptic signaling to circuit function and behavior remains poorly understood. To address this question, we have previously used transgenes encoding a mutation in the Vesicular Monoamine Transporter () that shifts amine release from SVs to LDCVs.

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Objectives: Skin barrier properties are critical for maintaining epidermal water content, protecting from environmental factors and providing the first line of defense against pathogens. In this study, we investigated the non-proteinogenic amino acid L-4-Thiazolylalanine (L4) as a potential active ingredient in skin protection and barrier strength.

Methods: L4 on wound healing, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties were evaluated using monolayers and 3D skin equivalents.

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Introduction: Revision total hip arthroplasty in the setting of acetabular bone loss remains a challenging clinical entity. Deficiencies of the acetabular rim, walls, and/or columns may limit the bony surface area and initial acetabular construct stability necessary for osseointegration of cementless components. Press-fit acetabular components with supplemental acetabular screw fixation represent a common technique aimed to minimize implant micromotion and allow for definitive osseointegration.

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Across species, ovulation is a process induced by a myriad of signaling cascades that ultimately leads to the release of encapsulated oocytes from follicles. Follicles first need to mature and gain ovulatory competency before ovulation; however, the signaling pathways regulating follicle maturation are incompletely understood in Drosophila and other species. Our previous work has shown that the bHLH-PAS transcription factor Single-minded (Sim) plays important roles in follicle maturation downstream of the nuclear receptor Ftz-f1 in Drosophila.

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Adrenergic signaling is known to play a critical role in regulating female reproductive processes in both mammals and insects. In , the ortholog of noradrenaline, octopamine (Oa), is required for ovulation as well as several other female reproductive processes. Loss of function studies using mutant alleles of receptors, transporters, and biosynthetic enzymes for Oa have led to a model in which disruption of octopaminergic pathways reduces egg laying.

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Objectives: To predict behavioral disruptions in middle childhood, we identified latent classes of prenatal substance use.

Study Design: As part of the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program, we harmonized prenatal substance use data and child behavior outcomes from 2195 women and their 6- to 11-year-old children across 10 cohorts in the US and used latent class-adjusted regression models to predict parent-rated child behavior.

Results: Three latent classes fit the data: low use (90.

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Objective: Single-substance exposure effects on neurodevelopmental outcomes, such as problem behavior and intelligence quotient (IQ), have been studied in children for decades. However, the long-term consequences of polysubstance exposure are poorly understood.

Study Design: Longitudinal neurodevelopmental data were gathered from cohorts across the United States through the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Program.

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  • The ECHO-Wide Cohort Study (EWC) is a big research project started in 2016 to help improve children's health in the U.S. by looking at different factors that affect their well-being.
  • It collects lots of data from 69 groups and has information on over 60,000 kids, with some kids also giving new info and samples for research.
  • Researchers study five main health areas, like how kids develop and their weight, while considering things like air pollution and family health.
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  • The study investigates how children's screen time changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing periods before and during lockdowns from July 2019 to August 2021.
  • It involved a longitudinal cohort of 228 children aged 4 to 12 years, analyzing data on their screen time via the ECHO Child Media Use questionnaire across three pandemic-related periods.
  • Results showed a significant increase in total screen time, rising from an average of 4.4 hours per day before the pandemic to increases of 1.75 hours and 1.11 hours during the first and second pandemic periods, respectively.
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  • The prevalence of obesity among US youths aged 2 to 19 was 19.3% from 2017 to 2018, and previous studies linked school lunches to increased obesity rates, prompting the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) to enhance nutritional standards for school meals.
  • This study aimed to assess the impact of the HHFKA on youth body mass index (BMI) by analyzing data from a national cohort of children aged 5 to 18 over a period from January 2005 to March 2020.
  • Results indicated that after the HHFKA's implementation, there was a significant decrease in annual BMI z-scores, particularly among youths aged 12 to
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Importance: The primary outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of women with children remain largely unknown.

Objectives: To identify and describe clusters of mothers of children participating in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program that characterize pandemic-associated hardships, coping mechanisms, and behaviors, and to evaluate associations between pandemic-associated hardships, coping strategies, and behavior changes with pandemic-associated traumatic stress symptoms.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This multicenter cohort study investigated experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic between April 2020 and August 2021 among maternal caregivers of children participating in the ECHO Program.

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The Serotonin Transporter (SERT) regulates extracellular serotonin levels and is the target of most current drugs used to treat depression. The mechanisms by which inhibition of SERT activity influences behavior are poorly understood. To address this question in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, we developed new loss of function mutations in Drosophila SERT (dSERT).

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Opioid use has disproportionally impacted pregnant people and their fetuses. Previous studies describing opioid use among pregnant people are limited by geographic location, type of medical coverage, and small sample size. We described characteristics of a large, diverse group of pregnant people who were enrolled in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, and determined which characteristics were associated with opioid use during pregnancy.

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