Anti-angiogenic therapy as potential treatment for adenomyosis.

Adenomyosis is characterized by abnormal uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhea and subfertility. Increased expression of angiogenesis markers in adenomyosis presents a treatment opportunity and was studied in an adenomyosis mouse model. Mice were administered tamoxifen (1 mg/kg) on neonatal days 2-5.

Maternal postpartum mental health negatively affects infants' health related quality of life.

Objectives: To assess the association of early and late postpartum maternal mental health with infants' health related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods: The study was embedded within the POST-UP trial (n = 1843). Infants' HRQoL was assessed with the Infant and Toddler Quality of Life Questionnaire Short Form-47 at ages 1 month (1 m), and 12 m.

Routine third-trimester ultrasonography and child neurodevelopmental outcomes: a follow-up of a pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Aims/background: Routine third-trimester ultrasonography is increasingly conducted to screen for foetal growth restriction (FGR) and reduce adverse perinatal and child neurodevelopmental outcomes using timely obstetric management. While it did not reduce adverse perinatal outcomes in previous trials, evidence regarding its association with child neurodevelopmental outcome is absent. We examined whether routine third-trimester ultrasonography is positively associated with child developmental and behavioural/emotional outcomes compared to usual care.

The potential of federated learning for public health purposes: a qualitative analysis of GDPR compliance, Europe, 2021.

BackgroundThe wide application of machine learning (ML) holds great potential to improve public health by supporting data analysis informing policy and practice. Its application, however, is often hampered by data fragmentation across organisations and strict regulation by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Federated learning (FL), as a decentralised approach to ML, has received considerable interest as a means to overcome the fragmentation of data, but it is yet unclear to which extent this approach complies with the GDPR.

Addition of testosterone to endocrine care for transgender women: a dose-finding and feasibility trial.

Objective: Transgender women who underwent gonadectomy have lower serum testosterone concentrations than cisgender women. There is uncertainty regarding the dosing and side effects of supplementation of testosterone in transgender women. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of dosing testosterone to the cisgender female physiological range in transgender women.

Mediation by parent health literacy and behaviour of socioeconomic inequality in child overweight.

Background: Socioeconomic inequalities contribute to childhood overweight. Identifying mediators could help reduce these inequalities.

Objective: We assessed to what extent and how parental health literacy and health behaviours mediate the relationship between parental socioeconomic status and childhood overweight.

Mothers in stress: Hair cortisol of mothers living in marginalised Roma communities and the role of socioeconomic disadvantage.

Roma living in marginalised communities are among the most disadvantaged groups in Slovakia. Socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with higher hair cortisol concentrations (HCC), including in parents. The aim of this study is therefore to assess differences in HCC, reflecting the levels of stress, between mothers living in MRCs and from the majority population, to assess the association of socioeconomic disadvantage with HCC, and whether disadvantage mediates the MRC/majority differences in HCC.

Neurocognitive outcomes in moderately preterm born adolescents.

Background: Early preterm (EP) born children are at risk of neurocognitive impairments persisting into adulthood. Less is known about moderately to late (MLP) preterm born children, especially after early childhood. The aim of this study was to assess neurocognitive functioning of MLP adolescents regarding intelligence, executive and attentional functioning, compared with EP and full-term (FT) adolescents.

Early stress during NICU stay and parent-reported health-related quality of life after extremely preterm birth: an exploratory study with possible targets for early intervention.

Introduction: The association between neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) related stress in preterm infants and their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the first year following preterm birth remains unexplored. Understanding this association is crucial for enhancing preventive and supportive measures for infants and parents within and beyond the NICU.

Methods: From a single center observational cohort study, we included infants with gestational ages below 30 weeks and/or birth weights under 1,000 grams.

Parenting by mothers from marginalized communities and the role of socioeconomic disadvantage: insights from marginalized Roma communities in Slovakia.

Background: Roma living in marginalized communities often face poor living conditions and material deprivation, which may negatively impact parenting. Our aim is to compare the parenting behavior (support, harsh discipline, and stimulation) of mothers from marginalized Roma communities and the majority population in Slovakia. We also examine the role of socioeconomic disadvantage and related worries in the differences in parenting behavior between these groups.

Stability of neurodevelopmental trajectories in moderately late and early preterm children born 15 years apart.

Background: Neurodevelopmental trajectories of preterm children may have changed due to changes in care and in society. We aimed to compare neurodevelopmental trajectories in early and moderately late preterm children, measured using the Developmental (D)-score, in two cohorts born 15 years apart.

Methods: We included early preterm and moderately late preterm children from two Dutch cohorts (LOLLIPOP, 2002-2003 and ePREM, 2016-2017).

Educational inequalities in major depressive disorder prevalence, timing and duration among adults over the life course: a microsimulation analysis based on the Lifelines Cohort Study.

Background: Educational inequalities in major depressive disorder (MDD) pose a major challenge. Tackling this issue requires evidence on the long-term impact of intervening on modifiable factors, for example lifestyle and psychosocial factors. For this reason, we aimed to simulate the development of educational inequalities in MDD across the life course, and to estimate the potential impact of intervening on modifiable factors.

Valuing Academic Freedom and Advocacy.

This is a correspondence letter in response to an article published in the journal: Flaherman VJ, Nankabirwa V, Ginsburg AS. Promoting Transparent and Equitable Discussion of Controversial Research. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics 2023; 18(4): 248-9.

Healthy diets positively associated with health-related quality of life in children and adolescents from low socioeconomic areas: Findings from the Greek Food Aid Program, DIATROFI.

Objectives: To assess the relationship of diet with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in vulnerable children and adolescents.

Methods: Data included 6583 children and adolescents (aged 3-18 years old) from the Greek Food-Aid DIATROFI Program in the 2015 to 2016 and 2017 to 2018 school years. HRQoL was measured with the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory questionnaire and diet with food frequency questionnaires.

Point-of-care neutrophil and monocyte surface markers differentiate bacterial from viral infections at the emergency department within 30 min.

Rapid discrimination between viral and bacterial infections in a point-of-care setting will improve clinical outcome. Expression of CD64 on neutrophils (neuCD64) increases during bacterial infections, whereas expression of CD169 on classical monocytes (cmCD169) increases during viral infections. The diagnostic value of automated point-of-care neuCD64 and cmCD169 analysis was assessed for detecting bacterial and viral infections at the emergency department.

Non-therapeutic plasma levels in individuals utilizing curcumin supplements in daily life.

Introduction: The spice curcumin and its metabolites are widely used by cancer patients but have not shown proven health benefits in clinical studies, likely due to low plasma concentrations after oral intake. However, public interest in curcumin continues to grow, and companies claim enhanced absorption in their formulations. This study aims to determine if daily oral intake of curcumin leads to sufficient plasma concentrations for health effects.

Characteristics and prognostic factors of bacterial meningitis in the intensive care unit: a prospective nationwide cohort study.

Background: Patients with bacterial meningitis can be severely ill necessitating intensive care unit (ICU) treatment. Here, we describe clinical features and prognostic factors of adults with bacterial meningitis admitted to the ICU in a nationwide prospective cohort study.

Methods: We prospectively assessed clinical features and outcome of adults (age > 16 years) with community-acquired bacterial meningitis included in the MeninGene study between March 1, 2006 and July 1, 2022, that were initially admitted to the ICU.

Gut feelings: the relations between depression, anxiety, psychotropic drugs and the gut microbiome.

The gut microbiome is involved in the bi-directional relationship of the gut - brain axis. As most studies of this relationship are small and do not account for use of psychotropic drugs (PTDs), we explored the relations of the gut microbiome with several internalizing disorders, while adjusting for PTDs and other relevant medications, in 7,656 Lifelines participants from the Northern Netherlands (5,522 controls and 491 participants with at least one internalizing disorder). Disorders included dysthymia, major depressive disorder (MDD), any depressive disorder (AnyDep: dysthymia or MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and any anxiety disorder (AnyAnx: GAD, social phobia and panic disorder).

Neonatal stress exposure and DNA methylation of stress-related and neurodevelopmentally relevant genes: An exploratory study.

Background: Stress exposure during Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) stay may have long-lasting effects on neurodevelopmental outcomes in extremely preterm infants. Altered DNA methylation of stress-related and neurodevelopmentally relevant genes may be an underlying mechanism.

Aims: This exploratory study aimed to investigate the association between neonatal stress exposure and DNA methylation in these genes at two different time points: early during the NICU stay (7-14 days after birth) and later, at discharge from the NICU.

Educational inequalities in metabolic syndrome prevalence, timing, and duration amongst adults over the life course: a microsimulation analysis based on the lifelines cohort study.

Background: Educational inequalities in metabolic syndrome (MetS) are a growing public health concern. Intervening on modifiable factors may help reduce these inequalities, but there is a need for evidence on the long-term impact of intervening on these factors. Thus, we simulate the development of educational inequalities in MetS across the life course and assess the impact of intervening on the modifiable factors that contribute to these inequalities.

Building blocks of microphysiological system to model physiology and pathophysiology of human heart.

Microphysiological systems (MPS) are drawing increasing interest from academia and from biomedical industry due to their improved capability to capture human physiology. MPS offer an advanced platform that can be used to study human organ and tissue level functions in health and in diseased states more accurately than traditional single cell cultures or even animal models. Key features in MPS include microenvironmental control and monitoring as well as high biological complexity of the target tissue.

Impact of trajectories of maternal postpartum depression on infants' socioemotional development.

Background: We assessed (a) the effects of postpartum depression (PPD) trajectories until 6 months postpartum on infants' socioemotional development (SED) at age 12 months, and (b) the mediating role of maternal self-efficacy (MSE), and the additional effect of postpartum anxiety at age 12 months.

Methods: We used data from POST-UP trial (n = 1843). PPD was assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at 1, 3, and 6 months.

Known groups validity of the SPARK36: To guide nurse-led consultations for the early detection of child developmental and parenting problems.

Aim: Early detection of child developmental and parenting problems is important for timely prevention. The SPARK36 (Structured Problem Analysis of Raising Kids aged 36 months) is a novel broad-scope structured interview guide aimed at assessing parenting concerns and needs for support for child developmental and parenting problems, using the parental and professional's (Youth Health Care nurses) perspective. The applicability of the SPARK36 in practice was already demonstrated.

Towards precision dosing of aripiprazole in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: Linking blood levels to weight gain and effectiveness.

Aims: Aripiprazole is one of the most commonly prescribed antipsychotic drugs to children and adolescents worldwide, but it is associated with serious side-effects, including weight gain. This study assessed the population pharmacokinetics of aripiprazole and its active metabolite and investigated the relationship between pharmacokinetic parameters and body mass index (BMI) in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and behavioural problems. Secondary outcomes were metabolic, endocrine, extrapyramidal and cardiac side-effects and drug effectiveness.