Exposome-wide association study of cognition among older adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Cognitive impairment among older adults is a growing public health challenge and environmental chemicals may be modifiable risk factors. A wide array of chemicals has not yet been tested for association with cognition in an environment-wide association framework. In the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2000 and 2011-2014 cross-sectional cycles, cognition was assessed using the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST, scores 0-117) among participants aged 60 years and older.

Environmental chemical-wide associations with immune biomarkers in US adults: A cross-sectional analysis.

Environmental chemical exposures influence immune system functions, and humans are exposed to a wide range of chemicals, termed the chemical "exposome". A comprehensive, discovery analysis of the associations of multiple chemical families with immune biomarkers is needed. In this study, we tested the associations between environmental chemical concentrations and immune biomarkers.

Harmonized US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1988-2018 for high throughput exposome-health discovery.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) provides data on the health and environmental exposure of the non-institutionalized US population. Such data have considerable potential to understand how the environment and behaviors impact human health. These data are also currently leveraged to answer public health questions such as prevalence of disease.

Prenatal vitamin intake in first month of pregnancy and DNA methylation in cord blood and placenta in two prospective cohorts.

Background: Prenatal vitamin use is recommended before and during pregnancies for normal fetal development. Prenatal vitamins do not have a standard formulation, but many contain calcium, folic acid, iodine, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, and D, and usually they contain higher concentrations of folic acid and iron than regular multivitamins in the US Nutrient levels can impact epigenetic factors such as DNA methylation, but relationships between maternal prenatal vitamin use and DNA methylation have been relatively understudied. We examined use of prenatal vitamins in the first month of pregnancy in relation to cord blood and placenta DNA methylation in two prospective pregnancy cohorts: the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI) and Markers of Autism Risk Learning Early Signs (MARBLES) studies.

Rapid Neurocognitive Deterioration and Mortality in a Healthcare Professional With Spongiform Encephalopathy: Implications for Neurologic and End-of-Life Care.

Spongiform encephalopathy (SE) is a rare prion disorder characterized by progressive cognitive dysfunction and mortality. Affected patients can observe a wide variety of neurological symptoms, such as myoclonus, dementia, cerebellar signs, and others. We present a case of laboratory-confirmed SE in an otherwise healthy 57-year-old medical professional who initially presented with nonspecific and unique "head in a fish-bowl" dissociation and cognitive decline.

Saliva cell type DNA methylation reference panel for epidemiological studies in children.

Saliva is a widely used biological sample, especially in pediatric research, containing a heterogenous mixture of immune and epithelial cells. Associations of exposure or disease with saliva DNA methylation can be influenced by cell-type proportions. Here, we developed a saliva cell-type DNA methylation reference panel to estimate interindividual cell-type heterogeneity in whole saliva studies.

Medical students as simulation educators: students' experience of a 7-week simulation-based education rotation.

Medical students will have future roles as clinician educators, and need to develop knowledge and skills for that role. Specific skills in simulation-based education (SBE) may be valuable in many educational settings. We aimed to understand the impact of a 7-week placement in SBE on the development of medical students' knowledge, skills and perspectives as educators.

Relationship between Meditation and Waking Salivary Cortisol Secretion among Long-Term MBSR Instructors.

Background: A potential relationship between long-term meditation practice and stress reduction remains virtually unexplored. The purpose of this study was to characterize stress using salivary waking cortisol in a group of long-term meditators with training in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program.

Materials And Methods: Four salivary cortisol samples were collected from meditators (n = 84) during the first hour of awakening.

Effective and Novel Application of Hydrodynamic Voltammetry to the Study of Superoxide Radical Scavenging by Natural Phenolic Antioxidants.

The reactions of antioxidants with superoxide radical were studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV)-and hydrodynamic voltammetry at a rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE). In both methods, the superoxide is generated in solution from dissolved oxygen and then measured after being allowed to react with the antioxidant being studied. Both methods detected and measured the radical scavenging but the RRDE was able to give detailed insight into the antioxidant behavior.

Cadmium Exposure Inhibits Branching Morphogenesis and Causes Alterations Consistent With HIF-1α Inhibition in Human Primary Breast Organoids.

Developmental cadmium exposure in vivo disrupts mammary gland differentiation, while exposure of breast cell lines to cadmium causes invasion consistent with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The effects of cadmium on normal human breast stem cells have not been measured. Here, we quantified the effects of cadmium exposure on reduction mammoplasty patient-derived breast stem cell proliferation and differentiation.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction teachers, practice characteristics, cancer incidence, and health: a nationwide ecological description.

Background: Studies have demonstrated the potential of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program to improve the condition of individuals with health outcomes such as hypertension, diabetes, and chronic pain; improve psychological well-being; reduce stress levels; and increase survival among cancer patients. To date, only one study has focused on the effect of long-term meditation on stress, showing a positive protective relationship. However, the relationship between meditation and cancer incidence remains unexplored.