Bronchial cell epigenetic aging in a human experimental study of short-term diesel and ozone exposures.

Blood-based, observational, and cross-sectional epidemiological studies suggest that air pollutant exposures alter biological aging. In a single-blinded randomized crossover human experiment of 17 volunteers, we examined the effect of randomized 2-h controlled air pollution exposures on respiratory tissue epigenetic aging. Bronchial epithelial cell DNA methylation 24 h post-exposure was measured using the HumanMethylation450K BeadChip, and there was a minimum 2-week washout period between exposures.

Accelerated aging and altered subclinical response to ozone exposure in young, healthy adults.

Ozone exposure induces a myriad of adverse cardiopulmonary outcomes in humans. Although advanced age and chronic disease are factors that may exacerbate a person's negative response to ozone exposure, there are no molecular biomarkers of susceptibility. Here, we examine whether epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) is associated with responsiveness to short-term ozone exposure.

Researching COVID to enhance recovery (RECOVER) pediatric study protocol: Rationale, objectives and design.

Importance: The prevalence, pathophysiology, and long-term outcomes of COVID-19 (post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 [PASC] or "Long COVID") in children and young adults remain unknown. Studies must address the urgent need to define PASC, its mechanisms, and potential treatment targets in children and young adults.

Observations: We describe the protocol for the Pediatric Observational Cohort Study of the NIH's REsearching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative.

A permutation-based approach using a rank-based statistic to identify sex differences in epigenetics.

Epigenetic sex differences and their resulting implications for human health have been studied for about a decade. The objective of this paper is to use permutation-based inference and a new ranked-based test statistic to identify sex-based epigenetic differences in the human DNA methylome. In particular, we examine whether we could identify separations between the female and male distributions of DNA methylation across hundred of thousands CpG sites in two independent cohorts, the Swedish Adoption Twin study and the Lamarck study.

The natural history of ALS: Baseline characteristics from a multicenter clinical cohort.

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare disease with urgent need for improved treatment. Despite the acceleration of research in recent years, there is a need to understand the full natural history of the disease. As only 40% of people living with ALS are eligible for typical clinical trials, clinical trial datasets may not generalize to the full ALS population.

Targeting emotional regulation using an Internet-delivered psychological intervention for cancer survivors: A randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: This trial assessed the efficacy of an emotion-focused, modular, Internet-delivered adaptation of the Unified Protocol (UP) in improving cancer survivors' emotion regulation strategies.

Design: A two-arm randomized controlled trial (1:1) was used to compare the efficacy of two Internet-based interventions: UP-adapted CanCope Mind (CM) and lifestyle-focused active control CanCope Lifestyle (CL).

Methods: N = 224 cancer survivors randomized to CM or CL were assessed at baseline, between-modules, at post-intervention and 3-month follow-up on emotion regulation outcomes targeted by each CM module (Module 1: beliefs about emotions; Module 2: mindfulness; Module 3: cognitive reappraisal skills, catastrophizing, refocus on planning; Module 4: experiential avoidance).

Development of a Definition of Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Importance: SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with persistent, relapsing, or new symptoms or other health effects occurring after acute infection, termed postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), also known as long COVID. Characterizing PASC requires analysis of prospectively and uniformly collected data from diverse uninfected and infected individuals.

Objective: To develop a definition of PASC using self-reported symptoms and describe PASC frequencies across cohorts, vaccination status, and number of infections.

Researching COVID to enhance recovery (RECOVER) pregnancy study: Rationale, objectives and design.

Importance: Pregnancy induces unique physiologic changes to the immune response and hormonal changes leading to plausible differences in the risk of developing post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC), or Long COVID. Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy may also have long-term ramifications for exposed offspring, and it is critical to evaluate the health outcomes of exposed children. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Multi-site Observational Study of PASC aims to evaluate the long-term sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection in various populations.

High-dimensional randomization-based inference capitalizing on classical design and modern computing.

A common complication that can arise with analyses of high-dimensional data is the repeated use of hypothesis tests. A second complication, especially with small samples, is the reliance on asymptotic -values. Our proposed approach for addressing both complications uses a scientifically motivated scalar summary statistic, and although not entirely novel, seems rarely used.

Assessing an Internet-Delivered, Emotion-Focused Intervention Compared With a Healthy Lifestyle Active Control Intervention in Improving Mental Health in Cancer Survivors: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Cancer survivors are vulnerable to experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression and may benefit from accessible interventions focused on improving emotion regulation. CanCope Mind (CM) was developed as an internet-delivered intervention adapted from the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders to improve emotion regulation and support the mental health of cancer survivors.

Objective: This protocol aims to provide an outline of the CanCope Study, a trial comparing the efficacy of a Unified Protocol-adapted internet-delivered intervention (CM) designed for cancer survivors compared with an active control condition-an internet-delivered healthy lifestyle intervention, CanCope Lifestyle (CL).

A randomization-based causal inference framework for uncovering environmental exposure effects on human gut microbiota.

Statistical analysis of microbial genomic data within epidemiological cohort studies holds the promise to assess the influence of environmental exposures on both the host and the host-associated microbiome. However, the observational character of prospective cohort data and the intricate characteristics of microbiome data make it challenging to discover causal associations between environment and microbiome. Here, we introduce a causal inference framework based on the Rubin Causal Model that can help scientists to investigate such environment-host microbiome relationships, to capitalize on existing, possibly powerful, test statistics, and test plausible sharp null hypotheses.

The role of family history of Cancer in Oral Cavity Cancer.

Objectives: Oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the 10th most common cancer in the United States (8th in males, 13th in females), with an estimated 54,010 new cases expected in 2021, and is primarily associated with smoked tobacco, heavy alcohol consumption, areca nut use and persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV). Family history of cancer (FHC) and family history of head and neck cancer (FHHNC) have been reported to play an important role in the development of OSCC. We aimed to investigate the role of FHC, FHHNC and personal history of cancer in first/second degree-relatives as co-risk factors for oral cancer.

Collective behavior emerges from genetically controlled simple behavioral motifs in zebrafish.

It is not understood how changes in the genetic makeup of individuals alter the behavior of groups of animals. Here, we find that, even at early larval stages, zebrafish regulate their proximity and alignment with each other. Two simple visual responses, one that measures relative visual field occupancy and one that accounts for global visual motion, suffice to account for the group behavior that emerges.

Serum vaccine antibody concentrations in adults exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: A birth cohort in the Faroe Islands.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are highly persistent in the environment and may cause depressed immune function. Previous studies have linked PFAS exposure to lower vaccine responses in children, but research in adults is limited. Therefore, the present study evaluated the associations between exposure to PFASs and serum antibody concentrations in adults vaccinated at age 28 years in the Faroe Islands.

The impact of outdoor air pollution on COVID-19: a review of evidence from , animal, and human studies.

Studies have pointed out that air pollution may be a contributing factor to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, the specific links between air pollution and severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 infection remain unclear. Here we provide evidence from , animal and human studies from the existing literature.