Structural, Institutional, and Interpersonal Racism: Calling for Equity in Autism Research and Practice.

Disparities in autism research and practices based on race and ethnicity are evident across many outcomes and life course stages. However, most of the research has focused on outlining differences and not the underlying systemic inequities driving these disparities. In this conceptual paper, we aim to shift the focus by outlining mechanisms of structural racism within the institutions of science, healthcare, and residential segregation and educational systems in the United States (U.

Zika Virus Infection in Pregnant Traveler Returning to Denmark from Phuket, Thailand, 2024.

We report a case of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in a pregnant woman from Denmark who traveled to Thailand during her first trimester. Late in the second trimester, severe microcephaly was diagnosed in the fetus, and ZIKV infection was confirmed. Travelers and clinicians should be aware of ongoing ZIKV risk in Thailand.

The Effect of Antibiotics on the Eradication of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms in Intestinal Carriers-A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effect of antibiotics on the eradication of multidrug-resistant organisms (MRO) in intestinal carriers. We defined multidrug-resistant organisms as vancomycin-resistant (VREfm), and multidrug-resistant Gram-negative Methods: We searched the EMBASE, Cochrane Central, and PubMed databases from inception to medio November 2023. We included randomised and controlled clinical trials (RCTs), that investigated the effect of antibiotics on the eradication of multidrug-resistant organisms in intestinal carriers.

Long-term carriage and evolution of VREfmLong-term carriage and evolution of vancomycin-resistant : a genomic study on consecutive isolates.

Objectives: To determine if vancomycin-resistant (VREfm) carriers carry the same VREfm clone after a minimum follow-up of 365 days. For those carrying the same clone, we investigated the genomic evolution per year per genome.

Methods: We used WGS results to assign VREfm clones to each isolate and determine clone shifts.

GG Versus Placebo for Eradication of Vancomycin-Resistant in Intestinal Carriers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The aim of this review was to assess the efficacy and safety of GG (LGG) (previously known as GG) for the eradication of vancomycin-resistant (VREfm) in colonized carriers. We searched Cochrane Central, EMBASE, and the PubMed Library from inception to 21 August 2023, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effectiveness of LGG for the eradication of gastrointestinal carriage of VREfm. An initial screening was performed followed by a full-text evaluation of the papers.

Cell Population Growth Kinetics in the Presence of Stochastic Heterogeneity of Cell Phenotype.

Recent studies at individual cell resolution have revealed phenotypic heterogeneity in nominally clonal tumor cell populations. The heterogeneity affects cell growth behaviors, which can result in departure from the idealized uniform exponential growth of the cell population. Here we measured the stochastic time courses of growth of an ensemble of populations of HL60 leukemia cells in cultures, starting with distinct initial cell numbers to capture a departure from the uniform exponential growth model for the initial growth ("take-off").

Cell population growth kinetics in the presence of stochastic heterogeneity of cell phenotype.

Recent studies at individual cell resolution have revealed phenotypic heterogeneity in nominally clonal tumor cell populations. The heterogeneity affects cell growth behaviors, which can result in departure from the idealized uniform exponential growth of the cell population. Here we measured the stochastic time courses of growth of an ensemble of populations of HL60 leukemia cells in cultures, starting with distinct initial cell numbers to capture a departure from the uniform exponential growth model for the initial growth ("take-off").

The Clinical Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Vancomycin for the Treatment of Recurrent Infection - A Systematic Review.

Introduction: The aim of this systematic review of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) was to examine the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of vancomycin for treatment of recurrent infection (rCDI).

Methods: The PubMed database was searched from inception to August 23, 2022. An initial screening was performed followed by a full-text evaluation of the papers.

Cell Population Growth Kinetics in the Presence of Stochastic Heterogeneity of Cell Phenotype.

Recent studies at individual cell resolution have revealed phenotypic heterogeneity in nominally clonal tumor cell populations. The heterogeneity affects cell growth behaviors, which can result in departure from the idealized exponential growth. Here we measured the stochastic time courses of growth of an ensemble of populations of HL60 leukemia cells in cultures, starting with distinct initial cell numbers to capture the departure from the exponential growth model in the initial growth phase.

Adaptive diversification and niche packing on rugged fitness landscapes.

Explaining the emergence of diversity and the coexistence of competing types has long been one of the main goals of ecological theory. Rugged fitness landscapes have often been used to explain diversity through the presence of local peaks, or adaptive zones, in the fitness landscape acting as available niches for different species. Alternatively, niche-packing and theories based on limiting similarity describe frequency-dependent selection leading to the organic differentiation of a continuous phenotype space into multiple coexisting types.

Maximal ecological diversity exceeds evolutionary diversity in model ecosystems.

Understanding community saturation is fundamental to ecological theory. While investigations of the diversity of evolutionary stable states (ESSs) are widespread, the diversity of communities that have yet to reach an evolutionary endpoint is poorly understood. We use Lotka-Volterra dynamics and trait-based competition to compare the diversity of randomly assembled communities to the diversity of the ESS.

Synbiotic Intervention with Lactobacilli, Bifidobacteria, and Inulin in Healthy Volunteers Increases the Abundance of Bifidobacteria but Does Not Alter Microbial Diversity.

Synbiotics combine probiotics and prebiotics and are being investigated for potential health benefits. In this single-group-design trial, we analyzed changes in the gut microbiome, stool quality, and gastrointestinal well-being in 15 healthy volunteers after a synbiotic intervention comprising Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (LGG), Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA-5), Lacticaseibacillus paracasei subsp. (L.

No Effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG on Eradication of Colonization by Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium or Microbiome Diversity in Hospitalized Adult Patients.

The purpose of this trial was to evaluate the efficacy of a 4-week supplementation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) in eliminating the gastrointestinal carrier state of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) in hospitalized adults. The primary outcome of the study was the number of patients with cleared VREfm colonization after the 4-week intervention. Secondary outcomes were clearance of VREfm colonization at weeks 8, 16, and 24, number of VREfm infections (isolated from nonintestinal foci), and changes in fecal microbiome diversity after the intervention.

The use of core genome multilocus sequence typing to determine the duration of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium outbreaks.

The prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium has increased rapidly, and in Denmark, we are facing an endemic outbreak situation in hospitals. The aim of this study was to use whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and core genome multilocus sequencing typing (cgMLST) to determine the duration of VREfm outbreaks and thereby evaluate the effect of our infection control strategies. We included all VREfm isolates from six hospitals in the Capital Region of Denmark that were sequenced between 2012 and 2020.

Evidence for long-lasting alterations in the fecal microbiota following prenatal alcohol exposure.

Background: There is growing evidence that the gut microbiota can be shaped by early-life experiences/exposures, with long-term consequences for brain, behavior, and health. Changes in the gut microbiota have also been identified in neurodevelopmental disorders including Autism Spectrum Disorder and schizophrenia. In contrast, no studies to date have investigated whether the gut microbiota is altered in individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), the neurodevelopmental disorder that results from prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE).

Substantial Decrease in Vancomycin-Resistant Outbreak Duration and Number of Patients During the Danish COVID-19 Lockdown: A Prospective Observational Study.

Vancomycin-resistant (VREfm) is a globally significant nosocomial pathogen with a rapidly increasing prevalence. The objectives were to investigate VREfm outbreak duration and study the additional impact that infection control bundle strategies (ICBSs) set up to curb coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreading had on VREfm outbreaks. Outbreak data set were collected prospectively from April 2, 2014 to August 13, 2020 at Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg, Denmark.

Evolution to alternative levels of stable diversity leaves areas of niche space unexplored.

One of the oldest and most persistent questions in ecology and evolution is whether natural communities tend to evolve toward saturation and maximal diversity. Robert MacArthur's classical theory of niche packing and the theory of adaptive radiations both imply that populations will diversify and fully partition any available niche space. However, the saturation of natural populations is still very much an open area of debate and investigation.

Underserved and Undermeasured: a Mixed-Method Analysis of Family-Centered Care and Care Coordination for Low-Income Minority Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

This study examined how a racially and socioeconomically diverse group of caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) responds to national standard measures of family-centered care (FCC) and care coordination (CC) and what aspects of quality care are missing from these measures. Based on survey and interview data collected from 70 caregivers who have a child with ASD that receive services at a community-based autism clinic located in Atlanta, GA, we compared proportions of answers to FCC and CC questions to national and state representative data using chi-square analyses and contextualized our findings through a thematic analysis of qualitative interviews. Compared to national- and state-level data, the Atlanta autism clinic data had a higher percentage of participants who identified as Black, relied on public health insurance, and lived below 200% of the federal poverty line.

Covid-19 and high school grades: An early case study.

and investigate the impact distance learning may have had on the grades of students at a California high school.

Efficacy of a Non-Comedogenic Hair Care Regimen for the Reduction of Mild-to-Moderate Truncal and Facial Acne: A Single-Arm 8-Week Study.

Introduction: Hair care products can be comedogenic, and therefore contribute to acne. Hair care products can leave a residue on the skin, even with rinse off products. This residue may explain why hair care products can cause acne.

Effects of forced taxonomic transitions on metabolic composition and function in microbial microcosms.

Surveys of microbial systems indicate that in many situations taxonomy and function may constitute largely independent ('decoupled') axes of variation. However, this decoupling is rarely explicitly tested experimentally, partly because it is hard to directly induce taxonomic variation without affecting functional composition. Here we experimentally evaluate this paradigm using microcosms resembling lake sediments and subjected to two different levels of salinity (0 and 19) and otherwise similar environmental conditions.

Association between vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium colonization and subsequent infection: a retrospective WGS study.

Background: Since 2012, the incidence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) has increased dramatically in Copenhagen and vanA E. faecium has become endemic and polyclonal.

Objectives: To examine whether a patient with a positive VRE clinical sample had the same VREfm in a preceding screening sample (within 60 days).