Metagenome-validated combined amplicon sequencing and text mining-based annotations for simultaneous profiling of bacteria and fungi: vaginal microbiota and mycobiota in healthy women.

Background: Amplicon sequencing of kingdom-specific tags such as 16S rRNA gene for bacteria and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region for fungi are widely used for investigating microbial communities. So far most human studies have focused on bacteria while studies on host-associated fungi in health and disease have only recently started to accumulate. To enable cost-effective parallel analysis of bacterial and fungal communities in human and environmental samples, we developed a method where 16S rRNA gene and ITS1 amplicons were pooled together for a single Illumina MiSeq or HiSeq run and analysed after primer-based segregation.

Breastfeeding practices among immigrants living in Finland: Results from the FinChildren survey.

Background: Breastfeeding is a cornerstone of child health and survival as it provides crucial, non-replaceable nourishment necessary for infant's growth and development. Immigration has been shown to influence breastfeeding particularly among immigrants from low- and middle-income countries. Our aim was to examine breastfeeding practices and sociodemographic characteristics of Somali-, Arabic-, and Russian-speaking in comparison with Finnish-speaking mothers.

Environmental Factors in Type 1 Diabetes.

The contribution of environmental factors to the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes is considered substantial, but their identification has turned out to be challenging. Large prospective studies are crucial for reliable identification of environmental risk and protective factors. However, only few large prospective birth cohort studies have been carried out.

Associations between dietary fibers and gut microbiome composition in the EDIA longitudinal infant cohort.

Background: The infant gut microbiome undergoes rapid changes in the first year of life, supporting normal development and long-term health. Although diet shapes this process, the role of fibers in complementary foods on gut microbiome maturation is poorly understood.

Objectives: We explored how the transition from human milk to fibers in complementary foods shapes the taxonomic and functional maturation of the gut microbiome within the first year of life.

Looking back at the TEDDY study: lessons and future directions.

The goal of the TEDDY (The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young) study is to elucidate factors leading to the initiation of islet autoimmunity (first primary outcome) and those related to progression to type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM; second primary outcome). This Review outlines the key findings so far, particularly related to the first primary outcome. The background, history and organization of the study are discussed.

Day Care Attendance and Risk of Type 1 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

Importance: A meta-analysis published in 2001 suggested that exposure to infections measured by day care attendance may be important in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. Several new studies on the topic have since been published.

Objective: To investigate the association between day care attendance and risk of type 1 diabetes and to include all available literature up to March 10, 2024.

Reassessing the substrate specificities of the major peptidoglycan hydrolases lysostaphin and LytM.

Orchestrated action of peptidoglycan (PG) synthetases and hydrolases is vital for bacterial growth and viability. Although the function of several PG synthetases and hydrolases is well understood, the function, regulation, and mechanism of action of PG hydrolases characterised as lysostaphin-like endopeptidases have remained elusive. Many of these M23 family members can hydrolyse glycyl-glycine peptide bonds and show lytic activity against whose PG contains a pentaglycine bridge, but their exact substrate specificity and hydrolysed bonds are still vaguely determined.

A systematic assessment of robustness in CNS safety pharmacology.

Background And Purpose: Irwin tests are key preclinical study elements for characterising drug-induced neurological side effects. This multicentre study aimed to assess the robustness of Irwin tests across multinational sites during three stages of protocol harmonisation. The projects were part of the Enhanced Quality in Preclinical Data framework, aiming to increase success rates in transition from preclinical testing to clinical application.

Hybrid zinc oxide nanocoating on titanium implants: Controlled drug release for enhanced antibacterial and osteogenic performance in infectious conditions.

Implant-associated bacterial infections are a primary cause of complications in orthopedic implants, and localized drug delivery represents an effective mitigation strategy. Drawing inspiration from the morphology of desiccated soil, our group has developed an advanced drug-delivery system augmented onto titanium (Ti) plates. This system integrates zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod arrays with a vancomycin drug layer along with a protective Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) coating.

Food Consumption and Risk of Islet Autoimmunity and Type 1 Diabetes in Children at Increased Genetic Susceptibility for Type 1 Diabetes.

Background: Prospective longitudinal evidence considering the entire childhood food consumption in relation to the development of islet autoimmunity (IA or) type 1 diabetes is lacking.

Objectives: We studied the associations of consumption of various foods and their combinations with IA and type 1 diabetes risk.

Methods: Children with genetic susceptibility to type 1 diabetes born in 1996-2004 were followed from birth up to ≤6 y of age in the prospective birth cohort type 1 diabetes prediction and prevention study (n = 5674).

Early-pregnancy BMI, maternal gestational weight gain, and asthma and allergic diseases in children.

Background: Association of early pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and maternal gestational weight gain (GWG), and asthma and allergic disease in children is unclear.

Methods: We analyzed data from 3176 mother-child pairs in a prospective birth cohort study. Maternal anthropometric measurements in the first and last antenatal clinic visits were obtained through post-delivery questionnaires to calculate early pregnancy BMI and maternal GWG.

Prenatal and Postnatal Exposure to Antibiotics and the Risk of Type 1 Diabetes in Finnish Children: A Registry-based Study.

Objective: To study whether prenatal and postnatal exposure to antibiotics is associated with the risk of type 1 diabetes in childhood.

Study Design: This case cohort study included 2869 children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes by the end of 2009 who were born between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2008, in Finland and a reference cohort (n = 74 263) representing 10% of each birth cohort. Exposure to antibiotics was assessed in different time periods.

Corrosion Resistance of Biodegradable Zinc Surfaces Enhanced by UV-Grafted Polydimethylsiloxane Coating.

Improved living conditions have led to an increase in life expectancy worldwide. However, as people age, the risk of vascular disease tends to increase due to the accumulation and buildup of plaque in arteries. Vascular stents are used to keep blood vessels open.

High Concentrations of Immunoglobulin G Against Cow Milk Proteins and Frequency of Cow Milk Consumption Are Associated With the Development of Islet Autoimmunity and Type 1 Diabetes-The Trial to Reduce Insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) in the Genetically at Risk (TRIGR) Study.

Background: The Trial to Reduce IDDM in the Genetically at Risk (TRIGR) (NCT00179777) found no difference type 1 diabetes risk between hydrolyzed and regular infant formula. However, cow milk consumption during childhood is consistently linked to type 1 diabetes risk in prospective cohort studies.

Objectives: Our primary aim was to study whether humoral immune responses to cow milk and cow milk consumption are associated with type 1 diabetes in TRIGR children.

Serum proteomics of mother-infant dyads carrying HLA-conferred type 1 diabetes risk.

and dietary factors make important contributions toward health and development in early childhood. In this respect, serum proteomics of maturing infants can provide insights into studies of childhood diseases, which together with perinatal proteomes could reveal further biological perspectives. Accordingly, to determine differences between feeding groups and changes in infancy, serum proteomics analyses of mother-infant dyads with HLA-conferred susceptibility to type 1 diabetes ( = 22), weaned to either an extensively hydrolyzed or regular cow's milk formula, were made.

Gut Inflammation Markers, Diet, and Risk of Islet Autoimmunity in Finnish Children - A Nested Case-Control Study.

Background: Gut dysbiosis and increased intestinal permeability have been reported to precede type 1 diabetes-related autoimmunity. The role of gut inflammation in autoimmunity is not understood.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess whether gut inflammation markers are associated with risk of islet autoimmunity and whether diet is associated with gut inflammation markers.

Risk factors for dropout from psychological substance use disorder treatment programs in criminal justice settings.

Background: Substance use disorders are highly prevalent in people within the criminal justice system. Psychological programs are the most common type of treatment available and have been shown to decrease recidivism, but dropping out of treatment is common. Risk factors associated with treatment dropout remain unclear in this setting, and whether the risk factors differ by treatment form (group-based vs.

Effectiveness of substance use disorder treatment as an alternative to imprisonment.

Introduction: Drug courts are criminal justice programs to divert people with substance use disorders from incarceration into treatment. Drug courts have become increasingly popular in the US and other countries. However, their effectiveness in reducing important public health outcomes such as recidivism and substance-related health harms remains ambiguous and contested.

The prevalence of substance use disorders among people in Norwegian, Danish and Swedish prisons: A multi-national cohort study, 2010-19.

Aims: We estimated the prevalence of substance use disorders (SUDs) in the Norwegian, Danish and Swedish prison populations and compared the prevalence of SUDs in the national prison populations with country-specific general population prevalence rates.

Design: A multi-national cohort study using data from the National Prison Registries linked to the National Patient Registries in Norway, Denmark and Sweden.

Setting And Participants: We used data from the PriSUD-Nordic study, including national prison populations aged 19 years and older in Norway (2010-19), Denmark (2010-18) and Sweden (2010-13).

A Generative Shape Compositional Framework to Synthesize Populations of Virtual Chimeras.

Generating virtual organ populations that capture sufficient variability while remaining plausible is essential to conduct in silico trials (ISTs) of medical devices. However, not all anatomical shapes of interest are always available for each individual in a population. The imaging examinations and modalities used can vary between subjects depending on their individualized clinical pathways.