A novel framework for assessing causal effect of microbiome on health: long-term antibiotic usage as an instrument.

Assessing causality is undoubtedly one of the key questions in microbiome studies for the upcoming years. Since randomized trials in human subjects are often unethical or difficult to pursue, analytical methods to derive causal effects from observational data deserve attention. As simple covariate adjustment is not likely to account for all potential confounders, the idea of instrumental variable (IV) analysis is worth exploiting.

Dysregulated autoantibodies targeting AGTR1 are associated with the accumulation of COVID-19 symptoms.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents a wide spectrum of symptoms, the causes of which remain poorly understood. This study explored the associations between autoantibodies (AABs), particularly those targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and renin‒angiotensin system (RAS) molecules, and the clinical manifestations of COVID-19. Using a cross-sectional analysis of 244 individuals, we applied multivariate analysis of variance, principal component analysis, and multinomial regression to examine the relationships between AAB levels and key symptoms.

Metacognitive Training for Subjects with Bipolar Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: Impairments in social cognition in bipolar disorder (BD) have been extensively described in the last decade but few treatment strategies have been studied to address this issue. This study presents findings from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating the efficacy of metacognitive training for bipolar disorder (MCT-BD) compared to Treatment as Usual (TAU) among individuals with BD in remission. The aim was to determine whether MCT-BD could improve social cognition and overall functioning in this population.

Acoustic Characteristics of Voice and Speech in Post-COVID-19.

Background/objectives: The aim of this paper was to compare voice and speech characteristics between post-COVID-19 and control subjects. The hypothesis was that acoustic parameters of voice and speech may differentiate subjects infected by COVID-19 from control subjects. Additionally, we expected to observe the persistence of symptoms in women.

Repeatable process for extracting health data from HL7 CDA documents.

Objective: This study aims to address the gap in the literature on converting real-world Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) data into the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) Common Data Model (CDM), focusing on the initial steps preceding the mapping phase. We highlight the importance of a repeatable Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) pipeline for health data extraction from HL7 CDA documents in Estonia for research purposes.

Methods: We developed a repeatable ETL pipeline to facilitate the extraction, cleaning, and restructuring of health data from CDA documents to OMOP CDM, ensuring a high-quality and structured data format.

Diagnostic Performance of Clinical and Routine Laboratory Data in Acute Mesenteric Arterial Occlusion-An International Multicenter Study.

Background: There are no clinical or laboratory markers that can diagnose acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) accurately. This study aimed to find differences in clinical and laboratory markers between arterial occlusive AMI and other acute abdominal diseases where AMI was initially suspected.

Methods: This was a post hoc study of an international prospective multicenter study where data on patients with suspected AMI were collected.

Association between microcephaly and hearing disorders in children exposed or suspected of exposure to the Zika virus during the intrauterine period.

This study aimed to evaluate the association between microcephaly and hearing disorders in children with exposed or suspected exposure to Zika virus (ZIKV) during the intrauterine period. In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled children exposed or suspected of being exposed to ZIKV during intrauterine period, admitted to the hospital between April 2016 and July 2018, and followed up until September 2021. All children underwent at least one automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) test.

Disentangling the consequences of type 2 diabetes on targeted metabolite profiles using causal inference and interaction QTL analyses.

Circulating metabolite levels have been associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D), but the extent to which T2D affects metabolite levels and their genetic regulation remains to be elucidated. In this study, we investigate the interplay between genetics, metabolomics, and T2D risk in the UK Biobank dataset using the Nightingale panel composed of 249 metabolites, 92% of which correspond to lipids (HDL, IDL, LDL, VLDL) and lipoproteins. By integrating these data with large-scale T2D GWAS from the DIAMANTE meta-analysis through Mendelian randomization analyses, we find 79 metabolites with a causal association to T2D, all spanning lipid-related classes except for Glucose and Tyrosine.

D-Dimer in Acute Mesenteric Venous Thrombosis: A Prospective Case-Control International Multicenter Study.

Background: Acute mesenteric venous thrombosis (MVT) is rarely suspected as primary diagnosis in emergency departments and still carries an in-hospital mortality rate of above 20%.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to find differences in clinical and laboratory markers between patients with acute MVT and a control group of suspected but confirmed as not having any type of acute mesenteric ischaemia (AMI).

Design: Data was retrieved from the AMESI (Acute MESenteric Ischaemia) study.

Translation and Cultural Adaptation of the Environmental Protectors Against Hospital Work Stress (ENPROS) Scale to Brazilian Portuguese.

Occupational stress and workplace violence are highly prevalent risk factors among healthcare professionals and can affect not only the psychosocial well-being of workers but also that of patients and healthcare organizations. The objective of this study is to translate and cross-culturally adapt the ENvironmental PRotectors against hOspital work Stress scale to facilitate future psychometric validation of the instrument. A methodological study was conducted at the School of Medicine of São Paulo State University (UNESP) in São Paulo, Brazil.

Random Forest Analysis of Out-of-Pocket Health Expenditures Associated with Cardiometabolic Diseases, Lifestyle, Lipid Profile, and Genetic Information in São Paulo, Brazil.

There is a lack of empirical studies of out-of-pocket health expenditures associated with dyslipidemias, which are major cardiovascular risk factors, especially in underrepresented admixed populations. The study investigates associations of health costs with lipid traits, GWAS-derived genetic risk scores (GRSs), and other cardiometabolic risk factors. Data from the observational cross-sectional 2015 ISA-Nutrition comprised lifestyle, environmental factors, socioeconomic and demographic variables, and biochemical and genetic markers related to the occurrence of cardiometabolic diseases.

Effects of intradialytic bicycle ergometer exercise on transcription factors NF-ĸB and Nrf2 in patients with chronic kidney disease: A randomized crossover clinical trial.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of an intradialytic aerobic exercise training program on the expression of transcription factors nuclear factor κappa B (NF-κB) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), related to inflammatory and antioxidant pathways, respectively, in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on hemodialysis.

Methods: This was a longitudinal, randomized clinical trial with a washout period and crossover performed with 33 patients randomized into two groups: Exercise (individualized intradialytic aerobic exercise on an adapted stationary exercise bike) three times per week for three months and control (without exercise). After the washout period (1 month), the exercise group became the control, and the other group performed the exercises for another three months.

Autism Spectrum and gastrointestinal health: Screening on the influence of environmental factors on gastrointestinal problems.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that combines genetic and environmental factors. The human microbiota is colonized by permanent or transitory microorganisms, depending on the host and the external factors controlling their permanence. The composition of the gut microbiota (GM) in ASD individuals is notably different from that in controls, which may contribute to the clinical conditions observed in these individuals.

TLR4-mediated chronic neuroinflammation has no effect on tangle pathology in a tauopathy mouse model.

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is marked by the accumulation of fibrillary aggregates composed of pathological tau protein. Although neuroinflammation is frequently observed in conjunction with tau pathology, current preclinical evidence does not sufficiently establish a direct causal role in tau tangle formation. This study aimed to evaluate whether chronic Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) stimulation, induced by a high dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 5 mg/kg), exacerbates neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) pathology in a transgenic mouse model of tauopathy that expresses human truncated 151-391/3R tau, an early feature of sporadic AD.

Three-Dimensional Mapping of the Rotation of Interactive Virtual Objects with Eye-Tracking Data.

We present a method for real-time recording of human interaction with three-dimensional (3D) virtual objects. The approach consists of associating rotation data of the manipulated object with behavioral measures, such as eye tracking, to make better inferences about the underlying cognitive processes. The task consists of displaying two identical models of the same 3D object (a molecule), presented on a computer screen: a rotating, interactive object (iObj) and a static, target object (tObj).

Socio-occupational conditions and health of fishers exposed to the oil disaster-crime in Pernambuco, Brazil.

Objective: To describe the sociodemographic, socio-occupational profile, and effects on the health of artisanal fishers from the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, affected by the oil disaster-crime in Brazil in 2019.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional epidemiological study, carried out in 16 municipalities on the coast of Pernambuco, with a sample made up of 1,259 artisanal fishers. A questionnaire containing 14 blocks was used, including socioeconomic issues, exposure to oil, among others.

Glycosylation of chrysin with β-d-glucose tetraacetate (LQFM280) enhances its in vitro and in vivo neuroprotective effects against the toxicity induced by 3-nitropropionic acid.

Chrysin (CHR) is a naturally occurring flavonoid found in the human diet, recognized for its potential in preventing neurodegenerative diseases. However, its limited water solubility restricts its bioavailability and therapeutic applications. To address this issue and bolster the neuroprotective properties of CHR for potential nutraceutical or medicinal use, we investigated a novel compound, LQFM280, formed by conjugating CHR with β-d-glucose tetraacetate.

Loss of normal facial asymmetry in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: Implications for development of brain asymmetry in psychotic illness.

Development of the craniofacies occurs in embryological intimacy with development of the brain and both show normal left-right asymmetries. While facial dysmorphology occurs to excess in psychotic illness, facial asymmetry has yet to be investigated as a putative index of brain asymmetry. Ninety-three subjects (49 controls, 22 schizophrenia, 22 bipolar disorder) received 3D laser surface imaging of the face.

A Hybrid Framework for Maritime Surveillance: Detecting Illegal Activities through Vessel Behaviors and Expert Rules Fusion.

Maritime traffic is essential for global trade but faces significant challenges, including navigation safety, environmental protection, and the prevention of illicit activities. This work presents a framework for detecting illegal activities carried out by vessels, combining navigation behavior detection models with rules based on expert knowledge. Using synthetic and real datasets based on the Automatic Identification System (AIS), we structured our framework into five levels based on the Joint Directors of Laboratories (JDL) model, efficiently integrating data from multiple sources.

MULT: An allometric body mass index (ABMI) reference to assess nutritional status of multiethnic children and adolescents.

Objectives: To develop an allometric body mass index (ABMI) reference that adjusts the weight in relation to height, taking into account the changes during development (MULT ABMI reference), and to compare it with international BMI references.

Methods: The MULT ABMI reference was constructed through the LMS method, calculated with 65 644 ABMI observations of 17 447 subjects aged 5-22 years, from the United Kingdom, Ethiopia, India, Peru, Vietnam, Portugal, and Brazil. The M, S, and L curves of the MULT ABMI reference were compared with the curves of the MULT, World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), and Dutch Growth Study (DUTCH).

The global evolution and impact of systems biology and artificial intelligence in stem cell research and therapeutics development: a scoping review.

Advanced bioinformatics analysis, such as systems biology (SysBio) and artificial intelligence (AI) approaches, including machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL), is increasingly present in stem cell (SC) research. An approximate timeline on these developments and their global impact is still lacking. We conducted a scoping review on the contribution of SysBio and AI analysis to SC research and therapy development based on literature published in PubMed between 2000 and 2024.

Extensive co-regulation of neighboring genes complicates the use of eQTLs in target gene prioritization.

Identifying causal genes underlying genome-wide association studies (GWASs) is a fundamental problem in human genetics. Although colocalization with gene expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) is often used to prioritize GWAS target genes, systematic benchmarking has been limited due to unavailability of large ground truth datasets. Here, we re-analyzed plasma protein QTL data from 3,301 individuals of the INTERVAL cohort together with 131 eQTL Catalog datasets.

Examining the impact of renal dysfunction and diabetes on post-myocardial infarction mortality: insights from a comprehensive retrospective cohort study across different age groups.

. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetes mellitus (DM) contribute significantly to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality, with prevalence increasing. The evolving demographic of myocardial infarction (MI) patients, influenced by sedentary lifestyles and advanced medical care, lacks understanding regarding the interplay of CKD, DM, age, and post-MI mortality.

Lead contamination in human milk affects infants' language trajectory: results from a prospective cohort study.

Infants growing up in low- and middle-income countries are at increased risk of suffering adverse childhood experiences, including exposure to environmental pollution and lack of cognitive stimulation. In this study, we aimed to examine the levels of metals in the human milk of women living in São Paulo City, Brazil, and determine the effects on infants' neurodevelopment. For such, a total of 185 human milk samples were analyzed for arsenic (As), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and cadmium (Cd) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).