A descriptive examination of rurality in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Cohort: Implications, illustrations, and future directions.

Purpose: The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort has enrolled over 60,000 children to examine how early environmental factors (broadly defined) are associated with key child health outcomes. The ECHO Cohort may be well-positioned to contribute to our understanding of rural environments and contexts, which has implications for rural health disparities research. The present study examined the outcome of child obesity to not only illustrate the suitability of ECHO Cohort data for these purposes but also determine how various definitions of rural and urban populations impact the presentation of findings and their interpretation.

Maternal and pregnancy factors contributing to the association between area deprivation and infant mortality in England: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Socioeconomic inequality in infant mortality in the UK is rising. This study aims to identify contributory maternal and pregnancy factors that can explain the known association between area deprivation and infant mortality.

Methods: A cohort study was conducted using Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) primary care data between 2004 and 2019 linked to the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), and infant mortality from the Office for National Statistics death data.

Five-Year Fracture Rate for Transgender and Gender Diverse Patients on Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy.

Introduction: Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) is a cornerstone of gender-affirming care for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) patients, with a direct biological role on bone metabolism. However, a paucity of data describes how GAHT influences fracture rate over time. The study's primary objective was to describe the 5-year all-cause fracture incidence rate (IR) among TGD patients initiating estrogen-based GAHT (E-GAHT) or testosterone-based GAHT (T-GAHT), compared with TGD patients not using GAHT (non-GAHT).

The influence of crop and leaf position on thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) oviposition in cotton, soybean, and peanut seedlings.

Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) can injure seedling cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.

Caring for Patients Seeking Asylum: Early Data From the Safety Net System in New York City.

Context: Over 200 000 people seeking asylum have arrived in New York City from 2022 to 2024.

Program: As the safety net hospital system for our city, New York City (NYC) Health + Hospitals (H + H) has taken the lead in caring for newly arrived asylum seekers. We used electronic medical record data to gain early insights into utilization and needs among these patients.

Extending the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort through 2030: Rationale and study protocol.

Early life environmental exposures, even those experienced before conception, can shape health and disease trajectories across the lifespan. Optimizing the detection of the constellation of exposure effects on a broad range of child health outcomes across development requires considerable sample size, transdisciplinary expertise, and developmentally sensitive and dimensional measurement. To address this, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort Study is an observational longitudinal pediatric cohort study.

Strongly Anchored Dion-Jacobson Perovskite for Efficient Blue Light-Emitting Diodes.

Dion-Jacobson (DJ) perovskites are promising alternatives for Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) perovskites to fabricate blue perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) due to their favorable structural and charge properties. However, the relatively weak hydrogen bond between the bridging diammonium group and perovskite poses huge challenges for regulating crystallization and defect density, leading to an undesirable film quality and device performance. Herein, we report the successful optimization of DJ perovskite films by introducing a new type of cesium octafluoroadipate (CsOFAA) precursor, which could strongly anchor the perovskite through coordination bonds and halogen-halogen bonds.

Robust, fully-automated assessment of cerebral perivascular spaces and white matter lesions: a multicentre MRI longitudinal study of their evolution and association with risk of dementia and accelerated brain atrophy.

Background: Perivascular spaces (PVS) on brain MRI are surrogates for small parenchymal blood vessels and their perivascular compartment, and may relate to brain health. However, it is unknown whether PVS can predict dementia risk and brain atrophy trajectories in participants without dementia, as longitudinal studies on PVS are scarce and current methods for PVS assessment lack robustness and inter-scanner reproducibility.

Methods: We developed a robust algorithm to automatically assess PVS count and size on clinical MRI, and investigated 1) their relationship with dementia risk and brain atrophy in participants without dementia, 2) their longitudinal evolution, and 3) their potential use as a screening tool in simulated clinical trials.

HBV-Induced Carcinogenesis: Mechanisms, Correlation With Viral Suppression, and Implications for Treatment.

Background: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a common but underdiagnosed and undertreated health condition and is the leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. HBV (rated a Grade 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer) drives the transformation of hepatocytes in multiple ways by inducing viral DNA integrations, genetic dysregulation, chromosomal translocations, chronic inflammation, and oncogenic pathways facilitated by some HBV proteins. Importantly, these mechanisms are active throughout all phases of HBV infection.

Outcomes of CD19 CAR T in Transformed Indolent Lymphoma Compared to De Novo Aggressive Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has revolutionized treatment of aggressive large B-cell lymphoma (aLBCL). Patients with transformed indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (tiNHL) were included in key CAR trials, but outcomes of CAR for this distinct, historically high-risk group are poorly understood. We conducted a multicenter retrospective study of 1182 patients with aLBCL receiving standard-of-care CAR T between 2017 and 2022, including 338 (29%) with tiNHL.

Bolstering connectedness through peer support: Randomized-controlled trial of a web-based peer support program for adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic autoimmune disease often diagnosed during adolescence. IBD negatively impacts all aspects of health-related quality of life, resulting in physical, emotional, social, school, and work functioning challenges. Adolescents have identified the need for peer support in managing their disease and promoting positive health outcomes.

A2B adenosine receptor-triggered intracellular calcium mobilization: Cell type-dependent involvement of Gi, Gq, Gs proteins and protein kinase C.

Activation of PLCβ enzymes by G and G proteins is a common mechanism to trigger cytosolic Ca increase. We and others reported that G inhibitor FR900358 (FR) can inhibit both and G- and, surprisingly, G-mediated intracellular Ca mobilization. Thus, the G-G-PLCβ-Ca signaling axis depends entirely on the presence of active G, which reasonably explained FR-inhibited G-induced Ca release.

Risk of mortality between warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants: population-based cohort studies.

Background: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been reported to be associated with a higher risk of mortality compared with an older alternative, warfarin using primary care data in the United Kingdom (UK). However, other studies observed contradictory findings. We therefore aimed to investigate the association between mortality and warfarin, compared with DOACs.

Pregnancy and age differentially affect stiffness, injury susceptibility, and composition of murine uterosacral ligaments.

Pelvic organ prolapse is a debilitating condition that diminishes quality of life, and it has been linked to pregnancy and aging. Injury of the uterosacral ligaments (USLs), which provide apical support to the pelvic organs, is a major cause of uterine prolapse. In this study, we examined the effect of pregnancy and age on the apparent elastic modulus, susceptibility to collagen damage, and extracellular matrix (ECM) composition of the murine USL.

Older Adult Misuse of Over-the-Counter Medications: Effectiveness of a Novel Pharmacy-Based Intervention to Improve Patient Safety.

Objectives: Older adults' (ages ≥65) inappropriate over-the-counter medications (OTC) use is prevalent, comprising Drug-Age, Drug-Drug, Drug-Disease, and Drug-Label types. Given that pharmacies sell many OTCs, structurally redesigning pharmacy aisles for improving patient safety (Senior Safe) was conceived to mitigate older adult OTC misuse, using Stop Signs and Behind-the-Counter Signs for high-risk OTCs. This study determined whether Senior Safe reduced high-risk OTCs misuse, while secondarily evaluating misuse changes for all OTCs.

Dion-Jacobson Perovskites with a Ferroelectrically Switchable Chiral Nonlinear Optical Response.

Electrically switchable second harmonic generation (SHG) is highly valuable in electro-optic modulators, which can be deployed in data communication and quantum optics. Coupling circular dichroism (CD) with an electrically controlled SHG process is advantageous because it enhances the signal transmission bandwidth and security while enabling multiple modulation modes for optical logic. However, ferroelectrically switchable chiral second-order nonlinearity is rarely reported.

Performance of fine particulate matter data on air quality in an epidemiological study in Salvador, Brazil.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of satellite-derived PM2.5 concentrations against ground-based measurements in the municipality of Salvador (state of Bahia, Brazil) and the implications of these estimations for the associations of PM2.5 with daily non-accidental mortality.

Increased risk of autism in extremely preterm children with a history of retinopathy of prematurity.

Aim: To investigate the association between retinopathy of prematurity and autism spectrum disorder in extremely preterm children.

Methods: Data in children born extremely preterm at <28 weeks' gestational age in the Region Västra Götaland, 2013-2017, were analysed for association between retinopathy of prematurity and neurodevelopmental disorders. We focussed on autism spectrum disorder and excluded children with perinatal brain injuries or genetic disorders.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Chest X-ray Computer-Aided Detection Software for Detection of Prevalent and Incident Tuberculosis in Household Contacts.

Background: World Health Organization (WHO) tuberculosis (TB) screening guidelines recommend computer-aided detection (CAD) software for chest radiograph (CXR) interpretation. However, studies evaluating their diagnostic and prognostic accuracy are limited.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of household contacts of rifampicin-resistant TB in South Africa.

Setting the balance of care for older adults at risk of hospitalization and delayed discharge: A mixed-methods research protocol.

Introduction: Delayed hospital discharge is a persistent care quality issue experienced across health systems worldwide and remains a priority area to be addressed in Canada. Often associated with a decrease in services while waiting to leave the hospital, delayed discharge from hospital can lead to increased frailty, physical and cognitive decline, and caregiver burnout. Optimizing availability of and timely access to community-based health and social care are avenues that could reduce initial admissions to the hospital and length of hospital stay, and facilitate hospital discharges.

A Comprehensive Clinical Assessment of the LumiraDx International Normalized Ratio (INR) Assay for Point-of-Care Monitoring in Anticoagulation Therapy.

Background: The International Normalized Ratio (INR) monitors anticoagulant treatment but relies on laboratory-based services. This could limit access to rapid monitoring and increase the diagnostic delay, both of which may be addressed by point-of-care testing (POCT). This study investigated the LumiraDx POC platform for INR monitoring.

Comparative Kidney Uptake of Nanobody-Based PET Tracers Labeled with Various Fluorine-18-Labeled Prosthetic Groups.

Nanobodies, or single-domain antibody fragments, are promising candidates for molecular imaging due to their small size, rapid tissue penetration, and high target specificity. However, a significant challenge in their use is high renal uptake and retention, which can limit the therapeutic efficacy and complicate image interpretation. This study compares five different fluorine-18-labeled prosthetic groups for nanobodies, aiming to optimize pharmacokinetics and minimize kidney retention while maintaining tumor targeting.

Photoswitchable Diazocine Derivative for Adenosine A Receptor Activation in Psoriasis.

Incorporating photoisomerizable moieties within drugs offers the possibility of rapid and reversible light-dependent switching between active and inactive configurations. Here, we developed a photoswitchable adenosine A receptor (AR) agonist that confers optical control on this G protein-coupled receptor through noninvasive topical skin irradiation in an animal model of psoriasis. This was achieved by covalently bonding an adenosine-5'-methyluronamide moiety to a diazocine photochrome, whose singular photoswitching properties facilitated repeated interconversion between a thermally stable, biologically inactive agonist form and a photoinduced, pharmacologically active configuration.

Lithium Use During Pregnancy in 14 Countries.

Importance: In pregnancy, the benefits of lithium treatment for relapse prevention in psychiatric conditions must be weighed against potential teratogenic effects. Currently, there is a paucity of information on how and when lithium is used by pregnant women.

Objective: To examine lithium use in the perinatal period.