Building a growing genomic repository for maternal and fetal health through the PING Consortium.

Background: Prenatally transmitted viruses can cause severe damage to the developing brain. There is unexplained variability in prenatal brain injury and postnatal neurodevelopmental outcomes, suggesting disease modifiers. Of note, prenatal Zika infection can cause a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders, including congenital Zika syndrome.

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: Cardio and cerebrovascular risk factors (CVRFs) increase the risk of cerebrovascular disease and clinical Alzheimer's Disease (AD), and over 70% of the patients with AD coincident cerebrovascular pathology. We previously found that FMNL2 interacts with a burden score of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and body mass index (BMI) by altering the normal astroglial-vascular mechanisms that underly amyloid clearance. Stroke, defined by history of a clinical stroke or brain imaging, is a moderately robust risk factor for AD and dementia.

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS) are important in predicting disease risk and are usually rely on markers selected by thresholding p-values from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). In traditional approaches, one single model is built to calculate risk scores, employing effect size to determine additive risk. However, this traditional method overlooks potential interactions between genetic loci resulting in reduced prediction power.

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: Hispanic/Latino populations are underrepresented in Alzheimer Disease (AD) genetic studies. The Puerto Rican (PR) population, a three-way admixed (European, African, and Amerindian) population is the second-largest Hispanic group in the continental US. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in the PR population to identify novel AD susceptibility loci and characterize known AD genetic risk loci.

Clinical Manifestations.

Background: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) disproportionately affect Latinos compared to non-Latino whites. Leveraging the non-monolithic structure of Latin America, which represents a large variability in social determinants of health (SDoH) and high levels of genetic admixture, we aimed to determine contributors to ADRD disparities within Latinos, focusing on genetic ancestry and SDoH.

Method: Community-dwelling participants aged 65 and older (n = 4000) from Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Peru completed the 10/66 protocol assessments, including sociodemographic and risk factors questionnaire, neurological exam, cognitive assessment, and blood draw.

Clinical Manifestations.

Background: The utility of neuropsychological measures commonly used to diagnose individuals with suspected MCI or AD was recently explored in European cohorts, however their utility in Caribbean Hispanic (CH) populations is not well understood.

Method: Our sample consisted of 507 CH individuals from ongoing studies of Puerto Rican and Cuban American older adults (74%% Female, mean age = 74.1, mean education = 12.

Relationship between physical activity and biomarkers of pathology and neuroinflammation in preclinical autosomal-dominant Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: Physical activity (PA) has been linked to reduced Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk. However, less is known about its effects in the AD preclinical stage. We aimed to investigate whether greater PA was associated with lower plasma biomarkers of AD pathology, neural injury, reactive astrocytes, and better cognition in individuals with autosomal-dominant AD due to the presenilin-1 E280A mutation who are virtually guaranteed to develop dementia.

Alternate definitions of adverse pathology to predict a very high risk of metastasis in men with intermediate- and low-risk prostate cancer.

Background: Adverse pathology (AP) is often used as an intermediate end point for long-term outcomes in men with prostate cancer (PCa) who are active surveillance candidates. The association between a commonly used AP definition and long-term outcomes was tested, which identified definitions more strongly linked to a high risk of metastasis.

Methods: Data were reviewed from the Shared Equal Access Regional Cancer Hospital cohort of men undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) from 1988 to 2020 at nine Veterans Affairs hospitals.

Surveys of genotypes in breeding stations and commercial rice fields in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Puerto Rico from 2017 to 2019.

Major resistance (R) gene mediated resistance to rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is often overcome by the fungus due to the occurrences of new races with altered corresponding avirulence (AVR) genes. In this study, blast diseased rice tissue samples were collected from breeding stations and commercial rice fields in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Puerto Rico during 2017-2019 to determine the efficacy of major R genes, Pi-ta, Pik, Pizt, Pi9, and Pi33. A total of 185 blast isolates were isolated from the diseased tissue samples to examine the existence of AVR genes AVR-Pita1, AVR-Pib, AVR-Pik, AVR-Pizt, AVR-Pi9 and ACE1.

Assessing the 10/66 Dementia Classification Algorithm for International Comparative Analyses with the U.S.

Cross-national comparisons of dementia prevalence are essential for identifying unique determinants and cultural-specific risk factors, but methodological differences in dementia classification across countries hinder global comparisons. This study maps the 10/66 algorithm for dementia classification, widely used and validated in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), to the U.S.

Transcriptomic Profiles in Nasal Epithelium and Asthma Endotypes in Youth.

Importance: T helper 2 (T2) cells and T helper 17 (T17) cells are CD4+ T cell subtypes involved in asthma. Characterizing asthma endotypes based on these cell types in diverse groups is important for developing effective therapies for youths with asthma.

Objective: To identify asthma endotypes in school-aged youths aged 6 to 20 years by examining the distribution and characteristics of transcriptomic profiles in nasal epithelium.

Spinal cord injury: pathophysiology, possible treatments and the role of the gut microbiota.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating pathological state causing motor, sensory, and autonomic dysfunction. To date, SCI remains without viable treatment for its patients. After the injury, molecular events centered at the lesion epicenter create a non-permissive environment for cell survival and regeneration.

Configuration of electrical synapses filters sensory information to drive behavioral choices.

Synaptic configurations underpin how the nervous system processes sensory information to produce a behavioral response. This is best understood for chemical synapses, and we know far less about how electrical synaptic configurations modulate sensory information processing and context-specific behaviors. We discovered that innexin 1 (INX-1), a gap junction protein that forms electrical synapses, is required to deploy context-specific behavioral strategies underlying thermotaxis behavior in C.

Examining the association of elevated initial serum lactate with mortality and morbidity in trauma patients: a retrospective study.

Background: Elevated initial serum lactate (iSL) levels are frequently employed to assess trauma severity, but their predictive value for mortality and morbidity remains inconsistent. We evaluated the association of iSL with mortality and morbidity at Puerto Rico Trauma Hospital (PRTH).

Methods: This IRB-approved retrospective study included trauma patients ≥ 18 years with iSL measured within the first 48 h of admission to PRTH (July 2014-June 2019).

Outcomes of Scapular Osteosarcoma.

Background/aim: Scapular osteosarcoma is a rare malignancy, and the understanding of its optimal treatment strategies and long-term outcomes remains limited. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate our institutional experience.

Patients And Methods: We reviewed 14 patients (8 females, 5 males; mean age 44±17 years) treated for scapular osteosarcoma from 1985 to 2022.

State and territory immunization program activities and their association with human papillomavirus vaccine initiation in the United States of America: A multilevel approach.

This study evaluates the association between immunization program (IP) activities aimed at increasing HPV vaccination among adolescents and their impact on initiation rates. Our data sources are: (i) 2016 AIM Annual Survey and (ii) 2019 National Immunization Survey-Teen. We estimated the prevalence of HPV vaccine initiation using a multilevel Poisson model, combining state-level IP data and individual characteristics of adolescents.

Community Synchrony in Seed Production is Associated With Trait Similarity and Climate Across North America.

Mast seeding, the synchronous and highly variable production of seed crops by perennial plants, is a population-level phenomenon and has cascading effects in ecosystems. Mast seeding studies are typically conducted at the population/species level. Much less is known about synchrony in mast seeding between species because the necessary long-term data are rarely available.

Two Gracilioethers Containing a [2(5H)-Furanylidene]ethanoate Moiety and 9,10-Dihydroplakortone G: New Polyketides from the Caribbean Marine Sponge .

Gracilioether M () and 11,12-dihydrogracilioether M (), two polyketides with a [2(5H)-furanylidene]ethanoate moiety, along with known plakortone G () and its new naturally occurring derivative 9,10-dihydroplakortone G (), were isolated from the Caribbean marine sponge . The structures and absolute configuration of , , and were characterized by analysis of HRESIMS and NMR spectroscopic data, chemical derivatization, and side-by-side comparisons with published NMR data of related analogs. Compounds and and a mixture of and were evaluated for cytotoxicity against MCF-7 human breast cancer cells.

DefNEtTrp: An Iron Dual Chelator Approach for Anticancer Application.

Targeting iron metabolism has emerged as a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cancer. As such, iron chelator drugs are repurposed or specifically designed as anticancer agents. Two important chelators, deferasirox (Def) and triapine (Trp), attack the intracellular supply of iron (Fe) and inhibit Fe-dependent pathways responsible for cellular proliferation and metastasis.

Variability in Notification of Positive Newborn Screening Results for Sickle Cell Trait Across the United States.

Universal in the United States (US) since 2006, newborn screening (NBS) programs for sickle cell disease (SCD) allow for early identification of the disease and, as an unintentional byproduct, identification of sickle cell trait (SCT). Unlike other carrier states, SCT is highly prevalent and is found in nearly 3 million Americans, which results in important reproductive implications. Currently, all NBS programs in the US are responsible for their own policies regarding SCT notification, and little is known about how SCT notification practices are performed and how these practices vary across NBS programs.

Yellow bean ( L.) germplasm with less dietary fiber have shorter cooking times and more bioavailable iron.

Some yellow-colored market classes of dry bean ( L.) are valued by consumers as an easy-to-digest, fast cooking alternative to darker colored red and black beans, which in comparison generally have longer cooking times and reduced iron bioavailability. There is evidence that the cooking time of yellow beans is linked to the dietary fiber content and may also contribute to nutrient digestibility and bioavailability.

IPNA clinical practice recommendations on care of pediatric patients with pre-existing kidney disease during seasonal outbreak of COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, instigated by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has profoundly impacted healthcare infrastructures around the globe. While children are usually asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, children with pre-existing kidney conditions require specialized attention. This pivotal report, championed by the International Pediatric Nephrology Association (IPNA), delivers precise and actionable recommendations tailored for pediatric patients with kidney ailments in this pandemic landscape.

Longitudinal determinants of thriving in Puerto Rican climate crisis migrants on the U.S. mainland: A structural equation model.

Climate-related disasters pose significant risks to mental health and well-being globally. Individuals from disaster-prone regions, such as Puerto Rico, are at even greater risk. The devastating effects of recurrent hurricanes, compounded with pre-existing structural disparities (e.

Community health promotion and disaster recovery: a PhotoVoice project in Comerío, Puerto Rico.

Background: PhotoVoice - a series of workshops involving participatory photography and narrative-building - was employed in the rural town of Comerío, Puerto Rico (PR) to describe disaster recovery in a rural setting and foster policy dialogue.

Methods: Using PhotoVoice workshops and ethnographic observations, the project describes how women affiliated with a local community-based organization described the priorities for disaster recovery in visual images and narratives. We draw analytically upon theories of intersectionality and coloniality to describe socio-structural and community factors that shape community health in the context of ongoing disasters.

Associations between fecal glucocorticoid levels and social bonds vary with relatedness in juvenile rhesus macaques.

Strong social bonds in gregarious adult animals have been associated with lower levels of glucocorticoids. However, similar research is lacking for juvenile primates. We examined relationships between social bonds and mean concentrations of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCMs) in 44 free-ranging juvenile rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico.