Comparison of obstetric outcomes between single and double embryo transfers among singleton live births from vitrified donor oocyte IVF cycles: a cohort study.

Research Objective: Among singleton live births resulting from donor oocyte cycles, do perinatal outcomes differ between single (SET) and double embryo transfers (DET)?

Methods: We utilized a retrospective cohort of 610 recipients who had a singleton livebirth following nonidentified vitrified donor oocyte IVF cycle from a fertility clinic in the southeast US, 2008-2016. Perinatal outcomes included gestational age and birth weight. Preterm birth was defined as <37 weeks and low birth weight was defined as <2500 grams.

Consortium profile: the methylation, imaging and NeuroDevelopment (MIND) consortium.

Epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation, show potential as biological markers and mechanisms underlying gene-environment interplay in the prediction of mental health and other brain-based phenotypes. However, little is known about how peripheral epigenetic patterns relate to individual differences in the brain itself. An increasingly popular approach to address this is by combining epigenetic and neuroimaging data; yet, research in this area is almost entirely comprised of cross-sectional studies in adults.

Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: Association with child behavior in the environmental influences on child health outcomes (ECHO) Cohort.

Background: Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may adversely impact child neurodevelopment; however, epidemiologic findings remain inconclusive because of small sample sizes, limited exposure variability, and differing neurodevelopmental measures. We aimed to investigate the relationship between prenatal PFAS exposure and child behavior.

Methods: We pooled data from nine study sites in the nationwide Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort.

Centering Community Voices: Evaluating Stakeholder Engagement in Pediatric Palliative Care Research.

Introduction: Black and Native American children in the United States experience disparities in serious illness care and outcomes which are compounded by systemic inequities. These disparities necessitate research approaches that center the voices of racially minoritized families, combat systems of oppression, and promote culturally humble care. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) emphasizes engaging affected communities throughout the research process.

A landscape review with novel criteria to evaluate microbial drivers for cancer: priorities for innovative research targeting excessive cancer mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.

The escalating cancer burden in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with projected doubling of incidence and mortality by 2040, necessitates innovative, cost-effective strategies for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. While known infectious triggers like HPV, hepatitis viruses, and account for an estimated 28.7% of cancers in SSA, the full scope of microbially-mediated oncogenesis remains underexplored.

Mapping menstrual health and hygiene progress in US schools: a systematic policy review and comparison across states.

Introduction: Menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) policy initiatives have emerged as a key strategy to improve adolescent MHH, particularly through the expansion of state-level legislation aimed at increasing access to menstrual materials in K-12 schools in the United States (US). However, limited research has evaluated the implementation or effectiveness of these policies, and efforts to rigorously track and characterize existing policies remain limited. This study systematically reviewed and characterized state-level policies concerning menstrual material access in K-12 schools.

Application of Toxicologically Informed Relative Potency Factors to Examine Associations between Water Disinfection Byproducts and Birth Defects.

We used toxicologically informed relative potency factors (RPFs) to compare RPF-weighted versus unweighted epidemiologic analyses of five birth defects (atrial septal defect [ASD], ventricular septal defect [VSD], tetralogy of Fallot [TOF], cleft palate without cleft lip, and obstructive genitourinary defects [OGD]) and various disinfection byproduct (DBP) mixtures in drinking water. We derived RPFs for four trihalomethanes (THMs) and nine haloacetic acids (HAAs) from published animal developmental bioassays using benchmark dose models at 10% responses, estimated adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for RPF-weighted quintile 5 (vs 1) DBP mixture sums, and compared the RPF-weighted and unweighted aORs. RPFs were generally higher for brominated DBP species (e.

Prenatal Nitrogen Oxide (NO) and Its Potential Impact on Infant Metabolism during the First Month of Life: Evidence from Two Distinct Cohorts─The Atlanta African American Maternal-Child Cohort and the Southern California Mother's Milk Study.

Exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) during pregnancy has been linked with adverse health outcomes, yet the biological mechanisms remain poorly understood. High-resolution metabolomics offers a promising approach to examine how TRAP influences infant health. However, few studies have focused on Black and Latino populations, who are disproportionately exposed to TRAP.

PD-1 expression identifies proliferating malignant CLL B cells and is a potential biomarker of response to BTK inhibitor therapy.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) remains incurable despite treatment advances, and a major challenge is that biomarkers that predict response and resistance to current therapies are lacking. We report that activated and proliferating malignant CLL B cells in circulation express PD-1, a protein normally expressed in T cells. PD-1 expression is absent in circulating B cells from healthy controls and nonmalignant B cells from patients with CLL.

Major Causes of Perinatal and Paediatric Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia: Adjustment for Selection Bias in the CHAMPS Network.

Background: Studies of child mortality that employ minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) produce highly accurate cause of death data; however, selection bias may render these as non-representative of their underlying populations.

Objectives: Estimate cause-specific mortality fractions and rates for the five most frequent causes-underlying and others in the chain of events leading to death-among stillbirths, neonatal, infant and child deaths-in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, adjusted for any identified selection biases.

Methods: The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) Network collects standardised, population-based, longitudinal data on causes of death among stillbirths and under-five children in 12 catchments in seven countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Maternal Anthropometry, Body Composition, and Fat Distribution by HIV Status and Antiretroviral Therapy Class in South African Women.

Pregnancy affects adiposity, which may be influenced by HIV infection or antiretroviral therapy (ART). The objective of this study was to examine adiposity measures in the perinatal period, by HIV status and ART class. A total of 214 women (113 women with HIV [WWH], 71 initiated ART postconception), enrolled between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation and followed until 6-12 months postpartum, were assessed for longitudinal weight and cross-sectional postpartum anthropometry.

Trauma from the Eye of the Beholder: Reporter Discordance in Child's Trauma, Psychopathology, and Neurobiology.

Background: Childhood trauma is a risk factor for adolescent psychopathology, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Most research has relied on caregiver (i.e.

Sex-dependent relationships between PFAS and placental transcriptomics identified by weighted gene co-expression analysis.

Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are environmental toxicants associated with adverse neonatal outcomes. The exact mechanisms by which PFAS impairs neonatal health are undefined, but the placenta is a likely target.

Objective: We applied a systems biology approach to identify placental RNA co-expression modules (gene sets) associated with PFAS exposure and birth weight.

The XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccine elicits a durable antibody response to ancestral and XBB.1.5 SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins.

The rapid emergence of divergent SARS-CoV-2 variants led to a 2023-2024 update of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine to a monovalent version containing the XBB.1.5 SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen.

Aspergillosis and Mucormycosis-Associated Hospitalizations, United States, 2016-2021.

Background: In the United States, aspergillosis and mucormycosis are associated with substantial healthcare costs and mortality. Recent nationally representative data about hospitalisations for these infections are limited, though several reports specifically describe increases in COVID-19-associated aspergillosis and mucormycosis, likely because of critical illness-related immune dysregulation and treatments involving systemic corticosteroids.

Objectives: To update disease burden estimates, we describe trends in aspergillosis-related and mucormycosis-related hospitalisations (A-RH and M-RH).

Mental health and its drivers in lesbian, bisexual and queer-identifying women at a South African higher education institution: a qualitative study.

Background: Many university students have poor mental health, and sexual minority students may be particularly vulnerable. This study explored lived experiences and drivers of poor mental health amongst lesbian and bisexual students in a South African university.

Methods: Three focus-group discussions were conducted in isiZulu on three campuses, with 56 participants between 18 and 30 years old, identified through the campus LGBTQI + forum.

Household air pollution exposure in adult women is associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness: A cross-sectional study of the Household Air Pollution Intervention Network trial.

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, disproportionately affecting people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Biomass fuels used for cooking in LMICs contribute significantly to household air pollution (HAP), which has been associated with inflammation, oxidative stress, and other pathways linked to atherosclerosis. We evaluate the association between HAP exposure and atherosclerosis by use of carotid artery ultrasound.

Biomarkers of Atrial Fibrillation-Related Pathways and Left Atrial Structure and Function in an Overweight and Obese Population.

Background Exploring longitudinal associations of blood biomarkers with left atrial (LA) structure and function can enhance our understanding of atrial fibrillation (AF) etiopathogenesis. Methods We studied 532 participants of the PREDIMED-Plus trial, a multicenter randomized trial in overweight and obese adults with metabolic syndrome. At baseline, 3 and 5 years after randomization, participants underwent transthoracic echocardiography and provided blood for serum biomarker measurements (propeptide of procollagen type I (PICP), high-sensitivity (hs) troponin T (hsTnT), hs C-reactive protein (hsCRP), 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), and N-terminal propeptide of B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)).

A critical review on measurement tools of urban household and community resilience to disasters and environmental shocks and stressors among low- and middle-income countries: Theory, application, and guidance.

With increasingly severe weather events compounded with additional disasters, environmental shocks and stressors, and socio-economic challenges, there is a growing sense of urgency to build resilience, resulting in the need for assessment tools. We conducted a review of empirical studies that measured household and community resilience to environmental shocks and stressors among urban populations in low- and middle-income countries. This review was conducted to 1) understand how empirical studies measure resilience, 2) identify gaps in current practices, and 3) provide theory-informed recommendations to bridge gaps.

A scoping review of mentorship in a CTSA context: A summary of past work and an agenda for future research.

Mentorship is a vital part of the training provided in the K and T programs funded by the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA). However, the inputs, indicators, and outcomes associated with a successful mentoring relationship remain poorly understood. In this review, we critically examine the current body of literature on mentorship in a CTSA context.

Risk prediction of healthcare-associated neonatal sepsis in Amhara, Ethiopia: A prospective cohort study.

Background: Neonatal sepsis is a major contributor to neonatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Globally, rapid diagnosis and treatment are often a challenge, and standard antibiotic therapy is threatened by antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This study quantifies the predictors of healthcare-associated neonatal sepsis in Amhara, Ethiopia.

The gut microbiome promotes detoxification responses to an environmental toxicant.

At the host-environment interface, the indigenous microbiome is poised to facilitate interactions with exogenous components. Here, we show that the microbiome is necessary for metabolic and transcriptional detoxification responses to the neurotoxic pyrethroid insecticide, deltamethrin. While oral deltamethrin exposure shapes gut microbiome composition, it is not directly microbially metabolized.