Evaluating neonatal cord serum metabolome in association with adolescent cardiometabolic risk factors.

Background: Risk factors for cardiometabolic disease may have fetal origins, but the biological pathways linking gestational conditions to these risk factors are only partially understood.

Methods: Among 145 Cincinnati-based HOME Study mother-child dyads, we detected 14,384 cord serum metabolic features using liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry. We measured cardiometabolic risk factors, including visceral fat, serum triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), leptin, adiponectin, insulin concentration, glucose, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) at age 12 years.

Hormonal Mechanisms of Grandmothering : The Coevolution of Physiology, Life History and Behavior.

The evolution of menopause, grandmothering and long lifespan represent key events in the evolution of human life history. Demographic studies have amply demonstated inclusive fitness benefits from grandmaternal care, but the hormonal bases of such care, and how it evolved in relation to other reproductive and demographic traits, have yet to be addressed in detail. We propose and evaluate a novel hypothesis for the coevolution and adaptive covariation of life history, physiology, and behavior among women in this context.

Integrating Parent Management Training and Emotion Coaching for Young Children with Callous-Unemotional Traits.

Children with conduct problems and elevated callous-unemotional (CU) traits show poor prognosis. We describe a new parenting intervention that combines a behaviorally focused parenting management training intervention (i.e.

An Efficient Two-Dimensional Functional Mixed-Effect Model Framework for Repeatedly Measured Functional Data.

Advancements in wearable device technology have enabled accelerometers to continuously record minute-by-minute physical activity over consecutive days, yielding curves serially correlated in dense and regular longitudinal design. Motivated by a large-scale cohort of physical activity data throughout a week, the collected repeatedly measured functional data exhibits longitudinal (interday) and functional (intraday) interactions on fine grids. To accommodate this complex data structure and investigate the relationship between health assessment results and weekly physical activity patterns, we propose an innovative and efficient two-dimensional functional mixed-effect model (2dFMM), characterizing the longitudinal and functional cross-variability while incorporating two-dimensional fixed effects and four-dimensional correlation structure in marginal representation.

Soluble Ring-Unsubstituted Phthalocyanine Zirconium(IV) and Niobium(V) cis-Alkoxides and Their Catalytic Activity Toward the Ring-Opening Polymerization of rac-Lactide.

A series of soluble ring-unsubstituted early-transition metallophthalocyanine (PcM) alkoxides with zirconium(IV) and niobium(V) metal centers was prepared via salt metathesis with PcM chlorides and a range of lithium or sodium alkoxides (NaOMe, NaOEt, LiOPr, and NaOBu); several examples were structurally characterized. Given their large ionic size, the metal centers protrude out of the Pc cavity, engendering cis-axial ligation of the alkoxides and thereby generating substantially improved solubility relative to the starting PcM chlorides. Seven-coordinate PcM(OR)-type coordination spheres were typically observed, with lithium- or sodium-balanced "ate" species PcZr(OPr)Li(THF) and PcZr(OBu)Na(THF) isolated for PcZr(IV), compared to the neutral PcNb(OPr).

Drift Parameter Based Sample Size Determination in Multi-Stage Bayesian Randomized Clinical Trials.

Sample size determination in Bayesian randomized phase II trial design often relies on computationally intensive search methods, presenting challenges in terms of feasibility and efficiency. We propose a novel approach that greatly reduces the computing time of sample size calculations for Bayesian trial designs. Our approach innovatively connects group sequential design with Bayesian trial design and leverages the proportional relationship between sample size and the squared drift parameter.

Canadian water-related fatalities: Demographic, situational, and environmental risk factors.

Unintentional water-related deaths are an ongoing global problem, despite being named by the United Nations as one of the leading preventable causes of death. To address the need for enhanced analysis of drowning risk factors, including demographic and situational conditions that may influence death outcomes, this research involved a three-phase multimodal risk assessment by utilizing unintentional water-related death records (n = 5105) from all Canadian provinces and territories from Jan 2006 to Dec 2016, census boundaries, hydrological shape files, and spectrum management data on all cellular towers. These were all accidental fatalities, where decedent demographics, situational case factors, and environmental conditions are known, including whether a rescue attempt occurred.

Emergent topological polarization textures in relaxor ferroelectrics.

Relaxor ferroelectrics underpin high-performance actuators and sensors, yet the nature of polar heterogeneities driving their broadband dielectric response remains debated. Using a unified, multimodal structural refinement framework- simultaneously fitting complementary X-ray and neutron total scattering, X-ray absorption spectra, and diffuse scattering-we reconstruct 3D mesoscale polarization maps in the classic relaxor system PbMgNbO-PbTiO. We uncover self-organized swirling polarization textures with half-skyrmion (meron) vortices, challenging models of independent polar nanoregions.

Determining the Survival Impact and Cost-Effectiveness of Multi-Gene Panel Sequencing in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer With Super Learning Approaches.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of multi-gene panel sequencing compared to single-gene KRAS testing for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Study Setting And Design: British Columbia, Canada (BC) is a provincial single-payer public healthcare system, and it was the first province to publicly reimburse multi-gene sequencing for mCRC. Panels expand treatment de-escalation by expanding RAS testing for more precise targeting of anti-EGFR therapies.

Developing ether and alcohol based extraction chromatography resins for purification of antimony-119 in nuclear medicine.

Background: Antimony-119 (Sb, t = 38.19 h) is an Auger electron emitting radionuclide of interest for radiopharmaceutical therapy. It can be directly produced by proton bombardment of tin-119 using low energy cyclotrons.

Dynamic network features of functional and structural brain networks support visual working memory in aging adults.

In this work, we investigated how the relationship between structural connectivity and the dynamics of functional connectivity changes with age to benefit cognitive ability. Visual working memory (VWM) is an important brain function that allows us to maintain a mental representation of the world around us, but its capacity and precision peak by around 20 years old and decrease steadily throughout the rest of our lives. This research examined the functional brain network dynamics associated with VWM throughout the lifespan and found that Default Mode Network and Fronto-Parietal Network states were more well represented in individuals with better VWM.

Optimal configuration of on-scalp OPMs with fixed channel counts.

Recent technological developments have brought optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) within reach of the larger neuroscientific community. The current state-of-the-art consists of whole-head systems that measure the magnetic field at >100 locations. OPM sensors can be constructed to measure the field in either 1, 2, or 3 orientations.

Mapping multi-modal dynamic network activity during naturalistic music listening.

The human brain is a complex, adaptive system capable of parsing complex stimuli and generating complex behaviour. Understanding how to model and interpret the dynamic relationship between brain, behaviour, and the environment will provide vital information on how the brain responds to real-world stimuli, develops and ages, and adapts to pathology. Modelling together numerous streams of dynamic data, however, presents sizable methodological challenges.

Selectivity trends in two-electron oxygen reduction: insights from two-dimensional materials.

Advancing the discovery of novel materials for electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide (HO) the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e-ORR) while rationalizing and quantifying selectivity trends has been an ambitious objective. A recently introduced selectivity descriptor, ΔΔ, published in 2023, 3(3), 100568, utilizes thermodynamic analysis of adsorption free energies of key ORR intermediates (Δ and Δ ) along with the free energy of HO to quantify selectivity and establish trends. This model has been successfully applied to a large database of binary alloys, demonstrating strong potential for predicting selective materials 2024, 63, e202404677.

Next generation biobanking ontology: introducing-omics contextual data to biobanking ontology.

Motivation: With improvements in high throughput sequencing technologies and the constant generation of large biomedical datasets, biobanks increasingly take on the role of managing and delivering not just specimens but also specimen-derived data and associated contextual data. However, reusing data from different biobanks is challenged by incompatible data representations. Contextual data describing biobank resources often contains unstructured textual information incompatible with computational processes such as automated data discovery and integration.

Fluoropolymers in Medical Applications: Recent Progress and Development.

This article aims to present a comprehensive review of the medical applications of fluoropolymers from 2019 to October of 2024. Out of 532 articles, 291 were found to be relevant or imminently relevant to medical applications. The topics of use ranged from drug delivery, implants, sensors, and wound care, with 16 specific application categories noted.

Shipping noise tolerance in invertebrates: A case study of the shore crab Hemigrapsus oregonensis.

Recent decades have seen significant alterations to ocean soundscapes. These changes are primarily driven by human-generated sources (i.e.

Investigating the impact of dehydration and hydration on In-Vivo hip soft tissue biomechanics.

Hip soft tissue biomechanics has a significant effect on hip loading and fracture risk during falls. Despite the high dehydration rate in older adults, athletes, and outdoor workers and its association with a higher risk of falls, the effect of dehydration on hip soft tissue biomechanics is unknown. Twenty participants (13 females and 7 males, aged 18-35) underwent indentation tests and ultrasound imaging over the greater trochanter in both hydrated and dehydrated states.

Decoding memory function through naturalistic gaze patterns.

Eye movements are closely linked to encoding and retrieval processes, with changes in viewing behavior reflecting age- and pathology-related memory decline. In the current study, we leveraged this relationship to explore possible gaze-based indicators of memory function. Across two task-free viewing experiments, we investigated changes in naturalistic viewing behavior across five participant groups spanning a broad spectrum of memory function, from healthy young adults to amnesic cases.

Rapid Synthesis and Diversification of Thymine-Containing Bridged Nucleic Acids Through Cascade Cyclization Reactions.

Bridged nucleic acids (BNAs) are nucleoside analogues (NAs) in which the 2'-alcohol is linked to the C4'-position on ribose. In oligonucleotide therapeutics (ONTs), BNAs can impart beneficial properties, including enhanced stability, duplex melting temperatures, and tissue half-lives. However, their lengthy syntheses challenge medicinal chemistry efforts and larger-scale production.

Engaging Under-Represented Adolescents and Young Adults in Cancer Research: A Qualitative Exploration of Lived Experiences and Engagement Strategies.

Background: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs; 15-39 years) diagnosed with cancer face unique challenges during and after treatment, which have implications for improving cancer care. However, AYA cancer research is limited by the under-representation of those who identify as Indigenous, racialized, 2S/LGBTQIA+, and those living with disabilities. The aim of this project was to explore lived experiences and identify barriers and enablers to engagement, to inform strategies that facilitate the inclusion of under-represented AYAs in cancer research.

Comparative effectiveness of methadone versus buprenorphine/naloxone during pregnancy on perinatal and neonatal health outcomes: protocol for a population-based target trial in British Columbia, Canada.

Introduction: Opioid use disorder (OUD) during pregnancy is associated with increased rates of adverse perinatal, foetal and neonatal health events. Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) can substantially reduce the risk of these potential harms. In British Columbia (BC), methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone are first-line treatment options for pregnant people with OUD.

Comparative effectiveness of maintenance doses of opioid agonist treatment among individuals with opioid use disorder: a target trial emulation protocol using a population-based observational study.

Introduction: Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) prescribing patterns have shifted in recent years in British Columbia (BC), Canada due to the increasingly toxic unregulated drug supply. Experimental evidence to support guidelines on the effectiveness of maintaining clients at different maintenance dosage levels is incomplete and outdated for the fentanyl era. Our objective is to assess the risk of treatment discontinuation and mortality among individuals receiving different maintenance dosage strategies for OAT with methadone, buprenorphine/naloxone or slow-release oral morphine (SROM) at the population level in BC, Canada.

Transcriptional patterns of cancer-related genes in primary and metastatic tumours revealed by machine learning.

Background: A key to understanding cancer is to determine the impact on the cellular pathways caused by the repertoire of DNA changes accrued in a cancer cell. Exploring the interactions between genomic aberrations and the expressed transcriptome can not only improve our understanding of the disease but also identify potential therapeutic approaches.

Results: Using random forest models, we successfully identified transcriptional patterns associated with the loss of wild-type activity in cancer-related genes across various tumour types.

Psychological Transdiagnostic Processes in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery: A Scoping Review.

Objectives: To examine the extent to which psychological transdiagnostic processes (TPs) have been investigated in relation to mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) recovery outcomes, summarize methodological approaches, and evaluate consistency among TP and outcome measures.

Data Sources: Five databases (Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched from inception to October 2024. Eleven TPs were identified for inclusion based on a review of existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses establishing transdiagnostic relevance across a range of psychological disorders: attentional bias, avoidance, emotion regulation, flexibility, interpretation bias, intolerance of uncertainty, neuroticism, perfectionism, repetitive negative thinking, self-discrepancy, and shame.