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.

Association between the risk of relative energy deficiency in sport and cholesterol levels in Finnish endurance athletes.

Background: Relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) is a condition caused by chronic and/or severe low energy availability. Endurance athletes are at risk of REDs, which are characterised by negative effects on health and performance. Disturbed cholesterol metabolism is a suggested indicator of REDs and could affect the future cardiovascular health of athletes.

Three-Dimensional Presentation of Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma Histopathology and Magnetic Resonance Imaging-A Novel Image Fusion Method.

Background: Three-dimensional (3D) modeling has been used in the management of bony head and neck tumors, but not in soft tissue tumors. Currently, histopathological findings of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) are presented as two-dimensional images. Previously, we developed a 3D image fusion method that presents tumor histopathology and MRI in 3D form.

Gene expression changes in ducklings exposed in ovo to emerging and legacy per-/poly-fluoroalkyl substances.

This study investigated the effects of two emerging PFAS compounds, perfluorododecane sulfonic acid (PFDoDS) and perfluoro-4-ethylcyclohexane sulfonic acid (PFECHS), alongside legacy perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), on gene expression in the liver, heart, and bursa of Fabricius from mallard ducklings (Anas platyrhynchos) exposed in ovo, simulating maternal transfer to the egg. These PFAS compounds were selected based on their detection in a declining sea duck species and concerns over their endocrine disruption potential. Farmed mallard eggs were injected with 80 ng/g of PFDoDS, PFECHS, or PFOS, reflecting concentrations at the upper end of those reported in wild bird eggs.

The influence of illumination and cast shadows on prey detectability by predators.

Many species use camouflage to dissimulate their true form and avoid detection or recognition. In natural habitats, the three-dimensional structure of an organism's body can present challenges for camouflage, as overhead illumination creates luminance gradients ('self-shadows') across the body surface and cast shadows (when light is blocked by the object itself) on the surface behind the object. While self-shadows are known to increase prey detectability to predators, it is unclear whether this is also the case for cast shadows.

The Nature of Knowledge and Epistemic Interests of Radiography Science-An Analysis of Doctoral Dissertations Using Critical Normative Epistemology Framework.

Background And Aim: Radiography science is a health sciences discipline and a knowledge system focusing on research into medical imaging and radiation therapy-related phenomena: patient care, technology, safety and quality in these environments. This study aims to understand the nature of knowledge in radiography research by investigating epistemic interests and knowledge types.

Methodological Design: The study used nursing science critical normative epistemology as a framework for the analysis.

Effects of Whole-Body Cryotherapy Combined With Conventional Obesity Management Versus Obesity Management Alone: A Clinical Trial.

Objective: To investigate whether whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) enhances weight loss, brown adipose tissue (BAT) activation, and metabolic outcomes during obesity management.

Methods: Nineteen adults with obesity were assigned to a 12-month lifestyle-based obesity management intervention with 28 WBC sessions (-110°C, 3-4 min, ~2 × week) over the first 5 months (CRYO, n = 10) or the intervention without WBC (CON, n = 9). The primary outcome was weight loss (5 and 12 months).

The effect of unintended pregnancy on the development of parental-fetal attachment: a prospective cohort study.

Background: A strong parental (maternal/ paternal)-fetal attachment predicts a stronger parental-infant attachment after the child is born. An unintended pregnancy has been associated with weakened development of a maternal-fetal attachment. However, the knowledge of association between an unintended pregnancy and the development of a paternal-fetal attachment is scarce.

Ancient DNA connects large-scale migration with the spread of Slavs.

The second half of the first millennium CE in Central and Eastern Europe was accompanied by fundamental cultural and political transformations. This period of change is commonly associated with the appearance of the Slavs, which is supported by textual evidence and coincides with the emergence of similar archaeological horizons. However, so far there has been no consensus on whether this archaeological horizon spread by migration, Slavicisation or a combination of both.

HSF2 drives breast cancer progression by acting as a stage-specific switch between proliferation and invasion.

Breast cancer is hallmarked by phenotypic transitions enabling abnormal cell proliferation and invasion. The stress-protective transcription factor heat shock factor 2 (HSF2) is associated with cancer, but its function in breast carcinogenesis remains poorly understood. Analysis of human breast tumor samples and mouse in vivo xenografts uncovered that HSF2 expression and activity undergo dynamic changes as a function of tumor progression.

Proportions and trends of global adolescent knowledge and attitudes toward tobacco smoking from 1999 to 2019.

Objective: We aimed to assess the recent levels of knowledge and attitudes toward tobacco smoking among adolescents aged 12-16 years in 2010-2019, and to examine trends from 1999 to 2019.

Methods: We used the most recent data from 145 countries/territories (hereafter "countries") that conducted at least one Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) between 2010 and 2019 to assess the current levels of knowledge and attitudes toward tobacco smoking among adolescents aged 12-16 years. And 112 countries that conducted at least three GYTS surveys from 1999 to 2019 were used to assess the trends among adolescents aged 12-16 years over time.

Age- and sex-dependent associations between the number of older siblings and early-life survival in pre-industrial humans.

Siblings are an important part of an individual's early-life environment and may therefore play an important role in shaping an individual's survival. The quantification of sibling effects on survival is challenging, however, especially in long-lived species with extended parental care and overlapping generations, such as humans. Here, we use historical parish data from Switzerland to quantify how the number of older siblings and their survival status, age and sex are associated with childhood survival.

Scoping review on the economic aspects of machine learning applications in healthcare.

Background: The development and use of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in healthcare have increased, prompting a need for evidence on their safety and value. Economic evaluations support healthcare decision-making and resource allocation. This scoping review aimed to map and synthesize current approaches to evaluating the economic aspects of machine learning based technologies implemented in healthcare.

Developing and validating anti-ADA2 single-chain antibodies coupled to alkaline phosphatase for diagnosing pleural tuberculosis.

Introduction: Adenosine deaminases ADA1 and ADA2 reduce adenosine concentrations, which regulate cellular immune responses to activation signals. It has been shown that ADA2 activity increases in the pleural fluid of patients with tuberculosis (TB).

Methods: We engineered recombinant scFv-AP antibodies using phage display technology to select high-affinity binders against ADA2.

The interplay between perceived fatigability, intrinsic capacity and physical activity: network analysis in a British birth cohort study.

Background: Fatigability-an individual's susceptibility to fatigue when performing standardized activities-may arise from diminished functional reserves and contribute to reduced physical activity levels, potentially reinforcing the disablement process. In this study, we used network analysis to examine the associations among physical and mental fatigability, different domains of intrinsic capacity (IC), and physical activity (PA). Additionally, we investigated whether fatigability mediates the association between IC and PA.

Awareness of erosive tooth wear and the consumption of acidic beverages among a group of Finnish adolescents.

Objective: Adolescents belong to the high-risk group of erosive tooth wear (ETW), but by contrast, they are reported to lack knowledge about this condition and its association with the intake of acidic beverages. This study aimed to survey the awareness of ETW and the consumption of beverages among a group of Finnish adolescents.

Material And Methods: A survey was conducted using an online questionnaire for the students in two upper comprehensive schools in the province of Southwest Finland.

Associations between genetic predisposition to mental health problems and academic achievement: a developmental perspective using two population-based cohorts.

Background: Children's cognitive abilities play an important role throughout their academic career, but recent studies highlight the negative impacts of aggression, inattention, and impulsivity on academic success. These behaviors and traits are central to most externalizing (EXT) and neurodevelopmental (NDD) problems, which are substantially genetically influenced. We examined the mechanisms by which high levels of genetic predispositions to EXT and NDD problems associate with elevated mental health symptoms and subsequently lead to lower levels of academic achievement in two developmental periods (i.

Breast Milk Proteome: Changes in the Different Stages of Lactation and Impacts of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Body Mass Index.

Breast milk proteome comprises hundreds of bioactive proteins supporting infant development. The extent to which maternal metabolic conditions modify the proteome is poorly known. This study investigates proteome evolution from colostrum to mature milk and examines the impacts of maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and BMI on the proteome.

Combining mental health and climate-smart agricultural interventions to improve food security in humanitarian settings: study protocol for the THRIVE cluster-randomized controlled trial with mothers in Nakivale refugee settlement, Uganda.

Background: Climate extremes in Africa threaten the food security of war-affected refugees, who often experience mental health challenges that hinder their capacity for agricultural adaptation. Cost-effective, climate-smart farming interventions are crucial for addressing food insecurity in humanitarian contexts, yet evidence on their effectiveness is limited, and the potential benefits of integrating them with mental health interventions remain unexplored. We hypothesize that the success of agricultural interventions, especially under adversity, is influenced by mental health and psychological functioning.

Optimising CO level and light quality for enhanced whole-cell biotransformation reactions in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

Cyanobacteria are emerging as a promising platform for whole-cell biotransformation, harnessing solar energy to drive biocatalytic reactions through recombinant enzymes. However, optimisation remains challenging due to the complexity of the cyanobacterial metabolism and the regulatory framework in which heterologous enzymes operate. While many enzymes have been deployed for light-driven whole-cell biotransformations, the different experimental conditions used between studies make direct comparison and systematic improvement difficult.

Metabolome informs about the chemical exposome and links to brain health.

The metabolome is an intermediate phenotype, summarizing the profile of all small molecules (<1.5 kDa) in biospecimens. The metabolome provides a readout for the net influence of the chemical exposome, diet, gut microbiome, and genome on human health.