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Previous observational epidemiological studies have suggested that coffee consumption during pregnancy may affect fetal neurodevelopment. However, results are inconsistent and may represent correlational rather than causal relationships. The present study investigated whether maternal coffee consumption was observationally associated and causally related to offspring childhood neurodevelopmental difficulties (NDs) in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study.
Methods
The observational relationships between maternal/paternal coffee consumption (before and during pregnancy) and offspring NDs were assessed using linear regression analyses (N = 58694 mother-child duos; N = 22 576 father-child duos). To investigate potential causal relationships, individual-level (N = 46 245 mother-child duos) and two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were conducted using genetic variants previously associated with coffee consumption as instrumental variables.
Results
We observed positive associations between maternal coffee consumption and offspring difficulties with social-communication/behavioral flexibility, and inattention/hyperactive-impulsive behavior (multiple testing corrected p < 0.005). Paternal coffee consumption (negative control) was not observationally associated with the outcomes. After adjusting for potential confounders (smoking, alcohol, education and income), the maternal associations attenuated to the null. MR analyses suggested that increased maternal coffee consumption was causally associated with social-communication difficulties (individual-level: beta = 0.128, se = 0.043, p = 0.003; two-sample: beta = 0.348, se = 0.141, p = 0.010). However, individual-level MR analyses that modelled potential pleiotropic pathways found the effect diminished (beta = 0.088, se = 0.049, p = 0.071). Individual-level MR analyses yielded similar estimates (heterogeneity p = 0.619) for the causal effect of coffee consumption on social communication difficulties in maternal coffee consumers (beta = 0.153, se = 0.071, p = 0.032) and non-consumers (beta = 0.107, se = 0.134, p = 0.424).
Conclusions
Together, our results provide little evidence for a causal effect of maternal coffee consumption on offspring NDs.
Lymphoblastic leukemias/lymphomas constitute a family of malignant lymphoid neoplasms that morphologically and immunophenotypically recapitulate the features of early lymphoid precursors of either B- or T-cell origin [1–4]. The distinction between acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) is arbitrary [4]. The term LBL is used when the disease is confined to a predominant extramedullary mass lesion with no or minimal involvement (<25%) of peripheral blood and bone marrow (BM). The cases with ≥25% blasts in either peripheral blood or BM are staged and treated as ALL [1,4].
ALL and LBL have many characteristics in common. They are morphologically indistinguishable, share similar immunophenotypes, and have overlapping cytogenetic profiles. It is generally believed that the two entities are biologically equivalent, represent a clinical continuum or different stages of the same disease, and are categorized as such by the 2017 World Health Organization (WHO) classification scheme [2–5].
Tuberculosis (TB) infection prevention and control (IPC) in healthcare facilities is key to reducing transmission risk. A framework for systematically improving TB IPC through training and mentorship was implemented in 9 healthcare facilities in China from 2017 to 2019.
Methods:
Facilities conducted standardized TB IPC assessments at baseline and quarterly thereafter for 18 months. Facility-based performance was assessed using quantifiable indicators for IPC core components and administrative, environmental, and respiratory protection controls, and as a composite of all control types We calculated the percentage changes in scores over time and differences by IPC control type and facility characteristics.
Results:
Scores for IPC core components increased by 72% during follow-up when averaged across facilities. The percentage changes for administrative, environmental, and respiratory protection controls were 39%, 46%, and 30%, respectively. Composite scores were 45% higher after the intervention. Overall, scores increased most during the first 6 months. There was no association between IPC implementation and provincial economic development or volume of TB services.
Conclusions:
TB IPC policies and practices showed most improvement early during implementation and did not differ consistently by facility characteristics. The training component of the project helped increase the capacity of healthcare professionals to manage TB transmission risks. Lessons learned here will inform national TB IPC guidance.
Illustrated with over 800 colour images, this practical guide covers the unique morphology and disease spectrum in pediatric patients, ranging from normal physiologic changes to pathologic states. In addition, it covers newly described pediatric diseases, such as GATA-2 haploinsufficiency and reflects the latest WHO classification for hematolymphoid neoplasms. With the visual format of an atlas, the book provides a quick reference for trainees and physicians in hematopathology, as well as for hematologists and oncologists treating pediatric patients. An online version of the book with expandable figures can be accessed on Cambridge Core, via the code printed on the inside of the cover.
Children with genetic conditions may experience significant mental health difficulties such as anxiety and challenging behaviour. However, understanding of the feasibility and effectiveness of psychological interventions for emotional and behavioural problems in the context of genetic conditions is limited. Low-intensity psychological interventions have demonstrated promise in paediatric populations and may be able to address their mental health difficulties. A case series design was used to assess the feasibility of low-intensity interventions for emotional and behavioural difficulties in children and young people with genetic conditions recruited from a mental health drop-in centre at a tertiary hospital. Participants received seven weekly sessions with a trained practitioner. The intervention was based on existing modular treatments and evidence-based self-help materials. Feasibility and treatment satisfaction were assessed, as well as measures of symptoms of anxiety and challenging behaviour, treatment goals and quality of life, at baseline, during treatment and 6-month follow-up. Five participants received treatment for challenging behaviour, one for anxiety, and one for obsessive compulsive disorder. All participants completed treatment. Clinically significant change in the SDQ Total score was found in three participants. All participants demonstrated progress in goals and symptoms of emotional and behavioural difficulties over the course of treatment. Low-intensity psychological interventions for emotional and behavioural difficulties in children and young people with genetic conditions is feasible, acceptable and potentially beneficial. Further research is warranted to examine the effectiveness of the intervention and its use in clinical paediatric settings.
Key learning aims
(1) To gain a basic understanding of low-intensity psychological intervention in children and young people with genetic conditions.
(2) To enhance understanding of the practicalities and acceptability of delivering low-intensity psychological intervention to children and young people with genetic conditions and co-morbid emotional and behavioural difficulties.
(3) To learn about the potential clinical benefits of delivering low-intensity psychological intervention to children and young people with genetic conditions in the context of stepped care.
The Cambrian successions at the Chihuarruita Hill outcrop, Sonora, Mexico, have yielded two successive linguliform brachiopod assemblages that are transitional between Cambrian Stage 4 and the newly recognized global Wuliuan Stage. The lowermost assemblage includes Dictyonina sp., Paterina sp., Eothele sp., Hadrotreta rara? (Cooper), and Linnarssonia arellanoi? (Cooper), coming from the upper part of the Buelna Formation. The younger, recently named El Gavilán Formation contains a more diverse linguliform brachiopod assemblage, including Acrothele concava Cooper, Batenevotreta? mexicana n. sp., Dictyonina minutipuncta Cooper, Eothele sp., Eoobolus sp., Hadrotreta rara? (Cooper), Linnarssonia arellanoi? (Cooper), Micromitra sp., Paterina sp., and Prototreta sp. The El Gavilán Formation contains a diverse trilobite fauna suggesting Delamaran age in terms of the Laurentian regional stratigraphical scheme. The base of the global Wuliuan Stage and Miaolingian Series is defined by the first occurrence of Oryctocephalus indicus; in the absence of the index species, the base should be provisionally placed at the base of the El Gavilán Formation. The Wuliuan age of the brachiopod assemblage recovered from the El Gavilán Formation is supported by the occurrence of Acrothele in the Cambrian biostratigraphical succession of Himalaya, where the genus makes its first appearance in the Kaotaia prachina Zone. In addition, the co-occurrences of Acrothele and Eothele can be taken as an indication of the Wuliuan age of the fauna. A new biogeographic analysis confirms that the Eothele Fauna first appeared at the end of Cambrian Stage 4, as a result of increased faunal migration within the southern tropical latitudes directed from Australasian Gondwana to Laurentia.
OBJECTIVES/GOALS: In a familial case where 10 of 17 members inherited EA/LVNC in an autosomal dominant pattern, we discovered a novel, damaging missense variant in the gene KLHL26 that segregates with disease and comprises an altered electrostatic surface profile, likely decoupling the CUL3-interactome. We hypothesize that this KLHL26 variant is etiologic of EA/LVNC. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We differentiated a family trio (a heart-healthy daughter and EA/LVNC-affected mother and daughter) of induced pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) in a blinded manner on three iPSC clones per subject. Using flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, and biomechanical, electrophysiological, and automated contraction methods, we investigated iPSC-CM differentiation efficiency between D10-20, contractility analysis and cell cycle regulation at D20, and sarcomere organization at D60. We further conducted differential analyses following label-free protein and RNA-Seq quantification at D20. Via CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, we plan to characterize KLHL26 variant-specific iPSC-CM alterations and connect findings to discoveries from patient-specific studies. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: All iPSC lines differentiated into CMs with an increased percentage of cTnT+ cells in the affected daughter line. In comparison to the unaffected, affected iPSC-CMs had fewer contractions per minute and altered calcium transients, mainly a higher amount of total calcium release, faster rate of rise and faster rate of fall. The affected daughter line further had shorter shortening and relaxation times, higher proliferation, lower apoptosis, and a smaller cell surface area per cardiac nucleus. The affected mother line trended in a similar direction to the affected daughter line. There were no gross differences in sarcomere organization between the lines. We also discovered differential expression of candidate proteins such as kinase VRK1 and collagen COL5A1 from proteomic profiling. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These discoveries suggest that EA/LVNC characteristics or pathogenesis may result from decreased contractile ability, altered calcium transients, and cell cycle dysregulation. Through the KLHL26 variant correction and introduction in the daughter lines, we will build upon this understanding to inform exploration of critical clinical targets.
A moderately diverse assemblage of brachiopods from the Latham Shale Lagerstätte (Cambrian Series 2, upper Stage 4) and the upper Cadiz Formation (Miaolingian, Wuliuan), California is described in detail for the first time. The fauna includes both linguliform and rhynchonelliform brachiopods—Hadrotreta primaea (Walcott, 1902), Paterina prospectensis (Walcott, 1884), Dictyonina pannula (White, 1874), and Mickwitzia occidens Walcott, 1908; and Nisusia fulleri Mount, 1981 and Wimanella highlandensis (Walcott, 1886), respectively—together with olenellid trilobites and hyolithids. The fauna differs from other Cambrian Konservat-Lagerstätten (notably Cambrian Series 2 Chengjiang and Guanshan Lagerstätten, eastern Yunnan) in that the brachiopod shell valves in many cases are still preserved with their original mineralization. Moreover, the excellently preserved shale-hosted valves even include cases with exquisite epithelial cell molds, otherwise only seen in acid-etched material from carbonate rocks. The pitted ornamentation in D. pannula closely resembles that described from Ordovician linguliforms. The unusual preservation of N. fulleri provides important clues for ancestral composition of the brachiopod shell. The two articulated rhynchonelliform species probably represent the oldest records of this group from the west Laurentia. The fauna could also represent the earliest onset of the transition from the Cambrian Evolutionary Fauna (CEF) to the Paleozoic Evolutionary Fauna (PEF).
Diverse and abundant fossil taxa have been described in the lower Cambrian Shipai Formation in the Three Gorges area of Hubei Province, South China, but the taxonomy and diversity of the co-occurring brachiopod fauna are still far from clear. Here we describe the brachiopod fauna recovered from the Shipai Formation in the Three Gorges area of South China, including representatives of the subphylum Linguliformea: linguloids (Lingulellotreta ergalievi, Eoobolus malongensis, and Neobolidae gen. indet. sp. indet.), and an acrotretoid (Linnarssonia sapushanensis); and representatives from the subphylum Rhynchonelliformea: the calcareous-shelled Kutorginates (Kutorgina sinensis, Kutorgina sp., and Nisusia liantuoensis). This brachiopod assemblage and the first occurrence of Linnarssonia sapushanensis shell beds permit correlation of the Shipai Formation in the Three Gorges area of Hubei Province with the Stage 4 Wulongqing Formation in the Wuding area of eastern Yunnan. This correlation is further strengthened by the first appearance datum (FAD) of the rhynchonelliform brachiopod Nisusia in the upper silty mudstone of both the Shipai and Wulongqing formations. The new well-preserved material, derived from siliciclastic rocks, also gives critical new insights into the fine shell structure of L. sapushanensis. Microstructural studies on micromorphic acrotretoids (like Linnarssonia) have previously been restricted to fossils that were acid-etched from limestones. This is the first study to carry out detailed comparative ultrastructural studies on acrotretoid shells preserved in siliciclastic rocks. This work reveals a hollow tube and solid column microstructure in the acrotretoid shells from the Shipai Formation, which is likely to be equivalent of traditional column and central canal observed in shells dissolved from limestones.
To investigate the association between parity and the risk of incident dementia in women.
Methods
We pooled baseline and follow-up data for community-dwelling women aged 60 or older from six population-based, prospective cohort studies from four European and two Asian countries. We investigated the association between parity and incident dementia using Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusted for age, educational level, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and cohort, with additional analysis by dementia subtype (Alzheimer dementia (AD) and non-Alzheimer dementia (NAD)).
Results
Of 9756 women dementia-free at baseline, 7010 completed one or more follow-up assessments. The mean follow-up duration was 5.4 ± 3.1 years and dementia developed in 550 participants. The number of parities was associated with the risk of incident dementia (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02–1.13). Grand multiparity (five or more parities) increased the risk of dementia by 30% compared to 1–4 parities (HR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.02–1.67). The risk of NAD increased by 12% for every parity (HR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.02–1.23) and by 60% for grand multiparity (HR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.00–2.55), but the risk of AD was not significantly associated with parity.
Conclusions
Grand multiparity is a significant risk factor for dementia in women. This may have particularly important implications for women in low and middle-income countries where the fertility rate and prevalence of grand multiparity are high.