Early-life Health and Lifetime Outcomes: Evidence from the Large-scale Schistosomiasis Eradication in China

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Liu ◽  
Gordon Liu
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Large Scale

scholarly journals Metabolomics datasets in the Born in Bradford cohort

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 264
Author(s):  
Kurt Taylor ◽  
Nancy McBride ◽  
Neil J Goulding ◽  
Kimberley Burrows ◽  
Dan Mason ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cord Blood ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Metabolomic Profiling ◽  
Born In Bradford ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Metabolomic Data ◽  
Phenotype Data ◽  
Offspring Health

Metabolomics is the quantification of small molecules, commonly known as metabolites. Collectively, these metabolites and their interactions within a biological system are known as the metabolome. The metabolome is a unique area of study, capturing influences from both genotype and environment. The availability of high-throughput technologies for quantifying large numbers of metabolites, as well as lipids and lipoprotein particles, has enabled detailed investigation of human metabolism in large-scale epidemiological studies. The Born in Bradford (BiB) cohort includes 12,453 women who experienced 13,776 pregnancies recruited between 2007-2011, their partners and their offspring. In this data note, we describe the metabolomic data available in BiB, profiled during pregnancy, in cord blood and during early life in the offspring. These include two platforms of metabolomic profiling: nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. The maternal measures, taken at 26-28 weeks’ gestation, can provide insight into the metabolome during pregnancy and how it relates to maternal and offspring health. The offspring cord blood measurements provide information on the fetal metabolome. These measures, alongside maternal pregnancy measures, can be used to explore how they may influence outcomes. The infant measures (taken around ages 12 and 24 months) provide a snapshot of the early life metabolome during a key phase of nutrition, environmental exposures, growth, and development. These metabolomic data can be examined alongside the BiB cohorts’ extensive phenotype data from questionnaires, medical, educational and social record linkage, and other ‘omics data.

scholarly journals A curated transcriptome dataset collection to investigate the functional programming of human hematopoietic cells in early life

F1000Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahbuba Rahman ◽  
Sabri Boughorbel ◽  
Scott Presnell ◽  
Charlie Quinn ◽  
Chiara Cugno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Functional Programming ◽  
Web Application ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Single Gene ◽  
Hematopoietic Cells ◽  
Biomedical Knowledge ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Age Related

Compendia of large-scale datasets made available in public repositories provide an opportunity to identify and fill gaps in biomedical knowledge. But first, these data need to be made readily accessible to research investigators for interpretation. Here we make available a collection of transcriptome datasets to investigate the functional programming of human hematopoietic cells in early life. Thirty two datasets were retrieved from the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and loaded in a custom web application called the Gene Expression Browser (GXB), which was designed for interactive query and visualization of integrated large-scale data. Quality control checks were performed. Multiple sample groupings and gene rank lists were created allowing users to reveal age-related differences in transcriptome profiles, changes in the gene expression of neonatal hematopoietic cells to a variety of immune stimulators and modulators, as well as during cell differentiation. Available demographic, clinical, and cell phenotypic information can be overlaid with the gene expression data and used to sort samples. Web links to customized graphical views can be generated and subsequently inserted in manuscripts to report novel findings. GXB also enables browsing of a single gene across projects, thereby providing new perspectives on age- and developmental stage-specific expression of a given gene across the human hematopoietic system. This dataset collection is available at: http://developmentalimmunology.gxbsidra.org/dm3/geneBrowser/list.

scholarly journals Public engagement with cohort participants in Scotland and India: How do participants want to shape mental health research?

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorota Chapko ◽  
Jessica Butler ◽  
Corri Black ◽  
Marjorie Johnston ◽  
Caroline Fall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Storage ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Health Informatics ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Health Data ◽  
Secure Data

IntroductionWe now have the opportunity to disentangle the complexities of lifespan brain health through linking rich birth cohorts data to novel information utilizing health informatics techniques. Wellcome Trust evidenced that efforts to manage and link digital health data require exploring the attitudes of public and data guardians towards this initiative. Objectives and ApproachOur teams in Aberdeen, Mysore and Mumbai have established general population cohorts that have provided evidence on the early-life origins of later-life diseases. In 2016, we engaged with the participants of the Aberdeen Children of the 1950s (62-68,N~8,400) in an event attended by 350 study members. We are also engaging with members and data guardians of Mysore Parthenon Cohort (20-21y,N~500), Mysore Birth Records Cohort (51-83y,N~750), and Mumbai Maternal Nutrition Cohort (5-11y,N~1,600). This qualitative project utilises focus groups and individual interviews. The goal is to understand their attitudes and perceived public benefits towards future novel data collection, data platforms and biorepositories. ResultsThe ACONF event attendees were very willing to volunteer for further studies. The highest support was for ‘provide a blood sample’ (92%) and the lowest for ‘take an online survey’ (83%). They were satisfied with data governance but had incomplete understanding of linkage possibilities with their data. Through the ongoing activities in Mysore and in Mumbai, we aim to achieve the following: 1) Develop awareness of health informatics through public engagement with participants and researchers; 2) Explore attitudes and potential barriers to creation of secure data linkage between imaging, laboratory, health data and outcomes to facilitate future linkage studies; 3) Understand what is required for interoperable, secure data storage and plan future biorepository as a resource for researchers that will build over time in India. Conclusion/ImplicationsThe proposed activities will inform preparation of a large scale grant to investigate the hypothesis that early life environment affects future risk of mental illness and cognitive ability globally. They will also begin to create a platform of enduring value for future cross-cultural population research.

Testing early life connectivity using otolith chemistry and particle-tracking simulations

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (8) ◽  
pp. 1303-1315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Ashford ◽  
Mario La Mesa ◽  
Bettina A. Fach ◽  
Christopher Jones ◽  
Inigo Everson
Keyword(s):  
Antarctic Peninsula ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Model Material ◽  
Otolith Chemistry ◽  
Larval Phase ◽  
Scotia Sea ◽  
South Georgia ◽  
The Antarctic

We measured the otolith chemistry of adult Scotia Sea icefish ( Chaenocephalus aceratus ), a species with a long pelagic larval phase, along the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and compared the chemistry with simulated particle transport using a circulation model. Material laid down in otolith nuclei during early life showed (i) strong heterogeneity between the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia consistent with a population boundary, (ii) evidence of finer-scale heterogeneity between sampling areas on the Antarctic Peninsula, and (iii) similarity between the eastern and northern shelves of South Georgia, indicating a single, self-recruiting population there. Consistent with the otolith chemistry, simulations of the large-scale circulation predicted that particles released at depths of 100–300 m on the Antarctic Peninsula shelf during spring, corresponding to hatching of icefish larvae from benthic nests, are transported in the southern ACC, missing South Georgia but following trajectories along the southern Scotia Ridge instead. These results suggest that the timing of release and position of early life stages in the water column substantially influence the direction and extent of connectivity. Used in complement, the two techniques promise an innovative approach for generating and testing predictions to resolve early dispersal and connectivity of populations related to the physical circulation of oceanic systems.

scholarly journals Identifying Causative Mechanisms Linking Early-Life Stress to Psycho-Cardio-Metabolic Multi-Morbidity: The EarlyCause Project

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Mariani ◽  
Alessandra Borsini ◽  
Charlotte A.M. Cecil ◽  
Janine F. Felix ◽  
Sylvain Sebert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Cellular Models ◽  
Causal Pathways ◽  
Metabolic Systems ◽  
Shared Risk ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIntroductionDepression, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are among the major non-communicable diseases, leading to significant disability and mortality worldwide. These diseases may share environmental and genetic determinants associated with multimorbid patterns. Stressful early-life events are among the primary factors associated with the development of mental and physical diseases. However, possible causative mechanisms linking early life stress (ELS) with psycho-cardio-metabolic (PCM) multi-morbidity are not well understood. This prevents a full understanding of causal pathways towards shared risk of these diseases and the development of coordinated preventive and therapeutic interventions.Methods and analysisThis paper describes the study protocol for EarlyCause, a large-scale and inter-disciplinary research project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. The project takes advantage of human longitudinal birth cohort data, animal studies and cellular models to test the hypothesis of shared mechanisms and molecular pathways by which ELS shape an individual’s physical and mental health in adulthood. The study will research in detail how ELS converts into biological signals embedded simultaneously or sequentially in the brain, the cardiovascular and metabolic systems. The research will mainly focus on four biological processes including possible alterations of the epigenome, neuroendocrine system, inflammatome, and the gut microbiome. Life course models will integrate the role of modifying factors as sex, socioeconomics, and lifestyle with the goal to better identify groups at risk as well as inform promising strategies to reverse the possible mechanisms and/or reduce the impact of ELS on multi-morbidity development in high-risk individuals. These strategies will help better manage the impact of multi-morbidity on human health and the associated risk.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been approved by the Ethics Board of the European Commission. The results will be published in peer-reviewed academic journals, and disseminated to and communicated with clinicians, patient organisations and media.

scholarly journals Population differences in the length, early-life dynamics, and heritability of telomeres among European pied flycatchers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiia Karkkainen ◽  
Toni Laaksonen ◽  
Malcolm Burgess ◽  
Alejandro Cantarero ◽  
Jesus Martinez-Padilla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Telomere Length ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Pied Flycatcher ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Population Differences ◽  
Telomere Shortening ◽  
Shortening Rate

Telomere length and shortening rate are increasingly used as biomarkers for long-term costs in ecological and evolutionary studies because of their relationships with survival and fitness. Telomere length can be heritable, but both early-life conditions and later-life stressors can create variation in telomere shortening rate. Studies on between-population telomere length and dynamics are mostly lacking, despite the expectation that populations exposed to varying environmental constraints would present divergent telomere length patterns. Pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) is a passerine bird spending the non-breeding period in sub-Saharan Africa but breeding across Eurasia (from Spain to western Siberia). Populations show marked differences in migration distance, genetics, breeding parameters, and egg components. We studied the large-scale variation of telomere length, early-life dynamics and heritability in the pied flycatcher by comparing six European populations across a north-south gradient (Finland, Estonia, England and Spain). There were clear population differences in telomere length, with English birds having the longest telomeres, followed by Spanish and lastly by Estonian and Finnish birds. Early-life telomere shortening rate tended to vary between populations, and faster nestling growth affected telomeres more negatively in northern than southern populations. The heritability of telomere length was moderate (h2 = 0.34 - 0.40), with stronger heritability to paternal than maternal telomere length. There was also evidence indicating that the level of paternal heritability could differ between populations. While the sources of between-population differences in telomere-related biology remain to be identified (i.e. genetics, environmental factors), our study illustrates the need to expand telomere studies at the between-population level.

Next-generation biomonitoring of the early-life chemical exposome in neonatal and infant development

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Jamnik ◽  
Mira Flasch ◽  
Dominik Braun ◽  
Yasmin Fareed ◽  
Daniel Wasinger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Milk ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Infant Development ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Tropane Alkaloids ◽  
Human Biomonitoring ◽  
Chemical Exposure ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass

Exposure to man-made and natural chemicals is a major, yet not sufficiently considered, environmental risk factor in the etiology of chronic diseases. Current human biomonitoring approaches typically measure a limited number of exposures rather than investigating complex mixtures. The latter would be fundamental and necessary for a holistic assessment of chemical exposure in exposome-wide association studies. In this work, an highly-sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry approach was developed and thoroughly-validated. The assay enables the simultaneous and targeted assessment of more than 80 highly-diverse xenobiotics in the investigated body fluids of urine, serum/plasma, and breast milk; the detection limit for most toxicants are in the pg-ng/mL range. In the plasma of extremely-premature infants (gestational age <28 weeks, birth weight <1 kg) a total of 27 different xenobiotics are identified; including severe contamination with synthetic plasticizers, perfluorinated alkylated substances and parabens. In an independent sample set of breast milk that was longitudinally collected over the first 211 days post-partum, a total of 29 analytes is detected, including the first-ever identification of pyrrolizidine- and tropane alkaloids in this matrix. Based on the generated data, a preliminary estimation of daily toxicant intake via breast milk is conducted. In conclusion, our proof-of-principle experiments show significant early-life co-exposure to multiple toxicants, and demonstrate the method’s applicability in future large-scale exposomics-type cohort studies in vulnerable populations.

scholarly journals How long can left and right handed life forms coexist?

2004 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Axel Brandenburg ◽  
Tuomas Multamäki
Keyword(s):  
Time Scale ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Reaction Diffusion ◽  
Front Propagation ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Diffusion Time ◽  
Reaction Diffusion Equations ◽  
Deep Layers ◽  
Left And Right

Reaction-diffusion equations based on a polymerization model are solved to simulate the spreading of hypothetic left and right-handed life forms on the Earth's surface. The equations exhibit front-like behavior as is familiar from the theory of the spreading of epidemics. It is shown that the relevant time scale for achieving global homochirality is not, however, the time scale of front propagation, but the much longer global diffusion time. The process can be sped up by turbulence and large scale flows. It is speculated that, if the deep layers of the early ocean were sufficiently quiescent, there may have been the possibility of competing early life forms with opposite handedness.

scholarly journals Maternal and Early Life Iron Intake and Risk of Childhood Type 1 Diabetes: A Danish Case-Cohort Study

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Thorsen ◽  
Thorhallur Halldorsson ◽  
Anne Bjerregaard ◽  
Sjurdur Olsen ◽  
Jannet Svensson
Keyword(s):  
Type 1 Diabetes ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Iron Supplementation ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Hazard Ratios ◽  
Childhood Type 1 Diabetes ◽  
Diabetes Register ◽  
Childhood Type

Background: Iron overload has been associated with diabetes. Studies on iron exposure during pregnancy and in early life and risk of childhood type 1 diabetes (T1D) are sparse. We investigated whether iron supplementation during pregnancy and early in life were associated with risk of childhood T1D. Methods: In a case-cohort design, we identified up to 257 children with T1D (prevalence 0.37%) from the Danish National Birth Cohort through linkage with the Danish Childhood Diabetes Register. The primary exposure was maternal pure iron supplementation (yes/no) during pregnancy as reported in interview two at 30 weeks of gestation (n = 68,497 with iron supplement data). We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) using weighted Cox regression adjusting for multiple confounders. We also examined if offspring supplementation during the first 18 months of life was associated with later risk of T1D. Results: Maternal iron supplementation was not associated with later risk of T1D in the offspring HR 1.05 (95% CI: 0.76–1.45). Offspring intake of iron droplets during the first 18 months of life was inversely associated with risk of T1D HR 0.74 (95% CI: 0.55–1.00) (ptrend = 0.03). Conclusions: Our large-scale prospective study demonstrated no harmful effects of iron supplementation during pregnancy and in early life in regard to later risk of childhood T1D in the offspring.

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