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Full-Text Articles in Biochemical Phenomena, Metabolism, and Nutrition

Skin Carotenoid Scores Are A Valid Approximation Of Fruit And Vegetable Intake Among Adults With Obesity, Stephanie B Jilcott Pitts, Qiang Wu, Elizabeth Gates, Melissa N Laska, Andrew R Dinardo, Nancy E Moran Sep 2026

Skin Carotenoid Scores Are A Valid Approximation Of Fruit And Vegetable Intake Among Adults With Obesity, Stephanie B Jilcott Pitts, Qiang Wu, Elizabeth Gates, Melissa N Laska, Andrew R Dinardo, Nancy E Moran

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Skin carotenoid score (SCS) as measured using pressure-mediated reflection spectroscopy has been validated among adults with normal and overweight body mass index, with little validation research among adults with obesity. Therefore, the purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the validity of SCS as an approximation of fruit and vegetable intake among adults with obesity. We used samples from adults with obesity from three prior studies: The first study examined the validity of SCS among 213 adults, 34 with obesity; the second, examined sensitivity of SCS to a β-carotene-rich juice intervention among 162 adults, 14 with obesity; the third …


Dose-Expansion Study Of Obi-999, A Globo H-Targeting Antibody-Drug Conjugate, In Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors, Apostolia Maria Tsimberidou, Darren Sigal, Anna Varghese, Daniel Vaena, Li-Yuan Bai, Ming-Huang Chen, Chun-Nan Yeh, Chia-Jui Yen, Mehmet A Baysal, Abhijit Chakraborty, Ingly Lee, Chi-Sheng Shia, Konul Ristoski, Dong Xu Aug 2026

Dose-Expansion Study Of Obi-999, A Globo H-Targeting Antibody-Drug Conjugate, In Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors, Apostolia Maria Tsimberidou, Darren Sigal, Anna Varghese, Daniel Vaena, Li-Yuan Bai, Ming-Huang Chen, Chun-Nan Yeh, Chia-Jui Yen, Mehmet A Baysal, Abhijit Chakraborty, Ingly Lee, Chi-Sheng Shia, Konul Ristoski, Dong Xu

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: OBI-999 is an antibody-drug conjugate consisting of the Globo H-targeting antibody OBI-888 linked to the cytotoxic payload monomethyl auristatin E. In a dose-escalation study, the OBI-999 recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) was 1.2 mg/kg every 3 weeks. This dose-expansion study evaluated the efficacy and safety of OBI-999 in patients with pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer (CRC), or other tumor types ("basket cohort") and tumoral Globo H H-scores ≥100 (NCT04084366).

Patients and methods: Patients were treated at RP2D of OBI-999. We assessed response, progression-free survival (PFS), treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), and pharmacokinetics of OBI-999.

Results: Of 29 patients treated, …


All-Cause And Cause-Specific Mortality In Gambling Disorder: Evidence From A Nation-Wide Matched And Sibling Cohort Study In Taiwan, Yang-Chieh Brian Chen, Chih-Wei Hsu, Liang-Jen Wang, Mu-Hong Chen, Yao-Hsu Yang, Chih-Sung Liang, Edward Chia-Cheng Lai Aug 2026

All-Cause And Cause-Specific Mortality In Gambling Disorder: Evidence From A Nation-Wide Matched And Sibling Cohort Study In Taiwan, Yang-Chieh Brian Chen, Chih-Wei Hsu, Liang-Jen Wang, Mu-Hong Chen, Yao-Hsu Yang, Chih-Sung Liang, Edward Chia-Cheng Lai

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background and aims: Gambling disorder (GD) has been linked to suicidal ideation and suicide deaths; however, evidence on all-cause and cause-specific mortality-particularly in Asian populations-remains limited. Using a retrospective cohort study based on nationwide matched and sibling cohort, we investigated all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk in patients with GD.

Design, setting and participants: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using 2000-2022 data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. A cohort of 961 individuals diagnosed with GD was identified. An age- and sex-matched control cohort (n = 3,844) and an unaffected sibling cohort (n = 675) were constructed. Cumulative survival …


All-Cause And Cause-Specific Mortality In Patients With Bipolar Ii Disorder, Chih-Wei Hsu, Yang-Chieh Brian Chen, Edward Chia-Cheng Lai, Andrew A Nierenberg, Michael Berk, Sheng-Yu Lee, Liang-Jen Wang, Mu-Hong Chen, Yao-Hsu Yang, Chih-Sung Liang, Andre F Carvalho Apr 2026

All-Cause And Cause-Specific Mortality In Patients With Bipolar Ii Disorder, Chih-Wei Hsu, Yang-Chieh Brian Chen, Edward Chia-Cheng Lai, Andrew A Nierenberg, Michael Berk, Sheng-Yu Lee, Liang-Jen Wang, Mu-Hong Chen, Yao-Hsu Yang, Chih-Sung Liang, Andre F Carvalho

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Importance: Whether bipolar II disorder (BD-II) is associated with increased long-term mortality remains uncertain because most studies have not distinguished BD-II from bipolar I disorder (BD-I).

Objective: To examine whether BD-II is associated with elevated all-cause and cause-specific mortality compared with population controls, unaffected siblings, and those with BD-I.

Design, setting, and participants: This population-based, retrospective cohort study used data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Database from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2022. Individuals 12 years or older with 2 or more psychiatrist-assigned BD-II diagnoses were individually matched to 4 controls without BD-II by sex and birthdate. Additional comparisons …


Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder And Risk Of All-Cause And Cause-Specific Mortality: A Nationwide Population And Sibling-Controlled Cohort Study In Taiwan, Chih-Wei Hsu, Yang-Chieh Brian Chen, Liang-Jen Wang, Mu-Hong Chen, Yao-Hsu Yang, Chih-Sung Liang, Edward Chia-Cheng Lai Mar 2026

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder And Risk Of All-Cause And Cause-Specific Mortality: A Nationwide Population And Sibling-Controlled Cohort Study In Taiwan, Chih-Wei Hsu, Yang-Chieh Brian Chen, Liang-Jen Wang, Mu-Hong Chen, Yao-Hsu Yang, Chih-Sung Liang, Edward Chia-Cheng Lai

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Aims: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may shorten life expectancy, but evidence for Asian populations and cause-specific mortality remains limited. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between PTSD and mortality risk in an Asian population.

Methods: We used Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (2000-2022) to assemble a cohort of 28,777 individuals with incident PTSD and 115,108 age- and sex-matched unexposed individuals, plus a sibling cohort of 13,305 affected patients and 22,030 unaffected siblings. Cox models estimated adjusted hazard ratios (AHRs) for all-cause, unnatural-cause (suicide and accidents) and natural-cause mortality, with progressive adjustment for sociodemographic factors, comorbidity …


Community Participatory Co-Design And Development Of A Digital Diabetes Prevention Education Program For Hispanic Families With Obesity: Mixed Methods Study, Sandra Mihail, Marbelly Partida, Lizette Villanueva, Debbe Thompson, Teresia M O'Connor, Salma M Musaad, Maria J Redondo, Erica G Soltero Feb 2026

Community Participatory Co-Design And Development Of A Digital Diabetes Prevention Education Program For Hispanic Families With Obesity: Mixed Methods Study, Sandra Mihail, Marbelly Partida, Lizette Villanueva, Debbe Thompson, Teresia M O'Connor, Salma M Musaad, Maria J Redondo, Erica G Soltero

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Digital health interventions (DHIs) can extend the reach of disease prevention interventions; however, few are evidence-based, theoretically grounded, or developed for high-risk youth and families. Co-design approaches engage end users in the design and development of the DHI, which can lead to increased accessibility and engagement.

Objective: This study aimed to describe the adaptation of an evidence-based diabetes prevention program for remote, digital delivery.

Methods: The adaptation of the in-person intervention was guided by a modified Inclusive Digital Health Intervention Design to Promote Health Equity framework and conducted in collaboration with Hispanic adolescents (n=23) with obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile) …


Catatonia And Elevated Mortality: A Population-Wide Cohort Study With Healthy, Sibling, And Schizophrenia Spectrum Controls, Chih-Wei Hsu, Yang-Chieh Brian Chen, Marco Solmi, Chih-Sung Liang, Mu-Hong Chen, Yao-Hsu Yang, Liang-Jen Wang, Edward Chia-Cheng Lai Feb 2026

Catatonia And Elevated Mortality: A Population-Wide Cohort Study With Healthy, Sibling, And Schizophrenia Spectrum Controls, Chih-Wei Hsu, Yang-Chieh Brian Chen, Marco Solmi, Chih-Sung Liang, Mu-Hong Chen, Yao-Hsu Yang, Liang-Jen Wang, Edward Chia-Cheng Lai

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Aim: To determine whether catatonia is associated with increased long-term all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

Methods: Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Database (2000-2022), we assembled a population-based cohort of all adults (≥18 years) with catatonia and matched each to four controls without catatonia on sex and birthdate. Mortality was compared between (1) individuals with catatonia and their unaffected siblings and (2) individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders with catatonia and those with schizophrenia spectrum disorders without catatonia. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality; secondary outcomes were natural- and unnatural-cause deaths. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated with …


Uncovering Predictors Of Bipolar Ii Conversion To Bipolar I: A Machine Learning Analysis Of National Health Records In Taiwan, Chih-Wei Hsu, Yang-Chieh Brian Chen, Liang-Jen Wang, Kuo-Chuan Hung, Mu-Hong Chen, Eduard Vieta, Chien-Yuan Chen, Chih-Sung Liang, Andre F Carvalho Feb 2026

Uncovering Predictors Of Bipolar Ii Conversion To Bipolar I: A Machine Learning Analysis Of National Health Records In Taiwan, Chih-Wei Hsu, Yang-Chieh Brian Chen, Liang-Jen Wang, Kuo-Chuan Hung, Mu-Hong Chen, Eduard Vieta, Chien-Yuan Chen, Chih-Sung Liang, Andre F Carvalho

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Bipolar II disorder (BD-II) can progress to bipolar I disorder (BD-I), carrying profound psychosocial consequences. However, limited research has investigated the transition from BD-II to BD-I. Our study uses machine learning to predict the conversion using real-world data.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (2000-2013) to identify adults diagnosed with BD-II. A predictive model for BD-I conversion was developed using extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), incorporating demographic factors, healthcare utilization, comorbidities, and psychotropic medication use. The dataset was randomly divided into development (80 %) and test (20 %) sets. Model performance …


N-Palmitoyl Glutamine Is A Candidate Mediator Of Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Jeremy M Robbins, Mark Benson, Anthony R P Verkerke, Gaurav Tiwari, Shuliang Deng, Prashant Rao, Usman A Tahir, Julian Avila-Pacheco, Xu Shi, Yuntian Guan, Foje-Geh Tendoh, Jacob L Barber, Patricia E Miller, Andrew S Perry, Michael E Hall, Alexis C Wood, Kent D Taylor, Wendy S Post, Stephen S Rich, Matthew Nayor, James G Wilson, Gregory D Lewis, Ravi V Shah, Jerome I Rotter, Scott A Summers, Laura M Raffield, Shingo Kajimura, Claude Bouchard, Clary B Clish, Mark A Sarzynski, Robert E Gerszten Jan 2026

N-Palmitoyl Glutamine Is A Candidate Mediator Of Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Jeremy M Robbins, Mark Benson, Anthony R P Verkerke, Gaurav Tiwari, Shuliang Deng, Prashant Rao, Usman A Tahir, Julian Avila-Pacheco, Xu Shi, Yuntian Guan, Foje-Geh Tendoh, Jacob L Barber, Patricia E Miller, Andrew S Perry, Michael E Hall, Alexis C Wood, Kent D Taylor, Wendy S Post, Stephen S Rich, Matthew Nayor, James G Wilson, Gregory D Lewis, Ravi V Shah, Jerome I Rotter, Scott A Summers, Laura M Raffield, Shingo Kajimura, Claude Bouchard, Clary B Clish, Mark A Sarzynski, Robert E Gerszten

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Cardiorespiratory fitness is an integrative measure of cardiometabolic health and predictor of survival, yet little is known about its molecular underpinnings. Small molecule metabolites and lipids are increasingly recognized as exercise-stimulated signaling molecules and candidate molecular transducers of cardiorespiratory fitness.

Methods: We performed nontargeted liquid chromatography mass spectrometry-based plasma metabolomics in 654 participants (mean age, 35 years; 55% women) from the HERITAGE Family Study (Health, Risk Factors, Exercise Training, and Genetics) who had cardiorespiratory fitness (maximal oxygen uptake [VO2max]) measured by cardiopulmonary exercise testing and underwent 20 weeks of supervised endurance training. Metabolite-VO2max relationships were assessed using linear regression …


Scrotal Temperature Change During Running In Naked Humans, Yasuho Takii, Makoto Fukuda, Kazuyuki Kanosue, Tamae Yoda Oct 2025

Scrotal Temperature Change During Running In Naked Humans, Yasuho Takii, Makoto Fukuda, Kazuyuki Kanosue, Tamae Yoda

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Male reproductive organs are functionally affected by high body temperature. This study aimed to clarify the thermoregulation mechanisms of the human scrotum during running, and experiments were conducted to investigate temperature changes in the whole body and the scrotum. Eleven male long-distance runners performed treadmill running at 60%[Formula: see text] for 60 min in an indoor environment at 27 °C and 40% relative humidity. Immediately after the start of the run, the skin temperatures in areas other than the scrotum decreased or showed a tendency to decrease. In contrast, the scrotal temperature increased immediately after the start of the run. …


Dietary Patterns For Weight And Glycemic Management In Persons With Type 1 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis Of Clinical Trials, Daria Igudesman, Laura M Nally, Alyssa A Grimshaw, Craig G Gunderson, Elizabeth G Considine, Laura M Jacobsen, Mustafa Tosur, Peter A Gottlieb, Irl B Hirsch, Lori M Laffel, Jennifer L Sherr, Chantal Mathieu, Richard E Pratley Oct 2025

Dietary Patterns For Weight And Glycemic Management In Persons With Type 1 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis Of Clinical Trials, Daria Igudesman, Laura M Nally, Alyssa A Grimshaw, Craig G Gunderson, Elizabeth G Considine, Laura M Jacobsen, Mustafa Tosur, Peter A Gottlieb, Irl B Hirsch, Lori M Laffel, Jennifer L Sherr, Chantal Mathieu, Richard E Pratley

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Medical nutrition therapy is fundamental for managing glycemia and weight in type 1 diabetes, yet dietary guidance specific to this population and relevant subgroups is lacking.

Purpose: We synthesized the interventional literature investigating diet patterns for glycemic and weight management in youth and adults with type 1 diabetes, with attention to interindividual variation that suggests the need for precision approaches. The protocol was prospectively registered (CRD42024519941).

Data sources: AMED, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Google Scholar, and Web of Science Core Collection were searched from January 2011 to June 2024.

Study selection: Clinical trials ≥4 weeks with …


Associations Among Human Milk Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids And Infant Sleep Patterns: A Cross-Sectional Study, Ana M Palacios, Dominick J Lemas, Bridget E Young, Erik Parker, Stephanie Dickinson, Nandi Marshall, Kelly L Sullivan, Haley Wilt, Michelle I Cardel, David B Allison Oct 2025

Associations Among Human Milk Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids And Infant Sleep Patterns: A Cross-Sectional Study, Ana M Palacios, Dominick J Lemas, Bridget E Young, Erik Parker, Stephanie Dickinson, Nandi Marshall, Kelly L Sullivan, Haley Wilt, Michelle I Cardel, David B Allison

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Infant sleep is critical for cognitive, emotional, and long-term health outcomes. Although diet-sleep relationships are established, limited research has explored how polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in human milk (HM) relate to infant sleep.

Objectives: This study aims to examine associations between PUFAs in HM and sleep patterns in 2-mo-old infants exclusively fed with HM.

Methods: This cross-sectional secondary analysis used data from a lactation cookie trial involving 131 parents of healthy, term infants. Participants provided a fasting HM sample and completed sociodemographic and Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire surveys. Multivariate linear models were adjusted for infant sex assigned at birth, …


All-Cause And Cause-Specific Mortality Among Patients With Narcolepsy., Chih-Wei Hsu, Yen-Shan Yang, Yang-Chieh Brian Chen, Liang-Jen Wang, Mu-Hong Chen, Yao-Hsu Yang, Chih-Sung Liang, Edward Chia-Cheng Lai Oct 2025

All-Cause And Cause-Specific Mortality Among Patients With Narcolepsy., Chih-Wei Hsu, Yen-Shan Yang, Yang-Chieh Brian Chen, Liang-Jen Wang, Mu-Hong Chen, Yao-Hsu Yang, Chih-Sung Liang, Edward Chia-Cheng Lai

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Importance: Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder potentially affecting mortality, yet evidence on this association remains sparse.

Objective: To examine whether narcolepsy is associated with an increased risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

Design, setting, and participants: This retrospective cohort study used data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) from 2001 to 2021, with patients followed up until death or December 31, 2022. Patients were aged 6 years or older with 2 or more narcolepsy diagnoses from psychiatrists or neurologists. Controls were selected from the NHIRD as a population-based sample. Controls without narcolepsy were matched in a 1:4 …


Menopause Factors And Alterations In Gut Microbiota And Insulin Homeostasis: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of The Microbiome And Insulin Longitudinal Evaluation Study (Miles), Vincent J Maffei, Alain G Bertoni, Alexis C Wood, Jerome I Rotter, Osa Crago, Yii-Der I Chen, Joseph F Petrosino, Kristi L Hoffman, Mark O Goodarzi, Elizabeth T Jensen Oct 2025

Menopause Factors And Alterations In Gut Microbiota And Insulin Homeostasis: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of The Microbiome And Insulin Longitudinal Evaluation Study (Miles), Vincent J Maffei, Alain G Bertoni, Alexis C Wood, Jerome I Rotter, Osa Crago, Yii-Der I Chen, Joseph F Petrosino, Kristi L Hoffman, Mark O Goodarzi, Elizabeth T Jensen

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Aim: To assess the risk for impaired insulin homeostasis as a function of menopause-related factors and gut microbiota dysbiosis in non-diabetic, post-menopausal women.

Materials and methods: Baseline data (n = 175 women) from the Microbiome and Insulin Longitudinal Evaluation Study (MILES) were used, including insulin and dysglycaemia indices calculated from a 2-h oral glucose tolerance test, untargeted peripheral metabolomics, targeted peripheral short chain fatty-acid levels and faecal bacterial microbiota surveyed by whole-metagenomic sequencing.

Results: After adjustment for covariates, menopause age < 50 years and use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were associated with lower Matsuda et al. insulin sensitivity index levels (β = -0.232, confidence interval (CI) = [-0.450, -0.014] and β = -0.275, CI = [-0.444, -0.107], respectively) but not pre-menopausal gynaecologic surgery. Pre-menopausal gynaecologic surgery was significantly associated with faecal microbiota beta diversity driven by a relative increase in diabetogenic Ruminococcus gnavus and Clostridium species and a decrease in protective Alistipes species and Akkermansia muciniphila relative abundances. A reduction in two glycerophospholipids in the plasmalogen class significantly statistically mediated an inverse association between gynaecologic surgery before menopause and insulin sensitivity.

Conclusions: Menopause age and history of HRT are more strongly associated with insulin resistance than gynaecologic surgery before menopause. However, …


Comparison Of Authentic Urine N-Ethylpentedrone Metabolites To Predicted In Silico And In Vitro Human Hepatocyte Metabolism, Gloria Daziani, Omayema Taoussi, Diletta Berardinelli, Giulia Bambagiotti, Marilyn A. Huestis, Francesco P. Busardò, Jeremy Carlier Sep 2025

Comparison Of Authentic Urine N-Ethylpentedrone Metabolites To Predicted In Silico And In Vitro Human Hepatocyte Metabolism, Gloria Daziani, Omayema Taoussi, Diletta Berardinelli, Giulia Bambagiotti, Marilyn A. Huestis, Francesco P. Busardò, Jeremy Carlier

Institute of Emerging Health Professions Faculty Papers

Synthetic cathinones are the second most common class of substances belonging to the category of new psychoactive substances (NPS). N-ethylpentedrone (NEPD) self-administration was reported, making it important to elucidate its metabolic pathway to improve its detection. NEPD is often taken together with other substances; confidently identifying its intake is important for accurate toxicological analysis and understanding its toxicity. NEPD metabolism was studied following incubation with human hepatocytes and analysis by liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry paired with Compound Discoverer software (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Prediction of possible metabolites was performed with the online software GLORYx. In vivo NEPD metabolism was evaluated by …


Amino Acids And Cart Distinguish A-Β+ Ketosis-Prone Diabetes From Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes During Hyperglycemic Crises, Farook Jahoor, Jean W Hsu, Kelly R Keene, W Frank Peacock, Xiaofang Huang, Danielle Guffey, Jinyoung Byun, Rasmus Bennet, Ake Lernmark, Mustafa Tosur, Ashok Balasubramanyam Sep 2025

Amino Acids And Cart Distinguish A-Β+ Ketosis-Prone Diabetes From Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes During Hyperglycemic Crises, Farook Jahoor, Jean W Hsu, Kelly R Keene, W Frank Peacock, Xiaofang Huang, Danielle Guffey, Jinyoung Byun, Rasmus Bennet, Ake Lernmark, Mustafa Tosur, Ashok Balasubramanyam

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Context: When clinically stable, patients with A-β+ ketosis-prone diabetes (KPD) manifest unique markers of amino acid metabolism. Biomarkers differentiating KPD from type 1 (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) during hyperglycemic crises would accelerate diagnosis and management.

Objective: Compare serum metabolomics of KPD, T1D, and T2D patients during hyperglycemic crises, and utilize classification and regression tree (CART) modeling to distinguish these forms of diabetes.

Methods: At an urban hospital emergency center, adults with KPD, T1D, and T2D during hyperglycemic crises with or without diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and healthy controls, underwent comparisons of serum metabolite and hormonal profiles and CART analyses. …


Heightened Risk: Childhood Trauma And Anticipatory Grief Exacerbate The Impact Of Loneliness On Depressive Symptoms And Lps-Stimulated Cytokines In Dementia Caregivers, Kelly N Brice, Jensine Paoletti-Hatcher, E Lydia Wu-Chung, Vincent D Lai, Daniel L Argueta, Michelle A Chen, Itee Mahant, Bryan T Denny, Charles Green, Luis D Medina, Paul Schulz, Jennifer Stinson, Samantha K Henry, Cobi Heijnen, Christopher P Fagundes Sep 2025

Heightened Risk: Childhood Trauma And Anticipatory Grief Exacerbate The Impact Of Loneliness On Depressive Symptoms And Lps-Stimulated Cytokines In Dementia Caregivers, Kelly N Brice, Jensine Paoletti-Hatcher, E Lydia Wu-Chung, Vincent D Lai, Daniel L Argueta, Michelle A Chen, Itee Mahant, Bryan T Denny, Charles Green, Luis D Medina, Paul Schulz, Jennifer Stinson, Samantha K Henry, Cobi Heijnen, Christopher P Fagundes

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Dementia spousal caregivers are at a disproportionate risk for adverse mental and physical health outcomes. Loneliness is associated with depressive symptoms and proinflammatory cytokine production among caregivers. Additionally, childhood trauma, anticipatory grief, and poor sleep quality are all associated with enhanced stress reactivity. This study used a cross-sectional design to investigate whether loneliness is associated with proinflammatory cytokine production and depressive symptoms in caregivers, and whether these relationships are strongest among caregivers who report high levels of childhood trauma, high amounts of anticipatory grief, or poor sleep quality. A sample of 111 dementia spousal caregivers provided blood samples and completed …


Patient-Centered, Theory-Based, Online Intervention To Promote A Physically Active Lifestyle For People With Multiple Sclerosis: Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Chungyi Chiu, Vaishnavi Sridharan, Mojtaba Khaliji, Md Refat Uz Zaman Sajib, Xiaotian Gao, Kathleen Zackowski Jul 2025

Patient-Centered, Theory-Based, Online Intervention To Promote A Physically Active Lifestyle For People With Multiple Sclerosis: Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Chungyi Chiu, Vaishnavi Sridharan, Mojtaba Khaliji, Md Refat Uz Zaman Sajib, Xiaotian Gao, Kathleen Zackowski

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: People with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience life challenges due to the nature of disease progression. Although an active lifestyle has been shown effective for symptom and relapse management, most people with MS lead a sedentary lifestyle and do not reach the recommended physical activity (PA) guidelines.

Objective: This study aims to test the preliminary efficacy of a codeveloped, online self-management intervention based on the health action process approach (HAPA) adapted for people with MS to cultivate a physically active lifestyle.

Methods: The 8-week intervention program was developed using community-based participatory research based on the HAPA. The program includes increasing …


The Overlooked Impact Of Background Diet And Adherence In Nutrition Trials, Javier I Ottaviani, Hagen Schroeter, Dennis M Bier, John W Erdman, Howard D Sesso, Joann E Manson, Gunter G C Kuhnle Jul 2025

The Overlooked Impact Of Background Diet And Adherence In Nutrition Trials, Javier I Ottaviani, Hagen Schroeter, Dennis M Bier, John W Erdman, Howard D Sesso, Joann E Manson, Gunter G C Kuhnle

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Randomised controlled trials in nutrition (RCTN) face unique challenges, including the considerable influence of the background diet and the challenge of assuring intervention adherence by participants. The impact of these factors on the outcome of RCTNs has been difficult to quantify, but nutritional biomarkers represent a valuable tool to address these challenges. Using flavanols as a model dietary intervention and a set of recently validated flavanol biomarkers, we here investigated the impact of background diet and adherence on the outcomes of a subcohort of the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS, NCT 02422745). We found that 20% of participants …


Defining Lipedema’S Molecular Hallmarks By Multi-Omics Approach For Disease Prediction In Women, Leon G Straub, Jan-Bernd Funcke, Nolwenn Joffin, Chanmin Joung, Sara Al-Ghadban, Shangang Zhao, Qingzhang Zhu, Ilja L Kruglikov, Yi Zhu, Paul R Langlais, Ruth Gordillo, Karen L Herbst, Philipp E Scherer Jul 2025

Defining Lipedema’S Molecular Hallmarks By Multi-Omics Approach For Disease Prediction In Women, Leon G Straub, Jan-Bernd Funcke, Nolwenn Joffin, Chanmin Joung, Sara Al-Ghadban, Shangang Zhao, Qingzhang Zhu, Ilja L Kruglikov, Yi Zhu, Paul R Langlais, Ruth Gordillo, Karen L Herbst, Philipp E Scherer

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Lipedema is a chronic disease in females characterized by pathologic subcutaneous adipose tissue expansion and hitherto remains without druggable targets. In this observational study, we investigated the molecular hallmarks of lipedema using an unbiased multi-omics approach. We found adipokine dysregulation in lipedema patients participating in a cross-sectional clinical study (ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT02838277), pointing towards the adipocyte as a key player. Analyses of newly generated transcriptomic (SRA, PRJNA940039) and proteomic (ProteomeXchange, PXD058489) datasets of early- and late-stage lipedema samples revealed a local downregulation of factors involved in inflammation. Concomitantly, factors involved in cellular respiration, oxidative phosphorylation, as well as in mitochondrial …


The Maturity-Onset Diabetes Of The Young (Mody) Calculator Overestimates Mody Probability In Hispanic Youth, Guido Alarcon, Anh Nguyen, Angus Jones, Beverley Shields, Maria J Redondo, Mustafa Tosur Jun 2025

The Maturity-Onset Diabetes Of The Young (Mody) Calculator Overestimates Mody Probability In Hispanic Youth, Guido Alarcon, Anh Nguyen, Angus Jones, Beverley Shields, Maria J Redondo, Mustafa Tosur

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Context: The applicability of the maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) risk calculator to non-White European populations remains unknown.

Objective: We aimed to test its real-world application in Hispanic youth.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of Hispanic youth (< 23 years) with diabetes (n = 2033) in a large pediatric tertiary care center in the United States. We calculated MODY probability for all subjects, splitting them into 2 cohorts based on the original model: individuals who were started on insulin within 6 months of diabetes diagnosis (Cohort 1) and those who were not (Cohort 2).

Results: Cohort 1 consisted of 1566 individuals (median age [25p, 75p]: 16 [13, 19] years, 49% female), while Cohort 2 comprised 467 youth (median age [25p, 75p]: 17 [15, 20] years, 62% female). The mean MODY probability was 5.9% and 61.9% in Cohort 1 and Cohort 2, respectively. The mean probability for both cohorts combined was 18.8%, suggesting an …


Time To Weight Plateau With Tirzepatide Treatment In The Surmount-1 And Surmount-4 Clinical Trials, Deborah B Horn, Scott Kahan, Rachel L Batterham, Dachuang Cao, Clare J Lee, Madhumita Murphy, Sylvia Gonsahn-Bollie, Farai Chigutsa, Adam Stefanski, Julia P Dunn Jun 2025

Time To Weight Plateau With Tirzepatide Treatment In The Surmount-1 And Surmount-4 Clinical Trials, Deborah B Horn, Scott Kahan, Rachel L Batterham, Dachuang Cao, Clare J Lee, Madhumita Murphy, Sylvia Gonsahn-Bollie, Farai Chigutsa, Adam Stefanski, Julia P Dunn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The rate of weight reduction during obesity treatment declines over time and eventually reaches a weight plateau. We investigated factors associated with time to weight plateau (TTWP) in tirzepatide-treated participants with obesity or overweight in a post-hoc analysis of SURMOUNT-1 and SURMOUNT-4 trials. Participants adherent to tirzepatide treatment and achieving ≥5% weight loss by primary endpoint (week 72 SURMOUNT-1; week 88 SURMOUNT-4) were included. Weight plateau was defined as a weight change < 5% over a 12-week interval and all subsequent 12-week intervals. TTWP was time from randomization to the start of the first 12-week interval. Association between baseline characteristics and TTWP was assessed. Overall, 1438 participants in SURMOUNT-1 and 259 in SURMOUNT-4 were included. Across BMI categories (overweight, class I, II, and III), median TTWP in SURMOUNT-1 was 24.3, 26.0, 36.1, and 36.1 weeks, respectively (p < .05, class II and III vs. overweight). By week 72, 90.2%, 88.9%, 87.6%, and 87.8% of participants in SURMOUNT-1 had reached a weight plateau across respective BMI categories [Correction added on 22 January 2025, after first online publication: The "72%" has been changed to "72" in this version.]. Higher doses of tirzepatide (10/15 mg), younger age, and female sex were more likely to reach a weight plateau later. Results in SURMOUNT-4 were similar. In this post-hoc analysis, most participants reached a weight plateau by week 72. Higher doses of tirzepatide, younger age, and female sex were associated with a longer TTWP. Further research into modifiers of weight reduction phases with tirzepatide may inform treatment decisions for its use in chronic weight management. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifiers NCT04184622 (SURMOUNT-1) and NCT04660643 (SURMOUNT-4), available at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/.


A Cluster Randomized Trial Of Xylitol Chewing Gum For Prevention Of Preterm Birth: The Ppax Trial, Gregory C Valentine, Kathleen M Antony, Haleh Sangi-Haghpeykar, Alexis C Wood, Rose Chirwa, Saukani Petro, Mary Dumba, Deborah Nanthuru, Cynthia Shope, Jesse Mlotha-Namarika, Jeffrey Wilkinson, Joshua Aagaard, Ellen J Aagaard, Maxim D Seferovic, Judy Levison, Peter Kazembe, Kjersti M Aagaard Apr 2025

A Cluster Randomized Trial Of Xylitol Chewing Gum For Prevention Of Preterm Birth: The Ppax Trial, Gregory C Valentine, Kathleen M Antony, Haleh Sangi-Haghpeykar, Alexis C Wood, Rose Chirwa, Saukani Petro, Mary Dumba, Deborah Nanthuru, Cynthia Shope, Jesse Mlotha-Namarika, Jeffrey Wilkinson, Joshua Aagaard, Ellen J Aagaard, Maxim D Seferovic, Judy Levison, Peter Kazembe, Kjersti M Aagaard

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Maternal periodontal disease is associated with preterm and low-birthweight deliveries, but randomized trials of likely efficacious treatments (e.g., dental scaling and root planing) during pregnancy have not reduced these adverse outcomes. As an alternative, we hypothesized that periconception initiation of xylitol chewing gum would reduce the occurrence of preterm or low-birthweight deliveries among a historical high-prevalence population in Malawi.

Methods: We conducted an open-label, parallel-enrollment, matched-pair, cluster-randomized, controlled clinical trial across eight health centers (sites) in and around Lilongwe, Malawi. Sites were paired by anticipated delivery volume and randomized to prenatal and oral health education alone (active control) or …


Exploring Profiles Of Fathers Integrating Food And Physical Activity Parenting Practices, John A Jimenez-Garcia, Louise C Mâsse, Robert L Newton, Salma M Musaad, Alicia Beltran, Teresia M O'Connor Mar 2025

Exploring Profiles Of Fathers Integrating Food And Physical Activity Parenting Practices, John A Jimenez-Garcia, Louise C Mâsse, Robert L Newton, Salma M Musaad, Alicia Beltran, Teresia M O'Connor

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Objective: This study aims to identify fathers' profiles integrating food parenting practices (FPP) and physical activity parenting practices (PAPP).

Design: We analysed cross-sectional data. The fathers completed the reduced FPP and PAPP item banks and socio-demographic and family dynamics (co-parenting and household responsibility) questionnaires. We identified fathers' profiles via latent profile analysis. We explored the influence of social determinants, child characteristics and family dynamics on fathers' profiles using multinomial logistic regression.

Setting: Online survey in the USA.

Participants: Fathers of 5-11-year-old children.

Results: We analysed data from 606 fathers (age = 38 ± 8·0; Hispanic = 37·5 %). Most fathers …


Genetic Associations With C-Peptide Levels Before Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis In At-Risk Relatives, Taylor M Triolo, Hemang M Parikh, Mustafa Tosur, Lauric A Ferrat, Lu You, Peter A Gottlieb, Richard A Oram, Suna Onengut-Gumuscu, Jeffrey P Krischer, Stephen S Rich, Andrea K Steck, Maria J Redondo Mar 2025

Genetic Associations With C-Peptide Levels Before Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis In At-Risk Relatives, Taylor M Triolo, Hemang M Parikh, Mustafa Tosur, Lauric A Ferrat, Lu You, Peter A Gottlieb, Richard A Oram, Suna Onengut-Gumuscu, Jeffrey P Krischer, Stephen S Rich, Andrea K Steck, Maria J Redondo

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Objective: We sought to determine whether the type 1 diabetes genetic risk score-2 (T1D-GRS2) and single nucleotide polymorphisms are associated with C-peptide preservation before type 1 diabetes diagnosis.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 713 autoantibody-positive participants who developed type 1 diabetes in the TrialNet Pathway to Prevention Study who had T1DExomeChip data. We evaluated the relationships of 16 known single nucleotide polymorphisms and T1D-GRS2 with area under the curve (AUC) C-peptide levels during oral glucose tolerance tests conducted in the 9 months before diagnosis.

Results: Higher T1D-GRS2 was associated with lower C-peptide AUC in the 9 months before …


Association Between Maternal Stress And Child Sleep Quality: A Nationwide Echo Prospective Cohort Study, Sarah Dee Geiger, Aruna Chandran, Marie L Churchill, Maxwell Mansolf, Cai Zhang, Salma Musaad, Courtney K Blackwell, Stephanie M Eick, Dana E Goin, Susan Korrick, Akram Alshawabkeh, Patricia A Brennan, Carrie V Breton, Jose F Cordero, Sean Deoni, Viren D'Sa, Anne L Dunlop, Amy J Elliott, Assiamira Ferrara, Arlene Keddie, Monique Lebourgeois, Kaja Z Lewinn, Daphne Koinis-Mitchell, Maristella Lucchini, Sara S Nozadi, Thomas O'Connor, Yeyi Zhu, Emily Zimmerman, Susan L Schantz Feb 2025

Association Between Maternal Stress And Child Sleep Quality: A Nationwide Echo Prospective Cohort Study, Sarah Dee Geiger, Aruna Chandran, Marie L Churchill, Maxwell Mansolf, Cai Zhang, Salma Musaad, Courtney K Blackwell, Stephanie M Eick, Dana E Goin, Susan Korrick, Akram Alshawabkeh, Patricia A Brennan, Carrie V Breton, Jose F Cordero, Sean Deoni, Viren D'Sa, Anne L Dunlop, Amy J Elliott, Assiamira Ferrara, Arlene Keddie, Monique Lebourgeois, Kaja Z Lewinn, Daphne Koinis-Mitchell, Maristella Lucchini, Sara S Nozadi, Thomas O'Connor, Yeyi Zhu, Emily Zimmerman, Susan L Schantz

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Childhood sleep quality is associated with physical, cognitive, and behavioral health and predicts later sleep quality; it has many determinants, including developmental exposures.

Objectives: To examine associations between maternal stress during pregnancy and childhood sleep quality and determine whether postnatal stress mediates the association.

Method: Data from the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes cohort were used. Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) T-scores were the exposure measure. Outcome measures were preschool Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) sleep syndrome scale and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Sleep Disturbance Parent Proxy short form 4a (PSD4a) T-scores at ages 4-8 years. Linear mixed-effects regression …


The Association Between Thyroid Differentiation Score And Survival Outcomes In Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma, Jennifer R Wang, Mark E Zafereo, Maria E Cabanillas, Chia Chin Wu, Li Xu, Yaoyi Dai, Wenyi Wang, Stephen Y Lai, Ying Henderson, Lauren Erasmus, Michelle D Williams, Corinne Joshu, Debashree Ray Jan 2025

The Association Between Thyroid Differentiation Score And Survival Outcomes In Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma, Jennifer R Wang, Mark E Zafereo, Maria E Cabanillas, Chia Chin Wu, Li Xu, Yaoyi Dai, Wenyi Wang, Stephen Y Lai, Ying Henderson, Lauren Erasmus, Michelle D Williams, Corinne Joshu, Debashree Ray

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Context: Thyroid differentiation score (TDS), calculated based on mRNA expression levels of 16 genes controlling thyroid metabolism and function, has been proposed as a measure to quantify differentiation in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine whether TDS is associated with survival outcomes across patient cohorts.

Methods: Two independent cohorts of patients with PTC were used: (1) The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) thyroid cancer study (N = 372), (2) MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) cohort (N = 111). The primary survival outcome of interest was progression-free interval (PFI). Association with overall survival (OS) was …


A Reflection-Spectroscopy Measured Skin Carotenoid Score Strongly Correlates With Plasma Concentrations Of All Major Dietary Carotenoid Species Except For Lycopene, Qiang Wu, Cheryl Webb Cherry, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Melissa N Laska, Neal Craft, Nancy E Moran Jan 2025

A Reflection-Spectroscopy Measured Skin Carotenoid Score Strongly Correlates With Plasma Concentrations Of All Major Dietary Carotenoid Species Except For Lycopene, Qiang Wu, Cheryl Webb Cherry, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Melissa N Laska, Neal Craft, Nancy E Moran

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Skin carotenoids can be measured non-invasively using spectroscopy methods to provide a biomarker of total dietary carotenoid and carotenoid-rich fruit and vegetable intake. However, the degree to which skin carotenoid biomarkers reflect intakes of specific carotenoids must be determined for specific devices. Previously, findings were mixed regarding the correlation between reflection spectroscopy (RS)-assessed skin carotenoids and individual plasma carotenoid concentrations. The current study expands on prior analyses to examine the cross-sectional associations between adult RS-assessed skin carotenoids and individual carotenoid species intakes and plasma concentrations, controlling for potential covariates. We hypothesized that RS-assessed skin carotenoid scores would strongly correlate with …


Untargeted Metabolome Atlas For Sleep-Related Phenotypes In The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study Of Latinos, Ying Zhang, Brian W Spitzer, Yu Zhang, Danielle A Wallace, Bing Yu, Qibin Qi, Maria Argos, M Larissa Avilés-Santa, Eric Boerwinkle, Martha L Daviglus, Robert Kaplan, Jianwen Cai, Susan Redline, Tamar Sofer Jan 2025

Untargeted Metabolome Atlas For Sleep-Related Phenotypes In The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study Of Latinos, Ying Zhang, Brian W Spitzer, Yu Zhang, Danielle A Wallace, Bing Yu, Qibin Qi, Maria Argos, M Larissa Avilés-Santa, Eric Boerwinkle, Martha L Daviglus, Robert Kaplan, Jianwen Cai, Susan Redline, Tamar Sofer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Sleep is essential to maintaining health and wellbeing of individuals, influencing a variety of outcomes from mental health to cardiometabolic disease. This study aims to assess the relationships between various sleep-related phenotypes and blood metabolites.

METHODS: Utilising data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, we performed association analyses between 40 sleep-related phenotypes, grouped in several domains (sleep disordered breathing (SDB), sleep duration, sleep timing, self-reported insomnia symptoms, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), and heart rate during sleep), and 768 metabolites measured via untargeted metabolomics profiling. Network analysis was employed to visualise and interpret the associations between sleep phenotypes …


Mapping Epidermal And Dermal Cellular Senescence In Human Skin Aging, Grace T Yu, Clarisse Ganier, David B Allison, Tamara Tchkonia, Sundeep Khosla, James L Kirkland, Magnus D Lynch, Saranya P Wyles Jan 2025

Mapping Epidermal And Dermal Cellular Senescence In Human Skin Aging, Grace T Yu, Clarisse Ganier, David B Allison, Tamara Tchkonia, Sundeep Khosla, James L Kirkland, Magnus D Lynch, Saranya P Wyles

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics enable unprecedented insight into cellular and molecular pathways implicated in human skin aging and regeneration. Senescent cells are individual cells that are irreversibly cell cycle arrested and can accumulate across the human lifespan due to cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic stressors. With an atlas of single-cell RNA-sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, epidermal and dermal senescence and its effects were investigated, with a focus on melanocytes and fibroblasts. Photoaging due to ultraviolet light exposure was associated with higher burdens of senescent cells, a sign of biological aging, compared to chronological aging. A skin-specific cellular senescence gene set, termed …