Gastrointestinal Symptoms in 2- to 5-Year-Old Children in the Study to Explore Early Development

Gastrointestinal symptoms (GIS) are commonly reported in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This multi-site study evaluated the prevalence of GIS in preschool-aged children with ASD/(n = 672), with other developmental delays (DD)/(n = 938), and children in the general population (POP)/(n = 851). After adjusting for covariates, children in the ASD group were over 3 times more likely to have parent-reported GIS than the POP group, and almost 2 times more likely than the DD group. Children with GIS from all groups had more behavioral and sleep problems. Within the ASD group, children with developmental regression had more GIS than those without; however, there were no differences in autism severity scores between children with and without GIS. These findings have implications for clinical management

Health Status and Health Care Use Among Adolescents Identified With and Without Autism in Early Childhood — Four U.S. Sites, 2018–2020

Persons identified in early childhood as having autism spectrum disorder (autism) often have co-occurring health problems that extend into adolescence (1–3). Although only limited data exist on their health and use of health care services as they transition to adolescence, emerging data suggest that a minority of these persons receive recommended guidance* from their primary care providers (PCPs) starting at age 12 years to ensure a planned transition from pediatric to adult health care (4,5). To address this gap in data, researchers analyzed preliminary data from a follow-up survey of parents and guardians of adolescents aged 12–16 years who previously participated in the Study to Explore Early Development (https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/seed.html). The adolescents were originally studied at ages 2–5 years and identified at that age as having autism (autism group) or as general population controls (control group). Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) that accounted for differences in demographic characteristics were used to compare outcomes between groups. Adolescents in the autism group were more likely than were those in the control group to have physical difficulties (21.2% versus 1.6%;aPR = 11.6;95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.2–31.9), and to have additional mental health or other condition

Genomics of cold adaptations in the Antarctic notothenioid fish radiation

Numerous novel adaptations characterise the radiation of notothenioids, the dominant fish group in the freezing seas of the Southern Ocean. To improve understanding of the evolution of this iconic fish group, here we generate and analyse new genome assemblies for 24 species covering all major subgroups of the radiation, including five long-read assemblies. We present a new estimate for the onset of the radiation at 10.7 million years ago, based on a time-calibrated phylogeny derived from genome-wide sequence data. We identify a two-fold variation in genome size, driven by expansion of multiple transposable element families, and use the long-read data to reconstruct two evolutionarily important, highly repetitive gene family loci. First, we present the most complete reconstruction to date of the antifreeze glycoprotein gene family, whose emergence enabled survival in sub-zero temperatures, showing the expansion of the antifreeze gene locus from the ancestral to the derived state. Second, we trace the loss of haemoglobin genes in icefishes, the only vertebrates lacking functional haemoglobins, through complete reconstruction of the two haemoglobin gene clusters across notothenioid families. Both the haemoglobin and antifreeze genomic loci are characterised by multiple transposon expansions that may have driven the evolutionary history of these genes

A comparative analysis of foliar chemical composition and leaf construction costs of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) and ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) saplings along a light gradient

• Construction cost (g glucose g−1), chemical composition and morphology of leaves of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and two co-occurring valuable broadleaved species (sycamore maple – Acer pseudoplatanus L. – and ash – Fraxinus excelsior L.) were investigated along a horizontal light gradient (3–60% of above canopy radiation) and from top to bottom within the crowns in a fairly even-aged mixed-species thicket established by natural regeneration beneath a patchy shelterwood canopy. • Construction cost and carbon concentration increased with irradiance in ash and sycamore maple and were independent of irradiance in beech. Leaf traits expressed on an area basis, like construction cost, nitrogen content and leaf mass (LMA) increased significantly with irradiance in all three species and decreased from top to bottom within crowns. • The shade tolerant beech invested more glucose to produce a unit foliar biomass, but less to build a unit foliar area due to lower LMA. Thereby beech was able to display a greater total leaf area, what at least in parts counterbalanced the lower values of Na as compared to ash and sycamore maple

“The Times They Are A-Changin’” at Diabetes Care

Every five years or so, the editorial team leading Diabetes Care turns over with the appointment of new leadership. This issue of volume 46 represents the first of a new editorial team, making it the tenth group to be responsible for the scientific content of the journal. Starting in 1978 with Jay Skyler as its first editor, Diabetes Care has gone from strength to strength with new initiatives and a steady increase in its influence. This impact has been in line with the charge given at the journal’s founding by the then president of the American Diabetes Association Norbert Freinkel when he wrote, “The new journal is designed to promote better patient care by serving the expanded needs of all health professionals committed to the care of patients with diabetes.

New insights into the genetic etiology of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

Characterization of the genetic landscape of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADD) provides a unique opportunity for a better understanding of the associated pathophysiological processes. We performed a two-stage genome-wide association study totaling 111,326 clinically diagnosed/'proxy' AD cases and 677,663 controls. We found 75 risk loci, of which 42 were new at the time of analysis. Pathway enrichment analyses confirmed the involvement of amyloid/tau pathways and highlighted microglia implication. Gene prioritization in the new loci identified 31 genes that were suggestive of new genetically associated processes, including the tumor necrosis factor alpha pathway through the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex. We also built a new genetic risk score associated with the risk of future AD/dementia or progression from mild cognitive impairment to AD/dementia. The improvement in prediction led to a 1.6- to 1.9-fold increase in AD risk from the lowest to the highest decile, in addition to effects of age and the APOE ε4 allele