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1. Population Atlas Analysis of Emerging Brain Structural Connections in the Human Fetus

   https://doi.org/10.1002/jmri.29057  

   Calixto, Camilo; Machado‐Rivas, Fedel; Karimi, Davood; Velasco‐Annis, Clemente; Cortes‐Albornoz, Maria Camila; Afacan, Onur; Warfield, Simon K.; Gholipour, Ali; Jaimes, Camilo (October 2023, Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

   BackgroundA lack of in utero imaging data hampers our understanding of the connections in the human fetal brain. Generalizing observations from postmortem subjects and premature newborns is inaccurate due to technical and biological differences. PurposeTo evaluate changes in fetal brain structural connectivity between 23 and 35 weeks postconceptional age using a spatiotemporal atlas of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Study TypeRetrospective. PopulationPublicly available diffusion atlases, based on 60 healthy women (age 18–45 years) with normal prenatal care, from 23 and 35 weeks of gestation. Field Strength/Sequence3.0 Tesla/DTI acquired with diffusion‐weighted echo planar imaging (EPI). AssessmentWe performed whole‐brain fiber tractography from DTI images. The cortical plate of each diffusion atlas was segmented and parcellated into 78 regions derived from the Edinburgh Neonatal Atlas (ENA33). Connectivity matrices were computed, representing normalized fiber connections between nodes. We examined the relationship between global efficiency (GE), local efficiency (LE), small‐worldness (SW), nodal efficiency (NE), and betweenness centrality (BC) with gestational age (GA) and with laterality. Statistical TestsLinear regression was used to analyze changes in GE, LE, NE, and BC throughout gestation, and to assess changes in laterality. Thet‐tests were used to assess SW.P‐values were corrected using Holm‐Bonferroni method. A correctedP‐value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. ResultsNetwork analysis revealed a significant weekly increase in GE (5.83%/week, 95% CI 4.32–7.37), LE (5.43%/week, 95% CI 3.63–7.25), and presence of SW across GA. No significant hemisphere differences were found in GE (P = 0.971) or LE (P = 0.458). Increasing GA was significantly associated with increasing NE in 41 nodes, increasing BC in 3 nodes, and decreasing BC in 2 nodes. Data ConclusionExtensive network development and refinement occur in the second and third trimesters, marked by a rapid increase in global integration and local segregation. Level of Evidence3 Technical EfficacyStage 2 

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2. RCSB Protein Data Bank 1D3D module: displaying positional features on macromolecular assemblies

   https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btac317  

   Segura, Joan; Rose, Yana; Bittrich, Sebastian; Burley, Stephen K.; Duarte, Jose M.; Cowen, ed., Lenore (May 2022, Bioinformatics)

   Abstract MotivationMapping positional features from one-dimensional (1D) sequences onto three-dimensional (3D) structures of biological macromolecules is a powerful tool to show geometric patterns of biochemical annotations and provide a better understanding of the mechanisms underpinning protein and nucleic acid function at the atomic level. ResultsWe present a new library designed to display fully customizable interactive views between 1D positional features of protein and/or nucleic acid sequences and their 3D structures as isolated chains or components of macromolecular assemblies. Availability and implementationhttps://github.com/rcsb/rcsb-saguaro-3d. Supplementary informationSupplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. 

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3. SNAPSHOT USA 2019–2023: The First Five Years of Data From a Coordinated Camera Trap Survey of the United States

   https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13941  

   Rooney, Brigit; Kays, Roland; Cove, Michael V; Jensen, Alex; Goldstein, Benjamin R; Pate, Christopher; Castiblanco, Paula; Abell, Maggie E; Adley, Jessie; Agenbroad, Briana; et al (January 2025, Global Ecology and Biogeography)

   ABSTRACT MotivationSNAPSHOT USA is an annual, multicontributor camera trap survey of mammals across the United States. The growing SNAPSHOT USA dataset is intended for tracking the spatial and temporal responses of mammal populations to changes in land use, land cover and climate. These data will be useful for exploring the drivers of spatial and temporal changes in relative abundance and distribution, as well as the impacts of species interactions on daily activity patterns. Main Types of Variables ContainedSNAPSHOT USA 2019–2023 contains 987,979 records of camera trap image sequence data and 9694 records of camera trap deployment metadata. Spatial Location and GrainData were collected across the United States of America in all 50 states, 12 ecoregions and many ecosystems. Time Period and GrainData were collected between 1st August and 29th December each year from 2019 to 2023. Major Taxa and Level of MeasurementThe dataset includes a wide range of taxa but is primarily focused on medium to large mammals. Software FormatSNAPSHOT USA 2019–2023 comprises two .csv files. The original data can be found within the SNAPSHOT USA Initiative in the Wildlife Insights platform. 

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4. Changes in drinking days among United States adults during the COVID‐19 pandemic

   https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15622  

   Nordeck, Courtney_D; Riehm, Kira_E; Smail, Emily_J; Holingue, Calliope; Kane, Jeremy_C; Johnson, Renee_M; Veldhuis, Cindy_B; Kalb, Luther_G; Stuart, Elizabeth_A; Kreuter, Frauke; et al (July 2021, Addiction)

   Abstract AimsTo examine changes in drinking behavior among United States (US) adults between March 10 and July 21, 2020, a critical period during the COVID‐19 pandemic. DesignLongitudinal, internet‐based panel survey. SettingThe Understanding America Study (UAS), a nationally representative panel of US adults age 18 or older. ParticipantsA total of 4298 US adults who reported alcohol use. MeasurementsChanges in number of reported drinking days from March 11, 2020 through July 21, 2020 in the overall sample and stratified by sex, age, race/ethnicity, household structure, poverty status, and census region. FindingsCompared with March 11, the number of drinking days per week was significantly higher on April 1 by an average of 0.36 days (95% CI = 0.30, 0.43), on May 1 by an average of 0.55 days (95% CI = 0.47, 0.63), on June 1 by an average of 0.41 days (95% CI = 0.33, 0.49), and on July 1 by an average of 0.39 days (95% CI = 0.31, 0.48). Males, White participants, and older adults reported sustained increases in drinking days, whereas female participants and individuals living under the federal poverty line had attenuated drinking days in the latter part of the study period. ConclusionsBetween March and mid‐July 2020, adults in the United States reported increases in the number of drinking days, with sustained increases observed among males, White participants, and older adults. 

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5. Preconception contraceptive use and miscarriage: prospective cohort study

   https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjmed-2023-000569  

   Yland, Jennifer J; Wesselink, Amelia K; Hernandez-Diaz, Sonia; Huybrechts, Krista; Hatch, Elizabeth E; Wang, Tanran R; Savitz, David; Kuohung, Wendy; Rothman, Kenneth J; Wise, Lauren A (September 2023, BMJ Medicine)

   ObjectivesTo evaluate the association between preconception contraceptive use and miscarriage. DesignProspective cohort study. SettingResidents of the United States of America or Canada, recruited from 2013 until the end of 2022. Participants13 460 female identified participants aged 21-45 years who were planning a pregnancy were included, of whom 8899 conceived. Participants reported data for contraceptive history, early pregnancy, miscarriage, and potential confounders during preconception and pregnancy. Main outcome measureMiscarriage, defined as pregnancy loss before 20 weeks of gestation. ResultsPreconception use of combined and progestin-only oral contraceptives, hormonal intrauterine devices, copper intrauterine devices, rings, implants, or natural methods was not associated with miscarriage compared with use of barrier methods. Participants who most recently used patch (incidence rate ratios 1.34 (95% confidence interval 0.81 to 2.21)) or injectable contraceptives (1.44 (0.99 to 2.12)) had higher rates of miscarriage compared with recent users of barrier methods, although results were imprecise due to the small numbers of participants who used patch and injectable contraceptives. ConclusionsUse of most contraceptives before conception was not appreciably associated with miscarriage rate. Individuals who used patch and injectable contraceptives had higher rates of miscarriage relative to users of barrier methods, although these results were imprecise and residual confounding was possible. 

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