Special issue: Multiscale simulations of DNA from electrons to nucleosomes.

This editorial for Volume 16, Issue 3 of Biophysical Reviews highlights the three-dimensional structural and dynamic information encoded in DNA sequences and introduces the topics covered in this special issue of the journal on Multiscale Simulations of DNA from Electrons to Nucleosomes. Biophysical Reviews is the official journal of the International Union for Pure and Applied Biophysics (IUPAB 2024). The international scope of the articles in the issue exemplifies the goals of IUPAB to organize worldwide advancements, co-operation, communication, and education in biophysics.

A Large-Scale Genome-Wide Study of Gene-Sleep Duration Interactions for Blood Pressure in 811,405 Individuals from Diverse Populations.

Although both short and long sleep duration are associated with elevated hypertension risk, our understanding of their interplay with biological pathways governing blood pressure remains limited. To address this, we carried out genome-wide cross-population gene-by-short-sleep and long-sleep duration interaction analyses for three blood pressure traits (systolic, diastolic, and pulse pressure) in 811,405 individuals from diverse population groups. We discover 22 novel gene-sleep duration interaction loci for blood pressure, mapped to 23 genes. Investigating these genes' functional implications shed light on neurological, thyroidal, bone metabolism, and hematopoietic pathways that necessitate future investigation for blood pressure management that caters to sleep health lifestyle. Non-overlap between short sleep (12) and long sleep (10) interactions underscores the plausible nature of distinct influences of both sleep duration extremes in cardiovascular health. Several of our loci are specific towards a particular population background or sex, emphasizing the importance of addressing heterogeneity entangled in gene-environment interactions, when considering precision medicine design approaches for blood pressure management.

Methylome-wide studies of six metabolic traits.

Exploring the molecular correlates of metabolic health measures may identify the shared and unique biological processes and pathways that they track. Here, we performed epigenome-wide association studies (EWASs) of six metabolic traits: body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, waist-hip ratio (WHR), and blood-based measures of glucose, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and total cholesterol. We considered blood-based DNA methylation (DNAm) from >750,000 CpG sites in over 17,000 volunteers from the Generation Scotland (GS) cohort. Linear regression analyses identified between 304 and 11,815 significant CpGs per trait at P<3.6×10-8, with 37 significant CpG sites across all six traits. Further, we performed a Bayesian EWAS that jointly models all CpGs simultaneously and conditionally on each other, as opposed to the marginal linear regression analyses. This identified between 3 and 27 CpGs with a posterior inclusion probability ≥ 0.95 across the six traits. Next, we used elastic net penalised regression to train epigenetic scores (EpiScores) of each trait in GS, which were then tested in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936; European ancestry) and Health for Life in Singapore (HELIOS; Indian-, Malay- and Chinese-ancestries). A maximum of 27.1% of the variance in BMI was explained by the BMI EpiScore in the subset of Malay-ancestry Singaporeans. Four metabolic EpiScores were associated with general cognitive function in LBC1936 in models adjusted for vascular risk factors (Standardised ßrange: 0.08 - 0.12, PFDR < 0.05). EpiScores of metabolic health are applicable across ancestries and can reflect differences in brain health.

Information needs of caregivers of adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in India.

Many families of adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in India experience difficulty in accessing services/supports, due to lack of awareness/knowledge of disability rights/laws and available services, and in accessing the services. There remains insufficient research on the information needs of these caregivers and on designing interventions that aim to increase their awareness/knowledge about human rights and supports/services. A strengths-based mixed methods needs assessment was conducted to understand the information needs of these family caregivers. Results showed that caregivers ≥50 years had significantly higher information needs than younger caregivers. Specifically, caregivers with no proficiency in English needed more information on the available services for the care recipients (n = 100). Qualitative results showed that very few caregivers had any awareness or access to information on human rights, disability-related laws/policies or available supports/services (n = 15). Study findings underscore the government's role in improving awareness-raising initiatives and imparting the information in multiple Indian languages.

Copy-number variants and polygenic risk for intelligence confer risk for autism spectrum disorder irrespective of their effects on cognitive ability.

Introduction: Rare copy number variants (CNVs) and polygenic risk for intelligence (PRS-IQ) both confer susceptibility for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but have opposing effects on cognitive ability. The field has struggled to disentangle the effects of these two classes of genomic variants on cognitive ability from their effects on ASD susceptibility, in part because previous studies did not include controls with cognitive measures. We aim to investigate the impact of these genomic variants on ASD risk while adjusting for their known effects on cognitive ability. Methods: In a cohort of 8,426 subjects with ASD and 169,804 controls with cognitive assessments, we found that rare coding CNVs and PRS-IQ increased ASD risk, even after adjusting for their effects on cognitive ability. Results: Bottom decile PRS-IQ and CNVs both decreased cognitive ability but had opposing effects on ASD risk. Models combining both classes of variants showed that the effects of rare CNVs and PRS-IQ on ASD risk and cognitive ability were largely additive, further suggesting that susceptibility for ASD is conferred independently from its effects on cognitive ability. Despite imparting mostly additive effects on ASD risk, rare CNVs and PRS-IQ showed opposing effects on core and associated features and developmental history among subjects with ASD. Discussion: Our findings suggest that cognitive ability itself may not be the factor driving the underlying liability for ASD conferred by these two classes of genomic variants. In other words, ASD risk and cognitive ability may be two distinct manifestations of CNVs and PRS-IQ. This study also highlights the challenge of understanding how genetic risk for ASD maps onto its dimensional traits.

Formal support and service needs of family caregivers of adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in India.

BACKGROUND: Despite the enactment of disability laws/policies in India, research shows that caregivers of adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities experience inadequate formal supports/services due to dissemination barriers and lack of awareness about them. To address discrepancy between caregivers' support needs and the professionals' understanding of their needs, the study proposed to conduct a caregiver needs assessment so that culturally-tailored programs are developed. METHOD: A strengths-based mixed methods needs assessment was conducted with a convenience sample of 100 caregivers in Hyderabad, India. One hundred caregivers completed the survey and 15 caregivers participated in semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: Caregivers needed more and improved formal supports/services, particularly from the government. Caregivers faced systemic and attitudinal barriers, and personal impediments to accessing them. Needs differed by care recipients' intellectual disability level, gender, and intellectual disability related conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Researchers, service providers and policymakers need to adopt innovative strategies to improve formal supports/services access.

Factors impacting community living outcomes among former long-term nursing home residents using the interdependence-Human Activity Assistive Technology (i-HAAT) model.

Despite an increased application of social theory in assistive technology (AT) outcomes research, there continues to be a gap in integrating AT conceptual models in research design, data analysis, and results interpretation. This paper merged two preexisting AT models, the Human Activity Assistive Technology model (HAAT) and the interdependence frame for AT into a novel framework, the interdependence-HAAT model (i-HAAT). This model was used to examine the outcomes of former long-term nursing home residents using AT. The model was also used as a framework to facilitate quantitative variable identification and categorization, emphasize the interconnectivity between domain variables, and explore the infrastructural supports necessary for the successful community reintegration of deinstitutionalized AT users. Meaningful integration of theory into practice is the essential next step in generating socially responsive research that addresses AT consumer needs and moves the field forward.

Ozanimod Differentially Impacts Circulating Lymphocyte Subsets in Patients with Moderately to Severely Active Crohn's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Ozanimod showed efficacy and safety in the phase 2 STEPSTONE study conducted in patients with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease. AIMS: This analysis assessed the effects of ozanimod on circulating lymphocytes in Crohn's disease. METHODS: Patients received ozanimod 0.92 mg for 12 weeks. Lymphocyte subtypes were evaluated using multicolor flow analysis on blood samples collected before treatment and on Week 12. Absolute lymphocyte count changes were analyzed by Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Disease activity changes and efficacy outcomes were evaluated at Week 12, and associations with lymphocyte subtype levels were assessed using Spearman's correlation and logistic regression. RESULTS: Reductions in median total T, Th, and cytotoxic T cells occurred at Week 12 (45.4%-76.8%), with reductions in most subtypes of 47.5% to 91.3% (P < 0.001). CD8+ terminally differentiated effector memory cells were largely unaffected (median change, - 19%; P = 0.44). Reductions in median total B cells occurred at Week 12 (76.7%), with reductions in subtypes of 71.4% to 81.7% (P < 0.001). Natural killer and monocyte cell counts were unchanged. Greater baseline levels and changes in nonswitched memory B cells were significantly associated with clinical, endoscopic, and histologic efficacy (P < 0.05, all comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: Ozanimod reduced circulating levels of all B-cell and most T-cell subsets but not monocytes or natural killer cells. Key subsets relevant to immune surveillance were not reduced, supporting the low risk of infection and malignancy with ozanimod in chronic inflammatory diseases. Levels of nonswitched memory B cells were associated with efficacy, providing a potential marker for ozanimod response. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02531113, EudraCT: 2015-002025-19.

Synchronous timing of return to breeding sites in a long-distance migratory seabird with ocean-scale variation in migration schedules.

BACKGROUND: Migratory birds generally have tightly scheduled annual cycles, in which delays can have carry-over effects on the timing of later events, ultimately impacting reproductive output. Whether temporal carry-over effects are more pronounced among migrations over larger distances, with tighter schedules, is a largely unexplored question. METHODS: We tracked individual Arctic Skuas Stercorarius parasiticus, a long-distance migratory seabird, from eight breeding populations between Greenland and Siberia using light-level geolocators. We tested whether migration schedules among breeding populations differ as a function of their use of seven widely divergent wintering areas across the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. RESULTS: Breeding at higher latitudes led not only to later reproduction and migration, but also faster spring migration and shorter time between return to the breeding area and clutch initiation. Wintering area was consistent within individuals among years; and more distant areas were associated with more time spent on migration and less time in the wintering areas. Skuas adjusted the period spent in the wintering area, regardless of migration distance, which buffered the variation in timing of autumn migration. Choice of wintering area had only minor effects on timing of return at the breeding area and timing of breeding and these effects were not consistent between breeding populations. CONCLUSION: The lack of a consistent effect of wintering area on timing of return between breeding areas indicates that individuals synchronize their arrival with others in their population despite extensive individual differences in migration strategies.

Genetic control of DNA methylation is largely shared across European and East Asian populations.

DNA methylation is an ideal trait to study the extent of the shared genetic control across ancestries, effectively providing hundreds of thousands of model molecular traits with large QTL effect sizes. We investigate cis DNAm QTLs in three European (n = 3701) and two East Asian (n = 2099) cohorts to quantify the similarities and differences in the genetic architecture across populations. We observe 80,394 associated mQTLs (62.2% of DNAm probes with significant mQTL) to be significant in both ancestries, while 28,925 mQTLs (22.4%) are identified in only a single ancestry. mQTL effect sizes are highly conserved across populations, with differences in mQTL discovery likely due to differences in allele frequency of associated variants and differing linkage disequilibrium between causal variants and assayed SNPs. This study highlights the overall similarity of genetic control across ancestries and the value of ancestral diversity in increasing the power to detect associations and enhancing fine mapping resolution.

Epigenetic scores of blood-based proteins as biomarkers of general cognitive function and brain health.

BACKGROUND: Epigenetic Scores (EpiScores) for blood protein levels have been associated with disease outcomes and measures of brain health, highlighting their potential usefulness as clinical biomarkers. They are typically derived via penalised regression, whereby a linear weighted sum of DNA methylation (DNAm) levels at CpG sites are predictive of protein levels. Here, we examine 84 previously published protein EpiScores as possible biomarkers of cross-sectional and longitudinal measures of general cognitive function and brain health, and incident dementia across three independent cohorts. RESULTS: Using 84 protein EpiScores as candidate biomarkers, associations with general cognitive function (both cross-sectionally and longitudinally) were tested in three independent cohorts: Generation Scotland (GS), and the Lothian Birth Cohorts of 1921 and 1936 (LBC1921 and LBC1936, respectively). A meta-analysis of general cognitive functioning results in all three cohorts identified 18 EpiScore associations (absolute meta-analytic standardised estimates ranged from 0.03 to 0.14, median of 0.04, PFDR < 0.05). Several associations were also observed between EpiScores and global brain volumetric measures in the LBC1936. An EpiScore for the S100A9 protein (a known Alzheimer disease biomarker) was associated with general cognitive functioning (meta-analytic standardised beta: - 0.06, P = 1.3 × 10-9), and with time-to-dementia in GS (Hazard ratio 1.24, 95% confidence interval 1.08-1.44, P = 0.003), but not in LBC1936 (Hazard ratio 1.11, P = 0.32). CONCLUSIONS: EpiScores might make a contribution to the risk profile of poor general cognitive function and global brain health, and risk of dementia, however these scores require replication in further studies.

A Large-Scale Genome-Wide Study of Gene-Sleep Duration Interactions for Blood Pressure in 811,405 Individuals from Diverse Populations.

Although both short and long sleep duration are associated with elevated hypertension risk, our understanding of their interplay with biological pathways governing blood pressure remains limited. To address this, we carried out genome-wide cross-population gene-by-short-sleep and long-sleep duration interaction analyses for three blood pressure traits (systolic, diastolic, and pulse pressure) in 811,405 individuals from diverse population groups. We discover 22 novel gene-sleep duration interaction loci for blood pressure, mapped to genes involved in neurological, thyroidal, bone metabolism, and hematopoietic pathways. Non-overlap between short sleep (12) and long sleep (10) interactions underscores the plausibility of distinct influences of both sleep duration extremes in cardiovascular health. With several of our loci reflecting specificity towards population background or sex, our discovery sheds light on the importance of embracing granularity when addressing heterogeneity entangled in gene-environment interactions, and in therapeutic design approaches for blood pressure management.

General and specific patterns of cortical gene expression as spatial correlates of complex cognitive functioning.

Gene expression varies across the brain. This spatial patterning denotes specialised support for particular brain functions. However, the way that a given gene's expression fluctuates across the brain may be governed by general rules. Quantifying patterns of spatial covariation across genes would offer insights into the molecular characteristics of brain areas supporting, for example, complex cognitive functions. Here, we use principal component analysis to separate general and unique gene regulatory associations with cortical substrates of cognition. We find that the region-to-region variation in cortical expression profiles of 8235 genes covaries across two major principal components: gene ontology analysis suggests these dimensions are characterised by downregulation and upregulation of cell-signalling/modification and transcription factors. We validate these patterns out-of-sample and across different data processing choices. Brain regions more strongly implicated in general cognitive functioning (g; 3 cohorts, total meta-analytic N = 39,519) tend to be more balanced between downregulation and upregulation of both major components (indicated by regional component scores). We then identify a further 29 genes as candidate cortical spatial correlates of g, beyond the patterning of the two major components (|ß| range = 0.18 to 0.53). Many of these genes have been previously associated with clinical neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, or with other health-related phenotypes. The results provide insights into the cortical organisation of gene expression and its association with individual differences in cognitive functioning.

Understanding species-specific and conserved RNA-protein interactions in vivo and in vitro.

While evolution is often considered from a DNA- and protein-centric view, RNA-based regulation can also impact gene expression and protein sequences. Here we examined interspecies differences in RNA-protein interactions using the conserved neuronal RNA binding protein, Unkempt (UNK) as model. We find that roughly half of mRNAs bound in human are also bound in mouse. Unexpectedly, even when transcript-level binding was conserved across species differential motif usage was prevalent. To understand the biochemical basis of UNK-RNA interactions, we reconstituted the human and mouse UNK-RNA interactomes using a high-throughput biochemical assay. We uncover detailed features driving binding, show that in vivo patterns are captured in vitro, find that highly conserved sites are the strongest bound, and associate binding strength with downstream regulation. Furthermore, subtle sequence differences surrounding motifs are key determinants of species-specific binding. We highlight the complex features driving protein-RNA interactions and how these evolve to confer species-specific regulation.

Physical activity and cognitive function in adults born very preterm or with very low birth weight-an individual participant data meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Individuals born very preterm (<32 weeks of gestation) or with very low birthweight (<1500g) have lower cognitive function compared with term-born peers. Furthermore, some studies suggest that they are less physically active as young adults than controls, but the relationship between physical activity and cognitive function remains unclear. We performed an individual participant data meta-analysis to examine whether being born preterm/with very low birth weight is associated with physical activity in adulthood and examined if cognitive function mediates this association. STUDY DESIGN: Cohorts with data on physical activity and cognitive function in adults born very preterm/very low birth weight and term-born controls were recruited from the Research on European Children and Adults Born Preterm, and the Adults Born Preterm International Collaboration Consortia. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed and Embase. RESULTS: Five cohorts with 1644 participants aged 22-28 years (595 very preterm/very low birth weight and 1049 controls) were included. Adults born very preterm/very low birth weight reported 1.11 (95% CI: 0.68 to 1.54) hours less moderate to vigorous physical activity per week than controls, adjusted for cohort, age and sex. The difference between individuals born very preterm/very low birth weight and controls was larger among women than among men. Neither intelligence quotient nor self-reported executive function mediated the association between very preterm/very low birth weight and moderate to vigorous physical activity. Results were essentially the same when we excluded individuals with neurosensory impairments. CONCLUSION: Adults born very preterm/very low birth weight, especially women, reported less moderate to vigorous physical activity than their term-born peers. Cognitive function did not mediate this association. Considering the risk of adverse health outcomes among individuals born preterm, physical activity could be a target for intervention.

Clinical to Population Prevalence of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Phenotype: Insights From the National Echo Database Australia.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of data describing the underlying prevalence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a primary genetic disorder characterised by progressive left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and sudden death, from both a clinical and a population perspective. METHODS: We screened the echocardiographic reports of 155,668 men and 147,880 women within the multicentre National Echo Database Australia (NEDA) (2001-2019). End-diastolic wall thickness ≥15 mm anywhere in the left ventricle was identified as a characteristic of an HCM phenotype according to current guideline recommendations. Applying a septal-to-posterior wall thickness ratio >1.3 and LV outflow tract obstruction ≥30 mmHg (when documented), we further identified asymmetric septal hypertrophy and obstructive HCM (oHCM), respectively. The observed pattern of phenotypical HCM within the overall NEDA cohort (>650,000 cases) was then extrapolated to the ∼539,000 (5.7% of adult population) and ∼474,000 (4.8%) Australian men and women, respectively, who were investigated with echocardiography in 2021 on an age-specific basis. RESULTS: Overall, 15,380 cases (mean age 71.1±14.6 years, 10,138 men [65.9%]) with the characteristic HCM phenotype within the NEDA cohort were identified. Of these 15,380 cases, 5,552 (36.1%) had asymmetric septal hypertrophy, and 2,276 of the 10,290 cases with LV outflow tract obstruction profiling data (22.1%) had obstructive HCM. A further 3,389 of 13,715 cases (24.7%) had evidence of LV systolic dysfunction (LV ejection fraction <55%). Within the entire NEDA cohort (including those without LV profiling), HCM was found in 10,138 of 342,161 men (2.96%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.91%-3.02%) and 5,242 of 308,539 women (1.70%; 95% CI 1.65%-1.75%). When extrapolated to the Australian population, we estimate that a minimum of 15,971 men and 8,057 women presented with echocardiographic features of phenotypical HCM in 2021. This translates into a minimum caseload/prevalence of ∼17 adult men (∼2.5 in those aged ≤50 years) and eight adult women (∼1 in those aged ≤50 years) per 10,000 population meeting phenotypical HCM criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Using contemporary Australian echocardiographic and population data, we estimate that a minimum of 15,971 (17.5 cases/10,000) men and 8,057 women (8.2 cases/10,000) had echocardiographic evidence of phenotypical HCM in 2021. These disease burden data are particularly relevant as new treatment options are emerging.

Multi-trait analysis characterizes the genetics of thyroid function and identifies causal associations with clinical implications.

To date only a fraction of the genetic footprint of thyroid function has been clarified. We report a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of thyroid function in up to 271,040 individuals of European ancestry, including reference range thyrotropin (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), free and total triiodothyronine (T3), proxies for metabolism (T3/FT4 ratio) as well as dichotomized high and low TSH levels. We revealed 259 independent significant associations for TSH (61% novel), 85 for FT4 (67% novel), and 62 novel signals for the T3 related traits. The loci explained 14.1%, 6.0%, 9.5% and 1.1% of the total variation in TSH, FT4, total T3 and free T3 concentrations, respectively. Genetic correlations indicate that TSH associated loci reflect the thyroid function determined by free T3, whereas the FT4 associations represent the thyroid hormone metabolism. Polygenic risk score and Mendelian randomization analyses showed the effects of genetically determined variation in thyroid function on various clinical outcomes, including cardiovascular risk factors and diseases, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. In conclusion, our results improve the understanding of thyroid hormone physiology and highlight the pleiotropic effects of thyroid function on various diseases.

COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Implications for employment and higher education.

BACKGROUND: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law that protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination in all areas of public life. The ADA contributes to equal opportunity across policy areas, including the interconnected domains of higher education and employment. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, emerging research has begun to document the disparities in impact on people with disabilities, among other marginalized groups. However, no research to date has reviewed and synthesized literature that addresses disability discrimination related to COVID-19 that has implications for application of the ADA. OBJECTIVE: This rapid evidence review aims to increase understanding about how COVID-19 has resulted in challenges for people with disabilities in the domains of employment and higher education that may be resolved through application of the ADA. METHODS: Keyword searches were conducted in five electronic databases. Title, abstract, and full text screening was conducted followed by a thematic analysis of key ADA themes. RESULTS: Twelve final articles were included in this review, eight categorized within higher education and four within employment. In relation to the ADA and COVID-19, five studies revealed findings related to web accessibility, eight related to effective communication, and four related to reasonable accommodations. CONCLUSION: The findings provide a broad overview of the current research on how COVID-19 has affected accessibility, communications and accommodations in employment and higher education and identify gaps in the literature within these policy domains.