A drosophila genetic resource of mutants to study mechanisms underlying human genetic diseases.

Invertebrate model systems are powerful tools for studying human disease owing to their genetic tractability and ease of screening. We conducted a mosaic genetic screen of lethal mutations on the Drosophila X chromosome to identify genes required for the development, function, and maintenance of the nervous system. We identified 165 genes, most of whose function has not been studied in vivo. In parallel, we investigated rare variant alleles in 1,929 human exomes from families with unsolved Mendelian disease. Genes that are essential in flies and have multiple human homologs were found to be likely to be associated with human diseases. Merging the human data sets with the fly genes allowed us to identify disease-associated mutations in six families and to provide insights into microcephaly associated with brain dysgenesis. This bidirectional synergism between fly genetics and human genomics facilitates the functional annotation of evolutionarily conserved genes involved in human health.

PLS3 missense variants affecting the actin-binding domains cause X-linked congenital diaphragmatic hernia and body-wall defects.

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a relatively common and genetically heterogeneous structural birth defect associated with high mortality and morbidity. We describe eight unrelated families with an X-linked condition characterized by diaphragm defects, variable anterior body-wall anomalies, and/or facial dysmorphism. Using linkage analysis and exome or genome sequencing, we found that missense variants in plastin 3 (PLS3), a gene encoding an actin bundling protein, co-segregate with disease in all families. Loss-of-function variants in PLS3 have been previously associated with X-linked osteoporosis (MIM: 300910), so we used in silico protein modeling and a mouse model to address these seemingly disparate clinical phenotypes. The missense variants in individuals with CDH are located within the actin-binding domains of the protein but are not predicted to affect protein structure, whereas the variants in individuals with osteoporosis are predicted to result in loss of function. A mouse knockin model of a variant identified in one of the CDH-affected families, c.1497G>C (p.Trp499Cys), shows partial perinatal lethality and recapitulates the key findings of the human phenotype, including diaphragm and abdominal-wall defects. Both the mouse model and one adult human male with a CDH-associated PLS3 variant were observed to have increased rather than decreased bone mineral density. Together, these clinical and functional data in humans and mice reveal that specific missense variants affecting the actin-binding domains of PLS3 might have a gain-of-function effect and cause a Mendelian congenital disorder.

A dyadic approach to the delineation of diagnostic entities in clinical genomics.

The delineation of disease entities is complex, yet recent advances in the molecular characterization of diseases provide opportunities to designate diseases in a biologically valid manner. Here, we have formalized an approach to the delineation of Mendelian genetic disorders that encompasses two distinct but inter-related concepts: (1) the gene that is mutated and (2) the phenotypic descriptor, preferably a recognizably distinct phenotype. We assert that only by a combinatorial or dyadic approach taking both of these attributes into account can a unitary, distinct genetic disorder be designated. We propose that all Mendelian disorders should be designated as "GENE-related phenotype descriptor" (e.g., "CFTR-related cystic fibrosis"). This approach to delineating and naming disorders reconciles the complexity of gene-to-phenotype relationships in a simple and clear manner yet communicates the complexity and nuance of these relationships.

Association of initial opioid prescription duration and an opioid refill by pain diagnosis: Evidence from outpatient settings in ten US health systems.

OBJECTIVE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain cautioned that inflexible opioid prescription duration limits may harm patients. Information about the relationship between initial opioid prescription duration and a subsequent refill could inform prescribing policies and practices to optimize patient outcomes. We assessed the association between initial opioid duration and an opioid refill prescription. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults ≥19 years of age in 10 US health systems between 2013 and 2018 from outpatient care with a diagnosis for back pain without radiculopathy, back pain with radiculopathy, neck pain, joint pain, tendonitis/bursitis, mild musculoskeletal pain, severe musculoskeletal pain, urinary calculus, or headache. Generalized additive models were used to estimate the association between opioid days' supply and a refill prescription. RESULTS: Overall, 220,797 patients were prescribed opioid analgesics upon an outpatient visit for pain. Nearly a quarter (23.5%) of the cohort received an opioid refill prescription during follow-up. The likelihood of a refill generally increased with initial duration for most pain diagnoses. About 1 to 3 fewer patients would receive a refill within 3 months for every 100 patients initially prescribed 3 vs. 7 days of opioids for most pain diagnoses. The lowest likelihood of refill was for a 1-day supply for all pain diagnoses, except for severe musculoskeletal pain (9 days' supply) and headache (3-4 days' supply). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term prescription opioid use increased modestly with initial opioid prescription duration for most but not all pain diagnoses examined.

Genotype-phenotype correlations in RHOBTB2-associated neurodevelopmental disorders.

PURPOSE: Missense variants clustering in the BTB domain region of RHOBTB2 cause a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy with early-onset seizures and severe intellectual disability. METHODS: By international collaboration, we assembled individuals with pathogenic RHOBTB2 variants and a variable spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders. By western blotting, we investigated the consequences of missense variants in vitro. RESULTS: In accordance with previous observations, de novo heterozygous missense variants in the BTB domain region led to a severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathy in 16 individuals. Now, we also identified de novo missense variants in the GTPase domain in 6 individuals with apparently more variable neurodevelopmental phenotypes with or without epilepsy. In contrast to variants in the BTB domain region, variants in the GTPase domain do not impair proteasomal degradation of RHOBTB2 in vitro, indicating different functional consequences. Furthermore, we observed biallelic splice-site and truncating variants in 9 families with variable neurodevelopmental phenotypes, indicating that complete loss of RHOBTB2 is pathogenic as well. CONCLUSION: By identifying genotype-phenotype correlations regarding location and consequences of de novo missense variants in RHOBTB2 and by identifying biallelic truncating variants, we further delineate and expand the molecular and clinical spectrum of RHOBTB2-related phenotypes, including both autosomal dominant and recessive neurodevelopmental disorders.

Prescription Opioid Dose Reductions and Potential Adverse Events: a Multi-site Observational Cohort Study in Diverse US Health Systems.

BACKGROUND: In response to the opioid crisis in the United States, population-level prescribing of opioids has been decreasing; there are concerns, however, that dose reductions are related to potential adverse events. OBJECTIVE: Examine associations between opioid dose reductions and risk of 1-month potential adverse events (emergency department (ED) visits, opioid overdose, benzodiazepine prescription fill, all-cause mortality). DESIGN: This observational cohort study used electronic health record and claims data from eight United States health systems in a prescription opioid registry (Clinical Trials Network-0084). All opioid fills (excluding buprenorphine) between 1/1/2012 and 12/31/2018 were used to identify baseline periods with mean morphine milligram equivalents daily dose of  ≥ 50 during six consecutive months. PATIENTS: We identified 60,040 non-cancer patients with  ≥ one 2-month dose reduction period (600,234 unique dose reduction periods). MAIN MEASURES: Analyses examined associations between dose reduction levels (1- < 15%, 15- < 30%, 30- < 100%, 100% over 2 months) and potential adverse events in the month following a dose reduction using logistic regression analysis, adjusting for patient characteristics. KEY RESULTS: Overall, dose reduction periods involved mean reductions of 18.7%. Compared to reductions of 1- < 15%, dose reductions of 30- < 100% were associated with higher odds of ED visits (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.10, 1.17), opioid overdose (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.09-1.81), and all-cause mortality (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.16-1.67), but lower odds of a benzodiazepine fill (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.81-0.85). Dose reductions of 15- < 30%, compared to 1- < 15%, were associated with higher odds of ED visits (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.05-1.11) and lower odds of a benzodiazepine fill (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.92-0.95), but were not associated with opioid overdose and all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Larger reductions for patients on opioid therapy may raise risk of potential adverse events in the month after reduction and should be carefully monitored.

Genomic analyses in Cornelia de Lange Syndrome and related diagnoses: Novel candidate genes, genotype-phenotype correlations and common mechanisms.

Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) is a rare, dominantly inherited multisystem developmental disorder characterized by highly variable manifestations of growth and developmental delays, upper limb involvement, hypertrichosis, cardiac, gastrointestinal, craniofacial, and other systemic features. Pathogenic variants in genes encoding cohesin complex structural subunits and regulatory proteins (NIPBL, SMC1A, SMC3, HDAC8, and RAD21) are the major pathogenic contributors to CdLS. Heterozygous or hemizygous variants in the genes encoding these five proteins have been found to be contributory to CdLS, with variants in NIPBL accounting for the majority (>60%) of cases, and the only gene identified to date that results in the severe or classic form of CdLS when mutated. Pathogenic variants in cohesin genes other than NIPBL tend to result in a less severe phenotype. Causative variants in additional genes, such as ANKRD11, EP300, AFF4, TAF1, and BRD4, can cause a CdLS-like phenotype. The common role that these genes, and others, play as critical regulators of developmental transcriptional control has led to the conditions they cause being referred to as disorders of transcriptional regulation (or "DTRs"). Here, we report the results of a comprehensive molecular analysis in a cohort of 716 probands with typical and atypical CdLS in order to delineate the genetic contribution of causative variants in cohesin complex genes as well as novel candidate genes, genotype-phenotype correlations, and the utility of genome sequencing in understanding the mutational landscape in this population.

Detecting evolutionary forces in language change.

Both language and genes evolve by transmission over generations with opportunity for differential replication of forms. The understanding that gene frequencies change at random by genetic drift, even in the absence of natural selection, was a seminal advance in evolutionary biology. Stochastic drift must also occur in language as a result of randomness in how linguistic forms are copied between speakers. Here we quantify the strength of selection relative to stochastic drift in language evolution. We use time series derived from large corpora of annotated texts dating from the 12th to 21st centuries to analyse three well-known grammatical changes in English: the regularization of past-tense verbs, the introduction of the periphrastic 'do', and variation in verbal negation. We reject stochastic drift in favour of selection in some cases but not in others. In particular, we infer selection towards the irregular forms of some past-tense verbs, which is likely driven by changing frequencies of rhyming patterns over time. We show that stochastic drift is stronger for rare words, which may explain why rare forms are more prone to replacement than common ones. This work provides a method for testing selective theories of language change against a null model and reveals an underappreciated role for stochasticity in language evolution.

O'Donnell-Luria-Rodan syndrome: description of a second multinational cohort and refinement of the phenotypic spectrum.

BACKGROUND: O'Donnell-Luria-Rodan syndrome (ODLURO) is an autosomal-dominant neurodevelopmental disorder caused by pathogenic, mostly truncating variants in KMT2E. It was first described by O'Donnell-Luria et al in 2019 in a cohort of 38 patients. Clinical features encompass macrocephaly, mild intellectual disability (ID), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) susceptibility and seizure susceptibility. METHODS: Affected individuals were ascertained at paediatric and genetic centres in various countries by diagnostic chromosome microarray or exome/genome sequencing. Patients were collected into a case cohort and were systematically phenotyped where possible. RESULTS: We report 18 additional patients from 17 families with genetically confirmed ODLURO. We identified 15 different heterozygous likely pathogenic or pathogenic sequence variants (14 novel) and two partial microdeletions of KMT2E. We confirm and refine the phenotypic spectrum of the KMT2E-related neurodevelopmental disorder, especially concerning cognitive development, with rather mild ID and macrocephaly with subtle facial features in most patients. We observe a high prevalence of ASD in our cohort (41%), while seizures are present in only two patients. We extend the phenotypic spectrum by sleep disturbances. CONCLUSION: Our study, bringing the total of known patients with ODLURO to more than 60 within 2 years of the first publication, suggests an unexpectedly high relative frequency of this syndrome worldwide. It seems likely that ODLURO, although just recently described, is among the more common single-gene aetiologies of neurodevelopmental delay and ASD. We present the second systematic case series of patients with ODLURO, further refining the mutational and phenotypic spectrum of this not-so-rare syndrome.

Delayed diagnosis and racial bias in children with genetic conditions.

As more therapeutics for genetic conditions become available, the need for timely and equitable genetic diagnosis has become urgent. Using clinical cases, we consider the health system-, provider-, and patient-level factors that contribute to the delayed diagnosis of genetic conditions in pediatric patients from minority populations, leading to health disparities between racial groups. We then provide suggestions to address these factors, with the aim of improving minority health and access to genetic care for all children.

CHEDDA syndrome is an underrecognized neurodevelopmental disorder with a highly restricted ATN1 mutation spectrum.

We describe the clinical features of nine unrelated individuals with rare de novo missense or in-frame deletions/duplications within the "HX motif" of exon 7 of ATN1. We previously proposed that individuals with such variants should be considered as being affected by the syndromic condition of congenital hypotonia, epilepsy, developmental delay, and digital anomalies (CHEDDA), distinct from dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) secondary to expansion variants in exon 5 of ATN1. We confirm that the universal phenotypic features of CHEDDA are distinctive facial features and global developmental delay. Infantile hypotonia and minor hand and feet differences are common and can present as arthrogryposis. Common comorbidities include severe feeding difficulties, often requiring gastrostomy support, as well as visual and hearing impairments. Epilepsy and congenital malformations of the brain, heart, and genitourinary systems are frequent but not universal. Our study confirms the clinical entity of CHEDDA secondary to a mutational signature restricted to exon 7 of ATN1. We propose a clinical schedule for assessment upon diagnosis, surveillance, and early intervention including the potential of neuroimaging for prognostication.

The Anomalous Mei-yu Rainfall of Summer 2020 from a Circulation Clustering Perspective: Current and Possible Future Prevalence.

Highly unusual amounts of rainfall were seen in the 2020 summer in many parts of China, Japan, and South Korea. At the intercontinental scale, case studies have attributed this exceptional event to a displacement of the climatological western North Pacific subtropical anticyclone, potentially associated Indian Ocean sea surface temperature patterns and a mid-latitude wave train emanating from the North Atlantic. Using clusters of spatial patterns of sea level pressure, we show that an unprecedented 80% of the 2020 summer days in East Asia were dominated by clusters of surface pressure greater than normal over the South China Sea. By examining the rainfall and water vapor fluxes in other years when these clusters were also prevalent, we find that the frequency of these types of clusters was likely to have been largely responsible for the unusual rainfall of 2020. From two ensembles of future climate projections, we show that summers like 2020 in East Asia may become more frequent and considerably wetter in a warmer world with an enhanced moisture supply.

The Experimental Design Assistant.

Addressing the common problems that researchers encounter when designing and analysing animal experiments will improve the reliability of in vivo research. In this article, the Experimental Design Assistant (EDA) is introduced. The EDA is a web-based tool that guides the in vivo researcher through the experimental design and analysis process, providing automated feedback on the proposed design and generating a graphical summary that aids communication with colleagues, funders, regulatory authorities, and the wider scientific community. It will have an important role in addressing causes of irreproducibility.

The Sequential Relation Between Changes in Catastrophizing and Changes in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Severity.

Catastrophizing has been discussed as a cognitive precursor to the emergence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following the experience of stressful events. Implicit in cognitive models of PTSD is that treatment-related reductions in catastrophizing should yield reductions in PTSD symptoms. The tenability of this prediction has yet to be tested. The present study investigated the sequential relation between changes in a specific form of catastrophizing-symptom catastrophizing-and changes in PTSD symptom severity in a sample of 73 work-disabled individuals enrolled in a 10-week behavioral activation intervention. Measures of symptom catastrophizing and PTSD symptom severity were completed at pre-, mid-, and posttreatment assessment points. Cross-sectional analyses of pretreatment data revealed that symptom catastrophizing accounted for significant variance in PTSD symptom severity, ß = .40, p < .001, sr = .28 (medium effect size), even when controlling for known correlates of symptom catastrophizing, such as pain and depression. Significant reductions in symptom catastrophizing and PTSD symptoms were observed during treatment, with large effect sizes, ds = 1.42 and 0.94, respectively, ps < .001. Cross-lagged analyses revealed that early change in symptom catastrophizing predicted later change in PTSD symptoms; early changes in PTSD symptom severity did not predict later change in symptom catastrophizing. These findings are consistent with the conceptual models that posit a causal relation between catastrophizing and PTSD symptom severity. The clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

Cornelia de Lange syndrome in diverse populations.

Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a dominant multisystemic malformation syndrome due to mutations in five genes-NIPBL, SMC1A, HDAC8, SMC3, and RAD21. The characteristic facial dysmorphisms include microcephaly, arched eyebrows, synophrys, short nose with depressed bridge and anteverted nares, long philtrum, thin lips, micrognathia, and hypertrichosis. Most affected individuals have intellectual disability, growth deficiency, and upper limb anomalies. This study looked at individuals from diverse populations with both clinical and molecularly confirmed diagnoses of CdLS by facial analysis technology. Clinical data and images from 246 individuals with CdLS were obtained from 15 countries. This cohort included 49% female patients and ages ranged from infancy to 37 years. Individuals were grouped into ancestry categories of African descent, Asian, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and Caucasian. Across these populations, 14 features showed a statistically significant difference. The most common facial features found in all ancestry groups included synophrys, short nose with anteverted nares, and a long philtrum with thin vermillion of the upper lip. Using facial analysis technology we compared 246 individuals with CdLS to 246 gender/age matched controls and found that sensitivity was equal or greater than 95% for all groups. Specificity was equal or greater than 91%. In conclusion, we present consistent clinical findings from global populations with CdLS while demonstrating how facial analysis technology can be a tool to support accurate diagnoses in the clinical setting. This work, along with prior studies in this arena, will assist in earlier detection, recognition, and treatment of CdLS worldwide.

Culturally Adapted Mobile Technology Improves Environmental Health Literacy in Laurentian, Great Lakes Native Americans (Anishinaabeg).

The presence of persistent bioaccumulative toxics (PBT) in aquatic food chains complicates decision processes of people with a strong culture of fish consumption. This environmental contamination is especially problematic for Native American populations in the Laurentian Great Lakes region (Anishinaabeg). Pursuing the growing discipline of environmental health literacy (EHL) may help reduce toxic exposures, support healthy decision-making, and combat health deficits. Our goals for this research were first to improve environmental health literacy using novel technologies and second to help define environmental health literacy metrics that can be tracked over time, especially regarding culturally-contextualized health interests. We recently reported that a mobile app (Gigiigoo'inaan App) presenting personalized, culturally-contextualized fish consumption advice may improve EHL for the Anishinaabeg. Gigiigoo'inaan App safely supports desired fish consumption rates by putting local data into the hands of the Anishinaabeg. We conducted a pre-test post-test evaluation with 103 Aninishinaabe adults. Participants estimated their current fish meal consumption over a hypothetical month before exposure to the software and then planned their future consumption of fish meals in a month after using the mobile app. Significantly more monthly traditional fish meals on average (Median: 4 vs 2, p=0.0005) were selected when using the app versus pre-exposure to the app. Significantly more traditional grams of fish were also selected during use of the app relative to the pretest (Median: 680.39g vs 453.59g, p=0.0007). These increases were accompanied by widespread (97%) adherence to conventional advice that minimizes PBT exposure health effects (ATSDR minimum risk levels).

Health Care Utilization and Expenditures of Homeless Family Members Before and After Emergency Housing.

OBJECTIVES: To describe longitudinal health service utilization and expenditures for homeless family members before and after entering an emergency shelter. METHODS: We linked Massachusetts emergency housing assistance data with Medicaid claims between July 2008 and June 2015, constructing episodes of health care 12 months before and 12 months after families entered a shelter. We modeled emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and expenditures over the 24-month period separately for children and adults. RESULTS: Emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and expenditures rose steadily before shelter entry and declined gradually afterward, ending, in most cases, near the starting point. Infants, pregnant women, and individuals with depression, anxiety, or substance use disorder had significantly higher rates of all outcomes. Many children's emergency department visits were potentially preventable. CONCLUSIONS: Increased service utilization and expenditures begin months before families become homeless and are potentially preventable with early intervention. Infants are at greater risk. Public Health Implications. Early identification and intervention to prevent homeless episodes, focusing on family members with behavioral health disorders, who are pregnant, or who have young children, may save money and improve family health.

Recurrent CNVs and SNVs at the NPHP1 locus contribute pathogenic alleles to Bardet-Biedl syndrome.

Homozygosity for a recurrent 290 kb deletion of NPHP1 is the most frequent cause of isolated nephronophthisis (NPHP) in humans. A deletion of the same genomic interval has also been detected in individuals with Joubert syndrome (JBTS), and in the mouse, Nphp1 interacts genetically with Ahi1, a known JBTS locus. Given these observations, we investigated the contribution of NPHP1 in Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), a ciliopathy of intermediate severity. By using a combination of array-comparative genomic hybridization, TaqMan copy number assays, and sequencing, we studied 200 families affected by BBS. We report a homozygous NPHP1 deletion CNV in a family with classical BBS that is transmitted with autosomal-recessive inheritance. Further, we identified heterozygous NPHP1 deletions in two more unrelated persons with BBS who bear primary mutations at another BBS locus. In parallel, we identified five families harboring an SNV in NPHP1 resulting in a conserved missense change, c.14G>T (p.Arg5Leu), that is enriched in our Hispanic pedigrees; in each case, affected individuals carried additional bona fide pathogenic alleles in another BBS gene. In vivo functional modeling in zebrafish embryos demonstrated that c.14G>T is a loss-of-function variant, and suppression of nphp1 in concert with each of the primary BBS loci found in our NPHP1-positive pedigrees exacerbated the severity of the phenotype. These results suggest that NPHP1 mutations are probably rare primary causes of BBS that contribute to the mutational burden of the disorder.

How the brain learns how few are "many": An fMRI study of the flexibility of quantifier semantics.

Previous work has shown that the meaning of a quantifier such as "many" or "few" depends in part on quantity. However, the meaning of a quantifier may vary depending on the context, e.g. in the case of common entities such as "many ants" (perhaps several thousands) compared to endangered species such as "many pandas" (perhaps a dozen). In a recent study (Heim et al., 2015 Front. Psychol.) we demonstrated that the relative meaning of "many" and "few" may be changed experimentally. In a truth value judgment task, displays with 40% of circles in a named color initially had a low probability of being labeled "many". After a training phase, the likelihood of acceptance 40% as "many" increased. Moreover, the semantic learning effect also generalized to the related quantifier "few" which had not been mentioned in the training phase. Thus, fewer 40% arrays were considered "few." In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that this semantic adaptation effect was supported by cytoarchitectonic Brodmann area (BA) 45 in Broca's region which may contribute to semantic evaluation in the context of language and quantification. In an event-related fMRI study, 17 healthy volunteers performed the same paradigm as in the previous behavioral study. We found a relative signal increase when comparing the critical, trained proportion to untrained proportions. This specific effect was found in left BA 45 for the trained quantifier "many", and in left BA 44 for both quantifiers, reflecting the semantic adjustment for the untrained but related quantifier "few." These findings demonstrate the neural basis for processing the flexible meaning of a quantifier, and illustrate the neuroanatomical structures that contribute to variable meanings that can be associated with a word when used in different contexts.