Jejunal atresia, periodic fevers and psoriatic arthropathy in Baraitser-Winter malformation syndrome.

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Agri-food importing firms amid a global health crisis

This paper exploits daily customs transaction data on the universe of Swiss agri-food importing firms to assess the response of firms to a global shock. Estimating a linear model that regresses product-level import margins on daily COVID19 shocks and a host of fixed effects, we find that the pandemic had a substantial trade-reducing effect on imports. The trade effects were driven mainly by a reduction in the number of importing firms (i.e., 63% of the total effect), and much less by the number of products imported and the average import value per product per firm. We explore several sources of heterogeneity and show, among others, that larger and incumbent firms were affected more by the trade adjustments. Our results also reveal that the relative contribution of each import margin to the decline in aggregate imports depends on the level of data aggregation (i.e., daily, weekly or monthly). Finally, we validate and confirm our main findings by testing two mechanisms: (i) third-country supply-side effects using insights from structural gravity models and (ii) changes to consumer demand using consumer mobility, and retailer and consumer scanner data

CHD3 helicase domain mutations cause a neurodevelopmental syndrome with macrocephaly and impaired speech and language (vol 9, 4619, 2018)

An Author Correction to this article was published on 15 February 2019 An Author Correction to this article was published on 02 May 2019 We thank all individuals and families for their contribution. We thank Amaia Carrión Castillo and Else Eising for assistance with the WGS analysis of the index individual, and Sarah Graham and Elliot Sollis for cloning the wild-type CHD3 construct for immunofluorescence. This work was supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) Gravitation Grant 24.001.006 to the Language in Interaction Consortium (L.S.B., S.E.F., and H.G.B.), the Max Planck Society (S.E.F.), the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Grant DC000496 (L.Sh.) and a core grant to the Waisman Center from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Grant U54 HD090256) to L.Sh., the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Grants MOP-119595 and PJT-148830 to W.T.G. Individuals 11, 16, 24, and 28 were part of The DDD Study cohort. The DDD Study presents independent research commissioned by the Health Innovation Challenge Fund [Grant number HICF-1009-003], a parallel funding partnership between the Wellcome Trust and the Department of Health, and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute [Grant number WT098051]. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Wellcome Trust or the Department of Health. The DDD study has UK Research Ethics Committee approval (10/H0305/83, granted by the Cambridge South REC, and GEN/284/12, granted by the Republic of Ireland REC). The research team acknowledges the support of the National Institute for Health Research, through the Comprehensive Clinical Research Network.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Probing ultrafast carrier dynamics and nonlinear absorption and refraction in core-shell silicon nanowires

We investigate the relaxation dynamics of photogenerated carriers in silicon nanowires consisting of a crystalline core and a surrounding amorphous shell, using femtosecond time-resolved differential reflectivity and transmission spectroscopy at photon energies of 3.15 eV and 1.57 eV. The complex behavior of the differential transmission and reflectivity transients is the mixed contributions from the crystalline core and the amorphous silicon on the nanowire surface and the substrate where competing effects of state filling and photoinduced absorption govern the carrier dynamics. Faster relaxation rates are observed on increasing the photo-generated carrier density. Independent experimental results on crystalline silicon-on-sapphire help us in separating the contributions from the carrier dynamics in crystalline core and the amorphous regions in the nanowire samples. Further, single beam z-scan nonlinear transmission experiments at 1.57 eV in both open and close aperture configurations yield two-photon absorption coefficient \$beta$ (~3 cm/GW) and nonlinear refraction coefficient \$gamma$ (-2.5x10^-4 cm2/GW).Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

STXBP1-associated neurodevelopmental disorder: a comparative study of behavioural characteristics.

BACKGROUND: De novo loss of function mutations in STXBP1 are a relatively common cause of epilepsy and intellectual disability (ID). However, little is known about the types and severities of behavioural features associated with this genetic diagnosis. METHODS: To address this, we collected systematic phenotyping data encompassing neurological, developmental, and behavioural characteristics. Participants were 14 individuals with STXBP1-associated neurodevelopmental disorder, ascertained from clinical genetics and neurology services UK-wide. Data was collected via standardised questionnaires administered to parents at home, supplemented by researcher observations. To isolate discriminating phenotypes, the STXBP1 group was compared to 33 individuals with pathogenic mutations in other ID-associated genes (ID group). To account for the potential impact of global cognitive impairment, a secondary comparison was made to an ability-matched subset of the ID group (low-ability ID group). RESULTS: The STXBP1 group demonstrated impairments across all assessed domains. In comparison to the ID group, the STXBP1 group had more severe global adaptive impairments, fine motor difficulties, and hyperactivity. In comparison to the low-ability ID group, severity of receptive language and social impairments discriminated the STXBP1 group. A striking feature of the STXBP1 group, with reference to both comparison groups, was preservation of social motivation. CONCLUSIONS: De novo mutations in STXBP1 are associated with complex and variable neurodevelopmental impairments. Consistent features, which discriminate this disorder from other monogenic causes of ID, are severe language impairment and difficulties managing social interactions, despite strong social motivation. Future work could explore the physiological mechanisms linking motor, speech, and social development in this disorder. Understanding the developmental emergence of behavioural characteristics can help to focus clinical assessment and management after genetic diagnosis, with the long-term aim of improving outcomes for patients and families

Chitayat syndrome: hyperphalangism, characteristic facies, hallux valgus and bronchomalacia results from a recurrent c.266A>G p.(Tyr89Cys) variant in the ERF gene.

BACKGROUND: In 1993, Chitayat et al., reported a newborn with hyperphalangism, facial anomalies, and bronchomalacia. We identified three additional families with similar findings. Features include bilateral accessory phalanx resulting in shortened index fingers; hallux valgus; distinctive face; respiratory compromise. OBJECTIVES: To identify the genetic aetiology of Chitayat syndrome and identify a unifying cause for this specific form of hyperphalangism. METHODS: Through ongoing collaboration, we had collected patients with strikingly-similar phenotype. Trio-based exome sequencing was first performed in Patient 2 through Deciphering Developmental Disorders study. Proband-only exome sequencing had previously been independently performed in Patient 4. Following identification of a candidate gene variant in Patient 2, the same variant was subsequently confirmed from exome data in Patient 4. Sanger sequencing was used to validate this variant in Patients 1, 3; confirm paternal inheritance in Patient 5. RESULTS: A recurrent, novel variant NM_006494.2:c.266A>G p.(Tyr89Cys) in ERF was identified in five affected individuals: de novo (patient 1, 2 and 3) and inherited from an affected father (patient 4 and 5). p.Tyr89Cys is an aromatic polar neutral to polar neutral amino acid substitution, at a highly conserved position and lies within the functionally important ETS-domain of the protein. The recurrent ERF c.266A>C p.(Tyr89Cys) variant causes Chitayat syndrome. DISCUSSION: ERF variants have previously been associated with complex craniosynostosis. In contrast, none of the patients with the c.266A>G p.(Tyr89Cys) variant have craniosynostosis. CONCLUSIONS: We report the molecular aetiology of Chitayat syndrome and discuss potential mechanisms for this distinctive phenotype associated with the p.Tyr89Cys substitution in ERF

Protein structure and phenotypic analysis of pathogenic and population missense variants in STXBP1

Background: Syntaxin-binding protein 1, encoded by STXBP1, is highly expressed in the brain and involved in fusing synaptic vesicles with the plasma membrane. Studies have shown that pathogenic loss-of-function variants in this gene result in various types of epilepsies, mostly beginning early in life. We were interested to model pathogenic missense variants on the protein structure to investigate the mechanism of pathogenicity and genotype–phenotype correlations. Methods: We report 11 patients with pathogenic de novo mutations in STXBP1 identified in the first 4293 trios of the Deciphering Developmental Disorder (DDD) study, including six missense variants. We analyzed the structural locations of the pathogenic missense variants from this study and the literature, as well as population missense variants extracted from Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC). Results: Pathogenic variants are significantly more likely to occur at highly conserved locations than population variants, and be buried inside the protein domain. Pathogenic mutations are also more likely to destabilize the domain structure compared with population variants, increasing the proportion of (partially) unfolded domains that are prone to aggregation or degradation. We were unable to detect any genotype–phenotype correlation, but unlike previously reported cases, most of the DDD patients with STXBP1 pathogenic variants did not present with very early-onset or severe epilepsy and encephalopathy, though all have developmental delay with intellectual disability and most display behavioral problems and suffered seizures in later childhood. Conclusion: Variants across STXBP1 that cause loss of function can result in severe intellectual disability with or without seizures, consistent with a haploinsufficiency mechanism. Pathogenic missense mutations act through destabilization of the protein domain, making it prone to aggregation or degradation. The presence or absence of early seizures may reflect ascertainment bias in the literature as well as the broad recruitment strategy of the DDD study.The DDD study presents independent research commissioned by the Health Innovation Challenge Fund (grant number HICF-1009-003), a parallel funding partnership between the Wellcome Trust and the Department of Health, and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (grant number WT098051)

Protein structure and phenotypic analysis of pathogenic and population missense variants inSTXBP1.

This is the final version of the article. Available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.BACKGROUND: Syntaxin-binding protein 1, encoded bySTXBP1, is highly expressed in the brain and involved in fusing synaptic vesicles with the plasma membrane. Studies have shown that pathogenic loss-of-function variants in this gene result in various types of epilepsies, mostly beginning early in life. We were interested to model pathogenic missense variants on the protein structure to investigate the mechanism of pathogenicity and genotype-phenotype correlations. METHODS: We report 11 patients with pathogenic de novo mutations inSTXBP1identified in the first 4293 trios of the Deciphering Developmental Disorder (DDD) study, including six missense variants. We analyzed the structural locations of the pathogenic missense variants from this study and the literature, as well as population missense variants extracted from Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC). RESULTS: Pathogenic variants are significantly more likely to occur at highly conserved locations than population variants, and be buried inside the protein domain. Pathogenic mutations are also more likely to destabilize the domain structure compared with population variants, increasing the proportion of (partially) unfolded domains that are prone to aggregation or degradation. We were unable to detect any genotype-phenotype correlation, but unlike previously reported cases, most of the DDD patients withSTXBP1pathogenic variants did not present with very early-onset or severe epilepsy and encephalopathy, though all have developmental delay with intellectual disability and most display behavioral problems and suffered seizures in later childhood. CONCLUSION: Variants acrossSTXBP1that cause loss of function can result in severe intellectual disability with or without seizures, consistent with a haploinsufficiency mechanism. Pathogenic missense mutations act through destabilization of the protein domain, making it prone to aggregation or degradation. The presence or absence of early seizures may reflect ascertainment bias in the literature as well as the broad recruitment strategy of the DDD study.This study was supported by the Health Innovation Challenge Fund (grant number: HICF-1009-003) and Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (grant number: WT098051)