Childhood aggression and the co-occurrence of behavioural and emotional problems

Childhood aggression and its resulting consequences inflict a huge burden on affected children, their relatives, teachers, peers and society as a whole. Aggression during childhood rarely occurs in isolation and is correlated with other symptoms of childhood psychopathology. In this paper, we aim to describe and improve the understanding of the co-occurrence of aggression with other forms of childhood psychop

DNA methylation signatures of aggression and closely related constructs : A meta-analysis of epigenome-wide studies across the lifespan

DNA methylation profiles of aggressive behavior may capture lifetime cumulative effects of genetic, stochastic, and environmental influences associated with aggression. Here, we report the first large meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of aggressive behavior (N = 15,324 participants). In peripheral blood samples of 14,434 participants from 18 cohorts with mean ages ranging from 7 to 68 years, 13 methylation sites were significantly associated with aggression (alpha = 1.2 x 10(-7); Bonferroni correction). In cord blood samples of 2425 children from five cohorts with aggression assessed at mean ages ranging from 4 to 7 years, 83% of these sites showed the same direction of association with childhood aggression (r = 0.74, p = 0.006) but no epigenome-wide significant sites were found. Top-sites (48 at a false discovery rate of 5% in the peripheral blood meta-analysis or in a combined meta-analysis of peripheral blood and cord blood) have been associated with chemical exposures, smoking, cognition, metabolic traits, and genetic variation (mQTLs). Three genes whose expression levels were associated with top-sites were previously linked to schizophrenia and general risk tolerance. At six CpGs, DNA methylation variation in blood mirrors variation in the brain. On average 44% (range = 3-82%) of the aggression-methylation association was explained by current and former smoking and BMI. These findings point at loci that are sensitive to chemical exposures with potential implications for neuronal functions. We hope these results to be a starting point for studies leading to applications as peripheral biomarkers and to reveal causal relationships with aggression and related traits.Peer reviewe

Neutron pulse simulation in nuclear waste for waste characterization

The numerical simulations discussed in this paper show how analysis with computer-generated illustrations can be used to explain the concepts and advantages of pulsed neutron systems for tank waste evaluations. Furthermore, the analysis-illustration approach lends itself to parametric studies evaluating design features of hardware before it is fabricated. Nuclear material characteristics of hazardous or toxic simulants can be evaluated before preparing them or finding nontoxic or nonhazardous substitutes that will exhibit similar nuclear properties. Pulsed neutron systems hold significant promise for partial characterization of tank waste. The device could operate in a high background gamma radiation field and provide important information on moisture concentrations, fissionable material contents, and material interfaces quickly and at considerably less cost than obtainable from sample analyses

Horse-related injury patterns: a single center report

Abstract Background For ages, humankind and horses have been closely related to occupational and recreational activities. The dangers of engaging with horses have been previously reported. Among sporting activities, horse riding is well-known for its risks. Despite multiple recommendations to wear protective gear, horse-related activities still comprise the risk of severe injuries. This study aimed to examine: (1) if specific mechanisms are correlated to particular injury patterns and (2) if injury types are related to patient demographics. Methods From one level I trauma center, between July 2019 and July 2022 (3 years) all emergency reports and discharge letters were retrospectively reviewed by full-text search regarding horse-related injuries. Patient demographics, body mass index, trauma mechanism, injury types, and initiated treatment were extracted from medical records and analyzed. Results During the study period, 95 patients with 99 horse-related injuries were included. The overwhelming majority of the patients was female (93.7%). Age averaged 35.3 years (range 6 to 71). BMI was 23.6 kg/m2. Inpatient treatment was required in 60.6%. Length of hospital stay averaged 10 days. Surgical treatment was performed in 55 patients (55.6%). Open reduction and internal fixation was the most common procedure (74.5%). Trauma mechanism was fall from a horse followed by being hit by a horse (60.6% and 23.2%, respectively). Injured upper extremities counted up for 52.5% followed by spinal and pelvic injuries (23.2%). Spinal and pelvic injuries were related to fall from a horse (p < 0.001). Injuries to the lower extremities were predominantly caused by a kick of the horse when the rider was unmounted (p = 0.001) and negatively related to a fall from a horse (p = 0.002). Ten patients got their fingers tangled while holding the reins and suffered from injuries to the upper extremity (p < 0.001). Three of them required an amputation (30%). Conclusion Despite the fact that patients are young and healthy, horse related injuries must not be underestimated. In our study, almost two-thirds of the patients required inpatient treatment and 50% underwent surgery. We could show that patient age was related to injury severity according to the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS). Spinal and pelvic injuries were significantly related to a fall from a horse with a significantly greater trauma impact according to the AIS. Therefore, these severe entities need to be ruled out in such events. Accidents caused by holding the reins, may result in serious injuries to the hand with 30% requiring an amputation. Doctors need to be aware of possible horse-related injury patterns to reduce morbidity