University of California System

Dennis M. Tang is a consultant for Aerin Medical, Acclarent, 3D Matrix, SoundHealth, and Regeneron. He is a speaker for Regeneron and Paratek. He receives research support from Acclarent. The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

To evaluate repetitive motor behaviors (RMBs) in non-autistic toddlers using direct observational methods. This cohort study assessed RMBs in a community sample of 679 toddlers at 24 and 36 months of age. Initial analyses examined rates of RMBs in autistic (n = 65) vs nonautistic (n = 614) participants. Subsequent analyses focused on participants without autism, first examining clinical correlates of RMBs in the full non-autistic group and then comparing rates of RMBs in 2 non-autistic subgroups: 104 participants with other developmental concerns (ODC) and 510 participants with no developmental concerns. A total of 36% of non-autistic children demonstrated RMB at 24 and/or 36 months of age. RMBs were significantly more likely in the ODC (55%) than the no developmental concerns (33%) group. Non-autistic participants with RMBs had significantly lower communication scores at 24 months and, at both ages, significantly higher scores on 2 measures of autism-related symptomatology than those without RMBs; however, group means fell within the average range and effect sizes were small. There were no RMB differences based on sex. RMBs are not uncommon in 24- to 36-month-old children who do not meet diagnostic criteria for autism. Among non-autistic children, RMBs are most likely to occur in those with other developmental challenges but are also present in some typically developing children. The presence of RMBs in toddlers should be evaluated within the context of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition ASD criteria, and RMBs alone without social communication challenges core to ASD should not be viewed as automatically indicative of autism.

Blood pressure (BP) measurement in both acute care and outpatient settings is essential, as conditions like hypertension and hypotension are common and often asymptomatic until organ damage occurs. These conditions significantly increase the risk of morbidity and mortality but can be effectively managed through early detection and treatment. For decades, cuff-based devices have dominated non-invasive BP monitoring; however, they are often bulky, inconvenient, and limited to intermittent measurements. In recent years, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI)-based approaches for BP estimation from non-invasive physiological signals-such as electrocardiography (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG)-have generated considerable interest. These innovations promise to enable continuous, cuff-less BP monitoring, expanding the reach of BP assessment into wearable devices and facilitating more dynamic, patient-centered care. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of non-invasive BP measurement technologies, with particular emphasis on emerging AI-driven methods and trends shaping the development of continuous and wearable solutions. While these technologies offer new opportunities for continuous monitoring and patient engagement, this review focuses on their conceptual and technological development rather than detailed performance evaluation or clinical validation.

Receiving support in later life is often experienced as stressful, but for people living with dementia (PLWD) support is an unavoidable necessity for daily functioning. The current study examined the association between receiving support in this unique context and PLWD's hair cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and DHEA-to-cortisol ratio, which serve as non-invasive, objective physiological measures that may reflect longer-term HPA-axis activity related to stress. Further, we explored whether caregivers' perspective taking-their ability to understand PLWD's thoughts and feelings-moderated associations between support receipt and hair hormones. Participants included 58 couples managing mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (Mage = 77.60 for PLWD; Mage = 75.48 for caregivers). PLWD self-reported the frequency of emotional and practical support received from their spousal caregivers. Hair samples were collected from the posterior vertex to assess cortisol and DHEA concentrations and were assayed using enzyme immunoassay (EIA) method. Caregivers reported their own perspective taking and both spouses' demographic characteristics. Multiple regressions showed that receiving more frequent emotional support and less frequent practical support from spousal caregivers were associated with higher hair cortisol concentrations in PLWD. Yet, these associations were only evident if caregivers had greater perspective taking. In addition, caregiver perspective taking exacerbated the negative association between receiving emotional support and the DHEA-to-cortisol ratio. By using hair hormones, this study offers preliminary insights into PLWD's stress-related physiological processes in the context of intensive caregiving. Findings refine our understanding of the benefits and costs of caregivers' perspective taking and inform caregiver interventions.

Heteroatom-substituted xanthene dyes have attracted significant attention for development of imaging probes and functional dyes for reporting on biologically relevant analytes. However, synthetic access to diverse heteroatom xanthenes has been hindered by the sensitivity of heteroatom functional groups to commonly utilized synthetic procedures in the field. Herein, we develop a solvent-free strategy to access templates that can be used for late-stage installation of the heteroatom functionality. Dyes can be obtained using templates generated from our solvent-free approach within three steps. We demonstrate the utility of this approach by synthesizing and characterizing dyes with phosphinate ethyl ester-and borinate-bridging functionalities that are sensitive to commonly used synthetic manipulations in the field. This approach allows access to dyes with increased chemical stability, quantum yield, structural diversity, and sensitivity for target analytes that cannot be obtained using traditional methods. As an example, this methodology is used to obtain a borinate-containing dye capable of producing a >14,000-fold increase in ratiometric signal upon reaction with H2O2. We anticipate that the new dyes described herein will provide improved imaging probes and tools and that our solvent-free approach will enable the diversification of heteroatom xanthenes for applications in imaging and chemical biology.

Without emission reductions, climate change may increase ozone and PM2.5 air pollution in the United States; however, we do not know how this will affect air quality alerts that prompt people to stay indoors. Here, we use an integrated modeling framework to find distributions of daily Air Quality Index (AQI) during the smog season at the start, middle, and end-of-century. Considering natural variability, climate change may cause air quality alerts to double (increase by a factor of 2 ± 0.2) by 2100. Days when both ozone and PM2.5 exceed alert thresholds quadruple (4.3 ± 1.2). More than 100,000,000 (±45,000,000) people experience mean air pollution deemed "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups", a growth of 7 (±3) times compared to 2000. If people follow alerts by staying inside, they reduce exposure to outdoor-generated pollutants. Their health benefits are similar whether the alert is caused by ozone or PM2.5. Senior (age 65+) populations receive much higher benefits per day by adapting (e.g., 95CI for PM2.5: $4.60 to $147) as young adults (age 18-35; 95CI: $0.15 to $4.22)─more than 45 times higher on average. This disproportionate impact requires targeted messaging and guidance, especially as climate-related risks rise.