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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Risk of longer-term endocrine and metabolic conditions in the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Coast Guard cohort study – five years of follow-up

Abstract Introduction Long-term endocrine and metabolic health risks associated with oil spill cleanup exposures are largely unknown, despite the endocrine-disrupting potential of crude oil and oil dispersant constituents. We aimed to investigate risks of longer-term endocrine and metabolic conditions among U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) responders to the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill. Methods Our study population included all active duty DWH Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort members ( N = 45,224). Self-reported spill exposures were ascertained from post-deployment surveys. Incident endocrine and metabolic outcomes were defined using International Classification of Diseases (9th Revision) diagnostic codes from military health encounter records up to 5.5 years post-DWH. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, we estimated adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for various incident endocrine and metabolic diagnoses (2010–2015, and separately during 2010–2012 and 2013–2015). Results The mean baseline age was 30 years (~ 77% white, ~ 86% male). Compared to non-responders ( n = 39,260), spill responders ( n = 5,964) had elevated risks for simple and unspecified goiter (aHR = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.29–3.38) and disorders of lipid metabolism (aHR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.00–1.18), including its subcategory other and unspecified hyperlipidemia (aHR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.01–1.21). The dysmetabolic syndrome X risk was elevated only during 2010–2012 (aHR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.22–3.51). Responders reporting ever ( n = 1,068) vs. never ( n = 2,424) crude oil inhalation exposure had elevated risks for disorders of lipid metabolism (aHR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.00–1.53), including its subcategory pure hypercholesterolemia (aHR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.08–2.72), the overweight, obesity and other hyperalimentation subcategory of unspecified obesity (aHR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.09–2.13), and abnormal weight gain (aHR = 2.60, 95% CI: 1.04–6.55). Risk estimates for endocrine/metabolic conditions were generally stronger among responders reporting exposure to both crude oil and dispersants (vs. neither) than among responders reporting only oil exposure (vs. neither). Conclusion In this large cohort of active duty USCG responders to the DWH disaster, oil spill cleanup exposures were associated with elevated risks for longer-term endocrine and metabolic conditions.

Denic-Roberts, Hristina↗
DOE OSTI2021

Lung Cancer in the Mayak Workers Cohort: Risk Estimation and Uncertainty Analysis

The workers at the Mayak nuclear facility near Ozyorsk, Russia are a primary source of information about exposure to radiation at low-dose rates, since they were subject to protracted exposures to external gamma rays and to internal exposures from plutonium inhalation. Here we re-examine lung cancer mortality rates and assess the effects of external gamma and internal plutonium exposures using recently developed Monte Carlo dosimetry systems. Using individual lagged mean annual lung doses computed from the dose realizations, we fit excess relative risk (ERR) models to the lung cancer mortality data for the Mayak Workers Cohort using risk-modeling software. We then used the corrected information matrix (CIM) approach to widen the confidence intervals of ERR by taking into account the uncertainty in doses represented by multiple realizations from the Monte Carlo dosimetry systems. Findings of this work revealed that there were 930 lung cancer deaths during follow-up. Plutonium lung doses (but not gamma doses) were generally higher in the new dosimetry systems than those used in the previous analysis. This led to a reduction in the risk per unit dose compared to prior estimates. The estimated ERR/Gy for external gamma-ray exposure was 0.19 (95% CI: 0.07 to 0.31) for both sexes combined, while the ERR/Gy for internal exposures based on mean plutonium doses were 3.5 (95% CI: 2.3 to 4.6) and 8.9 (95% CI: 3.4 to 14) for males and females at attained age 60. Accounting for uncertainty in dose had little effect on the confidence intervals for the ERR associated with gamma-ray exposure, but had a marked impact on confidence intervals, particularly the upper bounds, for the effect of plutonium exposure [adjusted 95% CIs: 1.5 to 8.9 for males and 2.7 to 28 for females]. In conclusion, lung cancer rates increased significantly with both external gamma-ray and internal plutonium exposures. Accounting for the effects of dose uncertainty markedly increased the width of the confidence intervals for the plutonium dose response but had little impact on the external gamma dose effect estimate. Adjusting risk estimate confidence intervals using CIM provides a solution to the important problem of dose uncertainty. This work demonstrates, for the first time, that it is possible and practical to use our recently developed CIM method to make such adjustments in a large cohort study.

uncertainty, radiation risk estimation, Mayak Prod↗
DOE OSTI2024

Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator: Cohort 2 - runZero Public Report

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) sponsors the Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator™ (CECA) to expedite the deployment of emerging security technologies that address the most urgent security concerns facing modern and future electric grids. CECA Cohort 2 assessed solutions focused on hidden risks due to incomplete system visibility and device security and configuration. Improving visibility can be achieved through operational technology (OT) asset identification solutions, including capabilities like automatic discovery, vulnerability reporting, and configuration monitoring. Solutions that monitor and identify assets in information technology (IT) networks in other domains are widely used; however, there is far less adoption of monitoring solutions for operational technology environments. Wider adoption may increase with increased confidence in the ability for these solutions to understand and respond to the specific requirements of OT environments. CECA Cohort 2 evaluated the active and passive asset discovery capabilities of market-ready solutions, documented and analyzed results, and identified gaps in functionality or capabilities. This report and describes how these results can help advance the adoption of these and similar solutions in the electric sector.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator: Cohort 2 - Asimily Public Report

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) sponsors the Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator (TM) (CECA) to expedite the deployment of emerging security technologies that address the most urgent security concerns facing modern and future electric grids. CECA Cohort 2 assessed solutions focused on hidden risks due to incomplete system visibility and device security and configuration. Improving visibility can be achieved through operational technology (OT) asset identification solutions, including capabilities like automatic discovery, vulnerability reporting, and configuration monitoring. Solutions that monitor and identify assets in information technology (IT) networks in other domains are widely used; however, there is far less adoption of monitoring solutions for operational technology environments. Wider adoption may increase with increased confidence in the ability for these solutions to understand and respond to the specific requirements of OT environments. CECA Cohort 2 evaluated the active and passive asset discovery capabilities of market-ready solutions, documented and analyzed results, and identified gaps in functionality or capabilities. This report and describes how these results can help advance the adoption of these and similar solutions in the electric sector.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Data Center Cybersecurity, Supply Chain Risk Management, and Emerging Regulation Cohort Summary: Takeaways and Action Plans

This report summarizes the outcomes of the Data Center Cohort under the Department of Energy’s Technical Assistance for Digital Assurance (TADA) initiative, aimed at enhancing grid resilience through cybersecurity, supply chain risk management (SCRM), and Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE). The cohort engaged 17 organizations across utilities, data center operators, vendors, and technology providers in three sessions combining presentations, discussions, and exercises. Key topics included AI-driven load behavior, cybersecurity vulnerabilities in UPS/BESS and cooling systems, governance gaps at utility–data center boundaries, and supply chain integrity. Five cross-cutting themes emerged: interconnection architecture vulnerabilities, fragmented governance, AI-driven stability risks, lack of regulatory frameworks, and long-term supply chain concerns. Actionable recommendations were developed, including implementing DMZ segmentation, formalizing vendor access agreements, designing AI workload limits, and advancing standards through NERC and state-level programs. These strategies aim to strengthen resilience, clarify responsibilities, and ensure secure integration of data centers into the grid.

24 - POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Detection of Candida DNA in peritoneal fluids by PCR assay optimizing the diagnosis and treatment for intra-abdominal candidiasis in high-risk ICU patients: A prospective cohort study

Background Intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC) is the predominant type of invasive candidiasis with high mortality in critically ill patients. This study aimed to investigate whether the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for detecting Candida DNA in peritoneal fluids (PF) is useful in diagnosing and management of IAC in high-risk patients in intensive care unit (ICU). Methods A prospective single-center cohort study of surgical patients at high risk for IAC was conducted in the ICU. PF was collected from the abdominal drainage tubes (within 24 h) or by percutaneous puncture. Direct PF smear microscopy, PF culture, blood culture, and serum (1–3)-β-D-glucan were performed in all patients. For Candida PCR assay, the ITS1/ITS4 primers that targeted the ITS1-5.8 s-ITS2 regions were used for PCR, and sequencing analysis was used to identify the pathogen at the species level. IAC was defined according to the 2013 European consensus criteria. Results Among 83 patients at high risk for IAC, the IAC criteria were present in 17 (20.5%). The sensitivity and specificity of the Candida PCR assay were 64.7 and 89.4%, respectively, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.63–0.91). In this cohort, the positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 90.8% (95% CI: 80.3–96.2%) and 61.1% (95% CI: 36.1–81.7%), respectively. Diagnostic consistency was moderate (kappa 0.529, p < 0.001) according to the 2013 European consensus criteria. Conclusion Detection of Candida DNA in PF using PCR can be considered an adjunct to existing routine diagnostic tools which may optimize the diagnosis and antifungal treatment of IAC in high-risk patients in the ICU.

Xie, Min↗
DOE OSTI2024

Relationships between Habitual Polyphenol Consumption and Gut Microbiota in the INCLD Health Cohort

While polyphenol consumption is often associated with an increased abundance of beneficial microbes and decreased opportunistic pathogens, these relationships are not completely described for polyphenols consumed via habitual diet, including culinary herb and spice consumption. This analysis of the International Cohort on Lifestyle Determinants of Health (INCLD Health) cohort uses a dietary questionnaire and 16s microbiome data to examine relationships between habitual polyphenol consumption and gut microbiota in healthy adults (n = 96). In this exploratory analysis, microbial taxa, but not diversity measures, differed by levels of dietary polyphenol consumption. Taxa identified as exploratory biomarkers of daily polyphenol consumption (mg/day) included Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, Enterococcus, Eubacterium ventriosum group, Ruminococcus torques group, and Sutterella. Taxa identified as exploratory biomarkers of the frequency of polyphenol-weighted herb and spice use included Lachnospiraceae UCG-001, Lachnospiraceae UCG-004, Methanobrevibacter, Lachnoclostridium, and Lachnotalea. Several of the differentiating taxa carry out activities important for human health, although out of these taxa, those with previously described pro-inflammatory qualities in certain contexts displayed inverse relationships with polyphenol consumption. Our results suggest that higher quantities of habitual polyphenol consumption may support an intestinal environment where opportunistic and pro-inflammatory bacteria are represented in a lower relative abundance compared to those with less potentially virulent qualities.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

E2C Cohort on Major Energy Disruptions in the Southeast: Trade-Offs and Feasibility of Energy Sector Investment for Community Resilience [Slides]

The Energy to Communities (E2C) peer-learning cohort program provides technical assistance to groups of 15 community entities around a common energy topic over the course of 6 months. Every month, participants join a virtual meeting where they hear from experts and exchange strategies and best practices with their peers. This cohort, "Planning for Major Energy Disruptions in the Southeast" focuses on strategies for entities in the Southeast to quickly recover from impacts to energy infrastructure caused by extreme events, such as severe weather and natural disasters. This presentation focuses on the tradeoffs and relative costs of different strategies to improve outcomes from these extreme events. The workshop is on May 21, 2026.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2026

E2C Successful Project Implementation Cohort: Overview of Solar, Microgrid and Resilience Project Development [Slides]

The Energy to Communities (E2C) peer-learning cohort program provides technical assistance to groups of 15 community entities around a common energy topic over the course of 6 months. Every month, participants join a virtual meeting where they hear from experts and exchange strategies and best practices with their peers. This cohort, "Successful Energy Project Implementation" will explore common challenges in implementing energy projects and learn strategies to turn project plans into reality. Each participant will focus on a local energy project or priority as a cornerstone for their learning throughout the series. This presentation overviews the basics of developing solar, microgrid and resilience projects with emphasis on understanding the project development process.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2009

Using Satellite Data to Evaluate Linkages Between Land Cover/Land Use and Hypertension in a National Cohort

Coincident with global expansion of urban areas has been an increase in hypertension. It is unclear how much the urban environment contributes as a risk factor for blood pressure differences, and how much is due to a variety of environmental, lifestyle, and demographic correlates of urbanization. Objectives/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between living environment (defined as urban, suburban, or rural) and hypertension in selected regions from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort. Methods: REGARDS is a national cohort of 30,228 participants from the 48 contiguous United States. We used data from 4 metropolitan regions (Philadelphia, Atlanta, Minneapolis and Chicago) for this study (n=3928). We used Land Cover/Land Use (LCLU) information from the 30-meter National Land Cover Data. Results: Overall, 1996 (61%) of the participants were hypertensive. We characterized participants into urban, suburban or rural living environments using the LCLU data. In univariate models, we found that living environment is associated with hypertension, but that after adjustment for known hypertension risk factors, the relationship was no longer present at the 95% confidence level. Conclusions: LCLU data can be utilized to characterize the living environment, which in turn can be applied to studies of public health outcomes. Further study regarding the relationship between hypertension and living environment should focus on additional characteristics of the associated environment.

McClure, Leslie↗
NASA NTRS2012

Linking NASA Environmental Data with a National Public Health Cohort Study and a CDC On-Line System to Enhance Public Health Decision Making

The overall goal of this study is to address issues of environmental health and enhance public health decision making by utilizing NASA remotely-sensed data and products. This study is a collaboration between NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Universities Space Research Association (USRA), the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Public Health Informatics. The objectives of this study are to develop high-quality spatial data sets of environmental variables, link these with public health data from a national cohort study, and deliver the linked data sets and associated analyses to local, state and federal end-user groups. Three daily environmental data sets were developed for the conterminous U.S. on different spatial resolutions for the period 2003-2008: (1) spatial surfaces of estimated fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures on a 10-km grid utilizing the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ground observations and NASA s MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data; (2) a 1-km grid of Land Surface Temperature (LST) using MODIS data; and (3) a 12-km grid of daily Solar Insolation (SI) and maximum and minimum air temperature using the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) forcing data. These environmental datasets were linked with public health data from the UAB REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) national cohort study to determine whether exposures to these environmental risk factors are related to cognitive decline and other health outcomes. These environmental national datasets will also be made available to public health professionals, researchers and the general public via the CDC Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) system, where they can be aggregated to the county, state or regional level as per users need and downloaded in tabular, graphical, and map formats. The linkage of these data provides a useful addition to CDC WONDER, allowing public health researchers and policy makers to better include environmental exposure data in the context of other health data available in this online system. It also substantially expands public access to NASA data, making their use by a wide range of decision makers feasible.

Al-Hamdan, Mohammad↗
DOE OSTI2022

Dietary B group vitamin intake and the bladder cancer risk: a pooled analysis of prospective cohort studies

Abstract Purpose Diet may play an essential role in the aetiology of bladder cancer (BC). The B group complex vitamins involve diverse biological functions that could be influential in cancer prevention. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between various components of the B group vitamin complex and BC risk. Methods Dietary data were pooled from four cohort studies. Food item intake was converted to daily intakes of B group vitamins and pooled multivariate hazard ratios (HRs), with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were obtained using Cox-regression models. Dose–response relationships were examined using a nonparametric test for trend. Results In total, 2915 BC cases and 530,012 non-cases were included in the analyses. The present study showed an increased BC risk for moderate intake of vitamin B1 (HR B1 : 1.13, 95% CI: 1.00–1.20). In men, moderate intake of the vitamins B1, B2, energy-related vitamins and high intake of vitamin B1 were associated with an increased BC risk (HR (95% CI): 1.13 (1.02–1.26), 1.14 (1.02–1.26), 1.13 (1.02–1.26; 1.13 (1.02–1.26), respectively). In women, high intake of all vitamins and vitamin combinations, except for the entire complex, showed an inverse association (HR (95% CI): 0.80 (0.67–0.97), 0.83 (0.70–1.00); 0.77 (0.63–0.93), 0.73 (0.61–0.88), 0.82 (0.68–0.99), 0.79 (0.66–0.95), 0.80 (0.66–0.96), 0.74 (0.62–0.89), 0.76 (0.63–0.92), respectively). Dose–response analyses showed an increased BC risk for higher intake of vitamin B1 and B12. Conclusion Our findings highlight the importance of future research on the food sources of B group vitamins in the context of the overall and sex-stratified diet.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

The association between neighborhood obesogenic factors and prostate cancer risk and mortality: the Southern Community Cohort Study

Background: Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality among men in the United States. We examined the role of neighborhood obesogenic attributes on prostate cancer risk and mortality in the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS). Methods: From the total of 34,166 SCCS male participants, 28,356 were included in the analysis. We assessed the relationship between neighborhood obesogenic factors [neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) and neighborhood obesogenic environment indices including the restaurant environment index, the retail food environment index, parks, recreational facilities, and businesses] and prostate cancer risk and mortality by controlling for individual-level factors using a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model. We further stratified prostate cancer risk analysis by race and body mass index (BMI). Results: Median follow-up time was 133 months [interquartile range (IQR): 103, 152], and the mean age was 51.62 (SD: ± 8.42) years. There were 1,524 (5.37%) prostate cancer diagnoses and 98 (6.43%) prostate cancer deaths during follow-up. Compared to participants residing in the wealthiest quintile, those residing in the poorest quintile had a higher risk of prostate cancer (aHR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.12–1.57, p = 0.001), particularly among non-obese men with a BMI < 30 (aHR = 1.46, 95% CI 1.07–1.98, p = 0.016). The restaurant environment index was associated with a higher prostate cancer risk in overweight (BMI ≥ 25) White men (aHR = 3.37, 95% CI 1.04–10.94, p = 0.043, quintile 1 vs. None). Obese Black individuals without any neighborhood recreational facilities had a 42% higher risk (aHR = 1.42, 95% CI 1.04–1.94, p = 0.026) compared to those with any access. Compared to residents in the wealthiest quintile and most walkable area, those residing within the poorest quintile (aHR = 3.43, 95% CI 1.54–7.64, p = 0.003) or the least walkable area (aHR = 3.45, 95% CI 1.22–9.78, p = 0.020) had a higher risk of prostate cancer death. Conclusion: Living in a lower-nSES area was associated with a higher prostate cancer risk, particularly among Black men. Restaurant and retail food environment indices were also associated with a higher prostate cancer risk, with stronger associations within overweight White individuals. Finally, residing in a low-SES neighborhood or the least walkable areas were associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer mortality.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

E2C Cohorts: Implementation Funding Projects - Impact Summary [Slides]

From August 2024 to October 2025, 11 Clean Cities and Communities coalitions supported projects to advance transportation goals by gathering input from local stakeholders, and using the resulting insights to develop new plans and programs for local partners. This effort leveraged information and best practices shared during the 2024 E2C Cohort on Integrating Community Priorities into Electric Vehicle Plans and Projects. These coalitions supported partners across the country to develop plans for electric vehicle integration through one-on-one technical assistance and tailored local engagement. This deck summarizes the individual projects completed by coalitions, and the overall reach and impact of all of this program.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Preoperative Radiosurgery for Resected Brain Metastases: The PROPS-BM Multicenter Cohort Study

Preoperative radiosurgery (SRS) is a feasible alternative to postoperative SRS, with potential benefits in adverse radiation effect (ARE) and leptomeningeal disease (LMD) relapse. However, previous studies are limited by small patient numbers and single-institution designs. Our aim was to evaluate preoperative SRS outcomes and prognostic factors from a large multicenter cohort (Preoperative Radiosurgery for Brain Metastases [PROPS-BM]).

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Individual doses for super cohort members exposed to atmospheric radioiodine from the Mayak releases with an emphasis on prenatal doses

Time-dependent thyroid doses were reconstructed for 45,837 members of the Southern Urals Population Exposed to Radiation Cohort (SUPER-C) living in the region around the Mayak Production Association facilities in Russia from 131I released to the atmosphere from all relevant exposure pathways. The dose calculations are implemented in a Monte Carlo framework that produces best estimates and stochastic realizations of dose time-histories. The mean thyroid dose from 131I for SUPER-C members was 195 mGy; the median was 65 mGy. Overall, 131I-thyroid doses for about 3.6% of SUPER-C members were larger than 1 Gy. For children born in 1940-1950, the dose was about 10% higher than in previous studies because doses during the prenatal period for 9,117 individuals are included in the current work. Half of the individuals born in the region in 1950–1960 who remained in the study domain through 1972 received 9.4% or more of their total dose during the prenatal period. SUPER-C members residing in areas contaminated by discharges of liquid radioactive releases into the Techa River and the Kyshtym Accident in 1957 received 80% of their thyroid dose from airborne 131I emissions. The uncertainty in the 131I dose estimates is low enough for this approach to be used in regional epidemiological studies.

Dose assessment, 131I, airborne radioactivity, thy↗
DOE OSTI2026

Identification of drug repurposing candidates for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using electronic health records: a retrospective cohort study

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with a life expectancy of only 3–5 years and few approved treatments. To identify drug repurposing candidates for the treatment of ALS, we analysed the electronic health records (EHRs) of a large cohort of military veterans with ALS. We analysed the EHRs of individuals in the US Veterans Health Administration (VHA) database who were diagnosed with ALS between Jan 1, 2009 and Dec 31, 2019 to assess medication effects. Individuals without recorded prescriptions after the date of diagnosis were excluded. Two sets of criteria were applied to ascertain exposure. Exposure criteria A were met if the dispense date or the end date of the medication was within 12 months of ALS diagnosis and the end date was at least 6 months after the dispense date. Exposure criteria B were met if there were at least two dispenses within 6 months before diagnosis and 12 months after diagnosis. Propensity score-matched control groups were generated on the basis of confounders included in the EHR, with methodology of potential outcomes used to infer treatment effects. The primary outcome was death. A standard Cox proportional hazards analysis was done to assess association with survival. Survival was defined as the time from diagnosis date recorded in the EHR to death reported in the Department for Veterans Affairs Vital Status File. Follow-up survival time was censored on Dec 31, 2020, for those alive on this date. Downstream protein targets of drugs with clinically significant effects were analysed using the protein–protein interaction networks-based algorithm PathFX. The EHRs of 11 003 individuals with ALS in the VHA database were appropriate for analysis. 162 medications with treatment groups of 30 or more individuals were identified. Among these 162 medications, 27 were associated with statistically significant changes (≥0·1) in the hazard ratio (HR) for death. 18 of the medications were associated with a reduced HR for death (prolonged survival), and nine were associated with an increased HR for death (reduced survival). Drugs associated with reduced HR included HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (simvastatin, pravastatin, lovastatin, and atorvastatin), PDE5 inhibitors (vardenafil and sildenafil), and α-adrenergic antagonists (tamsulosin and terazosin). The medications associated with an increased HR were drugs used either in the management of clinical features of ALS associated with poor outcomes or in end-of-life care. PathFx analysis identified a complex of proteins interacting with several of the identified drugs. To our knowledge, this analysis is the largest EHR-based study for identifying drug repurposing candidates for ALS. We identified several drugs that warrant further assessment as therapeutic options in ALS, as well as a protein network complex that might serve as a therapeutic target for ALS.

Reimer, Richard J. [Stanford Univ., CA (United Sta↗
DOE OSTI2022

Brain ageing in schizophrenia: evidence from 26 international cohorts via the ENIGMA Schizophrenia consortium

Schizophrenia (SZ) is associated with an increased risk of life-long cognitive impairments, age-related chronic disease, and premature mortality. We investigated evidence for advanced brain ageing in adult SZ patients, and whether this was associated with clinical characteristics in a prospective meta-analytic study conducted by the ENIGMA Schizophrenia Working Group. The study included data from 26 cohorts worldwide, with a total of 2803 SZ patients (mean age 34.2 years; range 18–72 years; 67% male) and 2598 healthy controls (mean age 33.8 years, range 18–73 years, 55% male). Brain-predicted age was individually estimated using a model trained on independent data based on 68 measures of cortical thickness and surface area, 7 subcortical volumes, lateral ventricular volumes and total intracranial volume, all derived from T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Deviations from a healthy brain ageing trajectory were assessed by the difference between brain-predicted age and chronological age (brain-predicted age difference [brain-PAD]). On average, SZ patients showed a higher brain-PAD of +3.55 years (95% CI: 2.91, 4.19; I 2 = 57.53%) compared to controls, after adjusting for age, sex and site (Cohen’s d = 0.48). Among SZ patients, brain-PAD was not associated with specific clinical characteristics (age of onset, duration of illness, symptom severity, or antipsychotic use and dose). This large-scale collaborative study suggests advanced structural brain ageing in SZ. Longitudinal studies of SZ and a range of mental and somatic health outcomes will help to further evaluate the clinical implications of increased brain-PAD and its ability to be influenced by interventions.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗