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OBJECTIVES In a previous mass spectrometry study of our research group, 25 proteins were found to be differentially expressed in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with preeclampsia compared to controls. The objective of the current study was to investigate DNA methylation of the genes encoding for the former mentioned proteins in an independent dataset. STUDY DESIGN In a nested case-control study of the Rotterdam Periconceptional Cohort, placental tissue, umbilical cord white blood cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were obtained of 13 patients with early-onset preeclampsia, 16 patients with late-onset preeclampsia and 83 normotensive controls (27 patients with fetal growth restriction, 20 patients with spontaneous preterm birth and 36 uncomplicated pregnancies). DNA methylation of 783 CpGs in regions of 25 genes was measured. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES DNA methylation of selected candidate genes in early- and late-onset preeclampsia compared to fetal growth restriction, spontaneous preterm birth and uncomplicated controls. RESULTS From the 783 CpGs of the 25 selected genes, 15 CpGs were differentially methylated between early-onset preeclampsia and spontaneous preterm birth (3.80 E-5 ≤ p ≤ 0.036). Four CpGs were differentially methylated between early-onset preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction (0.0002 ≤ p ≤ 0.037) and 13 CpGs were differentially methylated between early onset preeclampsia and uncomplicated controls (0.0001 ≤ p ≤ 0.04). CONCLUSION Differences in DNA methylation were found in placental tissue, umbilical cord white blood cells and HUVEC of patients with early onset preeclampsia compared to (un)complicated controls, but not in patients with late-onset preeclampsia. The genes showing the largest differential methylation encode insulin-like growth factor 2 binding protein and receptor and cadherin 13. BACKGROUND Acute peripheral trauma is a controversial risk factor for idiopathic dystonia. MATERIALS AND METHODS We retrospectively analyzed data from the Italian Dystonia Registry regarding the occurrence of acute peripheral trauma severe enough to require medical attention in 1382 patients with adult-onset idiopathic dystonia and 200 patients with acquired adult-onset dystonia. RESULTS Patients with idiopathic and acquired dystonia showed a similar burden of peripheral trauma in terms of the number of patients who experienced trauma (115/1382 vs. 12/200, p = 0.3) and the overall number of injuries (145 for the 1382 idiopathic patients and 14 for the 200 patients with secondary dystonia, p = 0.2). Most traumas occurred before the onset of idiopathic or secondary dystonia but only a minority of such injuries (14 in the idiopathic group, 2 in the acquired group, p = 0.6) affected the same body part as that affected by dystonia. In the idiopathic group, the elapsed time between trauma and dystonia onset was 8.1 ± 9.2 years; only six of the 145 traumas (4.1%) experienced by 5/1382 idiopathic patients (0.36%) occurred one year or less before dystonia onset; in the acquired dystonia group, the two patients experienced prior trauma to the dystonic body part 5 and 6 years before dystonia development. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Our data suggest that the contribution of peripheral acute trauma to idiopathic dystonia is negligible, if anything, and likely involves only a small subset of patients. OBJECTIVES How soon an ever-married woman falls a victim of domestic violence after marriage is not documented in Africa. This study sought to assess the timing of first domestic violence (FDV) against women after marriage and determined the factors associated with the timings in Nigeria, Kenya, and Mozambique. STUDY DESIGN This is a cross-sectional study. METHODS Data of 29,793 ever-married women of reproductive age consisting of 21,564, 4237 and 3992 from Demographic and Health Survey conducted in Nigeria (2013), Kenya (2014) and Mozambique (2011), respectively, were used. Proteases inhibitor The timing of FDV was the time interval between marriage date and date of the FDV for those with reported violence but censored as the time interval between marriage date and the survey date for those without domestic violence. Survival analysis techniques were used to assess the timing and the factors influencing the timing at (P = 0.05). RESULTS The lifetime prevalence of domestic violence among the ever-married women in Nigeria, Kenya f the first incidence of domestic violence. OBJECTIVES Systems thinking aims to understand the overall behavior of a system by examining the interdependencies of parts of the system. The objective of this study is to increase awareness of systems thinking and systems modeling in public health research and practice. STUDY DESIGN A short course was offered to public health professionals using a combination of teaching modalities didactic lectures, group discussions, hands-on programming, and experiential learning. METHODS Course participants completed surveys and provided feedback on the effectiveness of the course. A description of participant backgrounds, survey responses, and feedback were summarized. RESULTS Overall, participants offered quantitative and qualitative feedback suggesting that course content was useful and effective for incorporating systems thinking/modeling in their public health practice. CONCLUSIONS Systems thinking can be taught through formal modes of instruction to public health workers, but more research and case studies are needed to identify who should be taught and when and how such instruction should take place given competing priorities of public health workers. BACKGROUND Recent studies suggest heavy vehicle drivers self-estimate their sleepiness unexpectedly low during night duties. The present study compared sleepiness ratings of long-haul truck drivers with those of long-haul airline pilots during night and non-night duties. In addition, the correspondence between self-rated manifest and predicted latent sleepiness was examined in the two groups. METHODS Twenty-two drivers and 33 pilots participated. Their working hours, sleep, on-duty sleepiness, and use of sleepiness countermeasures were measured in naturalistic conditions. Predictions of latent sleepiness were based on the measurements of working hours and sleep using the Sleep/Wake Predictor modelling tool. RESULTS Drivers rated lower levels of sleepiness than pilots during both duty types, though predicted latent sleepiness levels were very similar among the two groups. Neither the results of sleep nor those of sleepiness countermeasures explained the difference in self-rated sleepiness. DISCUSSION The results raise the possibility that long-haul truck drivers are actually sleepier than they report, and thus are at an increased risk for not responding to sleepiness in a timely manner.