We present a high-precision numerical simulation of Mercury's perihelion precession using the Emergent Quantum Field Theory (E-QFT) framework integrated with the Standard Model of particle physics. The simulation demonstrates that E-QFT's projection-based formulation of gravitational dynamics yields a perihelion precession of 42.999975 arcseconds per century, which deviates from the observed value of 43.0 arcseconds per century by only-0.000058%. This result represents an 860-fold improvement in accuracy compared to standard General Relativity. We show that this extraordinary precision stems from the topological structure of the non-factorizable Hilbert space with Chern class c 1 = 2, which introduces a Berry phase modulation to the gravitational acceleration. The simulation validates E-QFT's approach to quantum gravity and its natural regularization of quantum field divergences. For transparency and reproducibility, we provide the complete source code and implementation details in a public repository.

The integration of technology in K-12 classrooms has transformed traditional teaching and learning environments. This study explores the impact of technology integration on student engagement and academic performance in K-12 education. Drawing from both quantitative and qualitative data collected across multiple schools, the research examines how various digital tools-such as learning management systems, interactive whiteboards, and educational appsinfluence student motivation, participation, and achievement. Results indicate that effective technology integration can enhance student engagement and improve academic outcomes, particularly when implemented with pedagogical intent and adequate teacher training. However, disparities in access and educator readiness remain significant challenges. This study offers evidence-based insights for educators, policymakers, and school leaders aiming to optimize technology use for improved educational outcomes.

In an increasingly multicultural and globalized society, culturally responsive teaching (CRT) has emerged as a critical framework for promoting equity and inclusion in education. This article explores the foundations, principles, and practical applications of CRT in diverse classroom settings. Drawing from seminal research and contemporary educational practices, it highlights how acknowledging and integrating students' cultural backgrounds can enhance engagement, academic achievement, and social-emotional development. The article also examines real-world examples, discusses the role of teacher training, and addresses common challenges in implementing CRT effectively. Ultimately, it offers recommendations for educators, school leaders, and policymakers to support culturally responsive pedagogy as a means of fostering inclusive and affirming learning environments for all students.

This study examines the influence of technology integration on student engagement and learning outcomes within secondary education settings. Employing a mixed-methods research design, data were collected through surveys, classroom observations, and academic performance records from a sample of 300 students and 20 teachers across five secondary schools in Ibadan, Nigeria. Quantitative analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between the use of interactive digital tools and increased student engagement levels. Furthermore, students exposed to technologyenhanced instruction demonstrated improved academic performance compared to those in traditional learning environments. Qualitative feedback from teachers highlighted enhanced student motivation and participation as key benefits of technology integration. However, challenges such as limited infrastructure and insufficient teacher training were identified as barriers to effective implementation. The findings suggest that while technology integration can substantially enhance student engagement and learning outcomes, addressing infrastructural and professional development needs is crucial for maximizing its benefits in secondary education.

A document by Abhishek Das. Click on the document to view its contents.

This research article investigates a series of documented cases between 2015 and 2025 where academic institutions failed to dismiss faculty members despite substantiated allegations of sexual harassment, bullying, or scientific misconduct. Drawing from legal filings, investigative journalism, and university records across the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, and beyond, the study reveals recurring institutional patterns of protection: minimal sanctions, secrecy, retaliation against whistleblowers, and prioritization of reputation over accountability. The findings highlight systemic failures in self-governance and call for independent oversight and cultural reform in academia.

The sea urchins Echinometra mathaei and Stomopneustes variolaris co-occur on shallow reefs and are abundant in the South China Sea at Liuqiu Island, Taiwan. When keeping them together in aquarium culture, we were able to observe interaction between the urchins that appeared to be mostly motivated by space competition and possibly intensified by food competition. They engaged in interspecific and intraspecific “bullying” behaviors while being together in one aquarium. “Bullying” involved unequal competitive advantage and occurred between urchins of different sizes, with larger urchins chasing smaller ones. Having longer spines was also an advantage in the encounters. Compared to the short-spined E. mathaei that more frequently engaged in one-on-one interaction, S. variolaris was often witnessed forming “gangs”. Another observation was interpreted as a direct result of food competition, when sea urchins displayed an unusual eating behavior they do not show in the field – turning away or inverting the body, attaching aboral or lateral tube feet to the substrate and holding the food away from the substrate. We assumed that this was a response to a combination of handling lose food and competition, holding the food away from other urchins.

Backgrounds: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the main risk factor for cervical cancer. However, other cofactors are involved in the development of cervical carcinogenesis, such as oxidative stress, and can contribute to the persistence of HPV infection in the epithelium and to its integration into the cell genome. The objective of this study was to assess markers of oxidative stress in cervical samples from women infected with cervical HPV, with or without cytological abnormalities. Methods: Cytopathological exams, molecular detection of HPV, and markers of oxidative stress of cell samples from the cervix of 35 women were assessed. Results: The HPV-B group exhibited higher levels of TBARS, GSH, GST, and CP compared to the CG and HPV-A groups, while CAT levels were similar across all groups. CP concentrations were lower in the HPV-A group. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between CP and GST in the CG group, CP and TBARS in the HPV-A group, and GSH and TBARS in the HPV-B group, highlighting distinct oxidative stress profiles among the groups. Conclusions: The results revealed that women infected by HPV with abnormal cervical cells exhibited higher lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation, although an antioxidant response was also observed.

Hepatitis is a systemic disease marked by neuroimmune dysregulation beyond hepatic inflammation. Using a systems biology approach, we conducted transcriptomic meta-analyses across in vitro models, liver tissues, and PBMCs from hepatitis virus-infected patients to identify neuroimmune signatures. We found a robust neuroimmunome signature, neuroimmune-related genes showing consistent differential expression across datasets. Functional enrichment revealed disruptions in neurotransmission (synaptic, glutamatergic, noradrenergic, neuregulin pathways) and immune signaling (cytokines, interleukin-1 response, T cell receptor, and trans-synaptic signaling). Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) showed neuroimmune genes predict disease severity. Several were also altered in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA), implicating them in oncogenic transformation. Ligand–receptor analysis revealed dysregulated neuroimmune interactions in liver tissue, notably in DBH–ADRA1A/B/D, ADRA2A/B/C, ADRB1/2/3, IL33–IL1RL1, and NRG1–ERBB4. Critically, we observed an inverse correlation between neuroimmune gene expression and inflammation markers in advanced HCC, suggesting neuroimmune suppression may support immune evasion. These findings highlight the neuroimmunome as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in hepatitis and its complications, reinforcing the role of neuroimmune crosstalk in liver disease progression.

Many songbirds alternate migratory flights with stopovers to rest and refuel. Understanding the effects of weather on the timing of take-offs from stopover sites is key to mitigating human-wildlife conflicts during peak migration. We leveraged weather radar observations covering the contiguous United States to analyze how responses to weather vary across space and time. The ecological interpretation of a process-guided deep learning model reveals that local take-off is driven by wind, followed by temperature and humidity, through distinct interaction effects. In spring, winds generally suppress take-offs except in regions with rare supportive winds or after periods with unfavorable winds. In fall, migrants show greater flexibility, dynamically adjusting their tolerance for unfavorable winds depending on regional climatology and preceding conditions. Our findings highlight the flexibility of migratory birds in adapting to changing weather conditions, emphasizing the need for advanced models to capture these context-dependent behaviors.

Climate change is driving profound transformations in European forests. Understanding the adaptive potential of tree species is a key challenge for conservation and adaptation measures. A critical component of this adaptive potential lies in the intraspecific variation of functional traits. The long tradition in ecological genetics resulted in a plethora of studies across species, regions age classes and traits. Prior syntheses have rarely quantified trait-specific patterns and their variation across taxa and tree age. We conducted a systematic literature search to examine intraspecific variation in natural European tree populations. We identified four approaches to study intraspecific variation (i.e. provenance-effects, provenance environment interaction-effects, clinal-effects and transfer-effects). For each approach, we compared their prevalence to show an effect while also accounting for species, species group, and age. Our results found that intraspecific variation is common in European tree species, with tested traits showing significant provenance effects (73%), provenance environment-interaction effects (45%), linear clinal-effects (30%) and linear transfer-effects (38%). While growth traits were predominantly studied, several other traits showed higher frequencies of significant results. Specifically, reproduction, survival, phenology, plant morphology, plasticity, drought and frost tolerance are highly relevant but still understudied in comparison to growth. Conifer species demonstrated a higher prevalence of intraspecific variation compared to broadleaves. Despite the research clearly focusing on young trials, older trials tended to show higher frequencies of effects in phenology, growth, plant morphology and survival, suggesting accumulating environmental selection with growing tree age. Europe lacks essential information on intraspecific variation of tree species for the diversification, conservation and adaptation of its forests, especially in southern and south-eastern parts, where many species harbor high genetic diversity and are most vulnerable. The significant influence of age urges for a reanalysis, reestablishment, and maintenance of long-term trials. These trials should consider species and environmental conditions relevant for future scenarios.

Metabolome is gaining consideration as a viable approach to disease detection and even shows promising results in COVID-19 diagnosis. This work extends the study of the relationship between solid-phase microextraction (SPME) extractable sweat compounds (SPME-ECs) and COVID-19 positive patients. Sweat samples were collected from 426 patients (126 positives and 300 negatives) recruited at Merida and Progreso (Yucatán, México) health centers. The composition of sweat was analyzed with a solid phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) method. The statistical analysis revealed significant differences between infected and non-infected patients’ SPME-EC profiles. Then, we evaluated different classification models to discriminate between positive and negative patients. The best model was the PLS-DA model, with percentages of specificity and sensitivity above 80%. Six relevant chromatographic peaks for the classification model were annotated (hexadecanoic acid, tetracosanoic acid, 6-hexadecenoic acid, oleic acid, squalene, and undecanal) based on the mass spectrum recognition using the NIST library (> 90% identity match). Palmitic and oleic acid signal was elevated in COVID-positive patients. While sapienic acid, lignoceric acid, squalene, and undecanal were detected in lower amount in COVID-positive patients. The present list of chemical opens the possibility to develop pseudo-smells for training dogs without exposing them to real life samples, which increases the risk of infection to the canids.

Spawning locations of marine fish set the initial conditions for processes that influence survival, abundance, distribution, and the structure of the adult populations. The prevailing paradigm for the completion of the life cycle indicates that maine fish spawn in few and geographically constrained locations that favor the survival of the offspring. By analyzing a unique 16-year data of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) eggs catches over the entire Norwegian coastline, we demonstrate that cod spawning is ubiquitous, and that the oceanographic conditions that are associated with cod egg catches, such as water temperature, salinity, and current speeds, vary by region. Collectively our results underscore a high level of local adaptation in Atlantic cod, provide the foundation for a new framework to characterize marine fish life cycle, and offer a critical baseline for managing and conserving coastal marine habitats.

Background: Thrombocytopenia-absent radius (TAR) syndrome is a rare congenital disorder characterized by bilateral radial aplasia with preserved thumbs and early-onset thrombocytopenia. While hematologic and skeletal abnormalities are hallmarks of the condition, its association with hematologic malignancies is exceedingly rare, with only a few reported cases of leukemia. Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is an uncommon pediatric myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm frequently linked to RAS pathway mutations. The co-occurrence of JMML in a patient with TAR syndrome has not been previously documented. Case Presentation: We report the case of a male infant diagnosed with TAR syndrome based on clinical features and molecular confirmation of a homozygous RBM8A c.-21G>A mutation. The patient presented initially with persistent thrombocytopenia, skeletal deformities, and neonatal sepsis-like symptoms. At two years of age, he developed pancytopenia and progressive splenomegaly. Bone marrow examination and molecular studies confirmed JMML with a pathogenic NF1 mutation. He underwent successful haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from a sibling donor, following a conditioning regimen of melphalan, treosulfan, cyclophosphamide, and anti-thymocyte globulin. The patient achieved full donor chimerism and hematologic remission with stable engraftment. Conclusion: This case represents, to our knowledge, one of the very few—if not the first—reported instances of successful HSCT for JMML in a patient with TAR syndrome. It underscores the importance of vigilant surveillance in TAR patients for potential malignant transformation and demonstrates the curative potential of HSCT in complex congenital and hematologic overlap syndromes.

Primary producers shape terrestrial biodiversity, yet, most research has focused on vascular plants and the role of cryptogams (mosses, lichens and algae) remains under-explored. Cryptogams dominate Antarctic vegetation and support diverse microarthropod communities. However, how cryptogam traits influence these communities remains poorly understood. We therefore investigates the role of 28 cryptogam species and one vascular plant, via their functional traits, in shaping microarthropod communities across three contrasting sites in the maritime Antarctic. We hypothesized that vegetation traits, major microarthropod taxa, and abiotic drivers interact to influence community patterns The green alga Prasiola crispa hosted the highest microarthropod abundance (737 ind. g-1), while mosses supported greater microarthropod diversity and springtail abundance (68.9 ind. g-1) than lichens (1.6 ind. g-1). In contrast, lichens hosted more mites (38.6 ind. g-1) than mosses (13.7 ind. g-1). The grass Deschampsia antarctica showed intermediate abundances but the highest species richness and Shannon diversity. As hypothesized, mosses supported twice the richness and 1.4× greater diversity than lichens. Springtails were consistently more abundant in mosses and mites in lichens at the two northern sites, but this pattern disappeared at the climatically harshest southernmost site, suggesting environmental conditions modulate host preferences. Cryptogam nitrogen and moisture contents strongly predicted microarthropod community patterns, although their influence varied with vegetation type and location. Among mosses, moisture increased springtail abundance but reduced diversity due to the dominance of Cryptopygus antarcticus. In lichens, nitrogen had a stronger influence than in mosses, particularly on mite abundance and Shannon diversity. As hypothesized, moisture was more important at the harshest southern site, while nitrogen had stronger effects at more productive northern locations. These findings emphasize the role of cryptogam traits in structuring Antarctic terrestrial biodiversity. With future shifts predicted in vegetation composition, the functional traits of emerging dominant species may restructure microarthropod communities and their ecological functions.

Background Long-term antidepressant use may reduce the risk-benefit profile due to the increased likelihood of withdrawal symptoms and higher incidence of side effects. This epidemiological study investigates historical trends in long-term antidepressant use in the Australian community from 2014 to 2023. Method: A retrospective analysis was conducted using a 10% sample of data from the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), including patients aged over 10 years who had been dispensed a PBS-listed antidepressant between January 2014 and December 2023. Results: From 2014 to 2023, the prevalence of long-term antidepressant use increased from 66.13 to 84.43 per 1,000 population, and the proportion of long-term users among all antidepressant users rose from 61.37% to 65.67%. Age-stratified analysis showed that the 10-24 age group had the highest relative increase in long-term user prevalence (110%) and in the proportion of long-term users (35%). The average duration of treatment episode increased by 49% across all ages, with the 10-24 group showing the largest rise (56%). The percentage of long-term users who reduced antidepressant strength showed minimal change over time. Conclusions: The study highlights a growing trend in long-term antidepressant use across all age groups, particularly among those aged 10-24, warranting further investigation into the underlying factors. The extended treatment duration, coupled with limited medicine strength reduction efforts may suggest overprescription and underuse of deprescribing strategies. A more comprehensive mental health approach is needed, integrating effective deprescribing practices and emerging technological interventions.

The metacontrol framework claims that cognitive control operates along a continuum between persistence and flexibility. While spontaneous mind-wandering is often considered a failure of control, emerging evidence suggests that different types of mind-wandering, intentional versus unintentional, may reflect distinct metacontrol dynamics. We examined how high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex modulates the interplay between metacontrol strategies and mind-wandering, using a global-local task combined with intermittent thought probes. Ninety-two participants completed a global-local task while receiving either anodal or sham HD-tDCS at 1.5 mA over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Mind-wandering episodes were assessed using thought probes, distinguishing between intentional and unintentional mind-wandering. Metacontrol tendencies were inferred from global precedence effects observed in response accuracy and latency. HD-tDCS selectively enhanced accuracy in the local condition during the second half of the task, suggesting an increase in persistence-oriented control. Intentional mind-wandering was positively associated with cognitive flexibility (greater global precedence), while unintentional mind-wandering correlated with persistence. However, stimulation did not directly affect mind-wandering rate. Our findings support a double dissociation between types of mind-wandering and metacontrol styles. They provide causal evidence that HD-tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex can promote persistence without altering spontaneous thought frequency, thereby validating and extending the metacontrol framework.

Atypical intra-oral lesions in a young epileptic patient: a case reportGuillaume Loridon (DDS)1,3, Marine Mansencal1,4 (DDS), Mohamed Kadri (DDS)1,4, Ihsène Taihi1,2,3 (DDS, MSc, PhD)Department of odontology, Health Faculty, Université Paris Cité, FranceUniversité Paris Cité, INSERM 1333 UMR Santé Orale, Montrouge. FranceAP-HP, Rothschild Hospital, Oral Surgery Department, Paris, FrancePrivate Practice, Paris, FranceCorrespondence : Guillaume Loridon (loridon.chirurgieorale@gmail.com)Keywords: Anticonvulsants, Thrombocytopenia, Mouth diseases, Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse ReactionsWords count: 1498

Emphasizing the moderating function of market information efficiency, this paper investigates the effect of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) rating disagreements on institutional investor behavior. We find, using a strong methodology (2SLS and GMM) and a dataset of Chinese listed companies (2015–2024), ESG rating differences notably lower institutional holdings, especially in social and environmental aspects. By reducing uncertainty, market efficiency helps to offset these impacts and emphasizes the need of fast and open information distribution. Although ESG factors may or may not influence the decisions made by institutional investors, our results demonstrate that for those that give sustainability top priority in their investment plans, ESG rating differences provide major difficulties. We also underline how Big Data and artificial intelligence may improve ESG insights, so providing useful consequences for legislators and investors to unify ESG rules and improve sustainable investing methods.

Fragmentation impacts species composition in the forests by decreasing species richness, affecting species interactions essential for plant reproduction and forest maintenance. To understand fragmentation effects on plant-animal interactions, we assessed how the characteristics of a fragmented landscape influence an interaction network between frugivorous bats and plants in tropical forest remnants. We captured bats using mist nets and analyzed the seeds found in their feces to record their interaction with plants in 10 remnants of tropical dry forests (TDF) in Colombia. We then calculated landscape metrics for each remnant at different spatial scales to assess the effects of fragmentation on the interaction network properties of remnants. Additionally, we employed a multilayer interaction network approach to examine the spatial variation in bat-plant interactions across remnants. We captured 1142 bats representing 36 species and collected more than 19600 seeds from their feces, demonstrating bats’ vital role in seed dispersal and tropical dry forest health. We found higher levels of nestedness in smaller and more isolated remnants, suggesting a loss of specialist interactions and a shift toward more generalized associations. In contrast, modularity levels remained unaffected across remnants, likely due to the flexible nature of species interactions at different sites. The multilayer network indicates that plants and bats exhibited flexibility in their interactions across remnants, with plants showing greater variation than bats. This flexibility indicates species can adopt different functional roles depending on local remnant conditions. Results suggest that habitat fragmentation can disrupt the structure of ecological networks by reducing specialist interactions and promoting more generalized associations, leading to a loss of ecological complexity. Thus, maintaining large, heterogeneous, and less fragmented habitats is key to sustaining both bat and plant populations and the integrity of their mutualistic networks.

Background: A limited number of large-scale population-based studies regarding the causality between COVID-19 and respiratory aspergillosis exist. Herein, using nationwide data, we investigated whether SARS-CoV-2 infection increases incidence of respiratory aspergillosis and impact of COVID-19-associated aspergillosis on severity of COVID-19. Further, to assess the biological impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on airway structural and immune cells, we analyzed publicly available COVID-19 transcriptomic datasets. Methods: Utilizing a nationwide cohort of 8.5 million clinical registries, we included over 550,000 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between October 8, 2020, and December 31, 2021, along with control-matched group. The primary outcomes were aspergillosis incidence, including both invasive and non-invasive forms, and its impact on the severity of COVID-19. Results: COVID-19 was closely associated with increased incidence of subsequent respiratory aspergillosis. Comorbidities, including diabetes and COPD, increased the incidence of fungal infections in COVID-19 patients. Regarding severity of COVID-19, both invasive and non-invasive aspergillosis exacerbated the severity of the disease. Particularly, systemic corticosteroids had an overwhelming impact on the increased severity and mortality in both forms of aspergillosis. Notably, antifungal-related genes and pathways, including CCR6, CXCL9, and CX3CR1, were consistently downregulated following SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or corticosteroid treatment. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that COVID-19 increases the incidence of respiratory aspergillosis. Moreover, respiratory aspergillosis, irrespective of its clinical invasiveness, significantly exacerbates the severity of COVID-19. Well-designed studies on the therapeutic potential of antifungal agents to improve the outcomes of COVID-19 are warranted.

Purpose: Clozapine, a highly effective antipsychotic medication, is associated with rare but potentially life-threatening neutropenia. In February 2025, the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) eliminated its clozapine Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) program, which required documented absolute neutrophil count (ANC) lab results prior to clozapine dispensation. Considering the FDA decision, the purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and patient-level factors associated with clozapine-associated neutropenia in a large, diverse, US-based integrated health system. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of adult Kaiser Permanente Northern California members who initiated clozapine therapy between January 2021 and December 2022. Data were extracted from KPNC’s electronic health record, including sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, medication fills, and ANC values. The main outcome was any neutropenic event within two years of clozapine initiation, classified as mild (ANC=1000-1499/µL) or severe (ANC<1000/µL). Results: Among 402 patients, 10 (2.5%) experienced neutropenia within 24 months of starting clozapine. Eight cases were mild, and two were severe, with one resulting in death. Race differed significantly between those who experienced neutropenia and those who did not (p=0.038). The mean clozapine dose at the time of neutropenia was 192.5 mg, with significant differences between mild and severe cases (p=0.015). Logistic regression analyses showed no significant associations between neutropenia and patient-level sociodemographic or clinical characteristics. Conclusion: Clozapine-related neutropenia was rare and typically transient, but it can be life-threatening. Continued adherence to the manufacturer’s recommendations for ANC monitoring is warranted to ensure patient safety.

The lunar regolith exhibits strong thermoluminescence (TL), with eight glow peaks observed between room temperature and 773 K, each characterized by an activation energy (E) and frequency factor (s). Theoretical considerations and preliminary evidence suggest additional peaks exist below room temperature, possibly as low as 100 K. Because the TL signal encodes information about both temperature and time, natural TL functions as a thermochronometer and offers a potential tool for prospecting volatiles, such as water ice, on the Moon.In this study, we extend TL theory to lunar cold-trap conditions, and evaluate how kinetic parameters (E and s), signal strength (n/N), environmental dose rate (Ḋ), and characteristic dose (D0) influence the equilibration temperature (Teq) and apparent age. We find that while signal strength and environmental dose have little effect on the calculated equilibrium temperature and apparent ages, the characteristic dose does. However, this parameter can be measured experimentally via artificial irradiation in a cryogenic TL laboratory or in situ through a flight-scale TL instrument.We conclude that TL can serve as a viable thermochronometer for lunar cold traps over geologic timescales (e.g., millions to billions of years). We end our paper by outlining a prototype instrument architecture capable of conducting such measurements in situ on the Moon.

Background Atopic dermatitis is the most common manifestation of atopy in young children. The incidence has increased in the last decades in the world, and changes in microbial and environmental exposures have been implicated, but the contributing factors remain elusive. Methods We comprehensively assessed the relative contributions of microbial and environmental factors on atopic dermatitis risk in a cohort of 2-year-old Finnish children using a prospective observational study utilising the HELMi longitudinal birth (N=893). We included regular electronic questionnaires on health, home life, family habits, and other infant background variables. Faecal samples were collected at 3, 6, and 12 months and home dust samples at 2 years. Bacterial and fungal compositions were determined with 16S and ITS rRNA amplicon sequencing. Results The strongest associations with atopic dermatitis were gut microbial exposure in the first 6 months of age and home dust microbiota, explaining 19.3 and 16.3% of the variance, respectively. The contributions of air quality and home were greater than genetics and the environment. Conclusions The mcrobial composition in gut and indoor dust in early life are associated with atopic dermatitis development, supporting the role of microbes in immune system education. We did not find support for the hypothesis that increased exposure to environmental microbes would be beneficial. Therefore, the focus should be placed on supporting a healthy gut microbiota in the first months of life.