The Critical Role of Autophagy and Phagocytosis in the Aging Brain.

As the organism ages, there is a decline in effective energy supply, and this retards the ability to elaborate new proteins. The consequences of this are especially marked in the gradual decline in brain function. The senescence of cells and their constituent organelles is ultimately the cause of aging of the entire nervous system.

Canadian health care providers' and education workers' hesitance to receive original and bivalent COVID-19 vaccines.

Background: The demand for COVID-19 vaccines has diminished as the pandemic lingers. Understanding vaccine hesitancy among essential workers is important in reducing the impact of future pandemics by providing effective immunization programs delivered expeditiously.

Method: Two surveys exploring COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in 2021 and 2022 were conducted in cohorts of health care providers (HCP) and education workers participating in prospective studies of COVID-19 illnesses and vaccine uptake.

Validation of malaria-attributed deaths using verbal autopsy studies: a systematic review.

Background: Malaria contributes substantially to the persistent burden of child deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. Accurate and comprehensive malaria mortality data are crucial to monitor the progress in reducing malaria incidence and mortality. Verbal Autopsy (VA) ascertains the cause of death despite its limitations leading to misclassification errors.

Age-dependent association of cannabis use with risk of psychotic disorder.

Background: Epidemiologic research suggests that youth cannabis use is associated with psychotic disorders. However, current evidence is based heavily on 20th-century data when cannabis was substantially less potent than today.

Methods: We linked population-based survey data from 2009 to 2012 with records of health services covered under universal healthcare in Ontario, Canada, up to 2018.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction as the Major Basis of Brain Aging.

The changes in the properties of three biological events that occur with cerebral aging are discussed. These adverse changes already begin to develop early in mid-life and gradually become more pronounced with senescence. Essentially, they are reflections of the progressive decline in effectiveness of key processes, resulting in the deviation of essential biochemical trajectories to ineffective and ultimately harmful variants of these programs.

Youth cannabis use and subsequent health service use for mood and anxiety disorders: A population-based cohort study.

Epidemiologic research suggests a modest association between youth cannabis use and mood and anxiety disorders (MADs). However, current evidence is based mostly on cohort studies using data from the 20th century when cannabis was significantly less potent than today. We linked population-based survey data from 2009 to 2012 with administrative records of health services covered under universal healthcare up to 2017.

The Hormesis Concept: Strengths and Shortcomings.

Hormesis implies that the effects of various materials or conditions that organisms are exposed to, may not have linear dose-response characteristics but rather, can be biphasic. Thus the response to a low dose of a stressor may be the opposite to that occurring at higher doses. Such a dual response is postulated for many toxicants and physical conditions and may involve a beneficial adaptive response.

The impact of COVID-19 on opioid toxicity deaths for people who experience incarceration compared to the general population in Ontario: A whole population data linkage study.

Background: To inform preparedness and population health action, we need to understand the effects of COVID-19 on health inequities. In this study, we assess the impact of COVID-19 on opioid toxicity deaths among people who experience incarceration compared to others in the general population in Ontario, Canada.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study for the period of January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2020.

E-Cigarette Dependence and Depressive Symptoms Among Youth.

Introduction: Although the relationship between smoking and depression has been well-established, little is known about the association between use of e-cigarette and depression, particularly among youth and young adults. This study proposes that e-cigarette dependence, rather than simply use, serves as a potential stressor and may interact with pre-existing vulnerabilities to contribute to depression in youth, consistent with the diathesis-stress theory. This study examines the longitudinal association of vaping dependence and vaping frequency on depression symptoms among youth and young adults who have never smoked cigarettes.

Milestones in the natural course of the onset of e-cigarette dependence among adolescents and young adults: Retrospective study.

Introduction: There is considerable controversy about the development of dependence among e-cigarette users. This study describes the average amount of time using e-cigarettes before dependence milestones emerge and the differences in developing dependence between e-cigarette users who smoke cigarettes compared to those who do not.

Methods: Adolescents and young adults aged 16-25 living in Canada were recruited into an online survey in 2021.

Traffic-Calming Measures and Road Traffic Collisions and Injuries: A Spatiotemporal Analysis.

Traffic-calming measures (TCMs) are physical modifications of the road network aimed at making the roads safer. Although researchers have reported reductions in numbers of road crashes and injuries tied to the presence of TCMs, such studies have been criticized for their pre-/post- designs. In this study, we aimed to complement our knowledge of TCMs' effectiveness by assessing their impact using a longitudinal design.

Burden of opioid toxicity death in the fentanyl-dominant era for people who experience incarceration in Ontario, Canada, 2015-2020: a whole population retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: To describe mortality due to opioid toxicity among people who experienced incarceration in Ontario between 2015 and 2020, during the fentanyl-dominant era.

Design: In this retrospective cohort study, we linked Ontario coronial data on opioid toxicity deaths between 2015 and 2020 with correctional data for adults incarcerated in Ontario provincial correctional facilities.

Setting: Ontario, Canada.

Melatonin and Aging.

The health problems associated with the aging process are becoming increasingly widespread due to the increase in mean life expectancy taking place globally. While decline of many organ functions is an unavoidable concomitant of senescence, these can be delayed or moderated by a range of factors. Among these are dietary changes and weight control, taking sufficient exercise, and the utilization of various micronutrients.

The Molecular Basis for the Environmental Promotion of Neurodegenerative Disease.

Most neurodegenerative diseases have a relatively minor genetic component [...

Iron Status and Associated Factors among Canadian Women: Results from the Canadian Health Measures Survey.

Background: Iron deficiency and overload may negatively impact women's health. There has been limited assessment of iron status and its associated factors among Canadian women.

Objectives: This study investigated associations of various sociodemographic, lifestyle, medication, and dietary factors with body iron stores among pre- and postmenopausal women in Canada.

Smoking, e-cigarettes and the effect on respiratory symptoms among a population sample of youth: Retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: E-cigarettes have been steadily increasing in popularity, both as cessation methods for smoking and for recreational and social reasons. This increase in vaping may pose cardiovascular and respiratory risks. We aimed to assess respiratory symptoms in youth users of e-cigarettes and cigarettes.

HSV-2 infection and HPV incidence, persistence, and precancerous lesions in a cohort of HPV-vaccinated women living with HIV.

Background: Several co-factors for HPV oncogenesis have been proposed, including co-infection with HSV-2. We assessed the relationship between HSV-2 infection and HPV-related outcomes in quadrivalent HPV-vaccinated (qHPV) women living with HIV (WLWH).

Methods: In this multi-site study of immunogenicity and efficacy of the qHPV vaccine in WLWH, visits took place at months -3, 0, 2, 6, 12, 18, 24, and annually thereafter.

Relationships between Diabetes and the Intestinal Microbial Population.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by lower responsiveness of tissues to insulin and consequent large variations in circulating levels of glucose. This fluctuation has harmful effects as both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia can be very injurious. The causes of diabetes are varied but the consequences are rather uniform.

Household composition and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: A population-based study.

Introduction: Household composition may be an important factor associated with anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic as people spend more time at home due to physical distancing and lockdown restrictions. Adults living with children-especially women-may be particularly vulnerable to anxiety as they balance additional childcare responsibilities and homeschooling with work. The objective of this study was to examine the association between household composition and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic and explore gender as an effect modifier.

The health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults who experience imprisonment globally: A mixed methods systematic review.

Background: The prison setting and health status of people who experience imprisonment increase the risks of COVID-19 infection and sequelae, and other health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives: To conduct a mixed methods systematic review on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health of people who experience imprisonment.

Data Sources: We searched Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Social Sciences Abstracts, CINAHL, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, Sociology Database, Coronavirus Research Database, ERIC, Proquest Dissertations and Theses, Web of Science, and Scopus in October 2021.

The Association Between Self-Reported Non-Injection Cocaine Use and Hepatitis C in the United States: An Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Objective: Previous studies conducted on hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission have focused primarily on its transmission among people who inject drugs. However, there is evidence that transmission may also occur through the sharing of contaminated non-injection implements used to consume drugs nasally, orally, or by inhalation. Studies to date have not conclusively established a relationship between these routes of cocaine use and HCV.

Age differences in the association between loneliness and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Loneliness and associated mental health problems are of particular concern during the COVID-19 pandemic due to physical distancing and lockdown restrictions. Loneliness is most common among young adults and women during the pandemic, but it is unclear if the association between loneliness and mental health problems, notably anxiety, is strongest in these groups. The objective of this study was to examine whether the association between loneliness and anxiety differed by age and/or gender during the pandemic.

Study of the epidemiology of COVID-19 in Ontario elementary and secondary school education workers: an interim analysis following the first school year.

Objective: To estimate the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 in education workers and the factors associated with infection between March 2020 and July 2021.

Methods: A prospective cohort study of education workers working ≥8 h per week in Ontario, Canada. Participants self-reported results of tests for SARS-CoV-2 and completed online surveys about demographic information, exposures, and vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2.