Mitigating saliva aerosol contamination in a dental school clinic.

Background: Transmission of COVID-19 via salivary aerosol particles generated when using handpieces or ultrasonic scalers is a major concern during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to assess the spread of dental aerosols on patients and dental providers during aerosol-generating dental procedures.

Methods: This pilot study was conducted with one volunteer.

Safety and efficacy of a potential treatment algorithm by using manual compression repair and ultrasound-guided thrombin injection for the management of iatrogenic femoral artery pseudoaneurysm in a large patient cohort.

Background: Because of the risk of associated complications, femoral pseudoaneurysm (PSA) formation implies further treatment. Ultrasound-guided thrombin injection (UGTI) is becoming the accepted gold standard, but manual compression (MC) represents an established treatment option including PSAs not feasible for UGTI. This study aims to assess our experience in PSA treatment using MC or UGTI according to a potential algorithm based on morphological properties in a large patient cohort.

Can volunteer community health workers decrease child morbidity and mortality in southwestern Uganda? An impact evaluation.

Background: The potential for community health workers to improve child health in sub-Saharan Africa is not well understood. Healthy Child Uganda implemented a volunteer community health worker child health promotion model in rural Uganda. An impact evaluation was conducted to assess volunteer community health workers' effect on child morbidity, mortality and to calculate volunteer retention.

Survey of tobacco control among Florida dentists.

Cigarette smoking contributes to the largest number of preventable deaths with a recent report estimating that nearly 5 million annual deaths worldwide and 400,000 in the United States were attributed to cigarette smoking. Dentists, in particular, are in a unique position to educate their patients about the health effects of tobacco. Tobacco cessation knowledge, behaviors, and compliance of Florida dentists were assessed using survey methodology.

Capacity building for child health: Canadian paediatricians in Uganda.

Background: For six years, Canadian paediatricians have worked in partnership with their Ugandan colleagues to promote improved child health in southwestern Uganda.

Objectives: To describe a collaboration between the Mbarara University of Science and Technology and Canadian partners that aims to build local capacity in child health through support of training at university, community and health centre levels.

Methods: Three low-cost initiatives are now implemented.

Exposure to alcohol in utero: Influence on cognitive function and learning in a northern elementary school population.

Objectives: To establish the prevalence of fetal alcohol exposure; to compare physical, behavioural and learning patterns of children with significant alcohol exposure in utero with those of a group of children exposed to minimal alcohol; to assess the usefulness of a fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)/fetal alcohol effect (FAE) score; and to provide feedback to parents, schools and communities.

Design: Parent questionnaire, complete physical examinations of children, psychometric tests of the children using elements of the Pediatric Early Elementary Examination (PEEX) and the Pediatric Examination of Educational Readiness (PEER), ADD-H comprehensive teachers rating scale (ACTeRS) score, the newly developed FAS/FAE Score, and the Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills to assess language and mathematical achievement. Testers were blinded to the results of the assessments and questionnaires.

Perinatal vitamin D and calcium status of northern Canadian mothers and their newborn infants.

Objective: This study was undertaken to examine the vitamin D and calcium status of mothers and their newborns.

Methods: The intakes of vitamin D and calcium were determined prenatally in 121 women including 33 Caucasians, 51 Inuits, and 37 Native Indians, living in the Inuvik zone of the Northwest Territories. Plasma concentrations of 25-(OH)-D and calcium were also measured in mothers as well as in their offspring at delivery.

Perinatal vitamin A (retinol) status of northern Canadian mothers and their infants.

Vitamin A (retinol) status was determined in two groups living in the northern part of Canada: native (Indian and Inuit) and non-native (Caucasian). The dietary intake of vitamin A and its plasma concentration were measured prenatally, at delivery and postnatally in mothers. Plasma concentrations were also measured at birth and postnatally in their infants.

Localization of the rat myosin I molecules myr 1 and myr 2 and in vivo targeting of their tail domains.

Myr 1 is a widely distributed mammalian myosin I molecule related to brush border myosin 1. A second widely distributed myosin I molecule similar to myr 1 and brush border myosin I, called myr 2, has now been identified. Specific antibodies and expression of epitope-tagged molecules were used to determine the subcellular localization of myr 1 and myr 2 in NRK cells.

Vitamin D deficiency in a Manitoba community.

Objective: Using a cross-sectional survey, to investigate the vitamin D status of a random sample of 80 mother-child pairs (child age 3-24 months) in a Manitoba community with a high incidence of rickets.

Method: A questionnaire on feeding habits, gestational history, maternal diet and vitamin supplements was administered to mothers in their homes with the assistance of a local interpreter. Venous blood was collected from both mother and child for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels.

Iron status and pregnancy in a northern Canadian population: relationship to diet and iron supplementation.

To determine the extent of iron deficiency, the prognostic value of prenatal ferritin levels and the desirability of prenatal iron supplementation in the western Canadian arctic, dietary iron intake was determined in 171 women and ferritin levels determined in 121 women during pregnancy, 79 at delivery and 77 postnatally, as well as in 65 of their infants at birth and 74 postnatally. Iron deficiency (ferritin < 15 ng/ml) was present in 34% of women during the first two trimesters, 25% (20/79) at delivery and in 51.7% (15/29) of mothers and 31% (9/29) of infants beyond four months after delivery.

Smoking and caffeine and alcohol intake during pregnancy in a northern population: effect on fetal growth.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of smoking and of caffeine and alcohol intake during pregnancy in a northern population and to determine the relation of these factors to birth weight, length and head circumference.

Design: Questionnaire survey and collection of maternal and newborn measurements.

Setting: Ten communities in the Inuvik Zone, NWT.

Prospective trial of timing of bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination in Canadian Cree infants.

We studied 184 Cree Indian infants in randomized, prospective fashion to assess the effect of age on lymphocyte sensitization to purified protein derivative (PPD) before and after and without bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination. Lymphocyte responses to PPD, Candida, and streptokinase were measured at birth and at intervals later. The mean response of paired values from 26 infants without BCG vaccination rose for the PPD stimulation index (SI) from 2.

Vitamin E status of northern Canadian newborns: relation of vitamin E to blood lipids.

Vitamin E status was determined in two groups of Canadian newborns: a northern group, mainly aboriginal (Indian and Inuit), and a southern group, mainly nonnative. Serum vitamin E, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were measured in cord blood and ratios of vitamin E to both cholesterol (E:chol) and cholesterol plus triglyceride (E:chol + TG) were calculated. For the combined groups the mean serum concentration of vitamin E (8.

Effect of breast-feeding on immune response to BCG vaccination.

The effect on BCG immunisation of feeding either formula or breast milk was assessed in Canadian Cree infants who were vaccinated either at birth or after 1 month of age. The response to BCG was measured in terms of lymphocyte blastogenesis stimulated by purified protein derivative of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Breast-feeding significantly enhanced cell-mediated immune response to BCG vaccine given at birth, but had no significant effect if vaccine was given after 1 month.

Transfer of maternal specific cell-mediated immunity to the fetus.

The extent of specific cell-mediated immunity was measured in 67 consecutive newborns and their mothers. The stimulation index of blast transformation of the infants' lymphocytes in the presence of purified protein derivative, Candida extract and streptokinase was greater than 2.0 in 54%, 18% and 23% respectively.

Northern infant syndrome: a deficiency state?

A syndrome is described that affected 16 Indian and Inuit infants roughly 3 months old, most of whom were born in settlements in the Canadian Arctic. The infants presented with a clinical picture that included hepatitis, hemolytic anemia, rickets and respiratory distress, a combination that resembled a syndrome first described in malnourished infants at the turn of the century by von Jaksch and Luzet. The clinical course was self-limited, and all the infants survived without sequelae.

Trial of pyridoxine therapy for tetanus neonatorum.

Pyridoxine, a coenzyme in the production of gamma-amino-n-butyric acid, was added (100 mg per day) to conventional therapy for tetanus neonatorum in 20 infants who were graded according to prognosis and severity of spasms. Three infants died, for an overall mortality of 15%. All three were in prognostic group V; mortality in group V was 37.

Significance of Rh-sensitization during pregnancy: its relation to a preventive programme.

A study of the incidence of Rh-sensitization showed a 6.5% incidence of anti-D appearing for the first time during the last trimester of pregnancy. In 24 of the 29 subjects these antibodies were weak, and were found only when a sensitive technique using enzyme-treated Rh-deletion test cells was employed.