A Blue-Enriched Light Intervention Counteracts the Alertness Decrement Among Mine Workers on Extended 12-Hour Night Shift Periods.

Objective: The aim of the study is to assess whether a blue-enriched light intervention improves nocturnal alertness and daytime sleep of night workers.

Methods: Thirteen miners performing 12-hour night shifts for 12 consecutive nights were exposed to a baseline and a blue-enriched light condition. All subjects wore an actigraph and completed a Psychomotor Vigilance Task at the beginning and at the end of each shift.

Evolution of Sleep Complaints in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1: A 9-Year Longitudinal Study.

The objective was to characterize the progression of sleep complaints in 115 dystrophy type 1 (DM1) patients who filled out a sleep questionnaire twice at a 9-year interval. Daytime napping (22.1% vs.

Screening and Characterization of Some Lactobacillaceae for Detection of Cholesterol-Lowering Activities.

Dyslipidemia, specifically abnormal levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), is an important risk factor of cardiovascular disease. Evidence showing the promising abilities of probiotics to lower total cholesterol or LDL-C has, however, not yet convinced experts to recommend probiotic bacteria as treatment for blood lipid management. Therefore, there are opportunities for the development of new efficient cholesterol-lowering probiotics.

Responsiveness of Daytime Sleepiness and Fatigue Scales in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1.

Daytime sleepiness and fatigue are prominent symptoms of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) that can be amenable to treatment in the context of randomized controlled trials. No study has yet documented whether self-reported measures of daytime sleepiness and fatigue can detect change over time and the meaning of this change. The aim was to explore indicators of responsiveness to change and interpretability for the Daytime Sleepiness Scale and the Fatigue Severity Scale in 115 DM1 prospectively followed patients.

Good Sleep Quality and Progressive Increments in Vigilance During Extended Night Shifts: A 14-Day Actigraphic Study in Underground Miners.

Objective: Assess the change in sleep and vigilance of underground miners during long periods of extended shifts.

Methods: Seventy miners worked 14 consecutive 12-hour day and/or night shifts. Also, they wore an actigraph and completed a visual analog scale for vigilance four times per shift.

Appearance Esteem Trajectory According to Three Different Sources of Support Among Adolescents Over a School Year.

Although social support has been linked to body satisfaction, there has been little research on the effect of differential sources of support on the trajectory of appearance esteem over time. To address this gap, this study explored changes in adolescents' appearance esteem to perceived social support over one year. Data were collected from 339 Canadian adolescents (54.

Predicting daytime sleepiness and fatigue: a 9-year prospective study in myotonic dystrophy type 1.

Objective: Daytime sleepiness and fatigue are prominent symptoms of myotonic dystrophy type I (DM1) that exact a heavy toll on patients' quality of life, but information is scarce on their predictive factors. This study aimed to determine factors that may influence levels of daytime sleepiness and fatigue in a large cohort of DM1 patients followed for 9 years.

Methods: This study included 115 patients with DM1 at baseline (Time 1, T1) and at Time 2 (T2) who were questioned for daytime sleepiness, fatigue, history of depression, psychological distress, pain, hypothyroidism, and sleep habits.

Importance of Molecular Methods to Determine Whether a Probiotic is the Source of Lactobacillus Bacteremia.

There has been an increasing interest in the use of probiotic products for the prevention of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Bio-K+(®) is a commercial probiotic product comprising three strains of lactobacilli--Lactobacillus acidophilus CL1285(®), Lact. casei LBC80R(®) and Lact.

A prospective study of the impact of child maltreatment and friend support on psychological distress trajectory: From adolescence to emerging adulthood.

Background: Transition into adulthood is a critical developmental period that may be influenced by adverse life events as well as by protective factors. This study aimed at investigating the effect of different forms of child maltreatment experienced prior to age 14 (i.e.

Development and aetiology of body dissatisfaction in adolescent boys and girls.

This longitudinal study aims to describe the development of body dissatisfaction (BD), measured with the between the ages of 14 and 18, and to identify factors associated with BD at age 18, among 413 adolescents. Between the ages of 14 and 18, the proportion of girls wanting to be thinner increased, although it remained unchanged among boys. A ratio of 1:2 girls and 1:5 boys reported having seriously tried to lose weight.

Lactobacillus acidophilus CL1285, Lactobacillus casei LBC80R, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus CLR2 (Bio-K+): Characterization, Manufacture, Mechanisms of Action, and Quality Control of a Specific Probiotic Combination for Primary Prevention of Clostridium difficile Infection.

A specific probiotic formulation composed of Lactobacillus acidophilus CL1285, Lactobacillus casei LBC80R, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus CLR2 (Bio-K+) has been marketed in North America since 1996. The strains and the commercial products have been evaluated for safety, identity, gastrointestinal survival, and stability throughout shelf life. The capacity of both the fermented beverages and the capsules to reduce incidences of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has been demonstrated in human clinical trials.

Prefrontal tetanic stimulation, following fear reconditioning, facilitates expression of previously acquired extinction.

We have recently shown that post-extinction retraining of rats, with a shock intensity that is too weak to induce by itself significant fear acquisition, impairs the recall of fear extinction memory. Tetanic stimulation (TS) of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), applied before or following this retraining, facilitates extinction recall. Here we investigated whether mPFC TS can also facilitate expression of fear extinction when rats are retrained with the same shock intensity as during the initial fear acquisition.

Clinical, psychosocial, and central correlates of quality of life in myotonic dystrophy type 1 patients.

Aims: To identify sociodemographic, clinical, and central correlates of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in DM1 patients.

Methods: 200 DM1 patients had assessments of muscular impairment, CTG repeats, and intelligence. Validated instruments were used to assess sociodemographic and clinical factors as well as social support, social participation, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, personality, mood, and quality of life.

A liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry method to measure ¹³C-isotope enrichment for DNA stable-isotope probing.

DNA stable-isotope probing (DNA-SIP) is a cultivation-independent technique that makes it possible to associate metabolic function and taxonomic identity in a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic environments. In DNA-SIP, DNA is labeled via the assimilation of a labeled growth substrate that is subsequently used to identify microorganisms involved in assimilation of the substrate. However, the labeling time has to be sufficient to obtain labeled DNA but not so long such that cross-feeding of ¹³C-labeled metabolites from the primary consumers to nontarget species can occur.

Functional diversity in the denitrifying biofilm of the methanol-fed marine denitrification system at the Montreal Biodome.

Nitrate is a serious problem in closed-circuit public aquariums because its accumulation rapidly becomes toxic to many lifeforms. A moving bed biofilm denitrification reactor was installed at the Montreal Biodome to treat its 3,250-m(3) seawater system. Naturally occurring microorganisms from the seawater affluent colonized the reactor carriers to form a denitrifying biofilm.

Risk factors for work-related fatigue in students with school-year employment.

Purpose: To explore potential risk factors for acute and chronic work-related fatigue in students working at a paid job while pursuing school studies. Although work-related fatigue was identified as a potential hazard for youth health, academic achievement, and occupational safety, very few studies have specifically addressed its correlates and possible predictors.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from an ongoing prospective cohort study of health risk behaviors in adolescents was used to identify factors associated with increased levels of acute and chronic fatigue in 209 students aged 17-18 years working during the school year.

Dissimilatory reduction of nitrate in seawater by a Methylophaga strain containing two highly divergent narG sequences.

Methylophaga spp. are methylotrophs commonly associated with marine environments and have been defined as strict aerobic methylotrophs. They have been shown previously to represent 50-70% of the bacterial population in the biofilm of the methanol-fed denitrification reactor treating a large seawater aquarium at the Montreal Biodome.

Psychosocial impact of predictive testing for myotonic dystrophy type 1.

In the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region (Quebec, Canada), a predictive DNA-testing program for myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) has been available as a clinical service since 1988. From 1 to 12 years (median, 5 years) after receiving predictive testing, a total of 308 participants (44 carriers and 264 non-carriers) answered a questionnaire to determine the psychosocial impact of this genetic testing. The main reasons for wanting to be tested were to learn if children are at risk for DM1 or for reproductive decision making (75%) and to relieve the uncertainty for themselves (17%).