Renal function in children with a congenital solitary functioning kidney: A systematic review.

Introduction: Abnormal renal development that results in lack of function or development of one of two kidneys is known as congenital solitary functioning kidney (CSFK). Two well characterized sub-categories of CFSK are unilateral renal agenesis (URA) and multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK). This systematic review sought to evaluate the change in renal function in children ≤18 years old with a CSFK as a result of URA or MCDK.

A Pilot Study Evaluating the Effectiveness of the 5As of Healthy Pregnancy Weight Gain.

Introduction: Gestational weight gain (GWG) outside of the 2009 Institute of Medicine guidelines may be harmful to women and their fetuses. Prenatal health care providers (HCPs) are important sources of health information, but not all discuss GWG with their patients. The Canadian Obesity Network's 5As (ask, assess, advise, agree, and assist) of Healthy Pregnancy Weight Gain (5As) is a tool developed to help HCPs counsel their patients on GWG.

High maternal self-efficacy is associated with meeting Institute of Medicine gestational weight gain recommendations.

Objective: Fetal exposure to an intrauterine environment affected by maternal obesity and excessive gestational weight gain increases the likelihood of infants born large for gestational age and childhood obesity. This study examined behavioural factors and lifestyle practices associated with women's perceived attainability of meeting the 2009 Institute of Medicine (IOM) weight gain guidelines.

Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from pregnant (n = 320) and postpartum (n = 1179) women who responded to the validated Canadian Electronic Maternal (EMat) health survey.

Gestational weight gain counselling gaps as perceived by pregnant women and new mothers: Findings from the electronic maternal health survey.

Problem: Too much or too little gestational weight gain (GWG) can negatively impact maternal and fetal health, according to Institute of Medicine Guidelines.

Background: Health care providers are key players in providing reliable evidence-informed prenatal advice related to appropriate GWG. However, there appears to be inconsistent GWG communication among healthcare providers during prenatal care.

Development and pilot evaluation of a pregnancy-specific mobile health tool: a qualitative investigation of SmartMoms Canada.

Background: Mobile technology is ubiquitous. Women of childbearing age have embraced health information technology for pregnancy-related counsel as prenatal care provider communication is increasingly scarce and brief. Pregnant women and new mothers place high value in the use of online sources to support their pregnancy information needs.

Voltage-gated potassium channels and NOS contribute to a sustained cutaneous vasodilation elicited by local heating in an interactive manner in young adults.

Local skin heating to 42°C causes rapid increases in cutaneous perfusion (initial peak), followed by a brief nadir and subsequent sustained elevation (plateau). Several studies have demonstrated that nitric oxide synthase (NOS) largely contributes to the plateau response during local heating. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels contribute to the plateau of the cutaneous vasodilation during local heating through NOS-dependent mechanisms.

Intradermal administration of endothelin-1 attenuates endothelium-dependent and -independent cutaneous vasodilation via Rho kinase in young adults.

We recently showed that intradermal administration of endothelin-1 diminished endothelium-dependent and -independent cutaneous vasodilation. We evaluated the hypothesis that Rho kinase may be a mediator of this response. We also sought to evaluate if endothelin-1 increases sweating.

The effect of endothelin A and B receptor blockade on cutaneous vascular and sweating responses in young men during and following exercise in the heat.

During exercise, cutaneous vasodilation and sweating responses occur, whereas these responses rapidly decrease during postexercise recovery. We hypothesized that the activation of endothelin A (ET) receptors, but not endothelin B (ET) receptors, attenuate cutaneous vasodilation during high-intensity exercise and contribute to the subsequent postexercise suppression of cutaneous vasodilation. We also hypothesized that both receptors increase sweating during and following high-intensity exercise.

Cutaneous vascular and sweating responses to intradermal administration of prostaglandin E1 and E2 in young and older adults: a role for nitric oxide?

Cyclooxygenase (COX) contributes to cutaneous vasodilation and sweating responses; however, the mechanisms underpinning these responses remain unknown. We hypothesized that prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and E2 (PGE2) (COX-derived vasodilator products) directly mediate cutaneous vasodilation and sweating through nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-dependent mechanisms in young adults. Furthermore, we hypothesized that this response is diminished in older adults, since aging attenuates COX-dependent cutaneous vasodilation and sweating.

Endothelin-1 modulates methacholine-induced cutaneous vasodilatation but not sweating in young human skin.

Key Points: Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent endothelial-derived vasoconstrictor that may modulate cholinergic cutaneous vascular regulation. Endothelin receptors are also expressed on the human eccrine sweat gland, although it remains unclear whether ET-1 modulates cholinergic sweating. We investigated whether ET-1 attenuates cholinergic cutaneous vasodilatation and sweating through a nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-dependent mechanism.

Intradermal administration of ATP augments methacholine-induced cutaneous vasodilation but not sweating in young males and females.

Acetylcholine released from cholinergic nerves is a key neurotransmitter contributing to heat stress-induced cutaneous vasodilation and sweating. Given that sympathetic cholinergic nerves also release ATP, ATP may play an important role in modulating cholinergic cutaneous vasodilation and sweating. However, the pattern of response may differ between males and females given reports of sex-related differences in the peripheral mechanisms governing these heat loss responses.

Cutaneous vascular and sweating responses to intradermal administration of ATP: a role for nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase?

Key Points: In humans in vivo, the mechanisms behind ATP-mediated cutaneous vasodilatation along with whether and how ATP increases sweating remains uncertain. Recent work has implicated nitric oxide synthase (NOS), cyclooxygenase (COX) and/or adenosine in the modulation of cutaneous vasodilatation and sweat production during both local (i.e.