Characterizing visual field loss from past mercury exposure in an Indigenous riverine community (Grassy Narrows First Nation, Canada): a cluster-based approach.

Background: Between 1962 and 1975, a chlor-alkali plant in Canada discharged approximately 9 metric tons of mercury (Hg) into the Wabigoon River. Over the following decades, biomarkers of Hg exposure of persons from Grassy Narrows First Nation (Asubpeeschoseewagong Anishinabek), located downriver from the discharge, reflected Hg concentrations in fish. Hg exposure is known to target the calcarine fissure, resulting in visual field (VF) loss.

The evolution of symptoms of nervous system dysfunction in a First Nation community with a history of mercury exposure: a longitudinal study.

Background: Since the 1960's, mercury (Hg) contamination of the aquatic environment of Asubpeeschoseewagong Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation) territories has impacted the community members' traditions, culture, livelihood, diet and health. Despite decreasing Hg exposure over time, a recent study suggested that long-term exposure contributed to later-life symptom clusters of nervous system dysfunction. Here, the objective was to evaluate, 5 years later, the prevalence and progression of these symptoms and examine the contribution of long-term, past Hg exposure.

Comparison between a complete preconditioning programme and conventional conduct on behaviour, health and performance of young bulls from small cow-calf herds.

Bovine respiratory diseases (BRDs) have major socioeconomic impacts in the beef sector. Antimicrobials have been traditionally used to prevent the development of BRDs upon arrival in fattening units. Currently, from a "One Health and One Welfare" perspective, alternative solutions are being investigated.

[Can therapeutic reassessment in ODF be based on management principles?].

Introduction: Re-evaluation of therapy is sometimes necessary during treatment. Rarely planned or desired, it is legitimate to look for a way to avoid it while carrying out the correction of the dysmorphosis as initially envisaged. Can the introduction of management into the therapeutic process, and particularly the principle of the feedback loop, make it possible to eliminate any therapeutic re-evaluation?

Materials And Methods: After having defined management, cybernetics and the feedback loop as well as the framework for their application, we will look for ways to apply them to the dento-maxillo-facial orthopedics and will then study through historical practice the specific foundations of management and cybernetics in order to be able to conclude that these means are well adapted to our practice.

[The therapeutic decision as a reason of quarrel].

Introduction: The therapeutic decision usually is a regalia prerogative of the practitioner. However it seems to be contested.

Materials And Methods: From three definition of sovereignty, given by classical author of political science and the observations of the current practices and needs (new attitude and need of the patients, changes in training's methods, use of new numeric tools) is illustrated this phenomenon of the decisions making field's degradation.

Visual Characteristics of Adults with Long-Standing History of Dietary Exposure to Mercury in Grassy Narrows First Nation, Canada.

Since the 1960s, Grassy Narrows First Nation (Ontario, Canada) has been exposed to methyl mercury (Hg) through fish consumption, resulting from industrial pollution of their territorial waters. This cross-sectional study describes the visual characteristics of adults with documented Hg exposure between 1970 and 1997. Oculo-visual examinations of 80 community members included visual acuity, automated visual fields, optical coherence tomography [OCT], color vision and contrast sensitivity.

Past mercury exposure and current symptoms of nervous system dysfunction in adults of a First Nation community (Canada).

Background: The watershed in Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation) territory has been contaminated by mercury (Hg) since 1962, resulting in very high Hg concentrations in fish, central to the community's culture, traditions, economy and diet. Biomarkers of Hg exposure (umbilical cord blood and hair/blood samples), monitored between 1970 and 1997, decreased over time. A recent Grassy Narrows Community Health Assessment (GN-CHA) survey included current symptoms of nervous system dysfunction.

A multilevel perspective on goals, barriers, and facilitators of school-based asthma management.

Background: School based asthma care is being increasingly used to combat uncontrolled pediatric asthma.

Objective: The purpose of these secondary analyses was to explore multi-level perspectives regarding school-based asthma medical management for inner city, school-aged children with poor asthma control.

Methods: Sixty-six participants from two large U.

[Artificial intelligence, the future of intelligence or the intelligence of the future?].

Artificial Intelligence (AI) consists of setting different technics together aimed at allowing machines to simulate human cognitive fonctions, mimic human brain functions, sometime its logic, when it comes to answer to an interrogation, to take decisions or to anticipate events. This new fonction, after being used in numerous daily life domains (geo-guides, personal assistants, administratif procedures) comes now in the medical area. The press exaggerations on those systems doesn't have any wise and thoughtful judgment.

Going mobile with primary care: smartphone-telemedicine for asthma management in young urban adults (TEAMS).

Background: The majority of adults with persistent asthma have chronically uncontrolled disease and interventions to improve outcomes are needed. We evaluated the efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of a multi-component smartphone-telemedicine program (TEAMS) to deliver asthma care remotely, support provider adherence to asthma management guidelines, and improve patient outcomes.

Methods: TEAMS utilized: (1) remote symptom monitoring, (2) nurse-led smartphone-telemedicine with self-management training for patients, and (3) Electronic medical record-based clinical decision support software.

A mixed-methods analysis of younger adults' perceptions of asthma, self-management, and preventive care: "This isn't helping me none".

Background: Young adults (ages 18-44) have increased emergency department use for asthma and poor adherence to medications. The objective of this mixed-methods study was to understand experiences with and approaches to managing asthma, of which little is known in this age group.

Methods: Surveys (Asthma Control Questionnaire, Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire) and 1:1 semi-structured interviews were used to explore experiences with asthma, symptoms, self-management behaviours, and relationship to asthma control and quality of life.

Mercury exposure and premature mortality in the Grassy Narrows First Nation community: a retrospective longitudinal study.

Background: Little is known about the influence of toxic exposures on reduced life expectancy in First Nations people in Canada. The Grassy Narrows First Nation community have lived with the consequences of one of the worst environmental disasters in Canadian history. In the early 1960s, 10 000 kg of mercury (Hg) was released into their aquatic ecosystem.

SMS-based smartphone application for disease surveillance has doubled completeness and timeliness in a limited-resource setting - evaluation of a 15-week pilot program in Central African Republic (CAR).

Background: It is a challenge in low-resource settings to ensure the availability of complete, timely disease surveillance information. Smartphone applications (apps) have the potential to enhance surveillance data transmission.

Methods: The Central African Republic (CAR) Ministry of Health and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) conducted a 15-week pilot project to test a disease surveillance app, Argus, for 20 conditions in 21 health centers in Mambéré Kadéi district (MK 2016).

Environmental Co-Exposure to Lead and Manganese and Intellectual Deficit in School-Aged Children.

Studies have demonstrated that, for urban children, dust represents the main exposure to sources of metals like lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn). We aimed to investigate the exposure to these metals and their association with intellectual deficit in children living in an industrial region. This cross-sectional study recruited volunteers from four elementary schools in the town of Simões Filho, Brazil.

A multi-faceted pandemic: a review of the state of knowledge on the Zika virus.

While until recently the small and isolated Zika outbreaks in Eastern Asia and Pacific islands had been overlooked, the large-scale outbreak that started in Brazil in 2015 and the increase of microcephaly cases in the same place and time made media headlines. Considered as harmless until recently, Zika has given rise to an important global crisis that poses not only health challenges but also environmental, economical, social, and ethical challenges for states and people around the world. The main objective of this paper is to review the recent Zika outbreak by covering a broad range of disciplines and their interactions.

Using routine health data and intermittent community surveys to assess the impact of maternal and neonatal health interventions in low-income countries: A systematic review.

Background: There is a need to provide increased evidence on effective interventions to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Objectives: To summarize the breadth of knowledge on using routine data (Routine Health Information Systems [RHIS] and Intermittent Community Surveys [ICS]) for well-designed maternal and neonatal health evaluations in LMICs.

Search Strategy: We searched reports and articles published in Embase, Medline, and Google scholar.

The free caesareans policy in low-income settings: an interrupted time series analysis in Mali (2003-2012).

Introduction: Several countries have instituted fee exemptions for caesareans to reduce maternal and newborn mortality.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of fee exemptions for caesareans on population caesarean rates taking into account different levels of accessibility.

Methods: The observation period was from January 2003 to May 2012 in one Region and covered 11.

Effects of halving pesticide use on wheat production.

Pesticides pose serious threats to both human health and the environment. In Europe, farmers are encouraged to reduce their use, and in France a recent environmental policy fixed a target of halving the pesticide use by 2018. Organic and integrated cropping systems have been proposed as possible solutions for reducing pesticide use, but the effect of reducing pesticide use on crop yield remains unclear.

No effect of user fee exemption on perceived quality of delivery care in Burkina Faso: a case-control study.

Background: Although many developing countries have developed user fee exemption policies to move towards universal health coverage as a priority, very few studies have attempted to measure the quality of care. The present paper aims at assessing whether women's satisfaction with delivery care is maintained with a total fee exemption in Burkina Faso.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design with both intervention and control groups was carried out.

Developing a tool to measure satisfaction among health professionals in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, lack of motivation and job dissatisfaction have been cited as causes of poor healthcare quality and outcomes. Measurement of health workers' satisfaction adapted to sub-Saharan African working conditions and cultures is a challenge. The objective of this study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument to measure satisfaction among health professionals in the sub-Saharan African context.

Toxic risks and nutritional benefits of traditional diet on near visual contrast sensitivity and color vision in the Brazilian Amazon.

Background: Visual functions are known to be sensitive to toxins such as mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb), while omega-3 fatty acids (FA) and selenium (Se) may be protective. In the Tapajós region of the Brazilian Amazon, all of these elements are present in the local diet.

Objective: Examine how near visual contrast sensitivity and acquired color vision loss vary with biomarkers of toxic exposures (Hg and Pb) and the nutrients Se and omega-3 FA in riverside communities of the Tapajós.