Calibration of polydimethylsiloxane and polyurethane foam passive air samplers for measuring semi volatile organic compounds using a novel exposure chamber design.

Passive air sampling is increasingly used for air quality monitoring and for personal sampling. In a novel experimental exposure chamber study, 3 types of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS, including sheet and wristband) and 1 type of polyurethane foam (PUF) passive air samplers were tested for gas-phase uptake of 200 semi volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) during six months. For 155 SVOCs including PAH, PCB, phthalates, organophosphate esters, musk compounds, organochlorine- and other pesticides, a normalized generic uptake rate (Rs) of 7.

Design and application of a novel two-amplicon approach for defining eukaryotic microbiota.

Background: Due to a lack of systematic diagnostics, our understanding of the diversity and role of eukaryotic microbiota in human health is limited. While studies have shown fungal communities to be significant modulators of human health, information on the prevalence of taxa such as protozoa and helminths has been limited to a small number of species for which targeted molecular diagnostics are available. To probe the diversity of eukaryotic microbes and their relationships with other members of the microbiota, we applied in silico and experimental approaches to design a novel two-amplicon surveillance tool, based on sequencing regions of ribosomal RNA genes and their internal transcribed spacers.

Histopathologic Analysis of Lung Cancer Incidence Associated with Radon Exposure among Ontario Uranium Miners.

Although radon is a well-established contributor to lung cancer mortality among uranium miners, the effects of radon decay products on different histopathologies of lung carcinoma are not well established. Using a retrospective cohort design, this study aims to examine the risks of lung cancer by histological subtypes associated with exposure to radon decay products among the Ontario Uranium Miners cohort. Cases were stratified by histological groups, and associated risks were estimated for cumulative radon exposure after adjustment for attained age and calendar period.

Orally Absorbed Derivatives of the β-Lactamase Inhibitor Avibactam. Design of Novel Prodrugs of Sulfate Containing Drugs.

Only one FDA-approved β-lactamase inhibitor has ever been orally available: clavulanic acid, approved in 1984. Avibactam, approved by FDA in 2015, is the first of a new class of BLIs called diazabicyclooctanes, or "DBOs". This class has much broader coverage than clavulanic acid but can only be administered by intravenous injection.

Night shift work and breast cancer risk: what do the meta-analyses tell us?

Objectives This paper aims to compare results, assess the quality, and discuss the implications of recently published meta-analyses of night shift work and breast cancer risk. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted for meta-analyses published from 2007-2017 that included at least one pooled effect size (ES) for breast cancer associated with any night shift work exposure metric and were accompanied by a systematic literature review. Pooled ES from each meta-analysis were ascertained with a focus on ever/never exposure associations.

Passive air sampling of flame retardants and plasticizers in Canadian homes using PDMS, XAD-coated PDMS and PUF samplers.

Passive air samplers (PAS) were evaluated for measuring indoor concentrations of phthalates, novel brominated flame retardants (N-BFRs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and organophosphate esters (OPEs). Sampling rates were obtained from a 50-day calibration study for two newly introduced PAS, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or silicone rubber PAS (one with and one without a coating of styrene divinyl benzene co-polymer, XAD) and the commonly used polyurethane foam (PUF) PAS. Average sampling rates normalized to PAS surface area were 1.

Recovery and relapse from severe acute malnutrition after treatment: a prospective, observational cohort trial in Pakistan.

Objective: Millions of children suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in low- and middle- income countries. Much is known about the effectiveness of community treatment programmes (CMAM) but little is known about post-discharge outcomes after successful treatment. The present study aimed to evaluate post-discharge outcomes of children cured of SAM.

Prostate cancer in firefighting and police work: a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies.

Objectives: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate potential associations between firefighting and police occupations, and prostate cancer incidence and mortality.

Methods: Original epidemiological studies published from 1980 to 2017 were identified through PubMed and Web of Science. Studies were included if they contained specific job titles for ever/never firefighting and police work and associated prostate cancer risk estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Recent trends in the industrial use and emission of known and suspected carcinogens in Ontario, Canada.

Background: In 2010, Ontario, Canada's most populous province, implemented its Toxics Reduction Act, Ontario Regulation 455/09 (TRA), which requires four major manufacturing and mineral processing industry groups that already report releases of pollutants federally to the National Pollutant Release Inventory to additionally track, account and report their use and creation. The TRA was modeled after the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act of 1989, which has been very successful and reported significant reduction in toxic use and carcinogen release.

Methods: Data from the TRA were retrieved, and the trends in the use and release of 17 known and suspected carcinogens associated with the seven most prevalent cancers diagnosed in Ontario and reported by industrial facilities in Ontario from 2011 to 2015 were examined using methodology adapted from (Jacobs MM, Massey RI, Tenney H, Harriman E.

Sedentary work and the risks of colon and rectal cancer by anatomical sub-site in the Canadian census health and environment cohort (CanCHEC).

Background: Sedentary behaviour is a potential risk factor for colorectal cancer. We examined the association between sedentary work, based on body position, and colorectal cancer risk in Canadians.

Methods: A working body position category (a.

Cancer risks in a population-based study of 70,570 agricultural workers: results from the Canadian census health and Environment cohort (CanCHEC).

Background: Agricultural workers may be exposed to potential carcinogens including pesticides, sensitizing agents and solar radiation. Previous studies indicate increased risks of hematopoietic cancers and decreased risks at other sites, possibly due to differences in lifestyle or risk behaviours. We present findings from CanCHEC (Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohort), the largest national population-based cohort of agricultural workers.

Report of the WHO technical consultation on the effect of maternal influenza and influenza vaccination on the developing fetus: Montreal, Canada, September 30-October 1, 2015.

In 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a position paper on influenza vaccination recommending that pregnant women have the highest priority for seasonal vaccination in countries where the initiation or expansion of influenza immunization programs is under consideration. Although the primary goal of the WHO recommendation is to prevent influenza illness in pregnant women, the potential benefits of maternal immunization in protecting young infants are also recognized. The extent to which maternal influenza vaccination may prevent adverse birth outcomes such as preterm birth or small-for-gestational-age birth, however, is unclear as available studies are in disagreement.

Phenotype, biochemical features, genotype and treatment outcome of pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy.

We report treatment outcome of eleven patients with pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy caused by pathogenic variants in ALDH7A1 (PDE-ALDH7A1). We developed a clinical severity score to compare phenotype with biochemical features, genotype and delays in the initiation of pyridoxine. Clinical severity score included 1) global developmental delay/ intellectual disability; 2) age of seizure onset prior to pyridoxine; 3) current seizures on treatment.

Designing exposure registries for improved tracking of occupational exposure and disease.

Objectives: Registries are one strategy for collecting information on occupational exposure and disease in populations. Recently leaders in the Canadian occupational health and safety community have shown an interest in the use of occupational exposure registries. The primary goal of this study was to review a series of Canadian exposure registries to identify their strengths and weaknesses as a tool for tracking occupational exposure and disease in Canada.

Experimental test of Landauer's principle in single-bit operations on nanomagnetic memory bits.

Minimizing energy dissipation has emerged as the key challenge in continuing to scale the performance of digital computers. The question of whether there exists a fundamental lower limit to the energy required for digital operations is therefore of great interest. A well-known theoretical result put forward by Landauer states that any irreversible single-bit operation on a physical memory element in contact with a heat bath at a temperature T requires at least k B T ln(2) of heat be dissipated from the memory into the environment, where k B is the Boltzmann constant.

Workplace exposure to diesel and gasoline engine exhausts and the risk of colorectal cancer in Canadian men.

Background: The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified diesel exhaust as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) and gasoline exhaust as a possible carcinogen (Group 2B) based studies of lung cancer, however the evidence for other sites is limited. We addressed this question by investigating exposure to diesel and gasoline emissions with respect to risk of colorectal cancer in men.

Methods: We used data from a population-based case-control study with incident cases of colon (n = 931) and rectal (n = 840) cancer and 1360 controls from 7 Canadian provinces conducted in 1994-1997.

Benefits of a transfer clinic in adolescent and young adult kidney transplant patients.

Background: Adolescent and young adult kidney transplant recipients have worse graft outcomes than older and younger age groups. Difficulties in the process of transition, defined as the purposeful, planned movement of adolescents with chronic health conditions from child to adult-centered health care systems, may contribute to this. Improving the process of transition may improve adherence post-transfer to adult care services.

Use of Vascular Ports for Long-Term Apheresis in Children.

High-flow ports have been used for apheresis in adults. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy of ports for apheresis in children and to survey satisfaction of patients and their families with their use. A retrospective review of clinical details was combined with a prospective assessment of the experience of patients and their families.

Identifying potential exposure reduction priorities using regional rankings based on emissions of known and suspected carcinogens to outdoor air in Canada.

Background: Emissions inventories aid in understanding the sources of hazardous air pollutants and how these vary regionally, supporting targeted reduction actions. Integrating information on the relative toxicity of emitted pollutants with respect to cancer in humans helps to further refine reduction actions or recommendations, but few national programs exist in North America that use emissions estimates in this way. The CAREX Canada Emissions Mapping Project provides key regional indicators of emissions (total annual and total annual toxic equivalent, circa 2011) of 21 selected known and suspected carcinogens.

Sun Safety at Work Canada: a multiple case-study protocol to develop sun safety and heat protection programs and policies for outdoor workers.

Background: CAREX Canada has identified solar ultraviolet radiation (UV) as the second most prominent carcinogenic exposure in Canada, and over 75 % of Canadian outdoor workers fall within the highest exposure category. Heat stress also presents an important public health issue, particularly for outdoor workers. The most serious form of heat stress is heat stroke, which can cause irreversible damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver.

The use of Bayesian inference to inform the surveillance of temperature-related occupational morbidity in Ontario, Canada, 2004-2010.

Purpose: To assess the associations of occupational heat and cold-related illnesses presenting in emergency departments in south western Ontario, Canada, with daily meteorological conditions using Bayesian inference.

Methodology: Meteorological and air pollution data for the south western economic region of Ontario were gathered from Environment Canada and the Ministry of Environment. Daily heat and cold-related emergency department visits clinically attributed to work from 2004 to 2010 were tabulated.

The collagenopathies: review of clinical phenotypes and molecular correlations.

Genetic defects of collagen formation (the collagenopathies) affect almost every organ system and tissue in the body. They can be grouped by clinical phenotype, which usually correlates with the tissue distribution of the affected collagen subtype. Many of these conditions present in childhood; however, milder phenotypes presenting in adulthood are increasingly recognized.

Facilitating organizational mergers: amalgamation of community care access centres.

Background: The development of 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) in Ontario necessitated the re-organization of Community Care Access Centres (CCACs). The achievement of LHIN objectives was contingent upon the organizations responsible for home and long-term care placement being aligned within the LHIN geographic boundaries. This re-alignment required 42 provincial organizations to re-structure, integrate and reduce to 14.