Estimation of toluene exposure in air from BMA (S-benzylmercapturic acid) urinary measures using a reverse dosimetry approach based on physiologically pharmacokinetic modeling.

This study aimed to use a reverse dosimetry PBPK modeling approach to estimate toluene atmospheric exposure from urinary measurements of S-benzylmercapturic acid (BMA) in a small group of individuals and to evaluate the uncertainty associated to urinary spot-sampling compared to 24-h collected urine samples. Each exposure assessment technique was developed namely to estimate toluene air exposure from BMA measurements in 24-h urine samples (24-h-BMA) and from distributions of daily urinary BMA spot measurements (DUBSM). Model physiological parameters were described based upon age, weight, size and sex.

Growth of AuNPs on Glass Nanofibers for SERS Sensors.

It is challenging to fabricate plasmonic nanosensors on high-curvature surfaces with high sensitivity and reproducibility at low cost. Here, we report a facile and straightforward strategy, based on an growth technique, for fabricating glass nanofibers covered by asymmetric gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with tunable morphologies and adjustable spacings, leading to much improved surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensitivity because of hotspots generated by the AuNP surface irregularities and adjacent AuNP coupling. First, nanosensors covered with uniform and well-dispersed citrate-capped spherical AuNPs were constructed using a polystyrene--poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-P4VP, with 33 mol % P4VP content and 61 kg/mol total molecular weight) block copolymer brush-layer templating method, and then, the deposited AuNPs were grown to asymmetric AuNPs.

From single cells to complex tissues in applications of surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

As surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) continues to grow in popularity, more work needs to be done to evaluate its compatibility with a wider scope of applications. With such a strong emphasis on SERS being used for biosensing, it is important to examine how SERS is used in bioanalytical nanoscience, and more importantly, look towards where SERS is heading. For many, the initial steps involve demonstrating in vivo sensing by SERS using cultures of live cells.

A blueprint for performing SERS measurements in tissue with plasmonic nanofibers.

Plasmonic nanostructures have found increasing utility due to the increased popularity that surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has achieved in recent years. SERS has been incorporated into an ever-growing list of applications, with bioanalytical and physiological analyses having emerged as two of the most popular. Thus far, the transition from SERS studies of cultured cells to SERS studies involving tissue has been gradual and limited.

A high-throughput plasmonic tongue using an aggregation assay and nonspecific interactions: classification of taste profiles in maple syrup.

A simple colorimetric test detects off-flavour profiles of maple syrups in minutes, which are detectable by the naked eye. As flavour profiles are due to complex mixtures of molecules, the test uses nonspecific interactions for analysing the aggregation and color change of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) induced by the different organic molecules contained in off-flavour maple syrup. The test was optimal with 13 nm citrate-capped AuNPs reacting 1 : 1 with pure maple syrup diluted 10 times.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of olfactive stimulation interventions to manage procedural pain in preterm and full-term neonates.

Background: Preterm and full-term neonates undergo many painful procedures during their hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit. Unrelieved and repeated pain can have important repercussions on their motor and intellectual development. Still, pain management interventions are limited for neonates.

Branched Au Nanoparticles on Nanofibers for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensing of Intracellular pH and Extracellular pH Gradients.

The development of plasmonic-active nanosensors for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing is important for gaining knowledge on intracellular and extracellular chemical processes, hypoxia detection, and label-free detection of neurotransmitters and metabolites, among other applications in cell biology. The fabrication of SERS nanosensors for optophysiology measurements using substrates such as nanofibers with a uniform distribution of plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) remains a critical hurdle. We report here on a strategy using block copolymer brush-layer templating and ligand exchange for fabricating highly reproducible and stable SERS-active nanofibers with tip diameters down to 60 nm and covered with well-dispersed and uniformly distributed branched AuNPs, which have intrinsic hotspots favoring inherently high plasmonic sensitivity.

In Vitro Drug Release and Biocatalysis from pH-Responsive Gold Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Doxycycline.

pH-sensitive doxycycline gold nanoparticles (doxy-AuNPs) are reported here to act as effective drug nanocarriers and as biocatalysts. The AuNPs were synthesized with doxy as the reducing and capping agent. Various parameters were optimized to find the best conditions for the synthesis of doxy-AuNPs, and these were characterized with UV-vis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Understanding competing discourses as a basis for promoting equity in primary health care.

Background: Globally, health inequities persist with effects on whole populations and the most profound effects on populations marginalized by poverty, discrimination and other forms of disadvantage. In the current neoliberal political-economic context, health inequities are produced and sustained by the inequitable distribution of social determinants of health and structural inequities such as discrimination and institutional racism. Even in the context of healthcare organizations with an explicit commitment to health equity, multiple intersecting discourses, such as ongoing efficiency discourses, and culturalist and racialized discourses, are in constant interaction with healthcare practices at the point of care and the organizational level, limiting providers' and organizations' capacities to address structural inequities.

The Fundamentals of Real-Time Surface Plasmon Resonance/Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence.

We report the integration of surface plasmon resonance (SPR), cyclic voltammetry and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) responses to survey the interfacial adsorption and energy transfer processes involved in ECL on a plasmonic substrate. It was observed that a Tween 80/tripropylamine nonionic layer formed on the gold electrode of the SPR sensor, while enhancing the ECL emission process, affects the electron transfer process to the luminophore, Ru(bpy) , which in turn has an impact on the plasmon resonance. Concomitantly, the surface plasmon modulated the ECL intensity, which decreased by about 40 %, due to an interaction between the excited state of Ru(bpy) and the plasmon.

What are the factors associated with the implementation of a peer-led health promotion program? Insights from a multiple-case study.

Peer education is widely used as a health promotion strategy. However, few efforts have been undertaken to understand the implementation of peer-led health promotion programs (HPPs). This multiple-case study identifies factors facilitating the implementation of a peer-led HPP for older adults presenting with fear of falling (Vivre en �quilibre) and their mechanisms of action.

The NSERC Canadian Lake Pulse Network: A national assessment of lake health providing science for water management in a changing climate.

The distribution and quality of water resources vary dramatically across Canada, and human impacts such as land-use and climate changes are exacerbating uncertainties in water supply and security. At the national level, Canada has no enforceable standards for safe drinking water and no comprehensive water-monitoring program to provide detailed, timely reporting on the state of water resources. To provide Canada's first national assessment of lake health, the NSERC Canadian Lake Pulse Network was launched in 2016 as an academic-government research partnership.

Acceptability to nurses of reducing NICU light and noise levels during skin-to-skin care: A pilot study.

Introduction: Light and noise levels may influence preterm infants and their mothers when they are experiencing skin-to-skin contact [SSC] in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit [NICU].

Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial [RCT] of an intervention aiming at reducing light and noise levels during SSC was conducted. Twenty-one neonatal nurses from a level III NICU completed questionnaires assessing their acceptability of NICU light and noise levels reduction during SSC, whether it interfered with their care delivery, in addition to acceptability of specific interventions reducing these levels.

What explains cross-city variation in mortality during the 1918 influenza pandemic? Evidence from 438 U.S. cities.

Disparities in cross-city pandemic severity during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic remain poorly understood. This paper uses newly assembled historical data on annual mortality across 438 U.S.

Monolayer Arrays of Nanoparticles on Block Copolymer Brush Films.

Two-dimensional arrays of nanoparticles (NPs) have widespread applications in optical coatings, plasmonic sensors, and nanocomposites. Current bottom-up approaches that use homogeneous NP templates, such as silane self-assembled monolayers or homopolymers, are typically plagued by NP aggregation, whereas patterned block copolymer (BCP) films require specific compositions for specific NP distributions. Here, we show, using polystyrene- b-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS- b-P4VP) and gold NPs (AuNPs) of various sizes, that a nanothin PS- b-P4VP brushlike coating (comprised of a P4VP wetting layer and a PS overlayer), which is adsorbed onto flat substrates during their immersion in very dilute PS- b-P4VP tetrahydrofuran solutions, provides an excellent template for obtaining dense and well-dispersed AuNPs with little aggregation.

Measured and perceived effects of audit and feedback on nursing performance: a mixed methods systematic review protocol.

Background: The use of audit and feedback (A&F) interventions in health care has been demonstrated to generally be effective on medical teams. However, literature suggests that the response of nurses to this type of intervention may differ from that of other types of health professionals, in relation to their roles, power, and to the configuration of nursing care activities. To our knowledge, no review has been conducted on A&F interventions with nurses.

Polymer-Templated Gold Nanoparticles on Optical Fibers for Enhanced-Sensitivity Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensors.

Dense arrays of well-dispersed gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on optical fibers are shown to bridge the gap in sensitivity and sensing performance between localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and classical SPR sensing. A simple self-assembly method relying on a poly(styrene- b-4-vinylpyridine) (PS- b-P4VP) block copolymer brush layer was used to immobilize AuNPs of different diameters from 10 to 92 nm on optical fibers. In comparison with standard AuNP deposition methods using (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APTMS) and polyelectrolytes, the sensitivity with the PS- b-P4VP templating method was found to be 3-fold better, a consequence of the smaller gap between particles and the presence of fewer AuNP aggregates.

Nurses' practices regarding procedural pain management of preterm infants.

Background: It is well known that preterm neonates can feel pain which can be expressed through specific behaviors and signs. Repeated and untreated pain has consequences for the preterm neonates such as hypersensitivity to pain, as well as important repercussions on their motor and intellectual development. The use of non-pharmacological interventions for pain management by nurses is imperative to prevent these consequences in the NICU.

H-reflex modulation preceding changes in soleus EMG activity during balance perturbation.

When balance is compromised, postural strategies are induced to quickly recover from the perturbation. However, neuronal mechanisms underlying these strategies are not fully understood. Here, we assessed the amplitude of the soleus (SOL) H-reflex during forward and backward tilts of the support surface during standing (n = 15 healthy participants).

Configurationally flexible zinc complexes as catalysts for rac-lactide polymerisation.

Zn(N(SiMe3)2)2 was reacted with pyridinemethanol and R,R-N,N'-di(methylbenzyl)-2,5-diiminopyrrole (L1H) to afford the dimeric complex (L1)2Zn2(μ-OR)2. The complex showed moderate activity in rac-lactide polymerization to heterotactic polymer (Pr = 0.75).

Acceptability and feasibility of recruitment and data collection in a field study of hospital nurses' handoffs using mobile devices.

Background: The portability and multiple functionalities of mobile devices make them well suited for collecting field data for naturalistic research, which is often beset with complexities in recruitment and logistics. This paper describes the implementation of a research protocol using mobile devices to study nurses' exchanges of patient information at change of shift.

Methods: Nurses from three medical and surgical units of an acute care teaching hospital in Montreal, Canada, were invited to participate.

Pelvic floor muscle training versus no treatment, or inactive control treatments, for urinary incontinence in women.

Background: Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is the most commonly used physical therapy treatment for women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). It is sometimes also recommended for mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) and, less commonly, urgency urinary incontinence (UUI).This is an update of a Cochrane Review first published in 2001 and last updated in 2014.

Timing of insulin basal rate reduction to reduce hypoglycemia during late post-prandial exercise in adults with type 1 diabetes using insulin pump therapy: A randomized crossover trial.

Aims: To compare the efficacy of three timings to decrease basal insulin infusion rate to reduce exercise-induced hypoglycaemia in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) using pump therapy.

Methods: A single-blinded, randomized, 3-way crossover study in 22 adults that had T1D > 1 year and using insulin pump > 3 months (age, 40 ± 15 years; HbA, 56.3 ± 10.