Use of risk assessment tools in emergency general surgery: a cross-sectional survey of surgeons and trainees.

The applicability of risk assessment tools (RATs) for preoperative risk assessment (PRA) in Emergency General Surgery (EGS) is unclear. Limited knowledge of surgeons' approach to risk assessment is available. We investigated how Canadian surgeons approach PRA for EGS and their awareness of available RATs.

Functionally-informed fine-mapping identifies genetic variants linking increased CHD1L expression and HIV restriction in monocytes.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV) set-point viral load is a strong predictor of disease progression and transmission risk. A recent genome-wide association study in individuals of African ancestries identified a region on chromosome 1 significantly associated with decreased HIV set-point viral load. Knockout of the closest gene, CHD1L, enhanced HIV replication in vitro in myeloid cells.

Occult liver nodules: their detection and characterization with CEUS.

Objectives: Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) now joins the ranks of CT and MRI for noninvasive diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). CEUS LI-RADS provides greater than 95% specificity for diagnosis within LR-5. Unlike CT/MRI, CEUS is nodule based.

Increasing Risk of Gestational Diabetes in an Ethnocultural Minority of Canada.

We investigated whether ethnocultural inequality in rates of gestational diabetes was prevalent in Canada. We compared the Anglophone minority with the Francophone majority in Quebec. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 853,595 pregnancies between 2008 and 2020 in Quebec, Canada.

Risky transportation-related behaviors among high school students, 2007 to 2023.

The study highlights significant declines in risky transportation-related behaviors among US high school students from 2007 to 2023.

Prognostic value of MR visibility/invisibility in men on Active Surveillance.

Objective: We sought to determine, in a prospective long term cohort, the prognostic value of negative MR imaging with respect to upgrading and need for intervention in men on AS.

Method: A long term prospective single centre study of men on Active surveillance with MR imaging. Primary outcome was upgrading on biopsy and rate of intervention.

Exploring technology acceptance of flight simulation training devices and augmented reality in general aviation pilot training.

This study investigates pilot perspectives on the use of Flight Simulation Training Devices (FSTDs) in Canada's general aviation (GA) sector, which, despite their longstanding adoption, remain underutilized. It also examines pilot perspectives on the potential of Augmented Reality (AR) technology as an assistive tool in GA pilot training. An online survey gathered views on FSTD use for routine flight operations and emergency training, as well as AR's potential to support learning.

Chemical signals and social structures strengthen sexual isolation in Drosophila pseudoobscura.

Species that coexist in hybrid zones sexually isolate through reproductive character displacement, a mechanism that favours divergence between species. In Drosophila, behavioural and physiological traits discourage heterospecific mating between species. Recently, social network analysis revealed flies produce strain-specific and species-specific social structures.

Relating production and perception in two Raglai dialects at different stages of registrogenesis.

This paper explores the perception of two diachronically related and mutually intelligible phonological oppositions, the onset voicing contrast of Northern Raglai and the register contrast of Southern Raglai. It is the continuation of a previous acoustic study that revealed that Northern Raglai onset stops maintain a voicing distinction accompanied by weak formant and voice quality modulations on following vowels, while Southern Raglai has transphonologized this voicing contrast into a register contrast marked by vowel and voice quality distinctions. Our findings indicate that the two dialects partially differ in their use of identification cues, Northern Raglai listeners using both voicing and F1 as major cues while Southern Raglai listeners largely focus on F1.

Biomimetic Confined Assembly of Plasmonic CuS from Electronic Waste for Rapid Photothermal Disinfection.

Photothermal disinfection (PTD) offers promising potential for water purification due to its sustainable and broad-spectrum bactericidal properties, although it is hindered by slow charge separation in photosensitizers. Herein, we present a plasma-mediated PTD technique utilizing an efficient localized heating effect induced by incident light at specific wavelengths for rapid bacterial inactivation. A metallic CuS photosensitizer, derived from electronic waste through a biomimetic transmembrane confined-assembled strategy, facilitates collective and coherent oscillation of free electrons around Cu atoms in the near-infrared range.

The Canadian Experience With Magnetic Esophageal Anastomosis: A Report From the Canadian Consortium for Research in Pediatric Surgery Study (CanCORPS).

Objective: Magnetic anastomosis is an innovative technique for establishing esophageal continuity in infants born with esophageal atresia. Few case series featuring this technology have been published, with even fewer reports on complications. We present the entire Canadian experience with this approach.

How gender shapes practice choices among family medicine residents and early career family physicians: a Canadian qualitative study.

Background: The practice choices of family medicine residents and early career family physicians shape access to primary care. A growing proportion of family physicians are women.

Aim: This study examined how gender operates in shaping family physician practice choices and subsequent practice patterns.

Retrovirus-based manufacturing of chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cells for cancer therapy research.

Treatment with autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells can achieve outstanding clinical response rates in heavily pretreated patients with B and plasma cell malignancies. However, relapses occur, and they limit the efficacy of this promising treatment approach. The complex GMP-compliant production and high treatment costs cause that CAR T cells cannot yet be used in a broad population.

Switching to faricimab from the current anti-VEGF therapy: evidence-based expert recommendations.

Dual inhibition of the angiopoietin (Ang)/Tie and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signalling pathways in patients with retinal diseases, such as neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and diabetic macular oedema (DME), may induce greater vascular stability and contribute to increased treatment efficacy and durability compared with treatments that only target the VEGF pathway. Faricimab, a bispecific intravitreal agent that inhibits both VEGF and Ang-2, is the first injectable ophthalmic drug to achieve treatment intervals of up to 16 weeks in Phase 3 studies for nAMD and DME while exhibiting improvements in visual acuity and retinal thickness. Data from real-world studies have supported the safety, visual and anatomic benefits and durability of faricimab, even in patients who were previously treated with other intravitreal agents.

Acceptability of digital health intervention during pregnancy to inform women about postpartum contraception (DIGICAP): a pilot randomised controlled study.

Background: Pregnancy within a year of childbirth has negative impacts on women and their children's health. We developed a digital health intervention (DHI) to empower women in contraceptive choices postpartum. Our pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) aimed to establish the feasibility of a main RCT of the effects of the DHI compared with standard care on long-acting contraception use.

Impact of dairy cow personality traits on response to extended milking intervals and removal of supplemental concentrate in a free-traffic automated milking system.

Provision of supplemental concentrate in an automated milking system (AMS) is commonly used to encourage voluntary attendance, however, the motivation to voluntarily milk is highly variable between cows. The objectives of this study were to determine if dairy cow personality is associated with: 1) their short-term response to changes in factors believed to motivate voluntary AMS visits such as udder pressure and provision of supplemental feed (modulated by longer milking intervals or removal of AMS concentrate, respectively); and 2) their milking activity, production, and feeding behavior after returning to pre-treatment AMS milking interval and concentrate feed settings (i.e.

Evaluating case definitions of respiratory disease in dairy calves: a scoping review.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is one of the most common diseases observed in dairy calves in both the pre- and post-weaning periods. Despite its common occurrence, there has been no formal synthesis (e.g.

Graduate student literature review: Integrating concepts of animal welfare and health-related quality of life for pre-weaned dairy calves.

Dairy calf welfare assessment tools focusing on the pre-weaning period have been proposed in recent research. Despite the existence of these tools, assessing the welfare and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of dairy calves remains challenging. These difficulties may stem from the complexity of assessing all dimensions of calf welfare and the validity, reliability, and feasibility of the indicators used in assessment tools.

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON RUMINANT PHYSIOLOGY: Rumen fungi, archaea and their interactions.

Anaerobic gut fungi (AGF) were the last phylum to be identified within the rumen microbiome and account for 7-9% of microbial biomass. They produce potent lignocellulases that degrade recalcitrant plant cell walls, and rhizoids that can penetrate the cuticle of plant cells, exposing internal components to other microbiota. Interspecies H transfer between AGF and rumen methanogenic archaea is an essential metabolic process in the rumen that occurs during the reduction of CO to CH by methanogens.

ECLS-SHOCK and DanGer Shock: Implications for optimal temporary mechanical circulatory support use for cardiogenic shock due to acute myocardial infarction.

Despite concerted efforts to rapidly identify patients with cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI-CS) and provide timely revascularization, early mortality remains stubbornly high. While artificially augmenting systemic flow through the use of temporary mechanical circulatory support (tMCS) devices would be expected to reduce the rate of progression to multi-organ dysfunction and thereby enhance survival, reliable evidence for benefit has remained elusive with lingering questions regarding the appropriate selection of both patients and devices, as well as the timing of device implantation relative to other critical interventions. Further complicating matters are the resource-intensive multidisciplinary systems of care that must be brought to bear in this complex patient population.

Eradication Therapy to Prevent Gastric Cancer in H. pylori-positive individuals: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials and Observational Studies.

Background & Aims: Screening for, and treating, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in the general population or patients with early gastric neoplasia could reduce incidence of, and mortality from, gastric cancer. We updated a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining this issue.

Microbially degradable phenolic foams based on depolymerized kraft lignin for hydrophilic applications.

Hydrophilic phenol-formaldehyde (PF) foams, widely used in floral and hydroponic applications, are produced using phenol typically derived from non-renewable petroleum-based resources. This study examines the potential of depolymerized Kraft lignin (DKL) as a sustainable substitute for phenol in the synthesis of hydrophilic biobased foams. At 50 % DKL substitution, the foams demonstrated excellent water absorption capacities (up to 2557 %), relatively low densities (∼62 kg/m), and nearly 100 % open-cell content.