Predictive model of neurodevelopmental outcome in neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.

Objectives: To build an early, prognostic model for adverse outcome in infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) receiving therapeutic hypothermia (TH) based on brain magnetic resonance images (MRI), electrophysiological tests and clinical assessments were performed during the first 5 days of life.

Methods: Retrospective study of 182 neonates with HIE and managed with TH. The predominant pattern of HIE brain injury on MRI performed following cooling was scored by neuroradiologists.

Characterizing the vestibular control of balance in the intrinsic foot muscles.

Background: To maintain standing balance, vestibular cues are processed and integrated with other sensorimotor signals to produce appropriate motor adjustments. Whole-body vestibular-driven postural responses are context-dependent and transformed based upon head and foot posture. Previous reports indicate the importance of intrinsic foot muscles during standing, but it is unclear how vestibular-driven responses of these muscles are modulated by alterations in stability and head posture.

Can microplastic pollution be affected by beach nourishment? Assessment in intertidal sediment and bivalves.

Several methods can be used to mitigate coastal erosion, and one of the leading solutions is known as beach nourishment (BN), which involves using dredged material for nourishment, adding sand to extend an eroding beach. Although it has many advantages, the environmental impacts of BN remain poorly understood, especially on plastic pollution, which had not been investigated until this study. We aimed to compare the abundance and distribution of microplastics (MPs) found in intertidal sediments and specimens of the bivalve mollusks Crassostrea brasiliana, Mytella strigata, Perna perna, and Tivela mactroides, collected in two beaches of Vitoria, Southeast of Brazil (da Costa et al.

On the occurrence, behaviour, and fate of naphthenic acid fraction compounds in aquatic environments.

Naphthenic acids and naphthenic acid fraction compounds (NAFCs) are associated with production of unconventional petroleum resources, especially the Athabasca Oil Sands of Alberta, Canada. This complex mixture of acidic organic compounds is toxic to a variety of taxa, and so represents an important environmental management challenge. Thus, there is clear motivation to better understand the occurrence and characteristics of NAFCs in aquatic environments, their chemical behaviour, and environmental fate.

Acute and chronic cannabis vapor exposure influences basal and stress-induced release of glucocorticoids in male and female rats.

Management of stress and anxiety is often listed as the primary motivation behind cannabis use. Human research has found that chronic cannabis use is associated with increased basal cortisol levels but blunted neuroendocrine responses to stress. Preclinical research has demonstrated mixed effects of Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC; the psychoactive constituent of cannabis), much of which is suggestive of dose-dependent effects; however, the predominance of this work has employed an injection method to deliver cannabis.

Post-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of measles: A systematic review.

Background: In susceptible individuals, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is often recommended following exposure to measles, however the data that these recommendations are based on are limited. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the efficacy/effectiveness and safety of immunoglobulins (Ig) or measles-containing vaccine (MCV) for the prevention of measles.

Methods: Prospective studies evaluating the use of Ig or MCV as PEP in susceptible individuals exposed to measles were eligible for inclusion.

PFAS contamination in tap water: Target and suspect screening of zwitterionic, cationic, and anionic species across Canada and beyond.

This study investigated the occurrence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including anionic, cationic, and zwitterionic compounds, in drinking water. Between 2021-2023, an expanded list of 76 target PFAS was screened in tap water samples mainly from Canada, but also including tap water samples from the Eastern United States, Mexico, South America (Argentina), the Caribbean (Dominican Republic, Cuba), Africa (Algeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Morocco, Rwanda, Tunisia), Europe (France, Greece, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom) and Asia (Japan, Vietnam, Iran, and Türkiye). An additional ∼ 200 suspect-target PFAS were screened using high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry.

Development of a framework to structure decision-making in environmental and occupational health: A systematic review and Delphi study.

Background: Environmental and occupational health (EOH) assessments increasingly utilize systematic review methods and structured frameworks for evaluating evidence about the human health effects of exposures. However, there is no prevailing approach for how to integrate this evidence into decisions or recommendations. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) evidence-to-decision (EtD) frameworks provide a structure to support standardized and transparent consideration of relevant criteria to inform health decisions.

Development of faba protein-tannic acid conjugate via free radical grafting: Evaluation of interaction mechanisms and antioxidative properties.

A soluble fraction of faba bean protein was conjugated with tannic acid via the free-radical grafting method using a mixture of ascorbic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Surface plasmon resonance showed a strong bonding between them, while the free amino and thiol group measurements indicated tannic acid's bonding with the amino groups and cysteine residues on the proteins. Structural analysis using intrinsic fluorescence and surface hydrophobicity demonstrated tannic acid's interaction with the aromatic and hydrophobic amino acids of the protein.

The moderating role of social media motives in the relationship between screen usage and cybervictimization.

Background: Screen time is on the rise among youth, and as a result, cyberbullying victimization has become increasingly prevalent. While prior research has established a positive correlation between screen usage and cyberbullying victimization, a paucity of research has explored how motives for screen usage are associated with cyberbullying victimization and moderate the positive association between screen usage and cyberbullying victimization.

Objective: The present study sought to address these research gaps by exploring the association between motives for screen usage and cyberbullying victimization and examining whether these motives moderate the association between screen time and cyberbullying.

Interactions between phosphate and arsenic in iron/biochar-treated groundwater: Corrosion control insights from column experiments.

An increasing number of studies have reported the coexistence of arsenic (As) and phosphorus at high concentrations in groundwater, which threatens human health and increases the complexity of groundwater remediation. However, limited work has been done regarding As interception in the presence of phosphate in flowing systems. In this study, a series of experiments were conducted to evaluate the interactions between phosphate and As during As removal by iron (Fe)-based biochar (FeBC).

Bayesian estimation of diagnostic accuracy of fecal smears, fecal PCR and serum ELISA for detecting Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infections in four domestic ruminant species in Saudi Arabia.

Paratuberculosis, a chronic wasting disease affecting domestic and wild ruminants worldwide, is caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). Various diagnostic tests exist for detecting MAP infection; however, none of them possess perfect accuracy to be qualified as a reference standard test, particularly due to their notably low sensitivity.

Are there unconscious visual images in aphantasia? Development of an implicit priming paradigm.

For some people the experience of visual imagery is lacking, a condition recently referred to as aphantasia. So far, most of the studies on aphantasia rely on subjective reports, leaving the question of whether mental images can exist without reaching consciousness unresolved. In the present study, the formation of mental images was estimated in individuals with aphantasia without explicitly asking them to generate mental images.

Exploring delusional themes and other symptoms in first episode psychosis: A network analysis over two timepoints.

Delusions are a defining feature of psychosis and play an important role in the conceptualization and diagnosis of psychotic disorders; however, the particular role that different delusions play in the prognosis of these disorders is not well understood. This study explored relationships between delusions and other symptoms in 674 first episode psychosis (FEP) individuals by comparing symptom networks between baseline and 12 months after intake to an early intervention service. Specifically, we (1) estimated regularized partial correlation networks at baseline and month 12, (2) identified the most central symptoms in each network, (3) identified clusters of highly connected symptoms, and (4) compared networks to examine changes in structure and connectivity.

Increased prehospital mortality in patients with combined burns and trauma in Canada: Analysis of a provincial trauma registry database.

Introduction: The combination of burns and non-thermal trauma may have a synergistic effect on mortality. Our objective was to determine if burn patients with concomitant trauma are at increased risk of mortality in both the prehospital and in-hospital settings.

Methods: Data were collected from a population-based provincial trauma registry (2001-2019).

Machine learning models provide modest accuracy in predicting clinical impact of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome type 2 in Canadian sow herds.

Objective: To determine the predictive potential of the open reading frame 5 nucleotide sequence of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus and the basic demographic data on the severity of the impact on selected production parameters during clinical PRRS outbreaks in Ontario sow herds.

Methods: A retrospective longitudinal study of clinical outbreaks in Ontario sow herds at various points between September 5, 2009, and February 5, 2019, was conducted using herds as units of analysis. Data were gathered from study sow farms in Ontario at the start of each clinical outbreak.

A gender breakdown of unexpected benefits generated by work from home in STEM fields - A qualitative analysis of the WiMPBME Task Group survey.

Background: Working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic was perceived differently by men and women working in STEM fields. The aim of this paper is to highlight the unexpected benefits generated by working from home during the pandemic.

Methods: Qualitative methodology was used to analyze data, collected via survey.

Spatial unfolding of an extended La-140 source within a 0.5 km-wide exclusion zone using Compton gamma imaging measurements.

Results from applying an advanced spatial-unfolding technique to outdoor-trial data acquired with a Silicon photomultiplier-based Compton Telescope for Safety and Security (SCoTSS) gamma imager during perimeter survey of a distributed La-140 source lying within a 500 m x 500 m exclusion zone are presented. A synthetic-data version of the experiment was also modelled using Monte Carlo simulations and reconstructed. For both experimental and synthetic data the method faithfully reproduces the shape of the activity distribution, and for synthetic data the total activity is reproduced as well.

Structural brain basis of latent factors of executive functions in childhood.

Executive functions can be classified into processes of inhibition, working memory and shifting, which together support flexible and goal-directed behaviour and are crucial for both current and later-life outcomes. A large body of literature has identified distinct brain regions critical to performing each of these functions. These findings are however predicated on a piecemeal and single-task approach.

Assessing the feasibility and external validity of natural language processing-extracted data for advanced lung cancer patients.

Background: Manual extraction of real-world clinical data for research can be time-consuming and prone to error. We assessed the feasibility of using natural language processing (NLP), an AI technique, to automate data extraction for patients with advanced lung cancer (aLC). We assessed the external validity of our NLP-extracted data by comparing our findings to those reported in the literature.

Exploring Canadian Dietitians' Knowledge Attitude and Practices Providing Culturally Safe Care to Muslims who fast During the Month of Ramadan: A Cross-sectional Study.

Fasting during Ramadan involves abstaining from food and drink from dawn to dusk for 29 to 30 days, annually. Dietitians, experts in food and nutrition, play a vital role in fostering the well-being of Canadians. Given that 1 in 20 Canadians are Muslim, access to culturally safe care is essential for their health.

Application of clinician support tools to improve wound healing outcomes and simplify treatment selection for effective exudate management.

Background: Achievement of moisture balance can be a critical factor affecting time to closure of nonhealing wounds, and dry wounds can take much longer to heal than those with high exudate levels. Whether the goal of management is to donate moisture to the wound or control excessive fluid until the cause has been identified and addressed, choice of dressing and other wound management products can affect nursing resources, clinical outcomes, concordance, and quality of life for the patient.

Case Reports: The cases discussed illustrate differences in management approaches for dry and wet wounds and show how clinician support tools (eg, tissue type, infection/inflammation, moisture imbalance, epithelial edge advancement [TIME] clinical decision support tool) can facilitate treatment decisions.