A Scoping Review of the Current Knowledge of the Social Determinants of Health and Infectious Diseases (Specifically COVID-19, Tuberculosis, and H1N1 Influenza) in Canadian Arctic Indigenous Communities.

Social determinants of health (SDHs) and the impact of colonization can make Canadian Arctic Indigenous communities susceptible to infectious diseases, including the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This scoping review followed the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews and studied what is known about selected pandemics (COVID-19, tuberculosis, and H1N1 influenza) and SDHs (healthcare accessibility, food insecurity, mental health, cultural continuity, housing, community infrastructure, and socioeconomic status (SES)) for Canadian Arctic Indigenous communities. Original studies published in English and French up to October 2024 were located in databases (PubMed, Medline, and CINAHL), , and through reference tracking.

Clinical Care Pathways for Second and Third Trimester Termination of Pregnancy for Medical Reasons in Canada.

Objective: Termination of pregnancy in the 2/3 trimester for fetal or maternal complications (i.e., for medical reasons) is an essential health service.

Transcriptional Systems Vaccinology Approaches for Vaccine Adjuvant Profiling.

Adjuvants are a diverse group of substances that can be added to vaccines to enhance antigen-specific immune responses and improve vaccine efficacy. The first adjuvants, discovered almost a century ago, were soluble crystals of aluminium salts. Over the following decades, oil emulsions, vesicles, oligodeoxynucleotides, viral capsids, and other complex organic structures have been shown to have adjuvant potential.

Identifying the Minimal Clinically Important Difference in Emotion Regulation Among Youth Using the JoyPop App: Survey Study.

Background: The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) is an important threshold to consider when evaluating the meaningfulness of improvement following an intervention. The JoyPop app is an evidence-based smartphone app designed to improve resilience and emotion regulation. Information is needed regarding the JoyPop app's MCID among culturally diverse youth.

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.

PET Imaging of Solid Tumors with a G-Quadruplex-Targeting F-Labeled Peptide Probe.

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a common imaging technique and can provide accurate information about the size, shape, and location of tumors. Recent evidence has shown that G-quadruplex structures (G4s) are identified in human oncogenes, and these special structures are recognized as diagnostic cancer markers and drug targets for anticancer therapies. Although a number of techniques for in vivo imaging of G4s have been developed, achieving sufficient sensitivity and selectivity in vivo remains challenging.

Sport Participation Positively Associated with Balance Confidence and Well-being in Transtibial Amputees.

Transtibial amputation (TTA) is the removal of the lower leg often resulting in pain, mental health issues, and a more sedentary lifestyle that lacks physical activity (PA). Low balance confidence and other factors related to the physical and psychosocial adaptation to amputation could contribute to why people with TTA actively avoid PA. Studies have investigated lower extremity amputations and barriers to PA in general, but none have focused solely on transtibial amputation and its relationship with PA participation and avoidance habits.

Table Extraction with Table Data Using VGG-19 Deep Learning Model.

In recent years, significant progress has been achieved in understanding and processing tabular data. However, existing approaches often rely on task-specific features and model architectures, posing challenges in accurately extracting table structures amidst diverse layouts, styles, and noise contamination. This study introduces a comprehensive deep learning methodology that is tailored for the precise identification and extraction of rows and columns from document images that contain tables.

Meta-analysis reveals global variations in plant diversity effects on productivity.

Positive effects of plant diversity on productivity have been globally demonstrated and explained by two main effects: complementarity effects and selection effects. However, plant diversity experiments have shown substantial variation in these effects, with driving factors poorly understood. On the basis of a meta-analysis of 452 experiments across the globe, we show that productivity increases on average by 15.

Characterizing the services provided by family physicians in Ontario, Canada: A retrospective study using administrative billing data.

Family physicians in Ontario provide most of the primary care to the healthcare system. However, given their broad scope of practice, they often provide additional services including emergency medicine, hospital medicine, and palliative care. Understanding the spectrum of services provided by family physicians across different regions is important for health human resource planning (HHRP).

Speciation and historical invasions of the Asian black-spined toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus).

Animal translocations provide striking examples of the human footprint on biodiversity. Combining continental-wide genomic and DNA-barcoding analyses, we reconstructed the historical biogeography of the Asian black-spined toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus), a toxic commensal amphibian that currently threatens two biodiversity hotspots through biological invasions (Wallacea and Madagascar). The results emphasize a complex diversification shaped by speciation and mitochondrial introgression that comprises two distinct species.

Peng-Robinson or Redlich-Kwong? Twu or Soave α-Function? Which Combination of Cubic Equation of State (CEoS) and α-Function Produces More Accurate and Consistent Results for Pure Components.

This study tested the accuracy and thermodynamic consistency of four CEoS/α-function models. The objective was to find the most suitable CEoS/α-function combo for producing accurate and consistent physical and derivative properties for nonpolar, polar and hydrogen bonding components at subcritical conditions. The models tested were PR-Twu, PR-Soave, RK-Twu, and RK-Soave.

Multi-angle acquisition and 3D composite reconstruction for organ-targeted PET using planar detectors.

Background: This study investigates a multi-angle acquisition method aimed at improving image quality in organ-targeted PET detectors with planar detector heads. Organ-targeted PET technologies have emerged to address limitations of conventional whole-body PET/CT systems, such as restricted axial field-of-view (AFOV), limited spatial resolution, and high radiation exposure associated with PET procedures. The AFOV in organ-targeted PET can be adjusted to the organ of interest, minimizing unwanted signals from other parts of the body, thus improving signal collection efficiency and reducing the dose of administered radiotracer.

A Study of Theoretical Analysis and Modelling of Microalgal Membrane Photobioreactors for Microalgal Biomass Production and Nutrient Removal.

This study presents a theoretical and mathematical analysis and modelling of the emerging microalgal membrane photobioreactors (M-MPBRs) for wastewater treatment. A set of mathematical models was developed to predict the biological performances of M-MPBRs. The model takes into account the effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT), solid retention time (SRT), and the N/P ratio of influent on the biological performance of M-MPBRs, such as microalgal biomass production and nutrient (N and P) removals.

Primate Phenotypes: A Multi-Institution Collection of 3D Morphological Data Housed in MorphoSource.

The field of phenomics is experiencing unprecedented advances thanks to the rapid growth of morphological quantification based on three-dimensional (3D) imaging, online data repositories, team-oriented collaborations, and open data-sharing policies. In line with these progressions, we present an extensive primate phenotypic dataset comprising >6,000 3D scans (media) representing skeletal morphologies of 386 individual specimens covering all hominoid genera (except humans) and other selected primates. The digitized specimens are housed in physical collections at the American Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of Natural History, the Royal Museum for Central Africa (Belgium), the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and Stony Brook University.

Advancing thyroid care: An accurate trustworthy diagnostics system with interpretable AI and hybrid machine learning techniques.

The worldwide prevalence of thyroid disease is on the rise, representing a chronic condition that significantly impacts global mortality rates. Machine learning (ML) approaches have demonstrated potential superiority in mitigating the occurrence of this disease by facilitating early detection and treatment. However, there is a growing demand among stakeholders and patients for reliable and credible explanations of the generated predictions in sensitive medical domains.

Cancer Cells in Sleep Mode: Wake Them to Eliminate or Keep Them Asleep Forever?

Cancer cell dormancy is a critical phase in cancer development, wherein cancer cells exist in a latent state marked by temporary but reversible growth arrest. This dormancy phase contributes to anticancer drug resistance, cancer recurrence, and metastasis. Treatment strategies aimed at cancer dormancy can be categorized into two contradictory approaches: inducing cancer cells into a dormant state or eliminating dormant cells.

Crosslinked lignin starch copolymer as a sustainable and thermally stable drilling fluid controller.

Fluid loss is a well-known challenge of drilling operations. In this work, a novel sustainable starch-lignin-based polymer was synthesized for possible use in drilling fluid applications. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed that kraft lignin was crosslinked with starch via ether covalent bonds.

Interpolation methods for spatial distribution of groundwater mapping electrical conductivity.

This study was carried out to develop a conceptual framework for determining the best interpolation method which mainly is employed to calculate the variability maps of electrical conductivity (EC) in neighboring regions. The considered case study is parts of the Khorasan Razavi province, Iran (including five aquifers Kashmar, Fariman, Doruneh, Sarakhs and Joveyn). In the first step, the empirical variogram (semi-variogram) was computed for the study area.

An exploration of the role of trust and rapport in enhancing vaccine uptake among Anishinaabe in rural northern Ontario.

This article examines the complicated terrain of immunization acceptance and access among Indigenous peoples in northern Ontario by drawing on conversations held prior to 2019 that explored knowledge about Haemophilus influenzae type a (Hia) infection specifically and attitudes toward vaccines more broadly. In the decade preceding COVID-19, Hia emerged as a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Indigenous communities in northern Canada. Before developing new vaccines, it is imperative to hold conversations with the communities most affected and to learn more about Indigenous peoples' perceptions of and knowledge about vaccines, both generally and Hia specifically.

IFOMPT's Educational Standards and International Monitoring: A member survey and review.

Background: The International Federation of Manual and Musculoskeletal Physical Therapists (IFOMPT) membership requires accreditation of countries postgraduate musculoskeletal physiotherapy programmes to meet IFOMPT's Educational Standards through International Monitoring. The Educational Standards and International Monitoring are both being reviewed.

Objectives: To seek insight and feedback from IFOMPT's membership on the Educational Standards and International Monitoring to inform the current review.

Metaphor as methodology: Methodological reflections on visualizing the dementia journey.

Metaphors to describe and understand dementia have been used in Western culture for many years. However, the ways in which people living with dementia and care partners use metaphors and symbols to illustrate and give meaning to their own experiences has been less understood. In this paper we explore the use of metaphor as methodology-- a way to support people living with dementia and their care partners in reflecting on and sharing their experiences of dementia.

Hub Metabolites Promote the Bioflocculant Production in a Biomass-Degrading Bacterium Pseudomonas boreopolis GO2.

Introduction: The low yield of bioflocculants has been a bottleneck problem that limits their industrial applications. Understanding the metabolic mechanism of bacteria that produce bioflocculants could provide valuable insights and strategies to directly regulate their yield in future.

Methods: To investigate the change of metabolites in the process of bioflocculant production by a biomass-degrading bacterium, Pseudomonas boreopolis GO2, an untargeted metabolome analysis was performed.