Bioluminescent Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli for whole-cell screening of antibacterial and adjuvant compounds.

Continued efforts to discover new antibacterial molecules are critical to achieve a robust pre-clinical pipeline for new antibiotics. Screening of compound or natural product extract libraries remains a widespread approach and can benefit from the development of whole cell assays that are robust, simple and versatile, and allow for high throughput testing of antibacterial activity. In this study, we created and validated two bioluminescent reporter strains for high-throughput screening, one in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and another in a hyperporinated and efflux-deficient Escherichia coli.

Considering the interconnected nature of social identities in neuroimaging research.

Considerable heterogeneity exists in the expression of complex human behaviors across the cognitive, personality and mental health domains. It is increasingly evident that individual variability in behavioral expression is substantially affected by sociodemographic factors that often interact with life experiences. Here, we formally address the urgent need to incorporate intersectional identities in neuroimaging studies of behavior, with a focus on research in mental health.

Association of higher potency statin use with risk of osteoporosis and fractures in patients with stroke in a Korean nationwide cohort study.

This population-based cohort study aimed to evaluate the risk of osteoporosis and fractures associated with higher-potency statin use compared to lower-potency statin use in patients with stroke, using data from the Health Insurance and Review Assessment database of South Korea (2010-2019). Patients who received statin within 30 days after hospitalization for a new-onset stroke (n = 276,911) were divided into higher-potency (n = 212,215, 76.6%) or lower-potency (n = 64,696, 23.

Urban environment during pregnancy, cognitive abilities, motor function, and externalizing and internalizing symptoms at 2-5 years old in 3 Canadian birth cohorts.

Background: More than 80% of the Canadian population lives in urban settings. Urban areas usually bring exposure to poorer air quality, less access to green spaces, and higher building density. These environmental factors may endanger child development.

The Role of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase, a Key Regulatory Endocannabinoid Enzyme, in Domain-Specific Cognitive Performance in Psychosis.

Background And Hypothesis: Cognitive impairments are particularly disabling for patients with a psychotic disorder and often persist despite optimization of antipsychotic treatment. Thus, motivating an extension of the research focus on the endocannabinoid system. The aim of this study was to evaluate group differences in brain fatty acid amid hydrolase (FAAH), an endocannabinoid enzyme between first-episode psychosis (FEP), individuals with clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis and healthy controls (HCs).

Evaluation and Comparison of the Comprehensiveness of Canadian and American Ophthalmology Residency Program Websites.

Purpose: We descriptively and comparatively evaluated the comprehensiveness of Canadian and US-accredited ophthalmology residency program websites as of August 28, 2024.

Methods: Using Canadian Resident Matching Service ( = 15) and US Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database ( = 125), we assessed website content across seven criteria: recruitment, faculty, residents, education/research, teaching, benefits, and community. Two independent reviewers used a 40-point system, with Kruskal-Wallis and post-hoc pairwise tests for analysis by country and funding model.

Contemporary Review of Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery: Current Considerations and Innovations.

Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery (MIMVS) has become a well-established alternative to traditional median sternotomy at high-volume surgical centers. Advancements in surgical instruments have led to further refinement of MIMVS. However, MIMVS remains limited to select patients in select settings.

Investigating Skin Cancer Risk and Sun Safety Practices Among LGBTQ+ Communities in Canada.

Background: Skin cancer prevention relies on effective sun safety practices. Previous studies have shown that LGBTQ+ individuals exhibit lower sunscreen use and higher tanning bed usage compared to their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts. This study is the first to assess skin cancer risk factors, sun-protective behaviors, and skin cancer concerns among LGBTQ+ individuals across Canada.

The Role of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy in Oligometastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a major cause of mortality in Canada, with many patients presenting with metastatic disease. The oligometastatic state (OM-NSCLC) may be amenable to cure using aggressive local consolidative therapies. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), which entails the utilization of a high dose of radiation in one or few fractions, has many benefits in this setting, including its applicability in varied patient populations to ablate lesions in varied anatomical locations.

Canadian Consensus Recommendations for Predictive Biomarker Testing in Gastric and Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma.

Gastric cancer is common globally and has a generally poor prognosis with a low 5-year survival rate. Targeted therapies and immunotherapies have improved the treatment landscape, providing more options for efficacious treatment. The use of these therapies requires predictive biomarker testing to identify patients who can benefit from their use.

Culture collection containing 1,240 isolates from healthy Canadian laying hens.

The pure culture of prokaryotes is essential to understanding their physiology. To facilitate research into better understanding the roles of individual bacteria in the gastric microbiome in chickens, we have established a culture collection of 1,240 isolates from fecal samples collected from healthy laying hens from across Canada.

Audit of a Novel Nurse-Led Program for Non-Antibiotic Management of Acute Uncomplicated Diverticulitis.

Background: Non-antibiotic outpatient treatment of acute uncomplicated diverticulitis is safe; however, uptake remains low.

Objective: To assess the success of non-antibiotic management of uncomplicated diverticulitis through a nurse clinician-led outpatient program.

Design: Retrospective audit from June 2022-March 2024.

Novel rehabilitation technologies in pediatric rehabilitation: knowledge towards translation.

Knowledge translation (KT) refers to the process of applying the most promising research outcomes into practice to ensure that new discoveries and innovations improve healthcare accessibility, effectiveness, and accountability. The objective of this perspective paper is to discuss and illustrate via examples how the KT process can be implemented in an era of rapid advancement in rehabilitation technologies that have the potential to significantly impact pediatric healthcare. Using Graham et al.

Systematic Review of Ex Vivo and In Vivo Pharmacokinetic Studies of Drugs Commonly Used During Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a lifesaving treatment for critically ill patients in cardiac or respiratory failure refractory to conventional treatment. Patients on an ECMO circuit (pump, oxygenator, tubing) require numerous medications including sedatives, analgesics, cardioactive medications, and anticonvulsants. Currently, there are few dosing guidelines to optimize pharmacotherapy in this situation.

Decoding the connection: unraveling the role of gut microbiome in fibromyalgia.

The gut microbiome is emerging as a critical player in the pathophysiology of fibromyalgia, offering mechanistic insights as well as potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Early Detection of Compartment Syndrome With Minimal Symptoms: A Case Report on Continuous Pressure Monitoring.

Compartment syndrome (CS) arises from various etiologies but is most commonly associated with severe traumatic injuries. It is a difficult diagnosis to make in a timely fashion because clinical signs and symptoms are subjective. Missing the diagnosis is a devastating mistake for the patient and the physician.

What are the potential mechanisms of fatigue-induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy with low-load resistance exercise training?

High-load resistance exercise (>60% of 1-repetition maximum) is a well-known stimulus to enhance skeletal muscle hypertrophy with chronic training. However, studies have intriguingly shown that low-load resistance exercise training (RET) (≤60% of 1-repetition maximum) can lead to similar increases in skeletal muscle hypertrophy as compared to high-load RET. This has raised questions about the underlying mechanisms for eliciting the hypertrophic response with low-load RET.

A multimodal neuroimaging study of youth at risk for substance use disorders: Functional magnetic resonance imaging and [F]fallypride positron emission tomography.

Background: Adolescent alcohol use is the norm, but only some develop a substance use disorder. The increased risk might reflect heightened mesocorticolimbic responses to reward-related cues but results published to date have been inconsistent.

Methods: Young social drinkers (age 18.

Developing standards for the implementation of stepped care in child and youth mental health service settings: protocol for a multi-method, delphi-based study.

Introduction: Canadian youth mental health (YMH) systems have the potential to urgently tackle the mental health treatment gap currently impacting young people, and stepped care (SC) is one model that can address this need. The adoption of SC models can guide the development of better-connected YMH systems by simplifying transitions and care pathways. To do so requires robust standards that are co-created across stakeholder groups, including with lived experience experts, to ensure the effective implementation of SC models.

Non-Allergist Delabeling - Should penicillin allergy delabeling only be performed by allergists?

Penicillin allergy labels (PAL) are common but rarely correspond with a patient's likelihood to tolerate penicillin. This results in unnecessary penicillin avoidance in many patients, driving numerous negative health outcomes. Evaluation strategies for PAL are driven by risk stratification and include a spectrum of modalities such as delabeling without any testing, direct oral challenge, and skin testing followed by challenge testing.

Rare variant association studies: Significance, methods, and applications in chronic pain studies.

Rare genetic variants, characterized by their low frequency in a population, have emerged as essential components in the study of complex disease genetics. The biology of rare variants underscores their significance, as they can exert profound effects on phenotypic variation and disease susceptibility. Recent advancements in sequencing technologies have yielded the availability of large-scale sequencing data such as the UK Biobank whole-exome sequencing (WES) cohort empowered researchers to conduct rare variant association studies (RVASs).

Development and validation of a brief form of the Anticipated Effects of Food Scale.

Identifying malleable influences on eating behaviours will advance our ability to improve physical and mental health. Food-related emotional expectancies are the anticipated positive and negative emotions from eating different foods and are theorised to affect eating behaviour, and to be amenable to change. The Anticipated Effects of Food Scale (AEFS) assesses food-related emotional expectancies using 62 one-word items; however, a shorter questionnaire would be useful in large and clinical studies.

Adults living with dementia and chronic wounds, wound types, care challenges, and impact across dementia stages: A scoping review protocol.

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to map the existing evidence on the epidemiology, care challenges, and impacts of various wound types among individuals living with dementia across different stages of the disease.

Introduction: Dementia is a growing global health concern, projected to rise significantly as the population ages. This condition not only affects cognitive function but also increases the risk of chronic wounds in part due to impairments in mobility, self-care, and communication.

Opinion & Special Articles: Beyond Pronouns-Educating Trainees on the Impact of Language on Gender Inclusivity in Neurologic Practice.

Language plays an important role in ensuring gender inclusivity within neurology. Despite progress in language inclusivity, such as the emergence of explicit pronouns, more remains to be done. Historically, sex and gender have been used interchangeably, but they are, in fact, distinct concepts.