Immunomodulatory properties of extracellular vesicles containing the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2.

Extracellular vesicles released by the protozoan parasite display immunomodulatory properties towards mammalian immune cells. In this study, we have evaluated the potential of extracellular vesicles derived from the non-pathogenic protozoan towards the development of a vaccine adjuvant. As a proof of concept, we expressed in a codon-optimized SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein fused to the secreted acid phosphatase signal peptide in the N-terminal and to a 6×-His stretch in the C-terminal.

Pathogen presence, prevalence, and diversity in and mammal hosts at their expanding northern range limits.

With climate and land use changes, tick-borne pathogens are expected to become more widely distributed in Canada. Pathogen spread and transmission in this region is modulated by changes in the abundance and distribution of tick and host populations. Here, we assessed the relationships between pathogens detected in and mammal hosts at sites of different levels of disease risk using data from summer field surveys in Ontario and Quebec, Canada.

Meaning making and fostering radical hope: applying positive psychology to eco-anxiety research in youth.

The consequences of human activity on climate change are increasingly apparent. For example, they are causing ecological degradation and affecting human and animal health. Rightly so, it is considered as the most important challenge of this century.

Factors associated with therapy non-completion for children with problematic sexual behaviors.

Introduction: Children with problematic sexual behaviors (PSBs) can benefit, along with their parents or caregivers, from specialized therapeutic services to limit the manifestation of these behaviors. However, for some families, mobilization for therapy represents a significant challenge since a considerable proportion do not complete the therapy intended for them. The present study aims to identify the factors associated with therapy completion, thus allowing a deeper understanding of how to support children and more broadly families to complete their therapeutic process.

Residential childcare worker perceptions of work-related achievement and pride.

Introduction: Multiple risk and protective factors influence the wellbeing and retention of child protective and youth justice professionals. Less attention has been given to empirically understand how residential childcare workers (RCW) experience these factors. A sense of pride and of achievement may be related to competence and satisfaction, which have been identified as protective factors against staff turnover.

Motion-less depth-selective optogenetic probe using tapered fiber and an electrically tuneable liquid crystal steering element.

A miniature electrically tuneable liquid crystal component is used to steer light from -1° to +1° and then to inject into a simple tapered fiber. This allows the generation of various propagation modes, their leakage, and selective illumination of the surrounding medium at different depth levels without using mechanical movements nor deformation. The performance of the device is characterized in a reference fluorescence medium (Rhodamine 6G) as well as in a mouse brain (medullary reticular formation and mesencephalic locomotor regions) during in-vivo experiments as a proof of concept.

Barriers to and enablers of modifying diet after metabolic bariatric surgery: A systematic review of published literature.

This is a qualitative systematic review in which we investigated barriers and enablers influencing dietary behavior change after metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS). Database searches retrieved publications reporting perceived factors influencing dietary behavior change post-MBS. Data (quotes, survey results, interpretative summaries) were extracted and analyzed using combined deductive and inductive thematic analyses.

On-Demand Continuous Flow Synthesis of Pentafluorosulfanyl Chloride (SFCl) Using a Custom-Made Stirring Packed-Bed Reactor.

The pentafluorosulfanyl (SF-) group has been the subject of a surge of interest in the past decade, but there is still little practicality associated with its synthesis and installation. Herein is reported the first continuous flow synthesis of pentafluorosulfanyl chloride (SFCl), the most common reagent for the synthesis of SF-substituted compounds. The synthesis is based on inexpensive and easy-to-handle reagents: sulfur powder (S), trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA) and potassium fluoride (KF).

Feasibility and potential effect of a pilot blended digital behavior change intervention promoting sustainable diets over a year.

Well-designed effective interventions promoting sustainable diets are urgently needed to benefit both human and planetary health. This study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and potential impact of a pilot blended digital intervention aimed at promoting sustainable diets. We conducted a series of ABA n-of-1 trials with baseline, intervention, and follow-up phases over the course of a year, involving twelve participants.

Penalized G-estimation for effect modifier selection in a structural nested mean model for repeated outcomes.

Effect modification occurs when the impact of the treatment on an outcome varies based on the levels of other covariates known as effect modifiers. Modeling these effect differences is important for etiological goals and for purposes of optimizing treatment. Structural nested mean models (SNMMs) are useful causal models for estimating the potentially heterogeneous effect of a time-varying exposure on the mean of an outcome in the presence of time-varying confounding.

Thoracolumbar fascia ultrasound shear strain differs between low back pain and asymptomatic individuals: expanding the evidence.

Objectives: To compare thoracolumbar fascia (TLF) shear strain between individuals with and without nonspecific low back pain (NSLBP), investigate its correlation with symptoms, and assess a standardized massage technique's impact on TLF shear strain.

Methods: Participants were prospectively enrolled between February 2021 and June 2022. Pre- and post-intervention TLF ultrasound and pain/disability questionnaires were conducted.

An Integrative Computational Approach for the Identification of C-Abl Kinase Inhibitors from Anti-Parkinson Plant-Derived Bioactive.

Background: Oxidative stress is strongly linked to neurodegeneration through the activation of c-Abl kinase, which arrests α-synuclein proteolysis by interacting with parkin interacting substrate (PARIS) and aminoacyl tRNA synthetase complex-interacting multifunctional protein 2 (AIMP2). This activation, triggered by ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase, leads to dopaminergic neuron loss and α-synuclein aggregation, a critical pathophysiological aspect of Parkinson's disease (PD). To halt PD progression, pharmacological inhibition of c-Abl kinase is essential.

An antisense-long-noncoding-RNA modulates p75 expression levels during neuronal polarization.

Proper polarization of newly generated neurons is a critical process for neural network formation and brain development. The pan-neurotrophin p75 receptor plays a key role in this process localizing asymmetrically in one of the differentiating neurites and specifying its axonal identity in response to neurotrophins. During axonal specification, p75 levels are transiently modulated, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying this process are not known.

Physicians' and patients' perceived risks of chronic pain medication and co-medications in Quebec, Canada: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The risks associated with medications and co-medications for chronic pain (CP) can influence a physician's choice of drugs and dosages, as well as a patient's adherence to the medication. High-quality care requires patients to participate in medication decisions. This study aimed to compare perceived risks of medications and co-medications between physicians and persons living with CP.

Fluorescence angiography with indocyanine green for low anterior resection in patients with rectal cancer: a prospective before and after study.

Background: Inadequate bowel perfusion is among risk factors for colorectal anastomotic leaks. Perfusion can be assessed with indocyanine green fluorescence angiography (ICG) during colon resections. Possible benefits from its systematic use in high-risk patients with rectal cancer remain inconsistent.

Systems immunology integrates the complex endotypes of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.

Endotypes are characterized by the immunological, inflammatory, metabolic, and remodelling pathways that explain the mechanisms underlying the clinical presentation (phenotype) of a disease. Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is a severe blistering disease caused by COL7A1 pathogenic variants. Although underscored by animal studies, the endotypes of human RDEB are poorly understood.

Prevalence and comorbidity rates of disruptive mood dysregulation disorder in epidemiological and clinical samples: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the prevalence of disruptive mood dysregulation disorders (DMDD) in community-based and clinical populations.

Methods: PubMed and PsychINFO databases were searched, using terms specific to DMDD, for studies of prevalence and comorbidity rates conducted in youths below 18.

Results: Fourteen studies reporting data from 2013 to 2023 were included.

Exploring novel antifungal peptides from peptic hydrolysis of chicken cruor protein via regression-based machine learning approach.

There is a growing interest in natural preservatives driven by consumer demand for clean-label products. In Canada, approximately 48 million liters of blood are produced annually during chicken slaughter, offering an opportunity to valorize cruor, the solid blood component rich in hemoglobin, for use in food preservation. This study investigated the hydrolysis of chicken cruor with pepsin at pH 2, 3, 4, and 5 for 180 min to produce antimicrobial peptides.

Promotion of Cardiometabolic Health: A Personal Journey.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Narrative review of the author's main contributions to the field of cardiovascular health spanning four decades, with a focus on findings related to 1- the pathophysiology of obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and 2- the management/prevention of these conditions. Particular attention is given to the importance of regular physical activity. RECENT FINDINGS: Because behaviors and their physiological consequences are still not measured in clinical practice, it is proposed to systematically assess and target "lifestyle vital signs" (waist circumference, cardiorespiratory fitness, food-based diet quality and level of leisure-time physical activity) in primary care.

Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Perturbs the Brain-Wide Excitation-Inhibition Balance: Associations with Microcircuit Organization, Clinical Parameters, and Cognitive Dysfunction.

Excitation-inhibition (E/I) imbalance is theorized as a key mechanism in the pathophysiology of epilepsy, with ample research focusing on elucidating its cellular manifestations. However, few studies investigate E/I imbalance at the macroscale, whole-brain level, and its microcircuit-level mechanisms and clinical significance remain incompletely understood. Here, the Hurst exponent, an index of the E/I ratio, is computed from resting-state fMRI time series, and microcircuit parameters are simulated using biophysical models.

Caregiver and Child Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Meta-Analysis.

Context: Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is associated with adverse impacts on subsequent generations. The extent to which caregiver ACEs are associated with their child's ACE score is unclear.

Objective: To meta-analytically examine the association between caregiver and child ACE score.

Risk of TB disease in individuals with cancer.

Background: Cancer increases the risk of developing TB disease; however, there are limited data on the magnitude of risk by cancer type and timing after diagnosis of cancer in low TB incidence settings.

Methods: We conducted a nested case-control study of persons in Quebec between 1993 and 2017, including people with TB disease and matched controls. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of developing TB among people with cancer overall, by sub-type, and by time from cancer to TB diagnosis.