891 results match your criteria: "St.Francis Xavier University[Affiliation]"

Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Surface Morphometry Analysis of Pediatric Down Syndrome.

Biology (Basel)

July 2024

Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02129, USA.

Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder characterized by intellectual disability whose etiology includes an additional partial or full copy of chromosome 21. Brain surface morphometry analyses can potentially assist in providing a better understanding of structural brain differences, and may help characterize DS-specific neurodevelopment. We performed a retrospective surface morphometry study of 73 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations of DS patients (aged 1 day to 22 years) and compared them to a large cohort of 993 brain MRI examinations of neurotypical participants, aged 1 day to 32 years.

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Background: The province of Nova Scotia has the highest rates of perinatal mental health disorders in Canada, and rates of exclusive breastfeeding fall below the Canadian national average. Exclusive breastfeeding is identified as a protective factor against the development of perinatal mental health disorders. Lactation consultant support is associated with increased rates of exclusive breastfeeding and decreased rates of perinatal mental health disorders.

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Fostering Prosociality in Refugee Children: An Intervention With Rohingya Children.

Monogr Soc Res Child Dev

September 2024

Psychology Department, University of Toronto, Alexander von Humbolt Professor, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.

Prosocial behavior is a distinguishing characteristic of human nature. Although prosocial behaviors emerge early in development, contextual factors play an important role in how these behaviors are manifested over development. A large body of research focuses on the trajectory of prosocial development across diverse cultures and investigating contexts that foster it.

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Background: Illicit opioid overdose continues to rise in North America and is a leading cause of death. Mathematical modeling is a valuable tool to investigate the epidemiology of this public health issue, as it can characterize key features of population outcomes and quantify the broader effect of structural and interventional changes on overdose mortality. The aim of this study is to quantify and predict the impact of key harm reduction strategies at differing levels of scale-up on fatal and nonfatal overdose among a population of people engaging in unregulated opioid use in Toronto.

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Article Synopsis
  • Green algae in the genus Oophila are found in amphibian egg capsules mainly in North America and Europe, and their genetic relationships were studied using a dataset of protein-coding nuclear genes.
  • The research reveals that several types of Oophila are closely related to specific frog species across continents, as well as to free-living algae that are also part of the Oophila group.
  • The findings suggest the need for a taxonomic revision of these algae since the distinct relationships and varieties indicate they may represent different species within the Oophila clade.
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Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic magnified pre-existing socioeconomic, operational, and structural challenges in long-term care across the world. In Canada, the long-term care sector's dependence on caregivers as a supplement to care workers became apparent once restrictive visitation policies were employed. We conducted a scoping review to better understand the associations between caregiving and resident, formal and informal caregiver health in long-term care before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked widespread health-related discussions on social media platforms like Twitter (now named 'X'). However, the lack of labeled Twitter data poses significant challenges for theme-based classification and tweet aggregation. To address this gap, we developed a machine learning-based web application that automatically classifies COVID-19 discourses into five categories: health risks, prevention, symptoms, transmission, and treatment.

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Introduction: Individuals on the autism spectrum (ASD) often experience poor mental health and coping strategies compared to their peers due to social exclusion and co-occurring conditions. Resiliency has been identified as a key factor in preventing adverse outcomes and promoting mental health. Therefore, it is important to determine what strategies can be used to build resiliency among autistic individuals.

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Objective: This study assessed the quality of campus alcohol policies against best practice to assist campus decision-makers in strengthening their campus alcohol policies and reducing student alcohol use and harm.

Methods: Drawing on empirical literature and expert opinion, we developed an evidence-based scoring rubric to assess the quality of campus alcohol policies across 10 alcohol policy domains. Campus alcohol policy data were collected from 12 Atlantic Canadian universities.

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Spherically symmetric teleparallel geometries.

Eur Phys J C Part Fields

March 2024

Centrum Fizyki Teoretycznej, Polska Akademia Nauk, Al. Lotników 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland.

We are interested in the development of spherically symmetric geometries in () teleparallel gravity which are of physical importance. We first express the general forms for the spherically symmetric frame and the zero curvature, metric compatible, spin connection. We then analyse the antisymmetric field equations (the solutions of which split into two cases, which we subsequently consider separately), and derive and analyse the resulting symmetric field equations.

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Knock down to level up: Reframing RNAi for invertebrate ecophysiology.

Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol

November 2024

Department of Biology, St. Francis Xavier University, 2321 Notre Dame Ave, Antigonish, NS, Canada B2G 2W5.

Article Synopsis
  • Comparative ecophysiologists are encouraged to use RNA interference (RNAi) as a tool to study physiological processes in non-model invertebrates, as it is often under-utilized in their research.
  • RNAi allows for temporary manipulation of gene expression, making it accessible both technically and financially for researchers who may lack resources for other genetic techniques.
  • The article provides an introduction to RNAi, outlines a workflow for identifying gene targets and validating knockdowns, and offers a framework for hypothesis testing in invertebrate ecophysiology.
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A new species of holothuroid, (order Dendrochirotida and family Sclerodactylidae), was discovered off the coast of Labrador (eastern Canada) at a depth of 740-969 m. Two specimens were described based on morphological and genetic parameters. Distinctive characters included pinkish body colour, presence of tube feet on a 'tail', supporting rod-shaped ossicles in the tube feet, and rod-shaped ossicles in the tentacles.

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Long-term residential care (LTRC) should be a safe place to work and to live, but it can be a site of violent situations for older people and staff. In this article, we draw on critical geographies, aging, and violence research to analyze how staff perceive, manage, and control the risk of violence in LTRC. Specifically, we explore the role of space as an instrument of control in places of care; the language of risk and risk containment in these places; and how movement figures into management of the risk of violence.

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Rocky intertidal habitats occur worldwide and are mainly characterized by primary space holders such as seaweeds and sessile invertebrates. Some of these organisms are foundation species, as they can form structurally complex stands that host many small invertebrates. The abundance of primary space holders is known to vary along coastlines driven directly or indirectly by environmental variation.

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Article Synopsis
  • Post-exertional malaise (PEM) is a key symptom of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), marked by severe fatigue and cognitive challenges after physical or mental activity.
  • A study with 84 ME/CFS participants and 71 sedentary controls utilized two sequential cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET) to objectively measure the exertion responses across both groups.
  • The results indicated that ME/CFS participants showed significant declines in various performance metrics from the first to the second CPET, confirming more severe impairment in recovery compared to sedentary controls.
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Primary care providers (PCPs) have been given the responsibility of managing the follow-up care of low-risk cancer survivors after they are discharged from the oncology center. Survivorship Care Plans (SCPs) were developed to facilitate this transition, but research indicates inconsistencies in how they are implemented. A detailed examination of enablers and barriers that influence their use by PCPs is needed to understand how to improve SCPs and ultimately facilitate cancer survivors' transition to primary care.

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The cockroach allergen Bla g 1 encloses an exceptionally large hydrophobic cavity, which allows it to bind and deliver unsaturated fatty acid ligands. Bla g 1-mediated delivery of naturally occurring (nMix) ligands has been shown to destabilize lipid membranes, contributing to its digestive/antiviral functions within the source organism. However, the consequences of this activity on Bla g 1 allergenicity following human exposure remain unknown.

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Objective: With a globally aging population, there is a need to better understand how brain structure relates to function in healthy older and younger adults.

Methods: 34 healthy participants divided into older (17; Mean = 70.9, SD = 5.

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Background: Our previous work synthesized published studies on well-being interventions during COVID-19. As we move into a post-COVID-19 pandemic period there is a need to comprehensively review published strategies, approaches, and interventions to improve child and youth well-being beyond deleterious impacts experienced during COVID-19.

Methods: Seven databases were searched from inception to January 2023.

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Time pressure increases children's aversion to advantageous inequity.

Front Psychol

June 2024

Department of Psychology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS, Canada.

The relative contribution of intuitive and reflective cognitive systems in cooperative decision making is a topic of hot debate. Research with adults suggests that intuition often favors cooperation, but these effects are contextually sensitive. Emerging evidence has shown that in many contexts children show a tendency toward intuitive cooperation, but research investigating these processes in children is sparse and has produced mixed findings.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to explore how not having a regular primary care provider affects patients' views on health care and their ability to meet their health needs.
  • Conducted through 41 semistructured interviews in Canadian provinces, findings highlighted two main issues: unmet health needs and the adverse impacts of being unattached to a provider.
  • Key benefits of having a primary care provider include better access to care and stronger relationships with health professionals, while being unattached is linked to negative mental health outcomes and lower confidence in the health care system.
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Reducing examination table paper (ETP) use may help curb carbon emissions from health care. Six participants applied Glo Germ (DMA International) to their hands before a common physical examination (abdominal, cardiorespiratory, hip and knee) both with and without ETP. After each exam, UV light was shined on the exam table and photographs were taken.

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Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to inadequate provision of mental health and addictions care, as services have been traditionally conceptualized to serve the needs of children or adults. Additionally, rural communities have been largely excluded from research investigating mental healthcare access and exhibit unique barriers that warrant targeted interventions. Finally, perspectives from the target population will be most important when understanding how to optimize adolescent mental health and addictions care.

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Duration of risk reduction in colorectal cancer incidence and mortality after a complete colonoscopy in Ontario, Canada: a population-based cohort study.

Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol

July 2024

Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Electronic address:

Background: Colorectal cancer guidelines recommend screening colonoscopy every 10 years after a negative procedure. If risk reduction extends past 10 years, the recommended interval could be extended, reducing the burden on the individual and health-care system. We aimed to estimate the duration that patients remain at reduced risk of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality after a complete colonoscopy.

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Research focused on children with intellectual disabilities has been of increasing interest over the last two decades. However, a considerable lag in the amount of research that is representative and generalizable to this population in comparison to neurotypical children remains, largely attributed to issues with participant engagement and recruitment. Challenges and barriers associated with engaging and recruiting this population include lack of research to provide a sound foundation of knowledge, ethical considerations, parental attitudes, family commitments, and organizational gatekeeping.

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