Inequalities in ownership and availability of home-based vaccination records in 82 low- and middle-income countries.

Introduction: Home-based records (HBRs) are widely used for recording health information including child immunisations. We studied levels and inequalities in HBR ownership in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) using data from national surveys conducted since 2010.

Methods: We used data from national household surveys (Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS)) from 82 LMICs.

Allergic rhinitis.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common disorder that is strongly linked to asthma and conjunctivitis. Classic symptoms include nasal congestion, nasal itch, rhinorrhea and sneezing. A thorough history, physical examination and assessment of allergen sensitization are important for establishing the diagnosis of AR.

Update on the connectivity of the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus and its position within limbic corticostriatal circuits.

The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is generating interest because of evidence establishing a role for this midline thalamic nucleus in behavior. Early tracing studies demonstrated that afferent fibers from the PVT and limbic cortex converge with dopamine fibers within subcompartments of the ventral striatum. Subsequent tracing studies expanded on these observations by establishing that the PVT provides a dense projection to a continuum of striatal-like regions that include the nucleus accumbens and the extended amygdala.

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and preference for future delivery among language minority, newcomer, and racialized peoples in Canada: a national cross-sectional and longitudinal study.

Background: Despite high COVID-19 vaccine coverage in Canada, vaccine acceptance and preferred delivery among newcomers, racialized persons, and those who primarily speak minority languages are not well understood. This national study explores COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, access to vaccines, and delivery preferences among ethnoculturally diverse population groups.

Methods: We conducted two national cross-sectional surveys during the pandemic (Dec 2020 and Oct-Nov 2021).

Gender and Intersecting Barriers and Facilitators to Access the HIV Cascade of Care in Manitoba, Canada, Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.

Marginalized groups in Manitoba, Canada, especially females and people who inject drugs, are overrepresented in new HIV diagnoses and disproportionately affected by HIV and structural disadvantages. Informed by syndemic theory, our aim was to understand people living with HIV's (PLHIV) gendered and intersecting barriers and facilitators across the cascade of HIV care before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was co-designed and co-led alongside people with lived experience and a research advisory committee.

Combined Dielectric-Optical Characterization of Single Cells Using Dielectrophoresis-Imaging Flow Cytometry.

In this paper, we present a microfluidic flow cytometer for simultaneous imaging and dielectric characterization of individual biological cells within a flow. Utilizing a combination of dielectrophoresis (DEP) and high-speed imaging, this system offers a dual-modality approach to analyze both cell morphology and dielectric properties, enhancing the ability to analyze, characterize, and discriminate cells in a heterogeneous population. A high-speed camera is used to capture images of and track multiple cells in real-time as they flow through a microfluidic channel.

Methodology for a Series of Rapid Reviews on Virtual Care in Rehabilitation, Reviewing Its Advantages and Challenges to Inform Best Practices.

: Over the past two decades, the utilization of virtual care in rehabilitation has witnessed a significant surge; this is owing to the widespread availability of technological tools and the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, discussions surrounding the relevance and benefits of telerehabilitation have gained prominence among practitioners, who continually seek to enhance patient care while maintaining high standards of quality. Associated with these discussions are concerns over being able to provide care in an ethical way, as well as addressing equity issues that might be hindered or improved via telerehabilitation.

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.

A Randomized Control Trial of a Virtually Delivered Program for Increasing Upper Limb Activity After Stroke.

Background: Upper limb activity following stroke is low, which may limit recovery. We investigated whether a virtually-delivered upper limb program, that included a wearable device with reach-to-grasp feedback, would increase upper limb activity after stroke.

Methods: This was a parallel-group, assessor-blinded, randomized control trial conducted at 6 sites across 5 provinces of the CanStroke Recovery Trials Platform between 2020 to 2022.

Evaluation of a cognition-sensitive spatial virtual reality game for Alzheimer's disease.

Spatial impairment characterizes Alzheimer's disease (AD) from its earliest stages. We present the design and preliminary evaluation of "Barn Ruins," a serious virtual reality (VR) wayfinding game for early-stage AD. Barn Ruins is tailored to the cognitive abilities of this population, featuring simple controls and error-based scoring system.

Empagliflozin in acute myocardial infarction in patients with and without type 2 diabetes: A pre-specified analysis of the EMPACT-MI trial.

Aims: In the EMPACT-MI trial, empagliflozin reduced heart failure (HF) hospitalizations but not mortality in acute myocardial infarction (MI). Contemporary reports of clinical event rates with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in acute MI trials are sparse. The treatment effect of empagliflozin in those with and without T2DM in acute MI is unknown.

HOST SPECIES, HOST SIZE, AND MIRACIDIAL DOSE INFLUENCE THE INFECTION SUCCESS OF ECHINOSTOMA TRIVOLVIS LINEAGE C LARVAE.

Completing parts of trematode life cycles in the laboratory is a useful way to obtain experimentally infected hosts and identify how specific aspects of parasitism influence host ecology and behavior. However, a lack of knowledge about host specificity and other factors that influence prevalence can hamper those efforts. Echinostoma trivolvis lineage c is a genetically distinct member of the E.

Cortical hemodynamics of electrographic status epilepticus in the critically ill.

Objectives: The pathophysiological mechanisms of status epilepticus (SE) underlying potential brain injury remain largely unclear. This study aims to employ functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) combined with video-electroencephalography (vEEG) to monitor brain hemodynamics continuously and non-invasively in critically ill adult patients experiencing electrographic SE. Our primary focus is to investigate neurovascular coupling and cerebrovascular changes associated with seizures, particularly during recurring and/or prolonged episodes.

Clinical proteomics reveals vulnerabilities in non-invasive breast ductal carcinoma and drives personalized treatment strategies.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is the most common type (80%) of non-invasive breast lesions in women. The lack of validated prognostic markers, limited patient numbers, and variable tissue quality have a significant impact on diagnosis, risk stratification, patient enrolment, and the results of clinical studies. Here, we performed label-free quantitative proteomics on 50 clinical formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded biopsies, validating 22 putative biomarkers from independent genetic studies.

Sensitivity of bulk electrical impedance spectroscopy (bio-capacitance) probes to cell and culture properties: Study on CHO cell cultures.

Bulk electrical impedance spectroscopy (bio-capacitance) probes, hold significant promise for real-time cell monitoring in bioprocesses. Focusing on Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, we present a sensitivity analysis framework to assess the impact of cell and culture properties on the complex permittivity spectrum, ε, and its associated parameters, permittivity increment, Δε, critical frequency, f, and Cole-Cole parameter, α, measured by bio-capacitance probes. Our sensitivity analysis showed that Δε is highly sensitive to cell size and concentration, making it suitable for estimating biovolume during the exponential growth phase, whereas f provides information about cumulative changes in cell size, membrane permittivity, and cytoplasm conductivity during the transition to death phase.

Recurring incursions and dissemination of novel Eurasian-origin H5Nx avian influenza viruses in Atlantic Canada.

Wild birds are important hosts of influenza A viruses (IAVs) and play an important role in their ecology. The emergence of the A/goose/Guangdong/1/1996 H5N1 (Gs/GD) lineage marked a shift in IAV ecology, leading to recurrent outbreaks and mortality in wild birds from 2002 onwards. This lineage has evolved and diversified over time, with a recent important derivative being the 2.

Lipidomics-driven drug discovery and delivery strategies in glioblastoma.

With few viable treatment options, glioblastoma (GBM) is still one of the most aggressive and deadly types of brain cancer. Recent developments in lipidomics have demonstrated the potential of lipid metabolism as a therapeutic target in GBM. The thorough examination of lipids in biological systems, or lipidomics, is essential to comprehending the changed lipid profiles found in GBM, which are linked to the tumor's ability to grow, survive, and resist treatment.

Pre-HIV α4β7hi CD4+ T cells and HIV risk among heterosexual individuals in Africa.

Background: CD4+ T cells expressing α4β7 are optimal targets for HIV infections, with higher pre-HIV α4β7hi expression linked to increased HIV acquisition and progression in South African women. However, similar associations were not observed in men who have sex with men (MSM) or people who inject drugs (PWID) in the Americas, indicating need for further research.

Methods: This retrospective case-control study enrolled heterosexual men and women from South Africa (HIV Vaccine Trials Network; HVTN 503) and East Africa (Partners Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis/Couples' Observational Study; PP/COS), quantifying α4β7 expression on CD4+ T cells as a predictor of subsequent HIV risk using flow cytometry analyses.

Part 2: Drug Interactions Involving Cannabis Products in Persons Aged 18 and Over: A Summary of Published Case Reports and Analysis of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System.

The increasing utilization of cannabis products combined with lack of data regarding potential cannabis-prescription drug interactions is concerning. This study aimed to review published case reports and FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) spontaneous reports to assess cannabis-drug interactions in persons aged 18 and over. A literature search identified 20 case reports that were each assessed for drug interaction causality using the Drug Interaction Probability Scale.

Part 1: Evaluation of Pediatric Cannabis-Drug Interaction Reports.

Data addressing safety concerns related to potential drug interactions between cannabis-derived products and pharmaceutical medications in the pediatric population are lacking. In this study, we retrieved case reports through a published literature search using PubMed and spontaneous reporting data using the Food and Drug Administration's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) to identify potential cannabis- and cannabinoid-drug interactions in individuals younger than 18 years old. To evaluate the published case reports, we used the Drug Interaction Probability Scale (DIPS), a 10-item questionnaire designed to discern the causal relationship between a potential drug interaction and adverse drug reactions (ADRs).

Are E-Cigarettes Substitutes or Complements to Combustible Cigarettes Among Youths? Evidence From Canada.

Existing evidence on whether e-cigarettes are substitutes or complements to combustible cigarettes is limited and mixed. We revisit this question using nationally-representative Canadian survey data over 14 years (2004-2017) and difference-in-differences methods that exploit the staggered adoption of e-cigarette Minimum Legal Age (MLA) laws in Canadian provinces between 2015 and 2017. We study the laws' effects not only on youth smoking but also on smoking initiation and cessation to shed light on the mechanisms through which these laws affect youth smoking.

Anaemia, blood transfusions and survival in high-grade endometrial cancer: retrospective study.

Objective: To determine if anaemia and blood transfusions in the perioperative, chemotherapy and radiation treatment periods are associated with overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in high-grade endometrial cancer.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study examined patients at a single centre treated for high-grade endometrial cancer (2010-2023). This included International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) grade 3 endometrioid, serous, carcinosarcoma, mixed, clear cell, mucinous, dedifferentiated and undifferentiated histology.

Effects of COVID-19 Infection on Symptom Severity and Disability in Multiple Sclerosis.

Background And Objectives: Infections, including infection with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), could alter the course of multiple sclerosis (MS). Previous studies assessing the effects of COVID-19 on MS outcomes were small and had discordant findings. The study objective was to evaluate the association of COVID-19 infection with changes in the trajectory of MS symptoms and disability.

Comparative analysis of sleep physiology using qualitative and quantitative criteria for insomnia symptoms.

Despite decades of research, defining insomnia remains challenging due to its complex and variable nature. Various diagnostic systems emphasize the chronic nature of insomnia and its impact on daily functioning, relying heavily on patient self-reporting due to limitations in objective measures like polysomnography (PSG). Discrepancies between subjective experiences and objective PSG results highlight the need for more nuanced approaches, such as electroencephalogram (EEG) spectral analysis, which reveals distinct patterns of high-frequency activity in individuals with insomnia.

A flavoromics approach to investigate the effect of Saskatoon berry powder on the sensory attributes, acceptability, volatile components, and electronic nose responses of a low-fat frozen yogurt.

Introduction: Saskatoon berries are grown in Canada and some northwestern states in the United States, and are notable for containing abundant antioxidant polyphenols, vitamins, metal elements, and fiber. To increase consumer interest in and accessibility to Saskatoon berries, some producers have begun to develop processes for refining Saskatoon berries into a powder with an extended shelf life that can be incorporated into a variety of value-added food products. To assess the desirability of this approach, this study sought to determine how the sensory attributes, consumer acceptability, and volatile and non-volatile composition of a plain, Greek-style frozen yogurt (PY) changed when fortified with 16% Saskatoon berry powder (SBP).