Dual harm among patients in the Ontario forensic mental health system.

Background: Dual harm involves the unfortunate experience of harm to self and others/objects. Safeguarding individuals in forensic psychiatric settings against all forms of harm to self and others is sacrosanct. While understanding dual harm is crucial in the care and rehabilitation of patients in forensic psychiatric settings, only a few studies have explored this phenomenon.

Temporal trends in mental health terminology in Alzheimer's disease clinical trials.

Background: Despite several studies having correlated Alzheimer's disease with mental health conditions, the extent to which they have been incorporated into Alzheimer's disease clinical trials remains unclear.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the temporal trends in mental health-related terminology in Alzheimer's disease clinical trials as a proxy measure of research interest. Additionally, it sought to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the frequency of these terms through pre-pandemic and post-pandemic trend assessment.

Use of virtual care near the end of life before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A population-based cohort study.

Background And Aims: The expanded use of virtual care may worsen pre-existing disparities in use and delivery of end-of-life care among certain groups of people. We measured the use of virtual care in the last three months of life before and after the introduction of virtual care fee codes that funded care delivery at the start of COVID-19 on March 14, 2020, and identified changes in the characteristics of people using it.

Methods: We used linked clinical and administrative datasets to study use of virtual care in the last three months of life among 411,564 adults who died between January 25, 2018, and November 30, 2022.

Economic Burden and Cost-Effectiveness of Management of Non-Infectious Uveitis: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: To evaluate the economic burden and cost-effectiveness of interventions and management of non-infectious uveitis (NIU).

Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across Medline, Embase, and Scopus databases from inception to March 2023. Risk of bias assessments were conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools.

Publisher and journal reciprocity for peer review: Not so much.

Peer reviewers provide a critical role in helping journals keep publishing. To understand the rewards and incentives offered to peer reviewers, we assessed what journals/publishers offered to one peer reviewer in biomedicine over a 1-month period (June 2023). After receiving 88 peer reviewer invitations, we noted that incentives were minimal.

CAR/CSAR Practice Statement on Pelvic MRI for Endometriosis.

The Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) Endometriosis Working Group was tasked with providing guidance and benchmarks to ensure the quality of technique and interpretation for advanced imaging modalities associated with diagnosing endometriosis. Advanced pelvic ultrasound is essential in diagnosing and mapping pelvic endometriosis, but pelvic MRI serves as an excellent imaging tool in instances where access to advanced ultrasound is limited, or an alternative imaging modality is required. Despite the known utility of MRI for endometriosis, there is no consensus on imaging protocol and patient preparation in Canada.

MAGPIE: A Machine Learning Approach to Decipher Protein-Protein Interactions in Human Plasma.

Immunoprecipitation coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (IP-MS/MS) methods are often used to identify protein-protein interactions (PPIs). While these approaches are prone to false positive identifications through contamination and antibody nonspecific binding, their results can be filtered using negative controls and computational modeling. However, such filtering does not effectively detect false-positive interactions when IP-MS/MS is performed on human plasma samples.

Bosniak Classification of Cystic Renal Masses Version 2019: Proportion of Malignancy by Class and Subclass-Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Bosniak classification version 2019 (v2019) was a major revision to version 2005 (v2005) that defined cystic renal mass subclasses based on wall or septa features. To determine the proportion of malignancy within cystic renal masses stratified by Bosniak classification v2019 class and feature-based subclass. MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched on July 24, 2023 for studies published in 2019 or later that reported cystic renal masses that underwent renal-mass CT or MRI, were assessed using Bosniak v2019, and had a reference standard (histopathology indicating benignity or malignancy or ≥5-year imaging follow-up indicating benignity).

Prefrontal cortex neuronal ensembles dynamically encode task features during associative memory and virtual navigation.

Neuronal populations expand their information-encoding capacity using mixed selective neurons. This is particularly prominent in association areas such as the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC), which integrate information from multiple sensory systems. However, during conditions that approximate natural behaviors, it is unclear how LPFC neuronal ensembles process space- and time-varying information about task features.

Understanding Perceptions of Hepatitis C and Its Management Among People with Experience of Incarceration in Quebec, Canada: A Qualitative Study Guided by the Common Sense Self-Regulation Model.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) disproportionately affects certain sub-populations, including people with experience of incarceration (PWEI). Little is known about how perceptions of HCV and treatment have changed despite simplifications in testing and treatment in carceral settings. Nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with people living with or having a history of HCV infection released from Quebec provincial prison.

miR-24-3p Is Antiviral Against SARS-CoV-2 by Downregulating Critical Host Entry Factors.

Despite all the progress in treating SARS-CoV-2, escape mutants to current therapies remain a constant concern. Promising alternative treatments for current and future coronaviruses are those that limit escape mutants by inhibiting multiple pathogenic targets, analogous to the current strategies for treating HCV and HIV. With increasing popularity and ease of manufacturing of RNA technologies for vaccines and drugs, therapeutic microRNAs represent a promising option.

Real-Time Freezing of Gait Prediction and Detection in Parkinson's Disease.

Freezing of gait (FOG) is a walking disturbance that can lead to postural instability, falling, and decreased mobility in people with Parkinson's disease. This research used machine learning to predict and detect FOG episodes from plantar-pressure data and compared the performance of decision tree ensemble classifiers when trained on three different datasets. Dataset 1 ( = 11) was collected in a previous study.

Game-Theoretic Motion Planning with Perception Uncertainty and Right-of-Way Constraints.

This paper addresses two challenges in AV motion planning: adherence to right-of-way and handling uncertainties, using two game-theoretic frameworks, namely Stackelberg and Nash Bayesian (Bayesian). By modeling the interactions between road users as a hierarchical relationship, the proposed approach enables the AV to strategically optimize its trajectory while considering the actions and priorities of other road users. Additionally, the Bayesian equilibrium aspect of the framework incorporates probabilistic beliefs and updates them based on sensor measurements, allowing the AV to make informed decisions in the presence of uncertainty in the sensory system.

Cost-Effective Bioimpedance Spectroscopy System for Monitoring Syncytialization In Vitro: Experimental and Numerical Validation of BeWo Cell Fusion.

The placenta plays a critical role in nutrient and oxygen exchange during pregnancy, yet the effects of medicinal drugs on this selective barrier remain poorly understood. To overcome this, this study presents a cost-effective bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) system to assess tight junction integrity and monolayer formation in BeWo b30 cells, a widely used model of the multinucleated maternal-fetal exchange surface of the placental barrier. Cells were cultured on collagen-coated porous membranes and treated with forskolin to induce controlled syncytialization.

Circulating Brain-Reactive Autoantibody Profiles in Military Breachers Exposed to Repetitive Occupational Blast.

Military breachers are routinely exposed to repetitive low-level blast overpressure, placing them at elevated risk for long-term neurological sequelae. Mounting evidence suggests that circulating brain-reactive autoantibodies, generated following CNS injury, may serve as both biomarkers of cumulative damage and drivers of secondary neuroinflammation. In this study, we compared circulating autoantibody profiles in military breachers ( = 18) with extensive blast exposure against unexposed military controls ( = 19).

Neurocognitive Profile and Associated Factors Among Children Affected by Sickle Cell Disease in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background/objectives: Understanding the neurocognitive profile of children with sickle cell disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo is essential, as this condition can significantly affect their development. Our study aims to assess these children's neurocognitive and developmental profiles and identify related factors.

Methods: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study involving 287 children, aged 0 to 68 months, using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning and the Gensini Gavito Scale.

Expanding the Molecular Genetic Landscape of Dystrophinopathies and Associated Phenotypes.

: X-linked dystrophinopathies are a group of neuromuscular diseases caused by pathogenic variants in the gene (MIM *300377). Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD; MIM #310200) is the most common inherited muscular dystrophy. : We screened datasets of 403 male, genetically confirmed X-linked dystrophinopathy patients and identified 13 pathogenic variants of the gene that have not been described in the literature thus far.

Decoding Schizophrenia: How AI-Enhanced fMRI Unlocks New Pathways for Precision Psychiatry.

Schizophrenia, a highly complex psychiatric disorder, presents significant challenges in diagnosis and treatment due to its multifaceted neurobiological underpinnings. Recent advancements in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and artificial intelligence (AI) have revolutionized the understanding and management of this condition. This manuscript explores how the integration of these technologies has unveiled key insights into schizophrenia's structural and functional neural anomalies.

High Glucose Sensitizes Male and Female Rat Cardiomyocytes to Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling.

Wnt/β-catenin signaling has been shown to regulate gene expressions in cardiomyocytes. However, it is not known if this effect is dependent on the sex of cells or the glucose level in the culture medium. In the present study, ventricular myocytes were prepared from male and female neonatal rats and maintained in either a glucose-rich (25 mM) medium or a low-glucose (3 mM), lipid-rich medium.

Pharmacological Inhibition of Astrocytic Transglutaminase 2 Facilitates the Expression of a Neurosupportive Astrocyte Reactive Phenotype in Association with Increased Histone Acetylation.

Astrocytes play critical roles in supporting structural and metabolic homeostasis in the central nervous system (CNS). CNS injury leads to the development of a range of reactive phenotypes in astrocytes whose molecular determinants are poorly understood. Finding ways to modulate astrocytic injury responses and leverage a pro-recovery phenotype holds promise in treating CNS injury.

Incongruent Expectations: A Qualitative Study of the Gendered Experiences of Canadian Young People.

While the early mental health of girls and boys is similar, as children age, girls tend to report worse mental health than boys. Explanations for these gendered disparities remain elusive. This study seeks to understand the social context in which mental health experiences are shaped.

Appropriateness of Antiplatelet Therapy and Proton Pump Inhibitor Prescribing in End-Stage Kidney Disease: A Retrospective Quality Investigation Study.

Background: Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) have high rates of gastrointestinal bleeding due to several risk factors including platelet dysfunction, comorbid illness, and use of antiplatelet medications. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) reduce gastrointestinal bleeding and are recommended for high-risk patients such as those prescribed dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). Whether inappropriate duration of DAPT therapy and/or lack of appropriate PPI use contribute to the known elevated risk of gastrointestinal bleeding in hemodialysis patients is not known.

Trauma and the default mode network: review and exploratory study.

While PTSD continues to be researched in great depth, less attention has been given to the continuum of traumatic responses that resides outside this diagnosis. This investigation begins with a literature review examining the spectrum of responses through the lens of the default mode network (DMN). To build upon this literature, a systematic exploratory study was incorporated, examining DMN-related neuropsychological functioning of 27 participants (16 trauma-exposed, and 11 non-trauma-exposed), with a subset (15 participants) completing neuroimaging.

Translating Evidence-Based Self-Management Interventions Using a Stepped-Care Approach for Patients With Cancer and Their Caregivers: A Pilot Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial Design.

Background: Self-directed interventions are cost-effective for patients with cancer and their family caregivers, but barriers to use can compromise adherence and efficacy.

Aim: Pilot a Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) to develop a time-varying dyadic self-management intervention that follows a stepped-care approach in providing different types of guidance to optimize the delivery of Coping-Together, a dyadic self-directed self-management intervention.

Methods: 48 patients with cancer and their caregivers were randomized in Stage 1 to: (a) Coping-Together (included a workbook and 6 booklets) or (b) Coping-Together + lay telephone guidance.

Implementation processes and capacity-building needs in Ontario maternal-newborn care hospital settings: a cross-sectional survey.

Background: Maternal-newborn care does not always align with the best available evidence. Applying implementation science to change initiatives can help move evidence-informed practices into clinical settings. However, it remains unknown to what extent current implementation practices in maternal-newborn care align with recommendations from implementation science, and how confident nurses, other health professionals, and leaders are completing steps in the implementation process.