A population-based cohort study of perinatal mental illness following traumatic brain injury.

Aims: To examine the risk of perinatal mental illness, including new diagnoses and recurrent use of mental healthcare, comparing women with and without traumatic brain injury (TBI), and to identify injury-related factors associated with these outcomes among women with TBI.

Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study in Ontario, Canada, of all obstetrical deliveries to women in 2012-2021, excluding those with mental healthcare use in the year before conception. The cohort was stratified into women with no remote mental illness history (to identify new mental illness diagnoses between conception and 365 days postpartum) and those with a remote mental illness history (to identify recurrent illnesses).

Maplirpacept: a CD47 decoy receptor with minimal red blood cell binding and robust anti-tumor efficacy.

Introduction: CD47 is highly expressed on cancer cells and triggers an anti-phagocytic "don't eat me" signal when bound by the inhibitory signal regulatory protein α (SIRPα) expressed on macrophages. While CD47 blockade can mitigate tumor growth, many CD47 blockers also bind to red blood cells (RBCs), leading to anemia. Maplirpacept (TTI-622, PF-07901801) is a CD47 blocking fusion protein consisting of a human SIRPα fused to an IgG4 Fc region and designed to limit binding to RBCs.

Impact of menopause and age on breast density and background parenchymal enhancement in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

Purpose: Breast density (BD) and background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) are important imaging biomarkers for breast cancer (BC) risk. We aim to evaluate longitudinal changes in quantitative BD and BPE in high-risk women undergoing dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI), focusing on the effects of age and transition into menopause.

Approach: A retrospective cohort study analyzed 834 high-risk women undergoing breast DCE-MRI for screening between 2005 and 2020.

Defining optimal electrospun membranes to enhance biological activities of human endometrial MSCs.

Introduction: Human endometrial mesenchymal stem cells (H-EMSCs) can inhibit endometrial fibrosis and repair damaged endometrium. However, direct cell injection into dam-aged endometrium shows limited cell survival. Cell seeding onto biomaterial-based electrospun membranes could improve H-EMSCs' survival and prolong their stay at the damaged endometrium.

Canadian Youth Preferences for E-Cigarettes: A Discrete Choice Experiment.

The novelty of e-cigarette regulatory policy poses difficulties for evidence-informed decision making because there is little evaluative evidence on the effects of specific policies. One way to provide evidence to inform Canadian policy in this situation is to learn from users how they would behave under different policy scenarios without actually implementing those policies in real-world settings. Discrete Choice Experiments provide an opportunity to undertake this research.

Clinical Outcomes After Ipsilateral Versus Contralateral Autograft Harvest for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review.

Background: Contralateral donor autografts in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) may act as an alternative to conventional ipsilateral donor grafts but are rarely used clinically because of the lack of evidence on patient outcomes and concerns around additional morbidity.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of contralateral versus ipsilateral autograft use in ACLR on patient outcomes.

Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Tofacitinib in early active axial spondyloarthritis: protocol of a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter phase IV study, FASTLANE.

Background: Early treatment initiation is one of the strongest predictors of good treatment response in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Recently, the Assessment in SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) defined early axSpA as a diagnosis of axSpA with a duration of axial symptoms equal to or less than 2 years. Tofacitinib is a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis.

Improving equity and wellness in cancer care with people of Latin American and African Descent: a study protocol.

Background: Cancer inequities such as late access to cancer screening and diagnosis affect people of African and Latin American descent in Canada. These inequities in addition to experiences of racism and discrimination and unequal living and working conditions are detrimental to their wellness. We aim to delineate together with people of African and Latin American descent a patient-oriented pathway to improve their equity and wellness in cancer care.

Social coordination perpetuates stereotypic expectations and behaviors across generations in deep multiagent reinforcement learning.

Despite often being perceived as morally objectionable, stereotypes are a common feature of social groups, a phenomenon that has often been attributed to biased motivations or limits on the ability to process information. We argue that one reason for this continued prevalence is that preexisting expectations about how others will behave, in the context of social coordination, can change the behaviors of one's social partners, creating the very stereotype one expected to see, even in the absence of other potential sources of stereotyping. We use a computational model of dynamic social coordination to illustrate how this "feedback loop" can emerge, engendering and entrenching role-consistent stereotypic behavior and then show that human behavior on the task generates a comparable feedback loop.

Urinary Iodine Concentration and Thyroid Hormone Metabolism in Pregnant Women and Neurodevelopment in Their Children: A Longitudinal Canadian Birth Cohort.

: Iodine is essential for thyroid hormone (TH) synthesis, and THs in pregnant women are critical for fetal brain development. It is unclear whether urinary iodine concentrations (UICs) are associated with thyroid parameters in pregnant women and neurodevelopment in their 3-4-year-old children. : In the Canadian Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) cohort, we categorized UIC adjusted for urinary creatinine (UIC/Cr) in the first two trimesters as <150, 150-500, or ≥500 µg/g.

Dietary Guidance, Sensory, Health and Safety Considerations When Choosing Low and No-Calorie Sweeteners.

The growing global focus on the adverse health conditions associated with excessive sugar consumption has prompted health and policy organizations as well as the public to take a more mindful approach to health and wellness. In response, food and beverage companies have proactively innovated and reformulated their product portfolios to incorporate low and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCSs) as viable alternatives to sugar. LNCSs offer an effective and safe approach to delivering sweetness to foods and beverages and reducing calories and sugar intake while contributing to the enjoyment of eating.

Navigating Equitable Access to Cancer and Mental Health Services During Pandemics: Stakeholder Perspectives on COVID-19 Challenges and Community-Based Solutions for Immigrants and Refugees-Proceedings from Think Tank Sessions.

Increasing evidence shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted certain populations, particularly those facing structural marginalization, such as immigrants and refugees. Additionally, research highlights that structurally marginalized populations living with chronic conditions, such as cancer and/or mental health and addiction (MH&A) disorders, are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of COVID-19. These individuals face higher susceptibility to infection and worse health outcomes, including increased rates of hospitalization, severe illness, and death.

Mediation CNN (Med-CNN) Model for High-Dimensional Mediation Data.

Complex biological features such as the human microbiome and gene expressions play a crucial role in human health by mediating various biomedical processes that influence disease progression, such as immune responses and metabolic processes. Understanding these mediation roles is essential for gaining insights into disease pathogenesis and improving treatment outcomes. However, analyzing such high-dimensional mediation features presents challenges due to their inherent structural and correlations, such as the hierarchical taxonomic structures in microbial operational taxonomic units (OTUs), gene-pathway relationships, and the high dimensionality of the datasets, which complicates mediation analysis.

Repetitive Low-Level Blast Exposure Alters Circulating Myeloperoxidase, Matrix Metalloproteinases, and Neurovascular Endothelial Molecules in Experienced Military Breachers.

Repeated exposure to low-level blast overpressure, frequently experienced during explosive breaching and heavy weapons use in training and operations, is increasingly recognised as a serious risk to the neurological health of military personnel. Although research on the underlying pathobiological mechanisms in humans remains limited, this study investigated the effects of such exposure on circulating molecular biomarkers associated with inflammation, neurovascular damage, and endothelial injury. Blood samples from military breachers were analysed for myeloperoxidase (MPO), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and junctional proteins indicative of blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption and endothelial damage, including occludin (OCLN), zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), aquaporin-4 (AQP4), and syndecan-1 (SD-1).

Functionalization of Phenolic Aldehydes for the Preparation of Sustainable Polyesters and Polyurethanes.

Biobased organic diols derived from the phenolic aldehyde by-products in the depolymerization of lignin (4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, vanillin, and syringaldehyde) for the synthesis of polyesters and polyurethanes is described. Methods to prepare lignin-based diols involved a two-step synthetic route using either a hydroxy alkylation and aldehyde reduction or an aldehyde reduction and Williamson-Ether substitution. The preparation of five polyesters (PEs) and ten polyurethanes (PUs) from lignin-based diols was also performed and their physical and thermal properties were analyzed.

Automatic Detection of Radiographic Alveolar Bone Loss in Bitewing and Periapical Intraoral Radiographs Using Deep Learning Technology: A Preliminary Evaluation.

Periodontal disease is a prevalent inflammatory condition affecting the supporting structures of teeth, with radiographic bone loss (RBL) being a critical diagnostic marker. The accurate and consistent evaluation of RBL is essential for the staging and grading of periodontitis, as outlined by the 2017 AAP/EFP Classification. Advanced tools such as deep learning (DL) technology, including Denti.

The Effect of Blood Selenium Level on the pCR Rate in Breast Cancer Patient Receiving Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Purpose: Among patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), a high survival rate is observed for those who experience a pathological complete response (pCR). Various tumor factors are predictive of a pCR, but few host factors have been studied.We sought to inquire whether or not a patient's blood selenium level prior to treatment was predictive of a pCR.

Recent Advances in Pineoblastoma Research: Molecular Classification, Modelling and Targetable Vulnerabilities.

Pineoblastoma (PB) is a rare yet lethal pediatric brain cancer of the pineal gland, a small endocrine organ that secretes melatonin to regulate the circadian rhythm. For PB patients ≤5 years of age, the overall survival rate is approximately 15%; metastatic PB is incurable. Standard treatment, including surgical resection, radiation, and systemic chemotherapy, improves survival but compromises neurocognitive function.

Convergence of neurodegeneration and the arts: a conversation between researchers about stigma, co-creativity, and transformation.

Parkinson's disease and dementia are highly stigmatized, creating social exclusion and inequality by depriving persons living with these conditions of their human rights and threatening their health, well-being, and quality of life. Challenging the stigma associated with these conditions is a key public health priority across national and international settings, and arts-based approaches are advocated to achieve this. We are researchers who use artistic and creative media including documentary films, research-based theatre, dance, circus and graphic narrative to challenge dominant and oppressive cultural and social norms, and to imagine and affect inclusive, compassionate, and socially-just approaches to supporting people to live well with neurodegenerative conditions like dementia and Parkinson's.

A theory of change for patient-initiated follow-up care in rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Timely, high-quality care is critical to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management. In Alberta, thousands of individuals with RA are waiting for care due to the resource-intensive nature of lifelong follow-ups and rheumatologist shortages. With 20-50% of routine follow-ups not leading to treatment changes or raising new concerns, many appointments may be avoidable if care were restructured.

Comprehensive cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons of plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein and neurofilament light across FTD spectrum disorders.

Background: Therapeutic development for frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is hindered by the lack of biomarkers that inform susceptibility/risk, prognosis, and the underlying causative pathology. Blood glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) has garnered attention as a FTD biomarker. However, investigations of GFAP in FTD have been hampered by symptomatic and histopathologic heterogeneity and small cohort sizes contributing to inconsistent findings.

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Balancing Technological Innovation With Health and Care Workforce Priorities.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in healthcare, offering significant potential to address workforce challenges and improve patient outcomes. This perspective article presents a framework for responsible AI innovation, emphasising ethical governance, responsible leadership and a commitment to human-centred AI. It provides guidance for healthcare organisations to position AI as a strategic enabler, augmenting the health and care workforce and fostering sustainable, patient-centred advancements in healthcare.

Remission of alcohol use disorder following traumatic brain injury with focal orbitofrontal cortex hemorrhage: case report and network mapping.

Background: The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and its role in the regulation of urges/compulsion has been identified as a critical component of circuit-based addiction models. Building on such models, it was recently shown that brain lesions disrupting addictive behavior can be mapped to a common brain circuit.

Methods: We present a case of a 42-year-old woman with chronic treatment-refractory alcohol use disorder who experienced early remission following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) with focal left OFC intracerebral hemorrhage.

Mapping variants in thyroid hormone transporter MCT8 to disease severity by genomic, phenotypic, functional, structural and deep learning integration.

Predicting and quantifying phenotypic consequences of genetic variants in rare disorders is a major challenge, particularly pertinent for 'actionable' genes such as thyroid hormone transporter MCT8 (encoded by the X-linked SLC16A2 gene), where loss-of-function (LoF) variants cause a rare neurodevelopmental and (treatable) metabolic disorder in males. The combination of deep phenotyping data with functional and computational tests and with outcomes in population cohorts, enabled us to: (i) identify the genetic aetiology of divergent clinical phenotypes of MCT8 deficiency with genotype-phenotype relationships present across survival and 24 out of 32 disease features; (ii) demonstrate a mild phenocopy in ~400,000 individuals with common genetic variants in MCT8; (iii) assess therapeutic effectiveness, which did not differ among LoF-categories; (iv) advance structural insights in normal and mutated MCT8 by delineating seven critical functional domains; (v) create a pathogenicity-severity MCT8 variant classifier that accurately predicted pathogenicity (AUC:0.91) and severity (AUC:0.