Gardnerella vaginalis-binding IgA in the urethra of sexually experienced males.

Background: Genital inflammation increases HIV susceptibility and is associated with the density of pro-inflammatory anaerobes in the vagina and coronal sulcus. The penile urethra is a critical site of HIV acquisition, although correlates of urethral HIV acquisition are largely unknown. While Streptococcus mitis is a consistent component of the urethral flora, the presence of Gardnerella vaginalis has been linked with prior penile-vaginal sex and urethral inflammation.

Institutional, neighborhood, and life stressors on loneliness among older adults.

Background: Loneliness is a public health epidemic in the United States (US), with older adults being vulnerable to experiencing loneliness. Predictors of loneliness are less understood among racial/ethnic groups of US older adults, and few studies have included perceived institutional discrimination (PID), stressful life events (SLE), and perceived neighborhood characteristics (PNC) as antecedent stressors of loneliness in diverse older adult samples. Our study assessed the relationship between these stressors and loneliness among specific racial/ethnic groups of older adults.

Increased serum GM-CSF at diagnosis of biliary atresia is associated with improved biliary drainage.

Background: The immune heterogeneity of biliary atresia (BA) presents a challenge for development of prognostic biomarkers. This study aimed to identify early immune signatures associated with biliary drainage after Kasai Portoenterostomy (KPE).

Methods: Serum samples, liver slides, and clinical data were obtained from patients enrolled in the NIDDK-supported Childhood Liver Disease Research Network.

Examining the Influence of Alexithymia, Gender, and Age on Drug Use among Iranian Students: the Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation Difficulties.

The objective of the present study was to predict drug use among Iranian students on the basis of alexithymia, gender, age, and the mediating role of emotion regulation difficulty. This research employed a descriptive-correlational approach (structural equation modeling). The statistical population included 400 high school students studying during the 2023-2024 academic year in the cities of Khorramabad and Ardabil.

Hallmark discoveries in the biology of non-Wilms tumour childhood kidney cancers.

Approximately 20% of paediatric and adolescent/young adult patients with renal tumours are diagnosed with non-Wilms tumour, a broad heterogeneous group of tumours that includes clear-cell sarcoma of the kidney, congenital mesoblastic nephroma, malignant rhabdoid tumour of the kidney, renal-cell carcinoma, renal medullary carcinoma and other rare histologies. The differential diagnosis of these tumours dates back many decades, when these pathologies were identified initially through clinicopathological observation of entities with outcomes that diverged from Wilms tumour, corroborated with immunohistochemistry and molecular cytogenetics and, subsequently, through next-generation sequencing. These advances enabled near-definitive recognition of different tumours and risk stratification of patients.

An evaporite sequence from ancient brine recorded in Bennu samples.

Evaporation or freezing of water-rich fluids with dilute concentrations of dissolved salts can produce brines, as observed in closed basins on Earth and detected by remote sensing on icy bodies in the outer Solar System. The mineralogical evolution of these brines is well understood in regard to terrestrial environments, but poorly constrained for extraterrestrial systems owing to a lack of direct sampling. Here we report the occurrence of salt minerals in samples of the asteroid (101955) Bennu returned by the OSIRIS-REx mission.

Bat genomes illuminate adaptations to viral tolerance and disease resistance.

Zoonoses are infectious diseases transmitted from animals to humans. Bats have been suggested to harbour more zoonotic viruses than any other mammalian order. Infections in bats are largely asymptomatic, indicating limited tissue-damaging inflammation and immunopathology.

Efficacy and safety of dutasteride in the treatment of alopecia: a comprehensive review.

Introduction: Alopecia affects many individuals, with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) being the most common form in both men and women. The exact etiology of AGA is unclear. The systemic treatments of AGA include 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (finasteride, dutasteride), low-dose oral minoxidil.

K1 channels enable myelinated axons to transmit spikes reliably without spiking ectopically.

Action potentials (spikes) are regenerated at each node of Ranvier during saltatory transmission along a myelinated axon. The high density of voltage-gated sodium channels required by nodes to reliably transmit spikes increases the risk of ectopic spike generation in the axon. Here we show that ectopic spiking is avoided because K1 channels prevent nodes from responding to slow depolarization; instead, axons respond selectively to rapid depolarization because K1 channels implement a high-pass filter.

Social inclusion programming for older adults living in age-friendly cities: a scoping review.

Objectives: Creating age-friendly cities (AFCs) is essential for supporting older adults' well-being. The WHO's 2007 guide outlines key features of AFCs, including social inclusion. Despite increasing numbers of AFC programmes, diverse experiences of ageing are often overlooked.

Investigating the implementation of a Trial of Labour After Caesarean (TOLAC) delivery bundle with respect to decreasing caesarean delivery rates: a multisite quality improvement initiative.

Objectives: To study the effect of implementing a Trial of Labour After Caesarean (TOLAC) delivery bundle with respect to decreasing caesarean delivery rates across five hospitals.

Design: Prospective quality improvement study.

Setting: Five Canadian hospital sites participated, two academic centres and three community hospitals, with annual delivery rates ranging from 2500 to 7500 per site.

Efficacy of the Foodbot Factory digital curriculum-based nutrition education intervention in improving children's nutrition knowledge, attitudes and behaviours in elementary school classrooms: protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Schools are an important setting for supporting children's development of food literacy, but minimal research has assessed which strategies are most suitable for school nutrition education. The Foodbot Factory intervention, consisting of serious game (ie, a digital game designed for education) and curriculum-based lesson plans, was developed to support teachers and children ages 8-12 with nutrition education. Pilot data have demonstrated that Foodbot Factory can significantly improve children's nutrition knowledge, but it has not yet been evaluated in classrooms.

Peripheral Artery Disease Centres of Excellence in Canada - A Call to Action.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is responsible for a significant burden of morbidity and mortality in Canada. Despite the publication of recent guidelines outlining the diagnosis and management of PAD, delivery of care continues to be fragmented. With a growing number of medical and surgical techniques available, Centres of Excellence are a natural evolution in the advancement of care for patients living with PAD.

Factor structure and measurement invariance of the GAD-7 across time, sex, and language in young adults.

Introduction: The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale (GAD-7) is widely used to measure anxiety symptom severity. One-factor, two-factor, and bifactor latent structures are supported by previous research. Yet, measurement invariance of the GAD-7 across sex and language (i.

Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Deficiency Targeted Testing and Augmentation Therapy: A Canadian Thoracic Society Meta-analysis and Clinical Practice Guideline.

Alpha-1-Antitrypsin (A1AT) deficiency is a common hereditary disorder associated with increased risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Many individuals with severe A1AT deficiency go undiagnosed, or are diagnosed late, and fail to benefit from disease-specific counseling and modifying care. Since the 2012 Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) A1AT deficiency clinical practice guideline, new approaches to optimal diagnosis using modern genetic testing and studies of A1AT augmentation therapy have been published.

Evaluation of online videos and websites on inspiratory muscle training for individuals with chronic lung disease.

Background: Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) is an effective rehabilitation modality for individuals with chronic lung disease. IMT can improve dyspnea, exercise capacity, and health-related quality of life. Online resources are common sources of health information for individuals.

SEEG guided mapping of primary motor cortex in children with epilepsy.

Background: Direct cortical electrical stimulation remains the gold standard for delineation of the primary motor cortex in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) undergoing epilepsy surgery evaluation OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of functional motor mapping through Stereo-EEG (SEEG) electrode contacts in children with DRE at our institute.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of children who underwent SEEG evaluation and functional cortical mapping via bipolar electrical stimulation at our institution between July 2020 and June 2024. Detailed clinical, radiological and neurophysiological variable were extracted; qualitative and quantitative variables were summarized using appropriate descriptive statistics.

Scaling Up Kangaroo Mother Care Through a Facility Delivery Model in Rural Districts of Pakistan: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.

Background: The neonatal mortality rate in Pakistan is the third highest in Asia, with 8.6 million preterm babies. These newborns require warmth, nutrition, and infection protection, typically provided by incubators.

Early-life Exposure to Tobacco Smoke and the Risk of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Population-based Cohort Study.

Rationale: Tobacco smoking is a well-established risk factor for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), yet the influence of early-life tobacco exposure on future IPF risk remains poorly understood.

Objectives: To test the hypothesis that early-life tobacco exposure may elevate the risk of developing IPF, with this effect potentially modified by genetic susceptibility to IPF and mediated through accelerated biological aging.

Methods: Using data from over 430,000 participants in the UK Biobank, we performed a prospective cohort study to examine the associations of maternal smoking around birth and age of smoking initiation with IPF risk.

Developing a Profile of Canadian Children With Cerebral Palsy Who Require Augmentative and Alternative Communication.

Purpose: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most prevalent motor disability affecting children. Many children with CP have significant speech difficulties and require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to participate in communication. Despite demonstrable benefits, the use of AAC systems among children with CP remains constrained, although research in Canada is lacking.