Development of a 24-hour movement index: exploring acceptability among Canadian parents.

Background: The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth were introduced in 2016. They offer recommendations on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, light physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep in a typical 24-hour period to achieve optimal health outcomes. However, a lack of awareness and knowledge about the guidelines among children and parents is a concerning public health issue and may contribute to the low guideline adherence of Canadian children.

On the underappreciated role of scavengers in freshwater ecosystems.

The role of scavengers is well understood in terrestrial and marine systems but less so in freshwater ecosystems. We synthesized existing knowledge of scavenger ecology in freshwater, particularly within the context of the Anthropocene, including the patchy distribution of carrion, consumer responses, competition, and transfer of energy, nutrients, and diseases. We also explored ecosystem services provided by freshwater scavengers, such as direct material benefits and improvements in water quality.

Drone-based application of whale tags: A "tap-and-go" approach for scientific animal-borne investigations.

Deploying animal-borne suction-based tag devices on whales has been one of the primary tools used by researchers over the past several decades to gather high-resolution scientific information, such as bioacoustics, heart rate, dive depth, and body orientation. However, the process of successfully applying animal-borne tags is logistically challenging and requires substantial operator skill. Current methods apply tags by approaching the whale in a boat and adhering the tag via a long extension pole.

BOLDsωimsuite: A new software suite for forward modeling of the BOLD fMRI signal.

Many methods for the forward modeling of the blood-oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) effect have been created and analyzed to elucidate the mechanisms of BOLD functional MRI (fMRI) techniques and to expand on the potential of the transverse relaxation time (T*) in quantitative MRI. Simulations of this nature can be difficult to implement without prior experience, and differences made by methodological choices can be unclear, which provides a significant barrier of entry into the field. In this paper, we present BOLDsωimsuite, a toolbox for forward modeling of the BOLD effect, which collects many of the principal methods used in the literature into a single coherent package.

Vivid imagery of objects primes perception of subliminal spatial information.

The integration of imagination with perception of reality is associated with numerous neurocognitive and biological adaptive functions. Given the overlap between neural processes and regions governing internally versus externally generated imagery, the interaction between these processual components of high-level vision has been studied for over a century, without yielding a satisfactory account. Opposite to traditional theories like the Perky effect or sensory boost, we hypothesized that voluntary conscious mental imagery of an object enhances the processing of unconscious incoming visual spatial information.

Deciphering multi-organ protein regulatory strategies in the Asian frog, Pelophylax nigromaculatus during hibernation to elucidate energy homeostasis maintenance mechanisms.

Hibernation is a low-energy consumption survival strategy adopted by organisms to cope with adverse environments such as low temperatures and food scarcity. This study used the Pelophylax nigromaculatus as the model organism, and for the first time comprehensively analyzed the proteomic and phosphoproteomic regulatory networks in its kidneys, liver, and lungs through DIA quantitative proteomics technology, revealing specialized organ protection mechanisms under the hypometabolic state of hibernation. The research found that the regulation of these proteins relates to glycolysis and glycogenolysis, enhanced intracellular substance transport, membrane repair and energy buffering, rapid degradation of glycation end products, mitigation of inflammatory responses, and maintenance of signal transduction and cellular morphology.

Stepped Care 2.0: A Framework to Facilitate Leadership in Youth Mental Health System Building.

In Canada, there has been an effort to address youth mental health through various initiatives and investments, although mental health struggles among young Canadians continue to increase. Despite these challenges, there is also recognition of the strength and resilience of youth, as well as the increasing empowerment and engagement of young people in shaping mental health support systems. In this article, the authors explore the role of leadership in facilitating the co-design and implementation of a comprehensive continuum of care, leveraging the Stepped Care 2.

SST-DUNet: Smart Swin Transformer and Dense UNet for automated preclinical fMRI skull stripping.

Background: Skull stripping is a common preprocessing step in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) pipelines and is often performed manually. Automating this process is challenging for preclinical data due to variations in brain geometry, resolution, and tissue contrast. Existing methods for MRI skull stripping often struggle with the low resolution and varying slice sizes found in preclinical functional MRI (fMRI) data.

Application of an imaging flow cytometry γ-H2AX assay for biodosimetry using supervised machine learning.

Purpose: Phosphorylation of the histone H2AX (γ-H2AX) is a rapid response to radiation-induced DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) and is a good biomarker for exposure to ionizing radiation. The signal has traditionally been detected by microscopy (spot counting) or by flow cytometry (fluorescent intensity). An imaging flow cytometry (IFC) method has been developed, which combines the high resolution of microscopy with the statistical power of flow cytometry methods to measure γ-H2AX in human lymphocytes.

Cultural and Institutional Factors Driving Severe Repetitive Flood Losses: Insights From the Jersey Shore.

Decisions about how to respond to coastal flood hazards often involve disagreements over resource allocations. In the United States, large intergovernmental fiscal transfers have enabled rebuilding in areas that experience severe repetitive losses. This case study focuses on Ortley Beach, a barrier island neighborhood in Toms River, New Jersey, to examine the process of rebuilding after Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and competing visions for the future.

Intrauterine growth restriction disrupts folliculogenesis in gilts: Insights into reproductive health.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is defined as a condition in which the fetus does not reach its full growth potential with serious consequences later in life. This study evaluated, by means of histomorphometrical analysis, the follicular development in normal weight (NW) and IUGR gilts along postnatal development. Fifty pairs of littermate gilts were selected at birth and allocated into two experimental groups according to birthweight: IUGR (0.

Human mitochondrial CYP2E1-mediated styrene metabolism increases oxidative stress and impairs antioxidant rescue in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Styrene is an environmental toxicant metabolized by cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) to styrene oxide, a reactive intermediate product linked to oxidative stress. While the role of CYP2E1 in xenobiotic metabolism is well established, the influence of subcellular enzyme localization on styrene-induced toxicity remains unclear. This study used transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans (C.

MSPA-informed SLEUTH urban growth modeling for green space protection in Ottawa.

We created optimal urban expansion scenarios that also safeguard green spaces using SLEUTH-3r in the National Capital Region, Ottawa, Ontario. The scenarios were based on using two exclusion layers in SLEUTH-3r modeling, adjustments to the model's calibrated growth coefficients for a compact city scenario and applying green space social equity weights to urban zones in model's prediction results. The first exclusion layer contained common restricted areas for urban growth, while the second additionally incorporated cores of green spaces defined through Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA), core importance and their corridors for connectivity.

Intersecting vulnerabilities: Race, Depression, and White Matter Hyperintensity burden in Aging.

Background: White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are markers of brain aging and are associated with cognitive decline and dementia. However, research regarding how race, ethnicity, and depression status influence WMHs remains mixed. This study examined the interactive effects of race/ethnicity and depression on WMHs and cognition in older adults.

A century in the making: Medical imaging, nuclear medicine, and the transformation of global healthcare.

This paper explores how the global mobility of healthcare professionals shapes the evolution of nuclear medicine through shifts in labour, logistics, and knowledge systems. It examines how credentialing asymmetries, fragile supply infrastructures, and uneven digital integration affect equitable access to innovation and practice. The analysis highlights how professional circulation generates both collaboration and structural exclusion, particularly when expertise crosses regulatory and institutional boundaries.

Using black knowledges to recognise and address barriers to COVID-19 vaccination in Malawi.

Background: A Black Geographies framework offers a perspective through which the rich and complex histories and knowledges of African nations, and the people themselves, can be explored to reveal barriers to vaccination and solutions to achieving global vaccine access and equity. This research centres Malawi as a case study and seeks to (1) identify barriers to COVID-19 vaccination; (2) situate these barriers within geographic scales, ranging from the local to the global; and, (3) identify the role of the (Black) individual in creating, perpetuating, navigating and overcoming these barriers.

Methods: The study employed a qualitative approach, using in-depth semi-structured interviews with 41 key informants in Malawi between September and December 2021 to explore barriers to vaccination.

Personality and sexuality.

Research on personality and sexuality has increased over the last few decades, especially using basic trait models-Five Factor Model and HEXACO-and clinical personality constructs-particularly borderline, narcissism, and psychopathy. Spanning five broad aspects of sexuality, research shows that basic and clinical personality traits are associated with sexual motivation, sexual behavior, sexual affect and cognition, sexual orientation, and clinical sexual problems. Different personality trait dimensions are reliably associated with specific aspects of sexuality, which points to theoretical and practical implications.

Alpha-ketoglutarate supplementation differently modifies hematological parameters and oxidative stress in mice fed a standard diet and high-fat high-fructose diet.

Long-term consumption of high-calorie diets can lead to metabolic disorders. In this study, we evaluated the effects of an eight-week standard (control), high-fat high-fructose (HFFD), alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG)-supplemented (1% in drinking water), and combined diet (HFFD + AKG) on hematological and oxidative stress parameters across tissues of male C57BL/6J mice. Both HFFD and AKG decreased erythrocyte count and altered leukocyte profile, increasing neutrophils and monocytes while decreasing lymphocytes.

Mini review: Ethnopharmacology and phytochemistry of the tropical American family Marcgraviaceae.

The Marcgraviaceae is a neotropical family of lianas and shrubs that has received limited investigation for its medicinal properties. Characterized by prominent, nectar-rich terminal inflorescences, the family comprises 7 genera and 136 species. Traditional uses among Indigenous communities in the Americas include treatments for anxiety, sleep disorders, mental health conditions, and various dermatological ailments.

CD8 T Cell Hyperfunction and Reduced Tumour Control in Murine Models of Advanced Liver Disease.

Immune dysfunction in liver disease contributes to significant morbidities, depending on liver damage severity and aetiology. We previously reported long-lasting generalized CD8 T cell hyperfunction in chronic HCV infection with advanced fibrosis, yet its separation from viral and fibrosis-driven effects, as well as clinical outcomes of advanced fibrosis, remains unclear. In a murine model of carbon tetrachloride-induced progressive liver fibrosis, advanced fibrosis was observed by 12 weeks, with pathologies similar to those of human chronic HCV infection.

HEADS-ED Under 6: A clinician-administered mental health and developmental screening and triage tool.

Objectives: Communimetric screening tools convey functional impairment and action required, helping clinicians identify and communicate patient's needs and actions within a measurement framework. We examined the feasibility of using the HEADS-ED Under 6, a communimetric mental health (MH) and developmental screening and triage tool for children under 6, within 1Call1Click.ca, a regional coordinated access and navigation program in Eastern Ontario.

High-resolution analysis of the varved succession at Crawford lake across the base of the proposed Crawfordian stage and Anthropocene series.

Four years after the Anthropocene Working Group (AWG) voted to work toward defining the Anthropocene series/epoch with a base in the mid-20th C, the varved sediments of Crawford Lake (Milton, ON, Canada) were selected as the Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) candidate. The initial major rise in activity of Pu had been selected as the primary chronostratigraphic marker to define the base of the Anthropocene, but the precise year when this occurred could not be determined from measurements of samples combining multiple varves. Individual varves from freeze cores collected in April 2023 provide annual resolution for bomb radionuclides, allowing the varve age model to be refined, former assignments determined to have been 1 year too old.

Neuromodulation influences T lymphocyte calcium signaling and alpha synuclein clearance: implications for Parkinson's disease.

Along with the death of midbrain dopamine neurons, pathological accumulation of aggregated alpha synuclein (α-syn), often in the form of Lewy bodies, forms the hallmark pathological features of Parkinson's disease (PD). Evidence of a neuroinflammatory response is a common secondary feature present in virtually all PD brains and is characterized by the presence of reactive microglial cells and signs of peripheral immune cell infiltration. Recent research has even suggested that PD might actually have an autoimmune component, as some PD patients express T cells that recognize epitopes specific to α-syn.

Live Pulse-Echo Speed-of-Sound Estimation for Quality Assessment of Large Muscles in Humans.

Objective: Muscle quality is broadly regarded as an indicator of physical health. Conventionally, ultrasound metrics such as echogenicity have been derived to assess muscle quality, but these measures are prone to changes in ultrasound hardware and operator skill. In contrast, tissue speed-of-sound (SoS) is an intrinsic property that can potentially act as a more robust biomarker for muscle quality.

In Vivo Cortical Microstructure: Relationships With Tauopathy and Cognitive Impairment in the Elderly.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) of tau is considered "the" indicator of Alzheimer's pathology. However, non-PET proxies would be helpful for wider accessibility. We used Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI)-derived indices (i.