Feature level quantitative ultrasound and CT information fusion to predict the outcome of head & neck cancer radiotherapy treatment: Enhanced principal component analysis.

Background: Radiation therapy is a common treatment for head and neck (H&N) cancers. Radiomic features, which are determined from biomedical imaging, can be effective biomarkers used to assess tumor heterogeneity and have been used to predict response to treatment. However, most studies employ only a single biomedical imaging modality to determine radiomic features.

Immiscible Phase Separation-Driven Microfabrication of Gelatin Methacryloyl Scaffolds for BMP-2 Delivery and Osteogenic Enhancement.

Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels are recognized for their biocompatibility, tunable mechanics, and ability to support cellular functions, making them attractive for tissue engineering. However, achieving uniform, structurally stable micro-scaffolds for minimally invasive delivery remains challenging. Injectable hydrogels provide targeted delivery but lack the micro-architectural complexity required for effective regeneration, while 3D printing offers precision yet faces resolution, handling, and mechanical limitations.

Variations in Religious Development by Sexual Orientation: Results from a Nationally Representative U.S. Sample.

We compared religious development from early adolescence to middle adulthood between sexual orientations. Data were from Waves I-V of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) restricted data sets using participants from the self-weighting core sample who had complete data for predictors and covariates (=10,879 at Wave I; ages 12-21). Time-varying effect modeling examined changes in religious affiliation (any affiliation vs no affiliation), importance, attendance, and prayer across ages 12 to 41 as a function of sexual orientation in adulthood (heterosexual, 86.

AGECovP: identifying ageism and analyzing COVID-19 discourse on older adults in YouTube.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted older adults, generating widespread online discussions that revealed how this at-risk population was perceived. Understanding these portrayals is essential, as public discourse influences societal perceptions of aging and impacts policies and practices affecting older adults. Past research highlights that ageist stereotypes and attitudes frequently surface in public discussions, shaping the experiences of older individuals.

Experience-driven Predictability Does Not Influence Neural Entrainment to the Beat.

Humans spontaneously synchronize movements to a perceived underlying pulse, or beat, in music. Beat perception may be indexed by the synchronization of neural oscillations to the beat, marked by increases in EEG amplitude at the beat frequency [Nozaradan, S., Peretz, I.

A Randomized-Controlled Trial Examining Telephone-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Patients After Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: 18 Month Follow-up Results.

Background: Telephone-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Tele-CBT) has shown to reduce disordered eating and psychological distress after metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS). However, it is currently unknown how Tele-CBT impacts outcomes long term, and if differences in weight loss trajectories following Tele-CBT emerge with a long-term follow-up. This study aimed to identify whether Tele-CBT remains effective at 18 months post-intervention for improving psychological distress and maladaptive eating, and mitigating recurrent weight gain.

APOE ε4-related differences in brain structure, function, and connectivity at midlife: A scoping review.

Background: The apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele is a major genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet there is little consensus about how and when the allele exerts its influence on the brain.

Methods: In this scoping review, we synthesized research examining APOE ε4-related differences on MRI-derived measures of brain structure, function, and connectivity in cognitively unimpaired, middle-aged adults (aged 40-65 years). Four online databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Ovid PsycINFO, Scopus) were searched on July 11, 2024, and forward/backward reference searching was conducted on identified studies.

Implementation and Evaluation of a Patient-Focused eHealth Intervention, My Kidneys My Health, in Primary Care and General Nephrology Clinics: Multimethods Study.

Background: Care for mild to moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD) entails self-management from patients and clinical support from primary care and nephrology. To address the gap in self-management resources, My Kidneys My Health was codeveloped to support patients with CKD. Health care providers play a critical role in the implementation of patient resources; however, there is a gap in understanding providers' perspectives in this role.

Funding Transportation in the Dark? The Case Study of Ontario, Canada.

The challenges of funding transportation infrastructure and services are significant and they shape both what is built and how individuals travel. Transportation funding sources are evolving considering changing technologies. The case study of Ontario, Canada, which is in the process of a generational investment in transit infrastructure, illustrates opportunities for addressing these challenges.

A fight worth remembering: sharing archival materials in interviews to support recall of ex-mental patient activism.

This institutional ethnographic (IE) study of a little-known Ontario-based mad history recounts how, in the 1980s and 1990s, ex-mental patients established a number of social enterprises (also known as consumer/survivor businesses), secured government funding and through these sites, got politically active around issues that impacted their lives. This research poses critical sociological questions about the circulation of activist knowledge-practices and the formation of these businesses as sites of community organizing. Methodologically, IE offers an approach through which I began from the experiences of ex-mental patients while aiming to explore how their activist practices are coordinated trans-locally.

A Priori Prediction of Breast Cancer Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Using CT Radiomics.

(1) Background: Response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is a key prognostic indicator in breast cancer. However, current response evaluation methods rely on histopathological assessment after surgery, delaying opportunities for early treatment adaptation. This study aimed to develop a machine learning model by integrating radiomic features extracted from pre-treatment, contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) images with baseline clinical variables to predict NAC response before therapy initiation.

Efficacy and Safety of Flow Diversion for Distal Anterior Cerebral Aneurysms: A Systematic Review and Proportional Meta-Analysis.

Background: Flow diverters (FDs) are increasingly used off-label for the treatment of distal anterior cerebral artery aneurysms (DACAAs), located at or beyond the A2 segment of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA). However, data on safety and efficacy remain limited.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of FDs for the treatment of DACAAs through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Many Things to Many People: The Diversity of Motivations for Joining Diasporic Organizations in the Global South.

Small, grassroots organizations in the Global South play an increasingly prominent role in political advocacy and service provision for displaced populations. Literature on both diasporic organizations and civil society organizations has largely focused on those based in the Global North, however. This article examines the formation of a transnational women's organization--by refugees following Burundi's 2015 electoral crisis.

AI-Enabled Virtual Clinic Impact on Pharmacist Confidence in Managing Warfarin: Implications for Experiential Education.

Objective: Despite an expanding scope of practice, uptake of advanced clinical services is hindered by pharmacists' self-efficacy in high-stakes decision-making. Traditional experiential learning builds confidence but is constrained by preceptor shortages, scheduling conflicts, and travel requirements. This study evaluates an AI-enabled virtual clinical training program designed to replace in-person warfarin-management rotations.

Mapping Care Practices and Service Delivery Models for Refugee and Displaced Families in Private Hosting Arrangements: A Scoping Review.

: Private hosting arrangements have emerged as community-driven alternatives to institutional refugee housing, offering personalized support and opportunities for enhanced social integration. However, clarity around care practices and service delivery models remains underdeveloped. : This paper presents the findings of a scoping review aimed at mapping evidence on service delivery and care practices in private hosting contexts for refugee families.

Understanding disclosures of sexual violence in Canadian postsecondary institutions: a scoping review protocol.

Introduction: Sexual violence remains a critical and under-reported issue in postsecondary institutions, impacting student health, well-being and academic outcomes. In Canada, over 90% of incidents are not disclosed to institutions; similar patterns are observed in the USA. Despite growing awareness of the issue, no comprehensive review has synthesised how Canadian evidence understands the disclosure of sexual violence in postsecondary settings.

Penalized GANs with latent perturbation for robust shilling attack generation in recommender systems.

Shilling attacks pose a significant threat to the integrity and reliability of recommender systems by injecting fake user profiles to promote or demote targeted items. Existing generative approaches often suffer from unstable training dynamics and limited realism in the synthesized profiles. In this paper, we propose PGAN, a novel Penalized Generative Adversarial Network enhanced with latent space perturbations to generate high-quality, diverse, and undetectable shilling attack profiles.

One for all and all for one health: Harmonizing SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance results across a laboratory network.

Reliable and comparable data from multiple laboratories are essential for networks relying on reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR)-based surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genetic material in wastewater. Large-scale networks, such as those spanning Canada and the United States, depend on multiple laboratories deploying varied methods. However, the comparability of these methods and implications for data interoperability have not been rigorously examined.

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Pregnancy and Postpartum Depressive Symptoms, and Child Socioemotional Problems Over the First Three Years of Life.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with higher rates of prenatal and postpartum depression and child socioemotional problems. This longitudinal study investigated prenatal and postpartum depression as indirect effects linking maternal ACEs to changes in toddler socioemotional problems. Mothers (n = 304) reporting their ACEs, depressive symptoms in pregnancy and 6-months postpartum, and their children's socioemotional problems at 15-, 24-, and 35- months postpartum.

Physicians' information-seeking, appraising, and clinical decision-making practices for drug prescriptions: an exploratory study.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to understand the process of physicians' evidence-based clinical decision-making for new drug prescriptions.

Methods: Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted, and thematic coding was used for data analysis.

Results: Several findings emerged.

eCLIPs treatment of intrasaccular device recurrences in wide neck bifurcation aneurysms: multicenter experience with the new generation device.

Background And Objectives: Intracranial wide neck bifurcation aneurysms treated with intrasaccular devices can have recurrences, with adverse morphologies, that are challenging to manage. We report our initial experience of the latest generation endovascular clip system (eCLIPs) (eVasc, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) device in treating these complex lesions.

Methods: A prospectively maintained registry was reviewed for patients that were initially treated with a Woven EndoBridge (WEB) (Microvention, Aliso Viejo, California, USA), Contour (Cerus Endovascular, Fremont, California, USA), or Artisse (Medtronic, Irvine, California, USA) intrasaccular device, and subsequently underwent retreatment with an eCLIPs implant.

"It's Good to Always Have a Plan": A Qualitative Study of Canadians' Preparedness During Power Outages.

Objectives: Power outages can lead to food-borne and water-borne illness risks for consumers if proper protective measures are not taken at home. The purpose of this study was to understand the behaviors of Canadians related to food and water safety preparedness at home during power outages and floods.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted, consisting of 6 virtual focus groups, each with 8 people, in July 2023.

Evaluating the impact of early dignity therapy on quality of life in patients with brain tumors: A pilot study.

Objectives: Brain tumors are associated with negative changes in sense of self and increased distress early in the illness trajectory. Dignity Therapy (DT) is a brief 2-session therapeutic intervention for patients at end-of-life (EOL) that helps conserve a patient's sense of dignity or self. DT has shown positive results for patients at EOL including increased meaning, improved quality of life (QOL), and reduced distress, with limited research to date on patients early in their illness trajectory (non-EOL).

Exploring the interaction between cannabis and music.

Cannabis use has long been associated with enhanced music experiences, yet scientific research on its effects on auditory perception remains limited. This convergent mixed-methods self-report study investigated how recreational cannabis users experience auditory stimulation and music in particular. A total of 104 participants completed an online questionnaire, 15 of which were selected to participate in an optional semi-structured interview.