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The breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia and development of the western Laurentian rifted margin are in part recorded by Neoproterozoic to mid-Paleozoic igneous and sedimentary rock successions in the Canadian Cordillera. New bedrock mapping and volcanic facies analysis of Early Ordovician mafic rocks assigned to the Menzie Creek Formation in central Yukon allow reconstruction of the depositional environment during the volcanic eruptions, whole-rock geochemical data constrain the melting depth and crust-mantle source regions of the igneous rocks within the study area, and zircon U-Pb age studies provide determination of the precise timing of submarine eruptions. Menzie Creek Formation volcanic rocks are interlayered with continental slope strata and show lithofacies consistent with those of modern seamount systems. Representative seamount facies contain several kilometers of hyaloclastite breccia and pillow basalt with rare sedimentary rocks. Menzie Creek Formation seamounts form a linear array parallel to the Twopete fault, an ancient extensional or strike-slip fault that localized magmatism along the nascent western Laurentian margin. Zircon grains from two volcanic successions yielded high-precision chemical abrasion–thermal ionization mass spectrometry (CA-TIMS) dates of ca. 484 Ma (Tremadocian), which are interpreted as the age of eruption. Menzie Creek Formation rocks are alkali basalt and have oceanic-island basalt–like geochemical compositions. The whole-rock trace element and Nd-Hf isotope compositions are consistent with the partial melting of subcontinental lithospheric mantle at ~75–100 km depth. Post-rift, Early Ordovician seamounts in central Yukon record punctuated eruptive activity along a rift-related fault, the separation of a continental fragment from western Laurentia, or the oblique post-breakup kinematics from the counterclockwise rotation of Laurentia that facilitated local extension in the passive margin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers awareness toward usages of natural ingredient for finishing textiles has built an ever-growing demand. New textile technologies have empowered the application of new ingredient on the fabric to provide its functional benefits to the end product. Essential oil has gained popularity as they symbolize "green" alternative and have been used to add specific function to textile due to their eco-friendly and biodegradable nature. Some essential oils, which can be used to infuse textiles with aroma, are also known to attain antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, antiseptic and antioxidant properties that can be useful for different textile applications. Aromatherapy is a form of an alternative medicine in which essential oils are used to impart therapeutic effects. It is important to develop textile materials with added functional properties in order to promote healthy and eco-friendly life style. Vetiver is one of the multipurpose essential oil that is economically and ecologically important. The main action of vetiver esssential oil is on the nervous system and it is both sedative and strengthening in effect. It has been traditionally used in aromatherapy from a long period of time for relieving stress, anxiety, depression, tension and insomnia. Therefore, vetiver essential oil can be used to impart finishing onto the textiles to develop functionalized textiles with useful properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the main knowledge producers, researchers can play an important role in contributing to efforts that bridge the gap between knowledge, policy and practice. However, for researchers to play this role, they need knowledge translation (KT) capacities that many typically lack. Furthermore, research has confirmed that little is known on KT training approaches for LMICs researchers and their effectiveness. This paper seeks to contribute to filling this knowledge gap on KT training approaches for LMIC researchers by assessing the effectiveness of a training and mentorship intervention to build African researchers' KT capacity. We conducted KT training and mentorship for 23 early and mid-career researchers from 20 universities in sub-Saharan Africa. This comprised a 5-day intense residential training workshop, followed by a 6-months mentorship. A pre- and post-training test was used to assess the immediate effect of the workshop. The intermediate effect of the training following a 6-month mentorship was assessed by the number of researchers who completed policy briefs during this period and those who participated in the webinar series conducted during this period. Overall, the aggregate average point change in the self-reported learning between the pre-training and the post-training survey was 1.9, which demonstrated the effectiveness of the training workshop. This was confirmed by a 33.7% increase in the aggregate average percentage of participants that responded correctly to questions assessing topics covered in the training between the pre-training and the post-training survey. During the mentorship period, 19 of the 23 researchers prepared and submitted complete drafts of their policy briefs within two months after the training. Fewer (4) researchers revised and submitted final policy briefs. More than half of the trained researchers participated in the webinars conducted in the first three months of the mentorship, whereas less than half of the researchers participated in the webinars conducted in the last three months. KT training and mentorship can be an effective intervention for addressing researchers' KT capacity gaps. For sustainability, KT training and mentorship need to be integrated in graduate training programmes in universities so that future LMIC researchers leave training institutions with the KT capacities they need for influencing policy and programme decisions and actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This study examined diabetes knowledge, health fatalism (the belief that health outcomes are outside one's control), and their interaction, as predictors of Type 2 Diabetes preventive behavior. Participants: Ethnically diverse college students (N = 345) without prior diagnosis of diabetes. Methods: Cross-sectional design using validated self-report measures. Results: Respondents answered approximately half of the diabetes knowledge items correctly. Physical activity and sedentary behavior were not predicted by diabetes knowledge, fatalism, or their interaction. Higher diabetes knowledge was associated with a healthier diet among individuals with low fatalism. Greater fatalism was associated with a poorer diet among individuals with moderate or high diabetes knowledge. Conclusions: Diabetes knowledge was moderate in this college student sample. Greater knowledge was linked with a healthier diet among those with sense of personal control over their health. College health educators may consider emphasizing modifiability of health behaviors in conjunction with Type 2 diabetes education efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine associations between sociodemographic variables, social determinants of health (SDOHs) and diabetes using health needs assessment data.Cross-sectional study.Faith-based communities in the Mid-South U.S.Of the 378 churches, 92 participated in the study (24% response rate); N = 828 church leaders and members completed the survey.The Mid-South Congregational Health Survey assessed perceived health-related needs of congregations and the communities they serve.Generalized linear mixed modeling examined the associations between sociodemographic variables (age, sex, race/ethnicity, educational level), SDOHs (affordable healthcare, healthy food, employment), and diabetes.Individuals with less education had lower odds of reporting all SDOHs as health needs compared to individuals with more education (ORrange = .59-.63). Men had lower odds of reporting diabetes as a health need or concern compared to women (OR = .70; 95% CI = .50, .97). African Americans had greater odds of reporting diabetes as a health need compared to individuals in the ‘Other’ race/ethnicity category (OR = 3.91; 95% CI = 2.20, 6.94). Individuals who reported affordable healthcare (OR = 2.54; 95% CI = 1.73, 3.72), healthy food (OR = 2.24; 95% CI = 1.55, 3.24), and employment (OR = 3.33; 95% CI = 2.29, 4.84) as health needs had greater odds of reporting diabetes as a health need compared to those who did not report these SDOHs as needs.Future studies should evaluate strategies to merge healthcare and faith-based organizations’ efforts to address SDOHs impacting diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process for the formal ratification of the proposed Anthropocene Epoch involves the identification of a globally isochronous stratigraphic signal to mark its starting point. The search for a Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), a unique reference sequence that would be used to fix the start of the epoch, is in progress but none of the candidate sections are located in Africa. We assessed the currently available stratigraphic evidence for the possible markers of the Anthropocene in southern Africa and found that, although most markers have been identified in the region, the robustly dated, high resolution records required for the GSSP are very sparse. We then assessed the extent and stratigraphic resolution of a range of potential natural archives and conclude that a small number of permanent lakes, as well as marine sediments, corals and peats from selected locations in southern Africa could provide the temporal resolution required. With sufficient chronological control and multi-proxy analyses, one of these archives could provide a useful auxiliary stratotype thereby helping to confirm the global reach, and extending the utility, of the selected Anthropocene GSSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To quantify the surgical blood loss during canine enucleation and to investigate the relationship between this and any patient, surgical, and anesthetic factors. Methods: A prospective observational analysis was conducted on 121 client‐owned dogs (130 eyes) undergoing enucleation at a referral ophthalmology clinic. Blood loss was estimated by the gravimetric method (weight difference between dry and blood‐containing surgical materials) to provide absolute blood loss (ABL) in milliliters, expressed as a percentage of circulating blood volume, to establish relative blood loss (RBL). Results: Median ABL was 12 ml (1.6–116 ml), and median RBL was 1.3% (0.1%–6.7%). A higher RBL was associated with the following: use of a bupivacaine splash block versus retrobulbar nerve block (1.9 vs. 1%; p <.001), transpalpebral versus subconjunctival approach (2.2 vs. 1.3%; p =.003), and small versus large breed dogs (1.7% vs. 1.1%; p =.001). Both ABL and RBL differed significantly between surgeons. There was no significant difference in hemorrhage associated with the presence of ocular hypertension, systemic illness, surgical time, administration of meloxicam or choice of pre‐medicant (acepromazine vs medetomidine). No dog required supportive intervention in response to surgical hemorrhage. Conclusions: This study has established a surgical blood loss estimate for dogs undergoing enucleation at an ophthalmology referral centre. Subconjunctival enucleation may be preferred for patients at greater risk of haemodynamic complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hispanic individuals have higher type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevalence, poorer outcomes, and are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Culturally-tailored, diabetes educational text messaging has previously improved HbA1c in this population. During the pandemic, hospitalized Hispanic adults with T2D (N = 172) were randomized to receive Dulce Digital-COVID Aware ("DD-CA") texting platform upon discharge plus diabetes transition service (DTS) or DTS alone. DD-CA includes diabetes educational messaging with additional COVID-safe messaging (e.g., promoting masking; social distancing; vaccination). Among adults with poorly-controlled diabetes (Mean HbA1c = 9.6 ± 2.2 %), DD-CA did not reduce 30- or 90-day readmissions compared to standard care (28 % vs 15 %, p =.06; 37 % vs 35 %, p =.9, respectively). However, the improvement in HbA1c was larger among those in the DD-CA compared to DTS at 3 months (n = 56; −2.69 % vs. −1.45 %, p =.0496) with reduced effect at 6 months (n = 64; −2.03 % vs −0.91 %, p =.07). Low follow-up completion rates and the addition of covariates (to control for baseline group differences that existed despite randomization) impacted statistical power. During the pandemic, DD-CA offered an alternative digital approach to diabetes and COVID education and support for a high-risk Hispanic population and achieved trends toward improvement in glycemic control despite relatively low engagement and not reducing hospital readmissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Needs assessments have been successful in helping communities and congregations focus their health ministry efforts; however, most have used leader perceptions of congregational health needs. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the self-reported needs of both church leaders and members to be addressed by their congregation. Church leaders (n = 369) and members (n = 459) from 92 congregations completed the 2019 Mid-South Congregational Health Survey. Frequencies and generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) were performed to examine the top 10 self-reported needs and associations by church role, respectively. Of the top 10 congregational needs, anxiety or depression, high blood pressure, stress, and healthy foods were ranked identically regardless of church role. Church leaders perceived obesity and diabetes to be important congregational health needs, whereas members perceived affordable health care and heart disease to be important congregational health needs. GLMM, controlling for within-church clustering and covariates, revealed church leaders were more likely than members to report obesity (odds ratio [ OR ]: 1.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.39, 2.67], p <.0001) and diabetes (OR : 1.73, 95% CI = [1.24, 2.41], p =.001) as congregational needs. Findings display similarities and differences in needs reported by church role. Including many perspectives when conducting congregational health needs assessments will assist the development of effective faith-based health promotion programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spinal AVF (SAVF), a potentially treatable cause of myelopathy, remains a challenging diagnosis. Its rarity and non-specific imaging findings often result in misdiagnosis despite a high index of clinical suspicion. The classically described high T2 signal in the spinal cord or prominent vascular flow voids in the intradural space were not infrequently missed on initial imaging, only to be picked up at follow-up imaging after progression of symptoms. Additionally, small sized fistulas(< 1 mm) and SAVF involving less frequent locations like the craniocervical junction in a patient presenting with paraplegia further complicates the diagnosis. On rare occasions, acute atypical presentation following a surgery adds to the conundrum. Definite diagnosis with spinal angiography, the gold-standard modality requires the expertise of highly skilled interventionists which may otherwise lead to false negative findings. We describe four SAVF patients with unconventional presentations, highlighting less described clinical findings.Case Presentation: First was a 50-year-old man presented with spastic paraparesis and was found to have an AVF at the cervical region arising from the vertebral artery. Second, a 45-year-old man with acute paraplegia post-operatively, initially treated for a transverse myelitis before lumbar region AVF was detected. Thirdly, a 27-year-old man presented with subacute lower thoracic myelopathy and deteriorated after corticosteroid treatment. The last patient, who initially appeared to have conus medullaris/cauda equina syndrome had a SAVF at the mid thoracic level. Presentation varied with some exhibiting acute deterioration mimicking other spinal cord pathology such as inflammatory disorders. All patients eventually underwent endovascular treatment with successful embolization of SDAVF. None of them exhibited further neurological deterioration after embolization.Conclusion: Successful treatment of SAVF is possible provided the diagnosis is made early, allowing timely intervention. Certain clues may aid the diagnosis. Firstly, arteriovenous fistula can be located distant to the clinical localization of myelopathy resulting in the unexpected longitudinally extensive spinal cord signal change. This clinical-radiological discrepancy can be a useful clue in diagnosing SAVF. Secondly, an acute myelopathic presentation immediately post-surgery may be related to SAVF. Other SAVF feature of note includes progressive myelopathy mimicking immune-mediated myelitis among young adults below 30 years of age refractory to immune therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We evaluated swine influenza A transmission virus in piglets with different MDA statuses after a single-dose vaccination. • The transmission rate of the challenge strain was found 3.6 time greater in MDA-positive than in MDA-negative pigs. • Estimated parameters were unsed to feed a mechanistic model of SwIAV transmission in a farrow-to-finish pig farm. • An extended SwIAV within-farm persistence was observed when both sows and piglets were batch-to-batch vaccinated. • Alternative vaccination schemes need to be tested, accounting for population dynamics and hosts' immune statuses. Swine influenza A virus (swIAV) is a major pathogen affecting pigs with a huge economic impact and potentially zoonotic. Epidemiological studies in endemically infected farms permitted to identify critical factors favoring on-farm persistence, among which maternally-derived antibodies (MDAs). Vaccination is commonly practiced in breeding herds and might be used for immunization of growing pigs at weaning. Althoughinterference between MDAs and vaccination was reported in young piglets, its impact on swIAV transmission was not yet quantified. To this aim, this study reports on a transmission experiment in piglets with or without MDAs, vaccinated with a single dose injection at four weeks of age, and challenged 17 days post-vaccination. To transpose small-scale experiments to real-life situation, estimated parameters were used in a simulation tool to assess their influence at the herd level. Based on a thorough follow-up of the infection chain during the experiment, the transmission of the swIAV challenge strain was highly dependent on the MDA status of the pigs when vaccinated. MDA-positive vaccinated animals showed a direct transmission rate 3.6-fold higher than the one obtained in vaccinated animals without MDAs, estimated to 1.2. Vaccination nevertheless reduced significantly the contribution of airborne transmission when compared with previous estimates obtained in unvaccinated animals. The integration of parameter estimates in a large-scale simulation model, representing a typical farrow-to-finish pig herd, evidenced an extended persistence of viral spread when vaccination of sows and single dose vaccination of piglets was hypothesized. When extinction was quasi-systematic at year 5 post-introduction in the absence of sow vaccination but with single dose early vaccination of piglets, the extinction probability fell down to 33% when batch-to-batch vaccination was implemented both in breeding herd and weaned piglets. These results shed light on a potential adverse effect of single dose vaccination in MDA-positive piglets, which might lead to longer persistence of the SwIAV at the herd level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing strategies that enhance the incorporation of rare and threatened flora into ecosystem restoration is urgently needed to capitalize on the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. We outline six major challenges that impede the widespread use of rare and threatened flora in restoration: (1) a lack of information about threatened species; (2) a lack of propagation material; (3) low survival rates and regeneration potential; (4) a lack of coordination and collaboration; (5) a lack of financial incentives; and (6) a lack of policy incentives. We also outline several potential solutions to overcome each of them, including changes to funding, legislation, and markets, advancing use of modern technologies and knowledge, and development of new collaborations. All stakeholders have a role to play, including practitioners, academics, funders, and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs) are a component of fly-ash, the particulate by-product of industrial high temperature combustion of fuel-oil and coal-series fuels. We provide the first evidence that these indelible markers of industrialisation have been deposited in Antarctic ice, thousands of kilometres from any potential source. The earliest observed particle was deposited in an ice layer from 1936 CE. While depositional fluxes are low, chemical analysis of individual SCPs indicates a coal combustion origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread use of Brazilian red propolis extract promotes an increased production rate in the Northeast region of Brazil, with an impressive economic turnover for the region. The rational use of the hydroalcoholic extract of red propolis (HERP) raises the question about its value against obesity. In this work, the aim is to evaluate the anti‐obesity effect of HERP in rats submitted to hyperlipid dietary (HLD) supplementation. HERP extraction yield is 17.46% (m/v). The major chemical components of HERP are found to be daidzein (4.16 ± 0.22 mg g−1), formononetin (9.21 ± 0.10 mg g−1), and biochanin A (7.08 ± 0.09 mg g−1). After 8 weeks, the animals under HLD supplementation show significantly greater body weight gain, while after the subsequent 4‐week treatment with HERP, HLD–HERP animal shows lower body weight gain than HLD‐vehicle animals. Oral administration of HERP also attenuates the pathological changes in the liver, kidney, and large intestine caused by HLD supplementation. This study demonstrates that HERP treatment has a hypolipidemic effect in a rodent model of dyslipidemia and that HERP minimizes the impact of a hyperlipidic diet on murine body weight parameters and abdominal fat accumulation. Practical Applications: Brazilian red propolis is being exploited for a range of biomedical applications. It is demonstrated that its extract has hypolipidemic effect in a rodent model of dyslipidemia and minimizes the impact of a hyperlipidic diet on murine body weight parameters and abdominal fat accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: While cardiometabolic abnormalities are associated with elevated risk of morbidity, they may not occur in all individuals with obesity. Less is known about associations with mortality, especially cancer mortality. This study examined associations between cardiometabolic-weight categories and mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and all causes. Methods: Cox proportional hazards regressions of time to all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortalities were used to examine associations with cardiometabolic-weight status, in the Multiethnic Cohort (n=157,865). Cardiometabolic-weight status categories were: Metabolically Healthy Normal Weight, Metabolically Healthy Obese, Metabolically Healthy Overweight, Metabolically Unhealthy Normal Weight, Metabolically Unhealthy Obese, and Metabolically Unhealthy Overweight. Results: Higher mortality, especially for all-cause and CVD, was found for all metabolically unhealthy groups no matter the weight classification when compared to the Metabolically Healthy Normal Weight category across sex-ethnic groups. For all-cause mortality, a reduction in mortality was seen for males in the Metabolically Healthy Overweight category (HR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.84, 0.93), especially for African American, Native Hawaiian, and Latino males. Mortality was elevated in the Metabolically Healthy Obese category for all-cause and CVD mortality in both sexes (HRrange: 1.08–1.93). Few associations were seen with cancer mortality. Conclusions: Past examinations of cardiometabolic-weight status and mortality have been hampered by a lack of diversity. In a racially/ethnically diverse population, metabolically unhealthy groups exhibited a substantially higher risk of death from all causes and CVD than metabolically healthy groups. A reduction in all-cause mortality was seen for some males classified as Metabolically Healthy Overweight; however, being classified as Metabolically Healthy Obese elevated mortality risk for males and females compared to Metabolically Healthy Normal Weight. Future research is needed to examine how sex-ethnic differences in body fat distribution and changes in weight over time influence associations between cardiometabolic-weight status and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Live animal movements generate direct contacts (via the exchange of live animals) and indirect contacts (via the transit of transport vehicles) between farms, which can contribute to the spread of pathogens. However, most analyses focus solely on direct contacts and can therefore underestimate the contribution of live animal movements in the spread of infectious diseases. Here, we used French live duck movement data (2016–2018) from one of the largest transport companies to compare direct and indirect contact patterns between duck farms and evaluate how these patterns were associated with the French 2016–2017 epidemic of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8. A total number of 614 farms were included in the study, and two directed networks were generated: the animal introduction network (exchange of live ducks) and the transit network (transit of transport vehicles). Following descriptive analyses, these two networks were scrutinized in relation to farm infection status during the epidemic. Results showed that farms were substantially more connected in the transit network than in the animal introduction network and that the transit of transport vehicles generated more opportunities for transmission than the exchange of live animals. We also showed that animal introduction and transit networks' statistics decreased substantially during the epidemic (January–March 2017) compared to non-epidemic periods (January–March 2016 and January–March 2018). We estimated a probability of 33.3 % that a farm exposed to the infection through either of the two live duck movement networks (i.e. that was in direct or indirect contact with a farm that was reported as infected in the following seven days) becomes infected within seven days after the contact. However, we also demonstrated that the level of exposure of farms by these two contact patterns was low, leading only to a handful of transmission events through these routes. As a consequence, we showed that live animal movement patterns are efficient transmission routes for HPAI but have been efficiently reduced to limit the spread during the French 2020–2021 epidemic. These results underpin the relevance of studying indirect contacts resulting from the movement of animals to understand their transmission potential and the importance of accounting for both routes when designing disease control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]