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Aquaponics is a system of aquaculture that uses waste produced by farmed aquatic animals to supply nutrients to a hydroponic system for growing plants. The growth of Cannabis sativa in aquaponics systems displays the potential for well-managed aquaponic systems to produce a variety of crops. A small, commercial-style aquaponic system was used to test how nutrient management techniques impact the growth of Cannabis sativa in a decoupled aquaponics system. Treatments included: a recirculating treatment using aquaponic system effluent plus nutrient supplementation (AqRN), a flow-through treatment utilizing aquaponic system effluent (AqFT), a flow-through hydroponic treatment supplemented with aquaponic effluent (10% by volume) (AqHydro), and a flow-through hydroponic control treatment (Hydro). Following a 13-week growing trial, flower buds were harvested, dried, and cured to determine yields from each treatment. Cured samples (3g) were sent to a lab for analysis of cannabinoids and terpenes.Results show growing hemp in aquaponics systems can provide comparable yields to hydroponic systems. No significant difference in yield existed between AqHydro, Hydro, and AqFT treatments. The AqRN treatment showed a significantly lower trimmed yield and plants showed signs of stress and nutrient deficiency approaching the end of the trial. The AqFT produced fewer overall terpenes than the other treatments and may benefit from micro-nutrient supplementation. The AqHydro and Hydro treatments showed no significant difference in water quality or yield. However, the AqHydro treatment consumed less water, indicating that supplementation with aquaculture effluent has the potential to significantly reduce the cost of fertigation in hydroponics systems.

With improved healthcare, the Down syndrome (DS) population is both growing and aging rapidly. However, with longevity comes a very high risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The LIFE-DSR study (NCT04149197) is a longitudinal natural history study recruiting 270 adults with DS over the age of 25. The study is designed to characterize trajectories of change in DS-associated AD (DS-AD). The current study reports its cross-sectional analysis of the first 90 subjects enrolled. Plasma biomarkers phosphorylated tau protein (p-tau), neurofilament light chain (NfL), amyloid β peptides (Aβ1-40, Aβ1-42), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were undertaken with previously published methods. The clinical data from the baseline visit include demographics as well as the cognitive measures under the Severe Impairment Battery (SIB) and Down Syndrome Mental Status Examination (DS-MSE). Biomarker distributions are described with strong statistical associations observed with participant age. The biomarker data contributes to understanding DS-AD across the spectrum of disease. Collectively, the biomarker data show evidence of DS-AD progression beginning at approximately 40 years of age. Exploring these data across the full LIFE-DSR longitudinal study population will be an important resource in understanding the onset, progression, and clinical profiles of DS-AD pathophysiology.

Alla El-Awaisi,1 Ahmed Awaisu,1 Shimaa Aboelbaha,1 Zeinab Abedini,1 Jessie Johnson,2 Samya Ahmad Al-Abdulla3 1Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Practice, College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; 2Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary Qatar, Doha, Qatar; 3Department of Clinical Operations, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, QatarCorrespondence: Alla El-AwaisiDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy and Practice, College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, QatarEmail elawaisi@qu.edu.qaBackground: Primary healthcare (PHC) setting is regarded as a central pillar to the healthcare system as it tends to be the first point of contact for patients. Interprofessional collaboration between healthcare professionals (HCP) in PHC settings remains unexplored in the Middle East.Aim: The objective of this study was to explore the perspectives of HCP in PHC centers towards interprofessional collaboration and to identify the facilitators and the barriers to collaborative practice.Methods: A cross-sectional, web- and paper-based survey involving HCP in PHC centers was conducted in Qatar. Descriptive statistics as well as Student’s t-test and One Way ANOVA test were performed to determine statistical differences in Readiness for Interprofessional Learning (RIPLs) scores between demographic groups.Results: Overall, 1415 participants out of a potential 2500 HCP practicing in Qatar completed the survey (response rate, 56.6%). HCP generally indicated a positive attitude and readiness towards interprofessional collaboration. Furthermore, physicians had slightly more positive readiness towards understanding their professional identity than other healthcare professionals. Participants with previous interprofessional collaboration or interprofessional education experiences exhibited greater, but non-significant positive attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration compared to those without previous experiences. Identified barriers and facilitato

Stroke is one of the more disabling conditions which may result in the inability for survivors to care for themselves independently. Stroke survivors benefit most when they receive early onset assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation. Increasingly, stroke care in Canadian hospitals relies on an interdisciplinary rehabilitation team approach to provide immediate rehabilitation services and to make decisions about discharge destination for stroke survivors. Currently, there is little research on how interdisciplinary rehabilitation teams decide upon rehabilitation placements for stroke survivors or how individuals on the team, stroke survivors, or their families participate in and contribute to this decision. This research studied the culture of the interdisciplinary rehabilitation team to understand the specific client, clinical, and family situations considered by team members and how that information was communicated and evaluated by them during their decision-making. To address the research question, the researcher undertook an ethnographic study of a health care team on a stroke unit of a Canadian hospital. Based on observations of the interdisciplinary rehabilitation team and interviews with team members, the study found that decisions about post-hospital discharge destination were conditioned by variables related to the social, economic, and policy context; interactions among members of the team; and the condition of stroke survivors or their families and their ability and willingness to contribute to home care.

The purpose of this study is to understand how Clinical Nurse Educators use reflective practices with students. While the value of reflective practice has been vigorously discussed in both nursing and educational literature, studies to support its benefits remain strangely elusive. The appeal of reflective practice has arisen out of a sustained conviction that life experience offers a legitimate and rich form of knowledge. If captured, it may narrow the gap between the non practical nature of theories and the complexities of everyday practice problems. The research question for this study is: "How do Clinical Nurse Educators foster student reflection?" The primary source of data for this qualitative study was generated from in-depth interviews with five clinical nurse educators at the University College of the Cariboo school of nursing. Participants were selected on the basis of their interest in reflective practice which was in part determined by their attendance at a seminar presentation on this topic. The data collected from the interviews were categorized into predominant emergent themes outlined below and explored within the context of current literature. As a result of the findings, practice recommendations follow. These were further developed to offer suggestions for fostering reflective thinking in students. The themes outlined in this study are as follows: Reflection is deliberate and purposeful Reflection triggers a critical response to any situation whether good or bad Affect and reflective practice are strongly linked Reflection occurs on a continuum Reflection provides increased awareness of problems and issues Fostering reflection with students requires time and an open and caring environment

Johnson, J., Smith, G., & Wilkinson, A. (2015). Factors that influence the decision-making of an interdisciplinary rehabilitation team when choosing a discharge destination for stroke survivors. Canadian Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 37(2), 26-32. Available here