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In ewe lambs, acceleration of growth and accumulation of both muscle and fat leads to earlier sexual maturity and better reproductive performance. The next stage in the development of this theme is to test whether these aspects of growth in young ewes affect milk production in their first lactation and the growth of their first progeny. We studied 75 young Merino ewes that had known phenotypic values for depth of eye muscle (EMD) and fat (FAT), and known Australian Sheep Breeding Values for post-weaning weight (PWT) and depths of eye muscle (PEMD) and fat (PFAT). They lambed for the first time at 1 year of age. Their lambs were weighed weekly from birth to weaning at 10 weeks to determine live weight gain and weaning weight. Progeny birth weight was positively associated with live weight gain and weaning weight (P0.05). The PWT of the sire was positively associated with live weight gain (P0.05). The concentrations of fat, protein, lactose and total solids in the milk were not affected by the phenotype or genotype of the mothers or of the sires of the mothers, or by the sex of the progeny (P>0.05). We conclude that selection of young Merino ewes for better growth, and more rapid accumulation of muscle and fat, will lead to progeny that are heavier at birth, grow faster and are heavier at weaning. Moreover, milk production and composition do not seem to be affected by the genetic merit of the mother for post-weaning live weight or PEMD or PFAT. Therefore, Merino ewes can lamb at 1 year of age without affecting the production objectives of the Merino sheep industry.

The paper discusses the correlation between the heating of shallow groundwater over a 10 × 20 km wide area close to the town of Nizza Monferrato (Piemonte Region, Northern Italy) and the concomitant local seismic sequences during the period August 2000 – July 2001. The first seismic sequence started on 21 August 2000 with a Ml = 5.2 earthquake. Within few hours, the local authorities received calls alerting that the groundwater temperature rose from 10 to 30°C in many shallow wells. Our geochemical experimental data and the geological-seismotectonic framework do not allow the hypothesis of simple fluid mixing between the thermal reservoir of Acqui Terme and the Nizza-Monferrato shallow groundwater to explain the observed thermal anomalies. On the other hand, we invoke more complex processes such as frictional heating, mechano-chemistry, fault-valve mechanism, adiabatic decompression and hydrogeologically driven heat flow i.e., thermal effects due to variations of basin-scale permeability field. All these processes are able to transmit heat to the surface and to generate a transient incremental heat flow better than the mass transfer occurring typically when fluids from different reservoirs mix.

The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has accelerated the development and use of digital health platforms to support individuals with health-related challenges. This is even more frequent in the field of cancer care as the global burden of the disease continues to increase every year. However, optimal implementation of these platforms into the clinical setting requires careful planning and collaboration. An implementation project was launched between the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux (CIUSSS) du Centre-Ouest-de-I'Île-de-Montreal and BELONG-Beating Cancer Together-a person-centred cancer navigation and support digital health platform. The goal of the project was to implement content and features specific to the CIUSSS, to be made available exclusively for individuals with cancer (and their caregivers) treated at the institution. Guided by Structural Model of Interprofessional Collaboration, we report on implementation processes involving diverse stakeholders including clinicians, hospital administrators, researchers and local community/patient representatives. Lessons learned include earlier identification of shared goals and clear expectations, more consistent reliance on virtual means to communicate among all involved, and patient/caregiver involvement in each step to ensure informed and shared decision making.

Background: High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy is a precise form of radiation therapy that targets cancerous tumors by directly applying the radiation source at the site or directly next to the tumor. Patients often experience but underreport pain and anxiety related to cancer treatments. At present, there is no research available concerning the pervasiveness and intensity of patients' pain and anxiety during rectal brachytherapy., Objective: The aim of this study was to examine patients' thoughts, emotions, coping strategies, physical sensations, and needs during rectal HDR brachytherapy treatment., Methods: Twenty-five patients with rectal cancer were interviewed using a semi-structured qualitative interview following the completion of their brachytherapy treatment delivered at a Montreal-based hospital in Quebec, Canada., Results: The experiences of pain and discomfort varied greatly between patients and were linked to the meaning patients attributed to the treatment itself, sense of time, the body's lithotomic position, insertion of the treatment applicator, and the patients' sense of agency and empowerment during the procedure. Patients drew upon a variety of internal and external resources to help them cope with discomfort., Conclusion: Staff need to know about the variation in the physical and emotional experiences of patients undergoing this treatment., Implications for Practice: Clinical teams can tailor their procedural behavior (eg, using certain language, psychosocial interventions) according to patients' needs to increase patients' comfort and ultimately improve their experience of HDR rectal brachytherapy.

Background: Pain and anxiety have been reported as primary concerns for patients with head-and-neck, gynecologic, and prostate cancers undergoing high dose rate (hdr) brachytherapy. However, almost no research has been published on the degree to which these symptoms are experienced by rectal cancer patients undergoing hdr brachytherapy. We conducted a pilot study examining the experiences of rectal cancer patients during hdr brachytherapy, specifically the intensity and trajectory of their anxiety and pain., Methods: Rectal cancer patients (n = 25) who received hdr brachytherapy treatment at a hospital in Montreal, Quebec, completed verbal analog scales for pain and anxiety at 4 time points over 4 treatment days., Results: On all 4 days, a subset of patients reported moderate-to-severe anxiety before applicator insertion. Pain increased significantly from the time patients were lying on the table to immediately after insertion of the applicator (p < 0.001). Insertion of the applicator appears to be the most painful part of the procedure, and although anxiety declined to below baseline after applicator removal, pain remained somewhat elevated. Some patients required conscious sedation; however, reports of moderate-to-severe pain were more frequent from patients who received pain medications than from patients who did not receive such medication (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: Most patients with rectal cancer tolerated hdr rectal brachytherapy well, although the procedure is stressful and painful for some. Insertion of the applicator was found to be the point of maximal pain, and medication was not always completely successful at alleviating the pain, suggesting that additional psychosocial interventions might be needed, with particular emphasis on the time of applicator insertion.