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Alexander J Steeves,1,2 William Ho,1,2,* Maria Chiara Munisso,3,* David J Lomboni,1,2 Enara Larrañaga,4 Sidney Omelon,1,5 Elena Martínez,4,6,7 Davide Spinello,1 Fabio Variola1,2,8,9 1Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; 2Ottawa-Carleton Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Ottawa, Canada; 3Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Kansai Medical University, Moriguchi, Japan; 4Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain; 5Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; 6Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER), Madrid, Spain; 7Department of Electronics and Biomedical Engineering, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 8Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; 9Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), Ottawa, ON, Canada*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Fabio Variola Email fabio.variola@uottawa.caIntroduction: In recent years there has been ample interest in nanoscale modifications of synthetic biomaterials to understand fundamental aspects of cell-surface interactions towards improved biological outcomes. In this study, we aimed at closing in on the effects of nanotubular TiO2 surfaces with variable nanotopography on the response on human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Although the influence of TiO2 nanotubes on the cellular response, and in particular on hMSC activity, has already been addressed in the past, previous studies overlooked critical morphological, structural and physical aspects that go beyond the simple nanotube diameter, such as spatial statistics.Methods: To bridge this gap, we implemented an extensive characterization of nanotubular surfaces generated by anodization of titanium with a focus on spatial structural variables including eccentricity, nearest neighbour distance (NND) and Voronoi entropy, and associated them to the hMSC response. In addition, we assessed the biological potential of a two-tiered honeycomb nanoarchitecture, which allowed the detection of combinatory effects that this hierarchical structure has on stem cells with respect to conventional nanotubular designs. We have combined experimental techniques, ranging from Scanning Electron (SEM) and Atomic Force (AFM) microscopy to Raman spectroscopy, with computational simulations to characterize and model nanotubular surfaces. We evaluated the cell response at 6 hrs, 1 and 2 days by fluorescence microscopy, as well as bone mineral deposition by Raman spectroscopy, demonstrating substrate-induced differential biological cueing at both the short- and long-term.Results: Our work demonstrates that the nanotube diameter is not sufficient to comprehensively characterize nanotubular surfaces and equally important parameters, such as eccentricity and wall thickness, ought to be included since they all contribute to the overall spatial disorder which, in turn, dictates the overall bioactive potential. We have also demonstrated that nanotubular surfaces affect the quality of bone mineral deposited by differentiated stem cells. Lastly, we closed in on the integrated effects exerted by the superimposition of two dissimilar nanotubular arrays in the honeycomb architecture.Discussion: This work delineates a novel approach for the characterization of TiO2 nanotubes which supports the incorporation of critical spatial structural aspects that have been overlooked in previous research. This is a crucial aspect to interpret cellular behaviour on nanotubular substrates. Consequently, we anticipate that this strategy will contribute to the unification of studies focused on the use of such powerful nanostructured surfaces not only for biomedical applications but also in other technology fields, such as catalysis.Keywords: nanotubes, nanotopography, spatial statistics, stem cells, bone quality

In recent years, Artificial Intelligence has been used to assist healthcare professionals in detecting and diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we propose a methodology to analyze functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging signals and perform classification between Parkinson’s disease patients and healthy participants using Machine Learning algorithms. In addition, the proposed approach provides insights into the brain regions affected by the disease. The functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging from the PPMI and 1000-FCP datasets were pre-processed to extract time series from 200 brain regions per participant, resulting in 11,600 features. Causal Forest and Wrapper Feature Subset Selection algorithms were used for dimensionality reduction, resulting in a subset of features based on their heterogeneity and association with the disease. We utilized Logistic Regression and XGBoost algorithms to perform PD detection, achieving 97.6% accuracy, 97.5% F1 score, 97.9% precision, and 97.7%recall by analyzing sets with fewer than 300 features in a population including men and women. Finally, Multiple Correspondence Analysis was employed to visualize the relationships between brain regions and each group (women with Parkinson, female controls, men with Parkinson, male controls). Associations between the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale questionnaire results and affected brain regions in different groups were also obtained to show another use case of the methodology. This work proposes a methodology to (1) classify patients and controls with Machine Learning and Causal Forest algorithm and (2) visualize associations between brain regions and groups, providing high-accuracy classification and enhanced interpretability of the correlation between specific brain regions and the disease across different groups.

Depuis quelques années, l’accès des populations aux services publics se pose comme un défi épineux pour les Etats africains. Les technologies de communication et d’information sont devenues les outils incontournables pour répondre aux défis d’accessibilité des services publics par les populations. Le numérique offre assez de possibilités pour assurer et réduire la fracture qui règne dans l’octroi des prestations publiques au profit des populations. Conscient de ces avantages, le Togo s’est doté de politiques adéquates à travers son Ministère de l’Économie Numérique afin de dématérialiser et de faciliter l’accès aux services publics. La matérialisation de cette volonté politique s’explique par la mise en place des plateformes numériques notamment celle du site service-public pour la demande des pièces d’identité, la demande du casier judiciaire, la demande d’un duplicata, d’un certificat de nationalité, le suivi de la demande initiale de nationalité et la demande de passeport dans le Grand Lomé. L’objectif de cette recherche est d’analyser la contribution du site service-public dans l’accès aux prestations des services publics. Cet article a mobilisé des données d’un sondage effectué en ligne auprès des populations du Grand-Lomé. Les résultats montrent que les populations sont informées de l’existence du site service-public et l’utilisent pour la demande du casier judiciaire, dans la majeure partie des cas, à cause du délai de traitement court. Le niveau faible de connexion ainsi que la limitation des options de paiement rendent difficile l’usage de la plateforme. Toutefois, le site service-public apporte une proximité numérique, qui vient effacer dans le Grand Lomé la distance géographique entre les lieux d’habitations des populations et les services publics.

In this article we report findings from a review of universities' academic integrity policies in Ontario, Canada. The research team systematically extracted, reviewed, and evaluated information from policy documents in an effort to understand how these documents described contract cheating in Ontario universities (n = 21). In all, 23 policies were examined for contract cheating language. The elements of access, approach, responsibility, detail, and support were examined and critiqued. Additionally, document type, document title and concept(s), specific contract cheating language, presence of contract cheating definitions and policy principles were reviewed. Findings revealed that none of the universities' policies met all of the core elements of exemplary policy, were reviewed and revised with less frequency than their college counterparts, lacked language specific to contract cheating, and were more frequently focused on punitive rather than educative approaches. These findings confirm that there is further opportunity for policy development related to the promotion of academic integrity and the prevention of contract cheating.

Shallow coastal environments are hecoming more susceptible to marine heatwaves, particularly in Atlantic Canada, which is experiencing higher rates of ocean warming compared with the global average. Understanding bivalves' tolerance to heatwaves in Atlantic Canada is especially important, given the magnitude of bivalve aquaculture in this region. In this study the physiological state of four commercially important bivalve species--blue mussel (Mytilus edulis Linnaeus, 1758), eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791)), soft shell clam (Mya arenaria Linnaeus, 1758), and hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758))--was observed during a naturally occurring heatwave in Prince Edward Island, Canada. The metabolism, feeding physiology, and scope for growth of each species were compared. Results from this study, and comparisons with the literature, show interspecific variability in the metabolic rate and feeding physiology between species, but generally oysters, soft shell clams, and hard clams were less impacted during the heatwave compared with the blue mussels. Additionally, only the scope for growth of mussels declined throughout this experiment, which may be explained by cumulative heat stress, as temperatures experienced during this heatwave exceeded the thermal tolerance limits of mussels. Key words: oxygen consumption rate, feeding physiology, extreme event, mussel, oyster, clam, Introduction Bivalves are both economically and ecologically valued species that play a vital role in coastal ecosystem functioning (Ysebaert et al. 2019). Most bivalves filter plankton and detritus out of [...]

Mycale (Mycale) loveni (Fristedt, 1887) is a very large structure-forming sponge that has previously heen reported in the North Pacific, North Atlantic, and Arctic oceans. Through morphological and molecular examination, North Atlantic and Eastern Canadian Arctic specimens are now described as a new species, Mycale (Mycale) lorea sp. nov. The two species have similar external morphology; however, the spicules that make up their skeletons differ in size and shape, and the species are also separated phylogenetically by multiple genetic markers. Key words: Porifera, Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, Mycale, new species, Introduction The genus Mycale is a large group of sponges (phylum Porifera) with a global distribution, containing 12 subgenera and more than 255 species (van Soest et al. 2021; de [...]

Abstract While microplastics have been recently detected in human blood and the placenta, their impact on human health is not well understood. Using a mouse model of environmental exposure during pregnancy, our group has previously reported that exposure to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics throughout gestation results in fetal growth restriction. While polystyrene is environmentally relevant, polyethylene is the most widely produced plastic and amongst the most commonly detected microplastic in drinking water and human blood. In this study, we investigated the effect of maternal exposure to polyethylene micro- and nanoplastics on fetal growth and placental function. Healthy, pregnant CD-1 dams were divided into three groups: 106 ng/L of 740–4990 nm polyethylene with surfactant in drinking water (n = 12), surfactant alone in drinking water (n = 12) or regular filtered drinking water (n = 11). At embryonic day 17.5, high-frequency ultrasound was used to investigate the placental and fetal hemodynamic responses following exposure. While maternal exposure to polyethylene did not impact fetal growth, there was a significant effect on placental function with a 43% increase in umbilical artery blood flow in the polyethylene group compared to controls (p

Objectives: To quantify the number and type of students failing to secure basic needs. Participants: Students attending 22 postsecondary schools in the United States in Fall 2019. Methods: The Adult Food Security Module and part of the #RealCollege Survey were used to measure food and housing insecurity, respectively. Logistic and linear regression models were used to assess the relationship between selected factors and basic needs insecurities. Results: Participants (n = 22,153) were classified as 44.1% and 52.3% food insecure and housing insecure, respectively. Homeless students or those who experienced childhood food insecurity were at the greatest odds of college food insecurity. Year in school was the largest contributor to being housing insecure, with PhD or EdD students being 1,157% more likely to experience housing insecurity compared to freshmen. Conclusions: High prevalence of basic needs insecurities remain. Current campus initiatives may be insufficient, calling for a more holistic approach at the campus, state, and national levels.

IntroductionRecent cash-value benefit (CVB) increases are a positive development to help increase WIC participant fruits and vegetables (FV) access. Little is known about the impacts of the CVB changes on FV redemptions or about implementation successes and challenges among WIC State and local agencies. This mixed method study aimed to evaluate (a) the CVB changes’ impact on FV access among WIC child participants measured by CVB redemption rates, (b) facilitators and barriers to CVB changes’ implementation, and (c) differences in FV redemption and facilitators and barriers by race/ethnicity.MethodsWe requested redemption data from all 89 State agencies for April 2020 to September 2022 and utilized descriptive statistics, interrupted time series analysis (ITS), and generalized linear regression analysis. Additionally, we recruited State agencies, local agencies, and caregivers across the U.S. for interviews and used rapid qualitative analysis to find emerging themes anchored in policy evaluation and implementation science frameworks.ResultsWe received redemption data from 27 State agencies and interviewed 23 State agencies, 61 local agencies, and 76 caregivers of child WIC participants. CVB monthly redemptions increased at $35/child/month compared to $9/child/month; however, adjusted ITS analyses found a decrease in redemption rates at $35/child/month. The decrease was not significant when the transition/first implementation month was excluded with rates progressively increasing over time. Differences were found among racial/ethnic groups, with lower redemption rates observed for non-Hispanic Black caregivers. Overall, WIC caregivers reported high satisfaction and utilization at the $35/child/month. The frequent and quick turnaround CVB changes strained WIC agency resources with agencies serving higher caseloads of diverse racial and ethnic populations experiencing greater issues with implementing the CVB changes.ConclusionDespite implementation challenges, the increased CVB shows promise to improve WIC participant FV access and satisfaction with WIC. WIC agencies need adequate lead time to update the CVB amounts, and resources and support to help ensure equitable distribution and utilization of the FV benefits.

Introduction Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Nutrition Training Programs aim to train graduate-level registered dietitian/nutritionists (RDNs) to improve the health of MCH populations. Metrics exist to evaluate the production and success of skilled graduates; however, metrics are needed regarding the reach of MCH professionals. This study aimed to develop, validate, and administer a survey to estimate the reach of a MCH Nutrition Training Program's alumni within the MCH population. Methods First, content validity of the survey was established with input from an expert panel (n = 4); face validity was established using cognitive interviews (n = 5) with RDNs; a test-retest (n = 37) was conducted to establish instrument reliability. The final survey, emailed to a convenience sample of alumni, received a response rate of 57% s(n = 56 of 98). Descriptive analyses were completed to identify MCH populations that alumni served. Survey responses were used to develop a storyboard. Results Most respondents were employed (93%; n = 52) and serving MCH populations (89%; n = 50). Of those serving MCH populations, 72% indicated working with families, 70% with mothers/women, 60% with young adults, 50% with children, 44% with adolescents, 40% with infants, and 26% with children and youth with special health care needs. The storyboard was created and visually represents connections between public health nutrition employment classification, direct reach, and indirect reach of sampled alumni to MCH populations served. Conclusion The survey and storyboard are important tools that allow MCH Nutrition training programs to demonstrate their reach and to justify the impact of workforce development investments on MCH populations., Author(s): Marissa McElrone [sup.1] , Julianne Evans [sup.2] , Elizabeth Anderson Steeves [sup.2] , Cristina S. Barroso [sup.3] , Marsha Spence [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.267303.3, 0000 0000 9338 1949, [...]

Abstract Background Authentic researcher-youth partnerships in patient-oriented research (POR) where the research responds to the needs expressed by youth themselves are essential to make research meaningful. While patient-oriented research (POR) is increasingly practiced, few training programs exist in Canada and none, to our knowledge, are tailored for youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD). Our primary objective was to explore the training needs of youth (ages 18–25) with NDD to enhance their knowledge, confidence, and skills as research partners. Our secondary objective was to identify the benefits and challenges of engaging youth with NDD in a POR approach. Methods Our team of four youth and one parent with lived experience [Youth Engagement in Research (YER) partners] and six researchers engaged in POR to investigate the primary objective via two phases: (1) individual interviews with youth living with NDD and (2) a two-day virtual symposium with focus groups with youth and researchers. Collaborative qualitative content analysis was employed to synthesize the data. Our secondary objective was assessed by asking our YER partners to complete the Public and Patient Engagement Evaluation Tool (PPEET) survey and participate in reflective discussions. Results Phase 1 participants (n = 7) identified various barriers and facilitators to their engagement in research and offered suggestions to meet their needs through minimizing barriers and integrating facilitators, which would subsequently enhance their knowledge, confidence, and skills as research partners. Informed by phase 1, phase 2 participants (n = 17) prioritized the following POR training needs: researcher-youth communication, research roles and responsibilities, and finding partnership opportunities. For delivery methods, participants stated the importance of youth representation, using Universal Design for Learning, and co-learning between youth and researchers. Based on the PPEET data and subsequent discussions, YER partners agreed that they were able to express views freely, feel that their views were heard, and that their participation made a meaningful difference. Challenges included scheduling difficulties, ensuring multiple methods for engagement, and working under short timelines. Conclusion This study identified important training needs for youth with NDD and for researchers to engage in meaningful POR, which can subsequently inform the co-production of accessible training opportunities with and for youth.

Abstract Background Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are a core feature of most neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases. White matter hyperintensities and brain atrophy have been implicated in NPS. We aimed to investigate the relative contribution of white matter hyperintensities and cortical thickness to NPS in participants across neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases. Methods Five hundred thirteen participants with one of these conditions, i.e. Alzheimer’s Disease/Mild Cognitive Impairment, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Frontotemporal Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, or Cerebrovascular Disease, were included in the study. NPS were assessed using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory – Questionnaire and grouped into hyperactivity, psychotic, affective, and apathy subsyndromes. White matter hyperintensities were quantified using a semi-automatic segmentation technique and FreeSurfer cortical thickness was used to measure regional grey matter loss. Results Although NPS were frequent across the five disease groups, participants with frontotemporal dementia had the highest frequency of hyperactivity, apathy, and affective subsyndromes compared to other groups, whilst psychotic subsyndrome was high in both frontotemporal dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Results from univariate and multivariate results showed that various predictors were associated with neuropsychiatric subsyndromes, especially cortical thickness in the inferior frontal, cingulate, and insula regions, sex(female), global cognition, and basal ganglia-thalamus white matter hyperintensities. Conclusions In participants with neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases, our results suggest that smaller cortical thickness and white matter hyperintensity burden in several cortical-subcortical structures may contribute to the development of NPS. Further studies investigating the mechanisms that determine the progression of NPS in various neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases are needed.

Abstract Molecular tools are increasingly applied for assessing and monitoring biodiversity and informing conservation action. While recent developments in genetic and genomic methods provide greater sensitivity in analysis and the capacity to address new questions, they are not equally available to all practitioners: There is considerable bias across institutions and countries in access to technologies, funding, and training. Consequently, in many cases, more accessible traditional genetic data (e.g., microsatellites) are still utilized for making conservation decisions. Conservation approaches need to be pragmatic by tackling clearly defined management questions and using the most appropriate methods available, while maximizing the use of limited resources. Here we present some key questions to consider when applying the molecular toolbox for accessible and actionable conservation management. Finally, we highlight a number of important steps to be addressed in a collaborative way, which can facilitate the broad integration of molecular data into conservation.