University of British Columbia

Widespread microplastic contamination affects the marine-coastal ecosystems in British Columbia, Canada. To understand the characteristics and spatial distribution of microplastics (MPs), we compared the MPs in sediments (n = 159) and Varnish clams (Nuttallia obscurata; n = 160) collected from two estuarine ecosystems (Cowichan and K'ómoks) experiencing different anthropogenic impacts; primarily resource extraction (i.e., logging) at Cowichan and urban development at K'omoks. Our objective was to determine the MP abundance levels in sediments and clams and infer possible sources of MPs at the two estuaries. Microplastic polymer type was confirmed through FTIR spectrometry. The average abundance of MPs in sediments were 14.37 ± 11.57 particles/kg in the Cowichan Estuary and 30.96 ± 14.58 particles/kg in the K'ómoks Estuary. Varnish clam samples contained average abundance of 3.62 ± 2.58 particles/g and 2.24 ± 1.96 particles/g in Cowichan and K'ómoks estuaries, respectively. The Cowichan Estuary's marine terminal and K'ómoks Marina were found to be hotspots for MPs, likely due to a combination of industrial and local sources. Fibers were the most common type of MPs found in both sediment (53.34 %) and clam samples (53.5 %) from Cowichan, as well as in clam samples in% K'ómoks, indicating a potential link to textile sources contributing to the widespread presence of MPs in the marine environment. There was no clear signal based on the primary use of the estuary. Polyethylene was the predominant polymer type of MPs found in sediment and clam samples at Cowichan, whereas Polyester was most common at K'ómoks. Our study revealed the ubiquitous nature of these emerging pollutants in the sensitive estuarine environments of BC, with implications for plastic waste management and the reduction of plastic pollution at the regional level.

Public stigma and prejudice toward people with psychiatric conditions is highly prevalent and damaging. Explanations for the origins of mental illness can influence attitudes toward people with these conditions. To date, studies exploring the effects of explanations for the origins of mental illness have focused on genetic or environmental explanations, and the impact of evidence‐based multifactorial explanations for psychiatric illness on public attitudes remains unknown. Participants were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk to watch a 4‐min video about the “mental illness jar model”—an evidence‐based analogy that explains the complex interactions between genes and environment in the development of mental illness. Participants provided demographic information and completed questions regarding knowledge about the causes of mental illness, and the Prejudice towards People with Mental Illness (PPMI) scale both before and after watching the video. A total of 106 eligible participants completed the study. Watching the video had no significant effect on participants' knowledge about the causes of mental illness ( p = 0.06), but there was a significant decrease in prejudicial attitudes toward mental illness ( p = 0.0003), the effect size was small (−0.15). The use of this brief video (available at cogastudy.org ) is a promising tool to decrease prejudicial attitudes toward mental illness that warrants further study.

Wild bees (Hymenoptera) that visit croplands rely on adjacent habitat to provide essential resources such as pollen, nectar, and nesting locations. This study compared wild bee assemblages on salt marshes and dykes, two coastal habitats proximal to cropland in Nova Scotia, Canada. We hypothesised that dykes would have a greater wild bee abundance and richness compared to salt marshes due to greater floral abundance and richness and nesting habitat availability. Wild bee richness and abundance differences between habitats were not significant. Most notably, Bombus (Latreille) and Megachildae (Latreille) bees were observed visiting a wind-pollinated salt marsh grass, Sporobolus michauxianus (Peterson and Saarela) (Poaceae). Several notable species were also observed, including the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada species of concern, Bombus terricola (Kirby) (Hymenoptera: Apidae), and Lasioglossum taylorae (Gibbs) (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), a first Nova Scotia record. Floral abundance and richness were significantly greater in dyke habitats. These results contradict other studies that indicate a tight relationship between wild bees and floral abundance and richness. To help conserve these wild bees and their contributions to agriculture, more research is needed to understand how these species use salt marshes and dykes.

While the newborn’s brain is functionally organised early on—with similar resting state networks as those of adults present at birth—these networks continue to develop at different rates and in complex ways over time. While most in vivo functional imaging studies examine the spatial characteristics of resting state networks (RSNs), such as their size or the degree of connectivity, the temporal characteristics of these networks are less well characterised. We set out to examine the long-range temporal correlation (LRTC) of the fMRI blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal using the Hurst exponent in various RSNs in infants born very preterm shortly after birth (< 32 weeks gestational age; n = 64) and again later at term equivalent age (TEA) (n = 69). The Hurst exponent in grey matter and white matter was 0.69 at preterm age and increased significantly to 0.80 at TEA, with a greater difference between the tissues at TEA. The Hurst exponent in RSNs similarly was found to be approximately 0.68 for most networks at preterm age but increased significantly at different rates by TEA: 0.77 and 0.76 in the cerebellum and frontal networks respectively, and 0.84 and 0.83 in the motor and visual networks respectively. This pattern is partly consistent with findings from previous functional connectivity fMRI studies that the general growth and maturation of RSNs occur first and develop more quickly in sensory and motor networks, but later in associative networks like frontal ones. Importantly, this is the first time that this pattern has been shown in the LRTC of the fMRI BOLD signal itself, an area of study that may provide greater insight into functional brain development.

Background Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) is commonly used to reduce spasticity in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Children with CP have an increased risk of spinal deformities that increase with age and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level. Few studies have considered the risk of spinal deformity post-SDR by GMFCS level. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the incidence and severity of spinal deformities in children with CP, overall and by GMFCS level, a minimum of 5 years after SDR. Methods In this retrospective review, participants included all those who had an SDR before January 1, 2013, at a Canadian pediatric hospital. Participants had to have a spine radiograph preoperatively and a minimum 5 years post-SDR. Age, GMFCS level, level of laminectomy, percentage of rootlets cut, and orthopaedic surgical history were collected. Scoliosis was evaluated using coronal curve and was measured pre-SDR and a minimum 5 years post-SDR or until spine surgery. When available, sagittal plane radiographs were reviewed. Results A total of 107 participants (61 male, 46 female), at GMFCS levels I to V (2,25,22,45, and 13, respectively) were included. The mean age at SDR was 4.8 years (SD 1.5), with a mean follow-up of 12.7 years (SD 4.9). Post-SDR, 57 (53%) participants had scoliosis, with the major curve averaging 46 degrees (SD 34.9). Scoliosis measuring >10 degrees was found in 8 (32%) participants at level II, 4 (18%) at level III, 33 (73%) at level IV and 12 (92%) at level V. No participants at GMFCS levels I to III, and 35% and 67% of those at levels IV and V, respectively, had a curve magnitude >40 degrees. Of those who had lateral imaging, 38% had excessive kyphosis, 21% hyperlordosis, and 16% spondylolisthesis. Conclusions The rate of scoliosis is consistent with the natural history of children with CP without surgical intervention as reported in the literature when compared by GMFCS level and curve severity. Level of Evidence Level IV.

A fundamental obstacle to understanding high-temperature superconducting cuprates is that the occurrence of superconductivity hinders the observation of the normal-state properties at low temperature. One important property illustrating this issue is the spin susceptibility: its decrease upon cooling in the normal state is considered as evidence of pseudogap behaviour. However, unambiguous interpretation of this decrease has been impossible, as the crucial low-temperature data inevitably reflect the superconducting pairing rather than the normal state. Here we measure the spin susceptibility of YBa2Cu3Oy at low temperature while suppressing superconductivity in high magnetic field. We found that there are two thermally activated contributions, each of which comes from a different gap, alongside a residual component due to gapless excitations. We relate these two distinct gaps to short-range charge density waves and to the formation of singlets, as occurs in certain quantum spin systems. Both phenomena contribute to the pseudogap at low temperature, supplementing the short-lived antiferromagnetism that initiates pseudogap behaviour at high temperatures. We, therefore, propose that the pseudogap should be regarded as a composite property and that, when not undergoing spin-stripe ordering, underdoped cuprates tend to form short-range spin singlets.

Flower color change, a common phenomenon that is important in pollination ecology, has intrigued scientists for decades. While previous flower color studies have mainly focused on color diversity among different plant species, our focus is on unraveling the mechanism of post‐anthesis color change (PACC) and the molecular basis for its presence and absence, respectively, in two closely related species of Lotus , Lotus filicaulis and Lotus japonicus MG20. Metabolomic analysis reveals anthocyanins as the key metabolites responsible for the observed PACC. Differential expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic and transport genes causes the variation in PACC between the two Lotus species. Crucially, the significant upregulation of a functionally characterized MYB regulator, LfPAP1 , is linked to the accumulation of anthocyanins and visible color alterations in L. filicaulis flowers. Notably, we uncover a nucleotide polymorphism in the initiation codon of LjPAP1 . Although this mutation does not affect transcription, we show that it has a major effect in attenuating protein translation, reducing its capacity to activate anthocyanin biosynthesis, and leading to a failure of PACC in L. japonicus MG20. Our study sheds light on mechanisms of PACC phenomenon and highlights the potential for mutations in initiation sequences to generate phenotypic differences between species in evolution.

Background/Objective Cellular immune markers of inflammation such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and systemic immune inflammation index (SII) are frequently used in patient care. The adoption of these markers to elite sports, e.g. soccer could be beneficial when monitoring training and aiming to maximize physical fitness. This study investigated cellular immune inflammation markers and physical fitness in elite male soccer players in relation to changes in training and match exposure during a congested match play period. Methods Fifteen elite male soccer players were evaluated three times (T1, T2, and T3) over 12 weeks (T1–T2: six weeks uncongested period of match play and T2–T3: six weeks congested period of match play). Players performed vertical jump tests (squat jumps [SJ], countermovement jumps [CMJ]), the 20-meter sprint test, and the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test (YYIRL1) at T1, T2 and T3. Measurements included counts of leucocytes and its subtypes, as well as platelets. Cellular immune inflammation markers (NLR, PLR and SII) were calculatedat T1, T2, and T3. Training session rating of perceived exertion was also recorded on a daily basis. Results Significant increases in leucocyte, neutrophil, eosinophil, basophil and monocyte counts occurred at T3 compared with T2 (0.002 < p < 0.04, -0.56 < ES < -0.40) and T1 (-0.78 < ES < -0.49). Lymphocyte counts were lower at T3 as compared to T2 and T1 (p = 0.038, -0.48 < ES <-0.25), while NLR, PLR and SII were greater at T3 compared to T2 (0.001 < p < 0.015, -1.01 < ES < -0.44) and T1 (-0.99 < ES < -0.21). There was a negative correlation between YYIRL1 performance with NLR (r= -0.56; p = 0.02), PLR (r=-0,44, p = 0.015), and SII (r= -0.63; p = 0.01) after the congested period of match play (i.e., T3). Values for maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), estimated from the YYIRL1 test, negatively correlated with NLR (r= -0.56; p = 0.02), PLR (r=-0,44, p = 0.015), and SII (p = 0.01; r= -0.63). There was a positive correlation between NLR, and SII with workload parameters. In addition, a clear positive correlation was observed between NLR and SII with competitive loadinstead (r= [0.59–0.64; p˂ 0.001), training load (TL) (r= [0.65–0.68]; p˂ 0.001), session rating of perceived exertion (S-RPE) (r= [0.65–0.68]; p = 0.001), and training volume (r= [0.60–0.61; p = 0.001). Conclusion An intensive period of congested match play significantly alterated immune cell counts and cellular markers of inflammation (NLR, PLR and SII). Changes in NLR and SII were related to workload parameters, suggesting the usefulness of these markers in regulating training intensity and competitive load. An association between physical fitness (YYIRL1, VO2max) and NLR, PLR and SII suggests that these biomarkers are promising tools to monitor aerobic physical fitness of elite soccer players during congested periods of match play.

Importance Cancer mortality has decreased over time, but the contributions of different interventions across the cancer control continuum to averting cancer deaths have not been systematically evaluated across major cancer sites. Objective To quantify the contributions of prevention, screening (to remove precursors [interception] or early detection), and treatment to cumulative number of cancer deaths averted from 1975 to 2020 for breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers. Design, Setting, and Participants In this model-based study using population-level cancer mortality data, outputs from published models developed by the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network were extended to quantify cancer deaths averted through 2020. Model inputs were based on national data on risk factors, cancer incidence, cancer survival, and mortality due to other causes, and dissemination and effects of prevention, screening (for interception and early detection), and treatment. Simulated or modeled data using parameters derived from multiple birth cohorts of the US population were used. Interventions Primary prevention via smoking reduction (lung), screening for interception (cervix and colorectal) or early detection (breast, cervix, colorectal, and prostate), and therapy (breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate). Main Outcomes and Measures The estimated cumulative number of cancer deaths averted with interventions vs no advances. Results An estimated 5.94 million cancer deaths were averted for breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers combined. Cancer prevention and screening efforts averted 8 of 10 of these deaths (4.75 million averted deaths). The contribution of each intervention varied by cancer site. Screening accounted for 25% of breast cancer deaths averted. Averted cervical cancer deaths were nearly completely averted through screening and removal of cancer precursors as treatment advances were modest during the study period. Averted colorectal cancer deaths were averted because of screening and removal of precancerous polyps or early detection in 79% and treatment advances in 21%. Most lung cancer deaths were avoided by smoking reduction (98%) because screening uptake was low and treatment largely palliative before 2014. Screening contributed to 56% of averted prostate cancer deaths. Conclusions and Relevance Over the past 45 years, cancer prevention and screening accounted for most cancer deaths averted for these causes; however, their contribution varied by cancer site according to these models using population-level cancer mortality data. Despite progress, efforts to reduce the US cancer burden will require increased dissemination of effective interventions and new technologies and discoveries.

Space flights can produce physiological changes in the spine, leading to the development of acute and chronic pain in passengers. However, there is a lack of comprehensive literature exploring physiological spine changes and acute and chronic pain in space passengers (astronauts and animals). The first aim of this study was to identify the physiological changes experienced by passengers (humans and animals) after space flight. The second aim was to identify the incidence of low back pain during and after space flight. This systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines and was pre-registered in PROSPERO (ID 451144). We included Randomized Controlled Trials or longitudinal studies in humans and animals, and the variables must be assessed either in-flight or post-flight. We conducted a literature search in major databases combining the keywords: Pain; Space; Low Back Pain; Astronauts; Spine Changes; Microgravity; Physiological Changes; Humans; Animals. Risk of bias and quality of studies were analyzed, and the level of evidence was assessed using the GRADE system. After duplicates were removed, 115 abstracts were screened by two reviewers, and finally, 11 articles were included in this review. The evidence indicates that astronauts experience muscle atrophy in the lumbar multifidus with a moderate to large effect, especially in the L4-L5 and L5-S1 segments. Space flights also decrease the range of motion with a moderate effect, along with disc herniations and disc dehydration. 77% of astronauts experience pain during spaceflight, and 47% develop acute pain after spaceflight. Chronic pain was reported by 33% of the astronauts. After space flights, astronauts suffer from lumbar muscle atrophy, reduced range of motion, disc herniations, and disc dehydration, with a high incidence of both acute and chronic pain.

The National Early Warning Score (NEWS), Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), and modified qSOFA (MqSOFA) are scoring systems that rely on vital signs. However, NEWS is time-consuming, qSOFA has low sensitivity, and MqSOFA includes a difficult calculation. To address these issues, we developed the Revised qSOFA score (RqSOFA) that consists of percutaneous oxygen saturation, oxygen usage, Simple Shock Index, and the parameters of qSOFA. The predictability of RqSOFA was examined for in-hospital mortality among patients who were transported by ambulance. This observational cohort study included all patients transported via ambulance to an Emergency Department between 2019 and 2021. Patients who had prehospital cardiopulmonary arrest, were pregnant, were younger than 15 years old, arrived from another hospital, and had missing data were excluded. The Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (AUROC) of RqSOFA, as well as its sensitivity and specificity at the optimal cut-off point, were determined and compared to those of qSOFA, NEWS and MqSOFA. Among 1849 included patients, 53 died in the hospital. The AUROC for RqSOFA was 0.867 and the optimal cut-off point was 2. The sensitivity and specificity were 0.849 and 0.802, respectively. The AUROC of RqSOFA was larger than qSOFA but had no significance with NEWS and MqSOFA. RqSOFA exhibited the same sensitivity and better specificity compared to NEWS. There were no differences in sensitivity and specificity between RqSOFA and MqSOFA. In conclusion, RqSOFA exhibited superior predictability for in-hospital mortality to qSOFA and NEWS, while offering similar predictability to MqSOFA despite relying only on simple measurements.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) integration has been implicated in transforming HPV infection into cancer. To resolve genome dysregulation associated with HPV integration, we performed Oxford Nanopore long-read sequencing on 72 cervical cancer genomes from an Ugandan dataset that was previously characterized using short-read sequencing. We found recurrent structural rearrangement patterns at HPV integration events, which we categorized as: del(etion)-like, dup(lication)-like, translocation, multibreakpoint, or repeat region integrations. Integrations involving amplified HPV-human concatemers, particularly multibreakpoint events, frequently harbored heterogeneous forms and copy numbers of the viral genome. Transcriptionally active integrants were characterized by unmethylated regions in both the viral and human genomes downstream from the viral transcription start site, resulting in HPV-human fusion transcripts. In contrast, integrants without evidence of expression lacked consistent methylation patterns. Furthermore, whereas transcriptional dysregulation was limited to genes within 200 kilobases of an HPV integrant, dysregulation of the human epigenome in the form of allelic differentially methylated regions affected megabase expanses of the genome, irrespective of the integrant's transcriptional status. By elucidating the structural, epigenetic, and allele-specific impacts of HPV integration, we provide insight into the role of integrated HPV in cervical cancer.

Impairments in impulse control and related neurocognitive functioning have been well documented in both substance use and mental disorder populations. While high impulsivity and other executive dysfunction have been linked to negative treatment outcomes in these populations, no study to date has examined their clinical relevance among individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental disorders (or concurrent disorders [CD]). Objective This study investigated impulsivity and working memory among CD inpatients across treatment and compared to controls. Methods Patients ( N = 56, M age = 38.2, SD = 11.7, 17F) and healthy controls ( N = 50, M age = 31.9, SD = 10.0, 25F) completed a battery of self-report questionnaires and behavioural tasks assessing working memory and impulsivity (response inhibition, delay discounting, reflection, decision-making). Patients were assessed within 2 weeks of admission (baseline) and at 6 months (follow-up). Controls completed a single session at baseline. Patient demographics, diagnostic status, and treatment outcome (discharge with or without medical advice) were retrieved from medical records. Results Group differences in demographics were probed for inclusion as covariates. At baseline, patients had greater self-reported impulsivity on the UPPS-P (negative and positive urgency) and BIS (motor and non-planning), and greater delay discounting than controls. Among patients, there was no association between treatment adherence and working memory, self-report, or behavioural impulsivity, and no change in behavioural impulsivity was observed from baseline to follow-up. Conclusions This is the first study to assess impulsivity and working memory in the context of CD treatment. Patients exhibited greater impulsivity on choice-based and various self-report measures. The absence of treatment-related changes in impulsivity and working memory outcomes suggests that conventional treatments may be neglecting to target potentially key areas of functioning. Further research is needed to examine how treatment affects impulsivity and related functions in individuals with CD, and their impact on clinical outcomes.

Background: Being named in a medicolegal complaint can be a lengthy process filled with uncertainties. Its current impact on Canadian plastic surgeons is unknown. We aim to review the impact of medicolegal complaints and provide advice for surgeons on how to prevent, minimize, and navigate through the medicolegal process. Method: An anonymous survey was sent to registered Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada certified plastic surgeon members. The survey collected data on surgeon demographics (clinical status, gender, practice type, volume), medicolegal complaint history and outcome, impact on practice, and insights into the process. Surgeons with an inactive practice and invalid contact information were excluded. Results: Out of 456 invited plastic surgeons, 100 responses were included, 73% were male, with an even distribution of practice types and years in practice. Most were Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) members. A significant portion (62%) had been named in a medicolegal action, primarily related to treatment complications (42%) and poor outcomes/disease progression (34%). Factors associated with complaints were greater years in practice ( P<.01), and a higher annual volume of operating room cases ( P=.02). The duration of the medicolegal process varied, with the majority taking 1-2 years. Respondents predominantly agreed that CMPA provided adequate legal defence (83%, 53/64). However, most surgeons felt the process had a significantly negative impact on their mental health (75%, 48/64). After being involved in a complaint, many surgeons modified their practice pattern by increasing documentation/consent process (45%, 29/64), avoiding certain procedures (22%, 14/64), and avoiding care of high-risk patients (19%, 12/64). Conclusion: Despite legal resolution in favour of the physicians, the results of this survey indicate the medicolegal complaint process has a significant impact on plastic surgeons’ practices, time, and mental health. Understanding the medicolegal process and outcome is crucial for risk mitigation.

We consider the solution of nonlinear inverse problems where the forward problem is a discretization of a partial differential equation. Such problems are notoriously difficult to solve in practice and require minimizing a combination of a data-fit term and a regularization term. The main computational bottleneck of typical algorithms is the direct estimation of the data misfit. Therefore, likelihood-free approaches have become appealing alternatives. Nonetheless, difficulties in generalization and limitations in accuracy have hindered their broader utility and applicability. In this work, we use a paired autoencoder framework as a likelihood-free estimator (LFE) for inverse problems. We show that the use of such an architecture allows us to construct a solution efficiently and to overcome some known open problems when using LFEs. In particular, our framework can assess the quality of the solution and improve on it if needed. We demonstrate the viability of our approach using examples from full waveform inversion and inverse electromagnetic imaging.

In an era of global change, historical natural history data can improve our understanding of ecological phenomena, particularly when evaluated with contemporary Indigenous and place‐based knowledge. The Yáláƛi (Goose Island) Archipelago is a group of islands in Heiltsuk (Haíɫzaqv) territory on the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Not only has this region been important to the Heiltsuk for millennia but also it is both a federally and internationally recognized important bird area. In this study, we compare data collected by Charles J. Guiguet, a biologist who documented bird communities at Yáláƛi in the summer of 1948, to three different contemporary surveys and to citizen‐science data. We find that the relative abundances of forest bird species (i.e., birds that use the terrestrial island ecosystems) in 1948 differed to those observed in systematic surveys in 2011. While Orange‐crowned Warblers, Dark‐eyed Juncos, and Red Crossbills comprised 55% of detections by Guiguet in 1948, the three most abundant species in 2011 were Bald Eagles, Varied Thrushes, and Pacific Wrens, and these accounted for only 25% of detections. Although we could not make a quantitative comparison, we provide summaries of each species observed in surveys or reported on eBird. We also incorporate Heiltsuk place‐based knowledge to enrich our discussion of the variability in bird communities over time, from how changes in mammal communities and human use may have shaped vegetation dynamics to how large‐scale natural phenomena impacted topography. To understand which birds are present and how their communities are changing over time, we recommend continued monitoring of the bird communities at Yáláƛi.