The Impact of the Purchaser Provider Funding Model inthe U.K. on the Independence of Persons with Disabilities:Implications for Canada

Through large-scale system restructuring, a number of jurisdictions around the world have adopted a purchaserprovider approach to the funding and delivery of health care services. In this model, a decision-making body, such as a regional board, is provided with a budget to purchase health care services on behalf of, and in response to the identified needs of a defined population. This paper reviews the purchaser provider funding model of the United Kingdom and comments on the impact of this system on the health needs of individuals with disabilities. Generally, the purchaser provider split in the U.K. appears to have resulted in greater fragmentation and inequity in care among the disabled population. The implications of the use of this type of funding method on individuals with disabilities residing in Canada are then discussed in relation to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Investigating microstructural variation in the human hippocampus using non-negative matrix factorization

In this work we use non-negative matrix factorization to identify patterns of microstructural variance in the human hippocampus. We utilize high-resolution structural and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data from the Human Connectome Project to query hippocampus microstructure on a multivariate, voxelwise basis. Application of non-negative matrix factorization identifies spatial components (clusters of voxels sharing similar covariance patterns), as well as subject weightings (individual variance across hippocampus microstructure). By assessing the stability of spatial components as well as the accuracy of factorization, we identified 4 distinct microstructural components. Furthermore, we quantified the benefit of using multiple microstructural metrics by demonstrating that using three microstructural metrics (T1-weighted/T2-weighted signal, mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy) produced more stable spatial components than when assessing metrics individually. Finally, we related individual subject weightings to demographic and behavioural measures using a partial least squares analysis. Through this approach we identified interpretable relationships between hippocampus microstructure and demographic and behavioural measures. Taken together, our work suggests non-negative matrix factorization as a spatially specific analytical approach for neuroimaging studies and advocates for the use of multiple metrics for data-driven component analyses

Energy and XmaxX_\mathrm{max} Reconstruction for Cosmic-Ray Events Recorded by a Prototype Station of the IceCube Surface Enhancement

The IceTop array, located at the surface of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole, is currently used as a veto for the in-ice neutrino detection as well as a cosmic-ray detector. Over the years, additional snow has accumulated on the IceTop detectors leading to a reduction in sensitivity and resolution. In order to mitigate this issue as well as further increase the accuracy of cosmic-ray measurements, a detector enhancement is planned in the next few years. The enhanced array will consist of 32 stations, each comprising 8 scintillation detectors and 3 radio antennas, and will span an area of approximately 1km$^2$. Specifically, upgrading IceTop with radio antennas will provide precise $X_{max}$ measurements, a variable widely used to reconstruct the composition of cosmic rays. In January 2020, a complete prototype station was deployed at the South Pole. Following the measurement of cosmic-ray events with the antennas, we developed the tools necessary to use a template-matching method for energy and $X_{max}$ reconstruction. This template method uses Monte-Carlo simulations and compares them to recorded data. Thus, a set of simulated air showers is created using air shower parameters reconstructed by IceTop as input to the CORSIKA/CoREAS simulation software for each of the measured events. In this work, the method is applied to measured events, and we will show that it works for a third of the events in the sample. Subsequently, the technique is modified into a log-likelihood minimization, and the results obtained with a simulations-only study of different parameters are discussed. This work concludes with a confirmation that the template method works for air showers recorded with a frequency band of 80 to 300MHz, and shows that the log-likelihood method can potentially increase the accuracy of $X_{max}$ reconstruction for the complete planned array

Pharmacogenetic GWAS meta-analysis of LDL cholesterol response to statins

Cardiolog

Aging Phenotypes of Common Marmosets (Callithrix Jacchus)

Characterizing the phenotypic changes associated with aging in a short-lived primate is necessary in order to develop better translational models for human health, aging, and disease research. A population of conventionally housed marmoset monkeys was assessed to determine if phenotypes of body composition, hematology, and morphometrical measures were associated with age or risk of death. We found that the cause of mortality in older marmosets was more likely to be due to cardiac and chronic kidney disease than in younger marmosets. Older marmosets have decreased fat mass, morphometric measures, and serum albumin. Older marmosets are more likely to show a modified posture while at rest and this modified posture was significantly associated with an increased risk of imminent death. These assessments provide an initial definition of aged health in marmosets and a base for future translational aging research with this species

Insights into mixed contaminants interactions and its implication for heavy metals and metalloids mobility, bioavailability and risk assessment

Mobility of heavy metals at contaminated sites is mainly influenced by the soil physicochemical properties and environmental conditions, therefore assessing heavy metals (HMs) and metalloids fractionation can provide insights into their potential risk and the mechanisms that regulate bioavailability. A 12-months mesocosms experiment was setup to investigate the effect of physicochemical factors (pH, moisture, and temperature) and weathering (time) on HMs and metalloids fractionation in three different multi-contaminated soil matrices (low, medium, and high contamination) collected from a soil treatment facility located in the United Kingdom, and two rural contaminated soil samples. The study demonstrates that even though Pb and Zn were found associated with the exchangeable fraction in the soil with the highest contamination (total average Pb 3400 mg/kg, and total average Zn 2100 mg/kg in Soil C), neither the condition applied nor the weathering caused an increase in their mobility. Although it was expected that lower pH (4.5) would favours the dissociation of HMs and metalloids, no significant differences were observed, potentially due to the initial alkaline pH of the genuine-contaminated soil samples. The results show that even though total concentration of Pb, Cu, and Zn exceed the soil standards and guideline values, HMs were predominantly associated with the non-exchangeable fraction, while only 5% were dissolved in the pore water fraction (potentially bioavailable). In addition, the mobility and bioavailability of HMs remained constant over the 12 months monitoring, suggesting that these soils pose negligible risk to the environment

Sibling sex, but not androgens, shapes phenotypes in perinatal common marmosets (\u3ci\u3eCallithrix jacchus\u3c/i\u3e)

When offspring share a womb, interactions among fetuses can impart lasting impressions on phenotypic outcomes. Such intrauterine interactions often are mediated by sex steroids (estrogens and androgens) produced by the developing fetuses. In many mammals, intrauterine interactions between brothers and sisters lead to masculinization of females, which can induce fitness consequences. Many litter-bearing primates, though, seem to escape androgen-mediated litter effects, begging why? Here, we investigated how the sex composition (i.e., same- or mixed-sex) of litters influences perinatal outcomes in the common marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus), using a combination of physiological, morphological, and behavioural assays. We hypothesized that androgens from male fetuses would mediate developmental differences across litter types. We found that newborns (24–36 hours old) from same- and mixed-sex litters were indistinguishable by urinary androgen profiles, birth weights, morphometrics, and behaviour. However, monkeys born into same- and mixed-sex litters exhibited subtle morphological and neurobehavioral differences later in the perinatal period, independent of their androgen profiles. Our findings suggest that while androgens from male fetuses likely do not organize their siblings’ phenotypes, perinatal stimuli may initiate divergent developmental trajectories among siblings, which, in turn, promotes inter-individual variability within families

The willow microbiome is influenced by soil petroleum-hydrocarbon concentration with plant compartment-specific effects

International audienceThe interaction between plants and microorganisms, which is the driving force behind the decontamination of petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) contamination in phytoremediation technology, is poorly understood. Here, we aimed at characterizing the variations between plant compartments in the microbiome of two willow cultivars growing in contaminated soils. A field experiment was set-up at a former petrochemical plant in Canada and after two growing seasons, bulk soil, rhizosphere soil, roots, and stems samples of two willow cultivars (Salix purpurea cv. FishCreek, and Salix miyabeana cv. SX67) growing at three PHC contamination concentrations were taken. DNA was extracted and bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions were amplified and sequenced using an Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine (PGM). Following multivariate statistical analyses, the level of PHC-contamination appeared as the primary factor influencing the willow microbiome with compartment-specific effects, with significant differences between the responses of bacterial, and fungal communities. Increasing PHC contamination levels resulted in shifts in the microbiome composition, favoring putative hydrocarbon degraders, and microorganisms previously reported as associated with plant health. These shifts were less drastic in the rhizosphere, root, and stem tissues as compared to bulk soil, probably because the willows provided a more controlled environment, and thus, protected microbial communities against increasing contamination levels. Insights from this study will help to devise optimal plant microbiomes for increasing the efficiency of phytoremediation technology