University of Alberta

We reconsider the plane deformation of an isotropic elastic solid matrix enclosing macroscale compressible fluid inclusions. The initial pressure inside the fluid inclusions proves to play a significant role in tuning the elastic response of the solid-fluid composite to external loadings. Such initial pressure effects cannot be captured via the classical treatment based on linear elasticity. We follow a modified boundary condition proposed earlier in the literature to examine the influence of the initial pressure in the inclusions on the external loading-induced local and overall elastic behavior of the composite for general shapes of the inclusions. Specifically, we derive initial pressure-dependent closed-form solutions for incremental stress distributions (caused by an in-plane far-field loading) around an isolated fluid inclusion of practically arbitrary shape and then attain initial pressure-dependent in-plane effective properties of the composite containing randomly distributed fluid inclusions (for a given volume fraction) based on certain homogenization methods. Numerical results are presented mainly for a soft elastic solid containing, respectively, approximately regular polygonal liquid inclusions, approximately rectangular liquid inclusions and elliptical liquid inclusions. We show that the initial pressure in the inclusions always enhances the effective moduli of the corresponding composites and that for given volume fraction of the inclusions such enhancement effects are reduced with an increasing number of sides of the inclusions (in terms of regular polygonal cases) while they are amplified with increasing slenderness of the inclusions (in terms of rectangular and elliptical cases).

In wireless environments, over-the-air computing (AirComp) can exploit the superposition nature of the channel to facilitate federated learning (FL). When a large number of Internet of Things devices participate in the FL process, employing a simultaneously transmitting and reflecting (STAR) intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) can significantly improve FL aggregation performance by enabling wider user participation. However, the STAR–IRS may also introduce substantial security risks as eavesdroppers can also enjoy the benefits of STAR–IRS. In this paper, a secure design that enhances the mean-squared error (MSE) performance of the basestation (BS) while disrupting the eavesdropper’s performance is proposed. The BS transmits a jamming noise to the eavesdropper on the same frequency band that devices transmit their local models to the BS. An optimization problem is formulated to minimize the aggregation error at the BS while ensuring the error exceeds a certain threshold at the eavesdropper. Then, a multi-step procedure, utilizing alternating optimization and difference-of-convex algorithm, is proposed to solve this problem. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution, resulting in low MSE and fast convergence in the learning process for the BS, while also deteriorating the eavesdropper’s learning and detection performance.

Pumice rafts derived from submarine eruptions can remain afloat for months or even years, traveling thousands of kilometers on ocean currents. These natural phenomena disperse marine organisms and provide important evidence for submarine volcanism yet are not fully understood. Here, we describe pumice clasts from Falkland Islands shorelines and use major‐minor‐trace element analyses to trace their provenance to the 1962 volcanic eruption on Protector Shoal, a large seamount in the South Sandwich Islands, Scotia Sea. Compositional variability between rafted and dredged pumice from Protector Shoal suggests eruptions have varied from explosive to non‐ or mildly explosive (the latter from lava domes and during neptunian events) and the seamount is volcanically diverse. Oceanographic modeling simulations and historical observations show that clasts from the 1962 eruption reached the Falkland Islands via the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, a journey of ∼20,000 km that took approximately three years. Although oceanographic variability strongly affects modeled transport pathways, in all simulations particles consistently reach the Falkland Islands from Protector Shoal seamount, suggesting a persistent long‐distance connection. The results highlight the potential for pumice rafting to disperse non‐native, potentially invasive, marine organisms throughout the Southern Ocean as climate warms.

Migratory birds often navigate inhospitable barriers (e.g. oceans, deserts) during migration. Barrier crossings are frequently associated with increased rates of mortality and likely impose selective pressures on migratory species that shape their behaviour and distribution. Therefore, understanding how weather conditions influence the behaviour of migratory birds at a major barrier can provide insight into the adaptive evolution of long‐distance migrations involving barrier crossings and how changing climatic conditions might affect migratory species in the future. We used light‐level geolocator data from 89 individual Vermivora warblers to identify the weather conditions associated with individuals initiating barrier‐crossing flights across the Gulf of Mexico (i.e. ‘trans‐Gulf flights’) during both autumn and spring migrations from 2013 to 2017. Weather conditions associated with the initiation trans‐Gulf flights differed between autumn and spring. In autumn, the initiation of trans‐Gulf flights was positively associated with favourable wind conditions and temperature but negatively associated with relative humidity and 24‐h change in barometric pressure. During spring migration, the initiation of trans‐Gulf flights was negatively associated with surface‐level relative humidity and barometric pressure but not associated with wind conditions. We found that the frequency of days with weather conditions associated with a high‐predicted probability of Vermivora warblers initiating trans‐Gulf flights varied geographically (range 0%–58% of days). Distinct breeding populations of golden‐winged warblers (V. chrysoptera) with strong migratory connectivity between breeding and non‐breeding regions exhibited weak migratory connectivity and overlapped extensively during migration immediately prior to initiating trans‐Gulf flights. Breeding populations of blue‐winged warblers (V. cyanoptera) exhibited weak migratory connectivity and co‐occurred during both autumn and spring migrations and during the non‐breeding period. The weak migratory connectivity that we observed in Vermivora warblers prior to crossing the Gulf of Mexico may be shaped by shared evolutionary responses to consistent synoptic weather conditions in the region. Predicted future climate conditions including increased humidity and more frequent and/or severe storms may decrease the favourability of conditions associated with initiating trans‐Gulf flights during spring migration for Vermivora warblers, which could negatively affect populations.

Objective Antiseizure medication (ASM) use during pregnancy has increased over the past decade. However, evidence linking prenatal ASM exposure to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in offspring remains inconsistent. This study evaluated whether prenatal ASM exposure increases the risk of NDDs in children. Methods We analyzed data from 5 population‐based cohorts of live‐born children in Canada (Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec; the Canadian Mother‐Child Cohort [CAMCCO] cohorts) and the United States (AM‐PREGNANT cohort). ASM exposure was defined as maternal prescription fills overlapping the 60 days before birth. NDDs were identified using validated algorithm based on the International Classification of Disease‐9/10 codes from inpatient and outpatient records. Within each cohort, Cox proportional hazards models were applied, with adjustment performed separately using (1) covariates and (2) propensity scores. Pooled estimates were obtained using random‐effects meta‐analysis. Results Of 2,910,206 children, 0.47% were exposed to ASMs in the 60 days before birth. Prenatal ASM exposure was associated with a 29% increased risk of NDDs (pooled‐adjusted hazard ratio [p‐aHR], 1.29; 95% CI: 1.22–1.37; 1,805 exposed cases). In the Canadian cohorts, risks of combined NDDs varied by medication: carbamazepine (p‐aHR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.20–1.87; 262 exposed cases), clonazepam (p‐aHR 1.22; 95% CI: 1.12–1.33; 585 exposed cases), topiramate (p‐aHR 1.56; 95% CI: 1.04–2.34; 69 exposed cases), and valproic acid (p‐aHR 1.38; 95% CI: 1.16–1.65; 134 exposed cases). Although point estimates were higher for polytherapy than monotherapy, the difference was not statistically significant. Interpretation Prenatal exposure to certain ASMs was consistently associated with increased risks of NDDs in offspring. These findings support careful, individualized decision‐making regarding prenatal ASM use to minimize neurodevelopmental risks. ANN NEUROL 2025

Introduction The simultaneous existence of low-value health care and underutilization of high-value care are global problems. Health technology reassessment (HTR) aims to optimize the value for money of technologies already in use within health care. Identifying candidate interventions for HTR remains challenging. Therefore, we tested a novel method to identify candidate outpatient prescription drugs for HTR through practice variation. Methods We used administrative data for all publicly funded outpatient prescriptions dispensed to persons aged 65 or older in Alberta in 2023. Through quantitative comparison of funnel plots for Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classes at the fourth level stratified by prescriber specialty, variation in prescription dispensation rates between prescribers was used to estimate three outcomes: the number of prescribers affected, the number of patients affected, and the potential budgetary impact. We ranked combinations of ATC class and prescriber specialty in descending order for each outcome, with use above and below the mean considered separately. Results We analyzed data on 17.5 million dispensations, encompassing more than 8,000 prescribers and approximately 600,000 patients. The top ATC class–prescriber specialty combinations for each outcome showed high similarity above and below control limits while exhibiting minimal overlap between outcomes. Conclusions Our method successfully identified ATC class–prescriber specialty combinations with marked variation in use, for potential advancement through the HTR process. Depending on the perspective of those undertaking HTR of prescription drugs, different outcomes may be useful in technology prioritization. To make the ATC class–prescriber specialty combinations actionable, future efforts should focus on exploring the patients affected.

Background Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by lower‐limb spasticity. Pathogenic variants in CPT1C have been implicated in HSP. Objective The objective of this study was to assess whether CPT1C loss‐of‐function (LOF) variants are causally associated with HSP. Methods We analyzed whole‐genome sequencing data from UK Biobank (UKBB), whole‐exome sequencing data from a Canadian HSP cohort (Can‐HSP), and genetic data from the GENESIS cohort—a large international cohort of patients with rare hereditary diseases, including HSP. Results Among >170 CPT1C LOF carriers in the UKBB (n = 150,119), none exhibited HSP phenotypes. Among 585 HSP patients from Can‐HSP, we did not find patients with CPT1C LOF variants. In the GENESIS cohort (n = 21,217), three individuals carrying CPT1C LOF variants were also diagnosed with HSP; however, all three also carry pathogenic variants in established HSP‐associated genes. Conclusions Our study does not support a causal role for CPT1C LOF variants in HSP. © 2025 The Author(s). Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Optimal process operation is crucial for maintaining system resilience, playing a key role in ensuring operations to continue safely and without interruption even during system failures. This process involves identifying, diagnosing, and fixing causes within a system to restore its function and prevent further issues. However, many current methods rely heavily on machines and computers, which can encounter errors or become trapped in less-than-optimal conditions. They often overlook the valuable insights gained from operators’ years of experience. To address this gap, this chapter presents a novel approach using operator-in-the-loop Bayesian optimization, which combines Bayesian optimization techniques with operator expertise. The proposed method is demonstrated through a case study of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production plant, modeled in Aspen HYSYS, and further validated for its practical use with an experimental continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) setup.

Taiwan is regarded as the vanguard of LGBT+ rights in Asia. We conducted a scoping review to map research on LGBT+ inclusion in Taiwan, identify knowledge gaps and propose future directions for research and policy. Results indicate a predominant focus on health, with the over-representation of gay men and exclusion of lesbian and bisexual women and transgender/gender diverse people. Despite being the first Asian jurisdiction to legalise same-sex marriage, insufficient policy protections were evidenced concerning family formation, adoption, and parenting, with family systems that largely exclude LGBT+ people. Findings reveal pervasive discrimination and exclusion in education, an economic system that restricts LGBT+ people’s employment opportunities and advancement, and a healthcare system that lacks competencies in serving LGBT+ people. Future research on LGBT+ inclusion in Taiwan should address understudied populations, provide disaggregated data on LGBT+ individuals, and advance evidence to support policy protections in education, economic, family, health, and political domains.

Purpose Survival of patients with glioblastoma (GB) treated with standard of care (SOC) surgery, radiotherapy, and temozolomide is 15 months with progression free survival at 6 months (PFS-6 M) of 53.9%. In vivo studies showed increased survival in mice with GB treated with niacin. This is a first in human Phase I-II study aiming to evaluate safety and efficacy of controlled-release niacin (NiacinCRT ™) added to SOC. Methods Patients 18–75 years old with newly diagnosed glioblastoma eligible for SOC treatment were included. Phase I evaluated intra-patient dose escalation of niacin (500–3000 mg/d) to determine dose limiting toxicity (DLT), maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended phase II dose (RP2D). Phase II aims to determine if niacin adds ≥ 20% absolute increase in PFS-6 M over historical controls. Interim/futility analysis was planned when 24 patients become evaluable for PFS-6 M. The study would stop if the conditional power (one-sided Z test) < 20% or futility index > 80%. Results Phase I included 15 patients; median age: 57 years (37–68), 40% women, and 47% with MGMT promoter methylated. The most common side effect was flushing (10/15; 9 grade 1). Two DLTs occurred at 2,500 mg/d niacin (grade 3 thrombocytopenia and hyperbilirubinemia). Niacin dose escalated up to 2000 mg/d is the ongoing RP2D. Interim analysis by central radiology review reported PFS-6 M of 82.3% (CI95% 82.14–82.46%). Conclusion The MTD dose of niacin added to first line treatment in patients with GB is 2000 mg/d. The interim analysis already showed an absolute increase in PFS-6 M of 28%. Trial registration number (1) Local ethics board approval - HREBA cc 20–0402. (2) Clinicaltrials.gov - NCT04677049. Registered 15 Dec 2020.

This article addresses the gaps between ethnographic archives and community members who are often deprived of accessing their own materials. In reflecting on results from collaborative research with a Nepalese immigrant community in Alberta, Canada, where we created a Digital Community Archive (DCA), I draw attention to the benefits of combining strategies from applied ethnomusicology and Participatory Action Research (PAR). I propose a new model for archiving in ethnomusicology, the Community Collaborative Participatory Archive (CCPA). This model can improve ethnomusicological archival practice by focusing on collaborative, egalitarian, and grassroots participation, shared roles, and authority in the archival creation and development process.

The linear noise approximation (LNA) describes the random fluctuations from the mean-field concentrations of a chemical reaction network due to intrinsic noise. It is also used as a test probe to determine the accuracy of reduced formulations of the chemical master equation and to understand the relationship between timescale disparity and model reduction in stochastic environments. Although several reduced LNAs have been proposed, they have not been placed into a general theory concerning the accuracy of reduced LNAs derived from center manifold and singular perturbation theory. This has made it difficult to understand why certain reductions of the master or Langevin equations fail or succeed. In this work, we develop a deeper understanding of slow manifold projection in the linear noise regime by answering a straightforward but open question: In the presence of eigenvalue disparity, does the appropriate oblique projection of the LNA onto the slow eigenspace accurately approximate the first and second moments of complete LNA, and if not, why? Although most studies concentrate on the role of eigenvalue disparity arising from the drift matrix, we go further and examine the interplay between disparate ‘drift” eigenvalues and the eigenvalues of the diffusion matrix, the latter of which may or may not be disparate. Furthermore, we place the previously established reductions of the LNA into a more general framework and formulate the necessary and sufficient conditions for the projected LNA to accurately approximate the first and second moments of the complete LNA.

Narratives of transnational sex work from Nigeria to Europe have failed to consider an important variable: the clients who keep the system running, often through gendered negotiations of power and intimacy that reveal African men’s own precarious masculinities. This article argues that the complexities of present-day transnational sex work from Nigeria to Europe offer a trajectory deeply rooted in past male migrations, beginning from colonial times, after the World War II. Drawing upon data generated over a period of two years fieldwork in Edo State, Nigeria and Paris, France, the study reads the present condition of Nigerian sex workers in France by tracing the history of its emergence from the point of need for more French-speaking labourers, leading to the construction of accommodations for these groups in Paris environs. These housing facilities known as Foyer, served as ‘intermediate houses’ where inhabitants found solace in the African female body as a way of succour and escape from the ravages of exile and nostalgia. Beyond their marginality, the mode of clientele by the men offers feminist insights into the tendencies of abuse and violence by which men, even in their vulnerabilities, undermine the dignity of the female body.

Introduction Adolescents are considered the healthiest population of all age groups, yet they are vulnerable to illnesses and deaths from preventable causes. We aimed to investigate the burden of morbidity, mortality and risk factors for mortality among adolescents and young adults (10–24 years) in Australia compared with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Methods We accessed the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2021 data for OECD countries, including Australia, between 2000 and 2021. Country and age-specific estimates with 95% uncertainty intervals were obtained from the GBD Compare and Results Tool for all-cause mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). The top 15 level 3 risk factors for mortality for adolescents and young adults were investigated, with rates reported per 100 000 population. Annualised rates of change (ARoC) in mortality and DALY rates were estimated using a log-linear model to quantify temporal trends between distinct time periods. Causes of death by age groups, sex and year for other diseases were measured using the Cause of Death Ensemble model. Results Between 2000 and 2021, mortality rates in adolescents and young adults decreased in Australia and across OECD regions, with substantial reductions (47.1 in 2000 vs 27.9 in 2021) in Australia. DALYs decreased slightly (11 850.2 in 2000 vs 10 363.9 in 2021), ranking Australia eighth among OECD countries in 2021. The ARoC in Australia showed a decline in the rate of mortality and DALYs by 2.48% and 0.64%, respectively. Overall, OECD countries experienced a slower decline, with an ARoC of 0.92% for mortality and 0.04% for DALYs from 2000-2021. Young adults (20–24 years) had higher mortality and DALYs than other age groups. In 2021, males in Australia and OECD countries had higher mortality rates, while Australian females had more DALYs than males. Alcohol and drug use were the leading risk factors for death. Conclusion Adolescent and young adult mortality in Australia has declined more than the OECD average, with minimal reduction in disease burden. Disparities in mortality rates and morbidity burden continue to grow across countries, age groups and genders due to the limited focus on males and young adults. This study calls for comprehensive health strategies that address these disparities to reduce the disease burden in young adults, specifically among males.

Background Members of the Bacteroidales, particularly Bacteroides species, with their ability to degrade dietary fibers and liberate otherwise unavailable substrates, exert a substantial influence on the microbiome of the lower intestine. However, our understanding of how this influence translates to the metabolic interactions that support community structure remains limited. In this study, we apply constraint-based modeling to investigate metabolic interactions in chicken cecal communities categorized by the presence or absence of Bacteroides. Results From metagenomic datasets previously generated from 33 chicken ceca, we constructed 237 metagenome-assembled genomes. Metabolic modeling of communities built from these genomes generated profiles of short-chain fatty acids largely consistent with experimental assays and confirmed the role of B. fragilis as a metabolic hub, central to the production of metabolites consumed by other taxa. In its absence, communities undergo significant functional reconfiguration, with metabolic roles typically fulfilled by B. fragilis assumed by multiple taxa. Beyond B. fragilis, we found Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus crispatus also mediate influential metabolic roles, which vary in the presence or absence of B. fragilis. Notably, the microbiome’s compensatory adaptations in the absence of B. fragilis produced metabolic alterations resembling those previously associated with inflammatory bowel disease in humans, including energy deficiency, increased lactate production, and altered amino acid metabolism. Conclusions This work demonstrates the potential of using the chicken cecal microbiome as a model system for investigating the complex metabolic interactions and key contributions that drive community dynamics in the gut. Our model-based predictions offer insights into how keystone taxa like B. fragilis may shape the metabolic landscape and functional organization of microbial communities. The observed metabolic adaptations in the absence of B. fragilis share metabolic similarities with profiles seen in dysbiotic states in humans and underscore the translational relevance of these insights for understanding gut health across different host systems. 22xy_A5HYaf8yMmwkMJih7Video Abstract