Background: Although palliative care (PC) is recommended for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), many patients receive PC very late or not at all. Our study goals included 1) determing the feasibility of early PC 2) describing patient/caregiver satisfaction with early PC and 3) measuring the impact of early PC on quality of life (QOL) and mood. Methods: Patients followed at the multidisciplinary ALS clinic in Ottawa, Canada and their caregivers were eligible for the study irrespective of duration or severity of disease. All participants completed questionnaires tracking QOL and mood and all were offered a palliative care consultation. Participants completed a satisfaction survey post-PC consultation. Results: 32 patients and 20 caregivers received a PC consultation, conducted virtually. All of them found the consult beneficial and none of the patients reported preferring the consultation later in their illness. The PC consultations were most highly rated by patients with high levels of anxiety and worse bulbar function, and by caregivers of patients with low function. There was no statistically significant change in mood or QOL compared to the 7 participants who declined PC consultation. Conclusions: PC consultations are feasible and beneficial at all stages of illness. Patients with anxiety and bulbar dysfunction may benefit most.

A machine learning model was created to predict the electron spectrum generated by a GeV-class laser wakefield accelerator. The model was constructed from variational convolutional neural networks, which mapped the results of secondary laser and plasma diagnostics to the generated electron spectrum. An ensemble of trained networks was used to predict the electron spectrum and to provide an estimation of the uncertainty of that prediction. It is anticipated that this approach will be useful for inferring the electron spectrum prior to undergoing any process that can alter or destroy the beam. In addition, the model provides insight into the scaling of electron beam properties due to stochastic fluctuations in the laser energy and plasma electron density.

Rapid whole genome sequencing (rapid WGS) is a powerful diagnostic tool that is becoming increasingly practical for widespread clinical use. However, protocols for its use are challenging to implement. A significant obstacle to clinical adoption is that laboratory certification requires an initial research development phase, which is constrained by regulations from returning results. Regulations preventing return of results have ethical implications in cases which might impact patient outcomes. Here, we describe our experience with the development of a rapid WGS research protocol, that balanced the requirements for laboratory-validated test development with the ethical needs of clinically relevant return of results.

The preconception, pregnancy and immediate postpartum and newborn periods are times for mothers and their offspring when they are especially vulnerable to major stressors – those that are sudden and unexpected and those that are chronic. Their adverse effects can transcend generations. Stressors can include natural disasters or political stressors such as conflict and/or migration. Considerable evidence has accumulated demonstrating the adverse effects of natural disasters on pregnancy outcomes and developmental trajectories. However, beyond tracking outcomes, the time has arrived for gathering more information related to identifying mechanisms, predicting risk and developing stress-reducing and resilience-building interventions to improve outcomes. Further, we need to learn how to encapsulate both the quantitative and qualitative information available and share it with communities and authorities to mitigate the adverse developmental effects of future disasters, conflicts and migrations. This article briefly reviews prenatal maternal stress and identifies three contemporary situations (wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada; hurricane Harvey in Houston, USA and transgenerational and migrant stress in Pforzheim, Germany) where current studies are being established by Canadian investigators to test an intervention. The experiences from these efforts are related along with attempts to involve communities in the studies and share the new knowledge to plan for future disasters or tragedies.

Antibodies at gastrointestinal mucosal membranes play a vital role in immunological protection against a range of pathogens, including helminths. Gastrointestinal health is central to efficient livestock production, and such infections cause significant losses. Fecal samples were taken from 114 cattle, across three beef farms, with matched blood samples taken from 22 of those animals. To achieve fecal antibody detection, a novel fecal supernatant was extracted. Fecal supernatant and serum samples were then analysed, using adapted enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay protocols, for levels of total immunoglobulin (Ig)A, IgG, IgM, and Teladorsagia circumcincta-specific IgA, IgG, IgM and IgE (in the absence of reagents for cattle-specific nematode species). Fecal nematode egg counts were conducted on all fecal samples. Assays performed successfully and showed that IgA was the predominant antibody in fecal samples, whereas IgG was predominant in serum. Total IgA in feces and serum correlated within individuals (0.581, P = 0.005), but other Ig types did not. Results support the hypothesis that the tested protocols are an effective method for the non-invasive assessment of cattle immunology. The method could be used as part of animal health assessments, although further work is required to interpret the relationship between results and levels of infection and immunity.

Monazite is a light rare-earth element (LREE)-bearing accessory phase common in felsic granitic rocks, and strongly influences LREE concentrations in granites and the chemistry of melts and residues formed during partial melting. Cheralite-rich (high-Th) monazite-(Ce) has been recorded as rims on partially dissolved cores in a suite of granulite-facies migmatites generated by disequilibrium melting. High-Th monazite has previously been recorded only in granitic-pegmatite occurrences. Subidiomorphic monazite-(Ce) from leucosome, melanosome and mesosome consists of complexly zoned cores (up to 300 µm in diameter) containing 5.17–9.87 wt.% ThO2, overgrown by essentially unzoned rims (containing up to 21.4 wt.% ThO2). Uranium contents are average for Th-rich monazite-(Ce) (0.22–3.17 wt.% UO2). Th enrichment (relative to LREE) in monazite-(Ce) rims is ascribed to the presence of fluorine-bearing melts (formed during the incongruent breakdown of biotite to produce a water-undersaturated melt), allowing the formation of REE-fluoride complexes in the melt, coupled with the increased charge balanced substitutions Th4+ + Si4+ ⇌ REE3+ + P5+ and Th4+ + Ca2+ ⇌ 2REE3+ into monazite-(Ce). Fractionation of Th and U (reflected by an increased in Th/U in rims relative to cores) may have occurred due to the removal by a CO2-rich fluid phase in the melt. These interpretations are consistent with elevated CO2 and F contents of granitic liquids produced during the water-undersaturated breakdown of biotite under granulite-facies conditions. Evidence for restricted monazite-(Ce)-melt equilibration and rapid melt removal is provided by the ubiquitous presence of partially embayed cores and unzoned rims.

A new hydrated zinc aluminium phosphate mineral has the composition ZnAl2(PO4)2(OH)2.3H2O. It has been named kleemanite. It occurred rarely both as veinlets 1–2 mm thick, and as thin layers on surfaces of cracks and small cavities in one section of the iron ore deposit at Iron Knob, South Australia. Chemical, X-ray, thermal analysis, and optical data are given.

A new sodium aluminium sulphate phosphate has been named peisleyite. It has the ideal formula Na3Al16(SO4)2(PO4)10(OH)17 · 20H2O. It occurs as fine-grained, compact, brittle, white material on dumps at Tom's Phosphate Quarry, near Kapunda, South Australia. Strongest X-ray diffraction lines are 12.63 Å (100) 010, 7.82(35) 11, 5.41(35) 004, 7.59(30) 111. Unit cell parameters are a 13.31 ± 0.006, b 12.62 ± 0.006, c 23.15 ± 0.01 Å, β 110.0°±0.03°, Z = 2.

Sedimentary basins developed along the European margin during the earliest, Permian, stage of proto-Atlantic rifting, during a phase of high heat flow. The proximity of some basins to Caledonian thrusts has implied that rifts locally utilized the basement fabric. New mineralogical and palaeomagnetic data show that thrust planes in the Moine Thrust Zone channelled a pulse of hot fluid in Permian time. The fluids precipitated kaolin in fractures in the thrust zone, and with decreasing intensity away from the zone. The high-temperature polytype dickite is largely confined to major thrust planes. Stable H and O isotope analyses indicate that the parent fluid included meteoric water involved in a hydrothermal system. Coeval hydrothermal hematite has a chemical remanence that dates the fluid pulse as Permian. This is direct evidence for post-orogenic activity in the thrust zone, in which the thrusts vented excess heat during regional crustal extension. The example from the European margin exemplifies the importance of deep-seated structures in the release of heat, and the value of kaolinite polytype mapping as a tool to record anomalous palaeo-heat flow.

A new magnesium aluminium phosphate mineral with the ideal formula Mg5Al12(PO4)4(OH)22·nH2O (n ⋍ 32) has been named aldermanite. It occurs as minute talc-like flakes, partly as an alteration product of fluellite, thinly coating cracks and cavities in a brecciated metamorphosed rock phosphate at Moculta, South Australia. Strongest X-ray diffraction lines are 13.40 Å (100) 002, 7.98 Å (80) 011, 5.55 Å (60) 210; unit cell parameters a= 15.00±0.007, b=8.330±0.006, c= 26.60±0.01 Å, Z = 2.