April 2024: Volume 8 Issue 2

Cadmium, an environmental toxin, is associated with a range of adverse health effects including decreased bone mineral density and osteoporosis, due to its induction of oxidative stress, leading to DNA damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Notably, cadmium is found at concentrations 4-5x higher in the blood of smokers versus non-smokers. Experiments performed in human cancer cells indicate that melatonin may directly protect against cadmium-induced tissue damage via regulation of mitochondrial activity. Further, recent evidence has demonstrated that melatonin can improve bone health for individuals with osteoporosis and partially protect against cadmium-associated inhibition of bone repair. Here we review these data and argue that the effects and therapeutic potential of melatonin treatment against the negative impacts of cadmium toxicity on bone mineral density should be investigated.

The Syrian refugee population represents an unprecedented number of migrants in Canada as vulnerable citizens and their families sought safety. Given the influx of refugees who were forced to leave their home country due to the ongoing civil war, the impact of adversities they experience as they transition to a new country cannot go unexamined. Thus, this review explores the implications on mental health that Syrian refugees experience throughout their integration process. Articles selected from a 2016 onwards depict the experiences of both Syrian children and adults by accounting for their traumatic experiences in Syria and their post-migratory experiences during their transition. Peer-reviewed qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies were considered in the con text of a thematic literature review. The results of the review includes two core themes: the significance of culturally appropriate healthcare services, highlighting the absence of inclusive healthcare that deter Syrian refugees from seeking necessary mental health treatment, and how Islamophobia serves as an obstacle in their integration. These discriminatory ideologies are a source of psychological distress for Syrian refugees and hinder their acculturation into Canada. This study discusses findings that shed light on such themes’ implications for Syrian refugees and their mental health. Furthermore, this literature review addresses the significance of strategic social services, promoting the integration of Syrian refugees and positive mental health outcomes. The literature review, therefore, is particularly relevant since it positions us to positively respond to the current influx of Afghani refuges, among others. With a sounder understanding of acculturation in Canada, we can better appreciate refugees’ sense of urgency given the challenges of forced displacement from their homeland and inform the respective health, social policy, and practices to facilitate their successful transition.

Every year, 5 million people worldwide are identified for having epilepsies, with neonatal seizures accounting for approximately 2 per 1000 cases of term infants (Epilepsy, n.d.; Krawiec & Muzio, 2023). Specifically, some patients with a history of benign familial neonatal seizures were found to be more likely to get epilepsies in their later life. However, due to the high ethical standards being imposed on research involving neonatal populations, neonatal seizures and their anti-convulsant treatments are not as well-understood as other seizures. This is problematic, as the neonatal seizures should not be treated based on adjusting doses of conventional anticonvulsants for adults. This approach is not favorable as neonates have distinctive physiological characteristics that can be different from adults. Thus, simply adjusting the dose of the drugs may have sub- or supra-therapeutic effects, or even lead to lethal effects on the neonatal patients. The focus of this paper is to explain the electrophysiological cause of benign familial neonatal seizures and the therapeutical attempts that had been done to treat the syndrome.

The consequences of the historical exclusion of cisgender women and pregnant people from pharmacological clinical trials have resulted in a dangerously low quality of care for these populations. Analyzing and interpreting significant sex- and gender-related differences in drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion are critical for adjusting dosing regimens and therapeutic drug monitoring. A deep understanding of the impact of these differences is required for practitioners and clinical researchers. This review summarizes the physiological differences between the sexes as they relate to cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and renal variations. A direct examination of the possible effects of these difference on the pharmacokinetics of drugs critically highlights the current knowledge gap. The importance of including all sexes in clinical trials and pharmacokinetic studies is emphasized in this review. Current and future scientists should strive toward reducing health care disparities based on sex and gender in their studies, incorporating sex and gender-specific analysis whenever possible.