Antiviral discovery in toxic cyanobacteria: Low hanging fruit in the age of pandemics.

The power of novel vaccination technologies and their rapid development were elucidated clearly during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, it also became clear that there is an urgent need to discover and manufacture new antivirals that target emerging viral threats. Toxic species of cyanobacteria produce a range of bioactive compounds that makes them good candidates for drug discovery. Nevertheless, few studies demonstrate the antiviral potential of cyanobacteria. This is partly due to the lack of specific and simple protocols designed for the rapid detection of antiviral activity in cyanobacteria and partly because specialized facilities for work with pathogenic viruses are few and far between. We therefore developed an easy method for the screening of cyanobacterial cultures for antiviral activity and used our private culture collection of non-pathogenic virus isolates to show that antiviral activity is a prominent feature in the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. In this proof-of-concept study, we show that M. aeruginosa extracts from three different cyanobacterial strains delay infection of diatom-infecting single-stranded DNA and single-stranded RNA viruses by up to 2 days. Our work shows the ease with which cyanobacteria from culture collections can be screened for antiviral activity and highlights the potential of cyanobacteria as an excellent source for the discovery of novel antiviral compounds, warranting further investigation.

Canada's Student Mental Health Network: Protocol for a Comprehensive Program Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Prevalence estimates for mental health-related problems, including above-average stress, psychological distress, and symptoms of mental illnesses have increased significantly among Canadian postsecondary students. As demand for downstream mental treatment has surpassed many institutions' abilities to deliver timely care, there is a need for innovative upstream supports that foster mental health promotion and mental illness prevention among this population. OBJECTIVE: Supported by an extensive network of student volunteers, Canada's Student Mental Health Network is a virtual, one-stop shop for centralized mental health education and evidence-based resources tailored to postsecondary students. This article describes a protocol for the comprehensive evaluation of the Network. METHODS: Development of the Network was developed using a participatory action research framework. Network content is created and curated by students and reviewed by subject matter experts. The proposed program evaluation will include both a formative process evaluation and a summative impact assessment to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and utility of the Network in addition to assessing change in the 3 primary outcomes of interest: mental health literacy, perceived social support, and help-seeking behavior. Participants will be recruited directly from the Network website using a "rolling" recruitment approach to allow for continuous data collection and evaluation. A combination of qualitative (ie, interviews) and quantitative (ie, surveys) methods of data collection will be used. RESULTS: The process of evaluation of the Network will begin in September 2022, collecting data for 1 year. In September 2023, the impact evaluation will begin using the same follow-up schedule. Data collection will then remain ongoing to facilitate the continued evaluation of the Network. Reports detailing evaluation data will be released annually. CONCLUSIONS: The Network is a novel and innovative method of delivering universal mental health promotion to Canadian postsecondary students by providing centralized and freely accessible mental health education and resources, created by students and validated by subject matter experts. The continued creation and curation of resources for the Network will be ongoing to meet the evolving needs of the target population. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/41521.

Specific early maladaptive schemas differentially mediate the relations of emotional and sexual maltreatment to recent life events in youth with depression.

The current study provided a novel investigation of relations among particular types of childhood maltreatment (emotional vs. physical vs. sexual maltreatment), specific cognitive schema themes and the generation of dependent versus independent life events. Participants included 227 adolescents and emerging adults (74% female; aged 12-29) in a current episode of a unipolar depressive disorder drawn from three archival cross-sectional studies. Childhood maltreatment and life events from the past 6 months were assessed using detailed contextual interviews with independent, standardized ratings. Emotional maltreatment was uniquely associated with schema themes of emotional deprivation and subjugation, and sexual maltreatment was uniquely associated with schema themes of abandonment, vulnerability and dependence/incompetence. Further, subjugation and abandonment cross-sectionally mediated the relations of emotional and sexual maltreatment, respectively, to greater dependent, but not independent, life events. Physical maltreatment was not associated with cognitive schemas or recent life events after accounting for its overlap with emotional and sexual maltreatment. Results suggest targets for cognitive intervention that may improve outcomes for youth with specific histories of emotional and sexual maltreatment.

The effect of oral contraceptive use on cortisol reactivity to the Trier Social Stress Test: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Some research suggests that oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) blunt the cortisol stress response, thus OCP users are often excluded from stress research. The current study examined changes in salivary cortisol among females taking OCPs and naturally cycling (NC) females after exposure to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). METHODS: The literature search included the terms "oral contraceptives" OR "oral contraception" OR "birth control" OR "birth control pill" AND "Trier Social Stress Test" OR "TSST" AND "cortisol" OR "salivary cortisol." A total of 14 studies with 36 independent samples were included in the meta-analysis. Participant information, including pre- and post- TSST measures of salivary cortisol, and subgroup (i.e., OCP or menstrual cycle phase), were extracted. Additional study characteristics including age, length of stressor, type of OCP, time of day the cortisol samples were collected, and type of cortisol assay used were also considered. RESULTS: Findings from the current meta-analysis indicated that changes in salivary cortisol in NC participants following the TSST, D = 4.31, SE = 0.53, 95% CI = 3.27, 5.35, were greater than the changes observed in participants on OCPs D = 1.50, SE = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.91, 2.09. Study effects were heterogeneous, Fisher's Z = 10.87, Q = 620.57, p = < 0.001. Between-phase analyses were also conducted. CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrate that OCPs blunt cortisol reactivity relative to NC females. There was significant heterogeneity, except between OCP and follicular phase groups. Implications for research design and methodology are discussed.

Understanding the Needs of Ontario Educators in Supporting Students With Acquired Brain Injury in the Classroom.

BACKGROUND: When a child sustains an acquired brain injury (ABI), the impact extends to significant environments in their life, including school. Educator knowledge of ABI can influence a child's success with academic and social reintegration. An assessment of educator ABI knowledge was conducted to determine what information they require to support school reintegration. METHODS: A mixed-methods approach included a sampling of educators in a needs assessment survey and workshop. The survey determined levels of educator knowledge regarding ABI in the classroom, and the workshop scoped educator views in the development of a user-driven ABI learning program to enrich their expertise. RESULTS: Our sample reported being somewhat knowledgeable about ABI and the impact on students. There were no differences based on respondents' educational role. Teachers reported having minimal and inadequate supports for students following ABI during school transitions, feeling unprepared to assist students during these transitions, and that families also appeared unprepared for school reintegration following ABI. The workshop identified the need for a 2-part educational course. CONCLUSIONS: Supportive school environments are essential for the reintegration of students following ABI. This study identified educators' needs for ABI knowledge and resources to support their existing expertise.