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Behrooz RD, Khammar S, Rajaei F, Burger J, Soman S, Chakraborty P. Mercury in saliva, milk, and hair of nursing mothers in southeastern Iranian mothers: levels, distribution and risk assessment. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2024; 46:521. [PMID: 39565512 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-024-02281-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 10/21/2024] [Indexed: 11/21/2024]
Abstract
This research is on lactating mothers in the city of Chah Bahar in Iran. This descriptive-analytical and questionnaire study selected a random sample of 80 mothers to examine mercury levels in their hair, milk, and saliva. The average concentration of mercury in milk, hair and saliva of mothers was 1.23 ± 0.48 µg/l, 1.81 ± 0.55 µg/g and 1.10 ± 0.63 µg/l, respectively. There was a significant correlation between mercury levels in mothers saliva and hair. Still, only a weak correlation was found between mercury levels in milk and hair, and milk and saliva, possibly associated with the high lipid content in milk. The number of children and length of the mother's pregnancy were related to the amount of mercury in the mother's milk. The number of teeth filled with amalgam, consumption of fish and marine products, consumption of fruit, and infant's weight at birth were also associated with the amount of mercury in breast milk. Chewing gum, fish consumption, infant's birth weight, weight, and length of pregnancy were among the factors associated with the amount of mercury in mothers' saliva. The mercury concentration in milk exceeded the WHO (1.4-1.7 µg/g) normal level in 8.5% mothers, and hair mercury was found in 12.5% mothers. It should be kept in mind that any amount of mercury can be harmful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Dahmardeh Behrooz
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Zabol, Zabol, 98615-538, Sistan, Iran.
| | - Sanaz Khammar
- Campus of Science and Technology, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran.
| | - Fatemeh Rajaei
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, 45371-38791, Iran
| | - Joanna Burger
- Division of Life Sciences, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Sidhi Soman
- Environmental Science and Technology Laboratory, Centre for Research in Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change, Directorate of Research, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India
- Department of Chemistry, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India
| | - Paromita Chakraborty
- Environmental Science and Technology Laboratory, Centre for Research in Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change, Directorate of Research, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India.
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Mufakhir FR, Yoga GP, Darusman T, Lestari DP, Arriyadi D, Utami RR, Sumardi S, Astuti W, Prasetia H. Mercury risk assessment scenarios: exposure from fish dietary behaviors of Katingan River Basin community. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2024; 34:3317-3333. [PMID: 38245837 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2024.2303980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Katingan River has been contaminated by mercury from ASGM activities since the early 2000s. This study aims to assess the risk of mercury exposure from Katingan fish consumption and analyze relationships between exposure variables. We proposed two risk assessment scenarios based on mercury analysis of 74 fish samples and fish consumption questionnaire. The risk assessment result revealed that estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of Scenario 2 were generally 3-4 times higher than Scenario 1. The statistical test results showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in EDI values between scenarios, indicating that variations in fish consumption influenced the mercury intake. Three different health reference-based values (HRVs) were applied in estimating the hazard quotient (HQ) and it influenced the HQ results (p < 0.05), for both scenarios. The relationship analysis between variables presented a strong non-linear correlation between EDI and hair mercury level for both scenarios, but a weak relationship between age and hair mercury level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fika R Mufakhir
- Research Center for Mining Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), South Lampung, Indonesia
| | - Gunawan P Yoga
- Research Center for Limnology and Water Resources, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Taryono Darusman
- Research and Development Department, PT Rimba Makmur Utama, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Dwi P Lestari
- Research and Development Department, PT Rimba Makmur Utama, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Desra Arriyadi
- Research and Development Department, PT Rimba Makmur Utama, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Rosetyati R Utami
- Research Center for Limnology and Water Resources, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Bogor, Indonesia
- Institute for Science in Society, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Slamet Sumardi
- Research Center for Mining Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), South Lampung, Indonesia
| | - Widi Astuti
- Research Center for Mining Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), South Lampung, Indonesia
| | - Hendra Prasetia
- Research Center for Mining Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), South Lampung, Indonesia
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Brockington M, Beale D, Gaupholm J, Naylor A, Kenny TA, Lemire M, Falardeau M, Loring P, Parmley J, Little M. Identifying Barriers and Pathways Linking Fish and Seafood to Food Security in Inuit Nunangat: A Scoping Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:2629. [PMID: 36767995 PMCID: PMC9916245 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20032629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fish and seafood play an important role in improving food security in Inuit Nunangat. Therefore, this scoping review aims to explore (1) what topics and/or themes have been widely explored in the literature related to barriers and pathways linking fish and seafood to food security; (2) where research, policy, and action gaps exist; and (3) how fisheries currently contribute to food security. METHODS A systematic search of peer-reviewed articles was conducted using six databases. Articles were screened by two independent reviewers. Eligible studies included primary research conducted in Inuit Nunangat that explored the roles of fish and seafood in food security. RESULTS Thirty-one articles were included for review. Overall, we found that fisheries can influence food security through direct pathways (e.g., consuming fish for nutrition), and through indirect pathways such as increasing household purchasing power (e.g., through employment). Research indicated that policies relating to wildlife and fisheries management need to be integrated with food and health policies to better address food insecurity in Inuit Nunangat. CONCLUSION Future research is needed to establish a more robust understanding of the explicit mechanisms that fish and seafood harvest and/or the participation in commercial fisheries alleviates household food insecurity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Brockington
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Dorothy Beale
- School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada
| | - Josephine Gaupholm
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Angus Naylor
- School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada
| | - Tiff-Annie Kenny
- Centre de Recherche CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 5C3, Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Mélanie Lemire
- Centre de Recherche CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 5C3, Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Marianne Falardeau
- Centre de Recherche CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 5C3, Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Centre D’Études Nordiques (CEN), Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Department de Biologie, Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Philip Loring
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Jane Parmley
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Matthew Little
- School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada
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Belaid L, Budgell R, Sauvé C, Andersson N. Shifting paradigm from biomedical to decolonised methods in Inuit public health research in Canada: a scoping review. BMJ Glob Health 2022; 7:e008311. [PMID: 36323455 PMCID: PMC9639062 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-008311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The National Inuit Strategy on Research focuses on advancing Inuit governance in research, increasing ownership over data and building capacity. Responding to this call for Inuit self-determination in research, academic researchers should consider cultural safety in research and ways to promote Inuit-led methods. METHODS This scoping review collated academic literature on public health research in Inuit communities in Canada between 2010 and 2022. A critical assessment of methods used in public health research in Inuit communities examined cultural safety and the use of Inuit-attuned methods. Descriptive and analytical data were summarised in tables and figures. Knowledge user engagement in the research process was analysed with thematic analysis. RESULTS 356 articles met the inclusion criteria. Much of the published research was in nutrition and mental health, and few initiatives reported translation into promotion programmes. Almost all published research was disease or deficit focused and based on a biomedical paradigm, especially in toxicology, maternal health and chronic diseases. Recent years saw an increased number of participatory studies using a decolonial lens and focusing on resilience. While some qualitative research referred to Inuit methodologies and engaged communities in the research process, most quantitative research was not culturally safe. Overall, community engagement remained in early stages of co-designing research protocols and interventions. Discussion on governance and data ownership was limited. Recent years saw emerging discussions on these issues. Knowledge user capacity-building was limited to brief training on conventional data collection methods. CONCLUSIONS The last decade of published public health research has not responded to the National Inuit Strategy on Research. Participatory research is gaining ground, but has not reached its full potential. A shift from biomedical to decolonised methods is slowly taking place, and public health researchers who have not yet embraced this paradigm shift should do so.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loubna Belaid
- Direction de la Recherche et de l'Enseignement, École Nationale d'Administration Publique, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Family Medicine (CIET/PRAM), McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Richard Budgell
- Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Caroline Sauvé
- Direction de l'Enseignement et de l'Académie, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Neil Andersson
- Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centro de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Acapulco, Mexico
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Basu N, Abass K, Dietz R, Krümmel E, Rautio A, Weihe P. The impact of mercury contamination on human health in the Arctic: A state of the science review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 831:154793. [PMID: 35341859 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The 2021 Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) Mercury (Hg) Assessment is motivated by Arctic populations, and most notably Indigenous Peoples in the region, who are particularly vulnerable to Hg pollution. The objective of this review paper is to answer the following AMAP policy-relevant question: what is the human health impact of Hg pollution in the Arctic? In doing so, this state of the science review paper builds on information published 10 years ago in the last AMAP Hg assessment. The synthesized results demonstrate that: a) global influences (e.g., sources and transport pathways, biogeochemical processes, climate change, globalization) drive Hg exposures into human communities; b) Hg exposures are realized through dietary intake of certain country food items, and that new exposure science approaches are helping to deepen understandings; c) the nutritional and cultural benefits of country foods are immense, though a dietary transition is underway raising concerns over metabolic syndrome and broader issues of food security as well as cultural and social well-being; d) blood Hg measures are among the highest worldwide based on the results of human biomonitoring studies; e) Hg exposures are associated with adverse health outcomes across life stages (e.g., neurodevelopmental outcomes in young children to cardiovascular disease in adults); and f) risk communication needs to be balanced, targeted and clear, culturally appropriate, and be done collaboratively. These synthesized findings are particularly timely and policy-relevant given that the Minamata Convention entered into legal force worldwide in 2017 as a regulatory scheme to reduce the use and environmental release of Hg in order to protect human health and the environment. The Convention was influenced by health concerns raised by northern populations as indicated in the preamble text which makes reference to "the particular vulnerabilities of Arctic ecosystems and Indigenous communities".
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Affiliation(s)
- Niladri Basu
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Khaled Abass
- Arctic Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Department of Pesticides, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Rune Dietz
- Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, Frederiksbirgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Eva Krümmel
- Inuit Circumpolar Council - Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Arja Rautio
- Thule Institute and Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu and University of the Arctic, Oulu, Finland
| | - Pal Weihe
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, Sigmundargøta 5, 100 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands; Center of Health Science, University of The Faroe Islands, J.C. Svabosgøta 14, 100 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
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Walker EV, Girgis S, Yuan Y, Goodman KJ. Community-driven research in the canadian arctic: dietary exposure to methylmercury and gastric health outcomes. Int J Circumpolar Health 2021; 80:1889879. [PMID: 33646085 PMCID: PMC7928021 DOI: 10.1080/22423982.2021.1889879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Indigenous Arctic Canadians have a higher prevalence of gastric neoplasms relative to North Americans of European ancestry. We investigated the hypothesis that low-dose methylmercury exposure from eating fish/whale increases the risk of gastric cancer in Arctic communities. We used intermediate endpoints from an established model of gastric carcinogenesis: intestinal metaplasia, atrophy, and severe chronic gastritis. During 2008-2012, we obtained gastric biopsies from participants of community-driven projects in 3 communities. In 2016, we collected hair samples to measure methylmercury levels and interviewed them about diet. In cross-sectional analysis, logistic regression estimated odds ratios for the estimated effect of hair-methylmercury concentration on the prevalence of each pathology outcome stratified by selenium intake. Among 80 participants, prevalence of intestinal metaplasia, atrophy and severe chronic gastritis was 17, 29 and 38%, respectively. Adjusted Odds of severe chronic gastritis and atrophy were highest at hair-methylmercury concentrations ≥1μg/g when estimated selenium intake was 0, and approached 0 for all methylmercury levels as estimated selenium intake increased. Gastric pathology increased with methylmercury exposure when selenium intake was low. Though limited by small numbers, these findings suggest selenium ingested by eating fish/whale may counter harmful effects of methylmercury exposure in Arctic populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily V. Walker
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Safwat Girgis
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Yan Yuan
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Karen J. Goodman
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
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Rumiantseva O, Ivanova E, Komov V. High variability of mercury content in the hair of Russia Northwest population: the role of the environment and social factors. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2021; 95:1027-1042. [PMID: 34694485 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-021-01812-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this work is to study mercury levels in the hair of different social and demographic groups of the population of the Vologda region in Northwest Russia. This region is selected due to a heterogeneous distribution of rivers and lakes-a resource base for fishing. METHODS The mercury content was determined in the hair from the root with a length of about 2 cm. The concentration of total mercury in human hair was determined by the atomic absorption method without preliminary sample preparation using an RA-915M mercury analyzer and a PYRO-915 + pyrolysis unit. RESULTS The average level of mercury in the human hair was 0.445 μg/g (median 0.220 μg/g). The concentration of mercury in the hair of people older than 44 years (0.875 μg/g) was three times higher than in the hair of children under 18 years of age (0.270 μg/g). People who eat fish less than once per month had a hair mercury concentration of 0.172 μg/g, for 1-2 times a month 0.409 μg/g, once a week 0.555 μg/g, and several times a week 0.995 μg/g. The concentration of mercury in the hair of smokers (0.514 μg/g) was higher than in the hair of non-smokers (0.426 μg/g). CONCLUSION Significantly higher concentrations of mercury were observed in the hair of participants from the western part of the region, where reservoirs are the main commercial sources of fish products. The data showed that the main source of people's mercury intake was fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Rumiantseva
- Department of Biology, Cherepovets State University, Cherepovets, Russia, 162600.
| | - Elena Ivanova
- Department of Biology, Cherepovets State University, Cherepovets, Russia, 162600
| | - Viktor Komov
- Department of Biology, Cherepovets State University, Cherepovets, Russia, 162600
- Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters, Russian Academy of Sciences, Borok, Russia, 152742
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Walker EV, Yuan Y, Girgis S, Goodman KJ. Patterns of fish and whale consumption in relation to methylmercury in hair among residents of Western Canadian Arctic communities. BMC Public Health 2020; 20:1073. [PMID: 32631282 PMCID: PMC7339417 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-09133-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Methylmercury contamination of the environment represents a substantial environmental health concern. Human exposure to methylmercury occurs primarily through consumption of fish and marine mammals. Heavily exposed subgroups include sport or subsistence fishers residing in Arctic communities. We aimed to estimate the association of fish/whale consumption patterns of Canadian Arctic subsistence fishers with the internal dose of methylmercury as measured in hair. METHODS This research was conducted within ongoing community projects led by the CANHelp Working Group in Aklavik and Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories and Old Crow, Yukon. We interviewed each participant using a fish-focused food-frequency questionnaire during September-November 2016 and collected hair samples concurrently. Methylmercury was measured in the full-length of each hair sample using gas chromatography inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Multivariable linear regression estimated beta-coefficients and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the effect of fish/whale consumption on hair-methylmercury concentrations. RESULTS Among 101 participants who provided hair samples and diet data, the mean number of fish/whale species eaten was 3.5 (SD:1.9). The mean hair-methylmercury concentration was 0.60 μg/g (SD:0.47). Fish/whale consumption was positively associated with hair-methylmercury concentration, after adjusting for sex, hair length and use of permanent hair treatments. Hair-methylmercury concentrations among participants who consumed the most fish/whale in each season ranged from 0.30-0.50 μg/g higher than those who consumed < 1 meal/week. CONCLUSIONS In this population of Canadian Arctic subsistence fishers, hair-methylmercury concentration increased with fish/whale consumption, but the maximum concentrations were below Health Canada's 6.0 μg/g threshold for safe exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily V Walker
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. .,School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Yan Yuan
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Safwat Girgis
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Karen J Goodman
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
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