Exposure to Computed Tomography Before Pregnancy and Risk for Pregnancy Loss and Congenital Anomalies : A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background: Animal studies show ovarian follicle damage and mutagenesis after ionizing radiation exposure. Computed tomography (CT) imaging is commonly done outside pregnancy, but risks to future pregnancy are unknown.

Objective: To evaluate the risk for spontaneous pregnancy loss and congenital anomalies in offspring of women exposed to CT ionizing radiation before conception.

City-wide built environment SARS-CoV-2 detection for COVID-19 surveillance.

Built environment surveillance has shown promise for monitoring COVID-19 burden at granular geographic scales, but its utility for surveillance across larger areas and populations is unknown. Our study aims to evaluate the role of built environment detection of SARS-CoV-2 for the surveillance of COVID-19 across broad geographies and populations. We conducted a prospective city-wide sampling study to examine the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 on floors and COVID-19 burden.

Cost-effectiveness of Targeted Next Generation Sequencing for TB drug-resistance testing as an alternative to the standard of care in South Africa.

Background: South Africa faces emerging resistance to TB drugs like bedaquiline. Phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (DST), the current reference standard for bedaquiline DST, has long turnaround times. Targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) offers a comprehensive alternative, potentially delivering faster results.

Cost-Effectiveness of In-Bed Cycling and Routine Physiotherapy for Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation.

Importance: The cost-effectiveness of adding early in-bed cycling to usual physiotherapy among adults receiving mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU) compared with usual physiotherapy alone is unknown.

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of in-bed cycling plus usual physiotherapy compared with usual therapy alone in the Critical Care Cycling to Improve Lower Extremity Strength (CYCLE) randomized clinical trial.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This trial-based economic evaluation with a 90-day time horizon compared early cycling plus usual physiotherapy vs usual physiotherapy alone from a societal perspective.

Effectiveness of Enhanced Developmental Screening at 18 Months to Identify Developmental Delays.

Objective: We sought to measure whether receipt of an enhanced 18-month well-baby visit with use of a developmental screening tool versus a routine 18-month well-baby visit (which typically involves developmental surveillance without screening) is associated with time to identification of developmental delays.

Method: We conducted a cohort study of children (17-22 months) in Ontario who received an 18-month well-baby visit (March 2020‒March 2022), followed to September 2022 using linked health administrative datasets. Visits were categorized as enhanced (n = 83,554) or routine (n = 15,723).

Virtual reality simulation training for health professions trainees in gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Background: Training in endoscopy has traditionally been based upon an apprenticeship model, where novices develop their skills on real patients under the supervision of experienced endoscopists. In an effort to prioritise patient safety, simulation training has emerged as a means to allow novices to practice in a risk-free environment. This is the second update of the review, which was first published in 2012 and updated in 2018.

"We Can All Learn Together so We're All on the Same Page": Impact of a Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative Care Hospital Course on Hospitalists' Practice.

Background: In Canada, access to palliative care varies across jurisdictions. Many health care professionals lack core palliative care competencies. To help build capacities, a pilot education program was conducted at a community hospital in Southwestern Ontario (Canada).

Implementation of the COVID-19 antiviral therapy Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir (Paxlovid) across Canada in 2022: A qualitative analysis of key facilitating factors and challenges.

Background: The COVID-19 antiviral Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir (Paxlovid, N/R) was approved for use in Canada in January 2022, with the Government of Canada assuming a procurement role and provinces, territories, and federal departments implementing usage within their respective healthcare systems. The objective of this analysis is to describe how N/R was implemented across various jurisdictions in the first six months after it was available for use and identify promising implementation practices.

Methods: Fourteen semi-structured discussions in small group settings were conducted with jurisdictional representatives involved in the implementation of N/R.

Dynamic transcriptomic responses to soybean cyst nematode infection in soybean genotypes with contrasting resistance profiles.

Introduction: Soybean cyst nematode populations are rapidly evolving to overcome the limited genetic resistance currently employed in commercial soybean varieties, threatening the future of crop production. To mitigate that, it is crucial to identify novel sources of resistance. Soybean lines PI 561310 and PI 567295 were previously found to exhibit partial SCN resistance despite lacking resistant alleles at and .

A scoping review of mental health literacy in performing and creative artists: identifying current gaps and future directions.

Introduction: Mental health literacy is a multifaceted construct that consists of helping individuals recognize the early warning signs of mental health conditions, understanding the concept of stigma and misconceptions associated with mental illness, encouraging appropriate help-seeking behaviors, and facilitating access to mental health services. However, mental health literacy remains a largely unexplored topic in artists' health literature. This scoping review examines the conceptualization, operationalization, and measurement of mental health literacy in performing and creative artists.

Qualitative Analysis of Ventilation Position and Dimension Effects on Compartment Fire Dynamics: An Experimental and Numerical Approach.

Unlabelled: Informal settlements, where over 1 billion people live globally, are extremely vulnerable to fire events. Thermally thin steel-clad timber-framed homes found in South African informal settlements are a prime example of this. In this paper, we explore, through six full-scale laboratory experiments and modelling, the influence of opening locations, areas, and aspect ratios, on the fire dynamics of thermally thin and leaky compartments.

Reversing PAI-1 deficiency in blood using mRNA lipid nanoparticles.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) deficiency is a rare disorder that causes moderate to severe bleeding and cardiac fibrosis, caused by mutation in the gene and no detectable circulating PAI-1 protein. There are currently no therapies that can effectively replace PAI-1 because the protein has a short half-life. An alternative approach to using recombinant protein is to endogenously increase circulating PAI-1 levels using mRNA therapy.

Relationships, Trust and Accountability, and Critical Reflexivity: Developing Quality Data with the "Hard to Reach".

Understanding the realities of members of marginalized communities is central to the advancement of social and behavioral sciences. We argue that the development of data accurately representing the perspectives and experiences of such communities is fundamentally contingent on relationships of trust and accountability, and on researcher critical reflexivity. We showcase our methodology in three vignettes based on how we conduct research with communities that are "hard to reach" due to their societal marginalization.

Hepatitis C virus testing in infants, a move to early screening by HCV RNA at 2 months of age.

In the last decade, hepatitis C virus (HCV) has become a curable chronic viral infection, with excellent treatment and streamlined diagnostic testing. Canada and many other countries have adopted national elimination targets; however, reaching these goals will require changes in the way care is provided. Standard of care HCV treatment is all-oral daily medication for 8 or 12 weeks and all provinces in Canada have mechanisms for public coverage.

The influence of workplace stressors on the risk of cardiovascular diseases among healthcare providers: a systematic review.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of death worldwide. Healthcare workers are at increased risk due to workplace stressors such as long hours, shift work, and high job demands, which may worsen both modifiable and non-modifiable CVD risk factors. This systematic review examines the impact of these workplace stressors on the risk for CVD among healthcare providers.

A possible role for food-based citrus bioactive compounds in bridging the gap between prevalence of diabetes and the effectiveness of current treatments.

The conventional "one-size-fits-all" approach to treating and managing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has proven challenging. T2DM is a complex, heterogeneous disease and frequently coexists with other conditions like hypertension, obesity, and dyslipidemia, further complicating treatment decisions and outcomes. While advances in diabetes medications have been made, traditional treatment algorithms often focus on broad glycemic targets, neglecting the diverse needs of patients with different risk profiles associated with ethnicity, comorbidities, and preferences.

Electronic cigarettes and cardiovascular diseases: An updated systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Introduction: The association between electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains inconclusive. This study aims to compare CVD risk from the use of e-cigarettes, cigarettes, combined cigarette and e-cigarette use, and non-use.

Methods: This study is a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA).

Expanding Monitoring Capacity for Potential Invasive Species in Arctic Canada With Environmental DNA Metabarcoding.

To date, environmental conditions have been enough to act as an effective barrier to prevent non-indigenous species from arriving and establishing in Arctic Canada. However, rapidly changing climatic conditions are creating more suitable habitats for non-indigenous species to potentially establish and become invasive. Concurrently, shipping traffic in parts of Arctic Canada has increased by over 250% since 1990, providing an effective vector for transporting non-indigenous species to the region.

Challenges, benefits, and strategies for delivering pregnancy care to people with disabilities: A qualitative study of service providers and decision-makers in Ontario, Canada.

ObjectivesTo (1) understand the challenges and benefits of providing pregnancy care to people with disabilities and (2) identify strategies to address challenges, from the perspectives of health care and social service providers and decision-makers.MethodsWe undertook a qualitative descriptive study in Ontario, Canada, of 31 health care and social service providers and decision-makers. Participants completed semi-structured interviews about their education, training, and clinical or administrative experience working with pregnant and/or parenting people with physical, sensory, and intellectual or developmental disabilities, including challenges and benefits in pregnancy care provision, programming, and policies, as well as their recommendations to improve care.

Mortality Outcomes of Combined Heart and Liver Transplantation and Isolated Heart Transplantation Following Fontan Procedures: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Fontan-associated liver disease can progress to advanced fibrosis, raising the potential need for combined heart-liver transplantation (CHLT) in selected patients. However, the benefits of CHLT over isolated orthotopic heart transplantation (HT), particularly in terms of mortality, remain uncertain. In this systematic review, we compared mortality outcomes following CHLT versus HT in patients with Fontan circulation, with the aim of supporting clinical decision-making.

Nondisclosure of use of antiretroviral medications in Canadian blood donors.

Introduction: Donors are deferred if they are on antiretroviral medications (ARV) as post-exposure or pre-exposure prophylaxis (PEP or PrEP) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We assessed donor compliance by measuring ARV levels in selected anonymized donor samples collected from September 22, 2022 to December 31, 2024, almost all after the introduction of sexual risk behavior screening.

Methods: EDTA plasma samples collected at the time of donation (retention samples) were retrieved, frozen, and shipped for measurement of tenofovir and emtricitabine.

Attitudes and perceptions of biomedical journal editors in chief towards the use of artificial intelligence chatbots in the scholarly publishing process: a cross-sectional survey.

Background: Artificial intelligence chatbots (AICs) are designed to mimic human conversations through text or speech, offering both opportunities and challenges in scholarly publishing. While journal policies of AICs are becoming more defined, there is still a limited understanding of how Editors in chief (EiCs) of biomedical journals' view these tools. This survey examined EiCs' attitudes and perceptions, highlighting positive aspects, such as language and grammar support, and concerns regarding setup time, training requirements, and ethical considerations towards the use of AICs in the scholarly publishing process.

Association between overweight/obesity and oral health in adults aged 55 and older: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The increasing prevalence of overweight/obesity among the elderly has significant implications for oral health due to shared pathophysiological mechanisms. Despite its importance, comprehensive reviews on this topic remain limited. This study investigates the association between overweight/obesity and oral health outcomes in adults aged 55 and older.

Using the Ottawa Model for Nursing Curriculum Renewal to align a baccalaureate nursing program with the 2021 AACN Essentials.

There is an urgent call to transform nursing education in response to evolving changes in healthcare. It is critical that nursing graduates are prepared to thrive and deliver care in complex environments to increasingly diverse populations. This article describes a nursing school's approach to achieve these goals and presents details of work completed during the early phases of curriculum revision to integrate the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's (AACN's) 2021 publication, The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education, into the baccalaureate programs.

Effectiveness of Platelet-Rich Fibrin or Platelet-Rich Plasma in Mandibular Fracture Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to critically evaluate and synthesize the available evidence on the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) in the management of mandibular and non-mandibular maxillofacial fractures. A comprehensive search of electronic databases was conducted up to February 2025 based on predefined inclusion criteria. The risk of bias in randomized controlled trials was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias (ROB) tool, while the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was applied to observational studies.