Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from environmental tobacco smoke and wood stoves dominate in settled house dust from Northwestern Ontario First Nations communities.

Rates of respiratory tract infections for children living in remote First Nations communities in the Sioux Lookout Zone in Northwestern Ontario are elevated and associated with poor indoor environmental quality including high exposures to endotoxin and serious dampness and mould damage. The studies also revealed a high prevalence of cigarette smoking and most houses have wood stoves, of variable quality. Depending on structure, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are carcinogens, immunotoxins and/or inflammatory mediators that are byproducts of the incomplete combustion of organic materials.

CAR/CSAR Practice Statement on Pelvic MRI for Endometriosis.

The Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) Endometriosis Working Group was tasked with providing guidance and benchmarks to ensure the quality of technique and interpretation for advanced imaging modalities associated with diagnosing endometriosis. Advanced pelvic ultrasound is essential in diagnosing and mapping pelvic endometriosis, but pelvic MRI serves as an excellent imaging tool in instances where access to advanced ultrasound is limited, or an alternative imaging modality is required. Despite the known utility of MRI for endometriosis, there is no consensus on imaging protocol and patient preparation in Canada.

Development and validation of the renal dosing questionnaire (RDQ-13) for pharmacists.

Pharmacists, as an integral part of the healthcare team, can play a crucial role in preventing drug-related problems in patients with chronic kidney disease that arise due to inappropriate doses. This study aimed to develop and validate a new tool, the renal dosing questionnaire (RDQ-13), for pharmacists working across hospital, community, and retail pharmacy settings. A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2023 among pharmacists working in different settings.

Circulating Extracellular Vesicles: An Effective Biomarker for Cancer Progression.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), the ubiquitous part of human biology, represent a small heterogenous, membrane-enclosed body that contains a diverse payload including genetic materials in the form of DNA, RNAs, small non-coding RNAs, etc. mostly mirroring their source of origin. Since, a vast majority of research has been conducted on how nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and metabolites, associated with EVs can be effectively utilized to identify disease progression and therapeutic responses in cancer patients, EVs are increasingly being touted as valuable and reliable identifiers of cancer biomarkers in liquid biopsies.

Comparing dual oral agents plus insulin vs. Triple oral agents in uncontrolled type II diabetes: A pilot study.

Introduction: Type II Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients often do not achieve glycemic control with oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs). There are two main approaches to address this challenge: transitioning to a triple OHA regimen, or adding Insulin to the existing dual OHA regimen.

Aim: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of adding Insulin to dual OHAs (Sitagliptin + Metformin) against adding a third OHA to Sitagliptin + Metformin in achieving glycemic control among patients with uncontrolled T2DM.