A conceptual framework for identifying and managing system vulnerabilities for diversion of controlled substances in healthcare.

Purpose: Diversion or theft of controlled substances is a recognized problem affecting healthcare systems globally. The purpose of this study was to develop a framework for identifying and characterizing system factors leading to vulnerabilities for diversion within hospitals.

Methods: We applied a qualitative framework method, which involved 1) compiling a list of critical diversion vulnerabilities through observations and proactive risk analyses in the inpatient pharmacy, emergency department and intensive care unit of two Canadian hospitals; 2) coding the vulnerabilities into deductively and inductively derived themes and subthemes; and 3) building a conceptual framework.

A collaborative interdisciplinary approach for trigger finger management.

Background: Stenosing tenosynovitis, or trigger finger, is a common cause of hand disability. This study outlines a trigger finger management protocol that redirects referrals for surgical consultations to conservative management first.

Purpose: The primary outcome variable was the protocol endpoint based on the resolution of trigger finger symptoms (i.

Tension-induced organelle stress: an emerging target in fibrosis.

Fibrosis accounts for approximately one-third of disease-related deaths globally. Current therapies fail to cure fibrosis, emphasizing the need to identify new antifibrotic approaches. Fibrosis is defined by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) and resultant stiffening of tissue stroma.

ESMO Global Consortium Study on the availability, out-of-pocket costs, and accessibility of cancer medicines: 2023 update.

Background: The availability and affordability of safe, effective cancer therapies are core requirements for effective cancer control. Global disparities exist in access, however, yielding unequal cancer outcomes. The goal of this study was to provide updated data regarding the formulary availability, out-of-pocket costs, and accessibility of cancer medicines in countries across the full spectrum of economic development areas.

Lupus nephritis: Biomarkers.

Lupus nephritis (LN) or renal involvement of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is a common manifestation occurring in at least 50 % of SLE patients. LN remains a significant source of morbidity, often leading to progressive renal dysfunction and is a major cause of death in SLE. Despite these challenges, advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis and genetic underpinnings of LN have led to a commendable expansion in available treatments over the past decade.

Hepatic adverse events associated with ketamine and esketamine: A population-based disproportionality analysis.

Background And Objective: To determine whether there is disproportionate reporting of hepatobiliary disorders in the United States (US) FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for individuals prescribed ketamine or esketamine.

Design: We identified Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) terms in the FAERS related to hepatobiliary disorders.

Main Measures: Formulations of ketamine and esketamine were evaluated for the proportionality of reporting for each hepatobiliary disorder parameter using the reporting odds ratio (ROR).

Abnormally slow dynamics in occipital cortex of depression.

Aim: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by altered activity in various higher-order regions like the anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex. While some findings also show changes in lower-order sensory regions like the occipital cortex in MDD, the latter's exact neural and temporal, e.g.

Chronic Low Back Pain Causal Risk Factors Identified by Mendelian Randomization: a Cross-Sectional Cohort Analysis.

Background Context: There are a number of risk factors- from biological, psychological, and social domains- for non-specific chronic low back pain (cLBP). Many cLBP treatments target risk factors on the assumption that the targeted factor is not just associated with cLBP but is also a cause (i.e, a causal risk factor).

Phenolic acids from Anisopus mannii modulates phosphofructokinase 1 to improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind, randomized, clinical trial.

Phenolic acid-rich fraction from Anisopus mannii (PhAM) contains abundance of ferulic acid, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, and syringic acid. Among other glycolytic enzymes, in vitro, PhAM counteracted the binding of sodium orthovanadate to phosphofructokinase 1 (PFK-1), improving its activities. In a rat model of diet-induced diabetes, PhAM monotherapy reduced HbA1c by an average of 0.

Endothelial cell (EC)-specific CTGF/CCN2 Expression Increases EC Reprogramming and Atherosclerosis.

Arterial endothelial cells (ECs) reside in a complex biomechanical environment. ECs sense and respond to wall shear stress. Low and oscillatory wall shear stress is characteristic of disturbed flow and commonly found at arterial bifurcations and around atherosclerotic plaques.

Impact of fall ammonia fluctuations on winter nitrification in moving bed biofilm reactors.

This pilot-scale study investigated nitrifying moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) in a post-lagoon treatment setup over two years to evaluate the impact of seasonal ammonia fluctuations on winter nitrification. In Year 2, reactors without fall ammonia starvation achieved significantly higher winter ammonia removal (97.2 ± 1.

Detailed analysis of air pollution in the Canadian prairie region: A step toward net-zero emission.

Industrial, agricultural, and natural pollution pose a critical problem for the Prairie provinces of Canada, with significant environmental and health concerns. This study addresses a critical knowledge gap by assessing the cumulative impacts of pollutants in the Prairie region, which hosts 40 % of the Canada's indigenous population, often living near these pollution sources. By innovatively integrating Sentinel-5P satellite data, Google Earth Engine, ArcGIS, and Python, we show the trends in CO, NO₂, HCHO, SO₂, and aerosols from 2019 to 2023 at high resolution for the entire region, which sheds new light on the dynamics that operate beyond conventional air quality monitoring.

Environmental contaminants assessment for frequently harvested migratory waterfowl in the Northeast Atlantic flyway.

Waterfowl serve as indicators of ecosystem health and represent a pathway of contaminant exposure for hunters who consume them. In the northeast Atlantic Flyway, data on baseline contaminant loads in waterfowl are lacking. We assessed five species of commonly harvested (and consumed) waterfowl for mercury, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Pure CO and impure CO-SO-NO-O reactions with carbon storage site underlying seals: Coaly mudstones and carbonate cemented sandstones.

The transition to net zero emissions requires the capture of carbon dioxide from industrial point sources, and direct air capture (DAC) from the atmosphere for geological storage. Dissolved CO has reactivity to rock core, and while the majority of previous studies have concentrated on reservoir rock or cap-rock reactivity, the underlying seal formation may also react with CO. Drill core from the underlying seal of a target CO storage site was reacted at in situ conditions with pure CO, and compared with an impure CO stream with SO, NO and O that could be expected from hard to abate industries.

Science tells us that portable air filters reduce infection risk. It's time for public health authorities to make this clear.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian public health advisors and politicians have shared mixed messages about the utility of portable air filters (PAFs) for mitigating the transmission of airborne infectious diseases. Some public health advisors and decision-makers have also suggested that PAFs are cumbersome or require expert advice. We take this opportunity to review evidence and address myths about PAFs.

Evaluation of a next generation sequencing assay for Hepatitis B antiviral drug resistance on the oxford nanopore system.

Background: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) for Hepatitis B virus (HBV) antiviral resistance (AVR) testing is a highly sensitive diagnostic method, able to detect low-level mutant subpopulations. Our clinical virology laboratory previously transitioned from DNA hybridization (INNO-LiPA) to NGS, initially with the GS Junior System and subsequently the MiSeq. The Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) sequencing system was evaluated for HBV resistance testing, with regards to sequencing accuracy and turn-around time.

Trauma exposure as a risk factor of major depressive disorder: A matched case-control study.

The association between childhood trauma (CT), stressful life events (SLE) and the onset and severity of major depressive disorder (MDD) has not been extensively studied. This study aimed to investigate the separate and combined association of CT and SLE with the onset and severity of MDD. A total of 503 patients with MDD and 503 controls were included.

Opening the black box: Think Aloud as a method to study the spontaneous stream of consciousness.

Asking participants to Think Aloud is a common method for studying conscious experience, but it remains unclear whether this approach alters thought qualities-such as meta-awareness, rate of topic shifts, or the content of thoughts in task-absent conditions. To investigate this, we conducted two studies comparing thinking aloud to thinking silently. In Study 1, 111 participants alternated between 15-minute intervals of verbalizing and silently reflecting on their stream of consciousness in a counterbalanced design.