The Use of Contribution Analysis in Evaluating Health Interventions: A Scoping Review.

Contribution Analysis (CA) is a promising theory-based evaluation approach for complex interventions, yet its application in health interventions remains largely unexplored. To bridge this gap, we conducted a scoping review to examine the extent of such applications and the methodologies, strengths, and limitations of this approach in health programming. Our comprehensive search strategy was developed and used in 15 databases to identify peer-reviewed articles from 1999 to 2023 that focused on using CA to evaluate health interventions.

Mineralocorticoid Antagonism in Heart Failure: Established and Emerging Therapeutic Role.

The pathophysiology of heart failure (HF) is related to the overactivation of the mineralocorticoid receptor, leading to fluid retention and adverse myocardial remodeling. Although mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) are recommended for the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), they remain underused due to adverse effects such as hyperkalemia; and their efficacy is controversial in heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Recent trials in people with diabetes and kidney disease have supported the use of nonsteroidal MRAs in reducing HF-related morbidity and mortality and have fewer side effects than their steroidal counterparts.

Management of undifferentiated adrenal gland metastases from malignant melanoma: case report.

Adrenal gland metastases from malignant melanoma are a common but poorly characterised condition. Their lack of consistent clinical features and poor response to immune checkpoint inhibitors pose a significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to practitioners. This case report describes a 78-year-old male with no prior history of melanoma presenting with nonspecific abdominal symptoms and unintentional weight loss who was found to have undifferentiated bilateral adrenal gland metastases from malignant melanoma.

Mobilizing knowledge about urban change for equity and sustainability: developing 'Change Stories', a multi-country transdisciplinary study.

Background: Health-focused research funders increasingly support multi-country research partnerships that study health, urban development and equity in global settings. To develop new knowledge that benefits society, these grants require researchers to integrate diverse knowledges and data, and to manage research-related aspects of coloniality, such as power imbalances and epistemic injustices. We conducted research to develop a transdisciplinary study proposal with partners in multiple middle and high income countries, aiming to embed equity into the methodology and funding model.

PIK3CA Mutated Colorectal Cancers Without KRAS, NRAS and BRAF Mutations Possess Common and Potentially Targetable Mutations in Epigenetic Modifiers and DNA Damage Response Genes.

Background/aim: Despite therapeutic advancements, metastatic colorectal cancer is usually fatal, necessitating novel approaches based on the molecular pathogenesis to improve outcomes. Some colorectal cancers have no mutations in the extended RAS panel (KRAS, NRAS, BRAF) genes and represent a special subset, which deserves particular therapeutic considerations.

Materials And Methods: The genomic landscape of colorectal cancers from publicly available genomic series was interrogated, using the cBioportal platform.

Load Management Among Professional Hockey Goalies: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Load management is a sports science concept describing the execution of well-established training principles to measure athletic workloads and enhance performance. The term 'load management' has become common in sports media to refer to a much wider range of scenarios, including the idea that by limiting regular season workload for athletes, their health and playoff performance will improve. Varying links between load and performance have been demonstrated in baseball and soccer.

Preoperative Computed Tomography Imaging Accurately Identifies Adrenal Gland Involvement In Patients With Renal Masses.

Objective: To determine the frequency of adrenal gland involvement (AGI) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and assess the ability of preoperative computed tomography (CT) imaging to predict AGI prior to radical nephrectomy (RN).

Methods: We retrospectively identified 90 patients who underwent RN with concomitant ipsilateral adrenalectomy (CIA) between 2019 and 2021 at our institution. We reviewed the preoperative CT findings and final pathology reports to assess AGI and determine the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of preoperative CT imaging.

Apixaban vs rivaroxaban in patients with atrial fibrillation at high or low bleeding risk: A population-based cohort study.

Background: Despite many atrial fibrillation (AF) patients being at risk of bleeding, very limited data are available on bleeding rates of different direct oral anticoagulants based on the spectrum of bleeding risk.

Objective: We aimed to compare the risk of major bleeding and thromboembolic events with apixaban vs rivaroxaban for AF patients stratified by bleeding risk.

Methods: We conducted a population-based, retrospective cohort study of all adult patients (66 years or older) with AF in Ontario, Canada, who were treated with apixaban or rivaroxaban between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2020.

Finerenone and diabetic renal disease: a narrative review.

Overactivation of mineralocorticoid receptors occurs in cardiorenal diseases. Many patients with type 2 diabetes often progress to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and require dialysis. Finerenone is the first oral non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonist used in patients with diabetic kidney disease and heart failure.

Thermal and Cardiovascular Responses during Exertional Heat Stress after Diphenhydramine Use: A Randomized Crossover Trial.

Introduction: Despite sparse systematic evidence, current exercise heat safety recommendations suggest that antihistamines blunt sweating and increase the risk for heat-related injury during exertional heat stress. The primary purpose of the present study was to examine whether diphenhydramine hydrochloride (DPH), a first-generation antihistamine, affects the sweating, core temperature, and heart rate (HR) response during exertional heat stress using a double-blind randomized crossover design.

Methods: On two occasions separated by >48 h, 20 healthy adults (10 females, 23 ± 3 yr, body surface area: 1.

The Role of Natural Background Radiation in Maintaining Genomic Stability in the CGL1 Human Hybrid Model System.

Natural background ionizing radiation is present on the earth's surface; however, the biological role of this chronic low-dose-rate exposure remains unknown. The Researching the Effects of the Presence and Absence of Ionizing Radiation (REPAIR) project is examining the impacts of sub-natural background radiation exposure through experiments conducted 2 km underground in SNOLAB. The rock overburden combined with experiment-specific shielding provides a background radiation dose rate 30 times lower than on the surface.

Creating a Culturally Safe Online Data Collection Instrument to Measure Vaccine Confidence Among Indigenous Youth: Indigenous Consensus Method.

Background:  Participating in surveys can shape the perception of participants related to the study topic. Administering a vaccine hesitancy questionnaire can have negative impacts on participants' vaccine confidence. This is particularly true for online and cross-cultural data collection because culturally safe health education to correct misinformation is typically not provided after the administration of an electronic survey.

Risk Stratification in Cardiac Sarcoidosis With Cardiac Positron Emission Tomography: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Although positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is well established for its diagnostic role in cardiac sarcoidosis, less is known about the prognostic value of PET and its use in risk stratification for major adverse cardiac events (MACE).

Objectives: The goal of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis looking at the prognostic value of PET imaging in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis.

Methods: Study investigators systematically searched EMBASE (Excerpta Medica dataBASE), MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), ClinicalTrials.

The Landscape and Prognosis of Microsatellite Stable (MSS) Esophageal, Gastro-Esophageal Junction and Gastric Adenocarcinomas with High Tumor Mutation Burden (TMB).

Background: A minority of patients with MSS tumors present a high tumor mutation burden (TMB) without underlying MMR defects.

Methods: Publicly available genomic series were assessed for identification of patients with MSS gastric gastroesophageal junction, and esophageal adenocarcinomas and a high TMB, defined as more than 10 mutations per Mb. These were compared with MSS cancers and a low TMB for genetic alterations and for survival outcomes.

IFEM model curriculum: emergency medicine learning outcomes for undergraduate medical education.

Background: The International Federation for Emergency Medicine (IFEM) published its model curriculum for medical student education in emergency medicine in 2009. Because of the evolving principles of emergency medicine and medical education, driven by societal, professional, and educational developments, there was a need for an update on IFEM recommendations. The main objective of the update process was creating Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) and providing tier-based recommendations.

Comparison of binocular reading speed in patients with strabismus without amblyopia versus controls.

Objective: Amblyopia has been shown to slow reading speed. Limited literature exists on reading speed in strabismus without amblyopia. Our study compares binocular reading speed in patients with strabismus without amblyopia versus normal controls.

Development of a Clinical Risk Score to Risk Stratify for a Serious Cause of Vertigo in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department.

Study Objective: Identify high-risk clinical characteristics for a serious cause of vertigo in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED).

Methods: Multicentre prospective cohort study over 3 years at three university-affiliated tertiary care EDs. Participants were patients presenting with vertigo, dizziness or imbalance.

An App for Navigating Patient Transportation and Acute Stroke Care in Northwestern Ontario Using Machine Learning: Retrospective Study.

Background: A coordinated care system helps provide timely access to treatment for suspected acute stroke. In Northwestern Ontario (NWO), Canada, communities are widespread with several hospitals offering various diagnostic equipment and services. Thus, resources are limited, and health care providers must often transfer patients with stroke to different hospital locations to ensure the most appropriate care access within recommended time frames.