Detecting new erosions in rheumatoid arthritis over one year - Radiography and high-resolution computed tomography of finger joints.

Objective: To compare the number of new erosions in two metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints over one year assessed by high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) and conventional radiography (CR). Furthermore, to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of erosive progression by CR with HR-pQCT as the reference standard.

Methods: Paired sets of image data were available from patients with RA (n=310), who underwent HR-pQCT and CR, including the 2nd and 3rd MCP joints only of the dominant hand at baseline and at the one-year follow-up.

Enhancing disease risk gene discovery by integrating transcription factor-linked trans-variants into transcriptome-wide association analyses.

Transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) have been successful in identifying disease susceptibility genes by integrating cis-variants predicted gene expression with genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data. However, trans-variants for predicting gene expression remain largely unexplored. Here, we introduce transTF-TWAS, which incorporates transcription factor (TF)-linked trans-variants to enhance model building for TF downstream target genes.

The experiences of living with multiple myeloma and a palliative approach to care: A grounded theory study.

Purpose: Multiple myeloma is an incurable hematologic cancer. A palliative approach to care can be used in conjunction with curative therapy to alleviate suffering, but is underutilized in the hemato- oncology population. The purpose of this study was to explore living with multiple myeloma and individuals' experiences with, and perceptions of a palliative approach in their care.

Myélome multiple et approche palliative des soins : étude théorique ancrée dans la pratique.

Objectif: Le myélome multiple est un cancer hématologique incurable. Pour alléger la souffrance, il est possible d'employer une approche palliative en conjonction avec un traitement curatif, mais cette approche est sous-utilisée chez les patients en hémato-oncologie. L'objectif de la présente étude est d'examiner l'expérience des personnes atteintes d'un myélome multiple qui reçoivent un traitement palliatif dans le cadre de leurs soins, et de comprendre comment ils perçoivent cette approche.

Exploring the Experiences of Visiting Veterinary Service Providers in Indigenous Communities in Canada: Proposing Strategies to Support Pre-Clinical Preparation.

Many Indigenous communities in Canada lack access to veterinary services due to geography, affordability, and acceptability. These barriers negatively affect the health of animals, communities, and human-animal relationships. Canadian veterinary colleges offer veterinary services to Indigenous communities through fourth-year veterinary student rotations.

Interactions between blood lead (Pb) concentration, oxidative stress, cellular immune response and reproductive status in livestock from a mining area.

Chronic exposure to lead (Pb) in livestock grazing in abandoned mining areas affects animal welfare and productivity, as well as represents a significant food safety risk. Here, we evaluate the physiological effects of Pb exposure in goats maintained under extensive farming conditions in a non-remediated mining area. We monitored blood, fecal, and milk Pb levels in two groups of goats, pregnant (n = 17) and lactating (n = 24), kept in different enclosures with high soil Pb concentrations (geometric means of 270 and 143 μg/g, respectively) in Sierra Madrona mining district (Spain).

Supporting Positive Learning Experiences for Veterinary Students on Rotations in Remote Indigenous Communities in Canada.

Many health care programs in medicine, nursing, social work, and physiotherapy include practicum rotations near the end of students' studies. Increasingly, veterinary education programs also offer community-based rotations in underserved or remote communities. While these opportunities in veterinary medicine provide many learning benefits, they can also be stressful if the students do not feel adequately supported.

Student and Clinical Educator Perceptions of the Impacts of COVID-19 on Final-Year Veterinary Clinical Training in a Distributed Learning Model.

Delivery of the fourth year clinical program at the University of Calgary Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) is facilitated through the Distributed Veterinary Learning Community (DVLC) which has underwent major revisions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To determine the perceptions of how COVID-19 impacted fourth-year clinical rotations, students ( = 24) and DVLC practice rotation coordinators (PRCs, = 23) completed two questionnaires over a 7-month period. The survey consisted of demographic questions, statements ranked on an agreement scale, and open-ended questions.

A retrospective study of perianesthetic and sedation deaths in dogs and cats submitted to Canadian veterinary diagnostic laboratories.

Background: Perianesthetic death or sedation death in companion animals is an infrequent but devastating complication. Few studies have investigated the pathology associated with these deaths.

Objective: To determine clinical features and postmortem findings for submissions to multiple Canadian diagnostic laboratories from perianesthetic/sedation deaths in dogs and cats.

Off to a good start: The importance of the placental exchange surface - Lessons from the mouse.

The role of the chorio-allantoic placenta as the critical nutrient- and oxygen-supplying organ to nourish the demands of the fetus has been well recognized. This function relies on the successful establishment of the placental feto-maternal exchange unit, or interhaemal barrier, across which all nutrients as well as waste products must pass to cross from the maternal to the fetal blood circulation, or vice versa, respectively. As a consequence, defects in the establishment of this elaborate interface lead to fetal growth retardation or even embryonic lethality, depending on the severity of the defect.

Cystic Fibrosis or asthma? Discerning dyspnea with hyperpolarizaed xenon gas magnetic resonance imaging.

Hyperpolarized Xenon MRI (HPG MRI) has been studied for its potential use in assessing lung function in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and in patients with asthma. We present a case of a man with overlapping cystic fibrosis and allergic asthma with severe obstructive lung disease in which spirometry and computed topography (CT) imaging was unable to determine the primary cause for his uncontrolled symptoms. HPG MRI was used to guide a tissue biopsy and determine the primary driver to be allergic asthma.

Healthy Drinks, Healthy Teeth - Ciunerkaq Tanqigtuq (The Future is Bright): A study protocol for a community-based, non-randomized sociobehavioral trial to reduce added sugar intake in Alaska Native Yup'ik children in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.

Background: This study protocol describes a community-based intervention that will seek to reduce added sugar intake in Yup'ik Alaska Native children by targeting reductions in sugar-sweetened fruit drinks.

Methods: A two-group non-randomized design will be used to evaluate the intervention in three Yup'ik communities in Alaska focusing on children age 1 to less than age 12 years with a minimum enrollment target of 192 children. Families in the intervention arm will participate in a program consisting of five sessions plus four brief check-ins, all delivered by a Yup'ik Community Health Worker.

Care of the Child Perinatally Exposed to Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Substantial progress in preventing vertical human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission has led to a dramatic decline in new pediatric HIV infections. Alongside this success, a growing population of children who are HIV-exposed but uninfected face unique health challenges due to a variety of risk factors. Recommendations for healthcare providers caring for this population include optimizing and integrating general and HIV-related care for both mother and child through comprehensive care packages.

Endovascular thrombectomy after 24 hours for patients with acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion: A systematic review and meta-analysis of outcomes.

Objective: To evaluate the role of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to large vessel occlusion in the very late window (>24 hours).

Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines using PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases till 2024. Quality assessment was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS).

Automated Quantification of Simple and Complex Aortic Flow Using 2D Phase Contrast MRI.

(1) : Flow assessment using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) provides important implications in determining physiologic parameters and clinically important markers. However, post-processing of CMR images remains labor- and time-intensive. This study aims to assess the validity and repeatability of fully automated segmentation of phase contrast velocity-encoded aortic root plane.

Custom-Made Device (CMD) for the Repair of Thoraco-Abdominal Aneurysm (TAA): Mid-Long Term Outcomes from a Single Southeast Asian Centre Experience in Singapore.

Given the high risk of peri-operative morbidity and mortality associated with open repair, endovascular repair for thoraco-abdominal aneurysms is increasingly performed. This study aims to describe mid to long-term results for patients who were treated with COOK Custom-Made Endograft Device at a single Southeast Asian tertiary centre. Mid to long-term results of patients treated from 2012 to 2022 were retrospectively reviewed.

Pioglitazone as a Possible Treatment for .

(AT) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by immunodeficiency, progressive cerebellar ataxia, and an increased malignancy risk. Cells derived from individuals with AT show multiple defects, including high oxidant and ionizing radiation sensitivities, poor DNA repair, low iron-sulfur cluster levels, and low reduced glutathione. The clinical course of AT is progressive and unrelenting, with most individuals having a survival time of approximately twenty-five years.

Association of Insomnia with Functional Outcomes Relevant to Daily Behaviors and Sleep-Related Quality of Life among First Nations People in Two Communities in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Insomnia is a common sleep complaint in Canada and is associated with increased use of health care services and economic burden. This paper examines the association of insomnia with functional outcomes relevant to daily behaviors and sleep-related quality of life among First Nations participants using the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (FOSQ-10). The First Nations Sleep Health Project follow-up survey was conducted in partnership with two Cree First Nations in the summer of 2022, where 355 individuals participated.

Management of Gallstone Disease.

Gallstone disease has plagued humanity since antiquity. Its recognition and treatment has been refined through decades as surgical technique and imaging capabilities have advanced. With the rise of the obesity epidemic and metabolic syndrome, its prevalence is also increasing.