International trends in the implementation of assessment for learning : Implications for policy and practice in a post-COVID world.

This paper discusses the evolution of assessment for learning (AfL) across the globe with particular attention given to Western educational jurisdictions. Scholars from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, and the United States discuss prominent assessment reforms within their respective countries over the last decade. Particular attention is given to the impact of the pandemic as well as technological developments for classroom assessment policies and practices.

Syphilis Point of Care Rapid Test and Immediate Treatment Evaluation (SPRITE) study: a mixed-methods implementation science research protocol of eight public health units in Ontario, Canada.

Introduction: Urgent, tailored and equitable action is needed to address the alarming rise in syphilis rates in Canada. In the last decade, the rates of infectious syphilis have increased by 345% in Ontario, Canada. Underserved populations-people who use drugs, un(der)housed individuals and those living in rural and remote areas-face unique social and healthcare challenges that increase their vulnerability to syphilis infections and hinder their access to timely diagnosis and treatment.

The Impact of Peer-Based Recovery Support Services: Mediating Factors of Client Outcomes.

Research demonstrates a positive impact of Peer Based Recovery Support Services (PBRSS) facilitated by peer recovery specialists (PRS), who are people in recovery from behavioral health conditions (e.g., substance use disorders [SUD] and mental health conditions).

Predictive equation derived from 6,497 doubly labelled water measurements enables the detection of erroneous self-reported energy intake.

Nutritional epidemiology aims to link dietary exposures to chronic disease, but the instruments for evaluating dietary intake are inaccurate. One way to identify unreliable data and the sources of errors is to compare estimated intakes with the total energy expenditure (TEE). In this study, we used the International Atomic Energy Agency Doubly Labeled Water Database to derive a predictive equation for TEE using 6,497 measures of TEE in individuals aged 4 to 96 years.

Communication needs regarding heart failure trajectory and palliative care between patients and healthcare providers: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is a chronic condition with an unpredictable trajectory, making effective communication between patients and healthcare providers crucial for optimizing outcomes. This study aims to investigate and compare the communication needs regarding HF trajectory and palliative care between patients and healthcare providers and to identify factors associated with the communication needs of patients with HF.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed, involving 100 patients with HF and 35 healthcare providers.

Why is learning from patient safety incidents (still) so hard? A sociocultural perspective on learning from incidents in healthcare organizations.

Purpose: Despite robust quality improvement efforts in healthcare, learning from patient safety incidents remains difficult. Our study explores counter-vailing powers shaping learning processes and possibilities in healthcare organizations, with a focus on social, political and organizational dynamics of learning.

Design/methodology/approach: Deploying concepts of situated curriculum, boundary work and interconnected knowledge practices, we interviewed staff and physicians ( = 15) in a large Academic Health Science Centre in Canada about their experiences of incident investigations and resultant information sharing.

Time to standardize educational competencies on EBP: the benefits of a common core framework.

Principles, theories, and models of education for health professionals have not evolved in parallel with advanced requirements for evidence-based practice (EBP). We propose that groups such as JBI, with a global network of clinical and academic centers, are well placed to reignite the debate and advance evidence-based curriculum development. This can be achieved by operationalizing the JBI Model for Evidence-Based Healthcare within the Sicily statement's pedagogical framework.

Risk of stroke with reduced dose direct oral anticoagulants vs standard dose anticoagulation after cardioversion of atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: There is consensus on the safety of standard dose direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) for stroke prevention in patients undergoing cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF), but outcomes of reduced dose DOACs in this setting remain unclear.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the rate of cardioversion-associated thromboembolic events between patients taking reduced dose DOACs and those receiving standard dose anticoagulation.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted for studies published between January 1, 2009, and February 16, 2024 in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.

Metaverse technologies in acute care medical education: A scoping review.

Background: The concept of the metaverse is a virtual world that immerses users, allowing them to interact with the digital environment. Due to metaverse's utility in collaborative and immersive simulation, it can be advantageous for medical education in high-stakes care settings such as emergency, critical, and acute care. Consequently, there has been a growth in educational metaverse use, which has yet to be characterized alongside other simulation modalities literature.

Identifying biomarker-driven subphenotypes of cardiogenic shock: analysis of prospective cohorts and randomized controlled trials.

Background: Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome, making it challenging to predict patient trajectory and response to treatment. This study aims to identify biological/molecular CS subphenotypes, evaluate their association with outcome, and explore their impact on heterogeneity of treatment effect (ShockCO-OP, NCT06376318).

Methods: We used unsupervised clustering to integrate plasma biomarker data from two prospective cohorts of CS patients: CardShock (N = 205 [2010-2012, NCT01374867]) and the French and European Outcome reGistry in Intensive Care Units (FROG-ICU) (N = 228 [2011-2013, NCT01367093]) to determine the optimal number of classes.

Impact of obesity on outcome in children diagnosed with cancer in Canada: A report from Cancer in Young People in Canada.

Background: Childhood obesity can result in adverse health outcomes. The objectives of this study were to describe the prevalence of obesity and determine the association between obesity at cancer diagnosis and event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) in children diagnosed with cancer in Canada.

Methods: The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Cancer in Young People in Canada database, including all children with newly diagnosed cancer aged 2-18 years across Canada from 2001 to 2020.

Development and Validation of a Postprocedure Stroke Screening Tool in Children With Cardiac Disease.

Background: Cardiac catheterization in children with heart disease is associated with an increased risk of arterial ischemic stroke. We created and evaluated the diagnostic performance of a bedside screening tool administered postprocedure to identify arterial ischemic stroke.

Methods: We developed a postprocedure stroke screen comprising history of stroke, responsiveness, command following, speech, facial and limb strength symmetry, new seizure, and caregiver concern.

Laser scarecrows reduce avian corn-foraging propensity but not bout length in aviary trials.

Background: Behavioral mechanisms underlying avian deterrence by lasers in sweet corn are not known, and we evaluated them in a rigorous aviary experiment. Eighteen flocks of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) foraged on sweet corn for several days in control and laser treated plots with ripe sweet corn while data were collected on where birds were distributed and how long birds foraged on corn. In 16 trials, fresh ears were presented on wooden sticks, and in two trials birds foraged on natural corn grown from seed.

Deterministic patterns in single-cell transcriptomic data.

We report the existence of deterministic patterns in statistical plots of single-cell transcriptomic data. We develop a theory showing that the patterns are neither artifacts introduced by the measurement process nor due to underlying biological mechanisms. Rather they naturally emerge from finite sample size effects.

Prevalence of Chronic Hand Eczema in adults: A cross-sectional survey of over 60,000 respondents in the general population in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Background: The lack of attention to Chronic Hand Eczema (CHE) and the lack of a specific International Classification of Diseases code for CHE may have limited the assessment of CHE prevalence. To date, prevalence estimates have primarily been derived from (partly small) single-country studies.

Objectives: To estimate the annual prevalence of self-reported physician-diagnosed CHE across socio-demographic characteristics among adults in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom (UK).

CAR/CSACI Practice Guidance for Contrast Media Hypersensitivity.

Contrast media, including iodinated contrast media and gadolinium-based contrast agents, are commonly administered pharmaceuticals with excellent safety profiles. However, a minority of the population may experience a hypersensitivity reaction following intravenous administration. Hypersensitivity reactions can be immediate or delayed, and range from mild, such as urticaria, to severe, including anaphylaxis.

Characterizing the medical and social complexity experienced by Inuit children and their families from Nunavut who access care at an urban Canadian tertiary level paediatric hospital.

We aimed to characterise the medical and social complexities experienced by Inuit children and their families from Nunavut who were cared for at a general paediatrics clinic at an urban tertiary-level hospital located in Eastern Ontario. A retrospective chart review of this cohort was completed between 2016 and 2019. Two independent reviewers extracted data from charts.

Frequency of Upper Body Muscular Demands in Contemporary and Ballet Dance Performance: A Cross Sectional Performance Analysis.

There is currently little research relating specifically to the muscular strength and endurance requirements of the upper body such as lifts at varying heights, ground floor contact with the hands and inversions such as handstands. Enhanced understanding of muscular demands can inform training program design to build physical tolerance to meet the demand of the activity. The aim of this study was to ascertain the frequency of upper body muscular skills in contemporary and ballet dance performance.

Are gender traits and stereotypes associated with stress and burnout among midlife women?

Women experience greater stress and burnout compared to men, particularly at midlife, when gender role expectations may contribute to experiencing stress and burnout. To date, researchers have not empirically examined the associations between gender traits and stereotypes, stress, and burnout among midlife women. Gendered traits and stereotypes were assessed via self-reported questionnaires, along with perceived stress and burnout.

Local excision for T1 rectal cancer: A population-based study of practice patterns and oncological outcomes.

Aim: Local excision (LE) for T1 rectal cancer may be recommended in those with low-risk disease, while resection is typically recommended in those with a high risk of luminal recurrence or lymph node metastasis. The aim of this work was to compare survival between resection and LE.

Method: This was a population-based retrospective cohort study set in the Canadian province of Ontario.

Hypertensive Response to Exercise in Normotensive Men and Women with Abdominal Obesity: Association with Subclinical Adverse Cardiac Remodeling.

Hypertensive response to exercise (HRE) is an established risk factor for cardiovascular events. HRE is prevalent among people with excess adiposity. Both obesity and HRE have been individually associated with adverse cardiac remodeling.