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Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , The impact of thermal stress on the gene expression, plasma lactate, osmolality, and growth of juvenile bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus)(2026-04) Bennett, Raven; Stacey, Joy (Biological Sciences); Anderson, Gary (Biological Sciences); Jeffries, Ken; Mochnacz, NeilBull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) is a cold-water stenotherm that occupies a cold thermal niche relative to many freshwater fishes in North America. Consequently, populations at the southern range extent have been impacted by warming streams and many are listed as Threatened; however, it is unclear if populations further north will respond similarly. This study investigates the effects of thermal stress on gene expression, plasma lactate, osmolality, and growth in juvenile bull trout from a source population in Smith-Dorrien Creek, Alberta. One-year-old bull trout were acclimated to three ecologically-relevant temperatures (9°C, 15°C, and 21°C) for 60 days. Transcript abundance of genes involved in heat stress, growth-metabolism, immune response, and ion transport were measured as cellular stress indicators in gill and liver tissues using high-throughput qPCR, while plasma lactate and osmolality were assessed as physiological stress indicators. Osmolality and lactate decreased with temperature, suggesting compromised osmoregulatory function at elevated temperatures and an increased reliance on anaerobic metabolism. Condition factor and growth were highest at 9°C, with reduced condition despite continued growth at 15°C; fish held at 21°C exhibited markedly reduced growth, poorer body condition, and the highest mortality after 60 d. Sex had no significant effect on growth or physiological metrics. Gill and liver showed a decreased abundance of genes involved in growth-metabolism, ion transport, and immune function, while abundance of heat stress genes increased. The combined physiological and transcriptional evidence suggests that 15°C represents a sub-lethal stress threshold, while 21°C approaches the upper functional thermal limit for this population.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Assessing Physician Assistant perspectives on transgender and gender diverse health content in the didactic (pre-clinical) curriculum: A survey.(2026-06-20) Chongva, RoryIntroduction: There are over 100,000 Canadians who are transgender or gender diverse, with younger people increasingly identifying as part of this community. Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) patients face numerous barriers to accessing health services, including a perceived lack of practitioner knowledge, leaving this population with unmet health needs and poorer health outcomes. Introducing TGD healthcare earlier on in medical education can help close the knowledge gap between patient and practitioner, increase practitioner comfort, and improve patient outcomes. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the perspectives of graduated physician assistants (PAs) from the University of Manitoba Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program on the quality and adequacy of TGD content in the didactic (pre-clinical) curriculum. Methods: Previous University of Manitoba MPAS graduates were sent a link to complete an online, anonymous survey that explored their education during their didactic curriculum around TGD patients and healthcare. Results: Many previous graduates had basic knowledge of TGD individuals and health, but the majority felt their previous didactic education inadequately prepared them for working with TGD individuals within their practice. Conclusion: Increasing TGD content within the didactic curriculum could help improve the knowledge and comfort of graduated PAs, which in turn would help improve health outcomes for TGD patients. There are important logistical considerations within PA programs that would make TGD curriculum expansion challenging, but this represents an area of opportunity for the University of Manitoba MPAS program.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , NEURAL PROCESSING FUNCTION FOLLOWING CONCUSSION: A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF THE P300 EVENT-RELATED POTENTIAL COMPONENT(2026-06-20) Neufeld, JessBackground: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), or concussion, represents a significant public health concern. Current diagnostic practice relies on clinical tests and symptom reporting, as standard neuroimaging is unable to detect the microstructural changes of injury. This diagnostic gap creates challenging decision making for clinicians regarding diagnosis and medical clearance. The P300 event-related potential (ERP) measured via electroencephalography, is the most extensively studied neurophysiological measure in current concussion literature. Previous studies demonstrate changes in amplitude and latency reflecting functional deficits in the patient population. Objective: To summarize the evidence for how the P300 ERP component differs following concussion. We also summarized how the P300 changes throughout concussion recovery, and investigated whether or not differences exist between populations and mechanism of injury. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted across Medline, PsychInfo, and Embase databases. Following title and abstract screening and full text review, 19 original studies were included, published between 1988 and 2025, across pediatric and adult cohorts. Studies were eligible if they assessed the auditory P300 ERP in a concussion population compared to baseline measurements or healthy controls. Results: P300 amplitude reduction was the most common finding, reported as significant across 10 of the 19 studies. This reduction was most consistently detected in sport-related concussion populations. P300 latency was less consistently altered, with 9 studies showing no significant change compared to controls. Prolonged latency was most reliably seen across the acute civilian concussion population, and chronically in blast-injured military cohorts. Two studies showed amplitude increases. Substantial variability in concussion definition, study design, ERP methodology, and population traits limited cross study comparison. Conclusion: The P300 ERP demonstrates potential as an objective, portable, and more accessible tool to supplement current clinical protocols. P300 abnormalities frequently persisted beyond symptom recovery and clinical clearance, which challenges the adequacy of symptom based return to activity protocols. The P300 shows promise as a prognostic marker of recovery trajectory and treatment monitoring tool rather than a standalone diagnostic marker. Future research should prioritize standardization of ERP evaluation tools, longitudinal studies with preinjury assessments in the non-sport population, and investigation of P300 within a broader multimodal biomarker framework.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , An Evaluation of the Impact of Physician Assistants on the Productivity and Quality of Care in an Out-Patient Clinical Setting(2026-06-20) Campbell, KaylaBackground: Increasing numbers of physician assistants (PAs) are being integrated into the Canadian healthcare system to improve efficiency and access to care. There is limited data in Manitoba and across Canada evaluating the productivity and quality of PAs in an out-patient setting. Objective: To evaluate PA productivity and quality in an outpatient urgent care style setting at “the Minor Illness and Injury Clinic” (“TMIIC”) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Methods: A survey was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data from physicians comparing practice with and without a PA. Quantitative data including patient per hour and walk-in patient volume were collected over a two-year period and analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Qualitative data included Likert-scale assessments of PA productivity and quality, likelihood of accepting procedural patients and open responses that were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Working with a PA was associated with physicians managing 51% more patients compared to working alone (p = 0.016). Physicians were approximately twice as likely to accept a walk-in patient when working with a PA than if working alone (p = 0.016). Physician perception of PA productivity and quality was overall positive, with some variability in the formation of differential diagnoses and chronic disease management. Most physicians supported increasing the number of PAs in the healthcare system, citing improved clinical efficiency and access to care while identifying challenges in PA training and retention as the main barrier. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the addition of PAs to an out-patient urgent-style clinic resulted in a significant increase in the number of patients seen. Physicians in this study perceived positive impacts on both productivity and quality of patient care when PAs were involved. PAs improve access to care for patients attending TMIIC and there would likely be similar outcomes in other out-patient settings. This supports the expansion of PA practice in Manitoba.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , The effects of GLP-1 RAs compared to DPP4is or SGLT2is on appendicular lean mass index (ALMI): an interim analysis.(2026-06-20) Alexiuk, MackenzieNewer antihyperglycemic medications, including glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is), and Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4is), have grown in popularity for their blood glucose-lowering effects and cardiorenal benefits, as well as their support for weight loss efforts. However, the relationships between these medications and changes in lean and muscle mass, specifically appendicular lean mass index (ALMI) are not fully explored. This retrospective cohort study using population-based data identified 82 individuals who initiated one or more of these medications between two dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) assessments. A previously described model was applied to regional spine and hip data from DXA assessments to estimate ALMI (eALMI). In the cohort, 54 (66%) initiated a DPP4i, 38 (46%) initiated an SGLT2i, and 6 (7%) initiated a GLP-1 RA. Mean change in eALMI between one and five years across all medications was -0.13 kg/m2 (SD 0.47). SGLT2is were associated with declining muscle mass, ranging from -0.31 kg/m2 (95% CI: -0.59, -0.04) to -0.82 kg/m2 (95% CI: -1.57, -0.07) after adjustments. There was no association with any medication class with a previously defined threshold for a large decline in eALMI of -0.45 kg/m2, or any adverse clinical outcomes, including death, long-term care admission, or new home-care use. While SGLT2is were associated with a decline in eALMI, more research should be conducted to better understand this relationship, as well as ascertain if a relationship exists for DPP4i and GLP-1 RA medications.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , From chromosomal protein disorder to chromatin phase separation(BMC, 2026-03-28) Davie, James; Ausió, JuanIn recent years, two seemingly unrelated topics, protein disorder and phase separation, have become highly significant in biology. In this way, intrinsically disordered proteins and liquid-liquid phase separation have become two of the hottest topics in the field. In this review, we provide a brief description of intrinsic protein disorder and its effects on the main protein constituents of chromatin, from histones to high-mobility group proteins, heterochromatin HP1, the neuronal methyl-CpG binding protein 2, and the highly specialized arginine-rich protamines of sperm. Following this, we provide a general overview of the role of their intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) in chromatin condensate formation and present the evolving understanding of the amino acid sequence grammar of IDRs that determines their involvement in in the formation of chromatin condensates. After a brief overview of the theoretical aspects beyond this process, we describe how it is connected to the folding of somatic and male germ cell chromatin. Somatic cell chromatin is organized into compartments. We discuss the characteristics of the phase-separated transcription condensate in compartment A (euchromatin), including the specialized biomolecular condensate in which replication-dependent histone genes are transcribed, and the differential structure and role of HP1 alpha in compartment B heterochromatin compaction across different species.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Correction: Association between neurofilament light chain concentrations and outcomes in patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis(BMC, 2026-06-03) Bouras, Marwan; Pageau, Mathieu; Gagnon, Marc-Aurèle; Costerousse, Olivier; Demers, Karolanne; Grenier-Gagnon, Anouk; Isaac, Chartelin J.; Torkomyan, Tomas H.; Lauzier, François; Zarychanski, Ryan; Francoeur, Charles L.; Gerges, Peter; Abiala, Godwill; Moore, Lynne; English, Shane W.; Turgeon, Alexis F.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Evaluating possible treatment effect heterogeneity in a randomized trial of milrinone versus dobutamine in cardiogenic shock(BMC, 2026-05-21) Marinho, Lucas L.; Lileikyte, Gabriele; Boileau, Philippe; Lu, Ying; Churpek, Matthew; Spicer, Alexandra; Harhay, Michael; Chen, Zhe; Luk, Adriana; Zampieri, Fernando G.; Tavares, Caio A. M.; Proudfoot, Alastair; Pop, Cristina; Deschênes, Patrick J. F.; Zarychanzki, Ryan; Lother, Sylvain A.; Abrahão Hajjar, Ludhmila; Jentzer, Jacob C.; van Diepen, Sean; di Santo, Pietro; Mathew, Rebecca; Lawler, Patrick R.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , A protocol paper for a pilot randomized controlled trial assessing the feasibility and acceptability of group medical visits for anxiety and depression in adults(BMC, 2026-04-29) Kordan, Christian; Hensel, Jennifer; Sareen, Jitender; Moody, Jane; Alsaidi, Tia H.; Ayilara, Olawale Fatai; Penner-Goeke, KirstenBackground: Group medical visits (GMVs) offer a promising approach to address mental health challenges, particularly in settings with limited access to psychiatric care. Although GMVs have been studied in chronic disease management, their application in mental health, especially through randomized controlled trials (RCTs), remains sparse. This paper describes a study protocol for a pilot study evaluating GMVs as a potential solution to the high demand for mental health services exacerbated by long wait times and resource limitations. Objectives: This protocol paper for a pilot RCT aims to assess whether GMVs will be feasible and acceptable to patients. This pilot RCT will also collect implementation feedback from patients and primary care providers, as well as initial data on clinical outcomes to inform a potential future larger RCT of GMVs for mental health care. Methods: The pilot RCT will enroll 20 participants, randomized to either biweekly GMVs or resumed standard client services. The GMVs will consist of 45-min group sessions and 5-min individual check-ins, facilitated by a psychiatrist for 6 months. Data will be collected on recruitment rates and retention rates, as well as participant satisfaction using the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-4 (CSQ-4). Clinical outcomes will be measured using the GAD-7, PHQ-9, Mental Health Quality of Life Scale (MHQoL), and Recovery Assessment Scale-24 (RAS-24). Primary care providers will be asked for feedback on their experience with GMVs versus standard client services as well at the end of the intervention. Discussion: This RCT protocol investigates GMVs as a potential solution to alleviate the strain on mental health services, which face long wait times and limited resources. By offering structured group sessions through GMVs, the study aims to enhance access to and quality of mental health care. Designed as an RCT due to limited existing evidence, the study will measure GMV feasibility, patient acceptability, and symptom response. If successful, this pilot study could provide a scalable model to improve accessibility, reduce costs, and enhance patient satisfaction in mental health care, particularly in resource-limited settings. Trial registration {2A}: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT06651801 . Registered 22 October 2024.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Education and employment of women and girls with disabilities in Ghana: a scoping review(2026-07-04) Ahorsu, Priscilla; Hansen, Nancy (Disability Studies); Stewart, Christine (Women & Gender Studies); Driedger, DianeDeveloped countries have been able to judiciously employ their human resources and assist their marginalized populations to become self-reliant and resilient. Conversely, marginalized population such as women and girls with disabilities in developing countries are left to their fate, exploited and face multiple layers of discrimination and stigmatization. This study seeks to synthesis available research on the educational and employment experiences of women and girls with disabilities in Ghana and identify gaps in research that need to be investigated. Using Arksey and O’Malley’s framework for scoping reviews, a systematic search of 8 databases was conducted to identify and review papers for the study, which were published between January, 2007 and August, 2025. The experiences of the women and girls with disabilities were reported in accordance with the domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework which was adopted as the conceptual framework for this review. Twenty-nine papers were identified as eligible for inclusion in this review with 13 papers reporting on only education, 12 papers on only employment while 4 papers reported on both education and employment of women and girls with disabilities in Ghana. Out of the 29 papers, 72.41 % were qualitative research works whereas only 10.34 % were quantitative in nature. Most of the papers reported on societal attitudes and cultural norms as critical factors that adversely affect the educational and employment experiences of women and girls with disabilities in Ghana. Hence, educational and sensitization campaigns need to be conducted to reorient people’s perception about women and girls with disabilities while a review of the work of the District Disability Management Committee should be undertaken to ensure transparency.