This descriptive review describes the integration and graduate impact of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs) into the "concept and competency-based" nursing curriculum at the University of Calgary in Qatar (UCQ). The RNAO BPGs are integrated into clinical practice areas worldwide. However, the extent and effect of undergraduate nursing student preparation for using BPGs in clinical and professional practice have yet to be described. This descriptive review examines the context, strategies, and impact of incorporating BPGs into nursing curricula using data extracted from curriculum mapping, course outlines, surveys, and student evaluations. The review analyzes curriculum mapping, course outlines, student surveys, and program evaluations to assess the integration of RNAO BPGs into the UCQ nursing curriculum. The integration of BPGs into the concept and competency-based nursing curriculum was evidenced by a year-over-year increase and scaffolding of BPGs in the course outlines. The impact is reflected in the teaching strategies aligning well with the curriculum plan. Nursing program evaluation results showed that UCQ nursing graduates applied and advocated for BPGs in their professional nursing practice. UCQ strategically integrated BPGs into its concept and competency-based curriculum through scaffolding and active teaching strategies. This approach enhanced practical learning, leading to increased BPG utilization in clinical practice and improved patient outcomes. The findings offer valuable insights for academic institutions on effective RNAO BPG integration. http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A575.

Association of Recovery Rate From Exertional Desaturation With Disease Progression and Mortality Risk in Patients With Fibrotic Interstitial Lung Disease.

Superficial parasternal intercostal plane block with ropivacaine versus placebo for opioid exposure after cardiac surgery (EPOCH CardioLink-10): a multicentre, double-blind, randomised trial

Neurodivergent individuals have been systematically excluded from employment opportunities, meaning that we know little about lived experiences within neurodiverse teams. To fill this gap, the current phenomenological study seeks to understand the teamwork experiences of neurodivergent students at the University of Calgary. We conducted semi-structured interviews with students in the faculty of engineering who self-identify as neurodivergent, exploring their perceptions and experiences of teamwork and conflict. We grouped the themes that emerged from the interview data into cognitive and behavioural dimensions to represent what neurodivergent students think and do as they face and manage challenges and opportunities within team settings. Together, the themes highlight that students' desire to be understood and recognized by others significantly influences their team interactions. These findings suggest that traditional theories attempting to explain the social elements of neurodivergence are limited in their capacity to capture the nuanced ways in which neurodivergent individuals seek to understand and relate to others, particularly in team contexts. Finally, this study translates students' insights into recommendations for educators to create more supportive and inclusive teamwork environments in courses.

Angina with no obstructive coronary artery disease (ANOCA) affects millions and is frequently under-recognised because diagnostic pathways and risk tools predominantly target obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). This protocol describes shared methods for two machine-learning (ML) studies: (1) differentiating ANOCA from stable angina with obstructive CAD and (2) predicting long-term mortality among patients with ANOCA and obstructive CAD. We will develop and cross-site validate ML classification models using a multicentre retrospective cohort drawn from the Alberta Provincial Project for Outcome Assessment in Coronary Heart Disease registry and institutional datasets from the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and the University Health Network. Eligible participants are adults (≥18 years) undergoing initial cardiac catheterisation for chest pain/anginal equivalents since 1995, excluding prior revascularisation, major structural heart disease and predefined non-anginal indications. Outcomes are (1) ANOCA (0% to <50% stenosis) versus obstructive CAD (≥50% stenosis) and (2) 1, 3 and 5-year mortality, modelled separately for ANOCA and obstructive CAD.Model development will use nested cross-validation with stratified k-fold inner-loop tuning and leave-one-site-out cross-validation for repeated external validation. Candidate predictors will be harmonised across sites, filtered for missingness and refined using expert/directed acyclic graph-guided selection plus Boruta and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator. Preprocessing includes appropriate encoding, missing-data imputation (multivariate imputation by chained equations) and feature scaling. Algorithms will include elastic-net logistic regression, random forest, LightGBM and multilayer perceptron models; hyperparameters will be optimised via Bayesian optimisation. Performance and threshold tuning will be reported. Explainability and subgroup fairness will be assessed using SHapley Additive exPlanations. Final models will be deployed as a web-based clinical risk calculator. Ethics approval has been obtained from the University of Calgary and the University Health Network (#24-5916). Analyses will use deidentified data in secure environments; only aggregate results will be reported. Findings will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications, conferences and a web-based calculator.

• Faculty perspectives on CBC reveal role shifts in nursing education. • Concept mapping and simulation improved student engagement and reasoning. • Findings call for faculty support to sustain curriculum reform in diverse settings. The Concept-Based Curriculum (CBC) promotes critical thinking and deep learning in nursing education. At the University of Calgary in Qatar, CBC was implemented to align with international standards and national healthcare goals. Faculty play a central role in this pedagogical shift, yet their perspectives remain underexplored in transnational settings. To explore faculty experiences in implementing CBC in a culturally diverse nursing program. A qualitative descriptive study used semistructured interviews with 15 faculty members involved in CBC development and teaching. Thematic analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s framework. Six themes emerged: (1) concept mapping as a scaffold for learning, (2) structured prebriefing and debriefing to promote reflection, (3) evolving faculty roles from content experts to facilitators, (4) balancing content with conceptual depth, (5) navigating institutional and curricular constraints, and (6) perceived gains in student engagement and clinical reasoning. These themes reflected systemic change in teaching philosophy, institutional support, and learner engagement. CBC implementation fostered pedagogical transformation and improved learning, requiring sustained faculty development and institutional support.

Drawing upon the papers in the Alice Munro Fonds at the University of Calgary, this article examines the story ‘Bardon Bus’ (1982) as a synecdoche of Munro’s development at a crucial juncture in her career. While the Calgary archives reveal a great deal about Munro’s methods, ‘Bardon Bus’ is a particular crux in that a full typescript draft of the story, written after the version published in The Moons of Jupiter (1982), exists there. By focusing closely on the materiality of the archival holdings available, this article defines Munro’s compositional methods in relation to the published story, further revealing her growing artistry at a critical moment.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability, and emerging evidence highlights the gut-joint axis as critical in its pathogenesis and therapy. To date, no bibliometric synthesis has comprehensively mapped this field. We searched the Web of Science Core Collection (2008-2025) for original studies on gut microbiota and OA. Bibliometric and network analyses were performed using bibliometrix (R) and VOSviewer to assess publication trends, citations, collaborations, and research themes. A total of 175 original articles were identified, with a marked rise in research activity after 2015 and an accelerated growth post-2021. China and the United States are the leading contributors, with China exhibiting the most extensive international collaborations. The University of Calgary and Central South University emerged as top institutions, while journals, such as Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, demonstrated high impact. Thematic analysis revealed seven major research clusters, emphasizing systemic inflammation, metabolic risk factors, molecular mechanisms, and therapeutic strategies targeting the gut-joint axis. Recent years have seen a shift toward translational and mechanistic studies, with increased focus on molecular markers, clinical trials, and precision interventions. The results demonstrate a transition from descriptive and preclinical studies to mechanistic and clinical investigations. Collaborative networks across North America, Europe, and Asia have accelerated progress, but research remains uneven across regions. This bibliometric analysis underscores the rapid expansion of gut microbiota-OA research, highlighting microbial imbalance as a promising therapeutic target. Future work should integrate multi-omics, clinical trials, and global collaboration to advance precision strategies for OA management.

Open science publication practices and data sharing in 2023 at the Hotchkiss brain institute, university of Calgary: a cross-sectional descriptive analysis

AI (Artificial Intelligence) technologies have been progressing rapidly, and their applications are becoming more viable in diverse fields of life. One recent phenomenon is ChatGPT, which is based on advanced AI tools that have captured global public attention. The current study conducted a detailed literature review and bibliometric analysis to gain insight into the evolution, current trends, and future perspectives. The data is collected from the Scopus database from 2000 to 2023, covering social sciences, economics, business, and finance, and is also based on key technical and computer science literature that supports applications in these areas. Findings indicate that nearly 48% of articles were published within the last three years. Manghi is the core contributing author in the field, whereas Zhang et al. (2020) have received the highest global citations. The USA is the most cited country and has a prominent place in the country’s scientific production. However, Italy stands at the top in average article citations. Among the top ten sources, 90% of the topic-related, relevant literature is from conference proceedings. The University of Calgary, Canada, is a leading research institution. The study proposes deep reinforcement learning research streams, introductory programming development, and explores opportunities and challenges for the education system, as well as the preservation of educational integrity. It contributes to the knowledge economy discourse by examining ChatGPT as a generative AI innovation that transforms knowledge creation, dissemination, and decision-making processes across sectors.

BackgroundInflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is influenced by genetic and environmental factors, including diet and physical activity (PA). IBD patients who engage in more PA report improvements in quality of life, symptom management, and fatigue levels. This report aims to characterize habitual PA collected using wearable technology in patients with mild-to-moderate Crohn’s disease (CD) and provide insight into the feasibility of wearable technology in IBD.MethodsThis study is part of a larger multicenter, randomized controlled trial at the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta. Patients (n = 59) were randomized to receive a CD therapeutic dietary intervention + conventional management or conventional management alone for 13 weeks. PA data, collected using wearables, included habitual PA metrics (daily step count, daily time spent sitting, daily sit to stand transitions [n = 31]), and exercise metrics (daily light PA minutes, daily moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) minutes [n = 23]). Baseline data were pooled across groups and used to investigate habitual PA.ResultsParticipants were restricted to nonstricturing, nonpenetrating, colonic or ileocolonic, mild-to-moderate CD. The average daily step count for this cohort was approximately 6700 steps, with time spent sitting (hours) averaging 8.2 ± 2.1 daily. Additionally, pooled average daily light PA and daily MVPA measured 60.0 ± 32.4 and 18.5 ± 13.0 minutes, respectively.Future DirectionsStudies detailing objective assessment of daily PA using wearable technology in IBD are limited. These gaps in the literature provide future direction for researchers to investigate current PA trends and barriers to PA uptake.

The National High School Big Data Challenge provides students with a unique opportunity to investigate one of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals using open data, analytics, and AI. Through experiential learning, the program equips students with essential data science, critical thinking, and problem solving skills that are becoming increasingly more important in the digital age. The theme for the 2025-2026 program, “Leveraging Big Data and AI to Strengthen Food Security and Promote Sustainable Agriculture” invites students to explore how open data and AI can deepen our understanding of the systems that underpin equitable food production, distribution, and consumption. Students are encouraged to develop innovative data-driven insights and methodologies that contribute to more resilient agricultural practices and sustainable food systems, in alignment with global efforts to advance food security and environmental stewardship. Their investigations covered a wide array of topics, from the effects of climate change on food production to undernourishment and urbanization on a regional and international level. We are continually inspired by the intellectual curiosity, creativity, and analytical skills demonstrated by this next generation of researchers. Their work not only contributes to sustainable agricultural practices but also exemplifies the spirit of innovation that these programs seek to foster. To showcase and celebrate their achievements, two national conferences were held in February 2026: the Eastern Canada Conference at the University of Toronto (February 11, 2026) and the Western Canada Conference at the University of Calgary (February 20, 2026). On behalf of STEM Fellowship, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to all participants. We also thank our industry and academic reviewers and mentors, as well as our dedicated team of STEM Fellowship volunteers whose tireless support made this program possible. We would also like to gratefully acknowledge the invaluable partnership and contributions of RBC, Let’s Talk Science, Cisco Academy, National Research Council Canada, Government of Nunavut, Canadian Science Publishing, and the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking of the University of Calgary.

For adolescents living with higher body weight, changing lifestyle behaviours can be met with challenges due to psychosocial factors, such as mental health and emotional challenges. Few behavioural interventions have included skill development to manage these mental health and emotional challenges. The feasibility of a dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT)-enhanced lifestyle intervention will be evaluated through a pilot randomised controlled trial. We will recruit 90 adolescents aged 14-17 years with a body mass index Z-score >1.4 and mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms to participate with a caregiver in the trial. Adolescents will be randomised 2:2:1 to one of the three study arms: (A) behavioural lifestyle intervention with DBT skills training, (B) behavioural lifestyle intervention alone (ie, without DBT skills training) or (C) control. The interventions will include two sessions weekly for 16 weeks that include (1) one modified DBT skills training with two facilitators, supervised by a clinical psychologist, combined with one behavioural lifestyle session delivered by a dietitian and/or a kinesiologist and (2) two behavioural lifestyle sessions alone. DBT skills training will consist of teaching mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness and walking the middle path modules. Behavioural sessions will be guided by evidence-based practices for goal setting, dietary counselling, improving sleep, reducing screen time and structured physical activity. The main outcomes are enrolment rates, adherence to the intervention and retention rates for follow-up measurements. The secondary outcome will be changes in the quality of life (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory) and daily physical activity levels between baseline and immediately post-intervention. Adolescents will participate in a focus group incorporating photo elicitation to explore satisfaction, acceptability and perceived benefits of the study arms. This study has received ethical approval from the University of Manitoba's Biomedical Research Ethics Committee (HS24295-H2020:427), Hamilton Health Sciences & McMaster University (HiREB 18159) and The Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board (CHREB), University of Calgary (REB24-1084). Results will be disseminated through publication in peer-reviewed journals and be relevant to researchers and clinicians involved in paediatrics and paediatric weight management. NCT05338944.

Abstract Background In Alberta, Canada, rates of testing for celiac disease (CeD) based on tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTG-IgA) remained stable from 2012 to 2019; however, incidence of CeD autoimmunity increased by 6% per year from 31.5 per 100,000 person-years in 2015 to 40.3 per 100,000 person-years in 2019. Aims To understand if and how trends in the incidence of CeD autoimmunity have been affected from potential delays in identifying chronic diseases. Methods All records for tTG-IgA were identified in Alberta between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2025 from a province-wide laboratory database. Incident cases of CeD autoimmunity were defined as unique individuals newly positive for tTG-IgA between April 1, 2015 and March 31, 2025. Rates of CeD autoimmunity were analyzed by quarter to capture variation within years while balancing stability of estimates. Trends for two time periods—April 2015 to December 2019 (pre-pandemic) and January 2021 to March 2025 (post-pandemic)—were modelled using negative binomial regression while incorporating the population at-risk as an offset term. Average percentage changes and 95% confidence intervals (CI) across quarters in the two time periods were estimated from the model. Results Observed incidence of CeD autoimmunity in children ranged between 35.3 (July–September 2020) to 111.7 (January–March 2023) per 100,000 person-years (Figure 1A). Although incidence rates were higher in the post-pandemic period, there was no significant difference in the trend across time (p=0.947). On average, pediatric incidence increased per quarter by 1.40% (95% CI: 0.26, 2.56) prior to the pandemic versus 1.46% (95% CI: –0.59, 3.56) in the post-pandemic period. Incidence of CeD autoimmunity in adults ranged from 21.1 (April-June 2020) to 51.2 (April-June 2024) per 100,000 person-years (Figure 1B). There was a statistically significant change in the trend across time between the two periods (p&amp;lt;0.001). On average, adult incidence was stable across quarters prior to the pandemic (–0.20, 95% CI: –0.66, 0.27) while it increased by 2.01% (95% CI: 1.15, 2.88) post-pandemic. Conclusions Rates of adult CeD autoimmunity in the post-pandemic era were similar to prior estimates; however, trends showed an increased incidence in recent years, which could indicate an eventual ‘catching up’ of delayed diagnoses among adults. Regardless, further surveillance of CeD diagnoses in the coming years will establish whether a continued increase of pediatric CeD autoimmunity observed in the pre-pandemic period will persist, or if a plateau is on the horizon that has been reported in other settings. Funding Agencies CIHRJames A King received the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Canada Graduate Scholarships Doctoral Award and TRIANGLE (TRaIning A New generation of researchers in Gastroenterology and LivEr) PhD Award to support his graduate program. This study was also supported by the Alberta Strategy for Patient Oriented Research Support Unit (AbSPORU) which is funded by CIHR, Alberta Innovates, University Hospital Foundation, University of Alberta, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services.

Faculty perspectives on One Health: Insights from a transdisciplinary networking event at the University of Calgary.

To examine how Canadian medical schools contribute to the family physician workforce. Population-based repeated cross-sectional study. All Canadian medical schools. All Canadian medical graduates (CMGs) between 2000 and 2023. Multivariate Poisson regression models were used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of the associations between age, sex, and medical school attended, and entry into family medicine (FM) training. Trends in the proportion of CMGs entering FM postgraduate training were examined by medical school and region using linear regression models to calculate average annual percent changes (AAPCs). Of 55,883 CMGs, 22,849 (40.9%) specialized in FM. Quebec had the highest proportion (44.5%) of graduates specializing in FM. McGill University (31.7%), Queen's University (31.8%), and the University of Toronto (33.0%) had the lowest proportions of graduates specializing in FM. Entry into FM was more likely among females (IRR=1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26 to 1.33) and those aged 31 years and older at entrance into FM (IRR=1.47, 95% CI 1.41 to 1.53). After adjusting for age and sex, CMGs from NOSM University, the University of Sherbrooke, and the University of Montréal were most likely to specialize in FM, while graduates from McGill University, the University of Toronto, Queen's University, and the University of Calgary were least likely. Nationally, the proportion of CMGs entering FM increased from 36.2% (2000-2004) to 43.0% (2019-2023) (AAPC=0.36%, 95% CI 0.22% to 0.51%). Several universities saw a significant increase over time in the proportion of graduates entering FM (Laval University, University of Sherbrooke, University of Montréal, McGill University, Western University, the University of Manitoba, and the University of British Columbia) while NOSM University showed a decline in graduates entering FM (AAPC=-1.01%, 95% CI -1.65% to -0.37%). Regionally, growth was highest in Quebec (AAPC=0.52%, 95% CI 0.34% to 0.71%), followed by Ontario (AAPC=0.33%, 95% CI 0.16% to 0.50%), Central-Western Canada (AAPC=0.25%, 95% CI 0.01% to 0.49%), and Eastern Canada (AAPC=0.07%, 95% CI -0.17% to 0.30%). Substantial variation exists in the proportion of CMGs specializing in FM by medical school. These findings may highlight differences by school in the characteristics of medical students, undergraduate medical curriculum, social accountability mandates, and student experiences. Ongoing efforts to understand and address these differences are crucial to strengthening Canada's primary care workforce.

Shahab Ghasemi, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Shahab (Sean) Ghasemi, PhD, E.I.T., is a Reservoir Engineer and University Instructor based in Calgary, Alberta. He leads reservoir performance assessment, short- and long-term forecasting, and optimization studies in collaboration with multidisciplinary engineering and geoscience teams. In parallel, he teaches at the University of Calgary, delivering courses in waterflooding and enhanced oil recovery that connects foundational theory with real-world subsurface applications. Shahab completed his PhD in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary (GPA A), with research focused on heat and mass transfer in wells and porous media across pore-to-field scales. His work blends analytical modelling, numerical simulation, and experimental validation, with contributions that improve computational efficiency for complex subsurface systems. He holds an MSc in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Tehran and a BSc in Petroleum Engineering from Sharif University of Technology, where he ranked first among petroleum engineering students. His research interests include enhanced oil recovery, geothermal systems, lattice-based methods, and machine learning for subsurface energy.[1] He is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship, Graduate Student Research Impact Excellence Award, and Geothermal Canada Student Scholarship, recognizing both his research impact and academic excellence. Shahab Ghasemi: Writing – original draft; writing – review and editing. Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.

Purpose This study aims to provide insight into the challenges and opportunities that university campus food/beverage vendors face to transition from single-use plastic items to advance United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a mixed-methods approach. Subject matter experts at other universities were interviewed in the exploratory stage of the research. The decision-makers met regularly to determine opportunities and challenges to eliminate single-use plastics. The decision-takers (the food/beverage vendors) completed a survey about their understanding of a federal ban and their preparedness to reduce single-use plastic items beyond the ban. Findings This study unveiled the interconnectedness of decision-makers and decision-takers and the need to collaborate to implement a single-use plastic reduction plan. Vendors maintained positive attitudes about the transition, but they recognized both opportunities and challenges. The analysis compared franchisees with independent business owners and revealed some differences in the vendors’ abilities to support single-use plastic reduction based on business type. Originality/value Even though the government ban was an initial motivator, both decision-makers and decision-takers needed to collaborate to ensure the plan would be a success and exceed the regulation. Previous studies have not investigated the challenges that vendors (independent vs franchisees) face in the implementation process. Other institutions can learn from the benefits of engagement and the challenges of working among functional areas to make operational changes at postsecondary campuses.

ECR Spotlight is a series of interviews with early-career authors from a selection of papers published in Journal of Experimental Biology and aims to promote not only the diversity of early-career researchers (ECRs) working in experimental biology but also the huge variety of animals and physiological systems that are essential for the ‘comparative’ approach. Dhairya Desai is an author on ‘ Beyond calcium: cross-bridge binding regulates titin's contribution to muscle force’, published in JEB. Dhairya is a Graduate Student (MSc) in the lab of Walter Herzog at the University of Calgary, Canada, investigating muscle contraction at the protein level, aiming to clarify force production and functional performance.

ABSTRACT Students from three Canadian universities (University of Calgary, University of Manitoba, University of Waterloo) participated in focus group interviews to share their experiences of how traumatic content was addressed in social work schools and their perceptions of trauma-informed pedagogy. In the focus groups, student participants were given a definition/description of trauma-informed pedagogy and then they were asked to share their perceptions of the strategies and practices that would support them on their journey from student to professional social worker. The focus groups occurred on a virtual platform (Zoom) and were audio recorded and transcribed. Braun and Clarke’s framework for thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Four themes emerged from the data: recognizing and understanding trauma, modeling trauma-informed pedagogy through safer spaces, elements of a trauma-informed learning environment, and pedagogical practices. Implications and recommendations speak to current shifts in postsecondary education, specifically postpandemic, that require attention to trauma-informed pedagogies to support students in online and face-to-face social work education.