Saskatchewan Health

About: Saskatchewan Health is a government organization based out in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 442 authors who have published 489 publications receiving 7728 citations.

A case of milker's nodules in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Abstract: We present a case of milker’s nodules in a 41-year-old rancher from Saskatchewan, Canada, with secondary complications consisting of papular erythema and lymphadenopathy.

Quality assessment of RNA in long-term storage: The All Our Families biorepository

Abstract: Background The All Our Families (AOF) cohort study is a longitudinal population-based study which collected biological samples from 1948 pregnant women between May 2008 and December 2010. As the quality of samples can decline over time, the objective of the current study was to assess the association between storage time and RNA (ribonucleic acid) yield and purity, and confirm the quality of these samples after 7–10 years in long-term storage. Methods Maternal whole blood samples were previously collected by trained phlebotomists and stored in four separate PAXgene Blood RNA Tubes (PreAnalytiX) between 2008 and 2011. RNA was isolated in 2011 and 2018 using PAXgene Blood RNA Kits (PreAnalytiX) as per the manufacturer’s instruction. RNA purity (260/280), as well as RNA yield, were measured using a Nanodrop. The RNA integrity number (RIN) was also assessed from 5–25 and 111–130 months of storage using RNA 6000 Nano Kit and Agilent 2100 BioAnalyzer. Descriptive statistics, paired t-test, and response feature analysis using linear regression were used to assess the association between various predictor variables and quality of the RNA isolated. Results Overall, RNA purity and yield of the samples did not decline over time. RNA purity of samples isolated in 2011 (2.08, 95% CI: 2.08–2.09) were statistically lower (p<0.000) than samples isolated in 2018 (2.101, 95% CI: 2.097, 2.104), and there was no statistical difference between the 2011 (13.08 μg /tube, 95% CI: 12.27–13.89) and 2018 (12.64 μg /tube, 95% CI: 11.83–13.46) RNA yield (p = 0.2964). For every month of storage, the change in RNA purity is -0.01(260/280), and the change in RNA yield between 2011 and 2018 is -0.90 μ g / tube. The mean RIN was 8.49 (95% CI:8.44–8.54), and it ranged from 7.2 to 9.5. The rate of change in expected RIN per month of storage is 0.003 (95% CI 0.002–0.004), so while statistically significant, these results are not relevant. Conclusions RNA quality does not decrease over time, and the methods used to collect and store samples, within a population-based study are robust to inherent operational factors which may degrade sample quality over time.

Developing a program theory of patient engagement in patient-oriented research and the impacts on the health care system: protocol for a rapid realist review.

Abstract: Background The patient-oriented research (POR) discourse has been criticized as being fragmented, lacking consistent terminology and having few evaluative studies. Our research team will use rapid realist review methodology to generate broad, process-based program theory regarding how partnering patients with researchers in POR generates an impact within a health care system. Methods This protocol for a rapid realist review will involve multiple steps, including research question development; preliminary program theory and search strategy development; study selection and appraisal; data extraction, analysis and synthesis; and program theory refinement. We will be guided by the Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Syntheses: Evolving Standards (RAMESES) publication standards for realist synthesis. Unlike traditional reviews, a realist review aims to discover and understand causal processes that exist within a complex environment, asking questions regarding what works for whom, under what circumstances, how and why. Our multidisciplinary team consists of patient partners, health care professionals, a health sciences librarian and health services researchers. Patient partners are full research partners, supporting development of our guiding research question and identifying community partners and stakeholder groups to disseminate our findings. Patient partners will be asked to recommend literature sources, to review and vet our set of search terms, and to review, evaluate and reflect on our initial program theory in light of their personal, lived expertise. Interpretation We will share the results of our rapid realist review with community partners and stakeholder groups. We will also disseminate our program theory by means of publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presentation at scientific conferences.