This study is being done to answer the following question: Are there types of early-stage vulvar cancer that require either less or more treatment than the usual approach?

Children with severe cerebral palsy (CP) are at high risk for progressive hip displacement, associated with pain and contractures interfering with many aspects of care, comfort and quality of life. These children undergo many types of interventions, the optimal timing and effectiveness of which, remain unclear. In 2014, CIHR funded the CP Hip Outcomes Project (CHOP), an international multi-centre prospective longitudinal cohort study of children with severe (non-ambulant) CP with evidence of hip displacement defined as a Reimer's migration percentage (MP) of at least 30%. The study was designed to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of different treatment strategies to prevent or relieve symptoms associated with hip instability, using the validated Caregiver Priorities and Child Health Index of Life with Disabilities (CPCHILD ) questionnaire as the primary outcome measure of health-related quality of life © (HRQL) for this population. 650 patients enrolled from 28 sites in 11 countries, are actively being followed and will reach at least 2 years of follow-up at the end of 2019. This project, will study the impact of hip instability and its management in children with severe CP using the CPCHILD questionnaire that was developed specifically for this purpose. Although CHOP will define outcomes at 24 months, the outcomes are not expected to remain stable while the child is still growing. The inception cohort will need follow-up until skeletal maturity to track their long-term outcome trajectories.

This is a multi-centre, single blind, randomized study. Patients admitted to hospital with acute decompensated heart failure will be randomized to biomarker guided discharge algorithm vs usual care in a 2:1 ratio. NTproBNP and other biomarkers will be measured within 24 hours of admission. The NTproBNP results will be used to further stratify participants randomized to the biomarker guided group into lower and medium to higher risk pathways. Biomarkers will be repeated after 2-3 days and again prior to discharge. Specific care pathways will be followed for each of the lower risk and medium-higher risk groups. Biomarkers will be repeated 30 days post discharge. Participants will be followed with a phone call at 3 months and return for a follow up visit at 6 months post discharge for outcome evaluation.

Physical mobility and social participation are needed to maintain independence and quality of life for adults over 55 years of age. Despite the known benefits of physical activity and dietary change programs for older adults, the best ways to deliver these interventions are not well understood. The goal of the EMBOLDEN study is to promote physical and community mobility in older adults who experience difficulties taking up community programs and reside in areas of high health inequity. Building on existing best practices, the investigators will implement and evaluate an innovative co-designed community-based program to promote physical activity, healthy eating, social participation, and system navigation. The potential for spreading this program throughout Hamilton and adapted to other Canadian communities will also be explored

The standard for treatment for people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome involves the use of Continuous, or Automatic Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP, APAP) machines, which work by delivering air via tubing and mask to a patient at pressures of up to 20cmH2O. This increased pressure is meant to stabilize the airway to reduce obstruction events. APAP machines are generally more effective and more comfortable for patients than CPAP machines because these devices automatically adjust pressure to treat an apnea. As a result of the high rate of patient dissatisfaction with conventional PAP therapy, alternative treatments for sleep apnea have been developed. One therapeutic target for OSA is stimulation of the genioglossus muscle, a phasic respiratory muscle important in maintaining upper airway patency. Recently, it has been shown that genioglossus reflex responses can be achieved through the application of negative pressure pulses as well as changes in airway pressure. These studies focused on activating pressure-sensitive mechanoreceptors within the upper airway known to contribute to genioglossus activity. Together, these studies have demonstrated that both brief pulses of negative airway pressure and changes in airway pressure are capable of eliciting genioglossus reflex responses. The goal of this interventional study is to evaluate the potential of airway muscle activation on sleep-disordered breathing during sleep therapy by applying brief maneuvers of air pressure using existing pressure and flow sensors in conventional CPAP machines.

The primary objective is to patient-reported Quality of Life related to complete control of Radiation Induced Nausea and Vomiting (RINV) between standard palliative radiotherapy and VMAT. Secondarily, we will assess rate of complete control of RINV. However, the investigators hypothesize that there will be no difference in pain response between the two arms, because they are receiving the same dose.

High burden right ventricular (RV) pacing has been shown to increase cardiovascular mortality, incidence of heart failure (HF), worsen left ventricular (LV) function and accelerate the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). High percentage ventricular pacing and wider paced QRS in the setting of normal baseline LV ejection fractions have consistently been shown to be independent risk factors for pacing-induced cardiomyopathy. Left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) has emerged as a potential alternative pacing mechanism that may avoid LV dyssynchrony and pacing-induced LV dysfunction by mimicking native electrical conduction.

Neonatal patients with congenital heart defects (CHD) have changing physiology in the context of transitional period. Patients with CHD are at risk of low perfusion status or abnormal pulmonary blood flow. Near infrared spectroscopy has been used in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) to measure end-organ perfusion. The investigator plan on monitoring newborns with CHD admitted to the NICU with NIRS and echocardiography during the first week of life and correlate measures of perfusion from Dopplers to cerebral and renal NIRS.

Our proposed study employs a novel approach to determine the clinical and functional imaging effects of brainstem neuromodulation, with an investigational study device, on illness awareness in schizophrenia - a significant contributor to medication non-adherence and poor treatment outcomes, and arguably the most treatment resistant manifestation of the disorder. The study device under investigation provides a safe and non-invasive method of brainstem stimulation that will be used in conjunction with a neuroimaging biomarker to measure brain changes associated with treatment and illness awareness.

This study aims to obtain the lacrimal fingerprint for frequent pathologies of the ocular surface and establish a normative base for each of them.