Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is prevalent worldwide and affects around 10% of people living in developed health economies. As the kidney loses its function in patients with CKD, the kidneys are unable to filter toxins out of the blood as efficiently as those of healthy individuals. Arguably, sodium (salt) is the most relevant toxin in CKD and can build up in the kidneys of patients with CKD. Salt build-up has also been found to occur in the heart muscle tissue and could drive the development of scarring of the heart muscle tissue which contributes to heart failure. Using sodium magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we would like to measure the levels of salt in the heart muscle tissue. We will examine whether the heart muscle tissue has high salt levels, and if so, whether this relates to any heart defects. A conventional proton MRI will be done to measure heart function. The MRI images of healthy volunteers, CKD patients, and those on hemodialysis will be analyzed for levels of salt and the findings will then be compared to the cardiac biomarkers (proteins or enzymes that are released into the blood when the heart is damaged or stressed) and fibrosis (scarring) measured from each patient's proton MRI images to establish a possible correlation. This research has the potential to precede additional studies that may investigate the effect of diuretics (a drug that increases the production of urine) on the heart muscle tissue of CKD patients. Using sodium magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), it is possible to measure the sodium content in the cardiac tissue of patients with kidney disease. In this research study, it will be investigated whether the elevated levels of sodium in patients with kidney disease is also present in their hearts, and if so, whether this relates to cardiac abnormalities. Cardiac sodium MRI images of healthy volunteers, hemodialysis patients, and CKD patients will be analyzed for sodium content. This sodium information will then be compared to the biomarkers of cardiac function and fibrosis measured from each patient's proton MRI images in order to establish a possible correlation. This research has the potential to precede additional studies that may investigate the effect of diuretics on the cardiac tissue of kidney disease patients.

This study will establish a non-invasive diagnostic approach and evaluate clinical outcomes for children at high-risk for pulmonary invasive fungal infection (PIFI).

There are currently three classes of biologic treatments approved in Canada for the management of moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease: anti-tumor necrosis factor \[TNF\] alpha, anti-integrin, and anti-interleukin \[IL\]-23 targeted agents. The purpose of this trial is to determine which of these three classes of biologics results in the highest percentage of patients with small bowel (ileal) Crohn's disease entering into endoscopic remission without needing corticosteroids at 1 year. Endoscopic remission means that the ulcers in the small bowel from Crohn's disease have healed. All treatments in this trial are approved by Health Canada. No experimental drugs will be included.

The purpose of this study is to test the safety and efficacy of Umbilical Cord-derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (UCMSC) for the treatment of Systemic Sclerosis (SSc).

The main purpose of this project is to evaluate the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) compared to moderate-intensity continuous exercise training (MICE) and standard care on exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with persistent or permanent atrial fibrillation. Positive findings are vitally important for these patients, given the condition's substantial morbidity, mortality and high economic costs.

Background There are significant limitations in the current approaches to assessing 2 important areas of cardiovascular physiology - the systemic circulation and left ventricular (LV) performance. The investigators' have repurposed the concepts of "systemic vascular conductance" to assess systemic circulation, and the "head capacity principle" to assess LV performance. The investigators' now seek to test these concepts in human adults, with heart failure and without heart failure, using non-invasive methods. Hypothesis There will be a depressed head-capacity curve and reduced power among patients with heart failure which will indicate compromised left ventricular pump function. Methods The research study will involve a single outpatient visit per subject. The study will take place with the subject supine on a bed/table. The subjects will be instrumented with EKG electrodes and finger blood pressure cuffs. The continuous finger BP device performs a waveform analysis in real-time to determine the non-invasive stroke volume, cardiac output, and blood pressure. The patient will be supine for at least 5 minutes to collect baseline data before being handed a dynamometer device. The subject will then be asked to squeeze the dynamometer with maximum force for a minimum of 2 minutes while only engaging their forearm and remaining relaxed in the rest of their body. The subject will then release the dynamometer and remain supine, in recovery, for a minimum of 5 minutes. Following the handgrip test, the instrumentation will be removed and the patient's participation in the study will be complete. The study duration should be about 20 min.

This study will evaluate whether cardiac MRI T1 and T2 mapping improves our ability to detect early abnormalities in the heart in patients with Fabry disease and identify patients at increase risk of adverse events.

Prospective observational pilot study to evaluate the utility of breath VOCs to detect invasive aspergillosis in lung transplant recipients that are suspected of invasive fungal disease (IFD).

REMAP-CAP is a randomised, embedded, multifactorial, adaptive platform trial for community-acquired pneumonia. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of a range of interventions to improve outcome of patients admitted to intensive care with community-acquired pneumonia. In addition, REMAP-CAP provides and adaptive research platform for evaluation of multiple treatment modalities in the event of a respiratory pandemic such as COVID-19. REMAP-COVID is a sub-platform of REMAP-CAP that evaluates treatments specific to COVID-19 in the United States of America.

This exploratory study aims to verify the impact on the severity of eczema as well as the prebiotic potential of a daily application of Omega-3 serum and cream on a skin with eczema. This study will also collect data on possible adverse effects of the products. Sixteen participants will be enrolled in this study and will be divided in two groups of 8 subjects that will receive two different treatments for forty-two days. The baseline condition will serve as a control for the effects observed after treatment on the targeted eczema area.