Canadian Standards Association

Countries set up Mirror Committees to represent their interests and vote in favor of decisions that will benefit their economies during international standards development. Chairs in those committees play a critical role in shaping the outcome of standardization processes, which may not be gender-responsive. Yet, empirical studies on the relationship between gender and leadership positions in standardization have been scant. This paper fills this gap using the 2019 Standards Council of Canada Members' Satisfaction Survey and logistic regressions. We find that women members of Canadian Mirror Committees are significantly less likely than their male counterparts to serve as chairs. However, among committee members, experience or number of years of service increases the likelihood of taking up leadership positions, particularly for women who are visible minorities. These findings have important policy implications regarding the reduction of gender disparities in standardization, intersectionality, and the retention and training of women in standard development activities.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease which can affect all age groups depending on the etiology either local or systemic. Most of systemic conditions cause periodontitis and one of them is downs syndrome which is also called trisomy 21. It was also observed that 90% of downs syndrome children have periodontal disease (PD) with majority in the age group of 7-10 years. Due to anatomical abnormalities or impaired learning disabilities or intra oral tissue abnormalities or neurological deficiencies, Down’s syndrome patients cannot maintain their oral hygiene properly leading to progressive periodontitis. Other immunological abnormalities such as proteolytic enzyme deficiency, inflammatory cytokine deficiencies can also aggravate tissue destruction and bone resorption. Therapeutic treatment protocols such as scaling and root planing, use of mouth washes, electric tooth brushes, regular dental checkups and non–invasive procedures such as photodynamic therapy, laser, probiotics etc. can help the patient’s periodontal tissues to stay healthy. An initial search of 437 articles from PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane library, web of science, and google scholar was done. 22 articles were excluded records excluded due to inappropriate title and abstract. 72 articles were excluded after abstract screening and 89 full text articles were assessed. 32 articles were excluded as outcome of interest was not reported and 21 due to incorrect study design. A final of 36 articles were studied to elaborate the review on Down’s syndrome and periodontitis.

The 7th Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety, convened in Manila in April 2025, advanced global efforts to reduce harm in healthcare under the theme ‘Weaving Strengths for the Future of Patient Safety’. Drawing on the metaphor of textile weaving, the Summit emphasised that safeguarding patients is a collaborative endeavour, requiring integrated action across sectors and systems. The Mandaluyong Declaration reaffirmed commitments to the WHO Global Patient Safety Action Plan (2021–2030) and made four pledges: strengthening global collaboration, advancing leadership and governance, integrating patient safety into disaster preparedness and climate resilience, and building people-centred safety systems. The mission of the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua), a key presence at the Summit, is aligned with these aims, contributing through its White Paper on patient safety, its Green Paper on climate-resilient health systems, and its Person-Centred Care White Paper. The Summit marked a shift from commitment to implementation, recognising the importance of climate change, digital transformation, and equity as integral to safe care. Patient safety now stands as both a global health and environmental priority. ISQua will continue supporting this work through advocacy, standards development, and partnerships, helping to weave patient safety into the daily practice of healthcare worldwide.

Background and Objective: The European Society for Medical Oncology has defined the term “end-of-life” in their clinical practice guideline as care for people with advanced disease once they have reached a point of rapid physical decline, typically the last few weeks or months before and inevitable death as a natural result of a disease. End-of-life care is often delivered at home, hospital, or in hospice facilities, while palliative care can be provided in various settings. Blood transfusions provide symptomatic relief and improve subjective well-being of end-of-life or hospice care patients. The objective of this study was to narrate the accessibility of transfusion facilities, different guidelines, and policy issues in ‘end-of-life’ patients. Methods: We performed literature search on “PubMed” and “Google Scholar” within 1994–2024 using search terms “blood transfusion” OR “blood product” AND “end-of-life” OR “terminal illness” OR “palliative” OR “advanced diseases” OR “hospice care” OR “terminal care”, “actively dying”. A narrative review is conducted to assess the potential benefits of transfusion in end-of-life care patients in comparison to adverse outcomes, associated guidelines for end-of-life transfusion, potential barriers to these services and to resolve myths associated in this service pathway. Key Content and Findings: Patients having hematological or non-hematological malignancies and suffering from anemia or thrombocytopenia, and other transfusion-dependent chronic conditions like hemoglobinopathies are important candidates for end-of-life transfusion support. The potential barriers for end-of-life blood transfusion have been identified as reimbursement issues, lack of knowledge of physicians, unavailable round the clock facilities, and to some extent transportation issues. Administration of treatment in home environment is evolving over the last few decades to decrease hospital-acquired infection risks and substantial reduction of medical costs and it is a potentially feasible option. Conclusions: Home transfusion, also called out-of-hospital transfusion is a great alternative for transfusion dependent chronically ill patients for whom it is difficult to receive blood transfusion in traditional hospital setting. However, further research is needed to establish the effectiveness of end-of-life transfusion, resolve certain ethical queries like appropriate usage of blood products, as well as organizational and economic issues.

Abstract This paper will discuss the near-, mid-, and long-term development of requirements for the design, material selection, construction, testing and operation of pipeline delivery systems intended for use with hydrogen gas and hydrogen gas blends. CSA Z662, Oil and gas pipeline systems, establishes oil and gas pipeline delivery system requirements in Canada, with natural gas (methane) being the dominant gaseous focus. To provide a mechanism for immediate reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a significant demand for hydrogen and natural gas blended with hydrogen has emerged. These fuels must be delivered in a safe and effective manner. Addressing hydrogen in standards is currently a focus area around the world with support from many international research organizations, industry, and levels of governments. As the applications of hydrogen blending in existing natural gas pipelines begins to increase and expand, so must the standards that have traditionally been applied for those projects. Recognizing the speed with which the demand for hydrogen is increasing, the CSA Z662 Technical Committee formed a hydrogen task force to focus on 3 deliverables: • A primary framework, covering design, construction and operation requirements for existing and new hydrogen and hydrogen blend systems, suitable for publication in the 2023 edition of CSA Z662; • A detailed set of objective provisions suitable for publication as early as 2027; and • A mechanism for integration of standard maintenance and updating for hydrogen requirements in future editions. In June 2023, CSA Group published the new edition of CSA Z662, which includes a new clause to address provisions for hydrogen and hydrogen blended systems and simultaneously establishes a home for future provisions. The paper will conclude with a summary of the approach and key topics of focus for the next edition of CSA Z662.

An energetic event in a nickel-metal hydride battery cell resulted in the failure of the product powered by the battery and the battery itself. During this presentation, the methodology used to diagnose the failure mode and a review of battery materials, chemistry, and appropriate standards will be discussed.

BackgroundActive assisted living (AAL) refers to systems designed to improve the quality of life, aid in independence, and create healthier lifestyles for those who need assistance at any stage of their lives. As the population of older adults in Canada grows, there is a pressing need for nonintrusive, continuous, adaptable, and reliable health monitoring tools to support aging in place and reduce health care costs. AAL has great potential to support these efforts with the wide variety of solutions currently available; however, additional work is required to address the concerns of care recipients and their care providers with regard to the integration of AAL into care.ObjectiveThis study aims to work closely with stakeholders to ensure that the recommendations for system-service integrations for AAL aligned with the needs and capacity of health care and allied health systems. To this end, an exploratory study was conducted to understand the perceptions of, and concerns with, AAL technology use.MethodsA total of 18 semistructured group interviews were conducted with stakeholders, with each group comprising several participants from the same organization. These participant groups were categorized into care organizations, technology development organizations, technology integration organizations, and potential care recipient or patient advocacy groups. The results of the interviews were coded using a thematic analysis to identify future steps and opportunities regarding AAL.ResultsThe participants discussed how the use of AAL systems may lead to improved support for care recipients through more comprehensive monitoring and alerting, greater confidence in aging in place, and increased care recipient empowerment and access to care. However, they also raised concerns regarding the management and monetization of data emerging from AAL systems as well as general accountability and liability. Finally, the participants discussed potential barriers to the use and implementation of AAL systems, especially addressing the question of whether AAL systems are even worth it considering the investment required and encroachment on privacy. Other barriers raised included issues with the institutional decision-making process and equity.ConclusionsBetter definition of roles is needed in terms of who can access the data and who is responsible for acting on the gathered data. It is important for stakeholders to understand the trade-off between using AAL technologies in care settings and the costs of AAL technologies, including the loss of patient privacy and control. Finally, further work is needed to address the gaps, explore the equity in AAL access, and develop a data governance framework for AAL in the continuum of care.

Abstract This paper analyses the impact of the 2002–2011 period of instability in Côte d'Ivoire on child health. It uses two rounds of DHS surveys (1998–1999 and 2011–2012) and geo‐referenced data on conflict event locations, which gives more precise estimates of the effects of conflict on child welfare. Regressions using both spatial and temporal variations of conflict events across birth cohorts show a negative association between proximity to conflict events and child height‐for‐age z‐score. The study also suggests that maternal stress and disruptions of healthcare services are possible channels through which conflict affects child wellbeing.