Introduction: One in nine (11.7%) people in Saskatchewan identifies as First Nations. In Canada, First Nations people experience a higher burden of cardiovascular disease when compared to the general population, but it is unknown whether they have different outcomes in out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Methods: We reviewed pre-hospital and inpatient records of patients sustaining an OHCA between January 1st, 2015 and December 31st, 2017. The population consisted of patients aged 18 years or older with OHCA of presumed cardiac origin occurring in the catchment area of Saskatoon's EMS service. Variables of interest included, age, gender, First Nations status (as identified by treaty number), EMS response times, bystander CPR, and shockable rhythm. Outcomes of interest included return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), survival to hospital admission, and survival to hospital discharge. Results: In all, 372 patients sustained OHCA, of which 27 were identified as First Nations. First Nations patients with OHCA tended to be significantly younger (mean age 46 years vs. 65 years, p < 0.0001) and had shorter EMS response times (median times 5.3 minutes vs. 6.2 minutes, p = 0.01). There were no differences between First Nations and non-First Nations patients in terms of incidence of shockable rhythms (24% vs. 26%, p = 0.80), ROSC (42% vs. 41%, p = 0.87), survival to admission (27% vs 33%, p = 0.53), and survival to hospital discharge (15% vs. 12%, p = 0.54). Conclusion: In Saskatoon, First Nations patients sustaining OHCA appear to have similar survival rates when compared with non-First Nations patients, suggesting similar baseline care. Interestingly, First Nations patients sustaining OHCA were significantly younger than their non-First Nations counterparts. This may reflect a higher burden of cardiovascular disease, suggesting a need improved prevention strategies.

The Commensal Real-time Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder Fast Transients survey is the first extensive astronomical survey using phased array feeds. Since January 2017, it has been searching for fast radio bursts in fly’s eye mode. Here, we present a calculation of the sensitivity and total exposure of the survey that detected the first 20 of these bursts, using the pulsars B1641-45 and B0833-45 as calibrators. The beamshape, antenna-dependent system noise, and the effects of radio-frequency interference and fluctuations during commissioning are quantified. Effective survey exposures and sensitivities are calculated as a function of the source counts distribution. Statistical ‘stat’ and systematics ‘sys’ effects are treated separately. The implied fast radio burst rate is significantly lower than the 37 sky−1 day−1 calculated using nominal exposures and sensitivities for this same sample by Shannon et al. (2018). At the Euclidean (best-fit) power-law index of −1.5 (−2.2), the rate is $12.7_{-2.2}^{+3.3}$ (sys) ± 3.6 (stat) sky−1 day−1 ( $20.7_{-1.7}^{+2.1}$ (sys) ± 2.8 (stat) sky−1 day−1) above a threshold of 56.6 ± 6.6(sys) Jy ms (40.4 ± 1.2(sys) Jy ms). This strongly suggests that these calculations be performed for other FRB-hunting experiments, allowing meaningful comparisons to be made between them.

It is no longer possible nor desirable to address the dual challenges of equity and sustainability separately. Instead, they require new thinking and approaches which recognize their interlinkages, as well as the multiple perspectives and dimensions involved. We illustrate how equity and sustainability are intertwined, and how a complex social–ecological systems lens brings together advances from across the social and natural sciences to show how (in)equity and (un)sustainability are produced by the interactions and dynamics of coupled social–ecological systems. This should help understand which possible pathways could lead to sustainable and fair futures.