Population size and trends of large carnivores are difficult to determine, but are often needed to inform conservation actions. Direct counts maintained over long time periods are extremely difficult to achieve. Indices of population sizes can be used to estimate large carnivore abundances, but are often case-, species-and sitespecific. Here, we test the general applicability of track-based indices to estimate large carnivore abundance. We surveyed 15 306.4 km of roads associated with 339 transects across a wide geographical scale, large range of densities and variable substrates for tracks of African large carnivores. A combined model for all carnivore species on sandy soils serves as a robust approach to predict large carnivore densities. Thus, indices based on track counts can provide useful estimates of carnivore abundance. We found consistent relationships between track densities and the actual carnivore densities, having taken account of substrate.

A dverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a major public health problem given such events are the most common type of injuries experienced by hospitalized patients. 1 ADRs may lead to hospitalization or occur during hospitalization and contribute to an increased length of stay. The recent focus on patient safety and the concern about the number of negative outcomes resulting from drug use, rather than the underlying diseases, has prompted health care professionals to take a critical look at these drug responses. A series of studies examined ADRs among hospitalized patients in the US and Australia 2-6 ; however, less research is available about these events in hospitalized patients in Canada. A US-based metaanalysis revealed that the incidence of serious ADRs in hospitalized patients was 2.1%, with the incidence in those newly admitted to a hospital 4.7%. The same study reported ADRs to be between the fourth and sixth leading cause of death. 6 Other studies have found that ADRs occurred in 2-20% of hospitalized patients. 4-6 Baker et al. provided a national estimate of the incidence of adverse events among adult patients in Canada (7.5 per 100 hospital admissions); after extrapolation, the number of hospital admissions attributed

The aim of this study is to describe the comorbidity profile in patients with early and established psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Patients with PsA were selected from a registry of patients with psoriasis in Newfoundland. Patients with a diagnosis of psoriasis according to the CASPAR classification criteria are entered in the registry at the time of diagnosis, questioned on their medical history, and are followed indefinitely. Patients who were diagnosed with PsA within the last 2 years were included in the early PsA cohort, whereas the established cohort was comprised of patients with a diagnosis for ≥2 years. The general population of Newfoundland without psoriasis or PsA was used as external standard to conduct age- and gender-adjusted comparison of the comorbidity profile of the PsA cohorts to the general population. A total of 108 (65.5%) and 57 (34.5%) patients were included in the established and early PsA cohort, respectively. Patients with early and established PsA had significantly higher age- and gender-adjusted prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, depression, Crohn's disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In addition, in the early PsA cohort, the age-adjusted prevalence of coronary heart disease and angina was significantly higher when compared to the general population. Distinct comorbidities are associated with PsA even at early stages of disease progression, the early detection and management of which could improve the patients' disability, morbidity, and quality of life.