Digital Commons Network^™

Economic Impacts Of Establishing A Neutron Source Facility In Windsor, Abdur Rahman

Major Papers

Cancer poses a significant health challenge in Canada, with two in five individuals likely to develop the disease. This paper explores the economic impacts of establishing a prototype compact accelerator-based neutron source (PC-CANS) facility in Windsor that will produce medical isotopes locally in Windsor, Ontario, rather than relying on centralized production and transportation from London, Ontario. Fluorine-18 medical isotopes, crucial for positron emission tomography (PET) scans, experience significant decay losses during transportation due to their short half-life of 109.8 minutes, increasing costs and restricting availability. Using a differential analysis approach, the study quantifies economic benefits, focusing on three main impacts: …

Physician Practice Patterns On The Use Of Inferior Vena Cava Filters In Venous Thromboembolism, Rahman Ladak, Massimo Sementilli, Jillian Calandra, Alejandro Lazo-Langner, Deborah Siegal, Tzu Fei Wang, Rong Luo, Andrea L. Cervi

Biomedical Publications

Research letter

Identifying And Addressing A New Barrier To Community-Based Patients Accessing Cancer Clinical Trials, Melissa Fenech, Maegan Miklas, Abdulkadir Hussein, Youshaa El-Abed, Devinder Moudgil, Rhonda Abdel-Nabi, Kayla Touma, Mahmoud Hossami, Renee Nassar, Farwa Zaib, Sanghyuk Claire Rim, Roaa Hirmiz, Olla Hilal, Milica Paunic, Dora Cavallo-Medved, Caroline Hamm

Biomedical Publications

No abstract provided.

The Emergence Of Circadian Timekeeping In The Intestine, Kathyani Parasram, Amy Zuccato, Minjeong Shin, Reegan Willms, Brian Deveale, Edan Foley, Phillip Karpowicz

Biomedical Publications

The circadian clock is a molecular timekeeper, present from cyanobacteria to mammals, that coordinates internal physiology with the external environment. The clock has a 24-h period however development proceeds with its own timing, raising the question of how these interact. Using the intestine of Drosophila melanogaster as a model for organ development, we track how and when the circadian clock emerges in specific cell types. We find that the circadian clock begins abruptly in the adult intestine and gradually synchronizes to the environment after intestinal development is complete. This delayed start occurs because individual cells at earlier stages lack the …

Identifying Strategies To Support Implementation Of Interprofessional Primary Care Teams In Nova Scotia: Results Of A Survey And Knowledge Sharing Event., Amy Grant, Rachel Giacomantonio, Kelly Lackie, Adrian Mackenzie, Elizabeth Jeffers, Julia Kontak, Emily Gard Marshall, Susan Philpott, Debbie Sheppard-Lemoine, Elizabeth Lappin, Alice Bruce, Amy Mireault, Deanna Beck, Lindsay Cormier, Ruth Martin-Misener

Nursing Publications

BACKGROUND: Interprofessional primary care teams (IPCTs) work together to enhance care. Despite evidence on the benefits of IPCTs, implementation remains challenging. This research aims to 1) identify and prioritize barriers and enablers, and 2) co-develop team-level strategies to support IPCT implementation in Nova Scotia, Canada.

METHODS: Healthcare providers and staff of IPCTs were invited to complete an online survey to identify barriers and enablers, and the degree to which each item impacted the functioning of their team. Top ranked items were identified using the sum of frequency x impact for each response. A virtual knowledge sharing event was held to …

Health Care Use Experiences Of Ethnoculturally Diverse Immigrant Older Adults: A Meta-Ethnography, Lorna De Witt, Kathryn A. Pfaff, Roger Reka, Noeman Ahmad Mirza

Nursing Publications

Purpose

Current and predicted continued dramatic increases in international migration and ethnocultural diversity of older adult cohorts pose challenges for health care services. Review studies on ethnoculturally diverse older adults and health care show a lack of focus on their service use experiences. This study aims to report a meta-ethnography that addresses this knowledge gap through answering the review question: How do ethnoculturally diverse older adults who are immigrants experience health care services?

Design/methodology/approach

The authors applied a seven-phase method of meta-ethnography to guide the review. The authors conducted two literature searches (April 2018 and June 2020) in MEDLINE, CINAHL, …

Anti-Obesity Medications Prescribing Measures Utilized By Primary Care Practitioners: Scoping Review, Sahra Abdullahi, Edward Venzon Cruz, Laurie Freeman, Eric Tanlaka

Nursing Publications

Background

Obesity is a chronic, complex and multifactorial disease with the prevalence increasing in North American adults. Novel AOMs are demonstrating weight loss results comparable to bariatric surgery when used effectively. As the gatekeepers to AOMs, primary care providers can play a key role in obesity management through exploring safe prescribing measures employed in primary care.

Objectives

This review will systematically map the existing literature on prescribing measures for AOMs to determine the extent, range, and nature of literature available on the measures utilized by PCPs when prescribing AOMs in North America.

Methods

One independent reviewer conducted a review using …

Impacts Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Mental Health Of Frontline Hospital-Based Nurses: Rapid Review And Meta-Analysis, Diane I. N. Trudgill, Kevin M. Gorey

Social Work Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic focused the world’s attention on the gross relative health risks, inequities and injustices experienced by first responders, of whom front-line, hospital-based nurses may be the most vulnerable. A series of research syntheses prior to the pandemic estimated that such front-line nurses were at approximately two-fold greater risk of experiencing mental health challenges such as increased symptoms (and diagnoses) of anxiety, depression and PTSD than were nursing administrators or otherwise similar, people in the general population. Aiming to clarify how the pandemic impacted such mental health risks, we conducted a rapid review and meta-analysis of observational studies from …

Presentation And Outcome Of Patients With Multiple Myeloma (Mm), Single Centre Experience From Windsor Essex Regional Cancer Centre, Dalia Kashash, Eric Mcarthur, Caroline Hamm, Rasna Gupta, Sindu Kanjeekal, Mohammad Jarrar, Lisa A. Porter, John W. Hudson, Adam Renaud, Indryas Woldie

Biomedical Publications

Introduction: Outcomes for patients with multiple myeloma has significantly improved through the years. This is mainly related to the use of novel agents. Methods: This is a retrospective study that reviewed presentation and outcome of 139 patients with multiple myeloma at the Windsor Essex Regional Cancer Centre from Jan. 1, 2015 to Dec. 31, 2019. Median age was 71 years and most patients had higher risk disease (65.5% either R ISS stage II or III). 30% had high risk FISH for myeloma including del.17P, t (4:14), t (14:16) and Gain (1q21). In terms of presentation, 38.8% had anemia (hemoglobin <100g/L), 18.7% had hypercalcemia, 74.1% had skeletal lytic lesions, 38.8% had pathologic fracture and 17.3% had plasmacytoma. Results: Almost all (92%) of the patients were treated using at least one novel agent (proteasome inhibitor or immunomodulators [ImiDs]). Cyclophosphamide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (CyBorD) was the most used treatment regimen (48.9%) followed by bortezomib, melphalan and prednisone (BMP) at 28.8% and lenalidomide, dexamethasone (LenDex) at 14.4%. With respect to response to therapy, 51.8% had at least Very good partial response (VGPR), while 9.4% had progressive disease. 33% had autologous stem cell transplant. After a median follow up of 2.4 years, median overall survival was 3.7 years. 2 years overall survival and relapse-free survival were 70% and 83%, respectively. Discussion: Our study showed comparable outcome for patients with multiple myeloma despite older age and higher risk disease. Outcome is expected to improve with the introduction of more novel agents.

Emergency Department Registered Nurses’ Perceptions Of Substance Use Disorders And Supervised Consumption Sites, Aleksandra Ilievska

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Canada is facing increased drug-related harms; thus, a stronger emphasis has been placed on harm reduction strategies such as supervised consumption sites (SCSs). There is a lack of literature on emergency department (ED) registered nurses’ (RNs) perceptions of SCSs and substance use disorders (SUDs), especially in small to mid-sized Canadian cities. Purpose: This study aimed to determine ED RNs’ perceptions of SUDs and SCSs in Southwestern Ontario hospitals. Methods: A 27-question survey was sent to RNs currently working in EDs in Southwestern Ontario using an online Qualtrics® link. The research explored ED RNs’ perception of SCSs and SUDs. Results: …

Emergency Department Registered Nurses’ Perceptions Of Substance Use Disorders And Supervised Consumption Sites, Aleksandra Ilievska

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Canada is facing increased drug-related harms; thus, a stronger emphasis has been placed on harm reduction strategies such as supervised consumption sites (SCSs). There is a lack of literature on emergency department (ED) registered nurses’ (RNs) perceptions of SCSs and substance use disorders (SUDs), especially in small to mid-sized Canadian cities.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine ED RNs’ perceptions of SUDs and SCSs in Southwestern Ontario hospitals.

Methods: A 27-question survey was sent to RNs currently working in EDs in Southwestern Ontario using an online Qualtrics® link. The research explored ED RNs’ perception of SCSs and SUDs.

Results: …

Examining The Relationship Of Transformational Leadership And New Graduate Nurse Turnover Intention During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Becky Louise Goens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: The nursing shortage in the Canadian healthcare system presents challenges in meeting the healthcare needs of the population and addressing the growing demand for health services. There is strong evidence emphasizing the pivotal role leaders play in fostering retention through positive practices. As new graduate nurses are crucial to the healthcare team, targeted strategies by nursing leaders and managers are needed to enhance nurse retention. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between transformational leadership and new graduate nurses’ turnover intention, and organizational commitment. Methods: The study included 106 registered nurses who passed the NCLEX-RN …

Loneliness, Risk-Taking, And Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Rebecca Nurgitz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, commonly associated with impulsivity, risk-taking, and greater reported loneliness. Risk-taking can manifest in various ways, including reduced regard for health-conscious practices. Recent research indicates that individuals with ADHD may be less likely to follow pandemic safety instruction. (e.g., not following social distancing recommendations). Given that individuals with ADHD tend to discount the value of delayed reward in favour of immediate gratification, it can be presumed that individuals with greater ADHD symptomology may be more likely to not follow social distancing guidelines in an attempt to relieve acute feelings of loneliness. The …

Nurse Perspectives On Family-Centred Rounds In Adult Critical Care Units, Felicia Varacalli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: In critical care settings, family involvement in care is important. Family-centred rounds (FCR) are often seen as a component of family-centred care. Nurses have an important role in implementing FCR and their active participation is crucial. There is currently a lack of rigorous literature that explores nursing perspectives of FCR in adult critical care areas. Purpose: This study explored nursing perspectives (n = 135) of FCR in six adult critical care units across four Southwestern Ontario hospitals. Methods: A 56-question survey was distributed to critical care nurses currently working in one of the adult critical care units under study …

Temporospatial Characteristics Of The Effect Of A Sound On The Response To Another Sound In Neurons In The Rat Auditory Midbrain, Olivia Elizabeth Sauvé

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The soundscape of a natural environment can often contain multiple complex sounds, which are perceived binaurally, i.e., by both ears. Under such conditions, the perception of one sound can be affected by another sound. This study was conducted to find the neural basis of such a perceptual phenomenon. The rat is used as an animal model. Action potentials were recorded from individual neurons within the rat inferior colliculus in response to acoustic stimulation. The inferior colliculus is an auditory midbrain structure which receives converging inputs from many other structures along the auditory pathway. It plays a significant role in the …

Registered Nurse Retention In Long Term Care: A Qualitative Exploration, Brandi Lynne Livingstone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Registered Nurse (RN) retention continues to be an issue within long-term care (LTC). RNs play a vital role in the overall wellbeing of the aging Ontario population. In 2020, COVID-19 swept the world in a pandemic and the Ontario LTC sector was left with many changing restrictions and regulations that had a large effect on not only the RNs who work there but also the residents who resided in. This study was conducted to identify what factors contribute to satisfaction and dissatisfaction for RNs in LTC. Also, it aimed to look at factors related to a RN continuing to work …

An Analysis Of Long-Term Care Home Inspection Reports And Responsive Behaviours, Lorna A. De Witt, Stephanie Jonsson, Roger Reka

Nursing Publications

Concern about residential long-term care quality and safety is a critical issue in developed countries internationally, often fueled by media scandals exposing riveting accounts of resident-to-resident aggression/responsive behaviours. These scandals raise questions about standards of care set through long-term care regulation. Using a participatory action research approach and document analysis method, we analyzed incidents related to responsive behaviours documented in three types of public version inspection reports posted for 535 Ontario, Canada long-term care homes from 2016 through 2018. Creation of an Individual Home Data Collection and Analysis Tool facilitated data collation and descriptive statistical analysis of seven long-term care …

Using Simulation To Improve Nurse Practitioner Education Regarding Opioid Prescribing And Medical Assistance In Dying, Sherry Morrell, Gina Pittman, Amanda Mcewen, Debbie Rickeard, Huda Manfoukh, Brett Parent

Nursing Publications

No abstract provided.

Nurses’ Experience Of Family-Centered Rounds In The Intensive Care Unit, Kaitlyn Sheehan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A paradigm shift in the Canadian healthcare system has transitioned the patient and family from care recipients to integral and valued members of the multidisciplinary team. Implementation of family-centered care within the context of the adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU) remains slow to adopt in Canada despite evidence that open visitation and family presence offer many benefits to improve the delivery of quality care, and satisfaction with the overall patient experience. The COVID-19 pandemic has further complicated the ability of the healthcare team to effectively include patients and families into their daily multidisciplinary rounds. Restricted visitation policies, infection control and …

The Impact Of Sexual Violence On Student’S Academic And University Experiences: A Qualitative Study, Shelby Lacey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of sexual violence is an ongoing public health concern within university communities. Students who experience sexual violence may be at risk for negative academic impacts including declines in grade point average (GPA), increased absenteeism, and withdrawal from school. Less information is known regarding if students who have experienced sexual violence report changes in their academic and university experiences, such as participation in class, social groups or clubs. Help-seeking through formal or informal sources may alleviate the negative consequences of sexual violence. Due to the unique environment of universities which may influence a student’s personal, social, and cultural life, …

Mental Health Problems Among Elementary School Students Mandated To E-Learning: A Covid-19 Rapid Review Caveatmandated To E-Learning: A Covid-19 Rapid Review Caveat, Renee M. D'Amore, Angelina N. Halpern, Lauren R. Reed, Kevin M. Gorey

Social Work Publications

Extended lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic mandated millions of students worldwide to e- learning and by default made many of their parents proxy homeschool teachers. Preliminary anecdotal, journalistic and qualitative evidence suggested that elementary school children and their parents were probably most vulnerable to this stressor and most likely to experience mental health problems because of it. We responded with a rapid review of 15 online surveys to estimate the magnitude of such risks and their predictors between 2020 and 2021. The pooled relative risk of mental health problems among school children and their parents was substantial (RR = 1.97). …

Optimization In Mri Experiment Design And Image Reconstruction, Mark Armstrong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive imaging modality with numerous applications due to its flexible contrast and high resolution. Recent improvements in computation power have enabled optimizations which were previously out of reach. This has led to improvements in image reconstruction and experiment design.

Compressed sensing (CS) allows for images to be reconstructed using less data than is normally required leading to faster image acquisitions. In this thesis, CS is applied to experiments tracking individual cells in time lapse MRI. The faster image acquisition with CS reduces blurring from cell motion, improving the Contrast-to-Noise ratio (CNR) of moving cells …

The Broncos: A Social Support Approach To Team Tragedy, Shaun Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the last decade there has been a widespread effort to collectively acknowledge mental health challenges faced by individuals within society and to improve their outcomes through social support. While much of this discussion has included sport, sport organizations remain resistant to change at every level from the professional level to school sports. Accordingly, individuals have continually faced mental health challenges that originated or were compounded by their participation in sport. This study attempted to identify the social supports and barriers to those supports that resulted in athletes having poor outcomes, while also identifying the strategies and social supports used …

Nurses’ Experience Of Family-Centered Rounds In The Intensive Care U, Kaitlyn Sheehan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A paradigm shift in the Canadian healthcare system has transitioned the patient and family from care recipients to integral and valued members of the multidisciplinary team. Implementation of family-centered care within the context of the adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU) remains slow to adopt in Canada despite evidence that open visitation and family presence offer many benefits to improve the delivery of quality care, and satisfaction with the overall patient experience. The COVID-19 pandemic has further complicated the ability of the healthcare team to effectively include patients and families into their daily multidisciplinary rounds. Restricted visitation policies, infection control and …

The Influence Of Administrative Timing In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatments, Emily Mailloux

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer accounts for 25% of all cancers in Canadian women, and 15-20% of these are triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC), which have a poorer prognosis than other breast cancer subtypes. TNBC lacks expression of the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), which are common therapeutic targets in breast cancer. Due to the lack of target therapy, generalized chemotherapy treatments are used instead. The standard of care for treatment of TNBC instead consists of doxorubicin (A), cyclophosphamide (C) paclitaxel (T), and carboplatin (Carbo), that target various aspects of the cell cycle to induce cell …

Frequently Used Antiemetic Agent Dexamethasone Enhances The Metastatic Behaviour Of Select Breast Cancer Cells, Martin Crozier, Janice Tubman, Bre Anne Fifield, Rosa Maria Ferraiuolo, Jenna Ritchie, Katie Zuccato, Emily Mailloux, Indrajit Sinha, Caroline Hamm, Lisa A. Porter

Biomedical Publications

Glucocorticoids, such as dexamethasone (Dex), are used to prevent common side effects induced by chemotherapy and are heavily prescribed for solid cancers such as breast cancer. There is substantial pre-clinical data to support that Dex activation of the glucocorticoid receptor overrides chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cell lines. These findings are compounded by a recent study demonstrating that increased glucocorticoid receptor activation by endogenous stress hormones increased breast cancer heterogeneity and metastasis. Our study is the first to use both in vitro and in vivo models to thoroughly compare the Dex response on the migration of multiple estrogen receptor negative …

Addressing The Barriers To Clinical Trials Accrual In Community Cancer Centres Using A National Clinical Trials Navigator:A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Caroline Hamm, Dora Cavallo-Medved, Devinder Moudgil, Lee Mcgrath, John Huang, Yueyang Li, Tyler W. Stratton, Tyler Robinson, Krista Naccarato, Stephen Sundquist, Janet Dancey

Biomedical Publications

Introduction: Clinical trials, although academically accepted as the most effective treatment available for cancer patients, poor accrual to clinical trials remains a significant problem. A clinical trials navigator (CTN) program was piloted where patients and/or their healthcare professionals could request a search and provide a list of potential cancer clinical trials in which a patient may be eligible based on their current status and disease. Objectives: This study examined the outcomes of a pilot program to try to improve clinical trials accrual with a focus on patients at medium to small sized cancer programs. Outcomes examined included patient disposition (referral …

Wound Management Provided By Advanced Practice Nurses: A Scoping Review Protocol., Sherry Morrell, Gina Pittman, Adam Mulcaster

Nursing Publications

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review is to examine the current state of the literature regarding wound care provided by advanced practice nurses globally. Specifically, this review will examine the similarities and differences in the wound care practice of advanced practice nurses, including nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and advanced practice registered nurses.

INTRODUCTION: Advanced practice nurses have graduate education and advanced scope of practice. The addition of advanced wound care training provides unique opportunities for advanced practice nurses to provide wound care.

INCLUSION CRITERIA: This review will consider advanced practice nurses who are nurse practitioners or registered nurses with …

Fitted Filtration Efficiency And Breathability Of 2-Ply Cotton Masks: Identification Of Cotton Consumer Categories Acceptable For Homemade Cloth Mask Construction, Ken G. Drouillard, Amanda Tomkins, Sharon Lackie, Scott Laengert, Allison Baker, Catherine M. Clase, Charles F. De Lannoy, Dora Cavallo-Medved, Lisa A. Porter, Rebecca S. Rudman

Biomedical Publications

The objective of this study was to characterize commercially-available cotton fabrics to determine their suitability as materials for construction of cloth masks for personal and public use to reduce infectious disease spread. The study focused on cottons because of their widespread availability, moderate performance and they are recommended for inclusion in home-made masks by international health authorities. Fifty-two cottons were analyzed by electron microscopy to determine fabric characteristics and fabric weights. Sixteen fabrics were selected to test for breathability and to construct 2-ply cotton masks of a standard design to use in quantitative fit testing on a human participant. Cotton …

35ci Solid-State Nmr Characterization Of Polymorphs And Cocrystals Of Xylazine Hci, Louae M. Abdulla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Xylazine HCl (X), a common veterinary analgesic, has four reported polymorphs that are stable under ambient conditions, Form A (Xa), Form X (Xx), Form Z (Xz), and Form M (Xm), and one monohydrate (Xh). A commercial sample of X was found to contain mixtures of polymorphs and previous synthetic approaches proved unreliable and/or unsuccessful for the production of pure phases in high yields. Herein, we report methods for the reliable preparation and interconversion of polymorphs of X (including mechanochemical synthetic pathways), the discovery of a novel polymorph (Xy), and synthesis of three novel cocrystals with coformers containing amide and carboxylic …