Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Conceptualizing Youth Participation In Children’S Health Research: Insights From A Youth-Driven Process For Developing A Youth Advisory Council, Mohammad El-Bagdady, Krishna Arunkumar, Drew Bowman, Stephanie Coen, Christina Ergler, Jason Gilliland, Ahad Mahmood, Suraj Paul

Geography & Environment Publications

Given the power asymmetries between adults and young people, youth involvement in research is often at risk of tokenism. While many disciplines have seen a shift from conducting research on youth to conducting research with and for youth, engaging children and teens in research remains fraught with conceptual, methodological, and practical challenges. Arnstein’s foundational Ladder of Participation has been adapted in novel ways in youth research, but in this paper, we present a new rendering: a ‘rope ladder.’ This concept came out of our youth-driven planning process to develop a Youth Advisory Council for the Human Environments Analysis Laboratory, an …

Structured Diet And Exercise Guidance In Pregnancy To Improve Health In Women And Their Offspring: Study Protocol For The Be Healthy In Pregnancy (Bhip) Randomized Controlled Trial, Maude Perreault, Stephanie A. Atkinson, Michelle F. Mottola, Stuart M. Phillips, Keyna Bracken, Eileen K. Hutton, Feng Xie, David Meyre, Rita E. Morassut, Harry Prapavessis, Lehana Thabane

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

BackgroundEvidence from epidemiological and animal studies support the concept of programming fetal, neonatal, and adult health in response to in utero exposures such as maternal obesity and lifestyle variables. Excess gestational weight gain (GWG), maternal physical activity, and sub-optimal and excess nutrition during pregnancy may program the offspring's risk of obesity. Maternal intake of dairy foods rich in high-quality proteins, calcium, and vitamin D may influence later bone health status. Current clinical practice guidelines for managing GWG are not founded on randomized trials and lack specific active intervention ingredients. The Be Healthy in Pregnancy (BHIP) study is a randomized controlled …

Functional Outcomes In Early (T1/T2) Supraglottic Cancer: A Systematic Review, Benjamin Van Der Woerd, Krupal B. Patel, Anthony C. Nichols, Kevin Fung, John Yoo, Danielle S. Macneil

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

ObjectivesOrgan preserving surgery (OPS) and radiotherapy (RT) are both accepted treatment options for early stage supraglottic cancer (SGC). Radiation has supplanted surgery in most cases, because of the perception that surgery results in poorer functional outcomes. However, evidence suggests that OPS with a neck dissection may be associated with improved survival. Our objective was to conduct a systematic review of the literature to compare functional outcomes of OPS and RT for early SGC.MethodsWe searched Medline, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to identify studies. Studies were included if they reported functional outcomes on 10 or more patients with …

"C.H.A.M.P. Families": Description And Theoretical Foundations Of A Paediatric Overweight And Obesity Intervention Targeting Parents-A Single-Centre Non-Randomised Feasibility Study., Kristen Reilly, Trish Tucker, Jennifer D. Irwin Phd, Andrew Johnson, Erin S Pearson, Dirk E Bock, Shauna M. Burke

Paediatrics Publications

Childhood obesity represents a significant global health challenge, and treatment interventions are needed. The purpose of this paper is to describe the components and theoretical model that was used in the development and implementation of a unique parent-focussed paediatric overweight/obesity intervention. C.H.A.M.P. Families was a single-centre, prospective intervention offered to parents of children aged between 6⁻14 years with a body mass index (BMI) ≥85th percentile for age and sex. The intervention included: (1) eight group-based (parent-only) education sessions over 13-weeks; (2) eight home-based activities; and (3) two group-based (family) follow-up support sessions. The first section of the manuscript contains a …

Effect Of Ultrafiltration During Hemodialysis On Hepatic And Total-Body Water: An Observational Study., Claire J Grant, Trevor P Wade, Charles A Mckenzie, Guido Filler, Christopher W Mcintyre, Huang S. Shih-Han

Paediatrics Publications

Background

The hepatic circulation is involved in adaptive systemic responses to circulatory stress. However, it is vulnerable to both chronic hypervolemia and cardiac dysfunction. The influence of hemodialysis (HD) and ultrafiltration (UF) upon liver water content has been understudied. We conducted a detailed pilot study to characterize the effects of HD upon liver water content and stiffness, referenced to peripheral fluid mobilization and total body water.

Methods

We studied 14 established HD patients without liver disease. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) together with ultrasound-based elastography and bioimpedance assessment were employed to measure hepatic water content and stiffness, body composition, and water …

Impaired Object-Location Learning And Recognition Memory But Enhanced Sustained Attention In M2 Muscarinic Receptor-Deficient Mice, Carola Romberg, Susan Bartko, Jürgen Wess, Lisa M. Saksida, Timothy J. Bussey

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

© 2018, The Author(s). Rationale: Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors are known to play key roles in mediating cognitive processes, and impaired muscarinic cholinergic neurotransmission is associated with normal ageing processes and Alzheimer’s disease. However, the specific contributions of the individual muscarinic receptor subtypes (M1–M5) to cognition are presently not well understood. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of M2-type muscarinic receptor signalling to sustained attention, executive control and learning and memory. Methods: M2 receptor-deficient (M2−/−) mice were tested on a touchscreen-operated task battery testing visual discrimination, behavioural flexibility, object-location associative learning, attention and response control. Spontaneous …

The Psychological Science Accelerator: Advancing Psychology Through A Distributed Collaborative Network, Hannah Moshontz, Lorne Campbell, Charles R. Ebersole, Hans Ijzerman, Heather L. Urry, Patrick S. Forscher, Jon E. Grahe, Randy J. Mccarthy, Erica D. Musser, Jan Antfolk, Christopher M. Castille, Thomas Rhys Evans, Susann Fiedler, Jessica Kay Flake, Diego A. Forero, Steve M. Janssen, Justin Robert Keene, John Protzko, Balazs Aczel, Sara Álvarez Solas, Daniel Ansari, Dana Awlia, Ernest Baskin, Carlota Batres, Martha Lucia Borras-Guevara, Cameron Brick, Priyanka Chandel, Armand Chatard, William J. Chopik, David Clarance, Nicholas A. Coles, Katherine S. Corker

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Concerns have been growing about the veracity of psychological research. Many findings in psychological science are based on studies with insufficient statistical power and nonrepresentative samples, or may otherwise be limited to specific, ungeneralizable settings or populations. Crowdsourced research, a type of large-scale collaboration in which one or more research projects are conducted across multiple lab sites, offers a pragmatic solution to these and other current methodological challenges. The Psychological Science Accelerator (PSA) is a distributed network of laboratories designed to enable and support crowdsourced research projects. These projects can focus on novel research questions, or attempt to replicate prior …

Assessment Of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale (Aitcs): Further Testing And Instrument Revision., Carole Orchard, Linda L Pederson, Emily Read, Cornelia Mahler, Heather Laschinger

Nursing Publications

INTRODUCTION: The need to be able to assess collaborative practice in health care teams has been recognized in response to the direction for team-based care in a number of policy documents. The purpose of this study is to report on further refinement of such a measurement instrument, the Assessment of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale (AITCS) first published in 2012. To support this refinement, two objectives were set: Objective 1: to determine whether the items from the data collected in 2016 load on the same factors as found for the 2012 version of the 37-item AITCS. Objective 2: to determine whether …

Consensus-Based Care Recommendations For Adults With Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1., Tetsuo Ashizawa, Cynthia Gagnon, William J Groh, Laurie Gutmann, Nicholas E Johnson, Giovanni Meola, Richard Moxley, Shree Pandya, Mark T Rogers, Ericka Simpson, Nathalie Angeard, Guillaume Bassez, Kiera N Berggren, Deepak Bhakta, Marco Bozzali, Ann Broderick, Janice L B Byrne, Craig Campbell, Edith Cup, John W Day, Elisa De Mattia, Denis Duboc, Tina Duong, Katy Eichinger, Anne-Berit Ekstrom, Baziel Van Engelen, Belen Esparis, Bruno Eymard, Marla Ferschl, Shahinaz M Gadalla, Benjamin Gallais, Todd Goodglick, Chad Heatwole, James Hilbert, Venessa Holland, Marie Kierkegaard, Wilma J Koopman, Kari Lane, Daphne Maas, Ami Mankodi, Katherine D Mathews, Darren G Monckton, David Moser, Saman Nazarian, Linda Nguyen, Peg Nopoulos, Richard Petty, Janel Phetteplace, Jack Puymirat, Subha Raman, Louis Richer, Elisabetta Roma, Jacinda Sampson, Valeria Sansone, Benedikt Schoser, Laurie Sterling, Jeffrey Statland, S H Subramony, Cuixia Tian, Careniña Trujillo, Gordon Tomaselli, Chris Turner, Shannon Venance, Aparajitha Verma, Molly White, Stefan Winblad

Paediatrics Publications

Purpose of review: Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a severe, progressive genetic disease that affects between 1 in 3,000 and 8,000 individuals globally. No evidence-based guideline exists to inform the care of these patients, and most do not have access to multidisciplinary care centers staffed by experienced professionals, creating a clinical care deficit.

Recent findings: The Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation (MDF) recruited 66 international clinicians experienced in DM1 patient care to develop consensus-based care recommendations. MDF created a 2-step methodology for the project using elements of the Single Text Procedure and the Nominal Group Technique. The process generated a 4-page …

Phenytoin Activates Smad3 Phosphorylation And Periostin Expression In Drug-Induced Gingival Enlargement., Shawna S Kim, Georgia Nikoloudaki, Mark Darling, Michael J Rieder, Douglas W Hamilton

Paediatrics Publications

Drug-induced gingival enlargement (DIGE) is a fibrotic condition associated with systemic administration of the anti-epileptic drug, phenytoin. We have previously demonstrated that periostin, which is transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) inducible gene, is upregulated in various fibrotic conditions including gingival enlargement associated with nifedipine. The objective of this study was to assess periostin expression in phenytoin-induced gingival enlargement (PIGE) tissues and to investigate the mechanisms underlying periostin expression. Human PIGE tissues were assessed using Masson's trichrome, with cell infiltration and changes in extracellular matrix composition characterized through labeling with antibodies to periostin, phospho-SMAD 3, TGF-β, as well as the macrophage markers …

"Integrated Science 3002a: Big Bike Giveaway: Changing London's Environment, Health, And Economy One Bike At A Time", Jermiah Joseph, Katelyn Melo, Devanshi Shukla, Tony Nguyen, Katherine Teeter

Community Engaged Learning Final Projects

There are significant benefits that manifest when an individual chooses to ride a bicycle as their primary mode of transportation. To investigate these benefits, the environmental, health, economic, and social impacts of biking were evaluated through research and data analyses. This revealed that numerous advantages can be obtained at an individual and local scale through citizens choosing to adopt a biking lifestyle. However, it was found that many Londoners are deterred from biking due to poor biking infrastructure. This paper calls into question the current cycling framework in London and it’s limitations on achieving the numerous benefits that biking offers. …

Survival Of Patients With Subglottic Squamous Cell Carcinoma, S D. Macneil, K Patel, K Liu, S Shariff, J Yoo, A Nichols, K Fung, A X Garg

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

Objective: Subglottic squamous cell carcinoma is a rare subsite of laryngeal cancer that behaves more aggressively and portends a worse prognosis. Using a population-based cancer registry, our objective was to report overall survival (OS) and laryngectomy-free survival (LFS) in patients diagnosed with subglottic squamous cell carcinoma, and to determine whether primary laryngectomy results in improved survival.

Methods: This retrospective population-based study considered patients with a new diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma in the province of Ontario over a 15-year period (1995-2009). The Ontario Cancer Registry was examined for patients with the diagnosis of interest during the period …

Dried Blood Spot Technique-Based Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method As A Simple Alternative For Benznidazole Pharmacokinetic Assessment, Danilo César Galindo Bedor, Noely Camila Tavares Cavalcanti Bedor, José Wellithom Viturino Da Silva, Giovana Damasceno Sousa, Davi Pereira De Santana, Facundo Garcia-Bournissen, Jaime Altcheh, Bethania Blum, Fabiana Alves, Isabela Ribeiro

Paediatrics Publications

Chagas disease (CD) is recognized as one of the major neglected global tropical diseases. Benznidazole (BNZ) is the drug of choice for the treatment of adults, young infants, and newborns with CD. However, the pharmacokinetics (PK) of BNZ have been poorly evaluated in all age groups, with consequent gaps in knowledge about PK-pharmacodynamic relationships in CD. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a bioanalytical method to quantify BNZ levels in small-volume whole-blood samples collected as dried blood spots (DBS). The analysis was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography-positive electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. PK evaluation in healthy male …

Algorithms For Left Atrial Wall Segmentation And Thickness – Evaluation On An Open-Source Ct And Mri Image Database, Rashed Karim, Lauren Emma Blake, Jiro Inoue, Qian Tao, Shuman Jia, R. James Housden, Pranav Bhagirath, Jean Luc Duval, Marta Varela, Jonathan Behar, Loic Cadour, Rob J. Van Der Geest, Hubert Cochet, Maria Drangova, Maxime Sermesant, Reza Razavi, Oleg Aslanidi, Ronak Rajani, Kawal Rhode

Bone and Joint Institute

© 2018 The Authors Structural changes to the wall of the left atrium are known to occur with conditions that predispose to Atrial fibrillation. Imaging studies have demonstrated that these changes may be detected non-invasively. An important indicator of this structural change is the wall's thickness. Present studies have commonly measured the wall thickness at few discrete locations. Dense measurements with computer algorithms may be possible on cardiac scans of Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The task is challenging as the atrial wall is a thin tissue and the imaging resolution is a limiting factor. It is …

Working Towards The Promise Of Participatory Action Research: Learning From Ageing Research Exemplars, Colleen E. Mcgrath

Occupational Therapy Publications

Within research addressing issues of social justice, there is a growing uptake of participatory action research (PAR) approaches that are ideally committed to equitable participation of community members in all phases of the research process in order to collaboratively enact social transformation. However, the utilization of such approaches has not always matched the ideal, with inconsistencies in how participation and action are incorporated. “Participation” within various research processes is displayed differently, with the involvement of community members varying from full participation to their involvement as simply participants for data collection. Similarly, “action” is varyingly enacted from researchers proposing research implications …

Ciliary Parathyroid Hormone Signaling Activates Transforming Growth Factor-Β To Maintain Intervertebral Disc Homeostasis During Aging, Liwei Zheng, Yong Cao, Shuangfei Ni, Huabin Qi, Zemin Ling, Xin Xu, Xuenong Zou, Tianding Wu, Ruoxian Deng, Bo Hu, Bo Gao, Hao Chen, Yusheng Li, Jianxi Zhu, Francis Tintani, Shadpour Demehri, Amit Jain, Khaled M. Kebaish, Shenghui Liao, Cheryle A. Séguin, Janet L. Crane, Mei Wan, Hongbin Lu, Paul D. Sponseller, Lee H. Riley, Xuedong Zhou, Jianzhong Hu, Xu Cao

Bone and Joint Institute

© 2018 The Author(s). Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is associated with intervertebral disc degeneration of spinal instability. Here, we report that the cilia of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells mediate mechanotransduction to maintain anabolic activity in the discs. We found that mechanical stress promotes transport of parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH1R) to the cilia and enhances parathyroid hormone (PTH) signaling in NP cells. PTH induces transcription of integrin αvβ6 to activate the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β-connective tissue growth factor (CCN2)-matrix proteins signaling cascade. Intermittent injection of PTH (iPTH) effectively attenuates disc degeneration of aged mice by direct signaling through NP cells, …

Multicenter Trial Of A Combination Probiotic For Children With Gastroenteritis., Stephen B Freedman, Sarah Williamson-Urquhart, Ken J Farion, Serge Gouin, Andrew R Willan, Naveen Poonai, Katrina Hurley, Philip M Sherman, Yaron Finkelstein, Bonita E Lee, Xiao-Li Pang, Linda Chui, David Schnadower, Jianling Xie, Marc Gorelick, Suzanne Schuh

Paediatrics Publications

Background

Gastroenteritis accounts for approximately 1.7 million visits to the emergency department (ED) by children in the United States every year. Data to determine whether the use of probiotics improves outcomes in these children are lacking.

Methods

We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial involving 886 children 3 to 48 months of age with gastroenteritis who presented to six pediatric EDs in Canada. Participants received a 5-day course of a combination probiotic product containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011 and L. helveticus R0052, at a dose of 4.0×10

Results

Moderate-to-severe gastroenteritis within 14 days after enrollment occurred in 108 of 414 participants (26.1%) …

Bafopathies' Dna Methylation Epi-Signatures Demonstrate Diagnostic Utility And Functional Continuum Of Coffin-Siris And Nicolaides-Baraitser Syndromes., Erfan Aref-Eshghi, Eric G Bend, Rebecca L Hood, Laila C Schenkel, Deanna Alexis Carere, Rana Chakrabarti, Sandesh C S Nagamani, Sau Wai Cheung, Philippe M Campeau, Chitra Prasad, Victoria Mok Siu, Lauren Brady, Mark A Tarnopolsky, David J Callen, A Micheil Innes, Susan M White, Wendy S Meschino, Andrew Y Shuen, Guillaume Paré, Dennis E Bulman, Peter J Ainsworth, Hanxin Lin, David I Rodenhiser, Raoul C Hennekam, Kym M Boycott, Charles E Schwartz, Bekim Sadikovic

Paediatrics Publications

Coffin-Siris and Nicolaides-Baraitser syndromes (CSS and NCBRS) are Mendelian disorders caused by mutations in subunits of the BAF chromatin remodeling complex. We report overlapping peripheral blood DNA methylation epi-signatures in individuals with various subtypes of CSS (ARID1B, SMARCB1, and SMARCA4) and NCBRS (SMARCA2). We demonstrate that the degree of similarity in the epi-signatures of some CSS subtypes and NCBRS can be greater than that within CSS, indicating a link in the functional basis of the two syndromes. We show that chromosome 6q25 microdeletion syndrome, harboring ARID1B deletions, exhibits a similar CSS/NCBRS methylation profile. Specificity of this epi-signature was confirmed across …

Driver Mutations In Janus Kinases In A Mouse Model Of B-Cell Leukemia Induced By Deletion Of Pu.1 And Spi-B, Carolina R. Batista, Michelle Lim, Anne Sophie Laraḿee, Faisal Abu-Sardanah, Li S. Xu, Rajon Hossain, Gillian I. Bell, David A. Hess, Rodney P. Dekoter

Paediatrics Publications

Precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is associated with recurrent mutations that occur in cancer-initiating cells. There is a need to understand how driver mutations influence clonal evolution of leukemia. The E26-Transformation-specific (ETS) transcription factors PU.1 and Spi-B (encoded by Spi1 and Spib) execute a critical role in B-cell development and serve as complementary tumor suppressors. Here, we used a mouse model to conditionally delete Spi1 and Spib genes in developing B cells. These mice developed B-ALL with a median time to euthanasia of 18 weeks. We performed RNA and whole-exome sequencing (WES) on leukemias isolated from Mb1-CreDPB mice and …

Lestaurtinib Is A Potent Inhibitor Of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Cell Line Models, Nicole Pinto, Stephenie D. Prokopec, Frederick Vizeacoumar, Karlee Searle, Matthew Lowerison, Kara M. Ruicci, John Yoo, Kevin Fung, Danielle Macneil, Jim C. Lacefield, Hon S. Leong, Joe S. Mymryk, John W. Barrett, Alessandro Datti, Paul C. Boutros, Anthony C. Nichols

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rare and lethal human malignancy with no known effective therapies in the majority of cases. Despite the use of conventional treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation and surgical resection, this disease remains almost universally fatal. In the present study, we identified the JAK2 inhibitor Lestaurtinib as a potent compound when testing against 13 ATC cell lines. Lestaurtinib demonstrated a potent antiproliferative effect in vitro at nanomolar concentrations. Furthermore, Lestaurtinib impeded cell migration and the ability to form colonies from single cells using scratch-wound and colony formation assays, respectively. Flow cytometry was used for cell cycle …

Fatigue In Adults With Cerebral Palsy: A Three-Year Follow-Up Study., Irene L B Oude Lansink, Patrick G Mcphee, Laura Kristine Brunton, Jan Willem Gorter

Physical Therapy Publications

OBJECTIVES: To describe the course of fatigue over a 3-year follow-up period in adults with cerebral palsy and to investigate the association of known determinants of fatigue (i.e. demographic characteristics and/or body composition) with change in fatigue.

METHODS: Forty-one adults with cerebral palsy from a previous study of fatigue were invited to participate in a follow-up study. Twenty-three adults with cerebral palsy (Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-V; mean age 38 years 2 months, standard deviation (SD) 14 years 1 month)) agreed to participate (convenience sample). Fatigue was measured with the Fatigue Impact and Severity Self-Assessment (FISSA, range …

Tri-Ponderal Mass Index In Survivors Of Childhood Brain Tumors: A Cross-Sectional Study., E Danielle Sims, Kuan-Wen Wang, Adam Fleming, Donna L Johnston, Shayna M Zelcer, Shahrad Rod Rassekh, Sarah Burrow, Lehana Thabane, M Constantine Samaan

Paediatrics Publications

Survivors of childhood brain tumors (SCBT) face a higher risk of cardiometabolic disorders and premature mortality compared to the general population. Excess adiposity is a known risk factor for these comorbidities. However, while SCBT have higher adiposity compared to healthy controls, measuring adiposity in clinical practice involves access to specialized equipment and may impact busy clinical services. Tri-ponderal Mass Index (TMI; kg/m

Improving Online Interactions: Lessons From An Online Anatomy Course With A Laboratory For Undergraduate Students, Stephanie M. Attardi, Michele L. Barbeau, Kem A. Rogers

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

An online section of a face-to-face (F2F) undergraduate (bachelor's level) anatomy course with a prosection laboratory was offered in 2013-2014. Lectures for F2F students (353) were broadcast to online students (138) using Blackboard Collaborate (BBC) virtual classroom. Online laboratories were offered using BBC and three-dimensional (3D) anatomical computer models. This iteration of the course was modified from the previous year to improve online student-teacher and student-student interactions. Students were divided into laboratory groups that rotated through virtual breakout rooms, giving them the opportunity to interact with three instructors. The objectives were to assess student performance outcomes, perceptions of student-teacher and …

Response To The Growing Dementia Burden Must Be Broader, Werner Hacke, Vladimir Hachinski

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

No abstract provided.

Transplantation Of Pediatric Renal Allografts From Donors Less Than 10 Kg, Nickolas Mitrou, Shahid Aquil, Marie Dion, Vivian Mcalister, Alp Sener, Patrick P. Luke

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

Few transplant programs use kidneys from donors with body weight (BW) BW < 10 kg would provide similar transplant outcomes to larger grafts. All pediatric en bloc renal transplants performed at our center between 2001 and 2017 were reviewed (N = 28). Data were stratified by smaller (donor BW < 10 kg; n = 11) or larger donors (BW > 10 kg; n = 17). Renal volume was assessed during follow-up with ultrasound. Demographic characteristics were similar between the 2 groups of recipients. After mean follow-up of 44 months (smaller donors) and 124 months (larger donors), graft and patient outcomes were similar between groups. Serum creatinine at 1, 3, and 5 years was no different between groups. At 1 day posttransplant, mean total renal volume in the smaller donors was 28 +/- 9 mm(3) vs 45 +/- 12 mm(3) (P < .01). By 3 weeks, it was 53 +/- 19 mm(3) (smaller donors) versus 73 +/- 19 mm(3) (larger donors) (P = NS). Complication rates were similar between both groups with 1 case of venous thrombosis in the smaller group. With experience, outcomes are equivalent to those from larger pediatric donors.

Fast And Slow-Twitching Muscles Are Differentially Affected By Reduced Cholinergic Transmission In Mice Deficient For Vacht: A Mouse Model For Congenital Myasthenia, Matheus P.S. Magalhaes-Gomes, Marco A.M. Prado

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) result from reduced cholinergic transmission at neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). While the etiology of CMS varies, the disease is characterized by muscle weakness. To date, it remains unknown if CMS causes long-term and irreversible changes to skeletal muscles. In this study, we examined skeletal muscles in a mouse line with reduced expression of Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter (VAChT, mouse line herein called VAChT-KDHOM). We examined this mouse line for several reasons. First, VAChT plays a central function in loading acetylcholine (ACh) into synaptic vesicles and releasing it at NMJs, in addition to other cholinergic nerve endings. Second, loss …

Pannexin 1 Regulates Adipose Stromal Cell Differentiation And Fat Accumulation, Vanessa R. Lee, Kevin J. Barr, John J. Kelly, Danielle Johnston, Cody F.C. Brown, Kevin P. Robb, Samar Sayedyahossein, Kenneth Huang, Robert Gros, Lauren E. Flynn, Silvia Penuela

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

Pannexin 1 (Panx1) is a channel-forming glycoprotein important in paracrine signaling and cellular development. In this study, we discovered that mice globally lacking Panx1 (KO) have significantly greater total fat mass and reduced lean mass compared to wild type (WT) mice under a normal diet. Despite having higher fat content, Panx1 KO mice on a high fat diet exhibited no differences in weight gain and blood markers of obesity as compared to WT controls, except for an increase in glucose and insulin levels. However, metabolic cage data revealed that these Panx1 KO mice display significantly increased activity levels, higher ambulatory …

First Canadian Experience With Robotic Laparoendoscopic Single-Site Vs. Standard Laparoscopic Living-Donor Nephrectomy: A Prospective Comparative Study, Patrick P Luke, Shahid Aquil, Bijad Alharbi, Hemant Sharma, Alp Sener

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to compare the outcomes of robotic laparoendoscopic single-site living donor nephrectomy (R-LESS LDN) vs. standard laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy (LLDN).

METHODS: Between October 2013 and November 2015, 39 patients were allocated to either standard LLDN (n=25) or R-LESS LDN (n=14). Patient demographics, perioperative outcomes, analgesic requirement, visual analogue scale of pain at postoperative days 1, 3, 7, and 30, and a health-related quality of life and body image questionnaire were prospectively collected.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences in demographics and intraoperative outcomes between the two cohorts. The R-LESS LDN cohort had lower analgesic requirement (p=0.002) and …

Trends In Obesity And Multimorbidity In Canada., Michael Lebenbaum, Gregory S Zaric, Amardeep Thind, Sisira Sarma

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

Very few studies have examined trends in multimorbidity over time and even fewer have examined trends over time across different body mass index (BMI) groups. Given a general decline in death rates but increased cardiovascular risk factors among individuals with obesity, the trend in the association between obesity and multimorbidity is hypothesized to be increasing over time. The data for our study came from the 1996-97 National Population Health Survey and the 2005 and 2012-13 Canadian Community Health Surveys (N = 277,366 across all 3 surveys). We examined trends in the association between BMI groups and multimorbidity using a logistic …

Complexity In Mood Disorder Diagnosis: Fmri Connectivity Networks Predicted Medication-Class Of Response In Complex Patients, E Osuch, S Gao, M Wammes, Jean Theberge, P Willimason, R J Neufeld, Y Du, J Sui, V Calhoun

Department of Medicine Publications

OBJECTIVE: This study determined the clinical utility of an fMRI classification algorithm predicting medication-class of response in patients with challenging mood diagnoses.

METHODS: Ninety-nine 16-27-year-olds underwent resting state fMRI scans in three groups-BD, MDD and healthy controls. A predictive algorithm was trained and cross-validated on the known-diagnosis patients using maximally spatially independent components (ICs), constructing a similarity matrix among subjects, partitioning the matrix in kernel space and optimizing support vector machine classifiers and IC combinations. This classifier was also applied to each of 12 new individual patients with unclear mood disorder diagnoses.

RESULTS: Classification within the known-diagnosis group was approximately …