Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Identification And Characterization Of Cysteine Protease Genes In Tobacco For Use In Recombinant Protein Production, Kishor Duwadi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Plants are an attractive host system for pharmaceutical protein production. Many therapeutic proteins have been produced and scaled up in plants at a low cost compared to the conventional microbial and animal based systems. The main technical challenge during this process is to produce sufficient level of proteins in plants. Low yield is generally caused by proteolytic degradation during expression and downstream processing of recombinant proteins. The yield of a human therapeutic protein interleukin (IL) -10 produced in transgenic tobacco leaves was found to be below the critical level, and is potentially due to degradation by tobacco cysteine proteases (CysPs). …

Synthesis Of Carbohydrate Functionalized Dendrons For Use As Multivalent Scaffold And In Self-Assembled Structures, Namrata Jain

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Carbohydrates are implicated in a large number of biological processes ranging from cell-cell interactions to bacterial and viral infection. Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins that are generally specific for certain sugars. However, typical carbohydrate–lectin interactions tend to have very low monomeric binding affinities. In many cases, the binding of saccharide ligands by protein receptors can be improved significantly through the attachment of multiple saccharide residues to a common support. Dendronized polymers constitute a class of macromolecules whose nanoscale size, rigidity, and functionality can be controlled with precision by tuning their molecular architecture. It is hypothesized that due to their large size …

Calmly Coping: A Motivational Interviewing Via Co-Active Life Coaching (Mi-Via-Calc) Intervention For University Students Suffering From Stress, Rebecca R. Fried

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this semester-long pilot study was to assess the impact of Motivational Interviewing via Co-Active Life Coaching (MI-via-CALC) on the stress management experiences of 30 full-time, English-speaking students aged 17-24 years. Participants’ experiences were assessed quantitatively using the previously validated Perceived Stress Scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (which is divided into Anxiety and Depression scales) at pre-, mid-, and post-intervention. Three one-way, repeated-measures ANOVAs were completed for each scale and statistically significant differences in stress reduction were found for all scales between pre-intervention to mid-intervention, and between pre-intervention to post- intervention; no statistically significant differences occurred …

Investigating Barriers To Access And Delivery Of Palliative Care For Persons With Dementia In London, Ontario, Emily M. Hill

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Dementia is a syndrome that is progressive, degenerative and terminal. The palliative care philosophy aims to maximize quality of life for the dying individual and has been recognized in the literature as being both beneficial and under-used in persons dying with dementia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of staff delivering palliative care to individuals with dementia to determine how care was delivered, to learn which assessment tools were used, and whether policies were affected the delivery of palliative care. Twenty-two staff participants were interviewed. Data were interpreted using phenomenological methodology. Findings yielded three themes: confusion, …

Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome: Multicountry Prevalence And Dementia Risk, Joe Verghese, Cedric Annweiler, Emmeline Ayers, Nir Barzilai, Olivier Beauchet, David A Bennett, Stephanie A Bridenbaugh, Aron S Buchman, Michele L Callisaya, Richard Camicioli, Benjamin Capistrant, Somnath Chatterji, Anne-Marie De Cock, Luigi Ferrucci, Nir Giladi, Jack M Guralnik, Jeffrey M Hausdorff, Roee Holtzer, Ki Woong Kim, Paul Kowal, Reto W Kressig, Jae-Young Lim, Susan Lord, Kenichi Meguro, Manuel Montero-Odasso, Susan W. Hunter, Mohan L Noone, Lynn Rochester, Velandai Srikanth, Cuiling Wang

Physical Therapy Publications

OBJECTIVES: Our objective is to report prevalence of motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR), a newly described predementia syndrome characterized by slow gait and cognitive complaints, in multiple countries, and its association with dementia risk.

METHODS: Pooled MCR prevalence analysis of individual data from 26,802 adults without dementia and disability aged 60 years and older from 22 cohorts from 17 countries. We also examined risk of incident cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination decline ≥4 points) and dementia associated with MCR in 4,812 individuals without dementia with baseline Mini-Mental State Examination scores ≥25 from 4 prospective cohort studies using Cox models adjusted …

An Exploration Of Parental Experiences With Interventions For Children And Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kaity Gain

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is defined as a group of pervasive developmental disorders that cause clinically significant impairments in social, occupational and overall functioning. The current body of research highlights the importance of community based interventions, programs and services for this population across their lifespan. This dissertation explores parental experiences with interventions, programs and services for their children and adolescents with ASD.

This dissertation contains three manuscripts in addition to the introductory and concluding chapters. The first manuscript explores the current literature on occupational therapy based interventions for school aged children with ASD. Manuscript two presents the findings of an …

Fully Automated Segmentation And Quantification Of Abdominal Adipose Tissue Compartments In Mouse Mri, Colin M. Mccurdy

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Obesity currently affects 25% of Canadians and is strongly associated with many diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. However, only Intra-Abdominal Adipose Tissue (IAAT) is an important predictor of obesity associated disease and mortality. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an effective modality for imaging fat and methods have been developed to automate segmentation of IAAT. Currently existing techniques for automated segmentation in mice require acquisition using high magnetic field MRI equipment and use image acquisition techniques with low precision for fat quantification. We demonstrate a new fully automated technique for fat quantification in clinical strength mouse MRI through adaptation …

Functional Assessment And Potential Therapeutic Role Of Carbon Monoxide Releasing Molecule-­‐3 In A Rodent Model Of Compartment Syndrome, Al Walid Hamam

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Compartment syndrome (CS) is a life and limb threatening condition resulting in long term morbidity. Gold standard treatment of CS is surgical fasciotomy. Long-term morbidity is common post fasciotomy. We tested a gait analysis system (CatWalk™) to see if we could detect functional effects of CS in our rodent model. We also investigated the effects of carbon monoxide releasing molecule-3 (CORM-3) on the function of gait in rodents post CS.

The CatWalkTM system was able to detect abnormalities in a rodent’s gait post CS. CORM-3 was also found to alleviate the functional deficits following CS. Multiple dose but not single …

Learner Anxiety And Professional Practice Self-Efficacy In Nursing Education, Joanna Pierazzo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this study was to examine the affective component of learner engagement (Linnenbrink & Printrich, 2003); more specifically students’ perceptions of learner anxiety and self-efficacy for professional practice in clinical nursing education. This study identified the factors in clinical learning contexts that contribute to learner anxiety, the differences among these factors in real and simulated learning contexts, and finally, the teaching and learning strategies that minimize learner anxiety and positively enhance self-efficacy for professional nursing practice. A convenience sample of 186 students from three university nursing programs in Ontarioparticipated in a two-phased mixed methods study, reflecting a response …

Performance Implications Of Rear Foot Movement In The Swimming Kick Start, Amber C. Hutchinson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The performance implications of changing rear foot joint angles in the kick start were evaluated using a replicated version of the Omega OSB11 starting block. Maximal effort dives were collected for twenty-six competitive swimmers. The block was equipped with two tri-axial force plates to differentiate between forces applied to the rear foot rest and forces applied to the block. Two high-speed video cameras recorded hind-foot eversion and dorsiflexion angles. Competitive swimmers with larger hind-foot eversion movement have larger lateral kick plate forces, longer kick plate times, and larger contributions of the kick plate to total impulse. These swimmers also have …

Dual Energy Imaging For Determining Urinary Calculi Composition: A Theoretical And Experimental Study With Computed Tomography, Stephanie Nykamp

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Urinary calculi is a common problem worldwide and is associated with substantial patient morbidity and healthcare costs. The choice of treatment is dependent on the composition of the stone. Currently that can only be determined once it has been removed which is too late to impact treatment decisions. Considerable investigation into the use of dual-energy CT (DECT) for determining stone composition has lead to mixed results. The varied results may be due to inherent sources of error and it is unclear whether the mixed results with DECT are due to CT artifacts or insufficient fundamental difference in the linear attenuation …

The Effects Of Oar-Shaft Stiffness And Length On Rowing Biomechanics, Brock Laschowski

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This work investigates the effects of oar-shaft stiffness and length on rowing biomechanics. The mechanical properties of the oar-shafts were examined using an end-loaded cantilever system, and theoretical relations were proposed between the mechanics of the oar-shafts and rowing performance. On-water experiments were subsequently conducted and rowing biomechanics measured via the PowerLine Rowing Instrumentation System. The PowerLine system measures force and oar angle on the oarlock, as well as proper boat acceleration. The convergent validity and test-retest reliability of the PowerLine force measurements were determined prior to the on-water experiments. Thereafter, rowers were tested over a set distance using oar-shafts …

The Clinic Narrative: A Multiple Case Study Of Integrated Knowledge Translation And Equity-Oriented Primary Health Care, Christine A. Garinger

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Understanding how PHC organizations implement changes to achieve equity-oriented care will add to the knowledge base regarding primary care renewal. Implementation science or knowledge translation (KT) has emerged, with the goal of enhancing evidence-based practice by implementing strategies of knowledge mobilization. Questions in this qualitative multiple case study were: 1) How does a new knowledge product, a ‘clinic narrative’, co-created by the researchers and the clinic leads, influence practices in the clinic specific to equity-oriented care?, 2) What facilitates or constrains the use of the narrative? and, 3) What are the novel uses of the narrative for organizational goals? The …

Introduction Of A Mobile Device Based Tertiary Survey Application Reduces Missed Injuries: A Multi-Center Prospective Study, Bradley S. Moffat

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Missed injuries in trauma patients are a significant source of preventable morbidity. The tertiary survey is a head-to-toe physical exam performed within 24 hours of admission to identify any injuries which may have been missed during initial assessment and resuscitation. The Physician Assist Trauma Software (PATS) is an electronic program designed to guide users through a thorough tertiary survey and document the results. This thesis project was designed to study the impact of implementing this novel mobile device based electronic tertiary survey program on missed injuries. The first phase of this study involved quantifying and characterizing the missed injury rate …

Human Premotor Areas Parse Sequences Into Their Spatial And Temporal Features., Katja Kornysheva, Jörn Diedrichsen

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Skilled performance is characterized by precise and flexible control of movement sequences in space and time. Recent theories suggest that integrated spatio-temporal trajectories are generated by intrinsic dynamics of motor and premotor networks. This contrasts with behavioural advantages that emerge when a trained spatial or temporal feature of sequences is transferred to a new spatio-temporal combination arguing for independent neural representations of these sequence features. We used a new fMRI pattern classification approach to identify brain regions with independent vs integrated representations. A distinct regional dissociation within motor areas was revealed: whereas only the contralateral primary motor cortex exhibited unique …

Efficacy Of Novel Antifouling/Antimicrobial Coatings For The Prevention Of Urinary Device Associated Infection And Encrustation, Thomas O. Tailly

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Device associated urinary tract infections are a very important healthcare issue. Despite best efforts in preventing and treating these infections, many patients and physicians are still confronted with this problem. Our research group is involved in testing and evaluating new stent coatings for the prevention of device associated infections and device encrustation. In the current project, we tested two new coating copolymers, both based on a long chain polymer backbone and mussel adhesive protein to this purpose in a rabbit and porcine model. The results demonstrate efficiency of one copolymer in preventing infections in the rabbit model. Interestingly there is …

The Effects Of Target Spectrum, Noise, And Reverberation On Auditory Cue Weighting In Sound Localization, Tran M. Nguyen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Sound localization in the horizontal plane depends on interaural time difference (ITD) and interaural level difference (ILD) cues, which are both available in wideband sounds. Previous studies have directly measured listener weighting of those cues only under quiet, anechoic conditions, but not in the presence of noise and reverberation, which can degrade both ITD and ILD. This study examined the effects of changes in target spectral profile, background noise, and reverberation on sound localization performance and cue weighting strategies. Listeners reported locations of targets that were presented over headphones in virtual auditory space. ITD and ILD were manipulated by attenuating …

Intensity Based Non-Rigid Registration Of 3d Whole Mouse Optical And Mr Image Volumes, Jacqueline Kathleen Harris

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Novel magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques can be validated using accurate co-registration with histology. Whole-animal histological sections allow for simultaneous analysis of multiple tissues, and may also aid in registration by providing contextual information and structural support to tissues which if isolated from the body would be difficult to register.

This thesis explores the feasibility of co-registration between whole mouse histology with 3D MR images using an intermediate optical image volume acquired during tissue sectioning. Of the two transformations required for this approach, 3D co-registration of MR and optical images is more challenging to perform due to changes in contrast, …

Functional Imaging Of Malignant Gliomas With Ct Perfusion, Timothy Pok Chi Yeung

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The overall survival of patients with malignant gliomas remains dismal despite multimodality treatments. Computed tomography (CT) perfusion is a functional imaging tool for assessing tumour hemodynamics. The goals of this thesis are to 1) improve measurements of various CT perfusion parameters and 2) assess treatment outcomes in a rat glioma model and in patients with malignant gliomas. Chapter 2 addressed the effect of scan duration on the measurements of blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), and permeability-surface area product (PS). Measurement errors of these parameters increased with shorter scan duration. A minimum scan duration of 90 s is recommended. Chapter …

Knowledge Translation And The Governance Of Health Research In Canada: A Critical Discourse Analysis, Kathleen S. Ellis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Knowledge translation (KT) is a dominant discourse in the governance of health research in Canada. I critically examine the KT discourse of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canada’s major health research funder. Informed by a governmentality perspective, I explore how the KT discourse operates to shape the directions of health research and the activities of health researchers using critical discourse analysis with a sample of publicly available CIHR documents.

This KT discourse is constructed through three rationales: a “gap” between knowledge creation and its application; financial and health care accountabilities for public investment in health research; and, the …

Food For Health: An Investigation Of Infant Feeding Practices, Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy, And Perceived Barriers And Facilitators, Jessica W. Smith

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Exclusive breastfeeding is associated with numerous health benefits for both mother and child, and is recommended for the first 6 months of an infant’s life. The purpose of this prospective study was to examine, using a survey-based design, the breastfeeding practices, self-efficacy, and perceived barriers and facilitators of primiparous mothers in London, Ontario. A total of 71 women (M_age = 30.0, SD = 4.3) participated in the study. Women (breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding) were asked to complete online surveys at three time points: < 4 weeks postpartum, 3 months postpartum, and 6 months postpartum. Results indicated that rates of exclusive breastfeeding decreased over time, whereas partial and non-breastfeeding rates increased. Women in the exclusive breastfeeding category reported the greatest levels of breastfeeding self-efficacy at all time points. Lastly, participants identified a number of breastfeeding-related facilitators (e.g., partner support, community services) and barriers (e.g., insufficient milk supply, latching difficulties).

Transcriptional Regulation Of Peptidylarginine Deiminase Type Iv: Implications For Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ali Abbas

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

High titers of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies have been detected in sera of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, implicating citrullinating enzymes in the pathogenesis of RA. Peptidylarginine deiminase type IV (PAD4) is a member of the PAD family of enzymes that catalyze the post- translational modification of arginine to citrulline and has been linked with RA. However, little is known about its transcriptional regulation. Therefore, our aim was to determine how transcription of PAD4 is activated in the myeloid lineage. Using bioinformatics, a potential nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) binding site was identified on the PAD4 promoter. Luciferase assays were used to …

The Development Of A Digital X-Ray Imaging System For The Characterization Of Transmission Of Whole-Body Vibration In Mice, Zhengyi Hu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Mechanical stimulus such as whole-body vibration (WBV) has shown to promote bone formation both in humans and animals. WBV has been hypothesized as a potentially useful osteoporosis intervention. While the transmission of WBV has been well characterized in humans, there is currently a lack of knowledge in the transmission of vibration in small animal models, such as mice, due to the lack of an implantable accelerometer appropriate to make such measurements. This thesis introduces an imaging-based method to quantify transmission of vibration in mice using x-ray imaging. Specifically, it utilizes motion blur of fiducial markers, which are implanted into the …

Evaluating Human Performance For Image-Guided Surgical Tasks, Matthew Kenneth Kramers

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The following work focuses on the objective evaluation of human performance for two different interventional tasks; targeted prostate biopsy tasks using a tracked biopsy device, and external ventricular drain placement tasks using a mobile-based augmented reality device for visualization and guidance. In both tasks, a human performance methodology was utilized which respects the trade-off between speed and accuracy for users conducting a series of targeting tasks using each device. This work outlines the development and application of performance evaluation methods using these devices, as well as details regarding the implementation of the mobile AR application. It was determined that the …

Investigation Of Β-Catenin-Mediated Regulation Of Igfbp-6 And The Roles Of Igfbp-6 And Igf-Ii In Dupuytren's Disease, Christina N. Raykha

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Dupuytren’s Disease (DD) is a benign and heritable connective tissue fibrosis that affects the palmar fascia and typically results in permanent finger contracture(s). Similar to other fibroses, DD is characterized by increased fibroblast proliferation, myofibroblast differentiation and excess collagen deposition. Currently, there are no truly effective treatment options for connective tissue fibroses.

Increased levels of β-catenin, an intracellular trans-regulator of gene transcription, have been previously reported in DD. Genes that are associated with, and therefore potentially transcriptionally regulated by, β-catenin during DD development were identified in this thesis. One of these gene targets, IGFBP6, was shown to consistently be …

Complexity And Familiarity Enhance Single-Trial Detectability Of Imagined Movements With Electroencephalography, Raechelle M. Gibson, Srivas Chennu, Adrian M. Owen, Damian Cruse

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

Objective: We sought to determine whether the sensorimotor rhythms (SMR) elicited during motor imagery (MI) of complex and familiar actions could be more reliably detected with electroencephalography (EEG), and subsequently classified on a single-trial basis, than those elicited during relatively simpler imagined actions. Methods: Groups of healthy volunteers, including experienced pianists and ice hockey players, performed MI of varying complexity and familiarity. Their electroencephalograms were recorded and compared using brain-computer interface (BCI) approaches and spectral analyses. Results: Relative to simple MI, significantly more participants produced classifiable SMR for complex MI. During MI of performance of a complex musical piece, the …

The Co-Occurrence Of Ptsd And Dissociation: Differentiating Severe Ptsd From Dissociative Ptsd, Cherie Amour, Karen-Inge Karstoft, Don Richardson

MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre

Purpose

A dissociative-posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) subtype has been included in the DSM-5. However, it is not yet clear whether certain socio-demographic characteristics or psychological/clinical constructs such as comorbid psychopathology differentiate between severe PTSD and dissociative-PTSD. The current study investigated the existence of a dissociative-PTSD subtype and explored whether a number of trauma and clinical covariates could differentiate between severe PTSD alone and dissociative-PTSD.

Methods

The current study utilized a sample of 432 treatment seeking Canadian military veterans. Participants were assessed with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) and self-report measures of traumatic life events, depression, and anxiety. CAPS severity …

Practice Patterns And Trends In The Use Of Medical Therapy In Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention In Ontario, Pallav Garg, Harindra C. Wijeysundera, Lingsong Yun, Warren J. Cantor, Dennis T. Ko

Department of Medicine Publications

Background

Clinical guidelines emphasize medical therapy as the initial approach to the management of patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the extent to which medical therapy is applied before and after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in contemporary clinical practice is uncertain. We evaluated medication use for patients with stable CAD undergoing PCI, and assessed whether the COURAGE study altered medication use in the Canadian healthcare system.

Methods and Results

A population‐based cohort of 23 680 older patients >65 years old) with stable CAD undergoing PCI in Ontario between 2003 and 2010 was assembled. Optimal medical therapy (OMT) was …

Implantation Failure In Female Kiss1-/- Mice Is Independent Of Their Hypogonadic State And Can Be Partially Rescued By Leukemia Inhibitory Factor., Michele Calder, Yee-Ming Chan, Renju Raj, Macarena Pampillo, Adrienne Elbert, Michelle Noonan, Carolina Gillio-Meina, Claudia Caligioni, Nathalie G Bérubé, Moshmi Bhattacharya, Andrew J Watson, Stephanie B Seminara, Andy V Babwah

Obstetrics & Gynaecology Publications

The hypothalamic kisspeptin signaling system is a major positive regulator of the reproductive neuroendocrine axis, and loss of Kiss1 in the mouse results in infertility, a condition generally attributed to its hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. We demonstrate that in Kiss1(-/-) female mice, acute replacement of gonadotropins and estradiol restores ovulation, mating, and fertilization; however, these mice are still unable to achieve pregnancy because embryos fail to implant. Progesterone treatment did not overcome this defect. Kiss1(+/-) embryos transferred to a wild-type female mouse can successfully implant, demonstrating the defect is due to maternal factors. Kisspeptin and its receptor are expressed in the mouse …

Pulmonary Ventilation Defects In Older Never-Smokers, Khadija Sheikh, Gregory A Paulin, Sarah Svenningsen, Miranda Kirby, Nigel A M Paterson, David G Mccormack, Grace Parraga

Medical Biophysics Publications

Hyperpolarized (3)He MRI previously revealed spatially persistent ventilation defects in healthy, older compared with healthy, younger never-smokers. To understand better the physiological consequences and potential relevance of (3)He MRI ventilation defects, we evaluated (3)He-MRI ventilation-defect percent (VDP) and the effect of deep inspiration (DI) and salbutamol on VDP in older never-smokers. To identify the potential determinants of ventilation defects in these subjects, we evaluated dyspnea, pulmonary function, and cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) measurements, as well as occupational and second-hand smoke exposure. Fifty-two never-smokers (71 ± 6 yr) with no history of chronic respiratory disease were evaluated. During a single visit, …