Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Encapsulation And Controlled Release Of Rhu-Erythropoietin From Chitosan Biopolymer Nanoparticles, Cody Bulmer

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The objective of this research project was to develop a drug delivery system for recombinant human erythropoietin (rHu-EPO), a glycoprotein hormone used in the treatment of renal anaemia and chemotherapy induced anaemia, using the biopolymer chitosan as the base component. Two types of chitosan nanoparticles were produced through ionotropic gelation using flush mixing with either tripolyphosphate (TPP) or carrageenan polymer. Chitosan-TPP and chitosan-carrageenan nanoparticles were generated under a variety of conditions to evaluate the effects of chitosan concentration, chitosan to anion mass ratio and solution pH on the nanoparticle characteristics of particle diameter, surface charge and particle size distribution. A …

Exploring Exercise And Youth With A Disability, Kimberly B. Simpson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the exercise participation of youth with a disability. The studies are grounded in self-determination theory (SDT) (Deci & Ryan, 1985) and follow the General Model of Program planning (GMPP). The first study in this dissertation involved assessment interviews to explore exercise and youth with a disability. In the assessment interviews (Study 1), youth highlighted their desire for physical activity opportunities that promoted their independence, socializing with peers, and success in reaching fitness goals in a community based setting. The interviews with youth matched the central tenants of SDT that being: autonomy, relatedness …

Does Access To A Family Physician Matter For Adolescents?, Bridget L. Ryan, Moira Stewart, M. Karen Campbell, John Koval, Amardeep Thind

RDC@Western Research Highlights

No abstract provided.

The First Year Counts: Cancer Survival Among Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Queenslanders, 1997–2006, Susanna M. Cramb, Gall Garvey, Patricia C. Valery, John D. Williamson, Peter D. Baade

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: To examine the differential in cancer survival between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Queensland in relation to time after diagnosis, remoteness and area-socioeconomic disadvantage.

Design, setting and participants: Descriptive study of population-based data on all 150 059 Queensland residents of known Indigenous status aged 15 years and over who were diagnosed with a primary invasive cancer during 1997–2006.

Main outcome measures: Hazard ratios for the categories of area- socioeconomic disadvantage, remoteness and Indigenous status, as well as conditional 5-year survival estimates.

Results: Five-year survival was lower for Indigenous people diagnosed with cancer (50.3%; 95% CI, 47.8%–52.8%) compared with non-Indigenous …

Restriction Of Hiv-1 Replication By Unique Trim22 Isoforms., Clayton Hattlmann

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Understanding how the immune system reacts to HIV infection and why normal antiviral defenses are insufficient to fight infection is a key step towards creating better therapies. Several interferon-induced proteins, such as the tripartite motif protein TRIM22, are capable of restricting HIV-1 replication; however single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can dramatically impact the actions of these proteins. While the trim22 gene contains numerous SNPs, no study has addressed how these may affect TRIM22 functions. Here we provide the first direct comparison of two TRIM22 unique isoforms. Through confocal microscopy we observed these isoforms exhibit different patterns of localization. In vitro studies …

Motor Control Of Exercise That Emphasizes Speed Post-Stroke, Vicki L. Gray

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Purpose: To investigate whether a single session of closed kinetic chain (CKC) and open kinetic chain (OKC) exercises emphasizing speed post-stroke could evoke changes in the motor control and whether these improvements would transfer to postural tasks.

Methods: Thirty-two individuals post-stroke and 32 age- and sex- matched controls performed a single session of 50 fast squats and steps (Chapter 3). Internal perturbations (arm raise/load drop) were used to assess postural responses before exercises (Pre), immediately after exercises (Post) and 15 minutes after exercises (Retention) (Chapter 4). Eleven individuals post-stroke performed a single session of 50 fast knee and ankle OKC …

Does Access To A Family Physician Matter For Adolescents?, Bridget L. Ryan, Moira Stewart, M. Karen Campbell, John J. Koval, Amardeep Thind

CRDCN Research Highlight/RCCDR en évidence

No abstract provided.

Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphatase-1 Inhibits Myocardial Tnf-Α Expression And Improves Cardiac Function During Endotoxemia, Ting Zhang, Xiangru Lu, Paul Arnold, Yin Liu, Reshma Baliga, Hong Huang, John Anthony Bauer, Yusen Liu, Qingping Feng

Paediatrics Publications

Aims: Myocardial tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression induces cardiac dysfunction in endotoxemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP1) pathway in myocardial TNF-α expression and cardiac function during endotoxemia. Methods and results: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) increased MKP1 expression in the myocardium in vivo and in cultured neonatal cardiomyocytes in vitro. LPS-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 and p38 phosphorylation in the myocardium was prolonged in MKP1 -/- mice. Myocardial TNF-α mRNA and protein levels were enhanced in MKP1 -/- compared with wild-type (WT) mice in endotoxemia, leading to a further decrease in …

Outer Space And Oocyte Developmental Competence., Andrew J Watson

Obstetrics & Gynaecology Publications

No abstract provided.

An Exploration Of Knowledge Translation Amongst Homecare Providers, Family Caregivers, And Clients, L. Jansen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The aim of this two-phased investigation was to enhance understanding of urinary incontinence (UI) knowledge translation (KT) to inform how UI management knowledge might be translated within in-home nursing practice and family caregiving. Although UI can be managed conservatively, it is a principal reason for the breakdown of family-care and care recipient admission to long-term care. Research has afforded little insight into family caregivers’ experience of KT and the process of in-home KT for UI management.

The first study used a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to explore family caregivers’ experience of UI KT. Data were collected from in-depth interviews with a …

Vitamin D And Brain Imaging In The Elderly: Should We Expect Some Lesions Specifically Related To Hypovitaminosis D?, Cédric Annweiler, Manuel Montero-Odasso, Susan W Muir, Olivier Beauchet

Physical Therapy Publications

Hypovitaminosis D is associated with cognitive decline in the elderly, but the issue of causality remains unresolved. Definitive evidence would include the visualization of brain lesions resulting from hypovitaminosis D. The aim of the present article is to determine, through a literature review, the location and nature of possible brain disorders in hypovitaminosis D. We found limited brain-imaging data, which reported ischemic infarcts and white matter hyperintensities in hypovitaminosis D, though did not provide their specific location or report any focal atrophy. Based on the finding of executive dysfunctions (i.e., mental shifting and information updating impairments) in the presence of …

Modulatory Effects Of North American Ginseng Extracts On Human Innate And Adaptive Immune Responses, Holly Rebecca Lemmon

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Ginseng has played a vital role in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. There are 22 variants of ginseng including North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng). The use of North American ginseng has increased dramatically and there is a strong need to understand its immunomodulatory effects. This is because the majority of current research focusing on the Asian ginseng variant. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were used to test the immunomodulatory properties of 3 North American ginseng extracts, COLD-FX^® and deglycosylated individual ginsenosides. Microarray analysis of PBMC exposed to …

Targeted Intracellular Therapeutic Delivery Using Liposomes Formulated With Multifunctional Fast Proteins, Rae L. Nesbitt

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy in North American men and there is no treatment currently available which offers a clear survival advantage to patients with prostate cancer. We studied liposomes formulated with the fusion-associated small transmembrane (FAST) protein, p14. In this study, we hypothesized that therapeutics delivered in molecular targeted fusogenic liposomes will increase intracellular delivery and specificity for prostate cancer. We demonstrated that liposomes formulated with p14-bombesin significantly increased the delivery of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) into human prostate cancer (PC-3) cells compared to either standard liposomes or non-targeted fusogenic liposomes. Delivery of FITC to benign prostate hyperplasia …

Cd11d Antibody Treatment Improves Recovery In Spinal Cord-Injured Mice, Nicole M. Geremia, Feng Bao, Trina E. Rosenzweig, Todd Hryciw, Lynne Weaver, Gregory A. Dekaban, Arthur Brown

Paediatrics Publications

Acute administration of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) raised against the CD11d subunit of the leukocyte CD11d/CD18 integrin after spinal cord injury (SCI) in the rat greatly improves neurological outcomes. This has been chiefly attributed to the reduced infiltration of neutrophils into the injured spinal cord in treated rats. More recently, treating spinal cord-injured mice with a Ly-6G neutrophil-depleting antibody was demonstrated to impair neurological recovery. These disparate results could be due to different mechanisms of action utilized by the two antibodies, or due to differences in the inflammatory responses between mouse and rat that are triggered by SCI. To address …

Mental Health Of Indigenous Australians: A Review Of Findings From Community Surveys, Anthony F. Jorm, Sarah J. Bourchier, Stefan Cvetkovski, Gavin Stewart

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: To assemble what is known about the mental health of Indigenous Australians from community surveys. Data sources: A systematic search was carried out of publications and data sources since 2000 using PubMed, PsycINFO, Australian Medical Index, the National Library of Australia and datasets known to the authors.

Study selection: Surveys had to involve representative sampling of a population, identify Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and include a measure of mental health.

Data extraction: 11 surveys were found. Data were extracted on prevalence rates for Indigenous people by age and sex, along with comparison data from the general population, …

Psychosis In Indigenous Populations Of Cape York And The Torres Strait, Ernest M. Hunter, Bruce D. Gynther, Carrick J. Anderson, Leigh-Ann L. Onnis, Jeffrey R. Nelson, Wayne Hall, Bernhard T. Baune, Aaron R. Groves

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: To describe and characterise treated psychotic disorders in the Indigenous populations of Cape York and the Torres Strait.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of patients with a psychotic disorder identified by treating psychiatrists.

Setting and participants: Indigenous patients aged 􏰀 15 years in Cape York and Torres Strait communities receiving treatment for a psychotic disorder over 3 months in 2010.

Main outcome measures: Prevalence of psychosis diagnoses, intellectual disability, and substance use comorbidities.

Results: 171 patients were included. The prevalence rate in this population was 1.68%, higher for males (2.60%) than females (0.89%), and twice as high in the Aboriginal (2.05%) …

Certified Professional Co-Active Coaches: Why They Enjoy Coaching, Courtney Newnham-Kanas, Don Morrow, Jennifer D. Irwin

Health Studies Publications

The evidence-base for the practice of coaching continues to flourish, despite the fact that very little is known about the practitioners (i.e. the coaches) themselves. It is of value to understand how coaches perceive their practice. Such information can be utilized to create a common knowledge-base about coaches that can be used, in turn, to track trends and forward research that evaluates coaching services. As the use of Co-Active coaching in facilitating behaviour change continues to rise it becomes important to learn more about Certified-Professional Co-Active Coaches (CPCC). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate what CPCCs enjoy …

Preventing Mental Distress In The Military, Charles Nelson, Kate St. Cyr, Bradley Corbett, Elisa Hurley, Shannon Gifford, Jon D. Elhaid, J. Donald Richardson

RDC@Western Research Highlights

No abstract provided.

Preventing Mental Distress In The Military, Charles Nelson, Kate St. Cyr, Bradley Corbett, Elisa Hurley, Shannon Gifford, Jon D. Elhai, J. Donald Richardson

CRDCN Research Highlight/RCCDR en évidence

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Bronchodilator Effects In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Using Diffusion-Weighted Hyperpolarized Helium-3 Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Miranda Kirby, Mohammadreza Heydarian, Andrew Wheatley, David G Mccormack, Grace Parraga

Medical Biophysics Publications

The objective of this study was to evaluate the regional effects of bronchodilator administration in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using hyperpolarized helium-3 ((3)He) MRI apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). Ten COPD ex-smokers provided written, informed consent and underwent diffusion-weighted, hyperpolarized (3)He MRI, spirometry, and plethysmography before and 25 ± 2 min after bronchodilator administration. Pre- and postsalbutamol whole-lung (WL) ADC maps were generated and registered together to identify the lung regions containing the (3)He signal at both time points, and mean ADC within those regions of interest (ROI) was determined for a measurement of previously ventilated ROI ADC (ADC(P)). Lung …

Perceived Facilitators And Barriers To Physical Activity For Rural Youth: An Exploratory Study Using Photovoice, Saagar Walia, Beverly Liepert

Nursing Publications

Introduction: Decreasing physical activity levels, particularly among youth, continue to be a prominent health concern in Canada, and youth living in rural areas may encounter unique facilitators and barriers to physical activity. In addition, current research suggests that overweight and obesity rates are higher for youth in some rural areas compared with urban areas. The goal of this study was to identify the perceived facilitators and barriers to physical activity for a selected sample of rural youth at a rural secondary school in south-western Ontario and examine how rural barriers and facilitators affect rural youth physical activity. Current Canadian literature …

Heavy Maternal Alcohol Consumption And Cerebral Palsy In The Offspring, Colleen M. O'Leary, Linda Watson, Heather D'Antoine, Fiona Stanley, Carol Bower

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

AIM The aim of this study was to investigate the association between heavy maternal alcohol consumption and pre- peri- and postneonatally acquired cerebral palsy (CP). METHOD The records of all mothers with an International Classification of Diseases, revision 9 or 10 (ICD-9 ⁄ -10) alcohol-related diagnostic code, indicating heavy alcohol consumption, recorded on population-based health, mental health, and drug and alcohol data sets from 1983 to 2007, and their children were identified through the Western Australian Data-linkage System. This ‘exposed’ cohort was frequency matched with mothers without an alcohol-related diagnosis and their offspring (comparison group). Cases of CP were identified …

Dna Damage And Oxidative Stress Induced-P53 Activity In Astrocytes Causes Growth Arrest, Sarah A. Humphrey

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

An increasing body of evidence suggests that astrocytes play a key role in modulating neuronal fate during acute and chronic neurodegenerative conditions. Following CNS injury, an upregulation of p53 has been noted in both neurons and reactive astrocytes. p53 is an extremely important protein in determining cell fate decisions and its activation can result in the transcriptional induction of target genes that regulate apoptosis, autophagy, senescence and cell-cycle arrest. We found that p53 is upregulated in primary cortical astrocytes following oxidative stress and DNA damage and that this upregulation results in the p53-dependent transcriptional induction of several target genes involved …

Blunting The Legacy Of Alcohol Abuse In Western Australia, Tony Kirby

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

An Integrated Knowledge Translation Experience: Use Of The Network Of Pediatric Audiologists Of Canada To Facilitate The Development Of The University Of Western Ontario Pediatric Audiological Monitoring Protocol (Uwo Pedamp V1.0)., Sheila T F Moodie

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The goals of this project were: (1) to determine the important factors that influence implementation of evidence-based practice by Canadian audiologists; and (2) to utilize the knowledge-to-action process (Graham et al., 2006) during the development of a guideline for outcome measures to evaluate the auditory development and performance of young children who wear hearing aids, to facilitate clinical uptake and identify barriers to implementation (Bagatto, Moodie & Scollie, 2010; Bagatto et al., 2011; Bagatto, Moodie, Seewald, Bartlett, & Scollie, 2011; Moodie, Bagatto et al., 2011; Moodie, Kothari et al., 2011).

Two projects (Chapters 3 and 4) included the participation of …

The Relationship Between Diet Quality And Obesity In Canadian Adults: Evidence From The 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey, Kalaivaani Sundararajan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background: The relationship between diet quality and obesity is unknown in Canadian adults.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to examine the association of diet quality with obesity in Canadian adults.

Methods: Data were taken from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey. Three indices were constructed using diet recall data: Diet Quality Index (DQI), Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and Glycemic Index (GI). Obesity was measured with body-mass index. Various confounders were also controlled. Latent-class and ordered probit modeling were used to investigate the association between diet quality and obesity.

Results: Latent-class analysis suggested that the …

Housework Metaphor For Gambling Public Health Action: An Indigenous Perspective, Lorna Dyall, Zoe Hawke, Ruth Herd, Papa Nahi

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Housework,thosedutiesdoneathomeorinone’scommunitytokeepandcleanand tidy, is used in this paper as a metaphor for Māori involvement in gambling public health action in New Zealand. For over a decade Māori have been developing their own voice, public health actions, gambling services, research and workforce development initiatives to address gambling related harm at a whānau, community, local government, national and now international level. Involvement in gambling public health action has required Māori to utilise our Treaty of Waitangi and now international indigenous peoples’ rights to ensuring legislation and host responsibility requirements are met at all levels in New Zealand society. Housework which is a demanding …

Building Effective Agbiotech Partnerships Founded On Trust: A Summary Of The Challenges And Practices In Sub-Saharan Africa, Obidimma Ezezika

Health Studies Publications

The potential for improving the efficiency and success of partnerships in agricultural biotechnology is contingent on the presence of trust. As Stephen Covey (2006) asserts in his book The Speed of Trust, trust is the basis of the new global economy and is an essential element of any successful organization [1]. The presence of trust is particularly important in public-private partnerships (PPPs), in which partners with varied interests, goals, and operating principles embark on complex tasks within innovative ventures. Even more crucial is the role of trust in the success of agbiotech initiatives led by PPPs. This is cited throughout …

What Is Trust? Perspectives From Farmers And Other Experts In The Field Of Agriculture., Obidimma Ezezika, Jessica Oh

Health Studies Publications

Background

Agricultural biotechnology public-private partnerships (PPPs) have been recognized as necessary for improving agricultural productivity and increasing food production in sub-Saharan Africa. However, there are issues of public trust uniquely associated with PPPs involved in the development of genetically modified (GM) crops. Insight into how trust is understood by agbiotech stakeholders is needed to be able to promote and improve trust among actors comprising agbiotech PPPs. This study aimed to explore how stakeholders from the agricultural sector in sub-Saharan Africa understood the concept of trust in general as well as in the context of agbiotech PPPs.

Methods

Our data collection …

Strategies For Building Trust With Farmers: The Case Of Bt Maize In South Africa., Obidimma Ezezika, Robin Lennox, Abdallah S. Daar

Health Studies Publications

Background

In 1999, South Africa became the first African country to approve commercial production of subsistence genetically modified (GM) maize. The introduction of GM crop technology is often met with skepticism by stakeholders including farmers. The involvement of the private sector in this process can further breed mistrust or misperceptions. To examine these issues more closely, the objective of this case study was to understand the role of trust in the public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement involved in the development of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize in South Africa.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured, face-to-face interviews to obtain stakeholders’ understanding of trust in …