Digital Commons Network^™

Coping With Clinical Challenges Of Risk-Assessment, Amresh Srivastava

Psychiatry Presentations

No abstract provided.

Demographic Change, The Labour Force And Work-Family Conflicts: The Challenge Of Public Policy Adaptation, Roderic Beaujot

PSC Discussion Papers Series

Les changements démographiques (vieillissement, faible natalité et leurs conséquences) ainsi que l’évolution de la main d’oeuvre (féminisation, secteur service, phénomène 24/7) apportent des nouveaux conflits travail-famille. Dans un monde où on cherche à maximiser la participation à la main d’oeuvre et à assurer la reproduction de la population, ces conflits portent divers défis d’adaptation des politiques publiques. Nous considérons les changements dans les modèles de couples et les intérêts variés par rapport aux types de support de la société. Nous considerons les politques par rapport à divers types de familles.

Unifying Framework For Building Social Computing Applications, Renato Costa, Luiz Fernando Capretz

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

There have been a number of frameworks and models developed to

support different aspects of social computing. Some were developed to deal

with online interaction through the application of computer-mediated communications

tools, whereas others such as social network analyses and reputation

systems were more specific in their focus. While these methodologies are interrelated,

current social computing research has dealt with them as separate aspects.

This paper presents a comprehensive framework for social computing

that aims at integrating all these three aspects into a unified model so that discovery

and exploration of community members are not only made possible, but

also …

Outcome In Schizophrenia: The Long-Term Good Outcome In Schizophrenia Is Not Yet Good Enough, Amresh Srivastava, Meghan Thakar

Psychiatry Presentations

The illness of schizophrenia has always been a matter of concern for its nature and extent of outcome particularly for its regional and cultural differences. The concept of outcome has been evolving and this study examines the scenario of good outcome in developing countries.

Outcome In Schizophrenia: How Good Is "Good Outcome" Schizophrenia In Long-Term In Developing Countries, Amresh Srivastava, Meghan Thakar, Nilesh Shah, Larry Stitt

Psychiatry Presentations

No abstract provided.

Complexity And Limitations Of Stress-Endocrine Research In Mental Health, Amresh Srivastava

Psychiatry Presentations

No abstract provided.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Health-Related Quality Of Life Among A Sample Of Treatment- And Pension-Seeking Deployed Canadian Forces Peacekeeping Veterans, Don Richardson, Mary E. Long, David J. Pedlar, Jon D Elhai

MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre

Objectives: To examine the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in deployed Canadian Forces peacekeeping veterans, addressing associations with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression severity. Methods: Participants (n = 125) were consecutive male veterans who were referred for a psychiatric assessment. Instruments administered included the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale, Short-Form-36 Health Survey, and sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Mental HRQOL was significantly lower for peacekeepers with, than without, PTSD. Using univariate analyses, PTSD and depression severity were each significantly negatively related to mental HRQOL. In sequential regression analyses controlling for age, we found that PTSD and depression severity significantly predicted …

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Health-Related Quality Of Life Among A Sample Of Treatment- And Pension-Seeking Deployed Canadian Forces Peacekeeping Veterans, Don Richardson, Mary E. Long, David J. Pedlar

MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre

Objectives: To examine the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in deployed Canadian Forces peacekeeping veterans, addressing associations with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression severity.
Methods: Participants (n = 125) were consecutive male veterans who were referred for a psychiatric assessment. Instruments administered included the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale, Short-Form-36 Health Survey, and sociodemographic characteristics.
Results: Mental HRQOL was significantly lower for peacekeepers with, than without, PTSD. Using univariate analyses, PTSD and depression severity were each significantly negatively related to mental HRQOL. In sequential regression analyses controlling for age, we found that PTSD and depression severity significantly predicted …

Intra-Arterial Thrombolysis Of Occluded Middle Cerebral Artery By Use Of Collateral Pathways In Patients With Tandem Cervical Carotid Artery/Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion, Ozcan Ozdemir, M. Bussière, A. Leung, I. Gulka, D. Lee, R. Chan, J. D. Spence, D. Pelz

Department of Medicine Publications

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cervical internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion with middle cerebral artery (MCA) embolic occlusion is associated with a low rate of recanalization and poor outcome after intravenous thrombolysis. Prompt revascularization is required to prevent disabling stroke. We report our experience on acute ischemic stroke patients with tandem ICA or MCA occlusions treated with microcathether navigation and intra-arterial thrombolysis by use of collateral pathways including the posterior or anterior communicating arteries, or both pathways. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively identified 8 patients with proximal ICA occlusion associated with MCA embolic occlusions treated with intra-arterial thrombolysis (IA rtPA). Access to …

Keeping Assessment Results On The Radar: Responsibility For Action, Margaret Martin Gardiner

Western Libraries Presentations

This presentation is about the development of the assessment program at Western Libraries at the University of Western Ontario.

Mapping And Quantifying Hyperpolarized 3he Magnetic Resonance Imaging Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Gradients, Andrea Evans, David G Mccormack, Giles Santyr, Grace Parraga

Medical Biophysics Publications

We measured hyperpolarized 3He magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) and quantified ADC gradients in each three-by-three voxel region of interest (ROI). Such local ADC gradients can be represented in vector maps showing the magnitude (|G3x3|) and direction of ADC gradients, providing a qualitative visualization tool and quantitative measurement of airway and air space heterogeneity. Twenty-four subjects (15 male, mean age=67+/-7 yr) with global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease (GOLD) stage II (n=9, mean age 68+/-6 yr), GOLD stage III chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; n=7, mean age 67+/-8 yr), and age-matched healthy volunteers (n=8, mean age …

Quantification Of Carotid Vessel Wall And Plaque Thickness Change Using 3d Ultrasound Images, Bernard Chiu, Micaela Egger, J David Spence, Grace Parraga, Aaron Fenster

Medical Biophysics Publications

Quantitative measurements of carotid plaque burden progression or regression are important in monitoring patients and in evaluation of new treatment options. 3D ultrasound (US) has been used to monitor the progression or regression of carotid artery plaques. This paper reports on the development and application of a method used to analyze changes in carotid plaque morphology from 3D US. The technique used is evaluated using manual segmentations of the arterial wall and lumen from 3D US images acquired in two imaging sessions. To reduce the effect of segmentation variability, segmentation was performed five times each for the wall and lumen. …

Research And Knowledge In Ontario Tobacco Control Networks, Julia J. Bickford, Anita R. Kothari

Health Studies Publications

Objectives: This study sought to better understand the role of research knowledge in Ontario tobacco control networks by asking: 1) How is research managed; 2) How is research evaluated; and 3) How is research utilized?

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a qualitative study based on individual semi-structured interviews with 29 participants between January and May 2006. These participants were purposefully sampled from across four Ministries in the provincial government (n=7), non-government (n=15), and public health organizations (n=7). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded and analyzed using QSR N7 qualitative software. This study received ethics approval from The University …

Freesurfer-Initiated Fully-Automated Subcortical Brain Segmentation In Mri Using Large Deformation Diffeomorphic Metric Mapping., Ali R Khan, Lei Wang, Mirza Faisal Beg

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Fully-automated brain segmentation methods have not been widely adopted for clinical use because of issues related to reliability, accuracy, and limitations of delineation protocol. By combining the probabilistic-based FreeSurfer (FS) method with the Large Deformation Diffeomorphic Metric Mapping (LDDMM)-based label-propagation method, we are able to increase reliability and accuracy, and allow for flexibility in template choice. Our method uses the automated FreeSurfer subcortical labeling to provide a coarse-to-fine introduction of information in the LDDMM template-based segmentation resulting in a fully-automated subcortical brain segmentation method (FS+LDDMM). One major advantage of the FS+LDDMM-based approach is that the automatically generated segmentations generated are …

Probing The Functional Tolerance Of The B Subunit Of Escherichia Coli Atp Synthase For Sequence Manipulation Through A Chimera Approach., Yumin Bi, Joel C Watts, Pamela Krauss Bamford, Lee-Ann K Briere, Stanley D Dunn

Biochemistry Publications

A dimer of 156-residue b subunits forms the peripheral stator stalk of eubacterial ATP synthase. Dimerization is mediated by a sequence with an unusual 11-residue (hendecad) repeat pattern, implying a right-handed coiled coil structure. We investigated the potential for producing functional chimeras in the b subunit of Escherichia coli ATP synthase by replacing parts of its sequence with corresponding regions of the b subunits from other eubacteria, sequences from other polypeptides having similar hendecad patterns, and sequences forming left-handed coiled coils. Replacement of positions 55-110 with corresponding sequences from Bacillus subtilis and Thermotoga maritima b subunits resulted in fully functional …

Effects Of Early Gestation Gh Administration On Placental And Fetal Development In Sheep., Casey D Wright, Ryan J Orbus, Timothy Regnault, Russell V Anthony

Paediatrics Publications

Ovine GH (oGH) is synthesized in placental tissue during maximal placental growth and development. Our objectives were to localize oGH mRNA in the placenta, and study the impact of exogenous GH on twin pregnancies during the normal window (35-55 days of gestational age; dGA) of placental expression. In situ hybridization localized oGH mRNA in uterine luminal epithelium but not in tissues of fetal origin. While maternal GH and IGF-I concentrations were increased (P

A Model Of Open Source Software-Based Product Line Development, Luiz Fernando Capretz, Faheem Ahmed, Mohammad Ali Babar

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

Software Product Line (SPL) and Open Source Software (OSS) have emerged as successful modes of developing software. There is an increased interest in developing suitable approaches for combining the promised advantages of SPL andOSS. Researchers and practitioners have been emphasizing the need of exploiting the ever growing repositories ofOSScomponents for developing SPLs. However, there is no conceptual model for guiding the process of developing OSS-based SPLs. In this paper, we propose a model for developing software product line using open source software. This paper identifies and elaborates the essential phases and activities of the proposed model of developing OSS-based SPLs. …

Optimization Using Differential Evolution, Vasan Arunachalam

Water Resources Research Report

The book explains in detail the working of Differential Evolution optimization algorithm. It also provides documentation for the use of Differential Evolution computer program to solve user-defined optimization problems. The computer program is written in C language for Windows environment. The book also demonstrates how to modify the program using an example optimization problem.

Operational Stress Injury Social Support: A Canadian Innovation In Professional Peer Support, Don Richardson, Kathy Darte, Stephan Grenier, Allan English, Joe Sharpe

MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre

No abstract provided.

Managing The Future: Why Some Ontario Municipalities Are Not Engaging In Succession Planning, Jessie Carson

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines why some Ontario municipalities choose not to engage in succession planning, which ensures continuous staffing by identifying how positions will be filled. A survey of members of the Ontario Municipal Human Resources Association was conducted. The findings reveal that most Ontario municipalities are not engaging in succession planning because other immediate organizational challenges take priority.

Women In Municipal Politics: Barriers To Participation, Carol Down

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the barriers to participation that women face when attempting to enter municipal politics based on a review of the programs and recommendations made by three initiatives that have been developed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Equal Voice, and the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities to increase the number of women in municipal government. The findings reveal that the barriers to participation can only be removed through major political and cultural changes and the deterrents to equal participation, such as systemic discrimination, sexism, power gender imbalances, and the marginalization of women and minorities, must be addressed …

Mesna For Treatment Of Hyperhomocysteinemia In Hemodialysis Patients: A Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Randomized Trial, Bradley L. Urquhart, David J. Freeman, Murray J. Cutler, Rahul Mainra, J. David Spence, Andrew A. House

Department of Medicine Publications

Background and objectives: Increased plasma total homocysteine is a graded, independent risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis and thrombosis. More than 90% of patients with end-stage renal disease have hyperhomocysteinemia despite vitamin supplementation. It was shown in previous studies that a single intravenous dose of mesna 5 mg/kg caused a drop in plasma total homocysteine that was significantly lower than predialysis levels 2 d after dosing. It was hypothesized 5 mg/kg intravenous mesna administered thrice weekly, before dialysis, for 8 wk would cause a significant decrease in plasma total homocysteine compared with placebo. Design, setting, participants, & measurements: Patients …

Fuzzy Inference System For Software Product Family Process Evaluation, Faheem Ahmed, Luiz Fernando Capretz, Jagath Samarabandu

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

When developing multiple products within a common application domain, systematic use of a software product family process can yield increased productivity in cost, quality, effort and schedule. Such a process provides the means for the reuse of software assets which can considerably reduce the development time and the cost of software products. A comprehensive strategy for the evaluating the maturity of a software product family process is needed due to growing popularity of this concept in the software industry. In this paper, we propose a five-level maturity scale for software product family process. We also present a fuzzy inference system …

Collaborations Between Research Libraries And University Presses, Adrian K. Ho

Western Libraries Presentations

This poster presentation discusses the findings of a study of the collaborations between research libraries and university presses for scholarly communication. It provides an overview of how libraries and presses have worked together and handled issues encountered in the collaborations.

Mood Symptoms As Comorbidity In Schizophrenia, Amresh Srivastava

Psychiatry Presentations

No abstract provided.

A New Calibration For Function Point Complexity Weights, Wei Xia, Luiz Fernando Capretz, Danny Ho, Faheem Ahmed

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

Function Point (FP) is a useful software metric that was first proposed twenty-five years ago, since then, it has steadily evolved into a functional size metric consolidated in the well-accepted Standardized International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG) Counting Practices Manual - version 4.2. While software development industry has grown rapidly, the weight values assigned to count standard FP still remain same, which raise critical questions about the validity of the weight values. In this paper, we discuss the concepts of calibrating Function Point, whose aims are to estimate a more accurate software size that fits for specific software application, to …

An International Perspective On Under-Representation Of Female Leaders In Kenya’S Primary Schools, Bosire Monari Mwebi, Angeliki Lazaridou

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Studies of school administrators in North America, Europe, and Australia have shown consistently that women, although a majority in the teaching force, are under-represented in leadership positions. This study examine whether the factors associated with under-representation of women in school administration in Kenya are the same as they are in other countries. The female participants identified six barriers. These are, family obligations, cultural beliefs, unethical recruitment practices, lack of networking, low expectation of success, lack of role models and mentors. The participants further identified four areas for improvements. These are, educating the public, training and exemplars, and recruitment.

Les recherches …

Is Decolonization The Answer To Indigenous Under-Achievement? Comparing Rhetoric With Reality In New Zealand And Canada, John R. Minnis

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

The paper compares the rhetoric of decolonization put forth by indigenous scholars with the reality of educational outcomes in New Zealand and Canada and discusses the implications of two common themes emerging from the discourse: (1) cultural determinism in which both First Nations and Maori scholars fundamentally but narrowly depict education as a means to conserve language and cultural heritage -- which results, intentionally or unintentionally, in (2) a hardening of racial/ethnic boundaries. The paper critiques the appropriateness of both themes in the context of the widely accepted notion that indigenous peoples in both countries need to attain higher levels …

L’Interculturel En Environnement : Rencontre De La Justice Sociale Et De La Justice Environnementale, Gina Thésée, Paul R. Carr

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Le sur-développement des pays du Nord fait planer sur le monde entier des menaces sans précédent. Les changements climatiques sont les signes avant-coureurs, à long, moyen ou court terme, de ces menaces. Aux prises directement avec les premiers impacts, les populations du Sud voient leurs multiples vulnérabilités s’accentuer. Si l’approche écologiste, après des décennies de combat, a finalement reçu l’attention des mondes politique et économique à propos des défis environnementaux, ces derniers ont adroitement opéré un virage conceptuel significatif : l’environnement et l’éducation relative à l’environnement (ERE) ont cédé la place au développement durable et à l’éducation au développement durable …

Book Reviews

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

No abstract provided.