Digital Commons Network^™

Ifpa Meeting 2016 Workshop Report I: Genomic Communication, Bioinformatics, Trophoblast Biology And Transport Systems, Christiane Albrecht, Julie C. Baker, Cassidy Blundell, Shawn L. Chavez, Lucia Carbone, Larry Chamley, Roberta L. Hannibal, Nick Illsley

Paediatrics Publications

Workshops are an important part of the IFPA annual meeting as they allow for discussion of specialized topics. At IFPA meeting 2016 there were twelve themed workshops, four of which are summarized in this report. These workshops covered innovative technologies applied to new and traditional areas of placental research: 1) genomic communication; 2) bioinformatics; 3) trophoblast biology and pathology; 4) placental transport systems.

Oxytocin Receptor Polymorphisms Are Differentially Associated With Social Abilities Across Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Danielle A. Baribeau, Annie Dupuis, Tara A. Paton, Stephen W. Scherer, Russell J. Schachar, Paul D. Arnold, Peter Szatmari, Rob Nicolson, Stelios Emsley, Tim Lynch, Ahmed Mater, Suzanne Schuh, Maggie Rumantir, Stephen B. Freedman

Paediatrics Publications

Oxytocin is a pituitary neuropeptide that affects social behaviour. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) have been shown to explain some variability in social abilities in control populations. Whether these variants similarly contribute to the severity of social deficits experienced by children with neurodevelopmental disorders is unclear. Social abilities were assessed in a group of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD, n = 341) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD, n = 276) using two established social measures. Scores were compared by OXTR genotype (rs53576, rs237887, rs13316193, rs2254298). Unexpectedly, the two most frequently studied OXTR SNPs …

Variable Phenotype Expression In A Family Segregating Microdeletions Of The Nrxn1 And Mbd5 Autism Spectrum Disorder Susceptibility Genes, Marc Woodbury-Smith, Rob Nicolson, Mehdi Zarrei, Ryan K.C. Yuen, Susan Walker, Jennifer Howe, Mohammed Uddin, Ny Hoang

Paediatrics Publications

Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental condition of early childhood onset, which impacts socio-communicative functioning and is principally genetic in etiology. Currently, more than 50 genomic loci are deemed to be associated with susceptibility to autism spectrum disorder, showing de novo and inherited unbalanced copy number variants and smaller insertions and deletions (indels), more complex structural variants, as well as single-nucleotide variants deemed of pathological significance. However, the phenotypes associated with many of these genes are variable, and penetrance is largely unelaborated in clinical descriptions. This case report describes a family harboring two copy number variant microdeletions, which affect regions …

Non-Pathological Bilious Vomiting Complicating Therapeutic Hypothermia For Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy In Neonates: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Julie Hukui, Sarah Jones, Kevin Coughlin, Simon Levin, Jennifer Ruth Foster

Paediatrics Publications

Objective Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) for moderate-to-severe neonatal hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) is generally described as safe. We performed this study to determine the incidence of bilious vomiting or bilious drainage (BVD) attributable to TH in this population. Design A single-centre, retrospective cohort study. Setting Neonatal and paediatric intensive care units (NICU and PICU) of a single tertiary care centre. Patients All newborns with HIE who met criteria for TH between 2009 and 2014. Interventions Cases were matched 1:1 for unit of care (NICU vs PICU), gestational age, gender, and Sarnat score with historic controls who did not receive TH. Groups …

Accuracy Validation Of An Automated Method For Prostate Segmentation In Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Maysam Shahedi, Derek W. Cool, Glenn S. Bauman, Matthew Bastian-Jordan, Aaron Fenster, Aaron D. Ward

Medical Biophysics Publications

Three dimensional (3D) manual segmentation of the prostate on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a laborious and time-consuming task that is subject to inter-observer variability. In this study, we developed a fully automatic segmentation algorithm for T2-weighted endorectal prostate MRI and evaluated its accuracy within different regions of interest using a set of complementary error metrics. Our dataset contained 42 T2-weighted endorectal MRI from prostate cancer patients. The prostate was manually segmented by one observer on all of the images and by two other observers on a subset of 10 images. The algorithm first coarsely localizes the prostate in the …

Initial Investigation Into Microbleeds And White Matter Signal Changes Following Radiotherapy For Low-Grade And Benign Brain Tumors Using Ultra-High-Field Mri Techniques, J. G. Belliveau, G. S. Bauman, K. Y. Tay, D. Ho, R. S. Menon

Medical Biophysics Publications

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: External beam radiation therapy is a common treatment for many brain neoplasms. While external beam radiation therapy adheres to dose limits to protect the uninvolved brain, areas of high dose to normal tissue still occur. Patients treated with chemoradiotherapy can have adverse effects such as microbleeds and radiation necrosis, but few studies exist of patients treated without chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten patients were treated for low-grade or benign neoplasms with external beam radiation therapy only and scanned within 12-36 months following treatment with a 7T MR imaging scanner. A multiecho gradient-echo sequence was acquired and postprocessed …

Assessment Of Embedded Conjugated Polymer Sensor Arrays For Potential Load Transmission Measurement In Orthopaedic Implants, Carolina Micolini, Frederick Benjamin Holness, James A. Johnson, Aaron David Price

Bone and Joint Institute

© 2017 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Load transfer through orthopaedic joint implants is poorly understood. The longer-term outcomes of these implants are just starting to be studied, making it imperative to monitor contact loads across the entire joint implant interface to elucidate the force transmission and distribution mechanisms exhibited by these implants in service. This study proposes and demonstrates the design, implementation, and characterization of a 3D-printed smart polymer sensor array using conductive polyaniline (PANI) structures embedded within a polymeric parent phase. The piezoresistive characteristics of PANI were investigated to characterize the sensing behaviour inherent to these …

Determination Of Knee Cartilage Volume And Surface Area In Beagle Dogs: A Pilot Study, Aad Dhollander, Amanda Malone, James Price, Alan Getgood

Bone and Joint Institute

© 2017, The Author(s). Background: The objective of this study was to determine the cartilage volume and surface area of male and female Beagle dog knees using 3D (3 dimensional) reconstructed MRI images. Methods: Six Beagle Dogs (Canis familiaris) (3 males and 3 females) of 10-18 months old and weighing between 7.2 and 17.1 kg underwent a MRI evaluation of both knees. The data acquired allowed a 3D reconstruction of the knee and measurement of the cartilage volume and surface area. Results: Mean knee cartilage volume (averaged over the right and left knees) of animals between 7.2 and 17.1 kg …

Higher And Lower Order Factor Analyses Of The Temperament In Middle Childhood Questionnaire., Yuliya Kotelnikova, Thomas M Olino, Daniel N Klein, Sarah V M Mackrell, Elizabeth P Hayden

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

The Temperament in Middle Childhood Questionnaire (TMCQ) is a widely used parent-report measure of temperament. However, neither its lower nor higher order structures has been tested via a bottom-up, empirically based approach. We conducted higher and lower order exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) of the TMCQ in a large ( N = 654) sample of 9-year-olds. Item-level EFAs identified 92 items as suitable (i.e., with loadings ≥.40) for constructing lower order factors, only half of which resembled a TMCQ scale posited by the measure's authors. Higher order EFAs of the lower order factors showed that a three-factor structure (Impulsivity/Negative Affectivity, Negative …

Hippocampal Gaba Enables Inhibitory Control Over Unwanted Thoughts, Taylor W. Schmitz, Marta M. Correia, Catarina S. Ferreira, Andrew P. Prescot, Michael C. Anderson

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

© 2017 The Author(s). Intrusive memories, images, and hallucinations are hallmark symptoms of psychiatric disorders. Although often attributed to deficient inhibitory control by the prefrontal cortex, difficulty in controlling intrusive thoughts is also associated with hippocampal hyperactivity, arising from dysfunctional GABAergic interneurons. How hippocampal GABA contributes to stopping unwanted thoughts is unknown. Here we show that GABAergic inhibition of hippocampal retrieval activity forms a key link in a fronto-hippocampal inhibitory control pathway underlying thought suppression. Subjects viewed reminders of unwanted thoughts and tried to suppress retrieval while being scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Suppression reduced hippocampal activity and memory …

Dorsal Striatum Mediates Deliberate Decision Making, Not Late-Stage, Stimulus–Response Learning, Nole M. Hiebert, Adrian M. Owen, Ken N. Seergobin, Penny A. Macdonald

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

We investigated a controversy regarding the role of the dorsal striatum (DS) in deliberate decision-making versus late-stage, stimulus–response learning to the point of automatization. Participants learned to associate abstract images with right or left button presses explicitly before strengthening these associations through stimulus–response trials with (i.e., Session 1) and without (i.e., Session 2) feedback. In Session 1, trials were divided into response-selection and feedback events to separately assess decision versus learning processes. Session 3 evaluated stimulus–response automaticity using a location Stroop task. DS activity correlated with response-selection and not feedback events in Phase 1 (i.e., Blocks 1–3), Session 1. Longer …

Sleep-Dependent Motor Sequence Memory Consolidation In Individuals With Periodic Limb Movements, Valya Sergeeva, Jeremy Viczko, Laura B. Ray, Adrian M. Owen, Stuart M. Fogel

BrainsCAN Publications

© 2017 Elsevier B.V. Periodic limb movements (PLMs) during sleep increase with age and are associated with striatal neurodegeneration and dopamine deficiency. Limb movements are often associated with disruptions to non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Motor skill memory consolidation recruits the striatum, and learning-dependent striatal activation is associated with NREM sleep. Therefore, we investigated whether de novo individuals who significantly experience elevated levels of PLMs but have not been formally diagnosed with periodic limb movement disorder had learning and sleep-related memory deficits and whether these deficits were related to sleep quality and symptom severity. In total, 14 adults with significantly …

Association Of Homocysteine And Smoking With Cerebral Microemboli In Patients With Mechanical Heart Valves: A Transcranial Doppler Study, Alicia Mattia, M. Reza Azarpazhooh, Claudio Munoz, Chrysi Bogiatzi, Mackenzie A. Quantz, J. David Spence

Department of Medicine Publications

Objectives Microembolic signals (MES) on transcranial Doppler (TCD) predict stroke and cognitive decline. Plasma levels of total homocysteine (tHcy), a prothrombotic factor, are higher in patients with microemboli in carotid stenosis and in patients with paradoxical embolism. In this study we assessed the association between the level of tHcy and the number of MES in patients with mechanical heart valves (MHVs). Methods TCD monitoring was performed to detect MES before and after breathing 100% oxygen and repeated every 2-4 weeks up to six times. Results Twenty-five patients with MHVs (mean age: 63.60±10.15 years) participated in this study; 15 were men …

Operationalizing Humility: A Model Of Situational Humility For Christian College Student Leaders, Scott T. Barrett

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study explored how college student leaders operationalize humility in their actions and what leads individuals to act with situational humility. There is a rise in narcissistic tendencies in college students (Twenge, Konrath, Campbell, & Bushman, 2008a, 2008b) and a decline in overall character traits (Burns, 2012; Hunter, 2000; Liddell & Cooper, 2012). Opposite the vice of narcissism sits the virtue of humility (Emmons, 2000; Exline & Geyer, 2004; Peterson & Seligman, 2004; Tangney, 2000). Using a grounded theory approach, the researcher looked to discover the process of humility development. Twenty six in depth interviews were conducted at three …

Expanding Efficiency: Women's Communication In Engineering, Jennifer C. Mallette

English Literature Faculty Publications and Presentations

As engineering fields strive to be more inclusive of women, focusing on perceptions of women's work is vital to understanding how women can succeed and the limitations they may face. One area in need of more attention is the connection between communication and women's experiences in engineering. This article examines the gendered nature of writing labor in engineering, focusing on case studies of three women who were able to use writing effectively, yet how communication emerged as a gendered form of labor subject to gendered perceptions. While these women's communication skills led to professional success, their association with writing echoes …

Random Numbers And Gaming, Sinjin Baglin

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

In Counter Strike: Global Offensive spray pattern control becomes a muscle memory to a player after long periods of playing. It’s a design choice that makes the gunplay between players more about instant crosshair placement with the faster player usually winning. This is very different from the gunplay of the current popular shooter Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds. Player Unknown’s Battleground’s spray pattern for the guns are random. So how does this affect the player experience? Well as opposed to Counter Strike: Global Offensive, the design choice makes gunplay between two players more about how a person can adapt faster …

Fighting Game Difficulty, Andrew Hon

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

Lowering difficulty in games has become a recent trend amongst gaming companies. The goal of this tactic is to provide a more welcoming platform for players that are new to the franchise. However, this trend has been met with criticism amongst more experienced veterans of their respective games. This essay will touch upon different games within the fighting game genre that have lowered their overall difficulty, and the positive/negative effects of it.

Brother, Robin Weis

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Bond, Molly Miklosz

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

When We Dream, Mary Sikorski

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Dr. Louis Kristal At 100: Witness To The Evolution Of Surgery In Canada, Vivian Mcalister

Data and Test Instruments

The lecture, though impromptu, was to be special, but maybe not as special as the medical school realized. Canadian Nobel Prize winner, Major Sir Frederick Banting was on his way to Britain when he took the opportunity to speak to Dalhousie University medical students. Banting had wished to pursue a career in orthopedic surgery, having worked with Professor Clarence Starr at the Canadian Orthopedic Hospital, Ramsgate, during the First World War and in the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont., after that. Banting switched to a career in research following the stunning success of his insulin project, which he undertook …

Medical Sciences 4300f: Therapeutic Benefits Of Yoga For Mental Health And Addiction Recovery, Sonia Sadr

Community Engaged Learning Final Projects

No abstract provided.

Health Science 4711a: Apps For Disability, Rachel J. Gorjup Ms.

Community Engaged Learning Final Projects

No abstract provided.

Health Communication 3210a: Evonne Sullivan, Katie Shillington, Erin Federovich, Kaidan Hardy

Community Engaged Learning Final Projects

No abstract provided.

Hockey Fans In Training: A Pilot Pragmatic 1 Randomized Controlled Trial, Robert Petrella, Dawn P. Gill, Guangyong Zou, Ashleigh De Cruz, Brendan Riggin, Cassandra Bartol, Karen Danylchuk, Kate Hunt, Sally Wyke, Cindy M. Gray, Christopher Bunn, Merrick Zwarenstein

Lifestyle Research Team

Introduction Hockey Fans in Training (Hockey FIT) is a gender-sensitized weight loss and healthy lifestyle program. We investigated 1) feasibility of recruiting and retaining overweight and obese men into a pilot pragmatic randomized controlled trial and 2) potential for Hockey FIT to lead to weight loss and improvements in other outcomes at 12 wk and 12 months.

Methods Male fans of two ice hockey teams (35–65 yr; body mass index ≥28 kg·m−2) located in Ontario (Canada) were randomized to intervention (Hockey FIT) or comparator (wait-list control). Hockey FIT includes a 12-wk active phase (weekly, coach-led group meetings including provision of …

The Effect Of Light Touch On Balance Control During Overground Walking In Healthy Young Adults., A R Oates, Janelle Unger, C M Arnold, J Fung, J L Lanovaz

Physical Therapy Publications

Balance control is essential for safe walking. Adding haptic input through light touch may improve walking balance; however, evidence is limited. This research investigated the effect of added haptic input through light touch in healthy young adults during challenging walking conditions. Sixteen individuals walked normally, in tandem, and on a compliant, low-lying balance beam with and without light touch on a railing. Three-dimensional kinematic data were captured to compute stride velocity (m/s), relative time spent in double support (%DS), a medial-lateral margin of stability (MOS_ML) and its variance (MOS_MLCV), as well as a symmetry index (SI) …

Insights Into Future Russian Energy Policy, Delaney Lynn Humphrey

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Testing Vert™ Accelerometer To Identify Validity And Reliability When Compared To Switch Mat, Tara Mcdonald

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This present study was intended to identify the reliability and validity of the Vert™ device when compared to a Switch mat. Vert is a wireless device intended to measure jump count and jump height through an application on a smartphone or tablet and the Switch mat provides jump height using wireless sensors. Jump height is an important factor in many sports such as volleyball and basketball and it is important to have devices that coaches and trainers can use for testing that they can rely on. If this device is found to be valid and reliable, coaches and trainers …

Teacher Internship Program: Righetti High School Agriculture Department, Amy Athena Guerra

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This Graduate Internship Report includes an evaluation of the Twelve Quality Criteria used by the Agricultural Education Program at Righetti High School. The criteria is used for agriculture programs to obtain funding through the Agricultural Incentive Grant (A.I.G.). In addition to an evaluation of the twelve criteria, a Chapter FFA Website was developed to increase program promotion for the Righetti Agriculture Department.

Subanesthetic Ketamine For Postoperative Analgesia: An Evidenced-Based Project, Jeremy Vance

Doctoral Projects

Roughly 100 million surgical procedures are performed in the United States (U.S.) each year and more than 80% of these patients experience acute postoperative pain. Pain costs the U.S. an estimated $560 to $635 billion annually and is a significant contributor to national rates of mortality, morbidity, and disability. Despite these findings, patients continue to receive suboptimal postoperative pain relief.

The adjunct administration of subanesthetic ketamine is opioid-sparing and can improve the effectiveness of a multimodal pain management approach. This project used an exploratory descriptive design to examine how an evidence-based presentation impacted the clinical practice of certified registered nurse …