Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Remote Lifestyle Counseling Influences Cardiovascular Health Outcomes In Youth With Overweight Or Obesity And Congenital Heart Disease, Luis Altamirano-Diaz, Meghan Rombeek, Stefanie De Jesus, Eva Welisch, Harry Prapavessis, Adam A Dempsey, Douglas Fraser, Michael R Miller, Kambiz Norozi

Paediatrics Publications

Background: Children with overweight/obesity and congenital heart disease (CHD) are at increased cardiovascular risk. A lifestyle intervention may help reduce these risks. We sought to determine the feasibility of a smartphone-based lifestyle intervention to improve cardiovascular health outcomes in children with overweight/obesity and CHD.

Methods: We examined the effect of bi-weekly nutrition and fitness counseling delivered

Results: Statistically significant decreases in waist circumference (WC), body mass index

Conclusion: The observed changes in anthropometry were positive with significant improvement to some cardiovascular and metabolic risk indicators. However, this was only observed in the operated group suggesting that other factors, such as …

Are We Armed With The Right Data? Pooled Individual Data Review Of Biomarkers In People With Severe Upper Limb Impairment After Stroke, Kathryn S. Hayward, Julia Schmidt, Keith R. Lohse, Sue Peters, Julia Bernhardt, Natasha A. Lannin, Lara A. Boyd

Physical Therapy Publications

To build an understanding of the neurobiology underpinning arm recovery in people with severe arm impairment due to stroke, we conducted a pooled individual data systematic review to: 1) characterize brain biomarkers; 2) determine relationship(s) between biomarkers and motor outcome; and 3) establish relationship(s) between biomarkers and motor recovery. Three electronic databases were searched up to October 2, 2015. Eligible studies included adults with severe arm impairment after stroke. Descriptive statistics were calculated to characterize brain biomarkers, and pooling of individual patient data was performed using mixed-effects linear regression to examine relationships between brain biomarkers and motor outcome and recovery. …

Interhemispheric Pathways Are Important For Motor Outcome In Individuals With Chronic And Severe Upper Limb Impairment Post Stroke, Kathryn S. Hayward, Jason L. Neva, Cameron S. Mang, Sue Peters, Katie P. Wadden, Jennifer K. Ferris, Lara A. Boyd

Physical Therapy Publications

Background: Severity of arm impairment alone does not explain motor outcomes in people with severe impairment post stroke.

Objective: Define the contribution of brain biomarkers to upper limb motor outcomes in people with severe arm impairment post stroke.

Methods: Paretic arm impairment (Fugl-Meyer upper limb, FM-UL) and function (Wolf Motor Function Test rate, WMFT-rate) were measured in 15 individuals with severe (FM-UL ≤ 30/66) and 14 with mild-moderate (FM-UL > 40/66) impairment. Transcranial magnetic stimulation and diffusion weight imaging indexed structure and function of the corticospinal tract and corpus callosum. Separate models of the relationship between possible biomarkers and motor outcomes …

When Crrt On Ecmo Is Not Enough For Potassium Clearance: A Case Report, Janice A. Tijssen, Guido Filler

Paediatrics Publications

Background: Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is an excellent method used to remove fluid and solutes. It may also reduce the systemic inflammatory response for patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. Theobjective of this report is to describe a case where CRRT in combination with ECMO was insufficient to control hyperkalemia. Methods: We report the case of an adolescent patient with refractory symptomatic hyperkalemia due to substantial rhabdomyolysis in which CRRT insufficiently cleared the patient's excess potassium. Results: Intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) was added and proved successful. The patient was weaned off ECMO, CRRT, and IHD, and his cardiac and …

How Does The Social “Get Under The Gums”? The Role Of Socio-Economic Position In The Oral-Systemic Health Link, Noha Gomaa, Belinda Nicolau, Arjumand Siddiqi, Howard Tenenbaum, Michael Glogauer, Carlos Quiñonez

Paediatrics Publications

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the extent of association between systemic inflammation and periodontal disease in American adults, and to assess whether socio-economic position mediated this relationship. METHODS: We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES IV) (2001-2010). Systemic inflammation was defined by individual and aggregate (cumulative inflammatory load) biomarkers (C-reactive protein, white blood cell counts, neutrophil counts, and neutrophil: lymphocyte ratio). Loss of attachment and bleeding on probing were used to define periodontal disease. Poverty:income ratio and education were indicators of socio-economic position. Covariates included age, sex, ethnicity, smoking, alcohol, and attendance for dental treatment. Univariate and …

Impact Of Birth Weight And Postnatal Diet On The Gut Microbiota Of Young Adult Guinea Pigs., Kait Al, Ousseynou Sarr, Kristyn Dunlop, Gregory B Gloor, Gregor Reid, Jeremy Burton, Timothy Regnault

Paediatrics Publications

BACKGROUND: The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microbiota is essential to metabolic health, and the prevalence of the Western diet (WD) high in fat and sugar is increasing, with evidence highlighting a negative interaction between the GIT and WD, resulting in liver dysfunction. Additionally, an adverse

METHODS: The fecal microbiota of normal birth weight (NBW) and LBW young guinea pig offspring, weaned onto either a control diet (CD) or WD was determined with 16S rRNA gene next generation sequencing at young adulthood following the early rapid growth phase after weaning. A liver blood chemistry profile was also performed.

RESULTS: The life-long consumption …

Insomnia, Psychiatric Disorders And Suicidal Ideation In A National Representative Sample Of Active Canadian Forces Members, Don Richardson, A. Thompson, Lisa King, B. Corbett, P. Shnaider, K. St Cyr, C. Nelson, J. Sareen, Jon Elhai, M. Zamorski

MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre

Background

Past research on the association between insomnia and suicidal ideation (SI) has produced mixed findings. The current study explored the relationship between insomnia, SI, and past-year mental health status among a large Canadian Forces (CF) sample.

Method

Data was obtained from the 2013 Canadian Forces Mental Health Survey (CFMHS), and included a large representative sample of Canadian Regular Forces personnel (N = 6700). A series of univariate logistic regressions were conducted to test individual associations between past-year mental health status, insomnia, and potential confounds and SI. Mental health status included three groups: 0, 1, or two or more …

Resource Seeking As Occupation: A Critical And Empirical Exploration., Rebecca M Aldrich, Debbie Rudman, Virginia A Dickie

Occupational Therapy Publications

Occupational therapists and occupational scientists are committed to generating and using knowledge about occupation, but Western middle-class social norms regarding particular ways of doing have limited explorations of survival occupations. This article provides empirical evidence of the ways in which resource seeking constitutes an occupational response to situations of uncertain survival. Resource seeking includes a range of activities outside formal employment that aim to meet basic needs. On the basis of findings from 2 ethnographic studies, we critique the presumption of survival in guiding occupational therapy documents and the accompanying failure to recognize occupations that seem at odds with self-sufficiency. …

Precarity In The Nonprofit Employment Services Sector, Carlo Fanelli, Debbie Rudman, Rebecca Aldrich

Occupational Therapy Publications

Drawing on interview and focus group data, this article explores research undertaken as part of a larger research project exploring precarity in the nonprofit employment services sector in a mid-sized Canadian city. We critically survey major legislative changes to Canadian employment and income security policies and programs, including the restructuring of work and labor relations, growth of performance-based contracting-out, erosion of intergovernmental transfers, worker stress, and emotional tolls. Our study’s results demonstrate how employment precarity in the nonprofit employment services sector is amplified by top-down and centralized relationships with funding partners and policymaking divorced from the employment experiences of frontline …

“You Got To Make The Numbers Work”: Negotiating Managerial Reforms In The Provision Of Employment Support Service., Debbie Rudman, Rebecca Aldrich, John Grundy, Melanie Stone, Suzanne Huot, Awish Aslam

Occupational Therapy Publications

No abstract provided.

Discerning The Social In Individual Stories Of Occupation Through Critical Narrative Inquiry., Debbie Rudman, Rebecca Aldrich

Occupational Therapy Publications

Calls to ‘transcend the individual’ in occupational science have emerged in recognition of the boundaries of individualistic perspectives and the drive to develop a socially responsive science. In this article, we contend that transcending the individual does not equate to neglecting how individuals make sense of and experience occupation; rather, it requires looking at individual constructions of experiences and occupations in critically informed ways that highlight the socio-political influences on those constructions. This discussion article considers how critical narrative inquiry can be taken up as a methodological approach to interpretively link individual ‘stories’ with social ‘stories’ or discourses, enabling further …

Impact Of The Supporting Physical Activity In The Childcare Environment (Space) Intervention On Preschoolers’ Physical Activity Levels And Sedentary Time: A Single-Blind Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial, Patricia Tucker, Leigh Vanderloo, Andrew Johnson, Shauna Burke, Jennifer Irwin, A Gaston, Molly Driediger, Brian Timmons

Health Studies Publications

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Post-Surgical Bariatric Experiences Of Patients Two Or More Years After Surgery, Rebecca Liu, Jennifer Irwin

Health Studies Publications

Background: In Canada, one year after bariatric surgery follow-up appointments become less frequent and surgical recipients must cope with weight management more independently. Up to 50% of patients experience weight regain by two years post-surgery. Understanding the lived experiences of those who have gone through the bariatric pro- cess may shed light on what is needed to support others moving forward. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to gain an understanding of the physical, psychological, social, and clinic-related experiences of individuals who have undergone bariatric surgery at least two years prior. Purpose The purpose of the study was to …

An Assessment Of Sedentary Time Among Undergraduate Students At A Canadian University, Marc Moulin, Jennifer Irwin

Health Studies Publications

he purpose of this study was to calculate a total daily sedentary time for the undergraduate population at a large urban Canadian University and investigate student perceptions of the facilitators and barriers to engaging in a less sedentary lifestyle. A sample of 335 participants responded to an online questionnaire that included the SIT-Q and open-ended questions, with 102 providing sufficient data to be included in the quantitative analysis and 145 in the qualitative analysis. Students spent an average of 11.88 ± 3.46 hrs/day engaged in sedentary behaviors. Three themes were identified as facilitators to engaging in a less sedentary lifestyle: …

Comparing Views About Evidence In Ontario Public Health Units: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Sara Masood, Anita Kothari, Sandra Regan

Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Publications

Background: Ways of perceiving evidence by public health managers, practitioners and policy makers is one of the key determinants of evidence uptake. Recent public policy in Ontario requires programs to be based on evidence. Therefore, understanding views about evidence in both practice and policy contexts is important to bridge the research-policy-practice gap in public health.

Objective and Methods: This qualitative descriptive study examined understandings about evidence in Ontario public health units by comparing perspectives from managers and frontline staff across six geographically-diverse units. A secondary qualitative content analysis was used to re-analyze transcripts of focus groups from the Renewal of …

The Healthy Relationships Plus Program: National Implementation Summary, Claire Crooks

Healthy Relationships Plus Program Implementation Study

There is a clear need for evidence-based approaches to promote mental health and prevent violence among youth. These programs need to be flexible enough to be implemented in diverse settings. Ideally, they would also address multiple outcomes at once. We know that there is a significant overlap among violence, substance misuse, and unhealthy sexual behaviour (i.e., the adolescent risk triad). These problem behaviours are linked in several ways: they co-occur, they share risk factors, and they frequently emerge within the context of dating and peer relationships. More recently, researchers have identified mental health as an issue that overlays all of …

Teen Relationship Violence And Wellbeing Among Lgbtq+ Youth, Alicia A. Lapointe

Healthy Relationships Plus Program Implementation Study

Many LGBTQ+ youth experience mental health challenges (e.g., depression, anxiety, self-harm, attempting or dying by suicide, etc.) due to homophobia, heterosexism, heteronormativity, transphobia, cissexism, and cisnormativity, and other interlocking oppressions (e.g., racism, colonialism, ableism, sexism, etc.). Due to prejudicial attitudes and beliefs, LGBTQ+ youth may experience interpersonal issues with family members, peers, classmates, co-workers, etc. The HRP for LGBTQ+ Youth was designed to support queer, trans, and gender diverse youth as they navigate and cope with LGBTQ+-based oppression. Since youth groups and GSAs are ‘safer’ venues for LGBTQ+ youth to find support and develop relationships with like-minded folks, they are …

Healthy Relationships And Wellbeing Among Youth Offenders, Amanda J. Kerry

Healthy Relationships Plus Program Implementation Study

Historically, the perception of youth offender treatment programs was “nothing works” (Andrew & Bonta, 2010). Fortunately, we have since shifted from that view and current research suggests that effective programs for youth offenders should aim to reduce re-offending by targeting multiple risk factors and promoting the development of healthy, prosocial skills. Consistent with the effective ingredients of programming, the Fourth R and HRPP programs target multiple risk factors (i.e., substance use, risky sexual behaviour) and promote social and cognitive skill building (i.e., communication skills, help seeking). The goal of this research project was to examine the feasibility and fit of …

Cardiac Baroreflex Variability And Resetting During Sustained Mild Effort, Mair Zamir, Mark B. Badrov, T. Dylan Olver, J. Kevin Shoemaker

Bone and Joint Institute

This exploratory study assessed the pattern of closed-loop baroreflex resetting using multi-logistic-curve analysis. Operating point gain and ranges of RR-interval (RRI) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) are derived to examine how these relate to sympathetic activation. Sustained low-intensity isometric handgrip exercise, with a period of post-exercise circulatory occlusion (PECO), provided a model to study baroreflex resetting because the progression toward fatigue at constant tension induces a continuous increase in volitional contribution to neuro-cardiovascular control. Continuous measurements of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), blood pressure, and RRI were made simultaneously throughout the experimental session. Spontaneous sequence analysis was used to detect …

Long-Term Patterns Of Body Mass And Stature Evolution Within The Hominin Lineage, Manuel Will, Adrián Pablos, Jay T. Stock

Bone and Joint Institute

No abstract provided.

An Integrated Model Of Chronic Whiplash-Associated Disorder, David M. Walton, James M. Elliott

Bone and Joint Institute

No abstract provided.

The European Scleroderma Trials And Research Group (Eustar) Task Force For The Development Of Revised Activity Criteria For Systemic Sclerosis: Derivation And Validation Of A Preliminarily Revised Eustar Activity Index, Gabriele Valentini, Michele Iudici, Ulrich A Walker, Veronika K Jaeger

Bone and Joint Institute

Background Validity of European Scleroderma Study Group (EScSG) activity indexes currently used to assess disease activity in systemic sclerosis (SSc) has been criticised. Methods Three investigators assigned an activity score on a 0–10 scale for 97 clinical charts. The median score served as gold standard. Two other investigators labelled the disease as inactive/moderately active or active/very active. Univariate–multivariate linear regression analyses were used to define variables predicting the ‘gold standard’, their weight and derive an activity index. The cut-off point of the index best separating active/very active from inactive/moderately active disease was identified by a receiver-operating curve analysis. The index …

Erbium-Based Perfusion Contrast Agent For Small-Animal Microvessel Imaging, Justin J. Tse, P. Joy Dunmore-Buyze, Maria Drangova, David W. Holdsworth

Bone and Joint Institute

Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) facilitates the visualization and quantification of contrast-enhanced microvessels within intact tissue specimens, but conventional preclinical vascular contrast agents may be inadequate near dense tissue (such as bone). Typical lead-based contrast agents do not exhibit optimal X-ray absorption properties when used with X-ray tube potentials below 90 kilo-electron volts (keV). We have developed a high-atomic number lanthanide (erbium) contrast agent, with a K-edge at 57.5 keV. This approach optimizes X-ray absorption in the output spectral band of conventional microfocal spot X-ray tubes. Erbium oxide nanoparticles (nominal diameter < 50 nm) suspended in a two-part silicone elastomer produce a perfusable fluid with viscosity of 19.2 mPa-s. Ultrasonic cavitation was used to reduce aggregate sizes to 4000 Hounsfield units, and perfusion of vessels < 10  μ m in diameter was demonstrated in kidney glomeruli. The described new contrast agent facilitated the visualization and quantification of vessel density and microarchitecture, even adjacent to dense bone. Erbium’s K-edge makes this contrast agent ideally suited for both single- and dual-energy micro-CT, expanding potential preclinical research applications in models of musculoskeletal, oncological, cardiovascular, and neurovascular diseases.

Tgf-Β Induces Phosphorylation Of Phosphatase And Tensin Homolog: Implications For Fibrosis Of The Trabecular Meshwork Tissue In Glaucoma, Nikoleta Tellios, Jillian C. Belrose, Alexander C. Tokarewicz, Cindy Hutnik

Bone and Joint Institute

No abstract provided.

Thirteen-Year Wear Rate Comparison Of Highly Crosslinked And Conventional Polyethylene In Total Hip Arthroplasty: Long-Term Follow-Up Of A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial, Matthew G. Teeter, Xunhua Yuan, Lyndsay E. Somerville, Steven J. Macdonald

Bone and Joint Institute

No abstract provided.

Design Of Hydrated Porphyrin-Phospholipid Bilayers With Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Contrast, Shuai Shao, Trang Nhu Do, Aida Razi, Upendra Chitgupi

Bone and Joint Institute

No abstract provided.

Methods To Describe Referral Patterns In A Canadian Primary Care Electronic Medical Record Database: Modelling Multilevel Count Data, Bridget L Ryan, Joshua Shadd, Heather Maddocks, Moira Stewart

Bone and Joint Institute

Background: A referral from a family physician (FP) to a specialist is an inflection point in the patient journey, with potential implications for clinical outcomes and health policy. Primary care electronic medical record (EMR) databases offer opportunities to examine referral patterns. Until recently, software techniques were not available to model these kinds of multi-level count data. Objective: To establish methodology for determining referral rates from FPs to medical specialists using the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPCSSN) EMR database. Method: Retrospective cohort study, mixed effects and multi-level negative binomial regression modelling with 87,258 eligible patients between 2007 and 2012. …

Too Fit To Fracture, Isabel Rodrigues, Joy Macdermid

Bone and Joint Institute

No abstract provided.

Development And Validation Of A New Tool To Measure The Facilitators, Barriers And Preferences To Exercise In People With Osteoporosis, Isabel B. Rodrigues, Jonathan D. Adachi, Karen A. Beattie, Joy C. Macdermid

Bone and Joint Institute

No abstract provided.

Post-Polymerization Functionalization Of Poly(Ethylene Oxide)–Poly(Β-6-Heptenolactone) Diblock Copolymers To Tune Properties And Self-Assembly, Brooke M. Raycraft, Jarret P. Macdonald, James T. Mcintosh, Michael P. Shaver

Bone and Joint Institute

Copolymers were synthesized and functionalized with a variety of moieties to tune self-assembly and install drugs or fluorescent dyes. , Polyester-based amphiphilic block copolymers and their nanoassemblies are of significant interest for a wide range of applications due to the degradability of the polyester block. However, the commonly used polyesters lack functional groups on their backbones, limiting the possibilities to chemically modify these polymers. Described here are new poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)–poly(β-6-heptenolactone) (PHEL) block copolymers having pendant alkenes at each repeat unit on the PHEL block. First, the self-assembly of these block copolymers in aqueous solution was studied and it was …