Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Pax Genes: Regulators Of Lineage Specification And Progenitor Cell Maintenance, Judith A. Blake, Mel R. Ziman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Pax genes encode a family of transcription factors that orchestrate complex processes of lineage determination in the developing embryo. Their key role is to specify and maintain progenitor cells through use of complex molecular mechanisms such as alternate RNA splice forms and gene activation or inhibition in conjunction with protein co-factors. The significance of Pax genes in development is highlighted by abnormalities that arise from the expression of mutant Pax genes. Here, we review the molecular functions of Pax genes during development and detail the regulatory mechanisms by which they specify and maintain progenitor cells across various tissue lineages. We …

Prevalence And Risk Factors For Cervical Neoplasia: A Cervical Cancer Screening Program In Beijing, Lixin Tao, Lili Han, Xia Li, Qi Gao, Lei Pan, Lijuan Wu, Yanxia Luo, Wei Wang, Zihe Zheng, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer and cause of cancer-related death for women worldwide. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of cervical neoplasia and examine factors associated with high-grade cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) among women taking part in a cervical cancer screening program in Beijing.

Dystonia Type 6 Gene Product Thap1: Identification Of A 50 Kda Dna-Binding Species In Neuronal Nuclear Fractions, Maitane Ortiz-Virumbrales, Marta Ruiz, Eugene Hone, Georgia Dolios, Rong Wang, Andrika Morant, Jessica Kottwitz, Laurie J. Ozelius, Sam Gandy, Michelle Ehrlich

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Mutations in THAP1 result in dystonia type 6, with partial penetrance and variable phenotype. The goal of this study was to examine the nature and expression pattern of the protein product(s) of the Thap1 transcription factor (DYT6 gene) in mouse neurons, and to study the regional and developmental distribution, and subcellular localization of Thap1 protein. The goal was accomplished via overexpression and knock-down of Thap1 in the HEK293T cell line and in mouse striatal primary cultures and western blotting of embryonic Thap1-null tissue. The endogenous and transduced Thap1 isoforms were characterized using three different commercially available anti-Thap1 antibodies and validated …

Urinary And Breast Milk Biomarkers To Assess Exposure Ro Naphthalene In Pregnant Women: An Investigation Of Personal And Indoor Air Sources, Amanda J. Wheeler, Nina A. Dobbin, Marie-Eve Heroux, Mandy Fisher, Liu Sun, Cheryl F. Khoury, Russ Hauser, Mark Walker, Tim Ramsay, Jean-Francois Bienvenu, Alain Leblanc, Eric Daigle, Eric Gaudreau, Patrick Belanger, Mark Feeley, Pierre Ayotte, Tye E Arbuckle

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Naphthalene exposures for most non-occupationally exposed individuals occur primarily indoors at home. Residential indoor sources include pest control products (specifically moth balls), incomplete combustion such as cigarette smoke, woodstoves and cooking, some consumer and building products, and emissions from gasoline sources found in attached garages. The study aim was to assess naphthalene exposure in pregnant women from Canada, using air measurements and biomarkers of exposure.

Cerebral Responses To Innocuous Somatic Pressure Stimulation Following Aerobic Exercise Rehabilitation In Chronic Pain Patients: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study, Peter S. Micalos, Mayuresh S. Korgaonkar, Eric J. Drinkwater, Jack Cannon, Frank E. Marino

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The purpose of this research was to assess the functional brain activity and perceptual rating of innocuous somatic pressure stimulation before and after exercise rehabilitation in patients with chronic pain.

Factors Influencing Pacing In Triathlon, Sam Shi Xuan Wu, Jeremiah P. Peiffer, Jeanick Brisswalter, Kazunori Nosaka, Chris Abbiss

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Triathlon is a multisport event consisting of sequential swim, cycle, and run disciplines performed over a variety of distances. This complex and unique sport requires athletes to appropriately distribute their speed or energy expenditure (ie, pacing) within each discipline as well as over the entire event. As with most physical activity, the regulation of pacing in triathlon may be influenced by a multitude of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The majority of current research focuses mainly on the Olympic distance, whilst much less literature is available on other triathlon distances such as the sprint, half-Ironman, and Ironman distances. Furthermore, little is …

Toward An Ethics Of Reciprocity: Ethnobotanical Knowledge And Medicinal Plants As Cancer Therapies, John C. Ryan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This article develops a reciprocity ethics of the environment through a discussion of ethnobotanical medicines used in the treatment of cancer. The moral virtue of reciprocity, defined as the returning of good when good is received or anticipated, is central to the posthumanist rethinking of human relationships to the plant world. As herbal medicines are used progressively more around the globe and as plant diversity decreases as a result of habitat loss and climate change, an ethics of reciprocity should be a concern for environmental philosophers and conservationists. Aldo Leopold’s land ethic and J. Baird Callicott’s distinction between deontological and …

The Effect Of Double-Blind Carbohydrate Ingestion During 60 Km Of Self-Paced Exercise In Warm Ambient Conditions, Camila Nassif, Aline R. Gomes, Gustavo H.C. Peixoto, Mauro H. Chagas, Danusa D. Soares, Emerson Silami-Garcia, Eric J. Drinkwater, Jack Cannon, Frank E. Marino

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study evaluated double blind ingestions of placebo (PLA) versus 6% carbohydrate (CHO) either as capsules (c) or beverage (b) during 60 km self-paced cycling in the heat (32C and 50% relative humidity).

Time Course Of Central And Peripheral Alterations After Isometric Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation-Induced Muscle Damage, Alexandre Fouré, Kazunori Nosaka, Jennifer Wegrzyk, Guillueme Duhamel, Arnaud Le Troter, Helene Boudinet, Jean-Pierre Mattei, Christophe Vilmen, Marc Jubeau, David Bendahan, Julien Gondin

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Isometric contractions induced by neuromuscular electrostimulation (NMES) have been shown to result in a prolonged force decrease but the time course of the potential central and peripheral factors have never been investigated. This study examined the specific time course of central and peripheral factors after isometric NMES-induced muscle damage. Twenty five young healthy men were subjected to an NMES exercise consisting of 40 contractions for both legs. Changes in maximal voluntary contraction force of the knee extensors (MVC), peak evoked force during double stimulations at 10 Hz (Db10) and 100 Hz (Db100), its ratio (10:100), voluntary activation, muscle soreness and …

A Combination Of Physical Activity And Computerized Brain Training Improves Verbal Memory And Increases Cerebral Glucose Metabolism In The Elderly, Tejal Shah, Giuseppe Verdile, Hamid R. Sohrabi, A Campbell, E Putland, C Cheetham, S Dhaliwal, M Weinborn, P Maruff, D Darby, Ralph N. Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Physical exercise interventions and cognitive training programs have individually been reported to improve cognition in the healthy elderly population; however, the clinical significance of using a combined approach is currently lacking. This study evaluated whether physical activity (PA), computerized cognitive training and/or a combination of both could improve cognition. In this nonrandomized study, 224 healthy community-dwelling older adults (60-85 years) were assigned to 16 weeks home-based PA (n = 64), computerized cognitive stimulation (n = 62), a combination of both (combined, n = 51) or a control group (n = 47). Cognition was assessed using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning …

Decreased Serum Zinc Is An Effect Of Ageing And Not Alzheimer's Disease, Alan Rembach, Dominic Hare, James Doecke, Samantha Burnham, Irene Volitakis, Christopher Fowler, Robert Cherny, Catriona Mclean, Rudolf Grimm, Ralph N. Martins, David Ames, Colin Masters, Ashley Bush, Blaine Roberts

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

We examined the distribution of zinc in the periphery (erythrocytes and serum) in a large, well-characterised cohort, the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) study, in order to determine if there is systemic perturbation in zinc homeostasis in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We observed an age dependent decrease in serum zinc of approximately 0.4% per year. When correcting for the age dependent decline in serum zinc no significant difference between healthy controls (HC), mildly cognitively impaired (MCI) or AD subjects was observed.

“Keeping It Together, Keeping Their Heads Above Water”: Western Australian Child Health Nurses’ Understanding Of Resilience In Postpartum Mothers, Rachael O. Collins, Julie Ann Pooley, Myra F. Taylor

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Assessing the well-being of postpartum mothers is an important aspect of postnatal nursing care. For this reason, Child Health Nurses (CHNs) are charged with the responsibility of identifying postpartum mothers who do/not manifest resilient behavioral qualities. However, little is known about CHNs’ conceptualization of resilience or how they assess resilience in postpartum mothers. This exemplar study addressed this knowledge shortfall by conducting semi-structured interviews with eight practicing CHNs. The study’s findings reveal that although CHNs’ conceptual understanding of resilience is congruent with current theoretical thinking, some variance does exist in the ways in which CHNs assess postpartum resilience, particularly, in …

En Attendant Centiloid, Victor L. Villemagne, Vincent Doré, Paul Yates, Belinda Brown, Rachel Mulligan, Pierrick Bourgeat, Robyn Veljanoski, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, Kevin Ong, Alan Rembach, Robert Williams, Samantha C. Burnham, Simon Laws, Olivier Salvado, Kevin Taddei, S. L. Macaulay, Ralph Martins, David Ames, Colin L. Masters, Christopher C. Rowe

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aims: Test the robustness of a linear regression transformation of semiquantitative values from different Aβ tracers into a single continuous scale. Study Design: Retrospective analysis. Place and Duration of Study: PET imaging data acquired in Melbourne and Perth, Australia, between August 2006 and May 2014. Methodology: Aβ imaging in 633 participants was performed with four different radiotracers: flutemetamol (n=267), florbetapir (n=195), florbetaben (n=126) and NAV4694 (n=45). SUVR were generated with the methods recommended for each tracer, and classified as high (Aβ+) or low (Aβ-) based on their respective thresholds. Linear regression transformation based on reported head-to-head comparisons of each tracer …

A Nonrigid Registration Method For Correcting Brain Deformation Induced By Tumor Resection, Yixun Liu, Chengjun Yao, Fotis Drakopoulos, Jinsong Wu, Liangfu Zhou, Nikos Chrisochoides

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Purpose: This paper presents a nonrigid registration method to align preoperative MRI with intraoperative MRI to compensate for brain deformation during tumor resection. This method extends traditional point-based nonrigid registration in two aspects: (1) allow the input data to be incomplete and (2) simulate the underlying deformation with a heterogeneous biomechanical model.

Methods: The method formulates the registration as a three-variable (point correspondence, deformation field, and resection region) functional minimization problem, in which point correspondence is represented by a fuzzy assign matrix; Deformation field is represented by a piecewise linear function regularized by the strain energy of a heterogeneous biomechanical …

Factors That Contribute To Balance And Mobility Impairments In Individuals With Huntington's Disease, Travis Cruickshank, Alvaro Reyes, Luis Peñailillo, Jennifer Thompson, Mel Ziman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Mobility and balance problems are common and often debilitating features of Huntington's disease (HD). In this exploratory study we aimed to investigate the influence of disease severity, severity of motor deficits, lower limb muscle strength, cognition, executive function, lean muscle mass and reactivity on mobility and balance.Twenty-two individuals with HD were recruited from the North Metropolitan Area Mental Health Service, Perth, Australia. Pertinent demographic, genetic and disease progression information was recorded prior to testing. Balance was assessed using dynamic and static balance tasks. Mobility was assessed using self-paced and fast-paced mobility measures. Cognitive and executive measures were used to assess …

Plasma Insulin-Degrading Enzyme: Characterisation And Evaluation As A Potential Biomarker For Alzheimer's Disease, Michelle Tegg

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is increasing in prevalence due to increasing lifespan and altered lifestyle. It is the fourth major cause of death in Western countries, resulting in significant economic and social impact (Von Strauss, et al., 1999; Goate, 1997). There are no blood biomarkers currently accepted for the diagnosis of AD, and the identification of suitable biomarkers would eventually reduce the necessity for invasive, expensive and slow diagnostic procedures, as well as facilitate prognostic studies. An AD blood test would decrease the need for delaying diagnosis due to ambivalent presentation, and allow therapeutic intervention to commence at an earlier …

Lower Limb Fatigue Asymmetry Of Preferred And Non-Preferred Legs After A Repeated-Sprint Test In Football Players With Previous Hamstring Injury, Cameron Lord

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Football is the most widely played sport in the world and is thus associated with the highest total number of injuries of all sports. 12% of all football injuries are to the hamstrings, as this muscle group is subjected to constant stress during training and match play performance (Ekstrand, Hägglund, Waldén, 2011; Woods, Hawkins, Maltby, Hulse, Thomas & Hodson, 2004). While the influence of limb dominance has been extensively examined as a risk factor for injury in upper limb-dominant sports (e.g. badminton, tennis and baseball), little research has focussed on the dominance in the lower limbs. Since almost all footballers …

Factors That Influence The Decision-Making Of An Integrated Rehabilitation Team When Choosing A Post-Hospital Discharge Destination For Survivors Of Stroke, Jessie M. Johnson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Stroke is one of the more disabling conditions which may result in the inability for survivors to care for themselves independently. Stroke survivors benefit most when they receive early onset assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation. Increasingly, stroke care in Canadian hospitals relies on an interdisciplinary rehabilitation team approach to provide immediate rehabilitation services and to make decisions about discharge destination for stroke survivors. Currently, there is little research on how interdisciplinary rehabilitation teams decide upon rehabilitation placements for stroke survivors or how individuals on the team, stroke survivors, or their families participate in and contribute to this decision. This research studied …

The Impact Of Different Types Of Core Training In Stable And Unstable Environments On Markers Of Athletic Performance, Gerry Fitzpatrick

Theses

Background: Research suggests that core stability and strength is important in facilitating athletes to effectively transfer force to the lower and upper extremities of the body. The purpose of the current research was to evaluate the impact of an eight week intervention of core training on stable and unstable surfaces, and in vertical and horizontal alignments, on markers of athletic performance relevant to team sports.

Methods: The athletic performance markers selected were bounce depth jump, counteiTnovement Jump, agility (T-test), 10 meter sprint, 30 meter sprints, and IRM leg strength as identified by Cressey (2007). Core stability and strength were measured …

Identification Of Plasma Lipid Biomarkers In Alzheimer's Disease, Rhona Creegan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the commonest form of dementia, is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disease which manifests clinically as a slow global decline in cognitive function, including deterioration of memory, reasoning, abstraction, language and emotional stability, culminating in a patient with end-stage disease, totally dependent on custodial care. With an ageing population, there is predicted to be a marked increase in the number of people diagnosed with AD in the coming decades, making this a significant challenge to socio-economic policy and aged care. Currently there is no cure for AD and while current therapies may temporarily ameliorate symptoms, death usually occurs …

Understanding And Building Resilience With Art: A Socio-Ecological Approach, Meagan Shand

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Resilience is a widely researched phenomenon, it means different things to different people and is perceived and measured according to the theoretical lens being applied. The following thesis reviews the theoretical development of resilience that has led to contemporary understandings, to establish a platform for the research topic - understanding and building resilience with Art. Narrative research methods are combined with art processes to illuminate the stories of eight culturally diverse women participating in a community based mental health art program, in Western Australia. Fifteen resilience themes emerged from the collective experience, and are presented in a socio-ecological framework to …

Understanding And Improving Pacing Strategies During Standard Distance Triathlons In Age Group Athletes, Sam Shi Xuan Wu

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Pacing is an integral aspect of performance during all exercise, including multi-sport events such as triathlon. However, to date, the optimal pacing strategies to adopt over an entire triathlon, as well as during each specific discipline (i.e. swim, cycle and run), is not well understood. Therefore, the primary purpose of this thesis was to identify and understand current pacing strategies adopted by highly performing triathletes across different triathlon distances. This research aids in identifying pacing strategies that may improve overall performance during triathlon.

In the first study, the influence of sex and race distance on the age-related declines in the …

A Series Of Studies Examining The Development Of Sprint Speed And Momentum Of International Rugby Union Players, Matthew John Barr

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Sprinting speed is a highly valued physical ability in rugby. There is little research examining sprinting biomechanics in rugby players and it is unclear the extent that sprinting speed and sprint momentum can even be improved in highly trained rugby players and how different speed and strength training methods might help improve it. This thesis consists of 6 studies that examine the sprinting biomechanics of elite rugby players, how strength and power training might improve sprinting speed and the potential for elite rugby players to make further improvement in their sprinting speed and sprint momentum.

Key biomechanical factors were that …

Quantification Of Eccentric Load Using Accelerometer Imbedded In Gps, Chow Chea Yeo

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Global positioning system (GPS) with a triaxial accelerometer is widely used to monitor movements of athletes in games and training, and “body load” (BL) representing the accumulation of the rate of changes in three planes of movements is obtained to determine the training load of a session. Deceleration, change of directions and stopping require eccentric contractions of leg muscles, potentially causing muscle damage and affecting athletic performance. Thus, it is important to monitor eccentric loading in games and training. A variable known as “eccentric index” (EI) purports to be a better representation of eccentric loading than BL. However, it is …

The Clinical Utility Of The Halosperm Assay And The Development Of A Simplified Method Of Human Semen Storage For The Testing Of Sperm Dna Fragmentation, Ashleigh Cavell Mcevoy

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Male infertility is typically diagnosed upon routine semen analysis following the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) semen analysis manual. Recent editions of the manual have essentially changed the diagnosis of a semen sample, prompting debate between experts as to which edition should be followed. Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) integrity analysis is proving to be a useful adjunct to semen analysis as 15% of infertile men have a normal semen analysis but they have an increased DNA fragmentation level (DFL) which has been associated with increased disease incidence in any resultant offspring. However, such tests are not endorsed by the WHO, possibly due …

The Impact Of Implementing A Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Education Package In Jordan, Shereen Hamadneh

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a problem worldwide. In North Jordan, SIDS rate was high as 1.32 per 1,000 live births and contributed 6% to the infant mortality rate (Bataineh, Shawagfeh, & Twalbeh, 2008). However, SIDS risk factors are preventable and can be reduced by improving knowledge and changing relevant behaviours of parents and healthcare providers (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2013; American SIDS Institute, 2011; Bataineh, Hussein Shawagfeh, & Twalbeh, 2008; Bredemeyer, 2004; Grazel, Phalen, & Polomano, 2010b; Moon, Oden, & Grady, 2004; NICHD, 2010). Still educating Jordanians about SIDS has not been a national health policy priority. …

An Investigation Into Dust, Gases And Vapours Expulsed During The Oxidation Of Pyritic Black Shale, And Their Potential For Impacting On Employee Health, Tristan Lynn

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Pyritic black shale (PBS) is occasionally extracted as a waste product of iron ore mining in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Mineralogical studies such as Brocks, Summons, Buick, and Logan (2003) of the PBS located at Mount Tom Price Operations have established that PBS can contain elevated concentrations of pyrite, carbon, bitumens, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The natural oxidative weathering of PBS can cause exothermic reactions leading to the shale reaching temperatures that cause the expulsion of toxic gases such as hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide, methane and carbon monoxide.

Current management of the potential hazards of …

Attitudes Of Medical Students Towards Incentives Offered By Pharmaceutical Companies -- Perspective From A Developing Nation -- A Cross-Sectional Study, Usman Tariq Siddiqui, Amarah Shakoor, Sarah Kiani, Farwa Ali, Maryam Sharif, Arun Kumar, Qasim Raza, Naseer Khan, Sardar Mohammed Alamzaib, Syed Farid-Ul-Husnain

Medical College Documents

Background: A training physician has his first interaction with a pharmaceutical representative during medical school. Medical students are often provided with small gifts such as pens, calendars and books, as well as free lunches as part of drug promotion offers. Ethical impact of these transactions as perceived by young medical students has not been investigated in Pakistan before. This study aimed to assess the association of socio-demographic variables with the attitudes of medical students towards pharmaceutical companies and their incentives.Methods: As part of a cross-sectional survey, a validated questionnaire previously used for assessing attitude of medical students towards pharmaceutical industry, …

Can Prophylactic Antibiotics For Aspiration Improve Stroke Outcomes? The Pantheris Trial., Ayeesha Kamran Kamal, Quratulain Shaikh

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Task-Based Learning Versus Problem-Oriented Lecture In Neurology Continuing Medical Education., Farhan Vakani, Wasim Jafri, Amina Ahmad, Aziz Sonawalla, Mughis Sheerani

Department of Medicine

Objective: To determine whether general practitioners learned better with task-based learning or problem-oriented lecture in a Continuing Medical Education (CME) set-up.

Study Design: Quasi-experimental study.

Place and Duration of Study: The Aga Khan University, Karachi campus, from April to June 2012.

Methodology: Fifty-nine physicians were given a choice to opt for either Task-based Learning (TBL) or Problem Oriented Lecture (PBL) in a continuing medical education set-up about headaches. The TBL group had 30 participants divided into 10 small groups, and were assigned case-based tasks. The lecture group had 29 participants. Both groups were given a pre and a post-test. Pre/post …