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    Chronic maternal hyperglycemia induced during mid-pregnancy in rats increases RAGE expression, augments hippocampal excitability, and alters behavior of the offspring
    (Elsevier, 2015) Chandna, Andrew; Kuhlmann, Naila; Bryce, Courtney; Greba, Quentin; Campanucci, Veronica; Howland, John G
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    Development of a patient-centred, evidence-based and consensus-based discharge care bundle for patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
    (British Thoracic Society, 2018-01-30) Ospina, Maria; Michas, Marta; Deuchar, Lesly; Leigh, Richard; Bhutani, Mohit; Rowe, Brian; Marciniuk, Darcy; Goodridge, Donna; Dechman, Gail; Bourbeau, Jean; Balter, Meyer; Camp, Pat; Hernandez, Paul; Goldstein, Roger; Stickland, Michael
    Introduction: Hospital and emergency department discharge for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often poorly organised. We developed a patient-centred, evidence-based and consensus-based discharge care bundle for patients with acute exacerbations of COPD. Methods: A purposeful sample of clinicians and patients were invited to participate in a two-round Delphi study (July–November 2015). In round 1, participants rated on a seven-point Likert scale (1=not at all important; 7=extremely important) the importance of 29 unique COPD care actions. Round 2 comprised items selected from round 1 based on consensus (>80%endorsement for Likert values 5–7). A list of 18 care items from round 2 was discussed in a face-to-face nominal group meeting. Results: Seven care items were included in the COPD discharge bundle based on clinician and patient input: (1) ensure adequate inhaler technique is demonstrated; (2) send discharge summary to family physician and arrange follow-up; (3) optimise and reconcile prescription of respiratory medications; (4) provide a written discharge management plan and assess patient’s and caregiver’s comprehension of discharge instructions; (5) refer to pulmonary rehabilitation; (6) screen for frailty and comorbidities; and (7) assess smoking status, provide counselling and refer to smoking cessation programme. Conclusion: We present a seven-item, patient-centred, evidence-based and consensus-based discharge bundle for patients with acute exacerbations of COPD. Alignment with clinical practice guidelines and feasibility of local adaptations of the bundle should be explored to facilitate wide applicability and evaluation of the effectiveness of the COPD discharge bundle.
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    The development, implementation and evaluation of clinical pathways for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Saskatchewan: protocol for an interrupted times series evaluation
    (BioMed Central, 2017-11-28) Rotter, Thomas; Plishka, Christopher; Hansia, Mohammed Rashaad; Goodridge, Donna; Penz, Erika; Kinsman, Leigh; Lawal, Adegboyega; O'Quinn, Sheryl; Buchan, Nancy; Comfort, Patricia; Patel, Prakesh; Anderson, Sheila; Winkel, Tanya; Lang, Rae Lynn; Marciniuk, Darcy
    Introduction Hospital and emergency department discharge for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often poorly organised. We developed a patient-centred, evidence-based and consensusbased discharge care bundle for patients with acute exacerbations of COPD. Methods A purposeful sample of clinicians and patients were invited to participate in a two-round Delphi study (July–November 2015). In round 1, participants rated on a seven-point Likert scale (1=not at all important; 7=extremely important) the importance of 29 unique COPD care actions. Round 2 comprised items selected from round 1 based on consensus (>80%endorsement for Likert values 5–7). A list of 18 care items from round 2 was discussed in a face-to-face nominal group meeting. Results Seven care items were included in the COPD discharge bundle based on clinician and patient input: (1) ensure adequate inhaler technique is demonstrated; (2) send discharge summary to family physician and arrange follow-up; (3) optimise and reconcile prescription of respiratory medications; (4) provide a written discharge management plan and assess patient’s and caregiver’s comprehension of discharge instructions; (5) refer to pulmonary rehabilitation; (6) screen for frailty and comorbidities; and (7) assess smoking status, provide counselling and refer to smoking cessation programme. Conclusion We present a seven-item, patient-centred, evidence-based and consensus-based discharge bundle for patients with acute exacerbations of COPD. Alignment with clinical practice guidelines and feasibility of local adaptations of the bundle should be explored to facilitate wide applicability and evaluation of the effectiveness of the COPD discharge bundle.
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    The effect of selected rest break activities on reaction time, balance, and perceived discomfort after one hour of simulated occupational whole-body vibration exposure in healthy adults
    (Taylor & Francis, 2023-08-12) Burnett, Wadena D; Tweten, Michael; Okpalauwaekwe, Udoka; Trask, Catherine; Milosavljevic, Stephan
    Background & Objective Negative health effects from occupational whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure during machinery operation include alterations in proprioception, vestibular function, reaction time, stress, motor response, and decrements in musculoskeletal health. To reduce WBV exposure during machinery operation, it may be possible to incorporate short rest break activities throughout the day. This study aims to determine if there are intervention activities that can minimize decrements in cognitive, proprioceptive, and musculoskeletal effects related to WBV exposure during machine operation. Materials & Methods Eleven healthy adults participated in four 1-hour sessions of ecologically valid WBV exposure followed by one of four 5-minute activities: sitting, walking, 2 minutes of gaze stabilization exercise (GSE) coupled with 3 minutes of trunk mobility exercise (GSE+MOBIL), or 2 minutes of GSE coupled with a 3-minute walk (GSE+WALK). Baseline and post-activity measurements (rating of perceived discomfort, balance and postural sway measurements, 5-minute psychomotor vigilance task test) were submitted to a paired t-test to determine the effect of WBV exposure and activities on physical, cognitive, and sensorimotor systems and to a repeated measures ANOVA to determine any differences across activities. Results We observed degradation of the slowest 10% reaction speed outcomes between baseline and post-activity after walking (7.3%, p<0.05) and sitting (8.6%, p<0.05) but not after GSE+MOBIL or GSE+WALK activities. Slowest 10% reaction speeds after GSE+MOBIL activity was faster than all other activities. Rating of perceived discomfort was higher after SIT and WALK activities. There were no notable differences in balance outcomes. Conclusion When compared to sitting for 5 minutes, an activity including GSE and an active component, such as walking or trunk mobility exercises, resulted in maintenance of reaction time after WBV exposure. If confirmed in occupational environments, GSE may provide a simple, rapid, effective, and inexpensive means to protect against decrements in reaction time after WBV exposure.
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    Effects of stress on behavioral flexibility in rodents
    (Elsevier, 2017) Hurtubise, Jessica; Howland, John
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    Evidence for altered insulin signaling in the brains of Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rats from Strasbourg
    (2020) Sekar, Sathiya; Marks, Wendie; Gopalakrishnan, Venkat; Greba, Quentin; Snutch, Terrance; Howland, John; Taghibiglou, Changiz
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    Evolutionary repression of chondrogenic genes in the vertebrate osteoblast
    (Wiley, 2020-01-28) Nguyen, Jason; eames, brian
    Gene expression in extant animals might reveal how skeletal cells have evolved over the past 500 million years. The cells that make up cartilage (chondrocytes) and bone (osteoblasts) express many of the same genes, but they also have important molecular differences that allow us to distinguish them as separate cell types. For example, traditional studies of later-diverged vertebrates, such as mouse and chick, defined the genes Col2a1 and sex-determining region Y-box 9 as cartilage-specific. However, recent studies have shown that osteoblasts of earlier-diverged vertebrates, such as frog, gar, and zebrafish, express these 'chondrogenic' markers. In this review, we examine the resulting hypothesis that chondrogenic gene expression became repressed in osteoblasts over evolutionary time. The amphibian is an underexplored skeletal model that is uniquely positioned to address this hypothesis, especially given that it diverged when life transitioned from water to land. Given the relationship between phylogeny and ontogeny, a novel discovery for skeletal cell evolution might bolster our understanding of skeletal cell development.
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    Fast oxygen dynamics as a potential biomarker for epilepsy
    (Nature Research, 2018-12-18) Farrell, Jordan S.; Greba, Quentin; Snutch, Terrance P.; Howland, John G.; Teskey, G. Campbell
    Changes in brain activity can entrain cerebrovascular dynamics, though this has not been extensively investigated in pathophysiology. We assessed whether pathological network activation (i.e. seizures) in the Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rat from Strasbourg (GAERS) could alter dynamic fluctuations in local oxygenation. Spontaneous absence seizures in an epileptic rat model robustly resulted in brief dips in cortical oxygenation and increased spectral oxygen power at frequencies greater than 0.08 Hz. Filtering oxygen data for these fast dynamics was sufficient to distinguish epileptic vs. non-epileptic rats. Furthermore, this approach distinguished brain regions with seizures from seizure-free brain regions in the epileptic rat strain. We suggest that fast oxygen dynamics may be a useful biomarker for seizure network identification and could be translated to commonly used clinical tools that measure cerebral hemodynamics.
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    Generation of a plasmid series for rapid sub-cloning and use in various Enterobacteriaceae
    (Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 2024-09-06) Braun, Hannah G.; Kanwal, Nabeela; Rivera Lopez, Luisa F.; Thomassin, Jenny-Lee
    Plasmids are molecular genetic tools used for trans-complementation and gene expression in bacteria. Challenges faced by researchers include limited repertoire of antibiotic resistance of plasmids, issues related to plasmid compatibility and restricted or incompatible multiple cloning sites when needing to change plasmid copy number to tune production of their protein of interest. In this study, a series of plasmids were generated with compatible multiple cloning sites and homologous DNA regions to allow for modular cloning for rapid exchange of antibiotic resistance and plasmid origin. Plasmids generated in this series have options for high, mid, and low plasmid copy number, and have either an integrated FLAG epitope in the multiple cloning site or possess an uninterrupted multiple cloning site with the option of using the common LacZ-based blue/white screening method. Low copy plasmids also have one of five antibiotic selection markers. To demonstrate functionality of these plasmids, a representative FLAG tagged protein and mCherry were cloned into the low copy plasmids and expressed in various bacteria belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family. In conclusion, by creating a new plasmid series, we have expanded the toolkit of available molecular biology tools for bacterial work.
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    Interpretation of Spirometry in Saskatchewan First Nations Adults
    (Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 2018-10-01) Fenton, Mark; Graham, Brian; Stanojevic, Sanja; Whitford, Lorna; Ironstand, Laurie
    The Canadian First Nations and Inuit communities bear a large burden of respiratory disease, with increased rates of smoking, respiratory infections, asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, and hospitalizations (1). Identification of respiratory disease and classification has relied on spirometric reference values from white individuals, or in the case of the Global Lung Initiative (GLI) dataset, “other” (2), because there are no published reference values for Canadian First Nations individuals. Several studies have suggested that spirometric values for Canadian Inuit populations may be different from those for white populations (3–7), but these observations are not consistent (7–10). This study investigated whether lung function measured in Plains Cree adults differed from that expected in white adults. Part of the data reported in this letter was presented at the 2014 American Thoracic Society International Conference in abstract form (11).
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    Maternal immune activation during pregnancy in rats impairs working memory capacity of the offspring
    (Elsevier, 2017) Murray, Brendan; Davies, Don; Molder, Joel; Howland, John G.
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    NMDA receptors in visual and olfactory sensory integration in male Long Evans rats: a role for the orbitofrontal cortex
    (2020) Sandini, Thaisa; Marks, Wendie; Tahir, Nimra; Song, Yen; Greba, Quentin; Howland, John
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    Performance of the odour span task is not impaired following inactivations of parietal cortex in rats
    (2018) Scott, Gavin; Zabder, Nadine; Greba, Quentin; Howland, John
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    Prevalence and Determinants of Sinus Problems in Farm and Non-Farm Populations of Rural Saskatchewan, Canada
    (MDPI, 2018-02-07) Kajiwara-Morita, Ayami; Karunanayake, Chandima; Dosman, James; Lawson, Joshua; Kirychuk, Shelley; Rennie, Donna; Dyck, Roland; Koehncke, Niels; Senthilselvan, Ambikaipakan; Pahwa, Punam
    Although sinus problems have long been recognized as the most common respiratory symptoms associated with agricultural work, there is a scarcity of recent studies and/or reliable estimates as to the true prevalence or risk factors of sinus problems related to farming. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of sinus problems in farming and non-farming rural populations and further investigate the association of individual (for example life-style, occupational), contextual (e.g., environmental), and important covariates (e.g., age, sex) with sinus problems. A large-scale cross-sectional study was conducted in farm and non-farm residents of rural Saskatchewan, Canada. A logistic regression model based on a generalized estimating equations approach were fitted to investigate the risk factors of sinus problems. Sinus problems were reported by 2755 (34.0%) of the 8101 subjects. Farm residents were more likely to spend their first year of life on farm compared with non-farm residents, and indicated a significantly lower risk of sinus problems. Meanwhile, occupational exposure to solvent and mold were associated with an increased risk of sinus problems. Some health conditions such as allergy and stomach acidity/reflux, family history, and female sex were also related to a higher risk of sinus problems. Farm residents had a significantly lower risk of sinus problems than non-farm residents, likely due to the exposure to farm specific environments in their early life.
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    Protocol: A Randomized-controlled Mixed Method Study of Video Modeling and Video Feedback to Reduce Time to Perform Intravenous Cannulation in Medical Students
    (2019-11-19) Yu, Julie; Lo, Calvin; Madampage, Claudia; Bajwa, Jagmeet; O'Brien, Jennifer; Olszynski, Paul; Lucy, Malcolm