Open Access Journals University of Manitoba
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Phenotypic Analysis of Multi-Drug Resistant Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains
Get PDFPseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram negative opportunistic pathogen and a leading cause of lung infection in cystic fibrosis(CF) patients. This study was focused on characterizing two multi drug resistant (MDR) cystic fibrosis clinical isolates of P.aeruginosa. These clinical isolates were taken from patients in the Sick Children’s Hospital, Ontario. Genomic analysis andphenotypic assays were done to assess the multi-drug resistant and virulence phenotype between these isolates compared to wildtype PA01. The strains exhibit very similar resistance profiles apart from meropenem, however a difference is observed inbiofilm formation, virulence, and growth in minimal media
Structural Insights into Metal-Organic Connectivity by Paramagnetic NMR
Get PDFMetal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are an emerging class of materials with numerous applications in domains such asgas storage and separation, catalysis and bioimaging [1]. They consist of metallic centres with organic linkers between them,forming a 3D network. These MOFs are difficult to analyze through x-ray diffraction (XRD) methods, thus the hope isthat Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) will provide meaningful insight into their structures. However, many MOFsare paramagnetic, as many positive ions of transition metals contain unpaired electrons. Paramagnetic electrons introducecomplications to NMR studies of such compounds. Along with these complications, opportunities to probe chemical structur
INTRAUTERINE CONTRACEPTION: A LITERATURE REVIEW INVESTIGATING THE BARRIERS LIMITING USE BY CANADIAN WOMEN.: Intrauterine Contraception: A Review of Barriers for Canadian Women
No full textAbstract
Intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCDs) are highly effective and recommended as first-line contraceptives for women. Very few Canadian women use these forms of contraception, and even fewer youths use these methods. Multiple research search engines allowed a literature review of papers about IUCDs, healthcare systems, patient and provider barriers, published between 2000 and 2020. Using a preference for Canadian studies identified and allowed investigating the barriers preventing the more widespread use of IUCDs by Canadian women with an emphasis placed on at-risk groups, in order to make recommendations for decreasing unintended pregnancies.
Barriers broadly fit into the three categories of the healthcare system, the patients\u27, and practitioner-based. Evidence suggests that there is an overall lack of awareness and limited knowledge regarding IUCDs among the public, provider misconceptions and lack of confidence in insertion capabilities, high upfront cost, and the systemic issues of limited access to contraceptive providers. Studies have shown that evidence-based education and removal of cost and access related barriers increase patient acceptance of and adherence to IUCDs.
To increase the use of IUCDs by Canadian women, large scale subsidy and policies to create programmes targeted at improving public and provider education and awareness are required. Additionally, increased hands-on training and task sharing with allied providers is necessary to increase patient access and timely availability of these highly effective contraceptives
Crushed glass as a constructed wetland substrate: Invertebrate community responses to simulated wastewater inputs.
Get PDFConstructed wetlands (CWs) are an increasingly common polishing step prior to the release of municipal wastewater treatment facility effluents, especially in smaller and more isolated communities. It is hypothesized that recycled crushed glass could be a suitable alternative matrix for CW construction. In comparison to commonly used substrates, recycled crushed glass has several advantages: it is less expensive, more environmentally friendly, and it can be transformed into various sizes to meet specific design requirements. The material is inert, transparent, has large pore spaces, and significant surface area. Components that impair receiving water quality (e.g., nutrients, pharmaceuticals, and pathogenic bacteria) could be reduced by enhancing light penetration, macrophytes for uptake and assimilation, surface area for microbes, and overall retention time. To explore the ability of crushed glass to support relevant biological communities, twelve outdoor mesocosms were established with and without emergent plants, and crushed glass was contrasted with a typical gravel base in triplicate. Specifically, we examined the response of the zooplankton community. After these systems were acclimated, they were treated with a single pulse of synthetic wastewater (e.g., nutrients, pharmaceuticals, and salts). Mesocosms exposed to the synthetic effluent developed a significantly (p<0.05) different invertebrate community response in total abundance when compared to the unexposed control treatment. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences among the mesocosms with crushed glass as a substrate (including controls) for all diversity indices, indicating that the addition of synthetic effluent and macrophytes had no significant impacts on the invertebrate community structure. Overall, recycled crushed glass was determined to be suitable matrix for zooplankton communities, with water quality and effective treatments being maintained relative to gravel systems. Though the treatments with a gravel substrate had greater total invertebrate abundance, it was found that the gravel treatments were significantly (p<0.05) less diverse (Shannon’s index) and had less evenness than all other treatments with glass substrates. We recommend that future studies should explore the effectiveness of recycled crushed glass in CWs on a larger scale, as these results suggest that recycled crushed glass could be a viable surrogate for gravel in subsurface filtration processes
Effects of Filtration Techniques in Identifying Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus versus Particulates in South Tobacco Creek Watershed
Get PDFVarious research centers, scientists and professionals in analytical chemistry use different types of filter papers to determinethe types of phosphorus (P) and particulates responsible for algal blooms and eutrophication in water bodies. However, thosefilter papers misinterpret results in defining dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) versus particulates, by ignoring the fact thatparticulates which could be enriched in phosphorus (P) or nitrogen (N) present in the water also contribute to eutrophication
Is There an Increase of Anastomotic Leaks with NSAID Use in Colorectal Surgery? Anastomotic Leaks in Colorectal Surgery
No full textABSTRACTPurpose: The purpose of this article is to review the current guidelines for Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) following colorectal surgery with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) use and its association with anastomotic leaks.Method: A Medline literature search was conducted with search terms colorectal surgery, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and anastomotic leaks. Seventeen relevant articles served as the basis for this clinical review. This group was further refined to analyze selective vs non-selective NSAIDs to assess the overall risk of anastomotic leaks.Results: The use of NSAIDs postoperatively was associated with an overall increased risk of anastomotic leaks. This risk varied with the type of NSAID taken for pain control: selective vs non-selective. Non-selective NSAIDs had an increased risk while selective NSAIDs appeared safe. Conclusion: NSAIDs are an important aspect of the ERAS guidelines to improve patient outcomes after surgery. They provide an alternative option for pain control for opioid medications and their known side effects. Recent literature varies in the risk profiles and safety of different classes of NSAIDs. Postoperative use of NSAIDs, particularly diclofenac, is associated with increased risk for anastomotic leak following colorectal surgery.Keywords: Colorectal surgery, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anastomotic leaks.
 
Estimation of Ectoparasites in an African Ground Squirrel
Get PDFStudying the parasites of wildlife necessitates the accurate estimate of ectoparasites of free-ranging animals, often in a fieldsetting. The objective of this study was to test the relative accuracy of ectoparasite estimate in a rodent species, the SouthernAfrican ground squirrel (Xerus inauris). Estimates of ectoparasites using combing were compared to total counts of ectoparasites on sacrificed animals. Results suggest that our combing method and visual inspection was a reliable method to estimateflea and lice intensity and abundance for Xerus inauris species. However, differences were found in prevalence of these parasites between estimated and total collected, as the total was 1.5 times that of the estimates. These results demonstrate successfulestimation of parasites in a live small mammal species without requiring anaesthesia
Initial employment patterns for the University of Manitoba’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS); 2010-2016: Initial Employment of Manitoba\u27s MPAS Graduates
No full textThis study examines the initial employment patterns for graduates from the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program in Manitoba, Canada. We conducted interviews with graduates of the MPAS program from 2010-2016 to provide insight into the number of graduates who found successful employment as Physician Assistants (PAs), the length of time to find employment as a PA, location of employment, and clinical setting of employment. Our results indicate high rates of employment for graduates from the MPAS program within three months of graduating, a concentration of employed graduates in urban areas, and graduate employment in a variety of clinical settings. Successful employment for MPAS graduates is argued to be linked to four key factors: the need for PAs in Manitoba, the importance of PA contributions to the practice setting, the employability of graduates from the MPAS program, and support for the PA role from the Manitoba Government. This study emphasizes and advocates for more research focused on PAs within the Canadian health care contexts