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The Effects of Music-Based Patterned Sensory Enhancement on Motor Function: A Scoping Review
Get PDFBackground/Objectives: Patterned Sensory Enhancement (PSE), a Neurologic Music Therapy technique, utilizes rhythm and other musical elements to facilitate functional movement in diverse clinical populations. This scoping review is the first to systematically synthesize the current evidence surrounding PSE’s use and its effects on motor function across various populations in order to evaluate its therapeutic potential, identify gaps in the existing literature, and guide future research efforts. Methods: A literature search was conducted across five major databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Scopus) in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Results: From 1018 screened articles, 15 met the inclusion criteria. PSE has been demonstrated as effective across clinical populations, including Cerebral Palsy, stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, and psychiatric conditions. However, the results for studies on geriatric populations remain inconsistent. Despite the variability in the outcome measures and movement types assessed, PSE is consistently supported as an effective approach for enhancing motor function. However, to date, only a small number of studies across populations have been conducted. Conclusions: This scoping review suggests that PSE holds significant potential for improving motor function across a range of clinical populations. Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects, use standardized terminology, and identify the optimal implementation strategies tailored to the unique needs of different populations to maximize its therapeutic benefit
Acylcarnitine concentrations increase in response to an extended energy deficit, but return to baseline concentrations following a 2-week recovery in male US Army Rangers
Get PDFEnergy deficit often occurs during military training and operations due to prolonged and strenuous physical exertion and limited access to food. During energy deficit, the body predominately relies on fat stores. This results in greater circulating acylcarnitine species as acyl groups are moved into the mitochondria for β-oxidation. Carnitine and acylcarnitine species have not been assessed during prolonged energy deficit and following a recovery period in healthy men undergoing strenuous military training. Objective: To determine longitudinal changes in plasma carnitine and aclycarnitines following a prolonged and severe energy deficit and short-term recovery. Methods: This secondary analysis examined plasma carnitine and acylcarnitine concentrations before (PRE) and after (POST) 61-d U.S. Army Ranger training and following 2 weeks of recovery (REC). During training, participants (n=22; mean ± SD: 23.2±2.8 y; 81.7±9.3 kg; 16.5±6.8% body fat) consumed ~2200 kcal/d and were in a ~1000 kcal/d energy deficit. Carnitine and acylcarnitine (C2-C22) concentrations were measured by tandem mass spectrometry. Results: At POST, participants had increased concentrations of total short-chain and 10 of 58 acylcarnitine species (C2, C5, C8-DC, C16:1, C16:1-OH, C18:1-OH, C18:1-DC, C18:2-OH, C20:2-OH, C22:3; P≤0.05) compared to PRE. All acylcarnitine species returned to PRE concentrations following REC (P>0.05). Greater bodyweight loss (≥7.7 kg) was associated with higher short chain acylcarnitine (r=-0.68; P=0.0006), medium chain acylcarnitine (r=-0.61; P=0.0035), and long-chain acylcarnitine (ρ=-0.65; P=0.0013) concentrations. Conclusion: Severe energy deficit incurred during strenuous military training increased 10 acylcarnitine species. However, 2 weeks of recovery was sufficient for most acylcarnitine concentrations to return to baseline.The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the pdf file of the accepted manuscript may differ slightly from what is displayed on the item page. The information in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript reflects the original submission by the author
Effective Cover Crop Species and Early Establishment Techniques for Reducing Winter Erosion in Muck Soil of the Holland Marsh
Get PDFThe Holland Marsh is the largest cultivable area of high organic matter content (muck) soil in Ontario, Canada. Soil loss by wind erosion, particularly during fall and winter months, is a major soil management concern for this region. Incorporating cover crops into the production system is a proposed strategy to reduce wind erosion. However, cool fall temperatures and a short growing window, especially after carrot harvest, is a challenge, as is the preference for a cover crop that dies over the winter and does not interfere with following year’s main crop. Field trials assessed various cover crop species and methods for their establishment after onion and carrot harvests. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) (55%) and barley/daikon radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. longipinnatus) mixtures (60%) produced higher canopy coverage when seeded after onions, supporting the current farmer practice of using mainly barley as a cover crop in this area. Barley seeded at a high seeding rate (420 seeds m-2) before carrot harvest achieved greater canopy coverage compared to barley or fall rye (Secale cereale L.) seeded after harvest. Transplanting barley after carrot harvest provided the highest canopy coverage (25-31%), but the associated cost is a concern. Seed priming did not enhance cover crop establishment in field. Direct seeding of cover crop before or after carrot harvest produced canopy coverage below 30%, the critical level of residue cover for reducing soil loss by erosion. Future research on cover crop agronomy in the Holland Marsh including additional species and methods for establishment is recommended.The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the pdf file of the accepted manuscript may differ slightly from what is displayed on the item page. The information in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript reflects the original submission by the author
Spinal cord neural stems cells and their progeny are necessary for metformin-mediated recovery in a mouse model of spinal cord injury
Get PDFSpinal Cord Injury (SCI) is a traumatic event that leads to immediate and prolonged tissue damage, including neuronal cell death, demyelination, and impaired functional outcomes. Currently, there are limited therapeutic interventions that promote repair of the injured cord. We recently reported that administration of metformin, a drug commonly used to treat Type II diabetes, improves functional outcomes in both male and female mice, when delivered immediately following SCI. Concomitant with improved function, we observed an expansion of Sox2+ neural stem and progenitor cells (NSPCs) and their progeny, increased oligodendrogenesis from NG2+ oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), and decreased activation of microglia. To elucidate the cell-based mechanism(s) underlying the improved outcomes, we used transgenic mouse models targeting NSPCs or myelinating OPCs and asked if either of these precursor populations are required for metformin-mediated recovery. Activated NSPCs were ablated using a conditional Sox2-Thymidine Kinase (TK) mouse model, and myelinating OPCs were depleted using a conditional NG2-specific knockout of Myrf, a transcription factor essential for oligodendrogenesis. Adult mice received SCI, with or without metformin treatment, following depletion of either NSPCs or OPCs. Functional and cellular outcomes were assessed. We predicted that ablation of myelinating OPCs would result in a loss of metformin-mediated recovery due to impaired remyelination, however our findings revealed that even in the absence of myelinating OPCs, functional recovery was achieved in metformin-treated mice. Conversely, the ablation of proliferating NSPCs was sufficient to abolish metformin-mediated functional recovery. Furthermore, loss of functional recovery was associated with a loss of metformin-mediated attenuation of microglia. Together, these findings reveal that NSPCs are key mediators of functional recovery following metformin treatment.M.A.S
Characterization of the Broad-Spectrum Antifungal NPD8193 as an Inhibitor of Cellular Trafficking
Get PDFBillions of people are infected by fungal pathogens annually. Treatment of these maladies is complicated by the emergence of drug-resistant infections and the limited arsenal of antifungals. Thus, novel therapeutic strategies are needed. NPD8193 is a broad-spectrum antifungal identified from a compound screen against Candida albicans, Candida auris, Candida glabrata, and Cryptococcus neoformans. Standard dose-response assays in tandem with cidality assays confirmed the broad-spectrum fungistatic activity of NPD8193. To explore the mode of action of NPD8193, we employed chemogenomic profiling in C. albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which suggested that NPD8193 inhibits intracellular trafficking. Consistent with this hypothesis, fluorescence microscopy confirmed NPD8193 causes aberrant vacuolar morphology and inhibits the localization of GFP-Snc1 to bud necks in S. cerevisiae. Finally, NPD8193 showed therapeutic potential in a Caenorhabditis elegans-C. albicans co-culture model. Thus, this project characterized a compound with a novel mode of action, trafficking inhibition, to help combat fungal infections.M.Sc
Evaluation of Music Based Responses and Cognitive Interventions for Adults with Major Depressive Disorder and Suicide Risk
Get PDFIndividuals with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) often experience impairments in attention and executive function, which can lead to difficulties in daily functioning. These cognitive deficits, along with disruptions in hedonic functions, contribute to increased feelings of hopelessness and heightened suicide risk. This dissertation investigates the potential of music-based responses to evaluate music reward and self-perception of hedonic states, as well as the cognitive applications of Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) for adults with MDD at suicide risk, through three empirical studies.The first two studies used data collected through CAN-BIND 5, an arm of the Canadian Biomarker Integration Network in Depression initiative at St. Michael’s Hospital examining the biomarkers of suicidality. The first study investigated the use of the Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire (BMRQ) and a semantic differential profile scale to evaluate how individuals experience music and self-perception respectively. Results revealed no significant differences in BMRQ results among individuals with MDD, across different levels of suicidal ideation and history of attempt, and healthy controls. However, there were differences in self-perception, as measured by the semantic differential profile scale. Listening to preferred music led to a marginally positive, yet significant shift in the self-perception among individuals with MDD, both with and without suicidal ideation. This was not as pronounced as the positive attitudes towards self, observed in healthy controls. Findings from the semantic differential profile scale highlight the potential use of this measure in identifying behavioural markers of suicidality in response to music.
The second study examined the effectiveness of single-session NMT in enhancing short-term memory, processing speed, cognitive flexibility, and set shifting. Two NMT cognitive domain applications were delivered: Musical Attention Control Training (MACT) and Musical Executive Function Training (MEFT). Despite no significant improvements in short-term memory, processing speed, cognitive flexibility, and set shifting post-intervention for adults with MDD, the study suggests that longer intervention durations may be necessary to fully understand the potential of music-based cognitive training.
This led to the development of the third study, evaluating the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of an 8-week NMT intervention using the same cognitive domain applications as the second study: MACT and MEFT. Results revealed high participant satisfaction and some improvements in short-term memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control. Additionally, there were significant reductions in suicidal ideation intensity and improvements in quality of life.
Collectively, these studies highlight the potential use of music responses as behavioural markers for suicidality and underscore the role of music-based applications, in enhancing cognitive function and emotional well-being in individuals with MDD and suicide risk. The findings establish a basis for future research and suggest broader clinical applications of music-based responses and interventions to support adults with MDD and suicide ideation.Ph.D
Labour Market Outcomes of International vs. Domestic Pharmacy Graduates: Longitudinal Evidence From the Ontario Pharmacist Registry
Get PDFThis longitudinal study examines workforce integration patterns of international pharmacy graduates (IPGs) and domestic pharmacy graduates (DPGs) in Ontario, Canada, from 2015 to 2024. Using data from the Ontario College of Pharmacists registry, we analyzed attrition rates, workplace distribution, and ownership patterns among 4,317 pharmacists. We found that IPGs have lower attrition rates (5.1%) compared to DPGs (9.2%) and primarily work in community settings, while DPGs dominate hospital practices, accounting for 88.1% of full-time equivalents (FTEs). Gender differences are evident: female pharmacists are more prevalent in hospital settings, and male pharmacists are more common in banner and independent practice. IPGs have higher ownership rates in independent and banner pharmacies, suggesting alternative paths to professional advancement, although ownership remains male-favored. These findings indicate barriers for IPGs in hospital integration and show entrepreneurial adaptation through community pharmacy ownership. Our study provides insights for evidence-based workforce policies and targeted interventions across distinct segments of the pharmacy workforce.M.Sc
Degrading Seismic Performance of Tall Shear Wall Buildings under Earthquake Sequences
Get PDFIt is widely recognized that high-seismic regions across the world are frequently affected by repeated earthquakes. The destructive effects of repeated earthquakes have been investigated by many researchers using performance parameters such as residual displacement, inter-story drift, and dissipated energy. In this study, a high-rise reinforced concrete shear wall building with 40 floors above grade, which represents a typical real tall building, is selected as the example building for numerical analyses. Nonlinear response history analyses are performed under different combinations of earthquakes with various spectral acceleration intensities. The analysis results for the tall building under the earthquake sequences indicate that concrete strain governs the seismic performance level of the building, while steel strain consistently meets the Immediate Occupancy limit. The study concludes that the Immediate Occupancy threshold, defined by the concrete strain at peak stress, is a critical limit for preventing significant damage under repeated seismic demands.The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the pdf file of the accepted manuscript may differ slightly from what is displayed on the item page. The information in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript reflects the original submission by the author
The Preparation of Novel Organoboranes and Mastering the Four Elements of Peptide Chemistry: Discovery, Synthesis, Physiochemical Analysis and Structural Control
No full textCyclic peptides are an important class of biologically active compounds, as they can target shallow binding pockets on the outside of proteins not accessible by conventional small molecule drugs. Like the proteins they are targeting, the structure of a cyclic peptide greatly affects its physiochemical properties and biological activity. Therefore, as this class of drug molecule becomes increasingly popular, more tools to control their structure must be developed, as well as a deeper understanding of the relationships between a cyclic peptide’s structure, biological activity, and physiochemical properties.Organoboranes, like cyclic peptides, also exhibit therapeutic potential but boast tremendous value as reagents in organic synthesis. Therefore, as chemists strive to discover new reactions and functional reagents, there must be a concurrent discovery of novel organoboranes as well.
Chapter 2 examines the use of highly strained teraryl braces to stabilize β-strand and β-strand-like structures in cyclic tetrapeptides, as well as the use of very rigid atropisomeric building blocks to stabilize rare 310-helices in 22-membered cyclic peptides. The atropisomeric mixtures could be enriched to >20:1 in a facile manner by heating, and the helices were shown to be stable at 100oC. The observed helices were in good agreement with 310-helices previously reported in the literature, and they were also shown to be tolerant to changes in the sequence of the cyclic peptide, outlining the robustness of this scaffold.
In chapter 3, the derivatization of naturally occurring cyclic octapeptides with oxazole and triazole heterocyclic amino acids (HAAs) is described. During this investigation, several observations were made relating the identity of the HAA to predictable changes in the physiochemical properties and structure of the resulting cyclic peptides. The structural perturbation following triazole HAA incorporation within cyclic octapeptides was also shown to not occur within cyclic pentapeptides, with the stabilization of pre-existing structures resulting instead.
Lastly, in chapter 4, a large-scale synthesis of acyl boronates and their precursors was shown, as well as the preparation of novel organoboranes featuring a bicyclic framework with a bridgehead -B-C-N+ motif that was derivatized and whose synthetic robustness was investigated.Ph.D
Non-singular Fast Terminal Sliding Mode Control for Robotic Manipulators: A Synergistic Approach Integrating RBFNN and AESO
Get PDFThis study proposes a composite control architecture combining radial basis function neural net-work (RBFNN) and adaptive gain extended state observer (AESO) to address trajectory tracking challenges in robotic manipulators under nonlinear dynamics, parametric uncertainties, and external disturbances. The framework integrates three core innovations: (1) A global non-singular fast terminal sliding mode (GNFTSM) surface with finite-time convergence and singularity avoidance, Which is augmented by an integral term for enhanced robustness and steady-state error suppression; (2) A dual compensation mechanism where RBFNN approximates unmodeled dynamics through nonlinear mapping, while AESO provides real-time estimation of lumped disturbances; (3) a stability guarantee derived through Lyapunov based synthesis. Comparative simulations on a two-link manipulator demonstrate superior performance over conventional single compensation methods, with significant improvements in convergence speed, tracking precision, and torque smoothness. The results validate the efficacy of the framework in complex operational scenarios. However, although adaptive gain ESO can balance state estimation accuracy and noise immunity by dynamically adjusting bandwidth, noise amplification is inevitable when dealing with high frequency noise due to inherent defects of gain adaptive mechanism.The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the pdf file of the accepted manuscript may differ slightly from what is displayed on the item page. The information in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript reflects the original submission by the author