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Social network development of the Stay on Your Feet (SOYF) implementation in the Greater Sudbury Region: A case study
Get PDFThe aging of the Canadian population is a serious concern. There are calls for innovation,
integration, and collaboration among health and social systems to address older adult care needs.
The rate of falls among older adults is high and will increase as the older adult population
expands and progresses through the later life course. Stay on Your Feet (SOYF), an evidencebased falls prevention initiative, has been implemented in northeastern Ontario. Social Network
Analysis (SNA) and semi-structured interviews were used to examine the implementation of
SOYF in the Greater Sudbury region. The network was consisted predominantly of informal
collaborations among health-related organizations, had low density and high centrality.
Furthering community recognition and engagement of older adults were indicated as necessary to
achieve sustainability of SOYF. The SOYF implementation network could use more
collaboration among health and social organizations
The emission and application of patterned electromagnetic energy on biological systems.
Get PDFFrom the assembly of intricate biomolecules to the construction of tissues and
organs from homogenous embryonic cells, patterns permeate throughout biological
systems. Whereas molecules govern the multiform signalling pathways necessary to
direct anatomy and physiology, biophysical correlates are inextricably paired to each and
every chemical reaction – yielding a constant interplay between matter and energy.
Electromagnetic energies represented as propagating photons or electromagnetic fields
have shown to contain complex information that is specific to their paired molecular
events. The central aim of this thesis was to determine whether these biophysical
signatures or patterns can be obtained from biomolecules and subsequently be used in
lieu of the chemical itself within a molecular cascade to elicit desired effects within biological systems. The findings presented here show that using a novel bioinformatics
tool, namely the Cosic Resonant Recognition Model (RRM), biomolecules (proteins) can
recognize their particular targets and vice versa by dynamic electromagnetic resonance.
We also show using fundamental units of energies that this dynamic electromagnetic
resonance is within the visible spectrum and can be used to define molecular pathways
such as the ERK-MAP pathway, or distinctive viral proteins that mark certain pathogens
such as Zika or Ebola viruses. Further findings presented herein show that these
electromagnetic patterns derived from biomolecules can be detected using modern technologies such as photomultiplier tubes, and as every signature is unique to that
system, can be used to identify insidious systems such as cancers from healthy
populations. Furthermore, it is now possible to capture these unique electromagnetic
signatures of biomolecules, parse the signals from the noise, and re-apply these patterns back onto systems to elicit effects such as altered proliferation rates of cancers or
regenerative systems. The series of theoretical models and investigations outlined here
clearly profiles the predominant electronic nature of the living matrix and its constituents,
which lays the groundwork for reshaping our knowledge of cellular mechanisms that
ultimately drive physiology, medicine and the development of effective diagnostic,
preventative or therapeutic tools
Design of a neutron calibration source for the SNO+ experiment
Get PDFSNO+ is a multipurpose detector situated at the SNOLAB facility located at Creighton mine
2 km deep. The SNO+ experiment will have three phases: water, pure scintillator and Te-loaded
scintillator. With the detector filled with scintillator, solar neutrinos, geo and reactor anti-neutrinos,
and supernova neutrinos can be studied. To analyze the data collected by the detector, it is
important to have detailed knowledge of the detector response. This is why calibration is a crucial
part of the experiment. The detector response to neutrons will allow us to study the anti-neutrino
flux coming from reactors in Canada. Anti-neutrinos can be detected via the inverse beta decay
reaction which can be tagged using the neutrons it produces.
This thesis will discuss the radioactive calibration source Americium Beryllium (AmBe) which
produces neutrons and gammas. The existing AmBe source - inherited from the SNO experiment
- that will be used in water phase has to be modified for the scintillator and loaded scintillator
phases. Simulations were carried out to determine the optimal additional shielding required for
the scintillator phase. The optimal shielding was determined to be 2 mm of lead surrounded by
1 mm of stainless steel for the encapsulation. The new design for the AmBe source was finalised.
The estimated neutron capture event detection efficiency is 74.22%. The analysis of the source
deployment at various positions within the detector and the shadowing effects are discussed as
well
Imagined disclosure of a close other’s mental health status: a strategy for reducing stigma by association
No full textThe present research applied imagined contact theory (Crisp & Turner, 2009) to the context of
stigma by association, or stigma of mental illness as it relates to individuals associated with
persons accessing mental health services. Mental imagery was used to address stigma in a
sample of university students (N = 127). Participants, who had close relationships with someone
with a mental health condition, were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, imagined
contact group or control group. The former group imagined positively disclosing to a stranger
the closer other’s mental health status and the latter group imagined nature. In addition to
assessing the effects of imagined contact on stigma by association, the research assessed if this
depends on the quantity of prior disclosures, and quality of prior disclosures of the close other’s
mental health condition. The criterion variables were stigma by association, affiliate stigma, and
self-efficacy expectancy. Contrary to expectations, imagined contact did not have significant
effects on stigma by association, self-efficacy expectancy, or affiliate stigma. Importantly,
however, quality of prior disclosure predicted stigma by association, self-efficacy expectancy,
and affiliate stigma. In addition, participants’ quantity of prior disclosure was a significant
predictor for stigma by association, self-efficacy expectancy, and marginally predicted affiliate
stigma. These findings carry practical implications and lend to the discussion of future
directions regarding disclosures regarding mental health conditions
Excavating the obscure: labouring women, their writing, and eighteenth-century England
No full textThis study looks at the poetry of labouring women writers in eighteenth-century England,
specifically, Susannah Harrison, Elizabeth Hands, and Ann Wilson, who contributed substantial
literary works, but have remained mostly obscure. Their writing, along with the historical, social,
and political climate of the period are discussed. Many other labouring women writers of the
period have also made valuable contributions but have gone unnoticed, and although there has
been renewed interest in labouring writers and their works over the past three decades, the
majority, especially women, remain unknown. It is the intent of this author that the poetry of
Harrison, Hands, and Wilson, along with other labouring women authors will be observed and
recognized as significant contributions to eighteenth-century literature
Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) applications in psychological suitability assessments.
No full textPsychological suitability assessments are an integral component of public safety recruitment and selection processes. Psychological suitability assessments can benefit from the implementation of decision support systems. Providing an estimate of the likelihood for outcomes can act to support psychologists in decision making processes. This thesis critiques a content focused approach to psychological suitability assessment, develops a classification algorithm that estimates profile outcome likelihoods of several possible psychological suitability decision categories, and assesses the effect of providing estimates to psychologists on psychological decision making processes when determining profile outcomes. The critique outlines that the assessment model dimensions were developed to suit the needs of the organization at the time and connected psychological data with anticipated behaviours and activities. However, the model was not developed within a systematic process and relied heavily on subjective accounts of on duty officers. The assessment model could be improved with the implementation of new and updated tools, such as the MMPI-2RF or the MPULSE. The classification algorithm established by the discriminant function analysis accurately classified 86.75% of cases (p<0.0001) in this assessment model. In testing the effect of providing outcome estimates to psychologists to assist in their decision making processes, a MANOVA analysis was conducted. When (n=14) psychologists were presented with a likelihood estimate that was in support of the expert decision, psychologists significantly improved in their overall match accuracy (p>0.05). Experience conducting these types of assessments was a significant covariate for the time it took to render a decision, and the time it took to render a decision was not affected by the presentation of a likelihood estimate. Overall, this study suggests that decision support systems can be implemented to support a temporary clinical lead in navigating the psychological data such that candidates are evaluated more consistently for psychological suitability evaluations. Implementing a decision support system in practice can act as a guide for interpreting psychological data, reduce the error of both experienced and inexperienced assessors, and improve the integrity of the assessment
Photonic emissions of living and non-living matter
No full textPhotons are known to be the product of electrochemical states of excitability. The interaction of photons between chemical and biological systems allows statistical methods to be employed to discern frequency- and time-dependent data. The present document demonstrates photon emissions sources attributed to chemical, biomolecular, and living and non-living tissues through theoretical and empirical photon counting measures. The results suggest that photon count intensity is statistically significant when measuring variance in volumes of matter. In addition, photon count measures when lagged between the cerebral hemisphere of human subject, display significant correlations. Spectral analyses revealed significant peak frequencies from living biological sources when exposed to incident photons and/or magnetic fields. The photon emissions from differing levels of discourse may exist to be used as energy sources responsible for the mechanisms that interact within open systems and their environments. Photons may reflect a form of communication within more complex aggregates of matter
Developing dementia health promotion materials for Indigenous people in an urban Northern Ontario community
No full textThis thesis considers health promotion materials on dementia for Indigenous people using health
literacy and cultural safety as guiding frameworks. The author examined the question “How can
we develop health promotion materials about dementia to meet the needs of Indigenous peoples
living in urban Northern Ontario?” using two decolonized approaches to community-based
participatory action research. Two-eyed seeing combines biomedical information with
Indigenous knowledge to develop fact sheets. An understanding of local tribal teachings guided
the research locally. Methods involved qualitative data analysis of two focus groups and five
one-on-one interviews exploring the fact sheets’ appropriateness. Results suggest the need for a
shared understanding of Indigenous and Western cultures; improved cross-cultural
communication; the importance of grounding health promotion materials in culture; and,
strategies for dementia awareness in Indigenous health literacy. These research findings can be
translated to inform policy and practice through key recommendations regarding the
development of health promotional materials
High-performance iron oxide-graphene oxide nanocomposite adsorbents for arsenic removal
No full textWe report the synthesis of a new range of iron oxide-graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites
having different iron oxide content (36–80 wt%) as high-performance adsorbents for arsenic
removal. Synthesized by co-precipitation of iron oxide on GO sheets that are prepared by an
improved Hummers method, the iron oxide in the nanocomposites is featured primarily in the
desirable form of amorphous nanoparticles with an average size of ca. 5 nm. This unique
amorphous nanoparticle morphology of the iron oxide beneficially endows the nanocomposites
with high surface area (up to 341 m2 g-1 for FeOx-GO-80 having the iron oxide content of 80
wt%) and predominant mesopore structures, and consequently increased adsorption sites and
enhanced arsenic adsorption capacity. FeOx-GO-80 shows high maximum arsenic adsorption
capacity (qmax) of 147 and 113 mg g−1 for As(III) and As(V), respectively. These values are the
highest among all the iron oxide-GO/reduced GO composite adsorbents reported to date and are
also comparable to the best values achieved with various sophisticatedly synthesized iron oxide
nanostructures. More strikingly, FeOx-GO-80 is also demonstrated to nearly completely
(>99.98%) removes arsenic by reducing the concentration from 118 (for As(III)) or 108 (for
As(V)) to < 0.02 μg L−1, which is far below the limit of 10 μg L−1 recommended by the World
Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water. The excellent adsorption performance, along
with their low cost and convenient synthesis, makes this range of adsorbents highly promising
for commercial applications in drinking water purification and wastewater treatment
Glutamine metabolism and energy homeostasis during oxidative stress.
No full textWhen living organisms are exposed to oxidative stress, they are known to devise intricate
mechanisms to counter reactive oxygen species (ROS). It is well established that ROS lead to the
reduction in the activity of numerous tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle enzymes and impede O2-
dependent energy production. In this study we demonstrate an alternative metabolic pathway to
adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis when the microbe Pseudomonas fluorescens is challenged
by H2O2.in a medium with glutamine as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen. Under oxidative stress
the microbe utilized glutamine synthease (GS) to release a constant supply of energy locked in the
amide bond of glutamine. When grown in presence of H2O2, the level of GS was higher in the stressed
cultures compared to the control. The up-regulation of phospho-transfer enzymes such as acetate
kinase (ACK), adenylate kinase (AK), and nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK) are involved in
maintaining ATP homeostasis in the oxidatively challenged cells. The increased amount of pyruvate phosphate dikinase (PPDK) and phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) in stressed cells helped
fuel the synthesis of ATP. The enhanced activities of isocitrate dehydrogenase-NAD dependent
(ICDH-NAD) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) also provided intermediate metabolites for
energy generation. These metabolic reconfigurations may reveal crucial therapeutic tools against infectious microbes dependent on host glutamine for proliferation