82837 research outputs found
Sort by
Peak Impact: Sociological Exploration of Concussion in Backcountry Skiers and Snowboarders
No full textAthlete response to pain and injury has been a topic of investigation by sports sociologists since the 1990s. With the emergence of sports-related concussion (SRC) as a public health concern in the past two decades, sports sociologists have more recently investigated the sociocultural processes and factors at play when athletes sustain SRC. Much of this research has been focused on high-collision sports such as football, hockey, and rugby, portraying athletes as having a propensity to disregard and play through pain and injury. This tendency is only amplified in cases of SRC due to a decreased visibility of the injury and the manifestations of its symptoms. While biomedical research dictates protocols and practices for SRC recovery, sporting subcultures and social norms often impede in the recovery process, deviating it away from recommended practices. More research has expanded the scope of sociocultural-rooted SRC research into the domain of action and adventure and “lifestyle” sports such as skateboarding and surfing, arriving at similar conclusions. It is crucial to continue to explore the sociocultural processes that affect concussion management to supplement biomedical protocols for injury management in a way that promotes the health of those taking part in a wide variety of sports and physical cultural practices.
This exploratory study explores how backcountry skiers and snowboarders understand and respond to SRC within the sports subculture and social norms of the backcountry skiing and snowboarding communities. To do so, backcountry skiers and snowboarders (n=10) took part in semi-structured interviews to understand how various social and cultural forces interact with and infiltrate the injury management process. These interviews covered narratives of participant injuries and their recoveries, participant knowledge and understanding of concussions, the impacts of broader societal determinants and structures, and the social norms regarding personal protective equipment in the backcountry setting.
The findings from this study are discussed through the lens of critical social theory, as well as through connections to findings of previous sociocultural explorations of SRC in other sports, especially the work of Pierre Bourdieu. Various aspects of backcountry skiers’ and snowboarders’ lives influence recovery from SRC including personal relationships, pursuit of subcultural recognition, value, and worth, access to health care, employment ramifications, and gendered expectations for pain and injury response. Additionally, the study discovered the weight of cultural norms and values on the use of ski helmets. Presenting these sociocultural influences on SRC recovery has the potential to provide participants and practitioners with a more well-rounded and balanced perspective of SRC management
The Role of Hyperglycemia, Obesity, and Biological Sex on Immune Function
Get PDFObesity and its related metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), significantly alter immune function, contributing to heightened inflammation and impaired immune responses. This thesis investigates the complex interactions between obesity, glucose metabolism, and immune function, with a particular focus on the distinct effects of biological sex and diet on these relationships.
The first goal of this research was to investigate the effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) on immune function in male and female Wistar rats, highlighting sex-specific differences. This study revealed that males fed the HFD experienced greater immune dysfunction, characterized by a significant reduction in IL-2 production compared to females. Conversely, females maintained higher cytokine production and Th1/Th2 immune response despite the HFD. These findings highlight the importance of considering biological sex in the study of diet-induced obesity and immune dysfunction, suggesting that females may possess a protective advantage in maintaining immune function under high-fat dietary conditions.
The second goal of this research was to systematically review the existing evidence on the impact of obesity on immune function across sexes. This review included studies that assessed immune responses in both male and female rats under diet-induced obesity conditions. A total of 41 studies were included, focusing on systemic inflammation (61%), immune cell phenotype (44%), and immune function (7%). The findings revealed that females exhibited lower levels of systemic inflammation and a higher proportion of anti-inflammatory M2-like macrophages, while males showed a greater prevalence of pro-inflammatory M1-like macrophages in adipose tissue. Despite these phenotypic differences, no significant sex differences in overall immune function were observed. However, diet-induced obesity consistently resulted in immune dysfunction in both sexes, including disturbances in cytokine production, immune cell proliferation, and migration. The mechanistic links between diet, obesity, and immune dysfunction remain unclear, highlighting the need for future studies to investigate how diet and obesity affect immune cell functionality and to explore sex differences in greater depth.
The third goal of this research was to assess immune dysfunction in individuals with obesity and T2D through the Nutrition and Immunity (NutrIMM) study. This is a 4-week study conducted under highly controlled North American dietary conditions. The diet was designed to provide each participant with their energy requirement to maintain body weight stable (i.e., isocaloric). This study provided a comprehensive analysis of immune cell phenotypes, systemic inflammation, and cytokine secretion across groups with varying degrees of metabolic health, including those with normoglycemia (NG) (Lean-NG, obesity (OB)-NG), glucose intolerance (OB-GI), and T2D (OB-T2D). The results revealed significant immune alterations, including increased systemic inflammation markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and a reduction in T cell function, particularly in individuals with obesity and T2D. The study also highlighted sex differences in immune responses, with females exhibiting higher baseline CRP levels, while males demonstrated greater pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion upon immune stimulation.
The major findings of this thesis were that sex plays a critical role in modulating immune function in response to a high-fat diet and that obesity and metabolic health significantly influence immune responses and systemic inflammation. Females demonstrated a greater resilience to diet-induced immune dysfunction, maintaining better immune responses compared to males. In human studies, individuals with type 2 diabetes exhibited pronounced immune dysregulation, with elevated inflammatory markers and impaired T cell function. Additionally, this research highlighted that immune function remains underexplored, particularly about sex differences. The findings from the systematic review emphasize the importance of further investigating how diet-induced obesity impacts immune functionality in males and females. These findings contribute to the growing body of literature on the intersection of diet, sex, and immune function, offering valuable knowledge for the development of personalized dietary strategies and interventions aimed at mitigating immune dysfunction in obesity and related metabolic disorders. Collectively, these results emphasize the need to consider biological sex and metabolic health in the management of immune-related health outcomes
Pass on the Teachings
Get PDFFirst I would like to acknowledge that I am of both Dene and Irish/Canadian descent. I am an artist, mother, student and teacher here on treaty six in Amiskwacîwâskahaikan, or ‘Beaver Hills House’ (Edmonton). I was born on this land, and raised in Yellowknife NT. Throughout the past decade I have had the honour of sitting with and learning from the Indigenous people of this land, learning to be a ‘good relative’ and share what I learn with the youth. Truth and Reconciliation in Canada with Indigenous people, and healing through arts-based practices is the focal point of my life work and research. The words: ‘Nàowo wek'èts'ezhǫwet’à dǫne hoghàgets’ehtǫha’, come from the Dene laws and mean: ‘Pass on the Teachings’. Throughout my research I have connected with Elders and knowledge keepers from my own Dene ancestry. My shared image depicts a wood frame upon which I am helping to stretch a moosehide in preparation for scraping and tanning. What I learn from these practices, and traditional stories, will be passed onto future generations through my multimedia installations, visual arts, and writing
Investigating the novel expression of hemostatic factors and assessing the effect of chemotherapy drugs on hemostatic factors in pediatric cancer cells
Get PDFThere has been extensive research into the role of hemostasis in cancer. One theory suggests that cancer cells utilize the coagulation system to create fibrin-rich microemboli, which serve as a protective mechanism during metastasis. We hypothesized that hemostatic factors involved in fibrin formation are expressed by tumor cells themselves, which enhances the tumor ability to form a fibrin rich microemboli that acts as a cloak. We also hypothesized that chemotherapy will affect the expression of hemostatic factor proteins in pediatric cancers.
We used tissue culture methods and Western blot technique to screen constitutive expression of 15 hemostatic system proteins. Two pediatric cancer cell lines were tested: Neuroblastoma (CCL-127) and malignant rhabdoid tumor (CRL-1441). To show that protein expression changes observed were not cell line specific. To determine protein expression and changes in protein expression for hemostatic system factors after exposure to chemotherapy drugs, Western blot analysis was carried out on CCL-127 and CRL-1441. All experiments were done in triplicate.
In both cell lines, analysis showed protein expression of the following; Prothrombin, Thrombin receptor, TF, Factor VIII, Factor XII, von Willebrand factor, Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor, Antithrombin, Endothelial Protein C Receptor, Tissue plasminogen activator, Alpha 2-antiplasmin, Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, Factor V, Fibrinogen beta chain and Fibrinogen gamma chain. Chemotherapy drug treatments showed a significant change in hemostatic factor protein expressions
