Proceedings of the 29th annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Association and 10th annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society. V. 1-3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harvey, M; Fehrenbach, P J [eds.

1990-12-31

The symposium was designed to highlight how the technical information for nuclear energy came to Canada, the effect this information had in Canada in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Nuclear Power. Volume 1 is the combined proceedings of the Canadian Nuclear Association twenty-ninth annual conference and the Canadian Nuclear Society tenth annual conference. Volume 2 is the proceedings of the Canadian Nuclear Association twenty-ninth annual conference, and volume 3 is the proceedings of the Canadian Nuclear Society tenth annual conference.

Proceedings of the 29th annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Association and 10th annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society. V. 1-3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harvey, M.; Fehrenbach, P.J.

1989-01-01

The symposium was designed to highlight how the technical information for nuclear energy came to Canada, the effect this information had in Canada in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Nuclear Power. Volume 1 is the combined proceedings of the Canadian Nuclear Association twenty-ninth annual conference and the Canadian Nuclear Society tenth annual conference. Volume 2 is the proceedings of the Canadian Nuclear Association twenty-ninth annual conference, and volume 3 is the proceedings of the Canadian Nuclear Society tenth annual conference

Essentials of tuberculosis control for the practising physician. Tuberculosis Committee, Canadian Thoracic Society.

Science.gov (United States)

1994-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To recommend guidelines for the management of tuberculosis (TB), particularly in high-risk groups including poor and homeless people, aboriginal Canadians, immigrants from countries where TB is highly prevalent and people with HIV infection. OPTIONS: Diagnosis, pharmacotherapy, vaccination and chemoprophylaxis. OUTCOMES: Prevention of infection and diagnosis and cure of TB. EVIDENCE: The evidence was gathered in late 1992 from previous guidelines, recommendations by specialist societies and new studies. VALUES: Evidence was categorized into four levels: I, randomized clinical trials of therapeutic interventions or prospective studies of diagnostic strategies; II, case-control studies; III, retrospective descriptive studies; and IV, consensus of the committee members and published statements. The Tuberculosis Committee of the Canadian Thoracic Society comprises experts in TB from across Canada. BENEFITS, HARM AND COSTS: The benefits of early diagnosis and prompt initiation of therapy are well documented. The cost effectiveness of antituberculous therapy in developing countries is well documented. In developed countries chemoprophylaxis has been shown to be cost effective, and directly observed chemotherapy has recently been hypothesized to have economic benefits. RECOMMENDATIONS: In the appropriate clinical setting, particularly when patients are known to be at high risk of TB, clinicians should consider TB, reserve body secretions for mycobacteriologic tests and conduct other investigations such as chest radiography. Furthermore, if TB is strongly suspected or confirmed by appropriate investigation the early initiation of multi-drug therapy, including at least three first-line drugs, is strongly recommended. If drug resistance is suspected a regimen of four to five drugs, including at least two drugs with which the patient has not been treated, should be started. If the strain is found to be resistant to any of the drugs in the regimen appropriate

Proceedings of the seventeenth annual Canadian Nuclear Society conference

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-12-31

The seventeenth annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society, presented in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The conference includes papers on general topics of interest on the nuclear community, waste management and the environment, instrumentation and design of Candu reactors, safety analysis, thermal hydraulics, fuel channels, plant operations and in-core instrumentation.

Proceedings of the seventeenth annual Canadian Nuclear Society conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

The seventeenth annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society, presented in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The conference includes papers on general topics of interest on the nuclear community, waste management and the environment, instrumentation and design of Candu reactors, safety analysis, thermal hydraulics, fuel channels, plant operations and in-core instrumentation

Proceedings of the Canadian Nuclear Society sixth annual conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

French, P.M.; Phillips, G.J.

1985-01-01

The proceedings of the Sixth Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society comprise 103 papers on the following subjects: fuel technology, nuclear plant safety, instrumentation, public and regulatory matters, fusion, fuel behaviour under normal and accident conditions, nuclear plant design and operations, thermal hydraulics, reactor physics, accelerators, waste management, new reactor concepts

Cervical bracing practices after degenerative cervical surgery: a survey of cervical spine research society members.

Science.gov (United States)

Lunardini, David J; Krag, Martin H; Mauser, Nathan S; Lee, Joon Y; Donaldson, William H; Kang, James D

2018-05-21

Context: Prior studies have shown common use of post-operative bracing, despite advances in modern day instrumentation rigidity and little evidence of brace effectiveness. To document current practice patterns of brace use after degenerative cervical spine surgeries among members of the Cervical Spine Research Society (CSRS), to evaluate trends, and to identify areas of further study. A questionnaire survey METHODS: A 10 question survey was sent to members of the Cervical Spine Research Society to document current routine bracing practices after various common degenerative cervical spine surgical scenarios, including fusion and non-fusion procedures. The overall bracing rate was 67%. This included 8.4% who used a hard collar in each scenario. Twenty-two percent of surgeons never used a hard collar, while 34% never used a soft collar, and 3.6% (3 respondents) did not use a brace in any surgical scenario. Bracing frequency for specific surgical scenarios varied from 39% after foraminotomy to 88% after multi-level corpectomy with anterior & posterior fixation. After one, two and three level anterior cervical discectomy & fusion (ACDF), bracing rates were 58%, 65% and 76% for an average of 3.3, 4.3 and 5.3 weeks, respectively. After single level corpectomy, 77% braced for an average of 6.2 weeks. After laminectomy and fusion, 72% braced for an average of 5.4 weeks. Significant variation persists among surgeons on the type and length of post-operative brace usage after cervical spine surgeries. Overall rates of bracing have not changed significantly with time. Given the lack evidence in the literature to support bracing, reconsidering use of a brace after certain surgeries may be warranted. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Home Mechanical Ventilation: A Canadian Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline

OpenAIRE

McKim, Douglas A; Road, Jeremy; Avendano, Monica; Abdool, Steve; Côté, Fabien; Duguid, Nigel; Fraser, Janet; Maltais, François; Morrison, Debra L; O’Connell, Colleen; Petrof, Basil J; Rimmer, Karen; Skomro, Robert

2011-01-01

Increasing numbers of patients are surviving episodes of prolonged mechanical ventilation or benefitting from the recent availability of user-friendly noninvasive ventilators. Although many publications pertaining to specific aspects of home mechanical ventilation (HMV) exist, very few comprehensive guidelines that bring together all of the current literature on patients at risk for or using mechanical ventilatory support are available. The Canadian Thoracic Society HMV Guideline Committee ha...

Proceedings of the 13. annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society. V. 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-12-31

Volume 1 of the proceedings of the 13. annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society includes sessions on the following topics: reactor physics, new concepts and technology, fuel behaviour, reactor design, safety analysis, fuel channel behaviour, equipment and design qualification. The individual papers have been abstracted separately.

Publication rate of abstracts presented at the 2010 Canadian Ophthalmological Society Annual Meeting.

Science.gov (United States)

Basilious, Alfred; Benavides Vargas, Ana Maria; Buys, Yvonne M

2017-08-01

To evaluate the publication rate of submitted abstracts accepted for presentation at the 2010 Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) Annual Meeting in peer-reviewed journals. A retrospective analysis and literature search of abstracts presented at the 2010 COS Annual Meeting. Abstracts accepted as an oral presentation or poster from the 2010 COS Annual Meeting were tabulated by type of presentation (oral vs poster), subspecialty, study design, number of authors, and principal investigator's institution. A PubMed search was conducted for each abstract by key word, first author, and last author. The year of publication, journal, and impact factor were recorded for identified publications. Publication rate was calculated by type of presentation, subspecialty, study design, number of authors, and institution. A total of 175 abstracts were presented at the 2010 COS Annual Meeting. There were 105 oral (60%) and 70 poster (40%) presentations. The overall publication rate was 45.7%; 49.5% for oral presentations and 40.0% for posters. Cornea (57.6%) and public health (54.5%) had the highest publication rates of all subspecialties. Randomized control trials (71.4%) and cohort studies (70.0%) had higher publication rates than other study designs. Overall, 28.8% of abstracts were published in the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology. The average impact factor of all publications was 2.73. Of abstracts presented at the 2010 COS Annual Meeting, 45.7% were published within 5 years after the conference. This publication rate is within the upper end of previously reported meeting publication rates for medical societies. Copyright © 2017 Canadian Ophthalmological Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Operative Landscape at Canadian Neurosurgery Residency Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Tso, Michael K; Dakson, Ayoub; Ahmed, Syed Uzair; Bigder, Mark; Elliott, Cameron; Guha, Daipayan; Iorio-Morin, Christian; Kameda-Smith, Michelle; Lavergne, Pascal; Makarenko, Serge; Taccone, Michael S; Wang, Bill; Winkler-Schwartz, Alexander; Sankar, Tejas; Christie, Sean D

2017-07-01

Background Currently, the literature lacks reliable data regarding operative case volumes at Canadian neurosurgery residency programs. Our objective was to provide a snapshot of the operative landscape in Canadian neurosurgical training using the trainee-led Canadian Neurosurgery Research Collaborative. Anonymized administrative operative data were gathered from each neurosurgery residency program from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014. Procedures were broadly classified into cranial, spine, peripheral nerve, and miscellaneous procedures. A number of prespecified subspecialty procedures were recorded. We defined the resident case index as the ratio of the total number of operations to the total number of neurosurgery residents in that program. Resident number included both Canadian medical and international medical graduates, and included residents on the neurosurgery service, off-service, or on leave for research or other personal reasons. Overall, there was an average of 1845 operative cases per neurosurgery residency program. The mean numbers of cranial, spine, peripheral nerve, and miscellaneous procedures were 725, 466, 48, and 193, respectively. The nationwide mean resident case indices for cranial, spine, peripheral nerve, and total procedures were 90, 58, 5, and 196, respectively. There was some variation in the resident case indices for specific subspecialty procedures, with some training programs not performing carotid endarterectomy or endoscopic transsphenoidal procedures. This study presents the breadth of neurosurgical training within Canadian neurosurgery residency programs. These results may help inform the implementation of neurosurgery training as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons residency training transitions to a competence-by-design curriculum.

Results of the 2014-2015 Canadian Society of Nephrology workforce survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, David R; Manns, Braden; Gil, Sarah; Au, Flora; Kappel, Joanne E

2016-01-01

nephrologists needed for the next 3 and 5 years. The response rate was 48 %. Forecasted workforce needs are not indicative of guaranteed future positions. This Canadian Society of Nephrology workforce survey demonstrated the current workforce demographics, individual nephrologist future workforce plans, and projected nephrology division requirements for the next 3 and 5 years. Further work will need to be done to refine Canadian nephrology workforce planning with the development of a robust strategy that encompasses both societal and nephrologists' needs with the realities of employment.

Proceedings of the 2001 Canadian society of petroleum geologists annual convention

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-07-01

Founded in 1927 as the Alberta Society of Petroleum Geologists, the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists is dedicated to promote and further the study of petroleum and natural gas geology and all the study fields related to it. Its 3300 members represent Canada and 30 other countries. The annual convention is held to provide a forum for the exchange of information on topics related to petroleum geology and to foster the spirit of scientific research with the members. Another objective of the Society and annual convention is to make the general public aware of the need for professional and well-trained scientists. In excess of 100 presentations were made at the 2001 annual convention on topics that included petroleum potential in Somalia, seismic imaging, faulting and fault seal, multi-scale reservoir compartmentalization, non-invasive geochemical and remote sensing methods, and much more. refs., tabs., figs.

Proceedings of the 11th Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rouben, B.

1990-01-01

This volume contains the proceedings of the thirteen technical sessions at the 11. annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society. The 68 papers presented at this conference cover the areas of programmes and issues for the 90's; thermalhydraulics; reactor physics and fuel management; nuclear safety; small reactors; fuel behaviour; energy production and the environment; computer applications; nuclear systems; fusion; reactor decommissioning, irradiated fuel and materials handling; and reactor components, (L.L.)

Results of the 2014–2015 Canadian Society of Nephrology Workforce Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David R. Ward

2016-05-01

hours within 10 years. Nephrology division heads forecasted the number of clinical and academic nephrologists needed for the next 3 and 5 years. Limitations: The response rate was 48 %. Forecasted workforce needs are not indicative of guaranteed future positions. Conclusions: This Canadian Society of Nephrology workforce survey demonstrated the current workforce demographics, individual nephrologist future workforce plans, and projected nephrology division requirements for the next 3 and 5 years. Further work will need to be done to refine Canadian nephrology workforce planning with the development of a robust strategy that encompasses both societal and nephrologists' needs with the realities of employment.

2018 Canadian Cardiovascular Society/Canadian Association of Interventional Cardiology Focused Update of the Guidelines for the Use of Antiplatelet Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mehta, Shamir R; Bainey, Kevin R; Cantor, Warren J; Lordkipanidzé, Marie; Marquis-Gravel, Guillaume; Robinson, Simon D; Sibbald, Matthew; So, Derek Y; Wong, Graham C; Abunassar, Joseph G; Ackman, Margaret L; Bell, Alan D; Cartier, Raymond; Douketis, James D; Lawler, Patrick R; McMurtry, Michael S; Udell, Jacob A; van Diepen, Sean; Verma, Subodh; Mancini, G B John; Cairns, John A; Tanguay, Jean-François

2018-03-01

Antiplatelet therapy (APT) has become an important tool in the treatment and prevention of atherosclerotic events, particularly those associated with coronary artery disease. A large evidence base has evolved regarding the relationship between APT prescription in various clinical contexts and risk/benefit relationships. The Guidelines Committee of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and Canadian Association of Interventional Cardiology publishes regular updates of its recommendations, taking into consideration the most recent clinical evidence. The present update to the 2011 and 2013 Canadian Cardiovascular Society APT guidelines incorporates new evidence on how to optimize APT use, particularly in situations in which few to no data were previously available. The recommendations update focuses on the following primary topics: (1) the duration of dual APT (DAPT) in patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute coronary syndrome and non-acute coronary syndrome indications; (2) management of DAPT in patients who undergo noncardiac surgery; (3) management of DAPT in patients who undergo elective and semiurgent coronary artery bypass graft surgery; (4) when and how to switch between different oral antiplatelet therapies; and (5) management of antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy in patients who undergo PCI. For PCI patients, we specifically analyze the particular considerations in patients with atrial fibrillation, mechanical or bioprosthetic valves (including transcatheter aortic valve replacement), venous thromboembolic disease, and established left ventricular thrombus or possible left ventricular thrombus with reduced ejection fraction after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. In addition to specific recommendations, we provide values and preferences and practical tips to aid the practicing clinician in the day to day use of these important agents. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Facilitators and barriers to application of the Canadian C-spine rule by emergency department triage nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Clement, Catherine M; Stiell, Ian G; Lowe, Maureen A; Brehaut, Jamie C; Calder, Lisa A; Vaillancourt, Christian; Perry, Jeffrey J

2016-07-01

We recently conducted a multicentre implementation study on the use of the Canadian C-Spine Rule (CCR) by emergency department (ED) nurses to clear the c-spine in alert and stable trauma patients (n = 4506). The objective of this study was to conduct a survey of nurses, physicians, and administrators to evaluate their views on the facilitators and barriers to the implementation of the CCR. We conducted both a paper-based and an electronic survey of the three different ED hospital staff groups of nine large teaching hospitals in Ontario, including six regional trauma centres. The content of this survey was informed by a qualitative evaluation of the opinions of the study nurses who had participated in the validation study. 57.5% (281/489) ED triage nurses, 50.2% ED physicians, and 82.8% of administrators responded. Nurse responses most often showed support from manager/educators and teamwork between physicians, nurses, and managers as being important facilitators to the use of the CCR. Physician responses most often identified the importance of a nurse leader/champion/educator, and presence of strong physician leaders. Administrator responses indicated the importance of nurse educators/champions, nurse engagement, and educational support. Barriers indicated by all three groups included busy department, lack of physician support, and lack of nursing support. Bringing about change in clinical practice is complex. Strong leadership, effective communication, and senior physician buy-in appear to be very important. Identification of system-specific barriers and facilitators are important components of successful knowledge translation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Appropriate Use Criteria for Fluoroscopically Guided Diagnostic and Therapeutic Sacroiliac Interventions: Results from the Spine Intervention Society Convened Multispecialty Collaborative.

Science.gov (United States)

MacVicar, John; Kreiner, D Scott; Duszynski, Belinda; Kennedy, David J

2017-11-01

To provide an overview of a multisociety effort to formulate appropriate use criteria for image-guided injections and radiofrequency procedures in the diagnosis and treatment of sacroiliac joint and posterior sacroiliac complex pain. The Spine Intervention Society convened a multisociety effort to guide physicians and define for payers the appropriate use of image-guided injections and radiofrequency procedures. An evidence panel was established to write systematic reviews, define key terms and assumptions, and develop clinical scenarios to be addressed. The rating panel considered the evidence presented in the systematic reviews, carefully reviewed the definitions and assumptions, and rated the clinical scenarios. Final median ratings, in combination with the level of agreement, determined the final ratings for the appropriate use of sacroiliac injections and radiofrequency neurotomy. More than 10,000 scenarios were addressed in the appropriate use criteria and are housed within five modules in the portal, available on the Spine Intervention Society website: Module 1: Clinical Indications and Imaging; Module 2: Anticoagulants; Module 3: Timing of Injections; Module 4: Number of Injections; and Module 5: Lateral Branch Radiofrequency Neurotomy. Within several of these modules, several issues of interest are identified and discussed. Physicians and payers can access the appropriate use criteria portal on the Spine Intervention Society's website and select specific clinical indications for a particular patient in order to learn more about the appropriateness of the intervention(s) under consideration. © 2017 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

The Integration of Ethno-Cultural Communities into Canadian Society: A Selected Bibliography = L'integration des communautes ethnoculturelles dans la societe canadienne: Bibliographie selective.

Science.gov (United States)

de Vries, John

This bibliography lists 804 journal articles, books, chapters in books, and reports dealing with ethnocultural communities in Canada and measures of their integration into Canadian society. The publication is divided into three major parts. Part 1, "Canadian Ethno-Cultural Communities in General," includes materials on issues concerning…

Patient Safety in Spine Surgery: Regarding the Wrong-Site Surgery

OpenAIRE

Lee, Seung-Hwan; Kim, Ji-Sup; Jeong, Yoo-Chul; Kwak, Dae-Kyung; Chun, Ja-Hae; Lee, Hwan-Mo

2013-01-01

Patient safety regarding wrong site surgery has been one of the priority issues in surgical fields including that of spine care. Since the wrong-side surgery in the DM foot patient was reported on a public mass media in 1996, the wrong-site surgery issue has attracted wide public interest as regarding patient safety. Despite the many wrong-site surgery prevention campaigns in spine care such as the operate through your initial program by the Canadian Orthopaedic Association, the sign your sit...

Formation of a national network for rapid response to device and lead advisories: The Canadian Heart Rhythm Society Device Advisory Committee

Science.gov (United States)

Krahn, Andrew D; Simpson, Christopher S; Parkash, Ratika; Yee, Raymond; Champagne, Jean; Healey, Jeffrey S; Cameron, Doug; Thibault, Bernard; Mangat, Iqwal; Tung, Stanley; Sterns, Laurence; Birnie, David H; Exner, Derek V; Sivakumaran, Soori; Davies, Ted; Coutu, Benoit; Crystal, Eugene; Wolfe, Kevin; Verma, Atul; Stephenson, Elizabeth A; Sanatani, Shubhayan; Gow, Robert; Connors, Sean; Paredes, Felix Ayala; Turabian, Mike; Kus, Teresa; Essebag, Vidal; Gardner, Martin

2009-01-01

The Canadian Heart Rhythm Society (CHRS) Device Advisory Committee was commissioned to respond to advisories regarding cardiac rhythm device and lead performance on behalf of the CHRS. In the event of an advisory, the Chair uses an e-mail network to disseminate advisory information to Committee members broadly representative of the Canadian device community. A consensus recommendation is prepared by the Committee and made available to all Canadian centres on the CHRS Web site after approval by the CHRS executive. This collaborative approach using an e-mail network has proven very efficient in providing a rapid national response to device advisories. The network is an ideal tool to collect specific data on implanted device system performance and allows for prompt reporting of clinically relevant data to front-line clinicians and patients. PMID:19584969

Home mechanical ventilation: a Canadian Thoracic Society clinical practice guideline.

Science.gov (United States)

McKim, Douglas A; Road, Jeremy; Avendano, Monica; Abdool, Steve; Cote, Fabien; Duguid, Nigel; Fraser, Janet; Maltais, Fracois; Morrison, Debra L; O'Connell, Colleen; Petrof, Basil J; Rimmer, Karen; Skomro, Robert

2011-01-01

Increasing numbers of patients are surviving episodes of prolonged mechanical ventilation or benefitting from the recent availability of userfriendly noninvasive ventilators. Although many publications pertaining to specific aspects of home mechanical ventilation (HMV) exist, very few comprehensive guidelines that bring together all of the current literature on patients at risk for or using mechanical ventilatory support are available. The Canadian Thoracic Society HMV Guideline Committee has reviewed the available English literature on topics related to HMV in adults, and completed a detailed guideline that will help standardize and improve the assessment and management of individuals requiring noninvasive or invasive HMV. The guideline provides a disease-specific review of illnesses including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophies, myotonic dystrophy, kyphoscoliosis, post-polio syndrome, central hypoventilation syndrome, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as well as important common themes such as airway clearance and the process of transition to home. The guidelines have been extensively reviewed by international experts, allied health professionals and target audiences. They will be updated on a regular basis to incorporate any new information.

Canadian Thoracic Society 2012 Guideline Update: Diagnosis and Management of Asthma in Preschoolers, Children and Adults: Executive Summary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Diane Lougheed

2012-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In 2010, the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS published a Consensus Summary for the diagnosis and management of asthma in children six years of age and older, and adults, including an updated Asthma Management Continuum. The CTS Asthma Clinical Assembly subsequently began a formal clinical practice guideline update process, focusing, in this first iteration, on topics of controversy and/or gaps in the previous guidelines.

Introducing the Canadian Thoracic Society Framework for Guideline Dissemination and Implementation, with Concurrent Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samir Gupta

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS is leveraging its strengths in guideline production to enable respiratory guideline implementation in Canada. The authors describe the new CTS Framework for Guideline Dissemination and Implementation, with Concurrent Evaluation, which has three spheres of action: guideline production, implementation infrastructure and knowledge translation (KT methodological support. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research ‘Knowledge-to-Action’ process was adopted as the model of choice for conceptualizing KT interventions. Within the framework, new evidence for formatting guideline recommendations to enhance the intrinsic implementability of future guidelines were applied. Clinical assemblies will consider implementability early in the guideline production cycle when selecting clinical questions, and new practice guidelines will include a section dedicated to KT. The framework describes the development of a web-based repository and communication forum to inventory existing KT resources and to facilitate collaboration and communication among implementation stakeholders through an online discussion board. A national forum for presentation and peer-review of proposed KT projects is described. The framework outlines expert methodological support for KT planning, development and evaluation including a practical guide for implementers and a novel ‘Clinical Assembly – KT Action Team’, and in-kind logistical support and assistance in securing peer-reviewed funding.

The experience of Korean immigrant women adjusting to Canadian society.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Jaeyoung; Kushner, Kaysi E; Mill, Judy; Lai, Daniel W L

2014-09-01

The acculturation process is an important factor in the experience of all immigrants. Although previous studies have indicated the challenges faced by Korean immigrants, little attention has been paid to Korean women's immigration experiences. A focused ethnography was used to examine midlife and older Korean immigrant women's experiences following their immigration to Canada. Fifteen women were interviewed in a city in Western Canada. The findings showed that in coming to Canada, women focused on caring for their children and often sacrificed their personal dreams. They had to be employed to support their families, and received support from family and government. Women participated regularly in a Korean Church and drew on their Christian faith to ease their adjustment. They retained hopes for the future including good health and a better life for their children. Most women indicated that it was difficult to integrate into Canadian society but they never gave up on their adjustment to a new culture. In this manuscript, the adjustment experience of the immigrant women is discussed in the context of an acculturation framework. The findings will enhance health professionals' awareness of adjustment patterns and associated challenges to Korean immigrant women's quality of life.

Home Mechanical Ventilation: A Canadian Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Douglas A McKim

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Increasing numbers of patients are surviving episodes of prolonged mechanical ventilation or benefitting from the recent availability of user-friendly noninvasive ventilators. Although many publications pertaining to specific aspects of home mechanical ventilation (HMV exist, very few comprehensive guidelines that bring together all of the current literature on patients at risk for or using mechanical ventilatory support are available. The Canadian Thoracic Society HMV Guideline Committee has reviewed the available English literature on topics related to HMV in adults, and completed a detailed guideline that will help standardize and improve the assessment and management of individuals requiring noninvasive or invasive HMV. The guideline provides a disease-specific review of illnesses including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophies, myotonic dystrophy, kyphoscoliosis, post-polio syndrome, central hypoventilation syndrome, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as well as important common themes such as airway clearance and the process of transition to home. The guidelines have been extensively reviewed by international experts, allied health professionals and target audiences. They will be updated on a regular basis to incorporate any new information.

Engendering migrant health: Canadian perspectives

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Spitzer, Denise L

2011-01-01

... these and other issues at the intersections of gender, immigration, and health in the lives of new Canadians. Situating their work within the context of Canadian policy and society, the contributors illuminate migrants' testimonies of struggle, resistance, and solidarity as they negotiate a place for themselves in a new country. Topics range fr...

Canadian Council for Area Studies Learned Societies - 2007-2008 ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

CCASLS) ... for four area studies associations: the Canadian Association of African Studies (CAAS); the ... IDRC invites applications for the IDRC Doctoral Research Awards ... Canada can learn from Uganda's gender budgeting experience.

Canadian guidelines for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, Alan

2014-01-01

Objective To provide a clinical summary of the Canadian clinical practice guidelines for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis (ABRS) that includes relevant considerations for family physicians. Quality of evidence Guideline authors performed a systematic literature search and drafted recommendations. Recommendations received both strength of evidence and strength of recommendation ratings. Input from external content experts was sought, as was endorsement from Canadian medical societies (Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada, Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Canadian Society of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, and the Family Physicians Airways Group of Canada). Main message Diagnosis of ABRS is based on the presence of specific symptoms and their duration; imaging or culture are not needed in uncomplicated cases. Treatment is dependent on symptom severity, with intranasal corticosteroids (INCSs) recommended as monotherapy for mild and moderate cases, although the benefit might be modest. Use of INCSs plus antibiotics is reserved for patients who fail to respond to INCSs after 72 hours, and for initial treatment of patients with severe symptoms. Antibiotic selection must account for the suspected pathogen, the risk of resistance, comorbid conditions, and local antimicrobial resistance trends. Adjunct therapies such as nasal saline irrigation are recommended. Failure to respond to treatment, recurrent episodes, and signs of complications should prompt referral to an otolaryngologist. The guidelines address situations unique to the Canadian health care environment, including actions to take during prolonged wait periods for specialist referral or imaging. Conclusion The Canadian guidelines provide up-to-date recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of ABRS that reflect an evolving understanding of the disease. In addition, the guidelines offer useful tools to help

Return to golf after spine surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Abla, Adib A; Maroon, Joseph C; Lochhead, Richard; Sonntag, Volker K H; Maroon, Adara; Field, Melvin

2011-01-01

no published evidence indicates when patients can resume golfing after spine surgery. The objective of this study is to provide data from surveys sent to spine surgeons. a survey of North American Spine Society members was undertaken querying the suggested timing of return to golf. Of 1000 spine surgeons surveyed, 523 responded (52.3%). The timing of recommended return to golf and the reasons were questioned for college/professional athletes and avid and recreational golfers of both sexes. Responses were tallied for lumbar laminectomy, lumbar microdiscectomy, lumbar fusion, and anterior cervical discectomy with fusion. the most common recommended time for return to golf was 4-8 weeks after lumbar laminectomy and lumbar microdiscectomy, 2-3 months after anterior cervical fusion, and 6 months after lumbar fusion. The results showed a statistically significant increase in the recommended time to resume golf after lumbar fusion than after cervical fusion in all patients (p golf after spine surgery depends on many variables, including the general well-being of patients in terms of pain control and comfort when golfing. This survey serves as a guide that can assist medical practitioners in telling patients the average times recommended by surgeons across North America regarding return to golf after spine surgery.

Dietary exposures and allergy prevention in high-risk infants: a joint position statement of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the Canadian Paediatric Society.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Edmond S; Cummings, Carl; Atkinson, Adelle; Chad, Zave; Francoeur, Marie-Josée; Kirste, Linda; Mack, Douglas; Primeau, Marie-Noël; Vander Leek, Timothy K; Watson, Wade Ta

2014-01-01

Allergic conditions in children are a prevalent health concern in Canada. The burden of disease and the societal costs of proper diagnosis and management are considerable, making the primary prevention of allergic conditions a desirable health care objective. This position statement reviews current evidence on dietary exposures and allergy prevention in infants at high risk of developing allergic conditions. It revisits previous dietary recommendations for pregnancy, breastfeeding and formula-feeding, and provides an approach for introducing solid foods to high-risk infants. While there is no evidence that delaying the introduction of any specific food beyond six months of age helps to prevent allergy, the protective effect of early introduction of potentially allergenic foods (at four to six months) remains under investigation. Recent research appears to suggest that regularly ingesting a new, potentially allergenic food may be as important as when that food is first introduced. This article has already been published (Paediatr Child Health. 2013 Dec;18(10):545-54), and is being re-published with permission from the original publisher, the Canadian Paediatric Society.

Reliability and validity of the French-Canadian version of the scoliosis research society 22 questionnaire in France.

Science.gov (United States)

Lonjon, Guillaume; Ilharreborde, Brice; Odent, Thierry; Moreau, Sébastien; Glorion, Christophe; Mazda, Keyvan

2014-01-01

Outcome study to determine the internal consistency, reproducibility, and concurrent validity of the French-Canadian version of the Scoliosis Research Society 22 (SRS-22 fcv) patient questionnaire in France. To determine whether the SRS-22 fcv can be used in a population from France. The SRS-22 has been translated and validated in multiple countries, notably in the French-Canadian language in Quebec, Canada. Use of SRS-22 fcv seems appropriate for evaluating adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in France. However, French-Canadian French is noticeably different from the French spoken in France, and no study has investigated the use of a French-Canadian version of a health-quality questionnaire in another French population. The methods used for validating the SRS-22 fcv in Quebec were adopted for use with a group of 200 adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis and 60 healthy adolescents in France. Reliability and reproducibility were measured by the Cronbach α and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), construct validity by factorial analysis, concurrent validity by the Short-Form of the survey, and discriminant validity by analysis of variance and multivariate linear regression. In France, the SRS-22 fcv showed good global internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.87, intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.92), a coherent factorial structure, and high correlation coefficients between the SRS-22 fcv and Short-Form of the survey (P < 0.001). However, reliability and validity were slightly less than that for the instrument's original validation and the validation of the SRS-22 fcv in Quebec. These differences could be explained by language and cultural differences. The SRS-22 fcv is relevant for use in France, but further development and validation of a specific French questionnaire remain necessary to improve the assessment of functional outcomes of adolescents with scoliosis in France. N/A.

Statistical Indicators of Ethno-Cultural Community Integration in Canadian Society = Indicateurs statistiques de l'integration des communautes ethnoculturelles dans la societe canadienne.

Science.gov (United States)

de Vries, John

This paper addresses the issue of measuring the integration of various ethnocultural communities into Canadian society by means of statistical or social indicators. The overall philosophy of the study is based on the following principles: (1) indicators should have a clear meaning with respect to the underlying concept of integration; (2)…

Interventional spine and pain procedures in patients on antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications: guidelines from the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, the International Neuromodulation Society, the North American Neuromodulation Society, and the World Institute of Pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Narouze, Samer; Benzon, Honorio T; Provenzano, David A; Buvanendran, Asokumar; De Andres, José; Deer, Timothy R; Rauck, Richard; Huntoon, Marc A

2015-01-01

Interventional spine and pain procedures cover a far broader spectrum than those for regional anesthesia, reflecting diverse targets and goals. When surveyed, interventional pain and spine physicians attending the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) 11th Annual Pain Medicine Meeting exhorted that existing ASRA guidelines for regional anesthesia in patients on antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications were insufficient for their needs. Those surveyed agreed that procedure-specific and patient-specific factors necessitated separate guidelines for pain and spine procedures. In response, ASRA formed a guidelines committee. After preliminary review of published complication reports and studies, committee members stratified interventional spine and pain procedures according to potential bleeding risk as low-, intermediate-, and high-risk procedures. The ASRA guidelines were deemed largely appropriate for the low- and intermediate-risk categories, but it was agreed that the high-risk targets required an intensive look at issues specific to patient safety and optimal outcomes in pain medicine. The latest evidence was sought through extensive database search strategies and the recommendations were evidence-based when available and pharmacology-driven otherwise. We could not provide strength and grading of these recommendations as there are not enough well-designed large studies concerning interventional pain procedures to support such grading. Although the guidelines could not always be based on randomized studies or on large numbers of patients from pooled databases, it is hoped that they will provide sound recommendations and the evidentiary basis for such recommendations.

A multi-national report on methods for institutional credentialing for spine radiosurgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerszten, Peter C; Shin, John H; Winey, Brian; Oh, Kevin; Sweeney, Reinhart A; Guckenberger, Matthias; Sahgal, Arjun; Sheehan, Jason P; Kersh, Ronald; Chen, Stephanie; Flickinger, John C; Quader, Mubina; Fahim, Daniel; Grills, Inga

2013-01-01

Stereotactic body radiotherapy and radiosurgery are rapidly emerging treatment options for both malignant and benign spine tumors. Proper institutional credentialing by physicians and medical physicists as well as other personnel is important for the safe and effective adoption of spine radiosurgery. This article describes the methods for institutional credentialing for spine radiosurgery at seven highly experienced international institutions. All institutions (n = 7) are members of the Elekta Spine Radiosurgery Research Consortium and have a dedicated research and clinical focus on image-guided spine radiosurgery. A questionnaire consisting of 24 items covering various aspects of institutional credentialing for spine radiosurgery was completed by all seven institutions. Close agreement was observed in most aspects of spine radiosurgery credentialing at each institution. A formal credentialing process was believed to be important for the implementation of a new spine radiosurgery program, for patient safety and clinical outcomes. One institution has a written policy specific for spine radiosurgery credentialing, but all have an undocumented credentialing system in place. All institutions rely upon an in-house proctoring system for the training of both physicians and medical physicists. Four institutions require physicians and medical physicists to attend corporate sponsored training. Two of these 4 institutions also require attendance at a non-corporate sponsored academic society radiosurgery course. Corporate as well as non-corporate sponsored training were believed to be complimentary and both important for training. In 5 centers, all cases must be reviewed at a multidisciplinary conference prior to radiosurgery treatment. At 3 centers, neurosurgeons are not required to be involved in all cases if there is no evidence for instability or spinal cord compression. Backup physicians and physicists are required at only 1 institution, but all institutions have more

2015 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics

CERN Document Server

Landry, Elaine

2016-01-01

This volume contains seventeen papers that were presented at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics/La Société Canadienne d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Mathématiques, held in Washington, D.C. In addition to showcasing rigorously reviewed modern scholarship on an interesting variety of general topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics, this meeting also honored the memories of Jacqueline (Jackie) Stedall and Ivor Grattan-Guinness; celebrated the Centennial of the Mathematical Association of America; and considered the importance of mathematical communities in a special session. These themes and many others are explored in these collected papers, which cover subjects such as New evidence that the Latin translation of Euclid’s Elements was based on the Arabic version attributed to al-Ḥajjāj Work done on the arc rampant in the seventeenth century The history of numerical methods for finding roots of nonlinear equations An original play feat...

2014 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics

CERN Document Server

Landry, Elaine

2015-01-01

This volume contains thirteen papers that were presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics/La Société Canadienne d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Mathématiques, held on the campus of Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It contains rigorously reviewed modern scholarship on general topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics, as well as on the meeting’s special topic, Early Scientific Computation. These papers cover subjects such as •Physical tools used by mathematicians in the seventeenth century •The first historical appearance of the game-theoretical concept of mixed-strategy equilibrium •George Washington’s mathematical cyphering books •The development of the Venn diagram •The role of Euler and other mathematicians in the development of algebraic analysis •Arthur Cayley and Alfred Kempe’s influence on Charles Peirce's diagrammatic logic •The influence publishers had on the development of mathematical...

Canadian nuclear risk experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamel, P.E.

1982-05-01

Risk assessment in the Canadian nuclear fuel cycle is a very important and complex subject. Many levels of government are involved in deciding the acceptable limits for the risks, taking into account the benefits for society [fr

Next-generation models for Canadian collaboration in international ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

... enhanced and sustained collaboration between Canadian civil society and academia. ... with particular emphasis on the civil society and academic communities; ... in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Readability of Spine-Related Patient Education Materials From Leading Orthopedic Academic Centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryu, Justine H; Yi, Paul H

2016-05-01

Cross-sectional analysis of online spine-related patient education materials from leading academic centers. To assess the readability levels of spine surgery-related patient education materials available on the websites of academic orthopedic surgery departments. The Internet is becoming an increasingly popular resource for patient education. Yet many previous studies have found that Internet-based orthopedic-related patient education materials from subspecialty societies are written at a level too difficult for the average American; however, no prior study has assessed the readability of spine surgery-related patient educational materials from leading academic centers. All spine surgery-related articles from the online patient education libraries of the top five US News & World Report-ranked orthopedic institutions were assessed for readability using the Flesch-Kincaid (FK) readability test. Mean readability levels of articles amongst the five academic institutions and articles were compared. We also determined the number of articles with readability levels at or below the recommended sixth- or eight-grade levels. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability of readability assessment were assessed. A total of 122 articles were reviewed. The mean overall FK grade level was 11.4; the difference in mean FK grade level between each department varied significantly (range, 9.3-13.4; P Online patient education materials related to spine from academic orthopedic centers are written at a level too high for the average patient, consistent with spine surgery-related patient education materials provided by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and spine subspecialty societies. This study highlights the potential difficulties patients might have in reading and comprehending the information in publicly available education materials related to spine. N/A.

Canadian Thoracic Society 2011 Guideline Update: Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Disordered Breathing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Fleetham

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS published an executive summary of guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disordered breathing in 2006/2007. These guidelines were developed during several meetings by a group of experts with evidence grading based on committee consensus. These guidelines were well received and the majority of the recommendations remain unchanged. The CTS embarked on a more rigorous process for the 2011 guideline update, and addressed eight areas that were believed to be controversial or in which new data emerged. The CTS Sleep Disordered Breathing Committee posed specific questions for each area. The recommendations regarding maximum assessment wait times, portable monitoring, treatment of asymptomatic adult obstructive sleep apnea patients, treatment with conventional continuous positive airway pressure compared with automatic continuous positive airway pressure, and treatment of central sleep apnea syndrome in heart failure patients replace the recommendations in the 2006/2007 guidelines. The recommendations on bariatric surgery, complex sleep apnea and optimum positive airway pressure technologies are new topics, which were not covered in the 2006/2007 guidelines.

2016 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics

CERN Document Server

Schlimm, Dirk

2017-01-01

This volume contains fourteen papers that were presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics/La Société Canadienne d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Mathématiques, held at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. In addition to showcasing rigorously reviewed modern scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics, this meeting also honored the life and work of the logician and philosopher of mathematics Aldo Antonelli (1962-2015). The first four papers in this book are part of that remembrance and have a philosophical focus. Included in these are a discussion of Bolzano’s objections to Kant’s philosophy of mathematics and an examination of the influence of rhetorical and poetic aesthetics on the development of symbols in the 16th and 17thCenturies. The remaining papers deal with the history of mathematics and cover such subjects as Early schemes for polar ordinates in the work of L’Hôpital, bas...

Quantifying the variability of financial disclosure information reported by authors presenting at annual spine conferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Ju, Brian L; Miller, Christopher P; Whang, Peter G; Grauer, Jonathan N

2011-01-01

In recent years, greater attention has been directed toward determining how potential financial conflicts of interest may affect the integrity of biomedical research. To address this issue, various disclosure policies have been adopted in an attempt to increase the transparency of this process. However, the consistency of such reporting among spine surgeons remains unknown. This study quantifies the variability in the self-reported disclosures of individual authors presenting at multiple spine conferences during the same year. The author disclosure information published for the 2008 North American Spine Society (NASS), Cervical Spine Research Society (CSRS), and Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), conferences were compiled into a database. We evaluated the disclosure policy for each society and compared the disclosure listings of authors who presented at more than one of these meetings. Disclosure records were available for 1,231 authors at NASS, 550 at CSRS, and 642 at SRS. Of these individuals, 278 (NASS), 129 (CSRS), and 181 (SRS) presented at one of the other conferences and 40 presented at all three conferences. North American Spine Society and CSRS required disclosure of all financial relationships, whereas SRS only requested disclosures pertinent to authors' presentations. Of the 153 authors who presented at the NASS and CSRS meetings, 51% exhibited discrepancies in their disclosure information. In contrast, only 9% of the 205 individuals whose data was listed at both the NASS and SRS conferences demonstrated irregularities. Similarly, 18% of the 56 authors who had provided information to both CSRS and SRS were inconsistent in their reporting. These findings emphasize the significant variability that currently exists in the reporting of financial conflicts of interest by authors who presented at three major spine conferences within the past year. We believe these discrepancies are likely because of confusion regarding what relationships should be acknowledged

Surgical Site Infections in Pediatric Spine Surgery: Comparative Microbiology of Patients with Idiopathic and Nonidiopathic Etiologies of Spine Deformity.

Science.gov (United States)

Maesani, Matthieu; Doit, Catherine; Lorrot, Mathie; Vitoux, Christine; Hilly, Julie; Michelet, Daphné; Vidal, Christophe; Julien-Marsollier, Florence; Ilharreborde, Brice; Mazda, Keyvan; Bonacorsi, Stéphane; Dahmani, Souhayl

2016-01-01

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a concern in pediatric spine surgery with unusually high rates for a clean surgery and especially for patients with deformity of nonidiopathic etiology. Microbiologic differences between etiologies of spine deformities have been poorly investigated. We reviewed all cases of SSI in spinal surgery between 2007 and 2011. Characteristics of cases and of bacteria according to the etiology of the spine disease were investigated. Of 496 surgeries, we identified 51 SSIs (10.3%) in 49 patients. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent pathogen whatever the etiology (n = 31, 61% of infection cases). The second most frequent pathogens vary according to the etiology of the spine deformity. It was Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) in nonidiopathic cases (n = 19, 45% of cases) and anaerobe in idiopathic cases (n = 8, 38% of cases), particularly Gram-positive anaerobic cocci (n = 5, 24% of cases). Infection rate was 6.8% in cases with idiopathic spine disease (n = 21) and 15.9% in cases with nonidiopathic spine disease (n = 30). Nonidiopathic cases were more frequently male with lower weight. American Society of Anesthesiologists score was more often greater than 2, they had more frequently sacral implants and postoperative intensive care unit stay. GNB were significantly associated with a nonidiopathic etiology, low weight, younger age and sacral fusion. SSIs were polymicrobial in 31% of cases with a mean of 1.4 species per infection cases. S. aureus is the first cause of SSI in pediatric spine surgery. However, Gram-positive anaerobic cocci should be taken into account in idiopathic patients and GNB in nonidiopathic patients when considering antibiotic prophylaxis and curative treatment.

Family presence during resuscitation: A Canadian Critical Care Society position paper.

Science.gov (United States)

Oczkowski, Simon John Walsh; Mazzetti, Ian; Cupido, Cynthia; Fox-Robichaud, Alison E

2015-01-01

Recent evidence suggests that patient outcomes are not affected by the offering of family presence during resuscitation (FPDR), and that psychological outcomes are neutral or improved in family members of adult patients. The exclusion of family members from the resuscitation area should, therefore, be reassessed. The present Canadian Critical Care Society position paper is designed to help clinicians and institutions decide whether to incorporate FPDR as part of their routine clinical practice, and to offer strategies to implement FPDR successfully. The authors conducted a literature search of the perspectives of health care providers, patients and families on the topic of FPDR, and considered the relevant ethical values of beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy and justice in light of the clinical evidence for FPDR. They reviewed randomized controlled trials and observational studies of FPDR to determine strategies that have been used to screen family members, select appropriate chaperones and educate staff. FPDR is an ethically sound practice in Canada, and may be considered for the families of adult and pediatric patients in the hospital setting. Hospitals that choose to implement FPDR should develop transparent policies regarding which family members are to be offered the opportunity to be present during the resuscitation. Experienced chaperones should accompany and support family members in the resuscitation area. Intensive educational interventions and increasing experience with FPDR are associated with increased support for the practice from health care providers. FPDR should be considered to be an important component of patient and family-centred care.

Canadian International Food Security Research Fund | IDRC ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

The Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF) invests in scaling up ... for farming families, and improve nutrition throughout the Global South. ... universities, civil society organizations, governments, and the private sector, ...

Statistics in action a Canadian outlook

CERN Document Server

Lawless, Jerald F

2014-01-01

Commissioned by the Statistical Society of Canada (SSC), Statistics in Action: A Canadian Outlook helps both general readers and users of statistics better appreciate the scope and importance of statistics. It presents the ways in which statistics is used while highlighting key contributions that Canadian statisticians are making to science, technology, business, government, and other areas. The book emphasizes the role and impact of computing in statistical modeling and analysis, including the issues involved with the huge amounts of data being generated by automated processes.The first two c

Pathologic C-spine fracture with low risk mechanism and normal physical exam.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Andrew; McGreevy, Jolion; Linden, Judith

2017-09-01

Cervical spinal fracture is a rare, but potentially disabling complication of trauma to the neck. Clinicians often rely on clinical decision rules and guidelines to decide whether or not imaging is necessary when a patient presents with neck pain. Validated clinical guidelines include the Canadian C-Spine Rule and the Nexus criteria. Studies suggest that the risks of a pathologic fracture from a simple rear end collision are negligible. We present a case of an individual who presented to an emergency department (ED) after a low speed motor vehicle collision complaining of lateral neck pain and had multiple subsequent visits for the same complaint with negative exam findings. Ultimately, he was found to have a severely pathologic cervical spine fracture with notable cord compression. Our objective is to discuss the necessity to incorporate clinical decision rules with physician gestalt and the need to take into account co-morbidities of a patient presenting after a minor MVC. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Conflict of interest and professional medical associations: the North American Spine Society experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Schofferman, Jerome A; Eskay-Auerbach, Marjorie L; Sawyer, Laura S; Herring, Stanley A; Arnold, Paul M; Muehlbauer, Eric J

2013-08-01

Recently the financial relationships between industry and professional medical associations have come under increased scrutiny because of the concern that industry ties may create real or perceived conflicts of interest. Professional medical associations pursue public advocacy as well as promote medical education, develop clinical practice guidelines, fund research, and regulate professional conduct. Therefore, the conflicts of interest of a professional medical association and its leadership can have more far-reaching effects on patient care than those of an individual physician. Few if any professional medical associations have reported their experience with implementing strict divestment and disclosure policies, and among the policies that have been issued, there is little uniformity. We describe the experience of the North American Spine Society (NASS) in implementing comprehensive conflicts of interest policies. A special feature article. We discuss financial conflicts of interest as they apply to professional medical associations rather than to individual physicians. We describe the current policies of disclosure and divestment adopted by the NASS and how these policies have evolved, been refined, and have had no detrimental impact on membership, attendance at annual meetings, finances, or leadership recruitment. No funding was received for this work. The authors report no potential conflict-of-interest-associated biases in the text. The NASS has shown that a professional medical association can manage its financial relationships with industry in a manner that minimizes influence and bias. The NASS experience can provide a template for other professional medical associations to help manage their own possible conflicts of interest issues. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The spine problem: Finding a function for dendritic spines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah eMalanowski

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Why do neurons have dendritic spines? This question— the heart of what Yuste calls the spine problem— presupposes that why-questions of this sort have scientific answers: that empirical findings can favor or count against claims about why neurons have spines. Here we show how such questions can receive empirical answers. We construe such why-questions as questions about how spines make a difference to the behavior of some mechanism that we take to be significant. Why-questions are driven fundamentally by the effort to understand how some item, such as the dendritic spine, is situated in the causal structure of the world (the causal nexus. They ask for a filter on that busy world that allows us to see a part’s individual contribution to a mechanism, independent of everything else going on. So understood, answers to why-questions can be assessed by testing the claims these answers make about the causal structure of a mechanism. We distinguish four ways of making a difference to a mechanism (necessary, modulatory, component, background condition, and we sketch their evidential requirements. One consequence of our analysis is that there are many spine problems and that any given spine problem might have many acceptable answers.

Committing Canadian sociology: developing a Canadian sociology and a sociology of Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, Ralph

2014-05-01

This paper is a slightly revised version of the author's "Outstanding Career Award Lecture" presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Sociological Association in Victoria, British Columbia on June 6, 2013. The paper distinguishes between Canadian Sociology and the Sociology of Canada. The former involves the explanatory stance that one takes to understanding Canada. The latter addresses the significant social dimensions that underlie Canadian social organization, culture, and behavior. I make a case for a Canadian Sociology that focuses on the unique features of Canadian society rather than adopting a comparative perspective. I also argue that there is a continuing need within the Sociology of Canada to address the issues of staples development. However, I argue that "new" staples analysis must have a directional change from that of the past, in that social processes now largely determine the pattern of staples development. Moreover, new staples analysis must include issues that were never part of earlier staples analysis, such as issues of environmental impacts and of staples depletion under conditions, such as climate change. The paper concludes by analyzing four factors that provide the dominant social contexts for analyzing modern staples development: (1) the rise of neoliberal government, (2) the implementation of globalization and its social consequences, (3) the assumption of aboriginal rights and entitlement, and (4) the rise of environmentalism. These factors were generally not considered in earlier staples approaches. They are critical to understanding the role of staples development and its impact on Canada in the present time.

Canadian attitudes to nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davies, J.E.O.

1977-01-01

task for the Canadian nuclear industry because of the fear component and because the credibility of institutional information is low. The safety and wellbeing of a nuclear-oriented society have yet to be satisfactorily demonstrated. This demonstration remains an important objective for the nuclear industry in Canada because public participation and public acceptance are prerequisites to retaining the nuclear option. (author)

Proceedings of the Canadian Nuclear Society international conference on containment design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Black, R.K.

1984-01-01

The subject of containment was discussed under the major topic headings of: USA views on containment design operation and regulation, containment structure analysis, containment envelope and energy suppression systems, European views on containment design operation and regulation, containment atmosphere control, Canadian views on containment design operation and regulation, containment analysis, and regulatory requirements, testing, and periodic inspection

Lumbar spine chordoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.A. Hatem, M.B.Ch.B, MRes, LMCC

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Chordoma is a rare tumor arising from notochord remnants in the spine. It is slow-growing, which makes it difficult to diagnose and difficult to follow up after treatment. Typically, it occurs in the base of the skull and sacrococcygeal spine; it rarely occurs in other parts of the spine. CT-guided biopsy of a suspicious mass enabled diagnosis of lumbar spine chordoma.

Spatial and Working Memory Is Linked to Spine Density and Mushroom Spines.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rasha Refaat Mahmmoud

Full Text Available Changes in synaptic structure and efficacy including dendritic spine number and morphology have been shown to underlie neuronal activity and size. Moreover, the shapes of individual dendritic spines were proposed to correlate with their capacity for structural change. Spine numbers and morphology were reported to parallel memory formation in the rat using a water maze but, so far, there is no information on spine counts or shape in the radial arm maze (RAM, a frequently used paradigm for the evaluation of complex memory formation in the rodent.24 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups, 8 were trained, 8 remained untrained in the RAM and 8 rats served as cage controls. Dendritic spine numbers and individual spine forms were counted in CA1, CA3 areas and dentate gyrus of hippocampus using a DIL dye method with subsequent quantification by the Neuronstudio software and the image J program.Working memory errors (WME and latency in the RAM were decreased along the training period indicating that animals performed the task. Total spine density was significantly increased following training in the RAM as compared to untrained rats and cage controls. The number of mushroom spines was significantly increased in the trained as compared to untrained and cage controls. Negative significant correlations between spine density and WME were observed in CA1 basal dendrites and in CA3 apical and basal dendrites. In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between spine density and latency in CA3 basal dendrites.The study shows that spine numbers are significantly increased in the trained group, an observation that may suggest the use of this method representing a morphological parameter for memory formation studies in the RAM. Herein, correlations between WME and latency in the RAM and spine density revealed a link between spine numbers and performance in the RAM.

Spatial and Working Memory Is Linked to Spine Density and Mushroom Spines.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmmoud, Rasha Refaat; Sase, Sunetra; Aher, Yogesh D; Sase, Ajinkya; Gröger, Marion; Mokhtar, Maher; Höger, Harald; Lubec, Gert

2015-01-01

Changes in synaptic structure and efficacy including dendritic spine number and morphology have been shown to underlie neuronal activity and size. Moreover, the shapes of individual dendritic spines were proposed to correlate with their capacity for structural change. Spine numbers and morphology were reported to parallel memory formation in the rat using a water maze but, so far, there is no information on spine counts or shape in the radial arm maze (RAM), a frequently used paradigm for the evaluation of complex memory formation in the rodent. 24 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups, 8 were trained, 8 remained untrained in the RAM and 8 rats served as cage controls. Dendritic spine numbers and individual spine forms were counted in CA1, CA3 areas and dentate gyrus of hippocampus using a DIL dye method with subsequent quantification by the Neuronstudio software and the image J program. Working memory errors (WME) and latency in the RAM were decreased along the training period indicating that animals performed the task. Total spine density was significantly increased following training in the RAM as compared to untrained rats and cage controls. The number of mushroom spines was significantly increased in the trained as compared to untrained and cage controls. Negative significant correlations between spine density and WME were observed in CA1 basal dendrites and in CA3 apical and basal dendrites. In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between spine density and latency in CA3 basal dendrites. The study shows that spine numbers are significantly increased in the trained group, an observation that may suggest the use of this method representing a morphological parameter for memory formation studies in the RAM. Herein, correlations between WME and latency in the RAM and spine density revealed a link between spine numbers and performance in the RAM.

Shaping policy: the Canadian Cancer Society and the Hormone Receptor Testing Inquiry.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathews, M; Newbury, J; Housser, E M

2011-08-01

In 2007, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador established the Commission of Inquiry on Hormone Receptor Testing to examine problems with estrogen and progesterone hormone receptor tests conducted in the province between 1997 and 2005. Using the Inquiry as a case study, we examine the knowledge transfer activities used by the Canadian Cancer Society - Newfoundland and Labrador Division (CCS-NL) to shape policy and improve cancer control in the province. CCS-NL established a panel to advise its legal counsel and asked academic researchers to prepare papers to submit to the Commission. CCS-NL also interviewed patients to better inform its legal arguments, used its province-wide networks to raise awareness of the Inquiry, and provided a toll-free number that people could call. It also provided basic information, resources, and contact information for people who were affected by the flawed hormone receptor tests. The effectiveness of CCS-NL's activities is reflected by the inclusion of its key messages in the Commission's recommendations, and the investment in cancer care following the Inquiry. The success of the CCS-NL knowledge transfer efforts stemmed from its reputation as an advocate for cancer patients and its long-standing relationship with researchers, especially at the local level. The case illustrates real-world application of knowledge transfer practices in the development of public policy, and describes how community-based non-government organizations can identify and draw attention to important issues that otherwise might not have been addressed.

Proceedings of the Canadian Solar Buildings Conference : the 31. annual conference of the Solar Energy Society of Canada Inc. and the 1. Canadian Solar Buildings Research Network conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Athienitis, A.; Charron, R.; Karava, P.; Stylianou, M.; Tzempelikos, A.

2006-01-01

The first conference organized by the newly established Canadian Solar Buildings Research Network (SBRN) was held in conjunction with the thirty-first annual conference of the Solar Energy Society of Canada Inc (SESCI). The conference was attended by top researchers from 10 Canadian Universities to promote innovative research and development in solar energy applications and to advance the awareness of solar energy in Canada. It featured special events such as trade shows, photovoltaic workshops, a course in ESP-r simulation, tours of solar houses and other events focused on the economic, environmental and socio-economic benefits of solar technology, including the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. SBRN was founded on the premise that university researchers should focus on solar energy applications for buildings. Several presentations proposed action plans to accelerate the implementation of solar energy through the use of innovative building technologies and sustainable energy policies. Other major issues of interest were also discussed, including the development of the net-zero energy solar home and grid-connection issues. The sessions of the conference were entitled: solar thermal systems; solar electricity; building integrated photovoltaic systems; design issues and tools; integrating PV and solar thermal in buildings; daylighting and solar radiation modeling; fenestration and shading; PV manufacturing and solar electricity resources. The proceedings featured 41 refereed papers and 13 poster presentations, all of which have been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database. refs., tabs., figs

The objectives and activities of the Canadian Radiation Protection Association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haynes, M.J.

1998-01-01

The Canadian Nuclear Society and the Canadian Radiation Protection Association are working to develop an agreement between the organizations to facilitate working together on issues of common interest. This paper will present the objectives, the organizational structure and major areas of activity of the Canadian Radiation Protection Association. It is a reciprocal presentation of one given earlier this year by Mr. Fred Boyd of the CNS to the CRPA annual conference. The intent is to help the membership of each organization better understand the objectives and interests of the other. (author)

Effects of VIE tagging and partial tissue sampling on the immune response of three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Henrich, T; Hafer, N; Mobley, K B

2014-09-01

A 14 day experiment on effects of visible implant elastomer (VIE) tagging and spine-clipping of three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus showed significant increases in immune response, particularly in the granulocyte:lymphocyte ratio, in both treatments and the sham control. A minimum two-week recovery after handling, anaesthesia, tagging and spine-clipping is recommended to minimize effect of manipulation on the immune system. © 2014 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Interventional Spine and Pain Procedures in Patients on Antiplatelet and Anticoagulant Medications (Second Edition): Guidelines From the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, the International Neuromodulation Society, the North American Neuromodulation Society, and the World Institute of Pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Narouze, Samer; Benzon, Honorio T; Provenzano, David; Buvanendran, Asokumar; De Andres, José; Deer, Timothy; Rauck, Richard; Huntoon, Marc A

2018-04-01

The American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) 2012 survey of meeting attendees showed that existing ASRA anticoagulation guidelines for regional anesthesia were insufficient for their needs. Those surveyed agreed that procedure-specific and patient-specific factors required separate guidelines for pain and spine procedures. In response, a guidelines committee was formed. After preliminary review of published complications reports and studies, the committee stratified interventional spine and pain procedures according to potential bleeding risk: low-, intermediate-, and high-risk procedures. The ASRA regional anesthesia anticoagulation guidelines were largely deemed appropriate for the low- and intermediate-risk categories, but the high-risk category required further investigation. The first guidelines specific to interventional spine and pain procedures were published in 2015. Recent reviews evaluating bleeding complications in patients undergoing specific interventional pain procedures, the development of new regional anesthesia and acute pain guidelines, and the development of new anticoagulants and antiplatelet medications necessitate complementary updated guidelines. The authors desired coordination with the authors of the recently updated regional and acute pain anticoagulation guidelines. The latest evidence was sought through extensive database search strategies and the recommendations were evidence based when available and pharmacology driven otherwise. We could not provide strength and grading of these recommendations because there are not enough well-designed large studies concerning interventional pain procedures to support such grading. Although the guidelines could not always be based on randomized studies or on large numbers of patients from pooled databases, it is hoped that they will provide sound recommendations and the evidentiary basis for such recommendations. This publication is intended as a living document to be updated

Nuclear at Niagara. 32nd Annual Canadian Nuclear Society conference and 35th CNS/CNA student conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

The 32nd Annual Canadian Nuclear Society Conference and 35th CNS/CNA Student Conference was held in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada on June 5-8, 2011. The theme of the conference, 'Nuclear at Niagara', brought together scientists, engineers, technologists, senior management, government officials, and students interested in all aspects of nuclear science and technology and its applications, including nuclear power generation, fuel production, uranium mining and refining, management of radioactive wastes and used fuel. Other topics include medical and industrial uses of radionuclides, occupational and environmental radiation protection, the science and technology of nuclear fusion, and associated activities in research and development. and applications of energy from the atom. The central objective of this conference was to exchange views on how nuclear science and technology can best serve the needs of humanity, now and in the future. Over 400 delegates from across Canada and other nuclear countries were in attendance.

First Nations: Race, Class, and Gender Relations. Canadian Plains Reprint Series 7.

Science.gov (United States)

Wotherspoon, Terry; Satzewich, Vic

Canadian social life and public policy are increasingly influenced by Aboriginal people, their roles in Canadian society, and the issues that concern them. Drawing on a political economy perspective, this book provides a systematic analysis of how changing social dynamics, organized particularly around race, class, and gender relations, have…

Recommendations for reducing the effect of grain dust on the lungs. Canadian Thoracic Society Standards Committee.

Science.gov (United States)

Becklake, M; Broder, I; Chan-Yeung, M; Dosman, J A; Ernst, P; Herbert, F A; Kennedy, S M; Warren, P W

1996-11-15

To assess the appropriateness of the current Canadian standards for exposure to grain dust in the workplace. The current permissible exposure limit of 10 mg of total grain dust per cubic metre of air (expressed as mg/m3) as an 8-hour time-weighted average exposure, or a lower permissible exposure limit. Acute symptoms of grain-dust exposure, such as cough, phlegm production, wheezing and dyspnea, similar chronic symptoms, and spirometric deficits revealing obstructive or restrictive disease. Articles published from 1924 to December 1993 were identified from Index Medicus and the bibliographies of pertinent articles. Subsequent articles published from 1994 (when the recommendations were approved by the Canadian Thoracic Society Standards Committee) to June 1996 were retrieved through a search of MEDLINE, and modification of the recommendations was not found to be necessary. Studies of interest were those that linked measurements of total grain dust levels to the development of acute and chronic respiratory symptoms and changes in lung function in exposed workers. Papers on the effects of grain dust on workers in feed mills were not included because other nutrients such as animal products may have been added to the grain. Unpublished reports (e.g., to Labour Canada) were included as sources of information. A high value was placed on minimizing the biological harm that grain dust has on the lungs of grain workers. A permissible exposure limit of 5 mg/m3 would control the short-term effects of exposure to grain dust on workers. Evidence is insufficient to determine what level is needed to prevent long-term effects. The economic implications of implementing a lower permissible exposure limit have not been evaluated. The current Canadian standards for grain-dust exposure should be reviewed by Labour Canada and the grain industry. A permissible exposure level of 5 mg/m3 is recommended to control short-term effects. Further measurements that link the levels of exposure to

Screening cervical spine CT in the emergency department, phase 3: increasing effectiveness of imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffith, Brent; Vallee, Phyllis; Krupp, Seth; Jung, Melissa; Slezak, Michelle; Nagarwala, Jumana; Loeckner, C Patrick; Schultz, Lonni R; Jain, Rajan

2014-02-01

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a clinical education initiative on the appropriate utilization of screening cervical spine CT in the emergency department. The purpose was to assess if clinical education can produce stricter adherence to the ACR Appropriateness Criteria and improve the utilization of screening CT examinations in the emergency department. Institutional review board approval was obtained for this HIPAA-compliant study. All adult patients presenting to a level 1 trauma center with blunt trauma prompting screening cervical spine CT were eligible. For each study, the requesting clinician completed a survey selecting all clinical indications. CT examinations were evaluated by a board-certified radiologist blinded to survey data. Results were compared with retrospective and prospective studies performed before the institution of the education initiative. Of the 388 cervical spine CT examinations performed, 12 (3.1%) were positive for acute cervical spine injury, compared to only 1.0% before the clinical education program (phase 2). Of the 376 examinations without injury, 13% met all 5 National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study criteria for nonimaging (down from 16.1% in phase 2), and 15 (4%) required no imaging when both National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study and abbreviated Canadian cervical spine rule criteria were applied. Implementation of a clinical education initiative resulted in improved adherence to ACR Appropriateness Criteria and improved clinical effectiveness of the studies by increasing fracture detection rate. Initiatives such as these could potentially influence imaging overutilization without burdening emergency department clinicians with excessive roadblocks to image ordering. Copyright © 2014 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SpineData

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kent, Peter; Kongsted, Alice; Jensen, Tue Secher

2015-01-01

Background: Large-scale clinical registries are increasingly recognized as important resources for quality assurance and research to inform clinical decision-making and health policy. We established a clinical registry (SpineData) in a conservative care setting where more than 10,000 new cases...... of spinal pain are assessed each year. This paper describes the SpineData registry, summarizes the characteristics of its clinical population and data, and signals the availability of these data as a resource for collaborative research projects. Methods: The SpineData registry is an Internet-based system...... that captures patient data electronically at the point of clinical contact. The setting is the government-funded Medical Department of the Spine Centre of Southern Denmark, Hospital Lillebaelt, where patients receive a multidisciplinary assessment of their chronic spinal pain. Results: Started in 2011...

Assessing the cost of implementing the 2011 Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada and Canadian College of Medical Genetics practice guidelines on the detection of fetal aneuploidies.

Science.gov (United States)

Lilley, Margaret; Hume, Stacey; Karpoff, Nina; Maire, Georges; Taylor, Sherry; Tomaszewski, Robert; Yoshimoto, Maisa; Christian, Susan

2017-09-01

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada and the Canadian College of Medical Genetics published guidelines, in 2011, recommending replacement of karyotype with quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction when prenatal testing is performed because of an increased risk of a common aneuploidy. This study's objective is to perform a cost analysis following the implementation of quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction as a stand-alone test. A total of 658 samples were received between 1 April 2014 and 31 August 2015: 576 amniocentesis samples and 82 chorionic villi sampling. A chromosome abnormality was identified in 14% (93/658) of the prenatal samples tested. The implementation of the 2011 Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada and the Canadian College of Medical Genetics guidelines in Edmonton and Northern Alberta resulted in a cost savings of $46 295.80. The replacement of karyotype with chromosomal microarray for some indications would be associated with additional costs. The implementation of new test methods may provide cost savings or added costs. Cost analysis is important to consider during the implementation of new guidelines or technologies. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Nuclear at Niagara. 32nd Annual Canadian Nuclear Society conference and 35th CNS/CNA student conference

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-01

The 32nd Annual Canadian Nuclear Society Conference and 35th CNS/CNA Student Conference was held in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada on June 5-8, 2011. The theme of the conference, 'Nuclear at Niagara', brought together scientists, engineers, technologists, senior management, government officials, and students interested in all aspects of nuclear science and technology and its applications, including nuclear power generation, fuel production, uranium mining and refining, management of radioactive wastes and used fuel. Other topics include medical and industrial uses of radionuclides, occupational and environmental radiation protection, the science and technology of nuclear fusion, and associated activities in research and development. and applications of energy from the atom. The central objective of this conference was to exchange views on how nuclear science and technology can best serve the needs of humanity, now and in the future. Over 400 delegates from across Canada and other nuclear countries were in attendance.

Conspicuous carotenoid-based pelvic spine ornament in three-spined stickleback populations—occurrence and inheritance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CR Amundsen

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Reports on reddish carotenoid-based ornaments in female three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus are few, despite the large interest in the species’ behaviour, ornamentation, morphology and evolution. We sampled sticklebacks from 17 sites in north-western Europe in this first extensive study on the occurrence of carotenoid-based female pelvic spines and throat ornaments. The field results showed that females, and males, with reddish spines were found in all 17 populations. Specimens of both sexes with conspicuous red spines were found in several of the sites. The pelvic spines of males were more intensely red compared to the females’ spines, and large specimens were more red than small ones. Fish infected with the tapeworm (Schistocephalus solidus had drabber spines than uninfected fish. Both sexes had red spines both during and after the spawning period, but the intensity of the red colour was more exaggerated during the spawning period. As opposed to pelvic spines, no sign of red colour at the throat was observed in any female from any of the 17 populations. A rearing experiment was carried out to estimate a potential genetic component of the pelvic spine ornament by artificial crossing and rearing of 15 family groups during a 12 months period. The results indicated that the genetic component of the red colour at the spines was low or close to zero. Although reddish pelvic spines seem common in populations of stickleback, the potential adaptive function of the reddish pelvic spines remains largely unexplained.

Engendering migrant health: Canadian perspectives

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Spitzer, Denise L

2011-01-01

.... Focusing on the context of Canadian policy and society, the contributors illuminate migrants' testimonies of struggle, resistance, and solidarity as they negotiate a place for themselves in a new country. Topics range from the difficulties of Francophone refugees and the changing roles of fathers, to the experiences of queer newcomers and the importance of social unity to communal and individual health."--pub. desc.

Imaging the Traumatized Spine'Clearing The Cervical Spine'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monu, U.V.J.

2015-01-01

Failure to recognize and diagnose injury to the cervical spine on plain radiographs can lead to severe and devastating consequences to the patient in particular and to the radiologist financially and otherwise. CT examination of the cervical spine aids and significantly improves diagnoses in many instances. it is neither economically feasible nor desirable to obtain CT on all patients. Meticulous attention to detail and zero tolerance for deviations from the usual radiographic landmarks will help select cases that should obtain additional imaging in form of CT or MRI scans. Faced with a task of clearing a cervical spine, a number of options are available. The first discriminator is whether or not the patient can be cleared clinically. If that is not possible, radiographic evaluation is needed. Strict adherence to a minimum three view plain radiograph for C-spine series must be maintained. Deviation from established norms for cervical spine radiographs should trigger a CT for additional evaluation

Thoracic spine pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksey Ivanovich Isaikin

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Thoracic spine pain, or thoracalgia, is one of the common reasons for seeking for medical advice. The epidemiology and semiotics of pain in the thoracic spine unlike in those in the cervical and lumbar spine have not been inadequately studied. The causes of thoracic spine pain are varied: diseases of the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, and renal systems, injuries to the musculoskeletal structures of the cervical and thoracic portions, which require a thorough differential diagnosis. Facet, costotransverse, and costovertebral joint injuries and myofascial syndrome are the most common causes of musculoskeletal (nonspecific pain in the thoracic spine. True radicular pain is rarely encountered. Traditionally, treatment for thoracalgia includes a combination of non-drug and drug therapies. The cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitor meloxicam (movalis may be the drug of choice in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain.

Nuclear the next generation. 34th Annual Canadian Nuclear Society conference and 37th CNS/CNA student conference

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-07-01

The 34th Annual Canadian Nuclear Society Conference and 37th CNS/CNA Student Conference was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on June 10-13, 2013. With the theme of the conference, 'Nuclear the Next Generation{sup ,} the conference actively engaged 400 participants in the many facets of this well-rum event. The conference combined excellent plenary speakers, a full set of technical papers, challenging student poster competitions, and interesting exhibits. The plenary session focussed on the themes: 'Nuclear Power - a Business Driver for the Next Generation'; and, 'Designing - the Next Generation'. The technical session titles were: Reactor and Radiation Physics; Environment and Spent Fuel Management; Operations and Maintenance; Fusion Science and Technology; Advanced Reactors and Fuels; Plant Life Extension, Refurbishment and Aging; Safety and Licensing; Chemistry and Materials; and, Thermalhydraulics. The student conference session was well attended and completed the 4 day event.

Canadian petroleum history bibliography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cass, D.

2003-09-27

The Petroleum History Bibliography includes a list of more than 2,000 publications that record the history of the Canadian petroleum industry. The list includes books, theses, films, audio tapes, published articles, company histories, biographies, autobiographies, fiction, poetry, humour, and an author index. It was created over a period of several years to help with projects at the Petroleum History Society. It is an ongoing piece of work, and as such, invites comments and additions.

Demographics, Interests, and Quality of Life of Canadian Neurosurgery Residents.

Science.gov (United States)

Iorio-Morin, Christian; Ahmed, Syed Uzair; Bigder, Mark; Dakson, Ayoub; Elliott, Cameron; Guha, Daipayan; Kameda-Smith, Michelle; Lavergne, Pascal; Makarenko, Serge; Taccone, Michael S; Tso, Michael K; Wang, Bill; Winkler-Schwartz, Alexander; Fortin, David

2018-03-01

Neurosurgical residents face a unique combination of challenges, including long duty hours, technically challenging cases, and uncertain employment prospects. We sought to assess the demographics, interests, career goals, self-rated happiness, and overall well-being of Canadian neurosurgery residents. A cross-sectional survey was developed and sent through the Canadian Neurosurgery Research Collaborative to every resident enrolled in a Canadian neurosurgery program as of April 1, 2016. We analyzed 76 completed surveys of 146 eligible residents (52% response rate). The median age was 29 years, with 76% of respondents being males. The most popular subspecialties of interest for fellowship were spine, oncology, and open vascular neurosurgery. The most frequent self-reported number of worked hours per week was the 80- to 89-hour range. The majority of respondents reported a high level of happiness as well as stress. Sense of accomplishment and fatigue were reported as average to high and overall quality of life was low for 19%, average for 49%, and high for 32%. Satisfaction with work-life balance was average for 44% of respondents and was the only tested domain in which significant dissatisfaction was identified (18%). Overall, respondents were highly satisfied with their choice of specialty, choice of program, surgical exposure, and work environment; however, intimidation was reported in 36% of respondents and depression by 17%. Despite a challenging residency and high workload, the majority of Canadian neurosurgery residents are happy and satisfied with their choice of specialty and program. However, work-life balance, employability, resident intimidation, and depression were identified as areas of active concern.

δ-Catenin Regulates Spine Architecture via Cadherin and PDZ-dependent Interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Li; Seong, Eunju; Beuscher, James L; Arikkath, Jyothi

2015-04-24

The ability of neurons to maintain spine architecture and modulate it in response to synaptic activity is a crucial component of the cellular machinery that underlies information storage in pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus. Here we show a critical role for δ-catenin, a component of the cadherin-catenin cell adhesion complex, in regulating spine head width and length in pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus. The loss of Ctnnd2, the gene encoding δ-catenin, has been associated with the intellectual disability observed in the cri du chat syndrome, suggesting that the functional roles of δ-catenin are vital for neuronal integrity and higher order functions. We demonstrate that loss of δ-catenin in a mouse model or knockdown of δ-catenin in pyramidal neurons compromises spine head width and length, without altering spine dynamics. This is accompanied by a reduction in the levels of synaptic N-cadherin. The ability of δ-catenin to modulate spine architecture is critically dependent on its ability to interact with cadherin and PDZ domain-containing proteins. We propose that loss of δ-catenin during development perturbs synaptic architecture leading to developmental aberrations in neural circuit formation that contribute to the learning disabilities in a mouse model and humans with cri du chat syndrome. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Thoracic spine x-ray

Science.gov (United States)

Vertebral radiography; X-ray - spine; Thoracic x-ray; Spine x-ray; Thoracic spine films; Back films ... There is low radiation exposure. X-rays are monitored and regulated to provide the minimum amount of radiation exposure needed to produce the image. Most ...

Spine-hip T-score difference predicts major osteoporotic fracture risk independent of FRAX(®): a population-based report from CAMOS.

Science.gov (United States)

Leslie, William D; Kovacs, Christopher S; Olszynski, Wojciech P; Towheed, Tanveer; Kaiser, Stephanie M; Prior, Jerilynn C; Josse, Robert G; Jamal, Sophie A; Kreiger, Nancy; Goltzman, David

2011-01-01

The WHO fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX(®)) estimates an individual's 10-yr major osteoporotic and hip fracture probabilities. When bone mineral density (BMD) is included in the FRAX calculation, only the femoral neck measurement can be used. Recently, a procedure was reported for adjusting major osteoporotic fracture probability from FRAX with femoral neck BMD based on the difference (offset) between the lumbar spine and the femoral neck T-score values. The objective of the current analysis was to independently evaluate this algorithm in a population-based cohort of 4575 women and 1813 men aged 50 yr and older from the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study. For women and men combined, there was a 15% (95% confidence interval 7-24%) increase in major osteoporotic fracture risk for each offset T-score after adjusting for FRAX probability calculated with femoral neck BMD. The effect was stronger in women than men, but a significant sex interaction was not detected. Among the full cohort, 5.5% had their risk category reclassified after using the offset adjustment. Sex- and age-dependent offsets (equivalent to an offset based on Z-scores) showed improved risk classification among individuals designated to be at moderate risk with the conventional FRAX probability measurement. In summary, the T-score difference between the lumbar spine and femoral neck is an independent risk factor for major osteoporotic fractures that is independent of the FRAX probability calculated with femoral neck BMD. Copyright © 2011 The International Society for Clinical Densitometry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cervical spinal cord, root, and bony spine injuries: a closed claims analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hindman, Bradley J; Palecek, John P; Posner, Karen L; Traynelis, Vincent C; Lee, Lorri A; Sawin, Paul D; Tredway, Trent L; Todd, Michael M; Domino, Karen B

2011-04-01

The aim of this study was to characterize cervical cord, root, and bony spine claims in the American Society of Anesthesiologists Closed Claims database to formulate hypotheses regarding mechanisms of injury. All general anesthesia claims (1970-2007) in the Closed Claims database were searched to identify cervical injuries. Three independent teams, each consisting of an anesthesiologist and neurosurgeon, used a standardized review form to extract data from claim summaries and judge probable contributors to injury. Cervical injury claims (n = 48; mean ± SD age 47 ± 15 yr; 73% male) comprised less than 1% of all general anesthesia claims. When compared with other general anesthesia claims (19%), cervical injury claims were more often permanent and disabling (69%; P cervical stenosis) were often present, cord injuries usually occurred in the absence of traumatic injury (81%) or cervical spine instability (76%). Cord injury occurred with cervical spine (65%) and noncervical spine (35%) procedures. Twenty-four percent of cord injuries were associated with the sitting position. Probable contributors to cord injury included anatomic abnormalities (81%), direct surgical complications (24% [38%, cervical spine procedures]), preprocedural symptomatic cord injury (19%), intraoperative head/neck position (19%), and airway management (11%). Most cervical cord injuries occurred in the absence of traumatic injury, instability, and airway difficulties. Cervical spine procedures and/or sitting procedures appear to predominate. In the absence of instability, cervical spondylosis was the most common factor associated with cord injury.

55th Annual Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences Conference on Epigenetics and Genomic Stability. Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, 14–18 March 2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Christopher J; Ausió, Juan

2012-06-01

The 55th Annual Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences Conference on Epigenetics and Genomic Stability in Whistler, Canada, 14-18 March 2012, brought together 31 speakers from different nationalities. The organizing committee, led by Jim Davie (Chair) at the University of Manitoba (Manitoba, Canada), consisted of several established researchers in the fields of chromatin and epigenetics from across Canada. The meeting was centered on the contribution of epigenetics to gene expression, DNA damage and repair, and the role of environmental factors. A few interesting talks on replication added some insightful information on the controversial issue of histone post-translational modifications as genuine epigenetic marks that are inherited through cell division.

Gunshot wounds to the spine in post-Katrina New Orleans.

Science.gov (United States)

Trahan, Jayme; Serban, Daniel; Tender, Gabriel C

2013-11-01

Gunshot wounds (GSW) to the spine represent a major health concern within today's society. Our study assessed the epidemiologic characteristics of patients with GSW to the spine treated in New Orleans. A retrospective chart review was performed from January 2007 through November 2011 on all the patients who were seen in the emergency room and diagnosed with a gunshot wound to the spine. Epidemiologic factors, as well as the results of admission toxicology screening, were noted. Outcome analysis was performed on patients undergoing conservative versus operative management for their injuries. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the ASIA classification system. Complications related to initial injury, neurosurgical procedures, and hospital stay were noted. A total of 147 patients were enrolled. Of those diagnosed with a GSW to the spine, 88 (59.8%) received an admission toxicology screen. Seventy-three (83%) patients out of those tested had a positive screen, with the most common substances detected being cannabis, cocaine, and alcohol. In regards to management, 127 (87%) patients were treated conservatively and only one (0.7%) patient improved clinically from ASIA D to E. Of the 20 patients who underwent surgery, one (5%) patient had clinical improvement post-operatively from ASIA C to D. This study evaluates the largest number of patients with GSW to the spine per year treated in a single centre, illustrating the violent nature of New Orleans. In this urban population, there was a clear correlation between drug use and suffering a GSW to the spine. Surgical intervention was seldom indicated in these patients and was predominately used for fixation of unstable fractures and decompression of compressive injuries, particularly below T11. Minimally invasive techniques were used successfully at our institution to minimize the risk of post-operative CSF leak. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of spine stability on cervical spinal cord injury with respect to demographics, management, and outcome: a prospective cohort from a national spinal cord injury registry.

Science.gov (United States)

Paquet, Jérôme; Rivers, Carly S; Kurban, Dilnur; Finkelstein, Joel; Tee, Jin W; Noonan, Vanessa K; Kwon, Brian K; Hurlbert, R John; Christie, Sean; Tsai, Eve C; Ahn, Henry; Drew, Brian; Bailey, Christopher S; Fourney, Daryl R; Attabib, Najmedden; Johnson, Michael G; Fehlings, Michael G; Parent, Stefan; Dvorak, Marcel F

2018-01-01

Emergent surgery for patients with a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is seen as the gold standard in acute management. However, optimal treatment for those with the clinical diagnosis of central cord syndrome (CCS) is less clear, and classic definitions of CCS do not identify a unique population of patients. The study aimed to test the authors' hypothesis that spine stability can identify a unique group of patients with regard to demographics, management, and outcomes, which classic CCS definitions do not. This is a prospective observational study. The sample included participants with cervical SCI included in a prospective Canadian registry. The outcome measures were initial hospitalization length of stay, change in total motor score from admission to discharge, and in-hospital mortality. Patients with cervical SCI from a prospective Canadian SCI registry were grouped into stable and unstable spine cohorts. Bivariate analyses were used to identify differences in demographic, injury, management, and outcomes. Multivariate analysis was used to better understand the impact of spine stability on motor score improvement. No conflicts of interest were identified. Compared with those with an unstable spine, patients with cervical SCI and a stable spine were older (58.8 vs. 44.1 years, p<.0001), more likely male (86.4% vs. 76.1%, p=.0059), and have more medical comorbidities. Patients with stable spine cervical SCI were more likely to have sustained their injury by a fall (67.4% vs. 34.9%, p<.0001), and have high cervical (C1-C4; 58.5% vs. 43.3%, p=.0009) and less severe neurologic injuries (ASIA Impairment Scale C or D; 81.3% vs. 47.5%, p<.0001). Those with stable spine injuries were less likely to have surgery (67.6% vs. 92.6%, p<.0001), had shorter in-hospital lengths of stay (median 84.0 vs. 100.5 days, p=.0062), and higher total motor score change (20.7 vs. 19.4 points, p=.0014). Multivariate modeling revealed that neurologic severity of injury and spine stability

Development of Ontology and 3D Software for the Diseases of Spine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seungbock Lee

2015-01-01

Full Text Available KISTI is carrying out an e-Spine project for spinal diseases to prepare for the aged society, so-called NAP. The purpose of the study is to build a spine ontology that represents the anatomical structure and disease information which is compatible with simulation model of KISTI. The final use of the ontology includes diagnosis of diseases and setting treatment directions by the clinicians. The ontology was represented using 3D software. Twenty diseases were selected to be represented after discussions with a spine specialist. Several ontology studies were reviewed, reference books were selected for each disease and were organized in MS Excel. All the contents were then reviewed by the specialists. Altova SemanticWorks and Protégé were used to code spine ontology with OWL Full model. Links to the images from KISTI and sample images of diseases were included in the ontology. The OWL ontology was also reviewed by the specialists again with Protégé. We represented unidirectional ontology from anatomical structure to disease, images, and treatment. The ontology was human understandable. It would be useful for the education of medical students or residents studying diseases of spine. But in order for the computer to understand the ontology, a new model with OWL DL or Lite is needed.

Self-Perceived Eating Habits and Food Skills of Canadians.

Science.gov (United States)

Slater, Joyce J; Mudryj, Adriana N

2016-01-01

This study identified and described Canadians' self-perceived eating habits and food skills through the use of population-based data. Data from the Canadian Community Health Survey 2013 Rapid Response on Food Skills was used to examine the eating quality and patterns of Canadians. Data were collected from all provinces in January and February 2013. Respondent variables (sex, age, Aboriginal/immigrant status) were examined to assess differentiations between socio-demographic groupings (family structure, marital status, education, and income). Logistic regression was used to determine whether demographic variables increased the likelihood of certain responses. Forty-six percent of Canadians believe they have excellent/very good eating habits, with 51% categorizing their habits as good or fair. Similarly, the majority report having good food skills. Sex and age were significantly associated with food skills, with women rating their cooking skill proficiency higher than men (72% vs 55%), and older Canadians reporting higher food skill knowledge than their younger counterparts. Results indicate that while portions of the Canadian population have adequate food skills, others are lacking, which may negatively impact their diet. Findings from this study have implications for education and health promotion programs focusing on foods skills, particularly among vulnerable target groups. Copyright © 2016 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thyroid storm following anterior cervical spine surgery for tuberculosis of cervical spine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanjiv Huzurbazar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: The primary objective was to report this rare case and discuss the probable mechanism of thyroid storm following anterior cervical spine surgery for Kochs cervical spine.

Assessing Canadian Bank Branch Operating Efficiency Using Data Envelopment Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zijiang

2009-10-01

In today's economy and society, performance analyses in the services industries attract more and more attention. This paper presents an evaluation of 240 branches of one big Canadian bank in Greater Toronto Area using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Special emphasis was placed on how to present the DEA results to management so as to provide more guidance to them on what to manage and how to accomplish the changes. Finally the potential management uses of the DEA results were presented. All the findings are discussed in the context of the Canadian banking market.

Disparities in Rates of Spine Surgery for Degenerative Spine Disease Between HIV Infected and Uninfected Veterans

Science.gov (United States)

King, Joseph T.; Gordon, Adam J.; Perkal, Melissa F.; Crystal, Stephen; Rosenthal, Ronnie A.; Rodriguez-Barradas, Maria C.; Butt, Adeel A.; Gibert, Cynthia L.; Rimland, David; Simberkoff, Michael S.; Justice, Amy C.

2011-01-01

Study Design Retrospective analysis of nationwide Veterans Health Administration (VA) clinical and administrative data. Objective Examine the association between HIV infection and the rate of spine surgery for degenerative spine disease. Summary of Background Data Combination anti-retroviral therapy (cART) has prolonged survival in patients with HIV/AIDS, increasing the prevalence of chronic conditions such as degenerative spine disease that may require spine surgery. Methods We studied all HIV infected patients under care in the VA from 1996–2008 (n=40,038) and uninfected comparator patients (n=79,039) matched on age, gender, race, year, and geographic region. The primary outcome was spine surgery for degenerative spine disease defined by ICD-9 procedure and diagnosis codes. We used a multivariate Poisson regression to model spine surgery rates by HIV infection status, adjusting for factors that might affect suitability for surgery (demographics, year, comorbidities, body mass index, cART, and laboratory values). Results Two-hundred twenty eight HIV infected and 784 uninfected patients underwent spine surgery for degenerative spine disease during 700,731 patient-years of follow-up (1.44 surgeries per 1,000 patient-years). The most common procedures were spinal decompression (50%), and decompression and fusion (33%); the most common surgical sites were the lumbosacral (50%), and cervical (40%) spine. Adjusted rates of surgery were lower for HIV infected patients (0.86 per 1,000 patient-years of follow-up) than for uninfected patients (1.41 per 1,000 patient-years; IRR 0.61, 95% CI: 0.51, 0.74, Pdegenerative spine disease. Possible explanations include disease prevalence, emphasis on treatment of non-spine HIV-related symptoms, surgical referral patterns, impact of HIV on surgery risk-benefit ratio, patient preferences, and surgeon bias. PMID:21697770

Research articles published by Korean spine surgeons: Scientific progress and the increase in spine surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Soo Eon; Jahng, Tae-Ahn; Kim, Ki-Jeong; Hyun, Seung-Jae; Kim, Hyun Jib; Kawaguchi, Yoshiharu

2017-02-01

There has been a marked increase in spine surgery in the 21st century, but there are no reports providing quantitative and qualitative analyses of research by Korean spine surgeons. The study goal was to assess the status of Korean spinal surgery and research. The number of spine surgeries was obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance Service. Research articles published by Korean spine surgeons were reviewed by using the Medline/PubMed online database. The number of spine surgeries in Korea increased markedly from 92,390 in 2004 to 164,291 in 2013. During the 2000-2014 period, 1982 articles were published by Korean spine surgeons. The annual number of articles increased from 20 articles in 2000 to 293 articles in 2014. There was a positive correlation between the annual spine surgery and article numbers (particles with Oxford levels of evidence 1, 2, and 3. The mean five-year impact factor (IF) for article quality was 1.79. There was no positive correlation between the annual IF and article numbers. Most articles (65.9%) were authored by neurosurgical spine surgeons. But spinal deformity-related topics were dominant among articles authored by orthopedics. The results show a clear quantitative increase in Korean spinal surgery and research over the last 15years. The lack of a correlation between annual IF and published article numbers indicate that Korean spine surgeons should endeavor to increase research value. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A prospective study of spine fractures diagnosed by total spine computed tomography in high energy trauma patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takami, Masanari; Nohda, Kazuhiro; Sakanaka, Junya; Nakamura, Masamichi; Yoshida, Munehito

2011-01-01

Since it is known to be impossible to identify spinal fractures in high-energy trauma patients the primary trauma evaluation, we have been performing total spine computed tomography (CT) in high-energy trauma cases. We investigated the spinal fractures that it was possible to detect by total spine CT in 179 cases and evaluated the usefulness of total spine CT prospectively. There were 54 (30.2%) spinal fractures among the 179 cases. Six (37.5%) of the 16 cervical spine fractures that were not detected on plain X-ray films were identified by total spine CT. Six (14.0%) of 43 thoracolumbar spine fractures were considered difficult to diagnose based on the clinical findings if total spine CT had not been performed. We therefore concluded that total spine CT is very useful and should be performed during the primary trauma evaluation in high-energy trauma cases. (author)

Motion in the unstable thoracolumbar spine when spine boarding a prone patient

Science.gov (United States)

Conrad, Bryan P.; Marchese, Diana L.; Rechtine, Glenn R.; Horodyski, MaryBeth

2012-01-01

Introduction Previous research has found that the log roll (LR) technique produces significant motion in the spinal column while transferring a supine patient onto a spine board. The purpose of this project was to determine whether log rolling a patient with an unstable spine from prone to supine with a pulling motion provides better thoracolumbar immobilization compared to log rolling with a push technique. Methods A global instability was surgically created at the L1 level in five cadavers. Two spine-boarding protocols were tested (LR Push and LR Pull). Both techniques entailed performing a 180° LR rotation of the prone patient from the ground to the supine position on the spine board. An electromagnetic tracking device registered motion between the T12 and L2 vertebral segments. Six motion parameters were tracked. Repeated-measures statistical analysis was performed to evaluate angular and translational motion. Results Less motion was produced during the LR Push compared to the LR Pull for all six motion parameters. The difference was statistically significant for three of the six parameters (flexion–extension, axial translation, and anterior–posterior (A–P) translation). Conclusions Both the LR Push and LR Pull generated significant motion in the thoracolumbar spine during the prone to supine LR. The LR Push technique produced statistically less motion than the LR Pull, and should be considered when a prone patient with a suspected thoracolumbar injury needs to be transferred to a long spine board. More research is needed to identify techniques to further reduce the motion in the unstable spine during prone to supine LR. PMID:22330191

[Cervical spine trauma].

Science.gov (United States)

Yilmaz, U; Hellen, P

2016-08-01

In the emergency department 65 % of spinal injuries and 2-5 % of blunt force injuries involve the cervical spine. Of these injuries approximately 50 % involve C5 and/or C6 and 30 % involve C2. Older patients tend to have higher spinal injuries and younger patients tend to have lower injuries. The anatomical and development-related characteristics of the pediatric spine as well as degenerative and comorbid pathological changes of the spine in the elderly can make the radiological evaluation of spinal injuries difficult with respect to possible trauma sequelae in young and old patients. Two different North American studies have investigated clinical criteria to rule out cervical spine injuries with sufficient certainty and without using imaging. Imaging of cervical trauma should be performed when injuries cannot be clinically excluded according to evidence-based criteria. Degenerative changes and anatomical differences have to be taken into account in the evaluation of imaging of elderly and pediatric patients.

Comparison of Patient Outcomes and Cost of Overlapping Versus Nonoverlapping Spine Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Zygourakis, Corinna C; Sizdahkhani, Saman; Keefe, Malla; Lee, Janelle; Chou, Dean; Mummaneni, Praveen V; Ames, Christopher P

2017-04-01

Overlapping surgery recently has gained significant media attention, but there are limited data on its safety and efficacy. To date, there has been no analysis of overlapping surgery in the field of spine. Our goal was to compare overlapping versus nonoverlapping spine surgery patient outcomes and cost. A retrospective review was undertaken of 2319 spine surgeries (n = 848 overlapping; 1471 nonoverlapping) performed by 3 neurosurgery attendings from 2012 to 2015 at the University of California San Francisco. Collected variables included patient age, sex, insurance, American Society of Anesthesiology score, severity of illness, risk of mortality, procedure type, surgeon, day of surgery, source of transfer, admission type, overlapping versus nonoverlapping surgery (≥1 minute of overlapping procedure time), Medicare-Severity Diagnosis-Related Group, osteotomy, and presence of another attending/fellow/resident. Univariate, then multivariate mixed-effect models were used to evaluate the effect of the collected variables on the following outcomes: procedure time, estimated blood loss, length of stay, discharge status, 30-day mortality, 30-day unplanned readmission, unplanned return to OR, and total hospital cost. Urgent spine cases were more likely to be done in an overlapping fashion (all P return to the operating room, estimated blood loss, length of stay, and total hospital cost (all P = ns). Overlapping spine surgery may be performed safely at our institution, although continued monitoring of patient outcomes is necessary. Overlapping surgery does not lead to greater hospital costs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clinical significance of gas myelography and CT gas myelography of the thoracic spine and the lumbar spine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshinaga, Haruhiko

1984-01-01

Basic and clinical applications relating to air myelography of the cervical spine have already been studied and extensively been used as an adjuvant diagnostic method for diseases of the spine and the spinal cord. However, hardly any application and clinical evaluation have been made concerning gas myelography of the thoracic spine and the lumbar spine. The author examined X-ray findings of 183 cases with diseases of the thoracic spine and the lumbar spine, including contral cases. Gas X-ray photography included simple profile, forehead tomography, sagittal plane, and CT section. Morphological characteristics of normal X-ray pictures of the throacic spine and the lumbar spine were explained from 54 control cases, and all the diameters of the subarachnoidal space from the anterior to the posterior part were measured. X-ray findings were examined on pathological cases, namely 22 cases with diseases of the throacic spine and 107 cases with diseases of the lumbar spine, and as a result these were useful for pathological elucidation of spinal cord tumors, spinal carries, yellow ligament ossification, lumbar spinal canal stenosis, hernia of intervertebral disc, etc. Also, CT gas myelography was excellent in stereoobservation of the spine and the spinal cord in spinal cord tumors, yellow ligament ossification, and spinal canal stenosis. On the other hand, it is not suitable for the diagnoses of intraspinal vascular abnormality, adhesive arachinitis, and running abnormality of the cauda equina nerve and radicle. Gas myelography of the thoracic spine and the lambar spine, is very useful in clinics when experienced techniques are used in photographic conditions, and diagnoses are made, well understanding the characteristics of gas pictures. Thus, its application has been opened to selection of an operative technique, determination of operative ranges, etc. (J.P.N.)

Clinical significance of gas myelography and CT gas myelography of the thoracic spine and the lumbar spine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoshinaga, Haruhiko (Tokyo Medical Coll. (Japan))

1984-05-01

Basic and clinical applications relating to air myelography of the cervical spine have already been studied and extensively been used as an adjuvant diagnostic method for diseases of the spine and the spinal cord. However, hardly any application and clinical evaluation have been made concerning gas myelography of the thoracic spine and the lumbar spine. The author examined X-ray findings of 183 cases with diseases of the thoracic spine and the lumbar spine, including contral cases. Gas X-ray photography included simple profile, forehead tomography, sagittal plane, and CT section. Morphological characteristics of normal X-ray pictures of the throacic spine and the lumbar spine were explained from 54 control cases, and all the diameters of the subarachnoidal space from the anterior to the posterior part were measured. X-ray findings were examined on pathological cases, namely 22 cases with diseases of the throacic spine and 107 cases with diseases of the lumbar spine, and as a result these were useful for pathological elucidation of spinal cord tumors, spinal carries, yellow ligament ossification, lumbar spinal canal stenosis, hernia of intervertebral disc, etc. Also, CT gas myelography was excellent in stereo observation of the spine and the spinal cord in spinal cord tumors, yellow ligament ossification, and spinal canal stenosis. On the other hand, it is not suitable for the diagnoses of intraspinal vascular abnormality, adhesive arachinitis, and running abnormality of the cauda equina nerve and radicle. Gas myelography of the thoracic spine and the lambar spine, is very useful in clinics when experienced techniques are used in photographic conditions, and diagnoses are made, well understanding the characteristics of gas pictures. Thus, its application has been opened to selection of an operative technique, determination of operative ranges, etc.

Canadian Cardiovascular Society 2009 Consensus Conference on the management of adults with congenital heart disease: Outflow tract obstruction, coarctation of the aorta, tetralogy of Fallot, Ebstein anomaly and Marfan’s syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

Silversides, Candice K; Beauchesne, Luc; Bradley, Timothy; Connelly, Michael; Niwa, Koichiro; Mulder, Barbara; Webb, Gary; Colman, Jack; Therrien, Judith

2010-01-01

With advances in pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery, the population of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) has increased. In the current era, there are more adults with CHD than children. This population has many unique issues and needs. Since the 2001 Canadian Cardiovascular Society Consensus Conference report on the management of adults with CHD, there have been significant advances in the field of adult CHD. Therefore, new clinical guidelines have been written by Canadian adult CHD physicians in collaboration with an international panel of experts in the field. Part II of the guidelines includes recommendations for the care of patients with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and bicuspid aortic valve disease, coarctation of the aorta, right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, tetralogy of Fallot, Ebstein anomaly and Marfan’s syndrome. Topics addressed include genetics, clinical outcomes, recommended diagnostic workup, surgical and interventional options, treatment of arrhythmias, assessment of pregnancy risk and follow-up requirements. The complete document consists of four manuscripts that are published online in the present issue of The Canadian Journal of Cardiology. The complete document and references can also be found at www.ccs.ca or www.cachnet.org. PMID:20352138

Reduction in sick leave and costs to society of patients with Meniere's disease after treatment of temporomandibular and cervical spine disorders: a controlled six-year cost-benefit study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bjorne, Assar; Agerberg, Göran

2003-04-01

This study compares the frequency of sick leave between the three-year period after and the three-year period before coordinated treatment of temporomandibular and cervical spine disorders in 24 patients (ten males and 14 females) diagnosed with Meniere's disease. The frequency of sick leave for the patients was also compared with the frequency of sick leave in a control group from the population. A cost-benefit analysis was made regarding the costs to society of sick leave related to the treatment costs of the patients. In a previous study the same patients were treated for their severe signs and symptoms of temporomandibular and cervical spine disorders, and they reported a substantial reduction in their vertigo, non-whirling dizziness, tinnitus, feeling of fullness in the ear, pain in the face and jaws, pain in the neck and shoulders, and headache. The number of days of sick leave and the year the patient began to receive disability pension due to the symptoms of Meniere's disease were obtained from the National Health Insurance Service in Sweden. Two of the patients received disability pension benefits due to Meniere's disease 17 years prior to their normal retirement pension. A third patient received disability pension for another reason and two were receiving a retirement pension. Data on the remaining 19 patients showed a considerable reduction in number of days of sick leave during the three-year period after coordinated treatment (270 days) compared with the three-year period before the treatment (1,536 days). The control subjects used a total of 14 days sick leave for the same symptoms during the same six-year period. Vertigo (nine days) was the dominant cause followed by pain in the neck and shoulders, and headache. The reduction in sick leave for the 19 nonretired patients and the treatment costs for the 24 patients can be used for a simple cost-benefit calculation for the subgroup of nonretired patients. During the first three years after treatment the

Transfer vibration through spine

OpenAIRE

Benyovszky, Adam

2012-01-01

Transfer Vibration through Spine Abstract In the bachelor project we deal with the topic of Transfer Vibration through Spine. The problem of TVS is trying to be solved by the critical review method. We analyse some diagnostic methods and methods of treatment based on this principle. Close attention is paid to the method of Transfer Vibration through Spine that is being currently solved by The Research Institute of Thermomechanics in The Czech Academy of Sciences in cooperation with Faculty of...

Micromechanics of Sea Urchin spines.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naomi Tsafnat

Full Text Available The endoskeletal structure of the Sea Urchin, Centrostephanus rodgersii, has numerous long spines whose known functions include locomotion, sensing, and protection against predators. These spines have a remarkable internal microstructure and are made of single-crystal calcite. A finite-element model of the spine's unique porous structure, based on micro-computed tomography (microCT and incorporating anisotropic material properties, was developed to study its response to mechanical loading. Simulations show that high stress concentrations occur at certain points in the spine's architecture; brittle cracking would likely initiate in these regions. These analyses demonstrate that the organization of single-crystal calcite in the unique, intricate morphology of the sea urchin spine results in a strong, stiff and lightweight structure that enhances its strength despite the brittleness of its constituent material.

Tuberculosis of the cervical spine

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tuberculosis of the cervical spine is rare, comprising 3 -. 5% of cases of tuberculosis of the spine. Eight patients with tuberculosis of the cervicaJ spine seen during 1989 -. 1992 were reviewed. They all presented with neck pain. The 4 children presented with a kyphotic deformity. In all the children the disease was extensive, ...

Proceedings of the Canadian Nuclear Society 2. international conference on radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

These proceedings contain 136 papers on waste management from 19 countries. An index of the delegates and their affiliations is included. Emphasis was laid on the Canadian program for geologic disposal in hard rock. Sessions dealt with the following: storage and disposal, hydrogeology and geochemistry, transportation, buffers and backfill, public attitudes, tailings, site investigations and geomechanics, concrete, economics, licensing, matrix materials and container design, durability of fuel, biosphere modelling, radioactive waste processing, and future options

Lumbar spine degenerative disease : effect on bone mineral density measurements in the lumbar spine and femoral neck

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juhng, Seon Kwan; Koplyay, Peter; Jeffrey Carr, J.; Lenchik, Leon

2001-01-01

To determine the effect of degenerative disease of the lumbar spine on bone mineral density in the lumbar spine and femoral neck. We reviewed radiographs and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry scans of the lumbar spine and hip in 305 Caucasian women with suspected osteoporosis. One hundred and eight-six patient remained after excluding women less than 40 years of age (n=18) and those with hip osteoarthritis, scoliosis, lumbar spine fractures, lumbar spinal instrumentation, hip arthroplasty, metabolic bone disease other than osteoporosis, or medications known to influence bone metabolism (n=101). On the basis of lumbar spine radiographs, those with absent/mild degenerative disease were assigned to the control group and those with moderate/severe degenerative disease to the degenerative group. Spine radiographs were evaluated for degenerative disease by two radiologists working independently; discrepant evaluations were resolved by consensus. Lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral density was compared between the two groups. Forty-five (24%) of 186 women were assigned to the degenerative group and 141 (76%) to the control group. IN the degenerative group, mean bone mineral density measured 1.075g/cm? in the spine and 0.788g/cm 2 in the femoral neck, while for controls the corresponding figures were 0.989g/cm 2 and 0.765g/cm 2 . Adjusted for age, weight and height by means of analysis of variance, degenerative disease of the lumbar spine was a significant predictor of increased bone mineral density in the spine (p=0.0001) and femoral neck (p=0.0287). Our results indicate a positive relationship between degenerative disease of the lumbar spine and bone mineral density in the lumbar spine and femoral neck, and suggest that degenerative disease in that region, which leads to an intrinsic increase in bone mineral density in the femoral neck, may be a good negative predictor of osteoporotic hip fractures

The "Canadian" in Canadian Children's Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Bainbridge, Joyce; Wolodko, Brenda

2001-01-01

Notes that a rich body of Canadian children's literature exists that reflects the country's literary and socio-cultural values, beliefs, themes and images, including those of geography, history, language and identity. Discusses how Canadians tend to identify themselves first by region or province and then by nation. (SG)

Concomitant lower thoracic spine disc disease in lumbar spine MR imaging studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Arana, Estanislao; Martí-Bonmatí, Luis; Dosdá, Rosa; Mollá, Enrique

2002-11-01

Our objective was to study the coexistence of lower thoracic-spine disc changes in patients with low back pain using a large field of view (FOV) in lumbar spine MR imaging. One hundred fifty patients with low back pain were referred to an MR examination. All patients were studied with a large FOV (27 cm), covering from the coccyx to at least the body of T11. Discs were coded as normal, protrusion, and extrusion (either epiphyseal or intervertebral). The relationship between disc disease and level was established with the Pearson chi(2) test. The T11-12 was the most commonly affected level of the lower thoracic spine with 58 disc cases rated as abnormal. Abnormalities of T11-12 and T12-L1 discs were significantly related only to L1-L2 disease ( p=0.001 and p=0.004, respectively) but unrelated to other disc disease, patient's gender, and age. No correlation was found between other discs. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine can detect a great amount of lower thoracic disease, although its clinical significance remains unknown. A statistically significant relation was found within the thoracolumbar junctional region (T11-L2), reflecting common pathoanatomical changes. The absence of relation with lower lumbar spine discs is probably due to differences in their pathomechanisms.

Concomitant lower thoracic spine disc disease in lumbar spine MR imaging studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arana, Estanislao; Marti-Bonmati, Luis; Dosda, Rosa; Molla, Enrique

2002-01-01

Our objective was to study the coexistence of lower thoracic-spine disc changes in patients with low back pain using a large field of view (FOV) in lumbar spine MR imaging. One hundred fifty patients with low back pain were referred to an MR examination. All patients were studied with a large FOV (27 cm), covering from the coccyx to at least the body of T11. Discs were coded as normal, protrusion, and extrusion (either epiphyseal or intervertebral). The relationship between disc disease and level was established with the Pearson χ 2 test. The T11-12 was the most commonly affected level of the lower thoracic spine with 58 disc cases rated as abnormal. Abnormalities of T11-12 and T12-L1 discs were significantly related only to L1-L2 disease (p=0.001 and p=0.004, respectively) but unrelated to other disc disease, patient's gender, and age. No correlation was found between other discs. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine can detect a great amount of lower thoracic disease, although its clinical significance remains unknown. A statistically significant relation was found within the thoracolumbar junctional region (T11-L2), reflecting common pathoanatomical changes. The absence of relation with lower lumbar spine discs is probably due to differences in their pathomechanisms. (orig.)

Outward bound: Unprecedented opportunity lures all Canadian energy sectors to international oil scene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaremko, G.

1998-01-01

The global dimensions of Canadian energy enterprises were reviewed. It has been found that as the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin is getting more mature, the opportunities in Canada are declining, hence the worldwide involvements of Canadian oil and service and supply companies in exploration, drilling, production and servicing in many parts of the world. Canadian Occidental Petroleum in Yemen, Canadian Fracmaster in Russia, Destiny Resource Services in South America, Gabon, Yemen and Papua New Guinea, Pacalta Resources Limited in Ecuador, Talisman Energy in Indonesia, TransCanada Pipelines, Ocelot Energy Inc and Nova Corporation building pipelines in South America and in Zambia, and Atco everywhere, are just some of the examples cited. So far, Canadian push abroad is short of a rush as only 10 per cent of spending and production by Canadian oil and gas companies is overseas, compared to 50 per cent for Americans. The ratio is about the same for Canadian service and supply companies. Canada has the advantage of being almost the only industrial society without an unpleasant imperial past. That, combined with the 'nice guy' image of the maple leaf will inevitably lead to even greater Canadian share of the international oil and gas business. The decline in the traditional role of U. S. companies in global oil markets after 1985 (according to a recent API report) and the tremendous opportunities created by the opening of the former Soviet Union to foreign capital will also contribute to enhancing the international role played by Canadian oil, gas, and service and supply companies

Traumatic thoracolumbar spine fractures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J. Siebenga (Jan)

2013-01-01

textabstractTraumatic spinal fractures have the lowest functional outcomes and the lowest rates of return to work after injury of all major organ systems.1 This thesis will cover traumatic thoracolumbar spine fractures and not osteoporotic spine fractures because of the difference in fracture

Global change and Canadians: A teacher's guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

A report called Global Change and Canadians has been produced by the Royal Society of Canada to answer basic questions being asked about global change issues. A teacher's guide is presented to help teachers make effective use of the report in developing programs with students concerning global change. A basic set of teaching and learning activities related to the major topics in the report is provided, curricular connections between global change topics and school programs are suggested, and some additional resources on global change are listed. The guide is divided into six chapters, each corresponding to the chapters of the global change report. Each chapter contains a summary of the major concepts from the report, some of the learning outcomes that occur when those concepts are addressed, a series of suggested activities or ideas, and a guide for assessing students' abilities relative to the concepts of the chapter. The topics of the chapters cover the nature of global change, the importance of global change to Canada, the causes of global change, the consequences of global change (including climate change and the greenhouse effect), the effects of global change on society, and Canadian responses to global change. 64 refs., 3 figs

The Canadian Dollar and the Dutch and Canadian Diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serge Coulombe

2013-10-01

Full Text Available With the spectacular rise of the dollar, along with rising natural-resource prices during the first decade of the 21st century, Canadians heard a great deal about Dutch disease. Many politicians and pundits blamed the phenomenon — in which a country’s currency, inflated by rising commodity prices, renders manufacturing exports increasingly uncompetitive — for rising unemployment in the Canadian manufacturing industry. But a close look at what happened during that period reveals that the Dutch disease mechanism was only part of the story. The other part, and quantitatively the most important, is an affliction of an altogether different providence: Canadian disease. Canadian disease is the economic trouble that can be caused by Canada’s extraordinarily heavy reliance on the United States as a trading partner. As a consequence, a sudden depreciation of the U.S, dollar will deteriorate the competitiveness of Canadian manufacturing exporters. Such a phenomenon was at work during the “Great Appreciation” of the Canadian dollar between 2002 and 2008 — the largest such appreciation on record in this country. The depreciation of the U.S. dollar is a phenomenon that is independent of the resource boom and the resulting consequences on the Canadian economy cannot be endorsed to a Dutch disease. Almost 2/3 of the employment losses that are exchange rate related in the trade-exposed manufacturers in Canada during the 2002–2008 period could be attributed to the Canadian disease. The Canadian dollar is partly driven by commodity prices, and the appreciation of the Canadian dollar exerts a negative impact on manufacturing industries that are exposed to international competition. This phenomenon can be coined as a Dutch Affair. The Dutch Affair becomes a disease in the long run when the non-renewable resource is depleted and the manufacturing base is gone. New manufacturing activities might not reappear due to a variety of obstacles. In Canada

Aquatic antagonists: cutaneous sea urchin spine injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsieh, Clifford; Aronson, Erica R; Ruiz de Luzuriaga, Arlene M

2016-11-01

Injuries from sea urchin spines are commonly seen in coastal regions with high levels of participation in water activities. Although these injuries may seem minor, the consequences vary based on the location of the injury. Sea urchin spine injuries may cause arthritis and synovitis from spines in the joints. Nonjoint injuries have been reported, and dermatologic aspects of sea urchin spine injuries rarely have been discussed. We present a case of a patient with sea urchin spines embedded in the thigh who subsequently developed painful skin nodules. Tissue from the site of the injury demonstrated foreign-body type granulomas. Following the removal of the spines and granulomatous tissue, the patient experienced resolution of the nodules and associated pain. Extraction of sea urchin spines can attenuate the pain and decrease the likelihood of granuloma formation, infection, and long-term sequelae.

A Canadian perspective on anterior cervical discectomies: practice patterns and preferences

Science.gov (United States)

Bennardo, Michael; Farrokhyar, Forough; Martyniuk, Amanda; Reddy, Kesava

2018-01-01

Background The purpose of this study is to elucidate the current practice patterns of Canadian neurosurgeons with regards to anterior cervical discectomy (ACD). Methods A one-page questionnaire was sent out using SurveyMonkey to all neurosurgeon members of the Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation (CNSF). End points were surgeon preference for ACD surgical method, graft source, the length of collar usage and the recommended time before returning to work. Results Response rate was 74.0%. Of the responders, 75.0% performed single level ACD and 18.3% had completed spine fellowships. The majority (68.2%) chose ACD with fusion and plating (ACDFP) as their preferred method with allograft being the most popular choice of fusion material (44.3%). Most of the respondents did not prescribe collars (60.9%) and when they did, hard collar was prescribed most often (76.9%) and AspenTM collar was the most popular choice (67.7%). The majority of surgeons chose ‘other’ as their response for length of time for collar use (40.0%) while allowing them to take their collars off at night (78.1%). Most of the surgeons recommended physiotherapy post-operatively (58.1%) and time to physiotherapy was 6–8 weeks. Recommended back to work time was 6 weeks for 44.9% of respondents. In the cross analysis, surgeons who performed ACDF were more likely to prescribe collars (50%, P=0.01) versus surgeons who performed ACDFP (21.7%, P=0.01). Conclusions Our survey is an up to date description of current practice patterns for ACD amongst Canadian neurosurgeons. PMID:29732425

Sport injuries of the cervical spine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bargon, G.

1981-01-01

The article reports on injuries of the cervical spine occurring during sports activities. An attempt is made to reconstruct the movements which led to the cervical spine injuries in question. In two cases of accidents occuring during bathing, one football accident and a toboggan accident, the injuries concerned point to hyperextension of the cervical spine as cause of the injury. In another football accident and a riding accident, the changes observed allow us to conclude that the movement leading to the injury must have been a hyperflexion. One accident occurring while jumping on the trampolin resulted in an injury of the upper cervical spine pointing to the action of a compressive force on the cervical spine in addition to the force resulting in hyperflexion. (orig.) [de

Sport injuries of the cervical spine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bargon, G

1981-03-01

The article reports on injuries of the cervical spine occurring during sports activities. An attempt is made to reconstruct the movements which led to the cervical spine injuries in question. In two cases of accidents occuring during bathing, one football accident and a toboggan accident, the injuries concerned point to hyperextension of the cervical spine as cause of the injury. In another football accident and a riding accident, the changes observed allow us to conclude that the movement leading to the injury must have been a hyperflexion. One accident occurring while jumping on the trampolin resulted in an injury of the upper cervical spine pointing to the action of a compressive force on the cervical spine in addition to the force resulting in hyperflexion.

Beyond the spine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Donovan, James; Cassidy, J David; Cancelliere, Carol

2015-01-01

Over the past two decades, clinical research within the chiropractic profession has focused on the spine and spinal conditions, specifically neck and low back pain. However, there is now a small group of chiropractors with clinical research training that are shifting their focus away from...... highlight recent research in these new areas and discuss how clinical research efforts in musculoskeletal areas beyond the spine can benefit patient care and the future of the chiropractic profession....

Robotic systems in spine surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Onen, Mehmet Resid; Naderi, Sait

2014-01-01

Surgical robotic systems have been available for almost twenty years. The first surgical robotic systems were designed as supportive systems for laparoscopic approaches in general surgery (the first procedure was a cholecystectomy in 1987). The da Vinci Robotic System is the most common system used for robotic surgery today. This system is widely used in urology, gynecology and other surgical disciplines, and recently there have been initial reports of its use in spine surgery, for transoral access and anterior approaches for lumbar inter-body fusion interventions. SpineAssist, which is widely used in spine surgery, and Renaissance Robotic Systems, which are considered the next generation of robotic systems, are now FDA approved. These robotic systems are designed for use as guidance systems in spine instrumentation, cement augmentations and biopsies. The aim is to increase surgical accuracy while reducing the intra-operative exposure to harmful radiation to the patient and operating team personnel during the intervention. We offer a review of the published literature related to the use of robotic systems in spine surgery and provide information on using robotic systems.

Patient information and education with modern media: the Spine Society of Europe Patient Line.

Science.gov (United States)

Pellisé, Ferran; Sell, P

2009-08-01

The role of the patient as an active partner in health care, and not just a passive object of diagnostic testing and medical treatment, is widely accepted. Providing information to patients is considered a crucial issue and the central focus in patient educational activities. It is necessary to educate patients on the nature of the outcomes and the benefits and risks of the procedures to involve them in the decision-making process and enable them to achieve fully informed consent. Information materials must contain scientifically reliable information and be presented in a form that is acceptable and useful to patients. Given the mismatch between public beliefs and current evidence, strategies for changing the public perceptions are required. Traditional patient education programmes have to face the potential barriers of storage, access problems and the need to keep content materials up to date. A computer-based resource provides many advantages, including "just-in-time" availability and a private learning environment. The use of the Internet for patient information needs will continue to expand as Internet access becomes readily available. However, the problem is no longer in finding information, but in assessing the credibility and validity of it. Health Web sites should provide health information that is secure and trustworthy. The large majority of the Web sites providing information related to spinal disorders are of limited and poor quality. Patient Line (PL), a patient information section in the Web site of Eurospine, was born in 2005 to offer patients and the general population the accumulated expertise represented by the members of the society and provide up-to-date information related to spinal disorders. In areas where evidence is scarce, Patient Line provides a real-time opinion of the EuroSpine membership. The published data reflect the pragmatic and the common sense range of treatments offered by the Eurospine membership. The first chapters have been

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Targeted Testing and Augmentation Therapy: A Canadian Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

DD Marciniuk

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1AT functions primarily to inhibit neutrophil elastase, and deficiency predisposes individuals to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD. Severe A1AT deficiency occurs in one in 5000 to one in 5500 of the North American population. While the exact prevalence of A1AT deficiency in patients with diagnosed COPD is not known, results from small studies provide estimates of 1% to 5%. The present document updates a previous Canadian Thoracic Society position statement from 2001, and was initiated because of lack of consensus and understanding of appropriate patients suitable for targeted testing for A1AT deficiency, and for the use of A1AT augmentation therapy. Using revised guideline development methodology, the present clinical practice guideline document systematically reviews the published literature and provides an evidence-based update. The evidence supports the practice that targeted testing for A1AT deficiency be considered in individuals with COPD diagnosed before 65 years of age or with a smoking history of <20 pack years. The evidence also supports consideration of A1AT augmentation therapy in nonsmoking or exsmoking patients with COPD (forced expiratory volume in 1 s of 25% to 80% predicted attributable to emphysema and documented A1AT deficiency (level ≤11 μmol/L who are receiving optimal pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapies (including comprehensive case management and pulmonary rehabilitation because of benefits in computed tomography scan lung density and mortality.

Canadian Thoracic Society recommendations for management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – 2007 update

Science.gov (United States)

O’Donnell, Denis E; Aaron, Shawn; Bourbeau, Jean; Hernandez, Paul; Marciniuk, Darcy D; Balter, Meyer; Ford, Gordon; Gervais, Andre; Goldstein, Roger; Hodder, Rick; Kaplan, Alan; Keenan, Sean; Lacasse, Yves; Maltais, Francois; Road, Jeremy; Rocker, Graeme; Sin, Don; Sinuff, Tasmin; Voduc, Nha

2007-01-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major respiratory illness in Canada that is both preventable and treatable. Our understanding of the pathophysiology of this complex condition continues to grow and our ability to offer effective treatment to those who suffer from it has improved considerably. The purpose of the present educational initiative of the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) is to provide up to date information on new developments in the field so that patients with this condition will receive optimal care that is firmly based on scientific evidence. Since the previous CTS management recommendations were published in 2003, a wealth of new scientific information has become available. The implications of this new knowledge with respect to optimal clinical care have been carefully considered by the CTS Panel and the conclusions are presented in the current document. Highlights of this update include new epidemiological information on mortality and prevalence of COPD, which charts its emergence as a major health problem for women; a new section on common comorbidities in COPD; an increased emphasis on the meaningful benefits of combined pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapies; and a new discussion on the prevention of acute exacerbations. A revised stratification system for severity of airway obstruction is proposed, together with other suggestions on how best to clinically evaluate individual patients with this complex disease. The results of the largest randomized clinical trial ever undertaken in COPD have recently been published, enabling the Panel to make evidence-based recommendations on the role of modern pharmacotherapy. The Panel hopes that these new practice guidelines, which reflect a rigorous analysis of the recent literature, will assist caregivers in the diagnosis and management of this common condition. PMID:17885691

The FAt Spondyloarthritis Spine Score (FASSS)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Susanne Juhl; Zhao, Zheng; Lambert, Robert Gw

2013-01-01

an important measure of treatment efficacy as well as a surrogate marker for new bone formation. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a new scoring method for fat lesions in the spine, the Fat SpA Spine Score (FASSS), which in contrast to the existing scoring method addresses the localization......Studies have shown that fat lesions follow resolution of inflammation in the spine of patients with axial spondyloarthritis (SpA). Fat lesions at vertebral corners have also been shown to predict development of new syndesmophytes. Therefore, scoring of fat lesions in the spine may constitute both...

Anatomy of large animal spines and its comparison to the human spine: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Sun-Ren; Wang, Xiang-Yang; Xu, Hua-Zi; Zhu, Guo-Qing; Zhou, Yi-Fei

2010-01-01

Animal models have been commonly used for in vivo and in vitro spinal research. However, the extent to which animal models resemble the human spine has not been well known. We conducted a systematic review to compare the morphometric features of vertebrae between human and animal species, so as to give some suggestions on how to choose an appropriate animal model in spine research. A literature search of all English language peer-reviewed publications was conducted using PubMed, OVID, Springer and Elsevier (Science Direct) for the years 1980-2008. Two reviewers extracted data on the anatomy of large animal spines from the identified articles. Each anatomical study of animals had to include at least three vertebral levels. The anatomical data from all animal studies were compared with the existing data of the human spine in the literature. Of the papers retrieved, seven were included in the review. The animals in the studies involved baboon, sheep, porcine, calf and deer. Distinct anatomical differences of vertebrae were found between the human and each large animal spine. In cervical region, spines of the baboon and human are more similar as compared to other animals. In thoracic and lumbar regions, the mean pedicle height of all animals was greater than the human pedicles. There was similar mean pedicle width between animal and the human specimens, except in thoracic segments of sheep. The human spinal canal was wider and deeper in the anteroposterior plane than any of the animals. The mean human vertebral body width and depth were greater than that of the animals except in upper thoracic segments of the deer. However, the mean vertebral body height was lower than that of all animals. This paper provides a comprehensive review to compare vertebrae geometries of experimental animal models to the human vertebrae, and will help for choosing animal model in vivo and in vitro spine research. When the animal selected for spine research, the structural similarities and

Volunteering with Newcomers: The Perspectives of Canadian- and Foreign-born Volunteers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Behnam Behnia

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Canadian- and foreign-born volunteers have contributed to the settlement of newcomers into Canadian society. Despite their important contribution, little has been reported about the experiences and perspectives of these volunteers. Using the information collected from face-to-face interviews with 60 Canadian- and foreign-born volunteers who support newcomers, this article discusses factors that motivate people to volunteer with newcomers. The study results revealed among other findings that (1 to become a volunteer, one not only needs to be motivated but also needs to believe that volunteering will produce the expected positive results and to have confidence in one’s ability to complete the assigned tasks, (2 once people become volunteers, the experience of volunteering tests their perceived self-efficacy and their belief about the effectiveness of their volunteer work. Success or failure in their expectations influences their decision tocontinue or discontinue their volunteer work.

2003 Canadian Asthma Consensus Guidelines Executive Summary

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Becker Allan

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma have been published over the last 15 years; however, there has been little focus on issues relating to asthma in childhood. Since the last revision of the 1999 Canadian Asthma Consensus Report, important new studies, particularly in children, have highlighted the need to incorporate new information into the asthma guidelines. The objectives of this article are to review the literature on asthma published between January 2000 and June 2003 and to evaluate the influence of new evidence on the recommendations made in the 1999 Canadian Asthma Consensus Report and its 2001 update, with a major focus on pediatric issues. Methods The diagnosis of asthma in young children and prevention strategies, pharmacotherapy, inhalation devices, immunotherapy, and asthma education were selected for review by small expert resource groups. The reviews were discussed in June 2003 at a meeting under the auspices of the Canadian Network For Asthma Care and the Canadian Thoracic Society. Data published through December 2004 were subsequently reviewed by the individual expert resource groups. Results This report evaluates early-life prevention strategies and focuses on treatment of asthma in children, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and preventive therapy, the benefits of additional therapy, and the essential role of asthma education. Conclusion We generally support previous recommendations and focus on new issues, particularly those relevant to children and their families. This document is a guide for asthma management based on the best available published data and the opinion of health care professionals, including asthma experts and educators.

The Civil Society Dynamic of Including and Empowering Refugees in Canada’s Urban Centres

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Oliver Schmidtke

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This article addresses the critical role that civil society at the urban level plays in integrating and empowering immigrants and minorities in Canadian society. From a place-based approach, it investigates how key agencies in the local community have been instrumental in including immigrants in general and refugees in particular into the fabric of Canadian society. Empirically the analysis focuses on Neighbourhood Houses in Greater Vancouver and the Privately-Sponsored Refugee program in Canada. With the interpretative lens on the urban context, the article shows how immigrants and refugees have gained agency and voice in the public arena through place-based communities. The insight into these two empirical cases provides the basis for conceptualizing the socio-political dynamics of immigrant settlement and integration in terms of the effects generated by urban governance structures.

Imaging of cervical spine injuries of childhood

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khanna, Geetika; El-Khoury, Georges Y. [University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Department of Radiology, 3951 JPP, Iowa, IA (United States)

2007-06-15

Cervical spine injuries of children, though rare, have a high morbidity and mortality. The pediatric cervical spine is anatomically and biomechanically different from that of adults. Hence, the type, level and outcome of cervical spine injuries in children are different from those seen in adults. Normal developmental variants seen in children can make evaluation of the pediatric cervical spine challenging. This article reviews the epidemiology of pediatric cervical spine trauma, normal variants seen in children and specific injuries that are more common in the pediatric population. We also propose an evidence-based imaging protocol to avoid unnecessary imaging studies and minimize radiation exposure in children. (orig.)

Embracing the future: Canada's nuclear renewal and growth. 28th annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society and 31st CNS/CNA student conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

The 28th Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society and 31st CNS/CNA Student Conference was held on June 3-6, 2007 in Saint John, New Brunswick. The central objective of this conference was to provide a forum for exchange of views on how this technical enterprise can best serve the needs of humanity, now and in the future. 'Embracing the Future: Canada's Nuclear Renewal and Growth' was the theme for this year's gathering of nuclear industry experts from across Canada and around the world. This theme reflects the global renaissance of interest in nuclear technology, strongly evident here in Canada through plant refurbishments (underway and planned), new-build planning, renewal and expansion of the nuclear workforce, and growth in public support for environmentally sustainable technology. Topics for discussion at this conference include: the nuclear renaissance in Canada and around the world, recent developments at Canadian utilities, status of plant refurbishment and new build plans, and uranium supply issues. For business, energy, and science reporters this conference offers an insight into major nuclear projects and an opportunity to meet leaders in the nuclear sector. Over 100 technical papers were presented, as well as over 20 student papers, in the following sessions: control room operation; safety analyses; environment and waste management; plant life management and refurbishment; reactor physics; advanced reactor design; instrumentation control; general nuclear topics and standards; chemistry and materials; probabilistic safety assessment; and, performance improvement

Gorham's disease of the spine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Livesley, P.J.; Saifuddin, A.; Webb, P.J.; Mitchell, N.; Ramani, P.

1996-01-01

Massive osteolysis is a rare condition and is very uncommon in the spine. The MRI appearance of Gorham's disease of the spine has not previously been reported. We present here a case of this condition with imaging details. (orig.)

Canadian Disability Policies in a World of Inequalities

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Deborah Stienstra

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Canadian disability-related policies are shaped within a global system of inequalities, including colonialism and neoliberalism. Using a critical theory framework, this article examines the complicated material inequalities experienced by people with disabilities and evident in the intersections of disability, gender, Indigenousness, race, and age. The collectively held ideas that give context to disability policies are at odds. Human rights protections are found in the foundational documents of Canadian society and part of its international commitments, yet these commitments often become window-dressing for a pervasive logic that it is better to be dead than disabled, and medical assistance in dying legislation supports this choice. While human rights protections are essential, they are not sufficient for decolonizing inclusion. Constructive actions between Indigenous peoples and settlers may help to find new ways of addressing disability and inclusion in Canada.

Dendritic Spine Instability in a Mouse Model of CDKL5 Disorder Is Rescued by Insulin-like Growth Factor 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Della Sala, Grazia; Putignano, Elena; Chelini, Gabriele; Melani, Riccardo; Calcagno, Eleonora; Michele Ratto, Gian; Amendola, Elena; Gross, Cornelius T; Giustetto, Maurizio; Pizzorusso, Tommaso

2016-08-15

CDKL5 (cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5) is mutated in many severe neurodevelopmental disorders, including atypical Rett syndrome. CDKL5 was shown to interact with synaptic proteins, but an in vivo analysis of the role of CDKL5 in dendritic spine dynamics and synaptic molecular organization is still lacking. In vivo two-photon microscopy of the somatosensory cortex of Cdkl5(-/y) mice was applied to monitor structural dynamics of dendritic spines. Synaptic function and plasticity were measured using electrophysiological recordings of excitatory postsynaptic currents and long-term potentiation in brain slices and assessing the expression of synaptic postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95). Finally, we studied the impact of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) treatment on CDKL5 null mice to restore the synaptic deficits. Adult mutant mice showed a significant reduction in spine density and PSD-95-positive synaptic puncta, a reduction of persistent spines, and impaired long-term potentiation. In juvenile mutants, short-term spine elimination, but not formation, was dramatically increased. Exogenous administration of IGF-1 rescued defective rpS6 phosphorylation, spine density, and PSD-95 expression. Endogenous cortical IGF-1 levels were unaffected by CDKL5 deletion. These data demonstrate that dendritic spine stabilization is strongly regulated by CDKL5. Moreover, our data suggest that IGF-1 treatment could be a promising candidate for clinical trials in CDKL5 patients. Copyright © 2016 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multilingualism in Canadian schools: Myths, realities and possibilities

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Patricia A. Duff

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Bilingualism and multiculturalism have for four decades been official ideologies and policies in Canada but, as is often the case, the implementation and outcomes of such government policies nationally are less impressive than the rhetoric would suggest. This article reviews the political, theoretical and demographic contexts justifying support for the learning and use of additional languages in contemporary Canadian society and schools, and summarizes research demonstrating that bilingualism and multilingualism are indeed cognitively, socially, and linguistically advantageous for children (and adults, as well as for society. The five studies in this special issue are then previewed with respect to the following themes that run across them: (1 the potential for bilingual synergies and transformations in language awareness activities and crosslinguistic knowledge construction; (2 the role of multiliteracies and multimodality in mediated learning; and (3 the interplay of positioning, identity, and agency in language learning by immigrant youth. The article concludes that more Canadian schools and educators must, like the researchers in this volume, find ways to embrace and build upon students’ prior knowledge, their creativity, their collaborative problem-solving skills, their potential for mastering and manipulating multiple, multilingual semiotic tools, and their desire for inclusion and integration in productive, engaging learning communities.

X-Ray Exam: Cervical Spine

Science.gov (United States)

... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español X-Ray Exam: Cervical Spine KidsHealth / For Parents / X-Ray ... MRI): Lumbar Spine Broken Bones Getting an X-ray (Video) X-Ray (Video) View more Partner Message About Us ...

A Comparison of Cervical Spine Motion After Immobilization With a Traditional Spine Board and Full-Body Vacuum-Mattress Splint

OpenAIRE

Etier, Brian E.; Norte, Grant E.; Gleason, Megan M.; Richter, Dustin L.; Pugh, Kelli F.; Thomson, Keith B.; Slater, Lindsay V.; Hart, Joe M.; Brockmeier, Stephen F.; Diduch, David R.

2017-01-01

Background: The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) advocates for cervical spine immobilization on a rigid board or vacuum splint and for removal of athletic equipment before transfer to an emergency medical facility. Purpose: To (1) compare triplanar cervical spine motion using motion capture between a traditional rigid spine board and a full-body vacuum splint in equipped and unequipped athletes, (2) assess cervical spine motion during the removal of a football helmet and shoulde...

Survey of Hatching Spines of Bee Larvae Including Those of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apoidea).

Science.gov (United States)

Rozen, Jerome G; Shepard Smith, Corey; Cane, James H

2017-07-01

This article explores the occurrence of hatching spines among bee taxa and how these structures enable a larva on hatching to extricate itself from the egg chorion. These spines, arranged in a linear sequence along the sides of the first instar just dorsal to the spiracles, have been observed and recorded in certain groups of solitary and cleptoparasitic bee taxa. After eclosion, the first instar remains loosely covered by the egg chorion. The fact that this form of eclosion has been detected in five families (Table 1 identifies four of the families. The fifth family is the Andrenidae for which the presence of hatching spines in the Oxaeinae will soon be announced.) of bees invites speculation as to whether it is a fundamental characteristic of bees, or at least of solitary and some cleptoparasitic bees. The wide occurrence of these spines has prompted the authors to explore and discover their presence in the highly eusocial Apis mellifera L. Hatching spines were indeed discovered on first instar A. mellifera. The honey bee hatching process appears to differ in that the spines are displayed somewhat differently though still along the sides of the body, and the chorion, instead of splitting along the sides of the elongate egg, seems to quickly disintegrate from the emerging first instar in association with the nearly simultaneous removal of the serosa that covers and separates the first instar from the chorion. Unexpected observations of spherical bodies of various sizes perhaps containing dissolving enzymes being discharged from spiracular openings during hatching may shed future light on the process of how A. mellifera effects chorion removal during eclosion. Whereas hatching spines occur among many groups of bees, they appear to be entirely absent in the Nomadinae and parasitic Apinae, an indication of a different eclosion process. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America.

Short wavelengths filtering properties of sunglasses on the Canadian market: are we protected?

Science.gov (United States)

Trang, Nataly; Lalonde, Gilles; Dubé, Yolande; Bourgault, Serge; Rochette, Patrick J

2018-04-01

Exposure to solar radiation is a risk factor for multiple ocular pathologies. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is involved in ocular diseases, including pterygium, ocular surface squamous neoplasia, and cataracts. High-energy visible light (HEV) is associated with age-related macular degeneration. Ocular protection against solar radiation seems essential to protect our eyes against the adverse effects of those harmful rays. Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the United States are the only regions with mandatory standards for UV transmission for sunglasses. Adherence to Canadian standards by sunglasses manufacturers is not mandatory. In this study, we evaluated the UV and visible transmission of sunglasses in the Canadian market to test their compliance with Canadian standards. The transmittance of 207 pairs of sunglasses, divided in 3 categories according to their price range, was measured. We show that close to 100% of the sunglasses tested respect the Canadian standards. The average HEV transmittance is around 10%, regardless the price range. Our study demonstrated that even if following Canadian standards is optional, most sunglasses sold on the Canadian market follow national and international standards. We also found that sunglasses filter around 90% of HEV. With the recent findings on the potential effects of HEV in retinal pathologies, we can ask whether this filtering capacity is sufficient to protect eyes from harmful HEV light. More work needs to be done to determine acceptable HEV light transmission limits to the existing Canadian standards. Copyright © 2018 Canadian Ophthalmological Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrating sustainable generation technologies in the Canadian energy portfolio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saulnier, B.

2001-01-01

The structure of the energy industry and the planning of electrical networks are experiencing rapid changes under the combined action of social, technico-economical, environmental and trade pressures. Given the widening diversity of competing (demand and supply) options being offered to consumers, energy policy makers must establish a fair and consistent technico-economic methodology to compare the sustainability and natural synergies of energy options. Such an approach towards energy issues should allow renewable energies, energy efficiency and storage technologies to build strong alliances with information technology and take a major place in the long-term energy portfolio of societies. With examples of recent projects involving significant penetration of wind energy in electrical grids in Canada and abroad, the author presents the rationale for technico-economic comparison indicators that canadian policy makers need to take into account so as to bring the full advantage and value of promising renewable energy technologies to the canadian energy market. The merits of expanding the pace of the current Canadian GHG reduction program by granting all provinces, irrespective of their electricity market structure or generation mix, an equal opportunity to invest in RE projects contributing to the national goal are presented. In this regard, the limitations of the prevailing accounting rules found in the Canadian GHG reduction program are analysed and corrections are proposed. (author)

Unveiled Sentiments: Gendered Islamophobia and Experiences of Veiling among Muslim Girls in a Canadian Islamic School

Science.gov (United States)

Zine, Jasmin

2006-01-01

The practice of veiling has made Muslim women subject to dual oppressions--racism and Islamophobia--in society at large and patriarchal oppression and sexism from within their communities. Based on a narrative analysis of the politics of veiling in schools and society, the voices of young Muslim women attending a Canadian Islamic school speak to…

Variation in armour of three-spine stickleback

OpenAIRE

Wiig, Elisabeth

2014-01-01

The three-spine stickleback is an adaptable fish with variation in morphology and behaviour, inhabiting saltwater, brackish water and fresh water. It is armoured with 30-35 bone plates along its lateral line. In addition, it is equipped with three spines on its back and two pelvic spine. These features constitute an excellent anti-predator defence system. Yet, there is a strong selection for reduction in armour of three-spine stickleback in freshwater stickleback. In this project, the bone st...

49 CFR 572.19 - Lumbar spine, abdomen and pelvis.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

...-Year-Old Child § 572.19 Lumbar spine, abdomen and pelvis. (a) The lumbar spine, abdomen, and pelvis... 49 Transportation 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Lumbar spine, abdomen and pelvis. 572.19 Section..., the lumbar spine assembly shall flex by an amount that permits the rigid thoracic spine to rotate from...

A Septin-Dependent Diffusion Barrier at Dendritic Spine Necks.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helge Ewers

Full Text Available Excitatory glutamatergic synapses at dendritic spines exchange and modulate their receptor content via lateral membrane diffusion. Several studies have shown that the thin spine neck impedes the access of membrane and solute molecules to the spine head. However, it is unclear whether the spine neck geometry alone restricts access to dendritic spines or if a physical barrier to the diffusion of molecules exists. Here, we investigated whether a complex of septin cytoskeletal GTPases localized at the base of the spine neck regulates diffusion across the spine neck. We found that, during development, a marker of the septin complex, Septin7 (Sept7, becomes localized to the spine neck where it forms a stable structure underneath the plasma membrane. We show that diffusion of receptors and bulk membrane, but not cytoplasmic proteins, is slower in spines bearing Sept7 at their neck. Finally, when Sept7 expression was suppressed by RNA interference, membrane molecules explored larger membrane areas. Our findings indicate that Sept7 regulates membrane protein access to spines.

Conspicuous and aposematic spines in the animal kingdom

Science.gov (United States)

Inbar, Moshe; Lev-Yadun, Simcha

2005-04-01

Spines serve as a common physical defence mechanism in both the plant and animal kingdoms. Here we argue that as in plants, defensive animal spines are often conspicuous (shape and colour) and should be considered aposematic. Conspicuous spines may evolve as signals or serve as a cue for potential predators. Spine conspicuousness in animals has evolved independently across and within phyla occupying aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, indicating that this convergent phenomenon is highly adaptive. Still, many spines are cryptic, suggesting that conspicuity is not simply constrained by developmental factors such as differences in the chemical composition of the integument. Aposematism does not preclude the signalling role of conspicuous spines in the sexual arena.

A Breath of Fresh Air / Une boufée d’air frais: Abstracts from the 2012 Canadian Respiratory Conference

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Pearce Wilcox

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The present online supplement highlights the poster abstracts selected for presentation at the 5th Annual Canadian Respiratory Conference (CRC held in Vancouver, British Columbia, in April 2012. The CRC is a partnership initiative of the Canadian Thoracic Society, Canadian Respiratory Health Professionals, The Lung Association and the Canadian COPD Alliance and has become the premiere national educational and scientific meeting for the respiratory community in Canada. I would like to acknowledge the leadership and expertise of the Scientific Committee, our conference speakers and abstract presenters, all of whom contributed to the delivery of an excellent program. The next Canadian Respiratory Conference will be held in Québec City, Quebec, April 11 to 13, 2012 (www.lung.ca/crc. We look forward to seeing you there!

Quality in Family Child Care: A Focus Group Study with Canadian Providers

Science.gov (United States)

Doherty, Gillian

2015-01-01

A substantial proportion of American, Canadian and English preschoolers regularly participate in family child care making its quality of vital importance for the children concerned, their parents, the school system and the society in which they live. This article discusses the seven key caregiver behaviors and physical space characteristics…

The Influence of Canadian Intellectuals’ Ideological Views on the Political Culture in Canada at the Beginning of the 20th Century

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SOKOV I.A.

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The article analyses the political views of Canadian intellectuals which had influence on the formation of Canadian political culture at the turn of the 20th century. The author confirms that the Canadian intellectual thought was the main ideological factor in the conditions of the formation of Canadian statehood, undeveloped party and political system, the lack of deep traditions of the parliamentary system, insufficient political practice and the lack of distinct ideology of basic political parties in the process of forming the Canadian nation. On the basis of studied Canadian sources, the author makes conclusion that the most of Canadian intellectuals did not participate directly in the political process and they considered themselves its bystanders. Besides, the Canadian intellectuals promoted the British political culture of the Victorian epoch. Although all of them were familiar wih the British socialistic thought – Fabianism, they insisted that the social transformation in the Canadian society is possible only through the improvement of moral system, the education of lower social classes and the maintenance of elite monarch traditions. The American influence on Canadian political culture was peripheral at the beginning of the 20th century. The ideas of the Chicago Sociological School and the European continental thought were not used. The Victorian intellectuals understood their time as the social crisis and their political discussions were often devoted to the problems of imperialism, religion, education and feminism. They undoubtedly influenced the Canadian political elite in the matter of further development of the Canadian nation and state, but they expressed their own unique views on the contemporary society in academic press and in elite clubs discussions. They did not share the opinion of publicity about contemporary social processes, because their position was far from the direct party policy. Though some of them participated as

Survey of French spine surgeons reveals significant variability in spine trauma practices in 2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Lonjon, G; Grelat, M; Dhenin, A; Dauzac, C; Lonjon, N; Kepler, C K; Vaccaro, A R

2015-02-01

In France, attempts to define common ground during spine surgery meetings have revealed significant variability in clinical practices across different schools of surgery and the two specialities involved in spine surgery, namely, neurosurgery and orthopaedic surgery. To objectively characterise this variability by performing a survey based on a fictitious spine trauma case. Our working hypothesis was that significant variability existed in trauma practices and that this variability was related to a lack of strong scientific evidence in spine trauma care. We performed a cross-sectional survey based on a clinical vignette describing a 31-year-old male with an L1 burst fracture and neurologic symptoms (numbness). Surgeons received the vignette and a 14-item questionnaire on the management of this patient. For each question, surgeons had to choose among five possible answers. Differences in answers across surgeons were assessed using the Index of Qualitative Variability (IQV), in which 0 indicates no variability and 1 maximal variability. Surgeons also received a questionnaire about their demographics and surgical experience. Of 405 invited spine surgeons, 200 responded to the survey. Five questions had an IQV greater than 0.9, seven an IQV between 0.5 and 0.9, and two an IQV lower than 0.5. Variability was greatest about the need for MRI (IQV=0.93), degree of urgency (IQV=0.93), need for fusion (IQV=0.92), need for post-operative bracing (IQV=0.91), and routine removal of instrumentation (IQV=0.94). Variability was lowest for questions about the need for surgery (IQV=0.42) and use of the posterior approach (IQV=0.36). Answers were influenced by surgeon specialty, age, experience level, and type of centre. Clinical practice regarding spine trauma varies widely in France. Little published evidence is available on which to base recommendations that would diminish this variability. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

The "old internationals": Canadian nurses in an international nursing community.

Science.gov (United States)

Lapeyre, Jaime; Nelson, Sioban

2010-12-01

The vast devastation caused by both the First World War and the influenza pandemic of 1918 led to an increased worldwide demand for public health nurses. In response to this demand, a number of new public health training programs for nurses were started at both national and international levels. At the international level, one of two influential programs in this area included a year-long public health nursing course offered by the League of Red Cross Societies, in conjunction with Bedford College in London, England. In total, 341 nurses from 49 different countries have been documented as participants in this initiative throughout the interwar period, including 20 Canadians. Using archival material from the Canadian Nurses Association and the Royal College of Nursing, as well as articles from the journals Canadian Nurse, American Journal of Nursing and British Journal of Nursing, this paper examines these nurses' commitment to internationalism throughout their careers and explores the effect of this commitment on the development of nursing education and professionalization at the national level.

Targeting of NF-κB to Dendritic Spines Is Required for Synaptic Signaling and Spine Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Dresselhaus, Erica C; Boersma, Matthew C H; Meffert, Mollie K

2018-04-25

Long-term forms of brain plasticity share a requirement for changes in gene expression induced by neuronal activity. Mechanisms that determine how the distinct and overlapping functions of multiple activity-responsive transcription factors, including nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), give rise to stimulus-appropriate neuronal responses remain unclear. We report that the p65/RelA subunit of NF-κB confers subcellular enrichment at neuronal dendritic spines and engineer a p65 mutant that lacks spine enrichment (p65ΔSE) but retains inherent transcriptional activity equivalent to wild-type p65. Wild-type p65 or p65ΔSE both rescue NF-κB-dependent gene expression in p65-deficient murine hippocampal neurons responding to diffuse (PMA/ionomycin) stimulation. In contrast, neurons lacking spine-enriched NF-κB are selectively impaired in NF-κB-dependent gene expression induced by elevated excitatory synaptic stimulation (bicuculline or glycine). We used the setting of excitatory synaptic activity during development that produces NF-κB-dependent growth of dendritic spines to test physiological function of spine-enriched NF-κB in an activity-dependent response. Expression of wild-type p65, but not p65ΔSE, is capable of rescuing spine density to normal levels in p65-deficient pyramidal neurons. Collectively, these data reveal that spatial localization in dendritic spines contributes unique capacities to the NF-κB transcription factor in synaptic activity-dependent responses. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Extensive research has established a model in which the regulation of neuronal gene expression enables enduring forms of plasticity and learning. However, mechanisms imparting stimulus specificity to gene regulation, ensuring biologically appropriate responses, remain incompletely understood. NF-κB is a potent transcription factor with evolutionarily conserved functions in learning and the growth of excitatory synaptic contacts. Neuronal NF-κB is localized in both synapse and

50 Shades of Green: An Examination of Sustainability Policy on Canadian Campuses

Science.gov (United States)

Vaughter, Philip; Wright, Tarah; Herbert, Yuill

2015-01-01

Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, asserts that education is one of the most effective instruments that society can employ in the effort to adopt sustainable development. This paper is a first effort to explore the degree to which Canadian institutions of higher education, including colleges and universities, have embraced this…

A Rare Nasal Bone Fracture: Anterior Nasal Spine Fracture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Egemen Kucuk

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Anterior nasal spine fractures are a quite rare type of nasal bone fractures. Associated cervical spine injuries are more dangerous than the nasal bone fracture. A case of the anterior nasal spine fracture, in a 18-year-old male was presented. Fracture of the anterior nasal spine, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of the midface injuries and also accompanying cervical spine injury should not be ignored.

Retropharyngeal cold abscess without Pott's spine | Singh | South ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Retropharyngeal cold abscess without Pott's spine. ... pyogenic osteomyelitis, tube‚rculosis of the spine, or external injuries caused by endoscopes ... in an adult woman without tuberculosis of the cervical spine who was managed surgically by ...

Heterogeneity in cervical spine assessment in paediatric trauma: A survey of physicians' knowledge and application at a paediatric major trauma centre.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckland, Aaron J; Bressan, Silvia; Jowett, Helen; Johnson, Michael B; Teague, Warwick J

2016-10-01

Evidence-based decision-making tools are widely used to guide cervical spine assessment in adult trauma patients. Similar tools validated for use in injured children are lacking. A paediatric-specific approach is appropriate given important differences in cervical spine anatomy, mechanism of spinal injury and concerns over ionising radiation in children. The present study aims to survey physicians' knowledge and application of cervical spine assessment in injured children. A cross-sectional survey of physicians actively engaged in trauma care within a paediatric trauma centre was undertaken. Participation was voluntary and responses de-idenitified. The survey comprised 20 questions regarding initial assessment, imaging, immobilisation and perioperative management. Physicians' responses were compared with available current evidence. Sixty-seven physicians (28% registrars, 17% fellows and 55.2% consultants) participated. Physicians rated altered mental state, intoxication and distracting injury as the most important contraindications to cervical spine clearance in children. Fifty-four per cent considered adequate plain imaging to be 3-view cervical spine radiographs (anterior-posterior, lateral and odontoid), whereas 30% considered CT the most sensitive modality for detecting unstable cervical spine injuries. Physicians' responses reflected marked heterogeneity regarding semi-rigid cervical collars and what constitutes cervical spine 'clearance'. Greater consensus existed for perioperative precautions in this setting. Physicians actively engaged in paediatric trauma care demonstrate marked heterogeneity in their knowledge and application of cervical spine assessment. This is compounded by a lack of paediatric-specific evidence and definitions, involvement of multiple specialties and staff turnover within busy departments. A validated decision-making tool for cervical spine assessment will represent an important advance in paediatric trauma. © 2016 Australasian

Chondrosarcoma of the Mobile Spine and Sacrum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryan M. Stuckey

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Chondrosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor of bone. This family of tumors can be primary malignant tumors or a secondary malignant transformation of an underlying benign cartilage tumor. Pain is often the initial presenting complaint when chondrosarcoma involves the spine. In the mobile spine, chondrosarcoma commonly presents within the vertebral body and shows a predilection for the thoracic spine. Due to the resistance of chondrosarcoma to both radiation and chemotherapy, treatment is focused on surgery. With en bloc excision of chondrosarcoma of the mobile spine and sacrum patients can have local recurrence rates as low as 20%.

Accountable disease management of spine pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Matthew J

2011-09-01

The health care landscape has changed with new legislation addressing the unsustainable rise in costs in the US system. Low-value service lines caring for expensive chronic conditions have been targeted for reform; for better or worse, the treatment of spine pain has been recognized as a representative example. Examining the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and existing pilot studies can offer a preview of how chronic care of spine pain will be sustained. Accountable care in an organization capable of collecting, analyzing, and reporting clinical data and operational compliance is forthcoming. Interdisciplinary spine pain centers integrating surgical and medical management, behavioral medicine, physical reconditioning, and societal reintegration represent the model of high-value care for patients with chronic spine pain. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Imaging the cervical spine following rugby related injury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beck, J.J.W.

2016-01-01

Rugby Union and Rugby League are popular sports with high participation across the world. The high impact nature of the sport results in a high proportion of injuries. Rugby has an association with cervical spine injury which has potentially catastrophic consequences for the patient. Anecdotal evidence suggests that radiographers find it challenging to visualise the cervicothoracic junction on the lateral supine cervical spine projection in broad shouldered athletes. This paper intends to analyse the risk factors for cervical spine injuries in rugby and discuss the imaging strategy in respect to radiography and CT scanning in high risk patient groups such as rugby players who are suspected of suffering a cervical spine injury. - Highlights: • Rugby as a participation sport represents a risk of cervical spine injury. • Conventional radiography lacks sensitivity in identifying cervical spine injury. • The body habitus of rugby players makes the imaging of the cervicothoracic junction challenging. • CT scanning should replace radiography in the event of serious suspicion of cervical spine injury. • The notion of CT being a high dose modality should be questioned.

A DXA Whole Body Composition Cross-Calibration Experience: Evaluation With Humans, Spine, and Whole Body Phantoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Krueger, Diane; Libber, Jessie; Sanfilippo, Jennifer; Yu, Hui Jing; Horvath, Blaine; Miller, Colin G; Binkley, Neil

2016-01-01

New densitometer installation requires cross-calibration for accurate longitudinal assessment. When replacing a unit with the same model, the International Society for Clinical Densitometry recommends cross-calibrating by scanning phantoms 10 times on each instrument and states that spine bone mineral density (BMD) should be within 1%, whereas total body lean, fat, and %fat mass should be within 2% of the prior instrument. However, there is limited validation that these recommendations provide adequate total body cross-calibration. Here, we report a total body cross-calibration experience with phantoms and humans. Cross-calibration between an existing and new Lunar iDXA was performed using 3 encapsulated spine phantoms (GE [GE Lunar, Madison, WI], BioClinica [BioClinica Inc, Princeton, NJ], and Hologic [Hologic Inc, Bedford, MA]), 1 total body composition phantom (BioClinica), and 30 human volunteers. Thirty scans of each phantom and a total body scan of human volunteers were obtained on each instrument. All spine phantom BMD means were similar (within 1%; g/cm2 bias) between the existing and new dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry unit. The BioClinica body composition phantom (BBCP) BMD and bone mineral content (BMC) values were within 2% with biases of 0.005 g/cm2 and -3.4 g. However, lean and fat mass and %fat differed by 4.6%-7.7% with biases of +463 g, -496 g, and -2.8%, respectively. In vivo comparison supported BBCP data; BMD and BMC were within ∼2%, but lean and fat mass and %fat differed from 1.6% to 4.9% with biases of +833 g, -860 g, and -1.1%. As all body composition comparisons exceeded the recommended 2%, the new densitometer was recalibrated. After recalibration, in vivo bias was lower (g, respectively. Similarly, BBCP lean and fat agreement improved. In conclusion, the BBCP behaves similarly, but not identical, to human in vivo measurements for densitometer cross-calibration. Spine phantoms, despite good BMD and BMC agreement, did not detect

Fish kairomones induce spine elongation and reduce predation in marine crab larvae.

Science.gov (United States)

Charpentier, Corie L; Wright, Alexander J; Cohen, Jonathan H

2017-08-01

Specialized defense strategies are induced in zooplankton upon detection of predator chemical cues or kairomones. These defenses are well-described for freshwater zooplankters, with morphological defenses being particularly striking, but few studies have reported kairomone-induced morphological defenses in marine zooplankton. Here, we compare morphological responses to kairomones in the larvae of two marine crab species, estuarine mud crabs (Rhithropanopeus harrisii) and Asian shore crabs (Hemigrapsus sanguineus). When reared in the presence of fish kairomones, spine length increased by 2-3% in larval R. harrisii, while no morphological changes were identified in H. sanguineus. In subsequent feeding assays with a co-occurring fish predator (Atlantic silversides, Menidia menidia), consumption of R. harrisii was lower on larvae that had been reared with kairomones. In addition, we found that broods with smaller larvae are more likely to exhibit increases in spine length after kairomone exposure. Hence, the observed morphological response is likely influenced by larval size. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Representing Canadian Muslims: Media, Muslim Advocacy Organizations, and Gender in the Ontario Shari’ah Debate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meena Sharify-Funk

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes a highly public conflict between two Muslim non-profit organizations, the Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC and the Muslim Canadian Congress (MCC, as it played out on the pages of Canadian newspapers and Internet websites. Sparked by profoundly divergent convictions about gender norms and fuelled by contradictory blueprints for “being Muslim in Canada”, this incendiary conflict was fanned by Canadian media coverage. Focusing especially, but not exclusively, on the 2003-2005 debate over Shari’ah-based alternative dispute resolution in Ontario, I will argue that the media have played a role in constructing internal Muslim debates and identity negotiations concerning what it means to be genuinely Canadian and authentically Muslim through controversy-driven journalism that has highlighted opposing ends of a liberal/progressive versus conservative/traditional axis in a search for “point/counter-point” views. Through short stories and commentaries on controversial topicsthat juxtapose two increasingly antagonistic organizational voices, the media have not merely reflected Muslim realities, but also helped to shape them and, more often than not, reinforce polarization between a “majority Muslim” culture seeking to secure space for itself within Canadian society and a “dissident Muslim” culture that seeks to consolidate external support for internal change.

Multiplanar CT of the spine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rothman, S.L.G.; Glenn, W.V. Jr.

1986-01-01

This is an illustrated text on computed tomography (CT) of the lumbar spine with an emphasis on the role and value of multiplanar imaging for helping determine diagnoses. The book has adequate discussion of scanning techniques for the different regions, interpretations of various abnormalities, degenerative disk disease, and different diagnoses. There is a 50-page chapter on detailed sectional anatomy of the spine and useful chapters on the postoperative spine and the planning and performing of spinal surgery with CT multiplanar reconstruction. There are comprehensive chapters on spinal tumors and trauma. The final two chapters of the book are devoted to CT image processing using digital networks and CT applications of medical computer graphics

A Comparison of Cervical Spine Motion After Immobilization With a Traditional Spine Board and Full-Body Vacuum-Mattress Splint.

Science.gov (United States)

Etier, Brian E; Norte, Grant E; Gleason, Megan M; Richter, Dustin L; Pugh, Kelli F; Thomson, Keith B; Slater, Lindsay V; Hart, Joe M; Brockmeier, Stephen F; Diduch, David R

2017-12-01

The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) advocates for cervical spine immobilization on a rigid board or vacuum splint and for removal of athletic equipment before transfer to an emergency medical facility. To (1) compare triplanar cervical spine motion using motion capture between a traditional rigid spine board and a full-body vacuum splint in equipped and unequipped athletes, (2) assess cervical spine motion during the removal of a football helmet and shoulder pads, and (3) evaluate the effect of body mass on cervical spine motion. Controlled laboratory study. Twenty healthy male participants volunteered for this study to examine the influence of immobilization type and presence of equipment on triplanar angular cervical spine motion. Three-dimensional cervical spine kinematics was measured using an electromagnetic motion analysis system. Independent variables included testing condition (static lift and hold, 30° tilt, transfer, equipment removal), immobilization type (rigid, vacuum-mattress), and equipment (on, off). Peak sagittal-, frontal-, and transverse-plane angular motions were the primary outcome measures of interest. Subjective ratings of comfort and security did not differ between immobilization types ( P > .05). Motion between the rigid board and vacuum splint did not differ by more than 2° under any testing condition, either with or without equipment. In removing equipment, the mean peak motion ranged from 12.5° to 14.0° for the rigid spine board and from 11.4° to 15.4° for the vacuum-mattress splint, and more transverse-plane motion occurred when using the vacuum-mattress splint compared with the rigid spine board (mean difference, 0.14 deg/s [95% CI, 0.05-0.23 deg/s]; P = .002). In patients weighing more than 250 lb, the rigid board provided less motion in the frontal plane ( P = .027) and sagittal plane ( P = .030) during the tilt condition and transfer condition, respectively. The current study confirms similar motion in the

Sensitivity of lumbar spine loading to anatomical parameters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Putzer, Michael; Ehrlich, Ingo; Rasmussen, John

2016-01-01

Musculoskeletal simulations of lumbar spine loading rely on a geometrical representation of the anatomy. However, this data has an inherent inaccuracy. This study evaluates the in uence of dened geometrical parameters on lumbar spine loading utilizing ve parametrized musculoskeletal lumbar spine ...... lumbar spine model for a subject-specic approach with respect to bone geometry. Furthermore, degeneration processes could lead to computational problems and it is advised that stiffness properties of discs and ligaments should be individualized....

An evidence-based clinical guideline for the use of antithrombotic therapies in spine surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Bono, Christopher M; Watters, William C; Heggeness, Michael H; Resnick, Daniel K; Shaffer, William O; Baisden, Jamie; Ben-Galim, Peleg; Easa, John E; Fernand, Robert; Lamer, Tim; Matz, Paul G; Mendel, Richard C; Patel, Rajeev K; Reitman, Charles A; Toton, John F

2009-12-01

The objective of the North American Spine Society (NASS) Evidence-Based Clinical Guideline on antithrombotic therapies in spine surgery was to provide evidence-based recommendations to address key clinical questions surrounding the use of antithrombotic therapies in spine surgery. The guideline is intended to address these questions based on the highest quality clinical literature available on this subject as of February 2008. The goal of the guideline recommendations was to assist in delivering optimum, efficacious treatment with the goal of preventing thromboembolic events. To provide an evidence-based, educational tool to assist spine surgeons in minimizing the risk of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). Systematic review and evidence-based clinical guideline. This report is from the Antithrombotic Therapies Work Group of the NASS Evidence-Based Guideline Development Committee. The work group was composed of multidisciplinary spine care specialists, all of whom were trained in the principles of evidence-based analysis. Each member of the group was involved in formatting a series of clinical questions to be addressed by the group. The final questions agreed on by the group are the subject of this report. A literature search addressing each question and using a specific search protocol was performed on English language references found in MEDLINE, EMBASE (Drugs and Pharmacology), and four additional, evidence-based databases. The relevant literature was then independently rated by at least three reviewers using the NASS-adopted standardized levels of evidence. An evidentiary table was created for each of the questions. Final grades of recommendation for the answers to each clinical question were arrived at via Web casts among members of the work group using standardized grades of recommendation. When Level I to IV evidence was insufficient to support a recommendation to answer a specific clinical question, expert consensus was arrived at by

Building on our past... building for the future. 33rd Annual Canadian Nuclear Society conference and 36th CNS/CNA student conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

The 33rd Annual Canadian Nuclear Society Conference and 36th CNS/CNA Student Conference was held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada on June 10-13, 2012. With the theme of the conference, 'Building on our Past... Building for the Future', the conference specifically noted the 50th anniversary of the first-nuclear-produced electricity in Canada by the small Nuclear Power Demonstration (NPD) plant on June 4, 1962 and the 60th anniversary of the creation of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited in April 1952. The conference brought together over 360 delegates for the technical sessions with very broad subject matter of: physics, environment and waste management, safety and licensing, life extension, fusion technology, fuel and advanced reactors, reactor materials, uranium mining, I and C process, and, thermalhydraulics. Two plenary sessions focussed on: Small Modular Reactors; and, radioisotopes primarily for medical applications. The student conference was well attended with plenary sessions focussing on: Nuclear Industry Power Developments: The Renaissance; and a panel discussion on the overview of the proposed refurbishment of the Darlington four-unit station.

Establishing a national knowledge translation and generation network in kidney disease: the CAnadian KidNey KNowledge TraNslation and GEneration NeTwork.

Science.gov (United States)

Manns, Braden; Barrett, Brendan; Evans, Michael; Garg, Amit; Hemmelgarn, Brenda; Kappel, Joanne; Klarenbach, Scott; Madore, Francois; Parfrey, Patrick; Samuel, Susan; Soroka, Steven; Suri, Rita; Tonelli, Marcello; Wald, Ron; Walsh, Michael; Zappitelli, Michael

2014-01-01

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) do not always receive care consistent with guidelines, in part due to complexities in CKD management, lack of randomized trial data to inform care, and a failure to disseminate best practice. At a 2007 conference of key Canadian stakeholders in kidney disease, attendees noted that the impact of Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN) guidelines was attenuated given limited formal linkages between the CSN Clinical Practice Guidelines Group, kidney researchers, decision makers and knowledge users, and that further knowledge was required to guide care in patients with kidney disease. The idea for the Canadian Kidney Knowledge Translation and Generation Network (CANN-NET) developed from this meeting. CANN-NET is a pan-Canadian network established in partnership with CSN, the Kidney Foundation of Canada and other professional societies to improve the care and outcomes of patients with and at risk for kidney disease. The initial priority areas for knowledge translation include improving optimal timing of dialysis initiation, and increasing the appropriate use of home dialysis. Given the urgent need for new knowledge, CANN-NET has also brought together a national group of experienced Canadian researchers to address knowledge gaps by encouraging and supporting multicentre randomized trials in priority areas, including management of cardiovascular disease in patients with kidney failure.

Paediatric cervical spine injury but NEXUS negative

OpenAIRE

Maxwell, Melanie J; Jardine, Andrew D

2007-01-01

Cervical spine injuries in paediatric patients following trauma are extremely rare. The National Emergency X‐Radiography Utilization Study (NEXUS) guidelines are a set of clinical criteria used to guide physicians in identifying trauma patients requiring cervical spine imaging. It is validated for use in children. A case of a child who did not fulfil the NEXUS criteria for imaging but was found to have a cervical spine fracture is reported.

Fine structure of synapses on dendritic spines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael eFrotscher

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Camillo Golgi’s Reazione Nera led to the discovery of dendritic spines, small appendages originating from dendritic shafts. With the advent of electron microscopy (EM they were identified as sites of synaptic contact. Later it was found that changes in synaptic strength were associated with changes in the shape of dendritic spines. While live-cell imaging was advantageous in monitoring the time course of such changes in spine structure, EM is still the best method for the simultaneous visualization of all cellular components, including actual synaptic contacts, at high resolution. Immunogold labeling for EM reveals the precise localization of molecules in relation to synaptic structures. Previous EM studies of spines and synapses were performed in tissue subjected to aldehyde fixation and dehydration in ethanol, which is associated with protein denaturation and tissue shrinkage. It has remained an issue to what extent fine structural details are preserved when subjecting the tissue to these procedures. In the present review, we report recent studies on the fine structure of spines and synapses using high-pressure freezing (HPF, which avoids protein denaturation by aldehydes and results in an excellent preservation of ultrastructural detail. In these studies, HPF was used to monitor subtle fine-structural changes in spine shape associated with chemically induced long-term potentiation (cLTP at identified hippocampal mossy fiber synapses. Changes in spine shape result from reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. We report that cLTP was associated with decreased immunogold labeling for phosphorylated cofilin (p-cofilin, an actin-depolymerizing protein. Phosphorylation of cofilin renders it unable to depolymerize F-actin, which stabilizes the actin cytoskeleton. Decreased levels of p-cofilin, in turn, suggest increased actin turnover, possibly underlying the changes in spine shape associated with cLTP. The findings reviewed here establish HPF as

Prospective Validation of Modified NEXUS Cervical Spine Injury Criteria in Low-risk Elderly Fall Patients

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John Tran

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The National Emergency X-radiography Utilization Study (NEXUS criteria are used extensively in emergency departments to rule out C-spine injuries (CSI in the general population. Although the NEXUS validation set included 2,943 elderly patients, multiple case reports and the Canadian C-Spine Rules question the validity of applying NEXUS to geriatric populations. The objective of this study was to validate a modified NEXUS criteria in a low-risk elderly fall population with two changes: a modified definition for distracting injury and the definition of normal mentation. Methods: This is a prospective, observational cohort study of geriatric fall patients who presented to a Level I trauma center and were not triaged to the trauma bay. Providers enrolled non-intoxicated patients at baseline mental status with no lateralizing neurologic deficits. They recorded midline neck tenderness, signs of trauma, and presence of other distracting injury. Results: We enrolled 800 patients. One patient fall event was excluded due to duplicate enrollment, and four were lost to follow up, leaving 795 for analysis. Average age was 83.6 (range 65-101. The numbers in parenthesis after the negative predictive value represent confidence interval. There were 11 (1.4% cervical spine injuries. One hundred seventeen patients had midline tenderness and seven of these had CSI; 366 patients had signs of trauma to the face/neck, and 10 of these patients had CSI. Using signs of trauma to the head/neck as the only distracting injury and baseline mental status as normal alertness, the modified NEXUS criteria was 100% sensitive (CI [67.9-100] with a negative predictive value of 100 (98.7-100. Conclusion: Our study suggests that a modified NEXUS criteria can be safely applied to low-risk elderly falls.

Prospective Validation of Modified NEXUS Cervical Spine Injury Criteria in Low-risk Elderly Fall Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, John; Jeanmonod, Donald; Agresti, Darin; Hamden, Khalief; Jeanmonod, Rebecca K

2016-05-01

The National Emergency X-radiography Utilization Study (NEXUS) criteria are used extensively in emergency departments to rule out C-spine injuries (CSI) in the general population. Although the NEXUS validation set included 2,943 elderly patients, multiple case reports and the Canadian C-Spine Rules question the validity of applying NEXUS to geriatric populations. The objective of this study was to validate a modified NEXUS criteria in a low-risk elderly fall population with two changes: a modified definition for distracting injury and the definition of normal mentation. This is a prospective, observational cohort study of geriatric fall patients who presented to a Level I trauma center and were not triaged to the trauma bay. Providers enrolled non-intoxicated patients at baseline mental status with no lateralizing neurologic deficits. They recorded midline neck tenderness, signs of trauma, and presence of other distracting injury. We enrolled 800 patients. One patient fall event was excluded due to duplicate enrollment, and four were lost to follow up, leaving 795 for analysis. Average age was 83.6 (range 65-101). The numbers in parenthesis after the negative predictive value represent confidence interval. There were 11 (1.4%) cervical spine injuries. One hundred seventeen patients had midline tenderness and seven of these had CSI; 366 patients had signs of trauma to the face/neck, and 10 of these patients had CSI. Using signs of trauma to the head/neck as the only distracting injury and baseline mental status as normal alertness, the modified NEXUS criteria was 100% sensitive (CI [67.9-100]) with a negative predictive value of 100 (98.7-100). Our study suggests that a modified NEXUS criteria can be safely applied to low-risk elderly falls.

Degenerative disease of the spine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czervionke, L.F.; Daniels, D.L.

1991-01-01

With few exceptions, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is becoming the modality of choice for the evaluation of degenerative disorders of the entire spine. With the implementation of surface coils and continued refinement and development of new pulse sequences, osseous and soft tissue structures of the spine can now be studied in great detail. The introduction of paramagnetic contrast agents has made it possible to differentiate epidural scar from recurrent disc herniation in the postoperative setting and to discern previously undetected degenerative changes within the intervertebral disc itself. This paper discusses the spectrum of degenerative diseases of the spine, including disc degeneration (intervertebral osteochondrosis), disc herniation, spinal stenosis, spondylosis deformans, and osteoarthritis. A brief description of the MR techniques and strategies used to evaluate these disorders is also

Contemporary Bilingual Life at a Canadian High School: Choices, Risks, Tensions, and Dilemmas.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldstein, Tara

2003-01-01

Reports on a ethnographic study that investigated how immigrant high school students used Cantonese and English to achieve academic and social success in a Canadian high school where English was the language of instruction. Argues that immigrant students found meaningful ways to acquire the cultural capital of the dominant society. (CAJ)

Hippocampal Dendritic Spines Are Segregated Depending on Their Actin Polymerization.

Science.gov (United States)

Domínguez-Iturza, Nuria; Calvo, María; Benoist, Marion; Esteban, José Antonio; Morales, Miguel

2016-01-01

Dendritic spines are mushroom-shaped protrusions of the postsynaptic membrane. Spines receive the majority of glutamatergic synaptic inputs. Their morphology, dynamics, and density have been related to synaptic plasticity and learning. The main determinant of spine shape is filamentous actin. Using FRAP, we have reexamined the actin dynamics of individual spines from pyramidal hippocampal neurons, both in cultures and in hippocampal organotypic slices. Our results indicate that, in cultures, the actin mobile fraction is independently regulated at the individual spine level, and mobile fraction values do not correlate with either age or distance from the soma. The most significant factor regulating actin mobile fraction was the presence of astrocytes in the culture substrate. Spines from neurons growing in the virtual absence of astrocytes have a more stable actin cytoskeleton, while spines from neurons growing in close contact with astrocytes show a more dynamic cytoskeleton. According to their recovery time, spines were distributed into two populations with slower and faster recovery times, while spines from slice cultures were grouped into one population. Finally, employing fast lineal acquisition protocols, we confirmed the existence of loci with high polymerization rates within the spine.

Neuroimaging for spine and spinal cord surgery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koyanagi, Izumi [Hokkaido Neurosurgical Memorial Hospital (Japan); Iwasaki, Yoshinobu; Hida, Kazutoshi

2001-01-01

Recent advances in neuroimaging of the spine and spinal cord are described based upon our clinical experiences with spinal disorders. Preoperative neuroradiological examinations, including magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and computerized tomography (CT) with three-dimensional reconstruction (3D-CT), were retrospectively analyzed in patients with cervical spondylosis or ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (130 cases), spinal trauma (43 cases) and intramedullary spinal cord tumors (92 cases). CT scan and 3D-CT were useful in elucidating the spine pathology associated with degenerative and traumatic spine diseases. Visualization of the deformity of the spine or fracture-dislocation of the spinal column with 3D-CT helped to determine the correct surgical treatment. MR imaging was most important in the diagnosis of both spine and spinal cord abnormalities. The axial MR images of the spinal cord were essential in understanding the laterality of the spinal cord compression in spinal column disorders and in determining surgical approaches to the intramedullary lesions. Although non-invasive diagnostic modalities such as MR imaging and CT scans are adequate for deciding which surgical treatment to use in the majority of spine and spinal cord disorders, conventional myelography is still needed in the diagnosis of nerve root compression in some cases of cervical spondylosis. (author)

Us, them, and others: reflections on Canadian multiculturalism and national identity at the turn of the twenty-first century.

Science.gov (United States)

Winter, Elke

2014-05-01

The John Porter Lecture at the annual meeting of the Canadian Sociological Association in Victoria 2013 draws upon my book Us, Them, and Others: Pluralism and National Identity in Diverse Societies. Incorporating the findings from an analysis of Canadian English-language newspaper discourses during the 1990s into a theoretical framework inspired by Weberian sociology, the book argues that pluralism is best understood as a dynamic set of triangular relations where the compromise between unequal groups--"us" and "others"--is rendered meaningful through the confrontation with real or imagined outsiders ("them"). The lecture summarizes the theoretical contribution and explains how multiculturalism became consolidated in dominant Canadian discourses in the late 1990s. The lecture then discusses changes to Canadian multicultural identity at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

The Spine of the Cosmic Web

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aragón-Calvo, Miguel A.; Platen, Erwin; van de Weijgaert, Rien; Szalay, Alexander S.

2010-01-01

We present the SpineWeb framework for the topological analysis of the Cosmic Web and the identification of its walls, filaments, and cluster nodes. Based on the watershed segmentation of the cosmic density field, the SpineWeb method invokes the local adjacency properties of the boundaries between

The Spine of the Cosmic Web

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aragón-Calvo, Miguel A.; Platen, Erwin; van de Weijgaert, Rien; Szalay, Alexander S.

We present the SpineWeb framework for the topological analysis of the Cosmic Web and the identification of its walls, filaments, and cluster nodes. Based on the watershed segmentation of the cosmic density field, the SpineWeb method invokes the local adjacency properties of the boundaries between

EphB/syndecan-2 signaling in dendritic spine morphogenesis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ethell, I M; Irie, F; Kalo, M S

2001-01-01

We previously reported that the cell surface proteoglycan syndecan-2 can induce dendritic spine formation in hippocampal neurons. We demonstrate here that the EphB2 receptor tyrosine kinase phosphorylates syndecan-2 and that this phosphorylation event is crucial for syndecan-2 clustering and spine...... formation. Syndecan-2 is tyrosine phosphorylated and forms a complex with EphB2 in mouse brain. Dominant-negative inhibition of endogenous EphB receptor activities blocks clustering of endogenous syndecan-2 and normal spine formation in cultured hippocampal neurons. This is the first evidence that Eph...... receptors play a physiological role in dendritic spine morphogenesis. Our observations suggest that spine morphogenesis is triggered by the activation of Eph receptors, which causes tyrosine phosphorylation of target molecules, such as syndecan-2, in presumptive spines....

Where in the World are Canadian Oil and Gas Companies? 2011

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niloo Hojjati

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Canada is well recognized for its prominence as an oil and gas jurisdiction in regard to its resources within its own borders. However, there is little available analysis and information regarding the presence of Canadian companies in the international arena. Begun in 2011 as an internal research tool for the development of the Extractive Resource Governance Program, this project seeks to answer the vital question: Where in the world are Canadian oil and gas companies? To answer this question, firm-level data from publicly traded Canadian companies are collected and analyzed, culminating in the development of an online tool for public use. This map allows interested users to geographically locate jurisdictions around the world where publicly traded Canadian oil and gas (hereafter O&G companies have activities, over time. The map is available at http://www.policyschool.ca/ research-teaching/teaching-training/extractive-resource-governance/ergp-map/. This project, hereafter referred to as the WIW project, provides a measure that quantifies Canadian oil and gas activity around the world and identifies key jurisdictions that are of particular interest to Canadian O&G companies. The data collected holds value for various stakeholders such as governments, regulatory bodies, academia, civil society, and industry across the extractive resource spectrum. Prior to further discussion regarding the 2011 annual data results, it is valuable to provide a brief overview of the methodology used in the collection of data for this research project. The WIW project examines the global activities of Canadian O&G companies in 218 countries spanning seven international regions of analysis.1 The aim of the WIW project is to examine the international presence of Canadian companies in foreign countries. As such, it is important to note that this project does not provide information related to the activities of Canadian companies within Canada’s border, such as the

Surgery for failed cervical spine reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Helgeson, Melvin D; Albert, Todd J

2012-03-01

Review article. To review the indications, operative strategy, and complications of revision cervical spine reconstruction. With many surgeons expanding their indications for cervical spine surgery, the number of patients being treated operatively has increased. Unfortunately, the number of patients requiring revision procedures is also increasing, but very little literature exists reviewing changes in the indications or operative planning for revision reconstruction. Narrative and review of the literature. In addition to the well-accepted indications for primary cervical spine surgery (radiculopathy, myelopathy, instability, and tumor), we have used the following indications for revision surgery: pseudarthrosis, adjacent segment degeneration, inadequate decompression, iatrogenic instability, and deformity. Our surgical goal for pseudarthrosis is obviously to obtain a fusion, which can usually be performed with an approach not done previously. Our surgical goals for instability and deformity are more complex, with a focus on decompression of any neurologic compression, correction of deformity, and stability. Revision cervical spine reconstruction is safe and effective if performed for the appropriate indications and with proper planning.

Imaging of spine injuries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lomoschitz, F. . e-mai: friedrich.lomoschitz@univie.ac.at

2001-01-01

Spinal trauma requires a prompt and detailed diagnosis for estimating the prognosis and installing proper therapy. Conventional radiograms are the first imaging modality in most cases. In the cervical and the lumbar spine, a CT has to be performed in patients with polytrauma and a higher risk of complications or with signs of instability. Especially for imaging the cervicocranium, multiplanar reformations in sagittal and coronal planes are necessary. For fractures of the thoracic spine, MR imaging is superior to CT because of the better detection of associated neurologic complications. (author)

Protest: The Canadian pulse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lott, J.E.

1979-01-01

This popularly written article compares Canadian attitudes to protests against nuclear power to those in the United States. Canadian protesters are more peaceful, expressing their opinions within the law. The article describes the main anti-nuclear groups in Canada and presents the results of public opinion surveys of Canadians on the use of nuclear power for generating electricity. (TI)

Scoliosis Research Society

Science.gov (United States)

... The 25 th International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques IMAST gathers leading spine surgeons, innovative research and ... from membership dues, educational meetings and courses, publication sales and other sources. With your support, SRS can ...

Frailty and postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for degenerative spine disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Flexman, Alana M; Charest-Morin, Raphaële; Stobart, Liam; Street, John; Ryerson, Christopher J

2016-11-01

Frailty is defined as a state of decreased reserve and susceptibility to stressors. The relationship between frailty and postoperative outcomes after degenerative spine surgery has not been studied. This study aimed to (1) determine prevalence of frailty in the degenerative spine population; (2) describe patient characteristics associated with frailty; and (3) determine the association between frailty and postoperative complications, mortality, length of stay, and discharge disposition. This is a retrospective analysis on a prospectively collected cohort from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP). A total of 53,080 patients who underwent degenerative spine surgery between 2006 and 2012 were included in the study. A modified frailty index (mFI) with 11 variables derived from the NSQIP dataset was used to determine prevalence of frailty and its correlation with a composite outcome of perioperative complications as well as hospital length of stay, mortality, and discharge disposition. After calculating the mFI for each patient, the prevalence and predictors of frailty were determined for our cohort. The association of frailty with postoperative outcomes was determined after adjusting for known and suspected confounders using multivariate logistic regression. Frailty was present in 2,041 patients within the total population (4%) and in 8% of patients older than 65 years. Frailty severity increased with increasing age, male sex, African American race, higher body mass index, recent weight loss, paraplegia or quadriplegia, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, and preadmission residence in a care facility. Frailty severity was an independent predictor of major complication (OR 1.15 for every 0.10 increase in mFI, 95%CI 1.09-1.21, pdegenerative spine surgery. Preoperative recognition of frailty may be useful for perioperative optimization, risk stratification, and patient counseling. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MRI of cervical spine injuries complicating ankylosing spondylitis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koivikko, Mika P.; Koskinen, Seppo K. [Helsinki Medical Imaging Center, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Toeoeloe Hospital, Department of Radiology, Helsinki (Finland)

2008-09-15

The objective was to study characteristic MRI findings in cervical spine fractures complicating ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Technical issues related to MRI are also addressed. A review of 6,774 consecutive cervical spine multidetector CT (MDCT) scans obtained during 6.2 years revealed 33 ankylosed spines studied for suspected acute cervical spine injury complicating AS. Of these, 20 patients also underwent MRI. On MRI, of these 20 patients, 19 had a total of 29 cervical and upper thoracic spine fractures. Of 20 transverse fractures traversing both anterior and posterior columns, 7 were transdiskal and exhibited less bone marrow edema than did those traversing vertebral bodies. One Jefferson's, 1 atlas posterior arch (Jefferson's on MDCT), 2 odontoid process, and 5 non-contiguous spinous process fractures were detectable. MRI showed 2 fractures that were undetected by MDCT, and conversely, MDCT detected 6 fractures not seen on MRI; 16 patients had spinal cord findings ranging from impingement and contusion to complete transection. Magnetic resonance imaging can visualize unstable fractures of the cervical and upper thoracic spine. Paravertebral hemorrhages and any ligamentous injuries should alert radiologists to seek transverse fractures. Multiple fractures are common and often complicated by spinal cord injuries. Diagnostic images can be obtained with a flexible multipurpose coil if the use of standard spine array coil is impossible due to a rigid collar or excessive kyphosis. (orig.)

Injuries at a Canadian National Taekwondo Championships: a prospective study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pieter Willy

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The purpose of this prospective study was to assess the injury rates in male and female adult Canadian Taekwondo athletes relative to total number of injuries, type and body part injured. Methods Subjects (219 males, 99 females participated in the 1997 Canadian National Taekwondo Championships in Toronto, Canada. Injuries were recorded on an injury form to documents any injury seen and treatment provided by the health care team. These data were later used for this study. The injury form describes the athlete and nature, site, severity and mechanism of the injury. Results The overall rate of injuries was 62.9/1,000 athlete-exposures (A-E. The males (79.9/1,000 A-E sustained significantly more injuries than the females (25.3/1,000 A-E. The lower extremities were the most commonly injured body region in the men (32.0 /1,000 A-E, followed by the head and neck (18.3/1,000 A-E. Injuries to the spine (neck, upper back, low back and coccyx were the third most often injured body region in males (13.8/1,000 A-E. All injuries to the women were sustained to the lower extremities. The most common type of injury in women was the contusion (15.2/1,000 A-E. However, men's most common type of injury was the sprain (22.8/1,000 A-E followed by joint dysfunction (13.7/1,000A-E. Concussions were only reported in males (6.9/1,000 A-E. Compared to international counterparts, the Canadian men and women recorded lower total injury rates. However, the males incurred more cerebral concussions than their American colleagues (4.7/1,000 A-E. Conclusions Similar to what was found in previous studies, the current investigation seems to suggest that areas of particular concern for preventive measures involve the head and neck as well as the lower extremities. This is the first paper to identify spinal joint dysfunction.

Cognitive aspects of sexual functioning: differences between East Asian-Canadian and Euro-Canadian women.

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Morton, Heather; Gorzalka, Boris B

2013-11-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the sexual beliefs of female undergraduates, as well as the thoughts they experience during sexual experiences. The study aimed to determine potential differences in these variables between East Asian-Canadians and Euro-Canadians, as well as the influence of acculturation on these variables. In addition, the relationships between sexual beliefs, automatic thoughts, and specific aspects of sexual functioning were examined. Euro-Canadian (n = 77) and East Asian-Canadian (n = 123) undergraduate women completed the Sexual Dysfunctional Beliefs Questionnaire, the Sexual Modes Questionnaire, the Female Sexual Function Index, and the Vancouver Index of Acculturation. East Asian women endorsed almost all sexual beliefs assessed in this study more than did Euro-Canadian women, and endorsement of these beliefs was associated with acculturation. In addition, East Asian-Canadian and Euro-Canadian women differed in the frequency of experiencing negative automatic thoughts. Results also revealed associations between difficulties in sexual functioning, and both sexual beliefs and automatic thoughts. Together, these results provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that differences in cognitive aspects of sexuality may underlie the differences in sexual functioning previously observed between these two groups.

Effectiveness of Treatment of Idiopathic Scoliosis by SpineCor Dynamic Bracing with Special Physiotherapy Programme in SpineCor System.

Science.gov (United States)

Rożek, Karina; Potaczek, Tomasz; Zarzycka, Maja; Lipik, Ewa; Jasiewicz, Barbara

2016-10-28

The SpineCor dynamic brace for the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis is designed to maintain the correct position of the spine and a new movement strategy for 20 hours per day. The SpineCor exercise system intensifies and complements the brace treatment. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a comprehensive treatment of idiopathic scoliosis involving the SpineCor system. The study assessed a group of 40 patients (38 girls and 2 boys) with idiopathic scoliosis treated with the SpineCor brace. The average age at beginning of treatment was 13.1 yrs (10-15). Minimum treatment time was 18 months. 28 participants met the SRS criteria. Angles of the curve before and after bracing based on imaging studies were measured at the beginning and end of the treatment, analyzed and compared. Rehabilitation focused on teaching active corrective movement throughout the brace treatment. A control group was formed of 33 patients, including 21 meeting the SRS criteria, who used the SpineCor dynamic brace but did not participate in the associated exercise programme. Among patients from the exercise group who met the SRS criteria, 25% demonstrated reduced curve angles, 35.7% demonstrated curve progression and 39.3% showed stabilization (no change). Among patients meeting the SRS criteria from the control group, a decrease in curve angle was observed in 14.3% of the patients, curve progression in 57.1% and stabilization in 28.6%. 1. The addition of a dedicated physiotherapy programme to SpineCor dynamic bracing improves the chances of obtaining a positive outcome. 2. It is necessary to further analyse the course of the comprehensive treatment, also with regard to other types of braces and kinesiotherapy programmes.

Using a Wider Lens to Shift the Discourse on Food in Canadian Curriculum Policies

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Robertson, Lorayne; Scheidler-Benns, Joli

2016-01-01

Healthy eating is important to overall health, but Canadian health agencies disagree on the degree to which lifestyle or society determines healthy eating. The authors review the literature and design a policy analysis framework that captures discursive elements of both arguments. They apply this framework to education policy, analysing the…

Dictionaries of Canadian English | Considine | Lexikos

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... its best, reached a high degree of sophistication, there are still major opportunities waiting to be taken. keywords: dictionary, lexicography, canadian english, canadianisms, national dictionaries, canadian french, canadian first nations lan-guages, bilingual dictionaries, regional dictionaries, unfinished diction-ary projects ...

Pott's Spine with Bilateral Psoas Abscesses

OpenAIRE

Masavkar, Sanjeevani; Shanbag, Preeti; Inamdar, Prithi

2012-01-01

A high degree of suspicion and appropriate imaging studies are required for the early diagnosis of Pott's spine. We describe a 4-year-old boy with Pott's disease of the lumbar spine with bilateral psoas abscesses. The child responded to conservative treatment with antituberculous treatment and ultrasonographically guided percutaneous drainage of the abscesses.

Upper spine morphology in hypophosphatemic rickets and healthy controls

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gjørup, Hans; Sonnesen, Liselotte; Beck-Nielsen, Signe S

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to describe upper spine morphology in adult patients with hypophosphatemic rickets (HR) compared with controls to assess differences in spine morphology in terms of severity of skeletal impact and to study associations between spine morphology...

Establishing a National Knowledge Translation and Generation Network in Kidney Disease: The CAnadian KidNey KNowledge TraNslation and GEneration NeTwork

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Braden Manns

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD do not always receive care consistent with guidelines, in part due to complexities in CKD management, lack of randomized trial data to inform care, and a failure to disseminate best practice. At a 2007 conference of key Canadian stakeholders in kidney disease, attendees noted that the impact of Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN guidelines was attenuated given limited formal linkages between the CSN Clinical Practice Guidelines Group, kidney researchers, decision makers and knowledge users, and that further knowledge was required to guide care in patients with kidney disease. The idea for the Canadian Kidney Knowledge Translation and Generation Network (CANN-NET developed from this meeting. CANN-NET is a pan-Canadian network established in partnership with CSN, the Kidney Foundation of Canada and other professional societies to improve the care and outcomes of patients with and at risk for kidney disease. The initial priority areas for knowledge translation include improving optimal timing of dialysis initiation, and increasing the appropriate use of home dialysis. Given the urgent need for new knowledge, CANN-NET has also brought together a national group of experienced Canadian researchers to address knowledge gaps by encouraging and supporting multicentre randomized trials in priority areas, including management of cardiovascular disease in patients with kidney failure.

Periscopic Spine Surgery

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Cleary, Kevin R

2000-01-01

.... Key research accomplishments for the first year are: ̂Demonstrated the value of intraoperative CT for visualization and verification of the anatomy in complex spine surgeries in the neurosurgery operating room...

Gonadal dose reduction in lumbar spine radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moilanen, A.; Kokko, M.L.; Pitkaenen, M.

1983-01-01

Different ways to minimize the gonadal dose in lumbar spine radiography have been studied. Two hundred and fifty lumbar spine radiographs were reviewed to assess the clinical need for lateral L5/S1 projection. Modern film/screen combinations and gonadal shielding of externally scattered radiation play a major role in the reduction of the genetic dose. The number of exposures should be minimized. Our results show that two projections, anteroposterior (AP) and lateral, appear to be sufficient in routine radiography of the lumbar spine. (orig.)

Rheumatoid arthritis: Radiological changes in the cervical spine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Boukai, Ahmad A.; Al-Arfaj, Abdurahman S.

2003-01-01

Objective was to describe the radiographic cervical spine changes in rheumatoid arthritis patients.Forty-nine patients (37 females and 12 males ) diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between June 1998 and December 2000, were studied for their radiographic cervical spine changes . Their mean age at disease onset was 41.4 + 13.4 years (range of 18-73)and mean duration of disease was 9.1+-6.28 years (range of 2-34). Their demographic data including rheumatoid factor status was obtained. Standard conventional radiographs cervical spine were obtained to study the cervical spine changes. Cervical radiographic changes were found in 34 patients (27 females and 7 males) 10 had subluxation (7 with atlanto-axial subluxation,2 with sub-axial subluxation,and one with lateral subluxation ). No vertical impaction was seen. Erosion of odontoid process was seen in one patient .All were rheumatoid seropositive Cervical spine changes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis are common, in particular subluxation in the upper cervical spine. Our study showed somewhat lesser prevalence of these changes. These were clinically correlated with disease duration, female sex, and rheumatoid factor, but were not clinically significant. (author)

The Burden of Clostridium difficile after Cervical Spine Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Guzman, Javier Z; Skovrlj, Branko; Rothenberg, Edward S; Lu, Young; McAnany, Steven; Cho, Samuel K; Hecht, Andrew C; Qureshi, Sheeraz A

2016-06-01

Study Design Retrospective database analysis. Objective The purpose of this study is to investigate incidence, comorbidities, and impact on health care resources of Clostridium difficile infection after cervical spine surgery. Methods A total of 1,602,130 cervical spine surgeries from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database from 2002 to 2011 were included. Patients were included for study based on International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification procedural codes for cervical spine surgery for degenerative spine diagnoses. Baseline patient characteristics were determined. Multivariable analyses assessed factors associated with increased incidence of C. difficile and risk of mortality. Results Incidence of C. difficile infection in postoperative cervical spine surgery hospitalizations is 0.08%, significantly increased since 2002 (p difficile infection were significantly increased in patients with comorbidities such as congestive heart failure, renal failure, and perivascular disease. Circumferential cervical fusion (odds ratio [OR] = 2.93, p difficile infection after degenerative cervical spine surgery. C. difficile infection after cervical spine surgery results in extended length of stay (p costs (p difficile after cervical spine surgery is nearly 8% versus 0.19% otherwise (p difficile to be a significant predictor of inpatient mortality (OR = 3.99, p difficile increases the risk of in-hospital mortality and costs approximately $6,830,695 per year to manage in patients undergoing elective cervical spine surgery. Patients with comorbidities such as renal failure or congestive heart failure have increased probability of developing infection after surgery. Accepted antibiotic guidelines in this population must be followed to decrease the risk of developing postoperative C. difficile colitis.

Dysphagia associated with cervical spine and postural disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Papadopoulou, Soultana; Exarchakos, Georgios; Beris, Alexander; Ploumis, Avraam

2013-12-01

Difficulties with swallowing may be both persistent and life threatening for the majority of those who experience it irrespective of age, gender, and race. The purpose of this review is to define oropharyngeal dysphagia and describe its relationship to cervical spine disorders and postural disturbances due to either congenital or acquired disorders. The etiology and diagnosis of dysphagia are analyzed, focusing on cervical spine pathology associated with dysphagia as severe cervical spine disorders and postural disturbances largely have been held accountable for deglutition disorders. Scoliosis, kyphosis–lordosis, and osteophytes are the primary focus of this review in an attempt to elucidate the link between cervical spine disorders and dysphagia. It is important for physicians to be knowledgeable about what triggers oropharyngeal dysphagia in cases of cervical spine and postural disorders. Moreover, the optimum treatment for dysphagia, including the use of therapeutic maneuvers during deglutition, neck exercises, and surgical treatment, is discussed.

A direct comparison of spine rotational stiffness and dynamic spine stability during repetitive lifting tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Ryan B; Brown, Stephen H M

2012-06-01

Stability of the spinal column is critical to bear loads, allow movement, and at the same time avoid injury and pain. However, there has been a debate in recent years as to how best to define and quantify spine stability, with the outcome being that different methods are used without a clear understanding of how they relate to one another. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to directly compare lumbar spine rotational stiffness, calculated with an EMG-driven biomechanical model, to local dynamic spine stability calculated using Lyapunov analyses of kinematic data, during a series of continuous dynamic lifting challenges. Twelve healthy male subjects performed 30 repetitive lifts under three varying load and three varying rate conditions. With an increase in the load lifted (constant rate) there was a significant increase in mean, maximum, and minimum spine rotational stiffness (pstiffness (pstiffness and a non-significant decrease in local dynamic stability (p>0.05). Weak linear relationships were found for the varying rate conditions (r=-0.02 to -0.27). The results suggest that spine rotational stiffness and local dynamic stability are closely related to one another, as they provided similar information when movement rate was controlled. However, based on the results from the changing lifting rate conditions, it is evident that both models provide unique information and that future research is required to completely understand the relationship between the two models. Using both techniques concurrently may provide the best information regarding the true effects of (in) stability under different loading and movement scenarios, and in comparing healthy and clinical populations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Right thoracic curvature in the normal spine

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Masuda Keigo

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Trunk asymmetry and vertebral rotation, at times observed in the normal spine, resemble the characteristics of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS. Right thoracic curvature has also been reported in the normal spine. If it is determined that the features of right thoracic side curvature in the normal spine are the same as those observed in AIS, these findings might provide a basis for elucidating the etiology of this condition. For this reason, we investigated right thoracic curvature in the normal spine. Methods For normal spinal measurements, 1,200 patients who underwent a posteroanterior chest radiographs were evaluated. These consisted of 400 children (ages 4-9, 400 adolescents (ages 10-19 and 400 adults (ages 20-29, with each group comprised of both genders. The exclusion criteria were obvious chest and spinal diseases. As side curvature is minimal in normal spines and the range at which curvature is measured is difficult to ascertain, first the typical curvature range in scoliosis patients was determined and then the Cobb angle in normal spines was measured using the same range as the scoliosis curve, from T5 to T12. Right thoracic curvature was given a positive value. The curve pattern was organized in each collective three groups: neutral (from -1 degree to 1 degree, right (> +1 degree, and left ( Results In child group, Cobb angle in left was 120, in neutral was 125 and in right was 155. In adolescent group, Cobb angle in left was 70, in neutral was 114 and in right was 216. In adult group, Cobb angle in left was 46, in neutral was 102 and in right was 252. The curvature pattern shifts to the right side in the adolescent group (p Conclusions Based on standing chest radiographic measurements, a right thoracic curvature was observed in normal spines after adolescence.

Spine device clinical trials: design and sponsorship.

Science.gov (United States)

Cher, Daniel J; Capobianco, Robyn A

2015-05-01

Multicenter prospective randomized clinical trials represent the best evidence to support the safety and effectiveness of medical devices. Industry sponsorship of multicenter clinical trials is purported to lead to bias. To determine what proportion of spine device-related trials are industry-sponsored and the effect of industry sponsorship on trial design. Analysis of data from a publicly available clinical trials database. Clinical trials of spine devices registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, a publicly accessible trial database, were evaluated in terms of design, number and location of study centers, and sample size. The relationship between trial design characteristics and study sponsorship was evaluated using logistic regression and general linear models. One thousand six hundred thrity-eight studies were retrieved from ClinicalTrials.gov using the search term "spine." Of the 367 trials that focused on spine surgery, 200 (54.5%) specifically studied devices for spine surgery and 167 (45.5%) focused on other issues related to spine surgery. Compared with nondevice trials, device trials were far more likely to be sponsored by the industry (74% vs. 22.2%, odds ratio (OR) 9.9 [95% confidence interval 6.1-16.3]). Industry-sponsored device trials were more likely multicenter (80% vs. 29%, OR 9.8 [4.8-21.1]) and had approximately four times as many participating study centers (pdevices not sponsored by the industry. Most device-related spine research is industry-sponsored. Multicenter trials are more likely to be industry-sponsored. These findings suggest that previously published studies showing larger effect sizes in industry-sponsored vs. nonindustry-sponsored studies may be biased as a result of failure to take into account the marked differences in design and purpose. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dendritic spine morphology and dynamics in health and disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee S

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Stacey Lee,1 Huaye Zhang,2 Donna J Webb1,3,4 1Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 2Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, 3Department of Cancer Biology, 4Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA Abstract: Dendritic spines are actin-rich structures that form the postsynaptic terminals of excitatory synapses in the brain. The development and plasticity of spines are essential for cognitive processes, such as learning and memory, and defects in their density, morphology, and size underlie a number of neurological disorders. In this review, we discuss the contribution and regulation of the actin cytoskeleton in spine formation and plasticity as well as learning and memory. We also highlight the role of key receptors and intracellular signaling pathways in modulating the development and morphology of spines and cognitive function. Moreover, we provide insight into spine/synapse defects associated with several neurological disorders and the molecular mechanisms that underlie these spine defects. Keywords: dendritic spines, synapses, synaptic plasticity, actin cytoskeleton, glutamate receptors, neurological disorders

Bibliometric Analysis of Gender Authorship Trends and Collaboration Dynamics Over 30 Years of Spine 1985 to 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Brinker, Alexander R; Liao, Jane L; Kraus, Kent R; Young, Jocelyn; Sandelski, Morgan; Mikesell, Carter; Robinson, Daniel; Adjei, Michael; Lunsford, Shatoria D; Fischer, James; Kacena, Melissa A; Whipple, Elizabeth C; Loder, Randall T

2018-07-15

A bibliometric analysis. The aim of this article was to study bibliometric changes over the last 30 years of Spine. These trends are important regarding academic publication productivity. Inflation in authorship number and other bibliometric variables has been described in the scientific literature. The issue of author gender is taking on increasing importance, as efforts are being made to close the gender gap. From 1985 to 2015, 10-year incremental data for several bibliometric variables were collected, including author gender. Standard bivariate statistical analyses were performed. Trends over time were assessed by the Cochran linear trend. A P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Inclusion criteria were met for 1566 manuscripts. The majority of the manuscripts were from North America (51.2%), Europe (25.2%), and Asia (20.8%). The number of manuscripts, authors, countries, pages, and references all increased from 1985 to 2015. There was a slight increase in female first authors over time (17.5% to 18.4%, P = 0.048). There was no gender change over time for corresponding authors (14.3% to 14.0%, P = 0.29). There was an 88% increase in the percentage of female first authors having male corresponding authors (P = 0.00004), and a 123% increase in male first authors having female corresponding authors (P = 0.0002). The 14% to 18% of female authors in Spine is higher than the ∼5% female membership of the Scoliosis Research Society and North American Spine Society. Manuscripts in Spine over the past 30 years have shown a significant increase in the number of authors, collaborating institutions and countries, printed pages, references, and number of times each manuscript was cited. There has been a mild increase in female first authorship, but none in corresponding authorship. Increases in female authorship will likely require recruitment of more females into the discipline rather than providing females in the discipline with authorship

State of the Art Compendium: Canadian Thoracic Society recommendations for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Donnell, Denis E; Aaron, Shawn; Bourbeau, Jean; Hernandez, Paul; Marciniuk, Darcy; Balter, Meyer; Ford, Gordon; Gervais, Andre; Goldstein, Roger; Hodder, Rick; Maltais, Francois; Road, Jeremy; McKay, Valoree; Schenkel, Jennifer; Ariel, Annon; Day, Anna; Lacasse, Yves; Levy, Robert; Lien, Dale; Miller, John; Rocker, Graeme; Sinuff, Tasmin; Stewart, Paula; Voduc, Nha; Abboud, Raja; Ariel, Amnon; Becklake, Margo; Borycki, Elizabeth; Brooks, Dina; Bryan, Shirley; Calcutt, Luanne; Chapman, Ken; Choudry, Nozhat; Couet, Alan; Coyle, Steven; Craig, Arthur; Crawford, Ian; Dean, Mervyn; Grossman, Ronald; Haffner, Jan; Heyland, Daren; Hogg, Donna; Holroyde, Martin; Kaplan, Alan; Kayser, John; Lein, Dale; Lowry, Josiah; McDonald, Les; MacFarlane, Alan; McIvor, Andrew; Rea, John; Reid, Darlene; Rouleau, Michel; Samis, Lorelei; Sin, Don; Vandemheen, Katherine; Wedzicha, J A; Weiss, Karl

2004-01-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common cause of disability and death in Canada. Moreover, morbidity and mortality from COPD continue to rise, and the economic burden is enormous. The main goal of the Canadian Thoracic Society's evidence-based guidelines is to optimize early diagnosis, prevention and management of COPD in Canada. The main message of the guidelines is that COPD is a preventable and treatable disease. Targeted spirometry is strongly recommended to expedite early diagnosis in smokers and former smokers who develop respiratory symptoms, and who are at risk for COPD. Smoking cessation remains the single most effective intervention to reduce the risk of COPD and to slow its progression. Education, especially self-management plans, are key interventions in COPD. Therapy should be escalated on an individual basis in accordance with the increasing severity of symptoms and disability. Long-acting anticholinergics and beta-2-agonist inhalers should be prescribed for patients who remain symptomatic despite short-acting bronchodilator therapy. Inhaled steroids should not be used as first line therapy in COPD, but have a role in preventing exacerbations in patients with more advanced disease who suffer recurrent exacerbations. Acute exacerbations of COPD cause significant morbidity and mortality and should be treated promptly with bronchodilators and a short course of oral steroids; antibiotics should be prescribed for purulent exacerbations. Patients with advanced COPD and respiratory failure require a comprehensive management plan that incorporates structured end-of-life care. Management strategies, consisting of combined modern pharmacotherapy and nonpharmacotherapeutic interventions (eg, pulmonary rehabilitation and exercise training) can effectively improve symptoms, activity levels and quality of life, even in patients with severe COPD.

Spine micromorphology of normal and hyperhydric Mammillaria gracilis Pfeiff. (Cactaceae) shoots.

Science.gov (United States)

Peharec, P; Posilović, H; Balen, B; Krsnik-Rasol, M

2010-07-01

Artificial conditions of tissue culture affect growth and physiology of crassulacean acid metabolism plants which often results in formation of hyperhydric shoots. In in vitro conditions Mammillaria gracilis Pfeiff. (Cactaceae) growth switches from organized to unorganized way, producing a habituated organogenic callus which simultaneously regenerates morphologically normal as well as altered hyperhydric shoots. In this study, influence of tissue culture conditions on morphology of cactus spines of normal and hyperhydric shoots was investigated. Spines of pot-grown Mammillaria plants and of in vitro regenerated shoots were examined with stereo microscope and scanning electron microscope. The pot-grown plants had 16-17 spines per areole. In vitro grown normal shoots, even though they kept typical shoot morphology, had lower number of spines (11-12) and altered spine morphology. This difference was even more pronounced in spine number (six to seven) and morphology of the hyperhydric shoots. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed remarkable differences in micromorphology of spine surface between pot-grown and in vitro grown shoots. Spines of in vitro grown normal shoots showed numerous long trichomes, which were more elongated on spines of the hyperhydric shoots; the corresponding structures on spine surface of pot-grown plants were noticed only as small protrusions. Scanning electron microscopy morphometric studies showed that the spines of pot-grown plants were significantly longer compared to the spines of shoots grown in tissue culture. Moreover, transverse section shape varies from elliptical in pot-grown plants to circular in normal and hyperhydric shoots grown in vitro. Cluster and correspondence analyses performed on the scanning electron microscope obtained results suggest great variability among spines of pot-grown plants. Spines of in vitro grown normal and hyperhydric shoots showed low level of morphological variation among themselves despite the

Physician assisted suicide: the great Canadian euthanasia debate.

Science.gov (United States)

Schafer, Arthur

2013-01-01

A substantial majority of Canadians favours a change to the Criminal Code which would make it legally permissible, subject to careful regulation, for patients suffering from incurable physical illness to opt for either physician assisted suicide (PAS) or voluntary active euthanasia (VAE). This discussion will focus primarily on the arguments for and against decriminalizing physician assisted suicide, with special reference to the British Columbia case of Lee Carter vs. Attorney General of Canada. The aim is to critique the arguments and at the same time to describe the contours of the current Canadian debate. Both ethical and legal issues raised by PAS are clarified. Empirical evidence available from jurisdictions which have followed the regulatory route is presented and its relevance to the slippery slope argument is considered. The arguments presented by both sides are critically assessed. The conclusion suggested is that evidence of harms to vulnerable individuals or to society, consequent upon legalization, is insufficient to support continued denial of freedom to those competent adults who seek physician assistance in hastening their death. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trends in Attendance at Scoliosis Research Society Annual Meetings (SRS AM) and International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST): Location, Location, Location.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Foster; Cho, Woojin; Kim, Han Jo; Levine, David B

2017-07-01

Descriptive, respective. Although overall membership in Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) has grown over the years, we were curious to see the effects of changing event venue location and timing on conference attendance. Every year, the SRS hosts two major meetings: the Annual Meeting (SRS AM) in the autumn, and the International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST) in the summer. Sites have alternated from within and outside North America. Often, these meetings have also overlapped with several holidays in certain countries. This was an observational study of attendance from past SRS AM and IMAST meetings. Fourteen years of AM and 8 years of IMAST data were made available from the SRS. Participation based on delegate type and countries were tallied. Details from the 10 most represented nations and host nations per year were also tallied, and their national holidays were reviewed for overlaps with the AM. Membership in AM and IMAST increased from 820 in 2003 to 1,323 in 2016. Attendance at the AM has increased, whereas attendance at IMAST has declined, even after adjusting for membership size. Trends in participation were highly influenced by location. Participation by attendees from the host continent, and especially the host country, is generally high. The negative impact of distant meetings is profoundly seen with North Americans, whereas the positive impact of a nearby meeting was mostly clearly demonstrated by South Americans. Although SRS AM overlapped with holidays in China, Japan, or Korea nearly 50% of the time, this did not influence participation by delegates from these countries. Participation in the AM is highly influenced by location. Although North Americans represented the largest constituency, their presence was not needed to drive total attendance and was not sufficient to turn around the downturn in IMAST attendance. Choice of location can encourage the participation of delegates from the host and neighboring nations; through strategic

Hampered long-term depression and thin spine loss in the nucleus accumbens of ethanol-dependent rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Spiga, Saturnino; Talani, Giuseppe; Mulas, Giovanna; Licheri, Valentina; Fois, Giulia R; Muggironi, Giulia; Masala, Nicola; Cannizzaro, Carla; Biggio, Giovanni; Sanna, Enrico; Diana, Marco

2014-09-02

Alcoholism involves long-term cognitive deficits, including memory impairment, resulting in substantial cost to society. Neuronal refinement and stabilization are hypothesized to confer resilience to poor decision making and addictive-like behaviors, such as excessive ethanol drinking and dependence. Accordingly, structural abnormalities are likely to contribute to synaptic dysfunctions that occur from suddenly ceasing the use of alcohol after chronic ingestion. Here we show that ethanol-dependent rats display a loss of dendritic spines in medium spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens (Nacc) shell, accompanied by a reduction of tyrosine hydroxylase immunostaining and postsynaptic density 95-positive elements. Further analysis indicates that "long thin" but not "mushroom" spines are selectively affected. In addition, patch-clamp experiments from Nacc slices reveal that long-term depression (LTD) formation is hampered, with parallel changes in field potential recordings and reductions in NMDA-mediated synaptic currents. These changes are restricted to the withdrawal phase of ethanol dependence, suggesting their relevance in the genesis of signs and/or symptoms affecting ethanol withdrawal and thus the whole addictive cycle. Overall, these results highlight the key role of dynamic alterations in dendritic spines and their presynaptic afferents in the evolution of alcohol dependence. Furthermore, they suggest that the selective loss of long thin spines together with a reduced NMDA receptor function may affect learning. Disruption of this LTD could contribute to the rigid emotional and motivational state observed in alcohol dependence.

Cross-situational consistency of trait expressions and injunctive norms among Asian Canadian and European Canadian undergraduates.

Science.gov (United States)

Locke, Kenneth D; Sadler, Pamela; McDonald, Kelly

2018-06-14

In the current paper, we sought to clarify when and why Asian Americans/Canadians and European Americans/Canadians differ in self-consistency (the consistency of personality traits across situations). European Canadian (n = 220) and second-generation Asian Canadian (n = 166) undergraduates (Mage = 19 years) described the traits they expressed and the traits others wanted them to express (i.e., injunctive norms, or injunctions) in four different social situations (i.e., with parents, with friends, with siblings, and with professors). Self-consistency was greater among European Canadians than Asian Canadians, but only when comparing behavior with parents versus with peers (i.e., friends and siblings). The same pattern was found for injunctive consistency (cross-situational consistency of trait injunctions). Injunctions strongly predicted the behavior of both Asian and European Canadians, but because the injunctions from parents versus peers diverged more for Asian Canadians, so did their behaviors. Controlling for the effect of inconsistent injunctions across situations eliminated the ethnic difference in self-consistency. Finally, Asian Canadians who perceived their immigrant parents as embracing a Canadian identity were as cross-situationally consistent as European Canadians because they tended to behave-and believe their parents approved of their behaving-with parents similarly to how they behaved with peers (e.g., more carefree and outspoken). Contrary to previous theorizing, cultural influences on broad cognitive or motivational dispositions (e.g., dialecticism, collectivism) alone cannot explain the observed pattern of ethnic differences in consistency. To understand when bicultural individuals are less consistent across situations also requires an understanding of the specific situations across which they tend to encounter divergent social norms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Spine Metastases in Lung Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O.Yu. Stolyarova

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose and the objectives of the study were to determine the incidence of metastatic lesions to various parts of the spine, the assessment of the association with other clinical signs of lung cancer (localization, form, histology, degree of differentiation, staging, nature of extraosseous metastasis, to investigate the effect of these parameters on the survi­val of the patients. Material and methods. The study included 1071 patients with lung cancer aged 24 to 86 years. None of the examined patients has been operated previously for lung cancer, and after arriving at a diagnosis, all patients received radiation therapy, 73 % of them — combined radiochemothe­rapy. Results. Metastasis in the vertebral bodies and vertebral joints occurs in 13 % of patients with lung cancer and in 61 % of patients with bone form of the disease, the ratio of the defeat of thoracic, sacral, lumbar and cervical spine was 6 : 4 : 2 : 1. The development of metastases in the spine is mostly associa­ted with the localization of the tumor in the upper lobe of the lung, the peripheral form of the disease, with non-small cell histologic variants (adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The number of metastases in the spinal column directly correlates with the degree of metastatic involvement of the inguinal lymph nodes, abdominal wall and the liver, has an impact on the invasion of lung tumor into the esophagus and the trachea. The life expectancy of the deceased persons with spine metastases is less than that of other patients with the lung cancer, but the overall survival rate in these groups of patients is not very different. Conclusions. Clinical features of lung cancer with metastases in the spine necessitate the development of medical technology of rational radiochemotherapy in such patients.

Minimally invasive spine surgery: Hurdles to be crossed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahesh Bijjawara

2014-01-01

Full Text Available MISS as a concept is noble and all surgeons need to address and minimize the surgical morbidity for better results. However, we need to be cautions and not fall prey into accepting that minimally invasive spine surgery can be done only when certain metal access systems are used. Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS has come a long way since the description of endoscopic discectomy in 1997 and minimally invasive TLIF (mTLIF in 2003. Today there is credible evidence (though not level-I that MISS has comparable results to open spine surgery with the advantage of early postoperative recovery and decreased blood loss and infection rates. However, apart from decreasing the muscle trauma and decreasing the muscle dissection during multilevel open spinal instrumentation, there has been little contribution to address the other morbidity parameters like operative time , blood loss , access to decompression and atraumatic neural tissue handling with the existing MISS technologies. Since all these parameters contribute to a greater degree than posterior muscle trauma for the overall surgical morbidity, we as surgeons need to introspect before we accept the concept of minimally invasive spine surgery being reduced to surgeries performed with a few tubular retractors. A spine surgeon needs to constantly improve his skills and techniques so that he can minimize blood loss, minimize traumatic neural tissue handling and minimizing operative time without compromising on the surgical goals. These measures actually contribute far more, to decrease the morbidity than approach related muscle damage alone. Minimally invasine spine surgery , though has come a long way, needs to provide technical solutions to minimize all the morbidity parameters involved in spine surgery, before it can replace most of the open spine surgeries, as in the case of laparoscopic surgery or arthroscopic surgery.

Evaluation and management of 2 ferocactus spines in the orbit.

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, David J; Kim, Tim I; Kubis, Kenneth

2013-01-01

A 49-year-old woman, who had fallen face first in a cactus 1 week earlier, presented with a small, mobile, noninflamed subcutaneous nodule at the rim of her right lateral orbit with no other functional deficits. A CT scan was obtained, which revealed a 4-cm intraorbital tubular-shaped foreign body resembling a large cactus spine. A second preoperative CT scan, obtained for an intraoperative guidance system, demonstrated a second cactus spine, which was initially not seen on the first CT scan. Both spines were removed surgically without complication. The authors discuss factors that can cause diagnosis delay, review the radiographic features of cactus spines, and discuss the often times benign clinical course of retained cactus spine foreign bodies. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case report of cactus spines in the orbit. Health-care professionals should have a low threshold for imaging in cases of traumatic injuries involving cactus spines.

Contextual Learning Induces Dendritic Spine Clustering in Retrosplenial Cortex

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Adam C Frank

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Molecular and electrophysiological studies find convergent evidence suggesting that plasticity within a dendritic tree is not randomly dispersed, but rather clustered into functional groups. Further, results from in silico neuronal modeling show that clustered plasticity is able to increase storage capacity 45 times compared to dispersed plasticity. Recent in vivo work utilizing chronic 2-photon microscopy tested the clustering hypothesis and showed that repetitive motor learning is able to induce clustered addition of new dendritic spines on apical dendrites of L5 neurons in primary motor cortex; moreover, clustered spines were found to be more stable than non-clustered spines, suggesting a physiological role for spine clustering. To further test this hypothesis we used in vivo 2-photon imaging in Thy1-YFP-H mice to chronically examine dendritic spine dynamics in retrosplenial cortex (RSC during spatial learning. RSC is a key component of an extended spatial learning and memory circuit that includes hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. Importantly, RSC is known from both lesion and immediate early gene studies to be critically involved in spatial learning and more specifically in contextual fear conditioning. We utilized a modified contextual fear conditioning protocol wherein animals received a mild foot shock each day for five days; this protocol induces gradual increases in context freezing over several days before the animals reach a behavioral plateau. We coupled behavioral training with four separate in vivo imaging sessions, two before training begins, one early in training, and a final session after training is complete. This allowed us to image spine dynamics before training as well as early in learning and after animals had reached behavioral asymptote. We find that this contextual learning protocol induces a statistically significant increase in the formation of clusters of new dendritic spines in trained animals when compared to home

Setting the equation: establishing value in spine care.

Science.gov (United States)

Resnick, Daniel K; Tosteson, Anna N A; Groman, Rachel F; Ghogawala, Zoher

2014-10-15

Topic review. Describe value measurement in spine care and discuss the motivation for, methods for, and limitations of such measurement. Spinal disorders are common and are an important cause of pain and disability. Numerous complementary and competing treatment strategies are used to treat spinal disorders, and the costs of these treatments is substantial and continue to rise despite clear evidence of improved health status as a result of these expenditures. The authors present the economic and legislative imperatives forcing the assessment of value in spine care. The definition of value in health care and methods to measure value specifically in spine care are presented. Limitations to the utility of value judgments and caveats to their use are presented. Examples of value calculations in spine care are presented and critiqued. Methods to improve and broaden the measurement of value across spine care are suggested, and the role of prospective registries in measuring value is discussed. Value can be measured in spine care through the use of appropriate economic measures and patient-reported outcomes measures. Value must be interpreted in light of the perspective of the assessor, the duration of the assessment period, the degree of appropriate risk stratification, and the relative value of treatment alternatives.

Selectable six-element multicoil array for entire spine imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byrne, J.W.; Bluma-Walter, J.; Prorok, R.J.

1990-01-01

This article introduces a new multicoil array that can provide entire spine imaging in two acquisitions with no need to manually reposition either the coil or the patient. A selectable contoured multicoil array with six elements was used to obtain coverage of the entire spine. The first four elements were used for imaging the upper spine region (cervical/thoracic) during the first acquisition, and the last four elements were used for imaging the lower spine region (thoracic/lumbar) during the second acquisition. The overall coil length was approximately 75 cm

Sustainable development through nuclear technology : 29th annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society and 32nd CNS/CNA student conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

The 29th Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society and 32nd CNS/CNA Student Conference on Sustainable Development through Nuclear Technology was held on June 1-4, 2008 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The theme of the conference was 'Nuclear Sustainability'. The central objective of this conference was to provide a forum for exchange of views on how this technical enterprise can best serve the needs of humanity, now and in the future. The renewed global interest in nuclear technology is based on a recognition of its potential to meet economic and environmental targets more favourably than competing technologies. Although many of these attractions are short-term in nature, they stem from a broader potential of nuclear technology to drive all aspects of development (social, environmental, economic) in a sustainable in this area. (author) a terial in support of fuel resources themselves. The conference drew a record attendance of over 450 delegates. Over 100 technical papers were presented within 15 technical sessions, as well as over 30 student papers in 5 sessions. The following list of session titles indicates the diversity of the technical papers: advanced reactors; plant and components; process systems; thermalhydraulics; safety and licensing; hydrogen; human factors; physics; instrumentation and control; environment and waste management; and plant operation. (author)

Degenerative disorders of the spine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gallucci, Massimo; Puglielli, Edoardo; Splendiani, Alessandra; Pistoia, Francesca; Spacca, Giorgio

2005-01-01

Patients with back pain and degenerative disorders of the spine have a significant impact on health care costs. Some authors estimate that up to 80% of all adults experience back pain at some point in their lives. Disk herniation represents one of the most frequent causes. Nevertheless, other degenerative diseases have to be considered. In this paper, pathology and imaging of degenerative spine diseases will be discussed, starting from pathophysiology of normal age-related changes of the intervertebral disk and vertebral body. (orig.)

Degenerative disorders of the spine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gallucci, Massimo; Puglielli, Edoardo; Splendiani, Alessandra [University of L' Aquila, Department of Radiology, L' Aquila (Italy); Pistoia, Francesca; Spacca, Giorgio [S. Salvatore Hospital, Department of Neuroscience, L' Aquila (Italy)

2005-03-01

Patients with back pain and degenerative disorders of the spine have a significant impact on health care costs. Some authors estimate that up to 80% of all adults experience back pain at some point in their lives. Disk herniation represents one of the most frequent causes. Nevertheless, other degenerative diseases have to be considered. In this paper, pathology and imaging of degenerative spine diseases will be discussed, starting from pathophysiology of normal age-related changes of the intervertebral disk and vertebral body. (orig.)

Framing Canadian federalism

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Saywell, John; Anastakis, Dimitry; Bryden, Penny E

2009-01-01

... the pervasive effects that federalism has on Canadian politics, economics, culture, and history, and provide a detailed framework in which to understand contemporary federalism. Written in honour of John T. Saywell's half-century of accomplished and influential scholarly work and teaching, Framing Canadian Federalism is a timely and fitting t...

Improvement in Scoliosis Top View: Evaluation of Vertebrae Localization in Scoliotic Spine-Spine Axial Presentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paweł Główka

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Morphological analysis of the scoliotic spine is based on two-dimensional X-rays: coronal and sagittal. The three-dimensional character of scoliosis has raised the necessity for analyzing scoliosis in three planes. We proposed a new user-friendly method of graphical presentation of the spine in the third plane–the Spine Axial Presentation (SAP. Eighty-five vertebrae of patients with scoliosis were analyzed. Due to different positions during X-rays (standing and computer tomography (CT (supine, the corresponding measurements cannot be directly compared. As a solution, a software creating Digital Reconstructed Radiographs (DRRs from CT scans was developed to replace regular X-rays with DRRs. Based on the measurements performed on DRRs, the coordinates of vertebral bodies central points were defined. Next, the geometrical centers of vertebral bodies were determined on CT scans. The reproducibility of measurements was tested with Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC, using p = 0.05. The intra-observer reproducibility and inter-observer reliability for vertebral body central point’s coordinates (x, y, z were high for results obtained based on DRRs and CT scans, as well as for comparison results obtained based on DRR and CT scans. Based on two standard radiographs, it is possible to localize vertebral bodies in 3D space. The position of vertebral bodies can be present in the Spine Axial Presentation.

Bilateral locked facets in the thoracic spine

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.H.A. Willems; Braakman, R. (Reinder); B. van Linge (Bert)

1984-01-01

textabstractTwo cases of traumatic bilateral locked facets in the thoracic spine are reported. Both patients had only minor neurological signs. They both made a full neurological recovery after surgical reduction of the locked facets. Bilateral locked facets are very uncommon in the thoracic spine.

Canadian HIV Pregnancy Planning Guidelines: No. 278, June 2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Loutfy, Mona R; Margolese, Shari; Money, Deborah M; Gysler, Mathias; Hamilton, Scot; Yudin, Mark H

2012-10-01

Four main clinical issues need to be considered for HIV-positive individuals and couples with respect to pregnancy planning and counselling: (1) pre-conceptional health; (2) transmission from mother to infant, which has been significantly reduced by combined antiretroviral therapy; (3) transmission between partners during conception, which requires different prevention and treatment strategies depending on the status and needs of those involved; and (4) management of infertility issues. The objective of the Canadian HIV Pregnancy Planning Guidelines is to provide clinical information and recommendations for health care providers to assist HIV-positive individuals and couples with their fertility and pregnancy planning decisions. These guidelines are evidence- and community-based and flexible, and they take into account diverse and intersecting local/population needs and the social determinants of health. Intended outcomes are (1) reduction of risk of vertical transmission and horizontal transmission of HIV, (2) improvement of maternal and infant health outcomes in the presence of HIV, (3) reduction of the stigma associated with pregnancy and HIV, and (4) increased access to pregnancy planning and fertility services. PubMed and Medline were searched for articles published in English or French to December 20, 2010, using the following terms: "HIV" and "pregnancy" or "pregnancy planning" or "fertility" or "reproduction" or "infertility" or "parenthood" or "insemination" or "artificial insemination" or "sperm washing" or "IVF" or "ICSI" or "IUI." Other search terms included "HIV" and 'horizontal transmission" or "sexual transmission" or "serodiscordant." The following conference databases were also searched: Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, International AIDS Conference, International AIDS Society, Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, the Canadian Association of HIV/AIDS Research, and the Ontario HIV Treatment

The top 100 classic papers in lumbar spine surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinberger, Jeremy; Skovrlj, Branko; Caridi, John M; Cho, Samuel K

2015-05-15

Bibliometric review of the literature. To analyze and quantify the most frequently cited papers in lumbar spine surgery and to measure their impact on the entire lumbar spine literature. Lumbar spine surgery is a dynamic and complex field. Basic science and clinical research remain paramount in understanding and advancing the field. While new literature is published at increasing rates, few studies make long-lasting impacts. The Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge was searched for citations of all papers relevant to lumbar spine surgery. The number of citations, authorship, year of publication, journal of publication, country of publication, and institution were recorded for each paper. The most cited paper was found to be the classic paper from 1990 by Boden et al that described magnetic resonance imaging findings in individuals without back pain, sciatica, and neurogenic claudication showing that spinal stenosis and herniated discs can be incidentally found when scanning patients. The second most cited study similarly showed that asymptomatic patients who underwent lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging frequently had lumbar pathology. The third most cited paper was the 2000 publication of Fairbank and Pynsent reviewing the Oswestry Disability Index, the outcome-measure questionnaire most commonly used to evaluate low back pain. The majority of the papers originate in the United States (n=58), and most were published in Spine (n=63). Most papers were published in the 1990s (n=49), and the 3 most common topics were low back pain, biomechanics, and disc degeneration. This report identifies the top 100 papers in lumbar spine surgery and acknowledges those individuals who have contributed the most to the advancement of the study of the lumbar spine and the body of knowledge used to guide evidence-based clinical decision making in lumbar spine surgery today. 3.

Short-term combined effects of thoracic spine thrust manipulation and cervical spine nonthrust manipulation in individuals with mechanical neck pain: a randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Masaracchio, Michael; Cleland, Joshua A; Hellman, Madeleine; Hagins, Marshall

2013-03-01

Randomized clinical trial. To investigate the short-term effects of thoracic spine thrust manipulation combined with cervical spine nonthrust manipulation (experimental group) versus cervical spine nonthrust manipulation alone (comparison group) in individuals with mechanical neck pain. Research has demonstrated improved outcomes with both nonthrust manipulation directed at the cervical spine and thrust manipulation directed at the thoracic spine in patients with neck pain. Previous studies have not determined if thoracic spine thrust manipulation may increase benefits beyond those provided by cervical nonthrust manipulation alone. Sixty-four participants with mechanical neck pain were randomized into 1 of 2 groups, an experimental or comparison group. Both groups received 2 treatment sessions of cervical spine nonthrust manipulation and a home exercise program consisting of active range-of-motion exercises, and the experimental group received additional thoracic spine thrust manipulations. Outcome measures were collected at baseline and at a 1-week follow-up, and included the numeric pain rating scale, the Neck Disability Index, and the global rating of change. Participants in the experimental group demonstrated significantly greater improvements (Ppain rating scale and Neck Disability Index at the 1-week follow-up compared to those in the comparison group. In addition, 31 of 33 (94%) participants in the experimental group, compared to 11 of 31 participants (35%) in the comparison group, indicated a global rating of change score of +4 or higher at the 1-week follow-up, with an associated number needed to treat of 2. Individuals with neck pain who received a combination of thoracic spine thrust manipulation and cervical spine nonthrust manipulation plus exercise demonstrated better overall short-term outcomes on the numeric pain rating scale, the Neck Disability Index, and the global rating of change.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): Lumbar Spine (For Parents)

Science.gov (United States)

... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): Lumbar Spine KidsHealth / For Parents / Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): Lumbar Spine What's in this article? ...

Brachial Plexopathy After Cervical Spine Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Than, Khoi D; Mummaneni, Praveen V; Smith, Zachary A; Hsu, Wellington K; Arnold, Paul M; Fehlings, Michael G; Mroz, Thomas E; Riew, K Daniel

2017-04-01

Retrospective, multicenter case-series study and literature review. To determine the prevalence of brachial plexopathy after cervical spine surgery and to review the literature to better understand the etiology and risk factors of brachial plexopathy after cervical spine surgery. A retrospective case-series study of 12 903 patients at 21 different sites was performed to analyze the prevalence of several different complications, including brachial plexopathy. A literature review of the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health (PubMed) database was conducted to identify articles pertaining to brachial plexopathy following cervical spine surgery. In our total population of 12 903 patients, only 1 suffered from postoperative brachial plexopathy. The overall prevalence rate was thus 0.01%, but the prevalence rate at the site where this complication occurred was 0.07%. Previously reported risk factors for postoperative brachial plexopathy include age, anterior surgical procedures, and a diagnosis of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. The condition can also be due to patient positioning during surgery, which can generally be detected via the use of intraoperative neuromonitoring. Brachial plexopathy following cervical spine surgery is rare and merits further study.

Knowledge and awareness of Canadian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines: a synthesis of existing evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

LeBlanc, Allana G; Berry, Tanya; Deshpande, Sameer; Duggan, Mary; Faulkner, Guy; Latimer-Cheung, Amy E; O'Reilly, Norm; Rhodes, Ryan E; Spence, John C; Tremblay, Mark S

2015-07-01

The aim of this review was to consolidate and synthesize existing evidence regarding current knowledge and awareness of the Canadian Physical Activity (PA) and Sedentary Behaviour (SB) Guidelines. MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO were searched for peer-reviewed publications pertaining to the guidelines. Content experts, key organizations (i.e., ParticipACTION and the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute), journal Web sites, and service organizations (i.e., the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) and the Public Health Agency of Canada) were consulted for additional evidence. Scientific publications (n = 6) and research from ParticipACTION and the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute reported that awareness of the guidelines is low, especially with respect to the SB guidelines. Less than 10% of survey respondents from the Canadian population were aware of the PA guidelines, and less than 5% were aware of the SB guidelines. Information on the guidelines was available on 51% of public health unit and CSEP partner Web sites. Online metrics (e.g., downloads, site accessions) from CSEP, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and journal Web sites showed that online accession of the guidelines was high (e.g., all "highly accessed" on journal Web sites). This review showed that awareness of the Canadian PA and SB Guidelines is low among the general population but higher among the scientific and stakeholder communities. Governmental, nongovernmental, and stakeholder organizations should collaborate in creating sustained, long-term, and well-resourced communication plans to reach the Canadian population to raise awareness of PA and SB guidelines and should implement programs to facilitate their uptake.

Fifty top-cited spine articles from mainland China: A citation analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yaohong; Zhao, Yachao; Lin, Linghan; Lu, Zhijun; Guo, Zhaoyang; Li, Xiaoming; Chen, Rongchun; Ma, Huasong

2018-02-01

Objective To identify the 50 top-cited spine articles from mainland China and to analyze their main characteristics. Methods Web of Science was used to identify the 50 top-cited spine articles from mainland China in 27 spine-related journals. The title, year of publication, number of citations, journal, anatomic focus, subspecialty, evidence level, city, institution and author were recorded. Results The top 50 articles had 29-122 citations and were published in 11 English-language journals; most (32) were published in the 2000s. The journal Spine had the largest number of articles and The Lancet had the highest impact factor. The lumber spine was the most discussed anatomic area (18). Degenerative spine disease was the most common subspecialty topic (22). Most articles were clinical studies (29); the others were basic research (21). Level IV was the most common evidence level (17). Conclusions This list indicates the most influential articles from mainland China in the global spine research community. Identification of these articles provides insights into the trends in spine care in mainland China and the historical contributions of researchers from mainland China to the international spine research field.

Living in Two Cultures: Chinese Canadians' Perspectives on Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Chunlei; McGinn, Michelle K; Xu, Xiaojian; Sylvestre, John

2017-04-01

Chinese people have distinctive perspectives on health and illness that are largely unrecognized in Western society. The purpose of this descriptive study was to develop a profile of Chinese immigrants' beliefs and practices related to diet, mental and social health, and sexual health. A quantitative survey with descriptive and correlational analyses was employed to examine 100 first-generation Chinese immigrants living in four urban centres across Canada (Vancouver, Toronto, Halifax, and St. Catharines). Although most Chinese immigrants preferred a Chinese diet, where they resided affected the groceries they bought and the meals they ate. Almost all participants reported their mental health was important to them and most felt comfortable discussing mental health issues with others. However, only a third would see a psychiatrist if they believed they had a mental health problem. Most participants believed social relationships were important for their health. Only a small number of participants, however, preferred making friends with mainstream Caucasian Canadians. More men than women believed sexuality contributed to health and were comfortable talking about sexual health. Chinese immigrants should be encouraged to be more engaged in the larger community in order to fully integrate themselves into Canadian society while still being encouraged to retain their healthy practices. These findings may help educators and practitioners enhance their understandings of Chinese immigrants' perspectives on health and develop culturally competent education and services in health care and health promotion.

Cervical spine injury in child abuse: report of two cases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rooks, V.J.; Sisler, C.; Burton, B. [Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI (United States). Dept. of Radiology

1998-03-01

Pediatric cervical spine injuries have rarely been reported in the setting of child abuse. We report two cases of unsuspected lower cervical spine fracture-dislocation in twin infant girls who had no physical examination findings to suggest cervical spine injury. Classic radio-graphic findings of child abuse were noted at multiple other sites in the axial and appendicular skeleton. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging proved to be valuable in both the initial evaluation of the extent of cervical spine injury and in following postoperative changes. The unexpected yet devastating findings in these two cases further substantiate the importance of routine evaluation of the cervical spine in cases of suspected child abuse. (orig.)

Cervical spine injury in child abuse: report of two cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rooks, V.J.; Sisler, C.; Burton, B.

1998-01-01

Pediatric cervical spine injuries have rarely been reported in the setting of child abuse. We report two cases of unsuspected lower cervical spine fracture-dislocation in twin infant girls who had no physical examination findings to suggest cervical spine injury. Classic radio-graphic findings of child abuse were noted at multiple other sites in the axial and appendicular skeleton. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging proved to be valuable in both the initial evaluation of the extent of cervical spine injury and in following postoperative changes. The unexpected yet devastating findings in these two cases further substantiate the importance of routine evaluation of the cervical spine in cases of suspected child abuse. (orig.)

Defensive Medicine in U.S. Spine Neurosurgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Din, Ryan S; Yan, Sandra C; Cote, David J; Acosta, Michael A; Smith, Timothy R

2017-02-01

Observational cross-sectional survey. To compare defensive practices of U.S. spine and nonspine neurosurgeons in the context of state medical liability risk. Defensive medicine is a commonly reported and costly phenomenon in neurosurgery. Although state liability risk is thought to contribute greatly to defensive practice, variation within neurosurgical specialties has not been well explored. A validated, online survey was sent via email to 3344 members of the American Board of Neurological Surgeons. The instrument contained eight question domains: surgeon characteristics, patient characteristics, practice type, insurance type, surgeon liability profile, basic surgeon reimbursement, surgeon perceptions of medical legal environment, and the practice of defensive medicine. The overall response rate was 30.6% (n = 1026), including 499 neurosurgeons performing mainly spine procedures (48.6%). Spine neurosurgeons had a similar average practice duration as nonspine neurosurgeons (16.6 vs 16.9 years, P = 0.64) and comparable lifetime case volume (4767 vs 4,703, P = 0.71). The average annual malpractice premium for spine neurosurgeons was similar to nonspine neurosurgeons ($104,480.52 vs $101,721.76, P = 0.60). On average, spine neurosurgeons had a significantly higher rate of ordering labs, medications, referrals, procedures, and imaging solely for liability concerns compared with nonspine neurosurgeons (89.2% vs 84.6%, P = 0.031). Multivariate analysis revealed that spine neurosurgeons were roughly 3 times more likely to practice defensively compared with nonspine neurosurgeons (odds ratio, OR = 2.9, P = 0.001) when controlling for high-risk procedures (OR = 7.8, P < 0.001), annual malpractice premium (OR = 3.3, P = 0.01), percentage of patients publicly insured (OR = 1.1, P = 0.80), malpractice claims in the last 3 years (OR = 1.13, P = 0.71), and state medical-legal environment (OR = 1.3, P = 0

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Dendritic Spines in the Living Brain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chia-Chien eChen

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Dendritic spines are ubiquitous postsynaptic sites of most excitatory synapses in the mammalian brain, and thus may serve as structural indicators of functional synapses. Recent works have suggested that neuronal coding of memories may be associated with rapid alterations in spine formation and elimination. Technological advances have enabled researchers to study spine dynamics in vivo during development as well as under various physiological and pathological conditions. We believe that better understanding of the spatiotemporal patterns of spine dynamics will help elucidate the principles of experience-dependent circuit modification and information processing in the living brain.

49 CFR 572.85 - Lumbar spine flexure.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Lumbar spine flexure. 572.85 Section 572.85... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) ANTHROPOMORPHIC TEST DEVICES 9-Month Old Child § 572.85 Lumbar spine flexure. (a) When subjected to continuously applied force in accordance with paragraph (b...

Albert Ross Tilley: The legacy of a Canadian plastic surgeon.

Science.gov (United States)

Mowbrey, Kevin

2013-01-01

The present article chronicles the career of Dr Albert Ross Tilley, one of the most important Canadian plastic surgeons of the 20th century. Tilley is most well known for his innovations of burn management during World War II and his treatment of a group of burn patients known affectionately as the 'Guinea Pig Club'. In addition to the superb surgical skills he applied to the physical wounds of his patients, Tilley was also a pioneer of caring for the emotional and psychological afflictions suffered by many airmen of World War II. As one of the founding fathers of the Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons, Tilley's work was instrumental in establishing the specialty and ensured its prosperity for years to come. Serving in the capacity of leader, educator and innovator, Tilley remains one of Canada's most decorated physicians, and his body of work encompasses contributions to the medical field that remain significant and beneficial to patient care to this day.

Cranial irradiation alters dendritic spine density and morphology in the hippocampus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayanabha Chakraborti

Full Text Available Therapeutic irradiation of the brain is a common treatment modality for brain tumors, but can lead to impairment of cognitive function. Dendritic spines are sites of excitatory synaptic transmission and changes in spine structure and number are thought to represent a morphological correlate of altered brain functions associated with hippocampal dependent learning and memory. To gain some insight into the temporal and sub region specific cellular changes in the hippocampus following brain irradiation, we investigated the effects of 10 Gy cranial irradiation on dendritic spines in young adult mice. One week or 1 month post irradiation, changes in spine density and morphology in dentate gyrus (DG granule and CA1 pyramidal neurons were quantified using Golgi staining. Our results showed that in the DG, there were significant reductions in spine density at both 1 week (11.9% and 1 month (26.9% after irradiation. In contrast, in the basal dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurons, irradiation resulted in a significant reduction (18.7% in spine density only at 1 week post irradiation. Analysis of spine morphology showed that irradiation led to significant decreases in the proportion of mushroom spines at both time points in the DG as well as CA1 basal dendrites. The proportions of stubby spines were significantly increased in both the areas at 1 month post irradiation. Irradiation did not alter spine density in the CA1 apical dendrites, but there were significant changes in the proportion of thin and mushroom spines at both time points post irradiation. Although the mechanisms involved are not clear, these findings are the first to show that brain irradiation of young adult animals leads to alterations in dendritic spine density and morphology in the hippocampus in a time dependent and region specific manner.

Ethno-linguistic peculiarities of French Canadian and English ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

When English Canadian and French Canadian phraseology is compared, the greater role of religion in the French Canadian community is evident, rather than in English Canadian; the influence of the Canadian variant of the English language on the Canadian variant of French is clearly expressed. With all the differences, ...

Degenerative Changes in the Spine: Is This Arthritis?

Science.gov (United States)

... in my spine. Does this mean I have arthritis? Answers from April Chang-Miller, M.D. Yes. ... spine. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. Doctors may also refer to it as degenerative ...

Isoflurane reversibly destabilizes hippocampal dendritic spines by an actin-dependent mechanism.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jimcy Platholi

Full Text Available General anesthetics produce a reversible coma-like state through modulation of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission. Recent evidence suggests that anesthetic exposure can also lead to sustained cognitive dysfunction. However, the subcellular effects of anesthetics on the structure of established synapses are not known. We investigated effects of the widely used volatile anesthetic isoflurane on the structural stability of hippocampal dendritic spines, a postsynaptic structure critical to excitatory synaptic transmission in learning and memory. Exposure to clinical concentrations of isoflurane induced rapid and non-uniform shrinkage and loss of dendritic spines in mature cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Spine shrinkage was associated with a reduction in spine F-actin concentration. Spine loss was prevented by either jasplakinolide or cytochalasin D, drugs that prevent F-actin disassembly. Isoflurane-induced spine shrinkage and loss were reversible upon isoflurane elimination. Thus, isoflurane destabilizes spine F-actin, resulting in changes to dendritic spine morphology and number. These findings support an actin-based mechanism for isoflurane-induced alterations of synaptic structure in the hippocampus. These reversible alterations in dendritic spine structure have important implications for acute anesthetic effects on excitatory synaptic transmission and synaptic stability in the hippocampus, a locus for anesthetic-induced amnesia, and have important implications for anesthetic effects on synaptic plasticity.

Progression, incidence, and risk factors for intervertebral disc degeneration in a longitudinal population-based cohort: the Wakayama Spine Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Teraguchi, M; Yoshimura, N; Hashizume, H; Yamada, H; Oka, H; Minamide, A; Nagata, K; Ishimoto, Y; Kagotani, R; Kawaguchi, H; Tanaka, S; Akune, T; Nakamura, K; Muraki, S; Yoshida, M

2017-07-01

The present study examined the progression, incidence, and risk factors for intervertebral disc degeneration (DD) throughout the lumbar spine using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a large population-based cohort. We followed up 617 subjects for more than 4 years as part of the Wakayama Spine Study. 1) "Progression of DD" in each of the entire, upper (L1/2 to L3/4) and lower (L4/5 and L5/S1) lumbar spine was defined as Pfirrmann grade progression at follow-up in at least one disc in the affected region. 2) "Incidence of DD" in each of these regions was defined if all discs were grade 3 or lower (white disc) at baseline, and at least one disc had progressed to grade 4 or higher (black disc) at follow-up. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine the risk factors for progression and incidence of DD. DD progression and incidence in the entire lumbar spine were 52.0% and 31.6% in men, and 60.4% and 44.7% in women, respectively. Women was associated with DD progression in the upper lumbar spine (odds ratio [OR] = 1.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18-2.42). Aging was associated with the incidence of DD in each region (entire: OR = 1.14, CI = 1.06-1.14; upper: OR = 1.10, CI = 1.05-1.15; lower: OR = 1.11, CI = 1.05-1.19). Diabetes mellitus (DM) was associated with the incidence of DD in the upper lumbar spine (OR = 6.83, CI = 1.07-133.7). This 4-year longitudinal study is the first to demonstrate DD progression and incidence in the lumbar spine and their risk factors in a large population-based cohort. Copyright © 2017 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brachial Plexopathy After Cervical Spine Surgery

OpenAIRE

Than, Khoi D.; Mummaneni, Praveen V.; Smith, Zachary A.; Hsu, Wellington K.; Arnold, Paul M.; Fehlings, Michael G.; Mroz, Thomas E.; Riew, K. Daniel

2017-01-01

Study Design: Retrospective, multicenter case-series study and literature review. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of brachial plexopathy after cervical spine surgery and to review the literature to better understand the etiology and risk factors of brachial plexopathy after cervical spine surgery. Methods: A retrospective case-series study of 12?903 patients at 21 different sites was performed to analyze the prevalence of several different complications, including brachial plexopathy....

Tophaceous gout in the cervical spine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cabot, Jonathan [Royal Adelaide Hospital, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Adelaide, South Australia (Australia); Mosel, Leigh; Kong, Andrew; Hayward, Mike [Flinders Medical Centre, Department of Medical Imaging, Bedford Park, South Australia (Australia)

2005-12-01

Gout is a common metabolic disorder typically affecting the distal joints of the appendicular skeleton. Involvement of the axial skeleton, particularly the facet joints and posterior column of the cervical spine, is rare. This case report highlights such a presentation in a 76-year old female who presented with cervical spine pain following a fall. Her radiological findings were suggestive of a destructive metastatic process. Histological diagnosis confirmed tophaceous gout. (orig.)

Tophaceous gout in the cervical spine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cabot, Jonathan; Mosel, Leigh; Kong, Andrew; Hayward, Mike

2005-01-01

Gout is a common metabolic disorder typically affecting the distal joints of the appendicular skeleton. Involvement of the axial skeleton, particularly the facet joints and posterior column of the cervical spine, is rare. This case report highlights such a presentation in a 76-year old female who presented with cervical spine pain following a fall. Her radiological findings were suggestive of a destructive metastatic process. Histological diagnosis confirmed tophaceous gout. (orig.)

Automated curved planar reformation of 3D spine images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vrtovec, Tomaz; Likar, Bostjan; Pernus, Franjo

2005-01-01

Traditional techniques for visualizing anatomical structures are based on planar cross-sections from volume images, such as images obtained by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, planar cross-sections taken in the coordinate system of the 3D image often do not provide sufficient or qualitative enough diagnostic information, because planar cross-sections cannot follow curved anatomical structures (e.g. arteries, colon, spine, etc). Therefore, not all of the important details can be shown simultaneously in any planar cross-section. To overcome this problem, reformatted images in the coordinate system of the inspected structure must be created. This operation is usually referred to as curved planar reformation (CPR). In this paper we propose an automated method for CPR of 3D spine images, which is based on the image transformation from the standard image-based to a novel spine-based coordinate system. The axes of the proposed spine-based coordinate system are determined on the curve that represents the vertebral column, and the rotation of the vertebrae around the spine curve, both of which are described by polynomial models. The optimal polynomial parameters are obtained in an image analysis based optimization framework. The proposed method was qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated on five CT spine images. The method performed well on both normal and pathological cases and was consistent with manually obtained ground truth data. The proposed spine-based CPR benefits from reduced structural complexity in favour of improved feature perception of the spine. The reformatted images are diagnostically valuable and enable easier navigation, manipulation and orientation in 3D space. Moreover, reformatted images may prove useful for segmentation and other image analysis tasks

Crisis of Identity in a Multi-cultural Society: The Case of Muslims in Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Syed Serajul Islam

2000-06-01

Full Text Available A great majority of studies on ethnic identity or ethnic separatism indicate that a minority group dealing with severe deprivation becomes more frustrated, more aggressive, and more demanding of autonomy or separation. However, in a multi-cultural society where the people can live with their both separate and co-existing identities, the minority group usually demands for greater rights within societies, not an exit from them. This is the case of the Muslims in Canada who constitute a tiny minority in the Canadian population. Since Canada is a multicultural country, the Muslims have not demanded any kind of autonomy but have demanded rights to preserve Islamic values, and their own distinct identity as Muslims. In this article some basic questions are raised regarding the Canadian Muslims. When and how did the Muslims arrive in Canada? What types of challenges they are facing? How do they meet these challenges? What is the future of Muslims in Canada?

Epidural Hematoma Following Cervical Spine Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Schroeder, Gregory D; Hilibrand, Alan S; Arnold, Paul M; Fish, David E; Wang, Jeffrey C; Gum, Jeffrey L; Smith, Zachary A; Hsu, Wellington K; Gokaslan, Ziya L; Isaacs, Robert E; Kanter, Adam S; Mroz, Thomas E; Nassr, Ahmad; Sasso, Rick C; Fehlings, Michael G; Buser, Zorica; Bydon, Mohamad; Cha, Peter I; Chatterjee, Dhananjay; Gee, Erica L; Lord, Elizabeth L; Mayer, Erik N; McBride, Owen J; Nguyen, Emily C; Roe, Allison K; Tortolani, P Justin; Stroh, D Alex; Yanez, Marisa Y; Riew, K Daniel

2017-04-01

A multicentered retrospective case series. To determine the incidence and circumstances surrounding the development of a symptomatic postoperative epidural hematoma in the cervical spine. Patients who underwent cervical spine surgery between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2011, at 23 institutions were reviewed, and all patients who developed an epidural hematoma were identified. A total of 16 582 cervical spine surgeries were identified, and 15 patients developed a postoperative epidural hematoma, for a total incidence of 0.090%. Substantial variation between institutions was noted, with 11 sites reporting no epidural hematomas, and 1 site reporting an incidence of 0.76%. All patients initially presented with a neurologic deficit. Nine patients had complete resolution of the neurologic deficit after hematoma evacuation; however 2 of the 3 patients (66%) who had a delay in the diagnosis of the epidural hematoma had residual neurologic deficits compared to only 4 of the 12 patients (33%) who had no delay in the diagnosis or treatment ( P = .53). Additionally, the patients who experienced a postoperative epidural hematoma did not experience any significant improvement in health-related quality-of-life metrics as a result of the index procedure at final follow-up evaluation. This is the largest series to date to analyze the incidence of an epidural hematoma following cervical spine surgery, and this study suggest that an epidural hematoma occurs in approximately 1 out of 1000 cervical spine surgeries. Prompt diagnosis and treatment may improve the chance of making a complete neurologic recovery, but patients who develop this complication do not show improvements in the health-related quality-of-life measurements.

RSA in Spine: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Humadi, Ali; Dawood, Sulaf; Halldin, Klas; Freeman, Brian

2017-12-01

Systematic review of literature. This systematic review was conducted to investigate the accuracy of radiostereometric analysis (RSA), its assessment of spinal motion and disorders, and to investigate the limitations of this technique in spine assessment. Systematic review in all current literature to invesigate the role of RSA in spine. The results of this review concluded that RSA is a very powerful tool to detect small changes between 2 rigid bodies such as a vertebral segment. The technique is described for animal and human studies for cervical and lumbar spine and can be used to analyze range of motion, inducible displacement, and fusion of segments. However, there are a few disadvantages with the technique; RSA percutaneous procedure needs to be performed to implant the markers (and cannot be used preoperatively), one needs a specific knowledge to handle data and interpret the results, and is relatively time consuming and expensive. RSA should be looked at as a very powerful research instrument and there are many questions suitable for RSA studies.

Barriers in the brain : resolving dendritic spine morphology and compartmentalization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Adrian, Max; Kusters, Remy; Wierenga, Corette J; Storm, Cornelis; Hoogenraad, Casper C; Kapitein, Lukas C

2014-01-01

Dendritic spines are micron-sized protrusions that harbor the majority of excitatory synapses in the central nervous system. The head of the spine is connected to the dendritic shaft by a 50-400 nm thin membrane tube, called the spine neck, which has been hypothesized to confine biochemical and

Reliability and validity of adapted French Canadian version of Scoliosis Research Society Outcomes Questionnaire (SRS-22) in Quebec.

Science.gov (United States)

Beauséjour, Marie; Joncas, Julie; Goulet, Lise; Roy-Beaudry, Marjolaine; Parent, Stefan; Grimard, Guy; Forcier, Martin; Lauriault, Sophie; Labelle, Hubert

2009-03-15

Prospective validation study of a cross-cultural adaptation of the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) Outcomes Questionnaire. To provide a French Canadian version of the SRS Outcomes Questionnaire and to empirically test its response in healthy adolescents and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients in Québec. The SRS Outcomes Questionnaire is widely used for the assessment of health-related quality of life in AIS patients. French translation and back-translation of the SRS-22 (SRS-22-fv) were done by an expert committee. Its reliability was measured using the coefficient of internal consistency, construct validity with a factorial analysis, concurrent validity by using the short form-12 and discriminant validity using ANOVA and multivariate linear regression, on 145 AIS patients, 44 patients with non clinically significant scoliosis (NCSS), and 64 healthy patients. The SRS-22-fv showed a good global internal consistency (AIS: Cronbach alpha = 0.86, NCSS: 0.81, and controls: 0.79) and in all of its domains for AIS patients. The factorial structure was coherent with the original questionnaire (47.4% of explained variance). High correlation coefficients were obtained between SRS-22-fv and short form-12 corresponding domains. Boys had higher scores than girls, scores worsened with age, and with increasing body mass index. Mean Total, Pain, Self-image, and Satisfaction scores, were correlated with Cobb angle. Adjusted regression models showed statistically significant differences between the AIS, NCSS, and control groups in the Total, Pain, and Function scores. The SRS-22-fv showed satisfactory reliability, factorial, concurrent, and discriminant validity. This study provides scores in a significant group of healthy adolescents and demonstrates a clear gradient in response between subjects with AIS, NCSS, and controls.

Lumbar Spine Surgery in Patients with Parkinson Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Schroeder, Joshua E; Hughes, Alexander; Sama, Andrew; Weinstein, Joseph; Kaplan, Leon; Cammisa, Frank P; Girardi, Federico P

2015-10-21

Parkinson disease is the second most common neurodegenerative condition. The literature on patients with Parkinson disease and spine surgery is limited, but increased complications have been reported. All patients with Parkinson disease undergoing lumbar spine surgery between 2002 and 2012 were identified. Patients' charts, radiographs, and outcome questionnaires were reviewed. Parkinson disease severity was assessed with use of the modified Hoehn and Yahr staging scale. Complications and subsequent surgeries were analyzed. Risk for reoperation was assessed. Ninety-six patients underwent lumbar spine surgery. The mean patient age was 63.0 years. The mean follow-up duration was 30.1 months. The Parkinson disease severity stage was Parkinson disease severity stage of ≥3 (p Parkinson disease is good, with improvement of spine-related pain. A larger prospective study is warranted. Copyright © 2015 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

A Contract Between Science and Society

Science.gov (United States)

Dowdeswell, Elizabeth

2009-05-01

Growing energy demand, global climate disruption and the prospect of a carbon-constrained world have opened the door for discussion of a potential nuclear renaissance. The fact that deployment of nuclear energy has not been fully embraced points to a number of challenges. These range from concerns about safety, security and proliferation of nuclear materials to questions of feasibiity and economics. Others cite the continuing quest for an acceptable approach to the management of long-lived wastes and uncertainty about risks to human health and the environment. Arguably public acceptance of nuclear energy will require policy makers to examine many social and ethical concerns, both real and perceived. Yet research suggests that public trust in governments and institutions is eroding while society's expectations to be involved in decision-making have become more intense and sophisticated. The recent Canadian experience of selecting an approach for the long-term management of used nuclear fuel illustrates the complexity of obtaining a ``social licence'' to proceed. A key objective was to gather and document the terms and conditions that would make such a project acceptable to society and to reflect a fundamental understanding and respect for these factors in the project's actual design and implementation. The underlying philosophy was that the analysis of scientific and technical evidence, while essential, could not be the sole determining factor. Ultimately it is society that will determine which risks it is prepared to accept. The mission of developing collaboratively with Canadians a management approach that would be socially acceptable, technically sound, environmentally responsible and economically feasible required the development of an integrated, systemic analytical framework and an interactive and transparent process of dialogue and deliberation. This investment in seeking diversity of perspectives resulted in the mergence of common ground among citizens and

Canadian petroleum industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dagher, J.H.

1969-12-01

This study covers the following Canadian petroleum industry categories: (1) a brief history; (2) the demand for Alberta crude; (3) U.S. oil policies; (4) overseas exploration; (5) the national oil policy; (6) the Montreal pipeline and its targets; (7) a continental oil policy; and (8) the impact of Arctic reserves. It is noted that large potential benefits will improve from the Manhattan navigating the Northwest Passage. Without prejudging the analysis now applied to the information gathered on this voyage, the Manhattan has greatly contributed to the solution of the problem of access to the Arctic islands. The picture for natural gas is less fraught with uncertainties. Unlike oil, where domestic and international considerations may weigh in U.S. policy decision, Canadian natural gas is likely to be allowed to enjoy its full economic potential in bridging the foreseeable U.S. supply gap and, inasmuch as this potential is ultimately tied with that for crude oil markets, the anticipated U.S. needs for Canadian natural gas may be expected to enhance U.S. interest in the overall well-being of the Canadian petroleum industry.

Historical contributions from the Harvard system to adult spine surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Schoenfeld, Andrew J

2011-10-15

Literature review. To document the historical contributions from the Harvard Medical School system to the field of adult spine surgery. Despite the fact that significant contributions to the discipline of spinal surgery have derived from the Harvard system, no prior study documents the history of the Harvard spine services in a cohesive narrative. This historical perspective reviews the history of adult spine surgery within the Harvard system and outlines the significant contributions made by orthopedic and neurosurgical practitioners to the field. Literature reviews were performed from historical works, as well as scientific publications to fashion a cohesive review covering the history of spine surgery at Harvard from the early 19th century to the present. The development of the spine surgical services at the three main Harvard hospitals, and significant spine surgical personalities within the system, are discussed, including W. Jason Mixter, MD, Joseph S. Barr Sr., MD, and Marius N. Smith-Petersen, MD. Substantial developments that have arisen from the Harvard teaching hospitals include the recognition of disc herniation as the cause of radicular symptoms in the lower extremities, the description of lumbar discectomy as a surgical treatment for radicular pain, osteotomy for the correction of spinal deformity, and the first attempt to create a systematic algorithm capable of informing treatment for cervical spine trauma. Despite humble beginnings, the surgeons and scientists at Harvard have influenced nearly every facet of spine surgery over the course of the last two centuries.

Biphasic synaptic Ca influx arising from compartmentalized electrical signals in dendritic spines.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brenda L Bloodgood

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Excitatory synapses on mammalian principal neurons are typically formed onto dendritic spines, which consist of a bulbous head separated from the parent dendrite by a thin neck. Although activation of voltage-gated channels in the spine and stimulus-evoked constriction of the spine neck can influence synaptic signals, the contribution of electrical filtering by the spine neck to basal synaptic transmission is largely unknown. Here we use spine and dendrite calcium (Ca imaging combined with 2-photon laser photolysis of caged glutamate to assess the impact of electrical filtering imposed by the spine morphology on synaptic Ca transients. We find that in apical spines of CA1 hippocampal neurons, the spine neck creates a barrier to the propagation of current, which causes a voltage drop and results in spatially inhomogeneous activation of voltage-gated Ca channels (VGCCs on a micron length scale. Furthermore, AMPA and NMDA-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs and NMDARs, respectively that are colocalized on individual spine heads interact to produce two kinetically and mechanistically distinct phases of synaptically evoked Ca influx. Rapid depolarization of the spine triggers a brief and large Ca current whose amplitude is regulated in a graded manner by the number of open AMPARs and whose duration is terminated by the opening of small conductance Ca-activated potassium (SK channels. A slower phase of Ca influx is independent of AMPAR opening and is determined by the number of open NMDARs and the post-stimulus potential in the spine. Biphasic synaptic Ca influx only occurs when AMPARs and NMDARs are coactive within an individual spine. These results demonstrate that the morphology of dendritic spines endows associated synapses with specialized modes of signaling and permits the graded and independent control of multiple phases of synaptic Ca influx.

Update and Overview of Spinal Injuries in Canadian Ice Hockey, 1943 to 2011: The Continuing Need for Injury Prevention and Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Tator, Charles H; Provvidenza, Christine; Cassidy, J David

2016-05-01

To identify spinal injuries in Canadian ice hockey from 2006 to 2011 and to discuss data from 1943 to 2011 and impact of injury prevention programs. Data about spinal injuries with and without spinal cord injury in ice hockey have been collected by ThinkFirst's (now Parachute Canada) Canadian Ice Hockey Spinal Injuries Registry since 1981 through questionnaires from practitioners, ice hockey organizations, and media. All Canadian provinces and territories. All registered Canadian ice hockey players. Age, gender, level of play, location, mechanism of injury. Incidence, incidence rate, prevalence, and nature (morbidity) of the injuries. Between 2006 and 2011, 44 cases occurred, 4 (9.1%) of which were severe. The incidence in the recent years continues to be lower than the peak years. From 1943 to 2011, 355 cases have been documented, primarily males (97.7%) and cervical spine injuries (78.9%), resulting from impact with the boards (64.2%). Check or push from behind (36.0%) was still the most common cause of injury, although slightly lower during 2006 to 2011. From 1943 to 2011, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and British Columbia/Yukon had the highest injury rates. Ontario and Quebec continued to show markedly different injury rates, with Ontario more than twice that of Quebec. Current data for 2006 to 2011 indicate that spinal injuries in ice hockey continue to occur, although still at lower rates than the peak years 1982 to 1995. It is imperative to continue educating players and team officials about spinal injury prevention and to reinforce the rules against checking or pushing from behind to reduce the incidence of these serious injuries.

Measuring moderations: a cross cultural and comparative research in services between brazilians and canadians

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcio de Oliveira Mota

2014-08-01

Full Text Available This study examines the relationship of relational benefits and their consequent variables by moderating cultural idiosyncrasies. The field research was conducted among 297 Brazilians and 207 Canadians. The collected data were analyzed by statistical tests such as comparing means, MANOVA, canonical correlation and moderation in regressive models in order to test the proposed technique. There were also methodological contributions through the development of computational scripts that identified the power and direction of each construct and path. The comparative analyses confirm that Brazilians are possibly more demanding than Canadians when evaluate services. On the one hand, due to Brazilians are culturally with greater power distance, we may indicate that to give them special treatment is an important factor in increasing satisfaction with employees. On the other hand, due to Canadians belong to a more egalitarian society, there are feelings that these privileges and "jeitinhos" should not be just for a few. The results obtained in this study may also be useful in strengthening business ties between Brazil and Canada in order to raise awareness among both countries.

Three Cases of Spine Fractures after an Airplane Crash.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Han Joo; Moon, Bong Ju; Pennant, William A; Shin, Dong Ah; Kim, Keung Nyun; Yoon, Do Heum; Ha, Yoon

2015-10-01

While injuries to the spine after an airplane crash are not rare, most crashes result in fatal injuries. As such, few studies exist that reported on spine fractures sustained during airplane accidents. In this report, we demonstrate three cases of spine fractures due to crash landing of a commercial airplane. Three passengers perished from injuries after the crash landing, yet most of the passengers and crew on board survived, with injuries ranging from minor to severe. Through evaluating our three spine fracture patients, it was determined that compression fracture of the spine was the primary injury related to the airplane accident. The first patient was a 20-year-old female who sustained a T6-8 compression fracture without neurologic deterioration. The second patient was a 33-year-old female with an L2 compression fracture, and the last patient was a 49-year-old male patient with a T8 compression fracture. All three patients were managed conservatively and required spinal orthotics. During the crash, each of these patients were subjected to direct, downward high gravity z-axis (Gz) force, which gave rise to load on the spine vertically, thereby causing compression fracture. Therefore, new safety methods should be developed to prevent excessive Gz force during airplane crash landings.

Three Cases of Spine Fractures after an Airplane Crash

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Han Joo; Moon, Bong Ju; Pennant, William A.; Shin, Dong Ah; Kim, Keung Nyun; Yoon, Do Heum

2015-01-01

While injuries to the spine after an airplane crash are not rare, most crashes result in fatal injuries. As such, few studies exist that reported on spine fractures sustained during airplane accidents. In this report, we demonstrate three cases of spine fractures due to crash landing of a commercial airplane. Three passengers perished from injuries after the crash landing, yet most of the passengers and crew on board survived, with injuries ranging from minor to severe. Through evaluating our three spine fracture patients, it was determined that compression fracture of the spine was the primary injury related to the airplane accident. The first patient was a 20-year-old female who sustained a T6-8 compression fracture without neurologic deterioration. The second patient was a 33-year-old female with an L2 compression fracture, and the last patient was a 49-year-old male patient with a T8 compression fracture. All three patients were managed conservatively and required spinal orthotics. During the crash, each of these patients were subjected to direct, downward high gravity z-axis (Gz) force, which gave rise to load on the spine vertically, thereby causing compression fracture. Therefore, new safety methods should be developed to prevent excessive Gz force during airplane crash landings. PMID:27169094

Canadian competitive advantage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wills, J.

1997-01-01

The evolution of the Canadian petrochemical industry was outlined, emphasizing the proximity to feedstocks as the principal advantage enjoyed by the industry over its international competitors. Annual sales statistics for 1995 were provided. Key players in the Canadian petrochemical industry (Nova, Dow, DuPont, Methanex, Esso, Union Carbide, Shell and Celanese), their share of the market and key products were noted. Manufacturing facilities are located primarily in Alberta, southern Ontario and Quebec. The feedstock supply infrastructure, historical and alternative ethane pricing in Canada and the US, the North American market for petrochemicals, the competitiveness of the industry, tax competitiveness among Canadian provinces and the US, the Canada - US unit labour cost ratio, ethylene facility construction costs in Canada relative to the US Gulf Coast, and projected 1997 financial requirements were reviewed. 19 figs

Development of the young spine questionnaire

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauridsen, Henrik Hein; Hestbæk, Lise

2013-01-01

.7% (cervical pain today) and 97.9% (thoracic pain today). To improve the understanding of the spinal boundaries we added bony landmarks to the spinal drawings after pilot test I. This resulted in an improved sense of spinal boundary location in pilot test II. Correlations between the rFPS and the interview...... pain score ranged between 0.67 (cervical spine) and 0.79 (lumbar spine). Conclusions The Young Spine Questionnaire contains questions that assess spinal pain and its consequences. The items have been tested for content understanding and agreement between questionnaire scores and interview findings......Background Back pain in children is common and early onset of back pain has been shown to increase the risk of back pain significantly in adulthood. Consequently, preventive efforts must be targeted the young population but research relating to spinal problems in this age group is scarce. Focus has...

Spine Shape Predicts Vertebral Fractures in Postmenopausal Women

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de Bruijne, Marleen; Pettersen, P.C.; A. Ghosh

2008-01-01

Early diagnosis and treatment of patients at high risk of developing fragility fractures is crucial in the management of osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the shape of the spine as can be observed from lateral X-rays is indicative for the risk of future development...... of fragility fractures in the spine. The study included 568 elderly women of whom 455 maintained skeletal integrity during the mean observation period of 4.8 years and 113 sustained at least one vertebral fracture in the same period. At baseline, none of the women had experienced a previous osteoporotic...... and intervertebral disks, alignment of vertebrae, and spinal curvature. The positions of the points were subsequently used as the input features to train a pattern classification system to discriminate between spines of women maintaining skeletal health and spines sustaining a fracture in the near future...

Postoperative 3D spine reconstruction by navigating partitioning manifolds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kadoury, Samuel, E-mail: samuel.kadoury@polymtl.ca [Department of Computer and Software Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Montreal, Montréal, Québec H3C 3A7 (Canada); Labelle, Hubert, E-mail: hubert.labelle@recherche-ste-justine.qc.ca; Parent, Stefan, E-mail: stefan.parent@umontreal.ca [CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec H3T 1C5 (Canada)

2016-03-15

Purpose: The postoperative evaluation of scoliosis patients undergoing corrective treatment is an important task to assess the strategy of the spinal surgery. Using accurate 3D geometric models of the patient’s spine is essential to measure longitudinal changes in the patient’s anatomy. On the other hand, reconstructing the spine in 3D from postoperative radiographs is a challenging problem due to the presence of instrumentation (metallic rods and screws) occluding vertebrae on the spine. Methods: This paper describes the reconstruction problem by searching for the optimal model within a manifold space of articulated spines learned from a training dataset of pathological cases who underwent surgery. The manifold structure is implemented based on a multilevel manifold ensemble to structure the data, incorporating connections between nodes within a single manifold, in addition to connections between different multilevel manifolds, representing subregions with similar characteristics. Results: The reconstruction pipeline was evaluated on x-ray datasets from both preoperative patients and patients with spinal surgery. By comparing the method to ground-truth models, a 3D reconstruction accuracy of 2.24 ± 0.90 mm was obtained from 30 postoperative scoliotic patients, while handling patients with highly deformed spines. Conclusions: This paper illustrates how this manifold model can accurately identify similar spine models by navigating in the low-dimensional space, as well as computing nonlinear charts within local neighborhoods of the embedded space during the testing phase. This technique allows postoperative follow-ups of spinal surgery using personalized 3D spine models and assess surgical strategies for spinal deformities.

Postoperative 3D spine reconstruction by navigating partitioning manifolds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kadoury, Samuel; Labelle, Hubert; Parent, Stefan

2016-01-01

Purpose: The postoperative evaluation of scoliosis patients undergoing corrective treatment is an important task to assess the strategy of the spinal surgery. Using accurate 3D geometric models of the patient’s spine is essential to measure longitudinal changes in the patient’s anatomy. On the other hand, reconstructing the spine in 3D from postoperative radiographs is a challenging problem due to the presence of instrumentation (metallic rods and screws) occluding vertebrae on the spine. Methods: This paper describes the reconstruction problem by searching for the optimal model within a manifold space of articulated spines learned from a training dataset of pathological cases who underwent surgery. The manifold structure is implemented based on a multilevel manifold ensemble to structure the data, incorporating connections between nodes within a single manifold, in addition to connections between different multilevel manifolds, representing subregions with similar characteristics. Results: The reconstruction pipeline was evaluated on x-ray datasets from both preoperative patients and patients with spinal surgery. By comparing the method to ground-truth models, a 3D reconstruction accuracy of 2.24 ± 0.90 mm was obtained from 30 postoperative scoliotic patients, while handling patients with highly deformed spines. Conclusions: This paper illustrates how this manifold model can accurately identify similar spine models by navigating in the low-dimensional space, as well as computing nonlinear charts within local neighborhoods of the embedded space during the testing phase. This technique allows postoperative follow-ups of spinal surgery using personalized 3D spine models and assess surgical strategies for spinal deformities

Biobehavioral pain profile in individuals with chronic spine pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Matteliano, Deborah; Scherer, Yvonne Krall; Chang, Yu-Ping

2014-03-01

Pain in the spine is the most frequently described pain problem in primary care, afflicting at least 54 million Americans. When spinal pain becomes chronic, the prognosis for recovery is poor, often leading to disability and reduced quality of life. Clinical treatment is inadequate, often focusing on physical pathology alone. To improve treatment outcomes for chronic pain as recommended by current guidelines, the Biobehavioral Pain Profile (BPP), which includes six pain response subscales, was developed to guide cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The purpose of this study was to describe the BPP in 100 individuals with chronic spine pain and examine the associations between the BPP and important clinical outcomes, including chronic pain, disability, and quality of life. Participants reported a high level of pain, a low quality of life, and a high level of disability despite receiving treatment with opioids. Scores on BPP subscales including evaluating loss of control, past and current experience, physiologic responsivity, and thoughts of disease progression were elevated, indicating a need for CBT. Five of the six BPP subscales had a significant association with quality of life, chronic pain, and disability with the thought of disease progression being a strong factor for most of the clinical outcome variables. By identifying BPP, clinicians can provide appropriate treatments to improve individuals' quality of life and prevent further disability. Further study using the BPP to guide CBT is needed. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of presurgical psychological screening in patients undergoing spine surgery: use and clinical impact.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Arthur K; Young, Benjamin K; Riley, Lee H; Skolasky, Richard L

2014-04-01

Prospective survey. To determine the prevalence of use of presurgical psychological screening (PPS) among spine surgeons in the United States, identify factors associated with PPS use, evaluate surgeons' opinions of PPS, and investigate how PPS is applied in clinical practice. The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends PPS for patients undergoing back surgery. The prevalence of PPS is unknown. Thus, it may be difficult to improve preoperative care for such patients with psychological conditions. An online survey invitation was emailed to 340 spine surgeons. Questions addressed surgeon characteristics (eg, number of years in practice), practice characteristics (eg, practice type), inclusion of integrated rehabilitation and psychological services, and use of PPS. The impact of psychological factors on rehabilitation and recovery was assessed using an 11-point Likert scale (0, no impact; 10, highest impact). We analyzed the 110 (32%) responses with a χ(2) test (significance, Ppsychological factors on pain relief, adherence to therapy, and return to work (mean impact rating, >7.0); however, impact on return for follow-up was only moderate (mean rating, 5.8). A minority of surgeons reported using PPS. Surgeons were less likely to use PPS if they had completed residency or begun practice within 14 years, had fewer than 200 cases annually, or were university affiliated. This study highlights the need to advocate for the use of North American Spine Society guidelines regarding the use of PPS.

The skills of erect full-spine radiograph with Philips DR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Guangqi; Yang Xufeng; Wu Tengfang; Wen Xingwei

2009-01-01

Objective: To investigate the image stitching methods and skills of erect full-spine P-A radiograph with Philips DR. Methods: Proper spinal projecting position and exposure factors were selected to get the radiogragh of full-spine. Three methods were used to stitch images. The image deviation was evaluated with photoshop to judge the quality of the stitching full-spine images. Results: Among ninety-eight patients, the full-spine images were stitched successfully by automatic method in 78 patients. Other stiching images were justified with manual stitching method and were good enough for diagnosis. The border of vertebral body, pedicle of vertebral arch and spinous process were revealed clearly in 96 patients. The shift of vertebral body at stitching point was within 1 mm in 83 patients, 2mm in 11 patients, 3mm in 2 patients. Conclusion: Full spine radiography with DDR can provide clinical diagnosis information with reliable images. High quality and reliable full-spine images can be got with proper spinal projecting position, appropriate image postprocess software and suitable stitching method. (authors)

Interdisciplinary Canadian guidelines on the use of metal stents in the gastrointestinal tract for oncological indications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baerlocher, M.O.; Asch, M.R.; Dixon, P.; Kortan, P.; Myers, A.; Law, C.

2008-01-01

To provide evidence-based guidelines regarding the appropriate use of gastrointestinal stents for oncologic indications. This document describes the use of gastrointestinal stents by appropriately trained physicians. This document is based on a review of the published evidence and supplemented by consensus expert opinion. Gastrointestinal stenting has been evaluated in terms of technical success, complications, patient satisfaction, clinical outcome, and cost-benefit analysis. This document was approved by the Canadian Interventional Radiology Association; approval from the other relevant Canadian societies is pending. Gastrointestinal stenting has a valuable role in the management of the gastrointestinal malignancy. The decision to use such devices should be taken after comprehensive multidisciplinary clinical, endoscopic, and radiologic evaluation. This interdisciplinary Canadian guideline on the use of metal stents in the gastrointestinal tract for ontological indications is based on a scientific literature review and relevant clinical experience. This guideline attempts to define principles of practice for most circumstances, though adherence to this guideline will not, of course, produce successful outcomes in every case. (author)

Interdisciplinary Canadian guidelines on the use of metal stents in the gastrointestinal tract for oncological indications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baerlocher, M.O. [Dept. of Radiology, Univ. of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)], E-mail: mark.baerlocher@utoronto.ca; Asch, M.R. [Dept. of Diagnostic Imaging, Lakeridge Health Corp., Oshawa, Ontario (Canada); Dixon, P. [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Durham Regional Cancer Centre, Oshawa, Ontario (Canada); Dept. of Oncology, Queen' s Univ., Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Kortan, P. [Div. of Gastroenterology, Dept. of Medicine, St. Michael' s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Myers, A. [Dept. of Diagnostic Imaging, Lakeridge Health Corp., Oshawa, Ontario (Canada); Law, C. [Dept. of Surgical Oncology, Div. of General Surgery, Sunnybrook HSC, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

2008-06-15

To provide evidence-based guidelines regarding the appropriate use of gastrointestinal stents for oncologic indications. This document describes the use of gastrointestinal stents by appropriately trained physicians. This document is based on a review of the published evidence and supplemented by consensus expert opinion. Gastrointestinal stenting has been evaluated in terms of technical success, complications, patient satisfaction, clinical outcome, and cost-benefit analysis. This document was approved by the Canadian Interventional Radiology Association; approval from the other relevant Canadian societies is pending. Gastrointestinal stenting has a valuable role in the management of the gastrointestinal malignancy. The decision to use such devices should be taken after comprehensive multidisciplinary clinical, endoscopic, and radiologic evaluation. This interdisciplinary Canadian guideline on the use of metal stents in the gastrointestinal tract for ontological indications is based on a scientific literature review and relevant clinical experience. This guideline attempts to define principles of practice for most circumstances, though adherence to this guideline will not, of course, produce successful outcomes in every case. (author)

Rendering the Topological Spines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nieves-Rivera, D. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2015-05-05

Many tools to analyze and represent high dimensional data already exits yet most of them are not flexible, informative and intuitive enough to help the scientists make the corresponding analysis and predictions, understand the structure and complexity of scientific data, get a complete picture of it and explore a greater number of hypotheses. With this in mind, N-Dimensional Data Analysis and Visualization (ND²AV) is being developed to serve as an interactive visual analysis platform with the purpose of coupling together a number of these existing tools that range from statistics, machine learning, and data mining, with new techniques, in particular with new visualization approaches. My task is to create the rendering and implementation of a new concept called topological spines in order to extend ND²AV's scope. Other existing visualization tools create a representation preserving either the topological properties or the structural (geometric) ones because it is challenging to preserve them both simultaneously. Overcoming such challenge by creating a balance in between them, the topological spines are introduced as a new approach that aims to preserve them both. Its render using OpenGL and C++ and is currently being tested to further on be implemented on ND²AV. In this paper I will present what are the Topological Spines and how they are rendered.

Canadian Hydrogen Association workshop on building Canadian strength with hydrogen systems. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

The Canadian Hydrogen Association workshop on 'Building Canadian Strength with Hydrogen Systems' was held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on October 19-20, 2006. Over 100 delegates attended the workshop and there were over 50 presentations made. The Canadian Hydrogen Association (CHA) promotes the development of a hydrogen infrastructure and the commercialization of new, efficient and economic methods that accelerate the adoption of hydrogen technologies that will eventually replace fossil-based energy systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This workshop focused on defining the strategic direction of research and development that will define the future of hydrogen related energy developments across Canada. It provided a forum to strengthen the research, development and innovation linkages among government, industry and academia to build Canadian strength with hydrogen systems. The presentations described new technologies and the companies that are making small scale hydrogen and hydrogen powered vehicles. Other topics of discussion included storage issues, hydrogen safety, competition in the hydrogen market, hydrogen fuel cell opportunities, nuclear-based hydrogen production, and environmental impacts

Cervical spine injury in the elderly: imaging features

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ehara, S. [Dept. of Radiology, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Morioka (Japan); Shimamura, Tadashi [Dept. of Orthopedic Surgery, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Morioka (Japan)

2001-01-01

An increase in the elderly population has resulted in an increased incidence of cervical spine injury in this group. No specific type of cervical spine trauma is seen in the elderly, although dens fractures are reported to be common. Hyperextension injuries due to falling and the resultant central cord syndrome in the mid and lower cervical segments due to decreased elasticity as a result of spondylosis may be also characteristic. The imaging features of cervical spine injury are often modified by associated spondylosis deformans, DISH and other systemic disorders. The value of MR imaging in such cases is emphasized. (orig.)

Cervical spine trauma radiographs: Swimmers and supine obliques; an exploration of current practice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fell, Michael, E-mail: michael.fell@mkgeneral.nhs.u [Milton Keynes General Hospital, Radiology Standing Way, Eaglestone, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK6 5LD (United Kingdom)

2011-02-15

The study objectives were: to investigate current cervical spine radiographic imaging practices in conscious adult patients with suspected neck injury; reasons behind variation and consideration of dose estimates were explored. Comparison with a previous survey has been made. Questionnaires were sent to superintendent radiographers responsible for accident and emergency X-ray departments in English trusts with over 8500 emergency admissions per year, with a response rate of 97% (n = 181/186). Departmental cervical spine imaging protocols were reported by 82% of respondents. None use fewer than the three standard projections; if the cervicothoracic junction (C7/T1), is not adequately demonstrated 87% use swimmers projections, 9% supine obliques, 3% CT alone. Following projectional radiography, 97% perform CT. A significant (p = 0.018) increase was found since 1999 in CT use once the swimmers projection fails; fewer now use obliques at this point, continuing with CT instead. No significant difference (p = 0.644) was found in choice of first supplementary radiographs; despite British Trauma Society's recommendation to undertake supine obliques, swimmers remain the most widespread technique. An 85% response rate (n = 103/121) completed a second questionnaire, exploring reasons behind the various practices. Several reported a perceived difficulty in interpreting oblique radiographs, some a concern over high dose of the swimmers. Numerous issues affect the acquisition of cervical spine radiographs. Patient radiation dose should be a major consideration in selection of technique. A potential need for training in interpretation of obliques is highlighted. Specific guidelines for optimum projections should be researched, and protocols issued to ensure best practice.

The use of radiological guidelines to achieve a sustained reduction in the number of radiographic examinations of the cervical spine, lumbar spine and knees performed for GPs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glaves, J.

2005-01-01

AIM: To determine if the use of request guidelines can achieve a sustained reduction in the number of radiographic examinations of the cervical spine, lumbar spine and knee joints performed for general practitioners (GPs). METHODS: GPs referring to three community hospitals and a district general hospital were circulated with referral guidelines for radiography of the cervical spine, lumbar spine and knee, and all requests for these three examinations were checked. Requests that did not fit the guidelines were returned to the GP with an explanatory letter and a further copy of the guidelines. Where applicable, a large-joint replacement algorithm was also enclosed. If the GP maintained the opinion that the examination was indicated, she or he had the option of supplying further justifying information in writing or speaking to a consultant radiologist. RESULTS: Overall the number of radiographic examinations fell by 68% in the first year, achieving a 79% reduction in the second year. For knees, lumbar spine and cervical spine radiographs the total reductions were 77%, 78% and 86%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The use of referral guidelines, reinforced by request checking and clinical management algorithms, can produce a dramatic and sustained reduction in the number of radiographs of the cervical spine, lumbar spine and knees performed for GPs

[Application of Finite Element Method in Thoracolumbar Spine Traumatology].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Min; Qiu, Yong-gui; Shao, Yu; Gu, Xiao-feng; Zeng, Ming-wei

2015-04-01

The finite element method (FEM) is a mathematical technique using modern computer technology for stress analysis, and has been gradually used in simulating human body structures in the biomechanical field, especially more widely used in the research of thoracolumbar spine traumatology. This paper reviews the establishment of the thoracolumbar spine FEM, the verification of the FEM, and the thoracolumbar spine FEM research status in different fields, and discusses its prospects and values in forensic thoracolumbar traumatology.

A method for the automated long-term monitoring of three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus shoal dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kleinhappel, T K; Al-Zoubi, A; Al-Diri, B; Burman, O; Dickinson, P; John, L; Wilkinson, A; Pike, T W

2014-04-01

This paper describes and evaluates a flexible, non-invasive tagging system for the automated identification and long-term monitoring of individual three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus. The system is based on barcoded tags, which can be reliably and robustly detected and decoded to provide information on an individual's identity and location. Because large numbers of fish can be individually tagged, it can be used to monitor individual- and group-level dynamics within fish shoals. © 2014 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Microscope sterility during spine surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Bible, Jesse E; O'Neill, Kevin R; Crosby, Colin G; Schoenecker, Jonathan G; McGirt, Matthew J; Devin, Clinton J

2012-04-01

Prospective study. Assess the contamination rates of sterile microscope drapes after spine surgery. The use of the operating microscope has become more prevalent in certain spine procedures, providing superior magnification, visualization, and illumination of the operative field. However, it may represent an additional source of bacterial contamination and increase the risk of developing a postoperative infection. This study included 25 surgical spine cases performed by a single spine surgeon that required the use of the operative microscope. Sterile culture swabs were used to obtain samples from 7 defined locations on the microscope drape after its use during the operation. The undraped technician's console was sampled in each case as a positive control, and an additional 25 microscope drapes were swabbed immediately after they were applied to the microscope to obtain negative controls. Swab samples were assessed for bacterial growth on 5% sheep blood Columbia agar plates using a semiquantitative technique. No growth was observed on any of the 25 negative control drapes. In contrast, 100% of preoperative and 96% of postoperative positive controls demonstrated obvious contamination. In the postoperative group, all 7 sites of evaluation were found to be contaminated with rates of 12% to 44%. Four of the 7 evaluated locations were found to have significant contamination rates compared with negative controls, including the shafts of the optic eyepieces on the main surgeon side (24%, P = 0.022), "forehead" portion on both the main surgeon (24%, P = 0.022) and assistant sides (28%, P = 0.010), and "overhead" portion of the drape (44%, P = 0.0002). Bacterial contamination of the operative microscope was found to be significant after spine surgery. Contamination was more common around the optic eyepieces, likely due to inadvertent touching of unsterile portions. Similarly, all regions above the eyepieces also have a propensity for contamination because of unknown contact

North American Spine Society

Science.gov (United States)

... Policy Comments Coverage Recommendations About Coverage Recommendations Access eBook Payor Access Practice Management Market Your Practice Career ... Recommendations A valuable resource and a free member benefit. Career Center Search quality jobs from employers within ...

Osseous anatomy of the lumbosacral spine in Marfan syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Sponseller, P D; Ahn, N U; Ahn, U M; Nallamshetty, L; Rose, P S; Kuszyk, B S; Fishman, E K

2000-11-01

This study examines pedicle widths, laminar thicknesses, and scalloping values for lumbosacral spine elements in Marfan volunteers. Comparisons were made between these measurements and norms as well as measurements between Marfan patients with and without dural ectasia. To determine if the lumbosacral vertebral elements are altered in the patient with Marfan syndrome. Several abnormalities have been noted in Marfan lumbar spine, including pedicular attenuation and widened interpediculate distances. This may be due to abnormalities of growth or presence of dural ectasia. Given the large numbers of Marfan patients requiring spinal surgery and the high postoperative failure rate, better understanding of the bony anatomy of Marfan lumbar spine is necessary, especially if use of instrumentation is anticipated. Thirty-two volunteers with Marfan syndrome based on the Ghent criteria underwent spiral computed tomography of the lumbosacral spine. Images were evaluated for dural ectasia, and measurements of pedicle width, laminar thickness, and vertebral scalloping were made. Pedicle widths and laminar thicknesses were significantly smaller in Marfan patients at all levels (Plaminar thickness from L5-S2 and pedicle widths at all lumbar levels were significantly reduced (Plaminar thickness are significantly reduced in Marfan individuals. Those with dural ectasia demonstrate increased bony erosion of anterior and posterior elements of lumbosacral spine. Preoperative planning and routine computed tomography scans are recommended when operating on Marfan lumbosacral spine.

Anatomy of the Spine

Science.gov (United States)

... curve of the neck is described as a lordosis or lordotic curve, and looks like a “C” ... like the cervical spine, creating a normal lumbar lordosis. The five lumbar vertebral bodies are the weight- ...

Management of thoracolumbar spine trauma An overview

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Rajasekaran

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Thoracolumbar spine fractures are common injuries that can result in significant disability, deformity and neurological deficit. Controversies exist regarding the appropriate radiological investigations, the indications for surgical management and the timing, approach and type of surgery. This review provides an overview of the epidemiology, biomechanical principles, radiological and clinical evaluation, classification and management principles. Literature review of all relevant articles published in PubMed covering thoracolumbar spine fractures with or without neurologic deficit was performed. The search terms used were thoracolumbar, thoracic, lumbar, fracture, trauma and management. All relevant articles and abstracts covering thoracolumbar spine fractures with and without neurologic deficit were reviewed. Biomechanically the thoracolumbar spine is predisposed to a higher incidence of spinal injuries. Computed tomography provides adequate bony detail for assessing spinal stability while magnetic resonance imaging shows injuries to soft tissues (posterior ligamentous complex [PLC] and neurological structures. Different classification systems exist and the most recent is the AO spine knowledge forum classification of thoracolumbar trauma. Treatment includes both nonoperative and operative methods and selected based on the degree of bony injury, neurological involvement, presence of associated injuries and the integrity of the PLC. Significant advances in imaging have helped in the better understanding of thoracolumbar fractures, including information on canal morphology and injury to soft tissue structures. The ideal classification that is simple, comprehensive and guides management is still elusive. Involvement of three columns, progressive neurological deficit, significant kyphosis and canal compromise with neurological deficit are accepted indications for surgical stabilization through anterior, posterior or combined approaches.

Surgeon Reported Outcome Measure for Spine Trauma an International Expert Survey Identifying Parameters Relevant for The Outcome of Subaxial Cervical Spine Injuries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sadiqi, Said; Verlaan, Jorrit Jan; Lehr, A. M.; Dvorak, Marcel F.; Kandziora, Frank; Rajasekaran, S.; Schnake, Klaus J.; Vaccaro, Alexander R.; Oner, F. C.

2016-01-01

STUDY DESIGN.: International web-based survey OBJECTIVE.: To identify clinical and radiological parameters that spine surgeons consider most relevant when evaluating clinical and functional outcomes of subaxial cervical spine trauma patients. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA.: While an outcome instrument

Dose conformation to the spine during palliative treatments using dynamic wedges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ormsby, Matthew A., E-mail: Matthew.Ormsby@usoncology.com [West Texas Cancer Center at Medical Center Hospital, Odessa, TX (United States); Herndon, R. Craig; Kaczor, Joseph G. [West Texas Cancer Center at Medical Center Hospital, Odessa, TX (United States)

2013-07-01

Radiation therapy is commonly used to alleviate pain associated with metastatic disease of the spine. Often, isodose lines are manipulated using dynamic or physical wedges to encompass the section of spine needing treatment while minimizing dose to normal tissue. We will compare 2 methods used to treat the entire thoracic spine. The first method treats the thoracic spine with a single, nonwedged posterior-anterior (PA) field. Dose is prescribed to include the entire spine. Isodose lines tightly conform to the top and bottom vertebrae, but vertebrae between these 2 received more than enough coverage. The second method uses a combination of wedges to create an isodose line that mimics the curvature of the thoracic spine. This “C”-shaped curvature is created by overlapping 2 fields with opposing dynamic wedges. Machine constraints limit the treatment length and therefore 2 isocenters are used. Each of the 2 PA fields contributes a portion of the total daily dose. This technique creates a “C”-shaped isodose line that tightly conforms to the thoracic spine, minimizing normal tissue dose. Spinal cord maximum dose is reduced, as well as mean dose to the liver, esophagus, and heart.

Canadian sedentary behaviour guidelines for children and youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Tremblay, Mark S; Leblanc, Allana G; Janssen, Ian; Kho, Michelle E; Hicks, Audrey; Murumets, Kelly; Colley, Rachel C; Duggan, Mary

2011-02-01

The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP), in partnership with the Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group (HALO) at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, and in collaboration with ParticipACTION, and others, has developed the Canadian Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines for Children (aged 5-11 years) and Youth (aged 12-17 years). The guidelines include a preamble to provide context, followed by the specific recommendations for sedentary behaviour. The entire development process was guided by the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument, which is the international standard for clinical practice guideline development. Thus, the guidelines have gone through a rigorous and transparent developmental process and the recommendations are based on evidence from a systematic review and interpretation of the research evidence. The final guidelines benefitted from an extensive online consultation process with 230 domestic and international stakeholders and key informants. The final guideline recommendations state that for health benefits, children (aged 5-11 years) and youth (aged 12-17 years) should minimize the time that they spend being sedentary each day. This may be achieved by (i) limiting recreational screen time to no more than 2 h per day - lower levels are associated with additional health benefits; and (ii) limiting sedentary (motorized) transport, extended sitting time, and time spent indoors throughout the day. These are the first evidence-based Canadian Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines for Children and Youth and provide important and timely recommendations for the advancement of public health based on a systematic synthesis, interpretation, and application of the current scientific evidence.

Fatal Cervical Spine Injury Following a Bicycle Crash

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uhrenholt Lars

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Spinal injury following direct loading of the head and neck is a rare sequel of bicycle crashes. Fatal head injuries following bicycle crashes have been described in great detail and safety measures such as bicycle helmets have been developed accordingly. Less frequently, however, potentially severe cervical spine injuries have been described. We present the case of a middle-aged female who sustained an ultimately fatal cervical spine injury following a collision with a car whilst biking wearing a helmet. We discuss the literature regarding the protective effects of bicycle helmets, the relevance to cervical spine injury and legislation on mandatory use of helmets for injury prevention.

Canadian Cardiovascular Society Consensus Conference recommendations on heart failure update 2007: Prevention, management during intercurrent illness or acute decompensation, and use of biomarkers.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, J Malcom O; Howlett, Jonathan G; Dorian, Paul; Ducharme, Anique; Giannetti, Nadia; Haddad, Haissam; Heckman, George A; Ignaszewski, Andrew; Isaac, Debra; Jong, Philip; Liu, Peter; Mann, Elizabeth; McKelvie, Robert S; Moe, Gordon W; Parker, John D; Svendsen, Anna M; Tsuyuki, Ross T; O'Halloran, Kelly; Ross, Heather J; Rao, Vivek; Sequeira, Errol J; White, Michel

2007-01-01

Heart failure is common, yet it is difficult to treat. It presents in many different guises and circumstances in which therapy needs to be individualized. The Canadian Cardiovascular Society published a comprehensive set of recommendations in January 2006 on the diagnosis and management of heart failure, and the present update builds on those core recommendations. Based on feedback obtained through a national program of heart failure workshops during 2006, several topics were identified as priorities because of the challenges they pose to health care professionals. New evidence-based recommendations were developed using the structured approach for the review and assessment of evidence adopted and previously described by the Society. Specific recommendations and practical tips were written for the prevention of heart failure, the management of heart failure during intercurrent illness, the treatment of acute heart failure, and the current and future roles of biomarkers in heart failure care. Specific clinical questions that are addressed include: which patients should be identified as being at high risk of developing heart failure and which interventions should be used? What complications can occur in heart failure patients during an intercurrent illness, how should these patients be monitored and which medications may require a dose adjustment or discontinuation? What are the best therapeutic, both drug and nondrug, strategies for patients with acute heart failure? How can new biomarkers help in the treatment of heart failure, and when and how should BNP be measured in heart failure patients? The goals of the present update are to translate best evidence into practice, to apply clinical wisdom where evidence for specific strategies is weaker, and to aid physicians and other health care providers to optimally treat heart failure patients to result in a measurable impact on patient health and clinical outcomes in Canada.

Dendritic Spines in Depression: What We Learned from Animal Models

OpenAIRE

Qiao, Hui; Li, Ming-Xing; Xu, Chang; Chen, Hui-Bin; An, Shu-Cheng; Ma, Xin-Ming

2016-01-01

Depression, a severe psychiatric disorder, has been studied for decades, but the underlying mechanisms still remain largely unknown. Depression is closely associated with alterations in dendritic spine morphology and spine density. Therefore, understanding dendritic spines is vital for uncovering the mechanisms underlying depression. Several chronic stress models, including chronic restraint stress (CRS), chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), and chronic social defeat stress (CSDS), have ...

Advantages and disadvantages of nonfusion technology in spine surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Russel C; Girardi, Federico P; Lim, Moe R; Cammisa, Frank P

2005-07-01

Nonfusion technology in spine surgery may improve outcomes by reducing surgical morbidity and the incidence of adjacent level degeneration; however, new technologies also introduce new short- and long-term complications. There is currently no evidence that nonfusion implants are superior to fusion in mid- to long-term follow-up. Understanding the potential risks and benefits of nonfusion technology is essential for spine surgeons and their patients. This article reviews the current evidence relating to the potential risks and benefits of nonfusion technology in spine surgery.

Education and the CNA: A Canadian approach to a global agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Summers, R.; Hynes, S.

1994-01-01

The Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA) has launched an initiative which objective is not only to offer the target audience a better understanding of the nuclear industry, but also to offer the nuclear industry a better understanding of the target audience (educators, students and parents). By expanding the CNA conventional mandate (science) to include input from social studies teachers and guidance counselors, and by recognizing the interconnection of science, technology, energy, environment and society, it is aimed at maintaining a proactive position in the global environment

Pediatric spine imaging post scoliosis surgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alsharief, Alaa N.; El-Hawary, Ron; Schmit, Pierre

2018-01-01

Many orthopedic articles describe advances in surgical techniques and implants used in pediatric scoliosis surgery. However, even though postoperative spine imaging constitutes a large portion of outpatient musculoskeletal pediatric radiology, few, if any, radiology articles discuss this topic. There has been interval advancement over the last decades of the orthopedic procedures used in the treatment of spinal scoliosis in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis. The goal of treatment in these patients is to stop the progression of the curve by blocking the spinal growth and correcting the deformity as much as possible. To that end, the authors in this paper discuss postoperative imaging findings of Harrington rods, Luque rods, Luque-Galveston implants and segmental spinal fusion systems. Regarding early onset scoliosis, the guiding principles used for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis do not apply to a growing spine because they would impede lung development. As a result, other devices have been developed to correct the curve and to allow spinal growth. These include spine-based growing rods, vertically expandable prosthetic titanium rods (requiring repetitive surgeries) and magnetically controlled growing rods (with a magnetic locking/unlocking system). Other more recent systems are Shilla and thoracoscopic anterior vertebral body tethering, which allow guided growth of the spine without repetitive interventions. In this paper, we review the radiologic appearances of different orthopedic implants and techniques used to treat adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and early onset scoliosis. Moreover, we present the imaging findings of the most frequent postoperative complications. (orig.)

Pediatric spine imaging post scoliosis surgery

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Alsharief, Alaa N. [IWK Children' s Health Center, Dalhousie University, Diagnostic Imaging Department, Halifax, NS (Canada); The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Toronto (Canada); King Saud University, Department of Medical Imaging, King Abdul-Aziz Medical City, King Khaled National Guard Hospital-Western Region, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia); El-Hawary, Ron [Dalhousie University, Orthopedic Surgery Department, IWK Children' s Health Center, Halifax, NS (Canada); Schmit, Pierre [IWK Children' s Health Center, Dalhousie University, Diagnostic Imaging Department, Halifax, NS (Canada)

2018-01-15

Many orthopedic articles describe advances in surgical techniques and implants used in pediatric scoliosis surgery. However, even though postoperative spine imaging constitutes a large portion of outpatient musculoskeletal pediatric radiology, few, if any, radiology articles discuss this topic. There has been interval advancement over the last decades of the orthopedic procedures used in the treatment of spinal scoliosis in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis. The goal of treatment in these patients is to stop the progression of the curve by blocking the spinal growth and correcting the deformity as much as possible. To that end, the authors in this paper discuss postoperative imaging findings of Harrington rods, Luque rods, Luque-Galveston implants and segmental spinal fusion systems. Regarding early onset scoliosis, the guiding principles used for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis do not apply to a growing spine because they would impede lung development. As a result, other devices have been developed to correct the curve and to allow spinal growth. These include spine-based growing rods, vertically expandable prosthetic titanium rods (requiring repetitive surgeries) and magnetically controlled growing rods (with a magnetic locking/unlocking system). Other more recent systems are Shilla and thoracoscopic anterior vertebral body tethering, which allow guided growth of the spine without repetitive interventions. In this paper, we review the radiologic appearances of different orthopedic implants and techniques used to treat adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and early onset scoliosis. Moreover, we present the imaging findings of the most frequent postoperative complications. (orig.)

Robotics and the spine: a review of current and ongoing applications.

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Shweikeh, Faris; Amadio, Jordan P; Arnell, Monica; Barnard, Zachary R; Kim, Terrence T; Johnson, J Patrick; Drazin, Doniel

2014-03-01

Robotics in the operating room has shown great use and versatility in multiple surgical fields. Robot-assisted spine surgery has gained significant favor over its relatively short existence, due to its intuitive promise of higher surgical accuracy and better outcomes with fewer complications. Here, the authors analyze the existing literature on this growing technology in the era of minimally invasive spine surgery. In an attempt to provide the most recent, up-to-date review of the current literature on robotic spine surgery, a search of the existing literature was conducted to obtain all relevant studies on robotics as it relates to its application in spine surgery and other interventions. In all, 45 articles were included in the analysis. The authors discuss the current status of this technology and its potential in multiple arenas of spinal interventions, mainly spine surgery and spine biomechanics testing. There are numerous potential advantages and limitations to robotic spine surgery, as suggested in published case reports and in retrospective and prospective studies. Randomized controlled trials are few in number and show conflicting results regarding accuracy. The present limitations may be surmountable with future technological improvements, greater surgeon experience, reduced cost, improved operating room dynamics, and more training of surgical team members. Given the promise of robotics for improvements in spine surgery and spine biomechanics testing, more studies are needed to further explore the applicability of this technology in the spinal operating room. Due to the significant cost of the robotic equipment, studies are needed to substantiate that the increased equipment costs will result in significant benefits that will justify the expense.

Financial outlook for the Canadian gas industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friedenberg, B.

1995-01-01

The financial outlook for the Canadian gas industry depends on the outlook for gas prices at Canadian producing basins, the cost of producing in Canada and the volume of production of Canadian natural gas. Price, cost and volume determine the health of the Canadian industry. Industry's costs are the basis of the supply (volume) offered on the market and price is determined by the interaction of supply and demand. (author)

Secularism stated, rejected and reaffirmed. France, Italy and Canada and the dilemmas of multi-religious societies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zoethout, C.M.

2015-01-01

Over the past decades, western societies have been confronted with immigration on a considerable scale. As a result, they have become more pluralistic, particularly as far as religion is concerned. This paper seeks to analyze the response to these developments in France, Italy, and the Canadian

Biologics in spine arthrodesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kannan, Abhishek; Dodwad, Shah-Nawaz M; Hsu, Wellington K

2015-06-01

Spine fusion is a tool used in the treatment of spine trauma, tumors, and degenerative disorders. Poor outcomes related to failure of fusion, however, have directed the interests of practitioners and scientists to spinal biologics that may impact fusion at the cellular level. These biologics are used to achieve successful arthrodesis in the treatment of symptomatic deformity or instability. Historically, autologous bone grafting, including iliac crest bong graft harvesting, had represented the gold standard in spinal arthrodesis. However, due to concerns over potential harvest site complications, supply limitations, and associated morbidity, surgeons have turned to other bone graft options known for their osteogenic, osteoinductive, and/or osteoconductive properties. Current bone graft selection includes autograft, allograft, demineralized bone matrix, ceramics, mesenchymal stem cells, and recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein. Each pose their respective advantages and disadvantages and are the focus of ongoing research investigating the safety and efficacy of their use in the setting of spinal fusion. Rh-BMP2 has been plagued by issues of widespread off-label use, controversial indications, and a wide range of adverse effects. The risks associated with high concentrations of exogenous growth factors have led to investigational efforts into nanotechnology and its application in spinal arthrodesis through the binding of endogenous growth factors. Bone graft selection remains critical to successful fusion and favorable patient outcomes, and orthopaedic surgeons must be educated on the utility and limitations of various biologics in the setting of spine arthrodesis.

Stochasticity in Ca2+ increase in spines enables robust and sensitive information coding.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takuya Koumura

Full Text Available A dendritic spine is a very small structure (∼0.1 µm3 of a neuron that processes input timing information. Why are spines so small? Here, we provide functional reasons; the size of spines is optimal for information coding. Spines code input timing information by the probability of Ca2+ increases, which makes robust and sensitive information coding possible. We created a stochastic simulation model of input timing-dependent Ca2+ increases in a cerebellar Purkinje cell's spine. Spines used probability coding of Ca2+ increases rather than amplitude coding for input timing detection via stochastic facilitation by utilizing the small number of molecules in a spine volume, where information per volume appeared optimal. Probability coding of Ca2+ increases in a spine volume was more robust against input fluctuation and more sensitive to input numbers than amplitude coding of Ca2+ increases in a cell volume. Thus, stochasticity is a strategy by which neurons robustly and sensitively code information.

Epidemiological Trends of Spine Trauma: An Australian Level 1 Trauma Centre Study

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Tee, J. W.; Chan, C. H. P.; Fitzgerald, M. C. B.; Liew, S. M.; Rosenfeld, J. V.

2013-01-01

Knowledge of current epidemiology and spine trauma trends assists in public resource allocation, fine-tuning of primary prevention methods, and benchmarking purposes. Data on all patients with traumatic spine injuries admitted to the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne between May 1, 2009, and January 1, 2011, were collected from the Alfred Trauma Registry, Alfred Health medical database, and Victorian Orthopaedic Trauma Outcomes Registry. Epidemiological trends were analyzed as a general cohort, with comparison cohorts of nonsurvivors versus survivors and elderly versus nonelderly. Linear regression analysis was utilized to demonstrate trends with statistical significance. There were 965 patients with traumatic spine injuries with 2,333 spine trauma levels. The general cohort showed a trimodal age distribution, male-to-female ratio of 2:2, motor vehicle accidents as the primary spine trauma mechanism, 47.7% patients with severe polytrauma as graded using the Injury Severity Score (ISS), 17.3% with traumatic brain injury (TBI), the majority of patients with one spine injury level, 7% neurological deficit rate, 12.8% spine trauma operative rate, and 5.2% mortality rate. Variables with statistical significance trending toward mortality were the elderly, motor vehicle occupants, severe ISS, TBI, C1–2 dissociations, and American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) A, B, and C neurological grades. Variables with statistical significance trending toward the elderly were females; low falls; one spine injury level; type 2 odontoid fractures; subaxial cervical spine distraction injuries; ASIA A, B, and C neurological grades; and patients without neurological deficits. Of the general cohort, 50.3% of spine trauma survivors were discharged home, and 48.1% were discharged to rehabilitation facilities. This study provides baseline spine trauma epidemiological data. The trimodal age distribution of patients with traumatic spine injuries calls for further studies and intervention targeted

The Canadian National Retirement Risk Index: employing statistics Canada's LifePaths to measure the financial security of future Canadian seniors.

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, Bonnie-Jeanne; Moore, Kevin D; Chen, He; Brown, Robert L

2011-01-01

This article measures a Canadian National Retirement Risk Index (NRRI). Originally developed by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, the NRRI is a forward-looking measure that evaluates the proportion of working-aged individuals who are at risk of not maintaining their standard of living in retirement. The Canadian retirement income system has been very effective in reducing elderly poverty, but our results suggest that it has been much less successful in maintaining the living standards of Canadians after retirement. Since the earlier years of the new millennium, we find that approximately one-third of retiring Canadians have been unable to maintain their working-age consumption after retirement—a trend that is projected to worsen significantly for future Canadian retirees. The release of the Canadian NRRI is timely given the widespread concern that the current Canadian retirement income system is inadequate. Many proposals have recently emerged to extend and/or enhance Canadian public pensions, and the NRRI is a tool to test their merit. The methodology underlying the Canadian NRRI is uniquely sophisticated and comprehensive on account of our employment of Statistics Canada’s LifePaths, a state-of-the-art stochastic microsimulation model of the Canadian population. For instance, the Canadian NRRI is novel in that it models all of the relevant sources of consumption before and after retirement, while accounting for important features that are typically neglected in retirement adequacy studies such as family size, the variation of consumption over a person’s lifetime, and the heterogeneity among the life courses of individuals.

Factors associated with lack of awareness and uncontrolled high blood pressure among Canadian adults with hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Gee, Marianne E; Bienek, Asako; McAlister, Finlay A; Robitaille, Cynthia; Joffres, Michel; Tremblay, Mark S; Johansen, Helen; Campbell, Norm R C

2012-05-01

Approximately 17% of Canadians with high blood pressure were unaware of their condition, and of Canadians aware of having the condition, approximately 1 in 5 have uncontrolled high blood pressure despite high rates of pharmacotherapy. The objectives of the current study are to estimate the prevalence of resistant hypertension and examine factors associated with (1) lack of awareness and (2) uncontrolled hypertension despite pharmacotherapy. Using the 2007-2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey (N = 3473, aged 20-79 years) and logistic regression, we quantified relationships between characteristics and (1) presence of hypertension, (2) lack of awareness (among those with hypertension), and (3) uncontrolled high blood pressure (among those treated for hypertension). Older age, lowest income, and less than high school education were associated with presence of hypertension. Men (odds ratio [OR], 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-2.2) and adults high blood pressure (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.1-5.2) despite treatment. Elevated systolic blood pressure was the issue in over 90% of women and 80% of men with uncontrolled hypertension. Depending on the definition employed, 4.4% (95% CI, 2.4-6.4) to 7.8% (95% CI, 6.0-9.6) of the population with hypertension had resistant hypertension. Messaging or interventions encouraging screening may be helpful for all younger Canadian adults and men; programs encouraging blood pressure control may help older women. Copyright © 2012 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Opposite effects of fear conditioning and extinction on dendritic spine remodelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Cora Sau Wan; Franke, Thomas F; Gan, Wen-Biao

2012-02-19

It is generally believed that fear extinction is a form of new learning that inhibits rather than erases previously acquired fear memories. Although this view has gained much support from behavioural and electrophysiological studies, the hypothesis that extinction causes the partial erasure of fear memories remains viable. Using transcranial two-photon microscopy, we investigated how neural circuits are modified by fear learning and extinction by examining the formation and elimination of postsynaptic dendritic spines of layer-V pyramidal neurons in the mouse frontal association cortex. Here we show that fear conditioning by pairing an auditory cue with a footshock increases the rate of spine elimination. By contrast, fear extinction by repeated presentation of the same auditory cue without a footshock increases the rate of spine formation. The degrees of spine remodelling induced by fear conditioning and extinction strongly correlate with the expression and extinction of conditioned fear responses, respectively. Notably, spine elimination and formation induced by fear conditioning and extinction occur on the same dendritic branches in a cue- and location-specific manner: cue-specific extinction causes formation of dendritic spines within a distance of two micrometres from spines that were eliminated after fear conditioning. Furthermore, reconditioning preferentially induces elimination of dendritic spines that were formed after extinction. Thus, within vastly complex neuronal networks, fear conditioning, extinction and reconditioning lead to opposing changes at the level of individual synapses. These findings also suggest that fear memory traces are partially erased after extinction.

Clostridium difficile colitis in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Skovrlj, Branko; Guzman, Javier Z; Silvestre, Jason; Al Maaieh, Motasem; Qureshi, Sheeraz A

2014-09-01

Retrospective database analysis. To investigate incidence, comorbidities, and impact on health care resources of Clostridium difficile infection after lumbar spine surgery. C. difficile colitis is reportedly increasing in hospitalized patients and can have a negative impact on patient outcomes. No data exist on estimates of C. difficile infection rates and its consequences on patient outcomes and health care resources among patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was examined from 2002 to 2011. Patients were included for study based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, procedural codes for lumbar spine surgery for degenerative diagnoses. Baseline patient characteristics were determined and multivariable analyses assessed factors associated with increased incidence of C. difficile and risk of mortality. The incidence of C. difficile infection in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery is 0.11%. At baseline, patients infected with C. difficile were significantly older (65.4 yr vs. 58.9 yr, Pinfection. Small hospital size was associated with decreased odds (odds ratio [OR], 0.5; Pinfection. Uninsured (OR, 1.62; Pinfection. C. difficile increased hospital length of stay by 8 days (Pdifficile infection after lumbar spine surgery carries a 36.4-fold increase in mortality and costs approximately $10,658,646 per year to manage. These data suggest that great care should be taken to avoid C. difficile colitis in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery because it is associated with longer hospital stays, greater overall costs, and increased inpatient mortality. 3.

Performance Indicators in Spine Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

St-Pierre, Godefroy Hardy; Yang, Michael H; Bourget-Murray, Jonathan; Thomas, Ken C; Hurlbert, Robin John; Matthes, Nikolas

2018-02-15

Systematic review. To elucidate how performance indicators are currently used in spine surgery. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has given significant traction to the idea that healthcare must provide value to the patient through the introduction of hospital value-based purchasing. The key to implementing this new paradigm is to measure this value notably through performance indicators. MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, EMBASE, and Google Scholar were searched for studies reporting the use of performance indicators specific to spine surgery. We followed the Prisma-P methodology for a systematic review for entries from January 1980 to July 2016. All full text articles were then reviewed to identify any measure of performance published within the article. This measure was then examined as per the three criteria of established standard, exclusion/risk adjustment, and benchmarking to determine if it constituted a performance indicator. The initial search yielded 85 results among which two relevant studies were identified. The extended search gave a total of 865 citations across databases among which 15 new articles were identified. The grey literature search provided five additional reports which in turn led to six additional articles. A total of 27 full text articles and reports were retrieved and reviewed. We were unable to identify performance indicators. The articles presenting a measure of performance were organized based on how many criteria they lacked. We further examined the next steps to be taken to craft the first performance indicator in spine surgery. The science of performance measurement applied to spine surgery is still in its infancy. Current outcome metrics used in clinical settings require refinement to become performance indicators. Current registry work is providing the necessary foundation, but requires benchmarking to truly measure performance. 1.

The impact of incident fractures on health-related quality of life: 5 years of data from the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Papaioannou, A; Kennedy, C C; Ioannidis, G; Sawka, A; Hopman, W M; Pickard, L; Brown, J P; Josse, R G; Kaiser, S; Anastassiades, T; Goltzman, D; Papadimitropoulos, M; Tenenhouse, A; Prior, J C; Olszynski, W P; Adachi, J D

2009-05-01

Using prospective data from the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos), we compared health utilities index (HUI) scores after 5 years of follow-up among participants (50 years and older) with and without incident clinical fractures. Incident fractures had a negative impact on HUI scores over time. This study examined change in health-related quality of life (HRQL) in those with and without incident clinical fractures as measured by the HUI. The study cohort was 4,820 women and 1,783 men (50 years and older) from the CaMos. The HUI was administered at baseline and year 5. Participants were sub-divided into incident fracture groups (hip, rib, spine, forearm, pelvis, other) and were compared with those without these fractures. The effects of both time and fracture type on HUI scores were examined in multivariable regression analyses. Men and women with hip fractures, compared to those without, had lower HUI measures that ranged from -0.05 to -0.25. Both women and men with spine fractures had significant deficits on the pain attributes (-0.07 to -0.12). In women, self-care (-0.06), mobility and ambulation (-0.05) were also negatively impacted. Women with rib fractures had deficits similar to women with spine fractures, and these effects persisted over time. In men, rib fractures did not significantly affect HUI scores. Pelvic and forearm fractures did not substantially influence HUI scores. The HUI was a sensitive measure of HRQL change over time. These results will inform economic analyses evaluating osteoporosis therapies.

EMS Adherence to a Pre-hospital Cervical Spine Clearance Protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johnson, David

2001-10-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To determine the degree of adherence to a cervical spine (c-spine clearance protocol by pre-hospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS personnel by both self-assessment and receiving hospital assessment, to describe deviations from the protocol, and to determine if the rate of compliance by paramedic self-assessment differed from receiving hospital assessment. Methods: A retrospective sample of pre-hospital (consecutive series and receiving hospital (convenience sample assessments of the compliance with and appropriateness of c-spine immobilization. The c-spine clearance protocol was implemented for Orange County EMS just prior to the April-November 1999 data collection period. Results: We collected 396 pre-hospital and 162 receiving hospital data forms. From the pre-hospital data sheet. the percentage deviation from the protocol was 4.096 (16/396. Only one out of 16 cases that did not comply with the protocol was due to over immobilization (0.2%. The remaining 15 cases were under immobilized, according to protocol. Nine of the under immobilized cases (66% that should have been placed in c-spine precautions met physical assessment criteria in the protocol, while the other five cases met mechanism of injury criteria. The rate of deviations from protocol did not differ over time. The receiving hospital identified 8.0% (13/162; 6/16 over immobilized, 7/16 under immobilized of patients with deviations from the protocol; none was determined to have actual c-spine injury. Conclusion: The implementation of a pre-hospital c-spine clearance protocol in Orange County was associated with a moderate overall adherence rate (96% from the pre-hospital perspective, and 92% from the hospital perspective, p=.08 for the two evaluation methods. Most patients who deviated from protocol were under immobilized, but no c-spine injuries were missed. The rate of over immobilization was better than previously reported, implying a saving of resources.

Acquired pathology of the pediatric spine and spinal cord

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palasis, Susan; Hayes, Laura L.

2015-01-01

Pediatric spine pathology poses a diagnostic challenge for radiologists. Acquired spine pathology often yields nonspecific signs and symptoms in children, especially in the younger age groups, and diagnostic delay can carry significant morbidity. This review is focused on some of the more common diagnostic dilemmas we face when attempting to evaluate and diagnose acquired pediatric spine anomalies in daily practice. An understanding of some of the key differentiating features of these disease processes in conjunction with pertinent history, physical exam, and advanced imaging techniques can indicate the correct diagnosis. (orig.)

Acquired pathology of the pediatric spine and spinal cord

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palasis, Susan; Hayes, Laura L. [Children' s Healthcare of Atlanta, Department of Radiology at Scottish Rite, Atlanta, GA (United States)

2015-09-15

Pediatric spine pathology poses a diagnostic challenge for radiologists. Acquired spine pathology often yields nonspecific signs and symptoms in children, especially in the younger age groups, and diagnostic delay can carry significant morbidity. This review is focused on some of the more common diagnostic dilemmas we face when attempting to evaluate and diagnose acquired pediatric spine anomalies in daily practice. An understanding of some of the key differentiating features of these disease processes in conjunction with pertinent history, physical exam, and advanced imaging techniques can indicate the correct diagnosis. (orig.)

A field reciprocal transplant experiment reveals asymmetric costs of migration between lake and river ecotypes of three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus).

Science.gov (United States)

Kaufmann, J; Lenz, T L; Kalbe, M; Milinski, M; Eizaguirre, C

2017-05-01

Theory of local adaptation predicts that nonadapted migrants will suffer increased costs compared to local residents. Ultimately this process can result in the reduction of gene flow and culminate in speciation. Here, we experimentally investigated the relative fitness of migrants in foreign habitats, focusing on diverging lake and river ecotypes of three-spined sticklebacks. A reciprocal transplant experiment performed in the field revealed asymmetric costs of migration: whereas mortality of river fish was increased under lake conditions, lake migrants suffered from reduced growth relative to river residents. Selection against migrants thus involved different traits in each habitat but generally contributed to bidirectional reduction in gene flow. Focusing particularly on the parasitic environments, migrant fish differed from resident fish in the parasite community they harboured. This pattern correlated with both cellular phenotypes of innate immunity as well as with allelic variation at the genes of the major histocompatibility complex. In addition to showing the costs of migration in three-spined sticklebacks, this study highlights the role of asymmetric selection particularly from parasitism in genotype sorting and in the emergence of local adaptation. © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Ethnocultural Groups--The Making of Canada: Economic Contributions to Canadian Life. Report 2: Seven Successful Small Business Entrepreneurs.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutt, S.; And Others

Immigrants and refugees come to Canada for many reasons and are often risk-takers. Some ethnic groups follow identifiable patterns of distinctive economic development, while others meld and blend into Canadian society so that no discernible pattern can be identified. This publication provides an overview of the contributions made by seven…

Health practices of Canadian physicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Frank, Erica; Segura, Carolina

2009-08-01

To study the health and health practices of Canadian physicians, which can often influence patient health. Mailed survey. Canada. A random sample of 8100 Canadian physicians; 7934 were found to be eligible and 3213 responded (40.5% response rate). Factors that influence health, such as consumption of fruits and vegetables, amount of exercise and alcohol consumption, smoking status, body mass idex, and participation in preventive health screening measures, as well as work-life balance and emotional stability. Canadian physicians are healthy. More than 90% reported being in good to excellent health, and only 5% reported that poor physical or mental health made it difficult to handle their workload more than half the time in the previous month (although a quarter had reduced work activity because of long-term health conditions). Eight percent were obese, 3% currently smoked cigarettes, and 1% typically consumed 5 drinks or more on days when they drank alcohol. Physicians averaged 4.7 hours of exercise per week and ate fruits and vegetables 4.8 times a day. Their personal screening practices were largely compliant with Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care recommendations. They averaged 38 hours per week on patient care and 11 hours on other professional activities. Fifty-seven percent agreed that they had a good work-life balance, and 11% disagreed with the statement "If I can, I work when I am ill." Compared with self-reports from the general Canadian population, Canadian physicians, like American physicians, seem to be healthy and to have generally healthy behaviour. There is, however, room for improvement in physicians' personal and professional well-being, and improving their personal health practices could be an efficient and beneficent way to improve the health of all Canadians.

Swespine: the Swedish spine register : the 2012 report.

Science.gov (United States)

Strömqvist, Björn; Fritzell, Peter; Hägg, Olle; Jönsson, Bo; Sandén, Bengt

2013-04-01

Swespine, the Swedish National Spine Register, has existed for 20 years and is in general use within the country since over 10 years regarding degenerative lumbar spine disorders. Today there are protocols for registering all disorders of the entire spinal column. Patient-based pre- and postoperative questionnaires, completed before surgery and at 1, 2, 5 and 10 years postoperatively. Among patient-based data are VAS pain, ODI, SF-36 and EQ-5D. Postoperatively evaluation of leg and back pain as compared to preoperatively ("global assessment"), overall satisfaction with outcome and working conditions are registered in addition to the same parameters as preoperatively evaluation. A yearly report is produced including an analytic part of a certain topic, in this issue disc prosthesis surgery. More than 75,000 surgically treated patients are registered to date with an increasing number yearly. The present report includes 7,285 patients; 1-, 2- and 5-year follow-up data of previously operated patients are also included for lumbar disorders as well as for disc prosthesis surgery. For the degenerative lumbar spine disorders (disc herniation, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis and DDD) significant improvements are seen in all aspects as exemplified by pronounced improvement regarding EQ-5D and ODI. Results seem to be stable over time. Spinal stenosis is the most common indication for spine surgery. Disc prosthesis surgery yields results on a par with fusion surgery in disc degenerative pain. The utility of spine surgery is well documented by the results. Results of spine surgery as documented on a national basis can be utilized for quality assurance and quality improvement as well as for research purposes, documenting changes over time and bench marking when introducing new surgical techniques. A basis for international comparisons is also laid.

Recurrent spine surgery patients in hospital administrative database

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Sami Walid

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Hospital patient databases are typically used by administrative staff to estimate loss-profit ratios and to help with the allocation of hospital resources. These databases can also be very useful in following rehospitalization. This paper studies the recurrence of spine surgery patients in our hospital population based on administrative data analysis. Methods: Hospital data on 4,958 spine surgery patients operated between 2002 and 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. After sorting the cohort per ascending discharge date, the patient official name, consisting of first, middle and last names, was used as the variable determining duplicate cases in the SPSS statistical program, designating the first case in each group as primary. Yearly recurrence rate and change in procedure distribution were studied. In addition, hospital charges and length of stay were compared using the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test. Results: Of 4,958 spine surgery patients 364 (7.3% were categorized as duplicate cases by SPSS. The number of primary cases from which duplicate cases emerged was 327 meaning that some patients had more than two spine surgeries. Among primary patients (N=327 the percentage of excision of intervertebral disk procedures was 33.3% and decreased to 15.1% in recurrent admissions of the same patients (N=364. This decrease was compensated by an increase in lumbar fusion procedures. On the other hand, the rate of cervical fusion remained the same. The difference in hospital charges between primary and duplicate patients was $2,234 for diskectomy, $6,319 for anterior cervical fusion, $8,942 for lumbar fusion – lateral technique, and $12,525 for lumbar fusion – posterior technique. Recurrent patients also stayed longer in hospital, up to 0.9 day in lumbar fusion – posterior technique patients. Conclusion: Spine surgery is associated with an increasing possibility of additional spine surgery with rising invasiveness and cost.

49 CFR 572.75 - Lumbar spine, abdomen, and pelvis assembly and test procedure.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

...) ANTHROPOMORPHIC TEST DEVICES 6-Year-Old Child § 572.75 Lumbar spine, abdomen, and pelvis assembly and test procedure. (a) Lumbar spine, abdomen, and pelvis assembly. The lumbar spine, abdomen, and pelvis consist of... 49 Transportation 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Lumbar spine, abdomen, and pelvis assembly and...

78 FR 68906 - Agency Information Collection (Back (Thoracolumbar Spine) Conditions Disability Benefits...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-15

... (Thoracolumbar Spine) Conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire). Type of Review: New data collection... (Thoracolumbar Spine) Conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire) Under OMB Review AGENCY: Veterans Benefits... Control No. 2900- NEW (Back (Thoracolumbar Spine) Conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire)'' in any...

The Management of Unstable Cervical Spine Injuries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Venu M. Nemani

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Injuries to the cervical spine can cause potentially devastating morbidity and even mortality. In this review we discuss the anatomy and biomechanics of the cervical spine. The evaluation and treatment of cervical spine injuries begins with the prompt immobilization of suspected injuries in the field. Once an assessment of the patient's neurological status is made, imaging studies are obtained, which can include X-rays, CT, and MRI. Careful scrutiny of the imaging studies for bony and/or ligamentous injury allows the physician to determine the mechanism of injury, which guides treatment. The ultimate treatment plan can consist of non-operative or operative management, and depends on patient specific factors (medical condition and neurological status, the mechanism of injury, and the resultant degree of instability. With prompt diagnosis and appropriate management, the morbidity of these injuries can be minimized.

Canadian gas supply : an update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rochefort, T.

1998-01-01

An overview of the daily production from the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) from 1986 to 1997 was presented. This presentation also outlined Canadian production trends, Canadian reserves and resources, and supply challenges. Ultimate conventional marketable gas from the WCSB, the Scotian Shelf, the Beaufort Sea and Canada's Arctic region was estimated at 591 TCF. Issues regarding supply and demand of natural gas such as the impact of electricity restructuring on pricing, generation fuel mix, the capacity of the U.S. market to absorb Canadian heavy oil production, and the influence of the rate of technological advances on supply and demand were outlined. The overall conclusion confirmed the health and competitiveness of the Canadian upstream sector and expressed confidence that the WCSB can support rising levels of production to meet the expected continued market growth. tabs., figs

Simulation of the Lumbar Spine as a Multi-Module Paralel Manipulator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Ceccarelli

2011-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper a simulation of movements of lumbar spine is proposed by using a model with serially connected parallel manipulators. An analysis has been computed for the human spine structure and its movements, in order to simulate the motions and forces that actuate a spine specifically in the lumbar segment. A mechanical model has been designed with available identified parameters of human spine, by using characteristics of parallel manipulators and spring stiffness. This model is suitable to properly simulate the trunk behavior at macroscopic level but also the smooth behavior of intervertebral discs and actuating motions of muscles and tendons. Simulation results for spring actions and joints reaction forces can give an evaluation of the forces that intervertebral discs supports during motions of a real spine.

Dendritic Spines in Depression: What We Learned from Animal Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui Qiao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Depression, a severe psychiatric disorder, has been studied for decades, but the underlying mechanisms still remain largely unknown. Depression is closely associated with alterations in dendritic spine morphology and spine density. Therefore, understanding dendritic spines is vital for uncovering the mechanisms underlying depression. Several chronic stress models, including chronic restraint stress (CRS, chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS, and chronic social defeat stress (CSDS, have been used to recapitulate depression-like behaviors in rodents and study the underlying mechanisms. In comparison with CRS, CUMS overcomes the stress habituation and has been widely used to model depression-like behaviors. CSDS is one of the most frequently used models for depression, but it is limited to the study of male mice. Generally, chronic stress causes dendritic atrophy and spine loss in the neurons of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Meanwhile, neurons of the amygdala and nucleus accumbens exhibit an increase in spine density. These alterations induced by chronic stress are often accompanied by depression-like behaviors. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. This review summarizes our current understanding of the chronic stress-induced remodeling of dendritic spines in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens and also discusses the putative underlying mechanisms.

Ocean acidification impacts spine integrity but not regenerative capacity of spines and tube feet in adult sea urchins

Science.gov (United States)

Emerson, Chloe E.; Reinardy, Helena C.; Bates, Nicholas R.

2017-01-01

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has resulted in a change in seawater chemistry and lowering of pH, referred to as ocean acidification. Understanding how different organisms and processes respond to ocean acidification is vital to predict how marine ecosystems will be altered under future scenarios of continued environmental change. Regenerative processes involving biomineralization in marine calcifiers such as sea urchins are predicted to be especially vulnerable. In this study, the effect of ocean acidification on regeneration of external appendages (spines and tube feet) was investigated in the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus exposed to ambient (546 µatm), intermediate (1027 µatm) and high (1841 µatm) partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) for eight weeks. The rate of regeneration was maintained in spines and tube feet throughout two periods of amputation and regrowth under conditions of elevated pCO2. Increased expression of several biomineralization-related genes indicated molecular compensatory mechanisms; however, the structural integrity of both regenerating and homeostatic spines was compromised in high pCO2 conditions. Indicators of physiological fitness (righting response, growth rate, coelomocyte concentration and composition) were not affected by increasing pCO2, but compromised spine integrity is likely to have negative consequences for defence capabilities and therefore survival of these ecologically and economically important organisms. PMID:28573022

Ocean acidification impacts spine integrity but not regenerative capacity of spines and tube feet in adult sea urchins.

Science.gov (United States)

Emerson, Chloe E; Reinardy, Helena C; Bates, Nicholas R; Bodnar, Andrea G

2017-05-01

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) has resulted in a change in seawater chemistry and lowering of pH, referred to as ocean acidification. Understanding how different organisms and processes respond to ocean acidification is vital to predict how marine ecosystems will be altered under future scenarios of continued environmental change. Regenerative processes involving biomineralization in marine calcifiers such as sea urchins are predicted to be especially vulnerable. In this study, the effect of ocean acidification on regeneration of external appendages (spines and tube feet) was investigated in the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus exposed to ambient (546 µatm), intermediate (1027 µatm) and high (1841 µatm) partial pressure of CO 2 ( p CO 2 ) for eight weeks. The rate of regeneration was maintained in spines and tube feet throughout two periods of amputation and regrowth under conditions of elevated p CO 2 . Increased expression of several biomineralization-related genes indicated molecular compensatory mechanisms; however, the structural integrity of both regenerating and homeostatic spines was compromised in high p CO 2 conditions. Indicators of physiological fitness (righting response, growth rate, coelomocyte concentration and composition) were not affected by increasing p CO 2 , but compromised spine integrity is likely to have negative consequences for defence capabilities and therefore survival of these ecologically and economically important organisms.

Gorham-Stout syndrome of the spine. Case report and review of literature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Floerchinger, A.; Boettger, E.; Claass-Boettger, F.; Harmes, J.

1998-01-01

Two female patients with Gorham-Stout syndrome (GSS) of the spine are described. One 25 year old patient developed progressive osteolysis of the upper cervical spine over a period of several years but despite gross extent of the disease had no neurological complications. Some bone implanted in order to stabilise the spine was absorbed after only a few weeks. A six year old girl with progressive osteolysis of the thoracic spine developed a reversible trans-section syndrome on several occasions. During an active episode, the spine was stabilised by a titanium implant. In both patients the condition arrested spontaneously. A review of the world literature (175 cases) has indicated that, including our two patients, there were only 15 patients with primary involvement of the spine and 27 patients with secondary involvement. The relatively good prognosis of the condition (mortality 13.3%), which often shows spontaneous arrest, becomes much worse if there is involvement of the spine or thorax because of neurological complications or a chylothorax. Involvement of the spine increases mortality to 33.3%, and to 52% if the thorax is involved. Early diagnosis and the institution of appropriate treatment is therefore essential. For involvement of the spine, a combination of radiotherapy and surgical stabilisation with a titanium implant should be performed since in nearly all patients bone transplants are reabsorbed. For this treatment the patient should be transferred to a neuro-orthopaedic centre. (orig.) [de

Cartilaginous avulsion fracture of the tibial spine in a 5-year-old girl

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jung Ryul; Song, Ji Hun; Lee, Ju Hong; Lee, Sang Yong; Yoo, Wan Hee

2008-01-01

Fractures of the tibial spine usually occur in children aged 8 to 14 years. Usually, radiographs will demonstrate a tibial spine fracture, with the degree of displacement. Tibial spine fractures in younger children have not been reported in the previously published literature. We report a tibial spine fracture that occurred in 5-year-old girl. The cartilaginous avulsion fracture of the tibial spine was not revealed by radiographs because it was limited to the cartilaginous portion of the proximal tibia. (orig.)

Hypoglossal Nerve Palsy After Cervical Spine Surgery

OpenAIRE

Ames, Christopher P.; Clark, Aaron J.; Kanter, Adam S.; Arnold, Paul M.; Fehlings, Michael G.; Mroz, Thomas E.; Riew, K. Daniel

2017-01-01

Study Design: Multi-institutional retrospective study. Objective: The goal of the current study is to quantify the incidence of 2 extremely rare complications of cervical spine surgery; hypoglossal and glossopharyngeal nerve palsies. Methods: A total of 8887 patients who underwent cervical spine surgery from 2005 to 2011 were included in the study from 21 institutions. Results: No glossopharyngeal nerve injuries were reported. One hypoglossal nerve injury was reported after a C3-7 laminectomy...

Sports-related injuries of the spine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hochmuth, K.; Mack, M.G.; Vogl, T.J.; Kurth, A.A.; Zichner, L.

2002-01-01

Different sports show different patterns and frequencies of injuries, which are discussed in this paper. About 3% of all sports accidents relate to the spine. These injuries often have far-reaching consequences for the patients. A very early and extensive diagnosis of all changes is decisive for the start of an adequate therapy and thus for the prognosis of the injury. Radiological diagnosis is also of decisive importance for the documentation of late injuries and in the question of rehabilitation. Here special focus is put on MRT and CT diagnostics.A healthy spine of humans is normally able to resist all static and dynamic strains of the usual sports. However, anomalies and dysfunctions of the spine can reduce its capacity to resist strain. The recommendations of sporting activities are given according to the extent of deflection and the expected growth. The importance of radiology in primary diagnosis and in the follow-up due to typical changes like scoliosis, Morbus Scheuerman, spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis is discussed here as well. (orig.) [de

Age-Based Comparison of Human Dendritic Spine Structure Using Complete Three-Dimensional Reconstructions

Science.gov (United States)

Benavides-Piccione, Ruth; Fernaud-Espinosa, Isabel; Robles, Victor; Yuste, Rafael; DeFelipe, Javier

2013-01-01

Dendritic spines of pyramidal neurons are targets of most excitatory synapses in the cerebral cortex. Recent evidence suggests that the morphology of the dendritic spine could determine its synaptic strength and learning rules. However, unfortunately, there are scant data available regarding the detailed morphology of these structures for the human cerebral cortex. In the present study, we analyzed over 8900 individual dendritic spines that were completely 3D reconstructed along the length of apical and basal dendrites of layer III pyramidal neurons in the cingulate cortex of 2 male humans (aged 40 and 85 years old), using intracellular injections of Lucifer Yellow in fixed tissue. We assembled a large, quantitative database, which revealed a major reduction in spine densities in the aged case. Specifically, small and short spines of basal dendrites and long spines of apical dendrites were lost, regardless of the distance from the soma. Given the age difference between the cases, our results suggest selective alterations in spines with aging in humans and indicate that the spine volume and length are regulated by different biological mechanisms. PMID:22710613

Value of prehospital assessment of spine fracture by paramedics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ten Brinke, J. G.; Gebbink, W. K.; Pallada, L.; Saltzherr, T. P.; Hogervorst, M.; Goslings, J. C.

2017-01-01

Current guidelines state that trauma patients at risk of spine injury should undergo prehospital spine immobilization to reduce the risk of neurological deterioration. Although this approach has been accepted and implemented as a standard for decades, there is little scientific evidence to support

Market potential for Canadian crude oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heath, M.; Fisher, L.; Golosinski, D.; Luthin, A.; Gill, L.; Raggett, C.

1997-01-01

Future key markets for Canadian crude were evaluated, and probable flow volumes and prices were identified. Key concerns of market participants such as pricing, alternative crude sources, pipeline tariffs and crude quality, were examined. An overview of the competition faced by Canadian crude supply in global markets was presented. World crude oil supply and demand was discussed. US and Canadian crude oil supply (2000 to 2010), refinery demand for light and heavy crudes, existing future crude oil and refined product pipeline infrastructure, and pricing implications of changing crude oil flows were analyzed. The general conclusion was that the US market will continue to provide growing markets for Canadian crude oil, and that the Canadian supply to fulfill increased export requirements will be available due to the combined effects of increasing heavy crude supply, growing production from the east coast offshore, and recent and ongoing pipeline expansions and additions. 20 refs., 64 tabs., 42 figs

Canadian hydrogen safety program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacIntyre, I.; Tchouvelev, A.V.; Hay, D.R.; Wong, J.; Grant, J.; Benard, P.

2007-01-01

The Canadian hydrogen safety program (CHSP) is a project initiative of the Codes and Standards Working Group of the Canadian transportation fuel cell alliance (CTFCA) that represents industry, academia, government, and regulators. The Program rationale, structure and contents contribute to acceptance of the products, services and systems of the Canadian Hydrogen Industry into the Canadian hydrogen stakeholder community. It facilitates trade through fair insurance policies and rates, effective and efficient regulatory approval procedures and accommodation of the interests of the general public. The Program integrates a consistent quantitative risk assessment methodology with experimental (destructive and non-destructive) failure rates and consequence-of-release data for key hydrogen components and systems into risk assessment of commercial application scenarios. Its current and past six projects include Intelligent Virtual Hydrogen Filling Station (IVHFS), Hydrogen clearance distances, comparative quantitative risk comparison of hydrogen and compressed natural gas (CNG) refuelling options; computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling validation, calibration and enhancement; enhancement of frequency and probability analysis, and Consequence analysis of key component failures of hydrogen systems; and fuel cell oxidant outlet hydrogen sensor project. The Program projects are tightly linked with the content of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Task 19 Hydrogen Safety. (author)

The amazing vanishing Canadian dermatologist: results from the 2006 Canadian Dermatology Association member survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Chow, Eunice Y; Searles, Gordon E

2010-01-01

The 2006 Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA) member survey tracked the Canadian dermatology workforce. Information on use of nondermatologist extenders, impact of financial burden on practice style, and wait times was collected in the survey. To survey Canadian dermatologists for specialty-specific physician resource information including demographics, workload, and future career plans and compare it to results from the 2001 survey. In addition, to explore three other areas not covered in the previous survey: patient access to dermatologic care through wait times, the use of nondermatologist extenders, and potential impact of educational financial debt on practice styles. CDA members in 2006 were surveyed by mail. Follow-up mailings were done for nonresponders. Survey results were compared to those of the 2001 survey. Thirty-six percent (216 of 602) of Canadian dermatologists responded (70% in 2001). The national distribution was identical between surveys. The median age increased to 55 years; two-thirds of dermatologists are male. The median retirement age remained at 65 years. There was a shift from rural to urban practice locations; 78% practice in private offices. Three-fifths of dermatologists do mainly medical dermatology, a decrease between surveys. Pediatric dermatology decreased 10%, whereas surgical dermatology increased 52% between surveys. Fewer practitioners perform noninsured services, and half as many perform research or hospital consultations or teach medical students. Financial debt burden had no impact on selection of practice style. Median wait times for nonurgent consultations doubled from 5 to 10 weeks; follow-up visits increased from 4 to 5 weeks; noninsured consultations increased from 4 to 5 weeks. The national median wait time for a third available consultation appointment was 42 days (range 7-161 days). Seventeen percent of dermatologists reported using nondermatologist extenders. Training programs produce only 60% of new practitioners

Audit of blood transfusion practice during anaesthesia for spine ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Blood loss during spine surgery is often considerable, necessitating blood transfusion. The elective nature and other peculiarities of most spine surgeries, however, make them amenable to several blood conservation techniques, such that reduction in allogeneic blood transfusion is considered high priority in ...

Static flexural properties of hedgehog spines conditioned in coupled temperature and relative humidity environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Emily B; Hsiung, Bor-Kai; Swift, Nathan B; Tan, Kwek-Tze

2017-11-01

Hedgehogs are agile climbers, scaling trees and plants to heights exceeding 10m while foraging insects. Hedgehog spines (a.k.a. quills) provide fall protection by absorbing shock and could offer insights for the design of lightweight, material-efficient, impact-resistant structures. There has been some study of flexural properties of hedgehog spines, but an understanding of how this keratinous biological material is affected by various temperature and relative humidity treatments, or how spine color (multicolored vs. white) affects mechanics, is lacking. To bridge this gap in the literature, we use three-point bending to analyze the effect of temperature, humidity, spine color, and their interactions on flexural strength and modulus of hedgehog spines. We also compare specific strength and stiffness of hedgehog spines to conventional engineered materials. We find hedgehog spine flexural properties can be finely tuned by modifying environmental conditioning parameters. White spines tend to be stronger and stiffer than multicolored spines. Finally, for most temperature and humidity conditioning parameters, hedgehog spines are ounce for ounce stronger than 201 stainless steel rods of the same diameter but as pliable as styrene rods with a slightly larger diameter. This unique combination of strength and elasticity makes hedgehog spines exemplary shock absorbers, and a suitable reference model for biomimicry. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Incidental findings on MRI of the spine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kamath, S.; Jain, N.; Goyal, N.; Mansour, R. [Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff (United Kingdom); Mukherjee, K. [Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff (United Kingdom)], E-mail: kausikmukherjee@doctors.org.uk

2009-04-15

MRI is widely used as the imaging of choice for spinal disorders and may reveal either a clinically insignificant incidental abnormality or a significant lesion, unrelated to the spine, which may explain the patient's symptoms. This article attempts to establish the importance of such findings and describes a sensible approach to the reporting of MRI examinations of the spine with special attention to the incidental findings commonly encountered. The MRI characteristics of such findings are briefly described.

Osteoid Osteoma of Cervical Spine in two adjacent Vertebrae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MR Etemadifar

2005-09-01

Full Text Available Osteoid osteoma is a benign bone tumor, mainly seen in 10-30 years male. Spine is a relatively common site and almost always, posterior elements are involved. Plain X-Ray-, CT scan and Isotope scan help to identify and localize spine lesions. We described one 18 years old boy with 3 years low neck pain. Isotope scan, MRI and CT scan showed two lesions in C7 and T1. Gross inspection and histopathology examination confirmed osteoid osteoma in two adjacent vertebrae which has not been reported elsewhere in the literature. Key words: Osteoid Osteoma, Spine, Multifocal

Hypoglossal Nerve Palsy After Cervical Spine Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Ames, Christopher P; Clark, Aaron J; Kanter, Adam S; Arnold, Paul M; Fehlings, Michael G; Mroz, Thomas E; Riew, K Daniel

2017-04-01

Multi-institutional retrospective study. The goal of the current study is to quantify the incidence of 2 extremely rare complications of cervical spine surgery; hypoglossal and glossopharyngeal nerve palsies. A total of 8887 patients who underwent cervical spine surgery from 2005 to 2011 were included in the study from 21 institutions. No glossopharyngeal nerve injuries were reported. One hypoglossal nerve injury was reported after a C3-7 laminectomy (0.01%). This deficit resolved with conservative management. The rate by institution ranged from 0% to 1.28%. Although not directly injured by the surgical procedure, the transient nerve injury might have been related to patient positioning as has been described previously in the literature. Hypoglossal nerve injury during cervical spine surgery is an extremely rare complication. Institutional rates may vary. Care should be taken during posterior cervical surgery to avoid hyperflexion of the neck and endotracheal tube malposition.

Screening of the spine in adolescents

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aartun, Ellen; Degerfalk, Anna; Kentsdotter, Linn

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Evidence on the reliability of clinical tests used for the spinal screening of children and adolescents is currently lacking. The aim of this study was to determine the inter- and intra-rater reliability and measurement error of clinical tests commonly used when screening young spines......-segmental mobility and end range pain in the spine. Seventy-five of the 111 subjects were re-examined after one to four hours to test intra-rater reliability. Percentage agreement and Cohen's Kappa were calculated for binary variables, and interclass correlation (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots with Limits of Agreement...

Functional diagnostics of the cervical spine by using computer tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dvorak, J.; Hayek, J.; Grob, D.

1988-01-01

35 healthy adults and 137 patients after cervical spine injury were examined by functional CT. The range of axial rotation at the level occiput/atlas, atlas/axis and the segment below were measured in all subjects. A rotation occiput/atlas of more than 7 0 , and C1/C2 more than 54 0 could refer to segmental hypermobility, a rotation at the segment C1/C2 less than 29 0 to hypomobility. According to the postulated normal values based upon a 98% confidence level, out of 137 patients examined after cervical spine injury and with therapy-resistant neck pain, 45 showed signs of segmental hypermobility of the upper cervical spine, 17 showed hyper- or hypomobility at different levels, 10 patients presented segmental hypomobility at C1/C2 level alone. In all patients, according to the clinical assessment, functional pathology was suspected in the upper cervical spine. Surgical correction of rotatory instability should be considered as a possible therapeutic procedure after successful diagnostic stabilisation of the cervical spine by minerva cast. (orig.)

Functional diagnostics of the cervical spine by using computer tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dvorak, J; Hayek, J; Grob, D; Penning, L; Panjabi, M M; Zehnder, R

1988-04-01

35 healthy adults and 137 patients after cervical spine injury were examined by functional CT. The range of axial rotation at the level occiput/atlas, atlas/axis and the segment below were measured in all subjects. A rotation occiput/atlas of more than 7/sup 0/, and C1/C2 more than 54/sup 0/ could refer to segmental hypermobility, a rotation at the segment C1/C2 less than 29/sup 0/ to hypomobility. According to the postulated normal values based upon a 98% confidence level, out of 137 patients examined after cervical spine injury and with therapy-resistant neck pain, 45 showed signs of segmental hypermobility of the upper cervical spine, 17 showed hyper- or hypomobility at different levels, 10 patients presented segmental hypomobility at C1/C2 level alone. In all patients, according to the clinical assessment, functional pathology was suspected in the upper cervical spine. Surgical correction of rotatory instability should be considered as a possible therapeutic procedure after successful diagnostic stabilisation of the cervical spine by minerva cast.

Biomimetic "Cactus Spine" with Hierarchical Groove Structure for Efficient Fog Collection.

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Fan; Wu, Juntao; Gong, Guangming; Guo, Lin

2015-07-01

A biomimetic "cactus spine" with hierarchical groove structure is designed and fabricated using simple electrospinning. This novel artificial cactus spine possesses excellent fog collection and water transportation ability. A model cactus equipped with artificial spines also shows a great water storage capacity. The results can be helpful in the development of water collectors and may make a contribution to the world water crisis.

Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF). The Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFS-RF) is a collaborative program of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and IDRC valued at CA $61 654 707 (CIDA: CA $50 000 000; IDRC: CA $11 654 707). The program ...

Analysis of cervical spine function in healthy persons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weh, L.; Roettker, H.

1990-01-01

Radiograms were taken of subjects with no symptoms of cervical spine problems; the cervical spine was evaluated in the spontaneous posture and at maximal flexion and extension. The position and movement of the vertebra, intervertebral height and gliding were calculated. The results showed that (1) lordosis in women occurred less pronouncedly than in men, and that there was an increase with age; (2) C 2-3 was the least flexible segment and mobility increased in the caudal direction; mobility decreased with age and the segments of the lower cervical spine with the highest mobility decreased the most; (3) all posterior and ventral intervertebral heights showed a decrease with age at C 5-6 and C 6-7; (4) vertebral gliding decreased with age. (orig.) [de

CREB Regulates Experience-Dependent Spine Formation and Enlargement in Mouse Barrel Cortex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annabella Pignataro

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Experience modifies synaptic connectivity through processes that involve dendritic spine rearrangements in neuronal circuits. Although cAMP response element binding protein (CREB has a key function in spines changes, its role in activity-dependent rearrangements in brain regions of rodents interacting with the surrounding environment has received little attention so far. Here we studied the effects of vibrissae trimming, a widely used model of sensory deprivation-induced cortical plasticity, on processes associated with dendritic spine rearrangements in the barrel cortex of a transgenic mouse model of CREB downregulation (mCREB mice. We found that sensory deprivation through prolonged whisker trimming leads to an increased number of thin spines in the layer V of related barrel cortex (Contra in wild type but not mCREB mice. In the barrel field controlling spared whiskers (Ipsi, the same trimming protocol results in a CREB-dependent enlargement of dendritic spines. Last, we demonstrated that CREB regulates structural rearrangements of synapses that associate with dynamic changes of dendritic spines. Our findings suggest that CREB plays a key role in dendritic spine dynamics and synaptic circuits rearrangements that account for new brain connectivity in response to changes in the environment.

Dynamic impact testing of hedgehog spines using a dual-arm crash pendulum.

Science.gov (United States)

Swift, Nathan B; Hsiung, Bor-Kai; Kennedy, Emily B; Tan, Kwek-Tze

2016-08-01

Hedgehog spines are a potential model for impact resistant structures and material. While previous studies have examined static mechanical properties of individual spines, actual collision tests on spines analogous to those observed in the wild have not previously been investigated. In this study, samples of roughly 130 keratin spines were mounted vertically in thin substrates to mimic the natural spine layout on hedgehogs. A weighted crash pendulum was employed to induce and measure the effects of repeated collisions against samples, with the aim to evaluate the influence of various parameters including humidity effect, impact energy, and substrate hardness. Results reveal that softer samples-due to humidity conditioning and/or substrate material used-exhibit greater durability over multiple impacts, while the more rigid samples exhibit greater energy absorption performance at the expense of durability. This trend is exaggerated during high-energy collisions. Comparison of the results to baseline tests with industry standard impact absorbing foam, wherein the spines exhibit similar energy absorption, verifies the dynamic impact absorption capabilities of hedgehog spines and their candidacy as a structural model for engineered impact technology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

What is the role of autologous blood transfusion in major spine surgery?

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Naresh; Chen, Yongsheng; Nath, Chinmoy; Liu, Eugene Hern Choon

2012-06-01

Major spine surgery is associated with significant blood loss, which has numerous complications. Blood loss is therefore an important concern when undertaking any major spine surgery. Blood loss can be addressed by reducing intraoperative blood loss and replenishing perioperative blood loss. Reducing intraoperative blood loss helps maintain hemodynamic equilibrium and provides a clearer operative field during surgery. Homologous blood transfusion is still the mainstay for replenishing blood loss in major spine surgery across the world, despite its known adverse effects. These significant adverse effects can be seen in up to 20% of patients. Autologous blood transfusion avoids the risks associated with homologous blood transfusion and has been shown to be cost-effective. This article reviews the different methods of autologous transfusion and focuses on the use of intraoperative cell salvage in major spine surgery. Autologous blood transfusion is a proven alternative to homologous transfusion in major spine surgery, avoiding most, if not all of these adverse effects. However, autologous blood transfusion rates in major spine surgery remain low across the world. Autologous blood transfusion may obviate the need for homologous transfusion completely. We encourage spine surgeons to consider autologous blood transfusion wherever feasible.

The influence of spine surgeons' experience on the classification and intraobserver reliability of the novel AOSpine thoracolumbar spine injury classification system : an international study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sadiqi, Said; Oner, F. Cumhur; Dvorak, Marcel F.; Aarabi, Bizhan; Schroeder, Gregory D.; Vaccaro, Alexander R.

2015-01-01

Study Design. International validation study. Objective. To investigate the influence of the spine surgeons' level of experience on the intraobserver reliability of the novel AOSpine Thoracolumbar Spine Injury Classification system, and the appropriate classification according to this system.

Evaluation of spine boards for X-ray diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linsenmaier, U.; Kroetz, M.; Papst, E.; Rieger, J.; Pfeifer, K.J.; Kranz, K.G.; Russ, W.; Mutscher, W.

2001-01-01

Purpose: Spine boards are frequently used in preclinical emergency care. Different models were examined with regard to their feasibility for plain film radiography and computed tomography (CT). Methods: Five current spine board models were measured for their dimensions and weight. Transmission of radiation [μGyls] and dose area product [cGy x cm 2 ] were determined with a patient equivalent aluminium phantom. Image artifacts, image quality and resolution of anatomic details were evaluated with an anthropomorphic Alderson phantom. Results: With only 6.3 kg new models show a 28% reduction in weight, three spine boards generate lateral artifacts due to a narrow width of 41 - 42 cm. Radiation transmission of all boards was similar, however dose area products differed by up to 59%. Image quality was impaired in 4 out 5 boards because of image artifacts, CT scanning was not impaired with all boards. Conclusion: Only one board (Ferno Millenia trademark ) showed sufficient properties for plain film radiography and CT. There is no suitable spine board for preclinical and clinical applications as well as for trauma radiology, further improvements of current designs are essential. (orig.) [de

A musculoskeletal lumbar and thoracic model for calculation of joint kinetics in the spine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Yong Cheol; Ta, Duc manh; Koo, Seung Bum; Jung Moon Ki

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop a musculoskeletal spine model that allows relative movements in the thoracic spine for calculation of intra-discal forces in the lumbar and thoracic spine. The thoracic part of the spine model was composed of vertebrae and ribs connected with mechanical joints similar to anatomical joints. Three different muscle groups around the thoracic spine were inserted, along with eight muscle groups around the lumbar spine in the original model from AnyBody. The model was tested using joint kinematics data obtained from two normal subjects during spine flexion and extension, axial rotation and lateral bending motions beginning from a standing posture. Intra-discal forces between spine segments were calculated in a musculoskeletal simulation. The force at the L4-L5 joint was chosen to validate the model's prediction against the lumbar model in the original AnyBody model, which was previously validated against clinical data.

A musculoskeletal lumbar and thoracic model for calculation of joint kinetics in the spine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Yong Cheol; Ta, Duc manh; Koo, Seung Bum [Chung-Ang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jung Moon Ki [AnyBody Technology A/S, Aalborg (Denmark)

2016-06-15

The objective of this study was to develop a musculoskeletal spine model that allows relative movements in the thoracic spine for calculation of intra-discal forces in the lumbar and thoracic spine. The thoracic part of the spine model was composed of vertebrae and ribs connected with mechanical joints similar to anatomical joints. Three different muscle groups around the thoracic spine were inserted, along with eight muscle groups around the lumbar spine in the original model from AnyBody. The model was tested using joint kinematics data obtained from two normal subjects during spine flexion and extension, axial rotation and lateral bending motions beginning from a standing posture. Intra-discal forces between spine segments were calculated in a musculoskeletal simulation. The force at the L4-L5 joint was chosen to validate the model's prediction against the lumbar model in the original AnyBody model, which was previously validated against clinical data.

Three-dimensional CT of the pediatric spine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Starshak, R.J.; Crawford, C.R.; Waisman, R.C.; Sty, J.R.

1987-01-01

CT of the spine has been shown to be useful in evaluating congenital, neoplastic, inflammatory, and traumatic lesions. Any portion of the neural arch may be involved by these disease processes. The complex nature of the spinal column can make evaluation of these abnormalities difficult on axial CT. This is especially true if the spine is distorted by scoliosis, kyphosis, or lordosis. This exhibit illustrates the advantages and drawbacks of three-dimensional CT reconstructed images of spinal abnormalities in children

Cost of allogeneic and autologous blood transfusion in Canada. Canadian Cost of Transfusion Study Group.

OpenAIRE

Tretiak, R; Laupacis, A; Rivière, M; McKerracher, K; Souêtre, E

1996-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To determine the cost, from a societal perspective, of blood transfusion in Canada. STUDY DESIGN: Cost-structure analysis. SETTING: Data were collected from eight hospitals and from six blood centres operated by the Canadian Red Cross Society in four provinces. OUTCOME MEASURES: Costs associated with four stages of transfusion-- collection, production, distribution and delivery--in 1933 were assessed. Costs were divided into the following categories; personnel, purchases, external ...

78 FR 65451 - Agency Information Collection (Neck (Cervical Spine) Conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-31

... (Cervical Spine) Conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire) Activity Under OMB Review AGENCY: Veterans... Control No. 2900-- NEW (Neck (Cervical Spine) Conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire)'' in any...) Conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire).'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: (Neck (Cervical Spine...

History of cervical spine surgery: from nihilism to advanced reconstructive surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Dweik, A; Van den Brande, E; Kossmann, T; Maas, A I R

2013-11-01

Review of literature. To review and analyze the evolution of cervical spine surgery from ancient times to current practice. The aim is to present an accessible overview, primarily intended for a broad readership. Descriptive literature review and analysis of the development of cervical spine surgery from the prehistoric era until today. The first evidence for surgical treatment of spinal disorders dates back to approximately 1500 BC. Conservative approaches to treatment have been the hallmark for thousands of years, but over the past 50 years progress has been rapid. We illustrate how nations have added elements to this complex subject and how knowledge has surpassed borders and language barriers. Transferral of knowledge occurred from Babylon (Bagdad) to Old Egypt, to the Greek and Roman empires and finally via the Middle East (Bagdad and Damascus) back to Europe. Recent advances in the field of anesthesia, imaging and spinal instrumentation have changed long-standing nihilism in the treatment of cervical spine pathologies to the current practice of advanced reconstructive surgery of the cervical spine. A critical approach to the evaluation of benefits and complications of these advanced surgical techniques for treatment of cervical spine disorders is required. Advances in surgery now permit full mechanical reconstruction of the cervical spine. However, despite substantial experimental progress, spinal cord repair and restoration of lost functions remain a challenge. Modern surgeons are still looking for the best way to manage spine disorders.

Development of a Canadian deceased donation education program for health professionals: a needs assessment survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Hancock, Jennifer; Shemie, Sam D; Lotherington, Ken; Appleby, Amber; Hall, Richard

2017-10-01

The purpose of this survey was to determine how Canadian healthcare professionals perceive their deficiencies and educational requirements related to organ and tissue donation. We surveyed 641 intensive care unit (ICU) physicians, 1,349 ICU nurses, 1,561 emergency room (ER) physicians, and 1,873 ER nurses. The survey was distributed by the national organization for each profession (the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses, and the National Emergency Nurses Association). Canadian Blood Services developed the critical care physician list in collaboration with the Canadian Critical Care Society. Survey development included questions related to comfort with, and knowledge of, key competencies in organ and tissue donation. Eight hundred thirty-one (15.3%) of a possible 5,424 respondents participated in the survey. Over 50% of respondents rated the following topics as highly important: knowledge of general organ and tissue donation, neurological determination of death, donation after cardiac death, and medical-legal donation issues. High competency comfort levels ranged from 14.7-50.9% for ICU nurses and 8.0-34.6% for ER nurses. Competency comfort levels were higher for ICU physicians (67.5-85.6%) than for ER physicians who rated all competencies lower. Respondents identified a need for a curriculum on national organ donation and preferred e-learning as the method of education. Both ICU nurses and ER practitioners expressed low comfort levels with their competencies regarding organ donation. Intensive care unit physicians had a much higher level of comfort; however, the majority of these respondents were specialty trained and working in academic centres with active donation and transplant programs. A national organ donation curriculum is needed.

2007 Canadian vehicle survey : summary report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcha, A.; Norup, S.; Kormylo, A.

2009-09-15

The Canadian vehicle survey is a quarterly survey of vehicle transportation activities in Canada that began in 1999. This report presented the results of the Canadian vehicle survey for 2007. The purpose of the survey is to encourage Canadians to make energy-efficient choices regarding their driving habits. The study shed light on Canadian fuel consumption behaviour, modes of transportation and consumer trends. This report examined the composition of Canada's vehicle fleet, the main characteristics of this fleet, and the patterns of vehicle use. Some behavioural characteristics of Canadian drivers were also discussed. Specific topics that were presented included Canada's on-road vehicle fleet; geographic analysis; light vehicles; heavy vehicles such as medium and heavy trucks; and trip analysis such as road types used by vehicles, rush hour and fuel consumption, and driver's age and gender. It was concluded that vehicles in Canada consumed 31 billion litres of gasoline and 11 billion litres of diesel. In addition, fuel efficiency for heavy trucks increased 21 percent between 2000 and 2007. 15 tabs., 39 figs., 4 appendices.

Cobb Angle Changes in Thoracic and Lumbar Spine Fractures ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The annual incidence of spinal column fracture is 350 per million populations. with Motor vehicular accident being the major single cause of spine injuries. The victims are predominantly young and male. The aim of this study to evaluate the clinical outcome of conservative treatment of closed thoracic and lumbar spine ...

Political Socialization Research and Canadian Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Tomkins, George S.

1977-01-01

Presents a review of the burgeoning field of Canadian political socialization research as it applies to children and youth, and considers some implications of recent findings for the Canadian studies curriculum. (Editor)

Spinal CT scan, 2. Lumbar and sacral spines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakagawa, Hiroshi (Aichi Medical Univ., Aichi (Japan))

1982-08-01

Plain CT described fairly accurately the anatomy and lesions of the lumbar and sacral spines on their transverse sections. Since hernia of the intervertebral disc could be directly diagnosed by CT, indications of myelography could be restricted. Spinal-canal stenosis of the lumbar spine occurs because of various factors, and CT not only demonstrated the accurate size and morphology of bony canals, but also elucidated thickening of the joints and yellow ligament. CT was also useful for the diagnosis of tumors in the lumbar and sacral spines, visualizing the images of bone changes and soft tissues on the trasverse sections. But the diagnosis of intradural tumors required myelography and metrizamide CT. CT has become important for the diagnosis of spinal and spinal-cord diseases and for selection of the route of surgical arrival.

Canadian gas resource

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1989-01-01

Canadian exports of gas to the United States are a critical component of EMF-9 (North American Gas Supplies). However, it has been noted that there are differences between US expectations for imports and Canadian forecasts of export supply capacity. Recent studies by the National Petroleum Council (NPC) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) indicate that 1.8 to 2.4 Tcf of imports may be required in the mid to late 1990's; A recent study by Canada's National Energy Board (NEB) indicates that the conventional resource base may not be able to provide continued gas exports to the US after the mid 1990's and that frontier sources would need to be developed to meet US expectations. The discrepancies between US expectations and Canadian estimates of capacity are of great concern to US policymakers because they call into question the availability of secure supplies of natural gas and suggest that the cost of imports (if available) will be high. By implication, if shortages are to be averted, massive investment may be required to bring these higher cost sources to market. Since the long-term supply picture will be determined by the underlying resource base, EMF-9 participants have been asked to provide estimates of critical components of the Canadian resource base. This paper provides a summary of ICF-Lewin's recent investigation of both the Conventional and Tight Gas resource in Canada's Western Sedimentary Basin, which includes both quantitative estimates and a brief sketch of the analysis methodology

Comparison study on CNR and SNR of thoracic spine lateral radiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Ki Won [Dept. of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Min, Jung Whan; Lyu, Kwang Yeul [Dept. of Radiology, Shingu University, Sungnam (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jung Min [Dept. of Radiological Science, College of Health Science, Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Hei Woun [Dept. of Radiological Science, Beakseok Culture University, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Joo Ah [Dept. of Oncology, Catholic University of Korea Incheon St.Mary,s Hospital, Incheon (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Jae Hong [Dept. of Oncology, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon (Korea, Republic of); Sung, Dong Chan [Dept. of Radiology, Dong Guk University Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Soon Cheol [Dept. of Radiology, Kang Dong Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2013-12-15

This study was proven for the T-spine breathing technique in lateral projection, using computer radiography (CR), charge coupled device (CCD), indirect digital radiography (IDR) and direct digital radiography (DDR). All images were evaluated and compared with CNR and SNR measured with the mean pixels and the standard deviation as setting ROI of spinous process, pedicle, vertebral body, intervertebral foramen and intervertebral disk using Image J. In experiment results of 4 type detectors, T-spine breathing technique was indicated as excellent in ROI of spinous process, pedicle, vertebral body, intervertebral foramen and intervertebral disk. As T-spine breathing technique indicated excellent images compared to the existing T-spine lateral radiography, this method would be useful for elderly patients who have difficulty in deep exhalation. This study was indicated the application possibility of T-spine breathing technique by presenting contrast to noise ratio (CNR) and signal to noise ratio (SNR) with quantitative value in 4 type detectors.

Multidetector CT of blunt cervical spine trauma in adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Dreizin, David; Letzing, Michael; Sliker, Clint W; Chokshi, Falgun H; Bodanapally, Uttam; Mirvis, Stuart E; Quencer, Robert M; Munera, Felipe

2014-01-01

A number of new developments in cervical spine imaging have transpired since the introduction of 64-section computed tomographic (CT) scanners in 2004. An increasing body of evidence favors the use of multidetector CT as a stand-alone screening test for excluding cervical injuries in polytrauma patients with obtundation. A new grading scale that is based on CT and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings, the cervical spine Subaxial Injury Classification and Scoring (SLIC) system, is gaining acceptance among spine surgeons. Radiographic measurements described for the evaluation of craniocervical distraction injuries are now being reevaluated with the use of multidetector CT. Although most patients with blunt trauma are now treated nonsurgically, evolution in the understanding of spinal stability, as well as the development of new surgical techniques and hardware, has driven management strategies that are increasingly favorable toward surgical intervention. It is therefore essential that radiologists recognize findings that distinguish injuries with ligamentous instability or a high likelihood of nonfusion that require surgical stabilization from those that are classically stable and can be treated with a collar or halo vest alone. The purpose of this article is to review the spectrum of cervical spine injuries, from the craniocervical junction through the subaxial spine, and present the most widely used grading systems for each injury type. ©RSNA, 2014.

SENILE DEGENERATIVE CHANGES IN ADULT LUMBAR SPINE! - A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Garjesh Singh

2015-11-01

Full Text Available : BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP is a common presenting complaint affecting mostly middle aged and older person and traditionally considered as ageing process, but now-a-days large number of younger people are also affected by this debilitating chronic disorder. The cause of early onset of degenerative spine disease is multifactorial, but genetical predisposition plays very important role. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: To find out association between genetic predisposition and degenerative spine disease in adult patients and to assess the pattern of MRI findings of various degenerative diseases in lumbo-sacral spine. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The present cross-sectional study had been performed among 100 selected patients in 1yr period, who presented with chief complaint of chronic low back pain. After taking detailed clinical and professional history, MRI of lumbosacral spine had been performed. Total 100 patients were divided in two groups on the basis of genetical predisposition. Prevalence and spectrum of degenerative changes were compared between both groups. RESULTS: Hundred patients of 20 to 35-year age had been selected with mean age of 27yr. Out of 100 patients; 47 were male and 53 were female. The most common degenerative findings were desiccation of disc (95% followed by disc bulge, herniation, spinal canal stenosis, ligamentum flavum hypertrophy, facet joint hypertrophy and modic changes. L4-L5 and L5- S1 were the most commonly involved spinal levels for any degenerative pathology. CONCLUSION: Good association is seen between early onset of degenerative spine disease and genetical predisposition in patients who have history of similar type degenerative spine disease in one or more first degree relatives in comparison to those patients who do not have any genetical predisposition. So it can be concluded that heredity play important role in early onset of degenerative spine disease in adults.

Standardized X-ray reports of the spine in osteogenesis imperfecta

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koerber, Friederike; Demant, A.W.; Koerber, S.; Semler, O.; Schoenau, E.; Lackner, K.J.

2011-01-01

Purpose: In this study we present a standard for radiological reports in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). The parameters can be used to describe X-rays of the lateral spine and give an impartial description of anatomical structures during a treatment with bisphosphonates. Material and Methods: In this retrospective analysis we included 48 patients with OI (31 female, 17 male [1.5 months - 19 years, mean age 9.0 years]). Lateral spine X-rays were analyzed by 2 radiologists before and during treatment. The parameters of the standardized report are degree of kyphoscoliosis, compression of single vertebrae, predominant type of vertebral deformities and extent of vertebral compression (score 1 - 5). Results: There was no clear trend in the change of compression of single vertebrae. Some vertebrae with ventral compression showed an upgrowth to vertebrae with harmonic compression. Other deformities showed only marginal changes. In 26 patients the kyphoscoliosis improved (mean 10 degrees), in 36 patients the thoracic vertebrae compression increased and in 30 patients the vertebral height in the lumbar spine increased. The improvement of vertebral height was 1 point in the thoracic and lumbar spine. Conclusion: We propose a standardized report of X-rays of the lateral spine in patients with OI with quantitative and semiquantitative parameters using morphological criteria. These include compression of single vertebrae, degree of kyphoscoliosis, vertebral deformities and the severity of vertebral compression in the thoracic and lumbar spine. (orig.)

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor mediates estradiol-induced dendritic spine formation in hippocampal neurons

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Diane D.; Cole, Nelson B.; Segal, Menahem

1998-01-01

Dendritic spines are of major importance in information processing and memory formation in central neurons. Estradiol has been shown to induce an increase of dendritic spine density on hippocampal neurons in vivo and in vitro. The neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) recently has been implicated in neuronal maturation, plasticity, and regulation of GABAergic interneurons. We now demonstrate that estradiol down-regulates BDNF in cultured hippocampal neurons to 40% of control values within 24 hr of exposure. This, in turn, decreases inhibition and increases excitatory tone in pyramidal neurons, leading to a 2-fold increase in dendritic spine density. Exogenous BDNF blocks the effects of estradiol on spine formation, and BDNF depletion with a selective antisense oligonucleotide mimics the effects of estradiol. Addition of BDNF antibodies also increases spine density, and diazepam, which facilitates GABAergic neurotransmission, blocks estradiol-induced spine formation. These observations demonstrate a functional link between estradiol, BDNF as a potent regulator of GABAergic interneurons, and activity-dependent formation of dendritic spines in hippocampal neurons. PMID:9736750

Canadian Irradiation Centre

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-05-01

The Canadian Irradiation Centre is a non-profit cooperative project between Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Radiochemical Company and Universite du Quebec, Institut Armand-Frappier, Centre for Applied Research in Food Science. The Centre's objectives are to develop, demonstrate and promote Canada's radiation processing technology and its applications by conducting applied research; training technical, professional and scientific personnel; educating industry and government; demonstrating operational and scientific procedures; developing processing procedures and standards, and performing product and market acceptance trials. This pamphlet outlines the history of radoation technology and the services offered by the Canadian Irradiation Centre

A simulation study of spine biofidelity in the hybrid-III 6-year-old ATD.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jun; Cao, Libo; Reed, Matthew P; Hu, Jingwen

2013-01-01

Because of the lack of pediatric biomechanical data, Hybrid-III (HIII) child anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) are essentially scaled from the mid-size male ATD based on the geometric considerations. These ATDs inherit a rigid thoracic spine from the adult HIII ATDs, which has been criticized as unrealistic. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore possible design modifications for improving the spine biofidelity of the HIII 6-year-old ATD. A previously developed and validated HIII 6-year-old MADYMO ATD model was used as the baseline model to investigate the effects of design modifications on the spine biofidelity of the current ATD. Several sets of child volunteer and cadaver test data were considered as the design targets, including child volunteer low-speed crash test data, pediatric cadaver cervical spine tensile test data, and child cadaver crash test data. ATD design modifications include adding an additional joint to the thoracic spine region and changing the joint characteristics at the cervical and lumbar spine regions. Optimization techniques were used to match simulation results to each set of test results. The results indicate that the translational characteristics of the cervical and lumbar spine in the current child ATD need to be reduced to achieve realistic spine flexibility. Adding an additional joint at the thoracic spine region with degree of freedom in both flexion/extension and tension would significantly improve the ATD biofidelity in terms of predicting the overall spine curvature and head excursion in frontal crashes. Future ATD spine modification should focus on reducing the neck and lumbar tension stiffness and adding additional flexibility both in flexion/extension and tension at the thoracic spine region. The child ATD model developed in this study can be used as an important tool to improve child ATD biofidelity and child restraint system design in motor vehicle crashes.

Pediatric cervical spine trauma imaging: a practical approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Egloff, Alexia M.; Kadom, Nadja; Vezina, Gilbert; Bulas, Dorothy [Children' s National Medical Center, Department of Imaging and Radiology, Washington, DC (United States)

2009-05-15

Cervical spine trauma in children is rare and the diagnosis can be challenging due to anatomical and biomechanical differences as compared to adults. A variety of algorithms have been used in adults to accurately diagnose injuries, but have not been fully studied in pediatric patients. In this article we review suggested imaging protocols and the general characteristics, types of injuries, and measurements used to diagnose cervical spine injuries in children. (orig.)

Continuous Palliative Sedation for Existential Distress? A Survey of Canadian Palliative Care Physicians' Views.

Science.gov (United States)

Voeuk, Anna; Nekolaichuk, Cheryl; Fainsinger, Robin; Huot, Ann

2017-01-01

Palliative sedation can be used for refractory symptoms during end-of-life care. However, continuous palliative sedation (CPS) for existential distress remains controversial due to difficulty determining when this distress is refractory. The aim was to determine the opinions and practices of Canadian palliative care physicians regarding CPS for existential distress. A survey focusing on experience and views regarding CPS for existential distress was sent to 322 members of the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians. Eighty-one surveys returned (accessible target, 314), resulting in a response rate of 26%. One third (31%) of the respondents reported providing CPS for existential distress. On a 5-point Likert-type scale, 40% of participants disagreed, while 43% agreed that CPS could be used for existential distress alone. Differing opinions exist regarding this complex and potentially controversial issue, necessitating the education of health-care professionals and increased awareness within the general public.

"Canadianizing" an American Communication Textbook.

Science.gov (United States)

Maclennan, Jennifer M.

2000-01-01

Presents a study on the process involved in the "Canadianization" of U.S. textbooks for the domestic market. Explores whether disciplinary values have been shaped by the United States in the field of communication. Focuses on the experience of developing the Canadian edition of the book "Public Speaking: Strategies for Success"…

Is the cervical spine clear? Undetected cervical fractures diagnosed only at autopsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sweeney, J F; Rosemurgy, A S; Gill, S; Albrink, M H

1992-10-01

Undetected cervical-spine injuries are a nemesis to both trauma surgeons and emergency physicians. Radiographic protocols have been developed to avoid missing cervical-spine fractures but are not fail-safe. Three case reports of occult cervical fractures documented at autopsy in the face of normal cervical-spine radiographs and computerized tomography scans are presented.

The Canadian Dermatology Workforce Survey: implications for the future of Canadian dermatology--who will be your skin expert?

Science.gov (United States)

Maguiness, Sheilagh; Searles, Gordon E; From, Lynn; Swiggum, Susan

2004-01-01

To survey Canadian dermatologists for specialty-specific physician resource information including demographics, workload and future career plans. In 2001, the Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA) surveyed 555 dermatologists in Canada to gain specialty-specific physician resource information. Three hundred and seventy-one dermatologists (69%) provided information about themselves, their workloads and their future career goals. The average Canadian dermatologist is 52 years old and 35% of practicing dermatologists are over the age of 55. Eighty-nine percent of dermatologists practice in an urban setting, 19% include practice in a rural setting while less than 0.5% practice in remote areas. Canadian dermatologists spend 61% of their clinical time providing services in Medical Dermatology. Within 5 years, 50% of dermatologists reported that they plan to reduce their practices or retire. The Canadian Dermatology Workforce Survey provides a snapshot of the current practice of dermatology in Canada. It also serves to highlight the critical shortage of dermatologists, which will continue to worsen without immediate, innovative planning for the future.

Authorship Trends in Spine Publications from 2000 to 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Haws, Brittany E; Khechen, Benjamin; Movassaghi, Kamran; Yom, Kelly H; Guntin, Jordan A; Cardinal, Kaitlyn L; Shoshana, Noah B; Singh, Kern

2018-02-06

Literature review. To examine changes in authorship characteristics for Spine publications from the year 2000-2015. Scientific publications are considered an indication of academic achievement for physicians. Recently, authorship trends have been investigated, however, limited information is available on this topic within spine-specific literature. Original research articles published in Spine in the years 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015 were evaluated. Authorship characteristics were collected for each article, including the number of authors and institutions per publication, first and last author gender, publication origin, and highest degree held by the first and last author. Trends over time were analyzed using numeric and visual descriptive analyses including percentages, means, standard deviations, and graphs. An average of 506 articles per year were published in Spine during the years 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015. The number of articles written by ≥ 10 authors increased during this time (0.9% to 14.4%). There was a substantial increase in the number of multiple institutional affiliations (33.6% to 68.7%) and articles originating from outside North America (47.6% to 55.7%) from 2000 to 2015. The percentage of first authors with bachelor's degrees was higher in 2015 (6.6%) as compared to 2000 (1.4%), and more last authors were identified as MD/PhDs in 2015 (19.2%) than in 2000 (10.0%). Similar female representation was noted for first and last authorship for all years evaluated. The results of this study demonstrate increases in authors per article published in Spine from 2000 to 2015. Additionally, first authors were more likely to hold bachelor's degrees over time. This may be attributed to increasing competition in spine-related fields, necessitating earlier research exposure to aid in academic achievement. Interestingly, the percentage of female authorship has not changed significantly over time, in contrast with much of the previous literature. 2.

Importance of lateral spine view in DEXA bone densitometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussain, R.; Khan, A.S.M.H.; Momtaz, S.; Rahman, M.U.; Jehan, A.H.

2002-01-01

Aim: Bone Mineral Density (BMD) measurement is an invaluable technique for assessing fracture risk in suspected cases of osteoporosis. The routine procedure includes AP spine and hip views. But quite often there are discordant results between them, bone mineral concentration (BMC) in the AP spine appears higher than hip. Our study was done to establish the importance of lateral spine view. The lateral view would provide better scope to draw the ROI perfectly and so BMC would be more accurately measured. Materials and Methods: In a prospective study a total of 60 consecutive patients (48F, 12M) were evaluated for bone densitometric measurements. The age group was 35 - 80 years (Mean 59 years). None of the patients received estrogen, biphosphonates or steroid therapy. Bone density of the hip and lumbar spine were measured with Norland XR 36. The T-score, which measures the difference between patient's BMD and young-normal was computed and age-matched Z-score were calculated. X-ray correlation was also done in most of the cases. Results: When we analyzed the femoral neck values, 30 cases were osteoporotic and 23 were osteopenic whereas according to AP spine views only 20 were osteoporotic and 30 were osteopenic. So, clearly a significant number of patients having osteoporosis were interpreted as osteopenia (P 0.05). But in the same vertebra there were significant differences (P<0.05) of BMC measured with AP and lateral views. Conclusion: The lateral view can exclude the posterior element of the vertebra as well as the aorta anteriorly, where a high incidence of calcified atherosclerotic plaques are present. AP view includes these drawbacks resulting in falsely higher BMC. Lateral spine view can eliminate these problems and so it provides an important role in BMD measurements. The authors recommend that it should be included in routine practice

The 2 × 2 model of perfectionism: a comparison across Asian Canadians and European Canadians.

Science.gov (United States)

Franche, Véronique; Gaudreau, Patrick; Miranda, Dave

2012-10-01

The 2 × 2 model of perfectionism posits that the 4 within-person combinations of self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism (i.e., pure SOP, mixed perfectionism, pure SPP, and nonperfectionism) can be distinctively associated with psychological adjustment. This study examined whether the relationship between the 4 subtypes of perfectionism proposed in the 2 × 2 model (Gaudreau & Thompson, 2010) and academic outcomes (i.e., academic satisfaction and grade-point average [GPA]) differed across 2 sociocultural groups: Asian Canadians and European Canadians. A sample of 697 undergraduate students (23% Asian Canadians) completed self-report measures of dispositional perfectionism, academic satisfaction, and GPA. Results replicated most of the 2 × 2 model's hypotheses on ratings of GPA, thus supporting that nonperfectionism was associated with lower GPA than pure SOP (Hypothesis 1a) but with higher GPA than pure SPP (Hypothesis 2). Results also showed that mixed perfectionism was related to higher GPA than pure SPP (Hypothesis 3) but to similar levels as pure SOP, thus disproving Hypothesis 4. Furthermore, results provided evidence for cross-cultural differences in academic satisfaction. While all 4 hypotheses were supported among European Canadians, only Hypotheses 1a and 3 were supported among Asian Canadians. Future lines of research are discussed in light of the importance of acknowledging the role of culture when studying the influence of dispositional perfectionism on academic outcomes. (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Food intake rates of inactive fish are positively linked to boldness in three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Jolles, J W; Manica, A; Boogert, N J

2016-04-01

To investigate the link between personality and maximum food intake of inactive individuals, food-deprived three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus at rest in their home compartments were provided with ad libitum prey items. Bolder individuals ate considerably more than shyer individuals, even after accounting for body size, while sociability did not have an effect. These findings support pace-of-life theory predicting that life-history strategies are linked to boldness. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Fish Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

[Cervical myelopathy after low grade distortion of the cervical spine. Possible association with pre-existing spondylosis of the cervical spine].

Science.gov (United States)

Aurich, M; Hofmann, G O; Gras, F M

2015-04-01

A patient with spondylosis deformans of the cervical spine with no neurological deficits developed rapidly progressive tetraparesis 1 day after a whiplash injury due to a car accident (rear end collision), although initially there were no clinical symptoms. Surgical decompression and spondylodesis led to relief of the neurological deficits. This case demonstrates that even a low grade whiplash injury (grade 1) can cause severe neurological symptoms later and that a degenerative disease of the spine is a predisposing factor.

Narrative review of the in vivo mechanics of the cervical spine after anterior arthrodesis as revealed by dynamic biplane radiography.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderst, William

2016-01-01

Arthrodesis is the standard of care for numerous pathologic conditions of the cervical spine and is performed over 150,000 times annually in the United States. The primary long-term concern after this surgery is adjacent segment disease (ASD), defined as new clinical symptoms adjacent to a previous fusion. The incidence of adjacent segment disease is approximately 3% per year, meaning that within 10 years of the initial surgery, approximately 25% of cervical arthrodesis patients require a second procedure to address symptomatic adjacent segment degeneration. Despite the high incidence of ASD, until recently, there was little data available to characterize in vivo adjacent segment mechanics during dynamic motion. This manuscript reviews recent advances in our knowledge of adjacent segment mechanics after cervical arthrodesis that have been facilitated by the use of dynamic biplane radiography. The primary observations from these studies are that current in vitro test paradigms often fail to replicate in vivo spine mechanics before and after arthrodesis, that intervertebral mechanics vary among cervical motion segments, and that joint arthrokinematics (i.e., the interactions between adjacent vertebrae) are superior to traditional kinematics measurements for identifying altered adjacent segment mechanics after arthrodesis. Future research challenges are identified, including improving the biofidelity of in vitro tests, determining the natural history of in vivo spine mechanics, conducting prospective longitudinal studies on adjacent segment kinematics and arthrokinematics after single and multiple-level arthrodesis, and creating subject-specific computational models to accurately estimate muscle forces and tissue loading in the spine during dynamic activities. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Oriented Markov random field based dendritic spine segmentation for fluorescence microscopy images.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Jie; Zhou, Xiaobo; Miller, Eric L; Alvarez, Veronica A; Sabatini, Bernardo L; Wong, Stephen T C

2010-10-01

Dendritic spines have been shown to be closely related to various functional properties of the neuron. Usually dendritic spines are manually labeled to analyze their morphological changes, which is very time-consuming and susceptible to operator bias, even with the assistance of computers. To deal with these issues, several methods have been recently proposed to automatically detect and measure the dendritic spines with little human interaction. However, problems such as degraded detection performance for images with larger pixel size (e.g. 0.125 μm/pixel instead of 0.08 μm/pixel) still exist in these methods. Moreover, the shapes of detected spines are also distorted. For example, the "necks" of some spines are missed. Here we present an oriented Markov random field (OMRF) based algorithm which improves spine detection as well as their geometric characterization. We begin with the identification of a region of interest (ROI) containing all the dendrites and spines to be analyzed. For this purpose, we introduce an adaptive procedure for identifying the image background. Next, the OMRF model is discussed within a statistical framework and the segmentation is solved as a maximum a posteriori estimation (MAP) problem, whose optimal solution is found by a knowledge-guided iterative conditional mode (KICM) algorithm. Compared with the existing algorithms, the proposed algorithm not only provides a more accurate representation of the spine shape, but also improves the detection performance by more than 50% with regard to reducing both the misses and false detection.

Biomechanics of the spine. Part I: Spinal stability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Izzo, Roberto, E-mail: roberto1766@interfree.it [Neuroradiology Department, “A. Cardarelli” Hospital, Napoli (Italy); Guarnieri, Gianluigi, E-mail: gianluigiguarnieri@hotmail.it [Neuroradiology Department, “A. Cardarelli” Hospital, Napoli (Italy); Guglielmi, Giuseppe, E-mail: g.gugliemi@unifg.it [Department of Radiology, University of Foggia, Foggia (Italy); Muto, Mario, E-mail: mutomar@tiscali.it [Neuroradiology Department, “A. Cardarelli” Hospital, Napoli (Italy)

2013-01-15

Biomechanics, the application of mechanical principles to living organisms, helps us to understand how all the bony and soft spinal components contribute individually and together to ensure spinal stability, and how traumas, tumours and degenerative disorders exert destabilizing effects. Spine stability is the basic requirement to protect nervous structures and prevent the early mechanical deterioration of spinal components. The literature reports a number of biomechanical and clinical definitions of spinal stability, but a consensus definition is lacking. Any vertebra in each spinal motion segment, the smallest functional unit of the spine, can perform various combinations of the main and coupled movements during which a number of bony and soft restraints maintain spine stability. Bones, disks and ligaments contribute by playing a structural role and by acting as transducers through their mechanoreceptors. Mechanoreceptors send proprioceptive impulses to the central nervous system which coordinates muscle tone, movement and reflexes. Damage to any spinal structure gives rise to some degree of instability. Instability is classically considered as a global increase in the movements associated with the occurrence of back and/or nerve root pain. The assessment of spinal instability remains a major challenge for diagnostic imaging experts. Knowledge of biomechanics is essential in view of the increasing involvement of radiologists and neuroradiologists in spinal interventional procedures and the ongoing development of new techniques and devices. Bioengineers and surgeons are currently focusing on mobile stabilization systems. These systems represent a new frontier in the treatment of painful degenerative spine and aim to neutralize noxious forces, restore the normal function of spinal segments and protect the adjacent segments. This review discusses the current concepts of spine stability.

Biomechanics of the spine. Part I: Spinal stability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Izzo, Roberto; Guarnieri, Gianluigi; Guglielmi, Giuseppe; Muto, Mario

2013-01-01

Biomechanics, the application of mechanical principles to living organisms, helps us to understand how all the bony and soft spinal components contribute individually and together to ensure spinal stability, and how traumas, tumours and degenerative disorders exert destabilizing effects. Spine stability is the basic requirement to protect nervous structures and prevent the early mechanical deterioration of spinal components. The literature reports a number of biomechanical and clinical definitions of spinal stability, but a consensus definition is lacking. Any vertebra in each spinal motion segment, the smallest functional unit of the spine, can perform various combinations of the main and coupled movements during which a number of bony and soft restraints maintain spine stability. Bones, disks and ligaments contribute by playing a structural role and by acting as transducers through their mechanoreceptors. Mechanoreceptors send proprioceptive impulses to the central nervous system which coordinates muscle tone, movement and reflexes. Damage to any spinal structure gives rise to some degree of instability. Instability is classically considered as a global increase in the movements associated with the occurrence of back and/or nerve root pain. The assessment of spinal instability remains a major challenge for diagnostic imaging experts. Knowledge of biomechanics is essential in view of the increasing involvement of radiologists and neuroradiologists in spinal interventional procedures and the ongoing development of new techniques and devices. Bioengineers and surgeons are currently focusing on mobile stabilization systems. These systems represent a new frontier in the treatment of painful degenerative spine and aim to neutralize noxious forces, restore the normal function of spinal segments and protect the adjacent segments. This review discusses the current concepts of spine stability

Chernobyl - a Canadian technical perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howieson, J.Q.; Snell, V.G.

1987-01-01

In this report we present the design review done to date in Canada by AECL. From the Canadian point of view it covers: 1) relevant information on the Chernobyl design and the accident, both as presented by the Soviets at the Post-Accident Review Meeting (PARM) held in Vienna from August 25-29, 1986, and as deduced from publicly available Soviet documentation; and 2) details of AECL's technical review of the CANDU PHWR (Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor) against the background of the Chernobyl accident, and implications of the Chernobyl accident. Reviews of operational aspects are underway by the Canadian electrical utilities and a review by the Canadian regulatory agency (the Atomic Energy Control Board) is near completion

Western University (No. 10 Canadian Stationary Hospital and No. 14 Canadian General Hospital): a study of medical volunteerism in the First World War.

Science.gov (United States)

Istl, Alexandra C; McAlister, Vivian C

2016-12-01

The Canadian government depended on chaotic civilian volunteerism to staff a huge medical commitment during the First World War. Offers from Canadian universities to raise, staff and equip hospitals for deployment, initially rejected, were incrementally accepted as casualties mounted. When its offer was accepted in 1916, Western University Hospital quickly adopted military decorum and equipped itself using Canadian Red Cross Commission guidelines. Staff of the No. 10 Canadian Stationary Hospital and the No. 14 Canadian General Hospital retained excellent morale throughout the war despite heavy medical demand, poor conditions, aerial bombardment and external medical politics. The overwhelming majority of volunteers were Canadian-born and educated. The story of the hospital's commanding officer, Edwin Seaborn, is examined to understand the background upon which the urge to volunteer in the First World War was based. Although many Western volunteers came from British stock, they promoted Canadian independence. A classical education and a broad range of interests outside of medicine, including biology, history and native Canadian culture, were features that Seaborn shared with other leaders in Canadian medicine, such as William Osler, who also volunteered quickly in the First World War.

Canadian environmental sustainability indicators: highlights 2005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-12-01

Canadians' health and their social and economic well-being are fundamentally linked to the quality of their environment. Recognizing this, in 2004 the Government of Canada committed to establishing national indicators of freshwater quality, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions. The goal of these new indicators is to provide Canadians with more regular and reliable information on the state of their environment and how it is linked with human activity. Canadians need clearly defined environmental indicators - measuring sticks that can track the results that have been achieved through the efforts of governments, industries and individuals to protect and improve the environment. Environment Canada, Statistics Canada and Health Canada are working together to further develop and communicate these indicators. Reflecting the joint responsibility for environmental management in Canada, this effort has benefited from the cooperation and input of the provinces and territories. The indicators are: air quality; greenhouse gas emissions; and, freshwater quality. Air quality tracks Canadians' exposure to ground-level ozone - a key component of smog. The indicator measures one of the most common, harmful air pollutants to which people are exposed. The use of the seasonal average of ozone concentrations reflects the potential for long-term health effects. Greenhouse gas emissions tracks the annual releases of the six greenhouse gases that are the major contributors to climate change. The indicator comes directly from the greenhouse gas inventory report prepared by Environment Canada for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol. The data are widely used to report on progress toward Canada's Kyoto target for reduced emissions. Freshwater quality reports the status of surface water quality at selected monitoring sites across the country. For this first report, the focus of the indicator is on the protection of aquatic life, such as

Outlook for Canadian refining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boje, G.

1998-01-01

The petroleum supply and demand balance was discussed and a comparison between Canadian and U.S. refineries was provided. The impact of changing product specifications on the petroleum industry was also discussed. The major changes include sulphur reductions in gasoline, benzene and MMT additives. These changes have been made in an effort to satisfy environmental needs. Geographic margin variations in refineries between east and west were reviewed. An overview of findings from the Solomon Refining Study of Canadian and American refineries, which has been very complimentary of the Canadian refining industry, was provided. From this writer's point of view refinery utilization has improved but there is a threat from increasing efficiency of US competitors. Environmental issues will continue to impact upon the industry and while the chances for making economic returns on investment are good for the years ahead, it will be a challenge to maintain profitability

Pattern and presentation of spine trauma in Gwagwalada‑Abuja ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Results: There were 202 patients with male preponderance and a mean age of 38.9 ± 11.4 years over the 11‑year period. The most common cause of spine injury was road traffic injury (79.7%). Cervical spine injury (10.4%) accounted for the highest number of cases with complete neurologic deficit. The majority of patients, ...

[Modern treatments for degenerative disc diseases of the lumbosacral spine. A literature review].

Science.gov (United States)

Konovalov, N A; Nazarenko, A G; Asyutin, D S; Zelenkov, P V; Onoprienko, R A; Korolishin, V A; Cherkiev, I U; Martynova, M A; Zakirov, B A; Timonin, S Yu; Kosyr'kova, A V; Pimenova, L F; Pogosyan, A L; Batyrov, A A

Many researchers consider degenerative diseases of the spine as a pandemic of the XXIst century. Herniated intervertebral discs of the lumbosacral spine occur in 61% of patients with degenerative spine diseases. Of these, 15% of patients have herniated discs at the LII-LIII level, 10% of patients at the LIII-LIV level, and 40% of patients at the LIV-LV and LV-SI levels. A high cost of conservative treatment of degenerative spine disease symptoms and its low efficacy in reducing the intensity and duration of pain necessitate the development of new methods of surgical treatment. In this paper, we analyze the literature data on minimally invasive spine surgery and demonstrate the main advantages of percutaneous endoscopic surgical techniques.

Contemporary treatment with radiosurgery for spine metastasis and spinal cord compression in 2015

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryu, Sam Uel; Yoon, Han Hah; Stessin, Alexander; Gutman, Fred; Rosiello, Arthur; Davis, Raphael [Stony Brook University, Stony Brook (United States)

2015-03-15

With the progress of image-guided localization, body immobilization system, and computerized delivery of intensity-modulated radiation delivery, it became possible to perform spine radiosurgery. The next question is how to translate the high technology treatment to the clinical application. Clinical trials have been performed to demonstrate the feasibility of spine radiosurgery and efficacy of the treatment in the setting of spine metastasis, leading to the randomized trials by a cooperative group. Radiosurgery has also demonstrated its efficacy to decompress the spinal cord compression in selected group of patients. The experience indicates that spine radiosurgery has a potential to change the clinical practice in the management of spine metastasis and spinal cord compression.

The illness trajectory experienced by patients having spine fusion surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damsgaard, Janne Brammer; Bastrup, Lene; Norlyk, Annelise

The illness trajectory of spine fusion patients. A feeling of being (in)visible Background Research shows that being a back patient is associated with great personal cost, and that back patients who undergo so-called spine fusion often experience particularly long and uncoordinated trajectories....... The patients describe a feeling of being mistrusted and thrown around in the system. It is the aim of this study to examine how spine fusion patients experience their illness trajectory and hospitalisation. Methods The study is based on qualitative interviews, and the data analysis is inspired by the French...... system and healthcare professionals are often dismissed as irrelevant. It is also evident that spine fusion patients are denied the opportunity to verbalise what it feels like to, for example, be ”a person in constant pain” or someone who ”holds back” to avoid being an inconvenience. These feelings...

On Realities of Canadian Multiculturalism

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

李梦辰

2013-01-01

Canada is a multicultural country which was mainly established by immigrants. Just because of that, Canadian govern⁃ment has carried out the policy of multiculturalism since1970s. However, it has encountered many problems such as policy con⁃flicts, national identity, democracy-inquiry and racial discrimination, etc. Hence the Canadian multiculturalism has been in a di⁃lemma.

Canadian perspectives on food irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunstadt, P.

1988-01-01

Canada has been in the forefront of irradiation technology for some 30 years. Nearly 90 of the 140 irradiators used worldwide are Canadian-built, yet Canadian food processors have been very slow to use the technology. The food irradiation regulatory situation in Canada, the factors that influence it, and some significant non-regulatory developments are reviewed. (author)

Modern approaches to diagnostics of combined degenerative hip and spine pathology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. V. Khominets

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The results of standard radiographs of 90 patients with hip-spine syndrome associated with one unilateral or bilateral III stage hip osteoarthhrosis were analyzed with the aim to improve the diagnostics of pathological changes in the "hip joint-pelvis- spine" complex. 12 parameters of sagittal spinal-pelvic balance and 3 parameters of frontal one were studied and the degenerative changes in spinal motional segments were evaluated. The statistical processing of obtained data was made. It was stated that the most frequent variant of sagittal spinal-pelvic profile is hyperlordosic one, followed by formation of degenerative changes especially in dorsal regions of spine (р=0,076.The strategy of patient examination with hip-spine syndrome was established from clinical and radiographic positions.

Ipsilateral Closed Clavicle and Scapular spine Fracture with Acromioclavicular Joint Disruption.

Science.gov (United States)

Kembhavi, Raghavendra S; James, Boblee

2015-01-01

Injuries around shoulder and clavicle are quite common. Injuries involving lateral end of clavicle involving acromioclavicular joints are commoner injuries. In this rare injury, we report about a case involving clavicle and scapular spine fracture with acromioclavicular disruption which has never been described in English literature as per our knowledge. A patient with closed clavicle and scapular spine fracture with acromioclavicular joint disruption was treated with open reduction and internal fixation of clavicle and scapular spine as a staged procedures. Six months post operatively, patient had excellent functional recovery with near full range of movements. Though rare complex injury, clavicle fracture with scapular spine fracture with acromioclavicular disruption, when managed properly with good physiotherapy protocol post operatively will result in good clinical and functional outcome.

The rheumatoid cervical spine: Signs of instability on plain cervical radiographs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roche, Clare J.; Eyes, Brian E.; Whitehouse, Graham H.

2002-01-01

The cervical spine is a common focus of destruction from rheumatoid arthritis, second only to the metacarpophalangeal joints. Joint, bone and ligament damage in the cervical spine leads to subluxations which can cause cervical cord compression resulting in paralysis and even sudden death. Because many patients with significant subluxations are asymptomatic, the radiologist plays a key role in recognizing the clinically important clues to instability on plain radiographs of the cervical spine-often difficult in rheumatoid arthritis when the bony landmarks are osteoporotic or eroded. This review focuses on the signs of instability on plain radiographs of the cervical spine, using diagrams and clinical examples to illustrate methods of identifying significant subluxations in rheumatoid arthritis. Roche, C.J., Eyes, B.E. and Whitehouse, G.H. (2002)

Passively morphing ornithopter wings constructed using a novel compliant spine: design and testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wissa, A A; Hubbard Jr, J E; Tummala, Y; Frecker, M I

2012-01-01

Ornithopters or flapping wing uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) have potential applications in civil and military sectors. Amongst the UAVs, ornithopters have a unique ability to fly in low Reynolds number flight regimes and also have the agility and maneuverability of rotary wing aircraft. In nature, birds achieve such performance by exploiting various wing kinematics known as gaits. The objective of this work is to improve the steady level flight performance of an ornithopter by implementing a continuous vortex gait using a novel passive compliant spine inserted in the ornithopter’s wings. This paper presents an optimal compliant spine concept for ornithopter applications. A quasi-static design optimization procedure was formulated to design the compliant spine. Finite element analysis was performed on a first generation spine and the spine was fabricated. This prototype was then tested by inserting it into an ornithopter’s wing leading edge spar. The effect of inserting the compliant spine into the wings on the electric power required, the aerodynamic loads and the wing kinematics was studied. The ornithopter with the compliant spines inserted in its wings consumed 45% less power and produced an additional 16% of its weight in mean lift compared to the same ornithopter without the compliant spine. The results indicate that this passive morphing approach is promising for improved steady level flight performance. (paper)

Screening for chronic kidney disease in Canadian indigenous peoples is cost-effective.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferguson, Thomas W; Tangri, Navdeep; Tan, Zhi; James, Matthew T; Lavallee, Barry D A; Chartrand, Caroline D; McLeod, Lorraine L; Dart, Allison B; Rigatto, Claudio; Komenda, Paul V J

2017-07-01

Canadian indigenous (First Nations) have rates of kidney failure that are 2- to 4-fold higher than the non-indigenous general Canadian population. As such, a strategy of targeted screening and treatment for CKD may be cost-effective in this population. Our objective was to assess the cost utility of screening and subsequent treatment for CKD in rural Canadian indigenous adults by both estimated glomerular filtration rate and the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio. A decision analytic Markov model was constructed comparing the screening and treatment strategy to usual care. Primary outcomes were presented as incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) presented as a cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). Screening for CKD was associated with an ICER of $23,700/QALY in comparison to usual care. Restricting the model to screening in communities accessed only by air travel (CKD prevalence 34.4%), this ratio fell to $7,790/QALY. In road accessible communities (CKD prevalence 17.6%) the ICER was $52,480/QALY. The model was robust to changes in influential variables when tested in univariate sensitivity analyses. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis found 72% of simulations to be cost-effective at a $50,000/QALY threshold and 93% of simulations to be cost-effective at a $100,000/QALY threshold. Thus, targeted screening and treatment for CKD using point-of-care testing equipment in rural Canadian indigenous populations is cost-effective, particularly in remote air access-only communities with the highest risk of CKD and kidney failure. Evaluation of targeted screening initiatives with cluster randomized controlled trials and integration of screening into routine clinical visits in communities with the highest risk is recommended. Copyright © 2017 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cervical spine motion: radiographic study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgan, J.P.; Miyabayashi, T.; Choy, S.

1986-01-01

Knowledge of the acceptable range of motion of the cervical spine of the dog is used in the radiographic diagnosis of both developmental and degenerative diseases. A series of radiographs of mature Beagle dogs was used to identify motion within sagittal and transverse planes. Positioning of the dog's head and neck was standardized, using a restraining board, and mimicked those thought to be of value in diagnostic radiology. The range of motion was greatest between C2 and C5. Reports of severe disk degeneration in the cervical spine of the Beagle describe the most severely involved disks to be C4 through C7. Thus, a high range of motion between vertebral segments does not seem to be the cause for the severe degenerative disk disease. Dorsoventral slippage between vertebral segments was seen, but was not accurately measured. Wedging of disks was clearly identified. At the atlantoaxio-occipital region, there was a high degree of motion within the sagittal plane at the atlantoaxial and atlanto-occipital joints; the measurement can be a guideline in the radiographic diagnosis of instability due to developmental anomalies in this region. Lateral motion within the transverse plane was detected at the 2 joints; however, motion was minimal, and the measurements seemed to be less accurate because of rotation of the cervical spine. Height of the vertebral canal was consistently noted to be greater at the caudal orifice, giving some warning to the possibility of overdiagnosis in suspected instances of cervical spondylopathy

Canadian national nuclear forensics capability project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ball, J.; Dimayuga, I.; Summerell, I.; Totland, M.; Jonkmans, G.; Whitlock, J.; El-jaby, A.; Inrig, E.

2015-01-01

Following the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit, Canada expanded its existing capability for nuclear forensics by establishing a national nuclear forensics laboratory network, which would include a capability to perform forensic analysis on nuclear and other radioactive material, as well as on traditional evidence contaminated with radioactive material. At the same time, the need for a national nuclear forensics library of signatures of nuclear and radioactive materials under Canadian regulatory control was recognized. The Canadian Safety and Security Program, administered by Defence Research and Development Canada's Centre for Security Science (DRDC CSS), funds science and technology initiatives to enhance Canada's preparedness for prevention of and response to potential threats. DRDC CSS, with assistance from Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, formerly Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, is leading the Canadian National Nuclear Forensics Capability Project to develop a coordinated, comprehensive, and timely national nuclear forensics capability. (author)

Canadian perspectives in evaluating transparency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herwig, L.

2007-01-01

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's mission is to regulate the use of nuclear energy and materials to protect the health, safety, and security of Canadians and the environment, as well as to respect Canada's international commitments on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. In 2001, the CNSC established a vision to be one of the best nuclear regulators in the world and established four strategic priorities of effectiveness, transparency, excellence in staff, and efficiency. While fulfilling a very comprehensive mandate, the CNSC operates with a. very clear vision of its clientele - the Canadian people. That commitment guides every employee and every action of the CNSC and ensures a firm commitment to transparency. The presentation will begin with a brief overview of the worldwide context of transparency and transparency measurement, with a look at what lessons can be learned from other organizations and initiatives. It will look broadly at the Canadian context and the government framework that establishes transparency, including the keystone legislation of the Access to Information Act. The presentation will then focus on the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The CNSC is firmly committed to putting additional measures in place to ensure transparency, which is being done concurrently with an overall organisational performance measurement system. It is within this framework that the presentation will address the transparency efforts at the CNSC as well transparency measurement activities. And, finally, the presentation will look at future directions for transparency and its measurement at the CNSC. (author)

CLINICAL-RADIOGRAPHIC CORRELATION OF DEGENERATIVE CHANGES OF THE SPINE - SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emiliano Neves Vialle

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Systematic review of the literature on the evaluation of images of degenerative changes of the spine and its clinical correlation. A systematic literature review was conducted, and the results evaluated for the presence of clinical correlation, as well as the type of imaging method used. The search terms were "Intervertebral Disc Degeneration", "Intervertebral disc", "Classification", "Anulus fibrosus", "Nucleus pulposus", "Lumbar spine", "Degenerative disc disease", "Degeneration", "Zygapophyseal Joint". We also assessed whether there were inter- and intraobserver agreement in the selected works and possible guidelines regarding the treatment and prognosis of patients. Of the 91 reviewed abstracts, 31 articles were selected that met the inclusion criteria. Six articles were related to the cervical spine, 13 to the lumbar spine and 12 were about changes not related specifically to a single segment of the spine. Articles that determined limiting values considered normal were also included, since variations were considered signs of degeneration or pathology. It was not possible to establish the relationship between the changes identified in imaging and the clinical history of patients, either define treatment and prognosis guidelines.

Physical rehabilitation of patients with lumbar spine dorsopathy at the hospital stage of treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Максим Валериевич Манин

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of the work is an ascertainment of efficiency of the use of an offered way of the complex treatment of the lumbar spine dorsopathies at the hospital stage of treatment as the more effective one comparing to the standard method of the therapeutic physical training for patients with the lumbar spine dorsopathies. The object of research is the lumbar spine dorsopathies. The subject of research is the dynamics of the painful and musculo-tonic syndromes, mobility, degrees of the functional blocking of spine.Methods of research: questioning and interrogation, functional assays of the spine mobility, manual examination. 30 persons with lumbar spine dorsopathies with neurological manifestations took part in the research. 15 patients who underwent extended method of therapeutic physical training (TPT including the way of the complex treatment of the lumbar spine dopsopathies formed the main group. 15 persons who underwent the TPT by the standard method formed the control group. Results, received in testing the dynamics of indicators of the spine mobility blocking, painful, musculo-tonic syndrome at the end of physical rehabilitation reliably demonstrate the more significant increase of results in the main group comparing to the control one. It happened first of all due to the use of traction exercises, positions and traction massage that form the complex treatment of the lumbar spine dorsopathies.An offered way of the complex treatment of the lumbar spine dorsopathies had the more effective impact on an increase of the spine mobility, decrease of the painful syndrome comparing to the standard complex of physical rehabilitation. It gives the reasons to recommend this way for introduction into practice as the mean of special TPT at the hospital stage of treatment. 

The task ahead: a Canadian federal regulator's perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brooks, F.F.

1983-06-01

The author discusses the role of the Canadian National Energy Board (NEB) in any possible future exports of nuclear-generated electric power. The federal government has already indicated that it would support New Brunswick Power in its efforts to develop a second reactor at Point Lepreau dedicated to power export, and that similar support would be extended to other utilities. The NEB Act requires that a proposed energy export be surplus to reasonable foreseeable Canadian requirements and that the price be just and reasonable. The output of a plant built for power exports would be surplus to Canadian needs, but the problem comes in determining if producing that surplus would result in a net benefit to Canadians. Negotiating sales contracts will not be easy; purchase of Canadian firm power is only one option among others available to US utilities. However, the Canadian policy framework exists and the NEB is ready to receive applications for export licences

An Analysis of Canadian Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing through the Junctures of History, Gender, Nursing Education, and Quality of Work Life in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

A society that values mental health and helps people live enjoyable and meaningful lives is a clear aspiration echoed throughout our Canadian health care system. The Mental Health Commission of Canada has put forth a framework for a mental health strategy with goals that reflect the virtue of optimal mental health for all Canadians (Mental Health Commission Canada, 2009). Canadian nurses, the largest group of health care workers, have a vital role in achieving these goals. In Canada, two-thirds of those who experience mental health problems do not receive mental health services (Statistics Canada, 2003). Through a gendered, critical, and sociological perspective the goal of this paper is to further understand how the past has shaped the present state of psychiatric mental health nursing (PMHN). This integrative literature review offers a depiction of Canadian PMHN in light of the intersections of history, gender, education, and quality of nursing work life. Fourteen articles were selected, which provide a partial reflection of contemporary Canadian PMHN. Findings include the association between gender and professional status, inconsistencies in psychiatric nursing education, and the limitations for Canadian nurse practitioners to advance the role of the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. PMID:23710367

Fording Canadian Coal Trust

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Popowich, J.; Millos, R. [Elk Valley Coal Corporation, Calgary, AB (Canada)

2004-07-01

This is the first of five slide/overhead presentations presented at the Fording Canadian Coal Trust and Tech Cominco Ltd. investor day and mine tour. The Fording Canadian Coal Trust is described. The Trust's assets comprise six Elk Valley metallurgical coal mines and six wollastonite operations (in the NYCO Group). Trust structure, corporate responsibility, organizational structure, reserves and resources, management philosophy, operating strategies, steel market dynamics, coal market, production expansion, sales and distribution are outlined. 15 figs., 5 tabs.

The geometric curvature of the lumbar spine during restricted and unrestricted squats.

Science.gov (United States)

Hebling Campos, Mário; Furtado Alaman, Laizi I; Seffrin-Neto, Aldo A; Vieira, Carlos A; Costa de Paula, Marcelo; Barbosa de Lira, Claudio A

2017-06-01

The main purpose of this study was to analyze the behavior of the geometric curvature of the lumbar spine during restricted and unrestricted squats, using a novel investigative method. The rationale for our hypothesis is that the lumbar curvature has different patterns at different spine levels depending on the squat technique used. Spine motion was collected via stereo-photogrammetric analysis in nineteen participants (11 males, 8 females). The reconstructed spine points at the upright neutral position and at the deepest position of the squat exercise were projected onto the sagittal plane of the trunk, a polynomial was fitted to the data, and were quantified the two-dimensional geometric curvature at lower, central and higher lumbar levels, besides the inclination of trunk and lumbosacral region, the overall geometric curvature and overall angle of the lumbar spine. The mean values for each variable were analysed with paired t-test (Psquat techniques and these effects are also reduced in unrestricted squats. The data collected in the study are evidence that during barbell squats the lumbar curvature has different patterns at different spinal levels depending on the exercise technique. The lower lumbar spine appears to be less overloaded during unrestricted squats.

Cervical spine instability in the course of rheumatoid arthritis – imaging methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Małgorzata Mańczak

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Cervical spine is affected in more than a half of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA. Depending on the degree of damage to the individual joints and ligaments RA-related cervical spine instability takes the form of atlanto-axial subluxation, subaxial subluxation or cranial settling. In the advanced cases spinal stenosis can occur as well as spinal cord injuries with typical neurological symptoms. The identification of patients with cervical spine instability before the occurrence of neurological complications still constitutes a diagnostic challenge. The article presents the methods of cervical spine imaging with the use of plain radiographs, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI and computed tomography (CT. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages associated with each method and the possibility of its application in the diagnosis of cervical spine instability in RA. The knowledge of the above mentioned issues is indispensable to select an appropriate time for surgical intervention.

Imaging of benign tumors of the osseous spine

OpenAIRE

Riahi, Hend; Mechri, Meriem; Barsaoui, Maher; Bouaziz, Mouna; Vanhoenacker, Filip; Ladeb, Mohamed

2018-01-01

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the imaging features of the most prevalent benign bone tumors involving the spine. Benign tumors of the osseous spine account approximately for 1% of all primary skeletal tumors. Many lesions exhibit characteristic radiologic features. In addition to age and location of the lesion, radiographs are an essential step in the initial detection and characterization but are limited to complex anatomy and superposition. CT and MR imagi...

NMR imaging of degenerative changes of the spine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beyer, H.K.

1991-01-01

Computerized tomography and nuclear spin resonance tomography, are today considered excellent ways of demonstrating herniae of intervertebral disks, especially in the lumbal region, at high sensitivity and accuracy. The facility of multiplanar imaging without reconstruction, the clearly greater amount of information by using different pulse sequences, better contrast resolution, and lacking ionizing radiation speak in favour of nuclear spin resonance tomography. Using nulcear spin resonance tomography, in all parts of the spine the excellent demonstration of the epidural space, of the myeloma, of the nerve roots as well as of the surrounding osseous and ligamentous structure is achieved. So, for the diagnosis of discopathies in the region of the cervical spine nuclear spin resonance tomography should be preferred to computerized tomography. In the region of the lumbar spine, however, CT will be of importance in the diagnosis of discopathies for some time. (orig./MG) [de

Activity-dependent trafficking of lysosomes in dendrites and dendritic spines.

Science.gov (United States)

Goo, Marisa S; Sancho, Laura; Slepak, Natalia; Boassa, Daniela; Deerinck, Thomas J; Ellisman, Mark H; Bloodgood, Brenda L; Patrick, Gentry N

2017-08-07

In neurons, lysosomes, which degrade membrane and cytoplasmic components, are thought to primarily reside in somatic and axonal compartments, but there is little understanding of their distribution and function in dendrites. Here, we used conventional and two-photon imaging and electron microscopy to show that lysosomes traffic bidirectionally in dendrites and are present in dendritic spines. We find that lysosome inhibition alters their mobility and also decreases dendritic spine number. Furthermore, perturbing microtubule and actin cytoskeletal dynamics has an inverse relationship on the distribution and motility of lysosomes in dendrites. We also find trafficking of lysosomes is correlated with synaptic α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid-type glutamate receptors. Strikingly, lysosomes traffic to dendritic spines in an activity-dependent manner and can be recruited to individual spines in response to local activation. These data indicate the position of lysosomes is regulated by synaptic activity and thus plays an instructive role in the turnover of synaptic membrane proteins. © 2017 Goo et al.

Irradiation spine deformity in children treated for neuroblastoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayfield, J.K.; Riseborough, E.J.; Nehme, M.

1978-01-01

A retrospective long-term follow-up review of 56 children with neuroblastoma surviving five years and longer following treatment since 1946 revealed that 57% had developed spine deformity (S.D.) following treatment with 250 kilovolt irradiation at the time of review. The average age at diagnosis was 17 months. Irradiation therapy was delivered to most children before 24 months of age. Follow-up averaged 12.9 years with a range of 5-31 years. Eighty-five per cent of the children had developed structural spine deformity at skeletal maturity and 54% of these children had scoliosis greater than 20 degrees. Sixteen per cent of irradiated children developed structural kyphosis. Non-midline opposing anterior and posterior ports were used most frequently. Mean dosage in patients who developed scoliosis of 20 degrees or more was 3588 rads (spine dosage) and 3746 rads in patients who developed kyphosis. Irradiation through opposing anterior and posterior ports was more commonly associated with the development of S.D. Sixty-six per cent of children who had more than 2000 rads developed S.D. The adolescent growth spurt was associated with an increase in the frequency and severity of spine deformity. This study indicated that moderate to severe S.D. was produced by irradiation in excess of 2000 rads administered with a 250-kilovoltage machine. This study would also suggest that children with neuroblastoma treated with orthovoltage irradiation should be followed closely by the orthopaedic surgeon, the oncologist, the radiotherapist and the paediatrician until the completion of skeletal growth for the development of unsightly structural spine deformity. Early bracing and surgery may be helpful in controlling these deformities in the pre-adolescent to early adolescent years. Continued observation is necessary to determine if current irradiation techniques will minimize or eradicate the incidence and severity of these complications. (author)

Canadian national nuclear forensics capability project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ball, J.; Dimayuga, I., E-mail: joanne.ball@cnl.ca [Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario (Canada); Summerell, I. [Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada); Totland, M. [Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario (Canada); Jonkmans, G. [Defence Research and Development Canada, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada); Whitlock, J. [Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario (Canada); El-jaby, A. [Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada); Inrig, E. [Defence Research and Development Canada, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)

2015-06-15

Following the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit, Canada expanded its existing capability for nuclear forensics by establishing a national nuclear forensics laboratory network, which would include a capability to perform forensic analysis on nuclear and other radioactive material, as well as on traditional evidence contaminated with radioactive material. At the same time, the need for a national nuclear forensics library of signatures of nuclear and radioactive materials under Canadian regulatory control was recognized. The Canadian Safety and Security Program, administered by Defence Research and Development Canada's Centre for Security Science (DRDC CSS), funds science and technology initiatives to enhance Canada's preparedness for prevention of and response to potential threats. DRDC CSS, with assistance from Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, formerly Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, is leading the Canadian National Nuclear Forensics Capability Project to develop a coordinated, comprehensive, and timely national nuclear forensics capability. (author)

Comparison of Three Prehospital Cervical Spine Protocols for Missed Injuries

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Rick Hong

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: We wanted to compare 3 existing emergency medical services (EMS immobilization protocols: the Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS, mechanism-based; the Domeier protocol (parallels the National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study [NEXUS] criteria; and the Hankins’ criteria (immobilization for patients 65 years, those with altered consciousness, focal neurologic deficit, distracting injury, or midline or paraspinal tenderness.To determine the proportion of patients who would require cervical immobilization per protocol and the number of missed cervical spine injuries, had each protocol been followed with 100% compliance. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of patients ≥18 years transported by EMS post-traumatic mechanism to an inner city emergency department. Demographic and clinical/historical data obtained by physicians were recorded prior to radiologic imaging. Medical record review ascertained cervical spine injuries. Both physicians and EMS were blinded to the objective of the study. Results: Of 498 participants, 58% were male and mean age was 48 years. The following participants would have required cervical spine immobilization based on the respective protocol: PHTLS, 95.4% (95% CI: 93.1-96.9%; Domeier, 68.7% (95% CI: 64.5-72.6%; Hankins, 81.5% (95% CI: 77.9-84.7%. There were 18 cervical spine injuries: 12 vertebral fractures, 2 subluxations/dislocations and 4 spinal cord injuries. Compliance with each of the 3 protocols would have led to appropriate cervical spine immobilization of all injured patients. In practice, 2 injuries were missed when the PHTLS criteria were mis-applied. Conclusion: Although physician-determined presence of cervical spine immobilization criteria cannot be generalized to the findings obtained by EMS personnel, our findings suggest that the mechanism-based PHTLS criteria may result in unnecessary cervical spine immobilization without apparent benefit to injured patients. PHTLS

Clinical practice of image-guided spine radiosurgery - results from an international research consortium

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Guckenberger Matthias

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Spinal radiosurgery is a quickly evolving technique in the radiotherapy and neurosurgical communities. However, the methods of spine radiosurgery have not been standardized. This article describes the results of a survey about the methods of spine radiosurgery at five international institutions. Methods All institutions are members of the Elekta Spine Radiosurgery Research Consortium and have a dedicated research and clinical focus on image-guided radiosurgery. The questionnaire consisted of 75 items covering all major steps of spine radiosurgery. Results Strong agreement in the methods of spine radiosurgery was observed. In particular, similarities were observed with safety and quality assurance playing an important role in the methods of all institutions, cooperation between neurosurgeons and radiation oncologists in case selection, dedicated imaging for target- and organ-at-risk delineation, application of proper safety margins for the target volume and organs-at-risk, conformal planning and precise image-guided treatment delivery, and close clinical and radiological follow-up. In contrast, three major areas of uncertainty and disagreement were identified: 1 Indications and contra-indications for spine radiosurgery; 2 treatment dose and fractionation and 3 tolerance dose of the spinal cord. Conclusions Results of this study reflect the current practice of spine radiosurgery in large academic centers. Despite close agreement was observed in many steps of spine radiosurgery, further research in form of retrospective and especially prospective studies is required to refine the details of spinal radiosurgery in terms of safety and efficacy.

Understanding the Canadian adult CT head rule trial: use of the theoretical domains framework for process evaluation

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Curran Janet A

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Canadian CT Head Rule was prospectively derived and validated to assist clinicians with diagnostic decision-making regarding the use of computed tomography (CT in adult patients with minor head injury. A recent intervention trial failed to demonstrate a decrease in the rate of head CTs following implementation of the rule in Canadian emergency departments. Yet, the same intervention, which included a one-hour educational session and reminders at the point of requisition, was successful in reducing cervical spine imaging rates in the same emergency departments. The reason for the varied effect of the intervention across these two behaviours is unclear. There is an increasing appreciation for the use of theory to conduct process evaluations to better understand how strategies are linked with outcomes in implementation trials. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF has been used to explore health professional behaviour and to design behaviour change interventions but, to date, has not been used to guide a theory-based process evaluation. In this proof of concept study, we explored whether the TDF could be used to guide a retrospective process evaluation to better understand emergency physicians’ responses to the interventions employed in the Canadian CT Head Rule trial. Methods A semi-structured interview guide, based on the 12 domains from the TDF, was used to conduct telephone interviews with project leads and physician participants from the intervention sites in the Canadian CT Head Rule trial. Two reviewers independently coded the anonymised interview transcripts using the TDF as a coding framework. Relevant domains were identified by: the presence of conflicting beliefs within a domain; the frequency of beliefs; and the likely strength of the impact of a belief on the behaviour. Results Eight physicians from four of the intervention sites in the Canadian CT Head Rule trial participated in the interviews. Barriers

The Liberalization of Canadian Immigration Policy (1945-1976

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Mariia Burtseva

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Immigration policy has played a key role in Canadian history since the second half of 19th century. Certainly, immigration legislation was a major element of it. Some of the most important reforms in Canadian immigration policy took place in the first decades after the Second World War. This was a time of multiple legislative reforms conducted by the Canadian government, but in general, the immigration regulations introduced during that period started the process of liberalization in this area. The Immigration Act of 1976 played a key role in building up the new liberal strategy of Canadian immigration. The pre-reform period is also important because it helps to understand the evolution process from discrimi¬native legislation to liberal policy. Therefore, the focus of this study is on the development of Canadian immigration policy from 1945 to 1976. The present research examines the main preconditions for the adoption of the 1976 Immigration Act. It analyses legislation regulations, which paved the ground for post-war Canadian immigration policy, with a particular emphasis on regula-tions enacted from 1945 to 1976. This article provides an overview of Canadian immigration policy in post-war period. It also identifies successive documents that proved particularly influential for Canadian immigration policy at the time. The findings of this research point to a variety of causes for the legislation changes, from foreign and domestic policy to economy policy.

Axial loaded MRI of the lumbar spine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saifuddin, A. E-mail: asaifuddin@aol.com; Blease, S.; MacSweeney, E

2003-09-01

Magnetic resonance imaging is established as the technique of choice for assessment of degenerative disorders of the lumbar spine. However, it is routinely performed with the patient supine and the hips and knees flexed. The absence of axial loading and lumbar extension results in a maximization of spinal canal dimensions, which may in some cases, result in failure to demonstrate nerve root compression. Attempts have been made to image the lumbar spine in a more physiological state, either by imaging with flexion-extension, in the erect position or by using axial loading. This article reviews the literature relating to the above techniques.

Tuberculosis Of The Spine In Childhood In Kano, Nigeria | Adeleke ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Tuberculosis is a necrotizing bacterial infection with protean manifestation and wide distribution. The involvement of the spine is also increasing because of the resurgence of tuberculosis and HIV. Objectives: The objective of this study is to clinically evaluate the outcome of tuberculosis of the spine in children ...

Comparative analysis of Canadian multiculturalism policy and the multiculturalism policies of other countries

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Berry, John

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Multiculturalism is an increasingly common characteristic of contemporary societies. In culturally diverse social contexts, virtually every person experiences intercultural contact on a daily basis. It is essential to understand that there must be both cultural diversity and equity in social participation for true multiculturalism to exist in these settings. Beyond its core definition, it is clear that multiculturalism is a complex concept encompassing many dimensions and meanings. First, the term is understood to describe a demographic fact, indicating the existence of cultural diversity in a society. Second, multiculturalism refers to the policies and programs that are in place to manage intercultural relations and acculturation. Third, multiculturalism refers to psychological phenomena, including individual attitudes and ideologies that accept or reject the demographic, civic and policy features of multiculturalism. This chapter considers Canadian multiculturalism policy, examining how the multiple meanings of multiculturalism vary around the world. Within this framework, I highlight the psychological processes and outcomes of multiculturalism, particularly in connection with acculturation, adaptation and intercultural relations and consider whether these processes and outcomes differ for dominant and non-dominant groups. I suggest some ways in which to enhance the positive outcomes of intercultural contact and the resultant acculturation outcomes. Finally, this chapter sets the stage for the presentation of the other chapters in this volume. It elaborates three hypotheses derived from Canadian multiculturalism policy: the multiculturalism, integration and contact hypotheses.

Medical devices of the head, neck, and spine.

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Hunter, Tim B; Yoshino, Mark T; Dzioba, Robert B; Light, Rick A; Berger, William G

2004-01-01

There are many medical devices used for head, neck, and spinal diseases and injuries, and new devices are constantly being introduced. Many of the newest devices are variations on a previous theme. Knowing the specific name of a device is not important. It is important to recognize the presence of a device and to have an understanding of its function as well as to be able to recognize the complications associated with its use. The article discusses the most common and important devices of the head, neck, and spine, including cerebrospinal fluid shunts and the Codman Hakim programmable valve; subdural drainage catheters, subdural electrodes, intracranial electrodes, deep brain stimulators, and cerebellar electrodes; coils, balloons, adhesives, particles, and aneurysm clips; radiation therapy catheters, intracranial balloons for drug installation, and carmustine wafers; hearing aids, cochlear implants, and ossicular reconstruction prostheses; orbital prostheses, intraocular silicone oil, and lacrimal duct stents; anterior and posterior cervical plates, posterior cervical spine wiring, odontoid fracture fixation devices, cervical collars and halo vests; thoracic and lumbar spine implants, anterior and posterior instrumentation for the thoracic and lumbar spine, vertebroplasty, and artificial disks; spinal column stimulators, bone stimulators, intrathecal drug delivery pumps, and sacral stimulators; dental and facial implant devices; gastric and tracheal tubes; vagus nerve stimulators; lumboperitoneal shunts; and temperature- and oxygen-sensing probes. Copyright RSNA, 2004

A perspective on Canadian shale gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, Mike; Davidson, Jim; Mortensen, Paul

2010-09-15

In a relatively new development over just the past few years, shale formations are being targeted for natural gas production. Based on initial results, there may be significant potential for shale gas in various regions of Canada, not only in traditional areas of conventional production but also non-traditional areas. However, there is much uncertainty because most Canadian shale gas production is currently in experimental or early developmental stages. Thus, its full potential will not be known for some time. If exploitation proves to be successful, Canadian shale gas may partially offset projected long-term declines in Canadian conventional natural gas production.

Moving back: The radiation dose received from lumbar spine quantitative fluoroscopy compared to lumbar spine radiographs with suggestions for dose reduction.

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Mellor, F E; Thomas, P; Breen, A

2014-08-01

Quantitative fluoroscopy is an emerging technology for assessing continuous inter-vertebral motion in the lumbar spine, but information on radiation dose is not yet available. The purposes of this study were to compare the radiation dose from quantitative fluoroscopy of the lumbar spine with lumbar spine radiographs, and identify opportunities for dose reduction in quantitative fluoroscopy. Internationally reported dose area product (DAP) and effective dose data for lumbar spine radiographs were compared with the same for quantitative fluoroscopy and with data from a local hospital for functional radiographs (weight bearing AP, lateral, and/or flexion and extension) ( n  = 27). The effects of procedure time, age, weight, height and body mass index on the fluoroscopy dose were determined by multiple linear regression using SPSS v19 software (IBM Corp., Armonck, NY, USA). The effective dose (and therefore the estimated risk) for quantitative fluoroscopy is 0.561 mSv which is lower than in most published data for lumbar spine radiography. The dose area product (DAP) for sagittal (flexion + extension) quantitative fluoroscopy is 3.94 Gy cm 2 which is lower than local data for two view (flexion and extension) functional radiographs (4.25 Gy cm 2 ), and combined coronal and sagittal dose from quantitative fluoroscopy (6.13 Gy cm 2 ) is lower than for four view functional radiography (7.34 Gy cm 2 ). Conversely DAP for coronal and sagittal quantitative fluoroscopy combined (6.13 Gy cm 2 ) is higher than that published for both lumbar AP or lateral radiographs, with the exception of Nordic countries combined data. Weight, procedure time and age were independently positively associated with total dose, and height (after adjusting for weight) was negatively associated, thus as height increased, the DAP decreased.

Moving back: The radiation dose received from lumbar spine quantitative fluoroscopy compared to lumbar spine radiographs with suggestions for dose reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mellor, F.E.; Thomas, P.; Breen, A.

2014-01-01

Purpose: Quantitative fluoroscopy is an emerging technology for assessing continuous inter-vertebral motion in the lumbar spine, but information on radiation dose is not yet available. The purposes of this study were to compare the radiation dose from quantitative fluoroscopy of the lumbar spine with lumbar spine radiographs, and identify opportunities for dose reduction in quantitative fluoroscopy. Methods: Internationally reported dose area product (DAP) and effective dose data for lumbar spine radiographs were compared with the same for quantitative fluoroscopy and with data from a local hospital for functional radiographs (weight bearing AP, lateral, and/or flexion and extension) (n = 27). The effects of procedure time, age, weight, height and body mass index on the fluoroscopy dose were determined by multiple linear regression using SPSS v19 software (IBM Corp., Armonck, NY, USA). Results and conclusion: The effective dose (and therefore the estimated risk) for quantitative fluoroscopy is 0.561 mSv which is lower than in most published data for lumbar spine radiography. The dose area product (DAP) for sagittal (flexion + extension) quantitative fluoroscopy is 3.94 Gy cm 2 which is lower than local data for two view (flexion and extension) functional radiographs (4.25 Gy cm 2 ), and combined coronal and sagittal dose from quantitative fluoroscopy (6.13 Gy cm 2 ) is lower than for four view functional radiography (7.34 Gy cm 2 ). Conversely DAP for coronal and sagittal quantitative fluoroscopy combined (6.13 Gy cm 2 ) is higher than that published for both lumbar AP or lateral radiographs, with the exception of Nordic countries combined data. Weight, procedure time and age were independently positively associated with total dose, and height (after adjusting for weight) was negatively associated, thus as height increased, the DAP decreased

Motor learning induces plastic changes in Purkinje cell dendritic spines in the rat cerebellum.

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González-Tapia, D; González-Ramírez, M M; Vázquez-Hernández, N; González-Burgos, I

2017-12-14

The paramedian lobule of the cerebellum is involved in learning to correctly perform motor skills through practice. Dendritic spines are dynamic structures that regulate excitatory synaptic stimulation. We studied plastic changes occurring in the dendritic spines of Purkinje cells from the paramedian lobule of rats during motor learning. Adult male rats were trained over a 6-day period using an acrobatic motor learning paradigm; the density and type of dendritic spines were determined every day during the study period using a modified version of the Golgi method. The learning curve reflected a considerable decrease in the number of errors made by rats as the training period progressed. We observed more dendritic spines on days 2 and 6, particularly more thin spines on days 1, 3, and 6, fewer mushroom spines on day 3, fewer stubby spines on day 1, and more thick spines on days 4 and 6. The initial stage of motor learning may be associated with fast processing of the underlying synaptic information combined with an apparent "silencing" of memory consolidation processes, based on the regulation of the neuronal excitability. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Machine Learning-Based Classification of 38 Years of Spine-Related Literature Into 100 Research Topics.

Science.gov (United States)

Sing, David C; Metz, Lionel N; Dudli, Stefan

2017-06-01

Retrospective review. To identify the top 100 spine research topics. Recent advances in "machine learning," or computers learning without explicit instructions, have yielded broad technological advances. Topic modeling algorithms can be applied to large volumes of text to discover quantifiable themes and trends. Abstracts were extracted from the National Library of Medicine PubMed database from five prominent peer-reviewed spine journals (European Spine Journal [ESJ], The Spine Journal [SpineJ], Spine, Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques [JSDT], Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine [JNS]). Each abstract was entered into a latent Dirichlet allocation model specified to discover 100 topics, resulting in each abstract being assigned a probability of belonging in a topic. Topics were named using the five most frequently appearing terms within that topic. Significance of increasing ("hot") or decreasing ("cold") topic popularity over time was evaluated with simple linear regression. From 1978 to 2015, 25,805 spine-related research articles were extracted and classified into 100 topics. Top two most published topics included "clinical, surgeons, guidelines, information, care" (n = 496 articles) and "pain, back, low, treatment, chronic" (424). Top two hot trends included "disc, cervical, replacement, level, arthroplasty" (+0.05%/yr, P < 0.001), and "minimally, invasive, approach, technique" (+0.05%/yr, P < 0.001). By journal, the most published topics were ESJ-"operative, surgery, postoperative, underwent, preoperative"; SpineJ-"clinical, surgeons, guidelines, information, care"; Spine-"pain, back, low, treatment, chronic"; JNS- "tumor, lesions, rare, present, diagnosis"; JSDT-"cervical, anterior, plate, fusion, ACDF." Topics discovered through latent Dirichlet allocation modeling represent unbiased meaningful themes relevant to spine care. Topic dynamics can provide historical context and direction for future research for aspiring investigators and trainees

Vascularization and odontode structure of a dorsal ridge spine of Romundina stellina Ørvig 1975.

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Anna Jerve

Full Text Available There are two types of dermal skeletons in jawed vertebrates: placoderms and osteichthyans carry large bony plates (macromery, whereas chondrichthyans and acanthodians are covered by small scales (micromery. Fin spines are one of the last large dermal structures found on micromeric taxa and offer a potential source of histology and morphology that can be compared to those found on macromeric groups. Dermal fin spines offer a variety of morphology but aspects of their growth modes and homology are unclear. Here, we provide detailed descriptions of the microstructure and growth of a dorsal ridge spine from the acanthothoracid placoderm, Romundina stellina, using virtual three-dimensional paleohistological datasets. From these data we identify several layers of dentine ornamentation covering the lateral surfaces of the spine and reconstructed their growth pattern. We show that this spine likely grew posteriorly and proximally from a narrow portion of bone located along the leading edge of the spine. The spine is similarly constructed to the scales with a few exceptions, including the absence of polarized fibers distributed throughout the bone and the presence of a thin layer of perichondral bone. The composition of the spine (semidentine odontodes, dermal bone, perichondral bone is identical to that of the Romundina dermal plates. These results illustrate the similarities and differences between the dermal tissues in Romundina and indicate that the spine grew differently from the dentinous fin spines from extant and fossil chondrichthyans. The morphology and histology of Romundina is most similar to the fin spine of the probable stem osteichthyan Lophosteus, with a well-developed inner cellular bony base and star-shaped odontodes on the surface. Results from these studies will undoubtedly have impact on our understanding of fossil fin spine histology and evolution, contributing to the on-going revision of early gnathostome phylogeny.

Mechanical coupling between transsynaptic N-cadherin adhesions and actin flow stabilizes dendritic spines

Science.gov (United States)

Chazeau, Anaël; Garcia, Mikael; Czöndör, Katalin; Perrais, David; Tessier, Béatrice; Giannone, Grégory; Thoumine, Olivier

2015-01-01

The morphology of neuronal dendritic spines is a critical indicator of synaptic function. It is regulated by several factors, including the intracellular actin/myosin cytoskeleton and transcellular N-cadherin adhesions. To examine the mechanical relationship between these molecular components, we performed quantitative live-imaging experiments in primary hippocampal neurons. We found that actin turnover and structural motility were lower in dendritic spines than in immature filopodia and increased upon expression of a nonadhesive N-cadherin mutant, resulting in an inverse relationship between spine motility and actin enrichment. Furthermore, the pharmacological stimulation of myosin II induced the rearward motion of actin structures in spines, showing that myosin II exerts tension on the actin network. Strikingly, the formation of stable, spine-like structures enriched in actin was induced at contacts between dendritic filopodia and N-cadherin–coated beads or micropatterns. Finally, computer simulations of actin dynamics mimicked various experimental conditions, pointing to the actin flow rate as an important parameter controlling actin enrichment in dendritic spines. Together these data demonstrate that a clutch-like mechanism between N-cadherin adhesions and the actin flow underlies the stabilization of dendritic filopodia into mature spines, a mechanism that may have important implications in synapse initiation, maturation, and plasticity in the developing brain. PMID:25568337

TU-A-BRB-00: PANEL DISCUSSION: SBRT/SRS Case Studies - Brain and Spine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2016-06-15

Brain stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and spine stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) are commonly treated by a multidisciplinary team of neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, and medical physicists. However the treatment objectives, constraints, and technical considerations involved can be quite different between the two techniques. In this interactive session an expert panel of speakers will present clinical brain SRS and spine SBRT cases in order to demonstrate real-world considerations for ensuring safe and accurate treatment delivery and to highlight the significant differences in approach for each treatment site. The session will include discussion of topic such as clinical indications, immobilization, target definition, normal tissue tolerance limits, and beam arrangements. Learning Objectives: Understand the differences in indications and dose/fractionation strategies for intracranial SRS and spine SBRT. Describe the different treatment modalities which can be used to deliver intracranial SRS and spine SBRT. Cite the major differences in treatment setup and delivery principles between intracranial and spine treatments. Identify key critical structures and clinical dosimetric tolerance levels for spine SBRT and intracranial SRS. Understand areas of ongoing work to standardize intracranial SRS and spine SBRT procedures. Schlesinger: Research support: Elekta Instruments, AB; D. Schlesinger, Elekta Instruments, AB - research support; B. Winey, No relevant external funding for this subject.

Human spaceflight and space adaptations: Computational simulation of gravitational unloading on the spine

Science.gov (United States)

Townsend, Molly T.; Sarigul-Klijn, Nesrin

2018-04-01

Living in reduced gravitational environments for a prolonged duration such, as a fly by mission to Mars or an extended stay at the international space station, affects the human body - in particular, the spine. As the spine adapts to spaceflight, morphological and physiological changes cause the mechanical integrity of the spinal column to be compromised, potentially endangering internal organs, nervous health, and human body mechanical function. Therefore, a high fidelity computational model and simulation of the whole human spine was created and validated for the purpose of investigating the mechanical integrity of the spine in crew members during exploratory space missions. A spaceflight exposed spine has been developed through the adaptation of a three-dimensional nonlinear finite element model with the updated Lagrangian formulation of a healthy ground-based human spine in vivo. Simulation of the porohyperelastic response of the intervertebral disc to mechanical unloading resulted in a model capable of accurately predicting spinal swelling/lengthening, spinal motion, and internal stress distribution. The curvature of this space adaptation exposed spine model was compared to a control terrestrial-based finite element model, indicating how the shape changed. Finally, the potential of injury sites to crew members are predicted for a typical 9 day mission.

TU-A-BRB-00: PANEL DISCUSSION: SBRT/SRS Case Studies - Brain and Spine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

Brain stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and spine stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) are commonly treated by a multidisciplinary team of neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, and medical physicists. However the treatment objectives, constraints, and technical considerations involved can be quite different between the two techniques. In this interactive session an expert panel of speakers will present clinical brain SRS and spine SBRT cases in order to demonstrate real-world considerations for ensuring safe and accurate treatment delivery and to highlight the significant differences in approach for each treatment site. The session will include discussion of topic such as clinical indications, immobilization, target definition, normal tissue tolerance limits, and beam arrangements. Learning Objectives: Understand the differences in indications and dose/fractionation strategies for intracranial SRS and spine SBRT. Describe the different treatment modalities which can be used to deliver intracranial SRS and spine SBRT. Cite the major differences in treatment setup and delivery principles between intracranial and spine treatments. Identify key critical structures and clinical dosimetric tolerance levels for spine SBRT and intracranial SRS. Understand areas of ongoing work to standardize intracranial SRS and spine SBRT procedures. Schlesinger: Research support: Elekta Instruments, AB; D. Schlesinger, Elekta Instruments, AB - research support; B. Winey, No relevant external funding for this subject.

Cortical Composition Hierarchy Driven by Spine Proportion Economical Maximization or Wire Volume Minimization.

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Jan Karbowski

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The structure and quantitative composition of the cerebral cortex are interrelated with its computational capacity. Empirical data analyzed here indicate a certain hierarchy in local cortical composition. Specifically, neural wire, i.e., axons and dendrites take each about 1/3 of cortical space, spines and glia/astrocytes occupy each about (1/3(2, and capillaries around (1/3(4. Moreover, data analysis across species reveals that these fractions are roughly brain size independent, which suggests that they could be in some sense optimal and thus important for brain function. Is there any principle that sets them in this invariant way? This study first builds a model of local circuit in which neural wire, spines, astrocytes, and capillaries are mutually coupled elements and are treated within a single mathematical framework. Next, various forms of wire minimization rule (wire length, surface area, volume, or conduction delays are analyzed, of which, only minimization of wire volume provides realistic results that are very close to the empirical cortical fractions. As an alternative, a new principle called "spine economy maximization" is proposed and investigated, which is associated with maximization of spine proportion in the cortex per spine size that yields equally good but more robust results. Additionally, a combination of wire cost and spine economy notions is considered as a meta-principle, and it is found that this proposition gives only marginally better results than either pure wire volume minimization or pure spine economy maximization, but only if spine economy component dominates. However, such a combined meta-principle yields much better results than the constraints related solely to minimization of wire length, wire surface area, and conduction delays. Interestingly, the type of spine size distribution also plays a role, and better agreement with the data is achieved for distributions with long tails. In sum, these results suggest

Oral Presentations Have a Significantly Higher Publication Rate, But Not Impact Factors, Than Poster Presentations at the International Society for Study of Lumbar Spine meeting: Review of 1126 Abstracts From 2010 to 2012 Meetings.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohtori, Seiji; Orita, Sumihisa; Eguchi, Yawara; Aoki, Yasuchika; Suzuki, Miyako; Kubota, Gou; Inage, Kazuhide; Shiga, Yasuhiro; Abe, Koki; Kinoshita, Hideyuki; Inoue, Masahiro; Kanamoto, Hirohito; Norimoto, Masaki; Umimura, Tomotaka; Furuya, Takeo; Masao, Koda; Maki, Satoshi; Akazawa, Tsutomu; Takahashi, Kazuhisa

2018-03-05

A retrospective study. The aim of this study was to determine the publication rate and impact factors (IFs) among all abstracts presented at the 2010 and 2012 meetings of the International Society for the Study of Lumbar Spine (ISSLS). The publication rate of abstracts presented at overseas meetings was reported to be around 50%. However, the publication rate and IFs of oral and poster presentations made at ISSLS meetings were unclear. Moreover, whether the publication rates and IFs differed for papers associated with oral or poster presentations at ISSLS meetings was unknown. We investigated all 1126 abstracts (oral, special posters, general posters) presented at ISSLS meetings held between 2010 and 2012. PubMed was searched to identify publications and IFs were determined using journal citation reports. We also compared the publication rates and IFs between oral and poster presentations. The overall publication rate was 50.1% for three ISSLS meetings (564 publications/1126 abstracts). The overall publication rate for oral presentations, special posters, and general posters given in the 2010 to 2012 meetings was 62.0%, 48.3, and 46.6%, respectively. Overall, papers related to oral presentations had significantly higher publication rates than those of special and general posters (P = 0.0002). The average IFs of publications associated with abstracts presented at three ISSLS meetings was 2.802 for oral presentations, 2.593 for special posters, and 2.589 for general posters. There were no significant differences in average IFs between oral and poster presentations (P > 0.05). The publication rate for abstracts presented at ISSLS meetings was high and similar to publication rates for abstracts presented at other meetings concerning orthopedic and spine research. However, there was no significant difference in IFs between oral and poster presentations, suggesting that abstract evaluations cannot predict IFs of the eventual publication. 4.

A prospective randomized controlled study on the treatment outcome of SpineCor brace versus rigid brace for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with follow-up according to the SRS standardized criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jing; Lam, Tsz Ping; Wong, Man Sang; Ng, Bobby Kin Wah; Lee, Kwong Man; Liu, King Lok; Hung, Lik Hang; Lau, Ajax Hong Yin; Sin, Sai Wing; Kwok, Wing Kwan; Yu, Fiona Wai Ping; Qiu, Yong; Cheng, Jack Chun Yiu

2014-12-01

SpineCor is a relatively innovative brace for non-operative treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). However, the effectiveness of SpineCor still remains controversial. The objective of the current study was to compare the treatment outcomes of SpineCor brace with that of rigid brace following the standardized Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) criteria on AIS brace study. Females subjects with AIS and aged 10-14 were randomly allocated into two groups undergoing treatment of SpineCor (S Group, n = 20) or rigid brace (R Group, n = 18). During SpineCor treatment, patients who had curve progression of >5° would be required to switch to rigid brace treatment. The effectiveness of the two brace treatments was assessed using the SRS standardized criteria. Before skeletal maturity, 7 (35.0%) patients in the S Group and 1 (5.6%) patient in the R Group had curve progression >5° (P = 0.026). At skeletal maturity, 5 of the 7 (71.4%) patients who failed with SpineCor bracing showed control from further progression by changing to rigid bracing. At the latest follow-up with a mean duration of 45.1 months after skeletally maturity, 29.4% of patients who were successfully treated by rigid brace showed further curve progression beyond skeletal maturity, versus 38.5% of patients in the SpineCor group (P > 0.05). For both groups, the primary curves were slightly improved at the time of brace weaning, but additionally increased at the latest follow-up, with a rate of 1.5° per year for post-maturity progression. Curve progression rate was found to be significantly higher in the SpineCor group when compared with the rigid brace group. Changing to rigid bracing could control further curve progression for majority of patients who previously failed with SpineCor bracing. For both SpineCor and rigid brace treatments, 30-40% of patients who were originally successfully treated by bracing would exhibit further curve progression beyond skeletal maturity. The post

Fetal evaluation of spine dysraphism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bulas, Dorothy

2010-01-01

Spinal dysraphism or neural tube defects (NTD) encompass a heterogeneous group of congenital spinal anomalies that result from the defective closure of the neural tube early in gestation with anomalous development of the caudal cell mass. Advances in ultrasound and MRI have dramatically improved the diagnosis and therapy of spinal dysraphism and caudal spinal anomalies both prenatally and postnatally. Advances in prenatal US including high frequency linear transducers and three dimensional imaging can provide detailed information concerning spinal anomalies. MR imaging is a complementary tool that can further elucidate spine abnormalities as well as associated central nervous system and non-CNS anomalies. Recent studies have suggested that 3-D CT can help further assess fetal spine anomalies in the third trimester. With the advent of fetal therapy including surgery, accurate prenatal diagnosis of open and closed spinal dysraphism becomes critical in appropriate counselling and perinatal management. (orig.)

Fetal evaluation of spine dysraphism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bulas, Dorothy [George Washington University Medical Center, Division of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology, Children' s National Medical Center, Washington, DC (United States)

2010-06-15

Spinal dysraphism or neural tube defects (NTD) encompass a heterogeneous group of congenital spinal anomalies that result from the defective closure of the neural tube early in gestation with anomalous development of the caudal cell mass. Advances in ultrasound and MRI have dramatically improved the diagnosis and therapy of spinal dysraphism and caudal spinal anomalies both prenatally and postnatally. Advances in prenatal US including high frequency linear transducers and three dimensional imaging can provide detailed information concerning spinal anomalies. MR imaging is a complementary tool that can further elucidate spine abnormalities as well as associated central nervous system and non-CNS anomalies. Recent studies have suggested that 3-D CT can help further assess fetal spine anomalies in the third trimester. With the advent of fetal therapy including surgery, accurate prenatal diagnosis of open and closed spinal dysraphism becomes critical in appropriate counselling and perinatal management. (orig.)

Percutaneous vertebroplasty for multiple myeloma of the cervical spine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mont'Alverne, Francisco; Vallee, Jean-Noel; Guillevin, Remy; Cormier, Evelyne; Jean, Betty; Rose, Michelle; Chiras, Jacques; Caldas, Jose Guilherme

2009-01-01

Spinal involvement is a common presentation of multiple myeloma (MM); however, the cervical spine is the least common site of myelomatous involvement. Few studies evaluate the results of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) in the treatment of MM of the spine. The purpose of this series is to report on the use of PV in the treatment of MM of the cervical spine and to review the literature. From January 1994 to October 2007, four patients (three men and one woman; mean age, 45 years) who underwent five PV for painful MM in the cervical spine were retrospectively reviewed. The pain was estimated by the patient on a verbal analogic scale. Clinical follow-up was available for all patients (mean, 27.5 months; range, 1-96 months). The mean volume of cement injected per vertebral body was 2.3 ± 0.8 mL (range, 1.0-4.0 mL) with a mean vertebral filling of 55.0 ± 12.0% (range, 40.0-75.0%). Analgesic efficacy was achieved in all patients. One patient had a spinal instability due to a progression of spinal deformity noted on follow-up radiographs, without clinical symptoms. Cement leakage was detected in three (60%) of the five treated vertebrae. There was no clinical complication. The present series suggests that PV for MM of the cervical spine is safe and effective for pain control; nonetheless, the detrimental impact of the disease on bone quality should prompt close radiological follow-up after PV owing to the risk of spinal instability. (orig.)

Considerations to improve the safety of cervical spine manual therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hutting, Nathan; Kerry, Roger; Coppieters, Michel W; Scholten-Peeters, Gwendolijne G M

2018-02-01

Manipulation and mobilisation of the cervical spine are well established interventions in the management of patients with headache and/or neck pain. However, their benefits are accompanied by potential, yet rare risks in terms of serious adverse events, including neurovascular insult to the brain. A recent international framework for risk assessment and management offers directions in the mitigation of this risk by facilitating sound clinical reasoning. The aim of this article is to critically reflect on and summarize the current knowledge about cervical spine manual therapy and to provide guidance for clinical reasoning for cervical spine manual therapy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of muscle forces on the stress distribution in the lumbar spine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wong, C; Rasmussen, J; Simonsen, Erik B.

2011-01-01

muscles. Results: In general the von Mises stress was larger by 30 %, and even higher when looking at the von Mises stress distribution in the superio-anterior and central part of the vertebral body and in the pedicles. Conclusion: The application of spine muscles to a finite element model showed markedly...... larger von Mises stress responses in the central and anterior part of the vertebral body, which can be tolerated in the young and healthy spine, but it would increase the risk of compression fractures in the elderly, osteoporotic spine.......Introduction: Previous studies of bone stresses in the human lumbar spine have relied on simplified models when modeling the spinal musculature, even though muscle forces are likely major contributors to the stresses in the vertebral bones. Detailed musculoskeletal spine models have recently become...

Diagnostic value of multi-slice spiral CT for atlantoaxial spine injuries in children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Chengde; Qin Hongwei; Li Junhong

2009-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT) for the atlantoaxial spine injuries in children. Methods: The CT findings of 21 cases with the atlantoaxial spine injuries in children were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Fractures of dens occurred in 4 cases, isolated atlantoaxial dislocation in 15 cases, subluxation of the C2/3 right vertebra facet in 1 and atlanto-occipital subluxation in 1. CT diagnosis was correct in all cases. And plain film diagnosis was correct ia 13. Conclusion: MSCT could clearly demonstrate the fractures and dislocations of the atlantoaxial spine injuries in children and correctly determine the type of the atlantoaxial spine injuries in children, MSCT is the modality of choice in diagnosis of the atlantoaxial spine injuries in children and should be performed routinely. (authors)

Canadian perspectives on food irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunstadt, P.

1990-01-01

Canada has been in the forefront of irradiation technology for over 30 years. Some 83 of the 147 irradiators used worldwide are Canadian-built, yet Canadian food processors have been very slow to use the technology. This paper is an update on the food irradiation regulatory situation in Canada and the factors that influence it. It also reviews some significant non-regulatory developments. (author)

Large and Small Dendritic Spines Serve Different Interacting Functions in Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity and Homeostasis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joshua J. W. Paulin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The laying down of memory requires strong stimulation resulting in specific changes in synaptic strength and corresponding changes in size of dendritic spines. Strong stimuli can also be pathological, causing a homeostatic response, depressing and shrinking the synapse to prevent damage from too much Ca2+ influx. But do all types of dendritic spines serve both of these apparently opposite functions? Using confocal microscopy in organotypic slices from mice expressing green fluorescent protein in hippocampal neurones, the size of individual spines along sections of dendrite has been tracked in response to application of tetraethylammonium. This strong stimulus would be expected to cause both a protective homeostatic response and long-term potentiation. We report separation of these functions, with spines of different sizes reacting differently to the same strong stimulus. The immediate shrinkage of large spines suggests a homeostatic protective response during the period of potential danger. In CA1, long-lasting growth of small spines subsequently occurs consolidating long-term potentiation but only after the large spines return to their original size. In contrast, small spines do not change in dentate gyrus where potentiation does not occur. The separation in time of these changes allows clear functional differentiation of spines of different sizes.

Pott's disease: a case of Mycobacterium xenopi infection of the spine.

Science.gov (United States)

Alfreijat, Majd; Ononiwu, Chiagozie; Sexton, Carlton

2012-01-01

Pott's disease is an infection of the spine with Mycobacterium tuberculosis that causes destruction of the spine elements resulting in progressive kyphosis. We are describing a rare case of Pott's disease where Mycobacterium xenopi was the inculpated organism.

Implications of globalization on pricing for Canadian crudes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Black, R. [Canadian Occidental Petroleum Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada)

1998-05-01

The effects of globalization on Canadian crude oil prices was discussed. Since deregulation in October 1985, Canadian crude oil has competed directly against international crude oil through the use of the NYMEX contract price for light sweet crude oil as the base for establishing the price for Canadian crudes. Prior to that date, Alberta crude was marketed by the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission using the old block matrix which was loosely tied to the world market price. In addition to world crude oil prices other factors that affect the price of Canadian crude oil include technology impacts and global integration. Also, when the Sarnia to Montreal pipeline (Line 9) is reversed to bring offshore crude oil into the Ontario refining community, Canadian producers can expect some adverse effects on the price they are paid for their products leading up to the reversal as refiners start to swing over to their alternate suppliers. The offshore supply is expected to be about 140,000 barrels/day of light sweet crude oil, but all grades of Canadian crude oil will be affected.

Society's general exposure to risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lidstone, R.F.

1981-10-01

Canadian and world experience with accidents and disease is reviewed in order to identify risk information that might extend the societal perspective on health risk beyond daily concerns. The level of exposure to catastrophic risks is compared to that associated with commonly experienced risks. An examination of current and historical levels of Canadian mortality risk is included. The association between mortality risk and Canadian industrial activity is also examined. Some prospects for utilizing these risk benchmarks are then discussed

Post-mortem MRI of the foetal spine and spinal cord

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Widjaja, E.; Whitby, E.H.; Cohen, M.; Paley, M.N.J.; Griffiths, P.D.

2006-01-01

Aims: To compare the findings of post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the foetal spine with autopsy with a view to using post-mortem MRI as an alternative or adjunct to autopsy, particularly in foetal and neonatal cases. Materials and Methods: The brains and spines of 41 foetuses, with a gestational age range of 14-41 weeks, underwent post-mortem MRI before autopsy. Post-mortem MRI of the brain consisted of T2-weighted sequences in three orthogonal planes and MRI of the spine consisted of T2-weighted sequence in the sagittal and axial planes in all cases and coronal planes in selected cases. Results: Thirty of 41 (78%) foetal spines were found to be normal at autopsy and on post-mortem MRI. Eleven of 41 (22%) foetal spines were abnormal: eight foetuses had myelomeningocoeles and Chiari 2 deformities, one foetus had limited dorsal myeloschisis, one foetus had caudal regression syndrome, and one had diastematomyelia. The post-mortem MRI findings concurred with the autopsy findings in 10/11 of the abnormal cases, the disagreement being the case of diastematomyelia that was shown on post-mortem MRI but was not diagnosed at autopsy. Conclusions: In this series, post-mortem MRI findings agreed with the autopsy findings in 40/41(98%) cases and in one case the post-mortem MRI demonstrated an abnormality not demonstrated at autopsy

Benign compression fractures of the spine: signal patterns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryu, Kyung Nam; Choi, Woo Suk; Lee, Sun Wha; Lim, Jae Hoon

1992-01-01

Fifteen patients with 38 compression fractures of the spine underwent magnetic resonance(MR) imaging. We retrospectively evaluated MR images in those benign compression fractures. MR images showed four patterns in T1-weighted images. MR imaging patterns were normal signal(21), band like low signal(8), low signal with preservation of peripheral portion of the body(8), and diffuse low signal through the vertebral body(1). The low signal portions were changed to high signal intensities in T2-weighted images. In 7 of 15 patients (11 compression fractures), there was a history of trauma, and the remaining 8 patients (27 compression fractures) had no history of trauma. Benign compression fractures of trauma, remained 8 patients (27 compression fractures) were non-traumatic. Benign compression fractures of the spine reveal variable signal intensities in MR imagings. These patterns of benign compression fractures may be useful in interpretation of MR imagings of the spine

CREB regulates spine density of lateral amygdala neurons: implications for memory allocation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Derya eSargin

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Neurons may compete against one another for integration into a memory trace. Specifically, neurons in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala with relatively higher levels of CREB seem to be preferentially allocated to a fear memory trace, while neurons with relatively decreased CREB function seem to be excluded from a fear memory trace. CREB is a ubiquitous transcription factor that modulates many diverse cellular processes, raising the question as to which of these CREB-mediated processes underlie memory allocation. CREB is implicated in modulating dendritic spine number and morphology. As dendritic spines are intimately involved in memory formation, we investigated whether manipulations of CREB function alter spine number or morphology of neurons at the time of fear conditioning. We used viral vectors to manipulate CREB function in the lateral amygdala principal neurons in mice maintained in their homecages. At the time that fear conditioning normally occurs, we observed that neurons with high levels of CREB had more dendritic spines, while neurons with low CREB function had relatively fewer spines compared to control neurons. These results suggest that the modulation of spine density provides a potential mechanism for preferential allocation of a subset of neurons to the memory trace.

Cdk5 Is Essential for Amphetamine to Increase Dendritic Spine Density in Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soledad Ferreras

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Psychostimulant drugs of abuse increase dendritic spine density in reward centers of the brain. However, little is known about their effects in the hippocampus, where activity-dependent changes in the density of dendritic spine are associated with learning and memory. Recent reports suggest that Cdk5 plays an important role in drug addiction, but its role in psychostimulant’s effects on dendritic spines in hippocampus remain unknown. We used in vivo and in vitro approaches to demonstrate that amphetamine increases dendritic spine density in pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus. Primary cultures and organotypic slice cultures were used for cellular, molecular, pharmacological and biochemical analyses of the role of Cdk5/p25 in amphetamine-induced dendritic spine formation. Amphetamine (two-injection protocol increased dendritic spine density in hippocampal neurons of thy1-green fluorescent protein (GFP mice, as well as in hippocampal cultured neurons and organotypic slice cultures. Either genetic or pharmacological inhibition of Cdk5 activity prevented the amphetamine–induced increase in dendritic spine density. Amphetamine also increased spine density in neurons overexpressing the strong Cdk5 activator p25. Finally, inhibition of calpain, the protease necessary for the conversion of p35 to p25, prevented amphetamine’s effect on dendritic spine density. We demonstrate, for the first time, that amphetamine increases the density of dendritic spine in hippocampal pyramidal neurons in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, we show that the Cdk5/p25 signaling and calpain activity are both necessary for the effect of amphetamine on dendritic spine density. The identification of molecular mechanisms underlying psychostimulant effects provides novel and promising therapeutic approaches for the treatment of drug addiction.

The flow of radionuclides through the Canadian archipelago

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ellis, K.; Smith, J.N.

1999-01-01

The transport of contaminants to the Canadian Arctic by air and in water and their concentration through the marine food web has lead to enhanced levels of contaminants in several foods of Canadian northern inhabitants. Artificial radionuclides in the marine water can be used to determine water circulation and to trace contaminant transport through the Canadian Archipelago

Coupled motions in human and porcine thoracic and lumbar spines

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kingma, Idsart; Busscher, Iris; van der Veen, Albert J.; Verkerke, Gijsbertus J.; Veldhuizen, Albert G.; Homminga, Jasper; van Dieën, Jaap H.

2018-01-01

Coupled motions, i.e., motions along axes other than the loaded axis, have been reported to occur in the human spine, and are likely to be influenced by inclined local axes due to the sagittal plane spine curvature. Furthermore, the role of facet joints in such motions is as yet unclear. Therefore,

Coupled motions in human and porcine thoracic and lumbar spines

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kingma, Idsart; Busscher, Iris; van der Veen, Albert J.; Verkerke, Gijsbertus J.; Veldhuizen, Albert G.; Homminga, Jasper; van Dieën, Jaap H.

2017-01-01

Coupled motions, i.e., motions along axes other than the loaded axis, have been reported to occur in the human spine, and are likely to be influenced by inclined local axes due to the sagittal plane spine curvature. Furthermore, the role of facet joints in such motions is as yet unclear. Therefore,

Validation of the Spine Oncology Study Group-Outcomes Questionnaire to assess quality of life in patients with metastatic spine disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Janssen, Stein J; Teunis, Teun; van Dijk, Eva; Ferrone, Marco L; Shin, John H; Hornicek, Francis; Schwab, Joseph H

2017-06-01

General questionnaires are often used to assess quality of life in patients with spine metastases, although a disease-specific survey did not exist until recently. The Spine Oncology Study Group has developed an outcomes questionnaire (SOSG-OQ) to measure quality of life in these patients. However, a scoring system was not developed, and the questionnaire was not validated in a group of patients, nor was it compared with other general quality of life questionnaires such as the EuroQol 5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) questionnaire. Our primary null hypothesis is that there is no association between the SOSG-OQ and EQ-5D. Our secondary null hypothesis is that there is no difference in coverage and internal consistency between the SOSG-OQ and EQ-5D. We also assess coverage, consistency, and validity of the domains within the SOSG-OQ. A survey study from a tertiary care spine referral center was used for this study. The patient sample consisted of 82 patients with spine metastases, myeloma, or lymphoma. The SOSG-OQ (27 questions, 6 domains) score ranges from 0 to 80, with a higher score indicating worse quality of life. The EQ-5D (5 questions, 5 domains) index score ranges from 0 to 1, with a higher score indicating better quality of life. The association between the SOSG-OQ and EQ-5D index score was assessed using the Spearman rank correlation. Instrument coverage and precision were assessed by determining item completion rate, median score with range, and floor and ceiling effect. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach alpha. Multitrait analysis and exploratory factor analysis were used to analyze properties of the individual domains in the SOSG-OQ. The Spearman rank correlation between the SOSG-OQ and EQ-5D questionnaire was high (r=-0.83, pquality of life in patients with metastatic spine disease. The SOSG-OQ is superior to the EQ-5D in terms of coverage and internal consistency but consists of more questions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pott's disease: a case of Mycobacterium xenopi infection of the spine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Majd Alfreijat

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Pott's disease is an infection of the spine with Mycobacterium tuberculosis that causes destruction of the spine elements resulting in progressive kyphosis. We are describing a rare case of Pott's disease where Mycobacterium xenopi was the inculpated organism.

Ethics Guide Recommendations for Organ-Donation-Focused Physicians: Endorsed by the Canadian Medical Association.

Science.gov (United States)

Shemie, Sam D; Simpson, Christy; Blackmer, Jeff; MacDonald, Shavaun; Dhanani, Sonny; Torrance, Sylvia; Byrne, Paul

2017-05-01

Donation physicians are specialists with expertise in organ and tissue donation and have been recognized internationally as a key contributor to improving organ and tissue donation services. Subsequent to a 2011 Canadian Critical Care Society-Canadian Blood Services consultation, the donation physician role has been gradually implemented in Canada. These professionals are generally intensive care unit physicians with an enhanced focus and expertise in organ/tissue donation. They must manage the dual obligation of caring for dying patients and their families while providing and/or improving organ donation services. In anticipation of actual, potential or perceived ethical challenges with the role, Canadian Blood Services in partnership with the Canadian Medical Association organized the development of an evidence-informed consensus process of donation experts and bioethicists to produce an ethics guide. This guide includes overarching principles and benefits of the DP role, and recommendations in regard to communication with families, role disclosure, consent discussions, interprofessional conflicts, conscientious objection, death determination, donation specific clinical practices in neurological determination of death and donation after circulatory death, end-of-life care, performance metrics, resources and remuneration. Although this report is intended to inform donation physician practices, it is recognized that the recommendations may have applicability to other professionals (eg, physicians in intensive care, emergency medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, pulmonology) who may also participate in the end-of-life care of potential donors in various clinical settings. It is hoped that this guidance will assist practitioners and their sponsoring organizations in preserving their duty of care, protecting the interests of dying patients, and fulfilling best practices for organ and tissue donation.

Rigid Spine Syndrome among Children in Oman

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roshan Koul

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Rigidity of the spine is common in adults but is rarely observed in children. The aim of this study was to report on rigid spine syndrome (RSS among children in Oman. Methods: Data on children diagnosed with RSS were collected consecutively at presentation between 1996 and 2014 at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH in Muscat, Oman. A diagnosis of RSS was based on the patient’s history, clinical examination, biochemical investigations, electrophysiological findings, neuro-imaging and muscle biopsy. Atrophy of the paraspinal muscles, particularly the erector spinae, was the diagnostic feature; this was noted using magnetic resonance imaging of the spine. Children with disease onset in the paraspinal muscles were labelled as having primary RSS or rigid spinal muscular dystrophy. Secondary RSS was classified as RSS due to the late involvement of other muscle diseases. Results: Over the 18-year period, 12 children were included in the study, with a maleto- female ratio of 9:3. A total of 10 children were found to have primary RSS or rigid spinal muscular dystrophy syndrome while two had secondary RSS. Onset of the disease ranged from birth to 18 months of age. A family history was noted, with two siblings from one family and three siblings from another (n = 5. On examination, children with primary RSS had typical features of severe spine rigidity at onset, with the rest of the neurological examination being normal. Conclusion: RSS is a rare disease with only 12 reported cases found at SQUH during the study period. Cases of primary RSS should be differentiated from the secondary type.

Tuberculosis of the spine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Psarras, H.; Faraj, J.; Gouliamos, A.; Kalovidouris, A.; Vlahos, L.; Papavassiliou, C.

1985-07-01

Two surgically proven cases of turberculous psoas abscess are presented. The common findings on CT were low-density paraspinal masses and extension of the lesions which followed the typical distribution of iliopsoas muscle in both cases. The skeletal findings from the spine are also discussed. Our cases indicate the complementary use of plain radiography and CT in the investigation of tuberculous spondylitis.

Wearable technology for spine movement assessment: A systematic review

OpenAIRE

Papi, Enrica; Koh, Woon Senn; McGregor, Alison H.

2017-01-01

Continuous monitoring of spine movement function could enhance our understanding of low back pain development. Wearable technologies have gained popularity as promising alternative to laboratory systems in allowing ambulatory movement analysis. This paper aims to review the state of art of current use of wearable technology to assess spine kinematics and kinetics. Four electronic databases and reference lists of relevant articles were searched to find studies employing wearable technologies t...

A comparative analysis of minimally invasive and open spine surgery patient education resources.

Science.gov (United States)

Agarwal, Nitin; Feghhi, Daniel P; Gupta, Raghav; Hansberry, David R; Quinn, John C; Heary, Robert F; Goldstein, Ira M

2014-09-01

The Internet has become a widespread source for disseminating health information to large numbers of people. Such is the case for spine surgery as well. Given the complexity of spinal surgeries, an important point to consider is whether these resources are easily read and understood by most Americans. The average national reading grade level has been estimated to be at about the 7th grade. In the present study the authors strove to assess the readability of open spine surgery resources and minimally invasive spine surgery resources to offer suggestions to help improve the readability of patient resources. Online patient education resources were downloaded in 2013 from 50 resources representing either traditional open back surgery or minimally invasive spine surgery. Each resource was assessed using 10 scales from Readability Studio Professional Edition version 2012.1. Patient education resources representing traditional open back surgery or minimally invasive spine surgery were all found to be written at a level well above the recommended 6th grade level. In general, minimally invasive spine surgery materials were written at a higher grade level. The readability of patient education resources from spine surgery websites exceeds the average reading ability of an American adult. Revisions may be warranted to increase quality and patient comprehension of these resources to effectively reach a greater patient population.

Recent Books on Canadian Business History.