Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted descending) Filter |
|---|
| the use of standardized clients in research in the veterinary clinical setting. | this article describes the first use of undisclosed standardized clients (scs) for research in the veterinary clinical setting. the study described here used scs to investigate veterinarian-client communication during euthanasia discussions. use of this methodology allowed us to avoid several ethical and logistical challenges associated with gathering observational data on sensitive subject matter. in medicine, standardized patients (sps) are used extensively in teaching, medical school examinat ... | 2008 | 19066360 |
| antimicrobial resistance in escherichia coli isolates from swine and wild small mammals in the proximity of swine farms and in natural environments in ontario, canada. | wild animals not normally exposed to antimicrobial agents can acquire antimicrobial agent-resistant bacteria through contact with humans and domestic animals and through the environment. in this study we assessed the frequency of antimicrobial resistance in generic escherichia coli isolates from wild small mammals (mice, voles, and shrews) and the effect of their habitat (farm or natural area) on antimicrobial resistance. additionally, we compared the types and frequency of antimicrobial resista ... | 2009 | 19047381 |
| analysis of factors affecting demand for rehabilitation services in ontario, canada: a health-policy perspective. | demand for health services tends to outstrip supply in an environment of economic scarcity. | 2008 | 19037778 |
| the acute care nurse practitioner in ontario: a workforce study. | in spite of the long history of nurse practitioner practice in primary healthcare, less is known about nurse practitioners in hospital-based environments because until very recently, they have not been included in the extended class registration (nurse practitioner equivalent) with the college of nurses of ontario. recent changes in the regulation of nurse practitioners in ontario to include adult, paediatric and anaesthesia, indicates that a workforce review of practice profiles is needed to fu ... | 2008 | 19029848 |
| a case study: the initiative to improve rn scheduling at hamilton health sciences. | in 2003, hamilton health sciences embarked on an initiative to improve and standardize nursing schedules and scheduling practices. the scheduling project was one of several initiatives undertaken by a corporate-wide nursing resource group established to enhance the work environment and patient care and to ensure appropriate utilization of nursing resources across the organization's five hospitals. this article focuses on major activities undertaken in the scheduling initiative. the step-by-step ... | 2008 | 19029842 |
| activation of notch signaling in human colon adenocarcinoma. | notch and wnt signaling function together to regulate colonic progenitor cell division and differentiation. studies in mice have also shown that notch signaling is required for adenoma formation in response to elevated wnt-pathway signaling that occurs in the apcmin mouse model of human adenomatous polyposis coli. we therefore used in situ hybridization to analyze expression of notch ligands, receptors and fringe genes, as well as the notch target gene, hes1, in human colorectal cancer (crc). in ... | 2008 | 19020755 |
| differential patterns of amantadine-resistance in influenza a (h3n2) and (h1n1) isolates in toronto, canada. | molecular methods were used to characterize influenza a (h1n1) and (h3n2) strains and to identify amantadine-resistance. | 2009 | 19019729 |
| veterinarian-client-patient communication during wellness appointments versus appointments related to a health problem in companion animal practice. | to compare the clinical interview process, content of the medical dialog, and emotional tone of the veterinarian-client-patient interaction during wellness appointments and appointments related to a health problem in companion animal practice. | 2008 | 19014290 |
| decentralized molecular diagnostic testing plan for pandemic influenza in the ontario public health laboratory system. | the ontario public health laboratories system (ophl) is in the midst of a six-year plan to implement molecular tools for pandemic influenza diagnostics in one central and three regional public health laboratories. this plan has been formulated as a consequence of: (1) experiences gained through severe acute respiratory syndrome (sars), and comments of the members of the expert panel on sars and infectious disease control (i.e., the walker report); (2) a review of pandemic preparedness literature ... | 2008 | 19009922 |
| behaviourally mediated crypsis in two nocturnal moths with contrasting appearance. | the natural resting orientations of several species of nocturnal moth on tree trunks were recorded over a three-month period in eastern ontario, canada. moths from certain genera exhibited resting orientation distributions that differed significantly from random, whereas others did not. in particular, catocala spp. collectively tended to orient vertically, whereas subfamily larentiinae representatives showed a variety of orientations that did not differ significantly from random. to understand w ... | 2009 | 19000977 |
| spreading good ideas: a case study of the adoption of an innovation in the construction sector. | a health and safety association collaborated with two research centres to examine the dissemination of knowledge of an ergonomic intervention by opinion leaders in the construction sector. the intervention was a hydraulic ladder lift that aided with loading and unloading of ladders off van roofs. thirteen companies, with five to 900 employees, were involved. the van operators informed workmates not employed by their companies but who worked on the same site as them about the intervention. the op ... | 2009 | 18992873 |
| red meat intake, doneness, polymorphisms in genes that encode carcinogen-metabolizing enzymes, and colorectal cancer risk. | colorectal cancer literature regarding the interaction between polymorphisms in carcinogen-metabolizing enzymes and red meat intake/doneness is inconsistent. a case-control study was conducted to evaluate the interaction between red meat consumption, doneness, and polymorphisms in carcinogen-metabolizing enzymes. colorectal cancer cases diagnosed 1997 to 2000, ages 20 to 74 years, were identified through the population-based ontario cancer registry and recruited by the ontario family colorectal ... | 2008 | 18990750 |
| health benefits of universal influenza vaccination strategy. | 2008 | 18959475 | |
| the effect of universal influenza immunization on mortality and health care use. | in 2000, ontario, canada, initiated a universal influenza immunization program (uiip) to provide free influenza vaccines for the entire population aged 6 mo or older. influenza immunization increased more rapidly in younger age groups in ontario compared to other canadian provinces, which all maintained targeted immunization programs. we evaluated the effect of ontario's uiip on influenza-associated mortality, hospitalizations, emergency department (ed) use, and visits to doctors' offices. | 2008 | 18959473 |
| sentinels of safety: service dogs ensure safety and enhance freedom and well-being for families with autistic children. | children with autism might display unpredictable and volatile behavior that places them in considerable physical danger and creates stress for the family. families of autistic children often have limited freedom and experience difficulty with everyday activities. in this qualitative ethology study, we examined the effect of integrating service dogs into ten families with an autistic child. data included participant observation, video recordings of family-parent-dog interaction, and semistructure ... | 2008 | 18955467 |
| employee absenteeism based on occupational health visits in an urban tertiary care canadian hospital. | (1) to merge occupational health (oh) and human resources (hr) administrative data to describe reasons for absenteeism among hospital employees and (2) to consider the advantages and disadvantages of using these combined data for surveillance of health care workers. this study utilized a retrospective cohort design, involving a record linkage of two administrative databases at a canadian general hospital: oh and hr. data were included for the period of june 1, 2004, to may 31, 2005. data linkage ... | 2008 | 18950421 |
| how do organizations and social policies 'acculturate' to immigrants? accommodating skilled immigrants in canada. | while the idea of acculturation (berry 1997) was originally proposed as the mutual change of both parties (e.g., immigrants and the host society), the change processes of host societies are neglected in research. a grounded theory study explored the efforts of human service organizations to 'acculturate' to an increasingly diverse immigrant population, through interviews conducted with service providers serving mainland chinese immigrants. acculturation efforts of human service organizations (me ... | 2008 | 18949553 |
| the development of interactive online learning tools for the study of anatomy. | the study of human anatomy is a core component of health science programs. however large student enrolments and the content-packed curricula associated with these programs have made it difficult for students to have regular access to cadaver laboratories. | 2008 | 18946814 |
| multilocus sequence typing analysis of clostridium perfringens isolates from necrotic enteritis outbreaks in broiler chicken populations. | clostridium perfringens is an important pathogen of animals and humans and is the causative agent of necrotic enteritis (ne) in poultry. this study focuses on the typing of intestinal c. perfringens isolates (n = 61) from outbreaks of ne collected from several areas of southern ontario, using a recently developed multilocus sequence typing (mlst) technique. for comparison, c. perfringens isolates from healthy birds were also obtained and typed. an additional locus, the pfos locus, was included i ... | 2008 | 18945840 |
| whose right? | 2008 | 18854446 | |
| human-derived d-dimer for external quality assessment: results of four surveys in ontario. | external quality assessment (eqa) of d-dimer assays has been limited by a lack of standardized human-derived testing material. in 2006 and 2007, the quality management program--laboratory services, toronto, canada, investigated the use of commercially prepared lyophilized human plasma spiked with human-derived d-dimer components manufactured by affinity biologicals, hamilton, canada. four surveys were performed. participants reported the level or presence of d-dimer using quantitative or qualita ... | 2008 | 18854274 |
| characterization of an influenza a and influenza b co-infection of a patient in a long-term care facility with co-circulating influenza a and influenza b. | 2009 | 18849179 | |
| leading complex change in healthcare: 10 lessons learned. | this article reports on the transfer of perinatal services at st. joseph's health care, in london, ontario, to london health sciences centre (lhsc). the transfer of perinatal programs, services and people/providers to lhsc generates concern in key stakeholders with respect to a potential negative impact on the quality of care delivery, staff work life and morale, team performance, recruitment, retention and other performance indicators. our main task was to establish "readiness and capacity for ... | 2008 | 18818528 |
| the epidemiology of tuberculosis in ottawa, canada, 1995-2004. | in ottawa (population 774,072), active tuberculosis (tb) cases are reported to ottawa public health. there has been no comprehensive local epidemiological analysis to date. we report the epidemiology of tb in ottawa and identify areas of improvement. | 2008 | 18812041 |
| evaluation of the risks of shedding salmonellae and other potential pathogens by therapy dogs fed raw diets in ontario and alberta. | dogs that participate in animal-assisted interventions (aais), often called 'therapy dogs', commonly interact with humans whose immune systems are not functioning optimally. the advisability of feeding raw meat (including poultry) to these animals remains a highly contentious issue, in spite of increasing evidence that raw meat is frequently contaminated with salmonella. we set out to determine if consuming raw meat influences the risk of therapy dogs shedding salmonella and other pathogens. two ... | 2008 | 18811908 |
| pre-clinical remote telesurgery trial of a da vinci telesurgery prototype. | the objective of this study was to perform a pre-clinical remote telesurgery trial of a da vinci telesurgery prototype on a surgical-grade virtual private network. | 2008 | 18803341 |
| phosphoglycerate kinase 1 expression responds to freezing, anoxia, and dehydration stresses in the freeze tolerant wood frog, rana sylvatica. | natural freezing survival by wood frogs (rana sylvatica) involves multiple organ-specific changes in gene expression. screening of a cdna library made from brain of frozen frogs revealed freeze-responsive up-regulation of the glycolytic enzyme, phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (pgk1). northern blots showed an approximately two-fold increase in pgk1 transcripts in brain of frozen frogs whereas pgk1 protein levels rose by three- to five-fold within 4-8 hr of freezing. freezing also elevated pgk1 transcri ... | 2009 | 18785212 |
| prevalence and characterization of verotoxin-producing escherichia coli (vtec) in cattle from an ontario abattoir. | this study determined the prevalence of verotoxin (vt)-producing escherichia coli (vtec) in ontario beef cattle at slaughter and characterized the isolates by serotype, virulence factors, virulence markers, and antimicrobial resistance. cultures of rectal feces from 500 animals were screened for vt by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) and by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) for genes vt1, vt2, and eae. the vt-elisa-positive samples were tested by a vt-immunoblot to isolate vtec colonie ... | 2008 | 18783017 |
| impact of varicella vaccination on health care outcomes in ontario, canada: effect of a publicly funded program? | varicella vaccines have been available for private purchase in canada since 1998. ontario introduced publicly funded varicella vaccination in 2004. we assessed the effects of private availability of varicella vaccines and subsequent implementation of a publicly funded vaccination program on varicella-related hospitalizations, emergency department (ed) use, and visits to physicians' offices in ontario. rates of hospitalizations, ed use, and office visits decreased 53% (95% ci, 48-58%), 43% (95% c ... | 2008 | 18761386 |
| correlates of mental health service use among lesbian, gay, and bisexual mothers and prospective mothers. | lesbian, gay, and bisexual women undertake parenting in a social context that may be associated with unique risk factors for perinatal depression. this cross-sectional study aimed to describe the mental health services used by women in the perinatal period and to identify potential correlates of mental health service use. sixty-four women who were currently trying to conceive, pregnant, or the parent of a child less than one year of age were included. one-third of women reported some mental heal ... | 2008 | 18714714 |
| the information management strategy cascade: strategy-based performance management of a flu recall practice. | the health results team for information management (hrt-im) was formed at the ontario ministry of health and long-term care in the fall of 2004 to engage and work collaboratively with the healthcare community to implement change in health system information management. the information management strategy focused on producing better data, supporting accountability and quality improvement through performance measurement and supporting evidence-based decision-making. this paper reviews how an im st ... | 2008 | 18700272 |
| spatio-temporal analysis of pneumonia and influenza hospitalizations in ontario, canada. | pneumonia and influenza represent a significant public health and health care system burden that is expected to increase with the aging of developed nations' populations. the burden of these illnesses is far from uniform however, with recent studies showing that they are both highly spatially and temporally variable. we have combined spatial and time-series analysis techniques to examine pneumonia and influenza hospitalizations in the province of ontario, canada, to determine how temporal patter ... | 2008 | 18686268 |
| the advanced trauma operative management course in a canadian residency program. | the advanced trauma operative management (atom) course was first introduced into canada in 2003 at the university of toronto, with senior general surgery residents being the primary focus. we present an assessment of the course in this canadian general surgery residency program. | 2008 | 18682791 |
| missense polymorphisms in the adenomatous polyposis coli gene and colorectal cancer risk. | whereas truncating germline mutations of the adenomatous polyposis coli (apc) gene give rise to familial adenomatous polyposis, missense polymorphisms of apc may confer a weaker risk for colorectal cancer. | 2008 | 18612690 |
| women's knowledge, attitudes, and intentions concerning human papillomavirus vaccination: findings of a waiting room survey of obstetrics-gynaecology outpatients. | to assess women's knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours related to human papillomavirus (hpv) and hpv vaccination. | 2008 | 18611300 |
| discussions about self-obtained samples for hpv testing as an alternative for cervical cancer prevention. | patient-collected samples for human papillomavirus (hpv) testing have shown promise, thus opening up a new possibility for cervical cancer screening. the purpose of this study was to explore women's beliefs about collecting their own samples for hpv testing instead of participating in conventional pap testing. | 2008 | 18608824 |
| syndromic surveillance for influenzalike illness. | emergency department data are currently being used by several syndromic surveillance systems to identify outbreaks of natural or man-made illnesses, and preliminary results suggest that regular outbreaks might be detected earlier with such data than with traditional reporting. this article summarizes a retrospective study of 5 influenza seasons in ottawa,canada; time-series analysis was used to look for an association between consultation to the emergency department for influenzalike illness and ... | 2008 | 18563993 |
| high throughput crystallography at sgc toronto: an overview. | the completion of the human genome allows the analysis, for the first time, of biological systems in the context of entire gene families. for enzymes, this approach permits the exploration of complex substrate specificity networks that often exhibit considerable overlap within and between protein families. the case for a family-based approach to protein studies is compelling, given the prospect of exploiting these specificities for various purposes, such as the development of therapeutic reagent ... | 2008 | 18542887 |
| an exploration of social support as a factor in the return-to-work process. | despite evidence that inter-personal relationships are important in human resource management, little is understood about the nature of workplace social support in a disability context, or what features of support are important to the success of return-to-work programs. the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore workplace disability support from worker and supervisory perspectives and to identify salient features for work re-entry. a total of 8 supervisors and 18 previously injured wor ... | 2008 | 18525149 |
| involvement of apoe e4 and h63d in sporadic alzheimer's disease in a folate-supplemented ontario population. | dysregulation of iron homeostasis is implicated in alzheimer's disease (ad). in this pilot study, common variants of the apolipoprotein e (apoe) and hfe genes resulting in the iron overload disorder of hereditary hemochromatosis (c282y, h63d and s65c) were evaluated as factors in sporadic ad in an ontario sample in which folic acid fortification has been mandatory since 1998. laboratory studies also were done to search for genetic effects on blood markers of iron status, red cell folates and ser ... | 2008 | 18525129 |
| molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance of salmonella typhimurium dti04 on ontario swine farms. | this study was conducted to examine antimicrobial resistances, plasmid profiles, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns of 80 salmonella typhimurium (including var. copenhagen) dt104 strains (including dt104a and dt104b) recovered from pig and environmental fecal samples on 17 swine farms in ontario. no resistance was observed to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, apramycin, carbadox, cephalothin, ceftriaxone, ceftiofur, cefoxitin, ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid, trimethoprim, and tobramycin. ho ... | 2008 | 18505209 |
| antimicrobial use on 24 beef farms in ontario. | understanding risk factors for antimicrobial resistance requires knowledge of antimicrobial selection pressure. the objectives of this research were to develop methodology for collecting quantitative antimicrobial use information from beef producers in ontario, to document the types and quantities of antimicrobials reported (for a minimum of 12 mo), and to compare 2 metrics for injectable use reporting. twenty-four volunteer beef producers were asked to complete a questionnaire, document drug us ... | 2008 | 18505199 |
| the influence of a "culture of referral" on access to care in rural settings after myocardial infarction. | access to care is an issue for rural people who require tertiary care following a myocardial infarction (mi). access to specialized cardiac health services is contingent upon referral to tertiary care in urban centers. using a critical ethnographic approach, rural women, their nurses and physicians were interviewed to explore how rurality affected women's referral and access to care following a mi. findings reflect that a previously undocumented culture of referral that was shaped by human facto ... | 2009 | 18501661 |
| ready, aye ready? support mechanisms for healthcare workers in emergency planning: a critical gap analysis of three hospital emergency plans. | in response to the 2003 global outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (sars), and the threat of pandemic influenza, canadian hospitals have been actively developing and revising their emergency plans. healthcare workers are a particularly vulnerable group at risk of occupational exposure during infectious disease outbreaks, as seen during sars and as documented/reported in the recent national survey of the work and health of nurses (statistics canada, 2006). approximately one third of can ... | 2007 | 18488833 |
| genotypic characterization and prevalence of virulence factors among canadian escherichia coli o157:h7 strains. | in this study, the association between genotypic and selected phenotypic characteristics was examined in a collection of canadian escherichia coli o157:h7 strains isolated from humans and cattle in the provinces of alberta, ontario, saskatchewan, and quebec. in a subset of 69 strains selected on the basis of specific phage types (pts), a strong correlation between the lineage-specific polymorphism assay (lspa6) genotype and pt was observed with all strains of pts 4, 14, 21, 31, 33, and 87 belong ... | 2008 | 18487402 |
| using the balanced scorecard to mobilize human resources in organizational transformation. | traditionally, the balanced scorecard (bsc) has been an effective tool in linking measurement to strategy. however, what is least understood is how the bsc can be used to redefine organizational relationships, re-engineer fundamental processes and transform organizational culture, for superior performance in an organization with the same people, services and technology that previously delivered dismal performance. this paper highlights the process and uses york central hospital in toronto, ontar ... | 2008 | 18482931 |
| motor vehicle collisions and their demographics: a 5-year retrospective study of the hamilton-wentworth niagara region. | this retrospective study examined population demographics associated with motor vehicle collision (mvc) fatalities over a 5-year period in the hamilton-wentworth niagara region. variables were drawn from the five factors proposed by fierro (1) for investigating deaths caused by transportation: human, chemical, environmental, vehicular, and highway. factors analyzed included age, gender, position to the vehicle, site(s) of injury, toxicology, environmental contributors, and vehicular findings. fr ... | 2008 | 18471220 |
| man accused of failing to disclose hiv-positive status convicted of 15 counts of aggravated sexual assault. | 2007 | 18461692 | |
| two charter challenges launched against canada's sex work laws. | in march 2007, a constitutional challenge to canada's sex work laws was filed with the ontario superior court of justice. five months later, a second challenge was initiated in the province of british columbia. these simultaneous, but separate, cases argue that significant portions of the sections of the criminal code of canada related to adult sex work violate the free expression, liberty, security and equality provisions of the canadian charter of rights and freedoms. | 2007 | 18459196 |
| patient views on reminder letters for influenza vaccinations in an older primary care patient population: a mixed methods study. | to explore the perspectives of older adults on the acceptability of reminder letters for influenza vaccinations. | 2008 | 18457289 |
| investing in the research process: nursing health services research unit - university of toronto site. | linda o'brien-pallas, rn, phd, fcahs is a professor in the faculties of nursing and medicine at the university of toronto and director, co-founder and co-principal investigator of the nursing health services research unit (university of toronto site). dr. o'brien-pallas is acknowledged globally for her pioneering and innovative research in health human resources modelling, quality of work life for nurses and nursing workload measurement. the rigour of her research has been praised by respected r ... | 2008 | 18448885 |
| hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (oh-pbdes) in the abiotic environment: surface water and precipitation from ontario, canada. | hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (oh-pbdes) have been identified as metabolites of pbdes, and also as compounds of natural origin in the marine environment; however, there has only been very limited study of their presence in the abiotic environment. in the present study, oh-pbdes were determined in samples of surface water and precipitation (rain and snow) collected from sites in ontario, canada. oh-pbdes were detected in all the samples analyzed, although half of the observed peaks ... | 2008 | 18441817 |
| replication of associations between lrp5 and esrra variants and bone density in premenopausal women. | replication is a critical step to validate positive genetic associations. in this study, we tested two previously reported positive associations. the low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (lrp5) val667met and lumbar spine bone density are replicated. this result is in line with results from large consortiums such as genomos. however, the estrogen-related receptor alpha (esrra) repeat in the promoter is not replicated although the polymorphism studied was functional and could have be ... | 2008 | 18418639 |
| ovarian cancer risk is associated with a common variant in the promoter sequence of the mismatch repair gene mlh1. | inherited mutations in the mlh1 gene are associated with a proportion of families with the hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer syndrome (hnpcc). the cardinal features of the syndrome are a predisposition to colon, endometrial and ovarian cancers. recently, it has been shown that a non-coding polymorphic variant in mlh1 (g>a nt-93) predisposes to colon and endometrial cancer, but with much reduced penetrance. we sought to establish whether or not this polymorphic variant also predisposes to ova ... | 2008 | 18405947 |
| acute childhood encephalitis and encephalopathy associated with influenza: a prospective 11-year review. | influenza virus infection has been associated with a variety of neurologic complications. the objective of this study was to evaluate prospectively the role of influenza viruses in acute childhood encephalitis/encephalopathy (ace). | 2008 | 18398387 |
| health promotion in australia: twenty years on from the ottawa charter. | australia has a longstanding history of promoting health through programs that reflect the principles of the ottawa charter and recognising the importance of social determinants of health. health promotion programs are delivered by a wide range of organisations, in a wide range of settings and sectors for, or with, multiple groups. since the mid-1980s aspects of infrastructure and capacity for health promotion, such as human and financial resources, have been put in place including the establish ... | 2007 | 18372869 |
| healthcare systems and organizations: implications for health human resources. | what will the healthcare system and healthcare organizations look like in the year 2020? what requirements will they have for health human resources? this article is organized in five brief sections, beginning with looking backward to look forward and proceeding through key trends, organizational evolution by sector and future health organizations and concluding with 10 implications for health human resources. | 2008 | 18362525 |
| cost comparisons of managing complex facial basal cell carcinoma: canadian study. | basal cell carcinoma (bcc) is the most common human malignancy and accounts for over 60,000 new cases of cancer in canada annually. although expensive to the health care system, no canadian studies have reported the costs involved in management. this study calculated the costs of managing high-risk bccs using radiotherapy (rt) and mohs micrographic surgery (mms). | 2008 | 18346405 |
| the effect of patients' sex on physicians' recommendations for total knee arthroplasty. | the underuse of total joint arthroplasty in appropriate candidates is more than 3 times greater among women than among men. when surveyed, physicians report that the patient's sex has no effect on their decision-making; however, what occurs in clinical practice may be different. the purpose of our study was to determine whether patients' sex affects physicians' decisions to refer a patient for, or to perform, total knee arthroplasty. | 2008 | 18332383 |
| chronic disease prevention and management: implications for health human resources in 2020. | through improved screening, detection, better and more targeted therapies and the uptake of evidence-based treatment guidelines, cancers are becoming chronic diseases. however, this good-news story has implications for human resource planning and resource allocation. population-based chronic disease management is a necessary approach to deal with the growing burden of chronic disease in canada. in this model, an interdisciplinary team works with and educates the patient to monitor symptoms, modi ... | 2008 | 18326379 |
| identification and determination of hexachlorocyclopentadienyl-dibromocyclooctane (hcdbco) in residential indoor air and dust: a previously unreported halogenated flame retardant in the environment. | hexachlorocyclopentadienyl-dibromocyclooctane (hcdbco, cas 51936-55-1) has been detected in residential indoor air and indoor dust in ottawa, canada. the positive identification of the chemical was based on the interpretation of the mass spectra of the chemical obtained under both electron impact and negative chemical ionization operation modes, as well as through the synthesis of this chemical. this is the first report on the presence of hcdbco in the environment. although the levels of hcdbco ... | 2008 | 18284135 |
| stress, burnout, and strategies for reducing them: what's the situation among canadian family physicians? | to ascertain canadian family physicians' levels of stress and burnout and the strategies they use to reduce these problems. | 2008 | 18272641 |
| impact of public vaccination programs on adult vaccination rates: two examples from ontario, canada. | this study examined adult vaccination rates in metropolitan toronto/peel region following the implementation of publicly funded adult pneumococcal and universal influenza vaccination programs in ontario. community-living adults eligible for pneumococcal vaccines were surveyed regarding vaccination rates, and factors potentially associated with vaccination. influenza vaccine rates increased over time, but only respondents 65 years of age and older met canadian targets. pneumococcal vaccine rates ... | 2008 | 18272261 |
| role of migratory birds in introduction and range expansion of ixodes scapularis ticks and of borrelia burgdorferi and anaplasma phagocytophilum in canada. | during the spring in 2005 and 2006, 39,095 northward-migrating land birds were captured at 12 bird observatories in eastern canada to investigate the role of migratory birds in northward range expansion of lyme borreliosis, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, and their tick vector, ixodes scapularis. the prevalence of birds carrying i. scapularis ticks (mostly nymphs) was 0.35% (95% confidence interval [ci] = 0.30 to 0.42), but a nested study by experienced observers suggested a more realistic infe ... | 2008 | 18245258 |
| seniors falls investigative methodology (sfim): a systems approach to the study of falls in seniors. | an in-depth understanding of human factors and human error is lacking in current research on seniors' falls. additional knowledge is needed to understand why seniors are falling. the purpose of this article is to describe the adapting of the integrated safety investigation methodology (isim) (used for investigating transportation and industrial accidents) to studying seniors' falls. an adapted version-the seniors falls investigative methodology (sfim)-uses a systems approach to take an investiga ... | 2007 | 18238732 |
| valuing care recipient and family caregiver time: a comparison of methods. | the purpose of this study is to compare the approaches used for valuing family caregiver and care recipient time devoted to providing and receiving care. | 2008 | 18218169 |
| molecular characterization of hepatitis e virus detected in swine farms in the province of quebec. | swine hepatitis e virus (hev) could be a zoonotic agent for hev infection in humans. in canada, approximately 60% of 6-mo-old commercial pigs are seropositive for hev; the prevalence is higher in the provinces of quebec and ontario. a study was set up to evaluate the presence of swine hev in quebec farms and to compare the strains detected in fecal samples with human and swine hev strains reported worldwide. fecal samples were collected randomly from may 2003 to january 2004 from 70 swine farms ... | 2008 | 18214158 |
| practice and physician characteristics associated with influenza vaccination delivery rates following a patient reminder letter intervention. | as part of the "provider and patient reminders in ontario: multi-strategy prevention tools" demonstration project, the purpose of this study was to explore the practice and physician characteristics associated with influenza vaccination rates following a reminder letter intervention for patients 65 years of age and older. using a sample of 179 physicians, we estimated a multiple linear regression model to examine variables predictive of vaccination delivery rates. several provider characteristic ... | 2008 | 18202918 |
| prenatal hiv testing: women's experiences of informed consent in toronto, ontario. | all canadian jurisdictions have human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) testing programs requiring that clinicians discuss hiv testing with all pregnant women and seek their consent to be tested. our goal was to evaluate how the informed consent process was being carried out in ontario. | 2008 | 18198063 |
| antiviral therapy and outcomes of influenza requiring hospitalization in ontario, canada. | we conducted a prospective cohort study to assess the impact of antiviral therapy on outcomes of patients hospitalized with influenza in southern ontario, canada. | 2007 | 18190317 |
| association of the dopamine transporter gene and adhd symptoms in a canadian population-based sample of same-age twins. | attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd) is the most prevalent psychiatric disorder emerging during childhood. psychostimulant medications (e.g., methylphenidate) noticeably reduce adhd symptoms in most children. since methylphenidate inhibits dopamine transporter activity, the dopamine transporter gene (dat1) was considered to be the prime candidate risk gene in adhd. several studies found evidence for an association between the 10-repeat allele of the variable number of tandem repeat (v ... | 2008 | 18165969 |
| the prognostic significance of elongation factor eef1a2 in ovarian cancer. | to determine whether eukaryotic elongation factor 1 alpha 2 (eef1a2), a transforming gene previously shown to be highly expressed in primary human ovarian tumours, is a prognostic marker. | 2008 | 18164751 |
| meeting review: options for the control of influenza vi. | a pandemic outbreak of viral influenza could occur if highly virulent zoonotic strains (such as avian h5n1) were to acquire the ability to transmit among humans. this possibility has increased concern, interest, and investigation in the influenza field. this heightened interest was reflected in the participation of numerous health officials, clinicians, and scientific investigators in the sixth conference on the options for the control of influenza held in toronto, ontario, canada from june 17-2 ... | 2007 | 18158726 |
| the circulating proangiogenic factors cyr61 (ccn1) and nov (ccn3) are significantly decreased in placentae and sera of preeclamptic patients. | it is thought that preeclampsia results from a shallow invasion of the extravillous trophoblast into the decidua and maternal vessels, which in turn leads to hypoxia and uteroplacental insufficiency. here, the authors focus on the expression of the proangiogenic secreted molecules cyr61 (ccn1) and nov (ccn3) in human placentae during normal pregnancy compared with preeclamptic placentae. cyr61 and nov are strongly expressed in endothelial cells as well as in the extravillous trophoblast, with in ... | 2007 | 18089610 |
| physician peer assessments for compliance with methadone maintenance treatment guidelines. | medical associations and licensing bodies face pressure to implement quality assurance programs, but evidence-based models are lacking. to improve the quality of methadone maintenance treatment (mmt), the college of physicians and surgeons of ontario, canada, conducts an innovative quality assurance program on the basis of peer assessments. using data from this program, we assessed physician compliance with mmt guidelines and determined whether physician factors (e.g., training, years of practic ... | 2007 | 18085599 |
| detection of dechlorane plus in residential indoor dust in the city of ottawa, canada. | dechlorane plus (dp), a flame retardant recently identified in the air and sediment of the great lakes region, has been detected in residential indoor dust in the city of ottawa, canada using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry under negative chemical ionization mode. dp was detected in all dust samples with a concentration range of 2.3 to 182 ng g(-1), except for one dust sample (5683 ng g(-1)) which was much higher. the levels of dp in indoor dust were several times higher than those in the s ... | 2007 | 18075076 |
| trends in influenza vaccination in canada, 1996/1997 to 2005. | this article reports recent trends in influenza vaccination rates in canada, provides data on predictors of vaccination in canada for 2005, and examines longer-term effects of ontario's universal influenza immunization program on vaccine uptake. | 2007 | 18074993 |
| can an expanded and integrated occupational health service help buffer the impact of a global influenza outbreak in healthcare organizations? | at first glance, the accompanying article by silas et al. makes for a somewhat-curious read. the picture they paint of the possible risk of a global pandemic posed by the avian influenza virus h5n1 is indeed a chilling one, not only for the possible extent of the epidemic itself but also because of the likely burden it could place on an already thinly stretched healthcare workforce. it therefore raises a rather alarming contradiction. given our recent experience of living through the consequence ... | 2007 | 18030035 |
| safety is not negotiable: the importance of occupational health and safety to pandemic planning. | the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or sars, generated a great deal of attention around the ability of canada's health system to respond to a health crisis. this event underscored a very serious reality--on the whole, canada's health system was not prepared to quickly and efficiently deal with a health emergency. this reality was particularly clear in canada's largest city, toronto, as the hospital system was not able to contain the outbreak. armed with little knowledge of th ... | 2007 | 18030032 |
| methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus colonization in pigs and pig farmers. | methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa) colonization has recently been identified in pigs and people that work with pigs, raising concerns about the role of pigs as reservoirs of mrsa for human infection. the objectives of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of mrsa colonization in pigs and pig farmers in ontario, canada and to characterize mrsa strains. nasal and rectal swabs were collected from 285 pigs from three different age groups from 20 pig farms. nasal swabs were colle ... | 2008 | 18023542 |
| cultural and religious aspects of care in the intensive care unit within the context of patient-centred care. | on january 31, 2007, ontario's critical care strategy hosted a workshop for healthcare providers examining cultural and religious perspectives on patient care in the intensive care unit (icu). the workshop provided an opportunity for the ministry of health and long-term care (mohltc) to engage service providers and discuss important issues regarding cultural and religious perspectives affecting critical care service delivery in ontario. while a favourable response to the workshop was anticipated ... | 2007 | 18019898 |
| detection of stratospheric ozone intrusions by windprofiler radars. | stratospheric ozone attenuates harmful ultraviolet radiation and protects the earth's biosphere. ozone is also of fundamental importance for the chemistry of the lowermost part of the atmosphere, the troposphere. at ground level, ozone is an important by-product of anthropogenic pollution, damaging forests and crops, and negatively affecting human health. ozone is critical to the chemical and thermal balance of the troposphere because, via the formation of hydroxyl radicals, it controls the capa ... | 2007 | 17994096 |
| jag1 expression is associated with a basal phenotype and recurrence in lymph node-negative breast cancer. | expression of the jag1 notch ligand has previously been shown to correlate with poor overall survival in women with advanced breast cancer. we undertook to test whether expression of jag1 is associated with reduced disease free survival (dfs) in 887 samples from a prospectively accrued lnn cohort with a median follow-up greater than 8 years. moderate to high jag1 mrna expression was associated with reduced dfs in univariate analysis (hazard ratio of 1.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-2.40; p = ... | 2008 | 17990101 |
| effectiveness of participatory ergonomic interventions on health outcomes: a systematic review. | the objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the effectiveness of participatory ergonomic (pe) interventions for improving workers' health. the search strategy targeted six electronic databases and identified 442 potential articles. each article was examined by pairs of reviewers for relevance (assessed a participative ergonomic workplace intervention, with at least one health outcome, published in english in peer reviewed literature). twenty-three articles ... | 2008 | 17988646 |
| development and design of a dynamic armrest for hydraulic-actuation joystick controlled mobile machines. | standard armrests used in conjunction with joysticks of heavy mobile machinery have been proven to inadequately meet operator needs, resulting in excessive static loading of shoulder musculature. during joystick operation, the trajectory of the user's forearm is governed by the motion of the controller, which creates horizontal and vertical movement of the forearm. the vertical motion of the forearm in the forward and backward motion create postures that stationary armrests cannot support thereb ... | 2008 | 17983610 |
| rehabilitation services after total joint replacement in ontario, canada: can 'prehabilitation' programs mediate an increasing demand? | total joint replacements (tjr) have emerged as a critical health policy issue. in particular, canadian demand for these surgeries is forecast to grow annually by 8.7% in the next decade. although the medical and surgical aspects of tjr have received considerable attention, very little research has explored the impact of increased tjr on the demand for rehabilitation services. in this study, we conducted seven focus group discussions across the province of ontario (canada) with multiple stakehold ... | 2007 | 17975449 |
| ontario courts award compensation for emotional distress associated with the loss of a pet. | 2007 | 17966341 | |
| prevalence and molecular characterization of giardia duodenalis and cryptosporidium spp. in dairy cattle in ontario, canada. | giardia duodenalis and cryptosporidium spp. are intestinal protozoan parasites that infect a wide range of host species, including humans. molecular characterization of these parasites has demonstrated that a number of genotypes and species are common to both humans and animals, and that zoonotic transmission may occur. numerous studies have reported a high prevalence of g. duodenalis and cryptosporidium spp. in cattle, particularly calves, and these animals are frequently associated with zoonot ... | 2007 | 17964724 |
| intra-urban variability of air pollution in windsor, ontario--measurement and modeling for human exposure assessment. | there are acknowledged difficulties in epidemiological studies to accurately assign exposure to air pollution for large populations, and large, long-term cohort studies have typically relied upon data from central monitoring stations. this approach has generally been adequate when populations span large areas or diverse cities. however, when the effects of intra-urban differences in exposure are being studied, the use of these existing central sites are likely to be inadequate for representing s ... | 2008 | 17961539 |
| modelling the evolution of drug resistance in the presence of antiviral drugs. | the emergence of drug resistance in treated populations and the transmission of drug resistant strains to newly infected individuals are important public health concerns in the prevention and control of infectious diseases such as hiv and influenza. mathematical modelling may help guide the design of treatment programs and also may help us better understand the potential benefits and limitations of prevention strategies. | 2007 | 17953775 |
| health technology assessment in critical care. | heath technology assessments (htas) evaluate the benefits and costs of devices for monitoring and therapy (and their associated requirements for human resources) which contribute to the high expense associated with icu admission. | 2007 | 17952404 |
| poverty, human development, and the role of ehealth. | 2007 | 17951217 | |
| a visual dashboard for moving health technologies from "lab to village". | new technologies are an important way of addressing global health challenges and human development. however, the road for new technologies from "lab to village" is neither simple nor straightforward. until recently, there has been no conceptual framework for analyzing and addressing the myriad forces and issues involved in moving health technologies from the lab to those who need them. recently, based on empirical research, we published such a model. in this paper, we focus on extending the mode ... | 2007 | 17951216 |
| international human rights for mentally ill persons: the ontario experience. | this article is part of a working project which assesses ontario's mental health legislation and practice vis-à-vis international human rights standards. the paper focuses on procedural safeguards provided by the major international human rights instruments in the field of mental health law such as the un principles for the protection of persons with mental illness (mi principles) and the european convention on human rights as interpreted by the european human rights court. in analysing ontario' ... | 2007 | 17945346 |
| msh2 118t>c and msh6 159c>t promoter polymorphisms and the risk of colorectal cancer. | the most important indicator of colorectal cancer (crc) risk is the presence of family history of the disease. inherited genetic changes, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms, in key candidate genes may contribute to crc risk. we investigated whether promoter polymorphisms in dna mismatch repair (mmr) genes msh2 and msh6 are associated with the risk of crc. we genotyped 929 crc patients and 1098 control subjects from ontario, and 467 patients and 344 controls from newfoundland and labrador, f ... | 2007 | 17942459 |
| scala tympani cochleostomy ii: topography and histology. | to assess intracochlear trauma using two different round window-related cochleostomy techniques in human temporal bones. | 2007 | 17909447 |
| limited genetic diversity in salmonella enterica serovar enteritidis pt13. | salmonella enterica serovar enteritidis has emerged as a significant foodborne pathogen throughout the world and is commonly characterized by phage typing. in canada phage types (pt) 4, 8 and 13 predominate and in 2005 a large foodborne pt13 outbreak occurred in the province of ontario. the ability to link strains during this outbreak was difficult due to the apparent clonality of pt13 isolates in canada, as there was a single dominant pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (pfge) profile amongst epid ... | 2007 | 17908316 |
| attitudes toward hpv testing: interview findings from a random sample of women in ontario, canada. | as most women diagnosed with cervical carcinoma have been "inadequately screened," improvements in screening are critical. after abnormal pap test findings (through liquid-based cytology), residual specimens now can be tested simultaneously for oncogenic types of human papilloma virus (hpv). if these "reflex" hpv tests are negative, pap tests need not be repeated for 12 months. women with positive oncogenic hpv tests, however, can be referred immediately for colposcopy. there has been concern th ... | 2007 | 17907007 |
| re: mlh1 93g>a promoter polymorphism and the risk of microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancer. | 2007 | 17895478 | |
| lead pellet ingestion and liver-lead concentrations in upland game birds from southern ontario, canada. | one-hundred twenty-three gizzards from upland game birds (chukar, alectoris chukar; and common pheasant, phasianus colchicus) harvested by hunters in southern ontario, canada, were examined for lead pellet ingestion by manual examination of gizzard contents and by radiography. lead pellets were found to be ingested by chukars (6/76; 8%) and the common pheasant (16/47; 34%). further, 13% (17/129) of the bird (wild turkey, meleagris gallopavo; hungarian partridge, perdix perdix; chukar; and common ... | 2008 | 17763885 |