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1
Gao, Guangping. "Molecular studies of Canavan Disease." FIU Digital Commons, 1994. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/3624.
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Canavan disease (CD), an autosomal recessive leukodystrophy, is caused by the deficiency of aspartoacylase {ASPA}. The human ASPA cDNA spanning 1,435 bp has been isolated and characterized. The single uninterrupted ORF in the cDNA predicted a 313 amino acid long protein. The authenticity of the cDNA has been established by its expression in E. coli and Cosl-cells. Human ASPA gene was also cloned and found to span 29 kb of the human genome. Human ASPA is coded by 6 exons intervened by 5 introns. The exon/intron splice junction sites follow the 'gt'/'ag' consensus sequence rule. The human ASPA gene was assigned to the 17pl3-ter region. Human ASPA coding sequences were demonstrated to be conserved in yeast, chicken, rabbit, cow, dog, mouse, rat and monkey. Sixty-four probands (or 128 chromosomes) with CD were analyzed for mutations in the ASPA gene. Four point mutations have been identified in Canavan alleles. The 693OA and 914C>A base changes result in non-sense tyr231>ter and missense ala305>glu mutations respectively, that lead to complete loss of ASPA activity. The 854A>C transversion resulted in a glu285>ala missense mutation, and the mutant ASPA has 2.5% of the activity expressed by the wild type enzyme. The 433-2(A>G) transition at the splice acceptor site in intron 2 would lead to skipping of exon III, accompanied by a frameshift in the final ASPA transcript. Of the 128 unrelated Canavan chromosomes analyzed; 88 were from probands of Ashkenazi Jewish descent and 40 were from non-Jewish probands. The glu285>ala, tyr231>ter and 433-2(A>G) mutations account for 98.8% of the Canavan chromosomes of Ashkenazi Jewish origin. The ala305>glu mutation was found exclusively in non-Jewish probands and constituted 60% of the 40 mutant chromosomes. These results provide the basis for studying epidemiology of CD in at-risk populations; offer a DNA-based pre- and postnatal diagnosis of CD; provide the possibility to create an animal model of CD for understanding its pathophysiology and to develop strategies for possible enzyme and gene therapy.
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Wang, Qinzhe. "Developing Approaches to Treat Canavan Disease." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1493301078219765.
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Hershfield, Jeremy Ray. "The molecular basis of canavan disease : aspartoacylase enzyme characteristics /." Download the dissertation in PDF, 2006. http://www.lrc.usuhs.mil/dissertations/pdf/Hershfield2006.pdf.
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Mersmann, Nadine [Verfasser]. "Gene therapy for a novel mouse model of Canavan disease / Nadine Mersmann." Mainz : Universitätsbibliothek Mainz, 2013. http://d-nb.info/1034282875/34.
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Wijayasinghe, Yasanandana Supunsiri. "Molecular Insights into N-acetylaspartate Metabolism in Canavan Disease." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1411414289.
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Zano, Stephen Penalosa. "Therapeutic Approaches for the Treatment of Canavan Disease and Regulation of Bacterial Quorum Sensing Pathway." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1373389172.
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Malik, Radhika. "I. Structural and functional characterization of tartrate dehydrogenase II. Characterization of proteins involved in Canavan disease." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1260980899.
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Ahmed, Seemin Seher. "rAAV-Mediated Gene Transfer For Study of Pathological Mechanisms and Therapeutic Intervention in Canavan's Disease: A Dissertation." eScholarship@UMMS, 2014. https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/gsbs_diss/749.
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Canavan’s Disease is a fatal Central Nervous System disorder caused by genetic defects in the enzyme – aspartoacylase and currently has no effective treatment options. We report additional phenotypes in a stringent preclinical aspartoacylase knockout mouse model. Using this model, we developed a gene therapy strategy with intravenous injections of the aspartoacylase gene packaged in recombinant adeno associated viruses (rAAVs). We first investigated the CNS gene transfer abilities of rAAV vectors that can cross the blood-brain-barrier in neonatal and adult mice and subsequently used different rAAV serotypes such as rAAV9, rAAVrh.8 and rAAVrh.10 for gene replacement therapy. A single intravenous injection rescued lethality, extended survival and corrected several disease phenotypes including motor dysfunctions. For the first time we demonstrated the existence of a therapeutic time window in the mouse model. In order to limit off-target effects of viral delivery we employed a synthetic strategy using microRNA mediated posttranscriptional detargeting to restrict rAAV expression in the CNS. We followed up with another approach to limit peripheral tissue distribution. Strikingly, we demonstrate that intracerebroventricular administration of a 50-fold lower vectors dose can rescue lethality and extend survival but not motor functions. We also study the contributions of several peripheral tissues in a primarily CNS disorder and examine several molecular attributes behind pathogenesis of Canavan’s disease using primary neural cell cultures. In summary, this thesis describes the potential of novel rAAV-mediated gene replacement therapy in Canavan’s disease and the use of rAAVs as a tool to tease out its pathological mechanism.
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Ahmed, Seemin Seher. "rAAV-Mediated Gene Transfer For Study of Pathological Mechanisms and Therapeutic Intervention in Canavan's Disease: A Dissertation." eScholarship@UMMS, 2012. http://escholarship.umassmed.edu/gsbs_diss/749.
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Canavan’s Disease is a fatal Central Nervous System disorder caused by genetic defects in the enzyme – aspartoacylase and currently has no effective treatment options. We report additional phenotypes in a stringent preclinical aspartoacylase knockout mouse model. Using this model, we developed a gene therapy strategy with intravenous injections of the aspartoacylase gene packaged in recombinant adeno associated viruses (rAAVs). We first investigated the CNS gene transfer abilities of rAAV vectors that can cross the blood-brain-barrier in neonatal and adult mice and subsequently used different rAAV serotypes such as rAAV9, rAAVrh.8 and rAAVrh.10 for gene replacement therapy. A single intravenous injection rescued lethality, extended survival and corrected several disease phenotypes including motor dysfunctions. For the first time we demonstrated the existence of a therapeutic time window in the mouse model. In order to limit off-target effects of viral delivery we employed a synthetic strategy using microRNA mediated posttranscriptional detargeting to restrict rAAV expression in the CNS. We followed up with another approach to limit peripheral tissue distribution. Strikingly, we demonstrate that intracerebroventricular administration of a 50-fold lower vectors dose can rescue lethality and extend survival but not motor functions. We also study the contributions of several peripheral tissues in a primarily CNS disorder and examine several molecular attributes behind pathogenesis of Canavan’s disease using primary neural cell cultures. In summary, this thesis describes the potential of novel rAAV-mediated gene replacement therapy in Canavan’s disease and the use of rAAVs as a tool to tease out its pathological mechanism.
10
McPhee, Scott William John. "Phenotypic characterisation of the tremor mutant and AAV mediated aspartoacylase gene transfer in the rat model of Canavan disease." Thesis, University of Auckland, 2004. http://wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations/fullcit/3136372.
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The doctoral studies described in this thesis involve the phenotypic characterization of the tremor rat, an animal model of Canavan disease, and a proof of principle gene transfer study in this model. The phenotype of the tremor rat is examined at the genetic, molecular, cellular, neurochemical, physical and behavioural levels, and tremor mutants are described within the context of Canavan disease. Tremor mutants appear to share many phenotypes with both human patients and to the knock-out mouse model. The deletion of aspartoacylase results in a total loss of the capacity to metabolize N-acetyl-aspartate to acetate and aspartate in brain, leading to elevations in brain N-acetyl-aspartate levels, changes in cell and tissue morphology, and physical and behavioural deficits including mild akinesia and loss of normal motor coordination and balance. Parallel to this work was the development of a gene transfer approach to treat Canavan disease, involving Adeno-associated virus mediated delivery of aspartoacylase to the mammalian central nervous system. Gene transfer was undertaken in tremor rat mutants, and analysis was made of gene expression and function as well as the effect of aspartoacylase expression on improving the phenotypic deficits observed in mutant animals. Gene expression was observed at the RNA and protein level, with recombinant protein observed in cell soma and processes. Although not significant the data suggested a trend of decreased NAA levels after aspartoacylase transfer in comparison to animals injected with a vector encoding green fluorescent protein. Improvement was noted in the rotorod phenotype with mutant animals receiving aspartoacylase gene transfer performing better at tests of balance and coordinated locomotion than animals receiving a control vector. The study provided evidence that Adeno-associated virus mediated aspartoacylase gene transfer to the brain improves some of the deficits in tremor mutants, and supports the rationale of human gene transfer for Canavan disease.Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.
11
Gessler, Dominic J. "Age-dependent rAAV Mediated Reconstitution of hASPA Reveals N-acetylaspartate Regulates Fuel Selection in the Central Nervous System." eScholarship@UMMS, 2020. https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/gsbs_diss/1110.
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N-acetylaspartate (NAA) is one of the most abundant molecules in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). The current paradigm suggests that NAA is synthesized in neurons by the enzyme N-acetyltransferase 8-like (NAT8L) and hydrolyzed into aspartate and acetate by the enzyme aspartoacylase (ASPA) in oligodendrocytes. Although the function of NAA is not well understood, several hypotheses have been proposed since its discovery several decades ago. Among the most cited theory is the concept of acetate delivery to oligodendrocytes via NAA for the synthesis of fatty acids for myelin lipids and myelination. Another concept suggests that NAA functions as a molecular water pump to remove molecular water from oxidative phosphorylation. In contrast, disruption of NAA metabolism has been associated with oxidative stress contributing to neurodegeneration, as seen in Canavan disease, a monogenic disorder associated with loss-of-function mutations in ASPA.
Accumulation of NAA in the CNS and peripheral organs is pathognomonic for Canavan disease (CD) and is used clinically to diagnose this rare disease. Symptoms typically occur within months after birth and primarily manifest in the CNS with spongy degeneration of the white matter. Initially, affected patients present with poor feeding, lack of head control, hydrocephalus; later, they miss developmental milestones and develop seizures.
Only supportive treatment is available possibly helping patients to survive past the first couple of years. Gene therapy has been considered early on for the treatment of CD. The first trial in humans demonstrated safety but did not result in symptomatic improvement. In addition to gene therapy for the treatment of CD, NAA has gained increasing interest in neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, but also in adipose tissue.
Here, we are investigating the function of NAA in the context of ASPA deficiency, aka Canavan disease. We found that impaired NAA metabolism caused by ASPA mutations is characterized by a neurometabolic profile that suggests cellular shift from glucose towards fatty acid metabolism for energy production.
Although, we found a similar metabolic signature in asymptomatic mice within days after birth, longitudinal comparison suggest that disease progression leads to fatty acid depletion, which is not present in asymptomatic mice, potentially challenging the concept that NAA-derived acetate is essential for lipid synthesis in the myelinating brain.
Using rAAV to determine the reversibility of this metabolic phenotype, we found that early treatment prevents loss of myelin, normalizes the neurometabolic phenotype and keeps Canavan mice asymptomatic; in contrast, later treatment only allows for partial normalization of the neurometabolome, despite adequate ASPA gene delivery by rAAV, independent of ubiquitous or astrocyte-restricted hASPA expression. Furthermore, we found that non-enzymatically active hASPA might play a ubiquitous role in glucose uptake regulation in vivo. Importantly, we identified brain regions with metabolic changes that also correspond to the areas with significant histopathologic alterations.
Finally, we confirmed the glycolytic changes in a Canavan disease patient cell line using Seahorse metabolic analyzer, demonstrating the decreased rate of glycolysis for energy production. Overall, our findings reveal a novel metabolic phenomenon in Canavan disease and NAA metabolism that allows to assign a novel function of N-acetylaspartate.
12
Mutthamsetty, Vinay. "Design and Synthesis of Amino Acid-based Inhibitors Against Key Enzymes." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1513014525316672.
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Dragosz, Alex. "Is Canada contracting PAC disease?, a comparative study of Canadian and American interest groups." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2001. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp05/MQ64908.pdf.
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Steele, Derek G. "The evolution of the Canadian AIDS Society : a social movement organization as network, coalition and umbrella organization." Thesis, McGill University, 2000. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=37844.
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This study presents a history of the Canadian AIDS Society (CAS), which began as an informal network of 16 local AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs) in 1986 and grew to 120 member organizations by the time of the renewal of Phase III of the National AIDS Strategy in late 1998. There are two main objectives of the study: (1) to look at why the organizational forms of the collection of groups evolved as they did; (2) to examine the outcomes and effectiveness of these organizational forms for CAS and its member organizations.Interviews were conducted with founding members of CAS and later staff and activists. Members of a subsection of local General Service Organizations (GSOs) were interviewed regarding group relationships to CAS and involvement with other organizations in their communities. Documentary research on materials produced by CAS (now publicly available in the AIDS Committee of Toronto library) was carried out. Some documentation was also available for local organizations. The Globe and Mail index was used to research CAS national level work.
This dissertation uses the concepts network, coalition and umbrella organization to develop an understanding of why CAS formalized and the positive and negative outcomes of this for member groups and the organization itself. The issues of insider/outsider organization, motivation, identity, framing and ideology are discussed in relation to their impact on both CAS and a subsection of member organizations.
CAS developed as a network, coalition, and umbrella organization. This evolution was in response to the purpose and goals of CAS at a national level, Ottawa based representative of member organizations interacting with the government and gathering and producing information useful to local work. CAS became increasingly formalized over the period under study, seeking and gaining access to government and other elites, as at least a semi-insider organization.
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Scott, Louise A. "Analysis of apraxia in Alzheimer's disease." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp02/NQ53514.pdf.
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MacKnight, Chris. "Validation of the Chronic Disease Score in Canadian seniors." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape8/PQDD_0027/MQ50079.pdf.
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Binkley, Laura Elyse. "Prevalence of Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Salmonella, and Cephalosporin-Resistant E. coli Strains in Canada goose Feces Urban and Peri-Urban Sites in Central Ohio." The Ohio State University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1430861581.
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Fournier, Caroline. "Genetic investigation of vascular diseases in the French-Canadian population." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape2/PQDD_0030/MQ64355.pdf.
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Presello, Daniel A. "Studies on breeding of maize for resistance to ear rots caused by Fusarium spp. and on the occurrence of viruses in maize in eastern Canada." Thesis, McGill University, 2001. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=38260.
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Responses from pedigree selection for resistance to gibberella ear rot were assessed in four maize (Zea mays L.) populations, two selected after inoculation of Fusarium graminearum (Schwabe) macroconidia into the silk channel and two selected after inoculation into developing kernels. Responses were significant in both populations selected for silk resistance and in one of the populations selected for kernel resistance. Selection was more effective in later generations and genetic gains were associated with among-family selection but not with within-family selection. Results obtained here indicate that responses to selection could be more efficiently obtained by applying high selection intensities in advanced generations, by managing earlier generations as bulks and by reducing the number of plants per family. In another experiment, a wide sample of Argentine maize germplasm was evaluated for silk and kernel resistance to gibberella ear rot and to fusarium ear rot (caused by F. verticillioides (Saccardo) Nirenberg [=F. moniliforme (Sheldon)]. Several entries exhibited disease resistance in comparison with local check hybrids, particularly for fusarium ear rot, the most prevalent ear rot in Argentina. Results obtained in this study suggested the presence of general mechanisms controlling silk and kernel resistance to both diseases. In a supplementary study, viral diseases were surveyed in maize fields from the provinces of Ontario and Quebec in 1999 and 2000. Barley yellow dwarf was found in 1999. Sugarcane mosaic, maize dwarf mosaic and wheat streak mosaic were found in 2000. These diseases were not important for grain-maize planted in May, the most prevalent kind of maize crop in these provinces. Some of these diseases, such as sugarcane maize mosaic and maize dwarf mosaic were found important only in maize fields planted during or after the month of June, and this is of commercial relevance only for sweet corn.
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Lux, Maureen Katherine. "Medicine that walks : medicine, disease and canadian plains aboriginal people, 1880-1945 /." Toronto : University of Toronto press, 2001. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb377361168.
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Charbonneau, Guylaine. "Anthropometric correlates and underlying risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus among Inuit." Thesis, McGill University, 2005. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=97924.
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Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is an emerging problem among Inuit of Circumpolar Countries. However, Canadian Inuit health surveillance data are limited. Data from the Nunavik Health Survey were used to evaluate the prevalence of overweight and obesity using the observed body mass index (BMIob) and the standardized BMI adjusted for sitting height (BMIstd). Also, data from Pangnirtung, Nunavut in the Baffin Region pilot health screening were used to evaluate anthropometric correlates of indices of insulin resistance. Obesity among the Nunavik study population (29.8%) is more prevalent than among general Canadians (23.1%), but the prevalence rates are more comparable when using BMIstd (21.5%). In Pangnirtung, anthropometric measures BMIob, BMIstd, waist circumference and percent body fat were associated with indices of insulin resistance/sensitivity (p ≤ 0.05). BMIstd showed similar results to BMIob and does not better predict the indices of insulin resistance/sensitivity.
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Hanusaik, Nancy Anna. "Organizational capacity and dissemination practices for chronic disease prevention in the Canadian public health system." Thesis, McGill University, 2008. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=115679.
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Introduction: The public health system is of central importance in efforts to reduce the burden of chronic disease, yet there are no national data on organizational capacity (OC) or dissemination practices pertaining to chronic disease prevention (CDP) programming in the public health system. The aim of this thesis is to investigate OC and dissemination practices within the Canadian public health system. Two new conceptual models pertaining to these constructs were developed, and a survey of all public health organizations across Canada engaged in CDP was conducted in 2004-5.Method: Data were collected in telephone interviews with persons most knowledgeable about CDP programming in 77 "resource" organizations that develop and transfer CDP innovations to other organizations, and 216 "user" organizations that adopt and deliver CDP programs in specific populations. Reliable measures of the constructs of interest were developed using principal components analyses. Levels of OC, its potential determinants, and involvement in CDP programming were compared across three types of organizations and across Canada. In addition, levels of 13 dissemination-related practices were compared across organizations and independent correlates of dissemination were identified in multiple linear regression.
Results: Levels of skill and involvement were highest for tobacco control and healthy eating programming; lowest for stress management, social determinants of health, and program evaluation. Any notable differences in skill levels favoured central Canada. Resource adequacy was low overall; lowest in eastern Canada and within formal public health organizations. Supports for OC were highest in central Canada and in grouped organizations. Dissemination practices most heavily engaged in included: Identification of barriers to adoption/implementation of the innovation, tailoring dissemination strategies and design of dissemination plan. There was little coherence across organizations in the number or types of dissemination practices engaged in. Skill at planning/implementing dissemination, external sources of funding, type of resource organization, attitude toward the process of collaboration, and user-centeredness were all positively associated with dissemination (R2=0,42; F value 8.20, p<0.0001).
Conclusions: These results provide a backbone for organizational research in public health systems. Strengths and gaps identified in OC and dissemination practices will guide strategic investment in the public health system.
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Wilkins, Kathryn. "Socioeconomic status and risk factors for coronary heart disease, Canada, 1971-1985." Thesis, McGill University, 1987. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=64061.
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Goldie, Catherine Lindsay. "Cardiovascular risk and disease among people with mental health disorders in Canada." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/45725.
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Although research has revealed that there is excess cardiovascular morbidity among persons with mental health disorders (MHD), there is limited evidence specific to the Canadian context. It is also unclear if elevated rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) can be attributed to MHDs themselves or to exposure to psychoactive medications. Moreover, few researchers have extended their investigations to account for psychiatric comorbidity or have applied cardiovascular risk prediction algorithms to conduct comprehensive assessments of this population’s heart health. Three studies were undertaken utilizing cross-sectional data obtained via the Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 1.2. MHDs were assessed using the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Frequency of psychoactive medication use, the presence of heart disease, and stroke and cardiovascular risk factors were also assessed. Framingham risk prediction algorithms were used to calculate cardiovascular risk. Descriptive statistics were employed to estimate the prevalence of CVD in people with a range of MHDs and psychoactive medication use. Associations between MHDs, psychoactive medication use, and cardiovascular risk and CVD were analyzed with logistic regression. Confidence intervals for the proportions and odds ratios were calculated using weighted bootstrapped estimates to take into account the complex survey design and nonresponse. Our examination of psychiatric comorbidity revealed that a small proportion of Canadians suffer from a heavy burden of MHDs and that disorders often co-occur. Respondents with any lifetime MHD were twice as likely to have a history of heart disease or stroke, and those without heart disease or stroke were more likely to be at high risk of developing CVD within 30-years compared to people without a diagnosis of a MHD. Similarly, people reporting psychoactive medication use were twice as likely to have heart disease, three times as likely to report having had a stroke, and more likely to be in the highest 30-year risk category for CVD compared to people not reporting psychoactive medication use. Negligible confounding was found between the effects of psychoactive medication use and having a MHD on heart health. These findings underscore the need for continued monitoring of CVD among Canadians with MHDs and development of effective preventative strategies.
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Berger, Jessica. "Disease Representations in Late Modernity: Lung Cancer Stories in the Canadian Print Media." Thèse, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/23307.
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The following thesis describes and analyses the representation of lung cancer in the Canadian print media. The thesis employs a theoretical framework comprised of Giddens’ theory of reflexivity and Goffman’s theory of framing, to understand the social dynamics of negotiation behind the disease’s portrayal in the media, in a late modern context. Late modernity was defined by institutional reflexivity and a focus on understanding and mitigating risk. The research was conducted through a content analysis and examined quantitative trends that contributed to a subsequent qualitative interpretation. The results show that the coverage of lung cancer decreased over time. The analysis shows a discourse of a biomedical institution that has unsuccessfully controlled the disease, a lack of patient advocacy, particularly among celebrities, and a continued conflation of smoking behaviour and lung cancer, all of which contributed to the decreasing coverage. The framing processes point to a society focused on understanding risk through studying the disease’s causes, as well as one concerned with legislative debate and behavioural prevention. The emergence of a frame focused on the patient’s lived experience might contribute to an improved representation of the disease.
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Morrow, Adrienne. "The burden of pneumococcal disease in the Canadian population before routine use of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine." Thesis, Université Laval, 2006. http://www.theses.ulaval.ca/2006/23767/23767.pdf.
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Ragonnet, Manon Lily. "Molecular Epidemiology of HIV in Canada." Thèse, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/20215.
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With over 35 million people currently infected, the World Health Organization considers HIV a global pandemic. HIV is characterized by a high mutation rate, which allows it to evade the host immune system and develop resistance to drugs. However, this extraordinary adaptive ability may also be the key to HIV’s demise. Through the field of phylodynamics, the evolutionary behavior of the virus is being studied in an attempt to control the epidemic. In this thesis, three papers are presented in which we analyze sequences generated through the Canadian HIV Strain and Drug Resistance Surveillance program. In chapter 2 we validate a classifier which distinguishes between recent and established infections based on the proportion of mixed bases observed in population-based pol sequences. Our results will help identify recent infections and improve incidence calculations. In chapter 3, we investigate immune-induced patterns in HIV that are shared by patients of the same ethnicity. An understanding of the forces shaping HIV evolution is instrumental to the development of a vaccine relevant to the Canadian epidemic. In chapter 4, we present preliminary results of a historical reconstruction of HIV across the provinces of Canada. This analysis will highlight strategies that have succeeded or failed in controlling the epidemic. Furthermore, our work will establish whether non-B subtypes of HIV are an increasing threat to Canadian public health. Overall, this thesis provides the first country-wide evolutionary and phylogenetic analysis of the HIV epidemic.
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Zelmer, Jennifer. "The economic burden of end-stage renal disease in Canada: present and future /." *McMaster only, 2005.
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Tyas, Suzanne Leigh. "Are tobacco and alcohol use related to Alzheimer's disease?, results from three Canadian data sets." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/tape17/PQDD_0027/NQ31091.pdf.
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Knabe, Susan Margaret. "Moral pan(dem)ic deviance and disease in Canadian medical discourses on AIDS, 1981-1990 /." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp03/MQ40476.pdf.
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Braun, Kali. "Association of killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) genes with tuberculosis disease in two Canadian cohorts." PLoS ONE, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1993/22042.
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In Canada, and more specifically in Canadian-born Aboriginals and foreign born populations, high incidence of tuberculosis (TB) causes significant morbidity and mortality. The presence or absence of specific killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) genes, individually or in conjunction, may be associated with tuberculosis (active, latent, or uninfected disease status) as well as ethnicity of an individual. It is hypothesized that the differences in KIR profiles, gene frequencies, and/or haplotypes in Canadian-born Aboriginal, Canadian-born non-Aboriginal, and foreign born individuals elicits a differential activation or inhibition profile, resulting in differential cytokine expression and eventually contributes to the outcome of TB infection. In this study we examined the enrichment or depletion of KIR genes in different ethnic populations in Manitoba with special focus on active, latent, and uninfected TB status. In addition, we sought to explore the statistical correlation between TB status and inhibitory/stimulatory KIR haplotypes.
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Bruneau, Nancy Nathalie. "Aspects of uncertainty and decision-making in fish disease control programs in Ontario, Canada." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp04/nq24398.pdf.
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Stephen, Nicole. "End-of-life discussions in nonmalignant respiratory disease in the United Kingdom and Canada." Thesis, University of Plymouth, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/3371.
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Nonmalignant respiratory diseases (NMRD), such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), are a leading cause of morbidity worldwide. Research has shown that patients with NMRD in the UK, Canada and the US have less access to palliative care services than patients with other respiratory diseases such as lung cancer. Discussing preferences for end-of-life care in NMRD can be difficult for patients, carers and health professionals, however it is essential to ensure that the patient’s wishes are met, particularly when resources are scarce. Despite similar nationalised health care systems in the UK and Canada, a recent report by the Economist Intelligence Unit ranked overall quality of end-of- life care in the UK first out of forty, while Canada was ranked ninth out of forty. Therefore, it was deemed useful to investigate how end-of-life for people with NMRD is discussed between health professionals and patients in the UK and Canada and to develop an instrument allowing health professionals to determine constraints and opportunities for facilitating such discussions in each country as comparing care between countries is helpful to determine the best solutions for individuals and families with complex needs. This study was guided by the Medical Research Council guidelines for developing and implementing complex interventions, and the research process followed the requirements for the development phase of these guidelines. First, two systematic reviews were carried out to establish the evidence base regarding of end-of-life discussions. The first focused on how end-of-life is discussed in NMRD, while the second focused exclusively on end-of-life discussions in a single NMRD (COPD) in the UK and Canada only. The findings of the systematic reviews pointed toward the need for further training of health professionals to iii discuss end-of-life with this patient group, as well as the lack indicators that this patient group is ready or willing to discuss end-of-life. Then, a Delphi study was conducted with specialist respiratory nurses in the UK to determine expert opinion on how health professionals know a patient with NMRD is ready to discuss end-of-life, and to establish the key considerations and topics in such discussions. This study was replicated in Canada with health professionals working with patients with NMRD. Each Delphi study resulted in a country specific tool to assist less experienced health professionals discuss end-of-life with this patient group. Finally, the findings of these Delphi studies were compared to determine what health professionals in each country could learn from each other, as well as specific considerations in each country, and areas for future research. The findings from the comparison process demonstrated that the emotional intelligence of health professionals, the patient education context and the recognition of cultural issues were all important factors when approaching end-of-life discussions. Findings from each phase of the intervention development process resulted in a theoretical model of how end-of-life is discussed in the UK and Canada. This model identifies constraints and opportunities for such discussions from a systems level perspective including: end-of-life policies, prognosis in non-malignant respiratory disease, time, clinical indicators, initiation responsibility, the educational role of health professionals, emotional intelligence, cultural competence and readiness versus willingness to discuss end-of-life. Recommendations are made from the findings of this study for research, clinical practice, education and policy. A detailed plan for the next stage of the development of the intervention is included.
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Scott, Jessica. "Perceived Barriers to the use of Electronic Health Records for Infectious Disease Surveillance in Canada." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/32000.
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This thesis examines the potential interface that exists between health information, specifically electronic health record (EHR) systems, and notifiable disease surveillance in Canada. It aims to highlight the benefits and barriers experienced by the current national notifiable disease surveillance strategy, as well as to highlight the successes and roadblocks to the successful implementation and adoption of EHR technologies in Canada. Qualitative methodologies, which include the 16 semi-structured interviews conducted with four key stakeholder groups, including public health experts, physicians, health administrators and academics that are concerned with EHR adoption and public health were used to obtain data. Data from interviews was analysed using grounded theory methodology and then verified using member checking and other data validation methods. Emergent themes from obtained data indicated that there is a large potential for the improvement of the current notifiable disease through the use of EHR technologies: however, the barriers currently faced by both the notifiable disease surveillance system and the state of implementation and adoption of EHR technologies prevent this from occurring. These barriers include political, financial, human, security/privacy, and technology barriers. Differences between stakeholder groups were explored, and potential solutions and insights into existing barriers were provided. The information gained from this study provides insight into the efficiency of the current infectious disease surveillance system and the progress of and need for the implementation of EHRs nationwide. In addition, the results of this study provide stakeholders with a deeper understanding of the barriers facing the use of EHR technologies for infectious disease surveillance and provide a starting place to address these issues. The results of this study can help to inform policy regarding public health surveillance and EHR implementation and adoption.
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Wills, George. "'Not in Glorious Battle Slain’: Disease and Death in the Royal Navy’s Western Squadron during the Seven Years’ War." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/35268.
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The Seven Years’ War represented a period of great mobilization of British sailors and soldiers. Not only did men need to be found to man the ships and garrison the forts in the Western Squadron and North America, but they also needed to be fed and kept healthy during the conflict. Due to poor living conditions aboard Royal Navy ships, expeditions to North America were met with disease that would drastically reduce the numbers of able seamen. This was compounded by demobilization that followed the War of the Austrian Succession, forcing the British forces to rely on impressment to augment their troop numbers. Though there was a concerted effort to take healthy men with seafaring knowledge, local magistrates and constabularies saw this as an opportunity to rid their towns of the unwanted, and the demands of manning an ever growing Navy forced the Admiralty to take the sick and infirm. British prisons during this time were rife with typhus and smallpox, and the guardships that the impressed men would travel to were also areas of infections. The Royal Navy vessels were typically overfilled with men, and the tight living conditions encouraged the diseases to spread, creating ships that were not a wartime asset, but a liability to arrive in friendly ports in North America. There, the infection would spread to the local population, causing continued manning problems for the British during the conflict, and strained relations between the Admiralty and local governors. The infected troops limited British military effectiveness, and threatened the success of operations, as seen in the delay of the siege of Louisbourg in 1757, and the defeat of the British forces outside Quebec City in 1760. The experience with disease within a wartime context allowed Britain’s emerging medical class to publish important research, leading to positive changes to shipboard hygiene and medicine by the end of the eighteenth century.
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Rao, Deepa Prema. "Metabolic Syndrome and Chronic Disease in Canada: The Role of Material, Psychosocial, and Behavioural Factors." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/34416.
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Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a risk condition describing a clustering of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. A number of risk and protective factors have been associated with MetS, and individuals with MetS are at a higher risk for developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
Objective: To contribute to the understanding of MetS in Canada, and to describe how it is a risk state through which material, psychosocial, and behavioural factors associate with chronic diseases. This was examined through three objectives: (i) to describe the prevalence and distribution of MetS; (ii) to examine potential pathways linking income and education with MetS; and (iii) to examine the interplay between non-movement behaviours (NMBs, namely sleep, screen time, and sedentary behaviour) and MetS.
Methods: The Canadian Health Measures Survey (2007-2009, 2009-2011, ages 18 and older) was used for all analyses, which include logistic regression, multinomial regression, and calculation of standardized logit coefficients.
Results: MetS was prevalent among approximately 20% of Canadian adults. It was significantly associated with chronic diseases, such as diabetes (11.2% vs. 3.4% among those with MetS vs. the general population). A social gradient in MetS was identified, and the behavioural risk factors of alcohol use, smoking, physical inactivity, and screen time were suggested to be partial mediators of this pathway. Findings demonstrated that not adhering to physical activity guidelines (150 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week) was associated with increased odds of MetS. A stepwise moderating effect of guideline adherence on screen time and sleep behaviours was demonstrated.
Conclusion: MetS is prevalent in Canadian adults, and a high proportion of individuals with MetS have chronic conditions. Addressing the modifiable determinants of physical inactivity, excess screen time, alcohol consumption, and smoking may reduce the social gradient in MetS. Furthermore, adhering to physical activity guidelines may mitigate the associations of NMBs with MetS. The current thesis suggests that healthy behaviours are associated with lower risk for MetS, and therefore, possibly for future chronic disease.
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Fredrickson, Richard J. "The Effects of Disease, Prey Fluctuation, and Clear-Cutting on American Marten in Newfoundland, Canada." DigitalCommons@USU, 1990. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/6436.
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Individual variation in survival and behavior of American marten (Martes americana) was studied in relation to disease, prey fluctuation, and clear-cutting from 10 January 1986 through 20 August 1987 in Newfoundland, Canada. Thirty-seven of forty marten captured on the study area were telemetered and monitored for part or all of the study.
Marten mortality was concentrated in two intervals, fall 1986 and late winter 1987. Mortality during fall 1986 was attributable to encephalitis, while marten deaths during late winter 1987 resulted from predation and starvation attributable to the prey decline. Nonsuppurative encephalitis was first detected 7 October 1986; no further evidence of the disease could be found after 1 November 1986. In early October 1986, declining populations of meadow voles were documented; by June 1987 no voles could be found on the study area.
In both mortality periods, young-of-the-year marten had lower survival rates than older marten, and transients survived less well than residents. However, encephalitis appeared to be a less selective mortality agent than the prey decline. Females, considered to be more vulnerable to resource perturbations, had lower survival rates and males higher rates during late winter 1987 than during the disease epizootic.
Clear-cutting operations ran from 4 August 1986 through 14 November 1986; 3% (259 ha) of the study area was cut. Marten of all ages avoided clear-cuts during logging operations and for the first nine months afterward. Resident kits made significantly greater use of clear-cuts than older residents and were 3.2 times more likely than older residents to be found within clear-cuts. However, resident kits were 2.6 times and adults 8.3 times more likely to use habitats other than clear-cuts.
The decline in prey abundance resulted in several changes in marten movement and spacing behaviors. Intrasexual home range overlap by residents was eliminated. All female residents present before the prey decline either died or abandoned their home ranges. The ratio of transients to resident numbers increased. Recolonization of vacated habitats was slower, and duration of dispersal for females increased. Intruder pressure and mating access appeared to play little role in the observed changes in social spacing. The decline in marten numbers during and after the prey decline appeared to have been partially affected by changes in spacing behaviors.
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Ghasemi, Sima. "An Analysis of the Effects of Exchange Fluctuations on Employment, Output and Productivity in Canada." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/23643.
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Since the adoption of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Canadian dollar has come to be regarded as a petro-currency. Consequently, rising prices of oil and gas (as well as other natural resources) would increase capital inflows that would lead to a higher exchange rate and contribute to the decimation of the export-oriented Canadian manufacturing sector by making Canadian products less competitive internationally. Some have argued that the Canadian economy has started to show symptoms related to the Dutch Disease. One important symptom is the slow rate of productivity growth, which consequently leads to the theory that Canada’s productivity performance depends significantly on the foreign exchange value of the domestic currency. This dissertation attempts to address these issues and seeks to solve the question of whether the Canadian economy is suffering from the Dutch Disease, as well as whether or not movements of the Canadian dollar are responsible for the low Canadian productivity growth since the 1990s.
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St-Hilaire, Sophie. "Epidemiology of infectious hematopoietic necrosis disease in net-pen reared Atlantic salmon in British Columbia, Canada." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2001. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp04/NQ56294.pdf.
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Emke, Ivan (Ivan Louis) Carleton University Dissertation Sociology. "Speaking of AIDS in Canada: the texts and contexts of official, counter-cultural and mass media discourses surrounding AIDS." Ottawa, 1991.
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Grant, Alyssa. "Visual Impairment, Eye Disease and Their Risk of Depression and Cognitive Decline: The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/41161.
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Objectives: Our goal was to explore the association between vision with cognitive change scores and incident depression.
Methods: A 3-year prospective cohort study was performed. Incident depression was defined using a cut-off score of 10 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Cognitive change was examined by calculating the difference between baseline and follow-up cognitive tests scores. Multivariable Poisson and linear regression were used.
Results: Cataract was associated with incident depression (relative risk=1.20, 95% confidence interval 1.05, 1.37). Visual impairment was associated with the 3-year change in Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) (β=-0.18, 95% CI= -0.28, -0.07), RAVLT-Delayed (β=-0.13, 95% CI= -0.25, -0.02), and Animal Naming Test (β=-0.95, 95% CI= -1.44, -0.45) scores. Glaucoma was associated with 3-year Mental Alternation Test change scores (β=-0.40, 95% CI -0.77, -0.04).
Conclusions: Cataract was associated with increased depression risk. VI and glaucoma are associated with 3-year changes in cognitive test scores.
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Guimond-Peron, Gabriel. "The ecology and evolution of antimicrobial resistance in asymptomatic Salmonella enterica /." Thesis, McGill University, 2006. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=99182.
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Infections caused by resistant pathogens fail to respond to treatment, resulting in increased costs due to prolonged illness and hospitalization. Determining the extent of resistance in animal populations is thus of great importance to public health. In this work, we first showed that asymptomatic populations of Salmonella in pigs present greater genotypic and phenotypic diversity than disease-associated populations. Second, we identified a clonal population structure associated with asymptomatic Salmonella found in the Canadian swine industry and we confirmed that food-producing pigs are a significant reservoir of Salmonella enterica, more particularly the clinically important serotype Typhimurium DT104. Finally, we identified the possible independent evolution of multidrug-resistance in serotypes Typhimurium, Derby and Heidelberg. Our work on asymptomatic Salmonella enterica stresses the importance of linking ecology and evolutionary biology to public health in order to understand and predict the response of pathogenic bacteria to selective pressure imposed by host immunity, whether naturally or artificially induced.
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Jacobs, Benjamin. "The Canadian Acute Respiratory Illness and Flu Scale (CARIFS), the design and assessment of a paediatric disease severity measure." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape8/PQDD_0002/MQ45910.pdf.
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Skotarek, Sara L., and University of Lethbridge Faculty of Arts and Science. "Epidemiology and diagnosis of anoplocephala perfoliata in horses from Southern Alberta, Canada." Thesis, Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Arts and Science, 2008, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10133/681.
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The cestode Anoplocephala perfoliata is known to cause fatal colic in horses. The epidemiology of the cestode has rarely been evaluated in Canada. I detected A. perfoliata eggs in 4-18% of over 1000 faecal samples collected over 2 years. Worm intensity ranged from 1 to >1000 worms. Pastured horses were infected more often than non-pastured horses, especially in western Alberta, likely reflecting their higher rates of exposure to mite intermediate hosts. In a comparison of diagnostic techniques, fecal egg counts were the least accurate. Western blot analysis had the highest sensitivity to detect antibodies to the cestode (100%), but had lower specificity. A serological enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) had a lower sensitivity (70%) for detection of antibodies than described in previous studies. A coproantigen ELISA had 74% sensitivity and 92% specificity, and a positive correlation was found between antigen concentration and cestode intensity. The latter is important because it implicates the utility of this method for accurate clinical diagnosis and epidemiological studies.viii, 70 leaves ; 29 cm.
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Peberdy, Sally Ann Carleton University Dissertation Geography. "HIV and AIDS and Aboriginal communities in Canada; a socially accountable participatory study." Ottawa, 1992.
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Kazakova, Alessia. "Guidance and Practice in the Diagnosis and Management of Two Rare Inherited Metabolic Diseases." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/38059.
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By facilitating timely diagnosis and treatment initiation, population-wide newborn screening programs have led to important reductions in morbidity and mortality for many rare diseases, including medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency and very-long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (VLCAD) deficiency. Newborn screening has also expanded the spectrum of disease severity for MCAD and VLCAD deficiencies to include a higher proportion of milder cases, raising questions about appropriate disease management. To date there has been no systematic attempt to characterize best management practices in terms of the guidance that is available to those who provide care for MCAD and VCLAD deficiencies; nor has there been an attempt to understand the extent to which current practices align with such currently available guidance. The two projects that are part of this thesis sought to address these research gaps with a particular focus on two key disease-specific management practices we identified in advance as priorities: the use of carnitine supplementation and the recommended duration of fasting.
The objective of the first project was to systematically review the quality and content of clinical practice guidelines and/or recommendations for the diagnosis and management of both MCAD and VLCAD deficiencies. Two independent reviewers assessed the eligibility of citations retrieved from a comprehensive search of the peer-reviewed and grey literature. We appraised the quality of the reviewed guidance and extracted information on the content of recommendations. From the 25 guidance documents that met our inclusion criteria, only 7 incorporated evidence reviews, indicating that guidance in this field does not generally meet established methodological standards for the rigorous development of clinical practice guidelines. With respect to content, we identified unclear and inconsistent recommendations regarding fasting times and the use of carnitine supplementation. Further empirical evidence in these areas is necessary to inform the development of future rigorous guidelines.
The objective of the second project was to identify actual practices in the management of MCAD deficiency. We conducted a scoping review of published literature on treatment practices around the world and a secondary analysis of data documenting treatments received by participants in a Canadian pediatric cohort study. For the scoping review, citations retrieved from our comprehensive search strategy were screened by two independent reviewers. We extracted information on study characteristics and disease management. Our secondary analysis included longitudinal data for Canadian children with MCAD deficiency, born between 2006 and 2015 and enrolled in a cohort study at one of 13 centres. For both project components, we described carnitine supplementation and fasting times, overall and according to potential indicators of disease severity (genotype, biochemical phenotype). We identified 5 relevant publications in the scoping review and analyzed data for 107 children participating in the Canadian cohort. Management practices related to carnitine supplementation and fasting times for MCAD deficiency were highly variable based on both data sources. There was some evidence of an association between genotype and carnitine use, which, based on the scoping review, may be due to a relationship between genotype and carnitine deficiency. While actual practice was in some ways aligned with the guidance we reviewed in the first project, these results underscore the need for further evidence to address areas of uncertainty that have been prioritized by patients and families, clinicians, and health researchers, including questions regarding the potential to tailor treatment to predicted disease severity and an emphasis on controversial therapies such as carnitine supplementation.
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Luffman, Margie. "Late yellow rust (Pucciniastrum americanum (Farl.) Arth.) of Red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.)." Thesis, McGill University, 1988. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=61841.
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Chiringa, Kudakwashe E. M. "Human rights implications of the compulsory HIV/AIDS testing policy: a critical appraisal of the law and practice in South Africa, Uganda and Canada." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1017298.
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HIV/AIDS has been an obstacle to socio-economic development and a major cause of loss of human life. It has also caused vast inequities and frustration to the public health sector. One of the significant efforts made by the public health sector to combat the epidemic is the implementation of a mandatory HIV/AIDS testing policy to scale-up HIV treatment. This dissertation examines the impact of this policy on the human rights of people infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Coercive government policies aimed at controlling the AIDS pandemic often infringe on the rights of individuals known to be or suspected of living with HIV/AIDS and this decreases the effectiveness of public health measures. The research methodology involved the study of written literature and a comparative literature study of the law and practice obtaining in South Africa, Uganda and Canada. It revealed that voluntary testing is effective and suitable in South Africa. This dissertation aimed to show that any public health approach that aims to achieve a comprehensive prevention strategy must be consistent with respect for human rights as enshrined in regional and international human rights law. Public health and human rights should, therefore, not be regarded as opposing forces; rather they should be seen as a unified system of protection of human welfare under the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. The solution to the crisis lies not only in testing every single person but also requires a shift of focus to more pressing issues that include gender equality, stigma and discrimination; prioritizing human rights, institutional capacity and resources; and an end to extreme poverty. A human rights-based approach to HIV/AIDS testing, such as the Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) is recommended. Therefore, failure to adhere to the core principles of testing - which are informed consent, counselling and confidentiality of the test result - will only hinder the global fight against HIV/AIDS. The rights of those affected by HIV/AIDS need to be protected in order to address public health imperatives. This can be done through the use of the law as an instrument of social change as well as education and awareness. Key words, HIV/AIDS, mandatory testing, Voluntary Counselling and Testing, public health, human rights-based approach.
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Moro-Méndez, José. "Associations between genetic markers and mastitis resistance in Canadian Holsteins." Thesis, McGill University, 2005. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=85943.
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The objective of this thesis was to test for associations between genetic polymorphisms of genes related to immune response (growth hormone (GH), growth hormone receptor (GHR), ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), insuline-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH), corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH), and prolactin (PRL)) and mastitis resistance traits (incidence of clinical mastitis (ICM), occurrence of clinical mastitis (OCM), culling due to mastitis (CDM), and somatic cell scores (SCS)) in Canadian Holsteins.Using lactation records of cows enrolled in milking recording in Quebec (Programme d'Analyse des Troupeaux Laitiers du Quebec, PATLQ from 1980 to 1994 (411,291 first, 238,432 second, and 130,983 third lactations, respectively) Estimated Transmitting Abilities of traits were generated with a model that included the random effect of sire, and fixed effects of herd-year-season-of calving, age at calving, and genetic group. 721 bulls which had daughters in the phenotypic data sets were genotyped for twenty polymorphisms of the above genes located on autosomes (BTA) 5, 11, 14, 19, 20, and 23.
Two types of analysis of associations were performed: analysis across-population with a model that included the fixed effect of marker and random effect of the son of grandsire, and within-family analysis with a model that included the fixed effects of the grandsire, marker nested within grandsire, and the random effect of son nested within marker and grandsire. Permutation tests were performed to reduce Type I error probability.
Significant associations were found within families for markers of IGF-1 (BTA5), ODC (BTA11), GH (BTA 19), GHR (BTA 20), and PRL (BTA 23) for ICM, OCM, CDM, and SCS in different lactations. Some of these putative quantitative trait loci (QTL) are located on BTA where other authors have reported QTL affecting SCS and udder conformation. The results from this study may contribute to efforts to dissect the genetic basis of mastitis resistance in dairy cattle.
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Smith, Jessica 1980. "Elevated waist to hip ratio and cardiovascular disease risk, assessed by the apoBapoA1 ratio, in Asian Indian immigrants." Thesis, McGill University, 2005. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=98800.
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Traditional indicators of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk may not be appropriate for Asian Indians. We designed a cross-sectional study of body fat distribution, apoB/apoA1 ratio and adipokines of Northern Indians compared to Caucasians to determine if there is a different relationship between these parameters. Indian (men: n = 54; women n = 28) and Caucasian (men: n= 32; women, n = 51) subjects were recruited who were between the ages of 20 and 60 years. Subjects were excluded if they had a history of CVD or were taking lipid lowering medications. Body fat percentage (BF%) was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Indian subjects had a substantially higher waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) ratio than Caucasian subjects (men: 0.93 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.86 +/- 0.01, p < 0.001; women: 0.88 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.76 +/- 0.01, p < 0.0001). Interestingly, while WHR correlated strongly with BF% in Caucasians (men: r = 0.63 p = 0.0002; women: r = 0.74, p < 0.0001, respectively) there was no correlation in Indians (men: r = 0.22, ns; women: r = 0.23, ns). The regression lines for WHR vs. BF% of Indians compared to Caucasians was significantly different (men p = 0.02, women p = 0.002). A similar pattern of correlation was seen with WHR and BMI. In addition, Indian men and women had a higher apoB/A1 ratio than Caucasians: the most powerful lipoprotein measure of CVD risk (men: 0.84+/-0.04 vs. 0.66+/-0.04, p=0.001; women: 0.70+/-0.04 vs. 0.56+/-0.03, p = 0.003, respectively). Leptin levels were higher and adiponectin levels in lower in the Indian men and women. Hypothetically, these alterations in body composition, apoB/apoA1 and adipokines could be due to alterations in adipocyte number.