MacEwan University

About: MacEwan University is a education organization based out in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 818 authors who have published 1493 publications receiving 20228 citations. The organization is also known as: Grant MacEwan University.

Cell death and survival due to cytotoxic exposure modelled as a two-state Ising system

Abstract: Cancer chemotherapy agents are assessed for their therapeutic utility primarily by their ability to cause apoptosis of cancer cells and their potency is given by an IC50 value. Chemotherapy uses both target-specific and systemic-action drugs and drug combinations to treat cancer. It is important to judiciously choose a drug type, its dosage and schedule for optimized drug selection and administration. Consequently, the precise mathematical formulation of cancer cells' response to chemotherapy may assist in the selection process. In this paper, we propose a mathematical description of the cancer cell response to chemotherapeutic agent exposure based on a time-tested physical model of two-state multiple-component systems near criticality. We describe the Ising model methodology and apply it to a diverse panel of cytotoxic drugs administered against numerous cancer cell lines in a dose-response manner. The analysed dataset was generated by the Netherlands Translational Research Center B.V. (Oncolines). This approach allows for an accurate and consistent analysis of cytotoxic agents' effects on cancer cell lines and reveals the presence or absence of the bystander effect through the interaction constant. By calculating the susceptibility function, we see the value of IC50 coinciding with the peak of this measure of the system's sensitivity to external perturbations.

Quality of telephone nursing services for adults with cancer and related non-emergent visits to the emergency department

Abstract: A quality improvement project was conducted to determine the quality of telephone nursing for patients with cancer symptoms. Eligible patients were ones who telephoned the nurse about cancer symptom(s) within four weeks prior to an emergency department (ED) visit not requiring hospital admission. Experienced oncology nurses extracting data indicated appropriateness of ED visits and opportunities for improvement. The Symptom Management Analysis Tool was used to analyze nurse documentation. For 77 patients, 87% ED visits occurred within four days of calls about symptoms (e.g., pain, breathlessness, constipation, diarrhea, nausea/vomiting) and 91% could have been managed by more complete telephone assessment and/or an urgent clinic visit. Quality of nurse documentation revealed few patients were assessed adequately (38%), received any symptom-specific medication review (49%), or were guided in self-care strategies (17%). There was low-quality telephone symptom management by nurses and a need for alternative options for patients requiring urgent face-to-face assessments. Our findings highlight a gap in use of guidelines for informing telephone symptom management.

Dopamine D1 receptor activation leads to object recognition memory in a coral reef fish

Abstract: Object recognition memory is the ability to identify previously seen objects and is an adaptive mechanism that increases survival for many species throughout the animal kingdom. Previously believed to be possessed by only the highest order mammals, it is now becoming clear that fish are also capable of this type of memory formation. Similar to the mammalian hippocampus, the dorsolateral pallium regulates distinct memory processes and is modulated by neurotransmitters such as dopamine. Caribbean bicolour damselfish (Stegastes partitus) live in complex environments dominated by coral reef structures and thus likely possess many types of complex memory abilities including object recognition. This study used a novel object recognition test in which fish were first presented two identical objects, then after a retention interval of 10 min with no objects, the fish were presented with a novel object and one of the objects they had previously encountered in the first trial. We demonstrate that the dopamine D1-receptor agonist (SKF 38393) induces the formation of object recognition memories in these fish. Thus, our results suggest that dopamine-receptor mediated enhancement of spatial memory formation in fish represents an evolutionarily conserved mechanism in vertebrates.

Pedophilia and its (non-) association with physical height among sex offenders

Abstract: Developmental indicators, including physical height, have been suggested to provide biological etiological support. The present study examines the association between physical height and pedophilia, using non-phallometric pedophilic indicators with a sample of 179 sex offenders. Unlike previous empirical endeavors, no significant findings or trends emerged in support of an association between pedophilic interests and physical height. The association between height and pedophilia remains queried, suggesting height may not be a relevant pedophilogenic factor.

MacEwan University Library’s pedagogical shift: Using active learning activities during first-year information literacy sessions

Abstract: Active learning Active learning refers to a student-centered instruction method that focuses on having students actively participate in the learning process through activities such as group discussion, investigation, experimentation, or role play. This pedagogical technique helps to increase student interest, engagement, and learning by allowing them to express their questions, idea, and opinions. With active learning, the librarian acts less like a lecturer dispensing information and more like a facilitator of critical thinking and reflective learning, helping to develop students’ IL skills while promoting essential collaboration between the library and faculty. The librarian becomes less of a focal point, and is able to move through the classroom and assist students, who are given greater opportunity to participate and exercise their skills. Active learning is an approach that recognizes a variety of learning styles and offers instructors multiple ways of reaching learners Lisa Shamchuk and Leah Plouffe MacEwan University Library’s pedagogical shift Using active learning activities during first-year information literacy sessions