Ryerson University

About: Ryerson University is a education organization based out in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 7671 authors who have published 20164 publications receiving 394976 citations. The organization is also known as: Ryerson Polytechnical Institute & Ryerson Institute of Technology.

Dynamic Existence of Waterborne Pathogens within River Sediment Compartments. Implications for Water Quality Regulatory Affairs

Abstract: The transport and fate of indicator E. coli and Salmonella are shown to be highly influenced by their relationship with flocculated suspended and bed sediment particles. Flocs were found to dominate the suspended sediment load and have the effect of increasing the downward flux of the sediment to the river bed. Bacteria counts were consistently higher within sediment compartments (suspended and bed) than for the water alone, with the bed sediment found to represent a possible reservoir of pathogens for subsequent remobilization and transport to potentially high risk areas. The mechanism of microbial attachment and entrapment within the sediment was strongly linked to the EPS fibrils secreted by the biological consortium of the aquatic system. It is suggested that the sediment/pathogen relationship should be of concern to public health officials because of its potential effects on pathogen source fate and effect with implications on public health risk assessment. Current standard sampling strategies, howev...

Tensile properties of a friction stir welded magnesium alloy: Effect of pin tool thread orientation and weld pitch

Abstract: Microstructures, tensile properties and strain hardening behavior of a friction stir welded (FSWed) AZ31B-H24 magnesium alloy were studied at varying welding speeds, rotational rates and pin tool thread orientations. After friction stir welding (FSW) both yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) were observed to be lower but strain hardening exponent became much higher due to the presence of recrystallized grains in the stirred zone (SZ) and thermomechanically affected zone (TMAZ). The left-hand thread pin tool rotating clockwise generated good FSWed joints and mechanical properties due to the downward material flow close to the pin surface, while the right-hand thread pin tool turning clockwise caused an upward material flow and resulted in inferior joints. The YS and UTS increased and strain hardening exponent decreased with increasing welding speed. The YS as a function of grain sizes obeyed the Hall-Petch relationship well, and it also increased with decreasing rotational rate. Both YS and UTS were observed to increase linearly with increasing weld pitch (a ratio of welding speed to rotational rate). A significantly higher YS of ∼170 MPa was achieved at a high weld pitch of 1.2 mm/rev, in comparison with that (∼110 MPa) using a weld pitch ranging from 0.0039 to 0.24 mm/rev. All the FSWed AZ31B-H24 joints failed in-between the SZ and TMAZ. Dimple-like ductile fracture characteristics appeared in the base metal, while some cleavage-like flat facets together with dimples and river marking were observed in the FSWed samples.

Self-management experiences among men and women with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a qualitative analysis

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to better understand differences in diabetes self-management, specifically needs, barriers and challenges among men and women living with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). 35 participants were recruited from a diabetes education center (DEC) in Toronto, Canada. Five focus groups and nine individual interviews were conducted to explore men and women's diabetes self-management experiences. The average age of participants was 57 years and just over half (51.4%) were female. Analyses revealed five themes: disclosure and identity as a person living with diabetes; self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG); diet struggles across varying contexts; utilization of diabetes resources; and social support. Women disclosed their diabetes more readily and integrated management into their daily lives, whereas men were more reluctant to tell friends and family about their diabetes and were less observant of self-management practices in social settings. Men focused on practical aspects of SMBG and experimented with various aspects of management to reduce reliance on medications whereas women focused on affective components of SMBG. Women restricted foods from their diets perceived as prohibited whereas many men moderated their intake of perceived unhealthy foods, except in social situations. Women used socially interactive resources, like education classes and support groups whereas men relied more on self-directed learning but also described wanting more guidance to help navigate the healthcare system. Finally, men and women reported wanting physician support for both affective and practical aspects of self-management. Our findings highlight the differences in needs and challenges of diabetes self-management among men and women, which may inform gender-sensitive diabetes, care, counseling and support.

Dissemination of CBTI to the non-sleep specialist: protocol development and training issues.

Abstract: Strong evidence supports the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI). A significant barrier to wide dissemination of CBTI is the lack of qualified practitioners. We describe challenges and decisions made when developing a CBTI dissemination program in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The program targets mental health clinicians from different disciplines (psychiatry, psychology, social work, and nursing) with varying familiarity and experience with general principles of cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT). We explain the scope of training (how much to teach about the science of sleep, comorbid sleep disorders, other medical and mental health comorbidities, and hypnotic-dependent insomnia), discuss adaptation of CBTI to address the unique challenges posed by comorbid insomnia, and describe decisions made about the strategy of training (principles, structure and materials developed/recommended). Among these decisions is the question of how to balance the structure and flexibility of the treatment protocol. We developed a case conceptualization-driven approach and provide a general session-by-session outline. Training licensed therapists who already have many professional obligations required that the training be completed in a relatively short time with minimal disruptions to training participants' routine work responsibilities. These "real-life" constraints shaped the development of this competency-based, yet pragmatic training program. We conclude with a description of preliminary lessons learned from the initial wave of training and propose future directions for research and dissemination.