University of Ottawa

About: University of Ottawa is a education organization based out in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 36763 authors who have published 87034 publications receiving 2913651 citations. The organization is also known as: uOttawa & U of O.

Cardiotoxicity of anticancer treatments: Epidemiology, detection, and management

Abstract: Answer questions and earn CME/CNE Cancer and heart disease are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the industrialized world. Modern treatment strategies have led to an improvement in the chances of surviving a diagnosis of cancer; however, these gains can come at a cost. Patients may experience adverse cardiovascular events related to their cancer treatment or as a result of an exacerbation of underlying cardiovascular disease. With longer periods of survival, late effects of cancer treatment may become clinically evident years or decades after completion of therapy. Current cancer therapy incorporates multiple agents whose deleterious cardiac effects may be additive or synergistic. Cardiac dysfunction may result from agents that can result in myocyte destruction, such as with anthracycline use, or from agents that appear to transiently affect left ventricular contractility. In addition, cancer treatment may be associated with other cardiac events, such as severe treatment-induced hypertension and vasospastic and thromboembolic ischemia, as well as rhythm disturbances, including QTc prolongation, that may be rarely life-threatening. Early and late effects of chest radiation can lead to radiation-induced heart disease, including pericardial disease, myocardial fibrosis, cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, valvular disease, and arrhythmias, in the setting of myocardial fibrosis. The discipline of cardio-oncology has developed in response to the combined decision making necessary to optimize the care of cancer patients, whether they are receiving active treatment or are long-term survivors. Strategies to prevent or mitigate cardiovascular damage from cancer treatment are needed to provide the best cancer care. This review will focus on the common cardiovascular issues that may arise during or after cancer therapy, the detection and monitoring of cardiovascular injury, and the best management principles to protect against or minimize cardiotoxicity during the spectrum of cancer treatment strategies. CA Cancer J Clin 2016;66:309-325. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Thermal State of Permafrost in North America: A Contribution to the International Polar Year

Abstract: A snapshot of the thermal state of permafrost in northern North America during the International Polar Year (IPY) was developed using ground temperature data collected from 350 boreholes. More than half these were established during IPY to enhance the network in sparsely monitored regions. The measurement sites span a diverse range of ecoclimatic and geological conditions across the continent and are at various elevations within the Cordillera. The ground temperatures within the discontinuous permafrost zone are generally above −3°C, and range down to −15°C in the continuous zone. Ground temperature envelopes vary according to substrate, with shallow depths of zero annual amplitude for peat and mineral soils, and much greater depths for bedrock. New monitoring sites in the mountains of southern and central Yukon suggest that permafrost may be limited in extent. In concert with regional air temperatures, permafrost has generally been warming across North America for the past several decades, as indicated by measurements from the western Arctic since the 1970s and from parts of eastern Canada since the early 1990s. The rates of ground warming have been variable, but are generally greater north of the treeline. Latent heat effects in the southern discontinuous zone dominate the permafrost thermal regime close to 0°C and allow permafrost to persist under a warming climate. Consequently, the spatial diversity of permafrost thermal conditions is decreasing over time. Copyright © 2010 Crown in the right of Canada and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Conversion of Methane by Oxidative Coupling

Abstract: (1990). Conversion of Methane by Oxidative Coupling. Catalysis Reviews: Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 163-227.

Features of effective computerised clinical decision support systems: meta-regression of 162 randomised trials

Abstract: Objectives To identify factors that differentiate between effective and ineffective computerised clinical decision support systems in terms of improvements in the process of care or in patient outcomes. Design Meta-regression analysis of randomised controlled trials. Data sources A database of features and effects of these support systems derived from 162 randomised controlled trials identified in a recent systematic review. Trialists were contacted to confirm the accuracy of data and to help prioritise features for testing. Main outcome measures “Effective” systems were defined as those systems that improved primary (or 50% of secondary) reported outcomes of process of care or patient health. Simple and multiple logistic regression models were used to test characteristics for association with system effectiveness with several sensitivity analyses. Results Systems that presented advice in electronic charting or order entry system interfaces were less likely to be effective (odds ratio 0.37, 95% confidence interval 0.17 to 0.80). Systems more likely to succeed provided advice for patients in addition to practitioners (2.77, 1.07 to 7.17), required practitioners to supply a reason for over-riding advice (11.23, 1.98 to 63.72), or were evaluated by their developers (4.35, 1.66 to 11.44). These findings were robust across different statistical methods, in internal validation, and after adjustment for other potentially important factors. Conclusions We identified several factors that could partially explain why some systems succeed and others fail. Presenting decision support within electronic charting or order entry systems are associated with failure compared with other ways of delivering advice. Odds of success were greater for systems that required practitioners to provide reasons when over-riding advice than for systems that did not. Odds of success were also better for systems that provided advice concurrently to patients and practitioners. Finally, most systems were evaluated by their own developers and such evaluations were more likely to show benefit than those conducted by a third party.

Bax-Dependent Caspase-3 Activation Is a Key Determinant in p53-Induced Apoptosis in Neurons

Abstract: p53 is a pivotal molecule regulating the death of neurons both after acute injury and during development The molecular mechanisms by which p53 induces apoptosis in neuronal cells, however, are not well understood We have shown previously that adenovirus-mediated p53 gene delivery to neurons was sufficient to induce apoptosis In the present study we have examined the molecular mechanism by which p53 evokes neuronal cell death Adenovirus-mediated delivery of p53 to cerebellar granule neurons resulted in caspase-3 (CPP32) activation followed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated biotinylated UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining and loss of viability as determined by an MTT survival assay To determine whether Bax is essential for caspase-3 activation, p53 was expressed in Bax-deficient cells Bax null neurons did not exhibit caspase-3 activation in response to p53 and were protected from apoptosis To determine whether Bax-dependent caspase-3 activation was required in p53-mediated neuronal cell death, caspase-3-deficient neurons were examined Our results indicate that caspase-3-deficient neurons exhibit a remarkable delay in apoptosis and a dramatic decrease in TUNEL-positive cells These studies demonstrate that p53-induced cell death in postmitotic neurons involves a Bax-dependent caspase-3 activation, suggesting that these molecules are important determinants in neuronal cell death after injury