Faculty of Health and Community Studies

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Physical fitness and performance standards for the Canadian army
(1990) Lee, S. W.; Chahal, Paul; Singh, Mohan; Wheeler, G.
Examines physical fitness standards and testing, with particular emphasis on the fitness requirements of the Canadian Army. The importance of physical fitness to the Canadian Army is reviewed and physical fitness tests administered in the Canadian military are analyzed. An overview of Canadian and international fitness testing includes the following tests: the Canadian Army uses CF EXPRES Programme derived from the Canadian Standardized Test of Fitness, the Battle Efficiency Test (BET), a 19-item Indoor Standardized Obstacle Course (ISOC); United States Army uses the Army Physical Readiness Test (APRT); the Australian Army utilizes the Physical Training Test (PTT), the British Army has three types of tests including the Army Personal Fitness Assessment; the Swedish Army, the Physical Working Capacity test and the Soviet Army, the GTO programme which means Ready for Labour and Defence.
Effects of mental training on the performance of military endurance and precision tasks in the Canadian Forces
(1991) Couture, Roger T.; Singh, Mohan; Lee, Wayne; Chahal, Paul; Wankel, L.; Oseen, Margaret; Wheeler, G.
This study investigated the effect of two cognitive training strategies, associative and dissociative thinking, on soldiers' ability to perform a weight-loaded march. Forty Infantry soldiers from the Canadian Army completed three hours of marching. Following the march, subjects were randomly assigned to one of four groups: associative (biofeedback), dissociative (meditation), combined associative-dissociative (biofeedback and meditation) and control. After two weeks of mental training, the soldier performed the march again. Analyses showed that all soldiers had improved in their ability to estimate the amount of time remaining in the march and in their ability to reduce heart rate levels while marching. Significant changes however were not found in perceived fatigue levels and in rates of perceived exertion during the march. Results are discussed in light of these findings.
Physical fitness and work performance standards: a proposed approach
(1992) Chahal, Paul; Lee, S. W.; Oseen, Margaret; Singh, Mohan; Wheeler, G.
Traditionally physical performance standards have been developed by a process of normative referencing and are generally established on the bases of age and gender. Many of the jobs assigned to workers can be very physically demanding and result in injury. In addition, men and women may lack physical capacity to fulfil the requirements of such jobs. To satisfy Canadian Human Rights legislation requirements of equal opportunity, regardless of age and gender, the establishment of task-related physical performance standards is an appropriate and desirable approach. These standards must be based on the physical requirements of the jobs and should be within the physiological capacities of the workers. In this paper, the authors have proposed a model to develop task-related performance standards. The purposes, physical capacities, and steps for development of such standards are explained. Applicability of related tests and models also have been outlined. Such an approach should result in a drop of work-related injuries, reduce work for the Workers Compensation Boards and provide greater job satisfaction for the employees. The paper presents a framework for development of specific physical work performance standards for different industries.
Functional vagal input to chemically identified neurons in pancreatic ganglia as revealed by Fos expression
(1999) Wang, Jiulin; Zheng, Huiyuan; Berthoud, Hans-Rudolf
The importance of neural elements in the control of both endocrine and exocrine pancreatic secretory functions and their coordination with gastrointestinal, hepatic, and general homeostatic functions is increasingly recognized. To better characterize the vagal efferent input to the pancreas, the capacity of electrical vagal stimulation to induce expression of c-Fos in neurochemically identified neurons of intrapancreatic ganglia was investigated. At optimal stimulation parameters, unilateral stimulation of either the left or right cervical vagus induced Fos expression in ∼30% of neurons in the head and 10–20% of neurons in the body and tail of the pancreas. There was no Fos expression if no stimulation or stimulation with a distally cut vagus was applied. Large proportions of neurons contained nitric oxide synthase as assessed with NADPH diaphorase histochemistry (88%) and choline acetyltransferase. The proportion of nitrergic and nonnitrergic neurons receiving vagal input was not different. It is concluded that a significant proportion of pancreatic neurons receives excitatory synaptic input from vagal preganglionic axons and that many of these vagal postganglionic neurons can produce nitric oxide and acetylcholine.
Can mental training help to improve shooting accuracy?
(1999) Couture, Roger T.; Singh, Mohan; Lee, Wayne; Chahal, Paul; Wankel, Leonard; Oseen, Margaret; Wheeler, Gary
The study investigated the effects of two mental training strategies separately and combined on subjects’ shooting performance following an endurance march. Further, the study examined the suitability of a ten‐session training programme for the police force. On Trial 1, following a three hour march, 44 subjects shot 25 rounds. Subjects were then randomly assigned to four groups (biofeedback, relaxation, combined biofeedback and relaxation and control). After two weeks of mental training, subjects performed both tasks again on Trial 2. A repeated two‐way ANOVA indicated a significant improvement (p < 0.01) in shooting accuracy by the combined group. Suitability for this mental training programme was strongly supported by the experimental groups (71 per cent to 80 per cent). Subjects were generally better able to relax and focus. They were also more aware of their body and their physiological control. Results are discussed in light of potential benefits for cognitive strategies in precision tasks following endurance activities.
In mice tonic estrogen replacement therapy improves non-spatial and spatial memory in a water maze task
(1999) Rissanen, Anna; Puoliväli, Jukka; van Groen, Thomas; Riekkinen, Paavo Jr.
Investigated the effects of estrogen replacement therapy on water maze non-spatial and spatial navigation in mice. Three groups of mice were ovariectomized and two of these groups being implanted with s.c. pellets that produce blood levels of estrogen close to those found in estrous (estrogen low, 75–100 pg/ml blood) or proestrous (estrogen high, 300–400 pg/ml). The behavioral assessment was initiated 7 days after pellet implantation. Non-spatial navigation to a clearly visible platform was stimulated by low and high levels of estrogen. However, spatial navigation to a hidden platform was improved by low estrogen levels. We found that estrogen improves two different types of memory processes that depend on striatal (non-spatial navigation) and hippocampal (spatial) memory systems.
Effects of ovariectomy and estrogen treatment on learning and hippocampal neurotransmitters in mice
(2002) Heikkinen, Taneli; Puoliväli, Jukka; Liu, Li; Rissanen, Anna; Tanila, Heikki
This study examined the effects of long-term estrogen treatment (sc 17β-estradiol minipellets) on learning in C57BL/6J female and male mice using a position discrimination task in the T-maze and a win-stay task (1/8 arms baited) in the radial arm maze (RAM). In addition, hippocampal monoamines and ChAT activity were measured at the end of the study and correlated to task performance. Female sham-operated (gonadally intact) and ovariectomized (OVX) mice were treated with estrogen either for 7 or 40 days before the behavioral tests and intact male mice for 7 days before the behavioral tests. In sham-operated mice the 40-day estrogen treatment improved RAM performance and in OVX mice both the 7- and 40-day estrogen treatments improved the performance in both maze tasks. The estrogen treatment also improved RAM performance in males. The hippocampal ChAT, NA, 5-HIAA, and DOPAC levels were decreased in OVX mice. Furthermore, the effects of estrogen treatment on the levels of hippocampal 5-HT and its metabolite 5-HIAA were different in sham-operated than in OVX mice. We could find no correlation between cognitive measures and neurochemical variables. This study gives new information about the effects of estrogen on learning and hippocampal neurotransmitters in mice.
Estrogen treatment improves spatial learning in APP + PS1 mice but does not affect beta amyloid accumulation and plaque formation
(2004) Heikkinen, T.; Kalesnykas, G.; Rissanen, Anna; Tapiola, T.; Iivonen, S.; Wang, J.; Chaudhuri, J.; Tanila, H.; Miettinen, R.; Puoliväli, Jukka
We investigated the effects of ovariectomy (OVX) and 17β-estradiol (0.18 mg per pellet) treatment on spatial learning and memory, hippocampal beta amyloid (Aβ) levels, and amyloid plaque counts in double transgenic mice (A/P) carrying mutated amyloid precursor protein (APPswe) and presenilin-1 (PS1-A246E). After OVX at 3 months of age, the mice received estrogen treatment for the last 3 months of their lifetime before they were killed at 6, 9, or 12 months of age. Estrogen treatment in A/P OVX mice increased the number of correct choices in a position discrimination task in the T-maze, and slightly improved their performance in a win-stay task (1/8 arms baited) in the radial arm maze (RAM). However, estrogen treatment did not reverse the Aβ-dependent cognitive deficits of A/P mice in the water maze (WM) spatial navigation task. Furthermore, ovariectomy or estrogen treatment in OVX and sham-operated A/P mice had no effect on hippocampal amyloid accumulation. These results show that the estrogen treatment in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) improves performance in the same learning and memory tasks as in the normal C57BL/6J mice. However, the estrogen effects in these mice appeared to be unrelated to Aβ-induced cognitive deficits. Our results do not support the idea that estrogen treatment decreases the risk or alleviates the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease by inhibiting the accumulation of Aβ or formation of amyloid plaques.
Effect of needle puncture and electro-acupuncture on mucociliary clearance in anesthetized quails
(2006) Wang, Jiulin; Tai, Shusheng; Sun, Feng; Xutian, Stevenson; Wang, Tianshan; King, Malcolm
Background: Acupuncture therapy for obstructive respiratory diseases has been effectively used in clinical practice and the acupuncture points or acupoints of Zhongfu and Tiantu are commonly used acupoints to treat patients with the diseases. Since the impaired mucociliary clearance is among the most important features of airway inflammation in most obstructive respiratory diseases, the effect of needle puncture and electro-acupuncture at the specific acupoints on tracheal mucociliary clearance was investigated in anesthetized quails. Methods: Mucociliary transport velocity on tracheal mucosa was measured through observing the optimal pathway, and fucose and protein contents in tracheal lavages were determined with biochemical methods. In the therapeutic group, needle puncture or electro-acupuncture stimulation to the acupoints was applied without or with constant current output in 2 mA and at frequency of 100 Hz for 60 minutes. In the sham group, electro-acupuncture stimulation to Liangmen was applied. Results: Our present experiments demonstrated that the electro-acupuncture stimulation to Zhongfu and Tiantu significantly increased tracheal mucociliary transport velocity and decreased the content of protein in the tracheal lavage, compared with the control group. Moreover, either needle puncture or electro-acupuncture stimulation to Zhongfu and Tiantu significantly reverted the human neutrophil elastase-induced decrease in tracheal mucociliary transport velocity and human neutrophil elastase -induced increase in the contents of fucose and protein in the tracheal lavage, compared with the control group. Conclusion: These results suggest that either needle puncture or electro-acupuncture stimulation to the effective acupoints significantly improves both airway mucociliary clearance and the airway surface liquid and that the improvements maybe ascribed to both the special function of the points and the substantial stimulation of electricity.
Let the children play: nature’s answer to early learning
(2006) Hewes, Jane
Play is a universal phenomenon with a pervasive and enduring presence in human history. Play has fascinated philosophers, painters, and poets for generations. Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes the significance of play in the lives of children, acknowledging play as a specific right, in addition to and distinct from the child’s right to recreation and leisure. Early childhood educators have long recognized the power of play. The significant contribution of play to young children’s development is well documented in child psychology, anthropology, sociology, and in the theoretical frameworks of education, recreation, and communications. Being able to play is one of the key developmental tasks of early childhood. Play is “the leading source of development in the early years”: it is essential to children’s optimal development.
Prolonged bihemispheric alterations in unfolded protein response related gene expression after experimental stroke
(2006) Rissanen, Anna; Sivenius, Juhani; Jolkkonen, Jukka
After ischemia, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathways are activated that include unfolded protein response (UPR) and protein synthesis inhibition (PSI). Both of these mechanisms aim to restore ER functioning mainly by inhibition of translation and increased processing of excess proteins in ER. We were interested in the role of these pathways during spontaneous recovery after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats. The spontaneous recovery of rats was assessed with a limb-placing test. The expression of ER-stress-related genes (IRE1, ATF6, GRP78, eif2α, ATF4, PERK) was studied by using in situ hybridization in different brain areas on post-operative days 2, 7, 14 and 28. Elevated signals were detected in striatum contralateral to the lesion on days 2 (PERK and IRE1) and 14 post-ischemia (IRE1). Gene expression was elevated on day 7 in the striatum ipsilateral to the lesion (ATF6 and GRP78) and on day 14 (GRP78) post-ischemia. Furthermore, elevated levels of GRP78 were detected on day 14 after ischemia in the ipsilateral sensorimotor cortex. These results suggest that altered gene expression related to unfolded protein response may be more long lasting than expected following focal cerebral ischemia. In addition, these results show that the response to ER stress differs ipsi- and contralaterally after MCAO in rats. Since these differences are detected in both hemispheres only in areas adjacent to the lesion, UPR may contribute to spontaneous recovery after MCAO in rats.
Assessing capacity in the complex patient: RCAT's unique evaluation and consultation model
(2007) Pachet, Arlin; Newberry-Koroluk, Andrea; Erskine, Leslie
This paper describes the development of a unique multidisciplinary patient capacity assessment team, the Regional Capacity Assessment Team (RCAT), which operates in the Calgary Health Region of Alberta. The goals of this paper are to provide a brief review of seminal models that influenced RCAT's development, discuss its ethical and theoretical underpinnings, and provide an overview of the RCAT approach to the completion of complex capacity assessments. The overview of the RCAT model will elucidate our multidisciplinary assessment algorithm, our consultation model, and describe our specialized assessment tools. This paper will be of interest to health care practitioners and administrators looking for a cost-effective, efficient, and clinically sound model for complex capacity assessments.
Social development: environmental sustainability and social well-being
(2007) Vareed, Baiju
Significant changes have taken place in the discussion and direction of development during the last two decades. A major shift which occurred, as a result of various dialogues, was towards the noneconomic spheres of development. The international conventions on various themes convened by the UN have shed light on human, social and existential dimensions of development. The less developed nations have had an influential role in bringing in the non-economic factors in the discussions of development. Sustainability as well as social well being have been established as norms in development policies and practices. But the latter, it seems, has not been adequately absorbed into the whole discussion. An amalgamation of sustainability and social well being is essential in devising an appropriate strategy of development that ensures the existence of the environment and decent living of all for the present and future generations.
Enriched environment enhances transplanted subventricular zone stem cell migration and functional recovery after stroke
(2007) Rissanen, Anna; Hewlett, K.; Windle, V.; Chernenko, Garry A.; Ploughman, M.; Jolkkonen, Jukka; Weiss, S.; Corbett, Dale
Stroke patients suffer from severe impairments and significant effort is under way to develop therapies to improve functional recovery. Stem cells provide a promising form of therapy to replace neuronal circuits lost to injury. Indeed, previous studies have shown that a variety of stem cell types can provide some functional recovery in animal models of stroke. However, it is unlikely that replacement therapy alone will be sufficient to maximize recovery. The aim of the present study was to determine if rodent stem cell transplants combined with rehabilitation resulted in enhanced functional recovery after focal ischemia in rats. Middle cerebral artery occlusion was induced by injection of the vasoconstrictive peptide endothelin-1 adjacent to the middle cerebral artery. Seven days after stroke the rats received adult neural stem cell transplants isolated from mouse subventricular zone or vehicle injection and then subsequently were housed in enriched or standard conditions. The rats in the enriched housing also had access to running wheels once a week. Enriched housing and voluntary running exercise enhanced migration of transplanted stem cells toward the region of injury after stroke and there was a trend toward increased survival of stem cells. Enrichment also increased the number of endogenous progenitor cells in the subventricular zone of transplanted animals. Finally, functional recovery measured in the cylinder test was facilitated only when the stem cell transplants were combined with enrichment and running exercise 7 days after the transplant. These results suggest that the ability of transplanted stem cells in promoting recovery can be augmented by environmental factors such as rehabilitation.
An innovative framework for psychosocial assessment in complex mental capacity evaluations
(2008) Newberry-Koroluk, Andrea; Pachet, Arlin
This study describes an innovative tool developed by the Regional Capacity Assessment Team (RCAT) to assess unique psychosocial factors related to capacity evaluations. Capacity is a socio-legal construct entailing the ability to understand choices, appreciate consequences and follow through (or direct a surrogate) with chosen options. RCAT's targeted psychosocial assessment includes medico-legal factors, social history and supports, coping skills, religious/cultural factors and risk of abuse. RCAT completes the psychosocial assessment to determine whether a full capacity assessment is required (referral disposition) and to determine the impact of an adult's social functioning on their decision-making capacity (capacity determination). RCAT's psychosocial assessment protocol was developed after a comprehensive literature review of capacity assessment and incorporates recommended practices in geriatric social work and psychology. This study will synthesise the pertinent literature, discuss cultural interviewing processes significant to capacity, caregiver assessment and describe the tool itself. Suggestions for future research and appropriate implementation of this tool are provided.
Long-term assessment of enriched housing and subventricular zone derived cell transplantation after focal ischemia in rats
(2008) Rissanen, Anna; MacLellan, Crystal L.; Chernenko, Garry A.; Corbett, Dale
The potential for using stem cells to treat stroke has garnered much interest, but stem cell therapies must be rigorously tested in animal models before transplantation studies progress to clinical trials. An enriched environment enhances transplanted subventricular zone (SVZ) cell migration and functional benefit following stroke in rats. However, the ability of SVZ cells to survive, migrate, differentiate and promote functional recovery at protracted survival times (e.g., 3 months) has not been investigated. The vasoconstrictive peptide endothelin-1 was injected adjacent to the middle cerebral artery to produce focal ischemia. Seven days later, cells derived from the SVZ of adult mice (800,000 cells/rat or vehicle injection) were transplanted into the sensory-motor cortex and striatum, and rats were then housed in enriched or standard conditions. Rats in enriched housing had access to running wheels once per week. Recovery was assessed in the forelimb-use asymmetry task (cylinder) at 1, 2, or 3 months after transplantation immediately prior to euthanasia. Transplanted cell survival and migration were quantified using stereology. Cell phenotype was determined with immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy. Enriched housing did not enhance survival or migration of transplanted SVZ cells at protracted survival times, and the majority (~ 99%) of cells died within 2 months of transplantation. Cell survival was significantly, and negatively, correlated with microglial activation. Many surviving cells expressed an astrocytic phenotype. Functional recovery was not improved at any time. Therapies involving transplantation of SVZ cells following stroke must be further optimized in order to enhance long-term cell survival and thereby maximize functional benefit.
Challenges and possibilities of intravascular cell therapy in stroke
(2009) Rissanen, Anna; Jolkkonen, Jukka
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Western countries and more importantly a leading cause of adult disability. The recovery process of stroke patients might be enhanced by intensive rehabilitation, which acts through brain plasticity mechanisms. Restorative approaches such as cell-based therapies are clinically appealing as it might be possible to help patients even when treatment is initiated days or weeks after the ischemic insult. An extensive number of experimental transplantation studies have been conducted with cells of different origins (e.g., embryonic stem, fetal neural stem, human umbilical cord blood) with promising results. Noninvasive intravascular administration of cells, which provides a broad distribution of cells to the close proximity of ischemic tissue, has perhaps the most immediate access to clinical applications. However, surprisingly little is known about whole body biodistribution of intravascularly administered cells and mechanisms leading to improved functional recovery. This review examines the recent literature concerning intravascular cell-based therapies in experimental stroke.
Transplantation of human embryonic stem cell-derived neural precursor cells and enriched environment after cortical stroke in rats: cell survival and functional recovery
(2009) Rissanen, Anna; Lappalainen, Riikka S.; Narkilahti, Susanna; Suuronen, Riitta; Corbett, Dale; Sivenius, Juhani; Hovatta, Outi; Jolkkonen, Jukka
Cortical stem cell transplantation may help replace lost brain cells after stroke and improve the functional outcome. In this study, we transplanted human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived neural precursor cells (hNPCs) or vehicle into the cortex of rats after permanent distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (dMCAO) or sham-operation, and followed functional recovery in the cylinder and staircase tests. The hNPCs were examined prior to transplantation, and they expressed neuroectodermal markers but not markers for undifferentiated hESCs or non-neural cells. The rats were housed in either enriched environment or standard cages to examine the effects of additive rehabilitative therapy. In the behavioral tests dMCAO groups showed significant impairments compared with sham group before transplantation. Vehicle groups remained significantly impaired in the cylinder test 1 and 2 months after vehicle injection, whereas hNPC transplanted groups did not differ from the sham group. Rehabilitation or hNPC transplantation had no effect on reaching ability measured in the staircase test, and no differences were found in the cortical infarct volumes. After 2 months we measured cell survival and differentiation in vivo using stereology and confocal microscopy. Housing had no effect on cell survival or differentiation. The majority of the transplanted hNPCs were positive for the neural precursor marker nestin. A portion of transplanted cells expressed neuronal markers 2 months after transplantation, whereas only a few cells co-localized with astroglial or oligodendrocyte markers. In conclusion, hESC-derived neural precursor transplants provided some improvement in sensorimotor function after dMCAO, but did not restore more complicated sensorimotor functions.
Cell-based therapies and functional outcome in experimental stroke
(2009) Rissanen, Anna; Schallert, Timothy; Jolkkonen, Jukka
One of the most promising frontiers in neuroscience is the potential for stem cells to treat brain damage. Cell-based strategies are of particular interest in neurological conditions because mature brains have limited capacity for self-repair. It is often argued that stem cells might be used to replace lost neurons and restore function (Lindvall et al., 2004). Prior to clinical trials, safety and efficacy must be demonstrated in animal models. Indeed, a recent review strongly suggests that preclinical and clinical trial procedures and outcome measures, including behavioral assessments, must be closely aligned and sophisticated (Ginsberg, 2008). Unfortunately, a lack of translational success has been observed in stroke neuroprotection trials conducted thus far, and this experience should serve to caution that histological benefits in animals are not a sufficient reason to move to the clinic carelessly.
Intracerebral stem cell transplantation in experimental stroke models
(2009) Hicks, Anna
Cerebral ischemia causes severe functional deficits leaving majority of patients with permanent disabilities. Physical rehabilitation remains the only widely accessible therapy that facilitates functional recovery. Stem cells are suggested to possess the ability to replace lost cells and tissue and thus may enhance functional recovery after stroke. Indeed, according to previous studies stem cells moderately facilitated recovery in animal models of stroke. We used rat models of focal cerebral ischemia and intracerebral transplantation of stem cells. Cells were injected into close proximity of the injured brain tissue one week after the stroke. The animals were tested in sensorimotor tests in various timepoints to quantify functional recovery. We transplanted neurospheres isolated from subventricular zone (SVZ) of mice or human neuronal progenitor cells (hNPC) derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESC). Survival, migration and differentiation of stem cells were examined using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence techniques, stereology and confocal microscopy. In addition, the effects of enriched environment (EE) rehabilitation and running exercise combined with stem cell therapy were examined. Animals received immunosuppressive drug to minimize rejection of the transplants. Results show that the combination therapy of rehabilitation and SVZ stem cell transplantation resulted into enhanced migration of stem cells and better functional outcome within first weeks after the ischemic insult. Longterm studies of SVZ cells revealed that the majority of transplanted cells disappeared after the first month and the remaining cells differentiated into glial cells within two and three months after the transplantation. Transplantation of hESC-derived hNPCs resulted into modest functional recovery. Again the survival of cells was minimal. Majority of hNPCs expressed precursor marker nestin, however some of the cells had neuronal phenotypes two months after the transplantation. In longterm studies the EE rehabilitation had no effect on the transplanted SVZ/hNPC cells. We found sustained activation of immune cells in the brains that had received cell transplantation. In conclusion, stem cell therapy supports endogenous brain repair mechanisms during the first weeks after transplantation, and EE rehabilitation supports the beneficial effects of stem cells. However, the cells fail to survive for protracted time periods after intracerebral transplantation. It is crucial to identify the factors restricting stem cell survival and migration in stroke injured cerebral microenvironment before the true effects of transplantation therapy can be measured.

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