Publications by authors named "Cody MacDonald"

The Prostate Cancer Patient Empowerment Program (PC-PEP) is a 6-month, home-based intervention aimed at enhancing mental health in men undergoing curative prostate cancer treatment. This exploratory secondary analysis evaluates PC-PEP's impact on relationship satisfaction, quality of life, and support group attendance among partnered participants. In a crossover randomized clinical trial ClinicalTrials.

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Background/objectives: Psychological distress is a significant concern among cancer patients, negatively affecting their quality of life and adherence to treatment. The Cancer Patient Empowerment Program (CancerPEP) was developed as a comprehensive, home-based intervention aimed at reducing psychological distress by incorporating physical activity, dietary guidance, and social support. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, accrual and attrition rates, safety, and effectiveness of the CancerPEP intervention, with and without the biofeedback device, on psychological distress from baseline to 6 months, specifically focusing on the effects of group randomization and the difference between pre- and post-intervention results.

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Understanding how interventions reduce psychological distress in patients with prostate cancer is crucial for improving patient care. This study examined the roles of self-efficacy, illness perceptions, and heart rhythm coherence in mediating the effects of the Prostate Cancer Patient Empowerment Program (PC-PEP) on psychological distress compared to standard care. In a randomized controlled trial, 128 patients were assigned to either the PC-PEP intervention or standard care.

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The Prostate Cancer-Patient Empowerment Program (PC-PEP) is a six-month daily home-based program shown to improve mental health and urinary function. This secondary analysis explores weight loss in male PC-PEP participants. In a randomized clinical trial with 128 men undergoing curative prostate cancer (PC) treatment, 66 received 'early' PC-PEP, while 62 were assigned to the 'late' waitlist-control group, receiving 6 months of standard-of-care treatment followed by 6 months of PC-PEP.

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This is a secondary analysis examining a six-month home-based Prostate Cancer-Patient Empowerment Program (PC-PEP) on patient-reported urinary, bowel, sexual, and hormonal function in men with curative prostate cancer (PC) against standard of care. In a crossover clinical trial, 128 men scheduled for PC surgery (n = 62) or radiotherapy with/without hormones (n = 66) were randomized to PC-PEP (n = 66) or waitlist-control and received the standard of care for 6 months, and then PC-PEP to the end of the year. PC-PEP included daily emails with video instructions, aerobic and strength training, dietary guidance, stress management, and social support, with an initial PFMT nurse consultation.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The program included daily educational videos, prescribed exercises, a mostly plant-based diet, stress reduction techniques, and support, leading to a high satisfaction rating of 9 out of 10 from participants.
  • * Participants found the comprehensive, home-based approach of PC-PEP more beneficial than single interventions, and strongly recommended its integration into standard care from the onset of diagnosis, despite some challenges like work commitments.
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Prostate cancer (PCa) survivors often experience post-treatment challenges that impact their well-being and mental health. The Prostate Cancer Patient Empowerment Program (PC-PEP) aims to address these issues through a comprehensive intervention, involving daily meditation/breathing exercises, physical activity, pelvic floor exercises, emotional connection strategies, and peer support. This study presents a secondary analysis of a Phase 2 feasibility study that evaluated the effects of a 28-day PC-PEP intervention on stress reduction.

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Background: Although survival rates for newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients are very high, most of them will likely suffer significant treatment-related side effects, depression, or anxiety, affecting their quality of life.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a 6-mo online home-based physical, mental, and social support intervention, the Prostate Cancer Patient Empowerment Program (PC-PEP), on preventing psychological distress among men undergoing curative prostate cancer treatment.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In a crossover randomized clinical trial of 128 men aged 50-82 yr scheduled for curative prostate cancer surgery or radiotherapy (± hormone treatment), 66 received the 6-mo PC-PEP intervention and 62 were randomized to a waitlist-control arm and received the standard of care for 6 mo, and then PC-PEP to the end of the year.

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Recent research has revealed that prostate cancer (PCa) survivors are facing a silent epidemic of mental disorder. These findings are not surprising when the side effects of highly effective current treatment modalities are considered. Here, we assess the association between urinary function and quality of life indicators to mental disorder among survivors of PCa.

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Prostate cancer (PCa) patients and survivors are at high risk of mental health illness. Here, we examined the contribution of treatment regret, mental and physical health indicators to the social/family, emotional, functional and spiritual well-being of PCa survivors. The study assessed 367 men with a history of PCa residing in the Maritimes Canada who were surveyed between 2017 and 2021.

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Expanding the genetic toolbox for prokaryotic synthetic biology is a promising strategy for enhancing the dynamic range of gene expression and enabling new engineered applications for research and biomedicine. Here, we reverse the current trend of moving genetic parts from prokaryotes to eukaryotes and demonstrate that the activating eukaryotic transcription factor QF and its corresponding DNA-binding sequence can be moved to E. coli to introduce transcriptional activation, in addition to tight off states.

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Recent reviews and observational studies have reported that patients with prostate cancer (PCa) are at increased risk of mental health issues, which in turn negatively affects oncological outcomes. Here, we examine possible explanatory variables of mental distress in a population-based cohort of men who have undergone radical prostatectomy (RP). Data were derived from a Maritimes-Canada online survey assessing patient-reported quality of life outcomes between 2017 and 2019 administered to 136 men (47-88 years old, currently in a relationship) who have undergone RP for their PCa diagnosis.

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Introduction: Although survival rates are highest among prostate cancer survivors compared to any other forms of cancer, nearly 60% suffer from mental distress. Here we examine urinary function and psychosocial stressors and their association with poor mental health in a younger group of prostate cancer survivors who have undergone curative treatment.

Methods: The study includes 128 men (47 to 70 years old) who received active treatment for prostate cancer, and completed a survivorship online survey between 2017 and 2018.

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Advances in synthetic biology have enabled the engineering of cells with genetic circuits in order to program cells with new biological behavior, dynamic gene expression, and logic control. This cellular engineering progression offers an array of living sensors that can discriminate between cell states, produce a regulated dose of therapeutic biomolecules, and function in various delivery platforms. In this review, we highlight and summarize the tools and applications in bacterial and mammalian synthetic biology.

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Deeper understanding of antibiotic-induced physiological responses is critical to identifying means for enhancing our current antibiotic arsenal. Bactericidal antibiotics with diverse targets have been hypothesized to kill bacteria, in part by inducing production of damaging reactive species. This notion has been supported by many groups but has been challenged recently.

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The ever-increasing incidence of antibiotic-resistant infections combined with a weak pipeline of new antibiotics has created a global public health crisis. Accordingly, novel strategies for enhancing our antibiotic arsenal are needed. As antibiotics kill bacteria in part by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS), we reasoned that targeting microbial ROS production might potentiate antibiotic activity.

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