Amphetamine-Related Emergency Department Visits in Ontario, Canada, 2003-2020.

Objectives: Despite unregulated amphetamine use increasing, there are limited data on related emergency department (ED) visits in Canada. Our primary objective was to examine trends in amphetamine-related ED visits over time in Ontario, including by age and sex. Secondary objectives were to examine whether patient characteristics were associated with ED revisit within 6 months.

Amphetamine-related care in the USA, 2003-2014: cross-sectional analyses examining inpatient trends and factors associated with hospitalisation outcomes.

Objectives: Although amphetamine use is a growing health problem in the USA, there are limited data on amphetamine-related hospitalisations. The primary objective of our study was to examine trends in amphetamine-related hospitalisations in the USA between 2003 and 2014, including by age and sex. Our secondary objectives were to examine whether demographic, clinical and care setting characteristics were associated with select outcomes of amphetamine-related hospitalisations, including in-hospital mortality, prolonged length of stay and leaving against medical advice.

Survival and Health Care Use After Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease.

Objectives: To compare long-term survival of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with deep brain stimulation (DBS) to matched controls, and examine whether DBS was associated with differences in injurious falls, long-term care, and home care.

Methods: Using administrative health data (Ontario, Canada), we examined DBS outcomes within a cohort of individuals diagnosed with PD between 1997 and 2012. Patients receiving DBS were matched with non-DBS controls by age, sex, PD diagnosis date, time with PD, and a propensity score.

Disparities in Deep Brain Stimulation Use for Parkinson's Disease in Ontario, Canada.

Objective: To examine whether sociodemographic characteristics and health care utilization are associated with receiving deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery for Parkinson's disease (PD) in Ontario, Canada.

Methods: Using health administrative data, we identified a cohort of individuals aged 40 years or older diagnosed with incident PD between 1995 and 2009. A case-control study was used to examine whether select factors were associated with DBS for PD.

Interventions to reduce wait times for primary care appointments: a systematic review.

Background: Accessibility and availability are important characteristics of efficient and effective primary healthcare systems. Currently, timely access to a family physician is a concern in Canada. Adverse outcomes are associated with longer wait times for primary care appointments and often leave individuals to rely on urgent care.

Risk factors for serious underlying pathology in adult emergency department nontraumatic low back pain patients.

Background: Nontraumatic low back pain (LBP) is a common emergency department (ED) complaint and can be caused by serious pathologies that require immediate intervention or that lead to death.

Objective: The primary goal of this study is to identify risk factors associated with serious pathology in adult nontraumatic ED LBP patients.

Methods: We conducted a health records review and included patients aged ≥ 16 years with nontraumatic LBP presenting to an academic ED from November 2009 to January 2010.

Role of reactive oxygen species in the neural and hormonal regulation of the PNMT gene in PC12 cells.

The stress hormone, epinephrine, is produced predominantly by adrenal chromaffin cells and its biosynthesis is regulated by the enzyme phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT). Studies have demonstrated that PNMT may be regulated hormonally via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and neurally via the stimulation of the splanchnic nerve. Additionally, hypoxia has been shown to play a key role in the regulation of PNMT.

Protective effects of polyphenolic compounds on oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells.

To investigate the beneficial properties associated with polyphenols, we screened 12 polyphenols for their ability to increase the viability of PC12 cells subjected to oxidative stress via CoCl2 and H2O2. Cell viability data demonstrate that 50 micromol/L methyl gallate and 50 micromol/L fisetin significantly increase viability of H2O2-stressed cells. Further, viability data suggest that 100 micromol/L epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) increases basal viability, but has no rescue effect on cells stressed with CoCl2 or H2O2.

Protective effects of methyl gallate on H2O2-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells.

Neurodegenerative disorders are a class of diseases that have been linked to apoptosis induced by elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS activates the apoptotic cascade through mitochondrial dysfunction and damage to lipids, proteins and DNA. Recently, fruit and tea-derived polyphenols have been found to be beneficial in decreasing oxidative stress and increasing overall health.