Publications by authors named "Howe A"

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the home healthcare industry, with increased rates of burnout and stress among homecare rehabilitation professionals (hcRPs). This study aimed to (1) examine the nature of burnout and occupational stress among homecare rehabilitation professionals at a large home care organization in Ontario, Canada, transitioning out of the pandemic, and (2) assess its impact on work participation and engagement.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Generic Job Stress Questionnaire and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory to examine burnout and job stress.

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Article Synopsis
  • Gender-based violence (GBV) in academia is a significant issue influenced by systemic inequities, yet there is limited research on it.
  • A meta-analysis of studies from January 2013 to February 2023 found that 51.4% of university staff experience GBV, with higher rates among females (59.3%) compared to males (44%).
  • The analysis highlights the types of violence such as sexual harassment and workplace bullying, emphasizing the need for institutional interventions to combat GBV in academic settings.
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Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize the evidence and examine the effect of telerehabilitation interventions compared to face-to-face rehabilitation interventions on physical functioning, mental health, and pain reduction among employed individuals, 18 years old and older.

Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a comprehensive search syntax was created and inputted into Ovid Medline, APA PsycINFO, Ovid Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus. Critical appraisal of the included studies was conducted by two researchers to assess the risk of bias.

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Purpose: The construction industry is a diverse sector with exposure to multiple psychosocial and environmental workplace hazards that increase the risk of injury. This scoping review aims to consolidate the existing literature on the physical and psychosocial determinants influencing the risk of occupational physical injuries among construction workers globally.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted using the PRISMA extension checklist guided.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Out of 112 respondents, which included both surgeons and hand therapists, the study found significant variability in surgical decision-making and imaging practices, with most centers favoring ligament reconstruction using a bone anchor.
  • * Findings suggest that there is inconsistency in the treatment approaches for UCL ruptures and a strong interest among medical professionals for future clinical trials to standardize management practices.
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Introduction/background: Requests for circumcision revision are common in our American pediatric urology clinic. As parents are the surrogate decision maker for their child, there are several influences that can impact a parent's decision for or against circumcision.

Objective: We sought to assess parents' regret regarding their child's circumcision status and to correlate regret to factors that might have affected the original decision.

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Home care rehabilitation professionals (hcRPs) provide health services for clients with a broad range of medical conditions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, home care rehabilitation professionals experienced exacerbations of pre-existing work-related stressors, increased risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus, reduced resource availability, greater workloads, and staffing shortages. The primary aim of this study was to examine the experience and impact of occupational and mental stress on hcRPs working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Gender-based violence (GBV) poses a significant concern in the construction and natural resources industries, where women, due to lower social status and integration, are at heightened risk. This systematic review aimed to identify the prevalence and experience of GBV in the construction and natural resources industries. A systematic search across databases including PubMed, OVID, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL was conducted.

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the transition to remote work, leading to increased attention on presenteeism and absenteeism among remote workers. Understanding the implications of these phenomena on worker health and productivity is crucial for optimizing remote work arrangements and developing policies to improve employee well-being.

Objectives: This scoping review aims to examine the occurrence of presenteeism and absenteeism among remote workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and the interrelated physical and mental health issues during these periods.

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(1) Background: Medical devices, especially neuromodulation devices, are often explanted for a variety of reasons. The removal process imparts significant forces on these devices, which may result in device fracture and tissue trauma. We hypothesized that a device's form factor interfacing with tissue is a major driver of the force required to remove a device, and we isolated helical and linear electrode structures as a means to study atraumatic removal.

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Background: Community-based pharmacists have historically lacked access to electronic medical records and clinical markers. Research was needed to assess the impact of obtaining clinical markers from a health information exchange (HIE) on pharmacist recommendations during a medication management encounter.

Objective: The objective of this project was to quantify and characterize clinical recommendations by pharmacists, resident pharmacists, or student pharmacists within an independent pharmacy setting that had access to patient information via an HIE.

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Pit recharge systems (PRS) control odor by managing organic solids in swine manure. However, there needs to be more understanding of PRS's effect on the microbiome composition and its impact on odor formation. A study was conducted to understand how recharge intervals used in PRS impact manure microbiome and odor formation.

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Focal adhesions (FAs) form the junction between extracellular matrix (ECM)-bound integrins and the actin cytoskeleton and also transmit signals that regulate cell adhesion, cytoskeletal dynamics, and cell migration. While many of these signals are rooted in reversible tyrosine phosphorylation, phosphorylation of FA proteins on Ser/Thr residues is far more abundant yet its mechanisms and consequences are far less understood. The cAMP-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase A; PKA) has important roles in cell adhesion and cell migration and is both an effector and regulator of integrin-mediated adhesion to the ECM.

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Introduction: Bowel bladder dysfunction (BBD) is common in children. Risk factors for BBD include age, gender, obesity, and behavioral issues such as ADHD. We investigated the modified Swedish Bowel-Bladder questionnaire as a sensitive indicator of BBD in healthy children.

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Protein kinase A (PKA) is a ubiquitous, promiscuous kinase whose activity is specified through subcellular localization mediated by A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs). PKA has complex roles as both an effector and a regulator of integrin-mediated cell adhesion to extracellular matrix (ECM). Recent observations demonstrate that PKA is an active component of focal adhesions (FA), suggesting the existence of one or more FA AKAPs.

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Soil is one of the largest reservoirs of microbial diversity in nature. Although soil management is vital for agricultural purposes, intensive practices can have a significant impact on fertility, microbial community, and resistome. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of an intensive soil management system on the chemical attributes, composition and structure of prevalent bacterial communities, and presence and abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs).

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Electron cryo-microscopy image-processing workflows are typically composed of elements that may, broadly speaking, be categorized as high-throughput workloads which transition to high-performance workloads as preprocessed data are aggregated. The high-throughput elements are of particular importance in the context of live processing, where an optimal response is highly coupled to the temporal profile of the data collection. In other words, each movie should be processed as quickly as possible at the earliest opportunity.

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Background: The Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Working Group held a Special Interest Group (SIG) at the OMERACT 2023 conference in Colorado Springs where SLE collaborators reviewed domain sub-themes generated through qualitative research and literature review.

Objective: The objective of the SIG and the subsequent meetings of the SLE Working Group was to begin the winnowing and binning of candidate domain sub-themes into a preliminary list of candidate domains that will proceed to the consensus Delphi exercise for the SLE COS.

Methods: Four breakout groups at the SLE SIG in Colorado Springs winnowed and binned 132 domain sub-themes into candidate domains, which was continued with a series of virtual meetings by an advisory group of SLE patient research partners (PRPs), members of the OMERACT SLE Working Group Steering Committee, and other collaborators.

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Workers in the trades sectors often experience mental health issues and decreased work ability due to occupational stress, workplace hazards and living in danger or constant fear of injury. Understanding the impacts of psychosocial risk factors on construction workers' mental health can aid in decreasing workplace injuries, lessening disabilities and increasing worker productivity. In this study, we focus on understanding and assessing the mental health and wellness of individuals in the electrical sector that are members of the Employer Engagement Project (EEP) from the Ontario Electrical League (OEL).

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Background: General practice has one of the most diverse medical training programmes in terms of sex and ethnic background. However, this diversity of race and ethnicity is not reflected in academic GP careers, with just 17% ( = 81/473) of academic GPs being from racially minoritised groups, according to the Medical Schools Council.

Aim: To determine whether GP academic clinical fellow (ACF) trainees from racially minoritised backgrounds are proportionally represented, compared with the non-academic training programme, using the annual GP ACF conference as a proxy.

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Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) pose serious risks to inland water resources. Despite advancements in our understanding of associated environmental factors and modeling efforts, predicting CyanoHABs remains challenging. Leveraging an integrated water quality data collection effort in Iowa lakes, this study aimed to identify factors associated with hazardous microcystin levels and develop one-week-ahead predictive classification models.

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Objective: Cognitive impairment (CI) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) negatively impacts health-related quality of life leading to activity limitations. This qualitative study aimed to (1) explore the effect of SLE-related CI on activities of daily living and life role participation and (2) describe factors influencing activity restriction and life role participation.

Methods: Semistructured, in-depth interviews of lived experience of CI in SLE were conducted with 24 participants with SLE.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how the gender and ethnicity of panel members influence audience engagement at a large European hybrid conference, focusing on participation trends among attendees.
  • It involves an observational study during the European AIDS Clinical Society conference, collecting data on audience questions and panel demographics to identify patterns in participation.
  • Results show that men and individuals from white ethnic groups predominantly asked questions, with less diverse panels leading to lower engagement, highlighting the need for improved diversity and inclusion in future conferences for better participation.
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