Publications by authors named "Susan Barr"

Article Synopsis
  • - The study compared two groups of participants from a musculoskeletal ultrasound course: one that attended in-person classes and another that took the course online due to COVID-19 restrictions.
  • - Both groups completed similar amounts of homework and had comparable quality in their submitted ultrasound images, with no significant differences in outcomes or satisfaction levels.
  • - The findings suggest that online learning for this specific course was as effective as in-person training, indicating its potential as a viable educational method even after the pandemic.
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Breast with supraclavicular fossa (Br+SCF) radiotherapy treatments can utilise a monoisocentric technique to concurrently treat the breast area (tangent fields) and supraclavicular area (opposing fields). The region where these treatment areas adjoin is known as the junction region, field junction, or match line. Dose variations that may occur about the junction region, due to geometrical inaccuracies, are typically feathered out in patient free-breathing treatments.

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Objectives: The pregnancy-induced alterations in 1-carbon (1C) metabolism, effects of advancing gestation on maternal plasma concentrations of methyl nutrients, and potential implications for maternal dietary intake and infant clinical outcomes are summarized in this narrative review.

Background: 1C metabolism encompasses a series of pathways where 1C units are transferred among nutrients such as B vitamins, choline, and amino acids (the methyl nutrients). Use of isotopic tracers and measuring methyl nutrients in maternal plasma and infant cord blood has advanced the understanding of 1C flux in pregnancy and kinetics of maternal-placental-fetal transfer.

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There is limited evidence regarding the potential risk of untargeted iron supplementation, especially among individuals who are iron-replete or have genetic hemoglobinopathies. Excess iron exposure can increase the production of reactive oxygen species, which can lead to cellular damage. We evaluated the effect of daily oral supplementation on relative leukocyte telomere length (rLTL) and blood mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content in non-pregnant Cambodian women (18-45 years) who received 60 mg of elemental iron as ferrous sulfate ( = 190) or a placebo ( = 186) for 12 weeks.

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Article Synopsis
  • * This study analyzed data from a trial involving 407 nonpregnant Cambodian women to determine which ten hematological biomarkers could predict their response to iron supplementation over 12 weeks.
  • * Only about 25% of the participants showed a significant Hb response, with the best predictors being Hb measured with a hematology analyzer, inflammation-adjusted ferritin, and hepcidin, suggesting these biomarkers can better identify women likely to benefit from iron supplementation.
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Background: Stroke Coach is a lifestyle coaching telehealth program to improve self-management of stroke risk factors.

Aims: To examine the efficacy of Stroke Coach on lifestyle behavior and risk factor control among community-living stroke survivors within one-year post stroke.

Methods: Participants were randomized to Stroke Coach or an attention control Memory Training group.

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Background: Nutrition surveys suggest that <10% of Canadian adults have inadequate riboflavin intakes. However, biochemical riboflavin deficiency [erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity coefficient (EGRac) ≥1.40] has been reported in 41% of young adult women living in Metro Vancouver.

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Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) may be efficacious for autoimmune diseases (AIDs), but its efficacy for individual AIDs is unknown. Factors influencing the likelihood of relapse for each AID are also unknown. This study aimed to determine the likelihood of relapse for each common AID and to generate hypotheses about factors influencing the likelihood of relapse.

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Objective: This study examined the feasibility and comparison of two styles of yoga within the context of a standard behavioral weight-loss intervention (SBWI).

Methods: Fifty adults with obesity (BMI: 31.3 ± 3.

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Background: International task force statements advocate telehealth programs to promote health-related quality of life for patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). To that end, we evaluated the efficacy and usability of an automated e-counseling program.

Methods: This Canadian multi-site double-blind randomized trial assessed whether usual care plus either internet-based e-counseling (motivational and cognitive-behavioral tools for CHF self-care) or e-based conventional CHF self-care education (e-UC) improved 12-month Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire Overall Summary (KCCQ-OS).

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Objective: Specific risk alleles for childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus SLE (cSLE) vs adult-onset SLE (aSLE) patients have not been identified. The aims of this study were to determine if there is an association (1) between non-HLA-related genetic risk score (GRS) and age of SLE diagnosis, and (2) between HLA-related GRS and age of SLE diagnosis.

Methods: Genomic DNA was obtained from 2001 multiethnic patients and genotyped using the Immunochip.

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Growing numbers of healthy people are taking dietary supplements but there is little evidence that they protect against non-communicable diseases, say

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Objective: 1) Evaluate the efficacy of e-Counseling vs. Control to promote lifestyle behaviors at 4 and 12-month follow-ups, 2) examine whether these behaviors changes were associated with lower blood pressure (BP), and Framingham Risk Index (FRI) at 12-month.

Methods: Hypertensive patients (n = 264) were randomized to the e-Counseling or the Control group.

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This analysis assessed the nutrient content of foods depicted in Canada's Food Guide Snapshot. Nutrient contents per 2000 kcal were initially assessed by comparison to Daily Values (DVs). For essential nutrients provided in amounts View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The present study aimed to: (i) evaluate changes in Canadian children's dietary quality during school hours and on school days between 2004 and 2015; and (ii) explore whether changes in dietary quality over time were moderated by sociodemographic characteristics.

Design: Nationally representative 24 h dietary recall data were obtained from the 2004 (n 4827) and 2015 (n 2447) Canadian Community Health Surveys. Dietary quality was measured using the Canadian Healthy Eating Index (C-HEI) which evaluates respondents' compliance with 2007 national dietary recommendations, and the school-HEI which assesses respondents' dietary quality during school hours.

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Background: Riboflavin is required for several redox reactions. Clinical riboflavin deficiency occurs mainly in low-income countries, where it is associated with anemia. The functional significance of suboptimal riboflavin status in different populations and its role in anemia is not well understood.

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Background: Multiple micronutrient (MMN) supplementation may result in interaction effects due to competing absorptive pathways of trace elements.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of MMN supplementation with or without iron on serum zinc, selenium, and copper concentrations in Cambodian women.

Methods: In a 2 × 2 factorial double-blind randomized 12-wk trial, predominantly anemic, nonpregnant women (aged 18-45 y) received daily 60 mg of iron (Fe; n = 201); 14 other micronutrients including zinc (15 mg), selenium (65 μg), and copper (2 mg), but no iron (MMN; n = 202); 60 mg iron plus MMN (Fe + MMN; n = 206); or a placebo (n = 200).

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Background Maternal vitamin B12 (B-12) adequacy is important for maternal health and optimal fetal growth. However, pregnancy-specific cut-offs for B-12 biomarkers are lacking. Methods Reference intervals for serum total B-12, holotranscobalamin (holoTC) and methylmalonic acid (MMA) concentrations were calculated following CLSI EP28-A3c guidelines in 723 pregnant women of European (50%) and South Asian (50%) ethnicity, residing in British Columbia, Canada, at median (range) 11.

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Objective: The National Institutes of Health recommends readability of patient material not exceed sixth-grade level. Our aim was to determine readability of American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS) and International Urogynecological Association (IUGA) patient education documents.

Methods: Available English- and Spanish-language IUGA patient information leaflets and AUGS patient fact sheets were scored for grade reading level.

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The International Breakfast Research Initiative (IBRI) set out to derive nutritional recommendations for a balanced breakfast using a standardized analysis of national nutrition surveys from Canada, Denmark, France, Spain, UK and the US. In all countries, the frequency of breakfast consumption by age was high and U-shaped with children and older adults having a higher frequency of breakfast consumption. Breakfast contributed 16% to 21% of daily energy intake.

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Choline, an essential dietary nutrient for humans, is required for the synthesis of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, the methyl group donor, betaine, and phospholipids; and therefore, choline is involved in a broad range of critical physiological functions across all stages of the life cycle. The current dietary recommendations for choline have been established as Adequate Intakes (AIs) for total choline; however, dietary choline is present in multiple different forms that are both water-soluble (e.g.

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Background: There is currently no information on the lifetime diet of ultra-endurance exercisers. This study describes changes in diet across the lifetime of current ultra-endurance exercisers and the relationship between diet and physical activity (specifically ultra-endurance exercise [UEE]).

Methods: Lifetime physical activity and diet were assessed in current ultra-endurance exercisers (N.

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Older adults have potential increased risk of nutrient deficiencies because of age-related decreased dietary intake and malabsorption; it is important to ensure nutrient needs are met to avoid adverse health outcomes. B vitamins are of particular interest: vitamin B deficiency can cause irreversible neurodegeneration; there is mandatory folic acid fortification in Canada; and suboptimal riboflavin status has been reported among older adults in the United Kingdom. In this exploratory secondary analysis study we assessed vitamin B and riboflavin biochemical status (via microparticle enzyme immunoassay and erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity coefficient (EGRac), respectively), and the vitamin B, riboflavin, and folate content of menus served to a convenience sample of older adults (≥65 years) from 5 residential care facilities within the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada.

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