Leading the Leaders: Embedded Educational Leadership Initiatives at the University of Windsor

This project explored the impact and scope of embedded educational leadership initiatives (EELIs) at the University of Windsor. EELIs are programs through which individual members of the campus community autonomously and often collaboratively develop and pursue educational improvement projects within their own contexts. Such initiatives are quite common at Canadian universities, and can include, for example, small grants schemes, teaching chairs, and peer observation of teaching networks. They serve many needs at universities, and are widely believed to be an effective approach to improving teaching and learning, driving innovation, building leadership capacity, and communicating the value institutions place on quality teaching. There has been comparatively little empirical research on the outcomes of these programs, and infrastructure for their evaluation for improvement of productivity or strategic alignment tends to be limited. Moreover, despite their strong potential, without a coordinated approach, it is hard to capitalize on the expertise created over time, to bring groups together to address joint concerns through collaborative initiatives, or to establish mechanisms to identify and further support projects whose expansion or duplication would be of benefit to other units on campus.https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/ctlreports/1002/thumbnail.jp

F-3 Body mass, BMI and body composition of teens in Berrien Springs public and Adventists schools

It is observed that the changing dietary patterns of American families and the growing number of convenient food products available both in frozen sections of groceries and fast food centers greatly influence what children and teens eat. Fast food consumption leads to increased energy intake especially among overweight teens compared to their lean counterparts. Since overweight/obesity and early occurrence of puberty have implications in future (adult) health of adolescents, we have explored body mass, BMI and body composition of teens in Berrien Springs public and Adventists schools

<it>MDM2 </it>SNP309 promoter polymorphism and <it>p53 </it>mutations in urinary bladder carcinoma stage T1

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Urinary bladder carcinoma stage T1 is an unpredictable disease that in some cases has a good prognosis with only local or no recurrence, but in others can appear as a more aggressive tumor with progression to more advanced stages. The aim here was to investigate stage T1 tumors regarding <it>MDM2</it> promoter SNP309 polymorphism, mutations in the <it>p53</it> gene, and expression of p53 and p16 measured by immunohistochemistry, and subsequently relate these changes to tumor recurrence and progression. We examined a cohort of patients with primary stage T1 urothelial carcinoma of the bladder and their tumors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>After re-evaluation of the original slides and exclusions, the study population comprised 141 patients, all with primary stage T1 urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. The hospital records were screened for clinical parameters and information concerning presence of histologically proven recurrence and progression. The paraffin-embedded tumor material was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Any mutations found in the <it>p53</it> gene were studied by single-strand conformation analysis and Sanger sequencing. The <it>MDM2</it> SNP309 polymorphism was investigated by pyrosequencing. Multivariate analyses concerning association with prognosis were performed, and Kaplan-Meier analysis was conducted for a combination of changes and time to progression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 141 patients, 82 had at least one <it>MDM2</it> SNP309 G allele, and 53 had a mutation in the <it>p53</it> gene, but neither of those anomalies was associated with a worse prognosis. A mutation in the <it>p53</it> gene was associated with immunohistochemically visualized p53 protein expression at a cut-off value of 50%. In the group with <it>p53</it> mutation Kaplan-Meier analysis showed higher rate of progression and shorter time to progression in patients with immunohistochemically abnormal p16 expression compared to them with normal p16 expression (p = 0.038).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p><it>MDM2</it> SNP309 promoter polymorphism and mutations in <it>p53</it> were not associated with worse prognosis in this cohort of patients with primary stage T1 urinary bladder carcinoma. However, patients with abnormal p16 expression and a mutated <it>p53</it> gene had a higher rate of and a shorter time to progression, and <it>p53</it> gene mutation was associated with an abnormal immunohistochemistry for p53 at a cut-off of 50%.</p

Venous thromboembolism risk and prophylaxis in hospitalised medically ill patients The ENDORSE Global Survey

Limited data are available regarding the risk for venous thromboembolism (VIE) and VIE prophylaxis use in hospitalised medically ill patients. We analysed data from the global ENDORSE survey to evaluate VTE risk and prophylaxis use in this population according to diagnosis, baseline characteristics, and country. Data on patient characteristics, VIE risk, and prophylaxis use were abstracted from hospital charts. VTE risk and prophylaxis use were evaluated according to the 2004 American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) guidelines. Multivariable analysis was performed to identify factors associated with use of ACCP-recommended prophylaxis. Data were evaluated for 37,356 hospitalised medical patients across 32 countries. VIE risk varied according to medical diagnosis, from 31.2% of patients with gastrointestinal/hepatobiliary diseases to 100% of patients with acute heart failure, active noninfectious respiratory disease, or pulmonary infection (global rate, 41.5%). Among those at risk for VTE, ACCP-recommended prophylaxis was used in 24.4% haemorrhagic stroke patients and 40-45% of cardiopulmonary disease patients (global rate, 39.5%). Large differences in prophylaxis use were observed among countries. Markers of disease severity, including central venous catheters, mechanical ventilation, and admission to intensive care units, were strongly associated with use of ACCP-recommended prophylaxis. In conclusion, VIE risk varies according to medical diagnosis. Less than 40% of at-risk hospitalised medical patients receive ACCP-recommended prophylaxis. Prophylaxis use appears to be associated with disease severity rather than medical diagnosis. These data support the necessity to improve implementation of available guidelines for evaluating VIE risk and providing prophylaxis to hospitalised medical patients