The best bookshops in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Tiffany Chan takes us on a tour of the best bookshops in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Synthesis, in vitro and in vivo evaluation of nanoparticles and metal complexes for the treatment of brain diseases

An intact blood-brain barrier is essential in order to maintain brain homeostasis and preserve neuronal function. However, its presence prevents over 98% of conventional small molecule drugs from entering the brain, making the treatment of brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease extremely challenging. Due to this, there has been great interest in designing methods to overcome the blood-brain barrier, but many of these are either highly invasive, non-targeted or show poor efficiency. Over the past twenty years, the use of focused ultrasound in combination with circulating microbubbles has emerged as a promising strategy, allowing the blood-brain barrier to be disrupted in a completely non-invasive, targeted and transient manner. In this thesis, we have developed two systems to take advantage of this technology: DNA-coated nanoparticles as potential delivery platforms for combination therapies and a series of metal complexes as potential inhibitors of amyloid beta aggregation for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. In Chapter 2, we began by synthesising a series of fluorescently-labelled DNA-coated nanoparticles and showed that they can be successfully delivered to a target location across the blood-brain barrier in mice using ultrasound. Ongoing work is seeking to evaluate drug-loaded derivatives of these nanoparticles in vitro and in vivo. In Chapters 3 and 4, a series of metal salphens and salnaphs were investigated for their ability to inhibit the aggregation of the amyloid beta peptide, which is one of the key hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Through a series of in vitro assays, we showed that the synthesised metal complexes are able to inhibit amyloid beta aggregation and are non-cytotoxic. Using ultrasound-mediated blood-brain barrier opening methods, these complexes were successfully delivered into the brains of mice, allowing their therapeutic efficacy to be assessed in vivo. Preliminary findings obtained with our complexes in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model are presented.Open Acces

Fidelity Assessment in Community Programs: An Approach to Validating Simplified Methodology.

Fidelity to intervention protocol is linked to best outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; see Boyd & Corley [Autism 5(4):430-441, 2001]; Pellecchia et al. [J Autism Dev Disord 45(9):2917-2927, 2015]); however, fidelity measurement tools that are both accurate and feasible for community use are often not available. In this paper we explore methods for validated simplification of fidelity assessment procedures toward the goal of increased use in clinical practice. Video recordings (n = 36) of therapists working with children with ASD were coded using three variations of fidelity assessment methodology (trial-by-trial, 5-point Likert Scale, and 3-point Likert Scale), and the results were compared for exact agreement, mastery criterion agreement, and overall reliability. The results indicated overall a very high percentage of exact agreement (mean 99.44%, range 94.4-100%) and excellent reliability (mean Krippendorff's alpha [Kα] 1.0) between the trial-by-trial and 5-point Likert Scale across all components; however, the 3-point method may be viewed as being the more feasible strategy within community programs

Attitudes and perception of destination certification towards sustainable tourism development

Sustainable tourism has been a topic of discussion for decades, but it is more relevant now than ever. Prior to COVID-19, many tourist destinations were grappling with the negative impacts of mass tourism. The global pandemic has caused international travel to pause temporarily, allowing certain tourism hotspots a much-needed break. However, without addressing the issue with appropriate measures, the crowds will return as will the consequences. Many destinations have taken the opportunity to reassess their sustainability practices by introducing improved destination management frameworks with sustainability strategies as the overarching theme of their recovery plan. Policy makers, destination managers, and tourism experts in the public and private sector are constantly seeking effective tools to better manage tourism and destination development in a sustainable manner. Certification is one of many tools available. Although not a new concept, it is well-known yet widely debated. Destination certification and assessment is an emerging trend, with more tourism destinations striving to become certified. There is also an increase in the number of ecolabels to choose from. However, tourism destinations are complex in nature, with multiple stakeholders and interest groups involved. Previous research has addressed challenges and opportunities affiliated with destination certification, but rarely from the perspective of tourism stakeholders in certified destinations. This study aims to address the impact of destination certification on tourism and sustainable development through the perspective of local tourism stakeholders in destination’s that have achieved certification

Lisfranc injury

This issue of eMedRef provides information to clinicians on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapeutics of Lisfranc injuries

Plantar fasciitis

This issue of eMedRef provides information to clinicians on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapeutics of plantar fasciitis

Turf toe

This issue of eMedRef provides information to clinicians on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapeutics of turf toe

Calcaneus fractures

This issue of eMedRef provides information to clinicians on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapeutics of calcaneus fractures

Talus fractures

This issue of eMedRef provides information to clinicians on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapeutics of talus fractures

Metatarsal shaft fractures

This issue of eMedRef provides information to clinicians on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapeutics of metatarsal shaft fractures