Dr. Sari Hannila
Assistant Professor, Department of Human Anatomy & Cell Science
Faculty of Medicine,  University of Manitoba

Topic:  Downregulation of Smad2 by secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor enhances axonal regeneration in the CNS

Location:  PX236/238 Psychiatry Bldg.   Bannatyne Campus

Biosketch:  Dr. Hannila is originally from Sudbury, Ontario, and received her Bachelor of Science degree in Life Sciences from Queen’s University in 1999.  She then completed her PhD in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Queen’s under the supervision of Dr. Michael Kawaja.  Prior to joining the University of Manitoba in July, 2010, Dr. Hannila worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Marie T. Filbin at Hunter College in New York City.
Her research focuses on the neurobiology of developing and regenerating axons in the central nervous system, with a particular interest in spinal cord injury.  When the spinal cord is injured, regeneration of damaged axons is inhibited by CNS myelin and this leads to permanent paralysis. During her postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. Hannila discovered that a protein called secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) can reverse the inhibitory effects of myelin and enhance axonal growth.  She is now building on these findings as an independent researcher at the University of Manitoba.  She is currently testing SLPI in a rat model of spinal cord injury to determine if SLPI can promote axonal regeneration and improve functional recovery.  If SLPI proves to be effective, she plans to conduct further studies in which SLPI will be administered in more complex, clinically-relevant models of spinal cord injury.  In addition to its pro-regenerative effects, SLPI also has neuroprotective properties and to diversify her research program, Dr. Hannila plans to test SLPI in models of neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease. These studies will be complemented by ongoing experiments that will investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying SLPI’s effects on axonal growth and neuronal survival, and this work will focus on SLPI’s ability to regulate gene and protein expression.

Friday,February 17, 2012
12:00 Noon
Physiology Library 431
BMSB Bannatyne Campus

Dr. Sean Mulligan
Assistant Professor,
Department of Physiology
University of Saskatchewan

TOPIC:  Functional Optical Imaging in Free Nerve Endings: A Pain in the Dura.

Everyone is Invited to attend!

Views of the 1-minute video produced for the Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine (CCARM) virtually exploded over the weekend. The dramatic increase, due in part to recent press coverage, received an added boost when the official Facebook page for “Mr. Bean” (a character portrayed by British actor Rowan Atkinson) also featured the video. The number of views increased to 16,000 on Friday, and over 30,000 by Monday.

Scientists at the Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine (CCARM) were looking to attract attention to their display on the potential health benefits of pulse crops when they asked for help from the Communications and Media Services department at St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre. The results – a 5000-bean portrait of Mr. Bean and the subsequent video – have done that and more.

Dried beans, referred to as legumes or pulse crops, are actually the edible seeds that grow in pods on annual plants, bushes, or vines. They can be eaten fresh, sprouted, dried, and ground into flour. “They are also an interesting medium for portraiture” says Bill Peters, Communications Manager, who along with media technician Rob Blaich was responsible for creating the 20-by-30 inch portrait, as well as the 1-minute video. “The portrait is only one part of the display, and it is intended to draw the audience in. When we finished it, I knew we had something that could be leveraged into additional attention in social media, and so the video was born.”

CCARM will premiere the display in “Ag in the City”, an agriculture-related trade/product show organized by stakeholders within the Manitoba agriculture industry, March 16-18 at Winnipeg’s Forks Market.

View Consider the Bean

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Many hospitals have adopted smoke-free policies on their property. We examined the consequences of such polices at two Canadian tertiary acute-care hospitals.

METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study using ethnographic techniques over a six-month period. Participants (n=186) shared their perspectives on and experiences with tobacco dependence and managing the use of tobacco, as well as their impressions of the smoke-free policy. We interviewed inpatients individually from eight wards (n=82), key policy-makers (n=9) and support staff (n=14) and held 16 focus groups with health care providers and ward staff (n=81). We also reviewed ward documents relating to tobacco dependence and looked at smoking-related activities on hospital property.
RESULTS: Noncompliance with the policy and exposure to secondhand smoke were ongoing concerns. Peoples’ impressions of the use of tobacco varied, including divergent opinions as to whether such use was a bad habit or an addiction. Treatment for tobacco dependence and the management of symptoms of withdrawal were offered inconsistently. Participants voiced concerns over patient safety and leaving the ward to smoke.
INTERPRETATION: Policies mandating smoke-free hospital property have important consequences beyond noncompliance, including concerns over patient safety and disruptions to care. Without adequately available and accessible support for withdrawal from tobacco, patients will continue to face personal risk when they leave hospital property to smoke.

For more information on this publication, contact:
Carolyn Sifton Helene Fuld Library
St. Boniface Hospital Research
351 Taché Ave.
Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6
Phone: (204) 237-2807
FAX: (204) 235-3339
sbghlibrary@umanitoba.ca

Abstract: Dietary intake of industrially hydrogenated trans fatty acids (TFA) has been associated with coronary heart disease. Dietary flaxseed can inhibit atherosclerosis induced by dietary cholesterol. The aim of this study was to determine whether supplementing the diet with flaxseed could protect against atherosclerosis induced by a diet enriched in TFA. Low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient (LDLr(-/-)) mice were fed 1 of 14 experimental diets for 14 wk containing one of two fat sources [regular (pork/soy) or trans fat] at two concentrations (4 or 8%) and supplemented with or without dietary cholesterol (2%), whole ground flaxseed, or one of the components of flaxseed [α-linolenic acid (ALA), defatted fiber, or lignan]. Adding flaxseed to the diet partially mitigated the rise in circulating cholesterol levels induced by the cholesterol-enriched diet. Atherosclerosis was stimulated by TFA and/or cholesterol. Including milled flaxseed to an atherogenic diet significantly reduced atherosclerosis compared with the groups that consumed cholesterol and/or TFA. ALA was the only component within flaxseed that could inhibit the atherogenic action of cholesterol and/or TFA on its own. Dietary flaxseed protects against atherosclerotic development induced by TFA and cholesterol feeding through its content of ALA.

For more information on this publication, contact:
Carolyn Sifton Helene Fuld Library
St. Boniface Hospital Research
351 Taché Ave.
Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6
Phone: (204) 237-2807
FAX: (204) 235-3339
sbghlibrary@umanitoba.ca

Abstract: Background: Although the number of Canadians being screened for colon cancer is rising, only 40% of Canadians aged 50 years or older reported they had engaged in faecal occult blood test (FOBT) screening as recommended. The notion of ‘partnerships’ that is inclusive of physicians, individuals at average-risk for colorectal cancer, and influential family members is receiving more attention in primary health care literature and policy on promoting health maintenance behaviours. To the best of our knowledge there are no studies that have taken a tripartite approach in describing perspectives of these three key stakeholders on the role of family in promoting adherence to FOBT. The aim of this study was to address the gap in understanding the perspectives of primary care physicians, individuals at average-risk for colorectal cancer, and family on family role in promoting adherence to FOBT screening. Method: We employed a qualitative design and conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 physicians, 27 patients at average-risk for colorectal cancer, and 19 family members or friends from urban and rural Manitoba, Canada between October 2008 and March 2010. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using content analysis and constant comparative techniques. Results: While physicians described a clear role for family in managing chronic disease or dealing with acute or serious illness, they identified barriers in working with family to promote FOBT screening: lack of time, privacy and confidentiality concerns, and family dynamics. Conversely, patients and family described instrumental, emotional, informational, and appraisal roles that family play in promoting FOBT outside medical encounters. Conclusion: Adherence to colorectal cancer screening is based on supportive ‘patient-physician’ dialogue that is separate from assistive ‘patient-family member’ relations. Further research is required to explore social support mechanisms involving family members outside medical encounters that hold promise in boosting self-efficacy, overcoming barriers, and gaining positive reinforcement for individuals at average-risk when making the decision to engage in FOBT. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

For more information on this publication, contact:
Carolyn Sifton Helene Fuld Library
St. Boniface Hospital Research
351 Taché Ave.
Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6
Phone: (204) 237-2807
FAX: (204) 235-3339
sbghlibrary@umanitoba.ca

Abstract: Spontaneous resolution of cystic adventitial disease has been occasionally reported in the literature. It is unclear, however, whether this resolution is permanent. In this case report, we describe recurrence of a popliteal artery cystic adventitial disease after spontaneous resolution, which was successfully treated with surgery. The underlying mechanism is proposed. Without definitive treatment, the patients with spontaneous resolution of cystic adventitial disease may need long-term follow-up, given the risk of recurrence. Copyright © 2012 Annals of Vascular Surgery Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

For more information on this publication, contact:
Carolyn Sifton Helene Fuld Library
St. Boniface Hospital Research
351 Taché Ave.
Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6
Phone: (204) 237-2807
FAX: (204) 235-3339
sbghlibrary@umanitoba.ca

Abstract: We tested whether the activation of proteolytic enzymes, calpain, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) during ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) is mediated through oxidative stress. For this purpose, isolated rat hearts were subjected to a 30 min global ischemia followed by a 30 min reperfusion. Cardiac function was monitored and the activities of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase, Mg(2+)-ATPase, calpain, and MMP were measured. Depression of cardiac function and Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity in I/R hearts was associated with increased calpain and MMP activities. These alterations owing to I/R were similar to those observed in hearts perfused with hypoxic medium, H(2)O(2) and xanthine plus xanthine oxidase. The I/R-induced changes were attenuated by ischemic preconditioning as well as by perfusing the hearts with N-acetylcysteine or mercaptopropionylglycine. Inhibition of MMP activity in hearts treated with doxycycline depressed the I/R-induced changes in cardiac function and Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity without affecting the calpain activation. On the other hand, inhibition of calpain activity upon treatment with leupeptin or MDL 28170 significantly reduced the MMP activity in addition to attenuating the I/R-induced alterations in cardiac function and Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity. These results suggest that the I/R-induced depression in Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase and cardiac function may be a consequence of the increased activities of both calpain and MMP because of oxidative stress in the heart.

For more information on this publication, contact:
Carolyn Sifton Helene Fuld Library
St. Boniface Hospital Research
351 Taché Ave.
Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6
Phone: (204) 237-2807
FAX: (204) 235-3339
sbghlibrary@umanitoba.ca

Abstract: The objective of the current study was to determine if the antimicrobial susceptibility profile or genotype of hospital-acquired isolates of Clostridium difficile differed from isolates causing community-acquired disease. Five hundred diarrheal stool samples (>2 ml, one sample per patient) from patients across Manitoba, Canada in 2006-2007 that were reported as C. difficile toxin-positive were cultured and resulted in 432 isolates of toxin-positive C. difficile for analysis. Of the 432 isolates, acquisition status could be determined for 235 (54.4%) isolates; 182 (77.4%) were hospital-acquired and 53 (22.6%) were community-acquired. North American Pulsotype (NAP) designations based on SmaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis could be defined for 52% of the 432 isolates with NAP2 (n = 122) being the most common. Ninety-one percent (71/78) of NAP2 isolates were recovered from patients with hospital-acquired C. difficile disease. Other NAP types and isolates with non-NAP type PFGE patterns were less frequently associated with hospital-acquired disease. Community-acquired disease (35.3% of isolates) was associated with a wide variety of NAP types. NAP2 isolates were homogenous (85.5% had SmaI PFGE pattern 0003) and demonstrated low susceptibility to moxifloxacin (6.6%) and clindamycin (1.6%) compared to non-NAP2 isolates (moxifloxacin, 64.1-93.2% susceptible; clindamycin, 14.1-28.2% susceptible). All isolates of C. difficile in Manitoba, Canada were susceptible to metronidazole, piperacillin-tazobactam, amoxicillin-clavulanate, and meropenem. NAP2 isolates of toxigenic C. difficile were approximately three-times more common than were NAP1 isolates (28.2% versus 9.1%) in Manitoba, Canada in 2006-2007, and these isolates demonstrated high levels of clonality and multidrug resistance, and were associated with hospital acquisition

For more information on this publication, contact:
Carolyn Sifton Helene Fuld Library
St. Boniface Hospital Research
351 Taché Ave.
Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6
Phone: (204) 237-2807
FAX: (204) 235-3339
sbghlibrary@umanitoba.ca

Chuck LaFlèche, President & CEO, St-Boniface Hospital Foundation, announces donation

St-Boniface Hospital Foundation (STBHF) today announced a $1 million donation from Conrad Wyrzykowski and his family to establish the Evelyn Wyrzykowski Family Research Chair in Cardiology Endowment Fund. The fund will support education and research opportunities at St-Boniface Hospital and the University of Manitoba (U of M).

“Conrad has had a history of generous support of research at St Boniface Hospital” commented Dr Grant Pierce, Executive Director of Research for the Hospital. “This provides his family with an enduring legacy and will promote heart research for decades to come. We are so excited and grateful to his whole family!”

The Wyrzykowski family has a long history of philanthropy, having supported STBHF for more than 20 years. Past donations include the establishment of the Conrad & Evelyn Wyrzykowski Fund to support cancer and cardiovascular research, the Wyrzykowski Family Studentship to support undergraduate research initiatives, and the creation of an education and consultation room at SBH’s Bergen Cardiac Care Centre.

News Release – February 8, 2012 – $1 million donation – EN
Communique – February 8, 2012 – $1 million donation – FR