Background : Adherence to therapy is integral to successfully managing asthma, which requires comprehension of what, when, and how to use medication and diligence in following management plan. Asthma patients from eth...Background : Adherence to therapy is integral to successfully managing asthma, which requires comprehension of what, when, and how to use medication and diligence in following management plan. Asthma patients from ethnic minority groups have more morbidity and reported filling their prescriptions less often. Limited information is available in Canadian literature on ethnic differences in their perceptions of asthma management. We aimed to document patient perceived adherence to asthma therapy among targeted ethno-cultural groups. Methods : We evaluated perceived barriers to therapy adherence, including: cultural beliefs and practices, patient/care-provider communication, self-management knowledge, and medication costs. We conducted a cross sectional study and interviewed 85 Chinese or Punjabispeaking adult asthma patients. Results : Lack of sufficient instructions from physicians, language/communication barriers, lack of skills on how to use inhalers, and high medication costs and medication side effects were most reported barriers to proper self-management practices. Most participants lived with others in the same household and reported high social support from home caregivers. The influence of family on self-management practices was obvious. Conclusion: Better understanding of patient needs, provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate education, and inclusion of home caregivers into the management practices are necessary to improve asthma outcomes in Chinese and Punjabi communities.展开更多
With the continuous enrichment of mobile communication application scenarios in the future, the traditional macro-cellular-based mobile communication network architecture will be difficult to meet the explosive growth...With the continuous enrichment of mobile communication application scenarios in the future, the traditional macro-cellular-based mobile communication network architecture will be difficult to meet the explosive growth in demand for communications services.展开更多
Spirulina platensis (SPI) is a microalga with a high content of functional compounds, such as phenolics, phycocyanins and polysaccharides that has been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, neuro...Spirulina platensis (SPI) is a microalga with a high content of functional compounds, such as phenolics, phycocyanins and polysaccharides that has been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, neuro-protective and immunomodulatory effects. The objectives of the present work were to study the possible effects of SPI treatment on the glycemic-lipid profile, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation and cardiac performance in diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (STZ) in male Wistar rats. In diabetic animals SPI, at a dose of 50 mg/kg/day, reduced lipid peroxidation, nitrite levels and lipids in plasma and tissues. SPI exhibited an effective improvement on +dP/dT and −dP/dT in non-diabetic rats. This study showed that SPI significantly suppressed nitrite generation and lipoperoxidation in the hearts of diabetic animals, as well as an improvement in the cardiac function in control SPI-treated rats which is consistent with several studies that demonstrated the protective effect of antioxidants on oxidative stress-mediated injury caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in diabetic myocardial tissues.展开更多
This paper reviews the work done by research- ers at INRS and UBC in the field of integrated microwave photonics （IMWPs） using silicon based waveguide Bragg gratings （WBGs）. The grating design methodology is discu...This paper reviews the work done by research- ers at INRS and UBC in the field of integrated microwave photonics （IMWPs） using silicon based waveguide Bragg gratings （WBGs）. The grating design methodology is discussed in detail, including practical device fabrication considerations. On-chip implementations of various fun- darnental photonic signal processing units, including Fourier transformers, Hilbert transformers, ultrafast pulse shapers etc., are reviewed. Recent progress on WBGs- based IMWP subsystems, such as true time delay elements, phase shifters, real time frequency identification systems, is also discussed.展开更多
文摘Background : Adherence to therapy is integral to successfully managing asthma, which requires comprehension of what, when, and how to use medication and diligence in following management plan. Asthma patients from ethnic minority groups have more morbidity and reported filling their prescriptions less often. Limited information is available in Canadian literature on ethnic differences in their perceptions of asthma management. We aimed to document patient perceived adherence to asthma therapy among targeted ethno-cultural groups. Methods : We evaluated perceived barriers to therapy adherence, including: cultural beliefs and practices, patient/care-provider communication, self-management knowledge, and medication costs. We conducted a cross sectional study and interviewed 85 Chinese or Punjabispeaking adult asthma patients. Results : Lack of sufficient instructions from physicians, language/communication barriers, lack of skills on how to use inhalers, and high medication costs and medication side effects were most reported barriers to proper self-management practices. Most participants lived with others in the same household and reported high social support from home caregivers. The influence of family on self-management practices was obvious. Conclusion: Better understanding of patient needs, provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate education, and inclusion of home caregivers into the management practices are necessary to improve asthma outcomes in Chinese and Punjabi communities.
文摘With the continuous enrichment of mobile communication application scenarios in the future, the traditional macro-cellular-based mobile communication network architecture will be difficult to meet the explosive growth in demand for communications services.
文摘Spirulina platensis (SPI) is a microalga with a high content of functional compounds, such as phenolics, phycocyanins and polysaccharides that has been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, neuro-protective and immunomodulatory effects. The objectives of the present work were to study the possible effects of SPI treatment on the glycemic-lipid profile, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation and cardiac performance in diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (STZ) in male Wistar rats. In diabetic animals SPI, at a dose of 50 mg/kg/day, reduced lipid peroxidation, nitrite levels and lipids in plasma and tissues. SPI exhibited an effective improvement on +dP/dT and −dP/dT in non-diabetic rats. This study showed that SPI significantly suppressed nitrite generation and lipoperoxidation in the hearts of diabetic animals, as well as an improvement in the cardiac function in control SPI-treated rats which is consistent with several studies that demonstrated the protective effect of antioxidants on oxidative stress-mediated injury caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in diabetic myocardial tissues.
文摘This paper reviews the work done by research- ers at INRS and UBC in the field of integrated microwave photonics （IMWPs） using silicon based waveguide Bragg gratings （WBGs）. The grating design methodology is discussed in detail, including practical device fabrication considerations. On-chip implementations of various fun- darnental photonic signal processing units, including Fourier transformers, Hilbert transformers, ultrafast pulse shapers etc., are reviewed. Recent progress on WBGs- based IMWP subsystems, such as true time delay elements, phase shifters, real time frequency identification systems, is also discussed.
