https://qspace.library.queensu.ca:443 The QSpace digital repository captures, stores, indexes, preserves, and distributes digital research material. 2018-06-26T01:19:34Z http://hdl.handle.net/1974/24285 Systematic review search strategies for: Medical management of endometriosis Bougie, Olga; McKeown, Sandra 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1974/24284 PASSIVE LOWER-LIMB EXOSKELETONS FOR HUMAN GAIT ASSISTANCE: DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION Zhang, Jun-Tian Walking is the basis of human locomotion. With an increasing aging population, the need for devices that assist human walking are in demand. While several simple devices exist such as canes, braces, and walkers, to assist the elderly or individuals suffering from gait impairment, these devices often limit the user’s performance and increase their energy expenditure during walking. Recently autonomous exoskeletons that reduce the user's energy expenditure without limiting their performance have been developed. Unfortunately, these exoskeletons are heavy and have limited operating time due to their actuation mechanisms and power demands. This thesis focuses on the development and testing of passive lower limb exoskeletons that assist level walking. Passive or un-actuated exoskeletons, are naturally lighter and fully autonomous since they do not rely on electro-mechanical actuators to assist the user. This reduces the environmental impact and provides accessibility to populations without access to a power source. Like the mechanical wristwatch, passive exoskeletons utilize the potential energy of the user’s natural motion to “power” the assistance. This potential energy is otherwise dissipated in the body in deformation of soft tissues or as heat. By harnessing the potential energy and releasing it at properly timed intervals, it is possible to reduce the metabolic energy expenditure of the user and reduce the onset of fatigue. Three passive exoskeleton devices to assist the user during level walking were developed using two approaches. The first approach attempts to minimize the step-to-step transition cost of walking, where energy is lost due to collision of the leading leg with the ground. The approach focuses on a method of reducing the energy lost during the collision and using the energy to assist the trailing leg. The second approach examines assistance of the leg joints during walking. This approach follows an inter-joint energy transfer paradigm where potential energy at one joint is used to assist a different joint. The performance of each device and their effects on the biomechanics and energetics of the user are presented. Contributions of this thesis further our understanding of the mechanics in human locomotion and interactions with passive exoskeletons. http://hdl.handle.net/1974/24283 DEFICITS IN EYE MOVEMENT CONTROL IN ADULTS WITH FASD Xiao, Cindy Individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) are believed to be overrepresented in the criminal justice system (CJS). However, accurate reporting of prevalence rates of FASD in the CJS is a significant clinical challenge. This is a reflection of the fact that the diagnostic process requires collaboration from a multidisciplinary team, and there is a low clinical capacity in Canada for diagnosing FASD. In addition, screening every individual that enters the CJS in this way is prohibitively expensive. However, identifying individuals with FASD in the CJS is essential for two reasons. First, understanding the true prevalence rates of FASD will aid in developing much-needed programming and rehabilitation plans to better address the needs of these individuals. Second, rapid identification of these individuals within the CJS will lead to better outcomes for the individuals, and potentially reduce the high rates of recidivism. Tracking eye movement behaviours has been shown to differentiate children with FASD from typically developing controls. This may be due to the substantial overlap in the areas of the brain known to control saccades, and the areas known to be sensitive to prenatal alcohol exposure. To the best of our knowledge, studies investigating eye movement control in adults with FASD have never been performed. The objective of this study was to investigate whether eye tracking can differentiate between adults with FASD in the CJS and control groups for each factor (FASD and CJS involvement). In this study, criminal justice involvement did not significantly affect eye movement control. As a result, adults with FASD were compared directly with adults without FASD, regardless of criminal justice involvement. Compared with control adults (n=22), adults with FASD (n=15) exhibited significant differences in eye movement performance, including an overall decreased proportion of correct trials, as well as deficits in accuracy, attention, response inhibition, working memory, and variability. These results support the notion that eye movement tracking identifies differences in brain function between adults with FASD and controls, and could contribute to an inexpensive, rapid, and reliable screening tool for FASD that may one day be used in the CJS. http://hdl.handle.net/1974/24282 BEHAVIOURAL AND METABOLIC CHARACTERIZATION OF NPR-9 AND AIB SIGNALING DYNAMICS IN CAENORHABDITIS ELEGANS Campbell, Jason Caenorhabditis elegans inhabit heterogeneous environments and are often faced with diverse environmental cues. The nematode must modulate behavioural and physiological mechanisms to avoid aversive environmental conditions while favouring conditions that promote growth. Therefore, organisms must detect environmental cues via sensory neurons, integrate sensory evoked signals via interneurons, and modulate downstream pathways dependent on environmental context. Internal cues, such as a well fed or starved condition, can also reconfigure the neural circuitry. Interneuron AIB functions as an integration hub that integrates sensory-evoked signals and fine-tunes locomotory behaviours. Previous work has highlighted that galanin-like G-protein coupled neuropeptide receptor NPR-9 and stimulatory glutamate gated cation channel receptor GLR-1 function in anterior interneuron AIB. npr-9 loss-of-function and over-expression mutants display abnormal spontaneous locomotion patterns. Hence, we evaluated npr-9 and AIB-specific glr-1 mutant locomotory phenotypes in response to diverse environmental cues. We have shown that NPR-9 functions in concert with GLR-1 to regulate AIB activity. We also highlighted that overexpression of npr-9 interferes with locomotory modulation suggesting that NPR-9 upregulation inhibits the capacity of AIB to integrate environmental cues. This phenotype persists in the context of starvation suggesting that NPR-9 and AIB are also required for internal cue dependent modulation. AIB regulation via NPR-9, serotonin gated chloride channel MOD-1, and tachykinin GPCR TKR-2 also regulates lipid metabolism, likely via the control of glutamate release. In the context of the locomotory circuit, glutamate release inhibits inter/motor neuron RIM via inhibitory glutamate gated chloride channel receptor AVR-14. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) receptor homolog receptor DAF-1 has been found to function in RIM and is regulated via glutamatergic signaling. Therefore, we evaluated the influence of AIB glutamate release on daf-1 lipid phenotypes. We highlight that diverse receptors in AIB can influence lipid metabolism and feeding behaviour, while the influence of starvation also appears to be integrated by AIB in the regulation of the aforementioned phenotypes. Collectively, this thesis indicates that interneuron AIB integrates diverse signals from sensory neurons to modulate an array of behavioural and physiological signaling pathways dependent on internal and external cues.