No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Large-scale transcriptomic studies are among of the most comprehensive accounts we have of the biological processes underlying human brain development and ageing. However, many analyses and descriptive models applied to gene expression data implicitly assume that developmental change is continuous and uninterrupted. Perhaps this bias is often overlooked because the emphasis is on what is changing during development rather than how development itself is changing. Indeed, despite the richness of transcriptomic data and its capacity to recapitulate higher-order functions, few have used it to understand the dynamics of brain development. Gene expression is determined by complex, high-dimensional interactions of the gene regulatory network. Dynamic systems theory states that the interactions of components in any complex systems will converge on certain stable patterns, also known as attractor states. To approximate these stable states, the current study leveraged robust and sparse k-means clustering to identify tissue samples with similar patterns of gene expression across the transcriptome. Sample ages were then used to visualize when in developmental time these stable patterns are present. The resulting model describes the developmental dynamics of the brain transcriptome as a series of non-linear, overlapping states that progress across the lifespan. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Background: The objective of this thesis was to measure oxidative stress (OS) in women with Bipolar Disorder (BD) who used combined oral contraceptives (OCU). Based on our literature review, it was predicted that OCU would increase OS levels relative to non-contraceptive users (NCU) in women. Methods: Thirty-five participants (BD n=25; Control n=10) were recruited from an ongoing study based in British Columbia ‘The Systematic Treatment Optimization Program in Early Mania.’ Participants were administered psychological screening tools (Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) and provided a blood sample for the assays (Lipid Hydroperoxide (LPH), Protein Carbonylation, 4-Hydroxynonenal, 3-Nitrotyrosine (3-NT) and 17-Beta Estradiol). Results: In our primary analysis we did not find differences in OS between BD and controls relative to OCU. Within our remaining analyses, only BD women (n=17) and who gave smoking status were included. We found 3-NT to be increased in OCU compared to NCU (F (1, 12) = 5.639, p = 0.035). With respect to mood stabilizer use, 3-NT was increased in OCU relative to NCU (F (1, 10) = 6.33, p=0.031). As for atypical antipsychotics, 3-NT was heightened in OCU adjunctive users compared to NCU who did not use atypical antipsychotics (F (3, 10) = 4.822, p = 0.025). As for our correlation analyses, YRMS correlated with 3-NT and LPH in OCU BD women (r(11)= 0.711, p=0.014 and r(11) = 0.676, p=0.022, respectively) and 17-Beta Estradiol correlated with LPH (r(17) = 0.598, p = 0.001). Our results are preliminary and are limited by our small sample size and various other factors (i.e. controls). Conclusion: The association between hormones and oxidative stress still remains controversial. Here we showed, after controlling for smoking, BMI and age the use of a COC significantly increased 3-NT in women with BD. Moreover, hormones may influence the relationship between OS and mood episodes. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

A 59-year-old man with lung cancer, peripheral blood leukocytosis and thrombocytosis without peripheral lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly was found to have pancreatic extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) in association with an 'atypical' myeloproliferative disorder. Studies for the Philadelphia chromosome and bcr-abl fusion product were negative. This is the first documented case in the literature of isolated EMH in the pancreas.

No description available.

No description available.

Children with Asperger's Disorder are considered to have impairments in social interaction, but to date few studies have empirically addressed this issue. This study examined the existence of social skills deficits in children with Asperger's Disorder, children with social phobia, and children with no psychological disorder. Using direct observation of social skills during role-play tasks, blinded observers rated an overall impression of social effectiveness and three specific categories of social skill: pragmatic behavior (e.g., effort to maintain conversation, latency to respond), speech and prosodic behavior (e.g., vocal inflection, voice volume), and paralinguistic conversational behaviors (e.g., facial orientation, motor movement). Children with Asperger's Disorder did not display predicted social skills deficits when compared to typically developing children. When compared to children with social phobia, children with Asperger's Disorder were rated as significantly more socially effective and were rated as more skilled on the molecular conversational behaviors that create an overall impression of social effectiveness. These results suggest that children with Asperger's Disorder display adequate social skill during brief social interactions. Furthermore, the social skills deficits present in children with social phobia are not the same deficits found in children with Asperger's Disorder. Implications of the findings are discussed.