https://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/5 2025-01-12t15:19:33z https://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/5416 functional outcomes following total knee arthroplasty utilizing lifestyle risk factors and comorbidities on performance-based tests prochnicki, braedan j.j. total knee arthroplasty (tka) is an orthopedic surgical procedure designed to alleviate the effects of knee osteoarthritis (oa), aiming to enhance patients' strength, range of motion (rom), and ability to perform activities of daily living (adl) post-operatively. lifestyle risk factors and comorbid conditions are factors thought to impair recovery following tka. therefore, this research aimed to investigate the effect of lifestyle risk factors and the presence of comorbidities on both pre-operative and post-operative tka patients, specifically evaluating their ability to perform functional tests. participants completed the stair climb test (sct), stair climb power test (scpt), and six-minute walk test (smwt). the study analyzed lifestyle risk factors and comorbidities alongside functional test scores collected before and six-months after tka surgery. a two-way mixed factorial anova was employed to assess the impact of smoking status, alcohol consumption, and the presence of comorbidities on functional performance measures, while a bivariate correlational analysis examined the relationship between bmi and performance outcomes. 28 participants completed the study. non-smokers recorded the fastest time in seconds (s) on the sct, scpt, lowest average power in watts (w) on the scpt and furthest distance walked in meters (m) on the smwt compared to smokers/former smokers, both pre- and post-operatively. smokers/former smokers averaged an improvement of 31.2% across all testing postoperatively with non-smokers improving averaging an improvement of 22.6%. for alcohol consumption status, non-drinkers recorded the fastest time for the sct (s), scpt (s; pre- and post-operatively), and highest average power on the scpt (w; pre- and post-operatively) compared to drinkers. [...] 2024-01-01t00:00:00z https://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/5415 forest recovery and conservation, a socioeconomic and environmental alternative for the inhabitants of the community of yunguilla, ecuador. case study simba, ligia this study investigates the socioeconomic and environmental transformations caused by the recovery and transformation of the forest in a rural community in ecuador. it attempts to determine if these transformations have improved the quality of life in this community. yunguilla is located in the province of pichincha where there are problems of large-scale mining, massive tourism and deforestation, but its inhabitants, despite having lived through heavy logging processes, have changed their extractive activities for conservation and sustainable economic activities. to carry out this analysis we considered the historical aspects, local development, economy, environment and the impact of covid 19, using the theory of complex adaptive systems, which allows us to analyze the linkage and the dependence and interdependence of the actors, as well as to identify the hierarchical levels of the system and to have a better understanding of the community dynamics and its different adaptive cycles. analytical, synthetic, measurement and comparison methods were used, as well as a multi-temporal analysis of vegetation cover, interviews and semi-structured surveys, using the "snowball" technique. the main results show that the conservation and natural resource management processes based on community governance have been effective. in addition, it shows how the recovery of the forest for more than 25 years has allowed environmental sustainability, fostered community tourism and the creation of social microenterprises as an economic alternative. these initiatives were supported by national and international organizations through cooperation projects, but with the approval of the general assembly. when the pandemic arrived, it generated a strong impact that destabilized the community, but showing resilience, its inhabitants carried out actions to recover, showing an optimistic attitude and believing in a promising future, due to the management and decision making that prioritizes a global approach and social consensus, always prevailing the collective and sustainable approach that improves their living conditions, prioritizing the "good living"1 . thus, yunguilla has exemplified that small actions can be the beginning of positive impacts on a larger scale. 2024-01-01t00:00:00z https://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/5414 situational peer preferences within the dark triad and light three: peer selection and ranking benevides, victoria the dark triad is a trio of socially aversive sub-clinical personality traits consisting of narcissism, machiavellianism, and psychopathy. the light three is a grouping of three prosocial sub-clinical personality traits including empathy, altruism, and compassion. benchmarks of these personality traits are their unique hexaco profiles. the hexaco model of personality structure includes six domains: honesty-humility, emotionality, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. previous research has explored the implications that these personality traits have on various contexts such as employment, friendship, and romantic relationships, as well as assortative mating preferences. the purpose of this investigation was to explore peer preference as a function of personality and biological sex in the contexts of friendship, teamwork, and financial trust. a secondary focus of this study was to further validate the dark triad and light three to support that these are unique and independent concepts. [...] 2024-01-01t00:00:00z https://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/5413 housing and health of asylum aeekers and refugees in canada: a cross-sectional study muhajir, khater asylum seekers and refugees (asr) represent a growing global population due to various factors including armed conflicts, political instability, and persecution. the united nations high commissioner for refugees reports that there are currently over 50.3 million asr worldwide, the highest number ever recorded. canada, known for its robust refugee resettlement programs, welcomed over 30,087 asr in 2019. despite canada's efforts to provide support, asr often face substantial challenges in their new environment, particularly regarding housing and health. while housing is a recognized determinant of health, research specifically exploring the intersection of housing conditions and health outcomes among asr is limited. understanding how different housing situations, such as living in social housing or shelters, impact the health and well-being of asr is essential for developing effective policies and interventions. objectives: this study aims to fill this research gap by examining the association between housing and the quality of life (physical and mental health) of asr in canada, with the goal of informing evidence-based practices and improving support systems for this vulnerable population. methods: a cross-sectional study design was employed, using the world health organization's quality of life - bref (whoqol-bref) survey to assess health outcomes. the study population consisted of asr individuals residing in social housing or shelters across canada. descriptive statistics were used to summarize sample characteristics, and multiple linear regression models were applied to examine the association between housing and the quality of life of asr. [...] 2024-01-01t00:00:00z