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Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Anatomy Course for Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residents(2026) Gnanakumar, Vithya; Bott, KirstenThese modules comprise a comprehensive Musculoskeletal (MSK) Ultrasound Anatomy Course developed for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) residents. The course consists of 12 modular units (9 modules currently available, 3 modules in development) that integrate anatomy review, didactic instruction, and clinically relevant ultrasound applications. Materials are designed using established medical education principles and emphasize standardized, anatomy-based learning to support foundational MSK ultrasound skill development. Originally developed in 2023, Version 4 (October 2025) has been fully revised to remove copyrighted content and redesigned for open sharing. The course is intended to support blended learning models, including independent study and facilitated hands-on teaching sessions, and may be adapted for local educational contexts. This resource is part of an ongoing quality improvement (QI) initiative evaluating the feasibility, engagement, and perceived educational value of a standardized MSK ultrasound anatomy curriculum in PM&R residency programs. Users are encouraged to complete the brief surveys embedded within the modules, as this feedback is essential to guide iterative refinement and support broader dissemination. This resource is shared to promote accessibility, consistency, and collaboration in MSK ultrasound education within physiatry training programs.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Theatre Assessment Instructions and Rubric(2026-01-13) Rozanski, ChelseaTheatre of the Oppressed group research project instructions and grading criteria.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , The Preterm Infant Gut Microbiome and Probiotics Influence Growth Rates and Synaptic Development in Gnotobiotic Mice(2026-01) Phillips, Kaetlyn; Arrieta, Marie-Claire; Dunn, Jeff; McCoy, Kathy; Hallgrimsson, BenediktPreterm birth increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, potentially linked to impaired growth and neuroinflammation. Emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiome maturation, especially colonization by bifidobacteria, influences neurodevelopment via the gut-brain axis. However, mechanistic insights are limited by the lack of representative animal models. We investigated the impact of preterm infant-derived microbiomes on early growth and neurodevelopment by transferring fecal microbes (FMT) to germ-free C57Bl/6J mice. In one experiment, germ-free dams were colonized with fecal slurries from preterm infants with either high (>60%) or low (0%) bifidobacterial abundance (n = 5 per group). Pups were weighed on postnatal days (P)3, P5, P10, and P21. At P21, brains were collected for hippocampal immunofluorescence, and fecal microbiota sequencing was performed at both P10 and P21. In a second experiment, slurries from late preterm (+ high-bifido) or extreme preterm (+ low-bifido) infants were combined with maternal separation stress and FloraBABY probiotic treatment. Pups were weighed daily from P7 to P21; fecal microbiome sequencing was performed at P21. Across experiments, mice showed only partial colonization of donor microbiota, notably lacking bifidobacteria. In Experiment 1, high-bifido recipients exhibited reduced microbial richness at P21 (p < 0.05) and a shift in beta diversity (p < 0.001). In the context of neurodevelopment, they also had heavier brains and increased hippocampal Synapsin I (Syn1) expression (p < 0.001). In Experiment 2, mice receiving extreme preterm and probiotic treatment exhibited reduced weight gain (p < 0.05) and a shift in beta diversity (p < 0.001). Probiotic treatment also decreased alpha diversity (p < 0.05). Early-life microbiome composition was associated with prematurity-influenced growth and neurodevelopment in neonatal mice. Microbiome differences related to prematurity affected brain weight, synaptic markers, and body growth. However, the lack of bifidobacterial colonization in mice posed a key limitation of using mice to model the effects of human-specific microbiota. Probiotic treatment also unexpectedly reduced diversity and weight gain, underscoring the complexity and host-species dependence of early-life microbiome composition and responses to interventions.Item type: Item , Access status: Embargo , The Identification and Characterization of Tanycyte Stem Cells(2026-01) Fong, Harmony; Kurrasch, Deborah; Biernaskie, Jeff; Yang, Guang; McFarlane, Sarah; Kaplan, DavidThe formation of the brain is perhaps one of the most remarkable processes in biology, and at its core, is orchestrated by neural progenitors that give rise to a wide array of cell types in a precise, temporally coordinated manner. A century-long effort to characterize these neural progenitor cells, from early histological studies to current single-cell transcriptional profiling, has converged on a model of neurodevelopment based largely on processes occurring in the embryonic cortex thought to be broadly applicable across the brain. This model states that neuroepithelial cells (NEPs) lining the early neural tube eventually transition into radial glial cells (RGCs) within the nascent ventricular zone, which then give rise to nearly all the neurons and macroglia in the brain. However, the hypothalamus is an evolutionarily ancient brain region with a characteristic nuclear organization and striking environmental sensitivity, which are features that may not be accounted for in the present cortex-focused model. Here, I study whether the hypothalamus employs unique developmental programs. In particular, I ask whether tanycytes, a radial glia-like population with diverse metabolic functions and putative postnatal neural stem capacity, reside along the embryonic hypothalamic third ventricle (3V) and contribute to regional hypothalamic neurogenesis and gliogenesis in a manner that is sensitive to the maternal environment. Morphological, spatial, and transcriptomic analyses of hypothalamic ventricular cells revealed a novel population of NEP-derived, caudally located, tanycyte-like progenitors that formed a parallel lineage to hypothalamic RGCs; based on transcriptional similarities to postnatal tanycytes, we termed these cells tanycyte stem cells (TSCs). Comparisons of TSC and lamprey ependymoglia gene expression signatures suggested that the TSC lineage is evolutionarily conserved from a common vertebrate ancestor. Lineage tracing and diphtheria toxin-mediated ablation of a Troy-expressing subpopulation of TSCs revealed that these cells are necessary to give rise to neurons and glia in the mammillary region of the hypothalamus. Finally, these TSCs were robustly sensitive to maternal metabolic state, modulating neurogenic output in response to a maternal high-fat diet challenge in mice, and mounting a similar response in humans based on single-nucleus RNA sequencing data of human fetal hypothalamic tissue derived from either lean or obese pregnancies. Together, this work identifies the functional role of a novel region-specific, non-RGC progenitor population, and raises new concepts about neural progenitor heterogeneity, evolution, and therapeutic relevance.Item type: Item , Access status: Open Access , Awe, Dignity, and the Ethics of Transformational Change: A Meta-Narrative Review of Adventure Therapy Research and Practice(2025-12) Craig, Andrew; Jenney, Angelique; Wright, Alysia; Sitter, Kathleen; Jamal, Amir; Harper, NevinThis thesis explores how power, consent, and relationships shape change within adventure therapy and outdoor behavioural healthcare. Using a meta-narrative review, 79 peer-reviewed studies published over 5 decades were analyzed to trace how the field has moved from control and compliance toward ethical, relational, and client-centred practice. The review followed the RAMESES publication standards for meta-narrative reviews and used Braun and Clarke’s (2020) reflexive analytic approach to interpret and synthesize findings across traditions. Four interrelated narratives were identified. Adventure Therapy (AT) as Psychosocial Catalyst describes how challenge, reflection, and relationship create opportunities for growth through belonging, trust, and identity renewal. Behavioural Containment vs. Mental Health Treatment examines the field’s struggle to separate coercive histories from legitimate therapy, showing that healing depends on consent, safety, and collaboration. Transdiagnostic and Developmentally Sensitive Treatment shows how AT adapts effectively across ages and diagnoses through pacing, attunement, and the use of relational safety. From the Margins to the Mainstream traces the field’s gradual movement from alternative education into professional mental health, where evidence and ethics are now intertwined. A grand narrative of ethical and relational transformation emerges, defined by the presence of awe, the protection of dignity, and the possibility of transformational change. When practitioners meet clients with humility, curiosity, and shared agency, moments of genuine change often follow. The heart of AT lies in relationship, in the awareness of power, trust, and human connection that gives this work its depth and meaning.
