26734 research outputs found
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Sleep Quality in Assisted Living Residents and Its Associations with Cognitive Functioning and Functional Capacity
No full textStudy Objectives: Sleep and its associations with cognition, functional capacity, and quality of life have been examined in community-dwelling and long-term care populations, but remain poorly characterized in assisted living (AL) residents. Methods: We assessed sleep, cognition, functional capacity and quality of life in 26 AL residents and 52 propensity-matched community-dwelling residents. Sleep was measured with polysomnography (PSG), actigraphy, and subjective questionnaires. Functional capacity was measured with the timed up and go and the short physical performance battery. Agreement of sleep recording techniques was evaluated with Bland-Altman statistics. Group differences were examined using general linear models, controlled for age and sleep disordered breathing. Associations between sleep and cognition were assessed with stepwise regression and interaction models. Associations between sleep, functional capacityand quality of life were assessed with linear regression. Results: AL residents had greater sleep fragmentation (events/hour; mean difference (MD) = 12.19), lower sleep efficiency (%, MD = 13.44), greater wake after sleep onset (WASO) (minutes; MD = 20.23), more periodic limb movements (events/hour; MD = 10.02), and lower average oxygen saturation (%; MD = 1.58) than community-dwelling residents. Bland–Altman analyses showed actigraphy significantly overestimated sleep efficiency in AL residents (bias = 6.9%). Regression models indicated stronger negative associations between poor sleep and cognition in AL (e.g., WASO × group and Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised delayed recall: β = –0.016, p =0.029). TST <90% was associated with timed up and go (β = 0.071), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was associated with Short Physical Performance Battery Score (β = -0.814). Conclusions: AL residents experience more disrupted sleep and poorer cognition than community-dwelling residents. Sleep disturbance has stronger cognitive relationships in AL. Measurement bias highlights challenges in applying common sleep measures to this population. Finally, both sleep disordered breathing and subjective sleep are associated with functional capacity
Exploring the leadership development of midlevel leaders within social work programs in Western Canadian universities.
No full textThe purpose of this dissertation was to gain a deeper understanding of the leadership development experiences of midlevel leaders in social work programs at Western Canadian universities. Despite the increasing importance of midlevel leadership in academic institutions, a significant gap remains in research focused specifically on this group, underscoring the need for this study. Utilizing a narrative inquiry methodology and semi-structured interviews, the research involved seven participants, all of whom held midlevel leadership positions at Western Canadian universities. The conceptual framework included the social work leadership framework, attachment theory, and leadership development. Key findings revealed that participants described their leadership development as emerging through personal and professional relationships, transferable skills acquired from previous frontline social work practice or non-academic leadership roles, and experiential learning—developing leadership capacity while actively performing their roles within academia. Additionally, participants provided recommendations for enhancing leadership development pathways. These suggestions included topics for current and future midlevel leaders, along with proposed enhancements to bachelor’s and master’s level social work curricula to better prepare emerging leaders
An Analysis for Revegetation Plant Species Selection to Optimize Carbon Sequestration for the Casino Mine Project
No full textAs the world moves towards sustainability, the need for raw materials is expected to increase exponentially. Mining is the most common method used to extract minerals and metals from the earth’s surface. The Casino Mine Project is a proposed mine located in the Yukon Territory, and it is determined to bring economic prosperity to the Yukon while also being environmentally cautious. This literature-based capstone project examined which revegetation trial will sequester the most carbon dioxide at the tailings management facility. The results show that native plants found on the site will sequester around 115 kt of CO2, while imported plants not found on-site but present in the Yukon will sequester around 504 kt of CO2. Although the numbers are accurate, the calculations assume all plants will reach their full growth potential and no reversal of sequestration occurs. Future research should include planting trials to verify the calculations
Landscapes of traumatic injury in residency education: A critical program of research
No full textProblem: Psychological trauma has been regarded as part of the human experience, although both insufficiently explored and underrecognized in the context of medical education. Resident physicians may experience trauma prior to or during their training, with the resulting injury impacting their academic and clinical performance as well as their mental health and well-being. A better understanding of traumatic injury among residents and how it affects their lives may be helpful in mitigating its effects during residency education and in better supporting those who carry trauma. Method of study: My research consisted of three linked studies describing the landscape of research, experiences, and policy related to traumatic injury among residents. First, I undertook a critical metanarrative review to examine how previous research efforts in medical education have conceptualized trauma and traumatic injury. Second, I performed a hermeneutic phenomenological exploration of residents’ experiences of traumatic injury and its impacts. Third, I conducted an environmental scan of policies related to resident-focused trauma-informed medical education across Canadian medical schools and organizations involved in the
certification, association, and regulation of residents. Conclusions: Both psychological trauma and associated traumatic injury have received insufficient attention in medical education. A biomedical and epidemiologic focus within existing research has limited ways of seeing and understanding both individual and universal dimensions of traumatic injury. My work highlighted the multiplicity within and across lived experiences of traumatic injury, drawn together by complexity, existential tensions, and sociocultural influences within residency training and more broadly, and the absence of policies dedicated to trauma-informed medical education. Adopting a trauma-informed approach to designing and implementing pragmatic ways of individualizing support for residents with traumatic injury while working to address problematic aspects of learning environments will be the focus of my future work
Soviet Chinese Co-operation: Evaluating the Experience and Effectiveness of Soviet Military Advisers and Armaments in China, 1937-1943
No full textThis thesis evaluates the experience and effectiveness of Soviet military advisers and armaments supplied to China during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1943). The study draws on Chinese, Russian, and English sources, especially archival files stored in the Second Historical Archive of China (SHAC) in Nanjing and Academia Historica in Taipei, including shipment tables, unit lists, operational reports, advisers’ memoranda, and memoirs. By shifting attention to ground firepower and advising, this thesis offers an account of what Soviet support achieved in China and why its effects were limited. This thesis asks: to what extent did Soviet advisers and guns improve Chinese combat performance, and why they remained stabilizing
rather than transforming the Chinese Army? Soviet assistance helped stabilize key fronts in 1938–1939 by concentrating artillery at the operational level and embedding advisers who provided invaluable opinions, improved training and operational planning. Soviet guns filled China’s firepower gap and were organized into independent artillery regiments under the Military Affairs Commission, often attached to armies and divisions on an ad hoc basis. Advisers introduced better planning and procedures, but their influence was constrained by secrecy, weak logistics, and occasional rejection of their recommendations. They could encourage incremental tactical and operational improvements but lacked the leverage to drive a broader strategic overhaul. The limited impact of Soviet aid stemmed from quantity and deployment issues as well as persistent logistical and coordination problems. Ammunition shortages, poor crew training, and weak artillery–infantry coordination undercut effectiveness. T-26 tanks produced local successes but remained few in number and hampered by terrain, bridge limits, and maintenance difficulties. Anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns could threaten Japanese armor and low-flying aircraft, yet their scattered distribution prevented decisive results
The Adaptability Experience of Black Women in Higher Education in Canada
No full textThis research addresses the adaptability challenges Black women face in Canadian higher education. The scope of the study is limited to immigrant, married Black women from Africa in Graduate school in Canadian Higher Education. This work focused on the role of equity, diversity, and inclusion Policy in supporting vulnerable people, like Black women, into higher education. Tinto’s theory on student retention was used to inform Government, University Administrators, Students, migrants, and prospective migrants on best practices to navigate and understand the experiences of Black women and how best to adapt to higher education in Canada. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews of married, immigrant Black women from Africa in higher education in Canada. A Reflective Thematic Analysis was used to analyze and evaluate each sample group’s adaptability to higher education. Findings from this study reveal that despite diverse barriers to navigate and adapt to higher education, these women demonstrated resilience through community support, spirituality, and self-advocacy. These Black women’s adaptability was not just personal but reflected both the pain of exclusion and the power of perseverance. While these women persist and excel, there is a pressing need for institutions of learning to address structural inequalities and enhance an inclusive settings that support academic and personal goals
The Role of TIMP1 in a Pro-Tumor Inflammatory Model of Glioma
No full textGlioblastoma (GB) is the most common, aggressive, and lethal form of adult brain cancer. Treatment of GB is challenged due to the limited efficacy of therapeutic options which leads to inevitable and fatal disease recurrence. A major contributor to the lethality of GB is the unique tumor microenvironment in the brain. This complex environment consists of immune cells, neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and the extracellular matrix which together support tumor proliferation, invasion, and therapeutic resistance. One of the primary research objectives in our lab is to further our understanding of how GB tumor cells communicate with the microenvironment to promote tumor progression. Previously, we demonstrated that the tumor derived cytokine IL-33 promotes a pro-tumor inflammatory environment which, in turn, supports aggressive tumor growth. Tumors that express higher levels of interleukin 33 (IL-33) associate with worse overall survival and display increased infiltration of innate immune cells, like microglia and macrophage, which adopt an M2-like pro-tumorigenic phenotype. To extend our characterization of secreted factors that contribute to the establishment of a pro-tumor immune milieu, we profiled tumor interstitial fluid from GB xenografts expressing IL-33 using the high throughput proteomics platform SomaScan temporally through tumor progression. This analysis revealed a significant enrichment of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP1), a protease inhibitor with emerging roles as a cytokine, in IL-33 expressing xenografts. To investigate the role of TIMP1, we generated a TIMP1 knockout glioma model and determined that these cells have slower proliferation, altered cell morphology, and significant differences in transcriptome and secretome profile. When TIMP1 knockout cells were injected in vivo, only a small percentage of tumor cells established, leading to smaller tumors, dramatic improvement in survival, and the presence of an anti-tumorigenic immune environment. Overall, we have demonstrated that knocking out TIMP1 reduces tumor burden and changes the innate immune infiltration profile. These data indicate that TIMP1 may be a more significant regulator of the tumor microenvironment than previously postulated and may represent a novel drug target in this hard-to-treat cancer
PFAS in water environments: recent progress and challenges in monitoring, toxicity, treatment technologies, and post-treatment toxicity
No full textAbstract There is growing awareness of the environmental presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their harmful effects on animals and humans. Recent studies have revealed changes in human embryonic stem cells and maternal biomarkers, underscoring the severity and unpredictable outcomes associated with long-term exposure to PFAS. Monitoring efforts continually identify additional PFAS compounds worldwide, but a standardized and unified approach is still lacking. Traditional treatment methods such as adsorption and membrane filtration have been effective in removing 80–95% of PFAS from wastewater. However, complete removal of short-chain PFAS remains limited to a few recently developed techniques. The inability of advanced treatment methods to eliminate emerging short-chain and ultrashort-chain PFAS suggests the need for more integrated approaches that target all PFAS classes. Additionally, a few studies have discussed the potential toxicity outcomes of these treatments at both laboratory and full-scale levels. While advanced oxidative processes (AOPs) are rapidly gaining attention for degrading 90–100% of PFAS in sewage, it remains challenging to fully break down PFAS into non-toxic, mineralized products such as CO2 and H2O due to the strong C-F bonds and the potential toxicity of by-products in post-treated wastewater. Standardized and reliable bioassays for assessing PFAS toxicity are still under development, and current predictive models linking molecular structure to human health effects are at an early stage. This review examines the emerging health and ecological risks associated with both legacy and novel PFAS, alongside recent advances and limitations in individual and combined treatment technologies for water and wastewater. Emphasis is placed on the potential toxicity of degradation products, highlighting the need for more integrated and comprehensive toxicity assessments to guide safer PFAS remediation strategies
Time-lapse Full-Waveform Inversion for CO2 Sequestration Monitoring: Strategies and Applications to Field Accelerometer and DAS Data
No full textTime-lapse full-waveform inversion (FWI) is a powerful technique for seismic analysis, enabling high-resolution imaging of subsurface physical properties to monitor reservoir changes during injection, production, and long-term CO2 storage. However, accurate time-lapse analysis remains challenging due to the requirement for highly repeatable seismic surveys, including consistent acquisition geometry, stable ambient noise conditions, and other environmental factors. To address these challenges, this thesis develops a target-oriented common-model strategy (TO CMS) to mitigate non-repeatability issues that conventional parallel strategies (PRS) fail to overcome. TO CMS combines the strengths of target-oriented FWI (TO FWI) —which improves inversion convergence within the reservoir region —and the common-model strategy (CMS)|which reduces time-lapse artifacts by guiding both baseline and monitor inversions along similar convergence paths. Additionally, a multi-source amplitude-encoding method is employed to significantly reduce computational cost without compromising inversion accuracy. In the context of field-scale CO2 monitoring, vertical seismic profile (VSP) surveys provide higher vertical resolution and improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) compared to surface seismic methods. When integrated with FWI, VSP data further enhances the detectability of subtle time-lapse anomalies. Despite these advantages, the application of FWI to field VSP data has remained limited due to its sensitivity to nonrepeatable acquisition and noise. This thesis presents a field experiment utilizing time-lapse walkaway VSP data and FWI to monitor long-term subsurface changes associated with a small-scale CO2 injection. The workflow demonstrates that FWI can successfully detect reservoir changes resulting from the injection of less than 60 tons of CO2 into a shallow, 7-meter-thick reservoir at a depth of approximately 300 meters. The results confirm that even in low-injection-volume scenarios, time-lapse FWI can deliver high-resolution imaging and effectively capture small-scale velocity changes. Building on this, the study further investigates the use of Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) for time-lapse FWI. DAS offers key advantages such as high spatial sampling density, long-term deployment potential, and reduced operational costs, making it a promising alternative to conventional receivers. A second field experiment is conducted at the same site using time-lapse DAS-based VSP data. Despite limited acquisition geometry and the presence of strong near-surface noise, the application of TO CMS enables successful detection of CO2-induced changes. The time-lapse results show strong agreement with the synthetic test, confirming the robustness of the proposed workflow