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Transitions for youth and young adults with eating disorders and/or other mental health conditions: a Canadian guideline
No full textAbstract Background Eating disorders (EDs) are severe mental illnesses with high rates of mortality, morbidity, and reduced quality of life. Their onset occurs during adolescence and early adulthood, coinciding with the critical transition from pediatric to adult care. To address the lack of guidelines to support ED transitions in Canada, this study developed evidence-based guideline recommendations. Methods Scoping review methodology was employed using comprehensive searches across seven databases, supplemented by forward and backward citation chaining to identify records on youth and young adults (YYAs) (16–25 years) with EDs and/or mental health conditions transitioning from pediatric to adult care. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach was used to evaluate the quality of the evidence for applicable studies. Using a modified Delphi method, the evidence was reviewed by a guideline development panel and consensus was achieved in a single round of voting. Results After de-duplication, 14,350 records from all sources were screened, with 1817 studies undergoing full-text review. A total of 419 studies were included. Of these, 199 were primary research studies which fell under one or more of the following categories: descriptive (n = 86), qualitative (n = 75), predictors (n = 48), transition interventions (n = 21), measurement tools (n = 8), and key outcomes (n = 3). The certainty of the evidence for specific interventions and tools was generally low. Recommendations The panel issued strong recommendations for integrated, collaborative transition approaches involving YYAs, families, and providers, and for the use of the Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire (TRAQ) to support transition planning. Additional recommendations are included, with an emphasis on future research focused on long-term outcomes such as care continuity and treatment retention. Conclusion This research addressed the absence of a cohesive approach to transitions for YYAs experiencing EDs and/or mental health conditions, highlighting evidence variability and the need for a unified approach. These guidelines propose actionable steps for improving care transitions for YYAs with EDs and/or mental health conditions by promoting collaborative care models, prioritizing outcome-focused research, and using measurement tools.Plain English summary Young people with eating disorders (EDs) and/or other mental health conditions often face challenges when moving from pediatric to adult care, both in mental health and physical health realms. This transition typically occurs during adolescence or early adulthood which is a critical developmental period when continuation of care and support is essential. In Canada, there are no clear guidelines to help navigate this process. To address this gap, our team developed six recommendations based on a comprehensive scoping review of existing research. In these recommendations, we emphasize the importance of a collaborative approach that involves young people, families, and healthcare providers to ensure continuity and coordination of their care during the transition. In addition, research should prioritize the study of long-term outcomes, such as whether young people stay in treatment, leave early, or achieve successful transitions. Tools like the Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire (TRAQ) can help assess how prepared someone is for this change, but these tools need more testing to ensure they work well for people with EDs. These guidelines aim to improve care during this transition and to ensure that young people with EDs and/or other mental health conditions are prepared and supported as they move into adult healthcare services
Image-Based Computationally Assisted Neuro-Interventional Treatment of Cerebral Aneurysms
No full textCerebral aneurysms present a complex clinical trade-off: while only a subset will rupture, the interventions used to prevent aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, principally endovascular coiling and flow diversion (FD), carry nontrivial risks of treatment failure, morbidity, and substantial cost. Current treatment selection often relies on population-level statistics rather than patient- and device-specific mechanics, despite the fact that thrombus formation occurs on markedly different time scales after coiling (days–weeks) versus FD (months–years). This thesis aims to establish a device-aware, reproducible reference method for computational pre-treatment planning that supports neurointerventional decision-making with mechanistic, interpretable evidence rather than purely data-driven prediction. The work proceeds in three integrated contributions. First, an analysis of FD stents is developed that quantifies device architecture and translates it into planning insights for device selection and deployment strategy. Second, novel indices are proposed to harmonize computational analyses across studies and platforms, enabling consistent interpretation, cross-case comparison, and transparent communication between engineers and clinicians. Third, a hypothesis is introduced to predict incomplete aneurysm obliteration following neurovascular treatment, linking device, aneurysm geometry, and flow conditions to biologically plausible endpoints relevant to thrombus maturation and neointimal formation. These components define a reference workflow for case-specific planning of cerebral aneurysm management. It comprises characterizing the device, computing and reporting hemodynamics with a shared index, and anticipating occlusion outcomes with an interpretable mechanistic model. The framework is intended to improve pre-treatment decisions, reduce avoidable procedures, and provide a foundation for rigorous, scalable adoption of computational planning in routine neurointerventional practice
Carbon Movements: Relational Dramaturgy in Deaf and Hearing Dance Creation
No full textThe authors revisit how Deaf and choreographic languages were resonantly related in Carbon Movement, a Deaf dance-theatre work with vibrotactile interaction from 2023. Here, we return to the work through two alternating perspectives:(1) the spectator experience of a hearing, disabled dramaturg and (2) the collaborative creation process of the Deaf performer, Connor, and the hearing choreographer, Ainsley. The finished choreography offers a score of human-carbon relationship. The performer enters an unknown space, explores and shapes it with desire, is destabilized by environmental responses, and learns to listen with sensory and relational care. Similarly, Conner and Ainsley entered their collaboration with openness about what they each did not know about choreography, Deaf communication, vibrotactile technology/perception, and accessibility. Helping one another learn American Sign Language or choreographic language through creative exploration, they discovered movement-based and Deaf-centric ways of communicating, collaborating, and knowing together. These process dramaturgical discoveries were transferred to the compositional dramaturgy of the stage work, affecting the performer, the environment, and the spectators through an interactive, vibrotactile score that invites multisensory and relational perception
Traditional Ecological Knowledge in the Canadian Impact Assessment Process
No full textThis study explores traditional ecological knowledge through a qualitative and semi-quantitative inquiry of seven Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers. The aim of this project was to describe the epistemology of traditional ecological knowledge in a way that is relatable to regulators and western scientists. The broad objectives of this project were to conduct research and investigate through an Indigenous research methodology and determine how western educated scientists and engineers can be further informed of the importance and significance of TEK in the context of environmental impact assessments. The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) regulates the environmental approval of designated projects through the Impact Assessment Act. Proponents of projects designated under the Act are legally required to use any traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) provided with respect to the project, along with scientific information in determining whether the project should proceed. Standard western science-based research tools for collecting and analyzing qualitative information involving people was used and supplemented by including quantitative analyses where appropriate. The methodology used in this study is based on an interpretive, deductive/inductive, and narrative inquiry-based approaches that are respectful of Indigenous peoples, their protocols, and their knowledge systems. Semi-structured interviews were used for interviewing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers. The results indicate the epistemology of traditional ecological knowledge is a life-long process, that entails experiential, tangible, intangible, observational, spiritual and generational influences.
The findings also show that a strong set of moral principles and ethics are deeply embedded within the Indigenous knowledge system that guide an Elder’s or Knowledge Keeper’s behavior within the paradigm of traditional ecological knowledge. The findings of this study also reveal several benefits of including traditional ecological knowledge in the impact assessment process. Traditional ecological knowledge is much broader in scope than western science and therefore it can provide a greater understanding of the past and present baseline conditions of an area proposed for development. Furthermore, including traditional ecological in the impact assessment process could help to reduce project delays, thereby reducing costs to project proponents
Hydrogen Spectrum for the Proton Hopping Randomly Between Two Sites
No full textThe hydrogen spectrum is explored as a sensitive probe of a massive object being in a superposition of two distinct locations. Here I solve the simpler but instructive semiclassical problem of the proton hopping stochastically between two sites but forbidden to be anywhere else, analogous to the superposition over two locations. Although the model is semiclassical, it captures symmetry properties and the structure of the energy spectrum that one would expect in a fully quantum treatment. The hydrogen atom is a well-understood system whose spectroscopy reaches exceptional precision, and its semiclassical description displays symmetry with respect to two fixed locations. I develop a classical model for an electron and a proton, with the proton stochastically hopping between two fixed sites; and describe its classical dynamics mathematically via a one-particle effective Hamiltonian. For this Hamiltonian I identify a set of invariance properties that are characteristic of heteronuclear diatomic molecules and are not as extensive as the SO(4) symmetries present in the traditional models of the hydrogen atom. I connect the classical description of the proton-hopping model with the two-fixed-centre problem with time-dependent charges. I find that there is a lower limit to the hopping distance of the proton below which state-of-the-art measurements cannot resolve the spectral signature predicted; and also an upper limit above which approximation methods are not applicable. I gain meaningful insight into the mechanisms that shape the quantum dynamics of proton tunnelling in hydrogen by analyzing the classical counterpart, leveraging the shared symmetries between quantum and classical analogous systems. My results predict an observable spectral shift in the ground-state energy when the proton is delocalized over two sites separated by a distance large enough to be considered macroscopically distinct. With this research, I support the idea that proton tunnelling inside the hydrogen atom is worth exploring as a probe for a delocalized massive object
Identifying risk factors for burnout-driven turnover in Canadian healthcare workers during the Covid-19 pandemic
No full textAbstract Background/objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has tested health systems worldwide, exposing significant weaknesses and vulnerabilities, particularly its toll on healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to identify risk factors leading Canadian HCWs to consider leaving their positions due to stress or burnout during the pandemic. Methods Data from the 2022 Survey on Healthcare Workers’ Experiences During the Pandemic (SHCWEP) were analyzed using the Shanafelt and Noseworthy (2017) framework. We hypothesized that factors such as workload, work-life balance, resource availability, social and community support at work, and job environment—including organizational culture, values, and flexibility—could influence HCWs' intentions to leave due to stress or burnout. Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to identify significant risk factors for each HCW group. Results The SHCWEP survey had a 54.9% response rate, with 12,139 HCWs participating. Of these, 3,034 HCWs (25%) expressed an intention to leave their current job, and within this group, 1,350 cited stress or burnout as their reason, representing 11% of the total participants and 44% of those intending to leave. Factors associated with HCWs considering leaving due to stress and burnout included being younger to middle-age, increased workload, longer working hours, financial difficulties, conflicts with colleagues or management, non-adherence to PPE/IPC protocols, and lack of professional emotional support. Conclusion The findings underscore systemic issues exacerbated by the pandemic, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to address workload, organizational culture, and emotional support to mitigate stress and burnout and improve healthcare worker retention
Essays on Energy and Cryptocurrencies
No full textCryptocurrency mining consumes energy on a scale comparable to mid-sized industrialized nations, generat-ing substantial carbon emissions and raising critical questions for asset pricing and policy. This dissertation investigates the intersection of cryptocurrency markets, energy intensity, and environmental externalities through three essays. The first essay develops a general equilibrium, CAPM-like framework to examine how carbon emis-sions from Proof-of-Work mining shape cryptocurrency pricing. It analyzes the dual implications of carbon emissions in the context of cryptocurrency mining: while higher carbon emissions signal stronger network security, they also lead to adverse environmental impacts. The model highlights three key insights: First, ceteris paribus, cryptocurrencies exhibit a lower ”carbon alpha” than equities. This occurs because, although both asset classes are expected to deliver a positive alpha to compensate for environmental externalities, carbon emissions in cryptocurrencies simultaneously increase convenience yields by strengthening network security, thereby lowering carbon alpha. Second, under stringent climate policy, systematic risk rises with carbon intensity, though green energy adoption mitigates this effect. Third, speculative behavior weakens carbon sensitivity, thereby lowering carbon premium in cryptocurrencies. The second essay explores the impact of climate policy on Bitcoin’s valuation and its correlation with traditional assets. A general equilibrium overlapping-generations model predicts—and empirical tests con-firm—that a shift from lenient to stringent climate regulation increases the conditional correlation between Bitcoin and equities. This result implies that Bitcoin’s effectiveness as a hedge or diversifier is state-dependent: it weakens as climate policies tighten. The third essay addresses the barriers to sustainable Bitcoin mining. It identifies two primary obstacles: First, the lottery-like mechanism of Bitcoin mining prioritizes relative computational power, disregarding the energy source. As a result, the intermittent nature of renewable energy and insufficient infrastructure development place green miners at a disadvantage compared to brown miners. Second, the lack of product differentiation in the Bitcoin ecosystem means that both green and brown miners produce indistinguishable outputs. The homogeneity of Bitcoin outputs prevents climate-conscious investors from rewarding green mining practices. Together, these dynamics create externalities that discourage sustainable adoption. Cer-tain policy interventions, such as Pigouvian-like subsidies, could mitigate these externalities and promote sustainable mining practices. Overall, this dissertation advances the literature by integrating environmental considerations into cryp-tocurrency economics and asset pricing, offering theoretical innovations, empirical evidence, and policy-relevant insights into how carbon externalities reshape the valuation and sustainability of digital assets
The Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment and Endocannabinoid Signalling in Social Processing
No full textBackground: Childhood maltreatment (CM) has serious consequences on both stress and social processing, each potentially conveying increased risk for the development of various psychiatric disorders. As an integral neuromodulator of stress and social processing, the endocannabinoid (eCB) system may mediate the psychophysiological impacts of CM that increase vulnerability to pathology. Currently, the relationship between CM, social processing, and eCB signalling is poorly understood and existing literature is limited in scope. Specifically, research has focused on threat-related social processing in favour of other important modalities, such as social evaluation. Aims: The present study aimed to explore the relationship between CM exposure, eCB signalling, and the processing of social evaluation to provide mechanistic insight into the long-term behavioural psychophysiological consequences of CM. Methods: Healthy adults (N=72) completed two in-person sessions. During session one, participants were screened, and CM was assessed via retrospective self-report using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). During the subsequent experimental session (session two), participants completed a computer-based social processing task evaluating behavioural and psychophysiological responses to giving and receiving social judgement. Psychophysiological measurements included skin conductance response (SCR) and facial electromyography (EMG). Blood samples were collected at the beginning of the experimental session to measure baseline eCB levels, including anandamide (AEA) and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). Results: Approximately 54% of participants reported any type of maltreatment in the CTQ, with emotional abuse and emotional neglect being the most prevalent. Emotional neglect was associated with negative self-directed biases in the social judgement task. Receiving judgement elicited greater arousal responses (SCR), while giving judgement produced greater affective (EMG) responses. Negative affect appeared to be related to social group dissonance. Furthermore, baseline AEA levels were associated with affect as assessed via EMG activity. Conclusions: CM is associated with negative self-directed biases in social processing. Furthermore, affective responses to giving judgement appear to be related to group dissonance, highlighting the importance of the social group in social processing. Finally, baseline levels of AEA may mediate affective responses to social judgement. Overall, these findings suggest eCB signalling, particularly that of AEA, may serve as a novel therapeutic target in psychopathologies characterized by vulnerable social processing
Learning image derived PDE-phenotypes from fMRI data
No full textAbstract Partial differential equations (PDEs) model various physical phenomena, such as electromagnetic fields and fluid mechanics. Methods such as sparse identification of nonlinear dynamics (SINDy) and PDE-Net 2.0 have been developed to identify and model PDEs on the basis of data via sparse optimization and deep neural networks, respectively. While PDE models are less commonly applied to fMRI data, they have the potential to uncover hidden connections and essential components in brain activity. Using the ADHD200 dataset, we applied canonical independent component analysis (CanICA) and uniform manifold approximation (UMAP) for dimensionality reduction of fMRI data. We then used sparse ridge regression to identify PDEs from the reduced data, and applied significant PDE features for classification achieving high accuracy in distinguishing individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study demonstrates a novel approach for extracting meaningful features from fMRI data for neurological disorder analysis to understand the role of oxygen transport (delivery & consumption) in the brain during neural activity, which is relevant for studying intracranial pathologies
Facilitation in Rare Plants: Weaving knowledge systems to build healthy plant communities
No full textRare plants have been found to exist in communities that have plants that facilitate or help one another succeed. However, to the detriment of biodiversity, the mechanisms of facilitation are understudied. To address this knowledge gap, studies in ecology are increasingly recognizing and encouraging collaboration with First Nations communities and the use of Indigenous science to inform restoration of rare plant ecosystems. The challenge now is successfully weave western science and Indigenous Science. This interdisciplinary project addresses this gap by braiding western science and Indigenous Science in collaboration with both Api’soomaahka, an Nitsitaapi elder, and University of Calgary experts. Further, the project uses collaboration to understand the facilitative interactions of two rare species in southern Alberta: Green Milkweed, and Purple Geranium. The authors hosted four ‘Plant Walks’, a collaborative field survey technique. ‘Plant walks’ facilitated knowledge exchange and provided an opportunity to share Nitsitaapi protocol through land-based learning. Preliminary conclusions include learnings from community-based and interdisciplinary research and implementation of knowledge systems to inform how we do field work on traditional Indigenous land.Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC