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Characterization of a Novel Lysogeny and Superinfection Immunity Mechanism in Arthrobacteriophages
No full textViruses that replicate by infecting and killing bacteria, called bacteriophages (or just phages), are ubiquitous in nature and represent one of the largest reservoirs of genetic diversity on earth. A subset of phages have an alternative lifestyle where instead of infecting and immediately killing their bacterial host, they can integrate their genetic material with the host chromosome and become dormant in a process called lysogeny.
Most disease-causing bacteria are lysogens or polylysogens harboring one or more dormant phages. However, the systems diverse phages use to maintain stable lysogeny are not fully understood which limits our ability to harness their bacterial killing power in the treatment of disease. This is at a time when antimicrobial resistance is becoming widespread and new treatment options for bacterial disease, such as phages, are needed in clinics worldwide.
In this work, I characterize a brand new lysogen maintenance system in a group of phages that infect Arthrobacter globiformis which appear to use a DNA-binding protease to cleave the phage-encoded sigma factor responsible for reversing lysogeny and promoting bacterial killing. I also show how this system has naturally evolved in response to phage-phage competition
Advancing the selection of implementation science theories, models, and frameworks: a scoping review and the development of the SELECT-IT meta-framework
No full textAbstract Background Theories, models, and frameworks (TMFs) are central to implementation practice and research. Selecting one or more TMF(s) for a project remains challenging due to numerous options and limited guidance. This study aimed to (1) identify and categorize the reported purposes and attributes of TMFs, as well as the practical considerations of TMF users, and (2) synthesize these findings into a meta-framework that supports implementation practitioners and researchers in selecting TMFs. Methods A scoping review was conducted using Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. Medline, Embase, and CINAHL were searched to identify articles on the selection of TMFs. Articles were selected and data extracted using Covidence. Inductive thematic analysis was used to refine and categorize purposes, attributes and practical considerations. The meta-framework was developed by mapping these categories onto a sequential process, pilot-testing through case studies, and iteratively refining it based on team feedback. Results Of 9,276 records, 43 articles (2005–2024) were included. Most articles reported TMF purposes (41 articles), followed by attributes (30) and practical considerations (13). Seven distinct purposes were identified: (1) enhancing conceptual clarity, (2) anticipating change and guiding inquiry, (3) guiding the implementation process, (4) guiding identification of determinants, (5) guiding design and adaptation of strategies, (6) guiding evaluation and causal explanation, and (7) guiding interpretation and dissemination. Additionally, 24 TMF attributes were grouped into five domains: clarity and structure, scientific strength and evidence, applicability and usability, equity and sociocultural responsiveness, and system and partner integration. Ten practical considerations were grouped into three domains: team expertise and readiness, resource availability, and project fit. These findings informed the development of the Systematic Evaluation and Selection of Implementation Science Theories, Models and Frameworks (SELECT-IT) meta-framework, comprising four steps: (1) determine the purpose(s) of using TMF(s); (2) identify potential TMFs; (3) evaluate short-listed TMFs against attributes; and (4) assess practical considerations of using TMF(s) within the project context. A worked example and two user-friendly worksheets illustrate its utility. Conclusions This study advances understanding of the selection of implementation science TMFs by distinguishing inherent TMF attributes from practical considerations. The SELECT-IT meta-framework offers a structured, context-sensitive approach for selecting appropriate TMFs. Future research should evaluate its validity and utility across diverse contexts
Professional Knowing in Accounting: Navigating Complexity Through Connective Practices
No full textIn recent years, Chartered Professional Accountants (CPAs) have had to cope with changes in auditing standards and regulations while keeping their workforces informed about the increasingly complex financial accounting standards (Westermann et al., 2015). When envisioning a CPA, one might picture an individual skilled at applying accounting standards to ensure accurate financial reporting. However, this thesis reveals a very different story: navigating accounting standards has become so complex that not all CPAs can manage it, and even those who can often struggle to do so comprehensively on their own. Consequently, many accountants now specialize in increasingly narrow areas of accounting standards.
This thesis examines how preparers and auditors of financial statements navigate this complexity, underlining the collective and relational processes that underpin professional knowing. Drawing on McMurtry et al.’s (2016) sociomaterial framework of professional knowing, the study reveals how accountants rely on connective practices—interactions with networks of diverse expertise and material elements—to cope with the fragmentation of expertise within the profession.
Through qualitative analysis of interview data with Canadian CPAs, this research emphasizes the importance of professional knowing as a collective process that extends beyond individual mastery. Complexity has led to specialization not only in ancillary fields, such as actuarial services or IT, but also within the very core of accounting knowledge itself. Accountants increasingly rely on relationships, trust, and coordination across knowledge boundaries to apply intricate standards effectively. This underscores the rise of connective professionalism (Noordegraaf, 2020), where expertise is distributed and professional work is sustained through interactional and networked practices.
Taken together, these findings advance both theoretical and practical knowledge. Theoretically, they offer new insights into how professional knowing operates as a relational, adaptive process that transcends individual expertise. Practically, they provide valuable understanding for accounting professionals navigating the increasing complexity of their work, highlighting the need for continuous collaboration and the development of connective practices.
By illuminating the interconnected roles of preparers and auditors, this thesis calls for a re-evaluation of professional responsibilities, regulatory expectations, and educational frameworks. The findings bear broader implications for professions adjusting to growing complexity, showcasing the transformative potential of connective practices in maintaining expertise within dynamic and challenging environments
Decentralized Disaster Management in Action: A Case Study of the Philippines' Disaster Risk Reduction Management Act's (Republic Act 10121) Implementation in the Ilocos Region.
No full textThis thesis examines the effects of decentralizing disaster risk reduction and management in the Philippines, with a focus on the Ilocos Region as a case study. I explore how national decentralization policies, particularly Republic Act 10121, affect the region’s post-typhoon rehabilitation and recovery operations. Decentralization theory suggests that transferring government powers, resources, and political authority to the local level can enhance the government’s ability to address its constituents' needs. Using the administrative, fiscal, and political dimensions of decentralization as my theoretical framework, I examine the advantages and disadvantages resulting from the current decentralized policies and practices of provincial offices in the region. The findings are derived from interviews with provincial DRRM heads analyzed through thematic coding in NVIVO. The findings reveal that imbalances in administrative, political and fiscal dimensions limit the effectiveness of decentralized policies. While administrative responsibilities and political authority are strongly devolved, weak fiscal mechanisms exacerbate inequalities between large and small localities. Inequitable fiscal mechanisms leave small localities with weakened capacities, rendering them unable to fulfill administrative responsibilities. Weak local level capacities then create an environment where local-national level patronage networks thrive due to strong political decentralization but limited fiscal autonomy of local government levels. These findings suggest a disconnect between the transfer of administrative duties and the fiscal and political realities of local governments. Future research and policy reforms must explore ways to bridge this gap by integrating political dynamics into decentralization and creating more equitable systems for financial distribution
Unpacking Reflection in Teacher Education: How Teacher Candidates Perceive, Experience, and Develop Reflective Practice
No full textThis qualitative study examines the role of reflective practice in the development of teacher candidates within one Initial Teacher Education (ITE) program in Ontario. Grounded in a constructivist paradigm, the study explores how reflection serves as a bridge between theoretical knowledge and practical teaching experiences, enabling teacher candidates to develop adaptive expertise, critical pedagogical skills, and professional identity. The research was conducted in 2024, nearly a decade after the implementation of Ontario's Enhanced ITE, which expanded program duration and emphasized reflective practice as a cornerstone of teacher preparation.
The study employs a case study methodology, using data from semi-structured interviews, reflective journals, and program documents. Guided by a conceptual framework emphasizing the interplay between theory and practice, data analysis followed an iterative, thematic approach to explore teacher candidates' perceptions and enactments of reflective practices.
Findings reveal that teacher candidates' perceptions of reflection center on its role as a continuous learning and problem-solving tool, while highlighting tensions between formal, program-mandated reflections and informal, self-directed practices. Participants were able to bridge theory and practice, but their critical reflections were less frequent. This research, I conclude, highlights reflective practice as a vital mechanism for professional growth in teacher education. It underscores the need for context-sensitive approach that connects teacher candidates' lived experiences with the realities of classroom teaching. By integrating meaningful reflection into both coursework and practicum experiences, ITE programs can better prepare socially responsive, adaptive, and equity-focused educators, bridging the gap between theory and practice and fostering lifelong professional development
Striking the Right Chord: Insights for Taxonomy Harmonization from a Comparative Analysis of Six Sustainable Finance Taxonomies
No full textAchieving the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement requires unprecedented levels of investment. However, mobilizing sufficient public and private sector capital faces persistent barriers, including the lack of shared definitions for what constitutes a 'sustainable' investment. Sustainable finance taxonomies - classification systems that identify and define activities or assets considered sustainable for investment purposes - have emerged as critical tools for establishing detailed sustainability definitions, with a growing number of national and regional governments developing them to support their sustainable finance markets. However, limited coordination in taxonomy development has raised concerns about market fragmentation due to inconsistent approaches. While this has prompted calls for taxonomy harmonization to promote consistent sustainability definitions globally, the literature also recognizes a need to ensure taxonomies reflect local context and priorities. This introduces complexity for harmonization efforts, which must balance achieving globally consistent definitions while accommodating appropriate local differences.
In this context, this thesis utilizes a comparative case study approach to examine six sustainable finance taxonomies developed by Bangladesh, China, the Climate Bonds Initiative, the European Union, and Mongolia. Through systematic analysis guided by a structured case framework developed for this research, the study builds understanding of existing approaches to taxonomy design and considers the implications of these findings in relation to reconciling the harmonization imperative of ensuring globally consistent sustainability definitions with the realities of how the taxonomy landscape is evolving across developed and developing economies. The analysis reveals that while these taxonomies share many overarching features of design, there are notable variations in their approaches. This includes different classification structures that diminish comparability without serving a clear purpose, inconsistent operationalization of shared underlying concepts, and sustainability definitions that vary considerably due, in large part, to local considerations.
Based on these findings, the thesis proposes three harmonization-focused action areas. First, developing a global structural framework could establish a common foundation for organizing and presenting sustainability definitions within taxonomies. Second, strengthening alignment of key underlying concepts could improve definitional consistency across taxonomies. However, the analysis underscores that harmonization should go beyond eliminating differences to accommodate appropriate local variation. Therefore, a third action area via international cooperation is proposed: mutual recognition of taxonomies' sustainability definitions. This balanced approach aims to improve overall comparability of taxonomies' definitions while ensuring that appropriate differences reflecting local context do not unnecessarily hinder cross-border flows of sustainability-aligned investment
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No full textReason, Nature, and the Image of Man-in-the-World
No full textThis thesis examines the philosophical tension between Wilfrid Sellars’s attempt to reconcile the Manifest and Scientific images of man-in-the-world and John McDowell’s critique of that project. Sellars seeks to preserve the normative irreducibility of the Manifest Image while ultimately grounding it in the causal ontology of the Scientific Image. His stereoscopic vision integrates norms with postulational processes, rejecting piecemeal reductionism and the Given in all its forms. The result is a systematic naturalism in which intentionality and normativity are irreducible within the logical space of reasons yet causally reducible within the scientific order of being.
McDowell, while sympathetic to Sellars’s critique of the Given, challenges the framework’s guiding assumptions. For McDowell, the tension between the two images is an artifact of a scientism that equates nature with the Scientific Image. By emphasizing second nature and the unboundedness of the conceptual, McDowell argues that human rationality can be understood as a natural phenomenon without requiring a “sideways-on” vindication from a norm-free scientific perspective. He advocates for a relaxed naturalism through a form of quietism that seeks to dissolve, rather than resolve, the perceived conflict.
Through a critical reconstruction of both positions, this thesis argues that the debate reveals a deeper meta-philosophical divide: whether philosophy should seek the systematic integration of normativity within a scientific framework, or instead, adopt a stance that resists the compulsion toward explanatory unification. The resulting stalemate encapsulates a fundamental tension in contemporary philosophy concerning the relation between reason, nature, and the scope of philosophical explanation
Education and the Labour Market in Canada
No full textThe first chapter examines how COVID-19 affected post-secondary enrolment in Canada. Using Labour Force Survey data, I find that university enrolment increased during the pandemic for younger (17-24) and older (25-39) women. For men, the effect is only present in the younger age group and is more moderate. My results suggest that for older women, it is those that work full-time that key, and the COVID effect is larger for high-skilled and telework-susceptible occupations. For younger women, it is teenagers whose families are poorer and who live just outside the core of census metropolitan areas or census agglomerations with a university that drive my findings.
The second chapter examines how job stability has evolved since the Great Recession using the Canadian Labour Force Survey, a rich source of tenure data. We find that jobs have become more stable, particularly for women and low-tenure jobs. Rising educational attainment (but not ageing of the workforce) appears to play a role in explaining some of the new job stability patterns. Contrary to the findings for the U.S. labour market, job-to-job transitions are not key to our findings. Instead it is changes in the employment to non-employment transition, particularly to unemployment, that matters for low-tenure jobs and it is employer driven.
The third chapter explores the source of the job stability gender gap puzzle identified in the second chapter. It delves into the underlying reasons why women's job stability, as gauged by the female retention rate, did not simply converge towards the male rate but in fact caught up to it and then regularly eclipsed it since the mid- to late 2000s. To do so, we take advantage of the richness of the Labour Force Survey tenure data. Our cross-sectional and panel analysis both indicate that compositional differences, in particular education and industry composition, are at the core of the gender gap puzzle
Teachers' Perceptions of Principals' Destructive Behaviors in Ontario: Forms, Impacts, and Mitigation
No full textAlthough the field of educational research has predominantly emphasized the positive aspects of educational leadership, the issue of destructive leadership (DL) remains a persistent challenge in school environments. The present study investigates the perceptions of teachers regarding destructive behaviors exhibited by school principals in publicly funded secondary schools in Ottawa, Ontario. The research focuses on identifying the forms of these behaviors, their impacts on the victims, and potential strategies to mitigate or disrupt their occurrence. By examining the negative dimensions of principal leadership behaviors and their impacts on affected teachers, this study seeks to raise awareness of harmful practices and promote the development of healthier organizational climates within educational institutions. It addresses the following three research questions:
(1) What principal leadership behaviors are perceived by teachers as destructive in the schooling context in Ontario?
(2) How have DL behaviors affected victimized teachers in their professional career and/or personal lives?
(3) What do the victims perceive as strategies to prevent/disrupt the occurrence of DL in schooling context?
To answer these questions, the research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining data from surveys and qualitative insights from in-depth interviews. Data collection involved 72 completed survey responses, which also served as a basis for selecting participants for six interviews. This approach allows a comprehensive examination of both DL prevalence and impacts in educational settings.
The data analysis process unfolded in two phases. First, the quantitative survey data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to identify patterns and trends in destructive leadership behaviors. Second, the qualitative interview data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-phase thematic analysis process. This dual approach ensures a robust examination of the phenomenon, integrating statistical trends with rich, contextual narratives from participants' experiences.
The survey findings revealed distinct patterns in the frequency of destructive leadership behaviors. These behaviors were categorized as frequent, moderately frequent, and least frequent yet concerning. Subtler behaviors, such as failing to defend subordinates and disregarding their feedback, emerged as the most prevalent manifestations of DL. DL behaviors which pose significant ethical concerns such as falsifying documents and misappropriating funds were equally less frequent.
Qualitative findings from the interviews provided deeper insights into the forms and impacts of and ways to counter destructive leadership. Participants described a range of perceived destructive behaviors, including sexual harassment, negligence, favoritism, undermining subordinates' dignity, bias and discrimination, unfair criticism, financial impropriety, and abusive monitoring. These behaviors were linked to professional, financial, psychological and physiological effects on teachers. Victims reported experiencing stress, anxiety, frustration, and feelings of worthlessness. Specific accounts highlighted cases where teachers developed severe anxiety due to sudden authoritarian shifts in leadership styles, endured uncertainty from inconsistent feedback, or faced humiliation and isolation through unsupported accusations. The physiological repercussions included sleep disturbances, high blood pressure, and digestive issues, emphasizing the extensive toll of DL on individuals' overall health. Other effects include job relocation, resignation or absences.
In exploring strategies to mitigate and prevent destructive leadership, participants emphasized the need for advocacy and support mechanisms. Their thoughts included the establishment of accessible and transparent reporting systems, along with institutional interventions to address destructive behaviors. Participants also highlighted the importance of fostering awareness about destructive leadership through professional development programs aimed at both leaders and subordinates. Additionally, victims shared personal coping strategies, including self-reflection, fostering positive relationships, and maintaining physical and emotional distance from destructive principals to minimize personal harm.
By documenting and analyzing the destructive behaviors of school principals, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of leadership dynamics in schooling contexts. It highlights the urgency of addressing the negative dimensions of leadership to create supportive and nurturing environments for teachers. Moreover, the research underscores the importance of leveraging participants' perspectives to inform policy and practice aimed at combating destructive leadership