VIURRSpace (Royal Roads University and Vancouver Island University)
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Urban residents' perception and behaviour of climate change in Tianjin, China
No full textEngaging the public in climate action is necessary to support China's goal to achieve its ambitious carbon reduction commitment to address the climate crisis. By conducting an online survey, this research sampled Tianjin urban residents to investigate their climate change perceptions and pro-environmental behaviours. It used a nonprobability sampling design, combined nonproportional quota sampling with snowball sampling, and collected 130 valid responses. The questionnaire investigated Tianjin urban residents' perception of the climate issue, their preferred and trusted information source, and daily pro-environmental household practices. Moreover, it explored crucial factors influencing individuals' knowledge, beliefs, concerns, and engagement in climate action (willingness to pay). The results showed that, on average, respondents' knowledge of climate change was still at a medium level. Meanwhile, respondents expressed a high level of belief about it and its anthropogenic nature and generally held a moderately high level of concern with an increasing trend. People acquired relative information rationally via multiple channels; the government was the most trusted source for learning more information. Respondents carried out various pro-environmental practices in daily life and reported a desire to support environmental protection via household actions, while results indicated their indecisive attitude towards willingness to pay for mitigation
Pandemic impacts on rural recreation in the Yukon Territory
No full textDespite the essential role of recreation in the health and well-being of individuals and communities and the rural nature of Canada, rural recreation has received limited attention from researchers. To address this gap and explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural communities, researchers from the World Leisure Centre of Excellence at Vancouver Island University and the Recreation & Parks Association of the Yukon investigated pandemic impacts on rural recreation in the Yukon Territory.
This study focused on five rural communities with unique governance structures, recreation delivery approaches, and population characteristics. The purpose was to explore pandemic impacts on residents and recreation delivery and how recreation can assist with pandemic recovery. Using a participatory rural appraisal approach, eight modified world cafes were hosted, and 28 key informants were interviewed.
This research showed that rural Yukoners preferred to be outdoors and that most of their recreation and physical activity involved outdoor recreation, on-the-land activities, and tasks of daily life (e.g., hauling water or firewood). Engagement in these activities also proved to be more resilient in the face of public health mandates and for those who were vaccine-hesitant.
Three strong narratives emerged from the data: (a) recreation funding and programs have been focused on children/youth, (b) physically active recreation has been defined as sports participation, and (c) indoor recreation (e.g., pools and arenas) facilities are necessary infrastructure in all rural communities. In contrast, it was found that (a) most engaged in unstructured outdoor recreation and on-the-land activities, (b) outdoor facilities and infrastructure would meet community needs, (c) communities want programs that promote social connections and wellness, and (d) there is a strong need for physical and social experiences across the lifespan.
Outdoor recreation and on-the-land activities are central to the lives of rural Yukoners. They can also be central to the recovery of individuals and communities if decision-makers and funders consider systems-level changes (e.g., reviewing the Recreation Act) and if stakeholders consider broadening the scope of community recreation. Additionally, supporting residents’ capacity to engage in unstructured and self-led recreation across the lifespan would assist with pandemic recovery and developing a more sustainable recreation delivery model in rural Yukon.https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/27224/PIRR2023FinalReport.pdf?sequence=
The case for culturally appropriate trauma-informed teaching in the Dene communities of the Northwest Territories
No full textThe Indigenous people of Canada's Northwest Territories have been undeniably affected by colonialism. These effects have caused Trauma and Intergenerational Trauma within the populations of people that reside here. Educators need to be prepared for the reality of teaching in this context and approaches that prepare students to deal with mental health challenges. Looking to the inherent strengths of Indigenous culture, knowledge, and values for solutions helps repair the damage that has been caused. Educators that are familiar with these things strengthen their practice and make learning more meaningful for students.https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/27261/Osted.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=
Levels of Heavy Metals in Sediment Samples from Select Creeks in Metro Vancouver, BC, Canada
Get PDF2024Forty-seven samples collected from 23 creeks in Metro Vancouver, BC, Canada were analyzed to assess how different land use activities affect physicochemical properties in surface water and metal concentrations in sediments. The pH, total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity in surface water samples ranged from 5.50 to 8.27, 14.0 to 410.0 ppm, and 19.0 to 903.0 µS/cm, respectively, with no discernible relationship between the surrounding land use and the parameters. However, land use influenced metal concentrations in the sediments with arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, silver, and zinc at some locations exceeding the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment sediment quality guidelines. Creeks closer to highways with heavy vehicular activities reported significantly higher concentrations of metals. Principal component and cluster analyses revealed anthropogenic and natural processes enrich the sediments with metals. It is therefore important to put measures in place to curb increase in metal concentrations in creek sediments
What is the nature of the relationships (if any) that vintage Volkswagen owners form with their vehicles and with other vintage VW owners?
No full textDrawing from qualitative, open-ended interviews, this research focuses on the nature of the relationships that vintage Volkswagen (VW) owners form with their vehicles and with other vintage VW owners. It revealed that VW owners form deep bonds with their vehicle(s) that enrich their lives, consequently granting them access to a subculture of hobbyists and enthusiasts, which is also rewarding in many ways. As detailed in the audio documentary accompanying this brief paper, participants spoke passionately about 1) why they love vintage Volkswagens; 2) the community and connections that result from vintage VW ownership; 3) the happiness that ownership brings; 4) the struggles that ownership brings and how that impacts outlook on life; 5) the relationships and attachment that develop between vehicle and owner; 6) and finally, the benefits and qualities of life with a vintage Volkswagen
PAMAM-functionalized paper as a new substrate for the paper spray mass spectrometry measurement of proteins
Get PDFThis is the Accepted Manuscript of an article that was published as: Pereira, I., Monaghan, J., Abruzzi, L.R., & Gill, C.G. (2023). PAMAM-functionalized paper as a new substrate for the paper spray mass spectrometry measurement of proteins. Analytical Chemistry, 95(18), 7134–7141. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.2c05316Paper surface functionalization with polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers has been developed for increased sensitivity analysis of proteins by paper spray mass spectrometry (PS-MS). PAMAM is a branched polymeric compound with an ethylenediamine core linked to repeating PAMAM units that generates an outer surface rich in primary amines. These positively charged amine groups can interact electrostatically with negatively charged residues (e.g., aspartate, glutamate) on the protein surface. PAMAM inner amide moieties can also promote hydrogen bonding with protein surface oxygens, making PAMAM a useful material for protein extraction. PAMAM-functionalized PS-MS paper strips were used to extract proteins from biofluids, dipped in acetonitrile to remove unbound constituents, dried, and then measured with PS-MS. The use of this strategy was optimized and compared with unmodified paper strips. PAMAM-functionalized paper substrates provided sixfold greater sensitivity for albumin, 11-fold for hemoglobin, sevenfold for insulin, and twofold for lysozyme. The analytical performance of the functionalized paper substrate was evaluated through the analysis of albumin in urine, achieving linearity with R2 > 0.99, LOD of 1.1 μg mL–1, LOQ of 3.8 μg mL–1, precision better than 10%, and relative recovery 70–83%. The method was applied to quantify urinary albumin from nine anonymous patient samples (concentrations ranged from 6.5 to 77.4 μg mL–1), illustrating its potential for the diagnosis of microalbuminuria. These data demonstrate the utility of paper modification with the PAMAM dendrimer for sensitive PS-MS analysis of proteins, opening a path for further applications in clinical diagnosis through the analysis of disease-related proteins.Includes supporting information.This work was supported by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant Program funding (RGPIN-2021-02981).Accepted manuscrip
Bidirectional cross-linguistic influence with different-script languages: Evidence from eye tracking
No full textThis article has been published in a revised form in Applied Psycholinguistics, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0142716423000188. This version is free to view and download for private research and study only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works. © The Authors, 2023.This study compared patterns of non-selective cross-language activation in L1 and L2 visual word recognition with different-script bilinguals. The aim was to determine (1) whether lexical processing is non-selective in the L1 (as in L2), and (2) if the same cross-linguistic factors affected processing similarly in each language. To examine the time course of activation, eye movements were tracked during lexical decision. Thirty-two Japanese-English bilinguals responded to 250 target words in Japanese and in English. The same participants and items (i.e., cognate translation equivalents) were used to directly compare L1 and L2 processing. Response latencies as well as eye movements representing early and late processing were analyzed using mixed-effects regression modeling. Similar cross-linguistic effects, namely cognate word frequency, phonological similarity, and semantic similarity, were found in both languages. These factors affected processing to different degrees in each language, however. While cognate frequency was significant as early as the first fixation, effects of cross-linguistic phonological and semantic similarity arose later in time. Increased phonological similarity slowed responses in L2 but speeded them in L1, while greater semantic overlap was facilitatory in both languages. Results are discussed from the perspective of the BIA+ model of visual word recognition.https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/27488/Mukai2023AP.pdf?sequence=3Post-print versio
Updates to the EuroMab Literature Database 2023
No full textThe International Journal of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves Literature Database has been significantly updated in 2022. This article details the changes that occurred to the database during March 2022 to December 2022.https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/27473/Gledhill.pdf?sequence=
Countering Medical Misinformation on Twitter: Readying Clinicians and Scientists
No full text2024This thesis explores how clinicians and scientists are using Twitter to counter medical misinformation. Medical misinformation also referred to as fake news, reached an unprecedented level of sharing on social media between 2020 and 2022 due to COVID-19, the global pandemic. Many public health authorities partly blamed misinformation for a lower-than-expected uptake of vaccinations for COVID-19 and for the refusal of many individuals to follow public health orders, like masking. Having more clinicians and scientists on Twitter to provide evidence-based information may help individuals make informed health choices. By conducting semi-structured interviews with 23 Canadian academics made up of clinicians and scientists, it became clear that countering medical misinformation on Twitter is not solely about the words chosen for a post. Countering misinformation requires three things: clarity about the goal or purpose for using Twitter, confidence in the knowledge one possesses and the position they hold, and a clear understanding of the audience. Clinicians and scientists are underrepresented on Twitter. Not knowing what and how to post has been identified by members of these professions as a barrier to adoption. Findings suggest there may be a role for universities to play by offering social media training for new career scientists and as professional development for faculty members. Formal training may help more academics in health and sciences to start a Twitter account, and for those who have an account to share evidence-based information more often
Elder abuse in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender plus communities (Evidence Summary)
No full textThis evidence brief summarizes the literature on the abuse of older adults who identify as 2SLGBT+ (Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer plus) published in the past decade (2013-2023), and discusses policy implications.Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council; Women and Gender Equality Canad