Spectrum (E-Journal)
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Making the World: Pictures and Science in Modern China
No full textHow do pictures make the world? In 1907 the Chinese fiction writer and social critic Lu Xun 魯迅 (1881-1936) essayed the thought that making the world depended on attunement towards beauty’s emotional vibrancy and on an imaginative frequency to scientific thought, both. This curatorial project asks after pictures made mostly during Lu Xun’s lifetime, in turn-of-the-century China, mostly by brush-and-ink painters, but also by embroiderers, photographers, cartoonists, taxidermists, map-makers, and others who worked self-consciously within the arts and sciences, popular or academic. Their pictures carry within them their own struggles with the rationalities of science, as well as emotions and imagination, to make the world. Still, as curators of each of the six thematic sections of the exhibition observe, the pictures also escape the hands of their makers; they are thrown back into the flow of time through the questions they pose of us now, questions that we hope will prompt us to see and sense nature and each other differently, and in doing so, to make our own world from a newly aware and nuanced perspective
Where do sea lions live? Interspecific interactions and abiotic factors predict Steller sea lion habitat.
Get PDFHabitat selection by species is dependent on both abiotic factors and species interaction. With regards to species interaction, competition and facilitation can play a critical role regarding how a species selects its habitat. Previous work has suggested that Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) have been displaced from their haulout sites due to competition with California sea lions (Zalophus californianus). The purpose of our study is to understand what factors determine the number of Steller sea lion present at a haul out site in the Barkley Sound area in Bamfield, BC. We tested this by asking if the number of Steller sea lions at a haulout site at a certain time is related to the presence of California sea lions (as a proxy for interspecific interaction), time of day, and tide height or a combination of two or three of these variables. After running a generalized mixed effect model and competing our models using Akaike Information Criteria, our results indicated that tide height was the best predictor for explaining the number of Steller sea lions present at a haulout site. However, our results also indicated that the presence of California sea lions and time of day may play a role in determining Steller sea lion haulout sites as well. We found from this study that both species interaction and abiotic factors need to be collectively considered when predicting the mechanisms underlying species habitat choice in marine ecosystems
The Effects of Cognitive Stress on Asthma Exacerbations among University Students
Get PDFIntroduction: Many asthmatics complain of worsening respiratory symptoms during periods of stress.This study evaluated the relationship among asthma symptoms, lung physiology, inflammatory parametersand perceived cognitive stress and quality of life in healthy adult students. This relationship was assessedat two time points: a time of normal activity and at a time of cognitive stress during academic examinations.
Methods: Subjects attended the University of Alberta Hospital for a screening visit, which included aclinical exam, spirometry, methacholine challenge, allergen skin tests to assess atopy status and MiniInternational Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Eligible subjects returned for a low stress visit (LSV) atleast 14 days prior to an exam and a high stress visit (HSV) within 24 hours of an exam. Spirometry, andmethacholine challenge were performed during both LSV and HSV along with the collection of urine (testedfor cortisol), and the administration of 4 questionnaires to assess perceived stress and quality of life.
Results: Subjects showed no significant change in psychosocial or quality of life questionnaires betweenLSV and HSV. No significant change was noted in lung function or urine cortisol. There was an unexpectedhigh rate of pre-existing psychiatric comorbidities in this population (based on the MINI screen failure rate).Conclusion: We did not find a significant change in quality of life, psychosocial wellbeing or pulmonaryfunction or inflammation, measured by urine cortisol, during a high stress period. The high rate ofcomorbidities would be important to consider as part of evaluation used in clinical asthma studies in the future
Failure of Administrative Data to Guide Asthma Care
Get PDFRationale: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that is very common (7.9% ofCanadians over the age of 12). Despite numerous clinical guidelines, education events and administrativedata reviews, there has been little change to the way asthma is managed in the Canadian health caresystem for nearly 30 years. We evaluated, through the Physician Learning Program (PLP) in Alberta,possible reasons why administrative datasets have not been able to provide meaningful information toadjust health policy.
Methods: Provincial data was attained through Alberta Health Service and Alberta Health on pulmonaryfunction testing from 2005-2011 (through the PLP). The number of asthma diagnosis made during the sametime frame were then compared.
Results: The preliminary results of the PLP found that spirometry was billed for roughly half as often asthe asthma diagnostic codes were utilized during the same time frame. However, the review also revealedinconsistencies in how administrative data are captured, making it difficult to determine whetherspirometry is being underutilized by physicians in making asthma diagnoses.
Conclusions: Inconsistencies in how administrative data are captured in Alberta may be contributingto an incomplete picture of the rates of asthma diagnosis and physiological testing, and may explain, inpart, the limited influence of administrative datasets on guiding meaningful change within the healthcaresystem
The Brunner-Lei-Peters Resilience Scale
Get PDFResilience is an important attribute for mental health. Positive benefits felt by resilient individualsinclude fewer depressive episodes, and better coping strategies. Due to the positive outcomesexperienced by resilient people, it may be clinically useful to examine this construct within apsychotherapeutic context. Accordingly, we created the Brunner-Lei-Peters Resilience Scale, whichincluded a preliminary test of 70 items and 10 validity items; we tested the scale on a sample of 150people. Participants were representative of the general population with about an equal representationof gender and a wide age range from 18 to 66 years of age. Although the scale initially included 70items, through psychometric analysis, we reduced the scale to 15 items, while maintaining soundpsychometric validity and reliability. Clinical implications and limitations of the scale are discussed. 
A Socio-ecological Framing of the Philippine Mental Health Act of 2017
Get PDFFilipinos experience numerous barriers to mental health care in their country, such as stigmatization ofillness and behaviours, lack of mental health care services, and resource deficits. The Philippine MentalHealth Act of 2017 was formed to resolve these issues and is in its early stages of implementation.Legislation and policy interventions of this nature are but one level of many interventions that can addresshealth care at a population level. The influence of this legislation for different levels of society is analyzed inorder to understand the different barriers and alternatives to its implementation. Solutions suggested in thelegislation, such as addressing lack of accessibility in rural areas, creating liaisons between different levelsof mental health care, and educating the population regarding mental health, are explored for their effects ondifferent spheres, or levels, of influence. The comprehensiveness of the legislation to address the needs ofmental health service users are highlighted, as are barriers to implementation that inhibit the realization ofpractical strategies. This policy case review and analysis informs program development by highlighting thestrengths and weaknesses aligned to the legislative articles’ target sphere of influence and the population