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Ecological saints: Adopting a green gaze of the life and writings of Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys
No full textDuring this time of ecological crisis, spiritual guides are needed to provide inspiration and impel action. In the Roman Catholic tradition, saints act as role models and are associated with particular causes, locations, or professions. Who, then, are the ecological saints, whose witness can inspire hope and action in support of the environment? This article explores that question in two ways. First the writings and accounts of saints who are traditionally connected to the environment are examined to produce six indicators of the beliefs, characteristics, and actions of ecological saints. Second, a green gaze is applied to Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys, a seventeenth-century educator who lived in what would become Montreal, Canada, by comparing her writings and accounts of her life to the six indicators of an ecological saint. Identifying more ecological saints can promote environmental responsibility, and the six indicators of an ecological saint can be the lens through which beloved saints are re-examined
Description, molecular identification and pathological lesions of Huffmanela persica sp. nov. (Nematoda: Trichosomoididae: Huffmanelinae) from the daggertooth pike conger Muraenesox cinereus
No full textBackground: The genus Huffmanela Moravec, 1987 (Nematoda, Trichosomoididae, Huffmanelinae), represents a group of nematodes that infect both marine and freshwater fish, and the main gross feature of infection with different species of the genus is the presence of noticeable dark spots or tracks within the parasitized tissues. The purpose of this study was to describe morphologically and morphometrically the eggs of a new marine species of Huffmanela (Huffmanela persica sp. nov.), which was found in the form of black spots in the ovary and the tunica serosa of the stomach of the daggertooth pike conger (Muraenesox cinereus). The new species differs from Huffmanela hamo, another species reported from musculature of this host in Japan, in egg metrics, eggshell features and targeted organ. Molecular identification and pathological examination of the lesions caused by the new species are also reported.
Methods: Nematode eggs with varying degrees of development were separated from the infected tissues (ovary and tunica serosa of stomach) and investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy. Different species-specific markers (small subunit ribosomal DNA, 18S; large subunit ribosomal DNA, 28S; internal transcribed spacer, ITS) were used for molecular identification and phylogenetic study of the new species. Infected tissues were fixed in buffered formalin for pathological investigations.
Results: The fully developed eggs of H. persica sp. nov. are distinguished from those previously described from this host on the basis of their measurements (size, 54-68 × 31-43 µm; polar plugs, 6.4-9.7 × 8.4-12 µm; shell thickness, 3.5-6.1 µm) and a delicate but ornate uterine layer (UL) covering the entire eggshell including the polar plugs. Histopathological examination revealed a fibro-granulomatous inflammation in the ovary and the serosal layer of the stomach of infected fish. Maximum-likelihood (ML) phylogenetic analysis recovered a sister relationship between the new species of marine origin and Huffmanela species previously collected from freshwater hosts.
Conclusions: The present study is the first to report the molecular characterization and phylogenetic position of a teleost-associated marine species of the genus Huffmanela. A comprehensive list of nominal and innominate populations of Huffmanela is also provided.University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austri
Hiding behaviour of newborn dairy calves kept indoors with their dams
No full textHiding behaviour is common amongst wild animals, yet many farmed animal species are not given the opportunity to hide when kept indoors. The primary aim of this thesis was to explore hiding behaviours in farmed animals, with a focus on newborn dairy calves kept indoors with their dams. Chapter 2 includes a scoping review of the literature on hiding behaviours in farmed animals, with the objectives to: 1) identify the farmed species that have been most used in research investigating the provision of hiding spaces, 2) describe the context in which hides have been provided to farmed animals, and 3)
describe the impact (positive, negative or neutral/inconclusive) that hides have on animals, including indicators of animal welfare. Using a search of three online databases, a total of 151 papers were included. Fourteen animal types were represented, most commonly chickens (48% of papers). Hides were used in four contexts: at parturition or oviposition (56%), for general enrichment (43%), for neonatal animals (4%), or for sick or injured animals (1%). A total of 218 outcomes relevant to our objectives were found, representing 7 categories: hide use, motivation, and/or preference (47% of outcomes),
behavioural indicators of affective state (17%), health, injuries, and/or production (16%), agonistic behaviour (8%), abnormal repetitive behaviours (6%), physiological indicators of stress (5%), and affiliative behaviours (1%). Hiding places resulted in 162 positive (74%), 14 negative (6%), and 42 neutral/inconclusive (19%) outcomes. Results from this review indicate that although hides had a generally positive impact on farmed animals, more research is needed on the provision of hiding spaces to some animals, such as neonatal dairy calves. Chapter 3 describes an experiment to investigate the effect of providing a hiding place to dairy calves during temporary separation from their dams. The objectives were to: 1) describe how dairy calves use an artificial hide when provided during temporary separation from the dam during the first week of life, 2) assess the effect of a hide on calves’ lying and sleep-like behaviour during temporary separation from the dam, and 3) assess the effect of a hide on calves’ heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) before and during temporary separation from the dam during the first week of life. Cowcalf pairs were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: 1) with an artificial hide (n = 14), or 2) with no hide (n = 14). Hide use as well as lying and sleep-like behaviour were recorded continuously using video cameras during the first 60 min after the dam was removed for a.m. milking on day (d) 3 to 6 of life. Heart rate and R-R intervals were recorded using Polar equine monitors on d 6; HR and HRV were analyzed in Kubios HRV software. Hide use decreased over days and was highly variable between calves. The area under the curve (AUC) of lying duration, bouts, and bout duration were not different between treatments. The AUC of the duration of sleep-like behaviour was higher, and the duration of sleep-like bouts tended to be higher, for calves without a hide compared to those with a hide. The number of sleep-like bouts were not different between treatments. Calves with a hide showed signs of lower sympathetic activity and higher parasympathetic activity compared to calves without a hide before and after separation from the dam. Results suggest that providing calves with a hide during temporary separation from the dam can affect their sleep-like behaviour and their heart rate variability. Collectively, this work indicates that more research is needed on the use of hiding places as a potential method to improve the welfare of farmed animals
An assessment of Islanders information needs and preferences related to concussion care for children and youth
No full textDespite the recent rise in attention focused on concussions, there is a continued need to improve
overall concussion education and awareness. Concussions have emerged as an important public
health issue, especially among children and youth, as they are disproportionately more likely to
suffer head injuries. It is critical that all stakeholders are aware of the signs and symptoms
related to a mild traumatic brain injury, and have basic concussion knowledge, as most diagnoses
rely on the self-reporting of symptoms. To determine the gaps related to perceived concussion
knowledge and to identify educational gaps in Prince Edward Island (PEI), a community health
needs assessment was completed using a descriptive, quantitative survey design. This study was
the first known concussion community needs assessment targeting children and youth, performed
in PEI. Study participants highlighted the need for more fundamental concussion information.
Gaps related to specialized services offered in PEI, as well as information about return-to-sport
and school protocols were identified. Implementation of strategies to facilitate translation of
concussion information and improve perceived knowledge such as the development of a website
repository for evidence-informed resources along with the identification of local concussion
services offered in PEI, would be valuable
“A Life of suspicion and distrust”: Sino-American relations, racialized anxieties, and Anglo panic in nineteenth-century Hong Kong
No full textOn January 15, 1857, as the Second Opium War raged, bread distributed by the Esing bakery to Hong Kong’s Western community was doctored with a prodigious amount of arsenic. Few were seriously harmed, but the American trader Augustine Heard Jr. noted that the poisoning marked a great change in the Sino-American relationship. Although Americans were not involved in the Second Opium War, Heard’s comments suggest that, influenced by rumors and panic, the Sino-American relationship deteriorated as Americans increasingly saw themselves as members of a besieged white community. The Heards’ Hong Kong house is a reflection of this feeling of besiegement. This article places the 1857 Hong Kong poison panic within a broader atmosphere of colonial anxiety that increasingly led Americans in China to identify with the British at the expense of amicable Sino-American relations. It argues that the poison panic was one of a series of confrontations and minor panics between Hong Kong’s Chinese and Western communities that recalibrated how Americans in China perceived the Chinese and that such panics entrenched racial barriers between white and non-white colonial communities
Potential benefits of limiting global warming for the mitigation of temperature extremes in China
No full textIn this study, we attempt to quantify the potential impacts of two global warming levels (i.e., 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C) on extreme temperature indices across China. The CMIP6 dataset is first evaluated against the CN05.1 observation for the historical period of 1995–2014. Then, future spatiotemporal patterns of changes in extreme temperature at two global warming levels under two shared socio-economic pathway scenarios (SSP245 and SSP585) are further analyzed. Overall, China will experience more frequent and intense high temperature events, such as summer days (SU), tropical nights (TR), warm days (TX90p) and nights (TN90p). On the other hand, under the SSP585, the number of icing days and frost days is projected to decrease at two global warming levels, with the maximal days of decrease (exceeding 20 days) seen in the west of China. Our results suggest that limiting global warming to 1.5 °C rather than 2.0 °C is beneficial to reduce extreme temperature risks. As temperature increases to 1.5 °C and then 2.0 °C above preindustrial levels, the most extreme temperature indices are expected to increase proportionately more during the final 0.5° than during the first 1.5° across most regions of China. For some warm indices, such as the warmest day (TXx), summer days (SU), and warm days (TX90p), the largest incremental changes (from 1.5° to 2.0°) tend to be found in the southwest. Under the SSP585, the incremental changes are similar to the change in the SSP245, but smaller magnitude and spatial extent
Statistical downscaling and projection of climatic extremes using machine learning algorithms
No full textClimate change impacts all fields of life including agriculture. This study aimed to determine the historical and future climatic variations for the rainfed Prince Edward Island (PEI). Statistical downscaling model (SDSM), and support vector regression (SVR), multilayer perceptron (MLP), and random forest (RF) algorithms were applied to downscale climatic extremes, i.e., daily precipitation, maximum temperature (Tmax), and minimum temperature (Tmin) at 8 meteorological stations across the island for the baseline period (1976–2003). The MLP algorithm was further applied to project the climatic extremes for the future period (2006–2100) under three representative concentration pathways (RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, and RCP 8.5) due to its better performance. Linear scaling was used to reduce the biases from the outputs of MLP. The annual and seasonal (potato growing season of May to October) outputs revealed that Tmax and Tmin are expected to increase in the future under all the RCPs, with the maximum increment observed for RCP 8.5. The increments in Tmax and Tmin for the growing season were 0.72–5.37 °C and 0.87–5.91 °C, respectively, irrespective of the RCPs. The spatial pattern of average annual precipitation in the growing season showed high (578–966 mm), moderate (558–625 mm), and low (449–664 mm) precipitation at the eastern, central, and western parts of PEI for both baseline and future periods. The highest changes were observed under RCP 8.5 as the warmest climate associated with this scenario. The projected precipitation extreme indices trends are likely to increase in the future. The maximum changes/year were observed under RCP8.5, which are 1.20 days/year for days with heavy precipitation (R10mm), 2.44 days/year for the days with very heavy precipitation (R20mm), 7.60 mm/year for total precipitation from heavy rainy days (R95p), 3.76 mm/year for total precipitation from very heavy precipitation days (R99p), 1.10 days/year for continuous wet days (CWD), and 0.08 mm/day for precipitation intensity (SDII) for a year. The findings of this study will help the farmers and government policymakers to get a clear picture of the climatic variability and strategize to mitigate the climate change impact on the island’s agriculture in the future.Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canad
Teilhard De Chardin: A book of hours
No full textThis Book of Hours is divided into eight days, and further subdivided into Dawn, Day, Dusk, and Dark. The first seven days follow weekly evolutionary themes and conclude with an eighth day, “Tomorrow,” to honor Teilhard’s vision of the future
An in vitro larval motility assay characterizes anthelmintic efficacy against Crenosoma vulpis, Angiostrongylus vasorum, and Aelurostrongylus abstrusus
No full textOBJECTIVE
This study determined the in vitro efficacy of 6 common anthelmintics (eprinomectin, ivermectin, milbemycin oxime, moxidectin, selamectin, and fenbendazole) on motility (viability) of infectious third-stage larvae (L3) of Crenosoma vulpis, Angiostrongylus vasorum, and Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, which are important causes of canine and feline cardiopulmonary disease.
SAMPLES
First-stage larvae (L1) from C vulpis, An vasorum, and Ae abstrusus.
PROCEDURES
Naïve Limax maximus slugs were fed 1,000 to 2,000 L1 and held at 16 °C for at least 4 weeks to produce live L3. Approximately 50 to 100 L3/well were subsequently incubated in culture media alone or media containing 6 separate test anthelmintics at 4 concentrations, to bracket expected in vivo drug plasma levels in anthelmintic-treated dogs and cats. Drug effects on L3 motility (viability) were analyzed by multilevel logistic models, generating dose-response relationships. Experiments were completed 1-9/2019.
RESULTS
Drug concentration estimates corresponding to a 50% larval mortality rate identified that C vulpis was the most sensitive species to the anthelmintics tested. Ae abstrusus was most susceptible to moxidectin and selamectin, while An vasorum was insusceptible to all anthelmintics tested, except for selamectin at high drug concentrations.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
The in vitro anthelmintic response to antiparasitic agents may guide and improve disease therapy and prevention. Considering the observed lack of efficacy against L3, monthly anthelmintic treatment for protection against An vasorum infection in dogs would primarily rely on the anthelmintic’s adulticidal activity. Maximal preventive control for An vasorum would, therefore, require at least 1 treatment administered a minimum of 1 week after the end of the transmission season
Base metal chemistry and catalysis
No full textThis perspective provides an entry-level conversation concerning base metal catalysis as a green and sustainable solution in industrial and academic contexts. We establish a definition of “base metal,” challenging readers to consider the ethical implications of metal sourcing. We explore what it means to be “sustainable” and provide information on current efforts in synthetic chemistry. We provide examples of current catalytic trends and transformations in popular fields such as cross-coupling and small-molecule conversion, highlighting relevant base metal systems. Finally, we consider social context—for example, decisions related to catalyst development are often driven by factors including costliness, safety, social adoptability (whether society will accept its usage), and performance. How do we move base metal catalysis to the forefront? Is society concerned if materials are fabricated from cheaper and more abundant sources? How does the synthetic chemistry community guide this knowledge translation