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Woven threads of synchronicity within the stories of wise women: a narrative inquiry
No full textThe purpose of this study is twofold: firstly, to listen for elements of Krumboltz’s (2009) Happenstance Learning Theory (HLT) within the stories of five women, including risk taking, curiosity, optimism, flexibility, and persistence; and secondly, to determine whether these women frame their stories within a worldview that values other ways of knowing that are embodied and intuitive. These women have been selected because they are at least fifty years old and have acquired the embodied wisdom that results from years of lived experience. Their stories have potential to contribute women’s voices to inform a new model of career counselling which re-envisions HLT, where an exploration of worldview is considered part of the conversation around meaningful happenstance, or synchronicity. Counsellors may offer this new approach, which I have named Synchronicity Learning Theory (SLT), in order to encourage an awareness of synchronicity experiences that help guide decision making within an interconnected and interdependent world, while empowering their clients seek a more compassionate and sustainable existence influenced by these synchronous moments within their lives. A narrative inquiry approach is taken in order to foster an authentic relationship between researcher and participants, where rich stories of this search for life purpose and meaning are shared, told, and retold with the goal of enabling others to see elements of their own human experiences reflected in the stories of others
Mathematics anxiety: history, theories, causes, and interventions
No full textThis dissertation examined the evolution, theory, and interventions for mathematics anxiety and is presented as a collection of four academic papers examining (University of Alberta, n.d.), experimenting with, and reflecting on mathematics anxiety. The focus of the first paper was to examine how mathematics anxiety has evolved including its definition and how it affects working memory. The outcome of that work resulted in a new theory explaining why some people experience mathematics anxiety. This examination of mathematics anxiety theory is presented in Chapter 2 of this dissertation and is the first of the
four papers comprising this dissertation. The focus of the second paper was to experiment with writing as a form of intervention to alleviate mathematics anxiety. Participants in this empirical study were all female preservice teachers who were randomly selected to three groups to engage in neutral, expressive, or positive expressive writing. There were no significant differences between the three groups but there was a significant difference between pre-service teachers’ mathematics ability and their mathematics anxiety. Also, the analysis of participants’ journal writing alerted a need to examine the duration of the writing intervention. This research on mathematics anxiety with pre-service teachers is presented in Chapter 3 of this dissertation and is the second paper in this dissertation which has been published. The focus of the third paper was on women who were registered in a return-to-work
program and the purpose of this empirical study was to examine the benefits of expressive writing as an intervention for mathematics anxiety. These participants were also women. The analysis of the focus group and interview data revealed that participants benefitted from the expressive writing. An unanticipated outcome of this study focused on the connection between mathematics anxiety and test anxiety. This work is presented in Chapter 4 of this dissertation and has been submitted for publication. The fourth paper is presented in chapter 5 and is written in the form of a thought paper (Snell, n.d.), and represents the concluding chapter in this dissertation. This chapter draws together the literature, theories, and all findings presented in this dissertation as well as recent work in the field of mathematics anxiety. More specifically, this chapter highlights the complexity and multi-dimensional nature of mathematics anxiety and posits whether mathematics anxiety can be separated from test anxiety. This paper has also been published. The final chapter contains a reflection on my positionality as an adult educator, lifelong learner, and researcher. In this chapter, I describe how my learning has come full-circle
Getting a handle on rat familiarization: The impact of handling protocols on classic tests of stress in Rattus norvegicus
No full textExperimenter familiarization with laboratory rodents through handling prior to experimentation is an important practice in neurobehavioral research and is implicated in stress, study variability, and replicability. Unfortunately, different handling protocols have not been thoroughly examined. Determining optimal experimenter familiarization protocols is expected to reduce animal stress and thus improve welfare and data consistency. The impact of different handling protocols was determined through behavioral assessments (i.e. elevated plus maze, light/dark box, open field) as well as via analysis of fecal boli counts, ultrasonic vocalizations, and blood corticosterone. Male and female Sprague Dawley rats were distributed among three groups: never handled, picked-up, and handled for 5 min once daily over five days. Handled and picked-up rats spent more time in open arms and less time in closed arms of the elevated plus maze and more time in the center and less time at the perimeter of the open field compared to rats that were never handled, indicating that handled and picked-up rats were less anxious than those that were never handled. Male rats consistently defecated more frequently throughout the handling process and throughout behavioral testing, whereas females showed greater concentrations of blood corticosterone. Female rats were found to emit more 50-kHz calls and fewer 22-kHz calls compared to males. The results observed suggest that picking animals up may suffice as a handling method compared to time-intensive handling procedures, and that there are significant sex differences in response to handling.Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare CentreAtlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Islan
ICU trajectory for families: A scoping review protocol
No full textObjective:The purpose of this scoping review is to mapresearch knowledge about the familymembersexperiences,including healthcare care received, during the entire trajectory of patients’ admission to an adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and up to one year following their discharge from ICU or death.Introduction:There is increasing awareness of the impact of a patient’s critical illness on family members. Therefore, there is a need to map the emerging body of literature to clarify around publication trendsincluding central findings of studies, temporal focus of studies, conceptual definitions, research designs and measurement tools used. To advance science in this area, it is critically important to identify where gaps in knowledge and methodology persist.Inclusion criteria:Research articlesof any design that focus on the family experience and care with more than 50% of study participants being adult family members of patients who had admission to anAdultICU. Methods:The scoping review will conformto the JBI methodology for scoping reviews; the developed search strategy will be performed inMEDLINE and CINAHL. Publications in English, French, German and Dutch between January 2000 to March2023 will be included due to an international group undertaking the review.Study selection will be detailed using the PRISMA-ScR flow diagram to delineate identification, screeningand included studies. Data will be extracted by the research team, collated,analysedand themedregarding the research questionsand objective of the review
Transitions in a PhD in nursing program: A critical reflection on students' perceptions
No full textIntroduction: The purpose of this critical reflection is to share the collective experiences of eight doctoral students transitioning through a PhD nursing program at a Canadian University.
Background: Globally, a nursing shortage of over a million nurses threatens to significantly impact patient safety and quality of care. One proposed response to the nursing shortage is to increase enrollment of students in nursing programs, with the aim of graduating more qualified nurses. However, a concurrent shortage of nursing faculty is impacting the profession’s ability to effectively respond to this issue, with fewer nurses completing doctorate degrees than there are existing vacant faculty positions. We propose that one solution to address the nursing faculty shortage, and to ensuring that nursing can respond to the ever-increasing complexity of patient care, is to improve the doctoral student transition process.
Method: We used critical reflection to explore our experiences of transitioning into a PhD in Nursing program. Virtual group meetings via an online conferencing platform were conducted using a semi-structured interview format. Using the Bridges Transition Model (BTM) as a theoretical framework, we organized our reflections using the three phases from the BTM framework: ending, neutral zone, and new beginning. As this was a critical reflection, where all participants are also listed as authors, formal ethics approval was not required.
Discussion: The ending phase symbolized the transition into the PhD program while still maintaining former professional roles and was characterized by a sense of loss of identity. Moving from the ending phase into the neutral zone phase required realignment of priorities, a shift in self-identity, and recognizing what facilitators are needed to transition. When navigating the neutral zone, we considered new roles and relationships and how they could provide support during this phase. Our transition from the neutral zone to the new beginnings phase extended beyond the PhD program to include the transition to life after the PhD. While some looked forward with hope and anticipation of the new beginning phase, others highlighted the uncertainties of post-PhD life. We identified community building and career mentoring as two strategies that might ease transitions and help PhD students with degree completion.
Conclusions: This paper contributes to the literature on doctoral students’ experiences as they transition through a PhD in Nursing program. We recommend that nursing faculties incorporate strategies such as career coaching and formal supports for the development of student-led communities of practice. Helping PhD students navigate transitions associated with completion of the degree may reduce attrition and increase the potential supply of tenure-track nursing faculty.
Résumé
Introduction : L’objectif de cette réflexion critique est de partager les expériences communes de huit doctorantes et doctorants lors de leur transition dans un programme de PhD en sciences infirmières d’une université canadienne.
Contexte : À l’échelle mondiale, il manque plus d’un million d’infirmières et d’infirmiers dans la profession. Cette pénurie représente une menace significative pour la sécurité des patients et la qualité des soins. Une des solutions proposées pour faire face à cette pénurie est d’augmenter le nombre de personnes inscrites aux programmes de sciences infirmières afin de former davantage de personnes qualifiées. Toutefois, la pénurie simultanée de membres du corps professoral dans le domaine limite la capacité de relever efficacement ce défi, car le nombre d’infirmières et infirmiers qui terminent leur doctorat est inférieur au nombre de postes vacants au sein du corps professoral. Afin de remédier à cette pénurie de professeures et professeurs et de garantir que la profession puisse répondre à la complexité croissante des soins aux patients, nous suggérons d’améliorer le processus de transition des étudiantes et étudiants au doctorat.
Méthode : L’équipe de recherche a opté pour une approche de réflexion critique afin d’explorer nos expériences de transition vers le programme de PhD en sciences infirmières. Des réunions virtuelles de groupe via une plateforme de visioconférence ont été menées en utilisant le format des entrevues semi-structurées. Le modèle de transition de Bridges (BTM) a servi de cadre théorique pour l’organisation de nos réflexions, nous appuyant sur ses trois phases : la fin, la zone neutre et le nouveau départ. Étant donné qu’il s’agissait d’une réflexion critique où tous les participants agissaient également comme auteures ou auteurs, aucune approbation éthique formelle n’était requise.
Discussion : La phase de fin représentait la transition vers le programme de PhD tout en maintenant des rôles professionnels et était caractérisée par un sentiment de perte d’identité. Afin de passer de la phase de fin à la zone neutre, il était nécessaire de réaligner les priorités, de modifier son identité personnelle et de reconnaître les facteurs favorisant la transition. En naviguant dans la zone neutre, de nouveaux rôles et de nouvelles relations étaient explorés en considérant la façon dont ils pourraient apporter du soutien durant cette période. La transition de la zone neutre vers la phase nouveau départ s’étendait au-delà du programme dans le but d’y inclure la transition vers la vie après l’obtention du PhD. Alors que certains d’entre nous entrevoyaient cette phase nouveau départ avec optimisme et enthousiasme, d’autres ont souligné les incertitudes liées à la vie après l’obtention du doctorat. Nous avons cerné deux stratégies pouvant soutenir les transitions et aider les étudiantes et étudiants au doctorat à obtenir leur grade : la création de communautés et le mentorat pour la carrière.
Conclusions : Cet article contribue à la littérature sur les expériences des doctorantes et doctorants au sein d’un programme de PhD en sciences infirmières. Nous recommandons vivement aux facultés de sciences infirmières d’intégrer des stratégies telles que le coaching de carrière et la mise en place d’un soutien formel pour favoriser le développement de communautés de pratique menées par la population étudiante. En aidant les étudiantes et étudiants au doctorat à naviguer les transitions liées à l’obtention de leur grade, le taux d’attrition pourrait être réduit et le nombre de potentiels membres du corps professoral occupant des postes menant à la permanence pourrait être augmenté
Renal coccidial infection in North American Northern Gannets (Morus bassanus)
No full textWe identified by light microscopy micro- and macrogametes and oocysts of renal coccidia in 78 of 220 (35.5%) Northern Gannets (Morus bassanus) from the western North Atlantic population. This infection was not considered clinically significant in any of the affected birds, although the potential effect of this parasite in breeding colonies, particularly among nestlings, is unknown. Analysis of the 18S rRNA gene from frozen renal tissue by PCR and subsequent sequencing revealed 95.6% identity with Eimeria auritusi from Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus), suggesting a novel Eimeria sp. in the Northern Gannets
Next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of plant pathogenic bacteria causing potato zebra chips and ring rot
No full textGenomics and metagenomics have developed rapidly for years, from Sanger sequencing to Nanopore sequencing, from microbial diversity to functional analysis, and from drug discovery to diagnostic trials. Laying the foundation for the development of methods and applications, classification, detection, and functional analytic methods have been iterated quickly to fulfill insatiable demands. However, existing approaches are timeconsuming, complicated or expensive for massive screening of pathogens and their nonpathogenic relatives. Potato ring rot is primarily caused by the bacterium Clavibacter sepedonicus. This bacterium can lead to significant economic losses in potato farming. Infected potato tubers often display characteristic symptoms such as brownish, dry rot, and the presence of a yellowish ring inside the tuber. Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (CLso) is a bacterium known to cause diseases in plants, particularly in the Solanaceae family, including potatoes and tomatoes. CLso causes zebra chip disease, a significant concern for the potato industry. Infected potato tubers develop dark streaks, or “zebra chip.” This disease can result in yield loss and reduced marketability. CLso-infected tomatoes display symptoms such as green veins in leaves and yellowing of interveinal tissue. It can reduce fruit quality and yield in tomato crops. The haplotype B of CLso is even lethal to tomatoes. Both diseases have economic implications for potato and tomato growers, as they can reduce crop quality and market value. This study introduced bioinformatics tools for pathogen detection and control: (1) Atria, a trimming program that matches the adapters in paired reads and finds possible overlapped regions using a fast and carefully designed byte-based matching algorithm (O(n) time with O(1) space); (2) PolyChrome Classifier, focusing on the classification of closely related microorganisms at species or subspecies levels using whole genomic data; (3) PolyChrome Detector, finding the presence of specific species from metagenomic and meta-transcriptomic data. (4) Clasnip (www.clasnip.com), an easy-to-use web-based
platform for the classification and similarity evaluation of closely related microorganisms at interspecies and intraspecies levels using gene, contig or whole genome sequences. With those bioinformatics tools, phytopathogens, such as Clavibacter, Liberibacter, Dickeya, Pectobacter, and potato virus Y, could be differentiated at the interspecies or intraspecies levels. Furthermore, the transcriptomics of tomato plants infected by Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (CLso) was analyzed. CLso is a regulated plant pathogen in European and some Asian countries, associated with severe disease in economically important Apiaceous and Solanaceous crops, including potato, tomato, and carrot. Compared tomatoes infected by pathogenic CLso haplotype B to healthy tomatoes, carbohydrate consumption in infected plants was more extensive than accumulation. Also, membrane fluidity, signaling, and defense to bacteria were impeded. Besides, genes in phenylpropanoid metabolism and DNA replication were generally suppressed, affecting plant growth and defense. In conclusion, statistically sound and user-friendly bioinformatics applications, Clasnip, Atria, PolyChrome Classifier and PolyChrome Detector were developed for the genomics and metagenomics classification and detection. These powerful tools are used to control plant diseases including potato ring rot and zebra chip. In addition, we provided insights into plants’ defense and functional decline to pathogenic CLso, using whole transcriptome sequencing and qPCR validation
The global American Civil War and Anglo-American relations in China's treaty ports
No full textTaking a global approach to the American Civil War from the vantage of China, this article explores the nineteenth-century transnational connections and disconnections that linked the American community there to distant diplomatic crises unfolding in the Atlantic. Such episodes as the raiding of the Confederate privateer Alabama and the Trent Affair reached China's Americans through newspaper articles and correspondence that described an Atlantic theatre dominated by the spirit of war. Such reports had an ambiguous effect in China. On the one hand, they undermined American mercantile enterprises that had been poised to expand into China's interior. On the other, they created only ephemeral ripples of discontent amongst a wider Anglo-American community ultimately bound together by common interests and a sense of racial and cultural solidarity. I argue that while rumour and speculation were powerful forces capable of crippling the United States’ merchant marine, colonial society in ports such as Hong Kong proved surprisingly resistant to metropolitan socio-political crises. Through the central case-study of the Alabama and related debates sustained in 1860s China, this article accordingly explores the extent to which (semi)colonial societies were susceptible to or insulated from metropolitan crises
Spatiotemporal trends in temperature and precipitation for Prince Edward Island over 1971–2020
No full textClimate change has been attracting significant attention in Canada lately. This study investigates spatiotemporal air temperature and precipitation changes by developing high-resolution (i.e., 1 m × 1 km grid) climate maps from 1971 to 2020. The climate monitoring data are collected and synthesized from various sources, and then used to develop high-resolution climate maps with state-of-the-art spatial interpolation methods. The error metrics results show that the inverse distance weighting method performs the best for air temperature and precipitation and thus is used in this study. Significant temporal trends show that the annual mean temperature increased by 0.03 °C/year in western and eastern Prince Edward Island (PEI), covering 62.75% of PEI area. Similarly, the annual precipitation has decreased by around 4.8 mm/year in Prince County and eastern parts of Queens and Kings Counties, covering 62.81% of PEI area. In growing season, temperature has increased by 0.05 °C/year and precipitation is decreased by 2.1 mm/year in Prince County. This information illustrates the dynamics of temperature and precipitation toward the changing climate
Exploring the properties and potential uses of biocarbon from spent coffee grounds: A comparative look at dry and wet processing methods
No full textCoffee is among the most widely consumed beverages worldwide, leading to the annual generation of substantial quantities of spent coffee grounds (SCGs). This study explored the influence of fabrication methods on the properties and potential applications of the resulting biocarbon materials. Dry methods (torrefaction at 270 °C and slow pyrolysis at 500 °C) and wet methods (hydrothermal carbonization HTC at 210 °C and hydrothermal liquefaction HTL at 270 °C) were employed to fabricate SCG-based biochar and hydrochar, respectively. The carbonization degree followed the order of slow pyrolysis > HTL > HTC ≈ torrefaction, yielding significant differences in energy properties, elemental composition, morphology, and surface functionality. Slow pyrolysis biochar was suitable for energy applications due to a similar fuel ratio as and higher heating value than semianthracite coal. For agricultural applications, SCG biochar produced through dry methods could be utilized to mitigate acidic soil conditions, whereas HTC hydrochar, with its elevated surface area and porosity, could enhance soil microbiological diversity and water-holding capacity, as well as benefit environmental applications such as wastewater remediation. In summary, the findings of this study are anticipated to inform decision-making processes concerning sustainable waste management of SCGs and the exploration of carbon-based materials applications across diverse sectors.Fujian Provincial Natural Science FoundationMinjiang University, National Sciences and Engineering Research Council Discovery, Canad