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Networks, governance and conservation in Trinidad and Tobago
No full textEffective conservation approaches are essential for the future sustainability of island natural resources. This study was conducted on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago, which has experienced extensive issues related to environment and biodiversity degradation. The conservation challenges on the island are tied to several factors, one of which is the networks and governance systems that have been established to address these issues. The overall goal of this research was to examine networks and their effectiveness in achieving conservation goals in Trinidad and Tobago. There is a current research gap in terms of our knowledge and understanding of the networks and governance systems for conservation on the island. To address this gap, four research objectives were developed. The first objective of this study was to investigate the networks for conservation across the island of Trinidad and Tobago. The second objective was to examine the impact of governance arrangements on the effectiveness of networks for protected area conservation and management. The third objective was to examine the benefits, challenges and opportunities of informal networks for protected area conservation on the island. The fourth and final objective was to develop recommendations which can be used by decision makers in Trinidad and Tobago to improve the networks for conservation and protected area management on the island. The focus of these research objectives related to networks is based on the fact that networks have proven to be important in conservation because of the ways in which they facilitate and benefit collaboration. This helps to further facilitate effective and sustained connections between the individuals and organizations that are responsible for implementing conservation initiatives. This research provides insight into the nature of the networks for conservation in Trinidad and Tobago and how they could be improved so that they are more effective in achieving their conservation goals and outcomes. To achieve the objectives of this study, a mixed methods approach was used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Quantitative data can better facilitate the understanding of networks and their structures and also provide a certain level of reliability. Qualitative data however, can strengthen what we know about the networks by generating a deeper understanding of the complexities and social contexts that influence these networks. Quantitative and qualitative data therefore complement each other allowing the development of more thorough results. To address the first objective, the networks for conservation on an island wide scale were examined. This was done using an online questionnaire which was further supported by a literature review of policy and other informative documents. The analysis of this data employed social network analysis which resulted in network maps, structures and various measures. It was found that these networks are not well connected and there is poor cross collaboration between organizations that work in different ecosystems. There are also limited connections to community-based organizations within the network. NGOs are integral to the network even though the government makes most of the decisions relating to conservation, and therefore these NGOs need to be engaged to strengthen and build connections across organizations. In addressing the second objective, an examination and comparison of the governance systems which exist for the conservation of three different protected areas (PAs) on the island: Matura National Park and Coastal Zone, Caroni Swamp and the Main Ridge Forest Reserve was done. These areas were chosen because their conservation goals are documented, and they are also protected areas with demonstrated organizational networks. The objective was achieved using in depth questionnaires completed by organizations who work together to govern each protected area. Document analysis was also undertaken of policy documents, research papers and other publications found on organizations’ websites and used to support the findings. Social network analysis was again used to quantify the protected area organizational networks and produce network
maps, structures and other measures. An assessment of the organization’s perceptions of goal achievement and network performance was also factored in as part of the analysis. It was found that the partially co-managed Matura PA had better connected networks, more positive views about conservation goal achievement and network performance and evidence of ecological outcomes as a direct result of the co-management approach. This is in comparison to the Caroni PA which is governed by the same state agencies. When compared to the Main Ridge PA which is located in Tobago, the results were not so clear cut. This PA had comparable results to the Matura PA however it is also governed by different agencies given that it falls under Tobago’s governance structures. These results indicate that while co-management can produce favourable results for a PA, there are likely other factors that have an important role. To address the third objective, qualitative methods (semi structured interviews) were used to closely examine the networks for the three protected areas. A thematic analysis of the data was completed and the results showed that there are many benefits that exist for the organizations by being a part of these networks such as increased knowledge and resource sharing, increased legitimacy and capacity building. There are however many challenges including issues relating to conflict, lack of state cooperation and lack of time. Finally, to address the fourth objective there are several recommendations which have been developed as a result of this study and have been highlighted through the outcomes of the previous objectives. There needs to be improved collaborations and networks for conservation across the island and also within protected areas. These improved collaborations can be achieved in part by relating network data to organizations involved in conservation. The information will allow them to identify areas for potential collaboration which they may not have previously been aware of. NGOs which are central and bridging actors need to be empowered in their roles within the networks that will strengthen their ability to facilitate knowledge and resource exchange. Within protected areas, a shift towards co-management approaches can be beneficial to the networks by promoting higher levels of collaboration and trust between organizations. There is also a general need to improve existing collaborations among organizations by reducing conflict. This might be achieved through targeted mediation and intervention. Overall, this research has expanded our understanding of conservation networks in an island context and has filled several research gaps in the literature. The study has contributed to the expansion of network research through its application in a new geographical context. It has also been the first to demonstrate the application and potential usefulness of the social network analysis methodology on a country and island wide scale. In addition, the use of qualitative methods has expanded what we know about the specific network challenges facing conservation organizations working in protected area spaces in a Caribbean island context. There is also an overall lack of investigation into examining the effectiveness of networks in achieving conservation goals. This study used the approach of examining actor perceptions on protected area goal achievement to compare the effectiveness of three protected areas on the island. Based on the findings, areas for future research include a further examination of the potential impacts of island cultures and other social behaviours on networks and the ways in which organizations collaborate with one another. There is also potential to delve into the impacts of network interventions and how these may or may not benefit organizations working in conservation spaces on islands
Investigation of pain in equine patients using heart rate variability, salivary cortisol concentration, and behavioural pain scores
No full textEquine pain assessment is challenging as horses minimize the display of pain and are unable to self-report. Current methods of pain assessment are subjective and there is no gold standard or universally accepted pain assessment tool in equine patients. It is vital that veterinarians can recognize pain to adequately treat painful conditions and maintain animal welfare. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a non-invasive measure that reflects autonomic nervous system maintenance of cardiovascular homeostasis and may be used as an indicator of physiological stress and pain. This study had two objectives, first to compare measures of HRV, salivary cortisol, and pain scores in the assessment of pain among equine patients upon referral hospital admission; and to compare physiological and behavioral responses within a cohort of equine patients undergoing surgical treatment. It was hypothesized that there would be correlation between physiological and behavioural measures of pain. Data collected included HRV measurements, salivary cortisol concentration, and behavioural pain scores using three published pain scales. Horses were classified on admission as painful or not painful by a priori classification based on clinical perception. Data was collected on the day of hospital admission (T1), and twice postoperatively in surgical patients: T2, anesthetic recovery; and T3, prior to postoperative analgesia. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, and t-test comparisons between groups of painful versus not painful horses. Pearson’s correlation determined measures of association between pain scores and physiological variables, and ANOVA compared perioperative time points. A total of 59 horses were included in the study, with 39 horses undergoing various surgical procedures. On hospital admission, painful horses had higher pain scores, standard deviation of the normal RR interval (SDNN) and salivary cortisol concentrations than horses classified as not painful. All pain scales positively correlated with SDNN, and one scale each correlated with mean heart rate (MnHR) and salivary cortisol. Variables significantly altered perioperatively were the mean RR interval (MnRR), MnHR, and salivary cortisol. Anesthetic recovery (T2) was most significantly different perioperatively with the highest salivary cortisol and MnHR, and lowest MnRR; this indicates higher physiological stress at this time. This may be due to general anesthesia or the recovery experience, however pain scores also trended towards being elevated postoperatively, suggesting pain at this time. Study limitations include the high variability of the equine patients and clinical conditions, and the inability to separate physiological stress from pain. The lack of a generally accepted gold standard pain assessment tool also restricted pain evaluation to a subjective scale. Both SDNN and salivary cortisol were significantly higher in the painful group of horses, suggesting that these parameters may be useful in detecting pain. Heart rate appears too insensitive to be
a reliable indicator of pain in the horse. Additionally, a pain scale was selected that appears robust in this population of equine patients. Having objective non-invasive measures of pain could improve accurate recognition and treatment of equine pain, with the goal of benefiting equine patient welfare. Further studies are required to better define these relationships and determine clinically significant cut-off values
Reigniting curiosity and inquiry in higher education: A realist’s guide to getting started with inquiry-based learning
No full textHow do you develop students’ capacities as independent learners, build their confidence and motivation to identify their own research agendas, and facilitate their critical thinking and research skills for effectively exploring their chosen topic? Inquiry-based learning (IBL) offers a proven means to achieve these outcomes.
IBL is a scaffolded learner-centered, student-led approach to inquiry whereby students progressively design and lead their own inquiry process, with support from the instructor. It’s a powerful pedagogical approach that you can progressively adopt, first adopting it as an activity in a course to develop you and your students’ comfort with the practice, right up to developing an entire course or program utilizing IBL. It offers varying levels of engagement as you and your students gain familiarity with the practice, from the instructor providing structured support, to formative guidance as students gain confidence, to a point where students become increasingly self-directed and independent and are supported by the review of student peers and validated by presentations of their work to the class. This pedagogy shifts the student/instructor relationship, with the former leading and the latter supporting.
IBL is a flexible teaching and learning approach that be can progressively adopted and developed without a specific formula, and that positions students as co-constructors of knowledge, rather than passive recipients. It is student-driven, creates engagement, develops a curiosity mindset, promotes group learning that is collaborative rather than competitive, fosters metacognition, and builds confidence as students learn to deal with ambiguity and risk.
Each chapter offers personal stories, vignettes, examples of practice, and discussions of issues.
This book offers higher education instructors at any career stage and in any discipline, a realistic guide to incorporating curiosity and inquiry-based learning into their classrooms to promote long term knowledge creation and retention and life-wide learning.
IBL is being increasingly adopted across the English-speaking world. Beyond its inherent capacity to promote independent learning, it offers a perfect foundation for preparing students for Signature Work and capstone courses; and is adaptable to small and large classes
Reliable, robust, accurate and real-time 2D LiDAR human tracking in cluttered environment: A social dynamic filtering approach
No full textReliable, robust, accurate, and real-time human tracking is essential for mobile robots and intelligent vehicles in real-life applications. 2D LiDAR is considered as the standard sensor for mobile robot navigation as well as human detection and tracking due to its low-cost and usability. However, 2D range limitation and occlusion caused by obstacles, especially dynamic human environments, make it less reliable, robust and accurate for human tracking. This letter introduces a new method for increasing the quality of 2D LiDAR human tracking in cluttered and crowded environments. We combined human content presented by Hall's Proxemics model with the global nearest neighbor to improve accuracy of scan-to-track data association of leg detection. Social dynamic confidence ( SDC ) factor is generated based on features of human social norms, dynamic metrics and consistency developed in the detection stage. As a result, our proposed method improved multi-object tracking accuracy and runtime 24% and 45%, respectively, against the state-of-the-art joint-leg-tracker technique in crowded and cluttered environments
MIT CAACB risk assessment case study: Assessing virus cross-contamination risk between two simultaneous processes in an open biomanufacturing facility
No full textSome members of MIT's Consortium on Adventitious Agent Contamination in Biomanufacturing (CAACB) previously published content on the “Quality Risk Management in the Context of Viral Contamination”, which described tools, procedures, and methodologies for assessing and managing the risk of a potential virus contamination in cell culture processes. To address the growing industry interest in moving manufacturing toward open ballrooms with functionally closed systems and to demonstrate how the ideas of risk management can be leveraged to perform a risk assessment, CAACB conducted a case study exercise of these new manufacturing modalities. In the case study exercise, a cross-functional team composed of personnel from many of CAACB's industry membership collaboratively assessed the risks of viral cross-contamination between a human and non-human host cell system in an open manufacturing facility. This open manufacturing facility had no walls to provide architectural separation of two processes occurring simultaneously, specifically a recombinant protein perfusion cell culture process using the human cell line, HEK-293 (Process 1) and a downstream postviral filtration unit operation (Process 2) of a recombinant protein produced in CHO cells. This viral risk assessment focused on cross-contamination of the Process 2 filtration unit operation after the Process 1 perfusion bioreactor was contaminated with a virus that went undetected. The workflow for quality risk management that is recommended by the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) was followed, which included identifying and mapping the manufacturing process, defining the risk question, risk evaluation, and risk control. The case study includes a completed Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to provide descriptions of the specific risks and corresponding recommended risk reduction actions
The structured interview's resistance to gender discrimination under cognitive load
No full textJob interviews are cognitively demanding tasks for interviewers. However, it is unclear whether the high cognitive load (CL) that interviewers face will ultimately compromise the resistance to discrimination that otherwise distinguishes structured interviews from other selection methods. Using a two-study experimental design, we explored the effect of cognitive load on gender discrimination in structured job interviews. In Study 1, participants completed an online interview simulation in which they assessed both a male and a female candidate applying for either a male- or female-dominated job, while under either a high or low degree of cognitive load. Participants provided ratings of each candidate's suitability for the job as well as a final, ipsative hiring decision. Study 2 served as a larger replication of Study 1. Overall, CL was not found to affect candidate ratings. These results support the structured interview's general resistance to discrimination
Predisposing, precipitating, perpetuating, and protective factors related to distress in family members of children with cancer: A systematic review
No full textBackground
This systematic review aimed to identify factors related to psychological distress in family
members of pediatric cancer patients on active treatment.
Methods
Search strategies were entered into six academic databases. Randomized, nonrandomized,
quantitative descriptive and mixed method studies, examining factors related to psychological
distress in the population of study were included. Identified factors were coded as per the 4P’s of
case formulation.
Results
59 studies were included. Parental factors identified: 24 predisposing factors; 12 precipitating
factors; 35 perpetuating factors; and six protective factors. Sibling factors identified: five
predisposing factors; one precipitating factor; 14 perpetuating factors; and two protective factors.
A text-based, narrative synthesis and tabular summaries are presented.
Discussion
Findings can support the: (1) recognition of distress exhibited in family members; and (2) the
timing of interventions specific to the chronological manifestations of distress. Assessment of
risk of bias was not done.
Other
International Prospective Register for Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) registration number
CRD42018109802. No sources of funding to declare
Individual-level factors are significantly more predictive of employee innovativeness than job-specific or organization-level factors: Results from a quantitative study of health professionals
No full textIndividual innovativeness is particularly indispensable among health professionals. The healthcare environment is complex and its knowledge workers must continually adapt to change and be comfortable with ambiguity. The objective of this study was to determine the relative importance of individual, job-specific, and organizational factors on innovative output of health professionals. Employed Canadian Registered Dietitians (n = 237) completed an online survey incorporating relevant validated tools, including the 10-item Big Five Inventory and the Alberta Context Tool. Factors were classified by level and introduced in blocks to a multivariate linear regression model, with the outcome of self-reported innovative output. Factors included in the model explained 44% of variation in self-reported innovative output. Although all blocks contributed significantly to the model, minimal variation was explained by factors at the job-specific (4%) and organizational levels (4%). Factors at the individual level most predictive of innovative output were role innovation, the personality trait of conscientiousness and voluntary membership in a professional association. To encourage employee innovativeness, health administrators, and managers of health professionals should consider how best to incorporate screens for individual-level indicators of innovative output (eg, personality tests) in their institutional hiring and selection processes
Narrative research on Asian students’ interpretations and integrations of their worldviews studying in a Master of Education (MEd) program in Canada
No full textCanada is one of the favored destinations for Asian students to pursue their postgraduate study in Education. Asian students in this thesis refer to Chinese and Vietnamese students from Sinosphere influenced by Confucianism in East Asia. However, those graduate students often encounter a wide range of language, academic, social, cultural, and employment challenges. These challenges provide them opportunities to digest new experiences, reflect on their own knowledge and values, and integrate that knowledge into their own perspectives. Yet, these transformative experiences are seldom discussed. This thesis describes the experiences of six Master of Education students studying in Atlantic Canada. Utilizing narrative inquiry, important factors and mindsets relating to transformative growth are outlined holistically so that each participant's story can be understood through the context of lived experience. This study took place during the pandemic of COVID-19, so the findings are constrained by and informative of studying during the pandemic. Analyses included grouping participants into two characters, a single female and a female with family. Themes, contextual setting, actions, problems, and solutions were identified. Findings address how participants have interpreted their new experiences and integrated these experiences into their original worldviews studying in Canada and highlight how these events triggered them to internalize their experience and create meaning. Participants found increasing self-understanding and positive attitudes in learning as two experiences toward positive changes. In addition, the findings point to four major difficult experiences faced by participants: a lack of confidence in English speaking, insufficient crosscultural social connections, inadequate critical thinking ability, and limited choices in career. Implications focus on how to provide the total experience for students with the collaboration of the Education faculty, various departments in universities, the provincial governments, and future employers
Flood management, characterization and vulnerability analysis using an integrated RS-GIS and 2D hydrodynamic modelling approach: The case of Deg Nullah, Pakistan
No full textOne-dimensional (1D) hydraulic models have been extensively used to conduct flood simulations for investigating flood depth and extent maps. However, the 1D models cannot simulate many other flood characteristics, such as flood velocity, duration, arrival time and recession time when the flow is not restricted within the channel. These flood characteristics cannot be disregarded as they play an important role in developing flood mitigation and evacuation strategies. This study formulates a two-dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic model combined with remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) approach to generate additional flood characteristic maps that cannot be produced with 1D models. The model was applied to a transboundary river of Deg Nullah in Pakistan to simulate an extreme flood event experience in 2014. The flood extent images from the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) and observed flood extents were used to evaluate the model performance. Moreover, an entropy distance-based approach was proposed to facilitate the integrated multivariate flood vulnerability classification. The simulated 2D flood modeling results showed a good agreement with the flood extents registered by MODIS and the observed ones. The northwest parts of Deg Nullah near Seowal, Dullam Kahalwan and Zafarwal were the most vulnerable areas due to high flood depths and prolonged flooding duration. Whereas high flood velocities, short flood arrival time, prolonged flood duration and recession times were observed in the upper reach of Deg Nullah thereby making it the most susceptible, critical and vulnerable region to flooding events.Higher Education Commission of Pakista