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Connecting with and Caring for Nature: Practical Bricolage, Investment, and Identity at an Urban Nature Centre
Get PDFThis dissertation examines the practice of connecting with nature as a path to caring for the environment. It is based on a 5-year ethnographic project at a nature organization in Toronto, Ontario that facilitates nature programs for children, adolescents, and adults. The dissertation asks: (1) What leads people to engage in the practice of connecting with nature? (2) What mechanism links connecting with and caring for nature? and (3) How do people who engage in this practice understand the environmental identity of the naturalist? The dissertation describes my findings that: (1) people engage in the practice of connecting with nature through a process of practical bricolage that combines nature’s materiality and the culture of nature connection; (2) people link knowledge and emotion during the connecting with nature practice, and these links create opportunities for extending the self into nature, such as people thinking of themselves as people who “love fungi”, which leads to caring for nature; and, (3) the identity of the naturalist is partially embraced by those who have a consistent relationship with nature and they primarily define it through knowledge and spending time relating to nature outside. To explain and elaborate these findings, the dissertation engages with theoretical discussions in environmental sociology, cultural sociology, and social science more generally on investment and the self, personal initiative and identity, the material/cultural debate, and the sociology of becoming. Moreover, it develops analytical frameworks of care, emotion-knowledge interconnections, identity, and the co-constitution of the material and cultural. The dissertation also highlights how the practice of connecting with nature and the naturalist identity are not equally distributed and discusses how access to this practice and to the naturalist identity can be understood as part of advancing sustainability. Practically, the dissertation demonstrates that a consistent relationship with nature over time, rather than single life-changing experiences, leads people to take interest in the practice of connecting with nature and helps people learn to care for nature.Ph.D
Tired of ACL Injures: A Review of Methods and Outcomes of Neuromuscular Fatigue as a Risk Factor for ACL Injuries
Get PDFBackground/Objectives: One potential risk factor that remains especially contentious in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury literature is the role of neuromuscular fatigue in ACL injury risk. Therefore, the purposes of this review are (i) to present the research and practical concepts of lower extremity neuromuscular fatigue; and (ii) to review the literature relating to neuromuscular fatigue as an ACL injury risk factor and mechanism. Methods: A structured review was performed in the Medline database using a search strategy that included terms such as “anterior cruciate ligament injury” and “knee injuries” combined with terms such as “injury” and “fatigue”. Articles were included if they included young healthy participants (18–35) and made a comparison between non-fatigued and fatigued states that were assessed with at least one lower extremity biomechanical variable associated with ACL injury risk. Results: Overall, there were 67 studies included, accounting for 1440 participants (627 male and 813 female) across a variety of sports and activities. Of these, 53 (79%) reported a post-fatigue change in the kinematics, kinetics, neuromuscular, and/or other (e.g., proprioceptive) outcomes that indicate that the participants would be at an increased risk of an ACL injury. The most common argument against fatigue as a risk factor is that ACL injuries do not tend to occur later in a game or season, when it is assumed that athletes would be most fatigued. Conclusions: The evidence presented in this review suggests that localized neuromuscular fatigue is a risk factor, among multiple factors, for ACL injuries, providing another modifiable risk factor that should be considered when developing ACL injury risk reduction interventions
Photothermal Reduction of Carbon Dioxide Using Magnetite Photocatalyst
Get PDFOne promising approach to achieving sustainable energy while simultaneously addressing various environmental issues is to utilize solar-driven transformation of the greenhouse gas CO2 into valuable chemical fuels. The main obstacle in achieving this goal has consistently been the identification of cost-effective, stable, and non-toxic photoactive materials that can efficiently convert CO2 into chemical fuels. Photothermal catalysis offers a viable solution to address the challenges related to sunlight absorption and low quantum efficiency often encountered in conventional photocatalysts. In this study, we used a magnetite catalyst for the photothermal reduction of CO2. Various characterization techniques, including PXRD, TEM, and XPS, were employed to confirm the catalyst phase, crystallinity, particle size, and the electronic structure of the magnetite catalyst. The results of the photothermal conversion of carbon dioxide revealed that carbon monoxide was the only product, with a selectivity of 100%. Furthermore, the Fe3O4 catalyst produced significantly higher CO under high-intensity illumination (2076 μmolgcat−1h−1) than in the dark (820 μmolgcat−1h−1) under the same temperature of 315 °C. The activation energy obtained for the tests conducted under high-intensity illumination was lower than that obtained in the dark. The use of photothermal catalysts such as Fe3O4 to drive useful chemical reactions such as CO2 conversion to useful products contributes to advancing the field of sustainable energy and marks a significant stride toward realizing real solutions for mitigating climate change
The Potential Role of Ecotoxicological Data in National Essential Medicine Lists: A Cross-Sectional Analysis
Get PDFBackground: Medicines affect the environment throughout their lifecycle, from production and distribution to use and disposal. They contribute to the pollution of air, water, and soil, impacting ecosystems and human health. Recognizing these risks, regulatory bodies and organizations have highlighted pharmaceutical pollution as a global concern, emphasizing the need for environmental risk assessments and sustainable practices. Methods: This study reviewed the essential medicines lists (EMLs) from 158 countries and examined the available ecotoxicological data. Medicines with high bioaccumulation, persistence, and toxicity were identified and cross-referenced with their inclusion in EMLs. Additionally, we analyzed the presence of alternative medicines with similar therapeutic effects but potentially lower environmental risks. Results: Five medicines—ciprofloxacin, ethinylestradiol, levonorgestrel, ibuprofen, and sertraline—were selected as illustrative examples due to their high environmental persistence and toxicity. All were listed in the 2023 WHO model list, with ciprofloxacin appearing in 94.3% of national EMLs. Conclusions: This study underscores the limited availability of ecotoxicological data, which hinders environmental risk assessment for medicines. EMLs could serve as a tool to enhance the awareness and data mobilization of pharmaceutical pollution. Incorporating environmental criteria into EMLs could support more sustainable medicine selection and regulatory practices
Snapshot Imaging of Stokes Vector Polarization Speckle in Turbid Optical Phantoms and In Vivo Tissues
Get PDFSignificance: We present a system to measure and analyze the complete polarization state distribution of speckle patterns generated from in vivo tissue. Accurate measurement of polarization speckle requires both precise spatial registration and rapid polarization state acquisition. A unique measurement system must be designed to achieve accurate images of polarization speckle patterns for detailed investigation of the scattering properties of biological tissues in vivo. Aim and approach: This system features a polarization state analyzer with no moving parts. Two pixel-polarizer cameras allow for the instantaneous acquisition of the spatial Stokes vector distribution of polarization speckle patterns. System design and calibration methods are presented, and representative images from measurements on liquid phantoms (microsphere suspensions) and in vivo healthy and tumor murine models are demonstrated and discussed. Results and Conclusions: Quantitative measurements of polarization speckle from microsphere suspensions with controlled scattering coefficients demonstrate differences in speckle contrast, speckle size, and the degree of polarization. Measurements on in vivo murine skin and xenograft tumor tissue demonstrate the ability of the system to acquire snapshot polarization speckle images in living systems. The developed system can thus rapidly and accurately acquire polarization speckle images from different media in dynamic conditions such as in vivo tissue. This capability opens the potential for future detailed investigation of polarization speckle for in vivo biomedical applications
Trends in the Use of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions in Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic, February 2021 to December 2023: A Mixed Methods Study
Get PDFThe use of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) was imperative to avoid prolonged school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to understand the levels of adherence to and attitudes towards NPIs from February 2021 to December 2023 in schools in Ontario, Canada. Participants reported how frequently they, their coworkers, and their students used five NPIs: hand hygiene, covering coughs, staying home when ill, wearing a mask, and physically distancing. Open text comments provided participants with the option to provide additional details. Our mixed methods approach incorporated a series of descriptive statistics calculated at consecutive time points and thematic analysis. Participants reported higher adherence to NPIs than their coworkers and students, with less than perfect adherence that declined over time. Six themes emerged from the qualitative analysis on NPI use in schools: (1) the influence of time; (2) managing competing priorities; (3) a lack of enabling factors; (4) a lack of reinforcing factors; (5) the responsive use of NPIs; and (6) an emotional toll. To reduce the transmission of future communicable diseases and resultant staff and student sick days, ongoing commitment to hand hygiene, covering coughs, and staying home when ill is required
Management of Anterior Choroidal Artery Aneurysms: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Get PDFBackground: Anterior choroidal artery (AChoA) aneurysms pose a challenge for both endovascular and clipping procedures. The eloquent territory supplied by the parent vessel has limited collateralization and its compromise can lead to significant morbidity. This study aims to analyze the clinical outcomes and procedure-related complications of clipping and endovascular treatment of AChoA aneurysms to aid physician decision making. Methods: Thirty-two ruptured and unruptured AChoA aneurysms that underwent catheter angiography at a single neurovascular center between January 2000 and December 2023 were included. Either conservative management, clipping, and/or endovascular treatment were performed. Clinical outcomes and complications were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Twenty-four endovascular treatments and seven clipping procedures were included. Of the total 24 endovascular procedures, 46% were primary coiling, 25% were balloon-assisted coiling, 13% were flow diverting stent, 8% were combined balloon-assisted coiling and flow diverting stent, and 8% were combined balloon-assisted and stent-assisted coiling. There was no procedure-related mortality in both groups. No intra- or post-procedural ruptures/re-ruptures occurred during follow-up in both endovascular and clipping cohorts. AChoA territory infarcts occurred in 4% of the endovascular and 29% of the clipping cohorts. Other thromboembolic complications occurred in 4% of the endovascular cohort. The recurrence rate requiring retreatment was 12.5% for the endovascular and 43% for the clipping cohort. A favorable clinical outcome (mRS ≤ 2) was 78% for the endovascular cohort and 67% for the clipping cohort. Conclusions: Endovascular and clipping outcomes align with prior studies, with endovascular showing a favorable safety profile. Both approaches are viable, though they present distinct risks and advantages
Enhanced Catalytic Performance of Pd/HMIL-121 Catalysts with Hierarchical Porosity for Selective Hydrogenation of Phenylacetylene: Mechanistic Insights and Comparative Analysis
Get PDFMetal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with Al metal nodes, being stable and cost-effective materials, are well-suited for use as catalyst supports. In this study, a hierarchical Pd/HMIL-121 catalyst with adjustable pore sizes was synthesized through heat treatment using MIL-121 as the support. The study reveals that as thermal treatment intensity escalates, the pore volume and specific surface area of HMIL-121 initially rise and then decrease. Concurrently, as the pore volume and BET specific surface area increase, the styrene selectivity improves, and the rate of phenylacetylene conversion accelerates. This is attributed to the larger pore volume significantly enhancing the internal diffusion of phenylacetylene and styrene.The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the pdf file of the accepted manuscript may differ slightly from what is displayed on the item page. The information in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript reflects the original submission by the author
Mapping the Gaps: A Scoping Review of Virtual Care Solutions for Caregivers of Children with Chronic Illnesses
Get PDFBackground/Objectives: Caregivers of children with chronic illnesses, including chronic pain, experience high levels of distress, which impacts their own mental and physical health as well as child outcomes. Virtual care solutions offer opportunities to provide accessible support, yet most overlook caregivers’ needs. We conducted a scoping review to create an interactive Evidence and Gap Map (EGM) of virtual care solutions across a stepped care continuum (i.e., from self-directed to specialized care) for caregivers of youth with chronic illnesses. Methods: The review methodology was co-designed with four caregivers. Data sources were the peer-reviewed scientific literature and a call for innovations. Records were independently coded and assessed for quality. Results: Overall, 73 studies were included. Most virtual care solutions targeted caregivers of children with cancer, neurological disorders, and complex chronic illnesses. Over half were noted at lower levels of stepped care (i.e., self-guided apps and websites), with psychological strategies being predominant (84%). However, very few addressed caregivers’ physical health (15%) or provided family counseling (19%) or practical support (1%). Significant gaps were noted in interventions for managing caregiver chronic pain, despite its high prevalence and impact on child outcomes. Conclusions: Evidence and Gap Maps are innovative visual tools for knowledge synthesis, facilitating rapid, evidence-informed decision-making for patients, families, health professionals, and policymakers. This EGM highlighted high-quality virtual care solutions ready for immediate scaling and identified critical evidence gaps requiring prioritization. To address the complexities of pediatric chronic illnesses, including chronic pain, virtual care initiatives must prioritize family-centered, accessible, and equitable approaches. Engaging caregivers as partners is critical to ensure interventions align with their needs and priorities
Listening to the Experience of Families with Loved Ones with Mental Illness in the United Church of Canada to Counter Stigma and Create More Hospitable Faith Communities
Get PDFMental illness affects a significant portion of the Canadian population, with 1 in 5 individuals experiencing disorders such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia. Despite its prevalence, stigma surrounding mental illness persists, impacting not only those afflicted but also their families. This stigma extends into church communities where families often find themselves marginalized and silenced. As a response to this shared struggle, it is imperative for congregations to listen compassionately to the experiences of these families, acknowledging their pain and resilience.
Drawing from both personal and professional perspectives, this qualitative research project seeks to explore the intersection of mental illness, stigma and faith within United Church congregations. The objectives of this study are to uncover the experiences shaping the faith of family members with loved ones with mental illness and to recommend strategies for enhancing church environments to foster better listening and support. Employing a qualitative approach grounded in narrative inquiry, the study delves into the lived experiences of participants within their United Churches, exploring the challenges and burdens faced by family members and the role of faith and spiritual practices in coping. This research study underscores the importance of compassion, solidarity and theological reflection in countering stigma and stigma by association surrounding mental illness within United Church communities.Doctor of Ministry (DMin