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The long wait: A discussion of emergency department wait time and its impact on clinical outcomes
No full textA case of transient constrictive pericarditis in rural Nova Scotia
No full textThis case report describes a 32-year-old female who presented with severe dyspnea and exertional intolerance to an emergency department in a rural area of Nova Scotia. The diagnosis was made by corroborating the value of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, the level of N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide, and a transthoracic echocardiogram, which respectively showed an inflammatory pattern, myocardial strain, and classic sonographic findings consistent with constrictive pericarditis. The patient was treated with oral colchicine, naproxen, and prednisone resulting in complete resolution of laboratory and sonographic abnormalities. Availability of echocardiography in a rural setting can promptly and definitively diagnose and rule out many structural and functional disorders of the heart, including rare pathologies such as constrictive pericarditis
Turn on the lights! Fundamental science leads to scientific progress: A perspective from developmental biology
No full textMany of the ways in which we interact with the world around us have been shaped by the dual efforts of fundamental and applied sciences. Generally speaking, fundamental science generates knowledge about how things work at a fundamental level, and applied science employs this body of knowledge to create a new product or overcome an existing challenge. Developmental biology is a classic example of fundamental science that drives several avenues of applied science. For example, understanding how cells, tissues, and organs develop, and are coordinated within a functioning organism can form the basis for diagnosing medical conditions and exploring treatments. As a developmental biology lab researching bone and cartilage in birds and fish, we are acutely aware of the disparity in financial support between fundamental and applied science research in Canada. Funding cutting-edge applied research with immediate impacts on society is attractive and more easily justifiable to tax payers. However, funding grassroots fundamental science research is equally important but receives significantly less attention and support because the impacts are harder to predict and are longer-term. This commentary addresses this inequity in science funding and high-lights the dire need to improve supports for early career scientists
Population characteristics and movements of striped bass Morone saxatilis (Walbaum, 1792) in the Mira River estuary, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada
No full textThe occurrence of striped bass outside the immediate vicinity of known spawning rivers in Canada is neither widely understood nor well studied. Striped bass in Canada are managed and assessed within three distinct units, the Bay of Fundy, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the St. Lawrence River; but stocks that may occur outside these units are unrecognized. We document a previously unstudied aggregation of striped bass in the Mira River estuary (MRe), Cape Breton Island (46° 01′N, 60° 03′W), a location on the east coast of Nova Scotia omitted from present management units but which has been long reported to host an aggregation. From July 2012 to November 2014, 62 striped bass within MRe were sampled and 31 were surgically implanted with VEMCO acoustic transmitters. Striped bass ranged in size from 31.6 to 125.0 cm total length and age 3 to 24 years. Acoustic telemetry from 2012 to 2015 elucidated residency and fidelity to the MRe with mid-estuary overwintering every year, freshwater residency of the adult population during spring, and a summer through autumn aggregation in the lower estuary. Of the 31 acoustically tagged striped bass, 24 remained in MRe throughout the study, six exhibited mid-summer departures to the Atlantic Ocean but returned by mid-autumn, while one left the MRe and was never detected again. Mira River SB with acoustic tags were never detected at nearby Ocean Tracking Network telemetry infrastructure. Striped bass stocks exhibit similar residency and fidelity patterns to their natal rivers and estuaries elsewhere in its Atlantic coast range which suggests the Mira River aggregation constitutes a possible distinct stock yet unrecognized by Canadian fisheries managers. 
Performing at the Intersections: A Literature Review of Applied Theatre, Climate Change, and Their Impacts on Mental Health Among Indigenous Youth
Get PDFIntroduction: Theatre is infrequently used as a method to research experiences of climate change and its mental health impacts among Indigenous youth. It is unclear, however, what the central qualities are that render theatre an appropriate or inappropriate medium to investigate the intersections of these three topics.Objectives: The primary objective of this literature review is to identify the strengths and challenges of using applied theatre as a method when discussing the effects of climate change and mental health among Indigenous youth.Methods: This review was guided by a narrative approach. Literature was identified using digital databases including PubMed, Elsevier, WorldCat, JSTOR, Project MUSE, ERIC, and Google Scholar. Articles were selected depending on their relevance and contributions to the discussion of the central topics. Inclusion was contingent on publication in a peer-reviewed journal and whether the articles discussed applied theatre, climate change, and mental health. A total of 17 articles were included in the final review, which were further analyzed to identify overlapping themes. It is worth noting that this narrative review is not a comprehensive review of research on Indigenous youth, mental health, and/or climate change. Rather, it is a focused investigation of the role of theatre in addressing the intersections of these subjects.Results: This literature review found that there are significant linkages between climate change and mental health. Three central strengths emerged from a review of existing projects that used applied theatre to discuss climate change or mental health with Indigenous youth. The exploratory nature of theatre, its flexible temporality, and its capacity-building qualities are all overarching themes that render theatre pertinent to discussing climate change and its consequent mental health impacts among Indigenous youth.Conclusion: The emergent findings are important when considering applied theatre as a medium to facilitate discussions. There are certain challenges that also arose, such as a lack of youth interest and a need to conduct theatre activities over longer periods of time.Keywords: Indigenous youth, mental wellness, climate change, applied theatre, arts-based approache
More Research is Needed to Understand the Impact of Language Discordance in Long-Term Care in Canada
Get PDFThere is consistent evidence highlighting the risks of language barriers and discordance to quality care and patient safety, especially in primary care and hospital settings. However, there has been limited research on the impact of language barriers and discordance on quality care for older individuals residing in long-term care. In this commentary, we highlight select studies on differences in health care access and outcomes that linguistic minorities experience in Canadian long-term care homes, and discuss the importance of tackling language barriers and discordance to equitable long-term care. This article reflects on the impact of language discordance in health care, an identified determinant of health disparities, and calls for further research on health inequity experienced by older adults in Canada as well as strategies toward more equitable care.
La menace psychologique des enfants précédemment associés aux groupes armés non étatiques dans le nord-est du Nigéria
Get PDFThe agonising experiences of children in northeastern Nigeria, who were once associated with non-state armed groups, may affect their developmental growth. This paper highlights the consequences of children formerly associated with non-state armed groups (CFANSAG), the mechanisms of oppression suffered by children who voluntarily or were coerced to join the group, and how the children find it difficult to associate with the community. The study, using qualitative research methods including key informant interviews and focus group discussions, focuses on children\u27s different psychological reactions while using the Social Learning Theory to explain how children model aggressive acts. The study concluded that states in the Northeast should implement the Child Rights Act, renamed Child Protection Law in the core northern states, to minimise the violence against children in Nigeria. Las experiencias horrorosas de los niños en el noreste de Nigeria, quienes en el pasado estuvieron asociados a grupos armados no estatales, pueden afectar su desarrollo. En este artàculo, resalto las consecuencias para los niños que estuvieron asociados a grupos armados no estatales (CFANSAG, por sus siglas en inglés), los mecanismos de opresión que afectaron a los niños que, voluntariamente o sujetos a coacción, se unieron al grupo, y las dificultades que enfrentan estos niños para integrarse a la comunidad. El estudio, que usa métodos de investigación cualitativos, incluidas entrevistas a informantes clave y debates de grupos focales, se centra en las distintas reacciones psicológicas de los niños, a la vez que usa la Teoràa del aprendizaje social para explicar cómo los niños imitan las conductas agresivas. El estudio concluye que los estados situados en el noreste deben implementar la Ley de Derechos del Niño, ahora denominada Ley de Protección Infantil, en los principales estados del norte a fin de minimizar la violencia en contra de los niños en Nigeria.Les expériences douloureuses des enfants précédemment associés à des groupes armés non étatiques dans le nord-est du Nigéria peuvent nuire à leur développement. Le présent article met en lumière les conséquences des enfants précédemment associés à des groupes armés non étatiques, les mécanismes d‘oppression subis par les enfants qui se sont volontairement joints au groupe ou y ont été contraints, et la façon dont les enfants trouvent difficile de s‘associer à la communauté. L‘étude, qui fait appel à des méthodes de recherche qualitative, notamment des entrevues auprès d‘informateurs clés et des discussions de groupes de réflexion, porte sur les différentes réactions psychologiques des enfants tout en utilisant la théorie de l‘apprentissage social pour expliquer comment les enfants copient les actes agressifs. L‘étude a conclu que les États du Nord-Est devraient appliquer la loi sur les droits de l‘enfant, rebaptisée loi sur la protection de l‘enfance dans les États du Nord, afin de réduire au minimum la violence contre les enfants au Nigéria
Lettre de la rédaction
Get PDFAllons-y: Journal of Children, Peace and Security focuses on centering children in evolving peace and security practices by exploring children‘s significance to long term peace and security. A Children, Peace and Security (CPS) framework builds from the perspective that if children are prioritized in the peace and security agenda, global interventions would shift from responding to violations and temporarily disrupting cycles of violence, to instead focus on the prevention of violence. Lt General (ret‘d) Roméo Dallaire has conveyed this perspective for many years by sharing the consequences of encountering children recruited and used in violence, and the limitations of intervening after violence. Inspired by General Dallaire‘s experiences during the genocide in Rwanda, and the many armed forces personnel who have shared their stories of the personal and operational impacts of encountering children during deployments, this seventh volume of Allons-y explores the increasing moral complexities of armed conflict, the mental health consequences of encountering children in conflict contexts, and the importance of effectively caring for those who endure moral injuries.As authors in this volume articulate, the psychological effects of encountering children in armed conflict can be significant and are increasingly understood as distinct from other forms of trauma due to complex social, ethical, and moral elements. The Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers, a leading instrument championing the importance of understanding children within peace operations, commits to ongoing support for research on the impacts of encountering children and to improving pre-deployment preparation as well as post-deployment mental health support. Principle 13 – Mental Health – recognizes that encountering children can involve a “sharp dichotomy between the simultaneous perception of child soldiers as both threats and victims” (Government of Canada, 2019). In this regard, the Dallaire Institute, in partnership with Mount Saint Vincent University, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the Lawson Health Research Institute, the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research, the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, and Director General Military Personnel and Research are in the process of conducting a multi-phased research study on the effects of exposure to children during military service. The aim of the research is to inform and enhance training, policy and prevention strategies to better prepare personnel for complex deployments that involve children, and to improve care for those who have experienced mental health difficulties in the aftermath of these experiences. Publication of the research findings are anticipated in the fall of 2023.We hope the reflections from Veterans who share personal stories of encountering children during deployments, the impacts of these encounters, and their hopes for the future inspire further understanding and dialogue. We hope the insights from practitioners who analyze current practice and policy in relation to care and spiritual support will lead to enhanced prevention and care practices. And we hope that the research articles which challenge the language and social frameworks we use to describe and understand moral injury, and that illustrate the significant impacts that recruiting and using children in violence has on children, communities and armed forces personnel, will create opportunities for continued dialogue, prevention-oriented actions, and new collaborations in support of a world where children are at the heart of peace and security.Allons-y: El Journal of Children, Peace and Security tiene el propósito de poner a los niños en el centro de las prácticas de paz y seguridad en evolución al explorar la importancia que ellos revisten para la paz y la seguridad a largo plazo. Un marco sobre de Niños, Paz y Seguridad (Children, Peace and Security, CPS) se basa en la idea de que, si priorizamos a los niños en la agenda de paz y seguridad, las intervenciones mundiales variarán su enfoque reactivo a las violaciones que interrumpe, temporalmente los ciclos de violencia y en vez de ello, centrarse en la prevención de la violencia. Durante muchos años, el teniente general (R) Roméo Dallaire ha transmitido su perspectiva dando a conocer las consecuencias de los encuentros con niños reclutados y utilizados en actos violentos, asà como las limitaciones de la intervención cuando la violencia ya se ha producido. Inspirados por las experiencias del general Dallaire durante el genocidio en Ruanda y los numerosos oficiales de fuerzas armadas que han compartido los efectos personales y operacionales que han sufrido por el encuentro con niños durante sus despliegues, esta séptima edición de Allons-y analiza las crecientes complejidades morales del conflicto armado, las consecuencias para la salud mental que tienen los encuentros con niños en contextos de conflicto y la importancia de prestar un cuidado eficaz a quienes sufren heridas morales.Como señalan los autores en esta edición, los efectos psicológicos de los encuentros con niños en un conflicto armado pueden ser considerables y cada vez se diferencian más de otros tipos de traumas debido a los complejos elementos sociales, éticos y morales que hay en juego. Los Principios de Vancouver sobre la Prevención del Reclutamiento y Uso de Niños Soldados, un instrumento fundamental que defiende la importancia de comprender a los niños en las operaciones de mantenimiento de la paz, establece el compromiso de apoyo continuo a la investigación de los efectos de tratar con niños y de mejorar la preparación previa al despliegue, asà como los recursos de apoyo para la salud mental después de un despliegue. El Principio 13, Salud mental, reconoce que el trato con niños puede implicar un “grave dualismo entre la percepción simultanea que se tiene de los niños soldados, tanto de victimarios como de vàctimas” (Gobierno de Canadá, 2019). En este contexto, el Instituto Dallaire, en asociación con la Universidad Mount Saint Vincent, el Centro de tratamiento de adicciones y salud mental, el Instituto de investigación de salud Lawson y el Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research, el Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families e Investigación y Desarrollo para la Defensa de Canadá tienen en curso un estudio de investigación multifásico sobre los efectos de la exposición a niños durante el servicio militar. El propósito de la investigación es informar y mejorar el entrenamiento, la formulación de polàticas y las estrategias de prevención para preparar mejor al personal para despliegues complejos que involucran a niños, asà como para optimizar los recursos de cuidado para quienes han sufrido problemas de salud mental como resultados de esas experiencias. La publicación de los hallazgos de la investigación está prevista para el otoño de 2023.Esperamos que las reflexiones de los veteranos que comparten sus experiencias de trato con niños durante los despliegues, los efectos de estos encuentros y sus esperanzas para el futuro inspiren una mayor comprensión y un diálogo más profundo. Esperamos que los conocimientos de los profesionales que analizan la práctica y la polàtica actuales sobre cuidados y apoyo espiritual contribuyan a mejorar la prevención y las prácticas de cuidado. Y esperamos que los artàculos de investigación que pretenden modificar el lenguaje y los marcos sociales que usamos para describir y entender las heridas morales, y enfatizan los efectos considerables que el reclutamiento y uso de niños en actos violentos tienen en los niños, las comunidades y el personal de las fuerzas armadas generen oportunidades para un diálogo continuo, medidas orientadas a la prevención y nuevas instancias de colaboración para crear un mundo donde los niños estén en el centro de las iniciativas de paz y seguridad.Allons-y: Journal of Children, Peace and Security Allons-y : Journal of Children, Peace and Security vise à mettre les enfants au centre des pratiques de paix et de sécurité en évolution en explorant l‘importance des enfants pour la paix et la sécurité à long terme. Un cadre pour les enfants, la paix et la sécurité part du principe que si les enfants sont prioritaires dans le programme pour la paix et la sécurité, les interventions mondiales ne se limiteront plus à répondre aux violations et à perturber temporairement les cycles de violence, mais se concentreront plutôt sur la prévention de la violence. Le lieutenant-général (à la retraite) Roméo Dallaire transmet ce point de vue depuis de nombreuses années en faisant part des conséquences de la rencontre d‘enfants recrutés et utilisés pour commettre des actes de violence et en parlant des limites de l‘intervention après les actes de violence. Inspiré par les expériences du général Dallaire pendant le génocide au Rwanda et par les nombreux membres des forces armées qui ont fait part des répercussions personnelles et opérationnelles de la rencontre d‘enfants pendant les déploiements, ce septième volume de la revue Allons-y explore les complexités morales croissantes des conflits armés, les conséquences sur la santé mentale de la rencontre d‘enfants dans des contextes de conflit et l‘importance de prendre soin efficacement de ceux qui subissent des préjudices moraux.Comme l‘expliquent les auteurs dans le présent volume, les effets psychologiques de la rencontre d‘enfants dans un conflit armé peuvent être considérables et sont de plus en plus compris comme étant distincts des autres formes de traumatisme, en raison de facteurs sociaux, éthiques et moraux complexes. Les Principes de Vancouver sur le maintien de la paix et la prévention du recrutement et de l‘utilisation d‘enfants-soldats, un instrument de premier plan qui fait valoir l‘importance de comprendre les enfants dans le cadre des opérations de paix, s‘engagent à soutenir en permanence la recherche sur les répercussions de la rencontre avec des enfants et à améliorer la préparation avant le déploiement ainsi que le soutien en santé mentale après le déploiement. Le principe 13, intitulé Santé mentale, reconnaît que la rencontre avec des enfants peut entraîner une « dichotomie marquée entre la perception simultanée des enfants soldats à la fois comme des menaces et des victimes » (Gouvernement du Canada, 2019). À cet égard, le Dallaire Institute, en partenariat avec l‘Université Mount Saint Vincent, le Centre de toxicomanie et de santé mentale, le Lawson Health Research Institute, l‘Institut canadien de recherche sur la santé des militaires et des vétérans, l‘Institut Atlas pour les vétérans et leurs familles et Recherche et développement pour la défense Canada mènent actuellement une étude de recherche en plusieurs phases sur les effets de l‘exposition aux enfants pendant le service militaire. La recherche a pour objectif d‘éclairer et d‘améliorer la formation, les politiques et les stratégies de prévention afin de mieux préparer le personnel aux déploiements complexes qui impliquent des enfants, et d‘améliorer les soins pour ceux qui ont éprouvé des difficultés de santé mentale à la suite de ces expériences. La publication des résultats de la recherche est prévue à l‘automne 2023.Nous espérons que les réflexions des anciens combattants qui nous font part de leurs histoires personnelles de rencontres avec des enfants pendant leurs déploiements, des répercussions de ces rencontres et de leurs espoirs pour l‘avenir inspireront une compréhension et un dialogue accrus. Nous espérons que les observations des praticiens qui analysent les pratiques et les politiques actuelles en soins et en soutien spirituel mèneront à de meilleures pratiques de prévention et de soins. Et nous espérons que les articles de recherche qui remettent en question le langage et les cadres sociaux que nous utilisons pour décrire et comprendre les préjudices moraux, et qui illustrent les répercussions importantes que le recrutement et l‘utilisation d‘enfants dans les actes de violence ont sur les enfants, les collectivités et le personnel des forces armées, créeront des occasions de dialogue continu, de mesures axées sur la prévention et de nouvelles collaborations à l‘appui d‘un monde où les enfants sont au coeur de la paix et de la sécurité