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Real-time home REM sleep detection using Apple watch, FITBIT, and Cerebra
No full textAs smartwatches increase in popularity, new opportunities arise for their further integration into everyday life, such as the detection and influence of dreaming. The present study uses the Cerebra home PSG system as the ground truth for detecting sleep stages. Data was also recorded using an Apple Watch and a Fitbit. The Apple Watch data was used to develop a model capable of real-time REM sleep detection, created by the Acadia Institute for Data Analytics (AIDA). The Fitbit's accuracy at detecting sleep metrics was assessed, to determine how accurate a mature sleep staging algorithm can be based on heart rate and movement data. Participants (N=4) completed a minimum of six nights of sleep recording and were compensated via $60 Amazon gift cards. The Fitbit detected true positive REM periods (Fitbit and Cerebra agreement) at a rate of 85.1%. Various tests were conducted to determine if there were any differences in the sleep metrics recorded by the Fitbit and the Cerebra, and no significant differences were found. The findings show promise for the future new dreaming technology using wearable smartwatches
Experience of healthy older adults with a new home-based treatment for spatial neglect: a qualitative study
No full textBackground. Spatial neglect is an attentional disorder characterized by an inability to orient or respond to stimuli on the left side of space following right hemispheric stroke. Prism adaptation (PA) is a promising experimental treatment for spatial neglect, but there are barriers to its clinical implementation. Peg-the-Mole (PTM) is a home-friendly PA treatment that was developed to address the lack of user engagement in the development of rehabilitation protocols. The current study was the first to examine the experience of healthy older adults using a home-based PTM protocol with the goal of incorporating their feedback prior to its clinical implementation. Method. Ten healthy older adults were randomly assigned to use PTM with either 5-degree or 15-degree prism goggles in their homes during four sessions taking place over four to five days. Following the final PTM session, an exit questionnaire was administered to explore the participants' experiences with the PTM protocol. Content analysis was used to code participants' responses and identify meaningful themes. Results. Participants found PTM to be an engaging procedure with instructions that were easy to follow. Several key issues were identified, including the instability of the iPad, the length of the procedure, and the speed of the target presentation. Implications. Several modifications were made to the PTM procedure to
address the problems identified by participants. This study adds to the limited literature on the users' experiences with cognitive rehabilitation tools and encourages the future inclusion of patients' feedback as an integral part of the development of rehabilitation treatments
Synthesis and photochemistry of 2,6-DI(1-Naphthyl)phenol
No full textWhen excited, phenols experience enhanced acidity, allowing them to undergo reactions they would not do in the ground state. One of these reactions is excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT). This reaction involves the transfer of an acidic hydrogen to a basic site within the molecule. Previously, the photochemistry of 2-phenylphenol, 6, and 2,6-diphenylphenol, 8, have been investigated as they undergo ESIPT, and it was found that the addition of the second phenyl group increased the quantum yield. This research aims to see if that trend continues using a different aromatic substituent:
naphthalene.
2,6-di(1-Naphthyl)phenol, 14, was prepared via a four-step synthesis involving bromination, methylation, Suzuki coupling, and demethylation with an overall yield of 21%. The photochemistry of 14 was investigated using UV-Vis spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. UV-Vis spectra indicated that ESIPT and electrocyclic ring closing were successful and water mediated, with 10% H2O in acetonitrile being the optimal concentration. UV-Vis spectra completed at 254 nm for 2-(1-naphthyl)phenol, 10, and 14 both showed that the photocyclization was more effective for 10. The quantum yield of the photocyclization of 14 was found to be 0.15. These results show that the addition of the second naphthalene group did not make photocyclization more efficient. However, the same cannot be said about ESIPT to the 2' position since its reaction efficiency could not be determined. Fluorescence spectroscopy was performed to investigate the photophysics of 14 and indicated that excited state proton transfer (ESPT) to solvent was also taking place. More studies need to be performed to determine if ESIPT to the 2' position of 14 is more efficient than 10. The orientation of the OH group will have a greater effect on the ESIPT of the 2' position rather than photocyclization, so the overall quantum yield of 14 could end up higher than that of 10
Telling our stories The Scripted Lives of Women in Voyage in the Dark, The Penelopiad, and True Story: A Novel: the scripted lives of women in Voyage in the Dark, the Penelopiad, and True Story: a novel
No full textI investigate how the women from Rhys' Voyage in the Dark (1934), Atwood's The Penelopiad (2005), and Petty's True Story: A Novel (2020) are imprisoned in historically located patriarchal systems as they try to make a place for themselves and to have their voices heard. My project focuses on the historical evolution of these recurrent features across these three different and singular texts. The three novels draw on the technique of intertextuality to refer to literary texts and other media that were created in the past and that have created a patriarchal legacy of masculinist discourses and practices trying to dominate women in the name of feminine
respectability. The experiences of the narrators and the protagonists of these novels depict how such a masculinist cultural legacy succeeds in persisting despite social transformation. The protagonists of Rhys's, Atwood's, and Petty's novels experience this persisting legacy by enduring economic and socio-political oppression. As a consequence, they find themselves vulnerable to psychological depression due to their endurance of economic, sexual, and socio-political exploitation. It is in this context that I analyze the role of narrative voice in these three texts. While the three authors clearly empower female protagonists with a narrative voice, their feminist critique of economic and social domination reveals that having a voice is not necessarily a manifestation of power in itself. Because of the transmission of inequality and its patterns of recurrence, voices are under duress in these novels
Multiprofessional perceptions and attitudes toward integrating ultrasound into an undergraduate medical school curriculum
No full textIntroduction: The expanding use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has prompted curriculum developers to consider how, when, and to what extent ultrasound should be integrated into undergraduate medical curricula. This study explored the attitudes, perceptions, and assumptions of medical professionals who might contribute to the ultrasound curriculum at Dalhousie University's Faculty of Medicine in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Method: Drawing insight from case-study design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 medical professionals. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis and interpretation.
Results: Three themes emerged related to the blurring of professional boundaries, emotional responses to change, and key recommendations for curriculum developers.
Conclusion: POCUS use in medical education and practice represents complex change compounded by evolving professional boundaries. Change can lead to acceptance or resistance by stakeholders. Key curricular components identified by participants correlate to aspects of curricular design frameworks and suggest using frameworks may facilitate successful curricular change
Teaching divorce and remarriage in its ancient Near East, Greco Roman biblical background, and socio-cultural context, as a possible recovery of martial covenantal oneness in Haitian evangelical diaspora church
No full textTeachings on divorce and remarriage are rare in the evangelical ethnic churches of the Haitian diaspora. In the sporadic instances, when it happens, a literal approach with portions of scripture taken out of context is used to validate an approach promoting no divorce or if there is a divorce, no remarriage. This research is a respectful dissension to this approach showing that when teaching the topic from its biblical sociocultural
historical and contextual background, evangelical believers can recover marital oneness if they undergo a biblically sanctioned divorce process followed by remarriage.
The research was qualitative and executed in an evangelical Haitian church in Montreal. There was a presentation of a series of teachings on the topic covering the first two chapters of this research to an audience, which included volunteers who agreed to answer a post-teaching questionnaire related to this study. The results showed that the rare occurrences of teachings on the topic in the community excluded covenantal death as an important element to take into consideration in the biblical marital imagery. When participants reflected on the metaphor of the biblical narrative, some shared that the standard regarding divorce and remarriage cannot be higher for God's children than for God himself as it relates to the topic. In conclusion, using approaches such as redemptive hermeneutic, theology of liberation, and positive church discipline to navigate the challenge of divorce and remarriage. The research shows how the church can help support its members who are in an abusive relationship through a contextual application of the Bible and a partnership with specialized professional human resources and community groups
Understanding Nova Scotia's new virtual care policies: mental health policy and rural Nova Scotians
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic placed the Nova Scotian healthcare system in an impossible situation. While demand escalated, many in-person services were shut down. Simultaneously, the pandemic had devastating effects on mental health across Canada. Facing widespread staffing shortages and rising wait times, policymakers were confronted with the need to adapt rapidly. In response, the Nova Scotia Government accelerated virtual care, offering it as an alternative to in-person services.
Prior to the pandemic, rural Nova Scotians faced additional barriers to accessing mental healthcare. Thus, investigating how the shift to virtual care exacerbates or reduces pre-existing rural barriers is essential to policy evaluation. This thesis asks; (1) How did the Nova Scotia Government's mental healthcare policy approach change in response to the pandemic?; and (2) Did those changes respond to the needs and priorities of rural Nova Scotians?
To answer these two questions, I analyze data from Nova Scotian mental healthcare policies, proposals, and programs and interviews with 16 Nova Scotian mental healthcare practitioners, using critical care ethics as a theoretical framework. I argue that Nova Scotian mental healthcare policy has moved through overlapping waves of deinstitutionalization, policy development, damage control, tiered care implementation, and acceleration. New Nova Scotian virtual care policies are fiscally responsible and offer rural Nova Scotians some benefits, overcoming geographical and financial barriers and privacy concerns. Yet, I suggest that virtual care policies are a further extension of deinstitutionalization which does not meet rural Nova Scotians' unique and diverse needs. Virtual care policies overlook and exacerbate pre-existing barriers, including internet issues, isolation, and access to culturally competent care. Improving virtual care for rural Nova Scotians will require addressing the effects of this new wave of deinstitutionalization of care to the private sphere and prioritizing contextual sensitivity.
This thesis offers several policy suggestions based on practitioners' observations. Key recommendations include: implementing core funding for the Canadian Mental Health Association Nova Scotia Division and other non-profit organizations; establishing new provincial initiatives to spread awareness about available virtual care services; expanding hybrid options that combine in-person and virtual modalities; creating new spaces for rural practitioners and communities to participate in mental healthcare policy and program design, supported by federal and provincial government funding; extending insurance coverage classifications to include registered counselling therapists; and increasing internship opportunities and funding in rural communities to attract new mental healthcare practitioners
Gill remodeling in Mangrove rivulus, Kryptolebias marmoratus, in unpredictable, fluctuating high temperatures
No full textA significant increase in unpredictable thermal fluctuations in aquatic ecosystems are predicted in current climate change scenarios. Ectothermic animals, like most fishes, will be particularly vulnerable to temperature change given their body temperatures fluctuate with the environment. Despite this vulnerability, we know relatively little about how fish will respond to warm, unpredictable fluctuating temperatures. Fish gills are highly plastic and in warm temperature s with high metabolic demand, there are morphological remodeling changes to increase surface area. This gill remodeling allows the fish to take up more oxygen in order to meet increased metabolic demand. By examining gill morphology using the hermaphroditic, amphibious mangrove rivulus fish (Kryptolebias marmoratus), I asked if there is a difference in how fish acclimate to unpredictable, warm thermal fluctuations compared to warm, stable conditions. As self-fertilizing hermaphrodites, mangrove rivulus can independently produce highly homozygous, genetically isolated lineages allowing us to disentangle environmental and genetic interactions on phenotype. I acclimated two isogenic lineages of mangrove rivulus to four different thermal regimes – two unpredictably fluctuating temperatures, a low cycle: 24°C-29°C and a high cycle: 29°C -34°C; and the stable mean of each cycle: low mean: 26.5°C, and high mean: 31.5°C. One mechanism many fishes use to remodel their gills and alter surface area is proliferatio n or regression of the interlamellar cell mass (ILCM). I predicted that at higher temperatures, regardless of cycling, gill surface area would increase by decreasing ILCM because of increased metabolic oxygen demand. I was interested if there would be a difference in gill surface area/ILCM coverage between the stable and cycling temperature conditions, as this has not been investigated in fishes. Growth rate was significantly reduced at high temperatures, and fecundity was highest in unpredictable cycles. I observed modest differences in gill remodeling between stable and unpredictable cycling temperatures in the low temperature groups. In contrast to my prediction and previous studies, I observed an overall increase in ILCM coverage (i.e., decrease in gill surface area) at higher temperatures, regardless of cycling. Furthermore, I detected significant differences in the two lineages suggesting a genetic component to the effects of temperature and thermal fluctuation on gill remodelling. My data suggest that high temperature environments may decrease functional gill surface area in this fish, possibly as an energetic saving and/or as structural support in preparation for air exposure/emersion. My research also points to subtle differences in gill remodeling in unpredictable cycling temperatures compared to stable temperatures, but at more extreme warming, these differences disappear. This finding suggests that in predicted climate warming scenarios, these fish are likely acclimating to their mean temperature, at least in terms of gill remodeling
Redefining Empress Matilda: a political force in her own right
No full textEmpress Matilda has long been remembered for her involvement in the civil war known as "The Anarchy" and for her relation to three powerful men: her father, King Henry I of England; her husband, Holy Roman Emperor Henry V; and her son, King Henry II of England. However, by narrowing the focus of her life to these key events and individuals, both Matilda and her accomplishments are diminished. By moving away from the traditional manner of studying Matilda, as having been "great by birth, greater in marriage, greatest in her offspring", Matilda can instead be viewed as being a product of her own choices and experiences. By focusing instead on her accomplishments, Matilda is transformed into a woman wielding significant power on the European stage throughout the entirety of her life. Not only this, but by switching angles, Matilda becomes a survivor of her circumstances, changing tactics and adapting as her situation changed repeatedly. Her initial life course set her up to be an empress, but when she was widowed at a young age, she utilized her knowledge and experience to situate herself as a viable candidate for the throne of England. When her attempts for the throne ultimately ended in a power struggle, she once again changed tactics, preparing her eldest son to be heir. By doing so, she ensured that she continued to have political influence for the remainder of her life. By studying the surviving
chronicler's accounts of her life, the charters she witnessed, and the letters she wrote, Matilda is shown to have been a woman of formidable power and influence. And her legacy should reflect such
Happily, ever after?: the relationship between stories of the low, high, and turning points of coming out and well-being
No full textNarrative identity is the ever-evolving perception of our past, present, and imagined future selves. Our narrative identity is punctuated with narrative episodes: low, high, and turning points of our autobiographical memories. Framing of these memories is important for well-being; however, there is limited research on how memory framing applies to the LGBTQ+ community. Do individuals who came out to a parent frame the low, high, and turning points of their experience differently based on their level of psychological well-being? The present study sought to explore this research question. Participant responses (N= 960) to an open-ended survey question were divided into low or high well-being groups based on their scores relative to the sample median score on a mental health measure, the MHI-5. These responses were then analysed using reflexive thematic analysis as a guiding methodology. Six themes were found, which centred around anxiety, disproval, acceptance/support, identity/self-concept,
communication/other relationships, and relief/ongoing processes. Participants in high and low well-being groups framed their coming out experiences differently. Those higher in well-being provided more narration, disclosed more negative coming out experiences, and discussed more issues related to self-growth and resiliency. Support for hedonic adaptation is evident