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Transformative mediation: is it possible in a numbers game?
Get PDFGovernment programs advancing mediation to resolve disputes as an alternative to more formal and adversarial processes have become the norm across Canada. Beyond focusing on efficiency measures such as cost, timeliness, and outcome to define success, these programs also implicitly pursue cultural and systemic transformation, goals that are less tangible and more difficult to measure. These non-efficiency goals are worthy of attention when considering the unique opportunity mediation provides; however, there is concern whether mediators practicing in these programs understand the different styles and approaches needed to support such goals. Since the early piloting and adoption of government mediation programs, an abundance of opinions, theories and debates surrounding the ideal style and approach have created a dichotomous teaching, learning and practicing environment. The focus of the debates mainly concerns the more commonly referenced styles and approaches: facilitative, evaluative, and transformative. Discourse from the debates has created confusion about the application of these theoretical styles and approaches at best and the complete avoidance of them at worst. Through a qualitative analysis of interviews with 15 mediators from Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan practicing within the civil litigation system or analogous administrative law programs, this study aimed to uncover how mediators understand the styles and approaches. Further, drawing from stories shared by the mediator participants, this research explores additional synthesis and discourse between what these mediators value and the style and approach they claim to practice. The results of this exploratory study uncovered two interconnected findings illuminating the tension between theory and practice.May 202
Early age shrinkage and bond performance of UHPC in shear keys
No full textUltra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) is a cementitious material with a substantially higher mechanical capacity and durability than conventional concrete. The enhanced compressive strength (over 120 MPa) and high tensile capacity of UHPC make it unique compared with other types of concrete. However, one of the most challenging aspects of UHPC is its high early-age autogenous shrinkage, owing to its low water-to-binder ratio and minimal to no bleeding of the specimens. Currently, while some standards and guidelines for UHPC exist, comprehensive design codes are still developing, particularly for specialty applications such as UHPC in shear keys and bridge construction, where more specific details are required.
This study investigates the early-age shrinkage of UHPC shear keys constrained by precast high-strength concrete (HSC) beams. Factors influencing shrinkage, such as surface preparation, reinforcement, and curing environment, were investigated. Furthermore, the HSC and UHPC bond characteristics were studied by performing slant shear, bi-shear, and direct tension tests. The same geometric shear key design for the beam was applied to analyze the performance of the UHPC shear key with two surface preparations under a negative bending moment. The experiment's results showed that rough surface preparation showed significantly higher bond strength and lower shrinkage of the UHPC shear key. Further, they resulted in higher adhesion between two surfaces, which was studied through the microanalysis of a failed cross-section of the bi-shear specimens.May 202
A comparison of centrality measures and their role in controlling the spread in epidemic networks
Get PDFThe ranking of nodes in a network according to their centrality or “importance” is a classic problem that has attracted the interest of different scientific communities
in the last decades. The current COVID-19 pandemic has recently rejuvenated the interest in this problem, as it informs the selection of which individuals should be
tested in a population of asymptomatic individuals, or which individuals should be vaccinated first. Motivated by these issues, in this paper we review some popular
methods for node ranking in undirected unweighted graphs, and compare their performance in a benchmark realistic network that takes into account the community-based structure of society. In particular, we use the information of the relevance of individuals in the network to take a control decision, i.e., which individuals should
be tested, and possibly quarantined. Finally, we also review the extension of these ranking methods to weighted graphs, and explore the importance of weights in a
contact network by exhibiting a toy model and comparing node rankings for this case in the context of disease spread
Urban pathways to justice: exploring Indigenous women’s urban park, trail, bike and nature experiences and impacts on wellness
Get PDFIntroduction: This study focuses on Indigenous women’s experiences of urban biking, trail, park and nature experiences and impacts on wellness using an Indigenous gender-based analysis plus lens created by the B.C. Minister’s Advisory Council on Indigenous Women (MACIW). The goal of this study was to explore Indigenous women’s experiences of urban biking, park and trail use and nature experiences in the context of settler colonialism that emphasizes the historical and present-day cultural oppression experienced by Indigenous women that impacts urban wellness experiences. The research questions include Indigenous women’s experiences of urban trails, parks, biking and nature experiences and how do these experiences impact wellness; the role of gender for Indigenous women’s equitable access to urban spaces; and barriers to Indigenous women’s urban land experiences.
Methods: The methods in this qualitative study were a blend of Indigenous and western research methods as “two-eyed seeing”. The study was guided by an Indigenous women’s advisory committee through several collaborative meetings throughout the study who also provided cultural protocols for the sharing circle.
Data collection included Indigenous methods of conversational interviews (n=9) and a sharing circle (n=10). Interpretative phenomenological methodology and methods informed the analysis guided by the MACIW Indigenous gendered based analysis plus lens. A decolonizing approach with community participatory research methods guided the methods.
Results: Indigenous women’s experiences of urban wellness activities reveal barriers to these activities embedded in settler colonial racism and misogyny toward Indigenous women that results in violence and extensive safety barriers in accessing safe urban land. Despite these barriers, Indigenous women resist and reclaim urban spaces as sites for cultural resurgence, while reinstating Indigenous women’s gendered roles as Matricidal leaders, caregivers, educators, and protectors of the Land that fosters their wellness. Family and community wellness as interrelated with personal wellness was an essential aspect of Indigenous women’s wellness models, drawing in cultural understandings of wellness. The wellness of the Land and its inhabitants are also a fundamental interrelated aspect of Indigenous women’s wellness.
Implications: Women described a myriad of spiritual, mental, physical and emotional benefits from safe park, trail and bike use, grounded in Indigenous concepts of wholistic wellness centred on family and community wellness. Nature as kin is a fundamental aspect of women’s lives that supports wellness. Yet, the women and their communities cannot experience these benefits if settler colonial city-making barriers to safe urban land are not addressed. The barriers Indigenous women and their communities face is an issue of justice, whereas access to safe urban land and wellness is a profound right of Indigenous women and their communities.University of Manitoba Graduate ScholarshipMay 202
Investigating the sex- and developmental-dependent molecular and gross characterization of the brain of two mouse models of Rett Syndrome
No full textMethyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) is a multifunctional protein involved in neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, and activity-dependent gene expression in the brain. Mutations in the MECP2 gene are responsible for Rett Syndrome (RTT), a debilitating neurodevelopmental genetic disorder which primary affects females. While RTT mouse models have been extensively used, characterization of the molecular and gross brain features of mouse models recapitulating common MeCP2 mutations has yet to be fully established. Although there is no cure for RTT, several serious side effects have been reported associated with the use of trofinetide, a drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of RTT. Treatments for RTT through the repurposing of metabolic drugs such as the anti-diabetic drug, metformin, are promising alternative therapies with improvement of RTT symptoms as well as fewer/no side effects.
Anatomically, the gross brain weight and length of two specific MeCP2 mutations in mice were evaluated. The decreased brain weight and length observed in these RTT mouse models correspond with observations in the brain of RTT patients at the time of autopsy. Molecularly, MeCP2 protein expression levels were considerably reduced in specific brain regions of both RTT mouse models. Additionally, several synaptic markers, autophagy factors, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein levels were altered in the brain of both RTT mouse models. While metformin treatment in both RTT mouse models did not fully recover the reduced MeCP2 levels in the brain, some of the altered proteins were recovered to near wild type levels following metformin treatment. This study highlights a potential for repurposing of metformin in the context of RTT and, perhaps, other neurodevelopmental diseases.May 202
Salient vulnerability theory: a grounded theory study of nurses’ ethical decisions in the context of workplace violence
Get PDFThis qualitative study examines the problem of how nurses navigate the moral dilemmas that arise when they encounter workplace violence. It considers the ethical decisions that nurses make, the considerations that factor into decisions about the course of action, and the experience of moral distress when workplace violence occurs. The study was conducted using a constructivist grounded theory methodology. Data from 36 interviews and six narrative documents were analyzed. The core category of Managing Intersecting Vulnerabilities was identified. With respect to ethical decisions, three subcategories were found: Getting the Job Done (Stay), Shifting the Dynamic (Pause), and Withdrawing from the Situation (Leave). In terms of determining a course of action, participants identified factors that increase risks, such as factors related to the nurse, patient or environment, and factors that mitigate risks, including risk assessment, the availability of supports, and skills and tools. The experience of moral distress fell into four categories: Choosing to Disengage, Living with Moral Residue, Witnessing Patient Impacts, and Working Under Structural Constraints. This analysis resulted in the development of Salient Vulnerability Theory, a substantive theoretical framework for understanding how nurses navigate decisions about providing care in the context of violence. The theory proposes that patient vulnerability provides a moral obligation to provide care, however that obligation is limited by violence that places the nurse at risk. When this happens, the nurse’s vulnerability becomes salient, and a decision to leave the situation can be practically and ethically justified until such a time as a balance is restored and the nurse can safely resume care. The recommendations issuing from this new theory are intended to reduce the incidence and impact of violence and the resulting moral distress by addressing the problem at a structural level, and include ensuring adequate staffing, the implementation of effective training and equipment, well-designed workspaces, and holding space for healing and practices of support. Empirical confirmation of Salient Vulnerability Theory and the effectiveness of suggested interventions is recommended.Graduate Fellowship, Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics, University of ManitobaMay 202
Restorying of the Sandy Bay Indian Residential School
Get PDFThis thesis aims to uncover the untold history of the Sandy Bay Indian Residential School (SBIRS), located in the centre of Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation. Using community-based processes, I examine the intentions of government officials and missionaries in establishing and operating the school, the student experiences at the SBIRS, and the lasting impacts it has made. My research utilizes a collaborative approach that combines archival work, storytelling, and community-based historical documentary work. Throughout my research, I used Indigenous methodologies that prioritized Sandy Bay’s cultural protocols and values of reciprocity and respect. Throughout this process, community members were considered partners rather than subjects of research. This thesis reveals that the intentions of the government and missionaries were rooted in efforts to erase Indigenous culture, traditions, spirituality, and language. Survivors’ oral histories reveal that the students at the SBIRS were subjected to abuse, neglect, and isolation. These impacts continue to be felt, and Survivors’ offer suggestions for healing.
This thesis contributes to the field of residential school literature by offering a localized history that is representative of Sandy Bay’s experiences and perspectives, challenging the colonial misrepresentations of residential school history. This narrative provides Canadians the opportunity to learn residential school history through a community perspective and offers Sandy Bay community members a deeper understanding of the historical transformations within the community and the lasting legacies of the residential school, which can adequately inform strategies for healing. Through this work, we commemorate Survivors, honour the lives of students who have passed, and begin a pathway toward healing.May 202
Rural women, cooperatives, and legislative action in addressing the gender pay gap in Rwanda
Get PDFThe gender pay gap remains a persistent challenge globally, particularly affecting women in developing countries like Rwanda, especially in the agricultural sector. This paper examines the potential of cooperative business models as a viable tool for reducing economic inequality and empowering women. It focuses on the existing state of gender disparities in Rwanda, considering factors such as cultural norms, occupational segregation, and limited access to resources. The analysis highlights cooperatives' transformative role in providing women with economic opportunities, leadership skills, and social support. Drawing on successful examples of women-led cooperatives in Rwanda and internationally, the study identifies critical success factors, including access to training, financial resources, and supportive community structures. Additionally, it evaluates Rwanda's current legislative framework governing cooperatives, compares it to successful international models, and identifies barriers to effective implementation, such as socio-economic and gender-specific challenges. The paper concludes with actionable recommendations to enhance the legislative environment, provide financial and technical support, and address socio-cultural barriers to women’s participation in cooperatives. Advocating for targeted policies and robust monitoring mechanisms emphasizes the importance of integrating cooperatives into Rwanda’s broader strategy for achieving gender equity and sustainable development. This study contributes to the growing discourse on economic empowerment and gender equality by offering valuable insights and strategiesMay 202
Impact of germination on the techno-functional properties, nutritional composition, and health-promoting compounds of brown rice and its products: A review
Get PDFRice is a popular grain and forms part of the daily diet of people throughout the world. However, the consumption of rice and its products is sometimes limited by its high glycemic index due to its high starch content, low protein content and quality, and low bioavailability of minerals due to the presence of anti-nutritional factors. This has partly stimulated research interest in recent times toward the use of bioprocessing techniques such as germination as cheap and natural means to improve the nutritional quality, digestibility, and health properties of cereals, including rice, to partially achieve nutrition and food security in the developing regions of the world. This review highlights the impact of germination on the nutritional quality, health-promoting properties, and techno-functional characteristics of germinated brown rice grains and their products. The review demonstrated that germinated rice grains and their products have improved nutritional quality and digestibility, modified functional properties, and showed antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anti-cancer, and anti-cardiovascular activities. Germination appears to be a suitable bioprocessing method to improve the nutritional quality and bioactive constituents and modify the techno-functional properties of rice grains for diverse food applications and improved global nutrition and food safety
Performance of Starch Gels on In Vitro Enzymatic Hydrolysis Assessed by Rheological Methodologies
Get PDFStarch hydrolysis is attracting much attention due to its relationship to digestion and glucose release. The objective is to propose rapid and continuous analytical methods that allow measuring gels hydrolysis following apparent viscosity (μ). Three different starches (corn, wheat, and rice) are tested recording starch gelatinization followed by gels digestions (digestograms) using a rapid-visco analyzer (RVA) or a rheometer. Results are compared with those obtained by measuring glucose release along hydrolysis. A modified first-order kinetic model in the RVA (R2 > 0.99) and rheometer (R2 > 0.99) describes the gels digestograms. Wheat gel shows a higher hydrolysis rate (k), which indicates faster digestion followed by rice and corn gels. The proposed models allow rapid analysis of starch digestograms, allowing to discriminate among hydrolysis rate of different starches. These less time-consuming methods can be an option to continuously analyze starch gelatinization followed by enzymatic digestion