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Multi-decadal impacts of effluent loading on phosphorus sorption capacity in a restored wetland
No full textOpen access article. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) appliesNatural wetlands are widely used and cost-effective systems for the passive remediation of phosphorus (P)-rich surface waters from various effluent sources. Yet the long-term biogeochemical impacts of effluent loading on wetland P retention capacity are unclear. Here, we had a unique opportunity to document the spatio-temporal evolution of sediment P sorption over a ∼25-year period of constant municipal and industrial effluent loading, as part of a wetland restoration and wastewater treatment strategy in one of the largest restored wetlands in Canada. Sediment P sorption experiments across Frank Lake's three basins revealed a wide spatial variation in sorption capacity, closely linked to sediment geochemistry gradients (Ca, Fe, and Mn). Relative to a similar study ∼25 years prior, P sorption capacity has become exhausted near the effluent inlet, but remarkably, remains elevated throughout the rest of the wetland. Compared to other prairie wetlands and global aquatic ecosystems, Frank Lake has a greater capacity overall to retain P through sediment sorption. Given the paucity of long-term (multi-decade) data on wetland response to effluent loading, we provide key insights into the dynamics of wetland P cycling in human-dominated watersheds.Ye
Powdery scab of potatoes in Alberta: molecular diagnostics and fungicide efficacy
No full textPowdery scab, caused by the soil-borne pathogen Spongospora subterranea f. sp. subterranea, forms root gall and tuber lesions in potatoes and vectors the Potato mop-top virus (PMTV) that causes spraing in tubers. Seven field sites with a history of powdery scab were selected, and the pathogen’s presence in soil was confirmed by using the molecular diagnostics targeting the ITS region (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2). BLAST analysis showed 99-100% similarity with S. subterranea f. sp. subterranea in the NCBI database. Field trials over three years (2022, 2023, and 2024) evaluated the efficacy of five Syngenta-designed fungicide treatments: A21008A, Allegro (low, medium, and high doses), and A24367B. Three cultivars, Shepody, Russet Burbank, and Lady Claire, were planted in naturally infested fields. Root galls were assessed during the growing season, and tubers were evaluated for disease severity and yield in August-September. In 2023, Allegro was most effective in reducing root galls, followed by A24367B, whereas A21008A performed poorly at root gall reduction but was most effective in reducing tuber lesions. All treatments significantly suppressed the disease in Lady Claire. In the 2024 trials, none of the treatments suppressed galls in Russet Burbank, whereas all but Allegro-low significantly reduced galls in Lady Claire. No significant differences in total tuber yield were observed across treatments or cultivars. These findings highlight that treatment efficacy varies depending on the potato cultivar and the type of disease symptoms (root galls vs. tuber lesions). In bioassay, conducted by growing plants in the presence of controlled quantities of S. subterranea, visible symptoms of powdery scab were observed when the soil contained more than 15 cystosori per gram of soil. This underscores the need for targeted management strategies to control powdery scab in potato crops effectively.Syngenta,
RDAR,
Mitac
The impact of executive function on stress, difficulties, and teaching behaviours of pre-service teachers on their first practicum placement
No full textOpen access article. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) appliesThis article describes the impact of executive function on pre-service teachers’ experiences during their first practicum placement, with a focus on the key stressors and their perceptions of difficulties. Participants, pre-service teachers with normative executive function (n = 28) and elevated executive function difficulties (n = 23), answered weekly questions about their stressors and frequency of troubles while on their first practicum placement. Analyses of their responses suggest that pre-service teachers with elevated executive function difficulties report higher levels of stress and more frequent troubles than their peers with normative executive function skills. Implications for teacher education programs and practice are discussed.Ye
Exploring health, well-being, and community support in cooperative housing models in Canada
No full textThis study examines the impact of cooperative housing models on health, well-being, and community support among Canadian residents. Cooperative housing, characterized by collective ownership and governance, presents a sustainable alternative to traditional housing structures by fostering social equity and inclusion. Through a cross-sectional survey of 128 cooperative housing members, the research highlights key findings related to demographics, sense of belonging, social networks, financial security, and environmental concerns. Results reveal high levels of community trust, robust social support networks, and a strong sense of belonging among residents, showcasing the transformative potential of cooperative housing for promoting stability and social cohesion. However, challenges such as financial strain, food insecurity, discrimination, and environmental issues underscore the need for systemic interventions and targeted policies. These findings contribute to the broader discourse on equitable housing and public health, offering actionable insights for policymakers, housing cooperatives, and researchers. The study reinforces cooperative housing as a critical component of sustainable living strategies, advocating for its expansion to address current and future housing crises
"We’ve lost a lot of lives:” the impact of the closure of North America’s busiest supervised consumption site on people who use substances and the organizations that work with them
No full textOpen access article. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) appliesBackground Supervised Consumption Sites (SCS) are an evidence-based harm reduction intervention that reduces
the risk of fatal drug poisonings. However, these approaches have faced political opposition in Canada, resulting
in the closures of SCS in some provinces. Our study examines the aftermath of the closure of what was once North
America’s busiest SCS, located in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, offering a contextualized exploration of regressive drug
policies.
Methods Our study adopts a descriptive qualitative design to explore the Lethbridge SCS closure and the city’s current
state of harm reduction service provision. We conducted 37 interviews to understand the perspectives of people
who use substances (PWUS) and staff members of organizations that provide harm-reduction services in Lethbridge.
We chose to use reflexive thematic analysis, which allows for a critical realist and contextual approach to data analysis.
Results We developed three themes based on our analysis. Our first theme speaks to the harms of SCS closures
on PWUS and organizations that provide harm reduction services. Next, our second theme highlights participants’
perspectives on the political motivations behind the SCS closure. Our last theme explores how PWUS and organizations
navigate the political opposition to harm reduction approaches while responding to the worsening unregulated
drug poisoning crisis.
Conclusions Our findings speak to the dangers of political decisions that restrict access to harm reduction services
within the context of the current unregulated drug poisoning crisis.Ye
Trait aggression and its impact on memory for violent information
No full textI investigated whether an individual difference, specifically trait aggression, affects how violent information is remembered. My main hypothesis was that participants with higher trait aggression would better remember details of violence and be more accurate in identifying the perpetrators of violent actions than those with lower scores, while memory for non-violent events would not differ based on trait aggression. To test this, I used an eyewitness memory paradigm wherein participants watched a violent or non-violent video and indicated how aggressive they perceived the content and the person who committed the violent/non-violent act to be. Memory for the videos was measured with recall and recognition questions for the people in the videos. During the delay between the video and the lineups, participants completed the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (Buss & Perry, 1992). Next, participants completed a target-present or target-absent lineup for each of the two individuals from the video. Contrary to my hypothesis, increased trait aggression was not associated with increased memory for violent events, though it was associated with biased perceptions. Participants high in trait aggression perceived more aggression in non-violent videos and less aggression in violent ones than participants low in trait aggression. An implication of this research is that if an eyewitness perceives relatively neutral information as aggressive, this could affect how administrators of justice perceive the suspect, in turn potentially affecting investigations and subsequent sentencing
Genetic population structure of the least flycatcher (Empidonax minimus): implications for evaluating migratory connectivity
No full textOver the last six decades, avian aerial insectivores in North America have experienced an overall decline of ~60% in their population across their breeding ranges. Understanding their population genetic structure and spatial connections across the annual cycle is critical to determining potential factors driving these trends; however, this information is limited for many species. This study uses RADseq data to examine population structure and connectivity in least flycatchers (Empidonax minimus) across North America. Supported by field and museum sampling, blood, feather, and/or tissue samples were collected from 14 sites throughout the breeding range as well as during migration in Canada and the USA, and on the non-breeding grounds in Mexico. The results from principal components analysis (PCA), pairwise FST, STRUCTURE, and least-cost corridor analyses indicate high levels of gene flow among breeding populations, with weak genetic structure observed between two groups that exhibit an east-west split, which is enhanced using outlier loci. A genetic stock identification analysis was conducted to determine the breeding origin of the non-breeding samples, utilizing outlier loci. Twelve out of 29 non-breeding samples were successfully assigned to a breeding population. In two of the three non-breeding locations, individuals of mixed origin were observed, indicating weak migratory connectivity. The results indicate that the weak migratory connectivity and young age of the species might contribute to the low levels of population structure observed. This study allowed to increase the comprehension of the genetic structure and migratory connectivity of the least flycatcher
AI-powered speech device as a tool for neuropsychological assessment of an older adult population: a preliminary study
No full textOpen access article. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0) appliesAs the older adult population continues to expand, the demands on the healthcare system intensifies, necessitating the development of technologies that effectively accommodate the requirements of older adults. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems hold promise as a solution, they have not been designed to accommodate the sensory and cognitive changes typical of aging individuals. The current study investigates the use of an AI-powered communication device for the assessment of neuropsychological tests to an older adult population. Twenty-four (twelve females) older adult participants completed three memory tasks using the AI device: logical memory, poem recall, and the backward and sequencing digit span tests. Significant negative correlations were found between the age of the participants and performance on the Logical memory and digit span tests. The AI device effectively identified age-related memory changes comparable to those observed with human administrators. Implementing this technology in healthcare offers several advantages: alleviating healthcare professionals' workload, improving standard of care by reaching underserved populations, and facilitating continuous screening for early identification of prodromal stages of neurodegenerative diseases.Ye
Parables of the lovers: the hermeneutics of divine love in medieval Islamic mysticism
No full textThrough a hermeneutic analysis of medieval Islamic texts, the thesis examines the development of ideas about Divine love––its ontological origin, nature, and telos––in Sufism, with a focus on the teachings of four luminaries within the mystical tradition: Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 505/1111), Ahmad al-Ghazali (d. 520/1126), Ibn ‘Arabi (d. 638/1240), and Jalal al-Din Rumi (d. 672/1273). It begins with a brief study of the development in the philosophy of love in Sufi thought up to the classical period in which these four figures lived. Love is shown to be central to the mystical path, even though its precise nature, as evidenced in the writings of these mystics, was interpreted with some differences. The thesis explores some of these varying nuances through a microanalytic, comparative study of their writings. It is shown that Rumi and Ahmad al-Ghazali inclined towards a more intoxicated approach, evidenced in the language of love, as found in their poetry, while Abu Hamid’s inclination was towards a more sober practice. Ibn ‘Arabi adopted a middle ground between the other writers, advocating an approach which lay in between the extremes of sobriety and intoxication. In the end, however, common motifs, ideas, and themes, outweighed the differences in their philosophies of love
Avoiding toxic charity in argumentation
No full textAccepted author manuscriptThe interpersonal argumentative principle of charity is widely regarded as a legitimate norm for argumentation. Still, even a
cursory look into the literature on argumentative charity reveals that charitable interpretations can easily become toxic. This
means that they generate epistemic and moral losses by leading to distorting interpretations instead of preventing them, as
the arguments for charity promise. This paper explores why argumentative charity becomes toxic and offers an attempt at
identifying a kind of argumentative charity that fulfills the promises that make argumentative charity attractive. It does so
by distinguishing three kinds of charity: Egocentric charity, which interprets the argument as strong from the interpreter’s
point of view, emic charity, which interprets it as strong from the arguer’s point of view, and complex charity, which unites
the two. Only complex charity can avoid toxicity.Ye