Climate Change and Big Business: The Endless Cycle

Climate change, as it stands, is a large topic. As it relates to business, it grows exponentially, yet relates to every single one of us. Before the nineteenth century, climate cycles were mostly naturally occurring. Unfortunately, in recent years anthropogenic (human) causes have been introduced. The largest problem is carbon dioxide, which is produced from numerous human activities but largely from the burning of fossil fuels, and leads to massive warming effects on our planet. That’s where business comes in: companies, such as those within the agriculture, fossil fuel, and sunscreen industries, seek multi-million dollar profits off of the warming atmosphere. The aim of this project is to analyze the relationship between the climate change crisis and business opportunities. Using published journals, scholarly peer-reviewed articles, books, news articles and websites, as well as knowledge gathered from my environmental studies class, I intend to examine the many facets of this broad topic. In total, this study will unveil many climate concerns, business opportunities, and hopefully solutions

Factors that influence women\u27s disclosures of substance use during pregnancy : a qualitative study of ten midwives and ten pregnant women

The present study was designed to examine the factors that motivate or act as barriers to disclosure of substance use by pregnant women. Participants included 10 midwives and 10 pregnant women who attended two ante-natal clinics at an Australian maternity hospital. One clinic specialized in women who were substance users and one clinic was specifically for young women (under 19 years of age). Midwives and pregnant women were interviewed in-depth about disclosure of substance use. Interview transcripts were analyzed, and the results revealed six main themes: practice style, assessment of substance use, practice environment and privacy, child protection issues, health of the baby, and continuity of care. The findings are discussed in relation to recommendations for best practice in midwifery care when working with pregnant women who use substances.<br /

Awareness of lifestyle and colorectal cancer risk:findings from the BeWEL study

It is estimated that 47% of colorectal cancers (CRC) could be prevented by appropriate lifestyles. This study aimed to identify awareness of the causes of CRC in patients who had been diagnosed with a colorectal adenoma through the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme and subsequently enrolled in an intervention trial (using diet and physical activity education and behavioural change techniques) (BeWEL). At baseline and 12-month follow-up, participants answered an open-ended question on factors influencing CRC development. Of the 329 participants at baseline, 40 (12%) reported that they did not know any risk factors and 36 (11%) failed to identify specific factors related to diet and activity. From a potential knowledge score of 1 to 6, the mean score was 1.5 (SD 1.1, range 0 to 5) with no difference between intervention and control groups. At follow-up, the intervention group had a significantly greater knowledge score and better weight loss, diet, and physical activity measures than the control group. Awareness of relevant lifestyle factors for CRC remains low in people at increased risk of the disease. Opportunities within routine NHS screening to aid the capability (including knowledge of risk factors) of individuals to make behavioural changes to reduce CRC risk deserve exploration.Additional co-author: The BeWEL team. The BeWEL Team consists of Shaun Treweek, Fergus Daly, Jill Belch, Jackie Rodger, Alison Kirk, Anne Ludbrook, Petra Rauchhaus, Patricia Norwood, Joyce Thompson, and Jane Wardle

Adopting OER Across the University

In this presentation, four faculty members from across disciplines will present their experience adopting open educational resources and open pedagogical practices in their Fall 2019 courses. The presentation will share the benefits and challenges of OER, methods for overcoming challenges, student perceptions of OER, and highlights from each course

Meeting the challenges of recruitment to multicentre, community-based, lifestyle-change trials : a case study of the BeWEL trial

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Shoulder pain patients in primary care - Part 1: Clinical outcomes over 12 months following standardized diagnostic workup, corticosteroid injections, and community-based care

Objective: Measure changes in pain and disability of primary care shoulder pain patients over a 12-month period. Design: A non-randomized audit with repeated measures of pain and disability at 3 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months. Patients: Of 208 patients, 161 agreed to participate with 96.9%, 98.1%, 86.3%, 83.9% follow-up at 3 weeks, at 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively. Mean age was 44 years, mean symptom duration 3.6 months. Methods: Patients were treated with protocol driven corticosteroid injection and community based care. Primary outcome measure was the Shoulder Pain and Disability index (SPADI) questionnaire. Based on the SPADI and minimal clinically important difference (MCID), outcomes were categorized into: total recovery, 90% or more improved, better, unchanged and worse. Results: There was significant reduction of pain and disability at 3 weeks (

Banner News

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Collecting baleen whale blow samples by drone : a minimally intrusive tool for conservation genetics

_Carol Newell, Donner Canadian Foundation, Elizabeth Haan, Fisheries and Oceans Canada_ Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk, Save Our Seas Foundation, Willow Grove Foundation_In coastal British Columbia, Canada, marine megafauna such as humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus velifera) have been subject to a history of exploitation and near extirpation. While their populations have been in recovery, significant threats are posed to these vulnerable species by proposed natural resource ventures in this region, in addition to the compounding effects of anthropogenic climate change. Genetic tools play a vital role in informing conservation efforts, but the associated collection of tissue biopsy samples can be challenging for the investigators and disruptive to the ongoing behaviour of the targeted whales. Here, we evaluate a minimally intrusive approach based on collecting exhaled breath condensate, or respiratory ‘blow’ samples, from baleen whales using an unoccupied aerial system (UAS), within Gitga'at First Nation territory for conservation genetics. Minimal behavioural responses to the sampling technique were observed, with no response detected 87% of the time (of 112 UAS deployments). DNA from whale blow (n = 88 samples) was extracted, and DNA profiles consisting of 10 nuclear microsatellite loci, sex identification and mitochondrial (mt) DNA haplotypes were constructed. An average of 7.5 microsatellite loci per individual were successfully genotyped. The success rates for mtDNA and sex assignment were 80% and 89% respectively. Thus, this minimally intrusive sampling method can be used to describe genetic diversity and generate genetic profiles for individual identification. The results of this research demonstrate the potential of UAS-collected whale blow for conservation genetics from a remote location.Peer reviewe