Lockdown Scrapbook

The Covid-19 lockdown in England began on 23rd March 2020, when people were told to stay at home and only go out for essential purposes, which included an hour’s daily exercise. These measures were originally scheduled to last for three weeks, but were then extended for a further three weeks. On 17th April, shortly after the three week extension began, I started to record my daily walks. For just over a month I chose a word which signified the current moment in some way and took photos related to my chosen theme. I posted four pictures per day, most days, on Twitter (@drjuliabennett). This is a description of the photos, the walks and news media during this period

Filtering Irreducible Clifford Supermodules

A Clifford algebra is an associative algebra that generalizes the sequence R, C, H, etc. Filtrations are increasing chains of subspaces that respect the structure of the object they are filtering. In this paper, we filter ideals in Clifford algebras. These filtrations must also satisfy a “Clifford condition”, making them compatible with the algebra structure. We define a notion of equivalence between these filtered ideals and proceed to analyze the space of equivalence classes. We focus our attention on a specific class of filtrations, which we call principal filtrations. Principal filtrations are described by a single element in complex projective space and their equivalence classes are orbits of a group action inside complex projective space. In this paper, we identify when the space of equivalence classes of principal filtrations has a discrete topology or not. We find one example where the space of equivalence classes is not discrete, and is instead homeomorphic to S^2

Researching the intangible: a qualitative phenomenological study of the everyday practices of belonging

How can the intangible aspects of everyday life be uncovered? A phenomenological approach has its origins in the everyday but also allows everything to be questioned. In studying belonging a phenomenological approach supported by a variety of qualitative methods produced a wealth of 'insider' information that could have been missed using more traditional methods. The research was based around multi-generational family groups as a family narrative focuses on relations between different family members over the generations rather than on an individual biography. Biographical interviews in family groups allowed families to talk about their lives together. Diaries put the direction of the research in the hands of the participants thus reversing, to some extent, the traditional power relations between researcher and researched. Through written and photo diaries participants shared details of their daily lives which might have been more difficult to elicit in a formal interview situation. The photos allowed the researcher to 'visit' places which are a part of the daily life of participants in a subtle and non-intrusive manner. These research approaches privilege the voices of the participants in research into their lives. Through demonstrating the richness of the data collected this article argues that such approaches could be used more widely

Using diaries and photo elicitation in phenomenological research: studying everyday practices of belonging in place

My PhD study of belonging in place took a phenomenological approach supported by a variety of qualitative methods: specifically narrative life history interviews, written and photo diaries and photo-elicitation interviews. Researching something as intangible as belonging is difficult and I wanted to evaluate the practices people undertake which demonstrate how they ‘do’ belonging, rather than asking about feelings of belonging. This case study explains how and why I made use of a phenomenological approach in researching the everyday. It then shows how the particular methods chosen fit with the use of a phenomenological methodology. The case explores some of the challenges in investigating mundane aspects of daily life, which are increasingly the focus of sociological and geographical research. The focus in this case on multiple qualitative methods leads to a broader discussion of the use of a variety of innovative research methods

Development of a medication management program for developmental support workers

Background: Medication errors are a worldwide health care problem, which poses a risk to patients, caregivers, and the healthcare system. This risk can be mitigated through effective medication management. At Momentum Developmental Support, developmental support workers (DSWs) provide 24-hour residential care for adults with intellectual disabilities, province wide (Newfoundland). However, DSWs receive minimal training in medication management. Consequently, this could lead to a rise in medication errors, negatively impacting client safety. Purpose: The aim of this practicum project is to develop a medication management program to improve DSWs’ knowledge, confidence, and skills about medication management. Methods: Three key methods were used to develop the medication management resource: 1) an extensive literature review, 2) consultations with managers and DSWs at Momentum, and 3) an environmental scan of available resources. Results: The literature review identified a lack of medication knowledge, confidence, and skills among DSWs, primarily attributed to the absence of hands-on training, which could potentially lead to medication errors. Consultations further confirmed the lack of consistent training and resources for medication management, with a preference for classroom-based learning as the most effective teaching strategy. The environmental scan aligned with these findings, emphasizing the significance of combining theoretical and practical learning in a classroom setting while highlighting the challenges associated with online learning. Conclusion: A half-day medication management workshop was developed to strengthen DSW’s knowledge, confidence, and skills about medication management

A Quantum Random Walk Search Algorithm

Quantum random walks on graphs have been shown to display many interesting properties, including exponentially fast hitting times when compared with their classical counterparts. However, it is still unclear how to use these novel properties to gain an algorithmic speed-up over classical algorithms. In this paper, we present a quantum search algorithm based on the quantum random walk architecture that provides such a speed-up. It will be shown that this algorithm performs an oracle search on a database of $N$ items with $O(\sqrt{N})$ calls to the oracle, yielding a speed-up similar to other quantum search algorithms. It appears that the quantum random walk formulation has considerable flexibility, presenting interesting opportunities for development of other, possibly novel quantum algorithms.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure

Cover crop biomass production is more important than diversity for weed suppression

Biotic resistance theory suggests that diverse cover crop mixes may be more effective at weed suppression than a cover crop monoculture. However, evidence for this has so far been inconsistent. To investigate, we designed a trial to explicitly test the role of cover crop diversity in weed suppression by comparing eight cover crop mixes that varied in species diversity, functional diversity, and composition. Mixes contained either one, four, or eight species, in equal proportions. Three mixes contained only cereal species, three contained only legumes, and two contained a mix of cereals, legumes, and brassicas. Research was conducted on two farms in South Africa’s winter rainfall region, replicated over 2 yr. Indicators of resource uptake by each mix in terms of light, soil N, and water were measured at three time points throughout the season, approximately 50, 85, and 110 d after emergence (DAE). Aboveground biomass (dry weight) of cover crops and weeds within each mix was measured twice, at approximately 70 and 120 DAE. Regression analyses indicated that cover crop biomass was key to resource uptake and weed suppression, and that early-season N and later-season light availability had the strongest influence on weed biomass. Neither species diversity nor functional diversity affected resource uptake or weed suppression by cover crops. These results indicate that it is important to consider the competitiveness of individual species when designing cover crop mixes. Diverse mixes remain valuable to perform multiple functions but may contribute to weed problems if composed of poorly competitive species

Identifying Gaps in Youth Employment Programs Capacity to Address Mental Health Needs

National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC), in partnership with its member agencies, youth providers, academic institutions, and other partners, deployed a national survey in March 2022 to understand the readiness of youth programs across the US to respond to the youth mental health crisis; the processes and systems providers have in place to fight the crisis; and what supports they need to combat this ongoing, life-threatening challenge. This report identifies the many challenges practitioners face on micro and macro levels, insights into what young people are experiencing, and the types of interventions and support that are needed