"Mothers as Candy Wrappers": Critical Infrastructure Supporting the Transition into Motherhood

Copyright © ACM. The transition into motherhood is a complicated and often unsupported major life disruption. To alleviate mental health issues and to support identity re-negotiation, mothers are increasingly turning to online mothers\u27 groups, particularly private and secret Facebook groups; these can provide a complex system of social, emotional, and practical support for new mothers. In this paper we present findings from an exploratory interview study of how new mothers create, find, use, and participate in ICTs, specifically online mothers\u27 groups, to combat the lack of formal support systems by developing substitute networks. Utilizing a framework of critical infrastructures, we found that these online substitute networks were created by women, for women, in an effort to fill much needed social, political, and medical gaps that fail to see \u27woman and mother\u27 as a whole being, rather than simply as a \u27discarded candy wrapper\u27. Our study contributes to the growing literature on ICT use by mothers for supporting and negotiating new identities, by illustrating how these infrastructures can be re-designed and appropriated in use, for critical utilization

Evaluation of the Hamilton City Council plants for Gullies programme

This evaluation found that the Hamilton City Council Plants for Gullies programme is successfully facilitating the restoration and enhancement of Hamilton City gullies by private gully owners. The mean number of native species in surveyed gullies was 2.1 in non-restored sites and 18.4 in restored sites. While the mean number of invasive species was 4.1 in non-restored sites to 2.6 in restored sites. This quantitative measure is a valuable indication of the ecosystem gains for Hamilton City. Hamilton gully owners are very satisfied with the Plants for Gullies programme; the mean satisfaction rating was 8.9 out of 10. These residents dedicate significant time and energy to restoring their gully sections; the mean time contribution of survey participants was 10.3 hours per month. Gully owners were found to be utilising knowledge acquired through participation in the programme to add valuable diversity to their gully ecosystems. This was repeatedly demonstrated by programme participants not only reintroducing the native plants supplied by the programme but also adding large quantities of privately-sourced plants. This investigation found that the Plants for Gullies and Gully Restoration programmes are effective in communicating key ecological restoration concepts. This was reflected by gully owner prioritisation of eco-sourcing, biodiversity and weed control as considerations in their restoration projects. The Gully Restoration Guide was found to be the most valuable component of the programme’s educational tools. However, it is recommended that this resource is updated to support the many gully owners who require information for advanced stages of ecological restoration. In summary, the Plants for Gullies programme is successfully delivering gully restoration assistance and advice to gully owners, which is resulting in significant improvements to Hamilton City’s gully systems. The programme is valued by all who are involved and could be recommended to other New Zealand cities as an effective model for environmental restoration and community engagement

Ecology of vascular epiphytes in urban forests with special reference to the shrub epiphyte Griselinia lucida

This research investigated the ecology of vascular epiphytes and vines in the Waikato region of the North Island, and the water relations of the shrub hemiepiphyte Griselinia lucida. The main goal was to develop robust recommendations for the inclusion of epiphytic species in urban forest restoration projects. To achieve this, three broad questions were addressed: 1. How are vascular epiphytes and vines distributed throughout the nonurban and urban areas of the Waikato region, and how does this compare to other North Island areas? 2. Why are some epiphyte and vine species absent from urban Hamilton and what opportunities exist for their inclusion in restoration projects? 3. How does Griselinia lucida respond to desiccation stress and how does this compare to its congener G. littoralis? To investigate questions one and two, an ecological survey of the epiphyte communities on host trees in Waikato (n=649) and Taranaki (n=101) was conducted, alongside canopy microclimate monitoring in five Waikato sites. Results show that epiphyte and vine populations in Hamilton City forests represent only 55.2 % of the total Waikato species pool, and have a very low average of 0.8 epiphyte species per host. In contrast, the urban forests of Taranaki support 87.9 % of the local species pool and have an average of 5.5 species per host tree. The low diversity and abundance in urban Waikato can be primarily attributed to the alteration of canopy microclimates by edge effects. Mean temperature and vapour pressure deficits in Waikato were 1.9 °C and 1.1 kPa (respectively) higher in the canopy of small urban patches than the larger, nonurban forests. These warmer and drier conditions are speculated to be interrupting species accumulation and community formation processes. This phenomenom is not as pronounced in Taranaki which has larger trees and higher rainfall. Epiphyte diversity and abundance was also found to be associated with seed dispersal distances and the size, bark type, and architecture of host trees. To link the microclimate findings with physiological limitations of epiphytes and to address question three, a desiccation tolerance experiment was conducted on the shrub hemiepiphyte Griselinia lucida. Moderate and severe levels of desiccation stress were applied to seedlings of G. lucida and its terrestrial congener, G. littoralis. Both species endured over two months of drought with negligible mortality. In G. lucida, stomatal conductance reduced to zero, and leaf bulk elastic modulus reduced from 8.09 (±0.51) MPa in the control group to 3.66 (±0.61) MPa under severe stress. When compared to G. littoralis, G. lucida exhibited a more acute response to stress and recovered faster with rewatering. However, the overall response of each species was similar and both species can be classified as desiccation postponers. To summarise and combine the findings of this research with existing information on Griselinia lucida, a contribution to the New Zealand Biological Flora Series for this species is presented. Recommendations for the inclusion of epiphytes in restoration projects are presented. Reintroductions should use epiphyte and vine species that are appropriate for the conditions of the target forest, and focus on large host trees in relatively humid microclimates

Analysing emergent time within an isolated Universe through the application of interactions in the conditional probability approach

Time remains a frequently discussed issue in physics and philosophy. One interpretation of growing popularity is the ‘timeless’ view which states that our experience of time is only an illusion. The isolated Universe model, provided by the Wheeler-DeWitt equation, supports this interpretation by describing time using clocks in the conditional probability interpretation (CPI). However, the CPI customarily dismisses interaction effects as negligible creating a potential blind spot which overlooks the potential influence of interaction effects. Accounting for interactions opens up a new avenue of analysis and a potential challenge to the interpretation of time. In aid of our assessment of the impact interaction effects have on the CPI, we present rudimentary definitions of time and its associated concepts. Defined in a minimalist manner, time is argued to require a postulate of causality as a means of accounting for temporal ordering in physical theories. Several of these theories are discussed here in terms of their respective approaches to time and, despite their differences, there are indications that the accounts of time are unified in a more fundamental theory. An analytic analysis of the CPI, incorporating two different clock choices, and a qualitative analysis both confirm that interactions have a necessary role within the CPI. The consequence of removing interactions is a maximised uncertainty in any measurement of the clock and a restriction to a two-state system, as indicated by the results of the toy models and qualitative argument respectively. The philosophical implication is that we are not restricted to the timeless view since including interactions as agents of causal interventions between systems provides an account of time as a real phenomenon. This result highlights the reliance on a postulate of causality which forms a pressing problem in explaining our experience of time

I am longing for my old Kentucky home

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/4261/thumbnail.jp

The EPR paradox: back from the future

The Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) thought experiment produced a problem regarding the interpretation of quantum mechanics provided for entangled systems. Although the thought experiment was reformulated mathematically in Bell's Theorem, the conclusion regarding entanglement correlations is still debated today. In an attempt to provide an explanation of how entangled systems maintain their correlations, this thesis investigates the theory of post-state teleportation as a possible interpretation of how information moves between entangled systems without resorting to nonlocal action. Post-state teleportation describes a method of communicating to the past via a quantum information channel. The resulting picture of the EPR thought experiment relied on information propagating backward from a final boundary condition to ensure all correlations were maintained. Similarities were found between this resolution of the EPR paradox and the final state solution to the black hole information paradox and the closely related firewall problem. The latter refers to an apparent conflict between unitary evaporation of a black hole and the strong subadditivity condition. The use of observer complementarity allows this solution of the black hole problem to be shown to be the same as a seemingly different solution known as “ER=EPR", where ‘ER’ refers to an Einstein-Rosen bridge or wormhole

Physicochemical characterization of nebulized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs)

Abstract Background: Aerosol-mediated delivery of nano-based therapeutics to the lung has emerged as a promising alternative for treatment and prevention of lung diseases. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have attracted significant attention for such applications due to their biocompatibility and magnetic properties. However, information is lacking about the characteristics of nebulized SPIONs for use as a therapeutic aerosol. To address this need, we conducted a physicochemical characterization of nebulized Rienso, a SPION-based formulation for intravenous treatment of anemia. Methods: Four different concentrations of SPION suspensions were nebulized with a one-jet nebulizer. Particle size was measured in suspension by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS), and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), and in the aerosol by a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS). Results: The average particle size in suspension as measured by TEM, PCS, and NTA was 9±2 nm, 27±7 nm, and 56±10 nm, respectively. The particle size in suspension remained the same before and after the nebulization process. However, after aerosol collection in an impinger, the suspended particle size increased to 159±46 nm as measured by NTA. The aerosol particle concentration increased linearly with increasing suspension concentration, and the aerodynamic diameter remained relatively stable at around 75 nm as measured by SMPS. Conclusions: We demonstrated that the total number and particle size in the aerosol were modulated as a function of the initial concentration in the nebulizer. The data obtained mark the first known independent characterization of nebulized Rienso and, as such, provide critical information on the behavior of Rienso nanoparticles in an aerosol. The data obtained in this study add new knowledge to the existing body of literature on potential applications of SPION suspensions as inhaled aerosol therapeutics

Pulp, Vol. 4 No. 1

This is the fourth issue of Pulp.https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/pulp/1003/thumbnail.jp

Beta blocker use in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus and systolic heart failure does not worsen glycaemic control

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The prognostic benefits of beta-blockers (BB) in patients with systolic heart failure (SHF) are known but despite this, in patients with diabetes they are underutilized. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of beta-blockers (BB) on glycaemic control in patients with Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) and systolic heart failure (SHF) stratified to beta-1 selective (Bisoprolol) vs. nonselective BB (Carvedilol).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This observational, cohort study was conducted in patients with T2DM and SHF attending an Australian tertiary teaching hospital's heart failure services. The primary endpoint was glycaemic control measured by glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) at initiation and top dose of BB. Secondary endpoints included microalbuminuria, changes in lipid profile and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>125 patients were assessed. Both groups were well matched for gender, NYHA class and use of guideline validated heart failure and diabetic medications. The mean treatment duration was 1.9 ± 1.1 years with carvedilol and 1.4 ± 1.0 years with bisoprolol (<it>p </it>= ns). The carvedilol group achieved a reduction in HbA1c (7.8 ± 0.21% to 7.3 ± 0.17%, <it>p </it>= 0.02) whereas the bisoprolol group showed no change in HbA1c (7.0 ± 0.20% to 6.9 ± 0.23%, <it>p </it>= 0.92). There was no significant difference in the change in HbA1c from baseline to peak BB dose in the carvedilol group compared to the bisoprolol group. There was a similar deterioration in eGFR, but no significant changes in lipid profile or microalbuminuria in both groups (<it>p </it>= ns).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>BB use did not worsen glycaemic control, lipid profile or albuminuria status in subjects with SHF and T2DM. Carvedilol significantly improved glycemic control in subjects with SHF and T2DM and this improvement was non significantly better than that obtained with bisoprolol. BB's should not be withheld from patients with T2DM and SHF.</p