Vulnerability to Freshwater Changes in the Inuit Settlement Region of Nunatsiavut, Labrador: A Case Study from Rigolet

Drawing on vulnerability approaches from the climate change literature, this paper explores the vulnerability of residents of the community of Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, Labrador, to changes in freshwater. Our approach emphasizes local preferences and values. We analyze the results from 89 household interviews (88% response) and targeted interviews in Rigolet to consider the human experience of climate variability and change. Residents report that changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of freshwater are currently challenging their ability to access preferred drinking water and food sources and are adding to the financial barriers that restrict their time spent on the land. The results of our study suggest that Rigolet residents are successfully adapting to existing freshwater changes in their watershed, though these adaptations have not come without sacrifice. The adaptive capacity of Rigolet residents has been supported by resource flexibility and experience-based knowledge of freshwater variability within their watershed, among other factors. Findings suggest that the exposure of sub-Arctic and Arctic communities to freshwater changes and their capacity to adapt are largely shaped by the lifeways of residents and the manner and degree to which they are dependent on local freshwater systems.Cet article explore la vulnérabilité des résidents de Rigolet, au Nunatsiavut, Labrador, vis-à-vis des changements caractérisant l’eau douce en s’appuyant sur les approches de vulnérabilité puisées dans la documentation sur le changement climatique. Notre démarche met l’accent sur les préférences et les valeurs locales. Nous analysons les résultats de 89 entrevues réalisées auprès de divers ménages (taux de réponse de 88 %) et d’entrevues ciblées effectuées à Rigolet afin de considérer la réaction de l’être humain vis-à-vis de la variabilité et du changement climatique. Les résidents signalent que les changements enregistrés sur le plan de la répartition spatiale et temporelle de l’eau douce leur posent des difficultés pour ce qui est de l’accès à leurs sources préférées d’eau potable et de nourriture, ce qui a également pour effet d’amplifier les obstacles financiers, car ils restreignent le temps qu’ils passent sur la terre. Les résultats de notre étude suggèrent que les résidents de Rigolet réussissent à s’adapter aux changements caractérisant l’eau douce au sein de leur bassin hydrographique, mais que ces adaptations ne se sont pas faites sans sacrifices. La capacité d’adaptation des résidents de Rigolet a notamment été facilitée par la flexibilité des ressources et les connaissances de la variabilité de l’eau douce découlant de l’expérience au sein même de leur bassin hydrographique. Nos observations laissent entendre que les changements en matière d’eau douce que connaissent les communautés subarctiques et arctiques de même que leur capacité d’adaptation sont largement attribuables aux modes de vie des résidents et à la manière et au degré dont ils dépendent des réseaux d’eau douce de la région

A construção do ser ambiental a partir de uma nova ética de responsabilidade relacional

Resumo: A relação homem-ambiente tem sido estudada há décadas com o objetivo de se encontrar uma solução para os problemas ambientais da modernidade e compatibilizar o desenvolvimento tecnológico com a manutenção de um ambiente sadio para todos. Uma nova ética de responsabilidade para com o meio ambiente necessita ser formulada visando reconstruir a relação homem-natureza, exteriorizando o ser ambiental existente em todos ser humano. O trabalho propõe uma nova ética relacional, sugerindo um paradigma ético de responsabilidade para com o meio ambiente, fundamentado no cuidado e nos princípios da fraternidade e solidariedade.

Twelve principles to support caregiver engagement in health care systems and health research

Family and friend caregivers (i.e., unpaid carers) play a critical role in meeting the needs of people across various ages and illness circumstances. Caregiver experiences and expertise, which are currently overlooked, should be considered in practice (such as designing and evaluating services) and when designing and conducting research. In order to improve the quality of health care we need to understand how best to meaningfully engage caregivers in research, policy and program development to fill this important gap. Our study aimed to determine principles to support caregiver engagement in practice and research. A pan Canadian meeting brought together 48 stakeholders from research, policy and practice and lived experience (caregivers) to share perspectives on caregiver engagement and co-design. Several presentations from each stakeholder group were shared, followed by discussion and report back sessions. Extensive notes were taken and members of the research team synthesized the findings into categories and presented them back to participants for verification. 12 core principles to support caregiver engagement in practice and research were identified and validated by attendees: use policy levers and incentives, make blunt structural changes, face fears, recognize caregivers and increase opportunities to engage, define what quality means, be mindful of whose experience is being represented, address language and power, engage early, clarify roles and expectations, listen and act on what you hear, measure, and create a community of learning. These principles provide a foundation to guide curriculum development, core competency training, future research and quality improvement activities in health care settings

Comparison of image analysis software packages in the assessment of adhesion of microorganisms to mucosal epithelium using confocal laser scanning microscopy

We have compared current image analysis software packages in order to find the most useful one for assessing microbial adhesion and inhibition of adhesion to tissue sections. We have used organisms of different sizes, the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and the yeast Candida albicans. Adhesion of FITC-labelled H. pylori and C. albicans was assessed by confocal microscopy. Four different Image analysis software packages, NIH-Image, IP Lab, Image Pro+, and Metamorph, were compared for their ability to quantify adhesion of the two organisms and several quantification methods were devised for each package. For both organisms, the dynamic range that could be detected by the software packages was 1×106?1×109 cells/ml. Of the four software packages tested, our results showed that Metamorph software, using our ?Region of Interest? method, with the software's ?Standard Area Method? of counting, was the most suitable for quantifying adhesion of both organisms because of its unique ability to separate clumps of microbial cells. Moreover, fewer steps were required. By pre-incubating H. pylori with the glycoconjugate Lewis b-HSA, an inhibition of binding of 48.8% was achieved using 250 ?g/ml Lewis b-HSA. The method we have devised using Metamorph software, provides a simple, quick and accurate way of quantifying adhesion and inhibition of adhesion of microbial cells to the epithelial surface of tissue sections. The method can be applied to organisms ranging in size from small bacteria to larger yeast cells

A OBRIGATORIEDADE DO REGIME DE SEPARAÇÃO DE BENS AO IDOSO DE SETENTA ANOS: PROTEÇÃO OU DISCRIMINAÇÃO?

A OBRIGATORIEDADE DO REGIME DE SEPARAÇÃO DE BENS AO IDOSO DE SETENTA ANOS: PROTEÇÃO OU DISCRIMINAÇÃO

Sterilization of men with intellectual disabilities: whose best interest is it anyway?

This article examines the ethical and legal issues raised by the involuntary sterilization of men with intellectual disability. It traces how, after the demise of eugenic reasoning, social policies of normalization and care in the community provided new justifications for sterilizations. It also examines how, ironically, modern arguments about promoting male sexual freedom have come to be used as a justification to sterilize. Through examination of recent cases on the sterilization of men with intellectual disabilities, this article explores the legal framework of the ‘best interests’ test and the ‘least restrictive alternative’ provisions in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and argues that sterilization is usually unnecessary, disproportionate and not the least restrictive option. It also argues that the least restrictive alternative provisions contained in the 2005 Act need to be more rigorously applied

Progesterone Receptor Activates Msx2 Expression by Downregulating TNAP/Akp2 and Activating the Bmp Pathway in EpH4 Mouse Mammary Epithelial Cells

Previously we demonstrated that EpH4 mouse mammary epithelial cells induced the homeobox transcription factor Msx2 either when transfected with the progesterone receptor (PR) or when treated with Bmp2/4. Msx2 upregulation was unaffected by Wnt inhibitors s-FRP or Dkk1, but was inhibited by the Bmp antagonist Noggin. We therefore hypothesized that PR signaling to Msx2 acts through the Bmp receptor pathway. Herein, we confirm that transcripts for Alk2/ActR1A, a non-canonical BmpR Type I, are upregulated in mammary epithelial cells overexpressing PR (EpH4-PR). Increased phosphorylation of Smads 1,5, 8, known substrates for Alk2 and other BmpR Type I proteins, was observed as was their translocation to the nucleus in EpH4-PR cells. Analysis also showed that Tissue Non-Specific Alkaline Phosphatase (TNAP/Akp2) was also found to be downregulated in EpH4-PR cells. When an Akp2 promoter-reporter construct containing a ½PRE site was transfected into EpH4-PR cells, its expression was downregulated. Moreover, siRNA mediated knockdown of Akp2 increased both Alk2 and Msx2 expression. Collectively these data suggest that PR inhibition of Akp2 results in increased Alk2 activity, increased phosphorylation of Smads 1,5,8, and ultimately upregulation of Msx2. These studies imply that re-activation of the Akp2 gene could be helpful in downregulating aberrant Msx2 expression in PR+ breast cancers

Modelling human performance within manufacturing systems design:from a theoretical towards a practical framework

Computer-based simulation is frequently used to evaluate the capabilities of proposed manufacturing system designs. Unfortunately, the real systems are often found to perform quite differently from simulation predictions and one possible reason for this is an over-simplistic representation of workers' behaviour within current simulation techniques. The accuracy of design predictions could be improved through a modelling tool that integrates with computer-based simulation and incorporates the factors and relationships that determine workers' performance. This paper explores the viability of developing a similar tool based on our previously published theoretical modelling framework. It focuses on evolving this purely theoretical framework towards a practical modelling tool that can actually be used to expand the capabilities of current simulation techniques. Based on an industrial study, the paper investigates how the theoretical framework works in practice, analyses strengths and weaknesses in its formulation, and proposes developments that can contribute towards enabling human performance modelling in a practical way