ATTITUDES TOWARD GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE STRATEGIES FOR MORE LIVABLE AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

Green infrastructure refers to multi-functional elements that integrate ecological and anthropogenic factors and processes to support healthy ecosystems and communities (Austin, 2014; Benedict & McMahon, 2002). While green infrastructure has been embraced by planners, there is not a great deal of research among planners regarding the public\u27s attitudes towards green land uses at the individual level. The dissertation studies explored three urban green infrastructure strategies: residential tree canopy, neighborhood green space, and community gardens; at the scale of user preferences and experiences. The first study (Chapter 3) used photo preference methodology to explore the tension between residential density and urban greening. Study results suggested several aspects of neighborhood spatial form associated with higher preference by study participants (n=212): a green canopy and neighborhood greening; a vegetative buffer between housing and street; and a provision of sense of privacy by building form and vegetation. The second study (Chapter 4) used descriptive analysis for a participatory planning and design activity to imagine an “ideal neighborhood”, as part of a larger study on urban ecology within a family science museum. Study results suggested that participants (n=172), many of whom were children, highly preferred green space as compared to other land uses when constructing imaginary neighborhoods. The project also explored engaging children in participatory planning within a museum setting and the use of this activity beyond the museum. The third study (Chapter 5) contributes to scholarship about the attitudes and experiences of community gardeners within an urban garden network. Results from the study suggest that for participants (n=112), community gardens provided a setting to engage with neighbors and build community based on a shared interest. Attachment to place and people grew from these interactions, which, for many, motivated ongoing involvement in the garden and community. The complexities of creating healthier, sustainable and adaptive urban settings makes it critical to engage urban populations in green infrastructure responses. Green spaces and elements are important to people and failure to provide the multiple benefits of access to nature in the city for all communities can have substantial costs to health as well as overall quality of life

Exploring Preferences for Urban Greening in Association with Learning About Sustainability in a Museum-based Urban Ecology Exhibit

Sustainable urban design and planning is grounded in understanding complex interconnecting relationships between human and ecological processes (Alberti & Marzluff, 2004). While compulsory education may provide an introduction to this subject, supplementary means are necessary in order to support citizen knowledge, interest and understanding of these complex relationships. Informal learning settings, such as museums, create opportunities for lifelong learning (Falk and Dierking, 2010) and can introduce, incorporate and link urban sustainability issues to provide an accessible and engaging introduction to the subject. Sustainable responses to urban development point to the need for higher density neighbourhoods coupled with extensive urban tree canopy (Alberti & Marzluff, 2004). However, more research is needed to ascertain if these urban forms match the preferred settings of urban residents. A family science museum provides a unique setting to explore urban greening in residential settings and provides museum visitors with the opportunity to participate in social-science research

Frequency of cannabis and illicit opioid use among people who use drugs and report chronic pain: A longitudinal analysis.

BACKGROUND:Ecological research suggests that increased access to cannabis may facilitate reductions in opioid use and harms, and medical cannabis patients describe the substitution of opioids with cannabis for pain management. However, there is a lack of research using individual-level data to explore this question. We aimed to investigate the longitudinal association between frequency of cannabis use and illicit opioid use among people who use drugs (PWUD) experiencing chronic pain. METHODS AND FINDINGS:This study included data from people in 2 prospective cohorts of PWUD in Vancouver, Canada, who reported major or persistent pain from June 1, 2014, to December 1, 2017 (n = 1,152). We used descriptive statistics to examine reasons for cannabis use and a multivariable generalized linear mixed-effects model to estimate the relationship between daily (once or more per day) cannabis use and daily illicit opioid use. There were 424 (36.8%) women in the study, and the median age at baseline was 49.3 years (IQR 42.3-54.9). In total, 455 (40%) reported daily illicit opioid use, and 410 (36%) reported daily cannabis use during at least one 6-month follow-up period. The most commonly reported therapeutic reasons for cannabis use were pain (36%), sleep (35%), stress (31%), and nausea (30%). After adjusting for demographic characteristics, substance use, and health-related factors, daily cannabis use was associated with significantly lower odds of daily illicit opioid use (adjusted odds ratio 0.50, 95% CI 0.34-0.74, p < 0.001). Limitations of the study included self-reported measures of substance use and chronic pain, and a lack of data for cannabis preparations, dosages, and modes of administration. CONCLUSIONS:We observed an independent negative association between frequent cannabis use and frequent illicit opioid use among PWUD with chronic pain. These findings provide longitudinal observational evidence that cannabis may serve as an adjunct to or substitute for illicit opioid use among PWUD with chronic pain

Exploring Preferences for Urban Greening

Sustainable responses to urban development point to the need for higher density neighborhoods coupled with extensive urban tree canopy and greening. However, little research has been conducted with urban residents to ascertain if these urban forms match their preferred setting. This study sought to understand whether higher levels of greening could moderate preference for lower density residential settings when 212 participants rated images for preference. Each of the independent variables, greening and density, made a difference in preference: greener settings were more preferred than less green settings overall, and perceived density was marginally significant in relation to preference. A factor analysis resulted in the grouping of five neighborhood types distinguished by certain characteristics (e.g., greening, buffer, building form) which, together with the qualitative responses suggested insights for making higher density residential environments more preferred. We did not find a significant interaction between greening and perceived density in relation to preference, suggesting that greening does not moderate the density-preference relation

Strategies for Supporting Student Learning Needs during the COVID Pandemic in Maine and Other States

Maine Educational Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) report based on a study of the strategies and challenges involved in supporting preK–12 students and teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Levamisole tainted cocaine causing severe neutropenia in Alberta and British Columbia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Five cases of severe neutropenia (neutrophil counts < 0.5 per 10⁹cells/L) associated with exposure to cocaine and levamisole, an antihelimithic agent no longer available in Canada, were identified in Alberta in 2008. Alberta and British Columbia (BC) public health officials issued an advisory and urged health care professionals to report cases to public health. This paper presents the findings of the public health investigations.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cases were identified prospectively through reporting by clinicians and a retrospective review of laboratory and medical examiners data from January 1, 2006 to March 31, 2009. Cases were categorized as confirmed, probable or suspect. Only the confirmed and probable cases are included in this paper.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We compare cases of severe neutropenia associated with tainted cocaine (NATC) identified in Alberta and BC between January 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009. Of the 42 NATC cases: 23(55%) were from Alberta; 19(45%) were from British Columbia; 57% of these cases reported crack cocaine use (93% of those who identified type of cocaine used); 7% reported using cocaine powder; and the main route of cocaine administration was from smoking (72%). Fifty percent of the NATC cases had multiple episodes of neutropenia associated with cocaine use. Cases typically presented with bacterial/fungal infections and fever. One Alberta NATC case produced anti-neutrophil antibodies, and four were positive for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA). Analysis of two crack pipes and one drug sample obtained from NATC cases confirmed the presence of both cocaine and levamisole. A further 18 cases were identified through the retrospective review of laboratory and medical examiner data in Alberta</p> <p>Interpretation</p> <p>Our findings support a link between neutropenia and levamisole tainted cocaine; particularly from smoking the crack form of cocaine. Some patients may be genetically predisposed to develop levamisole-related neutropenia. Awareness of the differential diagnosis will assist clinicians with case timely detection and appropriate management.</p

Teaching across disciplines: a case study of a project-based short course to teach holistic coastal adaptation design

Climate change has led to the need for innovation in resilient infrastructure and the social policies which will support those. This requires greater interdisciplinary interactions and knowledge building among emerging professionals. This paper presents a case study of a pilot short course intended to immerse graduate students in the design of resilient infrastructure using place-based and interdisciplinary active team learning. This course helps graduate students bridge the gap between research and practice on the social science and engineering of resilient infrastructure for coastal adaptation. The intellectual framework for the course (the Adaptive Gradients Framework) provides a holistic evaluation of adaptation design proposals and was used to recognize the complexity of social, ecological and engineering aspects and varied social benefits. The course provides a model to move outside rigid boundaries of institutions and disciplines to begin to build, in both students and instructors, the ability to work more effectively on complex social-ecological-engineering problems. Finally, this paper presents a summary of lessons learned from this pilot short course

Assessment, life circumstances, curriculum and skills: barriers and enablers to student mental wellbeing in distance learning

Student mental wellbeing is increasingly a priority for universities, and this is particularly critical in a distance learning context. Studies have found that studying, academic pressure, university culture and systems can affect students’ mental health. There are increasing calls for universities to take a compassionate, holistic approach to supporting student wellbeing, and identify the barriers that are created by university cultures, systems, pedagogies, curricula, tuition and assessment practices. This study aimed to identify barriers and enablers to student mental wellbeing in distance learning, and students’ recommendations for changes to be made. Using a student survey (N=584), we identified that assessment and life circumstances were the most significant barriers, while the greatest enablers were building study skills, the people in students’ lives, and curriculum and module content. The study revealed significant demographic differences in how students experience barriers and enablers, and how likely they feel they are to benefit from solutions. Students with disclosed mental health difficulties were consistently more likely to experience barriers than students without a disclosure, while enablers were experienced by all demographic groups. The study concludes that assessment should be prioritised as an area for action

Comparing different methods of learning in the development of social accountability and CanMEDS roles in medical students

Abstract Objective: Medical students at the University of British Columbia undertake a population health course that aims to cultivate social accountability and CanMEDS roles. Students choose between Discussion Group Option (DGO), Community Service Learning Option (CSLO), or Self-Directed Project Option (SDPO). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of these three different learning options in developing social accountability and CanMEDS roles in medical students. Methods: Expert consultation and literature review were undertaken to develop a self-report survey. Students who had completed the course from 2009 to 2013 were surveyed. The results were analyzed to evaluate differences between groups. Results: We recruited 168 participants with equal representation from each option. CSLO and SDPO students reported greater development of social accountability and CanMEDS roles from the course compared to DGO students. In addition, CSLO and SDPO students reported greater academic output and satisfaction from their experience. Conclusion: Students who participated in community-based or project-based learning reported significantly better acquisition of social accountability and CanMEDS roles compared to students who engaged in group discussion.  Résumé Objectif: Les étudiants en médecine de l’Université de la Colombie-Britannique suivent un cours sur la santé de la population qui vise à cultiver la responsabilité sociale et les rôles CanMEDS. Les étudiants choisissent entre l’option de discussion de groupe (DGO, de l’anglais), l’option d’apprentissage par l’engagement communautaire (CSLO, de l’anglais) ou l’option de projet autonome (SDPO, de l’anglais). L’objectif de cette étude était d’évaluer l’efficacité de ces trois options d’apprentissage différentes pour le développement de la responsabilité sociale et des rôles CanMEDS chez les étudiants en médecine. Méthodes: Des consultations d’experts et une revue de la littérature ont été entreprises afin de concevoir un sondage d’autodéclaration. Les étudiants ayant complété le cours de 2009 à 2013 ont été interrogés. Les résultats ont été analysés afin d’évaluer les différences entre les groupes. Résultats: Nous avons recruté 168 participants, avec une représentation égale pour chaque option. Les étudiants des groupes CSLO et SDPO ont déclaré plus de développement de leur sens de responsabilité sociale et des rôles CanMEDS à la suite du cours, en comparaison aux étudiants du groupe DGO. De plus, les étudiants des groupes CSLO et SDPO ont rapporté un plus grand nombre de réalisations scolaires et une meilleure satisfaction par rapport à leur expérience. Conclusion: Les étudiants qui ont participé à l’apprentissage par l’engagement communautaire ou par l’entremise d’un projet autonome ont rapporté une acquisition nettement meilleure de la responsabilité sociale et des rôles CanMEDS, en comparaison aux étudiants qui ont participé à une discussion de groupe.

Yes, not now, or never: an analysis of reasons for refusing or accepting emergency department-based take-home naloxone.

OBJECTIVE: Take-home naloxone (THN) reduces deaths from opioid overdose. To increase THN distribution to at-risk emergency department (ED) patients, we explored reasons for patients' refusing or accepting THN. METHODS: In an urban teaching hospital ED, we identified high opioid overdose risk patients according to pre-specified criteria. We offered eligible patients THN and participation in researcher-administered surveys, which inquired about reasons to refuse or accept THN and about THN dispensing location preferences. We analyzed refusal and acceptance reasons in open-ended responses, grouped reasons into categories (absolute versus conditional refusals,) then searched for associations between patient characteristics and reasons. RESULTS: Of 247 patients offered THN, 193 (78.1%) provided reasons for their decision. Of those included, 69 (35.2%) were female, 91 (47.2%) were under age 40, 61 (31.6%) were homeless, 144 (74.6%) reported injection drug use (IDU), and 131 (67.9%) accepted THN. Of 62 patients refusing THN, 19 (30.7%) felt "not at risk" for overdose, while 28 (45.2%) gave conditional refusal reasons: "too sick," "in a rush," or preference to get THN elsewhere. Non-IDU was associated with stating "not at risk," while IDU, homelessness, and age under 40 were associated with conditional refusals. Among acceptances, 86 (65.7%) mentioned saving others as a reason. Most respondents preferred other dispensing locations beside the ED, whether or not they accepted ED THN. CONCLUSION: ED patients refusing THN felt "not at risk" for overdose or felt their ED visit was not the right time or place for THN. Most accepting THN wanted to save others