Steepmilk Deerdog: A Novel

Steepmilk Deerdog is an urban fantasy novel set in contemporary Ottawa and centering on the stories of three women. It opens as the protagonist, Kiki, receives an urgent phone call from her absent sister, Juliet, begging her to return to their hometown. Kiki rents a basement apartment from an elderly woman named Maureen who lives in the house above her. As Kiki attempts to make contact with her sister and uncover the secrets of her absence, Maureen’s developing dementia becomes more and more apparent. Maureen’s only regular visitor, a charming city councillor named Roger, offers Kiki work but may have ulterior motives for fostering his friendships with these women. Meanwhile, Kiki’s longtime online flirtation, a porn actor in Montreal, visits for the first time and they attempt to navigate their relationship. But something is off about reality, and only Kiki and Juliet seem to have noticed. Magical things begin to happen, and Maureen’s house upstairs seems to act as a gateway for them. Kiki is befriended by Maureen’s talking cat as the older woman begins to forget her pet, and the rest of the city is oddly concerned with tracking down a deer that has been sighted in the neighbourhood. However, the characters do not perceive the magical elements as unusual in any way, and Kiki continues to assert that nothing is different about this reality, despite it being a different reality. By the novel’s culmination, magic becomes metaphorical for power gained and power lost. As the centre of Canada’s federal political power, Ottawa is a unique and apt choice of setting. The integration of magical elements into an otherwise verisimilar world attempts to redress the underrepresentation of real-life Canadian urban spaces in works of fantasy. In doing so, Steepmilk Deerdog draws attention to the relativity of perspective, enabling the novel to explore the traps of the patriarchal and economic systems in which we live, the ways in which women resist these, and the ways in which Canadian cities continue to be sites of these struggles

An Analysis of the Factors Affecting Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment: Case Study of Selected Projects in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Public Participation (PP) is an integral part in the EIA process and it is enshrined in the Constitution of Kenya. The overall objective of the study is to evaluate the factorsthat affect public participation in EIA process among selected projects in Nairobi City County. The specific objectives of the study were to evaluate how socio- economic, behavioral and political factors affect PP in EIA process. Two theories that were used in this study included OECD active participation framework and CLEAR participation model. The study adopted descriptive research design. The researcher targeted five projects from 53 on- going projects in Nairobi County. The population of the study included 105 respondents (100 participants and 5 project proponents). That is 20 respondents from each project. The researcher used questionnaires (participants) and interviews guides (project proponents) to collect data. Data collected was both quantitative and qualitative. The findings revealed that the level of education affects public participation in projects. Language used during meetings could either encourage/ discourage effective communication hence have an effect on participation. Employment status tend to affect how public participate in EIA process. The level of trust between the government and public tends to affect how the public will come out to participate in government projects when called upon. Politicians had an influence on public participation in government projects. The study recommends regularly awareness by National Environment Management Authority about EIA process and the public should change their attitude towards participation in government projects

Mineral futures discussion paper: Sustainability issues, challenges and opportunities.

Minerals and metals will continue to play an important role in underpinning the future prosperity of our society. However, to confront the challenge of sustainability, the way in which resources are currently used, and might usefully be used in future, merits serious and broad discussion. This paper explores the background issues relating to mineral futures as a first step in the three-year research program of the Mineral Futures Collaboration Cluster – a collaborative program between the Australian CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation); The University of Queensland; The University of Technology, Sydney; Curtin University of Technology; CQ University; and The Australian National University

Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Two Low-Intensity Weight Loss Maintenance Interventions Based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or Self-Regulation

Background: Weight regain is common following behavioral obesity treatment and attenuates many of the benefits of initial weight loss. This paper describes a randomized controlled trial that will evaluate the efficacy of two low-contact weight loss maintenance interventions based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and self-regulation (SR). Potential mechanisms of action and moderators of treatment effects will also be evaluated. Methods: Adults (anticipated N=480)with overweight or obesity will complete an initial 3-monthonline weight loss program (Phase 1). Participants who achieve ≥4 kg weight loss (anticipated N=288) will then be randomized to an ACT or SR weight loss maintenance intervention. Both interventions will entail four2.5 hour, face-to-face, group-based workshop sessions and 6 months of email contact. Assessments will be conducted at phase 1 baseline, phase 1 completion/pre-randomization, and 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 months post-randomization. The primary outcome will be weight change for the period from randomization to 30 months. Potential process measures including ACT-based constructs (e.g., psychological acceptance, values-consistent behavior), self-weighing frequency, and motivation will be also be assessed, as will potential moderators (e.g., initial weight loss). Conclusions: This study will compare the efficacy of two intervention approaches (ACT and SR) delivered in a scalable workshop format for long-term weight loss maintenance. Future research could examine efficacy and cost-effectiveness of these approaches in real world settings

The economic burden experienced by carers of children who had a critical deterioration at a tertiary children’s hospital in the United Kingdom (the DETECT study): an online survey

BackgroundUnplanned critical care admissions following in-hospital deterioration in children are expected to impose a significant burden for carers across a number of dimensions. One dimension relates to the financial and economic impact associated with the admission, from both direct out-of-pocket expenditures, as well as indirect costs, reflecting productivity losses. A robust assessment of these costs is key to understand the wider impact of interventions aiming to reduce in-patient deterioration. This work aims to determine the economic burden imposed on carers caring for hospitalised children that experience critical deterioration events.MethodsDescriptive study with quantitative approach. Carers responded to an online survey between July 2020 and April 2021. The survey was developed by the research team and piloted before use. The sample comprised 71 carers of children admitted to a critical care unit following in-patient deterioration, at a tertiary children's hospital in the UK. The survey provides a characterisation of the carer's household and estimates of direct non-medical costs grouped in five different expenditure categories. Productivity losses can also be estimated based on the reported information.ResultsMost carers reported expenditures associated to the child's admission in the week preceding the survey completion. Two-thirds of working carers had missed at least one workday in the week prior to the survey completion. Moreover, eight in ten carers reported having had to travel from home to the hospital at least once a week. These expenditures, on average, amount to £164 per week, grouped in five categories (38% each to travelling costs and to food and drink costs, with accommodation, childcare, and parking representing 12%, 7% and 5%, respectively). Additionally, weekly productivity losses for working carers are estimated at £195.ConclusionUnplanned critical care admissions for children impose a substantial financial burden for carers. Moreover, productivity losses imply a subsequent cost to society. Even though subsidised hospital parking and on-site accommodation at the hospital contribute to minimising such expenditure, the overall impact for carers remains high. Interventions aiming at reducing emergency critical care admissions, or their length, can be crucial to further contribute to the reduction of this burden.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN61279068, date of registration 07/06/2019, retrospectively registered

An interdisciplinary examination of stress and injury occurrence in athletes

This paper adopts a novel, interdisciplinary approach to explore the relationship between psychosocial factors, physiological stress-related markers and occurrence of injury in athletes using a repeated measures design across a 2-year data collection period. At three data collection time-points, athletes completed measures of major life events, the reinforcement sensitivity theory personality questionnaire, muscle stiffness, heart rate variability and postural stability, and reported any injuries they had sustained since the last data collection. Two Bayesian networks were used to examine the relationships between variables and model the changes between data collection points in the study. Findings revealed muscle stiffness to have the strongest relationship with injury occurrence, with high levels of stiffness increasing the probability of sustaining an injury. Negative life events did not increase the probability of injury occurrence at any single time-point; however, when examining changes between time points, increases in negative life events did increase the probability of injury. In addition, the combination of increases in negative life events and muscle stiffness resulted in the greatest probability of sustaining an injury. Findings demonstrated the importance of both an interdisciplinary approach and a repeated measures design to furthering our understanding of the relationship between stress-related markers and injury occurrence

Traditional Owners of the Great Barrier Reef: the next generation of Reef 2050 actions

In short, this Report: Confirms that there are two options for progressing the integration of Traditional Owner interests in the Reef 2050 Plan. Option 1 (Business As Usual) represents a continuation of the current approach of Government-based review and refinement of the (now 23) Traditional Owner actions in the Reef 2050 Plan. Option 2 (Towards Genuine Co-governance) represents Government taking a far more negotiated approach at the GBR-wide level (and subsequently down to local scales) that applies the principles of Free Prior and Informed Consent. Based on extensive engagement concerning the aspirations of Traditional Owners and their support organisations across the GBR, the overwhelming stated desire and demand is for genuine partnership in the overarching governance of the Reef and far deeper ownership of, and participation in, its active day to day management (Option 2). There is an unambiguous view that the foundations set in the Reef 2050 Plan (Option 1), while a step in the right direction, simply reflect Traditional Owner aspirations in someone else’s planning. Meanwhile, a consistent message from Traditional Owners, fuelled by their existing and emerging rights in sea country, is that this more passive form of involvement cannot continue into the future; that a genuine form of agreement making and active implementation (from GBR to local scales) must emerge

Trends, Challenges, and Evidence-Based Strategies for School Dropout Prevention in Virginia

This MERC research and policy brief explores school dropout prevention by focusing on recent trends and research. It addresses the following questions: 1) What are recent trends in school dropout?2) What factors contribute to school dropout?3) What are the consequences and implications of school dropout?4) What are evidence-based strategies for school dropout prevention?5) What are federal, state, and division-level policies related to school dropout prevention in the MERC region? It concludes with a series of key takeaways and recommendations

Parents’ experiences and perceptions of the acceptability of a whole-hospital, pro-active electronic pediatric early warning system (the DETECT study): A qualitative interview study

BackgroundFailure to recognize and respond to clinical deterioration in a timely and effective manner is an urgent safety concern, driving the need for early identification systems to be embedded in the care of children in hospital. Pediatric early warning systems (PEWS) or PEW scores alert health professionals (HPs) to signs of deterioration, trigger a review and escalate care as needed. PEW scoring allows HPs to record a child's vital signs and other key data including parent concern.AimThis study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of parents about the acceptability of a newly implemented electronic surveillance system (the DETECT surveillance system), and factors that influenced acceptability and their awareness around signs of clinical deterioration and raising concern.MethodsDescriptive, qualitative semi-structured telephone interviews were undertaken with parents of children who had experienced a critical deterioration event (CDE) (n = 19) and parents of those who had not experienced a CDE (non-CDE parents) (n = 17). Data were collected between February 2020 and February 2021.ResultsQualitative data were analyzed using generic thematic analysis. Analysis revealed an overarching theme of trust as a key factor that underpinned all aspects of children's vital signs being recorded and monitored. The main themes reflect three domains of parents' trust: trust in themselves, trust in the HPs, and trust in the technology.ConclusionParents' experiences and perceptions of the acceptability of a whole-hospital, pro-active electronic pediatric early warning system (The DETECT system) were positive; they found it acceptable and welcomed the use of new technology to support the care of their child