Children and computers: collected works (1995–2014)

This commentary focuses on my photographic and film work that takes the relationship between children and computers as its theme. The text opens with a description of my earliest digital research project In a Shaded Place (1995), which explored the introduction of computers into early learning. I then go on to discuss a series of projects that focus similarly on the relationship between children and digital culture from this period to 2014. Over a series of chapters I discuss my own practice in relation to the early impact of the computer on photography, the impact of the introduction of the Internet on children and the development and impact of computer gaming on young people. I also discuss the enduring interest in childhood as a theme in photography, reflecting on the work of key artists, curators and writers working in my field whom I have exhibited and been published alongside over the period covered by the commentary. All of the projects included here address the question: How has the computer (and, by extension, the information age) affected the ways in which we describe and depict ourselves? Over the period covered by this commentary there has an unprecedented shift in the understanding of the role and function of photography. There has also been a marked shift in attitude to the representation of the child in society. Both of these subjects have deeply informed my practice. I conclude my commentary with a description and analysis of my 2009 project The Skater and a description of what I perceive as my own contribution to new knowledge, which includes the impact of my work on the understanding of the representation for the child in photography and also its implied critique of the impact of the computer on photography at the beginning of the digital age

[Letter from Doug McMurdo of The Times-Independent]

The items accompanying this note are called newspapers, which in all likelihood you\u27ve never seen, unless you\u27re old and have been around awhile

From Reel to Real: The Vermont Digital Newspaper Project

Thomas introduces the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP) state project for Vermont, and discusses newspaper digitization processes and research implications as well as ongoing developments for the VTDNP and the NDNP

Adapting clinical guidelines to take account of multimorbidity

Most people with a chronic condition have multimorbidity, but clinical guidelines almost entirely focus on single conditions. It will never be possible to have good evidence for every possible combination of conditions, but guidelines could be made more useful for people with multimorbidity if they were delivered in a format that brought together relevant recommendations for different chronic conditions and identified synergies, cautions, and outright contradictions. We highlight the problem that multimorbidity poses to clinicians and patients using guidelines for single conditions and propose ways of making them more useful for people with multimorbidity

Making better decisions for the conservation of threatened species: science, values, and New Zealand's rarest bird

Decision making for threatened species recovery can be complex: there is often a diverse range of stakeholders holding values that may be conflicting, data are typically deficient and imperfect, and there is uncertainty about the outcomes of proposed actions. Yet in this pressured and challenging context, decisions must still be made. Conservationists therefore need the right tools to address these complexities, and structured decision making (SDM) is effective in this space. Here, I demonstrate the utility of SDM and its component tools to assist recovery planning for Aotearoa-New Zealand’s rarest indigenous breeding bird, tara iti (New Zealand fairy tern, Sternula nereis davisae). My PhD aims to advance (i) the way we approach decisions via inclusivity and expression of values, (ii) the way we make decisions by recognising objectives, creating alternatives and making explicit trade-offs, and (iii) the way we use data to support these decisions by analysing and interpreting biased or imperfect datasets. Values drive decisions, and I first demonstrate how SDM, a values-focused approach, can be used to meaningfully integrate stakeholder values such as mātauranga Māori (Māori [indigenous New Zealander] knowledge/perspective) into conservation decisions and provide a basis for co-management between different peoples. Second, I analyse a seabird translocation trial, showing how creative thinking about alternatives can help better achieve conservation objectives. Third, I show how the application of SDM resulted in a new management recommendation that balanced across multiple objectives and was evidence-based. This was the first action after a decade of inaction and communication breakdown between stakeholders. Finally, I use a decision tree and counterfactuals to analyse the efficacy of tara iti egg management, showing how these tools can help navigate complex and biased monitoring data sets to improve future decisions. This thesis provides a detailed real-world example of how SDM can be applied effectively to a complex conservation problem, and highlights the importance of clear, values-focused thinking and inclusive approaches in species recovery

Optimal management of urinary tract infections in older people

Urinary tract infections (UTI) occur frequently in older people. Unfortunately, UTI is commonly overdiagnosed and overtreated on the basis of nonspecific clinical signs and symptoms. The diagnosis of a UTI in the older patient requires the presence of new urinary symptoms, with or without systemic symptoms. Urinalysis is commonly used to diagnose infection in this population, however, the evidence for its use is limited. There is overwhelming evidence that asymptomatic bacteriuria should not be treated. Catheter associated urinary tract infection accounts for a significant amount of hospital-associated infection. Indwelling urinary catheters should be avoided where possible and alternatives sought. The use of narrow spectrum antimicrobial agents for urinary tract infection is advocated. Local guidelines are now widely used to reflect local resistance patterns and available agents. Guidelines need to be updated to reflect changes in antimicrobial prescribing and a move from broad to narrow spectrum antimicrobials

The Vermont Digital Newspaper Project and the National Digital Newspaper Program: Cooperative Efforts in Long-Term Digital Newspaper Access and Preservation

The Vermont Digital Newspaper Project (VTDNP) is a state partner in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). Developed by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress (LC), the NDNP is a long-term, national effort to build a freely accessible, searchable Internet database of historical US newspapers. NEH provides funding to state projects to select and digitize historic newspapers published between 1836 and 1922. LC provides the technical support and framework for preservation digitization. Digitized newspapers are archived by LC and made freely available through the website Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Vermont joined the NDNP in July 2010, when the University of Vermont Libraries were awarded NEH funding to embark collaboratively with state partners—including the Vermont Department of Libraries, the Ilsley Public Library of Middlebury, and the Vermont Historical Society—on the Vermont Digital Newspaper Project. Institutional partnerships and the engagement of committed individuals serve as a foundation to the VTDNP and provide an avenue to expand statewide infrastructures to accommodate large-scale microfilm-to-digital conversion and preservation efforts. Through collaboration and outreach, project partners select and digitize historical newspapers from microfilm and promote Chronicling America, a tool for discovery of these primary historical resources

Effectiveness of benzoyl peroxide application in the treatment of acne

Acne is a skin condition involving the oil-producing glands in the skin that affects roughly 5 million Canadians. A common medication used to treat acne contains the organic compound benzoyl peroxide that works to remove acne causing bacteria in the epidermis. Benzoyl peroxide is an extremely volatile substance and, therefore, only constitutes 2% active ingredient of related acne care products. A multimedia fugacity model was used to determine the amount of chemical effectively emitted or absorbed into the skin. The parameters used in the model were set to fit a single application of medicated lotion to the face, with the non-aqueous phase liquid component being the sole receiver of the chemical. Assuming these parameters, it is estimated that 4.58x10-5 kg of benzoyl peroxide is deposited into the skin per application. The model demonstrates that humans are the main recipient of the chemical with over two-thirds being absorbed and the remaining is lost to the atmosphere through evaporation with negligible emissions to the water and soil environments. Since benzoyl peroxide is the most common chemical used to treat acne, it is important to determine how much penetrates the skin and the effectiveness of each application. *Indicates faculty mentor