Creating Vocative Texts

Vocative texts are expressive poetic text s that strive to show rather than tell, that communicate felt knowledge, and that appeal to the senses. They are increasingly used by researchers to present qualitative findings, but little has been written about how to create such texts. To this end, excerpts from an inquiry into the experience and meaning of music listening in the context of chronic illness (Nicol, 2002) are presented and used to illustrate five elements associated with vocative texts (van Manen, 1997). Further student examples of vocative writing are also provided. The intent is to make a pragmatic contribution to the growing literature on writing and qualitative inquiry, and to stimulate interest in experimenting with different ways of writing

Escape artists: adventure and isolation in women's writing at the fin de siècle

Recent scholarship has examined the lived experience of unmarried women in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Britain, both in cities and in the countryside. Typically, scholarship in this field has focussed on women's social identity whether spinster, widow or lesbian and addressed how these types of women were variously used in fiction and the press to contest or uphold the gendered status quo. This thesis problematises the distinct characterisation of these social identities by examining works which seek to unify female social identity at the fin de siècle through a common modern experience: the conflict between individual and collective life. All of the female subjects examined in this thesis whether author, artist, or fictional character, and whether married, separated, unmarried, widowed, homosexual, or not easily identifiable either way are solitary figures. Their movement within and interaction with their environments reveal the uneasy combination of separation and exposure experienced by working women of all classes at the fin de siècle. This thesis examines the solitary female figure in works of British fiction produced between 1880 and 1922. It considers the pressures and implications of separation and exposure in relation to female celebrity and creative practices at the fin de siècle. My methodology involves examining the biography and auto/biographical works of Amy Levy (1861-1889), George Egerton (pseud. of Mary Chavelita Dunne Bright; 1859-1945), Sarah Grand (pseud. of Frances Elizabeth Bellenden McFall; 1854-1943) and Charlotte Mew (1869-1923), and drawing out aspects that speak to the desires for privacy and, conversely, publicity and/or companionship. I identify how their lived experience of this conflict broadly, between society and solitude affected the depiction of modern female consciousness in their literary works by examining their female characters subjective interaction with three environments: the foreign landscape, the home, and the city. My aim is to identify how Levy, Egerton, Grand and Mew used their literary works to acknowledge and retaliate against the restrictions which continued to limit urban women's physical, social and psychological autonomy

Experiential High School Career Education, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation

Students’ perceived self-efficacy and motivation in the context of experiential high school career education was examined through an exploratory mixed methods case study of an elective experiential career education class offered in Saskatchewan public schools. Data were generated by having students (N = 14) complete two measures at the start and end of the semester: the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale—Short Form (CDMES-SF) (Taylor & Betz, 1983) and an adapted motivation questionnaire (Kerner, 2011). Classroom assignments, curriculum documents, and interviews with the instructor and two of the students provided further sources of data. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically and quantitative data were analyzed using dependent-t-testing. Significant differences in CDMSE-SF scores were identified and common themes emerged across the qualitative data. Findings are discussed as they relate to social cognitive theory, self-determination theory, and implications for practice and future research

The Power of Personal Experiences : Post-Publication Experiences of Researchers Using Autobiographical Data

Although much has been written about the challenging writing process associated with autobiographical research, little is known about the post-publications consequences of using personal experience as a primary source of data. This psychology honour’s project used an online survey to investigate the question: What are researchers’ experiences and perspectives after publishing research that used autobiographical materials as the primary source of data? The participants were 13 individuals who had published at least two autobiographical peer-reviewed articles and the method was qualitative description using content analysis. Primarily positive findings were identified (e.g., career advancement, professional and personal validation, perceived strengthened relationships with others) although some participants continued to wonder about decisions related to their autobiographical publications (e.g., privacy of third parties, what content to include or exclude) and about the reactions of others (e.g., readers, loved ones). Findings underscore how using personal experience as data blurs the borders of scholarship and personal growth, and directly impacts audiences. Implications include tips for those interesting in doing autobiographical research

Negative pressure wound therapy management of the "open abdomen" following trauma: a prospective study and systematic review

INTRODUCTION: The use of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) for temporary abdominal closure of open abdomen (OA) wounds is widely accepted. Published outcomes vary according to the specific nature and the aetiology that resulted in an OA. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a new NPWT system specifically used OA resulting from abdominal trauma. METHODS: A prospective study on trauma patients requiring temporary abdominal closure (TAC) with grade 1or 2 OA was carried out. All patients were treated with NPWT (RENASYS AB Smith & Nephew) to achieve TAC. The primary outcome measure was time taken to achieve fascial closure and secondary outcomes were complications and mortality. RESULTS: A total of 20 patients were included. Thirteen patients (65%) achieved fascial closure following a median treatment period of 3 days. Four patients (20%) died of causes unrelated to NPWT. Complications included fistula formation in one patient (5%) with spontaneous resolution during NPWT), bowel necrosis in a single patient (5%) and three cases of infection (15%). No fistulae were present at the end of NPWT. CONCLUSION: This new NPWT kit is safe and effective and results in a high rate of fascial closure and low complication rates in the severely injured trauma patient

Dance and Music as Therapy: Post Surgery Recovery and Healing through the Arts

This paper is a narrative account spanning 10-years in the life of Paul, a 19-year-old, elite dancer who, without knowledge of dance therapy, self-determined to claim dance ‘as’ therapy for himself as he faced a long, post-recovery after traumatic brain surgery that left him a mere shadow of his former self. His experiences were recounted in three open-ended interviews supplemented with insights from his brother and the first author based on their personal relationships with Paul. Findings demonstrate the connections he unknowingly made to dance therapy to re-train his mind and body and to re-gain strength and function while maintaining a spiritual resolve to remain positive and never give up. His experiences are reflected within the literature related to dance therapy and demonstrate outcomes of healing through dance and music, alongside medical care. The intent of this narrative is to inform and share the journey between illness, diagnosis, and recovery. The goal is to honour the value in narrative medicine and how lived stories can build relationships between health care professionals and those who walk in the shoes of recovery

Characterizing Sleep Spindles in Sheep.

Sleep spindles are distinctive transient patterns of brain activity that typically occur during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in humans and other mammals. Thought to be important for the consolidation of learning, they may also be useful for indicating the progression of aging and neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of this study was to characterize sleep spindles in sheep (Ovis aries). We recorded electroencephalographs wirelessly from six sheep over a continuous period containing 2 nights and a day. We detected and characterized spindles using an automated algorithm. We found that sheep sleep spindles fell within the classical range seen in humans (10-16 Hz), but we did not see a further separation into fast and slow bands. Spindles were detected predominantly during NREM sleep. Spindle characteristics (frequency, duration, density, topography) varied between individuals, but were similar within individuals between nights. Spindles that occurred during NREM sleep in daytime were indistinguishable from those found during NREM sleep at night. Surprisingly, we also detected numerous spindle-like events during unequivocal periods of wake during the day. These events were mainly local (detected at single sites), and their characteristics differed from spindles detected during sleep. These "wake spindles" are likely to be events that are commonly categorized as "spontaneous alpha activity" during wake. We speculate that wake and sleep spindles are generated via different mechanisms, and that wake spindles play a role in cognitive processes that occur during the daytime

Abnormally abrupt transitions from sleep-to-wake in Huntington's disease sheep (Ovis aries) are revealed by automated analysis of sleep/wake transition dynamics.

Sleep disturbance is a common and disruptive symptom of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease (HD). In HD patients, sleep fragmentation appears at an early stage of disease, although features of the earliest sleep abnormalities in presymptomatic HD are not fully established. Here we used novel automated analysis of quantitative electroencephalography to study transitions between wake and non-rapid eye movement sleep in a sheep model of presymptomatic HD. We found that while the number of transitions between sleep and wake were similar in normal and HD sheep, the dynamics of transitions from sleep-to-wake differed markedly between genotypes. Rather than the gradual changes in EEG power that occurs during transitioning from sleep-to-wake in normal sheep, transition into wake was abrupt in HD sheep. Furthermore, transitions to wake in normal sheep were preceded by a significant reduction in slow wave power, whereas in HD sheep this prior reduction in slow wave power was far less pronounced. This suggests an impaired ability to prepare for waking in HD sheep. The abruptness of awakenings may also have potential to disrupt sleep-dependent processes if they are interrupted in an untimely and disjointed manner. We propose that not only could these abnormal dynamics of sleep transitions be useful as an early biomarker of HD, but also that our novel methodology would be useful for studying transition dynamics in other sleep disorders

Perspectives on singing and performance in music therapy

This article provides an overview of the potential efficacy of vocal performance as an intervention in music therapy within the context of vocal performance and associated health benefits. The authors advocate increased collaboration between music therapists and other professionals in order to develop, implement, and evaluate carefully designed perform ance-based singing and wellness initiatives in various contexts. Indications and contraindications for the use of performance-based singing interventions are provided. Implications for research, practice, and society are presented

Associations of state or trait dissociation with severity of psychopathology in young people with borderline personality disorder.

BACKGROUND State and trait dissociation are associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD) severity and severity of commonly co-occurring mental health symptoms. Although these distinct constructs do not consistently co-occur in experimental settings, they are frequently reported as the same construct, namely dissociation. This study aimed to investigate the co-occurrence of state and trait dissociation among young people with BPD and to examine whether state or trait dissociation were associated with symptom severity in this population. METHODS State dissociation was induced using a stressful behavioural task in a clinical sample of 51 young people (aged 15-25 years) with three or more BPD features. Diagnoses, state and trait dissociation, BPD severity and severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive, and stress symptoms were assessed by self-report or research interview. RESULTS A chi-square test of independence showed a strong association between state and trait dissociation. Bonferroni corrected t-tests showed that state dissociation was significantly associated with PTSD symptom severity and likely associated with BPD severity and severity of depressive and stress symptoms. Trait dissociation was not associated with symptom severity or severity of BPD features. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight the need to distinguish between state and trait dissociation in personality disorder research. They suggest that state dissociation might be an indicator of higher severity of psychopathology in young people with BPD