“I Think of my Classroom as a Place of Healing”: Experiences of Indigenous Students in a Community-Based Master of Education Program in Saskatchewan

An increase in the number of Indigenous teachers and education administrators is an important way to help improve Indigenous educational outcomes. However, while Indigenous teacher education programs in western Canada are registering increasing enrolments, master of education programs that prioritize Indigenous perspectives and pedagogies are rare in Canada. Using conversational method, this study examines experiences of six Indigenous students in a community-based master of education program that is a first of its kind in western Canada. The program is delivered by an Indigenous institution in partnership with a public university. The study is grounded in an Indigenous paradigm, namely, the Nehinuw (Cree) concepts of teaching and learning. Content analysis of data revealed five themes and sub-themes: (a) self-doubt; (b) a feeling of guilt as a result of family-work-school conflict; (c) self-advocacy; (d) re/connection with self, culture, and heritage; and (e) professional transformation. In general, a master of education degree is a requirement for educational administration positions including vice principal, principal, and superintendent. Understanding and acting upon the kinds of strategies that could enhance the success of Indigenous students in graduate programs is a key policy step in addressing the existing gaps in educational attainment between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.

The teachings of the bear clan : as told by Saulteaux elder Danny Musqua

The Saulteaux Nation is comprised of 7 major clans the larger of which is the Bear Clan. This thesis examines the holistic philosophy of the Saulteaux world view and the oral teachings of the Bear Clan. The teachings, which emphasize the nature of healing and personal growth, were related by Elder Danny Musqua to myself from within the context of traditional Bear Clan ceremonies and practices. This thesis documents my journey to understand these teachings and in the process to arrive at a deeper understanding of self. This is done within the context of Bear Clan culture and within the context of my relationship with Elder Danny Musqua. This thesis relates my struggle to make meaning of these teachings on a personal level and how these teachings have affected my life. Narrative Inquiry is the methodology employed in this study. Through a reliance on narrative as the research methodology, the oral tradition of the Bear Clan and its traditional methods of knowledge transmission are honoured. The methodology utilized in this study is relatively unstructured in that no formal questioning process is utilized. Instead, it relies upon the relationship between the Elder/teacher and the son/learner in which to transmit knowledge. This process stresses the relationship between Danny and myself and emphasizes trust and respect as important elements of learning. In this relationship, knowledge was transmitted through participation in the sweatlodge, the learning lodge and through conversations with Danny. This approach to research respected the implicit nature of the oral tradition and allowed for me to make meaning of Danny's teachings in their original context and interpret them at a level appropriate for my own personal development. This thesis struggles to define traditional healing and the role that the healer, the one oppressed by illness and the spiritual realm play in the healing process. This thesis may prove valuable in educating and informing those who do not have an understanding of concepts of First Nations' healing. It may also serve as an invitation to all people, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, to expand their notions of healing or to search out a similar path in life

The ArT\'eMiS wide-field submillimeter camera: preliminary on-sky performances at 350 microns

ArTeMiS is a wide-field submillimeter camera operating at three wavelengths simultaneously (200, 350 and 450 microns). A preliminary version of the instrument equipped with the 350 microns focal plane, has been successfully installed and tested on APEX telescope in Chile during the 2013 and 2014 austral winters. This instrument is developed by CEA (Saclay and Grenoble, France), IAS (France) and University of Manchester (UK) in collaboration with ESO. We introduce the mechanical and optical design, as well as the cryogenics and electronics of the ArTeMiS camera. ArTeMiS detectors are similar to the ones developed for the Herschel PACS photometer but they are adapted to the high optical load encountered at APEX site. Ultimately, ArTeMiS will contain 4 sub-arrays at 200 microns and 2x8 sub-arrays at 350 and 450 microns. We show preliminary lab measurements like the responsivity of the instrument to hot and cold loads illumination and NEP calculation. Details on the on-sky commissioning runs made in 2013 and 2014 at APEX are shown. We used planets (Mars, Saturn, Uranus) to determine the flat-field and to get the flux calibration. A pointing model was established in the first days of the runs. The average relative pointing accuracy is 3 arcsec. The beam at 350 microns has been estimated to be 8.5 arcsec, which is in good agreement with the beam of the 12 m APEX dish. Several observing modes have been tested, like On-The-Fly for beam-maps or large maps, spirals or raster of spirals for compact sources. With this preliminary version of ArTeMiS, we concluded that the mapping speed is already more than 5 times better than the previous 350 microns instrument at APEX. The median NEFD at 350 microns is 600 mJy.s1/2, with best values at 300 mJy.s1/2. The complete instrument with 5760 pixels and optimized settings will be installed during the first half of 2015.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures. Presented at SPIE Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy VII, June 24, 2014. To be published in Proceedings of SPIE Volume 915

Central CD4+ T cell tolerance: deletion versus regulatory T cell differentiation

The diversion of MHC class II-restricted thymocytes into the regulatory T (Treg) cell lineage, similarly to clonal deletion, is driven by intrathymic encounter of agonist self-antigens. Somewhat paradoxically, it thus seems that the expression of an autoreactive T cell receptor is a shared characteristic of T cells that are subject to clonal deletion and those that are diverted into the Treg cell lineage. Here, we discuss how thymocyte-intrinsic and -extrinsic determinants may specify the choice between these two fundamentally different T cell fates

The third generation Carpentier-Edwards bioprosthesis: Early results

The current status of valve replacement was reviewed by analyzing six groups of 100 consecutive patients, each receiving the standard Carpentier-Edwards bioprosthesis, the Starr-Edwards valve or the Björk-Shiley valve in the mitral or aortic position and operated on by the same surgeons in the same institution during an identical time frame. Data were evaluated for valve failure, reoperation, thromboembolism and valve-related deaths. Long-term results up to 9 years showed the superiority of bioprostheses over mechanical valves in terms of valverelated deaths and thromboembolic and anticoagulant complications for a similar rate of valve failure. Persistent drawbacks associated with valvular bioprostheses, namely, transvalvular gradients, limited durability and tissue calcification in young patients, led to continual improvements in valve design and preservation techniques and the development of the third generation Carpentier-Edwards bioprosthesis: the supraanular porcine valve and pericardial valve. The supraanular porcine valve was designed with the aim of decreasing the transvalvular gradient, decreasing turbulence, increasing longevity and decreasing calcification. The pericardial valve was designed with the aim of improving hemodynamics in small-sized orifices, improving mounting techniques to avoid fixation sutures at the commissures, achieving a flexible stent and improving preservation.Between July 1980 and October 1984, there were 391 supraanular porcine and 61 pericardial valves implanted. The supraanular valves were used for three purposes: isolated aortic, isolated mitral and mitral valve replacement associated with tricuspid anuloplasty. The pericardial valves were used for isolated aortic valve replacement. Short-term results (1 to 4 years) are presented concerning the clinical use of these third generation bioprostheses

Ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block, caudal analgesia, or surgical site infiltration for pediatric umbilical herniorrhaphy: a prospective, double-blinded, randomized comparison of three regional anesthetic techniques

Lance M Relland,1,2 Joseph D Tobias,1–3 David Martin,1,2 Giorgio Veneziano,1,2 Ralph J Beltran,1,2 Christopher McKee,1,2 Tarun Bhalla1,2 1Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 2Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, 3Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA Background: Umbilical hernia repair is a common pediatric surgical procedure. While opioid analgesics are a feasible option and have long been a mainstay in the pharmacological intervention for pain, the effort to improve care and limit opioid-related adverse effects has led to the use of alternative techniques, including regional anesthesia. The current study prospectively compares the analgesic efficacy of three techniques, including caudal epidural blockade, peripheral nerve blockade, and local wound infiltration, in a double-blinded study.Patients and methods: A total of 39 patients undergoing umbilical hernia repair were randomized to receive a caudal epidural block (CDL), ultrasound-guided bilateral rectus sheath blocks (RSB), or surgical site infiltration (SSI) with local anesthetic. Intraoperative anesthetic care was standardized, and treatment groups were otherwise blinded from the intraoperative anesthesiology team and recovery nurses. Postoperatively, the efficacy was evaluated using Hannallah pain scores, Aldrete recovery scores, the need for intravenous fentanyl, and the time to discharge.Results: Each cohort was similar in terms of age, weight, premedication dosing, length of case, intraoperative and postoperative fentanyl requirements, and time to tracheal extubation. Among the three cohorts, there were no significant differences noted in terms of pain scores or time to recovery.Conclusion: All the three techniques provided effective analgesia following umbilical hernia repair. Our findings offer effective and safe analgesic options as alternatives to the neuraxial (caudal) approach. Keywords: caudal, pediatric, rectus sheath, regional anesthesia, umbilical hernia&nbsp

Spinal anesthesia instead of general anesthesia for infants undergoing tendon Achilles lengthening

Mohammad AlSuhebani,1 David P Martin,1,2 Lance M Relland,1,2 Tarun Bhalla,1,2 Allan C Beebe,3 Amanda T Whitaker,3 Walter Samora,3 Joseph D Tobias1,2 1Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA; 2Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA; 3Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA Abstract: Spinal anesthesia (SA) has been used relatively sparingly in the pediatric population, as it is typically reserved for patients in whom the perceived risk of general anesthesia is high due to comorbid conditions. Recently, concern has been expressed regarding the potential long-term neurocognitive effects of general anesthesia during the early stages of life. In view of this, our center has developed a program in which SA may be used as the sole agent for applicable surgical procedures. While this approach in children is commonly used for urologic or abdominal surgical procedures, there have been a limited number of reports of its use for orthopedic procedures in this population. We present the use of SA for 6 infants undergoing tendon Achilles lengthening, review the use of SA in orthopedic surgery, describe our protocols and dosing regimens, and discuss the potential adverse effects related to this technique. Keywords: spinal anesthesia, orthopedic surgery, tendon Achilles lengthenin