432 research outputs found
Review and Propagation of the Holly Slope
The purpose of this project was to complete several goals that contribute to a long-term ongoing renovation of the Holly Slope section at the Morris Arboretum. The first of these goals was to perform an assessment to determine if any of the hollies on the slope are rare or unique. This goal was completed by contacting nine other major holly collections to provide lists of their plants. Following the assessment, the next goal was to propagate those hollies with the eventual intention of offering specimens to other gardens and arboreta. The results of this work will contribute directly to future goals for the slope, including determining which holly plants can be removed to reduce crowding in order to revitalize the collection and opening up some areas to interplant the hollies with live oaks (Quercus virginiana). In addition to the previously mentioned efforts, this paper will explore a brief history of hollies and provide some general information on the taxonomy and botanical description of the holly genus, Ilex. It will also look at the evolution of the holly collection at the Arboretum, particularly on the holly slope, and discuss propagating hollies from cuttings. Finally, there will be a look toward the future of being able to put the findings of this work towards making changes on the Holly Slope
As If She Had No Secrets : Approach, Recognition, and Coming of Age In Alice Munro\u27s \u3ci\u3eLives of Girls and Women\u3c/i\u3e
Munro\u27s fiction contains these two elements at odds, in tension with one another, but they are, for her characters, part of the same process of reckoning with the world. Munro\u27s protagonists, once inside the deep cave, find the familiar linoleum--and the cave itself becomes more mysterious because of this paradoxical discovery. Meanwhile, Munro herself seems to go through a similar process in the act of writing. Her likening of art to a pattern of approach and recognition is applicable to her work, and perhaps, to the work of many writers. Writers go into secret places, hoping to come out with something that can be recognized by, and shared with, others. Within Munro\u27s work, a more specific pattern of approach and recognition occurs. Her characters approach the unknown, the other, hoping to find it comprehensible, make it recognizable, in their own eyes and in the eyes of others. The word approach suggests both an active, physical movement towards something outside the self and the mental equivalent of that kind of movement (e.g. I\u27m trying to approach Alice Munro\u27s work.) It also suggests beginnings, and a basically linear movement, a movement towards something. Recognition implies a re-thinking; the outcome of the approach is that the other is no longer completely separate from the self; it can be fit into a scheme of thought and is given familiar qualities. In Munro\u27s work, of course, the self-aware protagonist realizes that the recognition is something limited, not a complete understanding; in fact, it may be something created by the self as a way of comfort, a hedge against what is essentially unknowable
Experiences with everyday technology and wellbeing in dementia
This portfolio thesis consists of three parts: a systematic literature review, an empirical paper and a set of appendices. The thesis as a whole explores the use of everyday technologies in dementia and how everyday technology is experienced by individuals living with dementia and their care partners.Part one is a systematic literature review that explores how people living with dementia and their care partners experience and view using technologies to enhance wellbeing through social engagement, participation and leisure. The review additionally aimed to understand what views and experiences people with dementia and their care partners have in relation to the usability of everyday technology. Ten papers were reviewed, and the data were synthesised from a narrative approach. The findings indicate that everyday technology has the potential to have a positive impact of different areas of wellbeing for people living with dementia. The overall findings are discussed within the context of wider literature, with consideration of areas for further research and clinical implications.Part two of the portfolio is an empirical study that aimed to understand how couples, where one person is living with dementia, experience co-creating a digital life story book together. The study aimed to understand whether co-creating a digital life book supports couples’ wellbeing and, if so, how does it support their wellbeing. Four married couples (n=8) completed the 6 week study of creating their digital life story book and participated in an interview following the 6 weeks. The research used a qualitative method, gathering data using a Constructivist Grounded Theory approach. Because full data saturation was not met, the final data were analysed using Thematic Analysis. Four superordinate and eight subordinate themes emerged from the data. The findings are discussed around the wider context of literature exploring life story work and couples’ wellbeing in dementia, with the implications for clinical practice and further research discussed.Part three consists of a set of appendices relating to both the systematic literature review and the empirical paper. Included in these appendices are a reflective statement and an epistemological statement which explores the researcher’s journey throughout the research process, and the philosophical position including the underlying assumptions of the research
Key meteorological indicators of climate change in Ireland
Evidence for an anthropogenic influence on climate change is now stronger than ever before, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report assertion that 'It is very likely that anthropogenic greenhouse gas increases caused most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century'; (IPCC, 2007a). Global average temperature has increased by 0.74oC over the past 100 years with the rate of warming almost doubling over the last 50 years. Precipitation patterns have also changed with an increase in the number of heavy precipitation events being observed globally. In order to determine if global trends are reflected in changes in climate at the regional and local level in Ireland, a number of potential indicators of climate change have been investigated. Based on existing observational data, indicators can provide an early warning system, which may point to a critical environmental problem in the future. Climate indicators for Ireland are based primarily on daily synoptic station temperature and precipitation data from Met Éireann's monitoring network ...researc
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