Uncontested: A Case Study Exploring the Effects of Long-Term Incumbency in Sarnia, Ontario

Mike Bradley has been the mayor of the City of Sarnia since 1988 and is the second-longest serving mayor in Ontario. In 2018, he won yet another municipal election with a whopping 64.4% of the vote. Although voter turnout and high margin election wins would suggest residents are pleased with their mayor of 31 years, recent census statistics point to unaddressed problems. This case study aims to explore the effect that long-term mayoral incumbency has had on municipal public engagement in the City of Sarnia and whether the 2018 mayoral election is a true reflection of voter sentiments

Investigation of the role of gene clusters in terpene biosynthesis in Sorghum bicolor

The staple crop Sorghum bicolor shows potential as a source of secondary metabolite-based biofuels due to its diverse phenotype and chemical profile. S. bicolor produces a variety of high-energy metabolites, including terpenes which are a potential renewable source of fuel additives. Information on the biosynthetic and genetic pathways by which S. bicolor terpenes are produced is limited and these pathways must be better understood before they can be engineered for human applications. Recent work on plant biosynthetic pathways has shown that terpenes can be modified by the products of clustered genes. Identification of biosynthetic gene clusters may accelerate the elucidation of complete pathways, but few have been characterized in S. bicolor. The aims of this thesis were to identify a putative terpene biosynthetic gene cluster in S. bicolor, characterize the terpene synthase in the cluster, and express the terpene synthase alongside clustered enzymes to determine if they modify the terpene skeleton structure. The terpene synthase Sobic.001G339000 was found to produce a novel sesquiterpene product. Mass spectra analysis suggested that the novel product was similar to guaiol and β-eudesmol and possibly shared a mass (222.2 Da) and chemical formula (C15H26O) with these compounds. Transient expression of the putative gene cluster in N. benthamiana produced a metabolite of a significantly higher mass than anticipated based on the hypothesized mass of the unknown terpene. Elucidation of a structure by NMR spectroscopy will be required to characterize the unknown terpene product. Once the structure of the terpene is known, analysis of the metabolic profile of transfected N. benthamiana will be simplified and the effect of clustered enzymes on the terpene product can be better explored

Evaluating quality in professional experience partnerships for graduate teacher employability

Over recent years, much has been said about the quality of Australian initial teacher education. Concerns about the preparation of pre-service teachers and the capacity of graduates to meet the demands of the classroom have re-emphasised professional experience as a fundamental component of high-quality teacher preparation. Simultaneously, this focus on professional experience has emphasised the importance of partnerships. Through policy, the formalisation of partnerships between initial teacher education providers and early learning centres and schools has been linked to quality assurance and auditing cycles which report on the ways that providers prepare graduates for teaching. The employability of suitably-prepared graduates and their early career traction are of particular interest to policy makers, regulators and teacher educators alike. As a result, establishing an evidence base for quality in professional experience partnerships is paramount. This paper reports on the evolution of a strategic partnerships model between one provider and its growing network of partner schools. This model has been developed through a comprehensive evaluation process, examining the nature of formal partnerships and the outcomes associated with them. Data presented here highlights outcomes identified by stakeholders as influential and enacted through formal partnerships. Analysis of data also emphasises ongoing priorities for partnership development, implementation and evaluation, collectively understood to be closely connected to graduate employability

Optimising optical tweezers for tracking and force measurement experiments

Optical Tweezers are a useful tool in many aspects of biology, including cell manipulation and microrheology. They are often used as piconewton force transducers, and are an effective tool for measuring forces acting upon optically trapped particle. To measure such forces, knowledge of the displacement of the particle from the trap centre is always needed. However, due to Brownian motion, a trapped particle is constantly moving and never at rest. In this case, one must track a bead over a set time, so as to gain an average displacement. In this thesis, we have improved and optimised this tracking procedure for biological samples in different ways. In Chapter 1 we discuss how Optical Tweezers work, how they are set up, and how we measure forces using them. In Chapter 2 we redesign a commercial Optical Tweezer Product to improve tracking data results. We also incorporate fluorescence imaging using a compact, low cost, LED illumination source. In Chapter 3 we combine fluorescence microscopy with state of the art Scientific cameras, to increase tracking frame rates and potentially improve our tracking data of fluorescent stained cells. This was part of a collaboration, where I helped to build the setup, took the data (using programs produced by one of my collaborators), and was part of the team to analyse it. In Chapter 4, we look at Low Reynolds number environments and discuss the benefits of viscous forces, and how it may be possible to make non-invasive, less harmful traps for biological samples. Again, this was part of a collaboration, where I was in charge of the experimental part. Here, I built in the static tweezer trap into a tweezer system, took position data and analysed it. A collaborator took control of analysing velocity data. Finally, in Chapter 5, we measure the accuracy of tracking in three dimensions using a stereomicroscope, by placing a Spatial Light Modulator (SLM) at the Fourier plane in the imaging arm. Again, this was a collaboration. I designed and manufactured the illumination head, helped design an acquisition program, and took the data. We discuss how all of these could optimise and advance the tracking of optically trapped particles, especially biological samples. Despite the obvious applications in biology, to allow a fair evaluation of the different tracking techniques, all of our experiments used samples of spherical beads, as they have known specifications, including fluorescence excitation and emission wavelengths, size, and amount of fluorophore stain

Navigating two alliances with evidence-based practices : relating therapist competence and adherence to youth and caregiver therapeutic alliances

Despite extensive research on specific treatments and relationship factors in child and adolescent psychotherapy, comparatively little research has addressed in-session process variables concerning how a treatment is delivered. This study examines treatment integrity (therapist adherence and competence) in the delivery of evidence-based practice (EBP) elements and the two therapeutic alliances in youth psychotherapy: the youth-therapist alliance and the caregiver-therapist alliance. Data come from an initial test of a modular, trans-diagnostic therapy protocol of EBP elements with 14 therapists seeing 24 clients and were analyzed using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM). Therapist adherence, competence, and alliance were all measured observationally. In this sample, therapist adherence contributed a small, statistically trending effect on child alliance (d [subscript wt] = 0.008, p = 0.055), while therapist competence did not predict child alliance. Therapist adherence exhibited a small, statistically significant effect on parent alliance (d [subscript wt] = 0.007, p = 0.023). Therapist competence exhibited a large, statistically trending effect on parent alliance (d [subscript wt] = 0.675, p = 0.059). Results suggest that EBP does not harm the therapeutic alliance and may support a stronger alliance with caregivers. Future research should use larger samples to explore how these constructs interact with therapist, youth, and caregiver characteristics to produce outcomes.Educational Psycholog

Psychological treatments for people with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa : a mini review

This Mini-Review presents recent research into evidence for psychological treatments for people with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa (SEAN). Two psychological therapies, specialist supportive clinical management (SSCM), and cognitive behavior therapy for anorexia nervosa (CBT-AN) have limited (one randomized controlled study) evidence of efficacy. Both have had adaptations for SEAN, notably with revision of the primary treatment goal of improved quality of life and full weight recovery a secondary goal. A major issue with existing studies is poor definition of SEAN, and the large deficit in research that has used an agreed definition of SEAN. In particular, it may be problematic to extrapolate from studies of people with either severe and/or enduring but not intractable or “resistant” illness. People with longstanding AN who have not received evidence based care should be offered this with an expectation of recovery. Similarly, people with SEAN may be offered care with judicious mitigation of expectations. In the future, trials should include people with SEAN clearly defined. Trials with a subsample of participants likely to have SEAN, if identified at randomisation, are an opportunity for secondary analyses of such participants. This would widen the evidence base for psychological treatments providing hope for people with this devastating illness. Finally, there is an urgent need not only to strengthen our existing knowledge with studies of sufficient power, but also, fundamentally, to derive novel conceptualizations of what “treatment” involves

A systematic review of influences on implementation of supported self-management interventions for people with severe mental health problems in secondary mental health care settings

PURPOSE: There is robust evidence for offering supported self-management interventions for people with severe mental illness (SMI) throughout secondary mental health services, but their availability remains patchy. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesise the evidence on barriers and facilitators to implementing self-management interventions for people with SMI in secondary mental health care settings. METHODS: The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021257078). Five databases were searched to identify relevant studies. We included full-text journal articles with primary qualitative or quantitative data on factors which affect the implementation of self-management interventions for people with SMI in secondary mental health services. The included studies were analysed using narrative synthesis, using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and an established taxonomy of implementation outcomes. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies from five countries met eligibility criteria. The barriers and facilitators identified in the review were mainly on the organisational level, but included some individual-level influences. Facilitators included high feasibility, high fidelity, a strong team structure, sufficient number of staff, support from colleagues, staff training, supervision, the presence of an implementation champion and adaptability of the intervention. Barriers to implementation include high staff turnover, staff shortage, lack of supervision, lack of support for staff delivering the programme, staff struggling with their increased workload, a lack of senior clinical leadership, and programme content perceived as irrelevant. CONCLUSION: The findings from this research suggest promising strategies to improve implementation of self-management interventions. For services providing support for people with SMI, organisational culture should be considered, as well as the adaptability of interventions

Is the NICE traffic light system fit-for-purpose for children presenting with undifferentiated acute illness in primary care?

Background The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) traffic light system uses children’s symptoms and signs to categorise acute infections into red, amber and green. To our knowledge, no study has described the proportion of children with acute undifferentiated illness who fall into these categories in primary care, which is important since red and amber children are considered at higher risk of serious illness requiring urgent secondary care assessment. Aim To estimate the proportion of acutely unwell children presenting to primary care classified by the NICE traffic light system as red, amber or green, and to describe their initial management. Design and setting Secondary analysis of the Diagnosis of Urinary Tract infection in Young children prospective cohort study. Method 6797 children under 5 years presenting to 225 general practices with acute undifferentiated illness were retrospectively mapped to the NICE traffic light system by a panel of general practitioners. Results 6406 (94%) children were classified as NICE red (32%) or amber (62%) with 1.6% red and 0.3%, respectively, referred the same day for hospital assessment; and 46% and 31%, respectively, treated with antibiotics. The remaining 385 (6%) were classified green, with none referred and 27% treated with antibiotics. Results were robust to sensitivity analyses. Conclusion The majority of children presenting to UK primary care with acute undifferentiated illness meet red or amber NICE traffic light criteria,with only 6% classified as low risk, making it unfit for use in general practice. Research is urgently needed to establish as triage system suitable for general practice