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The educational needs of adolescent girls have never really been met by schools leading to a variety of social, emotional and aspirational problems for girls and women alike. In this speculative inquiry I have explored the work of care ethicists, imaginative educators, critical theorists and groups outside of schools to develop a new framework for educating girls based upon the needs that I have identified as critical and unmet for far too many girls. I have surmised that girls’ needs for belonging, identity, competency and caring spirit could be better met and could lead to voice, agency and freedom for girls if schools were to implement the ideas contained in my critical framework.

Specialized partial hospitalization programs have been used to treat a variety of mental health problems however, there has been little research done on the relationship between clinical improvement and perceived helpfulness in such programs. In this study, improvement and perceived helpfulness data collected on 923 clients who attended a partial hospitalization program for acutely disturbed improvement data set consisted of intake and discharge scores on eight scales. Three scales provided affective improvement data, three provided problem resolution information, one provided goal attainment information, and one measured improvement in functionality. Preliminary results indicated that three of the scales would have to be omitted from further analysis. The perceived helpfulness data set was made up of the clients' weekly ratings of helpfulness of 19 therapeutic experience in the partial hospitalization program. These two sets were analyzed using a canonical correlation analysis and were found to be significantly correlated (p<.001). Based on the-respective canonical variate loadings, the improvement composite was interpreted as global improvement and the perceived helpfulness composite was interpreted as general perceived helpfulness. It was viewed as somewhat surprising that no clear pattern of perceived helpfulness emerged nor wasindividuals were analyzed in a post hoc fashion. The improvement clearly of one type. A second analysis was performed to assess the ability of the Day Therapy Appropriateness Scale (DTAS) to predict improvement in therapy in an acute partial hospitalization program. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed on data from 304 clients to see if there was a significant (a<.01) relationship between their scores on the DTAS and a linear composite of a set of five improvement variables. The result of this analysis was not significant which supports work previously done with the DTAS.

A dynamic model is developed and presented that predicts the voltage response for a Severinghaus electrode-based point-of-care pCO2 sensor. Eight partial differential equations are derived to describe the diffusion and reaction phenomena in the sensor. The model is able to predict the potential response versus time behaviour from different CO2 concentrations in the calibration fluid and control fluids. The two most influential and uncertain parameters in the model are determined to be the forward rate constant for benzoquinone consumption at the gold surface ( k_(f_Au ) ), and the partition coefficient for CO2 between the membrane and the electrolyte (κ_(〖CO〗_(2_m ) )). These parameters were adjusted heuristically to obtain a good fit (within 2 mV) between the dynamic voltage response data and the model predictions during a critical 4 second period. The model predictions are sufficient for design sensitivity studies, however an improved fit might be possible using a formal least-squares parameter estimation approach, or if additional parameters were estimated. Several design parameters are varied to study the influence of the electrolyte concentration and the sensor geometry on the voltage response. The most influential design parameter studied is the amount of water present in the electrolyte during sensor operation. This can be affected by the amount of water evaporated during manufacturing and storage, and by the amount of water present when the sensor “wets up” again during operation. The amount of water picked up by the sensor in turn is affected by design parameters such as component/membrane dimensions and thicknesses. The initial buffer concentration in the electrolyte is the second most influential parameter. The resulting model can be used to perform “what if” analyses in order to understand the impact of design decisions on the sensor performance, and to potentially improve the sensor from performance and manufacturing cost perspectives. / Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2014-02-06 15:00:47.555

Although there is a growing movement to conceptualize palliative care as an integral part of comprehensive cancer care, access to coordinated palliative care services is often limited to end-of-life when efforts to control the disease have failed. Little was known about how this phenomenon is experienced in oncology nursing practice. A phenomenological approach was used to explore oncology nurses experience providing non-curative care in one of six outpatient cancer settings within an urban health region in Western Canada. Emerging understandings suggest that oncology nurses support patients‟ hopes for prolonged survival with non-curative treatment while revisiting treatment decisions in the context of witnessed suffering. In the context of mounting symptoms, oncology nurses strive to construct a „safety net‟ of community supports to rescue patients from crisis. Inherent tensions within this experience are shaped by how cancer care and palliative care are understood, how treatment decisions are framed within their care team, and organizational constraints in the provision of services in the community. These understandings invite further discussion about strategies to support oncology nursing practice in the provision of non-curative care. / Graduate

"Children's campus” as paradigm in community of faith. The purpose of this research is to examine the possibility of a structure (outside of the current, secularised school system) where the child, in context of his family, can experience socialising in relation to his or her faith so as to experience Christian values and norms, as well as gaining knowledge of God and being allowed to live according to this knowledge. The current situation of South African children belonging to Reformed churches has been explored, in context of their participation in their community of faith. Specific problems these children have to cope with in their society were looked at. It is obvious that a lot of factors influence spiritual growth in children, and that the church is not capable of handling these factors effectively at the moment. This study shows that the way of life prescribed by the Benedictine Rule is compatible with both the Word of God and Reformed Theology, and can as such fulfil a need in the spiritual life of modern people. This study shows ways in which the problems currently being experienced by children can be handled using the Rule of Benedict in a children's campus functioning under the supervision of the community of faith. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

This research explores the experiences and needs of five young people with FASD in care. Data was gathered through personal interviews with youth in care, guided by an anti-oppressive research philosophy. The findings suggest that youth in care with FASD experience a myriad of challenges throughout their journeys in care with regard to placements, caregivers, and the transition to adulthood for which the impact for young people was difficult to understand. The high degree of secondary disabilities of FASD was found to be alarming in this group of young people. The study also found that those with more of an awareness of their disability had the capacity to speak to some of their support needs. All of the youth revealed strengths within themselves and reported having goals and dreams for their futures. A number of recommendations, which include input from participants, are highlighted, with the intention of providing some suggestions for best practice with our young people with FASD in care and policy changes within the systems working with this population.

The meaning of ‘home’ for older adults in long-term care (LTC) settings is not well understood. Furthermore, how living with cognitively impaired older adults may affect the meaning of ‘home’ is under researched. The goal of this study was to explore how living with cognitively impaired older adults affects the meaning of ‘home’ for cognitively well female older adults residing in LTC. A convenience sample of eleven female cognitively well older adults was selected from four LTC settings in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The eleven women were interviewed to determine their meaning of ‘home’ prior to and following placement in the LTC setting. Two key questions posed to the women were, “Do you consider (name of LTC setting) to be ‘home’?” and “How does living with confused people affect the meaning of home?” Eight of the women considered the LTC setting where they reside to be ‘home’. Nine of the women indicated that living with cognitively impaired older adults does not affect their meaning of ‘home’. These findings suggest two things. First, that most cognitively well female older adults create a new ‘home’ for themselves when they move to the LTC setting. Second, that many cognitively well female older adults demonstrate compassion and acceptance of living with fellow residents who have cognitive impairment and may exhibit disruptive behaviours.

Although there is a growing movement to conceptualize palliative care as an integral part of comprehensive cancer care, access to coordinated palliative care services is often limited to end-of-life when efforts to control the disease have failed. Little was known about how this phenomenon is experienced in oncology nursing practice. A phenomenological approach was used to explore oncology nurses experience providing non-curative care in one of six outpatient cancer settings within an urban health region in Western Canada. Emerging understandings suggest that oncology nurses support patients‟ hopes for prolonged survival with non-curative treatment while revisiting treatment decisions in the context of witnessed suffering. In the context of mounting symptoms, oncology nurses strive to construct a „safety net‟ of community supports to rescue patients from crisis. Inherent tensions within this experience are shaped by how cancer care and palliative care are understood, how treatment decisions are framed within their care team, and organizational constraints in the provision of services in the community. These understandings invite further discussion about strategies to support oncology nursing practice in the provision of non-curative care. / Graduate