For this thesis our objectives were to establish an efficient method of ovarian synchronization and superstimulation in bison, and determine the effects of gonadotropin treatments on oocyte collection efficiency and quality in bison. In the first study we conducted two experiments to develop an efficient protocol for synchronization of follicular wave emergence during the anovulatory season. In Experiment 1, we compared the synchronizing effect of follicular ablation (n = 9) and treatment with 2 mg estradiol (E-) 17β in oil (n = 10), while in Experiment 2, we compared follicular ablation (n = 9) and treatment with 2 mg E-17β + 100 mg progesterone (P4; n = 10). Results showed that the degree of synchrony did not differ between ablation and hormone treatment groups in either Experiment, but follicular wave emergence was more synchronous in both treatment groups compared to the untreated control phase. The second study was conducted to develop an efficient method for ovarian superstimulation and oocyte collection during the anovulatory and ovulatory seasons. During the anovulatory season, one experiment was conducted in two replicates to compare the superstimulatory effect of 2500 IU of eCG (n = 10) given intramuscularly vs two doses of 200 mg of pFSH each (n = 10) given subcutaneously. Additionally, the effect of 25 mg of pLH given 24 hours prior oocyte collection on oocyte quality and collection rate was evaluated for each superstimulatory treatment. Results showed that treatment with pFSH induced a higher superstimulatory response and more cumulus oocyte complexes (COC) collected than did eCG during the anovulatory season. Furthermore, treatment with pLH increased the proportion of expanded COC that were collected with ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration. Two experiments were conducted during the ovulatory season, to develop an efficient protocol for superstimulation and oocyte collection. In Experiment 1, we compared the effect of two intramuscular doses of 200 mg of pFSH in saline (n = 11) vs two intramuscular doses of 200 mg of pFSH in a proprietary slow release formulation (SRF; n = 11). In Experiment 2, we compared the effect of a single dose of 2500 IU eCG intramuscularly vs two doses of 200 mg of pFSH administered subcutaneously. Results showed that a 2-dose regime of pFSH, diluted in either saline or a slow-release formulation induced a similar superstimulatory ovarian response in wood bison, while bison given a single-dose of 2500 IU eCG had a significantly lower ovarian response. In summary, synchronization of follicle wave emergence can be effectively accomplished in wood bison during the anovulatory season and follicular ablation, E-17β and E-17β + P4 treatments all shortened, and decreased the variability in the interval to follicular wave emergence. In addition, oocyte collection by transvaginal ultrasound-guided follicle aspiration from superstimulated bison was feasible and practical. Finally, treatment with pFSH was more effective than eCG to induce ovarian superstimulation for ultrasound-guided follicle aspiration in wood bison during both the anovulatory and ovulatory seasons.

For this thesis our objectives were to establish an efficient method of ovarian synchronization and superstimulation in bison, and determine the effects of gonadotropin treatments on oocyte collection efficiency and quality in bison. In the first study we conducted two experiments to develop an efficient protocol for synchronization of follicular wave emergence during the anovulatory season. In Experiment 1, we compared the synchronizing effect of follicular ablation (n = 9) and treatment with 2 mg estradiol (E-) 17β in oil (n = 10), while in Experiment 2, we compared follicular ablation (n = 9) and treatment with 2 mg E-17β + 100 mg progesterone (P4; n = 10). Results showed that the degree of synchrony did not differ between ablation and hormone treatment groups in either Experiment, but follicular wave emergence was more synchronous in both treatment groups compared to the untreated control phase. The second study was conducted to develop an efficient method for ovarian superstimulation and oocyte collection during the anovulatory and ovulatory seasons. During the anovulatory season, one experiment was conducted in two replicates to compare the superstimulatory effect of 2500 IU of eCG (n = 10) given intramuscularly vs two doses of 200 mg of pFSH each (n = 10) given subcutaneously. Additionally, the effect of 25 mg of pLH given 24 hours prior oocyte collection on oocyte quality and collection rate was evaluated for each superstimulatory treatment. Results showed that treatment with pFSH induced a higher superstimulatory response and more cumulus oocyte complexes (COC) collected than did eCG during the anovulatory season. Furthermore, treatment with pLH increased the proportion of expanded COC that were collected with ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration. Two experiments were conducted during the ovulatory season, to develop an efficient protocol for superstimulation and oocyte collection. In Experiment 1, we compared the effect of two intramuscular doses of 200 mg of pFSH in saline (n = 11) vs two intramuscular doses of 200 mg of pFSH in a proprietary slow release formulation (SRF; n = 11). In Experiment 2, we compared the effect of a single dose of 2500 IU eCG intramuscularly vs two doses of 200 mg of pFSH administered subcutaneously. Results showed that a 2-dose regime of pFSH, diluted in either saline or a slow-release formulation induced a similar superstimulatory ovarian response in wood bison, while bison given a single-dose of 2500 IU eCG had a significantly lower ovarian response. In summary, synchronization of follicle wave emergence can be effectively accomplished in wood bison during the anovulatory season and follicular ablation, E-17β and E-17β + P4 treatments all shortened, and decreased the variability in the interval to follicular wave emergence. In addition, oocyte collection by transvaginal ultrasound-guided follicle aspiration from superstimulated bison was feasible and practical. Finally, treatment with pFSH was more effective than eCG to induce ovarian superstimulation for ultrasound-guided follicle aspiration in wood bison during both the anovulatory and ovulatory seasons.

With the rapid proliferation of carbon nanotube technologies and consumer products comes a need to research the toxicological and ecotoxicological effects of these materials. This research attempted to develop a baseline knowledge of the effects of bulk, unmodified multi-walled carbon nanotubes on commonly studied soil toxicology test organisms: earthworms, springtails, and agricultural plants. In order to minimize confounding factors in the study, a slurry composed of bulk multi-walled carbon nanotubes, silica sand, and water was used to amend test soil without the use of surfactants or functionalization. Analysis of data produced by these experiments showed no significant trends resulting from the exposure of the test organisms to artificial soil amended by the multi- walled carbon nanotube slurry. It was observed, however that carbon nanotubes accumulated in the gut of the earthworm Eisenia andrei and were expelled as castings in the test soil.

Entrepreneurship is a booming phenomenon in Taiwan and there are quite many research focusing on this domain continually. This research¡¦s aim is that entrepreneurship not only can create economical profits, but also is a link between social networks and interpersonal relationships. Emergence of entrepreneurial opportunities, change of social environment, establishment and maintenance of interpersonal and organization¡¦s network, knowledge learning and accumulation, are some of the indispensable factors for a successful entrepreneurship. In addition to the above, Taiwan depends heavily on its foreign trade; trade related industry holds quite a big contribution to the Taiwan economic growth. Therefore, this research adopts a trading company in gardening industry for case study, so as to know the problems and solutions, also to find out if there are any hidden implications from the story. This research is written in a narrative analysis method just to reorganize and annotate the hidden context throughout the presentation of episodes in one¡¦s life story. It is a story of an entrepreneur that grows out of nothing. Key words: Entrepreneurship, emergence of opportunities, interpersonal network, learning, gardening, narrative analysis method.

Crowdfunding is an online fundraising technique, where individuals or groups ask for contributions from a large number of people, i.e. “the crowd”. Crowdfunding first appeared in 2003 and has doubled its financial scope every year since 2011. Yet, very little is known about it, especially from a societal perspective. In this thesis I have attempted to understand how the organizations surrounding crowdfunding have structured themselves into an organizational filed, and also how “the crowd” might have granted this field special characteristics. This since “the crowd” is an element not earlier taken into consideration when studying field emergence. I have conducted a content analysis with data from 170 crowdfunding platforms and 190 media articles. I found that several events coincided in 2009 and opened up for the emergence of the crowdfunding field, and also that the understanding of crowdfunding’s purpose has shifted since 2003, from culture projects to start-ups. Regarding the special characteristic of the field it seems like the online nature enabled a fierce structuration pace, and also that “the crowd” constitutes an entity that cannot be captured by our traditional understanding of fields. The results suggest that when “the crowd” takes on functions in a field, the functions become invisible, and this has implications for future research regarding organizational fields.

This thesis is an investigation of several aspects of diapause in the swede midge, Contarinia nasturtii (Kieffer). After developing methodology for induction and quantification of diapause entry in the laboratory, heritability of diapause entry was assessed for sibling larvae reared under diapause-inducing conditions. The diapause-quantification technique was efficient, but diapause frequencies were highly variable across studies employing similar diapause-inducing conditions. The diapause entry trait may be weakly heritable. A field study was conducted on diapause entry and emergence patterns. Diapause frequency was inversely correlated with photoperiod and absolute maximum air temperature. Photoperiod did not influence emergence timing. Two emergence phenotypes were observed before mid-July and a third minor emergence phenotype may exist in mid-to-late August. Approximately one third of emergence in the field was attributed to larvae in diapause for two or more years. Avenues of future research on diapause regulation in both the laboratory and field are discussed. / Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (CGS-M), Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (University of Guelph Sustainable Production Program)

In spite of many indications to the contrary, not least the tenor of the times which includes both the remnant left after the "death of God" as well as the rise of New Age religiosity, this thesis proposes, using feminist and feminine archetypal thinking, that the theory of culture that Christianity, and specifically Catholicism, formulates, is more relevant than ever for the culture it had a part in creating. Within the frame of Christian value reality, a "religion of relatedness" is centred on the Great Commandment which orders loving relatedness to God, then to oneself, and finally to others. What this has to mean in practice is that our relatedness to others depends on our relatedness with ourselves which depends on our relatedness to a beneficent God. Our relatedness to ourselves and to God can be appreciated and evaluated through the lens of Jungian thought - in particular Jung's theory of individuation. Our relatedness to others and the success of that as expressed in the health of our cultural milieu can be appreciated and evaluated through the lens of Lacanian discourse theory. Both individual and cultural growth are part of a developmental and maturation process leading to the "paradox, depth and intergenerational responsibility" that Fowler (1981) describes as characteristic of a Stage 5 level of faith in his Stages of Faith model. That complexity in Stage 5 understanding is seen as essential for growing out of the social and environmental problems that beset human life at this point in its history.

This thesis explores two problems: (1) how early childhood teachers can manage professional development and change in their own settings, and (2) how to create a thesis. Both facets of the thesis emerge from the professional development in Active Movement that the teachers and I co-constructed at our early childhood centre between April 2005 and June 2006. This thesis sets out to test the main idea that having a theory of change for teachers' professional development can help teachers negotiate complex change and craft their own professional development solutions. It uses stories as a key facet of its methodology and presents stories of professional development and change related to five inter-weaving learning journeys. The learning journeys relate to (1) my learning journeys as a professional development coordinator and (2) as a researcher, (3) the overall learning journeys and (4) & (5) teachers' collective learning journeys to implement two different but related practices in Active Movement. The stories provide a range of professional development solutions and change at individual and collective levels from which different theories of change can be derived. From these stories, I identify three theories of change as well as the complex changes we negotiated and the professional development solutions we crafted. In identifying the theories of change, the complex changes and the professional development solutions, this thesis supports the main idea and argues that teachers can develop a theory of change to manage professional development and change in their own settings. This thesis argues that a theory of change is a set of strategies that address the local conditions. It suggests that the process of developing a theory of change can include articulating local conditions and creating strategies that support and guide the change in ways that address these local conditions. It also suggests that recognising what counts as local conditions and strategies can help teachers develop their own theories of change. In creating the strategies to support the change effort, it is important to identify the purpose of the strategies, their underlying values and relationships, and the day-to-day realities that constrain the change effort. At the same time, it is important to identify how different strategies inter-relate to help us manage the tensions that can arise from these relationships. This thesis argues that theories of change can include multiple and embedded theories of change, that we can create theories of change as plans or explanations of change or as dynamic theories of change that emerge from the inter-play between plans and explanations. This thesis also argues that there are different ways to articulate our theories of change and that there are limits to the extent to which we can or should articulate them. It also argues that the theories of change we create and use for our change efforts depend on the nature of the change. A theory of change that embodies the process of emergence is useful for managing professional development and change efforts that have a high degree of complexity and uncertainty and whose end goals are initially unknown. This thesis also suggests that creating the role of a professional development or change coordinator can help centres manage the knowledge used and created in the professional development or change effort in ways that benefit individuals, groups and the centre. This thesis also argues that (1) the thesis investigation is my personal professional development and represents my learning journeys to create a thesis, (2) the thesis report constitutes a theory of change for the thesis investigation, and (3) the thesis is experimental in the way that it is reported. This thesis proposes other possible investigations related to the idea of theories of change; (1) to develop an Active Movement community of practice within the wider early childhood sector, and (2) to investigate the role of theories of change in everyday teaching and learning. Finally, it uses the notion of value creation to suggest ways to create added value for the teachers and the Centre, for Sport and Recreation New Zealand and for myself.

This thesis explores how the discourse of complexity thinking can be used to foster emergence in curriculum and practice-based research. The curriculum-related exploration focused specifically on games of chase as one facet of early childhood curriculum. It investigated using complexity thinking firstly, to occasion emergence (that is, create a new phenomenon) in children’s games of chase at an early childhood centre and secondly, to describe this emergence. The research-related exploration focused on creating an emergent methodology which is underpinned by complexity thinking. In this thesis report, I present a series of emergent curriculum-related phenomena that arose during the explorations, that is, an emergent game, a local curriculum theory for games of chase, the concepts of local curriculum theory, curriculum design and curriculum dynamics, and a curriculum vision. I also present an understanding of emergent methodology and two methodological innovations in the form of the Research Data Management System and the Visual Summary. This research involved taking the role of a volunteer teacher-researcher-curriculum designer at an early childhood centre to play games of chase with children. This role was informed by and contributed to a curriculum design that focused on designing the teaching and learning environment to occasion emergence in learning and curriculum. The games of chase curriculum contributed to children’s learning, my own learning and the general rhythm of life at the centre. The children learnt to distinguish between children who were playing and those who were not. They also learnt different ways to tag people in a game. In addition, the children and I developed a game playing routine before playing each game. This routine involved putting on tag belts, discussing what game we were playing and how we were going to play it. We played three different games of chase, starting with tag, followed by What is the time Mr(s) Wolf?, and finally the emergent game Big A, Little A. The stories of emergence are described in visual, descriptive and narrative texts organised into curriculum stories, teaching stories and children’s learning stories. Curriculum stories describe the activities that unfolded. Teaching stories present stories of teaching while learning stories are stories of children’s learning. These stories represent views of the enacted curriculum as activity, teaching and learning respectively. Taken together, the stories present a description of the curriculum dynamics that unfolded at the centre in relation to games of chase. This thesis shows that a local curriculum theory for games of chase at the centre emerged from the complex interactions of curriculum design and curriculum dynamics that unfolded at the centre. It also articulates the emergent concepts of local curriculum theory, curriculum design and curriculum dynamics using the language of complexity. This thesis also presents the local curriculum theory as a curriculum vision. This vision involves a shift in thinking about curriculum as either a set “course to be run” or the “path created in the running” (currere) to embracing curriculum as both “the space for running” and currere. It is a vision that values both children’s and teachers’ interests, focuses on teachers and children exploring depth and breadth of a curriculum domain together, enables teachers to follow, generate and sustain children’s interest in the explorations, and is generative, flexible and future-focused. This thesis conceptualises an emergent methodology as a methodology for emergence which (1) involves the researcher actively striving to foster emergence in research, (2) is brought forth in the interactions between the designed and enacted facets of methodology, (3) is local to a particular research project, and (4) emerges from the interactions of several related strategies. This thesis can be seen as an attempt to change the language game of curriculum by using the language of complexity throughout the thesis. In so doing, it not only enables the reader to talk about the discourse of complexity thinking, it also enables the reader to experience the discourse and the emergence of the curriculum-related phenomena and the methodological innovations that are the focus of this thesis. Finally, this thesis argues that using the discourse of complexity thinking in teaching and research can be enabling. It can enable the teacher and/or researcher to be creative, flexible and ethical within the constraints of his/her professional and personal life.

When accidents occur, citizens often are the real first responders. This has been acknowledged and studied from an international perspective, particularly in relation to large crises and disasters, but remains relatively unstudied from a Swedish perspective. This thesis takes its point of departure from people who have been emergency callers or witnesses to traffic accidents, studying their actions and interactions at the scene of an accident in terms of boundaries, positioning and emergence. The aim of this thesis is to study how people’s actions in a specific situation are affected by their interactions with both real and imagined others and how their actions are affected by the spatial context. The thesis consists of four individual studies that relate differently to the main aim of the thesis. The first study focuses on first responders’ options to act in a place that simultaneously is the workplace of emergency personnel: the incident site. This study shows how first responders’ options to act are governed in large part by their interaction with emergency personnel and their boundary practices at the incident site. In this study, we apply theories of boundary practices from Nippert-Eng and the concept of boundary work from Gieryn to explain how emergency personnel control their place of work through boundary practices and through that process control those first responders who are present at the site. In other words, people’s actions at the incident site are affected by both the social and the spatial context. The second study focuses on a limited selection of first responders: those who have placed emergency calls. Through interviews with callers and transcriptions of their emergency calls, this study explores how the callers frame their decision to stop and place the call through different presentations of self. These presentations are constructed through moral positioning, in which the callers position themselves and their actions in relation to both real and imagined others. Thus, the callers also construct normative accounts of what is considered a “preferable” and “non-preferable” way to act at the scene of an accident. The third study takes its point of departure from theories and previous research on emergence because they have been used by disaster sociologists to explain how citizens are the real first responders to crises and disasters. Through the concepts of emergent behavior and emergent norms, papers in this research field have argued that people in these situations act according to “new and not-yet-institutionalized behavior guidelines”. In this study, I argue that emergence, in other words, citizens as the real first responders, is also present in everyday emergencies. Through the narratives of citizen first responders, I explore how they frame their actions through different normative narratives. These normative narratives are not necessarily emergent, however. Rather, the interviewees use past experience and presentations of self to justify their actions at the scene of an accident. The fourth study is an ethnographic reflection of the researcher’s place-bounded identity in a field study that revolves around several different places. Rather than focusing on a story of first responders, this study focuses on the researcher’s, i.e., my own, story from the scene of an accident, the fire truck and the fire station. What I have been able to study through these different studies are stories of actions rather than “actual” actions or behaviors. In these stories, it becomes clear that first responders relate to both a social and spatial context as they provide accounts of their actions at the scene of an accident. They relate to a social context because they frame their actions through their interactions with different actors and position themselves in relation to those actors—and in relation to a spatial context. That is, they perform their actions in a place that is someone else’s place of work, with jurisdictional claims of both legitimacy and control. In summary, this thesis contributes a deeper knowledge of how citizen first responders interpret, understand and tell the story of their actions at the scene of an accident. The contribution considers the fact that citizen first responders are something of a “blind spot”, not only in the field of emergency research but also for emergency personnel who do not always acknowledge the experience of first responders at the scene of accidents.