Indigenous trans-systemics: changing the volume on systems.

This paper emerged as a result of Anishinabe and non-Indigenous scholars discussing the basic principles behind systems thinking. By asking the question "what is a system?", we uncovered that our very understanding of what makes a system was vastly different. As scholars working in cross-cultural and inter-cultural environments, these differing worldviews can create systemic challenges in unpacking complex problems. Trans-systemics offers language to unearth these assumptions by the recognition that the dominant, or "loudest", systems are not always the most appropriate or equitable. It goes beyond critical systems thinking to identify that tackling complex problems requires the recognition that there are multiple, overlapping systems and worldviews at play. We identified three key takeaways from Indigenous trans-systemics for socio-ecological systems thinkers: (1) trans-systemics is a call to humility, asking us to critically examine our patterns of thought and behavior; (2) by exploring humility, trans-systemics allows us to move past the autopoiesis of Eurocentric systems thinking to consider interdependence; and (3) to utilize Indigenous trans-systemics, we need to fundamentally reconsider how we understand the systems around us and bring in outside tools and concepts to enact meaningful systems change.

Policy windows, policy change, and organizational learning: watersheds in the evolution of watershed management.

Employing in-depth, elite interviews, this empirical research contributes to understanding the dynamics among policy windows, policy change, and organizational learning. First, although much of the research on agenda setting-how issues attract enough attention that action is taken to address them-has been conducted at the national scale, this work explores the subnational, regional scale. With decentralization, regional-scale environmental decision-making has become increasingly important. Second, this research highlights the role of policy windows and instances of related organizational learning identified by natural resources managers. Having practitioners identify focusing events contrasts with the more typical approach of the researcher identifying a particular focusing event or events to investigate. A focusing event is a sudden, exceptional experience that, because of how it leads to harm or exposes the prospect for great devastation, is perceived as the impetus for policy change.

Reference values of pulmonary function tests for Canadian Caucasians.

A multicentre, cross-sectional study was carried out in six centres across Canada to establish a national standard for pulmonary function tests using healthy, lifetime nonsmokers, with each centre aiming to test 10 men and 10 women from each decade from 20 to 80 years of age. Data from each centre were used to derive prediction equations for each centre, and pooled data from all centres (total: 327 women and 300 men) were used to derive Canadian predicted equations. The predictive models were compared with three widely used published models for selected tests. It was found that, in general, the equations modelled for each centre could be replaced by the models obtained when pooling all data (Canadian model). Comparisons with the published references showed good agreement and similar slopes for most tests. The results suggest that pulmonary function test results obtained from different centres in Canada were comparable and that standards currently used remain valid for Canadian Caucasians.

Efectos de los cambios posturales en las crepitaciones de pacientes con fibrosis quística versus fibrosis pulmonar: comunicación preliminar / Position dependence of crackles in cystic fibrosis and pulmonary fibrosis

La influencia de los cambios posturales en la generación de crepitaciones se han demostrado en pacientes con Fibrosis Pulmonar (FP). En la posición decúbito lateral, las crepitaciones pueden disminuir en el pulmón superior o aumentar en el pulmón que queda en la parte inferior. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar la dependencia postural de las crepitaciones en pacientes con fibrosis Quística (FQ) y FP. a través del análisis computacional de los ruidos respiratorios. Se estudiaron 14 pacientes (7 con FQ y 7 con FP), a través de la grabación de los ruidos pulmonares, utilizando micrófonos de contacto en los lóbulos inferiores derecho e izquierdo, primero en posición sentada, a derecha e izquierda en decúbito lateral y por último nuevamente en posición sentada. En paciente con FQ la dependencia postural se observó en 3/7 pacientes, en cambio en FP se presentó en 6/7 pacientes, bilateral en 4 y unilateral en 2. Nuestros resultados sugieren que la dependencia postural de las crepitaciones es frecuente en FP pero no así en FQ. Lo cual se podría explicar porque existen diferentes mecanismos en la generación de crepitaciones, dentro de los que se destaca aumento de la retracción elástica pulmonar en FQ versus el aumento de secreciones en la vía aérea en FQ