University of King's College

Abstract Differences in sensory processing in neurodevelopmental conditions, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), cascade into downstream clinical symptomatology. This includes differences in combining sensory information from multiple modalities into a unified percept, known as multisensory integration. Little is known about the functional organization of multisensory network (MSN) in these groups, its relation to clinical sensory issues, or its interaction with other higher-order cortical networks. We examined resting-state fMRI data from 417 participants in the Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Network (ASD=174, ADHD=130, Typical Development=113; Mean age=11.96±4.10). Timeseries data were extracted from the MSN and seven additional resting-state cortical networks (RSNs). Undirected and directed functional connectivity (FC) metrics were computed within the MSN and between the MSN and other RSNs. FC was compared across diagnoses and related to clinical sensory characteristics. The thalamus emerged as a hub region in both undirected and directed FC within the MSN and between the MSN-RSNs. Some diagnosis-related differences were observed, with increased MSN-RSN FC particularly in ADHD; however, associations with sensory characteristics were stronger in both undirected and directed FC within the MSN and between the MSN-RSNs, regardless of diagnosis. Converging evidence was seen in data-driven clusters based on FC metrics, which did not align with diagnosis, but instead mapped on to the overall level of sensory issues reported. That the data-driven clusters sorted not by diagnosis but by sensory characteristics suggests that these sensory characteristics and their underlying neurobiology are transdiagnostic in nature as opposed to specific to ASD or ADHD.

Background: Differences in sensory processing are a defining characteristic of autism, affecting up to 87% of autistic individuals. These differences cause widespread perceptual changes that can negatively impact cognition, development, and daily functioning. Recent research identified five sensory processing phenotypes with varied behavioural presentations; however, their neural basis remains unclear. This study aims to ground these sensory phenotypes in unique patterns of functional connectivity. Methods: We analyzed data from 146 autistic participants in the Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Network. We classified participants into sensory phenotypes using k-means clustering of scores from the Short Sensory Profile. We then computed a connectivity matrix from 200 cortical and 32 subcortical regions and calculated graph-theoretic measures (betweenness centrality, strength, local efficiency, clustering coefficient) to assess information exchange between these regions. We then trained machine learning models to use these measures to classify between all pairs of sensory phenotypes. Results: We replicated that our sample of autistic participants was best categorized into five sensory phenotypes. The machine learning models distinguished 7/10 phenotype pairs using graph-theoretic measures (p < 0.005). Information exchange within and between the somatomotor network, orbitofrontal cortex, posterior parietal cortex, prefrontal cortex and subcortical areas were highly predictive of sensory phenotype. Conclusions: This study shows that distinct sensory phenotypes in autism correspond with unique patterns of functional connectivity. Cortical, subcortical, and network-level connectivity all play a role in shaping distinct sensory processing styles in autism. These findings lay the groundwork for understanding these phenotypes and highlight opportunities to develop interventions in cases of maladaptive sensory processing

This study aims to investigate the intricacies of inpatient psychosocial rehabilitation by examining a community-based mental health inpatient rehabilitation service in Nova Scotia, Canada. It provides a comparative analysis with national standards using the Quality Indicator for Rehabilitative Care (QuIRC) and offers recommendations for improvement. The study will link findings to research on enhancing specific domains, focusing on strategies to address identified challenges and leverage opportunities to meet or exceed national benchmarks in promoting recovery and social inclusion. This study utilizes the QuIRC as a primary assessment tool to evaluate the quality of care in psychiatric and psychosocial rehabilitation care unit. The QuIRC assessment findings reveal crucial insights across several domains, including the living and therapeutic environment, treatments and interventions, self-management and autonomy, social interface, human rights, and recovery-based practices. The study identifies strengths and areas for improvement by comparing unit scores with national averages in Canada, offering a detailed examination of the quality of care provided in a community-based psychosocial rehabilitation service. Using the QuIRC identifies strengths and areas for improvement of current care provided, opening opportunities for positive change and improved quality of care. By highlighting the critical indicators of the quality of care and best practices derived from the QuIRC assessment, this study provides practical insights that can be directly applied by practitioners, policymakers, and stakeholders, fostering an understanding of essential elements that support effective mental health rehabilitation within community settings.

Abstract This book is a history of how it came to be that our best physical theories of particles, gravity, and spacetime are theories of the vacuum, of empty space. Today, physicists calculate “vacuum expectation values,” predict the influence of “vacuum fluctuations,” and describe universes and black holes composed of dynamic, yet empty, spacetime. More than this, vacuum physics seems paradoxical. Physicists depict the vacuum as by turns placid and roiling; as a rippling sheet and a crashing sea. More than Nothing provides new interpretations of seminal advances in the history of relativistic quantum theory, including Paul Dirac’s positron theory and Richard Feynman’s and Julian Schwinger’s Quantum Electrodynamics. It provides sustained analysis of understudied figures, including John Wheeler’s geometrodynamics, Roger Penrose’s diagrammatic methods, and Sidney Coleman’s false vacuum. These studies analyze physicists’ diverse interests. This reveals surprising connections between positron theory and mathematical beauty; between fluctuations and Marxian philosophy; between the psychology of “impossible objects” and drawings of black holes; and between symmetry breaking and science fiction. The development of the physics of the vacuum was inseparable from the development of aesthetics, art, psychology, fiction—from culture. By analyzing scientific practice—as documented in notes, correspondence, drawings, laboratory notebooks, and published material—this book shows that physicists chose to center the vacuum because of its utility. Over and again, theorists found the vacuum useful.

Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) is an approach to research that engages youth across the research process. The peer researcher method is a technique used in YPAR where youth are trained in research and ethics to interview their peers. The purpose of this study was to: (i) describe the process of engaging youth as peer researchers in a Health Promoting Schools (HPS) and student engagement project and (ii) understand the peer researchers’ perspectives of their experience throughout the project. Youth from across Nova Scotia, Canada in grades 7–10 (ages 12–16) were recruited as peer researchers in the Summer, 2022. The project included three stages: (i) peer researcher training, (ii) practicing, recruiting and conducting interviews and (iii) data interpretation workshop. To understand the peer researcher’s experience, quantitative data were collected from an evaluation questionnaire. Outputs were produced using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were collected through a focus group and interviews and analyzed using inductive content analysis. A total of 11 youth were recruited and completed peer researcher training. Most youth provided positive feedback on the training with a satisfaction score of 8.7/10. Qualitative analysis indicated benefits to the peer researchers including opportunities to build interview and social skills and learn about other’s perspectives. This study provides a detailed overview of how to use a peer researcher method in a YPAR project to involve youth in research related to HPS and student engagement. The research also highlights the benefits of engaging youth in YPAR. Future research will report on the findings from the peer interviews.

"Audubon at Sea: The Coastal and Transatlantic Adventures of John James Audubon." History: Reviews of New Books, 51(3), pp. 48–49

This critical literature analysis is a comprehensive collection and review of the literature concerning the use of recommender systems to curate social media content, specifically Facebook News Feeds. This Major Research Paper (MRP) critically evaluates the existing research to consolidate the literature on insular online spaces, identify ways in which public opinion could be affected by insular content, and find strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the literature. After completing an extensive literature review and analysis, it was determined that researchers are polarized by the topic, while journalists (whose articles comprise the considered supplementary literature) are united in their reporting of Facebook as being a filter bubble. While additional empirical research is necessary for a firm conclusion to be drawn about insular online existences, preliminary results indicate that Facebook News Feeds’ ability to curate personalized content may be manipulating and limiting users’ exposure to ideologically varied media.

While the City of Toronto recognizes the importance of retaining employment lands, it is becoming evident that long-term visions are needed to fully conceptualize the possibilities and realities of these aging, eclectic manufacturing hubs found in the inner suburbs. The purpose of this research is to identify the conditions, constraints and opportunities of the Rexdale Employment Area and develop the groundwork for a Secondary Plan. The first phase of this research project involves conducting a literature review of suburban industry and collecting historical information on Rexdale's employment lands. This is followed by a provincial and municipal policy review for employment lands and how these impact the longevity of the Rexdale Employment Area. A case study analysis of industrial districts in Chicago and Vancouver helps identify possible best practices to implement in Rexdale. Finally, interviews with planners, local employees, industrial associations and com munity organizations were used to provide perspectives absent from existing literature. A site study of the vacant land at 555 Rexdale Boulevard is used as a way to conceptualize the conditions and opportunities of the Rexdale Employment Area.

While the City of Toronto recognizes the importance of retaining employment lands, it is becoming evident that long-term visions are needed to fully conceptualize the possibilities and realities of these aging, eclectic manufacturing hubs found in the inner suburbs. The purpose of this research is to identify the conditions, constraints and opportunities of the Rexdale Employment Area and develop the groundwork for a Secondary Plan. The first phase of this research project involves conducting a literature review of suburban industry and collecting historical information on Rexdale's employment lands. This is followed by a provincial and municipal policy review for employment lands and how these impact the longevity of the Rexdale Employment Area. A case study analysis of industrial districts in Chicago and Vancouver helps identify possible best practices to implement in Rexdale. Finally, interviews with planners, local employees, industrial associations and com munity organizations were used to provide perspectives absent from existing literature. A site study of the vacant land at 555 Rexdale Boulevard is used as a way to conceptualize the conditions and opportunities of the Rexdale Employment Area.