University of Maine

About: University of Maine is a education organization based out in Orono, Maine, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Ice sheet. The organization has 8637 authors who have published 16932 publications receiving 590124 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Maine at Orono.

The nature of inquiry: linking quantitative and qualitative research.

Abstract: Views of research that dichotomize qualitative and quantitative methods and the paradigms in which they are couched reflect a limited interpretation of the process of inquiry. In this article, the authors propose that inquiry, regardless of the inquirer's chosen paradigm or method, is governed by six pursuits that integrate qualitative and quantitative research methods. Recognition of the synthetic nature of inquiry is essential to fuller explanation and understanding of questions and problems relevant to nursing.

Sustainability, complexity and learning: insights from complex systems approaches

Abstract: – The purpose of this research is to explore core contributions from two different approaches to complexity management in organisations aiming to improve their sustainability,: the Viable Systems Model (VSM), and the Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS). It is proposed to perform this by summarising the main insights each approach offers to understanding organisational transformations aiming to improve sustainability; and by presenting examples of applied research on each case and reflecting on the learning emerging from them., – An action science approach was followed: the conceptual framework used in each case was first presented, which then illustrates its application through a case study; at the first one the VSM framework supports an organisational transformation towards sustainability in a community; the second one is a quantitative case study of intended greening of two firms in the supermarket industry, taken from a CAS perspective. The learning from each case study on how they support/explain organisational learning in transformations towards more sustainable organisations was illustrated., – It wase found that the VSM and the CAS approaches offer internally consistent and complementary insights to address issues of self‐organisation and adaptive management for sustainability improvement: while CAS explains empowerment of bottom‐up learning processes in organisations, VSM enables a learning context where self‐organised networks can co‐evolve for improved sustainability., – The main aspects of both theories and examples of their explanatory power to support learning in practical applications in organisations were introduced. The initial findings indicate that it will be worth studying in greater depth the contributions to organisational learning from both conceptual models and more widely comparing their applications and insights., – The paper offers some guidance to both researchers and practitioners interested in using complex systems theories in action research‐oriented projects, regarding the usability and applicability of both approaches., – It is considered that, by better understanding organisational ability to adapt and self‐regulate on crucial issues for sustainability, it may help to develop one path through the ongoing socio‐ecological crisis. While much has been written about sustainability initiatives and governance from conventional perspectives, much less is known about how a complex systems framework may help to address one's pressing sustainability needs. These issues from two innovative complexity approaches as well as the value of using them in action research were illustrated.

Menopause-associated changes in plasma lipids, insulin-like growth factor I and blood pressure: a longitudinal study.

Abstract: We examined the effects of the menopause transition on plasma lipids, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and blood pressure. An initial cohort of 38, non-smoking, healthy premenopausal women (44-48 years) were examined at baseline and after a 6-year follow-up period. At follow-up, 18 women had spontaneously stopped menstruating, whereas 17 women remained premenopausal. Women who experienced natural menopause showed a greater decline in high-density lipoproteins (-5 +/- 4 mg dL-1 vs. -1 +/- 3 mg dL-1; P < 0.01) and a greater increase in low-density lipoproteins (13 +/- 12 vs. 5 +/- 10 mg dL-1; P < 0.05) and fasting triglycerides (14 +/- 15 vs. 5 +/- 11 mg dL-1; P < 0.05) than women who remained premenopausal. No menopause effect was noted for total cholesterol. We noted a greater decline in IGF-I levels in women who experienced a natural menopause (-21 +/- 11 ng mL-1) than women who remained postmenopausal (-4 +/- 10 ng mL-1). Systolic blood pressure increased in postmenopausal (13 +/- 10 mmHg) compared with premenopausal women (5 +/- 4 mmHg: P < 0.01), whereas no menopause effect was noted for diastolic blood pressure. The increase in the waist-to-hip ratio was related to a decrease in high-density lipoprotein (r = -0.49; P < 0.05) and increase in low-density lipoprotein (r = 0.48; P < 0.05). The decline in IGF-I was related to the decline in reported leisure time physical activity (0.44: P < 0.05). We conclude that the natural menopause transition is associated with a worsening of the lipid profile and decline in IGF-I, which might be mitigated by deleterious changes in body fat distribution and physical activity.