Showing papers by "University of New Brunswick published in 2015"

Antimicrobial Polymeric Materials with Quaternary Ammonium and Phosphonium Salts

Abstract: Polymeric materials containing quaternary ammonium and/or phosphonium salts have been extensively studied and applied to a variety of antimicrobial-relevant areas. With various architectures, polymeric quaternary ammonium/phosphonium salts were prepared using different approaches, exhibiting different antimicrobial activities and potential applications. This review focuses on the state of the art of antimicrobial polymers with quaternary ammonium/phosphonium salts. In particular, it discusses the structure and synthesis method, mechanisms of antimicrobial action, and the comparison of antimicrobial performance between these two kinds of polymers.

Ambient PM2.5, O3, and NO2 Exposures and Associations with Mortality over 16 Years of Follow-Up in the Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohort (CanCHEC)

Abstract: BackgroundFew studies examining the associations between long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and mortality have considered multiple pollutants when assessing changes in exposure due to resi...

Low Resource Dependency Parsing: Cross-lingual Parameter Sharing in a Neural Network Parser

Abstract: Training a high-accuracy dependency parser requires a large treebank. However, these are costly and time-consuming to build. We propose a learning method that needs less data, based on the observation that there are underlying shared structures across languages. We exploit cues from a different source language in order to guide the learning process. Our model saves at least half of the annotation effort to reach the same accuracy compared with using the purely supervised method.

The healthy immigrant effect: Patterns and evidence from four countries

Abstract: The existence of a healthy immigrant effect—where immigrants are on average healthier than the native born—is a widely cited phenomenon across a multitude of literatures including epidemiology and the social sciences. There are many competing explanations. The goals of this paper are twofold: first, to provide further evidence on the presence of the healthy immigrant effect across source and destination country using a set of consistently defined measures of health; and second, to evaluate the role of selectivity as a potential explanation for the existence of the phenomenon. Utilizing data from four major immigrant recipient countries, USA, Canada, UK, and Australia allows us to compare the health of migrants from each with the respective native born who choose not to migrate. This represents a much more appropriate counterfactual than the native born of the immigrant recipient country and yields new insights into the importance of observable selection effects. The analysis finds strong support for the healthy immigrant effect across all four destination countries and that selectivity plays an important role in the observed better health of migrants vis a vis those who stay behind in their country of origin.

RAD genotyping reveals fine-scale genetic structuring and provides powerful population assignment in a widely distributed marine species, the American lobster (Homarus americanus)

Abstract: Deciphering genetic structure and inferring connectivity in marine species have been challenging due to weak genetic differentiation and limited resolution offered by traditional genotypic methods. The main goal of this study was to assess how a population genomics framework could help delineate the genetic structure of the American lobster (Homarus americanus) throughout much of the species’ range and increase the assignment success of individuals to their location of origin. We genotyped 10 156 filtered SNPs using RAD sequencing to delineate genetic structure and perform population assignment for 586 American lobsters collected in 17 locations distributed across a large portion of the species’ natural distribution range. Our results revealed the existence of a hierarchical genetic structure, first separating lobsters from the northern and southern part of the range (FCT = 0.0011; P-value = 0.0002) and then revealing a total of 11 genetically distinguishable populations (mean FST = 0.00185; CI: 0.0007–0.0021, Pvalue < 0.0002), providing strong evidence for weak, albeit fine-scale population structuring within each region. A resampling procedure showed that assignment success was highest with a subset of 3000 SNPs having the highest FST. Applying Anderson’s (Molecular Ecology Resources, 2010, 10, 701) method to avoid ‘high-grading bias’, 94.2% and 80.8% of individuals were correctly assigned to their region and location of origin, respectively. Lastly, we showed that assignment success was positively associated with sample size. These results demonstrate that using a large number of SNPs improves fine-scale population structure delineation and population assignment success in a context of weak genetic structure. We discuss the implications of these findings for the conservation and management of highly connected marine species, particularly regarding the geographic scale of demographic independence.

Contextualizing Theories and Practices of Bricolage Research

Abstract: Within the last decade, bricolage, as an approach to qualitative inquiry, has gained popularity in academic circles. However, while conceptual and concrete precedents exist, the approach has remained relatively misunderstood, and unpopular, in broader research communities. This may be because the complexity of the approach has stymied widespread discussions and commentary. This article means to address this concern by providing a thick, yet accessible, introduction to bricolage as an approach to qualitative inquiry. While researchers and scholars have conceptualized bricolage, few have attempted to provide an overview of how the concept emerged in relation to qualitative research. Further, while the literature on bricolage offers invaluable conceptual insights, lacking is a survey that provides clear examples of how bricolage has been implemented in research contexts. Therefore, while greatest attention in this article is devoted to contextualizing bricolage and introducing influential theorists, it also provides key examples of research that adopts the bricolage approach. In drawing on a plurality of sources, the article provides a thick discussion of the complex bricolage project; one that can be beneficial to both novice and seasoned researchers who pursue alternative methodological approaches. Keywords: Bricolage, Claude Levi-Strauss, Norman Denzin, Yvonna Lincoln, Joe Kincheloe, Kathy Berry, Complexity, Multiplicity, Critical Research, Praxis, Eclecticism, Emergent Design, Flexibility, Plurality

Stream biomonitoring using macroinvertebrates around the globe: a comparison of large-scale programs

Abstract: Water quality agencies and scientists are increasingly adopting standardized sampling methodologies because of the challenges associated with interpreting data derived from dissimilar protocols. Here, we compare 13 protocols for monitoring streams from different regions and countries around the globe. Despite the spatially diverse range of countries assessed, many aspects of bioassessment structure and protocols were similar, thereby providing evidence of key characteristics that might be incorporated in a global sampling methodology. Similarities were found regarding sampler type, mesh size, sampling period, subsampling methods, and taxonomic resolution. Consistent field and laboratory methods are essential for merging data sets collected by multiple institutions to enable large-scale comparisons. We discuss the similarities and differences among protocols and present current trends and future recommendations for monitoring programs, especially for regions where large-scale protocols do not yet exist. We summarize the current state in one of these regions, Latin America, and comment on the possible development path for these techniques in this region. We conclude that several aspects of stream biomonitoring need additional performance evaluation (accuracy, precision, discriminatory power, relative costs), particularly when comparing targeted habitat (only the commonest habitat type) versus site-wide sampling (multiple habitat types), appropriate levels of sampling and processing effort, and standardized indicators to resolve dissimilarities among biomonitoring methods. Global issues such as climate change are creating an environment where there is an increasing need to have universally consistent data collection, processing and storage to enable large-scale trend analysis. Biomonitoring programs following standardized methods could aid international data sharing and interpretation.

Sodium periodate oxidation of cellulose nanocrystal and its application as a paper wet strength additive

Abstract: The oxidation of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) by sodium periodate can generate aldehyde functions for crosslinking reactions or for further modification, which can extend the range of applications of CNC In this paper, the effects of reaction conditions during the periodate oxidation of CNC, such as oxidant concentration, pH, temperature and oxidation time on the oxidized CNC yield and the aldehyde content, were investigated and an optimized reaction condition was identified The generation of aldehyde groups on the CNC was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis, and the decreased crystalline index was observed by X-ray diffraction The transmission electron microscope observation showed the morphological changes of CNC after the oxidation The oxidized CNC was used as a strength additive to paper, and the results showed that the dry tensile index was 326 % higher than the control sample, and the wet tensile index was reached to 308 Nm/g, at the oxidized CNC dosage of 12 %

Learning the Concept of Researcher as Instrument in Qualitative Research

Abstract: A naive view of qualitative research is that it can be conducted according to the canons of quantitative research and, as such, that it is merely a modification of quantitative research. More disconcerting is the view that qualitative research is second class. However, Sandeloswki (2004) reminds us that an important contribution of qualitative research is that it "complicates and thereby unfreezes the idea of evidence, foregrounds the politics in definitions of evidence, and precludes a priori prejudices against certain types of evidence" (p. 1382). To become a qualitative researcher requires a whole new way of thinking about what counts as evidence. Unlike in the natural sciences, where an Archimedean point is prized for its vantage point of total objectivity of the researcher in relation to the object of study, qualitative researchers accept that evidence is not a given, fixed reality. Thus, qualitative health researchers challenge the hegemony of a hierarchy of evidence based solely on the allure of the randomized control trial as the gold standard in health care research. They take a much more nuanced and complex view of what constitutes evidence in health research. In this article we discuss how a student with a Master's degree in Economics enrolled in an Advanced Qualitative Research course as a part of a subsequent Master's Degree in Applied Health Services Research (MASHR) and was guided to expand her thinking about the nature of evidence and the concept of researcher "as the primary instrument or medium through which the research is conducted" (Lofland, Snow, Anderson, & Lofland, 2006, p. 3). Being told that qualitative research is different from quantitative research is different than actually experiencing the difference. We believe that learning how the researcher plays a central role in generating and interpreting data in qualitative research assists neophyte qualitative researchers in understanding the complexity inherent in qualitative research. To provide a context for the discussion we first describe the background on the unique nature of the master's program; subsequently, we describe how within the course the student was guided to develop an appreciation for qualitative research. Context of the Educational Program The Atlantic Regional Training Centre Atlantic Canada is a largely rural area especially when compared to other parts of Canada and the United States. Thus, increasing capacity for health service research has been a focus of the Atlantic Regional Training Centre (ARTC), which is one of four applied health research training centres funded by the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research through the Capacity for Applied and Developmental Research and Evaluation initiative. The ARTC is a collaborative endeavor among four Atlantic Canada universities (Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Memorial University of Newfoundland, the University of New Brunswick and the University of Prince Edward Island), offering both a MAHSR and opportunities for PhD studies. The master's program consists of eight courses in health care research plus "rotating theme-based workshops as forums for interchanges among decision makers, students, and faculty; a residency placement where students apply theory and concepts within a decision-making organization; the involvement of health decision makers in thesis work; and dissemination of research results to decision makers parallel to traditional academic requirements" (ARTC, nd, [paragraph] 5). Students in the MASHR program come from diverse disciplines and backgrounds and may have limited background in the healthcare field. By the end of the program, students are expected to demonstrate grounding in scholarly research techniques and a comprehensive understanding of distinct theoretical and practical perspectives underpinning a multidisciplinary understanding of key issues in health service policy, administration, and delivery (ARTC, nd). …

New cosmogenic burial ages for Sterkfontein Member 2 Australopithecus and Member 5 Oldowan

Abstract: The cave infills at Sterkfontein contain one of the richest assemblages of Australopithecus fossils in the world, including the nearly complete skeleton StW 573 ('Little Foot') in its lower section, as well as early stone tools in higher sections. However, the chronology of the site remains controversial owing to the complex history of cave infilling. Much of the existing chronology based on uranium-lead dating and palaeomagnetic stratigraphy has recently been called into question by the recognition that dated flowstones fill cavities formed within previously cemented breccias and therefore do not form a stratigraphic sequence. Earlier dating with cosmogenic nuclides suffered a high degree of uncertainty and has been questioned on grounds of sediment reworking. Here we use isochron burial dating with cosmogenic aluminium-26 and beryllium-10 to show that the breccia containing StW 573 did not undergo significant reworking, and that it was deposited 3.67 ± 0.16 million years ago, far earlier than the 2.2 million year flowstones found within it. The skeleton is thus coeval with early Australopithecus afarensis in eastern Africa. We also date the earliest stone tools at Sterkfontein to 2.18 ± 0.21 million years ago, placing them in the Oldowan at a time similar to that found elsewhere in South Africa at Swartkans and Wonderwerk.

Large-Scale Biomonitoring of Remote and Threatened Ecosystems via High-Throughput Sequencing

Abstract: Biodiversity metrics are critical for assessment and monitoring of ecosystems threatened by anthropogenic stressors. Existing sorting and identification methods are too expensive and labour-intensive to be scaled up to meet management needs. Alternately, a high-throughput DNA sequencing approach could be used to determine biodiversity metrics from bulk environmental samples collected as part of a large-scale biomonitoring program. Here we show that both morphological and DNA sequence-based analyses are suitable for recovery of individual taxonomic richness, estimation of proportional abundance, and calculation of biodiversity metrics using a set of 24 benthic samples collected in the Peace-Athabasca Delta region of Canada. The high-throughput sequencing approach was able to recover all metrics with a higher degree of taxonomic resolution than morphological analysis. The reduced cost and increased capacity of DNA sequence-based approaches will finally allow environmental monitoring programs to operate at the geographical and temporal scale required by industrial and regulatory end-users.

Key Future Directions For Research On Turbidity Currents and Their Deposits

Abstract: Turbidity currents, and other types of submarine sediment densityflow, redistribute more sediment acrossthe surface of the Earth than any other sediment flow process, yet their sediment concentration has never been measured directly in the deep ocean. The depositsof these flows are of societal importance asimperfect records of past earthquakes and tsunamogenic landslides and as the reservoir rocks for many deep-water petroleum accumulations. Key future research directions on these flows and their deposits were identified at an informal workshop in September 2013. This contribution summarizes conclusions from that workshop, and engages the wider community in this debate. International efforts are needed for an initiative to monitor and understand a series of test sites where flows occur frequently, which needs coordination to optimize sharing of equipment and interpretation of data. Direct monitoring observations should be combined with cores and seismic data to link flow and deposit character, whilst experimental and numerical models play a key role in understandingfield observations. Such an initiative may be timely and feasible, due to recent technological advances in monitoring sensors, moorings, and autonomous data recovery. This is illustrated here by recently collected data from the Squamish River delta, Monterey Canyon, Congo Canyon, and offshore SE Taiwan. A series of other key topics are then highlighted. Theoretical considerations suggest that supercritical flows may often occur on gradients of greater than , 0.6u. Trains of up-slope-migrating bedforms have recently been mapped in a wide range of marine and freshwater settings. They may result from repeated hydraulic jumps in supercritical flows, and dense (greater than approximately 10% volume) near-bed layers may need to be invoked to explain transport of heavy (25 to 1,000 kg) blocks. Future work needs to understand how sediment is transported in these bedforms, the internal structure and preservation potential of their deposits, and their use in facies prediction. Turbulence damping may be widespread and commonplace in submarine sediment density flows, particularly as flows decelerate, because it can occur at low ( , 0.1%) volume concentrations. This could have important implications for flow evolution and deposit geometries. Better quantitative constraints are needed on what controls flow capacity and competence, together with improved constraints on bed erosion and sediment resuspension. Recent advances in understanding dilute or mainly saline flows in submarine channels should be extended to explore how flow behavior changes as sediment concentrations increase. The petroleum industry requires predictive models of longer-term channel system behavior and resulting deposit architecture, and for these purposes it is important to distinguish between geomorphic and stratigraphic surfaces

Exploring Game Performance in the National Basketball Association Using Player Tracking Data.

Abstract: Recent player tracking technology provides new information about basketball game performance. The aim of this study was to (i) compare the game performances of all-star and non all-star basketball players from the National Basketball Association (NBA), and (ii) describe the different basketball game performance profiles based on the different game roles. Archival data were obtained from all 2013-2014 regular season games (n = 1230). The variables analyzed included the points per game, minutes played and the game actions recorded by the player tracking system. To accomplish the first aim, the performance per minute of play was analyzed using a descriptive discriminant analysis to identify which variables best predict the all-star and non all-star playing categories. The all-star players showed slower velocities in defense and performed better in elbow touches, defensive rebounds, close touches, close points and pull-up points, possibly due to optimized attention processes that are key for perceiving the required appropriate environmental information. The second aim was addressed using a k-means cluster analysis, with the aim of creating maximal different performance profile groupings. Afterwards, a descriptive discriminant analysis identified which variables best predict the different playing clusters. The results identified different playing profile of performers, particularly related to the game roles of scoring, passing, defensive and all-round game behavior. Coaching staffs may apply this information to different players, while accounting for individual differences and functional variability, to optimize practice planning and, consequently, the game performances of individuals and teams.

Perfluorinated and polyfluorinated compounds in lake food webs from the Canadian high Arctic.

Abstract: Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) enter Arctic lakes through long-range atmospheric transport and local contamination, but their behavior in aquatic food webs at high latitudes is poorly understood. This study compared the concentrations of perfluorocarboxylates, perfluorosulfonates, and fluorotelomer sulfonates (FTS) in biotic and abiotic samples from six high Arctic lakes near Resolute Bay, Nunavut, Canada. Two of these lakes are known to be locally contaminated by a small airport and Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) from these lakes had over 100 times higher total [PFAS] when compared to fish from neighboring lakes. Perfluorononanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) dominated in char, benthic chironomids (their main prey), and sediments, while pelagic zooplankton and water were dominated by lower chain acids and perfluorodecanesulfonate (PFDS). This study also provides the first measures of perfluoroethylcyclohexanesulfonate (PFECHS) and FTS compounds in water, sediment, juvenile char, and benthic invertebrates from lakes in the high Arctic. Negative relationships between [PFAS] and δ(15)N values (indicative of trophic position) within these food webs indicated no biomagnification. Overall, these results suggest that habitat use and local sources of contamination, but not trophic level, are important determinants of [PFAS] in biota from freshwater food webs in the Canadian Arctic.

Preserving, augmenting, and creating cold-water thermal refugia in rivers: concepts derived from research on the Miramichi River, New Brunswick (Canada)

Abstract: Summer water temperatures are rising in many river systems in North America, and this warming trend is projected to intensify in the coming decades. Cold-water fish may alleviate thermal stress in summer by aggregating in discrete cold-water plumes that provide thermal refuge from high ambient river temperatures. Reliance on cold-water thermal refugia is expected to increase in a warming climate, and many river reaches already lack suitable thermal refugia as a result of an absence of thermal diversity. A comprehensive fish management strategy could proactively address this imminent threat to cold-water fish populations across North America by preserving existing thermal refugia, augmenting thermal anomalies to improve performance as refugia, and creating new thermal refugia in uniformly warm river reaches. We provide practical recommendations on how these measures can be accomplished based on insight derived from recent research focused on the Miramichi River, New Brunswick. Opportunities include limiting land use change, construction aggregate extraction (e.g. sand and gravel pits), and groundwater pumping/consumption. Existing thermal anomalies can be enhanced by controlling advective thermal mixing between cold-water tributaries and the river mainstem flow, installing riparian shading, and adding temporary structures for protection from avian predators. New refugia can be created by temporarily pumping groundwater to discrete points within the river during periods of thermal stress. These concepts are discussed in the context of a comprehensive thermal refugia management strategy. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

How Islamic Business Ethics Impact Women Entrepreneurs: Insights from Four Arab Middle Eastern Countries

Abstract: This study explores how Islamic business ethics and values impact the way in which Muslim women entrepreneurs conduct their business in the Arab world. Guided by institutional theory as a theoretical framework and social constructionism as a philosophical stance, this study uses a qualitative, interview-based methodology. Capitalizing on in-depth, face-to-face interviews with Muslim Arab women entrepreneurs across four countries in the Arab Middle East region, the results portray how Islamic work values and ethics are embedded in the entrepreneurial activities of these Arab women. The results also illustrate how Muslim women entrepreneurs seek well-being (falah) in their life and excellence (itqan) in their work while running their businesses. The Muslim women entrepreneurs adhered to the Islamic work-related values of good and hard work (amal salih), honesty and truthfulness (sidik and amanah), fairness and justice (haqq and adl), and benevolence (ihsaan) and perceived them as instrumental to the survival and success of their enterprises. The agency of the Muslim Arab women allowed them to construct and navigate their entrepreneurial careers away from the traditional, doctrinaire interpretations of Islam. This study, therefore, contributes to theory development on the interrelationship between gender and business ethics within entrepreneurial contexts and in relation to Muslim values. It also contributes to studies on entrepreneurship and business ethics by showing how Arab women practice entrepreneurship and project their faith in their enterprises. The implications of the study for academics, multinational corporations, and globalization are numerous and important for understanding how business is conducted in Islamic countries.

A Word Embedding Approach to Predicting the Compositionality of Multiword Expressions

Abstract: This paper presents the first attempt to use word embeddings to predict the compositionality of multiword expressions. We consider both single- and multi-prototype word embeddings. Experimental results show that, in combination with a back-off method based on string similarity, word embeddings outperform a method using count-based distributional similarity. Our best results are competitive with, or superior to, state-of-the-art methods over three standard compositionality datasets, which include two types of multiword expressions and two languages.

Situational Ethics: Re-thinking Approaches to Formal Ethics Requirements for Human-Computer Interaction

Abstract: Most Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) researchers are accustomed to the process of formal ethics review for their evaluation or field trial protocol. Although this process varies by country, the underlying principles are universal. While this process is often a formality, for field research or lab-based studies with vulnerable users, formal ethics requirements can be challenging to navigate -- a common occurrence in the social sciences; yet, in many cases, foreign to HCI researchers. Nevertheless, with the increase in new areas of research such as mobile technologies for marginalized populations or assistive technologies, this is a current reality. In this paper we present our experiences and challenges in conducting several studies that evaluate interactive systems in difficult settings, from the perspective of the ethics process. Based on these, we draft recommendations for mitigating the effect of such challenges to the ethical conduct of research. We then issue a call for interaction researchers, together with policy makers, to refine existing ethics guidelines and protocols in order to more accurately capture the particularities of such field-based evaluations, qualitative studies, challenging lab-based evaluations, and ethnographic observations.

Reequilibration processes in magnetite from iron skarn deposits

Abstract: Textural and compositional data for magnetite from nine iron skarn deposits in Canada, Romania, and China show that most samples have reequilibrated by dissolution and reprecipitation, oxy-exsolution, and/or recrystallization. The dissolution and reprecipitation processes are most extensive and are present in most magnetite samples examined, whereas the oxy-exsolution occurs only in high-Ti magnetite, forming exsolution lamellae of Fe-Ti-Al oxides. Electron microprobe analysis indicates that the reequilibration processes have significantly modified the minor and trace element compositions of magnetite, notably Si, Mg, Ca, Al, Mn, and Ti, whereas oxy-exsolution is effective in decreasing the Ti content of high-Ti magnetite. Many analyses of magnetite grains from the skarn deposits plot variably in the banded iron formations (BIF), iron oxide–copper-gold (IOCG), or porphyry Cu fields using the Ti + V versus Ca + Al + Mn discrimination diagram. This pattern suggests that trace element data for magnetite that has unusual composition and/or reequilibrated cannot be reliably used as a petrogenetic indicator. Mixing of externally derived saline fluids with Fe-rich magmatic-hydrothermal solutions, an increase in temperature, and local decreasing pressure and f O 2 are considered the most important causes for the dissolution and reprecipitation, or recrystallization, of the magnetite; increasing f O 2 and decreasing temperature may facilitate oxy-exsolution of Fe-Ti-Al oxides in high-Ti magnetite. Results presented here highlight the importance of detailed textural characterization prior to in situ chemical analysis of magnetite grains so that mineral compositions can be properly evaluated in terms of the genesis and evolution of iron skarn deposits.

Incorporating Adaptive Local Information Into Fuzzy Clustering for Image Segmentation

Abstract: Fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering with spatial constraints has attracted great attention in the field of image segmentation. However, most of the popular techniques fail to resolve misclassification problems due to the inaccuracy of their spatial models. This paper presents a new unsupervised FCM-based image segmentation method by paying closer attention to the selection of local information. In this method, region-level local information is incorporated into the fuzzy clustering procedure to adaptively control the range and strength of interactive pixels. First, a novel dissimilarity function is established by combining region-based and pixel-based distance functions together, in order to enhance the relationship between pixels which have similar local characteristics. Second, a novel prior probability function is developed by integrating the differences between neighboring regions into the mean template of the fuzzy membership function, which adaptively selects local spatial constraints by a tradeoff weight depending upon whether a pixel belongs to a homogeneous region or not. Through incorporating region-based information into the spatial constraints, the proposed method strengthens the interactions between pixels within the same region and prevents over smoothing across region boundaries. Experimental results over synthetic noise images, natural color images, and synthetic aperture radar images show that the proposed method achieves more accurate segmentation results, compared with five state-of-the-art image segmentation methods.

Positioning in mathematics education: revelations on an imported theory

Abstract: We develop theory within the field of mathematics education based on analysis of an imported theory—positioning theory—and the way it is used in the field. After summarizing positioning theory, we identify some conceptual fuzziness, particularly in core terms “positioning” and “storyline.” We offer Lemke’s idea of timescales as a way to refine the theory. We then use the refined theory to analyze strong examples from mathematics education literature as a source of insight into how this theory is being and could be used in the field. We identify the need to be clear about scale in describing positioning and storyline, to recognize that multiple storylines and positionings are at play in any interaction, to be specific about the role of communication acts in development of positioning and storyline, and to differentiate among different kinds of positioning. We claim that attention to these issues will help researchers recognize narratives and relationships at play that may be outside their expectation and also underpin stronger warranted claims.