Predictors of academic achievement and social competence in adolescence : facilitation, inhibition and general cognitive processing /

The relevance of attentional measures to cognitive and social adaptive behaviour was examined in an adolescent sample. Unlike previous research, the influence of both inhibitory and facilitory aspects of attention were studied. In addition, contributions made by these attentional processes were compared with traditional psychometric measures of cognitive functioning. Data were gathered from 36 grade 10 and 1 1 high school students (20 male and 16 female students) with a variety of learning and attentional difficulties. Data collection was conducted in the course of two testing sessions. In the first session, students completed questionnaires regarding their medical history, and everyday behaviours (the Brock Adaptive Functioning Questionnaire), along with non-verbal problem solving tasks and motor speed tasks. In the second session, students performed working memory measures and computer-administered tasks assessing inhibitory and facilitory aspects of attention. Grades and teacher-rated measures of cognitive and social impulsivity were also gathered. Results indicate that attentional control has both cognitive and social/emotional implications. Performance on negative priming and facilitation trials from the Flanker task predicted grades in core courses, social functioning measures, and cognitive and social impulsivity ratings. However, beneficial effects for academic and social functioning associated with inhibition were less prevalent in those demonstrating a greater ability to respond to facilitory cues. There was also some evidence that high levels of facilitation were less beneficial to academic performance, and female students were more likely to exceed optimal levels of facilitory processing. Furthermore, lower negative priming was ''S'K 'i\':y-: -'*' - r " j«v ; ''*.' iij^y Inhibition, Facilitation and Social Competence 3 associated with classroom-rated distraction and hyperactivity, but the relationship between inhibition and social aspects of impulsivity was stronger for adolescents with learning or reading problems, and the relationship between inhibition and cognitive impulsivity was stronger for male students. In most cases, attentional measures were predictive of performance outcomes independent of traditional psychometric measures of cognitive functioning. >,, These findings provide support for neuropsychological models linking inhibition to control of interference and arousal, and emphasize the fundamental role of attention in everyday adolescent activities. The findings also warrant further investigation into the ways which inhibitory and facilitory attentional processes interact, and the contextdependent nature of attentional control.associated with classroom-rated distraction and hyperactivity, but the relationship between inhibition and social aspects of impulsivity was stronger for adolescents with learning or reading problems, and the relationship between inhibition and cognitive impulsivity was stronger for male students. In most cases, attentional measures were predictive of performance outcomes independent of traditional psychometric measures of cognitive functioning. >,, These findings provide support for neuropsychological models linking inhibition to control of interference and arousal, and emphasize the fundamental role of attention in everyday adolescent activities. The findings also warrant further investigation into the ways which inhibitory and facilitory attentional processes interact, and the contextdependent nature of attentional control.

Exploring the personal and professional lives of teachers in the search for authenticity /

"We teach who we are" (Palmer, 1998, p. 2). This simple, yet profound, statement was the catalyst that began my thesis journey. Using a combination of self-study and participant narratives, Palmer's idea was explored as search for authenticity. The self-study component of this narrative was enhanced by the stories of two other teachers, both women. I chose to use narrative methodology to uncover and discover the relationship between the personal and professional lives of being a teacher. Do teachers express themselves daily in their classrooms? Do any lessons from the classroom translate into teachers' personal lives? The themes of reflection, authenticity, truth, and professional development thread themselves throughout this narrative study. In order to be true to myself as a teacher/researcher, arts-based interpretations accompany my own and each participant's profile. Our conversations about our pasts, our growth as teachers and journeys as individuals were captured in poetry and photographic mosaics. Through rich and detailed stories we explored who we are as teachers and how we became this way. The symbiotic relationship between our personal and professional lives was illustrated by tales of bravery, self-discovery, and reflection. The revelations uncovered illustrate the powerful role our past plays in shaping the present and potentially the friture. It may seem indulgent to spend time exploring who we are as teachers in a time that is increasingly focused on improving student test scores. Yet, the truth remains that, "Knowing myself is as crucial to good teaching as knowing my students and my subject" (Palmer, 1998, p. 2).

Amplification of the DFR1 gene in Saccaromyces cerevisiae

A new system was employed to study amplification of t,he DHF'R gene DFB,1 ) in Sa<,:;charoillYCB§. .Q~~Yi...S!i<;1~. . This system consists of a series of yeast strains containing a casset,te which encodes t he yeast, D..ERl gene ttghtly linked tjO a f usion of the yeast 1EU2. regulat,ory region wi tJ1 the LAQZ str ctural gene from E. cO.1-1 (,) . M. Clement , unpubl i,::;hed) . Th's casset;t e was shown t.o be integrat,ed int o a unj que chromosomal l ocati on in each strain . Yeast cells were se l ected for MTX-resistance and overproduction of ~ galac t osi d se ( B-gal ). Since the inserted DF'Rl and ~ACZ genes are independently regulated, it was thought that cel l s with this phenotype probably contain e d ampl if ications of the cassette. A lar ge variat ion in the f requn y o f MTX-resistance was found between the di ff e r ent str ains. These freqlen c ~ es r anged from about 2 x 10 - 7 fo r a population of cells containing the cassette integrated at, the BI J2.l gene in t,he middle of the long arm of chromosome V, to about 5 x 10-4 for a strain with the cassette i nserted in the r DNA cluster Abo It 85% of the MTX- res i stcmt iso l ates examined showed enhanced B·-gal act i v ity rel a t ive t o the parental strain . For the ma jorit y of strains, the mean B- gal activity in drug-r sistant clones was about 3 times that o f the parent following a single se l ect i on step . I n con t r ast, primary MTX-resistant derivat~ves of cells with the cassette inserted 3 at the rDNA cluster showed inc r eases in B- gal activity ranging from 9 - 14 f old r elative to the parent. Analysis of the latte r s train by Southe rn hybr idization indicated that the cassette was inde e d amplified several fold in MTX-re sistant derivatives. A sing l e strain, in which the cassette was inserted at the !lEA;], loc u.s , was used to examine in more detai 1 , the parameters affecting DFRl gene amplificat~ion in yeast . The mean B- gal activity in drug-resistant derivatives of this strain could be increased from 3 to 6 or 7 fold relative to the parent, by stepwise sel ection using increasing MTX concentrations. B-gal overproduction was found to be un stable in all primary and highly -resistant isolates examined. There was no indication, h owever, of a decrease i n growth r a t e in MTX-res i s tant cells which overproduced B - gal.

The role of vermiculite in the fixation of potassium in soils and the availability of potassium for vine nutrition in some Niagara vineyards

The Niagara P e n i n s u l a Supports a f l o u r i s h i n g grape and wine i n d u s t r y , where much of the potassium f e r t i l i z e r a p p l i e d to the vineyard s o i l s may not show up in the f r u i t or vines but is fixed by the clay m i n e r a l s in the s o i l . Soil samples were c o l l e c t e d on a n o r t h - s o u t h l i ne through a high d e n s i t y of v i n e y a r d s and examined by x - r a y d i f f r a c t i o n to determine the r e l a t i o n s h i p of potassium with r e s p e c t to c l a y minerals p r e s e n t . The i n v e s t i g a t i o n shows the p h y l l o s i l i c a t e m i n e r a l s present t o be i l l i t e , c h l o r i t e and v e r m i c u l i t e . The v e r m i c u l i t e p r e s e n t is not t h e usual M g - v e r m i c u l i t e , but a K - v e r m i c u l i t e which can be c o n s i d e r e d as a degraded i l l i t e - - t h a t i s , an i l l i t e which has l o s t potassium i o n s . The r e s u l t i n g K - d e f i c i e n t mineral possesses a very l i m i t e d expansion l a t t i ce and is capable of c a p t u r i n g potassium ions and c o n v e r t i n g back t o the i l l i t e form. A g r i c u l t u r a l l y , t h i s causes potassium d e f i c i e n c y in p l a n t s.

Letting go : a self-study utilizing critical literacy as method in improving my practice /

This is a Self-study about my role as a teacher, driven by the question: "How do I improve my practice?" (Whitehead, 1989)? In this study, I explored the discomfort that I had with the way that I had been teaching. Specifically, I worked to uncover the reasons behind my obsessive (mis)management of my students. I wrote of how I came to give my Self permission for this critique: how I came to know that all knowledge is a construction, and that my practice, too, is a construction. I grounded this journey within my experiences. I constructed these experiences in narrative fomi in order to reach a greater understanding of how I came to be the teacher I initially was. I explored metaphors that impacted my practice, re-constructed them, and saw more clearly the assumptions and influences that have guided my teaching. I centred my inquiry into my teaching within an Action Reflection methodology, bon-owing Jack Whitehead's (1989) term to describe my version of Action Research. I relied upon the embedded cyclical pattern of Action Reflection to understand my teaching Self: beginning from a critical moment, reflecting upon it, and then taking appropriate action, and continuing in this way, working to improve my practice. To understand these critical moments, I developed a personal definition of critical literacy. I then tumed this definition inward. In treating my practice as a textual production, I applied critical literacy as a framework in coming to know and understand the construction that is my teaching. I grounded my thesis journey within my Self, positioning my study within my experiences of being a grade 1 teacher struggling to teach critical literacy. I then repositioned my journey to that of a grade 1 teacher struggling to use critical literacy to improve my practice. This journey, then, is about the transition from critical literacyit as-subject to critical literacy-as-instmctional-method in improving my practice. I joumeyed inwards, using a critical moment to build new understandings, leading me to the next critical moment, and continued in this cyclical way. I worked in this meandering yet deliberate way to reach a new place in my teaching: one that is more inclusive of all the voices in my room. I concluded my journey with a beginning: a beginning of re-visioning my practice. In telling the stories of my journey, of my teaching, of my experiences, I changed into the teacher that I am more comfortable with. I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my personal approach that creates the climate. It's my daily mood that makes the weather As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a person's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humour, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a person humanized or de-humanized. (Ginott, as cited in Buscaglia, 2002, p. 22)

Identity Formation and Negotiation of Afghan Female Youth in Ontario

The following thesis provides an empirical case study in which a group of 6 first generation female Afghan Canadian youth is studied to determine their identity negotiation and development processes in everyday experiences. This process is investigated across different contexts of home, school, and the community. In terms of schooling experiences, 2 participants each are selected representing public, Islamic, and Catholic schools in Southern Ontario. This study employs feminist research methods and is analyzed through a convergence of critical race theory (critical race feminism), youth development theory, and feminist theory. Participant experiences reveal issues of racism, discrimination, and bias within schooling (public, Catholic) systems. Within these contexts, participants suppress their identities or are exposed to negative experiences based on their ethnic or religious identification. Students in Islamic schools experience support for a more positive ethnic and religious identity. Home and community provided nurturing contexts where participants are able to reaffirm and develop a positive overall identity.

A Narrative Study of Patient Encounter Accounts of Physicians, Nurses, and Medical Receptionists after Two Decades of a Paradigm of Patient-Centered Care

Despite recent well-known advancements in patient care in the medical fields, such as patient-centeredness and evidence-based medicine and practice, there is rather less known about their effects on the particulars of clinician-patient encounters. The emphasis in clinical encounters remains mostly on treatment and diagnosis and less on communicative competency or engagement for medical professionals. The purpose of this narrative study was to explore interactive competencies in diagnostic and therapeutic encounters and intake protocols within the context of the physicians’, nurses’, and medical receptionists’ perspectives and experiences. Literature on narrative medicine, phenomenology and medicine, therapeutic relationships, cultural and communication competency, and non-Western perspectives on human communication provided the guiding theoretical frameworks for the study. Three data sets including 13 participant interviews (5 physicians, 4 nurses, and 4 medical receptionists), policy documents (physicians, nurses, and medical receptionists) and a website (Communication and Cultural Competency) were used. The researcher then engaged in triangulated analyses, including N-Vivo, manifest and latent, Mishler’s (1984, 1995) narrative elements and Charon’s (2005, 2006a, 2006b, 2013) narrative themes, in recursive, overlapping, comparative and intersected analysis strategies. A common factor affecting physicians’ relationships with their clients was limitation of time, including limited time (a) to listen, (b) to come up with a proper diagnosis, and (c) to engage in decision making in critical conditions and limited time for patients’ visits. For almost all nurse participants in the study establishing therapeutic relationships meant being compassionate and empathetic. The goals of intake protocols for the medical receptionists were about being empathetic to patients, being an attentive listener, developing rapport, and being conventionally polite to patients. Participants with the least iv amount of training and preparation (medical receptionists) appeared to be more committed to working narratively in connecting with patients and establishing human relationships as well as in listening to patients’ stories and providing support to narrow down the reason for their visit. The diagnostic and intake “success stories” regarding patient clinical encounters for other study participants were focused on a timely securing of patient information, with some acknowledgement of rapport and emapathy. Patient-centeredness emerged as a discourse practice, with ambiguous or nebulous enactment of its premises in most clinical settings.

Comitum princeps tu mihi eris: Rape and the Distribution of Auctoritas in Ovid's Fasti

In Ovid’s Fasti, the rape narratives of Callisto, Lara, Flora, and Carna contain the common themes of the distribution of auctoritas and/or the subversion of auctoritas. While all four characters are victims of rape, Callisto loses auctoritas as a result of her rape by Jupiter, whereas Flora and Carna gain auctoritas from their rapes by Zephyrus and Janus respectively. Since Ovid associated Augustus with Jupiter on more than one occasion in the poem, it appears that readers were meant to see a parallel between Jupiter’s dealings with auctoritas in these narratives and Augustus’ exercise of his auctoritas over Rome. Zephyrus’ and Janus’ bestowal of auctoritas upon their victims was intended to be a foil for Jupiter’s denial of auctoritas to Callisto and strict regulation of his own auctoritas, which Lara’s narrative exemplifies, in order for Ovid to criticize the overwhelming nature of Augustus’ auctoritas, as well as specific Augustan policies.