"Welcome to my life" : the experiences of single mothers who are the recipients of multiple state provided benefits

Abstract This research takes the lens of social reproduction as a starting point for an examination of the effects of recent social welfare reforms on the lives o.fsingle mothers. As the cumulative effects o.f diminishing state provided benefits take hold, tensions are heightened as single mothers internalize the insecurity of earning an income in 11 capitalist labour market, while trying to carry out all that is involved in social reproduction with inadequate means of survival. Through interviewing single mothers who are the recipients of mUltiple state provided benefits (social assistance, student loans, subsidized housing and subsidized childcare), this thesis illuminates the cOl1linued regulation of women in an effort to assure that social reproduction is occurring at the lowest cost possible. State provided benefits are set lip in such a way that it is near impossible for single mothers to make ends meet without entering the labour force or entering into co-residential relationships. This push towards the labour force and/or marriage via punitive welfare policies illuminates the devaluation of the labour that is done at home. Through interviewing 5 single mothers, I will demonstrate the extensive labour that goes into maintaining their households. In addition .J case managers are interviewed. The employees of social assistance, subsidized hOllsing, subsidized childcare and student loans, have much agency in deeming who is worthy of receiving benefits. The employees of these agencies have the ability to make these women's lives easier or more complicated by how the workers interpret the policy regulations. Social policies are of paramount importance in the quest for women's equality and thus have consequences for how women's daily lives are organized. The rules and regulations that govern the individual policies are complex and bureaucratic and have implications for the ways in which women must organize their lives in order to survive. The shifts in social policy have been guided by neo-liberal assumptions with a focus on individual responsibility and a market-modeled welfare state. The caring work that is involved in raising children to be productive in a capitalist society is ignored or devalued in current policies. The emphasis in each polic.:v is on getting women who receive benefits into the paid work force, with little facilitation or investment into the caring work these women do on a daily basis that in turn supports capitalism. Policies, such as social assistance, subsidized housing, subsidized childcare and student loans, are set up in such a way that ignores the reality of women's day-to-day lives and devalues the necessary work done at home. It takes an abundance of labour and strategizing for women to seek out necessary means of survival, labour that is amplified when a woman is dealing with mUltiple slate provided benefits.

Predicting trainees' intentions to transfer training : an application of the theory of planned behaviour

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

An experimental base to cognitive learning: its application in the education of young hearing-impaired children

This paper reviews a program of study for language development using a cognitive approach.

Overview of mathematical approaches used to model bacterial chemotaxis I: the single cell

Mathematical modeling of bacterial chemotaxis systems has been influential and insightful in helping to understand experimental observations. We provide here a comprehensive overview of the range of mathematical approaches used for modeling, within a single bacterium, chemotactic processes caused by changes to external gradients in its environment. Specific areas of the bacterial system which have been studied and modeled are discussed in detail, including the modeling of adaptation in response to attractant gradients, the intracellular phosphorylation cascade, membrane receptor clustering, and spatial modeling of intracellular protein signal transduction. The importance of producing robust models that address adaptation, gain, and sensitivity are also discussed. This review highlights that while mathematical modeling has aided in understanding bacterial chemotaxis on the individual cell scale and guiding experimental design, no single model succeeds in robustly describing all of the basic elements of the cell. We conclude by discussing the importance of this and the future of modeling in this area.

A novel antiserum specific to apolipoprotein B-48: application in the investigation of postprandial lipidaemia in humans

1. Apolipoprotein B-48, the transport protein for chylomicrons, is identical with apolipoprotein B-100 for the first 48% of its sequence. No antiserum has yet been reported that can recognize apolipoprotein B-48, but not apolipoprotein B-100. 2. In the present study an antiserum was raised to the C-terminal sequence of apolipoprotein B-48, using specific chemical reactions to ensure that the charged carboxyl group of the C-terminal isoleucine residue was free. In a Western blot the antiserum was shown to bind to a protein band having the characteristics of apolipoprotein B-48, but not to apolipoprotein B-100. 3. In the early evening 11 subjects were given a test meal which contained 40 g of mixed oil and retinyl palmitate. Blood samples were collected over 9 h. Chylomicron-enriched fractions were prepared and analysed for triacylglycerol, retinyl palmitate and apolipoprotein B-48, the latter after separation using SDS/PAGE and visualization by chemiluminescence on a Western blot. Both triacylglycerol and apolipoprotein B-48 showed an early peak at 1 h, which was not seen with retinyl palmitate. All three substances gave a broader peak between 5 and 6 h postprandially. Retinyl palmitate concentrations declined rapidly during the late (6-9 h) postprandial period, but apolipoprotein B-48 concentrations remained elevated. 4. This study has shown that an antiserum has been produced which is specific for apolipoprotein B-48. This has enabled measurement of postprandial concentrations of the protein that revealed features of chylomicron metabolism which have not been reported previously.

Lack of evidence to support the association of a single IL28B genotype SNP rs12979860 with the HTLV-1 clinical outcomes and proviral load

Background: The Interleukin 28B (IL28B) rs12979860 polymorphisms was recently reported to be associated with the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) proviral load (PvL) and the development of the HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Methods: In an attempt to examine this hypothesis, we assessed the association of the rs12979860 genotypes with HTLV-1 PvL levels and clinical status in 112 unrelated Brazilian subjects (81 HTLV-1 asymptomatic carriers, 24 individuals with HAM/TSP and 7 with Adult T cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (ATLL)). Results: All 112 samples were successfully genotyped and their PvLs compared. Neither the homozygote TT nor the heterozygote CT mutations nor the combination genotypes (TT/CT) were associated with a greater PvL. We also observed no significant difference in allele distribution between asymptomatic carriers and patients with HTLV-1 associated HAM/TSP. Conclusions: Our study failed to support the previously reported positive association between the IL28B rs12979860 polymorphisms and an increased risk of developing HAM/TSP in the Brazilian population.

In vitro allergy tests compared to intradermal testing in horses with recurrent airway obstruction

Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) is a common condition in stabled horses characterised by small airway inflammation, airway neutrophilia and obstruction following exposure of susceptible horses to mouldy hay and straw and is thus regarded as a hypersensitivity reaction to mould spores. However, the role of IgE-mediated reactions in RAO remains unclear. The aim of the study was to investigate with a serological IgE ELISA test (Allercept), an in vitro sulfidoleukotriene (sLT) release assay (CAST) and with intradermal testing (IDT) whether serum IgE and IgE-mediated reactions against various mould, mite and pollen extracts are associated with RAO. IDT reactions were evaluated at different times in order to detect IgE-mediated immediate type reactions (type I hypersensitivity reactions, 0.5-1 h), immune complex-mediated late type reactions (type III reactions, 4-10 h) and cell-mediated delayed type reactions (type IV hypersensitivity reactions 24-48 h). In the serological test, overall the control horses displayed more positive reactions than the RAO-affected horses but the difference was not significant. Comparison of the measured IgE levels showed that the RAO-affected horses had slightly higher IgE levels against Aspergillus fumigatus than controls (35 and 16 AU, respectively, p<0.05), but all values were below the cut off (150 AU) of the test. In the sLT release assay, seven positive reactions were observed in the RAO-affected horses and four in the controls but this difference was not significant. A significantly higher proportion of late type IDT reactions was observed in RAO-affected horses compared to controls (25 of 238 possible reactions versus 12 of 238 possible reactions, respectively, p<0.05). Interestingly, four RAO-affected but none of the control horses reacted with the recombinant mould allergen A. fumigatus 8 (rAsp f 8, p<0.05), but only late phase and delayed type reactions were observed. In all three tests the majority of the positive reactions was observed with the mite extracts (64%, 74% and 88% of all positive reactions, respectively) but none of the tests showed a significant difference between RAO-affected and control animals. Our findings do not support that IgE-mediated reactions are important in the pathogenesis of RAO. Further studies are needed to investigate whether sensitisation to mite allergens is of clinical relevance in the horse and to understand the role of immune reactions against rAsp f 8.