Exploring the relationship between ethnicity and hypertension in Canada

Background: Previous work examining differences in hypertension across ethnic groups employ race as the principal variable. While differences in hypertension have been identified across racial groups, there is great variation between ethnic groups amongst racial groupings that could mask differences in hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. In light of Canada's ethnic diversity, research aimed at identifying specific groups that are at a health disadvantage is essential for understanding the health of the overall population. In addition, this research would be beneficial for creating programs and policies aimed at reducing or eliminating these disparities. Since CVD is the leading cause of mortality in Canada and hypertension is one of the most significant and modifiable risk factors for CVD, it is important to move past crude classifications based on race and examine ethnic group differences. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between ethnicity and hypertension in Canada, while employing more narrow classifications for ethnicity than previous studies. In addition, because ethnicity has been shown to be representative of an individual's social experience, this study also aims to investigate whether this relationship can be explained by one or all of the following variable: socioeconomic status, physical activity, body mass index, smoking status, daily alcohol consumption or acculturation. Methods. This study used the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey, cycle 2.1 to compare 29 different ethnic groups in Canada on whether they had high blood pressure that had been diagnosed by a health professional. Associations were examined using logistic regression. Subsequent logistic regression analyses included socioeconomic status, physical activity, body mass index, smoking status, daily alcohol consumption and acculturation to test for the effect of each of these variables on the relationship between ethnicity and hypertension. Results. Ukrainians, Chinese, Portuguese, South Asians, Aboriginals, Blacks, Filipinos and South East Asians were found to have significantly higher odds of having high blood pressure than Canadians (OR's = 1.50, 1.56, 2.72, 1.38, 1.36, 1.66, 2.21 & 2.24 respectively, p<.001). In addition, the only significant mediating effects were between SES and Aboriginals as well as obesity and Aboriginals. None of the other independent variables accounted for >10% of the risk experienced by the ethnic groups that were significantly associated with hypertension. Interpretation: The odds of having high blood pressure in Canada varies considerably across ethnic groups within racial groups indicating previous research is not specific enough to inform policy and program development. Because this study was not able to explain this relationship using the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors mentioned above, future research should be done to determine what places certain ethnic groups at a greater risk in order to tailor interventions aimed at reducing high blood pressure that are suited to the specific needs of each cultural group.

Agrarian revolution in Central America : a comparison of Nicaragua and Honduras using Jeffery Paige's theory of Agrarian revolution

ABSTRACT In 1979 Nicaragua, under the Sandinistas, experienced a genuine, socialist, full scale, agrarian revolution. This thesis examines whether Jeffery Paige's theory of agrarian revolutions would have been successful in predicting this revolution and ln predicting non-revolution in the neighboring country of Honduras. The thesis begins by setting Paige's theory in the tradition of radical theories of revolution. It then derives four propositions from Paige's theory which suggest the patterns of export crops, land tenure changes and class configurations which are necessary for an agrarian and socialist revolution. These propositions are tested against evidence from the twentieth century histories of economic, social and political change in Nicaragua and Honduras. The thesis concludes that Paige's theory does help to explain the occurrence of agrarian revolution in Nicaragua and non-revolution in Honduras. A fifth proposition derived from Paige's theory proved less useful in explaining the specific areas within Nicaragua that were most receptive to Sandinista revolutionary activity.

Preparing to teach : learning from an exploration of teachers' experiences of teaching in classrooms of difference

This qualitative study explores practicing teachers' experiences of teaching in classrooms of diversity, that is, classrooms where students represent a variety of differences including race, culture, ethnicity, and class. More specifically, this study investigates the types of curricular and pedagogical practices teachers employ in their classrooms. This study attempts to make a contribution to the scholarship of critical pedagogy by drawing upon the works of critical pedagogues to make sense of participants' descriptions oftheir curricular and pedagogical practices. Four participants were involved in this study. Participants were elementary teachers in classrooms of difference in Ontario who contributed the primary sources of data by engaging in 2 individual interviews. Additional sources of data included a focus group meeting that 2 ofthe participants were able to attend, school board curriculum resource documents assisting teachers in teaching critically, as well as a research journal which the researcher kept throughout the study. The scholarship of critical pedagogy (Ellsworth, 1992; Giroux, 1993; McLaren, 1989) informs the analysis of participants' descriptions of their teaching experiences. Many of the participants did not engage in a practice of critical pedagogy. This study explores some of the challenges and possibilities of using critical pedagogy to create spaces in classrooms where teachers can build connections between the curriculum mandated by the government and the multiple identities and experiences that students bring into the classroom. This study concludes with a discussion on what teachers need to know to be able to begin creating equitable and educational experiences in classrooms of difference.

Primary structure and expression studies of the dihydrofolate reductase gene (DFRI) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The nucleotide sequence of a genomic DNA fragment thought previously to contain the dihydrofolate reductase gene (DFR1) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by genetic criteria was determined. This DNA fragment of 1784' basepairs contains a large open reading frame from position 800 to 1432, which encodes a enzyme with a predicted molecular weight of 24,229.8 Daltons. Analysis of the amino acid sequence of this protein revealed that the yeast polypep·tide contained 211 amino acids, compared to the 186 residues commonly found in the polypeptides of other eukaryotes. The difference in size of the gene product can be attributed mainly to an insert in the yeast gene. Within this region, several consensus sequences required for processing of yeast nuclear and class II mitochondrial introns were identified, but appear not sufficient for the RNA splicing. The primary structure of the yeast DHFR protein has considerable sequence homology with analogous polypeptides from other organisms, especially in the consensus residues involved in cofactor and/or inhibitor binding. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence also revealed the presence of a number of canonical sequences identified in yeast as having some function in the regulation of gene expression. These include UAS elements (TGACTC) required for tIle amino acid general control response, and "TATA H boxes as well as several consensus sequences thought to be required for transcriptional termination and polyadenylation. Analysis of the codon usage of the yeast DFRl coding region revealed a codon bias index of 0.0083. this valve very close to zero suggestes 3 that the gene is expressed at a relatively low level under normal physiological conditions. The information concerning the organization of the DFRl were used to construct a variety of fusions of its 5' regulatory region with the coding region of the lacZ gene of E. coli. Some of such fused genes encoded a fusion product that expressed in E.coli and/or in yeast under the control of the 5' regulatory elements of the DFR1. Further studies with these fusion constructions revealed that the beta-galactosidase activity encoded on multicopy plasmids was stimulated transiently by prior exposure of yeast host cells to UV light. This suggests that the yeast PFRl gene is indu.ced by UV light and nlay in1ply a novel function of DHFR protein in the cellular responses to DNA damage. Another novel f~ature of yeast DHFR was revealed during preliminary studies of a diploid strain containing a heterozygous DFRl null allele. The strain was constructed by insertion of a URA3 gene within the coding region of DFR1. Sporulation of this diploid revealed that meiotic products segregated 2:0 for uracil prototrophy when spore clones were germinated on medium supplemented with 5-formyltetrahydrofolate (folinic acid). This finding suggests that, in addition to its catalytic activity, the DFRl gene product nlay play some role in the anabolisln of folinic acid. Alternatively, this result may indicate that Ura+ haploid segregants were inviable and suggest that the enzyme has an essential cellular function in this species.

Predictors of prejudice perceptions and the role of group identification in international students

The purpose of the present study was first to determine what influences international students' perceptions of prejudice, and secondly to examine how perceptions of prejudice would affect international students' group identification. Variables such as stigma vulnerability and contact which have been previously linked with perceptions of prejudice and intergroup relations were re-examined (Berryman-Fink, 2006; Gilbert, 1998; Nesdale & Todd, 2000), while variables classically linked to prejudicial attitudes such as right-wing authoritarianism and openness to experience were explored in relation to perceptions of prejudice. Furthermore, the study examined how perceptions of prejudice might affect the students' identification choices, by testing two opposing models. The first model was based on the motivational nature of social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1986) while the second model was based on the cognitive nature of self-categorization theory/ rejection-identification model (Turner, Hogg, Oakes, Reicher, & Wetherell, 1987; Schmitt, Spears, & Branscombe,2003). It was hypothesized that stigma vulnerability, right-wing authoritarianism, openness to experience and contact would predict both personal and group perceptions of prejudice. It was also hypothesized that perceptions of prejudice would predict group identification. If the self-categorizationlrejection-identification model was supported, international students would identify with the international students. If the social mobility strategy was supported, international students would identify with the university students group. Participants were 98 international students who filled out questionnaires on the Brock University Psychology Department Website. The first hypothesis was supported. The combination of stigma vulnerability, right-wing authoritarianism, openness to experience and contact predicted both personal and group prejudice perceptions of international students. Furthermore, the analyses supported the self-categorizationlrejectionidentification model. International identification was predicted by the combination of personal and group prejudice perceptions of international students.

A black-focused school : black Canadian youth and the mainstream curriculum

ABSTRACT When asked about the proposal for a black-focused school, black youth from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) voiced their agreement with elements of the proposal, but resisted the idea of implementing the proposal by creating a separate school. Although media representations and Dei (1996, 2006) provide insight into what Torontonians' reactions are to the proposed blackfocused school there has been no such information documented on what black youth in the GTA think about the project. This is the first known study that attempts to fill that gap by providing a representation of black youths' voices obtained via focus groups. The study examines what black youth know and think about the proposal, and why they largely disagree with the blackfocused school proposal. While the findings of this study indicate that the participants saw many positive elements of the proposal, they did not support the implementation of a black-focused school as they saw the creation of a separate space for the school as a negative thing. The youth had trouble conceptualizing 'black-focused schooling' as an alternative approach to mainstream education, which had an impact on whether they choose to, or could, respond to questions that precisely related to the black-focused school project. The study concludes that the youth could not visualize what the school would look like and how it would operate because they draw on liberal racist discourses (e.g. colour-blindness, blaming the victim, and equal opportunity) when thinking about their educational experiences; however, there was a clear contradiction in the way the youths' voices reflected an awareness of the role of race in education experiences. It was evident when they talked about fear of stigmatization, but when using liberal discourses the youth discounted the role of race, and seemed not to be aware of its role in educational experiences. These findings pose important implications for educators, would-be educators, administrators, the TDSB and proponents of the black-focused school.

Second Welland Canal - Book 1, Survey Map 11 - St. Catharines and Locks 3 and 4

Survey map of the Second Welland Canal created by the Welland Canal Company showing the Town of St. Catharines. Identified structures associated with the Canal include Lock 3 and its Lock House, Lock 4 and its Lock House, Hydraulic Race, and a floating tow path. The surveyors' measurements and notes can be seen in red and black ink and pencil. Local area landmarks are also identified and include streets and roads (ex. Geneva Street, Ontario Street, St. Paul Street, and Merritville Road), Lincoln Mills and its Store House, T. M. Merritt's Store House, Cooper Shop, L. Shickluna's Dry Dock, Peter McGill's Grist Mill, J. Flint's Saw Factory, T. Hosteter's Gristing Mill, J. Dougan Builder's shop or office, Norris and Nelson Mill, G. N. Oil Foundry and its Machine Shop and Boiler, a barrel shed, woolen factory, Estate of P. Nihen (or T. Nihan), Norris and Nelson's Wharf, the W. C. Office, and structures (possibly houses) or small properties belonging to T. Adams, and A. K. Boomer. Properties and property owners of note are: Concession 6 Lots 16, 17, and 18, Concession 7 Lots 16, 17, and 18, Alva Dittrick, James R. Benson, W. B. Robinson, and C. Phelps.

Second Welland Canal - Book 2, Survey Map 2 - Locks 9 and 10 in Grantham

Survey map of the Second Welland Canal created by the Welland Canal Company showing the Grantham Township between the Town of St. Catharines and Merritton. Identified structures associated with the Canal include Locks 9 and 10, waste weirs, the towing path, a 2nd towing path, and the Canal waterway itself. The surveyors' measurements and notes can be seen in red and black ink and pencil. Local area landmarks are also identified and include roads (ex. Road to Centreville), hydraulic race, and the Centreville Mill. Properties and property owners of note are: Concession 8 Lots 12 and 12, Lewis Traver, Richard Ash, John Bradley, Owen Clifford, Orson Phelps, C. Bradley, the W. C. Loan Company, and T. Towers Mill Lot.

Collective violence : a study of the gendered and socio-economic factors behind early modern Italian and English witch hunts

In this study, I build upon my previous research in which I focus on religious doctrine as a gendered disciplinary apparatus, and examine the witch trials in early modem England and Italy in light of socio-economic issues relating to gender and class. This project examines the witch hunts/trials and early modem visual representations of witches, and what I suggest is an attempt to create docile bodies out of members of society who are deemed unruly, problematic and otherwise 'undesirable'; it is the witch's body that is deemed counternormative. This study demonstrates that it is neighbours and other acquaintances of accused witches that take on the role of the invisible guard of Bantham's Panoptic on. As someone who is trained in the study of English literature and literary theory, my approach is one that is informed by this methodology. It is my specialization in early modem British literature that first exposed me to witch-hunting manuals and tales of the supernatural, and it is for this reason that my research commences with a study of representations of witches and witchcraft in early modem England. From my initial exposure to such materials I proceed to examine the similarities and the differences of the cultural significance of the supernatural vis-a.-vis women's activities in early modem Italy. The subsequent discussion of visual representations of witches involves a predominance of Germanic artists, as the seminal work on the discernment of witches and the application of punishment known as the Malleus Meleficarum, was written in Germany circa 1486. Textual accounts of witch trials such as: "A Pitiless Mother (1616)," "The Wonderful Discovery of the Witchcrafts of Margaret and Philippa Flower (1619)," "Magic and Poison: The Trial ofChiaretta and Fedele (circa 1550)", and the "The Case of Benvegnuda Pincinella: Medicine Woman or Witch (1518),"and witchhunting manuals such as the Malleus Melejicarum and Strix will be put in direct dialogue with visual representations of witches in light of historical discourses pertaining to gender performance and gendered expectations. Issues relating to class will be examined as they pertain to the material conditions of presumed witches. The dominant group in any temporal or geographic location possesses the tools of representation. Therefore, it is not surprising that the physical characteristics, sexual habits and social material conditions that are attributed to suspected witches are attributes that can be deemed deviant by the ruling class. The research will juxtapose the social material conditions of suspected witches with the guilt, anxiety, and projection of fear that the dominant groups experienced in light of the changing economic landscape of the Renaissance. The shift from feudalism to primitive accumulation, and capitalism saw a rise in people living in poverty and therefore an increased dependence upon the good will of others. I will discuss the social material conditions of accused witches as informed by what Robyn Wiegman terms a "minoritizing discourse" (210). People of higher economic standing often blamed their social, medical, and/or economic difficulties on the less fortunate, resulting in accusations of witchcraft.

Teachers Without Borders: Exploring Experiences, Transitions, and Identities of Refugee Women Teachers from Yugoslavia

Prior to September 11 2011, Canada was recognized as a leading advocate of international refugee protection and the third largest settlement country in the world. University educated refugees were admitted to the country in part on the basis of their education, but once in Canada their credentials were often ignored. The purpose of this study was to explore, through a transnational feminist lens, immigrant and settlement experiences of refugee female teachers from Yugoslavia who immigrated to Canada during and after the Yugoslav wars; to document the ways in which socially constructed categories such as gender, race, and refugee status have influenced their post-exile experiences and identities; and to identify the government's role in creating conditions where the women were either able or unable to continue in their profession. In this study, I employed both a transnational feminist methodology and narrative inquiry. The analysis process included an emphasis on the storying stories model, poetic transcription, and concentric storying. The women’s voices are represented in various forms throughout the document including individual and collective narratives. Each narrative contributed to a detailed picture of immigration and settlement processes as women spoke of continuing their education, knowing or learning the official language, and contributing to Canadian society and the economy. The findings challenge the image of a victimized and submissive refugee woman, and bring to the centre of discourse the image of the refugee woman as a skilled professional who often remains un- or underemployed in her new country. The dissertation makes an important contribution to an underdeveloped area in the research literature, and has the potential to inform immigration, settlement, and teacher education policies and practices in Canada and elsewhere.

Article - "Navigation emphasized in the Governor-General's Race"

An article written by Dorothy Rungeling for the magazine Canadian Aviation. She writes about her experience during the Governor-General's Race and her win.

The Design and Construction of Facilities for Handling Cattle

The article focuses on the following: Cattle Perception, How to prevent Balking, Solid Fences, Flight Zone, Curved Race more Efficient, Curved Race and Crowd Pen Dimensions, Loading Ramps, Working Corral for a Large Ranch, Squeeze Chutes and Headgates, Calf Tables, Artificial Insemination Chute, New Restraint Ideas, Dipping Vats, Bruise and Injury Prevention, Washable Facilities.

A Case Study of Doctoral Research Assistantships: Access and Experiences of Full-Time and Part-Time Education Students

Graduate students’ development as researchers is a key objective in higher education. Research assistantships provide distinctive spaces where graduate students can be nurtured and shaped as novice researchers as they develop theoretical and methodological knowledge. However, few scholars have investigated graduate student research assistants’ experiences and the ways these experiences are influenced by institutional regulations, informal practices, and social relations. The purpose of this case-within-a-case study was to explore the research assistantship experiences of full-time and part-time doctoral students in Education at an Ontario university. I present separate subcases for full-time and part-time students, and an overarching case of research assistantships in one program at a specific period of time. The main question was how do institutional regulations, informal practices, and social relations influence full-time and part-time doctoral students’ access to and experiences within research assistantships. My objective was to draw from interviews and documents to acquire a thorough understanding of the organizational characteristics of research assistantships (i.e., structures of access, distribution, and coordination of participation) to explore the ways institutional regulations, informal practices, and social relations promote, prevent, or limit full-time and part-time students’ legitimate peripheral participation in research assistantships. Although I devoted particular attention to the ways students’ full-time and part-time status shaped their decisions, relationships, and experiences, I was conscious that other factors such as gender, age, and cultural background may have also influenced doctoral research assistant experiences.

Une approche interculturelle des relations entre les nations autochtones et non-autochtones au Canada : une porte ouverte sur le postcolonialisme?

La situation économique, sociale et politique des nations autochtones au Canada et leur relation avec les nations non-autochtones présentent des similarités avec les anciennes colonies européennes. Peut-on qualifier cette relation de « coloniale » ? Cette interrogation est primordiale, vu les aspects immoraux et illégaux que prit la colonisation. Nous parcourrons la pensée d’auteurs reliés au libéralisme, au nationalisme autochtone et à l’interculturalisme et nous choisirons ce dernier comme angle d’approche. Nous élaborerons ensuite le concept de colonisation interne et nous le confronterons au cas des autochtones. Puis, nous présenterons les motivations à la décolonisation ainsi que la composition d’un hypothétique État postcolonial canadien et de nations et communautés autochtones décolonisées. Finalement, nous analyserons la démarche judiciaire, la négociation d’ententes d’autonomie gouvernementale, la mobilisation des masses et l’approche des word warriors, l’objectif étant d’évaluer jusqu’à quel point ces moyens s’inscrivent dans un éventuel processus de décolonisation des nations autochtones.

Character and professionalism in the context of developing countries – the example of mercenaries

On pense souvent que le professionnalisme moderne exige qu’on regarde comme non relevante les traditions particulières ainsi que les liens avec familiaux, tribaux et religieux. Du point de vue du professionnalisme, ce qu’est important sont des règles internes à la profession et aussi les droits universels de l’homme vu comme individu abstrait. Dans une société où l’individualisme et le commerce deviennent omniprésents, les traditions éthiques et les identités narratives pourraient pourtant constituer un cadre de motivations clé pour l’intégrité éthique professionnelle. Je prendrai comme exemple la profession militaire et en particulier l’utilisation de mercenaires. En distinguant entre les compétences et les vertus je me demanderai si oui ou non il y a une relation nécessaire entre un bon soldat et le fait d’être un citoyen. Le fait d’être est compris ici comme catégorie morale qui occasionne un certain idéal de caractère et en particulier des vertus. Je conclus que l’action de contractualisation privée d’un soldat n’est pas en général moralement digne d’éloge et ne devrait pas être encouragée dans une société éthiquement orientée.