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School Absenteeism Among Immigrant and Refugee K-12 Students in Canada: A Scoping Review
No full textSchool attendance problems (SAPs) are a growing concern among K-12 students in Canada and have serious long-term consequences. Immigrant and refugee students face additional challenges that may increase their risk of absenteeism. However, research on this topic remains limited. This scoping review aimed to map and synthesize the existing research in Canadian literature among immigrant and refugee K-12 students in Canada, with objectives to explore the nature and quantity of the studies, examine how SAPs have been conceptualized and measured, and finally, identify knowledge and research gaps. Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted across major databases and using snowballing techniques. Thirty-two studies published between 2003 and 2024 met the inclusion criteria. Findings revealed that school dropout and exclusion were the most frequent and explicit SAP-related themes, while other SAP types (school refusal, school withdrawal and truancy) were rarely addressed explicitly. SAPs were secondary findings in the majority of the studies and were often not conceptualized or labeled; instead, descriptions of the students’ SAP experiences were presented in study findings. Although beyond the parameters of this review, findings also signal that exclusionary practices may be a primary and pervasive experience for many immigrant and refugee students. The findings highlight the need for more research that explicitly examines different SAP types within this population to understand both their prevalence and the lived experiences associated with them, including differences across generational immigration status
A Comprehensive Examination of Self-Reported Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms and Sleep Disturbances in a Global Post-Secondary Student Cohort: UNILIFE-M
No full textYoung adults present an elevated risk of developing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms and sleep disturbances. However, current evidence in the literature is limited to clinical samples. The goal of this thesis was to understand OCD symptoms and sleep disturbances through network analysis, longitudinal analysis, and latent class analysis. Data was used from the University Students' Lifestyle and Mental Health Study (UNILIFE-M)- a global cohort of first-year post-secondary students. Results from network analyses noted certain central symptoms- ordering, checking, unpleasant thoughts, and nightmares. The longitudinal analysis suggested that baseline sleep disturbances may be a risk factor for developing OCD symptoms at 1-year follow-up. Latent class analysis identified five OCD classes, 1) "Checking and Ordering", 2) "Checking, Hoarding and Obsessive Thoughts" in baseline data and only 2) "Obsessive Thoughts" in follow-up data, 3) "Mild", 4) "Moderate", 5) "Severe." Findings from this thesis may serve as a guide for early intervention in students
Negative Campaigning in a Non-Liberal Democracy
No full textNegativity has emerged as a defining feature of political campaigns across liberal democracies over the past two decades. The type of political system (presidential or parliamentary), the number of parties, and the nature of elections—such as presidential versus parliamentary or national versus local—shape the strategies, intensity, and forms of negative campaigning. Nevertheless, negativity remains a crucial campaign element across Western democracies. Grounded in the theory of negativity bias, which posits that negative information has a stronger psychological impact than positive messaging, politicians increasingly adopt negative strategies to engage voters, while media outlets amplify this negativity to attract audiences. Although numerous theories have been proposed on why and how campaign strategists use negativity (e.g., Harrington & Hess, 1996; Theilmann & Wilhite, 1998; Hansen & Pedersen, 2008; Mattes & Redlawsk, 2014; Trent et al., 2016), and how voters process such messages (e.g., Surlin & Gordon, 1977; Taber & Lodge, 2006; Redlawsk, 2006; Meffert et al., 2006; Mutz & Reeves, 2005), consensus on public responses remains elusive. This research gap is particularly pronounced in non-liberal democracies, where empirical studies on negativity are virtually non-existent.
This study provides the first systematic examination of negative campaigning in Iran’s presidential elections, focusing on the 2021 and 2024 contests to generate empirical evidence from a non-liberal democracy. It addresses key research questions: How do patterns of negative campaigning differ in non-liberal democracies compared to Western contexts? How do institutional constraints shape negative messaging? And how do Iranian citizens process and respond to political negativity? Using a supply-and-demand framework, it examines both candidates’ strategic deployment of negative messages and public responses to such content. Data sources include (1) historical election data, (2) 2,665,084 tweets posted by 126,596 unique users during the 2021 election, and (3) over 7,200 tweets from politicians and 327,000 public interactions from both the 2021 and 2024 elections. Advanced data science techniques, including sentiment analysis, network analysis, and machine learning models specifically adapted for Persian political discourse, were employed alongside manual tweet coding for accuracy. The findings reveal distinctive patterns in Iran’s hybrid regime: government-affiliated targeting remained consistent across elections, demonstrating accountability mechanisms similar to Western systems but operating within system-defined boundaries. Factional solidarity patterns evolved strategically between elections, with principlist attacks showing stronger coordination in 2024. While negativity increased from 28% in 2021 to 39% in 2024, it primarily manifested through policy-focused criticism rather than personal attacks (4% in 2021, 6% in 2024). The boomerang effect—where negative messages trigger negative responses—intensified between elections, indicating strong normative sanctions against negativity. Network analysis revealed clear factional clustering in political discourse, with limited cross-community engagement, explaining why negative messaging primarily reinforced existing factional identities rather than persuading across boundaries.
This research contributes a novel theoretical framework of “bounded contestation” for understanding how negative campaigning functions in hybrid regimes, where criticism operates within carefully calibrated parameters that permit meaningful differentiation between candidates while reinforcing rather than challenging fundamental system legitimacy. By comparing a normal election (2021) with an extraordinary election following President Raisi’s death (2024), the study distinguishes universal psychological mechanisms from contextually dependent patterns, extending theories of electoral authoritarianism by documenting how criticism simultaneously provides accountability mechanisms while reinforcing system stability. The findings bridge significant empirical, analytical, and methodological gaps in understanding negative campaigning beyond Western liberal democratic contexts
La discipline et l’application du canon 1399 du code de droit canonique face aux cas de scandales dans l’église
No full textLa disposition du c. 1399, sous l’intitulé « norme générale », marque la conclusion du Livre VI du CIC/83. Ce canon autorise l’autorité compétente à punir la violation externe d’une loi divine ou canonique, même en dehors des incriminations établies par le Code ou dans d’autres lois, à condition que cette violation soit spécialement grave et qu’il y ait urgence à prévenir ou à réparer des scandales. Il revient à l’autorité compétente de déterminer si ces critères sont satisfaits ou non. Si elle en arrive à cette conclusion, rien ne l’oblige à réagir pénalement par l’ouverture d’un procès pénal canonique. Elle peut décréter un précepte pénal ou s’en tenir à d’autres mesures disciplinaires non pénales.
La peine envisagée du c. 1399 doit être juste, c’est-à-dire proportionnée à la gravité objective du scandale. Cette peine est laissée à la libre appréciation de celui qui l’inflige. S’il s’agit d’une censure, l’autorité est tenue d’avertir le coupable de mettre fin à sa contumace, et quelle que soit la peine choisie, elle ne peut pas être perpétuelle, sauf si la loi le permet. Ce canon constitue une exception, une dérogation, une atténuation ou du moins un « complément » codifié au principe juridique de la légalité des délits et des peines, principe admis par les systèmes juridiques séculiers et également inhérent au CIC/83. En droit canonique, ce principe stipule qu’aucune sanction pénale ne peut être imposée sans l’existence préalable d’un délit dont les fidèles du Christ doivent avoir connaissance. Cette disposition vise à prévenir tout risque d’arbitraire ou d’abus de pouvoir.
En effet, le c. 221, §3 du CIC/83 dispose que « les fidèles ont le droit de n’être frappés de peines canoniques que selon la loi ». Cependant, il apparaît que la disposition du c. 1399 demeure pertinente : bien qu’elle constitue une exception au principe de légalité, elle se présente comme une norme appropriée qui, lorsqu’elle est appliquée avec discernement, renforce le caractère pastoral du système pénal canonique, en orientant son objectif vers le salut des âmes, tant de l’auteur du délit que de l’ensemble des fidèles
Avenues to Flourishing: Exploring What Context and Discrepancy Can Teach Us About Well-Being
No full textThis dissertation examined how the concepts of context and discrepancy could expand our knowledge of the intricacies of well-being. While there is a long history of research on well-being that emphasizes different definitions, models and elements of well-being, there have been numerous implications and open questions within the literature that had gone nearly unexamined for decades. Using the PERMA model of well-being as a lens to examine these untested questions/implications, a greater understanding of the mechanics of well-being was established. This greater understanding has implications on how well-being can be understood, measured and promoted in others. I accomplished this through two studies.
In study 1, I created a context-specific approach to measuring the PERMA elements that asked participants to rate their well-being elements across the work and home contexts. We also used existing research to generate discrepancy metrics that represented the level of imbalance between well-being elements. Results supported our measurement approach, replicating factor structure and psychometric qualities seen in past PERMA measurement studies. We examined the relative importance of the PERMA elements and found that, depending on the outcome in question, PERMA elements were different in how they predicted important outcomes. It was also found that discrepancies between well-being elements do have some role in predicting these outcomes as well.
Based on the findings from Study 1, I expanded the scope of measurement approach to include three contexts, school, work and home. I then expanded our relative importance models to include a contextual (e.g., work, school, home) breakdown of PERMA elements. These models revealed a complex interplay between context, element and outcome that suggests that simply maximizing all the PERMA elements equally may not be the most effective approach towards promoting various benefits associated with well-being. This study also provided some of the earliest supporting evidence for the contextual approach to measuring well-being, and the first to examine the relative importance of PERMA elements with context in mind.
Overall, these studies expand well-being research without needing to create an entirely new multidimensional model or definition of well-being. The methodological advancements presented in these studies and the insights they have immediate implications for policy and practice across a diverse range of fields, including social sciences, workplaces, economic policy, and more. Finally, the theoretical implications of this work will hopefully inspire new approaches to researching well-being that will go on to inform others in their own quests for well-being
Recognition, remuneration and reimbursement of patient and public involvement partners in pragmatic randomised controlled trials. A survey of author practices
No full textAbstract Background Patient and public involvement (PPI) in the design and conduct of clinical trials has been increasingly encouraged by funders as an essential ingredient in the conduct of research. Recognition of PPI partners through acknowledgement or authorship, and financial supports, including remuneration and reimbursement, may facilitate involvement. However, little empirical data exists regarding current practices of recognising, remunerating and reimbursing PPI partners for their contributions to research. Aims To describe the extent to which patient and public partners are recognised and remunerated for their involvement in a cohort of pragmatic randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Methods Cross sectional survey of corresponding authors of pragmatic RCTs published between January 1, 2014, and April 3, 2019. Results From 2585 delivered invitations, 710 responded, with 334 (47%) indicating that they had involved PPI partners within the trial. Among 300 respondents to questions about authorship, 59 (20%) reported PPI partners were included as named authors and 19 (6%) that PPI partners were included as part of a group authorship. Of 300 respondents to questions regarding remuneration, 132 (44%) indicated that PPI partners were provided some form of remuneration. Of the 303 respondents to questions about reimbursement, 186 (61%), indicated that PPI partners were reimbursed for expenses incurred. Of 274 respondents who completed all three questions regarding reimbursement, remuneration, and authorship or acknowledgment, 83 (30%) indicated that all three were provided to PPI partners, while 40 (15%) indicated that they provided none of the options. Conclusion A fifth of researchers reported including PPI partners as named co-authors, less than half provided remuneration, and over a third did not reimburse partners. There is a need to better understand the nature of any barriers that research teams and PPI partners face regarding recognition, reimbursement, and remuneration, and to develop targeted interventions that will address these barriers. Plain English summary Patient and public involvement (PPI) in the design and conduct of clinical trials is encouraged or required in many cases. It is important to recognise PPI partners for their time and insight. Despite many guidelines being produced, we actually know very little about how researchers recognise and financially support PPI partners. To address this gap, we surveyed the authors of published clinical trials about their practices. Specifically, we asked researchers whether they had acknowledged their PPI partners or included them as co-authors, provided financial support for their time, or had covered expenses. From 2585 delivered invitations, a total of 710 researchers responded. Almost half (334/710, 47%) said they had involved PPI partners in their trial. A fifth of these researchers (59/300, 20%) reported that they included PPI partners as named co-authors. Just under half (132/300, 44%) reported that they had provided financial support for the time of their PPI partner. Almost two thirds (186/303, 61%) did cover expenses. Of those who completed all three questions almost a third (83/274, 30%) reported that all three options were provided to PPI partners. However, 40 (40/274, 15%) reported that they provided none of the options
“It’s hard to trust an individual, it’s easier to trust an image”—patients with low back pain want imaging as a means of coping with uncertainty
No full textAbstract Background Evidence-based guidelines for low back pain recommend against routine imaging. Despite these guidelines, many patients still seek imaging. We sought to understand why patients with low back pain may want imaging, using a qualitative approach grounded in the Common-Sense Self-Regulation Model (CSSRM), a model that frames how patients’ beliefs and actions are shaped by their past experiences and understanding of an illness. Methods We interviewed 28 patients from a larger study in Ontario, Canada. Participants were recruited by family physicians (n = 8), chiropractors (n = 10), and physiotherapists (n = 10), and most (82.1%) had previous episodes of low back pain. Participants completed intake questionnaires and semi-structured interviews that explored their experiences with low back pain care and perspectives on imaging. We analyzed the interview transcripts using the CSSRM. Results The CSSRM domains were represented in patients’ narratives: Stimuli and Illness Representations, Coping Procedures, and Appraisal of Outcomes. Within Stimuli and Representations, patients described perceptions of the causes of their pain, and they associated obtaining an image with gaining a sense of control over their diagnosis. Within Coping Procedures, Cognitive Reappraisal emerged as the construct with the most discourse, reflecting how patients interpreted and reassessed their low back pain over time. Many patients expressed the belief that imaging would resolve uncertainty, validate their experience, and confirm that nothing serious had been overlooked. Patients emphasized that imaging would “show what’s going on,” or help them “feel taken seriously”. Within Appraisal of Outcomes, patients described the self-limiting nature of their LBP; the limited discourse about emotional outcomes was often linked to frustrations and fears. The beliefs expressed in interviews were not consistent with participants’ questionnaire answers from months previously, suggesting that beliefs may shift over time. Conclusions Many patients believed imaging for low back pain was important to gain certainty in diagnosis and reassurance that treatment was appropriate. However, their beliefs about the value of imaging may not be stable over time, as they are influenced by ongoing experiences and reappraisals. To reduce unwarranted imaging, clinicians should consider providing consistent and contextualized messaging that meets the patient’s ongoing illness experience
Detection of Measles Virus Genotype A in a Non-Endemic Wastewater Setting: Insights from Measles Wastewater and Environmental Monitoring in Canada's Capital Region
No full textThe recent global resurgence of measles in 2023-2024, despite vaccine preventability, underscores a critical public health issue, largely due to reduced vaccination coverage during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In response, Ottawa Public Health intensified vaccination efforts in 2023 and 2024. Additionally, a research initiative began in April 2024 to monitor Ottawa wastewater for measles virus (MeV) using established wastewater and environmental surveillance (WES) protocols. Unexpected positive MeV detections through RT-qPCR in Ottawa wastewater - despite no active regional cases - prompted genotypic and retrospective analyses of archived RNA samples dating back to 2020. The genotypic analysis identified positive detection to belong to genotype A, the progenitor strain of the viral vaccines, marking the first report of MeV vaccine RNA in a large catchment area. Linear regression analysis revealed detections aligned with intensified vaccination efforts by Ottawa Public Health. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating genotypic analysis into WES practices to mitigate possible confounding factors, such as vaccine shedding into wastewater. Additionally, this research highlights potential public health applications using MeV WES as a complementary tool. Implementing the findings of this study for MeV WES, and for other re-emerging viruses, could improve public health response and resource allocation
Centrosome Scaffolds and Combinatorial PBD Binding as Drivers of Functional Diversity in the Budding Yeast Polo-Like Kinase Cdc5
No full textUpon exposure to DNA damage, eukaryotic cells preserve genome integrity by coordinating DNA repair with transient, checkpoint-mediated cell cycle arrest. When moderate levels of irreparable chromosomal lesions persist, cells may override this arrest through DNA damage adaptation, a process driven by the Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) in humans and its conserved ortholog Cdc5 in budding yeast. While Polo-box domain (PBD)-mediated enrichment of Cdc5 at spindle pole bodies (SPBs) –the yeast equivalent of centrosomes– is known to be required for adaptation, the molecular basis by which SPBs mediate this response has remained unclear. In this thesis, we demonstrate that SPBs actively contribute to DNA damage adaptation by functioning as supramolecular signaling hubs for Cdc5. We identify three core SPB components –Nud1, Spc110, and Spc72– as critical mediators of Cdc5’s docking to both the nuclear and cytoplasmic domains of the organelle, a step essential for Cdc5-dependent adaptation. Upon recruitment, Cdc5 exploits the nuclear envelope (NE) protein Mps3 and the outer plaque component Cnm67 to propagate a phospho-signal necessary for full adaptation. Mutations disrupting Cdc5’s interactions with these SPB targets impair adaptation without affecting microtubule-organizing center (MTOC) activity, indicating that SPB signaling –rather than canonical MTOC function– is essential for this response. This specificity is further supported by the observation that generic MTOC disruption does not recapitulate the defect. Finally, through structural and biochemical analyses, we show that Cdc5 expands its substrate repertoire through dual, non-competitive PBD-driven binding. Point mutations that selectively impair an alternative hydrophobic interface –distinct from the canonical phosphopeptide-binding pocket– induce an early anaphase arrest, underscoring the functional significance of combinatorial PBD interactions in Cdc5-regulated mitotic events. Together, these findings reveal how PLKs integrate spatially defined SPB signaling with versatile substrate recognition to coordinate mitotic progression under both normal and genotoxic cycling conditions, thereby safeguarding genome stability with adaptive flexibility
Building Capacity to Use Evidence-Informed Approaches to Implementation in Maternal-Newborn Care: Development and Evaluation of an Implementation Toolkit
No full textBackground: Pregnant and birthing people and their infants do not always receive care that aligns with best available evidence. Knowledge generated from implementation science can inform how to close these evidence-practice gaps. However, the implementation science literature is large and difficult to navigate, and there are limited opportunities for healthcare providers and leaders to learn about it.
Purpose: To develop and evaluate a toolkit to build the capacity of healthcare professionals and leaders to apply knowledge from implementation science in Ontario maternal-newborn hospital settings.
Methods: A multi-stage, mixed-methods study using an integrated knowledge translation approach. Stage 1 informed the content of the toolkit: (1) a mixed-methods study with implementation experts to identify essential content for teaching implementation practice; (2) a secondary qualitative analysis of interviews with maternal-newborn nursing leaders to learn about implementation approaches; (3) a cross-sectional survey of maternal-newborn healthcare professionals and leaders on their implementation approaches and learning needs. Stage 2 involved synthesizing the findings and co-producing the toolkit, grounded in the Implementation Roadmap. Stage 3 was a mixed-methods evaluation of the toolkit to assess acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, usability, and intent to use.
Findings: 137 people were enrolled (33 implementation experts; 104 maternal-newborn healthcare professionals and leaders). Implementation experts identified core content needed to teach healthcare professionals about implementation. The secondary qualitative analysis and survey confirmed that current approaches to implementing evidence-informed practices do not fully align with recommendations from implementation science. Participants expressed a desire for improving their capacity to apply evidence-informed implementation approaches. Data from Stage 1 was synthesized to create a toolkit with 13 steps and 26 templates to support teams to improve their implementation processes. Evaluation participants indicated the toolkit is an acceptable and helpful resource that they intend to use and identified areas to improve usability and feasibility.
Conclusions: Knowledge from implementation science is not being applied consistently or comprehensively in Ontario maternal-newborn hospital settings. The toolkit is an implementation strategy that can help translate knowledge from implementation science into practice. Future work is needed to refine the toolkit, field-test it, and ascertain its effectiveness to improve implementation capacity, processes, and outcomes