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Serotonin: Origins, Roles, and Toxic Effects
Full text linkThrough its imperative modulatory and regulatory role in supporting life, serotonin has heavily influenced a number of functions within the body since its evolutionary beginnings. The discovery of this indolamine in the brain has led to much research in exploring its role within the synapse and receptors. The receptors themselves are associated with an array of phenomena and behaviours, which are also influenced by the locations in which the serotonergic projections innervate. The 5-HT1A¸and 5-HT2A receptors have primarily been the target of research, as they have been implicated in affecting psychological states such as empathy, anxiety, and depression; imperative life functions such as sleep and hunger; and basic psychological functions such as inhibition and control. Despite all the beneficial functions serotonin can contribute to, overstimulation of serotonin can lead to life-threatening conditions such as serotonin syndrome. Dangerous but treatable if attended to in time, the syndrome provides a drastic example of how crucial serotonin’s role is within the body. Given its impact in maintaining life, more research must be conducted to fill in the gaps of the current literature and to produce viable treatments for serotonin syndrome
Diagnosing and Treating Mental Illness Across Cultures: Systemic Racism in Clinical Psychology
Full text linkDiverse cultures have historically been underrepresented by psychological research (Arnett, 2008; Nielsen et al., 2017). Using western data and diagnostic criteria designed by western society leads to contemporary understandings of clinical diagnoses and psychotherapies that lack external validity beyond western society. Consequently, when immigrants from these diverse countries seek mental health services, they are disproportionately misdiagnosed and receive psychotherapies that are far less effective. The tools and training that clinicians are provided with do not effectively translate through different cultural lenses. Contemporary diagnostic instruments like the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) need to include additional representative research to improve their sensitivity across cultures. Furthermore, psychotherapies need appropriate cultural adaptations that connect with cultural minority clients to become properly effective. Diagnostic manuals and empirically supported psychotherapies are culturally biased descriptions of clinical psychology which need cultural competence to accommodate the growing cultural diversity present within Canada and America. This literature overview details the extent of the underrepresentation in western psychological research. Subsequently, it presents a brief account of diverse cultural research demonstrating how mental health expression varies extensively by culture. Finally, expounding on these points demonstrates how the resulting DSM is not adequate for the countries that use it, and the resulting psychotherapies lack efficacy in their populations, perpetuating systemic racism in clinical psychology
Preparing Anti-Racist Educators through Critical Transformative Emotional Praxis: A Theory of Change
Full text linkIn settler-colonial countries like Canada, Whiteness—the customs, beliefs, values, and so on that comprise White culture—is the standard to which all others are compared. Whiteness is woven into the very fabric of our society, working to uphold White supremacy and systemic racism. Education, as part of this system, is also fraught with Whiteness, and its deleterious effects are evident in the persistent inequities experienced by students of Colour. Dismantling Whiteness in education is a daunting task, but one promising solution is to develop anti-racist educators capable of embodying and enacting culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogies. However, this requires directly addressing Whiteness in teacher education programs, an endeavour that has proven challenging. As an entry into this topic, this paper explores Whiteness writ large including how it is studied both broadly and within the field of education. Then, approaches to addressing Whiteness in teacher education are reviewed, including what is and is not working. Next, other approaches to teacher education that could ameliorate current efforts to develop anti-racist educators are introduced: transformative learning and critical emotional praxis. Finally, these are woven together in a theory of change to address Whiteness in teacher education and support preservice teachers’ anti-racist development
Hacking Humans: The Next National Security Threat
Full text linkDr. Neal’s presentation focused on the immediate need for the security environment to focus on the moral, ethical, and practical threats emerging from the new hybrid warfare battlefields that are being created due to the expanding use of technological augmentation in humans. As these technologies expand, there are new national security threats facing numerous actors, including individuals, such as a potential ability to manipulate their own bodily data or from civil unrest as society changes; organizations, such as new markets for organized crime to exploit; and states, such as the possibility of another state hijacking augmentation devices in its population. Dr. Neal emphasized the need for the security industry to think ahead and begin to consider preemptive measures before these technologies advance in order to maintain control over their application and mitigate risks.
Received: 07-04-2024
Revised: 08-03-202
Julianna walking at night
Full text linkA study of modern interactions and young adult relationships from the narrative perspective of a woman on the path to finding herself. 
Intelligence Collection Priorities in an Age of Renewed Superpower Conflict: Toward a More Expansive Perspective
Full text linkThe new global setting of the post-Cold War allowed the United States and its intelligence agencies to broaden the nation’s mandate to include the environment, health, the global economy, and terrorism, among other considerations---although the military might of Russia and China had by no means disappeared and considerable resources would remain focused on military threat assessments. This article explores the commitment of the United States to the ongoing mission of knowing about and thwarting military attacks, while at the same time taking into account a new host of once ignored worldwide threats to national security.
Received: 01-07-2024
Revised: 01-17-202
POLARIZATION AND INTERVENTION-BASED P/CVE PROGRAMS IN CANADA
Full text linkOn November 13th, 2023, Dr. Sara K. Thompson presented Polarization and Intervention-based P/CVE Programs in Canada for this year’s West Coast Security Conference. The key points discussed were the typology of extremist violence, the processes of radicalization and mobilization to violence, the threat landscape in Canada, past and present (and the impact of social polarization), and the somewhat recent incorporation of prevention/intervention programming into the broader national security apparatus.
Received: 12-12-2023
Revised: 01-29-202
LEADING SECURITY AND INTELLIGENCE: CURRENT TRENDS AND ESSENTIAL ABILITIES
Full text linkOn November 15, 2023, Ms. Jennifer Irish, Associate and Program Director of the Executive Security and Intelligence Leadership Certificate program at, Telfer Executive Programs of the University of Ottawa, presented Leading Security and Intelligence: Current Trends and Essential Abilities at the West Coast Security Conference. The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer period with questions from the audience and CASIS Vancouver executives. The presentation was informed by structural interviews she conducted with senior leaders across Canada’s Security and Intelligence community to inform a refresh of the leadership program offered by uOttawa’s Telfer Executive Programs for federal government executives having security and intelligence responsibilities. The key points focussed on the key competencies and skills required of contemporary S&I leaders as they navigate through changes in the community, the evolving global threatscape, and as result of emerging technologies and increased expectations for public accountability.
Received: 01-07-2024
Revised: 01-29-202
2023 WEST COAST SECURITY CONFERENCE WELCOMING REMARKS DAY 3
Full text linkOn November 15, 2023, Mr. John Pyrik presented the opening address for this year’s West Coast Security Conference. The key points discussed were the introduction of speakers for the international perspectives panel of the CASIS conference and their contribution to the field of intelligence.
Received: 01-04-2024
Revised: 01-26-202
2023 WEST COAST SECURITY CONFERENCE WELCOMING REMARKS DAY 4
Full text linkOn November 16, 2023, Captain Samuel Serviss presented the opening remarks for the fourth day of this year’s West Coast Security Conference. The key points discussed were the contrast between the optimism following the end of the Cold War regarding lasting global peace and the current reality of intra- and inter-state conflicts, as well as the role of events such as the West Coast Security Conference as opportunities for critical reflection and understanding of war as a means of working towards peace.
Received: 01-14-2024
Revised: 01-26-202