17876 research outputs found
Sort by
How Justice System Contact, Race, and Gender Intersect: Examining Their Short- and Long-Term Associations with Mental Health, Educational, and Occupational Outcomes
Full text linkThis study utilizes intersectionality, life-course perspective, and cumulative disadvantage theory to examine the association between criminal justice system contact (JSC) on short- and long-term mental health, educational, and occupational outcomes, exploring how these associations vary by race (Black, Hispanic, White) and gender (Women, Men).
Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 were analyzed using multilevel modeling techniques, controlling for socio-economic status, family background, and youth issues. Short-term associations were examined through lagged regression models, predicting outcomes one year later based on the status of JSC and race in a given year. Long-term associations were explored via growth curve models, tracing age-related trajectories of outcomes from early adulthood and analyzing differences by justice system involvement during adolescence, race, and gender.
The findings reveal long-term disparities, particularly for Black males and females who experienced correctional interventions during adolescence, who faced significant disadvantages in young adulthood. These individuals exhibited markedly slower progress in educational and salary outcomes compared to White males without JSC, who showed faster salary growth and higher educational achievements. Surprisingly, justice system involvement during adolescence did not consistently predict changes in mental health, education, or occupational outcomes a year later. Caution is advised against prematurely concluding that justice system involvement has no short-term impact.
The discussion section includes both model-based analyses and contextualization of findings in relation to broader systemic forces. The former addresses the interpretations, implications, and limitations of the results based on the models. The latter extends the discussion to broader systemic and societal factors—such as classism, racism, ableism, and gender oppression—that intersect to perpetuate the disadvantages faced by justice-involved individuals. These dual approaches provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges encountered by these individuals
Exploring the Effect of 1:1 Acceptance and Commitment Training Sessions on Staff Engagement in Committed Actions using Ecological Momentary Assessment
Full text linkStress can impact the quality of care that support staff provide to clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) within community agencies. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy/Training (ACT) focuses on helping people develop psychological flexibility to improve well-being. This study evaluated the impact of standard self-monitoring procedures (e.g., pen and paper), Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) via a smartphone application and EMA plus three, brief, 1:1 ACT coaching sessions on the occurrence of committed actions (CAs). Four senior staff from a community agency took part in this multi-phased intervention. The coaching sessions were informed by a previous evaluation conducted with caregivers (Gould et al., 2018). A concurrent multiple-baseline design across four staff was used to evaluate engagement in CAs across baseline, training, post-training, and follow-up phases. Although participant engagement in CAs did not increase in the training phase (EMA alone and EMA+ACT), staff and agency leaders reported high acceptability of the goals, procedures and outcomes o f the study. These findings will inform procedural modifications including how the dependent variable is measured and will address feedback provided by participants. The dependent variable was dichotomous, which limited the opportunity for behavioural variability to be observed, which will be adapted for future research. Gaps in ACT literature may begin to be addressed from the findings, and also help to inform how EMA can be leveraged to add validity to outcomes in ACT research, specifically within community support agencies
Navigating transitions out of post-secondary education: a mixed methods study of emerging adult mental health and access to support pre-and post-graduation
Full text linkMental health during emerging adulthood (18-29) is cause for concern, as this is the age period with highest rates of mental disorders and dropout from mental health services. While much research has examined transitions into university and campus-based service access, scarce evidence exists on how to support student mental health as they transition out of postsecondary programs, and ensuring continuity of care post-graduation is a necessity. There is a need for developmentally specific mental health support that caters to the growing and changing demands of this life period, as graduates can get lost in this transition. This dissertation aimed to investigate students’ experiences of mental health and access to support as they transitioned out of their university undergraduate degree programs.
Three studies were conducted. First, quantitative survey data were collected to assess the mental health, help seeking, and support utilization of final-year undergraduate students who had registered to graduate. Differences in mental health and support access were examined by key social positions which included race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality and current and childhood financial stress. Second, qualitative interviews were conducted among 18 of the surveyed students about one-year post-graduation, to explore their mental health experiences over the transition out of their undergraduate programs. Finally, a partially convergent parallel mixed methods study integrated survey and interview data to understand factors that support and/or impede mental health service access post-graduation.
Results show final-year student psychosocial well-being, depression, and anxiety were independently linked to gender, sexuality and current and childhood financial stress. Access to informal and formal supports and services are highlighted by various population subgroups. Experiences during the transition of distress and feelings of doubt, the importance of connections, the COVID-19 pandemic, and mental health service use are discussed. Results underscore that informal supports (e.g., friends, family) are important anticipated and accessed sources of mental health support during the transition. Graduates also further highlighted financial concerns and accessibility issues with free mental health services, post-graduation.
This research adds to the literature on the mental health and service access in final-year and recently graduated undergraduate students, which is an understudied demographic and transitionary period
Examining the Underlying Mechanisms and Potential Outcomes of Stress Bragging
Full text linkThis study investigates the mechanisms behind stress bragging in workplaces and its impact on individuals and organizations, focusing on impression management (IM) tactics as a mediator. It posits that individuals use stress bragging to achieve desirable workplace outcomes through IM tactics. Despite its prevalence, the interplay between stress bragging and workplace outcomes remains underexplored. This research addresses this gap by examining the dualistic impacts of stress bragging—beneficial outcomes for individuals (e.g., promotability) and detrimental effects for organizations (e.g., social loafing). Additionally, it explores the moderating role of competitive work environments (CWE).
The study collected temporally segregated data from employees (n = 355) across diverse industries in the USA and Canada. The findings revealed significant and positive direct effects between stress bragging and negative workplace outcomes, as well as between stress bragging and impression management (IM) tactics. Furthermore, the results provided evidence for the mediating role of IM tactics as the underlying mechanism linking stress bragging to various workplace outcomes, though the proposed moderating effects of competitive work environment
(CWE) were not supported. This study is among the first to explore how stress bragging influences workplace outcomes through various IM tactics in an organizational context, offering theoretical and practical insights for navigating and managing such behaviors in the workplace
Journal of Andrew Ellicott’s expedition surveying the western borders of New York, with first scientific measurements of Niagara Falls, 1789-1790
Full text linkAndrew Ellicott (1754-1820) was a mathematician, astronomer and surveyor from Buckingham, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. In 1789 Ellicott moved to Philadelphia and was hired by the government to survey the Presqu’ Isle triangle. He was also hired to determine whether the community of Presqu’ Isle (present-day Erie, Pennsylvania) could be claimed by landowners who had purchased the Massachusetts preemption claim to western New York. While this work primarily focused on the Pennsylvania boundary, it also encompassed the lands around Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and the Niagara River. During the course of this project, Ellicott saw Niagara Falls and made the first accurate measurements of the height of the Falls and Rapids, as well as the length of the Niagara River. Aside from a widely reprinted description of Niagara Falls sent by Ellicott to Benjamin Rush, there appears to be little surviving documentation of the Niagara portion of the survey, its route, the calculations taken, or a full roster of those who accompanied Ellicott on the expedition. The numbers provided in the journal are a close match to those included in Ellicott’s letter to Benjamin Rush, though the heights given by Ellicott to Rush are given in rounded figures while the readings in the journal are more precise fractional measurements.A manuscript journal of Andrew Ellicott’s expedition surveying the western borders of New York, including the first scientific measurements of Niagara Falls, 1789-1790. The journal contains 60 unnumbered pages. The author of the journal is unknown. The first page begins mid-sentence with an undated series of directions along the St. Lawrence River and the New York-Ontario border. The first three pages consist of these directions and are followed by dated diary entries recording the expedition beginning on page 5 (dated November 8, 1789) and ending on page 42 (dated January 26, 1790). Entries provide details of locations, distances traveled, weather, and the work of the surveying parties. Most days contain their own individual entries.
Some notable names are included in the journal. The entry dated January 13, 1790 refers to a visit with Doctor Franklin [Benjamin Franklin] in Philadelphia. The last entry refers to a report to President Washington. Within the journal entries, six pages include readings, observations, calculations and latitude bearings related to the surveying work, as well as a two-page map sketch of an unidentified location. The remaining 19 pages contain financial accounts
Exploring neuronatin as a novel SERCA regulator and its role in murine metabolism and skeletal and cardiac muscle function
Full text linkNeuronatin (NNAT) is a paternally expressed gene and protein found to be diversely involved in metabolic homeostasis. The mechanism underlying its metabolic contributions is speculated to be through regulation of the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA) pump given NNAT’s sequence homology with two SERCA regulators, phospholamban and sarcolipin (SLN). Furthermore, previous work has shown that mice lacking NNAT (NnatKO) demonstrate altered glycemic control, reduced energy expenditure, and a propensity towards obesity. The purpose of this thesis was therefore to test the hypothesis that NNAT can act as a SERCA regulator and subsequently influence whole-body metabolism and muscle function. Using a cell model, we demonstrate that NNAT can negatively regulate and uncouple the SERCA pump. In our NnatKO mouse model, we find evidence of NNAT acting as a negative regulator of SERCA in the soleus muscle, though the effects on SERCA function appear to be dependent on housing conditions and biological sex. Under standard housing conditions, no effects of NnatKO were detected on body composition or metabolism, but under translatable conditions, NnatKO mice displayed more fat mass and less lean mass relative to total body weight. Under both housing conditions NnatKO mice have reduced soleus muscle force production with RNA sequencing data suggesting biological sex-dependent changes to structural genes and signaling pathways. When given access to a running wheel, NnatKO mice present with a low exercise volume, though this low volume was still able to increase glucose tolerance and soleus force production, however the genetic reduction of glycogen synthase kinase 3 in NnatKO skeletal muscle had little to no effect on soleus function. Finally, we found NnatKO mice to show signs of structural remodeling to the left ventricle, reductions to cardiac output, and stroke volume, though these effects are not present under translatable conditions. Together, this thesis provides data supporting NNAT as a negative regulator of SERCA and that it is an important component for skeletal and cardiac muscle function. Future work should investigate the mechanisms underlying these changes to muscle function as well as the potential to target NNAT as a therapeutic in aging and disease
Enhancing Quality in BCBA Supervision for Supervisors and Supervisees: Evaluating a Standardized Supervision Curriculum
Full text linkThe field of applied behaviour analysis (ABA) relies on established Board-Certified Behaviour Analysts (BCBAs) to train new professionals working toward certification. Although the certification body (i.e., the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, BACB) regularly develops task lists that outline the knowledge and skills that form the foundation for the BCBA professional examination, there are few rules related to the number of task list items covered in supervision and the depth to which they are practiced. Further, research has identified several barriers to providing effective supervision. To support effective supervision practices and address barriers, experts have developed resources and provided recommendations to inform a systematic approach to supervision. However, there is a lack of empirical evaluations of supervision resources and recommendations. In the present study, a pre-post design was implemented to evaluate the effect of a standardized supervision curriculum on (a) barriers to providing supervision and supervisor confidence, (b) breadth and depth of content covered, and (c) knowledge outcomes. Seven supervisor-supervisee dyads participated. The results suggest that the curriculum (a) reduced the degree to which a lack of time to review submissions and a lack of resources are barriers for some supervisors, and (b) promotes supervisor confidence that supervision practices align with BACB standards and ethical standards. The results also suggest that the curriculum is associated with improvements in supervisee knowledge of behaviour-analytic concepts. Participants reported that the use of the curriculum helped them cover concepts more thoroughly. The results also suggest that the curriculum is an acceptable, feasible resource
Synthesizing new bio-inspired, siloxane-containing materials: an investigation into renewable silicone materials via the application of physical self-healing processes
Full text linkThis thesis describes the creation of bio-inspired, silicone-based materials and their properties. The work can be divided into four areas of interest:
1. The synthesis of thymine-containing silicone polymers (TCSPs). The hydrosilylation reaction was utilized to functionalize silicones with thymine, making both backbone and telechelic TCSPs. A majority of these materials were found to be solid elastomers that, at elevated temperatures (~110oC), turned liquid and were able to be reshaped. The materials then solidified after 5 minutes at room temperature, having been completely recycled. In order to try and improve the properties (mainly flexibility) of these materials, both backbone and telechelic TCSPs were mixed together. However, the resulting products were found to be more brittle than the parent materials.
2. The synthesis of adenine-containing silicone polymers (ACSPs). In this section, several different methodologies were followed in an attempt to make adenine-functionalized silicone materials. It was discovered that the same hydrosilylation approach followed in the construction of TCSPs was not possible with adenine. The feasibility of several coupling methods between silicones and adenine were investigated.
3. The synthesis of thymidine-modified silicone materials. The target material in this work was designed to more closely mimic the overall structure of DNA by incorporating a deoxyribose sugar component, and short-chain silicones as a replacement for the phosphate portion of the DNA backbone. Synthesis of a hydrosilylation precursor, as well as the generation of a model compound and polymer system, were demonstrated.
4. Development of amino-acid modified silicones. The Ireland-Claisen rearrangement was employed in the synthesis of -allyl alanine, which was then be protected and reacted with tetramethyldisiloxane to yield an amino acid with a silicone sidechain. Future prospects for this platform technology will be discussed
The interplay of citizen-sourced, conventionally surveyed, and meteorological data in recreational fisheries
Full text linkTraditional methods of collecting data on angler activity involve conventional surveys, such as creel surveys
and aerial surveys, which are often costly. A modern, cost-effective alternative is utilizing online platforms
and smartphone applications (apps) designed for anglers. Previous studies identified correlations between
data reported by citizens via these apps and data gathered from conventional surveys. However, it is
still unclear if the activities recorded by the two sources are directly related, or if other “intermediate”
variables are primarily related to the conventionally surveyed data. In my first study, I employed Bayesian
networks (BNs) to explore this question, focusing on two metrics: daily catch rate and daily fishing effort.
These metrics were sourced from creel surveys, aerial surveys, and Angler’s Atlas website with related
MyCatch app in Alberta and Ontario, Canada. I included additional factors, e.g., weather conditions, as
possible “intermediate” variables in the network. To study the uncertainty of the results, I measured the
strength of connections between variables using Bayesian model averaging. Waterbody webpage views were
directly related to daily and weekly-aggregated boat counts in Ontario (51% and 100% probability) and to
weekly-aggregated creel survey-reported fishing duration in Alberta (100%). This highlights the value of
citizen-sourced data in providing unique insights beyond meteorological factors, with online interest serv
ing as a potentially reliable proxy for angler pressure and effort. In my second study, I aimed to evaluate
three BN structure learning approaches: (i) expert knowledge, (ii) ChatGPT, and (iii) data-driven models,
in predicting angler activity as reported through aerial surveys on the Ontario dataset. The Friedman
test indicated no significant difference in prediction accuracy between the three models. These findings
underscore the potential of AI-driven approaches, as the ChatGPT-assisted model performed on par with
expert-based and data-driven models, demonstrating its viability for ecological predictions
Early stages of germination, plant colonization and production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) by species of Metarhizium
Full text linkFungi in the genus Metarhizium are known for their ability to successfully colonize both insect and plant hosts. Some species, called generalists, can infect a broader range of insects, while infection by specialists is restricted to specific insects. Generalists and specialists require different environmental cues to initiate conidial germination, an essential step in the process of host colonization. In this study, the early morphological development of several strains of Metarhizium was evaluated under different nutritional conditions and substrates. Overall, generalist strains have less restricted nutritional requirements to initiate germination, while
specialists germinated poorly in the tested conditions. Several Metarhizium germinated in corn (Zea mays) and bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) root exudate, indicating an ability to utilize plant derived compounds for their development. Change in surface hydrophobicity had a significant effect in rates of differentiation of germ tubes into appressoria, infective structures required for insect colonization. However, some strains can still produce some appressoria in hydrophilic surfaces, particularly M. anisopliae. Microscopic analysis showed that the generalist M. robertsii germinates in both insect and plant tissues, but with morphological variations. Appressorial formation was restricted to insect tissues while hyphal growth was observed in plant root tissue. In addition to early morphological development, generalists and specialists were evaluated for their ability to produce the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), which is used by plant-associated microorganisms to promote plant root growth and is also known to be involved in insect pathogenicity by Metarhizium. Regardless of lifestyle (differences in environmental condition preferences and life cycle), all strains were able to produce IAA in vitro in the presence of the exogenous precursor L-tryptophan. M. anisopliae strains showed high intraspecific variation in level of IAA production and were selected for plant inoculation assays. No correlation was observed between IAA production in vitro and effects on corn plant growth or rates of root colonization, as the most competent endophytic colonizer was not the
highest IAA producer. Our results indicate that other mechanisms might be involved in successful root colonization by Metarhizium, and IAA production could play other important roles in their ecology