5,363 research outputs found
Prentice Post (Spring 2014)
No full textHighlights the Prentice Institute's activities, initiatives and research affiliations.Inside this issue:
Spring 2014
The Prentice Institute does research on
the changing human population and its
potential impacts on social and economic
issues, and communicates its findings
widely.
The Prentice Institute and its research
collaborators seek to understand long-term
changes in the human and economic
environments, within a historical context,
with particular attention to the role human
actions play in influencing those out-comes.
We conduct and integrate research on the
dynamics of Canadian and global demog-raphy
and their impacts on economic well-being
through migration, culture, trade
and natural resource availability.
We communicate widely the output of our
work and that of others to stimulate fur-ther
research and to enable individuals,
governments, and corporations to make
better-informed decisions. We educate
students and future researchers.
Director’s Note 1
Our New Postdoctoral Fellow 1
Five Year Celebration 2
Prentice Institute Outreach 3
Prentice Institute Ph.D. Student 4
Prentice Institute Research
Assistant
4
In the News 5
In the News...continues 6
Brown Bag Seminars 7
Prentice Institute Spotlight 8
Mission Statement
1
Di rec tor’ s Note
Prentice Post
Our New Postdoctoral Fellow
The highlight of 2014 was the 5-year celebration of
the Prentice Institute for Global Population and
Economy. We hosted a delightful celebratory party in
April, just as the spring academic term was ending.
Photos of the event are included in this issue. We also
produced a 5-year report, which if you have not seen,
is available on our website: www.uleth.ca/
prenticeinstitute/news/prentice-institute-five-year-report
It has been a busy five years indeed, and we are only
beginning. With the many successes we have had and
the recognition locally, regionally, nationally and
internationally we have received, we anticipate a very bright future for the Prentice
Institute.
The awarding of scholarship funds by the Society of Edmonton Demographers to
the Prentice Institute for graduate studies in Population and Demography is a
welcome indication of our growing prominence in Population Studies. We were
honoured that Peter Kellett, a Prentice Institute Ph.D. student was officially
awarded the first SED Scholarship in March in Edmonton at the 22nd Kalbach
Conference.
A second banner event of spring 2014 were the successful defenses of two of our
Masters students, Celeste Barnes and Tanya Byrne. Celeste is continuing her
studies, working toward a Ph.D., while Tanya is employed in Calgary.
As usual for active researchers in global population, we present our research and
work with collaborators across Canada and the world. Our travels in 2014 have
taken us to China, Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, Cuba, Mexico, Greece,
Turkey, Iran, and various countries in Africa.
Ye (Oscar) Liu joined the
Prentice Institute for Global
Population and Economy and the
Department of Geography,
University of Lethbridge, as a
Post-doctoral fellow in
November 2013.
He received his B.Sc. and M.Sc.
in China and in 2013, his Ph.D. in
Geography and Resource
Management at the Chinese
University of Hong Kong. His
research interests include migration, urban labour market and spatial
analysis and modelling. He is currently working on wage inequality and wage
determinants in China by using China 2005 Population Sample Survey Data.
Welcome Oscar!
Prentice Post Spring 2014
2
Five Year Celebrat ion
For five years The Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy has
been conducting, integrating and stimulating research. Our reach is global with
our nine international Research Affiliates and our 25 University of Lethbridge
Affiliates providing relevant, world-class research. Under the leadership of our
Director, Professor Susan McDaniel,
The Prentice Institute addresses the many
challenges faced in both the Canadian and
global population. The research of the
numerous disciplines represented by the
Institute reaches deeply into the long-term
consequences of our human story, how we
interact in our societies, in our economies,
and in our environments.
These five years have seen much collaboration, many millions in research funding and many of our researchers acknowledged
by their peers as leaders in their various disciplines. Dozens of books, hundreds of research articles and book chapters, dozens
of research reports and projects, and hundreds of conference presentations are all evidence of the success of our various
research teams. Along with active academic research and publication, many of our
Affiliates are engaged in flourishing programs of graduate education. Mentoring the
next generation of Masters and Ph.D.’s is another layer of passing knowledge on. It
doesn’t stop at the door of academia: our Research Affiliates are actively involved
in public outreach and education.
The Prentice Institute has, in the
past five years, been the host of
a lecture series which attract
students, faculty, staff and
members of the community to the
wide variety of subjects. We have been fortunate to come together with a
number of community partners and our interaction with them has been one
of our many highlights. Many of our Affiliates are called on to speak as
experts in their disciplines and can be found as active members of our
community in the news and public speaking forums.
We, at The Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy, have
had an amazing five years. We live in a complex and global world and
we are excited to be in a position of knowledge and growth, ready to
help meet the challenges of both the present and the future. We look
forward to many more years of association with our Affiliates, the
University, and our community.
3
Spring 2014 Prentice Post
www.uleth.ca/prenticeinstitute @PrenticInst The Prentice Institute
Prent ice Inst itute Outreach
In February 2014, at the O-Sho Family Restaurant, the Prentice
Institute for Global Population and Economy held its third Café
Conversation community outreach event. Two previous Café
Conversation events were on global health and on climate change/
challenges. The February panel shared findings from grant-sponsored
research looking into whether there are labour or skills shortages in
Canada now or in the near future. The event was attended by
university faculty and students as well as a number of people from the
community, including prominent business people.
The Labour/Skills Shortage Conundrum in Canada
Panelists included:
Heather McIntosh-Rivera, BMgt
Master of Arts Candidate
University of Lethbridge
Dr. Susan McDaniel, Ph.D.
FRSC, Canada Research Chair
in Global Population & Life
Course, Prentice Research Chair
in Global Population & Economy
& Professor of Sociology,
University of Lethbridge
Dr. Bonnie Watt-Malcolm, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Secondary Education
University of Alberta
moderated by Alexander Darku
U n i v e r s i t y o f L e t h b r i d g e s o c i o l o g i s t
D r . S u s a n A . McD a n i e l a p p o i n t e d
C h a i r o f CC A ’ s S c i e n t i f i c A d v i s o r y
C ommi t t e e
T h e C o u n c i l o f C a n a d i a n Ac a d e mi e s i s p l e a s e d t o
a n n o u n c e t h e a p p o i n tme n t o f S u s a n A. McD a n i e l , FR SC , a s
C h a i r o f t h e S c i e n t i f i c Ad v i s o r y C o mmi t t e e ( SAC ) f o r t h e
C o u n c i l o f C a n a d i a n Ac a d emi e s . T h e C o u n c i l wo u l d a l s o
l i k e t o e x t e n d a s i n c e r e t h a n k s t o T o m B r z u s t o ws k i , FR SC ,
FC AE , f o r t h e f u l f i l lme n t o f h i s r o l e a s C h a i r s i n c e 2 0 1 0 .
D r . McD a n i e l p r e v i o u s l y s e r v e d a s V i c e C h a i r o f SAC.
Congratulations to
Dr. Susan McDaniel
one of Alberta’s 50 most influential people
2014
“...when Alberta’s 50 Most Influential
People wield their influence, things happen.
They shape our province’s destiny.”
The list of Alberta’s 50 Most Influential
People is published in the July issue of
Alberta Venture.
albertaventure.com/rankings
Prentice Post Spring 2014
4
Prent ice Inst itute Ph.D. Student
To be added or removed from the Prentice Institute Newsletter list
please email [email protected]
“The issue of men’s depression is relatively
hidden, but in another way it’s completely in our
face,” says Kellett. “Men don’t want to talk about
being depressed, but we see and feel the results of
it. When left undiagnosed and untreated, men’s
depression has a huge impact on the overall health
of society. We need to be able to identify men’s
depression and understand all the social contexts
that are tied to it.”
Peter presented his research at the “Aging Across Borders: A Transnational Look at Just Social Policies of Care”
Symposium held in late January 2014 at the University of Southern California.
~
Peter was awarded the Society of Edmonton Demographers Graduate Student Scholarship. He is the first recipient of
this award so it is a particular honour. Peter’s name will go down in history as he sets precedent for those that follow.
The scholarship was presented to Peter at this years Warren Kalbach Conferenced in Edmonton held in March where he
presented a research paper. Congratulations again, Peter.
Rebecca Deutsch, awarded the competitive Chinook Summer Research Award, began
working at the Prentice Institute in May 2014 for the summer as a research assistant.
Rebecca is currently majoring in Sociology at the University of Lethbridge. Over the past
semester her interests have been increasingly drawn to the way that ideas about bodies are
involved in the conceptualization of individuality and individual rights. Her curiosity lies
in whether or not different approaches to bodies based on gender or race contribute to
increased or decreased levels of violence. She has been exploring the work of Foucault,
Durkheim and Butler. At the Prentice Institute Rebecca is involved in the big Gender
Migration and the Work of Care project, looking at available literature on supply and
demand, income inequality, and various other aspects of care work.
Welcome Rebecca.
Peter Kellett
wants to
change the way
we think about
depression.
www.uleth.ca/prenticeinstitute/news/
shedding-new-light-dark-subject
You can find the full article here:
Photo by Rob Olson in UofL SAM Volume 5, Issue 2, Spring 2014
Prent ice Inst itute Research Assistant
Spring 2014 Prentice Post
In the News
5
Greece still has a long way to go. Trevor Harrison, Prentice Institute Associate Director, Lethbridge Herald, May 22, 2014.
As the country heads into elections, Greeks hoping worst of financial crisis is behind them.
You can find the Prentice Institute highlighted on the UofL New
Research website and landing page along with several other centres and
institutes considered among the best in Canada here:
www.uleth.ca/research/prentice-institute-global-population-and-economy
Susan A. McDaniel, Amber Gazso, and Seonggee Um. 2013. “Generationing Relations in Challenging Times: Americans
and Canadians in Mid-Life in the Great Recession,” Current Sociology 61(3):301-321.
THERE ARE ENOUGH EMPLOYEES IN THE WORKFORCE:
TRAINING THEM IS KEY
April 10, 2014
@Globe_Education
When it comes to the current debate on skills and
employment in Canada, however, it may be the
“unknown knowns” that are most important...
ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS, SOLVING THE RIGHT
PROBLEMS. As we rethink our labour market policy we need to
improve the collection and analysis of data, and we must also engage
employers and educational institutions in an
analysis of skills. Tyler Meredith Policy Options,
April 9, 2014. www.irpp.org
"Research is the process of going up alleys to see if they are blind." --- Marston Bates
Prentice Institute Research Affiliate, Bonnie Lee, Faculty of Health Sciences Associate Professor, developed a new model
for couples counselling, Congruence Couples Therapy. In March 2014, she hosted a national workshop at the University of
Lethbridge on this model for problem gamblers. It proved to be a big success.
Glenda Tibe Bonifacio, Prentice Institute Affiliate and University of Lethbridge Women and Gender Studies professor
officially launched her new book Pinay on the Prairies late January 2014 at a special event held at the U of L’s Penny
Building. “This book is, I would say, the first one to work on Filipino women, their migration pattern and experiences in a
more nuanced way outside of Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto,” states Bonifacio.
S u s a n McD a n i e l p u s h e s t h e p r o v e r b i a l s n o wb a l l . .
ww w. p r e s s p r o g r e s s . c a “ A s t u d y h e a d e d b y t h e P r e n t i c e I n s t i t u t e r e s e a r c h e r D r . S u s a n McD a n i e l h a s
f o u n d t h a t t h e n u mb e r o f t em p o r a r y f o r e i g n wo r k e r s h a s i n c r e a s e d d r a m a ti c a l l y , f r o m 8 9 , 0 0 0 p e r y e a r
i n 2 0 0 0 to 2 1 3 , 0 0 0 i n 2 0 1 2 . A n d T FWs , a p p r o v e d t o wo r k i n C a n a d a b y t h e f e d e r a l g o v e r n m e n t , a r e
b e i n g u s e d p r im a r i l y i n l o we r p a y i n g j o b s , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t h e h o s p i t a l i t y , a n d fo o d a n d b e v e r a g e
i n d u s t r i e s . "
T h i s wa s t h e b e g i n n i n g o f s e v e r a l r i c o c h e t a r t i c l e s , a b a n o n T FW’ s i n v a r i o u s c o mp a n i e s a c r o s s
C a n a d a a n d a n e w l o o k a t w h a t i s b e i n g r e f e r r e d t o a s C a n a d a ' s s l a v e ma r k e t .
Ottawa To Cut Size And Scope Of Temporary Foreign Worker Program CBC News | June 20, 2014
Few provinces track complaints by temporary foreign workers C B C N e ws
Thousands of temporary foreign workers hired at minimum wage shows program is 'off the rails': AFL
E d mo n t o n J o u r n a l
Temporary foreign worker program 'completely out of hand' C B C N e ws
Restaurant owners seek meeting with PM over foreign worker freeze C B C N ews etc.
I n th e News… c ont inues
6
Please take the time to check out all of our affiliates publications, news releases, conferences and opportunities on the
Prentice Institute website www.uleth.ca/prenticeintsitute
Congratulations to two of our Prentice Institute students
who successfully completed their Final Masters Thesis Defenses
Name of Candidate: Ms. Tanya Byrne April 14, 2014
Title of Thesis: Household Adaptive Capacity and Current Vulnerability to Future Climate Change in Rural
Nicaragua
Name of Candidate: Ms. Celeste Barnes April 17, 2014
Title of Thesis: Coastal Population Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise and Tropical Cyclone Intensification
Under Global Warming
Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy Seed Grant recipients:
Prentice Institute Research Affiliate William Ramp as principal investigator and Trina Filan as co-investigator were awarded a
Prentice Seed Grant in March of 2014. The title of their project, Mapping Social and Organizational Networks within the
Lethbridge, Alberta Food System.
With the assistance of the seed grant, this project will essentially help community members engage in developing and
strengthening the local food system to identify points of commonality, collaborate in effective knowledge and skill sharing,
and identify resource needs and avenues for filling those needs.
Looking forward to the findings from this project in a future Prentice Brown Bag event.
~
Our former Prentice Seed Grant recipients include Prentice Institute Research Affiliates Glenda Bonifacio and Bonnie Lee.
Income Inequality and Infant Mortality: A Panel Analysis
of Canadian Provinces (1979-2009)
Adébiyi Germain Boco
Prentice Institute for Global Population & Economy
University of Lethbridge
To examine whether annual changes in
income inequality are associated with
annual changes in infant mortality rates
in the period 1979-2009 in Canadian
provinces.
Research objective Context
Most past studies, looking across countries, states/provinces, and metropolitan areas, has found positive and statistically significant associations
between income inequality and overall mortality (Lynch and Kaplan 1997). However, in recent years more robust statistical methods using larger
and richer data sources have generally pointed to little or no relationship between inequality and mortality (Mayer and Sarin 2005; Spencer 2004).
Ross et al. (2000) conducted a cross-sectional data analysis, using census data and vital statistics, to report that income inequality (median share of
income) in the state or province and metropolitan area is associated with mortality in the United States but not in Canada.
Evidence for a cross-sectional relationship between income and health is strong but is probably biased by substantial confounding (Gunasekara et al
2012). Longitudinal data with repeated income inequality and health measures on the same individuals can be analysed to control completely for
time-invariant confounding, giving a more accurate estimate of the impact of changes in income inequality on health (Gunasekara et al 2014).
Data
The panel data used that contains 10 Canadian provinces for
the years 1979-2009 were obtained from Statistics Canada’s
Canadian Socio-economic Information Management
(CANSIM) database (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/). The data
analyzed were extracted from:
(1): Statistics Canada. Table 102-0030 - Infant mortality, by sex and
birth weight, Canada, provinces and territories, annual, CANSIM
(database). (accessed: 2014-02-10).
(2): Statistics Canada. Table 202-0705 - Gini coefficients of market,
total and after-tax income, by economic family type, annual
(number), CANSIM (database). (accessed: 2014-02-10) .
(3): Statistics Canada. Table 202-0804 - Persons in low income, by
economic family type, annual, CANSIM (database). (accessed: 2014-
02-10).
Table 1. Definitions and sources of the
variables used in the analysis
Method of Estimation
Results
Figure 1. Over time trend of income inequality
(A) and infant mortality (B)
0 5
10 15
Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Year
AB
BC
MB
NB
NL
NS
ON
PE
QC
SK
25 30 35 40
Houshold Adjusted Income Gini Coefficient
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Year
AB
BC
MB
NB
NL
NS
ON
PE
QC
SK
(B): Infant mortality rate for ten
provinces: 1979-2009
(A): Income inequality for ten provinces
: 1979-2009
NOTE. AB: Alberta; BC: British Columbia; MB: Manitoba; NB: New Brunswick; NL: Newfoundland and
Labrador; NS: Nova Scotia; ON: Ontario; PE: Prince Edward Island; QC: Quebec; SK: Saskatchewan.
Table 2. Descriptive Statistics 1979-2009
Variable
Number of
observations Mean
Standard
deviation
Minimu
m
Maxi
mum
Dependent Variable
Infant mortality rate per
1,000 live births 310 6.9 2.2 1.5 13.2
Independent Variables
Year 310 1994 9.0 1979 2009
Adjusted household income
inequality (Gini coef. X100) 310 32.7 2.0 26.9 37.8
Percentage of persons in low
income 310 16.9 3.3 7.8 27.1
Sources: Statistics Canada CANSIM Table 102-0030; Table 202-0705 and Table 202-0804 (see Table 1).
Table 3. Fixed-Effects Regression Predicting Infant
Mortality Rate in Canada Provinces (1979–2009)
0 5
10 15
Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births
25 30 35 40
Gini Coefficient x100 (Adjusted Household Income)
Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births Fitted values
Summary of findings
and conclusion
References
Avendano, M. 2012. "Correlation or causation? Income inequality and infant mortality in fixed effects
models in the period 1960–2008 in 34 OECD countries." Social Science & Medicine 75:754-760.
Gunasekara, F.I., K. Richardson, K. Carter, and T. Blakely. 2014. "Fixed effects analysis of repeated measures
data." International Journal of Epidemiology 43:264-269.
Gunasekara, I.F., K.N. Carter, I. Liu, K. Richardson, and T. Blakely. 2012. "The relationship between income
and health using longitudinal data from New Zealand." Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
66:e12.
Leigh, A. and C. Jencks. 2007. "Inequality and mortality: Long-run evidence from a panel of countries."
Journal of Health Economics 26:1-24.
Lynch, J.W. and G.A. Kaplan. 1997. "Understanding How Inequality in the Distribution of Income Affects
Health." Journal of Health Psychology 2:297-314.
Mayer, S.E. and A. Sarin. 2005. "Some mechanisms linking economic inequality and infant mortality." Social
Science & Medicine 60:439-455.
Ross, N.A., M.C. Wolfson, J.R. Dunn, J.-M. Berthelot, G.A. Kaplan, and J.W. Lynch. 2000. "Relation between
income inequality and mortality in Canada and in the United States: cross sectional assessment using
census data and vital statistics." BMJ 320:898-902.
Spencer, N. 2004. "The effect of income inequality and macro-level social policy on infant mortality and low
birthweight in developed countries – a preliminary systematic review." Child: Care, Health and Development
30:699-709.
Wooldridge, J.M. 2002. Advanced panel data methods. Econometric analysis of cross section and panel data.
Cambridge: MIT Press.
Acknowledgments
I am grateful to The Prentice Institute for Global Population & Economy at the University
of Lethbridge for providing support in printing, transporting, and posting this poster.
Contact information
Adébiyi Germain Boco
Prentice Institute for Global Population & Economy
University of Lethbridge
E-mail: [email protected]
Data and Method
Variable Definition Data sources
Infant
mortality
rate
Infant mortality corresponds to the death of a child
under one year of age (per thousand live births)
Statistics
Canada CANSIM
Table 102-0030
Provincial
income
inequality
(Gini
coefficient
of adjusted
household
income)
The Gini coefficient is a number between zero and one
that measures the relative degree of inequality in the
distribution of income. The coefficient would register
zero (minimum inequality) for a population in which
each family (or unattached individu
The Role of Evidence in Establishing Trust in Repositories
No full textThis article arises from work by the Digital Curation Centre (DCC) Working Group examining mechanisms to roll out audit and certification services for digital repositories in the United Kingdom. Our attempt to develop a program for applying audit and certification processes and tools took as its starting point the RLG-NARA Audit Checklist for Certifying Digital Repositories. Our intention was to appraise critically the checklist and conceive a means of applying its mechanics within a diverse range of repository environments. We were struck by the realization that while a great deal of effort has been invested in determining the characteristics of a 'trusted digital repository', far less effort has concentrated on the ways in which the presence of the attributes can be demonstrated and their qualities measured. With this in mind we sought to explore the role of evidence within the certification process, and to identify examples of the types of evidence (e.g., documentary, observational, and testimonial) that might be desirable during the course of a repository audit.
[CODE] One-Health-Research-Consulting/RVF_SIR_Model: Final Model
No full textMinor update to the vaccination codeMindy, Matthews, L., Ross, N., & Prentice, J. (2025). One-Health-Research-Consulting/RVF_SIR_Model: Final Model. In Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (v2.0.1). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1563252
Causal mediation analysis with failure time outcome and error-prone longitudinal covariate
No full textThesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2014Mediation analyses are important for understanding the biological mechanisms whereby a treatment/exposure influences an outcome of interest. For example, one may be interested in whether body fat accumulation mediates an association of certain dietary patterns with cancer risk. Similarly mediation analyses may aim to achieve an understanding of which elements of a multi-faceted dietary modification intervention were most influential in affecting disease incidence. Several challenges occur in mediation analysis: (1) the longitudinal and observational nature of the dietary variables and BMI/weight; (2) the measurement error in dietary variables which are often assessed using food frequency questionnaires; (3) control of measured/unmeasured confounders. In this dissertation, we proposed a general potential outcome framework for causal mediation analysis with failure time outcome and longitudinal mediator/exposure with measurement error. We proposed a method to correct for the systematic bias in longitudinal self-reported dietary data and use the calibrated data to estimate parameters in the survival model. We also proposed a robust estimator of key survival model parameters that can accommodate the existence of certain types of unmeasured confounders. We studied the performance of regression calibration methods for multiple choices of survival models numerically. We analyzed some important epidemiologic data and provided scientific information on the interplay between dietary exposures, physical activity and BMI in relation to site-specific cancer and other chronic diseases
Covariate Measurement Error Correction Methods in Mediation Analysis with Failure Time Data
No full textThesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2012Mediation analysis is important in understanding the mechanisms of one variable causing changes in another. Measurement error could be obscuring the ability of the potential mediator to explain this mechanism. Existing correction methods in mediation analysis literature are not directly applicable to failure time data. This dissertation focuses on developing correction methods for measurement error in the potential mediator with time-to-event outcome. We consider two specifications of measurement errors: one with technical measurement error only, and one with both technical measurement error and temporal variation. The underlying model with the true mediator values is assumed to be the Cox proportional hazards model. The hazard function induced by the observed mediator value no longer corresponds to a simple partial likelihood independent of the baseline hazard function, due to the conditioning event {T>=t}. We propose a mean-variance regression calibration and a follow-up time calibration approach to approximate the induced partial likelihood. Both methods demonstrate successes in recovering treatment effect estimates with both types of measurement error in simulation studies. Variance estimators are derived for both approaches. These two methods can be generalized to multiple biomarkers and case-cohort design. We apply these correction methods to the Women's Health Initiative hormone therapy trials to understand the mediation effect of biomarker IGFBP4 in the relationship between hormone therapy and stroke
Induction of programmed cell death in mammalian cells by isolates of Ross River virus
No full textArthritogenic alphaviruses, such as Ross River virus (RRV) are associated with worldwide outbreaks of human polyarthritis/arthralgia. The pathogenesis of RRV and other alphaviruses is poorly understood. Studies have shown potential links between the different strains of RRV and variation in their pathogenesis and virulence. Currently there is believed to be two circulating strains of RRV, the south western (SW) from the south west region of Western Australia and the north eastern (NE) from the east coast of Australia. Studies have suggested that the persistence of RRV may be the result of an impaired immune response. This study was designed to determine if the SW and NE isolates of RRV have the ability to induce apoptosis in DCs and fibroblasts and discover any possible variation in their apoptosis-inducing capacity. Both Vero cells and murine bone marrow DCs (BMDCs) were infected with the SW74249 (SW) and SW82627 (NE) strains of RRV. A time course analysis of two apoptotic markers and a cell viability marker for both cell types was conducted by flow cytometry. The results indicate RRV- induced apoptosis in both Vero cells and BMDCs, with RRV inducing a stronger pro-apoptotic response in BMDCs than Vero cells, 24 h after infection. Between the two strains there was little variation in the Vero cells over time. In the BMDCs there was some variation with the RRV-SW strain inducing a higher percentage of cell death than the RRV-NE strain, 24 h after infection. Collectively, the data indicates that RRV has the capacity to induce a pro-apoptotic response in DCs, with the SW presenting as more aggressive compared to the NE, potentially leading to greater virulence. This data could help to explain the mechanism of RRV persistence in vertebrate hosts, as well as the reported differences in severity and duration of human clinical symptoms. Immunotherapy aimed at correcting the patient’s dysfunctional immune system, may represent a new strategy for the successful medical treatment of RRV infection
R-squared inference under non-normal error
No full textThesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2014Assessment of the relationship between diet and health status, especially association between diet and chronic disease risk, has attracted lot of research interest in statistical and epidemiologic studies. However, due to measurement errors in commonly utilized self-reported assessment approaches, an expected strong relationship was not identified in most studies. Developments in biomarker measures provide objective consumption assessment for specific dietary components which are utilized to develop calibrated dietary consumption function to remove bias embedded in those self-reported dietary measures. Researchers are interested in the explanatory strength of calibration equations and comparison of the strengths among various self-report measures. Thus, as a common metric used in these studies, reliable estimation of R-squared and of its confidence interval are important. Inference for R-squared, including confidence intervals for R-squared has not attracted much attention in the statistical literature. In this dissertation we proposed two methods to estimate confidence intervals for R-squared under errors from normal and non-normal distributions: the first method is based on asymptotic theories and entails the development of the asymptotic distribution of R-squared, and its relevant functions, when sample size becomes large; the second approach is based on a general F-test applied to linear regression but adjusts degree of freedom parameters in the F-test statistics using the empirical skewness and kurtosis of regression errors. In addition, when there are measurement errors in the independent variables, R-squared directly estimated from the regression can be biased and may, for example, underestimate the relationship between dependent and independent variables even with normally distributed errors. This dissertation also proposes a correction methodology to reduce the bias in R-squared estimation in the presence of classical additive measurement errors. The proposed methodologies have been evaluated in simulation and applied to nutritional biomarker studies in the Women's Health Initiative
Multiproxy quantitative paleoceanographic dataset from late Quaternary marine sediment archives in the western Ross Sea (Antarctica)
No full textThe past ice sheet dynamics and the timing of retreat events in the paleo-record in the Ross Sea is an issue still few understood. In order to contribute to this topic, we provide a multiproxy data from marine sediment archives (cores and box cores) collected in three sites in the Central Basin (Western Ross Sea, Antarctica). Each site recorded different environments, affected by different oceanographic conditions and sedimentary regime. This makes the three investigated sediment cores and box cores unique and useful for comparison with other studied cores collected in the same basin. The data set includes physical (paleomagnetism, grain size and petrography), chemical, micropaleontological (diatom, foraminifera and silicoflagellate assemblages) analyses and cryptotephra characterization increasing the information already reported in literature. The importance of this dataset is related to a multi-disciplinary approach in a site, the Central Basin, few investigated which represents a key area to connect the Southern Ocean and the Ross Sea. © 2024 The Author
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The leadership of Ross O. Swimmer, 1975-1985 : a case study of a modern Cherokee principal chief
No full texttextThe following study examined leadership characteristics of a modern leader of the Cherokee Nation, Ross O. Swimmer, during his three elections as Principal Chief, 1975-1985. Few Western scholars paid attention to the Cherokee Tribe after the break-up of institutions legislated by the federal Indian policy of Allotment. The position of the government was, the Cherokee Tribe no longer existed. For almost seventy years, no form of Cherokee leadership was visible; no Cherokee government existed. Federal Indian policy changed again, allowing tribes to elect their own leaders. This study began filling in gaps of missing information on modern Cherokee leadership by examining Swimmer’s leadership characteristics. The study attempted to add to the body of leadership knowledge by mining minds and memories, searching for the meaning of leadership from a modern Cherokee perspective. The three questions guiding the study were: what were the leadership characteristics of Principal Chief Ross O. Swimmer; to what extent did these leadership characteristics reflect traditional Cherokee leadership characteristics; and from a tribal perspective, did these make a difference, and to what extent? The data indicate seven Swimmer leadership characteristics: Visionary, Goal Oriented, Bureaucratic, Top-Down, Authoritarian, Delegator, and Communicator. There was inconsistency with Swimmer’s use of traditional leadership practices. Swimmer used a combination of traditional Cherokee, traditional Native American, and Anglo-European-American leadership characteristics during his three terms as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Two possible explanations for Swimmer’s blending leadership characteristics from varying models were suggested. First, given his bi-cultural heritage, Swimmer could navigate back and forth between the mainstream White culture and the traditional Cherokee culture, to pick and choose various types of leadership characteristics. Second, adaptability has always been a unique characteristic of the Cherokee people. Cherokee leaders frequently applied the feature of borrowing from White culture in order to adapt and survive. Swimmer accomplished many of his goals for the Cherokee people and set the Nation on a path of growth and stability. His methods were not without criticism from traditional Cherokees. However, Swimmer built the foundation for a corporate government that instilled pride in the Cherokee people and provided opportunity for self-sufficiency.Educational Administratio
Web 2.0: Hypertext by Any Other Name?
No full textWeb 2.0 is the popular name of a new generation of Web applications, sites and companies that emphasis openness, community and interaction. Examples include technologies such as Blogs and Wikis, and sites such as Flickr. In this paper we compare these next generation tools to the aspirations of the early Hypertext pioneers to see if their aims have finally been realized
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