Sticky Floors and Occupational Segregation: Evidence from Pakistan

The paper uses the micro data from nationwide Pakistan Labour Force Survey 2005-06 to examine the hypothesis of glass ceilings and sticky floors, both in public and private sectors. The study explores the conditional gender wage distributions at different quantiles—a subject that so far has not attracted much attention in Pakistan. The results support that the gender wage differentials monotonically increase as one moves towards the bottom floor of the conditional wage distribution, i.e., the evidence validates the sticky floor hypothesis. The second sub-theme of the paper has been to investigate those factors that encourage occupational segregation in the labour market. For this purpose, an index of occupational segregation has been calculated for each of the occupational group. The value of Duncan’s D (Duncan Gender Occupational Dissimilarity Index) suggests that 40 percent employees (both men and women) have to change their jobs for an identical male and female labour force distributions. As a final result it has been established that the female participation has been very low, particularly in high paid occupational categories like mangers, legislators and senior officials.Food Insecurity, Economics Access, Poverty and Terms of Trade

Exploring the Experiences of Muslim Students in an Urban Ontario Public School

This dissertation explores the experiences of Muslim students in an urban public high school in Ontario with a reputation of having a large Muslim student presence. Much of the studies and surveys involving Islam and Muslims make evident that Islam is the most misunderstood religion in the world. Therefore, Muslims in the West are a “poorly understood” minority group (Environics Institute, 2016). While other ethnic or racial minorities feel moderately comfortable defending themselves and their groups, and asserting their identities, Muslim youth “face qualitatively different identity tasks than do many of their peers”, largely due to feelings of “being under attack or scrutiny because of their religion” (Stonebanks & Sensoy 2009). I used a case study approach to explore from different participant groups the challenges of and supports for Muslims students attending a public high school. I utilized semi-structured interviews with 32 participants, including students, teachers, parents, administrators, and the local Imam of the city. There were two main findings in this study: (a) the teachers, that I interviewed, lacked knowledge of Muslim values, faith, and practices, and had negative biases and preconceived notions of Islam and Muslims in a public high school; (b) the youth, in this interview, showed a deep longing to be acknowledged, understood, and respected for who they are. The six challenges most prominently faced by Muslim youth, as articulated in the literature review and guideline of different faiths provided by school boards to the schools, are: religious practices, dress code, sexual ethics, stereotypes and biases, Islamophobia, and curriculum-related challenges. These challenges seem to directly correspond to the daily challenges Muslims face when practicing their faith, and provide a vantage point whereby Muslim students can request accommodations. However, this study shows that, Muslim students want to go beyond mere accommodation. They long for spaces, in their school, that are free of any pressure to fight for their faith or to defend either of their multiple identities, as both Muslims and Canadians. Keywords: Muslims, Islam, support, challenges, sexual ethics, gender interaction, hayaa, Islamophobia, Banks’s Multicultural Dimension, York, Giangreco, Vandercook, & Macdonald ’s Types of Support

INTERPRETATIVE STUDY OF THE PURPOSES OF LONDON ISLAMIC SCHOOL

This thesis explores the purposes of Islamic schools with specific reference to the London Islamic School [LIS] in London, Ontario. Drawing mainly on Ramadan’s (1999) integrative and post integrative framework and Coleman’s social capital theory, the thesis focuses on Ramadan’s question of how “milestones” can be provided which would help young Muslims find their way in the modem West. Using the key informant approach to gathering data, the researcher conducted a total of 27 interviews with current students, graduates of LIS, parents of current students, parents of graduates, teachers, administrators and board members. The findings led the researcher to conclude that the London Islamic school provides many “milestones” for Muslim youth to build a Canadian and Muslim identity in an environment that is conducive to Western and Islamic values and character, although not in a strongly systematic fashion

Latent Trajectory Groups of Maternal Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms and the Associated Risk Factors

Abstract Background: There is a growing evidence that depression and anxiety disorders have distinct groups of symptom trajectories, which are associated with factors that may vary among different groups. Studying these mental health trajectories is highly relevant during major life transitions, such as pregnancy and childbirth. The aim of this thesis is to identify subgroups of women who exhibit distinct longitudinal trajectory patterns of depressive and anxiety symptoms from early pregnancy to early postpartum and from pregnancy to five years postpartum and the risk factors associated with these trajectories. Methods: This study uses a longitudinal data collected from 615 women in Saskatchewan, Canada from pregnancy to five years postpartum between 2006 and 2013 (Feelings in Pregnancy and Motherhood (FIP) longitudinal study). The semiparametric group-based modeling strategy was used to identify the latent groups of maternal depressive and anxiety trajectories. Multinomial logit models were then used to explore the association between these latent trajectory groups and various maternal characteristics. Results: Across pregnancy to early postpartum, we identified four trajectory groups of depressive symptoms: low-stable (49.6%); moderate-stable (42.3%); postpartum (3.6%); and antepartum (4.6%), and three latent trajectory groups of anxiety symptoms: very low-stable (8.9%); low-stable (60.7%); and moderate-stable (30.4%). From pregnancy to five years postpartum, four latent trajectory groups of depressive symptoms were identified: low-stable (35.0%); moderate-stable (54.0%); low-rising (5.2%); and high-declining (5.9%), and three latent trajectory groups for anxiety symptoms were identified: very low-stable (13.0%); low-stable (58.1%); and high-stable (29.0%). Several maternal risk factors, most notably past depression and stress level, were associated with these trajectories. Conclusion: Distinct latent trajectory patterns of maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms were identified, which were associated with different profiles of risk factors present prior to or during pregnancy. Our findings support the need for multiple assessments starting from early pregnancy to the postpartum, which may help to recognize women at high risk of major depression or anxiety. All significant risk factors can be identified during regular follow-up and thus, clinicians may be able to identify women at high risk, who may be potential candidates for early interventions that may alter the progress of their mental health symptoms

INNOVATION IN KINDERGARTEN (KG) SCHOOLS IN AL AIN: ENABLING AND HINDERING FACTORS AND PROCEDURES FOLLOWED

This thesis is concerned with innovation in KG schools in Al Ain, specifically the enabling and hindering factors and procedures followed. The government of Abu Dhabi established Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) in 2005 which is now known as the Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK). ADEK seeks to develop education and educational institutions in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, implement innovative educational policies and programs which aim to improve education in accordance with the highest international standards by the launching of the New School Model (NMS) which includes a new curriculum, advanced teaching methods, learning materials, and resources. These aim to enhance student performance by developing the student as a communicator, a thinker, a problem solver, creative and innovative person. The first purpose of this study is to investigate the factors which facilitate or hinder the implementation of innovation in the Kindergarten (KG) schools in Al Ain. The second purpose of this study is to identify the procedures or steps used in implementing innovative practices in KG schools in Al Ain. A descriptive quantitative research method was conducted by distributing a questionnaire to teachers and administrators in all Al Ain Kindergartens during 2015-2017 (N=686). The researcher conducted interviews in three kindergartens (23 participants) with three principals, six vice principals, five heads of faculties, and nine teachers. The conceptual framework for the innovation focus that guided this study was built from a combination of literature related to change processes, innovation factors, and innovation processes. The framework identified five different approaches which explain factors creating the innovation which are: (a) school leadership factors, (b) school context factors, (c) teachers’ factors, (d) parents and students’ factors, (e) curriculum, teaching and assessment factors. The main results of the study show that almost all teachers and school leaders indicated that teacher factors, curriculum, teaching and assessment factors, parents and students’ factors, and school context factors were the main factors that hinder implementing innovation in kindergartens schools in Al Ain, while the main factor that facilitates implementing innovation was school leadership factors. The highest facilitating factor for implementing innovation was “understanding the importance of innovation for our students”, which indicates that school leaders and teachers understood why innovation is important for our students. The most hindering factor for implementing innovation was “students’ innovation inside or outside class should be part of their assessment”, which indicates that school leaders and teachers sometimes believed that students’ innovation inside or outside the class should count toward their assessment and if it does not, they do not take it seriously

Molecular Basis of Blood Glucose Regulation

Blood glucose level is regulated by multiple pancreatic hormones, which regulate it by different pathways in normal and abnormal conditions by expressing or suppressing multiple genes or molecular or cellular targets. Multiple synthetic drugs and therapies are used to cure glucose regulatory problems, while many of them are used to cure other health issues, which arise due to disturbance in blood glucose regulations. Many new approaches are used for the development of phytochemical-based drugs to cure blood glucose regulation problems, and many of the compounds have been isolated and identified to cure insulin resistance or regulate beta cell function or glucose absorption in the guts or GLP-1 homoeostasis or two/more pathways (e.g., either cure hyperglycemia or raise insulin resistance or cure pancreatic beta cell regeneration or augmentation of GLP-1, production of islet cell, production and increased insulin receptor signaling and insulin secretion or decreased insulin tolerance or gluconeogenesis and insulin-mimetic action or production of α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitor or conserve islet mass or activate protein kinase A (PKA) and extracellular signal regulated kinases (ERK) or activate AMPK and reduce insulin sensitivity or suppress α-glucosidase activity and activate AMPK and downstream molecules or prevents cell death of pancreatic β-cell and activates SIRT1 or lower blood glucose due to their insulin-like chemical structures or decrease lipid peroxidation

Ripening of the AlSi9Cu3ZnMg alloy - mechanical and microstructural characterisation

Recovered aluminium has poor mechanical properties, to improve them considerably, three main factors have been considered. The first is to add four very low-density elements to the recovered aluminium, including 9% silicon, 3% copper and some traces of zinc and magnesium less than 1% (≤ 1% Zinc, ≤ 1% Mg), which produces the non-standardized casting alloy AlSi9Cu3ZnMg. Then, in order to obtain a fine microstructure, a gravity die-casting is carried out in the as-cast state noted: F. Finally, to further increase the strength of the F-state and essentially obtain high elasticity stresses, high rigidity modulus with low deformations, the AlSi9Cu3ZnMg alloy composed of 60% scrap and 40% new ingots, is subjected to structural hardening by varying the ripening time for 24 hours in increments of 2 hours, thus giving rise to precipitates of various kinds which impede the dislocations sliding.The results thus obtained show that the cured state for 12 hours (M12h) is a good compromise between good strength and maximum ductility.

Ripening of the AlSi9Cu3ZnMg alloy - mechanical and microstructural characterisation

Recovered aluminium has poor mechanical properties, to improve them considerably, three main factors have been considered. The first is to add four very low-density elements to the recovered aluminium, including 9% silicon, 3% copper and some traces of zinc and magnesium less than 1% (≤ 1% Zinc, ≤ 1% Mg), which produces the non-standardized casting alloy AlSi9Cu3ZnMg. Then, in order to obtain a fine microstructure, a gravity die-casting is carried out in the as-cast state noted: F. Finally, to further increase the strength of the F-state and essentially obtain high elasticity stresses, high rigidity modulus with low deformations, the AlSi9Cu3ZnMg alloy composed of 60% scrap and 40% new ingots, is subjected to structural hardening by varying the ripening time for 24 hours in increments of 2 hours, thus giving rise to precipitates of various kinds which impede the dislocations sliding.The results thus obtained show that the cured state for 12 hours (M12h) is a good compromise between good strength and maximum ductility.

Sticky Floors and Occupational Segregation: Evidence from Pakistan

Ever since the pioneering work on human capital modeling by Becker (1964) and Mincer (1974), estimation of earning potential and wage differentials in terms of differences in human capital endowments has been a favourite topic of research throughout the world. The empirical evidence has established, may be beyond doubt, that low returns are usually associated with low-level of human capital possessed by economic agents. Using appropriate controls for innate abilities, education, experience and training as primary determinants of human capital, the residual differential in wages among differentiated groups (on the basis of gender, race, and region) has often been characterised as discrimination [Blinder (1973) and Oaxaca (1973)]. The empirical estimation made further advances when the issue of sample selection bias was also settled by Heckman (1980). More recently the focus of research has shifted from differentials measured at the conditional mean (average) value to measurement at different points of wage distribution to test the ‘glass ceiling and sticky floor’ hypothesis.1 Some of the studies where quantile regression approach of Koenker and Bassett (1978) and Buchinsky (1998) has been adopted include Bjorklund and Vroman (2001), Dolado and Llorens (2004), and Albrecht, Vuuren, and Vroman (2004). On the basis of this research, the glass ceiling hypothesis has received fair amount of empirical support in much of the developed world. On the other hand, the sticky floor hypothesis has only been observed in some of the countries located in the southern Europe. The focus of present study is on Pakistan with three main objectives. First, to investigate if analysis at the conditional mean is sufficient to explain wage differential or an extensive work covering different points of wage distribution is required to have proper insight to the issue. This would, in turn, enable us to determine which of the two hypotheses, i.e., the glass ceiling or the sticky floor, is prevalent in the country? For this purpose, gender wage differentials at different quantiles, i.e., 10th, 25th, median