168 research outputs found
Law Student, Heal Thyself: The Role and Responsibility of Clinical Education Programs in Promoting Self-Care
The purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of self-care and stress management in the legal profession, specifically within the context of clinical legal education. Studies have shown that the legal profession exhibits one of the highest rates of mental health and addiction issues. In proactively addressing the importance of self-care and stress management amongst students, clinical legal educational programs can become a part of the solution. Using the student experience at Parkdale Community Legal Services, and drawing from other student legal clinics across Canada and the United States, several recommendations around self-care and stress management training in clinical legal education will be offered
See You on Skype! : Relocation, Access, and Virtual Parenting in the Digital Age
Since its emergence in the 1990s, the Internet has been celebrated as a tool for connecting people from all corners of the globe. Electronic communication tools, such as the Internet, now have a significant role in daily life, particularly with young people. While the legal field traditionally lags behind in integrating technological advancements into practice, these developments are increasingly, albeit somewhat slowly, being incorporated in family law disputes. Courts are now considering the use of virtual visitation to facilitate access between noncustodial parents and their children, particularly in contested relocation cases. This paper will examine the use of virtual visitation in the context of contested relocation cases, from both a domestic and international perspective. It will be argued that courts and legislatures alike must recognize that, while virtual visitation offers many benefits, including expanding access between children and non-custodial parents, virtual access should not be used to replace physical visitation, or as a determinative factor in permitting relocation. Using examples of legislation from the United States and Australia, this paper also seeks to encourage provincial legislatures across the country to enact laws to clarify public policy with respect to the appropriate scope and use of electronic communication as a form of access between parents and children
The gender pay gap among university professors: the role of individual and organizational determinants
Cette Ă©tude de cas, composĂ©e de trois articles, examine les diverses sources dâexplication de lâĂ©cart salarial selon le genre chez les professeurs dâune grande universitĂ© de recherche canadienne.
Le premier article analyse les Ă©carts selon le genre sur les primes âde marchĂ©â Ă partir de donnĂ©es dâun sondage rĂ©alisĂ© auprĂšs des professeurs en 2002. Une analyse des correspondances donne une solution Ă deux facteurs dans laquelle le second facteur oppose clairement les professeurs qui ont reçu une prime Ă ceux qui nâen nâont pas reçue. Le genre est fortement associĂ© Ă ce facteur, la catĂ©gorie âfemmeâ se retrouvant du cĂŽtĂ© de lâaxe associĂ© Ă lâabsence de primes de marchĂ©. Les rĂ©sultats de la rĂ©gression logistique confirment que le secteur dâactivitĂ©, la frĂ©quence des contrats de recherche, la valorisation du salaire ainsi que le rang combinĂ© Ă lâanciennetĂ© sont reliĂ©s Ă la prĂ©sence de primes de marchĂ©, tel que proposĂ© par les hypothĂšses. Toutefois, mĂȘme aprĂšs avoir contrĂŽlĂ© pour ces relations, les femmes sont toujours prĂšs de trois fois moins susceptibles de sâĂȘtre vu attribuer des primes de marchĂ© que leurs homologues masculins. Dans lâensemble, les rĂ©sultats suggĂšrent que dans un contexte oĂč les salaires sont dĂ©terminĂ©s par convention collective, la rĂ©individualisation du processus de dĂ©termination des salaires â en particulier le versement de primes de marchĂ© aux professeurs dâuniversitĂ© â peut favoriser la rĂ©apparition dâĂ©carts de salaire selon le genre.
Le second article est rĂ©alisĂ© Ă partir de donnĂ©es administratives portant sur les annĂ©es 1997 Ă 2006. Les contributions respectives de quatre composantes de la rĂ©munĂ©ration Ă lâĂ©cart salarial selon le genre y sont analysĂ©es, soit le salaire de base, lâaccĂšs au rang de professeur titulaire, lâaccĂšs aux primes de marchĂ© et chaires de recherche du Canada, de mĂȘme que les montants reçus. Les composantes varient quant Ă leur degrĂ© de formalisation. Ceci permet de tester lâhypothĂšse selon laquelle lâampleur de lâĂ©cart salarial selon le genre varie en fonction du degrĂ© de formalisation des composantes salariales. Nous dĂ©terminons Ă©galement dans quelle mesure lâĂ©cart selon le genre sur les diverses composantes de la rĂ©munĂ©ration varie en fonction de la reprĂ©sentation relative des femmes professeurs au sein des unitĂ©s. Les rĂ©sultats dĂ©montrent lâexistence de variations dans lâampleur des diffĂ©rences selon le genre en fonction du degrĂ© de formalisation des pratiques de rĂ©munĂ©ration. Qui plus est, aprĂšs contrĂŽles, la rĂ©munĂ©ration est plus faible dans les unitĂ©s oĂč les femmes sont fortement reprĂ©sentĂ©es.
Le dernier article examine les mĂ©canismes pouvant mener Ă un Ă©cart selon le genre en ce qui a trait Ă lâaccĂšs aux primes de marchĂ© chez les professeurs de lâinstitution. Les processus dâattribution de ces supplĂ©ments salariaux sont examinĂ©s Ă partir dâentretiens rĂ©alisĂ©s avec 17 administrateurs Ă tous les niveaux hiĂ©rarchiques de lâinstitution et dans une diversitĂ© dâunitĂ©s acadĂ©miques. Les rĂ©sultats suggĂšrent que les diffĂ©rences selon le genre pourraient ĂȘtre liĂ©es Ă des caractĂ©ristiques spĂ©cifiques du processus dâattribution et Ă une distribution inĂ©gale des primes aux unitĂ©s Ă forte reprĂ©sentation fĂ©minine.
De façon gĂ©nĂ©rale, les rĂ©sultats dĂ©montrent que lâĂ©cart de rĂ©munĂ©ration selon le genre chez les professeurs de cette universitĂ© nâest pas totalement expliquĂ© par des diffĂ©rences dans les caractĂ©ristiques individuelles des hommes et femmes. Lâanalyse rĂ©vĂšle que lâĂ©cart rĂ©side dans des diffĂ©rences selon le genre en ce qui a trait Ă lâaccĂšs aux primes de marchĂ© et aux chaires de recherches du Canada et, dans une moindre mesure, au rang de professeur titulaire. Aucune diffĂ©rence nâest observĂ©e sur le salaire de base et le montant des primes salariales reçues, que celles-ci soient dites de âmarchĂ©â ou associĂ©es Ă une chaire de recherche du Canada. Qui plus est, on constate que la rĂ©munĂ©ration est plus faible dans les unitĂ©s oĂč les femmes sont le mieux reprĂ©sentĂ©es. LâaccĂšs diffĂ©renciĂ© selon le genre aux primes de marchĂ© qui est observĂ© pourrait ĂȘtre liĂ© Ă certains processus organisationnels qui limitent les probabilitĂ©s dâoctrois Ă des femmes. Les femmes pourraient ĂȘtre particuliĂšrement dĂ©savantagĂ©es dans ce systĂšme dâoctroi, pour plusieurs raisons. Lâexistence de diffĂ©rences selon le genre en ce qui a trait aux dispositions ou habiletĂ©s des individus Ă nĂ©gocier leur salaire est Ă©voquĂ©e et supposĂ©e par certains administrateurs. Un accĂšs limitĂ© aux informations concernant la politique de primes pourrait rĂ©duire la probabilitĂ© que des femmes tentent dâobtenir ces supplĂ©ments salariaux. Les directeurs dâunitĂ©s, qui sont en majoritĂ© des hommes, pourraient ĂȘtre biaisĂ©es en faveur des professeurs masculins dans leurs Ă©valuations sâils tendent Ă favoriser ceux qui leurs ressemblent. Il est Ă©galement possible que les directeurs dâunitĂ©s oĂč les femmes sont les mieux reprĂ©sentĂ©es nâaient pas reçu dâinformation sur les primes de marchĂ© ou que des traditions disciplinaires les aient rendu rĂ©ticents Ă demander des primes.This case study examines the various sources of explanation of the gender pay gap among professors at a large Canadian research university. It comprises three articles.
The first article analyzes gender differences in âmarket supplementsâ using data from a survey of professors conducted in 2000. The correspondence analysis produces a two-factor solution in which the second axis clearly opposes faculty who receive market supplement to those who do not. Gender is strongly related to this factor, with the female category on the side of the axis associated with the absence of market supplement. The results of the logistic regression confirm that field of specialization, frequency of external research contracts, faculty membersâ values and attitudes towards remuneration and seniority within rank are all related to the award of market supplements, as hypothesized. However, women were still almost three times less likely than men to have been awarded market supplements after controlling for these relationships. Overall, the results suggest that within a collective bargaining context, reindividualization of the pay determination process â notably, the payment of market supplements to faculty â may reopen pay differences by gender.
The second article uses administrative data for years 1997 to 2006. We estimate the respective contributions to the gender pay gap of four pay components: base pay, promotion to full professor, access to market supplements and Canada research chairs as well as the amounts received. These are characterized by various levels of formalization. This allows testing the hypothesis that the magnitude of gender differences in pay varies with the extent of formalization of pay components. We also determine how gender differences on each pay component vary according to the relative representation of female faculty members within units. We find some evidence that the magnitude of gender differences varies with the degree of formalization in remuneration practices. We also find that, other things being equal, pay is lower in units with a high proportion of females.
The last article examines the mechanisms that may lead to gender differences in access to âmarket supplementsâ among professors. The process of awarding pay in excess for the amounts provided for in a collective agreement are examined based on interviews with 17 administrators at all hierarchical levels and in various academic units. Results suggest that gender differences in the likelihood of receiving an award may be related to specific features of the award process and to an unequal distribution of awards to units with strong female representation.
Overall, the results show that the gender pay gap among professors at this university is not entirely accounted for by differences in the individual characteristics of male and female professors. The analysis reveals that the pay gap resides in gender differences in access to market supplements and Canada research chairs (CRCs) and, to a lesser extent, to the full professor rank. No difference is found on base pay or on the amounts of pay supplements received, whether they are âmarketâ premiums or supplements associated to a CRC. Furthermore, pay tends to be lower in units where female representation is highest. The observed gender differences in access to market supplements could be due to organizational processes that reduce the likelihood of awards to women. There are several reasons why female faculty members are particularly disadvantaged in this award system. Gender differences in the propensity or ability to negotiate are alleged (and assumed) by some of those negotiating. More limited access to information about supplements reduces the likelihood that women will pursue them. Chairpersons, who are mostly males, may allow gender bias to influence their evaluations of faculty members, perhaps because they tend to favor others like themselves. It may also be that chairpersons from the units where women are better represented do not have access to information about market supplements or that disciplinary traditions make them reluctant to request them
Spatial dependence in (origin-destination) air passenger flows
We explore the estimation of origin-destination (OD), city-pair, air passengers, in order to explicitly take into account spatial autocorrelation. To our knowledge, we are the first to test the presence of spatial autocorrelation and apply spatial econometric OD flow models to air transport. Drawing on a world sample of 279 cities, over 2010-2012, we find significant evidence of spatial autocorrelation in air passenger flows. Thus, contrary to common practice, we need to incorporate the spatial structure present in the data, when estimating OD air passengers. Importantly, failure to do it, may lead to inefficient estimated coefficients and prediction bias
Woodland caribou calf recruitment in relation to calving/post-calving landscape composition
Since the 1990s, Newfoundland’s woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) population has declined by an estimated 66%. Low calf recruitment has been associated to the decline, possibly triggered by increasing calf predation and/or decreasing resources. To investigate the role of landscape composition in this system, we studied the yearly (2005-2008) calving/post-calving range (CPCR) of 104 satellite-collared females belonging to six herds. We mapped nine disturbance factors (e.g. roads, logging, etc), as well as vegetation cover types (e.g. coniferous, deciduous forests, etc), and determined the total area they occupied within CPCRs yearly for each herd. Using an information theoretic approach, we assessed the model that best explained variation in recruitment using these components. Based on corrected Akaike Information Criterion, the model that best explained variation in calf recruitment included total disturbance and deciduous forest area, both showing the expected negative relationship with calf recruitment. Other landscape variables among the models with ΔAICc < 2 were mixed forest, also with a suggested negative relationship, and barrens and wetlands with a significant positive trend. This study highlights the need to minimize total disturbance footprint and account for resulting changes in forest composition within CPCRs during land use planning. Expanding forestry operations and road infrastructure in critical woodland caribou habitat across Canada may additionally contribute to habitat loss via fragmentation. This in turn, may lead to range recession beyond the initial local avoidance footprint. We see the possibility of using calf recruitment models based on landscape parameters, among others, to predict the impact of new industrial developments on calf recruitment
Intervenir en classe multiùge : stratégies issues de la pratique d'enseignantes du primaire
Dans un contexte oĂč les mouvements dĂ©mographiques et les modalitĂ©s dâorganisation scolaire contribuent Ă un accroissement du nombre de classes multiĂąges (CMA), le questionnement quant aux façons dây intervenir prend un sens renouvelĂ©. Câest dans cette optique quâune Ă©tude rĂ©gionale a Ă©tĂ© effectuĂ©e par une Ă©quipe de chercheurs de lâUniversitĂ© du QuĂ©bec Ă Chicoutimi (UQAC), en partenariat avec quatorze enseignantes des quatre commissions scolaires de la rĂ©gion du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. Les stratĂ©gies qui ont Ă©tĂ© documentĂ©es dans le cadre de cette recherche collaborative sont issues de la pratique dâenseignantes du primaire et elles sont rapportĂ©es ici Ă partir des dimensions de lâintervention Ă©ducative (Wang, Heartel et Walberg, 1993). Les rĂ©sultats prĂ©sentĂ©s dans cet article sont ceux des deux premiĂšres phases (2006-2008) du projet. Ils permettent de dĂ©gager diffĂ©rentes stratĂ©gies quant aux particularitĂ©s de lâintervention dans ce contexte Ă©ducatif qui demeure encore peu documentĂ© du point de vue des pratiques au QuĂ©bec
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Multiple phosphorylation events control mitotic degradation of the muscle transcription factor Myf5.
BACKGROUND: The two myogenic regulatory factors Myf5 and MyoD are basic helix-loop-helix muscle transcription factors undergoing differential cell cycle dependent proteolysis in proliferating myoblasts. This regulated degradation results in the striking expression of these two factors at distinct phases of the cell cycle, and suggests that their precise and alternated disappearance is an important feature of myoblasts, maybe connected to the maintenance of the proliferative status and/or commitment to the myogenic lineage of these cells. One way to understand the biological function(s) of the cyclic expression of these proteins is to specifically alter their degradation, and to analyze the effects of their stabilization on cells. To this aim, we undertook the biochemical analysis of the mechanisms governing Myf5 mitotic degradation, using heterologous systems. RESULTS: We show here that mitotic degradation of Myf5 is conserved in non-myogenic cells, and is thus strictly under the control of the cell cycle apparatus. Using Xenopus egg extracts as an in vitro system to dissect the main steps of Myf5 mitotic proteolysis, we show that (1) Myf5 stability is regulated by a complex interplay of phosphorylation/dephosphorylation, probably involving various kinases and phosphatases, (2) Myf5 is ubiquitylated in mitotic extracts, and this is a prerequisite to its degradation by the proteasome and (3) at least in the Xenopus system, the E3 responsible for its mitotic degradation is not the APC/C (the major E3 during mitosis). CONCLUSION: Altogether, our data strongly suggest that the mitotic degradation of Myf5 by the ubiquitin-proteasome system is precisely controlled by multiple phosphorylation of the protein, and that the APC/C is not involved in this process.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are
Baseline corticosterone does not reflect iridescent plumage traits in female tree swallows
The production of high quality secondary sexual traits can be constrained by trade-offs in the allocation of energy and nutrients with other metabolic activities, and is mediated by physiological processes. In birds, the factors influencing male plumage quality have been well studied; however, factors affecting female plumage quality are poorly understood. Furthermore, it remains uncertain which physiological traits mediate the relationship between body condition and ornaments. In this three-year study of after-second-year female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), we investigated (1) the relationship between baseline corticosterone near the end of the brood-rearing period (CORTBR) and feather colour characteristics (hue, saturation, brightness) the following year, and (2) the relationship between baseline corticosterone measured during incubation (CORTI) and brood rearing (CORTBR), and feather colour in the same year. To control for reproductive effort, we included reproductive parameters as covariates in all analyses. In this first study between CORT and the plumage colour characteristics of a species bearing iridescent feathers, we did not find any relationship between CORTBR and the colour of subsequently-produced feathers, nor did we find any relationship between CORT and the colour of feathers displayed during that breeding season. If CORT levels at the end of breeding carry over to influence the immediately subsequent moult period as we expect, our results generally indicate that structural plumage quality may not be as sensitive to circulating CORT levels compared to carotenoid-based colouration. Future studies, particularly those employing experimental manipulations of CORT during moult in species with iridescent traits, are necessary to fully determine the role glucocorticoids play in mediating the quality of secondary sexual characteristics
An Inquiry into the Efficacy of a Complementary Training Session for Telephone Survey Interviewers
Un examen de lâefficacitĂ© de la formation complĂ©mentaire pour les interviewers dâenquĂȘtes tĂ©lĂ©phoniques : Cet article prĂ©sente une expĂ©rience faite Ă lâagence dâenquĂȘtes responsable pour lâenquĂȘte canadiennne de 2004 sur la consommation de drogues (N=14.000) aprĂšs une courte sĂ©ance de formation cognitive. Un total de 79 intervieweurs y ont participĂ© reprĂ©sentant 2.436 journĂ©es-intervieweur de travail, avec des intervieweurs travaillant un maximum de 65 jours : l'enquĂȘte de terrain a durĂ© 109 jours. Nous avons conçu une sĂ©ance dâune heure centrĂ©e sur lâacquisition des connaissances dans deux secteurs : l'Ă©chantillonnage et la sĂ©lection dans le foyer d'une part, et les raisons de refus d'autre part. LâĂ©volution quotidienne des performances des intervieweurs, dont les trajectoires basĂ©s sur des groupes ont Ă©tĂ© analysĂ©es, nous ont permis dâidentifier les intervieweurs Ă performances basses (n=25) et hautes (n=42) deux semaines avant la formation. La sĂ©ance de formation Ă©tait Ă lâintention des intervieweurs Ă performances basses ou des nouveaux intervieweurs. Parmi ces intervieweurs, tous ceux qui travaillaient le jour de la sĂ©ance (n=18) ont participĂ© Ă l'une des trois sĂ©ances de formation. Les retombĂ©es de la formation ont Ă©tĂ© Ă©valuĂ©es dans trois secteurs : connaissances acquises et attitudes (via une questionnaires rempli deux semaines plus tard), rĂ©tention de connaissances et performances. Les rĂ©sultats montrent pour les intervieweurs participants (a) quâils trouvaient que la formation les avaient aidĂ©s Ă comprendre lâĂ©chantillonnage et les raisons de refus, (b) qu'ils sentaient plus que les intervieweurs Ă hautes performances que leur performances s'Ă©taient amĂ©liorĂ©es depuis le dĂ©but du projet, (c) qu'ils avaient tendance Ă continuer plus longtemps Ă travailler sur les projet quâun groupe de contrĂŽle, et (d) qu'ils ont amĂ©liorĂ© leur performance de .04 par jour aprĂšs la formation, par rapport Ă .015 par jour avant la formation, atteignant presque la performance des intervieweurs Ă hautes performanceThis article presents an experiment in which a short cognitive training session was given at the private pollster conducting the 2004 Canadian Addiction Survey of 14,000 people. Overall, 79 interviewers worked on the project for a total of 2,436 interviewer-days, interviewers worked a maximum of 65 days, and the survey was in the field for 109 days. We devised a one-hour training session that focused on knowledge acquisition in two areas: sampling and selection within household, and reasons for refusals. The evolution of interviewersâ daily performance, analyzed using group-based trajectory analysis, allowed us to identify low (n=25) and high (n=42) performers two weeks before training. The training session was aimed at low performers and newly hired interviewers. Among these, all the interviewers working on training day (n=18) attended one of the three training sessions. The impact of the training was assessed in three areas: knowledge acquisition and attitudes (through a post-training questionnaire two weeks later), retention, and performance. The results show that trained interviewers a) felt that the training helped them understand sampling and the reasons for refusals b) were more likely than high performers to feel that their performance had improved since the beginning of the project, c) were likely to go on working on the project after training longer than the control group, and d) improved their performance by .04 per day after training, compared with .015 per day before training, almost reaching the performance of high performers
Know Your Audience: Designing a Nutrition Education Game for Middle School Kids
Purpose: In recent years video games have emerged as potential tools to tackle obesity. Games that use motion-sensing controllers and interfaces are often used to promote physical activity. Games are also used to impart education about diet, nutrition and health. Our goal in this project is to address childhood obesity through the design, development and implementation of a video game to teach nutrition concepts to middle-school-aged children.
Method: Our target audience is middle-school students in a low-income neighborhood in Dallas. To guide us in the game design, we collected data about studentsâ gaming preferences through surveys, focus groups and student critiques of existing games. The survey addressed studentsâ choice of gaming platform and frequency of game play. Through focus groups we explored their gaming preferences and opinions on game features. For the critiques, students played nutrition-themed games from the âApps for Healthy Kidsâ competition and completed an open-ended survey about those games.
Results: We collected data from 76 students (ages 12 â 15 years). 72% of them play games regularly (at least once a week) on consoles while 73% play on portable devices, 68% on computers and 62% play browser-based games. Console games were preferred by 89% of boys but only 56% of girls. The numbers were 81% & 66% for portable devices, but almost the same for computer games and browser-based games. Students preferred action games, games that allowed character customization and games that had multiple levels. Several students are turned off by strong depictions of violence. Students liked the nutrition themed games, but only one game really engaged them. They wanted the food in these games to look real and wanted more familiar food choices.
Conclusions: Our observations and height and weight data indicate that malnutrition rather than obesity is likely a bigger problem for these children. Consoles and portable devices were the platforms of choice although there are differences by gender. The results also provide insights into what is likely to work for this audience in terms of game mechanics and game features. The results also reinforce the need for using multiple approaches to collecting data
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