The Closure of Rideau High School: A Case Study in the Political Economy of Urban Education in Ontario

In 2017, school board trustees in Ottawa, Ontario, voted to close Rideau High School, an urban secondary school in a historically marginalized neighbourhood. The school board had consistently argued that low enrolment at Rideau HS, and the resultant inability of the school to offer a full range of course choices, made closure the only viable option. To many people in the affected communities, however, the closure decision was seen as a form of discrimination against the school’s marginalized student population, which included many new immigrants, refugees, and Indigenous students. This article draws upon research from the US and the UK that emphasizes the spatial dimensions of urban education, along with the existing research on school closures in Ontario, in order to explore this particular school closure decision from an urban, political, socioeconomic, and historical perspective. Focusing on a case study area in eastern Ottawa, this article presents both a narrative history of Ottawa school board policies and a quantitative analysis of local demographic data. It is argued that the closure of Rideau HS should be understood in the context of a series of interconnected challenges faced by the school, including a marginalized student population, a negative reputation, and low student enrolment. In turn, these challenges should be understood in the context of socioeconomic disparities between neighbourhoods in the area and a history of ineffective policies at the school-board level, including relatively lax student transfer policies. These findings indicate the inadequacy of the narrow economic measures that Ontario school boards use to determine school closure decisions, and suggest that school boards should engage in more robust community engagement before closing marginalized urban schools. A proposal to establish an official “community hub” within the active high school is examined as a concrete alternative to closure that was supported by the community but not by the school board

Fish Health Unit Report of Activities Undertaken in 2021

This report summarises the activities undertaken by the Fish Health Unit (FHU) of the Marine Institute (MI) in 2021. The services of the FHU, undertaken on behalf of the State, are largely driven by European legislation on aquatic animal health. New EU Animal Health Law came into force from April 21st 2021. Regulation (EU) 2016/429 lays down the rules for the prevention and control of animal diseases which are transmissible to animal or humans and has replaced the regulatory framework provided by Directive 2006/88/EC. The MI is the Competent Authority (CA) responsible for implementation of aquatic animal health regulation in Ireland

Genome‐wide association mapping of Fusarium langsethiae infection and mycotoxin accumulation in oat (Avena sativa L.)

Fusarium langsethiae is a symptomless pathogen of oat panicles that produces T‐2 and HT‐2 mycotoxins, two of the most potent trichothecenes produced by Fusarium fungi in cereals. In the last few years, the levels of these mycotoxin in oat grain has increased and the European commission have already recommended a maximum level for of 1000 μg kg−1 for unprocessed oat for human consumption. The optimal and most sustainable way of combating infection and mycotoxin contamination is by releasing resistant oat varieties. Here the objective was to determine if we could identify any genomic loci associated with either the accumulation of F. langsethiae DNA or mycotoxins in the grain. In each of two years, field trials were conducted wherein 190 spring oat varieties were inoculated with a mixture of three isolate of the pathogen. Mycotoxins were quantified using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Varieties were genotyped using 16,863 genotyping by sequencing markers. Genome‐wide association studies associated 5 SNPs in the linkage group Mr06 with T‐2 + HT‐2 mycotoxin accumulation. Markers were highly correlated, and a single QTL was identified. The marker avgbs_6K_95238.1 mapped within genes showing similarity to lipase, lipase‐like or lipase precursor mRNA sequences and zinc‐finger proteins. These regions have previously been shown to confer a significant increase in resistance to Fusarium species

Unintended Consequences of Incentive Provision for Behaviour Change and Maintenance around Childbirth

Financial (positive or negative) and non-financial incentives or rewards are increasingly used in attempts to influence health behaviours. While unintended consequences of incentive provision are discussed in the literature, evidence syntheses did not identify any primary research with the aim of investigating unintended consequences of incentive interventions for lifestyle behaviour change. Our objective was to investigate perceived positive and negative unintended consequences of incentive provision for a shortlist of seven promising incentive strategies for smoking cessation in pregnancy and breastfeeding. A multi-disciplinary, mixed-methods approach included involving two service-user mother and baby groups from disadvantaged areas with experience of the target behaviours as study co-investigators. Systematic reviews informed the shortlist of incentive strategies. Qualitative semi-structured interviews and a web-based survey of health professionals asked open questions on positive and negative consequences of incentives. The participants from three UK regions were a diverse sample with and without direct experience of incentive interventions: 88 pregnant women/recent mothers/partners/family members; 53 service providers; 24 experts/decision makers and interactive discussions with 63 conference attendees. Maternity and early years health professionals (n = 497) including doctors, midwives, health visitors, public health and related staff participated in the survey. Qualitative analysis identified ethical, political, cultural, social and psychological implications of incentive delivery at population and individual levels. Four key themes emerged: how incentives can address or create inequalities; enhance or diminish intrinsic motivation and wellbeing; have a positive or negative effect on relationships with others within personal networks or health providers; and can impact on health systems and resources by raising awareness and directing service delivery, but may be detrimental to other health care areas. Financial incentives are controversial and generated emotive and oppositional responses. The planning, design and delivery of future incentive interventions should evaluate unexpected consequences to inform the evidence for effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and future implementation

Development of gaze aversion: qualitiative changes over the early school years

Looking away from an interlocutors’ face during demanding cognitive activity can help adults and children answer challenging mental arithmetic and verbal-reasoning questions (Glenberg, Schroeder, & Robertson, 1998; Phelps, Doherty-Sneddon & Warnock, in press). Whilst such ‘gaze aversion’ (GA) is used far less by 5-year old school children, its use increases dramatically during the first years of primary education, reaching adult levels by 8-years of age (Doherty-Sneddon, Bruce, Bonner, Longbotham, & Doyle, 2002). The current study investigates whether developmental changes also occur in a qualitative aspect of GA - the direction of movement involved in GA shifts. Video data from 18 5-year-olds and 19 8-year-olds answering verbal and arithmetic questions were analysed for direction of GA. We found very different profiles of direction of GA across the two ages: whilst the 5-year-olds used predominantly rapid multi-directional ‘flicking’ movements and some sustained left lateral movements, the 8-year-olds used predominantly sustained rightward movements. It is concluded that, as well as quantitative increases in the use of GA across these age groups, there are concomitant qualitative changes in the nature of GA shifts. A model of human attention in face-to-face interaction is discussed as are implications for the assessment of children’s learning and development

The Social Network: How People with Visual Impairment use Mobile Phones in Kibera, Kenya

Living in an informal settlement with a visual impairment can be very challenging resulting in social exclusion. Mobile phones have been shown to be hugely beneficial to people with sight loss in formal and high-income settings. However, little is known about whether these results hold true for people with visual impairment (VIPs) in informal settlements. We present the findings of a case study of mobile technology use by VIPs in Kibera, an informal settlement in Nairobi. We used contextual interviews, ethnographic observations and a co-design workshop to explore how VIPs use mobile phones in their daily lives, and how this use influences the social infrastructure of VIPs. Our findings suggest that mobile technology supports and shapes the creation of social infrastructure. However, this is only made possible through the existing support networks of the VIPs, which are mediated through four types of interaction: direct, supported, dependent and restricted

Air quality evaluation of London Paddington train station

Enclosed railway stations hosting diesel trains are at risk of reduced air quality as a result of exhaust emissions that may endanger passengers and workers. Air quality measurements were conducted inside London Paddington Station, a semi-enclosed railway station where 70% of trains are powered by diesel engines. Particulate matter (PM2.5) mass was measured at five station locations. PM size, PM number, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) were measured at two station locations. Paddington Station’s hourly mean PM2.5 mass concentrations averaged 16 μg/m3 [min 2, max 68]. Paddington Station’s hourly mean NO2 concentrations averaged 73 ppb [49, 120] and SO2 concentrations averaged 25 ppb [15, 37]. While UK train stations are not required to comply with air quality standards, there were five instances where the hourly mean NO2 concentrations exceeded the EU hourly mean limits (106 ppb) for outdoor air quality. PM2.5, SO2, and NO2 concentrations were compared against Marylebone, a busy London roadside 1.5 km from the station. The comparisons indicated that train station air quality was more polluted than the nearby roadside. PM2.5 for at least one measurement location within Paddington Station was shown to be statistically higher (P-value < 0.05) than Marylebone on 3 out of 4 days. Measured NO2 within Paddington Station was statistically higher than Marylebone on 4 out of 5 days. Measured SO2 within Paddington Station was statistically higher than Marylebone on all 3 days.We thank the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/F034350/1) for funding the Energy Efficient Cities Initiative and the Schiff Foundation for doctoral studentship funding.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from IOP via http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/9/09401

Hyperpolarized 13C-MRI of Tumor Metabolism Demonstrates Early Metabolic Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer

Purpose: To compare hyperpolarized carbon-13 (13C)-MRI with dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) for detecting early treatment response in breast cancer. Materials and Methods: In this institutional review board-approved prospective study, one woman with triple-negative breast cancer (age 49) underwent 13C-MRI following injection of hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate and DCE-MRI at 3 T at baseline and after a single cycle of neoadjuvant therapy. The 13C-lactate/13C-pyruvate ratio derived from hyperpolarized 13C-MRI and the pharmacokinetic parameters Ktrans and kep derived from DCE-MRI were compared, before and after treatment. Results: Exchange of the 13C-label between injected hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate and the endogenous lactate pool was demonstrated, catalyzed by the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase. After one cycle of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, a 34% reduction in the 13C-lactate/13C-pyruvate ratio was shown to correctly identify the patient as a responder to therapy, which was subsequently confirmed by a complete pathologic response. However, DCE-MRI showed an increase in the pharmacokinetic parameters Ktrans (132%) and kep (31%), which could be incorrectly interpreted as a poor response to treatment. Conclusion: Hyperpolarized 13C-MRI successfully identified response in breast cancer after a single cycle of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and may improve response prediction when used in conjunction with multiparametric proton MRI.This work was supported by a Wellcome Trust Strategic Award, Cancer Research UK (CRUK; Grants C8742/A18097, C19212/ A16628, C19212/A911376, and C197/A16465), the Austrian Science Fund (Grant J4025-B26), the CRUK Cambridge Centre, the CRUK & Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Cancer Imaging Centre in Cambridge and Manchester, the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research and Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre (Grant C9685/A25177), CRUK National Cancer Imaging Translational Accelerator Award, Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust, the National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre, and Cambridge University Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust