Social Knowing, Mental Health, and the Importance of Indigenous Resources: A Case Study of Indigenous Employment Engagement in Southwestern Ontario

This article addresses employment/unemployment engagement experiences of Indigenous peoples living in a region of present-day southwestern Ontario, as well as the wider socio-economic, cultural, and historical contexts of those experiences. The qualitative research study that informs this paper was conducted with and at the request of an Indigenous organization in southwestern Ontario with the aim of broadening understandings of the multiple factors that lead to disadvantages amongst Indigenous peoples living in a settler-colonial neoliberal society. Based on focus groups/sharing circles with 21 Indigenous youth and adults and interviews with local employers in southwestern Ontario, our study reveals that when Indigenous peoples have access to cultural knowing, critical Indigenous education opportunities, and strong support networks, they are better able to access and advocate for employment opportunities and their well-being. Yet, they face challenges in navigating these resources and spaces due to what Kristie Dotson (2014) refers to as ‘epistemic oppression’, issues related to poverty, mental health, and intergenerational trauma, all of which are intricately connected to settler colonialism and Canadian Federal Indian Policy. Overall, Indigenous organizations provide urban communities with pathways to, and respite from, neoliberal societal expectations.RésuméCet article traite des expériences des peuples autochtones vivant dans une région du sud-ouest de l’Ontario quant à l’emploi et au chômage, et plus généralement, des contextes socio-économique, culturel et historique liés à ces expériences. La recherche quantitative sur laquelle est fondé cet article a été menée avec l’aide d’une organisation autochtone du sud-ouest de l’Ontario, par leur requête, afin d’approfondir notre compréhension des multiples facteurs qui défavorisent les peuples autochtones vivant dans une société de colonialisme de peuplement néo-libérale. À travers des groupes de discussion et des cercles de partage avec 21 Autochtones, jeunes et adultes, ainsi que des entrevues avec des employeurs locaux du sud-ouest de l’Ontario, notre étude démontre que les peuples autochtones sont plus en mesure d’améliorer leurs opportunités de travail et leur bien-être, ainsi que les défendre, lorsqu’ils ont accès au savoir culturel, à des possibilités d’éducation autochtones essentielles et à un réseau de soutien solide. Pourtant, ils peinent à utiliser ces ressources et les espaces en raison de ce que Kristie Dotson (2014) appelle « l’oppression épistémique », soit des problèmes se raccordant à la pauvreté, à la santé mentale et au traumatisme intergénérationnel, ces derniers étant étroitement liés au colonialisme de peuplement et à la politique indienne du gouvernement fédéral du Canada. Globalement, les organisations autochtones offrent aux communautés urbaines des débouchés ainsi qu’un répit face aux attentes de la société néo-libérale.Mots clés: Autochtones; savoir culturel; déterminants de la santé des peuples autochtones; emploi; éducatio

Education and Perceptions of Post-Therapy Maintenance Programs in Long-Term Care: A mixed Methods Exploratory Study

Background: Occupational therapists develop maintenance programs (MPs) for long-term care (LTC) residents to optimize participation in everyday activities. The purpose of this study was to examine nursing professional attitudes and knowledge of MPs and to evaluate the effectiveness of an occupational therapist-led in-service. Method: Nursing staff (n = 20) attended the in-service, completed a pre and posttest, and completed interviews (n = 5). We used an exploratory sequential mixed methods design with a one-group quasi-experimental design for the quantitative portion and a descriptive qualitative approach for the interviews. Results: The results indicated significantly increased knowledge regarding MPs, use of the MPs, and overall perception of nursing management support (p \u3c 0.05). Qualitative analysis of the interviews revealed four themes: MPs promote resident independence, perceived multiple barriers prevent implementation, the need for increased staff training and communication, and positive interdisciplinary MP communication. Conclusion: Preliminary data indicated that therapists-led educational sessions may have a positive impact on nursing staff knowledge and perceptions of MPs. However, future programming to develop training to overcome barriers of MP implementation is needed

The family mealtime observation study (FaMOS): Exploring the role of family functioning in the association between mothers' and fathers' food parenting practices and children's nutrition risk

This cross-sectional study explores associations between mothers' and fathers' food parenting practices and children's nutrition risk, while examining whether family functioning modifies or confounds the association. Home observations assessed parents' food parenting practices during dinnertime (n = 73 families with preschoolers). Children's nutrition risk was calculated using NutriSTEP®. Linear regression models examined associations between food parenting practices and NutriSTEP® scores. An interaction term (family functioning × food parenting practice) explored effect modification; models were adjusted for family functioning to explore confounding. Among mothers, more frequent physical food restriction was associated with higher nutrition risk in their children (β = 0.40 NutriSTEP® points, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 2.30, 7.58) and among both mothers and fathers, positive comments about the target child's food were associated with lower nutrition risk (mothers: β = -0.31 NutriSTEP® points, 95% CI = -0.54, -0.08; fathers: β = -0.27 NutriSTEP® points, 95% CI = -0.75, -0.01) in models adjusted for parent education and child Body Mass Index (BMI) z-score. Family functioning did not modify these associations and they remained significant after adjustment for family functioning. Helping parents to use positive encouragement rather than restriction may help to reduce their children's nutrition risk

Adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy with the “sandwich” method for endometrial cancer: an institutional analysis

Introduction. Choice of adjuvant therapy for high risk endometrial cancers is controversial. The so-called “sandwich” regimen of pelvic external beam radiation administered between cycles of Carboplatin/Paclitaxel (CT-RT-CT) is commonly used in clinical practice but has not been evaluated in randomized endometrial cancer trials. There is relatively little published data regarding toxicity, patient tolerance, and efficacy of this regimen. Here, we report our institutional experience of CT-RT-CT for locally advanced endometrial cancer, focusing on toxicity and rates of compliance with study therapy. Material and methods. Medical records of consecutive patients treated for surgically staged endometrial cancer at a tertiary care academic medical center between 2010 and 2017 were reviewed. All patients received adjuvant CT-RT-CT. Progression-free and overall survival were recorded from the date of surgery. Toxicity data was obtained from patient medical records and graded according to Common Terminology for Adverse Events Criteria, version 3.0. Results. Thirty-eight patients with histologically proven stage I–IV endometrial cancer were included. Eighty-four percent of patients were able to complete all 6 planned cycles of chemotherapy and 92% completed at least 4 cycles. Cumulative incidence of grade 3–4 hematologic toxicity was 55%. Locoregional recurrence was the first site of failure in 2 patients (5.1%) while distant failure was the first site of recurrence in 8 patients (21%). Two year overall survival and progression-free survival were 76% and 77% respectively. Conclusion. Our results suggest that adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy with the “sandwich” regimen is associated with acceptable toxicity and satisfactory rates of completion of planned therapy

A massive quiescent galaxy at redshift 4.658

A. C. Carnall thanks the Leverhulme Trust for their support via a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship. R. J. McLure, J. S. Dunlop, D. J. McLeod, V. Wild, R. Begley, C. T. Donnan and M. L. Hamadouche acknowledge the support of the Science and Technology Facilities Council. F. Cullen acknowledges support from a UKRI Frontier Research Guarantee Grant (grant reference EP/X021025/1). A. Cimatti acknowledges support from the grant PRIN MIUR 2017 - 20173ML3WW 001.The extremely rapid assembly of the earliest galaxies during the first billion years of cosmic history is a major challenge for our understanding of galaxy formation physics (1; 2; 3; 4; 5). The advent of JWST has exacerbated this issue by confirming the existence of galaxies in significant numbers as early as the first few hundred million years (6; 7; 8). Perhaps even more surprisingly, in some galaxies, this initial highly efficient star formation rapidly shuts down, or quenches, giving rise to massive quiescent galaxies as little as 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang (9; 10), however, due to their faintness and red colour, it has proven extremely challenging to learn about these extreme quiescent galaxies, or to confirm whether any exist at earlier times. Here we report the spectroscopic confirmation of a massive quiescent galaxy, GS-9209, at redshift, z = 4.658, just 1.25 billion years after the Big Bang, using JWST NIRSpec. From these data we infer a stellar mass of M∗ = 3.8 ± 0.2 × 1010 M⊙, which formed over a ≃ 200 Myr period before this galaxy quenched its star formation activity at z=6.5+0.2−0.5, when the Universe was ≃ 800 million years old. This galaxy is both a likely descendent of the highest-redshift submillimetre galaxies and quasars, and a likely progenitor for the dense, ancient cores of the most massive local galaxies.PostprintPeer reviewe

Biospecimen reporting for improved study quality (BRISQ)

Human biospecimens are subjected to collection, processing, and storage that can significantly alter their molecular composition and consistency. These biospecimen preanalytical factors, in turn, influence experimental outcomes and the ability to reproduce scientific results. Currently, the extent and type of information specific to the biospecimen preanalytical conditions reported in scientific publications and regulatory submissions varies widely. To improve the quality of research that uses human tissues, it is crucial that information on the handling of biospecimens be reported in a thorough, accurate, and standardized manner. The Biospecimen Reporting for Improved Study Quality (BRISQ) recommendations outlined herein are intended to apply to any study in which human biospecimens are used. The purpose of reporting these details is to supply others, from researchers to regulators, with more consistent and standardized information to better evaluate, interpret, compare, and reproduce the experimental results. The BRISQ guidelines are proposed as an important and timely resource tool to strengthen communication and publications on biospecimen-related research and to help reassure patient contributors and the advocacy community that their contributions are valued and respected. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2011. Published 2011 by the American Cancer Society.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/83764/1/20147_ftp.pd

Biospecimen Reporting for Improved Study Quality

Human biospecimens are subject to a number of different collection, processing, and storage factors that can significantly alter their molecular composition and consistency. These biospecimen preanalytical factors, in turn, influence experimental outcomes and the ability to reproduce scientific results. Currently, the extent and type of information specific to the biospecimen preanalytical conditions reported in scientific publications and regulatory submissions varies widely. To improve the quality of research utilizing human tissues, it is critical that information regarding the handling of biospecimens be reported in a thorough, accurate, and standardized manner. The Biospecimen Reporting for Improved Study Quality recommendations outlined herein are intended to apply to any study in which human biospecimens are used. The purpose of reporting these details is to supply others, from researchers to regulators, with more consistent and standardized information to better evaluate, interpret, compare, and reproduce the experimental results. The Biospecimen Reporting for Improved Study Quality guidelines are proposed as an important and timely resource tool to strengthen communication and publications around biospecimen-related research and help reassure patient contributors and the advocacy community that the contributions are valued and respected.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90474/1/bio-2E2010-2E0036.pd

Coronary artery surgery: cardiotomy suction or cell salvage?

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) today results in what may be regarded as acceptable levels of blood loss with many institutions avoiding allogeneic red cell transfusion in over 60% of their patients. The majority of cardiac surgeons employ cardiotomy suction to preserve autologous blood during on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery; however the use of cardiotomy suction is associated with a more pronounced systemic inflammatory response and a resulting coagulopathy as well as exacerbating the microembolic load. This leads to a tendency to increased blood loss, transfusion requirement and organ dysfunction. Conversely, the avoidance of cardiotomy suction in coronary artery bypass surgery is not associated with an increased transfusion requirement. There is therefore no indication for the routine use of cardiotomy suction in on-pump coronary artery surgery

Anomalous coarsening driven by reversible charge transfer at metal–organic interfaces

The unique electronic properties and functional tunability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have recently fostered high hopes for their use in flexible, green, portable, and cheap technologies. Most applications require the deposition of thin molecular films onto conductive electrodes. The growth of the first few molecular layers represents a crucial step in the device fabrication since it determines the structure of the molecular film and the energy level alignment of the metal–organic interface. Here, we explore the formation of this interface by analyzing the interplay between reversible molecule–substrate charge transfer, yielding intermolecular repulsion, and van der Waals attractions in driving the molecular assembly. Using a series of ad hoc designed molecules to balance the two effects, we combine scanning tunnelling microscopy with atomistic simulations to study the self-assembly behavior. Our systematic analysis identifies a growth mode characterized by anomalous coarsening that we anticipate to occur in a wide class of metal–organic interfaces and which should thus be considered as integral part of the self-assembly process when depositing a molecule on a conducting surface