Rapid System to Quantitatively Characterize the Airborne Microbial Community

Bioaerosols have been linked to a wide range of different allergies and respiratory illnesses. Currently, microorganism culture is the most commonly used method for exposure assessment. Such culture techniques, however, generally fail to detect between 90-99% of the actual viable biomass. Consequently, an unbiased technique for detecting airborne microorganisms is essential. In this Phase II proposal, a portable air sampling device his been developed for the collection of airborne microbial biomass from indoor (and outdoor) environments. Methods were evaluated for extracting and identifying lipids that provide information on indoor air microbial biomass, and automation of these procedures was investigated. Also, techniques to automate the extraction of DNA were explored

Legislative Change and Strike Activity in Canada, 1926-1974

Le présent article tente d'expliquer les variations à long terme des grèves au Canada pendant la période 1926-1974. À cette fin, il examine les effets de diverses variables d'ordre économique et organisationnel sur les types de conflits du travail. L'article s'efforce de replacer la grève dans son contexte politique en observant comment les modifications apportées à la législation fédérale du travail ont influencé au cours de ces années les types de grèves survenus au Canada. Ce qui ressort de cette étude, c'est que d'une part, le type de grève varie en fonction de la situation économique et de la capacité des syndicats d'imposer leurs revendications et que, d'autre part, la législation du travail influence le rapport entre les grèves et les deux variables qui viennent d'être citées.Les effets de nombreux facteurs économiques ainsi que de l'activité syndicale ont été étudiés en fonction de trois mesures d'évaluation des grèves, soit la fréquence, l'amplitude et la durée de la grève. On l'a fait pour l'ensemble de la période. Par la suite, les séries chronologiques furent scindées en choisissant une mesure législative fédérale (le C.P. 1003) comme point de rupture. Cette analyse confirme l'importance d'une législation du travail favorable aux travailleurs en tant que variable dans le rapport entre la situation économique et l'action syndicale d'une part, et les grèves, d'autre part. L'examen des données révèle très clairement que les modifications apportées à la législation en 1944 ont eu un impact significatif sur les causes déterminantes des grèves. Durant la période antérieure à 1944, l'état de l'organisation syndicale était la cause principale des variations dans les grèves. Après 1944, la négociation collective s'est institutionnalisée et la situation économique devint la cause principale de la décision de déclencher et de poursuivre les grèves.The authors examine long term variations in the level of strike activity in Canada between 1926 and 1974 by examining the effects of several economic and organizational variables on the pattern of industrial conflict

‘Risking enchantment’: how are we to view the smoking person?

The idea of the smoking person portrayed in public health has been criticised as being based on too narrow a view of human nature. This article discusses that view: that of a person with a stable core and epiphenomenal ‘behaviours’ that can be removed by rational persuasion or Pavlovian manipulation, and examines social scientific critiques of it. The social sciences explore the meanings smoking has for individuals and portray human identity as malleable, the result of ongoing interactions with human and non-human others. Aspects of smokers’ experience revealed in qualitative research – descriptions of cigarettes as ‘companions’ or ‘friends’, deep reliance, sensual pleasure – are sometimes difficult to articulate but can be given full voice in the context of the literary arts. We explore some examples of these sources and argue that a complete picture of smoking meanings is impossible without reference to them. We take a pragmatic approach, following the philosopher William James, who argued that emotional and spiritual experiences contribute to the truth of human existence as much as material explanations, to suggest that this understanding should be part of a critical but supportive engagement with public health research in order to develop more nuanced and humane approaches to smoking cessation

Establishing a meaningful human rights due diligence process for corporations : learning from experience of human rights impact assessment

The United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Business and Human Rights, Professor John Ruggie, has constructed a new international framework, which is set to become the cornerstone for all action on human rights and business at the international level. The principle of human rights due diligence (HRDD) is the central component of the corporate duty to respect human rights within that framework. This article argues that Ruggie's HRDD principle contains the majority of the core procedural elements that a reasonable human rights impact assessment (HRIA) process should incorporate. It is likely that the majority of corporations will adopt HRIA as a mechanism for meeting their due diligence responsibilities. However, in the context of the contentious debate around corporate human rights performance, the current state of the art in HRIA gives rise to concerns about the credibility and robustness of likely practice. Additional requirements are therefore essential if HRDD is to have a significant impact on corporate human rights performance – requirements in relation to transparency; external participation and verification; and independent monitoring and review

‘We’re all in the same boat’: How participatory songwriting might enhance Singing for Breathing’s psychosocial benefits

Within arts and health, participatory songwriting is recognized as an enjoyable and effective way to encourage emotional connectedness and social cohesion. This study used phenomenological ethnography to consider how collaborative songwriting might enhance the participatory experience of a Singing for Breathing group for people with breathlessness and chronic lung disease. Participants used the songwriting process to celebrate and develop their shared identity, musical and cultural heritage. Songwriting enabled participants to share their lived experiences of the anxiety and social isolation of chronic lung disease, and thereby to explore their being ‘all in the same boat’ musically, culturally and existentially. When considered within the context of similar singing-based and writing-based research, this study suggests that participatory and collaborative songwriting projects might confer psychosocial benefits to a group and to its members. While further research is needed, we propose that singing groups aiming to improve health should include songwriting