Jane Rule and the Archive: New Models for Researching Women’s Lives

Marlene Kadar's injunction to expand the conceptual framework of autobiography had implications not only for the study of the genre, but also for research about and by women more generally. The strict boundaries by which autobiography had been governed were thus expanded to include genres that had been more readily accessed by women, not simply a matter of their preference but also the result of restrictions and expectations related to gender. Taking Kadar's work as a cue, this paper calls upon my own investigation of how archival research for women necessitates moving radically beyond formal institutions and beyond understandings of what constitutes an archival document

Playing the Fool: The Satire of Canadian Cultural Nationalism in Mordecai Richler’s The Incomparable Atuk

In The Incomparable Atuk, Mordecai Richler is just short of prophetic on the subject of Canadian cultural nationalism. Previous criticism underestimates the sophistication of The Incomparable Atuk's satire and trivializes its serious intent. An examination of Atuk reveals his composite nature as both the Trickster of Native culture and the fool figure of Western imperial culture. By transgressing social and geographical boundaries Atuk as Trickster undermines and reveals the authoritarian forces that have designated a marginal space for him and his people. However, as the fool accountable to his patron, Buck Twentyman, Atuk simultaneously invokes white, Western conventions. Atuk plays upon such stereotypes as Eskimo, Jew, "noble savage," and "lazy Native," finding them useful for public image and commercial enterprising. Richler uses Atuk to critique corruption, hypocrisy, and colonial mindedness. Both Twentyman and Atuk capitalize on the flaws of Canadian citizens, and thus are both representative of imperialists who colonize their subjects for personal worldly success. The serious subtext of The Incomparable Ark suggests that Canadians must move beyond insularity, beyond producing "junk," to creating authentic work

Prescription appropriateness of anti-diabetes drugs in elderly patients hospitalized in a clinical setting: evidence from the REPOSI Register

Diabetes is an increasing global health burden with the highest prevalence (24.0%) observed in elderly people. Older diabetic adults have a greater risk of hospitalization and several geriatric syndromes than older nondiabetic adults. For these conditions, special care is required in prescribing therapies including anti- diabetes drugs. Aim of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness and the adherence to safety recommendations in the prescriptions of glucose-lowering drugs in hospitalized elderly patients with diabetes. Data for this cross-sectional study were obtained from the REgistro POliterapie-Società Italiana Medicina Interna (REPOSI) that collected clinical information on patients aged ≥ 65 years acutely admitted to Italian internal medicine and geriatric non-intensive care units (ICU) from 2010 up to 2019. Prescription appropriateness was assessed according to the 2019 AGS Beers Criteria and anti-diabetes drug data sheets.Among 5349 patients, 1624 (30.3%) had diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. At admission, 37.7% of diabetic patients received treatment with metformin, 37.3% insulin therapy, 16.4% sulfonylureas, and 11.4% glinides. Surprisingly, only 3.1% of diabetic patients were treated with new classes of anti- diabetes drugs. According to prescription criteria, at admission 15.4% of patients treated with metformin and 2.6% with sulfonylureas received inappropriately these treatments. At discharge, the inappropriateness of metformin therapy decreased (10.2%, P < 0.0001). According to Beers criteria, the inappropriate prescriptions of sulfonylureas raised to 29% both at admission and at discharge. This study shows a poor adherence to current guidelines on diabetes management in hospitalized elderly people with a high prevalence of inappropriate use of sulfonylureas according to the Beers criteria

The Parable of a Village in Decline: Duncan Campbell Scott's In the Village of Viger and the Politics of Community

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Is Evaluation Embraced in Turbulent Times of Economic Crisis? 1

If there was ever a time when decision makers would gladly embrace evaluation, it would seem to be in the turbulent aftermath of the Global Economic Crisis of 2008. Even as we stand well into 2010, the effects stretch on. It is clear in hindsight that the data to alert decision makers of the coming crisis and to take action were available, but not used. While many experts misjudged the timing, speed, and severity of the crisis, the economists who in fact did predict it, did not have their voices heard. As put by the World Bank’s Chief Economist, Justin Yifu Lin (2009): “Though many knew that the risks of a severe financial crisis were mounting, the necessary changes in policies and practices, both in mature economies ’ financial sectors as well as in many new emerging markets, were stymied by procrastination during the 2003–2007 boom. No one was willing or capable of taking the punch bowl from the party and the global institutional set‐up did not have the leverage to do so ” (p. 29). This chapter begins by examining the issue of whether the turbulent aftermaths of economic crises increase the demand for evaluation from policy makers. It then moves beyond this issue to the premise laid out by the editors of this book, that in turbulent times “old solutions, old instruments, and old institutions ” are not sufficient…and “marginal changes will not work”. Applying this to th