The social determinants of alcohol abuse in Canadian Inuit

Increased social problems among circumpolar peoples have been the subject of much academic, political and community discourse. The Inuit have been described as being overrepresented in terms of numerous psychopathologies. However, it is alcohol abuse which is considered to be the most serious concern of the Inuit in the Canadian Arctic, both by themselves and by observers. While social scientists and medical academics have discussed the connection between social conditions and health, this relationship is too often assumed, but not demonstrated. This thesis attempts such a demonstration, by inquiring into the history, socioeconomic conditions, quality of housing, education, and acculturation of the Inuit, and looking at how these factors shape perception of life chances and result in high levels of alcohol abuse. This thesis argues that strategies for eliminating alcohol abuse which focus on improving the social conditions of the Canadian Inuit are more likely to be successful than those which are acontextual, such as the medical treatment approach, and which do not address these underlying factors.Digitisation of this thesis was sponsored by Arcadia Fund, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin

Glucocorticoids and angiogenesis

Angiogenesis is the creation of new blood vessels from the existing vasculature that occurs through a complex series of interactions and is tightly regulated. Glucocorticoids are acknowledged to inhibit angiogenesis at high concentrations but whether endogenous glucocorticoid concentrations are sufficient to regulate angiogenesis is unclear. Adrenal synthesis is not the sole determinant of glucocorticoid tissue concentration however and 11 ßhydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ßHSD1) that is present in the vessel wall may regenerate active glucocorticoids from 1 lketo-substrates and therefore amplify local tissue concentrations. Thus it was hypothesised that endogenous glucocorticoids regulated by 11ßHSD1 inhibit angiogenesis.In vitro C57B16 mouse aortic ring cultures established that physiologically relevant concentrations of glucocorticoids inhibit angiogenesis in a glucocorticoid receptor dependent manner. In addition vascular 11ßHSD1 was found to modulate glucocorticoid-induced angiostasis, for 1 ldehydrocorticosterone although angiostatic in C57B16 aortae did not inhibit angiogenesis in 11ßHSD1 deficient animals.In vivo using polyester sponge subcutaneous implants in mice, endogenous glucocorticoids were found to inhibit angiogenesis: sponges in adrenalectomised C57B16 mice grew more vessels compared to sponges from sham-operated animals. 11ßHSD1 regulated the angiostatic effects of glucocorticoids, for cortisone (the human equivalent of 11dehydrocorticosterone), although angiostatic in wild types did not inhibit angiogenesis in 11ßHSD1 deficient mice. In vivo it was also noted that in placebo-impregnated sponges angiogenesis was greater in 11ßHSD1 deficient compared to C57B16 mice.In pathology in cutaneous wounds and infarcted myocardium, endogenous glucocorticoids were found to inhibit angiogenesis. RU38486 (a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist) enhanced angiogenesis in both tissues in comparison to placebo treatment. In similar studies in C57B16 or 11ßHSD1 deficient mice, 11ßHSD1 was found to tonically repress angiogenesis and impair left ventricular remodelling post infarction. Thus 11ßHSD1 deficient mice had increased myocardial revascularisation and preserved left ventricular function.In conclusion, by using in vitro, in vivo and pathological models, endogenous glucocorticoids were seen to inhibit angiogenesis. In addition 11ßHSD1 regeneration of glucocorticoids tonically repressed angiogenesis and influenced left ventricular remodelling post myocardial infarction. Thus 11ßHSD1 appears to be an attractive therapeutic target for the management of tissue revascularisation

EEG Activity During Lucid Dreaming

We have been interested in the electrophysiological correlates of lucid dreaming (LD) since early work in this laboratory suggested a relationship between lucidity and alpha activity (Ogilvie, Hunt, Sawicki & McGowan, 1978; Ogilvie, Hunt, Tyson, Lucescu & Jeakins, 1982; Tyson, Ogilvie, & Hunt, 1984). Until now, this alphalucidity hypothesis had not been tested in our lab on high frequency lucid dreamers who signal while in the REM stage of sleep, and LaBerge (1980; 1981) had not observed any changes in alpha in signalled episodes of lucidity

Correlation scales of digital elevation models in developed coastal environments

Accuracy of digital elevation models (DEMs) often depends on how features of different spatial scales are represented. Scale dependence is particularly important in low gradient coastal environments where small vertical errors can affect large areas and where representation of fine scale topographic features can influence how DEMs are used for modeling inundation. It is commonly observed that different types of DEMs represent larger, coarse-scale topographic features similarly but differ in how they represent smaller, finer-scale features. The spatial-scale dependence of DEM accuracy can be quantified in terms of the correlation scale (λC); the spatial wavelength above which models agree with spectral coherency > 0.5 and below which they differ. We compare cross spectral analyses of the GDEM2 and SRTM global DEMs with 14,572 LiDAR-derived elevations along transects in diverse coastal environments of New York City. Both global DEMs have positive bias relative to LiDAR ground elevations, but bias (μ) and uncertainty (σ) of GDEM2 (μ: 8.1 m; σ: 7.6 m) are significantly greater than those of SRTM (μ: 1.9 m; σ: 3.6 m). Cross-spectral coherency between GDEM2 and the LiDAR DEM begins to roll-off at scales of λ < ~ 3 km, while coherency between SRTM and the LiDAR DEM begins to roll-off at scales of λ < ~ 1 km. The correlation scale below which coherency with LiDAR attains a signal to noise ratio of 1 is ~ 1 km for GDEM2 and ~ 0.5 km for SRTM; closely matching the divergence scales where the surface roughness of the land cover exceeds the roughness of the underlying terrain

Trust relationships : an exposition of three propositions

The argument presented here is that individual trust acts facilitate mutual exchange and are, therefore, the ground for the creation, elaboration and sustainability of organisations; specifically, democratic, educational organisations within Canada. The researcher assembles a composite definition of trust, which informs an analysis of themes found in the literature on both leadership and trust. The author argues three propositions based on trust to support the conclusion that trust determines follower receptivity to diverse leader behaviours. Proposition 1 is that, ‘trust and leadership require the free participation of agents. The degree to which agents perceive themselves as ‘free’ with respect to their interests is a measure of the utility of trust. Proposition 2 that, ‘trust and leadership are relational phenomena necessary for the creation and sustainability of organisations: trust is causative in this regard than is leadership. Proposition 3 is that, ‘the objects of trust and leadership may be concrete as in trust of another person or abstract as in trust in an institution (i.e., in a democracy). Trust is a paradox since the institutionalization of distrust is required for its function. This distrust takes the form of laws, sanctions, customs and norms. Trust is defined by the researcher as a particular item of experience or reality; specifically, the expectation that one will be treated justly in exchanges with others. To trust means to make oneself vulnerable for the purpose of entering into such exchanges, expressly or through an act of law

Alpha Activity During Lucid Dreaming

We have been interested in the electrophysiological correlates of lucid dreaming (LD) since early work in this laboratory suggested a relationship between lucidity and alpha activity (Ogilvie, Hunt, Sawicki &amp;McGowan, 1978; Ogilvie, Hunt, Tyson, Lucescu &amp; Jeakins, 1982; Tyson, Ogilvie, &amp; Hunt, 1984). Until now, this alpha-lucidity hypothesis had not been tested in our lab on high frequency lucid dreamers who signal while in REM sleep, and LaBerge (1980; 1981) has not observed any changes in alpha in signalled episodes of lucidity. The present report describes computer analyses of EEG activity obtained during eight laboratory nights from a frequent lucid dreamer. In addition to standard polysomnographic measures, CCTV monitoring with two cameras and a screen splitter permitted simultaneous display and videotaping of the subject's (RJS's) face and concurrent polygraphic activity. This was particularly useful during REM, since RJS had trained himself to sleep on his back and to try to signal from that position. In the month prior to the lab nights, RJS spend over an hour per day meditating. He also used LaBerge's lucidity induction or cognitive self-instruction techniques and reported LD rates in excess of one per night. He practiced signalling (using three blinks/ rapid vertical eye movements) and thought he had successfully signalled several LDs while at home

Designing an Accessible, Technology-Driven Justice System: An Exercise in Testing the Access to Justice Technology Bill of Rights

The Access to Justice Technology Bill of Rights project, sponsored by the Access to Justice Board of Washington State, included a committee composed of attorneys, judges, technologists, and librarians charged with envisioning an ideal civil justice system. Our goals were to design a system with certain core values (e.g., due process and access to justice), test the system using a complex family law scenario, determine what opportunities technology brings to the table, and identify what barriers technology creates for persons using the system. This Article describes an idealized civil justice system (System) unlike anything that presently exists. The System is composed of people and technology that together provide a factual information-delivery system, an advocate, an adversary, a mediator, an adjudicator, and a proactive enforcer. To be successful, our System needs to use a wide variety of current and next-generation technologies and processes. The System gives the participants in a legal issue the opportunity to resolve their issue by themselves before escalating the issue for mediation or adjudication. In addition, the System plays an active role in the enforcement of whatever resolution is reached. At the core of the System is a cycle in which all participants simultaneously review and choose options. The interaction of all the participants choosing options allows the System to converge to a mutually acceptable resolution of the issue

Free Speech in the College Community

Robert O\u27Neil has written the book he was destined to write: Free Speech in the College Community. The former President of the University of Virginia and the University of Wisconsin, O\u27Neil is a distinguished lawyer and First Amendment scholar who has long been active in disputes involving student speech and academic freedom. He has parlayed those credentials into a book that is both creative and accessible. For both lawyers and non lawyers interested in campus speech issues, there is no better text available