Community Land Trusts for Affordable Housing in Ontario

For many, owning a home has become an impossible dream, particularly for lowincome families who cannot afford buying a home out of their savings. Community Land Trusts (CLTs), which are an innovative form of tenure, provides an opportunity for lowincome households to experience the benefits of homeownership. The purpose of this research paper is to explore solutions for providing permanent affordable housing through CLTs. This paper aims to provide information on CLTs including governance, operations and general funding mechanisms that could be useful for interested organizations, community groups and municipalities who wish to establish a CLT. This report does not encourage an alternative to existing housing programs; rather it aims to supplement existing programs with information about CLTs

DIETARY INTAKE OF CANADIANS IN ASSOCIATION WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME, DIABETES, AND RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is second leading cause of death in Canada. Diabetes is a major risk factor for CVD, which is affecting more than 7.5% of Canadians. Prevention is important to reducing the burden of diabetes and CVD on the individual, society and health care sector. In order to prevent these diseases, identifying people at high risk and using modifiable factors in prevention of these diseases are the priority. The metabolic syndrome (MetS), CVD risk and cardiovascular age gap (CAG) are concepts, which have been recommended by national health organizations for identifying individuals with high risk of developing these diseases. Diet has been recognized as an important modifiable factor in the prevention of metabolic disorders, diabetes and CVD. The aim of the present thesis was to determine the prevalence of diabetes, MetS components, MetS and the mean risk of 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and CAG. Further, the association between MetS, 10-year ASCVD risk and CAG and dietary patterns among Canadian adults were determined. The Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) combined Cycles 1 & 2 (2007-11) data were used to address these research objectives. In CHMS, the FFQ was used to determine the usual dietary intake among Canadians. Principal component analysis method was applied to extract the dietary patterns from 32 food/food groups available from CHMS data. Controlling for potential covariates, logistic and linear regression was used to determine the association between MetS, 10-year ASCVD risk and CAG and dietary patterns. To produce nationally representative results, weighting and bootstrapping were applied. The MetS prevalence was 16.9% among a sample representative of 26,038,108 Canadians aged 12-79 years. Four prevalent dietary patterns were extracted and the “Fast food” dietary pattern with positive loadings of hotdogs, sausage/bacon, chips, fries, and diet soft drinks, had a significant association with MetS (odds ratio=1.26; 95% CI: 1.016 to 1.55; p=0.035) for older adults aged 50-79 year. The mean 10-year ASCVD risk was 6.9% for a sample representative of 13,655,671 Canadians aged 40-79y. The mean vascular age for men was 4.1 years older and for females was 0.4 years younger than their chronological age. Four dietary patterns emerged from this population of 40-79 years. Of note, the “High carbohydrate and protein” dietary pattern, which included potatoes, red meat, sausage, egg and ice-cream/frozen yoghurt, was adversely associated with 10-year ASCVD (Ptrend= 0.0128). Further, the “Healthy” and “Fast food” dietary patterns had an inverse (p<0.0001) and direct (p=0.005) association, respectively, with CAG adjusted for potential covariates. A considerable portion of Canadian adults had high relative and absolute ASCVD risk. Dietary patterns prevalent among the population that were associated with MetS, CAG and ASCVD 10-year risk were unhealthy. Thus, interventions with focus on educating Canadians, especially high-risk groups, with the aim of promoting a healthier balanced diet, along with increasing the physical activity and stop/preventing smoking, should be considered by researchers

The Relationship between Irrational Beliefs and Social, Emotional and Educational Adjustment among Junior Students

AbstractThe main goal of this research was to study the irrational beliefs and social, emotional and educational adjustment. Two hundred and ten Iranian junior high school female students were selected as the sample of the study. Irrational Beliefs (IB) and the adjustment questionnaire of secondary school's students (AISS) were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis techniques were used to analyze the data. The result showed that there is an inverse significant relation between irrational beliefs and general, social, emotional, and educational adjustment

Application of native materials and its impact in promoting place attachment in the design of the residential complex: A case study in Lahijan City, Iran

One of the basic human needs is the need for belonging. In the field of architecture, this need finds meaning in the form of place and first place known to man is house and his residence. Native materials are rooted in the culture and the past of people in a country, and are part of social indications. Having its own color, texture and form may increase visibility and physical contrast in the image of cities and can be effective in the knowledge and understanding of the environment and promoting place attachment. In this paper, with the aim of increasing the quality of life in the residential complex, research has been done associated with place attachment- one of the indicators of high quality environment quality. The research method was descriptive–analytical. Questionnaires were developed according to the purpose and content of the study. The research has been carried out with 50 samples. The data obtained through the questionnaires were described and analyzed by using software. Finally, the results were extracted, which were classified on the basis of accepting or rejecting hypotheses. It became clear that the questions could prove considered hypotheses. Results show that native materials can generate place attachment as a result of its color, texture, form and visual natural effect

Diffuse Optical Tomography: Image Reconstruction and Verification

Introduction: In this study, we intend to use diffuse optical Tomography (DOT) as a noninvasive, safe and low cost technique that can be considered as a functional imaging method and mention the importance of image reconstruction in accuracy and procession of image. One of the most important and fastest methods in image reconstruction is the boundary element method (BEM). This method is introduced and employed in our works.Method: Generally, to image a biological tissue we must obtain its optical properties. In order to reach this goal we benefit from diffusion equation because tissue is highly scattering medium. Diffusion equation is solved by boundary element equation (BEM) in our research. First, we assume a double layer phantom with different scattering and absorption coefficients to simulate and verify precession and accuracy of image reconstruction by BEM. Light absorption can be affected by volume fraction of blood in skin. For a specific skin species the volume fraction is calculated and then the results are compared with the reconstructed values obtained by BEM. Since the depth of tissue is important in light absorption a two layer phantom with known values is made and the depths of layers are reconstructed by BEM then they are compared with the expected values. A homogenous phantom with known scattering and absorption coefficients was made and then these coefficients were reconstructed by BEM. Finally, an inhomogeneous phantom (phantom with defect) whose defect was in a known position was made and the absorption and scattering coefficients were reconstructed and compared with real values.Results: Comparison between real or simulated values and reconstructed values of scattering and absorption coefficients, volume fraction of blood and thickness of phantom layers by BEM shows maximum errors of 24%, 7% and 35%, respectively.Conclusion: Comparison between BEM data and real or simulated values shows an acceptable agreement. Consequently, we can rely on BEM as a beneficial method in diffuse optical tomography image reconstruction

Effect of Laser-Assisted Hair Removal (LAHR) on the Quality of Life and Depression in Hirsute Females: A Single-Arm Clinical Trial

Introduction: Hirsutism, mainly due to poly cystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), causes stress, anxiety and depression in females. LAHR is currently accepted as a good treatment option for hirsutism. The goal of the current study was to ascertain how LAHR affected the degree of hirsutism, quality of life, and depression in hirsute females. Methods: A single arm before/after clinical trial was designed and performed in the Razi Hospital Laser Clinic over a 15-months period. All hirsute females visiting Razi hospital laser clinic, were enrolled and received three sessions of LAHR every 4-6 weeks if they were interested and signed an informed consent. Before the commencement of LAHR and six to eight weeks after the last session, the Ferriman-Gallwey score (hirsutism severity), Beck score (depression index) and DLQI score (quality of life index) were calculated and stored. Results: There were 80 subjects in all. The mean± (SD) of the Ferriman-Gallwey score was reduced from 7.05 ± 2.27 to 4.91 ± 2.41, p&lt;0.001. Beck depression score’s mean± (SD) was reduced from 13.3 ± 8.7 to 10.2 ± 8.4, p&lt;0.001 and mean± (SD) of DLQI score was decreased from 5.6 ± 5.2 to 3.5 ± 2.3, p&lt;0.001. No significant complication were reported. Conclusion: &nbsp; LAHR can improve hirsutism related depression and degradation of quality of life as well as hirsutism physical signs

FGF2-Dependent Mesenchyme and Laminin-111 are Niche Factors in Salivary Gland Organoids

Epithelial progenitor cells are dependent upon a complex 3D niche to promote their proliferation and differentiation during development, which can be recapitulated in organoids. The specific requirements of the niche remain unclear for many cell types, including the proacinar cells that give rise to secretory acinar epithelial cells that produce saliva. Here, using ex vivo cultures of E16 primary mouse submandibular salivary gland epithelial cell clusters, we investigated the requirement for mesenchymal cells and other factors in producing salivary organoids in culture. Native E16 salivary mesenchyme, but not NIH3T3 cells or mesenchymal cell conditioned medium, supported robust protein expression of the progenitor marker Kit and the acinar/proacinar marker AQP5, with a requirement for FGF2 expression by the mesenchyme. Enriched salivary epithelial clusters that were grown in laminin-enriched basement membrane extract or laminin-111 together with exogenous FGF2, but not with EGF, underwent morphogenesis to form organoids that displayed robust expression of AQP5 in terminal buds. Knockdown of FGF2 in the mesenchyme or depletion of mesenchyme cells from the organoids significantly reduced AQP5 levels even in the presence of FGF2, suggesting a requirement for autocrine FGF2 signaling in the mesenchyme cells for AQP5 expression. We conclude that basement membrane proteins and mesenchyme cells function as niche factors in salivary organoids