Law Student, Heal Thyself: The Role and Responsibility of Clinical Education Programs in Promoting Self-Care

The purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of self-care and stress management in the legal profession, specifically within the context of clinical legal education. Studies have shown that the legal profession exhibits one of the highest rates of mental health and addiction issues. In proactively addressing the importance of self-care and stress management amongst students, clinical legal educational programs can become a part of the solution. Using the student experience at Parkdale Community Legal Services, and drawing from other student legal clinics across Canada and the United States, several recommendations around self-care and stress management training in clinical legal education will be offered

See You on Skype! : Relocation, Access, and Virtual Parenting in the Digital Age

Since its emergence in the 1990s, the Internet has been celebrated as a tool for connecting people from all corners of the globe. Electronic communication tools, such as the Internet, now have a significant role in daily life, particularly with young people. While the legal field traditionally lags behind in integrating technological advancements into practice, these developments are increasingly, albeit somewhat slowly, being incorporated in family law disputes. Courts are now considering the use of virtual visitation to facilitate access between noncustodial parents and their children, particularly in contested relocation cases. This paper will examine the use of virtual visitation in the context of contested relocation cases, from both a domestic and international perspective. It will be argued that courts and legislatures alike must recognize that, while virtual visitation offers many benefits, including expanding access between children and non-custodial parents, virtual access should not be used to replace physical visitation, or as a determinative factor in permitting relocation. Using examples of legislation from the United States and Australia, this paper also seeks to encourage provincial legislatures across the country to enact laws to clarify public policy with respect to the appropriate scope and use of electronic communication as a form of access between parents and children

The gender pay gap among university professors: the role of individual and organizational determinants

Cette étude de cas, composée de trois articles, examine les diverses sources d’explication de l’écart salarial selon le genre chez les professeurs d’une grande université de recherche canadienne. Le premier article analyse les écarts selon le genre sur les primes “de marché” à partir de données d’un sondage réalisé auprès des professeurs en 2002. Une analyse des correspondances donne une solution à deux facteurs dans laquelle le second facteur oppose clairement les professeurs qui ont reçu une prime à ceux qui n’en n’ont pas reçue. Le genre est fortement associé à ce facteur, la catégorie “femme” se retrouvant du côté de l’axe associé à l’absence de primes de marché. Les résultats de la régression logistique confirment que le secteur d’activité, la fréquence des contrats de recherche, la valorisation du salaire ainsi que le rang combiné à l’ancienneté sont reliés à la présence de primes de marché, tel que proposé par les hypothèses. Toutefois, même après avoir contrôlé pour ces relations, les femmes sont toujours près de trois fois moins susceptibles de s’être vu attribuer des primes de marché que leurs homologues masculins. Dans l’ensemble, les résultats suggèrent que dans un contexte où les salaires sont déterminés par convention collective, la réindividualisation du processus de détermination des salaires — en particulier le versement de primes de marché aux professeurs d’université — peut favoriser la réapparition d’écarts de salaire selon le genre. Le second article est réalisé à partir de données administratives portant sur les années 1997 à 2006. Les contributions respectives de quatre composantes de la rémunération à l’écart salarial selon le genre y sont analysées, soit le salaire de base, l’accès au rang de professeur titulaire, l’accès aux primes de marché et chaires de recherche du Canada, de même que les montants reçus. Les composantes varient quant à leur degré de formalisation. Ceci permet de tester l’hypothèse selon laquelle l’ampleur de l’écart salarial selon le genre varie en fonction du degré de formalisation des composantes salariales. Nous déterminons également dans quelle mesure l’écart selon le genre sur les diverses composantes de la rémunération varie en fonction de la représentation relative des femmes professeurs au sein des unités. Les résultats démontrent l’existence de variations dans l’ampleur des différences selon le genre en fonction du degré de formalisation des pratiques de rémunération. Qui plus est, après contrôles, la rémunération est plus faible dans les unités où les femmes sont fortement représentées. Le dernier article examine les mécanismes pouvant mener à un écart selon le genre en ce qui a trait à l’accès aux primes de marché chez les professeurs de l’institution. Les processus d’attribution de ces suppléments salariaux sont examinés à partir d’entretiens réalisés avec 17 administrateurs à tous les niveaux hiérarchiques de l’institution et dans une diversité d’unités académiques. Les résultats suggèrent que les différences selon le genre pourraient être liées à des caractéristiques spécifiques du processus d’attribution et à une distribution inégale des primes aux unités à forte représentation féminine. De façon générale, les résultats démontrent que l’écart de rémunération selon le genre chez les professeurs de cette université n’est pas totalement expliqué par des différences dans les caractéristiques individuelles des hommes et femmes. L’analyse révèle que l’écart réside dans des différences selon le genre en ce qui a trait à l’accès aux primes de marché et aux chaires de recherches du Canada et, dans une moindre mesure, au rang de professeur titulaire. Aucune différence n’est observée sur le salaire de base et le montant des primes salariales reçues, que celles-ci soient dites de “marché” ou associées à une chaire de recherche du Canada. Qui plus est, on constate que la rémunération est plus faible dans les unités où les femmes sont le mieux représentées. L’accès différencié selon le genre aux primes de marché qui est observé pourrait être lié à certains processus organisationnels qui limitent les probabilités d’octrois à des femmes. Les femmes pourraient être particulièrement désavantagées dans ce système d’octroi, pour plusieurs raisons. L’existence de différences selon le genre en ce qui a trait aux dispositions ou habiletés des individus à négocier leur salaire est évoquée et supposée par certains administrateurs. Un accès limité aux informations concernant la politique de primes pourrait réduire la probabilité que des femmes tentent d’obtenir ces suppléments salariaux. Les directeurs d’unités, qui sont en majorité des hommes, pourraient être biaisées en faveur des professeurs masculins dans leurs évaluations s’ils tendent à favoriser ceux qui leurs ressemblent. Il est également possible que les directeurs d’unités où les femmes sont les mieux représentées n’aient pas reçu d’information sur les primes de marché ou que des traditions disciplinaires les aient rendu réticents à demander des primes.This case study examines the various sources of explanation of the gender pay gap among professors at a large Canadian research university. It comprises three articles. The first article analyzes gender differences in “market supplements” using data from a survey of professors conducted in 2000. The correspondence analysis produces a two-factor solution in which the second axis clearly opposes faculty who receive market supplement to those who do not. Gender is strongly related to this factor, with the female category on the side of the axis associated with the absence of market supplement. The results of the logistic regression confirm that field of specialization, frequency of external research contracts, faculty members’ values and attitudes towards remuneration and seniority within rank are all related to the award of market supplements, as hypothesized. However, women were still almost three times less likely than men to have been awarded market supplements after controlling for these relationships. Overall, the results suggest that within a collective bargaining context, reindividualization of the pay determination process — notably, the payment of market supplements to faculty — may reopen pay differences by gender. The second article uses administrative data for years 1997 to 2006. We estimate the respective contributions to the gender pay gap of four pay components: base pay, promotion to full professor, access to market supplements and Canada research chairs as well as the amounts received. These are characterized by various levels of formalization. This allows testing the hypothesis that the magnitude of gender differences in pay varies with the extent of formalization of pay components. We also determine how gender differences on each pay component vary according to the relative representation of female faculty members within units. We find some evidence that the magnitude of gender differences varies with the degree of formalization in remuneration practices. We also find that, other things being equal, pay is lower in units with a high proportion of females. The last article examines the mechanisms that may lead to gender differences in access to ‘market supplements’ among professors. The process of awarding pay in excess for the amounts provided for in a collective agreement are examined based on interviews with 17 administrators at all hierarchical levels and in various academic units. Results suggest that gender differences in the likelihood of receiving an award may be related to specific features of the award process and to an unequal distribution of awards to units with strong female representation. Overall, the results show that the gender pay gap among professors at this university is not entirely accounted for by differences in the individual characteristics of male and female professors. The analysis reveals that the pay gap resides in gender differences in access to market supplements and Canada research chairs (CRCs) and, to a lesser extent, to the full professor rank. No difference is found on base pay or on the amounts of pay supplements received, whether they are “market” premiums or supplements associated to a CRC. Furthermore, pay tends to be lower in units where female representation is highest. The observed gender differences in access to market supplements could be due to organizational processes that reduce the likelihood of awards to women. There are several reasons why female faculty members are particularly disadvantaged in this award system. Gender differences in the propensity or ability to negotiate are alleged (and assumed) by some of those negotiating. More limited access to information about supplements reduces the likelihood that women will pursue them. Chairpersons, who are mostly males, may allow gender bias to influence their evaluations of faculty members, perhaps because they tend to favor others like themselves. It may also be that chairpersons from the units where women are better represented do not have access to information about market supplements or that disciplinary traditions make them reluctant to request them

Spatial dependence in (origin-destination) air passenger flows

We explore the estimation of origin-destination (OD), city-pair, air passengers, in order to explicitly take into account spatial autocorrelation. To our knowledge, we are the first to test the presence of spatial autocorrelation and apply spatial econometric OD flow models to air transport. Drawing on a world sample of 279 cities, over 2010-2012, we find significant evidence of spatial autocorrelation in air passenger flows. Thus, contrary to common practice, we need to incorporate the spatial structure present in the data, when estimating OD air passengers. Importantly, failure to do it, may lead to inefficient estimated coefficients and prediction bias

Woodland caribou calf recruitment in relation to calving/post-calving landscape composition

Since the 1990s, Newfoundland’s woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) population has declined by an estimated 66%. Low calf recruitment has been associated to the decline, possibly triggered by increasing calf predation and/or decreasing resources. To investigate the role of landscape composition in this system, we studied the yearly (2005-2008) calving/post-calving range (CPCR) of 104 satellite-collared females belonging to six herds. We mapped nine disturbance factors (e.g. roads, logging, etc), as well as vegetation cover types (e.g. coniferous, deciduous forests, etc), and determined the total area they occupied within CPCRs yearly for each herd. Using an information theoretic approach, we assessed the model that best explained variation in recruitment using these components. Based on corrected Akaike Information Criterion, the model that best explained variation in calf recruitment included total disturbance and deciduous forest area, both showing the expected negative relationship with calf recruitment. Other landscape variables among the models with ΔAICc < 2 were mixed forest, also with a suggested negative relationship, and barrens and wetlands with a significant positive trend. This study highlights the need to minimize total disturbance footprint and account for resulting changes in forest composition within CPCRs during land use planning. Expanding forestry operations and road infrastructure in critical woodland caribou habitat across Canada may additionally contribute to habitat loss via fragmentation. This in turn, may lead to range recession beyond the initial local avoidance footprint. We see the possibility of using calf recruitment models based on landscape parameters, among others, to predict the impact of new industrial developments on calf recruitment

Intervenir en classe multiâge : stratégies issues de la pratique d'enseignantes du primaire

Dans un contexte où les mouvements démographiques et les modalités d’organisation scolaire contribuent à un accroissement du nombre de classes multiâges (CMA), le questionnement quant aux façons d’y intervenir prend un sens renouvelé. C’est dans cette optique qu’une étude régionale a été effectuée par une équipe de chercheurs de l’Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC), en partenariat avec quatorze enseignantes des quatre commissions scolaires de la région du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. Les stratégies qui ont été documentées dans le cadre de cette recherche collaborative sont issues de la pratique d’enseignantes du primaire et elles sont rapportées ici à partir des dimensions de l’intervention éducative (Wang, Heartel et Walberg, 1993). Les résultats présentés dans cet article sont ceux des deux premières phases (2006-2008) du projet. Ils permettent de dégager différentes stratégies quant aux particularités de l’intervention dans ce contexte éducatif qui demeure encore peu documenté du point de vue des pratiques au Québec

Multiple phosphorylation events control mitotic degradation of the muscle transcription factor Myf5.

BACKGROUND: The two myogenic regulatory factors Myf5 and MyoD are basic helix-loop-helix muscle transcription factors undergoing differential cell cycle dependent proteolysis in proliferating myoblasts. This regulated degradation results in the striking expression of these two factors at distinct phases of the cell cycle, and suggests that their precise and alternated disappearance is an important feature of myoblasts, maybe connected to the maintenance of the proliferative status and/or commitment to the myogenic lineage of these cells. One way to understand the biological function(s) of the cyclic expression of these proteins is to specifically alter their degradation, and to analyze the effects of their stabilization on cells. To this aim, we undertook the biochemical analysis of the mechanisms governing Myf5 mitotic degradation, using heterologous systems. RESULTS: We show here that mitotic degradation of Myf5 is conserved in non-myogenic cells, and is thus strictly under the control of the cell cycle apparatus. Using Xenopus egg extracts as an in vitro system to dissect the main steps of Myf5 mitotic proteolysis, we show that (1) Myf5 stability is regulated by a complex interplay of phosphorylation/dephosphorylation, probably involving various kinases and phosphatases, (2) Myf5 is ubiquitylated in mitotic extracts, and this is a prerequisite to its degradation by the proteasome and (3) at least in the Xenopus system, the E3 responsible for its mitotic degradation is not the APC/C (the major E3 during mitosis). CONCLUSION: Altogether, our data strongly suggest that the mitotic degradation of Myf5 by the ubiquitin-proteasome system is precisely controlled by multiple phosphorylation of the protein, and that the APC/C is not involved in this process.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are

Baseline corticosterone does not reflect iridescent plumage traits in female tree swallows

The production of high quality secondary sexual traits can be constrained by trade-offs in the allocation of energy and nutrients with other metabolic activities, and is mediated by physiological processes. In birds, the factors influencing male plumage quality have been well studied; however, factors affecting female plumage quality are poorly understood. Furthermore, it remains uncertain which physiological traits mediate the relationship between body condition and ornaments. In this three-year study of after-second-year female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), we investigated (1) the relationship between baseline corticosterone near the end of the brood-rearing period (CORTBR) and feather colour characteristics (hue, saturation, brightness) the following year, and (2) the relationship between baseline corticosterone measured during incubation (CORTI) and brood rearing (CORTBR), and feather colour in the same year. To control for reproductive effort, we included reproductive parameters as covariates in all analyses. In this first study between CORT and the plumage colour characteristics of a species bearing iridescent feathers, we did not find any relationship between CORTBR and the colour of subsequently-produced feathers, nor did we find any relationship between CORT and the colour of feathers displayed during that breeding season. If CORT levels at the end of breeding carry over to influence the immediately subsequent moult period as we expect, our results generally indicate that structural plumage quality may not be as sensitive to circulating CORT levels compared to carotenoid-based colouration. Future studies, particularly those employing experimental manipulations of CORT during moult in species with iridescent traits, are necessary to fully determine the role glucocorticoids play in mediating the quality of secondary sexual characteristics

An Inquiry into the Efficacy of a Complementary Training Session for Telephone Survey Interviewers

Un examen de l’efficacité de la formation complémentaire pour les interviewers d’enquêtes téléphoniques : Cet article présente une expérience faite à l’agence d’enquêtes responsable pour l’enquête canadiennne de 2004 sur la consommation de drogues (N=14.000) après une courte séance de formation cognitive. Un total de 79 intervieweurs y ont participé représentant 2.436 journées-intervieweur de travail, avec des intervieweurs travaillant un maximum de 65 jours : l'enquête de terrain a duré 109 jours. Nous avons conçu une séance d’une heure centrée sur l’acquisition des connaissances dans deux secteurs : l'échantillonnage et la sélection dans le foyer d'une part, et les raisons de refus d'autre part. L’évolution quotidienne des performances des intervieweurs, dont les trajectoires basés sur des groupes ont été analysées, nous ont permis d’identifier les intervieweurs à performances basses (n=25) et hautes (n=42) deux semaines avant la formation. La séance de formation était à l’intention des intervieweurs à performances basses ou des nouveaux intervieweurs. Parmi ces intervieweurs, tous ceux qui travaillaient le jour de la séance (n=18) ont participé à l'une des trois séances de formation. Les retombées de la formation ont été évaluées dans trois secteurs : connaissances acquises et attitudes (via une questionnaires rempli deux semaines plus tard), rétention de connaissances et performances. Les résultats montrent pour les intervieweurs participants (a) qu’ils trouvaient que la formation les avaient aidés à comprendre l’échantillonnage et les raisons de refus, (b) qu'ils sentaient plus que les intervieweurs à hautes performances que leur performances s'étaient améliorées depuis le début du projet, (c) qu'ils avaient tendance à continuer plus longtemps à travailler sur les projet qu’un groupe de contrôle, et (d) qu'ils ont amélioré leur performance de .04 par jour après la formation, par rapport à.015 par jour avant la formation, atteignant presque la performance des intervieweurs à hautes performanceThis article presents an experiment in which a short cognitive training session was given at the private pollster conducting the 2004 Canadian Addiction Survey of 14,000 people. Overall, 79 interviewers worked on the project for a total of 2,436 interviewer-days, interviewers worked a maximum of 65 days, and the survey was in the field for 109 days. We devised a one-hour training session that focused on knowledge acquisition in two areas: sampling and selection within household, and reasons for refusals. The evolution of interviewers’ daily performance, analyzed using group-based trajectory analysis, allowed us to identify low (n=25) and high (n=42) performers two weeks before training. The training session was aimed at low performers and newly hired interviewers. Among these, all the interviewers working on training day (n=18) attended one of the three training sessions. The impact of the training was assessed in three areas: knowledge acquisition and attitudes (through a post-training questionnaire two weeks later), retention, and performance. The results show that trained interviewers a) felt that the training helped them understand sampling and the reasons for refusals b) were more likely than high performers to feel that their performance had improved since the beginning of the project, c) were likely to go on working on the project after training longer than the control group, and d) improved their performance by .04 per day after training, compared with .015 per day before training, almost reaching the performance of high performers

Know Your Audience: Designing a Nutrition Education Game for Middle School Kids

Purpose: In recent years video games have emerged as potential tools to tackle obesity. Games that use motion-sensing controllers and interfaces are often used to promote physical activity. Games are also used to impart education about diet, nutrition and health. Our goal in this project is to address childhood obesity through the design, development and implementation of a video game to teach nutrition concepts to middle-school-aged children. Method: Our target audience is middle-school students in a low-income neighborhood in Dallas. To guide us in the game design, we collected data about students’ gaming preferences through surveys, focus groups and student critiques of existing games. The survey addressed students’ choice of gaming platform and frequency of game play. Through focus groups we explored their gaming preferences and opinions on game features. For the critiques, students played nutrition-themed games from the “Apps for Healthy Kids” competition and completed an open-ended survey about those games. Results: We collected data from 76 students (ages 12 – 15 years). 72% of them play games regularly (at least once a week) on consoles while 73% play on portable devices, 68% on computers and 62% play browser-based games. Console games were preferred by 89% of boys but only 56% of girls. The numbers were 81% & 66% for portable devices, but almost the same for computer games and browser-based games. Students preferred action games, games that allowed character customization and games that had multiple levels. Several students are turned off by strong depictions of violence. Students liked the nutrition themed games, but only one game really engaged them. They wanted the food in these games to look real and wanted more familiar food choices. Conclusions: Our observations and height and weight data indicate that malnutrition rather than obesity is likely a bigger problem for these children. Consoles and portable devices were the platforms of choice although there are differences by gender. The results also provide insights into what is likely to work for this audience in terms of game mechanics and game features. The results also reinforce the need for using multiple approaches to collecting data