Racial Discrimination, Post Traumatic Stress, and Gambling Problems among Urban Aboriginal Adults in Canada

Little is known about risk factors for problem gambling (PG) within the rapidly growing urban Aboriginal population in North America. Racial discrimination may be an important risk factor for PG given documented associations between racism and other forms of addictive behaviour. This study examined associations between racial discrimination and problem gambling among urban Aboriginal adults, and the extent to which this link was mediated by post traumatic stress. Data were collected via in-person surveys with a community-based sample of Aboriginal adults living in a mid-sized city in western Canada (N = 381) in 2010. Results indicate more than 80 % of respondents experienced discrimination due to Aboriginal race in the past year, with the majority reporting high levels of racism in that time period. Past year racial discrimination was a risk factor for 12-month problem gambling, gambling to escape, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in bootstrapped regression models adjusted for confounders and other forms of social trauma. Elevated PTSD symptoms among those experiencing high levels of racism partially explained the association between racism and the use of gambling to escape in statistical models. These findings are the first to suggest racial discrimination may be an important social determinant of problem gambling for Aboriginal peoples. Gambling may be a coping response that some Aboriginal adults use to escape the negative emotions associated with racist experiences. Results support the development of policies to reduce racism directed at Aboriginal peoples in urban areas, and enhanced services to help Aboriginal peoples cope with racist events.     

Shape analysis for automated sulcal classification and parcellation of MRI data

We describe geometric invariants that characterize the shape of curves and surfaces in 3D space: curvature, Gauss integrals and moments. We apply these invariants to neuroimaging data to determine if they have application for automatically classifying and parcellating cortical data. The curves of sulci and gyri on the cortical surface can be obtained by reconstructing cortical surface representations of the human brain from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. We reconstructed gray matter surfaces for 15 subjects, traced 10 sulcal curves on each surface and computed geometric invariants for each curve. These geometric features were used classify the curves into sulcal and hemispheric classes. The best classification results were obtained when moment-based features were computed on the sulcal curves in native space. Gauss integral measures showed that they were useful for differentiating the hemispheric location of a single sulcus. These promising results may indicate that moment invariants are useful for characterizing shape on a global scale. Gauss integral invariants are potentially useful measures for characterizing cortical shape on a local, rather than global scale. Gauss integrals have found biological significance in characterizing proteins so it is worthwhile to consider their possible application to neuroscientific data.     

Colonisation and images of cultural difference in health: Some ideas from the south pacific

Words are often forgotten but images remain. (Smith, 1992)     

FIRM SPECIFIC HUMAN CAPITAL AS AN EMPLOYER DISCIPLINE DEVICE

The inability of employers to monitor perfectly the level of effort of their employees is a potentially serious impediment to labor market efficacy. Indeed, a number of recent studies have concluded that this may lead to involuntary unemployment (Shapiro and Stiglitz [1984], Sparks [1986]); an inefficient sectoral allocation of workers (Oi [1990], Strand [1986]); and discrimination against productively identical workers (Bulow and Summers [1986]). This paper shows that the lock-in effect of firm-specific human capital can help alleviate problems of worker moral hazard and thereby promote labor market performance.     

Exploring e-Mental Health Preferences of Generation Y

E-Mental Health services could substantially increase the capacity of the mental health care system. This article explores youth consumer preferences for online interventions targeting depression and anxiety. Twenty-three participants who had experienced suicidal ideation and either depression or anxiety and completed one qualitative interview were included. Interviews were topically guided to cover themes of e-Mental Health service preferences around online help-seeking behavior, appearance, content, privacy, and support. We found that youth positively received the idea of, and appreciated the need for, e-Mental Health services. Noted preferences for services were those that are simple to use, interactive, and include support through an online community.     

Environmental improvement initiatives in the coal mining industry: maximisation of the triple bottom line

Abstract

Mining is an economically important industry, which faces several environmental and social challenges. Other than operational improvement activities, mining companies are increasingly paying attention to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and maximise social welfare to satisfy multiple stakeholders and the rise of corporate social responsible initiatives. Based on a case study analysis of coal mining companies we develop a triple bottom line (TBL) initiatives framework that provides a starting point for mining companies to develop a strategic approach to environmental improvement initiatives that can positively impact all elements of the TBL. We highlight four types of process and offset-based initiatives that are available to mining companies to reduce their GHGs, each having differential effects on elements of the TBL. Our findings suggest the importance of company-wide strategies of looking at initiatives through all rather than individual elements of the TBL. Such a strategy would provide an appropriate estimate of the costs and benefits of the initiatives and results in a balanced approach that takes care of operational improvement, reduces GHGs and improves the social welfare of people engaged in mining operations and wider society.     

Communication and its constraints on the structure of organisations

Control of organisations is one of the principal concerns of management. Day to day control is frequently mainly achieved by oral or verbal communication. It is suggested that loss or distortion of information during its passage through a chain of command can impose a major constraint on the effectiveness of an organisation. An experiment was devised in order to determine the information loss and distortion likely to occur when verbal information is passed through a series of people. It was found necessary to develop a method of coding and classifying verbal and written information before the data could be analysed. Some 21 different types of verbal information ‘bit’ were eventually isolated. It was found that there were some unexpected effects in the information loss process, and that distortions could frequently take place which created an exactly opposite effect to that required. It was also noted that critical loss levels existed, and that the believed ability to act on the information was related to this level. The results are described in the paper and losses and distortions are quantified so that the reliability of the human command system can be evaluated. The losses are then related to the deduced and observed limitations of the size and structure organisations.