Black youth in North America has been plagued with many challenges and disadvantages from birth that range from structural economic factors to social inequities. This demographic group has been badly treated, marginalized, and denied equal opportunities in multicultural democratic systems for so long. Most of them are born and raised in the toughest environments where they have to struggle on their own with little or no support from society and have to prove to the world every second that just because they are black does not make them less human. Black youth are beginning to question their existence and identity which, according to some, is the result of an absent father in their lives to nurture them. This project explores the representation of Black youth in North America through the lenses of the visceral drama, Boyz N in the Hood, by John Singleton, which depicts Black youth in Black communities with evident realism and compares it to the potent and riveting play, Pipeline, by Dominique Morisseau, which delves into the school to prison pipeline which affects students of colour. The study will focus on Black youth in North America as it explores the dominant ideology found in both genres: the absent father in the life of Black youth.

Student-athletes have shown to display poorer mental health than student non-athletes, typically due to the unique stressors of participating in collegiate sport. During the COVID-19 pandemic and with the implementation of public health response measures Şenışık et al. (2020) discovered that depression and anxiety symptoms were significantly lower in Turkish professional athletes than non- athletes, and similar among genders and sport types. Further research is required, and this study aims to identify differences among Canadian university student-athletes and non-athletes, males and females, and team and individual sport athletes on symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and distress during the 2019/2020 academic year. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale – 21 and Impact of Events Scale – Revised were completed by 349 student-athletes (241 male and 108 female) and 142 non-athletes (77 male and 65 female). There were no main effects for gender or sport type, but student-athletes scored significantly higher than student non-athletes in depression (p < .001), anxiety (p = .014), stress (p < 0.001), and distress (p = .001). Interestingly, female team sport athletes reported greater levels of each measure than female individual sport athletes (p = .011). In conclusion, Canadian university student- athletes reported significantly higher levels of mental distress than student non-athletes during the 2019/2020 academic year, and there were no differences by gender or sport type. Although, female team sport athletes reported higher symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and distress than female individual sport athletes. This data was inconsistent with Şenışık et al. (2020), highlighting the need for more research to be done comparing post-secondary students and student-athletes to identify how the COVID-19 pandemic affected them, and how academic institutions can mitigate, and aid mental health disturbances caused by events of this nature.

Rates of cigarette smoking have been markedly reduced in recent decades, but young adults (or emerging adults) continue to have the highest rate of tobacco use in Ontario, Canada. Though preventing smoking initiation is optimal, positive outcomes of cessation early in the lifespan make it clear that cessation support for smokers in this age group is critical. Despite research into the effectiveness of quitting approaches and smokers’ preferred approaches to quitting, it remains largely unclear how smokers characterized as emerging adults (Arnett, 2000) make and act upon “real-world” decisions about which cessation approach to use. To learn more about this important aspect of the quitting process, this study investigated emerging adults’ experiences of choosing their approach to quitting. Twenty-six recent quitters between the ages of 19-29 participated in semi-structured interviews. Grounded theory methods were used to develop a framework explaining the decision-making process successful quitters engaged in when choosing a smoking-cessation approach. The newly proposed “Choosing How To Quit” Framework shows a decision making process that includes three distinct phases: Awareness of Approaches; Personal Reflection; Making a Choice. Successful emerging-adult quitters chose a quitting approach by drawing on a variety of sources for information and exploring personal facets including their past experiences, real-life daily-living considerations and an understanding of their present and future-selves. The Framework offers emerging adults and cessation supporters new realistic avenues to consider or explore when making the decision about a cessation approach, potentially leading to a greater likelihood of success. As a preliminary theory, the CHQ Framework requires further investigation, including into which components may be most essential to the decision-making process.

Background Prior research on the disparities of suicide-related behaviours (SRB) across sexual orientation has been limited by the use of surveys and self-reported data, leading to possible survival bias. Furthermore, there have been no studies examining how neighbourhood deprivation modifies the effects of sexual minority status on SRB. Sexual minority individuals in deprived areas may face unique challenges and stressors that exacerbate their risk of SRB. This study investigates the association between sexual minority status and clinical SRB, and examines whether the effect of neighbourhood deprivation differs across sexual orientation. Methods A population-representative survey sample (weighted n= 8,778,120) was linked to administrative health data in Ontario, Canada to measure SRB-related events (emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths) from 2007 to 2017. Neighbourhood-level deprivation was measured using the Ontario Marginalisation (ON-Marg) index measure of material deprivation at the dissemination area (DA) level. Discrete-time survival analysis models, stratified by sex, tested the effects of neighbourhood deprivation and sexual minority status, while controlling for individual-level covariates. Results Sexual minority males had 2.79 times higher odds of SRB compared to their heterosexual counterparts (95% CI 1.66 to 4.71), while sexual minority females had 2.14 time higher odds (95% CI 1.54 to 2.98). Additionally, neighbourhood deprivation was associated with higher odds of SRB: males in the most deprived neighbourhoods (Q5) had 2.01 times higher odds (95% CI 1.38 to 2.92) of SRB compared to those in the least deprived (Q1), while females had 1.75 times higher odds (95% CI 1.28 to 2.40). No significant interactions were observed between sexual minority status and neighbourhood deprivation levels. Conclusion In both males and females, sexual minority status and neighbourhood deprivation on SRB are independent risk factors for SRB. Despite the lack of effect modification, sexual minorities living in the most deprived neighbourhoods have higher chances of SRB. Future investigations should evaluate interventions and policies to improve sexual minority mental health and address neighbourhood deprivation.

Retinoic acid (RA), the active metabolite of vitamin A, has an established role in development of the nervous system, but has recently emerged as a critical regulator of adult nervous system function. RA is important for learning and memory in both vertebrates and invertebrates. It is also important for synaptic plasticity at rodent hippocampal synapses and is known to interact with Ca2+ signaling to regulate receptor expression and influence synaptic transmission. How RA signaling might mediate plasticity in an invertebrate nervous system has not yet been studied. Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (CaV) represent a ubiquitous means of Ca2+ entry into a cell, and which regulate neuronal functioning (such as gene expression and neurotransmitter release). As such, CaV channels represent a potentially important locus for inducing plasticity in both vertebrates and invertebrates. It is not known in any species, whether RA might mediate changes in neuronal communication by influencing the functional properties of CaV channels. Here I show, utilizing cultured neurons from the molluscan pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis, that RA signaling modulates CaV channel function. RA signaling inhibited CaV channel function by shifting the voltage dependence of channel activation to more depolarized potentials. I found that RA also produced spike broadening and activity-dependent complex spiking, an effect I determined was mediated by RA-induced inhibition of delayed rectifier voltage-gated K+ channels (KV), (and enhanced inactivation of these KV channels). Paradoxically, the effect of RA to induce spike broadening and activity-dependent complex spiking, enhanced Ca2+ influx through CaV channels. However, the concurrent inhibition of CaV2 channels limited this enhanced Ca2+ influx. I also provide evidence that constitutive/basal retinoid receptor signaling upregulates CaV channel function. I show that a retinoic acid receptor (RAR) antagonist produced G-protein-mediated voltage-dependent inhibition of CaV channels, a ubiquitous form of presynaptic plasticity that occurs at vertebrate synapses. I also show that a retinoid X receptor (RXR) antagonist produced a novel G-protein-independent form of voltage-dependent inhibition of CaV channels. Overall, my study indicates that retinoid signaling diversely regulates CaV channel function in this invertebrate species and provides insights into the mechanisms by which RA signaling might mediate neuronal and/or synaptic plasticity.

Background: Pediatric Telemedicine Connecting Hospitals (Peds–TECH), a pediatric tele-resuscitation intervention, was developed in partnership with Niagara Health, Brock University and McMaster Children's Hospital. This network aims to enhance pediatric outcomes for infants and children who present to NH hospitals' emergency departments using telemedicine (TM). Objectives: This study aimed to (i) identify out-of-pocket (OOP) costs and time/productivity losses for parents of pediatric patients seeking care at the emergency department (ED); (ii) calculate financial spending within the Peds-TECH intervention and estimate health resource utilization (HRU) costs; (iii) determine the clinical effectiveness of the Peds-TECH intervention on emergency transfers to a tertiary care hospital, and survival/mortality outcomes; and (iv) estimate an incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) of Peds-TECH intervention compared to usual care (i.e., conventional means of providing resuscitation in ED). Methods: A mixed methods quasi-experimental research design was used for this project that included quantitative and qualitative methods in the economic evaluation. This study used qualitative research in the form of interviews, to explore OOP expenses incurred by parents of pediatric patients treated with the Peds-TECH intervention, and quantitative research when determining costs related to health technology and HRU. The ICER represents the incremental costs (Canadian dollar) relative to the years of life lost (YLL) averted in the intervention compared to usual care. The willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $50,000 was considered to interpret the cost-effectiveness of the Peds-TECH intervention. Results: Qualitative interviews with parents revealed OOP expenses pertinent to personal transportation, food/meal, and time/productivity losses. In terms of OOP costs, the largest category in terms of both overall cost ($435) and response rate (5/5) was travel/parking costs. The next most common response to expenses incurred was the cost of food/meals ($80) with a response rate of 3/5. One participant did report paying for hotel accommodations for one day ($120). The odds ratio (OR) for mortality among cases was 0.498 (95% CI, 0.173, 1.43) compared to controls (i.e., usual care), indicating that the intervention was protective against mortality. An ICER of $64.61 per YLL averted was determined from the CEA, which represents the cost for an additional life-year saved in the intervention group compared to the control. In the deterministic sensitivity analysis, the ICER ranged as low as (- 138.72) and as high as (489.75) per YLL averted. The probabilistic analysis indicated 96.1% probability that Peds-TECH is cost-effective under a $5K WTP threshold, which is much lower than the standard $50K WTP threshold. Conclusion: This study acknowledged gaps surrounding the OOP costs associated with pediatric emergencies in the Niagara Region. The Peds-TECH intervention is considered clinically effective in preventing mortality among pediatric patients compared to usual care. As well, it was determined that the Peds-TECH intervention is highly cost-effective with an ICER of $64.61 per YLL averted. Further research is warranted to assess the long-term costs and health outcomes of pediatric patients undergoing the Peds-TECH intervention.

Effective leadership by academic administrators is an area of significant relevance to self-governing institutions of higher education (Dean et al., 2021; Weaver et al., 2019). Universities’ success depends upon a high degree of competent performance from professors and researchers of varying ranks, particularly those who assume positions of additional responsibility (PAR), including deans, associate deans, department chairs, and program directors. Most universities do not adequately prepare faculty for the challenges of PAR, leading newly appointed academic administrators to experience needless stress and to be less effective administrators, particularly in their early years in PAR (Armstrong & Woloshyn, 2017). Although the higher education literature contains an abundance of research about university presidents, academic deans, and department chairs (White, 2014), studies that focus specifically on these role transitions are sparse. This study explores six faculty members’ transitional experiences to PAR at a southern Ontario university, how they were prepared for their administrative roles, what challenges they faced, and how they were supported in their role. Participants revealed that they were unprepared for their respective PAR, they faced challenges related primarily to “human and people” and budget administration, and the support they received was varied and lacking. Participants also provided recommendations regarding how universities can better support their transitions.

Objectives: Inadequate sleep has been afforded relatively little attention, despite known declines over adolescence, a critical period for the onset of mental ill-health. There remains a need for population-level longitudinal studies to better understand links with internalizing symptoms and in managing relevant pressures among adolescents. We examined the bidirectional relationships between sleep and depression and anxiety symptoms, and whether the relationships are mediated by school- and parent-related pressures. Measures: We used 2-year linked prospective data from 25,722 Canadian secondary school students that participated in the COMPASS study in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years. Path analysis models tested autoregressive and cross-lagged relationships between sleep duration and depression and anxiety symptoms. Bootstrap method of indirect effects was used to test school and parent pressures as mediators. Results: Results supported the hypothesized bi-directional relationships between sleep duration and depression and anxiety symptoms across one year. Shorter sleep predicted greater internalizing symptoms, and vice versa. In females, both parental and school pressures mediated the association between sleep duration and depression and anxiety symptoms, and in the reverse direction, parental but not school pressures mediated the association between depression and sleep. In males, school pressures mediated the association between sleep and depression symptoms. Conclusions: This study provides new insights into the nature and directionality of associations between sleep and internalizing symptoms over time and differences by sex. Results further strengthen calls that short sleep should be taken seriously. Interventions promoting regular sleep schedules in adolescence may help mitigate risk for stress-related psychopathology.

While self-reported data shows that lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals have a greater risk of suicide-related behaviours (SRB), little is known about how rurality may amplify the risk of SRB associated with sexual minority status. Sexual minority individuals in rural areas may experience unique stressors due to stigma and a lack of LGB-specific social and mental health services. This is the first study to use a population-representative sample to investigate the contribution of sexual minority status and rurality on clinical SRB outcomes, and whether rurality modifies the association between sexual minority status and SRB risk. A nationally representative survey linked to administrative health data was used to construct a cohort of individuals (unweighted n=169,091; weighted n=8,778,115) in Ontario, Canada, and captured all SRB-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths between 2007-2017. Rural status was captured using three measures which reflect different dimensions of rurality: the Rurality Index of Ontario, the Metropolitan Influenced Zones classification, and the Index of Remoteness. Sex-stratified discrete-time survival analyses were used to examine the interaction between rurality and sexual minority status on SRB risk while controlling for potential confounders. Sexual minority men had 2.18 times higher odds of SRB compared to their heterosexual counterparts (95%CI 1.21 to 3.91), while sexual minority women had 2.07 times higher odds (95%CI 1.48 to 2.89). The Rurality Index of Ontario and the Index of Remoteness were associated with the odds of SRB in a dose-response manner. No significant interactions were observed between rural status and sexual minority status. Rural status and sexual minority status both independently contribute to an elevated likelihood of SRB. Differences in access to healthcare between urban and rural areas appears to be strongly associated with SRB in both sexual minority and heterosexual populations. Future studies should consider incorporating measures of urban-rural status that capture access to healthcare, such as the Rurality Index of Ontario, to predict rural health disparities. This study highlights the need to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and policies to reduce SRB in both rural and sexual minority populations.

A black and white aerial photograph of Beaverdams. The photo is framed by a cardboard frame with some staining. Letters on the frame mark north, east, south, and west. A settlement, mostly surrounded by water, can be seen near the center of the photo.