York University

Bias Testing and Mitigation in Black Box LLMs using Metamorphic Relations

The widespread deployment of Large Language Models (LLMs) has intensified concerns about subtle social biases embedded in their outputs. Existing guardrails often fail when faced with indirect or contextually complex bias-inducing prompts. To address these limitations, we propose...

The hostile city of love and antibodies of hate. Urban contestations of identity

Ipek Demirsu’s The Hostile City of Love and Antibodies of Hate (2025) is an excellent and much-needed analysis of the relationship between the far right and resistance to it in Verona, Italy. The b...

A General Approach for Estimating Projective IRT Models

Projective Item Response Theory (PIRT) modeling is a measurement framework in which multidimensional item response models are expressed in terms of lower-dimensional (e.g., unidimensional) proxy IRT models. Existing PIRT methods and their associated estimators currently rely on l...

How High is the Bar? Pension Fund Benchmark Choices in Real Assets

Abstract This paper examines how defined benefit pension funds select and revise performance benchmarks for real assets, including private real estate, listed REITs, infrastructure, commodities, and natural resources. Using data from CEM Benchmarking, we document substantial hete...

“We Were in Solidarity with Each Other”: Oral Histories on Coming Out During the AIDS Crisis in Canada

This paper explores identifying, "coming out" and "coming in" as Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and/or queer (2SLGBTQ+) during the AIDS crisis in Canada (1981-1997). We conducted 30 oral history interviews about this unique historical moment between 2022 and 2025 with...

Projected lives saved and economic value of mRNA cancer immunotherapies in the United States

Messenger RNA (mRNA) technology helped prevent millions of deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic and is emerging as a promising cancer treatment modality. Early-phase trials suggest mRNA immunotherapies can improve overall and recurrence-free survival. However, the U.S. Department...

A decision-tree for trend analyses following major survey redesigns: an analysis using the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)

Abstract Background Monitoring health inequality trends is essential for assessing progress, stagnation, or regression on the reduction of health inequalities; assessing the impact of certain policies on health inequalities; and identifying emerging areas of concern. Because ineq...

Basketball as Pedagogy: A Black Feminist Narrative Inquiry Rooted in the Perspective of a Point Guard in Toronto, Canada

This article employs Black feminist narrative inquiry to examine basketball as a pedagogical and worldmaking space in the life of a Black queer woman academic in Toronto. Drawing on lived experiences as a former point guard, the study traces how experiences cultivated through bas...

The association between pain and health status during prosthetic adaptation after lower limb loss—A retrospective chart review

Background: Postamputation pain (PAP) is common and can disrupt the rehabilitation process. Obective: The current study’s purpose was to examine the associations among early PAP, general and perceived health, during adaptation to prosthetic use through analysis of existing clinic...

Zonology: An Ontology-Based Framework for Harmonizing Zoning Semantics Across Multi-Jurisdictional Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Planning Systems

Abstract. Zoning regulations in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are governed by a decentralized system in which 25 municipalities independently define land use permissions, development standards, and zoning classifications. Although operating under a shared provincial framework, t...

Internal and External Psychological Control and Psychological Reserve: Psychological Change Mechanisms in Psychotherapy

This article proposes a general integrative model focusing on psychological control and psychological reserve. The former refers to internal psychological control and external psychological control. Internal psychological control refers to the management of physiological processe...