title: Evaluation of optoacoustic frequency analysis sensitivity to discriminate healthy and neoplastic tissues and to monitor treatment-induced physiological changes

contributor: Tasker, Andrew (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Whalen, William (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Riley, Christopher (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Pack, LeeAnn (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Wang, Yingwei (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Carson, Jeffrey (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Whalen, William (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Saleh, Tarek (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Pack, LeeAnn (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Hurta, Robert (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 223 application/pdf PUBLISHED

rights:
In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a graduate degree
from the University of Prince Edward Island, the author has agreed that the Robertson
Library, University of Prince Edward Island, may make this thesis freely available for
inspection and gives permission to add an electronic version of the thesis to the Digital
Repository at the University of Prince Edward Island. Moreover the author further
agrees that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be
granted by the professor or professors who supervised the author's thesis work, or, in
their absence, by the Chair of the Department or the Dean of the Faculty in which the
author's thesis work was done. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of
this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without the author's
written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to the
author and to the University of Prince Edward Island in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in the author's thesis.

abstract:
One of the major limitations of the use of optoacoustics (OA) for the imaging of prostate cancer is the relatively low resolution when performed in real time. The work presented in this thesis aims to address this limitation by applying frequency-based analyses, which contribute additional information on sub-resolution structures to OA images, and may prove useful for advanced detection and monitoring of prostate cancer.
Optoacoustic imaging was employed to distinguish physiological differences between tissues in in vivo mouse models (transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate [TRAMP] and C57Bl6) and vascular casts of mouse renal and hepatic vasculature, and heat-induced physiological changes in ex vivo bovine liver during laser thermal therapy (LTT). Optoacoustic signal intensity and frequency spectrum analyses were performed on signals obtained from a reverse-mode OA imaging system (Seno Medical Instruments Inc., San Antonio, TX) with a 775 nm pulsed optical illumination
Neoplastic prostate tissue and laser-induced tissue changes were identified based on the OA signal amplitude in combination with spectral analysis of the OA radiofrequency (RF) data. Tumours generated higher amplitude signals than those of the surrounding tissues, with contrast ratios of 33 ± 3 dB. In ex vivo bovine liver, the amplitude of the post-treatment OA signals was on average three times higher compared with pre-treatment signals. The RF spectrum analysis showed significant differences between neoplastic and normal tissues, and between pre-heated and post-heated tissues. The midband fit was 62% (5 dB) higher, the intercept 57% (4 dB) higher and the spectral slope 50% (0.4 dB/MHz) higher for neoplastic prostate tissue compared to normal tissues in the control mice.
These spectral parameter values were further investigated using simple and complex phantoms and were found to relate to the size and density of the OA targets (in this case, vasculature). During LTT, the midband fit and intercept increased on average by 7 ± 1 dB and 9 ± 1 dB, respectively, and the slope decreased on average by 0.3 ± 0.1 dB. Unlike the amplitude of the OA signal, the spectral parameters were not significantly affected by the temperature of the target during LTT. The spectral parameters, thus, may have been affected primarily by tissue state (i.e. native or coagulated). Thus, this may provide a means of monitoring LTT directly using OA imaging, rather than through monitoring temperature which is often used as a surrogate of damage.
The results of this study demonstrate that OA imaging provides high-contrast imaging of a murine model of prostate cancer in vivo, and real-time monitoring of LTT ex vivo. Analysis of OA frequency parameters may offer information on sub-resolution vascular structures in the neoplastic tissue. Optoacoustic frequency analysis may also offer a more direct measure of tissue thermal damage compared to temperature-based methods. Such OA frequency analysis, in combination with OA thermometry, may represent an improved strategy for monitoring LTT. This analysis technique may be applied to any OA signal to provide additional information on sub-resolution tissue structures. Overall, this represents a promising technique for improving prostate tumour detection and real-time treatment monitoring.


title: Painting a portrait: early learning assessment practices

type: Text Dissertation/Thesis

contributor: Doiron, Ray (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Miller, Tess (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Doiron, Ray (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Miller, Tess (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 205 application/pdf PUBLISHED

rights:
In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree from the
University of Prince Edward Island, I agree that the Library of this University may make it freely
available for inspection. I ftirther agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for
scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis work, or,
in their absence, by the Dean of the Faculty of Education. It is understood any copying or publication
or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written
permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of
Prince Edward Island in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis.

abstract:
This mixed-methods, qualitative study provided a snapshot of how Early Childhood
Educators (ECEs) and early learning programs attend to the assessment of young
children. While ECEs primarily use observation to assess children’s development and
learning, specific assessment tools, which monitor and provide summative results, are
implemented amid concerns that standardized measures are not appropriate for young
children.
The program administrator of an early years program, designated as an Early Years
Centre (EYC) by the province of Prince Edward Island, and three ECE staff working with
pre-school aged children, were purposely selected to participate in the study. Findings
were obtained from a mix of participant observation, semi-structured interviews, ECE
journal entries, and one focus group. Additionally, an online questionnaire was sent to 64
program administrators across the province and had a 36% return rate.
Study results highlighted the complexities, tensions, and opportunities in creating rich
portraits of children’s learning and development. This study provides a context to move
forward within the ECE system and shows a need to: (a) address the training and
educational needs of ECEs; (b) support the leadership development of program
administrators; and (c) conduct further research to enable the opportunity for integrating
formative and summative assessment monitoring processes among stakeholders (early
childhood, education, public health, and social service).


title:
Evidence‐based veterinary medicine in finfish aquaculture in Newfoundland
and Labrador

contributor: Hammell, Larry (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Stryhn, Henrik (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Markham, Fred (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: St-Hilaire, Sophie (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Rodger, Hamish (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Markham, Fred (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Litvak, Matt (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Gardner, Ian (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Dohoo, Ian (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Litvak, Matt (Supervisory Committee Member)

format: electronic 144 application/pdf PUBLISHED

rights:
In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree
from the University of Prince Edward Island, I agree that the Libraries of this University may
make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of
this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised
my thesis work, or, in their absence, by the Chairman of the Department or the Dean of the
Faculty in which my thesis work was done. It is understood any copying or publication or use of
this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission.
It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Prince
Edward Island in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis.

abstract:
The Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) aquaculture industry is a major contributor of
salmon products that help meet protein needs for the world’s growing population. The industry
in NL continues to grow and evolve and now includes emerging species in its production such as
Atlantic cod. In a growing industry, with additional species being cultured, there are many
opportunities to enhance evidence‐based veterinary medicine (EBVM). The multifaceted process
of EBVM includes critically evaluating published literature related to a particular question.
Randomized controlled trials (RCT) are considered the best source of information with respect
to interventions, but these trials are challenging to implement in an aquaculture setting. The
aquaculture industry and their veterinarians need access to quality RCT in order to make sound,
scientifically based health decisions. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the aquaculture
industry and their veterinarians to assist in building this knowledge base to further advance the
industry. The Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, together
with the Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences, have worked with the NL industry and their
veterinarians to answer questions while contributing to the process of EBVM.
The specific objectives of this research program evolved over time, but were all
generally focused on the need for information in support of EBVM. The research focused on two
objectives: evidence in support of trial execution and evidence from trials. The Passive
Integrated Transponder (PIT) tagging study in Atlantic cod was developed to determine tag
placement and evaluate adverse effects with such tag placement. This study was consistent with
the first objective. The second objective was addressed by developing three clinical trials
relevant to the NL industry at the time. These clinical trials were in response to questions
around choosing treatment modalities for Eubothrium crassum, the option to use a
nutraceutical during the smoltification stage of salmonid production and the use of a salmonid
dip vaccine in Atlantic cod.
The tagging trial showed that there was no negative effect on survival and growth in
Atlantic cod in the short term, thereby providing evidence to support the use of PIT tags in
future studies.
The clinical trials showed (1) that treatment modalities adapted from terrestrial models
do not provide predictable results when information is simply transferred, (2) that
nutraceuticals need to be critically evaluated with respect to their label claims, and (3) that
vaccination of Atlantic cod may provide protection against pathogens not included in the
vaccine due to non‐specific immunity.
The studies included in this thesis have contributed to the knowledge base used to
inform aquaculture veterinarians who utilize EBVM. The results also highlighted techniques to
obtain this information in an aquaculture setting.


title: Adapting to beach and dune environments: A study of fitness and ecological factors in the coastal plant Cakile edentula

contributor: Samis, Karen (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Giberson, Donna (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Silva-Opps, Marina (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Samis, Karen (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Silva-Opps, Marina (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Giberson, Donna (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Heard, Stephen (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Quijon, Pedro (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 124 application/pdf PUBLISHED

abstract: Species’ geographical and ecological ranges are limited by the interaction of genotypes with the biotic and abiotic environment, and the quality of the habitat relative to the species’ niche requirements. A fundamental question in ecology and evolution is how species will respond to changes in their environment; whether species will shift their distribution to track the niche environment, locally adapt, or become extirpated. Along an ecological gradient, the factors defining a species’ limits and abundance are expected to vary. Species are defined by the interactions of genotypes with the environment, and these interactions may be constant in space with a strong genetic basis or vary plastically with the environment. This study assessed the phenotypic differences of Cakile edentula (sea rocket; Brassicaceae) plants along the beach to dune gradient within the species’ Atlantic Canadian range, and attempted to disentangle whether plants growing along this gradient plastically respond or are locally adapted to their home microenvironment (beach vs. dune) within the coastal habitat. Empirical plant surveys in wild populations, and a greenhouse and a reciprocal transplant experiment all revealed significant phenotypic differentiation between beach and dune plants. The patterns of variation for most traits observed in the wild were not reflected in the controlled environment, suggesting plasticity rather than genetically based trait variation accounts for most variation observed in the wild. However, there was evidence that some traits (stem elongation and seed set) had a genetic basis as they varied consistently between beach and dune plants in all environments. A greenhouse experiment manipulating growing density and salinity exposure provided evidence that increased growth and fitness associated with wild beach plants compared to dune plants may be attributed, at least in part, to the combined effects of plant density and sea spray. Moreover, this work supports the expectation for temporally and spatially variable environments that phenotypic variation in plants is primarily plastic, with some influence of maternal plant environment to offspring growth and fitness in the next generation. Overall, this study suggests C. edentula plants are highly plastic, and fitness variation between beach and dune plants likely indicates variation in habitat quality relative to the species’ niche.


title:
Potential signaling partners of the Sry-related HMG Box-C (SOXC)
transcription factors in renal development

contributor: Hartwig, Sunny (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Wright, Glenda (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Kamunde, Collins (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: McDuffee, Laurie (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Bate, Luis (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Hartwig, Sunny (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: McConkey, Sandra (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Kamunde, Collins (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 139 application/pdf PUBLISHED

rights:
The author has agreed that the Library, University of Prince Edward Island, may make
this thesis freely available for inspection. Moreover, the author has agreed that
permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by
the professor or professors who supervised the thesis work recorded herein or, in their
absence, by the Chair of the Department or the Dean of the Faculty in which the thesis
work was done. It is understood that due recognition will be given to the author of this
thesis and to the University of Prince Edward Island in any use of the material in this
thesis. Copying or publication or any other use of the thesis for financial gain without
approval by the University of Prince Edward Island and the author’s written permission
is prohibited.
Requests for permission to copy or to make any other use of material in this thesis in
whole or in part should be addressed to:
Chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
University of Prince Edward Island
Charlottetown, P. E. I.
Canada C1A 4P3

abstract:
SOXC transcription factors are key transcriptional regulators that have been shown
to control self-renewal and differentiation in tissues during development in vivo, but
have not been studied in the mammalian kidney. Our lab has previously demonstrated
that all three members of the SoxC genes family, namely, Sox4, Sox11 and Sox12, are
co-expressed with the Wilms’ Tumor Suppressor-1 (Wt1) gene, which is known to be
essential in nephron progenitor cells during the early stages of kidney development. We
have also demonstrated an essential role for at least one member of the SoxC subfamily,
Sox4, during renal development in vivo. As a first step towards identifying potential
SOXC co-factors during embryonic kidney development, I compiled a comprehensive
list of all proteins shown to interact with SOX family members to regulate transcription
in vitro. The list was then expanded to include highly homologous members of the same
family or subfamily. Next, reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and quantitative real-time (q)
PCR was performed for candidate partner genes at multiple time points of renal
development. Candidate SOXC partner genes that exhibited strong renal developmental
expression patterns included members of the Dlx, Pou, Pax, Ube, and Med families of
transcription factors. Results from this work lay the foundation to elucidate the
molecular mechanisms by which SOXC proteins regulate transcription during renal
development in vivo. Future experiments will include cross-linking protein interaction
analyses and pull-down assays to identify protein-protein interactions in vitro.


title: The physiological effects of blood flow restricted muscle stimulation

contributor: Burr, Jamie (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Sweeney-Nixon, Marva (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Gottschall-Pass, Kathy (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Burr, Jamie (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Gottschall-Pass, Kathy (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Sweeney-Nixon, Marva (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Kimmerly, Derek (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: MacDonald, Dany (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 95 application/pdf PUBLISHED

abstract: Emerging evidence suggests that low load exercise stimuli can lead to significant muscular adaptations when blood flow to a muscle is restricted or occluded. Electrical muscle stimulation has been used for years in the rehabilitative settings, but muscular hypertrophic or oxidative adaptation resulting from electrical stimulation is typically of limited magnitude, likely owing to the discomfort caused by the high intensity stimulus necessary to cause greater adaptation. Combining low intensity transcutaneous electrical muscle stimulation (TEMS) with blood flow restriction (BFR) has yet to be examined, and offers the potential to stimulate substantial muscular adaptation without undue discomfort. We examined the effects of combining BFR with a low intensity TEMS on the upper and lower body musculature. Twenty recreationally active subjects (24±6 yr, 174±10 cm, 70±17kg) were recruited and had every limb randomly allocated to one of four possible training groups: 1) BFR -4mins inflated, 4 mins deflated at 220mmHg alone, 2) TEMS alone- at a maximally tolerable intensity, 3) BFR+TEMS (COMB), or 4) control (CON). Each arm and leg was “trained” in its respective intervention group four times weekly for six weeks. To test muscular adaptation, muscle size and strength were measured at baseline and following 6 weeks of stimuli. Mean differences in size (g) and strength (kg), between week 0 and week 6, were calculated for each intervention group. ARM: After 6 weeks of training, the COMB group changed by 45±201g and 3.2 ±3.6kg, whereas the BFR group changed by 21±103g and 2.6±3.9kg. The TEMS group changed by -37±121 g and 0.7±3.0kg; while the CON group changed by and 4±78g and 0.6±2.9kg. There was no significant difference between groups for maximal strength (p=0.2) or size (p=0.4). LEG: Leg strength changed by 32±19 kg in the COMB group and was significantly different than the 3±11kg change in the CON group (p=0.03). The TEMS and BFR group changed by 16±28kg and 18±17kg, respectively. There were no other significant differences between groups. Leg size changed by 95±238g in the COMB group; whereas size changed by 79±439g and 26±387g in the TEMS and BFR groups, respectively. The CON group changed by -83±279g. There were no significant differences between groups for leg size. The results suggest no effect of the intervention, however, despite a relative lack of overall statistical significance, owing to large individual variability in response, there is an indication of a possible effect. The absence of significance in most comparisons is likely explicable by the high inter-individual variability and differential adaptive responses.


title: On the use of contralateral auditory suppression of transient evoked oto-acoustic emissions and heart rate variability to establish baseline measures for concussion and return to play

contributor: Montelpare, William (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Drake, Patrice (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Montelpare, William (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Drake, Patrice (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Killan, Edward (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Quijon, Pedro (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 112 application/pdf PUBLISHED

abstract:
Concussion injuries have gained the attention of healthcare providers because of the effects that persistent reoccurring symptoms, associated with the injury, can have on normal functioning.  As such, there is a recognized need to establish appropriate pre-injury measurements of individuals at risk for concussion so that healthcare providers can establish a more accurate diagnosis, management and treatment post concussion.
The purpose of the present study was to assess the stability of heart rate variability (HRV) and contralateral auditory suppression of transient evoked oto-acoustic emissions (CAS TEOAE) as objective measures for the assessment of concussion.
The study was conducted in three phases: 1) to assess the stability of the methodologies related to measuring  (n=25); 2) to determine the relationship between the clinical measures (HRV & CAS TEOAE) with psychological measures (n=75) (DASS-21 and PASS-20); 3)to assess to response profile following injury on a case study basis (n=1).
A test-retest research design was used to establish the stability of the clinical methods.  Twenty-five university-aged individuals were assessed on HRV and CAS TEOAE on two separate occasions. The McNemar chi-square of symmetry was used to establish the measure of difference between day 1 and day 14, while the kappa statistic of agreement was used to assess the measure of agreement between the variables.
No significant differences were found between test-retest observations for selected measures of CAS TEOAE (Y1414, Diff14141, X2000, SUM2000) and selected measures of HRV (RMSSD and mean HR).  In addition, two variables from each of the HRV test and the CAS TEOAE test showed significant agreement between the test-retest days.
As part of phase 2 significant relationships, observed independently between HRV and CAS TEOAE were quantified with subscales of the DASS-21 and PASS-20 in a cohort of university varsity athletes.  Relationships with the subscale were established using the Spearman  Correlation Coefficient both within the entire sample as well as within the sub-cohorts based on concussion history. The relationships in the total population were not present in those who reported a previous history of concussion, indicating a change in psychological measures and their predictability of HRV.
In phase three, the case study of one athlete showed notable decreases in HRV (a condition of injury) and a decrease in CAS TEOAE functioning in the immediate post injury state, with a noted increase in both measures during the recovery phases.  These results support the need for further study of HRV and CAS TEOAE as objective measures of concussion.


title: Understanding international student recruitment as export marketing behaviour in higher education institutions

contributor:
James, M (author)
(Thesis advisor)
(Supervisory Committee Member)
(Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic application/pdf

abstract: The purpose of this study is to explore how higher education institutions (HEIs) develop, perceive, and manage the recruitment of international students. Many HEIs seek to attract international students through marketing and recruitment activity. This study explores the recruitment of students from foreign markets and explores the nature of export marketing behaviour from three institutions in Canada, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. HEIs exist in both public and market orientations (Marginson, 2016, 2017). These divergent orientations shape how and why some HEIs may adopt certain export marketing behaviours and others do not. Using activity theory to explore the practice of international student recruitment at three case studies in Canada, Hong Kong, and the UK this study shows that practitioners face similar challenges in their practice primarily in the form of competition and culture. Competitive forces act upon the recruitment of international students creating tensions in their practice as actors in institutions attempt to respond to markets. However, their reactions are different due to their internal culture, history, and institutional capacity. These factors help to understand the complex nature of higher education’s dual public and market orientations and contribute to understanding why export marketing behaviours are unique to each HEI. This study shows that by examining strategy practitioners of international student recruitment, HEIs can improve their international student recruitment practice by understanding the convergence of national policy contexts, market forces, and internal culture on their practice.


title: Lost mermaids: The social and economic impacts of development for Haenyeo culture and Jeju Island

contributor: Baldacchino, Godfrey (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Novaczek, Irene (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Baldacchino, Godfrey (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Novaczek, Irene (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: O’Grady, William (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 187 application/pdf

abstract:
There is a small set of islands off the coast of South Korea, and they are home to mermaids. They are, however, not the sea women of lore, but grandmothers, mothers, daughters, wives, and sisters of so many villagers of the Jeju Archipelago. The Jeju Haenyeo divers of South Korea have seen their province develop in the span of a single generation, from peripheral islands to a burgeoning tourist centre. The development process has left an irrefutable mark on the island and its culture, and this thesis examines the nature of this development process and its implications for the Jeju archipelago and the Jeju Haenyeo.
This thesis explores the Islands of the Jeju Archipelago and the social and economic impacts that development has had on these islands and their people. In the process of examining topics associated with Jeju island, Haenyeo and the mainland, issues around mainland the island dialectic are explored, as well as recent manifestations of the dichotomy between mainlander and islander; issues around culture as a commodity, and an engine for development and social cohesion; the impacts of rapid development on society, and the influence that such development has for rural communities.
The thesis starts by exploring the landscape of Jeju before 1960, and charting the development process as set down by the South Korean Central Government, then unpacks the impacts that development that has had on traditional Haenyeo culture on Jeju island in the face of development, finally, looks to provide possible lessons to be learned by a wider community of small islands in similar situations.


title: Schooling and practices of freedom of 'out' queer youth on Prince Edward Island

contributor: Walton, Fiona (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Tilleczek, Kate (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Walton, Fiona (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Tilleczek, Kate (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 170 application/pdf PUBLISHED

rights:
In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a graduate degree from the
University of Prince Edward Island, the author has agreed that the Robertson Library, University
of Prince Edward Island, may make this thesis freely available for inspection and gives
permission to add an electronic version of the thesis to the Digital Repository at the University of
Prince Edward Island. Moreover the author further agrees that permission for extensive copying
of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who
supervised the author’s thesis work, or, in their absence, by the Chair of the Department or the
Dean of the Faculty in which the author’s thesis work was done. It is understood that any
copying or publication or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed
without the author’s written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given
to the author and to the University of Prince Edward Island in any scholarly use which may be
made of any material in the author’s thesis.

abstract:
This MEd thesis is the first to explore PEI schooling experiences from the perspectives of
Generation Queer (Wells, 2012). Deploying various tools of Foucault (1983), I suggest research
participants – two out youth and their mothers - demonstrated "practices of freedom" to
challenge the pedagogical and relational negation they encountered in hetero-centric schooling
environments. To illustrate today being "a day like every other, or much more a day which is
never like another" (p. 359), I position 1965 as yesterday and conduct two brief genealogies of
criminal, medico-legal and socio-cultural discourses pertaining to sexual orientation. These
genealogies identify both developments and stagnations in thought with regards to
categorizations of sex, gender and desire. I then compare and contrast participants‘ reports of
schooling experiences with findings from contemporary North American school climate research
(Grace & Wells, 2009; Kosciw et al., 2012; Taylor et al., 2011). I conclude by suggesting that
the relationships being forged by and amongst Generation Queer represent useful examples for
all those legislators, policy-makers, educators, parents and students committed to realizing the
goal that all students feel free to be who they are at school (McGuinty, 2011).


title:
The watermills of Prince Edward Island, Canada and Gotland Island,
Sweden: An historical survey

contributor: MacLaine, Brent (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: MacLaine, Brent (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: MacDonald, Edward (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: MacEachern, Alan (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: MacDonald, Edward (Supervisory Committee Member)

format: electronic 169 application/pdf PUBLISHED

rights:
In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a graduate degree
from the University of Prince Edward Island, the author has agreed that the Robertson
Library, University of Prince Edward Island, may make this thesis freely available for
inspection and gives permission to add an electronic version of the thesis to the
Digital Repository at the University of Prince Edward Island. Moreover the author
further agrees that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly
purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised the author’s
thesis work, or, in their absence, by the Chair of the Department or the Dean of the
Faculty in which the author’s thesis work was done. It is understood that any copying
or publication or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be
allowed without the author’s written permission. It is also understood that due
recognition shall be given to the author and to the University of Prince Edward.

abstract:
This thesis reviews the development and use of watermills from antiquity to the
present, including the economic, environmental and social significance of milling
during this time. More specifically, it explores the rise and fall of water-powered
technology on two small islands with quite different water resources: Prince Edward
Island off the East Coast of Canada, and the Baltic island of Gotland, Sweden.
Both islands were once home to hundreds of watermills, yet today waterpower has
vanished entirely from the landscape of Prince Edward Island. Gotland, on the other
hand, honors the watermill in several regional museums, and one mill site has been
refurbished as an electric generating station. Although the community watermill may
have been relegated to the pages of history, it is possible that waterpower still has a
role to play in the sustainable energy landscape of both of these islands.


title:
The lived experiences of female leaders in two university
settings: Perceived supports, barriers, and challenges

contributor: Preston, Jane (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: MacKinnon, Stacey (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Preston, Jane (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: MacKinnon, Stacey (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 128 application/pdf PUBLISHED

abstract:
The dearth of women in higher education both as full professors and senior
administrators is alarming, and the factors impeding their entrance and limiting their
advancement are relatively unknown. The purpose of this research was to document the
lived experiences of women leaders who were full professors or who held senior
leadership positions in two universities in Atlantic Canada. I researched the perceived
supports, challenges, and barriers that women leaders faced in their professional lives, as
well as the influence of gender in their leadership positions. I approached the research
from a social constructivism standpoint and utilized a phenomenological research design.
I used standpoint theory to analyze the data. Data sources included two interviews with
each participant and a seven-day leadership journal from each participant. Women noted
multiple supports, challenges, and barriers in their personal and professional lives.
Supports include husbands, mentors, workshops, and networking. Challenges and
barriers included children, colleagues, work/life conflicts, invisibility, and a lack of
leadership development programs. Findings indicated that gender equality has not been
achieved in the postsecondary setting, and gendered expectations, sexism, and
discrimination remain strong barriers for women. Applying standpoint theory, the social
location of the participants impacted their lives, opinions, and views of leadership in
postsecondary institutions. Their lived realities and experiences changed over time as the
academic and institutional culture changed over time, and, as such, their views about
women and leadership were altered. Implications of this work are that university leaders
need to create supports for women and make them easily accessible, and create a women-friendly environment that will increase the ease with which women can enter, advance,
and succeed in the institution.
Keywords: women‘s studies, leadership, higher education, senior administration,
professorship


title: Examining pain anxiety in young adult athletes

contributor: Montelpare, William (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Doucette, Tracy (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Ryan, Catherine (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Montelpare, William (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Doucette, Tracy (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Ryan, Catherine (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Mack, Diane (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Kerr, Russell (Examination Committee Member)

format: 106 application/pdf PUBLISHED electronic

abstract:
Injuries from overuse as well as direct trauma are common among athletes. The ability to
respond adaptively to pain may be a function of an athlete’s pain anxiety – defined as
fearful and anxious responses toward pain. Investigating the underlying constructs of
pain anxiety may have important implications for both injury prevention and injury
recovery in sport. The objectives of the current study were to examine pain anxiety in a
cohort of young adult athletes (Phase 1), and to evaluate the predictability of selected
biological, psychological, and social variables on pain anxiety scores (Phase 2). In Phase
1, the Pain Anxiety Symptom Scale-20 (PASS) was used to collect pre-season pain
anxiety measures in a cohort of 92 university varsity-level athletes. Results from Phase 1
indicated significant differences between PASS sub-scale ratings. That is, the university
athletes primarily reported cognitive manifestations of pain anxiety. Females also
reported more pain anxiety compared to males. In Phase 2, a follow-up cohort of 84
athletes from varying levels of play completed the PASS and selected measures purported
to predict pain anxiety. Results from Phase 2 were produced through analyses of
variance, student’s t-tests, and linear regression, and athletes were analyzed across pain
group: acute pain athletes (APA) and chronic pain athletes (CPA). A unique set of
predictor variables resulted for each pain group. Gender was a strong predictor of APAs’
pain anxiety, while pain intensity strongly predicted pain anxiety in the CPA. Contact
grades predicted pain anxiety in both groups but the direction of the relationship was
dependent on pain type. Finally, neither injury nor pain predicted pain anxiety in APA.
These results indicate that sources of pain anxiety differ for athletes with acute and
chronic pain. Such findings have important implications for pain management in sport. More specifically, interventions for athletes without chronic pain could improve by
emphasizing the risks of playing through pain and injury, particularly for males, whereas
chronic pain athletes may benefit from interventions that account for the challenges of
living with high levels of anxiety.


title: In vitro reproductive-endocrine, and in vivo immunological responses to extracted oil sands-derived naphthenic acids

contributor: van den Heuvel, Michael (Thesis advisor)

contributor: van den Heuvel, Michael (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Hogan, Natacha (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Sweeney-Nixon, Marva (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Wagner, Brian (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: van den Heuvel, Michael (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Hogan, Natacha (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Sweeney-Nixon, Marva (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Wagner, Brian (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Martyniuk, Christopher (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: MacDonald, Dany (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 119 application/pdf PUBLISHED

rights: In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree from the University of Prince Edward Island, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection and give permission to add an electronic version of the thesis to the Digital Repository at the University of Prince Edward Island. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis work, or, in their absence, by the Chair of the Department or the Dean of the Faculty in which my thesis work was done. It is understood any copying or publication or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Prince Edward Island in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis.

abstract: There is concern surrounding the large volumes of oil sands-influenced waters produced by the extraction of oil in the Athabasca region in northern Alberta. These waters contain water soluble organic compounds such as naphthenic acids (NAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The goal of this study was to use in vitro as well as in vivo assays using rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) combined with spectroscopic analyses to determine if specific NA fractions obtained from oil sands-influenced waters possess biological activity. NAs were extracted in bulk from oil sands-influenced waters using acid precipitation and then fractionated. NAs fractions were identified and quantified by high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and attenuated total reflectance (ATR) infrared spectroscopy. The fraction obtained by dichloromethane (DCM) back extraction of base-solubilized showed aromatic compounds around 6.8 – 8.2 ppm using 1H NMR. This fraction elicited an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-mediated activity after 24 h at 5 mg/L. Each fraction contained a carboxylic acid dimer though there were differences in average carbon number and hydrogen deficiency between the samples. The main NA fraction was subsequently used for an in vivo waterborne exposure using rainbow trout. Waterborne exposures were conducted with oil sands-influenced waters, extracted NAs, and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) as a positive control for 7 d, after which blood, spleen, head kidney, and gill samples were removed to evaluate the distribution of thrombocytes, B-lymphocytes, myeloid cells, and T-lymphocytes. The remaining trout in each experimental tank were injected with inactivated Aeromonas salmonicida and held in laboratory water for 21 d and subjected to similar lymphatic cell evaluation in addition to evaluation of antibody production. Trout in the oil sands-influenced water exposure showed a decrease in B- and T-lymphocytes in blood as well as B-lymphocytes and myeloid cells in spleen and an increase in B-lymphocytes in head kidney. Because Oil sands-influenced waters affected multiple immune parameters, while extracted NAs impacts were limited, the NAs tested here are likely not the cause of immunotoxicity found in the oil sands-influenced water. Taken together, the results of spectroscopic analyses, in vitro assays, and in vivo exposures suggest that compounds capable of activating AhR-mediated pathways are present in oil sands process-affected waters, specifically in the DCM fraction. The identity of the AhR-active and immunotoxic compound(s) remains to be determined.


title: Welfare of horses transported to slaughter in Canada and Iceland: Assessment of welfare issues and associated risk factors

contributor: McClure, J Trenton (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Cockram, Michael (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Dohoo, Ian (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Riley, Chris (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Daoust, Pierre-Yves (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: McNiven, Mary (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Friend, Ted (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: McClure, J Trenton (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Daoust, Pierre-Yves (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: VanLeeuwen, John (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 310 application/pdf PUBLISHED

rights: In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree from the University of Prince Edward Island, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis work, or, in their absence, by the Chair of the Department or the Dean of the Faculty in which my thesis work was done. It is understood any copying or publication or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Prince Edward Island in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis.

abstract:
The welfare of horses transported for slaughter is a growing concern in several countries, including Canada, Iceland and the United States of America (USA). Slaughter of horses involves transportation of horses to a regulated facility and slaughter procedures such as lairage and stunning. The main objective of this study was to identify welfare issues and associated risk factors, particularly those associated with transportation.
A welfare assessment protocol was developed to identify pertinent welfare issues, such as injuries, dehydration and fitness for transportation. Prevalence of horses with injuries, a pre-existing clinical condition, a body condition score of less than 3 (on a scale of 5) and those in a non-ambulatory state were calculated. Skin temperature, respiration rate, blood lactate concentration, blood glucose concentration, plasma osmolality, plasma total protein concentration and packed cell volume were also measured.
Welfare assessment of horses in Iceland was undertaken before and after transportation to the slaughter plant and at slaughter. Forty six journeys lasting up to 3 hours were studied. Welfare issues identified were the prevalence of bruising and dehydration. Adults were more prone to bruising and dehydration than foals. Some horses showed signs of consciousness after stunning (1.6%) indicating ineffective stunning.
In Canada, a prospective study observed 150 truckloads of horses after transportation to a Canadian slaughter plant. Associations between risk factors and welfare outcomes were evaluated using linear regression models. Welfare issues identified were prevalence of injuries, pre-existing clinical conditions, low body condition scores, and the presence of some non-ambulatory horses. There was a significant association between journey duration and the number of horses per truckload with injuries. Signs of dehydration were identified and were associated with journey duration and season. Blood lactate concentration at slaughter indicated increased anaerobic metabolic activity, which was affected by season (summer or winter) and lairage duration.
A retrospective study was performed by collating data from all shipper certificates obtained from USDA for journeys in 2009 from the USA to equine slaughter plants in Canada. This study identified journey durations range from one hour to 105 hours.
Some injuries in horses transported for slaughter were visible at ante-mortem inspection, whereas other injuries, such as bruises were not visible until post-mortem examination. Digital infrared thermography (DT) was evaluated as a potential tool to detect bruising ante-mortem. A preliminary study to evaluate factors affecting skin temperature (as measured by DT) indicated that an outdoor environment significantly affected skin temperature measured on different regions of interest (ROI) compared with an indoor environment. However, thermal symmetry between ROIs was maintained in outdoor conditions. Using these findings, a second study was performed to evaluate the methodology to detect bruising ante-mortem. Sensitivity to detect bruising was low, possibly due to selection of horses that did not spend time in lairage (i.e. there was no equilibrium time for skin temperature to stabilise after transport).
In conclusion, in Canada, injuries and dehydration were mainly associated with journey duration, aggressive behaviour between horses and season. In Iceland, injuries and dehydration were mainly associated with age (adult or foal).


title: Eunicea fusca and Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae as a resource for bioactive diterpenes: A journey through drug discovery, glycosylation chemistry, and chemical proteomics

contributor: Kerr, Russell (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: McConkey, Sandra (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Harrison, Paul (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Kerr, Russell (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Linkletter, Barry (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Etkin, Nola (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Saleh, Tarek (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Chapman, Robert (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Hartwig, Sunny (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Linkletter, Barry (Supervisory Committee Member)

format: electronic 311 application/pdf PUBLISHED

rights: In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree from the University of Prince Edward Island, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis work, in their absence, by the Chairman of the Department or the Dean of the Faculty in which the thesis work was done. It is understood any copying or publication or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Prince Edward Island in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis.

abstract:
Natural products have long been recognized for their medicinal value in traditional medicine and remain an important component of modern drug discovery. Known for their immense structural diversity, natural products are secondary metabolites that often exhibit unique pharmacological properties. In the marine habitat, alcyonacean octocorals are a rich source of diterpenes with promising therapeutic potential. For instance, Eunicea fusca contains fuscoside B, a diterpene arabinoside with potent topical anti-inflammatory activity. Notably, fuscoside B selectively inhibits 5-lipoxygenase and has a negligible effect on prostaglandin (PG) biosynthesis. Pseudopteroxazole, an amphilectane diterpene from the octocoral Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae, shows activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiologic agent of tuberculosis.
This thesis describes a variety of approaches to discover and develop diterpenes from alcyonacean corals. An investigation of E. fusca collected from Hillsboro Ledge, Florida has led to the discovery of eunicidiol, a topical anti-inflammatory diterpene. The structure of eunicidiol was elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, while the absolute configuration was unambiguously assigned by the Mosher method. The anti-inflammatory activity of eunicidiol was evaluated by measuring its ability to reduce phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-induced edema in a mouse ear model. Topical application of a 100 μg/ear dose of eunicidiol significantly reduced edema with activity that was superior to indomethacin, an anti-inflammatory drug serving as an industry benchmark.
A library of novel fuscoside B analogues has been synthesized from fuscol and eunicol using a modified Koenigs-Knorr glycosylation approach. This semisynthesis is the first successful glycosylation of fuscol and has provided the eunicosides, a novel structural class of diterpene glycosides. In addition, glycoside mimics were prepared by introducing ethylene glycol (EG)-based substituents in place of the arabinose moiety. The library of compounds was evaluated for anti-inflammatory activity in the PMA-induced mouse ear edema assay, which demonstrated the remarkable influence of the carbohydrate substituent and its configuration on the in vivo efficacy of this glycoside class.
Pseudopteroxazole has shown activity against resistant strains of M. tuberculosis as well as in the low-oxygen-recovery assay (LORA), a mycobacterial model of non-replicating persistence (NRP). To investigate the antitubercular mechanism of action of pseudopteroxazole, a collection of semisynthetic probes was prepared to identify putative protein targets by affinity chromatography. During the course of this synthesis, structure-activity relationships (SAR) were assessed in order to maintain high binding affinity to the target protein(s). This strategy has led to the identification of several putative targets, including (3R)-hydroxyacyl-ACP dehydratase subunit C (HadC). This result suggests that pseudopteroxazole may exert its antitubercular activity, at least in part, by inhibiting mycolic acid biosynthesis.


title: The lonely end of the pink: exploring the lived experiences of men who teach at the K-3 level in Prince Edward Island

contributor: Doiron, Ray (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Doiron, Ray (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Tilleczek, Kate (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Tilleczek, Kate (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 241 application/pdf PUBLISHED

rights: In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree from the University of Prince Edward Island, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis work, or, in their absence, by the Chair of the Department or the Dean of the Faculty in which my thesis was done. It is understood any copying or publication or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Prince Edward Island in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis.

abstract:
While men make up less than 10% of the primary school teaching positions in Prince
Edward Island, researchers are at odds as to the importance of increasing this male presence
within primary settings. What is clear is that the experiences of male primary teachers are
altogether unexplored in Prince Edward Island.
Semi-structured interviews and follow-up conversations were used to explore the
experiences of 13 male primary teachers. Within these experiences, evidence emerged as to why
so few men choose to teach our youngest students. However, The Lonely End of the Pink has a
much broader purpose. This study sought to understand the challenges these men face so that
support for our male primary teachers could be fostered within our school system. In exploring
these experiences, a complex truth emerged: the experience of being a man and teaching at the
primary level is an experience laden with tensions. Many of these tensions are linked to
stereotypes that are deeply ingrained in societal and school cultures; sometimes these tensions are
curiously unbeknownst to the men who teach at the primary level.
The findings of this study suggest that participants had largely similar experiences to
those of men from other locales. They further suggest that a reflexive influence is at play. This
reflexive influence implies that the participants' very interpretations of their own experiences may
be skewed by their limited awareness of the tensions that surround their work. Poetry submitted
by the author reinforces this notion: that our awareness of the tensions that surround us influences
our teaching, our identity as teachers, our professional relationships, and our personal
experiences. This research is ultimately about supporting the men who teach at the primary level
so that they can focus on what is most important – educating our youngest students.


title:
Magnolol affects cellular growth and proliferation in human prostate
cancer cells in vitro

contributor: Hurta, Robert (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Whelan, William (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Lacroix, Christian (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Hurta, Robert (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Lacroix, Christian (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Whelan, William (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Hartwig, Sunny (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Quijon, Pedro (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 185 application/pdf PUBLISHED

rights:
In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a postgraduate
degree from the University of Prince Edward Island, I agree that the Libraries of this
University may make this thesis freely available for inspection and give permission to
add an electronic version of the thesis to the Digital Repository at the University of
Prince Edward Island. Moreover the author agrees that permission for extensive copying
of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who
supervised my thesis work, or, in their absence, by the Chair of the Department or the
Dean of the Faculty in which my thesis work was done. It is understood any copying or
publication or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed
without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to
me and to the University of Prince Edward Island in any scholarly use which may be
made of any material in my thesis.

abstract:
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in men in Canada and
the United States. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to development and
progression of many cancers, including prostate cancer, with prostate cancer affecting
many men worldwide. As such there have been many studies into the effects of natural
products on this form of cancer. This work demonstrates the effects of magnolol, a
compound found in the roots and bark of the magnolia tree Magnolia officinalis, on the
behavior of LNCaP, DU145 and PC3 human prostate cancer cells in vitro. Magnolol was
found to be cytotoxic to human prostate cancer cells, and to affect cell cycle progression
of DU145 and PC3 cells, resulting in alterations to the cell cycle and subsequently
decreasing the proportion of cells entering the G2/M-phase of the cell cycle. Magnolol
inhibited the expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins including cyclins A, B1, D1 and
E, as well as CDK2 and CDK4. Protein expression levels of pRBp107 decreased, while
pRBp130 and p27 protein expression levels increased in response to magnolol exposure.
PC3 cells exposed to magnolol exhibited decreased protein expression of ornithine
decarboxylase, a key regulator in polyamine biosynthesis, as well as affecting expression
of other proteins involved in polyamine biosynthesis and catabolism. Furthermore,
protein expression of the R2 subunit of ribonucleotide reductase was significantly
decreased. Cellular signaling pathways were also assayed to determine which, if any, of
these pathways magnolol exposure would alter. Finally, magnolol was found to affect the
expression of IGF-I and associated proteins in LNCaP and PC3 cells. In both cell lines, protein expression of IGF-I and IGFBP-5 were significantly decreased while protein
expression of IGFBP-3 was significantly increased. The results obtained throughout this
thesis suggest that magnolol can affect the behavior of human prostate cancer cells in
vitro, suggesting that magnolol may have potential as a novel anti-prostate cancer agent.


title: Developing and implementing techniques to harvest surveillance information from existing veterinary diagnostic laboratory data

contributor: McClure, J Trenton (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Hurnik, Daniel (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Revie, Crawford (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Sanchez, Javier (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Kelton, David (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: McEwen, Beverly (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: McNab, W. Bruce (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Muckle, C. Anne (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Revie, Crawford (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Gardner, Ian (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Muckle, C Anne (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Pearl, David (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 187 application/pdf PUBLISHED

rights:
In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree from the University of Prince Edward Island, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis work, or, in their absence, by the Chair of the Department or the Dean of the Faculty in which my thesis work was done. It is understood any copying or publication or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Prince Edward Island in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis.

Contact Author

abstract:
Syndromic surveillance is a tool for continuous, automated extraction of surveillance information
from health data sources. The research documented in this dissertation aimed at exploring informatics
and data mining tools in order to develop and implement techniques to harvest additional
surveillance information from existing diagnostic laboratory data. Data concerning laboratory test
requests for diagnosis in cattle were provided by the Animal Health Laboratory (AHL), at the University
of Guelph, Ontario. A thorough review of the initiatives of syndromic surveillance in animal health was conducted. Documented difficulties
regarding the acquisition of clinical data, and especially sustainability of systems based on voluntary participation of veterinarians or data providers
in scattered locations, resulted in the choice of using laboratory data in this research. Automated
methods to classify laboratory submission data into clinical syndromes were investigated. One of
the challenges of working with laboratory data was determining how to transform diagnostic data
into epidemiological information. The most time-consuming step of class between these words, their
co-occurrences and the target syndromic group. Once deAfter classidata for the algorithms implemented in the next stages. Lastly, the prospective phases of system
development were carried out, that is, the analyses which scan the time series in an on-line process,
one day at a time, in order to detect temporal aberrations in comparison to a baseline of historical
data. Several aberration detection algorithms were evaluated. Upon the conclusion that no single
algorithm was superior in all outbreak scenarios, a scoring system to combine algorithms was developed.
All steps were set up using open source software, and delivered to the data provider as
a simple desktop application scheduled to run daily in an automated manner. Fast development
and simple maintenance is expected to lead to incorporation of this system into the routine of
the data, becoming an indispensable tool for diagnosticians and epidemiologists, and encouraging
further technical development.


title:
Youth livelihood
strategies and the role of youth in environmental decision-making in six villages in
Eastern Cameroon

contributor: Brown, H. Carolyn Peach (Thesis advisor)

contributor: Brown, H. Carolyn Peach (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Brown, H. Carolyn Peach (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Lacroix, Christian (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Teather, Kevin (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Tilleczek, Kate (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Teather, Kevin (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Tilleczek, Kate (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Waters, Bradley (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 188 application/pdf PUBLISHED

abstract:
Youth are an important group within forest communities of Central Africa but can
often be underrepresented within traditional decision-making structures. Since youth will
be affected by the long term impacts of forest management decisions, they have a large
stake in the successful management of resources. This is particularly important given the
context of a changing climate and international discussions on mechanisms to mitigate
climate change, particularly under REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and
Forest Degradation in Developing countries and the role of conservation, sustainable
management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks) which will affect those
who are dependent on forests as a source of livelihood. Given that youth are
underrepresented in research studies, this study aimed to understand whether youth (aged
19 – 30) gain a large proportion of their livelihoods from the forest and if they are
currently represented in local decision-making institutions that relate to forest
governance. The study also aimed to understand, if youth are underrepresented, what
barriers may exist for youth gaining access to such institutions.
A mixed methodological approach, which included focus groups, surveys, and
semi-structured interviews, was used in six villages in the eastern province of Cameroon.
Surveys with young men and women provided a detailed view of youth livelihood
strategies and forest dependence. Focus groups with traditional authorities, community
forest committees, and youth provided in depth information about the role of youth in
decision-making. Despite changes in educational opportunities, youth continue to derive
a large proportion of their livelihood from forest resources. However, changes in
livelihood activities have been noted specifically in the gender division of work. While
youth remain underrepresented in formal village authorities and community forest
committees, they play a large role in the development and functioning of other
institutions in the village such as work groups, savings and loan groups, and other village
associations. Young women are excluded to a greater extent than young men. Barriers to
involvement were identified as youth attitudes, adult perceptions of youth, and, most
importantly, tradition. It was noted that in villages where the youth had formally
organised and elected a president, that it was easier for them to become integrated into
the formal institutions. In these villages, youth, particularly young men, had a means to
contribute to decision-making about forest resources.


title: Analysis of gene expression in endosulfan exposed Homarus Americanus larvae using an oligonucleotide microarray

contributor: Greenwood, Spencer (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Jackman, Paula (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Kamunde, Collins (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Kibenge, Frederick (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Wang, Yingwei (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Lewis, P. Jeffrey (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Fast, Mark (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Greenwood, Spencer (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Jackman, Paula (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Kamunde, Collins (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Akaishi, Fabiola (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Cawthorn, Rick (Supervisory Committee Member)

format: electronic 150 application/pdf PUBLISHED

rights: In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirement for a postgraduate degree from the University of Prince Edward Island, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis work or in their absence by the Chair of the Department or the Dean of the Faculty in which my thesis work was done. It is understood any copying or publication or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and the University of Prince Edward Island in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis.

abstract:
Potato farming and lobster fishing are two important industries on Prince Edward Island. However for both industries to be sustainable, they must be managed responsibly. Recently, agricultural runoff has been suspected to have caused numerous fish kills in rivers throughout the island. Although a pesticide research and monitoring program was implemented for freshwater areas in Canada by Environment Canada, there is insufficient information about pesticide levels and impacts in estuarine and marine environments. One agricultural pesticide of concern is the organochlorine endosulfan that is used to combat the Colorado potato beetle. Endosulfan is a potent neurotoxin and moult inhibitor that can have serious effects on non-target organisms such as the larvae of the American lobster, Homarus americanus.
The lobster life cycle consists of a larval pelagic phase followed by the migration of postlarvae to a benthic habitat. For the lobster to undergo normal development, they must moult their hardened exoskeleton to allow for growth and tissue expansion. One specific moult event is linked to the crucial developmental stage of metamorphosis, wherein the lobster transitions from a larva to a postlarva. Metamorphosis is a sensitive developmental period during which the lobster experiences significant morphological, physiological, biochemical, behavioural and ecological changes. Since this is a critical stage of development, exposure to endosulfan could have deleterious effects on development and survival of lobster larvae.
The focus of this study was to determine the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of endosulfan on gene expression during metamorphosis of lobster larvae. Endosulfan causes serious developmental delays and deformities in an array of
vi
species, however very little is known about the regulation of gene expression during pesticide exposure. The use of a custom made high throughput lobster, H. americanus, microarray allowed for monitoring of 14,592 genes based on unique lobster expressed sequence tags (EST). A pooled reference design was used to identify changes in gene expression between 5 endosulfan concentrations and a control. Genes with >1.5 fold change and identified as being significant at p < 0.05 using one-way ANOVA were selected for further analysis. There were 707 genes identified as being significantly differentiated. However with only ~40% annotation of the array, the majority of these genes were unknown. Annotated genes were involved in many processes: development, metabolism, immune and oxidative stress response and gene regulation.
Nine genes of interest (GOI) were selected for reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis to validate the microarray results. For optimal RT-qPCR normalization, 5 housekeeping genes were identified and validated using geNorm. Although the RT-qPCR detected a similar expression pattern as the microarray, the microarray results were often greatly under expressed. Due to discrepancies between expression levels in the microarray compared to the RT-qPCR method, the correlation values between the two were low.
Endosulfan had a serious effect on survival, development and gene expression during metamorphosis. The long term objective of this research will be to use microarray gene expression profiles as screening tools for identifying what contaminants are present in the environment.


title: The lived experience of dignity in older adults living with schizophrenia: a phenomenological study

contributor: McInnis-Perry, Gloria (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Weeks, Lori (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Foley, Vicki (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: MacDonald, Jo-Ann (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: McInnis-Perry, Gloria (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Weeks, Lori (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Foley, Vicki (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Murphy, Norma (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 113 application/pdf PUBLISHED

rights: In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a graduate degree from the University of Prince Edward Island, the author has agreed that the Robertson Library, University of Prince Edward Island, may make this thesis freely available for inspection and gives permission to add an electronic version of the thesis to the Digital Repository at the University of Prince Edward Island. Moreover the author further agrees that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised the author’s thesis work, or, in their absence, by the Chair of the Department or the Dean of the Faculty in which the author’s thesis work was done. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to the author and to the University of Prince Edward Island in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in the author’s thesis.

abstract: There is a lack of nursing literature on the older adults’ perceptions of dignity, and in particular those older adults living with schizophrenia. When older adults experience a lack of dignity, their sense of value is weakened and they are more likely to feel like a burden to others which can lead them to question their existence. With the aging of our population, mental health services and support for older individuals with schizophrenia will become a greater priority to ensure that they reach their optimal level of psychosocial functioning while maintaining human dignity and self-worth. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the meaning of the lived experience of dignity for older adults with schizophrenia who reside in licensed community care facilities. A purposive sample of 8 older adults, aged 60 years and older living with schizophrenia and residing in licensed community care facilities, volunteered to describe their experience with dignity. Using a semi-structured interview guide and following Giorgi’s (2009, 2012) phenomenological psychological method, all interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed. Over 500 large meaning units and 200 small meaning units were found and clustered into five essences or as Giorgi (2009, 2012) refers to as constituents. Dignity is intrinsic, extrinsic and reciprocal. It is embedded in social relationships; can be eroded by ageism, stigma, discrimination, and alienation; is interrupted when the person is acutely ill, yet can be enhanced when the older adult and others embrace a recovery-focused relationship. These findings have implications for mental health nursing in understanding and supporting dignity in the older adult living with schizophrenia.


title: The relationship between humans and urban foxes on Prince Edward Island

contributor: Silva-Opps, Marina (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Peach Brown, Carolyn (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Arfken, Michael (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Silva-Opps, Marina (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Peach Brown, Carolyn (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Arfken, Michael (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: MacQuarrie, Kate E. (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 83 application/pdf PUBLISHED

abstract: This study examines the relationship between humans and urban foxes living in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. In recent years colloquial evidence suggests that there has been an increase in foxes living in urban areas of Prince Edward Island, which may eventually lead to an increase in negative interactions. An online questionnaire was administered to 456 residents of Prince Edward Island, in order to explore their attitudes and interactions towards foxes. The survey results were examined using thematic analysis in order to identify common attitudes towards foxes in residents of Charlottetown. The themes identified were: positive attitudes towards urban foxes, negative attitudes towards urban foxes, concern for the safety of foxes, concern for the safety of humans, concern about loss of wildlife habitat, and concerns about humans feeding foxes. Our findings showed that most respondents on Prince Edward Island have positive attitudes and feelings towards foxes. In order to explore the relationship between humans and urban foxes, the histories of foxes in England and Prince Edward Island were documented and compared. Foxes began entering urban areas in England during the 1940s, and were initially received well. Due to a large population of bold urban foxes, as well as outbreaks of disease in the fox population, foxes are now less welcome in urban areas of England. By comparing human attitudes regarding foxes between Prince Edward Island and England, we hope to obtain insights into future attitudes towards foxes on Prince Edward Island.


title: The tiered approach to support all learners in inclusive classrooms

contributor: Thorne, Carolyn (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Sanchez, Gabriela (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Moisey, Susan (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 274 application/pdf

abstract:
The aim of the inclusive education strategy in schools in Ontario is for “all students to participate in the education program in a common learning environment with support to diminish and remove barriers and obstacles that may lead to exclusion” (Inclusive Education Canada, 2017, par. 3). This means not just placing students with special education needs in mainstream classrooms, but ensuring they receive the support they need to access the curriculum in the way they learn best. This qualitative case study explores how teachers are using technology and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to identify learning needs, implement instructional strategies and monitor student’s progress in the Response to Intervention (RTI) tiered approach. Due to the impacts of learning during the pandemic, I investigated the instructional practices of eight elementary school teachers in bricks and mortar and virtual inclusive classrooms. From the data two critical areas for successful inclusion were identified: 1) teachers’ capacity for inclusive teaching and 2) student needs. Within the area of teacher’s capacity, four themes impacting capacity either positively or negatively emerged: 1) opportunities for technology training; 2) availability of inclusive education training; 3) building student-teacher partnerships; 4) sharing responsibilities through teacher-teacher partnerships. An additional eleven themes unfolded that related to the needs of students: 1) building student relationships; 2) using inconsistent assessment tools and methods; 3) identifying instructional needs; 4) creating opportunities to increase student engagement; 5) increasing engagement with collaborative learning through technology; 6) accommodating student’s needs with an Individual Education Plan (IEP); 7) differentiating instruction through the content, process
and the environment of learning; 8) providing choice of evaluation methods with technology; 9) ensuring differentiation through the product of learning; 10) monitoring the effectiveness of accommodations in the Individual Education Plan (IEP); 11) recognizing the impact of marking and providing feedback on teacher’s capacity. The findings illustrated how teachers combined RTI, UDL and technology to implement successful inclusive classrooms and overcome their initial challenges of time, and lack of training. Based on these findings and the current literature, a summary of practical recommendations to assist teachers in the transition to inclusion has been included in the discussion chapter. A pilot training program has also been proposed with full details in Appendix P and a summary of effective strategies aligned to each component of the Tiered Approach is also included in Appendix Q.


title: Exploring the potential of an organometallic dendrimer in materials science and biological applications

contributor: Linkletter, Barry (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Farooque, Aitazaz (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Carraher, Charles (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Dahn, Douglas (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 210 application/pdf

abstract:
In this research, a series of novel organometallic dendrimers were synthesized using a divergent approach, and their potential in materials science as “nanocomposites and magnetic materials” and biomedical applications were investigated. The structure of the dendrimers was confirmed by their spectral data and elemental analysis. Nine-mole ratios of nanocomposites, consisting of an organometallic dendrimer and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), were synthesized. The mole ratio of MoS2 to the dendrimer was systematically varied from an upper limit (1:0.5) to a lower limit (1:0.002). These nanocomposites exhibited high crystallinity and showed an increase in d-spacing upon intercalation of the dendrimer molecules. The ideal condition for the preparation a crystalline monophasic system is at low dendrimer concentration, no more significant than 1:0.125 molar ratio of MoS2 to dendrimer and no lower than 1: 0.002 molar ratio, while biphasic systems were observed at a molar ratio higher than a 1:0.125 of MoS2 to the dendrimer due to dendrimer aggregation at high concentration.
The synthesized organometallic dendrimers were also investigated as a new type of precursor for the assembly of magnetic materials that contain a mixture of iron- and cobalt-phosphides phases with tunable magnetism. Electron microscopy indicated the crystalline nature of the nearly aggregated particles for both designed magnetic samples. Fe-containing homometallic dendrimers and Fe/Co-containing heterometallic dendrimers were used to develop magnetic materials containing multimetallic phosphide phases. In contrast to heterometallic samples, homometallic samples showed dendritic effects on their magnetic properties. Specifically, saturation magnetization (Ms) and coercivity (Hc) decrease as dendritic generation increases. Also, the incorporation of cobalt into the homometallic dendrimers led to markedly increases in the magnetic properties of the magnetic materials from 60 - 75 emu/g. Temperature change responses showed that heterometallic samples were less sensitive to temperature changes than homometallic dendrimers due to the presence of Co2P.
Furthermore, organometallic dendrimers were also functionalized with aspirin units in the periphery to enhance the bioavailability activity of aspirin and diminished its toxicity through successive generations of organoiron dendrimers. Furthermore, four generations of aspirin-derived dendrimers were synthesized, and their biological activity was also evaluated. All the developed complexes were tested in vitro for their antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6051), and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC12600), Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli (ATCC 1175), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC10145) using agar well diffusion. An increase in the antimicrobial activity of all synthesized dendrimers with increasing generations was observed for most microorganisms. Indeed, this study reveals for the first time that organometallic dendrimers linked with aspirin show an excellent Gram-negative ability comparable to the standard drug Gentamicin. All created dendrimers were also tested for their anti-tumor activity against breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7), hepatocellular cell lines (Hep-G2), and a non-cancer cell line Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK293), utilizing the MTT cell viability assay and compared against a reference anticancer drug, Doxorubicin. Complexes G3-D9-Asp and G4-D12-Asp showed noticeable activity toward both cell lines, which were more effective than aspirin itself. Furthermore, the in vivo anti-inflammatory activity and histopathology of swollen paws were examined and displayed significant anti-inflammatory activity for all designed complexes; however, G2-D6-Asp displayed the best anti-inflammatory ability, which was stronger than the reference drug during the same period. Therefore, the functionalized organometallic dendrimer with aspirin demonstrated a significant reduction in the toxicity of aspirin on the stomach.


title: Recruitment of international students in Canadian higher education: factors influencing students’ perceptions and experiences

contributor: Miller, Tess (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: James, Melissa (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Miller, Tess (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: James, Melissa (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: FitzGerald, Anne Marie (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Zhou, George (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 157 application/pdf

abstract: Working with education agents is common for many Canadian higher education institutions (HEIs) to recruit international students due to the key role education agents play in bridging the international students with foreign HEIs. The purpose of this study was to explore international students' perceptions and experiences with education agents, thus collecting feedback from international students, revealing potential issues, and suggesting improvements in HEIs’ recruitment strategy. An online survey combined with a paper format survey was distributed to current or recent international students across Canada. Two scales were used to measure participants' perceptions and experiences with education agents. A total of 385 participants completed the survey. Findings revealed that nearly half of the participants used education agent services during their application to Canadian HEIs. However, their perceptions and experiences with education agents were not positive. Participants described practices of double-dipping by agents and the more participants paid agents, the less satisfied they tended to be. The outcome of this study highlights issues in the recruitment of international students, identifies strategies to regulate agents’ practices, and strategies to better support international students. These findings can be used by Canadian HEIs to improve their recruitment strategy and create a better working relationship with education agents to support the transition of international students to Canadian HEIs.


title: Living with COPD during the COVID-19 Pandemic: a phenomenological study

contributor: Charlton, Pat (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Macartney, Gail (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Montelpare, William (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Charlton, Pat (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Loo, Janet (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Drake, Patrice (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 119 application/pdf

abstract:
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created a major health crisis worldwide. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Prince Edward Island (PEI) and has emerged as a risk factor for COVID-19 disease severity. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of Islanders living with COPD during the COVID-19 pandemic. A purposive sampling technique was used to recruit Islanders living with COPD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were between the ages 55 and 76 years of age, and most identified as being female and having obtained higher education. Semi-structured interviews were completed via telephone or in person with seven participants over a one-month period using a prepared interview guide. This study was guided by Giorgi’s (2009) phenomenological, psychological research method. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and the researcher kept a detailed audit trail during the study. Giorgi’s (2009) descriptive phenomenological psychological research method provided structure for data collection and analysis. It was also used to form a description of the meaning of the participants’ experiences of living with COPD during the COVID-19 pandemic. The four constituents identified include: (a) experiencing fear and anxiety about the future related to the COVID-19 pandemic; (b) experiencing implications of loss; (c) striving for improved health and wellness; and (d) expressing concern for others. This study could empower healthcare providers and caregivers to gain a better understanding of living with COPD during the COVID-19 pandemic, which could inform future policy and program development.
Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COVID-19.


title: Investigation of pain in equine patients using heart rate variability, salivary cortisol concentration, and behavioural pain scores

contributor: Montelpare, William (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Coté, Etienne (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Creighton, Cate (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: McNiven, Mary (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Creighton, Cate (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: John, Emily (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: McDuffee, Laurie (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Proudfoot, Kathryn (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 81 application/pdf

abstract:
Equine pain assessment is challenging as horses minimize the display of pain and are unable to self-report. Current methods of pain assessment are subjective and there is no gold standard or universally accepted pain assessment tool in equine patients. It is vital that veterinarians can recognize pain to adequately treat painful conditions and maintain animal welfare. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a non-invasive measure that reflects autonomic nervous system maintenance of cardiovascular homeostasis and may be used as an indicator of physiological stress and pain. This study had two objectives, first to compare measures of HRV, salivary cortisol, and pain scores in the assessment of pain among equine patients upon referral hospital admission; and to compare physiological and behavioral responses within a cohort of equine patients undergoing surgical treatment. It was hypothesized that there would be correlation between physiological and behavioural measures of pain. Data collected included HRV measurements, salivary cortisol concentration, and behavioural pain scores using three published pain scales. Horses were classified on admission as painful or not painful by a priori classification based on clinical perception. Data was collected on the day of hospital admission (T1), and twice postoperatively in surgical patients: T2, anesthetic recovery; and T3, prior to postoperative analgesia. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, and t-test comparisons between groups of painful versus not painful horses. Pearson’s correlation determined measures of association between pain scores and physiological variables, and ANOVA compared perioperative time points. A total of 59 horses were included in the study, with 39 horses undergoing various surgical procedures. On hospital admission, painful horses had higher pain scores, standard deviation of the normal RR interval (SDNN) and salivary cortisol concentrations than horses classified as not painful. All pain scales positively correlated with SDNN, and one scale each correlated with mean heart rate (MnHR) and salivary cortisol. Variables significantly altered perioperatively were the mean RR interval (MnRR), MnHR, and salivary cortisol. Anesthetic recovery (T2) was most significantly different perioperatively with the highest salivary cortisol and MnHR, and lowest MnRR; this indicates higher physiological stress at this time. This may be due to general anesthesia or the recovery experience, however pain scores also trended towards being elevated postoperatively, suggesting pain at this time. Study limitations include the high variability of the equine patients and clinical conditions, and the inability to separate physiological stress from pain. The lack of a generally accepted gold standard pain assessment tool also restricted pain evaluation to a subjective scale. Both SDNN and salivary cortisol were significantly higher in the painful group of horses, suggesting that these parameters may be useful in detecting pain. Heart rate appears too insensitive to be
a reliable indicator of pain in the horse. Additionally, a pain scale was selected that appears robust in this population of equine patients. Having objective non-invasive measures of pain could improve accurate recognition and treatment of equine pain, with the goal of benefiting equine patient welfare. Further studies are required to better define these relationships and determine clinically significant cut-off values.


title: Narrative research on Asian students’ interpretations and integrations of their worldviews studying in a Master of Education (MEd) program in Canada

contributor: Gauthier, Rachelle (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Wiebe, Sean (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Han, Hsiao-Cheng (Sandrine) (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Gauthier, Rachelle (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Moffatt, Lyndsay (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 197 application/pdf

abstract: Canada is one of the favored destinations for Asian students to pursue their postgraduate study in Education. Asian students in this thesis refer to Chinese and Vietnamese students from Sinosphere influenced by Confucianism in East Asia. However, those graduate students often encounter a wide range of language, academic, social, cultural, and employment challenges. These challenges provide them opportunities to digest new experiences, reflect on their own knowledge and values, and integrate that knowledge into their own perspectives. Yet, these transformative experiences are seldom discussed. This thesis describes the experiences of six Master of Education students studying in Atlantic Canada. Utilizing narrative inquiry, important factors and mindsets relating to transformative growth are outlined holistically so that each participant's story can be understood through the context of lived experience. This study took place during the pandemic of COVID-19, so the findings are constrained by and informative of studying during the pandemic. Analyses included grouping participants into two characters, a single female and a female with family. Themes, contextual setting, actions, problems, and solutions were identified. Findings address how participants have interpreted their new experiences and integrated these experiences into their original worldviews studying in Canada and highlight how these events triggered them to internalize their experience and create meaning. Participants found increasing self-understanding and positive attitudes in learning as two experiences toward positive changes. In addition, the findings point to four major difficult experiences faced by participants: a lack of confidence in English speaking, insufficient crosscultural social connections, inadequate critical thinking ability, and limited choices in career. Implications focus on how to provide the total experience for students with the collaboration of the Education faculty, various departments in universities, the provincial governments, and future employers.