title: Examining The Impact of Campus Intramural Sports Participation on Students’ Sense of Community Using A Pre-Test Post-Test Design

subject:
Campus Recreation
Intramural Sports
Sense of Community
Perceived Community

abstract: Participation in out-of-class activities and campus recreation/intramural sports are some of the most popular activities for students on college campuses and one of the most beneficial social outlets for students. However only recently has this connection been examined more deeply. Due to the overwhelming number of students participating in these programs and services it is important to examine the impact of participation in an attempt to better understand the degree to which involvement in campus recreational sports contributes to students’ sense of community. The purpose of this quantitative pre-test post-test study was to examine changes in students’ perceived sense of community over the duration of an intramural season. One hundred and forty-seven intramural participants (N=147) completed a pre-test questionnaire on their first week of their intramural sport season and a post-test on their last week of their intramural sport season. The initial plan of analysis to complete a Repeated Measures Multiple Analysis of Co-Variance (MANCOVA) was stopped promptly due to high mean scores from participants. For each question and factor the data was so consistently skewed and high it was simply not normally distributed leading to assumptions to be broken immediately. A Non-parametric design model Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyze the data instead which indicates that there was not a significant change testing factors mean score ranks between the pre and post-test. This finding demonstrates that there was not a significant difference in participants perception of sense of community but rather participants had high perceived feelings of sense of community both times they were tested. This study supports the findings of previous research which has found that those students who are involved in recreational sports in a post-secondary environment receive both perceived feelings of sense of community but also relationship building opportunities and experiences. Future research should focus on studying perceptions of sense of community and to explore other areas of a campus community, such as; clubs, varsity sports teams, events, etc. Through studying other areas of a campus community there would be the ability to indicate if there are differences or similarities between feelings of sense of community by specific programs.


title: Immunoendocrine profiles in neurocysticercosis patients: a clinical study in Honduras

subject:
Immunoendocrine
Neurocysticercosis
Taenia solium
Taeniasis

abstract: Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a parasitic infection caused by the infiltration and localization of the larval stage of the tapeworm Taenia solium within the central nervous system (CNS). Clinical presentation and severity are heterogeneous and depend particularly on the age and sex of its host. A clinical study was conducted to evaluate specific endocrine and immune status changes that are associated with NCC. A total of 11 (9 female and 2 male) NCC patients were recruited and matched by sex and age with 11 healthy subjects. Evaluations for 7 hormones and 2 cytokines were measured and compared between patients and their matched controls. Compared with controls, all patients had statistically significant higher serum concentration levels of 17β-estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4), androstenedione (A4), luteinising hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-10 (IL-10). In contrast, NCC patients showed significantly lower concentrations of free testosterone (T4), and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). To our knowledge, the present study constitutes one of the first demonstrations in humans that the presence of T. solium metacestodes can modify the host microenviornment by the induction of immunoendocrine changes. In summary, the present work adds to the growing body of knowledge indicating how this parasitic infection may modulate the host for its successful establishment and survival. In addition to being “curiosity-driven”, the ultimate aim of this type of work is to provide insight into the design of new therapeutic strategies. Among these, researchers in the field envision novel treatments or vaccines with the ability to block specific parasite molecules, thereby inhibiting the cysticercus establishment in the CNS, or at least shortening its survival and improving the pathological markers associated with neurocysticercosis.


title: Generation Z and Attending Traditional Spectator Sports: A Study of Contemporary Sport Consumer Behaviour

subject:
Generation Z
Spectator Sports
Consumer Behaviour
Segmented Marketing

abstract: Understanding consumer behaviour and attracting new generations of consumers are important aspects of operating a successful sport organization (Teed et al., 2008). However, limited academic attention has been given to the most recently emergent generation: Generation Z (Gen Z). Moreover, it has been shown that the interest level in traditional spectator sports is waning amongst younger consumers (Richelieu & Pons, 2005; 2009) and, most recently, Gen Z (Kuchefski, 2018; Whistle, 2018). The purpose of this research was therefore to better understand the sport consumption behaviours of this Gen Z by examining both the motivators and inhibitors to their nominal spectator sport consumption. Participants (n=17) were recruited physically in Hamilton, Ontario and virtually through social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Using a semi-structured format, a total of three synchronous online focus group interviews were conducted with individuals from Gen Z. It was clear from a thorough analysis of the data that participants viewed the consumption of traditional spectator sports analogously with attending live games. Thus, the data, its themes, and its implications were inherently linked to attending traditional spectator sports. Although there were important intragroup differences found, several important motivators and inhibitors were present. Socialization, status, and experimental behaviours all presented as significant motives for Gen Z to attend traditional spectator sports. Alternatively, issues with affordability and a shared unrest proved to be important inhibitors to nominal spectator sport consumption. Directions for future research and recommendations are presented and discussed.


title: The effects of control versus no control, within a dyad, for the acquisition of a novel motor skill

subject:
Motor Learning
Dyad Learning
Self-Controlled Practice
Peer-Controlled Practice

abstract: The motor learning literature has shown that alternating dyad practice (i.e. switching between Actor and Observer roles after each practice trial) is both an effective and efficient method of practice. The present experiment examined the effects of providing dyad learners with control over when to switch roles with their partner and investigated the potential differences between when the Actor had control versus the Observer. Further, this experiment investigated the different switching strategies adopted by the dyad learners, when provided control. During acquisition, participants performed a speed cup-stacking task, and returned approximately twenty-four hours later for delayed retention and sequence transfer tests. The results showed participants who controlled their role-switching schedule learned the task relatively similarly to those who did not have control, as well as to those who practice individually. Additionally, providing the Actors with control over their schedule resulted in equivalent learning outcomes to the Observers who were provided control. Finally, the learners who were provided control adopted various switching strategies, highlighting the dynamic nature of dyad practice. Overall, these novel findings suggest that dyad learners can control their role-switching schedule, without undermining learning, and thus provide further support for dyad practice as an effective and efficient method of practice.


title: Muscle Up: Psychobiological Responses to Social-Evaluative Body Image Threats in University Male Athletes and Non-Athletes

subject:
Athletes
Cortisol
Body Dissatisfaction
Body Shame
Social-Self Preservation Theory

abstract: Negative body image often occurs as a result of social evaluation of the physique in men. However, athletes tend to experience fewer body image concerns compared to non-athletes. Social-self preservation theory (SSPT) holds that social-evaluative threats (SETs) elicit consistent psychobiological responses (salivary cortisol and shame) to protect one’s social-esteem, status, and standing. Actual body image SETs have shown consistent psychobiological changes consistent with SSPT in men, however, these responses in athletes have yet to be examined due to the unique relationship they have with their bodies. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to examine psychobiological (i.e., body dissatisfaction and shame and salivary cortisol) responses to an acute laboratory body image SET in 49 male varsity athletes and 63 non-athletes from a university community between the ages of 18 and 28 years old. Participants were randomized into a high or low body image SET conditions, stratified by athlete status, and measures of body dissatisfaction and shame and salivary cortisol were taken across the session. Results showed significant time-by-condition interactions, such that athletes and non-athletes had significant increases in salivary cortisol, when controlling for baseline values, and state body shame following the high-threat condition only. Consistent with SSPT, body image SETs led to increased state body shame and salivary cortisol, although there were no differences in these responses between university non-athletes and university male athletes from non-aesthetic sports. By contrast, previous studies have found that elite level athletes showed blunted psychobiological responses to performance based SETs compared to non-exercisers. It is possible that athletes in the present study did not compete at a high enough level to reduce the effects of SETs; it is also possible that differences in sport type between the athletes in the current study and those in previous studies may explain differences in findings. It is also possible that body image threats lead to unique responses compared to more general, performance-based threats. Future research should continue to examine the relationship between athletes and their body image by investigating the impact of competition level and sport type within a Canadian university sport context.


title: Letting Your Students Fail: A Grounded Theory Study of Overcoming Failure Experiences in Undergraduate Experiential Education

subject:
experiential education
failure
failure experiences
experiential learning
pedagogy for failure

abstract: This research aimed to understand how students overcome and learn from failure experiences in a non-clinical undergraduate health-related experiential education program. A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to address this question. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten previous students from an experiential education program (I-EQUIP) using a semi-structured interview guide. Reflexive journaling and memo-writing were also employed as methods of data collection. A theoretical explanation was generated highlighting how students overcome failure through altering their expectations in four themes: 1) evolving expectations of self, 2) managing expectations of others, 3) modifying expectations of project, and 4) building flexibility of expectations. This research describes failure as a tool for learning, supporting it as a positive experience as opposed to a negative one. It also presents recommendations for pedagogy on failure in experiential education programs, describing necessary supports, how to build flexible thinking, and the importance of introducing failure early in the curriculum. Ultimately, results of this study inform a framework to help students overcome failure in experiential programs, identifying how to harness these as learning opportunities and highlighting opportunities for program improvement.


title: Low-dose lithium supplementation influences GSK3β activity in the brains of an early, diet-induced sporadic Alzheimer’s disease mouse model

subject:
insulin resistance
GSK3β
Alzheimer's disease
lithium
high-fat diet

abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by neurofibrillary tangles, amyloid-beta plaques, and cognitive decline. Research supports that key highlights of Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM; i.e. obesity and insulin resistance) are significant risk factors for AD. At the forefront of both AD and T2DM pathologies is increased glycogen synthase kinase 3-β (GSK3β) activity. Targeting the inhibition of GSK3β has thus been suggested as an AD prophylactic. Lithium (Li), is a well-known natural GSK3β inhibitor, but is associated with dose-dependent adverse side effects. I thus aimed to examine the effects of low-dose Li supplementation on brain GSK3β activity, the development of AD pathologies, and markers of insulin signaling in a diet-induced insulin resistant mouse model. Male C57BL/6J mice were divided into either a 6-week (n = 24) or 12-week study (n = 72). In the 6-week study, mice were fed a chow diet (CON; n = 12) or a chow diet with Li-supplemented drinking water (Li; 10 mg / kg / day; n = 12) for 6 weeks. Alternatively, in the 12-week study, mice were fed a chow diet (CON; n = 24), a high-fat diet (HFD; 60% fat; n = 24), or a HFD with Li-supplemented drinking water (HFD+Li; n = 24) for 12 weeks. Prefrontal cortex and hippocampal tissues were collected for analysis. HFD and HFD+Li mice experienced significant weight gain and had impaired glucose and insulin tolerance compared to CON mice. Furthermore, HFD+Li mice had reduced caloric efficiency and rescued insulin degrading enzyme content compared to HFD mice. With respect to GSK3β activity, increases in inhibitory p-GSK3β Ser9 were not observed until 12 weeks in the HFD+Li compared to CON mice, however actual activity was reduced after only 6 weeks in the Li compared to CON mice. Collectively, these data provides evidence for low-dose Li supplementation to improve diet-induced impairments that can otherwise contribute to AD. Moreover, these results indicate that GSK3β activity can be inhibited despite any changes in phosphorylation. These findings contribute to an overall greater understanding of low-dose Li’s ability to influence GSK3β activity in the brain and its potential as an AD prophylactic.


title: Victimization by bullying and non-bullying aggression: An evolutionary psychological perspective

subject: Victimization by bullying

subject: Victimization by non-bullying aggression

subject: Power balance

subject: Evolutionary psychology

subject: Psychosocial vulnerability

abstract: Using an evolutionary psychological perspective, I investigated the correlates of two kinds of peer victimization with differential power relations between the perpetrator and victim. Bullying is goal-directed aggression towards an individual with less power than the perpetrator. In contrast, non-bullying aggression is aimed towards an individual of equal or greater power than the perpetrator. Specifically, I examined the relation between psychosocial vulnerability and evolutionary advantages with both types of victimization. A total of 627 adolescents aged 9-14 years (M = 11.93; SD = 1.40) completed self-report and peer nomination measures. Indicators of psychosocial vulnerability included emotional problems and fewer close friendships. Evolutionary advantages were assessed by measuring peer-nominated physical attractiveness, dating popularity, perceived popularity, and respect by others. Victimization by bullying was not related to psychosocial vulnerability, but was negatively associated with physical attractiveness, perceived popularity, and respect. As predicted, victimization by non-bullying aggression was positively associated with all four evolutionary advantages. The results demonstrate the importance of measuring the power relation between the perpetrator and victim when studying peer victimization. Adolescents victimized by those with greater power may be targeted due to the vulnerability of having fewer evolutionary advantages. In contrast, adolescents victimized by those of equal or less power may be targeted due to competition and rivalry, insofar as they possess greater evolutionary advantages than their peers, which mark them as rivals.


title: Can exergaming improve mental health of university students?

subject:
Active Video Gaming
Mental Health
Quality of Life
Psychosocial Health
Physical Activity

abstract: The academic, financial, and social pressures that emerge when adults begin university may lead them to encounter mental health challenges (American College Health Association [ACHA], 2016). In Ontario, 46.2% of university/college students have reported ‘excessive’ stress whereas 64.5% report ‘overwhelming’ anxiety (ACHA, 2016). One approach that may be useful for enhancing mental health is exergaming which uses motion-sensor technology requiring players to move their bodies to complete the videogame sessions (Huang et al., 2017). However, studies focused on the effectiveness of exergaming for improving mental health of university students are scarce in number and limited in scope. The overall purpose of this dissertation was to examine the role of exergaming in relation to mental health reported by university students. In Study 1, a synthesis of published intervention research using exergaming to change well-being – a psychological concept affiliated with mental health – reported by adults was conducted. Results from Study 1 indicated that less than 50.0% of the coded studies - using either multi- or single-group (pre-post-test) research designs - reported enhanced well-being as a function of exergaming. In Study 2, the link between the amount and intensity of exergaming behaviour per week and mental health reported by university students was evaluated. Results from Study 2 indicated that university students who reported more frequent exergaming behaviour during a typical week displayed lower anxiety and stress plus higher flourishing and vitality. In Study 3, the contributions of exergaming to mental health of university students were investigated using an experimental research design that compared exergaming against other physical activity behaviours and self-management approaches. Results from Study 3 showed that ‘exergamers’ did not present higher or lower mental health scores compared against ‘traditional’ exercisers but displayed less stress and anxiety when compared against pet therapy, as well as, higher vitality plus lower stress and anxiety compared to ‘non-exercisers’. The results from these studies make it apparent that exergaming may not offer anything ‘unique’ as a stimulus beyond more traditional modes of exercise, but it fosters mental health of university students.


title: The effect of neighbourhood cohesion on mental health across sexual orientations: a longitudinal study

subject:
LGB health
mental health
neighbourhood effects
social cohesion

abstract:
Given the persistent mental health disparities between sexual minorities and the general population, social epidemiological research should address this disparity by investigating the differential impact of neighbourhood social environments across sexual orientations. There is growing evidence that neighbourhood cohesion, conceptualized as a sense of belonging and social connection, is an important social determinant of mental health in the general population, but little is known about its impact across sexual orientations.
Using data from the UK household longitudinal study (2009-2018) including waves 1, 3, 6, and 9 (n= 52,903), this paper examined the longitudinal relationship between neighbourhood cohesion and mental health (using GHQ-12) across sexual orientations. A fixed-effect regression approach was taken to model the within-person change over time in GHQ predicted by neighbourhood cohesion with disaggregated analyses by gender and sexual orientation.
Across all sexual orientations and genders, individuals who experienced an increase in neighbourhood cohesion also saw an improvement in their mental health over time. Moreover, the effect of neighbourhood cohesion on mental health over time differed by sexual orientation. Each 1-point increase in neighbourhood cohesion (on a 5-point scale) lead to mental health improvements of -0.8 GHQ score (95%CI -0.89 to -0.71) for heterosexual males at the lowest end, and up to -1.71 GHQ score (95%CI -2.31 to -1.11) for homosexual men at the highest end.
Given that the study demonstrates notable differences in the effects of neighbourhood social environment across gender and sexual orientations, this points to the need to consider sexual orientation (along with gender) as a key modifier in research involving neighbourhood effects. Future studies should evaluate the effectiveness of specific policies aimed at improving the neighbourhood social environment for sexual minorities to help close mental health disparities.


title: Exploring the Use of a Gender Equity Lens in Local Government Recreation Policies

subject:
advocacy coalition
gender equity
local government recreation
policy
subsystem actors

abstract: This single instrumental case study sought to explore how a local government recreation department applies gender equity in its policies. Relying on Merriam’s (2009) case study approach and the Advocacy Coalition Framework developed by Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith (1988) and adapted by Jenkins-Smith, Nohrstedt, Weible, and Sabatier (2014), the perspectives of ten recreation professionals within an Ontario local government recreation department were examined through document analysis and semi-structured interviews. This study uncovered the complexities surrounding meanings associated with gender equity and strategies and related challenges when trying to operationalize gender equity into new and existing policies. Findings contributed to existing research gaps by uncovering four key themes: (1) foundations of gender equity policy in parks, recreation and culture, (2) information and guiding principles that direct practice, (3) fostering gender equity and inclusivity, and (4) challenges associated with gender equity. This study contributed to existing policy studies by identifying subsystem actors including city staff from other departments, library services, emergency services, and elected officials, Inclusivity Advisory Committee, users’ groups, and private organizations (i.e., Girl’s Hockey League, Minor Hockey Association, Skating Club, Ringette League), and individual residents who presented short-term constraints and resources for recreation professionals who sought to advance inclusion and gender equity goals. The findings of this study highlighted a need to increase gender equity policy awareness, policy support for transgender community members, dialogue between subsystem actors to establish concrete understandings of gender equity and gain support from the public to advance gender equity goals.


title: "(Having?) Doing it All”: A Narrative Exploration of Self-Care and Well-being  for Generation X Women at Midlife

subject:
Generation X
Women
Self-Care
Well-Being
Leisure

abstract:
Inspired by my own experiences as a woman moving through midlife, the purpose of this research was to better understand the lived experience of Generation X women. Specifically, the study investigated the relationship between self-care and well-being as the women navigate their changing bodies and negotiate, resist and/or reproduce social role expectations. Using a critical constructivist perspective and guided by the Life Course framework, this narrative study involved two reflexive, dyadic interviews with 21 Generation X women (born between 1965-1980). As part of the study, women took photographs that represented their experiences, and the images and narratives were included in the data.
Use of Reissman’s (2008) narrative thematic analysis revealed four major thematic areas: (a) The Multiple Meanings of Self-Care: It’s Whatever is Important to You, (b) The Big Lie: Having Doing it All, (c) Who is she? What is this?: Changing Bodies, and (d) Navigating Self-Care: Something has to Give. Each thematic area is comprised of several subthemes that narrate the women’s experiences. Thematic areas are first presented in pastiche form, which is a representation much like a quilt that provides a weave of participants’ co-existing meanings (Ely, Vinz, Downing, & Anzul, 1997). The pastiche is then followed by written thematic analysis of the findings using verbatim quotations from participants, as well as my own personal reflections.
Taken together, the findings highlight the myriad ways the social backdrop of ‘having it all’ has influenced the life experiences and well-being of these women. More precisely, findings show how the women reproduce and resist social role expectations placed on them in the practise of their self-care, and introduces the concepts of mindful connection, self-care shaming and the archetypal Crone to the self-care literature. As the experiences of Generation X women have largely been ignored in research across disciplines, this research provides important contributions to the self-care literature and its connections to well-being for women.


title: Down to Earth or Near to Heaven?: Religious Practice in the Abruzzi, 1154-1313

subject:
Abruzzo
Peter of Morrone
Materiality
Spirituality
Medieval Christianity

abstract: For decades, medievalists have been interested in the Christian religion, as it manifested among western Europe’s lay population. Specifically, they have considered the extent that institutional, Church norms were accepted on a local level. There have been a variety of answers to this question, ranging from the notion that popular practice largely aligned with official doctrine, to the theory that the majority of Europeans were not Christianized until the early modern era. This paper examines this question through the case study of Italy’s Abruzzi region, between the years 1154 and 1313. The Abruzzi was a mountainous and rural part of Europe with a complex history. To date, it has largely been overlooked in the English literature. However, most Italian historians have adopted a largely dichotomous view of religion in the area. Namely, they contend that the majority of people practiced a “superstitious” religion fundamentally different from that of the institutional Church, viewed as the locus of “true” Christianity. This paper uses a combination of hagiographic and canonization material, in the original Latin, to argue that no essential difference existed between clerical and popular religion in the Abruzzi, and that instead, there was a duality of religious sensibility, one that aligned with an urban-rural split. Theoretically, it employs a distinction between “material”- and “spiritual”-based faith that refers respectively, to “old” and “new” piety, as understood in the context of changing ecclesiastical norms. It argues that rural areas remained “material” in their Christian outlook, while in the city of Sulmona, an increasingly “spiritual” faith was emerging. This was partly due to the impact of St Peter of Morrone, whose popularity helped disseminate “new” piety among the locals. Additional consideration is given to the ways that the physical was intimately linked to the immaterial. Examples of everyday religious practice are provided throughout.


title: NCAA Recruiting in the Age of Social Media

subject: Recruiting, NCAA, Canadian, Social Media

abstract: The purpose of the study is to determine the various impacts Social Networking Sites (SNS) have on Canadian full scholarship National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division 1 athletes’ recruitment processes. The study employs a qualitative, interview-based methodology. Six Canadian athletes who received full NCAA division 1 scholarships in football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball were interviewed, as well as three NCAA coaches involved in recruiting processes. It is evident from the findings that SNS have important roles to play in NCAA Division 1 athletes’ recruitment process and there are various aspects of SNS use that determine recruiting effectiveness. All of the athletes who took part in the study along with the coaches were actively involved in SNS during recruiting processes. Twitter was the most preferred SNS platform that is used for recruiting purposes by both athletes and coaches in the study. A primary reason that the athletes gave for using certain SNS platforms is the ability to control the content of the platform and manage how others view them, aligning with Erving Goffman’s self-presentation theory. However, coaches also shared the view that SNS, when not used appropriately, can lead to negative self-presentation, limiting the chances of getting recruited or receiving a full scholarship. This study provides key insights into the role of social media in Canadian high-performance athletes lives and how it impacts their recruitment in NCAA sport.


title: Who am I and what do I do? A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study on the Experience of  RNs and RPNs Working in the Same Environment.

subject: role ambiguity, collaboration, empathy, nursing, registered nurses, registered practical nurses

abstract: The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of registered nurses (RNs) and registered practical nurses (RPNs) working in intraprofessional dual-scope work environments. The study was conducted using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Conversational interviewing was conducted with a purposeful sample of nine nurses who worked in an intraprofessional care area. Two themes emerged from the participant conversations: The Dance and The Fissure. The Dance displays the experiences of empathy, comradery and teamwork lived by the nurses working in the dual-scope environment. The Fissure displays the lived experiences of role ambiguity and challenges nursing in a dual-scope environment. There is importance in giving voice to the stories of the nurses working in the shared care areas, allowing insight into emotions, integrity and wisdom. This research has given light to various issues in the shared care areas for both RNs and RPNs and has provided implications for nursing practice, nursing education, and nursing research.


title: Examination of the effects of chronic AMPK modulation on synaptic proteins in neuronal SH-SY5Y cells

subject:
AMPK
Metabolic Dysregulation
Alzheimer's Disease
mTORC1
LTP

abstract:
Neuronal synapse function and growth are dependent on protein abundance at the synapse and are
regulated by key metabolic markers: AMPK and mTORC1. AMPK is a serine/threonine kinase highly
expressed in brain. When activated, AMPK stimulates catabolic processes, and inhibits anabolic
processes through mTORC1 inhibition. Defects in AMPK signaling have been reported in peripheral
metabolic disorders and the manipulation of AMPK activity has been an attractive therapeutic target for
diseases in which altered energy metabolism contributes to etiology. Recent evidence also suggests that
impaired AMPK activity plays a role in Alzheimer’s disease. However, there is ambiguity surrounding
the role of AMPK activation in neuronal metabolic regulation and the affects on neuron growth and
health. This thesis aimed to determine the direct effect of chronic AMPK activation on anabolic and
catabolic processes in a neuronal cell culture model. Retinoic acid differentiated (1𝜇g/mL) SH-SY5Y
Human Neuroblastoma cells were treated with: 1) Vehicle control; 2) A-769662 (100uM; AMPK
agonist); or 3) compound C (30uM; AMPK inhibitor). Cells were treated for 1,3, and 5 days to examine
chronic AMPK activation or inhibition. Cell lysates were collected for western blotting (WB) to examine
AMPK activation (AMPK T172), a marker of mTORC1 formation and cellular proliferation (raptor), and
markers of neurogenesis and pre/post-synaptic proteins (synaptophysin, homer-1, PSD-95, synaptophysin,
BDNF). PSD-95, homer-1, synaptophysin, and BDNF are significant markers in maintaining/developing
proper synapse function and strength. AMPK activation following treatment with A-769662, was seen to
persist for all time points (24h, 3d, 5d) and resulted in increased raptor S792 phosphorylation, indicative
of chronic mTORC1 inhibition. No change in neuronal marker content was seen following 24h of AMPK
activation. However, significant reductions were seen in PSD-95, homer-1, synaptophysin, and BDNF
content following 3d and 5d of AMPK activation. Taken together, these findings indicate a role for
AMPK activation in impacting key synaptic plasticity markers and highlights drawbacks in persuing
AMPK as a therapeutic target for metabolic diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease given the neuronal
damage already assocatied with this disease


title: Changes in Body Mass, Body Composition, Physical Activity and Nutrition from the First to the Fourth Academic Year in University Students

subject:
weight gain
percent body fat
physical activity
nutrition
University

abstract: Background: The transition to university life is a critical time of change, often accompanied by the adoption of negative lifestyle habits, including an unhealthy diet and a decrease in physical activity. Lifestyle changes during university may result in a positive energy balance and a decrease in diet quality, which can lead to weight gain, a percent body fat in the overweight/obesity range, and increased cardiometabolic disease risk over time. The purpose of the current study was to investigate changes in body mass and composition from 1st to 4th year among university students, and to assess whether changes in physical activity and dietary intake were related to observed changes in body mass and composition. Methods: Thirty-eight participants completed food frequency and activity questionnaires and had their body mass measured and body composition assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis. These measurements were obtained at the beginning (fall) and end (spring) of 1st year and the end (spring) of 4th year. Results: During the 1st year, body mass and percent fat increased by 3.2 kg and 2.1%, respectively (P<0.01), while daily energy intake was maintained and daily energy expenditure decreased (-435.2 kcal/day, P<0.01). Between the end of the 1st year and the end of the 4th year, students continued to increase their body mass, but this increase was smaller (+2.2 kg, P=0.05) than the change occurring during the 1st year. Additionally, percent fat and energy intake did not change while energy expenditure increased from the end of 1st year to the end of 4th year (+208.6 kcal/day, P<0.01). Conclusions: Increases in percent body fat during university occurred only during the 1st year. However, students were not able to reverse these gains by the end of the 4th year.


title: Exploring The Effect of Maternal Heroin Use: A Case Study on Long-Term Neonatal Learning Outcomes

subject:
Learning Development
Learning Disabilities
Heroin Use
Early Intervention
Long Term Outcomes

abstract: Heroin has become one of the most used opioid drugs by pregnant women and is an increasing concern to obstetricians. Heroin use has major social and medical implications and, when used during pregnancy, it has adverse effects on the mother, the fetus and the new-born child. Children who are exposed to maternal heroin use reveal a delay in cognitive function at 3 years of age, lower verbal ability, reading and math skills, and delayed acquisition of motor milestones. The current study explores the relationship of maternal heroin use on neonatal learning development and outcomes. A four-month illustrative case study was conducted with one nine-year-old male participant, who displayed significant learning deficits in reading, writing and mathematics. His biological mother was inducing heroin throughout her pregnancy and, at five weeks old, he was adopted and situated into a new home with his current adoptive mother. Interviews were administered to the child and adoptive mother, and a data analysis of medical records and elementary provincial academic report cards was conducted. The results suggest an evident negative effect of maternal heroin use on cognitive development but limited long-term effect due to early adoption and a significant amount of support systems. Overall, the results of this study influence adoptive parents, foster homes and any environments that a child who was prenatally exposed to heroin has now been situated in. This research also fills a gap in the current limited research on prenatal heroin exposure.


title: The effect of creatine monohydrate supplementation dose on tissue creatine uptake in rats

subject: creatine brain supplementation muscle sex-differences

abstract: The phosphocreatine energy system buffers alterations in metabolic demand and provides a reservoir of immediately available energy for cells. The capacity of this energy reservoir can be increased via oral creatine supplementation using creatine monohydrate (CM). We examined the relationship between CM supplementation and changes in total creatine compound (TCr) concentrations in various metabolically active tissues. 32 Sprague-Dawley rats (16 males, 16 females) were given ad libitum access to AIN-93G pelleted diet and water containing 0 g/L, 2.5 g/L, 5 g/L, or 10 g/L creatine monohydrate and 1% sucrose for 8 weeks. CM supplementation had no effect on the weight or food/water consumption of rats. CM supplementation at all doses significantly increased TCr concentrations in brain (BR) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle while a CM dose of 5 g/L was sufficient to increase TCr concentrations in soleus (SOL) and red gastrocnemius (RGAS). Females experienced increases in white gastrocnemius (WGAS) TCr concentrations in response to 5 g/L CM, but not 2.5 g/L or 10 g/L CM, while the WGAS in males was not responsive to any dose. Female cardiac muscle (HRT) was responsive to both 5 g/L and 10 g/L CM supplementation but no effect was observed in males. Both sex- and tissue-dependent responses to CM supplementation should be investigated further as such knowledge is required as there is an expanding body of research into the use of CM supplementation to treat various diseases or insults within metabolically active tissues.


title: Gladiator Gear: The unintended consequences of protective equipment in gridiron football compared to rugby union

subject:
Risk Compensation
Football
Rugby
Protective Equipment
Sport Injuries

abstract: Sports equipment has evolved over time to both enhance performance and reduce the injury risk. Protective equipment is particularly important in contact sports where injuries are frequent. In American and Canadian football, helmets and shoulder pads are two pieces of protective equipment that are strictly implemented to absorb hits of massive force to reduce the risk of head and upper body injuries respectively. While the risk of injury is reduced, the athlete's calculated perspective of risk might be altered. This change in risk equilibrium has the potential unintended consequence of the individual foregoing caution and playing in a faster and more aggressive style. This altered behavior not only increases the individual's own injury risk, but also puts other athletes who are on the receiving end of contact at greater risk. This displacement of risk is particularly dangerous when an athlete is hit in an area that is unprotected and vulnerable, or in an area where the equipment is not as effective as perceived. Drawing on existing research, theories of risk in sport, and qualitative interviews with 11 male, adult athletes who have competed in both football with significant protective equipment and rugby with minimal protective equipment, this study examines the relationships and potential disjuncture between sports equipment changes, athlete perceptions of injury risks, and actual injury risks. The purpose of this study is to compare physical contact, safety, and risk between the two high-contact sports, focusing on the different uses of mandated, protective equipment.


title: How do school disciplinary approaches and student perceptions of school support relate to youth cannabis use? A cross-sectional analysis of Year 7 (2017-2018) of the COMPASS study

subject:
Youth
Disciplinary consequences
Policy
Schools
Cannabis

abstract:
Background: In the school year immediately following cannabis legalization in Canada, the objectives of this thesis were: (1) to examine the disciplinary approaches being used in secondary schools for students who violate school substance use policies, and associations with cannabis use among youth; and (2) to investigate youth perceptions of school support for the prevention and cessation of substance use, if perceptions vary by school disciplinary approaches, and whether they are associated student cannabis use.

Methods: School- and student-level survey data from Year 7 (2018/2019) of the COMPASS study were used, including 74,501 grade 9-12 students attending 136 secondary schools. A framework for classifying schools into disciplinary approach styles was established based on school-reported response measures used for student first-offence violations of the school cannabis policies. Multilevel logistic regression models examined associations between school disciplinary approach styles, student perceptions of school support for the prevention/cessation of student substance use, and student cannabis use.

Results: Despite all schools reporting always/sometimes using a progressive discipline approach, punitive consequences (suspension, alert police) remain prevalent as first-offence options, with fewer schools indicating supportive responses (counselling; cessation/educational programs). Most schools were classified as using Authoritarian and Authoritative approaches, followed by Neglectful and Permissive/Supportive styles. No disciplinary approach styles were associated with cannabis use. Students attending schools classified as Permissive/Supportive (high supportive; low punitive) had a higher likelihood of perceiving their school as supportive for substance use prevention/cessation than their peers at Authoritarian (high punitive; low supportive) schools. Students who perceived their school as “supportive” were less likely to report current cannabis use than their peers who perceived their school as unsupportive.

Conclusions: This study is the first to classify school discipline approach styles using school-level measures. Unlike previous studies using classifications based on student perceptions, results do not support direct associations between school disciplinary styles and student cannabis use. Greater use of supportive approaches (e.g., counselling referrals, educational programs) over punitive consequences may promote student perceptions of school supportiveness for the cessation/prevention of substance use. Further research is needed to explore additional factors promoting student perceptions of school supportiveness, given associations with cannabis use.


title: Investigating how Notch, and JAK/STAT Signaling Synergistically Regulate Intestinal Stem Cell Homeostasis Using Engineered Optogenetic Alleles

subject:
Notch
JAK/STAT
Intestinal Stem Cells
Drosophila melanogaster
Optogenetics

abstract: Stem cells are a class of undifferentiated cells that have the unique ability to give rise to a variety of specialized cell types during tissue development and growth. These cells communicate amongst one another by sending and receiving signals from multiple pathways that regulate cell fate decisions by promoting either self-renewal or differentiation. The Notch, and JAK/STAT signaling pathways are central regulators of multicellular development and are vital for tissue maintenance. The interplay between the Notch, and JAK/STAT pathways required for tissue homeostasis has not been fully elucidated, particularly as it relates to the intestinal epithelium. I utilize the Drosophila melanogaster midgut as a model system to study stem cell dynamics and more specifically, how Notch and JAK/STAT signaling cooperatively regulate intestinal stem cell turnover. In order to accomplish this, I employed both traditional and optogenetic methods to elicit Notch blockade and ectopic activation of JAK/STAT signaling in the midgut. First, I demonstrated that ectopic JAK/STAT signaling paired with Notch knockdown causes substantial ISC overproliferation, leading to the formation of large ISC tumors spanning the entire midgut. Quantitative assessment of ISC pools confirmed that Notch and JAK/STAT signaling work in a synergistic manner, rather than an additive manner, to regulate ISC homeostasis. I also utilized two optogenetic alleles, Opto-Delta and Opto-Domeless, to recapitulate Notch blockade and JAK/STAT hyperactivation using light. Opto-Delta was tested in the intestinal epithelium and demonstrated the ability to block Notch signaling in the ISCs, resulting in the formation of stem cell clusters. Subsequently, an Opto-Domeless construct was created and expressed in the nervous system during embryogenesis to assess its efficacy to activate JAK/STAT signaling. The embryos that expressed Opto-Domeless exhibited a significant decrease in viability when subjected to the light condition, suggesting possible light-responsiveness. Expression of Opto-Domeless in the midgut was also achieved, however, ISCs expressing Opto-Domeless appeared to have JAK/STAT activity in the absence of light exposure, suggesting that Opto-Domeless is not behaving in a binary fashion and will require further validation. Altogether, these findings reveal great potential for light-gated proteins, as they provide a powerful approach to disentangle dynamic cellular signals by using light.


title: “I Wanted to Do Everything Perfectly, Because I Knew I Couldn’t Be”: Critical Disability Studies, Learning Disabilities, and the Transition to University

subject: learning disabilities, transition, critical disability studies, mental health

abstract: To date, critical disability studies (CDS), learning disabilities (LD), and transition research have occupied completely different spaces. The transition from high school to university is a critical stage characterized by academic, social, and emotional challenges. The intersecting elements related to the post-secondary transition require resources and skills that are challenging for all students but pose a distinct challenge for those with LDs. CDS works to theorize a simple, yet powerful idea: disability is understood as a phenomenon, associated with the discrimination of people with physical, cognitive, and sensory impairments (Oliver & Barnes, 2012). Questions still remain how those with LDs experience their disability and how, crucially, others experience and respond to it as well. The current study fills the aforementioned gap by including the voices of those who are most academically and socially vulnerable. This study examined the transitional experiences from eight first year university students with a diagnosed LD. The results have several implications. By analyzing the results through a CDS framework it can be understood how disability is not an individual tragedy or flaw but a matter of public discourse. This study provides a space for the experiences and perspectives of students with LDs to be heard in an effort to make visible, and hopefully disrupt, systems of power and privilege that work to marginalize. The personal narratives will provide valuable knowledge to educators, parents, case workers, and other support staff members on the importance reclaiming and centering disability in order to provide a positive transition for students with LDs.


title: Stereoselective Synthesis of N-Propargyl Alkynes and Axial Chiral N-Allenes with Epimeric Imidazolone Auxiliaries

subject: allenamides, pyrroloimidazolones, lithiation, diastereoselective

abstract: This thesis describes the synthesis of an N-propargyl pyrroloimidazolone chiral auxiliary/directing group with syn or anti stereochemistry derived from L-proline hydantoin and its diastereoselective lithiation for the synthesis of central chiral alkynes and axial chiral allenamides. Lithiation followed by quench with alkylating electrophiles or aldehydes/ketones gives access to chiral propargyl or allene derivatives respectively, both in high diastereomeric ratio (>95:5 dr). Use of the anti epimer of the aforementioned imidazolone chiral auxiliary results in the reversal of stereochemistry at the propargyl position of the products, again with high diastereoselectivity. This conclusion was confirmed by the synthesis and comparison of the solely central chiral alkynes from both the syn and anti series, obtained via acid-induced elimination of the labile silyloxy protecting group. Therefore, this method allows for the preparation of both enantiomeric propargyl products without the need to prepare additional starting materials from more expensive unnatural D-proline. X-Ray analysis of an allene derivative confirmed that lithiation of the syn pyrroloimidazolone followed by direct quench with prochiral benzaldehydes led to axial chiral allenamides in high selectivity (>95:5 dr) with atypical stereochemistry of the resulting benzylic alcohol. Lithiation followed by transmetalation to a titanium triisopropoxide intermediate before benzaldehyde quench gave epimeric allenamides with opposite stereochemistry at the benzylic alcohol. Density Functional Theory (DFT) computational modelling explained this reversal of stereochemistry at the benzylic position as arising from stereofacial attack in 6,5-bicyclic or 6-membered transition states in the lithium or titanium series, respectively.


title: Stretching the Vitruvian Man: Investigating Affective and Representational Arts-based Methodologies Towards Theorizing a More Humanistic Model of Medicine

subject:
affect theory
art
autopathography
empathy
methodology

abstract: Westernized medicine can be said to illustrate its history and structure, as well as its current understanding of the capacity and appearance of the human through its visual representations of the body. Scientific images, this paper argues, become a site for interrogating the tangle of idealism, truth, objectivity and knowledge in how knowledge is actively used, replicated, paralleled and otherwise functions. First, asking how depictions of the medicalized body inform the epistemological foundations of medicine, and to what end, this work opens up the question of methodology, arguing that the integration of the modes of arts-based practices can bring medicine toward a much more realistic picture of the world. A parallel argument is a similarly concentrated interrogation of the affective quality of arts-based methodology, which is commonly understood to be the nucleus of work on the political dimensions of non-representational theory. I complicate the dominant scholarly preference for an ontologically rooted affect theory, finding it theoretically non-viable for art and humanistic medicine by thinking through subjectivity, autobiographical accounts of illness and epistemological flexibility. I see a path forward using a biologically and evolutionarily rooted affect theory, noting the ethical implications of its differences for a humanistic approach to medicine.


title: Just be There! Athlete Motivation and Parental Support:  A Phenomenological Study

subject:
Motivation
Athletes
Phenomenology
Eccles' Expectancy Value Theory
Parental Influences

abstract:
The purpose of the study was to gather and understand the lived experiences of athletes
of a young adult age, who lacked parental support during their athletic careers. Furthermore, the
purpose included understanding the meaning these lived experiences had for the research
participants and their sport motivation. The study used Moustakas’ phenomenological analysis to
find meaningful realities of sub-elite and elite level athletes. A total of six athletes between the
ages of 20-28 participated in semi-structured interviews. Two female athletes and four male
athletes shared their experiences relevant to their sport and motivation levels. Sports included
football (soccer), track and field, cheerleading, and triathlons. Themes that emerged from the
data analysis included, presence, self and bodily concerns, mindset and time, each theme had a
series of sub-themes. The study also used Eccles’ expectancy value theory to explain athlete
motivation levels and their participation in sport. Results indicated that several factors within
Eccles’ expectancy value theory lead to an athlete’s sport commitment and level of enjoyment.
Athletes experiences revealed that many athletes found they needed more parental presence
throughout their sport participation even as adults.


title: Demography and molecular ecology of the solitary halictid Lasioglossum zonulum: with observations on Lasioglossum leucozonium

subject: Halictidae Sociality Phylogeography Evolution Microsatellites

abstract:
Halictid bees are excellent models for questions of both evolutionary biology and molecular ecology. While the majority of Halictid species are solitary and many are native to North America, neither solitary nor native bees have been extensively studied in terms of their population genetics. This thesis studies the social behaviour, demographic patterns and molecular ecology of the solitary Holarctic sweat bee Lasioglossum zonulum, with comparisons to its well-studied sister species Lasioglossum leucozonium.
	I show that L. zonulum is bivoltine in the Niagara region of southern Ontario but is univoltine in a more northern region of southern Alberta. Measurements of size, wear and ovarian development of collected females revealed that Brood 1 offspring are not altruistic workers and L. zonulum is solitary. A large proportion of foundresses were also found foraging with well-developed ovaries along with their daughters, meaning L. zonulum is solitary and partially-bivoltine in the Niagara region. L. zonulum being solitary and univoltine in Calgary suggests that it is a demographically polymorphic and not socially polymorphic. Thus, L. zonulum represents a transitional evolutionary state between solitary and eusocial behaviour in bees.
	I demonstrate that Lasioglossum zonulum was introduced to North America at least once from Europe in the last 500 years, with multiple introductions probable. Most North American specimens share the same mitochondrial DNA haplotype as those in Europe, with a small portion from western North America possessing distinct sequences. Investigations using microsatellite markers found North American populations to have a deficit of heterozygosity, and Bayesian analysis suggests that there are 3-4 lineages of L. zonulum in North. It is theorized that introductions could also be from Europe, Asia, or could even represent a native population which arrived via the Bering Land Bridge.
I suggest that the plasticity found in L. zonulum may have a genetic cause and exists in North America due to the multiple introductions and potentially diverse geographic origins of this species. The outcome of my studies highlight why Lasioglossum zonulum is a model organism for the study of how eusociality evolved and why it warrants further and more in-depth study.


title: Promoting father involvement in breastfeeding

subject: Fathering Intervention; Breastfeeding support; Responsiveness; Breastfeeding team; Teamwork

abstract:
Fathers influence mothers’ decisions to breastfeed and for how long they intend to breastfeed. Previous studies have found that positive breastfeeding outcomes are associated with fathers providing any type of supportive behavior. Above other types of support, responsive behaviours sensitive to the mother’s needs are more likely to increase exclusive breastfeeding significantly longer.
This study tested the feasibility of an intervention that provided a one-time 60-minute session to an all-fathers group about the breastfeeding team and the effect of the fathers’ satisfaction with the education in terms of fathers’ breastfeeding support behaviours. This study was carried out in a maternity hospital in Canada where an average of 1,500 infants are born each year. Twenty fathers from a variety of ethnic backgrounds received this learning. The group was led by a male facilitator as some research suggests that men prefer to learn from their male peers. The facilitator was trained using the Father Breastfeeding Involvement Group: Facilitator Manual. The average session lasted approximately 60 minutes with an average group of two participants. The fathers discussed ways they could practice responsive behaviours unique to their partner and infant as an active member in the breastfeeding team.
The fathers reported high satisfaction rates of attending the session and that the session created a comfortable atmosphere to share their thoughts openly. Second time fathers highly enjoyed the session finding it a valuable, informative refresher. The fathers liked the convenience of attending a session in hospital before their infant was discharged home. At one month, fathers completed the Partner Breastfeeding Influence Scale to determine the amount of specific involvement they practiced. There was a positive relationship between fathers’ overall satisfaction with the session and reports of greater father breastfeeding support behaviours.
One limitation of this study is the small sample size. Data collection was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic because nonessential research was abruptly stopped within a few weeks of the program’s commencement. However, the fathers were interested and enjoyed the session, providing evidence that a larger number of participants was feasible. This knowledge can be used in planning future father involvement in breastfeeding interventions.


title: The Nature, Nurture and Networks of Mean Girls: Considering Evolutionary, Social Learning and Social Network Perspectives on Girls' Intrasexual Relational Bullying

subject: girls, relational bullying, social network analysis

abstract: Prevailing research suggests that girls frequently engage in relational bullying directed towards other girls. The research also suggests that rates of bullying behaviors peak and intensify across the transition from childhood to adolescence. The purpose of my thesis was to investigate the individual and group-level social contexts that give rise to early adolescent girls’ perpetration of intrasexual relational bullying through the application of the three diverse yet complimentary lenses of evolutionary theory, social learning theory, and social network analysis. Early adolescent girls (N= 145, M=12.25 years) completed self-reports on parental attachment, neighbourhood violence, school climate, dating history, and self-perceived attractiveness, as well as peer nomination reports on friendship, perceived popularity, and relational bullying. My results indicate that girls’ intrasexual relational bullying perpetration is related to the environmental characteristics of school climate and the peer-valued characteristic of perceived popularity, but that social network characteristics such as centrality are less important than hypothesized. My findings suggest that evolutionary theory and social learning theory offer more complete explanations of girls’ intrasexual relational bullying than does social network theory. However, continued research may still be required to investigate the social network contexts that give rise to higher rates of girls’ intrasexual relational bullying perpetration.


title: Approaches towards C-10-hydroxylated analogues of narciclasine

subject: narciclasine amaryllidaceae biocatalysis total synthesis

abstract: Discussed in this thesis is the synthesis of a C10-benzyloxy unnatural derivative of narciclasine. The described approach involves the use of homochiral cyclohexadiene diols, products of the biocatalytic transformation of aromatic compounds, as precursors to ring C, and of highly oxygenated aromatic molecules to construct ring A. The document also reports a detailed account of the protocols studied for the intramolecular formation of ring B. Experimental data and spectral data are provided for the novel compounds.


title: HEXACO Personality Investigation into Parenting: Evolutionary Investment Decisions, Punishment and Real-Time Parenting Behavior

subject:
Parenting
Personality
HEXACO
Parent behavior
Discipline

abstract: Parenting is an important and variable job, with a wide range in parents’ behavior and decisions. An important part of this variance comes from the parent themselves.  Individuals differences in parenting, such as personality traits, may explain a large portion of the variance in parents’ behavior and decisions. Personality traits may also explain how parenting is related to different child characteristics and behavior.  Using evolutionary theories of parenting and personality traits, my dissertation investigated the influence of HEXACO personality traits, in combination with children’s characteristics/behavior, across three parenting contexts. Study 1 examined the personality associations with parental investment versus other investment efforts, at the perceptual and behavioral level using infant images as stimuli to motivate parenting appeal and engagement. Study 2 examined personality links with adults’ punishment toward child misbehavior based on children’s age and intentionality. Study 3 observed the associations between personality and real-time parenting behavior. and how these links fit with children’s personality and behavior on a playground. My results showed that higher Emotionality (emotional attachment toward others), as per its theorized role as the strongest HEXACO trait with parenting, was associated with parenting and sensitivity to certain child characteristics across all three studies. Other HEXACO traits were also associated with more positive as well as harsh parenting behavior and responses that were context specific. Overall, my results depict that personality-related predispositions are flexible to child characteristics and delineate important parenting decisions across various contexts.


title: N–Phenyl Pyrroloimidazolone Derivatives for Stereoselective Birch Reduction-Alkylation and Chiral Imidazolylidene-Iridium Complexation

subject:
Birch reduction
Alkylation
Pyrroloimidazolone
Asymmetric
Diastereoselective

abstract: This thesis describes the synthesis and use of an N– based proline–derived directing group towards the Birch reduction, diastereoselective alkylation, and the synthesis of NHC–iridium complexes that are precursors for the study of intramolecular aryl C–H activation. A pair of ortho–benzoate esters containing epimeric pyrroloimidazolone chiral auxiliaries underwent sequential Birch reduction and diastereoselective alkylation to provide products ranging from a 50:50 to 95:5 dr for the anti– epimer, and 88:12 to >95:5 diastereomeric ratio (dr) for the syn– epimer. Single crystal X–ray analysis of key anti–epimer–derived products, along with the comparison of the optical rotation measurements of enantiomers that were prepared from the syn–or anti– starting materials to its known enantiomer confirmed the stereoselectivity of the products. This work includes related Schultz stereoselective Birch reduction alkylation of anisole with a chiral benzamide except that the pyrroloimidazolone replaces the achiral methoxy group and serves as the stereodetermining element. In addition, the synthesis and evaluation of the N–phenyl iridium complex derived from the annulated aminal with syn–stereochemistry in the backbone was achieved. Exposure of the neutral Ir–complexes to anionic nucleophiles such as MeLi resulted in an increase of electron density at the Ir atom that initiated C–H bond activation. Lastly, a N–heterocyclic carbene ligand derived from the N–benzyl analogue of the auxiliary was also investigated. Attempts to design a monodentate ligand as well as a bidentate ligand bearing an alcohol side chain were both shown to be unsuccessful at this time.


title: The Maple Leaf’s Public Pedagogical Interaction with the Sexualized and Masculine Cultural Discourses of the Canadian Armed Forces

contributor: Department of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies in Education

subject:
Canadian Armed Forces
The Maple Leaf
Sexual Misconduct
Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis
Public Pedagogy

abstract: This qualitative research presents a feminist critical discourse analysis of The Maple Leaf’s (TML) depiction of women in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and sexual misconduct before and after the release of Operation HONOUR using Gee’s (2011) toolkit of discourse analysis. The purpose of this research was to explore the newspaper’s public pedagogical influence, which either teaches or challenges the CAF’s discourses of the military as both a way of life and as a part of military membership (Taber, 2011a). This research used Biesta’s (2014) three categories of public pedagogy to examine TML’s ability to promote a critical lens, which is essential for activism that can contribute to a transformation of the CAF’s culture. The research examined 20 pre-2014 and 20 post-2017 articles to determine how the articles depicted women and the equality, barriers, diversity, and incidents of sexual misconduct they faced. Overall, this study found that the language in most of the articles taught and reinforced the two CAF cultural discourses. After 2017, however, authors depicted that women belong in all areas of the military and discussed sexual misconduct more frequently. This research provides 11 recommendations for changing TML’s language to improve its representation of military women and sexual misconduct.


title: An Examination of ‘Choice’ on Mental Health among Informal Caregivers to Persons with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities

subject:
Intellectual Developmental Disability
Choice
Mental Health
Informal Caregiver

abstract: Introduction: To examine the effects of ‘choice’ on the mental health outcomes of informal intellectual developmental disability (IDD) caregivers, which has been examined in previous literature in alternate caregiving contexts. Background: Stressors of the caregiving role have been shown to negatively affect the mental health of informal caregivers in multiple contexts, where stressors can include a specific task or number of tasks, time spent caregiving or perceived stress levels. However, research has also shown that whether the caregiver identifies as having a choice in taking on their role may also have an affect on their mental health status, where lack of choice may cause psychological impairments, and decreased life satisfaction. Methodology: Using the General Social Survey – Cycle 26 – Caregiving and Care Receiving, linear regression and multinomial logistic regression analyses were analyzed to determine how choice in the caregiving role affects the caregivers mental health in relation to numerous caregiving stressors. Results: The results show that those who have higher levels of stress experience worse mental health outcomes, alongside those who have more tasks, and more time allotted to their duties. Choice approaches significance in relation to mental health, however, does not have a significant relationship with the development of mental health outcomes in these caregivers when the burdens of the caregiving role are considered. Conclusion: Overall, this research shows the complexities in which the informal caregiving role has on the development of mental health concerns within this population, where the burdens of the role play a more significant role on their mental health than their perception of choice.


title: Exploring the Development of Identity and Community Amongst Disabled Youth on Instagram

subject: affirmation model, disability, Instagram, social media, youth

abstract: This study explores the ways in which disabled young people use Instagram as a platform for developing their identity and building community, both online and off. Based on the social models of disability, particularly the affirmation model as proposed by Swain & French (2000), and the principles of photovoice and other social media-based methodologies, the study explored the publicly accessible Instagram accounts of eight participants ranging in age from 19-24, with each account providing 21 photos and associated captions for analysis. From the collection of observational notes, four themes were developed and examined, noting their connections to the concepts of identity and community: social media trends; disability, chronic illness and mental health; friends, family, and the greater community; and positivity, gratitude and giving back.  The study demonstrates the uniqueness of Instagram as a tool for self-expression and the importance of studying disability in relation to current internet practices.  The study concludes with possible directions for further research to fill the existing gap within this area of literature.


title: Investigating the Value of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Nintendo Wii Physical Activity for Older Adults

subject: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

subject: Nintendo Wii

subject: Older Adults

subject: Residential care facility for the elderly

subject: Physical activity

abstract: There has been much debate on best practices for limiting negative outcomes associated with relocation, sedentary lifestyle, and social isolation after older adults relocate to a residential care facility. This thesis is an exploration of the novel intervention combining Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Nintendo Wii gameplay that was designed to improve initiation and adherence to physical activity. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is an empirically based psychological intervention that utilizes mindfulness and acceptance techniques along with values-based action to improve one’s perception of life worth. The primary aim for this thesis was to understand more about the experiences that older adults residing in a residential care facility have with this intervention. Four participants were observed during the intervention and interviewed after the intervention. Multiple forms of analyses were performed such as, inductive interview content analysis, inductive and deductive analysis of observational field notes, deductive analysis of interviews, and deductive analysis of inductive findings. Results revealed that Nintendo Wii gameplay provides a convenient outlet for physical activity where older adults can participate in activities they once enjoyed and individuals with minimal functionality have the capacity to successfully and safely play the Nintendo Wii. Further, older adults prefer to participate in physical activities that are fun and do not feel like exercise; and, participate in small groups rather than large groups. After the intervention only one participant perceived that participation lead to physical health improvements, however, all participants perceived that the intervention increased mental health and social functioning levels. Additionally, all participants understood and were in agreement with the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which increased initiation and adherence to physical activity. The intervention featured in this study could be useful for these purposes with similar participants in residential care facilities, although additional research is necessary to corroborate the findings of this study and to continue developing new knowledge in this area.


title: The Mentor's Role: Exploring mentorship in a working-class neighbourhood's after-school program

subject:
mentorship
youth
low-income
after-school programs
critical pedagogy

abstract: Public schools in Ontario may be inadequate to deal with the needs of children and youth from working-class families, especially those who do not have available caretakers to guide them through the educational system or resources that help them master literacy and numeracy skills they may need in academic settings or in the workforce. After-school programs (and their staff) can fill in the gaps. This study looked at the traits of effective mentorship as depicted by youth enrolled in and adults working at an after-school program in low-income areas in the Niagara region. The study was completed in Ontario, a multicultural and diversely populated province, which illuminated the importance of incorporating strategies that are relevant to youth’s respective upbringings. Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of capital is employed to examine how individuals are expected to contribute to society. Supplementing this view, I also draw on Dr. Paulo Freire. His theory of critical pedagogy, which was introduced in the 1970s, is employed because it critically examines the scope of mainstream education. Teens who attended Space for Teens and staff (mentors) from the Boys and Girls Club in St. Catharines were interviewed and shared their views on mentorship in the context of their personal experiences. The teens saw mentors as caring friends who accepted them for who they are and who willingly engaged with them. The staff viewed mentorship as a process in which knowledge is shared to make mentees’ lives better. Mentors, overall, are seen to help youth cultivate valuable forms of social capital. The implication of my study is that although mentors should be clear on who they are as authority figures in the room, they are encouraged to present themselves as friends who actively care about the mentees (teens) they work with.


title: The Impact of Teachers' Trust in Principal on Teacher Burnout

subject:
Trust
Burnout
Transformational Leadership
Principal
Stress

abstract:
This explanatory mixed methods study explored the relationship between teachers’
perceived trust in their principal and teacher burnout. This study also explores novice
teachers’ lived experience of trust in their principal and stress. Snowball sampling
through a public Facebook post was used to gather participants during the 2019-2020
school year for an online survey. The survey was conducted using the Faculty Trust in
Principal subscale of the Omnibus-T Scale and Maslach’s Burnout Inventory for
Educators to survey 165 Ontario teachers. Follow-up semi-structured interviews were
conducted with three novice teachers within the first 5 years of their careers to outline
their lived experiences and identify traits of principals that indicate trustworthiness.
Results identified a negative correlation between trust in principal and emotional
exhaustion, depersonalization, as well as a positive correlation between trust in principal
and sense of personal accomplishment. Results also indicated a connection between
increased faculty trust in principal when they had a shorter working relationship. The
novice teachers interviewed perceive that principals can develop their trust through the
individual consideration and idealized influence components of transformational
leadership. Participants also identified principals reducing their workloads and trusting
them as important components for trust development. Novice Ontario teachers identified
stress due to high expectations, precarious employment, and the pressure to build a
positive reputation as influencers in trust development.


title: Evaluating the Outcomes of a Quit and Win Contest Among Young Adults Enrolled in Post-Secondary Schools and Not in Post-Secondary Schools

subject: Young Adults, Quitting, Quit and Win Contest, Post-Secondary Schools

abstract:
Abstract
Objective: This study compares Quit and Win contest outcomes for young adults enrolled in post-secondary schools and young adults not enrolled in post-secondary schools.
Participants: Of the 4,299 18-to-29-year-olds who enrolled in the 2019 Wouldurather... contest to quit smoking and agreed to participate in the study. 535 (12.4%) were retained in the final sample: 207 were attending post-secondary schools and 328 were not attending post-secondary schools.
Methods: Participants answered baseline questions addressing demographics and smoking/quitting behaviours and intentions. Six weeks after the start of the contest, participants completed an Intervention Check assessing use of contest supports (emails, Facebook group), perceived value of the prize, and use of quit aids. Abstinence outcomes were assessed 3 months after the start of the contest.
Results: At follow-up, 21.9% of participants reported 3 months of total abstinence from smoking, with no difference between those attending and not attending post-secondary schools Χ2(1, 533) = 0.9. Confidence to remain smoke free increased significantly over time F(1, 115) = 32.2, p < .01The prize was highly-valued; use of contest supports was moderate. Adjusted logistic regression revealed abstinence was not associated with contest supports or valuing the prize.
Conclusion: Community and campus health professionals should consider pooling their resources to offer all young adults a single contest with a large prize. Dose-response relationships of contest supports to quitting should be explored.


title: Assessing the Effect of Functional Electrical Stimulation Training  with the Xcite on Hand and Arm Function in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

subject:
Multiple Sclerosis
FES
upper limb

abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects functional electrical stimulation (FES) training of the hand and arm in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). This is a case series of four individuals with MS with varying hand and arm dysfunction, and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores ranging from 3.0-7.0. Two participants completed 1-hour FES sessions, 3 times per week for 8 weeks and two participants completed 10 weeks. Every session the following four hand and arm exercises were performed on the non-dominant limb: feeding, forward reach and grasp, opposition and lumbrical pinch on the Xcite iFES Clinical Station (Restorative Therapies, Baltimore, MD). Pre and post-testing was divided into two days. The first day included the Sollerman’s hand function test, the Functional Independence Measure (FIM; self-care only), the Capabilities of Upper Extremity (CUE) instrument and the Grasp and Release Test (GRT). The second testing day participants performed grip strength testing (palmar and tip pinch) and two tasks on a haptic wrist device; a tracking task and a proprioception task to assess the effects of the FES training protocol. Pre-testing was completed within 24-72 hours prior to the first FES session and post-testing was within 72 hours of the final FES session. Three of the four participants showed marked improvements in palmar and tip pinch grip strength. Participants did not show meaningful improvement in the Sollerman’s hand function test. The grasp and release test provided mixed results, two participants improved, two were inconsistent across the 6 items. When assessing the functional questionnaires, virtually no change was seen on the FIM and the CUE. Regarding the haptic wrist device testing, some improvement was seen in the tracking and proprioception task but most was not meaningful improvement in the trained limb. Anecdotally, most of the participants reported experiencing improved function in day to day life. The results of this study suggest that thrice-weekly FES of the hand and arm with the Xcite clinical station for 8-10 weeks may elicit functional improvements in individuals with MS. However, more research is required to better understand optimal training parameters and limitations of this therapy.


title: Management Perspectives: Implications of Plastics Free Sport Facilities’ Beverage Service

subject: Environmental Sustainability, Plastic Mitigation, Water, Ecocentrism

abstract: Water is vital in supporting all life on Earth, and without it, all living things would cease to exist. Despite this vitality, water resources are steadily polluted and mismanaged. The challenge of pre-eminence, however, is plastic pollution within global water resources. Plastic is exceptionally disruptive and harmful to all forms of life, killing aquatic animals and is a toxicant to the chemistry of drinking water utilized for human consumption. The review of literature sought to understand how waste ends up in Earth’s oceans and the role sport plays in contributing to and mitigating plastic waste and use. This research sought to illustrate the perspectives food and beverage managers (P=10) have toward the future of managing plastic waste at sporting events in their facilities. Discussions stemmed through semi-structured interviews, influenced by four central research questions, theoretically underpinned by Transition Management Theory (TMT), the Attitude-Behaviour-Gap (ABG), concepts of Environmental Sustainability (ES) and ecocentric approaches to management. The study primarily focused on perceptions of participants toward implementing plastic-free programming within their facilities, and additionally, the adoption and incorporation of biodegradable alternatives. Collectively, participants called for an increased cohesion between all levels of government and their corporate partners, and a federal standardization of recycling practices. Participants collectively did not align with Koskijoki’s (1993) perceptions of ecocentric consumerism, but demonstrated consistently an awareness and desire to reconcile plastic-related consequences.


title: An examination of self-compassion among Canadian youth with and without a caregiving role

subject:
Self-compassion
Young Carers
Subjective Well-Being
Caregiving
Youth

abstract: Self-compassion occurs when people apply the same compassion towards themselves as they would towards others (Neff, 2003a, 2003b). Self-compassion has been shown to relate to positive mental health outcomes, such as reduced depression and lower anxiety (Neff 2003a), as well as increased happiness and optimism (Neff et al., 2007), but has yet to be studied with young carers (YCs), who provide significant care and compassion to family members due to various circumstances (e.g., illness, disability, substance use, language barriers, and age-related needs; Bleakney, 2014; Charles, 2011; Charles et al., 2009), leaving limited time for other activities, friends, or self-care (Sexton, 2017; Stamatopoulos, 2018; Szafran et al., 2016). This dissertation examined 1. Self-compassion in youth ages 12-18 years, by exploring its potential correlates; 2. Self-compassion in the context of caregiving for others via focus groups with 33 YCs; and 3. Self-compassion and Subjective Well-Being (SWB) among YCs (n = 55) in comparison to non-caregiving youth (n = 107). Study 1 found that while sex and age did not relate to self-compassion, positive affect, life satisfaction, honesty and humility, and agreeableness were positively related to self-compassion, and negative affect and emotionality were negatively associated with it. Study 2 revealed that caregiving for others may have reduced YCs’ time for self-compassion, thereby possibly showing lower self-compassion. Finally, Study 3 found that YCs and non-YCs showed similar levels of self-compassion and SWB, which suggested that even though caregiving responsibilities may come in a way of self-compassion, it did not do so significantly. YCs’ SWB was also not any lower than their non-caregiving peers, which could be indicative of some hidden protective mechanism at play, such as resiliency. Implications for interventions and program modifications were discussed.


title: An Examination of Stakeholder Perceptions in Conventional and Participatory Monitoring and  Evaluation of Environmental Management

contributor: Environmental Sustainability Research Centre

subject:
perceptions
monitoring
evaluation
environmental management
key performance indicators

abstract: Effective environmental management is integrally linked to well-designed monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems. Within the need for M&E to manage our environments in the most effective ways, there is an emerging trend to include social dimensions in environmental management and M&E efforts. Accordingly, this research responds to the need to better understand stakeholder perceptions of key performance indicators (KPIs) related to M&E, as well as the influences of engaging in a participatory monitoring and evaluation (PM&E) process. Two objectives were associated with this aim. Objective One (Study One) addressed the tension that practitioners and scholars face regarding the intricate balance of employing a conventional M&E approach in environmental management, with the perceptions of various stakeholders. This study statistically compares two different stakeholder groups’ perceptions about KPIs for M&E at 12 different viewpoint locations in Niagara Parks. Visitor perceptions were also considered against the environmental managers’ perceptions of the viewpoint sites. Results demonstrate that visitor groups do not differ in their overall perceptions of KPIs for viewpoints; however, they do differ in their perceptions for specific KPI sub-criteria. Additionally, environmental managers and visitor groups significantly differ in their perceptions of KPIs for viewpoints. Objective Two (Study Two) was concerned with exploring the influences of engaging in a PM&E process on stakeholder perceptions of KPIs for trails. This study compared stakeholder perceptions of KPIs for trails between a group of individuals before and after they completed a PM&E workshop. Results demonstrated that the PM&E process can be used to reach consensus among stakeholders regarding the overall goals and associated KPIs for environmental management planning. Additionally, stakeholders experience a real change in their perceptions of KPIs for trails after participating in the first three phases of a PM&E process. Overall findings have many implications for theory and practice including, but not limited to, improved environmental management, appropriate integration of stakeholder perceptions in management, addressing intergroup conflicts, gaining stakeholder support for environmental management actions, as well as informing areas for influencing stakeholder behaviour and perceptions. This thesis highlights the value and practicality of using stakeholder perceptions in environmental management.


title: Environmental Justice Activism in Context: A Case Study of the Center on Race, Poverty, and the Environment in Kern County, California

subject:
environmental justice
conservatism
Kern County
grassroots

abstract: Kern County, California is home to some of the worst environmental health conditions in the United States and to one of the oldest and most active chapters of the environmental justice movement (EJM) in the country, known as the Center on Race, Poverty, and the Environment (CRPE). The region, which is characterized by conservative politics, oil and agricultural production, and a long history of farm labor organizing, constitutes a challenging context for CRPE activism that attempts to address the many environmental injustices residents face. Drawing from semi-structured interviews with nine CRPE members, this thesis analyzes how CRPE navigates the historical, social, and political context in which it operates. Its strategies and goals, which center relationship-building and procedural justice, are influenced by and respond to Kern County’s particular social and political dynamics. Analyzing the contours of CRPE’s activism contributes to a greater understanding of how the organization conceptualizes and enacts 'environmental justice' (EJ) (in relation to how it is understood and deployed in different contexts), and how its EJ activists instigate change through their ability to successfully navigate the complexities of the context within which they are situated. How EJ activists negotiate politically conservative contexts to achieve some measure of environmental justice is not well understood in the EJ literature, so I pay particular attention to how Kern County’s conservatism shapes CRPE’s work.


title: Electrophysiological measures of flexible attentional control and visual working memory maintenance

subject:
attentional control
target selection
distractor suppression
anxiety
visual working memory

abstract:
Top-down attentional control can be used to both guide attention toward and away from items according to their goal relevance. When given a feature-based cue, such as the colour of an upcoming target, individuals can allocate attention and memory resources according to the item’s priority. This distribution of resources is continuous, such that the amount that an item receives is dependent on its likelihood of being probed. However, top-down goals are often challenged by bottom-up stimulus salience of distractors. One’s ability to avoid attentional capture by distractors is limited by attentional control over bottom-up biases. In particular, individuals with anxiety have attentional biases toward both neutral and threatening distractors, leading to unnecessary storage of distractors in visual working memory (VWM). Using electrophysiology, it is possible to study the time course of these attentional processes to gain a better understanding of how attentional selection, suppression, and VWM maintenance relate to attentional control. The present thesis explores the event-related potential (ERP) correlates and time course of flexible attentional control, as well as how individual differences in anxiety limit this ability.
In the first study, I used positive and negative feature-based cues to demonstrate that attentional selection occurs earlier when guided by target information than distractor information. Additionally, it was found that greater anxiety resulted in selection of the salient distractor, demonstrating that anxiety compromises early attentional control. For the second study, I further examined deficits in attentional control in anxiety. Here, it was demonstrated that individuals with high anxiety had early selection of threat-related distractors, whereas individuals with low anxiety could pro-actively suppress them. Interestingly, this effect did not carry over to VWM maintenance, suggesting that deficits in early attentional control do not necessarily result in poor memory filtering. In the final study, I examined the link between continuous attentional allocation and VWM maintenance, finding that individuals use priority information to flexibly select and filter information from VWM. Together, in this thesis I propose that attentional control over selection, suppression, and VWM filtering processes is flexible, time-dependent, and driven both by external cues and internal biases related to individual differences in anxiety.


title: A Mixed-Methods Efficacy Study of  Teaching Adolescents to Think and Act Responsibly–The EQUIP Approach: A Narrative Filmmaking Pedagogy

subject:
Moral Education
Character Education
Psychoeducation
Problem Externalization
Psycho-Dramatic Play

abstract:
Ontario’s Ministry of Education requires Character Development to be integrated into regular subject curricula (OME, 2008), yet the initiative is devoid of clearly defined research-based strategies for implementation (Bajovic, Rizzo & Engemann, 2009). The purpose of this mixed-methods (QUAN + qual) study was to examine the effectiveness of an evidence-based multicomponent psycho-educational program: The EQUIP Approach: Teaching Adolescents to Think and Act Responsibly (DiBiase, Gibbs, Potter & Blount, 2012) as it was implemented through the pedagogical tool of Narrative filmmaking in a Technological Education course.
A 2 x 2 Repeated Measures MANOVA was conducted in a sample of 102 students, aged 14-18 years (M = 16.12), to address the research questions: 1) Is there a relationship between the three dependent psychometric measures, the How I Think (HIT) questionnaire, the Social Skills Improvement System - Rating Scale (SSIS-RS), and the Socio-moral Reflection Measure–Short Form (SRM-SF); and 2) Do the groups (i.e., the group receiving The EQUIP Approach (DiBiase et al., 2012) through the narrative filmmaking pedagogy (referred to as the EQUIP-NF Group) versus the group receiving the regular method of Character Education (referred to as the Control Group) differ across the HIT, the SSIS, and the SRM-SF from pre to post-test?
Qualitative interviews were analyzed to address the supporting qualitative research question: How do the thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and insights of both groups (the EQUIP-NF Group and the Control Group) explain and/or expand on the experimental results? It was found that when delivered through the narrative filmmaking pedagogy, The EQUIP Approach (DiBiase et al., 2012) was an effective psychoeducational intervention, impacting the multi-component constructs of EQUIP (i.e., reducing students’ anger inducing cognitive distortions, developing students’ moral reasoning skills, and improving social skills), while concurrently satisfying Ontario’s mandate to integrate Character Development into regular subject curriculum.


title: Parent Training in Multicomponent Behavioural Interventions to Reduce Challenging Behaviours in Children with ASD: A Scoping Review

subject:
applied behaviour analysis
ASD
challenging behaviour
parent training
scoping review

abstract: Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate challenging behaviours including aggression, noncompliance, and self-injury. Applied behaviour analysis (ABA) has been shown to be effective for reducing these challenging behaviours in children with ASD through various strategies including reinforcement, extinction, or a combination of methods. Previous research has shown that parents can be trained to effectively implement ABA- based interventions with their child in order to address skill deficits and behaviour excesses, including problem behaviour. Reviews examining single-case design studies (which allow for the examination of outcomes for individual participants and are highly prevalent in the behaviour analytic literature) of parent training and parent- implemented interventions to reduce problem behaviour are lacking. The present study conducted a comprehensive review of single case design studies of parent training on multicomponent ABA-based interventions to reduce problem behaviour in children with ASD. Results indicate strengths and weaknesses of the current literature with respect to scientific rigour and risk of bias. Parent and child demographics, the method of parent training, the nature of parent-implemented interventions, the topography and function of child challenging behaviours, and the presence of follow-up and social validity information are described for each study. Strengths and limitations of the current review are discussed, and future directions are suggested.


title: Epidemic Simulation and Mitigation via Evolutionary Computation

subject:
Evolutionary Computation
Evolutionary Algorithms
Vaccination Strategies
Epidemic Simulation
Personal Contact Networks

abstract: A global pandemic remains a public health event that presents a unique and unpredictable challenge for those making health related decisions and the populations who experience the virus.  Though a pandemic also provides the opportunity for researchers and health administrations around the world to mobilize in the fields of epidemiology, computer science, and mathematics to generate epidemic models, vaccines, and vaccination strategies to mitigate unfavourable outcomes.  To this end, a generative representation to create personal contact networks, representing the social connections within a population, known as the Local THADS-N generative representation is introduced and expanded upon.  This representation uses an evolutionary algorithm and is modified to include new local edge operations improving the performance of the system across several test problems.  These problems include an epidemic's duration, spread through a population, and closeness to past epidemic behaviour.  The system is further developed to represent sub-communities known as districts, better articulating epidemics spreading within and between neighbourhoods.  In addition, the representation is used to simulate four competing vaccination strategies in preparation for iterative vaccine deployment amongst a population, an inevitability when considering the lag inherent to developing vaccines.  Finally, the Susceptible-Infected-Removed (SIR) model of infection used by the system is expanded in preparation for adding an asymptomatic state of infection as seen within the COVID-19 pandemic.


title: Understanding Parents' Perspectives of Youth Summer Hockey Camps using Importance-Performance Analysis: A Consideration of Value Equity Drivers

subject:
Hockey
Summer Camp
Customer Equity
Value Equity
Importance Performance Analysis

abstract: Given the move towards sport specialization, hockey has become subject to year-round participation. Summer hockey camps provide an outlet for children to continue to work on their skills and stay on the ice during the off-season. As there are numerous hockey camps operating during the summer months, camps compete against each other for consumers. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was twofold. First, the aim was to understand what value equity factors are most important to parents when deciding to register their child for a summer hockey camp; second, the researcher hoped to ascertain if summer hockey camp operators are performing to the deemed level of importance of those factors as determined by the parents, and assist the camps in identifying and closing any perception gaps in their offering. Surveys were used in order to complete an importance-performance analysis; 148 parents who registered their child in a summer hockey camp in the Niagara Region in 2019 completed the survey. Through the findings it is clear that factors of quality were of utmost importance to parents; all but one factor of convenience and price were over-delivered. Overall, parents are generally satisfied with the performance of summer hockey camps in the Niagara Region.