title: Investigating the Emotional Impact of Narrative Dialogue on Struggling Readers’ Discovery of Learning Potential

subject: affect, emotions, phenomenology, embodiment, learning strategies

abstract: I investigated the cognitive, emotional and embodied responses to reading of four children/youth who experienced struggles with reading using phenomenology of embodiment (Husserl, 1913/2012; Taipale, 2014) as a theoretical framework and taking the role of an interpretive phenomenological approach (IPA) researcher (Smith & Osborne, 2007; Van Manen, 1997). Narrative theory (Bal, 2009; Chase, 2005; Clandinin & Connelly, 2000; Denison, 2016; White, 2007) supported the primary methodological and research approach complemented by the use of arts-based inquiry (Campbell, 1949/2008; Doherty, 1990; Gladwin, 2014; O’Donoghue, 2006) to probe stories about how participants thought and felt about their reading struggles and through dialogue individual learning strengths were discovered. The narrative approach provided an opportunity to ask how emotions and embodiment played a role in the reading process. I explored children and youths’ embodied experiences through narratives around reading and reading challenges, as they experienced reading difficulties and discovered learning strength during interview conversations about a reading challenge. Life narratives can change as emotions are evoked and described (Angus & Greenberg, 2011; White, 2007, 2011). As a listener, questioner, and recorder of these stories, I was not neutral and my own reflexivity played a role in the data collection [i.e., I was aware that I needed to evaluate my relationship with my participants because I had an influence on them by the observations and dialogues we had (Goldstein, 2017)]. This research focused on: (a) the emotional impact of reading deficits and children/youths’ discovery of cognitive learning strengths; (b) the influence of emotions on the children/youths’ and parents’ perceptions of the struggling reader lived experience; and (c) children/youths’ awareness of their own emotional experiences and cognitive processes when reading leading to connections between the embodied reaction and cognitive processes signaling that this phenomenon related to realizing a learning strength. Implications for future research involve exploring further the dialogic approach to discovering learning strengths and how to apply them to reading challenges that trigger a visceral emotional response. This research contributes to a theory that emotional meta-awareness maybe necessary to guide metacognitive reading strategies. There is a connection between embodied-emotional responses, reading challenges, and the discovery of learning strengths. Metacognitive awareness is heightened by being able to interpret the visceral emotional responses possibly leading children/youth to be aware when they have a learning strength that they can apply independently by listening to their body while completing a challenging reading task.


title: Whistleblowing and Moral Dilemmas in Policing: An Analysis of Police Culture and the 'Blue Code of Silence'

subject:
blue code of silence
whistleblowing
moral dilemmas
police misconduct
police abuse

abstract: This thesis explores police officers’ moral experience with the ‘blue code of silence’ and whistleblowing relating to corruption, misconduct and abuses of civilians. The interview responses of five (5) Canadian police officers is presented and examined using a meta-analytical approach of symbolic interactionism and critical discourse analysis to explain the perspectives, experiences and decisions of the officers interviewed. The thesis seeks to understand the tension between proactive policing which contributes to abuses, misconduct and moral conflicts with respect to the right of the civilians to effect democratic control of police. The thesis examines the narratives of interviewees sustained by the assumptions that: a) the state monopolizes the legitimate use of force; b) bureaucracies thrive on secrecy, the protection of their members and the exclusion of ‘outsiders’; and c) discretionary authority and power tends to corrupt. Sustained by the assertion that all organizations are hierarchical, the thesis draws on Howard Becker (1967), Alvin Gouldner (1968) and Alexander Liazos (1972) to critically assess how the administrative, disciplinary and policy-makers (the “top dogs”) reflect on factors involved in abuse, misconduct, the ‘blue code of silence’ and whistleblowing. The major findings from the interviews with current and former police officers range from tactics of dissociation and denial, ‘neutralization’ techniques, rejection of policing, moral objection to covert and overt abuses and corruption in policing and enforcement of minor drug laws. Of requests for interviews with nine (9) “top dogs” (political, administrative and investigative bodies) that set policy and hold police organizations accountable, only Mr. Gerry McNeilly, director of the Office of the Independent Police Review Board (OIPRD), agreed to be interviewed. In general, “top dogs” deflected, avoided scrutiny and visibility or were contradictory and evasive about the realities of the ‘blue code of silence’. This thesis aspires to increase public understanding of policing and to facilitate strengthening accountability and democratic restraints on the institution of policing.


title: Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Retinoic Acid-Induced Growth Cone Guidance During Neuronal Regeneration

subject:
Growth Cone
Retinoic Acid
Regeneration
Rho GTPases

abstract: During the period of neuronal development, neurons must make correct synaptic connections with their appropriate targets. The intricate connections of the nervous system are established in part by growth cones, located at the tips of extending neurites. These unique structures are essential for axon pathfinding and target cell selection by sensing and integrating numerous guidance cues from their environment. Retinoic acid, the active metabolite of vitamin A, is an important regulator of neurite outgrowth during vertebrate development, but there is substantial evidence that it also plays a role in axon guidance. Previous studies have provided preliminary evidence of a potential role of retinoid receptors in mediating the chemotropic effects of retinoic acid. In this study, I demonstrated that a synthetic retinoic acid receptor agonist was able to mimic the effects of retinoic acid in inducing growth cone turning. I also examined the intracellular pathways activated by retinoic acid that induce changes in growth cone behaviour. Previously it has been shown that retinoic acid-induced growth cone turning of invertebrate motorneurons requires local protein synthesis and calcium influx, similar to other known guidance cues in the central nervous system. However, the signalling pathways that link calcium influx to the regulation of cytoskeletal dynamics involved in growth cone turning are not currently known. Here, I examined potential effectors downstream of retinoic acid and have provided evidence that the intracellular pathways likely involve the Rho GTPases, Rac and Cdc42. I demonstrated that the inhibition of Rac or Cdc42 prevented growth cone turning towards retinoic acid. However, it was shown that the involvement of Rac differed depending on whether the growth cones maintained communication with the cell body or not. Moreover, the inhibition of Cdc42 not only blocked growth cone turning towards retinoic acid, but also induced a switch in growth cone responsiveness from attraction to repulsion. Overall, these studies provide new knowledge of the mechanisms underlying growth cone pathfinding by retinoids during nervous system development and regeneration.


title: Utilization of unmanned aerial vehicles and proximal sensing to detect Riesling vineyard variability

subject:
proximal sensing
precision viticulture
selective harvesting
zonal wines
remote sensing

abstract:
A single vineyard block can consist of significant spatial variability for several grape-growing attributes. The ability to detect and subsequently respond to this variation can lead to improved vineyard management, a growing practice termed precision viticulture. The overall goal of this research study was to determine if remote-sensing technologies could be used to detect Riesling vineyard variability, thus enhancing precision viticulture implementation. Approximately 80 grapevines in a grid pattern were geo-located within each of six commercial Riesling vineyards across the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario. From these grapevines the following variables were measured to determine their vineyard variation: soil and vine water status, vine size/vigor, winter hardiness, virus titer, yield components, and berry composition. Subsequently, remote-sensing technologies collected thermal [by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)] and multispectral (by UAV and ground-based proximal sensing technology GreenSeeker™) data from each block. Multispectral data were transformed into the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Vineyard UAV NDVI maps were further used for selective harvesting of areas corresponding to low vs. high NDVI and wines made from these two zones were compared chemically and sensorially. The hypothesis was that remote and proximal sensing technologies could accurately detect vineyard variation for manually collected variables and further implicate differences in wine attributes upon zonal harvesting.
Direct positive correlations were observed between remotely and proximally sensed NDVI vs. vine size, leaf stomatal conductance, leaf water potential, virus infection, yield, berry weight, and titratable acidity and inverse correlations with Brix and potentially-volatile terpene concentration. Maps created from remotely and proximally sensed data demonstrated similar spatial configurations to interpolated maps of these variables. In general, GreenSeeker NDVI demonstrated the most significant relationships with measured variables compared to UAV NDVI and UAV thermal data. Wines created from areas of low vs high NDVI differed inconsistently in their wine pH. Sensorially, in certain sites and vintages, panelists were able to distinguish between wines made from low vs high NDVI zones. Overall, remote sensing demonstrates the ability to detect vineyard areas differing in measures of vine health, size, yield, berry composition, and wine attributes, though more research is needed to understand the inconsistent results observed between vineyard sites and vintages.


title: Electronic and Magnetic Properties of Pyrochlore (Eu(1-x)Dyx)2Ir2O7

subject:
Pyrochlore
Van Vleck Paramagnetism
Substitute Dy for Eu
magnetoresistance

abstract:
The pyrochlore (Eu(1-x)Dyx)2Ir2O7 for x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0 were prepared
using solid-state reaction method. As the Dy concentration increases, the X-ray results
indicate a systematic decrease of the cubic lattice parameter of (Eu(1-x)Dyx)2Ir2O7. We
observed metal insulator transition in all compounds in addition two new anomalies at
high temperatures in specifi c heat and resistivity results. The origin of these anoma-
lies have not yet been identifi ed. The metal insulator transition temperature TMI of
(Eu(1-x)Dyx)2Ir2O7 increases with the reduction in the lattice parameter. In the mag-
netic susceptibility results, the effective magnetic moment increases with the increment
of the Dy substitution for Eu ions. The magnetic fi eld dependence of resistivity was in-
vestigated for all samples, negative and positive magnetoresistance effects are discussed.


title: Identifying the effect of clone and rootstock on viticultural performance, fruit composition and winemaking potential for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling, in Niagara, Ontario.

subject: viticulture oenology clone rootstock terroir

abstract: Previous research globally has demonstrated that the performance of grapevine clone and rootstock combinations on vine performance and fruit quality are region-specific. Consequently, it is imperative for the Ontario wine industry to have locally-relevant information on the performance of vine combinations before these selections are purchased and established in vineyards. The objective of this research is to identify the influence of clone and rootstock combination on vine performance, fruit composition and oenological potential for core Ontario varieties: Pinot noir (clones: 113, 114, 115 and 777 on rootstock Riparia Gloire), Chardonnay (clones: 548, 96, 95 and 76 on rootstock Selektion Oppenheim 4), and Riesling (clones 9, 12 and 21 on rootstock SO4; clones 239, 49 and 21 on rootstock SO4; rootstocks 101-14, SO4 and 5C on clone 9; and rootstocks 3309C and SO4 on clone 21) over the course of multiple growing seasons and vintages, 2017 and 2018. Replicated blocks for each treatment were established in one of three commercial vineyards within the Niagara region. Vine performance was measured by timing of phenological stages, yield components, vine balance, disease and winter injury. Fruit composition was determined by measuring acid and soluble solid content of 100-berry samples taken from sentinel vines. Fruit was harvested from select research blocks and fermented into wine to evaluate oenological potential through must composition analysis, fermentation kinetics and finished wine composition analysis. Results indicate significant (p≤0.05) differences in all cultivars in both years, for the effects of clone and rootstock on vine performance, fruit composition and oenological potential in Niagara. However, trends were generally not consistent across years, indicating further vintages will be required to eliminate the weather-related differences between years. This project is limited by its duration of two years. Research from additional vintages is required in order to further understand the effects of clone and rootstock selection under Niagara vineyard conditions.


title: Investigating the Effects of Subclinical Neck Pain, Cervical Treatment, and Neck Muscle Fatigue on Wrist Joint Position Sense

subject: proprioception, biomechanics, upper extremity, joint position sense, cervical extensor muscle, fatigue, upper limb

abstract: The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effects of neck pain, cervical treatment, and neck muscle fatigue on joint position sense of the wrist. 12 healthy participants and 12 participants with chronic subclinical neck pain were recruited. Participants took part in two sessions, separated by 48 hours. On the first day, participants preformed two wrist proprioception sessions using a haptic robotic device separated by an isometric cervical extensor fatigue protocol. On the second day participants performed an additional two proprioception sessions, this time separated either by a neck treatment (pain group) or 20 minutes of rest (control group).  Each session consisted of 12 trials; 6 in wrist flexion and 6 in wrist extension. Matching error, error bias and variability were measured for each trial. Kinematic data for each trial was recorded from the robotic device and analyzed. Results showed significantly higher error scores for the pain group when compared to the control group at baseline (p=<0.05). Joint position error scores increased significantly in the control group after the fatigue protocol (p= <0.05). Error scores for the pain group decreased significantly after a single treatment session (p= <0.05). This study confirms that altered afferent input from the neck (due to pain and/or fatigue) can influence wrist joint position sense (JPS). Furthermore, the results suggest that a single treatment can improve wrist JPS accuracy.


title: Considerations for the Development and Optimization of Wine made from Partially Dehydrated Grapes in Ontario, Canada

subject:
winemaking
yeast
sensory science
partially dehydrated grapes
Ontario wine

abstract:
The appassimento process for making wine can mitigate climatic challenges associated with cool climate winemaking, as fruit is dried post-harvest, reducing vintage-to-vintage variation due to varying fruit quality. Resultant wines fermented from dried grapes are high in ethanol and described as rich and intensely flavoured. One of the quality challenges facing wine made from partially dehydrated grapes is elevated levels of undesirable oxidation compounds, such as ethyl acetate, acetic acid and acetaldehyde. In this study we aim to characterize wines made from a local yeast isolate, Saccharomyces bayanus CN1, which demonstrates limited osmotolerance and may have application to this wine style, as it is a lower producer of such compounds. Wines made with the yeast of interest were compared to wines made with the accepted commercial yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, EC1118. Fermentations were established over two vintages at one and three target starting sugar concentrations and a control, respectively. Wines were chemically (enzymatic) and sensorially analyzed. Wines (year two) were subject to volatile organic compound (VOC) and volatile fatty acid (VFA) measurements via Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.
Another consideration for the development of this wine style is the inclusion of Botrytis cinerea, a pathogenic fungus that commonly develops during grape drying, and may impart favourable sensorial characteristics. Grapes were dried to 28.0°Brix and were fermented with EC1118 at 0 and 10% B. cinerea infection. A consumer preference test (n=153) that measured liking of wines (CN1 and 0% and10% B. cinerea infection) was conducted. Results indicate that CN1’s upper limit for fermentation to dryness is 27.5°Brix. All CN1 wines had significantly lower concentrations (p<0.05) of oxidation compounds than the commercial yeast, and oppositely, higher glycerol levels, along with comparable ethanol concentration to EC1118 wines. Significant differences in the concentrations of VOCs and VFAs, such as 2-phenylethanol and hexanoic acid were observed both within °Brix treatments and amongst yeast strains. Sensorially, the wines differed in intensity for a number of attributes. The consumer study revealed no preference between wines vinified with the different yeast strains. This work will contribute to the optimization of this wine style in cool climate winemaking regions and beyond.


title: Lying to parents and friends: A longitudinal investigation of the relation between lying, relationship quality, and depression in late-childhood and early adolescence

subject:
lie-telling
secret-keeping
depression
relationship quality
adolescence

abstract: Lie-telling has been suggested to increase from childhood through adolescence; however, research on how dishonesty influences other areas of functioning is limited. The goal of this thesis was to examine dishonesty separately in the context of parent-child and friendships in eight- to 14- year-old participants (Time 1). Study 1 assessed longitudinal associations between lying to parents, keeping secrets from parents, parent-child relationship quality, and depression. There was bidirectional negative association between parent-child relationship quality and keeping secrets from parents over time, and depressive symptoms were positively associated with lying to parents over time. Study 2 assessed longitudinal associations between lying to friends, friendship quality, and depression. Lying to friends was not associated with friendship quality, but depressive symptoms were positively associated with lying to friends over time. The findings across these two studies suggest that lying plays an important role in various areas of functioning during childhood and adolescence.


title: Effects of local muscle temperature manipulations on neuromuscular function

subject:
Motor unit
Flexor carpi radialis
Force steadiness

abstract: Human muscle can operate through a wide range of temperature; however optimal function may occur throughout a much narrower range. Muscle cooling results in an impairment in muscle contractile properties and maximal force, whereas heating the muscle fosters faster and more powerful contractions. However, what neural compensatory mechanisms exist such that the muscle can still function adequately throughout a wide range of temperatures are unknown and forms the purpose of this dissertation. To this end, muscle contractile and motor unit properties of the flexor carpi radialis were examined during three separate projects involving forearm temperature manipulations. Chapter 4 investigates the effects of local forearm cooling on motor unit properties during an isometric wrist flexion contraction to 50% of baseline maximal force. Chapter 5 builds upon Chapter 4 to include local heating and contraction intensities above and below the motor unit recruitment range of the flexor carpi radialis. Finally, Chapter 6 investigates how different muscle temperatures affect manual performance – assessed through a staircase isometric force tracking task. Local cooling did not affect the ability to perform voluntary contractions to 50% of baseline force, but motor control was achieved through changes in the relationship between motor unit firing rate and recruitment threshold, indicating either faster motor unit firing rates and/or earlier motor unit recruitment to accomplish a task at the same absolute force (Chapter 4). However, these differences were not present when force requirements were made relative to muscle capacity of the respective temperature conditions. We found that motor units were recruited earlier in the cold when contraction intensity was above the motor unit recruitment range (Chapter 5). The altered relationship between motor unit firing rate and recruitment threshold observed in Chapter 4 with muscle cooling at an absolute force level did not affect isometric force tracking ability (Chapter 6). Collectively, this thesis found that the motor unit recruitment threshold may be depressed in the cold due to cutaneous stimulation, and that manual function during an isometric force tracking task involving relatively light loads is not impaired with muscle temperature changes.


title: Who is on the Team? Exploring a Person-Centred Care Approach on an Interdisciplinary Healthcare Team, from the Healthcare Provider's Perspective

subject:
person-centred care
team-based care
oncology
healthcare providers

abstract: The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding from the perspective of healthcare providers how person-centre care ideologies are translated into day-to-day practice at an oncology center. This was a single case study, conducted at a local Oncology Center. The study included 15 interviews with healthcare providers, the analysis of 15 documents, and the keeping of a reflexive research journal. Four themes and ten sub-themes were found to represent the experiences of healthcare providers: (1) Educating with Empathy (2) Informed Personal Advocate, (3) Being the “Rock”, and (4) Progressing as a Team. This study demonstrates the roles of healthcare providers, patients and caregivers on a healthcare team committed to delivering person-centred care. It also introduces a new kind of team, a person-centred care team along with complimentary guiding principles to inform the practices of healthcare providers. This study contributes to the shift in the culture of care in oncology, where patients and caregivers are welcomed onto their healthcare team.


title: A Longitudinal Person-Centered Examination of Affinity for Aloneness Among Children and Adolescents

subject:
affinity for aloneness
social anxiety
children
adolescents

abstract: Affinity for aloneness (AFA; a tendency to enjoy time spent alone) among children and adolescents often has been viewed as negative, even though research on AFA among these age groups is scarce. Moreover, researchers have not accounted for the role that social anxiety (SA) might play in enjoying solitude. The purpose of this two-wave longitudinal study of children (N = 605, 47.76% female, Mage = 9.29 years) and early adolescents (N = 596, 51.51% female, Mage = 12.20 years) was to identify distinct groups based on responses to AFA and SA survey measures, to examine transitions between these groups over time, and to assess group differences in psychosocial adjustment (e.g., peer victimization, depressive symptoms) over time. Latent class analyses revealed four groups at T1 and T2 for both the children and early adolescents. Among these were normative (i.e., LowAFA/LowSA) and AFA (i.e., High AFA/LowModSA) groups. Transition analyses indicated that moving from the normative group at T1 to the AFA group at T2 was common among the early adolescents. In both the child and early adolescent samples, the AFA group did not differ from the normative group on any of the adjustment indicators at T2, controlling for scores at T1. These findings highlight the potentially benign nature of AFA among youth without high SA. Furthermore, they stress the importance of accounting for SA in studies of AFA in order to avoid the risk of pathologizing normal, potentially harmless behaviour.


title: Enhancing Instruction in a Changing World: Kindergarten Educators Implementing Technology to Support Student Reading Development

contributor: Department of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies in Education

subject: Education Kindergarten Technology

abstract: With the rapid integration of technology into classrooms, educators are experiencing challenges in implementing technology into their Kindergarten programs. This study sought to identify ways to help Kindergarten educators enhance reading instruction with technology-infused lessons. This research drew on Dewey’s theory of progressivism, as well as Mishra and Koehler’s Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) conceptual model. The study employed qualitative methods through a design-based research approach that included 2 teacher and 2 ECE participants who engaged in 3 training and reflective meetings with the researcher and created and implemented technology-enhanced reading lessons over 12 sessions. Data collection included fieldnotes, interviews, and surveys. Data analysis techniques involved open-ended and axial coding to derive themes that illustrated the data set. Results indicated that support can be provided to educators by recognizing and anticipating their needs, using differentiation, researcher problem solving, iterative professional learning cycles, and liaising with administration. Additionally, findings show that participants changed over the course of the study with attitudinal shifts, increased skills and knowledge of SMART Boards, and technology-enhanced practices. Lastly, findings show that the participants experienced numerous external and internal barriers, but were also able to identify ways to mitigate the barriers. Overall, this research provides implications for practice, research, and theory that can be used to implement effective pedagogy and programming for Kindergarten educators to support students’ reading development through technology enhanced practices.


title: Diophantine Triples and Linear Forms in Logarithms

subject:
Linear forms in logarithms
Diophantine triples
Pellian equations
Fibonacci numbers

abstract: This is the thesis for my master's degree in mathematics which I undertook with Dr. Omar Kihel. Over the last couple of years I have studied number theory with the aim being to develop a broader understanding of the theory of Diophantine equations and their (at times) elusive solutions. I begin my thesis by establishing some of the preliminary results while touching on their place within the history of number theory. This section finishes with an account of Alan Baker's work on linear forms in logarithms and some of its applications, after which the two theorems on Diophantine triples that this paper will aim to prove are stated. In the second section, I list a series of definitions and results of which the reader must be aware, but which I could not fit into the first section due to its historical slant. Following this, I prove a lemma on Pellian equations which generalizes the first lemma of [1]. This requires that a mistake from the proof of that lemma be fixed. Since this lemma was used in [2], this section serves to buttress that result as well. In the next two sections, I prove the two main theorems using results on linear forms in logarithms of algebraic numbers, extending the main result in [2] to $D(9)$ and $D(64)$ triples. The thesis ends with a few words on potential generalization and improvement of the main results, as well as other potential avenues of inquiry, and draws attention to some potential difficulties. The main results closely follow a paper co-written with my brother, Benjamin Earp-Lynch.


title: Linear Forms in Logarithms and Fibonacci Numbers

subject: Linear forms and logarithms; Fibonacci numbers; Diophantine triples; Pellian equations.

abstract:
The main work included in these pages is from a paper co-written by myself and my brother, Simon Earp-Lynch, under the supervision of Omar Kihel, pertaining to Diophantine triples of Fibonacci numbers. To go along with this will be introductory material not included in said paper which establishes the mathematical concepts therein and offers some historical perspective and motivation.
The initial aim of the paper was to explore the possibility of a generalization of the main result in [2] on D(4)-Diophantine triples of Fibonacci numbers. The paper managed to extend the ideas in [2] to results for D(9)-Diophantine triples and D(64)-Diophantine triples. A generalization of Lemma 1 of [1] was also found, a lemma on Diophantine triples and Pellian equations which is key in establishing the main result in [2]. This paper includes this result and its proof, which involves a correction of the proof of Lemma 1 of [1]. This result may prove useful in the extension of the results in the paper, and potentially others as well.
I will begin by introducing Diophantine equations, leading to Diophantine triples, followed by a section on the necessary preliminaries on Fibonacci num- bers, which concludes with the statements of our main results. Following this, I establish the primary machinery used in the proof of the main result, linear forms in logarithms. I then move to the generalization of the aforementioned Lemma 1 of [1], before finally commencing the proof of the main results.


title: COMPARING ASSET PRICING MODELS USING QUANTILE REGRESSIONS FOR DISTANCE-BASED METRICS

subject: Multi-factor Asset Pricing Models, Quantile Regressions, Distance-Based Metrics

abstract: This thesis compares the performance of ten well-known asset-pricing models for cross-sectional returns of various portfolios from January 1967 to December 2016. We rely on the distance-based metrics as the primary performance measure and use quantile regressions to compare models at a wide range of quantiles of the asset return distribution. The model performance is examined from both statistical and economic perspectives. We find that the Fama and French (2018) six-factor model reliably outperforms other competing models in pricing the selected portfolios. In particular, both the momentum factor and the value factor are necessary in asset-pricing models to explain the return variations in different quantiles. We also find that the performance of Barilla and Shanken (2018) six-factor model exhibits strong explanatory power in medium to high quantiles, despite some existing findings that their model performs poorly in OLS regressions. Overall, we show that the distance-based metrics coupled with quantile regressions provide a consistent and robust model-comparison methodology that largely enhances the existing OLS-based statistical measures.


title: The Effects of Motivational and Instructional Self-Talk on Cross-Training Exercise Performance

subject: self-talk instructional motivational exercise

abstract: Self-talk is a multi-dimensional construct comprised of self-statements that provide instruction, or motivation, for successful task completion. Instructional self-talk has been shown to be more effective during precision tasks, and motivational self-talk has been shown to be more effective during gross motor and exercise tasks. The effects of self-talk on task performance have not been explored through a combination of endurance and precision exercise, or cross-training. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the effectiveness of instructional and motivational self-talk during a cross-training exercise task of running and overhead squatting. 30 participants were evenly divided into three groups (i.e., control, motivational, and instructional), and were examined across three exercise trials. Two 3 x 3 factorial ANOVAs comparing exercise time and mechanical score revealed no significant differences between groups across exercise trials. The results of the present study provide a potential starting point for future self-talk studies analyzing the combination of exercise tasks.


title: An Alternative Measure for Attitudes towards Bisexual People

subject:
Bisexual
Measurement
Attitudes
Stereotypes
Behavioral Intentions

abstract: Existing measures of attitudes towards bisexual people include items assessing people’s attitudes, stereotypes, and behavioral intentions regarding this sexual minority, despite the theoretical differences between these constructs.  The purpose of the current study was to create separate and well-defined measures for assessing these constructs.  The responses to the newly created measures were collected online from 377 US MTurk Workers (88% heterosexual, 75% white, 57% men, median age 32 years).  Common factor analyses were performed to determine the factor structure of the measures and how they should be scored.  According to several exploratory data analyses, these measures showed moderately (but not extremely) strong correlations and somewhat differing pattern of gender differences.  Together, both the social psychology literature and current empirical evidence implied that it might be a better practice to treat attitudes, stereotypes, and behavioral intentions regarding bisexual people as different constructs and assess them using distinct and clear-cut measures.


title: The Cinematic Boogeyman: The Folkloric Roots of the Slasher Villain

subject: Michael Myers; Jason Voorhees; Freddy Krueger; Boogeyman; Bluebeard

abstract:
This doctoral thesis complements earlier scholarship by Marina Warner concerning the Boogeyman as a figure representative of monstrosity and otherness by assessing these topics through an interdisciplinary lens. Employing a methodological approach that incorporates research from the fields of psychology, philosophy, and film studies, I analyse the Boogeyman within the context of the traditional fairytale and the modern horror film, and thereby reveal the key facets of this figure in the Western cultural imaginary. Specifically, I demonstrate that the villains of the contemporary slasher film (a subgenre of the horror film) are cinematic manifestations of the folkloric Boogeyman through a comparison of their physical and psychological attributes. Examining the archetypal properties of these characters, I argue that the traits that characterize the Boogeyman are the result of the fact that he is a composite of three archetypal forms: the collective Shadow, the Terrible Father, and the Death-Demon.
I address three key questions: (1) what particular physical and psychological qualities are associated with the Boogeyman; (2) how the persona of the Boogeyman is constituted in the public consciousness; and (3) what moral, philosophical, and psychological role does he serve in Western culture. Over the course of this thesis, I demonstrate the fact that the Boogeyman represents the amalgamation of three archetypal components. Firstly, he embodies the role of the collective Shadow and functions to personify violent and anarchic characteristics that are repressed by the community and projected onto monstrous figures in the popular consciousness. Secondly, he is a manifestation of the negative attributes associated with the archetypal Father (referred to in literature as the “Terrible Father”) who punishes individuals that defy hegemonic values. Finally, he is a cultural embodiment of the Death-Demon, a conceptual figure that personifies anxieties related to death, and the degeneration of the body.
This thesis provides a comparative analysis of a series of case studies that clearly illustrate the characteristics synonymous with the Boogeyman in the Western cultural imaginary. I begin with an examination of Bluebeard, a homicidal villain featured in Charles Perrault’s 1697 collection of fairytales titled Histoires ou contes du temps passé. In her seminal text No Go the Bogeyman, Warner posits Bluebeard as a clear example of the folkloric Boogeyman due to the fact that he is physically grotesque and morally repugnant. In Perrault’s story, Bluebeard is a villain who marries and then murders a series of women for disobeying him, and subsequently stores their bodies in his private chamber. Extrapolating the salient characteristics of Bluebeard as the folkloric Boogeyman, I assess these traits under an archetypal lens and demonstrate that Bluebeard/the folkloric Boogeyman is a manifestation of the collective Shadow, the Terrible Father, and the Death-Demon.
After determining the archetypal properties of the folkloric Boogeyman, I highlight the presence of these same qualities in popular villains from the contemporary American slasher films of the 1970s and ’80s. Specifically, these characters include Michael Myers from Halloween (1978), Jason Voorhees of Friday the 13th (1980), and Freddy Krueger featured in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). Through my analysis of these terrifying figures, I situate them within a larger archetypal context of monstrosity and simultaneously establish their role as cinematic manifestations of the folkloric Boogeyman. This examination reveals the placement of the Boogeyman within the cultural imaginary as a violent disciplinarian who reinforces moral boundaries through sadistic acts of violence and paradoxically brings both chaos and harmony to the collective by preserving social borders. By extension, I demonstrate the link between the slasher film and the fairytale, both of which serve a didactic function, imparting hegemonic values to the public concerning sexual politics, social propriety, and moderation.


title: Role of acute exercise-induced brain-derived neurotrophic factor on beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 and amyloid precursor protein processing in the brain

subject:
Alzheimer's Disease
BDNF
BACE1
Brain Metabolism
Neuropathology

abstract: Beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) is the rate limiting enzyme in the pathway responsible for beta-amyloid production, a pathological feature of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Exercise has been shown to reduce BACE1 activity, although the mechanisms responsible are unknown. Exercise has also been shown to increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) content and signalling, however whether this neurotrophic factor mediates the effects of exercise on BACE1 regulation requires further investigation. C57BL/6J male mice were placed on a low (LFD) or high fat diet (HFD) for 10-weeks. Following the intervention, the mice either remained sedentary or underwent an acute bout of treadmill running. Mice were euthanized and the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were collected for analysis. The remaining sedentary mice (n=24) were used for an explant experiment where the tissue was directly treated with BDNF. The HFD reduced BDNF content in the hippocampus, however, an acute bout of exercise was able to significantly increase BDNF content in the prefrontal cortex. We further demonstrated that direct treatment with BDNF results in reductions in BACE1 activity in the prefrontal cortex. This novel finding demonstrates that BDNF can reduce BACE1 activity, independent of an exercise stimulus. Moreover, this finding shows for the first time, that there is a direct link between BDNF signalling and BACE1 regulation in this region of the brain. This highlights the viability of using exercise and BDNF to modulate BACE1 activity as a potential therapeutic intervention, without the negative consequences of drug-induced inhibitions.


title: Guiding Graduate Student Professional	Development: Progress, Pathways	and Plans

subject:
graduate students
skills imperative
professional development
socio-narrative analysis
professional development programs

abstract: The skills imperative has signaled the emergence of co-curricular professional development programming and the establishment of a new subsector in graduate education. In an effort to support the transition from academia to post-graduate work for students enrolled in research-intensive pathways, professional development offices have devised various educational methods, tools and guides to introduce students to a roster of professional learning opportunities and pathways. The aim of this research project was to understand how the skills imperative has been characterized in three distinctly different graduate student guides devised by selected GSPD offices. Through a comprehensive process of document analysis, eight socio-narrative themes were discovered as pedagogical, ideological and dialogical tensions. Proposed practices and socio-narrative criteria were developed as application for fostering professional development programmatic fidelity.


title: Exploring Diversified Vineyard Ecological Soil Management Strategies: Impacts of cover cropping, Spanish River Carbonatite, and smooth pigweed (Amaranthus hybridus) interactions on an agroecosystem

subject: agromineral, agroecosystem, soil, cover crop, allelopathy

abstract:
Agroecosystems are one of the most heavily managed ecosystems that provide essential services
for human well being. Intense management of agroecosystems has led to global degradation of
soil and reduced biodiversity, two of the major challenges faced by agriculture today. Soil, the
foundation of an agroecosystem, forms the base for cropping systems and how it is managed
matters. My research focused on investigating how two ecologically-based soil management
techniques, cover cropping (using a species mixture of Cichorium intybus, Raphanus sativus,
Medicago sativa, Trifolium pratense, and a monoculture of Lolium multiflorum) and agromineral
amendment application (using Spanish River Carbonatite – SRC), affect both biotic and abiotic
variables such as soil nutrients, plant growth, and plant and soil invertebrate community
composition over time. My study included control greenhouse trials and trials in an operational
vineyard. In greenhouse trials, SRC was found to be especially effective for growth of
leguminous species, M. sativa and T. pratense while forb species, R. sativus and C. intybus,
tended to grow better in synthetic fertilizer. Residual effects on a second period of growth were
minimal. This suggests that, depending on species used, cover crops when combined with SRC
may be able to support an operational system in a similar way to when synthetic inputs are used.
Trials were also conducted in an operational vineyard. While the added complexity of a field
setting did not significantly affect any of the measured variables between amendment treatments,
cover crop type mattered with significantly higher vegetation-index diversity and total
abundance values found in cover crop mixture plots than in monoculture. Annual weather and
farm management practises were most likely the main driver of the variation found in soil
invertebrate community diversity. An additional experiment aimed to determine whether
Amaranthus hybridus, a known allelopathic plant species present in the vineyard, affects the

same cover crop species germination and growth using an A. hybridus tea extract treatment in
controlled conditions. Here, A. hybridus was found to inhibit germination and growth of  M.
sativa and T. pratense yet stimulate growth in R. sativus and L. multiflorum. Careful
consideration should be given to which weeds can be found in an agroecosystem and how they
may influence management outcomes. Long-term investigations are needed to truly understand
how to best manage the various components found in an agroecosystem.


title: Enhancing Physical Activity Through SEESAW: Exploring Effectiveness and Educators' Perceptions

subject:
SEESAW
Physical Activity
Early Childhood
Preschool Children
Childcare Contexts

abstract:
Preschoolers are generally assumed to be innately active (Santrock, Mackenzie-Rivers, Malcomson, & Leung, 2011). However, ParticipACTION (2018) found only 62% of preschoolers are engaging in the recommended amount of at least 180 minutes of physical activity each day. Guided by the belief that interpersonal relationships directly influence children’s physical activity (Stokols, 1996), this mixed-methods study examined the effectiveness of SEESAW on preschooler’s physical activity and asked:
i. How does SEESAW impact preschool children’s physical activity behaviours?
ii. What is the nature of educators’ beliefs and practices in relation to children’s physical activity and their role in promoting that activity?
iii. Are these beliefs and practices impacted by a resource such as SEESAW, and if so, how?
iv. How effective is the SEESAW resource from educators’ perspectives?
Data collection occurred once in Autumn 2018 and again in Winter of 2019 using the OSRAC-P, IPAQ, and semi-structured interviews. Paired-samples t-tests found children’s standing and gross motor behaviours significantly changed after SEESAW was implemented, while educators’ physical activity did not. No significant results were found when variables associated with SEESAW were tested as predictors to children’s activity. Thematic analysis of educator interview scripts found educators’ beliefs and practices increased after SEESAW was implemented.


title: Effects of Cerebral Blood Flow and Temperature on Executive Function During Moderate Hyperthermia

subject:
Hyperthermia
Cerebral Blood Flow
Executive Function
Temperature
Cognition

abstract:
This	 thesis	 tested	 whether	 executive	 function	 using	 five	 different	 cognitive	 tests
(Groton	 Maze	 Learning	 Test,	 2-Back	 Test,	 Detection	 Test,	 Set	 Shifting	 and	 Groton	 Maze
Learning	Test	recall)	during	passive	heat	stress	may	be	affected	by	changes	in	cerebral	blood
flow	(CBF)	as	opposed	to	thermal	perception	changes.	An	end-tidal	forcing	system	was	used
to	maintain	eucapnia	and	baseline	CBF	in	the	isocapnic	trial	during	the	hypocapnia-induced
CBF	reduction.	Repeated	measures	analysis	of	variance	indicated	that	an	increase	of	5°C	in
mean	skin	temperature	impaired	working	memory	regardless	of	rectal	temperature.	The
results	also	indicated	that	an	increase	of	1.5°C	in	rectal	temperature	increases	the	amount	of
errors	by	38%	when	compared	to	baseline	regardless	of	mean	skin	temperature.	Although
eucapnia	was	maintained	during	hyperthermia,	it	did	not	preserve	baseline	levels	of	mean
middle	 cerebral	 artery	 velocity,	 indicating	 that	 changes	 in	 CBF	 are	 not	 the	 main
hyperthermia-induced	impairment	factor	for	EF.	In	conclusion,	increased	skin	temperature
impaired	working	memory	and	increased	rectal	temperature	impaired	cognitive	flexibility.
In	 addition,	 as	 EF	 impairments	 were	 seen	 before	 any	 changes	 in	 CBF,	 it	 indicates	 that	 a
decrease	in	CBF	is	not	the	main	hyperthermia-induced	impairment	factor	for	EF.


title: Freirean Radical Love and Transformative Empathy: The Multimodal Literacies of  Adolescent Social Media Activism

subject:
Social Media Activism
Adolescents and Multimodal Literacies
#BlackLivesMatter #StudentStandUp
Radical Love
Critical-Affect-Literacy

abstract: The evolution of social media activism calls for a critique into the commonly accepted trope of adolescent political apathy and naivety. In this study, I explore specific examples of adolescents’ strategic use of social media platforms such as Instagram to disseminate and circulate their political beliefs. I trace a selection of memes used for spreading awareness of current social justice issues such as the #BlackLivesMatter movement in 2013 to the #StudentStandUp movement of 2018. The memes used in these social movements demonstrate how adolescents create and/or circulate memes and multimodal texts with the intention of forging empathetic connections (through words and images) to affect others into political action against social injustices. Drawing upon critical affect literacy and a Freirean model of Radical Love (1970/2005) – or an action-based love for humanity- I apply lenses of critique to examples of memes and discussions that adolescents have on online to demonstrate how critical literacy evolves and reveals their capacity to recognize and repeat patterns as a tool for sophisticated communication. The study reveals that adolescents are satisfying mandates of the Ontario English Curriculum while attesting to their empathetic use of a voluntary, leisurely, space of social media. I draw upon Dawkins (1976/2006) framework of cultural idea-meme evolution and couple it with the Foucauldian (1975/2008) idea of power relations to establish the foundational idea that power is present in the cultural competition of ideas, that creates the inequities adolescents are critiquing in social media. The study concludes that adolescents are competently using, circulating and/or creating memes to inspire revolution while demonstrating critical literacy skills.


title: Investigating the role of estrogen deprivation and diet-induced insulin resistance on markers of amyloid-β production and degradation in the brain

subject: Alzheimer's Disease, Estrogen, Obesity, Insulin, Amyloid

abstract: Estrogen loss, which women experience during menopause, has recently been associated with increased amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides, a main feature of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Furthermore, diet-induced insulin resistance has also been shown to increase Aβ; however, whether this process is exacerbated with the loss of estrogen remains unknown. We aimed to investigate the effects of estrogen loss on amyloid production and degradation pathways, as well as markers of insulin signaling, glucose uptake and synaptic function, in an insulin resistant mouse model. To do this, female C57BL/6J mice received either bilateral ovariectomy, to simulate estrogen loss, (OVX; n=20) or remained intact (n=20) at 24 weeks of age. Mice were then placed on either a low or high fat diet (LFD; n=10 for OVX and intact, HFD; n=10 for OVX and intact) for 10 weeks to induce insulin intolerance. Prefrontal cortex and hippocampus tissues were then isolated and markers of amyloidogenesis, Aβ degradation, insulin signaling, glucose uptake, and synaptic function were examined. Independently, OVX led to increases in the amyloidogenic marker, sAPPβ. Furthermore, HFD combined with OVX, led to lower IDE protein content and activity in the prefrontal cortex, indicative of decreased Aβ degradation. Lastly, HFD with OVX led to exacerbated decreases in pGSK-3β /GSK, GLUT1, and Homer-1 (a postsynaptic marker) in the hippocampus, and GLUT3 in the prefrontal cortex. Data from this study provide evidence of a synergistic effect of systemic insulin resistance and estrogen loss in decreasing brain markers of Aβ degradation, insulin signaling, glucose uptake, and synaptic function. Furthermore, findings indicate how the loss of estrogen can promote the formation of amyloidogenic APP cleavage products, independent of diet-induced insulin resistance. These results ultimately contribute to our understanding of both estrogen-deprivation and insulin resistance on female brain health in relation to AD progression.


title: DNA Walkers: Emerging Analytical Applications, Biomolecular-Nanomaterial Probes and Biomolecule Sensors

subject:
analytical chemistry
DNA nanotechnology
DNA walkers
bio-nano interface
biosensors

abstract: DNA walkers are a unique class of dynamic DNA devices that move nucleic acid walkers processively along designated one-, two-, or three-dimensional tracks. Because of the unique mechanical motion, dynamic interaction, and capabilities for signal amplification, programmable signal transduction, high directionality, and predictable analytical performance on the basis of Watson-Crick base paring rules, this class of dynamic DNA nanodevice has gained great attention from the analytical community in the recent years. This includes bioanalytical applications that range from nucleic acid sensing, to protein detection and to cellular imaging and analysis. The research described herein focuses on improving the understanding of biophysical processes involved in the design and operation of DNA walkers. Specifically, we developed a series of stochastic DNA walkers capable of probing dynamic interactions occurring at the biomolecule-nanoparticle (bio-nano) interface. By monitoring dynamics of DNA walkers on spherical nucleic acid (SNA) tracks, we systematically investigated effects of varying interfacial factors, including intramolecular interactions, orientation, cooperativity, steric effect, multivalence, and binding hindrance on enzymatic activities at the bio-nano interface. Leveraging the newly gained knowledge at the interface, we also fabricated ultrasensitive biosensors for amplified detection of nucleic acids and antibodies. Our study revealed critical roles of interfacial factors to enzyme activities and performance of enzyme-driven nanodevices. We also demonstrate that improvement in understanding bio-nano interfaces will facilitate the design and operation of biosensors and inspire new sensing mechanisms.


title: Vector Competence and Viral Interactions of Zika Virus

subject:
Zika Virus
West Nile Virus
Co-Infection
Superinfection
Vector Competence

abstract:
Zika virus (ZIKV) (Flaviviridae: Flavivirus) is a mosquito-borne pathogen that has been linked to life-threatening health complications following its emergence in the Americas. As ZIKV continues its northern expansion, it becomes increasingly important to identify the risk for ZIKV transmission in North America through the determination of competent vector species as well as the potential for flavivirus co-infections.
The susceptibility to infection and the potential for ZIKV transmission was investigated in mosquito species local to Southern Ontario, Canada. Wild mosquitoes were exposed to a ZIKV-infected blood meal or sugar meal at a final titer of 105 plaque-forming units. Colony Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse) mosquitoes were also fed a ZIKV-infected bloodmeal alongside the wild mosquitoes. ZIKV transmission was not detected among the blood-fed wild mosquitoes, however, low infection rates of 9.7% and 33.3% were observed in Aedes vexans (Meigan) and Coquillettidia perturbans (Walker), respectively. In the sugar-fed wild mosquitoes, a low infection rate (6.1%) and transmission efficiency (1.2%) was observed for Culex pipiens Linnaeus only. Among the colony mosquitoes, Ae. albopictus displayed a higher transmission efficiency. The results indicate that these mosquitoes are not likely to be competent ZIKV vectors.
The infection dynamics of ZIKV were further analyzed following simultaneous and sequential exposure to West Nile virus (WNV) (Flaviviridae: Flavivirus) in mammalian and insect cell lines. Cells were co-infected or superinfected with the viruses at a final multiplicity of infection of 0.01. Viral RNA was subsequently extracted and amplified from the supernatant samples. Viral interference was observed in the mammalian cell line but not in the insect cell line. Additionally, the infection order of the viruses had a significant impact on the estimated viral titer. These results may be applicable in areas where the viruses co-circulate and risk of co-infection exists.


title: Functional antagonism of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system on mesolimbic cholinergic system in the vocal expression of an emotional state

subject: Mesolimbic dopamine system, mesolimbic cholinergic system, ultrasonic vocalizations, emotional expression

abstract: The overarching goal of this thesis was to determine if the initiation of a positive emotional state could antagonize the expression of a negative emotional state in rats. The hypothesis of the thesis argued that the initiation of a positive emotional state would ameliorate the vocal expression of a negative emotional state. The subjective emotional state of the rat was indexed by the quantity and type of pharmacologically induced ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). Adolescent and adult rats can emit vocalizations above the upper threshold of human hearing (>20 kHz) termed ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). These USVs are broadly divided into 50-kHz, reflective of a positive emotional state, and 22-kHz USVs, reflective of a negative emotional state. Pharmacologically, injection of dopamine agonists into the nucleus accumbens shell is sufficient for the initiation of 50-kHz USVs, while injection of cholinergic agonists into the anterior hypothalamic-medial preoptic area (AH-MPO) or the lateral septum (LS) can initiate 22-kHz USVs. In chapter two of the thesis, I demonstrated that microinjection of the dopamine agonist, apomorphine, into the medial shell of the nucleus accumbens attenuated the extent of carbachol-induced 22-kHz USVs from the AH-MPO. I also demonstrated that this effect was dependent upon the microinjection of apomorphine into the central region of the nucleus accumbens shell. In chapter three, I demonstrated that apomorphine could also decrease the extent of carbachol-induced 22-kHz USVs from the LS providing evidence that the effect reported in chapter two was not isolated to the AH-MPO, but rather extending along the medial cholinoceptive vocalization strip. In the third chapter. I also demonstrated that the magnitude of the reduction in the number of 22-kHz USVs was correlated to the number of emitted frequency-modulated (FM) 50-kHz USVs induced by apomorphine. In the fourth chapter, I investigated whether blocking dopamine receptors, either systemically using the typical D2-antipsychotic agent, haloperidol, or microinjection of the D2 antagonist, raclopride, into the nucleus accumbens shell could increase the emission of carbachol-induced 22-kHz USVs from the LS. The results showed that antagonism of dopamine receptors, either systemically or intracerebrally, did not increase the number of 22-kHz USVs. Interestingly, it was also observed that after the prolonged recording of carbachol-induced 22-kHz USVs, some 50-kHz USVs spontaneously appeared after roughly 300 s into the recording. I argued that these 50-kHz USVs, which I defined as “rebound 50-kHz USVs” are not initiated by carbachol since they occurred when the carbachol-response weaned. It was also demonstrated these rebound 50-kHz USVs were dependent upon dopamine release within the nucleus accumbens since both systemic, and intracerebral application of dopamine antagonists into the central division of the nucleus accumbens shell blocked the occurrence of rebound 50-kHz USVs. Altogether, the data supports the thesis that activation of a positive emotional state decreases the expression of the negative emotional state in rats when measured using ultrasonic vocalizations.


title: Effects of dairy consumption and exercise on body composition in overweight/obese adolescent females: The I.D.E.A.L. (Improving Diet, Exercise, and Lifestyle) for Adolescents Study

subject: Obesity Nutrition Exercise Dairy Adolescent

abstract: Exercise training is known to decrease fat mass and increase lean mass in adolescents and adults. In adults, the consumption of dairy foods, as part of a lifestyle intervention, can promote favourable body composition changes. However, results of the few studies examining the combined effects of exercise and dairy consumption on body composition in adolescents are inconclusive. The purpose of our study was to determine whether increased dairy consumption, along with structured exercise training and dietary guidance within a weight management program, can promote favourable changes in body composition, anthropometry and cardiovascular fitness in overweight/obese adolescent females. Sixty-one adolescent females (age: 14.8±2.2 y; BMI: 29.3±5.1 kg/m2) were randomized to 3 groups: recommended dairy (RDa; n=24); low dairy (LDa; n=22); control (GCon; n=8), and 54 participants completed the study. The RDa and LDa groups participated in a 12-week, individualized, eucaloric, lifestyle modification intervention consisting of mixed-mode exercise 3x/week, and 5 nutritional counselling sessions with a registered dietitian. RDa group was provided 4 servings/day of dairy (as milk, Greek yogurt and cheese), while LDa maintained habitually low intakes of 0-2 servings/day. Seven-day food records were collected at weeks 0 and 12. Body composition, waist/hip circumference, and VO2peak were assessed for all groups at weeks 0 and 12. Both RDa and LDa decreased body fat (-1.7±1.5%, -1.2±1.1%, respectively), fat mass (-1.3±2.1kg, -1.1±2.0kg, respectively) and subcutaneous fat thickness (-12.5±10.0mm, -9.1±9.4mm, respectively) compared with the GCon (0.3±1.3%, 0.8±1.8kg, 3.0±8.0mm, respectively) (p ≤0.002 for all). RDa decreased fat mass (kg) more than LDa (p=0.001). Both RDa and LDa gained more lean mass (1.5±1.9kg, 0.7±1.6kg, respectively) than GCon (0.5±1.4kg). RDa increased lean mass more than LDa (p≤0.001). VO2peak (ml/min/kg) did not differ between groups following the intervention (p=0.093). These findings suggest that the inclusion of a variety of dairy foods in the diet of overweight/obese adolescent girls, as part of a weight management intervention program, is beneficial to the overall improvement in body composition.


title: Synthesis of fluorinated nucleosides for probing DNA conformations via 19F NMR spectroscopy

subject: DNA, nucleoside, 19F NMR

abstract:
Work described in this thesis explored the synthesis of 5-fluoro-2’-deoxycytidine and 8-fluoro-2’-deoxyguanosine, and subsequent incorporation of these modified nucleosides into d(CG) repeat oligonucleotides through the phosphoramidite chemistry-based solid phase synthesis, in order to investigate the B-Z junction through 19F NMR spectroscopy. Toward this goal, 5-fluoro-2’-deoxycytidine was successfully synthesized from 5-fluoro-2’-deoxyuridine. Choices of protecting groups for the exocyclic amine of 5-fluoro-2’-deoxycytidine were examined, and N-acetyl was found to be most suitable in terms of the stability of the protected nucleoside and the readiness of its removal. 8-Fluoro-2’-deoxyguanosine was prepared by fluorination of suitably protected 2’-deoxyguanosine using N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide as the fluorinating agent. Circular dichroism and UV/vis spectroscopic studies showed that the fluoro-modification does not affect the overall conformation of the oligonucleotides, both in the B- and Z-form.
19F NMR spectra of single fluoro-modified d(CG)6 sequence at 3’-end (11-FdC) were recorded in solution containing 0.1 – 4 M NaCl. The results supported a theoretical model for B-/Z-DNA transition, where initiation starts from the ends, progressing to eventual transition.


title: Examining Physical Activity in Natural Outdoor Environments on Markers of Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis

subject:
nature
green exercise
walking
greenspace
positive affect

abstract: The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of the published scientific literature pertaining to the relationship between physical activity (PA) in the natural outdoor environment (NOE) and well-being (WB).  Of studies included in the primary analysis (N = 19), several studies (n = 5) were retained for secondary analysis to determine whether differences on WB exist between PA in the NOE with an indoor comparator group. The overall effect size for the primary analysis was moderate (d = .49). The largest effect of PA in the NOE was observed for positive affect (d = .56). Results from the secondary analysis indicated PA in the NOE was greater in the NOE (d = .53, 95% CI = .28, .78; p < 0.001) compared to indoors (d = .28, 95% CI = .04, .51, p = 0.02) however this finding was not statistically significant between environment types (p = 0.15).  There was significant heterogeneity in the primary analysis of PA in the NOE only (Q = 68.72, p < 0.001). Results of the moderator analyses of PA (p = 0.06), sample (p = 0.34) and study (p = 0.13) characteristics did not reach conventional levels of statistical significance. Results of the subgroup analyses indicated that there were significant findings within but not between subgroups for NOE type (p = 0.37), PA type (p = 0.47) and PA intensity (p = 0.55). In conclusion, while PA in the NOE was associated with higher WB, there was limited evidence to support that PA in the NOE allots superior benefits to PA engaged in an indoor environment. Future investigations are encouraged to include study designs that measure markers of WB at multiple time points, consider the eudaimonic tradition of WB, include diverse NOE types such as blue space and include an indoor comparison. Practical implications of the findings of this research include the potential for stakeholders to incorporate findings into future nature-based solutions that address societal challenges like increasing WB.


title: Doing what ‘Works Best’: Exploring the Narratives of Mothers who Work as Strippers

subject:
Sex Work
Mothering
Social Reproduction
Stripping
Working Mothers

abstract:
Despite a large body of research exploring the experiences of working mothers today, there is little literature focusing on mothers who take part in stigmatized and unconventional forms of paid labour. Taking up this line of inquiry, my MA thesis project explores both micro and macro-level understandings of the narrated experiences of four women in Canada, who are both mothers and exotic dancers, with the overarching question: ‘how do these women navigate and negotiate their socially constructed identities and practices as both mothers and sex workers?’. This thesis is informed by feminist methodologies and a broad array of literatures on
social reproduction, social surveillance of mothering practices, the intensification of mothering, women working in the sex industry, and occupational stigma of exotic dancing.
My research consisted of four semi-structured phone interviews with women in Canada (all in the province of Ontario) who have (either currently or in the past) navigated both roles of mothering and stripping simultaneously. Through my interviews, I explored how the women in my study negotiated the work of social reproduction, the forms of support they had access to, and the barriers they have faced. My findings illuminate that due to limited access to affordable services in Canada, the mothers I interviewed rely on informal assistance from their key supports to provide necessary care work that the mothers could not fulfill due to the responsibilities of their paid work. Mothers also stress the necessity of managing their occupational stigma to comply with dominant ideologies of maternal caregiving by constructing personal communities and adopting techniques of secrecy and trust in order to enhance their ability to combine paid work and unpaid care. Overall my MA thesis offers insight into experiences, supports, and constraints that women face as they navigate the demands of paid labour, domestic work and unpaid caregiving in stigmatized and precarious conditions.


title: Thinking (and Thinking…) About Perfection: A Test of the Perfectionism Cognitions Theory

subject:
perfectionism
perfectionism cognitions
rumination
cognitive flexibility
depressive symptoms

abstract: The current body of work examined the link between perfectionism cognitions and depressive symptoms and, importantly, tested a central mechanism by which rumination acts as an intervening pathway in this relationship. These relationships form the underlying framework of the Perfectionism Cognitions Theory (Flett et al., 2016), which, to date, had not been empirically tested. The current body of work consisted of two separate studies. Study 1 used a community sample of adults (N = 175, 53.3% men, Mage = 28.3 years old). Results of structural equation modeling in Study 1 offered support for the Perfectionism Cognitions Theory. It was found that rumination represented an indirect pathway explaining the relationship between perfectionism cognitions and depressive symptoms. Study 2 used a sample of emerging adult students (N = 53, 84.9% women, Mage = 19.9 years old) to test the Perfectionism Cognitions Theory. Study 2 also closely examined the link between perfectionism cognitions and cognitive flexibility, a behavioural index of rumination that was measured by performance on a set-shifting task. Results of a test of indirect effects in Study 2 replicated the findings of Study 1 by supporting the Perfectionism Cognitions Theory and showing evidence that rumination represents a mechanism by which perfectionism cognitions are related to poorer well-being. Results of regression analysis did not show a link between perfectionism cognitions and set-shifting, but perfectionism cognitions were related to self-reported cognitive flexibility. Together, the findings support Flett et al.’s (2016) Perfectionism Cognition Theory and have important implications for research and practice.


title: Adapting to Parental Investment Uncertainty? The Role of Personality and Puberty

subject:
adolescent development
evolutionary psychology
attachment
puberty
personality

abstract: Early childhood experiences of parental investment uncertainty appear to influence later dating and sexuality in girls. Research has suggested that this relationship is mediated by the timing of pubertal development. This thesis investigated whether personality traits also mediated this relationship. A path model was tested with paths from indices of early parental investment uncertainty to dating and sexuality through pubertal development and personality. Results suggested that pubertal development did not mediate the relationship between early experiences of parental investment. However, there was some evidence that personality, specifically the trait Honesty-Humility, was associated with early experiences of parental investment uncertainty and dating and sexuality in girls.


title: The effect of cardiolipin acyl chain composition on cytochrome c protein conformation and resulting peroxidase activity: Exploring the potential mechanisms that contribute to cellular apoptosis.

subject: apoptosis mitochondria cardiolipin biomembranes

abstract: Skeletal muscle is a highly active tissue comprising up to 40% of total body weight. This highly dynamic tissue relies on mitochondria for calcium homeostasis, program cell death, and ATP production through mitochondrial respiration. The composition of mitochondrial phospholipids influences the functional efficiency of mitochondrial proteins, and healthy membranes include unsaturated acyl chains to promote respiration. Increasing membrane saturation has been implicated in muscle wasting, a condition caused by apoptosis and identified by the release of specific proteins from the mitochondria. It is unclear how membrane composition promotes the release of these pro-apoptotic proteins, specifically cytochrome c, to induce apoptosis. Thus, in this work synthetic membranes mimicking the composition of mitochondrial membranes from healthy and dystrophic mouse muscle were used. Cytochrome c conformation and function was measured with and without these membranes. There were no differences in protein conformation or function between the healthy and dystrophic membrane mimetics. However, cytochrome c affinity to these membranes was increased with greater unsaturation. This suggests that decreasing membrane saturation, as implicated in muscle wasting diseases, promotes the release of cytochrome c and apoptotic-mediated cell death. As such, interventions to improve or maintain membrane unsaturation may prove to be an alternative therapy for muscle wasting diseases.


title: A Qualitative Exploration of the Connections Among Quality of Relationships with Parent(s), Self-Compassion, and Academic Motivation in Young Adults

subject:
Self-Compassion
Parent-Child Relationships
Academic Motivation

abstract: Multiple studies have demonstrated a link between the quality of parent-child relationships and children’s capacity for self-compassion. In turn, children’s self-compassion has been linked to motivation for achieving academic success. However, research has not explored the connections among the quality of parent-child relationships, young people’s capacity for self-compassion, and young people’s academic motivation. This qualitative research study fills an important gap in the literature by holistically exploring the self-perceived connections among these three constructs among university students. This study included nine undergraduate students attending Brock University (across several disciplines and years). Participants completed a demographic section along with a self-compassion survey and a semi-structured interview. Findings suggest some participants perceived a connection between positive relationships with parents and high self-compassion and academic motivation when their parents extended compassion to them in difficult situations. Interestingly, some who did not perceive their parents as compassionate and supportive still reported having high self-compassion and being very motivated to achieve academic success. Findings can inform clinical practices that support young adults and university students as they strive to navigate the transition to university life and excel academically.


title: The effect of stereotype-threat on memory and cortisol in older adults

subject:
older adults
memory
cortisol
stereotype-threat
stress

abstract:
Stereotype-threat is characterized by underperformance on a task after exposure to a negative, self-relevant stereotype.  In the case of older adults, there is a widely-held stereotype that older adults have poor memory function.  It has been suggested that reminding older individuals of this stereotype results in poorer memory performance on effortful, but not automatic memory tasks.  Further, testing older adults under certain conditions may increase cortisol levels, a biomarker associated with stress.
The present study investigated whether stereotype-threat affects implicit and explicit memory, and cortisol levels in older adults.  We gave older adults (n = 62) an incidental encoding task wherein they rated a list of common words for pleasantness.  Participants were randomly assigned to threat-activated or threat-eased groups, with each group reading a newspaper article designed to either induce or ease the salience of stereotype-threat.  Memory was tested implicitly, via word stem completion task, and explicitly, via free recall task and forced choice recognition.  Saliva samples were taken before encoding and after memory testing to assess changes in cortisol.
Stereotype threat had no effect on implicit or explicit memory, or the change in cortisol levels over time.  However, there was a negative relationship between salivary cortisol levels and free recall in older men.  We suggest that this finding may be explained by sex differences in reactivity and resilience to psychosocial stressors.  Further, we discuss the difficulties involved with measuring stereotype-threat in older adults, who are often tested in youth-favouring settings.


title: Using Deep Learning for Predicting Stock Trends

subject:
deep learning
stocks
technical analysis

abstract:
Deep learning has shown great promise in solving complicated problems in recent years. One applicable area is finance. In this study, deep learning will be used to test the predictability of stock trends. Stock markets are known to be volatile, prices fluctuate, and there are many complicated financial indicators involved. While the opinion of researchers differ about the predictability of stocks, it has been shown by previous empirical studies that some aspects of stock markets can be predictable to some extent. Various data including news or financial indicators can be used to predict stock prices. In this study, the focus will be on using past stock prices and using technical indicators to increase the performance of the results.
The goal of this study is to measure the accuracy of predictions and evaluate the results. Historical data is gathered for Apple, Microsoft, Google and Intel stocks. A prediction model is created by using past data and technical indicators were used as features in the model. The experiments were performed by using long short-term memory networks. Different  approaches and techniques were tested to boost the performance of the results. To prove the usability of the final model in the real world and measure the profitability of results backtesting was performed. The final results show that while it is not possible to predict the exact price of a stock in the future to gain profitable results, deep learning can be used to predict the trend of stock markets to generate buy and sell signals.


title: Parent-Mediated Targeted Intervention for Young Children At-Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

subject:
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Applied Behavior Analysis
At-Risk Young Children
Parent-Mediated Intervention
Early Intervention

abstract: Given that screeners can now detect markers of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as early as six to nine months of age, conducting pre-diagnostic interventions for young children at risk for developing ASD is important to improve key developmental skills.  Parents of three pre-diagnostic at-risk children (aged 19, 23 and 26 months old) first identified potential target problems on the Parent Observation of Early Markers Scale (POEMS, Feldman et al., 2012) that were confirmed in baseline observations. A multiple baseline design across parent and child behaviours was used to evaluate a parent-mediated behavioral intervention to increase targeted developmental skills (e.g. responding to name, pointing to request, motor imitation) and reduce ASD-like symptoms. Parents received individual training in their home one hour per week over M=19 weeks (range: 11 to 29 weeks) on teaching strategies incorporating applied behaviour analysis and natural teaching environment techniques. Parent training consisted of behavioural skills training (instructions, modeling, practice and feedback). Some trained child behaviors include the child responding to their name being called with eye contact, pointing to request and motor imitation. All parents and children improved skills that were maintained in a 4 or 8 week follow-up period. For the most part, child skills did not improve until parents reached 80% teaching fidelity. There was some evidence of child response generalization for untrained behaviors. Post-intervention, parents rated many targeted developmental skills as less concerning on the POEMS, suggesting that parents may be able to mitigate target developmental concerns in young children showing early symptoms of ASD.


title: An Evaluation of a Telecommunication Model for Training Staff to Implement Common Behavioural Protocols

subject:
applied behaviour analysis
telehealth
telecommunication
behavioural skills training
staff training
autism spectrum disorder

abstract: Telecommunication models have been shown to increase the accessibility of effective behavioural services by training mediators to implement evidence-based protocols with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Behavioural skills training (BST), an evidence-based procedure, has been shown to be effective for training staff when delivered via a telecommunication model. Further evaluation is needed to assess generalization of trainee outcomes to clinical settings and untrained procedures, and the corresponding effects of training staff on child outcome measures. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of BST delivered through videoconferencing software for training behaviour technicians to implement errorless learning protocols (e.g., trained skill) to an actor role playing a child with ASD. A concurrent multiple-baseline design across three behaviour technicians was used to assess the generalization of any training effects to: working with a child, implementing a similar untrained skill (e.g., paired stimulus preference assessment) and on child skill acquisition outcomes on individualized programming. Across three behaviour technicians, the average mean shift from baseline to post-training was 27.1% (trained skill) and 58% (untrained skill). Improved performance of the trained skill with a research assistant was maintained over 80% accuracy for all three behaviour technicians, but only one behaviour technician’s performance generalized to working with a child. Mixed results were found for child outcomes. Implications and future directions are discussed.


title: Engineering Optogenetic Control of Endocytic Recycling: Controlling Rab11 Function in Drosophila melanogaster using Engineered Light-Responsive Nanobodies

subject: Rab11 Notch Optogenetics Nanobodies

abstract: The regulated transport of materials in cells is an essential function of all living organisms. In eukaryotes, one main family of transport regulators is the Rab GTPases. Rab GTPases utilize GTP to move materials throughout the cell by binding to the membrane of vesicles or endosomes, and trafficking distinct, membrane-associated components throughout the cell. One member of this large family of proteins is Rab11. Rab11 is responsible for endosome recycling: returning membrane proteins and receptors from intracellular recycling endosomes to the cell membrane, where these membrane proteins and receptors may be reused. Although the exact mechanism of Rab11 trafficking is not known, Rab11 appears to be critical for the development and survival of many organisms. Drosophila mutants for the Rab11 gene are not viable, where lethality manifests during embryonic development. This early lethality has imposed significant limitations on elucidating the immediate effects of Rab11 inhibition. Thus, the goal was to engineer a novel method of inhibiting Rab11 in vivo in Drosophila melanogaster. Specifically, the goal was to generate a genomically non-invasive construct (Opto-Nanobody) utilizing an optogenetic, light-sensitive Cryptochrome 2 (Cry2) fused to YFP-targeting nanobodies to bind functional, endogenous, YFP-tagged Rab11. This system promises to provide precise light-responsive spatio-temporal control of Rab11 function in response to blue-light exposure through homo-oligomeric clustering, which has been shown to inhibit Rab-dependent trafficking. Using the Drosophila embryo as a model system, these tools were applied to directly determine the effects of Rab11 inhibition on Notch signaling, and to determine the mechanisms that govern Rab11 trafficking. The Opto-Nanobody was tested in vitro in S2 cells, and was shown to form homo-oligomeric clusters in the presence of blue light and demonstrated the ability to bind to YFP-Rab11. This Opto-Nanobody construct has been inserted into a D. melanogaster injection vector, so that the Opto-Nanobody may be inserted into the D. melanogaster genome, and used to control YFP::Rab11 activity in vivo to elucidate the role of Rab11 in Notch signalling.


title: Understanding perceptions of the state of the environment in relation to ecological measures: Intergroup differences and the influences of an interpretive program

contributor: Environmental Sustainability Research Centre

subject:
Ecological Integrity
Perceptions
Assessment
Parks and Protected Areas
Environmental Interpretation

abstract: Understanding the state of environment is foundational to environmental management. There is a clear need for enhanced ecosystem status assessments. At the same time, there are scholarly trends toward incorporating the social sciences in environmental management. Evidently, there is a need for more ecological as well as social knowledge of the state of our ecosystems. This thesis examines how the state of the environment is understood through an ecological and social perspective. Emphasis is placed on ecological measures as well as perceptions, with specific attention to intergroup differences and the influences of an interpretive program. Two studies were conducted at the Niagara Glen Nature Reserve, a protected area in the Niagara Region of Canada. The first study consisted of an ecological assessment and a survey administered to experts and visitors. The ecological assessment of the state of the environment was compared to expert perception-based assessments. Perceptions were also compared between experts and visitors. The second study involved administering the survey to individuals receiving two different educational interventions, thereby exploring the influence of an environmental interpretive program on how people perceive the environment. Overall results from the two studies show that expert perception-based methods of environmental status can be a proxy for ecological data in cases where perceptions align with ecological measures, and can be used to complement ecological data in cases where perceptions are at odds with ecological measures. Visitors’ overall perceptions differed significantly from ecological measures, regardless of an interpretive program, and in fact, an interpretive program increased the difference. Visitors and experts were also found to differ significantly in their perceptions, a meaningful finding for resolving intergroup conflicts and for building a common understanding. Findings from the research can improve status assessments, address intergroup conflicts, develop a better sense of the people that interact with a natural site, inform areas for education efforts, and enhance the effectiveness of education programs. This thesis highlights the value in comparing perceptions to ecological measures and emphasizes the importance of evidence from natural and social sciences to managing social-ecological systems.


title: A Study of NHL Fan Identification in Red Deer, Alberta

subject:
Place Attachment
Fan Identification
Rivalry
Geography

abstract: While there are many reasons sport fans choose to follow one team over another, geography is typically a major one, as people often follow their hometown team, or the team that is the closest (Rooney, 1974; 1975; Wann, 2006). However, limited academic attention has been given to situations where geographic proximity is likely to have little to no influence in the development of sport fan identification, and how individuals choose teams instead. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand how hockey fans chose their favourite team when two teams in two different cities are an equal distance away, and how they would maintain that fandom in the presence of the other team’s fans. Participants were recruited in Red Deer, Alberta, a city that is 84 miles or 135.2 km from both Edmonton and Calgary. Using Rooney’s (1974; 1975) spheres of influence for sport teams, Red Deer falls equally within the sphere for both teams. As a result of the equi-distance, however, it was assumed geographic proximity likely has little influence on fandom formation in Red Deer. Further, the constant threat of the rival group being in close proximity raises questions for how fans in Red Deer maintain their team fandom. A total of 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted with highly identified fans of the Edmonton Oilers or Calgary Flames that were also lifelong residents of Red Deer. Geographic proximity proved to play no role, while family influence, team success, rebellious nature, and place attachment proved major factors in how fans in Red Deer choose between these two teams. Further, because the Oilers and Flames are traditional rivals dating back to the 1980s (Spector, 2015), and with Red Deer being caught in the middle, an assumption was made that rivalry would play a large role in fandom maintenance. However, that was not the case. Not only did rivalry not factor in fandom maintenance, but the rivalry was also seen as dead or dying by participants. Directions for future research and recommendations are presented and discussed.


title: Generalized Anxiety Disorder Following Mild Head Injury: An Investigation into the Relationship Between Physiological Underarousal and Symptoms of Anxiety

subject:
anxiety
mild head injury
aggression
worry
Generalized Anxiety Disorder

abstract:
Mild head injury (MHI; concussion) is a major health concern worldwide as thousands of people each year suffer from an impact to the head or body sufficient to cause concussion. Acceleration/deceleration and rotational forces cause axons to stretch and tear, particularly in the area of the ventromedial prefrontal cortices (vmPFC), which in turn can attenuate physiological autonomic arousal and disrupt emotional regulation (Bechara, Damasio, & Damasio, 2000; Fisher, Rushby, McDonald, Parks, & Piguet, 2015; Pardini, Krueger, Raymont, & Grafman, 2010). Diminished levels of visceral feedback leaves one at a disadvantage for predicting, anticipating and reacting to environmental events. Therefore, individuals with MHI are described as experiencing heightened or exaggerated reactions to situations as they are not psychologically, or physiologically, prepared for stressful events. Some of these overreactions may be viewed as aggressive, others may be viewed as symptoms of anxiety; and in fact, many studies indicate these to be common complications following head injury. Diagnoses of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) are particularly frequent in a head injury population, however its characteristics may not capture the symptoms individuals with MHI experience. Whereas worry or maladaptive anticipation of adverse outcomes are the cardinal features of GAD and, reportedly, serve to control the physiological reactions that accompany uncertainty (Behar, DiMarco, Hekler,  Mohlman, & Staples, 2009; Roemer & Borkovec, 1993) an absence of hypervigilance and lessened alertness is more likely in persons with MHI. To examine these variances in symptom characteristics, 84 participants (39% with MHI) completed self-report measures of aggression, dimensions of anxiety (cognitive, affective, somatic), worry, and somatization. Electrodermal activation (EDA) was measured as an indicator of autonomic physiological arousal across 4 phases of a stress manipulation (Initial Baseline, Anticipatory, Scare, Final Baseline). Having a history of MHI was not associated with significant expressive/reactive aggression; those with a GAD diagnoses endorsed the most number of aggressive symptoms. Similarly, individuals with GAD reported the highest levels of anxiety across all anxiety measures and subtypes. However, in line with our predictions, students with MHI reported the highest levels of somatic anxiety symptoms relative to affective and cognitive symptoms, and somatic anxiety was positively correlated with severity of the injury (i.e., the more severe the injury, the higher levels of somatic anxiety reported). Further, as expected, whereas the GAD group reported the highest level of worry-related symptoms, neither a history of MHI, nor injury severity, was correlated with worry.
While no significant difference between EDA levels was noted in the baseline or experimental conditions, the pattern of results across the manipulation was as anticipated with the MHI group displaying the lowest level at baseline and anticipation, and the largest reaction to the scare phase. The GAD group did not demonstrate the expected reduction in autonomic responsivity. However, EDA levels for the MHI group alone had a significant negative correlation to the Anticipatory phase and trending towards a significant positive correlation in the Scare phase. Together, these findings indicate a fundamental difference in types of anxiety and vigilance symptoms found in persons with GAD versus MHI. A dampened baseline and anticipatory physiological response can result in a decreased ability to predict outcomes, and exaggerated reactions, especially in times of uncertainty (Bechara et al., 2000; Damasio & Bishop, 1996). Frequent and ongoing behavioural outbursts are observed in persons with TBI (traumatic brain injury), but may reflect autonomic, as opposed to affective, underlying neural mechanisms. Acknowledging and understanding these subtle differences in symptom description can provide insight into more effective treatment paradigms.


title: The Impact of Pairing on Therapeutic Rapport and Treatment Outcomes for Children with Autism

subject: autism, therapeutic rapport, pairing, behavioural skills training

abstract: Pairing, or conditioning a therapist as a generalized reinforcer, is a commonly recommended initial strategy in behaviour analytic intervention for children with autism. Specifically, pairing is intended to enhance the working relationship (i.e., therapeutic rapport) between a therapist and client. Recent literature has demonstrated that pairing is positively related to therapeutic rapport and therapeutic outcomes; however, few research studies have evaluated the skills necessary to pair effectively. The purpose of this study was to conduct pairing skills training (Lugo, King, Lamphere, & McArdle, 2017) and assess the effects of this training on behavioural indices of therapeutic rapport and child treatment outcomes using a concurrent multiple probe design (with replication). Four Instructor Therapists (ages 22 to 24 years old) were trained on six pairing skills using behavioural skills training with an adult confederate. Following training, this protocol was used with four children (ages 3 to 5 years old) diagnosed with autism, during the first 20 minutes of each therapy session. Therapists efficiently achieved competency on pairing skills with a confederate, but they required verbal performance feedback when generalizing learned skills to a child participant. When implemented, pairing was related to increased physical approach during free time and at the teaching table, as well as less interfering behaviour during sessions. There were no differences in accurate academic responding from baseline to intervention. The implications of study findings and future directions are discussed.


title: The Impact of Motor Task Success on the Perception of Target Size

subject: perception, practice, putting, motor learning

abstract: The action-specific perception literature has demonstrated that superior task success is correlated with perceiving task-related objects as appearing larger. Using a putting task, the present study examined this relationship under three different practice conditions (errorless, errorful, and self-control) while perceiving the size of the putting hole at various distances from the putting hole (25 cm, 50 cm, 75 cm, 100 cm, 125 cm, 150 cm, 175 cm, 200 cm). The acquisition and retention data revealed that there was no correlation between superior task success and larger perceived putting hole sizes. Additionally, it was found that the perceived putting hole sizes that were recorded at the end of acquisition were robust enough to persist over a 24-hour retention interval to exist before the first trial of retention. The results of the present study introduce inconsistencies with the current action-specific literature, while adding a novel contribution to the literature regarding perception retention.


title: Shifting from Agency to Community: Exploring the Impact of a Community Connections Program for Mental Health Recovery

subject:
recreation therapy
therapeutic recreation
mental health
recovery
community integration
community
leisure

abstract: The purpose of this project was to explore clients’ experiences of the Community Connections program, an outpatient mental health program in a clinical setting to determine the effectiveness of the program for mental health recovery and community integration. The common themes from the various forms of data collection suggest that (1) the program was effective in enhancing the clients’ self-awareness, (2) the program effectively taught the clients about leisure and its therapeutic benefits for mental health recovery, (3) the program taught clients about the importance of the use of leisure as a way to integrate into the community, and (4) the clients believed that the program could be improved by providing more of an experiential component to teach skills for community integration. While the program taught the clients important lessons that they have used or will use throughout their mental health recovery, the clients identified some areas for improvement that could help future clients experience successful community integration. Additionally, this research design produced an effective model for comprehensive program evaluations that integrate program design with service using prevalent principles of therapeutic recreation practice. This research supports the growing literature that suggests that leisure and therapeutic recreation can be beneficial tools for clients to understand as they progress through their mental health recovery and prepare for community integration