title: Sex-related differences in the microvascular function of pre-pubertal children

subject:
Skin blood flow
Sex differences
Exercise
Local heating
Acetylcholine

abstract: There is little research examining the effect of sex on skin blood flow (SkBF) in adults, and less in children. Sex-related differences in SkBF may help explain known thermoregulatory differences between males and females. The purpose of this study is to determine whether there are sex-related differences in the SkBF response to exercise, local heating, and acetylcholine (ACh). Additionally, the role of nitric oxide (NO) was examined. Laser-Doppler fluxmetry was used to assess forearm SkBF. Responses to exercise (30 min cycling, 60%O2max), local heating (44˚C), and ACh iontophoresis were assessed in 12 pre-pubertal boys (age=10.9 ±1.1y, O2max =1665 ± 282 ml·min-1)  and 12 girls (age=11.1±1.2y, O2max =1537± 296 ml·min-1), with and without NO synthase inhibition, using Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) iontophoresis. Exercise-induced increase in SkBF was greater in boys compared with girls (528±290 and 374±192% of baseline, respectively, p=0.03). L-NAME blunted the SkBF response to exercise in boys and in girls (group-by-treatment interaction, p=.82). Local heating-induced SkBF was not significantly different between boys and girls (1445±900% and 1432±582%, respectively, p=.57). The ACh-induced SkBF was not different between the boys and girls, with no difference in the increase in SkBF (673±434% and 558±405%, respectively, p=.18). L-NAME blunted the SkBF response to ACh in boys and girls (group-by-treatment interaction, p=.19). These findings demonstrate that there are no differences between boys and girls in the responses to ACh and to local heating (44˚C). Additionally, the role of NO in the SkBF response appears similar in boys and girls both during exercise and ACh-mediated vasodilation. The greater SkBF response in the boys during exercise may be workload-related. Absolute and relative (%O2max) exercise intensity were not different between the two groups. Therefore, it is possible that the greater SkBF response in boys may be related to their greater workload relative to body mass (p=0.01). Additionally, sex-related factors (e.g., hormones) may interact with the exercise response or other vasodilators may be involved, resulting in the observed sex-related difference in the SkBF response to exercise.


title: Future-proofing: Exploring the value of a therapeutic recreation positive psychology intervention for supporting youth experiencing mental health challenges

subject: Adolescent Mental Health, Recovery, Therapeutic Recreation, Well-Being, Evidence-Informed Practice

abstract:
In Canada, suicide remains the second leading cause of death for individuals aged 15 to 24, exceeded only by unintentional injuries (accidents). In 2012, suicide accounted for 15% of deaths among youth aged 10-14 years, 29% among youth aged 15-19 years and 23% among young adults aged 20-24 (Statistics Canada, 2017). Recovery supports the development of a meaningful life (as described by the individual) that includes enhanced traits and practices that are specifically intended to maintain one’s level of satisfaction in everyday life, while supporting the management of recurring symptoms and/or changes in current life circumstances (Andresen, Oades, & Caputi, 2011; Kleiber, Hutchinson, & Williams, 2002; McCormick & Iwasaki, 2008; McCormick & Iwasaki, 2008; McCormick, 1999). This recovery-oriented project was a qualitative, interpretative phenomenological study guided by the evidenced-informed process as a framework for program design, implementation and evaluation. This project sought to critically explore mental health as it pertains to adolescents through the design, implementation and evaluation of a therapeutic recreation intervention designed for youth living in a residential treatment setting.
This project provides evidence that the BYBS-Y program has the potential to support change with the participants. This project also demonstrates new learning and is an illustration of the potential connection between a strengths perspective and supporting essential tasks assigned to development and recovery. By implementing a three-phase process this research shows the value of feedback from both practitioners and clients, affirming that our greatest insights are always gained from those with lived experience. Finally, this project provides evidence for the contribution of TR services in the recovery process, suggesting that by focusing on the development of skills and capacities that are likely to generate emotion, highlight strengths, support choice and create opportunities for positive social connections, it is likely that youth can increase the resiliency necessary to buffer the effects of chronic symptoms and in turn begin to envision (and obtain) a life that includes, but is not defined by illness.


title: Educational Professionals Awareness, Identification, and Support of Young Caregivers

subject:
Young Carer
Education
Awareness
Identification
Support

abstract:
“Young carer” (YC) is a term used to describe youth under the age of 25 who take on caregiving roles to support a family member with a disability, illness, addiction, or language barrier (Aldridge & Becker, 1993; Charles et al., 2012; Stamatopoulos, 2015). Although the Ontario Ministry of Education mandates that educators ensure student success (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2014), the YC role continues to negatively influence attendance and curriculum engagement at school (Lakman et al., 2017). To ensure that YCs receive the support they need to be successful in school, an educator’s role must be considered. Therefore, this study’s research questions were, “In what ways are educators aware of young caregiving?” and “What role to educators perceive they have in identifying and supporting YCs?”. Through an applied research design, 8 teachers and 3 principals were individually interviewed for 90-minutes each. Inter-rater reliable thematic analysis resulted in three main themes of awareness, identification, and support. Although not all educators were aware of the YC term, all educators were aware of the caregiving role among children and youth. Consistent with OME mandate, educators reported that student success was important. Although educators felt they had a role in identifying and supporting YCs to ensure success, the majority did not perceive it was mandated. This finding was inconsistent with previous YC research that suggested YCs did not feel supported in school (Lakman et al., 2017). Therefore, the present findings encourage teacher training to ensure YCs receive the support they need.
Key Words: Young Carer, Education, Awareness, Identification, Support


title: The relationship between adverse childhood experiences and pro-inflammatory analytes and the mediating role of cortisol

subject:
Adverse childhood experiencess - ACEs
Cortisol
Mediation
Inflammatory markers

abstract: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are harmful experiences that have occurred during the developing years of life. ACEs often include maltreatment, household dysfunctions and other traumatic events. People with ACEs have been found to be at greater risk of pulmonary, cardiovascular and auto-immune diseases. Recent research has suggested that the epigenetic regulation occurring as a result of these ACEs can program macrophages to sustain inflammatory processes and therefore contribute to the development of these diseases. As one of the primary responders to stress, cortisol is also a suppressor of inflammation. Therefore, dysregulation of the cortisol levels, chronically high or low, also brought forth by ACEs exposure can affect inflammation. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between ACEs exposure and physiological measures including cortisol and different pro-inflammatory analytes. This cross-sectional study included follow-up data from 156 participants as part of the Niagara Longitudinal Heart Study. Out of the 156 participants, a final sample of 101, with 23 males and 78 females, complete with physiological measures was included in the analyses. The current study collected ACEs data from questionnaire, cortisol from hair, and inflammatory analytes including CRP, IL-6Rα, gp130, sTNFr1, sTNFr2, IFN-γ, and IL-10 from blood. Total ACEs score was negatively associated with cortisol levels. Every additional exposure to a type of ACEs decreased cortisol levels by 21.2 (pg/mg) on average. Exposure to ACEs was positively associated with IL-6Rα but was not associated with all other inflammatory analytes. Every additional exposure to a type of ACEs increased IL-6Rα levels by 284.6 (pg/mL) on average. In contrast to previous literature, sex differences from the regression analyses were also found in the current study among the inflammatory analytes CRP, IL-6Rα, sTNFr1, and IL-10. Cortisol did not mediate the relationship between exposure to ACEs and the different inflammatory analytes. The current study was limited in properly detecting associations as the pilot sample was underpowered. The proportion of cortisol availability in males was much lower than in females. The current study found that ACEs were associated with lowered chronic cortisol and elevated IL-6Rα.


title: How to Mend a ‘Good’ Education: A Settler Autoethnography

contributor: Department of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies in Education

subject:
Autoethnography
Settler
Critical Whiteness Studies
Decolonization
Epistemological Pluralism

abstract: Though White Settler educators who profess a critical pedagogy take up the project of decolonization with heartfelt enthusiasm, many of them remain unaware of the ways they unconsciously embody, and are complicit in, reproducing colonial structures. This autoethnography tells the story of my attempt to confront a similar dissonance in my teaching practice. My central question “How can I teach towards social justice and against oppression when my Whiteness represents the very structures of marginalization I oppose?” could only be answered by moving beyond the classroom and examining the deeply personal ways that colonial structures and narratives shaped, and continue to shape, all aspects of my identity.  I drew data from my personal journals, a “writing” story composed during the research process, and longer form vignettes written in response to the initial stages of data collection. Wall’s (2016) Moderate Ethnography informed my analysis. I used the concepts of Whiteness-as-Property and White- Complicity to help contextualize my experience and employed Aoki’s (1994) Curriculum-as-Lived and the theory of Epistemological Pluralism as tools to understand the connections between personal and professional decolonization. Though more research is needed, this project suggests that for meaningful decolonization to take place there must be an earnest desire on the part of White Settlers (educators and non-educators alike) to attend to their personal complicity in colonialism.


title: Understanding Post-secondary Student Mobility and its Impact on Wellbeing

subject:
Mobility
Wellbeing
Active Transportation
Public Transit
Students

abstract: There are approximately 30,000 Brock University and Niagara College students making their way around Niagara region to attend school, engage in social activities, and contribute to the local economy through their employment and shopping, among many other activities. Unfortunately, however, transportation barriers discourage or prevent many of these students from fully participating in community life. While numerous studies have examined the linkages between transportation and public health, few have been focused specifically on the post-secondary student demographic, including Niagara’s university and college students. Through the application of a mobilities lens, along with The Five Ways to Wellbeing and Determinants of Health frameworks, this study examines the ways in which students’ levels of transportation accessibility impact their levels of mobility and subjective wellbeing. By applying a mixed methods approach, including an online survey and a photovoice project, this study has found that there are geographic-type and person-type barriers that create inequities and, in some cases, exclusions. Geographically, students living in certain Niagara municipalities, or attending certain campuses, have longer and more convoluted trips leading to a lower sense of satisfaction and subjective sense of wellbeing. Person-type barriers are characteristics that are unique to populations of people such as being domestic or international students, gender and having hidden disabilities. Building on Cresswell’s relational moments of mobility and Flamm & Kaufman’s motility, this study exposes the ‘hidden’ power relations that are fundamental to being mobile subjects and, ultimately, students’ subjective wellbeing.


title: Characterization of Neutral Sphingomyelinase Isoforms in Skeletal Muscle Mitochondria

subject: mitochondria, skeletal muscle, metabolism, apoptosis

abstract: Skeletal muscle is composed of fiber types that differ in mitochondrial content, antioxidant capacity, and susceptibility to apoptosis. Ceramides have been linked to apoptosis by increasing mitochondrial permeability, a common hallmark of apoptotic signalling. The enzyme neutral sphingomyelinase (nSMase) generates ceramides by hydrolysing sphingomyelin. Despite the role of ceramides in mediating apoptosis, there is a gap in the literature regarding nSMase in skeletal muscle mitochondria. This study aimed to characterize activity and content of nSMase isoforms in isolated subsarcolemmal (SS) mitochondria from soleus, diaphragm, plantaris, and extensor digitorum longus (EDL). Total nSMase activity did not differ between isolated SS mitochondria. nSMase2 content was higher in SS mitochondria from EDL compared to soleus or diaphragm, and positively correlated to total nSMase activity in soleus. nSMase3 was undetectable in all samples, suggesting it is not associated with SS mitochondria, and likely does not contribute to total nSMase activity in SS mitochondria.


title: A Functional Programming Language with Patterns and Copatterns

subject:
Functional programming
Coinductive types
Destructors
Pattern matching
Copattern matching

abstract: Since the emergence of coinductive data types in functional programming languages, various languages such as Haskell and Coq tried different ways in dealing with them. Yet, none of them dealt with coinductive data types properly. In lazy languages such as Haskell, both inductive data types and coinductive data types are gathered and mixed in one list. Moreover, some languages such as Coq used the same constructors that are used for inductive data types as a tool to tackle coinductive data types, and while other languages such as Haskell did use destructors, they did not use them properly. Coinductive data types behave differently than inductive data types and therefore, it is more appropriate to deal with them differently. In this thesis, we propose a new functional programming language where coinductive data types are dealt with in a dual approach in which coinductive data types are defined by observation and inductive data types are defined by constructors. This approach is more appropriate in dealing with coinductive data types whose importance comes from their role in creating a safer and more sophisticated software.


title: Colorism: An Understanding of the Multiplicity of Voices Among Black Women and How Their Experiences Inform Their Postsecondary Lives

subject:
Colorism
Anti-Racism
Black Women
Skin Tone
Intra-Racial Discrimination

abstract: In my M.Ed. program, I reflected on and applied a social and cultural lens to my experiences with colorism. Through this process of reflection and my review of anti-racist literature I began to question how the hegemonic discourses of race and racism reinforced a Black-White binary. These questions led me to explore Black women’s often intricate and complex experiences with colorism that are not always talked about. Using a qualitative narrative inquiry to this study, I explored six racialized Black female student’s experience with colorism to understand how colorism informed their lives on campus. By means of purposeful convenience sampling, I heard about their understanding of colorism, experiences as Black women, how colorism informed their experience in the academy, and explored the implications for postsecondary. The theoretical framework that guided my research was Critical Race Theory (CRT). A semi-structured one-on-one interview approach was used to prepare general questions to guide the discussion. The findings revealed that participants learned about colorism at an early age. Apart from skin tone, phenotypic features were attached to their experience with colorism. The findings also showed that some participants conflated colorism and racism and connected their understanding of or experiences with colorism with dominant ideology. Finally, the results also revealed ways in which the participants resisted the multiple issues that intersected and had implications in their daily lives. Some issues included the harmful stereotypes affixed to Black women and how the messages they received informed their choices and reinforced some of the negative images about Black women’s hair. I aimed to bring awareness to the intricacies of colorism and the ways in which the participants used their agency to push back and resist colorism.


title: Visualizing climatic and non-climatic drivers of coastline change in the Town of Lincoln, Ontario, Canada

contributor: Environmental Sustainability Research Centre

subject:
coastline change
data visualization
climate change
aerial photographs
GIS

abstract:
Increased urbanization leads to greater anthropogenic stresses of coastal zones. Threats faced by coastal communities, such as natural hazards, are being exacerbated with changing environmental and climatic conditions. Many studies have measured coastline change; however, they fail to address non-climatic drivers, such as land use changes. The enclosed research included three separate but complementary articles to examine climatic and non-climatic drivers of change for the Lake Ontario coastline in the Town of Lincoln, Ontario.
In the first article, a novel approach combining a coastline change analysis using historical aerial photographs in a geographic information system with the exploration of climatic and non-climatic drivers of change was developed. The novel approach will be useful for planners and residents in understanding factors that drive coastline erosion.
In the second article, this methodology was applied to the Town of Lincoln. The case study identified vulnerable areas of the coastline and included a narrative of how certain drivers may have contributed to the erosion. The results suggested that Lincoln has erosion issues, largely concentrated in four main areas, with rates of erosion between  0.32 and  0.66 m/yr over an 84-year period. Between 1934 and 2018, the Town of Lincoln lost approximately 30 hectares of land, a fiscal loss of approximately $1M. The east side of Lincoln has shown more erosion due to many interacting drivers, such as the orientation of the coast, the sandier substrate, and the proximity of the highway constructed in the late 1930s.
There are many barriers to climate change adaptation, including a general lack of understanding of how climate change may impact communities directly. The third article explored the utility of visualizations as a tool for science communication. Visualizing the impacts of climate change may be an important tool to help cities, regions, and countries prioritize adaptation.
Replication of the methodology in an area such as the Great Lakes may produce a more comprehensive understanding of whether erosion is driven primarily by climatic or non-climatic factors. This can advance our understanding of coastline change and coastal vulnerability, as understanding the current state is essential before imagining a more sustainable future.


title: Electronic and Magnetic Properties of MAX Phase (Cr1-xGdx)2AlC and Er3AlC Alloy

subject: MAX Er3AlC magnetic

abstract: Bulk samples of (Cr1-xGdx)2AlC with X = 0, 0.0025, 0.01, 0.025, 0.05 and Er3AlC compound were synthesized using the arc melting technique. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, magnetic susceptibility, and four probe resistivity measurements to study their magnetic and electronic properties. Using Rietveld analysis for X-ray diffraction, it was determined that the parent compound Cr2AlC exhibits a side phase of Cr7C3. The substituted samples were found to have secondary phases of Cr7C3 and GdCr3.5Al8.5 which slightly increase on increasing substitution of Cr3+ by Gd3+. The change of the concentration of Gadolinium does not have any real effect on the lattice parameter of (Cr1-xGdx)2AlC. Er3AlC contains secondary phases of ErAl2 and ErC0.6. The MAX phase Cr2AlC and the Gadolinium substituted samples show complex magnetic behaviour. The magnetization measurements show that Cr2AlC has an unusual magnetic behavior above 70 K which does not obey the Curie-Weiss law. The sample with X = 0.0025 also does not obey the Curie-Weiss law at high temperature. The susceptibility data shows that samples with X = 0.01, 0.025, and 0.05 obey the Curie-Weiss law, and the magnitude of the effective magnetic moments decreases while increasing the value of X. The susceptibility data of Er3AlC obey the Curie-Weiss law; and the effective moment is 9.1 ± 0.005 𝛍B. The resistivity measurement of the parent sample Cr2AlC indicates metallic behavior. In the Gd-substituted samples, we observed a Kondo Effect from the resistivity data. The resistivity of Gd-substituted samples increases with increasing Gadolinium concentration. We also observed metallic behavior in the Er3AlC resistivity.


title: Determining Individual Endorsement Levels for Water Resilience Principles – A Case Study of the Town of Lincoln, Ontario.

subject:
water resilience
individual agency
water governance
resilience principles
social-ecological resilience

abstract: The integrity of freshwater ecosystems is being challenged, mainly due to the failures of the traditional command-and-control governance approach. A social ecological resilience approach to water resources management (water resilience) has been proposed to help mitigate these challenges. To effectively implement this approach, individual endorsement and attitudes to water resilience and its underlying principles must be better understood; however, very little research has examined individual attitudes towards this concept. This thesis studied the extent to which individuals endorse (support and agree with) managing and governing water resources using a social ecological resilience approach. To explore and determine endorsement of water resilience, a quantitative vignette questionnaire was utilized in a single exploratory case study in the Town of Lincoln, Ontario. The vignette questionnaire was developed based on the seven underlying principles of social ecological resilience and elicited responses for both local and non-local water contexts. Demographic data was also collected to examine how they relate to endorsement scores. Overall, respondents indicated a medium level of endorsement for the water resilience principles, with lower endorsement for the local than the non-local context. However, the extent of endorsement for the resilience principles differed as a function of location, the type of water challenge, individual experiences, and the conceptualization of the resilience principles. Those with higher overall endorsement scores tended to be female, older and attached more meaning to water bodies. Sex, political ideology and attaching meaning to local water bodies emerged as important predictors of water resilience endorsement. The vignette questionnaire proposes a suitable methodological framework for determining and measuring endorsement levels for the resilience principles. A factor analysis showed the seven resilience principles as consisting of two major components: principles related to ‘the system being governed’ and principles related to the ‘governance system’. The results of this thesis provide useful insights to policy makers/planners in developing more adaptive, integrative and resilient water governance approaches tailored to align with particular community perceptions and demographics. For future research, the nuances of endorsement, as well as additional factors like personality and psychological factors that may influence endorsement levels, should be considered.


title: Implicit associative memory remains intact with age and extends to target-distractor pairs

subject: implicit memory; associative memory; aging; inhibitory control; hyper-binding

abstract: Past research has shown that older adults’ reduced inhibitory control causes them to hyper-bind, or form erroneous associations between task-relevant and -irrelevant information. In the current study, we aimed to extend hyper-binding to a novel, implicit memory paradigm. In two experiments, participants viewed pictures of objects superimposed with text and their task was to make speeded categorization judgments about the objects. The encoding phase contained three blocks that varied the potential for binding: no-binding, some-binding, and full-binding. During the no/some-binding blocks, participants decided if the pictured object alone could fit inside a common desk drawer while ignoring the superimposed text. In the no-binding block, the text was a nonword; in the some-binding block, it was an object word. During the full-binding block, participants attended to both the picture and word and decided if both items could fit inside a drawer together. After a delay, participants completed the test phase during which they viewed intact and rearranged pairs from the three encoding blocks and decided if both items could fit in a drawer together. In both experiments, older adults responded faster to intact than rearranged pairs from both the some- and full-binding blocks, suggesting that they had learned both target-target and target-distractor pairs. Young adults showed no difference in RTs to pairs from either block. These findings suggest that the binding mechanism itself is spared with age; what declines instead is inhibitory control, which serves to limit attention, and ergo binding, to task-relevant information.


title: High Temperature Method Of Measuring Electrical And Magnetic Properties Of Europium Doped Nickel Oxide

subject:
lock-in amplifier
magnetization
AC susceptibility

abstract:
The measurement of the magnetic moment of materials as a function of temperature in
modern AC or DC magnetometers normally has a limited high temperature range up
to 400 K. To overcome this problem one needs to design ovens which can handle high
temperatures. The highest Curie temperature observed in materials is in pure Co which is
about 1400 K. However, most materials and compounds show Tc below 800 K. My thesis
research topic is to study the substitution of Ni ions by rare earth ions in NiO. The
NiO is a semiconductor which exhibits antiferromagnetism below 520 K, which makes
it suitable for applications; to name a few, rechargeable batteries, and p-type transport
conducting  lms. In this study, Ni ions were substituted by 2, 5, and 8 percent of Eu ions.
The effect of substitution on the semiconducting properties of Ni1-xEuxO was studied
as function of temperature from room temperature to 1000 K. To study the magnetic
properties and the effect of Eu substitution on the Neel temperature of Ni1-xEuxO we
adapted two ovens for high temperature measurements of AC susceptibility by using the
ac modulation technique implementing a lock-in ampli er and the DC susceptibility using
the SQUID magnetometer. To check the reliability of these two ovens we also examined
the ferromagnetic transition temperatures of Bismuth Ferrite samples as function of Co
substitutions for Fe.


title: A study on the dynamics of the symbiosis between Metarhizium and plants

subject:
Plant-fungal symbiosis
Nutrient transfer
Microbiome
Secondary metabolites
Endophytic, insect pathogenic fungi

abstract:
Members of the Metarhizium genus exist as both insect pathogens and plant endophytes. Agricultural formulations of these fungi are utilized for their biocontrol of insect pests and numerous additional benefits for crop plants (i.e., nutrient transfer, pathogen antagonism, increased biomass, etc.). In order to develop improvements to these formulations, it is vital to understand how specific factors, such as the nutrient availability and microbial community of the soil, as well as production of secondary metabolites, influence the interaction of Metarhizium with target crop species.

Metarhizium is capable of translocating nitrogen obtained through insect parasitism to plant hosts in exchange for carbohydrates. Using wax moth larvae (Galleria mellonella) injected with 15N-ammonium sulfate, it was demonstrated that nutrient-rich soil effectively inhibited transfer of insect-derived 15N from Metarhizium into the leaves of haricot bean, Phaseolus vulgaris. Colonization was maintained under all conditions and was not correlated with nitrogen transfer. Nitrogen application reduced initial colonization, but it recovered at later timepoints.

The persistence of Metarhizium within the rhizosphere is influenced by the microbial community but, reciprocally, the structure of the community may respond to Metarhizium application. Although soil amendment with M. robertsii did not affect overall diversity of the root microbiome of P. vulgaris, Illumina sequencing demonstrated significant effects on particular bacterial and fungal taxa. The relative abundance of several plant growth promoting microorganisms (e.g. Bradyrhizobium) increased after Metarhizium application. When challenged with the specific bean root rot pathogen Fusarium solani f. sp. phaseoli, both the microbiome and M. robertsii were able to suppress disease.

The production of fungal secondary metabolites such as destruxins may dictate interactions with plant hosts. During co-culture with bean or corn, destruxin production varied by species of Metarhizium and plant. Similar to previous reports, M. robertsii and M. acridum generally produced relatively high and low levels of destruxins, respectively. However, numerous destruxins were synthesized by M. acridum during co-culture with corn. Unraveling the metabolomic profile of these fungal-plant interactions may provide insight into mechanisms behind maintaining symbioses and patterns of strain compatibility, as well as aid in strain selection for agriculture and discovery of novel bioactive metabolites.


title: The Physiological and Behavioural Consequences of Reduced Scalation in Captive-bred Phenotypes of the Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps Ahl 1926)

subject: reptile, water, temperature, ultraviolet, scale

abstract: Lepidosaurs as a group are known for their tough, scaled integument and low rates of evaporative water loss. Whether or not there is a causal relationship between the two has been a contentious issue. There also remains the question of whether the lepidosaur scale forms a barrier to ultraviolet (UV) light. Thirdly, there is evidence to suggest that rate of evaporative water loss influences behavioural thermoregulation in lepidosaurs. Lepidosaurs with higher rates of evaporative water loss should be expected to choose cooler temperatures than lepidosaurs with lower rates of evaporative water loss in order to reduce water loss. To investigate these ideas, I used three captive-occurring phenotypes of the bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps Ahl 1926): Wild Type, animals exhibiting scales of reduced prominence (“Leatherback”), and scaleless animals (“Silkback”). I a priori expected that Silkbacks would have the highest rates of evaporative water loss, the lowest thermal preferences, and the lowest UV light intensity preferences. By the same token, I expected Wild Types to be at the opposite end of the spectrum from Silkbacks for each of these measurements, and I expected Leatherbacks to be intermediate between the two. I used respirometry to measure the animals’ rates of evaporative water loss, a thermal gradient to measure their thermal preferences, and a UV light intensity gradient to measure their UV light intensity preferences. Silkbacks on average lost water at about twice the rate that Wild Types did, with Leatherbacks being intermediate in their water loss rates. The three phenotypes did not visibly differ in their thermal preference. Silkbacks had lower UV light intensity preferences than either Leatherbacks or Wild Types. These results suggest that the lepidosaur scale is indeed a barrier to evaporative water loss and suggest that it is also a barrier to UV light. However, the lack of obvious difference in thermal preference suggests that thermal preference in bearded dragons is not plastic enough to respond to a phenotype that increases the animal’s rate of evaporative water loss. In addition to answering basic questions about lepidosaur biology, my data have relevance to the fields of animal welfare and conservation.


title: 'Sent down? Called up?': Exploring the roller coaster of loans and re-assignments in professional hockey

subject: Professional Hockey Sport Career Transitions

subject: Loans and Re-Assignments Professional Hockey

abstract: Athletes constantly face transitions in their sporting careers, which can influence the quality of their performance and well-being. The purpose of the study is to explore professional hockey players’ lived experiences with being called up and sent down in organizations. For example, an athlete can play in the National Hockey League (NHL) and is then sent down to their affiliated team in the American Hockey League (AHL) for a variety of reasons. The study utilized a phenomenological approach to understand athletes lived experiences with being called up and sent down, this allowed the researcher to move beyond brief descriptions toward understanding this specific transition athletes face. Semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, which occurred with six current hockey players (five current professional athletes and one competitive athlete). Data-analysis followed a two-phase process analysis to determine themes and patterns within each interview and then compared patterns across interviews to see what is common across interviews. The results were presented in three clusters such as the performance and well-being of an athlete, external influences on career, and interpretations of experiences. Further research is needed to explore the impact that loaning can have on an athlete and their well-being.


title: The Ethics of Categorization in Sport: An Analysis of the Possible Elimination of Under 19 Lightweight Rowing in Canada

subject: Rowing Ethics Hermeneutics Categorization Lightweight

abstract: In 2017 a proposed rule change was made by a working group appointed by Rowing Canada Aviron to eliminate the U19 lightweight rowing category in Canada. While this proposal did not come to fruition, it did raise questions about the purpose and ethics of maintaining such a category. The purpose of this study was therefore to explore the perceptions of those closely involved with U19 lightweight rowing in Canada and the ethical considerations and ramifications of a possible ban on this category. Ten interviews were conducted with coaches and administrators closely associated with the topic to ascertain individual and group perceptions of this proposal. Based on Charles Taylor’s hermeneutic phenomenology, this study uncovered and evaluated the ethical implications and validity of the possible elimination of U19 rowing in Canada and provided a commentary on categorization in sport more broadly. The results of the interviews revealed six main emergent themes that included concepts of; natural lightweights, opportunity and fairness, health and harm reduction, education, coaching abuse or neglect, and accountability. After analyzing the perceptions of participants and applying an ethical analysis to the issue, a possible ban of U19 lightweight rowing in Canada was deemed ethically unjustifiable.


title: Exploring the Impact of a Teacher Education Program on the Mathematical Anxieties of Elementary Pre-Service Teachers

subject:
Mathematics
Anxiety
Teacher Education
Elementary
Mixed Methods

abstract: Mathematics education in Ontario has been a topic of significant focus in recent years. One concern is the lack of strong elementary mathematics teachers, in part due to the high levels of mathematics anxiety amongst this population (Gresham, 2007; Novak & Tassell, 2017). This study investigated the impact of a teacher education program on elementary pre-service teachers’ mathematical anxieties. The study examined the main components of a consecutive teacher education program, namely mathematics methods courses and field experiences, their interrelationships, and their connections with pre-service teachers’ background experiences. This explanatory sequential mixed methods approach emphasized qualitative methods (i.e., quan → QUAL) and involved two distinct phases. In Phase 1, quantitative questionnaire data were collected from the nine elementary pre-service teacher participants and analyzed using descriptive statistics. These results were then connected to the individual interview protocols employed in Phase 2 to collect qualitative data, which were analyzed thematically using the constant comparative method to uncover six themes: (a) prior experiences with mathematics, (b) anxieties towards mathematics, (c) the influence of mathematics methods courses on mathematical anxieties, (d) the influence of field experiences on mathematical anxieties, (e) the synthesis of mathematics methods courses and field experiences, and (f) anticipated future mathematics teaching style. This study’s results address gaps in the existing literature and highlight the key impacts of teacher education programs on pre-service teachers’ state and trait mathematical anxieties. Suggestions are provided for the practice of teacher educators, faculty administrators, and mentor teachers, as well as implications for theory and recommendations for future research.


title: Girl Bloggers: Posthumanism and Girls' Online Activism

subject:
online activism
youth
girlhood
posthumanism

abstract: In this thesis, I explore the complexity of young women’s online activism through analysis of five blogs and online interviews with three of the bloggers. Informed by Karen Barad’s approach to posthumanism, I examine how specific material-discursive entanglements around girlhood, youth and activism co-constitute meanings and experiences of activism and activist subjectivities. Four themes and various subthemes emerged from my analysis. First, the blogging process is complex, involving various entangled materialities (e.g. art, wifi, laptops, notebooks), space, time and discourses around what makes a “good” blogger. Second, the format and content of the blogs, as well as the bloggers’ narratives, illustrate tensions and similarities between mobilizing an online gendered activist subjectivity and social media influencer (i.e. micro-celebrity) subjectivity within a broader neoliberal culture focused on entrepreneurship and individual success. The young women’s comments highlight the ways that neoliberal girl power narratives underpin expectations of activist bloggers. Third, young women engaged in activism on their blogs and on other connected social media accounts, where they represented activism through individualized approaches, and more rarely, as involving broader systemic critique. The young women conceptualized activism broadly, although their discussions of activist blogging and self-identification as activists were messy and contextual. The final theme considers how intersecting social positionings (e.g. gender, race, class, age, disability) shape access to and experiences with activist blogging. Overall, the aim of this project is to offer a rethinking of young women’s activism blogging that attends to the force of entangled material-discursive contexts.


title: Alpha suppression as a neural marker of task demands in voluntary vs involuntary retrieval in older and younger adults

subject: aging electroencephalography memory

abstract: Voluntary episodic memory relies on intentionally controlled retrieval, while involuntary episodic memory comes to mind automatically. Consistent with findings of reduced cognitive control with age, recent work suggests that voluntary memory declines with age while involuntary memory is relatively preserved. However, the neurophysiology underlying these age differences has yet to be established. The current study used EEG to test 31 young and 35 older adults during voluntary vs. involuntary retrieval (manipulated between-subjects). Participants first encoded sounds, half of which were paired with pictures, the other half unpaired. EEG was then recorded as they listened to the sounds, with participants in the involuntary group performing a sound localization task, and those in the voluntary group additionally attempting to recall the associated pictures. Participants later retrospectively reported which sounds brought the paired picture to mind during the sound task. Older adults said they remembered as many pictures as young adults, but their objective memory was lower on a final cued recall test. For the EEG analysis, older adults showed greater alpha event-related desynchronization (ERD; a neural marker of memory reactivation) for paired than unpaired sounds at occipital sites, possibly reflecting visual reactivation of the associated pictures. Young adults did not show memory-related alpha ERD effects. However, young adults did show greater alpha ERD during voluntary than involuntary retrieval at frontal and occipital sites, while older adults showed pronounced alpha ERD (indicative of effortful retrieval) regardless of condition. These data suggest that alpha ERD can be used as a neural marker of memory in older adults; however, a more naturalistic paradigm may be required to study true involuntary memory with age.


title: The Relation Between Young Children's Memory and Metacognition

subject:
Prospective Memory
Metamemory
Executive Functioning
Child Cognition

abstract: Prospective memory, the ability to remember to carry out future intentions (PM; Einstein & McDaniel, 1990) is a critical skill in children’s daily lives. Despite this, little is known about children’s awareness of their own PM ability and how this might be affected by the difficulty of a PM task. The current study sought to examine the effect of task difficulty on children’s predictions, postdictions, and actual PM performance. Four-to 6-year-old children (N = 132) completed an easy or difficult PM task and made predictions and postdictions before and after the task. Results showed that: (1) children’s PM increased with age and was worse in the difficult condition, (2) PM predictions and postdictions did not vary with age but PM postdictions were more accurate than PM predictions, and (3) PM postdictions were affected by difficulty of the PM task with children reporting having remembered to carry out their intention fewer times in the difficult compared to the easy condition. Overall, children’s PM postdictions were more accurate than their predictions, and difficulty of a PM task only affected children’s reflections (and not predictions) of their PM performance.


title: Investigating the Role of MicroRNAs in Regeneration and Axonal Pathfinding

subject: microRNA, miR-124, Retinoic Acid, Growth Cone, Regeneration

abstract: During both development and regeneration, axons must navigate through a complex and changing environment to reach their proper synaptic target. To do so, axons utilize a specialized structure, the growth cone, which senses and interprets guidance cues in its surrounding environment to change the direction of axonal outgrowth. MicroRNAs, which regulate mRNA translation, have recently been shown to regulate both neurite outgrowth and growth cone guidance in response to classical guidance cues during vertebrate development. However, little is known of their regulation of neuronal regeneration in an invertebrate. Thus, the main aim of this thesis was to study the role of microRNAs during CNS regeneration of the pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. Specifically, I determined the expression patterns and relative abundance of microRNAs in the regenerating CNS in response to retinoic acid (RA). Using miRNA-Sequencing, I identified one neuronally enriched microRNA, miR-124, that was up-regulated in RA-induced regenerating CNS. Using PCR and in situ hybridization, I characterized its distribution in the snail CNS, and discovered it shared similar expression patterns to that of vertebrates. In cell culture, I found miR-124 was abundant within regenerating motorneurons and was localized to their growth cones. I next determined that miR-124 contributed to RA-induced growth cone turning behaviour. During attractive growth cone turning to RA, the abundance and distribution of miR-124 was altered, in both a cue and context-dependent manner. Finally, I demonstrated that miR-124 targeted the Rho kinase, ROCK, during turning responses to RA, likely to promote the formation of a neurite shaft, or to maintain growth cone polarity. Together, these findings provide the first evidence for a role of microRNAs in mediating growth cone behaviours to RA in regenerating motorneurons.


title: Perceptions of Change in Self-Efficacy to Pursue Postsecondary Education for Students with Exceptionalities Participating in a Postsecondary Transition Program

subject:
transition to post-secondary
inclusive education
students with exceptionalities
academic self-efficacy

abstract: This mixed-methods study explored a postsecondary transition program’s effect on the development of self-efficacy for post-secondary studies and the likelihood to apply to post-secondary studies among students with exceptionalities. The study also examined how their perceptions of change in self-efficacy compared to their non-exceptional peers in the program. Participants included Grade 11 and 12 students with and without exceptionalities who were at risk of non-completion of their secondary school diploma from 2 participating boards of education at a college in Ontario, Canada. Students participated in a series of pre- and post-program completion surveys and were further invited to participate in a personal follow-up interview to explore the impact of their experience in the program on their plans for postsecondary education. Secondary school teachers working in a supportive role with students in this program were also interviewed to explore their perceptions of change in the students over the duration of the program. Findings demonstrated that students both with and without exceptionalities benefitted from the program through a number of elements that resulted in increased self-efficacy to succeed in postsecondary education, and an increased likelihood to apply to a postsecondary program in the future. Findings, however, indicated that the two groups of students did not share the same perceptions of how the program might have contributed to their increased self-efficacy. Following program completion, students with exceptionalities were more likely to describe their personal mastery experiences in a postsecondary academic program and their process of metacognitive skill development, whereas their peers without exceptionalities were more likely to describe a positive experience on a college campus as the primary contributing factor for their increased academic self-efficacy. The study further discusses the elements that contributed to the change experienced by the students with exceptionalities and offers a visual framework for the elements involved in the development of academic self-efficacy for students with exceptionalities. Interpretations and suggestions as to how these insights could inform future policy and practice are discussed.


title: Characterization of plant, leafhopper, and spider communities in perimeter plantings and vineyards in the Niagara region

subject:
Perimeter Plantings
Leafhoppers
Spiders
Ecosystem Services
Pest Management

abstract: Vineyards are large agroecosystems associated with high external inputs and intervention leading to local decreases in biodiversity. With trends towards sustainable agriculture, there is a push to maximize natural ecosystem functions through methods of on-farm diversification, such as perimeter plantings. Increased plant diversity has been found to increase the ability to exploit natural ecosystem functions such as pest management, through the bottom-up control of species richness displayed by increased plant species richness. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the effect of perimeter plantings on vineyard plant and invertebrate communities. I hypothesized that perimeter plantings would have greater plant diversity and habitat complexity than vineyard interiors.  Perimeter plantings would also support increased assemblages of natural enemies with decreased pest populations when compared to the vineyards. Plant communities in the perimeter plantings and the vineyards were first surveyed using transects within the perimeters and perpendicular transects from the perimeters towards the interior of the vineyards. Invertebrate communities were also surveyed within the perimeter plantings and adjacent vineyards, focusing on leafhoppers and spiders. Seven commercially operating vineyards throughout the Niagara region were surveyed both within the perimeter planting and adjacent vineyard during the 2018-growing season. It was found that perimeter plantings not only had increased plant species richness and functional diversity, but the species and functional composition within the perimeters differed from vineyard interiors. This indicated that perimeter plantings did not increase weed pressure but allowed for increased habitat complexity adjacent to the vineyards. Leafhoppers showed significantly higher abundance in vineyard interiors than perimeter plantings, and as distance from perimeter planting increased, leafhopper abundances also increased. Spiders were more abundant in perimeter plantings, decreasing in abundance with distance from perimeter. Overall, the results suggest that perimeter plantings have the ability to support biological pest control, while not increasing both weed or pest pressure observed within vineyards.


title: Parental Literacy Experiences: Relation to a Child's Reading Performance Across Cultures

subject:
Parent reading experiences
Reading motivation
Home literacy
Child reading development
Cultural differences

abstract: Correlational studies have confirmed significant relationships between parents’ past reading experiences and involvement in children’s literacy at home and how this could be associated with their children’s reading outcomes and motivation. The current study examined parental self- reported literacy experiences, home literacy experiences, child reported motivation for reading and potential associations with children’s reading development across Hispanic, African American, Caucasian, and Chinese cultures. Participants were recruited from public schools in New Haven Connecticut, United States of American and one urban elementary school in China. In total 238 children and either of their parents participated in the study. Parents form both samples completed a personal information questionnaire while participating children completed a battery consisting of reading tasks and a reading motivation measure. Significant correlations for differences between cultural groups were identified. Overall, findings of this study suggest that parents’ reading experiences and culture-specific home literacy practices could influence children’s reading motivation and reading performance. To conclude, existing research and findings from the current study propose culture-specific literacy practices that may be adapted by other cultures to strengthen children’s reading development. Additional directions for future research were discussed.


title: Comparing an Interdependent and Dependent Group Contingency to Increase Physical Activity in Students During Recess

subject:
physical activity
interdependent group contingency
dependent group contingency
recess
positive and negative statements

abstract: Physical activity is defined as any body movement that requires energy expenditure. It has important physiological, mental health, academic, and cognitive benefits for children and youth. Despite these advantages, a large proportion of this population does not meet the minimum recommended amount of physical activity. Recent studies have shown that the interdependent group contingency (IGC) and dependent group contingency (DGC) improve physical activity; however, no comparison of the effects of these group contingencies on physical activity has been conducted. We used a multielement within a concurrent multiple baseline across classes design to compare the effectiveness of these group contingencies to increase physical activity in two classes of grade 5 students. Both group contingencies increased physical activity in both classes, with the IGC producing slightly higher levels of physical activity than the DGC at the class-wide and individual levels of analyses. Conversely, side effect data suggest that participants in both classes preferred the DGC. Results are discussed within the context of treatment decisions and suggestions for future research.


title: Wearable activity monitors and goals: Perceptions on physical activity, attitudes and motivational outcomes

subject:
affective goal setting
physical activity
wearable activity monitors
motivational regulations
extrinsic

abstract: Evidence attesting to the benefits of wearable activity monitors for increasing PA has been reported (USDHHS, 2018). Goal setting is one behavior change technique that often accompanies wearable activity monitors and has been deemed an essential component to any health behavior change intervention (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2014). Specific to PA behavior, goal setting has been deemed effective regardless of age, sex, and activity status (McEwan et al., 2016). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if affective goals confer unique benefits on physical activity (PA), attitudes and behavioral regulations consistent with the Organismic Integration Theory (OIT; Ryan & Deci, 2017) among users of wearable activity monitors. Affective goals were compared with instrumental goals, step count and a no goal condition. Adopting a randomized experimental post-test only design, undergraduate students (N = 153) were assigned to one of eight conditions. Participants read a scenario then completed a battery of questionnaires housed on a secure online interface. Differences by condition were not found for short- or long-term PA or attitudes (p’s >.05). Differences were noted for extrinsic regulation (p = 0.025; ηp2 = .105). Results indicated that extrinsic regulation was higher in the no goal condition when compared to most other conditions. These findings imply that goal setting, regardless of type, may offset increases in extrinsic motivation associated with the use of wearable activity monitors. Users of wearable activity monitors looking to improve PA, positive attitudes and motivation associated with PA may benefit by utilizing goal setting in combination with other commonly used BCTs. A further investigation upon goal setting and users of wearable activity monitors is warranted.


title: Object Classification using L-Fuzzy Concept Analysis

subject:
formal concept analysis
fuzzy concept analysis
machine learning
artificial intelligence
object classification

abstract: Object classification and processing have become a coordinated piece of modern industrial manufacturing systems, generally utilized in a manual or computerized inspection process. Vagueness is a common issue related to object classification and analysis such as the ambiguity in input data, the overlapping boundaries among the classes or regions, and the indefiniteness in defining or extracting features and relations among them. The main purpose of this thesis is to construct, define, and implement an abstract algebraic framework for L-fuzzy relations to represent the uncertainties involved at every stage of the object classification. This is done to handle the proposed vagueness that is found in the process of object classification such as retaining information as much as possible from the original data for making decisions at the highest level making the ultimate output or result of the associated system with least uncertainty.


title: Data mining using L-fuzzy concept analysis.

subject:
data mining
formal concept analysis
fuzzy formal concept analysis
attribute implication
relational algebra

abstract:
Association rules in data mining are implications between attributes of objects that
hold in all instances of the given data. These rules are very useful to determine the properties of the data such as essential features of products that determine the purchase
decisions of customers. Normally the data is given as binary (or crisp) tables relating
objects with their attributes by yes-no entries. We propose a relational theory for
generating attribute implications from many-valued contexts, i.e, where the relationship between objects and attributes is given by a range of degrees from no to yes. This
degree is usually taken from a suitable lattice where the smallest element corresponds
to the classical no and the greatest element corresponds to the classical yes. Previous
related work handled many-valued contexts by transforming the context by scaling
or by choosing a minimal degree of membership to a crisp (yes-no) context. Then the
standard methods of formal concept analysis were applied to this crisp context. In
our proposal, we will handle a many-valued context as is, i.e., without transforming
it into a crisp one. The advantage of this approach is that we work with the original
data without performing a transformation step which modifies the data in advance.


title: Tone it Down or Tune it Out? The Focus of Instructor Cues on Body Image Outcomes during an Exercise Class in Older Adults

subject: body image, older adults, group exercise, focus of instructor cues

abstract: In group exercise settings, many factors influence body image, including instructors and the motivational cues they use. The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of appearance versus functionality-focused cues used by an instructor in an exercise class on state body image, enjoyment and intentions to return in older adults. One hundred and seven participants (26 males, 81 females, Mage = 69 years) took part in two visits. During visit one, participants completed demographic and trait body image questionnaires and had anthropometric measures taken. During visit two, participants were randomly assigned to an appearance or functionality-focused exercise class. In the appearance-focused class, the instructor’s cues emphasized the exercises as a way to alter the body’s appearance, whereas in the functionality- focused class, cues focused on exercise as a way to improve function and health. Participants completed state measures of body image immediately before and after participating in the exercise class. Following the exercise class participants also completed measures of enjoyment and intentions to return. Repeated-measures ANCOVAs were conducted for each state body image measure (body appreciation, functional appreciation, body dissatisfaction, body satisfaction with appearance and functionality, self-objectification, and social physique anxiety) controlling for appropriate demographic and trait body image variables. Participants assigned to the functionality-focused condition reported significantly greater decreases in body dissatisfaction [F (1,101) = 6.35, p = .013] compared to those in the appearance-focused condition, and regardless of condition, participants reported significant decreases in state self- objectification pre-to-post exercise [F (1,105) = 7.85, p = .006]. All other time by condition and time effects were non-significant (ps > .05). ANCOVAs to examine between-group differences on enjoyment and intentions to return showed no significant differences (ps > .05). It is possible that older adults, who place a greater focus on the health and functionality of their bodies, may be protected from negative effects of appearance-related commentary within group exercise settings (in contrast to young-women). Findings also suggest that exercise may be particularly beneficial for improving body dissatisfaction and self-objectification in populations across the lifespan. Future studies should continue to examine psychological outcomes of acute exercise in older adults.


title: Comparing High-Probability Demands With and Without Food to Increase the Consumption of Healthy Food in Picky Eaters

subject:
high-probability instructional sequence
picky eating
food selectivity

abstract: The high-probability (high-p) instructional sequence is a nonintrusive antecedent-based intervention that involves the presentation of a series of high-p demands followed by one low- probability demand. To date, only nine studies have examined the effectiveness of the high-p sequence to treat food selectivity in children, and the findings have been mixed. In the current study, we used a multielement within a multiple baseline across food sets design to compare the effectiveness of two iterations of the high-p sequence to increase the consumption of healthy food in one picky eater. One iteration consisted of presenting three bites of a preferred food followed by a bite of the nonpreferred food and the other iteration consisted of presenting three bites of an empty spoon followed by a bite of the nonpreferred food. We found the high-p preferred food condition was more effective than the high-p empty spoon condition during one of two comparisons; however, we were unable to replicate the effectiveness of the high-p preferred food condition in the second comparison. Results are discussed within the context of the limitations and implications for future research.


title: Understanding community perspectives:  A Case Study of a Bottom-Up Sport-For-Development initiative in rural Africa

subject: Sport-for-development, Bottom-up, community development

abstract: The first wave of Sport for Development (SfD) initiatives made bold assumptions that sport was inherently good for participants and could achieve social and developmental outcomes (Levermore, 2008; Lyras & Peachey, 2011). Scholars began to question the impacts that SfD programs were having in achieving developmental goals and positive social outcomes (Coalter, 2013; Darnell, 2010; Schulenkorf; Sherry, & Rowe, 2016; Svensson & Levine, 2017). Researchers also conveyed that there were issues associated with race, power dynamics, Global North and South relations, cultural sensitivity, and gender apparent in SfD programs (Darnell et al., 2016). There has been shifts in the SfD sphere responding to this critical research to work closer with the communities and individuals who are the co-creators of these programs (Coalter, 2007, 2010; Collison & Marchesseault, 2018; Darnell, 2012; Van der Kleshorst, 2018). The purpose of this study was to understand how the community members who are co-creators and participants of this SfD initiative perceive the Bottom-Up approach and impacts of the program. The community that I worked with has been partnered with a SfD organization for eight years. A local gatekeeper (the rugby development officer) helped me understand the community and identify interviewees. Participants included: community members, parents, coaches, teachers, and former participants. During my time there I also participated in coaching seminars, worked with participants, and helped with education sessions. Using Stake’s (1995) case study approach, interviews, fieldwork, and content analysis were conducted. Utilizing these methods and incorporating qualitative data analysis techniques, four overarching themes emerged: Theme One; Community development through a sport-education centre; Theme Two; community interaction and engagement; Theme Three; development of participants; and Theme Four; Rugby development. The findings work to fill multiple gaps in literature identified by Schulenkorf et al. (2016) and attempt to address critical issues laid out by Darnell et al. (2016). This research also hopes to work as a bridge between academia and practitioners and makes recommendations for possible best practices moving forward in SfD that include; community engagement in development, upskilling local participants and community members, and seeking out feedback from the community members involved.


title: The hydrology of northern boreal lakes in the Taiga Shield and Plains, Northwest Territories and the importance of catchment characteristics in mediating responses to climate

subject: boreal lakes, hydrology, climate, water isotopes, remote sensing

abstract: Freshwater lakes are prominent features across northern boreal regions and are sensitive to changing climate conditions. This study, spanning the 2017-18 ice-free seasons, broadens our understanding of how variable climate and landscape conditions influence subarctic lake hydrology in the North Slave Region near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (NT), Canada. We studied 20 lakes located within the Taiga Shield and Taiga Plains ecozones through an integrated approach, utilizing water isotope tracers (δ2H and δ18O), lake level changes, local meteorological conditions and remotely sensed catchment data. Lake water isotope data were obtained twice during the ice-free season (May and August) and evaporation/inflow (E/I) ratios were calculated to identify the relative importance of catchment hydrological controls. Hydrological data were compared to measured and modelled catchment characteristics, including relative lake/catchment size, slope, land cover and recent wildfire burn area. Overall, precipitation was a major driver of seasonal and interannual lake hydrological change, while evaporation was a major driver of summer water loss. Relative catchment size (lake area to catchment area (LA/CA)) was found to be an important driver of lake hydrology, however, this relationship is complicated by storage deficits associated with variable meteorological conditions. During wet conditions (e.g., freshet and periods of high rainfall), lakes with larger catchments (low LA/CA) had more positive water balances than lakes with high LA/CA. Under drier conditions, lake catchment size and associated fill-and-spill hydrological connectivity was reduced. Lake basins with high LA/CA (particularly those with shallower depth and greater surface area) were more prone to evaporative water loss. Lake hydrological conditions were less influenced by catchment land cover compositions, including burn area. Findings presented here highlight important drivers of lake water balances in subarctic boreal regions, which are sensitive to ongoing changes in climate. This study is part of a broader research project funded and supported by NWT Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program (CIMP), which is using a multi-proxy, paleo-ecological approach to determine long-term (i.e., 2,000 years) records of hydrology, drought, fire and water quality to inform future policy planning.


title: Flood Survival Strategies of Overwintering Snakes

subject:
hibernation
life zone
Massasauga
metabolism
diving

abstract:
This thesis investigates snake flood survival during hibernation and how anthropogenic habitat alteration and climate variability may affect habitat quality and overwintering survival.
 Chapter one reviews the current understanding of ecophysiology of hibernation in snakes. In chapter two, I introduce a winter habitat model of a subterranean space that remains flood and frost-free, referred to as the “life zone,” where snakes survive winter. I analyzed 11- winters of hibernation habitat data and 18-yrs of population mark-recapture data to assess the effects of the first flood event on an endangered Massasauga population. Following the flood event, snake observations declined despite hundreds of hours of search-effort. At the population level this was evidence of poor winter survival and recruitment post flood. The direct cause of mortality was not determined but poor winter survival in areas with a depleted life zone was statistically supported.
In the third chapter, I measured the metabolic rate (M ̇_(O_2 )) at 5°C for three snake species that inhabit my study area. I varied water level conditions and measured activity and dive behaviours continuously during experiments. I found differences between species in their resting metabolic rate, which I attributed to body size differences. I confirmed, cutaneous respiration occurs at a low rate and was significantly upregulated during a forced dive (flood event). Therefore, there is an intrinsic physiological response to a flood event in neonatal snakes. However, post-flood recovery indicated a greater oxygen demand after the short-forced dive. An oxygen debt was incurred during a short-forced dive under normoxic conditions. My conclusions are, 1) hibernation habitat (i.e., life zone) must include a non-freezing, non-flooding aerobic space throughout winter to maintain snake survival. 2) cutaneous respiration is a short-term flood survival strategy. I found no support for a complete aquatic hibernation strategy 3) the energy costs of a full-dive is additive to the recovery energetic costs of a flood event. A neonatal snake wintering energy budget is proposed, and winter mortality conservation issues are discussed in chapter 4.


title: RuPaul's Drag Race and the Toronto Drag Scene

subject:
rupaul's drag race
reality television
popular culture
queer studies
drag queen

abstract:
The debut of the television show RuPaul’s Drag Race (Barbato, Bailey, and Charles) in
2009 marked the start of a new drag boom. The program’s commercial success throughout the 2010s brought drag performance into the mainstream cultural arena, prompting a host of effects on the historically grassroots culture of drag. This thesis project explores the show’s impact on one particular geographic community, the Toronto drag scene, which has been active in some capacity for at least 70 years. This ethnographic study is drawn from a year and a half in the field in the Toronto drag scene and a series of semi-structured interivews with nine research participations who took part in the 2018 edition of the Toronto-based drag pageant Crews and Tangos Drag Race. Using this group as a case study, this thesis demonstrates how Drag Race has influenced both the politics and aesthetics of the Toronto drag scene.
Drawing from scholar Will Straw’s work on scene theory, I argue Drag Race now acts as global drag culture’s dominant system of articulation (Systems 369) and that it not only dictates trends in drag, but also provides the contemporary drag fan a rubric for understanding drag’s cultural meaning. I contend the show influences how drag is interpreted by fans and informs how gender, race, and economics are negotiated in the Toronto drag scene. Drag Race has created a new, economically-driven global drag scene, which looms large over the local scene in Toronto. Using Straw’s concept of lines of influence, I argue there is a two-way dialogue between local drag in Toronto and the Drag Race-driven global drag scene. The participant interviews and field work showcased in this project demonstrate how the Toronto drag scene receives, re-interprets, and resists the vision of drag presented by Drag Race.


title: Effects of Sensory Processing Patterns on Inhibitory Control as a Function of ADHD-traits and Trait Anxiety

subject:
ADHD
Anxiety
Sensory Processing
Inhibitory Control
Event-Related Potential

abstract: Anxiety and ADHD (traits) have been shown to co-occur in both clinical and non-clinical populations. In addition, both anxiety and ADHD are independently associated with atypical sensory processing. However, there has been no previous research investigating their combined effects on cognitive functions. It is important to identify the nature of their interactions, because often the impact of multiple challenges in affective, social, and cognitive domains can be different from the impact of each individual condition. The dimensional models of mental disorders regard psychopathologies as continuous, interdependent conditions with symptoms existing as traits along a continuum in the population, rather than discrete diagnostic categories. Following this framework, the overarching goal of this event-related potential study is to investigate how individual differences in sensory processing patterns (SPPs), ADHD-traits and trait anxiety influence inhibitory control in 77 (final sample 60, ages 18-26) female and male non-clinical emerging-adults. It was expected that the effect of the SPPs on inhibitory control would depend on the level of ADHD-traits which are moderated by the level of trait anxiety. Two SPPs, low registration (LR) and sensory sensitivity (SS), ADHD-traits (inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity) and trait anxiety were measured using self-report questionnaires. Inhibitory control was operationalized as the maximum peak amplitude of N2, a neurophysiological response frequently associated with inhibition paradigms. In this study, N2 response was elicited during a 22-minute computerized distractor Continuous Performance Task (d-AX-CPT) with three inhibitory conditions (Go Distractor, NoGo Distractor, NoGo No Distractor). The research hypotheses were tested in moderated moderation models separately for LR and SS as focal predictors, N2 amplitude as the outcome, and ADHD-traits and trait anxiety as primary and secondary moderators, respectively. The results revealed that the levels of impulsivity, but not hyperactivity and inattention, and trait anxiety together moderated the effects of SPPs on N2 amplitude in Go Distractor and NoGo Distractor Conditions. In general, the findings of this study (1) highlight the importance of understanding the complex relationships among comorbid patterns that are frequently observed in diagnostic groups, (2) add new information to the existing literature on the relationship between SPPs, ADHD and anxiety using a dimensional framework.


title: Sleepers and Creepers, Colony Polymorphisms in Metarhizium robertsii

subject:
Metarhizium
Colony Polymorphisms
Methyltransferase
Rhizosphere Colonization
Conidiation

abstract: In this thesis I attempt to identify, describe, and explain the vast colony polymorphism differences observed in Metarhizium robertsii from a physical and genetic standpoint. These descriptions provide a framework to explain the colony polymorphisms seen in M. robertsii. This work is based on the observation of three distinct phenotypes: a highly conidiating phenotype (Sleeper), a primarily hyphal phenotype (Creeper) and an intermediary (Mixed) phenotype that represents the middle range between the Sleeper and Creeper phenotypes. Based on our findings, Sleepers typically have a higher fungal mass recovered from plant rhizospheres compared to Creepers and Mixed phenotypes. Creepers and Mixed strategy phenotypes are almost undifferentiable when grown on minimal nutrient medium whereas the Mixed and Sleepers tend to look very similar when grown on nutrient rich media. I concluded that the three phenotypes cannot be differentiated using artificial media. However, it was possible to differentiate between the Sleeper, Creeper and Mixed by infecting Great Wax Moth larvae (Galleria mellonella) with conidial suspension of M. robertsii. Key genes in the conidiation pathway, such as the methyltransferase MrDIM-2, may be relevant for differentiation between the Sleeper and Creeper/Mixed phenotypes. Expression levels of the Sleeper phenotype were found to be significantly lower than the Mixed or Creeper phenotypes.. The results have shown that MrDIM-2 expression influences either a Sleeper phenotype or a Mixed/Creeper phenotype presentation.


title: The utilisation of coprophilous fungal spores for discerning late Quaternary megaherbivore extinctions in Canada

subject:
Coprophilous fungi
Megaherbivore
Beringia
Pleistocene-Holocene transition
MIS 5a/4

abstract:
Northern ecosystems are experiencing dramatic changes due to anthropogenically
accelerated climatic warming. Understanding the impacts of this on fauna and flora is key to
predicting the long-term sustainability of northern environments. This requires long-term data sets
of ecosystem response to environmental change from environments and climates contiguous to
contemporary conditions. One event is the climatic warming recorded at the Pleistocene-
Holocene transition that resulted in the extinction of 35 megafaunal genera and loss of the
mammoth steppe biome in East Beringia. Previous studies have relied on spatially and
temporally correlating bone remains, but coprophilous fungi preserved in lake sediments have
recently been used as a complimentary proxy for reconstructing megaherbivore populations.
A high-resolution record spanning this transition has been reconstructed using a sediment
core collected from Gravel Lake, central Yukon Territory. Pollen and coprophilous fungi were
complimented by radiocarbon-dated bone remains from Alaska and Yukon Territory. Results
indicate the local extirpation of megaherbivores at the beginning of the Holocene (ca. 11,000 to
10,400 cal yr BP) by a decline in coprophilous fungi and a lack of bone remains from Yukon
Territory. However, skeletal records indicate the loss of mammoths and horses at ca. 13,000 cal
yr BP, 2000 years prior to the fungi records. At this time, pollen assemblages from Gravel Lake
indicate the last environments contiguous with the mammoth steppe from this region. The data
highlight a faunal turnover at ca. 13,000 cal yr BP with the proliferation of browsing taxa, but it
is still unclear why only mammoth and horse populations are lost and not other grazing taxa such
as bison and muskox.
A secondary study analysed remains preserved in mastodon dung dated to the marine
isotope stage 5a/4 transition of Nova Scotia. Results indicate a wetland rich in charophytes,
sedges, cattails, bulrushes and bryophytes in a spruce-dominated boreal forest. The limited
diversity and abundance of coprophilous fungi in the dung could be attributed to a browser
feeding habit. If so, this could have a considerable impact on understanding the influence of
feeding ecologies on the presence of coprophilous taxa in lake sediments, and thus inferences of
megaherbivore abundance.


title: Evaluating Behavioural Skills Training via Telecommunication to Teach Mediators to Facilitate Acceptance and Commitment Training

subject: acceptance and commitment training, behaviour skills training, mediator training, neurodevelopmental disabilities, telecommunication

abstract: Multiple randomized control trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment training (ACT) for improving the quality of life of numerous populations, including caregivers of children with NDDs. However, little research has been conducted on effective methods to train facilitators to lead ACT experiential exercises in general, with even less research incorporating caregivers as co-facilitators. To increase potential facilitators’ access to the ACT facilitation training and reduce geographical barriers, a telecommunication format may be leveraged. The aim of this research was to examine the effect of providing behavioural skills training via telecommunication to caregiver and clinician facilitators across Canada that had already received a manualized, group-based ACT facilitation training. This study included a total of three caregivers and one clinician, where quantitative data on fidelity, confidence, and quality of ACT facilitation was collected at baseline, post-training, and at 1-month follow-up using a multiple-probe design. In addition, a BST and telecommunication acceptability measure was administered post-training. The results from this study suggest that implementing behavioural skills training to teach facilitators to provide ACT greatly improved the facilitators’ fidelity. Increasing the number of competently trained facilitators will help build capacity to increase caregivers’ access to ACT, ideally resulting in decreased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression this population has reported experiencing.


title: My life compared to others: Examining the impact of better or worse off comparisons on young adults’ beliefs about how their life satisfaction is unfolding over time

subject:
social comparison
life satisfaction
temporal evaluation
past, current, future

abstract: Many individuals perceive their lives as becoming increasingly satisfying over time. Drawing on social comparison theory and research based on the better/worse-than-average effects, the present research investigated comparisons to the average other as a potential cause of how individuals evaluate their past, current, and anticipated future life satisfaction, as well as their affective reactions and motivation to achieve their future goals. In two studies, participants were randomly assigned to describe their current life (Study 1; N = 382; M age = 30.01 years; 43% female) or their life as unfolding over time (Study 2; N = 451; M age = 30.89; 54% female) in a manner that is either better (better-than-average) or worse (worse-than-average) than the average person their age and gender, or a third ‘no comparison’ group (control) that provided no description (Study 1) or a description without reference to others (Study 2). Dependent measures for both studies included ratings of recollected past, current, and anticipated future life satisfaction, positive and negative affect, and motivation for the future (commitment, confidence). In addition, self-esteem was assessed as an exploratory moderator. In both studies, participants in the better-than-average conditions (vs. the other two conditions) reported greater perceived improvement in life satisfaction over time (from the past to the future), as well as higher positive and lower negative affect. Participants in the worse-than-average conditions (vs. controls) reported less perceived improvement in life satisfaction over time, as well as lower positive and higher negative affect. Additionally, participants in the better (vs. worse) than average conditions reported greater (vs. lesser) commitment and confidence to achieve future goals. There was little evidence for the moderating role of self-esteem. Thus, present findings suggest that comparison involving individuals’ current lives or their progress in life relative to others influences how they view their lives as unfolding over time, as well as their affective reactions and motivation. Specifically, viewing one’s current life or one’s progress in life over time as better (vs. worse) than average results in more favourable life evaluations, affective responses, and motivation.


title: The Effects of a Self-Management Treatment Package on Physical Activity in University Students with Depressive Symptoms

subject:
self-management
physical activity
depression
sleep
changing-criterion design

abstract: Research demonstrates that exercise interventions are effective in decreasing depressive symptoms; however, these treatments are infrequently implemented in clinical practice. Self-management techniques offer an effective, cost-efficient approach to teaching individuals with depression to engage in increased physical activity. This study evaluated a treatment package including goal setting, self-monitoring, and feedback for increasing participants’ daily steps. Secondary measures included depressive symptoms, sleep quality and duration. A changing-criterion design within a concurrent multiple baseline design across two participant dyads was used. Results demonstrated that the treatment was efficacious for increasing walking in participants, with varying degrees of consistency. Additionally, increased walking may improve sleep duration. Mid-treatment scores on the University Student Depression Inventory showed decreases in some symptoms (i.e., lower total and, or subscale[s] scores) suggesting walking may be associated with a decrease in some symptoms. Clinician ratings on the Clinical Global Impression Scale indicated that the change in symptoms were significant.


title: Development of Universal Biosensing Platforms Based on CRISPR/Cas12a systems

subject:
nucleic acid testing
CRISPR Cas12a
Biosensing
proximity assay
colorimetric assay

abstract: CRISPR/Cas technologies possess the promising potential to affect biosensing field by providing a sensitive, precise, rapid, versatile and cost-effective method for diverse target detections. This thesis focusses on the development of CRISP/Cas12a based biosensing platforms for nucleic acid and protein detection. Two distinct CRISPR/Cas based diagnostic methods were developed. The first developed method is a plasmonic CRISPR Cas12a assay for colorimetric detection of viral nucleic acid. This assay generates colorimetric signals for nucleic acid amplicons by combining the unique target-induced collateral cleavage activity of Cas12a with plasmon coupling of DNA functionalized gold nanoparticles. The practical applications of this assay were successfully demonstrated through the nucleic acid detection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Grapevine Red-Blotch Virus (GRBV). The second developed method is a universal proximity CRISPR Cas12a assay for ultrasensitive detection of nucleic acids and proteins. The target recognition is achieved through proximity binding rather than direct CRISPR/Cas 12a recognition, allows the flexible assay design and expansion to target diverse targets. This assay was successfully adapted to detect nucleic acids and antibodies in both buffer and diluted human serum.


title: An adaptive 4-week robotic training program of the upper limb for persons with multiple sclerosis

subject:
Multiple Sclerosis
Robotics
Rehabilitation
Upper Limb
Biomechanics

abstract: It is suggested that repetitive movements can initiate motor recovery and improve motor learning in populations with neurological impairments and this process can be optimized with robotic devices. The repetitive, reproducible and high dose motor movements that can be delivered by robotics have shown positive results in functional outcomes in stroke patients. However, there is little research on robotic neurorehabilitation for persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), more specifically there is lack of literature with focus on the upper extremity. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to use a robotic device to implement an adaptive training program of the forearm and wrist for PwMS. This approach is unique, as it incorporates real time learning from the robotic device to alter the level of assistance/resistance to the individual. This methodology is novel and could prove to be an effective way to properly individualize the therapy process with correct dosage and prescription. 7 individuals with varying levels of MS, placed their most affected limb (forearm) on a robotic device (Wristbot), grasped the handle, and using real-time visual feedback, traced a Lissajous curve allowing the wrist to move in flexion/extension, radial/ulnar directions. Robotic training occurred 3 times per week for 4 consecutive weeks and included 40 minutes of work. Robotic software was adaptive and updated every 3 laps to evaluate the average kinematic performance which modified the robotic assistance/resistance. Outcome measures were taken pre and post intervention. Improvements in performance were quantified by average tracking and figural error, which was significantly reduced from pre – post intervention. Isometric wrist strength and grip force endurance also significantly improved from pre to post intervention. However, maximum grip force, joint position matching, 9-hole peg test, and patient-rated wrist evaluation did not show any significant improvements. To our knowledge, this study was the first adaptive and individualized robotic rehabilitation program providing two opposing forces to the hand/wrist for PwMS. Results of this 4-week training intervention, provide a proof-of-concept that motor control and muscular strength can be improved by this rehabilitation modality. This work acts as a stepping-stone into future investigations of robotic rehabilitation for an MS population.


title: Evaluating Committed Actions during Acceptance and Commitment Training for Caregivers of People with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

subject:
Acceptance and Commitment Training
committed actions
caregivers
neurodevelopmental disabilities
self-monitoring

abstract: Caregivers of people with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs) often experience greater levels of psychological distress (i.e., stress, depression, anxiety) than caregivers of people without disabilities. Prolonged psychological distress can lead to caregiver isolation and negatively impact many aspects of quality of life. Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) has been successful in increasing psychological flexibility through mindfulness and behavioural strategies for caregivers of people with NDDs. Previous ACT research has focused mainly on improving self-reported internal states (e.g., forms of psychological distress like anxiety) versus observable actions (e.g., goal setting). Limited research has focused on the behavioural activation component of ACT (i.e., committed actions), in relation to perceived levels of internal states. Examining the effect of behavioural activation on caregivers’ psychological distress during ACT could be a crucial aspect in understanding the mechanisms that may improve life satisfaction for caregivers of people with NDDs. An ACT workshop in addition to self-monitoring forms and instructions for self-monitoring were delivered to 11 caregivers. Caregivers were asked to self- monitor their committed actions and share their results with the researcher. A quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the impact of ACT on caregivers’ committed actions before, during, and after the group-based intervention. The results indicated that the frequency of self- monitoring immediately increased from baseline to intervention, however the same frequency was not maintained at follow-up. Statistical analyses showed that decreases in caregivers’ parenting stress was trending towards significance across time. Strengths and limitations of this study are discussed and recommendations for future research are provided.


title: Understanding the Barriers and Supports of Inclusive Employment for Adults with Intellectual/ Developmental Disabilities

subject:
Intellectual/Developmental Disability
Inclusive Employment
Employees with IDD
Corporate Social Responsibility
Meaningful Employment

abstract: Historically, people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) have been marginalized in Ontario. One way to promote community integration, inclusion and belonging for adults with IDD is through paid employment.  The purpose of this study is: (1) to gain insight into agreements and discrepancies between employees with IDD and employers on their employment experiences, and (2) to use these results to examine what the potential consistencies, inconsistencies, affordances and constraints are when employing a person with IDD and being an employee with IDD.  The study was done using grounded theory and its qualitative analysis process and was approached through a constructivist orientation.  The research questions are: (1) What are the consistencies and inconsistencies between employees with IDD and inclusive employers’ perceptions of hiring someone with IDD? (2) How open are businesses who claim corporate social responsibility due to hiring people with IDD? (3) What does meaningful employment mean to employees with IDD and inclusive employers? Three employees with IDD and three employers were interviewed using a semi-structured format.  The two main findings from each group are: (1) Employees described their job experiences in terms of stressors, enhancers, and joys and benefits. (2) Employers’ experience was described in terms of awareness of supports, benefits, and advocacy; and attitudes towards employees.  The results included that employees with IDD and employers displayed consistencies (stressful situations, benefits and enhancers on the job and valued punctuality) and inconsistencies (based on skills and co-worker relations). Businesses who claim corporate social responsibility and display authentic, anti-tokenistic behaviours are more likely to hire more adults with IDD in the workplace. Finally, meaningful employment is subjectively understood, but is consistent amongst employees with IDD and inclusive employers.


title: Distinct forms of depression and somatization following head injury: A neuropsychological framework and exploratory treatment paradigm for somatic symptoms and executive dysfunction following mild head injury

subject:
Somatic Underarousal
Autonomic Underarousal
Mild Head Injury
Somatic Depression
Somatization

abstract: Psychiatric symptoms following traumatic brain injury (TBI) pose a significant barrier to neurorehabilitation and impact survivor’s life satisfaction following injury. Depressive and somatization symptoms are common clinical presentations postinjury; however, due to the paucity of etiological models to explain these symptoms, treatment approaches are predominately “borrowed” from non-neurally compromised populations with similar clinical presentations. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is particularly vulnerable in TBI, and serves to modulate autonomic arousal states. Varying severities of TBI have been linked to autonomic underarousal as measured by electrodermal activation (EDA). In a series of studies examining persons with mild head injury (MHI), the phenomenological presentation of depressive and somatization symptoms was examined in persons with and without MHI, and the relationship between these symptoms and autonomic underarousal was explored. In study one, MHI were found to be autonomically underaroused, reporting more somatic depressive symptoms relative to their no-MHI cohort, and the relationship between their injury severity and the intensity of their somatic depressive complaints was completely mediated by underarousal. Investigating somatization revealed MHI status as a moderator of the relationship between somatization and post-concussive symptoms, with MHI having a stronger positive association. Autonomic underarousal was found to be a complete mediator between the relationship between injury severity and their somatization symptoms. In study two, we experimentally manipulated autonomic arousal through brief cardiovascular exercise and evaluated whether this concomitantly improved somatic-based psychiatric complaints and neurocognitive functioning in persons with MHI. Study two replicated the somatic depressive mediation model of study one, and revealed that the experimental manipulation was effective in increasing autonomic arousal, and improving somatic-psychiatric complaints and neurocognitive status. Collectively, these findings suggest that depressive and somatization symptoms postinjury are phenomenologically and etiologically different in persons with a history of head injury relative to their non-neurally compromised counterpart, and autonomic underarousal and OFC dysfunction is a strong candidate for continued investigation as an etiological model for psychiatric symptoms postinjury. Reversal of underarousal may serve as an important therapeutic goal. Lastly, we propose the term “somatic underarousal” to describe this symptomatology as a means to avoid confusion with the historical roots of the term somatization.


title: THE DOMINO EFFECT: Evaluating Therapeutic Recreation Assessment Tools’ Utility for Persons Experiencing [Dis] abilities

subject:
Therapeutic Recreation
Assessment Tools
Disability
Utility
Evaluation
Adolescents

abstract:
Assessment tools are part of a systematic process that is needed to provide a comprehensive picture of a client’s ability, performance and/or quality of life. These tools should inspire Therapeutic Recreation (TR) practitioners to reflect on whether our participants are benefiting from our services in the way we think they are benefiting from them (Ellis & Witt, 1986). The purpose of my qualitative research study was threefold. To explore the utility of several selected assessment tools from both the implementer and recipient’s perspective and from a manifest and latent analysis of the clarity and construction of the selected TR assessment tools. Utilization- focused evaluation framework guided this study to better understand which elements within existing assessment tools present a challenge. Three program participants and 26 practitioners participated in the study. The data sets included interview transcripts, focus group summaries of engagement with a “mock” case study, and the tools themselves. Data analysis involved manifest and latent content analyses of the tools, thematic analyses of the interviews and focus group engagement with the case study, and a triangulated comparative pattern analysis across the three data sets. Results indicated five main challenges practitioners experience when administering standardized assessment tools, (1) inconsistencies, (2) language barriers, (3) accessibility, (4) relevance, (5) perspective. Three main themes revealed from the data derived from the target populations, were (1) Fear, (2) Stereotyping and (3) Social Control. This thesis is a gateway for professionals and future researchers to begin a phase of creating new or updating existing TR standardized assessment tools to better meet the needs of ALL the populations we serve.

Keywords: Therapeutic Recreation (TR), Assessment Tools, Evaluation, Disability, Mental Health, Barriers, and Utility