title: Movement, behaviour, and  marine-derived nutrients: A comprehensive assessment of issues related to fish passage in Atlantic Canada

contributor: Heuvel, Michael van den (Thesis advisor)

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

contributor: Teather, Kevin (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Stevens, E. Donald (Supervisory Committee Member)

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

contributor: Teather, Kevin (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Stevens, E. Donald (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Stokesbury, Michael (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Ross, Joel (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 239 application/pdf

abstract:
Demand for water resources and the subsequent proliferation of dams has led to
habitat discontinuity within rivers and a subsequent reduction in freshwater biodiversity,
particularly of anadromous fishes. Fishway installation is one mitigation technique, but
the effectiveness of these structure is often untested. In this thesis, I present a holistic
approach to understanding issues related to fish passage, particularly of rainbow smelt
(Osmerus mordax), on Prince Edward Island (PEI). Using passive integrated transponder
tags and associated stationary antenna arrays, passage assessments at five fishways,
including both nature-like and technical (i.e., pool-and-weir) designs, revealed highly
variable passage among species. Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) passage exceeded
90%, while rainbow smelt passage varied from 0% at a pool-and-weir fishway to slightly
more than 40% at a nature-like fishway. Of note were observations of active spawning
rainbow smelt at nature-like fishways. This observation suggests that nature-like
fishways double both as fish passage structures, but also as viable spawning habitat. Low
attraction at a nature-like bypass channel – and lack of success modifying the river
channel to increase attraction – illustrated the importance of correctly locating fishway
entrances. Given questions about the effect of behaviour on passage success, assessments
of behavioural type were conducted on rainbow smelt with the goal of linking passage
success to individual behaviour. However, despite detecting distinct behavioural
syndromes in rainbow smelt, passage success was unrelated to behavioural type at a full
width, nature-like rock-ramp fishway. This novel approach to studying fish passage
should be applied to other species and fishway designs. Finally, facilitating passage to
freshwater habitats has important implications for the movement of seasonal pulses of resources by anadromous fishes. Marine-derived nutrients (MDNs) transported by
migratory rainbow smelt, principally in the form of eggs, were traced into multiple
trophic levels of a PEI river. Strong evidence of MDN incorporation was specifically
found in macroinvertebrates and stream-resident brook trout. Furthermore, this seasonal
pulse of nutrients provided brook trout with access to essential fatty acids that contribute
to whole organism function and health (e.g., robustness of the immune system, cell
membrane fluidity, nervous system development). Additionally, remote camera traps and
field-based observations revealed linkages between anadromous rainbow smelt and
terrestrial environments. Together, these studies illustrate the complex issues associated
with providing habitat connectivity in rivers, including challenges associated with
properly locating fishways, accommodating passage of multiple species, and accounting
for the effect of individual behaviour on passage. The end two chapters of this thesis
further demonstrate the interconnectedness between marine and freshwater ecosystems,
highlighting the importance of maintaining passage not only to improve an individual
species’ reproductive success but also to provide ecosystem services.


title: The experience of non-francophone parents with children in minority-language french schools in Prince Edward Island: A mixed methods study

type: Text Dissertation/Thesis

contributor: Turnbull, Miles (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Cormier, Marianne (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Preston, Jane (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Turnbull, Miles (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Cormier, Marianne (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Preston, Jane (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Lee, Scott (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Rocque, Jules (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 294 application/pdf

abstract: Research indicates that classrooms across Canada and our globe are becoming increasingly multilingual and multicultural. Parent involvement (PI) in schools has frequently been shown to be an important indicator for student literacy and achievement; however, many parents of children in these diverse classrooms are not proficient in the school language and, therefore, their involvement is limited and challenging. This dissertation explores the beliefs, experiences, and involvement of non-francophone (NF) parents with children in French minority-language schools in Prince Edward Island (PEI). Data for this research was collected from an online survey (n=86) and focus group or individual interviews with 38 NF parents whose children attend French schools. Two theoretical models from minority-language education and parent involvement literature were used to frame the study and to analyze the data. The results confirm that the clientele in French schools in PEI is diverse, requiring an expanded definition of the family and parent type. There are many types of NF parents, and many of these parents need assistance to optimize their educational involvement with a child in a French school. The analyses revealed that NF parents had a decreased sense of autonomy, competence, and belonging and that only two of eight potential ways to facilitate PI were functioning for most NF parents with children in French schools. I make recommendations for modifications to the two theoretical models used. I also propose a new theoretical model aimed at reducing barriers to parent involvement by offering differentiated support to parents, considering their proficiency in the language of the school and, specifically, to enhance parent involvement in French minority-language education. Finally, I suggest policies and practices based on the research data to enhance the educational involvement of NF parents, and potentially all parents, at home, at school, and in the community, through improved communication strategies and relationship building.


title: Multi-disciplinary study abroad research and development project: Impact on emotional and civic engagement status of Kenyan women farmers

contributor: VanLeeuwen, Charlene (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: VanLeeuwen, John (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Walton, Colleen (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Kathuri-Ogola, Lucy (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: VanLeeuwen, Charlene (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Walton, Colleen (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Kathuri-Ogola, Lucy (Examination Committee Member)

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

contributor: Hsiao, Amy (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 142 application/pdf

abstract: Programs that facilitate students’ learning abroad are on the increase among institutions of higher learning in the global North. International learning experiences develop students’ global and intercultural competence, enabling them to work and live in a more diverse society. Research on the impact of international experiential education has focused primarily on the traveling students rather than on community members. This study evaluated the impact of an integrated research and development project on the emotional and civic engagement status of women farmers in Kenya. The project, with NGO and academic collaborators, included intervention programs in human nutrition and dairy cattle management in the Naari region of Kenya from 2015 to 2017. This mixed methods study primarily used random sampling to select participants from the nutrition (n=23) and dairy (n=20) intervention groups, and a control group (n=20) of the project. Data were collected in three phases in 2017: (1) a survey of women farmers; (2) in-depth interviews; and (3) focus group discussions. Descriptive statistics, and univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used in the analyses. Findings revealed that some intervention group participants experienced an emotional distress in the short-term (last month) specifically feeling more worthless compared to the control group, but experienced emotional empowerment in the long-term (during the last 3 years) particularly feeling less worried than the control group, while controlling for demographic differences between groups in the final models. In addition, the overall civic engagement levels of women in the study increased in the long-term, and the intervention groups increased more than the control group, while controlling for demographic differences between groups in the final model. A significant relationship was found between women’s emotional empowerment (specifically, feeling extremely hopeful over the last 3 years) and increased overall civic engagement over the last 3 years. Lastly, age, income, income control, education levels and belonging to community groups were also found to predict various aspects of women’s emotional empowerment and civic engagement levels. Our results demonstrate that despite some feelings of worthlessness over the short-term among the intervention groups, more women in the project intervention groups had high levels of emotional empowerment and improved civic engagement over the last 3 years compared to women in the control group.


title: Design and properties of iron-containing dendrimers capped with pyrene moieties

contributor: Abd-El-Aziz, Alaa (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Bissessur, Rabin (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Etkin, Nola (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Abd-El-Aziz, Alaa (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Bissessur, Rabin (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Etkin, Nola (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Farooque, Aitazaz (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 120 application/pdf

abstract:
Dendrimers have been the center of attention since their development in the mids-80s. In
many fields, organometallic dendrimers have participated such as catalysis, chemical sensors,
and biomaterials. The aim of this research is the development of novel organoiron dendrimers
decorated with pyrene moieties. The incorporation of cationic η6-chloroarene-η5-
cyclopentadienyliron moieties into the structures of the starting materials can facilitate
nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions due to the intense electron-withdrawing ability of the
cationic cyclopentadienyliron complexes. Two classes of zero generation dendrimers were
prepared with pyrene moieties included at the peripheries of the dendrimers by using two
different. The synthesized dendritic materials were characterized by using spectroscopic
techniques. The thermal stability of these materials was examined, and it showed that the
cyclopentadienyliron moieties were decoordinated in the temperature ranging from 200 to 230oC.
Cyclic voltammetric studies confirmed the reduction of the iron centers at around -1.8 V. The
presence of the iron center did not affect the luminescence properties where was showed
absorption at 328 and 345 nm similar to the pyrene monomer.


title: Are vegetation index maps derived from sUAS-mounted multi-spectral sensors an accurate predictor of yield in potatoes?

contributor: Fenech, Adam (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Burton, David (Supervisory Committee Member)

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

contributor: Fenech, Adam (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Burton, David (Examination Committee Member)

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

contributor: Shaw, Anthony (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 88 application/pdf

abstract:
Potatoes are an expensive crop to grow, and many inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides are required to ensure that the product is marketable. With advancements in GPS technology over the last three decades, one technology that has come to the forefront in farming is Precision Agriculture (PA). PA assumes that not all parts of a field are uniform, and that by tailoring management decisions to certain areas of a field, farmers can improve production and possibly reduce inputs. Adopting PA in the potato industry makes sense, as there is much to be gained in terms of increasing production as well as mitigating the environmental impacts of industrial farming.
Two tools which fall under the umbrella of PA are the yield monitor and Small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS). sUAS have the ability to collect high resolution remotely sensed data for agriculture. When multi-spectral sensors are mounted to sUAS, algorithms (vegetation indices) can be applied to the data to assess spatial characteristics related to field health. Yield monitors are tools which measure the quantity or quality of production throughout the field. They are synced with GPS systems and can assist a farmer to identify which parts of a field produce higher or lower yields than others. The resultant yield data can be viewed as a report card of a field and used in informing management decisions.
In this study the question was posed: are vegetation index maps derived from sUAS mounted multi-spectral sensors an accurate predictor of yield in potatoes? This study used sUAS to survey a 30 acre potato field in Indian River, PE, Canada four times throughout the growing season (Once before planting for elevation mapping – May 7th 2016; 39 days after planting – July 13th 2016; 67 days after planting – August 10th 2016; and 98 days after planting – September 10th 2016) . These dates equate to growth stages II, IV and late IV respectively (vegetative growth and tuber bulking) and were chosen at separate growth stages to determine which stage correlated greatest with yield. Growth stage I is considered pre emergence, while growth stage V is considered maturation where photosynthesis decreases and vines die off – these stages were not relevant for capturing imagery. It was expected that the areas of the field that appeared healthiest early in the growing season would produce the greatest yield at harvest. The collected sUAS data were correlated with yield harvest data to examine relationships between in-season field health maps and actual yield in lbs/acre. Correlations between sUAS data collected in July, and yield data collected at harvest, indicate that the farmer can get an idea of which areas of a field will produce the highest yield early in the growing season, and use this data to make informed management decisions on their farm.
sUAS technology is rapidly evolving and adoption of these analytical tools on the farm will be more common as they become more affordable and user friendly. As the large range of sUAS collected data becomes more manageable, farmers and agronomists will be able to apply this technology on their crops and thereby, improve the ways they farm in order to maximize yields and minimize inputs.


title: A description of hepatitis C infection on Prince Edward Island

contributor: Bryanton, Janet (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: McClure, Carol (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: MacDonald, Jo-Anne (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Bryanton, Janet (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: McClure, Carol (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Sweet, Lamont (Examination Committee Member)

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

format: electronic 122 application/pdf

abstract: In Prince Edward Island (PEI), it was estimated that there were up to 800 people infected with Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) since testing began in 1991; however, the exact number of those still actively infected was not known. The purpose of this study was to determine (a) the prevalence of active HCV cases; (b) the number of acute/chronic cases at diagnosis; (c) the demographic/risk profile of HCV cases; and (d) the risk factors significant to the diagnosis of acute cases on PEI. This study used a descriptive, correlational, quantitative design using retrospective chart review data and laboratory data for all laboratory confirmed HCV cases living on PEI from 1991 to 2016. Approximately 430 cases remain actively infected on PEI. Intravenous drug use was the most prevalent risk factor, 65% of cases were diagnosed between 30 and 59 years of age, more males were diagnosed than females, and females (34 years) were diagnosed at a significantly younger age than males (37 years). Limited laboratory data allowed 388 cases to be diagnosed into acute and chronic cases. Eighteen percent were acute; 68% were chronic. The younger the case was in age the greater the probability of the case being acute. There are still many people on PEI who would benefit from HCV treatment. Development of a broader case definition for acute cases in PEI may improve the information available to identify at-risk people and plan action for prevention of HCV.


title: Effects of a combined horticulture and peer-led nutrition education intervention on food security, diet diversity and knowledge, attitudes, and practices of women farmers belonging to women’s self-help groups in rural eastern Kenya

contributor: Taylor, Jennifer (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Walton, Colleen (Supervisory Committee Member)

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

contributor: Awuor Ogada, Irene Awuor (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Taylor, Jennifer (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Walton, Colleen (Examination Committee Member)

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

contributor: Ogada, Irene Awuor (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Critchley, Kim (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Reed-Jones, Rebecca (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 206 application/pdf

abstract:
Research in developing countries suggests that horticulture interventions are an effective means of enhancing the diversity of diets and food security, particularly when they are combined with nutrition education and when women are the focus. However, there is little evidence of the effectiveness of such interventions in developing countries such as Kenya, where micronutrient deficiencies and food insecurity remain a significant problem, particularly among the rural farm women.
This research used a pre-post quasi experimental design to assess the effects of a combined horticulture and peer-led nutrition education intervention on food security, diet diversity and nutrition knowledge, attitudes and practices among farmers in Kenya. The horticulture intervention was provided through the research partner Farmers Helping Farmers, with some women receiving enhanced kitchen gardens and some receiving horticultural support only. The nutrition education intervention used a peer-led approach to teach women how to incorporate the nutritious crops from the enhanced gardens into their staple dishes. The objectives were (i) to identify and/or develop methods to assess household food security, diet diversity and nutrition knowledge and practices and to use these methods to pilot the intervention and assess its impact on these outcomes; (ii) to assess the impact of the full intervention on household food security, diet diversity, nutrition knowledge, attitudes and practices; (iii) to compare household food security among women in the intervention group with and without enhanced kitchen gardens. Two manuscripts served these objectives using data from a pilot intervention (May 2016) and actual implementation of the combined intervention (May-July 2017). The first manuscript identified and validated methods to assess household food insecurity and diet diversity; a tailored questionnaire to assess nutrition knowledge and practices was also developed. The impact of the pilot intervention was assessed following a peer led education and cooking session using in home interviews. Results indicated that households in the intervention group were more food insecure (p=0.01) but had higher diet diversity (p=0.02) relative to the comparison group. Knowledge scores related to iron (p=0.03) were significantly higher in the intervention than the comparison group. The second manuscript includes results from the 2017 intervention. Post-intervention, nutrition knowledge scores related to iron, vitamin A and protein were higher in the intervention group (p=0.01; p=0.05; p=0.01) as were attitudes towards vitamin A messages (p=0.02). Practices relating to iron ((p=0.01), vitamin A (p=0.04) and protein (p=0.04) were also significantly high in the intervention group. Households in the intervention group were more food insecure relative to the comparison group. No significant differences existed in household food security between women with and without enhanced kitchen gardens.
This dissertation identified that the combined horticulture and peer-led intervention had a positive effect on diet diversity, nutrition knowledge, attitudes and practices of the women.
This work will inform the development of current and future interventions that aim to improve these outcomes. Future research is needed to investigate the long term effects of this combined intervention on food security, diet diversity and nutrition knowledge, attitudes and practices as well as nutrition status.


title: On the adaptation of salinity tolerance: A study of phenotypic divergence between lacustrine and marine populations of Cakile edentula

contributor: Samis, Karen (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Lacroix, Christian (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Fofana, Bourlaye (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Heuvel, Mike Van Den (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Samis, Karen (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Lacroix, Christian (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Fofana, Bourlaye (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Prithiviraj, Balakrishnan (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Hsiao, Amy (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 141 application/pdf

abstract: A species’ evolution is a process mostly driven by generations of adaptation to different conditions in the local environment. Due to the sedentary lifestyle of terrestrial plants, they must adapt to tolerate these conditions, or disperse seed beyond the local environment. How evolution proceeds may vary with the nuances of any given habitat and the particular stresses associated with it. For plants occurring in shoreline environments, several important ecological growing conditions may affect the direction and pace of evolution based on the type of stress they impose; for example, proximity to the high-tide line affects frequency of tidal inundation, wind and sand flow dynamics affect rate of burial, and water dynamics may include periods of drought, and/or vary depending on whether the habitat is marine or freshwater. Consideration of these conditions may lead to different questions about abiotic stresses, such as whether the plant can survive inundation or burial, and the effects of exposure to salinity on plant reproduction and survival give different intensities of occurrence. Indeed, it is possible for a species to exhibit some plasticity, but after many generations, it becomes probable that habitat specific natural selection leads to ecotypic diversity between ecological variable habitats. In this study, I used a multi-dimensional approach that included physiological, histological and ionomic means to experimentally assessed salinity tolerance in ecologically divergent (marine vs. lacustrine) populations of Cakile edentula (sea rocket; Brassicaceae) from Lake Michigan (ecotype lacustris) and the Canadian maritime region (ecotype edentula). To supplement this work, separate, but similar experiments were conducted on Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes originating from inland and coastal populations. These experiments provided some support for ecotypic divergence with phenotypic variation detected between regions (within species), and that salt had a strong negative effect on several plant traits but that the effect varied between regions. The effects of NaCl treatments differed from those of simulated seawater and natural seawater providing evidence of potential extracellular competition between similar ions for entry into root tissue. Overall, this work begins to elucidate the extent of divergence of these populations of C. edentula, and while specific mechanisms remain unclear, it is evident that variety edentula displays a greater tolerance to salt than its Great Lakes relative, variety lacustris.


title: Remixing digital play in the early years: Learning stories from nested ecologies of one family

contributor: Gabriel, Martha (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Doiron, Ray (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: McAuley, Alexander (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Gabriel, Martha (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Doiron, Ray (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: McAuley, Alexander (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Weibe, Sean (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Rowsell, Jennifer (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 282 application/pdf

abstract:
How do young children experience digital play in the 21st century? The purpose of this
exploratory case study was to examine one child’s play in non-digital and digital contexts over a
period of three years. The research was theoretically grounded in socio-cultural theories of
learning, nested ecological systems, and early childhood pedagogy. The research questions
comprised: (a) How did this child use a variety of digital tools in his play?; (b) How did proximal
processes and bio-ecological systems influence his play with or without digital tools?; and (c)
How did the child co-analyze the research? I conducted this study with my own son from age
two until age of five in the context of his nested ecological networks (home, daycare, extended
family). Data collection included 130 discrete observations of play (2160 hours) documented
through videos, photographs, field notes, artwork, family books, and other artifacts. Thematic
analyses led to the creation of five learning stories that provided a basis for a cross-case analysis.
Findings (a) illuminate how digital technology provided affordances to multimodal play; (b)
challenge warnings found in research and policy statements regarding the impact of screen time
on young children; and (c) offer new insights into the emerging digital citizenship of one child,
through use of digital technology, construction of learning stories, and adoption of a co-research
approach. The specific, unique, and holistic account of how multiple forms of play unfolded over
three years within our family and other nested networks provide a description of how nested
systems can impact both digital and traditional play experiences over time. This study makes a
significant contribution to unraveling some of the complexities of the meaning of play in the
digital age.


title: Evaluation of prefrontal ischemic lesions on higher order cognitive behaviours in the rat

contributor: Kamunde, Collins (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Tasker, Andrew (Supervisory Committee Member)

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

contributor: Zidichouski, Jeff (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Greenwood, Spencer (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Colbourne, Fred (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Doucette, Tracy (Examination Committee Member)

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

contributor: Tasker, Andrew (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 205 application/pdf

abstract:
Stroke is the most common cause of disability worldwide, and it is expected that the global number of stroke survivors will increase significantly over the coming decades. Many survivors of stroke have both short and long-term deficits in function, the most common of which are motor deficits. However, an often forgotten aspect of stroke is its negative and often long-lasting effects on cognitive function. At the moment, there are some effective intervention strategies for treating motor dysfunction post-stroke, but we currently have very limited strategies for treating cognitive dysfunction. Furthermore, there are very few stroke models specifically focusing on higher-order cognitive dysfunctions, also known as executive functions, which have been shown to be affected in a substantial portion of stroke survivors. This makes it difficult to effectively study the effects of potential therapies to alleviate post-stroke cognitive dysfunction. It is also known that the seat of higher-order cognitive function is the prefrontal cortex (PFC), and that damage to this region or by damaging connections to the area can result in executive dysfunction. Therefore, the goal of this thesis is to develop new animal models of post-stroke cognitive dysfunction, targeting specific regions of the rodent PFC. The overarching hypothesis of the project was that injections of the vasoconstrictor, endothelin-1, into particular regions of the prefrontal cortex will cause ischemic lesions in this area, as well as measureable cognitive deficits in higher-order cognitive functions. The overall objectives of the thesis were:
1. To refine and evaluate the effects of endothelin-1 injections into the prefrontal cortex on brain lesion size, and initial behavioural effects in the rat.
2. To measure the effects of refined, focal ischemic lesions within the medial prefrontal cortex on aspects of set-shifting and temporal order memory, both of which are higher-order cognitive functions, in the rat.
3. To further evaluate the model using endothelin-1 to create focal lesions in the orbital prefrontal cortex versus lesions in the medial prefrontal cortex to assess its effects on decision making in the rat.
The initial modelling of post-stroke cognitive dysfunction was attempted using the compound endothelin-1 (ET-1), an endogenous polypeptide capable of constricting blood vessels in the brain. Two separate medial prefrontal cortical (mPFC) ET-1 injection protocols (four injections versus two injections into the mPFC) in the rat were examined in an attempt to understand the size and location of the resulting brain lesion. It was found that the two injection protocol, as compared to the four injection protocol, resulted in a more targeted lesion in the mPFC and resulted in fewer animal mortalities. As well, it appeared that mPFC lesions caused anxiogenic behaviours in these animals as assessed through the elevated plus maze, indicating that these lesions were having some effects on post-stroke cognitive behaviour. Further experiments with the two-injection endothelin-1 model previously established assessed for deficits in specific higher-order cognitive domains, specifically set-shifting and temporal order memory. This was done using a modified set-shifting maze and a temporal object recognition task. It was found that lesions to the medial prefrontal cortex caused specific context-dependent set-shifting dysfunctions in stroke animals. However, attempts to determine the lesions effects on temporal order memory did not function as expected, indicating that the methods used to assess this behaviour need to be modified in the future. Finally, two separate models of prefrontal stroke targeting the medial and orbital prefrontal cortices were both examined for their effects on decision making and inhibitory control as assessed through a delay discounting maze, wherein animals would have the choice between an immediately available, but small, food reward or a larger food reward, to which access was delayed. As well, during this testing the animals ultrasonic vocalizations, which can indicate affective or aversive emotional states, were also recorded while the animals were anticipating a food reward. What was found was that lesions to the orbital, but not the medial, prefrontal cortex caused rats to choose the lower food reward as compared to control animals. Interestingly, only the medial prefrontal lesioned animals changed the relative frequency and duration of their ultrasonic vocalization calls post-stroke, indicating that changes in animal vocalizations are not necessarily correlated to changes in behaviour.  Overall, the work presented in this thesis suggests that specific higher-order cognitive dysfunctions can be accomplished using endothelin-1, thereby providing a potentially new model for the study of post-stroke cognitive dysfunction.


title: Isle of hunger, isle of pain: Islandness, memory, and landscape of the great famine in Cahersiveen and Valentia Island, Co. Kerry, Ireland

contributor: Brinklow, Laurie (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Brown, Susan (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: MacDonald, Edward (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Brinklow, Laurie (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Brown, Susan (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: MacDonald, Edward (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: O’Keeffe, Brendan (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 166 application/pdf

abstract: Ireland’s Great Famine (1845-1852) was a painful and defining moment in Irish history, with a lasting memory. The devastation of those seven years, which saw the death of over one million from starvation and disease and the emigration of one million more, has been passed down through Ireland’s rich tradition of history and folklore. County Kerry, in the southwest of Ireland, was particularly hard hit by the Famine, due to its reliance on the potato crop and its isolation from the rest of Ireland. Even more isolated were Ireland’s islands, and this isolation had varying effects. This thesis proposes a comparison of Famine experience, folk memory, and landscape between mainland Cahersiveen and Valentia Island, Co. Kerry, and how islandness played a role in how these two places experienced and remember the Great Famine. This comparison is based on semi-structured interviews with local residents of Cahersiveen and Valentia Island and primary source documents collected from the Cahersiveen Library, the Valentia Island Heritage Centre, the Kerry County Library in Tralee, and the National Archives in Dublin. In the case of Valentia Island, islandness supported the pre-existing conditions such as alternate sources of food and employment and a benevolent landlord during the Famine, resulting in less severe conditions and a more positive folk memory.


title: Crossing the Strait: What happens to “the Island way of life” when the ferry becomes a bridge?

contributor: Randall, James (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Randall, James (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Levesque, Mario (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 155 application/pdf

abstract: This thesis explores whether the Confederation Bridge, linking Prince Edward Island to the mainland of Canada via the province of New Brunswick, has impacted the Island Way of Life on the Island. A review was conducted of local and national newspaper articles between the years 1985, when discussions of a fixed link began, and 1997, the year the bridge opened. In 1987, when the Premier called for a plebiscite, both those opposed and those in favour of the link rallied their two sides at public meetings to ensure their messages were heard. The “no” side raised a number of issues, but their main concern focused on the perceived loss of the Island Way of Life if a fixed link connected the Island to the mainland. Other themes from those debates are also discussed in this thesis, and used to frame the literature review and to review how these areas had been affected when islands around the world were connected to other islands or mainlands with bridges, tunnels or causeways. Additionally, Islanders were interviewed to gain insight into how they voted in the plebiscite, how they felt about the Island Way of Life and the other themes in 1988, how they feel about the Island Way of Life and the issues now, and if they feel the Island has lost its Island Way of Life because of the bridge. This thesis provides some insight into whether Prince Edward Island residents still consider themselves Islanders and if their island identity has been affected by the fixed connection to the mainland. While the Island Way of Life and islandness are very different terms to those more entrenched in nissology, my participants did not see the two as different and so both were used interchangeably when interviewing them. Participants felt that some aspects of the Island had changed, but that the Island Way of Life really had not changed that much, and that there had actually been other things which impacted the Island far more than the bridge.


title: Becoming connected: Remoteness and identity on Saint Helena

contributor: Baldacchino, Godfrey (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Fox, Michael (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Baldacchino, Godfrey (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Fox, Michael (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Royle, Stephen (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 144 application/pdf

abstract:
More than 500 after its discovery, the South Atlantic island of Saint Helena finally has
an airport. I visited the island in 2016, between the construction of the airport and the
first commercial passenger service, and interviewed Saint Helenians (Saints) on how this
shift in access has already changed their island, and their hopes and fears about changes
that might come with commercial air service. I used an inductive grounded theory
approach. The location of Saint Helena and its history relating to connection is
considered, introducing an exploration of the importance of connections to islands and
the loss of distance in many cases. Saints are asked about the contributory factors to
their identity, and uniqueness, friendliness, and aspects of isolation are prominent. The
airport has been a point of consideration for decades, and Saints have pinned their
economic future into a shift to a tourist economy, but also have concerns considering
how that might change their island. Other aspects like the presence of satellite internet,
and prospect of a faster connection play a similar role to the airport, presenting clear
economic benefits while diminishing the island's distance from the outside world. Saint
Helena has been set a high goal in benefiting from the airport, and the island's position
as one of the few remaining aid-dependent United Kingdom overseas territories presses
the case for greater economic sustainability, even if such a position may be a decade or
more away. Saint Helena is a small island undergoing substantial change, and that
smallness is unavoidable. Saint Helena will always be a remote island, but finally, after
decades of economic stagnation, change is in the air.


title: The development and applications of a novel software package for the analysis of electron pair behaviour

contributor: Pearson, Jason (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Linkletter, Barry (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Opps, Sheldon (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Wagner, Brian (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Pearson, Jason (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Wagner, Brian (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Saad, Nasser (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Hollett, Joshua (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Kerr, Russell (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 256 application/pdf

abstract: The “Lewis Pair” is a ubiquitous phenomenon in chemistry and is often used as an intuitive construct to predict and rationalize chemical structure and behaviour. Concepts from the very general Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) model to the most esoteric reaction mechanism routinely rely on the notion that electrons tend to exist in pairs and that these pairs can be thought of as being localized to a particular region of space. It is this localization that allows one to intuit how these pairs might behave, generally speaking, so that reasonable predictions may be made regarding molecular structure, intermolecular interactions, property trends, and reaction mechanisms, etc. Of course, it is rather unfortunate that the Lewis model is entirely qualitative and yields no information regarding how any specific electron pair is distributed.


title: Predicting home-visiting program completion based on mothers' socioeconomic characteristics and program perceptions

contributor: Montelpare, William (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Bryanton, Janet (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Rossiter, Misty (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Montelpare, William (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Bryanton, Janet (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Rossiter, Misty (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: McIsaac, Jessie-Lee (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Quijon, Pedro (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 103 application/pdf

abstract: Early childhood home-visiting programs are a widely established practice across North America, which aim to improve child and family outcomes for young families who require extra support. A common issue across all home-visiting programs is poor retention. Over the past few decades, researchers have been investigating various reasons for why a family may enroll in a home-visiting program but not complete it. In Prince Edward Island, the Best Start Program is a province-wide program that also experiences family attrition. The purpose of this study was to use maternal socioeconomic and program perception indicators to predict participation in the Best Start home-visiting program. A descriptive and retrospective, correlational design was used to evaluate maternal participation in the Best Start program from June 2017 to March 2018. Maternal participation was defined as the ratio of completed to expected home visits. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze predictors that were previously collected through a routine parent survey that is administered by the home-visiting program. The results indicated that socioeconomic indicators may predict how many home visits a mother will complete compared to how many are expected. Residing region, Prince County in particular, was associated with higher participation. By analyzing how maternal socioeconomic and program perception factors impact home-visiting participation, these findings provide a greater understanding of potential program participation influencers, as relevant to this particular sample in Prince Edward Island.


title: Investigation of the microbial communities associated with the octocorals Erythropodium caribaeorum and Antillogorgia elisabethae, and identification of secondary metabolites produced by octocoral associated cultivated bacteria

contributor: McCauley, Erin Patricia Barbara (author)

contributor: Kerr, Russell (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Saleh, Tarek (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Greenwood, Spencer (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: McCallum, Jason (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Cawthorn, Rick (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Bate, Luis (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: McCallum, jason (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: McClure, J Trenton (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Laroche, Julie (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 332 application/pdf

abstract:
Octocorals are important members of coral reef ecosystems. They are also a prolific source of bioactive secondary metabolites. Over the years there has been a growing body of evidence that suggests that secondary metabolites detected in marine macroorganisms, such as octocorals, are in fact biosynthesised by associated microorganisms. Therefore this research characterized the microbiomes associated with the octocorals Erythropodium caribaeorum and Antillogorgia elisabethae. In addition to the secondary metabolites produced by the cultivatable bacteria associated with these octocorals, as these octocorals are associated with the bioactive secondary metabolites desmethyleleutherobin and pseudopterosins, respectively.

Culture—independent studies utilizing 16S small subunit rRNA gene amplicon pyrosequencing were used to characterize the microbiome of E. caribaeorum collected from Florida, USA and San Salvador, The Bahamas at multiple time points. As well as the microbiome of A. elisabethae collected from San Salvador, The Bahamas, and the microbial communities associated with the dinoflagellates and larvae of this octocoral.

E. caribaeorum was found to have a very high microbial richness with an average Chaol estimated richness of 1464 ± 707 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and average Shannon diversity index of 4.26 ± 1.65. The taxonomic class Gammaproteobacteria was a dominant member in all samples and the genus Endozoicomonas accounted for an average of 37.7% ± 30.0% of the total sequence reads. One Endozoicomonas sp. was found to be a stable member of all E. caribaeorum sequence libraries regardless of location or time of collection and accounted for 30.1% of all sequence reads.


title: The effects of cranberry phytochemicals on the behaviour of prostate cancer In vitro and In vivo

contributor: Gottschall-Pass, Katherine (Thesis advisor)

contributor: Quijon, Pedro (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Whelan, William (Supervisory Committee Member)

format: 122 electronic application/pdf

subject: Biology, Molecular

subject: Agriculture, Food Science and Technology

subject: Biology, Cell

abstract: With an estimated 24,600 cases, prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in Canada, and evidence suggests that the development of prostate cancer can be related to the consumption or avoidance of certain foods. Recently there has been considerable interest in the phytochemical components of the North American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon ), as they have been shown to affect certain behaviours of cancerous cells in an in vitro setting. The work in this thesis demonstrates the effects of whole cranberry extract (WCE) and proanthocyanidins (PACs) from the American cranberry on the development and behaviour of prostate cancer cells in an in vitro setting, and details the results of a pilot study of a cranberry-infused diet in the transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) mouse model. Cranberry PACs were shown to affect the viability of DU145 human prostate cancer cells and decreased the activity of both MMP 2 and MMP 9, both of which are associated with the metastatic potential of prostate cancer in vivo. PACs also affected specific cellular signalling pathways which have been associated with the expression of MMPs 9 and 2. WCE, like PACs, affected the viability of DU145 cells. WCE also decreased the expression of cell cycle associated proteins, increased the expression of a cell cycle inhibitor protein, and decreased the movement of DU145 human prostate cancer cells through the cell cycle. The results of the TRAMP mouse pilot study detailing the effects of a cranberry-infused diet on the behaviour of prostate cancer demonstrated no appreciable effects on the size or weight of the prostate tumour and surrounding lower urogenital tract. There was also no significant different in the survival rates of TRAMP mice fed a 3% cranberry diet, nor changes in the expression of cell cycle associated proteins. Interestingly, a cranberry-infused diet decreased the weight of control mice during a four week period of time. Results from this study suggest that cranberry compounds can affect the behaviour of prostate cancer cells and its affects should be characterised further, with additional modifications necessary to order to further investigate its affects  in vivo.

abstract: Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 50-04, page: 2269.


title: The effects of a topical creatine cream on muscle power output and fatigue following acute application and short-term loading

contributor: Saunders, Travis (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Johnston, Adam (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Burr, Jamie (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Saunders, Travis (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Johnston, Adam (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Burr, Jamie (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Mekary, Said (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Hsiao, Amy (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 69 application/pdf

abstract: Creatine is a common ergogenic aid that has been shown to enhance muscular power output and decrease the rate of fatigue. Side effects of consuming an oral creatine supplement include gastrointestinal (GI) distress and weight gain from water retention. The purpose of this study was to determine if the application of a topical creatine cream on the quadriceps has an effect on increasing muscle power output and reducing fatigue during maximal voluntary effort unilateral knee extensions. It was hypothesized that application of the cream would cause an increase in muscle power output and reduction in fatigue following acute application and short-term loading compared to placebo controls. For study 1, participants were randomized to apply a low or high dose of the creatine cream prior to exercise. For study 2, participants loaded an oral supplement and a topical cream for 7 days. Participants were randomized to one of four groups: creatine oral supplement + creatine cream; creatine oral supplement + placebo cream; placebo oral supplement + creatine cream; or placebo oral supplement + placebo cream. There were no significant differences between the placebo, low and high doses for muscle power output (p=0.63) or fatigue (p=0.77) in study 1. Study 2 showed no significant differences between any of the four groups regarding muscle power output (p=0.94) or fatigue (p=0.79). This indicates that the use the topical creatine cream is not effective at increasing muscle power output or reducing fatigue and is therefore not an alternative option for oral creatine supplementation.


title: Data-driven quantum chemistry predictions for unique Lewis acid-base pairs and small organic molecules

contributor: Bissessur, Rabin (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Wagner, Brian (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Polson, James (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Pearson, Jason (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Polson, James (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Saad, Nasser (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Martell, Jaime (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Linkletter, Barry (Examination Committee Member)

abstract: Besides many other fields of science and technology, big data discoveries and inventions have also been emerging in the field of quantum chemistry. This thesis presents two data-driven projects and one investigational task which emerged from one of the data-driven projects. In chapter 3, a test case of 24 computational chemistry models has been assessed for the performance on the reproducibility of potential energy surfaces of 8 unique Lewis acid-base pairs compared to high accuracy reference calculations. The assessment of density functionals (computational chemistry methods based on density functional theory which states that all ground state information of a molecular system is contained in its electron density and energy of the system can be calculated as the the functional of its electron density) has been employed by means of an automated program written in Python to the data at a central repository followed by the applied queries and analytics. The results reveal that density functionals in general are inaccurate for the prediction of potential energy surfaces of the Lewis pairs.


title: Eelgrass (Zostera marina) responses to natural and anthropogenic gradients in estuaries of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Canada)

contributor: van den Heuvel, Michael (Thesis advisor)

contributor: Samis, Karen (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Lacroix, Christian (Supervisory Committee Member)

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

contributor: Courtenay, Simon (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Samis, Karen (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Lacroix, Christian (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Hansen, Alan (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Quijon, Pedro (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 55 application/pdf


title: Trichomonosis

type: Text thesis

creator: Greenwood, Spencer (Supervisory Committee Member)

creator: McBurney, Scott (Examination Committee Member)

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

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

creator: Greenwood, Spencer (Examination Committee Member)

creator: Cawthorn, Rick (Examination Committee Member)

creator: McBurney, Scott (Supervisory Committee Member)

creator: Forzán, Maria (Supervisory Committee Member)

creator: Teather, Kevin (Supervisory Committee Member)

creator: Kibenge, Fred (Supervisory Committee Member)

format: 201 electronic application/pdf

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

abstract:
In 2005, trichomonosis emerged as a new cause of substantial mortality in United Kingdom (UK) greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) and chaffinch (Fringella coelebs) populations. Similar to the UK, in the summer and fall of 2007–2009 and 2011, mortalities due to trichomonosis occurred in the Canadian Maritime provinces’ purple finch (Carpodacus purpureus) and American goldfinch (Cardeuelis tristis) populations consistent with emergence of trichomonosis in this region.
Trichomonosis is caused by Trichomonas gallinae, a protozoan parasite infecting the upper digestive tract of birds. Trichomonosis causes slow death from emaciation and dehydration due to lesions preventing ingestion of food and water. This disease is reported by the public at their backyard feeding and watering stations. Therefore, this study’s goal was to better understand the epidemiology of trichomonosis in this region through collaboration with the Maritime bird feeding public.
Through use of molecular tools and field techniques this study was able to conclude that (1) rock pigeons (Columba livia) can act as a reservoir for T. gallinae in the Canadian Maritime provinces, (2) the same T. gallinae strain that caused the United Kingdom epidemic is present in Canadian Maritime wild avifauna, (3) moist birdseed can possibly act as a fomite in the transmission of T. gallinae and (4) climate is a potential contributing factor in the emergence of
T. gallinae in the Canadian Maritime provinces.
Finally, this study provided the first scientific approach to assess the role of birdfeeders and watering stations as fomites facilitating transmission of trichomonosis. The information obtained from this project resulted in general recommendations on trichomonosis prevention for the concerned bird feeding public, thus protecting the health and welfare of birds frequenting birdfeeders.


title: Teachers' experiences creating and delivering Indigenous curricula on Prince Edward Island in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's recommendations

contributor: McAuley, Alexander (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Doran, John (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Fitzgerald, Anne Marie (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Tompkins, Joanne (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 136 application/pdf

abstract: This thesis endeavoured to gain insight into how the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) recommendations regarding curriculum development is being implemented in the Prince Edward Island (PEI) Education System. Many non-Indigenous educators have struggled to respond to the TRC Calls to Action by creating and teaching curricula with Indigenous content. Since the data relies on teachers’ unique experiences, a qualitative methodology was employed using semi-structured interviews. With a focus on teachers working in junior high schools on PEI, the research found that if teachers are to create and deliver Indigenous curricula as intended by the TRC Calls to Action, they must develop a strong conceptual framework and clearer perspectives, which include becoming more familiar with and exposed to Indigenous culture, understanding what it means to be an Indigenous ally and using their privilege to give voice to those who do not have a space to be heard. It was found that when delivering the curriculum, their approach is most effective when they teach from an Indigenous perspective and employ a diversity of teaching styles, including the use of videos, literature, group discussions, field trips and guest speakers. Systemic challenges faced by the teachers include not having a mandated Indigenous curriculum and not knowing how to integrate Indigenous content into the current curriculum; classroom-based challenges include not having enough time to teach the Indigenous curriculum and not knowing where to find authentic resources representing Indigenous perspectives. The thesis recommends creating a provincial Indigenous curriculum in collaboration with the Indigenous community and creating an Indigenous Learning Centre to facilitate the Indigenous educational process on PEI. Finally, it is hoped that this research will inspire teachers and give them practical ideas as they take up the task of teaching Indigenous curricula. As steps are taken in the education system to implement the TRC recommendations, richer experiences will be generated and the process of reconciliation will steadily advance.


title: Analysis of gene expression in female American lobsters (Homarus americanus) to determine reproductive status by oligonucleotide microarray analysis

contributor: Greenwood, Spencer (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Kibenge, Fred (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Comeau, Michael (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Wang, Yingwei (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Cawthorn, Rick (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Byrne, Phil (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Wang, Yingwei (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Fast, Mark (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Greenwood, Spencer (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 148 application/pdf PUBLISHED

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

abstract:
The American lobster (Homarus americanus) is harvested along the eastern seaboard of North America and forms the economic backbone of many small fishing communities in Atlantic Canada and the northeastern United States. The industry sets minimum size (carapace length) for harvesting American lobsters partially based on determining when females are sexually mature. Given the internal development of ovarian follicles (eggs) protected by a rigid exoskeleton, external assessment of sexual maturity is near impossible. Ovaries can be classified into 7 distinct developmental stages ranging from immature to mature based on a combination of factors including ovary colour, oocyte size, ovary factor, and time of year. Stage 4 ovaries are subdivided into stage 4a (developing) and 4b (mature) ovaries. Ovary stage 4b is important as it represents reproductive commitment. This means that once ovaries progress to stage 4b, they can no longer delay maturation and must continue through until extrusion of eggs onto the pleopods. To stage ovaries and accurately estimate the size at the onset of maturity, female American lobsters must be sacrificed to examine the ovary both grossly and histologically. The discovery of a non-lethal biomarker would result in more accurate ovary staging while allowing the return of the female to the spawning population. Several studies have examined specific reproductive endocrine processes in the American lobster, including the roles of vitellogenin, crustacean hyperglycemic hormone, and gonad-inhibiting hormone. However, no molecular approaches have been attempted to evaluate reproductive status in female American lobsters.
This study was the first to examine genome-wide expression changes of reproductive female American lobsters using a novel 14,592 feature, spotted oligonucleotide microarray. The genetic information on the microarray was ~40% functionally annotated based on comparisons with publically available molecular databases. A reference design was used to allow stage specific comparisons between individual ovary stages. Four tissues (ovary, hepatopancreas, eyestalk, and haemocyte pellet) were pooled prior to cDNA synthesis to reduce reagents used and to capture gene expression data from these reproductively important tissues. Therefore, all results were total gene expression in the pooled samples. This study determined 1,774 genes to be statistically significant based on a one-way ANOVA, with 569 functionally annotated genes. The latter were involved in a variety of important biological processes including reproduction, development and growth. A total of 12 genes of interest were chosen for validation using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR): four vitellogenin genes, two ovary development related proteins, egg-derived tyrosine phosphatase, estradiol-17-β-dehydrogenase 12-B-like, 97 kDa heat shock protein, quaking protein A, growth-hormone inducible transmembrane protein, and inhibitor of growth protein 1-like.
Four genes represented distinct copies of vitellogenin, which is converted into vitellin, an important ovary/egg related protein involved in egg yolk. One of these genes was the complete Homarus americanus vitellogenin (HaVg1). A second gene, HaVg2, was 85% similar at a nucleotide level and 74% similar at a protein level with HaVg1. The third EST, given the name HaVg3, was 55% similar at nucleotide and protein levels with HaVg1. The final vitellogenin EST, named HaVg4, was 65% similar at a nucleotide level and 44% similar at a protein level with HaVg1. Three of these vitellogenins (HaVg2, HaVg3, and HaVg4) were unique to this study. The expression profiles of all 4 vitellogenins showed progression from downregulation at stage 2 to upregulation by stage 5, where stages 4a, 4b, and 5 are upregulated. This pattern was consistent between microarrays and RT-qPCR and agreed with previous literature in crustaceans.
With the increased anthropogenic and environmental pressures on American lobster stocks, including harvesting and global climate change, this study has only begun to examine potential genetic variations in the American lobster. Future research should examine gene expression on an individual tissue level as genes are regulated on a tissue level. Only 32% of our statistically significant genes were functionally annotated. Further functional annotation may highlight genes associated with reproduction and commitment.


title: The global citizen and the last samurai: Japan’s Heisei Era between globalism and nationalism, 1989-2019

contributor:
Pass, Michael (author)
Doucet, Marc (Thesis advisor)
(Supervisory Committee Member)
(Examination Committee Member)

abstract: For centuries, Americans and Europeans have been making use of Japan as a conceptual foil to make a point about their own societies. During the post-Cold War period (overlapping with the Heisei Era from 1989 to 2019), Japan was often fitted into a dichotomy of being either a model globalist nation or the embodiment of a nationalist one. The “idea” of Japan was mobilized by both sides of this debate to justify their own ideological worldviews. This thesis will attempt to show the contours of this conflict by focusing on the careers of two individuals whose own lives and fortunes paralleled those of their respective visions: the globally minded Japanese management consultant Kenichi Ohmae, and the right-wing French politician Bruno Gollnisch. In doing so, it hopes to contextualize the “populist” movements which have dominated the global political landscape since the late 2010s by showing their motivations and long historical roots.


title: Urgenda Case: The impact of climate change in human rights

contributor:
Rosales García, Miriam (author)
Rieck, Christian E. (Thesis advisor)
(Supervisory Committee Member)
(Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 51 application/pdf

abstract: Climate change is the challenge of the 21st century. It has been analyzed from several perspectives, with the scientific and economical approaches being the most common. However, there is increasing attention to the link between climate change and human rights in recent years. One of the most powerful tools to enforce countries' climate commitments and combat climate change, is environmental litigation. Although there are no specific laws to protect human rights from the impact of climate change, new cases arise in which judicial activism uses existing law and other evidence, such as Oslo Principles, to apply human rights-based arguments. So, this study analyzes how the case Urgenda vs. The State of Netherlands has been a significant step towards for the consideration of the human rights perspective in climate change litigation.


title: Antibacterial efficacy of surgical hand preparation products used by veterinary students

contributor: Hamilton, Stephanie (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Bailey, Trina (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Doyle, Aimie (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: McClure, J Trenton (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Amsellem, Pierre (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Muckle, Anne (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Doyle, Aimie (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Gelens, Hans (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Dundas, James (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Amsellem, Pierre (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Muckle, Anne (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 93 application/pdf

abstract:
Objective: To compare antibacterial efficacy of various surgical hand preparation protocols used by veterinary students. Study Design: Prospective, randomized, controlled study.
Study Population: Forty-five third-year veterinary students Methods: The participants were randomly assigned to the following groups for hand preparation product and time combinations: non-abrasive hand scrub method with 4%
chlorhexidine gluconate (CH); hand rub with a mixture of 30% 1-propanol and 45% 2-
propanol solution (MPS); hand rub with 70% 2-propanol solution (IPS); or hand rub with
61% ethanol solution and 1% chlorhexidine gluconate (ES/CH). Each of these four groups
was subdivided into three conditions, based on contact time: 1.5 min, 3 min, or 5 min.
There were thus 12 conditions overall. Each of the 45 participants was randomly
assigned to four groups in turn. Antibacterial efficacy was assessed by comparing
bacterial reduction and culture rate of gram-positive, gram-negative, coagulase positive
Staphylococcus spp. and spore-forming bacteria after surgical hand preparation and
after the students had performed surgery. Log reductions of total bacteria colonyforming
units (CFU/ml) were compared using multivariate analysis of variance. The
culture rates were compared using multivariate logistic regression.
Results: Immediately after surgical hand preparation, CH and ES/CH provided
significantly greater bacterial count (logCFU) reduction, and lower positive culture rates for gram-positive and spore-forming bacteria, compared with MPS and IPS (P < 0.05).
Increases in contact time did not provide significant improvement in bacterial reduction.
By the end of surgery, ES/CH provided significantly greater bacterial count reduction
compared with IPS, and lower positive culture rates for gram-positive bacteria,
compared with the CH, MPS and IPS groups (P < 0.05). An increase in contact time
significantly improved logCFU reduction in the ES/CH and MPS groups (P < 0.001 and P =
0.023 respectively.) Conclusions: ES/CH hand rubs or CH scrubs for surgical hand preparation are
recommended for veterinary students.


title: Coming and going: A narrative inquiry into women's stories of a partner's interprovincial labor migration

contributor:
Murray-Arsenault, Christina F (author)
(Thesis advisor)
(Supervisory Committee Member)
(Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic application/pdf


title: First-mover advantage: A cross-national comparison of mature and emerging market consumers' attitudes toward pioneer and follower brands

contributor:
Mady, Tarek T. (author)
(Thesis advisor)
(Supervisory Committee Member)
(Examination Committee Member)


title: Three Essays on Human Capital and the Family [microform]

contributor:
Sentance, James A. (author)
(Thesis advisor)
(Supervisory Committee Member)
(Examination Committee Member)

format: NO_OBJ application/pdf electronic

subject: Human Capital--Value of Human Life 8510


title: Towards sociable robots : Beyond energy autonomy

contributor:
Ngo, Trung Dung (author)
(Thesis advisor)
(Supervisory Committee Member)
(Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 156 application/pdf


title: Development of an instrument to assess design ability of engineering students

contributor:
Osgood, E. (author)
(Thesis advisor)
(Supervisory Committee Member)
(Examination Committee Member)

abstract:
Students complete design projects in order to put theoretical and technical knowledge gained from engineering science courses into practice to solve real-world problems, to expose students to industry practices, and improve their design ability (DA). If instructors were able to characterize and assess DA in students, they could optimize the learning environment to ensure learning outcomes are maximized. The existing measures of DA are performed for a limited number of students due to the time-consuming post-processing. An instrument is desired to measure DA quantitatively in order to provide immediate feedback.
 This research contains 2 quantitative, 1 qualitative, and 1 mixed-methods study to produce an instrument to measure DA. The first study piloted a design scenario to measure DA. The second study developed the design scenario items and introduced qualitative items. The third study documented 9 qualities of design engineers according to professional engineers: collaborative, confident, creative, driven, engaged, intuitive, inquisitive, systematic and versatile. A classification of the interaction between design and engineering was produced, categorized by balance, level of tasks, and amount of design in a job.
 The fourth study validated a quantitative instrument to measure DA by recording steps in a design process for a proposed design scenario. Students and professional engineers documented the steps and assigned a duration to each step. It was found that experts selected significantly fewer steps than students (p < .05), but spent significantly more time at each of the 4 major design stages (p < .001). Students and experts selected different steps, specifically for the first step. Students spent more time modelling the idea where experts spent more time in implementation. There were significant differences (p < .05) between planning and implementation among female and male professional engineers; female engineers spent 5 more hours planning the design whereas male engineers spent 8 more hours in implementation. After 4 studies, an instrument was successfully developed and validated to assess DA.


title: Rough-surface gravity current flows

contributor: University of New Brunswick. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

subject: Hydrodynamics--Mathematical models--Surfaces (Physics)


title: Diffuse flow from hydrothermal vents

title: 219p. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole, Mass.

subject:
Hydrothermal vents
Sea-floor spreading
Engineering


title: Enhancing productivity and livelihoods of smallholder dairy farmers in Kenya through agroforestry and cellphone-mediated training

contributor: VanLeeuwen, John (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Gitau, George (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: McKenna, Shawn (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Walton, Colleen (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Wichtel, Jeffrey (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Orsel, Karin (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Stoughton, Ben (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: VanLeeuwen, John (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Walton, Colleen (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Crane, Bronwyn (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 313 application/pdf

abstract:
Semi-commercial smallholder dairy farmers in rural Kenya derive over 50% of their household income and livelihoods from dairy production; but they are faced with numerous challenges that constrain optimal growth and milk production of their calves and cows, respectively, with little research to address these challenges. The objectives of this research on semi-commercial smallholder farms (SDFs) were: 1) to determine the factors associated with weight gain in dairy calves and heifers on semi-commercial SDFs (cross-sectional study); 2) to determine the effects of nutritional advice and diet supplementation with Calliandra calothyrsus and Sesbania sesban on ADG in dairy calves on semi-commercial SDFs based on an agroforestry land management model (randomized controlled feeding trial); 3) to determine the effectiveness of using cellphone technology as a dairy management training tool on knowledge of semi-commercial SDFs (randomized controlled training trial); 4) to determine the association between daily milk production and diet supplementation with Calliandra calothyrsus and Sesbania sesban in dairy cows on semi-commercial SDFs (randomized controlled feeding trial); 5) to assess the impact of using Calliandra and Sesbania as feed supplements for dairy cattle on family income and livelihoods during a 16-month trial period on semi-commercial SDFs based on an agroforestry land management model.

Analyses in this thesis were based on a randomly selected study population of 200 semi-commercial SDFs and subsets of this study population. The entire study population of 200 farms was used for the cross-sectional study (objective 1). A random sample of 60 farms (of the 200) was used to evaluate objective 3. Another random sample of 80 farms (out of the 200) was used to evaluate objectives 2, 4& 5.


title: Calf comfort pilot study and compliance and effects of cow comfort recommendations in smallholder dairy farms in Kenya

contributor: Kamunde, Collins (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Revie, Crawford (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Heider, Luke (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: McKenna, Shawn (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Kamunde, Collins (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic application/pdf 239

abstract:
A cross-sectional study was carried out on 52 calves that were one year old and younger in 38 smallholder dairy farms (SDFs), to describe and determine factors associated with leg cleanliness scored from 1 (very clean) to 5(very dirty). Indoor housed calves had increased odds of having dirty legs (OR=8.6, p=0.031), compared to outdoor-housed calves. Concrete or wood floors (OR=7.9, p=0.047), poor body condition (OR=17.1, p=0.020) and use of bedding (OR=12.5, p=0.046) were risk factors associated with dirty legs.

A second cross-sectional study aimed to determine factors affecting lying time, stall cleanliness and cow cleanliness was carried out on 73 SDFs with 106 cows. Data loggers were used to record the lying time of cows while stall, udder and upper leg cleanliness were assessed on a score of 1 to 5. Face-to-face questionnaires were administered to the farmers in Kimeru. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were fit manually through back ward elimination.

The mean daily lying time was 10.9 ± 2.2 hours and the mean stall cleanliness score was 2.4 ± 1.0. The mean average cleanliness score of the udder and upper legs were 1.9 ± 0.7 and 2.5 ± 1.1, respectively. Daily lying time increased with cow age (β=1.00, p=0.005) and decreased with poorly positioned neck rails (β=-1.64, p=0.039), dirty stalls (β=-0.97, p=0.008), delayed removal of manure (β=-1.48, p=0.002) and delayed addition of new bedding (β=-1.19, p=0.017). The association between frequency of addition of new bedding and lying time depended on frequency of manure removal (p=0.040). Risk factors for stall dirtiness were: delayed cleaning of the alley (OR=6.63, p=0.032), lack of bedding (OR= 4.92, p=0.008), and standing idle and/or backwards in the stall (OR=10.47, p=0.002). Dirty stalls were risk factors for udder dirtiness (OR=2.88, p=0.041) and upper hind leg dirtiness.

The degree of compliance in implementing farm-specific cow comfort changes recommended, and the effects of implementing the recommendations on lying time, stall cleanliness and cow cleanliness were evaluated using a randomized controlled trial carried out on 73 SDFs (106 cows). A total of 62 intervention farms received farm-specific recommendations on a maximum of 12 cow comfort parameters including: roof status, drainage of surface water, floor softness, floor flatness, stall width, stall length, leg space, lunge space, neck rail, brisket board, alley cleaning and sharps fixing, while 11 control farms received no recommendations. Proportion tests and Kruskal-Willis rank test were used to assess the differences cleanliness scores and lying time respectively, within and between groups, over the assessment time.

The farmers’ overall compliance was 74% (46/62) and was higher when changes recommended were major (OR=6.3, p=0.004) or related to floor characteristics (p=0.047). Compliance was lower when farm-hands received recommendations compared to female farmers (OR=0.01, p=0.023) or when proposed changes were related to roof, alley and sharps fixes relative to stall design fixes (OR=0.1, p=0.004). Post-intervention, stall, udder and upper hind leg cleanliness scores improved significantly (p<0.01) in the intervention farms but not in control farms. The change in daily lying time was not significant within and between intervention and control groups. Overall, some calf and cow comfort aspects were adequate and giving farm-specific cow comfort recommendations and having farmers participate in the implementation of the changes ensured good acceptance and improvement in cow comfort on SDFs.


title: Design of biologically active macromolecules based on ferrocene and arene complexes

contributor: Abd-El-Aziz, Alaa (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Etkin, Nola (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Linkletter, Barry (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Abd-El-Aziz, Alaa (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Bissessur, Rabin (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Farooque, Aitazaz (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Boere, Rene (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Linkletter, Barry (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 326 application/pdf

abstract: In this research, a series of novel organoiron compounds, polymers, and dendrimers based on three different moieties of biologically active molecules were synthesized using various synthetic approaches and their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities were evaluated in vitro. The structures were confirmed through spectral data and elemental analysis. The antimicrobial activity of the compounds (4-27) was investigated and tested against several human pathogens: Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, and mycobacterium using agar well diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentrations were reported against each pathogen. Cationic organoiron complexes (16-27) showed significantly potent antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacterial compared to reference drugs. Moreover, the cytotoxic activity was also evaluated against HEPG-2, (A549), and MCF-7 cell lines.The compounds exhibited good activity against these cell lines compared to the reference drug. The toxicity of these cationic complexes against human foreskin BJ fibroblast cells was evaluated. A variety of novel functionalized polymers with chromene moieties (29-33) were prepared via nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction. The structures were confirmed by their spectral data, and the molecular weight was determined by viscosity method. The electrochemical properties, scanning electron microscopy, and thermal stability of the synthesized polymers were studied. All polymers displayed good thermal stability in the range (260-330˚C) following the degradation of the cationic iron moieties. The metal-containing polymers displayed redox activity due to the presence of the iron centres. The antimicrobial activity of these polymeric materials was investigated and tested against five human pathogen Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Some newly prepared polymeric materials exhibited antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria compared to reference drugs. The toxicity of these functionalized polymers against human foreskin BJ fibroblast cells, HTB-26, HCT-116, and MCF-7 was evaluated. Sixteen different dendrimers (1-16) containing well-known drugs, paracetamol, and ibuprofen were synthesized via nucloephilic aromatic substitution and addition reactions. The electrochemical properties, scanning electron microscopy, and thermal stability of the dendrimers were studied. All synthesized macromolecular complexes displayed good thermal stability in the range of (250-920˚C). The metal-containing complexes displayed redox activity due to the presence of the iron centres. All newly synthesized dendrimers were tested for in vitro antimicrobial and cytotoxicity activities. Most of the new tested compounds exhibited significant potent antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive bacterial strains compared to reference drugs.


title: Use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as a diagnostic modality for naturally occurring osteoarthritis in dogs

contributor: Dawson, Susan (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Bailey, Trina (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: McConkey, Sandra (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Riley, Christopher (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Wright, Glenda (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Trumble, Troy (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Greenwood, Spencer (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Wright, Glenda (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Sanchez, Javier (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Riley, Christopher (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Bailey, Trina (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 197 application/pdf

abstract:
Preclinical diagnosis of canine osteoarthritis (OA) and monitoring its progression are difficult challenges. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) combined with chemometrics is emerging as a biomarker discovery tool, encompassing known and unknown analytes associated with disease. The first
objective of this study was to develop a FTIR- based tool to differentiate control samples from those affected by naturally occurring OA secondary to cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CrCLR) in dogs. The second objective was to determine the suitability of FTIR for the monitoring of OA progression.

One hundred and four adult dogs presenting for CrCLR and 50 control dogs were recruited. Serum and stifle synovial fluid (SF) samples were obtained prior to surgery for OA group and from controls. Forty-five treated dogs were rechecked at 4, and 12 weeks, and the sampling of serum and SF were repeated. For FTIR samples dry films were made, and infrared absorbance spectra acquired. Spectra were preprocessed to reduce the effect of light scattering. Region selection was performed to retain the regions of strongest absorbance. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied separately to the preprocessed serum and SF spectra data for dimension reduction purposes to retain a certain number of components that accounted for >99.9% of the total variance. Fisher’s discriminant analysis (FDA) was applied to the PCA components. The Fisher’s value was calculated. The Monte Carlo permutation test was used to assess if the separation corresponding the correct class labels was statistically significant (p<0.05). The same methodology was also used to detect if there were statistically significant differences among the different recheck time points for the 45 dogs. Samples were then separated into training, validation, and prediction sets. PCA was applied to the training set, and different numbers of components were retained. The FDA was applied to the PCA components to build models that were then used to make predictions for the sample in the validation set. This process was repeated for 10,000 times and the total number of misclassifications was calculated. Once the number of PCA components was determined, training and validation sets were combined to build a new model. The prediction set was used to test the performance of the built model and calculate the sensitivity, specificity and
accuracy of the predictive model.

There was a significant separation between the CrCLR and control dogs in both serum and SF (p<0.01). There was a significant separation between 0 and 4- weeks, and between 4- and 12-weeks recheck times in the serum and between 0 and 12-weeks, and between 4- and 12-weeks in the SF samples of CrCLR dogs (p<0.05). Predictive models based on serum and SF showed high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in predicting class labels (>92%).

These preliminary findings confirm the potential of FTIR combined with chemometric methods to differentiate controls from OA and detect changes over time. The robustness of the technique was confirmed by the ability of the approach to detect a profile reflective of biomarkers within serum and SF. This is the first step in the development of an economic, rapid and conceptually simple serum test for OA.


title: Intelligent artefacts with neighbourhood awareness

contributor:
Ngo, Trung Dung (author)
(Thesis advisor)
(Supervisory Committee Member)
(Examination Committee Member)


title: Nonlinear surface approximation using photogammetry

contributor:
Osgood, E. (author)
(Thesis advisor)
(Supervisory Committee Member)
(Examination Committee Member)

abstract: Many satellite applications require a model that represents a surface as it deforms over time. Yet, space applications demand a precise, low-weight, low-volume, and easy to implement solution. A metrology sensing system is presented in this thesis, consisting of a series of cameras and laser dot projectors positioned along the length of the antenna. This system accurately models the geometry of the surface to meet the demands of a space based radar. Each laser dot projector casts a matrix of points onto the antenna surface. The points are then imaged simultaneously by a pair of cameras, each having a different, but overlapping, viewpoint. Given the two overlapping images, a Gaussian nonlinear least squares algorithm solves the stereo-triangulation problem which provides the coordinates of the projected points and thereby maps the surface. There are three different strategies discussed in this thesis. The first strategy assumes the positions and orientations of the cameras are absolutely known. This produces an extremely accurate result; yet it is unrealistic to assume absolute knowledge of cameras locations and orientations for the application. The next strategy assumes the positions and orientations of the cameras are completely unknown in addition to the unknown surface. This program produces a less accurate, but more realistic, result considering the dynamic nature of rigid structures in space. To increase the accuracy and improve the robustness of these results, the third method employs a global metrology sensing system to reduce the uncertainty in the location and orientation of the outboard cameras relative to the center camera. This approach estimates the surface extremely accurately and, although more complex, offers advantages and addresses the desire for a family of designs wherein higher accuracy is achievable by further optimization.


title: Towards sociable robots: Beyond energy autonomy

abstract:
This thesis studies aspects of self-sufficient energy (energy autonomy) for truly autonomous robots and towards sociable robots. Over sixty years of history of robotics through three developmental ages containing single robot, multi-robot systems, and social (sociable) robots, the main objective of roboticists mostly focuses on how to make a robotic system function autonomously and further, socially. However, such approaches mostly emphasize behavioural autonomy, rather than energy autonomy which is the key factor for not only any living machine, but for life on the earth. Consequently, self-sufficient energy is one of the challenges for not only single robot or multi-robot systems, but also social and sociable robots.

This thesis is to deal with energy autonomy for multi-robot systems through energy sharing (trophallaxis) in which each robot is equipped with two capabilities: self-refueling energy and self-sharing energy. In addition to behavioural autonomy, the robots obtaining the capabilities are able to become truly autonomous and further sociable robots.


title: Improving productivity and reproductive efficiency of smallholder dairy cows in Kenya

contributor: Crane, Bronwyn (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: VanLeeuwen, John (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: McKenna, Shawn (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Gitau, George (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Wichtel, Jeffrey (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Windeyer, Claire (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Stull, Jason (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: VanLeeuwen, John (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Gitau, George (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Heider, Luke (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 248 application/pdf

abstract:
The aims of this research were: 1) to gain a better understanding of the productive and reproductive outputs of the smallholder dairy farms (SDF); 2) to determine the factors and prevalence of selected reproductive diseases potentially affecting these outputs; and 3) to assess the use of sexed semen and reproductive hormones in improving reproductive efficiency of these cows. The research was done in the Meru area of Kenya.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess farm management, milk production and reproductive performance of 314 lactating cows. Two hundred smallholder farms were randomly selected from the entire sampling frame of active members of Naari Dairy Farmers Co-operative Society. Farms were visited once within the three month study period, a questionnaire administered to the farmers for risk factors associated with milk yield, and animals were examined for physical and reproductive health. A multivariable mixed linear regression model of log milk/cow/day was constructed; accounting for confounding, cow clustering within farms and days in milk. The average body condition score and milk produced were 2.4 and 6.7 kg/cow/day, respectively, with 43.4% of the cows having been bred or pregnant at the time. Almost a third of all lactating cows were anestrous, and the average days in milk was 300. In the multivariable model, log of milk yield was positively associated with increasing weight of the animals, feeding concentrates (dairy meal) on the last month of gestation, and increasing percentage of land allocated for growing fodder for dairy cows. The indigenous breed category was negatively associated with log of milk yield. Cycling and confirmed pregnant cows both had higher milk production than early pregnant and anestrous cows.


title: Experience of domestic violence and abuse of Japanese immigrant women: An existential-phenomenological study [Unpublished]

contributor:
Takano, Y. (author)
(Thesis advisor)
(Supervisory Committee Member)
(Examination Committee Member)


title: Anticipating the awakening: The lived experience of families of patients undergoing successful targeted temperature management after cardiac arrest

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

contributor: MacQuarrie, Colleen (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: Murray, Christina (Supervisory Committee Member)

contributor: MacIntyre, Janet (Examination Committee Member)

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

contributor: Murray, Christina (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: Foley, Vicki (Examination Committee Member)

contributor: MacQuarrie, Colleen (Examination Committee Member)

format: electronic 122 application/pdf

abstract: Targeted temperature management (TTM), formally known as therapeutic hypothermia, is a relatively novel treatment that increases survival and neurological recovery after cardiac arrest.  Survivors of successful TTM after cardiac arrest have no memory of the event or of their time in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU); this is in stark contrast to the families’ experience of this event.  To date, few studies have attempted to describe the families’ experience of their loved ones’ successful treatment with TTM.  Findings from previous studies into this phenomenon reveal the families’ experience to be one of pain, hope, hopelessness, and anxiety.  The aim of this study was to describe further the lived experience of families of patients who have undergone successful TTM.  A descriptive phenomenological inquiry was conducted using a purposive and snowball sampling strategy to recruit nine participants to ensure data saturation was reached. Participants were invited to participate if they were at least 18 years of age or older, able to read and speak English, and previously had an immediate family member receive TTM after cardiac arrest. Data were collected through digitally audio-taped, one-on-one interviews, using a semi-structured interview guide.   Giorgi’s (2009) descriptive phenomenological psychological method of analysis was used to form a description of the meaning of the experience as lived by families. New knowledge was revealed regarding the structure of the families’ experience.  The constituents include: the provocation of existential challenges felt by family members, differences in perceived realities that were dependent upon family roles, and the additional burden that family members experienced when their loved one was transferred to another health centre a significant distance away for ongoing treatment after TTM.  This new knowledge further enhances nurses’ understanding about the family member’s experience of a loved one’s successful TTM, thereby enabling them to better meet the health needs of these individuals.


title: abenin Ben por la Infancia

contributor: Coll, Doreley (Signature Project Advisor)

format: electronic 17 application/pdf

abstract: My internship with abenin Ben por la Infancia was completed in Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain, from 6 May 2019 to 19 June 2019. The time spent with abenin was first comprised of researching the role of this small nongovernmental organization (NGO) within the broader context of NGOs and international development cooperation. As my research went on, however, I shifted my focus to looking into the history of abenin and understanding the origin stories of NGOs as being foundational to the work they do. The origin story of abenin and the shared history of the founding board growing up in Benposta Nación de Muchachos is what is presented in this report.