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The far-infrared Universe provides substantial insights into the formation of stars and planetary systems, the assembly history and evolution of galaxies, the origins of the Universe, and the search for life. Despite its great scientific potential, the far-infrared Universe remains relatively unexplored with the degree of spatial resolution that is available in observations at other wavelengths. Double-Fourier spatial-spectral interferometry provides a promising path to achieve transformative spatial resolution in far-infrared observations. To further study this technique and improve on its technology readiness, we have constructed a far-infrared double-Fourier interferometry testbed that is coupled to a unique detector array of feedback-controlled transition-edge sensor bolometers. To fully understand measurements made with the interferometry testbed and ensure that these are well-calibrated, the detector system must be understood and characterised at a technical level. The detector array itself is a bespoke system with a substantial parameter space that can be optimized for different use-cases which has made this a daunting task. This thesis centres on the experiments I have conducted to characterise, calibrate, and optimise the detector system both in a general sense and in the context of the double-Fourier instrument. Through this investigation of the detector system, I have reduced the spectral noise of the double-Fourier interferometry testbed by 70%. Throughout this work, I review the concepts and theory related to measurements made with Fourier transform spectrometers and double-Fourier interferometers (Chapter 2). Additionally, I discuss transition-edge sensor bolometers and introduce the feedback-controlled bolometer system (Chapter 3). I have included a detailed discussion of my experiments to chracterise the measurement process of the detector array, optimise its noise performance, and tune its response to optical modulation (Chapter 4). I also provide a

The purpose of this master’s level project is to develop a web-based CBT self-help program for children and adolescents managing Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a relatively commonly experienced mental health concern across the global population. The program will be hosted on a website consisting of five modules: psychoeducation, somatic management skills training, cognitive restructuring, exposures, and relapse prevention that children and youth can work through at their own pace. Each module will consist of a brief outline of learning objectives, a brief video from the author, a supplementary video, and additional resources. Cognitive behavioral therapy was selected as the therapeutic modality as CBT has been shown to be effective for the treatment of anxiety-based disorders in that this therapeutic modality challenges and attempts to reframe the negative thinking or behavioral patterns of the individuals (Rickwood & Bradford, 2022). It has been observed that youth often consult the internet as their initial point of contact when seeking help for mental health-related concerns (Hanley et al., 2021). Therefore it is hoped that an online web-based program could hopefully offer support to individuals who may have certain physical or psychological barriers which may interfere with their abilities to access traditional in-person therapy. This website can either be used independently by adolescents (12+) or could be utilized by counsellors as a resource to share with clients to supplement their in-person sessions.

This thesis describes how induced gut inflammation induces brain inflammation via the brain-gut axis. It further shows that mice with elevated gut inflammation display post-shock behavioural correlates of anxiety for longer duration than mice that do not have gut inflammation. The gut-inflamed mice also show a reduced ability to recover from fearful experiences and higher relative quantities of inflammatory markers in the nucleus accumbens. Mice receiving both gut inflammation and psilocybin show reduced anxiety behaviour and lower relative quantities of inflammatory markers in the nucleus accumbens. This thesis demonstrates that induced gut inflammation drives increased inflammation in the nucleus accumbens and results in increased measures of anxiety in conditioned and unconditioned behavioural tasks. Some outcomes were ameliorated by the addition of a single dose of psilocybin. Overall, these data improve understanding of potential mechanisms by which anxiety may be produced and treated. Research was completed under protocol number 2018.

The most tangible consequence of permafrost thaw is thermokarst, which is landscape destabilization resulting from ground ice melt. The main objective of this thesis was to model and map thermokarst susceptibility across Yukon, Canada. An inventory of 3376 historically mapped thermokarst landform point locations was extracted from the Yukon Geological Survey’s Digital Surficial Geology dataset. Of these, 25 lakes, 27 landslides and 93 pingos in the Dawson City study area were manually delineated on the World Imagery baselayer in order to assess their morphology and distribution relative to similar landforms in other regions. Subsequently, generalized linear models of thermokarst susceptibility in Yukon were constructed using a range of topographic, geologic, environmental and climatic predictor variables from existing regional or global datasets. A novel potential surface radiation adjustment was developed to correct for seasonal snow cover. Using the mapped thermokarst landforms in the Dawson City study area as a training dataset set, the resulting optimal lake and landslide susceptibility models use slope as the sole predictor variable, while the pingo susceptibility model uses profile curvature. Overall, 3, 34 and 0.1 % of Yukon is modelled as being highly susceptible to thermokarst lake, landslide and pingo development, respectively. The models were evaluated using the Yukon thermokarst point location dataset, randomly distributed points, and select multivariate logistic models. The thermokarst lake susceptibility model performed best overall. This study shows that relatively simple modelling techniques can be effective in mapping thermokarst susceptibility, and highlights the importance of rigorous, up-to-date thermokarst landform inventories to aid in future modelling efforts.

The aim of this study was to delve into the experiences of African immigrant women in Southern Alberta and the ensuing impact on mental health. Employing an exploratory descriptive qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven (11) African immigrant women. Thematic analysis revealed that these women encountered intersecting challenges in Canada stemming from factors such as race, gender, social class, and immigration status, leading to negative effects on their mental health. Nevertheless, the participants employed various coping strategies to alleviate these challenges, with culture playing a significant role in shaping perceptions and coping mechanisms. The study underscores the importance of implementing culturally safe programs by stakeholders, policy makers, and mental health practitioners to facilitate the successful transition and integration of African Immigrant women into their new environment.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are a significant global health challenge, representing a substantial portion of lost work hours, reduced productivity, disability, injury, and pain across industries worldwide. Low back discomfort and disease is the most prevalent work-related musculoskeletal disorder. Low back disorders often result from the cumulative loading from repetitive bending, grasping, lifting, and carrying present in manual materials handling tasks. while much research has focused on safe and injurious manual materials handling behaviour, it may be useful to identify the perceptual strategies and outcomes that both couple with and precede manual materials handling actions, enabling the development of targeted interventions to modify those behaviours and reduce the risk of injury. This study investigates the differential impact of affordance perceptotype (hyper or hypo-affordant) and gaze behaviours on handling kinematics within ecologically relevant manual materials handling tasks. Specifically, this research aims to identify if differences exist in kinematic measures and visual attention strategies between affordance perceptotype sub-groups. The study used motion capture technology and vision tracking to quantify kinematics and gaze behaviour and examined two manual material handling tasks, with a static and dynamic target respectively. We predicted the hyper-affordant participants would identify with higher risk-taking behaviour plus demonstrate a limited visual attention strategy and injury-risk handling kinematics, with those behaviours connecting to an increased prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort. This research revealed that hyper-affordants did exhibit larger values for relevant handling kinematics plus different gaze behaviours, potentially increasing their risk of injury. The role of state and trait characteristics and gaze behaviour in occupational behaviour were not significantly associated to kinematic measures, task condition, or p

Previous research highlights the health benefits of engaging in moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity, minimizing screen time and getting optimal sleep. Although many studies have examined associations between parents’ and children’s movement behaviours, most were based on single behaviours despite these behaviours being interdependent. Using data from the Active Transportation and Independent Mobility-2 study, we assessed the associations between parents’ adherence to the 24-hour guidelines, perceived behavioural control (PBC) to support their child’s movement behaviours, and children’s adherence to the Canadian 24-hour movement guidelines. Canadian parents of 7- to 12-year-olds (N = 2257) were surveyed at baseline (December 2020) and were followed every 6 months until June 2022 (4 waves). Movement behaviours were assessed by parent report. The final model was adjusted for age and gender of both children and parents, household income, immigration status and study wave. Our current study found that if a parent respondent met all the guidelines, their children were 1.51 times more likely to meet all three guidelines (95% CI=1.17, 1.93). Moreover, each unit increase in the PBC scale was associated with higher odds of the child meeting all three guidelines (OR=1.72; 95% CI=1.45, 2.03). Moreover, adherence decreased with each year of age (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.72, 0.83) and was higher in Wave 2 (OR=1.32; 95% CI=1.04, 1.66), Wave 3 (OR=1.73; 95% CI=1.33, 2.25) and Wave 4 (OR=1.62; 95% CI=1.21, 2.18) vs. Wave 1. The findings of this study provide preliminary evidence suggesting that children’s adherence to the guidelines is significantly associated with both parent’s adherence and their PBC. These findings suggest that family-based interventions should be implemented to support children’s movement behaviours.

DNA damage occurs regularly and results in various biological consequences, including cancer. One specific type of DNA damage is the formation of adducts, which arise from various sources, including cigarette smoke and pesticides. The local helical structure of adducted DNA is dictated by the chemical composition of the lesion. Furthermore, various known conformations of adducted DNA have been shown to differentially impact DNA repair and replication. Although this underscores how the lesion dictates biological outcomes, structure–function relationships have yet to be fully explored. Thus, this thesis uses computational modelling to examine the complex interplay between the adduct chemical composition (e.g., bulky moiety shape, adduct linker type, and lesion number) and the resulting damaged DNA structure and lesion mutagenicity. Overall, novel trends in the helical conformation and lesion repairability as a function of the chemical structure of the DNA adduct are uncovered, which have implications in the severity of the long-term biological consequences.

This project aims to provide further insight into burnout experiences in immigrant early childhood educators. The immense physical, emotional, and cognitive demands of early childhood caregiving and a lack of appropriate rewards, such as benefits and pay, make workers in this field highly susceptible to burnout. While studies exist on this phenomenon across the early childhood workforce, there is a dearth of literature that examines burnout as it specifically presents in immigrant early childhood educators. Beyond workplace stressors, immigrant workers may simultaneously experience socio-economic and cultural challenges such as racism and discrimination, acculturative stress, and economic difficulties, to name a few. By providing an extensive literature review, this project elucidates how various stressors for immigrant early childhood educators may intersect to increase the likelihood of developing workplace burnout. Additionally, recommendations are provided for healthcare practitioners and employers on how to address and prevent burnout and how to support immigrant early childhood educators.

Child maltreatment in the form of physical and emotional abuse or neglect remains a common occurrence globally, notably as a form of disciplinary action (Butchart & Mikton, 2014; WHO, 2019). However, research demonstrates negative effects on children when exposure to practices that eliminate emotionally and physically safe environments (Leeb, Lewis, & Zolotor, 2011; Vachon et al., 2015), notably in the context of schools (Gershoff et al., 2019; Orgando & Pells, 2015; Talwar et al., 2011). With this theory as an influential construct, the current study sought to explore the impact on teachers’ beliefs and practices when learning a safe approach to education, relative to their use of corporal punishment as one of other fear-based tactics. Ugandan schools culturally accept corporal punishment as a disciplinary method, and therefore became the platform for this study to occur. The Stoplight Approach was selected as the intervention because of its holistic approach, aligning with the strategic criteria for change proposed by WHO (2019). Additionally, it acknowledges the inadequacy of corporal punishment and other fear-based strategies, promoting safer methods. As the focus of this study was to investigate potential changes of teacher’s educational beliefs and practices when introduced to the SA, and understand why they may or may not have occurred, a mixed method approach was utilized. Data was collected in the form of surveys across three separate data points (Surveys A, B, and C) and concluded with selective participants undergoing semi structured interviews. The analysis of these findings was regarded as vital to the guidance of interventions to promote safe school environments. Though the quantitative data analysis showed no statistical significance due to limited data as a result of participant drop out, the exploration of the data through descriptive and statistical analysis revealed common themes in beliefs and practices of teachers following the intervention trai

Corporate disclosure is crucial for corporate governance as it reduces information asymmetry, misalignment of investors’ interests, and other agency costs. Therefore, the US Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) has adopted various disclosure regulations to provide investors and other stakeholders with more transparent and comparable information about executive compensation. This quantitative study seeks to expand the body of knowledge by adopting an event study methodology to explore the stock market reaction to increased corporate disclosure of executive pay for US public firms. The population of this research comprises American-listed firms from 2021-2022. I employ a final sample of 2,914 firms for the complete sample analysis. Applying Zellner’s Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) methodology, I provide evidence that the equity market reacts positively to all the news announcements, giving rise to the 2022 SEC’s final executive compensation disclosure rules adopted on August 25, 2022. This positive market response confirms the prediction that increased compensation disclosure improves governance. The results also suggest that enhanced corporate disclosure increases shareholder value by reducing agency costs linked to information asymmetry. In addition, the positive daily abnormal returns tend to be stronger for small firms versus large ones for the initial publication and the final rules. This suggests that small firms have more information asymmetry, uncertainty, and risks and thus react more positively than large companies that likely have less information asymmetry and uncertainty.

This project examines the relationship between physical activity and wellness in the university student population. Countless studies have found positive relationships between physical activity and psychological health. However, there are numerous individual and societal barriers to participating in physical activity. Increases in sedentary behaviour in our society is associated with increased prevalence of mental health concerns. Therefore, it is the utmost importance to educate and motivate university students to participate in physical activity. I believe understanding the biological connection between physical activity and mental health outcomes provides the motivation to be active. A PowerPoint via Microsoft Teams was presented to the M.Ed. 2022 cohort with a handout for tips to become more active. When university students’ mental and physical health improves, it allows for greater enjoyment in their studies and increased satisfaction throughout their lives.

Several prior studies report that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives temper the cost of equity. More recent studies show that COVID-19 increased the cost of equity. It is unclear whether the ESG mitigated the higher cost of capital during the COVID period. I focus on studying this using ESG and basic financial data for the period ranging from 2015 to 2022 based on U.S. and Canadian firms listed on NYSE, AMEX, and NASDAQ. The results show that the increase in the cost of equity during the COVID period concentrates less on firms with high ESG performance scores, suggesting ESG mitigated the increase in the cost of equity. This is consistent with the insurance-like effect of ESG on the cost of capital, cushioning the increase in the cost of capital during uncertain periods. In addition, my study reveals that the amplified ESG benefit in cost of equity reduction can be moderated by levels of industrial GDP growth and the stringency of the COVID-19 government policy.

Prolonged sedentary time and inadequate physical activity are detrimental to the health of older adults. Sex and gender may influence health and movement behaviours that impact health. The purpose of this research was to scope the available literature on sex and gender in sedentary behaviour and then explore the relationship between biological sex and gender traits on movement behaviour patterns among older adults. In the scoping review, 210 articles were screened and 41 were identified that examined sex and/or gender in relation to sedentary behaviour in older adults. Almost all studies used sex- and/or gender-related terms interchangeably. Of the 41 articles, 28 studies suggested the division of household labour is the main explanation for any observed sex and/or gender differences in sedentary behaviour. The remaining 13 studies identified other factors that may influence this relationship, like social support, access to transportation, and area-level crime incidence. To further explore the relationship, observational data from 72 healthy older adults (80.1 ± 9.4 years) were examined. Movement behaviours were assessed using ActivPAL4™ inclinometers and participants completed the 30-Item Bem Sex-Role Inventory to assess masculine and feminine traits. There were no statistically significant associations between movement behaviour variables, sex, and masculine and feminine scores. This exploratory study demonstrates a need for consistent use of sex and gender terminology and better tools to assess gender. A more comprehensive understanding of the complexity of sex and gender in relation to health is needed to enable the creation of tailored movement behaviour interventions for the aging population.

Gambling is a common recreational activity that may cause harm to the gambler, their family and friends, and society. Though gambling only causes harm to a small proportion of the general population, it impacts offender populations (consisting of criminal offenders) at much higher rates. Due to unique demographic and subculture factors, offenders are both highly susceptible to gambling harm and less affected by programs designed to address that harm. In this dissertation, I present the development and evaluation of an online gambling harm reduction program for offenders, their family, and those who or live or work with offenders. The program, called Hedge Your Bets, teaches participants about gambling through four online modules that required a demonstration of mastery before proceeding to the next module: (1) gambling knowledge, (2) gambling fallacies, (3) gambling-related mathematical skills, and (4) gambling problems, with each module being delivered one week apart. A total of 84 adults were initially recruited into the study, with 27 of these having criminal convictions and 57 having either worked with offenders or being a close friend or family member. A total of 58 individuals completed the post-program assessment one week after the final module and 53 completed the follow-up survey three weeks after that. Longitudinally, the four modules were effective at creating gambling-related knowledge and skills that were associated with more negative attitudes toward gambling over time as well as decreased gambling behavior, with this latter effect being more pronounced for the offender group. Thus, Hedge Your Bets appears to be a promising program for reducing gambling-related harm in offender populations, though future research should be conducted with larger sample sizes of offenders.

The Southern Ocean is a remote but unique ecosystem with high winds, strong currents, and a handful of islands surrounding the Antarctic continent. Reduced gene flow due to these physical and non-physical barriers supports rapid evolution and endemism within the Southern Ocean. Seabirds are a good model to study barrier-mediated speciation as they face a limited number of physical barriers, yet they are a highly diversified group. In my thesis, I used molecular markers to study population differentiation in five Southern Ocean seabird species at the three levels: among ocean basins, within oceans and within a single island. Sooty albatross (Phoebetria fusca) and yellow-nosed albatross showed population differentiation between Atlantic and Indian Ocean basins. Two sister species of yellow-nosed albatross, Atlantic (Thalassarche chlororhynchos) and Indian (Thalassarche carteri), both showed population genetic structure within Atlantic and Indian Oceans, respectively. The other two study species, Kerguelen shags (Phalacrocorax verrucosus) and gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) breeding on Kerguelen Island, showed genetic structure among different breeding colonies of each species on the same island. Non-physical barriers such as natal philopatry and at-sea distribution, are limiting gene flow in the Southern Ocean at different geographic scales.

This project critiques the generalist ethico-legal tools and regulations for counselling psychologists in terms of their limited ability to protect the privacy and moral rights of closeted 2SLGBTQIA+ clients. A detailed analysis of extant research, legislation, and ethical guidelines is first presented. To compensate for the limited available literature on this topic, a modified form of the Canadian Psychological Association’s (2017a) ethical decision-making model is then applied to a fictionalized case study to indicate the value of an emic, socioculturally contextualized approach to decision-making and recordkeeping. The project concludes with a series of recommendations to mitigate outing risks and enhance the ethicality of recordkeeping outcomes, followed by a draft manuscript to be submitted to a peer-reviewed publication.

Bug reports serve as critical communication channels between users and software developers, conveying information about unexpected issues or flaws within a software system. Sometimes developers or triagers need to spend significant time understanding a long and complex bug report. A bug report summarizer streamlines the bug triage process for software developers by condensing complex bug reports into concise and informative summaries, facilitating efficient issue prioritization and resolution. To cater comments to the need of the developer for the complex bug report, prior work suggested the solution of annotation of bug report comments. Though the developed annotator worked well, it had issues with annotating the description and off-topic labels. Other prior work identified fiftyone patterns to detect planning in bug report comments. We used these phrases to create an annotated dataset of bug report sentences for plan intention research. In this research, we improve the annotation capabilities of the description and off-topic labeler and automate the plan labeler using a supervised machine-learning approach.

From the early 1960s, the American Hotel in Fort Macleod, Alberta was a space where individuals from the neighbouring Kainai and Piikani reserves interacted. This thesis examines how the American Hotel served as a contact zone between white settlers and other non-Indigenous peoples of Fort Macleod and Blackfoot peoples. Drawing on archival research and thirteen oral history interviews conducted with individuals from Fort Macleod and surrounding areas, this thesis explores (1) the history of the American Hotel as a contact zone and (2) the planning, curation, and reception of the museum exhibition Contact Zone: The American Hotel, which ran at the Galt Museum and Archives in Lethbridge from April to October 2023. Providing additional scholarship to the exhibition, this thesis details the sections of the exhibit and discusses the public reception before concluding with a discussion of colonial haunting in contact zones like the American Hotel.

Benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizers (BUVSs) are a class of chemical contaminants used to help counter UV-induced damage to manufactured goods, especially plastics. The broad applicability of BUVSs has resulted in their ubiquitous detection in aquatic ecosystems and biota. Although BUVSs are detected globally in aquatic ecosystems, a limited number of studies have investigated the potential toxic effects of BUVSs to fish. Of the limited toxicity data for BUVSs, studies suggest that certain BUVSs might dysregulate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) causing early life-stage toxicity in fishes. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to use in vivo and in vitro approaches to characterize the toxicity of 2-(benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-methylphenol (UV-P), 2-(Benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-methyl-6-prop-2-enyl-phenol (UV-9), and 2-[3-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-hydroxyphenyl]ethyl methacrylate (UV-090) as agonists of the AhR across a phylogenetically diverse number of fish species. In vivo toxicity was assessed by exposing zebrafish (Danio rerio) to BUVSs by microinjection and toxicities were assessed by recording embryo mortality and malformations including yolk sac and pericardial edema, and spinal curvature. Each of the tested BUVSs caused dose-dependent increases in embryo mortality following exposure. In vitro activation of the AhR by BUVSs was determined with a luciferase reporter gene (LRG) assay using COS-7 cells transfected with the AhR of zebrafish or eight other species. Results confirm that UV-P and UV-9, cause toxicity via AhR activation whereas, UV-090 lacked the ability to activate the AhR, indicating that its toxicity is independent of the AhR. Furthermore, interspecies differences in sensitivity to AhR activation by BUVSs was observed. Overall, this study fills knowledge gaps regarding the potential toxic effects of BUVSs to fishes and can help guide improved objective assessment of risks posed by BUVS that have AhR agonistic properties for the protection of Canada’s

Dehumanization has facilitated the worst atrocities in humanity’s historical record and continues to facilitate some of the gravest cruelties in the world today. While there is substantial work on dehumanization within philosophical and scientific disciplines, there remains an incongruence within the theoretical conceptualizations of dehumanization leading to the neglect or denial of the dehumanization of women. Some contend that dehumanization most characteristically occurs between racial or ethnic groups, but dehumanization may be a more general and deeply embedded aspect of human nature, more robust and perilous in its potential to victimize any member of a distinct group, even where group memberships might otherwise overlap with one another in more affiliative ways. As our social environments are evolving in lockstep with our communication technologies, the recognition of and response to the dehumanization of women remains inadequate and morally inexcusable.

The phosphodiester backbone in nucleic acids is remarkably resistant to degradation. Although high stability is essential for storage of genetic information and proper cell function, some circumstances necessitate the cleavage of the nucleic acid backbone. For example, breaking the DNA backbone is critical to repair damage and maintain genetic integrity, while RNA cleavage is necessary for quality control during protein synthesis. Nucleases are enzymes that facilitate the challenging phosphodiester bond cleavage by accelerating the uncatalyzed reaction. Many nucleases utilize metals to enhance catalysis. Despite several experimental studies on enzymes that cleave phosphodiester bonds in nature, the mechanism for bond cleavage used by many enzymes, including the role and/or number of metal ions involved, is still unclear. Computer modeling is a powerful tool to investigate enzyme-catalyzed reaction mechanisms and discern the roles of the metal/s and amino acids involved in the reaction. This thesis uses computational techniques (i.e., quantum mechanics calculations, molecular dynamics simulations, and quantum mechanics–molecular mechanics calculations) to gain an atomic-level understanding of the phosphodiester bond cleavage reaction catalyzed by nucleases, specifically focusing on APE1, I-PpoI, and EndoV. These enzymes are particularly interesting since they either invoke a single metal ion for catalysis, which conflicts with the two-metal mediated mechanism generally proposed for most nucleases, or the metal-dependence is unknown. The mechanistic details uncovered by this thesis will open the door for new and improved applications of these enzymes in the fields of disease diagnostics, genetic engineering, and therapeutics.

By screening for up to 172 pesticide compounds (primarily herbicides and insecticides), this research investigated the types and concentrations of pesticide compounds present in water-column and bottom-sediment samples collected from four rivers in the Province of Manitoba, Canada. A total of 34 unique compounds were detected in the water-column (n=202) with broadleaf herbicides among the most frequently detected (2,4-D, bentazone, clopyralid, MCPA), in addition to herbicides atrazine and metolachlor that are widely used in the United States Corn Belt. Herbicide triclopyr was only detected after the Red River entered urban landscapes in Manitoba but many other unique active ingredients were already detected in the first sampling station immediately after the Canadian-United States border. Only 6 unique compounds have set Canadian Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life, and their guidelines were never exceeded. A total of 32 unique compounds were detected in bottom sediments (n=94) of which 78% are current-use active ingredients in Manitoba. In addition to sediments, pesticides can be sorbed to other constituents present in rivers such as microplastics which are believed to be carriers of legacy insecticide DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane). This study investigated the sorption of current-use herbicides (2,4 D, atrazine, glyphosate) by microplastics which was virtually negligible, except for glyphosate sorption by PVC (35%). In contrast, the sorption of DDT by these same microplastics was always >50% (of the initial DDT in solution). Finally, this study investigated the efficiency of single and dual-cell biobeds in the Prairies to minimize point-source pollution by allowing the capture and degradation of pesticide residues associated with sprayer rinsing. With a few exceptions (clopyralid, fluroxypyr and imazethapyr), biobeds always showed to be highly effective in reducing pesticides concentrations in rinsate. The PTI (Pesticide Toxicity Ind

This thesis explored the association between masculinity and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) among men used two measures of masculinity: the Male Role Norms Inventory Short-Form (MRNI-SF) and participants' self-rated masculinity scores. The GAD-7 was used to assess participants' GAD symptoms, while the effects of covariates and racialization were also examined. Results showed that traditional masculinity was positively associated with increased anxiety scores, whereas self-rated masculinity was negatively associated. Covariates such as pre-existing mental health conditions, age, and socioeconomic status (SES) also influenced the association between masculinity and GAD. Moreover, being African-Canadian had a significant moderating effect, suggesting that the impact of masculinity on mental health outcomes may differ across racialized groups. These findings highlighted the importance of redefining masculinity and exploring new ways to measure it in research, and the need to consider intersecting factors that contribute to men's mental health outcomes.

The Lansing effect is a specific type of parental age effect whereby older parents have shorter-lived offspring than younger parents. The phenomenon is important because it implies the presence of non-genetic forms of inheritance relating to parental age, such as epigenetics or physiological effects. Further, the existence of the Lansing effect informs our understanding of the evolution of life histories because it shows that senescence – traditionally defined in terms of decreases in survival and reproduction with age – also involves a decrease in offspring quality. The Lansing effect has been observed in a wide variety of taxa, including plants. Here, I investigated the Lansing effect in the subfamily Lemnoideae (duckweeds). My objectives were two-fold: (1) testing for the Lansing effect, and (2) if the Lansing effect is present, determining whether shortened lifespans of offspring of older parents are due to a higher mortality rate at all ages (i.e. a difference in baseline mortality), or a faster-accelerating mortality with age. I recorded lifespan, reproduction, and other metrics of fitness of 392 individuals; half were their parent’s first clonal offspring (offspring of younger parents), and half were fifth clonal offspring (offspring of older parents). Offspring of older parents had shorter lifespans (i.e., the Lansing effect occurred) and produced fewer offspring themselves compared to offspring of younger parents. Further, a model-selection approach indicated that offspring of older parents had a greater initial mortality rate at birth that then persisted through life compared to offspring of younger parents. Thus, greater baseline mortality was responsible for the Lansing effect for the plants in this experiment. My work emphasizes that senescence can manifest in offspring as a result of parental age effects, specifically the Lansing effect, in addition to the more well described phenomena of decreasing survival and reproduction.

This study analyzed the genetic structure of mountain bluebirds (Sialia currucoides) from across their range using restriction site-associated DNA sequencing to find single nucleotide polymorphisms. I found evidence of at least four distinct genetic clusters, two of which were in Alberta. I then went on to hypothesize current and historical barriers to gene flow. In the third chapter, I examined the mountain bluebird breeding populations in Alberta and Saskatchewan for signals of current and historical hybridization. Although I did not find evidence of recent hybridization, I did detect signals of ancient introgression from both bluebird congeners. I then used both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA to examine the Sialia polytomy containing all three species of bluebirds. The polytomy showed signs of both incomplete lineage sorting between mitochondrial genes and mitonuclear discordance. As such, it appears that hybridization and other potential factors may obscure the evolutionary history of the entire genus.

Problem gambling (PG) and gambling-related harm (GRH) are strongly associated with heavier gambling involvement in terms of the amount of time and money spent gambling as well as the number of gambling formats participated in. This association has been the focus of public health initiatives aimed at the prevention of GRH and PG, most notably the “Lower Risk Gambling Guidelines”. However, it has also been demonstrated that heavier gambling involvement is only one feature relevant to the development of either outcome. In order to better identify cases in which gambling problems may emerge, a secondary analysis of data from the Alberta Gambling Research Institute’s National Project Online Panel Survey was conducted. In the first study, it was shown that while breadth of gambling involvement is a stronger concurrent and future predictor of gambling problems than involvement in any particular type, involvement in certain types of gambling (electronic gambling machines in particular, and casino table games to a lesser extent) does confer additional risk. In the second study a more comprehensive examination of the factors that predict GRH or PG onset was undertaken as part of an initiative to update the ‘at-risk’ category of the Problem and Pathological Gambling Measure (PPGM). The analysis showed that five items pertaining to breadth of gambling involvement, largest single day gambling loss, perception of gambling problems, rated importance of gambling as a leisure activity, and overall level of PG symptomatology demonstrated superior prediction accuracy relative to previously utilized operationalizations of ‘at-risk’ gambling. Taken together, these two studies a) more conclusively demonstrate that certain types of gambling do confer additional risk; b) provide a substantially improved ‘at-risk’ assessment to a well-validated problem gambling assessment instrument; and c) provide a more complete understanding of the risk factors associated with GRH and PG.

Analysis of bovine movement and behavior is crucial in detecting their motor disorders and maintaining their welfare. Quantitative gait analysis methods have been designed to facilitate this task, but the on-site subjective assessment of the gait pattern remains prominent and depends on human expertise. Gait pattern could be assessed in feedlot cattle using AI as a substitute for the absence of human diagnosis, but creating an AI diagnosis procedure requires substantial behavioral information for training the AI tool. One solution for obtaining behavioral information is to use AI-assisted tools for diagnosis based on recordings of cattle movement. In this study, we created a three-dimensional digital representation of walking cattle to generate the required information and compare its applicability to that of the actual gait patterns. We used video recordings of cattle walking and trotting, and then used them as reference to create three-dimensional pose representations. Then, we introduced variations to these representations by altering specific aspects of the original walking cow model and its environment. We then tested the combined representations against the real data to see if they can prove useful in training a deep neural network for detecting gait pattern and features. This method can compensate for the scarcity of behavioral data, provide information to create mathematical representations of specific behaviors and be used for the development of smart-phone-based diagnosis systems.

Complex dynamical systems often contain many unknown parameters and variables that may or may not serve as contributors to interesting behaviors a system may exhibit. For chemical and biochemical systems, which are typically quite large, these include (but are not limited to) behaviors stemming from bifurcations such as oscillations, patterns and multistationarity (multiple steady states). Due to the size and complexity of these systems, a dynamics-preserving reduction scheme that is able to isolate the necessary contributors to these systems to not only reduce their complexity, but to also reduce the level of uncertainty a system may have---such as unknown parameters and variables---is desired. The purpose of this thesis is to develop alternative reduction methods for (bio)chemical systems that are modeled by mass-action kinetics that are unlike other common techniques that exploit timescales in stiff models or that are optimization-based. I instead look to a graph-based approach by representing the model as a bipartite graph and investigating its subnetworks known as fragments, which correspond directly to terms in the characteristic polynomial. In this representation, I preserve key elements of these bipartite graphs---critical fragments---in order to maintain necessary conditions for behaviors such as positive-feedback oscillations and multistationarity. These results are then applied to an existing model for the transcriptional control of Hmp, an NO detoxifying enzyme, by the iron-sulfur protein FNR that displays bistability. The initial model consists of 15 mass-action reactions and 11 species, and the reduced model ends up with 10 reactions and 7 species.

This study explores the intra-country information spillover of earnings announcements by a cross-listed firm to its non-announcing peer firms from the same home country in the US market from 1993 to 2021. Using a standard event study methodology, this study shows that non-announcing peer firms' cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) show a statistically significant positive association with the CARs of announcing firms over a three-day event window around the earnings announcement. The magnitude of information spillover of earnings announcements on peer firms is more pronounced in the bear market than in the bullish market. The intensity of information spillover is stronger and positively related to the home country's financial reporting quality and the size of the announcing firms.

Motor actions engage intricate neural processes, spanning active learning phases and crucial offline periods, notably during sleep. Online learning involves diverse neural dynamics, while sleep is known for its role in skill consolidation. While numerous studies have contributed to our understanding of information processing during online and offline learning periods, these investigations have often focused on specific learning phases, leaving the intricate relationships between diverse online learning neural activities and sleep processing relatively unexplored. Here, we embarked on a comprehensive analysis aimed at unraveling the interplay between primary motor cortex (M1) neural activity during reach-to-grasp skill learning and sleep, employing an unsupervised framework. During online training, our findings uncovered four neural dynamics related to the motor execution, with compelling evidence of their replay during post-training sleep, both in Rapid Eye Movement and Slow-Wave Sleep (SWS). Moreover, our data revealed that all cell ensembles, irrespective of their dynamics during the task, exhibited substantial reactivation during spindles coupled with slow-oscillations in SWS. Further exploration on the cortico-hippocampal communication led us to investigate the activation patterns of M1 cell ensembles during hippocampal sharp-wave ripples. Our results demonstrated the dynamic suppression and enhancement modulation of M1 cell ensembles during SWS-ripples across learning days suggesting complex cortico-hippocampal dialogues associated with sensorimotor learning task. We thus contributed to understand the extensive details of neural mechanisms underlying motor learning tasks during online and offline processing periods.

We aim to provide the effect of accelerated frames in cosmology and identify the origins of thermalization in the evolution of the universe. We begin our discussion by discussing general relativity and cosmology, as well as their successes and failures, which leads to the need for quantum cosmology. We then discuss the canonical formulation of general relativity, which is the basis of quantum cosmology, and its issues. We constructed a wavefunction for the universe whose dynamics are governed by the Wheeler-Dewitt equation. Semiclassical approximations simplify assumptions and approximations that bring the equation closer to a form that can be more easily analyzed. The WKB method is used to approximate the wave function. We constructed a transformation that is similar to the Rindler transformation motivated by the Klein-Gordon equation in Minkowski spacetime. We performed the Bogoliubov transformation and obtained a result which suggested thermalization. However, we were not using creation and annihilation operators. To interpret this result, we calculated the density matrix and the square of the density matrix to see if the WKB state is a pure or mixed state. The result from the density matrix calculation suggested that the WKB state is a mixed state, which suggested that the result we obtained from the Bogoliubov transformation can be interpreted as thermalization.

Over the past few years, research into gene therapies has dramatically increased, with thousands of drug candidates in clinical trials. However, only a few are available on the market today, highlighting the need for improved analysis methods that can help validate the drug development process. The challenges associated with gene therapy analysis vary with different vector types and compositions. The main challenges for lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), a non-viral vector, are their large size and inherent heterogeneity. The challenge for adeno-associated viruses (AAVs), a viral vector, is differentiating between the full AAV capsid and the product-related impurities due to their similar hydrodynamic radii and surface properties. For both vectors, these challenges prevent their accurate quantification and characterization by many chromatography and size-based techniques. We have employed analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) to improve gene therapy analysis by characterizing solutes in a sample based on their molar mass, shape, and density. AUC provides high statistical certainty through bulk observations, resulting in the correct assessment of sample purity and loading states. To further improve the resolution of AUC results, we have incorporated multi-wavelength capabilities into our AUC methods, adding an orthogonal optical characterization dimension. This thesis presents considerations for the design, execution, and analysis of multi-wavelength (MW) AUC experiments, looking at cases where optical deconvolution is not possible and cases where it is. It also includes a section on using MW sedimentation velocity experiments to characterize protein-DNA interactions, providing an example of how stoichiometry can be determined from MW-AUC experiments. Further, we apply MW capabilities to several AUC methods to improve the quantification and characterization of AAVs and LNPs. This results in the precise quantification and characterization of vectors, product-related impuritie

From the waking hours into the depths of sleep, the hippocampus and the neocortex engage in an enigmatic dialogue on that which occurs, that which had occurred and that which could occur eventually. Together, this information weaves the memories of our past and the knowledge of our world. Yet, if one attempts to eavesdrop on this conversation, they would be perplexed to discover that the details that would give rise to such sophisticated structures could mostly be diluted into the mapping of space. What invisible bonds may tie space and memory in the brain, this present thesis offers no answers for. What it does offer, instead, are more enigmas to be fancied over and more confusions to be resolved: (1) The neural representation of space is found across multiple regions of the dorsal cortex and necessitates an intact hippocampus to form; (2) During offline periods, the retrosplenial cortex spontaneously reinstates patterns of activity specifically related to the locations of spatial landmarks; (3) The secondary motor cortex, in contrast, reinstates a conjunction of spatial and non-spatial information, in the forms of recent trajectories undertaken in an environment and the locations of visuo-tactile landmarks, respectively. Together, these results elaborate a spatial code that is heavily redundant and dispersed, with a link to mnemonic processing — a neural correlate of parallel and distributed engrams.

Managing external debt in Ghana remains challenging. This thesis examines the relationship between various macroeconomic variables and external debt in Ghana from 1970 to 2020 using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model. It also takes lessons from the Latin America (Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil) debt crisis and forecasts Ghana's external debt for the next decade (2021-2030) using the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and ARIMA with exogenous variables (ARIMAX) models. The thesis finds that budget balance and current account balance are the only macroeconomic variables that have an impact on external debt in Ghana in both the short and long run. Interest rate on domestic debt impacts external debt in the long run, while inflation, real GDP, interest rate on external debt and money growth impact external debt in the short run. The forecasting exercise reveals that external debt will increase by 109.35% and 18.26% by the next decade based on the ARIMA and ARIMAX models, respectively.

Local food production may not meet food market needs because of population growth and urbanization. Greenhouse cultivation has been used as an effective technique for providing an environment isolated from outside conditions to grow a wide variety of high-quality products with secure and sustainable harvesting in all seasons, especially in northern climates. The main problem with greenhouse cultivation is energy consumption required to maintain the indoor environment desirable for plant growth. Energy efficiency and conservation have become important issues around the world due to the cost increase, disruptions in availability, and the growing significance of environmental problems. Developing efficient greenhouses can be one of the most important actions to support food security and climate resilience. One objective of designing an energy-efficient greenhouse is to reduce CO2 emissions caused by burning fossil fuels to operate a greenhouse or generate electricity to be used in greenhouses so, increasing the investment in renewable energy for greenhouses is an energy-saving action. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to investigate energy-efficient designs of greenhouses for year-round food security in the harsh and changing climate of Southern Alberta, Canada. Using EnergyPlus™, a well-known building energy simulation tool, the most energy efficient greenhouse has been determined through modelling, simulation, and comparison of greenhouses different in parameters such as shape, dimension, orientation and covering material. In the first part of the study, the optimum design between 6 types of conventional greenhouses was investigated considering different variables for mentioned parameters. In the second part, the thermal performance and energy consumption of Conventional Greenhouses (CGs), Chinese Style Greenhouses (CSGs) and Plant Factories (PF) were compared and the most energy-efficient one was selected. After finding the greenhouse with the minimum energ

Only 8% of police officers in Canada identify as people of colour, while approximately 26.5% of Canada’s general population identify as people of colour. Law enforcers do not currently mirror the demographics of the populations they serve, as agencies report difficulty recruiting ethnic minority officers who then also have higher resignation rates than their White counterparts. Many studies explore the intraorganizational discrimination and unique challenges faced by ethnic minority officers. However, there is currently no research addressing the public race-based experiences of officers of colour with civilians in the field. This study identifies the types and frequencies of race-based interactions experienced by ethnic minority officers in the field and how these interactions impact officers’ job satisfaction, professional identity, and in turn, intention to resign. Second, this study gathers officers’ suggestions regarding improvements in current policy, recruitment practices, officer training, and available support, as related to officers of colour. This mixed-methods research addresses a major gap in the current literature that supports people of colour entering and maintaining more positive law enforcement careers. Written responses from 49 officers provide insight into the unique challenges faced by ethnic minority officers in the field and the organizational and clinical implications of those events.

In many species of birds, mated individuals sing duets. I reviewed avian duet research with a focus on adaptive functions. I also reviewed methods for territory estimation because I needed to calculate territories for my primary study, in which I used acoustic and spatial data to test the function of duetting. My study species, the Adelaide’s warbler (Setophaga Adelaidae), is a Neotropical wood-warbler in which females answer their mates’ songs to form duets. Females answered more of their mates’ songs around the time of aggressive encounters, and when they were close to the territory boundaries or their mate. Females tended to move toward their mate after he sang, but answering did not affect approach behaviour. My findings suggest that female answering functions to defend the female’s territory and partnership, but does not function in mate localization. This is the first evidence of duet function in a New World warbler.

The study “Blackfoot Healing Curriculum Through Storytelling and Art: Faceless Dolls, a Young-Adult Illustrated Novella” is an arts-based dissertation of creative exploration in which I sought healing through storytelling and visual art pedagogy. K-12 programs of study and post-secondary education that incorporate the arts have effectively engaged and connected with teachers and students, particularly with youth. In this thesis, I explored the research question: “How can an illustrated novella that expresses Blackfoot storytelling pedagogy promote learning and healing from trauma?” I chose a qualitive arts-based approach and methodology that aimed to create meaning from written and visual text and to expand my own and my audience’s understanding of my research question. This framework recognizes that art can convey truths about knowledge of the self and others. I included 25 of my own artworks to convey such truths together with the written narrative. Under the umbrella of arts-based research, I engaged in fiction-based research, namely “social fiction” based on Patricia Leavy (2017), to write a realistic and authentic portrayal of a Blackfoot youth’s experience in my home community of the Blood Tribe in southern Alberta. I based my creative and scholarly work on four Blackfoot values: aatsimoyihkaan (spirituality), kimapiitpitsinni (kindness), ikakimaat (do your best) and kakoysin (being aware/observant). I found that my own arts practice, based on these Blackfoot teachings enabled me to experience transformational change through imagination, creativity, and holistic learning and knowing. Colonization and the Residential School system have left a devasting legacy of woundedness and trauma. In doing the research for the novella, I have identified how both traditional and contemporary Indigenous art and storytelling practices can be modes of survival and recovery, heal woundedness, and garner spiritual wisdom and well-being by attending to Blackfoot values in a K-12

This is a critical study of the current heritage management practices in southern Alberta, especially as they relate to Niitsitapii (Blackfoot) heritage sites. Two sites in particular, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and Writing-on-Stone / Aisinai’pi, are used as case studies for this research. Both of these sites have provincial, federal, and global designations resulting in layers of colonial policy focussed on how to best manage the heritage sites. Current heritage management directives and policies are discussed and dissected in order to understand the cultural values they represent and protect. These are compared and contrasted to Niitsitapii cultural values at the core of Niitsitapiiysinni (our way of life). Opinions from the Niitsitapii communities of Kainai and Piikanii were gathered and analyzed. From the responses / engagement received, themes began to emerge highlighting what is of importance, and value, for Niitsitapii people when it comes to managing Niitsitapii heritage. The document ends with discussing and presenting best practices that would benefit and support Indigenous led heritage management policy making.

Despite having mental health literacy (MHL), the prevalence of psychological distress (PD) among university students continues to remain an area of concern. Understanding the relationship between MHL attributes and PD and Help-Seeking Behaviour (HSB) can offer further insight into what knowledge is important for undergraduate students to possess to have a positive impact on their mental health. While many studies have reported a relationship between MHL and help-seeking behaviour, there were mixed findings between MHL and PD. Thus, the current study aimed to explore the extent to which Canadian undergraduate students demonstrate MHL, and its influence on their levels of PD and HSB. A total of 335 participants completed an online survey. Over half of the students demonstrated heightened symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. The results indicated that Canadian undergraduate students demonstrate a relatively high level of MHL. Moreover, the findings suggested that some attributes of MHL have a significant relationship with PD and HSB, while others do not. Further research is warranted to better understand the influence of MHL on PD and HSB.

The synthesis of iridium 1,5-cyclooctadiene and cyclooctene complexes supported by a monoanionic NNN-pincer ligand is described. The 1,5-cyclooctadiene complexes, ArLIr(COD) (L = 2,5-(iPr2P=NAr)2C4H2N, Ar = Pipp, Dipp, Mes, COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) did not react with dihydrogen or silanes, precluding further work into catalytic processes, such as alkane dehydrogenation and hydrosilylation. As such, a more reactive species was sought. PippLIr(COE) (COE = cyclooctene) reacted with dihydrogen and silanes, allowing the synthesis of PippLIr(H)2 and PippLIr(H)(SiR3) (R3 = Et3, HPh2, H2Ph). These complexes were characterized by multinuclear (1H, 13C{1H}, 29Si, 31P{1H}) and 2-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and elemental analysis. Alternatives to PippLIr(COE), including PippLIr(CO), PippLIr(PPh3), and others were investigated. This was undertaken to avoid competing reactivity with free COE in solution. The efficacy of PippLIr(H)2 and PippLIr(H)(SiR3) (R3 = Et3, HPh2, H2Ph) as catalysts for alkene hydrogenation and alkane dehydrogenation, and hydrosilylation, respectively, was explored.

Protein synthesis or translation is a process critical to life performed by all living organisms. The rapid and accurate production of proteins allows organisms to perform cellular functions, reproduce, and react to environmental stimuli. The core theme of this thesis is prokaryotic translation, beginning with building tools to study the structural dynamics of elongation factor thermo unstable (EF-Tu) and using them to determine the order of events during its functional cycle. Additionally, the phenomenon of prokaryotic structure-based translation initiation by the intergenic region internal ribosome entry site was investigated and its mode of action determined to be different from the previously proposed model. Finally, the preparation and biophysical characterization of the translation initiation region of the rpsA gene from Escherichia coli was performed to begin the work towards an atomic level understanding of this mRNA molecule bound to the prokaryotic ribosome. Together, this thesis demonstrates the robustness of the prokaryotic translation machinery and highlights that, although significant insight has been gained into how these molecular machines operate, there is still additional information needed to fully understand this fundamental process.

Spiritual distress is an important component of holistic nursing practice. Internationally, nursing competency to care for patients in spiritual distress has not been well established (Kasar & Nacak, 2021). The goals of this project are to provide a high-level introduction to the concept of spiritual distress, provide a session to teach nurses to identify spiritual distress in oneself and others, and motivate nurses to continue their education on spiritual distress after the session. A 30-minute lunch time educational session was developed and piloted to all employee designations at St. Michael’s Health Centre in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Data was collected from post-intervention surveys. Data analysis concluded that this educational intervention design was effective in educating learners on spiritual distress and that further education on this subject is desired.

This paper estimates the potential impact of human capital, proxied by government expenditures on education, on economic growth. A panel data regression analysis is employed to investigate this association, utilizing yearly data from 2005 to 2010 across 49 selected developing countries. The regression model employs fixed effects and random effects and includes corrections for panel heteroskedasticity and serial correlation. A vector of other independent variables is utilized to account for other factors that could affect GDP growth based on those suggested by other studies. The fixed effects results suggest a positive but statistically insignificant relationship between government expenditure on education and GDP growth (annual %). Conversely, the random effects results suggest an insignificant negative relationship between government expenditure on education and GDP growth (annual %). These results raise questions regarding the productive utilization of education within society and prompt further inquiries into the efficiency of education in developing countries.