Digital Commons Network^™

Perceived Parental Pressure And Coping Mechanisms In Undergraduate Students, Ariel Tran

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

With the rising pressure and competition to succeed academically, it is common for students to feel pressured to perform at a certain level. When this pressure to perform primarily stems from parental figures, there are inconsistent studies determining the effect of parental pressure, the student’s ability to cope with those stressors, and the internalization of those pressure to succeed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to uncover the relationship between perceived parental pressure, self-oriented perfectionism and coping self-efficacy amongst first year university students. A sample of 70 female students completed a series of self-reported questionnaires that included an abbreviated …

The Relationship Between Covid-19 Social Isolation, Social Anxiety, And Locus Of Control, Phoebe B. Everest

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

The current study examined the post-pandemic effects of social isolation following Covid-19. The researchers were interested in social anxiety disorder (SAD) levels among young women and predicted that the personality variable of locus of control (LOC) could influence SAD levels. Participants were recruited from the only all-female university in Canada, Brescia University College (N=64). The researchers correlated the variables of interest using the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-R), Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), and Rotter’s internal-external control scale. The researchers hypothesized that there would be a negative correlation between pandemic social engagement and current levels of SAD. This hypothesis was …

Evaluating A Daily Physical Activity (Dpa) Toolkit For Elementary School Teachers, Shelby T. Singh

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The present study investigated whether a centralized toolkit containing easy-to-access resources, and that could be implemented without training, could help to promote greater adherence to Ontario’s Daily Physical Activity (DPA) policy and encourage more physical activity within the classroom. From January to March 2023, 142 Ontario elementary teachers completed pre-/post-surveys assessing DPA practices and were given access to the DPA toolkit. The findings demonstrate that access to the DPA toolkit improved DPA fidelity, as well as increased teacher engagement/enjoyment with DPA, and perception of students’ cognitive functioning, academic performance and mental health. In conclusion, providing accessible, easy-to-use resources that require …

A Musicology Of Record Production - Research Creation, Gender, And Creative Reflective Practice In Project-Paradigm Music Production, Lydia Wilton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This research-creation project elucidates the “methodology” of producing records. As an artist-researcher, I investigate how a record producer uses the recording studio as a “musical instrument”. My primary research goal is to answer two fundamental questions about record producing that have yet to be addressed and which cannot be explored successfully by other means: “Does the record producer’s creative agency have musical consequences?”, and “If so, what are they?” Through the creative practices I adopted for this project’s artefact - an album of nine tracks, called Blasphemy, that I produced for the London, Ontario-based rock band Nameless Friends - …

Breast Cancer Risk In Women With Breast Bilateral Asymmetry: Machine Learning Based Risk Analysis And Mitigation Through Developing A Framework For Customized Bra Design, Xi Feng

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer globally, accounting for 12.5% of all new cases annually. Research has found a significant correlation between breast bilateral asymmetry and an increased risk of cancer, with women diagnosed with breast cancer having higher levels of bilateral asymmetrical breast volume. Unfortunately, 87% of women with breast asymmetry lack adequate tools for assessing their cancer risk. Early screening using bilateral asymmetry to predict a woman's long-term risk of breast cancer can help physicians make informed decisions about whether to recommend sequential imaging and the frequency of screening. Another important factor in understanding the …

Older Adolescent Perspectives On The Use Of Research Within Online Communities, Ahrrabie Thirunavukkarasu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study explores the attitudes of older adolescents (aged 16 to 19) regarding researchers collecting personal information from Social Networking Sites (SNSs) through passive observation to support Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) research. The aim of this study is to add to the ongoing discourse in the scientific community, by providing a unique perspective on how researchers can uphold ethical conduct throughout their research process. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach and incorporates a Qualtrics^XM survey and online focus groups (FGs). The findings reveal that participants have reservations toward passive, hidden observational researchers. Despite their concerns, participants support researchers using their …

Black Tio2 Nts And Zno-Tio2 Nts Heterostructure: Synthesis, Characterization, And Synchrotron-Based Spectroscopy Studies, Lu Yao

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The one-dimensional (1D) TiO₂ nanotubes (NTs), and their derivatives have been extensively studied due to their potential use in water-splitting, solar cells, and lithium-ion batteries. Since TiO₂ has a large band gap (~3.2 eV for anatase), there has been a search for higher photocatalytic efficiency by shifting the band gap into the visible range. This thesis presents a study of black TiO₂ NTs and ZnO-TiO₂ heterostructures using synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. It involves the transformation from as-prepared TiO₂ NTs to black TiO₂ NTs via an electrochemical reduction method. ZnO-TiO₂ NT …

Exploring Counsellors’ Insights Into Effective Support For Clients With Low Income, Skylar Rego

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Individuals with low income may experience a greater need for mental health services due to the substantial life challenges and stressors they experience. However, more research needs to explore what has been effective in improving services for this population. The present study addressed this gap through counsellors’ perspectives to identify what has been helpful when working with low-income populations. Counsellors completed an interview regarding their personal and professional experiences working with low-income populations, answering the question, “What have you found to be the most helpful aspects of counselling with clients facing low income?”. Participants then completed a sorting task using …

Exploring The Feasibility And Outcomes Of Concurrent Parent And Child Mindfulness-Based Interventions, Melissa Read

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) have shown to be effective in improving child and parent outcomes, including parental stress (Burgdorf et al., 2019; Friedmutter, 2016), child behaviour problems, and child executive functioning (Cheang et al., 2019; Donald et al., 2019; Dunning et al., 2019). The field of mindfulness has evolved to include parents and children together in programs, called parallel or concurrent parent and child MBIs. Children who have experienced adversity may be at a greater need for MBIs, as MBIs target stress and emotion regulation, areas where these children may need greater support (Bethell et al., 2016; Brenmer, 2003). As a …

Social Location & Counsellor Identity: A Reflexive Analysis Of Social Power And The Therapeutic Use Of Self, Stephanie R. Page

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

It has become widely appreciated that health and mental health are impacted by interconnected systems of inequity and individual social location. With demand for psychological services increasing in Canada, there does exist a need to better understand how social location relates to counselling. A random sample of 19 CCPA registered Canadian Counsellors were interviewed and asked about their social location. Participant responses were transcribed and qualitatively analyzed using the Six-Phase Model for Reflexive Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2022). One theme and two sub-themes were carved out: Participant Asset Experiences (25), Self-Identification (15), and Blind Spots (10). Findings relate to …

Investigation Of Segregation In Mixing Pharmaceutical Powders Using Passive Acoustic Emissions In A V-Blender, Omar Salem

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Powder mixing is a crucial and complex step in pharmaceutical production. Monitoring of mixing and segregation processes can be achieved using process analytical technologies to improve product quality. Passive acoustic emissions were examined during mixing in a V-blender. Vibrations from the emissions were measured through an accelerometer affixed to the outer V-shell arm lid. Horizontal and vertical loading configurations of particles were examined. Stable mixtures were reached when the measured amplitude plateaued around the approximate weighted average of the particles in the outer V-shell arm. Horizontal loading trials mixed faster and reached stable mixtures in fewer revolutions than vertical loading …

Indigenization Of Postsecondary Education Applied Learning Curriculum Development, Gabriel Y. Chung

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s (2015) Calls to Action have awoken Canadian society to the reconciliation. Although there is a growing body of knowledge on the individual topics of Indigenous education, knowledge, and leadership, there is relatively little research bringing together these topics in curriculum development practices in a postsecondary education skilled learning context. My problem of practice (PoP) is one that strives to address a low enrolment of Indigenous adult learners and lower positive outcomes from skilled training programs. Situating this problem from my perspectives as a Canadian-born visible minority Settler on Turtle Island and postsecondary education …

The Roles Of Fabp3 In Endothelial Dysfunction And The Transcriptomic Insights Into Cardiovascular Disease, Chi Hien Nguyen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Heart-type fatty acid binding protein (FABP3) is an effective biomarker for cardiac injuries. However, it has also been tested as a biomarker in patients with peripheral artery diseases; these conditions are complications of atherosclerosis, which is driven by endothelial dysfunction. As FABP3 release is not exclusive to the heart but appears to characterize cardiovascular events, whether FABP3 influences endothelial function is not known. Additionally, the transcriptomic profiles of endothelial cells during cardiovascular stresses remain under-investigated. This thesis investigates the multifaceted role of FABP3 and the transcriptomic alterations in endothelial cells under different cardiovascular stressors, offering novel insights into endothelial dysfunction …

Machine Learning Classifiers For Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Using Lung Ct Data., Halimah Alsurayhi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a condition characterized by persistent inflammation and airflow blockages in the lungs, contributing to a significant number of deaths globally each year. To guide tailored treatment strategies and mitigate future risks, the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) employs a multifaceted assessment system of COPD severity, considering patient's lung function, symptoms, and exacerbation history. COPD staging systems, such as the high-resolution eight-stage COPD system and the GOLD 2023 three staging systems, have been later developed based on these factors. Lung Computed Tomography (CT) is becoming increasingly crucial in investigating COPD as it …

Exploring Food Insecurity And Its Relationships To Perceived Stress And Sleep Quality In Female Undergraduate Students, Zainah Tk Abushanab

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

This study investigated whether students who scored high in Food Insecurity, would have higher levels of Perceived Stress and lower Sleep Quality. Additionally, this study sought to clarify different types of stressors and their individual contribution to Sleep Quality Risk and Subjective Mental Health. The sample consisted of 65 female undergraduate students at a university in London, Ontario. A Kendall’s tau-b correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between Food Insecurity and Sleep Quality Risk. A significant positive correlation was also found a significant, positive relationship between Food Insecurity and Perceived Stress. Additionally, a significant negative relationship was revealed between …

Creating Legitimacy: The Dyarchy In Spartan Social Memory, Stephanie J. Dennie

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Scholars of the constitutional development of Archaic Sparta and its dyarchy (or dual kingship) have long considered Tyrtaios’ Eunomia contemporary evidence for the mysterious lawgiver Lykourgos, whose alleged reforms have largely been reconstructed from late-Classical and Roman sources. According to orthodox narratives of Lykourgos, seventh-century Sparta enjoyed internal stability and good governance, but Tyrtaios’ seventh-century poem strongly suggests the continued existence of civil strife. Drawing on social memory studies and archaeological survey data, this dissertation questions the Lykourgan grand narrative and explores the capacity of Tyrtaios’ Eunomia to help us recontextualize Sparta’s socio-political development in the seventh century BCE.

I …

The Black-To-White Hole Transition, Farshid Soltani

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Classically, an isolated black hole is a stable gravitational object. If however semiclassical effects are taken into account, an isolated black hole can be shown to slowly radiate its mass away in a process called evaporation. At the end of the evaporation process, when the size of the horizon becomes Planckian, the quantum nature of the gravitational field can no longer be neglected and the dynamics of the horizon is governed by quantum gravity. The main objective of this thesis is the systematic investigation of a tentative scenario for the “end of the life” of a black hole: the black-to-white …

Determining The Effects Of Mistranslating Transfer Rna Variants On Drosophila Melanogaster, Joshua R. Isaacson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) play a central role in translation as adaptor molecules between mRNA and protein. Variant tRNAs can cause the misincorporation of an amino acid into a growing polypeptide. Mistranslating tRNA variants are surprisingly common in humans but the effects of mistranslating tRNA variants on eukaryotic biology are poorly understood. My thesis aimed to create a model of tRNA-induced mistranslation using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and characterize the effects of mistranslating tRNA variants on eukaryotic biology.

I first integrated a gene encoding a serine tRNA variant that induced proline-to-serine (P>S) mistranslation into the fly genome. Proteins isolated …

Physical And Geometrical Modulation Of Human Fibroblast Behaviour, Sarah M. Brooks

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis investigates the impact of mechanical stimuli, specifically substratum topography and elastic modulus, on dermal and gingival fibroblast behaviour associated with scarring and regeneration. Scar formation presents a significant issue for implanted biomaterials often leading to device failure. Even though scar formation is a normal end point to adult human dermal wound healing, gingival wounds are capable of tissue regeneration or scarless wound healing. Understanding how these cells respond to environmental cues, including substratum topography and elastic modulus, is central to the development of novel biomaterials for stimulation of tissue regeneration. It was hypothesized that topographic features, with submicron …

“We Make Things Today For Tomorrow”: Artists’ Publishing For The Future, Ruth Skinner

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation is an exploration of artists’ book, artists’ publishing, distribution, and archival practices from a number of vantages in order to explore the activist possibilities of contemporary arts publishing. The concept of urgent artifacts, developed by publisher Paul Soulellis, reverberates throughout this research. The liveliness of this term is enhanced through applying additional modes of experience: clairvoyance, forensics, thinness, as well as their tricky interplay. In exploring what artists’ publishing might require for the present and the immediate future, this research-creation project considers the possibilities that clairvoyance—in particular, the figure of the medium—and archival intuition might offer. Borrowing from …

Anxiety In Children And Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Behavioural Phenotypes And Environmental Factors, Caitlin E. Leachman Miss

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Anxiety is the most prevalent comorbidity among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The phenotypical presentation of anxiety among children and adolescents with ASD is lacking within the literature. This study sought to differentiate behavioral phenotypes associated with anxiety in children with ASD from anxiety in typically-developing children. Participants completed a series of child and parent reports measuring anxiety, depressive symptoms, ASD symptom severity, emotional problems, parental stress, and socioeconomic factors. Three distinct anxiety profiles, including moderate, high, and low, were identified. Results demonstrated that depression is the strongest predictor of high anxiety among children and adolescents with …

Luminescence And Structural Properties Of Silicon-Germanium Quantum Structures Fabricated By Ion Implantation, Matheus Coelho Adam

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The advancement of semiconductor materials has played a crucial role in driving positive technological breakthroughs that impact humanity in numerous ways. The presence of defects significantly alters the physical properties of semiconductors, making their analysis essential in the fabrication of semiconductor devices. I presented a new method to quantify surface and near-surface defects in single crystal semiconductors. Epitaxially-grown silicon was measured by low energy electron diffraction (LEED) to obtain the surface Debye temperature (θ_D). The results showed the surface θ_D of bulk Si (001), 1.0 μm, and 0.6 μm Si on sapphire of 333 K, 299 K, …

Barriers To Working With Low Income Clients As Experienced By Counsellors, Riley Keast

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study aimed to answer the question “what are the perceived barriers or challenges counsellors experience when working with low income clients in their practice following COVID-19?”. Participants were recruited via mass email sent to professionals registered with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), who then completed a survey via Qualtrics (n = 322). 113 Canadian counsellors from across Canada were interviewed. Data obtained from interviews was analyzed using concept mapping software GroupWisdom. Participants (n = 29) grouped the statements into seven themes including: barriers due to low income and employment, systemic barriers for clients, barriers due to …

Numerical Study Of Ozone Decomposition Reaction Behaviours In Gas-Solids Circulating Fluidized Bed Reactors, Zhengyuan Deng

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study numerically investigated the reaction behaviours of catalytic ozone decomposition reaction in a 10.2-meter-tall gas-solids circulating fluidized bed (CFB) reactor. A pseudo-homogeneous reactive transport model for ozone decomposition, integrated with the two-fluid model, was developed and validated using experimental data. Based on the model, the impacts of turbulence models, specularity coefficients, and simulation methods on reaction behaviours in the CFB riser reactor were explored. These three factors were found to significantly affect the hydrodynamic characteristics and the reaction behaviours in the riser. A comparative study of CFB riser and downer reactors was conducted. Operations in the direction of and …

Maladaptive Behaviour Effects On Female College Students Body Image Ideals, Amanda Z. Vetere

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

Abstract

This study investigates the influences of maladaptive perfectionism on female college students' body image dissatisfaction. Specifically, it looks at how maladaptive perfectionism affects social appearance anxiety and body image cognitive distortions. The sample comprised of 80 female participants from Brescia University College in London, Ontario, Canada. The Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R) (Slaney et al., 2001) was used to measure participants' maladaptive and adaptive perfectionism scores. The Assessment of Body Image Cognitive Distortion (ABCD) (Cash, 2008) scale was used to measure participants' cognitive distortions about their bodies. The Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS) (Hart et al., 2008) was used to …

The Effects Of Nonverbal Communication In Online Learning Formats, Hannah Paraiso

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

This study experimentally investigated the effects of nonverbal communication in online learning formats, and whether there was an impact on working memory. Participants (N = 40) were randomly assigned to watch 1 of 3 different online video formats. Each video had identical slide show and audio content, but different visibility of the speaker. All videos were 10 minutes long and followed by a 15 multiple choice questionnaire based on the video content. Following the experiment, participants also completed demographic questions to obtain data on prior online learning experience, age, and undergraduate years. Results of this study indicated that there was …

Personal And Social Characteristics As Predictors Of First-Year Students' Transition To University, Emily L. Pearce Miss

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

The current study investigated personal (i.e., the Big Five personality traits, academic resilience, and academic engagement) and social characteristics (sense of school belongingness) as predictors of first-year students' transition to university. The study also sought to create a regression model that demonstrated the relative importance of each factor concerning a student's transition while also investigating which factors best predict one's transition overall. The sample consisted of 81 female and two non-binary-identifying students at a university in London, Ontario. A Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between a student's sense of school belongingness and a successful transition to university. …

Exercise And Coping With Stress, Trineice Z. Mclean

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

The main objective of the present study was to examine the relationship between the influential effects of participating in habitual exercise regimens and stress perceptions. Previous literature has provided a substantial amount of evidence supporting the physiological underpinnings relative to stress perceptions and the release of stress hormones such as cortisol. It was within this study’s interest to investigate both the physiological and cognitive components that contribute to the overall perceptions of stressors throughout an individual’s daily functioning. The sample included 52 undergraduate first-year psychology Brescia students, who were recruited via the SONA system in which after informed consent was …

Bioactive And Electrically Conductive Nanocomposite Bone Biomaterials, Rebeca A. Arambula-Maldonado

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Electrically conductive carbon-based materials are emerging as potential biomaterials for bone tissue engineering. Their incorporation into organic-inorganic nanocomposites mimics the structural composition and electrically conductive nature of bone.

The aim of this research was to design bone biomaterials from gelatin-based polymers, tertiary bioactive glasses (BG) via a sol-gel method, and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). The incorporation of calcium into organic-inorganic nanocomposites plays an essential role in the development of bioactive bone biomaterials. Calcium chloride and calcium ethoxide were investigated as calcium sources in gelatin-BG-MWCNT nanocomposites. The resulting surface elemental distribution was homogeneous, but the swelling, degradation and porosity properties of …

Performing Masculinity: Calgary Men In The Great War, Andrew J. Hawkes

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis explores the masculinity of soldiers from Calgary during the Great War using a theoretical framework of hegemonic masculinity. The first chapter establishes a normative masculine standard in Calgary using local newspaper coverage of battalion departure parades. These events were rituals that celebrated militarized masculinity and reinforced the hegemonic ideal that existed across the British Empire in the early 20^th century. The second chapter assesses how masculinity was performed in letters during the war. Although men strove to embody the masculine ideal, their letters were not uniform endorsements of martial masculinity. The third chapter analyzes how hegemonic masculinity …