Digital Commons Network^™

The Perceived Frequency And Effects Of Multilingual Communication In Youth And Adolescent Soccer, Simao M. Araujo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In professional soccer, the topic of multilingual communication has been widely researched; however, there appears to be a gap in the literature concerning how multilingual use is perceived by athletes and coaches at the youth and adolescent level of the sport. In the present study, male soccer athletes ages 10 to 18 years old and their coaches completed a questionnaire in which they rated both perceived frequency of use and perceived effects of using multilingual communication in youth and adolescent soccer. Specifically, these questionnaires elicited quantitative information regarding categories such as tactical advantages, words of encouragement, general expressions, and group …

Weight Stigma In Health-Related Undergraduate Programs, Alicia Rodney

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Health-related undergraduate programs are common pathways for future health care providers and play a critical role in shaping attitudes toward weight, as biases formed during training often carry over into professional practice. While weight stigma (WS) has been examined among practicing professionals and medical students, little is known about how it is experienced by undergraduate students in different health-related programs, particularly across the weight spectrum. This qualitative study contributes to closing this gap by exploring and comparing how students in one kinesiology and one health sciences program experience WS within an academic setting.

Using Reflexive Thematic Analysis, open-ended survey responses …

Development Of A Stress Response Framework For Understanding Sogie Refugee Health, Arooran Saravanan Ananthavel Murugan

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

As an increasing number of individuals flee persecution on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity expression (SOGIE), Canada has become a prominent destination for SOGIE refugees. The chronic stressors encountered by this marginalized population remain insufficiently studied, particularly in relation to physical health outcomes. This qualitative study investigates the cumulative health impacts of chronic stress among SOGIE refugees through the application of a cell-to-society framework, underpinned by Minority Stress Theory (MST). The study seeks to develop a SOGIE-specific stress response framework that theorizes the processes by which social and environmental stressors become biologically embedded, thereby contributing to elevated …

More Than Meets The Eye: A Phenomenological Study Of Self-Concept, Identity, And Meaning-Making In Adults With Acquired Vision Loss, Melinda M. Szilva

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The qualitative research project examines the lived experience of acquired vision loss in adulthood and its impact on the way participants see themselves and the world around them, both sensorially and metaphorically. The research question, “What are the lived experiences of adults with acquired vision loss as they relate to identity and conceptions of self?” is informed by the researcher’s clinical practice as a psychotherapist in a low vision clinic. The dissertation includes a literature review focussed on the psychosocial aspects of vision loss to provide insight into the intended population and context for the study. Data for the phenomenological …

Integrating Indigenous Values And Community Strengths To Achieve Indigenous Food Sovereignty And Community Well-Being In The Ka’A’Gee Tu First Nation, Northwest Territories, Jennifer K. Temmer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Northern Indigenous communities face disproportionate impacts from interconnected challenges related to climate change, food security, health, and cultural preservation, that threaten traditional food systems and practices. While there is a growing recognition of the importance of community-driven solutions, existing frameworks fail to integrate Indigenous values and local priorities effectively. This research addresses this gap by exploring how the Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation (KTFN) is responding to these crises through climate change adaptation efforts focused on food system sustainability as a pathway to self-sufficiency and community well-being. To contribute to these efforts, this dissertation uses Participatory Action Research to facilitate community-driven …

Exploring The Experiences Of Racialized Immigrant Mothers In Contributing To Patterns Of Community Life In The Victoria Hills Neighbourhood, Carmel Tatiana Mahdi Miss

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The experiences of racialized immigrant mothers are complex, nuanced, and beautiful. Oftentimes, their stories are described in a way that frames women as helpless victims, merely writing about their challenges in the absence of their protagonism. The stories in this thesis suggest that, against the obstacles unique to racialization, motherhood and immigration, mothers are often the primary caretakers of their families and play a significant role in the development of children, while creatively exploring and responding to questions pertinent to community development. They navigate community life in a place different from the one they grew up in – addressing questions …

The Progressive Potential Of The Horror Arg: A Digital Ethnographic Analysis Of Instagram Account Sabrinamiller230, Matthew N. Wiebe

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Alternate reality games (ARGs) are transmedia games that exist and operate utilizing a number of digital communication platforms. These games see players employing their digital literacy skills in order to solve narrative puzzles and craft theories with other ARG players – through engaging with the alternate reality fiction presented to them. sabrinamiller230 is a horror themed ARG that takes the appearance of an Instagram profile and presents players with a speculative alternate reality world featuring an alien who critiques humanity’s many injustices. This research paper seeks to address a key problem regarding the lack of digital ethnographic studies of ARG …

Association Between The Social Vulnerability Index And Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes, Tetsuya Kawakita, Misa Hayasaka, Lindsay Robbins, Juliana Martins, George Saade

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Faculty Publications

Objective: To assess the association between the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and racial disparities in pregnancy outcomes across U.S. counties and to quantify these racial disparities.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using restricted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data sets, including natality data sets, fetal death data sets, and all-cause mortality data sets from 2016 to 2021. We limited analyses to Black or White individuals aged 15-44 years from 3,114 U.S. counties. Participants were categorized into quartiles based on county-level SVI. The primary outcome was maternal mortality rate while pregnant or within 42 days of the end of …

Mobile Health Intervention Tools Promoting Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Adolescent Girls And Young Women In Sub-Saharan Africa: Scoping Review, Alex Emilio Fischer, Homaira Hanif, Jacob B. Stocks, Aimee E. Rochelle, Karen Dominguez, Eliana Gabriela Armora Langoni, H. Luz Mcnaughton Reyes, Gustavo F. Doncel, Kathryn E. Muessig

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Faculty Publications

Background:

In 2022, 3100 adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa experienced new HIV infections each week. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is effective at preventing HIV but has limited uptake and persistence. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions can improve medication adherence; however, their utility to improve PrEP adherence among adolescent girls and young women is not well established.

Objective:

This scoping review synthesizes evidence supporting mHealth for PrEP among adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa and identifies strategies for further evaluation.

Methods:

We searched PubMed and Google Scholar databases, expert referrals, and reference lists using the following eligibility …

Creativity, Fame And Power: A Critical Political Economy Of Social Media Comedy Skit In Nigeria, Idowu Badmus

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study explores social media comedy skits in Nigeria as a novel type of creativity that is both an economic and cultural activity with political and social implications within the context of the rapidly expanding global ecosystem of online content creation. Academic interest in social media comedy skits has grown as a result of their emergence as a popular culture within Nigeria's entertainment landscape. However, most research has focused on understanding this form of humour through its positive societal correlates. Hence, within the notion of industrialization of culture, which suggests that various methods of financing and arranging communication resources have …

Moral Identity: From Theory To Research, Jean Paul Lefebvre

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Moral identity, often defined as the importance or centrality of moral values to a person’s sense of self, has long been understood to play an important role in moral functioning. However, critical gaps remain regarding its development, cross-context stability, and behavioural significance. This dissertation addresses these gaps in three empirical studies, providing new insights into the nature and function of moral identity across the lifespan and in daily life.

The first study (Chapter 2) explores developmental trends in moral identity, testing predictions from moral identity goal theory (Krettenauer, 2022). Using a cross-sectional sample spanning adolescence to old age, the study …

Quantifying Ecological Processes Predicting Barren-Ground Caribou (Ɂetthën; Rangifer Tarandus Groenlandicus) Occurrence Across A Heterogenous Northern Indigenous Protected And Conserved Area., Eric Jolin

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Northern ecosystems are experiencing a period of rapid and unprecedented change, with implications for species distributions, mammal community dynamics, and habitat associations. Understanding the ecological processes that shape species distributions is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies that can adapt to such change. This study examines drivers of barren-ground caribou occurrence, a species of cultural and ecological significance, across Thaıdene Nëné Indigenous Protected Area, an ecologically intact landscape of high habitat heterogeneity straddling the treeline of the Northwest Territories. I use spatial and temporal variation in caribou detections generated by camera traps to test the relative importance of apparent competition, …

From The Intimate, Regional To The Global: Examining The Indian International Student Migration To Canada, Neil Amber Judge

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation examines Indian international student migration to Canada focusing on students from the north Indian state of Punjab, a region with extensive history of migration and transnational social ties to Canada. Punjab has historically been the predominant sending region within India to Canada, and which continues to dominate in the present phase of international student migration to Canada. The pursuit of higher education has become particularly popular in Punjab. Furthermore, Canada has recently emerged as a significant international study destination following its international education strategy aimed to attract and increase the number of international students. The study employs qualitative …

Grief On The Margins: The Death Of A Family Member To Substance Use, Adair Shaw

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Despite Canada's high death rates from substance use, there is limited research on the sociopsychological impact on families, who often face stigma and disenfranchised grief. This study explores how family members make meaning of a substance-related death. Through qualitative inquiry, eleven family members were interviewed on their experience of grief from substance death. The imprint of losing a family member to mental illness and substance use is fraught with intergenerational grief, ambiguity, prolonged mental-emotional distress, and relationship challenges. Substance death was also associated with stigma, social withdrawal, and shame for many participants. However, grievers reconstructed the socially prescribed negative perceptions …

The Divine Invitation To Co-Creation: The Effects Of Creative Practice On The Vocation Of Clergy In The Anglican Church Of Canada, Dawn Dickieson-Leger

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Creative practice has been confirmed as having benefits for health and well-being for people as well as an effective spiritual practice aiding in discernment. Clergy find their purpose in their sense of vocation, often formed and discerned in the context of seeking ordination. The researcher, an Anglican priest and amateur artist, presents a renewed idea of vocation as co-creation with God by engaging in creative practice. Throughout the dissertation she offers reflections from her own experiences in art, health recovery, and ministry. Fifteen Anglican clergy were interviewed about their vocation, ministry, and creative practice. Each of these clergy met the …

International Students Practicing Their Wellbeing: Social Connections And Use Of Professional Mental Health Services, Lal Ruby Atesoglu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

International students are a growing group of immigrants in Canada, and in particular in Ontario. Literature has consistently showed that international students experience unique mental health challenges, with reasons ranging from uncertainty about the future to having to cultivate social networks from scratch. Despite these stressors, they access professional mental health services at a lower rate than domestic students. Research has also shown that international students turn to their social connections to address their mental health concerns frequently. The aim of this study is to explore how international students utilize professional mental health services as well as their social connections …

Operationalizing Intersectionality Analysis For Urban Agriculture In Quito, Ecuador, Laine N. Young

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis outlines the results of a case study in Quito, Ecuador with the municipally led participatory urban agriculture project, AGRUPAR, an internationally recognized project that promotes women’s empowerment, traditional knowledge, agroecology, and livelihoods. It works to improve the lives of those experiencing high levels of poverty in Quito. This dissertation applies an intersectional analysis to urban agriculture research to enhance attention to power relations, social justice, and equity within its scholarly and practical realms. Intersectionality is an understanding that people have unique experiences of oppression based on their unique social location (what intersecting social categories they belong to) and …

The Perverse Effects Of Mandatory Judicial Reporting To Bar Authorities Of Ineffective Assistance Of Counsel Determinations, Tigran W. Eldred, David M. Siegel

Faculty Scholarship

California Business & Professions Code § 6086.7(a)(2) provides that a court shall notify the State Bar “[w]henever a modification or reversal of a judgment in a judicial proceeding is based in whole or in part on the misconduct, incompetent representation, or willful misrepresentation of an attorney.” Some California judges now interpret this provision as mandating referral to the State Bar in any case in which a new trial or withdrawal of a plea is granted due to ineffective assistance of counsel. This interpretation directly conflicts with an attorney’s continuing duty to her former client. It is unnecessary and has profoundly …

The Reliability Gap: How Traditional Search Engines Outperform Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Chatbots In Rosacea Public Health Information Quality, Houston C. Nelson, Morgan T. Beauchamp, April A. Pace

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: The internet has become a primary source of health information for the public, with important implications for patient decision-making and public health outcomes. However, the quality and readability of this content vary widely. With the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini, new challenges and opportunities have emerged in how patients access and interpret medical information.

Objective: To evaluate and compare the quality, credibility, and readability of consumer health information provided by traditional search engines (Google, Bing) and generative AI platforms (ChatGPT, Gemini) using three validated instruments: DISCERN, JAMA Benchmark Criteria, and Flesch-Kincaid Readability …

Sarcoidosis With Isolated Osseous Manifestations Mimicking Metastatic Malignancy, Ahmed Ismail, Ahmed Saleh, Yanis Boumber

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease of unknown etiology that commonly involves multiple organ systems, with the lungs and lymph nodes most frequently affected. Osseous involvement, although recognized, is considered uncommon and often overlooked due to its nonspecific clinical and radiographic features. Patients may be asymptomatic or present with pain, swelling, and functional limitations of the affected limb. Imaging can reveal findings such as bone lesions that mimic malignancy, including lytic or sclerotic changes. Diagnosis relies on histopathological confirmation of non-caseating granulomas. Treatment is directed at symptom relief and preservation of limb function. Here, we present a rare case of isolated …

Cardiomyopathies Of Endocrine Origin: A State-Of-The-Art Review, Jenyfer M. Fuentes-Mendoza, Marcio J. Concepción-Zavaleta, Juan C. Morón-Siguas, Juan M. Muñoz-Moreno, Aranza I. Pérez-Reyes, Rodrigo Martinez-Galaviz, Raúl D. Aguilar-Castañeda, Oziel González-Godoy, Luis A. Concepción-Urteaga, José Paz-Ibarra

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Endocrine disorders are increasingly recognized as potentially reversible causes of secondary cardiomyopathies, yet they often remain underdiagnosed in clinical practice. These conditions-including thyroid dysfunction, acromegaly, pheochromocytoma, diabetes mellitus, adrenal disorders, among others-can significantly alter cardiac structure and function through hormonal excess, metabolic remodeling, and neurohumoral activation. Hyperthyroidism may lead to high-output heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation, while hypothyroidism is associated with diastolic dysfunction, pericardial effusion, and accelerated atherosclerosis. Acromegaly promotes biventricular hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis via insulin-like growth factor 1 overproduction. Pheochromocytoma triggers catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy, resembling Takotsubo syndrome and carrying a high risk of mortality if left untreated. Diabetes …

Consumption Of The Food Groups With The Revised Benefits In The New Wic Food Package: A Scoping Review, Qi Zhang, Priyanka T. Patel, Bidusha Neupane, Caitlin M. Lowery, Futun Alkhalifah, Faezeh Mahdavi, Esther May Sarino

Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: On 18 April 2024, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published the first food package changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in over a decade, which reduced some food benefits (juice, milk, canned fish, and infant fruits and vegetables) and offered substitutes (cash-value vouchers (CVVs) or cash-value benefits (CVBs) to redeem for fruits and vegetables, cheese, soymilk, or other dairy products). Methods: To assess the impact of the changes on the consumption and redemption of these food groups, a systematic search was conducted, identifying 23 peer-reviewed publications between 2010 and 2024. …

Evidence-Based Best Practices For Diabetes Education And Self-Care In Appalachia: A Literature Review., Angela J Occidental, Inga M Zadvinskis, Jacqueline Hoying

Nursing Articles

INTRODUCTION: The Appalachian Region has a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and associated adverse health outcomes. Although numerous papers report best practices for diabetes care and education, a clinician-friendly, synthesized summary of best practices tailored to Appalachian cultural preferences is lacking.

PURPOSE: This paper uses the Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt evidence-based framework to identify the best practices for T2DM care and education for Appalachian residents.

METHODS: A comprehensive literature search using the databases CINAHL, Academic Search Complete, and PubMed was guided by a PICOT question. Quality appraisals were completed for fifty-two articles; thirty papers were selected to synthesize …

Atmospheric Transport Of Radionuclides, Meteorological Data Mining & Synthesis For Site Data Supplementation, Ben Yao Sonpon

Doctoral Dissertations

"This research aligns with the NRC's vision of implementing risk-informed decision-making to support its regulatory charter. The suite of tools developed includes automated procedures for data mining and extracting meteorological (met) data from various national and regional repositories. A second data analytics tool automates the process of data fusion into a uniform format while preserving data fidelity. Autocorrelations were then established, and correlation coefficients were calculated between the Callaway Nuclear Power Plant (Callaway) and nearby off-site weather stations. The complexity of these correlations depends on factors such as physical proximity, geographic features, and topology, potentially necessitating multivariate analysis (MVA). Furthermore, …

Transport And Plugging Behavior Of Co2-Resistant Preformed Particle Gels In High Conductive Channels For Conformance Control, Adel Alotibi

Doctoral Dissertations

"Improving oil recovery is essential with rising global oil demand and declining production in mature fields. CO₂ flooding has been widely applied as a major Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) method due to its effectiveness in boosting oil recovery while enabling safe carbon storage in the subsurface. However, in fractured and highly heterogeneous reservoirs, CO₂ often flows through paths of least resistance, leading to early breakthrough or quick excessive CO₂ production and leaving substantial oil in unswept zones or areas. Traditional in-situ polymer gels have been applied to control CO₂ flooding conformance, their performance has been varied, …

Characterizations Of Eco-Friendly Class C Fly Ash-Based Alkali-Activated Mixtures For Various 3d-Printing Techniques, Fareh Abudawaba

Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the potential of using high-calcium class C fly ash (FA) as the main precursor for synthesizing alkali-activated mortar (AAM) suitable for 3D-printed concrete (3DPC) applications. The objective was to broaden the selection of AAMs, designed to suit various printing techniques, including continuous mixing and pumping, large batch mixing, and set-on-demand processes. The study began by assessing the fresh properties of various mixtures, utilizing tests such as open time (OT), initial setting time (IST), immediate axial deformation, and penetration test (PT), to determine the mixtures' extrudability and buildability. The study optimized mixtures with a broad spectrum of cycle …

Development Of Catalytic Membranes And Composites For Energy Storage Devices And Nonenzymatic Biosensors, Harish Singh

Doctoral Dissertations

The excessive use of fossil fuels has led to their rapid depletion, causing an energy crisis and environmental issues. Consequently, there's a growing focus on sustainable energy conversion. Electrocatalysts are pivotal in this development, particularly for fuel cells and solar fuel generators, necessitating high-efficiency, cost-effective catalysts for large-scale adoption. Transition metal chalcogenides have emerged as promising electrocatalysts due to their high efficiency, electrochemical tunability, and abundant active sites. This work is divided in two parts. In Part A, we have investigated transition metal chalcogenide and few atom clusters FACs as electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution and reduction, highlighting their structure-property relationships …

The Structure, Properties And Dissolution Behaviors Of Phosphate Glasses, Han Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

The poor chemical durability remains a critical challenge for the application of phosphate glasses. This study investigates the compositional influences on the structure, properties and chemical durability of Li2O-ZnO-P₂O₅ glasses. Their structural characteristics were analyzed utilizing high-performance liquid chromatography, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The incorporation of (Li2O+ZnO) in LZeq glasses depolymerizes the phosphate network. In LZ40P and LZ45P glasses, Li⁺ initially replaces Zn²⁺ associated with non-bridging oxygens (NBOs) in Q² tetrahedra. Once the substitution in Q² is complete, further Li⁺ incorporation leads to the replacement of Zn²⁺ in Q^{1 …}

Epitaxial Growth Of Metal-Organic Framwork Thin Films By Electro-Conversion And Electrodeposition, Xiaoting Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

Electrochemical epitaxy is a facile and inexpensive soft-solution process to fabricate highly ordered thin films. This research focuses on the epitaxial growth of metal-organic framework (MOF) thin films by electrochemical methods which include electro-conversion and electrodeposition.

First, an electrochemical conversion pathway was invented to achieve epitaxial MOF thin films. Epitaxial single-domain Cu-BTC(111) thin films were manufactured by electrochemical oxidation of Cu₂O(111) films electrodeposited on single-crystal Au(111). The single-crystal-like Cu-BTC(111) thin films with out-of-plane and in-plane order provide well-aligned 3.5 Å triangular windows along the [111] direction. Cu-BTC(111) foils were fabricated from the Cu-BTC/Cu₂O system by electrochemical …

Products Of Laser Ablated Actinides And Actinide Comparators In The Presence Of Carbonyl Sulfide Characterized By Rotational Spectroscopy, Joshua Edward Isert

Doctoral Dissertations

As the consumption of energy continues to rise globally, so too has interest in alternative energy sources such as nuclear power. However, a fundamental understanding of the actinide series is needed in order to safely and efficiently utilize these elements. Rotational or microwave spectroscopy, depending on if one is speaking of the physical outcome of the experiment or the region of the electromagnetic spectrum being operated in, is a gas phase molecular study utilized for structural determination. This technique can be utilized to gain an in depth understanding of bonding within the actinide series. However, when studying species that are …