Digital Commons Network^™

When A Seat At The Table Is Not Enough: A Participatory Action Research Study On Collaborative Partnerships In Ontario Developmental Services Organizations, Kaylagh Vanwyck

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Historically, Ontario’s developmental services (DS) has evolved largely guided by the knowledge and direction of non-disabled service providers and government. However, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities promotes the participation of people labeled with disabilities in decision-making processes about the programs and policies that impact their lives. Existing theories and literature reveal the importance of collaborative partnerships where power is shared with service users through participatory decision-making, shared leadership, and opportunities to participate with influence. Four self-advocates labeled with developmental disabilities collaborated as co-researchers in this participatory action research study to explore what model of collaborative …

The Avian Hippocampal Declarative Memory System, Chelsey C. Damphousse

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Across Mammalia, memory has long been dissociated into multiple component systems specialized to process specific facets of experience. Among these segregated systems, declarative memory is processed by the hippocampus and surrounding structures, which have collectively been referred to as the hippocampal declarative memory system (HDMS). The HDMS, in turn, can be further divided into parallel streams dedicated to the processing of spatial versus object identity based information, commonly discussed as the ‘what’ and ‘where’ streams. While we know that the organization of the HDMS is conserved in humans, nonhuman primates, and rats, evidence outside Mammalia is lacking. Here HDMS homology …

An Analysis Of Collective Efficacy As A Predictor Of Gun Violence In Toronto, Carly Richards

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

There has been a 42% increase in gun violence in Canada since 2013, largely due to increases in Toronto (Statistics Canada, 2022a). To gain a better understanding of this phenomenon, this study evaluated collective efficacy as a predictor of gun violence. Seven correlates of collective efficacy were identified including, low economic status, ethnic diversity, mobility, family disruption, employment rate, low educational attainment, and youth percentage in a population. This study included data from the City of Toronto’s Open Data Portal and the 2016 Canadian Census. The data were pulled from various datasets and then were reorganized into one file, which …

God's Story, Our Story: Telling, Re-Telling, Re-Storying, Kara Carter

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Shifting trends within and beyond the walls of the church are reshaping Christianity in our present context. Many Christian denominations are in the midst of a paradigm shift as great as or greater than the 16th century Reformation. Because the way forward looks nothing like the path the church has journeyed, church leaders, theologians, and scholars recognize the need for innovative and adaptive leadership expertise to meet the opportunities and challenges of the present time. For more than two decades, Mennonite Church Canada congregations have been on a journey of development, learning, and growth, transitioning theologically and experientially to a …

Fifth-Dimensional Warfare And National Security In Canada: Situating Microdeviation Theory Within C-59: An Act Respecting National Security Matters, Hayden Slight

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In an era of rapid technological change, the growing threat environment in the cyber dimension will continue to influence how a sovereign nation contends with attacks that can occur from any corner of the world. The growing adaptation and expansion of technology belonging to the Internet of Things (IoT) and the increasing prevalence of social media (Facebook, Twitter) has also influenced the spreading of attack surfaces that can become victim to exploitation by motivated parties including foreign states and terrorist groups. Against this backdrop, Canada’s own efforts to modernize and reinforce its own national security agencies resulted in the developing …

Examining Harm Reduction In Housing First For Youth Experiencing Homelessness And Concurrent Mental Health And Substance Use Issues, Victoria Rozycki

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Purpose: Housing First for Youth (HF4Y) is a youth-focused adaptation of the well-established Housing First (HF) program model to housing and service provision for individuals experiencing homelessness. Given that the experience of youth homelessness is associated with an increased likelihood of substance use issues, a central tenet of the HF4Y framework is the use of a harm reduction approach to substance use and addictions. However, research on HF4Y programming has yet to examine how harm reduction is specifically being implemented in these settings. The purpose of this thesis was to examine how the principles and philosophies of harm reduction are …

Exploring Climate, Wellbeing, Resilience, And Resistance In 2slgbtq+ Leisure Spaces: A Mixed Methods Study To Advance Inclusion, Tin Vo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Participating in queer sports groups, rainbow choirs, trans virtual discussion groups and other Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexually and gender diverse (2SLGBTQ+) leisure activities can offer participants safety from societal heterosexism and cisgenderism and opportunities for community connection and peer support, as well as foster their overall wellbeing. Yet, transgender/gender nonconforming (TGNC), racialized, and/or disabled individuals, and those with other diverse identities are often marginalized in these spaces. Though researchers have studied exclusion within 2SLGBTQ+ leisure spaces, relatively little is known about how the climate of these spaces shapes social and mental health outcomes. Connected to …

How Narcissism Relates To (Non-) Cooperation, Christopher Chinn

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Cooperative behaviour is integral to modern society. Individuals who are high in trait narcissism have personality traits that appear inconsistent with cooperation, such as selfishness, competitiveness, and antagonism. Research has yet to determine whether these individuals, when given the opportunity, are less likely to engage in cooperative behaviour, to the detriment of others. The present studies investigated the effect of several distinct expressions of trait narcissism on cooperation in social dilemmas and potential underlying causes of non-cooperation in narcissistic individuals. In Study 1, participants (N = 355) were randomly assigned to one of three prisoner’s dilemma conditions (control, low …

Exploring Individuals’ Views On The Malleability Of Their Moral Self-Concept, Steven Hertz

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Drawing on work by Carol Dweck, Moral Self-Theory was conceptualized as describing lay views of the moral self-concept as either malleable (incrementalist view) or fixed (entity view) in order to better capture the goal-achievement aspect of morality. To this end, research into the areas of implicit theories of intelligence and personality were drawn upon to explore the possibility that lay views of morality could help inform our understanding of moral behaviour. Three studies were designed to: 1) examine individuals’ perceptions of their moral self-concept over time for evidence of change and assess participants’ opinions towards that change, as well as …

Diversity And Evolution Of Inflorescences In Cuscuta, Morgan Glofcheskie

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Cuscuta (dodder) includes ca. 200 species of plant obligate stem parasites with both ecological and economical significance. Inflorescences have been historically used in Cuscuta for species descriptions and identification keys, but no comprehensive study exists to date. The main objective of this study was to survey the diversity of inflorescences, and to understand their evolution and possible form-function relationships. The inflorescence architecture of 132 Cuscuta taxa was analyzed using herbarium specimens, and eight species were grown to study their inflorescence development. Inflorescence traits were mapped into a genus phylogeny obtained from a combined analysis of nuclear ITS and plastid trnL-F …

Agent-Based Modelling And Big Data: Applications For Maritime Traffic Analysis, Marc Sirizzotti

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Agent based modeling (ABM) is a powerful tool for examining complex systems in many scientific applications, including maritime transport systems. Growing demands for freight transport and increased industry emphasis on reducing environmental impacts have heightened the focus on vessel and port efficiency. This research aimed to create a maritime route planning model to simulate vessel movement in all waterways. The goal of the ship routing model developed in this research was to develop a simulation tool capable of reproducing real world shipping routes useful for navigation planning, with emphasis on port scheduling and potential application for further use and exploration. …

Air Quality: Assessment Of Pollutant Levels And Chemistry In Kitchener, On Using Multisensor Pods, Wisam Mohammed

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Air quality is a growing concern amongst governmental bodies worldwide. A large number of scientific studies accumulated over the past 25 years suggest that poor ambient air quality is attributed to adverse health effects, especially in vulnerable communities that exhibit pre-existing conditions. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported around 600 000 deaths globally in children under the age of 5 as a result of acute lower respiratory infections caused by poor air quality. With the current statistics on air quality impacts, it is clear that more needs to be done. This MSc work aims to put into perspective the …

"If We're Not Loud, We're Not Cared For": Empowerment In Transgender Peoples' Healthcare Experiences, Chase Valiant

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Healthcare plays a crucial role in the health and quality of life of transgender (herein trans) people. The experiences people have when accessing healthcare, can have significant effects on future interactions with the healthcare system as well as individual health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to gather insights into trans peoples’ positive healthcare experiences and health outcomes through the lens of empowerment. Fifteen interviews with trans men and trans women were drawn from a larger study of trans peoples’ experiences of discrimination. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify key themes in the data. Experiences of empowerment were facilitated …

Residual Cancer Burden After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy And Long-Term Survival Outcomes In Breast Cancer: A Multicentre Pooled Analysis Of 5161 Patients, Christina Yau, Marie Osdoit, Marieke Van Der Noordaa, Sonal Shad, Jane Wei, Diane De Croze, Anne-Sophie Hamy, Marick Laé, Fabien Reyal, Gabe S Sonke, Tessa G Steenbruggen, Maartje Van Seijen, Jelle Wesseling, Miguel Martín, Maria Del Monte-Millán, Sara López-Tarruella, Judy C Boughey, Matthew P Goetz, Tanya Hoskin, Rebekah Gould, Vicente Valero, Stephen B Edge, Jean E Abraham, John M S Bartlett, Carlos Caldas, Janet Dunn, Helena Earl, Larry Hayward, Louise Hiller, Elena Provenzano, Stephen-John Sammut, Jeremy S Thomas, David Cameron, Ashley Graham, Peter Hall, Lorna Mackintosh, Fang Fan, Andrew K Godwin, Kelsey Schwensen, Priyanka Sharma, Angela M Demichele, Kimberly Cole, Lajos Pusztai, Mi-Ok Kim, Laura J Van 'T Veer, Laura J Esserman, W Fraser Symmans

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Previous studies have independently validated the prognostic relevance of residual cancer burden (RCB) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We used results from several independent cohorts in a pooled patient-level analysis to evaluate the relationship of RCB with long-term prognosis across different phenotypic subtypes of breast cancer, to assess generalisability in a broad range of practice settings.

Methods: In this pooled analysis, 12 institutes and trials in Europe and the USA were identified by personal communications with site investigators. We obtained participant-level RCB results, and data on clinical and pathological stage, tumour subtype and grade, and treatment and follow-up in November, 2019, …

Association Of Proton Pump Inhibitor Use With Survival Outcomes In Cancer Patients Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Baoqing Chen, Chen Yang, Mihnea P Dragomir, Dongmei Chi, Wenyan Chen, David Horst, George A Calin, Qiaoqiao Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been shown to regulate the gut microbiome and affect the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Contradictory results on survival have been observed in patients concomitantly treated with ICIs and PPIs. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the association between PPI use and survival outcomes in ICI-treated cancer patients.

Methods: EMBASE, MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library databases, and major oncology conference proceedings were searched. Studies comparing overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) between PPI-treated and PPI-free groups of ICI-treated cancer patients were included. Data regarding study and patient characteristics, ICI and PPI …

Use Of The Fully Spectroscopic Pixelated Cadmium Telluride Detector For Benchtop X-Ray Fluorescence Computed Tomography, Sandun Jayarathna, Hem Moktan, Sang Hyun Cho

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In this work, we integrated a commercially-available fully-spectroscopic pixelated cadmium telluride (CdTe) detector system as a two-dimensional (2D) array detector into our existing benchtop cone-beam x-ray fluorescence computed tomography (XFCT) system. After integrating this detector, known as High-Energy X-ray Imaging Technology (HEXITEC), we performed quantitative imaging of gold nanoparticle (GNP) distribution in a small animal-sized phantom using our benchtop XFCT system. Owing to the upgraded detector component within our benchtop XFCT system, we were able to conduct this phantom imaging in an unprecedented manner by volumetric XFCT scans followed by XFCT image reconstruction in 3D. The current results showed that …

The Seen And The Unseen: Molecular Classification And Image Based-Analysis Of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Corina-Elena Minciuna, Mihai Tanase, Teodora Ecaterina Manuc, Stefan Tudor, Vlad Herlea, Mihnea P Dragomir, George A Calin, Catalin Vasilescu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Gastrointestinal cancers account for 22.5% of cancer related deaths worldwide and represent circa 20% of all cancers. In the last decades, we have witnessed a shift from histology-based to molecular-based classifications using genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic data. The molecular based classification revealed new prognostic markers and may aid the therapy selection. Because of the high-costs to perform a molecular classification, in recent years immunohistochemistry-based surrogate classification were developed which permit the stratification of patients, and in parallel multiple groups developed hematoxylin and eosin whole slide image analysis for sub-classifying these entities. Hence, we are witnessing a return to an image-based …

Translating Mentoring Interventions Research Into Practice: Evaluation Of An Evidence-Based Workshop For Research Mentors On Developing Trainees’ Scientific Communication Skills, Erin K Dahlstrom, Christine Bell, Shine Chang, Hwa Young Lee, Cheryl B Anderson, Annie Pham, Christine Maidl Pribbenow, Carrie A Cameron

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A key part of keeping doctoral and postdoctoral trainees in STEM research careers is mentoring. Our previous research indicates that mentoring trainees in scientific communication (SC) skill development increases research career intention through two social-cognitive constructs, self-efficacy in and outcome expectations for acquiring SC skills, as well as science identity. While many mentor training interventions exist, no programs focus on developing SC skills specifically. The "Scientific Communication Advances Research Excellence" (SCOARE) program trains mentors to address trainee scientific communication (SC) skill development as an innovative approach to increase trainee research career persistence. The SCOARE training is a half-day workshop for …

The Torch: Suffolk University College Of Arts & Sciences Honors Program Newsletter, No. 11, Winter 2022, College Of Arts & Sciences Honors Program

Torch Newsletter

No abstract provided.

The Torch: Suffolk University College Of Arts & Sciences Honors Program Newsletter, No. 12, Summer 2022, College Of Arts & Sciences Honors Program

Torch Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Cas Honors Symposium Program, Fall 2022, College Of Arts & Sciences Honors Program

College of Arts & Sciences Honors in the Major Symposium

No abstract provided.

The Evolution Of Life Sentences For Second-Degree Murder: Parole Ineligibility And Time Spent In Prison, Debra Parkes, Jane Sprott, Isabel Grant

All Faculty Publications

Canada's murder sentencing regime has been in effect since 1976, and yet very little data has examined what these sentences actually mean for those convicted. This paper begins to fill this gap by examining the meaning of a life sentence for those convicted of second degree murder in Canada. Using data provided by the Correctional Investigator, we examine both the parole ineligibility periods imposed by sentencing judges, and how long people are serving before a grant of full parole over time from 1977 to 2020. We found statistically significant increases over time in both judicial parole ineligibility periods, and in …

Are Tents A 'Home'? Extending Section 8 Privacy Rights For The Precariously Housed, Sarah Ferencz, Alexandra Flynn, Nicholas Blomley, Marie-Eve Sylvestre

All Faculty Publications

The home, for most of us, is an obvious zone to assert privacy and property rights. However, this is not the case for those whose control of residential space is precarious. Our paper focuses on privacy rights under the Canadian constitution for those living in tents and, specifically, the judicial rejection of a tent as a home garnering legal protection under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We focus on a 2018 case from British Columbia, R. v. Picard, the only judicial decision that we could locate that has explored this question. In holding that the tent is …

The Meaning Of Capacity And Consent In Sexual Assault: R. V. G.F., Isabel Grant, Janine Benedet

All Faculty Publications

The Criminal Code provisions dealing with sexual assault have been amended in a piecemeal fashion several times since the major reforms of 1982, which replaced the offences of rape and indecent assault with a three-tiered sexual assault offence. Many of these reforms were brought forward in response to particular judicial decisions that provoked controversy and concern. In most cases, new provisions were added without removing or amending related provisions already in place. What remains is a set of provisions that do not work together as a coherent whole.

Concussion Safety Law Should Be Enacted In All Canadian Provinces And Territories, Marcus Moore, Charles H. Tator

All Faculty Publications

The concussion crisis in sports remains an important public health issue. Indeed, it is cited by 97% of Canadians as a major public health concern.

The Public Law Paradoxes Of Climate Emergency Declarations, Jocelyn Stacey

All Faculty Publications

Climate emergency declarations occupy a legally-ambiguous space between emergency measure and political rhetoric. Their uncertain status in public law provides a unique opportunity to illuminate latent assumptions about emergencies and how they are regulated in law. This article analyzes climate emergency declarations in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. It argues that these climate emergency declarations reflect back a set of paradoxes about how emergencies are governed in law—paradoxes about defining the emergency, its relationship to time and who gets to respond to the emergency and how. These paradoxes productively complicate long-held and over-simplified assumptions about emergencies contained …

Parks As Persons: Legal Innovation Or Colonial Appropriation?, Alexandra Flynn

All Faculty Publications

This Article, considers personhood, a mechanism that has been used in other jurisdictions — including cities — to legally reconfigure land ownership.Te Urewara, once a national park in New Zealand, the Atrato River in Colombia, and the Magpie and Fraser Rivers in Canada became legal “persons” after decades of advocacy by Indigenous Peoples. These natural resources now have rights, a new material and representational making of property that centres a governance role for Indigenous Peoples. This Article asks what personhood could mean for Stanley Park and for Canadian urban parks more broadly. In particular, it explores whether personhood is a …

The Effects Of Running Durations On Executive Function, Lauren Bainter

Honors Baccalaureate Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between running habits and specific executive functions. Three cognitive function tests were administered virtually to men and women ages 18 – 61 through a validated web-based application (PsyToolKit) and were preceded by a demographic questionnaire. A total of 199 participants were analyzed. The cognitive functions assessed were cognitive inhibition by the Stroop Color and Word Test, visuospatial short-term working memory by the Corsi block-tapping test, and working memory capacity by the 2-back task. A linear regression was used to determine relationships between running and cognitive function. Significant correlations were found …

The New Norm: Do Societal Attitudes Still Play A Role In Unmarried Childbearing?, Madilynn Bulot

Honors Baccalaureate Theses

This study examines the influence of women’s economic changes in the United States on the incidence of out-of-wedlock births in the United States over time. The data were obtained from various sources including the CDC, BLS, and U.S. Census from the year 1980 to 2018. It was found that women’s education and the fertility rate had significant impacts on out-of-wedlock births. However, while these societal norms had a positive correlation in the first few decades since Roe v. Wade, the technology shock has died down while these trends have continued their path, and women are now choosing to both work …

Egalitarian Nationalism's Contribution To The Rise And Fall Of Athens' Democracy: The Criticisms Of Athenian Democracy From The Old Oligarch, Plato, And Aristotle, Matthew Mayer

Honors Baccalaureate Theses

The purpose of this research is to determine how combining radical egalitarianism and nationalism to create radical democracy can lead to the destruction of society. Politics are for the purpose of protecting the common good, but individual liberties are sometimes necessary for the preservation of the common good based on the continual flux of social contexts. However, too much individualism can lead to the rise of tyrannical collectivism. Karl Popper termed this problem of too much toleration as “the paradox of tolerance.” Once everything becomes tolerable, there is little to no hope that anyone can guarantee anything. Absolute toleration will …