Digital Commons Network^™

“It Is Tiny And It Is Everything”: Exploring The Effects Of Arts-Integrated Gardening On Experiences Of Ecological Grief Through Autoethnographic Research, Christina Kingsbury

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study explores how arts-integrated gardening affects experiences of ecological grief through autoethnography and draws on my personal experiences as a survivor of environmentally linked cancer and artist working with gardens through social practice. My research builds on two areas of emergent scholarship—investigations of ecological grief and gardens as sites for social work practice—to explore how social work may address ecological grief through arts-integrated gardening. I use a quilting autoethnography as a method of inquiry to foreground my subjective knowledge and analyze it through intersectional feminist, disability and decolonizing theories. By incorporating narrative analysis and arts-based inquiry—writing in place, poetic …

Exploring Mating Patterns: The Interplay Of Genes, Environment, And Their Evolutionary Outcomes, Sanduni Talagala

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

There is great variation in the reproductive tactics exhibited both between and within different species, which is reflected in how individuals engage in mate assessment, mate choice and offspring production. It is therefore important to understand general mating patterns of populations, the factors that influence these mating patterns, and the consequences they carry, in order to get a more holistic understanding of mating systems. This doctoral research represents a multi-pronged investigation of the factors shaping mating patterns and their consequences, how environmental factors influence mating patterns, and how both genotypes and the environment interact to influence mate choice decisions and …

Evaluation Of The Dnazyme Gr5 For The Determination Of Lead Speciation In Natural Waters, Gaganprit Gill

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis explores the development and application of a DNAzyme-based biosensor designed to detect labile metal species in environmental samples. Real time and on-site monitoring of labile metal fractions would make a valuable contribution to environmental management, as these fractions are the most bioavailable and pose significant toxicity risks to aquatic organisms. Conventional methods for detecting labile metals, while effective, are often burdened by high costs, complexity, and lengthy processing times, making them less ideal for rapid and widespread environmental assessments.

The first manuscript of this thesis (chapter 2) establishes the fundamental capabilities of the Pb²⁺-specific DNAzyme GR5 …

Npr1 As A Temperature-Sensitive Regulator Of Pipecolic Acid-Mediated Plant Systemic Immunity, Spencer Tout

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Healthy plant development requires balancing both abiotic (e.g. climate) and biotic (e.g. pathogen) challenges, which intercept important signaling pathways in plants. For example, climate change-associated elevated temperature can negatively modulate various aspects of plant immunity, including the production of central immune signals salicylic acid (SA) and N-hydroxypipecolic acid (NHP). Since SA and NHP signaling both require the master immune co-activator protein NON-EXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES 1 (NPR1), it is important to investigate NPR1 as a potentially temperature-regulated molecular hub. Although the NPR1 gene is not transcriptionally downregulated at elevated temperatures (28° C vs. 23° C), little is known about …

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 …

Impact Of Membrane Lipid Composition On The Structure And Function Of Uncoupling Proteins 1 And 2 From Arabidopsis Thaliana (Atucp1 And Atucp2), Elizabeth Silva

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

A proton gradient across the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) is required for the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) via ATP synthase. In other words, generation of the proton gradient is coupled to the synthesis of ATP. Interestingly, uncoupling proteins (UCPs), also located in the IMM, dissipate the proton gradient, meaning that the gradient is not efficiently used for the production of ATP.¹ The mechanism of proton transport activity of UCPs has been hypothesized and widely debated for the past 20 years to also reduce oxidative stress by reducing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS).² The majority of …

Timing Of Migration And Seasonal Movements Of Arctic Grayling (Thymallus Arcticus) In Relation To Water Temperature In The Kakisa River And Upper Mackenzie River, Nwt: Results From An Acoustic Telemetry Study., Levi Snook

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) are a cold-water salmonid that inhabit waterbodies throughout the circumpolar regions of the northern hemisphere. In the last decade, Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation members as well as local sport fishers, have observed lower catches of Arctic grayling during their annual spawning run in the Kakisa River, NWT. Many potential causes of this decline have been hypothesized including climate change and over harvesting. Outside of the general annual spawning activity in the headwaters of the Kakisa River, the ecology of the population, including post-spawn habitat use and migratory patterns, remained understudied. To address these knowledge gaps, acoustic …

Using Landscape Ecology And Spatial Statistics To Examine The Impacts Of Proposed Removals To Natural Heritage System And The Agricultural System Of Ontario’S Greenbelt, Brianna Downey

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The 2022 proposed removals from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Southern Ontario’s Greenbelt would have resulted in negative impacts including, reductions to the size and functionality of the Agricultural System and Natural Heritage System, which are components of protected Greenbelt area. Several removal sites were located either on or in close proximity to corridor areas of the NHS, reducing connectivity and negatively impacting the surrounding ecological area. The removal of Agricultural land primarily consisted of corn and soybeans, as well as large removals of woodland, wetland, and shrubland class areas. The removal sites on local Agricultural composition and configuration were …

“We’Re Here, We’Re Queer, And We’Re Not Going Away” Student Policies And Lgbtq+ Students’ Experiences On Canadian Christian Campuses, Angela E. Gallo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Research highlights that Christian campuses are often unwelcoming and hostile spaces for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other gender and sexually diverse (LGBTQ+) students. Yet, research, including emerging Canadian research, often overlooks how institutional policies shape LGBTQ+ students’ experiences. Further, little attention is given to the affirming experiences LGBTQ+ students encounter on Christian campuses. Through a collective case study of two Canadian Christian universities involving document analysis and interviews, I explored the discourses that school policies constructed concerning gender and sexuality, LGBTQ+ students’ experiences of exclusion and affirmation, and how policy, alongside other factors, shapes their experiences and well-being. …

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 …

Limiting H1n1 Replication Via The Dsrnai Pathway Using Sequence-Specific Ldsrna, Shawn Marie Sharon Carr, Stephanie Dewitte-Orr

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The seasonal influenza virus causes a common respiratory illness that can be life threatening to the immunocompromised, the very young, and the elderly. The current strategies for avoiding a serious influenza virus infection are good hygiene practices and the annual influenza vaccine. Unfortunately, last year’s influenza virus vaccine effectiveness ranged between 32-60% for children and adolescents and 46-54% for adults. These low efficacy rates are due to the vaccine often targeting hemagglutinin, a highly variable surface protein. This thesis seeks to create a prophylactic treatment via the RNA interference (RNAi) response that targets the virus’s conserved genes that are integral …

Immune Pathway Modulation In Melanoma Using Chitosan Nanoparticle-Mediated Dsrna Delivery, Bethel C. Iwuji

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division, which typically results in the formation of tumours. Even with advances in treatments, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death globally. Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer which is highly malignant, develops in the pigment-producing cells of the skin, melanocytes, and in the late stages of the disease poses a significant challenge for therapeutic intervention due to its multidrug resistance. The innate immune system is the first line of defence against invading pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi, and can recognize and destroy …

Comprehensive Analysis Of Environmental Particulate Matter: Chemical Composition And Microbial Assessment, Uyen T. L. Le

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Rapid industrialization and population growth have contributed to a decline in air quality, with particulate matter (PM) posing particular concern. PM originates from both natural and human sources and often contains toxic chemicals and microorganisms, including potential pathogens. Inhalation of PM is linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, underscoring the need to characterize better its chemical and biological composition in understudied region - Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The present thesis is a culmination of three main parts. Part 1 will describe the use of the dithiothreitol (DTT) assay to quantify the oxidative potential of PM through DTT consumption of redox-active field …

2slgbtq+ Contact As A Vehicle For Promoting Alternative Sexual Scripts Through Exposure To Queer And Trans Ways Of Knowing, Sophie R. Landry

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Research on the Traditional Sexual Script (TSS) suggests it can have harmful repercussions, such as sexual violence, gender inequity, and the undermining of communication. My research explores the novel idea that intergroup contact with 2SLGBTQ+ individuals can promote CisHet (cisgender, heterosexual) individuals to value alternative sexual scripts that emphasize communication, authenticity, and equity, and to question the TSS. In Study 1, I found that CisHet people who had more 2SLGBTQ+ contact reported greater concern for consent and were less likely to agree with traditional gender norms relative to those who made less contact. In both Study 2 and Study 3, …

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 …

Inductions Of Long-Term Potentiation With Biomimetic Electromagnetic Fields In Primary Neurons, Cooper E. Kansala

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Endogenous brain rhythms guide neural communication and plasticity, raising the question of whether weak, temporally structured electromagnetic fields (EMFs) that mimic these rhythms can modulate neuronal activity in a targeted, biomimetic manner. This thesis investigates whether patterned EMFs designed to reflect the temporal structure of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) are more effective at inducing neural plasticity than conventional sinusoidal fields or no stimulation at all. Cortical neurons cultured from postnatal rats were exposed to patterned EMFs for 30 minutes and assessed across three distinct experimental domains. In Chapter 2, microelectrode array (MEA) recordings revealed that the LTP-patterned field significantly increased …

The Body’S “Why?”: Therapists’ Embodied Approaches To Meaning-Making In Trauma And Complex Ptsd, Tanya D. Rock

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The challenge of finding meaning in trauma is one that has inspired conversations in psychotherapeutic circles as well as amongst theologians and philosophers. Finding meaning following trauma has been positively associated with growth following the traumatic incident and has been labelled as critical to the progression of healing (Herman, 1992). This study aims to examine the role therapists play in meaning-making with clients who have experienced trauma. The research question is “how do therapists handle meaning of life challenges with traumatized clients?” Ten experienced therapists participated in this qualitative, phenomenological study. Key findings included common therapist responses to client’s “why?” …

Functional Design Of Dissymmetric Ligands For Coordination Systems, Kaitlyn R. Brown

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Herein, the functional design of dissymmetric ligands for coordination systems is explored with a focus on their synthesis and structural characterization. The design strategy of these ligands incorporates the ability to coordinate both metal cations and anions along with a ligand site for other functionalization. Their synthesis, structural and other characterization, Hirshfeld surface analysis, and some metal-coordinated complexes are discussed. Chapter 1 introduces supramolecular and coordination chemistry, along with relevant literature that supports this research and outlines the thesis objective. Chapter 2 investigates the hydrogen bonding of a dissymmetric pyrimidine thioether ligand in its neutral form, water solvate, protonated nitrate …

“Just Checking”: Racial Profiling And The Criminalization Of Black Students At Post-Secondary Institutions, Yugita Looknauth

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

“Just Checking”: Racial Profiling and the Criminalization of Black Students at Post-Secondary Institutions

This dissertation examined the experiences of Black students who came into contact with campus security at five universities and one college in Ontario, Canada. Critical race theory and methodology, and qualitative research design amplified the voices of 17 participants who shared stories of racial profiling marked by racialization, criminalization, surveillance, and the normalized scrutiny of Black life. These experiences are legitimized by post-secondary institutions that are actively reproducing the very racism they are often celebrated for interrogating by allowing a culture of anti-Black racism to exist with …

Metal Contamination In Sediments Of An Estuary Impacted By Discharges Of Antifouling Waste (Yealm, Southwest England), Oliver Bradley, Gillian A. Glegg, Geoffrey E. Millward, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Yealm is a small, protected estuary in southwest England. A paint-testing laboratory on the estuary operated from the 1920s until 2011 but sometime in 2015 or 2016, an unauthorised discharge of antifouling waste occurred. In this study, concentrations of metals and forms thereof associated with contemporary and historical antifouling formulations (As, Cu, Hg, Pb, Sn, Zn, organic Hg, organic Sn), along with other elements of geochemical or anthropogenic interest, were measured in fractionated (<180 μm) surface sediments at different distances from the discharge. Close to the discharge, concentrations of organic-Sn, representative of tributyltin, exceeded a level that requires material disposal in landfill; here and upestuary, concentrations of Cu and Hg exceeded respective predicted effect levels for estuarine sediments. Analysis of paint flakes isolated from sediments outside the laboratory revealed similar chemical signatures (high concentrations of Cu in most flakes and high levels of Hg and Sn in several cases), consistent with antifouling paint being the cause of contamination. Concentrations of Cu, Hg and organic Sn in sections of a dated core sampled close to the discharge exhibited enrichment since the opening of the laboratory nearly 100 years ago, with distinctive peaks for Hg and organic Sn coincident with periods shortly after these biocidal metals began to be phased out or restricted. These observations suggest that historical waste discharges may have been important and that any remediation measures will be challenging. The general observations might also be applicable to other facilities where contemporary and legacy antifouling waste is commonly discharged to sediments (e.g., boatyards).

Conservation Planning For Promoting Ecosystem Service Provisioning Outside Protected Area Networks, Florence Godfrey Tarimo, Francis Moyo, Claire Kelly, Linus Kasian Munishi

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Among factors that contribute to global biodiversity loss, habitat loss through unsustainable land use and land cover changes has gained prominence, with impacts being exacerbated by increasing human populations. Establishing protected area networks (PANs) is strongly advocated by national and international mechanisms, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), as a primary strategy to guide biodiversity conservation and management; however, this can undermine conservation efforts outside protected areas. Understanding how people and biodiversity overlap and interact outside protected area networks (OPAN areas) is essential for setting realistic, sustainable targets to guide biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service provision beyond PAN. …

Productivity History Of The Central Okhotsk Sea And Northeast Russia During The Mid-Pleistocene Transition, Li Lo, Wei Zhu Chen, Julie Lattaud, Yi Hsueh Tsai, Simon T. Belt, Lukas Smik, Yuen Tung Kiki Wan

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Biological productivity, shaped by climate and environmental factors, is critical to climate feedback mechanisms and the global carbon cycle. This study investigates the measurement of six phytosterols (β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, dinosterol, epi-brassicasterol, and 24-methylene cholesterol) from core MD01-2414 in the central Okhotsk Sea, covering the past 1.5 million years (Ma). These sterols serve as proxies for terrestrial and marine productivity in the central Okhotsk Sea and northeast Siberia. Sterol concentrations reflect global glacial/interglacial cycles between 1.2 and 0.6 Ma, with higher and lower values during interglacial and glacials intervals, respectively. X-ray fluorescence (Ba/Ti) and total organic carbon/total nitrogen (TOC/TN) ratios …

Tracking Palaeotemperatures In Coniacian–Maastrichtian Seas, Gregory D. Price, Bryan Low Kai Sheng

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

In this study the stable isotopes of belemnites, are presented from the Coniacian–Maastrichtian interval (∼76–66 Ma) derived from the chalks of Yorkshire and Norfolk, UK, deposited on the western North Atlantic shelf. Cathodoluminescence and elemental geochemistry of the belemnites reveals that most of the rostra were well preserved. If interpreted in terms of temperature, our oxygen isotope record reveals that during the Coniacian (at ∼43 °N) the climate was relatively warm, with maximum mean temperatures of ∼26 °C, followed by cooling to <∼21 °C during the Campanian and Maastrichtian. This overall stratigraphic trend is similar to other records, suggesting that the cooling pattern was not a regional trend and, therefore, driven predominantly by global mechanisms. Within our belemnite data, we also observe a decline in δ¹³C at the Campanian- Maastrichtian boundary, again consistent with other records. This trend has been interpreted as …

Canopy Functional Trait Variation Across Earth’S Tropical Forests, Jesús Aguirre-Gutiérrez, Sophie Fauset, Sami W. Rifai, Xiongjie Deng, Hans Ter Steege, Eleanor Thomson, Jose Javier Corral-Rivas, Aretha Franklin Guimaraes, Sandra Muller, Joice Klipel, Angelica F. Resende, Göran Wallin, Carlos A. Joly, Katharine Abernethy, Stephen Adu-Bredu, Celice Alexandre Silva, Edmar Almeida De Oliveira, Danilo R. A. Almeida, Esteban Alvarez-Davila, Gregory P. Asner, Timothy R. Baker, Maíra Benchimol, Lisa Patrick Bentley, Erika Berenguer, Lilian Blanc, Damien Bonal, Kauane Bordin, Robson Borges De Lima, Sabine Both, Jaime Cabezas Duarte

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Tropical forest canopies are the biosphere’s most concentrated atmospheric interface for carbon, water and energy1,2. However, in most Earth System Models, the diverse and heterogeneous tropical forest biome is represented as a largely uniform ecosystem with either a singular or a small number of fixed canopy ecophysiological properties3. This situation arises, in part, from a lack of understanding about how and why the functional properties of tropical forest canopies vary geographically4. Here, by combining field-collected data from more than 1,800 vegetation plots and tree traits with satellite remote-sensing, terrain, climate and soil data, we predict variation across 13 morphological, structural …

Determination Of Titanium Speciation In Consumer Plastics By Raman Microspectroscopy, Johanna Brazard, Takuji B.M. Adachi, Andrew Turner, Montserrat Filella

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The main component of objects made of plastic is an organic polymer matrix, but plastics also contain a wide range of other chemicals, such as additives, processing aids and unintentionally added substances. At present, the scientific and regulatory communities face challenges due to the lack of access to basic information on their quantity and identity, which is crucial in relation to potential toxicity, management, recycling, environmental fate and resource uses. Moreover, an additional problem is that some additives, such as titanium oxide (TiO₂), can be present in different crystallographic forms, which makes it necessary to characterise not only …

A Systematic Review Of Biomonitoring Microplastics In Environmental Matrices: Emphasis On Airborne Particles, Dry Deposits, And Comparative Analysis With Traditional Methods, Faezeh Jahedi, Neamatollah Jaafarzadeh Haghighi Fard, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The use of plastics continues to rise each year due to their versatility and essential role in industries like manufacturing, agriculture, and food packaging. However, plastics present a serious environmental challenge because they take over 500 years to decompose. During this time, they break down into tiny particles known as microplastics (MPs), which are now found everywhere, water, soil, and even the air we breathe. Recently, researchers have even detected MPs in clouds, making their presence in the atmosphere a growing concern for both the environment and public health. Traditional methods for sampling MPs in the air, such as active …

Interactions Of Anthropogenic Microfibres With The Marine Macroalga, Ulva Lactuca, Adam Collins, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Little information exists on the interactions between microfibres (MFs) and marine macroalgae. In this study, the translucent green seaweed, Ulva lactuca, has been exposed to ∼2 mg L⁻¹ suspensions of MFs prepared from dryer lint under controlled conditions, with MFs on the alga surface and remaining in seawater subsequently counted and characterised. MFs were mainly <2 mm and cellulosic, and contained various additives and chemicals used in textile treatment. Interactions of MFs with U. lactuca were spatially heterogeneous but correcting for pre-existent MFs on the surface, mean trapping efficiencies on a dry mass and surface area basis were 252 mL g⁻¹ and 0.858 mL cm⁻², respectively. Despite this heterogeneity, there was evidence of differential trapping based on fibre colour and length. Interactions between the amphiphilic algal surface and MFs are likely both hydrophobic and electrostatic and are not fully reversible, with only …

Surf Stewardship And Coastal Change: A Combined Report For The North Devon Unesco Biosphere Reserve And The North Devon World Surfing Reserve, Kizzy Beaumont

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Executive summaryNorth Devon’s coastline sits within a layered governance setting, including statutory marine plans, inshore fisheries management, coastal and shoreline planning, protected areas, and seasonal bathing water monitoring, led by national regulators and local authorities. Within this wider context, this study focuses on how two non-statutory designations, the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and the North Devon World Surfing Reserve (WSR), canwork together. The work forms part of a PhD on Transformative Ocean Governance and was motivated by the North Devon WSR’s designation and the opportunity to understand how the two designations might complement each other in practice. We convened …

Fabrication Of Functional Microparticles For Biological Analysis, Justin George

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

To better advance our knowledge of cellular behavior, development of an organism, and disease mechanisms understanding cellular heterogeneity in the functional proteome is essential. Bulk measurements across a cell population often fail to capture the variations which exist between individual cells, however single cell proteomic technology has increasingly demonstrated the characterization of cellular heterogeneity. A single cell functional proteomics assay needs to be both high-throughput and multiplexed to effectively identify biomarkers and provide a quantitative correlation to better understand the interrelationships within complex protein networks. Janus particles have the ability to be engineered to have good compatibility and stability in …

Diversity, Genomics And Antimicrobial Resistance Of Coagulase-Negative Staphylococcus: A Literature Review, Kathleen Okeefe

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Members of the gram-positive bacterial genus Staphylococcus have historically been classified into coagulase-positive Staphylococcus (CoPS) and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS). This classification is based on the ability of clotting of plasma by the coagulase enzyme, which converts fibrinogen to fibrin. CoNS species are ubiquitous commensals that frequently colonize the skin and mucosal surfaces. They are also opportunistic pathogens implicated in many human and animal infections. The evolutionary history of CoNS has generally been overlooked because of the historical lack of recognition for their clinical importance and poor taxonomic sampling. They are often perceived as being less or non-pathogenic, especially compared to …