Digital Commons Network^™

The Transformational Possibilities Of Liberal Vocationalism: A Case Study Of Post-Year 10 Outdoor Education In Western Australia, David Aldous, Dawn Penney

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper discusses the transformative potential that liberal vocationalism, aligned with contemporary visions of lifelong and lifewide learning, presents for outdoor learning across institutional and industry settings. Utilising Bernstein’s sociological theory, the paper explores this transformation through an illustrative case study of the relations, knowledges and identities of post-Year10 Outdoor Education in Western Australia (WA). The case study highlights how Outdoor Education in WA has been organised through distinct classificatory relations that exist between government, regulatory bodies and individual industry providers that serve to distinguish Outdoor Education from outdoor learning that is ongoing and able to be pursued by people …

Chia Seed Extract As A Potential Adjunct In The Management Of Oral Candidiasis: An In Vitro Study, Dalia Ghalwash, Rawda Sayed, Ahmed Ammar, Eman Khalil

Dentistry

ABSTRACT Background Oral candidiasis remains a common opportunistic fungal infection, with increasing interest in natural antifungal alternatives. This study aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of Salvia hispanica (chia) seed extract against oral Candida albicans, compare its efficacy with nystatin, assess their combined effect, and investigate cytotoxicity on WI-38 human fibroblast cells. Methods Antifungal activity was evaluated using broth microdilution and agar well diffusion assays, with nystatin oral suspension used as a positive control. Cytotoxicity of chia seed extract was assessed on WI-38 human fibroblast cells using the MTT assay. Results Chia seed extract demonstrated notable antifungal activity, with a …

Reproductive Hormones And Semen Quality Among Fertile Adults With And Without Periodontitis: A Crosssectional Study, Dalia Ghalwash, Rim Ghanem, Mazen Ghanem, Manal Safan, Ahmed Ghanem

Dentistry

No abstract provided.

Algorithm Envelopment In Platform Markets, Liang Chen, Zhou Zhou, Lester Chan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The theory of platform envelopment rests on network effects as the key mechanism for value creation, which nonetheless receives mixed support for its efficacy in determining competitive outcomes. We argue that the value of network effects depends on matching quality, which is a function of platform-specific algorithm technology and market-level data-driven learning. In formalizing these conceptualizations, we analyze a model that demonstrates how an entrant with a superior algorithm technology may outcompete an incumbent possessing a user base advantage, a strategy we call “algorithm envelopment.” By considering specific characteristics of data-driven learning, our analysis leads to propositions regarding the entry …

Uae Traditional Folklore Through Modern Media And Its Educational Potential: The Case Of Freej, Shahad Imad Mostafa

Theses

This mixed‑methods study examined how the Emirati animated series Freej preserves traditional folklore through vernacular language, dialect, and idiomatic expressions, and evaluated its educational potential. Guided by four questions on folklore representation, dialect/idiom use, the role of the characters, and curricular applicability, the research combined content analysis of selected episodes, interviews coding and a survey of 100 Emirati participants; survey data were summarized with descriptive statistics to triangulate qualitative insights.

Findings indicated that audiences overwhelmingly perceived Freej as linguistically and culturally authentic: 95% rated the dialect as very/somewhat authentic, 94% said it reflects elders’ speech, and 89% felt the series …

Judicial Review Of Agency Discretion, Lisa S. Bressman, Daniel T. Deacon, Glen Staszewski

Book Chapters

Agencies exercise discretion when they make a choice among alternatives that are legally available to them. Such choices come in many different forms. An agency may grant a permit, deny it, or grant it with conditions. It may pro­mulgate a rule that sets specified limits on pollution, and it may or may not afford transition relief to existing sources. Or it may levy a fine against an indi­vidual and decide how high that fine should. be. To the extent the agency is afforded options in making these determinations, it is exercising discretion. This chapter concerns judicial review of agencies' discretionary …

‘The Way We Do Our Translation’: A Case Study Of Translation Policy For Spanish Speakers In The Public Parks Of Sonoma County, California, Gabriel González Núñez, Ángel María Casas Grageab, Christina Guerrero Harmon

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

Signs in public spaces can provide essential information. Especially at times of crises, and in places where there are large populations who speak a minoritized language, translation is often employed to create multilingual signage for the benefit of the community. After all, translated signs appear because some authority considers that a certain message is important enough to be visibly communicated to the public, including those who do not speak the State’s preferred language. The decision as to whether to translate or not certain signs may seem arbitrary, but one would hope that it is the result of a guided policy …

Helicobacter Pylori And Cancer: What's The Link?, Elettra Merola, Giovanni Mario Pes, David Yates Graham, Maria Pina Dore

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a human bacterial pathogen that causes one of the most common chronic bacterial infections worldwide. The microorganism has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a Group I carcinogen. While the etiological link to gastric cancer is well established, the precise molecular and cellular mechanisms driving this transformation are highly complex and incompletely understood. Fundamentally, the infection results from the chronic presence of acute on chronic gastric mucosal inflammation. H. pylori pathogenicity is increased by bacterial virulence factors including the cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) and Vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA) …

The Rna-Binding Protein Hur Modulates The Expression Of The Disease-Linked Ccl2 Rs1024611g-Rs13900t Haplotype, Feroz Akhtar, Joselin Hernandez-Ruiz, Ya-Guang Liu, Roy G. Resendez, Denis Feliers, Liza D. Morales, Alvaro Diaz-Badillo, Donna M. Lehman, Rector Arya, Juan Carlos Lopez-Alvarenga, John Blangero, Ravi Duggirala, Srinivas Mummidi

School of Medicine Publications

CC-chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) is involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases associated with monocyte/macrophage recruitment, such as HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND), tuberculosis, and atherosclerosis. The rs1024611 (alleles: A>G; G is the risk allele) polymorphism in the CCL2 cis-regulatory region is associated with increased CCL2 expression in vitro and ex vivo, leukocyte mobilization in vivo, and deleterious disease outcomes. However, the molecular basis for the rs1024611-associated differential CCL2 expression remains poorly characterized. It is conceivable that genetic variant(s) in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with rs1024611 could mediate such effects. Previously, we used rs13900 (alleles: C>T) in the CCL2 …

Astrocytic Sox9 Overexpression In Alzheimer’S Disease Mouse Models Promotes Aβ Plaque Phagocytosis And Preserves Cognitive Function, Dong-Joo Choi, Sanjana Murali, Wookbong Kwon, Junsung Woo, Eun-Ah Christine Song, Yeunjung Ko, Debosmita Sardar, Brittney Lozzi, Yi-Ting Cheng, Michael R Williamson, Teng-Wei Huang, Kaitlyn Sanchez, Joanna Jankowsky, Benjamin Deneen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Astrocytes play essential roles in the brain, and their dysfunction is associated with nearly every form of neurological disease. Despite their ubiquity, knowledge of how astrocytes contribute to disease pathogenesis is incomplete; accordingly, harnessing their biology toward therapeutics remains a major challenge. Here we show that the transcription factor Sox9 plays a context-specific role in maintaining astrocyte function and circuit activity in the aging hippocampus and Alzheimer's disease (AD) models. We found that Sox9 overexpression in astrocytes in AD models clears existing amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and preserves cognitive function. Mechanistically, Sox9 promotes the phagocytosis of Aβ plaques by astrocytes …

Disrupted Intrathalamic And Thalamocortical Structural Covariance Networks In Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Nick Steele, Ahmed Hussain, Delin Sun, C Lexi Baird, Courtney Russell, Neda Jahanshad, Lauren E Salminen, Miranda Olff, Jessie L Frijling, Dick J Veltman, Saskia B J Koch, Laura Nawijn, Mirjam Van Zuiden, Li Wang, Ye Zhu, Gen Li, Dan J Stein, Jonathan Ipser, Sheri Koopowitz, Yuval Neria, Xi Zhu, Orren Ravid, Sigal Zilcha-Mano, Amit Lazarov, Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, Ashley A Huggins, Jennifer Stevens, Kerry Ressler, Tanja Jovanovic, Sanne J H Van Rooij, Negar Fani, Emily L Dennis, David F Tate, David X Cifu, William C Walker, Elisabeth A Wilde, Ivan Rektor, Pavel Říha, Milissa L Kaufman, Lauren A M Lebois, Justin T Baker, Anthony King, Israel Liberzon, Mike Angstadt, Nicholas D Davenport, Seth G Disner, Scott R Sponheim, Thomas Straube, David Hofmann, Guang Ming Lu, Rongfeng Qi, Amit Etkin, Adi Maron-Katz, Xin Wang, Austin Kunch, Hong Xie, Yann Quidé, Wissam El-Hage, Shmuel Lissek, Hannah Berg, Steven E Bruce, Josh Cisler, Marisa Ross, Ryan Herringa, Daniel W Grupe, Jack B Nitschke, Richard J Davidson, Christine Larson, Terri A Deroon-Cassini, Carissa W Tomas, Jacklynn M Fitzgerald, Brandee Feola, Jennifer U Blackford, Bunmi O Olatunji, Geoffrey May, Steven M Nelson, Evan M Gordon, Chadi G Abdallah, Ruth Lanius, Maria Densmore, Jean Théberge, Richard W J Neufeld, Paul M Thompson, Rajendra A Morey

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The thalamus is a heterogeneous structure crucial for corticocortical communication, affective–perceptual integration, motor preparation, and memory-related functions. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by various symptoms that likely relate to thalamic functions. Group-level and individual differential structural covariance (SC) analyses were conducted on intrathalamic, thalamocortical, and thalamosubcortical volumetric networks by segmenting structural MRI data from 2,784 subjects (PTSD n = 1,306; controls n = 1,478) into 25 thalamic nuclei per hemisphere. We found that PTSD was associated with stronger intrathalamic and thalamocortical network strength and stronger SC between the limbic thalamus and the somatomotor and auditory thalamus. PTSD severity was …

Challenges In The Diagnosis Of Concurrent T-Lymphoblastic Leukemia/Lymphoma And Thymic Neuroendocrine Carcinoma: A Case Report, Kristen Oliveira, Mary Doan, Ying Pei, Marwan Yared, Songlin Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The co-occurrence of T-lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma and thymic neoplasia is a rare event that can present a diagnostic challenge. In this case report, we describe a 31-year-old man who was found to have thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma and T-lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma 2 years after initial treatment for T-lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma. The thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma was initially detected in a malignant pleural effusion, and a retrospective review of a preceding lung biopsy suggested the involvement of both tumors within one tissue sample. Immunohistochemical analysis was imperative in highlighting these two elements because despite their unique cytomorphological characteristics, a limited amount of each component was seen …

Molecular Heterogeneity Of Hpv-Associated Cancers And Strategies To Overcome Treatment Resistance, Sara Rasouli, Weiyi Gong, Raegan Wood, Danyal Daneshdoust, Anam Khan, Rani Mahyoob, Chongwen Cao, Zihao Yu, Nagireddy Putluri, Gennady Shvets, Haichang Li, Bo Zhao, Xuefeng Liu, Jenny Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major driver of global cancer incidence, responsible for nearly all cervical cancers and a significant proportion of oropharyngeal, anal, and other anogenital cancers. Despite the availability of effective vaccines, HPV-associated cancers persist due to persistent infection, immune evasion, and the virus's ability to integrate into the host genome, contributing to molecular heterogeneity and therapeutic resistance. Here, we summarize molecular heterogeneity and the emerging combined therapeutic strategies. High-risk HPV types, notably HPV16 and HPV18, initiate carcinogenesis through persistent infection of epithelial basal cells and through the actions of the E6 and E7 oncoproteins, which disrupt the …

Once-Weekly Navepegritide In Children With Achondroplasia: The Approach Randomized Clinical Trial, Ravi Savarirayan, Ciara Mcdonnell, Carlos A Bacino, Daniel G Hoernschemeyer, Janet M Legare, M Jennifer Abuzzahab, Paul L Hofman, Philippe M Campeau, Josep Maria De Bergua Domingo, Leanne M Ward, Kevin Smit, Alden Smith, Meng Mao, Michael S Ominsky, Lærke C Freiberg, Aimee D Shu, Hanne B Hove

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Importance: Historically considered a skeletal dysplasia characterized by disproportionate short stature, achondroplasia is a condition with multisystemic effects due to the widespread expression of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 variant throughout the body, impacting muscle, neurological function, cardiorespiratory health, and health-related quality of life.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of once-weekly navepegritide, an investigational prodrug of C-type natriuretic peptide, while assessing benefits beyond growth that may have important implications for complications and health-related quality of life in children with achondroplasia.

Design, setting, and participants: Enrollment for this pivotal phase 2b, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (APPROACH) was …

Associations Of Blood Pressure Level And Variability With Cortical Thickness: A Cross-Sectional Analysis From The Maracaibo Aging Study, Romeo De Leon, Shana Garza, Silvia Mejia-Arango, Kristina Vatcheva, Sokratis Charisis, Claudia L. Satizabal, Luis J. Mena, Joseph H. Lee, Joseph D. Terwilliger, Eron Manusov

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Although high blood pressure (BP) level and variability are associated with Alzheimer's Disease (AD), their relationship with cortical thickness in brain regions that are associated with AD is unclear. Furthermore, the role of 24-hour BP has not been examined. We investigated the associations of office and ambulatory BP measures with cortical thickness in brain regions implicated in AD.

Methods: We performed a cross sectional analysis of 304 participants without dementia from a population-based study with office and 24-hour BP and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. We considered cortical thickness values derived from 10 regions throughout the frontal, parietal, and …

Efficacy And Safety Of Pyrimidine Nucleos(T)Ide Therapy In Thymidine Kinase 2 Deficiency, Michio Hirano, Caterina Garone, Richard Haas, Carmen Paradas, Fernando Scaglia, Irene Rebollo Mesa, Carl Chiang, Anny-Odile Colson, Susan Vanmeter, Cristina Domínguez-González

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Thymidine kinase 2 deficiency (TK2d) (MIM 609560) is an ultra-rare, autosomal recessive mitochondrial myopathy caused by TK2 variants, leading to mitochondrial DNA depletion and/or multiple deletions. People with thymidine kinase 2 deficiency experience progressive myopathy, bulbar weakness and respiratory insufficiency, often losing the ability to walk, eat and breathe independently. Doxecitine and doxribtimine represents the first approved treatment for patients with thymidine kinase 2 deficiency with age of symptom onset ≤12 years by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency; previously, disease management was limited to supportive care. We investigated the efficacy and safety of pyrimidine …

Case Report: Molecular Diagnostics And Clinical Courses Of Two Adult Spinal Pilocytic Astrocytoma Long-Term Survivors With Gtf2i::Braf Fusion, Lorenzo Argao, Pinar E Zerk, Hsiang-Chih Lu, Zied Abdullaev, Martha Quezado, Michelle L Cassidy, Bennett Mclver, Anna Choi, Marissa Panzer, Renee Tweneboah-Koduah, Lily Polskin, Marta Penas-Prado, Paul Park, Nathan Clarke, Kenneth Aldape, Jacob Mandel, Byram H Ozer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Pilocytic astrocytomas are driven by BRAF and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) alterations, typically KIAA1549::BRAF fusions. A rare GTF2I::BRAF fusion has been described, but little is known about these cases.

Case report: Here, we report two cases with GTF2I::BRAF fusions. Case 1 is a 36-year-old man initially diagnosed with myxopapillary ependymoma at the conus medullaris with three recurrences over 23 years requiring two surgeries, three rounds of radiation therapy, and one round of lapatinib/temozolomide. A distant disease focus in T3/T4 was sampled and tested with modern diagnostic techniques revealing a pilocytic astrocytoma on histology and methylation profiling. The patient has …

Reframing Trauma-Informed Care For Refugee And (Im)Migrant Health Systems: From Interpersonal Practice To Structurally Embedded Care, Hyojin Im, Sophia Banu, Aisha Koroma, Sarmaya Mustafayeva

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Prevalence Of Substance Use In Northwest Syria: A Cross-Sectional Study, Isabel Draper, Dania Albaba, Heba Mesbah, Huda Taktak, Nidhal Saadoun, Mohammad Alhusein, Elharit Alissa, Anas Barbour, Zaher Sahloul, Nidal Moukaddam

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objectives: Syria has undergone significant socio-political turmoil since 2011 as internal conflict displaced portions of the population, destroyed infrastructure, and destabilized the economy. In the context of multilevel healthcare system disruptions, there have been increasing reports of substance use. This study seeks to evaluate patterns of substance use in Northwestern Syria.

Methods: Trained staff administered questionnaires to community members in Azaz, Syria. Questions focused on the substance use prevalence, societal and public health impacts, and perspectives on treatment availability.

Results: 480 individuals were surveyed (80·88% male, 19·12 % female; 43·39% were 18-25 yrs, 11·5% reported personal substance use). H-booz (amphetamines), …

Variability In Documentation Of Neurological And Psychiatric Examinations Among Emergency Department Patients With Behavioral Health-Related Presentations: A Retrospective Study, Heba Mesbah, Payton Kim, Jide Oluwadare, Abdulelah Almanie, Inaara Malick, Nidal Moukaddam

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Emergency departments (EDs) serve as a critical safety net for individuals experiencing acute behavioral health crises, a population that faces substantial medical morbidity and well-documented disparities in healthcare delivery. Thorough physical and neuropsychiatric assessment is essential in this setting to identify medical conditions that may mimic or exacerbate psychiatric symptoms. Incomplete documentation of these assessments may reflect gaps in care processes and represent a potential marker of inequity.

Objective: To characterize the completeness of documented neurological and psychiatric examinations among adult ED patients presenting with primary behavioral health-related chief complaints and to assess whether documentation patterns suggest persistent gaps …

Metabolites Produced By Agat+ Cells Support Regeneration In The Planarian Schmidtea Mediterranea, Aubrey M Kent, Carlos Guerrero-Hernández, Carolyn Brewster, Sean Mckinney, Jason A Morrison, Mary C Mckinney, Eric J Ross, Frederick G Mann, Blair W Benham-Pyle, Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Planarians exhibit extraordinary regenerative abilities driven by pluripotent neoblasts, yet the roles of post-mitotic progenitor and differentiated cells in this process remain incompletely understood. Here, we investigate the function of agat+ cells, epidermal progenitors expressing members of the arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (agat) gene family, in the regeneration of Schmidtea mediterranea. Comprehensive analysis of all five planarian agat paralogs revealed that agat-1, -2, -3, and -4 are co-expressed in subepidermal populations enriched at wound sites, while agat-5 is minimally expressed. RNAi-mediated knockdown of agat-1 and agat-2 resulted in severe defects: agat-1 primarily disrupted tissue homeostasis, …

Personalizing Therapies Over The Course Of Hormone Receptor-Positive/Her2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer, Akshara Singareeka Raghavendra, Senthil Damodaran, Carlos H Barcenas, Suzanne A Fuqua, Rachel M Layman, Debu Tripathy

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The hormone receptor (HR)‐positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)‐negative breast cancer subtype accounts for most early and metastatic breast cancer (MBC) cases. HR‐positive/HER2‐negative MBC is characterized by a relatively prolonged, although variable, disease course and substantial intertumoral and intratumoral heterogeneity. Although endocrine‐based therapies remain the cornerstone of treatment, nearly all patients eventually develop resistance, which is increasingly addressed with biologically targeted agents and newer‐generation cytotoxic drugs. This review summarizes the current understanding of HR‐positive/HER2‐negative MBC biology, highlighting mechanisms of intrinsic and acquired resistance, including driver genomic alterations that, along with clinical factors, help guide therapeutic choices and sequencing. The …

Dual Targeting Of Amrc12 And Malassezia Globosa Disrupts Myc Liquid Condensates-Driven Nuclear Pore Complex Biogenesis In Neuroblastoma, Anpei Hu, Chunhui Yang, Zhijie Wang, Xiaolin Wang, Xinyue Li, Shunchen Zhou, Bosen Zhao, Jiaying Qu, Xiaojing Wang, Liduan Zheng, Qiangsong Tong

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Rationale: Neuroblastoma (NB) is a predominant extra-cranial malignancy in childhood, while molecular drivers of its progression and effective treatment strategies have yet to be clarified.

Methods: RNA sequencing was performed to identify transcriptional regulators and corresponding target genes. To explore the biological effects and underlying mechanisms of these regulators, a comprehensive methodology was utilized, encompassing chromatin immunoprecipitation, dual-luciferase reporter assay, qRT-PCR, western blot, alongside gene over-expression and silencing techniques, co-immunoprecipitation, and mass spectrometry. The MTT assay, soft agar colony formation, Matrigel invasion, and nude mouse xenograft models were applied to assess oncogenic properties. Patient survival was analyzed using the log-rank …

Pd-L1-Centric Whole Blood-Based Immune Signature Profiles Of Tuberculosis Patients During Therapy, Johanna Eggeling, Martina Sester, Christoph Lange, Jan Heyckendorf, Barbara Kalsdorf, Anna M Mandalakas, Andrew R Dinardo, David Lewinsohn, Dagmar Schaub, Tina Schmidt, Eva Tolosa, Maja Reimann, Patricia M Sánchez Carballo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

This prospective study investigated whole blood-based immune cell biomarkers for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) immunoprofiling. Blood samples from 34 healthy controls and 51 tuberculosis patients were analyzed at three timepoints: Prior to therapy (T0), after 14 days of therapy (T1), and at the end of treatment (Te). Using multiparameter flow cytometry, 386 immune cell populations were analyzed. Predictive models were developed using two machine learning algorithms. A TB5LF change score, which was based on five cell populations, effectively distinguished tuberculosis patients from controls (AUC = 0.89) and tuberculosis patients before and at the end of treatment (AUC = 0.92). Similarly, the …

Nanoparticle Carriers Enhance The Prophylactic Antiviral Effects Of Dsrna In Vitro And Ex Vivo, Shayne Oberhoffner, Stephanie Dewitte-Orr, Starla Richardson, Leah Haile, Dominique Daniels, Erin Cooper, Aizah Ijaz, Janet Velasquez Perez, Mathilde Peruzzi, Bertrand Collet, Paul Craig, Kristof Jenik

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Aquaculture now outpaces traditional capture fisheries as the world population and demand for sustainable protein sources increases. Wild and farmed species are increasingly susceptible to pathogen spread as global temperatures rise and stocking densities increase. Despite the devastating losses experienced by aquaculture due to viral infections, there remain few effective prophylactic antiviral therapeutics. Long double-stranded (ds)RNA is a uniquely viral molecule produced by nearly all viruses during their replication cycle, and its detection by salmonids like rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytsha) leads to the establishment of a defensive antiviral state. Previous in vitro studies demonstrated a …

The Effects Of Environmental Complexity On Brain Development And Personality Expression In Western Hognose Snakes, Gokulan Nagabaskaran

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

There is growing interest in snake cognition, personality, and welfare as more snakes are kept as pets, yet little research has been conducted. The effects of enrichment and environmental factors have been well documented in other taxa, and recent evidence suggests that snakes may benefit in similar ways. This dissertation investigated the impact of environmental and social enrichment on personality expression, personality stability, and brain development. Western hognose snakes (Heterodon nasicus) were used as the model species, as they are a popular choice in the pet trade. This allows the research to be readily translatable to husbandry practices of many …

Minority Stress And Drug Use Among 2slgbtq+ Canadians, Robert Chin-See, Todd Coleman

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Background: Several social and environmental factors influence drug use behaviors and contribute to frequent drug use among Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and other (2SLGBTQ+) individuals. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between the minority stress, drug use, and other socio-ecological factors.

Methods: This study employed structural equation modelling on data (2021—2022) from a nationally representative pan-Canadian survey (N = 1542) on 2SLGBTQ+ health to examine the association between minority stress, drug use, and relevant socio-ecological predictors. A separate mediation analysis was conducted and controlled for socio-demographic characteristics.

Results: SEM results showed parsimonious fit …

Religious And Spiritual Struggles: The Stories Of Nigerian, Immigrant, Christian Women In Waterloo Region, Halima D. Fuller

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

ABSTRACT This research investigates religious and spiritual struggles among Nigerian, immigrant, Christian women in Waterloo Region. Twelve women settled in the region for six months to 11 years participated in the study. Qualitative methodology, narrative inquiry, and a storytelling paradigm informed the research. Semi-structured, in-depth interview questions were used to explore the experiences of religious and spiritual struggles. A meticulous review identifies a scarcity of literature on religious and spiritual struggles in the context of immigration. However, immigration challenges such as language barriers, precarious employment, and mental health issues are well-documented (Bauder, 2012; Beiser & Hou, 2016; Berry et al., …

Investigating The Impact Of Winter Exposure To Natural Environments On Perceived Health And Well-Being Using Geographic Ecological Momentary Assessment: A Case Study At Arrowhead Provincial Park, Faith M. Laing

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examined how winter exposure to specific natural environments influenced perceived health and well-being outcomes using Geographic Ecological Momentary Assessment (GEMA) in Arrowhead Provincial Park. Studies performed in the wintertime are limited, as is our understanding of how specific park features and/or activities impact health and well-being. To address this, GEMA was used with a video component to capture participants’ real-time experience and emotional responses in specific park locations defined by polygon boundaries. Two surveys were administered through participants mobile devices, one being an in-situ engagement survey triggered by entering a bounded location, which included a video and …

Science Fiction Cinema And The Technological Sublime: Spectacle And The Infinite From Early Cinema To Digital, David Jackson Dr.

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation examines how science fiction cinema constructs and reimagines the technological sublime in the twentieth century: the experience of awe, terror, and admiration provoked by human-made power and scale. Drawing on the philosophical foundations of the sublime in Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant and extending through Leo Marx’s and David E. Nye’s theorization of the technological sublime, I propose an aesthetic mode in which representation inflected with affect translates technological spectacle into examinations of humanity’s role and agency in the face of overwhelming technologized worlds and in some cases, even the universe itself.

Through three distinct historical periods …