Digital Commons Network^™

Application Of The Optimal Estimation Method (Oem) To Retrieve Relative Humidity From Raman Lidar Backscatter Measurements., Shayamila N. Mahagammulla Gamage, Robert Sica, Alexander Haefele

Western Research Forum

Accurate measurements of relative humidity (RH) vertical profiles in the atmosphere is important for understanding the earth's weather and the climate system. RH represent the current state of the water vapor in the atmosphere with respect to the ambient air related to saturation. Even minor changes of the RH in the lower atmosphere has a large impact of the global circulation and cloud formation. Due to its high variability RH measurements in the lower atmosphere is significantly challenging. Raman lidar is one of the potential tools that can provide vertical profiles of RH. Typically, temperature and water vapor mixing ratios …

Realist Evaluation Of Ldcp Funded Health Equity Indicators, Shamiram Zendo Ms

Western Research Forum

Background: The Health Equity Indicators were developed by a group of public health practitioners, and academics to assist Local Public Health Agencies (LPHAs), across Ontario, Canada, determine whether their public health programs and activities meet the equity standards required by the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care (MOHLTC). The Health Equity Indicators have been designed to assess organizational internal practice and determine whether programs meet equity standards.

Objective: A realist evaluation is currently underway to determine who these indicators work for and under what conditions, across the LPHAs in the province of Ontario.

Method: Realist methodology has been …

Integrated Raman Lidar And Microwave Radiometer Retrieval Of Atmospheric Water Vapor, Jeffrey Vankerkhove, Robert Sica, Alexander Haefele

Western Research Forum

Water vapor plays a critically important role in many atmospheric processes. However, it is poorly characterized throughout much of the atmosphere, particularly in the UTLS (Upper Troposphere Lower Stratosphere) region, due to lack of accurate measurements. Raman lidar boasts the capacity for excellent spatial and temporal resolution, but requires an external calibration. Microwave radiometers can be calibrated in absolute terms, but have poor height resolution. In this study, we introduce an integrated water vapor retrieval using an optimal estimation method, where the measurements from the Raman Lidar for Meteorological Observation (RALMO) and a RPG-HATPRO radiometer, both located at the MeteoSwiss …

Dance As A Protective Measure Against The Cognitive And Physical Declines Associated With Aging: A Proposed Study, Sarah M. Schwanz, Jeffrey Holmes, Jessica Grahn

Western Research Forum

Background:

Dance is considered a multimodal activity in that it requires both physical and cognitive engagement. Combining physical activity with music may have a synergistic effect, enabling dance to enhance physical and cognitive functions more than music and physical activity alone. The positive changes attributed to dance training such as improved visuospatial and motor ability, high coordination, greater balance, and increased cognitive ability may also benefit individuals as they age.

Methods:

This proposed study will examine whether dance training has the potential to protect against age-related cognitive and physical decline by assessing the cognitive and physical domains that show decline …

Interpreting Patient Reported Outcomes In Orthopaedic Surgery: A Systematic Review, Shgufta Docter, Zina Fathalla, Michael Lukacs, Michaela Khan, Morgan Jennings, Shu-Hsuan Liu, Dong Zi, Dianne Bryant

Western Research Forum

Background: Reporting methods of patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) vary in orthopaedic surgery literature. While most studies report statistical significance, the interpretation of results would be improved if authors reported confidence intervals (CIs), the minimally clinically important difference (MCID), and number needed to treat (NNT).

Objective: To assess the quality and interpretability of reporting the results of PROMs. To evaluate reporting, we will assess the proportion of studies that reported (1) 95% CIs, (2) MCID, and (3) NNT. To evaluate interpretation, we will assess the proportion of studies that discussed results using the MCID or the effect sizes and how …

The Rohingya Muslims’ Crisis In The Rakhine State Of Myanmar: ‘Recognition As Toleration’ And ‘Religious Toleration’, Md. Ishrat Ibne Ismail, Md. Ishrat Ibne Ismail

Western Research Forum

Title:

The Rohingya Muslims’ Crisis in the Rakhine State of Myanmar: ‘Recognition as Toleration’ and ‘Religious Toleration’

Abstract:

The inhuman annihilation of the Rohingya people from the Rakhine state by the Myanmar military and the Buddhist majority, which is supported by the Myanmar government as they watched the massacre silently, could be considered as genocide. Ashley Kinseth claims: “in terms of rate of escalation, this is the greatest mass exodus - and has the makings to become the most significant humanitarian catastrophe - since the 1994 Rwandan genocide, when over 800,000 Hutus and moderate Tutsis were slaughtered.” The main reason …

Public Policy Advocacy In The Canadian Context: A Review Of The Current Literature, Amy Lewis, Abram Oudshoorn, Helene Berman

Western Research Forum

Public Policy Advocacy in the Canadian Context: A Review of the Current Literature

Background: Public policy advocacy is an important competency for students from healthcare and social service programs to develop; however, integration of policy advocacy within university curricula remains inconsistent. Identifying the knowledge and skills that healthcare and social service professionals use in policy advocacy supports the development of educational competencies to achieve entry-to-practice objectives. A review of the literature published on the topic of public policy advocacy in higher education was undertaken to determine the current state of this evidence.

Methods: For this scoping review, CINAHL, Scopus, and …

Identifying The Enzyme Involved In Vacuolar Atpase Acetylation During Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity, Rebecca Dang, Tianqing Peng

Western Research Forum

Doxorubicin is an established anticancer medication infamous for its bright colouration and extremely toxic side effects. Emerging studies support that the imbalance between acetylation and deacetylation disrupts the autophagic flux leading to doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Vacuolar ATPases are a family of electrogenic proton pumps present on the lysosomal membrane that create an acidic environment for proteases to degrade proteins. Our preliminary study found that acetylated Vacuolar ATPase subunit V₀ D1 levels increased in doxorubicin-injected mouse hearts. However, it is unknown how acetylation of subunit V₀ D1 is modulated and whether this modification plays a role in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

The …

Tracing Nutrient Sources To Lipid Production In Insects Using Stable Isotope (Δ13c, Δ2h) Tracers: Implications For Nutritional Physiology Of Migratory Species., Libesha Anparasan, Keith A. Hobson

Western Research Forum

Using stable isotope measurements of insect tissues to determine origin and migratory patterns is well established. However, isotopically determining nutritional origins of lipids, the primary fuel of migration, has not been as thoroughly researched. We explored isotopic links between diet and stored lipids in laboratory raised True armyworm moths (Mythimna unipuncta) using δ¹³C and δ²H measurements. Pupae were randomly separated into four groups (n=20) and fed isotopically distinct nectar, each consisting of a combination of high δ¹³C (C4 sugar), or low δ¹³C (C3 sugar) carbohydrate, with high δ²H (deuterium spiked), …

Photoswitchable Self-Complementary Hydrogen Bond Arrays, Suendues Noori, James A. Wisner

Western Research Forum

Background: Photochromism is the reversible transformation of a chemical material to another form by the absorption of electromagnetic radiation (light), where the two metastable forms have distinct absorption spectra and other properties. Photochromism in materials allows for the switching of their function solely based on irradiation with light. Polymers are used frequently as the building blocks for materials as they are versatile, multifunctional, can carry charge and be processed by solution-based deposition methods. Supramolecular polymers share the same definition as polymers with the exception that they are held together by reversible and directional non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonds. Synthesizing …

Does Improved Physical Function Following A Nustep® Seated All Extremity Exercise Intervention Reduce The Fear Of Falling And Improve Quality Of Life In Older Adults With Fear Of Falling Living In Community Care Homes?, Navjot Gill, Denise Connelly

Western Research Forum

Background:

Decreased physical activity associated with fear of falling invokes a dangerous cycle of more fear, reduced activity and falls. NuStep is a seated all-extremity recumbent cross trainer which provides safe and efficient exercise training.

Hypotheses/Objectives:

The objectives of this study are to:

i. improve physical function and mobility of older adults living with a fear of falling with a NuStep;

ii. assess change in self-reported fear of falling and quality of life before and after the exercise intervention; and

iii. determine whether there is a relationship between exercise-related improved physical function/mobility with change in fear of falling and/or quality …

Regulation Of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Sensitivity By Torc1 Signalling In Yeast, Khadija Ahmed, Patrick Lajoie

Western Research Forum

Incorrect folding of secretory proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) results in an aberrant accumulation of misfolded proteins (ER stress) and activates a coping mechanism known as the unfolded protein response (UPR). While the mechanisms of UPR activation have been well established, how it integrates with other stress responses remains unclear.

Given that TORC1 is an important regulator of cell growth during protein misfolding stress, we sought to investigate how TORC1 signalling acts in parallel with the UPR to regulate ER stress sensitivity. Our studies employ the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a biochemically traceable model organism that allows for …

Uncovering The Role Of Ovol1 In Placental Stem Cell Differentiation Using Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Maram Albakri, Patrick Lajoie, Stephen Renaud, Gargi Jaju, Hazel Dhaliwal

Western Research Forum

OVOL1 is a conserved transcription factor involved in regulating cytrophoblast differentiation in the placenta. Our objective for this study is to use Saccharomyces cerevisiae to uncover the role of OVOL1 in placental stem cell differentiation and proliferation. Previous research suggests that OVOL1 regulates cytotrophoblast progenitor state by regulating genome acetylation. Therefore, our study aims to determine how OVOL1 effect yeast growth and the yeast acetylome, and to use the yeast model to determine downstream targets of OVOL1. In order to understand the role of OVOL1, we will develop a yeast model and employ growth assays to assess growth defects and …

An Empirical Examination Of Contemporary American Spiritualism And Mediumship At Lily Dale, New York, Diana Ali

Western Research Forum

American Spiritualism is an American religion that was born in 1848 in Hydesville, New York. Its central principles state that there is life after death and that mediums have the capability to communicate with discarnate beings. Mediums are persons who claim they can communicate with the dead. Today, Lily Dale, New York is the largest surviving community of American Spiritualism, with a population of mediums that host an annual festival that draws large crowds from around the world upwards of 20,000-30,000 visitors. The author of the present interdisciplinary study outlined a historical overview of American Spiritualism and conducted empirical research …

Does Self-Regulation Mediate The Relationship Between Locus Of Control And Resiliency Related Outcomes?, Alexander J. Mcgregor 6971928

Western Research Forum

Locus of control (LOC) has been implicated in predicting mental wellbeing outcomes in a variety of theories and empirical studies, however the mediating mechanisms between the trait and mental wellbeing are not well known. The King and Rothstein (2010) model of resiliency posits self-regulation as the active mechanism that leads to recovery in resiliency related outcomes following significant adversity. This study investigated the mediating role of affective, behavioral, and cognitive self-regulation between locus of control, depression, and anxiety using mediation analysis. The results showed LOC significantly predicted all three self-regulation components, as well both depression and anxiety. behavioral and cognitive …

Role Of Gp120 Glycosylation In Sexual Transmission Of Hiv, Yingxue Sun, Adam Meadows, Najwa Zebian, Eric Arts, Carole Creuzenet

Western Research Forum

Background:

In chronic HIV patients, the viral populations are genetically diverse due to mutations introduced by the viral reverse transcriptase during HIV replication. However, more than 80% new infections result from single transmission founder (TF) viruses; therefore, targeting the TFs is key to control AIDS worldwide.

Gp120 is a glycosylated envelope protein required for HIV infection, propagation, and transmission. Glycans on gp120 influence HIV infectivity through their interactions with lectins, the carbohydrate-binding immune proteins in the host mucosa. To transmit sexually, viruses must overcome the lectin traps to access more target T cells.

Hypothesis:

TF viruses are less likely to …

The Fear And Biopolitical Control Of The ‘Terrorist Other’, Percy Percy Sherwood

Western Research Forum

“I think Islam hates us,” Donald Trump said as a presidential candidate in a CNN interview in March 2016, conflating the religion with ‘radical Islamic terrorism.’ Trump’s statement exemplifies the prevailing fabricated enemy and resulting Islamophobia in the context of the ‘global war on terror.’ Since 9/11, powerful actors are using abstractions, ideologies, and narratives—that are usually defined along racial lines—to conjure up a fear so permeable that it serves to legitimize massive levels of violence in the name of self-righteousness. How do the racist abstractions, ideologies, and narratives that are associated with Islam and Muslims produce fear and insecurity …

Knocking Out A Negative Regulator Of Hedgehog Signaling Blocks Differentiation Of Cells Into Neurons, Danielle Margaret Spice, Gregory M. Kelly Ph.D.

Western Research Forum

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling, one of many different protein signaling pathways found in mammals, is vital in many stage of neural development. A major negative regulator of Hh signaling is a protein known as Suppressor of Fused (SUFU), which acts to sequester the full length Gli transcription factors, proteins that can turn genes on and off, in the cytoplasm or facilitates its conversion to a repressive form. The P19 embryonal carcinoma cell line is a model of hind-brain neuronal differentiation and the involvement of Hh signaling, in particular the role of SUFU in this process has yet to be explored. We …

The Dissociable Impact Of Auditory Vs. Visual Emotional Cues On Visual Processing, Emma K. Stewart Bsc, Derek Gv Mitchell Phd

Western Research Forum

Background: Emotional information has privileged access to processing resources, which can cause it to have a distracting or facilitating effect on task performance for reasons that are poorly understood. The sensory modality through which it is presented may be one determining factor. Some findings suggest that auditory stimuli facilitate visual task performance while visual stimuli interfere with it, but there are conflicting findings.

Hypothesis: We hypothesize that emotional content of a different sensory modality from the task improves task-related performance via a general alerting and arousing effect for all stimuli, while emotional content of the same modality disrupts performance when …

Cross-Linguistic Effects Of Intention Recognition In Malay Bilinguals, Maziyah Mohamed, Debra Jared

Western Research Forum

Does the language we speak influence the way we interpret intentions of others? Prior literature has shown that obligatory markers in a language may influence the way we think. In Malay texts, accidental actions are marked using a prefix. Malay speakers are, thus, quick to identify the accidental actions of others. Conversely, it may be that Malay speakers often interpret intentions as deliberate given a more ambiguous context where the prefix is absent. The goal of the current study was to determine whether this way of interpreting one’s intentions of others extends to English texts for Malay-English bilinguals. In Study …

An Application Of The Modifiable Areal Unit Problem: Optimizing Cluster Method Parameters To Produce Predictive Data For Hiv Outbreaks, Connor J. Chato, Art Fy Poon

Western Research Forum

Background

A popular approach to study HIV outbreaks is to cluster cases based on genetic similarity. However, there is no widely-used statistical criterion which optimizes the parameters for sequence-based clustering methods. The relationship between a cluster-defining similarity threshold and it’s associated set of clusters can be analogized to the aggregation level in the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (MAUP).

Hypothesis

Based on the selection of aggregation level for study partitions in MAUP, we present a statistical framework to optimize the similarity threshold for pairwise distance algorithm TN93 (http://github.com/veg/tn93). We hypothesize that defining this threshold includes case connections such that …

The Wet Bridge Transfer System: An Novel In Vitro Tool For Assessing Exogenous Surfactant As A Pulmonary Drug Delivery Vehicle, Brandon J. Baer

Western Research Forum

Background:

Due to its complex branching structure, direct drug delivery to the remote areas of the lung is a major challenge. Consequently, most therapies, such as those treating pulmonary infection and inflammation, must utilize large systemic dosing, with the potential for adverse side effects. A novel alternative strategy is to use exogenous surfactant, a material capable of distributing throughout the lung, as a pulmonary drug delivery vehicle.

Objective:

Utilize an in vitro transferring system to assess exogenous surfactant (BLES) as a pulmonary delivery vehicle for different therapeutics.

Methods:

An in vitro technique was developed to simultaneously study surfactant delivery and …

Psychometric Properties Of Standardized Balance Confidence, Fear Of Falling, And Falls-Efficacy Measures In People With Lower Limb Amputations, Jack Y. Wang, Susan W. Hunter, Ricardo Viana, Jeffrey D. Holmes, Michael Payne

Western Research Forum

Background:

In Canada, >50% of community-dwelling lower limb amputees (LLA) fall at least once each year, a rate that is almost twice that of community-dwelling older adults. While the physical consequences of falls may be readily apparent, psychological sequelae that follow may be just as, if not more, detrimental than an actual fall itself. Current measures of balance confidence show no change in LLA following discharge from rehabilitation. The limited detectable change may be due to content validity challenges of the measures as they were not developed for the unique challenges faced by LLA.

Objectives:

1) Review items from standardized …

Investigating The Effect Of Stiffness In Hemiarthroplasty Implants, Carolyn Berkmortel, Daniel Langohr, Graham King, James Johnson

Western Research Forum

Background: Hemiarthroplasty is an attractive alternative to total arthroplasty because it conserves tissue, allows for quicker recovery, and has a lower cost. However, likely due to the high stiffness of the implant, hemiarthroplasties often lead to accelerated wear of the opposing native cartilage.

Hypothesis and Methods: The purpose of this study was to investigate the maximum contact stress on the capitellum for different currently available biomaterials in radial head hemiarthroplasty and compare them to the native radial head. A finite element model was developed in ABAQUS (Dassault Systèmes Simulia Corp., RI, USA). An axial load of 100N was applied to …

Trauma And Violence Informed Care Workshop For Teachers, Christina Amico, Michelle Philippe

Western Research Forum

Teachers play an integral role in the healthy growth and development of their students. Students that have experienced traumatic events, chronic adversity, and structural violence are vulnerable to a myriad of biological, social, emotional, and behavioural impairments (Blaustein, 2013). Problematic classroom behaviour, therefore, could be a reflection of exposure to trauma and violence. As teachers play an important front-line role in the lives of their students (Brunzell, Waters, & Stokes, 2015), it is important that teachers receive relevant and high-quality professional development, particularly in the area of trauma and violence-informed teaching practices. There is a gap in research on effective …

Depression Affects Recovery Following Distal Radius Fracture: A Latent Class Analysis, Shirin Modarresi, David M. Walton, Joy C. Macdermid

Western Research Forum

Background: Most people recover within six months following distal radius fractures (DRFs) but some experience pain and disability for one year or longer. Therefore, it is important to understand the factors that can help predict recovery. According to the biopsychosocial model of pain, psychological aspects of a condition can play important roles in explaining recovery.

Objectives: To identify the recovery trajectories of patients with DRFs and to determine the degree to which depression affects these trajectories.

Methods: Recovery was assessed in 318 patients using the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation scale at baseline, three, six, and 12 months. Demographic information was collected …

Multifunctional Hybrid Sol-Gel Implant Coatings On Anodized Titanium Substrates To Improve Osseointegration And Antimicrobial Effectiveness, Zach Gouveia

Western Research Forum

To improve patient outcomes in orthopedic and dental implantation procedures, the development of multifunctional implant coatings that can inhibit microbial cell proliferation while promoting osseointegration have been sought out by clinicians. While recent developments in material science and cell biology have seen the development of such coatings, many proposed systems lack clinical translatability. For example, to reach the clinic, modern coating systems must be highly adherent to their substrate (to avoid delamination upon implantation), have sufficient wettability (to promote the fixation of cells), and facilitate the controlled and sustained release of antimicrobial factors (falling within the therapeutic window to prevent …

Where On Ice? Algorithmically Deconstructing Nhl Shot Locations As A Method For Player Classification, Devan Becker, Douglas G. Woolford, Charmaine B. Dean

Western Research Forum

Where do hockey players shoot from? How does this vary from player to player? We present the results of a study that uses data-driven statistical methods to investigate these questions. The locations of shots by National Hockey League (NHL) players from 2011 to 2017 are analyzed using a combination of an image recognition algorithm and spatial statistical methodology. An unsupervised classifier is applied to output from a spatial point process model in order to determine which shot locations best characterize a given player. We define the number of regions a priori, but the image recognition algorithm chooses the shape …

Phylogenetic Estimates Of Hiv-1 Gp120 Indel Rates Across The Group M Subtypes, John Palmer, Art Poon

Western Research Forum

Insertions and deletions (indels) in the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120 play a significant role in the evolution of HIV pathogenesis and transmission fitness. While substitution rates in HIV-1 are well characterized by phylogenetic models, there is a lack of quantitative measures of indel rates in HIV-1. Here we use a dated-tip phylogenetic analysis of gp120 sequences to estimate indel rates for 7 subtypes and CRFs of HIV-1 group M.

We obtained and processed 26,359 HIV-1 gp120 sequences from the Los Alamos National Laboratory HIV Sequence database. After filtering these sequences, we extracted the conserved and variable regions from the remaining …

Mouse Performance On A Novel Touchscreen Continuous Performance Task Is Dependent On Signaling In The Prelimbic Cortex, Tyler D. Dexter, Daniel Palmer, Amy C. Reichelt, Anita Taksokhan, Lisa M. Saksida, Tim J. Bussey

Western Research Forum

Attention is the cognitive processing that facilitates the ability to target and attend to relevant environmental stimuli, while filtering out irrelevant or distracting stimuli. Control over selective attention is theorized to be dependent on organized neural communication that stems from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). To evaluate selective and sustained attention, mice were trained on the novel touchscreen rodent continuous performance task (rCPT), a task designed to emulate the human CPT. In the rodent version, images are continuously presented on a touchscreen, where mice have been trained to selectively respond to one image type while suppressing responses to all others. …