26734 research outputs found
Sort by
Effects of Non-Crop Vegetation on Pest Predation by Carabid Beetles in Alberta: A Sentinel Prey and Functional Diversity Approach
No full textAnthropogenic expansion combined with agricultural intensification have been driving factors in the decline of natural and semi-natural areas. Patches of increased biodiversity still exist in the margins of crop fields, which can provide habitat for beneficial natural enemies of crop pests. This provides an opportunity to synchronize conservation efforts with agricultural practices for mutually beneficial outcomes. Conservation biocontrol provided by natural enemies, such as carabid beetles, can reduce the need for chemical methods of pest control. The functional traits of these natural enemies, for example body size, can be used to examine how they interact with their environment. The effects that differences in structure and complexity, such as vegetation height and percent cover, of non-crop vegetation areas (NCVAs) have on natural enemies has been less frequently studied. In addition to this, predator presence alone does not directly translate to pest predation as an ecosystem service. Sentinel prey, a measurable, simulated prey that is deployed, allows for quantification of this service. Together, sentinel prey and functional diversity can provide insight into the beneficial natural enemies that reside in agricultural areas, with quantifiable predictions of potential ecosystem services they may provide. I sampled 20 stations in three canola fields for sentinel prey activity, with contrasting trials for diurnal and nocturnal predation. A total of eight fields with 17 stations in each were sampled for carabids and NCVA vegetation. I measured the body size of 7084 carabids and sampled percent cover and vegetation height in NCVAs surrounding these crop fields. Sentinel prey results showed elevated observed predation in NCVAs during the day and overall increased predation at night. A generalized additive model revealed decreased activity-density of carabids at higher levels of cover and vegetation height. A quantile generalized additive model showed that the smallest carabids in my dataset were more strongly associated with changes in vegetation and distance to an NCVA. Functional diversity of carabids was higher in NCVAs with greater percent cover and taller vegetation. These findings highlight the impacts NCVAs can have on pest predation services and carabid community assemblages
Controls of hillslope-valley floor coupling along steep mountain channel networks, Kananaskis, Canadian Rockies
No full textSediment dynamics can have significant impacts on multiple features of a landscape. The focus on hillslope-valley floor coupling is a novel approach to examining sediment connectivity, and the sediment dynamics of the eastern Canadian Rockies have not been previously studied. First, spatial trends of terrain features are characterized in three drainage basins within Kananaskis Country, Alberta. Second, an existing method based primarily on drainage area was adapted to determine the Effective Catchment Area (ECA) within each study basin (the area within a drainage basin that can supply sediment to the valley floor). Finally, the terrain in the ECAs is classified by the likelihood of a mass movement occurring. The results were analyzed by subbasin order, which is the drainage area that corresponds to a stream segment classified using Strahler’s method. The analysis shows that the transition from steep rock low-order subbasins to gentle and forested high-order subbasins is primarily controlled by horizontal and vertical changes in geologic strength. However, hillslope-valley floor coupling potential (the ECA classified by mass movement potential) is mainly controlled by the valley cross sections and hillslope profiles in the study basins. The U-shaped valley cross sections with heterogeneous hillslope profiles in glacially eroded drainage basins, have constrained the areal extent of hillslope-valley floor coupling to large low-gradient footslopes. In contrast, the V-shaped valley cross sections with relatively homogeneous hillslope profiles in the fluvially eroded drainage basin result in hillslope-valley floor coupling having higher areal coverage over the terrain. Analyzing the results by subbasin shows that hillslope-valley floor coupling can vary significantly over short horizontal distances
Where I belong: Public spaces and everyday acts of inclusion
No full textWhere I belong: Public spaces and everyday acts of inclusion is a three-year project funded by the Government of Canada (CCSIF: College and Community Social Innovation Fund). In partnership with the Calgary Public Library, the project is exploring, piloting, and evaluating innovative ways in which public spaces can foster inclusion and belonging among Racialized youth.Project Partner
Calgary Public Library
Funder
CCSIF: College and Community Social Innovation Fun
Maiden, Mother, Corpse: Greek Goddesses’ Dominion Over Life and Death in Myth and Literature
No full textFertility and death are two opposing concepts that occupy the consciousness of every person, culture, and civilization in the world. While there are ways to affect both concepts, they are ultimately beyond human control, and so mythology is one means in which people cope with that reality. Four of Greek mythology’s central deities were called upon in order to intervene, and in the stories and cult practices that included these deities two patterns consistently emerge. The first is the association with the feminine, and the second is the way two opposite concepts are so frequently aligned, which is based in the way Greek deities were multi-faceted, dual beings. In this thesis I explore how these patterns emerge in mythology, literature, ritual, and art focused on the goddesses Aphrodite, Demeter, Persephone, and Artemis
The Role of Emotional Dysregulation in ADHD Symptom Severity: Mediation of Childhood Adversity Effects Beyond Executive Functioning
No full textBackground: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is traditionally conceptualized as a disorder of executive functioning (EF), characterized by deficits in attention, inhibition, and cognitive control. However, increasing evidence suggests that emotional dysregulation (ED) is also a core feature of ADHD. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with both ADHD and ED, yet the pathways linking these constructs remain unclear. Objective: This study examines whether ED mediates the relationship between ACEs and ADHD symptom severity in adulthood, while controlling for EF deficits. Also assessed was how this relationship varied by sex. Methods: A community sample of 67 adults (48 with a formal ADHD diagnosis) completed self-report measures of ADHD symptom severity (CAARS), ED (DERS), EF (BDEFS), and ACE exposure (BRFSS-ACE module). A mediation analysis tested whether ED explained the relationship between ACEs and ADHD severity, controlling for EF domains. A follow-up moderated mediation analysis was then conducted to investigate sex differences. Results: In the primary mediation model, ACEs significantly predicted ED (β = 0.25, p = .016), and ED significantly predicted ADHD symptom severity (β = 0.41, p < .001). The indirect effect of ACEs on ADHD through ED was significant (β = 0.10, 95% CI [0.02, 0.21]), while the direct effect was non-significant (β = -0.16, p = .054). The moderated mediation analysis revealed that the mediation effect was significant for females but not for males, although sex did not significantly moderate the overall mediation pathway. Conclusions: These findings suggest that ED mediates the relationship between ACEs and ADHD symptom severity, particularly for females. ADHD symptom variability may be influenced by both EF- and ED-driven mechanisms, reflecting the need for personalized diagnostic and treatment approaches. Future research should further disentangle the interplay between EF, ED, and childhood adversity in ADHD, and explore other individual differences predicting diverse ADHD presentations
Higher-Order Message Passing in CaMPL
No full textThe Categorical Message Passing Language (CaMPL) is a statically-typed concurrent programming language. The sequential side of CaMPL is functional in style, and the concurrent side uses message passing as its core communication model in contrast to shared memory. The semantics of CaMPL lies in a linear actegory which is a linearly distributive category with a distributive monoidal category acting on it. To implement higher-order functions such as map or fold on the concurrent side, or to define concurrent type classes in CaMPL, it is necessary to pass processes as arguments to other processes. Although this ability is already present in any closed linear type system, such as CaMPL’s, supporting arbitrary recursive process definitions requires the ability to reuse passed processes. However, concurrent resources in CaMPL are linear and therefore cannot be duplicated. As a result, passing processes as linear closures does not provide the required flexibility. To solve this issue, one must pass processes as sequential data. This enables a process to receive another process as a sequential input or to transmit it as a message over a channel. However, this means that one must be able to convert a process into sequential data, and also be able to convert it back into a callable concurrent process. Categorically, this means that the concurrent side is enriched in its sequential side, with hom-objects in the sequential category representing stored processes. The abstract categorical machinery that characterizes the storing of concurrent processes as sequential data, and the using of the stored processes is the theory of copowers. This characterizes what we understand to be higher-order message passing. In this thesis, we prove that giving a right-enriched category with copowers is equivalent to giving a right actegory with hom-objects. While this result is known in the closed symmetric setting, our contribution extends the equivalence to non-closed and non-symmetric monoidal settings. This generalization is motivated by the semantics of higher-order message passing in CaMPL, which need not to be closed. We have also implemented the store and use language constructs in CaMPL’s compiler and abstract machine and we describe the changes made to each stage of CaMPL’s compiler in order to support this extension
Essays on Behavioural Responses to Taxation and Migration Policies
No full textThis thesis examines how individuals respond to tax policies, how cultural and social norms influence these responses, and how expedited access to citizenship and its acquisition impact immigrants’ economic integra-tion. It uses rich administrative data from Canada and exploits exogenous variation from policy changes to improve understanding of taxpayer behaviour, the role of cultural and social norms in economic decision-making, and the economic integration of immigrants. Chapter one exploits exogenous variation in tax rates resulting from Canadian tax reforms to estimate the elasticity of taxable income (ETI) and investigates whether differences in norms explain the observed heterogeneity in ETI. I find that immigrants’ ETI is larger than that of non-immigrants, and that the differences in cultural norms explain this heterogeneity. For instance, immigrants from countries with a high level of trust in others and the government exhibit lower ETI. In comparison, immigrants from countries with high power inequality and corruption exhibit larger ETI. The findings show that cultural norms shape tax behaviour and suggest that promoting trust in government may enhance tax compliance. Chapter two estimates the ETI and decomposes it into its components. Prior to each reform, treatment and control groups showed similar income trends, but diverged significantly afterward, providing convincing graphical evidence of income responsiveness to tax. The overall ETI is lower than typical U.S. estimates. High-income individuals respond largely through interprovincial income shifting and the use of tax-deferred savings. Capital gain and self-employment income respond highly to tax rate changes due to their differential tax treatment. Identifying which income sources drive the ETI is key to designing policies that curb tax avoidance and reduce deadweight loss. Chapter three investigates whether expedited access to citizenship and its acquisition impact immi-grants’ economic integration. Exploiting exogenous variations in citizenship rules and applying an instru-mental variables strategy, I find that tightened eligibility rules reduced naturalization. While the impact of naturalization on employment is modest, it is stronger for some immigrant categories. Naturalization also reduced welfare reliance, lower geographic mobility, and self-employment prospects, suggesting increased settlement stability and access to formal employment. While naturalization improves immigrants’ labour market outcomes, I emphasize the need to address endogeneity in evaluating its effects
Melt Spinning of Carbon Fibers from Asphaltene-Additive Blend
No full textAsphaltenes (ASP), the heavy and complex fraction of crude oil, present significant challenges to the oil processing and transportation industries. However, despite these drawbacks, ASP are a valuable carbon-rich byproduct, characterized by poly aromatic hydrocarbon with high carbon content. Carbon fiber (CF), known for its exceptional properties, including low density, high mechanical strength, and excellent chemical stability, has emerged as a high-performance material. The development of ASP-derived CFs represents a promising innovation, offering a sustainable and cost-effective pathway for valorizing petroleum byproducts while advancing carbon fiber technology. In the first part of the thesis, polystyrene (PS) was blended with ASP at 5, 10, and 15 wt.% to melt-spun CFs. Adding PS enhanced the fiber spinnability and influenced the CFs mechanical properties. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses revealed that increasing the PS content led to greater aromatic content in the blends. CFs produced from PS-ASP blends developed noticeable porosity, which could be due to several potential factors such as the immiscibility of ASP and PS, differences in viscosity and thermal behavior, etc. Interestingly, despite their porosity, the 15 wt.% PS-ASP CFs outperformed neat ASP fibers, with tensile strength and modulus increasing by approximately 154% and 194%, respectively. This improvement is attributed to enhanced aromaticity and an improved crystalline structure, which contributed to the enhanced mechanical properties of the PS-ASP CFs. In the second part, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were introduced into the ASP matrix using probe sonication at 16 kJ/10ml to ensure even dispersion. Fibers containing different CNT dosages (0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 1 wt. %) were melt-spun and carbonized at 1200°C. The results showed that 0.5 wt. % was the optimal concentration, offering a ~74.6% improvement in tensile strength compared to the neat ASP CFs, due to the best balance of CNT dispersion and alignment along the fiber axis. At 1 wt. % CNT dosage, ~21% drop of tensile strength was observed due to CNT agglomeration. MWCNT incorporation in to ASP did not lead to notable improvements in electrical conductivity, potentially due to the alignment of CNTs along the fiber axis, which reduced physical contact between adjacent CNTs. The results show encouraging possibilities for using modified ASP to develop ASP-derived CFs with improved performance
Beyond The Boundaries of Place: Tracing the Role of Memory in Reshaping Place Attachment After Immigration
No full textThis research-creation is a photographic exploration of memory, place attachment, and belonging shaped by the experience of immigration. Drawing on my personal journey as an immigrant, I reflect on how memories of familiar places in our past continue to influence how we perceive and connect to new environments. Through layering archival family photographs from my homeland with contemporary images captured in Canada, I create visual compositions that embody the fragmented, fluid nature of memory and belonging. This paper situates the work within theories of memory reconstruction, place attachment, and the immigrant experience, emphasizing how photography can become a bridge between past and present. The layered images, suggest that memories do not replace one another but coexist. Immigrants carry their past into the present, reshaping their sense of belonging in a new place. I argue that photography serves as both a tool of remembrance and a means of adaptation, allowing us immigrants to navigate the emotional terrain of displacement and reconnect with my own narrative. This work contrasts with the external, often one-dimensional portrayals of immigration by offering an internal gaze, and a quiet, introspective view of the immigrant journey. This internal view is not about conveying a single narrative of immigration. Instead, it seeks to reveal the multifaceted nature of the experience, often characterized by longing, uncertainty, and personal transformation. It aims to create a space for reflecting on the emotions that come with moving and starting over
A Toolkit for Future Skills at UCalgary: Implementation Considerations and Case Studies
No full textThis document guides instructors through how to implement Future Skills modules into their courses at the University of Calgary. In line with University of Calgary’s strategic plan Ahead of Tomorrow, post-secondary educators have an essential role in innovating and expanding how we equip students with the foundational and transferable skills required to succeed in the rapidly changing workforce.
The Future Skills Innovation Network (FUSION) is a collaborative network of Canadian universities focused on exploring inclusive and innovative learning approaches to foster skill development and prepare university students across the country for the future economy