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Resiliency to Vulnerabilities and Violence in the Caribbean
Get PDFOn September 8, 2022, Dr. W. Andy Knight, a distinguished professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alberta, presented on Resiliency to Vulnerabilities and Violence in the Caribbean. The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer period from the audience and CASIS Vancouver executives that delved into discussions on important dimensions currently affecting the Caribbean, such as transitioning from independent state-based security to regional security cooperation; developing financial stability amongst Caribbean nations; and promoting inclusiveness of Caribbean Canadians, along with an understanding of the diversity and needs of the population within the Caribbean
Diffusion of Responsibility in Instances of Group Academic Dishonesty
No full textAcademic dishonesty is an area of concern not only in the field of education, but in criminology as well. Explanations of this behaviour largely assume that individuals engage in these acts alone, however, some of the most prevalent acts of academic dishonesty are committed in groups (i.e., cheating). Opportunities for group-based academic dishonesty have significantly changed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as online student chat groups became a primary means of communication for students. Insights from the broader literature on groups and crime suggest that the presence of others when committing crime can alter an individuals’ perception of responsibility. This diffused sense of responsibility can overcome feelings of guilt or shame and make individuals more likely to participate in crime. The current study aims to explore the prevalence of academic dishonesty in these online student chat groups and examine whether diffusion of responsibility serves as a mechanism to explain participation in academic dishonesty. A survey was administered to university undergraduate to assess 1) prevalence of participation in academic dishonesty, 2) utilize hypothetical vignettes to assess students’ feelings of responsibility when engaging in online group academic dishonesty, and 3) explore whether the size of online chat groups was related to perceptions of responsibility. Ultimately, the current study provides important insight into deviance committed in a contemporary academic context and evaluates whether diffusion of responsibility serves to facilitate the commission of this form of deviance.
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Zachary Rowan, School of Criminology, Simon Fraser Universit
A Culturally-Informed Examination of Risk Factors for Crime among Indigenous Peoples
Get PDFIndigenous Peoples represent 4.5% of the Canadian adult population, but 26.3% of new admissions to federal prison. There is a similar overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in the criminal justice system in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand (with conviction or incarceration rates ranging from three to ten times higher than non-Indigenous people). Although the culture and experiences of Indigenous groups vary widely between (and within) these countries, these countries all face similar challenges in terms of promoting reconciliation and learning how to maximize the fairness and effectiveness of a European-imposed criminal justice system not necessarily suited to Indigenous histories, culture, language, and conceptions of justice.I propose exploring risk factors for crime among 300 Indigenous individuals. Specifically, I have developed a culturally-informed questionnaire whose questions will focus on issues unique/disproportionate to Indigenous experiences.With 300 participants, I hope to obtain at least 100 participants in our two target groups: with and without a criminal record (additional participants will boost sample size for subtypes of criminal behaviour, such as violent crime). Participants will be primarily recruited from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Analyses will explore correlates of criminal involvement among Indigenous populations, with a particular focus on culturally-informed risk factors.The methodology and recruitment strategy for this study will involve considerable attention to decolonizing methodologies, consultation with Indigenous scholars and stakeholders, and data collection practices that will demonstrate respect, reconciliation, and potential for transformation in our relationships with Indigenous Peoples.
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Maaike Helmus, School of Criminology, Simon Fraser Universit
Relevance of colour polymorphism in the invasive tunicate Botryllus schlosseri when exposed to thermal stress and ocean acidification
No full textColour polymorphism (the presence of multiple colour morphs within a species) is common in marine sessile invertebrates, and is underpinned by multiple physiological and environmental processes. However, the effect of colour variation on ecological adaptations is poorly understood. Botryllus schlosseri is a colonial tunicate with multiple colour morphs that is invasive along the coast of British Columbia (BC). Using settlement tiles deployed at a location known to have at least two colour morphs (orange and purple), we observed how an extreme heat event affected colour-specific colony spread. We also used data from a 2013 experiment at the same location, where CO2 was used to lower water pH to see how ocean acidification might affect colony spread of the different morphs. We found that in both experiments, the orange morph arrived sooner than the purple one. In 2021, the purple morph grew faster than the orange morph, and neither was negatively affected by the 2021 heat dome that affected much of BC. Ocean acidification did not have an effect on colour morph cover. The resilience of B. schlosseri in the face of ocean acidification, and an extreme heat event, suggests that as climate change continues to alter marine environments, this species will remain a nuisance member of the fouling community in BC.
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Isabelle Côté, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University
Research Team Members: Em Lim, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser Universit
The effects of Traumatic Brain Injury on sleep in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease
Get PDFAthletes that participate in contact sports are at high risk for Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), such as concussions. Often, these athletes suffer from enduring cognitive dysfunctions and sleep disturbances, leading to an increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This project uses the CHIMERA (Closed-Head Injury Model of Engineered Rotational Acceleration) device to model repeated mild TBIs common in contact sport athletes. This approach reduces morbidity caused by the TBIs in mice, is a surgery-free procedure, and is a clinically relevant model of concussion.
The aim of the project is to select an appropriate mouse line (APP/PS1 or NL-F) for subsequent experiments that will be evaluating the effects of TBI on sleep, and whether AD-related pathology or sleep disturbances can be prevented by administering anti-seizure medication following a TBI. Both mouse models are transgenic models that were genetically modified to have mutations that cause AD in humans.
For the TBI procedure, the anesthetized mouse will be placed in a supine position and strapped onto a platform. Once the animal is aligned, TBI will be induced by projecting a pneumatically-driven piston, powered by compressed air, to a specific area of the head. The CHIMERA device allows for precisely-controlled and reproducible mechanical inputs. Mice will undergo three TBI inductions in a span of three days. This research will help us understand the sleep disturbances caused by mild TBI, and how this affects AD progression.
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Brianne Kent, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser Universit
Synthesis, Characterization, Structural and Phase Analysis of Novel Antiferroelectric Solid Solution
Get PDFComplex structural transformations or phase transitions and interest for high-power energy storage density makes silver niobate (AgNbO3) an interesting material. In AgNbO3, various phase transitions are mainly associated with orthorhombic phases (in cubic structure, parameter a=b=c, where in orthorhombic, a≠b≠c). These transitions dominate the electrical behavior of AgNbO3 to a significant level. Here, by substituting lead and zirconium in place of silver and niobium, the solid solution system (Ag(1-x)Pb(x))Nb(1-x)Zr(x)O3 (where 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.12) was formed in form of ceramic, using conventional solid state synthesis. The Dielectric behavior (ability of a material to store energy as a function of temperature) and structural behavior suggested that with the increase in composition of lead zirconate PbZrO3, all the transition temperature in AgNbO3 moved towards the lower temperature. The frequency dependent dispersion in one of the orthorhombic phases, M1 phase, became more prominent till x ≤ 0.04 after that it was beyond the detection limit. Investigations of X-ray diffraction revealed the presence of different orthorhombic symmetries at room temperature with the varying substitution of PbZrO3. Analysis of X-ray diffraction peaks confirmed the phase transition from Pmc21 to the mixture of Pbcm and Pmc21 space group to Pbcm with the increase in composition of PbZrO3. To further study the interesting phases of AgNbO3, single crystals were successfully grown. An optical microscopy technique called Polarized Light Microscopy result confirmed the existence of room temperature orthorhombic symmetries. To summarize, the aim of experiment is to understand the effect of structural changes over electrical properties.
Faculty Supervisor:Dr. Zuo-Guang Ye, Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser Universit
Prospects for Peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Lessons from the M23 Rebellion
Get PDFFor decades, the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has been a hotbed of conflict between numerous different actors, ranging from local militias to foreign proxies. More problematic still has been the inability of the Congolese government and international community to combat these groups and establish lasting peace, primarily in the provinces of North and South Kivu. For the most part this reality has aligned well with the theories outlined in the academic literature on civil war, with one notable exception. The M23 rebellion, which lasted from 2012 to 2013, was put down swiftly and decisively when government forces were able to defeat the group after a successful military offensive. This result has led to the question of why this success has yet to be replicated with regard to the other ongoing conflicts in the region, and what, if any, key differences in the M23 rebellion and its context led to such a swift cessation of violence. This paper seeks to answer this question through a careful analysis of both the behavior and tactics of the M23 rebels, as well as those of numerous other rebel groups that were active in the eastern DRC during the same period. Finally, this study will outline how these findings can better improve prospects for peace in other conflicts, both within the DRC and abroad.
Faculty Supervisor:Dr. Aaron Hoffman, Department of Political Science, Simon Fraser Universit
Butterflies in my chest: Investigating the physiological effects of a novel digital therapeutic intervention on critically ill patients with hyperactive delirium
Get PDFDelirium poses a significant burden on the healthcare system and is especially prevalent among critically ill patients. Up to 87 percent of patients admitted to critical care areas may experience this neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by an acute change in attention, awareness, and cognition. Many present with agitation, often resulting in the inadvertent removal of invasive lines and tubes, injury to self and caregivers, and increased rates of morbidity and mortality. Current strategies for managing delirium-associated agitation are associated with significant risks, known to worsen delirium, and have very limited proof of effectiveness. To find a treatment for delirium that is both safe and effective, we conducted a clinical trial using a novel digital behaviour modification platform on critically ill patients with delirium. Participants received either standard care alone, or in conjunction with the platform that displayed nature video layered with varying volumes of realistic-appearing animations of flowers and butterflies in flight on a high-definition screen. In a subgroup of participants, heart rate variability was continuously measured to provide physiological evidence of the intervention’s calming effect. Heart rate variability describes the changes in time between heartbeats and is a well-accepted measure of parasympathetic activity, colloquially known as the “rest-and-digest” response. Data will give us a better understanding of the physiological effects of delirium and help to determine whether this novel tool is safe and effective at managing delirium in critically ill patients. Our findings may improve outcomes for not only critically ill patients, but also for a broader population experiencing delirium.
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Steve Reynolds, Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser Universit
Lapulapu's Revenge
Get PDFLapulapu’s Revenge, 2021.
64.7 cm (25.5 in) x 28cm (11 in)
Photocopies of found images, collage, trace monoprint, ink, fire and pastel on watercolour paper.
Lapulapu’s Revenge explores my identity as a person of mixed Hong Kong-Chinese and Filipino descent through borrowed, distorted, and re-imagined images of anticolonial revolt. It uses imagery that depicts Filipino resistance to US colonization, juxtaposed with racist caricatures of the Yellow Peril and Boxer Rebellion to show a continuity of resistance, despite colonial violence and disconnections to culture. Lapulapu, the namesake of this piece, was the chief responsible for defeating Spanish colonists, lead by Ferdinand Magellan at the Battle of Mactan, in the present-day Philippines, who’s identity remains shrouded in (post)colonial mythologies.
With this work, I sought to challenge representations of Asian masculinity by transforming racist imagery into something I could identify with. Lapulapu’s Revenge questions what it what it means to be part of a diaspora and at the tailend of 500 years of resistance.