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Leverage Points and Anthropocene Narratives: A Theoretical Approach to Reconnecting Humanity with Nature
Get PDFReconnecting humanity with nature for global sustainability is a topic of interest in the sustainability sciences and interdisciplinary humanities. The purpose of this research is twofold. First, theoretical perspectives from imperative post-humanist scholars are investigated in search of frameworks for reconceptualizing humanity's relationship with nature. Second, these frameworks are applied in examining various types of human-nature connections from a sustainability transformation science perspective. This research affirms the importance of integrating post-humanist insights into sustainability science perspectives for a deeper understanding of what it means for humans to reconnect with nature, and what this reconnection could look like. Key findings demonstrate three necessary research areas: (i) research into how the lack of post-humanist insights in sustainability science narratives relates to unsustainable outcomes; (ii) research to investigate the relative transformation potential of nature connections revamped by post-humanist perspectives; (iii) research on turning sustainability science theory informed by post-humanist perspectives into practice
Synergy and Antagonism in Advertising: Exploring the Interplay Between Television Ad Content and Program Context in Driving Brand Sales
Get PDFThis thesis investigates the interaction between advertisement type—informational and emotional—and the category of television programs in influencing brand sales. While previous studies have extensively explored the individual effects of ads on sales, the nuanced interplay between ad content and its contextual placement within different programs has been under-examined. This research addresses that gap by examining how ad-context congruence and incongruence affect advertising effectiveness. By focusing on these interactions, the study contributes new empirical insights into how the alignment between ad type and program context drives brand sales. Leveraging large-scale datasets from NielsenIQʼs Retail Measurement Services (RMS) and Nielsen AdIntel, the research analyzes weekly brand sales across multiple product categories. The data preparation involved rigorous cleaning and integration to ensure accuracy. The study employs advanced econometric techniques, including a Generalized Least Squares (GLS) model with ARMA correlation structures, to account for temporal dependencies and heteroscedasticity common in time series data. The analysis reveals that ad-context congruence plays a critical role in enhancing sales performance: informational ads are more effective in cognitively engaging programs, while emotional ads perform better in entertainment contexts. Further robustness tests, including models with lagged variables and non-linear effects, confirm the validity of the findings. The results indicate that the effectiveness of advertising is both immediate and context-dependent, with strategic ad placements significantly amplifying revenue outcomes
“Disability is not a bad word” – A Discursive Analysis of Imani Barbarin’s Activism on TikTok
Get PDFThis project examines how Imani Barbarin—a disability justice advocate, scholar, and
content creator—strategically employs humour and rhetorical critique to challenge
dominant narratives on disability, race, and systemic oppression. Analyzing her work
across TikTok, blogging, and public speaking, I explore how these different mediums
interact to form a multifaceted activist praxis. Drawing on intersectional feminist and
disability justice frameworks, I examine how Barbarin’s humour functions as both
resistance and reimagination, disrupting ableist logics. Through critical discourse
analysis (Fairclough, 1995; Wodak & Meyer 2009), I trace shifts in her tone, types of
audience engagement, and her use of affective shaming techniques, to highlight how
her short-form TikTok videos, in particular, demand audience participation to unpack
systemic critiques (Billingsley, 2021; Carlson & Peifer, 2013). I argue that Barbarin’s
activism extends beyond disability representation to actively re-shaping disability
discourse, using humour as a means of both survival and disruption (Pickens, 2019;
Mitchell & Snyder, 2020). Additionally, I reflect on my own relationship to Barbarin’s
work, considering the role of emotional investment in scholarship (Ahmed, 2017) and
the complexities of studying activist media as both a researcher and participant in the
online disability justice sphere. By situating Barbarin’s work within broader discussions
on humour, activism, and digital media, this paper demonstrates how online platforms
serve as sites of critical resistance, knowledge production, and community-building
(Berlant, 2011; Broderick & Ne’eman, 2021)
Execution Trace Reconstruction Using Diffusion-Based Generative Models
Get PDFExecution tracing is a critical technique for analysing the behaviour of software systems, enabling several key security and performance analysis tasks. However, missing trace events, often resulting from the resource constraints of tracing tools, can compromise the integrity of trace data and impact subsequent analyses. Solutions for trace reconstruction are notably under explored, and consequently the few existing methods frequently fail to fully utilize contextual information leading to poor performance in complex scenarios.
This thesis explores the use of diffusion-based generative models, a class of deep learning techniques that have set new benchmarks in various content generation tasks, for reconstructing incomplete trace event sequences. In the first comprehensive evaluation of diffusion models for this purpose, we test their performance using datasets derived from twelve traces collected across four distinct systems. The models are evaluated under various imputation scenarios, including differing sequence lengths and missing data ratios. Among the models tested, the SSSDS4 model demonstrates superior performance, achieving high accuracy, perfect reconstruction rates, and strong ROUGE-L scores across diverse conditions. These findings underscore the potential of diffusion-based models to accurately reconstruct missing events, thereby maintaining trace integrity and
enhancing system monitoring and analysis
An Ideal Offender? Exploring How Discourses Surrounding Neurodivergent Justice-Involved Young People Affect Restorative Justice Conferences
Get PDFRestorative justice conferences are approaches to justice that take place outside of formal court processes and bring together many parties (e.g., justice-involved young person, victim(s), family members, community members, facilitators, and others) to address the harm that was caused by the offence(s) and advise decisionmakers on next steps (Fugeman-Millar, 2003). In Canada, the use of these conferences varies greatly, highlighting an uneven and inconsistent application (Paquin-Marseille & Higgison, 2022). Furthermore, limited research exists in Ontario that engages with the facilitators of these conferences. This thesis explores the intersections of neurodiversity, youth justice, and restorative justice conferences to better understand the ways in which conference facilitators reinforce, reproduce, and resist certain discourses. Using a Foucauldian discourse analysis (FDA), I unpack the ways in which conference facilitators engage with the medicalized/deficit vs. neurodiversity affirming discourse and the ‘ideal offender’ vs. ‘problematic offender’ discourse when discussing their role, neurodiversity, youth justice, and restorative justice. The findings suggest that while restorative justice conferences are largely viewed as a valuable tool in youth justice, their implementation and facilitation are influenced by factors such as institutional discretion, facilitator knowledge, and structural factors such as education, training, and funding availability. Furthermore, discourses surrounding neurodivergent justice-involved young people highlight the importance of engaging with youth-centred and neurodiversity-affirming practices. A critical analysis of these dynamics can contribute to broader ongoing discussions related to neurodivergent young people involved within the youth justice system
The role of GSK3beta in regulating murine cardiac SERCA function in male and female mice.
Get PDFCardiac contractile function is largely regulated by calcium (Ca2+) cycling within cardiomyocytes. The sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase 2 (SERCA2) catalyzes the active transport of Ca2+ into the sarcoplasmic reticulum thereby influencing cardiac diastole and free intracellular Ca2+ levels. Phospholamban is an inhibitor of SERCA2, and together, both are paramount to cardiac Ca2+ regulation. It is well established that SERCA2 dysfunction pathologically contributes to cardiomyopathy and heart failure. My previous work showed that inhibiting the enzyme glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) with a sub-therapeutic dose of lithium chloride (LiCl, 10 mg/kg/day – 0.02 mmol/L [serum]), improves cardiac SERCA function by increasing the ratio of SERCA2:PLN in male C57BL/6J mice. However, it is unclear whether this effect can be reproduced in other models or affects overall cardiac function and morphology. Therefore, in this thesis, I investigated whether the improvements observed previously with sub-therapeutic LiCl on cardiac SERCA function could affect cardiac systolic and diastolic function in male WT mice (data chapter 1), whether sub-therapeutic LiCl affected SERCA susceptibility to thermal inactivation (data chapter 2), if sub-therapeutic LiCl showed similar improvements to cardiac SERCA function in female WT mice, and whether this effect was translated to the ovariectomized (OVX) female mouse model of menopause (data chapter 3). In the final data chapter (data chapter 4), I examined whether GSK3β-specific inhibition can benefit cardiac SERCA function, contractility and morphology in the D2-mdx mouse, a preclinical model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In data chapter 1, I found that LiCl induces an eccentric hypertrophy, independent of changes to SERAC function. Data chapter 2 shows a preservative effect of LiCl treatment on SERCA during thermal inactivation. Data chapter 3 indicated a similar effect on SERCA function in females as shown previously in males, however this effect was less effective in OVX females. Finally, data from Chapter 4 showed that GSK3β-specific inhibition in D2-mdx mice preserved diastolic function; however, this was not due to changes in cardiac SERCA function. Together, these studies present the therapeutic value of GSK3 inhibition in physiological and pathological states of the heart, though this may not entirely be dependent on improvements to SERCA function
Voice of Pelham Newspaper Collection, 2010-2022
Get PDF“The Voice of Pelham” was a weekly community newspaper in Pelham, Ontario. The paper reported on events in Fonthill, Fenwick, Ridgeville and North Pelham. “The Voice of Pelham” ceased print publication in December 2022 but continues to publish online daily as PelhamToday.ca.The collection consists of issues of the weekly community newspaper “The Voice” and “The Voice of Pelham” from 2010 to 2022. The newspaper alternated between these names
Disparities in Mental Health, Physical Health, and Substance Use Across Sexual Orientations in Adults
Get PDFBackground
Studying disparities across sexual orientations is important for the design and implementation of public health interventions to improve health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. While prior studies have shown LGB individuals have elevated risk of poor mental health, poor physical health, and substance use, existing study designs may be improved by using representative samples, wider ranges of health outcomes, heterosexual comparison groups, and disaggregated data. The goal of this study is to provide estimates of multiple health disparities across sexual orientations in Canada based on these principles.
Methods
Using data from 2009-2014 Canadian Community Health Surveys, a sample of 19,980,000 weighted individuals was created. Outcomes included mental health, physical health, binge drinking, illicit drug use, and cannabis use. The study used cross-tabulations and logistic regression models, stratified by sex, to estimate health disparities across sexual orientations. The design of the study is based on pooled cross-sectional analyses. Ten controls, including year of birth, marital status, and income, were included in the fully-adjusted regression models.
Results
Among LGB individuals, there was evidence for elevated risk of poor mental health (i.e. gay men, bisexual men, bisexual women), poor physical health (i.e. bisexual men, bisexual women), binge drinking (i.e. lesbians, bisexual women), illicit drug use (i.e. lesbians, bisexual women), and cannabis use (i.e. lesbians, bisexual women) relative to their heterosexual counterparts. Those identifying as 'don’t know' or 'refuse' showed reduced odds of substance use. Bisexual women exhibited highest disparities in health outcomes, e.g. OR=3.3, 95% 2.58 - 4.22 for poor mental health. Trends over time showed worsening mental health among bisexual women (relative to changes in heterosexual women), and decreasing substance use in gay and bisexual men, and lesbians.
Conclusion
This study highlights health disparities across sexual orientations in Canada, especially bisexual women, calling for targeted interventions (e.g. increased training of service providers in working with bisexual women and community outreach against biphobia). Future research should aim to explore these disparities longitudinally while also including the use of administrative-linked health data to reduce potential bias in self-reported data
'With texting, I'm always second guessing myself': Teenage perfectionists' experiences of (dis)connection online
Get PDFLittle is known about how perfectionistic adolescents experience social connection in online spaces. The current qualitative study addressed this gap by examining themes related to social (dis)connection in online and in-person settings from semi-structured interviews with 43 adolescents (Mage = 15.16, SD = 2.43; 62.8% female; 58.1% white; 54.4% self-identified perfectionists). Results demonstrated that perfectionists expressed feeling less connected online than non-perfectionists, likely driven by heightened levels of interpersonal sensitivity. However, a subgroup of perfectionists sought out meaningful online relationships, often in response to a fear or experience of rejection by in-person peers. The results highlight the role of interpersonal sensitivity in fuelling feelings of disconnection among adolescent perfectionists in both online and in-person settings, as well as the importance of self-monitoring in the social experiences of perfectionistic youth.This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council [435-2017-1472]; This research was undertaken, in part, thanks to funding from the Canada Research Chairs Program awarded to Danielle S. Molnar (CRC-2020-00095)
Synthesis and Properties of π- Extended Phenoxyl Radicals.
Get PDFPhenoxyl radicals are a class of π-radicals synthesized by single-electron oxidation of phenols. The spin density from the unpaired electron of a phenoxyl radical is highest at the oxyl position, as well as at the ortho and para positions relative to the oxyl group. The stability of phenoxyl radicals can be improved by substituents at the ortho and para positions, including aromatic, O, N, S-alkyl, and sterically hindered alkyl groups, which compensate for electronic deficiency through resonance or inductive effects. In 2016, Lemaire group reported a crystal structure of the stable phenoxyl radical 2,6-bis(8-quinolylamino)-4-(tert-butyl)phenoxyl (BAQP), which lacks the commonly utilized tert-butyl groups at the ortho position relative to the oxyl group. Moreover, the BAQP radical also showed reversible π-dimerization in solution.
This thesis describes the synthesis and characterization of two sets of phenoxyl radicals that lack ortho tert-butyl groups, similar to BAQP. The first set of phenoxyl radicals is ortho-substituted with amino derivatives of large aromatic π-systems, namely pyrene, naphthalene, and phenalenone. The second set is the halogenated derivatives of the BAQP radical. This thesis also explores the stability and the reversible π-dimerization of both of the above-described novel sets of phenoxyl radicals.
Notably, one of the radicals synthesized during this work, 5-(tert-butyl)l-2-oxy-1,3,-bis(1- prenylamino)benzene, was proven to be stable as crystal structures were obtained from the pure compound. This particular radical, like BAQP, showed reversible π-dimerization in solution detected by spectroscopic methods such as EPR and 1H-NMR spectroscopy methods. The solid- state properties of this radical were also explored through DC susceptibility measurements and EPR spectroscopy