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Emotion Control Beliefs as a Predictor of Emotion Regulation in Daily Life
No full textBeing able to control emotions is associated with better mental health, well-being, and psychosocial functioning (De Castella et al., 2013; Bonanno & Burton, 2013; Aldao & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2010, 2012). Research has shown that emotion malleability beliefs (the extent to which one believes emotions are fixed or can be changed) influence choices of specific emotion regulation strategies (Kneeland et al., 2016). As part of a larger study on the predictors of emotion regulation in everyday life, we assessed the role of emotion malleability beliefs in the choice of several emotion regulation strategies across multiple events over multiple days. Ninety-seven participants completed a questionnaire assessing malleability beliefs before responding to 7-10 days of assessments on their mobile device (up to 6 assessments a day). Each assessment comprised 30 items, including items assessing how much participants engaged in each of nine emotion regulation strategies in response to a recent negative event. We found no overall associations between malleability beliefs and the use of adaptive and maladaptive strategies, r= 0.163, n.s.and r= -0.047, n.s. Analyses of individual strategies indicated that the more participants believed they could change their emotions, the more likely they were to use distraction, r= .222, p= 0.05, and the less likely they were to use learned helplessness, r = -.339, p= 0.01. Future research should examine the variability in malleability beliefs across different occasions and how emotion malleability beliefs interact with other predictors to predict emotion regulation
Assessment of Antimutagenic Action of \u3ci\u3eTrametes versicolor\u3c/i\u3e (Turkey Tail), \u3ci\u3eInonotus obliquus\u3c/i\u3e (Chaga Mushroom), and \u3ci\u3eOphiocordycetps sinensis\u3c/i\u3e Extracts by Ames Test
No full textInonotus obliquus, also known as Chaga mushroom is a fungus that belongs to the Hymenochaetaceae family of Basidiomycota. This species has been used in folk medicine for treating cancer in North Europe, Western Siberia, Asia, and North America. For the past years, it has been studied since it produces a large number of compounds which show an array of biological activities, including antibacterial, hepato-protective and antitumor properties.
Ophiocordyceps sinensis (or Cordyceps sinensis) belongs to the Ophiocordycipitaceae family of Ascomycota. This fungus is an entomopathogen which has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 300 years. Some studies have shown that O. sinensis has functional activities such as immunomodulating, antiinflammation, antioxidant, antitumor, antimetastatic, among others.
Trametes versicolor, also known as Coriolus versicolor or “turkey tail”, is a fungus which belongs to the Polyporaceae family of Basidiomycota. It is a medicinal mushroom widely prescribed for the treatment of cancer and infections in China; and its polysaccharopeptides have shown biological properties, including stimulatory effects of the immune system and inhibition of cancer growth.
In accordance with current research into the different biological activities of these three fungi, and considering their antitumor and antimetastatic properties, there may be value in elucidating if these fungi present antimutagenic activity.
Objectives
The purpose of this project is to assess the antimutagenic activity of Trametes versicolor, Inonotus obliquus and Ophiocordyceps sinensis extracts. Furthermore, applications of various concentrations of each extract will be used to determine if the effect is quantity dependent.
Materials and Methods
Fungi extracts will be acquired from those collected in a parallel study where the antimicrobial activity of these fungi is going to be assessed.
For the Ames test assay, Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100 will be used, which have a frameshift and base-pair substitution mutations in the histidine operon, respectively. In addition, both strains carry rfa, uvrB and pKM101 mutations, which will make the bacteria more permeable to chemicals and DNA lesions will be repaired by error-prone DNA repair mechanisms. The mutagenic agents that will be used in this project are 2-Nitrofluorene (2-NF) and 4-Nitroquinoline-N-oxide (4-NQO) in order to revert frameshift and base-pair substitution mutations, respectively.
Bacteria will be exposed to a constant concentration of the mutagenic agents and to 6 different concentrations of each of the extracts for 90 minutes in medium containing histidine. After exposure, the cultures will be diluted in pH indicating medium (lacking histidine) and aliquoted into 48 wells of a 384-well plate. Within two days, cells that have undergone mutation reversal will grow, and bacterial metabolism will reduce the pH of the medium, changing the color of the wells; those wells which does not change color will indicate antimutagenic activity of the fungi extracts. Each dose is done in triplicate for posterior statistical analysis of the data
Positive control will consist on bacteria with the mutagen agents (mutagenic activity will be shown) and two different negative controls are going to be used. The first one will be bacteria without mutagen and without extract, therefore, no mutagenic nor antimutagenic activity will be shown; the second one will consist on bacteria with the extracts, which will allow to assess if any of the three studied fungi have mutagenic activity.
Finally, data will be collected and statically analyzed.
Expected results
Through completing this project, I expect to gain information on the antimutagenic activity of these three species of fungi. Specifically, how incubation with varying concentrations of the extracts influences the antimutagenic effect
The Impact of Ketone Supplementation Through Diet and Exercise on Oxygen Uptake Kinetics and Muscle Metabolism
No full textThere is a growing popularity in the dietary supplementation of ketones and inducing dietary ketosis, a state where the body burns fats rather than carbohydrates. This was the inspiration for our project, which aimed to exhibit the physiological benefits of supplementing ketones rather than carbohydrates. The purpose of this project is to examine the physiological effect of dietary supplementation of ketone salts on oxygen uptake and muscle metabolism. Furthermore, we monitored and examined the physiological differences seen with the same testing being undergone with placebo and utilized that data to determine if the effects can be attributed to ketone supplementation. We had participants undergo 9 total trials, one of which is a VO2max test, used to measure the maximal exertion of the participant, and utilized this for energy domain information in the subsequent 8 trials. The 8 trials, aside from supplement consumption, will remain identical: participants had a 5-minute warm-up, then a 5-minute rest break, followed by a 3-minute baseline, and then proceeded into the heavy intensity exercise domain for 8-minutes before returning to a reduced wattage to cool down for 3 minutes. We utilized a metabolic cart along with an ERG bike and a standardized value of 0.45g/kg of mass of ketones to conduct our research. The research shows that the effects of a 0.45g/kg supplementation can vary in comparison to the placebo with regards to its effects on oxygen uptake and muscle metabolism
Exploring the Link Between Local Food Production and Pro-Envrionmental Behavior in Kamloops, BC
No full textGiven the state of the environment, it is important to understand what motivates environmentally friendly behavior. This paper explores the findings of research done in 2018 on pro-environmental behavior in local food producers and motivation to produce food within the Kamloops area. Data for this project was gathered through interviews and surveys of small-scale food producers (included both household food production and local farmers) to understand why individuals were choosing to grow their own food and if they were motivated by environmental reasons, and whether they demonstrated environmentally friendly behavior both in their food production and their lifestyle. My research found that individuals who grew their own food demonstrated environmentally friendly behavior within their food production (composting, no pesticides, etc.), but were no more likely to be environmentally friendly in their lifestyle (reducing energy usage, reducing meat consumption, etc.). I also found that individuals who were motivated to grow food to connect with nature or to reduce their environmental impact displayed more environmentally friendly behavior both in their food production and their lifestyles than those who were not motivated by environmentally friendly reasons or a desire to connect with nature. This research highlights the gap between engagement in environmentally friendly activities and a resulting environmentally friendly lifestyle. While urban agriculture and local organic agriculture has inherent environmental benefits, engagement in this activity does not result in more environmentally friendly lifestyles
Manipulating Personal Relevance and Intensity in Emotion Regulation Research
No full textHow do you change how you feel after a negative event? It might depend on how intense the event was or how important you feel it is. In day-to-day life we use emotion regulation strategies to change and control our emotional experience and expression (Gross, 2010), and some research is examining how event characteristics influence the strategies we use.
Previous experimental research found that people chose to use distraction more for high than for low intensity negative images (Sheppes et al., 2014), but a daily diary study found that people favoured rumination following events of higher intensity and importance in day-to-day life (Ortner & Pennekamp, 2018). One explanation for these findings is that the personal relevance of an event, or how important it is to an individual, influences which strategy is used.
Personal relevance and intensity of an event have yet to be studied together in an experimental context. Current methods of manipulating intensity do not control for personal relevance, so we developed three scenarios to manipulate these variables, each with four versions varying in personal relevance (low or high) and intensity (low or high). We will test if high personal relevance scenarios are rated as more personally relevant than low personal relevance scenarios, and if high intensity scenarios are rated as more intense than low intensity scenarios. Future work will use these scenarios to examine how event intensity and personal relevance influence emotion regulation and could help explain why we use maladaptive strategies like rumination
Criticism in the Digital Age
No full textStudents from Lecturer Blair McDonald\u27s course: The Role of the Critic in the Digital Age will present on a variety of leading critics and writers within the field of art, music, and popular culture. In doing so, students will showcase a range of academic and popular criticism to better understand the role of the critic as a source of insight, critique, enthusiasm, and/or dismay for ideas of public interest. As a result, the panel will consider the usefulness of criticism and, in particular, the role of the critic in discussing creative as well as social matters
Discovering Crime Trends and Patterns Using Three-Dimensional Interactive Visualization Techniques
No full textLaw enforcement is under constant pressure to be aware of current criminal activity and must constantly be developing strategies to deal with it. In this regard, analytical reasoning with interactive visual interfaces, a technique called visual analytics, can be a powerful tool, serving to augment the trend and pattern recognition capabilities of experts. This research focuses on creating a framework for the three-dimensional (3D), interactive representation of criminal data. We used an open data set for this study, published by the Vancouver Police Department, that contains information on crimes committed in the area from 2003 to 2019. Two-dimensional models are an effective tool for quickly exploring data; however, they lack the natural interactivity of three-dimensional space. We have thus developed a 3D interactive visualization framework that enables temporal and spatial aspects of crime data to be visualized on a 3D, high-quality model of the City of Vancouver along with other relevant information such as public transportation and pedestrian flow data. This helps us discover trends, recognize patterns in crime and understand why certain types of crimes occur at particular locations at particular times. This framework can be used by police officers and crime analysts for effective police patrol in crime-ridden areas. Our framework, with minimal adaptation, can be altered to represent similar data from other police departments across the world
SESSION 1.3: Assent and Dissent in the Canadian West: The Problems of Literary History in BC
No full textRegionalism has been a shaping force in Canadian literary studies for as long as that field has existed, and writers from western Canada have long asserted the distinctiveness of their traditions and themes. As the study of Canadian literature shifts away from an emphasis on the nation itself—a decades-long process that has assumed particular urgency in the wake of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Final Report (2015)—the matter of writing literary history has become acutely difficult, and regionalism has largely been relegated to an earlier phase of Canadian literary historiography. In this paper, I will propose the continuing relevance of regional approaches. In particular, I will analyze various attempts by non-Indigenous authors in British Columbia to understand their place in the territories of Indigenous peoples, and to imagine alternatives to the paternalism of the Canadian state. My aim is not to disentangle Canadian literature from Canada itself, nor to provide a sanguine view of the past, but rather to illuminate currents of resistance to national narratives of peace, order, and good government. I will concentrate on the example of Al Purdy, a poet with an affinity for western Canada. Despite his profound connections to Ontario, his literary career began in BC. He made important friendships in Vancouver in the 1940s and 1950s, and his extensive western travels, especially in the northern province, shaped his imagination. By examining Purdy’s case, I seek to shed light on the cultural ironies and paradoxes of what has been and what remains, in J. Edward Chamberlin’s phrase, “a civil and uncivil society.