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Fungicide sensitivity of Fusarium spp. isolated from decaying potato seed tubers
Full text link1 online resource (iv, 34 pages) : illustrations (some colour), graphsIncludes abstract and appendix.Includes bibliographical references (pages 23-24).One of the most detrimental seed and storage diseases affecting potato agriculture is the fungal disease known as dry rot. This disease is caused by various species of Fusarium, which enter tubers through ruptures in the skin, that occur frequently during mechanized harvesting and handling, as well as during seed cutting prior to planting. Disease symptoms appear as sunken patches of darkened tissue which are often lined with mycelia and spores. Fusarium dry rot can cause losses in storage as well as reduced emergence when affected seed is planted. Post-harvest and seed treatment applications of chemical fungicides are the most common treatment methods, however, in the spring of 2024, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) received seed tuber samples from growers in Prince Edward Island (PEI) that presented with dry rot despite having been treated with prothioconazole. Resistance to this chemical in Fusarium species has not yet been observed in PEI. As such, the resistance profile of the pathogen was determined by testing three isolates obtained from sample tissue (PEF 3355-2, 3355-3, and 3355-6) against eight concentrations (0, 0.01, 0.1, 1.0, 5.0, 10.0, 50.0, and 100.0 μg/ml) of fungicides commonly used for dry rot management, including difenoconazole, fludioxonil, prothioconazole, and thiabendazole. DNA sequencing was also conducted which identified the species of the pathogen as F. sambucinum. This strain showed resistance to thiabendazole for all isolates tested (EC50 of 17.82, 16.91, and 21.82 μg/ml for PEF 3355-2, 3355-3, and 3355-6, respectively), but had no high level resistance to difenoconazole or prothioconazole. Resistance to fludioxonil was originally absent, but the development of mutations in vitro resulted in fungal sectors with resistance to this chemical in some isolates
The "fallen women” : where are they now? a critical analysis of representations of sex workers as victims of violent crime in contemporary Canadian news media
Full text link1 online resource (59 pages)Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 50-59).Historical representations of sex workers have discursively linked sex workers to concepts of
contagion, disease, public nuisance, vermin, and disposal. More recent public attitudes and
changes in legislation have attempted to diverge from these stigmatizing associations with sex work. The overarching objectives of this study were to determine what kind of themes remain in recent news media representations of sex workers as victims of violent crime, and if there has been a shift in such representations since the implementation of Bill C-36 in 2014. I approached my research with sex-positive and postcolonial feminist theories. This research is of utmost importance because it allows us to examine how mainstream Canadian news media represents, perceives, and perpetuates ideas about sex work, and how these representations can influence the lives and safety of sex workers. This qualitative study was based on (1) secondary research into the historical themes in representations of sex work, and (2) primary research analyzing 29 CBC articles covering sex workers as victims of violent crime in Canada post-2014. The largest overarching theme was Advocacy and Awareness, with subthemes (1) Stigma and Education; (2) Criminalization and Agents of the Law; and (3) (In)Justice for Indigenous Women. Another significant theme was Limitations of the Move Toward Progressive Media Coverage, with subthemes (1) Substance Use; (2) (De)Humanization; and (3) Language Shift. While shifts away from blatantly stigmatizing language use and towards spreading awareness of the disproportionate levels of violence facing sex workers represent progressive changes to a certain extent, the findings demonstrate that sex workers still face dehumanization and stigmatization in more subtle ways that often go unnoticed and therefore uncriticized
Development of turbulence in galaxy cluster collisions with off-axis initial configurations
Full text link1 online resource (vi, 32 pages) : colour illustrations, graphsIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 30-32).We numerically simulate collisions between dark matter halos and gas halos with an
accuracy, as measured by energy conservation estimates, at better than 2 %, with some simulations increasing in accuracy to 1 %. Comparing different impact parameters we find increasing central rotation as expected. We also find considerable eddy structure amongst the resolutions which are normal products of turbulent flow, but are also likely due to the un-relaxed nature of the initial conditions
Impact of adult sex ratios and maternal condition on offspring sex ratios in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes)
Full text link1 online resource (29 pages) : illustrations, charts, graphsIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 26-29).Sexually reproducing populations are expected to have a sex ratio (SR) of 1:1 (often called the Fisherian sex ratio); however, many natural populations are biased towards one sex.
This can be influenced by sex allocation, wherein adults alter the ratio of males to females
produced in the next generation. Two factors that can influence sex allocation are adult sex ratios (ASR) and female condition. Adults may skew offspring sex allocation to maintain a 1:1 SR over time; alternatively, they may remain biased due to disproportional success, and therefore overproduction, of one of the sexes. Further, females who are in good condition may produce a higher proportion of male offspring because of a positive relationship between female condition and male quality. Natural populations of Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes), an egg-laying freshwater fish with genetic sex determination (XX-XY), have varied SRs during the breeding season. Here, we evaluated the impacts of ASR and maternal condition on the offspring sex ratios in Japanese medaka at the time of fertilization. Medaka of different sizes were allowed to reproduce in different ASRs (0.5, 1, 2, and 5), and the resulting fertilized clutches of eggs were collected and sexed via DNA for this study. I found that adult sex ratios did not independently influence offspring sex ratios in Japanese medaka, which suggests that that frequency dependent sex allocation is not the mechanism by which population sex ratios develop in medaka. I also found that in a female-biased ASR, there is a positive relationship between female length and the proportion of males per clutch. Thus, female medaka in good condition may favour the production of male offspring in female biased ASRs, helping to increase fitness through the production of top competitor males
Critical discourse analysis of medtech
Full text link1 online resource (163 pages) : colour illustrations, charts, graphsIncludes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 135-159).In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has become pervasive across the globe, with
companies and other AI proponents suggesting these systems as solutions to diverse societal issues. This is particularly true within medicine, one of the fastest growing domains for the development of AI-based solutions to social concerns. Despite the purported benefits of these technologies, a growing body of research recommends caution be taken in implementing AI solutions. This thesis uses an interdisciplinary approach involving medical critical appraisal and feminist critical discourse analysis to build upon the growing body of works that contribute to AI criticism. The AI system GI Genius is used as a case study to examine the implications of further investment in AI by the Canadian healthcare system, to explore the discourses within clinical research surrounding the use of AI, and to offer insight into the ways that healthcare professionals are influenced by these discourses
Exploring approaches to solving a linear partial differential equation using quantum-inspired algorithms
Full text link1 online resource (vii, 30 pages) : graphsIncludes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 29-30).Solving partial differential equations computationally can be complex and sensitive to approximations, as well as demanding on the memory resources required. In this research, we compare and contrast the efficiency and efficacy of quantum-inspired algorithms with each other and with the classical solution. For our test case, we solve a Wiener process Fokker-Planck equation using the classical finite-difference technique; for the quantum algorithms, we use the linear combination of Hamiltonian simulation (LCHS) and the spectral split-step method. From our research, we found that for the simple PDE, computing the solution using these quantum algorithms is computationally taxing compared to the classical solution. These methods require a higher memory and time cost, while also demonstrating
lower accuracy and challenging discretization dependence compared to the classical
numerical solution
A comparison of microsatellites versus SNPs for conservation genetics of the St. Lawrence Beluga
Full text link1 online resource (v, 29 pages) : colour maps, colour chartsIncludes abstract and appendix.Includes bibliographical references (pages 25-29).The conservation of endangered species is a growing concern, particularly for populations facing environmental or anthropogenic stressors. Beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in the St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE) are one such population. The SLE beluga whale population has failed to recover from a long period of exploitation, despite decades of conservation efforts, necessitating advanced genetic approaches to monitor population structure and dynamics. Our study compares the efficacy and financial cost of microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to determine which marker is more suitable for a conservation genetics approach to population monitoring. Microsatellites have traditionally been used due to their high variability, but they present challenges such as homoplasy, back mutations and subjective scoring analysis. SNPs, while biallelic and less polymorphic per locus, can be analyzed in greater numbers, for less cost, with next-generation sequencing (NGS), such as Illumina sequencing. I used 18 microsatellite markers and 325 SNP loci to assess 104 individuals. Genetic informativeness was assessed using Probability of Identity (PID), and PID for siblings (PID-sibs). My results suggest that using a higher number of SNPs provide better resolution than microsatellites while having a relatively similar cost. This supports potentially switching to using SNPs for the SLE beluga population to have access to more genetic information through population monitoring, in hopes to aid in species recovery
A qualitative study of transgender and gender diverse individuals’ experiences with incarceration and criminalization in Canada
Full text link1 online resource (124 pages)Includes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 96-117).Transgender and/or gender diverse (TGD) people disproportionately experience
socioeconomic barriers and victimization, as well as increased rates of criminalization and
incarceration (Clark et al., 2023; Flores et al., 2021; Grant et al., 2011; Hébert et al., 2022;
Mizock & Mueser, 2014). In-depth, semi-structured interviews with nine TGD people who have had experiences within the Canadian carceral system were thematically analyzed to develop three themes: criminalization and the legal system; experiences while incarcerated; and reintegration, support, and impacts. Findings illustrate pathways to criminalization and
mistreatment by law enforcement; challenges and sources of support when navigating the legal system; experiences while incarcerated with housing, other incarcerated people, staff, and healthcare; challenges faced and resources used during reintegration; and impacts on mental health. Findings are discussed through a transformative justice lens which addresses structural harms and looks to alternative methods of justice through decarceration, restorative justice, and community-oriented solutions to harm
The epistemology of Ernst Laas’ Idealism and Positivism
Full text link1 online resource (1 unnumbered, 47 pages) : illustrationsIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 42-47).In this thesis, I challenge a prevalent misinterpretation within the historiography of German
positivism regarding Ernst Laas’ empiricist epistemology. The prevailing post-World War II
interpretation inaccurately portrays Laas as a proponent of subjectivism. Such a reading,
however, not only obscures the original character of Laas’ thought but, more significantly,
renders incoherent his philosophical project articulated in his three-volume Idealism and
Positivism: A Critical Examination. Against the subjectivist reading, I argue Laas’ project in
Idealism and Positivism is characterized by its aim to refute the objection that empiricalpositivist epistemology is a species of subjectivism. To prove this, I first demonstrate that Laas’ refutation of subjectivism above all hinges on his “correlativism,” the epistemological theory Laas proposed to secure the objectivity of scientific knowledge against idealist and subjectivist critiques. However, despite the fact correlativism was the foremost epistemological idea in earlier Laas scholarship, it has been largely overlooked in contemporary accounts of Laas’ positivism. Consequently, I also make the case to revive the pre-World War II correlativist interpretation, showing that, if we are to begin to make sense of Laas’ positivism, then this requires understanding his anti-subjectivist program and the correlativist epistemology erected to support it. Beyond rectifying the philosophical-historical account of Laas’ positivism, returning to the correlativist interpretation offers a more precise grasp of the specific intellectual battleground within German philosophy of the 1870s to the 1890s, where the very possibility of objective knowledge for empiricist epistemology was contested in the dispute between the transcendental and the psychogenetic methods
Injustice stampede : the wrongful conviction of Indigenous men in Alberta
Full text link1 online resource (53 pages) : colour charts, colour graphsIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 50-53).This research looks at the wrongful conviction of three Indigenous men in Alberta to
understand (1) why they were wrongfully convicted and (2) whether the factors that contributed to their wrongful convictions are systemic issues within the Alberta criminal justice system that cause Indigenous men to be more likely to be wrongfully convicted there. The three cases are as follows: Richard McArthur, who was convicted in 1987; Wilfred Beaulieu, who was convicted in 1992; and Clayton Boucher, who was convicted in 2017. Each case has a different year of conviction, which contributes to understanding whether these issues are systemic. These cases were comparatively analyzed alongside relevant Canadian literature as well as the wrongful conviction of Donald Marshall Jr. in order to identify common contributing causes of wrongful convictions in Canada. From this analysis, it was found that one’s prior criminal history creates tunnel vision in investigations, professional misconduct is causal of many other contributing factors to wrongful convictions, and further, that racism is institutional, implicit, and systemic in the Canadian criminal justice system. From these findings, it was made clear that the causes of wrongful convictions of Indigenous men in Alberta are systemic issues that are leading them to be more likely to be wrongfully convicted there