MacEwan Open Journals (MacEwan University)
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Cold Tolerance and Physiological Mechanisms in Ticks
No full textDespite being poikilothermic organisms, ticks are known to inhabit northern regions with temperatures that annually drop below freezing during the winter months. Former research has been conducted on a variety of tick species to assess the limits of their cold tolerance and the mechanisms they use to live in such challenging temperature conditions. A proposed mechanism that aids the tick in cold tolerance is by synthesizing antifreeze proteins (AFPs) in the tick’s fluids; AFPs work by binding to formed ice crystals and preventing further growth. Previously, an antifreeze glycoprotein was identified in Ixodes scapularis, and its presence increased cold tolerance in the tick species. This study aims to assess the survival limits of both Dermacentor variabilis and Dermacentor andersoni in challenging cold temperatures, and to monitor changes in AFP gene expression over time when ticks are exposed to cold temperature conditions.
Faculty Mentor: Kevin Friesen
Department: Biological Science (Honours)
 
Analysis of a marine core from M’Clintock Channel, NWT: micromorphological and geochemical evidence for mass flows and ice shelf grounding
No full textRecent work in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) has suggested that marine-based deglaciation following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) was marked by the formation of extensive ice shelves in the inter-island channels, with further deglaciation resulting in a series of large ice shelf readvances. M’Clintock Channel is a waterway within the CAA that was a primary channel for the ice shelves flowing into Viscount Melville Sound (VMS) during the period primary channel for the ice shelves flowing into Viscount Melville Sound (VMS) during the period following the LGM as evidenced by well-developed ice shelf moraines and sea-floor megascale glacial lineations. A sediment core (2016805-0041GC) from a basin at the northern end of M’Clintock Channel, imaged using x-ray, exhibits macro-scale units of heavily disturbed laminations bordered by undisturbed bedding. This project uses thin section analysis, hyperspectral imaging, and X-ray fluorescence data to gain an improved understanding of the depositional history captured in the sediment core. Thin-section analysis of sediment micromorphology, structure, and microfabric is a commonly used approach in the investigation of soils and terrestrial glacigenic materials. However, within the scope of Arctic marine deposits recovered via sediment coring, it is a relatively new practice despite the potential the technique has for assisting in the determination of the environment and mechanisms of deposition in glacially-influenced marine settings. Utilizing this technique, as well as a variety of other sedimentological tools, we have determined that sediments in this core are clay and carbonate rich. Sedimentary structures in the core suggest several mass flows were deposited through turbidity currents, and gravity flows.
Faculty Mentor: Hilary Corlett
Department: Earth and Planetary Science
Edmonton Mean Temperature Prediction
No full textThe purpose of this project was to fit a model that would approximately predict the mean temperature in Edmonton, Alberta over the next 12 months. The original dataset was obtained from Environment Canada and provided insight on the mean temperatures between March 1967 and December 2017. A small discrepancy in this data set is that an entry was not made for December 2007. To account for this, it seemed most reasonable to average the mean temperatures of November 2007 and January 2008. Some of the methods used in arriving to a conclusion include fitting seasonal ARIMA models, examining periodogram for seasonality/ weather patterns, completing diagnostic checks and lastly, coming up with forecasts. Ultimately, the model that best predicted mean temperature is a seasonal ARIMA model: (2,0,0) x (0,1,1)12, which ensured that the residuals were within the white noise bands and consisted of significantly smaller prediction errors.
Faculty Mentor: Cristina Anton
Department: Statistics
 
The Dog-Owner Bond in Multi-Person Households:: Effects of Caregiving Styles on Dog Attachment
No full textPet dogs seem to form attachment bonds to their owners that resemble those that infants develop to their parents. Within the infant-parent literature, parental sensitivity, warmth, and attachment style are the best predictors of an infant’s attachment. However, it is currently unclear whether these same factors are also the most influential for determining a dog’s attachment towards their owner. Additionally, in comparison to infants with a secure attachment style, infants with insecure attachment (IA) styles are linked to later problem behaviours, such as aggression or anxiety. Therefore, further investigation into the development of pet dogs’ attachment styles and their resulting problem behaviours is warranted. To test this, the present study used a modified Ainsworth Strange Situation Procedure to asses dogs’ attachment styles towards two of their owners as well as to evaluate each owner’s sensitivity and warmth. Self-report measures were used to assess each owner’s attachment style and the severity of their dog’s problem behaviours. We found that, similar to the infant-parent attachment literature: (1) owners’ level of warmth and sensitivity were the best predictors of their dogs’ attachment style and (2) avoidant IA dogs showed a significant trend towards having higher aggression scores than dogs with any other attachment style.
Faculty Mentor: Eric Legge
Department: Psychology (Honours
Language Barriers: The Construction and Deconstruction of Language in Indigenous Communities and Non-native English Speakers.
No full textIndigenous peoples have repeatedly mentioned that it is hard for them to make connections to this country because of the language barriers they face, and have been facing, since the colonization period. This is also due to the fact that Indigenous Peoples have to deconstruct the English language in order to be able to understand/process the input they are receiving. This is why it is hard for them to make meaningful connections to Canada; Language for Indigenous peoples is used as a base foundation that they build their society on and around. Communication is used to pass on important information from generation to generation and constructs their religion, culture, and beliefs. It would be of benefit to Indigenous peoples if research focused on how they construct and deconstruct the English language in order to make sense of what others are trying to communicate; what are their techniques or strategies, and how could we help them make this whole constructing/deconstructing process easier on them. This could theoretically be beneficial not only for Indigenous peoples, but for immigrants as well.
Faculty Mentor: Erin Cowling
Department: Spanis
Reconciliation: An Intercultural Practice Pathway
No full textSocial workers have a unique role in the history, and in the future of reconciliation, as we have the opportunity to work closely with Indigenous, settler and new Canadian migrants from a multitude of cultural frameworks as they begin to live in this colonial landscape. I use this paper to explore the role that relationship based intercultural social work practice has in bridging the gaps between settlers, new Canadians and Indigenous peoples, and share my own experiences of intercultural learning through participation in the 2019 ahcâhk maskwa osihcikêwina (Spirit Bear Dialogues).
Faculty Mentor: Somnoma Valerie Ouedraogo
Department: Social Wor
Nature Of Album Design
No full textWhen I listened to music from Nature Of’s new album The Mean, I felt a sense of softness, and melancholy, but also hope. These feelings led to choosing a colour palette
of blues and whites, with hint of magenta in the album name. In designing this album I chose to represent the concept of “the mean” using the metaphor of a mirror. Both a mirror and a mean serve as the point between two different things. To create this effect in the album design I reflected mountain images, resulting in arresting compositions feature expansive blue space. I have placed the lyrics between two opposing mirrored peaks to reinforce the idea of the mean being where the meaning lies. Mirrors can also diffract light, changing white light back into its component colours. In this way, the mean can be said to be like light, it is the result of different energies coming together and creating a new meaning.
Faculty Mentor: Constanza Pacher
Department: Design Studie
Primordial Sulfur and the Origin of Life
No full textThe study of meteorites can give insight regarding the chemical composition that was present when the solar system was being created. The elements in meteorites have not undergone extensive changes since they were formed billions of years ago, so they are thought to resemble those on Earth before the formation of the hydrosphere. This can lead to information regarding the formation of the solar system, Earth, and consequently, life. Sulfur is of interest because it has essential roles in biochemistry and a prevailing theory regarding the origin of life is that it began in an iron-sulfur world. By determining the sulfur composition of meteorites and the isotopic ratios – ratio of atoms of the same element with different atomic masses – we hope to determine the processes behind for formation of the form of sulfur responsible for the creation of life. This first stage of the project was to perfect wet chemistry and analytical techniques to extract and quantify sulfur species from meteorites. The development of the techniques required reading research literature, testing, and altering the techniques while working with a meteorite simulant. Multiple extractions with different solvents were used to differentially separate the sulfur species based on their chemical and physical properties. These initial techniques have been modified and applied to other meteorites. They will continue to be improved upon.
Faculty Mentor: Robert Hilts
Department: Chemistr
Prop Making: The process behind the scenes: Guys and Dolls Manhole Cover
No full textProject display is of a manhole cover prop that was used in Guys and Dolls, which was performed and produced by Theatre Students at Grant Macewan, with design by Alison Yanota. The prop was built over the course of the Guys and Dolls production period during class time and creation of the prop used different skills learned in the Theatre Production program such as carpentry, prop creation and painting. The presentation will include the research behind the prop, the building process and the actual prop itself.
Faculty Mentor: Robyn Ayles
Department: Theatre Productio
Civic Engagement in Canada: A Critical Analysis of Social Media, Care for Others, and Gender on Volunteering and Donating
No full textCanadians continually donate their time and money to charitable and non-profit organizations. Donating and volunteering are forms of civic engagement which many choose to engage in to improve the lives of others. Existing literature regarding civic engagement lacks focus on general volunteering and donating as opposed to event-specific volunteering and donating. We used Alberta survey data (n=1208) gathered by the University of Alberta’s Population Research Laboratory to explore relationships between social media, care for others, and gender on civic engagement. Using this data, we conducted a multivariate logistic regression analysis to investigate these relationships. Our findings demonstrated that ‘following’ or ‘liking’ a community organization on social media impacts both forms of civic engagement. Next, the analysis showed that the belief regarding the importance of caring for others worse off than oneself is only related to donating. Finally, we found that gender was a significant indicator of both forms of civic engagement. The findings of this study provide important insights about the role of social media, care, and gender on civic engagement.
Faculty Mentor: Shelley Boulianne
Department: Sociology (Honours