MacEwan Open Journals (MacEwan University)
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Orientation-Specific Adaptation on Face Recognition
No full textHuman observers are more sensitive to faces than any other visual stimulus. For decades, researchers have been interested in determining the visual information contained within faces that make them “special”. Recent evidence suggests that the most important information in faces for recognition is contained within horizontally oriented frequency bands of the face image (Dakin & Watt, 2009), which suggests that a disproportionate amount of information processing comes from mechanisms that are horizontally tuned. If this is true, then adapting those mechanisms in an orientation-specific manner should influence our ability to process faces. In this research, we will evaluate whether or not orientation-specific adaptation influences face recognition. If face processing heavily depends upon horizontal information, then selectively adapting those mechanisms should reduce observers’ ability to recognize faces. The same effect should not be observed with vertical adaptation. Overall, these results will provide insights into the role that low-level orientation information plays in facial recognition.
Discipline: Psychology Honours
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Nicole Anderso
Are You As Good As You Think You Are? Malingering, Narcissism, and Feedback
No full textPast studies have revealed that narcissism may be related to enhanced malingering abilities (i.e., production of “realistic” profiles) in relation to cognitive functioning. However, narcissism also has been linked to aggressive (and impaired) responding following negative evaluation. The present study aimed to simultaneously evaluate narcissism in relation to malingering across different types of disorders and under different conditions of performance feedback. Undergraduate participants will be assessed for their levels of narcissism using the Narcissism Personality Inventory (NPI), and then randomly assigned to one of five malingering conditions: psychosis, neurological impairment, amnesia, low intelligence, or affective disorder. All participants will be given a short description of the disorder, and instructed to do their best to appear as if they have the disorder (i.e., produce a feigned but realistic profile) by completing a “psychological symptom test” (i.e., Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology; SIMS). Following initial completion of the SIMS, participants will be randomly assigned to a positive (ego-boost), neutral (none), or negative (ego-threat) feedback condition regarding their malingering performance. Based on this feedback, they will be asked to complete the SIMS again in relation to the disorder, and reminded to try to successfully feign the disorder. Change scores in symptom endorsement as a function of narcissism and feedback will be evaluated, as well as variations in profiles across different categories of malingering. This study could provide insight into how feedback influences the strategy that narcissistic individuals use to malinger specific disorders.
Discipline: Psychology Honours
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kristine Peac
Associations between dance training and cognitive skills
No full textThere is strong evidence that both music training and physical exercise are associated with cognitive abilities. In dance, these two areas are combined, but very few studies have examined links between dance training and cognitive skills. Dancers have to remember long complex patterns of body movements over time, an ability that is well practiced in most trained dancers. This study will examine the association between dance training and memory skills. University students with varying amounts of dance experience will be recruited, and they will complete measures of visual and auditory memory, general intelligence, and personality. We expect that participants with dance training will perform higher on tasks of memory than participants who do not have a dance background, even after controlling for general intelligence and personality variables.
Discipline: Psychology Honours
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kathleen Corrigal
Inuit Co-Management Strategies in the Arctic
No full text Inuit co-management of northern resources and environments is critical to the survival of these rapidly changing ecosystems. This paper explores co-management initiatives currently present in the Arctic, as well as the creation and implementation of these strategies. The relationship between Indigenous traditional knowledge and the success of co-management strategies is analyzed, noting that dismissive beliefs held by Eurocentric power figures affect the existence and enforcement of these strategies. The effects of climate change and faunal conservation are two of the pillars upon which co-management techniques are founded in Arctic communities, making them key players in the pursuit of a sustainable future
Presenting Temporal vs. Spatial Information in a Meaningful Way
No full textEdmonton’s river valley is one of the longest uninterrupted parks systems in North America. Throughout the summer of 2014 and 2015, an ongoing study was started on the different histories surrounding Edmonton’s park system. One of the major challenges of this study was how to present the information gathered in a way that represented both time and space while engaging the viewer, presenting the data meaningfully, and maintaining ease of use. I will present a proposed solution for the spatial-temporal visualization problem by utilizing a Gaussian distribution constructed within a user given date range. The distribution dictates the alpha value of any given GIS feature. Using this method, we are able to easily manipulate the speed at which features are visible by changing the standard deviation of the distribution.
*Indicates faculty mento
Retrospective Review of Recurrent Rectal Adenocarcinoma: a Provincial Audit
No full textBackground: recurrent rectal cancer following curative surgical resection presents a significant challenge to both patients and healthcare teams; curative options are limited and mortality can be quite high. Although patients receive good care overall in Alberta, there are gaps in care that contribute to known recurrence rates (i.e. 7.4% in Edmonton). In order to effectively improve Albertan practice patterns, this study aimed to provide provincial disease-free/overall survival (DFS/OS) and local/distal recurrence rates (LR/DR).
Methods: patients diagnosed with Stage I-IV rectal cancer from January 1st to December 31st, 2011 were identified from the Alberta Cancer Registry (ACR). A retrospective chart review identified if resections were performed, as well as resection dates. Consultation and progress notes, diagnostic imaging reports, operative reports, and pathology reports were mined for explicit mention of local or distal recurrences. Vital status (alive or dead) was obtained from the ACR on December 20th, 2015.
Results: 370 cases were included in the study (those who received curative resections for rectal cancer). 4-year LR (7.03%, 26/370) and 4-year DR (23.8%, 88/370) were calculated. 4-year OS was determined for all cases (75.7%, 280/370) and those with local recurrences (57.7%, 15/26). Total 4-year DFS was noted as 66.0% (244/370).
Conclusions: the current audit will help to inform clinical care pathway initiatives (chiefly the Alberta Rectal Cancer Clinical Pathway), as well as operational practices within Alberta Health Services of current practice patterns when addressing gaps in care that are preventing a provincial LR rate of 4%.
*Indicates faculty mento
A qualitative examination of severe disciplinary incidents in men’s soccer
No full textThe purpose of this study was to examine the number of severe disciplinary incidents involving referees in senior men’s soccer, as well as contributing factors. Such incidents include, but are not limited to, abusive remarks, threats, and deliberate violent conduct. Competition in senior men’s soccer takes place between teams within a tiered structure where players are at least 18 years old. Data collection entailed documentary analysis of disciplinary reports (n = 98) provided by a provincial soccer association. After recording annual frequency, offender’s team, level of competition, and length of suspension, descriptive statistics were calculated. Disciplinary reports showed an increase in frequency of incidents from 4 in 2010 to 27 in 2015. These disciplinary incidents occurred across 80 different teams, with 61.1% of them emerging from lower tiers (ie., tier 3 or lower). Suspensions ranged from 0 to 134 games (M = 18.5, SD = 22.6). These results highlight the distribution pattern and increase in severe disciplinary incidents in men’s soccer. The next phase of the study involves conducting interviews to obtain player perceptions of disciplinary incidents involving referees. Approximately 10 players will be recruited across a range of tiers in a provincial soccer league, and share their experiences based on their direct involvement or as a witness to severe disciplinary incidents. Interviews will explore the antecedents of these disciplinary incidents, which may identify strategies to improve players’ and officials’ well-being through the influence of contextual factors.
*Indicates faculty mentor
Optimizing procedures for genomic analyses of Beaver Hills canid scat
No full textThere are significant economic and ecological motivations to study the recently recolonized wolf (Canis lupus) population in the Beaver Hills region of Alberta, Canada. The reappearance of an apex predator presents challenges for land management. Competing claims for both agricultural and environmental priority necessitate an accurate description of the wolf population to inform an effective management solution. Faecal analysis presents a non-invasive technique for obtaining estimates of the population size, habitat use and genetic structure of wolves and coyotes (C. latrans). As a preliminary step, we sought to develop a procedure for obtaining and analyzing genetic material from canid scat. Ultimately this protocol will be applied to a 500-sample collection gathered in the Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Recreation Area and Elk Island National Park between May 2015 and January 2016. We compared and assessed protocols for scat storage and handling, DNA extraction and diagnostic molecular analyses. Extractions performed on scat samples stored at -20oC using the QIAmp Stool protocol produced DNA that could be successfully amplified using Scat ID primers. Diagnostic restriction digests match published fragment patterns for Alberta canids (i.e., dog and wolf). Based on these findings we present a protocol for species identification from canid scat collected in the Beaver Hills region.
*Indicates faculty mentor
p75 neurotrophin receptor-mediated metabolic regulation in glioblastoma cells
No full textThe most common and deadly primary brain cancer, glioblastoma (GBM), spreads easily throughout the brain and is resistant to standard treatments. Interaction between the cellular protein, p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR), and its binding partner, PDLIM1, plays an important role in mediating cell motility. Preliminary data showed that p75NTR expression in invasive tumor cells accompanies a shift in cellular metabolism from glucose consumption (glycolysis) to glutamine (glutaminolysis). This study investigated the role of the p75NTR-PDLIM1 signaling axis in cellular metabolism and therapeutic resistance.
Human U87 GBM cells that expressed p75NTR (i.e. invasive), or expressed p75NTR proteins that were crippled for their ability to bind PDLIM1 were cultured under glucose- or glutamine-deficient conditions and assessed for their effects on cell survival and metabolic activity. Pharmacologically available metabolic inhibitors (BPTES, a glutaminolysis inhibitor, and DCA, a glycolysis inhibitor) were also assessed for their effects in these cell lines. Both types of p75NTR-mutant cell lines showed decreased mitochondrial activity in glucose-deficient conditions, compared to invasive cells, which showed decreased mitochondrial activity in glutamine-deficient conditions. Furthermore, p75NTR-mutant cell lines showed decreased mitochondrial activity when treated with DCA, whereas invasive cells showed decreased mitochondrial activity when treated with BPTES.
These data suggest that p75NTR-PDLIM1 signaling axis is involved in switching cellular metabolism from glycolysis to glutaminolysis in invasive U87 cells. Future treatments that target this metabolic shift may improve outcomes for patients. Further research is needed to investigate the impact of nutrient-starvation and treatment conditions on cell viability and in patient-derived brain tumor initiating cells.
* Indicates faculty mento
Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) Detection of β-Estradiol in Milk by Molecularly Imprinted Polymers on Biogenic Silica and Silver Nanoparticles
No full textThe highly sensitive surfaced-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and the directive selection of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) provided a simple and rapid method to detect the content of β-estradiol in milk sample which exists in low concentration at natural level. The MIPs were synthesized by surfacepolymerization of β-estradiol (template), methacrylic acid (the monomer), and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (cross-linking agent), with 4,4’ azobis (4-cyanopentanoyl) chloride initiator convalently grafted on the biogenic silica surface. The NIPs were also synthesized in a similar version to MIPs, but polymerization done without β-estradiol template. The surface morphology of MIPs and NIPs by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed a clear difference on their structures. Silver and silica nanoparticles were served as SERS active substrates for signal enhancement. The limit of detection (LOD) for MIPs-silver nanoparticles was 1.0 ppm, whereas for MIPs-silica, the LOD was 0.73 ppm. As the result, biogenic silver nanoparticles gave a more enhanced Raman signal compared to the conventional silica nanoparticles.
* Indicates faculty mentor