MacEwan Open Journals (MacEwan University)
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Preventative Health Methodology in the Canadian Market
No full textWithin Canada, the relevant sectors (body evaluation, nutrition, and exercise) tend to exhibit a disconnect to an extent without a focus on preventive tests and connected prevention strategies due to the segregation of product/service offerings in related industries and cultural normalities associated with Canada’s public health care system (i.e. a family doctor may only prescribe further testing such as an ultrasound or gastrointestinal surgery if a patient is perceived to carry characteristics of an appropriate diagnosis).
While this methodology safeguards the Canadian health care system and prevents strain on the system, it is shown to deter the opportunity, both in private and public clinical settings, to carry and optimize preventive testing measures in place for Canadians to reduce unhealthy activities and related dysfunctional behaviours.
With this in mind, Avaliare, a Brazillian clinic based out of the municipality of Margina, in the state of Parana, has a clinical model that implements preventative health methodology through utilizing body evaluation technology in order to build nutrition and exercise strategies for clients and their respective goals.
Within the qualitative research paper that Dr. Evandro Bocatto and I have been writing, the analysis and disruptive capability of implementing such a model in the gym/health/fitness clubs industry; e-health; private health (private clinics), public health, priority populations (eating disorder patient effectiveness), corporate wellness services, and weight loss services within Canada are discussed.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Evandro Bocatto 
Screening of Invasive Plant Extracts for the Inhibition of β-Glucosidase Activity
No full textTLC bioautography is a technique commonly used to detect bioactive substances within a compound. More specifically, TLC bioautography can be used to qualitatively detect changes in enzyme activity in response to inhibitors present in different plant extracts. Ꞵ-glucosidase is an enzyme that cleaves carbohydrates; excess amounts of this enzyme can lead to diseases such as diabetes and cancer. This study aims to find a natural inhibitor of Ꞵ-glucosidase from plant extracts of invasive weed species. Ꞵ-glucosidase dissolved in sodium acetate buffer will be sprayed onto the TLC plate, followed by a 1:4 ratio of 2-naphthyl-β-D-glucopyranoside and a solution of Fast Blue B salt. The plant extracts will be separated by performing TLC chromatography, followed by spraying the TLC plate with the enzyme, substrate and Fast Blue B salt mixture. The plate will be incubated for 20 minutes at 37oC with relative humidity. Inhibitor activity will be identified by the presence of white spots on a purple/blue background. Once inhibition spots have been found, the next step is to isolate the compounds in the plant extracts inhibiting the enzyme activity. The significance of this study is to help contribute to potential drug research and find natural alternative sources of potential inhibitors for these common diseases, such as cancer and diabetes.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Tina Bott 
The link between supernovae and star births
No full text"May the force be with..." an interstellar cloud, made of gas and dust. The release of the shockwave from a supernova explosion causes this cloud to collapse, due to its immense gravitational force. Then, a star is born. This model is suggested in the Nebular Hypothesis. In this project, we aim to observe a range of supernova remnants (SNRs) to test how efficient the method is, by examining the interaction between the clouds and the aftermath of a supernova. To achieve our goals, we propose to observe the edge of the expanding shockwave of 10 supernova remnants. We can expect to identify a plethora of newborn stars there and infer whether these areas are ideal for the formation of a star. Based on how many supernova remnants contain newborn stars, we can estimate that the Nebular Hypothesis efficiency is: not efficient (below 3), moderately efficient (from 3 to 6), and highly efficient (from 6 to 10).
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Stefan Cartledge 
Lignin depolymerization and methylation in batch
No full textThis work will look at the use of base catalysts for the single step depolymerization and methylation of lignin. The catalysts will be based traditional strong basses used in lignin depolymerization (NaOH and KOH). Through changes in the reaction solvent from water to methanol in situ methylation of lignin monomers will be assessed. Recent work
on lignin depolymerization indicates that the methylation of the produced monomers may reduce the re-polymerization of monomers in sample work up. This is of high interest as it may greatly affect the direction of the research in biomass conversion.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Roland Lee 
I "Woof" You: How Pet Pictures Influence Online Dating Selection
No full textPets, notably dogs, can act as a “social lubricant” by facilitating social interactions between people. This effect has been observed in traditional (i.e., in-person) heterosexual dating behaviour. However, it is unclear whether such effects will extend to people’s dating behaviour in modern contexts (e.g., dating apps) or in 2SLGBTQ+ daters. The present study experimentally evaluated how the presence of a dog in a dating profile will impact partner selection as a function of respondents’ sexual orientation. Participants were recruited (N = 300) and engaged in a mock dating app where they could choose who they were most interested in. They also completed surveys assessing their dating app use, mental health, and attitudes toward dogs. Preliminary analyses reveal that the presence of dogs in heterosexual dating profile pictures significantly increased the chances of the profile being selected for a match, regardless of the dater’s gender. Due to limited samples for 2SLGBTQ+ participants, data collection/analysis is ongoing and will be completed by January 2023. Our results to date indicate that, in a modern dating context, the presence of animals in dating profile pictures enhances the likelihood of the profile owner being selected. This empirically supports the dating trend of “dog-fishing”, or posing with a dog to attract dates, in online dating apps.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eric Legge 
What Does it Mean to be an Ally to the LGBTQ+ Community? Comparing Definitions of LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ Individuals
No full textAllyship has gained popularity in response to prominent social justice movements. Allyship to the LGBTQ+ community can create inclusive environments and challenge oppressive systems, but it can also be problematic and harmful. Post-secondary institutions are generally perceived as inclusionary places for LGBTQ+ individuals. However, LGBTQ+ students still face disproportionately high rates of victimization, poor mental health, suicidal thoughts, and other struggles which negatively impact academic performance and quality of life. Allyship can limit the compounding effects of oppression. While actions such as donating or protesting are viewed as effective allyship behaviour, genuine and effective allyship requires self-examination and education with truly affirming attitudes and beliefs. In this context, we see the importance of understanding the nuances of allyship beliefs and actions. This project will compare definitions and perspectives of ally definitions, attitudes, and beliefs between LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ students. MacEwan University students will respond to self-report measures in a post-secondary context. Ideally, differences will also be examined between lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people to account for unique intersectional experiences, but this will depend on the sample size. This study aims to 1) determine if a difference exists in how non-LGBTQ+ individuals and LGBTQ+ individuals define what it means to be an ally and 2) determine whether there is a relationship between definitions of allyship and the presence of affirming behaviours. This project will inform us of the current climate of allyship on campus for potential allyship training and professional development initiatives in the future.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Laura Offrey 
How different magnitudes of visual shift affect motor learning in prism adaptation
No full textIf a participant reaches to a target while wearing rightward shifting prism glasses, they will initially miss to the right. However, the participant eventually adjusts their reaches leftward to counteract the rightward prism shift. After the glasses are removed, aftereffects are observed where the participant’s reaches now miss in the opposite direction (i.e., left). In this experiment, we examined whether the size of the reach error induced during prism adaptation had any influence on the “congruency effect” in which aftereffects tend to be larger when the hand used during adaptation and the direction of prism shift are congruent (e.g., right hand, right prism shift), compared to incongruent (e.g., left hand, right prism shift). To investigate this, we manipulated the hand used (left vs. right), direction of prism shift (left vs. right), and the size of the reach error induced during adaptation by using two different magnitudes of prism shift (8.5° vs. 17°). Although we did not find any evidence of a congruency effect when measuring prism aftereffects, we did observe a significant hand x prism shift x magnitude interaction for pointing error reduction during prism adaptation. Specifically, participants in the 17° group (but not the 8.5° group) were better at reducing their pointing errors during prism adaptation when the hand used matched the direction of prism/visual shift. Thus, the congruency effect might be related to the increased difficulty associated with adjusting for larger reach errors (i.e., 17°), compared to smaller reach errors (i.e., 8.5°).
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Christopher Strieme
Profiles of Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Sexual Violence, Their Sentencing Outcomes, and Risks in Recidivism
No full textHistorically, intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) is characterized by more physical violence and coercive behaviours and is often categorized as either intimate partner violence (IPV) or sexual violence (SV; Thomas et al., 2022). Thus, when IPSV cases are enveloped with other sexual assaults perpetrated by non-partners, they are often treated less seriously (Lynch et al., 2019). Even if the case leads to possibly prosecuting the perpetrator, there are many legal challenges (e.g., absence of witnesses, perceived credibility of the victim; Lynch et al., 2019), and the sentencing outcome is often considerably less harsh than seen in cases not involving intimate partners or SV (Bielen et al., 2022). As such, the current study aims to examine whether 1) there are differences in the characteristics of the index offence and perpetrator, sentencing features (i.e., aggravating and mitigating circumstances), sentencing outcomes, and level of risk in reoffending of SV, IPV, and IPSV perpetrators; and 2) whether some of these factors are associated with the severity of sentencing decisions more than the other factors. It is hypothesized that IPSV perpetrators will have committed more severe/violent offences, have more aggravating circumstances (e.g., no remorse), and are more likely to reoffend than SV and IPV perpetrators. The findings of this study will add to the growing body of literature investigating IPSV. Given that previous research suggests that IPSV cases tend to receive lighter sentences, we hope to identify and uncover any factors that may bias the judge’s sentencing decisions and, therefore, address or mitigate such bias.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sandy Jung 
Using ACT to Increase Class Engagement in University Students
No full textThe transition from high school to university can be difficult for students. In the face of academic failures, students may develop thoughts of self-doubt that interfere with engagement in future opportunities for academic success. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a process-based therapy that aims to increase psychological flexibility skills and decrease psychological inflexibility skills. ACT is derived from Relational Frame Theory (RFT), which states that arbitrary stimuli can be put into relation with each other, and the function of one stimulus can transfer to the other stimuli within the relational frame. In the present study, we will use ACT-based exercise to teach psychological flexibility skills to university students to increase class engagement behaviours (attending class, starting assignments early, studying, etc.). Using a non-concurrent multiple baseline across participants design, we will examine the changes in class engagement behaviours across time as psychological flexibility skills are taught. We predict that as psychological flexibility skills are learned, psychological inflexibility and procrastination behaviours will decrease, and class engagement behaviours will increase. Such findings will suggest that psychological flexibility skills are useful in helping students achieve their academic goals.
Faculty Mentor: Miranda Macauley 
Examining Anxiety Sensitivity, Metacognitions, and Anxiety Symptoms
No full textGeneralized anxiety disorder (GAD) is defined by chronic, distressing worry regarding multiple areas of a person’s life. One thought pattern that is known to contribute to GAD symptoms is anxiety sensitivity (AS). AS can be thought of as the fear of anxiety and its consequences. Two other thought patterns that contribute to GAD are positive beliefs about worry (PBW) and negative beliefs about worry (NBW). PBW refers to beliefs that worry is a positive tool for things like problem solving. NBW refers to beliefs that worrying is harmful or uncontrollable. While both PBW and NBW are related to GAD, NBW’s relationship is much stronger. In Fall 2022, I conducted a study that examined how PBW and NBW interact with AS to contribute to GAD. Given NBW’s much stronger relationship with GAD than PBW, I predicted that only NBW would interact with AS to contribute to GAD symptoms. Data from 573 student self-reports showed that AS, NBW, and PBW all independently related to GAD without relying on one another. However, these findings may have been affected by an abnormally anxious student sample. Given this, a second running of this study with a non-student sample is planned, which will additionally examine how fears of uncertain future events, as well as tendencies to experience negative emotions, are associated with GAD. While these preliminary findings were unexpected, they provide a valuable foundation for future research, and may be relevant to understanding how different thought patterns can contribute to the same disorder.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alexander Penney