MacEwan Open Journals (MacEwan University)
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The Terpene (-)-A-pinene can Alter Locomotion in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)
No full textCanada has recently legalized cannabis, and this has resulted in an increased focus on genetic strains and chemical compounds in cannabis. Terpenes are aromatic compounds found in cannabis and other plants that could have medicinal value. A terpene found in cannabis and other products is A-pinene. This study used (-)-A-pinene to examine locomotion, anxiety-like behaviour, and boldness in zebrafish (Danio rerio) using a motion-tracking software system. The four experimental groups included a control, and (-)-A-pinene groups at 0.01%, 0.02% and 0.1% (~n=15 each) and each fish was exposed for 10 minutes prior to being placed in the open field test and then the novel object approach test. The time in virtual zones in the arena, distance moved, velocity, meandering, high mobility and immobility of the fish were quantified. There was a significant difference observed between the control and 0.1% group in distance moved, velocity and high mobility in both tests. A significant difference was also found between the control and 0.1% group in time spent between virtual zones in the open field test. No significant differences were found in the other parameters and groups. Our results suggest that certain concentrations of (-)-A-pinene may reduce anxiety-like behaviours in zebrafish and impact their locomotion. This research will be used to supplement previous findings as well as inform future research regarding the impacts of different terpenes.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Trevor Hamilton 
Workplace Inequality
No full textOur research project aims to investigate inequalities in the workplace. Being a complex and multi-faceted issue, it affects millions of workers worldwide. We will focus mainly on gender discrimination, the impact of immigration and minorities, and ageism - the most prevalent forms of inequality seen in the workplace. This paper will explore these different types of workplace inequality and the consequences they have on individuals and society as a whole. In addition, we will explore the potential solutions for promoting and creating a more equitable work environment that will benefit every person.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michael Gulayets 
Representation of Multiculturalism Within the 2021 Federal Election
No full textHow does descriptive representation, linked fate, and elite discourses impact the views of legitimacy of a government? In this study, we examine how politicizing race, ethnicity, and religion can lead to voters to be swayed to vote for one party over another. It was found that although descriptive representation was commonly thought to impact views, it was elite discourses focusing on the devaluation of minority groups that were more impactful on impacting the perception of constituents.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kalyani Thurairajah 
Sharenting and Exploitation: A Content Analysis of Public Reactions to the Wren Eleanor Situation
No full textThis study analyzed responses to the viral sharenting case of Wren Eleanor to understand how people react to sharenting and related allegations of child exploitation. A sample of 50 comments was created by retrieving the first 25 comments displayed on two TikTok videos. The sample consisted of an equal number of positive reactions (i.e., those supportive of Wren’s mother and her sharenting) and negative reactions (i.e., those critical of Wren’s mother and her sharenting). The positive responses had five themes: Victim, Opposition, Encouragement, Emotional Attachment and Involvement, and Advice. The negative responses had four themes: Perpetrator, Exploitation, Fear, and Action. This study demonstrated that parasocial relationships and interactions potentially play a key role in how people react to sharenting and allegations of child exploitation.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diane Symbaluk 
Research of Baroque and Renaissance painting for the purpose of creating a painting of contemporary student life
No full textFor Student Research Day, I would like to present an acrylic painting on canvas, and a project display which would be a board to display my research references and artist statement. I am also open to doing an oral presentation. This project started as a research presentation where students proposed an idea for a painting that considers the concept of time using research to make reference to historical events and culture. For this painting I chose to approach this theme through lived experience, art imitating life, the inherent closeness of the human experience, and how this is in contrast with historical depictions of human connection. The reference for this painting is 11 Studio Arts students gathered at a long table in a classroom. The reference was not arranged; it was taken to capture the natural state of a chosen seating arrangement. I found that this composition unintentionally mimics the Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci and wanted to explore how a contemporary setting can be communicated through its historical reference. My presentation will show the contrast between aspects of the institutional setting and religion, continuity of human connection, difference in materials and value placed upon them, and the overall interest of reflecting on the effects of historical art through a contemporary setting.
Faculty Mentor: Collin Johanson 
The Crime of Crimes: Genocide as Criminology\u27s Blind Spot
No full textGenocide is a topic that is almost universally ignored by criminology. While it is frequently referred to as “the crime of crimes,” there is virtually no criminological coverage of genocide. The following analysis is a review of existing criminological literature in genocide studies, situating mainstream criminology’s ignorance of genocide in a socio-historical context in order to determine the reason(s) for this disregard. This analysis proposes that the mainstream criminological ignorance of genocide is a calculated and intentional act. Such willful blindness avoids and deflects from disciplinary accountability because of criminology’s historical complacency in genocide. Most of the existing mainstream criminological literature on genocide is criticized because of its hyperfocus on definitional arguments, the redemptive nature of such academic coverage, and the quantification of such atrocities. Thus, an argument for a critical criminological approach to genocide studies is desperately needed for criminology to interpret genocidal acts adequately
Masked Reactions: A Content Analysis of Reactions on Twitter to Masking Update by the Premier of Alberta
No full textThis qualitative study was conducted to explore attitudes and reactions toward a tweet released by Danielle Smith on October 29th, 2022. The data was collected by creating a sample of the 100 most recent comments on the post. From there, the comments were coded to identify common themes and messages. Two sides emerged; those in support of Smith and those opposed. For those in support, four main subcategories emerged. For those opposed, six categories were developed. This study demonstrated that individuals were generally displeased with this announcement and the mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic by Alberta’s UCP government
Public Libraries and Houseless Patrons: A Defense of Libraries as Social Services Providers
No full textPublic libraries play a vital role in their communities as information providers offering programs ranging from early literacy programs for infants to resume help and career coaching for adults re-entering the workforce. As complex socioeconomic realities continue to evolve around Covid-19, and government and non-profit agencies appear limited in the scope of assistance they provide, libraries offer critical services for a variety of needs shouldered by the marginalized in their communities. Specifically, public libraries support houseless patrons through a variety of initiatives ranging from employing on-site social workers to providing programs specific to adult literacy and the development of social connections. Consequently, public libraries show a rare commitment among public establishments to serve all members of their community with dignity and equality. 
The Patriarchal Stain On Women\u27s Health: Medicalization of Depression
No full textAn increasing trend in western culture is the use of antidepressants to regulate emotions and the bodily response to experiences of distress brought on by social unrest. The application of pharmaceutical treatments to states of unrest is reflected through the medicalization of depression which appears most prominently among women. In this paper, I argue that the medicalization of depression among women results from societal pressures, gender discrimination, and sexual violence on the female body. Through a feminist lens, I discuss how patriarchal and capitalist institutions of power create social ills that become inscribed on women’s bodies as “female problems” or “hysteria.” Rooted in the male gaze, these institutions develop biases and stereotypes against women that ultimately financially benefit the pharmaceutical industry. By emphasizing the theoretical framework of medical anthropologists Margaret Lock and Nancy Schepher-Hughes, I reveal how patriarchal and capitalist structures exert control over the female body entering public spaces and transform the social experiences of discrimination, objectification, and sexual violence into individual mental illness to be cured through antidepressants.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Leslie Dawson 
Surface Changes in Intentionally Burned Bones
No full textFaunal materials recovered from archaeological contexts are often found to have experienced some amount of burning, raising questions about the causes. Various studies have identified the surface changes, or taphonomic signatures, of bone at different stages of burning, with the greatest intensity of burning typically being attributed to human intentionality. This project reviews the utility of such attributes to archaeology and applies them to faunal specimens from a pithouse in British Columbia, which was itself burned. Colour and texture are the main criteria used to classify the specimens to burning stages. Most of the remains at the site were found to be burned to the greatest intensity (calcined), suggesting intentional burning under controlled conditions in a hearth.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Paul Prince