MacEwan Open Journals (MacEwan University)
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Species Characteristics that Affect Biodiversity Monitoring Using Citizen Science
No full textWith the sixth mass extinction underway, monitoring biodiversity is now more crucial than ever. Scientists often face a plethora of logistical challenges when it comes to monitoring biodiversity. Citizen science proves to be an effective and cost-efficient solution to spatial and temporal mass data collection that could be utilized to monitor biodiversity. However, since biodiversity is so vast, certain species are reported less often than others based on their characteristics.
Characteristics such as whether a species can be classified as a pest, game, fur-bearer, or conflict species, and even species COSEWIC status, are factors that could affect reporting rates from citizen scientists. Utilizing data retrieved from the citizen science application, NatureLynx, these characteristics are analyzed via Chi-Squared tests to demonstrate if the presence or absence of these characteristics influences the detection and report rates of vertebrate species. In addition, the anticipated significance of this research can be applied to future biodiversity or single-species monitoring studies for scientists to determine whether citizen science is an appropriate methodology for their research.
Department: Biological Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jessica Haine
The Race for Rhizobia: An investigation into the symbiotic capabilities of Fabaceae with rhizobia in nitrogen-deficient, disturbed urban soils
No full textCanadian citizens who reside in urban centres benefit from well-functioning urban vegetative communities because they provide ecosystem services that boost quality of life. However, healthy vegetative community development is only possible with productive soils; within cities, there tends to be disturbed, nutrient-limited soils that may not provide suitable foundations for complex vegetative community establishment. Disturbed urban soils in many cases have lost their uppermost horizons, and have significant nitrogen deficiencies which bring forth recolonization challenges for native vegetation. Fabaceae plants, with rhizobial symbionts, offer a sustainable reclamation solution through nitrogen fixation. Though, an issue with using Fabaceae involves the widespread application of their genus-specific inoculants when introducing them into an area. It’s mainly understood that when planting Fabaceae, an important step is to inoculate the seeds prior to introduction to ensure that their specific microbial friends are present along with them when they begin to grow. Edmonton\u27s disturbed soils have exhibited low microbial presence, but we are unsure if rhizobia specifically are low in abundance. There have been very few studies conducted here in Edmonton that have asked whether these bacteria are already present in our disturbed soils in numbers that allow for effective nodulation in Fabaceae. If we find they are, we can potentially eliminate the cost of inoculation in reclamation.
Department: Biological Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Karen Christensen-Dalsgaar
Introductory Robotics Experiment to be Implemented into a Senior Physics Lab
No full textRobots are autonomous systems that can sense their environment and achieve a goal by acting on it. The goal of this project is to create an introductory robotics experiment to be used in a MacEwan senior level physics lab. Such a robotics experiment will allow students to carry out basic physics experiments while gaining an understanding of coding/programming and the difficulties that apply to robotics. In this lab, students will have the freedom to display their creative ability through designing an experiment with the Makeblock Ultimate 2.0 10-in-1 kit. I will outline some project ideas and show the results of those experiments, such as testing the limits of the ultrasonic sensor within its claimed errors and testing the effects on an ultrasonic sensor when an object is placed in its periphery. Learning outcomes for students will also be discussed as well as the different ways that students can be assessed for their chosen experiment.
Department: Physical Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Logan Sible
In the Shadows: Perceptions of In-Person, Phone, & Cyberstalking
No full textPrevious research has found that our perceptions concerning stalking characteristics and behaviours are misaligned with actual data on criminal harassment. In order to evaluate the extent to which views of stalking are influenced by our beliefs, the present study assessed perceptions of harassment in relation to the type of stalking (in-person/phone/cyber), gender of the stalker (man/woman), the stalker-victim relationship (stranger/acquaintance/ex-partner), and the types of threat involved (victim harm/self harm). Participants (N = 813) read a vignette detailing a series of related stalking incidents, and then completed a judgment questionnaire to assess perceptions of the crime, victim and perpetrator, and necessity of criminal justice intervention. Results indicated that cyberstalking was minimized, and that participants often failed to recognize behaviours associated with this form of harassment. Stalking perpetrated by men was seen as the most serious, and woman-perpetrated stalking was viewed as a sign of flattery and not violence. Finally, participants most readily identified stalking by strangers and associated this with the greatest levels of threat, dangerousness, and mental illness. Victim blaming also was evidenced in this study and was most prominent when stalkers and victims knew each other, especially as former intimate partners. These results reveal how public views on stalking are often in conflict with statistical data on crime commissions and how these could have legal ramifications on the perceptions of defendants and accusers in court.
Department: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kristine Peac
Assessment and Recovery of Reaching Functions in Patients with Cerebellar Stroke
No full textThe cerebellum plays an important role in the coordination and timing of limb movements. The present study focused on how reach kinematics are affected by cerebellar lesions to quantify both the presence of motor impairment and recovery of motor function over time. To examine this, 13 patients with isolated cerebellar stroke completed a visually guided reaching (VGR) task using the KINARM exoskeleton, as well as clinical measures of cognitive and motor function.
Participants completed all measures at baseline, as well as 6, 12, and 24-weeks post-stroke. Our findings indicated that the only clinical measures to demonstrate impairment in our patient group were the Purdue Pegboard Task (PPT) and the MOCA. In addition, impairment was detected across several movement parameters of the VGR task that indexed both feed-forward and feedback control. Voxel-based lesion symptom mapping analyses conducted in right cerebellar patients (n = 10) showed that damage to the right cerebellar tonsil and uvula were associated with impaired performance on the PPT and overall performance in the VGR task, respectively. In most cases, the impairments on the VGR task and the PPT had largely recovered by 24 weeks post-stroke. Notably, PPT performance with the right arm predicted 33% of the variance in overall KINARM performance. These data indicate that objective kinematic measures of motor function provide a more complete picture of overall impairment than clinical measures alone. These additional kinematic data could be helpful in monitoring the assessment and recovery of motor function in patients with cerebellar stroke. Keywords: cerebellar stroke, limb ataxia, motor function, reaching, lesion mapping.
Department: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Christopher Strieme
Disability and Houselessness
No full textA disproportionate amount of people experiencing houselessness also report having disabilities. This talk examines the process of falling into, and getting out of houselessness via supports like Alberta Works and Housing First initiatives in Edmonton.
Department: Sociology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alissa Overen
Performance Activism within Contemporary Political Conflicts and Social Movements: Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
No full textWhile activism within political and global conflicts is not a new concept, it has changed immensely since the introduction of digital technology and the widespread availability of information from across the globe. This presentation explores performance activism, which can be seen as outward support for a cause often driven by personal and social gain. This presentation examines the role of performance activism within Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and whether this type of activism has a place within these conflicts, or if this virtue signalling is solely ego-driven. The analysis compares support for Ukraine with previous social movements and explains that while outward support may decrease; realized consequences still come from these movements. This presentation discusses how performative activism, while seemingly pointless does have a place in contemporary political and social movements.
Department: Sociology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michael Gulayet
Sex Work Within Canada and Ukraine: Social Aspects and Factors that Manifest and Affect Legislation
No full textSpelling Errors and Social Media Outrage: On the Conservative Party of Canada\u27s Error-Ridden Pamphlet
No full textAfter Elections Canada announced the 2021 Canadian Federal Election in August of the same year, the political parties implemented their campaign strategies. Amongst social media and doorknocking campaigns, one document released by the Conservative Party of Canada attracted attention online due to excessive spelling errors. To better understand whether this mailer was an error or intentional, this paper explores the CPC’s larger social media campaign and the strategic patterns used historically by their marketing company to provide more context to why something as simple as spelling errors can be a piece of effective campaigning. By understanding the firehose of outrage-inducing content implemented by the CPC in the 2021 election, this paper concludes that the spelling errors were part of an intentional plan to build outrage and stoke further divide between Canada’s increasingly polarized political parties
Experimental Layout - The Book of Sand
No full textCreated for DESN 231, this experimental layout is based on The Book of Sand written by Jorge Luis Borges. The general themes are human curiosity, knowledge, and connection. A book salesman and a retired librarian are studying a mysterious book. Borges makes many references to the Bible in the story. The retired librarian decides to purchase the book from the salesman. The main character eventually begins to lose sleep over the book because he’s trying to understand it. He finally gets rid of the book, and his life supposedly returns to normal.
Department: Design
Faculty Mentor: Constanza Pache