MacEwan Open Journals (MacEwan University)
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Detection of Early Aragonite to Calcite Diagenesis in a Modern Inner Carbonate Ramp
No full textEarly diagenetic replacement of aragonite by the more stable calcite mineral is not well documented in modern carbonate environments. Understanding the timing of these early diagenetic transitions is critical to our reliance on geochemical signatures in carbonates as paleoenvironmental proxies. Depositional features and early diagenetic alterations are often overprinted and challenging to recognize once sediments are lithified and buried, where pressure, temperature, and subsurface fluids impart further diagenesis. Whole-rock x-ray diffraction (XRD) is traditionally used to distinguish between calcite and aragonite minerals, but this technique cannot map these transitions on a grain-by-grain scale. Raman spectroscopy is also practical for distinguishing between carbonate minerals, and it is non-destructive. Though similar, the Raman spectra of aragonite and calcite display subtle differences in peak positions, which are ideal for differentiating these minerals within a single grain that may have experienced early diagenetic alteration. The main objective of this study was to use Raman spectroscopy to identify early diagenesis, in the form of aragonite-to-calcite transition, in inner ramp carbonate sediments from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Additional XRD, stable isotope δ18O and δ13C, and petrographic data were used to document changes through the 26 cm section of cored sediment. XRD of unconsolidated sediment revealed a downward decrease in aragonite to calcite content (80:4 top 12 cm and 61:8 bottom 12 cm). Polished thin sections from the sediment core were used to create 2D Raman maps of grains subjected to early diagenesis. The Raman 2D maps depict an explicit transition between aragonite and calcite as the corresponding Raman spectra contain both calcite (280 cm-1; 714 cm-1) and aragonite (203 cm-1; 704 cm-1) peaks. In some of the mapped grains, laser induced heating is causing the aragonite to transform to calcite and serves as a cautionary note for conducting Raman analysis on carbonates. Optical microscopy confirmed aragonite-to-calcite alteration along the edges of grains that have experienced mechanical boring. Additionally stable isotope δ13C and δ18O data is typical of the arid climate of Abu Dhabi and δ18O is decreasing with the decreasing amount of aragonite down the core. These findings illustrate the need for further investigation into the timing and controls on early diagenesis. Aragonite that has been altered to calcite in the upper 25 cm of the sedimentary column may still record primary marine signatures. However, without further geochemical characterization of altered sediments, we cannot be confident in paleoenvironmental proxy data extracted from the carbonate record.
Department: Physical Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Hilary Corlet
A Study of Mindset: Better Understanding the Structure of Mindset and How Growth Mindset Interventions are Delivered
No full textMindsets (MS) (i.e., beliefs about the malleability of traits) exist in many diverse domains, such as intelligence, creativity, emotions, and anxiety. With such a diversity of mindset domains, it is reasonable to question whether a general underlying factor influences all mindsets similarly. For example, if one believes intelligence is malleable, does one also believe creativity, musical ability, and athletic ability are malleable? In study 1, we used factor analysis of nine self-report mindset measures to determine if a general mindset factor exists. The nine mindsets studied clustered into three underlying factors: 1) Skills (intelligence, creativity, musical and athletic ability); 2) Personality (personality and morality); and 3) Emotions (emotions and anxiety).
Stress did not load onto any of the three factors. In addition, we investigated ways to improve the efficacy of growth mindset interventions. Though growth mindset interventions show positive outcomes, the effect sizes are generally small. Actively engaging in material by applying the information to one’s life, or teaching others, improves retention of that material over passively listening to the material being taught. In study 2, we sought to determine whether an active vs. passive growth mindset intervention is more effective for improving exam scores. We found no significant difference in exam score improvement between the control, active, or passive groups. It is possible that the active intervention was not engaging enough to alter one’s mindset beliefs in only one exposure. Targeting general mindset factors rather than individual mindset domains may improve intervention efficacy.
Department: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michele Moscick
The effects of video game experience and time pressure on hiding and searching behaviour
No full textMany video games include the need to hide objects or a character to prevent being found by an enemy, and to search for objects or characters that have been hidden to receive rewards or advance in the game. As such, understanding how people hide and search for objects, and how environmental and situational conditions may impact such behaviour, is of broad interest and importance. Research suggests that experience with video games broadly affects how we navigate our surroundings. It is, therefore, reasonable to suspect that experience playing video games may affect people’s hiding and searching behaviour and strategy, although no studies have been conducted on this topic to date. Furthermore, research has consistently shown that people’s decision-making processes can be adversely affected by time pressure and the associated stress it creates. Time pressure is also a frequent characteristic of many video games, and some research suggests that video gamers are less impacted by overwhelming time pressure than non-gamers. Therefore, our study is the first to assess how video game experience and time pressure interact and impact hiding and searching behaviour in a spatial task. This research will be important for broadly understanding people’s hiding and searching behaviour, and may lead to improvements in hiding/searching training programs (e.g., police training programs for illicit substance search and seizure).
Department: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eric Legg
Perception of Dog Breeds, Dog Traits, and Implicit Associations
No full textImplicit biases are defined as one’s negative or positive thoughts, feelings, actions, and attributes that one holds towards another individual or group that are formed by attitudes held subconsciously in one’s mind. Stereotyping, racism, prejudice and discrimination are all negative outcomes that can result from these biases. Unfortunately, Pitbull-type dogs (PTD) have been the center of Breed-Specific Legislative Bans (BSL) resulting in stigmatization towards both the dog breed and dog-owner. These BSLs are a prominent example of how explicit biases, that is, attitudes that are conscious and deliberate exist within our society; however, it is unknown how much of these biases are implicit. Due to this discrepancy, this study will test both implicit and explicit biases towards PTD when compared with a stereotypical family dog breed, such as Golden Retrievers (GR). To measure these biases, this study will use the Implicit Association Test (IAT) which has been deemed the gold-standard test for implicit attitudes. In addition to the IAT, this study will implement a self-reported Likert-scale to capture participant’s explicit biases which will be used to compare scores between each measure. As such, it is hypothesized that people will have negative biases toward PTD and will associate them with negative dog traits, whereas people will have positive biases towards GR and will associate them with positive dog traits. We propose that self-reported measures will reflect opposing results towards PTD but not for GR. Identification of implicit biases can have important implications for promoting adoptions for dogs subject to BSLs such as PTDs.
Department: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eric Legg
The Effects of Infrasound Frequencies on Wild-Type Zebrafish Anxiety Behaviour
No full textVarious fish species have shown sensitivity to infrasound frequencies – those below the lower human hearing threshold of 20Hz – often eliciting behaviours indicative of anxiety. As wild-type Zebrafish, Danio rerio, have been emerging as a promising model of anxiety behaviour in research, such a response could add to their usefulness in future studies on anxiety, should they also exhibit it. Of particular interest to this study are the potential noise pollution effects that modern human industry may have on aquatic life, as such frequencies are commonly generated by many marine technologies (e.g., marine wind turbines or diesel engines). The aim of this study was to evaluate Danio rerio as an appropriate model system to test the anxiogenic effects of infrasound frequencies on aquatic life. Through utilization of motion tracking technology and behavioural open field tests, it was found that an infrasound frequency tone of 15Hz was able to produce anxiety behaviour in naïve zebrafish that was not present under any other conditions tested. 15Hz infrasound frequencies had anxiogenic effects on arena location preference, with zebrafish showing no significant preference during habituation trials but moving away from the infrasound speaker during administration of 15Hz tones. These results confirm that zebrafish may be used as an appropriate animal model to study the anxiogenic effects of infrasound frequencies on aquatic life.
Department: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Trevor Hamilto
Establishing an Effective Dose-Response Curve of β-Carboline FG-7142 on Wild- Type Zebrafish Anxiety Behaviour
No full textβ-Carboline FG-7142, a partial inverse agonist of the benzodiazepine allosteric site at the GABA-A receptor, has been shown to yield anxiogenic, proconvulsant, and appetite-reducing effects among a variety of aquatic and mammalian species, including humans. Of particular interest to this study are the anxiogenic effects that FG-7142 have upon Wild-Type Zebrafish, Danio rerio, and what effective dosages would be appropriate for its use in behavioural research using a zebrafish model of anxiety and conditioned fear. Should an effective dose and reliable fear response be found in Danio rerio, an effective dose-response curve may be established and utilized in future anxiety research using FG-7142 as an environmental stressor that is both easier to administer and less invasive and harmful to the animal. The aim of this study is to establish an effective dose-response curve for anxiogenic effects of β-carboline FG-7142 on zebrafish anxiety behaviour. Motion tracking software will be used to measure zebrafish indicators of anxiety, such as changes in locomotion or location preference, under open field test conditions. Dosages from 0.00-1.00µM FG-7142 will be administered to testing arena water after habituation and any significant changes in anxiety behaviours found only after treatment will be considered indicative of an effective dose. It is expected that Danio rerio will exhibit significant and reliable changes in anxiety and that an effective dose-response curve can be established within the proposed dose range for use in subsequent behavioural research using a zebrafish model of anxiety.
Department: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Trevor Hamilto
Rattle calls as individual identifiers in the North American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
No full textOur research focused on the underlying function of the red squirrel rattle call as a form of individual identification for nearby territorial listeners. These calls are produced by squirrels periodically when another is trespassing within the territory or in response to another rattle. We examined whether the call was produced more often within an individuals territory boundary (indicating a territorial function) or if the call reflects self identification for listeners and thus was produced anywhere the squirrel may be (within or outside of the territory). Individual squirrels were trapped and released, at Whitemud Creek, in various locations both within and outside of territory boundaries. Upon release squirrels were monitored for 10 minutes and all rattle vocalizations were recorded. Results indicate that squirrels reliably produced calls, within 10 minutes of release, both within and outside of their territory. These results suggest that the rattle call may function as a form of self identification and not predominantly as an aggressive territorial call.
Department: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Shannon Digwee
Does Information, Psychiatric Illness Type and/or Age Influence Undergraduates’ Acceptance of MAiD?
No full textIn 2023, Canadians whose only medical condition is an untreatable mental illness and who otherwise meet all eligibility criteria will be eligible for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). This study will investigate the general attitudes and beliefs of undergraduates towards widening the scope of MAiD to include untreatable mental illness. Participants will be randomly assigned to an information/no information condition about MAiD for untreatable mental illness. Four scenarios will then be presented in which age and illness type are manipulated. We predict that stigmatizing beliefs about certain mental illnesses as well as the age of the individual in the scenarios will influence acceptability of MAiD for mental illness. We further hypothesize that having more information about MAiD for mental illness will influence participants’ acceptance of MAiD.
Keywords: Medical Assistance in Dying, End of Life, Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide, Mental Illness, Personality
Department: Psychology
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Lori Harper and Dr. Russ Powel
The Lorax Effect: A Statistical Analysis of Environmental Concern in Canada
No full textAs the globe continues to experience the effects of climate change, it is crucial that researchers continue to investigate factors that contribute to individuals’ attitudes concerning climate change. This study utilizes survey data of 1,539 Canadians gathered in 2019. The data was analyzed using ordinary least square linear regression to analyze how political ideology, gender, and level of education correlate with individuals’ level of environmental concern. Females are more concerned, on average, about the environment, compared to males. Within the Canadian context, there is no statistically significant relationship between level of education and concern for the environment. Overall, Canadians seem to be relatively concerned about the environment regardless of their level of education. Canadians with a conservative political ideology have a lower level of environmental concern in comparison to their liberal counterparts. Canadians gender identity seems to influence their level of environmental concern, although, more representation of non-binary individuals is needed in future data-gathering to analyze non-binary individuals’ level of environmental concern. The paper offers further discussion of these variables\u27 effects on level of environmental concern.
Department: Sociology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Shelley Bouliann
The Hidden Weapon of the Russia-Ukraine War
No full textThis presentation aims to examine the usage of disinformation in the Russia-Ukraine War. Disinformation is a purposefully false piece of information that seeks to influence people. I argue that this is one of, if not the most prominent, disinformation wars that we have seen. Russia is a leading proponent of disinformation as they are trying to frame the invasion of Ukraine as having a more altruistic purpose.
During this examination of disinformation, I will be looking at a few select pieces of disinformation from the perspective of both Russia and Ukraine and the effect that this disinformation has on both the Russians and Ukrainians. The result of this disinformation war is that Ukraine is constantly on the defense and continually trying to provide the truth to its citizens and the rest of the western world. NATO, the European Union, and the United States are consistently fact-checking and disproving the claims that Russia and its state media make.
Department: Sociology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michael Gulayet