MacEwan Open Journals (MacEwan University)
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Honours Thesis Proposal: A Sociological Analysis of the Normalization of Weight-Cutting in Combat Sports
No full textThis presentation outlines an honours research proposal to analyze the normalization of weight- cutting in combat sports from a sociological perspective. While there is extensive research on the various methods used by athletes to make weight such as combining dietary restriction with dehydration and rapid weight-loss techniques (Artioli et al., 2019; Connor & Egan, 2019; Reale et al., 2017) and there is also literature on the negative effects of such practices for athletes (Franchini et al., 2012; Green et al., 2007; Lakicevic et al., 2021; Oöpik et al., 1996; Strauss et al., 1985; Sundgot-Borgen & Garthe, 2011), little is known about the processes wherein athletes come to learn these practices. Through the use of in-depth qualitative interviews with Judo athletes recognized at the national level, this research will explore the process whereby rapid weight loss is learned and reinforced among high-performance athletes.
Department: Sociology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diane Symbalu
The Significance of Osteobiographies: : Building a Life Narrative for the Individuals buried in the Royal Navy Hospital Cemetery (1793-1822) in Antigua
No full textTo better understand the past holistically, osteobiographies provide an excellent framework for bioarchaeologists. Through building an osteobiography, many lines of evidence need to be analyzed, such as the mortuary, social and historical context of a site, and skeletal data. This paper looks at multiple lines of evidence required to build an osteobiography, using a cemetery in Antigua as a case study. In Antigua, a site on the English Harbour was excavated from 1998-2001, where 30 suspected naval soldiers were buried. This site was located behind a Naval Hospital that ran from 1793-1822 AD during the Napoleonic Wars. Many researchers have studied this site since 2001, attempting to learn more about the history of this site, considering there was little historical documentation recovered. While using the Antigua cemetery as a case study, I will expand on how different lines of evidence are used to analyze the geographic origins of individuals, skeletal data, and the social, mortuary, and historical context of the site. The objective of this paper is to discuss the significance of osteobiographies to bioarchaeology, while highlighting some of the limitations associated with creating osteobiographies.
Department: Anthropology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Treena Swansto
Characterizing Aptamer-Ochratoxin A Interactions; Preliminary Work Towards the Construction of an Aptasensor
No full textOchratoxin A is a secondary metabolite of Fungi that is correlated to kidney and liver damage, along with immune suppression, developmental defects, and cancer progression. Often, Ochratoxin A can be found as a contaminant of foods like barley, oats, rye, wheat, coffee beans, and wine. Given its many negative qualities, it is necessary to identify Ochratoxin A, to ultimately remove it from common household consumables. Currently, antibodies are used to identify Ochratoxin A, however, an alternative detection method employs aptamers in conjunction with a detection method like chemiluminescence or fluorescence (among others). Aptamers are single-stranded nucleotide sequences that bind to a specific ligand. In this study, a previously characterized aptamer that detects Ochratoxin A is used, and the aptamer-toxin interactions were assessed, with the intention of adding a DNAse sequence to the oligonucleotide, to enable toxin-detection. Native and denaturing gels were used to determine whether aptamer-toxin interactions alter the nucleotide’s running speed – no significant results were acquired. Similarly, the aptamer was titrated with Ochratoxin A (0X, 2.5X, 5X, 10X, and 20X) and run on a native gel; even the largest concentration of Ochratoxin A (20X) did not change the nucleotide’s running speed. Next, an absorption spectrum was produced using the toxin titration concentrations - results were inconclusive. DMS probing was performed using the toxin titration concentrations to characterize the binding of guanine residues within the aptamer to Ochratoxin A. With the aptamer-toxin interactions characterized, future research can construct the aptamer-DNAse oligonucleotide and test its ability to detect the toxin’s presence.
Department: Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Nina Bernstei
Assessing the Spread and Establishment of Prussian Carp (Carassius gibelio) in Northern Alberta
No full textThe Prussian carp (Cassasius gibelio) has proven to be a dangerous invasive freshwater fish species. Native to Asia and eastern Europe, it has since come to dominate many of the lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams of Europe and Asia, causing a swath of ecological damage by outcompeting native taxa, degrading environmental conditions, and reducing biodiversity. Within the last two decades, the Prussian carp has also been introduced into Alberta and has since spread into the province\u27s rivers and lakes, including the Red Deer, Bow, and South Saskatchewan river systems Lacombe lake. Most research relating to Prussian carp distribution in North America has focused exclusively on water bodies in southern Alberta. My ongoing undergraduate research project seeks to expand the search for Prussian carp into northern Alberta, specifically the lakes and ponds in the Edmonton area, using both visual and molecular
methods. The visual method involved the use of a Trident Underwater Drone to collect video footage of 12 ponds and lakes in the Edmonton, St. Albert, and Beaumont jurisdictions during the spring and summer months of 2020. 4 lakes and ponds of particular concern were further selected to undergo environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis wherein two water samples were taken from each pond or lake and run through a 0.2 μm pore Cellulose Nitrate filter. The filters were m pore Cellulose Nitrate filter. The filters were then sent off to a lab at the University of Alberta to determine if Prussian carp and Goldfish DNA is present in the water samples collected. From the drone footage, several native fish taxa were observed in the surveyed water bodies. Additionally, there was no solid indication that any invasive fish species, including Prussian carp, were present. The results of the eDNA analysis similarly indicate that the absence of Prussian carp from the areas sampled. Put together, these results suggest that Prussian carp have yet to spread into northern Alberta. These finding ultimately highlight the role anthropogenic vectors have in the spread of Prussian carp, as well as the continued need to enact and enforce laws and policies that will slow their spread across the province.
Department: Biology
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Mrinal Das and Dr. Ross Sha
Effects of Parasites on Cyphoderris Monstrossa.
No full textParasitism is the most successsful feeding strategy in nature with an estimated 50% of species being parasitic. Gregarines are endoparasites living mostly in the midgut of invertebrates. Gregarines can have a positive and/or negative effect on its host depending on various factors such as environmental conditions. Cyphoderris monstrossa, an orthoptera, has a mating strategy in which the female feeds on the hind wings of males during mating. This mating strategy has shown to be energetically costly to males. Parasitism is also costly to species and combined with a costly mating strategy can be deadly to a species. Gregarines are very host specific and to date no research has been done on parasitism in Cyphoderris monstrossa. This study determined what effects these parasites have on male Cyphoderris in terms of 1) their body size, 2) body condition in terms of weight, 3) spermatophore production, and 4) their attractiveness. Since damaged hindwings indicate mating success, an increase in damage can indicate male attractiveness and thus can be used to determine the effects of parasites on male attractiveness. Thirty-seven specimens were measure and dissected and found that 37% of specimens were infected with infection ranging between 1 and 88000 and was determined that gregarines infect the digestive tract, specifically the midgut and into the hindgut. This study determined that gregarines do not affect the overall size, attractiveness, body condition, and spermatophore production of Cyphoderris monstrossa.
Department: Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kevin Judg
Event Essentials Strategic Marketing Plan: : Marketing Options for Event Management Services & Software Providers in the COVID Digital Age
No full textOur objective was to detect feasible and effective strategic marketing options for our community partner Event Essentials (EE), an event management software provider operating out of California, U.S.A. These strategic marketing options were chosen based on market research, internal and external analyses, and the client’s needs that were presented to us. Along with the implementation of the strategic options, our team curated targeting, positioning, and communications strategies that would fit within the strategic marketing plan for optimal results. The market research we conducted initially consisted of both secondary and primary data sources. After our initial proposal, our team decided to weigh the value of our primary data more heavily when evaluating the proposed strategic options. This data was richer and better suited the client’s issue(s). We obtained the primary data in interviews with a convenience sample of potential clients in the target industries. We believe that with the successful implementation of our strategic marketing plan and recommendations, Event Essentials will increase their brand awareness, reach, brand recognition, and new business development; Resulting in the sustained growth and success of their business throughout the COVID-19 era and beyond.
Department: Business
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Fernando Angulo-Rui
19 April: : A Typographic Interpretation of "Einstein\u27s Dreams" by Alan Lightman
No full textIn “19 April,” a man ponders whether he should visit a woman in whom he has taken an interest. Over the next three paragraphs, three different scenarios play out: in the first, he decides not to see her; in the second, he develops a tumultuous relationship with her; and in the third, he visits her but is rejected. The rest of the story explains how one decision can spawn an infinite number of subsequent timelines and how humans manage this chaotic complexity.
To reference the notion of multiple timelines, the layout has been fractured into four distinct visual identities. Expository text (first and last two paragraphs) is rendered in serif type, presenting a neutral, academic tone. The first scenario uses an airy san-serif type and large leading to represent a life that is measured and content. The type in the second grows heavier in stroke weight and more condensed as the passion and tension rises. Finally, to underscore the man’s sadness from his rejection, the type fades to near-complete transparency in the third scenario to reflect his developing glumness.
The title makes use of repetition, transparency, and colour to create a focal point that leads the eye into the first paragraph. This creates a horizontal element (a timeline) that extends across the spread and is broken only by the three scenarios. Altogether, the story maintains visual cohesiveness while distinguishing between disparate paragraphs and timelines.
Finally, the dust jacket depicts Einstein’s theory of relativity through minimal forms and lines.
Department: Design
Faculty Mentor: Constanza Pache
Three Towers Golden Ale - A Refreshing Take on \u27Foe\u27 by Iain Reid
No full textThe Feed Mill Brewery and Three Towers Golden Ale brand was inspired and interconnected with motifs, characters, and settings seen in Foe written by author Iain Reid. The packaging for this new age beer company has an overall aesthetic that aligns perfectly with the book itself and could easily be imagined as a product between the pages or promoting them. Three Towers Golden Ale is believably Junior\u27s drink of preference, which is a refined taste that could not be easily replaced.
Department: Design Studies
Faculty Mentor: Constanza Pache
Corporation of the Future: : Brochure for the Book of the Year "Foe"
No full textThis design project was developed for the Typography II course (DESN 231) and based on the Book of the Year, Iain Reid\u27s "Foe." It is an imagined visual identity and a brochure for OuterMore, the mysterious enterprise featured "Foe." The design combines anachronic references, creating an old-fashioned style to match the book\u27s dystopian setting. Amongst the inspirations are the vintage-futuristic aesthetics present in pop culture, wartime propaganda\u27s illustrations, Swiss Style, and corporate identities from the 50s and 60s. The straightforward colour palette denotes trust and intelligence. Although clean and modern, Futura and Helvetica are both overused typefaces that can look very dull. The brochure\u27s content is overly optimistic and artificial, with antiquated taglines that allude to 60s propagandas. OuterMore\u27s logo denotes space exploration and discoveries. It presents the letter M orbiting around the letter O, evoking the solar eclipse, the dark side of the moon, and the atomic diagram. As a citation to IBM\u27s logo, the parallel lines suggest information processing in an old-school monitor. Mirroring the main circular shape originates the second logo, intended for an imaginary branch organization focused on cloning technology. Its organic quality derives from its resemblance to mitosis and cloning. The overlapping segment forms a "versica piscis," symbol for the intersection of two worlds, conveying a distorted perception of time and space. All graphic elements presented contribute to the idea that OuterMore is a conventional enterprise. However, this collides with its progress-driven speech. The ambiguity between "tradition" and "future" combined with the overly enthusiastic tone makes OuterMore\u27s intentions questionable.
Department: Design Studies
Faculty Mentor: Constanza Pache
A Creative Redesign of Daemonolgie
No full textThis project was done under Professor Constanza Patcher and her Publication Design class over this past winter semester. It was a creative redesign for the old 500 year “Daemonologie” which was written by the King of Scotland at the time, James VI. The book is a detailed description of Witchcraft, and from a very legal and rational point of view from the Monarch himself; it is an attempt to rationalize how the practice works in the form of a dialogue between two characters, a Philomathes and an Epistemon, both characters meant to represent the rational and legal mindset that James wanted to approach finding and stopping Witches from. But there was another side to the book, one where James had written this book from his own paranoid experience with Witches. It started when it became known that several witches tried to kill him and his wife. And so, the book contains the very real danger that the witches possess according to James, in the form of vandalism that the witches have left behind.
Department: Design Studies
Faculty Mentor: Constanza Pache