MacEwan Open Journals (MacEwan University)
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Flattening the Curve: The Role of Communications in Canada’s Response to COVID-19
No full textThis paper explores Canada’s communications approach to the population during the global pandemic of COVID-19. Canada’s perceptive risk communication plan consists of quick response, transparency, and credible figures as representatives of information that are deemed the current principles of success (as of April 2020). The literature review inaugurates the necessary definitions for the topic and provides detailed information about the action Canada has taken in the 2020 pandemic, while the discussion evaluates and debates Canada’s communicative strengths while acknowledging areas for improvement. Following the tactics explored, comparisons are made against the United States’ pandemic response along with a review of practices to avoid in risk communication, such as blame. Finally, transformative dialogue theory is analyzed as a potential answer to the successful interactions between the Canadian government, authoritative figures, and the public. 
Cosmic Awe, Self-Esteem, and Materialism: The Effects of Awe and Self-Esteem on Materialist Values and Beliefs
No full textExperiencing awe (a self transcendent shift in perspective) has been shown to increase generosity, spirituality, and prosociality, reduce tribalism, and reduce inclination towards conspicuous consumption. The present research aims to investigate the effects of experiencing awe on individuals’ endorsement of materialistic values and beliefs through an online experimental design. It is hypothesized that induction of awe will result in decreased endorsement of materialism, as the self-transcendental nature of the experience minimizes self-focused goals and encourages greater prosocial and achievement motivations.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: David Watson
Department: Psycholog
Behavioural and Mechanical Isolation in the Great Grig, Cyphoderris monstrosa
No full textThe Great Grig (Cyphoderris monstrosa) is a species that has shown evidence of possibly being in the early stages of speciation. This study uses mating trials to determine the degree of isolation between the Alberta and British Columbia populations behaviourally and looking at the morphology of the populations to determine the possibility of mechanical isolation in C. monstrosa, possibly representing pre-zygotic mating barriers. If C. monstrosa is in the early stages of speciation, then it is predicted that there will be distinct differences between the grigs, specifically behavioural differences seen when attempting to mate the two groups, and morphological differences in their genitalia. Analyses of behaviour and morphology showed that the two populations were significantly different in aspects of size and form of genitalia, with the Alberta grigs being larger than the British Columbia grigs. This finding is concurrent with other studies, indicating the possibility of speciation between the populations, as per the biological species concept. This study helps to answer questions regarding species concepts and speciation in the Great Grig, as well as indicates the need for future work with these insects.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Kevin Judge
Department: Biological Science
Determining Recovery Success in Anthelia sp. After Exposure to Varying Levels of Thermal Stress
No full textCoral bleaching is a phenomenon caused by anthropogenically increased ocean temperatures, and may lead to the eventual death of massive reef systems. Bleaching is the result of corals expelling dinoflagellate endosymbionts in order to compensate for thermal stress. However, the loss of symbionts leads to a subsequent reduction in fluorescence intensity emitted by the coral. Substantial research has been done on coral bleaching due to environmental stressors, but little knowledge has been acquired about coral recovery after thermal stress. The present study aimed to determine how Anthelia species recover after being exposed to varying levels of temperature stress. Corals were exposed to varying levels of heat stress and subsequently brought back down in temperature to promote recovery. Using fluorescence microscopy, a relatively new method of quantifying coral health, and health-colour indices, recovery ability after thermal stress was determined. Analyses concluded that corals were able to successfully recover after thermal stress of 31°C, and exhibit a thermal compensation point around 30°C. However, beyond 31°C, recovery was not achievable. The findings of this study are beneficial to the larger coral research field because they indicate that corals do possess recovery ability up until reaching a fatal thermal maximum.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Ross Shaw
Department: Biological Sciences
 
Quantum Computation and Search Algorithms: A Historical Overview and Introduction
No full textQuantum computation is the study of the information processing tasks which may be accomplished using quantum mechanical systems. At the heart of inquiries to ascertain the potential of quantum computation is the question of whether it is possible for a quantum computer to efficiently solve computational problems which have no efficient solution on a classical computer. Pioneering work done by David Deutsch, Peter Shor, Lov Grover and others in the 1980s and 1990s established a great deal of the essential theoretical framework and results which provided answers to this question which has justified continued research and interest in quantum computing ever since. Today we will provide a brief historical and functional overview of the development of quantum computing and its applications during this time, and contrast it with classical computing, and in particular, we will examine Grover’s algorithm as an illustrative example of the potential benefits of quantum search algorithms.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Vahid Rezania
Department: Physic
Terror Without Virtue is Powerless: Decoding Robespierre’s Festival of the Supreme Being (June 1794)
No full textThis paper will decode Maximilien Robespierre’s deistic cult, the Festival of the Supreme Being, a seemingly bizarre public ritual that was held at the height of the Great Terror on 20 Prairial Year II (June 1794). The Festival of the Supreme Being was staged by the Jacobin leader Robespierre, aided by the artist Jacques-Louis David, in an attempt to unify the French Republic’s citizenry during a particularly unstable time in the Revolution. Inspired by David\u27s neo-classical masterpieces, such as The Oath of the Horatii, the festival used imagery from ancient Rome to emphasize the importance of civic virtue among a patriotic citizenry. A necessary counterpart to the Jacobins\u27 campaign of terror against the Republic\u27s myriad enemies, Robespierre\u27s attempts to develop Parisians\u27 civic virtue was designed to save the Republic by transforming passive subjects into active citizens. I will interpret this carefully orchestrated event as a parable of republican virtue by examining its use of classical symbols and the distinctive roles assigned to men, women and children in the festival.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Kelly Summers
Department: Histor
The Power of Words paired with Imagery
No full textLeanne Betasamosake Simpson is an Indigenous writer, musician and academic. The books and papers she writes are like voices for the Indigenous community, and they want to be heard. These posters are a visual representation of those voices. The quote is taken from the novel, “I am powerful and beautiful and sacred” was chosen for this poster series because it is so powerful and meaningful. Out of context, this quote could mean so many different things. A forest background was chosen because it is like nature is speaking. The type for all three posters is blending in and interacting with their backgrounds, to communicate a calming emotion to the viewer. The quote “i’ll sing to you, until you sing back” was taken from the poem constellation. It was chosen because it is further communicating that the Indigenous community is not going to stop singing until we hear them. This was a really strong quote to choose to carry the theme of power and wanting to be heard. The image helps, reflects and connects to the name of the poem the quote was taken from. The final poster helps carry the tone of the posters, especially with the colour palette. The type is half behind the image, “hiding”, anticipating the rebellion. This effect is making it seem like the rebellion is waiting and biding her time. The image chosen to go with this powerful quote was a mountain. Mountains symbolize a higher perspective, power, constancy, eternity, firmness and stillness.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Constanza Pacher
Department: Design Studies
 
Visual Assistance Software for the Visually Impaired
No full textThe proposed project involves the creation of a visual assistance software for the visually impaired to identify people in their surroundings to avoid potential collisions. Object detection technique using TensorFlow Lite Object Detection API is performed to identify the people in the view of a visually impaired person. Vibrations of different lengths were used to notify the visually impaired about the location of the person in the view. The software is tested in various conditions to verify its working.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Jeffrey Davis
Department: Computer Science
 
Hydrostatic Balance in Meteorology
No full textMeteorology is a branch of geophysics that studies the properties of the atmosphere that “cushions” the Earth and all the phenomena that happen within it. The hydrostatic balance occurs when the pressure at any point in the fluid equals the weight of an air column of the unit section from above the point, and in these ideal conditions, we have the hydrostatic equation for the fluid in hydrostatic balance. The hydrostatic equation is viewed as the hydrostatic equilibrium condition, which provides an accurate approximation for the vertical dependence of the pressure field in the real atmosphere. In this talk, we manipulate a mathematical model describing the variation of pressure to altitude in the atmosphere using partial differential equations, and we will show how realistic charts based on real data are obtained, and compare them to charts obtained by using a climate change scenario when the temperature at sea-level is warmer by 2℃ than the one used in current charts. Work done in collaboration with Anneliese Ansorger, Cory Efird, Cassandra Lisitza, Ghristopher Macyk, Tarig Mergani, Adam Reeves, Rebecca Walton, Yaying Zhong, and Jett Ziehe, MacEwan University.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled.) Exhibition held in the Gray Gallery at MacEwan University.
Faculty Mentor: Ion Bica
Department: Mathematics & Statistic
Separating religion from cult: An analysis of cult-like organizations
No full textThis paper explores the term "cult" and all of the connotations that are attached to it. This paper aims to separate the term cult from religious and spiritual assumptions while positing that the term is an umbrella term for various organizations, with cult-like traits, many of which operate in the corporate environment.