123129 research outputs found
Sort by
Foodwork as Relationality: Labour and the Creation of Culinary Placemaking
Get PDFThis thesis explores the concept of culinary placemaking through the lens of Global Political Economy (GPE), focusing on how foodwork functions as a relational practice that shapes social, cultural, and economic spaces. It examines the relationships among food, labour, and place, emphasizing the ways in which workers transform culinary environments into meaningful places through their physical, emotional, and creative contributions. Drawing on existing literature, the research highlights how neoliberal policies have commodified food and labour, leading to increased precarity and alienation for food workers. Despite these challenges, culinary workers actively resist the pressures of globalization by fostering localized food systems, emphasizing cultural and social engagement, and envisioning alternative economic models such as cooperatives and farm-to-table initiatives. This thesis finds that culinary placemaking not only resists commodification but also offers opportunities for social cohesion, cultural expression, and economic resilience. Furthermore, the research touches upon the gendered dimensions of culinary labour, demonstrating how workers navigate power dynamics within professional kitchens and community food spaces. Future research directions include exploring the evolving role of consumers in culinary placemaking, addressing labour precarity through policy interventions, and investigating how Indigenous economies contribute to decolonial approaches to food sovereignty. By situating foodwork within the broader political and economic context, this thesis contributes to a deeper understanding of the transformative potential of culinary labour in fostering inclusive, sustainable, and culturally resonant food spaces.M.A
Investigating the role of FERM-domain protein Okapi in regulating follicle stem cells in Drosophila ovaries
No full textIn Drosophila, egg development depends on the regulation of follicle stem cells (FSCs) in the ovary. The FERM domain protein Okapi (Oka) seems to play an essential role in this regulation as the loss of Oka causes an increased number of FSCs. To investigate if these additional FSCs in oka mutant germaria are quiescent or if they are mitotically active, I used mitosis and S-phase markers and found that they do undergo cell division. As FSCs are regulated by signalling pathways like Wnt and JAK-STAT, I analysed the activity of these pathways using reporter lines and antibodies and found that the loss of Oka leads to an extended range of activity of these pathways. This suggests that Oka regulates FSCs by attenuating Wnt and JAK-STAT signalling. Analysing the molecular nature of CRISPR-generated oka mutations revealed that in addition to the FERM and FERM-adjacent domain, Oka has another functionally important region.M.Sc
All In on Exercise: The Relationship Between Exercise Dependence, Mental Health, and Sociological Indicators
Get PDFExercise dependence is a behavioural addiction characterized by compulsive engagement in physical activity. Previous research on exercise dependence has seldom examined associations with mental health, substance misuse, and sociological indicators (goal orientation and social functioning) in a Canadian university population. This study aimed to explore the associations between exercise dependence, mental health, and sociological indicators. 308 Canadian undergraduate students completed surveys examining exercise dependence symptoms and other primary outcome measures. 4.2% of participants were at risk for exercise dependence. Those at risk for exercise dependence were significantly more likely to also experience an eating disorder, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and tobacco and prescription medication use, alongside significant inclinations towards avoidance-based and performance-oriented goal orientations. These findings extend the understanding of the associations of exercise dependence on mental health and sociological indicators, and highlight the need for increased awareness on the harms of exercise dependence in Canadian university populations.M.S.W
Comparison of geomechanical behavior of an iron ore tailings and natural siliceous silty sand with the same particle size distribution
Get PDFThe safe design of Tailings storage facilities (TSFs) requires an in-depth understanding of mine tailings’ geomechanical behavior. Several research studies have focused on mine tailings characterization, sometimes using large databases to derive performance trendlines. However, it is often difficult to distinguish which observed patterns are specific to mine tailings being different from natural sands. This paper addresses this topic by comparing the geomechanical behavior of an iron ore tailings and a silty sand with similar particle size distribution. The experimental plan comprised triaxial compression tests consolidated under isotropic and anisotropic conditions complemented by constant deviatoric stress tests where shear wave velocity and permeability measurements were performed. Scanning electron micrographs with chemical analysis by EDS spectrums, and morphological analysis to analyze shape descriptors supported the data interpretation. The results show some similarity in the stress-strain curves, but also several differences in compressibility, stiffness, and compaction density which are probably dependent on the distinct particles’ density. Moreover, the iron tailings showed higher brittleness and slightly higher critical state friction angle and instability stress ratio, which may be associated with less rounded particles. The results were analyzed on the scope of other soils within the same grain size range, in terms of critical state line, elastic stiffness, and hydraulic conductivity, confirming the wide variability and highlighting the need to pursue further work on these man-made materials.The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the pdf file of the accepted manuscript may differ slightly from what is displayed on the item page. The information in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript reflects the original submission by the author
Transcriptomic Analysis of Iron Transport mutants Reveals Serovar-Specific Adaptations in Salmonella enterica
Get PDFIron is an essential mineral for almost all pathogenic bacteria including Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Enteritidis. We have investigated the effect of the deletion of iroN, fepA and fhu genes on the transcriptomic profiles of S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis strains containing double (ΔiroNΔfepA) and triple (ΔfhuΔiroNΔfepA) deletions and grown under iron-deficient conditions. Significant changes were observed in the expression of genes involved in virulence, stress-response, and energy metabolism in both Salmonella serovars. The pathways most affected were the tricarboxylic acid cycle, electron transport chain, and stress responses all of which were downregulated while cysteine biosynthesis was upregulated. In general, common and/or related genes were affected in the double and triple mutant strains which indicated that the additional deletion of the fhu gene affected a limited number of genes, although S. Typhimurium showed more differences than S. Enteritidis. Nevertheless, the main difference observed between the mutants of the two serovars grown under iron-depleted conditions is the enhanced upregulation of the flagellum genes in S. Enteritidis. This study reveals evidence of novel interactions between metabolic pathways and virulence under iron limitation, providing insights into adaptive strategies that may contribute to the enhanced virulence of these Salmonella serovars.The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the pdf file of the accepted manuscript may differ slightly from what is displayed on the item page. The information in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript reflects the original submission by the author
Home Healthcare Services and Interventions for Older Adults: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
Get PDFAs global populations age, there is increasing demand for effective, person-centered healthcare solutions that support older adults to age in place. Home healthcare has emerged as a crucial strategy to address the complex health and social needs of older adults while reducing reliance on institutional care. This umbrella review aimed to synthesize evidence from existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses on home healthcare services and interventions targeting older adults. A comprehensive search was conducted across five databases and gray literature sources, including Google Scholar, for reviews published between 2000 and 2025. The review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA statement. Twenty reviews met the inclusion criteria, encompassing a total of over 3.1 million participants. Interventions were grouped into four categories: integrated and multidisciplinary care, preventive and supportive home visits, technological and digital interventions, and physical, transitional, and environmental support. Results indicated that many interventions led to improved health outcomes, including enhanced functional ability, reduced hospital readmissions, and increased satisfaction. However, effectiveness varies depending on the intervention type, delivery model, and population. Challenges such as caregiver burden, digital exclusion, and implementation in diverse settings were noted. This review highlights the promise of home healthcare interventions and underscores the need for context-sensitive, equitable, and scalable models to support aging populations
Implications of cellular changes in depression on human cortical microcircuit activity
Get PDFCortical microcircuits require a balance of excitation-inhibition within and across cortical layers for efficient signal processing. Accordingly, disruption of this balance can lead to cognitive impairments and behavioral symptoms in major depressive disorder (depression). Recently, studies of post-mortem tissues of depression patients and rodent depression models have suggested reduced inhibition from somatostatin (SST) interneurons and loss of dendritic spines as key mechanisms in depression. SST interneurons inhibit excitatory pyramidal (Pyr) neurons to maintain low baseline cortical activity (noise) compared to response (signal), and thus optimize the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Dendritic spines of Pyr neurons control the dendritic excitability and are the primary target of synapses. Currently, it is unclear how alterations in these mechanisms in depression can impact processing in cortical microcircuits, particularly in the human context due to experimental limitations. To bridge this gap, we integrated human cellular, synaptic, circuit, and gene expression data to generate detailed models of human layer 2/3 (L2/3) cortical microcircuits in health and depression. We simulated microcircuit baseline and response activity and found reduced SNR and increased false/failed detection of stimuli due to a higher baseline activity in depression. Next, we expanded our models to include active dendritic properties as measured in human dendrites and investigated the effects of the spine loss. We found that spine loss resulted in reduced signal response and thus a more reduced SNR than due to SST interneuron inhibition loss alone. Spine loss additionally altered the intrinsic properties of Pyr neurons, leading to the abolishment of nonlinear dendritic integration. Finally, we expanded our models to include L4 and L5 to generate multilayer cortical microcircuit models. Using these models, we quantified the firing rate effects of reduced SST inhibition in individual layers and their cumulative effects across multiple layers. Our work therefore quantitatively links reduced SST inhibition and spine loss to microcircuit firing and cortical processing deficits in depression.Ph.D
Nautical Desires: Tourists, Stowaways and Other Travellers in Caribbean Fiction
Get PDFThis article examines two Caribbean texts which use 20th-century journeys on passenger ships as opportunities to investigate ways in which colonial anxieties of race and gender are worked out through nautical desires. Mayra Montero’s erotic novel La última noche que pasé contigo (1991) and Claude McKay’s Romance in Marseille (2020) both wrestle with the imagined and material consequences of pervasive anti-blackness. They also raise crucial questions about embodied practices of struggle for survival. My analysis seeks to answer the following questions. What happens when anti-blackness masquerades as desire? How do we read and represent an anti-blackness that seeks to consume parts of the Caribbean and then dispense as refuse with what it sees as superfluous? What reading practices might we adopt in order to make sense of Caribbean bodies dehumanized on their own shores, and what narrative solutions might Caribbean fiction propose that might begin to restore humanity and value to these bodies
A Digital Microfluidic and Bead-based Immunoassay Approach to Processing Forensic Samples
Get PDFForensic case samples collected in sexual assaults typically contain DNA from multiple sources, which complicates short-tandem repeat (STR) profiling. These samples are sent to a laboratory to
separate the sperm DNA from non-sperm sources prior to analysis. This thesis presents the
automation of this process using digital microfluidics (DMF) and the capture of the sperm
component using immunomagnetic bead assays. On DMF a semi-automated, miniaturized
sample pre-processing method for sexual assault samples was demonstrated. When applied to
vaginal swab samples collected up to 12 h post-coitus, this new method identified single-source
(male) STR profiles. When applied to samples collected 24–72 h post-coitus, the method
identified mixed STR profiles, suggesting room for improvement and/or potential for data
deconvolution. The immunomagnetic separation project is in its early stages; the results are
promising but preliminary and will require additional optimization in the future.M.Sc
Exploring TiO2/UV Photocatalytic Pre-treatment to Enhance the Anaerobic Treatment of Pulp and Paper Wastewaters
Get PDFThe pulp and paper industry currently produces large volumes of wastewater that is mainly treated with conventional aerobic treatment. Converting to anaerobic treatment would offer significant improvements in the carbon footprint and costs, but a key challenge is that some of the wastewater can contain compounds that are recalcitrant and toxic to anaerobic organisms. We explore the use of TiO2/UV photocatalysis to enhance anaerobic treatment by photocatalytically pre-treating synthetic substrates spiked with resin acids, which are known to be inhibitory to anaerobic communities. Two hours of photocatalytic pre-treatment under sunlight strength UVA improved anaerobic biogas production performance by reducing the lag time by up to 62±7%. The improvement in biogas production is likely due to the formation of lower molecular weight compounds and increasingly oxidized transformation products of abietic acid, as characterized by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. This was achieved without a significant reduction in chemical oxygen demand after pre-treatment, indicating the potential for pre-treatment to retain the majority of organics for anaerobic treatment while reducing the toxicity of inhibitory compounds. Additional preliminary testing on a paper mill effluent was also conducted, and it was found that further optimization is needed for wastewater applications. Photocatalytic pre-treatment could be a promising and sustainable way to improve the anaerobic treatability of pulp and paper wastewater containing inhibitory substances.M.A.S