StFX Scholar (St. Francis Xavier University)
Not a member yet
55051 research outputs found
Sort by
Ribbed mussel (Geukensia demissa) demographics and interactions with cord grass (Sporobolus alterniflorus) in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Nova Scotia
Get PDFClimate change and sea level rise have impacted coastal plant communities in estuaries of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence and resulted in conspicuous marsh erosion. The ribbed mussel (Geukensia demissa) has as its primary habitat the lower marsh fringe where it is attached to the rhizomes of the cordgrass Sporobolus alterniflorus. In numerous sites, the salt marsh is eroding, resulting in the death of the cordgrass and thereby a loss of the primary mussel habitat. I investigated population density and mussel size in 16 populations in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence from Pugwash Harbour in the west to Cheticamp Harbour in the northeast. Population metrics were measured in three marsh elevation zones: (1) a dead, low elevation zone with intact peat but no living Sporobolus shoots, (2) an intermediate zone with low density of living Sporobolus, and (3) a higher elevation, dense zone of Sporobolus. Mussel size was related to position, with the youngest mussels occurring in the intermediate zone and the oldest mussels occurring in the dense zone. Higher mussel density occurred in intermediate zones primarily at the western end of the sampled salt marshes in Nova Scotia. Marshes with extensive dead zones had the oldest mussels and lower population densities. Low mussel density and absence of relatively small mussels, i.e. < 3 cm, occurred at the most degraded marsh sites. I conclude that as sea level rise impacts the lower marsh fringe that populations of the ribbed mussel are becoming less able to recruit and maintain healthy populations. A symbiosis was described in New England in which Geukensia and Sporobolus have a mutualistic interaction. A 12-month long field experiment tested this facultative mutualism at Fox Harbour, where Geukensia is the most abundant in northern Nova Scotia. I found no evidence to support the mutualism and suggest that mussel density at ~100 m-2 may be too low to allow for the mutualism to persist in this region
Determining overload and overspeed stimulus for a baseball swing
Get PDFOverspeed and overload training methods are known to enhance movement speed in various sports, yet their effects on the baseball swing remain underexplored. Understanding how inertial properties—such as mass, center of mass (COM), and moment of inertia (MOI)—and external loads influence swing mechanics is crucial for optimizing training stimuli. This study aimed to quantify the overload and overspeed stimuli induced by training implements with varying inertial properties relative to a standard baseball bat. Fifteen elite baseball players performed a total of 30 swings using eight weighted training implements designed to create overload and overspeed conditions, along with two standard bats. Swing speed, force, torque, and kinematic data were captured using an optical motion capture system, with each player completing three swings per condition. Implements with reduced mass, COM, and MOI increased bat speed by 7 to 13%, generating an overspeed stimulus. Conversely, implements with increased inertial properties relative to the standard bat’s mass increased peak force by 4– 8%, creating a force overload stimulus, and increased peak torque by 9 to 20%, creating a torque overload. This study quantifies the effects of inertial properties on bat speed and force production, providing valuable insights for optimizing baseball-specific overload and overspeed training protocols
Teacher isolation, stress, and attrition during and post COVID-19
No full textAbstract
This dissertation is unique as it captures the lived, in-the-moment teaching experiences of
eight active teachers and school administrators during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study
explores, investigates, and reports on the effects of COVID-19 on teachers, schooling and
teaching by addressing and answering the following research question: How has the COVID-19
pandemic affected or compounded teacher isolation, stress and attrition? In so doing, the eight
participants involved in this study share their personal and private thoughts, as well as offer their
professional expertise, knowledge, and insights while teaching from inside their garages, homes,
and sheds, as well as from inside their over-crowded and poorly ventilated classrooms and
schools during the height of the pandemic.
Teacher isolation, teacher stress, and attrition are the three main research themes, with
five secondary or supplementary themes arising from the research data. These themes are
identified, triangulated, and analyzed from multiple data sources with findings that offer very
direct, pointed and practical advice, including recommendations and solutions for immediate
improvements in educational delivery now and post-COVID-19. Within the Newfoundland and
Labrador school context specifically, the results indicate a marked increase in teacher isolation,
stress, and attrition attributed to COVID-19 and exacerbated by the Newfoundland and Labrador
government response to the pandemic. Going forward, there must be a reimagining and
reimaging of education at all levels including a comprehensive post-COVID-19 educational
delivery model, plan or strategy that does center on respect and values the opinions and voices of
frontline educators
Letter from John MacGregor to Malcolm MacGregor, May 8, 1818
No full textLetter from John MacGregor to his brother, Malcolm MacGregor, discussing people immigrating to America and how hard the winter has been on the livestock
Letter from John McGregor to Malcolm McGregor, July 2, 1825
No full textLetter from John McGregor to his brother, Malcolm McGregor, discussing prices of sheep and cattle, as well as the price of rent and properties
Capturing the full value of dietitian skills
No full textA recent study investigated the experiences of dietitians working in Nova Scotia across a range of settings during the Covid-19 epidemic, with important implications for current practice. Study participants provided insights into how employers can optimize dietitians’ diverse skill sets and how educators can evolve their curricula to better equip tomorrow’s professionals for a changing landscape. This fact sheet highlights key findings and recommendations for employers, educators and dietitians.This summary draws on research supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
Law, land, and legitimacy : Indigenous resistance in colonial Canada
Get PDFThis thesis examines the persistent challenges Indigenous peoples face in achieving self-determination and self-government within Canada’s legal and political framework, despite formal recognition of Indigenous rights. It asks two central questions: what limitations within conventional politics and existing legal structures inhibit Indigenous peoples from realizing meaningful political change? And given these limitations, have certain cases of civil disobedience been effective in producing policy or legal outcomes when analyzed through a theoretical framework inspired by John Borrows? The thesis argues that while Indigenous rights have been acknowledged in legislation like section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, and policies like the Inherent Right Policy, these frameworks still operate within a colonial structure that prioritizes crown sovereignty and sets double standards for Indigenous peoples. As a result, Indigenous communities increasingly turn to protest and civil disobedience as a means of advocating for change. Using a Borrows-inspired framework which evaluates protest success based on legitimacy, public support, use of Indigenous legal traditions, policy or legal outcomes, and long-term impact, this thesis analyses the Wet’suwet’en resistance in BC and the Bay of Quinte Mohawk resistance in Ontario. By assessing the effectiveness of these movements, this research highlights how civil disobedience is both a necessary and strategic tool for Indigenous advocacy, since the states will to act is almost always contingent on the effective Indigenous use of legal and political resources, and especially resistance in the form of political activism, including civil disobedience. The findings of this thesis contribute to broader discussions on reconciliation, legal pluralism, and the future of Indigenous-Crown relations in Canada. It also emphasizes the need for reforms that reject the colonial foundations that Canada’s policy and legislation are predicated on—band governments still operate within the confines of the Indian Act—in favor of changes that place Indigenous people in control of their own affairs and reduce power asymmetries at negotiation tables
Whose land, whose voice? Indigenous rights and the corporate pursuit of a social license in the Ring of Fire
Get PDFThis thesis investigates the complexities surrounding the pursuit of a social license to operate (SLO) by mining companies in Canada's Ring of Fire region, particularly in the context of Indigenous relations and environmental stewardship. Through a content analysis methodology focusing on news articles, media reports, and public documents, the research critically examines corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts and evaluates how these initiatives align with Indigenous communities' expectations and legal frameworks such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and Canada's constitutional duty to consult. Findings reveal significant gaps between industry actions and community expectations, highlighting the challenges companies face in achieving meaningful engagement and genuine reconciliation. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that despite notable CSR investments and government incentives, the lack of true participatory processes and informed consent continues to impede sustainable development and community acceptance in the Ring of Fire. The research underscores the necessity of transitioning from transactional interactions to authentic partnerships to secure lasting social licenses
Cold tolerance biochemistry of ticks that carry lyme disease
Get PDFThe black legged tick, Ixodes scapularis, is the primary carrier of Borrelia burgdorferi - the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Previous research has shown that black legged ticks infected with B. burgdorferi exhibit higher survival after winter conditions. This thesis research aims to determine which mechanisms are underlying this enhanced ability of infected I. scapularis to survive winter. Many organisms survive winter due to enhanced cold tolerance, which can be supported by the accumulation of small molecules known as cryoprotectants. Cryoprotectants include polyols (e.g., glycerol), small sugars (e.g., trehalose), and some amino acids (e.g., proline). I hypothesized that cryoprotectant concentrations would be higher in infected ticks compared to noninfected ticks; that fall-collected ticks will have higher cryoprotectant concentrations than those collected in the spring; and that as cryoprotectant concentration increases, the temperature at which ice begins to form (supercooling point) will decrease. To test these hypotheses, I collected I. scapularis in spring 2023 and fall 2023/2024 in Wolfville Nova Scotia, but there were delays in processing fall-collected ticks. Infected spring-collected ticks did not have higher proline, myo-inositol, glucose or glycerol compared to uninfected ticks. Trehalose concentrations were undetectable in all spring-collected samples. Male spring-collected ticks had a higher concentration of glycerol compared to female ticks regardless of infection status. Additionally, there appeared to be no relationship between cryoprotectant concentration and supercooling point in spring-collected ticks. Future work with the fall-collected ticks may improve our understanding of the ticks’ overwintering mechanisms, with implications for the spread of Lyme disease in Atlantic Canada
Gold-nanoclusters (AuNC) based bioconjugates for improved allergen specific immunotherapy
No full textIn recent decades, gold nanocluster (AuNC)-based bioconjugates have gained substantial interest in biomedical research due to their ability to conjugate with diverse biomolecules, particularly proteins. Their well-established fluorescent activity has facilitated applications in bioimaging and biosensing. During AuNC synthesis, proteins serving as ligands undergo structural modifications as Au-S bonds form with cysteine residues. However, the implications of these structural perturbations for therapeutic applications, particularly in relation to allergenicity, remain largely unexplored. This study aims to evaluate the potential of AuNC-conjugated peanut (Ara h 2 and A1Pro) and egg (Gal d 4) allergens for allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) application.
To achieve this, peanut allergens will be expressed using E. coli and purified after, while the egg allergen will be commercially obtained for AuNC conjugation. Characterization of these biomaterials, especially, the protein structural changes upon AuNC formation will be assessed using various spectroscopic techniques and compared to their non-conjugated counterpart or native allergenic protein. Allergenicity will be examined through antibody binding assays, and complemented by studies on biocompatibility, stability, and proteolysis resistance to determine their feasibility for AIT applications