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Examining the effect of orthography on auditory sentence processing using event-related brain potentials
No full textThe present study examined the influence of orthography on auditory sentence processing using event-related brain potentials (ERPs). Participants (N = 12) were presented with auditory sentences in which a target word was embedded within the sentence frame. Target words from the Correct condition formed fully congruent sentences (e.g., The woman's jacket was made of tweed and was decorated with flowers). However, target words from any of the remaining conditions formed semantically illogical sentences that varied in their phonological (P) and/or orthographic (O) relationship to the expected (i.e., Correct) word. Incorrect target words were either phonologically and orthographically similar to the expected word (P+O+; e.g., The woman's jacket was made of greed and was decorated with flowers); phonologically similar but orthographically dissimilar (P+O-; e.g., The woman's jacket was made of plead and was decorated with flowers), or phonologically and orthographically unrelated to the expected word (P-O-/Unrelated; e.g., The merchant would hand spin bench to sell at the market). The current study found no significant difference between the N400 response of the P+O- and Unrelated conditions (no pure phonological effect), and no significant difference between the N400 response of the P+O+ and P+O- conditions (no pure orthographic effect). It is entirely possible that orthographic effects were minimized or diminished by the increased demand for phonological processing that is associated with sentence comprehension
Does somatosensory feedback play a role in speech production?
No full textWhat role does somatosensory feedback play in speech? The study used real-time manipulations of speech production to examine how somatosensory feedback interacts with auditory feedback during speech. Thirty native English speakers with normal hearing and speech completed a word production task in which the sound of their speech was altered to drive sensorimotor adaptation in speech production. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. Both conditions required participants to produce speech overtly and silently and to experience altered auditory feedback during overt speech production. Participants in condition one completed a block of silent articulation after altered auditory feedback. Participants in condition two waited silently for six minutes after altered auditory feedback. A noise-masked word production task measured the amount of compensation (sensorimotor adaptation) for altered auditory feedback following this manipulation. We hypothesized that participants would adapt their speech to altered auditory feedback. However, participants in condition one would show decreased adaptation because of silent articulation compared to participants in condition two. As predicted, participants showed less compensation for altered auditory feedback after silent articulation. We propose that this decrease in compensation was driven by somatosensory error detected during
silent articulation. Our research demonstrates that there is a trade-off between auditory and somatosensory feedback during speech and that somatosensory feedback plays an important role in the maintenance of accurate speech
Big and bulky Vs. tall and lean: enforced heteronormativity in varsity sports at Acadia University
No full textSports make up an important part of everyday culture, affecting the lives of many while having great influence over social values and norms (Zilcosky and Burks 2019). As a result, organized sports are an area where we can direcly see gender performed and regulated due to the public nature and popularity of organized sports (Delaney and Madigan 2015). This thesis argues that varsity sports directly influence traditional masculinity and femininity of athletes at Acadia University through physical and emotional regulation, directly affecting athletes' sense of self. All Acadia University coaches were provided with a survey link to send to their athletes. The survey included ten single choice questions and ten short answer questions asking athletes about their relationship with sports and societal physical expectations, emotional expectations, and about their general views on gender within sports as a whole. This survey found that both female and male athletes at Acadia University engaged with traditional gender expectations through physical and emotional regulation of themselves and their peers. Due to the small sample size, we cannot determine whether or not organized sports directly enforces traditional gender norms among varsity athletes at Acadia University; however, we can conclude that traditional gender is practiced and enforced through players' self-regulations
The case for care: envisioning an ethic of care for journalism in the context of the Dobbs v. Jackson leak
No full textQuality journalism is an essential part of democratic function. To best protect and promote democratic values and overall well-being within society there must be a robust field of journalism which is responsible, competent, attentive, and responsive. Given this importance, this project aims to consider how care ethics can be applied to the field of journalism. Drawing on theorists whose work has been significant to the development of the literature of care ethics, as well as scholars who have contributed to the discussion surrounding the application of care ethics to a political media landscape, a framework for caring journalism is suggested. Once the framework for caring journalism has been developed, it is then applied within the context of the coverage of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization leak in May of 2022. Articles published in the period immediately following the leak are considered through the identified stages of care. Issues of reproductive justice are a notable example of how the political and the personal interact, and how that impacts vulnerable people. This provides insight into how care may be expressed in practice, particularly when dealing with an issue that intersects with the most intimate aspects of life. This research shows the importance of incorporating an ethical practice of care into the process of journalism. In applying an intentional and thoughtful practice of care it is possible to strengthen the connections between journalists and their sources and audience, improve conditions for democratic discourse, and further well-being within society
Alterations in balance: an acute low-load high-repetition resistance exercise protocol in older women
No full textSarcopenia is the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass, quality, and strength with advanced aging, and disproportionality effects post-menopausal women. In the United States alone, health care costs associated with sarcopenia totalled as high as $18.5 billion (USD) per year. Sarcopenia is associated with several negative psychological and physical health effects, with chronic resistance exercise being
prescribed as the main non-pharmacological means by which to mitigate its effects. Additionally, with its hypertrophic effects, gains in knee extensor strength, prolonged muscle protein synthesis response, and tolerability to the older adult population, low-load high-repetition resistance exercise is becoming more common. It is therefore pertinent to understand the acute effects of a single bout of exercise under such conditions. Any transient decrements in physical functioning, such as reductions in strength and power of the lower body and gait alterations can increase the potential risk of falls in older adults, affecting their ability to successfully perform activities of daily living. This study sought to determine leg extensor torque, power production, walking kinetics, and standing balance in the three days following a low-load
high-repetition lower body resistance exercise protocol in older women 65+ years. The exercise protocol consisted of three sets of leg press and leg extension at 30% of 1RM until failure. Leg extensor
dynamometry (maximum voluntary contractions and isotonic contractions) assessed strength and power. Standing balance was measured using center of pressure velocity and walking measures of balance were recorded using step length and step width. No significant diminishments in strength or power were observed. Changes in center of pressure velocity (P <0.001) and step length and width (P <0.001) were
statistically significant 24 h post exercise. It was observed that older women experienced reductions in standing and walking balance 24 h post low-load high-repetition resistance exercise, which may
potentially increase risk of falls and negatively affect habitual activities
Immune responses elicited by mosquitoes, Culex territans, infected with hepatozoon sipedon from the blood of Common Garter snakes
No full textLittle is known about immune responses elicited by mosquitoes that are infected with Hepatozoon species. Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a typical immune response of mosquitoes against other apicomplexan parasites, including the causative agents of human malaria, and against Hepatozoon species acquired from the blood of frogs. Previous work in our laboratory revealed that oxidative activity increased in the haemocoel of Culex territans mosquitoes that had taken blood meals from snakes with high infections of Hepatozoon sipedon (i.e., parasitaemia of 5%) when compared to uninfected individuals. The objectives of this study, therefore, were to analyze the ROS response elicited by C. territans when infected with light (~0.01% parasitaemia) or moderate (0.1% parasitaemia) infections of H. sipedon from the blood of Common Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis), and to identify if there is a generalized immune response generated by mosquito vectors against infections with Hepatozoon species from different vertebrates. The concentration of peroxide from the dissected midgut and haemocoel of mosquitoes fed on infected snakes was determined using a peroxide assay as a surrogate for oxidative activity. A high concentration of peroxide was observed both in the haemocoel and in the midgut of infected mosquitoes. Oxidative activity was similar in the
midgut of mosquitoes at both infection levels. Combining data from this study with those from previous research in our laboratory revealed a strong if not significant trend for a higher concentration of peroxide as infection level increased. These findings from the haemocoel of C. territans are similar to previous work on Hepatozoon species of frogs, indicating the importance of this type of immune esponse against parasites moving through the haemocoel en route to their location of further development
Helping students help themselves: identifying factors for success in a multidimensional wellness program
No full textMental health is a key element to well-being, yet it is something that many university students struggle with throughout their years of study. eHealth programs that focus on increasing well-being and improving healthy lifestyle factors have been identified as a possible preventative solution to these challenges. It has been noted that eHealth supports could be used to reach larger demographics of individuals, including those who are not as likely to engage with mental health support. However, eHealth programs are not always designed to take these unique differences into account. The first study looked to determine the impact of the Q-Life eHealth wellness program on university students' well-being and resilience and identify factors relating to its effectiveness. The purpose of the second study was to understand the characteristics of those who engaged with the Console e-Health Platform (that includes the Q-life program). Results from the first study showed that the Q-Life was effective in increasing well-being (9.6%), resilience (9.0%), and almost all lifestyle behaviours. Female (78% at time 2) and Caucasian identifying individuals (93.4% at time 2) made up the majority of the sample. The second study
found almost 1000 individuals provided consent to research, with the majority of the sample being female (64%). Averaged lifestyle behaviours indicated that students do not meet healthy behaviour guidelines. These findings highlight that the Q-Life is an effective strategy for decreasing the risk of students experiencing mental health challenges; however, it is important for the Q-Life program and the Console platform to continue to tailor their services to reach a larger breadth of individuals. The lack of a control group is the primary limitation with this work, and it is suggested that future research determine ways to increase uptake and maintain utilization from those who are less likely to seek out mental health support
The moderating effect of caregiver sensitivity on the relationships between attachment styles, resilience, loneliness, and sense of self in adulthood
No full textThis study explored the relationship between attachment style, loneliness, resilience, and non-self. Recollected caregiver sensitivity was investigated as a moderator, consistent with the Integrated Neural Representation of Self Theory. The sample consisted of 240 Canadian and American participants, who answered survey questions through MTurk pertaining to the variables of interest, including a newly developed non-self questionnaire. Data were analysed using bivariate correlations and hierarchical multiple regressions. Resilience and loneliness were thought to be negatively correlated, while attachment security and caregiver sensitivity were thought to be positively correlated, both of which were supported by the current findings. Hypotheses regarding non-self were mostly supported, whereby individuals with high levels of resilience and low levels of loneliness had a low sense of non-self. For those with low levels of resilience and high levels of loneliness, a high sense of non-self was reported. Multiple regression analyses examined the role of attachment styles and caregiver sensitivity on the dependent variables. The overall interaction models did not prove significant individually for any outcomes
Effect of relaxin-3 (RLN-3) on brain inflammation of neural regeneration on zebrafish
No full textNeuronal death can arise from acute injury to the brain, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, in part due the activation of the inflammatory response in mammals. Zebrafish (Danio rerio), like other non-mammalian vertebrates, have brief periods of inflammation after brain injury followed by neurogenesis. Relaxin-3 (RLN-3) is a neuropeptide member of the relaxin peptide superfamily. It is highly expressed in both the mammalian and teleost fish brain, and it has conserved anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects in vertebrates. In this study, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) were created in the telencephalic vesicles of anesthetized zebrafish to study the effect of relaxin-3 on acute inflammation and neuronal regenerative abilities. TBI's were introduced by inserting a 33G needle through the left nostril and into the telencephalic vesicle. The uninjured vesicle served as a control. Zebrafish were treated with PBS (control), RLN-3 4.00x10-9 M, or RLN-3 4.00x10-11 M solutions in 1L of ambient water. A decrease in mean L-Plastin immunoreactive cells in the RLN-3 treated TBI hemispheres was observed 2 days post-injury when compared to the control treatment group. PCNA immunoreactive cell counts were higher in the zone of injury in RLN-3 treated TBI hemispheres when compared to the undamaged hemispheres. However, no significant differences were observed in typical neurogenic zones around the telencephalon. These results suggest that relaxin-3 suppresses inflammation in response to a traumatic brain injury and may allow for neural regeneration in the location of damage in zebrafish. These data point towards a potential therapeutic value for relaxin-3 in treating neurological diseases in humans through the suppression of inflammation and recruiting nearby glial cells to the damaged area