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Polemics as disruption: appropriation and transformation of the manifesto by Nicole Brossard and Sina Queyras
No full textIn my Master's thesis I provide a genealogy of the manifesto beginning at the outset of the twentieth century as a way to foreground my examination of lesbian and queer polemics. The genre of the manifesto is polemical through the way the writers declare their political views, which they do by both contending against another individual or party and by proclaiming their stance for revolution and change. For my discussion, I argue that Nicole Brossard's French Kiss (1974) and Sina Queyras's My Ariel (2017) appropriate the affect of the manifesto in order to disrupt traditional and heteronormative narrative forms that resist a historically situated dominant culture. Each text deploys political resistance by using narrative and visual fragmentation to create a counterdiscourse of gender and sexual disruption. Thus, by appropriating the affect from the genre of the manifesto, Brossard and Queyras disrupt the very stability of oppressive forms of narratives built upon heteronormative phallocentric traditions
Investigating chemoreception and behavioural responses of Tetranychus urticae Koch to naturally based repellents and acaricides
No full textTetranychus urticae Koch (the two-spotted spider mite) is an agricultural pest with a host range of over 1100 species of plants. Tetranychus urticae has rapidly developed resistance to a variety of synthetic chemical pesticides due to its high fecundity and short generation time. Plant essential oils have been recognized as a novel natural source of pest control that have a reduced impact to the environment and human health from synthetic pesticides, and which may provide a viable alternative for managing T. urticae. The present study investigates the potential of natural-based products as repellents and miticides. A novel electrophysiological approach was developed to record the electrophysiological response from T. urticae. Additionally, a novel two-choice behavioural assay was designed to determine if T. urticae is attracted or repelled by various
compounds. Both electrotarsograms and behavioural assays were used to identify compounds detected by T. urticae. Using Gas Chromatogram-Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID) linked to electrotarsographic detection (GC-ETD), it was determined that T. urticae is sensitive to eucalyptol, thymol, and linalool, which are terpenoids commonly found in essential oil mixtures from many plant species. In addition, the study screened volatile organic compounds with different functional groups and found that T. urticae is sensitive to a series of carboxylic acids and a series of aldehydes which are typically detected by ionotropic receptors. By conducting two-choice behavioural assays, it was determined that T. urticae is repelled by many essential oil mixtures, carboxylic acids, and aldehydes. To further identify compounds of behavioral relevance for T. urticae, collections of volatiles from mites were made using thermal desorption linked with GC-MS analysis. Finally, the project investigated alternative uses and potential non-target impacts of novel commercial product (product 102) for acaricide use. Product 102 was tested as a potential fungicide against Botrytis cinerea Persoon and Cladosporium herbarum Persoon. To investigate potential non-target impacts, acute contact toxicity tests were conducted using 102 on Bombus impatiens Cresson
Democracy and nationalism: a Habermasian examination of the role of nationalism in western liberal democracy
No full textThis thesis looks at the role that nationalism ought to perform in Western liberal democracies, given the increasingly expanding pluralisation of Western societies. This thesis looks at the nexus of public culture shared between nationalism studies and deliberative democratic theory to create a normative foundation to evaluate and critique Habermasian theory on efforts to transition to postnational democracy. To do this, this thesis considers literature of the two fields and how they benefit one another in an assessment of Habermasian theory through a normative approach. I argue that the historiographical-descriptive approach of national studies benefits the prescriptive approach of deliberative democratic theory by offering an objective macro-level understanding of the 'when' and 'where' nations can come to exist and by what universalist criteria a nationalism doctrine can be considered. Nationalism is understood to be a form of cultural and educational reproduction of the nation's history, myth, traditions and values. I further argue that the deliberative-prescriptive approach offers a normative ideological movement to fill in the normative gaps of historiographical nationalism, such that it offers the micro-level understanding of the 'how' and 'why' legitimacy can be obtained and how the public sphere acts to self-contain unwanted normative behavior. Adopting this descriptive-prescriptive methodology, I evaluate Jürgen Habermas' assemblage of sociocultural, legal, and political
theories designed to further his efforts to restructure society according to the ideal of communicative rationality. I argue that Habermas is unable to escape the historical link between prepolitical origins that embed national consciousness into the modern state despite attempting to argue for a purely voluntarist civic constitutional state. Consequently, I make a positive argument for nationalism using Habermasian lifeworld theory. Both lifeworld theory and nationalism are informed by the cultural and educational reproduction of symbolic bonds, and both offer a homogenizing force that allows for social integration within multicultural societies.
By combining the normative elements of Habermasian theory with the explanatory elements of nationalism, I argue that nationalism and national consciousness is a solution to, not a problem of, fragmentation and instability in Western liberal democracies
Striped bass biology: diets and gonad development
No full textStriped Bass Morone saxatilis is a native species in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, but its northern range expanded into southern Labrador in 2017. Thus, understanding reproduction and Striped Bass diets will help us better understand potential effects of its expansion. The current study conducted and compared traditional gut content analyses to molecular diet analyses to characterize the interactions between Striped Bass and target prey species including Arctic Char Salvelinus alpinus, Atlantic Cod Gadus morhua, Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar, Capelin Mallotus villosus, gaspereau Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus and Blueback Herring Alosa aestivalis, American lobster Homarus americanus, and Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax in Minas Basin and southern Labrador. Further, we also explored the Striped Bass reproductive biology through the gonadosomatic index (GSI), hepatosomatic index (HSI) and histological sectioning with Striped Bass gonads to describe stages of gonad development. Striped Bass showed spatial preference for targeting prey items. The traditional diets show that Striped Bass primarily feed on Sand Shrimp (28.2 %) in Minas Basin and on Capelin (59.1 %) in Labrador. The molecular results showed no Atlantic Salmon in Striped Bass stomachs in either site, and Arctic Char were only found in Labrador Striped Bass diets. Atlantic Cod, a commercially important and at-risk species, was detected in Minas Basin (52.9 %) and Labrador (71 %) samples.
For gonad development, female GSI started to decline in early May and in males declined in late May. The highest GSI was 16.68 % for females and 14.05 % for males. Female and male GSI remained at a low level throughout summer. Gonads of both sexes increased in size and GSI during the fall until mid-November with female GSI showing a faster increasing rate of GSI than males. Gonadal sectioning showed six stages of oogenesis and four spermatogenesis stages in Striped Bass collected from Minas Basin. Stage V and Stage VI oocytes were found in abundance in mid-May, Stage-II cells were found in high proportions from post-spawning to July, and Stage-IV cells were first observed in summer. The spawning period is outlined by a drop in GSI and a high proportion of Stage II oocytes. Striped Bass spawning period in the current study was about from 17 May to 17 June. Pre-spawning samples had the highest HSI. HSI and GSI showed similar patterns over the sampling period. The current study was the first to explore Striped Bass diets in Labrador and Minas Basin and the first to identify Striped Bass gametogenesis seasonal changes in Minas Basin
Exploring the financial literacy of Chama women's groups in rural Kenya
No full textThe pooling of resources by organized groups is widely practiced in Kenya and is popularly known as Chama. These groups often exist to provide savings, to meet basic needs and for investment to support livelihoods. This phenomenon involves the organised collection of money from members, the development of lending processes, and extending loans to members, usually in a merry-go-round way. The lending and repayment of pooled money continues until each member has received and repaid the loan within the agreed cycle.
This study is an exploration of Chama, a Swahili word meaning group, in Kenya. The study examined the financial literacy of women engaged in one Chama in rural Kisii, Kenya. The study adopted an Africana womanism perspective and critical participatory action research (CPAR) method. A background and demographic questionnaire were used to situate and plan the study. Through individual and group sessions we held conversations, and collective self-reflections in a kitchen table setting with six Chama women. We did this to draw out the under-represented experiences of co-participants' financial literacy and the beliefs and values that influence practice with the aim of drawing upon the values and methods to facilitate learning. Hudson-Weems's Africana womanism, Ubuntu philosophy and critical participatory action research methodology informed the analysis and found the financial literacy interwoven in the women's identity, social relations, and knowledge of the local environment. Even though there were areas of inconsistency between the Chama women's practices of financial literacy and Western understandings of financial literacy, there were areas of conformity as well. Areas of conformity included methods, such as learning through others, and through activities. The methods included characteristics associated with community engagement, centering learning, and discovery learning
Familiar, yet new: ethnohermeneutic and andragogical principles derived from a North American Indigenous context and applied to Bible study design and delivery
No full textThe author's ministry with NorthWind Family Ministries (NFM) involves leading Bible studies with interested participants. Of these, Indigenous people who live in Thunder Bay, but come from a variety of Northwestern Ontario communities, comprise the majority. As this thesis illustrates, Indigenous epistemologies differ considerably from European epistemologies. Indigenous epistemologies enable the author to design and deliver Bible studies with familiar learning principles, increasing the students' ability to understand, retain, and enjoy the learning experience.
Ethnohermeneutic study, interpreting a biblical text applied to a third horizon, provides a good framework for this quest. The author uses mostly Indigenous-authored cultural, educational, historical, and ministry material to gain a comprehensive picture of North American First Nations worldviews and cultures, applying it to understanding the First Nations people in Northwestern Ontario, and drawing out learning principles for effective teaching. Andragogical concepts align well with Indigenous epistemologies, helping clarify the specific principles.
These learning principles, labeled content and format, are delineated individually and tested with NFM participants. Their feedback indicates a sense of satisfaction and going back to their roots in learning. They said this way of learning was familiar, yet new at the same time.
The study concludes that understanding is best achieved by using characteristics of each group's own culture. Involvement in the learning process fits the culture's epistemology and aids in remembering the learned content. Bible studies, designed and delivered using ethnohermeneutic and andragogical concepts, framed within a North American Indigenous learning context, were expressed as meaningful for the life experience of the Ojibwe, Cree, and OjiCree people of NFM
Does cannabis reduce anxiety by activating approach motivation?: an exploration of potential anxiolytic effects of cannabis that are independent of the drug itself
No full textCannabis users report reduced anxiety from cannabis use. Two studies sought to test if merely thinking about cannabis would reduce anxiety by activating approach motivation. Participants were 480 (Study 1) and 551 (Study 2) people living in Canada or the United States who completed the study materials online. Both studies examined the effect of cannabis reward cuing versus wealth reward and non-reward (neutral) cuing on anxiety. Both studies examined moderating effects of punishment sensitivity (BIS) and cannabis worldview investment (CWI), and the mediating role of reward-approach motivation. Study 1 showed that cannabis (vs.
neutral) cuing reduced self-reported anxiety, but only among participants high in punishment sensitivity. Contrary to hypotheses, reward-approach mechanisms were not responsible for this effect. Rather, heightened approach motivation was found to increase anxiety rather than reduce it. Study 2 aimed to manipulate anxiety but found no effect. However, the pattern observed in Study 1 was fully replicated. Implications for understanding the role of approach motivation in anxiety-related processes related to cannabis use are discussed
Exploring the impacts of a feminist mentorship program on undergraduate students and their communities
No full textThere have been many critiques of traditional mentorship models, which have often been found in patriarchal, and neoliberal contexts. Using a feminist mentorship framework is one method for addressing the concerns associated with these other frameworks of mentoring, such as traditional models of mentorship and relational models of mentorship. However, little empirical research has been done to assess the impacts of a feminist mentorship framework.
This study examines a feminist mentorship program that was implemented within a department at a small undergraduate university in Atlantic Canada. The purpose of this study was to (1) move beyond theorization about the impacts of the mentorship program by studying a feminist mentorship program that had been put into practice, (2) examine the impacts, both positive and negative, that a feminist mentorship program had on program participants, and (3) look at the impacts that a feminist mentorship program has on the surrounding communities.
A combination of surveys and focus groups were used to collect data. The results indicate that this mentorship program influenced participants on an academic, relational and personal level. While impacts were mostly positive, some participants did report negative impacts, such as added stress. Additionally, although impacts on the surrounding community were reportedly minimal, participants did hypothesis that once this mentorship becomes more established, there would be more potential for community impacts. This study found that using a Feminist Mentorship Framework has the capacity to add value to the experiences of students. Program modifications and future possibilities to explore are discussed
Exploring the sensory characteristics of a yellow pea flour and chicken meat analogue burger
No full textInnovative food products are needed to increase consumption of pulses and to help reduce the consumption of animal proteins, especially as there is a growing number of consumers who are trying to reduce their meat consumption. A meat analogue (combines animal and plant proteins) is a food product that has gained recent popularity. Meat analogues also aim to imitate the functionality, nutrient composition, and sensory characteristics of a meat product. The objective of this study was to determine if a meat analogue, made from chicken and yellow pea flour, is acceptable to consumers, as well as to determine the sensory attributes consumers perceive in the meat analogues. Yellow pea flour was added to the chicken at 0% (control), 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%. A sensory trial asked participants (n=69) to evaluate the burgers using nine-point hedonic scales and check-all-that-apply methodology. The addition of the yellow pea decreased the liking of the burgers, except for the 10% pea flour meat analogue. The attributes juicy, moist, meaty, salty, and soft increased consumers' liking of the burgers; however, those made with 30% and 40% pea flour were associated with off-flavours (dry and beany) and decreased consumers' liking. This study identified that the addition of yellow pea flour to chicken burgers is only acceptable to consumers in small quantities (10%). Future research should be done to investigate the sensory properties and consumer acceptability of other pulses utilized in meat analogues
A survey on vision based action recognition in machine learning
No full textAction recognition is a field derived from the rapid development of computer vision, which is a field within machine learning. Computer vision refers to the use of computers to extract data from images, videos, or other visual inputs, and the ability to analyze and organize them. The ability to recognize objects within a picture is a typical example of computer vision. For example, Flower Recognition is software developed by Microsoft to identify different types of flowers within a photograph, and action recognition does the same thing as the flower recognition software, extracting the action of a person in a video and identifying the type of that action. Action recognition consists of two main steps, extracting action features and classifying the action. This paper will focus on the two steps that make up action recognition, as well as common action recognition applications, datasets, and the challenges faced