Acadia Scholar
Not a member yet
4433 research outputs found
Sort by
Microcredit and its impact on developing areas
No full textMicrocredit became one of the most prominent tools for poverty elimination in the 1990s. However, there are doubts as to whether microcredit can really generate positive effects in developing regions. This thesis is an
extension of the meta-analysis examining this question from Chliova et al. (2015). By synthesizing 59 quantitative findings, this research uses regression analysis to find whether research conditions affect the effect size of microcredit interventions in developing areas. My results show that higher corruption levels, lower economic status, rural areas and microcredit organizations operating without the support of government are associated with larger effect sizes in developing areas. Microcredit generally has greater effect in more challenging conditions
Combating climate change: a need for a just transition
No full textIn a world where the effects of climate change have become more prevalent, especially for people who are already vulnerable to the massive inequities in the world, climate change makes all those inequities worse. It is for this reason that any solutions to combat climate change must look to address these harms that climate change will worsen. The Green New Deal (GND), which was proposed as a resolution in the United States government has sought go after climate change from all angles, and this includes addressing the inequities that are prevalent in the United States. The GND proposes and calls for a 'just transition', but what is that? This thesis examines this question and looks at what it means to call for a just transition and its implications. Through a theoretical reading of justice and transition as they are discussed with environmental justice, climate justice, and transitional justice, a definition of a just transition be comes clearer. Within this discussion, is the use of language and the power and the impact of defining such things, like a just transition can have. This thesis will argue that a just transition is not singular, nor should it be defined by a strict definition of what it is or what it is not, as this depends on who's just transition it is. A just transition is about action,
specifically grassroots action. It should be looked at and driven through those who are most vulnerable, or risk leaving people behind
A study on the unequal probability sampling scheme and its application
No full textSampling is an indispensable part of statistics. It helps us to study the characteristics of the whole target population without investigating every individual of the population, which largely economizes time and cost and enhances efficiency. Various sampling strategies have raised in the past decades. The development and a brief explanation of the types of sampling schemes are provided in Chapter 1. Our study targets unequal probability sampling without replacement with fixed sample size. Five popular sampling schemes, including Poisson sampling, conditional Poisson sampling, Tille's sampling, Sampford's sampling and systematic sampling are introduced in Chapter 4, as well as a new sequential sampling scheme (Lu's method). In Chapter 3, comparisons between conditional Poisson sampling, Lu's method, Tille's Method and Sampford's sampling with different data sets are made in terms of different variance estimators and entropy. It is shown that Lu's method is a reliable and competitive sampling scheme. Chapter 4 applies Lu's method, conditional Poisson sampling, Poisson sampling and systematic sampling to a real-world problem and compares the performance of those methods. A comprehensive summary and a conclusion are presented in Chapter 5.</p
A performative theory of anarchism: doing direct action with Judith Butler, John Holloway and Ursula K. LeGuin
No full textAnarchism is often referred to as a reaction to and against the State. Seldom is it regarded as an expressive and localized form of politics within the micropolitics of communities. This thesis offers an alternative understanding of anarchism that proposes that anarchist principles and direct actionism hold the capacity to shape alternative ideas surrounding anarchist thought today . It explores the question: how can anarchism be understood as a performative theory of action located in the intimacies of the here and now? Beginning with a review of nearly two hundred years of anarchist thought, this thesis explores how anarchism may be theorized as a performative process. Through the works of Judith Butler, John Holloway and Ursula K. Le Guin's science fiction novel The Dispossessed, the thesis proposes that anarchism can be read as a performative process of 'doing;' constantly subverting norms and space to create liveable conditions on a micropolitical scale
Snailed it: effects of petroleum-based and biodegradable microplastics on tissue structure and fecundity in the Eastern mudsnail Tritia obsoleta
No full textMicroplastics are anthropogenic pollutants that are ubiquitous in marine environments. These minute plastic fragments are often defined as any plastic fragment <5mm, which enter the ocean directly or indirectly. Microplastics have been recorded in a variety of marine habitats such as in deep oceanic trenches, estuarine and coastal bays, and Arctic sea ice. They directly affect marine biota includingplanktonic a lgae, benthic
invertebrates, fish, whales and birds. I used the Eastern mudsnail Tritia obsoleta to study tissue-level changes in digestive tubules following ingestion of microplastics or biodegradable microplastics. Fecundity of T. obsoleta was also analyzed by recording the number of viable embryos per egg capsule following plastic exposure. Plastics were collected from a local beach and ground into microplastic granules and fibers. Polylactic Acid (PLA) was also processed to determine if biodegradable plastics elicit similar effects on tissues as do non-bio plastics. Plastics were added to the biofilm diet of T. obsoleta in concentrations representative of those found in estuarine environments, including control (no plastic), low exposure (5 particles/kg sediment), and high exposure (150 particles/kg sediment), and also an extreme level (5,000 particles/kg), which more closely emulates concentrations used in other studies. After a one-month exposure, hepatopancreas histology was compared using PAS-AB, Gomori's One-Step Trichrome, and Hematoxylin and Eosin, as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fecundity was decreased in the extreme groups relative to field samples. Additionally, significant differences were detected in the number of mature and
immature hemocytes in snails exposed to high and extreme levels, and a significant decrease in height of digestive cells occurred at high and extreme concentrations. This study suggests that high concentrations of
microplastics in surface sediments affect the structure of the digestive tubules, fecundity, and the number of hemocytes in this highly abundant estuarine species
Native fish populations in Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site in response to the introduction of the invasive Chain pickerel Esox niger Lesueur, 1818
No full textEsox niger Lesueur, 1818, commonly known as Chain pickerel, is an understudied species that has recently invaded most of the freshwater ecosystem of Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site (hereafter Kejimkujik) . Based on local knowledge it is hypothesised that the introduction of this predator will cause a dramatic decline in the abundance of all other aquatic species currently living in freshwater lakes and rivers. Monitoring of native species was an important step to allow for further understanding of how Chain pickerel affect native species after introduction. Alaska Fish Traps were mainly used during monitoring, angling and electrofishing were also used to capture Chain pickerel. Chain pickerel were found to be the largest, or nearly so, of all fish species in Kejimkujik. Chain pickerel are likely the reason for declines in abundances of many fish species, and a decrease in abundances of smaller individual fish
Sex and sport differences in hip and knee mechanics during single and double leg drop jump landings: relevance to non-contact ACL injuries
No full textThe anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a primary stabilizer of the human knee. Injuries to this ligament are typically the result of decelerating movements such as sudden change in direction or landing from a jump.
Injury to this ligament is common among athletes, especially those competing in multidirectional, team sports. Rupture to the ACL typically results in costly surgical reconstruction and a lengthy rehabilitation. Additionally, athletes who sustain ACL injuries are at an increased risk for reinjury and premature osteoarthritis development. Roughly 70% of ACL injuries occur from non-contact mechanisms and female athletes are at a 2 to 8 times greater risk of injury than their male athlete counterparts post puberty. Biomechanical differences are known to exist between athletes of various sport backgrounds, however, to date there are no studies that have examined biomechanical differences across groups of athletes from different sport backgrounds. The purpose of this study was two-fold. Firstly, this study aimed to determine whether athletes from different sport backgrounds (field or court) have altered biomechanics when performing both the single and double leg drop jump tasks. Secondly, this study aimed to identify biomechanical differences of the lower extremity between male and female athletes during the drop jump tasks. The hypotheses for the current study were: a) field and court sport athletes would not differ biomechanically; b)female athletes would demonstrate lower levels of hip and knee flexion, as well as increased knee abduction angles compared to male athletes; c)female athletes would have greater knee extension moments during landing; d) female athletes would demonstrate greater frontal plane knee excursions compared to males. A total of 98 athletes aged 12-28 who were involved in cutting and jumping sports participated in the current study. Participants were divided into four groups based on sex and sport background (field or court): field female (n=27, age=18.0±2.7 years); court female (n=29, age=17.9±3.0 years); field male (n=27, age=18.0± 3.0 years); court male (n=15, age=18. 1±4.3 years). A 12-camera motion capture system and three force plates were used to capture joint angles and moments of the hip and knee as well as frontal plane knee excursion distance during both a double and single leg drop jump protocol. Two-way ANOVAs (p<0.05) were performed on joint angles, moments and frontal plane knee excursion to test for a sex (male vs. female), sport (field vs. court), or interaction effect. Bonferroni corrected pairwise comparisons were performed if any interaction effects were found. Results showed that male athletes exhibited greater internal knee extension moments than their female counterparts during both single and double leg drop jumps. No significant differences were observed for either flexion or adduction angles of the hip and knee based on sex. Additionally, field sport athletes demonstrated increased hip and knee flexion angles during both the single and double leg landing task. Court sport athletes demonstrated greater knee frontal plane excursion than their field sport counterparts. These
differences suggest that sport background influences biomechanics during single and double leg drop jump tasks which could potentially affect ACL injury risk of these groups. The results of this study expanded on the knowledge regarding biomechanical differences between male and female athletes that could predispose females to ACL injury. Furthermore, previously unknown kinematic differences in drop jump landing strategies between field and court sport athletes were identified
The world beyond the "Brochure": international students and the multicultural branding of Acadia University
No full textThe purpose of this research is to expose the shortcomings of multiculturalism as a branding tool for the purpose of international student recruitment. In this research, I use semi-structured interviews to center the voices of international students. I examine if these students' perceptions of Canada and Acadia as multicultural spaces match their lived experiences. My findings suggest that international students at Acadia University lack adequate support and struggle with feelings of non-belonging. General student services routinely neglect international students. Moreover, despite consistent tuition increases, adequate resources have not been allocated to international student services. In conclusion, multiculturalism is a misleading branding tool that does not reflect the reality of student life at Acadia
The role of presentation time, colour and facial gender in emotion recognition
No full textMany cues mediate how facial expressions convey emotional state; one such cue is colour. The current study examined colour-emotion relationships using a forced choice task in which participants identified emotions displayed by angry, sad, or neutral faces valenced by red, blue, or neutral backgrounds. As emotion processing occurs hierarchically, the study examined how varying presentation time (50, 100 or 200 ms) impacted identification. Regardless of time, it was predicted that emotionally congruent pairings (red-angry, sad-blue) would be identified more accurately than neutral or incongruent pairings, and neutral faces would be identified as the emotion with which their background colour was affectively linked. It was predicted that responses would vary by duration. Results highlighted the varying strengths of colour-emotion pairings as well as an unexpected relationship with facial gender. No effect of presentation time was observed
Synthesis of novel heteropolycyclic systems via mannich reaction
No full textHeterocycles are known for their use in agricultural industries,and drug design in the pharmaceutical industry. They can be found in nature in structures such as coenzymes and vitamins. They have also been
used as antioxidants. It is imperative to design novel heterocyclic systems in short synthetic pathways to minimize time and costs, but also to maximize efficiency in the synthetic scheme.The purpose of this research is to design a synthesis for a heterocyclic system, which allows for multiple bond formation in a single step. By rational design, analogues of a tetracyclic framework were investigated that employ Mannich reaction on 2-naphthols with t-butyl carbamate, deprotection of the carbamate group, followed by one-pot N/O-acetal and amide formation reactions with a keto-acid. Seven heterocyclic analogues were synthesized with the same bearing tetra/pentacyclic framework, by varying the phenol, aldehyde and keto-acid. The novel analogues were purified using column chromatography and methanol washes. NMR
spectroscopy and HRMS were used for characterization