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Scene-based visual search in persons with autism spectrum disorder
No full textAttention in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been studied extensively using visual search (VS) tasks. Individuals with ASD have displayed superior VS abilities compared to typically developing (TD) individuals in traditional VS tasks, however mixed results have been gathered from studies that employ more real world-like naturalistic arrays, and to date, few studies have compared social and non-social (i.e., animate and in animate) targets in naturalistic arrays. The current study investigated attention in school-age children with ASD and TD controls, matched for mental age (MA) across groups. Participants ranging in
age from 5-12 years completed a scene-based VS task that included an animate (i.e., dog) or inanimate (i.e., skateboard) cartoon target within life-like cartoon backgrounds. Accuracy and reaction time (RT) were
recorded. Results showed a main effect of target type for RT and accuracy. Both participants with ASD and TD children performed better when searching for the animate target (i.e., dog) than the inanimate target (i.e., skateboard). The results suggest there is intact VS ability in children with ASD, however it is not enhanced when searching naturalistic arrays. These results also support the idea that individuals with ASD possess a social bias of attention, much like TD individuals. Future studies should examine what aspects of scenes lead to better or worse performance on VS tasks
Anti-cancer peptide mastoparan and derivatives kill HCT-116 and HT-29 colon cancer cells by peptide-mediated Lysis
No full textThis study investigates the anti-cancer effects of Mastoparan and its derivatives on the HCT-116 colon cancer cell line in vitro. Anti-cancer peptides are small peptides that exhibit increased toxicity towards cancer cells. Mastoparan is an amidated venom peptide extracted from the wasp species Vespula lewisii. Mastoparan acts as a broad-spectrum anti-cancer peptide that show increased toxicity towards cancer cells compared to normal cells. Four derivatives based on a single amino acid change from the parent peptide have been made: R7, S8W14, W4, G2. The mechanism of killing cancer cells was identified by lactate dehydrogenase assays and scanning electron microscopy. Mastoparan and derivatives had a direct-acting lytic mechanism that caused cell necrosis. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the membranes of Mastoparan-treated cells were substantially more damaged than those of vehicle-treated cells. Significantly more lactate dehydrogenase was released from
Mastoparan-and derivative-treated cells at 25 μM than from vehicle-treated cells, indicating that the cells died by necrosis. The ability of Mastoparan and derivatives to kill three-dimensional tumours was determined using a multi-cellular tumour spheroid model and an acid phosphatase assay. Tumour spheroids were treated with 25 μM Mastoparan or derivatives and acid phosphatase activity was measured after 72 hours. Peptide treated cells had significantly decreased acid phosphatase; notably, spheroid cells treated with derivative W14 had 3.49 ± 0.35% acid phosphatase activity compared to vehicle-treated spheroids at 101.33 ± 1.11%. The present work suggests that Mastoparan and its derivatives demonstrate potential as an anti-cancer therapy for colorectal cancers
A paleolimnological assessment of the impacts of damming on an upland lake in Nova Scotia: focus on strontium as an indicator of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) migration
No full textThe discovery in 2018 of a strontium anomaly in a fluvial lake sediment gravity core taken on the Avon River, Nova Scotia, has led to the hypothesis that strontium may be a proxy for anadromous fish movement into freshwater environments. Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) are an anadromous fish species known to bioaccumulate Sr while they inhabit marine environments. Alewife were thought to have migrated up the Avon River
to Mantletree Lake before the watercourse was altered by hydroelectric development. The 2018 study indicated that Sr concentrations in the fluvial lake sediment core declined after the installation of the Forks River dam in 1929 that impeded fish passage. Those results suggested that Sr is transferred by alewife to freshwater environments and thus serves as a proxy indicator of marine derived nutrient transfer to freshwater environments. To test this hypothesis, two gravity cores were obtained from Mantletree Lake, a lake that was located at the headwaters of the Avon River prior to dam installation. X-ray fluorescence was conducted to determine metal concentrations in the Mantletree Lake sediment core; bankside sediment samples were used to determine geogenic Sr concentrations in soils that might have become available upon flooding.
Our study determined that atmospheric lead is an effective time-stratigraphic indicator that can be used to provide adequate dating control for the sediment core from 1920 to Present. Variability in the metal data (Ti, Rb, K) indicates that flooding in Mantletree Lake associated with damming produced considerable bankside erosion and watershed disruption. The C,N and stable isotope data reflect the creation of a new active shoreline and the transfer of terrestrial organic matter into the lake basin. δ15N and δ13C trends are consistent with increased autochthonous productivity after dam installation. The strontium data are equivocal but do not appear to show a strong trend associated with the potential cessation of alewife visitation
The discursive construction of the Trump impeachment: delegitimation strategies and moral panic on Hannity
No full textThis paper explores the discursive tactics employed by Fox News, centered around an analysis of the television program Hannity. My research consisted of the transcription and coding of six episodes of the program.
All data revolving around the impeachment of president Donald Trump was recorded. Through a discourse analysis of these transcripts, I explore two main questions. The first is, what kinds of discursive tactics are utilized to maintain support for Trump? The second question is, what is the intended purpose of these tactics? By using a framework of moral panic and moral regulation, I theorize that Hannity utilizes discursive tactics of othering, which serves to deviantize any group or individual who detract from the show's Trump-biased narrative. Once a group or individual is deviantized, their actions and opinions become delegitimated.
This serves to the credibility of Hannity's narrative that Donald Trump was wrongfully persecuted by a partisan stunt
Cerebral hemodynamics and cognition during simulated microgravity
No full textMicrogravity has been shown to be a significant stressor on many physiological systems in the body due to the redistribution of fluids that occurs in the absence of gravitational force. The cardiovascular, endocrine, and musculoskeletal systems have all been proved to undergo significant alterations because of this stressful environment, but there is scarce literature surrounding the effects of microgravity on cerebral hemodynamics and cognition. Therefore, this study aims to determine if the altered levels of blood and oxygen reaching the brain during simulated microgravity has an effect on cognitive performance.A total of 39 participants aged 22.1±5.95 years participated in the study. Each participant took part in a single 2-hour testing session. Each participant completed an hour and a half of simulated microgravity using the head-down-
tilt (HDT) method by laying still on a table angled at -6°. Two cognitive tasks were completed during the testing session; one at the beginning of the session and one following the simulation of microgravity to measure any differences in cognitive performance. Cerebral oxygenation was monitored throughout the testing session using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Cerebral oxygenation was found to be significantly higher during the simulation of microgravity compared to the upright seated position and horizontal seated position (p<0.05). Non-executive task performance remained stable, but executive task performance significantly improved after the HDT as reaction time significantly decreased from 1058±195 msec to 950±158 msec (p<0.05). Cerebral oxygenation was found to remain stable during the non-executive tasks, but was found to be significantly heightened during the executive task post HDT (p<0.05). Acute microgravity was found to significantly alter the levels of cerebral oxygenation. These alterations were also correlated with differences in cognitive performance. As the race for Mars intensifies, more deep-space missions occur, and commercial spaceflight approaches reality, it is necessary that we have a complete understanding of physiological response to microgravity to ensure safety and efficiency for these missions, as well to ensure feasibility for this industry
The relationship between corporate sustainability and post-merger financial performance
No full textGrowing concern around the effect corporate sustainability has on firm performance has individuals questioning their investment decisions and firms questioning their buying decisions. The 'ESG Spotlight' study done by Sustainalytics titled 'ESG Compatibility: A Hidden Success Factor in M&A Transactions', Systainalytics looked at how the compatibility of firms in terms of sustainability affected the success of a merger (Vezer & Morrow, 2017). Findings showed that in their sample, ESG compatible deals outperformed ESG incompatible deals by an average of 21% on a five-year cumulative return basis. In 2007, Fred Bereskin, Seong K. Byun, Michah S. Officer and Jong-Min Oh studied the effect corporate culture similarity has on merger decisions and post-merger performance (Bereskin, Byun, Officer, & Oh, 2017). They found that firms with greater corporate culture similarities were more likely to merge and produced greater synergies post-merger.
This research looks at the relationship between corporate sustainability, using Thomson Reuters Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) scores and post-merger financial performance. The companies that were used during this study were taken from the Standard and Poor's 500 Index. Companies were used in the study if they completed a merger between January 1st, 2009 and December 31st, 2018 with six quarters of viable data pre and post-merger. Specifically, this study looks to test the correlation between the ESG score of an acquiring company and post-merger financial performance to see if sustainable firms have greater success in integrating another firm into their business. One regression incorporated a crisis dummy variable to control for the years 2009, 2010 and 2011 to eliminate changes in performance that were theresult of the 2008 financial crash. After controlling for firm size and deal value, results show that there is a positive relationship between a firm's ESG score pre-merger and their XVTobin's Q value post-merger. This data supports the current research question that there is a trend between corporate social responsibility and financial performance.
There is a trade-off when it comes to corporations looking to evolve and develop sustainable business practices. Whether it be implementing new sustainability teams into the business or changing over products and production machinery to a more sustainable option, it all comes with a cost. This increase in cost might not be realistic for all businesses, especially ones that don't know what the payoff will be. I hope that this research encourages businesses to incorporate ESG data into their decision-making process when looking to purchase another firm or when being acquired by another firm. This research shows that there is a risk when it comes to purchasing firms when you are not sustainably compatible and that it can be mitigated by incorporating ESG thresholds for both the acquiring company and the acquired company. Corporations should not ignore the fact that being more sustainable leads to greater returns post-merger. Moving forward, there is a lot of room for further research on this subject. As the literature review shows, there is a gap in research around mergers and acquisitions and corporate sustainability. Completing this study using European firms would be interesting as Europe is very advanced compared with the United States when it comes to corporate sustainability. It would also be interesting to flip the study and look at the ESG scores of the companies being acquired and if this has any effect on financial performance post-merger or the premium paid by
the acquirer
Middle Ordovician ironstone of North Wales, United Kingdom: sedimentologic and oceanographic evidence for a ferruginous Rheic Ocean
No full textMiddle Ordovician phosphatic ironstone of the Welsh Basin provides new insight into the paleoenvironmental significance of ironstone and Ordovician ocean chemistry. Deposition occurred in a back-arc basin on the margin of Avalonia and the Rheic Ocean. Lithofacies associations indicate ironstone accumulated as part of an aggradational parasequence on a storm-dominated shelf during upwelling. Its base is a laminated pyritic
mudstone that grades upward into variably bioturbated mudstone and coated grain-rich, intraclastic ironstone, which in turn is overlain by cross-stratified grainstone composed entirely of coated grains. Coarser, clastic-
rich parasequences above suggest the top contact is a maximum flooding surface marking the onset of highstand deposition.
Upwelling from a ferruginous water mass provided a source of nutrients stimulating surface productivity, which governed bottom water redox conditions in middle and distal shelf environments. Large, ferruginous coated grains (granule size) composed of concentric and discontinuous layers of carbonate fluorapatite, hematite, and chamosite record alternating redox conditions and periodic hydrodynamic reworking. Facies containing coated grains are enriched in redox-sensitive trace metals V, Cr, and Zn corroborating sedimentologic evidence that indicates ironstone deposition was stimulated by the delivery of ferruginous seawater to the shelf.
Results support a new model of Ordovician ironstone accumulation that relies on upwelling of anoxic, Fe-rich bottom water supporting the early Paleozoic ocean was not yet fully ventilated. Thus, ironstone is a robust window into understanding important Paleozoic events that governed future environmental change
Re-reading Canada: a critical discourse analysis of CBC's Canada Reads
No full textn this thesis, I examine how the narrative structure and language of the novel form reproduces state authority and nationalistic discourse. In order to explore the novel's state-reproducing potential, I examine two years of the Canada Reads competition: the 2011 competition to choose "the ssential Canadian novel of the 2000s" and the 2014 competition to choose "the novel to change Canada now." Although these two years present two different ways to understand Canada and, in turn, invite each panel to champion different stories, both panels engage with similar discourses on what it means to be Canadian. While the CBC, the host radio network of Canada Reads, frames itself as an arbiter of Canadian culture and media, I am interested in how the novels are read by the panel to reproduce nationalistic discourses. Using the work of Benedict Anderson, Edward Said, and Walter Mignolo, I will map how the novel creates national community and is used to reinforce hegemonic state structure. Then, I draw from the work of Leanne Betasamosake Simpson to discuss how different forms of storytelling can create different kinds of community. The current Canadian literary imaginary exists through the marginalization of Indigenous and racialized communities, as such, it is vital to imagine different kinds of literary communities
The vertical zonation of some Crustose lichen species in Bay of Fundy littoral zones of Nova Scotia
No full textThe littoral zone of the Bay of Fundy has an abundant array of life within the varied and extreme bounds of the ecosystem. One particular facet of this ecosystem is the community of lichens. The crustose and macro-
algae, accompanied by the lichen populations, make up the primary producers and are a vital food source for other organisms. Despite harsh conditions provided by wave action, salinity, UV exposure, as well as various other abiotic and biotic pressures, lichens account for much of the substrate cover in the littoral zone. One family in particular, the Verrucariaceae, represents one of only three families of lichens present between the supralittoral and sublittoral zones of the Bay of Fundy. This family's life habits are versatile, with endosubstratic to superficial thalli on a myriad of substrates belonging to a cosmopolitan assortment of habitats. I documented the vertical zonation and general ecology of several members of this family of lichens in the littoral zone from seven sites along Nova Scotia's coast. Specimens were identified using DNA barcoding of the ITS and LSU regions, as well as morphology to provide novel biodiversity data for the Bay of Fundy. I found vertical zonation was notstrongly cor elated with species placement in the littoral zone in relation to mean low tide, but rather a range of biotic and abiotic factors likely affected the distribution of the few key species determining lichen community composition. All transects showed low lichen species diversity, and a moderate amount of evenness of species distribution
Into the unknown: exploring the association between intolerance of uncertainty and intimate partner violence
No full textThe current study investigated the impact of relational uncertainty, jealousy, and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) on intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. Participants (N=300) were recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk and completed an online survey assessing relational uncertainty, jealousy, IU, and IPV. Behavioural jealousy was predicted to mediate the relationship between relational uncertainty and IPV perpetration and IU was expected to moderate the association between relational uncertainty and IPV perpetration. Path analyses revealed that behavioural jealousy mediated the relationship between relational
uncertainty and physical and psychological IPV perpetration. IU moderated the association between relational uncertainty and physical, but not psychological, IPV perpetration. Results suggest that those who are less tolerant of uncertainty may be more likely to perpetrate IPV