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Slash back: from Final Girls to final mothers in Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream
No full textThis thesis examines the last girl standing in two Wes Craven slasher franchises, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream. Film theorist Carol J. Clover calls this figure the Final Girl, the one who survives the massacre of the killer. I aim to synthesise the arguments of Clover and Julia Kristeva, in their respective theorisations of the Final Girl and the abject, while also extending their analyses to cover theoretical gaps in
the way horror film scholarship understands female characters.
The first chapter argues that Nancy Thompson and Sidney Prescott, the two Final Girls in A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream offer a different model of the trope Clover theorizes. The chapter contends that these Final Girls are not masculinized virgin figures who act as stand-ins for a male sadomasochistic fantasy. Rather, they are characters who survive because of their wit and strength, not allowing themselves to be defined by the sexual standards that capture the classic Final Girl. These two characters survive despite their relationships (romantic and sexual) with male characters. They also disparage the tradition of viewing sex as abject and rather are motivated by their interactions with the killer figure, seeking to expel him as an abject threat rather than succumb to it. The second chapter proposes a new character model, the Final Mother, seen in Craven's sequel films New Nightmare and Scream 4. This figure protects not only herself from a returned abject killer but also a child in her care. The Final Mother repurposes the trauma she endured in the original film in order to transcend the binary that seeks to categorize her as victim or monster. She emerges from the sequel film an agent of maternal heroism, who rids the abject threat once and for all. This thesis thus aims to extend Clover's original trope to synthesize it with Kristeva's theory, while also recommending the acknowledgement of the Final Mother, a grown-up Final Girl oft-ignored in horror scholarship
Parents' perceptions of the role of sport participation in the development of their child's social capital: an examination of soccer in rural Nova Scotia
No full textBackground: Social capital is an important indicator of well-being. Existing evidence shows that sport can remove social barriers, allowing for social capital development. There remain gaps in understanding how parents perceive this, particularly in the context of rural Canada. The current study worked to better understand how rural Nova Scotian parents conceptualize their youth's social capital developed through sport.
Methods: Data was collected from parents of youth participating in soccer in a rural Nova Scotia community. Surveying (n=86), semi-structured interviews (n=12), and a network mapping exercise were used to gain understandings on how children developed social capital through sport. Results: Parents understood the importance of social capital their kids developed. This motivated parents to enroll their youth in team sports. Parents understood their youths network development as semi-autonomous, understanding they controlled most of it, but not all. Parents also understood that sport allowed for social capital development beyond geographical boundaries. Conclusion: The current study allows for a greater understanding on parent's perceptions of their youth's social capital developed through soccer. Sport was seen as a beneficial avenue youth can utilize to develop social capital. This may be particularly important for youth living in small, rural communities
Exploring differential gene expression encoding antimicrobial peptides in green frogs (Rana clamitans) using temperature as an abiotic stressor
No full textSmall proteins called antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), secreted onto the skin of frogs, allow them to resist infection by many pathogens. The objective of this research was to determine how stress, specifically temperature, alters AMP production in green frogs (Rana clamitans), the most abundant frog species in Nova Scotia, Canada. A total of 18 frogs were divided equally into three cohorts and subjected to different temperature conditions: 4 C, which is typical of hibernation, 22C, which is typical of summer temperatures and served as a control, and 26 C, which is at the higher end of the thermal range of green frogs. Epidermal mucus swabs were taken directly after the course of each experimental trial. SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry were then performed to separate and identify AMPs and other proteins of interest that were present in the epidermal mucus. Molecular analysis was also performed, which included designing and optimizing primer sets for genes encoding antimicrobial peptides, as well as barcoding genes, which can be used in future studies. Our results showed that frogs in the control and warming cohorts had similar epidermal proteomic profiles, with the greatest number of protein bands appearing in the protein profiles of frogs in the warming cohort. Frogs in the cooling cohort had a highly depressed epidermal mucus proteome and did not display any strong visible bands. Mass spectrometry confirmed the presence of a number of proteins of interest in the control cohort samples; however, AMPs were not identified. The results of this research may contribute to understanding how temperature affects the expression of genes encoding AMPs and other immunological proteins, which is of particular interest given recent global climate change and mass declines of amphibian populations
The physiological and behavioural effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) on acute novel tank stress in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
No full textStress can negatively impact one's mental and physical health. Cannabinoids, isolated from Cannabis sp., may be an effective treatment for stress and stress-related illness. Two cannabinoids,THC and CBD, isolated
from the plant Cannabis sativa act on two cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 to modulate the stress response through the endocannabinoid system. Experiments discussed in this thesis studied the effects of CBD and THC on acute stress in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Zebrafish were treated with 150nM THC, 150nM CBD, methanol or water for two hours in a 1L beaker. Subsequently, the fish were stressed using the Novel Tank
Diving Test and behavioural responses were recorded. In addition, whole-body cortisol levels were measured using GC-FID. Mucus protein profiles were also examined using 1D SDS-PAGE to look for potential protein biomarkers of stress. Behaviours, whole-body cortisol levels, and mucus protein profiles were not significantly different between treatment groups. A minor effect of increased variation in the stress response of the THC
treatment group was observed and should be explored further. It is possible that a higher dose and increased sample size might elucidate the effects of cannabinoids on acute stress in zebrafish. This research should be expanded on to clarify the effects that THC and CBD have on the stress response and to reveal if THC and CBD can be effectively used as a treatment for stress-related illness in humans
The ecclesiology of Morgan Edwards (1722–1795), with particular reference to his understanding of Baptist Church polity
No full textMorgan Edwards was an important Calvinistic Baptist pastor, theologian, and historian of the eighteenth century. This thesis presents Edwards's ecclesiology, with special reference to his understanding of Baptist church polity. This is achieved by setting Edwards within the theological flow of Calvinistic Baptist understandings of the church and church polity. The first chapter sets
the stage by introducing Edwards, his place in Baptist history, and an overview of the task at hand. Chapter two looks at several Calvinistic Baptist works on the church and church polity published
before, during, and after Edwards's life. Chapters three and four present Edwards's ecclesiology and Baptist church polity through a close examination of his The Customs of the Primiti
ve Churches (1768), which is probably the first Baptist manual on polity and practice. This thesis argues that Edwards stands within the Calvinistic Baptist tradition in his understanding of the church and Baptist church polity, while at the same time pushing beyond the views expressed in similar works of his day, most notably in his understanding of the officers of the church and the number of church rites. This thesis will also pay close attention to some of the sources that Edwards made use of to formulate his polity and practice, such as various Congregationalist authors and The Book of Common Prayer (1662) in some of his liturgical work. The primary source for Edwards, however, was the Bible. He sought to ground his views on the church and church polity in God's Word as he understood it, which is perhaps the greatest lesson that Edwards offers to modern-day Christians
Constructing politics: Arendt, Rancière, and the concept of work
No full textThis thesis understands that the lay-understanding of the concept of work is founded upon problematic assumptions that continue to exasperate social and political inequalities. These assumptions and inequalities are demonstrated through a reading of the philosophy of Hannah Arendt and the theory of Jacques Rancière. First, Arendt's concepts of public, private, and social realms, as well as her concepts of labour, work, and action are reconstructed. Her account of the activity of the human being is derived largely through the thought of Aristotle's conception of the speaking human as political animal, which claims that those who do not speak are not fully human. The concept of work is then presented through Jacques Rancière's political theory. He labours not to define work but to understand that definitions of work are enactments of what he calls the distribution of the sensible. This theory is further developed by presenting Rancière's concepts of police, politics, equality, and his parapolitical critique of Aristotle. Arendt and Rancière are then brought into an encounter with each other, along with the many scholarly interpreters who stage similar comparisons of these two thinkers. Some aspects of Rancière and Arendt's thinking are shown to be compatible (such as their instance on politics requiring a space of appearance, their fascination with theatre as a political venue, their fixation on human rights, and their engagement with the ancient Greeks). However, the broad consensus of secondary theorists consulted throughout this work is that there is too large a distance between the theory and philosophy of Rancière and Arendt on the concept of work to be satisfyingly bridged. This thesis supports this criticism, and takes it a step further by deploying Rancière's theoretical arsenal against Arendt's rigid philosophy of work, and argues that Arendt, who polices exactly what work is and what work is not, risks dehumanizing the worker
Investigating the effects of storyline programming in a municipal day camp setting
No full textSummer camp is a common facet for North American youth. As numbers of day camps steadily increase, it is important to assess their quality and establish conditions and resources that can raise program quality for the benefit of participants. This study examines the use of the storyline framework, a program design element that involves an engaging plotline and evolving characters, in the context of a municipal day camp in the Town of Kentville, Nova Scotia. The study used multiple methods, including staff focus groups and a four-week field observation, to better understand the current experience for day campers, identify elements that
impacted program quality, and explore the effects of a storyline day camp program on campers' achievement of the program objectives. The results indicate that design and delivery elements including use of characters, choice between activities, reflection, detailed program planning, and staff enthusiasm created a better experience for campers. Program quality hinged on staff's understanding and delivery of intended content. This study found that with sufficient resources and enthusiastic delivery, storylines provide an avenue for day camps to deliver engaging and meaningful content to campers, and prove to be a valuable framework to consider in camp program design
Behavioural and neural effects of prism adaptation in healthy young adults
No full textThe goal of the present study was twofold: (1) to assess whether pointing after-effects induced by a new prism adaptation (PA) protocol (Peg-the-Mole or PTM) in healthy young adults can generalize to a more functional task, and (2) to gain insight into a possible neuromechanism (i.e., the P300 wave) during prism exposure that may underlie the development of PA effects. Forty-five healthy young adults were assigned to one of two conditions involving the use of PTM with either 15-degree or 5-degree rightward deviating prism goggles while their brain activity was recorded via electroencephalography (EEG). Each participant alternated between the use of prism and sham goggles to allow for repeated adaptation during three blocks of trials. Outcome measures were administered before and after PTM to measure after-effects. These outcome measures included standard proprioceptive and visual midline pointing tasks, and a functional task assessing center of pressure (i.e., postural sway). Data analyses included mixed factorial ANOVAs to assess the magnitude of after-effects on the outcome tasks and the P300 amplitude in each condition. Significant after-effects on all outcome tasks were observed in the 15-degree condition. Significant after-effects in the 5-degree condition were observed on the visual midline pointing task and the functional task. A P300 wave was observed at electrode Pz during PTM. In the 5-degree condition, the amplitude of the P300 wave was larger during the use of prism than sham goggles. In the 15-degree condition, there was a trend for larger P300 amplitudes during the use of prism goggles when compared to sham goggles. These results suggest that the use of PTM can induce pointing after-effects that generalize to more functional tasks, and that the P300 wave may underlie the development of these effects.Keywords: prism adaptation, after-effects, event-related potential</p
Assessing the prevalence and the effect of nutrition education on female athlete triad risk at Acadia University
No full textIntroduction: Despite numerous health benefits seen through female participation in sports, there has been an increase in sports related health consequences including the female athlete triad (low energy availability, low bone mineral density, and menstrual dysfunction). Little is known about prevalence of the triad or effective methods to reduce athletes' risk. Objectives: The objectives for this research were: 1) to investigate the prevalence of the female athlete triad among varsity and club female (as identified at birth) athletes at Acadia University (AU), 2) to examine factors which increase athletes' risk, and 3) to explore the effects of nutrition education on triad risk and dietary intake. Methods: Varsity and club female athletes were recruited (n=17). Participants were randomized to an experimental group to attend eight nutrition education sessions, or a control group. All participants completed a survey assessing triad risk and nutrition knowledge prior to and following intervention. Results: Triad prevalence at AU was high with 29.4% of athletes at risk of the triad prior to intervention and 47.1% at risk following intervention due to injuries. Negative beliefs surrounding food were common with 94.1% of participants reported feeling guilty when choosing unhealthy foods. Intervention
demonstrated no significant effect on athlete's triad risk as well as intakes of energy, fat, carbohydrate, protein, or calcium and vitamin D. Conclusions: Almost half of the participants were at risk of the female athlete triad and nutrition education did not significantly affect triad risk. Many factors including negative beliefs surrounding food affected athletes' triad risk. These finding raise questions about the effectiveness of nutrition education intervention, the impact of injuries in assessing triad risk, and effective methods of reducing risk of the female athlete triad
An exploration of intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing the mental health of athletes recovering from a concussion
No full textIntroduction: Due to an increase of media coverage surrounding stories of athlete mental health issues, there has also been an increase in research within the same field. However, the specific intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence mental health states during concussion recovery are currently underdeveloped. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify and further explore various intrinsic and extrinsic factors that impacted athlete mental health following a concussion. Methods: Seventy-one university-aged (47 females, 24 males) students participated in an online questionnaire exploring their history of sport-related concussions and mental health. Responses were analyzed to identify emerging themes that were further deconstructed during semi-structured interviews with 10 participants (5 female, 5 males). Results: Various intrinsic and extrinsic factors impacting mental health states following a concussion emerged from the data, with a strong suggestion for further education on proper concussion management amongst primary care healthcare practitioners. Furthermore, athletic identity derived from social influences and self-identification may have discouraged transparency in reporting symptoms. Conclusion: The results of this study identified several important factors that negatively impacted mental health during the recovery from a concussion. Recognition of these factors may allow healthcare professionals to appropriately prescribe earlier physical activity and approach each athlete with increased sensitivity towards their injury