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More than meets the eye: nonconformist art during the Khrushchev thaw
No full textWhen discussing the nonconformist art movement during Khrushchev's Thaw, the general assumption is that the artists were a cohesive unit reacting against the rigid structures of Socialist Realism and taking advantage of a period of liberalization and artistic tolerance to launch a calculated attack on the Party apparatus. Through an examination of the primary source material, this thesis reveals that the assumption that the nonconformist artists were a unified group sharing a single goal is false. They were labelled as a group because their art fell under the four categories of unacceptable art as outlined by "the Authorities," but their personal attitudes and political aims differed greatly. This thesis also reveals that Khrushchev's de-Stalinizing campaign and subsequent liberalization during the Thaw was disingenuous and did not stem from a real desire for reform, as made evident by the conservative reaction from within the Party, and Khrushchev's outburst at the Moscow Manège in 1962. These factors in combination fostered a sense of betrayal that permeated the relationships between the artists and the Party, resulting in the collapse of the Thaw and Khrushchev's ouster, which ushered in a more conservative period under the leadership of Leonid Brezhnev
The rail to trail from Wolfville to Kentville and its impacts on the elderly demographic
No full textThe Annapolis Valley is home to the Harvest Moon Trail corridor that stretches one hundred and ten kilometers from Grand Pré, Kings County to Annapolis Royal in Annapolis County all located within Nova Scotia. This study specifically focuses on the corridor from Wolfville to Kentville in Kings County to assess its potential to better serve
the elderly demographic. This thesis examines literature focusing on trail systems, greenways, and the elderly demographic and combines this with data collected from field observation, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and an online questionnaire conducted with professionals, users and non-users. The data collections combined
purpose was to understand the trail's potential and limitations for the elderly demographic. From this analysis
recommendations were developed
The unresolved issue of blood feuds in post-Communist Albania and a Christian radical response
No full textThe aim of this thesis is to develop a 'Just Peacemaking theological response' to the tragic situation of Albanian blood feuds. In the first chapter is a description of what the blood feud is and also its context.
It is an honour killing which differs in nature from other killings. I used some specific interviews to explore more in depth the situation of those who have faced this tragedy. Social and family pressures are
the driving forces sustaining the practice of blood feuds. Social pressure can be useful to stop blood feuds but cannot heal memories and does not restore justice and bring back the honour of a person or family.
In the second chapter I will explore what the Canon is, how it came to exist and the reasons it has been used as a bedrock and justification for blood feuds. The Canon is not the main source to be blamed for these bloody killings, but this distorted human traditionis built around it. The Canonis the first constitution of a wider legal system which organized the socio-political life and inner-legal autonomy of Albanian communities, enabling them to survive for several centuries under foreign occupation. Thus, today it disserves to be seriously studied.
In the third chapter, the theory of Just Peacemaking outlined by Glen H. Stassen is studied. A deeper and a thicker understanding of the historical Jesus bridges the gap of dualism and strongly encourages the church to practice 'transforming initiatives' and to participate in society for peacemaking and social transformation, so much needed in our post-communist societies.
Lastly, I present the Just Peacemaking theory as a public discourse which seeks social transformation. I develop a specific study resource and a survey which revealed that attitudes of people can generally be influenced positively. By teaching and expanding Just Peacemaking, the transforming initiatives of the Sermon on the Mount may form solid convictions in people to resist the pressure to commit blood feuds and also to be able to forgive and offer peace. Finally, some of the findings and contributions of the thesis are presented with recommendations for further research on this social field
The "Year of Apology": reconciliation and official apology in Australia and Canada
No full textAustralia and Canada are often compared to each other due to similarcolonial histories. Moreover, they are often compared for their treatment of Indigenous populations through historical assimilationist policies. In recent decades, both
countries have attempted to form new relationships with Indigenous populations through the decolonisation process of reconciliation. Though a subjective term, reconciliation in both Australia and Canada has included federal apology for these past policies that have caused significant, intergenerational harm in Indigenous communities. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of Australia apologised to the Stolen Generations on 13 February 2008, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologised to residential school survivors on 11 June 2008.
Rudd opened the apology period while Harper effectively closed it four months later. When observing the timeline of reconciliation and the calls for apology, the four-month period appears suspicious considering how reconciliation has developed in both countries. In an analysis of the lead-up to each of the apologies, it is evident that Harper had not only internal pressures from Indigenous activist groups, but external, international pressure from Australia to deliver the apology
Exploring gene expression during wound healing and limb regeneration in the common sea star, Asterias rubens
No full textThere are over 1500 species of sea stars living in aquatic ecosystems worldwide. The common sea star, Asterias rubens, is a marine invertebrate of the phylum Echinodermata, and is found predominantly in intertidal zones of the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. A. rubens have regenerative capabilities; they can undergo autotomy in response to a traumatic event and regenerate a genetically identical appendage. The objective of my research is to explore developmental genes involved in wound healing and arm regeneration in A. rubens. Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, we explored four
sets of genes involved in sea star regeneration including the immunoglobulin kappa region, genes for cysteine proteases, a homeobox domain, and an elongation factor subunit. Prior to experimental amputation, expression levels of all genes were not detectable. Following post-arm amputation, expression was seen in all genes of interest though the time at which this expression was detectable varied between gene targets. From a healthcare standpoint, understanding the regenerative capacity of sea stars may provide insight into the molecular basis of wound healing and regenerative capacities of higher vertebrates. Since 70% of echinoderm genes have human homologs the results of this research could be a significant contributor in exploring the genetics of wound healing in humans
Immune responses, and their role in mortality, in mosquitos infected with Hepatozoon parasites from the blood of green frogs
No full textMosquitoes, Culex territans, that take a blood meal from frogs heavily infected with Hepatozoon species suffer extensive
damage to their digestive system and will typically die within four days after feeding on infected frogs. Dysregulation of the
immune system may be contributing to this pathology; however, the immune response of C. territans during Hepatozoon
infections is currently unknown. The objectives of this study were therefore to investigate the immune response of C. territans infected with Hepatozoon species of frogs, and to determine if overactive immune responses contribute to the pathology observed in these heavily parasitized mosquitoes. Two arms of the immune response that are thought to be involved in tissue damage, namely phenoloxidase activity, a proxy for melanisation, and the production of reactive oxygen species, were investigated in the midgut and haemocoel of uninfected and infected mosquitoes. Phenoloxidase activity decreased in the haemocoel of infected mosquitoes, suggesting that infection causes immunosuppression or host regulation of immunity. Conversely, the concentration of reactive oxygen species increased linearly with parasitaemiain the
midgut, with a significantly higher concentration in heavily infected mosquitoes. Furthermore, heavily infected mosquitoes supplemented with antioxidants survived for longer periods post-feeding, suggesting that the production of reactive oxygen species is involved in the immune response, and that an overproduction of these molecules may contribute to mosquito mortality. These findings support our hypothesis that the immune system may be implicated in mosquito death, which could be due to a suppression of important immune responses, and to an overproduction of toxic molecules
Exploring the activation of orthography in spoken non-word processing: an event-related potential study of pseudohomograph priming
No full textThe present study examined the impact of orthographic knowledge on spoken non-word processing using Event Related Potentials (ERPs). The key manipulation in this study involved the use of pseudohomographs (PsHGr), spoken non-words that may be spelled like a word (e.g., the spoken non-word deef can be spelled d-e-e-f or d-e-a-f). Participants made rhyme judgements when presented with a spoken non-word target (e.g., zeef with a long e) that was preceded by one of three
spoken primes: A PsHGr prime that rhymed with the target (e.g., deef), whose alternative spelling (e.g., deaf) did not rhyme; a non-pseudohomograph (NonPsHGr) prime (e.g., teef) that rhymed with the target and did not have a spelling consistent with a word; and an unrelated prime (e.g., zoot) that did not rhyme with the target. ERP responses were recorded to presentation of the target. Results revealed a significant rhyme effect as seen in the reduction of the N400, a component
associated with phonological priming, to targets that rhymed with the prime. Despite there being a noticeable difference in the N400 amplitude between the pseudohomograph and non-pseudohomograph condition (i.e., an orthographic effect), this difference was not significant. Future research should add to the current sample before drawing firm conclusions as to whether orthography is automatically activated in tasks involving spoken non-words
Reading between the wines: studying the impact caloric values have on consumers' sensory perceptions of rosé wines
No full textWith the production of wine increasing in Nova Scotia, Canada, the industry has become an intriguing area of research. The primary objective of this study is to identify the attributes consumers use to describe NS rosé wines. The secondary aim of this study was to identify if mandating caloric labels on wine bottles would impact the consumers' sensory perception. With the rising demand for standardized nutrition labels on alcoholic beverages, businesses are eager to determine how nutritional labels will influence the consumption of alcoholic beverages, including wine. The first trial used the projective mapping method and ultra-flash profiling, with untrained panelists, to describe a sub-set of NS rosé wines (n=8). In the second trial, consumers were asked to complete a check-all-that-apply (CATA) question and to rank their liking of the wine on a 9-point hedonic scale (n=4). Each wine was evaluated without a label, and with each of the four fabricated labels (n=65). Results demonstrated two main categories of attributes, fruit and non-fruit flavours, with fruit associated attributes driving liking. There was no significant difference between the caloric value and sensory perception of wine. For future research, nutrition labels and not just calories alone should be used to make more accurate predicitions as to the trends that will be seen
Deliverance ministry: seeking an effective and contextual Baptist response
No full textDeliverance Ministry is a form of Christian healing and a term used to describe a response to a wide range of phenomena that are unusual and possibly spiritual in origin. Deliverance incorporates exorcism, a specific act of binding and releasing performed on a person or a place that is believed to be possessed by a non-human malevolent spirit. Whilst many historical church denominations have practiced deliverance as part of their mainstream activity, this has not largely been the case in a Baptist context. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that the need for deliverance ministry is on the rise because many people are claiming to suffer from unusual phenomena that resemble the New Testament descriptions of demonic possession.
This thesis project attempts to provide an effective response for those who wish to engage in deliverance ministry from a Baptist perspective. The work begins with a review of literature on the topic of deliverance ministry. The discussion develops with a consideration of biblical and theological underpinnings for deliverance and exorcism. Thereafter, field research is introduced to the study. A survey was taken of Baptist Ministers' knowledge and experience of deliverance ministry.
The research was enhanced by a series of interviews with experienced deliverance ministry practitioners.The research concludes that many Baptist Ministers are willing to engage with deliverance ministry despite there being a wide range of differing theological understandings about the topic. Moreover, many of those surveyed would value support and training in order for them to administer deliverance effectively. In response, the thesis culminates with a practical project: a proposal of "parameters for ministry" that allow for a Baptist to engage in deliverance ministry in a safe and meaningful way
Engaging orality in theological education: teaching the story of the Old Testament in the MENA context
No full textThis thesis project addresses the lack of biblical literacy, specifically of the Old Testament narrative, in the growing oral context of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), by designing a course at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) for theology students who are already pastors and leaders and who represent the different countries in the MENA. Equipping key leaders to convey the story of the Old Testament in their oral context is an urgent need locally and internationally. The latest statistics of the International Orality Network show that there are 2.7 billion unreached people in approximately 3500 unengaged people groups. This statistic also shows that there are around 2 billion people without the Old Testament.
Chapter one begins by examining three short stories in the Old Testament, pointing out to the various commonalities in conveying a divine message through storytelling. I have studied the stories of the poor man's lamb (2 Sam. 11:27b-12:7a), the 2 fighting brothers and the avengers of blood (2 Sam. 13:38-14:24), and the fruitless vineyard (Is. 5:1-7) in their different forms and genre as a means of communicating a formative message. The storytelling techniques used ontributed to the narration project in which ABTS students were trained to narrate the story of the Old Testament to their oral communities.
Chapter two continues with a sampling of theologians, biblical scholars, and Christian writers from throughout early church history. These sources are used to look at oral tradition and its significance in education from a historical and theological point of view. Four periods were considered: (1) the Old Testament period, especially the period of the Pentateuch; (2) the New Testament, especially during the time of Jesus' ministry; (3) the early church; (4) the rabbinic period. At one stage in history, it is about reflecting on God's faithfulness with His people; while, at another stage, oral tradition is revealing the mystery of the Kingdom of God. Oral tradition in the course of human history, within the
frame of the divine-human relationship, allows God's mission to meet human response.
Chapter three explores the contemporary forms of storytelling and oral tradition both globally and locally. For this project, I will be using mixed-methods design, which involves the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods in a single study. ABTS students were asked to narrate the story of the Old Testament to an oral group of people in which a paired-samples t-test was conducted to compare the test results of participants before they were subject to the narrative and after the story was narrated to them. The results of the test indicated a significant difference in the scores on the pre-test and on the post-test. Following this project, it was observed that learning occurred. Overall, the results revealed that the narration project achieved its goal of teaching the story of the Old Testament to oral communities