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Sermon Inc.
No full textThis thesis explores the implications of taking someone else's sermon, with and without permission, removing it from the context it was intended for, and preaching it as one's own. Most commonly in such discussions the interpersonal ethics are the focus. It is argued here, however, that the most important consideration when clergy preach someone else's sermon is often overlooked, which is the Godward implications. The most serious crime of preaching someone else's sermon is that it robs the preacher and the congregation of God's unique word to them for their context. God desires to speak to his people and by preaching someone else's sermon the preacher muffles or even mutes God's voice.
In order to better understand how this issue affects evangelical churches in Atlantic Canada two surveys were conducted
among clergy and congregants. From these surveys it was discovered that clergy regularly do consult the sermons of others in their own sermon preparation, that the expectations of clergy and congregants concerning how long it should take to prepare a sermon differ, and finally that congregants care most about the quality of the sermon preached each Sunday rather than the process of how that sermon came in to being.
As a way to help both clergy and congregations recommit themselves to the task of Biblical preaching and become better informed of the implications of not giving the act of preaching the primacy and attention it deserves, a Preaching Covenant is proposed. This Preaching Covenant would both educate and help preachers and congregations work together towards enhancing the preaching ministry of the church
Social licence and tidal energy development in Nova Scotia, Canada
No full textNova Scotia is a global example of a region taking advantage of its vast tidal energy resources through tidal energy testing and development. Alongside innovations in tidal energy technology, social and economic factors must also be considered,
especially the extent to which a social licence has been developed. Social licence, which is the ongoing approval or social acceptance of a project in a community, must be developed for communities to support and approve of a project or development. This research explores factors that support the development of social licence in the context of tidal energy in Nova Scotia, Canada. These factors include the importance of public education, the significance of baseline research, an understanding of the technology and its impacts, and the role of community and economic development. Interviews with a variety of key stakeholders in the tidal energy development industry provide insight into the role these four factors play in
supporting a social licence. While these four factors are significant, other critical principles include legitimacy, credibility, and trus
Some problems on the game of Ambush Cops and Robbers
No full textThis thesis considers a variation of the game of Cops and Robber played on graphs. In this variation, known as Ambush Cops and Robbers, the robber is given an accomplice with whom he can eliminate a cop under certain circumstances. Our objective is to minimize the number of pursuers that can capture one of the robbers without losing one of their number. Several classes of graphs are considered including outerplanargraphs, chordal graphs, and various graph products. We then consider the game of Ambush Cops and Robbers played with partial information. In that case, the cop may only obtain information about the robbers' positions on the graph through certain devices located on the elements of said graph. The placement of these devices is incorporated in his winning strategy. We seek to minimize the number of devices placed on the graphs without compromising the cop's ability to safely capture a robber.</p
Influence of the epidermal microbiome in attraction of mosquitos (Culex territans) to green frogs (Rana clamitans) infected with hepatozoon blood parasites
No full textMosquitoes, Culex territans, are preferentially attracted to green frogs, Rana clamitans, that are heavily infected with intraerythrocytic Hepatozoon parasites compared to lightly infected or uninfected frogs. Further work showed that bacteria cultured from the epidermis of heavily infected green frogs were significantly more attractive to C. territans than lightly infected or uninfected frogs. The objective of this study was to examine the culturable components of the epidermal microbiome of green frogs infected with Hepatozoon species to determine which species are involved in the attraction of C. territans to heavily parasitized frogs. Analysis of the DNA sequence data was used to identify the culturable components of the epidermal microbiome of eight green frogs, and revealed similarities in the species of bacteria isolated from frogs of the same infection level. The attractiveness to C. territans of each purified bacterial colony was tested against a control plate in a modified PVC pipe and showed that although many colonies were significantly repellant to the mosquitoes, two
species were significantly attractive to mosquitoes. Finally, the attractiveness of culturable bacteria to mosquitoes was
compared to their distribution among frogs of different infection levels. Although correlations were not observed between the attractiveness of bacterial species to C. territans and the intensity of Hepatozoon infection, the results of this study
indicate that there are differences in the attractiveness to mosquitoes among species of bacteria found in the epidermal microbiome of green frogs, and lead to speculation that combinations of bacteria species, or attractiveness manifested by unculturable components of the microbiome, are driving the preference of mosquitoes to heavily infected frogs
Green synthesis of novel naphthalene-based 14-AZA-12-oxasteroid analogues
No full textPolyheterocyclic frameworks, such as steroids, are very important moieties for the construction of biologically and pharmaceutically relevant molecules. However, synthesis of these structurally complex molecules in a short route from readily available starting materials is a challenge in the field of organic chemistry and therefore is being widely investigated.
This thesis reports a transition metal-free four-step synthetic pathway to produce tetracyclic heterosteroid compounds, starting from 2-naphthol analogs. After conversion of 2-naphthols to 2-naphtylamines via the Burcherer reaction, subsequent selective C-acetylation via the Sugasawa reaction and reduction of the acetyl group using borohydride,
1-(1-hydroxyethyl)-2-aminonaphthalenes was obtained. These amino-alcohols underwent double dehydrations and double intramolecular cyclisation with oxo-acids in a one-pot formation of a C-N bond, a C-O bond and an amide bond in tandem. In total, six novel 14-aza-12-oxa-steroid analogues were synthesised which were characterised through their 1H and 13 C{1H} NMR spectroscopies and high-resolution mass spectr
Docosahexaenoic acid-acylated phloridzin, a novel compound derived from apple phytochemicals and fish oil, inhibits the metabolic activity and proliferation of colon cancer cells in vitro
No full textPhytochemicals are natural compounds found in fruits and vegetables that have anticancer potential. Studies suggest that a healthy diet can result in a decreased risk for cancer. The phytochemical phloridzin (PZ), abundant in apple peels, has been esterified with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to generate a new molecule called PZ-DHA. Recent studies have demonstrated the anti-cancer effects of PZ-DHA in experimental models of breast and liver cancers as well as leukemia. In this study, we examined the anti-cancer effects of PZ-DHA on the HCT-116 colon cancer cell line in vitro. A methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay demonstrated that PZ-DHA significantly inhibited the metabolic activity of colon cancer cells in a time-and concentration-dependent manner. Although apoptosis and necrosis were not significantly increased after 24 h exposure to 100 μM PZ-DHA, cell proliferation was significantly inhibited after 72 h exposure at the same concentration. HCT-116 3-dimensional colon tumors were successfully formed in vitro; an acid phosphatase assay was used to investigate the effects of PZ-DHA on tumor viability and the compound did not reduce cell viability in the tumors after 72 h treatment of 50 or 100 μM. twist and slug gene expression were investigated in PZ-DHA treated cells using quantitative RT-PCR; the viability was not significantly altered after 24 h of 25 and 50 μM concentrations of PZ-DHA. PZ-DHA inhibits the cell viability and proliferation of HCT-116 colon cancer cells, which supports further research on the possible treatment of colon cancer using novel drug candidate derived from food molecules</p
Effects of forebrain ATRX deficiency in C57BL/6 male mice on offspring ATRX expression and forebrain development
No full textEarly life experience and degree of parental-infant attachment influence brain development, notably areas that support stress regulation, cognition and social behaviours. Animal models examining gestational stress suggest that sustained changes in gene expression in response to prenatal stress and/or natural variations in mother-pup interactions during the first week of postnatal life is mediated by changes in chromatin structure and DNA methylation. Although the exact mechanism is not completely understood, the chromatin remodeling factor ATRX is regulated by maternal care.
ATRX is essential for brain development and plays a key role in gene expression regulation. ATRX exerts its effects by binding to heterochromatin resulting in epigenetic modifications, such DNA demethylation, responsible for downstream gene activation. ATRX is regulated and finely tuned; small changes in expression can cause synaptic deficits contributing to neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism. Siblings of children with autism have an increased relative risk of autism themselves, suggesting a role of Atrx and environment interactions in the etiology of autism.
We examined brain weight, Atrx gene expression and Atrx gene promoter methylation in brain regions relevant to autistic-like behaviours in the adult offspring of litters containing either wildtype female and male mice or wildtype
female and Atrx hemizygous male mice. Our findings demonstrate a persistent effect on forebrain growth, Atrx gene expression and promoter methylation, not only in the ATRX deficient male mice, but also in their female litter mates. These results suggest that early life environment and ATRX play a role in mechanisms underlying long-term chromatin plasticity and neural growth relevant to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism
Supporting patient physical activity through interventions in primary health care practice: a pilot study
No full textPhysical activity is well-known to have dose-dependent health benefits in both preventative and therapeutic contexts of health promotion and care. Allied health networks that incorporate exercise professionals into primary care have been shown to be especially effective at improving physical activity levels in various populations. Nova Scotia is particularly inactive as compared to other regions of Canada, with few Nova Scotians meeting the daily physical activity guidelines. Access to physical activity supports such as tailored physical activity counselling and prescription, and physical activity
programs (e.g. community exercise programs or use of monitoring devices) improve physical activity levels and adherence
but can be particularly challenging to access in Nova Scotia, where exercise participation is typically an out-of-pocket (i.e. outside of primary care) expense. The referral system for patients to access such resources can play a substantial role in
whether people utilize such resources. To make these supports more readily accessible, and to develop practical strategies, it is imperative that referral schemes be evaluated and explored in rural communities. By better understanding what people need in terms of support for increasing physical activity, better intervention can be provided in primary care.
Hence, this pilot study examined the effectiveness of physical activity referral programs to influence patient physical activity levels and adherence through a network of primary care and allied health care professionals in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. This pilot study paired objective and subjective measures of physical activity and exercise pre-and post-exercise/physical activity intervention, and evaluated the effect each intervention type had on patient physical activity and confidence to exercise. Results showed a decrease in both physical activity and self-efficacy levels across both groups from pre to post. There were several challenges with bringing exercise referral schemes into clinical practice, even in a newly adopted collaborative care model, that may have influenced the level of participant uptake and the results. Mainly, there was a lack of physician uptake, lack of access to the exercise professional, and lack of patient interest in the PiezoRxD®
pedometer/accelerometer
Interfacing MATLAB with with V-REP for easier development of warehousing robots
No full textRobots can be utilized for many environments, such as the warehouse environment. However, testing a new robot in a real environment is risky. It may damage the real robot or the environment. Although the Visual Robot Experimentation Platform (V-REP) is a proposed answer, it lacks a robot algorithm coding and debugging environment to implement and test complex robot control algorithms. However, MATLAB provides complex algorithms coding environment and a huge function library. In order to utilize V-REP and MATLAB together, it is required to establish an interface between them.
The primary purpose of the project is to test and analyzethe basics of interfacing MATLAB with V-REP for easier development of warehousing robots. Specifically, the project focuses on the construction of the interface, prototyping complex control algorithms with MATLAB, and simulation of a warehousing robot with V-REP to test and debug the MATLAB algorithms in a simulated warehouse environment.
The core implementations of this thesis are 1) the interface between MATLAB and V-REP, 2) robot's drive and rotate functions, and 3) visual representations of auto-navigation and computer vision algorithms. The implementation environment is for the robot to visually recognize and grasp square and elliptical objects on a given map and move them into the specified basket, throw them into it, and repeat the above instructions. Based on the performance of the robot, we will be able to test and validate the control algorithms prototyped in MATLAB. And, based on the testing result, we can prove that the interface between MATLAB and V-REP can help to establish an easier warehousing robot development process.
The development process is divided into four parts: 1) establishing the warehouse environment and the robot object in V-REP, 2)fast prototyping the complex control algorithms in MATLAB, 3) coding an interface to connect MATLAB and V-REP platforms, and 4) testing and validation of the MATLAB algorithms. In the process of establishing warehouse environment and the robot object, I have carefully studied the knowledge theory of each part, injected my own thoughts and ideas into each part, and fused the essence of this project to successfully test and validate the complex control algorithms prototyped in
MATLAB
Sex, leg and sport differences in ankle joint angles and moments during unanticipated cutting and jumping movements
No full textAnkle injuries are a frequent setback to athletes across a wide range of sports. Dependant on the severity of injury, athletes can be side-lined from their respective sports for weeks at a time and develop increasingly higher susceptibility to future injuries. Ankle sprains as well as Achilles tendon ruptures are common injuries at the level of the ankle. Due to the frequency and severity of these injuries, identifying risk factors, or groups at greater risk of injury within sport is important in preventing such injuries. The purpose of this study was to identify leg, sex, and sport differences in ankle joint angles and moments during common athletic movements such as cutting and double and single legdrop jump landings. This study worked to compare the biomechanical differences of court and field sport athletes, thus emphasis was placed on analysing basketball and soccer athletes. This study utilized data collected at Acadia University's John MacIntyre motion Laboratory of Applied Biomechanics (mLAB) and the four groups that were statistically compared included: male basketball athletes (age = 18 ± 4.3, height =179.28 ± 11.25, weight = 74.17 ± 19.28); male soccer athletes (age = 18.14 ± 3.0, height = 177.21 ± 5.90, weight = 69.37 ± 8.75); female basketball athletes (age = 18 ± 3.1, height = 169.31 ± 6.00, weight = 68.39 ±± 16.60); and finally female soccer athletes (age = 17.93 ± 2.5, height = 164.61 ± 5.26, weight = 59.47 ± 6.02). Motion analysis data, including EMG, ground reaction forces, and 3D marker position, were collected for all participants. Using Visual3D, ankle joint internal moments and angles were calculated for the stance phase of unanticipated cutting, double
leg drop jump and single leg drop jump landing trials. Processed data (maximum and instant of contact joint moments and angles) were analysed using a 3-way ANOVA to test for significant leg (dominant vs non-dominant), sex (male vs female) and sport (basketball vs soccer) main effects, as well as interaction effects. Results from this study indicated significant sex and sport main effects in moments during drop jump landings in the sagittal plane (plantarflexion/dorsiflexion), sex, leg and sport main effects in moments and angles during cuts and jump landings in the frontal plane (toe-in/toe-out), and finally, leg, sex and sport main effects in moments and angles during jump landings in the transverse plane (inversion/eversion). The findings of this study provide insight into factors that might put specific athletes at greater risk of ankle injury and it is suggested that future studies include lower limb muscle activation patterns, to help better understand ankle injury