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Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake : evaluating the effectiveness of mitigation structures at the population level
No full textAs reptile populations worldwide decline, construction and monitoring of road mortality mitigation measures is becoming common. I studied the effectiveness of barrier fencing at preventing Eastern Massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus catenatus) from gaining access to the road. I also tested whether ecopassages were effective at allowing Massasaugas to access habitat on both sides of the road. I determined that there was a reduction of Massasaugas on the road post-installation of barrier fencing. Data from various monitoring approaches showed that Massasaugas do indeed use the ecopassages to cross the road. I quantified the long-term effect of mitigation structures on the population viability of Massasaugas. A Population Viability Analysis revealed that post-mitigation construction, the study population has a low probability of extinction, suggesting that mitigation is effective at promoting a sustainable population. Analyzing the effects of road mortality at the population level is crucial to ensure that decision makers are adequately informed of the status of species-at-risk
The effects of stress on eating patterns and the effects of stress and attachment on eating behaviour and food preference in stress under-eaters and stress-eaters
No full textThis article-based thesis examined the effects of stress and attachment
style on eating. The first article explored the effects of stress on the eating
patterns of undergraduate students. Results demonstrated that stress leads
to reported unhealthy changes in eating habits. Specifically, stress led to
increased reported preference for take-out food options. Findings showed
that gender influenced stress-related snacking and loss of control over
eating. The second article examined the influences of stress and
attachment on eating in self-reported stress under-eaters and stress-eaters.
The results demonstrated that attachment style uniquely influences the
eating of these two distinct groups and that stress and attachment have
differential effects on eating. These findings add to the paucity of research
investigating the effects of stress on eating from a naturalistic approach.
These results also identify various idiosyncrasies of these two novel
groups and highlight the role of attachment in disordered eating behaviour
The relationship between Facebook and body image
No full textThe purpose of this study is to analyze the frequency of specific activities on Facebook that have a correlation with low body image. Social media websites (SMW) such as Facebook influence mental health which has been reinforced by research. Correlations have been found between Facebook use and various psychological factors such as self-esteem. Body image has become of great concern in general, especially for those who use social networking sites. Previous studies have found conflicting results when observing gender differences. Prior research has found that males and females are shown to have poor body image depending on how often either gender engages in certain activities on Facebook. Therefore, it is predicted that males and females will have low body image due to high activity usage on Facebook. Sixty undergraduate students from Laurentian University were used as the sample. Participants were asked to complete a demographic questionnaire which included gender and age, a Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire which gave an accurate score on body image, and a Self-Report Questionnaire which measured the frequency of Facebook usage. Results of this study may contribute to helping clinicians who work with college students that may be suffering from depression, anxiety, and/or low self-esteem related to poor body image.Honours essa
Propriété antioxydante d’un extrait de graine de roquette (Eruca sativa Mill. (Brassicacées))
No full textThe therapeutic benefits of yelling
No full textYelling has been used as a form of healing in Indigenous cultures (Nabigon, 2010). Research suggests benefits to therapies that incorporate yelling (Karle, Corriere, & Hart, 1973). However, the physiological impact of yelling has not been investigated. The current study explores EEG measurements of yelling as compared to its derivatives (deep breathing and a vocal control). Ten participants from Laurentian University were recruited. Results of relative spectral power analysis provide evidence of a significant increase in relative gamma power following the yelling condition only (F(14,98) = 2.87, p=.001, ŋ2=.291). POMS scores confirm that there was a significant total mood disturbance reduction following the yelling condition only (t(9)=3.68, p=.005). Findings support strategies designed to enhance health and well-being.Honours Bachelor of Science in Psycholog
Interactions between metal and drought stressors on plant water relationships and their effects at ecosystem level
Get PDFHeavy metals influence plant traits that are relevant to its internal water status.
Therefore, knowledge of metal effects on a plant’s ability to tolerate other stresses such
as drought is important to ensure sustainability of restoration efforts in contaminated
landscapes, often prone to drought. The aim of this thesis was to gain understanding how
heavy metal contamination influences plant-water relationships and how this interacts
with effects of a simultaneous drought. Levels ranging from organs to ecosystem
processes were investigated. Chapter 1 briefly reviews published studies on interactions
between metal and drought stress and highlights potential gaps in literature. Chapter 2
presents results of a 2-year outdoor lysimeter study on the effects of Cu-Ni toxicity on
plant-water relationships using saplings of Acer rubrum, Betula papyrifera, and Quercus
rubra. The study shows that under elevated metal levels the plants use less water but suffer
drought symptoms even if there is water available. Chapter 3 investigates, using B.
papyrifera, whether such metal effects on water use are a result of short-term exposure of
roots on their water uptake capacity, or due to long-term structural damage e.g. on
hydraulic architecture. Both effects were found, but were smaller than hypothesized. In
Chapter 4 influence of metals on plant’s vulnerability to xylem embolisms in Acer
rubrum saplings is found to be higher in the metal contaminated region of Sudbury,
Ontario, compared to surrounding uncontaminated regions. Chapter 5 establishes
guidelines and limitations for transporting leaves from field to laboratory when
measuring leaf relative water content, a method that is important for studying plant water
relations in the field. Finally, I conclude with a general overall summary of results and
proposed suggestions for reclamation projects
Analyse critique des études portant sur la thérapie à intonation mélodique pour les personnes atteintes d’aphasie
No full textBien que la thérapie musicale soit connue et utilisée depuis longtemps, c’est seulement en 1973 que le terme de Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT) voit le jour, dans l’étude menée par Sparks et coll. Dans l’article apparu dans le Aphasia Research Unit, les auteurs présentent le MIT comme étant une nouvelle forme de thérapie de l’aphasie, qui peut être largement définie comme étant un trouble acquis expressif ou réceptif du langage oral ou écrit. Cette méthode ferait recours aux capacités latentes langagières de l’hémisphère non dominant du langage, soit l’hémisphère droit.
Bien qu’elle célèbre tout juste son 40e anniversaire, la thérapie à intonation mélodique est tout de même considérée comme une méthode moderne à cause du nombre de recherches plutôt restreint effectué sur celle-ci. À la suite de sa définition, les études menées dans la même décennie tentaient de répondre à la question suivante: « De quelle manière la stimulation de l’hémisphère droit aide-t-elle à la réadaptation des fonctions langagières? » Les premières explications étaient très basiques, faisant référence aux champs entourant les traits extralinguistiques de la langue, soit l’aspect musical régi par l’hémisphère droit comme la mélodie et le rythme pour n’en nommer que quelques-uns.
Plus les recherches ont avancé, plus les questions posées se sont spécifiées, faisant en sorte que les chercheurs ont pu cibler des domaines spécifiques du langage, tout en étudiant les changements observés comme suite à la thérapie. Le langage non propositionnel et sa conservation en sont des exemples. La population idéale pour la MIT et ses effets à long terme par opposition à ses effets à court terme semblent changer avec chaque nouvelle recherche et ne peuvent être démontrés clairement. Les effets au niveau cérébral, la question du bilinguisme, les variations de la thérapie et la familiarité avec l’interlocuteur sont quelques sujets également explorés au 21e siècle.
Puis, certains chercheurs, comme Benjamin Stahl (2013), soulèvent une nouvelle série de questionnements: l’aspect mélodique est-il vraiment le facteur déterminant pour la réadaptation du langage? Se pourrait-il que le rythme joue un plus grand rôle que les autres sphères musicales utilisées dans le MIT?
Dans ce projet de recherche, nous tenterons de répondre à différentes questions à propos de la thérapie à intonation mélodique tout en cherchant à explorer ses effets réels sur la réadaptation du langage. Cette analyse critique a pour but de recenser les résultats observés dans les études antérieures ayant été effectuées chez des sujets atteints de divers types d’aphasie. Les différentes interrogations des chercheurs mentionnées précédemment sont quelques exemples de points qui seront étudiés davantage dans la présente recherche. Puisqu’un certain nombre de recherches ont suscité un intérêt pour d’autres dimensions à considérer comme responsables de la réadaptation du langage, celles-ci seront aussi analysées
Sperm morphometry and motility in an African CICHLID, Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor victoriae across divergent habitats
Get PDFThere is a paucity of studies on the natural variation in sperm morphometry and motility in a single species across dissolved oxygen regimes. This study measured the natural variation in reproductive traits including sperm morphometry and motility of male Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor victoriae across a wide range of habitats in Uganda, Africa. I investigated whether fish displayed differences in testes mass, testes asymmetry, sperm morphometry, and sperm motility. P. multicolor were collected from nine sites characterized by three oxygen regimes: seasonally fluctuating, hypoxic and normoxic. Fish traits were measured and analyzed by site and by oxygen regime. I found that P. multicolor display variation in reproductive traits across habitats, and that males in hypoxic regimes are smaller bodied, have lower testes asymmetry, shorter sperm, and a higher sperm velocity relative to males in normoxic or fluctuating regimes. Males may be able to invest more energy into reproduction in hypoxic sites due to a lack of predators in these sites. Additionally, over the long term, males in hypoxic sites may have locally adapted to chronic conditions, allowing them to invest more energy into testes and sperm to offset the costs of living under hypoxia. In contrast, males from the fluctuating regime were large bodied, had high testes asymmetry, and the longest sperm with the lowest sperm velocity. Males in fluctuating regimes may be experiencing energetic trade-offs between growth and reproduction, due to the less predictable oxygen levels in their habitat. Future studies should assess P. multicolor for trait differences across oxygen regimes in a split-brood laboratory study to control for confounding effects of food availability, predation risk, and mating competition on reproductive traits