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No. 37: Harnessing Diaspora Finance for Climate Resilience in Africa
No full textAs climate change accelerates, the costs of adaptation are rising sharply. This escalation comes at a time when financial inflows to developing countries – such as official development assistance and foreign direct investment – are declining. Meanwhile, the global political climate is becoming unfavourable to sustained climate financing commitments. In this context, the role of remittances in supporting climate adaptation and mitigation in developing countries has attracted growing interest. This paper broadens the lens to examine diaspora finance more holistically, encompassing not only remittances but also diaspora investments and knowledge transfer. It explores the potential of these various diaspora finance channels to contribute to climate action in sub-Saharan Africa
No. 34: Food Insecurity and the Coping Strategies of West African Migrants in Accra, Ghana
No full textThis paper examines the food insecurity experiences and coping strategies of West African migrants in Accra, Ghana, across three periods: pre-COVID-19, during the pandemic, and post-COVID-19. Utilizing a survey of 420 migrants, the study explores the interplay between remittances, socioeconomic factors, and food security. The findings reveal that food insecurity was most severe during the pandemic, with remittances—especially food remittances—offering limited mitigation due to underlying vulnerabilities. Coping strategies employed by migrants included reducing meal frequency, relying on less preferred foods, borrowing food, and seeking social support. The study highlights the need for targeted policies to strengthen urban food systems, provide social safety nets, and enhance the resilience of migrant communities during crises. These findings contribute to the literature on migration and food security by offering insights into the vulnerabilities and adaptive behaviors of urban migrants in the face of systemic shocks
Political Communication in A Multicultural Metropolis: Chinese Ethnic Media and the 2023 Toronto Mayoral By-Election
Get PDFChinese are the second largest visible minority group in Canada and the most frequently reported ethnic or cultural origin in Toronto. Mandarin and Cantonese are, respectively, the largest and third largest non-official languages in Toronto. However, little research exists on the role of the Chinese ethnic community in Toronto municipal politics, especially the role of Chinese ethnic media in Toronto municipal elections.
The key argument of this thesis is that “Chinese ethnic media represent complementary public sphere(s) for informing and engaging Chinese Canadians in local political participation and discussion.” Through the 2023 Toronto Mayoral By-Election case study, this thesis examines how Chinese ethnic media represent an essential complementary public sphere for informing and engaging Chinese Canadian residents. The author tries to answer these questions: What role do Chinese ethnic media play in Canadian municipal politics? How do Chinese ethnic media cover municipal election campaigns? Are there any similarities and differences in the news reporting of Chinese ethnic media with different origins?
This thesis applies quantitative content analysis to examine the “frequency” and “intensity” of election-focused stories, applies qualitative content analysis to explore the “direction” of television and radio programs, and applies qualitative framing analysis to examine the communicators, texts, receivers, and cultures of commentary articles during the campaign period of the 2023 Toronto Mayoral By-Election (April - July 2023). 11 Chinese ethnic media agencies, including dushi.ca, Ming Pai Daily News, Ming Sheng Bao, info.51.ca, Epoch Times, Toronto News Net, Fairchild Television, Talentvision, A1 Chinese Radio, and The Chaser News, are examined in this thesis. Overall, 196 news articles, 10 interviews, and 9 commentary articles are covered in this thesis.
The key argument that “Chinese ethnic media represent complementary public sphere(s) for informing and engaging Chinese Canadians in local political participation and discussion” is proven to be established. Chinese ethnic media play an essential role in political communication. They share many similarities with mainstream media and among themselves, especially in news reporting on policy issues, and contribute to the “civic assimilation” of Chinese communities. Meanwhile, different Chinese ethnic media producers show distinct characteristics in the multi-ethnic public sphere due to their various media activism and advocacy in ethnic media structures.
Other main findings include: (1) Although Chinese ethnic media pay attention to community-specific issues, they focus on diasporic politics related to the PRC government rather than identity politics here in Canada. (2) In most cases, Chinese ethnic media reported Olivia Chow significantly more than any other mayoral candidate, indicating that Chinese ethnic media are more inclined to focus on Chinese Canadian politicians. (3) Most Chinese ethnic media depicted Olivia Chow\u27s identity primarily as “Chinese Canadian” rather than a more limited term such as “Hongkonger Canadian” or a more extensive term such as “Asian Canadian.” (4) Hongkonger-oriented Chinese ethnic media paid more attention to Olivia Chow’s Hong Kong origin and her past story.
(5) Mainlander-oriented Chinese ethnic media paid more attention to other ethnic Chinese candidates (most of them have mainland Chinese origin). (6) With various formats and exclusive interviews, generally speaking, Hongkonger-oriented Chinese ethnic media performed better than Mainlander-oriented Chinese ethnic media regarding breadth and depth
The impacts of permafrost thaw slumps on Arctic stream ecology
Get PDFClimate change is intensifying permafrost thaw across terrain of the circumpolar Arctic. Increased temperatures and rainfall at northern latitudes have resulted in the expansion of thermokarst features such as retrogressive thaw slumps, which make previously frozen debris available for transport into nearby river systems. In the Peel Plateau, Northwest Territories, the mobilization of these materials exposes rivers to a large quantity of sediment and solutes that may act as a chronic, press disturbance, potentially altering stream food webs. Here, I examine if: 1) thaw slumps have driven changes to the physical and biological properties of slump impacted streams since an initial sampling campaign during 2010-2014, 2) thaw slump derived carbon is incorporated into stream food webs, and 3) thaw slump presence changes stream food web structure. I found that thaw slumps acted as press disturbances on streams, where slump-driven pressures on invertebrate communities remained consistent between 2010-2014 and 2021. High total suspended solids (TSS) persisted in impacted streams resulting in continually low invertebrate abundance in slump affected watersheds. However, changes to community composition through increased chironomid diversity were evident in the most recent sampling campaign, a trend that was reflected in increased taxonomic diversity in 2021 relative to previous assessments. All invertebrate metrics measured throughout 2010-2014 and 2021 were driven by the number of slumps upstream, where abundance decreased in response to large numbers of slumps, and diversity increased. Thaw slumps also altered food web structure in impacted streams through the addition of previously frozen organic carbon (C) into watercourses. As slump impact increased, consumers relied more on slump-derived C as a dietary resource. Sites with intermediate impact exhibited the broadest range of resource use, as consumers used food sources typical of both unimpacted and impacted food webs. Finally, thaw slumps affected food web structure by reducing trophic redundancy, but increasing trophic diversity, likely reflecting differences in microbial communities between levels of impact. Overall, thaw slumps cause a variety of impacts on the physical and biotic aspects of streams that will continue to affect ecosystems as climate change progresses
Structural Insights into Peptidoglycan O-Acetylation in Gram-negative Bacteria
No full textThe Centres for Disease Control has acknowledged that we are entering a post-antibiotic era, where increasing numbers of bacterial pathogens are becoming resistant to known antibiotics. One of the most successfully targeted features of bacteria is also the main component of the cell wall, peptidoglycan (PG). PG is a heteropolymer of alternating sugar residues, namely N-acetylmuramic acid (MurNAc) and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) which are joined together by b-(1,4)-glycosidic bonds and crosslinked via stem peptide chains. PG is a target, readily lysed by exogenous and endogenous autolysins, such as lysozyme and lytic transglycosylase, respectively. This event leads to cell death if not attenuated by post-synthetic modifications, such as the O-acetylation of the C-6 hydroxyl group of MurNAc. PG O-acetylation prevents attack from lysozyme, which is an important component of the host immune response, and thus results in persistence in the host during infection. PG and its metabolic enzymes serve as effective antimicrobial targets, as PG is unique to bacteria and is required for cell viability. The enzymes responsible for PG O-acetylation in Gram-negative bacteria are PG O-acetyltransferase A and B (PatA and PatB) and they are under investigation as drug targets in Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, such as Campylobacter jejuni. While recent mechanistic insights into PG O-acetylation by PatB have been revealed, there remains no structural characterization on PatA to confirm the proposed mechanism. Many questions remain surrounding the structure of PatA and how it may interact with PatB to accomplish PG O-acetylation. In this thesis, the experimental topology of PatA from C. jejuni was determined and presented in lieu of an experimental three-dimensional structure. Through this, PatA was demonstrated to be a transmembrane protein with twelve transmembrane segments, and the positions of conserved structural and catalytic features were confirmed. Furthermore, structural modelling of PatA and a possible binding partner PatB were performed to show strong preliminary evidence for a direct protein-protein interaction between PatA and PatB, in agreement with topological and other mechanistic experiments. The data presented in this thesis provide the first structural characterization of PatA and suggest a working model for PG O-acetylation in Gram-negative pathogens as an antivirulence target
EXPLORING THE INTERCONNECTIONS BETWEEN MITOCHONDRIAL CARRIER PROTEINS INVOLVED IN ENERGY TRANSFER: THE CASE OF UNCOUPLIG PROTEINS 2 AND 4, ADENINE NUCLEOTIDE TRANSLOCASE, AND PHOSPHATE TRANSLOCASE
No full textMitochondrial carrier (MC) proteins play an essential role in cellular energy metabolism by mediating the transport of solutes and protons across the mitochondrial inner membrane (MIM). This thesis explores the structural and functional characteristics of three groups of MC proteins—Uncoupling Proteins (UCPs), Adenine Nucleotide Translocase (ANT), and Phosphate Translocase (PiT)—to elucidate their individual and interrelated cooperative roles in mitochondrial proton transport and energy regulation.
The study develops and applies novel methodologies for the overexpression, purification, and reconstitution of MC proteins into model lipid bilayers mimicking the native mitochondrial inner membrane environment. These methods ensure proteins maintain their native-like conformations and functionality, enabling detailed structural and functional biophysical analyses. Results demonstrate that once reconstituted in lipid bilayers, UCP2 and UCP4 predominantly exist as tetramers, with cardiolipin (CL) significantly enhancing their proton transport activity. Conversely, ANT and PiT were observed primarily in monomeric or dimeric states, with CL stabilizing their structural forms and enhancing their proton transport efficiency.
Functional assays revealed important insights into the cooperative dynamics of these proteins. Binary and ternary combinations of UCPs, ANT, and PiT formed heterotetramers. Heterotetramers from binary combinations influenced proton transport activity in distinct ways. Notably, those formed by UCP4 and ANT1, in varying stoichiometric ratios, exhibited synergistic effects on proton transport. Further investigations using inhibitors such as ATP, GTP, and Carboxyatractyloside (CATR) elucidated the complex interplay between these proteins, highlighting the impact of the lipid composition of the membrane environment, fatty acid activators, and stoichiometric ratios of the proteins on their functionality.
The findings of this research address significant gaps in understanding how MC proteins may interact within the MIM to regulate energy transfer, oxidative phosphorylation, and proton leak. By characterizing their structural-functional relationships and synergistic behaviors, this work advances the broader field of mitochondrial bioenergetics and offers insights into potential therapeutic strategies for metabolic and mitochondrial-related dysfunctions
Can Churches Exist in the Deconstruction Space? The Deconstruction Movement and the Decline of the White Protestant Church in North
Get PDFLiminal Transformational Pastoral Leadership: A Case Study God’s Story, Our Story: Living in Times of Change
Get PDFCloser Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other
Get PDFReview of Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other by Sophie Grégoire Trudeau (Toronto: Random House, 2024
Three Walks Along Wascana Creek
Get PDFThree Walks Along Wascana Creek recalls the author\u27s walking along Wascana Creek in Regina, Saskatchewan, in June 2021