Open Theses and Dissertations
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Item Open Access Exploring EEG phenotype in a female fragile X syndrome mouse model(2025-04-17) Ahmed, Asim; Cheng, Ning; Turner, Raymond; Bray, Signey LaurenBackground Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), the most common monogenic cause of autism, currently lacks effective, broadly applicable treatments. Despite promising preclinical results, many clinical trials have failed—highlighting the need for reliable translational biomarkers. Electroencephalography (EEG) has emerged as a promising tool, with recent studies identifying EEG abnormalities, particularly in male FXS patients and rodent models, such as increased gamma power and reduced or unchanged alpha power. However, female models remain understudied, despite FXS being an X-linked disorder with notable sex-based phenotypic differences. Additionally, few studies examine EEG biomarkers across developmental stages, though such comparisons are crucial for understanding disease progression. To address these gaps, we investigated EEG features in female fmr1 knockout (KO) mice—a well-established FXS model—at both juvenile and adult ages, comparing them to wild-type (WT) controls. Methods and Results EEG recordings were obtained using a wireless open-source EEG system (OSERR), with signals collected from frontal-parietal electrodes during three conditions: home cage, light/dark arena, and open field test. We analyzed absolute and relative EEG power, peak alpha frequency, theta-beta ratio, phase-amplitude and amplitude-amplitude coupling, and signal complexity. Our results showed that alpha, beta, gamma, and total absolute power were elevated in KO mice compared to WT at both ages. Gamma power (absolute and relative) increased with age in both genotypes, while relative theta power decreased in KO mice. Additionally, KO mice exhibited altered cross-frequency coupling, increased peak alpha frequency, and a reduced theta-beta ratio. EEG complexity, however, remained unchanged. Discussion and Conclusion Our findings reinforce gamma power elevation as a consistent EEG biomarker across FXS models, including female mice. However, not all biomarkers observed in FXS patients (e.g., peak alpha frequency, theta-beta ratio, and signal complexity) were mirrored in female KO mice, suggesting partial translational validity. Notably, differences between male and female fmr1KO mice also point to presence of a potential sex-specific EEG phenotypes. These results emphasize the need to consider sex and developmental stage when using EEG as a translational biomarker in FXS research and highlight which EEG features may be more reliably translated from animal models to human studies.Item Open Access Identifying novel functions of the SHOX homeobox 2 gene within the developing mouse hindbrain(2025-04-15) Hamilton, Gregory David; Cobb, John; Dyck, Richard; Shemanko, Carrie; Kurrasch, Deborah; Schuurmans, CarolThe SHOX homeobox 2 (Shox2) gene is required for proper embryonic development of the heart, limb, palate, spinal cord, and brain. The conditional inactivation of Shox2 in the developing central nervous system causes mutant mice to be born with impaired motor coordination and facial paresis, due to a loss of Shox2 expression in cerebellar Purkinje cells and facial visceral and branchial motor neurons. Neonatal lethality also occurs in these mutants 18-26 hours after birth due to an undescribed neural function of Shox2. Here, we characterized the spatiotemporal recombinase activity of the Hoxb1Cre, Egr2Cre, Atoh1-Cre, MafbCre, Hoxb4-ENE-Cre, Wnt1-Cre, and Nes-Cre mouse lines in the developing embryo, neonatal brain, and cochlea, before using a subset of these lines to conditionally inactivate (LOF) and overexpress (GOF) Shox2 in the developing mouse. Hoxb1Cre activity in rhombomere 4, from which facial visceral and branchial motor neurons arise, resulted in Shox2 GOF embryos with facial nerve fasciculation defects. Egr2Cre had activity in rhombomeres 3 and 5, which contribute cells to the ascending auditory pathway; generated Shox2 GOF mice subsequently showed significant reductions in both acoustic startle response and sensorimotor gating during pre-pulse inhibition tests. MafbCre was active in rhombomeres 5 and 6, and in brain interneuron populations; generated Shox2 LOF neonates died 14-24 hours after birth, following the detection of decreased inspiratory amplitudes, increased breath period variability, and greater apnea durations during whole-body plethysmography. Shox2 expression in these mutants was notably lost in the medullary medial reticular formation, which contributes to respiratory rhythm regulation in neonatal mice. This work provides evidence of novel roles for Shox2 in facial nerve fasciculation, acoustic startle modulation, and respiratory rhythm stabilization, and reinforces the necessity of iii Shox2 expression in the hindbrain for neonatal survival. These experiments also demonstrate the cellular and functional conservation between central pattern generators in the spinal cord and brainstem.Item Open Access Curating DIY Community On Reddit A Feminist Subcultural Study of R/Cottagecore(2025-04-16) Ramey, Hunter Caitlin; Keller, Jessalynn; Keller, Jessalynn; Shepherd, Tamara; Chan, JuliaInternet aesthetics are a form of style categorization that have prominent popularity within the social media use of girls and young women. Often aesthetics are interpreted as the mass commercialization of a style, sometimes inspired by previous subcultures like goth or punk. There is a bias within female youth cultural studies to pay significantly more attention to girls’ consumerist activities and less on the ways they interact, share and create using media. I investigate girls’ media production within cottagecore through the collection of 599 posts and 8151 comments made to the r/cottagecore subreddit between July 1st 2024 and August 31st 2024 to unearth the continuation of consumption-conscious subcultural activities such as do-it-yourself (DIY). I argue that close analysis can show meaning within these aesthetics beyond consumerism. Additionally, r/cottagecore negotiates space within an internet aesthetic which can be problematic as the colonial nature of the cottage and the aesthetic use of DIY (crochet, embroidery, cooking, sewing) has gained the attention of another internet phenomenon: the tradwife. However cottagecore can also be an aesthetic adopted by youth in rejection to overconsumption through progressive repurposing of traditionally feminine roles or by minoritized groups as a means of reclaiming a space. I analyze how r/cottagecore participants grapple with the complex environment of femininity, consumption and the intersectional considerations of participation.Item Open Access Chemical Diversity in High-Mass Star-Forming Regions: A Comparison of Carbon-Chain and Complex Organic Molecules(2025-04-14) Freeman, Pamela; Plume, René; Stil, Jeroen; Friesen, Rachel; Langill, Phil; Wieser, MichaelThe dynamic evolution of star formation produces a diverse suite of molecules, whose emission reveals great detail about the physical and chemical conditions from which these species arise. In protostellar sources there are two categories of molecules distinguished for their diagnostic capabilities: complex organic molecules and carbon-chain molecules. Due to their different formation routes, these molecules distinguish a possible chemical dichotomy of protostellar regions. In this thesis, I study the large-scale structure and environment of high-mass protostellar regions through a systematic survey of complex organic molecules and carbon-chain molecules. I combine observations and modeling for a comprehensive view. For the observations, I conducted a wide-band spectral survey with the Institut de ra-dioastronomie millim´etrique 30-m telescope and the 100-m Green Bank Telescope towards the three high-mass star-forming regions in the nearby molecular cloud complex Cygnus X: AFGL 2591, IRAS 20126+4104, and DR21(OH). I map these regions to gain spatial as well as spectral information about these sources. For the modeling, I use a newly built multi-component local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) model to determine the physical conditions of the gas environment these molecules arise from. The model identifies all molecular transitions for one or more species and simul-taneously fits these lines as defined by certain physical parameters – size, line width, columndensity, excitation temperature, and source velocity. In all three sources, I disentangle dif-ferent velocity and temperature components corresponding to known protostellar cores and outflows in the regions. In follow-up, I present results from a gas-grain code that determines the formation and destruction routes of these molecules. Both thermal and non-thermal mechanisms are needed to reproduce the abundances of the observed species. In this thesis, I also demonstrate the use of this python-based LTE model as a flexible and comprehensive way to analyze spectral line data cubes. Through a combination of wide-band mapping observations, LTE and non-LTE model analysis, and chemical modeling, I reveal the chemical and physical environments of protostellar regions.Item Open Access Spatial Infectious Disease Transmission Models: Variable Screening Methods and Logistic Formulation.(2025-04-07) Akter, Tahmina; Deardon, Rob; Braun, Willard John; Shen, Hua; Wang, Haixu; Liu, JuxinInfectious disease outbreaks have widespread consequences, affecting not only health, economies, and agriculture, but also global trade, social structures, and education (Rohr et al., 2019; Vurro et al., 2010; Anderson, 2002). Advanced mathematical models of infectious diseases, particularly individual-level models (ILMs), play a crucial role in understanding and predicting disease dynamics at a detailed scale, facilitating targeted interventions, and developing new public health strategies for treatment and prevention. However, fitting these models can be challenging when there are numerous covariates involved. It is useful to filter relevant covariates from a wider range of potential covariates to enhance the model accuracy and prediction, increase computational efficiency, prevent over-fitting, and improve model robustness and interpretability. This thesis aims to investigate and compare various variable screening methods for individual-level disease transmission models. The methods include least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso), forward and backward stepwise Akaike information criterion (AIC), variable random selection (boosting) methods, spike-and-slab (SS) priors, and two-stage screening methods. These are applied within the context of spatial ILMs with numerous potential susceptible covariates. The methods are investigated on a combination of simulated epidemic data and UK foot-and-mouth disease outbreak data (2001). Additionally, we introduce a novel framework for modelling the spatiotemporal dynamics of disease transmission: the conditional logistic individual-level model (CL-ILM). This approach significantly reduces the computational complexity associated with traditional spatiotemporal ILMs, making it compatible with standard software for logistic model fitting. The modelling process is divided into two stages. First, we use a maximum likelihood approach to estimate the spatial parameter by selecting an optimal value from a finite set of plausible candidates, resulting in a conditional logistic ILM. In the second stage, the model is fitted within a Bayesian framework, and its performance is evaluated using a posterior predictive approach (Gardner, 2010). Moreover, we apply variable selection methods to the newly developed CL-ILMs to enhance model performance, improve interpretability, and minimize the risk of overfitting, ultimately leading to more robust and effective models. The performance of these methods is assessed and compared using both simulated data and the 2001 UK foot-and-mouth disease outbreak data.Item Open Access Analyzing the Privacy, Racial and Gender Concerns in Facial Recognition Technology for Effective Regulation(2025-04-15) Duruiheoma, Chidinma Maureen; Christian, Gideon; Ahmed, Sanaa; Laidlaw, Emily BuchananFacial recognition technology (FRT) is a biometric identification and verification system that uses computer algorithms to compare unique facial characteristics from a digital image or video against a digital database of human faces and matching similar or identical faces accordingly. The technology has been touted as a major innovation in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) especially with check mating insecurity since 911. However, FRT has been plagued by issues of privacy as well as racial and gender concerns. A study conducted to understand the privacy concerns emanating from the deployment of facial recognition revealed that 70% of participants raised privacy concerns about the technology.1 Among other things, they indicated their fear for constant surveillance, repurposing of their facial images for other uses beyond what they consented to, lack of proper security safeguards, and the high risk of misidentification by security agents as some of their concerns. Beyond the violation of privacy rights, FRT poses civil right challenges to marginalized groups. Civil liberty advocates have highlighted the impact this technology has on Black people. Additionally, studies on the accuracy of FRTs on different demographics have shown that the rate of misidentification is highest for women with darker skin tones, especially Black women than any other group, and this has led to troubling cases of misgendering and misrecognition of black women.2 This thesis intends to analyze these concerns with the intention of making recommendations that will provide a framework for the effective regulation of FRT in both the private and public sectors. A breakdown of this will be done as stated below: Chapter One will provide an overview of FRT, that is definitions, history, and the different forms of FRT. It will also capture the research problems and methodologies that will be utilized to address the concerns of FRT. Chapter Two will focus on the privacy concerns of FRT. It will start with a theoretical analysis of the right to privacy, and will subsequently discuss the privacy issues in the development and use of FRT. Chapter Three will concentrate on the racial concerns of FRT. It will discuss how the developers of FRT perpetuate racial bias by disproportionately representing people of color in the training datasets. It will also discuss some effects of racial bias like wrongful arrest and revocation of immigration status based on the output of privately developed FRT Chapter Four will analyze the gender concerns of FRT. It will also analyze the high error rate of FRTs for black women and how it misgenders them as men or misrecognizes them entirely. Furthermore, it will discuss how this culminates to the essentialization of Eurocentric feature as the yardstick for femininity. Finally, Chapter Five will capture some recommendations that will provide effective strategies in the development and use of FRT.Item Open Access Detection and Characterization of Iron using MR Susceptibility Imaging at 9.4T in a Mouse Model(2025-04-14) Steele, Racheal; Dunn, Jeff F.; Harris, Ashley; Yong, Wee V.Iron accumulation in the central nervous system is implicated in multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases, yet the acute effects of iron deposition in brain white matter remain poorly understood. This study investigates the spatial and temporal dynamics of iron following localized injection into the corpus callosum, assessing its location and potential neurotoxicity using MRI and histological validation. Female C57BL/6 mice received stereotaxic injections of either ferrous sulfate heptahydrate or saline in the left corpus callosum. MRI was performed at 1-, 3-, and 7-days post-injection using R2*, quantitative susceptibility mapping, and quantitative T2. Statistical analyses included 2 × 3 mixed-effects ANOVA and voxel-wise Paired T-test subtraction maps. Histological validation involved DAB-enhanced Perls’ Prussian Blue staining for ferric iron, NeuN for neuronal integrity, IBA-1 for microglial involvement, and Fluoro-Jade C for neuronal degeneration. MRI revealed that iron remained primarily localized to the injection site, with subtle redistribution into deep gray matter structures, notably the nucleus accumbens and caudate putamen. R2* showed significant increases over time, whereas QSM failed to detect significant temporal changes. Histological analysis confirmed iron deposits aligning with MRI-detected regions, with increased microglial presence but minimal neuronal loss in adjacent gray matter. FJC staining indicated localized neuronal degeneration along the injection track, but not in adjacent T. Colocalization analysis suggested that microglia aggregated around iron deposits but did not strongly internalize them, implying a containment rather than clearance response. Our findings suggest that exogenous iron introduced into white matter remains relatively static, with limited redistribution over time. While acute iron exposure does not cause widespread neurodegeneration, microglial recruitment around iron deposits suggests a potential for chronic inflammation. Further investigations should explore long-term iron retention, its interaction with glial responses.Item Open Access Optimizing Approaches of Collecting Post-Discharge Patient-Reported Outcomes from Participants in Pediatric Emergency Department Clinical Research Studies(2025-04-14) Williamson-Urquhart, Sarah; Freedman, Stephen; McRae, Andrew; Ali, SaminaResearch in pediatric emergency departments (EDs) is characterized by brief, in-person interactions between the patient and/or caregiver and research team members. Study procedures are usually performed in the ED, while outcome data collection often requires the patient and/or caregiver to provide important information post-ED discharge. Traditionally this data has been collected through telephone calls, and email surveys, however increasingly studies are using multiple approaches to enhance data collection. As such, this study sought to investigate whether usage of multiple follow-up data collection modalities (e.g., telephone, email, SMS, paper) is associated with improved follow-up data collection. In addition, we determined the proportion of participants completing follow-up using the various modalities. This study evaluated studies conducted by the Pediatric Emergency Research Canada (PERC) network. Data from 23 completed pediatric emergency research studies, including 46,420 participants, were analyzed using a multi-method quantitative approach combining descriptive statistics, principal component analysis, and regression modelling. We found that although offering a choice of modality to complete follow-up was not found to be independently associated with follow-up completion, we did identify several other key factors that were associated with follow-up success including research topic, length of questionnaire, use of patient engagement strategies, study complexity and design. Specifically, mental health studies were associated with a -26.8% (95%CI: -40.7, -12.9) decrease in follow-up completion percent, compared to studies focusing on injuries, and each additional question was associated with a -0.17% (95%CI: -0.27, -0.05) reduction in the follow-up completion rate. Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) had higher follow-up success compared to prospective cohort studies (p = 0.005). The use of targeted patient engagement strategies (e.g., multiple languages) and decreasing study complexity (e.g., fewer number of contacts and study sample size) were associated with increased follow-up successful completion. These findings highlight the complex interplay of factors influencing follow-up success in pediatric emergency research and underscore the importance of tailoring strategies to specific research contexts and patient populations.Item Open Access Inflammatory astrocyte and T cell interactions are supported by hyaluronan in a murine model of Multiple Sclerosis(2025-03-26) Reid, Jacqueline Kelsey; Kuipers, Hedwich; Yong, Wee V.; Gordon, Grant; Jirik, FrankMultiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by demyelination, neurodegeneration, and immune cell infiltration into the central nervous system (CNS). Inflammatory astrocytes, one of the first described subtypes of reactive astrocytes, are thought to play a role in the development of demyelinating lesions. In this thesis, I characterized the distribution of inflammatory astrocytes and their interactions in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of MS. Using this model and in vitro cultures of astrocytes, I identified a novel cell surface marker to identify inflammatory astrocytes. By flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, I determined that the frequency of inflammatory astrocytes is significantly increased in the acute and chronic stages of EAE. I determined that CD4+ T cells are spatially closer to inflammatory astrocytes in EAE tissue, compared to control tissue, and maintain this close distance throughout disease. I further observed that inflammatory astrocytes extend their processes and physically envelop T cells in EAE. In addition, when inflammatory astrocytes and activated T cells are cultured together, the viability of T cells is increased. Moreover, I found that in vitro generated inflammatory astrocytes have increased expression of hyaluronan synthases. Hyaluronan is an extracellular matrix component that is primarily released by astrocytes in the CNS. It has been shown to accumulate in MS and EAE lesions and is thought to support encephalitogenic properties of T cells. However, if astrocyte were treated with the drug 4-methylumbelliferone, which reduces hyaluronan synthesis, this effect on T cell viability is abrogated. Together, my findings suggest that inflammatory astrocytes play a pathogenic role in the progression of EAE through their interactions with T cells, which may be supported by their release of hyaluronan.Item Open Access Relational Foodways in Wild Rose Country: The Pathways, Pitfalls, and Politics of Regenerative Farming in an Agro-Industrial Complex(2025-04-11) Rozanski, Chelsea Leann; McKay, Ben M.; Apentiik, Rowland Anyebadek; Banerjee, Pallavi; Kepkiewicz, Lauren Wood; Desmarais, Annette AurelieA global shift towards large-scale mechanized agriculture has led to a reconfiguration in socio-economic patterns of food production, circulation, and consumption. This intensive agro-industrial regime is characterized by a corporatization and concentration of land, the commodification of seeds and water, and a heavy reliance on external inputs. Driven by a residual model of extractive development, the capitalist exploitation of natural resources has manifested cycles of debt and dependency among small-scale growers worldwide. In Canada, where the agrarian landscape is dominated by export-oriented conventional methods, small-scale farmers are being squeezed out by industry consolidation, high operating costs, and consumer limitations. Situated in Wild Rose Country (Treaty 7, Southern Alberta), this research analyzes 1) the political, socio-economic, gendered, ecological, and cultural-spiritual factors impacting farmers’ ability to employ regenerative practices, and 2) the role of relationality in enabling or disabling more socially and ecologically resilient foodways. A holistic methodology consisting of experiential farming, farm exchanges, group sharing circles, and storytelling supported an environmental scan of regenerative farming organizations in Southern Alberta. Insights were further gleaned from relevant academic literature, policy and NGO reports, and popular media. Guided by agrarian political economy and feminist political ecology, the analytical framework developed herein–relational foodways–makes theoretical and practical contributions to the fields of Critical Agrarian Studies, Socio-cultural Anthropology, and Development Studies. Namely, enhanced food resilience, environmental sustainability, social inclusion, regenerative applications, and educational value. From the formation of a farmer-owned growers cooperative to an urban activist growers collective, the process and outcomes of this transdisciplinary research brings together diverse voices seeking food system transformation.Item Open Access Modulating STDP with Vectorized Backpropagation: A New Paradigm for Real-time Audio Prediction in Spiking Neural Networks(2025-04-10) Batugedara Mohottalalage, Thoshara Malathi Nawarathne; Leung, Henry; Kahou, Samira Ebrahimi; Nicola, WiltenSpiking Neural Networks (SNNs) are inspired by biological neural systems in the human brain. Theoretically, they were proven to consume less power than those non-spiking conventional neural networks due to their sparse spike activities in information transfer and processing. These make the SNNs crucial in state-of-the-art low-power applications widely present in both edge computing and mobile devices. In this thesis, a novel modulating Spike-Timing-Dependent-Plasticity (STDP) learning rule is proposed for multilayer SNNs. The global error feedback strategy has been used to optimize the performance of the proposed learning algorithm. Then, this learning rule is modified with vectorized backpropagation, therefore enabling continuous online learning, hence allowing real-time processing of data. This is extended to a Spiking Long-Short-Term-Memory (S-LSTM) network performing audio prediction on speech data. This enables the extension of SNNs to real-world applications where energy efficiency and real-time processing are imperative. Demonstrating competitive performance from this SNN framework in tasks such as S-LSTM audio predictions points toward outstanding computational efficiency improvements over conventional deep learning models. These strategies are significant pointers to the fact that SNNs be a promising approach for efficient, on-device learning across a wide spectrum of applications in Internet of Things (IoT) deployments.Item Open Access Using Spatial Regression as a Tool for Permafrost Hazard Assessment: A Case Study of the Hudson Bay Railway(2025-04-01) Agyei, Nana Kwabena Frimpong ; Hayley, Jocelyn L.; Lauer, Rachel Mollie; Papalexiou, SimonThe Hudson Bay Railway (HBR) has faced increasing instability and rising maintenance costs due to permafrost thaw, a process accelerated by climate change over the past three decades. Geotechnical investigations have identified the Herchmer Subdivision as the most severely impacted area, with historical and contemporary data revealing that previously stable ground is becoming unstable and that the permafrost boundary is shifting northward. As permafrost degradation continues, there is a pressing need for accurate predictions of thaw-related hazards to support infrastructure resilience and maintenance planning along the HBR. To address this challenge, we employed Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) to identify the key variables contributing to sinkhole formation along the railway. This spatial modeling tool enables the assessment of multiple climatic and ecological factors influencing permafrost degradation while determining their statistical significance. In our MGWR model, sinkholes—measured by the number of surface depressions along the railway—served as the dependent variable. In contrast, the independent variables included ground ice abundance, snow depth, surface temperature, and organic carbon content. Regression coefficients derived from the MGWR model were used to calculate variable weights, which were then applied in a weighted sum analysis in ArcGIS to generate a hazard map. This hazard map incorporates projected datasets for the 2030–2039 period, offering insights into the evolving risk landscape along the railway. By illustrating the shifting permafrost boundaries, the map enhances our understanding of the railway’s vulnerability to damage caused by the thawing permafrost. The findings from this study will serve as a crucial tool for guiding resource allocation and mitigation strategies, ensuring the long-term stability of the HBR in the face of climate change.Item Open Access Development of Knee and Shoulder Metabolic Osteoarthritis and Spontaneous Bone Lesions in Male and Female Sprague-Dawley Rats(2025-03-28) Abughazaleh, Nada; Herzog, Walter; Beier, Frank; Hart, David; Reimer, Raylene; Manske, SarahObesity has been linked to Osteoarthritis (OA) through excessive joint loading and the associated mechanical stress on weight-bearing joints. However, the increased prevalence of OA in non-weight-bearing joints of people with obesity suggests a more complex etiology for obesity-induced OA than simply added joint loading. This thesis was aimed to examine the development of OA in the knee and shoulder joints of male and female Sprague-Dawley rats and the potential use of prebiotic fibre supplementation in protecting against or slowing the progression of OA. This study is divided into three parts: Part 1: We developed a novel scoring system to characterize OA-related degeneration, distinguishing it from spontaneous bone lesions observed in knees of male Sprague-Dawley rats. We found that spontaneous bone lesions could obscure the effects of diet-induced obesity models when OA was assessed using the classical scoring system. The new scoring method provides a reliable and reproducible approach to differentiate classical joint degeneration from spontaneous bone lesions. Part 2: We evaluated the effects of the high-fat/high-sucrose (HFS) diet on mesenteric fat, the infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) of the knee, systemic inflammation, local inflammation in the knee, and OA development of the knee in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Our findings indicated that mesenteric fat and the IFP were protected from inflammation associated with the HFS diet in female rats, highlighting sex-based differences in dietary responses. However, cartilage degeneration and subchondral bone lesions were more pronounced in the HFS group compared to chow group control rats, suggesting that the mechanisms underlying OA development and progression in female rats may differ from those observed in male rats. Phase 3: We quantified the effects of a HFS diet and prebiotic fibre supplementation on shoulder joint health in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats using the developed scoring system. Unlike knee joints, shoulder joints in both male and female rats appeared protected against joint degeneration when exposed to a HFS obesity-inducing diet. Furthermore, fibre supplementation was more effective in males than in females, suggesting that fibre may have sex-specific effects on the gut microbiota.Item Open Access Navigating through Turbulence in the Nursing Talent Pipeline: A Constructivist Grounded Theory of Academic Success in Polytechnic Nursing Education.(2025-03) Sharda, Harroop Kaur; Nowell, Lorelli; Ginn, Carla; Kenny, NatashaThe nursing profession is experiencing increasing challenges related to student retention, program attrition, and entry-to-practice preparedness. A significant proportion of new graduate registered nurses in Canada are exiting acute care roles early in their careers. Polytechnic nursing education in Canada focuses on preparing nurses to enter practice, primarily in acute care hospital settings, where the workforce shortages are sizeable and growing. Transition to practice challenges are muti-faceted, however, they are inherently tied to undergraduate nursing education in nursing. Considering several polytechnic nursing programs in Canada have committed to student seat expansion, there is a need to understand how students experience a academic success, as defined by using a multi-faceted conceptualization, in this underexplored context. Academic success in undergraduate nursing education, is predominantly examined using narrow measures of what it means to be successful. Grade point average and program completion as outcomes dominate the existing research literature, however, academic success in undergraduate nursing education is multi-faceted. Competence for entry to practice is not measured solely based on grades, therefore, research related to investigating this phenomenon requires a comprehensive framework as the starting point for inquiry. In an aim to address these gaps, this grounded theory study explores how undergraduate nursing students in non-university-affiliated polytechnic nursing programs in Canada navigate the complexities of achieving academic success. Using constructivist grounded theory, this study integrates interview data with theoretical sampling from open online discussion forums to co-construct a substantive theory of navigating turbulence in the nursing talent pipeline. The resulting theory conceptualizes academic success as a dynamic and iterative process influenced by institutional structures, personal strategies, and social networks. This study also highlights the methodological implications of integrating data scraping from online discussion forums as a novel approach to theoretical sampling in grounded theory research. This research identifies key recommendations to support nursing student success in polytechnic institutions across institutional, social, and personal levels. The findings highlight strategies to enhance educational experiences, optimize resources, and foster environments that promote both program completion and readiness for entry-to-practice and presents considerations regarding education policy changes that support equitable and sustainable approaches to polytechnic nursing education. Additionally, this study offers novel insights into the use of online discussion forums as a data source to expand concepts derived from participant interviews, applying grounded theory tools to deepen theoretical development. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on nursing education, academic success, and professional preparedness, offering a practical framework to inform curriculum development, institutional policies, and student support initiatives in polytechnic nursing education.Item Open Access Exploring Experiences of Gender Euphoria for Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals(2025-03-17) Lefebvre, Danielle Carli; Russell-Mayhew, Shelly; Estefan, Andrew; Callaghan, TonyaTransgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals have experiences that are varied and complex, including that of gender euphoria. Gender euphoria refers to the joy, peace, or comfort of living as one’s gender and can involve internal and social factors. To date, there is little research exploring gender euphoria, particularly the in-depth accounts of the experience. A narrative inquiry, an approach which centres the lived experience and knowledge people hold, was employed to explore gender euphoria for three TGD people of colour. Their narrative accounts are presented, as well as narrative threads that resonated: cultural (inter)connections, representation and role models, community and support, and the use of metaphors to articulate and represent one’s experience of gender euphoria. To conclude, an exploration of recommendations and ways forward for counsellors, research, community, and policy will be provided.Item Open Access Synergistic Support for the Cross-cultural Adaptation of Unaccompanied International Secondary Students in Canada—An Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study(2025-03-31) Lou, Yingling; Spring, Erin; Zhao, Xu; Zaidi, RahatResearch on the international secondary students (ISS) is scarce compared to the proliferating literature on their tertiary counterparts, despite their increasing enrollment in Canadian secondary schools. Little has been documented on how to support them within the holistic ecology of the ISS’ cross-cultural adaptation, nor have extant studies included perspectives from parents, homestays, and agents. With an interdisciplinary approach, this research explores the most helpful support praxis drawing on the adaptation experiences of six student participants and supporting experiences of 17 adult participants. This study adopts the critical realist general theory of interdisciplinarity as the metatheory. It integrates the integrative theory of cross-cultural adaptation, the bioecological model of human development, and the ecology of inclusive education into an interdisciplinary conceptual framework which forms a theoretical and methodological scaffold for the research design and data analysis. It employs multiple case study designs with critical intercultural hermeneutics as an interpretive approach. Research methods involve a) serial interviews with six ISS that spanned the 22-23 school year; b) in-depth interviews with their parents, homestays, teachers, and agents; c) online observations of the students’ virtual communities; d) documents; and e) research journals. The findings suggest that, for a support system to be effective, it needs to be synergistic, requiring all caretakers to proactively participate in reciprocal cross-cultural adaptation. It presents a transdisciplinary support framework that offers the guiding value and prudential principles for stakeholders to provide synergistic support to unaccompanied ISS in their cross-cultural adaptation.Item Open Access Bayesian models for improving joint kinematic measures in gait analysis(2025-03-25) Pohl, Andrew John; Ferber, Reed; Schofield, Matthew; Edwards, William Brent; Yanushkevich, Svetlana; Rogers-Bradley, Emily; Challis, John H.Determination of joint kinematics is a frequently encountered problem forming the basis for clinical gait analysis as well as kinetic, and musculoskeletal modelling analyses within biomechanics. To estimate joint and segmental kinematics, the pose (translation and angle), of interconnected segments of an underlying rigid body model representing the human skeleton is estimated from measurements corrupted with noise, artifacts and other sources of uncertainty. A common example is the estimation of joint kinematics from the position of markers placed on the surface of the skin and recorded by optical motion capture systems. Traditionally researchers have used optimization techniques which aim to reduce errors well described by white noise. These methods provide point estimates but fail to quantify uncertainties. This thesis improves on such approaches by using Bayesian inference to develop a series of hierarchical models that improve ac- curacy and provide calibrated estimates of uncertainty when estimating kinematic quantities from optical motion capture. Over a series of four studies, models are constructed that incorporate increasingly complex structures and assumptions about the measurement process and the underlying movement under analysis. These include: (1) elicitation of sensible priors which regularize estimation to physiologically meaningful estimates without artificially biasing inference; (2) incorporation of smooth continuous functions to model temporally correlated kinematics; (3) an adaptive process which allows for deviations from smooth func- tions if supported by data and (4) an investigation as to appropriate representations for generalization to three-dimensional problems. The methodology developed throughout this thesis can be applied to a wide range of measurement systems and can be adapted for analyses of increasing sophistication.Item Open Access Resilience Among Children of Police Officers(2025-03-19) Williamson, Kimberly; Dimitropoulos, Gina; Walsh Christine, Ann; Sesma Vazquez, Monica; Estefan, Andrew; Hewson, JenniferThis study explored the well-being of children who are living with a police officer parent. Participants included ten youths, aged 16-24 years, with a police officer parent(s) in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Calgary Police Service or Edmonton Police Service in Alberta, Canada. Five female and five male youths of a police parent participated in this qualitative narrative study using semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was applied and resulted in identifying the following four themes: 1) It’s Cool”: Pride in Being a Child of a Police Parent 2) “It Hurts”: Mental Health Impacts of Being a Child of a Police Parent 3) “Knock on Door-Everyday Fear”: Associated with Being a Child of a Police Parent 4) “A Big Sacrifice”: As a Child of a Police Parent. Family Resilience was evident throughout the analysis and was emphasized within each theme. By honouring the yet unheard voices of the youths of police parents, this study provides a deeper awareness and understanding of the experiences of this vulnerable yet resilient population and suggests the need for additional social work research on this topic to inform policy, practice, and education directed at improving their well-being.Item Open Access Authentic Soccer as the Emphatic Element: Directing Sport Onstage in The Wolves(2025-03-11) Lepine, Laurel; Brubaker, Christine; Barton, Bruce; France Forcier; Vanessa Porteous; Penelope FarfanThe Wolves, by Sarah DeLappe was produced by the University of Calgary Drama Division in the School of Creative and Performing Arts. It was presented in The University Theatre from October 18th to 26th, 2024. This artist statement is a critical reflection of the creative process leading up to the production and the production itself. Chapter One focuses on why I was drawn to the play, how I found the emphatic element of the play, and how this shaped my artistic choices. It also outlines how my career as a dance teacher and how this influenced my attention to movement in the play. Chapter Two details the audition and cast selection process. Chapter Three reflects on relationships and collaboration with designers including decisions made based on the emphatic element of presenting soccer authentically onstage. Chapter Four details the rehearsal process and ways in which I structured activities to develop actors into resembling competitive athletes as well as the inclusion of dance to heighten the storytelling. Chapter Five explores the discoveries we made during the rehearsal process and onstage production. Chapter Six critically reflects on my learnings through the process and connections to be made in future directing projects as well as in the teaching profession.Item Open Access Exploring Food Neutrality: Nutritionism, Morality, and Neutrality(2025-03-28) Song, Wenjia; Elliott, Charlene; Glasberg, Ronald; Bakardjieva, MariaThis thesis explores how food neutrality is defined, understood, practiced, and what it brings to our understanding of food. Food neutrality is an eating practice that is characterized by its rejection of categorizing food as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, ‘healthy’ or ‘unhealthy’; it propels removing moral judgement of food and individuals for their food choices and asserts that all food can fit in one’s diet. Food neutrality is also advocated as a proper feeding practice for children. By examining online blog articles, podcasts, and videos concerning food neutrality with a practice-theoretical framework, this study reveals the concept, strategies, rationales of food neutrality as well as its implications for our understanding of food and feeding practices. Findings of this study suggest that although food neutrality claims to effectively demoralize food and food choices, it imposes new forms of morality on individuals. Ultimately, food neutrality necessitates exclusively focusing on the benefits, especially emotional gains from all food, glorifies the consumption of unhealthy food, directs attention away from the governmental responsibility of making healthy food accessible and affordable, and is not a proper feeding practice for children. The study indicates that practicing food neutrality can lead to adverse health consequences, especially for children, posing potential risks to public health. The discussion of food neutrality in this study contributes to a critical understanding of how food neutrality makes meaning for our understanding of food and eating, especially under the current food paradigm that emphasizes nutrition and morality.
