detailed program - stfx booklet_8th.doc · web viewthe eighth annual. student research day

The Eighth AnnualThe Eighth Annual

STUDENTSTUDENT

RESEARCH DAYRESEARCH DAY

St. Francis Xavier University: Keating MillenniumSt. Francis Xavier University: Keating Millennium

Centre, Conference Rooms A, B, and CCentre, Conference Rooms A, B, and C

Eighth Annual Student Research Day, March 25, 2010: 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Keating Center, Conference Rooms A, B, and C

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11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., March 25, 201011:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., March 25, 2010


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Table of Contents Page

Table of Contents 2

Evolution of the Student Research Day 3

Letters of Welcome (not included in on-line version) 4

Thank you to Sponsors/Adjudicators 5

Detailed Program 6

Abstract or Summary … listed in alphabetical order, by department/program

Anthropology 14

Aquatic Resources 16

Biology 22

Business Administration and Economics 30

Celtic Studies 49

Environmental Sciences 51

Human Kinetics 54

Human Nutrition 68

Information Systems 77

Nursing 79

Physics 80

Political Science 81

Psychology 83

Sociology 99

Service Learning 104

Late Submissions


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Evolution of the Student Research Day

The annual Student Research Day at St. Francis Xavier University is the “brain child” of Dr. Angie Thompson, an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Kinetics. She credits the idea to her own graduate student research experiences from which she adapted to suit the students at StFX.

The Student Research Day gives students the opportunity to showcase their research or advanced studies undertaken as part of their upper year classes, advanced majors, honours, or graduate programs. An afternoon is dedicated to displaying the students’ work in a poster format with the presenting students available for a couple of hours to provide other students, faculty, staff, and interested community members with the opportunity to discuss the research presented. In addition to building communication skills, this kind of public recognition and presentation of students’ advanced studies fosters the academic and research environment at StFX not only for students but for faculty and staff as well.

The first annual Student Research Day at StFX was hosted on March 20, 2003. Twenty-nine students participated in the inaugural Student Research Day representing twelve departments and schools (Adult Education, Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Human Kinetics, Human Nutrition, Modern Languages, Nursing, Psychology, Religious Studies, and Women’s Studies). Since then, the Student Research Day has grown in popularity and recognition over the years such that it is now listed as an academic calendar event. This year, the Eighth Annual Student Research Day, there are eighty-nine student presentations expected representing a wide number of departments, programs, and schools.

Currently, Dr. Thompson coordinates the planning and organizing of the Student Research Day. A number of faculty and staff assist in the process of adjudicating the students’ presentations. Prizes (gift certificates to the Campus Book Store and Student Union Station) are awarded to “top” presenters.

Thank you to all those who support and participate in the annual Student Research Day at StFX!


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Welcome letter – Sean Riley, President of St. Francis Xavier University


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Welcome letter – Dr. MacGillivray, Dr. De’Bell, Mr. Blackwell, Mr. Kendall


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Thank you to the Sponsors and Adjudicators

Thank you to the following generous sponsors of the Eighth Annual Student Research Day:

Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada)

Mr. John Blackwell, Director Research Grants OfficeMr. Andrew Kendall, Industry Liaison Office

St. Francis Xavier University BookstoreStudents’ Union: Union Station Clothing Store

Dr. Syed Asadulla

Thank you to the following for adjudicating the presentations:

Denton AnthonyAngela Beye

Lou BilekJacques Boucher

Peter ClancyJames CormierRandy Delorey

Colleen FaulknerChris Galea

Moira GalwayLori GrahamMikael Haller

Laura-Lee KearnsErika Koch

Christie LomoreDonna MacDougallSasho MacKenzieElaine MacLeanNancy Marenick

Mike MelchinAlvaro Montenegro

Deirdre SmithTruis Smith-Palmer

Barry TaylorBrandon vanZylNorine Verberg

Vijay VishwakarmaCharlene Weaving

Russell Wyeth


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Detailed Program11:30 a.m. Opening Addresses, Session 1:

Dr. Sean Riley, President of St. Francis Xavier UniversityDr. Mary McGillivray, Academic Vice President and Provost

Ms. Deborah Langille, Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation

1:30 p.m. Opening Address, Session 2: Dr. Robert van den Hoogen, Interim Dean of Science

3:00 p.m. Opening Address, Session 3: Dr. Steve Baldner, Dean of Arts

4:45 p.m. Awards Presentation: Dr. Keith De’Bell, Associate Vice-President ResearchDr. Ann Bigelow, COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH PRIZE, Sponsored by StFX Service Learning Program

Titles of presentations are numbered and listed in alphabetical order, according to the student’s department or school of study. The number indicates the poster board the presentation will posted. The time the presenter is scheduled to be at his or her presentation follows his or her name in bold font.

Anthropology 1. Eating meat: masculinity, class and health in everyday food life, Liam W. Collins, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

2. Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq, restorative justice, and resource management: alternative methods for fisheries and moose management, Morgan E. Moffitt, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

Aquatic Resources3. Trail blazing: an analysis of ATV policy in Nova Scotia, Tyler Farrow, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

4. Analysis of historical salmon policies of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans 1868-2007, Jonathan Gallant, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

5. Re-establishment of native white perch as a biological control for an invasive crayfish, Ashley Giovinazzo, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

6. Bacterial water quality of a reservoir in a water management system that treats and stores tile drainage effluent, Cora MacDonald, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

7. Pathogen Removal within Constructed Wetland Water Management Systems, Kraig Porter, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

8. Developing an integrated watershed management plan for Nova Scotia, Sarah Turkeli, 12:00-1:30 p.m.


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Biology9. The structure and microhabitat of the Common Loon (Gavia immer) nest, Lindsey Beals, Withdrawn.

10. Resource-mediated environmental regulation of herbivore feeding capabilities: experimental evidence using rocky intertidal systems, Ehab El Belely, 12:00-1:30p.m.

11. Perception of biological motion: using point light displays and avatars, Crewe Dixon, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

12. Investigation of CFTR anion channel regulation by focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in Calu-3 human airway cells, Greg Hosier, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

13. Pretreatment with sodium butyrate attenuates amphetamine-induced sensitization, James Hudson, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

14. Grave-diggers in the canopy? Amanda Lowe, Withdrawn

15. The effect of temperature on Cl-secretion by mitochondria-rich epithelial cells in fundulus heteroclitus, Emily Osmond, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

16. What's biting me? Trap height preferences of horse and deer flies (Diptera:Tabanidae) in Northeastern Nova Scotia, Ruth Patten, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

Business Administration and Economics17.The political economy of tax evasion and voter dependence, Corbin Bourree, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

18. The implications of continuing education to insurance professionals in Urban Nova Scotia, A. Hope Bryden, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

19. Ex-dividend day behaviour of Canadian stock price, Yiming Cheng, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

20. Assessing heuristic driven bias & frame dependence of investment in human capital, Jeremy de Koe, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

21. The Provincial Minimum Legal Drinking Age and its effect on Youth Property Crime and Suicide, Janine Farmer, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

22. Investigating to see if there’s a relationship between a child’s socioeconomic status at birth, and adult health care received, TC Feltmate, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

23. Assessing the effectiveness of a financial literacy effort using the theory of planned behaviour, Kristie Forbes, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

24. Impact of marketing capabilities on commercialization performance, Wang Huang, 1:30-3:00 p.m.


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Business Administration and Economics continued …25. Are Canadian community college enrollments countercyclical? Matthew Johnson, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

26. De-regulated versus regulated schools? ---a study of returns to education in Canada, Yumeng Liu, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

27. Is financial analyst following a complement to corporate governance in affecting the performance of Canadian publicly traded companies? Rory MacDonald, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

28. Canadian organizational readiness to meet the financial reporting requirements of IFRS, Holly MacLennan, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

29. Analysis of trade mission effectiveness in helping small service exporters overcome barriers to trade, Justin MacLennan, Withdrawn.

30. The Effect of Foreign Aid on Income Inequality in Developing Countries, Gregory Mills, Withdrawn.

31. Does an Increase in Immigrants Lead to Canadian-Born Students Being Crowded Out of University? Chelsea Mitchell, Withdrawn.

32. Board independence, CEO’s ownership of shares, past payout ratio and other control variables of dividend payout ratio, Jun Wang, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

33. The impact of year effects on your incentive to invest in post-secondary education, Yu Wang, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

34. The determinants of working capital and the effect of corporate governance: Canadian evidence, Wei Xia, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

35. Corporate governance and firm cash holdings in Canada, Luying Zhang, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

Celtic Studies36. Like birds on the wave: the Norse Manx presence in medieval Irish Sea trade, politics, and religion, Jason M. Bond, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

37. Vae Victus: Caesar’s conquest of Gaul, Scott Robinson, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

Environmental Science38. Investigation of the priming effect in the evolution of CO2 from soil organic matter in northern forest soils, Larissa Allain, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

39. Characteristic changes in soil co2 efflux resulting from physical disturbance, Sara Klapstein, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

39.1 Propagation of Linear Surface Air Temperature Trends into the Terrestrial Subsurface, Marielle Lesperance, 3:00-4:30 p.m.


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Environmental Science continued …40. The impact of all-terrain vehicles on the vegetation of southern Nova Scotia bogs, Shanel Raney, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

Human Kinetics41. Optimizing the jump float serve in volleyball: a forward dynamics simulation approach, Brett Barro, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

42. An exercise and diet intervention for adults with intellectual disabilities in residential settings, (John) Colin Boyd, 3:00-4:30

43. “Candy striping”: an examination of gender stereotypes in athletic therapy, Olivia Durst, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

44. The effects of maslinic acid supplementation on 3-methylhistidine excretion during six weeks of resistance training, Brittany Edgett, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

45. A biomechanical evaluation of two methods of the jump float serve in volleyball, Kyle Kortegaard, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

46. Aerodynamic properties of a non-spinning volleyball and implications for the optimal jump float serve (Charles) Marc LeVangie, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

47. Whiplash associated disorder pain: comparing intramuscular stimulation and standard physiotherapy treatment to physiotherapy treatment, Kelsey Lynch, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

48. Running like a girl: case study analysis of Caster Semenya, Amy MacKinnon, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

49. Is microscopic examination of all cholecystectomy specimens necessary, Chris Newell, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

50. The development of a questionnaire to assess children’s knowledge and attitudes associated with healthy active living, Kathryn Olsheski, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

51. Acute effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching on strength performance in the knee flexors, Phillip Sheppard, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

52. Relationship between change in reaction time and length of return to play following concussion, Brianna Thompson, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

53. “Thin to win”: the relationship between sport type and female athlete’s susceptibility to developing an eating disorder, Holly van Gestel, Withdrawn.

54. Playing the [out]field: implications of hegemonic masculinity and sexual prejudice within university contact sport culture, F.W. Curt Wetmore, 12:00-1:30 p.m.


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Human Nutrition55. The relationship between daily breakfast consumption and risk factors of chronic disease in adult health-care workers in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Britney Benoit, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

56. Scavenging of the DPPH free radical by phenolic acids as affected by their interactions with BSA, Mary Cranmer-Byng, 12:00-1:00 p.m.

57. The preventative role of docosahexaenoic acid in Alzheimer’s Disease, Patricia Ellis, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

58. The relationship between calcium intake, body fat and resting metabolic rate in students attending St. Francis Xavier University, Andrea Glenn, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

59. The effect of phenolic acid molecular structure on antioxidant activity of its complexes with BSA, Anisa Loewen, 12:00-1:00 p.m.

60. Do low levels of vitamin D increase the risk of multiple sclerosis, Thomas Lynch, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

61. Consuming Sex and the City: food, confession, and metaphor, Michelle Pereyma, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

62. A content analysis of the food-related incidents portrayed on YTV children’s Saturday morning television, Carrie Terrio, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

63. The knowledge, perceptions and consumption of whole grains in students at St. Francis Xavier University, Brock Williams, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

Information Systems64. Influential characteristics of an ERP outsourcing relationship from a vendor's perspective, Jeremiah Kane, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

64.1 Optimizing Radiosurgery Treatment Plan by the use of Genetic Algorithm, Yijia Lian, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

65. Barriers to successful Implementation of Industrial Ecology, Stephen Matusiak, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

65.1 Interprocess Communication in Microkernel-based Operating Systems: Implementation and Optimizations, Yuntao Yang, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science65.2 Strong image segmentation through non-homogeneous region merging, Michael Cormier, 1:30-3:00 p.m.


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Nursing66. The male nursing student experience: learning to care for a breastfeeding family, Kendra Miller, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

Physics67. An exact solution for the two-body problem of interacting ultra-cold atoms in arbitrary dimensions, Aaron Farrell, 12:00-1:30p.m.

Political Science68. Benevolence bewildered: Stephen Harper’s Foreign Aid Policy towards Latin America, Michael MacIsaac, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

69. New avenues, old disputes: the Charter, the courts, and Aboriginal political mobilization in Canada, Kristen Stallard, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

Psychology70. Attachment security and anxiety sensitivity in young adults, Emily Atkinson, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

71. The role of modeling on infant’s stance toward pictorial symbols, Joanna Barker, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

72. The effects of mood on decision making strategies, Crewe Dixon and John Corbit, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

73. Do you believe in magic?: infants’ perception of action outcomes, Kaitlyn Dolimount, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

74. Adult attachment styles: Examining how individuals respond to stressful life events; Emily Gardner, Withdrawn.

75. Sex differences in kinesiophobia in a sample of chronic pain patients, Erin Gillis, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

76. Spreading the love: an exploratory study of the immediate effects of loving-kindness intervention on student wellbeing, Sarah Hart, Withdrawn.

77. Downplaying success: Sensitivity about being the Target of a Threatening Upward Comparison (STTUC) and pulling back effort, Victoria Klimek, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

78. An evaluation of behaviour problems in children adopted from orphanages in China, Kailee MacDonald, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

79. Pretreatment with the HDAC inhibitor valproic acid attenuates cocaine-induced sensitization: behavioural and molecular effects, Parnell Davis MacNevin, 12:00-1:30p.m.


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Psychology continued …

80. Work-related stress among correctional staff: does coping style influence the impact of stress?, Ellissa Riel, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

81. Eye see your emotion: Looking behaviours in 3-year-olds witnessing distress, Laura Sherrard, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

82. Comparing change detection in noticers and non-noticers, Abby Stubbert and Ben Berwick, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

83.Music, mood, & change detection, Kendra Thompson and Joey Dignam, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

84. Singing as a vocabulary intervention for preschool-aged children, Katelin Walton, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

85. Coming to understand pictorial symbols, Bethany Zeitner, Withdrawn.

Sociology 86. The intergenerational transfer of knowledge, skills and values related to completion and division of housework, Chantal Aucoin, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

87. Local Food Consumption in Antigonish County, Kaitlin Brady, Jimmy Bray, Cory Snider and Willem Paynter, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

88. Medical and Non Medical Use of Stimulant Drugs among Canadian University Students, Danielle Martensson, Withdrawn.

89. Towards independence: music artists in the digital landscape, Cory Snider, Withdrawn.

90. Use and Misuse of Stimulant Drugs, Tammy VanderLinden, Withdrawn.

Angus L. MacDonald LibraryLibrarians – Your Allies for Research, 12:00-4:30 p.m.

StFX Service LearningStudents as Community Builders: The Impact of Academic Service Learning in One Community, 12:00-4:30 p.m.

Writing CentreWriting to Discover Meaning: The Writing Centre helps researchers take theories, craft them into concrete ideas, and discover meaning, 12:00-4:30 p.m.


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ANTHROPOLOGY

Presentation time: 12:00-1:30 p.m.

1. EATING MEAT: MASCULINITY, CLASS AND HEALTH IN EVERYDAY FOOD LIFE Presenter: Liam W. Collins Supervisors: Susan Vincent

This study is an anthropological investigation of meat eating amongst men in Antigonish, N.S. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of Social Distinction, I sought to understand how men in Antigonish understood their consumption of meat in terms of class and gender. Also, using the Canada Food Guide as an example, I thought about the ways in which ideas of health impact on meat eating. The methodology for this project was a survey with thirty participants, and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with two participants. All survey and interview participants were male; the interview participants were in their mid-twenties. The interview participants were from the local area, and either had a working class background or participated in the lower levels of the workforce. I intended to examine whether Bourdieu’s notions of working class culture being defined through “necessity” were valid, or whether working class notions of meat consumption constituted a form of resistance to dominant values. These values, embodied in the Canada Food Guide, associate the consumption of meat with long term health concerns. I examined the how work and family background impacted on ideas of meat eating and consumption patterns of meat, and then related this to wider notions of health and masculinity. I found that individual patterns of meat consumption and ideas about meat reflect ideas of masculinity and class, but in complex contradictory ways. I propose that meat eating is a subtle political act, as the different paradigms for meat consumption that I uncovered revealed themselves to be deeply embedded in the ways the participants saw the world, and drew from ideas pertaining to biology, human evolution, health and class.


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ANTHROPOLOGY


2. NOVA SCOTIA MI’KMAQ, RESTORATIVE JUSTICE, AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: ALTERNATIVE MODELS FOR FISHERIES AND MOOSE MANAGEMENT Presenter: Morgan E. Moffitt Supervisor: Dr. L. Jane McMillan

This research examines the application of restorative justice principles in resource regulation initiatives within Mi’kmaq communities. Building on the historical disempowerment of the Mi’kmaq, this thesis discusses what resource management means to the Mi’kmaq and asks whether this conceptualization of resource control and its attending community dispute management are processes that acknowledge and assert rights, or are merely co-optations by hegemonic state regulatory processes. One-on-one, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted in person and over the phone with four employees of the involved community organizations and with one community member. Participant observation took place at the Building Lasting Bridges Conference in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.As the Mi’kmaw Legal Support Network (MLSN) and the Unamak’i Institute of Natural Resources (UINR) work to gain sovereignty through the creation of Mi’kmaq laws to regulate natural resource extraction, various articulations of Mi’kmaq identity are expressed and contested. This work reveals multiple obstacles the Mi’kmaq face as they negotiate the limits of their power within the Federal, Provincial, and Mi’kmaq jurisdictions in the Post-Marshall decision (1999) era. The Federal and Provincial government’s reluctance to recognize the capacity of Mi’kmaq traditional knowledge and ways of being as legitimate sources of sovereignty results in the denial of their Aboriginal and Treaty rights despite court decisions that direct Federal and Provincial authorities to fulfill their obligation to expand Mi’kmaq access and control over their resources. Furthermore, negotiations of Mi’kmaq-made initiatives threatens the community-based nature of these projects and the expression of Mi’kmaq beliefs within models for fisheries and moose management.


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AQUATIC RESOURCES


3. TRAIL BLAZING: AN ANALYSIS OF ATV POLICY IN NOVA SCOTIA Presenter: Tyler Farrow Supervisor: Peter Clancy

This study seeks to provide a holistic understanding of the use of all terrain vehicles in Nova Scotia. The use of ATVs in the province is a controversial issue. ATV riders feel that the vehicles are a relatively harmless form of recreation and good way to generate profits, while environmentalists and landowners feel that they create an unacceptable amount of damage to natural ecosystems. The analysis of the issue is broken down into five sections. The first section addresses the physical damage that is proven to be caused by the use of all terrain vehicles. The second section profiles the ATV industry in Nova Scotia, giving insight into the revenues and employment involved in the industry. The third section gives a breakdown of the interest groups involved in the issue, what their agendas are, and the amount of influence they hold. The fourth section analyzes the policy surrounding all terrain vehicle use and how the policy was developed. The final section provides an evaluation of ATV policy in Nova Scotia and some recommendations for better legislation.


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AQUATIC RESOURCES


4. ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL ATLANTIC SALMON POLICIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES AND OCEANS 1868-2007 Presenter: Jonathan Gallant Supervisor: Doug Brown

Atlantic salmon has been a well-respected resource within Canada for over a century. Canadians have fished salmon for both commercial and recreational usage and have either depended on or simply enjoyed doing so. However, in 1987 the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) closed the commercial Atlantic salmon fishery due to an 85% decline in salmon stocks from 1967 to 1971. How did the abundance of Atlantic salmon have become so low? The St. Mary’s River Association asked that very question. Therefore, I was asked to shed light on this troubling situation. My task was to analyze the DFO’s Annual Reports and assess the department’s policies regarding the management of the Atlantic salmon. In doing so I have found many surprising details of the department’s past policies, or lack thereof. The federal government gave responsibility for managing Atlantic salmon to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). Sadly, this responsibility was not an easy mandate as their Annual Reports show. In some cases the DFO took a long time to change its focus, even if members of the department felt it was necessary to do so. An example would be the many decades of overuse regarding the Atlantic salmon hatchery production. Further, issues that should have been noticed were only recognized decades later such as the neglect of Atlantic salmon’s habitat. Knowing the reason for a given issue didn’t help the situation either. Many times the department knew the solution to a given situation, but never carried out the effective policies in time; one must only remember the DDT sprays along the Miramichi River. Therefore, the DFO has had a tainted history concerning the management of Atlantic salmon and has become a sad story of too little too late.


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AQUATIC RESOURCES


5. RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIVE WHITE PERCH AS A BIOLOGICAL CONTROL FOR AN INVASIVE CRAYFISH Presenter: Ashley Giovinazzo Supervisor: Jim Williams

White Perch (Morone americana) is native to Cape Breton Island and is known to have formerly occurred in Freshwater Lake, Ingonish, Nova Scotia within Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Freshwater Lake was poisoned with rotenone in 1954 to eliminate undesirable non-game fish, such as smelt, gaspereau. white perch and American eel.In 2005, an invasive alien crayfish, Orconectes limosus, was first recorded as a new species to Nova Scotia and was found within Freshwater Lake. Experimental trapping in 2006 and intensive trapping in 2007-2009 has not managed to control or limit a burgeoning population increase of crayfish. The park is currently interested in examining the feasibility of returning a breeding population of white perch to Freshwater Lake in order to curtail crayfish numbers.


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AQUATIC RESOURCES


6. WATER QUALITY IN A WATER TREATMENT RESERVOIR Presenter: Cora MacDonald Supervisor: Barry Taylor

PURPOSE: This study examined the concentrations of E.coli, Phosphorus and Nitrogen within a Wetland Reservoir Sub-Irrigation System in Bible Hill, Truro. These concentrations were compared with the irrigation water quality guidelines set forth by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME). METHODS: Water samples were taken twice a week for five weeks during the summer of 2009. The Standard American Public Health Association Methods (APHA) was used to analyse E. coli using membrane filtration (MF) and Hach m-coli blue 24 broth. NO3-N and phosphorus were measured by filtering samples into polystyrene tubes, then run in an International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) device. RESULTS: E.coli concentrations entering the reservoir were below the CCME guidelines, upon exiting the reservoir E.coli concentrations were up to four times higher. Nitrogen concentrations entering the reservoir were between 3-7 mg/l and undetectable upon exiting the reservoir. The temperature within the reservoir is constant with depth. The average temperature entering the reservoir is 17.3oC and 21.9oC exiting. CONCLUSIONS: E.coli concentrations exiting the reservoir are above the CCME guidelines for irrigation and therefore cannot be used for re-irrigation. Denitrification is taking place within the reservoir, effectively eliminating the limiting nutrient to downstream habitats. Increased temperatures exiting the reservoir, excessive waterfowl and runoff from adjacent land could account for the higher concentrations of E.coli exiting the reservoir.


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AQUATIC RESOURCES AND EARTH SCIENCES


7. PATHOGEN REMOVAL WITHIN CONSTRUCTED WETLAND WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Presenter: Kraig Porter Supervisor: Dave Risk

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to quantify (i) wetland pathogen removals and (ii) the sediment and water borne pathogen populations within constructed wetlands-reservoir subirrigation system at the Bio-Environmental Engineering Center (BEEC) in Bible Hill N.S., with an emphasis on Fecal E. coli. HYPOTHESIS: The underlying hypothesis is that wetlands will remove pathogens from the wetland, and that removal efficiency will be sensitive to wetland temperature and flow rate. METHODS: Soil and water sampling for this study were carried out twice a week in late summer 2009. Membrane filtration (MF), and Hach m-Coli Blue 24 broths were be used to enumerate E. coli in both soil and water samples. Temperature and Flow was recorded using a Campbell Scientific CR10X Datalogger. RESULTS: The wetland soils contained the higher concentrations of pathogens compared to water borne concentrations. Temperature had the greatest relationship with pathogen removal efficiency of the wetland in which higher temperatures promote efficiency. There was only one day in which the wetlands proved inefficient with higher pathogen concentrations leaving the wetlands than coming in due to an increase in flow. The total coliform concentrations in the soils decreased relative to increased flows. DISCUSSION: The improved efficiency of the wetlands at higher temperatures suggests that increased temperature allow for an increase in the wetlands ability to capture pathogens. With increases in flow the wetlands become inefficient and pathogens escape capture. CONCLUSION: The wetlands are successfully removing pathogens, with higher concentrations in the soils and efficiency is strongly related to temperature.


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AQUATIC RESOURCES


8. DEVELOPING AN INTEGRATED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR NOVA SCOTIA Presenter: Sarah Turkeli Supervisor: Dr. Peter Clancy

This study analyzes the water management practices in Nova Scotia, critiquing their methods and suggesting further changes towards an integrated watershed management (IWM) plan. IWM is defined as a collective approach to the proper management of natural resources and human activities on a watershed basis. The involvement and efficiency of stakeholders like government, water groups, businesses and residents in the economic and environmental climate allows for a more effective IWM strategy. This would result in smarter priorities and pooled knowledge and resources leading to a better decision-making process. Having focused on clean drinking water and water availability, Nova Scotia is working on an integrated water caucus with the intention of unifying water groups and their specific interests. As this is a step towards an IWM plan for Nova Scotia, there are still certain approaches that could be taken to fill the gaps between provincial/federal government interests and other stakeholder interests. Followed by the analysis of four other provinces – Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia – and their approaches to an IWM plan along with the consultation of certain water groups, a more integrated approach for Nova Scotia is addressed along with possible benefits for the future of sustainable water resources in the province.


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BIOLOGY

Presentation time: Withdrawn.

9. THE STRUCTURE AND MICROHABITAT OF THE COMMON LOON (GAVIA IMMER) NEST Presenter: Lindsey Beals Supervisor: Randy Lauff and Amanda Lavers

Abstract/summary not available at time of printing.


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BIOLOGY


10. RESOURCE-MEDIATED ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION OF HERBIVORE FEEDING CAPABILITIES: EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE USING ROCKY INTERTIDAL SYSTEMS Presenter: Ehab El Belely Supervisor: Ricardo Scrosati Co-authors: Ricardo Scrosati & Markus Molis

PURPOSE: We investigated how environmental stress modulates plant-herbivore interactions. We tested the hypotheses that wave exposure affects the body toughness of Fucus vesiculosus (the preferred algal food for intertidal periwinkles) and that toughness variations influence the feeding preference of these marine herbivores. METHODS: We measured the toughness of wave-exposed and sheltered F. vesiculosus fronds using a texture analyzer. To evaluate the influence of algal toughness on the feeding preference of two periwinkles (Littorina obtusata and L. littorea), we did two-choice feeding preference experiments in the lab. To explain differences in feeding preference, we investigated the morphology of radulae (a snail's main feeding structure) using scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS: Wave-exposed algal fronds were tougher than sheltered fronds. Individuals of L. obtusata from sheltered habitats preferred feeding on sheltered fronds, while exposed specimens showed no preference for either algal type. L. littorea never showed any preference for either algal type. The radula of wave-exposed L. obtusata showed traits (central tooth length and number of lateral cusps) that are better suited for tougher food consistencies. The radula of L. littorea presented traits that are even better suited for penetrating tough algal tissues (sharper, longer teeth) and did not differ between both habitat types. CONCLUSIONS: Feeding capabilities in L. obtusata are influenced by seaweed toughness, which in turn is affected by variation in wave exposure, while L. littorea feeding traits seem unaffected by these factors. Future research will address whether variation in L. obtusata results from adaptation or acclimation.Financial support: Canada Research Chairs program (CRC), Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Government of Egypt.


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BIOLOGY


11. PERCEPTION OF BIOLOGICAL MOTION: USING POINT LIGHT DISPLAYS AND AVATARS Presenter: Crewe Dixon Supervisor: Petra Hauf

PURPOSE: This study examined the various on-screen areas of interest (AOI) of participants observing biologically possible and impossible actions performed by point light displays (PLDs) and computer generated avatars. This study also sought to compare the time spent looking at the AOIs of PLD to those of the avatars in 36 adult participants. METHODS: The current study used eye tracker technology to measure the time spent looking at the AOIs of by PLDs and avatars. The eye tracker was also used to observe the looking patterns of various participants. A questionnaire was completed to determine if participants were able to correctly identify the actions performed on the screen. RESULTS: The current study expects to find that participants spend most of their time observing production limbs such as arms and legs. In contrast the study does not expect to find any differences in the looking times or AOIs of PLDs and avatars. CONCLUSION: Results concerning the looking times of the AOIs of the PLD or avatars observed will be reported. The study will also examine the similarities and differences of the looking times and AOIs between PLDs and avatars. Results will be discussed using the possible activation of the body schema while watching the actions performed on-screen.


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BIOLOGY


12. INVESTIGATION OF CFTR ANION CHANNEL REGULATION BY FOCAL ADHESION KINASE (FAK) IN CALU-3 HUMAN AIRWAY CELLS Presenter: Greg Hosier Supervisor: Bill Marshall

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a Cl- secreting anion channel that regulates ion and fluid secretion in the airways, and other secretory epithelia. Dysfunction of CFTR in the airways is the leading contributor to death in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients. In killifish, hypotonic shock inhibits CFTR transport through dephosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase phosphorylated at tyrosine 407 (FAK pY407). The goal of our study was to test if CFTR transport is regulated by FAKpY407 in the Calu-3 epithelial monolayers, which are the best known cell model for human serous airway epithelia. To test this, we sought to link dephosphorylation of FAK pY407 by hypotonic shock, as determined by immunocytochemistry, with inhibition of CFTR transport, as determined by electrophysiology. We were successful in showing that FAK pY407 is dephosphorylated by 60 mOsm and 150 mOsm hypotonic shock, but were unable to carry out electrophysiology experiments to link FAK pY407 dephosphoryltaion with CFTR inhibition. By immunocytochemistry, elevated levels of FAK pY407 in CFTR expressing cells was observed, which may indicate FAK pY407 activates CFTR through an intermediate kinase protein. Based on data reported here and other evidence, we present a model for the possible regulation of CFTR by FAK pY407 in Calu-3 cells. We also present the novel data that FAK is expressed in the Calu-3 cell line. Additionally, we find hypotonic shock of 150 mOsm is destructive to Calu-3 epithelial monolayers, and recommend osmotic shock levels lower than this be used for physiological studies on Calu-3 epithelia, and by extension, single-cell Calu-3 studies.


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BIOLOGY


13. PRETREATMENT WITH SODIUM BUTYRATE ATTENUATES AMPHETAMINE-INDUCED SENSITIZATION Author: James Hudson Co-Author: Parnell Davis MacNevin Supervisor: Karen Brebner

PURPOSE: Repeated exposure to psychostimulants such as d-amphetamine produce long-lasting sensitization that is observed as increased motor activation. Persistence of sensitization is likely due to psychostimulant-induced neuroplastic changes that occur through chromatin remodeling. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors such as sodium butyrate (NaBu) prevent such chromatin remodeling. The current study explored whether chromatin remodeling is involved in d-amphetamine induced neuroplastic changes and if so, would HDAC inhibition through the use of NaBu modify the development of sensitization and associated changes in gene expression in psychostimulant-associated brain regions. METHODS: Rats in acute groups received a single exposure to the vehicle or NaBu prior to an injection of the vehicle or d-amphetamine. Rats in sensitized groups received the same treatments, every other day for 10 days, followed by a 14 day drug-free period, and then a challenge exposure to d-amphetamine. Rat locomotion was recorded. One day after the final d-amphetamine administration three brain regions, nucleus accumbens (NAc), striatum, and prefrontal cortex, were removed and qRT-PCR was performed to measure changes in the psychostimulant responsive genes c-fos, CART and EGR1. RESULTS: NaBu did not affect acute d-amphetamine-induced locomotor activity. In sensitized rats, NaBu pretreatment blocked the normal locomotor response to a challenge dose of d-amphetamine. Acute d-amphetamine exposure increased EGR1 and c-fos levels in the NAc, effects that were blocked by NaBu pretreatment. In sensitized rats, increases in NAc CART expression were blocked by NaBu pretreatment. CONCLUSIONS: Chromatin remodeling seems to plays a significant role in the development of sensitization which is a pre-clinical animal model of drug-induced neuroplastic changes. Furthermore, chromatin remodeling may be a possible therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of psychostimulant addiction.*Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation, Canada Foundation for Innovation, NSERC.


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BIOLOGY

Withdrawn

14. HABITAT, MICROHABITAT PREFERENCE AND ARBOREAL BURIAL IN THE FOREST DWELLING BURYING BEETLES OF NOVA SCOTIA. Presenter: Amanda Lowe Supervisor: Randy F. Lauff

PURPOSE: A preference for mixed wood and hemlock habitats in species of burying beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae: Nicrophorus), as well as preferences in some species for carrion 10 m above the forest floor were quantified. METHODS: The number of each species caught were compared between 12 chicken-baited traps 1 and 10 m above ground, and between 12 traps in mixed woods and hemlock habitats. The behaviour of beetles was also observed in artificial nest boxes containing soil and carrion 10 m above the forest floor. Significance was determined using Pearson’s Chi-Squared test, (k=1; p< 0.05). RESULTS: N. tomentosus, and Oiceoptoma noveboracense showed no significant preference for a habitat type, (p>0.05); N. defodiens and N. orbicollis significantly preferred a mixed woods habitat, while N. pustulatus, N. sayi, Necrophila americana and Necrodes surinemensis significantly preferred the hemlock habitat. All species showed a significant microhabitat preference, but only N. pustulatus, N. tomentosus, and Necrodes surinemensis preferred the canopy microhabitat. N. defodiens and N. tomentosus can reproduce on carrion in the canopy, although four species have been found with canopy -carrion. CONCLUSIONS: Preferences of the Nicrophorus species for forest-type habitats and height microhabitats is apparent, and should be taken into consideration when studying these beetles. * Research Supported by: St. Francis Xavier University


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BIOLOGY


15. THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON CL- SECRETION BY MITOCHONDRIA-RICH,EPITHELIAL CELLS OF FUNDULUS HETEROCLITUS Presenter: Emily Osmond Supervisor: Bill Marshall

PURPOSE: To further investigate the regulation of CFTR anion channels by FAK pY407 in themitochondria-rich, epithelial cells of the opercular membrane of Fundulus heteroclitus.METHODS: Electrophysiology was used to measure Cl- ion transport across the opercularepithelial membrane in both isotonic and hypotonic condtions. To test the effect of temperature,two Ussing chambers were used, one with a control membrane (room temperature, RT) andone with a test temperature membrane (2.5-16℃). Immunocytochemistry was also used todetect CFTR and FAK pY407 in the opercular epithelial membranes. Membranes were viewedusing a laser scanning confocal microscope. RESULTS: RT membranes showed colocalizationof CFTR and FAK pY407 in the apical membrane of the epithelial cells under isotonicconditions. Following hypotonic shock, there was a significant decrease in the current acrossthe membrane, and FAK pY407 was dephosphorylated, as detected by a loss ofimmunofluorescence. Cold temperature treatments also showed colocalization of both proteinsin the apical membrane. However, the membranes did not respond significantly to a hypotonicshock, and FAK pY407 was not completely dephosphorylated in the apical membrane.CONCLUSION: CFTR and FAK pY407 are most likely in a very close regulatory relationshipthat is stable even in the extreme cold.


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BIOLOGY


16. WHAT'S BITING ME? TRAP HEIGHT PREFERENCES OF HORSE AND DEER FLIES (DIPTERA:TABANIDAE) IN NORTHEASTERN NOVA SCOTIA Presenter: Ruth Patten Supervisor: Randy Lauff

Tabanidae are a family of flies that, although occur quite frequently around the world, are still one of the least studied groups of insects. Adult Tabanid flies are best known for their blood-sucking behaviour which is a major contributor to the spread of infections to both animal and human hosts. There has been little extensive Tabanid study in Nova Scotia, in the current location of South Side Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada, there has never been Tabanid study to this date. In the current study, height preferences of horse flies (Tabanidae and Hybomitra spp.) and deer flies (Chrysops spp.) were studied using French and Hagan’s two-tiered box trap (1995) which includes a separation of traps at two different levels, allowing for height comparisons. Abundances, flight times, richness and diversity of Tabanids at the site were calculated. Resultant data showed a strong preference of deer flies attacks to the upper level of the trap, and similarly strong preferences of horse flies to attack the lower level. Since the attacks occurred on an arbitrary rather than live host, the differences in height of attacks could be evidence in support of innate height preferences of Tabanids. Thirty-four of a potential 50 Tabanid species of Nova Scotia were captured. Weather was shown to have an effect on daily fly abundances.


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BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND ECONOMICS


17. THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF TAX EVASION AND VOTER DEPENDENCE Presenter: Corbin Bourree Supervisor: Kirk Collins

This paper builds on previous informal economy research by attempting to demonstrate why governments in representative democracies may purposefully avoid implementing policies that restrict informal activity due to the negative effects these policies may have on the party in office, and said party’s ability to retain office. By linking the traditional median voter theorem with the known existence of informal activity in a representative, democratic economy, this paper examines the dependence on individual’s welfare (as augmented by the informal economy) and how this ensuing welfare translates into voting decisions. In varying the level of dependence on the median individual’s informal participation, as well as this individual’s level of participation, it is possible to discern the effects these levels of dependence and participation have on voting decisions, particularly those in a two-party electoral system. The resulting conclusion indicates that it is likely in government’s best interests to avoid trying to drive out all informal economic activity, as this would negatively impact those party’s hold on power in a given society.


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18. THE IMPLICATIONS OF CONTINUING EDUCATION TO INSURANCE PROFESSIONALS IN URBAN NOVA SCOTIA. Presenter: A. Hope Bryden Supervisor: Todd Boyle

PURPOSE: This study examined what motivates insurance professionals to continue their education, the type of education that is perceived to offer more value, and the tangible and intangible benefits to the careers of insurance professionals in Urban Nova Scotia, the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). METHODS: Qualitative data was obtained through a series of 10 interviews in person and over the telephone when saturation was reached. The results of the interviews were transcribed and examined to identify themes. Significant themes were identified and differences in responses were recorded. RESULTS: The findings of this study indicate that the insurance professionals who have continued their education have done so voluntarily and considered education as a life long process, depending on if they are a broker or work for a large company the type of education pursued varies from formal courses for designations or degrees to seminars and other insurance related on line courses. Tangible benefits were identified as mainly reward based while the intangible were identified as respect of peers, higher self esteem, self pride and increase in professionalism. CONCLUSIONS: Insurance professionals in the HRM continue their education mainly to better themselves within their chosen career (broker or company) and to have opportunities to better their position within the insurance industry either within the company they are currently working for or by becoming more attractive to other employers through education.


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19. EX-DIVIDEND DAY BEHAVIOUR IN CANADIAN STOCK MARKET Presenter: Yiming Cheng Supervisor: Vijay Vishwakarma

PURPOSE: This study examined the abnormal behaviour around ex-dividend day in Canada Stock Market. METHODS: This study used event study methodology to text the impact of paying dividend on stock price around ex-dividend day. The expected return is obtained from estimated window using CAPM model. Comparing the expected return and the actual return, we get the abnormal return. We examined the significance of such abnormal return. RESULTS: The abnormal return is significant through tests. And the decreasing dividend is more significant than the increasing ones. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, a behaviour exists around ex-dividend day. And the market reaction is different between an increasing dividend and a decreasing one.


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https://webmail.stfx.ca/exchange/x2008nzn/Inbox/RE:%20Project%20Topic-G%26R.EML?Cmd=open



20. ASSESSING HEURISTIC DRIVEN BIAS AND FRAME DEPENDENCY OF INVESTMENT IN HUMAN CAPITAL Presenter: Jeremy de Koe Supervisor: Kirk Collins

The purpose of this study is to explore the factors that influence the way we make decisions concerning investment in human capital; to take the frame dependency and common heuristics or biases that have been shown to influence traditional investment decisions and apply those to human capital investments such as education. Is an investment in education analogous to an investment in equities or securities? Do people see their investment in education as an investment in themselves and/or an investment in their “portfolio”? Essentially, do human capital investors fall into the same biases as other types of investors in the financial markets? Over seventy-five students were surveyed with scenarios or situations concerning investing in both training and education, or in a traditional form of investment, where choices were presented in a manner relevant to factors of influence and students were asked to make a decision. Based on statistical comparisons of these decisions, it was apparent that the effects of the behavioural biases had an increased prevalence in education investment decisions. As well, arguably due to an increased effect of overconfidence bias, education investment decisions were skewed to a much greater effect suggesting an increased frame dependency.


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21. THE PROVINCIAL MINIMUM LEGAL DRINKING AGE AND ITS EFFECT ON YOUTH PROPERTY CRIME AND SUICIDE Presenter: Janine Farmer Supervisors: Teng Wah Leo and Santo Dodaro

Alcohol is an implicated factor in crime and suicidal behaviour among youth. Multiple regression analyses are used to prove relationships between the change in a provincial minimum legal drinking age and its affect on reported property crime and suicide rates in each region of Canada. It was necessary to control for other variables that might affect youth suicide and property crime rates so included in regressions are unemployment rates for youth, provincial divorce rates, and alcohol tax rates as well as a ‘breweries per capita’ variable created to characterize a ‘drinking culture’ among regions. Preliminary regressions reveal that suicide and property crime are substitute behaviours rather than complementary behaviours to alcohol consumption.


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22. INVESTIGATING TO SEE IF THERE’S A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A CHILD’S SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AT BIRTH, AND ADULT HEALTH CARE RECEIVED Presenter: TC Feltmate Supervisor: Teng Wang Leo

The linkages between a person’s socioeconomic status and his state of health have been a topic of on-going interest in the discipline of health economics. Economists have tackled this problem from many angles, using different measures, data sets and regression models to determine if there is a correlation between an individual's health and socioeconomic status. In general, most models show that people who are of lower socioeconomic status also tend to have poorer health, perform worse in school, and are ultimately employed in jobs requiring fewer skills relative to those who are of a higher socioeconomic status. By virtue of intergenerational transmission of economic status, children born into these families are also likely to arrive at the doorstep of adulthood with poor health and minimal educational attainmentFor my thesis, I am endeavouring to determine if the socioeconomic status of children at birth, in combination with several other factors, will help to predict their susceptibility to a number of chronic health conditions throughout the course of their lives.


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23. ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A FINANCIAL LITERACY EFFORT USING THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOUR Presenter: Kristie Forbes Supervisor: Thomas Mahaffey

This study evaluates the behavioural impact of a social marketing intervention designed to improve the financial literacy of new mothers. The social marketing intervention is called, "A New Parent's Guide to Money." It is a short booklet (Guide) covering five major topics. It is designed and written to be comprehensible to Grade 5 literacy levels while also being motivating and likely to influence behavioral change. Topics include government benefits, education savings plans, budgeting, child care, and creating wills. The impact on new mothers was evaluated using Azjen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour1 which includes three core constructs used to predict behaviours; attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. Data was collected through five in-depth interviews based on an earlier set of pre-publication focus groups. Data were analyzed using thematic and content analyses. This analysis revealed that the Guide served as an effective tool for motivating changes in behaviour, specifically by improving the participants' cognitive understanding of the topics and provoking discussion between partners. Many of the participants also held positive attitudes about the prescribed behaviours, and received encouragement from reference groups (subjective norms); however, they felt time and money made the performance of the behaviours difficult (perceived behavioural control). The issues of time and procrastination were often mentioned as factors in participants' perceived behavioural control that inhibited their change in behaviours. Nevertheless, the study concludes that participants felt that the recommended tasks were important and were motivated to complete at least a few of them. Overall, A New Parent’s Guide to Money appears to have had a positive impact on the behavioural intentions of new mothers.

1 Azjen, I. (1991) The Theory of Planned Behaviour. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes Volume 50, Issue 2, pp. 179-211


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24. IMPACT OF MARKETING CAPABILITIES ON COMMERCIALIZATION PERFORMANCE Presenter: Wang Huang Supervisor: Bhasker Mukerji

Purpose: This study examines the impact of five marketing capabilities (market information management, marketing planning, distribution channel management, marketing communication and customer information management) on commercialization performance (CP). Methods: Secondary data which collected by Dr. Bhasker Mukerji was used in this study. Cronbach’s Alpha was used to test the validity and reliability of our research model. And, linear regression analysis was used to test our research model. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze the sample. Results: The Cronbach’s Alpha showed all the variables have validity except for Marketing Communication (α= .677< .700). The linear regression analysis showed marketing communication has much stronger influence on commercialization compare to other four marketing capabilities, which means the model needs to be modified. Instead of using means, the author tried independent items to analyze the data. And, a revised model was created. Conclusion: The revised model shows developing marketing management skills and processes (C13), Providing high levels of service support to distributors (C3) and Analyzing market information (C11) have positive influence on CP while Attracting and retaining the best distributors (C2) and Using market research skills to develop effective marketing programs (C8) have negative impact on CP.


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25. Are Canadian community college enrollments countercyclical? Presenter: Matthew Johnson Supervisor: Teng Wang Leo and Santo Dodaro

My paper examines the relationship between the Canadian unemployment rate and enrollment rates in Canadian community colleges. This idea was motivated by a paper by (Betts & McFarland 1995) who find a counter cyclical link between the unemployment rate and American enrollment rates. If the situation in Canada is similar to that in the United States, my paper suggests an optimal investment strategy for the Canadian government in community colleges.

Using aggregate data from CANSIM and the Canadian Labor Force Survey I perform ordinary least squares regressions to determine the factors which influence enrollment rates. The results seem to indicate that individuals respond to economic incentives when choosing to enroll and the extent of this relationship varies by province. At the aggregate level it is evident individuals enroll counter cyclically and these results are in line with those of (Betts & McFarland 1995).


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26. DE-REGULATED VERSUS REGULATED SCHOOLS? --- A STUDY OF RETURNS TO EDUCATION IN CANADA Presenter: Yumeng Liu Supervisor: Kirk Collins

The average tuitions in Canadian universities have risen significantly over the past decade. In fact, tuition fees in undergraduate level almost doubled over the last 15 years. PURPOSE: The primary goal of this study is to present private rates of returns to education in Canada. Using the latest applicable data, we can calculate the returns to schooling by level of education. For bachelors’ degree and after, we only focus on the rates of returns on average. METHODS: To calculate the returns to education, we use the method of Rate of Return, which is the discount rate of a investment when the NPV (Net present Value) of the investment equals to zero. RESULTS: This study is astonishingly interest and useful, since individual decision-maker can use it to allocate resources and make future developing decisions. Specific results and conclusions will be forthcoming.


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27. IS FINANCIAL ANALYST FOLLOWING A COMPLEMENT TO CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN AFFECTING THE PERFORMANCE OF CANADIAN PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES? Presenter: Rory MacDonald Supervisor: Mary Oxner

High profile scandals such as Enron and WorldCom caused attention to be focused on the agency problem and corporate governance mechanisms. As Larker et al (2004) suggest, the mosaic of corporate governance involves numerous stakeholders. Stakeholders, largely external to the corporation, influence its effective governance in significant ways and are essential in protecting the interests of a company's stakeholders. Examples of such stakeholders include regulators, legislators, financial analysts, stock exchanges, courts and the legal system, and the stockholders. These external stakeholders influence those who are more directly involved in the governance of the corporation. Consequently, we need to complement the current research on corporate governance by investigating those stakeholder interactions (Knyazeva, 2007). Financial analysts, one of the key users of firm-provided financial disclosures, are the stakeholders of interest in this study. Prior research established a positive relationship between corporate governance and firm performance and further established a positive relationship between financial analyst following and firm performance. This study investigates the relationship between financial analyst following and corporate governance on firm performance. Specifically, the study poses the question: Does the level of analyst following complement the affect of corporate governance on firm performance? This study focuses its attention on Canadian public companies while examining firm level corporate governance variables that are much broader in both breadth (i.e. a more comprehensive set of corporate governance variables) and depth (i.e. inclusive of all TSX listed firms without limiting the scope to only firms included in a S&P/TSX index) than prior studies. A variety of proxies are selected to represent financial analyst following and firm performance and a number of control variables are used to account for differences in the size of firms, the industries in which they operate, and the capital structures they employ to operate. The data is analyzed using a regression model.


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28. CANADIAN ORGANIZATIONAL READINESS TO MEET THE FINANCIAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS OF IFRS Presenter: Holly MacLennan Supervisors: Todd Boyle

Canadian publicly accountable enterprises (PAEs) will be forced to adopt International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by 2011. This study examines the readiness of Canadian PAEs and their information systems to meet the financial reporting requirements of IFRS as well as the challenges that these companies will face when adopting the new standards. This study uses a mixed-methods approach that is comprised of first interviewing senior IFRS transition managers from 10 Canadian PAEs. Based on the interview findings a survey was developed and then administered to IFRS transition managers of 108 Canadian PAEs. Based on both qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data, a framework of the key challenges that Canadian PAEs face as they prepare for the IFRS transition is developed and discussed. The key challenges outlined in this framework are people, process, communication (both internal and external), and technology challenges. For future research on IFRS implementation in other countries, this research will provide key items to consider. In addition, this research may assist managers that have not yet completed their conversion to IFRS in identifying the challenges that they may experience. This research will also enable managers to determine their implementation progress in relation to other PAEs.


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29. TRADE MISSION EFFECTIVENESS IN OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO THE EXPORT OF SERVICES Presenter: Justin MacLennan Supervisor: Neil Maltby

Past research in the field of export barriers has identified deficits in the subfields of barriers to export of services (Phillipa, Hanslow and Phamduc, 2003; European Commission, 2001; Hoekman, Mattoo and Sapir, 2007), barriers to small exporters (Leonidou, 1995; Leonidou, 2004), and the real value derived from participation by businesses in trade missions (Kumcu, Harcar and Kumcu, 1995; Leonidou, 1995; Czinkota, 1994; Spence, 2003; Head and Reis, 2006). Elements of each of the gaps were drawn together to build up the research opportunity. The purpose of the study was to identify what barriers to service export are perceived by small Nova Scotian firms, and to evaluate the Nova Scotian trade mission system’s effectiveness in helping overcome those barriers. Data was gathered by interviewing owner-managers of small Nova Scotian service-exporting firms, and members of organizations that are involved with trade missions and export. Results were analyzed manually. Overall, trade mission success for firms has been tied to three main factors: how well the firms prepare beforehand, the matchmaking service provided by trade missions to enhance high-quality contact generation in the foreign market, and how much effort is spent on follow-up after the trade mission is over. The findings point to flaws in the existing trade mission system, from before the start to after the finish, and recommendations for improving the process.


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30. THE EFFECT OF FOREIGN AID ON INCOME INEQUALITY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Presenter: Gregory Mills Supervisor: Teng Wah Leo

This study is meant to investigate how successful foreign aid money has been in reducing income inequality in the recipient countries. Time-series data from the World Bank, spanning from 1978-2008, will be used in the analysis. Using measures of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and various measures of income and inequality, this study will explore whether ODA has been successful in reducing income inequality in different countries and attempt to discover what factors contribute to its success or failure. Results are forthcoming.


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Presentation time: Withdrawn

31. DOES AN INCREASE IN IMMIGRANTS LEAD TO CANADIAN-BORN STUDENTS BEING CROWDED OUT OF UNIVERSITY? Presenter: Chelsea Mitchell Supervisor: Teng Wah Leo

This study examines the impact of immigration policy on native-born citizens wishing to pursue a university education. Studies conducted in the United States have found that a crowding out effect does exist to some degree, and I intend to find if the same effect exists in Canada. Data on Canadian university enrolment and immigration rates will be used in the analysis. This study will attempt to discover if an increase in foreign students leads to some Canadian-born students being unable to access post secondary education. Results are forthcoming.


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32. BOARD INDEPENDENCE, BOARD SIZE, CEO’S OWNERSHIP OF SHARES, PAST PAYOUT RATIO AND OTHER CONTROL VARIABLES OF DIVIDEND PAYOUT RATIO Presenter: Jun Wang Supervisor: Mary Oxner

PURPOSE: A dividend provides a return to investors, is expected from companies in particular industries (e.g. banking) and is used in pricing shares (e.g. dividend discount model). Free cash and agency theories have been used to explain the amount of the dividend relative to earnings paid to investors (e.g. dividend payout ratio) (Easterbrook, 1984; Jensen & Meckling, 1976; Jensen, 1986; Rozeff, 1982). One factor that may affect the dividend payout ratio is corporate governance. Firm corporate governance practices impact the level and management of free cash flow and in turn impact the level of cash available for both the payment of dividends and internal investment. Consequently, the dividend payout ratio is influenced by variables inherent in the corporate governance practices of firms which include board independence, board size, and CEO ownership. This study investigates the effect of corporate governance practices and prior dividend payout ratio on the current dividend payout ratio. METHOD: Regression analysis is employed to analyze the effects of Board independence and size, CEO Ownership and past payout ratio on the current year’s dividend payout ratio. Other variables including growth, size of the company and industry are included in the analysis. Data used in the regression analysis represents all TSX listed companies (excluding income trusts and finance companies) for the five years from 2003 to 2007. RESULTS: The research results are consistent with previous studies such that a higher payout ratio is positively associated with a higher prior year’s payout ratio. Further, greater board size and more board independence are also positively associated with a higher dividend payout ratio. Greater CEO share ownership, higher growth and smaller firm size are negatively associated with the dividend payout ratio. The study also confirms that utility firms are reluctant to pay higher dividend payout ratios than are other companies. CONCLUSION: Only past dividend payout ratios and firm size have significant effects on current dividend payout ratio however corporate governance mechanisms like Board Independence and Board size are associated with the dividend payout ratio.


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33. THE IMPACT OF YEAR EFFECTS ON YOUR INCENTIVE IN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION Presenter: Yu Wang Supervisor: Kirk Collins

This study investigates the impact of year effects on tax incentives in investment decisions on human capital in a historical perspective. The purpose of this paper is to understand the changes of tax treatment on human capital in Canada for the past decade by applying the concept of Effective Tax Return (ETR) on human capital in the year of 1986, 1996 and 2006. Before-tax and after-tax earnings are estimated for full-time workers who completed a full time post-secondary education program for each year. In this paper, the post-secondary education is limited to undergraduate level, which is a 4-year university education program. The gross and net of tax rates of return and ETRs on investment in undergraduate education in1986, 1996 and 2006 are estimated and compared. Results are presented in groups of male and female for Bachelor’s program for each year. The possible implications on taxation policies and school expenditures are made in later part of this study.


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34. THE DETERMINATS OF WORKING CAPITAL AND THE EFFECT OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: CANADIAN EVIDENCE Presenter: Wei Xia Supervisors: Ken MacAulay

Working capital represents operating liquidity available to firms. Despite its importance, working capital determinants are yet to be studied (Hill, Kelly and Highfield, 2007). Employing an empirical approach, this paper first examines the determinants of working capital, to see what factors influence a firm's investment in working capital, and second, expands the study to incorporate the influence of corporate governance. Results, derived from 2,348 firm-year Toronto Stock Exchange observations for the period 2003 to 2007, indicate that firm size, leverage, operating cash flow, return on assets and future growth affect the level of working capital for a firm. No relationship with corporate governance was found, partly due to the limitations of the sample.


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35. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND FIRM CASH HOLDINGS IN CANADAPresenter: Luying ZhangSupervisor: Ken MacAulay

Corporate cash-holding can be explained by economic and behavioral theory. The former includes tradeoff theory and financial hierarchy theory, and the latter is essentially agency theory. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of corporate governance and firm characteristics on corporate cash-holding based on the three theories stated above. A firm-level data set covering Canadian firms listed in TSX from 2003 to 2007 is used and OLS and Panel Regression were conducted to analyze the data. The results show that firms with weak corporate governance tend to hold more cash than firms with good corporate governance. In addition, corporate cash-holding increases with firm investments, and decreases with firm size, operating cash flow, firm liquidity and firm leverage.


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CELTIC STUDIES


36. LIKE BIRDS ON THE WAVE: THE NORSE-MANX PRESENCE IN MEDIEVAL IRISH SEA TRADE, POLITICS, AND RELIGION Presenter: Jason Bond Supervisor: Kenneth Nilsen

This honors thesis compiles and investigates a large amount of past Manx scholarship to showcase the Isle of Man's involvement in Irish Sea trade, politics, and church history in the 10th-13th centuries. Often the Isle of Man is considered to be inferior to Norse territories in Ireland, Scotland, and England; this study will prove that evaluation to be antiquated. The Isle of Man is a fertile island whose wealth was assured due to close trade links with Viking Dublin. After these economic and political ties waned in the late 11th century, a Norse-Manx dynasty rose to power, becoming legendary for its naval power and political cunning. The Isle of Man also housed a Cistercian order at Rushen Abbey that affected much of the history of the Western Isles of Scotland. The Chronicle of the Kings of Mann and the Isles was also composed at Rushen Abbey, showing how even the small Isle of Man was a center of learning, religious literature, and history.


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37. VAE VICTUS: CAESAR’S CONQUEST OF GAUL Presenter: Scott Robinson Supervisor: Ken Nilson

Abstract not available at time of printing.


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ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES


38. INVESTIGATION OF THE PRIMING EFFECT IN THE EVOLUTION OF CO2 FROM SOIL ORGANIC MATTER IN NORTHERN FOREST SOILS Presenter: Larissa Allain Supervisor: Lisa Kellman

Approximately 50% of soil carbon is lost from soils in the first 30 years following a clear cut. The mechanism for this has been debated and a possible hypothesis is that a priming effect occurs (Fontaine, 2007). A priming effect is defined as the activation of dormant soil microbes by the addition of labile carbon, which results in an increase of respiration from soil carbon. PURPOSE: This study was completed to determine if the priming effect is a possible mechanism for the soil carbon lost from forest soils following a forest-harvesting event. We also wished to determine whether the amount of labile carbon added to a sample controlled the extent to which priming occurred (Blagodatskaya and Kuzyakov, 2008). METHODS: A laboratory study was carried out in which a labile C source, glucose, was added to soil samples at control (no glucose), low (5% microbial biomass carbon equivalent), medium (100% microbial biomass carbon equivalent) and high (300% microbial biomass carbon equivalent) concentrations. The samples were then analysed for the rates of respiration, and 13C values were used to partition the respired carbon into two sources (glucose vs. soil C). RESULTS: The results showed that when fresh C is added the microbes in the soil are indeed activated, showing an increase in the rates of respiration of SOM that were highest with low additions of glucose and not observed with the highest concentrations of glucose. These results suggest priming may increase SOM decomposition is disturbed soils, and that the magnitude of the effect is controlled by the quantity of available labile C. CONCLUSIONS: Priming is a possible mechanism for soil carbon loss after a clear cut and the extent to which priming occurs depends on the amount of labile carbon added.


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39. CHARACTERISTIC CHANGES IN SOIL CO2 EFFLUX RESULTING FROM PHYSICAL DISTURBANCE Presenter: Sara Klapstein Supervisor: Dave Risk

PURPOSE: Subsoil organic matter (SOM) stability has long thought to be governed primarily by temperature and microbial dynamics with very little emphasis being placed on the contribution of physical factors to microbial metabolism. Understanding how physical factors affect both labile and recalcitrant carbon is important for predicting future changes in the soil carbon pool, a pool that contains twice the amount of carbon than that of the atmosphere. METHODS: Here, paired lab-field experiments explore the effect of changes in the physical environment and respiration of SOM in mineral soil from an 80-year old red spruce forest stand in Nova Scotia, Canada. The factors tested were substrate transport, pulse wetting, change in oxygen availability and physical abrasion. The response of each disturbance factor was measured by Continuous Timeseries-Forced Diffusion (CT-FD), a continuous real time CO2 emissions monitoring tool that provides high frequency data which helped capture the unique temporal properties of each disturbance. RESULTS: Of the four factors, oxygen availability had the least influence on respiration and showed no change in baseline after the initial degassing event, however substrate transport, physical abrasion, and wetting yielded more complex patterns. Substrate transport did not appear to stimulate any SOM response, suggesting that the island hypothesis does not apply in these soils, and that any impact of moisture additions must be a result of moisture-microbe or moisture-SOM interactions, and not redistribution. CONCLUSIONS: The influence of physical environment on SOM stability is new and potentially important work, but further experimentation is essential to better understand these complex results.


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40. The Impact of All-Terrain Vehicles on the Vegetation of Southern Nova Scotia Bogs Presenter: Shanel Raney Supervisor: Barry Taylor

PURPOSE: The effect of ATV disturbance on bog vegetation was investigated in 8 bogs in southwest Nova Scotia, to determine if varying levels of ATV disturbance led to changes in the abundances of indicator species. This investigation branched from an environmental assessment of a wind farm near a bog at Pubnico Point, Nova Scotia. METHODS: A monitoring program was designed to investigate the effect of a new road installed across the narrow inflow stream to an open bog for access to the wind turbines. The impact of possible increased ATV activity on bog vegetation, was monitored through vegetation surveys of nine indicator species along five fixed transects. Vegetation surveys were done over five years, 2005-2009. A spatial assessment was carried out in 2009 to investigate differences in abundances of the indicator species along transects across eight bogs with different levels of ATV disturbance. In one bog we also tested whether ATV tracks correlated with the abundance of the rare plant Drosera filiformis. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: The road installment at Pubnico Point had no significant impact on the level of ATV use within the bog. However a significant decrease in standing water and an increase in woody vegetation showed that the bog is slowly responding to hydrology changes from road instalment causing bog drying. The spatial surveys showed no significant impact of ATV traffic on almost all indicator species. The D. filiformis surveys show that the presence of D. filiformis is related to the presence of tracks and the presence of water.


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HUMAN KINETICS


41. OPTIMIZING THE JUMP FLOAT SERVE IN VOLLEYBALL: A FORWARD DYNAMICS SIMULATION APPROACH Presenter: Brett Barro Supervisor: Sasho Mackenzie

PURPOSE: The current study quantified the difference in serving performance between two jump float serve techniques using an optimized mathematical model. METHODS: Each serve was performed by 7 male and 2 female university volleyball players and their ball contact positions were measured. These contact positions were used as initial conditions for the model. The trajectory of the float serve was assumed to be governed by three forces namely the gravitational force, drag force and lateral force. The differential equations of motion were solved numerically using a Runge-Kutta integration routine. A genetic algorithm was implemented to generate optimal serving parameters for each serve executed by the subjects. A paired t-test determined statistical differences in the optimized initial velocity, initial angle, final velocity and total flight time between the two serving methods. RESULTS: The mean flight time for the jump-focused method (0.949 seconds) was significantly shorter than the mean flight time for the toss-focused method (0.988 seconds), t(8)=5.14, p=0.0004, ES=0.76. The initial angle was also significantly less for the jump-focused method (4.25°) with respect to the toss-focused method (5.97°), t(8)=4.89, p=0.0006, ES=0.75. In addition, the volleyball’s initial and final velocities were significantly larger for the jump-focused method (18.84, 17.23) in comparison to the toss-focused method (18.28, 16.77), t(8)=2.69, p=0.014, ES=0.70, t(8)=2.59, p=0.016, ES=0.67 respectively. CONCLUSION: The jump-focused method allows the ball to be contacted at higher positions relative to the toss-focused method. This, in turn, allows the ball to be imparted with a greater initial velocity at a flatter angle thus reducing the overall flight time. Therefore, the jump-focused method is a superior serve as dictated by its potential for more optimal serving parameters.


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HUMAN KINETICS


42. AN EXERCISE AND DIET INTERVENTION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES FROM RESIDENTIAL GROUP HOMES Presenter: J. Colin Boyd Supervisors: Amanda Casey and Roy Rasmussen

PURPOSE: Draheim et al. (2002) found that adults with intellectual disability (ID) over the age of thirty reported no participation in vigorous physical activity. Research has shown that the rates of overweight, obesity, and extreme obesity remain much higher for persons with ID compared to the general population (Rimmer, 1993). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to assess the effects of a thirteen-week-aquatic exercise and diet intervention on percent body fat (%BF) in eight adults (two women, six men) with ID (Age 43.0 ± 13.9) from residential settings. METHODS: %BF of participants (BMI 29.7 ± 5.9) was measured pre and post the exercise and diet intervention. The aquatic exercise training entailed three one-hour sessions per week at 60-80% of participants’ theoretical maximum heart rate. The diet intervention removed 3500 kcal from each participant’s weekly diet below what was required to maintain body weight. RESULTS: On average, participants reduced %BF by approximately 1%. This change was statistically significant, t(7) = -1.97, p = .044. CONCLUSIONS: This intervention proved effective in reducing %BF in adults with ID, thus a combination of exercise and diet may be more appropriate than exercise alone (Casey et al., 2010). These findings appear consistent with results from studies conducted with individuals without ID, but should be interpreted cautiously in light of the small sample size and absence of a control group. Nevertheless, further research of this nature is warranted in light of the increased prevalence of obesity and the higher risk for associated diseases in this population.*Supported by St. Francis Xavier University


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43. CANDY STRIPING: AN EXAMINATION OF GENDER STEREOTYPES IN ATHLETIC THERAPY Presenter: Olivia Durst Supervisor: Charlene Weaving

As an athletic therapist, one is either assigned to a team that is all men or all women, possibly singling out the therapist as the only non-male or non-female on the team. While being the only member of your sex on a team full of the opposite sex might be challenging for both males and females, the challenge for women may be considered to be greater because, traditionally, women have been stereotyped as weaker and have had a less substantial role in sport. The purpose of this study is to gain insight into the subculture of female athletic therapists who have worked with all male teams at the university level. My approach primarily involves deductive reasoning and critical thinking in order to analyze the subculture of female athletic therapists and the gender stereotypes that are constructed. I examine whether traditional gender stereotypes are observed, practiced and embraced. Five male athletes and five female student athletic therapists were interviewed in a one-on-one semi structured interview setting. Preliminary results indicate that male athletes may not be truly aware that they are actually stereotyping their female student therapists. Additionally, it seems as though the women therapists are aware of being stereotyped and are accepting of their positioning.


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HUMAN KINETICS


44. THE EFFECTS OF MASLINIC ACID SUPPLEMENTATION ON 3-METHYLHISTIDINE EXCRETION DURING SIX WEEKS OF RESISTANCE TRAINING Presenter: Brittany Edgett Supervisors: Truis Smith-Palmer and Roy Rasmussen

Abstract/summary not available at time of printing


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45. A BIOMECHANICAL EVALUATION OF TWO METHODS OF THE JUMP FLOAT SERVE IN VOLLEYBALL Presenter: Kyle S. Kortegaard Supervisor: Sasho MacKenzie

PURPOSE: Through biomechanical analysis, this study aimed to compare the potential offensive implications of a newly proposed jump-focused (JF) technique of the jump float serve to those of the conventionally used toss-focused (TF) technique. METHODS: Nine male and two female varsity volleyball players were filmed performing both TF and JF service techniques. Contact coordinates (x- and y-), pre- and post-contact ball velocities, and initial angles of trajectory were determined using MaxTRAQ® motion analysis software. Paired t-tests were conducted to determine any differences in serve variables between the two service methods. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in contact height (p = 0.003), pre-contact vertical ball velocity (p = 0.000), initial serve speed (p = 0.003), and initial trajectory (p = 0.036). Effect sizes were calculated and were especially large for contact height (d = 0.72) and pre-contact vertical ball velocity (d = 2.86). CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, due to a faster falling toss, difficulty in making quality contact is higher with the JF technique; however, this method promotes a more favourable ball trajectory and a greater initial serve speed than the TF technique. When combining the random lateral movement patterns inherent to any float serve with the reduced flight time associated with the JF technique, a more challenging passing scenario can be presented to the defensive team.


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46. AERODYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF A NON-SPINNING VOLLEYBALL AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE OPTIMAL JUMP FLOAT SERVEAuthor: Marc LeVangie Supervisor: Sasho MacKenzie

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to obtain representative values for the aerodynamic drag force that is exerted on a non-spinning volleyball and to empirically validate a three-dimensional mathematical model that was used to predict the trajectory of two different jump float serves. METHODS: Wind tunnel data over a range of 40m/s was acquired. The drag force was represented as a function of velocity and then incorporated into the equations of motion used to develop the mathematical model. To validate this model, experimental data was collected by recording six jump float serves using two digital video camcorders. Using the initial conditions of each recorded serve, the mathematical model generated a corresponding theoretical trajectory, which was then compared to the measured trajectory using a root mean squared error analysis. RESULTS: The root mean squared error analysis from the six recorded serves resulted in a mean x coordinate error of 0.21 meters (SD = 0.11), a mean y coordinate error of 0.22 meters (SD = 0.12), and a mean z coordinate error of 0.33 (SD = 0.12). CONCLUSION: Based on the considerable differences between and predicted and measured trajectories, the current model cannot be deemed valid. However, these results were expected due to the difficulties in modeling the random lateral movement that is characteristic of a float serve. Future research should seek to address this issue.


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47. WHIPLASH ASSOCIATED DISORDER PAIN: COMPARING INTRAMUSCULAR STIMULATION AND STANDARD PHYSIOTHERAPY TREATMENT TO PHYSIOTHERAPY TREATMENT Presenter: Kelsey Lynch Supervisor: Angie Thompson

Purpose: This study examined the difference in reported pain of Whiplash Associated Disorder patients following ten treatment sessions of Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) in combination with physiotherapy with patients who underwent standard physiotherapy alone. Methods: Self-reported pain was indicated before and after ten therapy treatments using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Roland Morris Questionnaire (RMQ). Five participants chose to undergo physiotherapy treatment with Intramuscular Stimulation, whereas four participants chose to be treated without IMS. The change in self-reported pain pre- to post- ten treatments was analyzed using a Two-Way Within-Between Analysis of Variance. Results: Participants in the IMS group reported a greater reduction in self-reported pain, using both the VAS and the RMQ, compared to the control group. Yet, with a confidence interval at 95%, the difference in self-reported pain was not significant. Conclusion: Treatment inclusive of IMS shows promise in further reducing pain for those suffering from Whiplash Associated Disorder, yet further research is needed. To increase the reduction in perceived pain, legal action should be taken to increase the number of treatments offered to those involved in Motor Vehicle Accidents (MVAs). This process is currently underway in the provinces of Alberta and Nova Scotia.


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48. RUNNING LIKE A GIRL: CASE STUDY ANALYSIS OF CASTER SEMENYA Presenter: Amy MacKinnon Supervisor: Charlene Weaving

Sex testing at the Olympics has had a permanent impact on both performance and the advancement of women elite athletes. In this study, I evaluate the ethical implications of sex testing within a feminist ethical framework and incorporate a case study analysis. The scientific and ethical implications of sex testing in Olympic sport continue to be a controversial issue. Sex testing, also known as gender verification is prevalent in female Olympic competition today despite the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) and International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) claims that testing have been abolished. For example, South African track and field athlete Caster Semenya won a gold medal in the women’s 800m at the World Championships in August of 2009. However, she was accused of looking too manly by her competitors, officials and the international media and was subjected to sex testing to ensure she wasn’t cheating. I argue that sex testing remains an unethical practice and refer to the case of Caster Semenya to support the claim that sex testing is rooted in sexism


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49. IS MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION OF ALL CHOLECYSTECTOMY SPECIMENS NECESSARY? Presenter: Chris Newell Supervisor: Not applicable

Cholecystectomy for gallstone disease is a common procedure in Canadian hospitals. Gallbladder cancer is a rare malignancy that has a poor prognosis. The objective of this study was to determine if the selective microscopic examination of cholecystectomy specimens would be feasible in a Canadian population. There were 1271 cholecystectomies performed during the five year period from July 1, 2004 to July 1, 2009 at the Grey Bruce Health Services. The incidence of gallbladder cancer in our study, 0.47%, is similar to that reported in the literature (mean 0.47%, range 0.17% to 0.72%). There was a significant difference (p < 0.0001) in the thickness of the gallbladder wall in cases with malignancy (1.3 ± 0.43 cm) compared to those without malignancy (0.26 ± 0.17 cm). We propose that it may be feasible and practical to examine grossly all cholecystectomy specimens, and to examine microscopically only a small proportion of resected gallbladders.


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HUMAN KINETICS


50. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A QUESTIONNAIRE TO ASSESS CHILDREN’S KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES ASSOCIATED WITH HEALTHY ACTIVE LIVING Presenter: Kathryn A. Olsheski Supervisor: Angie Thompson

Canada has one of the highest global rates of overweight and obese youth. The increasing trend towards a sedentary lifestyle compromises children’s current and future health. PURPOSE: This study was designed to develop an age appropriate questionnaire to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of children regarding healthy active living. METHODS: Questions were developed to cover the following four parameters: (1) physical activity, (2) dietary intake, (3) healthy lifestyle, and (4) environmental health. Once designed, the questionnaire was distributed to experts in the field to establish face validity. Using the feedback obtained from the experts, the questionnaire was revised and administered to 16 children testing for internal consistency and assessing reading comprehension. RESULTS: The experts’ feedback resulted in modifications regarding question wording and more age appropriate and topic specific answer choices. For example, question wording was revised to include less rigidness by adding “suggested/said to be” or “recommended” to statements such as “What is said to be the most important meal of the day” Another example is more applicable response choices for example, “playing outside with your brothers and friends” versus “walking or biking” as afterschool activity options. Early feedback from the administration of the questionnaire to children included changing word changes such as “brothers/sisters” for “siblings” and additional clarification for yes/no responses. The statistical analyses (internal consistency, item-total correlation) from the pilot testing with the children are forthcoming. CONCLUSIONS: Conclusions will be made based on the results from all methods of questionnaire development.


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51. ACUTE EFFECTS OF PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION STRETCHING ON STRENGTH PERFORMANCE IN THE KNEE FLEXORS Presenter: Phil S. Sheppard Supervisors: Angie Thompson and Jeff Vossen

Traditional proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching techniques, such as agonist contract-relax PNF (ACR-PNF), have been shown to decrease muscular performance when completed prior to activity (Marek et al., 2005). The acute effects of PNF stretching techniques that involve a contraction of the agonist muscle group at the end of the technique, such as agonist contract-relax agonist contract PNF (ACRAC-PNF) have not been evaluated. PURPOSE: This study examined the acute effects of ACRAC-PNF on strength performance in the knee flexors of 8 male varsity football players. METHODS: Knee flexor strength was assessed using one repetition maximum (1RM) testing. A dependent t-test was used to determine if there was a significant difference in strength performance between ACRAC-PNF and no-stretching prior to a 1RM test. RESULTS: For Group 1, where participants completed the stretching condition during their second testing session, a dependent t-test demonstrated a significant increase in maximal concentric strength (MCS) of the knee flexors following ACRAC-PNF (M = 31.9 ± 1.26 kg) compared to no stretching (M = 30.44 ± 2.15 kg), t(4) = -3.298, p = .030, α = .05. Group 2 involved participants completing ACRAC-PNF during their first testing session and displayed a significant decrease in MCS following no stretching (M = 2 6.0 2.99 kg) compared to ACRAC-PNF (M = 27.0 2.93 kg), t(2) = -31.0, p = .001, = .05. With all the subjects’ data combined, MCS was significantly greater following ACRAC-PNF (M = 30.1 ± 3.11 kg) than no-stretching (M = 28.8 ± 3.24 kg), t(7) = -4.742, p = .002, α = .05. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, ACRAC-PNF stretching increases MCS of the knee flexors. The increases observed may be due to the same neuromuscular phenomena that cause increases in muscular performance following dynamic stretching.


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52. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHANGE IN REACTION TIME AND LENGTH OF RETURN TO PLAY FOLLOWING CONCUSSION

Presenter: Brianna ThompsonSupervisors: Roy Rasmussen and Tara Sutherland

PURPOSE: This study examined change in reaction time, as measured by a computer-based neurocognitive test (ImPACT), as a reliable indicator of sports-related concussion in 8 female and 5 male athletes. This study also investigated the relationship between change in reaction time and length of safe return to play. METHODS: All athletes completed baseline ImPACT testing prior to season. Injured athletes completed a supervised post injury ImPAT test 36 to 48 hours after sustaining the concussion. Players then followed St. Francis Xavier University’s Athletic Therapy Department’s standard return to play protocol. Using Microsoft Office Excel 2003, a two-tailed Dependent t-test was calculated to determine if there was a significant difference between baseline and post injury ImPACT scores for reaction time ( =0.05). The degree of association between the change in reaction time and the length of return to play was measured using the Pearson product-moment coefficient of correlation ( =0.05). RESULTS: Reaction time, as measured by ImPACT, did not change significantly following concussion, t(12) = .376, p = .713. Further, the amount of change in reaction time did not significantly correlate to the length of return to play of participants, r = .371, t(12) = 1.33, p = .212. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, reaction time, measured by ImPACT, is not a suitable indicator of sports related concussion in female and male athletes. Further since it is not a suitable indicator, it follows that you would not expect a high correlation between reaction time and the length of time to return to play.


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53. “THIN TO WIN”: SPORT TYPE AND A FEMALE ATHLETES SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DEVELOPING AN EATING DISORDER Presenter: Holly B. Van Gestel Supervisor: Angie Thompson

Purpose: This research project aimed to determine if female athletes who participate in varsity sports with an emphasis on leanness or wear tight fitting or revealing uniforms are at a higher risk for developing an eating disorder or have higher levels of social physique anxiety compared to athletes participating in sports with less emphasis on attaining a thin physique or who wear less-revealing uniforms. Methods: Data was obtained from two self-report questionnaires completed by 97 female varsity athletes enrolled at StFX. The Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) measures the attitudinal and behavioural traits pertinent to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa while the Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS) measures the degree of anxiety associated with the real or perceived assessment of one’s physique by others. Data was grouped by dividing the seven varsity sports teams into lean (volleyball and cross-country athletes) and non-lean (hockey, rugby soccer, basketball, and track) sport groups. The results from these groups were then compared using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA. Results: There were) no significant differences in SPAS between sport groups (F = .22, p = .64), in EDI total scores (F = .00, p = .98), or EDI subscale scores at a 95% confidence level. Conclusion: These finding suggest that females athletes involved in varsity sports with an emphasis on leanness or who wear tight fitting or revealing uniforms are equally susceptible to the development of an eating disorder and elevated levels of social physique anxiety as their counterparts in sports where thinness and revealing uniforms are not the focus.


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54. PLAYING THE [OUT]FIELD: IMPLICATIONS OF HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY AND SEXUAL PREJUDICE WITHIN UNIVERSITY CONTACT SPORT CULTURE Presenter: F.W. Curt Wetmore Supervisor: Charlene Weaving

This paper distills the fundamentals of hegemonic masculinity and sexual prejudice as they occur in the context of the culture of sport. By emphasizing and encouraging heterosexuality, male contact sport culture deliberately discriminates against other forms of sexuality. I argue that this is detrimental and problematic to sport participation, specifically for young males. I approach the study within a North American Hegemonic Masculine perspective, furthered by Queer Theory and Phenomenological analysis. Additionally, I have interviewed two members of University male contact sport teams in an attempt to gain further insight into the specific sport culture. Furthermore, I intertwine an auto/ethnographic perspective in order to solidify my theoretical analysis with examples of my own experiences within sport. It is argued that, due to the presence of sexual prejudice, male contact sport culture, in general, fails to provide a universally inclusive environment for its constituents and, thus, is detrimental to male sport participation.


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HUMAN NUTRITION


55. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BREAKFAST CONSUMPTION AND RISK FACTORS FOR CHRONIC DISEASE IN ADULT HEALTH CARE WORKERS IN CAPE BRETON, NOVA SCOTIA Presenter: Britney Benoit Supervisor: Doris Gillis

PURPOSE: This study examined the relationship between daily breakfast consumption and chronic disease risk indicators in 162 health care workers employed at the Inverness and New Waterford hospital sites in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. METHODS: Secondary data from a worksite wellness pilot study conducted by the Cape Breton District Health Authority was used to examine the relationship between breakfast consumption and Body Mass Index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total and HDL cholesterol, random non-fasting blood glucose, fruit and vegetable intake, and whole grain intake. RESULTS: 52 % of participants reported that they always consume breakfast, whereas 11 % reported rarely or never consuming breakfast. No significant correlations were found between breakfast consumption and systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total and HDL cholesterol, and blood glucose values. Significant positive correlations were found between daily breakfast consumption and fruit and vegetable consumption (p<0.01) and whole grain intake (p<0.01). Whole grain intake was significantly correlated with BMI, total cholesterol (p<0.05) and HDL cholesterol (p<0.01).CONCLUSION: Although breakfast consumption is not significantly correlated with indicators of chronic disease risk, it is associated with other aspects of a healthy diet. These findings will inform interventions promoting wellness in the workplace in these communities.


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56. SCAVENGING OF THE DPPH FREE RADICAL BY PHENOLIC ACIDS AS AFFECTED BY THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH BSA Presenter: Mary Cranmer-Byng Supervisor: Marian Naczk

PURPOSE: This study examined the effect of interactions between phenolic acids and BSA on antioxidant potentials of tested phenolics. METHODS: A model system used in this study comprised of bovine serum albumin (BSA) dissolved in 0.01 M pH 6.8 phosphate buffer and to which methanolic solutions of phenolic acids, namely sinapic, caffeic, ferulic, syringic, protocatechuic, vanillic and gallic were added. The phenolic acids were tested individually and as pairs. The DPPH assay was used to evaluate the antioxidant potential of phenolic acids and their mixtures with BSA. RESULTS: The antioxidant potentials of tested phenolic acids and their mixtures were greatly influenced by the degree of substitution and the kind of side chain on the benzene ring. Enhancement in antioxidant capacity was noted for mixtures of two phenolic acids. Interactions between BSA and phenolic acids significantly decrease the antioxidant potential of phenolic acids involved. This effect was more pronounced at higher concentrations of BSA and was also influenced by the molecular structure of the phenolic acids involved. CONCLUSIONS: The interactions between proteins and phenolics significantly lower their antioxidant potentials. The data from this study will be helpful in the development of the strategies leading to the improvement of the oxidative stability of food products.*This research was supported by an NSERC Discovery Grant to Dr. Marian Naczk


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57. THE PREVENTATIVE ROLE OF DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE Presenter: Patricia Ellis Supervisor: Patricia Mazier

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, occurring primarily in individuals over the age of 65. It is a progressive, gradual decline in cognitive function. Characteristic signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include memory loss (both short- and long-term), changes in mood or behaviour, and loss of judgment. Recently, researchers have investigated the possibility of a link between risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA is an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid found primarily in fish and fish oils. It is also synthesized by the body through elongation and desaturation of similar fatty acids. By completing a review of current literature on the subject, it has been determined that a strong correlation exists between intake of preformed DHA and Alzheimer’s disease risk. These findings have the potential to be applied in nutrition practice to reduce Alzheimer’s disease risk in the aging North American population.

Selected References:Cunnane, S. C., Plourde, M., Pifferi, F., Bégin, M., Féart, C., Barberger-Gateau, P. (2009). Fish, docosahexaenoic acid and and Alzheimer’s disease. Progressin Lipid Research, 48, 239-256.

Schaefer, E. J., Bongard, V., Beiser, A. S., Lamon-Fava, S., Robins, S. J., Au, R., Tucker, K. L. & Kyle, D. J. (2006). Plasma phosphatidylcholine docosahexaenoic acid content and risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease: The framingham heart study. Archives of Neurology, 63(11), 1545-1550.


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58. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CALCIUM INTAKE, BODY FAT AND RESTING METABOLIC RATE IN STUDENTS ATTENDING ST. FRANCIS XAVIER UNIVERSITY Presenter: Andrea Glenn Supervisor: Patricia Mazier

INTRODUCTION: Obesity has become a major concern in Canada and developing countries over the past two decades and has resulted in an increased risk of chronic diseases. Weight loss has been shown to decrease the risk of these diseases, and recent research has suggested that a high calcium intake has been linked to an increased weight loss in subjects. The mechanism behind calcium’s role in weight loss and decreased body fat has not yet been determined. PURPOSE: This study looked to determine if calcium intake plays a role in resting metabolic rate (RMR), body mass index (BMI), and percent body fat of students 19-23 years of age who attend St. Francis Xavier University. METHODS: Anthropometric data (height, weight, and body composition), demographic information, RMR using a hand-held indirect calorimeter as well as calculated RMR by Mifflin-St. Jeor equation, and calcium intake using the Calcium Questionnaire (version CaQ 2007) were obtained from the participants. The data were analyzed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, followed by the Pearson Product-Moment correlation coefficient. RESULTS: A positive correlation was found between total calcium intake and RMR (r = 0.480, p = 0.015), between total calcium intake and BMI (r = 0.507, p = 0.010), and between dairy calcium intake and BMI (r = 0.633, p = 0.01). No significant relationships were found between dairy calcium intake and RMR, and both dairy calcium intake and total calcium intake and percent body fat. CONCLUSION: Calcium intake does not seem to play a role in weight loss based on the results obtained from this sample of students.


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HUMAN NUTRITION


59. THE EFFECT OF PHENOLIC ACID MOLECULAR STRUCTURE ON THE ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF ITS COMPLEXES WITH BSA Presenter: Anisa Loewen Supervisor: Marian Naczk

PURPOSE: This study examined the impact of interactions between selected phenolic acids and BSA on their antioxidant activity as determined by ABTS assay. METHOD: The model system used in this study comprised of bovine serum albumin (BSA) dissolved in 0.1 M pH 6.8 phosphate buffer to which methanolic solution of phenolic acids namely sinapic, vanillic, p-coumaric, p-hydroxybenzoic, gallic, syringic, ferulic, protocatechuic and caffeic was added. The ABTS cation radical assay was employed to measure the antioxidant activity of phenolic acid itself and their mixture with BSA. The antioxidant potential was expressed as TEAC (Trolox equivalent of antioxidant activity) values. RESULTS: The data obtained in this study indicated the hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives exhibited stronger inhibition of the ABTS cation radical than those of hydroxybenzoic acid. The antioxidant potential of BSA and phenolic acid mixtures was significantly reduced when compared with that displayed by phenolic acid. This suggests that the formation of protein-phenolic complexes has a detrimental impact on antioxidant potential of phenolic. Both hydroxycinnamic and hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives exhibited similar trends in the reduction of antioxidant activity as BSA concentration increased. CONCLUSIONS: The interactions between phenolic acids and BSA led to masking of their antioxidant potentials. More research is needed to determine the effect of these interactions on antioxidant potential of phenolic acid mixtures.


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HUMAN NUTRITION


60. DO LOW LEVELS OF VITAMIN D INCREASE THE RISK OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS Presenter: Thomas Lynch Supervisor: Patricia Mazier

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system affecting 240 in 100,000 people in Canada. The cause of MS is unknown but is believed to be an autoimmune disease, where regulation of the inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses of the immune system is disrupted. MS has an interesting geographical incidence, with low levels in the tropics and increasing rates with increasing latitude from the equator. Many researchers associate sunlight exposure and possibly vitamin D from the sun as part the environmental reason for this geographical trend. Vitamin D is currently being researched as levels in the body are thought to be offering a protective effect against MS. Our purpose in this study was to analyze (1) if low levels of vitamin D increase the risk of MS, and (2) whether the Canadian population should take a daily vitamin D supplement to lower the risk. In conclusion, the available research has shown promise that vitamin D has a role in decreasing the risk of MS. Future research is necessary to continue evaluating the actual role of the vitamin in MS to suggest supplementation.


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HUMAN NUTRITION


61. CONSUMING SEX AND THE CITY: FOOD, CONFESSION, AND METAPHOR Presenter: Michelle Pereyma Supervisor: Laurie Wadsworth

Consumption behaviours have been highlighted for centuries as a way for individuals to show status. As the consumer society thrives, consumptive behaviours of society evolve. Consumers are growing wasteful and emotionally detached from their material possessions. These consumption patterns are reflective of the attitudes and identities of the individuals and societies they comprise. The media is not only significant in shaping the way consumers perceive the world, but also play a role in reflecting societal attitudes and beliefs. The purpose of this study was to describe how food is used to metaphorically represent consumptive behaviours in Sex and the City. To address this study qualitative research methods were used. 12 episodes from season one were deconstructed and reconstructed through interpretive analysis. Memoing was used to draw descriptive annotations which were used to develop emergent themes. Seasons two through six were sampled purposively for supplementary data. To establish credibility methods of prolonged engagement, persistent observation, and peer debriefing were used. Thick descriptions of findings were provided to establish transferability. A thorough audit trail was compiled to establish dependability. Foucault’s theory of governmentality became evident as the framework within which characters were portrayed on a quest to seek identity. Food was presented both metaphorically and symbolically to achieve self identification throughout themes of consumption, confession, and gendered food preparation. Sex and the City presented sufficient incidents of unique symbolic and metaphorical representations of food which could be useful in assisting dietetic professionals to better understand clients’ relationships with food.


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HUMAN NUTRITION


62. A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF THE FOOD-RELATED INCIDENTS PORTRAYED ON YTV CHILDREN’S SATURDAY MORNING TELEVISION Presenter: Carrie Terrio Supervisor: Laurie A. Wadsworth

Television viewing has been identified as a significant risk factor for adiposity among children. Exposure to television advertisements increases caloric consumption of foods whether or not they resemble the foods advertised. Relatively few content analyses have been conducted on Canadian children’s programming to examine food-related behaviors and attitudes in a comprehensive manner. Also sufficient attention has not been paid to the food-related content present in television programs, as most investigations have focused on content within food advertisements. The current study involved a qualitative examination of the food-related behaviors and attitudes portrayed by male and female characters in programs and commercials present on the YTV network aired in 1998, 2005 and 2008. An inductive content analysis was performed resulting in the development of codes and themes. Some behaviors identified within the data include eating quickly, stealing food and eating food while doing other activities. Some of the attitudes identified within the data include food as fun, valuing of excess consumption and indicating love for food. Implications of the study include provision of research evidence regarding the food-related content of Canadian children’s television and identification of the need for interventions such as media literacy programs for children and a regulatory system for food advertisements.


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HUMAN NUTRITION


63. THE KNOWLEDGE, PERCEPTIONS AND CONSUMPTION OF WHOLE GRAINS IN STUDENTS AT ST. FRANCIS XAVIER UNIVERSITY Presenter: Brock Williams Supervisor: Patricia Mazier

PURPOSE: To determine the knowledge, perceptions and consumption patterns of whole grains in undergraduate university students at St. Francis Xavier. Knowledge, perceptions and consumption were compared between those who have taken a nutrition course versus those who have not. METHODS: 174 students were recruited to complete a 25-item questionnaire. Two sample groups completed the questionnaire: 102 second year nursing students (who have taken a nutrition course) and 74 non-nursing arts/science students enrolled in a second year psychology course (the majority of who have not taken a nutrition course). A two-way chi square test was used to determine significant differences between the two samples. RESULTS: Between the two groups, only five questions out of 25 differed significantly in responses (p<0.05). Responses differed for one knowledge question, 3 perception questions and one consumption question. Nearly half of all participants had difficulty identifying whole grain products, a majority of participants had positive perceptions of whole grains, and a majority of participants consumed a low intake (<1 time per week) of oatmeal, brown rice, white bread, whole wheat bagels, whole wheat crackers and popcorn while consuming a moderate intake (1-4 times per week) of whole grain cereal, whole grain pasta and whole grain bread. CONCLUSION: Past enrollment in a nutrition course or in an allied-health professional related major therefore does not influence a student’s knowledge, perceptions and consumption of whole grains to a great extent, compared with those who have not taken a nutrition course.


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INFORMATION SYSTEMS


64. INFLUENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ERP OUTSOURCING RELATIONSHIP FROM A VENDOR’S PERSPECTIVE Presenter: Jeremiah Kane Supervisor: Gabrielle Durepos

PURPOSE: This study identifies influential factors in a technology outsourcing relationship between a large Canadian transportation company and a leading technology outsourcing provider. METHODS: A theoretical framework of characteristics affecting a technology outsourcing relationship were developed and subsequently tested through a series of semi-structured, open-ended interviews with consultants from the outsourcing provider. A thematic analysis was conducted on the consultant’s responses in order to find evidence supporting or disproving each characteristic. RESULTS and CONCLUSIONS are forthcoming.


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INFORMATION SYSTEMS


65. BARRIERS TO SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY Presenter: Stephen Matusiak Supervisor: Chris Galea

Industrial Ecology is a sustainable business process which has countless benefits but very few large scale successful implementations in North America. This study clearly indicates the barriers organizations are faced with when implementing Industrial Ecology. The barriers are common to any industry or sector as the list was generated by analyzing a wide array of organizations and projects. The main barriers an organization faces are a low adoption rate, little incentive, limited data collection and analysis, competition, difficulties in location planning, ambiguity in regulations and a lack of communication. The research clearly outlines the steps Kalundborg, Denmark and The Guitang Group in China took to perform a successful implementation of Industrial Ecology. Through this research multiple themes emerged which create the perfect environment for specific information systems such as GIS, SCM and CRM. With an in-depth understanding of the requirements of firms implementing IE, a list of information systems was compiled and compared to the found barriers to show the relationship between IS and IE. This research was collected through secondary data analysis in order to uncover the reason for the low implementation rate of Industrial Ecology, and to establish a connection between obstacles witnessed by firms in the past and the ability of Information Systems.


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NURSING


66. THE MALE NURSING STUDENT EXPERIENCE: LEARNING TO CARE FOR A BREASTFEEDING FAMILY Presenter: Kendra Miller Supervisors: Judith Cormier, Patti Hansen-Ketchum, & Joanne Whitty-Rogers

The public is becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of breastfeeding over artificial infant feeding, contributing to the rising rates of breastfeeding in Canada with 90.3% of mothers initiating (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2009). In 2005, Nova Scotia established a provincial breastfeeding policy affirming the government’s endorsement, protection, and support of breastfeeding as being the optimal method for infant feeding. With the acceleration of mothers deciding to breastfeed along with the increase in males entering the profession (CRNNS, personal communication, May 22, 2009; Evans, 2004; Trudeau, 1995), the likelihood of male nurses caring for breastfeeding mother baby dyads is higher than ever before. The purpose of this study was to examine the social process of learning to care for a breastfeeding family for males currently enrolled in a nursing program. The qualitative methodology of grounded theory was used and conducted with in-depth semi-structured interviews. Through coding and constant comparison the core variable emerged as: meeting the learning needs of parents and their breastfeeding infants. The key themes that contributed to the core variable included: 1) professionalism of the student, clinical instructors, and nursing staff; 2) teaching-learning experiences that enabled praxis; and 3) stereotypes - the discourse between student and gender bias among nursing staff and equity among nursing instructors. These findings have implications to enhance future clinical rotations, optimize the teaching-learning process, support students in providing care, and enable positive health outcomes for breastfeeding families. * A CIHR Health Professional Student Research Award was granted for this research


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PHYSICS


67. AN EXACT SOLUTION FOR THE TWO-BODY PROBLEM OF INTERACTING ULTRA-COLD ATOMS IN ARBITRARY DIMENSIONS Presenter: Aaron Farrell Supervisor: Brandon van Zyl

PURPOSE: To obtain an exact solution for the two-body problem of harmonically trapped, interacting, ultra-cold atoms in arbitrary dimension. METHODS: Quantum mechanical scattering theory, short-range potentials, and the mathematical properties of confluent hypergeometric functions. RESULTS: An exact solution is found. It is shown that the energy spectrum is universal in all dimensions, irrespective of the shape of the short-range interaction potential, provided its range is much smaller than the oscillator length. CONCLUSIONS: This rich two body problem not only provides a sound structure upon which theories of three or more bodies might be built, but also possesses some intriguing physical properties, for which the universality of the energy spectrum is one such example.


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POLITICAL SCIENCE


68. BENEVOLENCE BEWILDERED: STEPHEN HARPER’S FOREIGN AID POLICY TOWARDS LATIN AMERICA Presenter: Michael MacIsaac Supervisor: Yvon Grenier

This study was an examination of Canadian foreign policy, specifically that of Canadian development assistance towards the region of Latin America. Based on a theoretical assumption that foreign aid policy requires a philanthropic desire to help its recipients as its primary motive, behind the pursuit of economic and political gains, the study is broken down into three sectors of analysis. First off, Canadian aid policy as a whole from its inception in the Colombo Plan to the 2006 election of Stephen Harper is examined Prime Minister by Prime Minister, with the eventual conclusion being that philanthropy rarely, if ever, has been at the forefront of aid policy as is required through its membership of the OECD. An analysis of Canadian aid policy specifically to Latin America over the same time period follows next, revealing still that philanthropy is often disregarded in favour of political or economic motives, yet much more of an altruistic presence is seen across the board. When Stephen Harper’s foreign policy is compared to both of these policies from 1950-2006, a clear shift away from historical Canadian trends is seen. The Harper administration represents the sharpest turn away from philanthropy in Canadian aid policy in Canadian history, signaling a new era of conservative pragmatism in Canadian foreign policy.


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POLITICAL SCIENCE


69. NEW AVENUES, OLD DISPUTES: THE CHARTER, THE COURTS, AND ABORIGINAL POLITICAL MOBILIZATION IN CANADA Presenter: Kristen Stallard Supervisor: Peter Clancy

This study considers Michael Mandel’s theory of the legalization of Canadian politics to account for changes in Canadian Aboriginal political mobilization since 1982. Mandel argues that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms created unprecedented access to the judicial system for special interest groups to advance strategic litigation. Subsequently, this research explains post-Charter Aboriginal political mobilization as a response to unprecedented opportunities for institutional influence created by the Charter. Section I outlines and critiques Mandel’s theory, finding that the Charter acts as a means to press a political agenda otherwise lacking in public support. Section II details Aboriginal political mobilization prior to the Charter, discovering that financial support offered in the 1970s by the Office of the Secretary of State transformed localized political activity into Native associations with broad-based affiliations. Finally, Section III notes the intense effort of Aboriginal organizations to join the first ministers’ table and achieve constitutional entrenchment of Aboriginal and treaty rights. Despite the disappointing final results of Section 25 and 35 of the Constitution Act, ambiguities surrounding the nature of “existing Aboriginal and treaty rights” have been resolved in favour of Native interests by the Supreme Court of Canada. Notably, the failures of the constitutional process have also contributed to informal political action in the crises at Oka, Ipperwash and Caledonia. This research establishes a connection between opportunity presented by the Charter-era courts and Aboriginal politicization, an opportunity seized by peoples historically marginalized from the institutions of Canadian state.


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PSYCHOLOGY


70. ATTACHMENT SECURITY AND ANXIETY SENSITIVITY IN YOUNG ADULTS Presenter: Emily Atkinson Supervisor: Kim MacLean

The present study examined the relationship between Anxiety Sensitivity and attachment security in young adults. Anxiety Sensitivity (AS) refers to the tendency to interpret bodily sensations linked to anxiety as being physically, psychologically or socially harmful (Reiss, 1991). One hundred and forty three participants were recruited from Introductory Psychology classes at St. Francis Xavier University and were required to complete two questionnaires, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) and the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ). A one way ANOVA revealed a significant relationship between ASI scores and security classification. It was found that on average dismissing attachment styles had the highest scores on the ASI, followed by fearful, preoccupied, and secure. As well there was a significant difference in the security classification between those low in AS and those high in AS. Participants were considered to be low in AS if their score was one standard deviation below the ASI mean and high in AS if their score was one standard deviation above the ASI mean. Conclusions will be forthcoming.


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PSYCHOLOGY


71. THE ROLE OF MODELING ON INFANT’S STANCE TOWARD PICTORIAL SYMBOLS Presenter: Joanna Barker Supervisor: Tara Callaghan



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PSYCHOLOGY


72. THE EFFECTS OF MOOD ON DECISION MAKING STRATEGIES Presenters: John Corbit & Crewe Dixon Supervisor: Erin Austen

PURPOSE: The current study examines how one’s mood can affect one’s decision-making capabilities. METHOD: The first phase of the study involves using music (happy or sad) to induce a positive or negative mood. During this phase participants are asked to recall a life event that is conducive to the assigned mood while listening to music. The second phase of the experiment involves a decision-making task where the participant must choose between selecting a bean from a small jar containing 10 beans (one of them red) and a large jar containing 100 beans (with five, seven or nine beans being red). This task is divided into win and lose trials. In the win trials, the participant’s goal will be to find a red bean, and in the lose trials the participant’s goal will be to avoid selecting a red bean. Selections are made with their eyes closed. The best chance for finding a red bean will be to select from the small jar (10:1 ratio). Will participants’ mood affect their decisions? PREDICTION: It is predicted that participants in the sad condition will be more likely than the happy condition to make optimal decisions. RESULTS/CONCLUSION: Forthcoming.


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PSYCHOLOGY


73. DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC? INFANTS’ PERCEPTION OF EXPECTED AND UNEXPECTED ACTION OUTCOMES Presenter: Kaitlyn Dolimount Supervisor: Petra Hauf

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate how 7-month-old infants understand expected and unexpected outcomes of goal-directed actions and how this understanding is reflected in their looking behaviour. METHODS: Eight infants, ranging in age from 6;16 months to 7;24 months, watched a video sequence of adults performing actions with expected and unexpected outcomes. In one sequence, an adult brings a bagel to their mouth in the expected outcome and to their ear in the unexpected outcome; in the other sequence, an adult grasps a block and places it on another block in the expected outcome and picks up the block with the back of the hand in the unexpected outcome. A Tobii 2150 eye tracker monitor was used to display the video stimuli and track the positions of the infants’ eyes. Clearview 2.7, an eye tracking analysis program, was used to capture gaze times to overall video stimuli and to areas of interest (AOIs) within the video clips. RESULTS: Infants showed a longer overall looking time to expected bagel outcomes in comparison to unexpected outcomes, F(1,7) = 7.057, p =.033, but not with blocks, F(1.7) = 2.638, p =.148. Infants showed no difference in looking times to AOIs in the expected versus the unexpected bagel sequence, F(1,7) = .678, p =.437 and F(1,7) = 1.641, p= .241 but showed a significant difference in looking time to the AOI in the expected versus the unexpected block outcome, F(1,7) = 5.432, p= .053. CONCLUSIONS: Findings will be discussed in relation to infants’ developing understanding of the intentionality of human actions and looking behaviours.


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PSYCHOLOGY


74. ADULT ATTACHMENT STYLES: EXAMINING HOW INDIVIDUALS RESPOND TO STRESSFUL LIFE EVENTS Presenter: Emily Gardner Supervisor: Christine Lomore

Previous research indicates that attachment style contributes to individual differences in perception of amount of support, and levels of support desired. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effect of attachment style on perceived and ideal support for five different variables: emotional, instrumental, informational, esteem and emotional support. Sixty-five undergraduate university students completed surveys where they described a stressor and then the support they perceived from their partner and the support that they ideally wanted in that situation. No significant effects of attachment anxiety on perceived or ideal support were found. Attachment avoidance predicted decreased perceptions of support on all support variables except network support and a decreased desire for instrumental support (β=-.301, p=.023). Small sample size, as well as the validity of the measure, could have contributed to lack of results for anxious attachment. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies of support type and attachment.


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PSYCHOLOGY


75. SEX DIFFERENCES IN KINESIOPHOBIA IN A SAMPLE OF CHRONIC PAIN Presenter: Erin M. Gillis Supervisor: Margo C. Watt Kinesiophobia refers to “an excessive, irrational, and debilitating fear of physical movement and activity resulting from a feeling of vulnerability to painful injury or reinjury (Kori et al., 1990, p.37). Kinesiophobia fits within the fear-avoidance model of pain (Vlayen & Linton, 2000) which suggests that it is the fear of pain that motivates pain-related avoidance and escape behaviour which, in turn, maintains exaggerated perceptions of pain through processes such as deconditioning. Studies show that kinesiophobia, as measured by the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK; Miller et al.,1991) is a reliable predictor of disability in chronic pain patients (Roelofs et al., 2000). PURPOSE: Little is known about the influence of sex on kinesiophobia despite substantive evidence of sex differences in acute and chronic pain. Women typically report more frequent and severe pain than men (Unruh 1996) and are at greater risk for several chronic painful disorders (IASP, 2005). On the other hand, there is some evidence that men report higher levels of kinesiophobia than women (Branstrom & Fahlstrom, 2008). METHOD: The present study investigated sex differences in kinesiophobia in a sample of chronic pain patients participating in an 8-week interdisciplinary pain management clinic. It was hypothesized that men (vs. women) would report higher kinesiophobia than women. High (vs. low) levels of kinesiophobia were expected to be associated with greater perceived disability and distress (pain catastrophizing, depression), and smaller gains in overall functioning. RESULTS: Data from 100 chronic pain patients (46M, 54F) revealed higher levels of kinesiophobia in men than women [M = 45.13 (8.33)] vs.[M = 34.43 (9.55), respectively] (t(98)= -5.92, p< 0.001). Total TSK scores correlated significantly and positively with perceived pain (r = 0.20, p<0.05), perceived disability (r = 0.41, p< 0.001), and pain catastrophizing (r= 0.50, p<0.001). Results of regression analyses, conducted to test whether levels of kinesiophobia predicted performance in the 8-week program, will be discussed.


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PSYCHOLOGY


76. SPREADING THE LOVE: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF THE IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF LOVING-KINDNESS INTERVENTION ON STUDENT WELLBEING. Presenter: Sarah Hart Advisor: Angela Weaver Loving-kindness meditation (LKM) is a 2600-year-old Buddhist technique used to calm the mind and open the heart to direct love towards oneself, others, and the universe (Salzberg, 1995). The current study investigated the effects of a brief LKM on the well-being of university students. All participants (n=82) completed measures of emotional intelligence, mindfulness, flow, and positive and negative affect prior to being randomly assigned to one of two workshop groups: a group who practiced a brief LKM exercise (n=40) and a Study Behaviour Group (SBG; n=42) which heard about goal setting and study skills. Following their intervention, both groups completed a group brainstorming activity. Participants then completed post-intervention measures of flow and positive and negative affect and completed a peer rating form for the group activity. Preliminary analyses suggest that participants in the LKM group experienced significant increases in flow experiences, positive and negative affects from pre-test to post-test. Further investigation of initial findings revealed that participants with higher baseline levels of emotional intelligence, flow experience, mindfulness, and positive affect reported higher post test levels of the same variables compared with those with lower levels on baselines, regardless of intervention groups. Implications and directions for the future research will be reviewed.


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PSYCHOLOGY


77. DOWNPLAYING SUCCESS: SENSITIVITY ABOUT BEING THE TARGET OF A THREATENING UPWARD COMPARISON (STTUC) AND PULLING BACK EFFORT Presenter: Victoria Klimek Supervisor: Dr. Erika Koch

The current study examined the relationship between Sensitivity to being the Target of a Threatening Upward Comparison (STTUC) and pulling back effort. STTUC was first addressed by Exline and Lobel (1999); the framework was based on the observation that outperformers may experience negative feelings from their gains, despite simultaneously having private feelings of satisfaction from the outperformance. Participants in the experimental condition received false feedback about outperforming a confederate who was presumably upset about the outperformance. On a subsequent task, the participants’ effort was measured to determine whether participants in the STTUC condition pulled back effort in comparison to those in the non-STTUC condition. Specifically, the study inspected whether trait/state self-esteem, empathy, deservingness and likeability of the confederate effect negative affect, perceived threat to other and STTUC related concerns. Participants completed questionnaires for perceived threat, STTUC-related concerns and all other dependent measures (except for effort). Although none of the primary hypotheses were supported, results did show evidence of STTUC. Participants in the STTUC condition perceived the outperformed individual as feeling more threatened and showed greater concern about some aspect of the outperformed person’s reaction in comparison to those in the non-STTUC condition.


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PSYCHOLOGY


78. AN EVALUATION OF BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN ADOPTED FROM ORPHANAGES IN CHINA Presenter: Kailee MacDonald Supervisor: Dr. Kim MacLean

In the present study, Chinese adoptees were compared to a sample of Canadian born children home-reared since birth, to examine whether behaviour problems differ quantitatively or qualitatively among these groups. Also, behaviour problems in Chinese adoptees adopted into families with biological children were compared to Chinese adoptees adopted into families without biological children to examine whether the presence of siblings has an impact on adoptees’ displays of behaviour problems and whether siblings serve as a risk or a protective factor in international adoption. Chinese adoptees and Canadian-born groups were matched on several demographics including family income, parents’ education, and age of parents. Behaviour problems were measured using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) subscales of internalizing and externalizing behaviour problems, as well as total behaviour problem scores. Internalizing behaviour problems included behaviours such as depression, anxiety, and withdrawal, while externalizing behaviour problems included behaviours such as aggression, inability to concentrate, and defiance. Findings showed that children in the Chinese adoptee group did not score significantly different from Canadian-born children on internalizing and total behaviour problem scores. However, Chinese adoptees did score significantly lower on externalizing behaviour problems, indicating that Canadian-born children showed more externalizing behaviour problems than Chinese adoptees. There were no significant differences found between Chinese adoptees who were adopted into families which already had children and Chinese adoptees who were the lone child in adoptive families.


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PSYCHOLOGY


79. PRETREATMENT WITH THE HDAC INHIBITOR VALPROIC ACID ATTENUATES COCAINE-INDUCED SENSITIZATION: BEHAVIOURAL AND MOLECULAR EFFECTS Presenter: Parnell Davis MacNevin Co author: James Hudson Supervisor: Karen Brebner

PURPOSE: In this study the effect of HDAC inhibition on the development of behavioural sensitization to cocaine was investigated. It was hypothesized that sensitization to cocaine causes an epigenetic imprint and that modifying this imprint using the HDAC inhibitor valproic acid would attenuate the development of sensitization. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to treatment groups. Rats in the acute groups received a single exposure to intraperitoneal saline, cocaine (15mg/kg), valproic acid, or valproic acid (50 or 100 mg/kg) + cocaine. Rats in the sensitized groups received the same treatments, once a day for 6 days, which was followed by a 14-day drug-free period, and then a challenge exposure to cocaine. Tracking of locomotor behaviour took place on the first, sixth, and challenge days of treatment. Discrete mesocorticolimbic brain regions including the nucleus accumbens, the striatum, and the prefrontal cortex were dissected out and q-rt PCR was performed to measure changes in the cocaine responsive genes c-fos, CART and EGR1. RESULTS: Locomotor sensitization to cocaine was induced across treatment days and this effect was attenuated by pretreatment with valproic acid. Gene expression changes were noted in all 3 brain regions. EGR1 expression was most highly affected, particularly in the striatum. CONCLUSION: Valproic acid attenuates locomotor sensitization and alters the expression of cocaine-responsive genes. These results suggest that epigenetic mechanisms might contribute to long-lasting changes in behaviour associated with addiction.


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PSYCHOLOGY


80. WORK-RELATED STRESS AMONG CORRECTIONAL STAFF: DOES COPING STYLE INFLUENCE THE IMPACT OF STRESS? Presenter: Ellissa Marie Riel Supervisor: Margo C. Watt

Since the 1990s, work-related stress has been steadily increasing in North America (Spielberger & Vagg, 1998). The negative effects of job stress include health-related problems, absenteeism, decreases in productivity, long-term disability, burnout, and high staff turn-over rates. Working in a correctional environment has been identified as being highly stressful with unusually high negative consequences to health and adjustment (Brodsky, 1982; Cheek, 1983, 1984; Cheek & Miller, 1983). In 2003, Marlo Gal looked at the different sources and impact of stress among staff members in the Pacific Region of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). The present study was designed to replicate and extend Gal’s work by surveying staff in the Atlantic Region of CSC. Of interest was whether particular coping style would moderate the impact of stress. Coping and stress-related questionnaires were returned by 315 staff members from institutions and community-based parole offices in the Atlantic Region. Results revealed that correctional staff in the Atlantic Region reported significantly fewer stressors than staff members in the Pacific Region [(M =14.2 (SD = 9.64) versus M =16.2 (SD = 8.8), respectively; (t = 2.634, p<.01)]. Overall, 16.2% of the Atlantic sample met the criteria for PTSD as indicated by scoring above 34 on the PENN Inventory. This was a higher level than was found by Gal in the Pacific Region (11.8%) and is higher than the lifetime prevalence rate for PTSD in the general population (7.8%) as reported by Kessler et al. (1995). Findings from the analyses of coping styles will be discussed.


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PSYCHOLOGY


81. EYE SEE YOUR EMOTION: LOOKING BEHAVIOURS IN 3-YEAR-OLDS WITNESSING DISTRESS Presenter: Laura Sherrard Supervisor: Petra Hauf

PURPOSE: The current study analyzed the responses of 18 3-year-old children to the distress of an unfamiliar adult. METHODS: Parental questionnaires assessing children’s empathy were used to subdivide participants into 3 groups of high, medium, and low empathic/prosocial concern to examine possible differences in looking behaviours. An eyetracker recorded looking behaviours of participants in two mildly distressing scenes (hammer and ball). Gaze durations into 3 areas of interest (AOIs)—face, action, and distracters were examined for each participant during 3 time intervals—before, during, and after the emotional component of the scene. RESULTS: Preliminary data have shown a significant main effect of time for both the hammer and ball scenes (ps<0.001). In the hammer scene, children looked significantly longer at the emotional part of the scene than both the before- (p<0.001) and after-emotion (p<0.009) components. In the ball scene, children looked significantly longer during the emotional segment than after (p<0.003). During the hammer clip, children looked significantly longer at the face and action area than the distracters (p<0.001), and during the ball scene, they looked significantly longer at the face than either the action area or the distracters (p<0.001). For both scenes, there was a significant interaction between time and AOI (ps<0.001). In the hammer scene, participants looked longest in the action area before and after the emotion, and at the face during the emotional component. In the ball scene, participants looked longest at the face during all three times. CONCLUSIONS: Clearly, children are visually engaged during distressing episodes, with particular focus on the facial region. The current study was the first to analyze children’s empathy through the use of eyetracking technology, and thus the first to investigate children’s looking behaviours during an emotional scene. Further data analyses will look at possible correlations between parental reports and children’s responses to an accident simulation task.


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PSYCHOLOGY


82. COMPARING CHANGE DETECTION IN NOTICERS AND NON-NOTICERS Presenter: Abby Stubbert and Ben Berwick Supervisor: Erin Austen

PURPOSE: This study examined whether the difference between noticers and non-noticers, as defined by Bressen and Pizzighello (2008) using an inattentional blindness paradigm, extends to other phenomena (eg. change blindness). HYPOTHESIS: If there is a real, qualitative difference between noticers and non-noticers, then noticers should be faster at detecting differences in a change detection paradigm, than non-noticers (i.e., will experience less change blindness). METHODS: Participants were seated at a computer, where they watched 5 inattentional blindness videos. The first two videos were pre-critical trials, meaning that no unexpected object or event was present. The third video was the critical trial; a woman carrying an umbrella was the unexpected event. A questionnaire, adapted from Most et al. (2001) was used after the critical trial to identify noticers and non-noticers. The final two trials, divided attention and full attention, were to ensure everyone had seen the unexpected event before proceeding to the second part of the experiment, the change detection flicker paradigm. During the change detection flicker paradigm the participants watched a series of videos which alternated between an original image and an altered image. Participants were told to detect the change as quickly as possible and then to describe that change (in order to prevent guessing). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Will be forthcoming.


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PSYCHOLOGY


83. MUSIC, MOOD AND CHANGE BLINDNESS Presenters: Kendra Thompson and Joey Dignam Supervisor: Erin Austen

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the effects of music and mood on change detection. METHOD: The study will be conducted using students from an introductory Psychology class at St. Francis Xavier University. There will be three mood conditions; happy, sad, and neutral. Mood induction for the happy and sad conditions will consist of listening to a mood-appropriate song, while thinking about a mood-appropriate experience. Those in the neutral condition will be asked to think about their regular day-to-day activities, in the absence of music. Participants will rate their moods a total of five times throughout the experiment. While the music continues to play, participants will be asked to complete a change detection task where they will view alternating pictures and report any changes between the two pictures; changes will be in either focal or contextual information. PREDICTIONS: It is expected that those in the sad condition will be quickest and most accurate at detecting focal object changes, those in the happy condition will be quickest and most accurate at detecting changes in context, and that participants in either music condition show increased detection compared to those in the non-music/neutral condition. RESULTS: Data collection in progress.


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PSYCHOLOGY


84. SINGING AS A VOCABULARY INTERVENTION FOR PRESCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN Presenter: Katelin Walton Supervisor: Jenny Sullivan

PURPOSE: In building upon the body of research that has examined the influence of music on vocabulary development, this study aimed to determine whether or not singing serves as an effective intervention for vocabulary development in preschool-aged children. METHOD: Eighteen children ages 3 to 4 were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: a singing condition, storybook condition and control condition. Pre-testing was administered to all children in this study via a verbally administered multiple-choice questionnaire in order to test their knowledge of 24 vocabulary words. Those in the singing condition then received a 5-week intervention consisting of 8 age appropriate songs, which were modified to contain novel vocabulary words. Those in the storybook condition received a 5-week intervention consisting of 8 stories from various sources of children’s literature containing the same novel vocabulary words used in the songs for the singing condition. Those in the control condition did not experience the singing or storybook interventions. After the 5-week interventions, children in all 3 conditions were post-tested for vocabulary acquisition using a verbally administered multiple-choice questionnaire. RESULTS: forthcoming. CONCLUSION: forthcoming.


98

PSYCHOLOGY


85. COMING TO UNDERSTAND PICTORIAL SYMBOLS Presenter: Bethany Zeitner Supervisor: Tara Callaghan



99

SOCIOLOGY


86. THE INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND VALUES RELATED TO COMPLETION AND DIVISION OF HOUSEWORK Presenter: Chantal Aucoin Supervisor: Norine Verberg



100

SOCIOLOGY


87. LOCAL FOOD CONSUMPTION IN ANTIGONISH COUNTY Presenters: Kaitlin Brady, James Bray, Cory Snider, Willem Paynter Supervisor: Norine Verberg

This study arose out of the desire to understand the growing trend of local food consumption and its relevance in Antigonish. With several local food vendors and organizations such as the farmers market and Voices active in Antigonish it is evident that many individuals are concerned with what they eat. The goal of the study is to determine the proportion of food products that individuals consume which are locally produced, and the factors that influence people’s decisions when buying food. Local food consumption is seen as a way of promoting a greater sense of community and local markets are understood to have several economic and social benefits. A convenience sample was used and there were 157 cases. An online survey was used called Opinio which was an environmentally alternative way to collect the data and SPSS was used to examine the data. The main food consumers within a household are the respondents that are desired so that there is an accurate depiction of buying trends that can be examined. Often food is purchased at a supermarket where there can be a disconnect between the producer and consumer but the new trend of local eating is recreating a connection between people and the food they eat.


101

SOCIOLOGY


88. MEDICAL AND NON MEDICAL USE OF STIMULANT DRUGS AMONG CANADIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS Presenter: Danielle Martensson Supervisor: Norine Verberg

PURPOSE: This study determined the extent of stimulant medication use among Canadian university students and the relationship between stimulant drug use and various factors such as grade average, program of study, socioeconomic status, use of other drugs, self esteem, personality traits, and deviant behaviour. METHODS: One hundred and fifty one students at St. Francis Xavier University of various programs and years of study completed surveys. The surveys contained questions regarding relevant demographic information, use of drugs and indexes measuring self esteem, personality traits and deviant behaviour. RESULTS: Results forthcoming.


102

SOCIOLOGY

Presentation time: Withdrawn

89. TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE: MUSIC ARTISTS IN THE DIGITAL LANDSCAPE Presenter: Cory Snider Supervisor: L. Lynda Harling Stalker

Purpose: My investigation examines key issues that are experienced by music artists in their relationships with intermediaries (producers, managers, agents) who are representatives of the large corporations that dominate the music industry. I begin with analyzing the characteristics of the music industry in North America, with a special focus on ideas of ownership and control, specifically the question of copyright ownership. Upon structural analysis of the industry, I shift the discussion towards a key assumption that technological uses and developments have allowed music artists to have more control over their music: do-it-yourself approaches to music production allow the artists more control over the production and distribution of their works and bestow upon them options to have more negotiation power in bargaining contracts with corporate representatives. Methods: 3 semi-structured interviews with music artists at various stages in their music career were conducted. The participants were chosen in a way that reflects my intention to investigate the “traditional” music industry (1950’s-2000’s) and the digitally-oriented industry today: as such, two of the participants are older musicians who have had vast experience within the traditional industry environment, and the third participant is an up-and-coming artists who used independent production technologies in his music ventures. Focus was on their experiences regarding control, exploitation, and ownership of copyrights. Results: Results were consistent with the research literature. Indeed, the two older participants yielded narratives fixed upon their lack of control, and unfair exploitation of their music. The younger participant spoke on the relative freedom and creative autonomy he was bestowed with by using independent avenues of music creation. All three participants agreed that new technologies have allowed a more democratic environment for music production, however the major label model is still the best avenue towards financial success, which will always be of importance.


103

SOCIOLOGY


90. USE AND MISUSE OF STIMULANT DRUGS Presenter: Tammy Van der Linden Supervisor: N/A

The present study examined the relationship between the use and misuse of stimulant medication whether prescribed or unprescribed. It was completed throughout a student sample of one hundred and fifty St. Francis Xavier University students both male and female. Use and misuse was measured by conducting a survey followed by entering the data into a computer based system SPSS. SPSS was used to gather the results, which will tell us about the drug use of students on and off campus. A large data set point to serious stimulant drug use problems in the United States and there was lack of support in Canadian schools.


104

SERVICE LEARNING


STUDENTS AS COMMUNITY BUILDERS: THE IMPACT OF ACADEMIC SERVICE LEARNING IN ONE COMMUNITY

Service learning is an innovative approach to higher education teaching where students work with community members to address local needs, and where academically rigorous assignments are designed to link those experiences back to specific classroom learning outcomes. This poster describes research currently being undertaken at St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) which examines the benefits and challenges of participating in service learning from the perspectives of our community partners. StFX is developing its own evaluation model drawing from the literature and in consultation with local community partners. Preliminary findings suggest that community agencies perceive there are both social and economic benefits associated with service learning.


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39.1 PROPAGATION OF LINEAR SURFACE AIR TEMPERATURE TRENDS INTO THE TERRESTRIAL SUBSURFACE Presenter: Marielle Lesperance Supervisor: Hugo Beltrami

Previous studies have examined air and ground temperature relationships working under the assumption that linear trends in surface air temperature should be equal to those measured at depth within the terrestrial subsurface. A purely conductive model of heat conduction is used to show that surface trends are attenuated as a function of depth within conductive media, therefore invalidating the above assumption. The model is forced with synthetic linear surface temperature trends as the time varying upper boundary condition; synthetic trends are either noise free or include additions of Gaussian noise at the annual time scale. It is shown that over a 1000-year period, the trend is linearly damped with depth in both the noise-free and noise-added cases. When 100-year intervals are considered, the linear damping of the trend at depth is lost. An error estimate for the corresponding underground trend variation is determined by performing a Monte Carlo simulation. Using ECHO-G general circulation model output as a more realistic simulated data set, the damped trend behaviour as a function of depth is observed, although it is not linear. The use of air and soil temperature data collected over 99 years in Armagh, Ireland and 29 years in Fargo, North Dakota also do not show subsurface temperature trends that are equal to the surface trend. Over time scales smaller than 100 years and when noise is taken into account, damping of the temperature trend at depth is no longer observed due to the impact of annual variability on the trend estimates. It is therefore possible to observe the same trends at depth and at the surface, but such observations are not an indication that the ground and surface trends are directly coupled.* Funding for this research was provided by NSERC, ACOA, ACEnet and CFCAS


106

INFORMATION SYSTEMS


64.1 OPTIMIZING RADIOSURGERY TREATMENT PLAN BY THE USE OF GENETIC ALGORITHM Yijia Lian Department of Information Systems

A method named Genetic Algorithm (GA) is introduced to automatically select shot location and shot size for radiosurgery treatment planning. The study simulated numerous targets with different shapes and sizes. First, a distance transformation/coding method is used to generate the skeleton of the target. Then, along the skeleton, the GA-based shot placement algorithm is applied to find a best location to place a shot. By continuously iterating the algorithm, the number, sizes and the location of all shots are generated. The testing was done by using Matlab R2009a on an IBM T61 laptop with 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2.0 GB DDR2 667 Ram. Preliminary results demonstrate that the GA-based shot location and size determination algorithm can speed the process of shot placement, and ensure global and local optimality simultaneously.


107

INFORMATION SYSTEMS


65.1 INTERPROCESS COMMUNICATION IN MICROKERNEL BASED OPERATING SYSTEMS: IMPLEMENTATION AND OPTIMIZATION Presenter: Yuntao Yang Supervisor: Hosein Marzi

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to develop a general overview of interprocess communication under Microkernel based environment as well as optimize them for a higher efficiency. METHODS: Comparing interprocess communication mechanisms as well as system architectures between two most popular Microkernel based operating systems, which are Minix 3 and QNX. Through implementing one writer multiple readers' model, the efficiency of user level interprocess communication under both Minix 3 and QNX can be measured and profiled. Moreover, coping with modification on several system calls, the whole operating system's performance is improved RESULTS: Through implementing and comparing the interprocess communication's efficiency under one writer multiple readers' model, the relationship between interprocess communication's efficiency and the number of readers as well as the number of data written by the writer is developed. Semaphore is selected as the most suitable interprocess communication mechanism under one writer multiple readers' model. Meanwhile, the interprocess communication system in Minix 3 could be improved about 10% through reducing the number of system calls, which are listed as one of the most expensive operations in the Microkernel based operating system. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, the interprocess communication system in both Minix 3 and QNX can be optimized through both porting POSIX standards into libraries and revising system architectures properly.


108

MATHEMATICS, STATISTICS, AND COMPUTER SCIENCES


66.1 STRONG IMAGE SEGMENTATION THROUGH NON-HOMOGENEOUS REGION MERGING Presenter: Michael Cormier Supervisor: Iker Gondra

PURPOSE: This research is intended to produce an image segmentation algorithm capable of learning to determine which regions of an image correspond to an object of interest (OOI) and which do not, even when the OOI consists of multiple dissimilar (based on colour and texture) regions. METHODS: Images were collected from various sources and divided into test sets and training sets for each object of interest (OOI). For each image in the test set, a groundtruth segmentation was prepared by a human. This is considered an “ideal” segmentation. All images in the test set contained the OOI, but the training set contained positive (containing the OOI) and negative (not containing the OOI) images. The algorithm, which we call MP-Segment, uses an existing image segmentation algorithm to divide all training images into homogenous regions. Using the “prototypes” (descriptions of colour and texture) of each of these regions and whether each image is apositive or negative example as input to a multiple instance learning algorithm, a list of prototypes corresponding to regions of the OOI is generated. The test images are then segmented into homogeneous regions and regions similar to those in the list of prototypes are merged into a single region corresponding to the OOI in the test image. All other regions are merged into a background region. The quality of this segmentation is measured by comparing the output segmentation to the ideal groundtruth segmentation, and in particular comparing the number of pixels where the output and groundtruth categorizations agree and disagree. RESULTS: Current versions of the algorithm do not improve on existing algorithms for this purpose, but the results indicate places where improvements might be made. Work is ongoing.


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detailed program - stfx booklet_8th.doc · web viewthe eighth annual. student research day

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