bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ANALYSIS OF MICROPOROSITY ON POROUS CARBON FROM GELATIN (KPG) USING N2 ADSORPTION-DESORPTION BY DUBININ–RADUSHKEVICH (D-R) MODEL
Authors: Ulfa Maria
Published: September 2019

Porous gelatin carbons (KPG) sample with micropores were synthesized from gelatin via templating method. This study analyzed microporosity using the Dubinin– Radushkevich (D-R) equation. The result shows that KPG sample has microporous type with empirical parameter n=2 which describing the homogeneous degree of KPG with the high order of micropore filling. D-R plot shows that the increasing the ratio of gelatin to SBA-15 led to the decreasing the microporosity of samples. However, this increases the size and pore volume due to the success of templating process.The result of TEM shows the carbon particle aggregation and FTIR result shows that carbon particle were dominated by the functional group of oxygen and hydrocarbon. The energy of adsorption range of 5-10 kJ/mol and a value of n=2 demonstrated that the adsorption of nitrogen on the porous gelatin carbon (KPG) physically occurred which is applicable to the next gas adsorption process.
Facets of Conscientiousness in Relation to Academic Performance Across Programs of Study
Authors: Kitchenham Lindsey
Published: September 2019

Conscientiousness and its six facets (competence, order, dutifulness, achievement striving, self-discipline and deliberation) were examined in relation to cumulative grade point average (GPA) for undergraduate university students. The aim was to determine the degree to which conscientiousness predicted a higher GPA for students in varying programs, and to compare these results to previous findings. The programs examined were psychology, business, science/engineering, and general arts (i.e. B.A. programs other than psychology). Students were screened using Johnson’s (2014) “IPIP-NEO-120” (a 120-item version of the International Personality Item Pool-NEO: which measures constructs similar to those in the NEO Personality Inventory). Multiple regression analyses of the data revealed variations in concurrent validity of the facets of conscientiousness across majors. For psychology students, only Competence predicted GPA. For science and engineering students, Competence, Dutifulness and Achievement Striving predicted GPA. For general arts, only Deliberation predicted GPA. None of the facets were significant predictors for business students. Conscientiousness was thus a significant predictor of GPA across all majors, but the key facets were dependent on the area of study. The only gender difference detected was at low conscientiousness, with females having a significantly higher GPA than males. Additional research is necessary to further explore the predictive validity of the other Big Five personality traits and their facets, for a wider range of academic majors on academic success. Implications involve the role personality traits could play to the decision to enrol in a specific program, and how professors may bettor teach/mentor students in different programs.
Estimating the Financial Return to Education Between Fields of Study
Authors: McRae Jeffrey Alexander
Published: September 2019

The Mincer regression equation was utilized to compute the expected financial return to education from additional years of education across the 2016 Canadian population. Data was taken from the 2016 Canadian Census of Population to create the populations of interest. Three sub populations were then derived from the collected data to represent Canadians with different major areas of study namely, business, humanities, and engineering. Mincerian regressions were run using these subsections to determine how the financial return to education differs between distinct majors. Additional multiple regressions included an interaction term between sex and years of schooling in an attempt to determine whether an individual’s sex affects their expected return to education given a specific area of study. The regression results indicated that business majors boast the largest average expected return to education while engineering majors boast the lowest. Subsequently, in relation to business majors, sex was not found to have an impact on expected financial returns. Future research may build off the findings of this paper by expanding the scope to include all areas of study in addition to deciphering whether the expected return to education for a given major is consistent throughout all major Canadian universities.
The Flexibility of Episodic Long-Term Memory-Guided Attention and the Impact of Reinstating Context
Authors: Segal Diana , Plater Lindsay , Al-Aidroos Naseem , Fiacconi Chris
Published: September 2019

While it may seem that salient visual events, like the flashing lights on an ambulance, can automatically capture our attention, capture is actually under our control. Depending on our current internal goals, we adopt attentional control settings (ACSs) that specify what stimuli in the environment capture our attention. It has been shown that ACSs can be defined based on long-term episodic memory representations. For example, when searching for the items on your grocery list, an ACS can be specified based on your long-term memory of the list, such that your attention will be drawn to those items, and only those items. Importantly, episodic memories incorporate contextual information that can enhance recall when reinstated (e.g., you will remember your grocery list better if it was memorized at the grocery store rather than at home). Here we asked whether reinstating context can enhance the establishment of long-term memory ACSs. Participants memorized two sets of 15 images of objects in a particular context (i.e., a coloured box in a particular spatial location), that they then searched for, inducing an episodic-based ACS for those objects. During the search task, this encoding context was either reinstated, or not. We found that individuals are able to flexibly switch between ACSs and sources of information. However, we did not find sufficient evidence for the effect of context on the establishment of ACSs or their flexibility. This study extends our understanding of the factors that influence memory-guided attention, and the impact of contextual reinstatement on the formation of ACSs.
The body and truth: Intersecting discourses of Renaissance torture
Authors: Marshall Laura
Published: September 2019

From the 13th to the 17th century torture became a component of the judicial system, the goal of which was to discover the veracity of the accused. Two primary, competing discourses developed in order to explain the epistemological value of torture, the dicens veritatis and the dicens dubitatis. In the first discourse, torture exists as a producer of legitimate truth, while in the second the use of torture necessarily casts doubt on the obtained confession. This essay examines the ways in which the victim can undermine the torture process through the manipulation of these discourses. This is done within the dicens veritatis when the victim claims innocence and forces the torturer to accept this as truth. Within the dicens dubitatis, this is accomplished by forcing torturers to acknowledge the flawed nature of their own discourse through the telling of lies. The first component of my examination explores the transcripts of the legal proceedings against Domenico Scandella and Jean Bourdil, identifying the differing ways these victims employ both discourses to create a resistance to the torturer’s predetermined narrative of events. The second component scrutinizes the depiction of the body within the philosophical writings of contemporary periods, thereby establishing the epistemological relationship between the body and pain. More broadly, my examination of literary, judicial and philosophical sources interrogates the justification of torture in the Early Modern period, allowing us to gain insight into the historical underpinning of modern sanctions of state-employed torture.
Pathogenesis of anti-Yo positive paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration
Authors: Pepler Laura , Armstrong Carol
Published: September 2019

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a neurological disorder affecting the cerebellum and is believed to be immune-mediated. Anti-Yo PCD is associated with gynaecological and breast cancer tumours and the presence of these tumours is believed to invoke an immune response. The immune response includes both anti-Yo antibodies and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes that are specific for the Cdr2 antigen expressed in Purkinje cells of the cerebellum. Although both have been implicated in the pathogenic manifestation of PCD neither have been shown to be directly involved. The detection of the anti-Yo antibody greatly aids in the diagnosis of PCD and helps in uncovering the underlying neoplasm before it becomes symptomatic. Treatment of PCD has been targeted at suppressing the immune response but has been unsuccessful so far. The lack of a suitable animal model makes it difficult to study the pathogenic process directly leaving many questions unanswered about PCD pathogenesis.
Regulating Ontario’s fresh water resources: A free market environmentalist perspective
Authors: Cairns Alexander
Published: September 2019

This paper is about Ontario’s fresh water resources and the current policy context promoting the sustainability of this resource. Originally, management of water resources in Ontario was heavily influenced through well-defined private property rights and a common law tradition originating in England, known as riparian rights. However, in recent history, a series of legislation has emerged out of concern over water management following the Walkerton tragedy, in which several members of the community died from E. coli poisoning discovered in the region’s drinking water. The free market approach endorses the abolition of direct government intervention in the management of the water resources. Riparian rights can provide protection from exploitation of water resources, and has historically proven to hold damaging parties accountable for harmful behaviour. This report intends to endorse this approach and the exercise of individual’s riparian rights to successfully manage Ontario’s fresh water resources.
The detection of female cell activity in male sex chromosome chimeric Rideau Arcott sheep, using the Xist gene product as a marker
Authors: Peters Okimi , King W. Allan
Published: September 2019

The detection of the SRY (Sex-determining region on the Y chromosome) gene is a popular method used for the identification of freemartins (XX/XY female chimeras). This method relies on the fact that the SRY gene is a Y chromosome specific gene and is thus normally only present in males therefore detecting its presence in a female indicates the presence of male cells (XY cells) within the female. This concept can be extrapolated to the male counterparts of freemartins with regards to the Xist gene. This gene is normally only widely expressed in females and can be used as a marker for identifying females. Therefore, detecting Xist gene expression in males (in tissues other than the testes, as the Xist gene is expressed exclusively in the testes of males) may indicate that these males contain transcriptionally competent female cells and thus necessarily labels them as sex-chromosome chimeras. In the present study four previously identified male sex chromosome chimeras were screened for the expression of the Xist gene using reverse transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), and it was detected in three of the four chimeras. Xist expression was not detected in one of the chimeras because the proportion of female cells in its blood is significantly low and thus it is likely that the blood sample used in the study did not possess female cells. None-the-less it was concluded that the detection of Xist expression in male sex chromosome chimeras can be used as an indication of the presence and transcriptional competence of female cells within them.
The ShcD phosphotyrosine adaptor protein exhibits novel binding characteristics with the TrkA neurotrophin receptor
Authors: Wills Melanie , Jones Nina
Published: September 2019

Newly revealed ShcD has been characterized as an intracellular phosphotyrosine adaptor protein belonging to the Src homology and collagen (Shc) family. These scaffolding molecules facilitate receptor-mediated signal transduction through their ability to selectively recognize and bind, via PTB and SH2 domains, to phosphorylated tyrosine residues in the cytoplasmic tails of a variety of activated receptors. A central CH1 domain couples to downstream signaling molecules including Grb2. ShcD is most similar in form to ShcA; however, unlike the latter, its expression in the mouse is localized to the brain and skeletal muscle. Consistent with this observation, we report that human ShcD is able to bind the TrkA neurotrophin receptor responsive to nerve growth factor (NGF). This interaction is similar to that of other Shc proteins in that it is strongly influenced by the TrkA Tyr 490 residue, and results in ShcD phosphorylation. Surprisingly, we find that both the PTB and SH2 domains of ShcD impact its ability to complex with TrkA, in contrast to the PTB-mediated interaction documented for traditional Shc proteins. TrkA binding analyses performed with different ShcD mutants suggest that the contributions of the PTB and SH2 domains supercede simple co operativity, and are in fact reminiscent of auto-regulatory mechanisms. Here we report both the canonical and atypical characteristics of the ShcD / TrkA interaction, including novel proposed models of adaptor-receptor interactions.
Too many boats chasing too few fish: The collapse of the Atlantic groundfish fishery and the avoidance of future collapses through free market environmentalism
Authors: Rutherford Jacquelyn
Published: September 2019

On July 2, 1992 Canada’s fisheries minister banned cod fishing off the northeast coast of Newfoundland and off the southern coast of Labrador. Overestimated cod stocks creating exaggerated Total Allowable Catches, coupled with increased fishing capacity, lead to the depletion of the Atlantic cod fisheries. This crisis occurred in the context of strong government policy and management. The Atlantic cod and groundfish fisheries have yet to recover from this travesty of mismanagement. The state of the world’s fisheries faces the same dismal fate as the Atlantic groundfish fishery, suffering from what has become known as the tragedy of the commons. Establishing private property rights using methods such as individual transferable quotas is occurring in several parts of the world to avoid the tragedy of depleted fish stocks. Well defined property rights, through the implementation of individual transferable quotas, ensure that fisheries internalize the cost and benefits of management decisions. Individual transferable fishing quotas have proven effective to increase conservation efforts and reduce overcapacity, which is often produced with increased legislation. Individual transferable quotas are not only a viable solution for reducing overfishing and preventing stock collapses, but the best solution available.
Bad aim: Separating the intentions and effects of American newsprint recycling legislation on landfill space, forest conservation and Canadian newsprint producers
Authors: Nasielski Joshua
Published: September 2019

This paper argues that the American newsprint recycling laws passed during the late 1980s and early 1990s not only failed to achieve their stated environmental objectives, but failed so spectacularly that they actually contributed to further environmental harm. These laws, which imposed a recycled content standard on new newsprint production, had three intentions: to decrease landfill space requirements, to preserve forests, and to encourage the recycling of used newsprint. Insofar as the first two intentions are concerned, this paper finds that the American newsprint recycling laws had a negligible effect on both landfill space and forest conservation. But by succeeding in elevating the amount of newsprint recycling far beyond what it would otherwise be, industry compliance with these laws may have actually increased environmental harm. From a Canadian perspective, these laws essentially encouraged Canadian newsprint producers to import American newsprint waste. In addition, by imposing compliance costs on American and Canadian newsprint producers in the range of several billions of dollars, these laws prevented capital from being productively spent on other environmental initiatives. Surveying alternatives to government mandated recycling legislation, this paper ends by concluding that if governments wish to improve environmental outcomes through newsprint recycling, their best option may be to extend the functioning of markets.
Determination of Imperviousness in the Highland Creek Watershed
Authors: Satgunarajah Angelin
Published: September 2019

The Highland Creek watershed, an area of about 100 square kilometres in the region of Toronto, was selected for this study. As a highly urbanized area, construction of roads and buildings has increased the region’s imperviousness to watershed, which can cause severe impairment to both the quality and quantity of water. The imperviousness of this region therefore needed to be assessed to manage the watershed area effectively, and to improve future development projects. The task of assessing the watershed area was accomplished using digitized aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Because GIS does not give detail total road area of land use, the difference between total area and impervious area was calculated and assigned as a total road area. The ratio between the impervious area and the total area was calculated to assess the impervious ratio of the watershed area, and was assigned a value of 0.533. Using this method, more than 120 subcategories can be selected within this watershed area, and the imperviousness can be calculated using land use subcategory ratios and averages ratios.
Bop, Rethought: Jazz, culture, and ‘Art Music’ in 1950s America
Authors: Sladkowski Steven
Published: September 2019

This paper seeks to discuss of one of the most significant questions in the critical discourse of jazz studies and of ethnomusicology more broadly: How does a musical genre, such as jazz, come to be understood as ‘art music’? This paper looks to develop a theory about the concept of ‘art music’ in relation to jazz, as it is understood in North American culture. In applying this theory, which I call the audience-aesthetic specialization theory, I investigate specifically the stylistic innovations of trumpeter Miles Davis in the mid-fifties, and the place of jazz in American culture of the mid-to-late-fifties more broadly. From this investigation, I attempt to extrapolate a new historiographical understanding of the stylistic changes that facilitated the widespread cultural recognition of jazz as ‘art’. Wherever possible, I attempt to nuance my claims using a multi-faceted approach that considers a range of theoretical, aesthetic, and cultural ideas that surround the concept of ‘art music’ as it relates to jazz.
Effects of aerial exposure on size of the common barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides), an inhabitant of the intertidal zone in St. Andrews, New Brunswick
Authors: Bell Katie
Published: September 2019

Survival in the intertidal zone for sessile marine invertebrates means enduring the drastic changes in environmental conditions that comes with tide cycling. An influential repercussion for Semibalanus balanoides, the common barnacle, is changes in food accessibility. As a filter-feeder, this intertidal organism does not obtain the required nutrients for growth when exposed to air and, as a result, experiences a compromised growth rate along with a limited body size. A four-day (August 16th-19th, 2009) field-based study was conducted at Indian Point in St. Andrews, New Brunswick to examine how duration of aerial exposure affects rostro-carinal length. Twenty 10cm x 10cm sites were sampled within which the total number of S.balanoides individuals was counted and rostro-carinal lengths of fifty individuals were measured. In support of the predicted results, this study shows that aerial exposure limits size in S.balanoides. This negative relationship between duration of aerial exposure and size is largely correlative, as supported by the R=0.9205 value obtained through application and analysis of the linear regression model. This information of how S.balanoides responds to the out of water experience may bring to light the significance of results from lab-based studies regarding environmental conditions that S.balanoides can tolerate.
A taste of his own medicine: analyzing Émile Zola’s interpretation of Claude Bernard’s experimental method
Authors: Rabideau Pascale
Published: September 2019

In 1880, Emile Zola (1840-1902) wrote Le Roman Expérimental. He believed that with the application of the scientific method, fictional novel writing could be a scientific field used to study human passions and psychology. Zola claims to take his method and arguments directly from French physiologist Claude Bernard’s (1813-1878) Introduction à la l’étude de médecine expérimentale (1865). But did Zola really understand Bernard’s experimental method? Comparing the experimental method outlined in Zola’s essay and Bernard’s book, it becomes apparent that although Zola understood the steps involved in Bernard’s method, his application of it to literature is flawed. He takes quotations out of context, he assigns contradictory values to the scientific validity of the experimental novel, and most fatally, Zola’s version of an experiment comes nowhere close to being what Bernard would consider a true scientific experiment.
How to choose a fruitful research project: advice from graduate students
Authors: Huber Lee-Anne , Guselle Alexandra
Published: September 2019

Selecting a research topic is an integral part of graduate studies. According to Skip Brass, Associate Dean and Director of the MD-PhD program at the University of Pennsylvania, you need to “pick a problem that interests you. You will be living with it for a long time. Make sure it is something you will want to wrestle with even when the going gets rough. It has to make you want to get up early, work late, come in on the weekend, and think about it in the shower.” This paper aims to make the process of choosing and evaluating a research topic a little easier through providing some helpful steps in formulating a successful project.
Globalisation, collaboration, and indigenous alcohol abuse
Authors: Piggott Thomas William
Published: September 2019

Alcohol abuse is attributed to four percent of the global burden of disease and associated with over 60 medical conditions. This burden is borne disproportionately by the indigenous peoples of our world. Two such indigenous populations, albeit far from one another, who are suffering from alcohol abuse are the San in Botswana and the First Nations in Canada. Both marginalised populations have high rates of alcohol abuse; however, there is a clear need for more research into the epidemiology. The public health response to alcohol abuse in indigenous populations is at a different stage in Canada and Botswana. In Canada, alcohol abuse among the First Nations has been on the agenda of public health since the release of the Indian Relations Paper in 1975. In Botswana, alcohol abuse among the San has yet to be recognized– the government response has been blind to ethnicity. This paper examines the similarities and differences between alcohol abuse issues, providing evidence that increased collaboration would lead to benefits for both populations. Neither side, those responsible for the public health of the San or First Nations, has an impeccable record – both sides could learn much from the successes and failures of the other, and other indigenous populations suffering from alcohol abuse globally.
Brewery resource and energy recovery system
Authors: Loog Kathryn , Phinney Randi , Read Krista , Robertson Laura
Published: September 2019

In this paper, a bio-gas and spent grain utilization system for a brewery is presented. The bio-gas component of the system consists of a generator to produce electricity for sale through the Feed-In Tariff program offered by the Ontario Power Authority. The spent grain component consists of a gasification system to produce syngas, which will reduce the natural gas requirements of the facility. A membrane bioreactor will be used downstream of the current anaerobic digester in order to eliminate the municipal surcharges on the effluent water and allow for water recycling. The design was analyzed using a net present value (NPV) analysis. The results showed a capital cost of $8.9 million for the overall system, a payback period of 8 years, and a 20-year NPV of $24 million. Recommendations are made as to how the economic and environmental benefits to the brewery could be improved.
Decreased ability to acquire food of a captive deaf dolphin (Tursiops truncatus): Slower reaction times and lower success rates
Authors: Wright Katherine A.
Published: September 2019

Oceanic anthropogenic noise, such as naval sonar, can cause temporary hearing loss in cetaceans, but it is not known to what extent hearing loss affects cetacean behaviours such as feeding. This study used a captive deaf Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) to test the hypothesis that hearing loss would decrease a dolphin’s ability to acquire food by preventing echolocation (using echoes to locate fish). Reaction time (time to acquire dropped fish) and success rate (percentage of successfully acquired fish) were measured for the deaf dolphin and for two dolphins with no known hearing disabilities at Dolphins Plus in Florida in May 2009. The deaf dolphin had a significantly slower mean reaction time and a significantly lower mean success rate than those of the two other dolphins. A hydrophone suggested that the deaf dolphin could not echolocate, and thus relied mainly on vision. The results illustrate that hearing loss can negatively affect a dolphin’s ability to acquire food. Therefore, sources and effects of dolphin hearing loss require further investigation in order to provide targets for anthropogenic noise levels.
Teaching FSL with AIM? An elementary school case study
Authors: Carroll Brandon
Published: September 2019

The publication of the Roadmap for Canada’s Linguistic Duality 2008 – 2013 by the Canadian government has presented a challenge to the country’s ministries of education: to double, by the year 2013, the number of graduates from Canadian secondary schools who have acquired acquired a functional knowledge of their second language. The goal set out by this publication has yet again heightened the polemic around the most effective way to learn a second language. Contributing to the corpus of instructional materials for the teaching of FSL in Canada, Wendy Maxwell, a French teacher in British Columbia, developed the AIM (Accelerative Integrated Method). The AIM proposes to accelerate the learning of the target language through the use of gestures (The Gesture Approach) so that students can understand and speak in the second language (SL) as early as possible. In spite of the growing popularity and favorable reception of the program by teachers, there is very little research examining its effectiveness in the classroom. This article proposes to add to the current body of research by examining the efficiency of the AIM for the teaching of FSL on a practical and theoretical level. Data acquired from a proficiency test administered to elementary core French students taught with the AIM will serve as a springboard in defining the potential outcomes one can attain with the program. Finally, a review of the literature on the AIM as well as the use of gesture in the SL classroom will bring into evidence the theoretical merits of the method.
Acute toxicity of silver nitrate to in vitro fertilization of the sand dollar, Echinarachnius parma
Authors: Knight Olivia Marie
Published: September 2019

Considered one of the most toxic heavy metals, interest in silver (both ionic and bound forms) has increased over the past few years due to the production of consumer goods containing Ag⁺-releasing nanoparticles. Investigation into acceptable environmental limits has generated a substantial amount of evidence that even at very low concentrations, silver exposure is detrimental to organism health. This study employed the echinoderm fertilization assay to evaluate acute silver toxicity to a marine invertebrate, Echinarachnius parma. Gametes were procured from E. parma and fertilization success under control conditions was compared to that at varying treatment concentrations of silver nitrate. Exposure to silver nitrate significantly decreased percent fertilization in all treatment concentrations. Remarkably, at concentrations as low as 10⁻⁹ M AgNO₃ percent fertilization decreased by 20-30% compared to the control. The results of this study are consistent with the existing literature, adding to the expanding collection of data that emphasizes the need for more stringent environmental silver regulation criteria in order to ensure the protection of aquatic ecosystems.
Analysis of the fungal, archaeal and bacteriophage diversity in the human distal gut
Authors: Brown Eric , Allen-Vercoe Emma
Published: September 2019

The composition and role of bacteria in the human gut has been studied intensely and is a burgeoning field of scientific research. However, there is a relative lack of research on other microorganisms which compose our gut flora such as bacteriophage, archaea and fungi. The aim of our study was to begin to fill this gap. The archaeal, fungal and bacteriophage diversity in the gut was analyzed using a PCR-DGGE fingerprinting method on fecal samples from 3 healthy donors. These samples were inoculated into chemostats and the microbes were grown in continuous culture to model the interactions of our flora in vitro. Norepinephrine was also added to the chemostats to test the microbial community’s reaction to stress. Here we report that, relative to bacteria, fungal and archaeal diversity in the gut is low. The archaeal populations seemed stable over time varied depending on the individual. Fungal populations were more variable over time and changes in the community structure were observed after the addition of norepinephrine. DNA sequence analysis confirmed the presence of fungal species that are not yet cultured, yet are residents of the gut. Species of Podophage can also be detected as residents of the gut based on sequence analysis. It is clear that there is a core set of archaeal and fungal species living as residents in the gut. Bacteriophage are also present but their ecological role and effect on the microbial community in the gut is unknown.
Media Frames of the Ontario Safe Streets Act: assessing the moral panic model
Authors: Bates Michael
Published: September 2019

This paper assesses the “moral panic” framework of Stanley Cohen with reference to panhandling and squeegeeing in Ontario. There are four general tenets of the moral panic model, three of which can be said to have been documented in the case of panhandling in Ontario: a recognized threat (panhandling), a rise in public concern, and punitive control mechanisms established to eliminate the threat. This paper argues that the fourth tenet, a stereotypical presentation of the moral threat to the social order, has not been systematically analyzed, and therefore that is the task of this paper. Specifically, this paper examines the framing used by the mainstream print media in Ontario to construct the panhandling/squeegeeing problem. Articles and letters­ to the­ editor were sampled from two mainstream Ontario newspapers, the Toronto Star and the Ottawa Citizen, to examine the mainstream media’s framing of panhandling and squeegee cleaning.

This sample was taken between 1995 and 2005, a timeframe which revolves around the implementation of the Ontario Safe Streets Act 2000, which is recognized as the punitive control mechanism designed to eliminate the threat of panhandling. The findings of this paper lead to the conclusion that panhandling in Ontario during the implementation of the Ontario Safe Streets Act does not constitute a classic moral panic by virtue of the role the media played. However, the evidence that punitive control mechanisms were established absent the support of the mainstream media suggests that a deeper understanding of the role of mainstream media as well as political interests is required with respect to framing moral panics.
Cryptozoology as a Pseudoscience: Beasts in Transition
Authors: Schembri Elise
Published: September 2019

Cryptozoology, the pursuit of wildlife ignored or discounted by mainstream zoology, emerged as a separate discipline from zoology in 1955 with the publication of Bernard Heuvalmans’ book On the Track of Unknown Animals. Although it is typically associated with pseudoscience, many of the discipline’s advocates assert that cryptozoology should be recognized as a legitimate science. This has proven difficult because of the nature of the discipline and its inability to provide falsifiable evidence. This paper examines crytozoology’s dichotomous separation from zoology; its search for hard evidence to support the existence of obscure creatures including hominids, sea serpents and lake monsters; and its efforts to document in a clear and objective way the existence of such creatures so as to distance itself from paracryptozoology as well as both the media and public’s distorted understanding of the field. This paper argues that by its nature cryptozoology is bound to remain, at worst, a pseudoscience and, at best, a transitional field of research. The example of the discovery of creatures like the giant squid, which left the realm of mythology and became a recognised species of zoology in 2004, provides evidence of both the promises and the inherent problems of the field of cryptozoology.
Imperial contradictions in Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Sign of Four
Authors: Fraser Jennifer
Published: September 2019

Despite Britain’s rapid territorial expansion and its marked success in establishing international colonies, the early nineteenth century British public held widely divergent views concerning imperialist endeavors. While the colonies retained their element of exoticism and decadence, attracting the British public to the idea of colonial enterprise, native insurrections against British imperial rule inspired fear within the British public. By calling the loyalties of colonial natives into question, and casting doubt upon the overall security of Britain, popular support of territorial expansion began to wane. To understand these contradictory popular responses to British imperialism, this article will undertake an analysis of Arthur Conan Doyle’s popular piece of mystery fiction: The Sign of Four, a literary work written in the context of the Indian Mutiny of 1857. By reflecting contemporary attitudes held in response to British Imperialism, The Sign of Four provides a medium through which popular contradictory responses towards British imperialism can be critically examined.
Iron in the brain: Heavy metal mismanagement
Authors: Stephenson Erin L.
Published: September 2019

Iron’s activity in the body can be two-faced. On the one hand it is integral to many enzymatic reactions; on the other hand it is toxic, with a great capacity for cellular damage. This review examines iron in the brain through the lens of multiple sclerosis (MS), reviewing the functions of intracellular and extracellular iron and their impact on the disease, as well as highlighting the focus of new research and controversial therapies. The primary cause of MS has remained enigmatic, ever since its first clinical documentation. Several studies have suggested a link between MS and iron. Abnormal iron accumulation has been found as deposits in MS lesions around cerebral veins, in the macrophages surrounding MS lesions, and also in deep brain structures. There are features of MS, such as the inflammatory environment and altered vasculature, which are important in highlighting mechanisms of how iron can accumulate, and also how iron dysregulation can create a positive feedback cycle that further promotes neurodegeneration and increased iron accumulation. This potential link between iron and MS has gained widespread attention, in part due to the controversial cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) hypothesis and “Liberation Therapy” first introduced by Dr. Zamboni in 2008. Determining the role of iron in MS will help provide a better insight to the different factions of scientists who disagree on whether MS is primarily an autoimmune disorder, or whether a neurodegenerative mechanism is the instigator.

Keywords: multiple sclerosis (MS) and therapies; iron (regulation in the brain, link to disease); CCSVI hypothesis; Liberation Therapy (Zamboni, 2008); review
Differences in composition of territories in relation to behaviour, stage, and depth of the three-spot damselfish, Stegastes planifrons, in Caribbean coral reefs
Authors: Gerez Maria J. Arroyo
Published: September 2019

Coral reef diversity is correlated with the depth at which the reefs are found, the energy available for biological processes, and the species’ roles and presence throughout the food chain. Can a specific species activity alter the whole ecosystem? Can a small-scale, short-term activity such as fish behaviour have a long-term effect on a larger scale, that of the reef? Can the life stage of a species mediate substrate competition? The three-spot damselfish (Stegastes planifrons) is hypothesized to regulate competition between substrate coverage by actively farming – protecting from herbivores and weeding – in order to regulate the algal species composition and percent coverage of the reef. This behaviour is observed in both juvenile and adult fish. Deeper patches are predicted to have less coral diversity and higher algal diversity; juvenile fish are predicted to have less diversity in their patches than adults. Coral and algal diversity are hypothesized to be negatively correlated. In this study, behaviour of the S. planifrons was classified into one of four categories (active patrolling, passing patrolling, farming, and hiding) and palatable algae surface area coverage was digitized from photographs; life stage was either juvenile or adult. Coral and algal genus diversity were measured along a depth gradient of 0-16 m where the diversity of the reef was thought to be the highest. A three-way ANCOVA was performed to test whether fish behaviour (a small-scale, short-term process), depth, or fish development stage (juvenile or adult) had a significant effect on coral or algal diversity (a large-scale, long-term process). Results showed a significant effect of fish behaviour category on algal genera diversity, and a significant effect of depth on both algal and coral genera diversity. Farming yielded significantly more algal coverage than hiding. This study shows that small-scale, short-term behaviours by S. planifrons can have an effect on algal genera diversity on coral reefs in Utila, Honduras.

Keywords: Stegastes planifrons (three-spotted damselfish); behaviours (short-term, small-scale); stage of development (juvenile, adult); depth; coral reef and algal diversity (long-term, large-scale); damselfish territories
An economic analysis of afforestation as a carbon sequestration strategy in southwestern Ontario, Canada
Authors: Gale Nigel , Trant Janelle , Schiks Thomas , L'Ecuyer Jake , Jackson Christopher , Thevathasan Naresh , Gordon Andy
Published: September 2019

Afforestation, the establishment of trees in areas that have not been forested for at least 50 years, is one possible approach for carbon (C) sequestration to mitigate climate change. This study compares the costs and benefits of afforestation as a carbon sequestration strategy for Eden Mills, a village within Wellington County, Ontario, Canada aiming to achieve C neutrality. We provide net present value analyses for three potential planting schemes under subsidized and unsubsidized financial scenarios that aim to sequester 2012 tonnes of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) using traditional and novel calculations of C sequestration rates. We present the total project costs, the optimal price of C, and the potential for afforestation as a C sequestration tool in southern Ontario. Planting schemes employ mixtures of tree species common to the region. Unsubsidized schemes are projected to cost between $617,976-$1,499,904 (CAD) with the optimal price of CO2 between $6.15-$14.91 per tonne of C sequestered. A deciduous-dominated planting scheme requiring 24 hectares of land resulted in the lowest cost for all scenarios. Our analyses suggest that: 1) fast-growing tree species make afforestation projects more cost-effective, reducing costs by 29-59%; and 2) land management subsidies available to the region reduce costs by approximately 10%. Future cost-benefit analyses for afforestation projects should consider site-specific C sequestration rates and parameter sensitivity analysis when quantifying C absorption.

Keywords: greenhouse gases; carbon sequestration; afforestation; cost-benefit analysis; net present value
Arctic meltdown: A problematic property rights structure translates into poor resource management
Authors: Mancuso Olivia
Published: September 2019

As access to the Arctic region continues to grow, many land-use issues have become increasingly prominent. The exposure of shorter shipping routes, unresolved maritime boundaries between the bordering states, and most importantly, the plethora of renewable and non-renewable resources in the region have created a strain on international relations between the states bordering the Arctic. Rising global temperatures have created the promise and opportunity of better access to natural resources in the coming years, raising the likelihood of potentially substantial economic gains to the bordering states. However, the current property rights structure in the Arctic, as governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), dictates that the jurisdiction of each coastal nation state shall not exceed past 200 nautical miles beyond the coastline of each respective state. The goal of this report is to provide an assessment of the basic property rights that govern the Arctic territory in an attempt to illuminate how current and future inefficiencies in natural resource extraction and management can result from a poor property rights structure. The current property rights structure has led to a departure from an efficient allocation of rights and as a result currently operates under an anticommons scenario, while also setting the stage for a tragedy of the commons in the not so distant future. To move away from these sub-optimal outcomes and toward more efficient resource management, open communication, cooperation, and better defined property rights are important components needed to strengthen resource management among Arctic states.

Keywords: Arctic land-use and property rights (assessment of); natural resource extraction and management (inefficiencies in); anticommons scenario; tragedy of the commons; Arctic Council; UNCLOS
'The Changeling,' or how Bacon’s closet becomes the cabinet of curiosities
Authors: Slinger Abigail
Published: September 2019

First licensed by the Master of the Revels in 1622, The Changeling opened to London playgoers who were in some measure familiar with Bacon's praise of inductive reasoning in Novum Organum (1620). It is therefore of note to find that the protagonist of Middleton and Rowley's play, Beatrice-Joanna, consistently undermines what Michael Neill describes as "the ... correspondence of outward appearance and inward reality” (xx); induction cannot reveal moral worth. The closet of experimentation that contains this incongruously unchaste virgin thus transforms into a cabinet of curiosities whose contents resist accepted logic and simple assumptions.

Keywords: The Changeling (Middleton, Thomas and Rowley, William); Novum Organum (Bacon, Francis); metaphysics; empirical (Baconian) method (rejection of); cabinet of curiosities; literary interpretation
The effect of cannabinoids on APP, BACE1, and ApoE mRNA expression
Authors: Brar Navjit
Published: September 2019

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative condition associated with cognitive decline. The pathological hallmark of this disease is the deposition of β-amyloid protein plaques (Aβ) in the brain, which evoke neuronal cell death and impair inter-neuronal communication. Past studies have suggested that cannabinoids reduce the levels of Aβ in the brain; however, little is known about the mechanisms involved in this process. In this study, the SH-SY5Y cell line was first examined for expression of amyloid precursor protein (APP), beta-site APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), and apolipoprotein E (ApoE), genes involved in Aβ production and clearance. All three genes were expressed and detected in the cell line. We then observed the effects of the endocannabinoid anandamide, a CB1 receptor agonist, on the mRNA expression of APP, BACE1, and ApoE in SH-SY5Y cells. After 48h exposure to anandamide, mRNA levels of APP and BACE1 significantly decreased, which could contribute to reduced Aβ levels. The mechanism of action by which anandamide reduces mRNA levels of APP and BACE1 should be further investigated. ApoE mRNA levels were not found to be significantly changed, suggesting that anandamide does not affect mRNA expression of this gene. The effects of cannabinoids on ApoE levels should be further studied as the effects may occur at a level different from mRNA expression and may even occur via a pathway unrelated to CB1 receptor activation.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; β-amyloid; anandamide; amyloid precursor protein; beta-site APP cleaving enzyme 1; apolipoprotein E
The effects of integrative healthcare on Peruvian Indigenous groups
Authors: Wolff Rebecca
Published: September 2019

Indigenous communities are vulnerable to a variety of health risks due to political marginalization, socioeconomic challenges and geographic isolation. Most developed and developing nations rely mainly on biomedical healthcare services, which do not adequately incorporate the use of traditional medicinal knowledge. Peru is home to over 50 Indigenous groups, many of which practice holistic and traditional approaches to healthcare. Peruvian healers and medicinal plants play an integral role in such traditional medicinal systems. Integrative healthcare, which incorporates Indigenous medicine into the biomedical healthcare system, is a potential solution to improving healthcare services for an entire nation. However, integrative healthcare fails to address the lack of accessibility and affordability of the Peruvian healthcare system for marginalized populations. Traditional medicine reflects a multi-dimensional, spiritual and individualized approach to healthcare that is in conflict with the scientific and esoteric nature of the biomedical system. Incorporating traditional medicine into the biomedical system could threaten the existence of traditional medicinal knowledge and decrease the need for dissemination of traditional knowledge and culture. In a Peruvian context, integrative healthcare would have a detrimental impact on the maintenance and dissemination of Indigenous Peruvian medical knowledge.

Keywords: Peru; Indigenous; health; policy; traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM)