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A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Kinesiology and Health Studies, University of Regina. ix, 85 p. Open water swimming (OWS) is currently one of the fastest growing mass participation sports worldwide, and differs from pool swimming in that athletes swim in natural bodies of water such as lakes, oceans and rivers. Participation in this sport spans a wide range of individuals of all ages with a roughly equal sex distribution. No prior investigations have evaluated the musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries characteristic to the sport in a recreational capacity, and only one group has completed biannual surveillance in an elite population on three occasions. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the prevalence and explore possible risk factors associated with MSK injuries in non-elite OW swimmers during the COVID-19 pandemic (for circumstantial reasons). Participants were invited through a variety of social media channels and OWS community communications to complete a self-administered internet-based survey to evaluate the details of any injuries sustained within the previous 6-month period and various other demographic and training related details. 156 participants completed or partially completed the survey (95 female, 52 male, 9 did not disclose their sex; average age 47.7 (±12.4) years). The 6-month prevalence of MSK injury within this population was 30% (n=36), with the most commonly injured region being the shoulder (n = 25), and the second most common being the cervical spine (n = 6). A logistic regression was performed to assess the association between self-reports of injury (outcome variable) and various predictor variables. The final model yielded one significant predictor variable: participation in efforts to prevent injury (OR [95% CI] = 5.004 [1.356, 18.465], Wald =5.843, p = 0.016). Two marginally-significant predictor variables were age (OR [95% CI] = 1.039 [0.996, 1.084], Wald = 3.093, p = 0.079) and sex (female) (OR [95% CI] =2.614 [0.852, 8.021], Wald = 2.821, p = 0.093). Results of this study will be dispersed among the OWS community via academic and open-access publications, and may be used to guide injury prevention and rehabilitation efforts in this growing population. Student yes

Silvicultural herbicides are used in Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) to suppress vegetation that competes with trees for growing space, light, nutrients, water, and other resources in managed forests. While the toxicity and environmental impacts of silvicultural herbicides have been widely studied, far less is known about their effects on culturally significant plants important to Indigenous Peoples in the Canadian Boreal Forest Region. The main objective of this thesis is to assess the silvicultural use of herbicides on ethnobotanical species in the Canadian boreal. I identified 914 ethnobotanical plants in the Canadian boreal, including plants used as food, medicines, tools, art and culture, and for spiritual purposes. Most of these plants are not considered threatened globally or in Canada but are vulnerable to decline or elimination following herbicide spraying in managed forests. The results of my thesis support restricting herbicide spraying as an IVM practice in areas important to Indigenous Peoples. Professor Robin Roth for providing funding for my thesis, through the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership (CRP), Graduate Coordinators in the Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment - Drs. Noella Gray and Aaron Berg for funding support that I received from the department and additional financial support from the University of Guelph’s College of Social and Applied Human Sciences (CSAHS) COVID-19 Delay Assistance Program

Background Understanding the molecular basis of susceptibility factors to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is a global health imperative. It is well-established that males are more likely to acquire SARS-CoV-2 infection and exhibit more severe outcomes. Similarly, exposure to air pollutants and pre-existing respiratory chronic conditions, such as asthma and chronic obstructive respiratory disease (COPD) confer an increased risk to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods We investigated molecular patterns associated with risk factors in 398 candidate genes relevant to COVID-19 biology. To accomplish this, we downloaded DNA methylation and gene expression data sets from publicly available repositories (GEO and GTEx Portal) and utilized data from an empirical controlled human exposure study conducted by our team. Results First, we observed sex-biased DNA methylation patterns in autosomal immune genes, such as NLRP2, TLE1, GPX1, and ARRB2 (FDR < 0.05, magnitude of DNA methylation difference ���� > 0.05). Second, our analysis on the X-linked genes identified sex associated DNA methylation profiles in genes, such as ACE2, CA5B, and HS6ST2 (FDR < 0.05, ���� > 0.05). These associations were observed across multiple respiratory tissues (lung, nasal epithelia, airway epithelia, and bronchoalveolar lavage) and in whole blood. Some of these genes, such as NLRP2 and CA5B, also exhibited sex-biased gene expression patterns. In addition, we found differential DNA methylation patterns by COVID-19 status for genes, such as NLRP2 and ACE2 in an exploratory analysis of an empirical data set reporting on human COVID-9 infections. Third, we identified modest DNA methylation changes in CpGs associated with PRIM2 and TATDN1 (FDR < 0.1, ���� > 0.05) in response to particle-depleted diesel exhaust in bronchoalveolar lavage. Finally, we captured a DNA methylation signature associated with COPD diagnosis in a gene involved in nicotine dependence (COMT) (FDR < 0.1, ���� > 0.05). Conclusion Our findings on sex differences might be of clinical relevance given that they revealed molecular associations of sex-biased differences in COVID-19. Specifically, our results hinted at a potentially exaggerated immune response in males linked to autosomal genes, such as NLRP2. In contrast, our findings at X-linked loci such as ACE2 suggested a potentially distinct DNA methylation pattern in females that may interact with its mRNA expression and inactivation status. We also found tissue-specific DNA methylation differences in response to particulate exposure potentially capturing a nitrogen dioxide (NO2) effect���a contributor to COVID-19 susceptibility. While we identified a molecular signature associated with COPD, all COPD-affected individuals were smokers, which may either reflect an association with the disease, smoking, or may highlight a compounded effect of these two risk factors in COVID-19. Overall, our findings point towards a molecular basis of variation in susceptibility factors that may partly explain disparities in the risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Objective: To determine the relative risk of drug-induced Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) associated with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) proposed repurposed drugs compared to well-known torsadogenic compounds. Setting: Computer calculations and simulations were performed using primary pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data for each proposed drug. Seven different LQTS indices were calculated and compared. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database was queried with specific key words relating to arrhythmogenic events. Interventions: A thorough literature search was performed to gather information on the pharmacological properties of six drugs (azithromycin, chloroquine, favipiravir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir, and remdesivir) repurposed to treat COVID-19. Researchers emphasized the affinity of these drugs to block the rapid component of the delayed rectifier cardiac potassium current (IKr) encoded by the human ether-a-go-go gene (hERG), their propensity to prolong cardiac repolarization (QT interval), and cause torsade de pointes (TdP). The risk of drug-induced LQTS for these drugs was quantified by comparing six indices that assess such risk. Primary and secondary outcome measures: Level of risk estimated for the six COVID-19 drugs being proposed compared to 23 torsadogenic drugs. Number of proarrhythmic adverse events identified for these drugs in the FAERS. Results: Estimators of LQTS risk levels indicated a very high or high risk for all COVID-19 repurposed drugs with the exception for azithromycin, although cases of TdP have been reported with this drug. There was excellent agreement among the various indices used to assess risk of drug-induced LQTS for the six repurposed drugs and 23 torsadogenic compounds. Conclusion: The risk-benefit assessment for the use of repurposed drugs to treat COVID-19 is complicated since benefits are currently anticipated, not proven. Mandatory monitoring of the QT interval shall be performed, as such monitoring is possible for hospitalized patients or with the use of biodevices for outpatients prescribed these drugs.

The traditional career arc is often organized around the assumption that the most productive “work years” are before the age of 65. As such, workplaces have the potential to engage in harmful age discrimination. As scholarly literature based in the Canadian context has been quite limited, this study aimed to gain a qualitative understanding of older Ontario workers’ lived experiences of ageism. Semi-structured interviews with 10 older adults (55+) who were either currently employed, recently retired, or looking to gain re-entry into the labour market were conducted. Using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-stage framework for thematic analysis, five key themes that each mediate the varying experience of ageism in the workplace and labour market were identified. Participants highlighted the complex nature of the ageist interactions as well as the gamut of psycho-social consequences that they have faced. Participants also discussed several different types of preferred coping mechanisms. Intersections with other forms of discrimination and the degree to which COVID-19 has impacted participants were also central in shaping the experiences of ageism in the workplace. The findings from this research shed light on the lived experiences of those who have faced age-based discrimination in the labour market, an area of research that is currently lacking. Additionally, results have the ability to inform employers’ equity, diversity and inclusion practices and policies that often do not include age-related issues. The findings from this thesis are positioned in terms of their implications for future research and policy. The results of this thesis contribute substantively to the current social gerontological literature. This work provides insight into the importance of age in the workplace and labour market, as well as the role that age segregation throughout the life course plays in the perpetuation of ageist attitudes and behaviours throughout one’s working life. Thesis Master of Arts (MA) The only remaining socially acceptable form of discrimination is considered to be ageism; which is the discrimination against individuals for reasons based solely on their age. This form of discrimination runs rampant in popular society and can be found in the media, healthcare, technology, advertising, and nearly every other significant facet of our lives. That being said, it has been proven to be especially prevalent within the workplace and labour market. Much of the previous investigation has merely sought to estimate its prevalence using quantitative methods. In light of this gap in the scholarly literature, this thesis asks: what are older workers’ (55+) lived experiences of ageism? Using semi-structured interviews, this thesis uncovers the nuances, contradictions, emotions, and realities that constitute the experience of ageism in the Canadian workplace. In-depth analysis of the results allows us to understand the role of age in the labour market more comprehensively and imagine the implications that this thesis has for future workplace policy.

Background: Voluntary self-exclusion is a well-known harm reduction intervention in problem gambling, although primarily in operator-specific or venue-based systems. A nationwide overall self-exclusion system (“Spelpaus”) for all licensed gambling was introduced in Sweden in 2019. However, gambling in overseas companies despite national exclusion may be a concern in online gamblers. The present web survey study aimed to study self-reported self-exclusion and gambling despite exclusion in a nationwide multi-operator land-based/online exclusion system.Methods: Web survey in web panel members of a market survey company, carried out in May, 2020 (co-occurring with the COVID-19 pandemic). Past-year online gamblers (n = 997) answered questions about gambling patterns, gambling problems, psychological distress, self-exclusion since “Spelpaus” introduction, and gambling despite self-exclusion.Results: Seven percent reported ever self-excluded at Spelpaus, and this was associated with younger age, female gender, gambling problems, and chance-based games and online poker. In logistic regression, Spelpaus remained strongly associated with past-year online casino gambling, gambling problems, and absence of past-year sports betting. Among those having self-excluded, 38 percent reported gambling despite self-exclusion, most commonly online casino.Conclusions: In online gamblers in a setting with a nationwide self-exclusion system, using this was associated with past-year online casino gambling and gambling problems. Gambling despite self-exclusion appears to be common, and more commonly involves online casino. Stakeholders should aim to increase rates of self-exclusion in high-risk online gamblers, both during and beyond the COVID-19 situation in which the study was carried out. Also, policy makers should use gambling regulation in order to decrease the risk of breaching self-exclusion online, such as through the prohibition of non-registered gambling operators. Further research should focus on in-depth analysis of the reasons for gamblers to enroll or not enroll in multi-operator self-exclusion.

This paper introduces the ‘Independence’ themed special issue which includes research presented at the 22nd annual Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) conference (2021). ‘Independence’ as a special issue theme could hardly be timelier, both in geopolitical and internet research terms. The call for the 2021 AoIR annual conference asked us to reflect on the ambivalence of the term, to look back on historical struggles for independence, the long waves of history, and prompted us to ask who benefits from independence (and who does not). Hosted online for a second year, this time by universities in Philadelphia (USA), the conference was bounded by the Black Lives Matter movement, the insurrectionist storming of Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Hill, and global struggles to control the COVID-19 pandemic. This special issue includes nine papers that showcase new research exploring the affordances offered by digital media platforms to people, users, and workers, while also identifying tendencies towards new forms of control and surveillance facilitated by platforms. Topics include geopolitical and biopolitical digital sovereignty, facial recognition technologies, data divides, new methods approaches and innovative data sourcing, mobile and social media, examinations of embodied local knowledge as well as patriarchal, racist, and gendered social structures, and a broad range of field sites from Asia, Africa, and South America.