2025-02-14 Senate Minutes and Agendas

Minutes and Agenda for the February 14, 2025 meeting of Saint Mary’s University Senate

Injustice stampede : the wrongful conviction of Indigenous men in Alberta

1 online resource (53 pages) : colour charts, colour graphsIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 50-53).This research looks at the wrongful conviction of three Indigenous men in Alberta to understand (1) why they were wrongfully convicted and (2) whether the factors that contributed to their wrongful convictions are systemic issues within the Alberta criminal justice system that cause Indigenous men to be more likely to be wrongfully convicted there. The three cases are as follows: Richard McArthur, who was convicted in 1987; Wilfred Beaulieu, who was convicted in 1992; and Clayton Boucher, who was convicted in 2017. Each case has a different year of conviction, which contributes to understanding whether these issues are systemic. These cases were comparatively analyzed alongside relevant Canadian literature as well as the wrongful conviction of Donald Marshall Jr. in order to identify common contributing causes of wrongful convictions in Canada. From this analysis, it was found that one’s prior criminal history creates tunnel vision in investigations, professional misconduct is causal of many other contributing factors to wrongful convictions, and further, that racism is institutional, implicit, and systemic in the Canadian criminal justice system. From these findings, it was made clear that the causes of wrongful convictions of Indigenous men in Alberta are systemic issues that are leading them to be more likely to be wrongfully convicted there

‘The left behind places’ : a Burin Peninsula case study on the aftermath of the cod fishery collapse

1 online resource (108 pages) : colour mapsIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 100-108).The cod fishery collapse, which led to the moratorium in 1992, signaled the end of the 400-year cod fishery in Newfoundland. By contextualizing the resource industry changes experienced by many rural communities in Canada in the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s, this thesis explores the effects and benefits of incorporating significant community input in decision-making processes during periods of acute crisis. A focus on the response by impacted fishers on the Burin Peninsula to changing cod fishery management approaches, and the subsequent cod collapse indicates that many local people remain frustrated at how it was handled and are concerned for the future of their home communities

Identification of antifungal metabolites produced by microbes inhibiting the growth of Pseudogymnoascus destructans

1 online resource (54 pages) : illustrations (some colour), graphsIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 50-54).White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease that has caused significant mortality in hibernating bat populations across North America, with Pseudogymnoascus destructans being identified as the causative agent. The disease disrupts normal hibernation patterns, leading to increased metabolic demands and depletion of energy reserves, ultimately resulting in high mortality rates. Given the sensitivity of cave ecosystems, microbe-derived antifungal treatments offer a promising approach for WNS management. This study investigates the potential of a bacterial isolate (F18), Penicillium herquei, and Trichoderma atroviride to produce secondary metabolites capable of inhibiting Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Sanger sequencing and NCBI BLAST confirmed that the bacterial isolate F18 belongs to Pseudomonas brenneri. In vitro inhibition assays were performed to assess the antifungal activity of the metabolic extracts obtained from the microbes against Pseudogymnoascus destructans. A fraction from P. brenneri displayed consistent inhibitory effects, prompting further chemical analysis. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection identified a distinct peak with spectral characteristics similar to a known antifungal metabolite produced by the Pseudomonas genus. The retention behavior of this compound indicated a high degree of hydrophilicity, which agrees with the structure of the known antifungal metabolite. While some fractions from S5 and S2 also showed antifungal activity, their effects were less consistent

Survival and regrowth : assessing red oak recovery after the 2023 Shelburne Wildfire

1 online resource (57 pages) : colour illustrations, colour maps, graphs (some colour)Includes abstract and appendix.Includes bibliographical references (pages 54-57).Wildfire disturbance events are increasing in both frequency and intensity across Canada. Historically, due to their proximity to the ocean, Maritime natural disturbances have been limited primarily to strong wind events such as hurricanes. However, climate models suggest an increased prominence in these provinces experiencing fire activity. Between May and June of 2023, three major wildfires were reported in Nova Scotia, affecting over 25,000 hectares of land. The biggest of which was located in Shelburne County. By the time this fire was completely extinguished, it had become the biggest wildfire in recorded Nova Scotian history. There is a need to understand how wildfire events affect the intricate dynamics of forest succession and forest health. Northern red oak (Quercus rubra) is the only native species of red oak found throughout Nova Scotia and possesses natural traits that make it more resistant to the damage caused by wildfire events. This study examined whether the natural traits of the red oak species yielded any favourable results on the survival and regrowth rates of red oak during secondary succession. Variables studied included char height, species density, and coppice regrowth. These variables were compared against red maple (Acer rubrum) and further towards plots of different fire intensities. The dead count for both species increased throughout the fire plots. When compared to different levels of fire intensity, greater fire intensity had a smaller effect on the dead count of red oak as compared to red maple. The fire plots not only were shown to have more coppice growth for both red oak and red maple, but also fire plots of greatest intensity were shown to have the most red oak coppice growth

Reduction of phosphorus substituted bulky amidines

1 online resource (viii, 57 pages) : illustrations, charts, graphsIncludes abstract and appendix.Includes bibliographical references (pages 40-45).A series of bulky N,N&rsquo; disubstituted amidines with bulky 2,6-diisopropyl substituents and theircorresponding PCl2 substituted derivatives were synthesized. PCl2 substituted formamidine, methyl amidine, and p-methylphenyl amidine derivatives were successfully synthesized, and characterized by 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR spectroscopy, along with X-ray crystallography. The P-N bonds were determined to be longer than previously described N-bound PCl2 substituted compounds. Furthermore, crystallographic data shows a planar geometry about the N-C-N-P linkage, proving conjugation within these compounds. Reducing agents, Mg, Cp2Co, and sodium napthalenide were then employed to the PCl2 substituted amidines. Notably, reduction of the PCl2&nbsp;substituted p-methylphenyl amidine resulted in the selective formation of the corresponding diphosphene which was characterized by 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR spectroscopy, along with X-ray crystallography. Crystallographic data resulted in P-P bond lengths equivalent to previously reported N-bound diphosphenes. Furthermore, the P-P-N-C-N linkage for one side of the diphosphene existed in a cis-planar fashion, which is a new geometry observed for diphosphenes. This result prompted the idea to react the diphosphene with an oxonium acid which is believed to form a 5-membered heterocyclic cation that was characterized by 31P NMR.</p

Exploring the coordination chemistry between bismuth (III) salts and N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) derived from imidazolium salt-based pincer ligands

1 online resource (ix, 81 pages) : illustrations (some colour), graphsIncludes abstract and appendix.Includes bibliographical references (pages 49-53).N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are a novel class of compounds that have attracted considerable interest in synthetic chemistry due to their strong &delta;-donating and weak &pi;-accepting properties, as well as their characterization as soft Lewis bases. These features contribute to their enhanced stability and reactivity, making them valuable ligands in both transition metal and main group chemistry. This thesis aims to generate free NHC species through the deprotonation of structurally distinct imidazolium salt-based pincer ligands. Synthesis of the ligands, which feature either an imidazolium or benzimidazolium core, is improved upon by employing the use of a microwave reactor rather than conventional heating. Preliminary characterization demonstrated the successful formation of a carbene species; however, attempts to isolate the free carbenes or directly coordinate them to bismuth were unsuccessful. Despite this, the optimized ligand synthesis and evidence of carbene formation represent promising steps toward the development of novel NHC-based systems for future applications in main group element chemistry.</p

Direct Measurement of Resonance Properties in 23Mg(p,γ)24 Al Reaction occurring in Classical Novae using the DRAGON Recoil Separator and a Hybrid Array of Gamma Detectors

1 online resource (1 unnumbered, ix, 90 pages) : illustrations (some colour), graphs (some colour)Includes abstract and appendix.Includes bibliographical references (pages 80-83).Nucleosynthesis in classical novae refers to the process of creating new atomic nuclei during the thermonuclear explosion on the surface of a white dwarf in a binary star system. This process is driven by rapid nuclear reactions in the hydrogen-rich material accreted from the companion star. When critical thresholds are reached, thermonuclear fusion ignites explosively. This intense reaction not only converts hydrogen into helium but also triggers a series of proton capture reactions that produce heavier elements up to Calcium. Classical novae are significant contributors to the cosmic abundance of certain isotopes, such as 13C, 15N, and radioactive 22Na and 26Al. Observations of these elements in the spectra of the ejected material help astrophysicists study the processes governing stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis. The main objective of this research is to study the 23Mg (p, &gamma;)24Al reaction rate at the classical nova temperatures of 0.2 to 0.4 GK. The goal is to pursue a new measurement of the key astrophysical resonance at Ecm ~480keV which couples the DRAGON recoil separator to a hybrid array of Lanthanum Bromide (LaBr3), Cerium Bromide (CeBr3) and Bismuth Germanate (BGO) detectors for &gamma;-ray detection. This experiment uses radioactive 23Mg beam with an energy chosen such that all published measurements of the resonance energy are contained within the equilibrium pressure region of the windowless H2 gas target. The strength of the ~480keV resonance was determined from the singles yield of 24Al recoils detected at the DRAGON focal plane. This newly determined resonance strength is incorporated into NuGRID nova simulation codes for nova model which determines its impact on nucleosynthesis in classical novae.</p

Queering identity : an examination of multiple-pronoun use and gender expression

1 online resource (iii, 80 pages) : colour charts, colour graphsIncludes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 69-71).Multiple-pronoun use, or using more than one set of personal pronouns in conjunction (e.g. she/they, he/they) is becoming a more and more common practice, yet it has not previously been analyzed or explained in an academic context. Through an online anonymous survey and semi-structured interviews, this research answers how and why multiple pronouns are used, and how they are perceived and understood by both multiple-pronoun users and single-pronoun users in an English-speaking, Eastern Canadian context. Findings show that multiple pronouns act as an index of queerness, communicate fluidity of identity, and challenge traditional gender norms. Attitudes towards multiple pronouns varied from attachment to apathy, and from acceptance to disapproval. This thesis argues that at the junction of language, gender, and identity, multiple pronouns are acting as a queering force that questions, challenges, and reimagines normative systems of gender attribution, pronoun use, and identity building

The role of millisecond pulsars in constraining black hole populations in globular clusters : new insights from mock data

1 online resource (ix, 65 pages) : colour illustrations, charts (some colour), graphs (some colour)Includes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 61-65).Millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are rapidly rotating neutron stars with extremely stable spin periods, which can be used to analyze the central dynamics and mass distribution of globular clusters (GCs). This thesis discusses generating mock MSP data within a simulated GC and integrating multimass equilibrium dynamical models with pulsar timing data along with traditional observables to analyze the mass distribution and remnant populations in GCs. The simulated MSP observations are drawn from a selected Cluster Monte Carlo (CMC) model, with pulsar positions sampled based on the distribution of neutron stars. By analyzing the contributions from the GC’s gravitational potential to MSP spin and orbital period derivatives, we aim to quantify how pulsar timing observations can influence the precision and accuracy of inferred populations of stellar-mass black holes (BHs) at the cluster core. We include different realizations of mock datasets with an increasing number of pulsars in the core of the cluster in a simulated GC. As the number of pulsars in the mock dataset increases, the population of black holes (BHs) becomes better constrained and uncertainies are more reliable. Using 25 mock pulsar realizations, we constrain the mass fraction of BHs in the cluster to 0.61%-0.90%, with reduced uncertainty. This range is closely aligned with the value derived from the CMC snapshot (0.89%), demonstrating the consistency of the process. We also investigated the real globular cluster M62 with its pulsar timing data, where we fit multimass models under different assumptions about the cluster’s heliocentric distance, evaluating fits both with and without pulsar data. The results are compared to assess how effectively pulsar timing data constrain the BH population in the cluster. Given the large number of new pulsars expected to be discovered in GCs with upcoming radio telescopes and surveys, our tests with fitting dynamical models to data that includes pulsar timing measurements for constraining BH populations in GCs will help future studies of GCs