"Ocean Song" and "Filipino Student Association Banner"

Hi hi! My name is Kurt, an aspiring illustrator who dabbles in a variety of different art mediums such as painting, sculpting, drawing, and most prominently, digital art. I like to create art related to things I enjoy, whether games, music, or shows I like. "Ocean Song" is a clay sculpture based on "Prestige Ocean Song Seraphine" from League of Legends. "Filipino Student Association Banner" is a digital piece that I made for the Filipino Student Association, representing a lot of the Filipino Culture and incorporating it with Canadian and, more specifically, Saskatchewan\u27s culture.&nbsp

"Against the Artificial," "Pomegore," and "Cynosure"

Digital Artworks: "Against the Artificial" is a study of hands, a weakness of AI-generated images. "Pomegore" is a visual, gory close-up of a pomegranate fruit. "Cynosure" is a luminous portrait of a young woman. &nbsp

Bone Health in Newcomer Children Compared to Canadian-Born Children

  College of Kinesiology Research Theme: Child and Youth Health and Development Introduction: Bone health is crucial during childhood, as this period is essential for achieving optimal peak bone mass, which can reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures later in life. While research exists on the determinants of bone health, suggesting newcomer children may be at risk of impaired skeletal development, little is known of the bone health of newcomer children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if there were differences in bone health between newcomer and Canadian-born children. Methods: Our cross-sectional study recruited forty-five children (12 newcomers, 33 Canadian-born) from 5 to 11 years of age. Bone health was assessed using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) to measure total bone area (Tt.Ar), cortical area (Ct.Ar), trabecular area (Tb.Ar), total volumetric bone mineral density (Tt.vBMD), cortical density (Ct.vBMD), cortical thickness (Ct.Th), trabecular density (Tb.vBMD), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), trabecular bone volume fraction (Tb.BV/TV), trabecular number (Tb.N), and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) at the distal radius and tibia. Anthropometric measures were recorded, and physical activity (PA) was evaluated using the Childhood Physical Activity Questionnaire. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used to assess differences in HR-pQCT bone outcomes between groups while controlling for age, sex, height, weight, and PA. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.  Results: Newcomer children had significantly greater Ct.Ar (p = 0.02), Ct.vBMD (p = 0.02), and Ct.Th (p = 0.01) at the distal tibia compared to their Canadian-born peers. No significant differences were observed at the radius between groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Contrary to previous literature, this pilot study did not find that newcomer children had impaired bone health. Instead, newcomer children demonstrated greater values for cortical bone at the distal tibia. This may be explained by our potentially healthier newcomer sample, which reported higher vitamin D intake, more educated parents, and possibly favourable premigration factors. Future research should explore the impact of refugee status, acculturation, healthcare access, PA, and diet with a larger and more ethnically diverse sample to better understand bone development of newcomer children.  &nbsp

"Struggle, Endure, Contend," "Siblings," "Darlene," and "Untitled"

The intention of my work is to examine the question of “Who Am I?” This question was posed as a prompt by my high school art teacher, and I have been working on a breadth of work under this theme since. This artistic project seeks to analyze my identity as a student, a sister, and a daughter, and it heavily focuses on my cultural background as a biracial person who doesn\u27t live in either of my parents\u27 home countries. As I continue to return to this question, my art becomes a growing, ever-changing body of work, which reflects the very foundation of self-exploration and beginning to understand oneself

Foreword: Visual Arts Student Union Special Issue

Foreword to the special issue

"My Rendition of Arthur Lismer\u27s Isle of Spruce," "Jackpine," "Goldfinch," "Cardinal," "Blue Jay"

  I am a senior student at the University of Saskatchewan majoring in Psychology. I continue to take history classes and have a love of education. I have always enjoyed painting and have been involved in art since high school. I have submitted my art to various Facebook pages, including the USask Community Art Group as well as SWAA (Saskatchewan Wildlife Artists Association), and have participated in their shows in Prairieland Park, Reflections in Nature and the Fall Saskatoon Exhibition. I have also been involved in VASU Silence Gallery Shows and the 292 Exhibitions of the student-run gallery on campus. I also greatly enjoy participating with the students in in medias res magazine. I have quite a few paintings on display at a local clinical practice. I also contribute to worthwhile charities throughout the city and have paintings displayed in many local businesses and institutions. I have a painting on display at the university\u27s observatory, the Ukrainian Studies Department, and Student Wellness. For me, my art is my contribution to the well-being of others. I have a philanthropy project, which has been a personal journey involving painting for worthwhile charities. I feel that my cheery, bright acrylic paintings provide happiness and goodwill to others. As a child, I was raised by parents who cultivated a sense of hospitality, which has led me down this pathway

Nanami

My favourite character: Kento. Created using ibisPaint

Exploring the utility of resistance training for congenital mirror movement disorder

College of Kinesiology Research Theme: Human Performance Introduction: Congenital mirror movement (CMM) disorder is a very rare condition (<1 in a million) where voluntary limb movements trigger involuntary mirroring in the opposite limb. This study examined whether four weeks of unilateral resistance training, followed by 10 days of detraining, affects mirroring activity and cross-education effects (i.e., strength gain in the untrained opposite limb) in individuals with CMM. Methods: Two right-handed participants (both male; age 18 and 47) reporting CMM completed four weeks of maximal unilateral isometric grip training of the left hand, three times per week using a grip trainer (Digiflex), followed by 10 days of detraining. Training sessions increased from two to five sets of eight maximal repetitions per session. Participants completed testing for grip strength and muscle activation at baseline, mid-training, post-training, and after detraining. Testing included three brief 3-second maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) and a 1-minute MVC contraction of each hand. MVC force (kg) was measured using Jamar and Biopac grip dynamometers, while simultaneous EMG recordings captured muscle activity from the flexor carpi radialis, extensor carpi radialis, and flexor digitorum superficialis of both arms. Results: Due to the low sample size in this study (on account of the rare condition), only descriptive results are reported. After left-hand training, left grip strength increased in the first participant by ~12% and remained ~6% above baseline after detraining. Strength in the untrained right arm improved ~17% and increased to ~23% above baseline after detraining, indicative of cross-education. The second participant showed a modest increase of ~6% by the end of detraining and no cross-education. Both participants showed substantial mirroring force and EMG activity in the opposite limb during 1-minute MVC contractions of either hand. Mirroring force in the right hand during a 1-minute left MVC was ~20% MVC for both participants at baseline and decreased by almost half at the end of detraining. Mirroring force in the left hand during 1-minute right MVC was ~40% MVC and ~20% MVC for each participant, respectively, and decreased by almost half after detraining. EMG activation of the right hand during the left 1-minute MVC ranged from 67% to 82% MVC at baseline, with little change after training, and then increased after detraining. EMG activation of the left hand during the right 1-minute MVC was in the range of 80% MVC and tended to increase post-training, but reverted to baseline or lower after detraining. Conclusion: In two participants, unilateral grip training reduced mirroring force and improved strength, with signs of cross-education. However, muscle activation responses varied, and detraining effects were inconsistent. Further research, with larger samples and a longer intervention period, is needed to understand individual differences and long-term benefits for CMM. Acknowledgements: A special thank you to the participants with CMM who dedicated a considerable amount of time to training and testing for this study and to fellow students in Dr. Farthing’s lab

Untitled

Abstract artwork, acrylic on canvas