• 2015-2024close
• Open Access close
• Closed Access close
• Research software close
• Other research products close
• CA close
• English close

Generations from now, scholars will no doubt thank Dr. Howard Leeson for his extraordinary note-taking skills. Leeson, Adjunct Professor and Professor Emeritus of Politics and International Studies, was Saskatchewan’s Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs during the constitutional negotiations 35 years ago. From his unobstructed access to the talks and the behind-the-scenes negotiations, Leeson took detailed and copious notes as a member of the Saskatchewan negotiating team. He was one of the few who even bothered taking out a notepad. Staff no

Digital media consumption of magazines is becoming increasingly ubiquitous, yet print remains significant in this genre. The purpose of this study is to determine a model of publishing in which an independent magazine’s printed form can be made more viable because of its digital components, not despite them. Using a strengths-based approach, the study is based in semi-structured interviews with the publishers of eight independent magazines that have used both print and digital media in their publishing practices, exploring themes like motivation, creative freedom, creative control, and career development. Then, the data was sorted through the lens of McLuhan’s “laws of media” tetrad model, allowing for analysis of what is enhanced, obsolesced, retrieved, and reversed in this hybrid publishing model, with the aim of showing what each component can effectively bring in order to support the print edition and to integrate the digital components. The results inform the design and framework of a magazine publishing model in which the print issue is the focus, with support from the digital components. Any independent magazine can apply the results to its current practices or use them to launch a new hybrid offering.

It may be horrifying to think of all the free films you've missed out on as a University of Regina student once you check out the Archer Library's extensive video streaming database - but never fear! It's probably no surprise that there are hundreds of documentaries and educational videos in the repository. What may not be as well known is that there are thousands of feature films as well. With Halloween just around the corner, you can curl up and catch up on the hundreds of scary movies in the system. Staff no

The works of graduating Visual Arts students attracted a big crowd at the MacKenzie Art Gallery, March 4. The annual BFA Graduating Exhibition features the works of 11 emerging artists from the University of Regina. The exhibition is titled ProXImity and includes works in painting, drawing, print, photo-installation, ceramics and visual storytelling and is the result of four years of hard work and artistic growth for the students. Staff no

Urbanization increases metal emissions through varying anthropogenic activities (fossil fuel combustion). With urban parks being sinks for emissions, this study attempts to determine metal concentrations and bioaccessibility in Metro Vancouver urban park soils. Fifty-six soil samples were collected from 23 parks and analyzed for total metals by x-ray fluorescence (XRF). An analysis of 20 samples by inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), showed some variation in the presence and concentration of some metals as compared to XRF. Bioaccessibility (>50%) was identified for Cd, Cu and Pb, implying risk of absorption by humans (especially children) may be high. However, mean concentrations of these metals were below the CCME Soil Quality Guidelines (SQG) for residential/parkland use, suggesting human health risk associated with these metals was low. Regression analysis between pH, organic carbon and metal bioaccessibility shows pH and organic carbon accounts for a 6 to 71% variation in metal bioaccessibility.

Protein fermentation by gut microbiota contributes significantly to the metabolite pool in the large intestine and may contribute to host amino acid balance. However, we have a limited understanding of the role that proteolytic metabolites have, both in the gut and in systemic circulation. A review of recent studies paired with findings from previous culture-based experiments suggests an important role for microbial protein fermentation in altering the gut microbiota and generating a diverse range of bioactive molecules which exert wide-ranging host effects. These metabolic products have been shown to increase inflammatory response, tissue permeability, and colitis severity in the gut. They are also implicated in the development of metabolic disease, including obesity, diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Specific products of proteolytic fermentation such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and p-Cresol may also contribute to the development of colorectal cancer. These findings are in conflict with other studies showing that tryptophan metabolites may improve gut barrier function and attenuate severity in a multiple sclerosis model. Further research examining proteolytic fermentation in the gut may be key to our understanding of how microbial and host metabolism interact affecting health

The nanoscale confinement and coupling of electromagnetic radiation into plexcitonic modes has drawn immense interest because of the innovative possibilities for their application in light harvesting and light emitting devices (LEDs). Plexcitons arise from the coupling between two types of quasiparticles, plasmons and excitons, and can be distinguished by the strength of the coupling into strong and weak coupling regimes. Plexcitons have been used to modulate the rate of Förster-type resonance energy transfer in quantum dot assemblies and enhance the spontaneous emission rate in quantum dot LEDs. The clearest examples of a plexcitonic enhancement of photocatalytic reaction rates have been evidenced in hybrid systems wherein the strongly bound exciton found in 2D sheet-like semiconductors is coupled to the surface plasmon resonance of close-lying noble metal nanoparticles. Plexcitonic photocatalysts and solar cells aim to increase the lifetime of hot carriers and thereby enhance the quantum yields for energy harvesting. Since plexcitonics requires the placement of plasmonic and excitonic components in close proximity with one another to facilitate their coupling, it provides a rich arena for chemists and materials scientists to form deterministic and non-deterministic arrays and heterojunctions involving noble metal thin films and nanostructures, quantum dots and dye molecules. This review summarizes the dynamics of plexcitons in the various composite systems and provides an overview of the latest theoretical and experimental developments in the field of plexcitonics.

Staff no

Background A better understanding of the efect of density, microstructure, and strain rate on the mechanical response of polymeric foam materials is needed to improve their performance. Objective The objective of this paper is to study the combined infuence of density, microstructure, and strain-rate on the compressive stress-strain response of polymeric foams. Methods Microstructural morphological parameters (e.g., pores sizes and wall thicknesses) have been quantifed using Micro X-ray tomography and MATLAB-based techniques. Polymeric foam samples were examined under uniaxial compression loading at quasistatic (0.001 to 0.1s−1), intermediate (1 to 250s−1), and dynamic strain rates (3200 to 5700s−1 ). All experiments were coupled with high speed cameras to measure strain using 2D digital image correlation, and to visualize deformation. Results The variation of the mechanical properties across alldensities (e.g., elastic modulus and collapse stress) are found to behave in a powerlawfashion with respect to strain rate. A comprehensive data set across a varied rangeof densities and strain rates, especially intermediate strain rates, is lacking in previous research, and generalized phenomenological relationships developed in this paper topredict combined infuences of density, microstructure, and strain-rate over variedrange of materials are important contributions of this work. Conclusions The results showed that the power-law relationships act as a good predictor for the prediction of mechanical properties and elastic response, and as an indicator for damage mechanisms in these polymeric foams.