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Exploring opportunities to enhance social service access among LGBTQ+ refugee claimants in Waterloo Region, Ontario
(University of Waterloo, 2026-06-16) Berisha, Zana
Background: The number of refugee claimants in Canada is increasing. These individuals have applied for refugee status but have not yet received a decision from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada [IRCC]. Due to their lack of official status, they encounter significant barriers when accessing Canadian social welfare systems. LGBTQ+ refugee claimants experience additional marginalization. Limited linking social capital, defined as restricted connectivity to formal support structures, represents a key barrier. In response to these challenges and the lack of current research on LGBTQ+ refugee claimants' access to social services, this study seeks to examine: (1) how LGBTQ+ refugee claimants navigate settlement, legal, employment, and health services in Waterloo Region, Ontario; and (2) which strategies may mitigate barriers to social support and strengthen linking social capital for LGBTQ+ claimants in this region. Methods: A qualitative research design was used, employing snowball sampling to recruit (n=8) refugee claimants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine how claimants navigate social welfare systems and to assess their need for formal social support. The research was grounded in narrative inquiry to capture participants' experiences. Thematic analysis of the transcribed data was performed using an inductive-deductive approach. Results: Participants faced barriers in accessing and navigating social services. Social identity stressors, such as racism, LGBTQ+ vulnerability, and stigma, impeded service engagement. Institutional challenges included limited information, delayed responses, language barriers, and financial instability. As a result, claimants often self-advocated and relied on informal peer networks. Most participants indicated a strong preference for more robust connections to formal support systems. The study identified five primary strategies to mitigate barriers to social support: (1) utilizing professional referrals as a legitimizing mechanism; (2) positioning caseworkers as trusted navigators; (3) ensuring social support systems acknowledge individuals’ identities to reduce stigma and related barriers; (4) fostering trust through consistent professional relationships to address previous exclusion; and (5) implementing proactive social support to minimize wait times and provide timely responses to institutional delays. Contribution: The study was conducted during a period of significant social change, including the introduction of Bill C-2 and Bill C-12, stricter immigration policies, and unsafe environments for LGBTQ+ individuals in Waterloo Region. It underscores the urgent need for communities to take concrete action in creating solutions that protect the well-being of refugee claimants. By centring LGBTQ+ perspectives, this study fills a critical gap in social service research and supports the development of more inclusive and effective services. The findings urge social service providers to champion proactive efforts to advance inclusion and health equity for LGBTQ+ refugee claimants.
The Calmodulin-binding, short linear motif, NSCaTE is conserved in L-type channel ancestors of vertebrate Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 channels
(Public Library of Science, 2013-04-23) Taiakina, Valentina; Boone, Adrienne N.; Fux, Julia; Senatore, Adriano; Weber-Adrian, Danielle; Guillemette, J. Guy; Spafford, J. David
NSCaTE is a short linear motif of (xWxxx(I or L)xxxx), composed of residues with a high helix-forming propensity within a mostly disordered N-terminus that is conserved in L-type calcium channels from protostome invertebrates to humans. NSCaTE is an optional, lower affinity and calcium-sensitive binding site for calmodulin (CaM) which competes for CaM binding with a more ancient, C-terminal IQ domain on L-type channels. CaM bound to N- and C- terminal tails serve as dual detectors to changing intracellular Ca2+ concentrations, promoting calcium-dependent inactivation of L-type calcium channels. NSCaTE is absent in some arthropod species, and is also lacking in vertebrate L-type isoforms, Cav1.1 and Cav1.4 channels. The pervasiveness of a methionine just downstream from NSCaTE suggests that L-type channels could generate alternative N-termini lacking NSCaTE through the choice of translational start sites. Long N-terminus with an NSCaTE motif in L-type calcium channel homolog LCav1 from pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis has a faster calcium-dependent inactivation than a shortened N-termini lacking NSCaTE. NSCaTE effects are present in low concentrations of internal buffer (0.5 mM EGTA), but disappears in high buffer conditions (10 mM EGTA). Snail and mammalian NSCaTE have an alpha-helical propensity upon binding Ca2+-CaM and can saturate both CaM N-terminal and C-terminal domains in the absence of a competing IQ motif. NSCaTE evolved in ancestors of the first animals with internal organs for promoting a more rapid, calcium-sensitive inactivation of L-type channels.
Short-latency afferent inhibition modulation during finger movement
(Public Library of Science, 2013-04-04) Asmussen, Michael J.; Jacobs, Mark F.; Lee, Kevin G. H.; Zapallow, Christopher M.; Nelson, Aimee J.
When somatosensory input via electrical stimulation of a peripheral nerve precedes a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) pulse over the primary motor cortex (M1) the corticospinal output is substantially reduced, a phenomenon known as short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI). The present study investigated SAI during rest and during pre-movement, phasic and tonic components of movement. Participants were required to perform an index finger flexion reaction time task in response to an auditory cue. In a series of experiments, SAI was evoked from the mixed, median nerve at the wrist or the cutaneous, digital nerve stimulation of the index finger. To assess the spinal versus cortical origin of movement-related modulation of SAI, F-wave amplitudes were measured during rest and the three movement components. Results indicated that SAI was reduced during all movement components compared to rest, an effect that occurred for both nerves stimulated. Pre-movement SAI reduction was primarily attributed to reduced cortical inhibition, while increased spinal excitability additionally contributed to reduced SAI during tonic and phasic components of movement. SAI was differentially modulated across movement components with mixed but not cutaneous nerve stimulation. These findings reveal that SAI is reduced during movement and this reduction begins as early as the preparation to move. Further, these data suggest that the degree of SAI reduction during movement may be specific to the volume and/or composition of afferent input carried by each nerve.
Modulation of morphogenesis by Egfr during dorsal closure in Drosophila
(Public Library of Science, 2013-04-08) Shen, Weiping; Chen, Xi; Cormier, Olga; Cheng, David Chung-Pei; Reed, Bruce; Harden, Nicholas
During Drosophila embryogenesis the process of dorsal closure (DC) results in continuity of the embryonic epidermis, and DC is well recognized as a model system for the analysis of epithelial morphogenesis as well as wound healing. During DC the flanking lateral epidermal sheets stretch, align, and fuse along the dorsal midline, thereby sealing a hole in the epidermis occupied by an extra-embryonic tissue known as the amnioserosa (AS). Successful DC requires the regulation of cell shape change via actomyosin contractility in both the epidermis and the AS, and this involves bidirectional communication between these two tissues. We previously demonstrated that transcriptional regulation of myosin from the zipper (zip) locus in both the epidermis and the AS involves the expression of Ack family tyrosine kinases in the AS in conjunction with Dpp secreted from the epidermis. A major function of Ack in other species, however, involves the negative regulation of Egfr. We have, therefore, asked what role Egfr might play in the regulation of DC. Our studies demonstrate that Egfr is required to negatively regulate epidermal expression of dpp during DC. Interestingly, we also find that Egfr signaling in the AS is required to repress zip expression in both the AS and the epidermis, and this may be generally restrictive to the progression of morphogenesis in these tissues. Consistent with this theme of restricting morphogenesis, it has previously been shown that programmed cell death of the AS is essential for proper DC, and we show that Egfr signaling also functions to inhibit or delay AS programmed cell death. Finally, we present evidence that Ack regulates zip expression by promoting the endocytosis of Egfr in the AS. We propose that the general role of Egfr signaling during DC is that of a braking mechanism on the overall progression of DC.
The complete genome sequence of the plant growth-promoting bacterium Pseudomonas sp. UW4
(Public Library of Science, 2013-03-13) Duan, Jin; Jiang, Wei; Cheng, Zhenyu; Heikkila, John J.; Glick, Bernard R.
The plant growth-promoting bacterium (PGPB) Pseudomonas sp. UW4, previously isolated from the rhizosphere of common reeds growing on the campus of the University of Waterloo, promotes plant growth in the presence of different environmental stresses, such as flooding, high concentrations of salt, cold, heavy metals, drought and phytopathogens. In this work, the genome sequence of UW4 was obtained by pyrosequencing and the gaps between the contigs were closed by directed PCR. The P. sp. UW4 genome contains a single circular chromosome that is 6,183,388 bp with a 60.05% G+C content. The bacterial genome contains 5,423 predicted protein-coding sequences that occupy 87.2% of the genome. Nineteen genomic islands (GIs) were predicted and thirty one complete putative insertion sequences were identified. Genes potentially involved in plant growth promotion such as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis, trehalose production, siderophore production, acetoin synthesis, and phosphate solubilization were determined. Moreover, genes that contribute to the environmental fitness of UW4 were also observed including genes responsible for heavy metal resistance such as nickel, copper, cadmium, zinc, molybdate, cobalt, arsenate, and chromate. Whole-genome comparison with other completely sequenced Pseudomonas strains and phylogeny of four concatenated “housekeeping” genes (16S rRNA, gyrB, rpoB and rpoD) of 128 Pseudomonas strains revealed that UW4 belongs to the fluorescens group, jessenii subgroup.