title: Potential for synthesis between REDD+ and community forest management as understood through the lens of global political ecology

contributor:
Goebel, Allison
Environmental Studies

subject:
Environmental Justice
Climate Change
REDD+
Deforestation
Payment for Ecosystem Services
Political Ecology
Bolivia
Indonesia
Climate Justice
Emissions Reduction
Community Forest Management

abstract: Thesis (Master, Environmental Studies) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-28 14:57:55.951

abstract:
Global climate change is one of the defining issues of the 21st century. The phenomenon of natural climate variation being pushed beyond normal ranges has been fueled largely by industrial activities and those which support them (i.e. land-use change and the over-exploitation of natural resources). The urgency is well established with reports demonstrating an increased occurrence of rare, highly damaging weather events, and shifts in the natural range of species.  The necessity of action on climate change has resulted in the development of novel global initiatives designed to address the problem across global and regional scales. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) is emblematic of this new wave of conservation strategy. It brings together parties which are often seen as opposed on environmental issues in collaborative environmental practise.
	This thesis explores the development of REDD+ as an effective and equitable solutions to this problem. REDD+ is a policy architecture designed for global deployment, the success of which will depend largely upon the engagement and involvement of local community groups. Community forest management (CFM) may inform the REDD+ design process, and enhance both land-use strategies by way of synergy. The pathway to that point is, however, uncertain and marred with potential pitfalls. This thesis uses the instructive and critical lens of political ecology to assess the potential for integrating greater CFM elements into the REDD+ policy structure. It explores how the narratives of CFM and REDD+ clash at discursive levels, while also identifying elements of each which may make them mutually beneficial. The thesis finds that much of the conflict between positions on REDD+ are the result of contrasting environmental understandings, some of which are informed by negative experiences with past environmental conservation initiatives. Greater community-centric attributes may assist in improving the local and regional acceptability of REDD+ projects by appealing to the “alternative” values of forest-dependent peoples. Some suggested policy modifications are made to improve the overall design of REDD+ to be inclusive of the concerns of forest user groups, and potential areas for future research projects are discussed.

abstract: M.E.S.


title: Failure Theatre: An Artist's Statement

contributor:
Rewa, Natalie
Cultural Studies

rights: This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.

subject:
Perfomance Studies
Queer Studies
Feminist Studies
Failure
Theatre Studies
Cultural Studies

abstract: Thesis (Master, Cultural Studies) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-28 15:45:13.857

abstract: Failure Theatre: An Artist’s Statement, is an invitation to a rumination on failure. The project is divided into four discreet offers that combine together to form a portrait of failure. A full play text, a manifesto and a choreographed response to research as well as an Artist Statement merge into a pastiche that sheds light on failure’s possible position(s) within the Canadian theatrical milieu. Basing the overall approach on work by Judith Halberstam, Sara Ahmed, Ann Bogart plus several other Feminist, Queer and Performance authors, this thesis examines failure as a force for resistance and change.

abstract: M.A.


title: Structural Insights Into Dictyostelium Discoideum Myosin Light Chain Specificity

contributor:
Smith, Steven P.
Biochemistry

subject:
Myosin Light Chains
IQ Motifs
NMR Spectroscopy

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Biochemistry) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-29 11:42:03.428

abstract:
Myosins are molecular motor proteins involved in cell movement, vesicle and organelle transport by moving along the cytoskeletal actin filaments.  They include a myosin heavy chain and at least one myosin light chain (LC). The latter are typically bilobal proteins like calmodulin, where each lobe comprises a pair of EF-hand Ca2+-binding motifs. The LCs bind to ~25-residue IQ motifs that loosely conform to an IQXXXRGXXXR consensus sequence, and impart rigidity that is crucial for myosin function.
The highly motile amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum expresses seven class I myosins, two of which (MyoD and MyoB) recruit the specific LCs MlcD and MlcB, with MlcB being the first observed single-lobe LC. However, the LCs for the remaining D. discoideum class I myosins are unknown. Identifying and characterizing these LCs is one focus of this thesis, with an overall goal of understanding their role in myosin function and regulation.
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, site-directed mutagenesis, and computational modeling were used to determine the solution structure of apo-MlcB and identify the MyoB IQ motif-binding site.  Apo-MlcB differs from the typical closed conformation of an EF-hand Ca2+-binding protein in the apo-state as helix 1 in its structure is splayed from the remaining helices. The MyoB IQ motif-binding surface is not altered by Ca2+, involves residues from helices 1 and 4, and from residues in the N-terminal canonical EF-hand Ca2+-binding loop, and represents a unique mode of IQ recognition by a myosin LC.
Calmodulin was identified as the LC for MyoA and MyoE while another single-lobe LC, MlcC, bound to two of three IQ motifs in MyoC. The solution structure of MlcC was more similar to the C-terminal lobe of apo-calmodulin than to apo-MlcB. Chemical shift perturbation studies suggest that like apo-CaM, MlcC undergoes a global MyoC IQ motif-induced conformational change. Computational modeling of the MlcC-MyoC IQ complex indicates that this is a feasible mode of IQ recognition.  The structures of MlcB and MlcC, with their different modes of IQ motif binding, provide novel insights into IQ motif binding specificity and begin to illustrate their role in myosin function and regulation.

abstract: Content in this thesis is pending publication in scientific journals.

abstract: PhD


title: The Problems of Protest and the Persistence of Domination: Social Movement Theory and Bourdieu's Economy of Practice

contributor:
MacDonald, Eleanor
Political Studies

subject:
Social Movements
Pierre Bourdieu
Alterglobalization
Protest
Queer Theory
Queer Politics
Domination
Nietzsche
Symbolic Violence
Normative Theory

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Political Studies) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-29 14:14:16.699

abstract:
The Problems of Protest and the Persistence of Domination: Social Movement Theory and Bourdieu’s Economy of Practice is a normative intervention into social movement theory and debates about social movement goals, strategies and tactics. The project asks: what normative implications derive from incorporating Pierre Bourdieu’s sociological framework into social movement research? My core arguments are that Bourdieu’s framework has the potential to sensitize activists and analysts to the tension between conformity and failure and that escaping radical/reformist debates requires working through this tension.
The dissertation intervenes in social movement theory from within the critical theory tradition by refusing to separate empirical and normative questions. I develop my argument using two strategies. First, I undertake a close reading of Bourdieu’s most important works and the debates they have provoked. Second I apply the conceptual tools this close reading offers to reconsider the logic behind two key social movement theory concepts: collective identity and repertoires of contention.
Following a general introduction and literature review, I undertake a close consideration of habitus and an argument for how attention to the suffering produced by symbolic power constitutes grounds for normative justice claims. I then consider how collective identity formation in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer mobilization indicates the presence of symbolic violence, primarily in the form of epistemic violence. Next I argue that the nature of neoliberal symbolic power creates political antinomies for representation and affinity-based segments of the alterglobalization movement. Finally I argue that Bourdieu needs to be balanced by Nietzsche and that an orientation toward ‘overcoming’ offers a way out of the tension between conformity and failure. My findings point to the need for more sophisticated instruments for understanding the relationship between objective interests and subjective perception, impositions of, and challenges to, ‘logical consensus’, and strategies for counter-training and other mechanisms to support activists in resisting symbolic violence.

abstract: PhD


title: External Trunk Support with Industrial Benchwork

contributor:
Stevenson, Joan M.
Abdoli-E, Mohammad
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Trunk support
Low back pain
Reach
Ergonomics

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-29 14:32:19.696

abstract:
Standing at a workbench is required for manual work including sorting and assembly. When work heights and reach distances are not matched to stature or arm length, the trunk assumes a partially bent position, which increases the postural effort required to stand or to reach to far distances. As a result, the biomechanical load on the lumbar spine is raised, which contributes to a higher risk for back pain. In ergonomics, assistive devices are being developed to counter this effect.
A new leaning device was tested in the laboratory with forward-bent standing and reaching where the trunk was bent forward and twisted to reach to a far target 45° from the center. This device supported the trunk at the upper chest. With leaning, back muscle activity decreased by ~ 60% with forward-bent standing and ~ 23-30% with the off-center reach, depending on reach height. Because leaning changed how standing remained balanced, ~12° less bending was required to reach the target. Therefore, upper-trunk support may be helpful for benchworkers when ergonomic design is not possible; some product development and testing is still needed to provide the right amount of support at the right time and to ensure there is no rib joint irritation.
An interesting outcome from these previous studies was related to workers’ posture when they leaned against a workbench that was adjusted for heavier work (hip height). Low back muscle activity was unchanged with forward-bent standing, but decreased by ~ 23-30% with the off-center reach. This reduction was accompanied by greater twist at the mid back as a way of compensating for a loss of hip rotation.
Three different heights for bench leaning were compared in a third study: elbow height, hip height and below hip height.  The results showed that leaning at elbow height lowered the work demand by ~16-24% for far reach, partially due to changed motions consistent with greater mid back movement and coincided with ~ 8% increase in work demands at the mid-back and greater scapular recruitment. Therefore, more research is needed to establish work height guidelines for use when leaning against a workbench.

abstract: PhD


title: Do dose, fidelity, and quality of implementation predict participant outcomes? A process evaluation of the PROACTIVE trial

contributor:
Lévesque, Lucie L.
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Health Promotion
Obesity
Process Evaluation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-29 17:29:48.89

abstract: The systematic evaluation of effective health behavior interventions is critical for addressing overweight and obesity. Process evaluation assesses whether critical intervention components are delivered as intended and can enhance our understanding of program effects by linking participant program exposure to outcomes. The purpose of this study was to conduct a process evaluation of PROACTIVE, an intervention program to prevent and reduce obesity in clinical settings, and to explore associations between measures of dose, fidelity, and session quality with participant outcomes in an effort to explain gender differences in PROACTIVE program response observed at 24 months. Overweight and obese men (n = 74) and women (n = 175) were randomized into the 24-month health behavior counselling intervention. Outcomes of waist circumference (WC) and physical activity (PA; 7-Day PA Recall) were measured at 12 and 24 months. Process outcomes were distilled from Session Summary Forms completed by Health Educators after each session. Dose was a significant predictor of WC (β = -.12, p < .01) and PA (β = -.16, p < .05) at 24 months. Fidelity predicted 12 month WC (β = -.11, p < .05) and PA (β = .21, p < .05). Quality was significantly associated with 12 month (WC: β = .07, p < .05; PA: β = -.18, p < .01) and 24-month outcomes (WC: β = .10, p < .01; PA: β = -.15, p < .05). No gender differences were found for complete program adherence (dose; p = .51) or treatment implemented (fidelity; p = .06). Men and women were exposed to a similar amount of PROACTIVE session content and maintained similar levels of adherence throughout the 24-month intervention, therefore the difference in program success between men and women could not be attributed to unequal program exposure between the two groups. Insight yielded into the relationship between program exposure and participant outcomes via this process evaluation can help guide and refine future program implementation along with providing areas for future research.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The Role of Attention, Catastrophizing, and Anxiety in the Experience of Chronic Pain: Imaging Pain in Women With and Without Vestibulodynia

contributor:
Pukall, Caroline F.
Psychology

subject: Dyspareunia Catastrophizing Neuroimaging Anxiety Pain Vestibulodynia

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-30 09:14:09.652

abstract: Provoked Vestibulodynia (PVD) is the most common form of chronic vulvar pain, affecting 12% of women in the general population. Research has demonstrated that women with PVD display both allodynia and hyperalgesia to pain at vulvar and non-vulvar sites, as well as reduced psychosocial functioning. The goal of this study was to use a multi-method approach (interview, questionnaires, sensory testing, and fMRI) to examine group differences between women with PVD (N=15) and healthy control women (N=15). Results will allow for improved understanding of the interaction between psychosocial and neurobiological underpinnings of this disorder, which can contribute to the creation of better treatment strategies. Variables included psychophysical and psychosocial measures, as well as neural activations associated with painful pressure, painful words, and psychosocial functioning. Differences between subgroups of PVD, based on temporal onset, were also examined. There were no robust group differences in neural activation during the application of pain or pain words. This finding is consistent with many studies that match groups on pain intensity ratings, as opposed to amount of pressure applied. Painful pressures and painful words resulted in greater neural activation than neutral words or touch; however, there were no group differences for the word conditions. Women with PVD reported increased psychosocial dysfunction, including higher levels of anxiety and catastrophizing. Significant correlations were found between these psychosocial variables and areas of the brain associated with pain modulation and attention (e.g., PFC). Examination of PVD subgroups revealed differences in neural correlates of anxiety and catastrophizing during painful stimulation. This finding adds to the literature suggesting that women with primary PVD experience greater dysfunction than women with secondary PVD. Overall, these studies support findings of pain processing in the general pain literature, as well as supporting PVD as a chronic pain condition. They also add to the development of a greater understanding of the interaction between psychophysical and psychosocial components of chronic pain by examining their relationship with neural activations. Future research should examine brain functioning in PVD women pre- and post-treatment as well as examining neural correlates of other psychosocial variables that contribute to the pain experience (e.g., somatization).

abstract: PhD


title: Nitrogen Fixation and the Fate and Turnover of Carbon Fixed Through Hydrogen-Coupled Carbon Dioxide Fixation in Soybeans

contributor:
Scott, Neal
Geography

subject:
Hydrogen-Coupled CO2 Fixation
Soybeans

abstract: Thesis (Master, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-30 09:28:01.899

abstract: Global production of soybeans continues to increase, reflecting the value of soybeans in food products, soil amendments, and petroleum replacements. While the N2O aspect of the legume greenhouse gas (GHG) budget has been given substantial, and mostly negative, attention, the CO2 side needs to be explored. During nitrogen fixation, hydrogen is produced. As a result of hydrogen-coupled CO2 fixation, legume soils have the ability to increase the amount of atmospheric carbon fixed into the soil. However, the amount and fate of this fixed carbon has yet to be determined. Therefore, two experiments were conducted. The first experiment explored the methods of 13C labeling of four soil treatments over a period of 28 days. Results showed that most of this carbon uptake was through biotic processes, and that the pattern of carbon uptake was similar for all four soil treatments. The ideal labeling time for both ‘root’ and ‘nodule’ soil was determined to be between 7 and 14 days. The second experiment incubated four 13C labeled soil treatments in a continuous soybean field for 11 months. Throughout this time, bags of soil were removed and separated into three soil organic matter (SOM) fractions; the microbial biomass fraction (MBF), the light fraction (LF), and the acid stable fraction (ASF). These fractions were then measured for δ13C, providing a time series showing carbon movement through the soil which enabled an estimation of the MRT of fixed carbon in the soil. Results showed that the MBF was responsible for the initial flux of carbon uptake in all soil treatments, and that the ‘nodule + H2’ MBF continued to fix carbon at the end of the 11 months. While the LF was not ideal at representing the intermediate SOM pool, the ASF did increase in enrichment at the end of the experiment, showing the movement of newly fixed carbon into long-term carbon storage. Therefore, hydrogen-coupled CO2 fixation does contribute to long-term carbon storage in legume soils, however, longer study times with focus on different legume plants and soil types are required to determine the mean residence time (MRT) of fixed carbon in the ASF.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Assessment of Deteriorated Corrugated Steel Culverts

contributor:
Moore, Ian D.
Hoult, Neil A.
Civil Engineering

subject:
Numerical Analysis
ABAQUS
CANDE
Deteriorated Metal Culverts
Flexible Pipe
Full Scale Experiment
Ultrasonic

abstract: Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-30 12:56:17.945

abstract: The goal of this thesis is to develop more effective quantitative procedures to evaluate the stability of deteriorated metal culverts and a better understanding of the deteriorated culverts' behaviour through non-destructive testing, full scale experiments and numerical analyses. First, three design cases were examined using numerical analysis to study the effects of corrosion, burial depth and staged construction on the capacity of deteriorated steel culverts. Then, a method to measure the remaining wall thickness of two 1.8 m diameter corroded metal culverts using ultrasonic device was developed. Both culverts were then buried in the test pit at Queen's University and tested under nominal and working vehicle loads at 0.9m cover and 0.6m cover. The more heavily corroded structure (CSP1) was tested up to its ultimate limit state, inducing local bending across the crown, as well as local buckling of the remnants of the corrugated steel wall between perforations at the haunches. The results suggest that the single axle pads interact to influence the culvert's behaviour despite the shallow cover used in these experiments. CSP1 was able to carry the working load and did not fail until reaching 340 kN, which was equal to 90% of the fully factored load. The experiment suggests that less deteriorated metal culverts (as compared to CSP1) may have the required capacity. Two finite element packages, CANDE and ABAQUS, were used to perform the numerical investigation and the AASHTO and CHBDC approaches were then used to calculate the thrust force in the culverts. Although the numerical analysis produced conservative values for the thrust forces, it failed to capture the non-linear behaviour of both specimens in the experiments. Both the AASHTO and the CHBDC approaches produced unconservative thrust forces compared to experimental results while numerical analysis using Moore's spreading factor produced the most conservative results in terms of thrust. The analysis suggests that CANDE could be used to predict thrust forces in less deteriorated metal culverts. A procedure to assess the stability of deteriorated corrugated metal culverts based on quantitative data was developed using the numerical analysis and experimental results.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Long-term changes to food web structures and mercury biomagnification in three large, inland  North American lakes

contributor:
Campbell, Linda M.
Biology

subject:
food web
museum
stable isotopes
preservation
mercury

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-30 15:43:33.438

abstract: Numerous anthropogenic disturbances have occurred in large lakes over recent decades.  These may alter concentrations of the biomagnifying contaminant mercury (Hg) in fish, but long-term impacts of disturbances on Hg trophodynamics are poorly understood.  Elemental analyses of archived museum ichthyology specimens could be used to study historical, pre-disturbance fish food webs, but there is uncertainty about effects of chemical preservatives on the results of such analyses.  In this thesis, long-term preservation effects were studied, and archived fish were used to reconstruct historical food webs and Hg trophodynamic patterns in three large North American lakes, Nipigon, Simcoe and Champlain.  After 24 months of formalin/ethanol preservation, fish muscle delta-15N and delta-13C had average changes of +0.4 ‰ and -0.9 ‰, respectively. Shifts in mean Hg concentration was +5 % after 12 months.  A suite of 26 other elements analyzed over 24 months showed consistent responses to preservation, usually involving an increase in concentration immediately following preservation. In the second phase of the thesis, stable isotope and Hg analyses were performed on archived and modern fish from the study lakes, dating to the 1920s-60s and 2006-7, respectively.  Trophic relationships were often relatively stable over time, but stable isotope metrics revealed a decrease in Lake Nipigon delta-15N range and less pelagic feeding among Lake Simcoe pumpkinseed and yellow perch.  In Lake Champlain, the re-introduction of lake trout in recent decades did not have a major effect on overall food web dimensions.  Significant Hg biomagnification factors were found in 1920s and 2006-7 Lake Nipigon (which were not statistically distinguishable from each other) and 2006 Lake Champlain. These biomagnification factors ranged from 0.09 to 0.17, which is within the range found in other studies globally. Archived fish and government monitoring records indicated that fish Hg concentrations decreased in Lakes Simcoe and Champlain since historical periods, but remained similar or increased in Lake Nipigon.  This thesis confirms the utility of archived fish for elemental analyses. It highlights the risks of Hg contamination and food web change that may be faced by remote lakes, and it provides evidence for relatively stable Hg biomagnification rates in large lakes.

abstract: PhD


title: Predictive Wireless Antenna Selection for High Mobility Conditions

contributor:
Abou Saleh, Hassan
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject: Wireless Communications

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-30 16:47:06.057

abstract:
Accurate channel knowledge is indispensable to the practical success of channel-aware wireless communication technologies. However, channel estimates obtained from pilot symbols rapidly become outdated due to fast time variations of multipath fading channels.
To reduce system cost, antenna subset selection reduces radio frequency (RF) chain components. For systems selecting a subset of a plurality of antennas for reception, this outdated channel information is a significant impediment to selection and data decoding reliability.
In this thesis, training-based schemes for antenna selection (AS) for time-varying channels which account for practical constraints such as training, packetization and antenna switching time are proposed based on discrete prolate spheroidal sequences. They only operate with knowledge or estimates of the Doppler frequency and the channel signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), but do not require detailed statistical correlation knowledge.

A pilot-based AS scheme for time-varying frequency-flat channels for single input-multiple output (SIMO) systems selecting one of a plurality of antennas using packet or symbol-rate antenna switching is first proposed. It is demonstrated that the presented scheme provides significant performance gain over AS methods using Fourier-based orthogonal training as well as over single antenna systems with perfect channel knowledge. Analytical expressions for the symbol error probability (SEP) of M-ary phase-shift keying (MPSK) for systems employing the suggested techniques are provided.

The second part of this thesis investigates the more general case of selecting a subset of a plurality of receive antennas. A new pilot-based receive antenna subset selection algorithm for time-varying frequency-flat channels is presented. The proposed AS algorithm is shown to outperform AS methods based on Fourier prediction/estimation as well as SIMO systems with perfect channel knowledge. Analysis of MPSK and quadrature amplitude modulation (MQAM) SEP for systems with receive AS is provided.

The combination of AS and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) over the more realistic time-varying and frequency-selective fading scenario is examined in the final part. Training schemes for receive AS using packet-rate antenna switching for SIMO and multiple input-multiple output (MIMO) OFDM systems are developed. The suggested schemes exhibit a superior performance over AS methods using either linear interpolation/extrapolation or Fourier prediction/estimation techniques.

abstract: PhD


title: Enabling Indoor Location-based Services Using Ultrasound

contributor:
Hassanein, Hossam S.
Computing

subject:
ultrasound data communication
LBS
localization
audio data encoding
ultrasound
indoor LBS

abstract: Thesis (Master, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-30 17:50:20.285

abstract: In the context of location, large amounts of information are available on the Internet to be accessed by people via different devices. However, at times people have to manually search and access it. If the space where location-based services are available can be identified by hand-held devices, people can be prompted with services available around them. This thesis explores the use of ultrasound as a communication medium to tag such spaces and access location-based services with the related information; and demonstrates the indoor implementation of the prototype of a location-based services enabling system for hand-held devices. This system allows users to search and access the available services in their surroundings through their hand-held devices. A beacon generator placed in the service location broadcasts a service code mappable to the services particular to that location encoded in an ultrasound signal. The hand-held device can identify this signal and prompt the user with available services. System design and architecture is demonstrated and the viability of the system is tested through a variety of environments and scenarios showing that potentially this has both a wide range of applications and can enhance the way people access location-based services.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Marginal Models for Modeling Clustered Failure Time Data

contributor:
Peng, Paul Yingwei
Mathematics and Statistics

subject:
Survival Analysis
Multivariate Analysis
Biostatistics
Public Health
Cancer Research
Statistics

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mathematics & Statistics) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-30 21:23:48.968

abstract:
Clustered failure time data often arise in biomedical and clinical studies where potential correlation among survival times is
induced in a cluster. In this thesis, we develop a class of marginal models for right censored clustered failure time data and
propose a novel generalized estimating equation approach in a likelihood-based context. We first investigate a semiparametric proportional hazards model for clustered survival data and derive
the large sample properties of the regression estimators. The finite sample studies demonstrate that the good applicability of the proposed method as well as the substantial efficiency improvement in comparison with the existing marginal model for clustered survival data. Another important feature of failure time data we will consider in this thesis is a possible fraction of cured subjects. To accommodate the potential cure fraction, we consider a
proportional hazards mixture cure model for clustered survival data with long-term survivors and develop a set of estimating
equations by incorporating working correlation matrices in an EM algorithm. The dependence among the cure statuses and among the survival times of uncured patients within clusters are modeled by working correlation matrices in the estimating equations. For the parametric proportional hazards mixture cure model, we show that
the estimators of the regression parameters and the parameter in the baseline hazard function are consistent and asymptotically
normal with a sandwich covariance matrix that can be consistently estimated. A numerical study presents that the proposed estimation method is comparable with the existing parametric marginal method. We also extend the proposed generalized estimating equation approach to a semiparametric proportional hazards mixture cure model where the baseline survival function is nonparametrically specified. A bootstrap method is used to obtain the variances of
the estimates. The proposed method is evaluated by a simulation study from which we observe a noticeable efficiency gain of the proposed method over the existing semiparametric marginal method for clustered failure time data with a cure fraction.

abstract: PhD


title: The Risk of Miscarriage Following Immunization of the Bivalent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) - 16/18 Vaccine: a Bayesian Approach

contributor:
Chen, Bingshu
Mackillop, William J.
Community Health and Epidemiology

subject: Biostatistics Epidemiology

abstract: Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-30 23:20:39.859

abstract:
Background: Cervarix is a prophylactic vaccine used in preventing cervical cancer associated with human papillomavirus types 16/18. A previous study that investigated the risk of miscarriage associated with this bivalent vaccine by pooled analysis of data from two clinical trials, showed a numerically higher but statistically insignificant miscarriage rate in the HPV arm for pregnancies that began within three months following the vaccination. We explored this issue using an alternative statistical approach.
Objectives: To develop a hierarchical Bayes model to identify the potential time-dependent risk window of miscarriage rate associated with the bivalent HPV vaccine.
Methods: This study comprised the development of a hierarchical Bayes Model with its model inference and the application of this model to a real-world question. A multivariate logistic model was proposed that involved an indicator variable to accommodate a risk window with lower and higher cut-off points. Gibbs Sampling algorithms were used for the inference on the parameters of interest. Over ninety sets of simulation studies were conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed method and estimate the power in detecting the risk effect. The Bayesian approach was then compared to the existing traditional approaches (e.g. the permutation test). The proposed model was applied to the subpopulation of pregnant women from the Costa Rica Vaccine Trial.
Results: In simulation studies, the Bayesian model demonstrated a better performance over the traditional approaches. It showed higher power than the traditional hypothesis testing in detecting the risk effect; it was more informative than the permutation test because it provided both the point estimates and the corresponding credible intervals for the cut-points and the ratio of odds ratios. In the analysis of the CVT data, we observed an effect of 1.13 (95% credible interval: 0.49 to 2.75), implying no significant evidence to support the hypothesis that HPV is associated with a higher miscarriage rate.
Conclusions: The hierarchical Bayes model can be applied to investigate the time-dependent risk of adverse events in clinical trials. Using the new Bayesian method, no significant risk of miscarriage in the Costa Rica Vaccine Trial was established, which is consistent with previous report.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Rapid Adaptation of Reactive Force Control When Lifting Objects

contributor:
Flanagan, J. Randall
Neuroscience Studies

subject:
Precision Grip
Reactive Motor Control
Motor Control

abstract: Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-02 13:34:20.533

abstract: The control of object manipulation tasks involves the close interplay of predictive and reactive control mechanisms. For example, when lifting an object, people typically predict the weight based on object size and material as well as sensorimotor memory obtained from previous lifts of the object. When lifting objects with a precision grip, people increase vertical load force to a target level that slightly exceeds the predicted weight. When the object is heavier than expected, the mismatch between expected and actual tactile signals associated with lift-off triggers a corrective action within ~100 ms, that involves probing increases in load force that continue until the object is lifted. Here we investigated whether this correction action can be adaptively influenced by experience. Participants repeatedly lifted an object that was instrumented with force sensors to measure the forces applied by the fingertips, with weight that could be varied without the knowledge of the participant. In 80% of trials, the weight was set to 2 N and, in different blocks of 110 trials, the remaining 20 % of trials (2 trials randomly selected from each successive 10 trials) was set to either 4 or 6 N. We found that the rate of change of the reflexively triggered increase in load force that occurred in the 4 or 6 N trials, scaled with the additional weight. That is, following the initial increase in load force to ~2 N, the subsequent increase in load force was more rapid for the 6 N object than the 4 N object. In contrast, the onset time of the reactive increase in load force was independent of the additional weight. Finally, this adaptation of reactive load force control took place quickly and was evident after only a few lifts of the heavier weight. These results indicate that the reactive increases in load force that occur when a lifted object is heavier than expected can be adapted and tuned, to refine behavior. This further suggests that multiple predictions can be generated about object weight when lifting.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Search Interfaces for Integrating Crowdsourced Code Snippets within Development Environments

contributor:
Vertegaal, Roel
Computing

subject:
programming
computer science

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-31 12:50:58.15

abstract: In this thesis we report on the design and evaluation of interfaces to support crowdsourced programming tasks. We present WordMatch and SnipMatch: two programming tools that can incorporate crowdsourced source code. The design of these tools is informed by an investigation of crowdsourcing; specifically, Crowdsourced Human-Based Computation (CHC) systems, which organize tasks performed by humans. Recommendations include methods to obtain and maintain users who are highly motivated to participate and methods to improve task performance. WordMatch, a novel programming environment for specifying direct answers for search queries, builds on this work by introducing a parameterized search interface that can be easily understood by end users. In a laboratory study, we found that people with basic computer literacy could be taught to create complex direct answers with minimal training. Finally, evaluations of SnipMatch, a search interface for curated source code snippets, demonstrate that features from WordMatch are applicable to general programming tasks. Participants in our longitudinal study reported that SnipMatch was an effective tool for reducing context switching and as a memory aid.

abstract: PhD


title: Digital Signal Processing for Directly Modulated Lasers in Optical Fiber Communications

contributor:
Cartledge, John C.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
optical fiber communications
directly modulated laser
Photonics
digital signal processing

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-31 13:58:56.327

abstract:
Directly modulated lasers (DMLs) are a low cost solution for moderate reach systems due to their small footprint, low power dissipation and high output optical power.  However, commercial 10-Gb/s on-off keying DMLs have been limited by an inherent modulation of the optical phase that accompanies the desired modulation of the optical intensity, which reduces their transmission distance to below 20 km. Furthermore, the ability to generate bit rates beyond 10-Gb/s with advanced modulation formats has been limited by the strict requirements on the laser drive current. The primary objective of this research is to dramatically enhance the capability of DML based systems through precise control over the drive current. This is achieved by digital signal processing (DSP) combined with a single digital-to-analog converter (DAC).

In this research, a novel method to pre-compensate dispersion for metro and regional networks is demonstrated at 10.709-Gb/s. A look-up table (LUT) for the driving current is optimized for dispersion mitigation. Experimental results show a 25 fold increase in the transmission reach of a DML from 10 km to 252 km. A similar approach applied to a directly modulated chirp managed laser reveals a remarkable increase in the achievable transmission reach from 200 km to 608 km.

In the context of access networks the DSP and DAC configuration is utilized for directly modulating a passive feedback laser (PFL) to generate differential phase shift keying (DPSK) signals at bit rates of 10.709-Gb/s, 14-Gb/s and 16-Gb/s. The quality of the DPSK signals is assessed using both noncoherent detection for a bit rate of 10.709-Gb/s and coherent detection with DSP involving a LUT pattern-dependent distortion compensator.

For very short reach optical links, a 16-ary quadrature amplitude modulation signal is generated using subcarrier modulation with a subcarrier frequency of half the symbol rate, Nyquist pulse shaping, and a directly modulated PFL at bit rates up to 56-Gb/s. Using polarization multiplexing emulation, a pre-amplified direct detection receiver and DSP, loss margins of 12.6 dB and 8 dB are achieved for a 112-Gb/s dual polarization signal within a 33 GHz optical bandwidth at back-to-back and after 4 km transmission, respectively.

abstract: PhD


title: Simplified Design Equations and Laboratory Tests for Pipe Joints

contributor:
Moore, Ian D.
Civil Engineering

subject:
Simplified Design Equations
Pipe Joints
Laboratory Tests

abstract: Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-31 15:33:41.058

abstract:
The joint may be considered a weak point along the pipe and can have a major impact on pipe performance. However, little research has been conducted in regard to joint design. To improve current structural design criteria, this thesis presents the findings and conclusions of experimental and computational studies of the effects of longitudinal bending on joints in rigid (reinforced concrete) and flexible (corrugated steel and thermoplastic) pipes.

Solutions for expected shear force, longitudinal bending moment and rotation across the joint for rigid and flexible pipes are formulated for use in structural design of pipe joints. Exact algebraic solutions for rigid pipes are derived using the beam-on-elastic-spring approximation. The formulations for flexible pipes are developed assuming that the two pipes are very long, and that the response is not affected by either the location or characteristics of those other joints. The flexible pipe design equations are developed using various closed form solutions for beams on elastic foundations developed by Hetényi (1948). Parametric studies are then presented where the key factors controlling the behaviour are examined, and the comparisons to recent experimental measurements show that the joint rotation calculated using the equations and a value of soil stiffness proposed for use in design are generally reasonable and conservative compared with the laboratory tests.

To measure the capacity of the joint to accommodate the demands, a pipe joint testing frame has been designed to facilitate joint characterization experiments. Shear tests and articulation (rotation) tests have been conducted using this testing frame to examine the shear force capacity, longitudinal bending moment capacity of moment-transfer joints, and rotational characteristics of joints. The shear test results show that the joints of PVC pipe and corrugated steel pipe have similar shear stiffness while the reinforced concrete pipe joint is significantly stiffer. The results of the articulation testing indicate that the rotational capacities of the three joint systems are similar in general. Design of rotational capacity of these joints is likely dominated by considerations of assembly in the field, rather than the rotational capacity that is needed once the pipes are installed.

abstract: The research work in the thesis is part of NCHRP 15-38 project.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: AppaaS: Provisioning of Context-Aware Mobile Applications as a Service

subject:
Context Aware Services
Computing

abstract: Thesis (Master, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-31 20:23:11.063

abstract:
The global mobile application market is booming in all directions and business giants, viz. Google and Apple, have acknowledged the huge expansion in their Application Market and App Store. There is a demand though for a system that can elevate the momentum of context-aware mobile applications, where an application’s behavior is customized according to context information. This thesis proposes a context-aware system that provides mobile Applications as a Service (AppaaS). AppaaS handles various context information including location information, user profile, device profile, user ratings, and current time to provision the best relevant mobile application to such a context. AppaaS also supports state preservation, where application-specific data that is relevant to a user is stored for future reference.
Our prototype demonstrates a seamless system performance with respect to finding relevant applications to a specific context and controlling the applications functions according the users requirements and access privileges. We also demonstrate how AppaaS can preserve an applications state when a user is to reuse the same application again.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Determinants of non-uptake of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine; The Ontario Grade 8 HPV Vaccine Cohort Study

contributor:
Lévesque, Linda E.
Alvarado, Beatriz
Community Health and Epidemiology

subject:
HPV
Human papillomavirus

abstract: Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-01 19:49:17.262

abstract:
Background: In 2007, the Canadian federal budget provided $300 million over three years to the provinces and territories to implement publicly-funded HPV immunization programs.  Current estimates indicate that HPV vaccine uptake varies significantly across Canada and is reported to be lowest in Ontario at 53%.  There is a paucity of literature on the determinants of HPV vaccine uptake in the Canadian context, therefore further research is needed.
Objectives: To describe the patterns of HPV vaccine non-uptake across health units in Ontario, and identify the individual- and health unit (ecologic)-level factors that influenced HPV immunization decision-making between 2007 and 2011.
Methods: The study linked administrative health and immunization databases to identify a retrospective population-based cohort of 144,047 girls eligible for Ontario's school-based HPV immunization program between 2007 and 2011.  In this study a girl was considered vaccinated if she received at least 1 dose, otherwise she was considered unvaccinated.  Ecologic or health unit-level factors that may have influenced HPV vaccine decision-making were assessed, as well as individual-level predictors including clinical characteristics and sociodemographics.  A population-average model based on generalized estimating equations was used to identify determinants associated with non-uptake.
Results: In all, 49.3% of girls from 21 public health units refused HPV immunization between 2007 and 2011.  Non-uptake varied across health units, from 41.82% to 60.30%.  In multivariate analyses, non-uptake was strongly associated with a history of autism (OR=1.60; 95% CI 1.34, 1.90) and Down's syndrome (OR=1.37; 95% CI 1.16, 1.63), refusal of mandatory and optional vaccines (OR=2.23; 95% CI 2.07, 2.4, and OR=3.96; 95% CI 3.87, 4.05, respectively), and infrequent physician visits (OR=1.45; 95% CI 1.35, 1.55).  Contextual or health unit-level characteristics appeared to have a weak influence on vaccine decision-making.
Conclusions: HPV immunization could lead to a lower risk of developing and dying from HPV-related cancers; however, non-uptake of this vaccine is high.  Concerted efforts are needed to reduce missed opportunities during medical consultations, to refine communication strategies and activities to address the information needs of special groups, as well as to develop cross-sectoral collaborations to support the delivery of publicly-funded HPV immunization to schools across Canada.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Investigation of Fe(III)-As(III) bearing phases and their potential for arsenic disposal

contributor:
Peacey, John
Jamieson, Heather E.
Mining Engineering

subject: Arsenic

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mining Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-31 23:47:37.942

abstract:
Fe(III)-As(III) bearing precipitates have been successfully used for arsenic immobilization in copper smelter weak acid effluents. However, knowledge on their precise characteristics is very limited compared to ferric arsenate precipitates which are the preferred disposal option. As(III) is the dominant arsenic species in the weak acid effluents, and high costs are incurred in oxidizing As(III) to As(V) prior to ferric arsenate precipitation. Detailed characterization of Fe(III)-As(III) bearing residues is fundamental for accurate prediction of their long term stability. Synchrotron-based analysis of the Fe(III)-As(III) bearing precipitates from the effluent treatment plant (ETP) at Xstrata’s Horne Copper Smelter in Quebec identified ferric arsenate and gypsum as the major phases, and other minor phases including zinc hydroxide and franklinite. The predominant As species was As(V) which accounted for 49 to 84% of the total As in the Horne ETP sample. The high As(V) levels detected in the Horne ETP co-precipitates may be due to the partial oxidation of As(III) during prolonged storage, prior to synchrotron analysis.
Tooeleite was investigated as an alternative potential disposal option for As(III) immobilization from copper smelter weak acid effluents. Lime neutralization of an equimolar Fe(III)-As(III) bearing weak acid solution resulted in about 85% As being removed at pH 2.7 and the formation of gypsum-bearing tooeleite at pH 2 to 3.5. At >pH 4, the rapid transformation of tooeleite occurred to form a poorly crystalline equimolar ferric arsenite which was stable at pH 6 to 10. Co-precipitation tests also showed that equimolar ferric arsenite was precipitated at pH>4. US EPA Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) analysis indicated that both tooeleite and ferric arsenite have relatively high As solubilities. Calcination of tooeleite was explored as a method for improving the stability of tooeleite, and calcination of tooeleite in air at 600˚C produced a ferric arsenate calcine with a TCLP solubility of <5 mg/L As. The calcine
iii
produced from the lime-precipitated tooeleite at 600 ˚C was found to contain an iron arsenate (Fe7As6O24) which had a slightly higher TCLP As solubility of 13.1 mg/L. The precipitation of tooeleite from an As(III)-bearing weak acid and calcination of the resultant precipitate may offer a new process for As(III) fixation from copper smelter weak acid effluents.

abstract: PhD


title: Physical Performance of Geomembranes  Used in Heap Leach Pad Applications

contributor:
Rowe, Kerry
Civil Engineering

subject:
Heap Leach Pads
Geomembranes

abstract: Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-01 10:33:47.733

abstract: Geomembranes (GMB) are normally used as part of the liner system in heap leach pads. There is a need to quantify tensile strains in the geomembrane that could affect short-term puncture and long-term performance of the GMB.  In this thesis, short-term tensile strains arising from indentations caused from the material placed both below and above the geomembrane are quantified, and the potential for puncturing is investigated. Experiments were conducted on 1.5 mm high-density (HDPE) and liner low density polyethylene (LLDPE) geomembranes for applied pressures up to 3000 kPa. The geomembrane punctured from underliner material having gravel and sand placed directly beneath the geomembrane and a peak tensile strain of 40% was induced.  Increasing the sand fraction to obtain a well graded gravel and sand underliner resulted in peak tensile strains of 14% in the geomembrane and caused no puncture.  When geomembrane is underlain by geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) and compacted clay liner, the tensile strains increased with increasing deformability (due to higher water content) of the underlying material. Experiments were also conducted to examine the implications of overliner material and pressure on geomembrane strains. It was found that the overliner having gravel and some sand resulted in 18% tensile strain in the geomembrane at 2000 kPa and 27% for 3000 kPa. A gravelly sand overliner with some silt induced tensile strains of 9% and 12% at 2000 kPa and 3000 kPa respectively. None of the overliners was able to limit stains in the geomembrane to less the maximum recommended geomembrane strain proposed in the literature. A 150-mm-thick silty sand layer placed above coarsest overliner examined reduced the geomembrane strains to 2%, even when subjected to pressures of 3000 kPa.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Materiality, Becoming, and Time: The Existential Phenomenology of Sexuality

contributor:
Burfoot, Annette J.
Sociology

subject:
Sexuality
Identity Politics
Becoming
Existentialism

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-04 00:33:41.993

abstract:
As much of the scholarly literature shows, gender has served as a central organizing force for knowing and theorizing about sexuality. The governmentality of sexuality in Western societies over the last 200 years has led to sex being discursively implicated with reproduction, and this has had a profound effect on the ways sexuality has been theorized and understood in terms of gendered desire. The aim of this dissertation is to theorize an alternative approach to sexuality that decenters gender and gives attention to the materiality of sex and the body. Using existentialism and phenomenology, this dissertation offers a particular challenge to heteronormative conceptions of “sexual orientation” and “sexual identity” for their ostensibly timeless and enduring quality, or being. The research presented herein theorizes sexuality through an ontology of becoming that takes into account the diverse, multi-faceted nature of sexuality as a series of temporal experiences, attractions, desires, sensations, practices, and identities – that is, as a phenomenon.
	A genealogical methodology is used to trace the discursive history of sexuality and demonstrate how modernist discourses of sexuality have influenced how sexuality is known and experienced. This research emphasizes the discursive constraints on knowledge about sexuality. In considering an alternative framework, the principles of existentialism and phenomenology are critically examined through the works of Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. Attention is then turned toward a non-classical paradigm of science to elaborate on an ontology of becoming and its significance for understanding the development of sex and sexuality. In conjunction, contemporary biological research is introduced to expand upon de Beauvoir’s (1996) analysis of “the data of biology” on sexual difference and to help situate the sexed body as dynamic and developmental. An existential phenomenological approach theorizes sexuality as a self-project and the dialectical becoming between the sexed body and the sexual self. Because both the body and the self are contingent becomings that are open to instability and change, so too is sexuality. This alternative approach offers particular attention to the body in sexuality and considers the materialities of sexual desire.

abstract: PhD


title: Cognitive Solutions for Resource Management in Wireless Sensor Networks

contributor:
Ibnkahla, Mohamed
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Resource Management
Cognitive
Sensor

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-04 16:24:55.385

abstract:
Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) is an important technology that can be used to provide new data sets for many applications ranging from healthcare monitoring to military surveillance. Due to the increasing popularity of WSNs, user demands have evolved as well. To achieve the end-to-end goals and requirements of the applications, managing the resources of the network becomes a critical task. Cognitive networking techniques for resource management have been proposed in recent years to provide performance gains over traditional design methodologies. However, even though several tools have been considered in cognitive network design, they show limitations in their adaptability, complexity, and their ability to consider multiple conflicting goals. Thus, this thesis proposes novel cognitive solutions for WSNs that include a reasoning machine and a learning protocol. Weighted Cognitive Maps (WCM) and Q-Learning are identified as suitable tools for addressing the aforementioned challenges and designing the cognitive solutions due to their ability to consider conflicting objectives with low complexity.
   WCM is a mathematical tool that has powerful inference capabilities. Thus, they are used to design a reasoning machine for WSNs. Two case studies are proposed in this thesis that illustrate the capabilities of WCMs and their flexibility in supporting different application requirements and network types. In addition, an elaborate theoretical model based on Markov Chains (MC) is proposed to analyze the operation of the WCM system. Extensive computer simulations and analytical results show the ability of the WCM system to achieve the end-to-end goals of the network and find compromises between conflicting constraints.
   On the other hand, Q-Learning is a well known reinforcement learning algorithm that is used to evaluate the actions taken by an agent over time. Thus, it is used to design a learning protocol that improves the performance of the WCM system. Furthermore, to ensure that the learning protocol operates efficiently, methods for improving the learning speed and achieving distributed learning across multiple nodes are proposed as well. Extensive computer simulations show that the learning protocol improves the performance of the WCM system in several metrics.

abstract: PhD


title: A Role for Insulin Signaling in Regulating the PTEN Tumour Suppressor in Caenorhabditis Elegans

contributor:
Chin-Sang, Ian D.
Biology

subject:
C. Elegans
PTEN
Insulin Signaling

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-04 14:37:29.376

abstract: Many obese individuals and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients have elevated levels of insulin. Hyperinsulinemia is a major cancer risk factor in T2DM individuals and activated insulin receptor (IR) has been linked to many types of cancer and poor survival. However, the mechanisms that account for the link between the hyper-active insulin signaling and cancer risk is not well understood. PTEN plays an antagonistic role in the canonical insulin signaling pathway, and is the second most commonly mutated tumour suppressor (after p53) found in human cancers. In many cancers the PTEN gene is not deleted, but instead the protein is lost. Therefore the regulation of PTEN protein in humans is of great importance. Here we hypothesized that the activated insulin signaling down-regulates PTEN. Considering that insulin signaling is highly conserved from C. elegans to human, I used C. elegans as a model and showed that DAF-2, the worm homolog of IR, is a negative regulator of DAF-18, the worm homolog of PTEN. In addition, I showed that DAF-28, the worm homolog of insulin, also negatively regulates DAF-18/PTEN. I used western blot and immunostaining to show that the protein level of DAF-18/PTEN is increased in the daf-2/IR and daf-28/insulin mutants. I further showed that daf-18/Pten is genetically epistatic to daf-2/IR in regulating neuronal development. I then employed human cell culture experiments and reported that this negative regulation is conserved in human cancer cell lines. I showed that knocking-down IR through siRNA up-regulates PTEN, and over-expressing a gain-of-function IR down-regulates PTEN. I also showed that insulin stimulation dramatically decreased PTEN and this decrease is dependent on IR. I further confirmed a physical association between IR and PTEN in both human and C. elegans, and reported that IR could phosphorylate PTEN. To provide mechanistic insight to DAF-18/PTEN regulation, I identified another protein, which is a ubiquitin ligase, that functions in insulin signaling to down-regulate DAF-18/PTEN. Additionally, I also provided evidence that insulin signaling cross talks with Eph receptor signaling. In summary, my findings will be informative for cancer biologists to study the roles of these genes in carcinogenesis.

abstract: Some of the results are not published and should be kept confidential.

abstract: PhD


title: Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Networks: A Local Control Approach

subject:
Local control
Cognitive radio ad hoc networks

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-04 14:37:45.883

abstract:
Cognitive radio is an important technology which aims to improve the spectrum resource utilization and allows a cognitive radio transceiver to detect and sense spectrum holes without causing interference to the primary users (PUs). As a result of the development of cognitive radio technology, the concept of cognitive radio ad hoc networks (CRAHNs) has recently been proposed in the literature, which aims to apply the cognitive radio to traditional ad hoc networks. However, this new network paradigm creates more research challenges than those in classical cognitive radio networks (CRNs).
These research challenges in CRAHNs are due to the variable radio environments caused by spectrum-dependent communication links, hop-by-hop transmission, and changing topology. This study will focus on important research topics in spectrum management in scalable CRAHNs driven by local control, such as spectrum sharing, allocation, and mobility. To conduct this study, a local control approach is proposed to enable system-level analysis and protocol-level design with distributed protocols for spectrum sharing. In the local control approach, we can evaluate the system dynamics caused by either protocol-specific parameters or application-specific parameters in CRAHNs, which is hard to explore using existing methods. Moreover, combining the previous evaluations and scaling law analysis based on local control concept, we can design new distributed protocols based on the features of the medium access control (MAC) layer and the physical layer. In this study, the proposed research themes and related research issues surrounding spectrum sharing are discussed. Moreover, justification of the research has been made by experimental and analytical results.

abstract: PhD


title: A Lifeline For Disability Accommodation Planning: How Models of Disability and Human Rights Principles Inform Accommodation and Accessibility Planning

contributor:
Lewis, Magda Gere
Education

subject:
human rights
disability
students with disabilities
accessibility
post-secondary
social constructionism
academic accommocation
college
accommodation
university

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-04 19:28:14.838

abstract:
Implementing the legal mandate to accommodate students with impairments in higher education, particularly in fieldwork settings, poses a significant challenge to retaining academic integrity (Pardo, 1999). Currently, there is no consistent way of determining which academic requirements are “bona fide” (OHRC, 2004), and might not be altered for students with disabilities, and those which can be accomplished using a different method. Situating accommodation and accessibility within the Environmental Factors domain of the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Function, Disability and Health (ICF) as a theoretical framework, a set of questions are presented to determine whether academic requirements in fieldwork can be accommodated or not, and why. Combining an occupational therapy perspective on the importance of task analysis (Ashworth, 1995) with the means of identifying discrimination laid out in the human rights case law provides the required tools for such an analysis.
      This dissertation examines the intersection of legislated mandates for accommodation and academic integrity, by applying human rights legislation to higher education. Using the three-step test of discrimination set out in Meiorin (1999) and an additional question based on Granovsky (2000) to analyze academic tasks and requirements of fieldwork, bona fide requirements can be determined. The resulting model for determining accommodation for students with impairments is applicable to accommodation of disability in primary and secondary education, as well as in the employment sector and accessibility planning, and contributes to standards of practice in academic accommodation planning, a need identified by Reed, Lund-Lucas, & O'Rourke (2003). Following the introduction, six distinct chapters explore 1) the background of accommodation in post-secondary education, 2) the weaving together of models of disability with legislated requirements and curricula, 3) the human rights paradigm itself, 4) accommodation policies, 5) an experimental focus group investigation of the proposed model, and 6) an explication of when accommodation might not be appropriate. The conclusion draws these various threads together into a lifeline for accommodation analysis and planning.

abstract: submitting two chapters for publication

abstract: PhD


title: Cooperative Cognitive Radio Networks: Spectrum Acquisition and Co-Channel Interference Effect

subject:
Cognitive Radio
Wireless Communications

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-05 13:39:22.35

abstract: Cooperative Spectrum Sensing (CSS) allows Cognitive Radio Networks (CRNs) to locate vacant spectrum channels and to protect active Primary Users (PUs). However, the achieved detection accuracy is proportional to the duration of the CSS process which, unfortunately, reduces the time of useful communication as well as increases the Co-Channel Interference (CCI) perceived by an active PU. To overcome this, this thesis proposes three CSS strategies, namely the Dual-Threshold CSS (DTCSS), the Maximum CSS (MCSS), and the Max-Min CSS (MMCSS). These strategies reduce the number of reporting terminals while maintaining reliable performance and minimal CCI effect. The performance of these three methods is analyzed, and the numerical and simulations results illustrate the accuracy of the derived results as well as the achieved performance gains. The second part of this thesis studies the impact of CCI on the performance of a number of transmission techniques used by CRNs. These are Chase combining Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HAQR), Fixed Relaying (FR), Selective Relaying (SR), Incremental Relaying (IR), and Selective Incremental Relaying (SIR). The performance of these techniques is studied in terms of the average spectral efficiency, the outage probability, and the error probability. To obtain closed forms for the error probabilities, this thesis proposes a novel accurate approximation of the exponential integral function using a sum of exponentials.

abstract: PhD


title: Block Copolymer Self-Assembly, Hierarchical Assembly, and Application

contributor:
Liu, Guojun
Chemistry

subject:
Assembly, Application
Block Copolymer

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-05 13:45:04.189

abstract:
This thesis addresses three issues.  These are the self-assembly of block copolymer in selective solvents, hierarchical assembly of micelles or crosslinked micelles of block copolymers, and the application of block copolymers as solid state compatibilizers in polymer-based photovoltaic cells.
Poly(acrylic acid)-block-(2-cinnamoyloxylethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(perfluorooctylethyl methacrylate) or PAA-b-PCEMA-b-PFOEMA self-assembles in solvent mixtures of α,α,α-trifluorotoluene (TFT) and methanol, which are selective towards PAA.  At TFT volume fraction (fTFT) of 40 %, the copolymer forms vesicles at 70 oC and cylinders at 21 oC.  These two structures inter-convert via meta-stable intermediates including jellyfish-like, tethered vesicular, and bilayer sheet-like structures.  These structures occur in kinetic experiments involving quick temperature swing from 21 to 70 oC or vice versa and also in experiments involving annealing samples long at temperatures between 21 to 70 oC.  Thus, they are meta-stable and point to complex pathways for the morphological transition.  At fTFT = 10 %, the polymer forms vesicles with bumpy surface at 70 oC and toroids with sharp angles at 21 oC.  Closely examined is how the liquid crystalline nature of the PFOEMA block affects the formation of these unique morphologies and their morphological transitions.
Two types of hierarchical assembly of cylindrical micelles (cylinders) or crosslinked cylindrical micelles (fibers) of block copolymers are examined.  First, carboxyl-bearing nanofibers of PAA-b-PCEMA and amino-bearing nanocylinders from poly(tert-butyl acrylate)-block-poly(2-cinnamoyloxyethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(2-dimethylamino-ethylmethacrylate), PtBA-b-PCEMA-b-PDMAEMA, are mixed in solvent.  The two species firstly aggregate via electrostatic interaction.  Upon heating and aging, the cylinders dissociate on the fibers and eventually evolve into composite multilayered cylindrical structures.  Second, layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition of carboxyl- and amine-bearing nanofibers yielded multilayer films.  These films detached from a substrate separate nanospheres based on their size and surface charge differences.
Diblock copolymers poly(3-hexylthiophene)-block-poly(2-cinnamoyloxyethyl methacrylate-random-2-[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyroyoxyethyl methacrylate) (T-C60C) and poly(3-hexylthiophene)-block-poly(2-acetoxyethyl methacrylate-random-2-[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyroyoxyethyl methacrylate) (T-C60A) are synthesized and used as compatibilizers for polymer-based photovoltaic cells containing poly(3-hexylthiophene) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM).  Both copolymers can stabilize the morphology of the active layer and thus the device performance.  T-C60A in the active layer yields longer life-times and better initial performance of the devices, due to the matching of surface tensions between C60A and PCBM.

abstract: PhD


title: The Role of the Tyrrell Sea Aquitard and Bioherms in the Hydrogeology of the James Bay Lowlands Under Dewatering Conditions

contributor: Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering

subject:
Hydrogeology
Bioherm
James Bay Lowlands
Tyrrell Sea

abstract: Thesis (Master, Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-06 14:47:13.582

abstract:
The Hudson-James Bay Lowlands (HJBL) are composed of fens and bogs frequently intersected by rivers and punctured by bioherms (ancient reef mounds) rising from bedrock aquifer. The peatlands exist partly due to minimal vertical losses limited by the low hydraulic conductivity (K) of the Tyrrell Sea sediments and small vertical gradients between the surface and bedrock aquifers. The recent development of an open-pit mine; DeBeers Victor Diamond Mine within the HJBL requires dewatering of the regional limestone aquifer to a depth of 200 mbgs. Two major components in assessing the potential impacts of dewatering on the hydrogeological regime and the sensitive peatland ecosystem are: the characteristics and behaviour of the Tyrrell Sea aquitard, and bioherms as potential recharge enhancing features.
The Victor Tyrrell Sea (VTS) deposits are clayey silt with low LL, low PI, and no smectite clay minerals. The clay fraction consists of quartz, illite, chlinochlore, and usually calcite. The deposits are normally consolidated with Cc values of 0.08-0.155 and void ratios of 0.52-0.77. The VTS deposits are grey with pockets of black graphite and frequent shells. The K rages from 6.6x10-9 to 4.7x10-8 m/s.
GEO-SLOPE™ finite element modeling software was used to investigate the sensitivity of surface drainage and consolidation behaviour in regard to the range of measured VTS parameters. The behaviours were also compared to classic clay aquitard types such as Lake Agassiz and Lake Champlain. Unit thickness, K, and the K modifier function have the greatest impact on the rate and magnitude of consolidation, and vertical drainage of the surface. The K of the underlying till is extremely important because they can be a buffer between the dewatered bedrock aquifer and the VTS.
The characteristics of the sediments and the flow regime surrounding three outcropping bioherms which increase vertical drainage are investigated and a conceptual model of flow is proposed.  The sediments in profile around bioherms have different levels of stratification but always contain silt and sand units. The hydraulic conditions at eight nested piezometers and the stratigraphy as defined by a series of auger hole profiles  was considered to develop a conceptual model. The flow regime presented is of radial flow towards the bioherms enhanced by high K sediments between the peat and bedrock becoming vertical flow when the high K sediments contact vertical channels in the rock.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Effect of Sibling Relationships on Well-being and Depression in Adults with and without Developmental Disabilities

contributor:
Minnes, Patricia
Psychology

subject:
Adult Siblings
Developmental Disabilities

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-07 23:47:06.32

abstract:
Siblings are an integral part of the support network for adults with a developmental disability (DD). However, little is known about the psychological stress of having a sibling with a DD in adulthood. This project had four main objectives: (1) to identify variables that predict and moderate psychological well-being and depressive symptoms in adults who have a sibling with a DD; (2) to examine differences in sibling relationship characteristics, psychological well-being, depressive symptoms, and support use in siblings of individuals with a DD alone versus siblings of individuals with a DD and symptoms of a mental illness; (3) to determine whether relationships with siblings with a DD differ from relationships with siblings without a DD; and (4) to explore the perspectives of adults with a DD regarding their sibling relationships and how these relationships affect their well-being.
	One-hundred ninety six adult siblings of individuals with a DD completed online questionnaires about life events, relationship closeness, sibling contact, impact of having a sibling with a DD, family functioning, use of supports, symptoms of depression, and psychological well-being. Life events and having a sibling with a DD and behavioural or psychiatric symptoms predicted symptoms of depression and psychological well-being. However, the relationship between these predictor variables and psychological well-being was moderated by general family functioning. Additionally, siblings of individuals with a DD and behavioural or psychiatric symptoms reported less positive feelings about their sibling relationship, more symptoms of depression, and lower psychological well-being than siblings of individuals with a DD alone.
	A subset of the participants (n = 128) who also had a sibling without a DD completed questionnaires about their relationship closeness, sibling contact, and perceived impact of their sibling without a DD. Participants reported more in-person and telephone contact with siblings with a DD, more positive feelings about the sibling relationship, and greater perceived life impact as compared to their relationship with their sibling without a DD.
	Seventeen adults with a DD also completed in-person interviews and answered questions about their sibling relationship closeness, shared activities, and support exchanged with siblings. Participants identified numerous activities they enjoyed doing with siblings and indicated a desire to spend more time with siblings. They also reported that they both provided support to and received support from their siblings.

abstract: PhD


title: Gender, Nation and the African PostColony: Women’s Rights and Empowerment Discourses in Ghana

contributor:
Krull, Catherine
Sociology

subject:
Globalization
Nation
Rights
Women
African
Postcolonial
Social Movements
Colonialism

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-08 16:23:06.155

abstract: This dissertation examines the ways in which socio-cultural, economic and religious ideologies shape discourses on women’s rights, higher education and empowerment in Ghana.  The study starts from the premise that female identity in Ghana is constructed through discourses of reproduction that produce and reproduce unequal gender relations that negatively impact women’s higher socio-economic and educational attainments. Consequently, discourses of women’s rights and empowerment are inextricably linked to normative reproductive labour expectations. Using a postcolonial feminist theoretical framework, I argue that women’s rights and empowerment issues must be located within particular historical, local and global socio-cultural and political discourses in postcolonial societies. Subsequently, this study situates women’s rights concerns within the larger framework of global systemic inequalities that reinforce the local socio-cultural, political and economic disadvantages of women in Ghana. I interviewed women’s rights activists, conducted focus group discussions with male and mostly female participants during an intensive six-month field study. In line with postcolonial feminist epistemologies, I consider participants as knowledgeable subjects in the production of knowledge about their lived realities, by centering their voices and experiences in my analyses. The experiences of research participants (heterogeneous as they are) provide excellent insights into transnational feminisms, gendered postcolonial landscapes, and global cultural patriarchal hegemonies. These experiences also illustrate how global discourses of rights provide leverage to simultaneously challenge and politicize colonial discourses of race and gender in the global south.

abstract: I plan to publish this as a book.

abstract: PhD


title: Studies into the Biosynthesis and Chemical Synthesis of Indolocarbazoles and Related Heterocyclic Compounds.  Metalation of Indole-6-Carboxamide.

contributor:
Snieckus, Victor A.
Zechel, L. David
Chemistry

subject:
Indolocarbazole Alkaloid Biosynthesis
3,4-bis(heteroaryl)pyrroles
Regioselective Indole Metalation

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-13 11:14:49.599

abstract:
The electron rich and aromatic character of the indole group allows for a wide range of oxidative and substitution reactions, creating a versatile platform for generating structurally diverse molecules. This thesis explores enzyme and synthetic chemistries that act upon indoles and related molecules. Chapter 1 describes the results of in vivo studies of RebC, an enzyme that plays a pivotal role in the biosynthesis of the indolocarbazole alkaloid rebeccamycin. A homologous enzyme, StaC, exists in the biosynthetic pathway for staurosporine, a related indolocarbazole. Structural differences between the RebC and StaC active sites were hypothesized to play a pivotal role in determining the oxidation state in the corresponding natural products. Sequence alignment of RebC and StaC with homologous enzymes from related indolocarbazole biosynthetic pathways revealed six non-conserved residues in the active site. Three RebC variants were generated by replacement of all six, four, or two specific residues with their StaC counterparts. It was demonstrated that only two substitutions, F216V and R239N, are required to convert the specificity of RebC to that of StaC. Analysis of the structure of the RebC bound to a putative reaction intermediate supports the importance of F216 and R239 in catalysis. Based on these results, contrasting mechanisms for RebC and StaC are proposed to account for their differing specificities.
     Chapter 2 describes a synthetic approach to primarily heterocyclic analogues of lycogarubin C. Suzuki coupling of appropriately functionalized 3,4-dibromopyrrole or 3,4-bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)pyrrole was effective for numerous π-excessive five-membered heterocyclic-3-boronic acids. The optimized conditions were less effective for cross-couplings involving heteroaromatic-2-boronic acids, π-deficient heteroaromatic boronic acids, and heteroaromatic boropinacolate esters. Oxidative cyclization of the 3,4-bis(thiophen-3-yl)pyrrole and 3,4-bis(benzothiophen-3-yl)pyrrole to give analogues of the corresponding indolocarbazoles was demonstrated.
     Chapter 3 describes preliminary results on the development of regioselective C-5 and C-7 indole metalation tactics of indole-6-carboxamides, in order to provide new functionalized indoles. The use of an indole C-2 silicon protection strategy in combination with a sterically bulky C-6 N,N-di-isopropyl carboxamide directed metalation group overcame undesired side reactions observed with the analogous N,N-diethyl indole-6-carboxamide, affording the C-5 and C-7 substituted products in 40% and 13% yields, respectively.

abstract: PhD


title: Education by Metaphor

contributor:
Luce-Kapler, Rebecca
Education

subject:
Poetics
Canadian Poetry
Analogical Thinking
Curriculum
Curriculum Theorizing
Zwicky
Metaphor
Education

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-19 12:13:38.213

abstract:
What is metaphor and how do we learn to think analogically?  Education by Metaphor explores these questions from two perspectives: poetics and curriculum theorizing.  Through this discursive inquiry, I develop arguments and hypotheses on the origins, mechanics, and educative possibilities of metaphor, often by drawing from Zwicky’s philosophical work and interviews I conducted with six Canadian writers.  I sought conversations with these writers because the works they publish display deft and provocative analogical play.  I wanted to know what they know about metaphor, and how they came to know such things, and how these ideas inform their critical, artistic, and pedagogical practices.  I also asked for their thoughts on particular discursive conflicts and metaphoric models, and I asked them about their curricular experiences, both formal and otherwise.  Excerpts from these transcripts are interwoven throughout the manuscript, according to their connections with the topics at hand.

     The first chapter of this dissertation traces metaphor’s discursive history and delineates its conflict with philosophy.  From that foundation, I critique contemporary models for metaphor that stem from Black’s and Richards’ theorizing; after explaining why they are ill-suited to poetic terrain, I develop a less reductive model.  Much of this work informs subsequent chapters, hence its preliminary positioning.  In the second chapter I approach metaphor anthropologically and advance hypotheses for how we, as a species, might have come to think metaphorically.  These hypotheses emphasize empathy and anthropomorphism, two important notions nested within the inner-workings of analogical thought.  In turn, these hypotheses inform the third chapter’s explorations of poetic and ontological attention.  This theoretical work reveals concepts integrally related to metaphor’s emergence, for example aesthetic experience, defamiliarization, and the interplay of pattern and anomaly.  In the fourth chapter, I revisit these concepts from a more empirical perspective and use comments from my interviewees to illuminate intersections amongst play, pedagogy, and analogical thought.  Lastly, the fifth chapter asks, what good is the study of metaphor?  I respond to this question by addressing metaphor’s imaginative, ethical, and educational consequences.

abstract: Restricted due to pending academic publication.

abstract: PhD


title: Neuraminidase-1 Sialidase and Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Crosstalk in Alliance With Insulin Receptors is an Essential Molecular Signaling Platform for Insulin-Induced Receptor Activation

contributor:
Szewczuk, Myron R.
Microbiology and Immunology

subject: Insulin Receptors

subject: MMP-9

subject: NEURAMINIDASE-1

abstract: Thesis (Master, Microbiology & Immunology) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-20 11:27:44.861

abstract:
Molecular-targeting therapeutics directed towards growth factor receptors have become promising interventions in cancer. They include the family of mammalian receptor tyrosine kinases such as epidermal growth factor, TrkA and insulin. In particular, the insulin receptor (IR) is one of the most well-known members of the RTK family of receptors playing a role in cancer. IRs are covalently-linked heterodimers of αβ subunits on the cell membrane in the absence of insulin. The IR signaling pathways are initially triggered by insulin binding to the α subunits followed by the interaction of β subunits and ATP. The parameter(s) controlling IR activation remains unknown. Here, we report a membrane receptor signaling platform initiated by insulin binding to its receptor to induce Neu1 in live HTC-IR and MiaPaCa-2 cell lines. Microscopy colocalization and co-immunoprecipitation analyses reveal that Neu1 and MMP9 form a complex with naïve and insulin-treated receptors. Tamiflu (neuraminidase inhibitor), galardin and piperazine (broad range MMP inhibitors), MMP9 specific inhibitor and anti-Neu1 antibody blocked Neu1 activity associated with insulin stimulated live cells. Moreover, Tamiflu, anti-Neu1 antibody, and MMP9 specific inhibitor blocked insulin induced insulin receptor substrate-1 phosphorylation (p-IRS1). The previous findings reveal a molecular organizational signaling platform of Neu1 and MMP-9 crosstalk in alliance with insulin receptors. It proposes that insulin binding to the receptor induces MMP9 to activate Neu1, which hydrolyzes α-2,3 sialic acid in removing steric hindrance to generate a functional receptor. The results predict a prerequisite desialylation process by activated Neu1. A complete understanding of IR activation and the role of sialic acids in the
iii
signaling pathways may provide a therapeutic strategy in the prevention of different diseases such as diabetes mellitus and cancer.

abstract: I am going to puplish my work

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Three Dimensional Numerical Analysis of Static Pipe Bursting

contributor:
Moore, Ian D.
Brachman, Richard W. I.
Civil Engineering

subject:
Geotechnical
Civil Engineering

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-24 16:18:16.482

abstract:
During pipe bursting, a cone shaped expander is pulled through an existing pipe, breaking it, enlarging the cavity, and pulling a replacement pipe into place. The expansion of the soil cavity and axial movements of the burst head cause ground disturbance, and infrastructure such as other buried pipelines and overlying pavements may be damaged. Pipe bursting involves a complex three dimensional response of the ground surrounding the old pipe. A three dimensional numerical study has therefore been undertaken to explicitly simulate propagation of the burst head, and study the response of soil and adjacent pipelines in detail.
A description of the ABAQUS modeling is presented, focusing on the analysis of pipe bursting experiments conducted using the buried infrastructure test facilities at Queen’s. The ground surface deformations, pulling forces and strains on an adjacent polyvinyl chloride pipe were computed and compared with experimental observations. On average, the computed results differ by 20% compared to experimental values. In addition, the stress and strain responses of soil were analyzed to explain the failure mechanism of soil during progression of the burst head.
A parametric study was conducted by changing the burial depths, expansion ratios, trench widths, and material properties to provide a general guideline for ground movements during pipe bursting. The analysis was further extended by changing the positions (under, over, beside) and orientations (perpendicular or parallel) of adjacent pipelines with respect to the pipe being replaced. Use of the parametric study was illustrated and evaluated using a large scale pipe bursting test. The computed results are about 20% conservative compared to the experimental values of peak vertical deformations and peak longitudinal strains of adjacent pipe.

abstract: My Works are in the process of publication in the journals. I dont want the thesis to be published before my journal publication

abstract: PhD


title: Mesoporous Silica Materials in Asymmetric Catalysis and Selective Functionalization

contributor:
Crudden, Cathleen M.
Chemistry

subject:
Starpolymer
Mesoporous Silica

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-25 12:08:40.27

abstract: This thesis describes the synthesis and application of three types of selectively functionalized mesoporous materials. In the first section, periodically ordered mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs) are prepared that have the axially chiral bidentate phosphine ligand 2,2'-Bis(diphenylphosphino)-1,1'-binaphthyl (BINAP) embedded in the wall structure. Asymmetric hydrogenation of β-ketoesters under high-pressure hydrogen gas and hydrogen transfer reduction were carried out using Ru catalysts resulting from these materials. In the next chapter, our new methodology to selectively functionalize the internal/external surface of SBA-15, a mesoporous silica whose pore diameter is ~8 nm, by blocking the pore surface with reloaded Pluronic P123® micelles is presented. Multiple tests were attempted to validate the efficiency of the methodology including nitrogen adsorption, quantitative analysis by solid state NMRs, fluorescence measurements, elemental analysis and XPS. Eventually SS NMR proved to be the most appropriate. Finally, chapter four describes ordered organic materials in catalysis, namely star-shaped polymers containing chiral core-gels synthesized from chiral 1,1’- binaphthalene-2,2’-diol (BINOL) and 1,1’-binaphthalene-2,2’-diamine (BINAM). The kinetic resolution of 1-phenyl ethanol was carried out expecting to see differential affinity of the chiral core-gel to one enantiomer of the substrate in hydrogen transfer oxidation reaction.

abstract: PhD


title: Effects of Warm Mix Additives and Dispersants on Rheological, Aging and Failure Properties of Asphalt Cements

contributor:
Hesp, Simon
Chemistry

subject:
Asphalt Cement
Warm Mix Additives
Asphaltene Dispersants
Rheology
Chemical Hardening
Physical Hardening
Ductile Failure

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-26 11:10:41.08

abstract:
Existing specifications for asphalt cement employ insufficient aging  and conditioning times prior to testing and low strains during the actual test which are insufficient to predict asphalt performance, especially if the materials are modified with additives such as those used for warm mix technology. However, slightly modified protocols, like increasing the conditioning time in the bending beam rheometer (BBR) test and increasing the aging duration in the pressure aging vessel (PAV), predict asphalt performance better than the current Superpave™ specification. These improved protocols are published as new test standards through the collaborative effort between the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Queen’s University.
	In this study, the effects of warm mix and other additives on rheological, aging and failure properties are investigated. The properties are measured by regular tests and by modified protocols. The latter include the extended BBR test (LS-308) and the double-edge-notched tension (DENT) test (LS-299). Changes in ductile strain tolerance within base asphalts due to the various additives as measured with the DENT test were found to be very significant. The DENT results like essential work of fracture, we, plastic work of fracture term, βwp, and critical crack tip opening displacement, CTOD, are usually helped to correlate with the cracking distress survey results of the pavement in service. The addition of amide and polyethylene waxes risks increasing the cracking susceptibility in the pavement. They show a negative effect on strain tolerance in the ductile state, which is likely to show up as premature and/or excessive cracking in service which is similar to their physical hardening behavior from low temperature grading and extended BBR testing.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: PA5471 modulation of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa mexXY multidrug efflux pump operon repressor MexZ: Identification of important interaction residues and domains

contributor:
Poole, R. Keith
Microbiology and Immunology

subject:
Efflux
Multidrug resistance
Pseudomonas aerguinosa
PA5471
MexZ
MexXY-OprM

abstract: Thesis (Master, Microbiology & Immunology) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-26 13:32:39.307

abstract: Chemotherapeutic treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen, is substantially challenged by several membrane-spanning, multidrug-efflux pumps of the three-component RND family. Of these pumps, MexXY-OprM contributes to the intrinsic resistance of this organism by exporting clinically relevant antibiotics, most notably the ribosome-targeting aminoglycosides. Overproduction of MexXY-OprM is the most common mechanism providing pan-aminoglycoside resistance to P. aeruginosa cystic fibrosis clinical isolates. The mexXY genes are located in an operon, the expression of which is induced by ribosome-targeting antimicrobials. The mexXY operon is negatively regulated by MexZ, a repressor protein encoded by the divergently-transcribed gene mexZ. A second gene, PA5471, is also induced by ribosome-targeting antibiotics and is required for antibiotic induction of mexXY expression. One possibility is that PA5471 interacts with MexZ to alleviate repression of mexXY, thereby providing a mechanism for PA5471-dependent drug inducibility of mexXY. PA5471 interaction with MexZ was confirmed using a bacterial two-hybrid assay. To identify residues/regions of PA5471 important for interaction with MexZ, random chemical mutagenesis of the mexZ and PA5471 genes was carried out and the effects of these mutations on interaction of their protein products was assessed using the bacterial two-hybrid assay. Mutations of PA5471 that compromised interaction with MexZ included P68S, G76C, R216C, R221W, R221Q, G231D, and G252S, which occur within or in close proximity to a predicted surface-exposed α-helix of a PA5471 structural model that may contribute to the MexZ-interaction domain. Representative mutations P68S, G76C, R216C and R221W were placed into the chromosome of P. aeruginosa to assess their impact on drug-inducible mexXY expression. All of these mutations significantly reduced mexX upregulation in the presence of spectinomycin, where mutations R216C and R221W resulted in the near complete ablation of this antibiotic induction. These data suggest that PA5471 acts as a direct antirepressor of MexZ and that this interaction is key to mexXY upregulation in response to ribosome-targeting induction signals.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Free Radical Copolymerization of Hydroxy-Functional Monomers: Kinetic and Semibatch Studies

contributor:
Hutchinson, Robin A.
Chemical Engineering

subject: Copolymerization Kinetic

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-27 16:44:03.871

abstract: Acrylic resins used as polymeric binders in automotive coatings are complex copolymers containing reactive functional (often hydroxyl) groups. A better understanding of the copolymerization kinetics of these monomers is required in order to ensure uniform distribution of the functional groups among the polymer chains over the course of production. Free radical copolymerization propagation kinetics of styrene (ST) with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) have been investigated both in bulk and solution, using pulsed-laser polymerization (PLP) combined with size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and proton NMR. All of the solvents examined (n-butanol, toluene and DMF) affect ST/HEMA copolymer composition relative to bulk polymerization, while the effects on propagation rates suggest that hydrogen bonding interactions need to be explicitly considered. Semibatch reactions of ST/HEMA, butyl acrylate (BA)/HEMA and butyl methacrylate (BMA)/HEMA have been carried out in xylene, DMF and 1-pentanol at 110 and 138 °C. The variation in monomer composition for the three solvents agrees with the kinetic studies. It was found that polymer molecular weight is strongly affected by solvent choice and operating conditions, partially due to branching reactions caused by impurities from commercial HEMA monomers. PLP and 13C-NMR analysis indicate that no backbiting occurred during polymerization of HEA, and it is shown that H-bonding disrupts the backbiting mechanism found for other acrylates. Thus, semibatch production in n-butanol can reduce branching and increase molecular weight of BA homopolymers by a factor of five compared to polymerization in xylene.

abstract: PhD