title: Understanding the Effects of Model Evolution Through Incremental Test Case Generation for UML-RT Models

contributor:
Dingel, Juergen
Computing

subject:
incremental
evolution
test case generation
model-driven development
UML-RT

abstract: Thesis (Master, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-26 14:18:50.838

abstract:
Model driven development (MDD) is on the rise in software engineering and no more so than in the realm of real-time and embedded systems. Being able to leverage the code generation and validation techniques made available through MDD is worth exploring, and is the focus of much academic and industrial research. However given the iterative nature of MDD, the natural evolution of models causes test case generation to occur multiple times throughout a software modeling project. Currently, the existing process of regenerating test cases for a modified model of a system can be costly, inefficient, and even redundant.
The focus of this research was to achieve an improved understanding of the impact of typical model evolution steps on both the execution of the model and its test cases, and how this impact can be mitigated by reusing previously generated test cases.
In this thesis we use existing techniques for symbolic execution and test case generation to perform an analysis on example models and determine how evolution affects model artifacts; these findings were then used to classify evolution steps based on their impact. From these classifications, we were able to determine exactly how to perform updates to existing symbolic execution trees and test suites in order to obtain the resulting test suites using minimal computational resources whenever possible.
The approach was implemented in a software plugin, IncreTesCaGen, that is capable of incrementally generating test cases for a subset of UML-RT models by leveraging the existing testing artifacts (symbolic execution trees and test suites), as well as presenting additional analysis results to the user.
Finally, we present the results of an initial evaluation of our tool, which provides insight into the tool’s performance, the effects of model evolution on execution and test case generation, as well as design tips to produce optimal models for evolution.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Applications of Shrub Dendrochronology in Tracking Decadal Changes in Pond Margin Dynamics

contributor:
Danby, Ryan K.
Geography

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:
Climate Change
Multitemporal Remote Sensing
Water Resources
Kluane Region, Yukon
Shrub Dendrochronology

abstract: Thesis (Master, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-28 13:03:05.43

abstract:
Decadal changes in the surface area of small ponds in the Kluane region, Yukon were quantified from remote sensing and dendrochronological techniques. Both dead and live shrubs from the genus Salix were sampled and cross-dated from a total of 28 pond ecotones in two different study areas. The rate of ecotone shrub colonization was calculated for each pond by determining the minimum age of Salix spp. in ten zones extending from forest edge to shoreline. Changes in the surface area of 20 ponds in each study area, for a total of 40 ponds, since 1948 were measured using multi-temporal remote sensing analysis. Measured changes were then validated using colonization rates derived from the dendrochronological analysis. Results were compared with meteorological records to elucidate the
connection between climate change and shoreline dynamics. Ponds experiencing similar rates of ecotone colonization exhibited similar changes in shoreline
position over the last 60 years. Ponds measured with remote sensing showed an overall decline in surface area since 1948; however, direction and extent of change varied within and between the two
study areas. Colonization rates also varied within and between study areas. This corresponded to differences in pond ecotone population structure as well as relative extent and direction of changes in surface area, and supported the changes observed in the low-resolution remote sensing time series data. Changes in ponds tended to correspond to increases in annual temperatures which, when combined with a longer growing season and stable precipitation, may have accelerated evaporation potential causing ponds to decrease. The negative consequences of surface area decline are exacerbated by the potential increases in evapotranspiration and the much less extensive wetland system in southwest Yukon relative to other regions in the North. The successful implementation of
remote sensing and dendrochronological techniques has value for remote areas that are sensitive to climate change, yet lack direct measurement of changing environmental conditions.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The Politics of Cultural Power: Canadian Participation at the Venice and São Paulo Biennials, 1951-1958

contributor:
Brison, Jeffrey
Jessup, Lynda
Art History

subject:
National Gallery of Canada.
Cultural nationalism.
Cultural diplomacy.
Canada.
International cultural relations.
Massey Commission.
Biennale di Venezia.
Liberalism.
Bienal de São Paulo.

abstract: Thesis (Master, Art History) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-26 16:43:34.318

abstract:
Biennials, both historically and in the present, form a significant part of the contemporary art world. However, beyond simply acting as platforms for contemporary art, these extensive, recurring international exhibitions also facilitate complex dialogues involving a variety of agents, both cultural and political. With the inherently political nature of these exhibitions in mind, this thesis examines Canadian participation in the Venice and São Paulo biennials from 1951 to 1958. By examining what I identify as the triple purpose of the biennial - the exhibition of contemporary art, the facilitation of cultural diplomacy, and the creation and reinforcement of cultural nationalist narratives - this paper further explicates the National Gallery of Canada’s role in defining Canadian culture and the relationships between visual culture, cultural nationalism, cultural diplomacy and institutional politics in the postwar era.
Drawing upon Judith Balfe’s conception of the utilization and manipulation of visual culture for nationalistic or diplomatic ends, I argue that participation in the Venice Biennale served as a means of reinforcing the presence of an NGC-defined culture of Canadian art to an international audience comprised mainly of artistic and diplomatic elite. Conversely, participation in the São Paulo Bienal served primarily as a conduit for the Department of External Affairs to project a positive image of Canadian culture to other nations and foster cordial relations between like-minded nations. I contend that a comparative analysis of Canadian participation in the two biennials highlights the complicated relationship between the NGC and the Department of External Affairs as well as the ideological adherence of both institutions towards liberalism and liberal democracy.

abstract: M.A.


title: Numerical Design Optimization for Thermal and Pressure Behaviour of Multiple Curved Channel Cooling Plates in Electric-Vehicle Battery Cooling Systems

contributor:
Kim, Il-Yong
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject:
Cooling Plate
Electric Vehicle Battery
Thermal Management
Optimization

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-27 15:09:12.261

abstract:
The effects of climate change along with shifts in social demands have opened up commercial possibilities for new and innovative green technology. At the head of this trend is research into new technologies for Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). These technologies would provide for more environmentally friendly transportation; however their current performance when compared to Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Vehicles has led to slow adoption rates. One of the key factors that could help to increase the performance of HEVs and BEVs lies in improvement of the battery systems. Through proper thermal management of the batteries the range and performance of these vehicles can be improved, helping to increase the performance of the vehicles.
This study looks at improving the thermal management of the battery system by generating more efficient cooling plates. These cooling plates are set between battery cells and contain channels that coolant is pumped through. Through optimization of these cooling channels, the efficiency of the cooling plates with regards to the average temperature and standard deviation of temperature of the battery cell can both be increased. The power required to run the cooling system can also be reduced by reducing the pressure losses associated with the cooling plate.
Numerical optimization on three models of cooling plates was performed. The models were based on multi-inlet and outlet curved channel systems, with one model constructed using arcs and the other two using 90 degree angles. Results showed that improvements of up to 80% could be made depending on the objective functions when compared to an initial design through optimization, with straight channels providing 8% more efficient designs in terms of pressure losses over curved designs, and curved designs providing 6% more efficient designs in terms of average temperature. Analysis on the effects of varying the mass flow rate, heat flux and inlet temperature was also conducted to evaluate their effects on the optimized geometries.
This study has practical applications in helping to develop new cooling plates for commercial use through implementation of the generated design features and optimization algorithms.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: A Contextual View of Support for Graduate Students’ Scholarly Teaching

contributor:
Freeman, John G.
Education

subject:
Teaching
University
Context
Graduate Students
Social Ecological
Higher Education

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-26 17:24:15.055

abstract: Graduate students' teaching contributes to undergraduate education throughout North America (Park, 2004), the United Kingdom (Muzaka, 2009), Australia (Kift, 2003), and New Zealand (Barrington, 2001), particularly in first-year courses. Mandatory and voluntary training programs, courses, workshops, and certificate programs have been implemented centrally (Mintz, 1998) and departmentally (Ronkowski, 1998) to develop graduate students’ knowledge and skills and improve their teaching. Research assessing outcomes of these programs indicates improvements in individuals’ conceptions about teaching (Saroyan, Dagenais, & Zhou, 2009), but limited impact on practice (Buehler & Marcum, 2007). A potential explanation for this discrepancy is that current individual-focused support for graduate students is not sufficient; rather, teaching and teaching development are influenced by local disciplinary and institutional culture (Taylor, 2010; Trowler & Bamber, 2005). Literature on graduate studies completion further indicates the role of informal supports in graduate students’ academic success (e.g., Lovitts, 2004). This mixed-method research sought to widen the traditional research focus regarding support for graduate students’ scholarly teaching by examining: (1) how support is characterized and described in official visioning documents, policies, and websites at a single institution; (2) how graduate students at this institution generally viewed department and institution-wide supports listed on past surveys, and (3) how current graduate students and supportive individuals from the same institution described available and desired supports. Four themes emerged during analysis of the survey and interview data: formal support, informal support, communication/collaboration, and feedback. These themes were sometimes echoed and sometimes absent in the official documents and existing literature on graduate students’ teaching, which primarily focused on formal supports. Throughout this research, support was explored within the contextual reality in which graduate students learned and taught by examining the sources of such support across the social ecological layers of sector, institution, department, courses, faculty members, peers, and the individual. By broadening the conceptualization of support beyond formal programming, a single social ecological layer, a small group of official support providers, or a one-time event, this study expands both the depth and breadth of possibilities for resource planning within institutions, and future research on teaching supports and graduate student experiences.

abstract: PhD


title: Characterization of Glucocorticoid Receptor Promoter Methylation in Breast Cancer

contributor:
Mueller, Christopher
Biochemistry

subject:
Glucocorticoid Receptor
Epigenetic
Breast cancer
Methylation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biochemistry) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-26 18:19:11.006

abstract: Epidemiological studies have identified psychological stress as a significant risk factor in breast cancer. The stress response is regulated by the HPA axis in the brain and is mediated by glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signalling. It has been found that early life events can affect epigenetic programming of GR, and methylation of the GR promoter has been reported in colorectal tumourigenesis. Decreased GR expression has also been observed in breast cancer. In addition, it has been previously demonstrated that unliganded GR can serve as a direct activator of the BRCA1 promoter in mammary epithelial cells. We propose a model whereby methylation of the GR promoter in the breast significantly lowers GR expression, resulting in insufficient BRCA1 promoter activation and an increased risk of developing cancer. Antibody-based methylated DNA enrichment was followed by qPCR analysis (MeDIP-qPCR) in a novel assay developed to detect locus-specific methylation levels. It was found that 13% of primary breast tumours were hypermethylated at the GR proximal promoter whereas no methylation was detected in normal tissue. RT-PCR and 5’ RACE analysis identified exon 1B as the predominant alternative first exon in the breast. Tumours methylated near exon 1B had decreased GR expression compared to unmethylated samples, suggesting that this region is important for transcriptional regulation of GR. It was also determined that GR and BRCA1 expression was decreased in breast tumour compared to normal tissue. Furthermore, the relative expression of GR and BRCA1 measured by qRT-PCR was correlated in normal tissue but this association was not found in tumour tissue. From this, it appears that lower GR levels with associated decreased BRCA1 expression in tissues may be a predisposing factor for breast cancer. Based on these results we propose a role for GR as a potential tumour suppressor gene in the breast due to its association with BRCA1, also a tumour suppressor gene, as well as its consistently decreased expression in breast tumours and methylation of its proximal promoter in a subset of cancer patients.

abstract: This thesis is to be restricted as there is interest in obtaining a patent for elements of this research project in the future.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The Influence of Shift Work, Light at Night and Clock Gene Polymorphisms on Melatonin Levels and Breast Cancer Risk

contributor:
Aronson, Kristan J.
Tranmer, Joan E.
Community Health and Epidemiology

subject:
Melatonin
Breast cancer
Clock Genes
Shift Work
Light at Night

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-26 20:59:40.209

abstract:
Background: Shift work has recently been identified as a breast cancer risk factor, where meta-analysis has indicated an approximately 50% increased risk among long-term shift workers. However, additional studies with more comprehensive methods of shift work exposure assessment are needed to capture the diversity of shift patterns. The hypothesized mechanism for this relationship involves chronodisruption (altered circadian rhythms), where increased exposure to light at night during night shifts may decrease production of the cancer-protective hormone melatonin. Further, coordination of circadian rhythms, including melatonin production, is governed by the interactions of a set of central clock genes. Recent studies have suggested that variants in clock genes are associated with cancer risk at multiple sites, including breast cancer, although few studies have considered potential interactions with shift work.

Methods: This thesis examined relationships of both shift work and clock gene polymorphisms (and their interactions) with breast cancer risk in a case-control study of 1,142 cases and 1,178 controls. The association between light exposure and melatonin production was also investigated in a longitudinal biomarker study conducted among 123 nurses working a two-day, two-night rotating shift pattern.

Results: In the case-control study, an association between breast cancer and ≥30 years of shift work (OR = 2.20, 95%CI = 1.13 – 4.28) was detected, although no relationship with short (0 – 14 years) or medium (15 – 29 years) term shift work was observed. As well, variants in 14 clock-related genes were not associated with breast cancer and there were no apparent interactions with shift work history. In the biomarker study, both peak melatonin levels and daily change in melatonin levels were similar when nurses were working their day and night shifts. Further, on the night shift, a slight inverse relationship between light and change in melatonin was observed (p = 0.04).

Conclusions: Taken together, these results contribute to the understanding of both the association between shift work and breast cancer, and the biologic mechanisms underlying this relationship. Since shift work is required for many occupations, understanding the mechanisms through which it impacts breast cancer is important to the development of healthy workplace policy.

abstract: PhD


title: Redundancy Resolution of Cable-Driven Parallel Manipulators

contributor:
Anderson, Ronald
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject:
Redundancy Resolution
Dynamics
Trajectory Planning
Collision
Robotics
Vibration Analysis
Impact
Cable-Driven Parallel Manipulators

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-26 22:39:34.35

abstract:
In this thesis, the redundancy resolution and failure analysis of Cable-Driven Parallel Manipulators (CDPM) are investigated. A CDPM consists mainly of a Mobile Platform (MP) actuated by cables. Cables can only apply force in the form of tension. So, to design a fully controllable CDPM, the manipulator has to be redundantly actuated (e.g., by using redundant cables, external force/moment or gravity). In this research, the redundancy resolution of planar CDPMs is investigated at the kinematic and dynamic levels in order to improve the manipulator safety, reliability and performance, e.g., by avoiding large tension in the cables that may result in high impact forces, and avoiding large MP velocities that may cause instability in the manipulator, or on the contrary, by increasing the cable tensions and the stiffness for high-precision applications. The proposed approaches are utilized in trajectory planning, design of controllers, and safe dynamic workspace analysis where collision is imminent and the safety of humans, objects and the manipulator itself are at risk. The kinematic and dynamic models of the manipulator required in the design and control of manipulators are examined and simulated under various operating conditions and manufacturing automation tasks to predict the behaviour of the CDPM.
In the presented research, some of the challenges associated with the redundancy resolution are resolved including positive tension requirement in each cable, infinite inverse dynamic solutions, slow-computation abilities when using optimization techniques, failure of the manipulator, and elasticity of cables that has a significant role in the dynamics of a heavy loaded manipulator with a large workspace. Optimization-based and non-optimization-based techniques are employed to resolve the redundancy of CDPM. Depending on the advantages and disadvantages of each method, task requirements, the used redundancy resolution technique, and the objective function suitable optimization-based and non-optimization-based routines are employed. Methodologies that could combine redundancy resolution techniques at various levels (e.g., position, velocity, acceleration, and torque levels) are proposed.

abstract: PhD


title: Heart Rate Balancing for Multiplayer Exergames

contributor:
Graham, Nicholas
Computing

subject:
Exergames
Exercise video game
Heart rate
Biofeedback
Human-Computer Interaction

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-26 23:38:57.625

abstract:
Exergames combine physical activity and entertainment in an effort to increase people’s motivation to exercise. Multiplayer exergames attempt to include the motivating aspects of group activity by allowing two or more people to play together. In most multiplayer exergames, a player’s in-game performance is limited by her physical abilities. Less fit players are demotivated by repeated losses to more fit opponents, while fitter players face a lack of competition from unfit opponents. This situation makes it difficult for people of disparate physical abilities to play exergames together.
This research presents heart rate balancing, a novel player balancing technique to better support engaging experiences in multiplayer exergames. Heart rate balancing bases players’ in-game performance on their effort relative to fitness level rather than their raw power. More specifically, heart rate monitoring is used to set in-game performance based on how closely a person adheres to her target heart rate. Experiments with heart rate balancing show that the technique improves competition between players. A strong correlation was found between people’s perceived effort and their in-game performance with heart rate balancing. The degree to which players noticed the balancing mechanism varied depending on game type. However, heart rate balancing did not interfere with people’s ability to play exergames. These results indicate that the heart rate balancing technique is a promising approach for improving enjoyment and engagement in multiplayer exergames.

abstract: PhD


title: PARTIPRIESTS and FRÈREQUISTES? Parti Pris, the Front de libération du Québec, and the Catholicity of Québécois Anticlericalism, 1963-1970

contributor:
McKay, Ian G.
History

subject:
André Major
Francis Simard
Front de libération du Québec
Paul Chamberland
Parti Pris
Québec
Pierre Vallières
Catholicism
Anticlericalism
Pierre Maheu

abstract: Thesis (Master, History) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-27 02:23:23.413

abstract: On March 7 1963, some bombs exploded at a few military barracks in Québec. These blasts announced the start of a campaign mounted by the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ). The founders of Parti Pris responded in intellectual solidarity with the FLQ’s motives by publishing their first issue in October. By 1968, Parti Pris ceased publication. After the October Crisis in 1970, the FLQ was widely discredited. Although many Partipristes and Felquistes dispersed into more generalized circles of local activism and party politics, they defined, informed, and mobilized a new generation of Québécois towards national liberation between 1963 and 1970. During their time of influence, Partipristes and Felquistes consistently pointed to a Catholic morality in Québec that revered passivity as a root cause and symptom of their colonial oppression. Some historians have suggested they were aberrant apostles of rupture with Québec’s history and traditions. This sort of reading finds some basis in declamations of the radicals themselves. But this thesis argues that both Parti Pris and the FLQ were developments of, and not definitive breaks with, Québec’s Catholic tradition. By analyzing the writings of Partipristes Paul Chamberland, André Major, and Pierre Maheu alongside those of Felquistes Pierre Vallières and Francis Simard, it claims that no historical appreciation of their lives and generation can sidestep the Catholicism that shaped them as individuals and the social milieu to which they responded.

abstract: M.A.


title: Activation tagging in Solanum tuberosum: Innate immune activation affects potato tuber periderm development

contributor:
Regan, Sharon
Tai, Helen
Biology

subject:
activation tagging
periderm
potato
functional genomics
Solanum tuberosum

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-27 11:45:16.478

abstract: Activation-tagging is a functional genomics technique where strong enhancers are inserted randomly into target genomes to over-activate endogenous genes. Phenotypes of interest can be selected for investigation of genetic factors contributing to the mutant phenotype. From initial screens of a population of activation-tagged potato, a mutant with chocolate-coloured tuber skin has been identified.  In this thesis, a novel sequence capture method for identifying T-DNA loci in activation tagged potato was used to characterize chocolate’s single T-DNA insertion locus. Transcriptome analysis of tuber periderm tissue was used to identify major processes occurring in the chocolate mutant. Our data suggest activation of a chitin-binding receptor-like kinase located 65 kb from T-DNA insert may cause activation of immune signaling pathways in chocolate. The present work explores a putative model of transcriptional and cellular responses involved in gain-of-function immune receptor activation. Selectively, these findings illustrate the periderm tissue as an important area of defense charged against biotic and abiotic stresses. Periderm development and anatomy are highly important for tuber storage. Further characterization of potato tuber periderm may contribute knowledge to model periderm systems and have implications for molecular breeding strategies to improve tuber storage quality.

abstract: In this thesis we have identified several candidate genes that may have agronomically important contributions. Further work in confirming the role of these genes is needed before publications can be made.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Reconciling the Discursive and the Material Dimensions of Social Stability and Social Change: A Critical Retheorisation and Non-syncretic Synthesis of Bhaskar, Foucault, and Althusser

contributor:
Pearce, Frank
Sociology

subject:
Aleatory materialism
British nuclear industry
Critical Realism
Emergence
Events
Extra-discursive
Louis Althusser
Michel Foucault
Roy Bhaskar
Social change

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-27 12:38:25.909

abstract: Sociological explanations for human conduct usually place major ontological and epistemological emphasis upon either discursive or material relations without ever establishing or adequately specifying the validity of this dichotomy.  Early texts by the Critical Realist philosopher Roy Bhaskar address this forced separation by creating an integrated ontological and epistemological field that provides a more detailed and precise theoretical ordering to agents, objects, and entities.  Undertaking a developmental critique of Bhaskar’s arguments, this thesis extends Critical Realism’s role as theoretical ‘underlabourer’ and creates an expanded theoretical framework that balances discursive and material accounts.  Utilising the sophisticated analyses of the structure and operation of discourses found in the work of Michel Foucault alongside the innovative arguments for aleatory materialism developed by Louis Althusser, a critique is established that shows discursive, material, and social relations to be complex, immanent, and, importantly, mutually constitutive.  In each theory three core concepts of events, emergence, and the extra-discursive are shown to not only be present but also to operate as the main means of explaining social change.  The result of integrating Critical Realism, Foucault, and Althusser in this sympathetic but non-syncretic form is the generation of a non-reductionist materialism combined with discursive relations.  On this basis, social change is shown to be the result of restructured discursive and material relations of which human agents are only one part.  The thesis provides an illustration of the theoretical argument with an empirical component which examines the formation and decline of the British nuclear industry between its inception in the early 1950s to the year 2000.  The conclusion is that the form taken by nuclear energy is not entirely determined by any single one of political, economic, or scientific forces but is, instead, the product of multiple and complex interactions of immanent discursive and material relations that are, importantly, mutually reinforcing.

abstract: PhD


title: A Multi-Proxy Investigation of Ecological Changes Due to Multiple Anthropogenic Stressors in Muskoka-Haliburton, ONTARIO, Canada

contributor:
Smol, John P.
Biology

subject:
Diatoms
Calcium Decline
Muskoka
Scaled Chrysophytes
Haliburton
Paleolimnology

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-27 12:53:20.518

abstract:
Freshwater ecological issues are increasingly being recognized within the context of multiple stressors, even though relatively little is known about the limnological and biological consequences of the interactions between various environmental impacts.  Moreover, long-term monitoring data are often lacking. To help address these issues, the overall goal of this thesis was to use paleolimnological approaches to document how multiple environmental stressors have altered limnological communities in south-central Ontario lakes.  During the last two centuries, Ontario lakes have been subjected to varying intensities of different environmental impacts, including increases in shoreline residential development, forest clearance and regrowth, the deposition of strong acids via the atmosphere, invasion by non-indigenous species, and climate change.  I used multiple paleolimnological approaches to: 1) demonstrate how multiple natural and anthropogenic stressors have affected biological assemblages across lakes in the Muskoka-Haliburton region of south-central Ontario, and 2) reconstruct the limnological histories of four lakes from Algonquin Park  that have recorded the near complete extirpation of native crayfish species.
	In the Muskoka-Haliburton lakes, I assessed the extent of limnological changes that have occurred during the past ~15 years by resampling lakes from an earlier survey, using identical paleolimnological methods.  Limnological monitoring data document that, since 1992, the lakes have experienced declines in lakewater calcium and SO4 concentrations, while pH declined marginally; in contrast dissolved organic carbon, silica and Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen increased.  Marked regional increases in planktonic diatom taxa, including Cyclotella stelligera, Asterionella formosa and Fragilaria crotonensis, occurred in many lake systems, while colonial scaled chrysophyte algae have undergone a widespread decline in favour of unicellular forms (i.e., Mallomonas spp.), driven by interactions between resource limitation and climate change.
	In the Algonquin Park study lakes, crustacean zooplankton remains revealed a marked decline in daphniid species with high Ca requirements, in favour of smaller Bosmina spp., while diatom and chrysophyte analysis suggest varying degrees of industrial acidification in the four study lakes.  The paleolimnological data suggest that the crayfish decline may have began prior to the long-term monitoring record, likely as a result of declines in pH and lakewater Ca related to atmospheric acid deposition.

abstract: PhD


title: The Use and Neurological Safety of the Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine: The Ontario Grade 8 HPV Vaccine Cohort Study

contributor:
Lévesque, Linda E.
Sears, Kimberly A.
Community Health and Epidemiology

subject:
vaccine use
neurological events
human papillomavirus
vaccine safety

abstract: Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-28 17:56:59.608

abstract:
The quadrivalent (q-) human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is praised for its near perfect efficacy of 98% in the per-protocol population and minimal safety concerns. Adherence to the dosing schedule of 0, 2 and 6 months outside clinical trials has not yet been described. Furthermore, clinical trials were underpowered to detect rare, but serious, adverse events including convulsions, seizures and epilepsy in young girls targeted by American and Canadian national advisory committees.
This retrospective cohort study followed Grade 8 girls eligible for Ontario’s HPV immunization program during the 2007/08 to 2010/11 campaign years. Using Ontario’s immunization and health databases, baseline characteristics, qHPV vaccination, dates of qHPV vaccination and diagnoses of serious neurological events were identified for each cohort member. The proportions of girls who initiated and completed the qHPV vaccine program were determined. Adherence to the recommended dosing intervals and for ‘time-to-series completion’ was calculated as the proportion of eligible girls whose number of days between doses complied with the recommended dosing interval. A self-matched, case only approach was used to estimate the age-adjusted rate ratio (RR) of neurological events in the 0-30 day period following qHPV vaccination. The primary study endpoint was a composite of the first occurrence of a convulsion, seizure or epilepsy. Secondarily, an epileptic seizure only endpoint was assessed, as were the influence of a number of predisposing risk factors.
	 An overall uptake of 50.24% was observed, of which, 87.02% received at least three doses. Adherence to the recommended dosing interval was most difficult in scheduling of the second dose (70.80%). There was no increased risk observed for the primary endpoint in the 0-30 days following qHPV vaccination (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.92-1.10). However, this association was modified in girls with predisposing risk factors for epilepsy. There was an increased risk observed for the epileptic seizure only endpoint (RR 1.64, 95% CI 1.28-2.10).
In Ontario, the overall uptake of the qHPV vaccine is low. Once initiated, series completion is high, with the majority receiving the vaccine in a timely manner. A risk for epileptic seizures following vaccination may be limited to girls with predisposing risk factors.

abstract: Results must be disseminated to a third party before public access is permitted - this is a part of the data sharing agreement.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The Impact of Interval Intensity in Overweight Young Men

contributor:
Gurd, Brendon J.
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
overweight
VO2peak
interval exercise

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-27 17:26:19.425

abstract: Considering the increasing global prevalence of overweight and obesity and their propensity for disease, this study was undertaken in an attempt to optimize exercise prescription for this at-risk group by determining if the benefits associated with interval training occur in an intensity dependent manner. 19 sedentary, overweight males (Age: 22.7 ± 3.9 yrs, BMI: 31.4 ± 2.6 kg/m2, WC: 106.5 ± 6.6 cm) performed interval training for three weeks at either 70% or 100% of their peak work rate on a cycle ergometer. Aerobic capacity measurements, time to completion trials, muscle biopsies, and fasted blood samples were all performed pre and post training. Analyses of aerobic capacity and exercise performance demonstrate greater improvements made in the 100% compared to the 70% group, while measures of skeletal muscle oxidative capacity indicate equivalent changes between groups. Taking into account the similar increases in mitochondrial content in both groups and understanding the influence of both oxygen supply and demand in determining maximal oxygen consumption, the greater increases in aerobic capacity achieved by the 100% group may be the result of enhanced cardiovascular adaptations. These findings suggest that some of the health benefits associated with interval exercise may be intensity dependent. Therefore, there may be additional benefit to exercise at higher intensities.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Gial cell line-derived neutrotrophic factor expression in proliferating intestinal smooth muscle cells is important for enteric neuron survival

contributor:
Blennerhassett, Michael G.
Neuroscience Studies

subject:
Enteric nervous system
ISMC proliferation
intestinal inflammation
TNBS-induced colitis
GDNF
myenteric plexus
Enteric neuron

abstract: Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-28 09:43:23.968

abstract: Normal intestinal functions are coordinated by enteric neurons within the enteric nervous system (ENS). In the embryonic and neonatal gut, enteric neuron survival is dependent on the expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) from its targets of innervation - the intestinal smooth muscle cells (ISMC). In the inflamed adult intestine, enteric neuron loss is immediately followed by ISMC proliferation, resulting in severe disruption of normal intestinal functions. Although GDNF can support the survival of postnatal enteric neurons, whether adult ISMC can secrete GDNF and support neuron survival is unclear. Results from qPCR analysis showed that freshly isolated adult ISMC have acquired the ability to express GDNF at the onset of proliferation, in vitro. Western blot analysis indicates that GDNF continues to be upregulated in ISMC at Passage 2 (P2), but its expression is decreased after long periods of proliferation at Passage 10 (P10). A neuron survival bioassay suggests that GDNF expression is correlated with enteric neuron survival. Results showed that P2 ISMC or conditioned media (CM) - but not P10 ISMC and CM, significantly increased enteric neuron survival. In subsequent experiments, the RET tyrosine kinase inhibitor vandetanib was used to block GDNF receptor-ligand interactions, and anti-GDNF neutralizing antibody was used to sequester soluble GDNF within the culture media. Both methods were successful at decreasing myenteric neuron survival. Furthermore, abolishing GDNF expression in P2 ISMC with GDNF siRNA also resulted in a decreased myenteric neuron survival. The above observations suggest that ISMC-derived GDNF is important in supporting myenteric neuron survival in vitro.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Assessment of the Use of a Work-Related Asthma Screening Questionnaire in a Primary Care Asthma Program

contributor:
Lougheed, Diane M.
Groome, Patti A.
Community Health and Epidemiology

subject:
Work-Related Asthma
Primary Care

abstract: Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-27 21:16:28.59

abstract:
Background: Work-related asthma (WRA) is under-recognized and early detection is associated with improved outcomes. The Work-related Asthma Screening Questionnaire (Long-version) (WRASQ(L)) is a 14-item tool designed to increase the detection of WRA in primary care.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess whether the WRASQ(L) provided additional and reliable information on a patient’s likelihood of WRA, beyond what is collected in standard care, to explore the relationship of WRASQ(L) responses to clinical actions and to assess the use of the WRASQ(L) in the primary care setting.
Methods: This was an intervention study involving two Ontario Primary Care Asthma Program (PCAP) sites assigned the WRASQ(L). Standard care for asthma patients in PCAP sites involved completing the Asthma Care Map (ACM), a clinical pathway which included seven WRA screening items. Consent to participate in this study involved completing an electronic WRASQ(L) at each visit for participants and prompted care providers to record details related to WRA investigations.
Results: The study sample (N=37) was predominantly female (73.0%), with a mean age of 46.3 years (SD, 10.9). Use of the WRASQ(L) identified work-related symptoms, exposures and high- risk past occupations in 38% and 60% and 47% of participants, respectively, that were not identified in standard care. Two participants were newly-suspected cases of WRA during this study period. WRASQ(L) items demonstrated fair to moderate reproducibility, but estimates may have been subject to measurement error. Incorporation of the electronic WRASQ(L) in clinical care was limited by time constraints and technical factors, such as ease of use and flexibility of the application.
Conclusions: The WRASQ(L) provided added information about possible WRA over standard care. Use of the questionnaire’s results by care providers in this study was limited due to barriers encountered in incorporating the use of the WRASQ(L) in clinical practice. Future directions include the validation of this tool in relation to WRA diagnosis. The WRASQ(L) has the potential to increase recognition of WRA, improving long-term health outcomes for those with WRA.

abstract: The parent project data collection is ongoing.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Early Social Behaviour in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

contributor:
Kelley, Elizabeth
Psychology

subject:
Social Behaviour
Autism Spectrum Disorders

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-27 22:10:12.095

abstract: The current studies addressed two questions regarding early social behaviour in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) that have not yet been directly explored.  In Study 1 we examined the hypothesis that impaired imitation in this group may reflect a diminished social motivation to engage, rather than a core deficit in imitation.  Young children with and without ASD engaged in imitation tasks during which controlled manipulations of reward (social and non-social) were administered for target behaviours.  Children with ASD displayed increased levels of imitation with the incentive of an external reward in comparison to when this reward was absent.  There was no differential impact of social versus non-social rewards.  Typically developing (TD) children performed similarly, irrespective of whether or not reward was administered.  We suggest that young children with ASD may be capable of imitating when appropriate incentives are present.  Study 2 explored the breadth of social challenges faced in young children with ASD by examining a later-developing domain of social functioning that may be compromised by early social difficulties.  We explored the tendency of children with ASD to engage in helping, sharing, and comforting behaviour in situations where the need for the prosocial behaviour was displayed and in perceptually similar situations where the need was absent.  Children with ASD displayed low levels of helping and sharing, but provided comfort at levels consistent with TD children.  For both comforting and sharing, children with ASD successfully discerned situations where a need was present from when it was not and adjusted their behaviour accordingly.  We suggest that children with ASD may require different ‘conditions’ to engage in social behaviours at the same level as their TD peers and suggest future research to this end.

abstract: PhD


title: Protecting Browser Extensions from JavaScript Injection Attacks with Runtime Protection and Static Analysis

contributor:
Zulkernine, Mohammad
Computing

subject: Browser Security Injection Extensions

abstract: Thesis (Master, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-27 23:41:46.455

abstract:
With the rapid proliferation of the internet, web browsers have evolved from single-purpose remote document viewers into multifaceted systems for executing dynamic, interactive web applications. In order to enhance the web browsing experience of users and to facilitate on-demand customizability, most web browsers now can be fitted with extensions: pieces of software that utilize the underlying web platform of a browser and provide a wide range of features such as advertisement blocking, safety ratings of websites, in-browser web development, and many more. Extensible web browsers provide access to their powerful privileged components in order to facilitate the development of feature-rich extensions. This exposure comes at a price, though, as a vulnerable extension can introduce a security hole through which an attacker can access the privileged components and penetrate a victim user’s browser, steal the user’s sensitive information, and even execute arbitrary code in the user’s computer. The current browser security model is inadequate for preventing attacks via such vulnerable extensions. Therefore, an effective protection mechanism is required that would provide web browsers adequate security while still allowing them to be extended.

In this thesis, we propose a runtime protection mechanism for JavaScript-based browser extensions. Our protection mechanism performs offline randomization of an extension’s source code and augments the corresponding browser with appropriate modifications. The protection from malicious injection attacks is enforced at runtime by distinguishing attack code from the randomized extension code. Furthermore, for maximum backward compatibility with existing extensions, we propose a complementary static points-to analysis technique that can be invoked on-demand for assessing the security of dynamic code generation functions present in the source code of extensions. Our combined approach of runtime protection and static analysis is independent of the existing extension platforms, thus obviating the need of radically changing the platforms and requiring developers to rewrite their extensions. We implement our protection mechanism in the popular Mozilla Firefox browser and evaluate our approach on a set of vulnerable and non-vulnerable Mozilla Firefox extensions. The evaluation results indicate that our approach can be a viable solution for preventing attacks on JavaScript-based browser extensions while incurring negligible performance overhead and maintaining backward compatibility with existing extensions.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Behavioral and Neurological Changes Associated with Sucrose Bingeing

contributor:
Olmstead, Mary C.
Psychology

subject:
sucrose bingeing
rat
addiction

abstract: Thesis (Master, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-28 09:28:10.705

abstract: The behavioural and neurological effects of excessive sucrose intake overlap with those of abused drugs, suggesting that sucrose bingeing should be categorized with addictive disorders. Behaviorally, a primary characteristic of drug addiction is compulsive responding, manifested as an inability to inhibit drug intake despite negative consequences. We examined whether excessive sucrose self-administration produces these behavioural patterns using a validated rat model of sucrose bingeing (Avena et al., 2008) and investigated potential neurophysiological correlates with brain slice electrophysiology. Rats (n = 8-16 per group) received 12 or 24 hour access to a 10% sucrose solution and food, while control groups received food only or a 0.1% saccharin solution with food, each day for 28 days. Sucrose/saccharin/food consumption and weight were recorded daily. Compulsive responding for sucrose was assessed one or 28 days after the final self-administration session using a conditioned suppression paradigm. Persistent responding in the presence of a cue (tone) predicting a negative outcome (0.5 mA footshock) was used as a measure of compulsive responding. Only rats given 12-hour access to sucrose developed a binge pattern of intake, in which solution consumption increased dramatically during the first hour of each session.  This group also developed compulsive responding for sucrose, exhibiting a reduced conditioned suppression effect following both one day and 28 days of abstinence. At a neural level, there was a switch in direction (from reduction to enhancement) in dopaminergic (DA) modulation of GABA synaptic transmission in the oval bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (ovBNST) of rats that developed a binge pattern of sucrose intake. This switch was similar to that recently observed in rats displaying enhanced motivation to self-administer cocaine. Therefore, excessive intermittent sucrose consumption produces compulsive responding and this shift from controlled to compulsive intake may involve the same neural mechanisms that underlie excessive cocaine self-administration.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Measuring Incrementally Developed Model Transformations Using Change Metrics

contributor:
Dingel, Juergen
Computing

subject:
Model-Based Software Engineering
Incremental Development
Model-Driven Engineering
Model Transformation
Change Metrics

abstract: Thesis (Master, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-28 10:47:10.999

abstract:
Transformations play a central role in Model Based Software Engineering. Similar to the development of other types of software, a transformation's specification and implementation does not necessarily remain static over the course of a project's lifetime; the transformation may develop incrementally and evolve. The goal of this thesis is to propose metrics that can be used to characterize the evolution of model transformations. To perform an initial demonstration of the metrics, this thesis considers an incrementally defined model transformation task. The transformation is implemented using two model transformation languages, a textual language and a graphical language, and metrics are extracted from the historical artifacts.

The thesis defines a set of change metrics based on an abstract syntax difference model. Language feature metrics are also defined for both transformation languages. A process for extracting model-based change metrics and language metrics from the abstract syntax of the transformation languages is introduced. The applicability of the metrics in characterizing changes is demonstrated using exploratory clustering analysis on a transformation task. We show how, for this transformation task using both languages, metrics derived from the difference model result in clusters that reflect characteristics of individual changes, in contrast to clusters obtained with language metrics.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Exercise Limitation in Mild COPD: the Role of Respiratory Mechanical Factors

contributor:
O'Donnell, E. Denis
Physiology

subject:
Mild COPD
Dead Space Loading
Dyspnea
Exercise Limitation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physiology) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-28 12:04:50.507

abstract: The majority of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have milder airway obstruction and are not diagnosed in a timely fashion. Nevertheless, these patients are largely under-studied; this, despite new evidence of increased morbidity and mortality in this sub-population. Recent studies have highlighted the increased ventilatory requirements and abnormalities in respiratory mechanics as important features to explain the relatively reduced exercise tolerance and greater exertional dyspnea in these patients. However, it remains uncertain whether such abnormal mechanical factors actually limit exercise capacity in mild COPD. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to determine whether ventilatory constraints represent a primary factor in exercise limitation and increased dyspnea in this patient group. To determine the role of mechanical factors in exercise limitation in mild COPD, we selectively loaded the respiratory system by adding dead space (DS) to the breathing circuit. We compared ventilation, breathing pattern, operating lung volumes, and dyspnea intensity during incremental cycle exercise in 20 patients with GOLD stage I COPD (post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC=61±5%, and FEV1=95±11% predicted; mean±SD) and 20 healthy age-, sex- and BMI-matched subjects under two conditions, in randomized order: unloaded control (CTRL) or ventilatory stimulation by 600mL of an added DS. Compared to the CTRL condition, both healthy and COPD participants had small decreases in peak work rate and no significant increase in peak ventilation with the added DS. At the highest equivalent work rate of 60 watts, DS caused a smaller increase in tidal volume (VT) in COPD compared with healthy subjects (+0.26±0.29 vs. +0.56±0.22 L respectively, p<0.01) with a correspondingly greater increase in dyspnea intensity (+1.8±1.8 vs. +0.2±0.6 Borg units, respectively, p<0.0001). At peak exercise, COPD patients failed to significantly increase VT, reflecting the fact that end-inspiratory lung volume (EILV) could not increase with DS vs. CTRL (5.25±0.91 vs. 5.16±0.84 L, respectively, p=0.41). This contrasts the results in health where EILV increased with DS vs. CTRL (5.40±1.01 vs. 5.13±0.90 L, respectively, p<0.05). We conclude that the lower exercise performance in mild COPD, compared with health, is explained by critical respiratory mechanical constraints which limit further increases in ventilation to support a higher metabolic load.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Strengthening T-Joints of Rectangular Hollow Steel Sections Using Through-Wall Bolts and Externally Bonded FRP Plates

contributor:
Fam, Amir Z.
Civil Engineering

subject: T-Joint Bolt FRP RHS Crippling Brace Chord

abstract: Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-28 12:40:44.479

abstract:
T-joints are common in beam-column connections of steel frames, vierendeel girders and at mid-span of N-trusses. Strengthening the members of these structures increases the demand on the joints, which may require joint strengthening. This thesis examines different strengthening techniques of T-joints of RHS members.  In Phase I, the effectiveness of through-wall steel bolts is examined. This is accomplished by controlling the web outward buckling of the chord under the brace axial load. The study examined the effect of the number and pattern of bolts, as well as the web height-to-wall thickness (h/t) ratio of the chord, on strengthening effectiveness. Rectangular 203x76x(3.09, 4.5, and 5.92) mm chord members were tested. The 8 mm diameter steel bolts varied from a single bolt to 15 bolts of various distributions. The joint strength increased by 3.1%, 6.2%, and 29% for chords with (h/t) of 34, 45, and 65, respectively. The number and distribution of bolts had little effect on their effectiveness.
	In Phase II, similar T-joint specimens were strengthened using adhesively bonded GFRP plates, 9.5 mm thick, of different configurations, and 2 mm thick high-modulus CFRP plates of equivalent stiffness. It was shown that strength gain increases significantly, from 9% to 38%, as (h/t) ratio of the HSS chord increases from 34 to 65. In thin-walled HSS (h/t = 65), retrofitting provided significant gains in strength but not in ductility. In thick-walled HSS (h/t = 34), retrofitting provided little strength gain, but enhanced ductility, especially with properly bonded plates extending on the brace. Generally, plates fractured under local bending or delaminated within plate layers while bond was fully intact.
	In Phase III, selected configurations of the two retrofitting methods were used in additional T-joints with chord (h/t) ratio of 65, to study their effectiveness in presence of axial compression load in the chord. Two sustained load levels were induced in the chord, representing 45% and 80% of its full axial capacity. The transverse brace load was then gradually increased to failure. The through-wall steel bolts increased the joint capacity by 13% to 25%, depending on the chord’s axial load level, while the bonded GFRP plate increased the capacity by 38 to 46%.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: The Development of a Metal Plate Test Reactor for Studying Reaction Kinetics on Catalytically Coated Heat Transfer Components

contributor:
Peppley, Brant A.
Chemical Engineering

subject:
Reactor Design
Structured Reactor

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-28 12:39:38.392

abstract:
A novel catalytic metal plate test reactor was designed, built and commissioned. The overall dimensions of the whole assembly were 215 mm long  75 mm wide  60 mm deep. A strip of stainless steel with dimensions of 150 mm long 15 mm wide  1.59 mm thick was partly coated with catalyst and sealed between the two reactor parts. The design provided a single channel flow pattern that could be easily modeled to extract kinetic parameters. A key feature of the reactor design was effective heat transfer to promote isothermal operation. A series of thermocouples was incorporated into the reactor to measure the temperature profile along the reactor.
Performance of the reactor was verified using a well characterized commercially available Cu/Zn/Al2O3 catalyst from BASF. The goal of this experimentation was to determine the conversion, rate constant and activation energy for methanol steam reforming and compare these with previously published measurements.
Methanol conversion was measured at slightly higher than atmospheric pressure at temperatures of 220, 240 and 260 °C. Steam to water ratio of feed was maintained at one during the experimental program. The feed rate of methanol was varied to obtain a catalyst to feed ratio   between 6 and 20 kgs mol-1. The composition of reformate and methanol conversion were studied with temperature and flow rate of the feed. An increase from 27.68 to 41.61% in methanol conversion was observed increasing the reaction temperature from 220 to 240°C.
An irreversible first order rate constant was calculated using the experimentally measured conversion and space time. The apparent activation energy (Ea) based on a first order plug flow design operation was 96±4 k.J.mol-1 and agreed well with the values of 77-105.1 kJmol-1 reported in the literature.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Exploring Tools to Develop the Bioeconomy in Eastern Ontario

contributor:
Mabee, Warren
Geography

subject:
bioeconomy
bioenergy
knowledge economy

abstract: Thesis (Master, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-28 14:01:25.454

abstract: The bioeconomy, which would utilize biomass resources for the renewable production of energy, fuels, and products, has been proposed as a mechanism by which Ontario’s resource-dependent communities might be revitalized.  This thesis applies a knowledge economy framework to the establishment of a bioeconomy, with a strong focus on bioenergy as a first step, in Kingston and the surrounding region.  The knowledge economy approach was examined in relation to other measures of sustainability and security.  A series of 25 expert interviews informed an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats on the topic of the knowledge-based bioeconomy study region.  The ability of the knowledge-based approach to assess the requirements of the bioeconomy was then evaluated using a statistical assessment of the study region based on Florida’s ‘creative economy’ framework, and this assessment was compared to key factors noted in the SWOT analysis.  Research findings indicate that basic necessities such as feedstock, technology and transportation routes are likely available across the study region.  However, key elements of the knowledge economy are absent particularly human resources in the ‘creative’ class.  The knowledge-based approach is not particularly well suited to capturing all aspects of the bioeconomy, as it overlooks physical geographical features, which may be better measured by other tools.  More focused policy with regard to renewable energy locally, provincially and nationally is seen to be important for advancing the bioeconomy.  Acting on opportunities and using regional strengths will insure a successful implementation of a knowledge-based bioeconomy that will provide the benefits of economic growth associated with knowledge economies.

abstract: M.A.


title: Testing the role of Baja California generating biodiversity: A test case characterizing the population genetic structure of Cassin's auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus)

contributor:
Friesen, Vicki L.
Biology

subject:
seabird
Baja California
gene flow
conservation
Cassin's auklet
population genetic structure

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-28 14:02:24.007

abstract:
Characterizing the population genetic structure of a species can provide insight into isolating effects of local adaptation and genetic drift, and homogenizing effects of gene flow. The relative interplay between gene flow and genetic drift can indicate whether multiple conservation units are needed to preserve biodiversity. Baja California, Mexico is a biodiversity hotspot where many individuals are genetically differentiated from conspecific individuals breeding elsewhere. Cassin’s auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus), a zooplanktivorous seabird, breeds in colonies along the Pacific coast of North America. One subspecies, P. a. australe, is described from Baja California and another, P. a. aleuticus, is described from the rest of its range to the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Many of the colonies throughout its range have been declining in numbers likely as a result of decreases in food availability in cold-water upwellings along the coast. The mitochondrial control region and eleven nuclear microsatellites were analyzed using programs based on coalescent and Bayesian theory to determine how the southern subspecies compares genetically to the main subspecies.
	First, population genetic structure was characterized throughout Cassin’s auklet’s breeding range using pairwise genetic differentiation indices, hierarchical analysis of variance, statistical parsimony and Bayesian clustering methods. The two subspecies were genetically differentiated but individuals breeding in the Channel Islands were more genetically similar to P. a. australe individuals. Population genetic differentiation was not evident within the two genetic groups.
	Second, gene flow between the two genetic groups was estimated using coalescent and Bayesian methods. Significant gene flow was estimated from the northern group (Aleutian Islands to Southeast Farallon Islands) into the southern group (Channel Islands to San Benito Island) but not from the southern group into the northern group since the time of divergence, possibly as a result of the non-breeding distribution. Results show that the two genetic populations diverged recently and the populations have experienced a recent population change in size. Restrictions in home range and foraging range may cause population genetic differentiation, resulting in two distinct management units. Genetic differentiation of the southern population provides support for Baja California and southern California being a biodiversity hotspot.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Assimilation Through Incarceration: the Geographic Imposition of Canadian Law Over Indigenous Peoples

contributor:
Osborne, Brian S.
Lovell, W. George
Geography

subject:
Incarceration
Colonialism
Aboriginal
Canada
Prisons
Indigenous
Justice
Residential Schools
First Nations
Crime
Racism
Legal Geography
Assimilation
Department of Indian Affairs
Manitoulin Island
Law
Historical Geography

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-28 14:23:08.969

abstract: The disproportionate incarceration of indigenous peoples in Canada is far more than a socio-economic legacy of colonialism. The Department of Indian Affairs (DIA) espoused incarceration as a strategic instrument of assimilation. Colonial consciousness could not reconcile evolving indigenous identities with projects of state formation founded on the epistemological invention of populating idle land with productive European settlements. The 1876 Indian Act instilled a stubborn, albeit false, categorization deep within the structures of the Canadian state: “Indian,” ward of the state. From “Indian” classification conferred at birth, the legal guardianship of the state was so far-reaching as to make it akin to the control of incarcerated inmates. As early iterations of the DIA sought to enforce the legal dominion of the state, “Indians” were quarantined on reserves until they could be purged of indigenous identities that challenged colonial hegemony. Reserve churches, council houses, and schools were symbolic markers as well as practical conveyors of state programs. Advocates of Christianity professed salvation and taught a particular idealized morality as prerequisites to acceptable membership in Canadian society. Agricultural instructors promoted farming as a transformative act in the individual ownership of land. Alongside racializing religious edicts and principles of stewardship, submission to state law was a critical precondition of enfranchisement into the adult milieu. When indigenous identities persisted, children were removed from their families and placed in residential schools for intensive assimilation. Adults and children deemed noncompliant to state laws were coerced through incarceration. Jails were powerful symbols of the punitive authority of the Dominion of Canada. Today, while the overrepresentation of Aboriginal persons in prisons is a matter of national concern, and critiques of systematic racism dismantle ideologies of impartial justice, the precise origins of indigenous imprisonment have not been identified. The DIA was so intimately invested in assimilation through incarceration that lock-ups were erected with band funds on “Indian lands” across Canada. Archival documents and the landscape of Manitoulin Island make this legal historical geographical analysis of assimilation through incarceration possible.

abstract: PhD


title: Sustainability of Changing Agricultural Systems in the Coastal Zone of Bangladesh

contributor:
van Loon, Gary
Environmental Studies

subject:
Bangladesh
Coastal Zone
Agriculture
Sustainability
Indicators
Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis

abstract: Thesis (Master, Environmental Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-28 15:08:18.847

abstract:
Transformations of the various agricultural systems have been taking place in the coastal zone of Bangladesh. While some farmers continue to follow traditional practices, in recent years, others have become involved in massive shrimp cultivation, shrimp-rice cultivation, a rice-based improved agricultural system or a shrimp-rice-vegetable integrated system. All these types of agriculture are being practiced under highly vulnerable environmental conditions. The long-term livelihood, food security and adaptation of the coastal people largely depend on the sustainability of these agricultural practices. In this context, assessing the level of sustainability is extremely important and will be essential for developing future policy options in Bangladesh.
This study attempts to examine the sustainability of agricultural practices in the coastal region of Bangladesh. A field study was carried out in 2011 in five villages of five upazilas in the mature and active delta areas of the country. The data were collected through in-depth questionnaire surveys, focus groups discussions, field observation, key informants and secondary materials. A comprehensive suite of indicators was developed considering productivity, efficiency, stability, durability, compatibility and equity of the coastal agriculture. The categories and the indicators were weighted using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to measure the sustainability level of five study sites.
The integrated agricultural system (shrimp-rice-vegetable) of Dumuria appeared to be the most sustainable system among agricultural practices, and other integrated systems (rice-based improved agricultural system) of Kalaroa were also found to show a good level of sustainability. The massive shrimp cultivation system of Shyamnagar and Kaliganj appears to be least sustainable. A traditional agriculture system with some improved methods followed in Bhola Sadar also performed in a satisfactory manner, but there were limitations in terms of its location in the active delta. The level of the sustainability measured in this study allows for a comparison among agricultural practices of the five study sites. The information generated from the study may be used in formulating policies for this part of the country. Measuring agricultural sustainability in this way produces a useful summary of sustainability issues and also provides some vital learning experiences.
A holistic and interdisciplinary approach is attempted in this study for assessing and comparing the sustainability level of coastal agricultural systems. It has the potential to become useful as one of the frameworks for sustainability assessment.

abstract: M.E.S.


title: Considerations in the Design of Barrier Systems for Landfills and Lagoons

contributor:
Rowe, Kerry
Civil Engineering

subject:
Geosynthetics
Temperature effects
Decision support system
Geoenvironmental engineering
Design
Geosynthetic clay liners
Leachate lagoons
Municipal solid waste
Desiccation
Landfills

abstract: Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-28 18:52:20.106

abstract:
A literature review of municipal solid waste landfill design was conducted to provide the knowledge base for development of an environmental decision support system (Landfill Advisor). Landfill Advisor integrates the current knowledge of barrier systems into a software program to assist in landfill design. The choices available for each liner component (e.g., drainage layer, geomembrane liner, compacted clay liner, geosynthetic clay liner) and their suitability for different situations (e.g., final cover, base liner, lagoon liner) are presented. Landfill Advisor covers both the design and related operational issues for municipal solid waste landfills, with consideration given to the interactions between components, operating conditions, and the natural environment with a view to maximization of long-term system performance. Unique to Landfill Advisor, the service life of each engineered component is estimated based on results from the latest research.
	Original research is also presented on the risk of geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) desiccation in low stress applications such as solar ponds. Numerical modelling was undertaken using a thermo-hydro-mechanical model with parameters that were developed and verified by comparison to previously reported laboratory data. A parametric study was performed to establish recommendations for future investigation. The water retention curve of the GCL was found to have a significant effect on the conditions that are expected to cause desiccation. The temperature coefficient of the water retention curve was also found to have a significant effect, yet this parameter is not well defined. Poisson’s ratio was found to affect the risk of desiccation in proportion to the applied stress. As reported by previous researchers, the initial degree of saturation of a GCL was found to be important to desiccation; however, the effect is diminished at low applied stress.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Nitroxide Mediated Polymerization: Microemulsion of N-Butyl Acrylate and the Synthesis of Block Copolymers

contributor:
Cunningham, Michael F.
Chemical Engineering

subject:
Nitroxide Mediated Polymerization
Controlled Radical Polymerization
Living Radical Polymerization
Microemulsion

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-28 15:43:00.513

abstract:
Living radical polymerization has proved to be a powerful tool for the synthesis of polymers as it allows for a high degree of control over the polymer microstructure and the synthesis of tailored molecular architectures. Although it has great potential, its use on an industrial scale is limited due to environmental and economical aspects. Nitroxide mediated polymerization is explored to bring this technology closer to adoption in commercial applications.
One of the obstacles encountered using nitroxide mediated polymerization in microemulsion systems is the difficulty in controlling both the particle size and target molecular weight. Due to the nature of the formulation, a decrease in the target molecular weight is coupled to an increase in the particle size. For many applications, it is important to be able to design polymer particles with both specifications independently. Strategies to decouple these two properties and processing conditions required for targeting a range of particle sizes and molecular weights for n butyl acrylate latexes are presented. Furthermore, in an attempt to reduce the large amounts of surfactant typically used in microemulsions, these methods were explored at low surfactant to monomer ratios (0.2 to 0.5 by wt.) in order to reduce the costs associated with excess surfactant and post processing steps for surfactant removal (high surfactant levels also give poor water-resistance in coatings). Stable nanolatexes with particle sizes <40 nm have been obtained by other groups using NMP in microemulsions with SG1 but have done so by using much higher surfactant to monomer ratios (~2.5 by wt.) and at much lower solids content (6 10 wt. %). In this work, molecular weights of 20,000 to 80,000 g∙mol-1 were targeted and stable, n-butyl acrylate microemulsions with particle sizes ranging from 20 120 nm were prepared at a solids content of 20 wt. % using much lower surfactant concentrations. Although numerous studies have shown the effects of process parameters on particle sizes and methods to control the molecular weight, the decoupling of the molecular weight and particle size effect in NMP microemulsions under these conditions has not been done to this extent.
In copolymer systems, nitroxide mediated polymerization also provides an efficient method to synthesize well defined block copolymers. Random copolymers are widely used as protective colloids, but the use of block copolymers for these applications has not been well studied. It is unclear what effects do the importance of a narrow molecular weight distribution and purity of block copolymers have on their performance as protective colloids. In order to investigate this, a range of block copolymers with different properties would need to be synthesized for systematic analysis. The direct synthesis of polystyrene b poly(acrylic acid) copolymers of varying lengths and compositions was successful by use of nitroxide mediated polymerization in bulk and solution polymerization. The characterization of these amphiphilic block copolymers was explored by titration and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: A detailed observational analysis of magnetism in three B and O stars observed within the context of the MiMeS project

subject:
Magnetism
Magnetosphere
Magnetometry
Massive Stars

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-28 17:22:35.115

abstract:
The detailed observational analysis of three massive B- and O-type stars was carried out in this study in order to characterize their fundamental, magnetic, and variability properties. The bulk of the data acquired were obtained with the high-resolution ESPaDOnS spectropolarimeter at the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope, within the context of the Magnetism in Massive Stars (MiMeS) project. Two of these stars (HR5907 and HD57682) are newly detected magnetic stars, discovered from observations acquired as part of the broader survey component of the MiMeS program, while the last star, ω Ori, was previously reported as magnetic in the literature.

The rotation periods of HR5907 and HD57682 were inferred from photometric, Hα emission and longitudinal field variations. A period of 0.508276 was inferred for HR5907, making this the shortest period, non-degenerate, magnetic massive star identified to date. Furthermore, ultraviolet and optical spectroscopy were combined to infer the fundamental properties of HR5907 and HD57682. Direct modelling of the Least-Squares Deconvolved line profiles and the longitudinal magnetic field measurements were used to infer the magnetic properties of HR5907, HD57682, and ω Ori. A detailed investigation of the newly obtained and archival polarimetric data of ω Ori revealed no convincing evidence for a magnetic field, despite evidence of variability in some emission quantities in this dataset, which had been previously attributed to a large-scale magnetic field. The strength and variability of the optical photospheric helium lines of HR5907 suggests that this star is He-rich, with a non-uniform distribution of its surface chemistry. Lastly, the emission variations in the hydrogen lines of HR5907 suggest this star hosts a highly-structured, rigidly-rotating,
 centrifugally supported magnetosphere. Similarly, line profile variations throughout
 the optical spectrum of HD57682 are attributed to emission variations caused by a
 rotationally-modulated, dynamical magnetosphere.

As magnetism in massive stars is a relatively rare and poorly-studied phenomenon,
 these studies comprise the bulk of the detailed investigations of magnetic massive
 stars carried out to date. The results of these investigations are also discussed in the context of addressing the current outstanding issues related to magnetism in massive stars.

abstract: PhD


title: The Experiences and Perceptions of Chinese English Language Learners Taking the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test: Is a Picture Worth 1000 Words?

contributor:
Cheng, Liying
Education

subject:
English Language Learners
Assessment and Evaluation
Cultural Literacy
Education
Evaluation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-30 17:42:05.977

abstract:
The public education system in Ontario, like many other education systems worldwide, is currently undergoing drastic changes effected by globalization. The globalization of education, which can be understood as “the worldwide discussions, processes, and institutions affecting local education practices and policies” (Spring, 2009, p. 1), has led to Ontario’s curriculum being used in over 20 schools located outside the province (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2011). Because these schools grant the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), students must satisfy the same graduation requirements as those students who attend secondary school located in Ontario.
A requirement for graduation includes the successful completion of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), a large-scale assessment intended to measure literacy. English Language Learners (ELLs) have more difficulty passing the OSSLT than their peers who speak English as their first language (Doe, Cheng, Klinger, & Zheng, 2011; Fox & Cheng, 2007). This issue is of particular concern to educators and students at these schools. Because the majority of these schools are located in China, my study focuses on ELLs in one school in China which uses the Ontario curriculum. The purpose of my study is twofold: 1) to understand how Chinese English Language Learners perceive the news report on the OSSLT, and 2) to understand how issues of culturally embedded knowledge affect their ability to take the test (the OSSLT) successfully.
	I selected a qualitative research approach because the intent of this study was to understand the perspectives of Chinese ELLs. I conducted three focus groups with one class of ELLS in one secondary school in China.  I also used observations and analysis of written artifacts to triangulate the collected data.
	The findings of this study revealed some challenges and perspectives on the OSSLT specific to Chinese ELLs. I conclude that the issue of cultural literacy is a key factor preventing Chinese ELLs from demonstrating their true level of literacy on the OSSLT.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Wounded Subjects: White Settler Nationals in Toronto G20 Resistance Narratives

contributor:
Morgensen, Scott Lauria
Gender Studies

subject:
Anti-racism
Feminism
Resistance movements
Trans studies
Anarchism
Whiteness
Settler-colonialism
Media representation
G20
Biopower
State of exception
Citizenship
Camp
Torontonamo
Nationalism
Canada
Gender studies

abstract: Thesis (Master, Gender Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-29 21:16:51.694

abstract: This project engages theories of settler colonialism, biopower, and the state of exception to analyze the operations of rights-based narratives of citizenship in relation to political dissent in Canada. I argue that a normalized state of exception founds the white supremacist, settler colonial state, bringing Canadian citizenship into being as a (white) racialized, (cis)gendered, and (hetero)sexualized construct. By examining “resistance narratives” about the Toronto G20 that emerged in the post-G20 climate, my work argues that, in treating the policing practices employed during the G20 as exceptional and in (re)producing the exaltation of white heterosexual cis-masculine citizens, these narratives normalize and reinforce the daily operations of the exception, which targets Indigenous, racialized, and other “Others” in Canada. Finally, my work critically engages with the space of the Eastern Detention Centre (EDC) as a temporary camp set up to detain G20 arrestees, and with the narrative of “Torontonamo” that emerged to describe and explain the EDC. Reading the EDC in the context of other spatial organizations of the exception in Canada, I argue that the “Torontonamo” narrative reasserts race thinking in relation to the normalized operations of the exception. In so doing, it (re)produces white citizen-subjects as the proper recipients of national and international human rights, while abandoning racialized populations to the space of the camp. Ultimately, my work writes against the hegemonic view of the Toronto G20 as an exceptional event in Canadian history. I contend that G20 policing practices were only a hyper-visible example of the normalized operations of the exception within settler colonialism.

abstract: M.A.


title: Moral Liability to Self-Defense: Challenging Jeff McMahan's Fact-Relative Account

contributor:
Kumar, Rahul
Philosophy

subject:
Just War
Defensive Harm
McMahan
Moral Responsibility
Fact-Relative Account
Moral Liability
Evidence-Relative
Self-Defence
Liability

abstract: Thesis (Master, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-30 12:44:32.85

abstract: The focus of this thesis is the normative base of moral liability to defensive harm. Many argue that liability is what makes it morally permissible to seriously injure or kill in self-defense or in the defense of others. Authors such as Jonathan Quong and Jeff McMahan argue that liability not only has important implications for the individual morality of self-defense, but that it plays a major role in the principles of just war conduct. How you determine when someone is liable will have a significant impact on when someone can be harmed. In this paper, I focus on the question of what a person must do to be morally liable to defensive harm. More specifically, I take a close look at Jeff McMahan’s moral responsibility account of liability and argue that it is unsatisfying as an explanation of when and why a person is liable. I then argue that an evidence-based account of liability better captures our moral intuitions surrounding liability. I end by considering an argument put forward by Quong on why we should not support an evidence-based account of liability.

abstract: M.A.


title: Does Charity Begin - and End - at Home? Singer and Kant's Views on Our Duties of Foreign Aid

contributor:
Sypnowich, Christine
Philosophy

subject:
Charity
Singer
Foreign Aid
Kant
Global Justice

abstract: Thesis (Master, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2012-10-01 12:30:15.657

abstract:
In "Famine, Affluence, and Morality," Peter Singer urges citizens of wealthy countries to make immense personal sacrifices in order to assist the poor overseas.  Though Singer has moderated his view in recent years and now supports widespread tithing, the motivation remains the same.  By contrast, Immanuel Kant contends that the first right of humanity is freedom and that the purpose of a political order is to unite people into a rightful condition.  As part of this, taxes should be imposed in order to support the domestic poor - an obligation that does not extend across borders.

Although their underlying assumptions are quite different, Singer and Kant’s concerns can both be addressed by a common solution: the creation of a global tax to support the poor, implemented by a global state.  Such an arrangement would permit substantial coordinated flows of aid to the needy (meeting Singer’s utilitarian concerns) while also ensuring that all people of the world are in a rightful condition with each other, thereby providing the justification for global social assistance (respecting Kantian deontology.)  This solution requires expanding Singer’s proposals and a revisionist reading of Kant that dismisses his arguments against the creation of a global state.  (Rawls’ support for a world of distinct states that support each other can also be dismissed, as his approach does not sufficiently connect political structures with personal duty, as Singer and Kant both do.)

Though the final form of the solution is largely the same, Kant’s framework is superior: while Singer cannot eliminate the danger of becoming overwhelmed by duty, Kant’s focus on individual autonomy can guard against this.

abstract: M.A.


title: Cohen’s Egalitarian Ethos: What Does the Political Require of the Personal?

subject:
Egalitarianism
Distributive Justice
Political Philosophy
G.A. Cohen

abstract: Thesis (Master, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2012-10-02 08:20:09.804

abstract: G.A. Cohen’s critique of John Rawls holds that it is insufficient to approach the problem of justice as one of principles governing laws and institutions alone. Instead, an appropriate social ethos must motivate the citizens to act from these principles in order to ensure that society is characterized by equality. The following will argue that Cohen’s concerns with Rawls are well-founded. However, even citizens motivated by a sense of justice will possess motives that are non-egoistic, yet inegalitarian in effect. Therefore, just citizens should not be expected to enact the same principles as just institutions.

abstract: M.A.


title: Sex-Based Differences In Lifting Technique Under Increasing Load Conditions: A Principal Component Analysis

contributor:
Stevenson, Joan M.
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Principal Component Elimination
Principal Component Analysis
Lifting Kinematics

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-10-03 21:10:11.889

abstract: The objectives of the present study were: 1) to determine if there is a sex-based difference in lifting technique across increasing load conditions; and, 2) to examine the use of body size-adjusted tasks and back strength-adjusted loads in the analysis of lifting technique. Eleven male and 14 female participants (n=25) with no previous history of low back pain participated in the study. Participants completed freestyle, symmetric lifts of a box with handles from the floor to table height for five trials under three load conditions (10%, 20%, and 30% of their individual maximum isometric back strength). Joint kinematic data for the ankle, knee, hip, and lumbar and thoracic spine were collected using a two-camera Optotrak 3020 system (NDI, Waterloo, ON). Joint angles were calculated using a three-dimensional Euler rotation sequence and PCA was applied to assess differences in lifting technique across the entire waveform. A repeated measures ANOVA with a mixed design revealed no significant effect of sex for any of the PCs. This was contrary to previous research that used discrete points on the lifting curve to analyze sex-based differences but agreed with more recent research using more complex analysis techniques. There was a significant effect of load on lifting technique for six PCs of the lower limb (p<0.005).  However, there was no significant difference in lifting technique for the thoracic and lumbar spine. It was concluded that, when load is standardized to individual back strength characteristics, males and females adopted a similar lifting technique. In addition, as load increases participants used more of a semi-squat or squat lifting technique.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Functional Chemometrics: Automated Spectral Smoothing with Spatially Adaptive Splines

contributor:
McLellan, P. James
Chemical Engineering

subject: Splines, Functional data analysis, chemometrics, PCA, PLS, PCR

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-10-01 20:18:31.119

abstract:
Functional data analysis (FDA) is a demonstrably effective, practical, and powerful method of data analysis, yet it remains virtually unheard of outside of academic circles and has almost no exposure to industry. FDA adds to the milieu of statistical methods by treating functions of one or more independent variables as data objects, analogous to the way in which discrete points are the data objects we are familiar with in conventional statistics.
The first step in functional analysis is to “functionalize” the data, or convert discrete points into a system represented most times by continuous functions. Choosing the type of functions to use is data-dependent and often straightforward – for example, Fourier series lend themselves well to periodic systems, while splines offer great flexibility in approximating more irregular trends, such as chemical spectra.
This work explores the question of how B-splines can be rapidly and reliably used to denoised infrared chemical spectra, a difficult problem not only because of the many parameters involved in generating a spline fit, but also due to the disparate nature of spectra in terms of shape and noise intensity. Automated selection of spline parameters is required to support high-throughput analysis, and the heteroscedastic nature of such spectra presents challenges for existing techniques.
The heuristic knot placement algorithm of Li et al. (2005) for 1D object contours is extended to spectral fitting by optimizing the denoising step for a range of spectral types and signal/noise ratios, using the following criteria: robustness to types of spectra and noise conditions, parsimony of knots, low computational demand, and ease of implementation in high-throughput settings. Pareto-optimal filter configurations are determined using simulated data from factorial experimental designs. The improved heuristic algorithm uses wavelet transforms and provides improved performance in robustness, parsimony of knots and the quality of functional regression models used to correlate real spectral data with chemical composition. In practical applications, functional principal component regression models yielded similar or significantly improved results when compared with their discrete partial least squares counterparts.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: mTOR Pathway is Up-regulated by Both Acute Endurance Exercise and Chronic Muscle Contraction in Rat Skeletal Muscle

contributor:
Gurd, Brendon J.
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Skeletal Muscle
Translation Initiation
Aerobic Exercise
Protein Translation
Mitochondria

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-10-02 13:35:04.072

abstract: The purpose of this thesis was to examine changes in the expression of translation regulatory proteins following both an acute bout of endurance exercise and chronic muscle contractile activity. In experiment 1, female Sprague-Dawley rats ran for 2 h at 15 m/min followed by an increase in speed of 5 m/min every 5 min until volitional fatigue. Red gastrocnemius muscle was harvested from non-exercised animals (control), immediately following cessation of exercise (0 h) and after 3 hours of recovery (3 h). Compared to control, rpS6 mRNA was elevated (p < .05) at both 0 h (+32%) and 3 h (+47%). Both eIF2Bε (+127%) and mTOR mRNA (+44%) were higher than control at 3 h, while eIF4E decreased (-24%) immediately following exercise (p < .05). Phosphorylation of mTOR (+40%) and S6K1 (+266%) also increased immediately post-exercise (p < .05). In experiment 2, female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent chronic stimulation of the peroneal nerve continuously for 7 days. The red gastrocnemius muscle was removed 24 h following cessation of the stimulation. Chronic muscle stimulation up-regulated (P < .05) mTOR protein (+74%), rpS6 (+31%), and eIF2α (+44%, P < .07), and this was accompanied by an increase in cytochrome C (+31%). Phosphorylation of rpS6 (Ser235/Ser236) was increased (+51%, P < .05), while mTOR (Ser2448) and 4E-BP1 (Thr37/46) did not change. These experiments demonstrate that acute and chronic endurance contractile activity up-regulate the mTOR signalling pathway and mitochondrial content in murine skeletal muscle. This up-regulation of the mTOR pathway may increase translation efficiency and may also represent an important control point in exercise mediated mitochondrial biogenesis.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Decolonizing Anarchism: Expanding Anarcha-Indigenism in Theory and Practice

contributor:
Day, Richard J. F.
Morgensen, Scott Lauria
Cultural Studies

subject: anti-colonialism anarchism

abstract: Thesis (Master, Cultural Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-30 23:49:58.642

abstract:
In this thesis I argue that anarchism, as a political philosophy and social movement practice committed to resisting all forms of oppression and domination, needs to place colonialism more clearly and consistently at the centre of its analysis of interlocking systems of oppression. I argue that colonialism has largely been absent as a system of domination and oppression within anarchist theory and practice, with the exception of a small number of theorists and activist groups. My contention is that an anti-colonial orientation needs to be further encompassed in part because of anarchism’s commitment to resisting all forms of oppression and domination, but also because anarchist movements carry out and theorize resistance against the backdrop of settler colonial realities and on Indigenous lands. This thesis contributes to these aims by seeking to expand and push further work done on anarcha-Indigenism that examines the possible points of contact and resonance between anarchist and Indigenous politics, philosophy and action.

I conceptualize anarcha-Indigenism first as a ‘third space’, following post-colonial theorists, and extend this concept towards an ‘n-dimensional’ space of meeting, where theoretical perspectives can come to engage with one another. This space consists of points of contact and resonance chiefly between Indigenist, anarchist and feminist theory and practice, but also extends to any perspective that might meet the core commitments of anarcha-Indigenism, namely resistance to all forms of oppression and domination. Within the ‘n-dimensional’ space of anarcha-Indigenism I examine the possibilities of anti-colonial research methodology, solidarity relationships between settlers and Indigenous peoples, engagements between anarchist and Indigenous feminisms and contemporary manifestations of anti-colonial anarchist resistance against the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and the Toronto G20. These successive chapters seek to make anti-colonial interventions into anarchist theory and practice as well as further develop the richness of anarcha-Indigenism and its complexities. Overall, I argue that anarcha-Indigenism, as an ‘n-dimensional’ space of meeting can further resistance to all forms of oppression and domination, and has the ability to make anti-colonial interventions into anarchist theory and practice specifically.

abstract: M.A.


title: Higher Brain Neurons Succumb to Acute Stroke-Like Insult While Lower Brain Neurons Strongly Resist

contributor:
Andrew, David
Anatomy and Cell Biology

subject: Stroke Neurophysiology Anoxic Depolarization

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Anatomy & Cell Biology) -- Queen's University, 2012-10-02 17:59:20.589

abstract:
Pyramidal neurons (PyNs) in ‘higher’ brain are highly susceptible to acute stroke injury yet ‘lower’ brain regions better survive global ischemia, presumably because of better residual blood flow. Here we show that projection neurons in ‘lower’ brain regions of hypothalamus and brainstem intrinsically resist acute stroke-like injury independent of blood flow in the brain slice. In contrast `higher` projection neurons in neocortex, hippocampus, striatum and thalamus are highly susceptible. In live brain slices from rat deprived of oxygen and glucose (OGD), we imaged anoxic depolarization (AD) as it propagates through these regions. AD, the initial electrophysiological event of stroke, is a depolarizing front that drains residual energy in compromised gray matter. The extent of AD reliably determines ensuing damage in higher brain, but using whole-cell recordings we found that all CNS neurons do not generate a robust AD. Higher neurons generate strong AD and show no functional recovery in contrast to neurons in hypothalamus and brainstem that generate a weak and gradual AD. Most dramatically, lower neurons recover their membrane potential, input resistance and spike amplitude when oxygen and glucose is restored, while higher neurons do not. Following OGD, new recordings could be acquired in all lower (but not higher) brain regions, with some neurons even withstanding multiple OGD exposure. Two-photon laser scanning microscopy confirmed neuroprotection in lower, but not higher gray matter. Specifically pyramidal neurons swell and lose their dendritic spines post-OGD, whereas neurons in hypothalamus and brainstem display no such injury. Exposure to the Na+/K+ ATPase inhibitor ouabain (100 μM), induces depolarization similar to OGD in all cell types tested. Moreover, elevated [K+]o evokes spreading depression (SD), a milder version of AD, in higher brain but not hypothalamus or brainstem so weak AD correlates with the inability to generate SD.
In summary, overriding the Na+/K+ pump using OGD, ouabain or elevated [K+]o evokes steep and robust depolarization of higher gray matter. We show that this important regional difference can be largely accounted for by the intrinsic properties of the resident neurons and that Na+/K+ ATPase pump efficiency is a major determining factor generating strong or weak spreading depolarizations.

abstract: Papers two and three in this thesis have yet to be published.

abstract: PhD