title: Varying food quality and its influence on spruce budworm growth, development, and fecundity

subject:
Spruce budworm
Balsam fir
Black spruce
Leaf toughness
McMorran diet

abstract:
These studies assess how changing food quality influences spruce
budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.), in terms of the performance
characteristics of survival, development, growth, and fecundity. The
components of food quality that were investigated were nitrogen (N), water,
indigestible fibre (IF), and leaf toughness. I believe that budworm feeding, at a
given defoliation intensity triggers a relative increase of foliar IF in comparison
to the other nutritional constituents that are essential to the growth and
development of spruce budworm It was my hypothesis that there is a threshold
IF:nutrient above which performance and fitness declines. Four experiments
were conducted to test this hypothesis.
In experiment 1, foliar samples of balsam fir (Bf), Abies balsamea (L.),
white spruce (Sw), Picea glauca (Moench) Voss, and black spruce (Sb), Picea
mariana (Mill.) B.S.P., were chemically analyzed for levels of N and IF to
determine the seasonal variation in these components and to quantify the
physiological bounds of IF:N in the natural budworm diet. As well, water content
was assessed. Foliar N levels were initially high and decreased rapidly in the
early growing season and then gradually for the remainder of the season. Little
difference was observed among species and crown positions. IF followed a
trend of low levels in the swollen buds, a rapid increase to about early July and
then a general tapering off. There was slight variability among crown positions.
At the start of budworm feeding early in the growing season, IF:N was about
20:1 for all species. By early July, when feeding stops, the IF:N ratio was about
50:1 for Sw and 30:1 for Bf and Sb. Foliar water content followed a trend of
high levels at growth initiation that increased soon to seasonal peaks. Water
content then decreased from about mid-June to late August. Little difference
was observed between crown positions for all species.
In experiment 2 spruce budworm were reared on early- and late-season
foliage of Bf, Sw, and Sb to test the hypothesis that budworm can perform better
on foliage with low IF:N (early-season foliage) than on foliage with high IF:N
(late-season foliage). Spruce budworm showed superior development, growth
and fecundity on early-season compared to late-season foliage. Development
times were shorter and pupal weights and number of eggs laid were greater on early-season than on late-season foliage. The early- and late-season, current-year
needles of Bf, Sw and Sb were collected and measured with a
penetrometer for leaf toughness in order to quantify the seasonal variation of
this food quality component. Early-season needles were significantly softer
than late-season needles for all species, although toughness measurements
were highly variable. Among early-season measurements, Bf foliage was
significantly softer than the two spruces, which themselves did not differ.
Among late-season measurements, species differed significantly from each
other with Sb being the toughest and Bf being the softest. It is interesting that
the two spruces differed significantly considering that they had similar IF levels.
It appears that a component other than IF may be contributing to leaf toughness
for Sb.
In experiment 3, to test the hypothesis that below some level of dietary N
budworm performance would be low, casein was added to the standard
McMorran diet at 12, 18, 25 and 100 percent casein in the standard diet. This
lower level would then be included into the design of experiment 4. As well,
components of the standard diet were analyzed for sources and levels of N and
IF. Spruce budworm reared on the 12 percent casein diet showed the poorest
performance; survival, weights at sixth instar and pupa, and number of eggs laid
were lowest while development times in sixth instar were longest. No clear
association between pupal weight and fecundity occurred; fecundity was
greatest on diets with 25 percent casein although female pupal weights were
significantly lighter than those on 100 percent casein. It may be that there are
inherent problems with the weight/fecundity relationship or that the standard
diet is too N-rich and not optimally nutrient balanced for egg production. These
findings have implications for optimizing the standard McMorran diet.
To test the hypothesis that there is a threshold IF:N above which spruce
budworm performance declines, experiment 4 was conducted with 12, 18, 25,
and 100 percent casein in the standard diet and varying cellulose:casein N.
Cellulose:casein N ratios of 3:1 (standard McMorran diet), 15:1, and 50:1 were
included to imitate the physiological bounds of IF:N in host foliage diets.
Budworm performed well on all diets with few significant differences. The
reason for these unexpected results, in comparison to experiment 3, was
probably because budworm were initially reared on the standard diet before
being transferred, whereas in experiment 3, the insects were reared from
second instar to pupa on treatment diets. The standard diet probably gave the
larvae sufficient protein reserves to support their growth when reared on the
deemed protein-deficient diets. As well, the inclusion of powdered cellulose as
the primary source of fibre had little effect on performance, probably because it
passed through the larval gut easily without interfering with digestion. An
exception was the positive effect that increasing cellulose to 15:1 in the 100
percent diet had on egg production, compared to the standard diet which was
3:1, cellulose:casein N. Females on the former diet had 14 percent heavier
pupal weights and laid 19 percent more eggs than those on the latter. It
appears that the standard diet could be improved through the addition of fibre.
From these studies, it is still inconclusive that there is an interaction between N
and indigestible fibres which leads to diminished budworm performance.


title: Design of a 6-DOF haptic interface for robotic teleoperation

contributor:
Tayebi, Abdelhamid
Liu, Xiaoping

subject:
Robots (Control systems)
Robotics

abstract: Teleoperation has become increasingly important in medical applications, handling hazardous materials, as well as in other robotics applications. Force feedback in such systems is essential; therefore a haptic device is needed in order to allow the user to feel the reactive forces between the slave manipulator and the environment. Our main research focus is the design of a six degrees of freedom parallel robot to be used as a master haptic interface in internet-based teleoperation. This parallel robot is based on two five-bar linkage mechanisms leading to a low weight, compact, and efficient haptic device with a promising successful implementation for telerobotic applications such as endoscopic surgery.


title: Functional significance of waist-to-hip ratio / by Tanya D. Spencer

contributor:
Mazmanian, Dwight
Davis, Ron
Netley, Charles
Tan, Josephine
Maundrell, Richard

subject:
Sexual attraction
Anthropometry - Psychological aspects
Body weight - Psychological aspects
Waist-hip ratio (WHR)

abstract:
Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) may be important and highly visible “honest advertisement” of general and reproductive health and, hence, physical attractiveness. Research shows that men and women aged 18-86 agree on what constitutes attractive WHRs: .7 for women and .9 for men. However, stimuli used in previous studies confound weight with WHR
because the line drawings or photographs are altered to yield a range of WHRs and the actual body mass index (BMI) is not available. The purpose of the present study was to compare the predictive power of WHR and BMI in explaining the variance in attractiveness judgements. Unretouched photographs of men and women that varied by WHR and BMI were rated by men and women on several dimensions (masculine,
feminine, good-looking, sexy, intelligent, interested in having children, capable of having children, age, weight, weight category, attractiveness for marriage, attractiveness for brief casual sex) and ranked according to global preference. Results showed that photographs of WHRs of .7 for females and only .8 for males were seen as most attractive. However,
ratings of attractiveness were largely determined by BMI of the person pictured, although WHR was a sole predictor of age estimates and masculinity ratings. People with high BMIs were generally seen as less attractive and less intelligent. Raters, particularly women, were quite accurate at estimating the weight of people pictured. Ratings were
largely consistent across rater characteristics, including sex, and ratings (pictures presented in random order one at a time) and rankings (pictures presented in random order simultaneously). Self-report anthropometric measurements were also found to be fairly reliable. These results suggest that BMI, not WHR may be the best predictor of judgements of physical attractiveness.


title: Pre-service teachers branch out : learning to learn together through the Caring Tree mural project / by Ali Solaja.

subject:
Community arts projects
Thunder Bay (Ontario)
Mural painting and decoration

abstract:
While there is a growing body of literature on the educational benefits of engaging in community murals, less attention is given to the pedagogical significance of community mural-making in schools and Faculties of Education. 'Pre-service teachers branch out' is a thesis which explores this significance and looks at how the inclusion of community murals as research in environmental education can enrich practice. Specifically, this thesis supports community murals as a way of learning and doing research that is: participant-centered, process-oriented, relationships-based, and activist in aims. This thesis argues that these qualities, at the heart of community murals, are important for enabling an approach to environmental education that honours its inherent complex, embodied, and political nature.  The research is co-constructed through a
community mural project with six professional year students in the Faculty of Education at Lakehead University. Our knowledge is represented in this thesis through art and text, which respond to the research questions: How is environmental education knowledge created and negotiated through a community mural project? And, what is the nature of the relationships amongst the participants, throughout this process? The findings reveal
some insights for addressing complex challenges facing environmental educators, thus promoting participation in creative and collaborative forms of inquiry.


title: NOx reduction of biodiesel operated diesel engine using different techniques: (EGR, steam injection and emulsification)

subject:
Alternative fuels
Biodiesel
Engine emissions
Biodiesel production
Fuels and fuel blends
Emulsion fuel preparation process

abstract: The increase in world population has led to the growth in energy demand. The primary sources of this energy come from the combustion of conventional fuels, which are contributing to polluting the environment. Biodiesel offers a solution as an alternative fuel for internal combustion engines, however it emits higher (nitrogen oxides) NOx emission. Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems, as well as methods that supply steam into the intake air system of diesel engines, are used to lower NOx emissions. This study focuses on determining the effects of EGR, methods that supply steam into the intake air systems, canola biodiesel, and emulsions consisting of diesel-biodiesel blends with additives on diesel engine performance and emissions. Experiments using two modern diesel engines (a light-duty and a heavy-duty) were investigated at various operating conditions. The results showed that canola biodiesel increased fuel consumption and NOx, but decreased other emissions including carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions. The use of both EGR, methods that supply steam into the intake air system, and emulsion consisting of diesel-biodiesel blend with diethyl ether (DEE) showed a significant reduction in NOx emission and exhaust temperature; however, there were slight increases in fuel consumption, CO, and HC emissions.


title: Attentional bias and psychophysiological arousal in seasonal and nonseasonal depression symptoms

subject:
Seasonal depression
Nonseasonal depression
Attentional bias
Psychophysiological arousal
EMG
Stroop test

abstract:
The present study investigated cognitive specificity in individuals with seasonal
depression symptoms (SDS) by comparing their attentional bias and psychophysiological arousal to cognitive schema-‐relevant stimuli with those in individuals with nonseasonal depression symptoms (NSDS) and nonseasonal and nondepressed individuals (control). Attentional bias was measured with responses on a modified Stroop test and a recall task, while psychophysiological arousal was measured with facial EMG recordings and image valence ratings during an image viewing task. The Stroop word categories reflected constructs that were related to seasons (summer/winter), light (light/dark), and mood (happy/sad). The recall  task involved incidental recall of the Stroop words
following the Stroop test. The image-‐viewing task consisted of viewing and rating winter and summer scenes for degree of appeal while facial EMG recordings of the corrugator supercilii and zygomaticus major muscle regions were taken. Findings revealed that individuals in all three group conditions were slower to colour-‐name summer words than winter words, slower to colour-‐name light words than dark words, recalled more dark words than light words, frowned more (corrugator supercilii) when viewing high luminance than low luminance images, smiled more (zygomaticus major) when viewing high luminance than low luminance images, smiled more when viewing  high luminance
winter images than either medium or low luminance winter images, and rated winter images as more appealing than summer images. The two groups with elevated depression symptoms (seasonal and nonseasonal) smiled less than
the control group when viewing low luminance images. The results do not show a
convergence across the different experimental tasks, and do not support the notion
that seasonal individuals with depressed symptoms would respond more negatively than nonseasonal individuals with depressed symptoms to winter or low luminance stimuli. Limitations of the study are discussed.


title: Differences between elderly and young drivers : driving vigilance in two tasks

subject:
Automobile drivers (Evaluation)
Older automobile drivers (Evaluation)

abstract: According to statistics for 2003, 9 in 100,000 people in Canada died from driving accidents. A high percentage (30-40%) of these took place due to sleepiness on monotonous road conditions. Therefore, driver vigilance must be studied in order to attempt to decrease these fatal accidents. Thiffault and Bergeron (2003) have proposed a model for fatigue and vigilance which involves both endogenous and exogenous factors. In this framework, endogenous factors would include any fluctuation in alertness which originates from within the driver, such as circadian variations associated with the time of day, fatigue generated from the task itself, and sleep related problems that the individual may be suffering. Exogenous factors that influence driving vigilance are those which come from the task itself, such as road geometry and road-side environmental cues. The authors also suggest that mental under-load caused by such driving conditions could be as important as overload from urban expressway conditions.


title: Experimental Study of Vertical and Oblique Particle Clouds in Water

contributor:
Azimi, Amir
Elyasi, Siamak

subject:
Particle clouds
Sand jets

abstract:
Sand jets and particle clouds are common in many engineering areas such as marine bed capping, dredging, and artificial island construction. Because of the wide range of their application, a better understanding of particle cloud’s behavior will lead to increase the efficiency of engineering systems and lead to an improvement in predicting the behavior of solid-liquid flows.
There are many parameters that can control the behavior of particle clouds behavior such as nozzle diameter do, particle size D50, released mass m, impact velocity of sand particles (at the surface) ui and initial oblique angle of the particle cloud. Moreover, some characteristics of two-phase flows such as entrainment coefficient and drag coefficient can be very important for controlling the impact of the two-phase flow.  In this research, laboratory experiments were conducted to find the impact of controlling parameters on the dynamics of vertical and oblique particle clouds in the water media. For considering the impact velocity of sand particles on the surface, the ui was varied by changing the release height H. Nozzle size and mass of particles were grouped to form a non-dimensional parameter as aspect ratio Lo/do, where Lo is a length of sand particles occupied in a pipe with a nozzle diameter of do. It was found that the modified initial energy and circulation are correlated with Lo/do. A direct correlation between the width and frontal velocity of particle clouds with Lo/do was found. These relationships were formulated power law equations and can be used for prediction of cloud size and its frontal velocity. A wide range of particle sizes (D50=0.1375 mm−0.718 mm) was used to study the effects of particle size on spreading of sand jets and particle clouds. Effects of Lo/do and particle size on the evolution of sand particles in water media was also investigated. It was found that particle clouds with small particle sizes (D50=0.1375 mm) formed a sphere shape whereas particle cloud with a large particle size (D50=0.595 mm) forms an arc shape.


title: Anthropocene U: Academic responses and responsibilities at Lakehead University

subject:
Anthropocene
Curriculum, pedagogy & place

abstract:
This thesis explores the stories of six faculty members and administrators at
Lakehead University who are responding to the Anthropocene through their academic
work. Their stories suggest that there are barriers facing academic engagement with the
Anthropocene and the associated possibilities for action are uniquely empowered by the
particular position and privileges of higher education; rich tensions arise in exploring the
response-ability of the academy to the Anthropocene. I consider the planetary and
pedagogical contexts from which this research develops. Then, turning to participant
stories, I look to appreciative inquiry, narrative inquiry, and place inquiry to guide my
interactions with their experiences in ways that intend to grow the community of scholars
responding to the Anthropocene at one Canadian university, Lakehead University in
Thunder Bay, Ontario. I next introduce the participants and the site of research through a
series of vignettes, and explore the experiences of participants as they work to respond to
the current moment on the planet. Their stories begin to illustrate the parallels between
how neoliberalism has helped usher in the Anthropocene and has shaped the university in
ways that minimize its ability to respond. The final chapter speaks to possibility and
presents participants’ visions for a University more responsive to the Anthropocene,
illustrated by photographs of places that reflect participants’ understandings of what is
possible and that integrate place-voice into the research. This thesis concludes by
summarizing key themes, and by daring readers to consider their own response-abilities
in the Anthropocene.


title: Role of primary and secondary processes in children's cartoon preferences

subject:
Caricatures and cartoons
Cognition in children


title: Developing an experimental setup for Thunder Bay waste pollution control plant (WPCP) to evaluate UV lamp performance

subject:
UV disinfection technology
Mercury pressure UV lamp
UV light generation
Waste pollution control

abstract:
An automated experimental setup was developed to measure the spectral irradiance of new low pressure (LP) ultraviolet lamp (UV). The experimental analysis was performed by the measurement of the UV intensity along the length of the lamp to evaluate the variation in UV output during preliminary 5% lifespan of the UV lamp. The automation of the experimental setup has executed with the Arduino-LabVIEW interfaced computer program to maintain sequential collaboration among the setup components. The new LP UV lamp had a non-uniform output with the unexpected rise and drop in the UV intensity at certain locations along the length.
The lamp showed predominant ageing signs at the electrode, which was confirmed by the visual observation after the appearance of the darken quartz sleeve near the electrode and further reduction in UV output was verified by the experimental analysis as a result of the obstructed transmittance of the UV radiation through the quartz sleeve. Initially, UV output of the new lamp was uniform; however, as the lamp was aged analysis noticed non-uniform output along the length of the lamp though the lamp was operated for same working conditions throughout the entire experimental phase. The non-uniform temperature profile of the UV lamp was studied with the implementation of the thermal imaging IR camera to confirm variable temperature gradient inside the quartz sleeve and at the surface of the quartz sleeve. The thermal analysis recognized the overheating of the lamp electrode. Further, as amp aged the temperature profile at the lamp electrode raised significantly.
The experimental analysis proved that the lamp ageing was more noticeable at lamp ends than the middle part of the lamp, which was confirmed after evaluation of the UV intensity along the length of the lamp as well as after performing the output stability test at electrode for corresponding lamp operating cycle.


title: Influence of mental health input and legal factors in the disposition of young offenders / by Mary Ann Campbell.

subject: Juvenile justice, Administration of

subject: Juvenile delinquents Mental health.

subject: Juvenile justice, Administration of Ontario Thunder Bay.


title: Design and Development of Dual Tuned 19F and 1H RF Birdcage Coils for Small Animal MRI at 3T

contributor:
Curiel, Laura
Albert, Mitchell

subject:
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Magnetic resonance imaging
Radio frequency coils
Fluorinated gas

abstract:
Conventional proton (1H) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is generally insensitive to the
lung due to the low tissue density and other complicating factors. On the other hand, inhaled
inert fluorinated gas MRI is a promising technique for functional lung imaging, since it can
visualize the distribution of the inhaled gas. To better understand and develop this novel
technique, a vast number of pre-clinical animal experiments are required for validating and
optimizing the radio frequency (RF) coils that are used to acquire MRI data. The simplest
approach would be to use single-tuned coils (i.e. RF coils each tuned to a single resonance
frequency), such that a 1H coil is used to obtain anatomical information, while a separate 19F
coil is used to obtain functional lung information. Unfortunately, this approach also requires
image registration (i.e. co-alignment of separate images) in order to combine the information
from the 19F and 1H coils. The purpose of this thesis is to eliminate the need for image
registration by developing an optimized 1H/19F dual-tuned coil for rodent lung imaging and
disease model investigation.
Our initial design was a coil-inside-coil (CIC) approach with geometric decoupling of the 1H
and 19F resonators. Using the CIC approach, two independent coils are positioned
concentrically with each other. The inner coil is then rotated until the position inducing the
minimum voltage level is found. This method is restricted to linear mode RF coils because
geometrical decoupling cannot be performed in quadrature mode due to reflection of RF
power resulting in a poor signal to noise ratio (SNR).
Our next approach was to construct a single birdcage coil dual-tuned to 1H-19F frequencies.
This was done by taking the advantage of the fact that birdcage coils inherently have two
orthogonal channels that are electrically invisible to each other. Because the 1H and 19F
nuclei have close resonant frequencies at 3T (127.74 MHz and 120.15 MHz), each channel
can be tuned to be on resonance for one frequency. The coupling between the two channels
was quantitatively measured and compared to geometrically decoupled coils demonstrating
the differences in decoupling performances. The advantage of this coil is that it assures
identical B1 field profiles for the two nuclei, and slightly increased the filling factor for 1H resulting in improved SNRs. On the other hand, the disadvantage is that because 1H and 19F
channels are orthogonal to each other, neither can be built to operate in a quadrature mode.
In our final approach, a switch-tuned quadrature coil was built which can be switched to
resonate at either the 1H or 19F frequencies. PIN diodes are used to actively control the
switching between the two frequencies. This method enables the combination of the benefits
afforded by using a quadrature coil (i.e. factor of 2 increase in SNR) and those of the dual
tuned coil (i.e. the ability to switch frequencies on the fly without having to physically
change coils and move samples, animals or patients from their anatomically localized
positions). Using this switch-tuned coil, quantitative lung ventilation imaging can take place
investigating various new imaging pulse sequences and disease models. B1 field mapping, B1
homogeneity and the uniform distribution of the currents on both fluorine and proton
channels were measured.


title: Demonstration and evaluation of hemoglobin and hematocrit testing as support services in preparing elite swimmers for serious competition

subject:
Hemoglobinometry
Swimming Training
Hematocrit

abstract:
These studies demonstrated and evaluated the usefulness of
hemoglobin concentrations (Hb gm%) and hematocrit percentages (Hct %)
in the preparation of elite swimmers for serious competition. Study
1 monitored Hb and Hct levels of nine male swimmers during two months
of hard training, tapering, and post-competition rest. Study 2
monitored Hb and Hct levels of the 18 male and 19 female members of
the 1978 Commonwealth Games Swimming Teams during maintenance training before competition. Weekly variations were observed during hard
training in Study 1. Reduced work load and/or coach determined iron
supplementations seemed to increase Hb and Hct levels in most athletes.
It was concluded that Hb and Hct screening is a feasible and beneficial
support service in the preparation of elite swimmers for competition.
For a limited number of individuals more extensive services are required.


title: Parent and child attitudes towards educational and occupational achievement as a function of acculturation

subject: Acculturation Ontario

subject: Academic achievement Ontario

subject: East Indian Canadians Cultural assimilation Ontario

abstract:
As individuals and families move from India to Canada, they bring with them
the values, attitudes, and beliefs they held in their native country. During the process
of building new lives in a new country the immigrants are immersed in a culture
different then their own. As the East Indian immigrant population has grown, so has
the number of first-generation, Canadian born children of East Indian parents. The
focus of this study was to identify the relationship between acculturation and
attitudes held for both male and female children. In other words, this study looked at
the relationship between cultural factors (as determined by the level of parental and
child acculturation) within the family and attitudes toward occupational and
educational achievement for male and female children.
Results of this study found that East Indian parents placed significantly high
importance on both academic success and occupational success for their sons and
daughters. These expectations were understood and accepted by their children.
Finally, the importance with which parents viewed educational and occupational
achievements and their expectations for their children were not related to their level
of acculturation, their Canadian or Asian cultural values, or their level of endorsed
sex-role egalitarianism.


title: Nesting dynamics of the scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber) in Trinidad, West Indies

contributor:
Chen, Han
McLaren, Brian

subject:
Scarlet ibis (Trinidad)
Breeding biology
Colonial waterbirds

abstract: The effect of human disturbance on colonial waterbirds is a global issue. Many colonial waterbirds are migratory, and their protection depends on balancing conservation of their habitats and habits across many regions. Such protection is critical given the economic benefits that come from a growing ecotourism industry, involving bird watching and other recreational activities. This thesis begins with a review of the literature available via Web of Science and Jstor, to determine whether the effects of human disturbance on the habit, behaviour, and physiological characteristics may differ with biome, migratory habit and functional group.


title: Aging experience of elderly offenders / by Lorraine Joanne Gosselin.

subject:
Aged offenders.
Aging Psychological aspects.


title: Spatial genetic structure within four tamarack (Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch) populations in Northwestern Ontario

contributor:
Knowles, Peggy
Farmer, R. E.
Parker, W.

subject:
Forest genetics Ontario, Northwestern
Larches Ontario, Northwestern
Isozymes
Spatial genetic structure
Spatial autocorrelation
Tamarack

abstract:
This study was conducted to test the null hypothesis
that tamarack (Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch) populations
are random assemblages of genotypes, and that this absence
of pattern can be observed on sites with differing
ecological and demographic characteristics. A total of
1715 trees in four populations with distinct ecological and
demographic characteristics were surveyed and sampled for
isozyme analysis. These trees were mapped for later
plotting and spatial autocorrelation analysis. Seven
variable and three monomorphic allozyme loci were resolved.
Visual examination of the distribution of single alleles
over space revealed pattern in 22.2 percent of the 36
plots. Spatial autocorrelation analysis resulted in
calculation of 313 Moran's I autocorrelation coefficients,
8.9 percent of which were significant (95 percent
confidence level). In addition, results of tests of the
correlograms constructed from these 313 coefficients
revealed that 38.9 percent of the correlograms were
significant using Bonferroni's criterion (90 percent
confidence level). These results suggested that the null
hypothesis be rejected for a modest, but still important
proportion of the tests. The spatial pattern that was
observed, both by eye and through statistical tests, was
manifested mainly as a tendency for similar genotypes to
occur in trees that were near to each other.


title: Impact of physicochemical properties of lignin-based polymers on their flocculation and adsorption performance

contributor:
Fatehi, Pedram
Liao, Baoqiang
Qin, Wensheng
Wang, Zhaojiang

subject:
Lignin macromolecule
Colloidal suspension
Polymer adsorption
Flocculation
Lignin-based flocculants

abstract:
Industrial and municipal effluents contain colloidal charged particles, dissolved salts, heavy metals
and other impurities, which may represent varied health risks and must be removed before
discharge into the environment. Coagulation and flocculation techniques are highly efficient for
the treatment of hydrophobic pollutants and suspended particles. Natural based polymers have
been recognized as green chemicals for wastewater treatment system, which are environmentally
attractive and financially feasible.
In this research, lignin, the second most abundant aromatic polymer was polymerized with
cationic, anionic and non-ionic monomers to synthesize lignin-based macromolecule with desired
characteristics (i.e., charge density, molecular weight, hydrodynamic radius). The successful
polymerization reaction was assessed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform
infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometry, gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and elemental
analyses.
The interaction of lignin-based derivatives with different suspended particles and their
adsorption/flocculation performance in various waste solutions was comprehensively assessed.
Moreover, a strong correlation between the molecular conformation of lignin-derivatives and their
flocculation behavior was observed, in which the polymer with more extended configuration
(larger hydrodynamic radius and radius of gyration) revealed the greater bridging affinity. It was
also shown that the conformational changes of lignin macromolecules had a remarkable effect on
its molecular weight and subsequently the flocculation performance and floc properties (e.g., size,
shape and strength) when they are used in suspension systems....
The findings of the present research prove the possibilities for use of the lignin macromolecule as
flocculant or adsorbent in various wastewater system and provides more insights into how the
structural changes of lignin-based derivatives would notably alter their performance in aqueous
solution and suspension systems. The results shed light on the extending lignin applications via
engineering the characteristics of lignin macromolecules.


title: Reading Canada Reads

subject:
Canada Reads (CBC Radio program)
Canadian literature
Canadians
Social life and customs
Intellectual life

abstract: The CBC Radio One program Canada Reads launched in 2002 and has had a significant impact on the Canadian book industry from its beginning. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the methodologies of Canada Reads and the various elements of the program that have enabled it to have a substantial impact on the marketing and reception of Canadian literature.  This thesis draws on first-hand interviews with those involved with the production of Canada Reads , notably its original and current producers and its current host, to provide a detailed look at the creation of Canada Reads and the considerations involved in the selection of texts and panelists. The thesis explores the cultural and ideological implications of the program by providing a detailed examination of the content and structure of Canada Reads . In particular, the thesis examines the role of Canada Reads as a literary award and how it assigns literary value to Canadian texts; the program's use of celebrity culture and spectacle, which allows the program to become a popular public media event, and its impact on the content of the program; the conflict between the panelists' personal and critical reading practices, which are interpolated by the reading audience; and the ways in which the program is grounded in Canadian identity and national rhetoric through Canadian literary texts, yet is unable or unwilling to establish a concrete definition of Canadian identity as it is represented in Canadian literature.


title: An Examination of bark beetles and their associated blue stain fungi on boreal jack pine (Pinus banksiana) and white spruce (Picea glauca) in the Thunder Bay Region

contributor:
Hutchison, Leonard
Hausner, G.
Carney, Joseph
Roden, D.

subject:
Bark beetles
Ontario, Northwestern
Blue stain
Jack pine
Diseases and pests
Ontario
Thunder Bay region
White spruce

abstract: Blue stain, caused by members of the Ophiostomatales, is of concern to the forest industry because it can quickly devalue timber by penetrating deep into the sapwood and creating dark blue to black staining. These fungi depend on insect vectors, such as bark beetles (Family Scolytidae), for the dispersal of their spores. Through a series of two field surveys, the objective of this thesis was to examine the diversity of ophiostomatoid fungi and their associated bark beetles in the Thunder Bay region, because of little research having been done on this topic in northwestern Ontario.


title: Biological aspects of the biopulping fungus Ceriporiopsis subvermispora

subject:
Wood Biodegradation
Wood Microbiology
Wood-decaying fungi
White-rot fungi
Cultural morphology
Fungal growth
Polyphenol oxidases

abstract:
The specific activity of four isolates of C. subvermispora media was found to be
quite variable. Growth on PDA was the fastest compared to other common nutrient
media. Cardinal temperatures for growth were optimum at 30°C, minimum at 15°C and
maximum at 35°C. Macroscopic characteristics of mycelial mats, in relation to aerial
hyphae production, were also found to differ among different media. Induction of
fruiting was successful with two of the isolates when grown in petri dishes containing 1%
malt extract agar. Basidiocarp production on Pinus banksiana boards was found to be
very effective. Spore germination at 72% was highest with CZ-3 as was spore
production. Single spore isolations and interfertility tests illustrated that C.
subvermispora showed a tetrapolar incompatibility system and not a bipolar system as
previously thought. The production of extracellular polyphenol oxidase in agar based
media was found to be dependant on the type of media used.


title: Utilization of wood based hemicellulose pre-hydrolysate for the production of high value added platform chemicals

contributor:
Rakshit, Sudip K.
Fatehi, Pedram
Liao, Baoqiang

subject:
Renewable resources
Biorefining
Hemicellulose
Acid hydrolysis
Xylitol

abstract:
The immense benefits of using renewable resources are because they can reduce global warming and other environmental issues which directly affect life on earth. Forest residues serve as potential renewable resources which can substitute the fossil based products with biobased products. In order to produce such renewable biobased products, biorefining concepts are needed to develop innovative and effective processes. However, biorefineries are at early stages of development and are directed towards making marketable products from forest residues. Development of efficient and economically viable methods is necessary. This thesis contributes to this endeavor by developing novel and efficient methods to produce valuable platform chemicals from a wood based resource, hemicellulose. In these studies, hemicellulose obtained from the poplar wood was used to produce xylitol, succinic acid and levulinic acid. They were listed among the top twelve chemicals which have the potential for high market demand, by the Department of Energy (DOE), US.
The hemicellulose prehydrolysate used in this study was produced by a proprietary pretreatment process. As a pre-requirement to this study, I have analyzed its composition. Acid hydrolysis of the prehydrolysate resulted in a concentrated xylose rich hydrolysate. However, xylose undergoes several side reactions and results in undesired byproducts. In order to avoid the formation of these byproducts, the acid concentration was optimized to obtain a xylose rich hydrolysate with relatively low amounts of inhibitors. This hydrolysate was used in all the processes studied in this thesis.
Microbial fermentation of the hydrolysates is inhibited by impurities in the media. In order to make the fermentation efficient, the detoxification (purification) of the hydrolysate has to be much effective. Therefore, a detoxification method was developed to remove the impurities such as furfural and acetic acid with minimal loss of xylose. This detoxification method includes the combination of vacuum evaporation and solvent extraction procedures. The fermentation of the hydrolysate detoxified with the developed process found to produce high yields of xylitol (0.59 g/g).
Along with the hydrolysis and detoxification procedures, the conversion method was also improved further by using immobilized yeast strains. In these experiments, two yeast strains (Candida guilliermondii and Candida tropicalis) were used to produce xylitol. Candida tropicalis strain used in this study is a new strain isolated from a decaying wood biomass. The yield (0.92 g/g) and productivities (0.88 g/L/h) of xylitol obtained with the immobilized form of this yeast were significant and found to be higher than those reported in literature. It is evident that the hydrolysis, detoxification and fermentation methods developed are efficient in improving the yields of xylitol from hemicellulose prehydrolysates.
Subsequently, the hydrolysed hemicellulose was used for the production of succinic acid (SA) by chemical routes. It was found that an important byproduct, furfural, formed during the acid hydrolysis of hemicellulose, can be converted to succinic acid. Therefore, a simple and facile method was developed to convert hemicellulose to furfural which was subsequently converted to succinic acid. Several challenges such as preventing humin formation, determination of an ideal solvent for furfural extraction etc. were addressed in this work. A heterogeneous acid catalyst, Amberlyst 15 used in this study provides an advantage of recycling. The ratio of catalyst to the substrate was also investigated to determine the optimum amount of catalyst loading. A biphasic system was developed for simultaneous production, separation and oxidation of furfural to succinic acid. These studies demonstrate the conversion of the hydrolysate into furfural and then to succinic acid with acceptable yields (49%) in the biphasic system.
Another platform chemical, levulinic acid, was also studied for its production from hemicellulose. Levulinic acid can be produced by the acid catalysed reaction of furfuryl alcohol (FA), which can be produced from the hemicellulose derived furfural. In our study, ethanol was found to be a better solvent for the conversion of furfuryl alcohol to the ester of levulinic acid, ethyl levulinate (EL). A homogeneous acid (sulfuric acid) and a heterogeneous acid (Amberlyst 15) catalysts were compared in these studies and it was found that both are effective in ethanol than in water. In order to understand the conversion process, to improve and control the reaction, it necessary to know the actual reaction mechanism. The main focus of this study was to determine the reaction mechanism of this conversion process in the presence of sulfuric acid in ethanol. The intermediates were isolated and identified using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GCMS). Though several intermediates were found, four intermediates could be identified based on GCMS and NMR data. Based on the interpreted intermediates, a reaction mechanism for the conversion of FA to EL was proposed. Besides, the molar yield of ethyl levulinate obtained from FA was found to be 85 – 90 % in ethanol.
Based on the results obtained in this study, it is apparent that the high value products studied in this thesis can be produced from a cheap renewable resource, hemicellulose. The contribution of such processes, if bolted on the existing processes, can make the overall integrated biorefining process economically feasible.


title: Eye colour as related to critical flicker frequency, pressure and vibration thresholds

subject:
Eye
Color of eyes
Flicker fusion


title: Frontierism and metropolitanism in relation to development on the north shore of Lake Superior

subject:
Metropolitan areas Ontario History
Frontier thesis

abstract:
The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the various influences within the
metropolis-hinterland construct that were evident in the development of the area around
Thunder Bay and along the north shore of Lake Superior during the period from
Confederation up to about 1890. Economic, political and other metropolitan relationships
in the communities along the north shore of Lake Superior were developed and controlled
by various external urban centres from their early beginnings right up to the turn of the
twentieth century. In this thesis I will review some of the metropolis-hinterland influences
that were evident in the area.
Metropolitan influences can be found throughout much of the development of the
North American continent, particularly the portion that would later be called Canada. All
of the early voyages of discovery, like the first fishing ventures on the Grand Banks and
other places, amply demonstrate the efforts of various European capitals, or metropolises,
to exert their control over the newfound hinterlands. The fur trading companies and other
commercial ventures, usually acting under Royal Charters, would later exert the same
metropolitan control over the broad expanses of the interior of the continent that were
accessible by the extensive waterways. In both of these cases, the resident population of the
hinterland would have no say in any developments that took place in the region. This aspect
of metropolitanism is one that can be found at all stages of the political and economic
development of the country and it figures prominently in the development of the areas along
the north shore of Lake Superior and the area around Thunder Bay.
It is my thesis that the resident population of the area around Thunder Bay and along the north shore of Lake Superior, whether aboriginal peoples or settlers in the area, had no
say in the developments that took place in the region because all of the key decisions were
made by people in far away places who controlled the various metropolitan interests that
were active in the region.
In the first chapter of this thesis I will review the staples and other theories, as well
as the metropolis-hinterland construct as originally stated by J.M.S. Careless, Gras and
others. I will also review some of the early economic and political activities that
demonstrate the metropolis-hinterland relationships that arose as a result of activities in the
study area. As examples of these relationships, I will look at the fur trade, the early
transportation activities of the fur trade companies, and the Indian treaties of 1850. In the
second chapter I will review Confederation and the purchase of Rupert’s Land. I will also
discuss the development of some of the first metropolitan influences in the area, namely the
economic relationships that were established as a result of mining activities, government
surveys and construction of the Dawson Road.
In last chapter of the thesis I will review certain economic and political initiatives
during the period from Confederation up to about 1890. I will also review some of the
economic activities that occurred like the development of mines, settlement, the fisheries,
and the timber and grain industries. I will review the development of transportation through
huge, government-sponsored projects like the Dawson Road and the Canadian Pacific
Railway, and the disputes over jurisdiction in the area purchased that arose between the
federal government and the governments of the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba.


title: Using metacognitive strategies to enhance reading comprehension for students with learning disabilities

subject: Learning disabilities

subject: Metacognition

subject: Reading comprehension Study and teaching

abstract:
Research has suggested that students with learning
disabilities can became actively involved in their cun
learning. A metacognitive orientation provides a
conceptual base on which to build instructional
interventions.
In this study twenty students with learning
disabilities in special classes in Thunder Bay
participated. Students were From three intact classes at
different schools. Three general expectations guided the
investigation:
First, through explicit teaching, students with
learning disabilities can be instructed to employ
self-questioning learning strategies for identification cf
main ideas in a reading passage;
Second, reading comprehension will be enhanced through
metacognitive training as measured by: Miscue Analysis;
Canadian Tests of Basic Skills. Form 3 and 4:.- and
Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests. Form 1 and g.
Third, students who perceive an external control of reinforcements, as measured by the Intellectual Achievement
Responsibility Questionaire, will experience more
difficulty using an intervention strategy.
A simple pre-posttest design was used supplemented
with observational and interview methods. The
comprehension subtests of Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test.
Form 1 (MacGinitie, Kamons, Koualski & MacGinitie, 1979)
and Canadian Tests of Basic Skills. Form 3 (King &
Hieryonymus, 1975) were administered to each student and
baselines for reading comprehension established. Using a
reciprocal teaching procedure, a self-questioning strategy
was developed while studying a Canadian novel. Hunter in
the Dark by M. Hughes. Miscue analysis and observation
were employed to monitor the training sessions.
Results indicated that the participants’ reading
comprehension did improve on all criteria, miscue analysis
and Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test were at a statistical
significant level. The students’ belief in their own
control, as measured by the Intellectual Achievement
Responsibility questionnaire, was found not to be a
predictor of achievement.
Interventions which incorporate a teaching methodology
that promotes strategic learning appear to hold the most
promise for enabling students with learning disabilities to
become more successful learners.


title: Math anxiety, math self-concept, and performance in math

contributor:
Epp, Juanita
Brady, Patrick

subject: Math anxiety

subject: Mathematics Study and teaching (Secondary) Psychological aspects

abstract: Study participants: 320 grade ten advanced students from two school boards in Northwestern Ontario.  Math anxiety, math self-concept, math performances were studied.  Gender differences were also explored.

abstract:
This study analyzed the relationship among math anxiety, math self-concept and
performance in math. The study examined descriptive, and correlational relationships
among these variables, and explored gender differences in the relationship, math anxiety,
and math self-concept. Three hundred and twenty grade 10 advanced students (174
female, 145 male) from two school boards in Northwestern Ontario served as subjects.
Measures of correlation revealed that higher levels of math anxiety were accompanied by
lower performance in math, and lower math self -concept. Higher math self-concept was
linked to higher performance. These relationships held for males and females separately.
Math self-concept was significantly more closely linked to performance than was math
anxiety, and this was so for each gender separately. The correlations for math
anxiety/performance, and for math self-concept /performance were similar in magnitude
for both genders, indicating that math anxiety and math self-concept functioned similarly
for both males and females with respect to performance. T-tests revealed that females had
significantly higher math anxiety, and lower math self-concept than males.


title: Rethinking radical education : a conceptual analysis

contributor:
Jickling, Robert
Kerr, Don

subject: Alternative education (Evaluation)

subject: Educational innovations

subject: Education experimental methods (Evaluation)

abstract:
For decades, there have been concerns with the contemporary Western education system.
Many parents are choosing home schooling or schools with alternative programs. During
this period, and earlier, reform theorists have proposed answers to society’s concerns about
education. Having come to the field of education after working for several years as an early
childhood practitioner in an alternative setting, I too began to question the traditional
method of schooling. Therefore, through this study, I analyze some of the attributes
associated with alternative theories of education in order to re-examine their importance. In
particular, I consider the writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Ivan Illich, and A.S. Neill,
three educational theorists who have been dubbed “radical” in their ideas. In this thesis I
discuss three common themes amongst these, and other radical theorists—namely: nature,
freedom, and useful knowledge. I believe that these themes have been neglected in
contemporary educational discourse. It is true that no theory is without critics. With this in
mind, I consider the analysis of Robin Barrow, who, in his book Radical Education: A
Critique of Freeschooling and Deschooling, provides a thorough and point by point critique
outlining the many problems associated with alternative approaches to education. This
thesis re-evaluates the importance of radical education in light of Barrow’s critique. I also
discuss why it is important to reconsider the concepts of nature, freedom and useful
knowledge, often associated with this theory. In the end, I argue that what is needed is
educational reform that probes right down to the roots of the system—radical reform.


title: A functional trait analysis of successional pathway dynamics

contributor:
Mallik, Azim
Mackereth, Robert
McLaren, Brian

subject:
Ericoid mycorrhizae
Functional dispersion
Functional homogenization
Fuzzy logic
Soil nutrients

abstract:
The study of plant community re-assembly following disturbances in anthropogenically managed landscapes is a necessity in today’s climate. The measurement of plant functional traits is a tool that can be of great help in understanding how individual plants and entire communities respond to shifts in disturbance regimes and environmental characteristics that are directly or indirectly under human influence. In Eastern Newfoundland, two distinct successional pathways may be initiated depending on fire severity. Fires of high severity in Picea mariana-dominated forests will initiate a forest succession; fires of low severity can cause a state shift where an ericaceous heath dominated by Kalmia angustifolia will succeed where a P. mariana-dominated forest once stood.
To enhance understanding of community response to varying disturbance regimes, I applied a functional trait analysis to two distinct successional pathways with the aim of (i) assessing the functional diversity (FD) of both pathways, (ii) identifying the causes of the observed FD, and (iii) using the functional traits of both communities to predict future successional pathways. Alpha functional diversity (α-FD) was calculated as functional dispersion (FDis) and beta functional diversity (β-FD) was mean pairwise distance (DPW) and mean distance to nearest neighbour (DNN). Identifying significant drivers of FD in both communities was performed by linking soil characteristics with plant traits via a combine RLQ-fourth corner approach. Finally, prediction of post-fire succession was made possible by constructing a model based on fuzzy logic that incorporated community flammability and regeneration strategy of dominant plants, along with environmental variables.


title: Industrial biochar characterization : properties and potential applications

subject:
Biochar
Bioeconomy
Carbon sequestration
Soil amendment
Renewable energy

abstract:
Biochar is a carbon-rich charcoal produced from pyrolyzed biomass such as wood,
agricultural waste, or animal products. Biochar is primarily used as a soil amendment,
but it has promising applications in carbon sequestration, fuel cell production, medicinal
uses, as a construction material, and more. The diversity in biochar production and
feedstock makes it a highly variable product. Therefore, the characterization of biochar
is critical before determining potential applications. This study characterizes the biochar
produced by West Fraser Timber Co., which was made using wood waste from OSB
production and from the surrounding area as a feedstock. A full proximate analysis was
conducted. Other relevant properties were predicted based on comparisons between
available literature and the production factors of the biochar. Based on the properties,
both measured and predicted, it was assessed that the biochar is applicable as a soil
amendment for carbon sequestration and improving crop productivity, but not applicable
as a fuel source.


title: Relationships between self-discrepancies, emotions and depression in males and females

subject:
Depression, Mental
Self-perception
Sex differences (Psychology)

abstract:
Self-discrepancy theory postulates that individuals who experience selfdiscrepancies
feel uncomfortable, or disturbed, and may manifest emotional
problems such as depression, dejection or agitation. This study examined selfdiscrepancies
in relation to self-reported dejection, agitation, dependent
depression and self-critical depression. The study also examined sex differences
in the relationships between self-discrepancies and these different emotional
states. Undergraduate students (96 males and 119 females) completed the
Selves Questionnaire to measure self-discrepancies, the Emotions Questionnaire
to measure dejection and agitation affects, and the Depressive Experiences
Questionnaire to measure the dependent and self-critical forms of depression.
Four different self-discrepancies were computed from the Selves Questionnaire;
actual/ideal/own(AIOW), actual/ought/own(AOOW), actual/ideal/other(AIOT),
and actual/ought/other (AOOT). The results using partial correlations
controlling for the remaining self-discrepancies and the other dependent
variable (either dejection or agitation and dependency or self-criticism) showed
that only AOOT discrepancies predicted agitation in women, and none of selfdiscrepancies
predicted dejection or agitation in men. The dependent and selfcritical
types of depression correlated with some types of self-discrepancies
differently in men and women. These differences suggest that the determinants of these negative affects may, to a limited degree, be different in men and
women.


title: Limnology and remediation of two proximal pit lakes in Northwestern Ontario

subject: Lake renewal (Ontario, Northwestern)

subject: Iron mines and mining (Environmental aspects Ontario, Northwestern)

subject: Limnology (Ontario, Northwestern)

subject: Pit lakes

abstract:
Two adjacent pit lakes, Caland and Hogarth, were formed after the closure and
subsequent flooding of the Steep Rock Iron Mines near Atikokan, Ontario, Canada. They
were examined to predict flooding patterns, outflow location, and water quality of the pit
lakes when they eventually flow into an adjacent river system. The use of wetlands to
remediate of the pit lakes was also examined.
Models generated using Arc View v. 3.0 accurately predicted the joining of two pit lakes
(Hogarth and Roberts). It also projects the most likely location at which outflow into the
Seine River system will occur. While water chemistry varies over time, Cr, and Cu were
predicted to reach levels exceeding the guidelines for the preservation of aquatic life in
Canada before outflow occurs. Also, Mn, S, SO4, and TDS will likely exceed the levels
defined as safe for human consumption. A model incorporating the past and present
depths of the oxygenated freshwater lens present on the surface of Caland pit lake
predicted that as the lake fills, the depth of this lens will decrease logarithmically. This
will seriously impact the operation of a commercial rainbow trout farm situated in
Caland.
Wetlands may be a practical means of remediation of the water contained within these
pit lakes. Of the four plant species examined, Carex sp. was able to concentrate the
greatest amounts of S, as well as Al, Cu, Fe, Ni, Sr and Zn. The former west arm of
Steep Rock Lake is a likely location for treatment wetlands to be established. This is
because it is strategically located between the
Seine River and the predicted flood out point. In addition, its large surface area enables it to treat a sufficiently large volume of water to make it practical.


title: Exploring the potential to minimize forest road cost in Ontario with LiDAR and RoadENG

subject:
Forest engineering
Forest roads
LiDAR
Road planning (forestry)
Environmental impacts of road building
Cut and fill construction types
RoadENG

abstract: The objective of this study was to determine if light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and RoadENG could produce a more cost-effective road design than a field-based road design. A Triangulated irregular network (TIN) was created from raw LiDAR files (LAS). Roads were created within the TIN and had attributes for soil layer, road class, road templates, culverts, soil swell and shrinkage factors for excavation, and hauling. Three iterations were done, each with different excavation costs applied to compare road cost by iteration. Each iteration was run through Softree Opitmal to determine the lowest optimized road cost for each road section. Compared to Eacom’s field-based road designs, the blind design had a decrease in total cost by 1.5% and the second attempt had an increase in cost by 23.4%. Future research in this area type of study should include the added cost and time spent doing field-based layout compared to office-based reconnaissance with ground truthing. There should be no existing roads within the generated TIN model when comparing road alignment cost. As well, a more detailed soil layers, and more detailed cost for excavation and hauling cost. Making these changes would increase the accuracy and usefulness of the RoadENG Forest Engineer program and achieve a more ideal analysis tool for road building in Ontario forestry.


title: Bacterial isolation and bioconversion of organic materials to industrial platform chemicals

contributor:
Qin, Wensheng
Xu, Chunbao (Charles)
Leung, Kam
Suntres, Zacharias

subject:
Lignocellulose degrading enzymes
Xylose/glucose isomerase (GI) enzyme
Lignocellulosic biomass
Biomass derived biofuels
Bioconversion

abstract: Careful selection/isolation of the suitable microbial consortium for enzymatic saccharification of organic matters is a critical step in biofuels production. We isolated strains EF2, OW1-1 and HK2 from intestine of Eisenia fetida, municipal organic waste and forest soil respectively. The strains EF2, OW1-1 and HK2 have higher potential to produce various extracellular enzymes including cellulase and xylose/glucose isomerase (GI). The qualitative screening of strains using plate assay techniques was performed in standard agar plates to obtaine a zone of clearance. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of strains EF2 and OW1-1were identified as gram (+ve) Bacillus sp. whereas HK2 was a gram (-ve) Serratia marcescens. The Carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) activities of EF2 and OW1-1 were 35.307 ± 0.08 IU/ml and 29.92 ± 0.01 IU/ml, respectively, when 2.5% (w/v) of lactose was used as a carbon source at their respective optimal pH and temperature. The co-culture of Bacillus sp. strains EF2 and OW1-1 in contrast to their monoculture, showed 15% and 35.71% increased in CMCase activity respectively. Similarly, the strain S. marcescens HK2 preferred the temperature of 35 to 40 °C and pH of 8 to 9 for efficient GI production. The GI activity was high when 1.5% xylose and 1:3 ratio of peptone and yeast extract were used in the culture medium. The SDS-PAGE and zymogram revealed that the molecular weight of CMCase and GI were 60 and 63 kDa in Bacillus sp. (both EF2 and OW1-1) and S. marcescens HK2 respectively. This study discovered a novel finding that the strain S. marcescens HK2 can utilize low cost agricultural residue for production of GI and improved activity was observed in whole cell immobilization which can further minimize the cost of down streaming processing. Thus, all three bacterial strains could be a promising candidate for biofuels industries.


title: Evaluation of a mini-container, accelerated transplant system : the black spruce summer crop

subject:
Black spruce
Seedlings Transplanting
Seedlings

abstract:
The production of black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.)
B.S.P.) bare root stock in Ontario nurseries presents two
main problems. First, seedlings at the end of the first
growing season are small, and thus susceptible to frost
heaving. Second, it takes a long time, 3 years, to produce
shippable seedlings. Trying to solve these problems the
Ministry of Natural Resources Thunder Bay Nursery is
testing an accelerated transplant system. Seedlings are
sown in a greenhouse in a mini-container and after 10 weeks
are transplanted outdoors for two growing seasons. There is
a winter and a summer crop from the greenhouse each year.
The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of 3
factors on summer crop seedlings. The 3 factors were SOWING
DATE (levels: July 5, 15, 25, and August 4), the duration
of an initial 18-h LONG DAY treatment (levels: 7, 10, or 13
weeks), and the duration of a subsequent 8-h SHORT DAY
treatment (levels 0, 6, or 12 days). Finally, all
seedlings were held under natural photoperiod until the
total length of the SHORT DAY and natural photoperiod
treatments was 11 weeks. Bud initiation was monitored
during this 11 week period. Bud diameter, number of
primordia, basal caliper, and root dry weight were measured
immediately prior to placing the seedlings in cold storage
for the winter. LONG DAY was the most important factor.
Seedlings that received the ten-week LONG DAY treatment gave the
best response. Even though 13-week LONG DAY seedlings
were significantly taller, 10-week specimens showed a
similar bud diameter and basal caliper, as well as
a significantly heavier root dry weight, and more
primordia. Eventually, the containers were too small for
13-week LONG DAY seedlings that showed a potbound
situation. Although there were some significant
differences, the various levels of the factors SOWING DATE
and SHORT DAY did not produce any considerable effect on
the growing regime. At the end of the first growing season
in nursery beds, seedlings from the best treatment
combinations of the summer crop reached almost a shippable
size. This confirms the feasibility of the studied system
to produce bare root stock in two years or less.


title: Sensation seeking: cognitive and psychophysical correlates

subject: Senses and sensation

abstract: The large body of research on exploratory behaviour, early isolation, sensory deprivation, and sensory overload has suggested the hypothesis that organisms seek an optimal level of stimulation from their environment. Recently several attempts have been made to quantify individual differences with respect to stimulus needs as well as to provide constructs which might account for these differences. Zuckerman, Kolin, Price, and Zoob (1964) devised a Sensation Seeking Scale in an attempt to measure the construct "optimal stimulation level".


title: Sex-role orientation and response to cognitive stressors

subject:
Sex role
Stress (Psychology)

abstract:
The present study was aimed at investigating the
relationship between sex-role orientation, as defined by the
BSRI, and heart-rate response to stress. After being
administered both the BSRI and JAS, 35 female undergraduate
volunteers were randomly assigned to one of two orders of
presentation, of moderately stressful verbal and spatial
tasks. Heart-rate was measured throughout the experimental
situation, and subjects rated each task for perceived
pleasantness. A significant (p=.032) interaction was found
between masculinity and femininity, with the androgynous and
undifferentiated groups showing lower heart-rate increases to
both tasks. Neither the BSRI nor the JAS Type A scales were
found to be significantly related with subjects' performance
on either task, although a trend did emerge with higher
masculinity scores being linked with somewhat better
performance. Furthermore, masculinity was significantly
associated with reports of greater perceived pleasantness for
both tasks. While the Type A variable was positively
correlated with masculinity, and negatively correlated with
femininity, it did not account for any of the above
relationships.


title: Effectiveness of self-restoration for two small mine impacted shield lakes

subject: Mineral industries (Environmental aspects Ontario, Northwestern)

subject: Mineral industries (Environmental aspects Horneblende Lake)

subject: Mineral industries Environmental aspects (Cleaver Lake)

abstract: Cleaver Lake and Horneblende Lake in the Whitesand Watershed were studied for the impact of mining and milling activities.  No release of zinc, copper, iron, or manganese was detected in aerated sediment samples and there were reductions in metals, sulphate, calcium, and conductivity, reflecting the eroding stratification.


title: Enzymatic hydrolysis of primary paper mill sludge and fermentative production of microbial lipids

contributor:
Rakshit, Sudip
Elyasi, Siamak
Liao, Baoqiang

subject:
Lignocellulosic biomass
Paper mill sludge
Hydrolysis
Microbial oil fermentation

abstract: Canada is known for its abundant forests and thriving forest products industry. For every ton of paper produced in mills across the country, approximately 30 kg of dry primary sludge is produced. The dry sludge is then either shipped to landfills or incinerated along with dried secondary sludge. However, this waste stream has the potential to be used more efficiently for the production of higher value products. Primary sludge is cellulosic in nature and contain fractions of hemicellulose, lignin and ash. Cellulose in the primary sludge is more accessible to enzymatic hydrolysis as compared to natural lignocellulosic biomass due to the physico-chemical treatment, that wood undergoes during pulping process. This stream was used to produce fermentable reducing sugars using enzymatic hydrolysis. Supplementation of β-glucosidase enzyme (1:0.5) reduced the time required for 35% conversion to 24 hours instead of 96 hours. The hydrolysate obtained for four days contained 41 g/l of glucose based on 81 % conversion of the cellulosic fraction in the primary sludge with β-glucosidase supplementation to a level of 1:2. The obtained hydrolysate was fermented to produce microbial lipids using oleaginous yeasts strains (Cryptococcus curvatus). The fatty acid compositions of microbial lipids produced were found to similar to vegetable oil. It thus can be used as a feedstock for the production biodiesel and other value-added products which in turn can add to the revenue of the industry.


title: Water and crop biomass dynamics in a Cassia siamea Lam. and Zea mays L. alley cropping system

subject:
Agroforestry
Hedgerow intercropping
Cassia siamea

abstract:
Alley cropping is a crop production system in which food crops are grown in
the alleys created by hedgerows of selected tree species, preferably legumes.
The objective of this study was to model a Cassia /maize alley cropping system
in the semi-arid district of Machakos in Kenya. The modelling was done with
respect to the system's ground water dynamics as it affects its biomass
production. First the dynamics of water in a bare soil was modelled, and then
Cassia and maize were introduced separately and their biomass production
modelled with respect to water. Finally, a combined Cass/a/maize/ground
water model was build and analysed. The model suggests that water is a
critical factor in the biomass production of Cassia and maize. The main
achievement of this project has been to provide a starting point for a framework
in which empirical research results can be integrated and interpreted in a more
holistic manner.


title: Single mother families : a participant observation study of human service agencies, organizations / by Melissa Reynolds.

contributor:
Nelson, Connie
Delaney, Roger
LalDin, Irene

subject:
Single mothers - Services for
Fatherless families - Services for
Single parent families - Services for
Thunder Bay (Ontario)

abstract:
The purpose of this mixed methods study was to better understand single mother families by integrating both qualitative data describing the lived experiences and needs of single mother families, with quantitative data detailing the formal services/programs currently available to meet these needs of single mother families living in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Qualitative analysis consisted of continual reflection and interpretation of day-to-day life experiences of 8 young single mother families through participant observations for a total of 180 hours of participant observation. In the quantitative approach, statistical analysis using SPSS 15.0 was completed on survey data from 30 human service agencies and organizations to learn about their extent of involvement with
services/programs for single mother families in Thunder Bay. Analysis of the participant observation data revealed that the single mothers demonstrated resourcefulness, dignity, caution, astuteness, maturity, adaptability, coping, and tenacity in maintaining daily family living, along with hopefulness towards their futures. Additionally, the single mothers often relied on support from family and friends to maintain and provide for their families. The results of the statistical analysis revealed that only 33 percent of the agencies/organizations provided special services/programs for single mother families and 70 percent of these agencies/organization provided regular programs in which single mother families are eligible to participate. From the perspective of the experiences of the single mother families it was revealed that the needs of single mother families living in Thunder Bay are not sufficiently met by the services/programs available.


title: Variation of fungal endophyte diversity between healthy branches of balsam fir and branches infected with fir broom rust

subject:
Balsam fir
Fir broom rust
Fungal endophytes

abstract: A total of 241 isolation attempts were made, with 233 yielding cultures from 61 branches collected from two balsam fir trees. The most commonly found fungal endophyte in healthy branches of balsam fir was Foveostroma abietinum, followed by Geniculosporium sp. and Zythiostroma pinastri, while in witches’ broom twigs the most common fungal endophyte was Phoma sp. 1, followed by Foveostroma abietinum, and Thelebolus caninus. A modification of Good’s Hypothesis was used to calculate the percentage of total biodiversity likely to be found in the surveyed twigs, and the values of 46.6% and 55.6% were obtained for healthy twigs and witches’ broom twigs respectively. Approximately half of the fungal endophyte diversity is represented in this study according to the modification of Good’s Hypothesis, however, further research should be conducted to further understand the fungal endophyte diversity in both healthy and witches’ broom twigs.


title: Vegetative and sexual phenology, reproductive dynamics and bud differentiation in a clonal seed orchard of white and black spruce

subject:
White spruce
Black spruce
Seed orchards

abstract:
To evaluate the importance of phenology and strobilus
production in a clonal seed orchard of white and black
spruce, 14 clones of each species represented by 4 ramets
each, were selected from the Mattawin seed orchard. Thunder
Bay District, Ontario. The times of flushing of the
terminal buds of the leaders and 4 lateral branches were
determined using an index of vegetative bud and shoot
development. Dates of growth cessation were determined at
95 percent of shoot elongation. An index was used to score
stages of pollen release and female receptivity of black
spruce. Counts were made of male and female strobilus
production per ramet in black spruce. The time of
reproductive bud differentiation, in two clones of black spruce, was estimated to be mid-July after viewing dissected
buds under a dissecting microscope and epimicroscope.
Analyses of variance showed significant differences among
clones in times of flushing and growth cessation of the
leaders and lateral branches of white and black spruce, and
significant differences in times of pollen release and
female receptivity in black spruce but not white spruce.
However, few clones were significantly different from each
other using Duncan's NMR test. Generally there was a small
range in clonal mean dates for these characteristics,
perhaps because the clone ortets all originated from the same northern seed zone. Early-flushing black spruce clones
produced the greatest leader extension. Peak pollen release
and female receptivity coincided in most clones, thus
increasing the probability of selfing. An analysis of
variance of the number of female strobili per ramet and an
analysis of covariance of the number of male strobili per
ramet, using ramet height as covariant, showed significant
clone differences. A few clones produced the largest number
of strobili, especially in male strobilus production. Heavy
male strobilus producing clones were not necessarily heavy
female strobilus producers. The genetic composition of the progeny was estimated from: 1) the daily stages of pollen
release and female receptivity, and 2) the number of male
and female strobili per clone. A few clones were the
largest contributors to the genetic composition of the
progeny; the timing of pollen release and female
receptivity had little effect on these estimates. The total
percentage of selfed-crosses was estimated at 1 1 percent,
although the individual clone rates of selfing varied from 1
to 25 percent.


title: Decomposition of 2-propanol over vanadium pentoxide and modified vanadium pentoxide catalysts

subject:
Alcohols
Decomposition (Chemistry)
Propanol

abstract:
The catalytic decomposition of 2-propanol has been investigated
in a flow system from 200-300°C on vanadium pentoxide and modified
vanadium pentoxide catalysts.
Dehydration, dehydrogenation and propane formation were observed
over the temperature range studied. The propane reaction was predominant
at higher temperatures.
Kinetic experiments showed the dehydration and dehydrogenation
reactions to be zero order with respect to all components while the propane-
forming reaction was found to have a rate order of 0.3 with respect
to 2-propanol. The kinetics for the reactions were interpreted in terms
of the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model and elimination type mechanisms have
been proposed to account for the 2-propanol decomposition.
Trends in activity and activation energies for the dehydration
reaction have been correlated with the mobility of surface oxygen
previously reported in the literature. Some correlations were obtained
with activation energies for dehydration reactions in similar systems.
The reduction of the catalysts used, as indicated by changes
in surface area and X-ray powder diffraction patterns, has been related
to oxygen mobility and to the surface 'Tammann* temperature of the
additive.


title: Potential impacts of clearcut logging on lake trout (salvelinus namaycush) reproduction in northwestern Ontario lakes

subject: Effect of clearcutting & logging on lake trout (Northwestern Ontario)

abstract:
Lake trout reproductive habitat was characterized in three small lakes, 250 km northwest
of Thunder Bay, Ontario, by measuring the physical characteristics of preferred spawning
habitat including 1) depth, 2) substrate size, 3) interstitial space depth, 4) organic material
abundance, 5) embeddedness, 6) particulate debris, and 7) permeability. Principal
Components Analysis indicated that periphyton, macrophyte, and particulate debris
abundance all increased with shoal depth, while substrate size decreased. Hydraulic
permeability, indexed by the erosion of gypsum cylinders, was higher in coarser substrates.
Lake trout egg deposition density in egg traps averaged 70 eggs m'2, of which 45% were
viable by late fall Lake trout embryo survival and emergence in enclosures varied with
Fredle Index, and was highest (75%) in cobble/rubble mixtures. Fine sediment which was
added to incubators in the fall was absent when the incubators were retrieved in the spring.
At the single fine sediment dosage tested in this study (equivalent to a layer approximately
2.5 cm deep across the surface of each incubator), lake trout hatching success was not
significantly affected. Although experimental nutrient enrichment CP and N) of a spawning
shoal increased periphyton biomass by 2.5 times over the summer, the effects of this on
reproductive habitat are not known at present.


title: Differences in dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) assemblages in different habitat types and habitat patches within the Verde Sumaco forest, Ecuador

subject: Dung beetle assemblages

subject: Moist tropical forests

subject: Ecological functions (neotropical dung beetles)

subject: Biological diversity

subject: Biodiversity and land use modification

abstract: Scarabaeinae, the dung-eating beetle subfamily, comprises keystone species that perform a host of ecological functions. They are easily surveyed and respond to habitat change, making them suitable indicators of effects of land use conversion on biodiversity. I set baited pitfall traps in mature forest, secondary forest, and chakras, traditional home gardens, in Verde Sumaco, Orellana, Ecuador. I investigated the effects of habitat type and edge type (mature forest adjacent to river, secondary forest adjacent to river, and secondary forest adjacent to open farm) on Scarabaeinae diversity. I found significant effects on dung beetle capture on both habitat type (F(2, 21) = 3.38, p = 0.05) and edge type (F(1, 21) = 4.23, p = 0.05). Total captures of Eurysternus beetles (F(1, 12) = 21.73, p = 0.001), endocoprid species (F(1, 17) = 16.61, p = 0.001), and telecoprid species (F(1, 17) = 5.37, p = 0.033) were significantly greater when the edge was a transition between forest types or chakra, compared to when forest was adjacent to rivers or farms. Capture of the telecoprid group was significantly greater in secondary forest than mature forests (F(1, 17) = 13.91, p = 0.002). These differences may be explained by a combination of natural history, ecological adaptation, and human influence. Alterations in dung beetle assemblage will modify the ecological functions being mediated by these keystone species. Within terrestrial entomofauna, dung beetles are proportionally the most affected taxa, with the primary driver of decline being habitat conversion. Losing the ecological functions that these species provide could have appreciable deleterious impacts on moist tropical forests.


title: Boethian influences in Shakespeare's Timon of Athens

abstract:
While John L. Tison Jr. recognizes Shakespeare as writing in the consolatory fashion, he
highlights Henry VI, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Coriolanus, and Romeo and Juliet as examples
while failing to include Timon of Athens. The evidence presented in my thesis indicates that
Timon should be added to Tison’s lists. Boethius changed the genre of consolatio in antiquity;
likewise, Shakespeare adapts consolatory literature to the Renaissance stage. This thesis
undertakes an examination of Philosophy’s discourse in conjunction with the characters in Timon
of Athens, thereby revealing that Shakespeare’s Timon is informed by Boethius’ The Consolation
of Philosophy. I show the characters of Timon and Alcibiades to be the embodiment of
Philosophy’s - and therefore Boethius’ - imparted wisdom in the areas of the right cure for the
right ailment. Fortune, sin, good and evil, the bestial man and the virtuous man. Furthermore, this
analysis serves to clarify the purpose of the contentious fifth scene in the third act.
I begin by discussing the extent of Boethian influence in the Medieval and Renaissance
periods. I show existing critical and scholarly connections between Boethius’ Consolation of
Philosophy and the work of such Medieval and Renaissance writers as Geoffrey Chaucer,
Thomas Wyatt, and William Shakespeare. I examine the sources of Shakespeare’s Timon to
facilitate a complete understanding of how Alcibiades’ scene with the Senate shows a direct
Boethian influence which is not found in other sources. Then, I move toward drawing parallels
between Philosophy’s discussion with the persona Boethius to the discussions and actions in
Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens. Most specifically, I tackle the unique discussion found only in
Boethius’ consolation of applying the right cure to the ailment, and show how it is relevant to
Timon, as well as revealing the true Boethian purpose behind the Alcibiades and Senate scene. I
examine the overwhelming similarities between Philosophy’s imparted wisdom about Fortune,
revealing how this wisdom is echoed in Timon. I show how Boethius further informs
Shakespeare in the areas of sin, the virtuous and bestial man, and the hazards of attaching oneself
to the wrong ‘good’. This thesis concludes by summarizing and structuring the evidence to
enable the reader to understand the extent to which Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy informs
Shakespeare’s The Life of Timon of Athens.


title: Online loss minimization based direct torque and flux control of IPMSM drive

subject:
Synchronous electric motors
Automatic control
Permanent magnet synchronous motors
Direct torque and flux control schemes

abstract:
With the advent of high energy rare earth magnetic material such as, third generation neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB), permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) is becoming more and more popular in high power industrial applications (e.g., high-speed railway) due to its advantageous features such as high energy density, stable parameters, high power factor, low noise and high efficiency as compared to the conventional ac motors. Over the years, vector control and direct torque and flux control (DTFC) techniques have been used for high performance motor drives. But, the DTFC is faster than that of conventional vector control as the DTFC scheme doesn't need any coordinate transformation, pulse width modulation (PWM) and current regulators. The DTFC utilizes hysteresis band comparators for both flux and torque controls. Most of the past researches on DTFC based motor drives mainly concentrated on the development of the inverter control algorithm with less torque ripple as it is the major drawback of DTFC. The torque reference value is obtained online based on motor speed error between actual and reference values through a speed controller. Traditionally, researchers chose a constant value of air-gap flux reference based on trial and error method which may not be acceptable for high performance drives as the air-gap flux changes with operating conditions and system disturbance. Efficient high performance drives require fast and accurate speed response to cope with disturbances and algorithm to minimize motor losses.
However, if the reference air-gap flux is maintained constant it is not possible to control the motor losses. Therefore, this thesis presents a novel loss minimization based DTFC scheme for interior type PMSM drive so that the drive system can maintain both high efficiency and high dynamic performance. An online model based loss minimization algorithm (LMA) is developed to estimate the air-gap flux so that the motor operates at minimum loss condition while taking the general advantages of DTFC over conventional vector control. The performance the proposed LMA based DTFC for PMSM drive is tested in both simulation and real-time implementation at different operating conditions. The results verify the effectiveness of the proposed flux observer based DTFC scheme for PMSM drive.


title: Study of faculty attitudes towards the adoption of university-based distance education in Ghana / by Samuel Badu-Nyarko.

subject:
Distance education Ghana
College teachers Ghana Attitudes
University extension Ghana


title: Geology of sulphide-facies iron-formations and associated rocks in the lower Steel River-Little Steel Lake area, Terrace Bay, Ontario

subject:
Geology Ontario Steel River
Geology Ontario Little Steel Lake
Petrology Ontario Steel River

abstract:
The Lower Steel River - Little Steel Lake area is located
about 25 km east of Terrace Bay, Ontario. Seventeen
iron-formations were investigated within this metamorphosed
Archean volcanic and sedimentary terrain, which represents a
portion of the Abitibi - Wawa Subprovince of the Superior
Structural Province.
Sulphide-facies iron-formations are the dominant chemical
sedimentary rocks in the Schreiber - Terrace Bay area, and
represent deposition during quiescent periods in clastic
accumulation and in volcanic activity. The iron-formations
commonly mark contacts between the volcanic and sedimentary
rocks. They are interbedded with carbonaceous slates at the
base of sedimentary successions and overlain by DE
turbidites. This suggests chemical sedimentation on a
subaqueous basinal plain slightly distal to an outer fan.
Sulphide-facies iron-formations consist of a mixture of
chemical and clastic components, and while highly variable,
the iron-formations in the study area contain three commonly
recognizable units: 1) pyritic-carbonaceous slate; 2)
disseminated, massive, laminated and nodular pyrite; and 3)
chert or siliceous sedimentary rock. Sedimentary textures
and structures combined with trace element abundances and
geochemical evidence support the mixing of clastic and
chemical components, and a hydrothermal source for the iron.
Exhalative discharge probably occurred episodically as
moderate- to low-temperature solutions percolated through
near-surface pillowed volcanics and, once vented, deposited
a blanket of chemical sediment. Vent-proximal deposits
include massive and layered pyrite; the domal and colloform
varieties support the existence of organic mats. The
presence of carbon is interpreted as a relic of the organic
activity. Pyritic-carbonaceous slates consisting of
alternating chemical and clastic components represent
vent-distal deposits. Radial structures within pyrite
nodules provide evidence of diagenetic transformation and
tectonic deformation.
Structural evidence suggests that the study area was
affected by a complex folding event related to one
deformational episode, probably preceded by syn-sedimentary
slumping in some areas. The competency differences between
sedimentary and volcanic rocks, combined with the
fine-grained nature of the sedimentary rocks (DE turbidites
and iron-formation ) at major volcanic-sedimentary contacts,
focussed deformation and dike emplacement in the contact
areas.


title: Teachers' opinions about the roles of subject specialists and generalist instructors for early adolescents

subject:
Teaching
Instructional systems Evaluation
Teachers Attitudes

abstract:
This study is essentially exploratory in nature due to a paucity of research concerning teacher
opinions about subject specialists and generalist instructors for early adolescents.
The purpose of the study is to examine teachers' expressed preferences for the use of subject
specialists at upper elementary school levels and Grade 9 and the relevant factors associated with
their opinions.
Data were obtained through the use of a survey questionnaire and analyzed by employing descriptive
and inferential statistics.
The results of the study revealed some significant diversities along with some similarities in the
opinions of secondary participants and their elementary counterparts. The results may suggest a
need for increased use of subject  specialists  at the  upper
elementary level.


title: Impurity band conduction in reduced samples of bismuth iron molybdate

subject: Bismuth iron molybdate

subject: Molybdenum compounds electric properties

subject: Intrinsic semiconductor

subject: Extrinsic semiconductor (n-type)

abstract:
An experimental investigation of the electrical resistance of n-type bismuth iron
molybdate (Bi3FeMo2012) pellets at temperatures from 90 to 620 K has been made in an
attempt to detect impurity band conduction near room temperature. The pellets were
chemically reduced by exposing them to 13.2% methanol vapour in a nitrogen carrier gas
inside an oven at 620 K. Lightly reduced samples yield an activation energy of 360 meV
over the temperature region of 300 - 620 K which represents the donor energy level below the
conduction band edge. A change in this activation energy over the temperature region
of 150 to 300 K suggests the adsorption of water vapour or oxygen which tends to trap
out carriers and suppress the pellet’s conductance. For the more heavily reduced samples
a near temperature independent resistance, in the temperature range of 90 to 300 K,
suggests a metallic like conduction through an impurity band. A lowering of the
activation energy, with increasing reduction, from 16 meV down to 1 meV suggests a
transition from hopping to metallic conduction in the impurity band formed by the oxygen
vacancy donor states. As the oxygen vacancy donor concentration increases the
temperature region dominated by conduction through the impurity band expands to higher
temperature. X-ray powder diffraction measurements reveal the formation of Bi, Bi203 or
MoO3 as well as MoO2 during the reduction sequence, but have been excluded as an
explanation of the metallic like behavior observed in the temperature region of 90 to 300
K due to the small amounts observed.


title: The cumulative effects of hypoxia and hyperglycemia on cardiac oxidative stress

contributor:
Khaper, Neelam
Suntres, Zacharias
Leung, Kam

subject:
Hypoxia
Hyperglycemia
Oxidative stress
Autophagy
Hyperglycaemia-induced

abstract:
Hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress plays an important role in cardiomyocyte
cell death leading to cardiac dysfunction. Autophagy is an intracellular bulk degradation
process and can be induced by stressors such as nutrient depletion and acute ischemia, to promote cell survival. Oxidative stress is an important regulator of autophagy in various
pathophysiological conditions such as ischemia/reperfusion injury and hypoxia. The role
of autophagy in the oxidative stress tolerance of cardiac cells exposed to simultaneous
hyperglycemia and hypoxia has not been studied. The aim of the present study is to
determine the role of autophagy in cardiac cells in response to combined hyperglycemia
and hypoxia. H9c2 rat cardiac cell lines were grown in DMEM supplemented with
standard (5.6 mM), moderately high (25 mM) and high (33 mM) glucose concentrations.
The cells were then exposed to hypoxia condition (1% oxygen, O2) for 24h and 48h using
the hypoxia chamber. Cell viability and oxidative stress was measured by the 2,5-
diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and 2'7'-dichlorofluorescein (DCF) assays
respectively. Apoptosis and autophagy was assessed via Caspatag 3/7 In Situ assay and
western blotting. Results obtained demonstrated that high glucose andhypoxia additively
reduced H9c2 cell viability. Simultaneous high glucose and hypoxia-induced oxidative
stress suppresses autophagy and promotes cell death by apoptosis. A biphasic induction
of ROS production, caspase 3/7 activity and PAMPK protein expression, in simultaneous
high glucose and hypoxia conditions, calls for further research.


title: Motivational compliance of Canadian inbound tour operators with China Approved Destination Status (ADS) guidelines

contributor:
Yuan, Michael
Robson, M.
Dilley, Robert

subject:
Motivation
Tourism
Canada
Chinese
Travel
Travel Agents
Psychology

abstract: Tourism is one of the most important industries in Canada and continues to be an important factor in maintaining a strong Canadian economy. One of the markets that currently holds the greatest potential for inbound tourism to Canada is China. The Chinese government developed a bilateral agreement program called "Approved Destination Status" (ADS) where Chinese citizens can obtain tourist visas more easily to travel for leisure purposes to participating countries. Under ADS, Canada can market its tourism products more actively in China, and Chinese travel agencies can likewise market and promote leisure packages for travel in Canada. Canada is currently still in the process of finalizing the ADS agreement.


title: Performance investigation of H control and port controlled Hamilton with dissipation based nonlinear control for IPMSM drives

subject:
Motor control strategies
Control techniques
IPMSM drive system
Nonlinear PCHD controller

abstract:
Within the field of electrical drive systems, there has been increasing popularity
in the use of permanent magnetic synchronous machines as an execution unit, and the cooperation
with high performance control strategy. Industrial engineers and researchers have developed
countless applications with PM motors such as wind energy, hybrid vehicle and even in the elevator
field. PMSM is a multivariate, nonlinear, time-varying system. Its entire operation is influenced
by parameter variation, external load disturbance and unmodelled uncertainty. To eliminate such
negative impacts and develop better performing PMSM control system, advanced control algorithms are
critical.
Therefore, this thesis forces on developing two different control techniques such as
mixed-sensitivity based H∞ controller and port controlled Hamilton with dissipation (PCHD)
controller to handle the uncertainties of the drives. Former one establishes the controller in
terms of frequency domain, successfully converted IPMSM control problem to a standard H∞ based
mixed-sensitivity problem by selecting proper weight functions and solving its correspond Ricatti
equations. While the latter one realizes the control objective in energy aspects by assigning
interconnection and damping matrix for IPMSM system to prove its passivity and ensure global
stability. The performances of both controllers for IPMSM drive have been investigated in both
simulations and experiments using MATLAB-Simulink and dSPACE DSP board DS1104 for a 5 hp prototype
motor. A direct current (DC) machine is coupled with IPMSM shaft to use as dynamic load. It is
found that the performances of both controllers are robust at different operating conditions
while PCHD exhibits better dynamic performance than that of H∞ control.