title: The impact of daily number talks on the development of mental math abilities of second graders within a reform-based classroom

contributor:
Lawson, Alex
Chambers, Joan

subject:
Mental math abilities
Traditional mathematics instruction
Reform-based mathematics

abstract: In this mixed methods case study I examined the impact of daily number talks (or strings) on the development of mental math abilities of second graders within a reform-based classroom. I also looked at whether or not the implementation of number talks would increase students’ ability to calculate with accuracy, efficiency, and flexibility. Finally, I looked at whether or not the implementation of number talks would increase students’ understanding of place value and number relationships. The sample included one class of 19 second-graders to determine the overall impact of number talks, with a focus on six embedded case studies which amplified how this change occurred. A preassessment interview, two midassessments, twenty-four number talks, a postnumber talk questionnaire, and a postassessment interview were used over the span of six weeks. The twenty-four number talks were developed for students to invent, construct, and make sense of their own number strategies and their underlying key ideas. After six weeks of number talks, all students demonstrated an increase in accuracy, efficiency, and flexibility in their number calculations to 20. The case study data of two low-achieving, three average-achieving, and one high-level student reveals growth in their ability to articulate their thinking with an increase in their understanding of place value and number relationships.


title: Management, environmental and energy considerations for woodwaste

subject:
Wood waste
Environmental aspects
Wood waste as fuel
Leachate
Fills (Earthwork)

abstract: Manufacturing operations that process raw wood, such as sawmills and pulp and paper mills, generate wood residue, such as woodwaste, sawdust, shavings, wood chips and off-cuts, also known as woodwaste. The decomposition of woodwaste at these landfill sites is a slow process that results in the generation of leachate. Woodwaste leachate can impact receiving groundwater and surface water resources, as such, the monitoring of water quality downgradient of these waste landfill sites is important.


title: Efficacy of a multimolecular extraction from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue

contributor:
Rennie, Michael
Floriano, Wely
Campbell, Michael
Matheson, Carney

subject: Tri-molecule extraction

subject: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues

subject: Genetics and gene expression

subject: DNA & RNA extraction

subject: Genetic profiling variation

abstract:
As the genetic basis and gene expression components are being discovered for an increasing
number of diseases and disorders there is a rising interest in using multiomic approaches to
better understand these conditions. The large tissue banks of formalin fixed (FF) and
formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues present a unique opportunity to study rare
conditions and difficult to sample organs such as brains. Current molecular studies on FFPE
look at single molecule extractions, which provide only a partial picture of disease
mechanisms. This study compared the efficacy of TRIzol®, a tri-molecule extraction
method, to that of the traditional single molecule methods for DNA and RNA extraction in
frozen, FF, and FFPE brain tissue using animal models. Optimization of this would allow for
DNA and RNA to be obtained from the same sample providing a more accurate and
comprehensive picture of the mechanism of disease or disorder. The quantity and purity of
the DNA and RNA extracted from frozen, FF, and FFPE brain samples (aged for 3 years)
were determined by spectrophotometry. Quality was determined by real-time PCR (qPCR)
and reverse transcriptase qPCR (RT-qPCR) using beta-2-microglobulin (98bp) and
glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (227bp) targets. Our study found no significant
difference in efficacy between TRIzol® and the traditional methods employed in the
literature, indicating that TRIzol® is comparable to the currently used, single molecule
extractions when applied to FF and FFPE brain tissue. This finding requires further
investigation with a larger set of samples, but if supported may help maximize the amount of
information obtained from rare samples as multiple data sets would be obtained from a single
sample. Unexpectedly, this study also observed a higher rate of success in extracting high
quality RNA compared to DNA regardless of extraction method. Due to the low number of
samples, the statistical significance of this observation could not be established however we
feel that it warrants further investigation.


title: Indigenous led conservation – a critical review of Traditional Ecological Knowledge

subject:
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Indigenous knowledge
Western–based science
Eurocentric biases
Fort William First Nation

abstract:
Evaluating the importance of Indigenous - Based Conservation with a critical
review of Traditional Ecological Knowledge Studies can provide a useful framework for
future management efforts. Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Ecological
Knowledge have been used in the past few decades to collect and examine Indigenous -
Knowledge and ecological knowledge Indigenous peoples have gained through oral
teachings and traditional practices. Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Ecological
Knowledge studies are thought to be inclusive frameworks to help represent Indigenous
perspectives and values, for environmental assessment and management purposes,
conservation management and environmental health studies. However, the development
and implementation of the overall Traditional Knowledge framework and formation of
theory, was developed through western-based perspectives and science, therefore
resulting in heavy Euro-centric biases towards the topics and definitions of Traditional
Knowledge and Traditional Ecological Knowledge studies. The idea and development
for a new modern and Indigenous - based framework to discuss, form and collect
Indigenous knowledge is both important, and necessary. To facilitate Indigenous selfdetermined and - defined Traditional Knowledge, interviews were conducted with Fort
William First Nation band members to gain an understanding of the Indigenous
perspective. Indigenous perspectives and self-definitions help to further the
understandings of racially biased scientific protocols and to reduce these biases in
environmental and conservation management.


title: Techno-economic analysis and supply chain design for a forest biorefinery to produce value-added bio-based products from lignin

contributor:
Xu, Charles
Pulkki, Reino
Leitch, Mathew

subject:
Biorefinery
Techno-economic analysis
Kraft lignin
Depolymerized kraft lignin
Biophenol
Biomass
Value-added bio-based products

abstract:
By far, several commercial projects for production of lignin-based chemicals started
operations around the world. For instance, the LignoBoost process was installed by Domtar
in 2013 in the United States, and in 2015 by Stora Enso in Finland. Lather, in 2016, the
LignoForce system came into operation at West Fraser in Canada. These commercial
initiatives show that lignin has proven its potential as an alternative to petroleum, to reduce
emissions and generate a new stream of revenue in the forestry sector. Lignin deems to be
a suitable feedstock for energy generation or value-added bioproducts as substitutes to
petroleum-based products. However, lignin’s characteristics (specifically large molecular
weights and low reactivity) limit its direct use as chemicals to substitute petroleum-derived
chemicals.
More than 30 years of research towards lignin modification have shown that
depolymerization is one of the promising routes to achieve its high-value applications in
chemicals. A novel depolymerization process using low-pressure and low-temperature has
been developed by Dr. Xu’s group – from the laboratory-scale production of
depolymerized lignin (DL) to value-added applications of DL for bio-based materials
(patent pending). In this process, kraft lignin (KL) is depolymerized using sodium
hydroxide as catalyst and ethylene glycol as solvent. The depolymerized kraft lignin (DKL)
products have suitable characteristics, such as high hydroxyl a moderately low weightaverage
molecular weight, for synthesis of biopolymers. The DKL can substitute up to 75%
phenol in the manufacture of phenol-formaldehyde resins (PF) and up to 50% in the
formulation of polyurethane (PU) foams. The next logical step is to assess the feasibility
of this technology. Therefore, the general purpose of this research is to develop a technoeconomic
analysis and a supply chain (SC) design to identify the most promising technical
and economic aspects of commercial production and long-term feasibility of bio-based
value-added chemicals and materials from KL.


title: Adaptive control of a parallel robot via backstepping technique

contributor:
Liu, Xiaoping
Liu, Kefu
Uddin, Mohammad

subject:
Parallel robots (Automatic control)
Adaptive control systems
Parallel robots (Kinematics)
Nonlinear control
Differential algebraic equation systems

abstract:
Parallel robots have attracted more and more attention in recent years due to their
kinematical and mechanical advantages. However the complicated high nonlinear model
with unknown parameters and singularities make the control of a parallel robot much
more difficult than a serial robot. Nonlinear control has been made great progress since
backstepping technique was developed. Backstepping technique is a recursive design
procedure and feasible for lower triangular nonlinear systems. Moreover, the adaptive
backstepping is able to handle nonlinear systems with unknown parameters, which turns
out to be a suitable control design methodology for parallel robots.
The adaptive backstepping technique is applied to set point and tracking control of a
planar parallel robot in this thesis. The dynamic model of the robot is characterized by a
set of differential algebraic equations (DAEs) and further reduced to a set o f ordinary
differential equations (ODEs). The inverse kinematics is also under investigation. For set
point control, a model-based adaptive controller is designed based on backstepping
technique, and an adaptive PD controller is also constructed for comparison. For tracking
control, adaptive backstepping controller is designed based on the model with unknown
parameters. The adaptive PD controller is also implemented for comparison. The
performances o f the controllers are tested by experiments. Desired trajectories such as
circle, line, and square are tracked in experiments for two cases: with no load and with
load at the end effector.
It is shown that adaptive controllers can achieve less steady state errors in set point
control, and smaller tracking errors in tracking control than non-adaptive controllers,
especially when there is a load attached to the end effector.


title: Nonlinear dynamics of railway wheelsets incorporating randomness

contributor:
Sedov, Alexander
Liu, Meilan

subject:
Railroad cars
Wheel-rail interaction
Single-axle wheelsets

abstract: The thesis is to investigate the dynamic behavior of a single-axle railway wheelset and identify its chaotic behavior by means of time history, phase portrait, Lyapunov exponents, information dimension, bifurcation diagram and control strategy. The thesis has its analytical and computational components. For the analytical component, several mathematical models of a single-axle rail vehicle wheelset are presented in order to compare their features for similarities and differences. These models present different contact theories of creep force, and have different parametric values. In addition, Model III does not consider gravitational stiffnesses and gyroscopic couple. As a result, directly comparing simulation results of these models makes it difficult to interpret results and to draw conclusions. Therefore, these models need to be expanded so that issues can be isolated and investigated accordingly.


title: Relationship of lower limb flexibility, strength, and anthropometric measures to skating speed in varsity hockey players

contributor:
Song, T. M. K.
Rushall, Brent S.

subject:
Joints Range of motion
Skating
Muscle strength

abstract:
The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship
of flexibility, strength and anthropometric measurements
of the lower limbs to the skating speed of hockey players.
Seventeen university varsity hockey players were assessed for:
leg and grip strengths using cable-tension methods; lower
limb flexibility using Leighton’s flexometer and technique;
anthropometry of the legs; and skating speed under standing
and flying start conditions with and without a stick over two
distances, 40 feet and 25 metres. Time was recorded using
photoelectric cells and a Universal Counter Timer Model 604A.
The strength, flexibility, and anthropometric measures were the
independent variables and the skating speeds were the dependent variables. Using a significance level of .05 the data were
analyzed using the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient
and Stepwise Multiple Regression statistical methods.
The resulting r*s indicated that 1) flexibility was specific
to each Joint measured, 2) there was a general strength factor
and a general skating body type, 3) two of the skating speed
tests encompassed many factors of the other six, 4) flexibility
was related to a little degree to strength and anthropometry,
5) strength and anthropometry were related, and 6) flexibility
and anthropometry were not related to skating speed. The regression
analyses accounted for all of the variance in each
dependent variable but the variables entered were different
in order and in contributory weight in each analysis. Skating speed was indicated as being specific to the distance and conditions under which it was performed.


title: Health care in 19th century Upper Canada/Ontario : adaptation of a British model

subject: Public health Ontario History

subject: Public health Ontario Port Arthur History

abstract:
After having completed relevant coursework in health
care in Britain and while researching late 19th century
health care in Port Arthur, I became fascinated by the
surprisingly advanced level of such services in Port Arthur
during the last two decades of the nineteenth century. One
would expect such an isolated community to have lagged far
behind southern Ontario and Britain in terms of progress in
health care services. Such, however, was not the case; Port
Arthur, despite its obvious handicaps of size and relative
isolation, managed to keep pace astonishingly veil.
Yet advances in Ontario health care services did emanate
from Britain. Therefore, it seemed logical to address first
the conditions which stimulated innovative changes in Britain
and the adaptation of these new ideas as they spread to
southern Ontario before examining their effects in a more
remote community.
To fully appreciate the rapid spread of ideas and
subsequent changes in services that occurred in Ontario —
and specifically, in a frontier community one must first
consider the stages in the development of the various fields
of health care. Health care in Britain and Ontario underwent
a dramatic change during the second half of the nineteent-h
century: what had been during the first half of the century
a rather primitive form of health care now developed into a
highly scientific and well-organized service. Major discoveries in the science of medicine; public health
awareness, with improved municipal cleanliness; clean water
supplies and sewage removal; understanding and control of
epidemics along with improved hospital facilities and nursing
care had combined to bring about this revolution.
To truly appreciate the impact of such advances and the
remarkable dissemination of knowledge from Britain, to
Ontario, and subsequently to Port Arthur, it is necessary to
establish a frame of reference: the examination of
conditions in existence during the first half of the
nineteenth century which served as a catalyst to dramatic
changes in health care. This thesis has consequently been
divided into two parts: Part 1, consisting of Chapters 1 and
11, deals with the development of the various fields of
health care in Britain and Upper Canada/Ontario during the
nineteenth century. Part 11, consisting of Chapters 111, IV
and V, examines the development of the Ontario Board of
Health, public health in Port Arthur and St. Joseph's
hospital.
Chapter 1 traces the crisis in health care in Britain
brought about by the Industrial revolution and its
demographic changes. The sanitary reform movement was a
direct response to the increase of disease in certain
segments of the urban population and to the need for reform.
The development of hospitals and nursing care is also
outlined in Chapter I, as well as the impact of the Crimean
War which served as a watershed in the improvement of medical services in Britain. Chapter 11 examines the conditions in
Upper Canada and the response of the colony to demographic
changes and the diseases brought by immigration. It also
surveys the construction of the first hospitals in Upper
Canada. Major discoveries in medical science, in the second
half of the century, are discussed in Chapter 11 to emphasize
the impact they had in the colony. In addition to these
changes in the medical profession, improvements in hospital
facilities and nursing care are also described. Finally,
Chapter 11 outlines the advances in public health in Ontario
brought about by legislation which enabled the province of
Ontario to keep pace with developments taking place in
Britain.
Part 11 of the thesis moves on to illustrate the context
in which change occurred. Chapter 111 deals with the
specific problems of the Ontario Board of Health: apathy of
the municipalities; why Ontario lagged behind Britain in the
enforcement of public health legislation; what was wrong with
this system, and what had to be done to improve public
health. There was discussion of legislation throughout the
1880's, and progress was made by the turn of the century
through public education. In Chapters IV andV,case studies
of Port Arthur and its Board of Health and St. Joseph's
Hospital and its Nursing School are presented to show how
even a small, remote community responded quickly to advances
made in southern Ontario and Britain.
Although Canadian public health reformers were in
contact with the American Public Health Association,
the stronger influence was with the British experience.
As Heather McDougall states in her essay Enlightening
the Public, "Such close ties indicated clearly the
extent to which the Canadians were emulating the
British approach." (p.439.) Indeed, on looking at the
American public health movement during the 1880*s it
also indicates an indebtedness to the British
experience.


title: Dynamic resource allocation algorithms for long term evolution (LTE) wireless broadband networks

subject:
Broadband communication systems
Wireless communication systems

abstract: Following the successful standardization of High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) recently specified the Long Term Evolution (LTE) as a next generation radio network technology to meet the increasing performance requirements of mobile broadband. The results include a flexible and spectrally efficient radio link protocol design with low overhead. The first release of LTE provides peak rates of 300 Mbps in downlink and 75 Mbps in uplink. It is a significant increase in spectrum efficiency compared to the previous cellular systems. Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) has been selected as the uplink access scheme in the LTE. With SC-FDMA, the frequency spectrum resource is divided into time-frequency grids, referred to as resource blocks (RBs). Multiple-access is achieved by distributing resource blocks to users. The function of resource block allocation algorithms is to distribute resource blocks among users in a fair and efficient manner. The Modulation and coding scheme is determined adaptively according to the time-varying channel conditions. Sounding Reference Signals (SRS) are transmitted in the uplink direction to allow for the base station to estimate the uplink channel quality at different frequencies. The LTE system supports wideband SRS and narrowband SRS. We have developed an in-house simulation program in C++ to evaluate and compare the performance of CASA and ICAS algorithms in terms of packet loss ratio, delay, and throughput. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithms are able to satisfy the QoS requirements. Both of proposed algorithms support multiple CoSs simultaneously without impeding the first class (Expedited Forwarding) transmission. Also, both of the proposed algorithms achieve high throughput in a large range cell.


title: 'Here comes the sun': Enriching lives and reducing agitation for residents with dementia in long-term care homes

subject:
Dementia behaviours
Dementia care
Dementia studies
Long-term care homes
Reducing agitation

abstract:
This study sought to investigate the consequences of offering socially derived
programs geared to reduce agitation in residents of a secure dementia unit in a LTC
home. Data were collected through the generation of field notes based on observations of
unit activities and through semi-structured interviews conducted with five staff members
of a LTC home in Ontario. Discussion focuses on findings from both observations and
qualitative interviews. Situating the discussion within the context of a social
constructivist framework, this study offers an understanding of the effects of providing
meaningful activities to persons with dementia in the LTC context as a means to reduce
agitation and improve quality-of-life. My thesis provides insights into the effectiveness
of social programs to reduce agitation in persons with dementia in the LTC context and
has implications for future care in a LTC setting.


title: The association between lifetime history of a neck injury in a motor vehicle collision and future neck pain: a population based cohort study

subject: neck injury

abstract:
The role of neck injury in a motor vehicle collision as a predisposing factor for
future neck pain and disability is controversial. The purpose of this study is to determine
whether a past history of neck injury in a motor vehicle collision was associated with
incident troublesome neck pain. Data from the Saskatchewan Health and Back Pain
Survey, a population based survey mailed to a stratified random sample of 2184
Saskatchewan adults aged 20-69 years was used for the analysis. Fifty-five percent of
the eligible population participated and of those 74.8% responded to the six month and
62.9% at twelve month follow-up survey. The exposure was collected by asking
participants whether they had ever injured their neck in a motor vehicle collision (n=122).
The population at risk included those with no or mild neck pain at baseline (n=919). The
association between the history of neck injury in a motor vehicle collision and the
development of troublesome neck pain was analyzed with multivariable Cox regression
with adjustment for confounders. The history of neck injury in a motor vehicle collision
was positively associated with the development of troublesome neck pain at six and
twelve months (crude Hazard Rate Ratio = 2.43; 95% CI 1.28-4.60). After adjusting for
bodily pain and BMI, this association was reduced (Hazard Rate Ratio = 2.14; 95% CI
1.12-4.10). This prospective cohort study suggests that a history of neck injury in a
motor vehicle collision was a risk factor for the development of an episode of
troublesome neck pain.


title: Evaluating consumer grade UAVs and their potential applications and implications in Ontario consulting archaeology

subject:
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
Optics and the electromagnetic spectrum
Satellite imagery
Aerial photography

abstract:
Archaeological investigation is an inherently destructive process that threatens permanent
data loss if archaeological sites are inadequately recorded. While archaeologists strive to develop
innovative methods to ensure adequate data capture, they are often inhibited by funding and
training in new methodologies. Limited funding is exacerbated in a consulting archaeology
framework in Ontario where budgets are competitively determined and offer little flexibility or
incentive to exceed the minimum standards enforced by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and
Sport (MTCS). This thesis critically examines consumer-grade unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAVs) as a potential site recording and prospecting tool. Through four case studies, the UAVs
efficacy is evaluated and UAV-derived data products are outlined to determine whether the aerial
platform is a suitable technological innovation that increases data capture while remaining
affordable for Ontario consultant archaeologists.


title: Student responses to a grade 11 media literacy unit / by Patricia F. Ambrose

subject: Visual literacy

subject: Mass media Study and teaching (Secondary)


title: Impacts of the herbicide glyphosate on moose browse and moose use of four paired treated-control cutovers near Thunder Bay, Ontario

subject: Glyphosate

subject: Cutover lands Ontario Thunder Bay Region

subject: Moose Ontario Thunder Bay Region

abstract:
Re-assessment of the aerial and ground observations on
four paired, glyphosate treated and control, cutovers near
Thunder Bay, Ontario, indicated that aerial tending with
glyphosate altered the use of these cutovers by moose.
The number of pellet groups favoured the control areas (p
< 0.05) by 1.5 times. Additionally, the number of moose
tracks and moose track aggregates were more prevalent (p <
0.05) on the controls for 2 to 3 years after treatment. Pre
spray data on 2 areas suggested use shifted away from
glyphosate treated areas.
Browse availability was significantly greater (p < 0.05)
on the control plots by 18 times in the highest height class
measured (201 - 350 cm) , 5 times in the next highest (101 -
200 cm) but not statistically significant (p > 0.05) in the
lowest (51 - 100 cm), 2 years after treatment. Due to too few
replications, differences in availability 1 year after
treatment were not statistically significant.
Biomass of browse removed by moose was 3 to 7 times
greater on controls but again these differences were not
statistically significant.
The average length of moose trails observed in the snow
was shorter (p < 0.05) on the controls suggesting less travel
time. The size (area) of moose track aggregates was the same
(p > 0.05) between treatments indicating equal search time
while browsing.
A carrying capacity model indicated that if all cutovers
were sprayed, the treatment would have a negative impact on
moose densities.
Glyphosate treatments should be dispersed to create a
mosaic of glyphosate treated areas next to non-treated areas.
Similarily, areas of seasonal importance such as aquatics,
salt licks, and calving areas should have at least a non-sprayed
buffer beside them if the adjacent cut area must be
treated with glyphosate.


title: Comparison of the on-hand and off-hand straight spikes in volleyball

subject: Volleyball

abstract:
The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to examine the differences
between the on-hand side and off-hand side spikes in volleyball in terms
of velocity and accuracy, and 2) to evaluate the relationship of the
angle of projection with velocity in each spike. The subjects (N=12)
were members of 1979-80 University of Alberta Volleyball Team.
The research design employed a repeated measures technique with
two variables, the on-hand and off-hand spikes. Subjects were required
to perform 20 straight spikes for each technique. The velocity and
the angle of projection data for each trial were obtained by cinematographical analysis. Accuracy scores were collected by direct recording after each trial.
A correlated t test was used to determine the differences in
velocity and accuracy between the on-hand and the off-hand spikes.
A Pearson Product-moment Correlation Coefficient was used to assess
the relationship between the velocity and the angle of projection of
each spiking technique for each subject. A further correlated t test
was used to determine differences in that relationship between the
on-hand and off-hand spikes.
The results indicated that the differences between the on-hand and
off-hand spikes, in terms of velocity and accuracy, were significant
(P < .05). There was no relationship between the velocity and the angle of projection for the on-hand spike but a low significant relationship
was observed for the off-hand spike. The difference in relationship of
velocity and angle of projection between both spiking techniques was not
significant. Several recommendations for future researches in this area
were offered.


title: Archaeobotanical and soil chemistry investigation of a woodland site on Whitefish Lake, Northwestern Ontario

contributor:
Boyd, Matthew
Hamilton, Scott
Pendea, Florin

subject: Modern environment of Northwestern Ontario & Whitefish Lake

subject: Archaeology of Whitefish Lake

abstract:
Whitefish Lake is a large, shallow lake abundant in wild rice (Zizania palustris)
that lies near the transitional zone between the Boreal Forest and Great Lakes-St.
Lawrence forest regions of Northwestern Ontario. The lake exhibits extensive use
during the Woodland period (150 BC- AD 1600) inferred from the lithic and pottery
recoveries and the presence of burial mounds at several archaeological sites. The
soils here are typical of those elsewhere in the Boreal Forest, characterized by
poor organic preservation and disturbed, compacted stratigraphy thus limiting
knowledge of plant use at many sites. On-going research from Whitefish Lake,
particulary the Martin-Bird site (DbJm-5), is revealing aspects of paleoecology and
human paleodiet in the absence of conventional lines of evidence through the
analysis of plant microfossils, like starch and phytoliths. The objectives of this
thesis are to further understand aspects of paleoecology and precontact land-use
at the Martin-Bird site and to assess the utility of subtle lines of evidence at sites
exhibiting poor organic preservation. A multi-proxy approach, combining the
analysis of plant microfossils (starch, phytoliths, and charcoal) and soil chemistry
(phosphorus) on soils from the site, is used to address these objectives. My thesis
explores the information and land-use patterns that can be obtained from plant
microfossils and soil chemistry analyses in the absence of organic lines of
evidence, while providing a greater understanding of the Woodland period of the
Eastern Woodlands culture history.


title: Effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation of various frequencies and intensities of energy expenditure

subject: Muscles Effect of electric stimulation on.

subject: Muscles Effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimuation on.

abstract:
The purpose o f this study was to determine the effects o f neuromuscular
electrical stimulation (NMES) o f various intensities (25, 50,75, and 100 mA) and
frequencies (8, 12,20, 50 Hz) on energy expenditure o f the knee extensor muscles
(KEM). Fourteen male university students between 20 and 24 years o f age were
submitted to 5 min o f each intensity at each frequency during NMES on different
days with the use o f a portable stimulator (Respond H, EMPI; impulse width of
300 microseconds; duty cycle: 55s on and 2s off) and adhesive electrodes
(Pals Plus™, EMPI). Oxygen uptake was measured in the supine position at rest
and during NMES o f both KEM. Energy expenditures (kcal. hr-1 .kg o f KEM -1)
o f the four frequencies o f each intensity (mean : 25 mA= 1.8; 50 mA= 7.8; 75
mA= 21.6; 100 mA= 26.3) were not significantly different (p>0.05) and that of
the different intensities of each frequency were significantly different (p<0.05-
p<0.001) except in 50 Hz between 75 and 100 mA (p>0.05). The highest energy expenditure (28.1 kcal. hr-1 .kg o f KEM-1) was observed at a stimulation
frequency o f 8 Hz (p>0.05) at an intensity o f 100 mA.


title: Campylobacter jejuni : biofilm formation and oxidative stress

contributor:
Schraft, Heidi
Leung, Kam
Khaper, Neelam

subject:
Campylobacter jejuni
Effect of stress on
Oxidative stress
Biofilms

abstract: Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is a zoonotic pathogen most often associated with poultry and the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in the developed world. It is an obligate microaerobe, requiring low levels of oxygen and increased levels of carbon dioxide for growth. Attempts to understand how this sensitive pathogen survives the variety of environmental challenges it faces have led to the suggestion that it may find protection in biofilms.


title: Effects of different forms of prostate specific antigen on prostate cancer cell invasion / by Andrew Philip Cumming

contributor:
Duivenvoorden, Helga
Law, David

subject:
Prostate cancer - Treatment
Prostate-specific antigen

abstract:
Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common cancers in males around the world. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a serine protease that is secreted at high levels by prostate epithelial cells and most prostate cancer cells. It is thought that this enzyme is involved in prostate cancer cell invasion. This study aimed to test the effects of enzymatically active PSA and inactive forms of PSA on prostate cancer cell invasion. PSA is transcribed with a 17 amino acid secretory "pre" sequence and a 7 amino acid latency-conferring "pro" sequence. A deletion mutant lacking the "pro" region of the full-length preproPSA gene was used to create the prePSA gene, in the hopes that enzymatically active PSA would be formed upon cleavage of the "pre" sequence. Full length preproPSA cDNA and prePSA cDNA were each inserted into plasmids that allowed for inducible expression of the PSA genes under the control of the insect hormone derivative, ponasterone A (PonA). DU-145 subclones were created with the ability to inducibly produce preproPSA (DU-pERV3 C3 ppPSA) and prePSA (DU-pERV3 C3 prePSA).  The growth properties, migratory abilities, and invasiveness of these cells were assayed. The same properties were tested with exogenous active PSA added to DU-145 cells. Exogenous PSA induced little change in growth, invasion or migration. However, there was a slight decrease in the invasion of DU-145 cells when using commercially isolated enzymatically active PSA. DU-pERV3 C3 ppPSA
transfected cells showed increased invasion compared to control cells. Conversely, DUpERV3 C3 prePSA transfected cells showed decreased invasion and migration compared to control cells. This study suggests that active PSA decreases the invasiveness of DU-145 cells, whereas the inactive zymogen form increases cellular invasion.


title: Soil-site relations for trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) in Northwestern Ontario

subject: Aspen Ontario, Northwestern

subject: Forest soils Ontario, Northwestern

subject: Site index (Forestry) Ontario, Northwestern

abstract:
Soil-site relations for trembling aspen in Northwestern Ontario were
studied using 98 site plots representing a wide range of glacial
landforms, soil conditions, and site quality. Site index was related to
features of soil and topography using multivariate statistical analyses
including principal component analysis, multiple regression analysis and
cluster analysis. Site index ( SI = height of dominant and codominant
trembling aspen trees at 50 years breast-height age) was used as the
dependent variable; 45 soil and topographic values were used as
independent variables. Principal component analysis combined with
correlation coefficients was used to select 10 variables from 22
variables that were closely associated with site index; these 10 variables
are not closely correlated with each other. Preliminary regressions
indicated that the soil-site relationships were much better expressed
when plots were stratified into three landform types as opposed to a
single regression combining all plots.
Final regression equations were computed describing soil-site
relationships on soils developed from glaciofluvial, morainal, and
lacustrinal landforms. The final regression equation for the glaciofluvial
soils included depth to root restricting layer and drainage class as site index
predictor variables. The final regression equation for the morainal
soils included silt plus clay content of the A horizon, coarse fragment
content of the C horizon, and depth to root restricting layer. The final
regression equation for the lacustrine soils included the clay content of
the C horizon, and depth to mottles.
The 98 plots were clustered into six groups representing different soil
conditions. The FEC soils S3, S4, S5 were the best sites; the SS8, SS7, S7,
S8, SS5, SS4 were the worst sites for aspen. However, cluster results
were not significant due to a wide range of site indices within each of the
six defined groups. Large standard deviations and standard errors of the
mean exist in most groups. Thus the use of these groups is not
recommended for estimating aspen site index.


title: Effects of species composition and season change on fine root length increase with stand development in Northwest Ontario

subject:
Minirhizotron system
Root length
Stand composition

abstract:
The root length is an important indicator to reflect the growth characteristics of the tree, but the root length is difficult to obtain through direct measurement, and the root as a sensitive organ of plants can indirectly reflect the growth state of plants, but it is also susceptible to external factors. The root length, as an important component of the root system, it can reflect the growth state of plant by using its own length change, and studies the influence of environmental factors on the root length, which helps to improve the yield of plants better.
Season, species composition, and soil condition are all factors that affect root growth. And the mutual effect between them cannot be ignored. Past biological experiments have shown that the mixed biomass is greater than pure forest, and the seasonality affects the root length by affecting rainfall and temperature, but due to the lack of a single experiment, we can’t draw firm conclusions. Therefore, our experiment uses the season and species composition as independent dependent variables through 3 groups of repetitions. Our experiments are trying to verify two hypotheses that the fastest growing season of root is summer and root biomass in mixture stand is greater than pure forest. The tool that we used to measure root length in our experiment is Minirhizotrons. We recorded three kinds of forest stand (conifer, deciduous and mixture) repeats three times and their five-month seasonal changes. We obtained data through RootSnap software analysis and verified our conjecture through statistical analysis
This article reveal that the fastest root length increase is summer time and all species reach to the peak in August. The average of root length of all species in August is 96.11 cm and is 37.91 cm in June. This shows that the average root length increased by 1.5 times from June to August. However, there is no evidence to clear root length is longer in mixture compared to monocultures.


title: Summer distribution, abundance, movements and diet of reintroduced elk (Cervus canadensis) in habitats created by clearcutting in the boreal forest

contributor:
McLaren, Brian
Rodgers, Art
Hamr, Josef
Ranta, Bruce

subject:
Elk restoration in Ontario
Foraging patch selection
Remote cameras and animal monitoring

abstract: Ontario elk restoration program involved 443 elk (Cervus canadensis) from Elk Island National Park, Alberta, re-introduced into four areas of Ontario during 1998-2001. In Northwestern Ontario, the Lake of the Woods (LOW) region received a total of 104 elk in 2000 and 2001. Currently, the region supports a small, free-ranging elk population with a relatively slow rate of increase; most often the elk occupy grassy clearcuts created by logging. In this study, population size and use of foraging patches and roads are described for the spring - summer period. Seasonal home range and activity patterns are evaluated using motion activated cameras, radio-telemetry and direct observation. Spring - summer diet composition is described from microhistological analysis of fecal pellets.


title: Educating resource technicians to the new concept of ecological classification systems

subject:
Ecosystem management
Vegetation classification
Ecological classification systems

abstract:
The topics o f Ecosystem Management (EM) and Ecological Classification
Systems (ECS) are appearing more frequently in forest management literature. These
systems facilitate our understanding, not only o f forests from a tree standpoint, but also
by the associations o f shrubs, plants, soils, climatic and geological influences considered
when describing a forest community for which a stand of trees is a component. This
paper specifically describes the ECS commonly used by the Minnesota Department of
Natural Resources (MN DNR) as well as the U.S. Forest Service.
Terminology associated with the description o f ecological units is listed and field
techniques used by entry-level resource technicians are provided to help understand and
utilize the ECS.


title: Deploying an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a multispectral sensor for detecting between differing levels of barley (H vulgare L.) fungal diseases in Northern Ontario

subject: Remote sensing applications in agriculture

subject: Precision agriculture

subject: Multispectral detection of fungal diseases in barley

abstract: To date, no studies exist exploring the multispectral detection of fungal diseases in barley (H Vulgare L.) with UAV imagery. The purpose of this work was to determine if the spectral response (VI) of barley fungicide treatment levels (Control, Stratego, Stratego + Prosaro) could be distinguished between two farmers’ fields and four growth stages (Feekes 8 to Feekes 11.4), when evaluating UAV multispectral imagery (Blue- 475 nm +/- 20 nm, Green- 560 nm +/- 20 nm, Red- 668 nm +/- 10 nm, Red Edge- 717 nm +/- 10 nm, Near Infrared-840 nm +/- 40 nm) of 6.7 cm/pixel spatial resolution. Radiometrically and geometrically corrected orthomosaics were generated and intrusive features such as weeds and crop damage were classified and extracted before the analyses of canopy level barley. Each photo was registered with RTK accuracy to ensure the analysis of identical pixelated areas between dates. A randomized complete block design was performed for 5 separate VIs: NDVI, RE-NDVI, RDVI, RE-RDVI, and TGI. 3-way interactions (Field x Growth Stage x Treatment) were found to be non-significant for NDVI (p=0.415), RE-NDVI (p=0.383) and TGI (p=0.780), with RDVI (p=0.003) and RE-RDVI (p=0.005) being significant. Despite some differences, a consistent trend in the spectral separability of fungal intensity by treatment type was observed regardless of field, from Feekes 10.51 onwards. With ground truthing, the mapping of fungicide intensity is possible with potential towards savings and environmental benefits from reduced fungicide use.


title: Reciprocity of self-disclosure in school aged children

subject:
Social interaction in children
Self-disclosure

abstract:
Researchers (i.e., Altman & Taylor, 1973) have found
that a principle of reciprocity guides self-disclosures in
adults. The present study explored the question of whether,
and if so, at what age the principle of reciprocity guides
children's self-disclosures. In the study, children from
kindergarten, grades 2, 4 and 6 were shown three videotapes
of child initiators disclosing information about themselves
that varied in intimacy level. After viewing each tape, the
child was asked to send a message to the stimulus children
on topics varying in intimacy. It was found that children in
sixth grade engaged in reciprocity of self-disclosure. They
responded with more high intimacy level disclosures to the
child initiators who provided high intimacy disclosures,
than to the child initiators who made low intimacy level
disclosures. They also made more high intimacy disclosures
to the child initiator who provided medium stimuli, than to
the ones who provided low intimacy disclosures. The latter
finding was interpreted as indicating that a fully
differentiated reciprocity of self-disclosure was acquired
later in development.


title: Geology and geochemistry of midcontinent rift-related igneous rocks

subject:
Midcontinent rift-related rocks
Geology
Geochemistry
Coubran Lake basalts
Logan basin
Nipigon embayment

abstract:
This study is focussed on the geology and geochemistry of Midcontinent Rift-related intrusive and extrusive rocks present in northern Ontario, Canada. The study focuses on three sections in order to elucidate the geochemical characteristics of Midcontinent Rift-related rocks and investigate geochemical evolutionary signatures through time. The Coubran Lake basalts, the rocks of the Logan Basin and the intrusive rocks of the Nipigon Embayment were all included in this study to provide a sound spatial representation of Midcontinent Rift (MCR) intrusive and extrusive rocks present within Canada.
The Coubran Lake basalts within the Coldwell Complex, have provided new representation of  Midcontinent Rift-related volcanism along the northeast shore of Lake Superior. Physical features,  including proximity to surrounding syenites, as well as alteration features, suggest that the Coubran Lake basalts represent a pre-existing sequence into which the Coldwell Complex intruded.  Geochemical evidence has linked the Coubran Lake basalt to the Two Duck Lake gabbro (TDLG) suggesting the basalts may represent the volcanic expression of the TDLG. Trace element and Nd isotope data suggest the Coubran Lake basalts are akin to the basalt type I composition, linking the unit to the Lower Siemens Creek volcanics, the basal units in the Ely’s Peak and Grand Portage areas of the North Shore Volcanics, and to the lower suite of the Osler Group. The geochemical data presented here is consistent with the available paleomagnetic data suggesting the basalts were erupted early in the history of the Midcontinent Rift.


title: Connection between global conservation status, geographical range size, midpoint latitude, female carapace length, and clutch size of Testudines

subject:
Testudines (turtles and tortoises)
Species conservation
Road mortality (Testudines, turtles)
Turtle conservation

abstract:
The need for species conservation is only magnified with each passing day.
Testudines are one of the taxonomic orders most at risk of extinction on Earth. Over
70% of Testudines are globally listed on the IUCN Red List and over 60% of those are
at risk of extinction. Testudines face many threats including habitat loss and
degradation. At time of data collection there were 258 turtles globally listed on the
IUCN Red List. Following justified additions there were recognized to be 266 turtle
species globally listed on the IUCN Red List for the purpose of this study. I collected
data for 357 turtle species and examined the association of conservation status with
geographic range size, midpoint latitude, female carapace length, and clutch size to
determine if any of these attributes would be useful for determining extinction risk.
IUCN status rank for species was most highly correlated with mean female carapace
length. IUCN status rank for species was most highly correlated with mean female
carapace length. The positive association of risk with increasing body size supports
concerns about the impact of harvesting or poaching of turtles and tortoises by humans.
Testudines are clearly in need of conservation efforts.


title: Cut-and-skid business plan for the Ottawa Valley

subject:
Cable skidder
Mechanized logging
Cut-to-length harvesting
Cut-and-skid harvesting
Logging

abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to perform a feasibility analysis for starting a cut and skid harvesting operation in the Ottawa Valley. This is done using time studies and harvesting costing. It is proposed that a cut-and-skid operation can feasibly function in the Ottawa Valley with proper management and planning. The modelling tool built predicts net revenue by looking at cable skidder and chainsaw production values, hauling and machine costs, as well as mill revenues. By use of the models built in this study, it is proven that a conventional cut-and-skid crew can operate profitably in the Ottawa Valley.


title: Subspecies status of the western Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Cuculidae: Coccyzus americanus occidentalis) : using cytochrome b to elucidate the enigma

subject: Yellow-billed cuckoo Genetics

abstract:
This study documents sequence variation in three mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
genes in the Yellow-billed Cuckoo {Coccyzus americanus) to re-examine the
subspecies status of the western population (C.a. occidentalis). Described
traditionally as occurring from southwestern British Columbia, western Washington,
northern Utah, central Colorado, and west Texas south and west to southern Baja
California, Sinaloa, and Chihuahua in Mexico (Hughes 1999), the western population
was first given the designation of subspecies by Ridgway (1887) based on
morphological differences between eastern (C. a. americanus) and western forms.
Since this initial designation, controversy has ensued over its validity as recent
attempts to address the question have produced contradictory results (Spiller 1988;
Banks 1988, 1990; Franzreb and Laymon 1993; Pruett et al. 2001). The western population has declined rapidly within the last century with an overall range
contraction, as their riparian forests have been removed for fuel, agriculture and
grazing, and urban development (Laymon and Halterman 1987). Furthermore, lower
water tables resulting from river damming and irrigation projects have claimed much
of the remaining preferred habitat, leaving only isolated pockets of suitable habitat
(Gaines 1974). Consequently, petitions have been submitted to the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS) since 1986 to list the western population under the
Endangered Species Act (ESA); unfortunately, they have been largely ignored due
to the lack of resolution inherent in the various taxonomic debates. In addition, the
USFWS cannot recognize a subspecies or species for listing unless it meets certain
mandated criteria for designation as a Distinct Vertebrate Population Segment
(DPS). The western Yellow-billed Cuckoo, as currently described, fails to meet
these criteria; hence, it is not eligible for conservation and recovery programs
mandated for threatened taxa by the ESA. A recent study by Pruett et al. (2001)
addressed the subspecies question in the Yellow-billed Cuckoo by analyzing mtDNA
sequence variation in cytochrome b. They identified four fixed base pair (bp)
differences between the eastern and western forms. Although compelling, the work
of Pruett et al. had several limitations including small sample size with poor
geographic representation of the overall species’ distribution, and analysis of only
one gene.


title: Expectations for tourist development: examining the roles of capacity building and empowerment

contributor:
Koster, Rhonda
Stewart, Robert
Lemelin, Harvey

subject:
Tourism development
Capacity building

abstract: Rural communities often view small-scale, community-based tourism development as a viable opportunity for economic and community development (Timothy, 2002; Beeton, 2006; Reid, 2003). Unfortunately, the process of developing a successful tourism product can be beyond the capabilities of these communities (Joppe, 1996). Capacity building and empowerment are seen as two useful strategies for enabling people to partake in a variety of development initiatives, including tourism development (Moscardo, 2008; Sofield, 2003). Capacity building is a concept that has been used extensively in international development and is the primary focus of the United Nations Development Programme‟s efforts to alleviate global poverty (Fukuda-Parr, Lopes and Malik, 2002; Eade, 1997). Empowerment has also been used heavily within an international context, although it tends to focus specifically on disadvantaged sub-groups within a larger population, most commonly indigenous peoples and women (Sofield, 2003; Malhotra & Schuler, 2005). Both of these concepts have also been examined and used in the field of tourism development (Moscardo, 2008; Scheyvens, 2002). However, there has been little research that examines the relationship between the two concepts, and none from the perspective of the community members engaged in the tourism development process.


title: Error control coding for semiconductor memories

subject: Error-correcting codes (Information theory)

subject: Semiconductors design and construction

abstract:
All modern computers have memories built from VLSI RAM chips.
Individually, these devices are highly reliable and any single chip
may perform for decades before failing. However, when many of the
chips are combined in a single memory, the time that at least one
of them fails could decrease to mere few hours. The presence of
the failed chips causes errors when binary data are stored in and
read out from the memory. As a consequence the reliability of the
computer memories degrade. These errors are classified into hard
errors and soft errors. These can also be termed as permanent and
temporary errors respectively.
In some situations errors may show up as random errors, in
which both 1-to-O errors and 0-to-l errors occur randomly in a
memory word. In other situations the most likely errors are
unidirectional errors in which 1-to-O errors or 0-to-l errors may
occur but not both of them in one particular memory word.
To achieve a high speed and highly reliable computer, we need
large capacity memory. Unfortunately, with high density of
semiconductor cells in memory, the error rate increases
dramatically. Especially, the VLSI RAMs suffer from soft errors
caused by alpha-particle radiation. Thus the reliability of
computer could become unacceptable without error reducing schemes.
In practice several schemes to reduce the effects of the memory
errors were commonly used. But most of them are valid only for hard errors. As an efficient and economical method, error control
coding can be used to overcome both hard and soft errors.
Therefore it is becoming a widely used scheme in computer industry
today.
In this thesis, we discuss error control coding for
semiconductor memories. The thesis consists of six chapters.
Chapter one is an introduction to error detecting and correcting
coding for computer memories. Firstly, semiconductor memories and
their problems are discussed. Then some schemes for error reduction
in computer memories are given and the advantages of using error
control coding over other schemes are presented.
In chapter two, after a brief review of memory organizations,
memory cells and their physical constructions and principle of
storing data are described. Then we analyze mechanisms of various
errors occurring in semiconductor memories so that, for different
errors different coding schemes could be selected.
Chapter three is devoted to the fundamental coding theory. In
this chapter background on encoding and decoding algorithms are
presented.
In chapter four, random error control codes are discussed.
Among them error detecting codes, single* error correcting/double
error detecting codes and multiple error correcting codes are
analyzed. By using examples, the decoding implementations for
parity codes, Hamming codes, modified Hamming codes and majority
logic codes are demonstrated. Also in this chapter it was shown
that by combining error control coding and other schemes, the reliability of the memory can be improved by many orders.
For unidirectional errors, we introduced unordered codes in
chapter five. Two types of the unordered codes are discussed. They
are systematic and nonsystematic unordered codes. Both of them are
very powerful for unidirectional error detection. As an example of
optimal nonsystematic unordered code, an efficient balanced code
are analyzed. Then as an example of systematic unordered codes
Berger codes are analyzed. Considering the fact that in practice
random errors still may occur in unidirectional error memories,
some recently developed t-random error correcting/all
unidirectional error detecting codes are introduced. Illustrative
examples are also included to facilitate the explanation.
Chapter six is the conclusions of the thesis.
The whole thesis is oriented to the applications of error
control coding for semiconductor memories. Most of the codes
discussed in the thesis are widely used in practice. Through the
thesis we attempt to provide a review of coding in computer
memories and emphasize the advantage of coding. It is obvious that
with the requirement of higher speed and higher capacity
semiconductor memories, error control coding will play even more
important role in the future.


title: Shoreline forest disturbance rates in natural and managed forests of northwestern Ontario

subject: Shoreline forest management in Ontario

subject: Forests and forestry (Environmental aspects Ontario, Northwestern)

subject: Forest management

subject: Natural disturbance pattern emulation in Ontario

abstract:
The purpose of this study was to compare the rates of disturbance along forested
shorelines between natural and managed forests of the mesic boreal region of
northwestern Ontario. Comparisons were made between areas that experienced wildfire
bums versus areas that were subjected to existing forest management reserve policies. A
shoreline forest is the area of an upland forest region located adjacent to, and influenced
to varying degrees, by aquatic and/or riparian environments. Since these areas have
unique biotic and abiotic characteristics and serve important ecological functions, they
may be more sensitive than upland areas to forest harvesting and fire suppression. Fire
is an important factor for maintaining the unique habitat of shoreline areas, therefore,
shoreline area management that differs from the natural disturbance regime may cause
unexpected and unwanted consequences.
Shoreline forest disturbance rates were analyzed within disturbance events and
watersheds using a variable width shoreline buffer to delineate the shoreline forest
region. A disturbance event is a spatially aggregated and delineated collection of bum
or harvest patches, whereas a watershed is an area of land within which all waters flow
to a single river system. Remote sensing and geographical information systems
technologies were applied to obtain new information about natural and artificial rates of
forest disturbance. The band 5 subtraction change detection technique was 92%
accurate in detecting forest disturbance patches from Landsat 5 and 7 Thematic Mapper
satellite images.
Our results show that shorelines are disturbed by both fire and harvesting at a
lower rate than the surrounding landscape, but that the magnitude of this difference
depends on the analysis unit. The disturbance rate variability of harvested watersheds
was much greater than that of their associated shoreline forests, indicating that shoreline
areas are treated more uniformly than the watershed as a whole. The rate of disturbance
within harvest events was both lower and more variable than the rate of disturbance
within fire events and the rate of disturbance for burned watersheds and associated
shorelines was not consistent across spatial scales. If the goal of forest management is
to better emulate natural disturbance patterns, disturbance patches within harvest events
or watersheds should be more aggregated and the disturbance rates within shoreline
forests should be increased to slightly below the watershed disturbance rates.


title: Phenotypic variation in cone and needle characters of Pinus banksiana Lamb. (jack pine) in Northwestern Ontario

subject:
Jack pine Ontario, Northwestern
Forest genetics Ontario, Northwestern
Jack pine Variation
Cone morphology
Phenotypic variation

abstract:
To assess the patterns of phenotypic variation in cone and
needle characters of jack pine relative to spatial, climatic and
ecological data, collections were made from ten trees in each of 64
sites in northwestern Ontario. Nineteen cone and forty needle
characters were measured on five cones and five needles per tree.
Climatic data from 27 Canadian and 10 American weather stations
in and surrounding the study area were interpolated, using a
geographic information system, to produce weather data for each
collection site. Vegetation and soil data for each collection site
were determined using the system developed by the Ontario Ministry
of Natural Resources in the Northwestern and North Central regions
for the Forest Ecosystem Classification program.
Discriminant analysis indicated that the populations in the
study areas formed a single group but were spatially organized into
two groups, west and east, including the Armstrong area, of Lake
Nipigon. A trend surface of the discriminant scores revealed a
steep dine at a longitude of 88°15', Nipigon area. Simple
regression of discriminant scores against the spatial, climatic and
ecological data indicated that the patterns of variation expressed
by cone and needle characters may be a result of adaptation to local
environments.(see document for elevations)
Multiple regression coefficients from regressions of spatial and
climatic data against discriminant scores for both cone and needle
data were compared with the variance component among groups
from the nested analysis of variance to assess the amount of the
total variation attributable to the local environment. The
comparison revealed that most of the variation among sites could
be explained by spatial and climatic data. In addition, a steep dine
could be discerned at a longitude of 88°15’ on the the trend surface
of maximum June temperature.
The correlations of the patterns of variation with the spatial
and climatic data suggest that climate may be the causal agent for
the patterns of variation in cone and needle characters in
Northwestern Ontario. However, the patterns of cone and needle
characters are similar suggesting that the modern patterns of
variation may be a result of two migration routes or two refugia.


title: Packet scheduling for AMC-based OFDMA wireless communication systems

subject: Wireless communication systems

subject: Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing

abstract: In this thesis, we propose a basic priority and fairness (BPF) and a modified priority and fairness (MPF) based packet scheduling algorithms for adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) scheme based orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) wireless communication systems supporting both real time (RT) and non-real time (NRT) traffics. In the AMC based OFDMA systems considered in this thesis, multiple access is achieved by assigning subchannels, each of which consists of a set of subcarriers, to individual users, and the modulation and coding scheme on each subchannel is determined adaptively according to the time-varying channel conditions. In the proposed packet scheduling algorithms, various traffics are transmitted in a sequence determined by their priorities on each subchannel, jointly considering the fairness among users and subchannels. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithms are able to satisfy various quality of service (QoS) requirements, like packet loss rate, delay, or throughput, for a variety of RT and NRT traffics such as voice, video, WWW and email. Also, the proposed BPF and MPF packet scheduling algorithms can support more users than some existing packet scheduling algorithms under the same QoS requirements.


title: Nanomaterials based electrochemical approaches for biosensing and bacterial disinfection

contributor:
Chen, Aicheng
Schraft, Heidi
Khaper, Neelam

subject:
Electrochemical sensors/biosensors
Electrochemical disinfection
Nanomaterials

abstract:
Electrochemical approaches to myriad medical and environmental challenges are highly
attractive due to their strong potential for extensive and green applications. Point of care
diagnostics through the electrochemical monitoring of clinically and environmentally relevant
molecules are gaining attraction due to their low cost and simple fabrication procedures. The
development of highly stable and sensitive electrochemical sensors/biosensors, for a wide variety
of biomolecules in actual samples, makes these methods alternative analytical tools in different
pharmaceutical and hospital laboratories. Electrochemical biocatalysis is an additional promising
area to address the removal of bacteria for the generation of safe potable water. As the world’s
population is dealing with lack of access to safe drinking water, photoelectrocatalysis has been
investigated as a very efficient technique for the destruction of pathogenic bacteria in water.
Nanomaterials with dimensions of less than 100 nm have great potential to enhance the
performance of electrochemical methods, due to their excellent electronic, mechanical, and
thermal properties. These materials have the capacity to greatly enhance biocatalytic activity, and
thus greatly improve the performance of electrochemical sensors/biosensors. This remarkable
improvement in bacterial catalysis has been studied using a novel synergistic approach, which
incorporates both photocatalysts and electrocatalysts.
For my PhD thesis, we designed a high-performance electrochemical sensor based on
graphene for the sensitive detection of acetaminophen, valacyclovir, and mixtures thereof. This
sensor was fabricated through the concurrent electrochemical reduction and deposition of
graphene oxide (GO) onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The
electrocatalytic properties of the electrochemically reduced graphene (ERG) for the oxidation of
acetaminophen were analyzed via cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry,
(DPV) and chronoamperometry. For comparison, various ERG/GCEs were prepared under
different electrodeposition cycles to optimize the required quantity of ERG. Our experimental
results indicated that the optimized ERG/GCE possessed robust activity toward the
electrochemical oxidation of acetaminophen, valacyclovir, and their mixture, leading to the
development of a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for its detection. An extremely low
detection limit of 2.13 nM for acetaminophen, and 1.34 nM for the exclusive detection of
valacyclovir was achieved. A wide linear detection range of from 5.0 nM to 800 μM was achieved via the combination of an amperometric technique and DPV. The developed
electrochemical sensor was further employed for the determination of acetaminophen,
valacyclovir, and their mixture in human serum, with excellent recovery, ranging from 96.08%
to103.2%. The fabricated electrochemical sensor also demonstrated high selectivity, stability and
reproducibility.


title: Ecological and economic values of public trees from the Manitou tree inventory

subject: Emerald ash borer

subject: Urban forestry

subject: Urban forest management

subject: Benefits of urban trees

subject: Ash tree treatment

subject: Ecological and economic value (urban trees)

abstract: Urban trees are an underappreciated aspect to urban communities and contribute valuable ecosystem services. As of November 2017, the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), an invasive beetle from Asia had been found in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The beetle is known for its expanding and rapid dispersal rate throughout North America and is expected to continue to extend its range westward throughout the Canadian prairies. A small, farming community in southern Manitoba, Manitou, lies in the potential path of the beetle which will threaten to kill approximately 40% of the total urban tree population in the community. To determine the economic risk that Manitou is facing, an analysis was completed to determine the value and annual contributions of the public urban tree population within Manitou. Three methods are used to determine the annual contributions from the trees and their values. The three methods used are iTree eco v6, the National Tree Benefits Calculator (NTBC) and the Urban Tree Alliance EAB cost calculator. In addition to calculation annual benefits, the Urban Tree Alliance calculator also estimated the annual costs of treating and removing ash trees. Once all the factors were calculated, strategic and tactical management plans for the best course of action were developed to determine what the management of Manitou’s urban tree population should look like for the future. Prioritizing the treatment of larger ash trees (Fraxinus spp) that provide a greater number of economic benefits than smaller ash trees and sequentially removing ash trees that have low economic value will be key actions that the unincorporated Town of Manitou can undertake in the future to maintain a healthy urban forest.


title: Testing local adaptation in five populations of Hyalella azteca in northern Alberta’s oil sands region

contributor:
Pyle, Greg
McLaren, Brian

subject:
ecotoxicology
Hyalella azteca
local adaptation
oil sands
macroinvertebrate

abstract:
Canada’s oil sands hold the third largest petroleum reserves worldwide. Rapid
economic growth has led to increased exploitation of the surrounding boreal forest
despite limited understanding of the environmental effects caused by development.
Previous studies have typically focused on laboratory animals exposed to commercially
available chemicals or extracts of oil sands process-affected material (OSPM; including
process-affected water, tailings, and coke). The oil sands region provides an ideal
location for studying local adaptations through reciprocal transplant (RT). Local
adaptations require certain ecological factors to prevail, such as low gene flow, spatial
variability in exposure to environmental effects, and genetic variation in traits associated
with tolerance of these effects. The objectives of this research were: (1) to determine if
H. azteca from habitats with naturally occurring bitumen exhibited increased tolerance
to contaminants associated with industrial bitumen extraction compared to H. azteca
from habitats with no naturally occurring bitumen and (2) to determine if any observed
tolerance was attributable to local adaptation or plasticity. The RT occurred in reference
wetlands located off oil sands leases and away from oil sands development and
reclaimed sites located on oil sands leases and adjacent to mining and upgrading
activities. Five populations of Hyalella azteca were tested in the RT, four from local
wetlands plus one naïve laboratory population. Survival, sensitivity, and behaviour were
measured before and after the RT period. Behaviour was tested in a phototaxis assay
while sensitivity was assessed using 48 h acute LC50 tests. Survival varied by
population and site. Pre-RT sensitivity increased along a gradient of increasing
exposure to contaminants. After the RT, sensitivity decreased in every population.
There were no significant differences in pre- or post-RT behaviour results for all
populations. hese results show that the differences in responses among populations are likely attributable to developmental differences driven by environmental variables and
not local adaptation.


title: Exploring physical and mechanical properties of OSB and underutilized species to be used in the Glulam industry

subject: Glulam

subject: Engineered wood products

subject: Mechanical properties (wood)

subject: Oriented strand board (OSB)

subject: Markets and market demand (wood products)

abstract:
Glulam lumber is a great building alternative to steel for its strength, aesthetics,
and ecofriendly nature. Most of the Glulam produced in North America is made from
Spruce, Pine, or Fir (SPF) species due to their superior strength characteristics and
availability. There is a largely untapped market for underutilized species to be used in
Glulam construction and engineered products such as OSB. This thesis provides an
overview of the species currently used in the Glulam industry worldwide, a breakdown
of OSB, and underutilized species such as birch as a potential product to be used in
Glulam production. The physical and mechanical properties of OSB and a wide variety
of tree species are discussed to compare different strengths between each species/
product. This literature review found that birch has favourable strength characteristics
and, in theory, would prove beneficial in a Glulam beam. Like birch, mixed hardwood
OSB was found to have similar strength properties to white pine used as a Glulam
species. Incorporating underutilized species into Glulam design is essential because it
will diversify the Canadian lumber market, help create a more resilient market, and
improve efficiency in the Glulam industry.


title: Indigenous representations in novels used in the Ontario Secondary English classroom

contributor:
Walton, Gerald
Cormier, Paul

subject: Representations of Indigenous Peoples (Ontario curriculum)

subject: Equality issues (education)

subject: Indigenous Peoples in fictional literature

subject: Racial/cultural identity development

abstract:
This study analyzes representations of Indigenous Peoples in novels used in the Ontario
secondary English classroom. This research identifies the impacts that inaccurate or limited
representations of Indigenous Peoples can have when used as curriculum material. Critical
Discourse Analysis was used to analyze the 20 most commonly used novels used in the
secondary English classroom, drawn from the Ontario Book Publisher’s Organization’s (2017)
study. Representations were found in two of the top 20 novels and an analysis was conducted
based on physical representations, social representations, representations of racial inequality,
terminology use, and author background. The two novels included in this analysis are Sherman
Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (2007) and Joseph Boyden’s Three
Day Road (2005). The analysis addresses representations of Indigenous characters, leading to a
deeper analysis of the representations within two novels for the development of
recommendations to increase Indigenous Peoples representations in the secondary English
classroom. Analysis of the two novels indicates a narrow and similar representations of
Indigenous Peoples. The findings support the necessity for increased and diverse representations
of Indigenous Peoples in secondary English curriculum, specifically fiction.


title: Measurement of Rabi oscillation in a spin system

contributor:
Rapley, Patrick
Linhananta, Appichart
McGhee, Peter

subject:
Rabi oscillation
RF coil design

abstract:
This work proposes that during the application of an on-resonance MR-
pulse there exists a Rabi oscillating fi eld which can be directly measured
from a nuclear spin system. These oscillations have been previously inferred
through a series of varied pulsed-length free induction decay (FID) mea-
surements, however direct observation of a continuous oscillation has not
previously been reported. Due to the existence of this oscillation only dur-
ing application of an radio-frequency (RF)  eld, it's detection is complicated
by the strength of the applied RF which is orders of magnitude greater than
Rabi signal. In order to mitigate the overpowering signal from the applied RF
 eld, several signal conditioning stages were required for detection of these
oscillations. The dependancy of the detected Rabi oscillation frequency with
respect to strength of the applied RF  field, and sample size were validated.
Furthermore, the  eld strength due the observed Rabi oscillations was de-
termined and compared to theoretical simulations to within experimental
accuracy.


title: Comparing Chinese returning farmlands to forest project to Canadian nature forest restoration projects

subject:
Natural forest restoration
Forest restoration project
Economic impact (forestry)
Eco-envirnoment
Government funding (forestry)

abstract: This thesis compares the biggest human forest restoration project, Return Farmland to Forest Project (RFFP), in China to natural forest restoration (NFRP) in Canada. These two countries have the third and second largest territory in the world respectively. However, the forest coverage rate in Canada is much larger than China. Due to this situation, Chinese government and Canadian government have different forest restoration policies and projects. Both RFFP in China and natural forest restoration projects in Canada are led by the governments. They were based on a voluntary scheme which make people aware of the benefits. They are both led to an improvement in the environment. There is a huge difference in government funding between RFFP and NFRP. Based on historical forest cover area, the forest strategies are different which RFFP is focusing on increasing forest cover area and NFRP is focused on keeping forests sustainable.


title: Safeguarding the "springs of life" : women's contributions to social and moral reform in Fort William and Port Arthur, Ontario, 1900-1930

subject: Women social reformers Ontario Thunder Bay History

subject: Women's institutes Ontario Thunder Bay History 20th century

abstract: This thesis examines women's involvement in the moral and social reform movement under the umbrella of social purity, as it occurred in Fort William and Port Arthur, Ontario, between 1900-1930. I analyze the role of two key women's organizations, the West Algoma Local Council of Women (WALCW)


title: Finite element solutions to boundary value problems

subject: Boundary value problems

abstract:
The finite element solution of certain two-point boundary value
problems is discussed.
In order to obtain more accuracy than the linear finite element
method can give, an order-h[superscript 4] global superconvergence technique is studied. This technique, which uses a quasi-inverse of the Rayleigh-Ritz-Galerkin (finite element) method, is motivated by the papers of
C. de Boor and G. J. Fix [14] and P. 0. Frederickson [25]. The
Peano kernel theorem is generalized and used to approximate the rate
of convergence of the global superconvergence.
Following Sard’s theory on best quadrature formulae [50], with
some generalization, several quadrature formulae are derived. These
quadrature formulae are shown to be consistent, and have some advantages
over those obtained by Herbold, Schultz and Varga [34].
For solution of large linear systems which result from the finite
element method, LU decomposition (Gaussian Elimination Method) is fast
and accurate. However, when it comes to a singular or a nearly singular
system, LU decomposition fails. The algorithm FAPIN developed by
P. 0. Frederickson for 2-dimensional systems is able to solve singular
systems as we demonstrate.
We found FAPIN will work more efficiently in 1-dimensional case
if we replace the DB[subscript q] approximate inverse C, developed by Benson [3],
with other approximate inverses.
For the sake of verifying the theory, appropriate numerical
experiments are carried out.


title: Petrographic and fluid inclusion studies on the Metalore-Golden highway deposit, Thunder Bay district, Ontario

subject: Fluid inclusions Ontario Beardmore-Geraldton Region

subject: Ore deposits Ontario Beardmore-Geraldton Region

subject: Petrology Ontario Beardmore-Geraldton Region

abstract:
The gold-bearing Metalore shear zone and Golden Highway
quartz-carbonate vein in the Beardmore-Geraldton Archean
Greenstone Belt occur along the Paint Lake splay faults at
the contact between metavolcanic rocks and metaconglomerates
intruded by pre-ore diorite. The Metalore and Golden Highway
deposits were emplaced during a late tectonic event.
They consist primarily of quartz, clinochlore, ankerite,
potassium feldspars, sericite, pyrite, argentite and
chalcopyrite with native gold. The minerals have been
deformed and are cut by at least three healed fractures by
fluid inclusions. Gold typically occurs in recrystallized
quartz. Microthermometric and Raman spectroscopy techniques
were used to study fluid inclusions in quartz, calcite,
ankerite, chlorites and potassium feldspars.


title: The relationship between maximal isometric and isotonic neck strength of hockey players and wrestlers

subject:
Maximal isometric neck force
Neck flexion
Neck extension
Neck strength
Neck testing techniques

abstract: The purpose of this study was first to examine the relation between maximal isometric neck force and predicted 1-RM cervical strength values, for neck flexion and extension. The second purpose was to compare maximal isometric and predicted 1-RM neck strength values between hockey players and wrestlers. Athletes were recruited from the Lakehead University varsity hockey and wrestling teams and from the Thunder Bay North Stars, with a group of Lakehead University kinesiology students serving as a control group.


title: Improved Sentiment Classification by Multi-model Fusion

contributor:
Khoury, Richard
Benlamri, Rachid
Atoofian, Ehsan
Fiaidhi, Jinan
Christoffersen, Carlos

subject:
Sentiment analysis
Natural language processing
Machine learning
Classification
Multi-model
Data fusion

abstract:
Sentiment Analysis (SA), also Opinion Mining, is a sub-field of Data Mining. It aims at studying and analyzing human’s sentiments, opinions, emotions or attitudes through their written text. Since all sentiment information are hiding in the text content, a way for acquiring them is using Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques. On the other hand, with the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), more Machine Learning (ML) algorithms have been developed. In recent years, these ML algorithms are widely applied in SA field for classifying the text instead of traditional methods. However, selecting an appropriate ML algorithm is a controversial topic in SA research. In this study, we investigated nine commonly used algorithms such as Naïve Bayes (NB), Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Logistic Regression (LR).
A comprehensive comparison of the nine ML algorithms using different metrics enabled to develop a merging model for deriving an optimum algorithm for a specific SA task. The proposed merging model, also called the multi-model, combines multiple ML algorithms’ results by using some fusion method to get the best performance out of these algorithms. The performance of the multi-model has also been evaluated and compared to the single ML algorithms.


title: Placements of virtual network functions for effective network functions virtualization

subject:
Wireless networks
Network function virtualization
Integer Linear Programming
Mathematical modelling

abstract:
In the future wireless networks, network function virtualization will lay the foun-
dation for establishing a new resource management framework to e ciently utilize
network resources. The  rst part of this thesis deals in the minimization of the to-
tal latency for a network and how to solve it e ciently. A model of users, Virtual
Network Functions (vNFs) and hosting devices have been considered and was used
to  nd the minimum latency using Integer Linear Programming (ILP). The problem
is NP-hard and takes exponential time to solve in the worst case. A Stable Matching
based heuristic has been proposed to solve the problem in polynomial time and then
the local search is utilized to improve the e ciency of the result.
The second part of this thesis proposes the problem of fair allocation of the vNFs to
hosting devices. A mathematical programming based model (ILP) has been designed
to solve the problem which takes exponential time to solve in the worst case, due
to its NP-hard nature. Thus an heuristic approach has been provided to solve the
problem in polynomial time.


title: Species diversity and aboveground productivity relationships in forest ecosystems

contributor:
Chen, Han
Crowe, Kevin
Morris, David

subject:
Species diversity
Canada
Forest ecology
Forest dynamics

abstract: Empirical and theoretical studies have attributed the observed positive diversity-productivity relationship (DPR) across various ecosystems to a complementarity effect through niche differentiation and/or facilitation among constituent species in more diverse communities, but such biological mechanisms have rarely been demonstrated in the published DPR studies. Moreover, a mechanistic understanding of a general framework on the multifaceted relationships between diversity, productivity, species coexistence, and their interactions with environmental gradient, has not been established, and calls for a novel multivariate approach. In forest ecosystems, studies focused on the above general framework are rare because of the complex temporal and spatial dynamics. The objectives of this thesis were to: (1) determine the relative influences of plant life-history traits, species diversity, biome, and stand origin on productivity, and (2) examine the multiple causal relationships between standing biomass and species diversity, variation in DBH within stand, stand age, and soil nutrient regime in boreal forests. The SEM model provided a strong fit to the data (χ 2 = 5.314, df = 6, P = 0.504, CFI = 1.000, RMSEA < 0.001) and the set of hypotheses were supported by the data. Our results showed that tree size variation among individuals was the central mechanism linking resources availability, standing biomass, and species diversity. Standing biomass and Shannon's species index were both positively correlated with DBH variation among individuals within stands.Keywords Boosted regression trees, effect size, life-history variation, meta-analysis, productivity, shade tolerance, Shannon's index, structural equation modeling, standing biomass, DBH variation.


title: Paleomagnetism, structure and magnetic fabrics in a traverse of the Quetico subprovince between Atikokan and Kashabowie, NW Ontario

subject: Paleomagnetism Geomagnetism

abstract:
The metasedimentary rocks along the traverse reveal low to
high grade metamorphism from chlorite schist near Atikokan,
through biotite schist to migmatites in the west within the
centre of the Quetico Belt. Continuing towards the ESE, near
Huronian Lake, the metamorphic grade decreases symmetrically but
with somewhat less steep gradients to Kashabowie. The
metamorphism was syn- to late- tectonic.
Only one pervasive tectonic fabric was observed in the
interior of the belt, with NE-SW striking S1 foliations (mean
direction: 256/85° NW, n=121) and extension lineations L1 plunging shallowly to the NE (mean direction: 70-20°, n=52). In
migmatite and pegmatite zones foliation was often less steep. It
was probably deflected due to the intrusion of pegmatite or
granitoid bodies.
Minerals contributing to ferromagnetic properties are
mostly monoclinic ferrimagnetic pyrrhotite within the belt with
some magnetite in medium grade amphibolite - rich outcrops in
metavolcanics of Shebandowan Belt.
Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility fabric (AMS} is
mainly controlled by paramagnetic biotite or chlorite and
subordinate ferromagnetic pyrrhotite in metasediments of the
Quetico Belt. In some outcrops of mafic metavolcanics near
Kashabowie, the high magnetite content controls bulk
susceptibility more than its anisotropy. Variations in AMS
fabric are largely due to variations in relative composition of
magnetite, pyrrhotite and paramagnetic sheet silicates, not due
to changes in strain along the traverse.


title: Self-concept integration and its relationship with resilience and well-being

subject:
Self-concept integration
Self-determination theory
Valence/evaluative integration
Authenticity-based integration
Psychological resilience and well-being

abstract: The overall purpose of the study was to evaluate if three forms of self-concept integration (i.e., authenticity, consistency, and valence/evaluative integration) relate to resilience and well-being. Additionally, the study investigated if self-concept integration moderates the relationship between stress and both resilience and well-being. Authenticity is the degree to which an individual believes the roles within one’s self-concept are fully self-endorsed, willfully enacted, and reflecting who one actually is; consistency (i.e., low self-concept differentiation) is the measure of the tendency to see oneself as similar across different roles; valence integration (i.e., evaluative integration) is the amount an individual’s positive and negative self-attributes are intermingled among roles. This study was completed online via SurveyMonkey, where participants rated five social roles and completed measures of stress, resilience, life satisfaction, and depression. Correlational analyses revealed significant positive associations between all three forms of integration and more resilience, more life satisfaction, and less depression. Regressions with simultaneous entry of the three forms of integration showed that authenticity and valence integration were both predictive of resilience and well-being when participants had perceived importance of their negative roles, whereas authenticity and consistency were both predictive of resilience and well-being when participants had perceived importance of their positive roles. There were no significant findings for self-concept integration moderating the relationship between stress and resilience/well-being. Together, with previous findings on integrative self-structure, these results suggest the importance of unifying the roles to which one ascribes, in order to have a sense of unity and render increased resilience and well-being.


title: Examining barriers and facilitators in using teachers’ journals for critical space

contributor:
Fennell, Hope
Berger, Paul
Allen, Andrew

subject: Learning journals

subject: Communicative, intellectual and emotional space

subject: Professional development

subject: Journaling

abstract:
Among the varying ways to reflect on practice, learning journals capture the stories and
lived experiences of teachers and help the writer to learn from experience about an event,
an idea, or emotions.
What does critical space in learning journals look like and under
what conditions is it accessed? This needs to be understood to develop strategies to assist
teachers in their journaling. The key finding was that teachers use journals for many
different purposes, not all of which are critical. “Critical space” is a place for teachers to
critique and challenge their practice. It is found in journaling when privacy is assured or
there is a trusted audience. Time and place are key to supporting teachers’ critical
reflections. Teachers must believe that change is possible and that this change brings
professional growth. Necessary mechanisms put in place at the classroom, school, and
government level would support this practice.
Multiple data sources were used including
convergent interviews, email correspondence, and journal excerpts.


title: An Assessment of adherence to treating tobacco use and dependence clinical practice guidelines in First Nations primary health care settings in Northwestern Ontario

subject: Tobacco and health

subject: Tobacco use prevalence among First Nations

subject: Smoking cessation

subject: Tobacco habit

abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which tobacco clinical practice guidelines are followed by nurses within 22 primary health care settings in First Nations communities in Northwestern Ontario and to examine; the beliefs, confidence, barriers, and facilitators to the provision of tobacco use interventions. Extensive research has shown that health care organizations and individual health care providers can positively impact rates of tobacco use when following specified recommended practices (Fiore, Bailey, Cohen, Dorfman, Gritz, Heyman, et al., 2000).


title: Phytochemical analysis of boreal forest flora of Northwestern Ontario, Canada

creator: Romaniuk, Jazmin Charmaine Mayryka Julia

contributor:
Matheson, Carney
Hamilton, Scott
Lee, Peter

subject: Flora develop chemical defences

subject: Bioactive plant compounds

subject: Chemotaxonomic identification

subject: Phytochemical constituent investigation of flora

subject: Plant specimens

abstract: The following research document has been written in the format of a thesis by publication. As such, there is an introductory and concluding chapter to provide addition information and context to the scope of the study, though the major research is contained in the three chapters (chapters 2-4). Each chapter focusses on the phytochemical analysis of one of three flora species selected from the Boreal forest habitat of Northwestern Ontario, Canada. Each of the chapters are prepared as manuscripts and contain an introduction, method, results, discussion, and conclusion, also including references that pertain to each individual chapter. The original research is in the process of being submitted for publication in peer reviewed journals. The three species that were chosen for this study were the Sweet flag (Acorus calamus var. americanus (Raf.) H. Wulff), Sweet gale (Myrica gale L.) and Wild ginger (Asarum canadense L.). These are aromatic plants and each of these plants contain and release volatile aromatic compounds that are detectable by human olfactory senses. Many of the aromatic and compounds found in these plants have known bioactive properties. Testing using Gas Chromatography coupled Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) was conducted to identify and report on the phytochemical constituents present in the selected flora species. Phytochemical constituents can aid in the chemotaxonomic placement of flora species within its taxonomic placement, such as the determination of species sub-variety (ie. the Acorus variation, americanus). As well, phytochemical analysis can also identify compounds of bioactive interest, which includes medicinal properties, such as with the aromatic compound limonene and its sought-after anxiolytic-like properties (Lima et al., 2013). The introduction establishes the background geographical and botanical characteristics of the plants analysed. The analysis of Acorus calamus var. americanus (Raf.) H. Wulff by GCMS, in this research, characterises much of the phytochemicals and confirms the absence of β-asarone, a bioactive compound found in the European species, Acorus calamus L. Sweet gale, Myrica gale L., has previously been reported to have different chemical composition relative to its geographical location, making chemotaxonomic identification of species challenging. However, it does provide support for the chemotaxonomic classification of Sweet gale into various geographically defined varieties, enabling determination of the geographic origins of plants identified. The phytochemical analysis has never been performed for Sweet gale found in Northwestern, Ontario for this chemotaxonomic geographical characterisation. The analysis of the Asarum canadense L., Wild ginger, has confirmed the absence of compounds (like β-asarone) that have been found in other related species and identified compounds pertinent for its medicinal use in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The phytochemical analysis has also provided a geographically relevant chemotaxonomic characterisation for the region. The results of these analyses provide the opportunity for chemotaxonomic geographic identification of three of the Northwestern Ontario plant species that have research interest elsewhere in the world.


title: Some ring expansions and related reactions of the phosphole system

subject:
Organophosphorus compounds
Phosphole derivatives

abstract:
The chemistry of simple phosphole derivatives is
comprehensively reviewed to the early part of 1970.
Using 1,2,5-triphenylphosphole and some of its
derivatives as starting materials, several ring expansion
and related reactions of the phosphole system have been i
studied. Thus, pyrolysis and photolysis of 3,4,5-
triphenyl-4-phosphabicyclo [3.1.0] hex-2-ene-4-oxide and
certain pyrazolino derivatives of 1,2,5-triphenylphosphole
oxide lead to the formation of compounds of
formula (see document for formula). These
compounds are shown to be derivatives of the 4,4’-
diphosphabi (cyclohexa-1,5-dienyl) and 4,4'-diphosphabi-
(cyclohexa-2,5-dienylidene) systems respectively and
possible mechanisms for the formation of these compounds
are discussed. Furthermore, the first of these compounds
may be converted into the second in an unusual reaction
in which lithium aluminium hydride acts as an oxidizing
agent.
The alkaline hydrolysis of 1-iodomethyl-l,2,5-
triphenylphospholium iodide is discussed as a possible
route to unsymmetrically substituted phosphorins.


title: Understanding a northern community's adaptation to climate change and tourism development

contributor:
Lemelin, Harvey
Johnston, Margaret
Dawson, Jackie

subject:
Labrador
Indigenous tourism
Climate change
Adaptation
Tourism development
Arctic tourism

abstract: This thesis focuses on community perspectives of tourism development and climate change in the community of Nain, Newfoundland and Labrador. It employed a conceptual model of vulnerability developed by Ford, Smit and Wandel (2006) as a macro-framework to assess the community’s ability to adapt over time to both phenomena of tourism development and climate change. For the purpose of this research, tourism developments focused on Indigenous tourism, as this is the desired development direction the community tourism planners wish to pursue. To assess the resident opinions of this form of tourism Smith’s (1996) four “Hs” of Indigenous tourism development (habitat, history, heritage, and handicrafts) was used as a micro-framework within the macro-framework. Resident attitudes regarding tourism and climate change were gathered over the course of 29 one-on-one semi-structured interviews with a total of 35 participants, as well as field observations and field notes. Interviews were transcribed and coded using a two staged thematic coding procedure. Results indicated that the majority of residents have seen an increase in tourism development over time and are in favour of such development primarily for the economic benefits, with Indigenous tourism development being well-regarded. Furthermore, few connections were made by participants between tourism and climate change, although important tourism assets as perceived by participants may be affected by climate change-related impacts to their region.