title: An impact evaluation of the Ontario ban on smoking in schools and on school property : does the ban on smoking influence high school students' intentions to smoke cigarettes?

subject:
Smoking--Law and legislation--Ontario.
Smoking--Ontario--Prevention.
Students--Canada--Tobacco use.

abstract:
The Ontario Tobacco Control Act of 1994 imposed a total ban on smoking in
schools, and on school property for every school in the province. The imposition of this
policy created problems for school administrators. For instance, students who were
smoking on walkways and properties adjacent to school boundaries, clashed with
neighbouring property owners who were angry about the resulting damage and
disruption.
The enforcement of this policy consumes valuable resources at each school;
therefore, knowledge about the impact of the policy is important. If effective, this policy
has the potential to improve the health of students over their lifetime, by preventing or
delaying smoking behaviour. Alternatively, an ineffective policy will continue to create
administrative problems for the school and serve no legitimate purpose. Therefore,
knowledge about the impact of the smoking ban policy on students' smoking intentions
assists policy makers and school administrators in their understanding of the policy's
impact within the schools.
This research provided an impact evaluation of the ban on smoking in schools and
on school property in Ontario. A total of 2069 students, from five high schools, in the
Niagara Region, provided complete responses to a survey, designed to test whether
smoking intentions were affected by the imposition of the policy. The study used
Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1991), specifically, the perceived
behavioural control measure, to gain some understanding of students' perceptions of
control over smoking imposed by the ban.
The findings indicate the policy has the potential to influence students' overall
smoking intentions. The ban on smoking policy was found to be a significant predictor
of the smoking intentions of high school students. As well, attitude, social norms, and
perceptions of control were significant predictors of smoking intentions. Exploratory
findings also indicated differences between the control beliefs of students from different
high schools, indicating potential differences in the enforcement of the smoking ban
between schools.
The findings also support the utility of the theory of planned behaviour as a
methodology for evaluating the influence of punitive policies. This research study should
be continued by utilizing the full theory of planned behaviour, including two phases of
data collection and the measurement of actual smoking behaviour.


title: An inquiry into the barriers to participation within the fitness industry for people living with mobility challenges

contributor: Department of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies in Education

subject: Physical education for people with disabilities

subject: People with disabilities--Rehabilitation

subject: Physical fitness for people with disabilities

abstract:
This qualitative study was designed to inquire about the barriers to participation
within the fitness industry for people living with mobility challenges. i\n examination of
the insights, stolies~ and experiences with barriers through interviews gi ven by 4 people
living with mobility challenges (PMC) formed the core of the research. An analysis of
the interviews from the 4 PMC informants was performed at t\\/O levels. First, a content
analysis served to identify general and specific categories related to barrier issues within
various fitness environments. Secondly, in-depth thematic analyses of the entries related
to the insights and stories from the 4 informants which emerged from the content analysis
of the data gave rise to fi ve thematic statements. From the thematic statements a fitness
industry awareness protocol was created in the fonn of a statement response
questionnaire. The protocol, which was given to 4 fitness assessors/trainers, \vas used to
provide a snapshot of the fitness industry's readiness to work vvith disability. Throughout
the process, the four PNIC informants formed a collaborati vely involved group of
coresearchers, adding their voices to the narrative of the fitness-barrier experience.
The result of the study suggests that barriers to participation within the fitness
industry for PMC exist in various forms and levels of severity. The results also suggest
that the fitness industry needs to better prepare their people and environment for working
with people with physical disabilities, such as PMC, and provide a more open and
positi ve environment for participation. Within the context of any fitness-related
environment, recognizing that barriers to participation do exist, and acknowledging and
accepting people with disabilities for who they are as indi viduals, will serve to develop a relationship where fitness practitioners and people with disabilities can work towards
creating an inviting, inclusive, accessible, and barrier-free fitness environment for all.


title: An investigation into the oxidation of organic sulphides, organic selenides and simple hydrocarbons by Mortierella isabellina NRRL 1757

subject:
Mortierella isabellina NRRL 1757.
Oxidation.
Sulfides.
Selenides.
Hydrocarbons.

abstract:
The work presented in this thesis is divided into three
separate sections 4!> Each' 'section is involved wi th a different
problem, however all three are involved with a microbial
oxidation of a substrate~
A series of 'aryl substituted phenyl a.nd be,nzyl methyl
sulphides were oxidized to the corre~pondi~g sulphoxides by
'Mo:rtierellai's'a'b'e'llina NRR.L17'S7 @ For this enzymic Qxidation,
based on 180 labeled experiments, the oxygen atom is derived
fr'orn the atmosphere and not from water. By way of an u~.traviolet
analysis, the rates of oxidation, in terms of sulphox~
de appearance, were obtained and correlated with the
Hatnmett p s~grna constants for the phenyl methyl sulphide
series. A value of -0.67 was obtained and, is interpreted in
terms of a mechanism of oxidation that involves an electrophilic
attack on the sulphide sulphur by an enzymic ironoxygen
activated complex and the conversion of the resulti!lg
sulphur cation to sulphoxide.
A series of alkyl phenyl selen~des have been incubated
with the fu~gi, Aspergillus niger ATCC9l42, Aspergillus
fO'etidus NRRL 337, MIIJisabellina NF.RLl757 and'He'lminth'osparium
sp'ecies NRRL 4671 @l These fu?gi have been reported to
be capable of carrying out the efficient oxidation of sulphide
to sulphoxide, but in no case was there any evidence to
supp'ort the occurrence of a microbialox,idation. A more
extensive inves·t~gation was carried out with'M,e 'i's'a'b'e'l'l'i'na,
this fu~gus was capable of oxidizing the correspondi~g sulphides to sulphoxi.de·s·$ Usi:ng a 1abel.edsubstra.te,
[Methyl-l4c]-methyl phenyl selenide, the fate of this compound
was invest~gated followi!lg an i'ncubation wi th Me isabellina ..
BeSUldes th. e l4C-ana1YS1Q S-,'. a quant"ltta"lve selen'lum ana1Y"S1S
was carried out with phenyl methyl selenide. These techniques
indicate that thesel'enium was capable of enteri!1g thefu!1gal
cell ef'ficiently but that s'ome metabolic cleav~ge of the
seleni'um-carbon bond' may take plac'e Ie
The
l3c NMR shifts were assigned to the synthesized
alkyl phenyl sulphides and selenides@
The final section involved the incubation ofethylben~
zene and p-e:rtr.hyltoluene wi th'M ~ 'isab'e'llina NRRL 17574b Followi~
g this incubation an hydroxylated product was isolated from
the medium. The lH NMR and mass spectral data identify the
products as I-phenylethanol and p-methyl-l-phenylethanol.
Employi!lg a ch'iral shift re~gent,tri~ (3-heptafluorobutyl-dcamphorato)'-
europium III, the enantiomeric puri ty of these
products was invest~gated. An optical rotation measurement
of I-phenylethanol was in ~greement with the results obtained
with the chiral shift re~gen,te 'M.isabe'l'lina is capable of
carryi~g out an hydroxylation of ethylbenzene and p-ethyltoluene
at the ~ position.


title: An investigation into differences between indoleacetic acid and fusicoccin in their influence on RNA synthesis, protein synthesis and growth in Avena coleoptile tissue

subject:
Oats.
Plants--Effects of acids on.
Proteins--Synthesis.
Plant physiology.
Growth (Plants)
RNA.

abstract:
Growth stimulation of Avena coleoptile tissue by indoleacetic acid
(IAA) and fusicoccin (FC) was compared by measuring both their influence on
RNA and protein synthesis during IAA or FC stimulated growth. FC
stimulated growth more than IAA during the initial four hour exposure, after
which the growth rate gradually declined to the control rate. FC, but not
IAA, increased the uptake of 3H-Ieucine into tissue and the specific
radioactivity of extracted protein. Cycloheximide inhibited the incorporation
of 3H-Ieucine into protein by approximately 60% to 70% in all cases.
In the presence of cycloheximide 3H-radioactivity accumulated in FC-treated
tissue, whereas IAA did not seem to influence 3H-accumulation. These
results suggest that FC stimulated leucine uptake into the tissue and that
increased specific activity of coleoptile protein is due to increased
leucine uptake, not an increased rate of protein synthesis.
There was no measurable influence of IAA and/or FC on RNA and protein
synthesis during the initial hours of a growth stimulation. Inhibitors of
RNA and protein synthesis, actinomycin D and cycloheximide, respectively,
severely inhibited IAA enhanced growth but only partially inhibited FC
stimulated growth. The data are consistent with suggestions that a rapidly
turning over protein participates in IAA stimulated growth, and that a
continual synthesis of RNA and proteins is an absolute requirement for a
long term growth response to IAA. On the contrary, FC-stimulated growth
exhibited less dependency on the transcription and translation processes.
The data are consistent with proposals suggesting different sites of
action for FC and IAA stimulated growth. l?hen compared to CO2-free air, CO2 at 300 ppm had no significant
influence on coleoptile growth and protein synthesis in the presence or
absence of lAA or FC. Also, I mM malate, pH 6.0 did not influence growth
of coleoptiles in the presence or absence of lAA. This result was obtained
despite reports indicating that 300 ppm CO2 or I mM malate stimulates
growth and protein synthesis. This lack of difference between CO2-treated
and untreated tissue could indicate either that the interstitial space CO2
concentration is not actually different in the two treatments due to
significant endogenous respiratory CO2 or else the data would suggest a
very loose coupling between dark CO2 fixation and growth.
IAA stimulated the in vivo fixation of 14c-bicarbonate (NaHI4c03) by
about 25% and the addition of cycloheximide caused an inhibition of
bicarbonate fixation within 30 min. Cycloheximide has also been reported
to inhibit IAA-stimulated H+ excretion. These data are consistent with the
acid growth theory and suggest that lAA stimulated growth involves dark
CO2 fixation. The roles of dark CO2 fixation in lAA-stimulated growth are
discussed.


title: An investigation into some mechanistic aspects of estrogen biosynthesis

subject: Estrogen--Analysis. Biosynthesis. Steroids--Analysis.

abstract:
The mechanistic aspects of the 19-hydroxy1ation and aromatization
of androgens were investigated. Fungal, bacterial and mammalian
enzymatic activities were studied in this regard .
The fungus Pell i cular~ fi1amentosa metabolized androst-4-ene-3 ,
17-dione to the corresponding 110<' , 11 f and 14 0( hydroxylated derivatives.
No ~19- hydroxylated products were isolated, although this
transformation was previously observed for the C21-steroids .
The intestinal bacterium Clostridi um paraputrific~ had been reported
to aromatize androsten-4-ene-3,17-dione. In the present study,
however, only the ring A reduced products , 17(3 - hydroxy-5f -andro8tane-
3-one and 5f-androstane-3,17-dione , were recovered .
Human placental microsomes contain substantial aromatase activity
and were employed in an effort to elucidate some of the mechanistic
details of aromatization.
Selectively deuterated steroidal substrates were employed as a
probe in order to distinguish b'!tween certain of the mechanisms proposed
for aromatization . Retention of deuterium at C4 and C6 was observed.
It was concluded that no free intermediates allowing for loss of hydrogen
from either of these two positions are implicated in this process .
The involvement of a Schiff base enzyme-sup strate complex in aromatization
was examined using the substrate 17f - hydroxyandrost-4-ene-3-one-
3_ 1BO. Since no loss of label was ob~erved, the implication of a Schiff
base was discounted .
Mixed label1ir~ studies were performed in order to determine if
hydroxylation at C19 is a rate-determining process in aromatization .
Isotope effects of 2 .1 and 1.7 were determined for the conversion of
17f - hydroxyandrost-4-ene-J-one-19,19,19-dJ and -19-dl respectively
to estrogens. It was concluded from this that 19-hydroxylation is
at l east a partially rate-determinjng process in aromatization.
A homoenb~ation mechanism for 19-hydroxylation was not supported
by the data obtained in this s tudy.
In vitro 1JC NMR monitoring using l7f-hydroxyandrost-4-ene-Jone-
19-l3C was found not to be a successful approach in the study of
steroid transformations, owing in part t o their low solubility in the
incubation medium.


title: An investigation into fungal metabolism of halogenated and related steroids

subject:
Steroids.
Fungal metabolites.
Halogens.

abstract:
Fungal metabolism of halogenated and related steroids was
investigated. The fungi Aspergillus niger ATCC 9142, Curvularia lunata
NRRL 2380 and Rhizopus stolonifer ATCC6227b were studied in this regard.
2l-Fluoro-, 2l-chloro, 2l-bromo- and 2l-methyl-pregn-4-ene-3,20diones
were prepared and incubated with ~ niger (a C-2l-hydroxylator)
in order to observe the effect of the C-2l substituent on the metabolism
of these substrates. In all four cases, the C-2l substituent prevented
any significant metabolism of these substrates.
llB-Fluoropregn-4-ene-3,20-dione was prepared and incubated with
C. lunata (an llB-hydroxylator) and ~ stolonifer (an lla-hydroxylator).
With ~ lunata, the ll-fluoro- substituent prevent hydroxylation at
the 11 position, but diverted it to a site remote from the fluorine atom.
In contrast, with ~ stolonifer the llB-fluoro- substituent, although
slowing the apparent rate of hydroxylation, did not prevent its occurrence
at the 11a- position.
llB-Hydroxypregn-4-ene-3,20-dione was also incubated with R.
stolonifer. The llB-hydroxy-;group did not appear to have any significant
effect on hydroxylation at the lla- position.
The incubation of a substrate, unsaturated at a favoured site of
hydroxylation with Rhizopus arrhizus ATCC 11145 provided a complex mixture
of products; among them were both the a and S epoxides. The formation
of these products is rationalized as arising because of the lack of
regio- and stereospecificity of the hydroxylase enzyme(s) involved.


title: An investigation of sugar feeding by black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae)

subject: Simuliidae--Food. Simuliidae--Nutrition.

abstract:
Although much research has been conducted on blood-meal acquisition in
adult female black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae), the same cannot be said for sugarmeals.
Both sexes feed on sugar which provides energy for flight and it has been
commonly held that nectar is the major carbohydrate source. This thesis addresses
the question of whether a non-floral carbohydrate source, specifically homopteran
honeydew, is ingested by male and female black flies. Black flies reared in the
laboratory have been observed to readily ingest freshly excreted and older (dry)
honeydew when presented with honeydew coated tamarack branches. Field work
was conducted in Algonquin Park, Ontario in the spring and summer of 1993.
Three separate studies were designed to test whether homopteran honeydew is an
important carbohydrate source for black flies and whether flies from different
habitats utilize different sugar sources. The sugars melezitose and / or stachyose
are known to occur in a variety of homopteran honeydews and therefore were used
as indicators of honeydew feeding by black flies.
In the first study, black flies were collected with insect nets from a stand of
Larix larcina heavily infested with honeydew - producing homopterans (Adelges
lariciatus). Six black fly species were captured: Simulium venustum, S. rostra tum,
S. vittatum, Stegopterna mutata, S. aureum and S. quebecense. Samples of
honeydew and individual black flies were tested using thin layer chromatography
(T. L. C.) with fructose, glucose, sucrose, turanose, melezitose, raffinose and
stachyose as standards. All sugars except turanose and melezitose were found in
the adelgid honeydew samples. Since the sugar melezitose was absent from
~
honeydew samples, stachyose was used to indicate that black flies were feeding
from this particular honeydew source. Of the 201 black flies tested, 194 contained
sugars which occurred in 16 combinations. Stachyose combinations excluding
melezitose, present in 45.9 % of flies, were used to indicate that black flies had
been feeding on the adelgid honeydew. In the second study, black flies were collected in the morning and evening
on 8 collection dates, using a vehicle mounted insect net. The crops and midguts
of 10 male and 10 female Simulium venustum were dissected on each sample
date. In total the gut contents of 320 individual flies were analysed by T. L. C. The
sugars identified from these flies were present in the following proportions: fructose
(100.0%), glucose (100.0%), sucrose/turanose (50.4%), melezitose (30.3%),
raffinose (18.8%) and stachyose (8.7%). These sugars occurred in fourteen
different combinations. It is argued that the presence of melezitose and / or
stachyose indicates that black flies had fed on homopteran honeydew.
Significantly more female flies (40.0%) than male flies (27.5%) had fed on
honeydew.
In the third study, adult black flies were sampled by sweep netting vegetation
in four habitats in the morning and evening on 8 collection dates. The habitats are
as follows: (1) Davies Bog, (2) Abandoned Air Field (dominated by blueberries,
Vaccinium spp.), (3) Deciduous Habitat and (4) Coniferous Habitat. Sugars in the
crops and midguts of female flies were tested by T. L. C. and, for S. venustum, it
was found that significantly fewer flies (18.8%) from the Air Field contained
honeydew than from the other three sites (Davies Bog, 34.4%; Deciduous Habitat,
36.2%; Coniferous Habitat, 25.0%).
Of the 1287 black flies tested individually by T. L. C. 441 (34.3%) contained
melezitose and / or stachyose sugars indicating that this proportion of the
population were feeding from Homopteran honeydew. It is therefore clear that
floral (nectar) sugars are not the only source of carbohydrates available to black
flies.


title: An investigation of geological and geochemical characteristics of late-Quaternay sediments in the Georgian Bay Region, Southern Ontario

subject: Sediments (Geology)--Ontario--Georgian Bay.

subject: Geology--Ontario--Georgian Bay Region.

subject: Geology, Stratigraphic|yQuaternary.

subject: Geochemistry--Ontario--Georgian Bay Region.

abstract:
Core samples of postglacial sediments and sediment
surface samples from Shepherd Lake on the Bruce Peninsula,
Harts Lake on the Canadian Shield, and two cores from Georgian
Bay (core P-l in the western deep part and core P-7 in the
eastern shallow part) have been analyzed for pH, grain size
distribution, water content, bulk density, loss on ignition
at 4500C and 11000 C, major oxides (Si02 ,A1203,!FeO,MgO,CaO,
Na20,K20,Ti02 ,MnO and P205) and trace elements (Ba,Zr,Sr,y,S,
Zn,Cu,Ni,Ce and Rb).
The sediment in Georgian Bay are generally fine grained
(fine silt to very fine silty clay) and the grain size
decreases from the Canadian Shield (core p-7) towards the
Bruce Peninsula (core P-l) along the assumed direction of
sediment transport. This trend coincides with a decrease in
sorting coefficient and an increase in roundness. Other
physical characteristics, such as water content, bulk density
and loss on ignition are positively correlated with the
composition of sediments and their compaction, as well as with
the energy of the depositional environment.
Analyses of sediment surface samples from Shepherd
Lake and Harts Lake indicate the influence of bedrock and
surficial deposits in the watershed on pH condition that is
also influenced by the organic matter content and probably
I !
I
man's activities. Organic matter content increases significantly
in the surface sediment in these small lakes as a
result of either natural eutrophication or anthropogenic
organic loading. The extremely high organic matter content
in Shepherd Lake sediment indicates rapid natural eutrophication
in this closed basin and high biological productivity during
postglacial time, probably due to high nutrient levels and
shallow depth.
The chemical composition of the Canadian Shield bedrock
is positively correlated with the chemical characteristics of
predominantly inorganic lake sediments that were derived
from the Shield rocks by glacial abrasion and by postglacial
weathering and erosion of both bedrock and surficial deposits.
High correlation coefficients were found between organic
matter in lake sediments and major oxides (Si02,AI203,.~FeO,
MgO,CaO,K20 and MnO) , as well as some trace elements (Ba,Y,
S,Zn,Cu,Ni and Rb).
The chemical composition of sediments in Harts Lake
and core P-7 in Georgian Bay on the Canadian Shield differs
from the chemistry of sediments in Shepherd Lake and core P-l
in Georgian Bay on the Bruce Peninsula. The difference
between cores P-l and P-7 is indicated by values of Si02 ,
AI203 ,:LFeo,Mgo,CaO,Ba,Zr,Sr,y and S, and also by the organic
matter content.
This study indicates that the processes of sediment
transport, depositional environment, weathering of the rocks
and surficial deposits in the watershed, as well as chemical
composition of source rocks all affect the chemical characteristics
of lake sediments.
The stratigraphic changes and variations in lake
sediment chemistry with regard to major oxides, trace elements,
and organic matter content are probably related to the history
of glacial and postglacial lake stages of the Georgian Bay
Region and, therefore, the geochemical data can make a useful
contribution to a better understanding of the Late-Quaternary
history of the Great Lakes.


title: An investigation of the nature and role of historicality in the thought of Dilthey and Heidegger

subject: History--Philosophy.

abstract:
Introduction
The question of the meaning, methods and philosophical manifestations of history
is currently rife with contention. The problem that I will address in an exposition of
the thought of Wilhelm Dilthey and Martin Heidegger, centers around the
intersubjectivity of an historical world. Specifically, there are two interconnected
issues. First, since all knowledge occurs to a person from within his or her historical
age how can any person in any age make truth claims? In order to answer this
concern we must understand the essence and role of history. Yet how can we come
to an individual understanding ofwhat history is when the meanings that we use are
themselves historically enveloped?
But can we, we who are well aware of the knowledge that archaeology has
dredged up from old texts or even from 'living' monuments of past ages, really
neglect to notice these artifacts that exist within and enrich our world? Charges of
wilful blindness would arise if any attempt were made to suggest that certain things
of our world did not come down to us from the past. Thus it appears more important
2
to determine what this 'past' is and therefore how history operates than to simply
derail the possibility for historical understanding.
Wilhelm Dilthey, the great German historicist from the 19th century, did not
question the existence of historical artifacts as from the past, but in treating
knowledge as one such artifact placed the onus on knowledge to show itself as true,
or meaningful, in light ofthe fact that other historical periods relied on different facts
and generated different truths or meanings. The problem for him was not just
determining what the role of history is, but moreover to discover how knowledge
could make any claim as true knowledge. As he stated, there is a problem of
"historical anarchy"!'
Martin Heidegger picked up these two strands of Dilthey's thought and wanted
to answer the problem of truth and meaning in order to solve the problem of
historicism. This problem underscored, perhaps for the first time, that societal
presuppositions about the past and present oftheir era are not immutable. Penetrating
to the core of the raison d'etre of the age was an historical reflection about the past
which was now conceived as separated both temporally and attitudinally from the
present. But further than this, Heidegger's focus on asking the question of the
meaning of Being meant that history must be ontologically explicated not merely
ontically treated. Heidegger hopes to remove barriers to a genuine ontology by
II
1
3
including history into an assessment ofprevious philosophical systems. He does this
in order that the question of Being be more fully explicated, which necessarily for
him includes the question of the Being of history.
One approach to the question ofwhat history is, given the information that we get
from historical knowledge, is whether such knowledge can be formalized into a
science. Additionally, we can approach the question of what the essence and role of
history is by revealing its underlying characteristics, that is, by focussing on
historicality. Thus we will begin with an expository look at Dilthey's conception of
history and historicality. We will then explore these issues first in Heidegger's
Being and Time, then in the third chapter his middle and later works. Finally, we
shall examine how Heidegger's conception may reflect a development in the
conception of historicality over Dilthey's historicism, and what such a conception
means for a contemporary historical understanding.
The problem of existing in a common world which is perceived only individually
has been philosophically addressed in many forms. Escaping a pure subjectivist
interpretation of 'reality' has occupied Western thinkers not only in order to discover
metaphysical truths, but also to provide a foundation for politics and ethics. Many
thinkers accept a solipsistic view as inevitable and reject attempts at justifying truth
in an intersubjective world. The problem ofhistoricality raises similar problems. We
4
-. - - - -
exist in a common historical age, presumably, yet are only aware ofthe historicity of
the age through our own individual thoughts. Thus the question arises, do we
actually exist within a common history or do we merely individually interpret this as
communal? What is the reality of history, individual or communal?
Dilthey answers this question by asserting a 'reality' to the historical age thus
overcoming solipsism by encasing individual human experience within the historical
horizon of the age. This however does nothing to address the epistemological
concern over the discoverablity of truth. Heidegger, on the other hand, rejects a
metaphysical construel of history and seeks to ground history first within the
ontology ofDasein, and second, within the so called "sending" of Being. Thus there
can be no solipsism for Heidegger because Dasein's Being is necessarily "cohistorical",
Being-with-Others, and furthermore, this historical-Being-in-the-worldwith-
Others is the horizon of Being over which truth can appear. Heidegger's
solution to the problem of solipsism appears to satisfy that the world is not just a
subjective idealist creation and also that one need not appeal to any universal
measures of truth or presumed eternal verities. Thus in elucidating Heidegger's
notion of history I will also confront the issues ofDasein's Being-alongside-things
as well as the Being of Dasein as Being-in-the-world so that Dasein's historicality is
explicated vis-a-vis the "sending of Being" (die Schicken des S
eins).


title: An investigation of application of 29si magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance in geology

subject:
Nuclear magnetic resonance.
Spin temperature.
Geology--Research.


title: Anxiety and learning / response behaviour in the context of intellectual problem solving by young children

subject:
Problem solving in children.
Educational psychology.
Anxiety in children--Testing.
Intelligence levels.
Learning, Psychology of.

abstract:
Twenty-eight grade four students were ca.tegorized as
either high or low anxious subjects as per Gillis' Child
Anxiety Scale (a self-report general measure). In determining
impulsivity in their response tendencies, via Kagan's Ma.tching
Familiar Figures Test, a significant difference between the
two groups was not found to exist. Training procedures
(verbal labelling plus rehearsal strategies) were introduced
in modification of their learning behaviour on a visual
sequential memory task. Significantly more reflective memory
recall behaviour was noted by both groups as a result.
Furthermore, transfer of the reflective quality of this
learning strategy produced significantly less impulsive
response behaviour for high and low anxious subjects with
respect to response latency and for low anxious subjects with
respect to response accuracy.


title: A possible role for intrinsic calcium buffers in the long- term adaptation of crayfish neurons

subject:
Neurons.
Neuroplasticity.
Crayfish--Physiology.
Calcium ions.

abstract:
Increasing the impulse activity of neurons in vivo over 3 or more days
causes a reduction in transmitter release that persists for days or weeks (eg.
Mercier and Atwood, 1989). This effect is usually accompanied by decreased
synaptic fatigue. These two changes involve presynaptic mechanisms and
indicate "long-term adaptation" (LTA) of nerve terminals. Previous
experiments have shown that LTA requires extracellular calcium and protein
synthesis (eg. Hong and Lnenicka, Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 17:1322) and appears
to involve communication between the cell body and the nerve terminals. The
present study examines the possibility that the reduction in transmitter release
is caused by an -increase in the calcium buffering ability within the nerve
terminals. It examines the responses of adapted and control nerve terminals
to exogenously applied calcium buffer, BAPTA-AM, which decreases
transmitter release (Robitialle and Charlton, 1992). If LTA increases intrinsic
Ca2+-buffering, the membrane permeant form of BAPTA should have less
effect on adapted nerve terminals than on controls.
Experiments are performed on the phasic abdominal extensor motor
neurons of the crayfish, Procambarns clarkii. BAPTA-AM decreases excitatory
postsynaptic potentials (EPSP's) of the phasic extensor muscles in a dosedependent
manner between 5 and 50 JLM. LTA is elicited by in vivo
stimulation at 2.5 Hz for 2-4 h per day over 3 days, which reduces EPSP's by
over 50%. Experiments indicate that BAPTA-AM produces no significant
change in EPSP reduction in adapted neurons when compared to controls.
These results do not support the hypothesis that increased daily activity alters
rapid intrinsic calcium buffers, that are able to reduce transmitter output in the
same manner as BAPTA.


title: Application of [Lambda] to the fourth perturbation theory in calculating the equation of state of rare gas solids and fcc metals

subject:
Perturbation (Mathematics)
Gases, Rare.
Solids.
Metals--Analysis.

abstract:
We have calculated the thermodynamic properties of monatomic fcc
crystals from the high temperature limit of the Helmholtz free energy.
This equation of state included the static and vibrational energy
components. The latter contribution was calculated to order A4 of perturbation
theory, for a range of crystal volumes, in which a nearest
neighbour central force model was used. We have calculated the lattice
constant, the coefficient of volume expansion, the specific heat at
constant volume and at constant pressure, the adiabatic and the isothermal
bulk modulus, and the Gruneisen parameter, for two of the rare gas solids,
Xe and Kr, and for the fcc metals Cu, Ag, Au, Al, and Pb. The LennardJones
and the Morse potential were each used to represent the atomic
interactions for the rare gas solids, and only the Morse potential was
used for the fcc metals. The thermodynamic properties obtained from the
A4 equation of state with the Lennard-Jones potential, seem to be in
reasonable agreement with experiment for temperatures up to about threequarters
of the melting temperature. However, for the higher temperatures,
the results are less than satisfactory. For Xe and Kr, the thermodynamic
properties calculated from the A2 equation of state with the Morse potential,
are qualitatively similar to the A
2 results obtained with the Lennard-Jones
potential, however, the properties obtained from the A4 equation of state
are in good agreement with experiment, since the contribution from the A4
terms seem to be small.
The lattice contribution to the thermal properties of the fcc metals
was calculated from the A4 equation of state, and these results produced a slight improvement over the properties calculated from the A2 equation
of state. In order to compare the calculated specific heats and bulk
moduli results with experiment~ the electronic contribution to thermal
properties was taken into account~ by using the free electron model.
We found that the results varied significantly with the value chosen for
the number of free electrons per atom.


title: Applying andragogy to the open college learner

subject:
Adult learning--Canada.
Distance education--Canada.
University extension--Canada.

abstract:
Questionnaires were sent to 703 Open College
students. The questionnaire asked questions regarding
personal demographics, how they felt about andragogy as
postulated by Malcolm Knowles, and invited responses
pertaining to the institutional practices of Open
College. Two hundred and ninety-four responses were
received. The information was synthesized and used
descriptively. The information regarding andragogy was
also used descriptively and analyzed using chi-square.
The statistics were compared by gender. No significant
difference was found. Students rejected the concept of
self-directed learning. They did use their past
experience when preparing assignments, however. They
also entered Open College in order to learn how to do
something better rather than for esoteric reasons. In
fact, their whole orientation to learning was very
practical in nature. The factors motivating these
learners were internal rather than external. In
addition, institutional practices were identified that
could further enhance the Open College experience.


title: A qualitative analysis of reflection in undergraduate and graduate programs

subject:
Reflection (Philosophy)
Experiential learning.
College teaching.

abstract:
The purpose ofthis study was to explore various types ofreflection and to explore
reflection on action, reflection as a practice, and reflection as a process. In doing this, the intent
was to discover the perceived benefits of reflection in the classroom and to provide guidelines
for future use at the undergraduate and graduate level.
The qualitative components in this study included the data collection strategy of semistructured
interviews with 2 undergraduate students, 2 graduate students, 1 undergraduate studies
professor, and 1 graduate studies professor. The data analysis strategies included a within-case
analysis and a cross-case analysis. Through the interviews participants discussed their
experiences with the use ofreflection in the classroom. Through the completion ofthis analysis
the researcher expected to discover the benefits ofreflection at this level of education, as well as
provide suggestions for future use.
Both undergraduate and graduate students and professors were found to benefit from the
use of reflection in the classroom. The use ofreflection in the undergraduate and graduate
classroom was found to improve student/teacher and student/peer relationships, foster critical
thinking, allow for connections between learned theory and life experience, and improve
students' writing abilities. Based on the results ofthe study the implications ofreflection for the
undergraduate and graduate classroom and for further research are provided.


title: A relationship between photosynthesis and translocation in plants stressed by ionizing radiation

subject:
Ionizing radiation.
Photosynthesis.
Plant translocation.

abstract:
Since previous investigations have shown that low levels of ionizing
radiation can induce a reduction in the rates of apparent photosynthesis
and in the magnitude of photoassimilated l4C exported out of a leaf, the
present studies were designed and conducted to determine the relationship,
if any, between the radiation effects on these two physiological
processes. The experiments were particularly designed to determine if the
radiation-induced reduction in export is the result of the reduction in
photosynthesis and hence availability of materials for translocation or
the result of a reduction in the amount of energy available for the vein
loading process.
This study has shown that the radiation-induced reduction in l4C
export out of a leaf is likely related to a loss of energy available for
the vein loading process rather than a reduction in the supply of materials
available for export due to reduced C02 uptake. The process of photophosphorylation
was shown to be reduced by exposure to radiation to an extent
similar to the reduction in the export of l4C which was also observed.
Both of these processes returned to their pre-irradiation rates 120
minutes following radiatruon exposure. The rate of photosynthetic C02 uptake
was also reduced by radiation exposur~ howeve~ this process did not
return to the control level nor was the extent of reduction as large as
observed for photophosphorylation and photoassimilate export. The observed
relationship between the reductions of export and photoph~sphorylation
pointed to the utilization of photosynthetically produced ATP in the vein
loading process.
The radiation-induced reduction in the export of l4C was observed at
the highest light intensity used in this study which would also imply the
involvement of the photophosphorylation process as an energy seurce for vein
loading. The lack of radiation-induced reduction in export at low light intensities was interpreted as being due to the utilization of respiratory
derived ATP, a process known to be insensitive to radiation at the levels
used in this study, as the energy source for the vein loading process.
Studies using plants not stressed by radiation showed that there was an
increase in export of 14C with higher light intensities.
In summary, the data has been interpreted as showing that at high
light intensities the ATP, produced by photophosphorylation, is available
for use in the vein loading process. The site of ATP utilization could
not be determined from the data obtained in this study but possible sites
have been indicated from the work done by other physiologists and are discussed
in the thesis.


title: Are there transformative indicators for motivation to learn?

subject:
Motivation in adult education.
Learning, Psychology of.
Nursing students--Psychology.

abstract:
Fourteen nursing s tudents enrolled in a community
coll ege were chosen by purposeful se lection to be
i nterviewed in a qualitative survey. A proposed mode l of
Learner Motivation Development was examined . The mode l
describes four stages of motivati on development progression
across the lifespan: I Survival (infancy to childhood),
I I Expl oration (childhood to adolescence),
III Identification (pre- adulthood), and IV Reflection
( adulthood ). This r esearch examined the last two stages.
The criteria used to categorize the students within the
fr amework were bas ed on human development theories as
described by Maslow (1954) and Erikson (1950). The concept
of critica l thinking proposed by Brookfield (1987) and the
ideas of transformative learning expressed by Mezirow (1991)
were also incorporated. The researcher' s criteria ,
antici pated behaviours and characteri stics, were used to
ana lyze the students' responses to open-ended questions.
The central theme of the research was based on the
assumption that motivation to learn is intrinsic and
inherent in pre-adult and adult learners. Six pre-adults
and two adults met the descriptors set for stage III
Identification. Five adults and one pre-adult met the
criteria for stage IV Reflection. The impact of life
e xperiences and maturation were clearly demonstrated.


title: Arsenic and germanium determination by hydride generation in the D.C. plasma optical emission spectrometer

subject:
Spectrometer.
Hydrides.
Arsenic--Spectra.
Germanium--Spectra.
Emission spectroscopy.
Plasma radiation.

abstract:
Modifications to the commercial hydride generator,
manufactured by Spectrametrics, resulted in improved operating
procedure and enhancement of the arsenic and germanium signals.
Experiments with arsenic(III) and arsenic(V) showed that
identical reiults could be produced from both oxidation states.
However, since arsenic(V) is reduced more slowly than
arsenic(III), peak areas and not peak heights must be measured
when the arsine is immediately stripped from the system
(approximately 5 seconds reaction). When the reduction is
allowed to proceed for 20 seconds before the arsine is stripped,
peak heights may be used. For a 200 ng/mL solution, the
relative standard deviation is 2.8% for As(III) and 3.8% for
As(V). The detection limit for arsenic using the modified
system is 0.50 ng/mL.
Studies performed on As(V) standards show that the
interferences from 1000 mg/L of nickel(II), cobalt(II),
iron(III), copper(II), cadmium(II), and zinc(II) can be
eliminated with the aid of 5 M Hel and 3% L-cystine.
Conditions for the reduction of germanium to the
corresponding hydride were investigated. The effect of
different concentrations of HCl on the reduction of germanium to
the covalent hydride in aqueous media by means of NaBH
4
solutions was assessed. Results show that the best response is
accomplished at a pH of 1.7. The use of buffer solutions was
similarly characterized. In both cases, results showed that the element is best reduced when the final pH of the solution after
reaction is almost neutral. In addition, a more sensitive
method, which includes the use of (NH4)2S208' has been developed.
A 20% increase in the germanium signal is registered when
compared to the signal achieved with Hel alone. Moreover, under
these conditions, reduction of germanium could be accomplished,
even when the solution's pH is neutral. For a 100 ng/mL
germanium standard the rsd is 3%. The detection limit for
germanium in 0.05 M Hel medium (pH 1.7) is 0.10 ng/mL and 0.09
ng/mL when ammonium persulphate is used in conjunction with Hel.
Interferences from 1000 mg/L of iron(III), copper(II),
cobalt(II), nickel(II), cadmium(II), lead(II), mercury(II),
aluminum(III), tin(IV), arsenic(III), arsenic(V) and zinc(II)
were studied and characterized. In this regard, the use of
(NH4)ZS20S and Hel at a pH of 1.7 proved to be a successful
mixture in the sbppression of the interferences caused by iron,
copper, aluminum, tin, lead, and arsenic. The method was applied
to the determination of germanium in cherts and iron ores.
In addition, experiments with tin(IV) showed that a 15%
increase in the tin signal can be accomplished in the presence of
1 mL of (NH4)2S20S 10% (m/V).


title: Arsenic speciation by ion-exchange chromatography with on- line determination by hydride generation: electronic modification of the D.C. plasma by photon counting

subject:
Arsenic--Spectra.
Speciation (Chemistry)
Ion exchange chromatography.
Hydrides.
Plasma radiation.
Photon detectors.

abstract:
A method using L-cysteine for the determination of arsenous acid (As(III)), arsenic
acid (As(V)), monomethylarsonic acid (MMAA), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMAA) by
hydride generation was demonstrated. The instrument used was a d.c. plasma atomic
emission spectrometer (OCP-AES). Complete recovery was reported for As(III), As(V), and
DMAA while 86% recovery was reported for MMAA. Detection limits were determined, as
arsenic for the species listed previously, to be 1.2, 0.8, 1.1, and 1.0 ngemL-l, respectively.
Precision values, at 50 ngemL-1 arsenic concentration, were f.80/0, 2.50/0, 2.6% and 2.6%
relative standard deviation, respectively.
The L-cysteine reagent was compared directly with the conventional hydride
generation technique which uses a potassium iodide-hydrochloric acid medium. Recoveries
using L-cysteine when compared with the conventional method provided the following
results: similar recoveries were obtained for As(III), slightly better recoveries were obtained
for As(V) and MMAA, and significantly better recoveries for DMAA. In addition, tall and
sharp peak shapes were observed for all four species when using L-cysteine.
The arsenic speciation method involved separation by ion exchange .. high
perfonnance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with on-line hydride generation using the L..
cysteine reagent and measurement byOCP-AES. Total analysis time per sample was 12 min
while the time between the start of subsequent runs was approximately 20 min. A binary .
gradient elution program, which incorporated the following two eluents: 0.01 and 0.5 mM tri.. sodium citrate both containing 5% methanol (v/v) and both at a pH of approximately 9, was
used during the separation by HPLC. Recoveries of the four species which were measured
as peak area, and were normalized against As(III), were 880/0, 290/0, and 40% for DMAA,
MMAA and As(V), respectively. Resolution factors between adjacent analyte peaks of
As(III) and DMAA was 1.1; DMAA and MMAA was 1.3; and MMAA and As(V) was 8.6.
During the arsenic speciation study, signals from the d.c. plasma optical system were
measured using a new photon-signal integrating device. The_new photon integrator
developed and built in this laboratory was based on a previously published design which was
further modified to reflect current available hardware. This photon integrator was interfaced
to a personal computer through an AID convertor. The .photon integrator has adjustable
threshold settings and an adjustable post-gain device.


title: A school-based cognitive behavior modification intervention strategy for learned helpless mentally retarded students

subject: Children with mental disabilities--Education.

subject: Cognition.

subject: Behavior modification.

abstract:
This study assessed the usefulness of a cognitive behavior
modification (CBM) intervention package with mentally retarded students in
overcoming learned helplessness and improving learning strategies. It
also examined the feasibility of instructing teachers in the use of such a
training program for a classroom setting.
A modified single subject design across individuals was employed using
two groups of three subjects. Three students from each of two segregated
schools for the mentally retarded were selected using a teacher
questionnaire and pupil checklist of the most learned helpless students
enrolled there. Three additional learned helplessness assessments were
conducted on each subject before and after the intervention in order to
evaluate the usefulness of the program in alleviating learned
helplessness. A classroom environment was created with the three students
from each school engaged in three twenty minute work sessions a week with
the experimenter and a tutor experimenter (TE) as instructors. Baseline
measurements were established on seven targeted behaviors for each
subject: task-relevant speech, task-irrelevant speech, speech denoting a
positive evaluation of performance, speech denoting a negative evaluation
of performance, proportion of time on task, non-verbal positive evaluation
of performance and non-verbal negative evaluation of performance. The
intervention package combined a variety of CBM techniques such as
Meichenbaum's (1977) Stop, Look and Listen approach, role rehearsal and
feedback. During the intervention each subject met with his TE twice a
week for an individual half-hour session and one joint twenty minute session with all three students, the experimentor and one TE. Five weeks
after the end of this experiment one follow up probe was conducted. All
baseline, post-intervention and probe sessions were videotaped. The seven
targeted behaviors were coded and comparisons of baseline, post
intervention, and probe testing were presented in graph form. Results
showed a reduction in learned helplessness in all subjects. Improvement
was noted in each of the seven targeted behaviors for each of the six
subjects. This study indicated that mentally retarded children can be
taught to reduce learned helplessness with the aid of a CBM intervention
package. It also showed that CBM is a viable approach in helping mentally
retarded students acquire more effective learning strategies. Because the
TEs (Tutor experimenters) had no trouble learning and implementing this
program, it was considered feasible for teachers to use similar methods in
the classroom.


title: A social-cognitive model of monitoring and its relationship to behaviour in a naturalistic observation : development and individual differences

subject:
Vigilance (Psychology)
Child psychology.
Cognition in children.

abstract:
years 8 months) and 24 older (M == 7 years 4 months) children. A Monitoring Process
Model (MPM) was developed and tested in order to ascertain at which component
process ofthe MPM age differences would emerge. The MPM had four components: (1)
assessment; (2) evaluation; (3) planning; and (4) behavioural control. The MPM was
assessed directly using a referential communication task in which the children were asked
to make a series of five Lego buildings (a baseline condition and one building for each
MPM component). Children listened to instructions from one experimenter while a
second experimenter in the room (a confederate) intetjected varying levels ofverbal
feedback in order to assist the children and control the component ofthe MPM. This
design allowed us to determine at which "stage" ofprocessing children would most likely
have difficulty monitoring themselves in this social-cognitive task.
Developmental differences were obselVed for the evaluation, planning and
behavioural control components suggesting that older children were able to be more
successful with the more explicit metacomponents. Interestingly, however, there was no
age difference in terms ofLego task success in the baseline condition suggesting that
without the intelVention ofthe confederate younger children monitored the task about as
well as older children. This pattern ofresults indicates that the younger children were
disrupted by the feedback rather than helped. On the other hand, the older children were
able to incorporate the feedback offered by the confederate into a plan ofaction.
Another aim ofthis study was to assess similar processing components to those
investigated by the MPM Lego task in a more naturalistic observation. Together the use
ofthe Lego Task ( a social cognitive task) and the naturalistic social interaction allowed
for the appraisal of cross-domain continuities and discontinuities in monitoring behaviours.
In this vein, analyses were undertaken in order to ascertain whether or not
successful performance in the MPM Lego Task would predict cross-domain competence
in the more naturalistic social interchange. Indeed, success in the two latter components
ofthe MPM (planning and behavioural control) was related to overall competence in
the naturalistic task. However, this cross-domain prediction was not evident for all levels
ofthe naturalistic interchange suggesting that the nature ofthe feedback a child receives is
an important determinant ofresponse competency.
Individual difference measures reflecting the children's general cognitive capacity
(Working Memory and Digit Span) and verbal ability (vocabulary) were also taken in an
effort to account for more variance in the prediction oftask success. However, these
individual difference measures did not serve to enhance the prediction oftask performance
in either the Lego Task or the naturalistic task.
Similarly, parental responses to questionnaires pertaining to their child's
temperament and social experience also failed to increase prediction oftask performance.
On-line measures ofthe children's engagement, positive affect and anxiety also failed to
predict competence ratings.


title: Aspects of the hemes and modulation of hydrogen donors in catalases from bovine liver, yeast, and escherichia coli

subject:
Catalase.
Heme.
Hydrogen peroxide.
Liver.
Yeast.
Escherichia coli.

abstract:
Catalase is the enzyme which decomposes hydrogen peroxide to
water and oxygen. Escherichia coli contains two catalases.
Hydroperoxidase I (HPI) is a bifunctional catalase-peroxidase.
Hydroperoxidase II (HPII) is only catalytically active toward H202.
Expression of the genes encoding these proteins is controlled by
different regimes. HPJI is thought to be a hexamer, having one heme d
cis group per enzymatic subunit. HPII wild type protein and heme
containing mutant proteins were obtained from the laboratory of P.
Loewen (Univ. of Manitoba). Mutants constructed by oligonucleotidedirected
mutagenesis were targeted for replacement of either the
His128 residue or the Asn201 residue in the vicinity of the HPII heme
crevice. His128 is the residue thought to be analogous to the His74
distal axial ligand of the heme in the bovine liver enzyme, and Asn201
is believed to be a residue critical to the function of the enzyme
because of its role in orienting and interacting with the substrate
molecule. Investigation of the nature of the hemes via absorption
spectroscopy of the unmodified catalase proteins and their derived
pyridine hemochromes showed that while the bovine and Saccharomyces
cerevisiae catalase enzymes are protoheme-containing, the HPII wild
type protein contains heme d, and the mutant proteins contain either
solely protoheme, or heme d-protoheme mixtures. Cyanide binding
studies supported this, as ligand binding was monophasic for the
bovine, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and wild type HPII enzymes, but
biphasic for several of the HPII mutant proteins.
Several mammalian catalases, and at least two prokaryotic
catalases, are known to be NADPH binding. The function of this cofactor
appears to be the prevention of inactivation of the enzyme, which
occurs via formation of the inactive secondary catalase peroxide
compound (compound II). No physiologically plausible scheme has yet
been proposed for the NADPH mediation of catalase activity. This study
has shown, via fluorescence and affinity chromatography techniques,
that NADPH binds to the T (Typical) and A (Atypical) catalases of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and that wild type HPII apparently does not
bind NADPH. This study has also shown that NADPH is unlike any other
hydrogen donor to catalase, and addresses its features as a unique
donor by proposing a mechanism whereby NADPH is oxidized and
catalase is protected from inactivation via the formation of protein
radical species. Migration of this radical to a position close to the
NADPH is also proposed as an adjunct hypothesis, based on similar
electron migrations that are known to occur within metmyoglobin and
cytochrome c peroxidase when reacted with H202. Validation of these
hypotheses may be obtained in appropriate future experiments.


title: A speculative systems model of the dynamic interaction among students, faculty and administration in the community college, with particular reference to intrinsic motivation and the teacher-administrator interface

subject:
Community colleges--Ontario.
Interaction analysis in education.
Motivation (Psychology)
Teacher-administrator relationships.
Teacher-student relationships.

abstract:
The challenge the community college faces in helping
meet the needs of the living open system of society is
examined in this study. It is postulated that internalization
student outcomes are required by society to reduce entropy
and remain self-renewing. Such behavior is characterized as
having an intrinsically motivated energy source and displays
the seeking and conquering of challenge, the development of
reflective knowledge and skill, full use of all capabilities,
internal control, growth orientation, high self-esteem,
relativistic thinking and competence.
The development of a conceptual systems model that
suggests how transactions among students, faculty and
administration might occur to best meet the needs of
internalization outcomes in students, and intrinsic motivation
in faculty is a major purpose of this study. It is a speculative
model that is based on a synthesis of a wide variety of
variables. Empirical evidence, theoretical considerations, and
speculative ideas are gathered together from researchers
and theoretici.ans who are working on separate answers to
questions of intrinsic motivation, internal control and
environments that encourage their development. The model
considers the effect administrators·have on faculty anq
the corresponding effect faculty may have on students. The
major concentration is on the administrator--teacher interface.For administrators the model may serve as a guide in planning
effective transactions, and establishing system goals. The
teacher is offered a means to coordinate actions toward a
specific overall objective, and the administrator, teacher and
researcher are invited to use the model to experiment, innovate,
verify the assumptions on which the model is based, and raise
additional hypotheses.
Goals and history of the community colleges in Ontario
are examined against current problems, previous progress and
open system thinking. The nature of the person as a five part
system is explored with emphasis on intrinsic motivation.
The nature, operation, conceptualization, and value of this
internal energy source is reviewed in detail. The current
state of society, education and management theory are considered
and the value of intrinsically motivating teaching tasks
together with "system four" leadership style are featured.
Evidence is reviewed that suggests intrinsically motivated
faculty are needed, and "system four" leadership style is the
kind of interaction-influence system needed to nurture
intrinsic motivation in faculty.


title: Assessing evaluative measures for Internet-based courseware

subject: Internet in education--Evaluation.

subject: Computer-assisted instruction--Evaluation.

abstract:
Although there is a consensus in th~ literature on the many uses of the Internet in
education, as well as the unique features of the Internet for presenting facts and
information, there is no consensus on a standardized method for evaluating Internetbased
courseware. Educators rarely have the opportunity to participate in the
development of Internet-based courseware, yet they are encouraged to use the technology
in their learning environments. This creates a need for summative evaluation methods
for Internet-based health courseware.
The purpose ofthis study was to assess evaluative measures for Internet-based
courseware. Specifically, two entities were evaluated within the study: a) the outcome of
the Internet-based courseware, and b) the Internet-based courseware itself. To this end,
the Web site www.bodymatters.com was evaluated using two different approaches by
two different cohorts. The first approach was a performance appraisal by a group of endusers.
A positive, statistically significant change in the students performance was
observed due to the intervention ofthe Web site. The second approach was a productoriented
evaluation ofthe Web site with the use of a criterion-based checklist and an
open-ended comments section.
The findings indicate that a summative, criterion-based evaluation is best completed by a
multidisciplinary team. The findi~gs also indicated that the two different cohorts
reported different product-oriented appraisals of the Web site. The current research
confirmed previous research that found that experts returning a poor evaluation of a Web
site did not have a relationship to whether or not the end-users performance improved
due to the intervention of the Web site.


title: Assessing the psychometric properties of dream content questionnaires

subject: Psychometrics. Dreams. Questionnaires.

abstract:
The present study was the first of its kind to systematically explore the
psychometric properties of dream content questionnaires as measures of dream
experience. One hundred and six University students filled out the Dream Content
Questionnaire (DCQ) and kept a 14-day dream diary on two separate occasions,
in addition to filling out the NEO-PI-R and Multidimensional Personality
Questionnaire and measures of spatial ability and imaginativeness. The DCQ's
reliability was acceptable, as was its discriminant and construct validity. Six of
eight predicted relationships between trait personality and DCQ reported dream
content were significant. In contrast, dream diaries showed instability over time
and were unrelated to personality traits. The DCQ's concurrent validity could not
be adequately appraised due to the inconsistency in dream diary content over
time. The results suggest that questionnaires may be used to measure dream
experience; however, the precise utility of dream questionnaires remains unclear.
The findings raise important questions concerning measures of dream experience.


title: Assessment of chromatin activity in mouse and human tissues

subject: Chromatic. Mice--Physiology. Tissues--Analysis.

abstract:
Pancreatic deoxyribonuclease preferentially digests active genes
during all phases of the cell cycle including mitosis. Recently, a DNAse
I-directed in ~ nick translation technique has been used to demonstrate
differences in the DNAse I sensitivity of euchromatic and heterochromatic
regions of mitotic chromosomes. This ill ~ technique has been used in
this study to ask whether facultative heterochromatin of the inactive X
chromosome can be distinguished from the active X chromosome in mouse and
human tissues. In addition to this, in ~ nick translation has been used
to distinguish constitutive heterochromatin in mouse and human mitotic
chromosomes. Based on relative levels of DNAse I sensitivity, the inactive
X chromosome could not be distinguished from the active X chromosome in
either mouse or human tissues but regions of constitutive heterochromatin
could be distinguished by their relative DNAse I insensitivity. The use of
!D situ nick translation was also applied to tissue sections of 7.5 day
mouse embryos to ask whether differing levels of DNAse I sensitivity could
be detected between different tissue types. Differences in DNAse I
sensitivities were detected in three tissues examined; embryonic ectoderm,
an embryo-derived tissue, and two extraembryonic tissues, extraembryonic
ectoderm and ectoplacental cone. Embryonic ectoderm and extraembryonic
ectoderm nuclei possessed comparable levels of DNAse I sensitivity while
ectoplacental cone was significantly less DNAse I sensitive. This suggests
that tissue-specific mechanisms such as chromatin structure may be involved
in the regulation of gene activity in certain tissue types. This may also
shed some light on possible tissue specific mechanisms regulating X
chromosome activity in the developing mouse embryo.


title: Teacher attitudes and the emotionally-behaviourally disordered middle school student

subject: Adjustment disorders in children -- Education

subject: Teachers -- Attitudes

subject: Middle school students

subject: Ability grouping in education

subject: Teachers -- Attitudes

subject: Middle school students

subject: Ability grouping in education

abstract:
Inclusionary practlces prescrlbe that children, regardless of
exceptlonal1ty shall benefit from recelving educatlonal servlce 1n
the context of the regular class setting. The resulting el1mlnatlon of
separate speclal classes could be v1ewed as aneconom1c advantage.
In po1nt of fact, many school boards and d1strlcts 1n both Canada and
the Unlted States are movlng towards 1mplementatlon of
lncluslonary practice, posslbly for the above stated reason.
Regardless, 1ncluslon as It relates to the emot1onal1y/behav1ourally
disordered youth in our school systems may not be successful.
Regular education teachers may not be prepared professlonal1y or
personally to deal wlth this very spec1al student populat1on. Th1s
study focused on teacher attitude 1n thls regard. As welll poss1ble
factors that may lead to successful 1nclusion of these students are
examined. Of these, teacher exper1ence, educat10n spec1f1c to the
d1sab111ty of emot1onal/behavloural dlsordered comb1ned w1th
teacher self-percept1on of success appear to hold the greatest
promise. In v1ew of these flndlngs, recommendations are made for
professlonal pract1ce and future research d1rect1ons.


title: A Study of role conflict, role ambiguity, locus of control, job satisfaction and participation in decision making among front-line vocational service workers for mentally retarded adults

subject: People with mental disabilities--Services for--Ontario.

subject: Social work with people with mental disabilities--Ontario.

subject: Decision making.

subject: Psychology--Study and teaching.

abstract:
This study was an investigation of individual and
organizational factors, as perceived by front-line vocational
service workers from Adult Rehabilitation Centres (ARC
Industries) for mentally retarded adults. The specific
variables which were measured included role conflict/role
ambiguity (role factors), internal/external locus of
control (individual differences), job satisfaction with
work and supervision (job attitudes) and participation
in deci~ion making (organizational factor). The exploration
of these constructs was conducted by means of self-report
questionnaires which were completed by sixty-nine out
of a total of ninety front-line employees. The surveys
were distributed in booklet form to nine distinct rehabilitation
facilities from St. Catharines, West Lincoln, Greater
Niagara, Port Colborne, WeIland, Fort Erie, Hamilton,
Guelph and Brantford. The survey data was evaluated
by the statisti.cal Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)
which used the Pearson Product Moment Correlation procedure
and a compar~son of means test. A comparison of correlation
coefficients test was also conducted. This statistical
procedure was calculated mathematically. The results
obtained from the statistical evaluation confirmed the
prediction that self-reported measures of participation
in decision making and satisfaction (work and supervision)
would be negatively correlated with role conflict and
role ambiguity. As well, the speculation that perceived satisfaction (work and supervision) would be positively
correlated with participation in decision making was
empirically supported. Internal and external locus of
control did not contribute to a significant difference
in r~sponses to role perceptions (conflict and ambiguity) ,
satisfaction (work and supervision) or the correlational
relationship between participation in decision making
and satisfaction (work and supervision). Overall, the
findings from this study substantiated the importance
of examining employee perceptions in the workplace and
the interrelationships among individual and organizational
variables. This research was considered a contribution
to the general area of occupational stress and to the
study of individuals in work organizations.


title: A study of self-directed learning at an Ontario college of applied arts and technology

subject:
Adult learning--Ontario.
Community college teachers--Ontario.
Community college students--Ontario.

abstract:
Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATs) are currently in
the process of restructuring to ensure quality, accountability, and accessibility of
college education. References to learner involvement and self-directed learning are
prevalent. "Alternative delivery" and "paradigm shift" are current buzzwords within
the Ontario CAAT system as an environment is created supportive of change.
Instability of funding has also dictated a need for change. Therefore, a focus
has become quality of learning with less demand on public resources.
This qualitative case study was conducted at an Ontario CAAT to gather
descriptive, perceptual data from post-secondary community college educators who
were identified as supportive of self-directed learning and from post-secondary,
traditional-aged college students who were perceived by their educators to be selfdirected
learners. This college was selected because of initiatives to modify its
academic paradigm to encourage what was reputed in the Ontario CAAT system to be
self-directed learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate how postsecondary,
traditional-aged college students and their educators perceive self-directed
learning as part of the teaching-learning experience within a community college
setting.
Educator participants of the study were selected based on the results of a
teaching and learning survey intended to identify educators supportive of self-directed
learning. A total of 317 surveys were distributed to every full-time educator at the
sample college; 192 completed surveys were returned for a return rate of 61 %. Of
these, 8% indicated instructional beliefs and values supportive of self-directed
learning. A purposive sample of six educators was selected using a maximulp
variation sampling strategy.
A network selection sampling strategy was used to select a purposive sample
of seven post-secondary students who were identified by the sample educators as selfdirected
learners.
The results of the study show that students and educators have similar
perspectives and operating definitions of self-directed learning and all participants
believe they either practice or facilitate self-directed learning. However, their perspectives
and practices are not consistent with the literature which emphasizes
learner autonomy or control in course structure and content.
A central characteristic of the participants represented in this study is the
service-oriented professions with which each is associated. Experientiallearning
opportunities were highly valued for the options provided in increasing learner
independence and competencies in reflective practice.
Although there were discrepancies between espoused theory and theory in
practice in terms of course structure, the process of self-directed learning was being
practiced and supported outside the classroom structure in clinical settings, labs and
related experiences.


title: A study of thermal decompositions of an allylic hydroperoxide /|nby Thomas A. McCarrick. -- 260 St. Catharines [Ont.] : Dept. of Chemistry, Brock University,

subject:
Thermal analysis.
Hydrogen peroxide.
Decomposition (Chemistry)

abstract:
The thermal decomposition of 2,3-di~ethy l - J-hydr operox y-
1 - butene , p r epared f rol") singl e t oxygen, has been studied
i n three solvents over the tempe r a ture r ange from 1500e to
l o00e and t!1e i 111 t ial ~oncentrfttl nn r Ange from O. 01 M to
0.2 M. Analys i s of the kine tic data ind ica te s i nduced homolysis
as the n ost probRble mode of d e composition, g iving rise to a
3/2 f S order dependence upon hy d.roperoxide concent :r8.tl on .
Experimental activation e nergies for the decomposition were
f ound to be between 29.5 kcsl./raole and 30.0 k cal./mole .• \,iith
log A factors between 11 . 3 and 12.3. Product studies were
conducted in R variety of solvents a s well as in the pr esence
of a variety of free r adical initiators . Investigation of
the kinetic ch a in length indicated a chain length of about
fifty.
A degenerat i ve chain branching mechanism 1s proposed
which predicts the multi t ude of products which Rre observed
e xperimentally as well as giving activation energies and
log A factors si~il a r to those found experimentally .


title: A study of the role of the elementary school principal

subject: Elementary school principals.


title: A study of the thermal decomposition of allyl t-butyl peroxide and 3-hydroperoxy-1-propene (allyl hydroperoxide) in toluene /|nby Krishnankutty Nair V. G. -- 260 St. Catharines [Ont. : s. n.],

subject:
Toluene.
Peroxides--Analysis.
Allyl compounds.
Decomposition (Chemistry)

abstract:
Kinetics and product studies of
the decompositions of allyl-t-butyl peroxide and 3-hydroperoxy-
l-propene (allyl hydroperoxide ) in tolune were investigated.
Decompositions of allyl-t-butyl peroxide in toluene at 130-1600
followed first order kinetics with an activation energy of
32.8 K.cals/mol and a log A factor of 13.65. The rates of decomposition
were lowered in presence of the radical trap~methyl
styrene. By the radical trap method, the induced decomposition
at 1300 is shown to be 12.5%. From the yield of 4-phenyl-l,2-
epoxy butane the major path of induced decomposition is shown
to be via an addition mechanism. On the other hand, di-t-butYl
peroxyoxalate induced decomposition of this peroxide at 600
proceeded by an abstraction mechanism. Induced decomposition
of peroxides and hydroperoxides containing the allyl system is
proposed to occur mainly through an addition mechanism at these
higher temperatures. Allyl hydroperoxide in toluene at 165-1850
decomposes following 3/2 order kinetics with an Ea of 30.2 K.cals
per mole and log A of 10.6. Enormous production of radicals
through chain branching may explain these relatively low values
of E and log A. The complexity of the reaction is indicated a
by the formation of various products of the decomposition. A
study of the radical attack of the hydro peroxide at lower temperatures
is suggested as a further work to throw more light on
the nature of decomposition of this hydroperoxide.


title: A study on the role of the parent in educational decision making from the perspective of parents and teachers

subject:
Parent-teacher relationships.
Parents--Attitudes.
Decision making.

abstract:
ADeweyan (1916) democratic theoty ofeducation called for the participation ofall
citizens in deliberating important educational issues to improve overall student learning.
Thus, the move to include parents in educational decision making can be considered to be
rooted in democratic principles. To gain greater insight into the issue ofparent
involvement in educational decision making, one elementary school was studied and a
triangulization method was employed in an attempt to clarify the important issues
surrolUlding the move to include parents in the governance ofschools. The three methods
to gain information included surveys, interviews, and documentation ofsignificant school
events and related work. All ofthe parents and teachers ofthe school were surveyed, 10
parents and 6teachers were interviewed, and related school events were recorded. The
survey design was modeled on the Parent Involvement Questionnaire (PIQ) created and
reported on by Chavkin and Williams (1987). The results ofthe surveys were used as a
guide for the interview questions. An interview outline was developed based on
Seidman's (1991) open-ended approach and Patton's (1980) standardized open-ended
interview style in which parents and teachers were asked about their experiences and
opinions on anmnber ofparent involvement issues. Parents and teachers in this school
indicated agreater interest in becoming more aware ofeducational issues such as school
budget and school discipline policies. Although the parents indicated agreater interest in
school matters and the teachers indicated awillingness to include parents in school
matters, both the parents and teachers in this study perceived the role ofthe parent as
advisory, not decision making. It was concluded that to ensure ameaningful and functional
role for parellts as tlleir p811icipatioll ill educational matters evolves, SCllools must have a
clear vision ofthe primary goal ofall schools, namely, to foster and nourish democratic
citizens for ademocratic society (Glickman, 1993). Furthennore, intentional practices
such as Purkey's (ad) 5-P Relay approach, based on a democratic theory and practice of
education, will have to be employed in order to give parents an authentic voice in
educational matters and provide an avenue for parents to acquire the necessary skills and
lmowledge needed to do so. As schools, school boards, and the Ministry ofEducation
implement parent involvement guidelines and policies, developmental needs ofeach
school need to be considered to ensure the employment ofdemocratic practices not
authoritarian mandates. Parent interest and involvement, at whatever level, should be an
important element in the overall move to make schools part ofthe democratic society they
were meant to be.


title: A survey of attitudes of agricultural society leaders toward leadership development education

subject:
Leadership.
Agricultural administration.
Agricultural education.
Attitude (Psychology)

abstract:
It was the purpose of this study to investigate
attitudes toward leadership development education of one
client group served by the ontario Ministry of Agriculture
and Food. The survey, answered by 175 participants,
attempted to answer the following questions: (a) What is a
common definition of leadership?, (b) What leadership
concepts are important to leadership development education?
and, (c) What are client attitudes toward leadership
development education?
A descriptive research approach was used and the data
were analyzed according to a model developed by Colaizzi.
Concept maps were developed under the broad areas of:
(a) Developing leader qualities; (b) Past experiences that
developed leadership skills that worked on the jOb;
(c) Leadership skills developed from present day positions;
and (d) How leadership skills may be developed in future
situations.
A description of the dynamics of leadership development
was written and the essential dynamics of leadership skill
development in one volunteer organization was described.
This study supports the linkages perspective of
leadership within voluntary organizations developed by
Vandenberg, Thullen and Fear (1987). The linkages perspective consists of three major components: perception,
property and process. As a perception, leadership is the
set of beliefs each group member holds regarding the
behaviours and qualities characteristic of effective
leaders. As a property, leadership represents the qualities
attributed by group members to persons perceived as
effectively (or potentially) influencing the goal
achievement process. As a process, leadership involves the
use of non-coercive influence to facilitate group
accomplishment of valued goals.
Leadership concepts important for development in a
leadership development education program related to
personal, organizational and societal development. The top
five concepts in terms of rank order are communicating
effectively, forming and working with groups, working
creatively (tie), developing followers, managing meetings,
directing projects or activities, understanding financial
matters, managing negotiations (tie), developing resources
and understanding and developing oneself (tie).
Several recommendations are relevant for extension
personnel as educators. Theoretical concepts on leadership
need to be shared to extension practitioners involved in
leadership development. currently used teaching materials
for leadership development should be evaluated to see if
they include concepts from preferrred theoretical leadership
perceptions.


title: Asymmetrical balance of power in preadolescents' mutual friendships

subject: Friendship--Psychological aspects.

subject: Friendship in children--Psychological aspects.

abstract:
Dyadic friendShip' asymmetry was examined in relation to gender, friendship quality, and
friendship status. Sixty-nine grade five children and their mutual, same-sex, friends participated in
a laboratory session comprised ofvarious activities and completed questionnaires to identify
mutual friends and evaluate friendship quality. Asymmetry of power was assessed observationally
during an origami task. Variations in balance of power were evident in children's friendships.
Boys' dyads had significantly greater levels of asymmetry than girls' dyads. Regardless of gender,
asymmetry was associated with lower friendship quality, particularly as indexed by validation and
caring and conflict resolution. Asymmetry was unrelated to differences in friendship status.
Furthermore, relative individual power within the friendship was not related to individual
perceptions offriendship quality. The implications ofthese findings in the theoretical and
empirical literature were considered and suggestions for future research were made.


title: Athletic injury care training in high school coaches

subject:
Coaching (Athletics)
Sports accidents.
Sports medicine.
Coaches (Athletics)

abstract:
The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand
the client and occupational therapist experiences of a
mental health group. A secondary aim was to explore the
extent to which this group seemed to have reflected a
client-centred approach. The topic emerged from personal
and professional issues related to the therapist as teacher
and to inconsistencies in practice with the profession's
client-centred philosophy. This philosophy, the study's
frame of reference, was established in terms of themes
related to the client-therapist relationship and to client
values. Typical practice was illustrated through an
extensive literature review. Structured didacticexperiential
methods aiming toward skill development were
predominant.
The interpretive sciences and, to a lesser extent, the
critical sciences directed the methodology. An ongoing
support group at a community mental health clinic was
selected as the focus of the study; the occupational
therapist leader and three members became the key
participants. A series of conversational interviews, the
. core method of data collection, was supplemented by
observation, document review, further interviews, and
fieldnotes. Transcriptions of conversations were returned
to participants for verification and for further reflection Analysis primarily consisted of coding and organizing
data according to emerging themes. The participants'
experiences of group, presented as narrative stories within
a group session vignette, were also returned to
participants. There was a common understanding of the
group's structure and the importance of having "air time"
within the group; however, differences in perceptions of
such things as the importance of the group in members' lives
were noted. All members valued the therapeutic aspects of
group, the role of group as weekly activity and, to a lesser
extent, the learning that came from group. The researcher's
perspective provided a critique of the group experience from
a client-centred perspective. Some areas of consistency
with client-centred practice were noted (e.g., therapist
attitudes); however the group seemed to function far from a
client-centred ideal. Members held little authority in a
-relationship dominated by the leaders, and leader agendas
rather than member values controlled the session. Possible
reasons for this discrepancy ranging from past health care
encounters through to co-leader discord emerged.
The actual and potential significance of this study was
discussed according to many areas of implications: to OT
practice, especially client-centred group practice, to
theory development, to further areas of research and
methodology considerations, to people involved in the group
and to my personal growth and development.


title: A treatment of atomic mean square displacement in higher order perturbation theory

subject:
Perturbation (Quantum dynamics)
Perturbation (Mathematics)
Crystal lattices.

abstract:
A general derivation of the anharmonic coefficients for
a periodic lattice invoking the special case of the central
force interaction is presented. All of the contributions to
mean square displacement (MSD) to order 14 perturbation theory
are enumerated. A direct correspondance is found between the
high temperature limit MSD and high temperature limit free
energy contributions up to and including 0(14). This
correspondance follows from the detailed derivation of some of
the contributions to MSD. Numerical results are obtained for
all the MSD contributions to 0(14) using the Lennard-Jones
potential for the lattice constants and temperatures for which
the Monte Carlo results were calculated by Heiser, Shukla and
Cowley. The Peierls approximation is also employed in order
to simplify the numerical evaluation of the MSD contributions.
The numerical results indicate the convergence of the
perturbation expansion up to 75% of the melting temperature of
the solid (TM) for the exact calculation; however, a better
agreement with the Monte Carlo results is not obtained when
the total of all 14 contributions is added to the 12
perturbation theory results. Using Peierls approximation the
expansion converges up to 45% of TM• The MSD contributions
arising in the Green's function method of Shukla and Hubschle
are derived and enumerated up to and including 0(18). The
total MSD from these selected contributions is in excellent agreement with their results at all temperatures. Theoretical
values of the recoilless fraction for krypton are calculated
from the MSD contributions for both the Lennard-Jones and Aziz
potentials. The agreement with experimental values is quite
good.


title: Attemped asymmetric dehydration with chiral carbodiimides /|nMin-jen Shiao. -- 260 0 St. Catharines [Ont. : s. n.],

subject: Carbodiimides.

abstract:
This research work has been planned with the intention of
synthesizing optically active bicyclo[3,l,0]-hexan-2-one using chiral
carbodiimides.
Several carbodiimides have been prepared for practice and for
attempts at asymmetric induction. The total synthesis of dibenzo[e,g]-
(l:3)diazonine and the partial synthesis of l:13-dimethyldibenzo[e,g]-
(l:3)diazonine are reported.
Attempts to resolve 6,6f-dimethyl-2,2t-diphenic acid were not
successful. The NMR spectra of carbodiimides and the related thioureas
are compared.
The reaction transition state of the 4-hydroxycyclohexanone with
optically pure R,R(+)-di(a-phenylethyl)-carbodiimide has been considered.
The ORD application to chiral cyclohexanones is discussed.


title: Attempted asymmetric synthesis of Lactobacillic acid / |nFawzy F. Z. Georges. -- 260 St. Catharines, Ont. : [s. n.],

subject: Lactobacillic acid.

abstract:
This research work has been planned with
the intention of proving the absolute configuration
of lactobacillc acid. During the course of this work,
attempts have been made to synthesize cis-2-carboxycyclopropane-
l-.acetic acid as,v,a suitable resolvable
material. As the results were not satisfactory, the
synthesis of ci,s-2-carboxycyclopropane-l-propionic acid
has been alternatively attempted by ring opening of
bicyclo- [4.1.~-heptan-2-onewithout much success.
Attempts to resolve or prepare bicyclo[
4.1.~-hePtan-2-one optically active are also reported.
On the other hand, a complete scheme is
described for the possible synthesis of optically
active lactobacillic acid.
If only bicyclo- ~.1.~ -heptan-2-one can
be resolved or prepared optically active, this described
scheme can be applied smoothly to the synthesis
of enant~omeric lactobacillic acid.


title: Autonomic prediction of error-related ERP components in perceptual and conceptual tasks in older and younger adults

subject:
Autonomic nervous system.
Attention.
Aging.

abstract:
In studies of cognitive processing, the allocation of attention has been consistently
linked to subtle, phasic adjustments in autonomic control. Both autonomic control of
heart rate and control of the allocation of attention are known to decline with age. It is not
known, however, whether characteristic individual differences in autonomic control and
the ability to control attention are closely linked. To test this, a measure of
parasympathetic function, vagal tone (VT) was computed from cardiac recordings from
older and younger adults taken before and during performance of two attentiondemanding
tasks - the Eriksen visual flanker task and the source memory task. Both
tasks elicited event-related potentials (ERPs) that accompany errors, i.e., error-related
negativities (ERNs) and error positivities (Pe's). The ERN is a negative deflection in the
ERP signal, time-locked to responses made on incorrect trials, likely generated in the
anterior cingulate. It is followed immediately by the Pe, a broad, positive deflection which
may reflect conscious awareness of having committed an error.
Age-attenuation ofERN amplitude has previously been found in paradigms with
simple stimulus-response mappings, such as the flanker task, but has rarely been
examined in more complex, conceptual tasks. Until now, there have been no reports of
its being investigated in a source monitoring task. Age-attenuation of the ERN
component was observed in both tasks. Results also indicated that the ERNs generated in
these two tasks were generally comparable for young adults. For older adults, however,
the ERN from the source monitoring task was not only shallower, but incorporated more
frontal processing, apparently reflecting task demands. The error positivities elicited by
3
the two tasks were not comparable, however, and age-attenuation of the Pe was seen only
in the more perceptual flanker task. For younger adults, it was Pe scalp topography that
seemed to reflect task demands, being maximal over central parietal areas in the flanker
task, but over very frontal areas in the source monitoring task.
With respect to vagal tone, in the flanker task, neither the number of errors nor
ERP amplitudes were predicted by baseline or on-task vagal tone measures. However, in
the more difficult source memory task, lower VT was marginally associated with greater
numbers of source memory errors in the older group. Thus, for older adults, relatively
low levels of parasympathetic control over cardiac response coincided with poorer source
memory discrimination. In both groups, lower levels of baseline VT were associated with
larger amplitude ERNs, and smaller amplitude Pe's. Thus, low VT was associated in a
conceptual task with a greater "emergency response" to errors, and at the same time,
reduced awareness of having made them. The efficiency of an individual's complex
cognitive processing was therefore associated with the flexibility of parasympathetic
control of heart rate, in response to a cognitively challenging task.


title: Behavioural characteristics in phylogenetics : a case study using black fly (Diptera: Simuliidae) cocoon spinning behaviour

subject: Simuliidae--Phylogeny. Simuliidae--Behavior. Cocoons.

abstract:
1-1 is torically, the predominan t method of reconstructing
phylogenies has been through the use of morphological characters.
There are new techniques now gaining acceptance, including molecular
techniques al1d chromosomal information.
Altl10ugh the study of behaviour has been used in a comparative
framework, these analyses have, historically, been based on intuition.
Hennig (1966) devised a neV\' method of reconstructing phylogenies
which provided a 110ncircular method for formulating, testing and
refining phylogenies. Subsequent s)Tstematists had virtually abandoned
ecological and beha\lioural data as primary indicators of phylogenetic
relationships (Brooks and McLennan 1991). Therefore, in a modern
cladistic framework (sensu Hennig) the analysis of behavioural traits
remains underrepresented as a method of reconstructing phylogenies.
This thesis will reconstruct the phylogeny for species of black flies
(Diptera: Simuliidae), using two steps. The first step is to thoroughl)'
understand and explain the cocoon spinning in black fly larvae. There
have bee115 previous descriptions of cocoon spinning, but all were
incomplete or erroneous. The advances in technology, including video
recorders and VCRs, have allowed this behaviour to be analyzed in great
detail in 20 different species. A complete description of the cocoon
spinning of Simulium \littatum is given. This description will be used as
a template for the other species observed.
The description and understanding of cococ)n spinning was the first
step in undertaking a phylogenetic analysis using this behaviour. The
behaviour was then broken down and analyzed, revealing 23 characters,
3
either qualitative and quantitative in nature. These characters were
assessed in a cladistic framework (sensu Hennig) and a phylogenetic tree
was reconstructed with a e.I of 0.91 and an R.I. of 0.96. This
phylogenetic tree closely resembles a previously established
pllylogenetic tree produced from morphological and cytological
information.
The importance of this result is the indication that, contrary to
some authors, behavioural characters, if used properly, can add very
informative characters to a data set.


title: Behavioural, mensural, and ecological correlates of polygyny in the eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna)

subject: Meadowlarks--Behavior.

subject: Sturnella magna.

subject: Birds--Behavior.

subject: Birds--Ontario--Short Hills Provincial Park.

abstract:
During 1982 and 1983 I studied male attributes and attributes
of the territory of male Eastern Meadowlarks (Sturnella magna) in
order to determine whether there was a correlation between any of
the attributes investigated and the number of females attracted
by a male. Seventeen males, nine of which were polygynous and
eight monogamous, were studied in 1982 and sixteen males.of which .. seven were polygynous and nine ~onogamous, were studied in 1983.
The study was conducted in Short Hills Park, 10 km southwest of
St. Catharines, Ontario and was designed to compare two
hypotheses: the "sexy son" hypothesis (Weatherhead and
Robertson,1977) and the polygyny threshold model (Verner and
Willson,1966, Orians, 1969). Male attributes investigated were
male size and song behaviour. Six measures of male size were
taken: weight, flattened and natural wing chord length, culmen
length, bill depth and length of the tarsometatarsus. In 1983
song repertoire size and song versatility measures were
investigated. Attributes of the territory studied were: territory
size, density of plant stems, percentage plant cover and measures
of vegetation structure. In 1983 Arthropods were collected from
each territory and sorted according to taxonomic group and size.
During 1983, territory attributes were sampled twice, once early
and once later in the nesting season. Analysis of data involved
univariate comparisons between monogamous and polygynous males
using T-tests and multivariate comparisons were made using
discriminant function analysis (DFA) and principle components analysis (PCA).No correlations were found between the number of females
attracted with, .ny measure of male size or with me, .sures of song
versatili or size of song repertoire. Also no correlation was
found between terri size and the number of females nesting on a terri . Some attributes of the male's terri id
distinguish between monog,mous and po s males of thistudy.
Analysis of Arthropod numbers showed that e~ .eran
counts were significantly great~r on polygynous territories,
a1 the total numb~rs of Arthropods collected showed no
s fico .nt differences between territories of monogamous and
po males. DFA chose ear teran and Hymenopteran
counts as multivariate discriminators; both variables we' e more
vegetation revealed that there were no univariate differences
between the two groups of males fOT 1982 stem densities, but
~ spp. and Solidago spp. were chosen DFA as multivariate
discriminators. The total number of plant stems and of Vicia spp.
stems were s ficantly
the early 1983 ing
on monogamous territories for
however DFA found no multivariate
discriminators" Variables concerned with the overall aspects of
vegetation structure showed significant differences between
territories of monogamous and polygynous males. DFA of the 1982
sampling of vegetation structure showed significantly greater mat
depth and vegetation height on polygynous territories, a finding
which was not supported, however, by peA. For the early 1983
sampling period, plant height was greater on polygynous territories. Multivariate analysis identified greater green
cover on polygynous territories, greater ground cover on
monogamous territories, and greater depth of mat material on
monogamous territories as discriminators between territories of
monogamous and polygynous males. A DFA on the major variables of
the study showed no significant difference between the
territories of monogamous and polygynous male Meadowlarks.
Of the correlations found, some were for non-prey Arthr~ods,
for cover plants with very small samples sizes, or for variables
which were greater for monogamous males during one sampling
period and polygynous males during the next. While multivariate
discriminators were found, peA showed no grouping of monogamous
or polygynous males according to any of the variables
investigated.
On the basis of the univariate and multivariate analysis of
major variables, I concluded that there were no correlations
between the number of females attracted with male attributes and
no unambiguous correlation with attributes of the territory. My
study does not unequivocally support either the "sexy son" or the
polygyny threshold hypothesis.