title: Design Principles of Inclusion for Public Schools

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Geoff Thun
Sarah Bonnemaison
Jan Keddy
Diogo Burnay
Niall Savage
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
No

subject:
Inclusion
Education
Disability
Adapted Environment
Continuum of Need
School facilities
Children with disabilities--Education
Architecture

abstract: Including children with disabilities in the public classroom is morally right; yet in the absence of appropriate support, it often results in a learning environment that is morally wrong.  This thesis studies how to appropriately implement inclusive policies within a public school  A new school typology is then proposed, which engages the medical and academic communities to collaborate together within an existing school on behalf of students with disabilities - in assessing them and preparing them individually for successful learning and meaningful inclusion among their peers.  This new programme also provides training for teachers as they strive to effectively meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student body.


title: 21st Century Monument Architecture: The Dialogue Between Local Place/Migrant Identity

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Geoffrey Thün
Sarah Bonnemaison
Cristina Verissimo
Sarah Bonnemaison
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: Monuments culture identity globalization migration

abstract:
21st Century Monument Architecture: The Dialogue Between Local Place and Migrant
Identity confronts the loss of cultural identity in a global culture of increased mobility
and migration.

Growing nomadism and trans-border migration is changing how we identify to culture.
More than ever, we are forced to relocate due to violence or to seek a better life. This
means having to adapt to a different culture. The act of leaving home and integrating
into a new culture is destabilizing. Increased immigration is creating the need for
people to gain a sense of belonging, in order to breed strength in future communities
and places. New forms of monument architecture constructed in the public realm help
us adapt to this shifting global culture of immigration and exist as tolerant nations.

This thesis proposes an emerging type of commemorative monument that
acknowledges the struggle of present day migrants’ identity and how it connects to
place. Through an orchestrated set of spatial experiences, this 21st century monument
counters the monument’s intended function to memorialization of the past. Instead
the design proposal creates emotionally evocative experiences to recognize and think
about issues of the immigration process, acknowledging the ongoing hardship of resettlement
and cultural identity.


title: SLA Aware Green Routing Mechanisms for WDM GMPLS Networks

contributor: Department of Engineering Mathematics & Internetworking

subject:
GMPLS
Green Networks
WDM
Resource Assignment
Lambda Assignment
Continuity Constraint
BIP
ILP

abstract: This thesis proposes new routing and assignment mechanisms that aim at reducing the energy usage and the resulting Greenhouse Gas emission of WDM GMPLS networks. The thesis compiles information about the energy generation capacity of each state of the U.S from different resources to come up with a set of realistic energy and emission parameters while benchmarking the newly proposed routing mechanism. The compiled information on energy is realistic, as energy powering up a section of the network is neither 100% green nor 100% non-green as opposed to assumptions in the literature. This thesis introduces a novel Binary Integer Linear Programming method that provides a simple yet effective method of incorporating various Service Level Agreements, while “Greening” the optical network. The two new stateless routing mechanisms introduced in this thesis increase the throughput of the control plane of the WDM GMPLS network in serving connection requests by 6-fold, when compared to the capability of traditional routing mechanisms. In this thesis, a new resource assignment for WDM networks is also proposed that provides up to 8 percent increase in the success rate, and up to 35 percent energy usage reduction, when compared to First Fit resource assignment with the continuity constraint and the First Fit without the continuity constraint, respectively. The routing methods introduced in this work are intended for the control plane of GMPLS networks; however, their application could be extended to the control plane of Software Defined Networks as well.


title: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Melford International Terminal

contributor:
Department of Economics
Master of Development Economics
Peter Burton
Patrick DeLamirade
Peter Burton
Mathieu Dufour
Not Applicable
No
No

subject:
Cost effectiveness
Melford Terminal
Melford Atlantic Gateway
Container terminals

abstract: A proposal to build a state-of-the-art container terminal in Guysborough County Nova Scotia has been announced by a private firm. This paper uses a cost-benefit analysis to evaluate the profitability of the firm but also seeks to go beyond the commercial benefits and asses the scenario from a regional development perspective, answering the question of whether or not Guysborough County, Nova Scotia will be better off should the Melford Atlantic Gateway be built and bring millions of containers from around the globe into this small relatively rural community.


identifier: Coley, A. (2017). Estimating Food Capacity in Nova Scotia. College of Sustainability Honours Theses.

title: Estimating Food Capacity in Nova Scotia

subject:
Nova Scotia
Food Capacity
Food Security
Food System
Food Shortage

abstract: Given the real possibility of food shortages in Nova Scotia and their potential implications to consumers, it is important we gain a more complete understanding of food capacity in Nova Scotia. This study sought to identify key nodes and supply chains and estimate the food capacity within key nodes. Through directed interviews, this study described some of the strengths and vulnerabilities within the Nova Scotian food system. Approximately 90% of the one billion meals consumed in NS were consumed in households, 9.6% of the meals were consumed in restaurants, 0.33% of these meals were consumed in universities, and 0.28% of these meals were consumed in hospitals which highlights the relative importance of nodes to the average Nova Scotian. Sit-down restaurants held seven days of food capacity, and fast-food restaurants held 14 days of food capacity, where a diverse range in capacity would be expected. Universities held ten days of food capacity. Hospitals held 21 days of food capacity in rural communities and 14 days of food capacity in urban communities. Sysco held seven days of food capacity. Grocery stores hold two days of food capacity. Though Sysco and universities had contingency plans, no other nodes did. Hospitals intentionally stockpiled food in preparation of food shortage events, but no other node did so. Though most supply chains held unexpectedly high food capacity, grocery stores were identified as a vulnerability to NS food security. It would be important for NS decision makers to consider how to make this node better prepared for food shortage events.


title: A Framing Analysis of News Discourse in the Case of Environmental Racism in Lincolnville, Nova Scotia

subject:
Environmental Racism
Framing Analysis
Media Effects Research
Nova Scotia
Lincolnville
Environmental Justice
Coding
Environmental Bill of Rights

abstract: In the province of Nova Scotia today, most environmental hazards, such as waste disposal sites and polluting industries, are located in proximity to African Nova Scotian and Mi’kmaq communities. Thus, those communities are left to suffer a myriad of negative impacts, such as a lack of fresh air, clean water, access to unspoiled nature, dwindling property values, and resulting mental and physical health impacts, which work to perpetuate their historical oppression. In the academic literature, this societal issue is referred to as “environmental racism,” which theorizes that intersections between race and class result in the trend in which historically marginalized communities are disproportionally located nearby environmental hazards. This thesis deconstructs the issue of environmental racism in the African Nova Scotian community of Lincolnville as portrayed through mainstream and alternative internet news outlets. Using the methodology of framing analysis, this thesis uncovers underlying themes and tones associated with news discourse on the issue of environmental racism in Lincolnville, and explores whether news discourse is impeding or assisting the transcendence of this issue in present day Nova Scotia.


title: Much "ADU" About a Lot: How Social Relations Influence the Affordability of Accessory Dwelling Units in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

subject:
Housing
Laneway Housing
Accessory Dwelling Unit
Affordable Housing
Edmonton
Garage Suite
Garden Suite
Urban
City
Infill
Sustainability
Urban Planning

abstract: This research examines Detached Accessory Dwelling Units (DADUs) in Edmonton, Alberta. In Edmonton, these types of units are referred to as Garage/Garden Suites, however, in other municipalities they go by a variety of names including: Laneway Homes, Granny Flats, Carriage Homes, or Secondary Suites. It has been suggested that ADUs offer a number of social, environmental, and economic benefits, and a number of municipalities across North America are beginning to promote them as a form of private sector affordable housing. As such, several cities have relaxed zoning restrictions to allow for ADUs on most residential lots. Edmonton was chosen for this study in part because of its recently relaxed zoning restrictions. It is also a city of interest because of the exponential growth of Garage/Garden Suites Edmonton has experienced over the past 10 years. This research examines Garage/Garden Suites in Edmonton from an affordable housing perspective and establishes the first comprehensive dataset on Garage/Garden Suites in Edmonton. While this research gathered data on suite use, occupancy, construction, and demographics, it focuses on a concept called “voluntary affordability” whereby owners of the Garage/Garden Suite willingly charge low to ultra-low rent. For this research, all 122 Garage/Garden Suite owners in Edmonton were contacted and asked to participate in a 34-question survey about their suite, of which 72 completed the surveys. In total, it was found that 36% of suites were rented to family at an average rent of $504, 52% were rented to people the owners did not know at an average rent of $1,154, and 12% were rented to friends at an average rent of $1,225. By looking at suites that were rented at zero- and very-low-rent it was found that 25% of Edmonton’s Garage/Garden Suites are <$700/month, which are considered affordable rents in Edmonton by many definitions. 89% of the occupants of these free-or-clearly-below-market rentals are family members of the owner, thus demonstrating the role social relationships play in facilitating voluntary affordability. When looking at who is building Garage/Garden Suites, 72% of respondents have a household income greater than $100,000, suggesting that the people most likely to benefit from the voluntary affordability associated with Garage/Garden Suites are family members of wealthy individuals. If rented to people who the owners did not know, it was found that on average, occupants were charged slightly below market rate. With this in mind, Garage/Garden Suites should not be viewed as the universal remedy to the affordable housing crisis in Canada, but as one important piece of the affordable housing puzzle. Policy changes that make Garage/Garden Suites more accessible and affordable for middle-income Canadians to build may enable greater numbers of Canadians to reap the benefits associated ADUs.


title: Exploring the Relationships Between Working Time, Consumption, and the Environment

subject:
work-time reduction
working hours
ecological footprint
consumption

abstract: This thesis explores the relationships between working time, consumption, and environmental impact by expanding on the work of Hayden and Shandra (2009) and Knight, Rosa, and Schor (2013). Panel data models were constructed to estimate the relationship between working hours and three measures of environmental impact:  Ecological Footprint, carbon Ecological Footprint, and CO2 emissions. The sample contains 2007-2012 data from OECD countries, and a number of control variables were included. Of particular interest was the influence of GDP/capita, full and part-time employment, and female participation in the labour force on the relationship between working hours and environmental impact. The results show a positive and statistically significant relationship between working hours and all three measures of environmental impact. These estimates, however, are smaller and less significant when GDP/capita is controlled for. This indicates that the positive relationship between working hours and environmental impact is predominantly driven by variation in GDP/capita. Work-time reduction could cause a decline in environmental impact; the desirability of such a policy is contingent on attitudes towards consumption.


identifier: Main, A. (2017). Towards all-Age-friendliness in Mahone Bay: A collaborative study. Dalhousie University

title: Towards All Age-Friendliness in Mahone Bay: A Collaborative Study

subject:
Age-Friendly Community
All-Age-Friendly
Participatory Action Research
Rural
Nova Scotia
Mahone Bay

abstract: In the Now or Never: Urgent Call for Nova Scotians report, Nova Scotia communities are urged to develop local solutions to address current social and economic trends threatening their future viability. Through the Mahone Bay Age-Friendly Community Committee (MBAFCC), the town of Mahone Bay is proactively addressing some of these trends and currently identifies the need to expand the town’s age-friendliness to all ages. Adopting theories and methodologies from Participatory Action Research (PAR) this study works collaboratively with the MBACC to generate community-identified actions that can improve the town’s all-age-friendliness. Data were collected from a series of key informant interviews and a community workshop. Results from the interviews and workshop are coded and compiled. Based on findings, the community identified numerous opportunities, some of which include improving wheelchair and stroller accessibility to businesses, and developing alternative housing. The two priority areas are (i) improving communication of existing events and services, and (ii) creating a form of child care within the town potentially in collaboration within the new senior centre.


title: Big Shoes to Fill: An Investigation of the Halifax Food Footprint

subject:
ecological footprint
food footprint
agriculture
Halifax

abstract:
In response to increasing urbanization and demand for local food, this study aims to contextualize the land area needed to feed urban Halifax, Nova Scotia, through the calculation of a food footprint. Derived from ecological footprinting methodology, this analysis utilizes per capita consumption and Nova Scotia agricultural yields.
The results of the food footprint analysis determine that just over 200,000 hectares of agriculturally productive land are needed to feed the city of Halifax. Currently there are 113,672 hectares being used for commercial agricultural production in Nova Scotia. Therefore, Nova Scotia does not have the capacity to meet the consumption demands of the Halifax population. Due to the restrictive growing conditions of Atlantic Canada’s geography and climate, increasing food production capacity is extremely difficult. Thus, further research into, and additional support for, unconventional methods of agricultural production are recommended, as alternative strategies to satisfy the Halifax food footprint.


title: Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Reflections on the Sustainable Forestry Narratives of France

subject:
Sustainability
Early-modern history
France
Forestry
Colbertism
Arcadia
Syliviculture
Donald Worster
Martin Heidegger
Jean Giono

abstract: Sustainability is often accused of being a modern buzzword, an accusation that masks the significance of the concept in human culture. Using environmental hermeneutics, this paper explores the origins and varieties of sustainable thought in early-modern France, a history that has its roots in forestry. Two dominant narratives are identified using Martin Heidegger’s concept of the standing reserve (The Question Concerning Technology, 1977) and Donald Worster’s dichotomy of Arcadian and Imperial thinkers (Nature’s Economy: A history of ecological ideas, 1994). These concepts illustrate two opposing visions of sustainability in France: The Imperial approach that saw the forest as a standing reserve of resources, and the Arcadian approach that had an idealistic view of sylvo-pastoral practices. These narratives are used to interpret forestry legislation, historic events and literary examples to paint a picture of the origins of sustainability that are unique to French culture. Through this interpretation, it was possible to identify the faults and merits of each perspective, and to judge that neither was motivated by any sort of deep ecology. The paper concludes with the assertion that given the implications of the French enlightenment on Western society, a better understanding of the history of sustainable thinking in France can provide insights to a more sustainable future.


title: Lessons from Northern Gateway: A Case for Improving Public Participation in the Federal Environmental Assessment Process

subject: Environmental Assessment

subject: Environmental Impact Assessment

subject: Public Participation

subject: Northern Gateway Project

subject: Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline

abstract:
This thesis explores whether public participation in the federal environmental assessment process is meaningful in practice. Public participation in the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project (Northern Gateway Project) is used as a case study to evaluate the meaningfulness of public participation in environmental assessment.
Academic literature is used to characterize meaningful public participation and barriers to meaningful public participation. The concluding documents of the environmental assessment for the Northern Gateway Project are analyzed to determine whether public participation in the environmental assessment was meaningful.
Public participation in the Northern Gateway Project was not meaningful in relation to scoping and the process that was used. The lessons learned from the Northern Gateway Project point to a need to improve public participation in the federal environmental assessment process in the future. The continued review of the federal environmental assessment process is critical given the 2012 amendments to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.


title: Innovations in Consumption: Three Case Studies on Alternative Systems of Provision in Halifax, NS

subject:
alternative systems of provision
consumerism
sustainable consumption

abstract: Given the challenges of climate change, mass consumerism is dominant in mitigation discourse. This thesis studies alternative systems of provision to investigate alternative sustainable consumption options. Systems of provision are the parameters of consumption, including all stakeholders involved from the beginning of production to the consumption of a good or service. It is an applied lens to study consumption. Alternative systems of provision seek to establish sustainable consumption that have a lesser ecological footprint, a greater sense of community, affordability, and social equity. This thesis seeks to gain a greater understanding of alternative systems of provision and the obstacles and challenges that they face. Three case studies are conducted in Halifax, Nova Scotia on organizations participating in alternative systems of provision. The case studies are Off the Hook, CarShare Atlantic, and the Halifax Tool Library. The study finds that alternative systems of provision challenge the culture of individualized and commodified systems of provision through their focus on social equity, economic benefits to consumers and producers, and reducing their ecological impact. They face challenges from lack of public awareness, funding limitations, and exhaustion of human capital. This research contributes to the literature on systems of provision, sociotechnical transitions, and consumption. The thesis recommends future research to study consuming members of alternative systems of provision, public perception, and the sharing economy.


title: The Psychology of Effective Climate Change Communication: A Discourse Analysis

subject:
climate change,
communication
public engagement
psychology

abstract: The goal of this study is to understand the importance of the psychology of public engagement in climate change communication. There is currently a disconnect between the certainty of the science of climate change and the public perception of the urgency to act. This problem is can be attributed to the lack of effective climate change communication. This thesis will outline the psychological barriers for public engagement and determine strategies for effective climate change communication. Then, the climate change communication of three case studies (350.Org, the David Suzuki Foundation and the Sierra Club) will be analyzed for effective communication. Through analyzing Twitter communication, the communication strategies will examine how the issue is discussed in the Canadian context.


title: Leading Change: Student Engagement in Sustainability Leadership

subject:
Sustainability
Leadership
Social Network Theory
Micromobilization
Education
Environment

abstract: Why do students engage in Sustainability Leadership (SL)? To answer this research question, an exploratory study using mixed methodology was conducted. For the purposes of this study, SL was defined as inspiring, supporting, and/or initiating collective actions towards a more sustainable society. The research was conducted on students enrolled in the Environment, Sustainability, & Society (ESS) undergraduate program at Dalhousie University. The purpose of this study is to contribute to an understanding of what leads to engagement in SL, with the hope of increasing engagement in SL, so that the negative impacts of sustainability issues (see IPCC, 2014), can be minimized and mitigated. To achieve this a survey was conducted (n=130), in addition to follow up interviews (n=4), with questions drawn from research on social movements (Beyerlein & Hipp, 2006 and Tindall, Davies, & Mauboules, 2003), environmentally significant behaviour (Dono, Webb, & Richardson, 2009, Fielding, McDonald & Louis, 2008), and sustainability leadership (Eike, 2014). The survey determined broad trends in reasons for engagement in SL to provide context to the interviews, and was also used as a selection process for the follow up interviews. The interviews characterized reasons for engaging in SL, and explored the relationship between students, the ESS program, and engagement in SL to gain a more detailed understanding. Results indicate that micromobilization theory has the most explanatory and predictive power for engagement in SL. A two-stage process is evident from the interview results whereby students must first have positive attitudes, beliefs, and values towards SL, and then be surrounded by a network of others engaged in SL that can help turn this passion into action. Survey results corroborate these findings, with having conversations about engaging in SL having the most predictive power, predicting 52% of variance in engagement in SL. The researcher recommends that students, faculty and staff of sustainability education programs focus on creating networks of those engaged in SL, to increase engagement in SL.


title: “We Should Never Be a Hindsight”: Food Justice in North End Halifax (K’jipuktuk)

subject:
food security
environmental justice
food sovereignty
food deserts
environmental racism
community health

abstract: Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of a Combined Honours Degree in Environment, Sustainability and Society and International Development Studies

abstract: North End Halifax is often informally referred to as a “food desert,” meaning an area with limited access to healthy and affordable food. This study examines food insecurity in North End Halifax as an environmental justice issue. I aim to address a disconnect between the food security literature – which has largely ignored issues of class and race – and the environmental racism literature – which has traditionally ignored food security issues. This study uses a mixed methods design, beginning with a GIS-based spatial analysis that provides context and scope, followed by personal interviews that probe the lived experiences and opinions of residents of the North End. My findings suggest that North End Halifax is indeed a food desert; however, the complexity of the problem extends beyond the lack of grocery stores in the area. Socioeconomic marginalization, political exclusion, gentrification, and the continuing legacies of racism all contribute to peoples’ inability to access healthy, affordable, and sufficient food. Initiatives already exist within the community to address these issues and improve food security. Recommendations include addressing the political exclusion of community members, increasing wages and income support, and putting in place policies to protect against gentrification. Solutions must prioritize the voices of community members.


title: SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF THE PILOT WHALES (GLOBICEPHALA MELAS) OFF CAPE BRETON, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA

contributor:
Department of Biology
Doctor of Philosophy
Richard Connor
Sophia Stone
Timothy Frasier
Daniel Ruzzante
Hal Whitehead
Not Applicable
Yes
Yes

subject:
Social Structure
Pilot Whale
Globicephala melas
Associations
Alloparental care
Kinship
Globicephala melaena

abstract:
The long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas) is an intensely social species. I describe the social structure of the population off Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, using 12 years of individual association and behavioural data, adding molecular analyses and investigating alloparental care. Previous studies on the social structure of the species point to pilot whales being organized into social units that associate in labile groups. Units were thought to be matrilineal and comprised of both males and females, with individuals showing bisexual phylopatry. So, social structure for this species was thought to be similar to that of ‘resident’ killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the northwest Pacific. The results of my research suggest a somewhat different structure.
I confirmed that pilot whales live in social units comprised of both sexes. I found 21 units in this population, with an average size of 7 individuals. One of the units, the K complex, became very large and started breaking apart over the duration of the study. I found that, over and above membership of the same unit, behavioural state influences how individuals associate with each other.
Genetic analysis of microsatellites found no greater relatedness of individuals within the same unit rather than in different units. It seems that unit membership is more fluid than previously thought. I could not assess matrilineality using analysis of mitochondrial DNA due to low haplotype diversity, with only 3 haplotypes identified.
I tried to create a model to sex individuals based on dorsal fin shape and photo identification characteristics, but found no correlation between any of those identifiers and individuals’ gender.
Alloparental care is common in this population, with more than half the calves being cared for by non-parents. Both sexes care for calves, and carers and calves can be from different social units. There were no cases of reciprocal care, although it is possible reciprocity is occurring outside of the studied 3-year time frame.
In conclusion, this population showed some features of social structure that were expected, including the existence of social units, their size and the prevalence of alloparental care. The study also highlighted aspects that were not expected, such as dispersal between units shown by the microsatellite data and a broad distribution of potential alloparental carers for a calf.


title: Genomic Perspectives for Conservation and Management of Atlantic Cod in Coastal Labrador

contributor:
Department of Biology
Master of Science
Sophia Stone
Daniel Ruzzante
Christophe Herbinger
Paul Bentzen
Ian Bradbury
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Atlantic Cod
population genomics
Marine parks and reserves
mixed-stock analysis
effective population size
Fishery management
single nucleotide polymorphism
Metagenomics

abstract: This thesis examines genomic differentiation between the Gilbert Bay and offshore Atlantic Cod populations in Newfoundland and Labrador. First, I determine whether the Gilbert Bay cod population qualifies as a conservation unit. I found evidence of strong genetic divergence between the Gilbert Bay and offshore samples in both neutral and adaptive regions of the genome. These findings suggest that the Gilbert Bay population contributes to the intraspecific diversity of Atlantic Cod and that it warrants consideration as a conservation unit. Second, I develop genomic tools for management and conservation of the Gilbert Bay population. A panel of 23 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was developed for identifying Gilbert Bay cod in mixed-stock fisheries. In addition, I estimated the effective population size of the Gilbert Bay population using thousands of genome-wide SNPs. This research demonstrates the power of genomic-based approaches for management and conservation of an exploited marine species.


title: The Effect of Hydrate Formation on Gas Relative Permeability in Porous Media

contributor: Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science

subject:
Gas Hydrate
Relative Permeability
Effective Permeability

abstract: Variation in gas permeability in Wallace sandstone samples exposed to hydrate formation was experimentally studied. The experiments were performed in a core flooding system. The relative permeability of CO2 at residual water saturation was measured first at 20°C. Then the gas permeability measurements were repeated during hydrate formation at 3 and 4°C. Experimental results show that it was possible to form CO2 hydrate in Wallace sandstone cores at injection pressure above 290 psi at temperatures of 3 and 4°C. All experimental data show that hydrate formation significantly reduces the permeability of porous media. Also, the results show that the amount of hydrate formation depends on the water content in the porous media. The experimental data show that permeability reduction was almost the same at 3 and 4°C at the same water content, which means that small temperature changes have relatively a small impact on the amount of hydrate formation.


title: Assessing and Valuing Damage to the Marine Environment in Accordance with the Polluter Pays Principle for the Practical Purpose of Compensation after Ship-Source Oil Spills

subject:
Marine Affairs Program
Masters of Marine Management
polluter-pays principle
liability
compensation regime
ship-source oil spill
maritime law
environmental economics
Oil spills-Claims

abstract: The objective of this study is to evaluate how marine environmental damage caused by a ship-source oil spill is assessed intergovernmentally and nationally for the practical purposes of determining compensation. A comparative analysis of five case studies involving environmental damages caused by specific ship-source oil pollution incidents was performed. In completing the comparative analysis, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) method was applied to each case study, which then informed a gap analysis resulting in recommendations for improving Canada’s existing regime. The results of the comparative case study analysis supported the conclusion that assessing and pricing marine environmental damage is a challenging practice and different jurisdictions have developed distinct approaches. Results indicated that further scientific study, including baseline monitoring of ecosystem services and their projected monetary values, are required in order to advance the practice of assessment both internationally and domestically. Results also revealed significant gaps in Canada’s current regime in terms of comprehensively assessing marine ecosystem goods, services and functions to enable appropriate compensation. The gaps identified within Canada’s regime include having no assessment guidelines in place for polluters and having no government agency appointed the task of performing consistent environmental damage assessment. Recommendations for addressing these gaps and strengthening Canada’s regime include enforcing guidelines for assessment of environmental damage after pollution incidents and implementing mandatory cooperative assessment between the polluter and the government. Canada’s existing regime for assessing damage to marine environment for the practical purpose of compensation is under-developed, and could be improved by incorporating measures that would more comprehensively assess ecosystem goods, services, and functions.


title: MECHANICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SINGLE MICROBIAL CELLS USING MEMS

contributor:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Xinyu Liu
Dr. Darrel Doman
Dr. Marek Kujath
Dr. Yuan Ma
Dr. Ted Hubbard
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Yes

subject:
MEMS
BioMEMS
Cell Mechanics
Yeast cells

abstract:
In this study, the mechanical properties of single yeast cells (baker’s and brewer’s strains) were measured by an on-chip PolyMUMPs MEMS squeezer in aqueous media. An electrothermal actuator with mechanical amplifiers was used to press single cells against a compliant reference spring. The actuator reached a total displacement of approximately 2.5 µm underwater. Deformations of the cell and the reference spring were measured with nanoscale resolution using optical Fourier Transform techniques. Finite Element Analysis was used to simulate the entire system (squeezer and cell).

Rupture force, stiffness, and hysteresis were measured for a total of 22 baker’s yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). An abrupt reduction in the cell stiffness and the appearance of cracks indicated the rupture force was reached. The average rupture force was 0.47 ± 0.10 µN. The average pre-rupture cell stiffness was 9.3 ± 3.1 N/m; the post-rupture stiffness dropped to 0.94 ± 0.57 N/m. Cells squeezed below the rupture force showed residual deformations below 100 nm while cells squeezed past rupture showed residual deformations between 470 and 960 nm.

Additionally, 31 baker’s yeast cells had their stiffness measured during repetitive loading cycles (fatigue tests). Cell stiffness decreased as the cycle number increased. Cells tested up to 268 cycles reached a plateau of 23% of the initial stiffness (drop of 77%) after approximately 200 cycles. Cell viability showed a correlation with stiffness, the cells became less viable as the stiffness decreased.

Finally, 32 brewer’s yeast cells had their stiffness and rupture force measured. The brewing cells were evenly divided into 6 groups sorted by 2 species (lager and ale) and 3 fermentation phases (start, middle, and end). Across all fermentation phases ale cells ruptured under an average force of 0.28 ± 0.05 μN, while lager cells ruptured at 0.47 ± 0.10 μN.

This study serves as a proof of concept of a MEMS device able to investigate the mechanics of individual microbial cells. The results presented here complement previous yeast cell mechanics assessments performed by nanoindentation and microplate compression techniques. Researchers and brewers may use this technology to better understand physical differences in their yeast populations.


title: Phenological and Monitoring Considerations for Carrot Weevil (Listronotus oregonensis) in Nova Scotia

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Dr. Haibo Niu
Dr. Scott White
Dr. A. Randall Olson
Dr. G. Christopher Cutler
Dr. Suzanne Blatt
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Carrot weevil
degree-day model
oviposition

abstract: Carrot weevil, Listronotus oregonensis, is a pest of carrot throughout Eastern Canada.  Oviposition and development of carrot weevil were monitored in Nova Scotia and the degree day (DD) timing of development of key life history events was compared with that previously determined for a carrot weevil population in Quebec. Oviposition occurred earlier, and lasted slightly longer in Nova Scotia than Quebec. On carrot plants, oviposition commenced at the 4 true-leaf stage with 70% of eggs laid between the 4-8 true-leaf stages. An interaction study between click beetles, Agriotes spp., and carrot weevil adults confirmed that the Boivin trap is efficient in monitoring carrot weevil even when the trap is occupied by up to 90 click beetles.  A comparison of damage caused by carrot weevil larvae and wireworms showed that carrot weevil larvae make a continuous furrow while wireworm damage is more variable, ranging from a small entry hole to an irregular excavation. Mean incidence of feeding damage for both carrot weevil larvae and wireworm occurred on the top third of the carrot.


title: EXPECTANCY AS A MEDIATOR OF DRUG AND PLACEBO EFFECTS: METHODOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR HUMAN RESEARCH OF NICOTINE AND TOBACCO EFFECTS

contributor: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience

subject:
expectancy
balanced placebo design
nicotine
tobacco

abstract: Drug responses are frequently presumed to arise directly from the pharmacological properties of ingested substances; however, there is growing recognition that non-pharmacological factors likely also make important contributions. Despite this, limited research has assessed the independent and interactive contributions of pharmacological and non-pharmacological factors to drug responses. The present dissertation aimed to assess the relative contribution of pharmacological and non-pharmacological factors to drug responses using nicotine and tobacco as a model. This dissertation included four studies which used the balanced placebo design, a factorial design that allows for the assessment of the independent and combined impact of drug pharmacology and drug expectation (i.e. the belief that an active drug has been consumed; a non-pharmacological factor) on drug responses. This was achieved by crossing actual drug assignment (given active drug vs. inert placebo) with instructions regarding drug assignment (told active drug vs. inert placebo). Findings from the four studies suggest that expectancy makes a substantial contribution to the acute effects of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and tobacco administration on subjective craving. A number of additional non-pharmacological factors also impacted craving and cigarette self-administration following NRT and tobacco use. Taken together, these findings highlight that non-pharmacological factors make an important contribution to subjective and behavioural drug responses. Targeting non-pharmacological factors in interventions may therefore be effective in improving treatment outcomes, particularly within the context of smoking cessation.


title: Effect of Diverse Compost Products on Potato Productivity and Soil Quality

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Haibu Niu
Claudia Goyer
Derek Lynch
David Burton
Bernie Zebarth
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: Soils--Quality Potatoes

abstract: Quality and productivity of potato fields in New Brunswick, Canada has been declining due to intensive production practices. Compost addition may rapidly increase soil organic matter and reverse declining productivity. Five diverse compost products were fall-applied at 45 Mg/ha dry weight in 2015 and 2016 to field plots, also receiving inorganic fertilizers, and were compared with a no-compost control for effects on tuber yield and selected soil quality (SQ) indicators. Compost affected soil nutrient availability (particularly K) and pH; permeability; carbon content; and biological activity. Responses in SQ indicators varied with the properties of compost applied. Reductions in soil-borne diseases were observed in the field and in a complementary growth room experiment, but effects were inconsistent. Despite SQ improvements, no significant potato yield response was observed. Overall, results suggest that mature compost products, high in carbon and dry matter, are most suitable for enhancing SQ in potato production systems.


title: PARLERS HYBRIDES EN TRADUCTION : L'EXEMPLE DU CHIAC ET DU CAMFRANGLAIS

contributor:
Department of French
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Zélie Guével
Dr. Jasmina Milicevic
Dr. Vittorio Frigerio
Dr. Jasmina Milicevic
Dr. Raymond Mopoho
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Postcolonial Translation Theory
'Translational Synergies'
'Hybrid Competence'
Translation Strategies
Linguistic and Cultural Hybridization
Hybrid Languages
'Cultivated Languages'
Sociolects
Vernaculars
Camfranglais
Chiac

abstract:
This thesis analyzes some theoretical and practical problems of the translation of Chiac and Camfranglais, as well as the strategies used by translators to solve these problems. It is based on a number of translation principles that these types of languages present major challenges due to their status as vernaculars and their inherent linguistic hybridity. This work attempts to answer the following questions: what are the translation problems posed by Camfranglais and Chiac as a whole, and linguistically and culturally heterogeneous texts in particular? What are the translation strategies used in order to find solutions to these issues? These questions imply that translating Chiac and Camfranglais is not an easy task. Although the hybrid nature of these languages and their linguistic status as vernaculars make them hard to translate, there are ways of overcoming such difficulties.
This study, which falls within the general framework of postcolonial translation theory, draws on data consisting of both literary and non-literary texts. The former include most of the literary production of Acadian writers who have used Chiac in their works whose translated versions are available in English, while the latter encompass Chiac and Camfranglais excerpts from monolingual corpora, as well as bilingual parallel corpora (Chiac-French, Camfranglais-French, Chiac-English and Camfranglais-English) culled from blogs, online chat forums, sociolinguistic surveys, and popular culture texts. The analysis of the translation strategies used in the aforementioned language pairs was inspired by a comparative and contrastive approach. Likewise, some translation premises and principles such as the definition of translation, the postcolonial translation theory, the ethics of translation are reassessed and critiqued in a well-balanced way. Lastly, this work reveals, among other things, that not only are the Chiac and Camfranglais hybrid vernaculars translatable, but also, several of the strategies used to translate them intersect with those employed for the translation of the so-called “cultivated’’ languages.


title: Exploring Variables that Predict Nova Scotia Children’s Physical Literacy Progression from Year to Year

contributor:
School of Health & Human Performance
Master of Science
Dr. Meghann Lloyd
Dr. Lynne Robinson
Dr. Heather Neyedli
Dr. David Westwood
Dr. Michelle Stone
Dr. Angela Kolen
Received
No
Not Applicable

subject:
children
physical activity
physical literacy
growth and development

abstract: Physical literacy (PL) describes the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility for physical activities (PA) for life. Although PL has become a popular area of research, how PL changes over time in children has not been considered. The Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (CAPL) protocol accounts for age- and sex-related changes in PL categorizations for 8-12 year-olds. No studies to date have conducted longitudinal research with CAPL data. This study examined whether variables within the CAPL protocol predicted change in children’s overall PL categorization from one year to the next. Based on established age- and sex-based PL standards, 52% of children remained in the same category in year 2. Age and an increase in average daily steps predicted upward and downward changes in PL, respectively. The exploration of longitudinal PL data will provide insight into PL progression that could assist with intervention development.


title: WEIGHT-BASED TEASING IN RECREATIONAL SPORTS IN NOVA SCOTIA: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

contributor:
School of Health & Human Performance
Master of Arts
Gary Goldfield
Jacqueline Gahagan
Brad Meisner
Laurene Rehman
Sara Kirk
Received
No
No

subject:
Weight-based teasing
Weight bias
Weight-based victimization

abstract: Weight-based teasing (WBT) is associated with negative mental health outcomes for youth. Research indicates WBT is a persistent problem in schools. There is a gap in research on WBT during recreational sports. This study examined the prevalence and beliefs about WBT in youth sports using an online survey of team members, primary caregivers, and coaches. Thirty-five percent of team members experienced WBT during sports. Fifty-six percent of primary caregivers and team members and forty-four percent of coaches witnessed WBT during sports. Between 31% and 71% of participants felt WBT is serious, concerning, and harmful to health. Participants identified coaches promoting WBT through minimizing and accepting the behaviour. Body-weight expectations, media messaging about athletes’ bodies, and lack of WBT policies also promoted WBT. Education on good sportsmanship and body positivity as well as anti-bullying programs discouraged WBT. Athlete protection policies that address weight-based victimization are required to reduce WBT in sports.


title: ANALYSIS OF NETWORK PROPERTIES USING SELF ORGANIZING MAPS FOR SERVICE DEPLOYMENT ON THE CLOUD

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Computer Science
Norbert Zeh
Malcolm Heywood
Andrew McIntyre
Nur Zincir-Heywood
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: SOM KMENAS OPTIMIZATION

abstract:
This work offers in-depth analysis of network properties to employ them for service
deployment on cloud systems. The proposed analysis is evaluated on three different
data sets from different locations, captured in 2012, 2013 and 2014 to provide insights
into network properties and how to use them while deploying services. This research
proposes the employment of a Self-Organizing Map as a type of Artificial Neural
Network that generates a low-dimensional representation of high dimensional data
using unsupervised learning methods. My analysis shows that there are significant
effects of selected network properties, namely latency, success status, hop count and
time-to-live, on the optimal location for the service to be deployed. In summary, using
the proposed technique for analysis of network properties to choose the location for
service deployment on the cloud could help to understand where to deploy the service
to increase efficiency with respect to the selected properties.


title: TOPICAL FORMULATIONS FOR NEUROPATHIC PAIN

contributor:
College of Pharmacy
Master of Science
David Jakeman
Tannis Jurgens
Pollen Yeung
Remigius Agu
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Neuropathic pain
Topical Amitriptyline
Topical Gabapentin
Stability
Drug Release
Drug Permeation
Compounding

abstract: Neuropathic pain affects a significant portion of the population. It is chronic in duration, and resistant to many conventional oral analgesics. Topical gabapentin and amitriptyline in various strengths and bases have been compounded by specialized pharmacies for years. Although there is some evidence of efficacy in the literature, there are also controversies as well because of lack of drug release, permeation and stability data. In this thesis, stability of amitriptyline and gabapentin in three different commonly used topical bases were investigated at three different temperatures over a 90-day period. In vitro drug release and permeation studies were also conducted using Franz diffusion cells. Data from these studies provided new evidence that will improve compounding services for neuropathic pain and patients’ quality of life.


title: QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF AUTOGENIC DRAINAGE IN HEALTHY ADOLESCENTS

contributor:
No department selected
Master of Science
Dr. Daniel Hughes
Dr. Shaun Boe
Dr. Dimas Mateos
Dr. Christine Chambers
Dr. Gail Dechman
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Autogenic Drainage
Airway Clearance Technique
Plethysmography
Spirometry

abstract:
INTRODUCTION: Autogenic drainage (AD) is a breathing pattern comprised of 3 phases of tidal volume (Vt) breathing distinguished by low, mid, and high end-expiratory lung volumes (EELV). AD increases FVC and clears clinically significant amounts of sputum.

METHODS: AD was defined by EELV as a percent of functional residual capacity (FRC): ≥30% below FRC Phase 1, ±10% at FRC Phase 2, ≥40% above FRC Phase 3, and Vt ±10% of resting Vt. Thirty-two healthy adolescents were taught AD and assessed using spirometry and plethysmography.

RESULTS: The mean EELV was 26%, 16%, and 53% of FRC for Phases 1,2,3 (p<.001). The mean Vt was 87%, 108%, 138% of Vtrest for Phases 1,2,3 (p>.05). All defining criteria were met or were within 1 standard deviation of the defining mean. At least 20% of participants achieved each criterion.

CONCLUSION: The AD quantitative definition is achievable in a cohort of healthy adolescents.


title: COMPLEX DYNAMICS OF LOCALIZED PATTERNS IN REACTION-DIFFUSION SYSTEMS

contributor: Department of Mathematics & Statistics - Math Division

subject:
Pattern formation
Dynamic systems
Asymptotic method

abstract:
In this thesis we study complex dynamics of the localized patterns that occur in certain partial differential equations. We study three different types of localized patterns: interfaces in one dimension, spots in two and three dimensions, and vortices in two
dimensions.
In the first part of the thesis, we study the oscillatory motion of multiple interfaces in one dimension for a certain class of reaction-diffusion systems. Within that class, we prove that the eventual fate of the system can be reduced to the study of a single interface.
We then study a pattern consists of a single spot within a circular domain in a two-dimensional Schnakenberg model. Depending on parameter regime, such a spot can undergo periodic height oscillations or oscillations in its position. These oscillations are due to the presence of two different Hopf bifurcations. We derive explicit thresholds on the parameters which delineate these two regimes. Beyond the Hopf bifurcation, we also study the motion of a rotating spot and characterise explicitly the radius and frequency of its rotation. In three-dimensional context, we derive the slow dynamics of spot patterns and extend the analysis to the spatially varying feeding rate case.
We then study vortex dynamics in the context of Bose-Einstein Condensates (BECs) with a rotating trap, with or without anisotropy. Starting with the Gross-Pitaevskii equation (GPE) , we derive a novel reduced ODE system that governs the
slow dynamics and stability of multiple co-rotating vortices. In the limit of many vortices, we derive the effective vortex crystal density and its radius. For an anisotropic potential, we show that a pair of vortices lying on the long (short) axis is linearly
stable (unstable), which is in agreement with full PDE simulations. We then further investigate the many-vortex limit in the case of strong anisotropic potential. In this limit, the vortices tend to align themselves along the long axis, and we compute the
effective one-dimensional vortex density.
In each case, extensive full numerical simulations are used to confirm our analytical predictions.


title: Three Party Authentication Scheme for RFID Systems in IoT

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Computer Science
Norbert Zeh
Dr. N. Zincir-Heywood
Dr. Q. Ye
Dr. Srinivas Sampalli
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: Security

abstract: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems have become a significant part of Internet of Things(IoT) ever since its emergence. RFID systems have been used for identifying objects, tracking assets and remote monitoring in various application areas of IoT such as healthcare, automated homes, and smart retail management. Before being deployed in IoT, traditional RFID systems were mainly used in supply chain management where the RFID reader and server had a secure connection. Hence the reader was always considered legitimate and there was no need of authentication between the reader and server. However, in IoT, the RFID reader can be any mobile device like a cell phone or a smart object which do not necessarily have a secure connection with the server. The primary objective of this thesis is to introduce a three-party authentication scheme in which the reader and server authenticate each other followed by the mutual authentication between the tag and server via the reader.  For achieving this goal, we have used a lightweight hash function and a binary tree traversal based key derivation approach. We have also considered basic security goals for RFID systems in IoT in general. We have evaluated security of our authentication scheme using protocol analyzing tool ‘Scyther’ and randomness of our key generation scheme is tested on Statistical Test Suite(STS) by National Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST). Our test results illustrate that the proposed authentication scheme is secure and keys generated are random.


title: DANCING IN A CULTURE OF DISORDERED EATING: A FEMINIST POSTSTRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF YOUNG GIRLS’ EXPERIENCES IN THE WORLD OF DANCE

contributor:
School of Health & Human Performance
Master of Arts
Megan Aston
Jacqueline Gahagan
Sara Kirk
Lois Jackson
Matthew Numer
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

abstract: Eating disorders are a public health issue in Canada where between 600,000 and 990,000 Canadians currently meet the diagnostic criteria for a clinical eating disorder; 80% of these Canadians are females. Of concern are female athletes that participate in aesthetic sports, such as dance, as they are a high-risk group for developing clinical eating disorders. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of female dancers in the world of dance and examine how these experiences shaped their relationship with food and body. Feminist poststructuralism guided by discourse analysis was used to enable a critical understanding of this relationship. Environment, parents, coaches and peers emerged as the largest influencers in shaping the dancers’ relationship with food and body. This study provides knowledge for guiding health promotion initiatives and prevention efforts aimed at supporting change in the culture of dance to reduce (ED)Bs in female dancers.


title: Nocturnal Relative Humidity Maxima above the Boundary Layer in the American Midwest: A Diagnostic for the Mountain-Plains Solenoidal Circulation

contributor: Department of Physics & Atmospheric Science

subject:
Relative Humidity
Mountain-Plains Solenoid

abstract:
Commercial aircraft measurements from the ACARS [Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System] dataset were used to obtain the vertical variation of lower tropospheric relative humidity over the diurnal cycle. Relative humidity maxima were observed during the summer between 2 km and 3 km overnight at six airports in the American Midwest from roughly 3 LST to 9 LST. The nocturnal relative humidity maxima coincide with both positive anomalies in speci c humidity and negative anomalies in temperature, as would be expected if the maxima were generated by upward motion. Spatial, diurnal and vertical variations of vertical winds from the MERRA-2 [Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2] reanalysis dataset show that during the daytime in the lower troposphere, there is strong upward motion over the Rocky Mountains and downward motion over the Midwest. At night, the circulation reverses with upward motion over the Midwest that is strongest near 2 km in altitude, therefore coincident with the height and timing of the nocturnal relative humidity maxima. Several studies have indicated that this diurnal variation in vertical motion is induced by baroclinicity over sloping terrain, and is referred to as the mountain-plains solenoidal circulation. The relative humidity maxima are strongest during the summer and also show a high degree of
interannual variability. The relative humidity maxima may be used as a diagnostic for the strength of the solenoidal circulation in climate models. The nocturnal Low Level Jet (LLJ) was also studied in relation to the relative humidity maxima. However, the
LLJ was too low in altitude to be a main contributor to the maxima.


title: The Synthesis of Prodigiosene-Based Anticancer Reagents and Development of Reactions for Dipyrrin-Based Molecules

contributor:
Department of Chemistry
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Gonzalo Cosa
Dr. Mark Stradiotto
Dr. Jean Burnell
Dr. Alex Speed
Dr. Laura Turculet
Dr. Alison Thompson
Not Applicable
Yes
No

subject:
Organic Chemistry
Pyrrole
Prodigiosin
Dipyrrin
BODIPY

abstract:
Prodigiosenes, dipyrrins and F-BODIPYs are related pyrrolic compounds that share a common, conjugated backbone structure composed of an adhered pyrrole and azafulvene unit. Prodigiosenes are tripyrrolic compounds isolated from the Serrantia and Streptomyces genus of bacteria. In addition to possessing an array of immunosuppressive activities, they also exhibit the capacity for the induction of apoptosis in malignant cells. Dipyrrins are a main component of a variety of porphyrin-based, biologically relevant molecules, including many precursors along the pathway to molecules such as heme and vitamin- B12. They are themselves very strong chromophores, and have historically been utilized as dyes. F-BODIPYs are boron complexes of dipyrrins, and possess highly fluorescent character. These molecules are significantly more stable than their dipyrrin precursors, enabling their use in a vast quantity of important active fields of research.

The first project investigated involves the synthesis of several prodigiosenes containing short-chain, ester-substituted moieties. The anticancer properties of these molecules were determined utilizing the NCI 60-cell line screen. One molecule containing a pentyl-ester chain showed promise as an anticancer agent, and was further tested in a toxicity assay as well as using a hollow-fibre assay. The cross-membrane ion transport properties of this compound were also examined using an egg-yolk 1-phosphatidylcholine model, and these results validated via competitive protonation of a native prodigiosin analogue. In addition to the synthesis of these prodigiosenes, preliminary work examining the use of decarboxylative coupling as a replacement for the low-yielding Suzuki-coupling step is also reported.

The second project investigated focuses on the synthesis and characterization of compounds arising from 1-methylated dipyrrins. Microwave heating under pressurized conditions facilitates deuterium labelling of the 1-methyl group using protic, deuterated solvents. This reactivity is deactivated by the presence of acyl-substitution at the adjacent 2-position. Conjugate addition with N-phenylmaleimide has generated a new class of dipyrrins bearing 2,5-dioxo-1-phenylpyrrolidin-3-yl pendant groups at the 1-methyl position. Moreover, the first isolation of a 1-(methylenedipyrromethane)-dipyrrin, an unstable intermediate in the formation of 1-(vinylpyrrolyl)-dipyrrins, is also described.

The final project investigated describes syntheses pertaining to of F-BODIPYs. The first portion of the report focuses on substitution reactions at the boron atom of the simplest, unsubstituted F-BODIPY. Attempted alkylation, alkoxylation and arylation reactions of this framework are reported. Chlorination to form the Cl-BODIPY is described, as is decomplexation from this form to generate the stable salt of the otherwise unstable unsubstituted dipyrrin core. The second portion of this project focuses on sulfination reactions of Knorr-type 1-ester pyrroles. Crystal structures of thiono-ester pyrroles are discussed, as is the first reported 1,3,2-thiazaphosphole derived from pyrrole. The generation of F-BODIPY products from alkyl-substituted, Knorr-type 1-ester pyrroles under microwave heating conditions is also reported. This reaction represents a four-step, one-pot process (averaging approximately 65% yield per step) to form high-value F-BODIPY products from simple starting materials.


title: ALLOSTERIC INTERACTIONS WITHIN CANNABINOID RECEPTOR 1 (CB1) AND DOPAMINE RECEPTOR 2 LONG (D2L) HETEROMERS

contributor:
Department of Pharmacology
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Terry Hébert
Dr. Kishore Pasumarthi
Dr. Susan Howlett
Dr. Ryan Pelis
Dr. Eileen Denovan-Wright
Dr. Melanie Kelly
Not Applicable
No
Yes

subject: CB1

subject: D2L

subject: BRET2

subject: SRET2

subject: G protein coupling

subject: Receptor heteromerization

abstract:
receptors mediating a vast array of functions in eukaryotes. GPCRs have more
complex signaling than originally envisioned due to the fact that GPCRs can associate to
form homomeric complexes or associate with other GPCRs to form heteromeric complexes.
Allosteric communication within complexes influences the range of receptor function.
Cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) and dopamine receptor 2 long (D2L) are GPCRs that are colocalized
in specific neuronal populations in the basal ganglia. These receptors play crucial
roles in the coordination of movement. I hypothesized that CB1 and D2L receptors associate
in heteromeric complexes and that CB1 and D2L ligands promote bidirectional allosteric
interactions within heteromeric complexes. I confirmed that CB1 and D2L receptors form
homodimers and that each homodimer was coupled to a Gαi protein. CB1 and D2L receptors
formed higher order oligomeric complexes; the minimum functional heteromeric complex
was composed of a CB1 and D2L homodimer each coupled to a Gαi protein. Activation of
either CB1 or D2L receptors by the agonists, arachidonyl-2-chloroethylamide (ACEA) or
quinpirole, respectively, resulted in fast and transient conformational changes among CB1,
D2L and Gαi proteins indicative of receptor activation. Treating cells co-expressing CB1 and
D2L receptors with both ACEA and quinpirole switched CB1 and D2L receptors coupling and
signaling from Gαi to Gαs, enhanced β-arrestin1 recruitment and co-internalization. The
high-affinity D2L receptor antagonist, haloperidol, was also able to switch CB1 coupling from
Gαi to Gαs but, unlike D2 agonists, haloperidol inhibited β-arrestin1 recruitment to CB1 and
inhibited complex internalization. Allosteric interactions within CB1/D2L heteromeric
complexes were ligand dose-dependent and bidirectional. CB1/D2L heteromers were detected
in the globus pallidus of C57BL/6J mice. Chronic exposure to the cannabinoid CP 55,940
increased CB1/D2L heteromers while the D2 antagonist haloperidol reduced CB1/D2L
heteromers in the globus pallidus of C57BL/6J mice indicating that functional heteromers
existed in vivo and were affected by chronic drug exposure. The concept of bidirectional
allosteric interaction within CB1/D2 heterotetramers has significant implication for the
understanding of the complex physiology and pharmacology of CB1 and D2L receptors.


title: Mitochondrial Signaling and Bioenergetic Mechanisms that Regulate Neuronal Cell Death and Survival in Models of Ischemic Brain Injury

contributor:
Department of Pharmacology
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Peter Styss
Dr. Kishore Pasumarthi
Dr. Keith Brunt
Dr. Ian Weaver
Dr. George S Robertson
Received
Yes
Yes

abstract: Mitochondrial collapse is considered a pivotal event in ischemic brain damage. Compounds that preserve mitochondrial function following an ischemic insult may thus protect the brain from stroke injury. Flavonoids are a diverse group of polyphenolic compounds reported to be neuroprotective in a wide-variety of ischemic stroke models. These compounds appear to increase resistance to ischemic injury by targeting multiple signal transduction and metabolic networks. In view of evidence that increased consumption of the flavonoids epicatechin (E) and quercetin (Q) may reduce stroke-risk, I have measured the effects of combining E and Q on oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced damage, mitochondrial function and pro-survival signaling for cortical neuron cultures. Relative to E or Q alone, E+Q synergistically protected cortical neurons from OGD-induced damage in tandem with a corresponding preservation of mitochondrial bioenergetics. E+Q also produced supra-additive inductions of pro-survival pathways involving calcium, Akt, nitric oxide and CREB that converge on the mitochondrion. The therapeutic relevance of these findings was supported by the ability of oral administration of E+Q to protect mice from hypoxic/ischemic (HI) brain damage. Consistent with evidence that Q improves bioenergetics by stimulating the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU), Q increased neuronal cytosolic calcium spikes and the mitochondrial membrane potential. However, excessive MCU-mediated calcium uptake promotes cell death. I therefore employed global MCU (G-MCU) nulls and central neuron-specific MCU (CNS-MCU) deficient mice to compare the effects of constitutive and inducible MCU ablation, respectively, on neuronal mitochondrial bioenergetics and resistance to ischemic damage. Despite reduced mitochondrial calcium uptake by forebrain mitochondria isolated from G-MCU nulls, cortical neuron cultures derived from these mice were not resistant to OGD. My findings suggest that increased neuronal glycolysis resulting in the suppression of Complex I activity may have compromised the resistance of G-MCU nulls to HI brain injury. By contrast, CNS-MCU deficiency, induced at adulthood, protected mice from HI brain injury. MCU suppression by siRNA-mediated silencing also protected cortical neuron cultures from OGD-induced viability loss. Unlike G-MCU ablation, siRNA-mediated MCU silencing did not enhance glycolysis in cortical neurons exposed to OGD. These findings suggest that acute MCU inhibition may be a viable therapeutic approach for stroke.


title: Industrial Organicism: A New Organic Architecture to Grow the Post-Industrial Prairie Landscape

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Geoffrey Thun
Steve Parcell
Diogo Burnay
Niall Savage
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Organicism
Adaptive Reuse
Organism
Post-Industrial
Wastelands

abstract:
Building from the legacy and theoretical frameworks of organicism, this thesis is an investigation towards the development of true living architecture, a constructed biology existing as a function of its dynamic environment and as a form which dictates its own means of growth and evolution. The post-industrial city provides an opportune test environment to explore these concepts. Deindustrialization has left in its wake, a fragmented city littered with the voids and ruins of vacated industry. As cities look to rehabilitate these decaying places, preserving their last remaining traces of urban industrial heritage, adaptive reuse has emerged as a choice strategy of redevelopment. We find however, rather than working to reconnect waste sites with the greater city and inspiring new life, the available methods isolate them as static cultural destinations or communities of nostalgia. The following thesis acts to challenge these existing methodologies in the development of a new “organism strategy” of urban adaptive reuse. This strategy proposes renewal through regrowth and formation of an architectural organism, an entity evolving from the features of the industrial wasteland in celebration of it’s dynamic present rather than past form.

This thesis is located in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with focus on the historic Fort Road industrial region.


title: THE ROLE OF DRINKING TO COPE IN IMPACTING  ALCOHOL-RELATED BEHAVIOURS AND OUTCOMES  AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

subject:
Drinking motives
Undergraduate drinking

abstract: This dissertation focused on understanding the role of coping motives in alcohol behaviours and outcomes among undergraduates in a series of three studies. Study 1 examined the effects of drinking motives and mood on lab-based alcohol consumption among 81 undergraduates. Results revealed that socially motivated (SM) drinkers consumed more alcohol when a positive, compared to an anxious, mood was induced. Findings indicated that while CAM drinkers did not consume more alcohol when experiencing anxiety, they also did not show the normative and healthier pattern of inhibiting their alcohol consumption when feeling anxious. Study 2a investigated the cross-sectional role of CAM, coping with depression motives (CDM), and conformity motives in mediating the relationship between the social avoidance aspect of social anxiety and alcohol problems in 263 undergraduates. Results showed that CDM fully mediated this relationship. The use of a social avoidance measure, which is linked to depression, is a potential explanation for this finding. Study 2b replicated and extended Study 2a with 189 undergraduates by including coping with social anxiety motives (CSAM) as well as drinking context (i.e., personal/intimate contexts and negative emotional contexts) as additional mediators in a chained mediation model. Study 2b revealed that in addition to CDM, CSAM fully and independently mediated the social avoidance – alcohol problems relationship. Drinking contexts generally did not sequentially mediate the social avoidance – alcohol problems relationship, though the negative reinforcement drinking motives did predict heavier alcohol consumption in these risky contexts. Finally, Study 3 replicated and extended Study 2a using a longitudinal design with three bi-annual data collection waves over a period of eighteen months in 219 undergraduates. Study 3 showed that CDM mediated the prospective relationship between social avoidance and alcohol problems. Overall, the results of this dissertation shed new light on how various coping motives impact alcohol-related behaviours and outcomes among undergraduates. My findings suggest that learning to inhibit their drinking when anxious may be a helpful harm reduction strategy for CAM drinkers. Moreover, providing socially avoidant undergraduates with healthier coping strategies for social anxiety and associated depressive symptoms may be beneficial in reducing the alcohol problems that develop over time.


title: IMPAIRED GHRELIN SECRETION IN OBESITY: THE KEY ROLE OF INSULIN RESISTANCE

contributor:
Medical Research Program
Master of Science
Dr. Ali Imran
Dr. Jason Berman
Dr. Roger McLeod
Dr. Renda Bouzayen
Dr. Younes Anini
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
ghrelin
insulin resistance
obesity
diabetes

abstract:
Background: The stomach-derived hormone, ghrelin, has emerged as a key player in the neuro-endocrine regulation of appetite and energy storage. Ghrelin increases food intake and adiposity through its action on the ghrelin receptor in appetite-regulating neurons of the hypothalamus.  Ghrelin levels increase during periods of fasting and decrease after a meal is consumed. Although obesity is commonly associated with increases in food intake, basal concentration of ghrelin was found to be decreased in obese individuals. These findings suggest that obesity is linked with a dysregulation in ghrelin secretion.
Objective: The goal of the present study was to investigate the putative mechanisms underlying dysregulation of ghrelin secretion in obesity using the diet-induced obesity (DIO) mouse model.
Methods: We used the mouse model of high fat-diet induced obesity to investigate the glucose-suppressing effect of ghrelin secretion in normal weight and obese mice. We further delineated the intracellular pathways involved using primary culture of ghrelin cells. Since increased adipose tissue-derived inflammatory cytokines was linked with insulin resistance, we investigated the role of TNF-α in ghrelin secretion.
Results: Oral glucose significantly suppressed ghrelin secretion in normal weight mice by 60% at 30 min and 70% at 60 min (p<0.001, p<0.001 respectively, n=6), but failed to do so in obese animals. In primary cultures of gastric cells from lean mice, 10 nM insulin reduced ghrelin secretion by 40% (P< 0.05, n=6). In contrast, the effect of insulin was lost in gastric mucosal cells derived from DIO mice (n =6). The effect of insulin was found to be linked with decreased activation of Akt phosphorylation. Pre-treatment of ghrelin cells with TNF-α (10ng/mL) abolished the inhibitory effect of insulin (10 nM) on ghrelin secretion.
Conclusion: We demonstrate that impaired ghrelin suppression found in obesity is due to insulin resistance occurring at the level of ghrelin cells and involves adipose tissue-derived inflammatory cytokines.


title: Objective Image Quality Assessment Based Tone Mapping Optimization

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Doctor of Philosophy
David Mould
Norbert Zeh
Qigang Gao
Kirstie Hawkey
Stephen Brooks
Dirk V. Arnold
Not Applicable
Yes
Not Applicable

subject:
High dynamic range images
Tone mapping
Image quality evaluation

abstract:
High dynamic range (HDR) images provide the capacity to represent the luminance in real scenes with much higher precision than standard image formats. With advances in hardware and computer graphics technologies, HDR images are rapidly becoming more commonplace. To visualize HDR images on contemporary display devices, the dynamic range needs to be adapted to the much smaller range of the devices. This is accomplished through tone mapping, with the goal of reproducing the visual appearance of HDR scenes. Tone mapping has attracted much attention and several dozens of tone mapping operators have been proposed.

Nevertheless, it remains challenging to objectively evaluate the quality of tone mapped images and optimize tone mapping operators with automated algorithms. Using virtual photographs to bridge the gap of dynamic ranges for feature analysis, we propose two feature-based quality metrics for tone mapped images, which measure the distortion of important image features that affect the perceived quality. We present an image quality metric called visual saliency distortion predictor (VSDP) that measures the distortion in visual saliency for quality assessment. Additionally, by incorporating multiple feature-based measures to predict the quality of tone mapped images, we introduce another quality metric: perceptual distortion predictor (PDP). Subjective and numerical experiments indicate that the proposed feature-based quality metrics can yield more reliable prediction than the alternative approaches.

Once suitable quality metrics are defined, there emerges an opportunity to automate the tuning of existing tone mapping operators. By minimizing the distortion in visual saliency predicted by the quality metric VSDP, we developed an automatic parameter tuning algorithm for tone mapping operators. Moreover, based on the quality prediction of PDP, we propose an automated blended tone mapping algorithm which blends images from multiple operators with varying weights to leverage the strengths of each of operators considered. Experiments with a broad range of HDR images and statistical analysis demonstrate the effectiveness of the tone mapping optimization algorithms.


title: Site-Specific Tyrosine Phosphorylation of the Type III Secretion Chaperone CesT Regulates Effector Hierarchy and Promotes Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Intestinal Disease

contributor:
Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Master of Science
Dr. Brent Johnston
Dr. Zhenyu Cheng
Dr. Song Lee
Dr. Jan Rainey
Dr. Nikhil Thomas
Dr. Jason Leblanc
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Bacterial Genetics
Infection Biology
Mass Spectrometry
Fluorescence
Microscopy
Molecular Biology

abstract:
As a MSc. student at Dalhousie, I designed and implemented an interdisciplinary research project to study a particularly challenging protein domain suspected to be of critical importance to enteric E. coli pathogenesis. This project gave me a unique opportunity to design research that combined aspects of bacterial genetics, molecular biology, proteomics, microscopy, and infection biology.

The protein under study, CesT, is required for complete function of a type III secretion system (T3SS), which is a prokaryotic biological nanomachine that injects bacterial proteins directly into host cells in order to cause infection and disease. I established that a site-specific regulatory function exists for two neighbouring tyrosine phosphorylation modifications at the CesT C-terminal domain, and that CesT phosphorylation was required for specific molecular mechanisms critical to E. coli pathogenesis. Despite its expanded abundance of observation, a bacterial phosphorylation event critical to virulence is rare, and novel for the field of T3SS biology.

Several multidrug resistant bacterial strains are considered urgent threats by international organizations such as the United States Centres for Disease Control, and World Health Organizaiton. The research presented in this thesis identified a critical mechanism by which a bacterial pathogen regulates its virulence program, which is an important first step toward development of new pharmaceutical agents to limit this global enteric pathogen.

abstract:
Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) is a global enteric pathogen that causes serious gastrointestinal disease and inflicts a significant burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Recent phosphoproteomic studies suggest that phosphotyrosine modifications are widespread in bacteria and likely have significant impact on virulence factor regulation. In this study, we provide the first evidence that tyrosine phosphorylation of a multicargo chaperone, CesT, is functionally important for EPEC type III secretion system (T3SS)-
mediated pathogenesis. The conserved phosphosites, Y152 and Y153, are located within a unique domain of CesT at the C-terminus. Positional tyrosine to phenylalanine mutations resulted in differential secretion of CesT-dependent type III effectors, and loss of phenotypes associated with disease progression in vitro. These observations were validated in vivo using the closely related mouse pathogen Citrobacter rodentium, which requires CesT, and specifically a CesT phosphosite, for significant intestinal colonization. This study identifies a novel research direction to pursue limitation of EPEC pathogenesis.


title: Cannabinoid 2 receptor signalling in endotoxin-induced uveitis

contributor:
Department of Pharmacology
Master of Science
Dr. Kishore Pasumarthi
Dr. Christian Lehmann
Dr. David Hoskin
Dr. Melanie Kelly
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
anti-inflammatory agents
cannabinoid 2 receptor
uveitis

abstract: Activation of the cannabinoid 2 receptor (CB2R) is anti-inflammatory in models of ocular inflammation. The objective of this study was to examine the anti-inflammatory actions of the novel highly potent and selective CB2R agonists, RO6871304 and RO6871085, that originate from two chemically diverse series, as well as a novel structurally related CB2R inverse agonist, RO6851228, in a model of experimental endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU). We used the CB2R agonists, HU308 and HU910, for comparison. Both of these cannabinoids are based on the structure of the classical cannabinoid, 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). EIU was induced by intravitreal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into wild-type (WT) and CB2R genetic knockout mice. Leukocyte-endothelial adhesion in the iris microvasculature was studied 6 h after LPS injection using intravital microscopy. Topical treatment with the CB2R agonists, RO6871304, RO6871085, and HU910, significantly decreased LPS-induced leukocyte-endothelial adhesion compared to vehicle. Conversely, treatment with the CB2R inverse agonist, RO6851228, increased LPS-induced leukocyte-endothelial adhesion. Consistent with in vivo inhibition of leukocyte adhesion, the CB2R agonist, RO6871304, significantly decreased neutrophil migration in vitro compared to vehicle. Topical treatment with RO6871304 in neutrophil-depleted mice 5 h prior to leukocyte adoptive transfer, significantly decreased LPS-induced adhesion of adoptively-transferred leukocytes compared to vehicle; this suggests that the effect of CB2R agonists on leukocyte adhesion is likely meditated by a reduction in activation of resident ocular immune cells. Taken together, these data demonstrate an anti-inflammatory role for CB2R in the eye and suggest that drugs targeting the endocannabinoid system may be useful therapeutics for ocular inflammatory disease.


title: THE OLFACTORY SYSTEM OF THE EMBRYONIC COMMON CUTTLEFISH, SEPIA OFFICINALIS

contributor:
Department of Physiology & Biophysics
Master of Science
Alan Fine
Valerie Chappe
Shelley Adamo
Paivi Torkkeli
Alex Quinn
Roger Croll
Sebastien Baratte
Received
Not Applicable
Yes

subject:
Sepia officinalis
glomerulus
histamine
FMRFamide
APGWamide
cephalopod
olfaction
immunohistochemistry
in situ hybridization

abstract: Olfactory systems across the animal kingdom have several inter-phyletic similarities, such as glomeruli, which have been well studied in some vertebrates and arthropods. Comparisons in a third taxon, such as the large-brained cephalopods, could help to elucidate the evolution of these commonalities. I used immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization on embryos of Sepia officinalis, the common cuttlefish, to map the organization of their olfactory system. I first demonstrated that histamine is a neurotransmitter in a class of olfactory sensory neurons by examining staining from anti-histamine and a custom histidine decarboxylase mRNA probe. To update classic descriptions of the cephalopod brain, I used antibodies and riboprobes against FMRFamide, serotonin, APGWamide, acetylated α-tubulin, and synaptotagmin, in addition to structural stains including phalloidin and DiI. My findings cast doubt upon the hypothetical presence of glomeruli in all molluscs and clarify our understanding of how the sense of olfaction evolved.


title: Mismatched: A Quantitative Evaluation of Thinking Versus Doing Masculinity in Canadian Sport

contributor: Department of Sociology & Social Anthropology

subject:
Hegemonic Masculinity
Inclusive Masculinity
Sport
Canada
Gender

abstract: Increasing pressure and activism for social justice is challenging the primacy of hegemonic masculinity. As a result, inclusive masculinities, signified by stereotypically feminine traits are argued to exemplify the current hegemonic norm. Considering these liberalizing trends, the intent of this research is to evaluate the current state of masculinity and the degree to which progressive social trends are suppressing the reproduction of patriarchy and oppressive gender norms, and how this phenomenon varies by race, age, class, region, educational attainment, sexual orientation, and sport participation. Using correspondence and regression analysis of original survey data, this research explores the interrelationship between social norms and oppressive masculine paradigms. By surveying Canadian male athletes this research examines shifting conceptions and expressions of masculinity to determine whether traditional male gender norms are softening. The findings indicate that although progressive social developments are working to suppress discriminatory behaviours, the ideological foundations of oppressive masculinity remain intact.


title: NOVEL APPLICATIONS OF RANDOM FOREST FOR EXPLORING POPULATION STRUCTURE OF ATLANTIC SALMON (SALMO SALAR) IN LABRADOR, CANADA

contributor: Department of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics

subject:
Fisheries management
conservation genetics
random forest
SNP selection
individual assignment
population genetics
landscape genetics

abstract: The detection of population-genetic structure is useful for understanding patterns of gene flow, population distribution, and wildlife management and conservation. In this work, we examine approaches for inferring the modern genetic structure of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). We explore the utility of machine-learning algorithms (random forest, regularized random forest, and guided regularized random forest) compared with FST-ranking for selection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) for fine-scale population assignment within a marine embayment, Lake Melville, Labrador. Using an unpublished SNP dataset for Atlantic salmon and validating our approaches with a published SNP data set for Alaskan Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), we demonstrate improved self-assignment accuracy and provide evidence of population structure consistent with F-statistics. We compare the level of population structure in greater Labrador that is resolved using a preliminary panel of SNPs selected with guided regularized random forest with an established panel of 101 microsatellites. We ask if salmon originating from rivers draining into Lake Melville show evidence of discrete genetic population structure relative to those outside of the embayment. Finally, we investigate environmental parameters associated with the observed genetic structure and seek to explain the mechanisms driving genetic differentiation in the area. We highlight the potential for applications of machine-learning approaches in population genetics and uncover fine-scale structure with potential impact on fisheries management techniques.


title: Portrait of the Incarcerated Woman as a Reading Mother: Revealing the Perceived Outcomes of a Shared Reading Program

contributor: Master of Library and Information Studies

subject: shared reading

subject: incarcerated mothers

subject: read aloud

subject: relational-cultural theory

subject: resilience

subject: bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory

subject: family literacy

abstract: Each year, 25 000 Canadian children will not share a bedtime story with their mother because their mother is incarcerated. For many families, contact with their incarcerated mother is rare. The separation caused by maternal incarceration can disrupt the attachment bond, create physical and mental health problems, and lead to increased anxiety, depression, loneliness, and isolation. To ameliorate some of these detrimental effects, organizations are delivering programs that allow incarcerated mothers to maintain and strengthen relationships with their children. Read aloud programs are among them. This thesis explores the outcomes of a read aloud program for incarcerated women and their children, from the perspective of those who participated. Six interviews were conducted with former participants of the program and 94 letters from participating families were read. Findings reveal how a shared reading program can provide meaningful mother-child contact, strengthen relationships, encourage love of reading, foster positive identity, and nurture resilience.


title: Exploring Access to Domestic Violence Services for Immigrant Women Survivors in Halifax and Ways to Promote Resilience Through Service Provision

contributor:
School of Social Work
Master of Social Work
Dr. Farah Ahmad
Dr. Catrina Brown
Dr. Mandeep Kaur Mucina
Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Immigrant
Women
Domestic Violence
Intimate Partner Violence
Halifax (N.S.)

abstract:
The present study explores the access to domestic violence services for immigrant
women survivors in Halifax. The purpose of the research is to learn how service
providers can integrate an approach that is strengths based into their work with immigrant
women. Six professionals with experience providing domestic violence services to
immigrant women in Halifax were interviewed. One-on-one interviews revealed the
participants’ efforts to build resilience by fostering a strengths-based narrative in the
women whom they supported. Results suggested that despite individual attempts to
nurture resilience in service users, there was a lack of meaningful and lasting
collaboration amongst service providers, indicating the need for resilience to be fostered
within the environment in order for more accessible services to be available to immigrant
women. It is recommended that research be conducted with stakeholders to understand
the challenges and benefits of collaborative efforts in domestic violence work with immigrant women in Halifax.


title: THE INTEGER-VALUED POLYNOMIALS ON LUCAS NUMBERS

contributor: Department of Mathematics & Statistics - Math Division

subject:
Z-linear combination
regular Z-basis
Integer-Valued Polynomials

abstract:
An integer-valued polynomial on a subset, S, of the set of integers, Z, is a polynomial
f(x) 2 Q[x] such that f(S)   Z. The collection, Int(S;Z), of such integer-valued
polynomials forms a ring with many interesting properties. The concept of p-ordering
and the associated p-sequence due to Bhargava [2] is used for  nding integer-valued
polynomials on any subset, S, of Z.
In this thesis, we concentrate on extending the work of Keith Johnson and Kira
Scheibelhut [14] for the case S = L, the Lucas numbers, where they work on integervalued
polynomials on S = F, Fibonacci numbers. We also study integer-valued
polynomials on the general 3 term recursion sequence, G, of integers for a given pair
of initial values with some interesting properties. The results are well-agreed with
those of [14].


title: Jonny Greenwood Scores the Western: Music as Generic Subversion in There Will Be Blood

contributor:
Fountain School of Performing Arts
Master of Arts
Robynn Stilwell
Estelle Joubert
Jerry White
Jennifer Bain
Shannon Brownlee
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
film music
musicology
Greenwood, Jonny
Anderson, Paul Thomas
there will be blood
western
film score
music analysis
film sound

abstract: Of all film scores composed by popular musicians, Jonny Greenwood’s score for Paul Thomas Anderson’s western drama, There Will Be Blood (2007), is one of the most counter-intuitive and significant. Greenwood draws on his experience as both the guitarist of the monumentally successful rock group, Radiohead, and as a successful contemporary classical composer to create an iconic and genre-defying score. In tracing recurring musical traits through Greenwood’s three career streams (Radiohead, classical composition, and film scoring), I outline a musical identity in Greenwood’s works that is genre-bending and entirely idiosyncratic. Furthermore, through contextual and musical analysis of Greenwood’s pre-existing and original music used in the film, as well as music by other composers including Arvo Pärt and Johannes Brahms, I highlight the indispensable role of the film’s score in creating generic subversions in There Will Be Blood.


title: Structural Flexibility of an enzyme upon binding of ligand at an active site: using estimate of entropy over ensemble of contact matrices

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Computer Science
Dr. Nobert Zeh
Dr. Robert Beiko
Dr. Kirstie Hawkey
Dr. Christian Blouin
Dr. Stephen L. Bearne
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Contact matrix
Protein structures
Frequency contact matrix
Enolase superfamily
Hydrophobicity
Ligand-binding

abstract: Contact matrices have been widely used to represent proteins structures. They are transformed to protein contact networks to determine key functional residues, analyze effects of ligand binding, and protein protein interaction. We extend the approach of contact matrices to the aggregation of contact matrices across homologous samples of proteins by defining the frequency contact matrix (FCM). A FCM encodes the frequency of a contact between the side chains of structurally aligned sites. Using this approach, we analyzed the general sitewise contact entropy of a set of protein structures with and without a ligand-bound for residues close to the active site (≤ 10) and farther from the active site. Dataset comprised of enzymes from enolase, mandelate racemase, and muconate cycloisomerase subgroups within the enolase superfamily were constructed. The results show that the median of contact entropy of hydrophobic residues is higher than that for hydrophilic residues. A significant relationship was also observed between the mean contact entropy of residues and their respective properties such as size and hydrophobicity, which indicated that as the hydrophobicity or size of residues increases, the contact entropy of residues also increased. On comparing the contact entropy of residues in the ligand-bound and ligand-free structure, no change was observed for the enolase superfamily. It was also observed that the information obtained from the residue contact entropy values has significant relationship with sequence entropy values. Sequence entropy values indicate the uncertainty of residue type at structurally aligned positions. For some datasets, the residue contact entropy values were found to be sensitive to distance from the active site. The same entropy value distribution for ligand-bound and ligand-free datasets may be due to the dataset collection method and choice of sub-optimal parameters.


title: Interactive Navigation and Control of Neurosurgical Robotic Systems

contributor: Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

subject: Robotics Control Neurosurgery

abstract:
Trauma and head injury are an important cause of overall mortality and morbidity. Millions of people around the world suffer from neurological and functional disorders, but there are only a limited number of neurosurgeons and neurologists to help them. Due to the complex distribution of blood vessels and nerves under the skull, neurosurgical procedures are risky and require surgeons to have expertise and excellent coordination to avoid injury to the dura and to achieve safety, efficiency, and accuracy.  Neurosurgical procedures are usually performed manually by a surgeon using drilling or milling devices. Most of the tools currently used in surgery depend only on the surgeon's manual skills to stop the penetration when drilling a hole or removing cranial bone to access the brain.
This work presents the control theory of a robotic neurosurgical system. The aim is to build a reliable neurosurgical control system featuring intelligent control, force-feedback control, dexterity, and flexibility, along with human-robot interaction.  A modular neurosurgical robotic system is developed to validate the control algorithms in a safe manner. The proposed robotic system could be used as a training platform to help students acquire the skills needed to perform surgeries on real patients and practice their technical skills without any risk to patients. This work introduces the interactive navigation of the surgical planning and control of robot movement in order to increase a surgeon’s integration in the control of a robotic system. Safety can be potentially increased due to faster surgeon reactions during the process, while drilling process parameters could be controlled automatically.


title: A Multi-Method Investigation of the Effects of Alcohol on Depression in Undergraduate Students Who Drink to Cope with Depression

contributor: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience

subject:
depression
alcohol
drinking motives
coping

abstract: The self-medication hypothesis has been proposed as one potential explanation for the comorbidity between alcohol use and depressive disorders. More recent work investigating drinking motives (theorized to be the most proximal factors to alcohol use) has found that some individuals report using alcohol to cope with depression. Despite epidemiological and experimental evidence supporting the tenets of the self-medication hypothesis for alcohol use and depression, the reinforcement mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. This is due, in part, to the varied effects of alcohol on mood (some of which are experienced as pleasant and some as aversive). To increase our understanding of the effects of alcohol on various components and correlates of depression, my dissertation research aimed to: (1) identify, via qualitative methods, specific effects of alcohol on depressive affect, cognition, and behaviour that might be reinforcing for individuals who report using alcohol to cope with depression (Study 1), and (2) to experimentally examine the effects of alcohol (compared to placebo and to a no-alcohol condition) on positive mood, depressed mood, and recall of self-relevant depressed information of coping-with-depression motivated drinkers compared to an enhancement motivated (EM) drinker comparison (Study 2). In Study 1, undergraduate students reporting high coping-with-depression drinking motives (CWDM) reported several effects of alcohol on affective, cognitive, and behavioural depressive symptoms.  They described most of these as providing relief from depressive symptoms but also reported some effects as involving a worsening of depressive symptoms. Study 2, revealed that, relative to the EM comparison group, CWDM participants in the no alcohol condition displayed greater biased processing recall of self-relevant depressed-content adjectives; this bias was eliminated in CWDM who received alcohol and attenuated in CWDM who received placebo. This pattern suggests that both expectancy and pharmacological effects of alcohol affect processing of self-relevant information in CWDM drinkers. With respect to mood, Study 2 results showed that all participants experienced increases in positive mood after alcohol consumption relative to baseline but no change in depressed mood. Taken together, findings from my dissertation highlight the numerous potential effects of alcohol on various symptoms related to depression, particularly affective and cognitive symptoms, many of which might be reinforcing for individuals who drink to cope with depression. Findings also highlight the complex, and at times contradictory, effects of alcohol on mood. In light of the present findings, it is important that future research investigate multiple potential pathways underlying the relationship between depression and alcohol use, including reciprocal relations between the two phenomena. In addition, the present findings have important clinical implications for the treatment of comorbid depression and alcohol misuse.