title: Racial Profiling and Moral Responsibility for Racialized Crime

contributor:
Enns, Diane
Gedge, Elisabeth
Philosophy

subject: philosophy of race, racism, racial profiling, moral responsibility, collective moral responsibility, personal moral responsibility, social inequality, systemic inequality, morality

abstract: This thesis began (in thought) as a response to the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012 and that of Mike Brown not too long after, and the many victims who succumbed to some form of racial profiling of another before these deaths, in-between, and after. Desmond Cole wrote an article in 2015 that further precipitated the thought into action and the desire to address racial profiling in writing form. In the thesis I take a philosophical approach to racial profiling, and although in the first two chapters I address the ordinary discussions surrounding racial profiling, in the latter two I tackle the problem of moral responsibility which I take to be central. In the first part of the thesis I defend the policy in the case of illegal weapons possession based on Henry Shue’s principle of basic rights, but in the latter part I question this assertion. Even if blacks were shown to commit more of certain crimes or even violent crimes, that does not address the fact that crime arises out of context and in the case of “black crime” out of a racialized context. In the latter part of the thesis I work through the problem of collective and personal moral responsibility, eventually maintaining that not only is reparations just, but for racial profiling to be justified investment must be made into racialized communities with high rates of poverty. This is because collective responsibility must be taken for the societal oppression and discrimination that has partly resulted in high rates of racialized crime.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF FREQUENCY MODULATED FIBER-OPTIC COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

contributor:
Li, Xun
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject: Fiber-optic communication

abstract:
Despite the fact that frequency modulation (FM) was firstly applied to radio signaling 80 years ago (1936, by Edwin Howard Armstrong), it has never been deployed in fiber-optic communication systems. In this thesis, a novel frequency modulated fiber-optic communication system with optical discriminator is proposed. The noise configuration and anti-dispersion property of the FM system are investigated through an analytical model that has been derived and validated with numerical simulations. The performance of the proposed FM system is compared with an amplitude modulated (AM) fiber-optic communication system, owing to the fact that the widely used modulation formats, intensity modulation and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), can be extracted as a model of the basic AM format. Depending on the property of the filter, two types of frequency discriminators are discussed: the leading edge filter (LEF) and the tail edge filter (TEF). Since the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise is averagely distributed without any frequency dependence, the noise characteristics are not affected by the choice of the frequency discriminator. However, when it comes to the dispersion impairment, the difference between two frequency discriminators is dramatic because the distortion induced by dispersion strongly hinges on the operated frequency.
The results show that, with the presence of noise, the proposed FM scheme can lead to one or two orders of magnitude enhancement in the system’s output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as compared to that of the conventional AM scheme. Also, with the presence of dispersion, it is proved that the span of the FM system can reliably reach 110km with bit rate up to 10Gbit/s, surpassing the AM system with a maximum signal reach of 70km. A real application, with the presence of both noise and dispersion, demonstrates the overall superiority of the FM system’s performance over that of the AM system. The obtained results suggest a promising future for the FM technique in fiber-optic communication.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: The Functional Role of Stromal Β-catenin in the Pathogenesis of Renal Dysplasia and Kidney Devolpment

title: Stromal Β-catenin in Kidney Development

contributor: Medical Sciences (Growth and Development)

subject:
Kidney Development
B-catenin

abstract:
Renal dysplasia is a disease characterized by developmental abnormalities of the kidney that affect 1 in 250 live births. Depending on the severity of the renal abnormalities, this disorder can lead to childhood kidney failure, adult onset chronic kidney disease, and hypertension. Currently, the best treatment options for patients with renal dysplasia are renal dialysis and kidney transplant. Our limited understanding of the pathogenesis of renal dysplasia has prevented the development of better treatment strategies for those patients. A hallmark of renal dysplasia is an expansion of loosely packed fibroblast cells, termed renal stroma. Markedly elevated levels of β-catenin have been reported in the expanded stromal population in patients with dysplastic kidneys. Yet, the contribution of stromal β-catenin to the pathogenesis of renal dysplasia is not known. Additionally, the role of stromal β-catenin in the developing kidney is not clear. The overall hypothesis of this PhD thesis is that β-catenin in stromal cells controls key signalling molecules that regulate proper kidney development. Furthermore, we hypothesize that elevated levels of β-catenin contribute to the pathogenesis of renal dysplasia. To mimic the human condition, we generated a mouse model that overexpresses β-catenin specifically in the stroma (termed β-catGOF-S). In addition, to gain a better understanding of its role in kidney development, we generated a second mouse model deficient for β-catenin exclusively in stromal cells (termed β-catS-/-). The goal of this study is to utilize these models to understand the role of stromal β-catenin in kidney formation and investigate its contribution to renal dysplasia. The first objective defines the contribution of stromal β-catenin to the genesis of renal dysplasia. We provide evidence for a mechanism whereby the overexpression of stromal β-catenin disrupts proper differentiation of stromal progenitors and leads to an expansion of stroma-like fibroblast cells and vascular morphogenesis defects. In the second objective, we establish a mechanism where stromal β-catenin modulates Wnt9b signaling in epithelial cells to control proliferation of the nephron progenitors. In the third objective, we define a role for stromal β-catenin in proper formation and survival of the medullary stroma. Finally, in a technical report, we outline a protocol to isolate stromal cells in the developing kidney and provide potential downstream applications to further our understanding of stromal β-catenin in the developing kidney.
Taken together, our findings establish a crucial role for stromal β-catenin in the genesis of renal dysplasia and demonstrate, using two mouse models, that stromal β- catenin must be tightly regulated for proper formation of the stroma lineages and development of the kidney.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


contributor:
Walker, Roger G.
Geology

abstract: Title: Sedimentology and Ichnology of Estuarine Channels in the Lower Cretaceous Bluesky Formation: Edson Gas Reservoir, West-Central Alberta, Canada, Author: Alessandro Terzuoli, Location: Thode

abstract:
The Bluesky Formation at Edson consists of a complex of six incised
channels trending SW-NE. A SE-NW oriented shoreline is implied, and the open sea lay to the NE. The channels cut into the underlying continental sediments of the Gething Formation and are filled by transgressive estuarine sediments 20-25 m thick. The complex is capped by transgressive shoreface deposits which pass up into marine mudstones of the Wilrich Member of the Spirit River Formation.

The estuarine channel fills consist of three main facies: mudstones, sandstones, and interbedded mudstones and sandstones. The mudstone fill of Channel 1 becomes sandier-upward, and also contains basal cross-bedded sandstone bodies interpreted as preserved fluvial sand bars.

The sandstone-filled Channels 2, 3, 4 and 5 display cross-bedded, parallel laminated and structureless beds with almost no mudstone interbeds. In Channels 2 and 3 there is a lateral northeastward transition from sandstones to mudstones; Channel 5 also has mudstones at the northeastern end.

The fill of Channel 6 consists of thinly interbedded sandstones and
mudstones.

All of these filling sediments are characterized by a stressed trace fossil assemblage that shows an upward increase in species diversity and density.

The sandstone facies are interpreted as the fluvially-dominated inner part of a bay-head delta. The mudstones represent the central estuary turbidity maximum, and the interbedded mudstones and sandstones were deposited in the distal part of a bay-head delta located at the transition between the previous two facies. Marine sandstones, the third component of the tripartite estuary fill, are less
common in the study area.

The three different types of filling and the relationship between channels suggest three cycles (fall/rise) of relative sea-level change. Incised channels were formed during falling stages of relative sea-level. During subsequent transgressions, wave scouring modified most of the original incisions, reworking most or all of the evidence of fluvial sedimentation. Eventually, the channels were
back-filled as estuaries. The final transgression affected the entire study area allowing the deposition of transgressive shoreface sandstones and the
establishment of fully marine conditions (Wilrich Member).

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MS)


title: Inter-Rater Reliability of the Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory in an Acquired Brain Injury Population

contributor:
Harris, Jocelyn
Rehabilitation Science

subject:
Brain Injury
Reliability

abstract:
Background:
Motor impairments are common sequelae of Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI). An estimated 55-75% of ABI survivors have on-going limitations in UL function.  Objective measures of UL function that have established validity and reliability in the ABI population are not readily available in the literature.  The Chedoke Arm and Hand Inventory (CAHAI) is an assessment used with the stroke population. There are 4 versions of this assessment; a 13 item version and 3 shortened ones.   The main purpose is to assess how much the affected UL contributes to a bilateral task.  The CAHAI has strong reliability and validity in this population; however, it is unknown whether this measure can be used with other clinical populations such as ABI.

Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to estimate the inter-rater reliability of the Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory (CAHAI) when used with persons with ABI including 3 shortened versions of the measure.

Methods:
This is an observational parameter estimation study.   Participants were recruited from an in-patient ABI rehabilitation program.   The administration of the CAHAI was video recorded for 6 persons with ABI.  The videos were assessed by 6 clinicians to estimate inter-rater reliability.  A Latin square design was used to balance the order raters evaluated the videos.

Analysis:
 A repeated measures ANOVA was performed and the variance components were used to calculate an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and standard error of measurement (SEM) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results:
Inter-rater reliability was high for all versions: CAHAI-7 ICC= 0.96 (95% CL: 0.89-0.99, SEM 2.65); CAHAI-8 ICC= 0.96 (95% CL: 0.90-0.99, SEM 2.72); CAHAI-9 ICC= 0.95 (95% CL: 0.85-0.99, SEM 3.49); CAHAI -13 ICC=0.96 (95%CL: 0.88-0.99, SEM 3.35).

Conclusions:
These results suggest the CAHAI is highly reliability in the ABI population. The shortened versions may be particularly useful when time constraints or patient tolerance are an issue.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)

abstract: It is important to measure change using reliable assessment tools.  Outcome measures are designed for specific populations.  If used in a different population, the reliability may be impacted.  The Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory (CAHAI) is a measure of upper limb function that has been developed for use in the stroke population.  It was unknown if the measure would still be reliable in the acquired brain injury (ABI) population.  The goal of this thesis was to determine if the CAHAI is also reliable in ABI.  Our results suggest that the CAHAI is highly reliable in this population.


title: Surviving or Thriving in Academia: Autoethnographic Accounts of Non-Visibly Disabled Grads' Experiences of Inclusion and Exclusion

contributor:
Chouinard, Vera
Wilton, Robert
Fudge Schormans, Ann
Reaume, Geoffrey
Geography and Earth Sciences

subject:
autoethnography
emotional geographies
disability studies
access
emotional labour
emotion work
narrative
online methods
accommodations

abstract: Using autoethnography, combined with qualitative data collected through innovative online methods, this dissertation explores the experience of navigating the emotional geographic space of graduate school for non-visibly disabled students such as learning disabilities, and mental health disabilities at two southern Ontario universities. Autoethnography merges tenets of ethnography and autobiography to allow researchers to prioritize their own experiences as valuable data and “making it possible to construct the ethnographic scenes that happened and the fictional scenes that didn’t—but could have” (Ellis, 2004, p. xx). As such, the work produced by autoethnography is “expressive rather than representational” (Kiesinger, 1998, p. 74) This dissertation is a narrative based on real and fictionalized events told through dialogue between the author, a composite character, and six co-participant graduate students who provide their stories through e-mails and a collaborative blog. Academic literature, observations, areas for future research, and recommendations are woven into the dialogue and layered throughout the dissertation in non-dialogic sections. Davidson and Milligan (2004) posits, “Our emotional relations and interactions weave through and help form the fabric of our unique personal geographies” (p. 523). By focusing on unacknowledged and misunderstood “emotional labor” (managing emotions in paid work environments) and emotion work (managing emotions in unpaid work environments) (Hochschild, 1983), this dissertation demonstrates how non-visibly disabled students must perform “extra work” that distinguishes their experiences and the effort required to navigate the spaces and places of academia. With a specific focus on the process of acquiring and implementing academic and workplace accommodations, it draws on the literatures and theoretical insights of emotional geography and critical disability studies to demonstrate how these disabilities are misunderstood and stigmatized, which results in an accommodation process that is both humiliating and inadequate to support non-visibly disabled graduate students. Thus, understanding the emotional geography of the accommodation process is vital to creating effective academic and workplace accommodations for non-visibly disabled graduate students.

abstract: Dissertation

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Biological Rhythms, Sleep and Cognition in Mood Disorders

contributor:
Frey, Benicio
Health Sciences

subject:
biological rhythms
circadian rhythms
major depressive disorder
bipolar disorder
sleep
melatonin
actigraphy

abstract: This thesis presents research investigating the relationship between, and methods of, measuring circadian rhythms in mood disorders in a population of currently depressed and euthymic individuals with both depression and bipolar disorder. This was first assessed by comparing group differences in subjective sleep and circadian measures with objective sleep and circadian measures. The objective circadian measures involved actigraphy and melatonin profiling. This analysis showed group differences in subjective sleep and circadian parameters compared to controls, however no robust differences between mood groups. Objective melatonin profiling showed a mild agreement with subjective circadian parameters. Next, we studied the external validity of a subjective rating scale measuring biological rhythm disturbance, the Biological Rhythms Interview for Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (BRIAN), against objective measures of sleep and circadian activity rhythmicity. The BRIAN demonstrated some promising external validity, namely correlations with wake after sleep onset (WASO) and sleep efficiency, as well as melatonin levels in each group. These studies provide evidence of the extent to which a self-report may help in assessing parameters of sleep and circadian rhythms in the clinical setting. In doing so, it is expected that the use of subjective ratings will provide insight into the impact of biological rhythms disturbances and mood disorders. Lastly, we conducted an overview of the preclinical and clinical literature investigating the impact of circadian disturbance on cognitive performance. The results from this literature review yielded patterns of rhythmicity in specific parameters in each of the attention, memory, and executive function domains in humans, whereas attention and memory are more of a primary focus in animal studies. However, we also found that there are significant gaps in the understanding of how disturbances in circadian rhythms may influence cognitive function. This review also highlights the importance of cross-species translational validity from a methodological perspective, in order to generate positive clinical results beginning at the preclinical stage in neuropsychiatric disorders.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: The Conservative Party and Perceptions of the Middle Classes, 1951-1974

contributor:
Heathorn, Stephen
History

subject:
British Conservative Party
British Politics
Post-Second World War Britain
Middle Classes
Class Identity
Politics of Class
Consumer
Consumer Politics

abstract: “The Conservative Party and Perceptions of the British Middle Classes, 1951 – 1974,” explores conceptions of middle-class voters at various levels of the party organization after the Second World War. Since Benjamin Disraeli, Conservatives have endeavoured to represent national rather than sectional interests and appeal widely to a growing electorate. Yet, the middle classes and their interests have also enjoyed a special position in the Conservative political imagination often because the group insists they receive special consideration. It proved especially difficult to juggle these priorities after 1951 when Conservatives encountered two colliding challenges: the middle classes growing at a rapid rate, failing to form a unified outlook or identity, and the limited appeal of consumer rhetoric and interests owing to the uneven experience of affluence and prosperity. Conservative ideas and policies failed to acknowledge and resonate with the changing nature of their core supporters and antiquated local party organization reinforced feelings of alienation from and mistrust of new members of the middle classes as well as affluent workers. This research shows that there was no clear-cut path between postwar Conservatism to Margaret Thatcher’s brand of Conservatism in which the individual, self-sufficient and acquisitive middle-class consumer became the champion. Moreover, the Conservative Party revealed, in these discussions, that it was much less ideologically certain than narratives have allowed previously.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Analyzing Ann Quin’s and Kate Millett’s Forgotten Works Through a Mad Reading Practice and Feminist Literary Criticism

contributor:
Dean, Amber
English

subject:
Mad Studies
Feminist literary criticism
Ann Quin
Kate Millett

abstract: In my thesis, I engage with recent scholarship in Mad Studies directed towards introducing a Mad reading practice or Mad theory to the discipline of English and academia more broadly. I utilize Mad theory and feminist literary criticism in order to frame my analysis of two forgotten queer Madwomen—British author Ann Quin (1936-1973) and American author, artist, and activist Kate Millett (1934-Present). I consider how Quin’s novel Three (1966) and Millett’s autobiography Flying (1974), as experimental texts exploring bisexuality and polyamory que(e)ry heteronormative monogamy and patriarchal literary convention. I also posit that Quin’s “The Unmapped Country” (1973) and Millett’s The Loony-Bin Trip (1990) deconstruct a perceived tension in feminist literary criticism surrounding whether the figure of the Madwoman is a subversive or silenced figure. In using a Mad reading practice, my analysis focuses on the intersections of sanism with other forces of oppression, as well as how sanist epistemic violence dissuades critically analyzing Mad individuals’ creative or personal narratives as theoretical and political texts. Moreover, I gesture towards the overlooked social exclusions produced by sanist epistemic violence, such as forced institutionalization, unemployment, criminalisation, and homelessness, which suggests the ethical importance of incorporating Mad theory into everyday practice.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Physiological Ecology of Cladonia rangiferina

subject: physiological, ecology, dark respiration, moisture, temperature, heat tolerance

abstract:
 The net photosynthetic and dark respiration response to moisture, light level and temperature is discussed with reference to the unique Cladonia rangiferina (L.) Wigg.-Shrub association in Cladonia stellaris (Opiz.) Pouz. Spruce Woodland at Hawley Lake, Ontario. Field measurements provide a description of the summer and winter environmental complex. Winter data shows an exceptional thermal insulation afforded by snow cover, protecting lichen thalli from extreme air temperatures. Summer environmental data highlights the need to
dissociate periods of thallus hydration (metabolic activity), and thallus dehydration in order that meaningful comparisons may be made with experimentally derived levels of metabolic activity. Experimentally derived physiology of the hydrated thallus showed a broad amplitude
of tolerance to light level and temperature correlating with the wide range of temperature and light level experienced during a single thallus drying cycle in the field. Heat stress experiments illustrate this is indeed, a sensitive species restricted to the more ameliorated
temperature regime of mature Spruce-Lichen Woodland. Heat sensitivity may also act to restrict C. rangiferina to the cooler micro-site afforded by the elevated shrub-hummocks.

 A spring to summer series of collections of a Muskoka population of C. rangiferina were coursed through heat stress experiments. Significant heat tolerance acclimation emerged as an essential response to withstand the high summer temperature regime.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Atomic Beam Studies of Silver-109m and Cesium-138

contributor:
Summers-Gill, R. G.
Physics

subject: atomic, beam, silver, cesium, magnetic resonance, Zeeman transitions, nuclear

abstract:
Atomic beam magnetic resonance techniques have been used to investigate the properties of the 41-second isomeric state of silver-109 and the 32-minute ground state of the fission product cesium-138. A description of the apparatus and of the atomic beam method for the determination of nuclear moments is given. The results obtained for silver-109m are: I= 7/2   a(2S1/2) = 9477±13 Mc/sec μ1 (uncorrected) = 4.31±0.04 nuclear magnetons 109Δ109m = -(1.1±1.2)%. The value of the moment confirms that the proton configuration is (g9/2)^-3 7/2. In the course of this experiment, multiple quantum Zeeman transitions were observed between levels in both the F = I + 1/2 and F = I - 1/2 hyperfine
multiplets. The results obtained for cesium-138 are: I =3 Δv = 1650 +650 -250 Mc/sec |μI| (uncorrected)= 0.45 +0.18 -0.07 nuclear magnetons. For these experiments simultaneous detection of both the resonant and thrown out portions of the beam was used for the first time in this laboratory.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Van Hove Singularities in BCS Theory

contributor:
Carbotte, Jules P.
Physics

subject: Van Hove, singularities, BCS Theory, logarithmically dependent, weak-coupling

abstract:
 The influence of a logarithmically dependent (van Hove singularity) electronic density of states is studied in the weak-coupling limit. Through analytic and numerical analysis it is found that the model can give rise to temperatures in the 100 K range, and that universal BCS ratios such as 2Δ/kBTC and ΔC/γTC do not change essentially from their constant BCS
values. The consequences of this model on the calculation of the isotope effect and specific heat are discussed in detail and compared to recent experimental results.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: STEREOSELECTIVE OLEFINATIONS EMPLOYING TRIALKYLPHOSPHORANYLIDES: NEW METHODS AND SYNTHETIC APPLICATIONS

contributor:
McNulty, James
Chemistry

subject:
Olefination
Alkene
Wittig
Phosphorane
Organic Chemistry
Natural Products
Ylid
Stereoselective

abstract:
The Wittig reaction has constantly evolved during the last half-century and is one of the most strategic, reliable, widely-applicable carbon-carbon olefin bond forming processes available in organic synthesis. The reaction allows for olefination with complete positional selectivity, relatively high chemoselectivity and may be conducted in many cases with predictable stereocontrol. Triphenylphosphoranylides are ubiquitously employed and despite the myriad benefits these reagents bestow there are known disadvantages to their use—most prominently related to issues surrounding stereoselectivity and phosphine oxide removal which is notoriously problematic.
	Trialkylphosphoranylides, by contrast, undergo olefination in the presence of carbonyls with high (E)-stereoselectivity and the corresponding short chain trialkylphosphine oxides are water soluble. Previous work in our group has shown that semi-stabilised ylids of this type readily undergo olefination with a broad range of aldehydes under mild aqueous conditions. This aqueous Wittig reaction was then extended to the synthesis of substituted styrenes using aqueous formalin. In the search for ever milder conditions for the Wittig reaction we were also able to develop an organocatalytic Wittig reaction which was amenable to a bioorthogonal process. Thus, we were able to perform the first Wittig reaction in vivo by feeding the two reactants to Castylegia sepium.
	Alkenals (colloquially enals) are strategic intermediates in organic synthesis; their importance is growing each year due to the expanding breadth of iminium and vinylogous enamine organocatalysis. Unfortunately their preparation remains problematic requiring labour and reagent intensive multi-step sequences. A new pincolacetal-phosphonium salt (DualPhos) for the stereoselective two-carbon homologation of aldehydes has been developed which allows for the one-pot homologation of aldehydes to enals under aqueous and/or anhydrous conditions; its application to the total synthesis and stereochemical reassignment of phomolides G & H is discussed.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Measuring Frailty in Older Canadians: An Analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

contributor: Clinical Epidemiology/Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics

subject:
Frail Elderly
Frailty
Epidemiologic measurements
CLSA

abstract:
Introduction:
Frailty is characterized by vulnerability to declining health and increased risk for adverse health outcomes. Measuring frailty would be beneficial for developing interventions and assessing healthcare resource needs. No standardized measurement tool for frailty has been established. The objective of this thesis was to evaluate the frailty of participants in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA).
Methods:
A Frailty Index (FI) was constructed for CLSA participants based on the cumulative deficit theory of frailty. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to study the underlying constructs of frailty and identify key factors. A hypothesized measurement model for frailty was specified. The model was modified and tested using structural equation modelling (SEM) to improve goodness-of-fit. A new frailty measurement tool was created and the construct validity of the new tool and the Frailty Index were evaluated.
Results:
A FI was calculated for 20,874 CLSA participants (Mean 0.14 SD 0.07). The maximum FI value was 0.68. A model containing all hypothesized variables had good fit of the data, and all variables contributed significantly. A simplified model also showed good fit and included four domains: upper-body strength, lower-body strength, dexterity, and depressive symptoms. These results persisted in an independent dataset. A Simplified Frailty (SF) score was created based on this simplified model. The FI and SF scores showed significant agreement and associations with sociodemographic variables were as predicted.
Conclusions:
A FI was simple to construct in the CLSA, having good fit of the data and construct validity. These results are consistent with previous research on the cumulative deficit theory of frailty. A simplified frailty model revealed key domains of frailty and resulted in a potentially useful short screening tool. The FI is recommended as a valid and reproducible approach for measuring frailty in the CLSA and similar population datasets.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Indian Buddhist Etiquette and the Emergence of Ascetic Civility

contributor:
Clarke, Shayne
Religious Studies

subject: India, Buddhism, politeness, etiquette, ethics

abstract:
This dissertation is a study of the concept of etiquette in the monastic law codes of early Indian Buddhism. This category of texts, called vinaya, is considered within and outside of the tradition to be based on Buddhist ethical ideals. However, vinaya texts also contain a great deal of material that appears to be inherited from pre-Buddhist cultural habits, and is not uniquely Buddhist. That material is useful to us in reconstructing the world of early Buddhists, as literary examples of the kinds of interaction Buddhists portrayed themselves having with Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas, and various political and kinship groups in premodern India. The degree to which this body of literature is representative of actual historical situations is open to debate, but the texts arguably illustrate an ideal of behaviour in social relationships.
Etiquette in general manifests as a kind of public performance involving respect for boundaries and acknowledgment of social roles. The various rituals that are considered to embody etiquette in any particular culture often look arbitrary from the outside, yet there is always an internal logic that helps to determine which behaviours are considered appropriate and which are “impolite.” I argue here that the etiquette rituals of early Indian Buddhist monastics are modeled on a conception of disgust that Buddhists shared with various other Sanskritic cultures of premodern northern India. I employ some of the ideas from linguistic politeness and from contemporary theories of disgust to help in my analysis of these premodern law codes.

abstract: Dissertation

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

abstract:
This dissertation is a study of the concept of etiquette in the monastic law codes of early Indian Buddhism. This category of texts, called vinaya, is considered within and outside of the tradition to be based on Buddhist ethical ideals. However, vinaya texts also contain a great deal of material that appears to be inherited from pre-Buddhist cultural habits, and is not uniquely Buddhist. That material is useful to us in reconstructing the world of early Buddhists, as literary examples of the kinds of interaction Buddhists portrayed themselves having with Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, and various political and kinship groups in premodern India. The degree to which this body of literature is representative of actual historical situations is open to debate, but the texts arguably illustrate an ideal of behaviour in social relationships.
Etiquette in general manifests as a kind of public performance involving respect for boundaries and acknowledgment of social roles. The various rituals that are considered to embody etiquette in any particular culture often look arbitrary from the outside, yet there is always an internal logic that helps to determine which behaviours are considered appropriate and which are “impolite.” I argue here that the etiquette rituals of early Indian Buddhist monastics are modeled on a conception of disgust that Buddhists shared with various other Sanskritic cultures of premodern northern India. I employ some of the ideas from linguistic politeness and from contemporary theories of disgust to help in my analysis of these premodern law codes.


title: "A Better Guide in Ourselves": Jane Austen's Mansfield Park on Education and the Novel

contributor:
Zuroski Jenkins, Eugenia
English and Cultural Studies

subject: Austen, Mansfield Park, Education, Novel, Women's Education, Wollstonecraft, Cowper

abstract: The least popular of all her novels, Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park (1814) depicts a heroine, precariously situated in the margins of the aristocracy, who is intellectually educated rather than accomplished. As the timid Fanny Price navigates the morally fraught social world of Mansfield Park, Austen comments on the exclusion and mistreatment of women in the British public sphere at large as well as criticizes the practice of educating women into accomplishment as exemplified by the sparkling socialite, Mary Crawford. This thesis positions Austen in context with educational writers William Cowper, the poet, and Mary Wollstonecraft, the philosopher. I analyze all three writers’ messages about education, along with the implications of the genre/form with which they choose to enter public discourses, including the poem, the political tract, and the novel. Considering the historical and cultural conceptions of the novel as trivial and feminine during Austen’s day, her decision to employ this form suggests that she is interested in reforming the novel into a platform for serious public engagement. Austen ultimately anticipates the Victorian novel by revealing the form’s potential value as intellectual exercise and an important tool for women to join public conversation.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Of Mice and Women: The Position of Women and Non-Human Animals in Wilkie Collins' Heart and Science and The Woman in White

contributor:
Kehler, Grace
English and Cultural Studies

subject: Animals, Women, Cultural Position, Vivisection, Wilkie Collins, Heart and Science, The Woman in White,

abstract: Two of Wilkie Collins’ sensation novels, The Woman in White (189-60) and Heart and Science (1882-83), represent women and non-human animals as occupying comparable cultural positions of vulnerability in Victorian society. This alignment between women and animals became particularly apparent in the emerging debates over the scientific practice of vivisection in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. The first chapter of this thesis examines the antivivisection movement which protested strongly against the practice of vivisection on animals and came to beled primarily by women. This chapter’s focus is on the reasons behind women’s passionate identification with non-human animals subject to cruel and painful experiment and how this reflected both groups’ vulnerable and subordinate position in society. The second chapter analyzes Collins’ own contribution to the antivivisection campaign in his polemic Heart and Science. This novel demonstrates the cruelty of the vivisector in Collins’ villain, Dr. Benjulia, but also, the strength and value of instinct and emotion as forms of knowledge which are typically feminized and devalued. Collins ultimately recommends a type of medical care that is attentive to both the body and the mind rather than separating them into binary structures. Lastly, the third chapter examines The Woman in White, which was published before the vivisection controversy yet still demonstrates women’s alignment with animals particularly in their relationships with the two different male villains Count Fosco and Sir Percival. This novel represents women resisting these men’s attempts to treat them like inferior animals and instead asserting their own authority as capable beings. By doing so, Collins reveals not only the constructed ideals of superiority and inferiority in society but also the extreme vulnerability of those labeled ‘inferior’ beings.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: MESOTHELIN EXPRESSION AND TRIPLE-NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER

subject: Triple negative breast cancer; mesothelin; meta-analysis; Survival; systematic review.

abstract:
Background and Objectives:
Mesothelin, identified as a tumor-associated biomarker, is more often overexpressed in triple receptor-negative breast cancer (TNBC) than in common luminal breast tumor subtype or normal tissues. The objective of this systematic review is to determine the association between the expressions of mesothelin with survival outcomes in patients with TNBC.

Methods
We searched the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, and Web of Science with no time or language restriction till May 19, 2016. Any prospective or retrospective longitudinal studies that investigate the prognosis of TNBC with mesothelin baseline measurement were selected. Two reviewers independently assessed every article for inclusion, extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality of every eligible trial. Pooled measures of associations were summarized with meta-analyses.

Results and conclusions
Among the 592 patients with TNBC included in the four eligible studies, 269 patients (45.4%) demonstrated mesothelin expression. For the primary outcome OS, we found the trend toward decreased survival for patients with mesothelin-positive TNBC than those without mesothelin expression. We also found that for long-term OS, the association was statistically significant (OR = 0.46; 95% CI= 0.30 to 0.73; P< 0.001). For the secondary outcomes, we found that mesothelin expression in patients with TNBC was associated with lower DFS and higher overall mortality than those without mesothelin expression. Despite the limitations of sample size, this present study shows a significant association between mesothelin expressions and survival outcomes in patients with TNBC.  Patients with mesothelin-positive TNBC could benefit from mesothelin-targeted immunotherapies recently in the development.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)

abstract: It is unclear whether mesothelin expression in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an independent prognostic marker for survival. To the best of our knowledge, no systematic review or meta-analysis has ever been done on this topic. The present systematic review aims to evaluate the role of mesothelin as a prognostic marker for TNBC. The primary objective of this review is to synthesize available evidence on the association between the expression of mesothelin and overall survival (OS) of patients with TNBC. The secondary objectives include determining the relationship between the expression of mesothelin and disease-free survival (DFS), distant metastases, and mortality. Despite some limitations, this study shows a significant association between mesothelin expressions and long-term OS rate as well as DFS rate and mortality rate in patients with TNBC. Mesothelin has a prognostic significance for patients with mesothelin based on our findings. Patients with mesothelin-positive TNBC could benefit from mesothelin-targeted immunotherapies in development.


title: Biophysical and Phenomenological Models of Cochlear Implant Stimulation

title: Models of Cochlear Implant Stimulation

contributor:
Bruce, Ian C.
Neuroscience

subject: cochlear implant

subject: auditory nerve fiber

subject: spiral ganglion neuron

subject: spike rate adaptation

subject: accommodation

subject: facilitation

subject: hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel

subject: low threshold potassium channel

subject: computational model

subject: phenomenological model

subject: biophysical model

subject: cable model

abstract:
Numerous studies showed that cochlear implant (CI) users generally prefer individualized stimulation rates in order to maximize their speech understanding. The underlying reasons for the reported variation in speech perception performance as a function of CI stimulation rate is unknown. However, multiple interacting electrophysiological processes influence the auditory nerve (AN) in response to high-rate CI stimulation. Experiments studying electrical pulse train stimulation of cat AN fibers (ANFs) have demonstrated that spike rates slowly decrease over time relative to onset stimulation and is often attributed to spike rate (spike-triggered) adaptation in addition to refractoriness. Interestingly, this decay tends to adapt more rapidly to higher stimulation rates. This suggests that subthreshold adaptation (accommodation) plays a critical role in reducing neural excitability.

Using biophysical computational models of cat ANF including ion channel types such as hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) and low threshold potassium (KLT) channels, we measured the strength of adaptation in response to pulse train stimulation for a range of current amplitudes and pulse rates. We also tested these stimuli using a phenomenological computational ANF model capable of applying any combination of refractoriness, facilitation, accommodation, and/or spike rate adaptation.

The simulation results show that HCN and KLT channels contribute to reducing model ANF excitability on the order of 1 to 100 ms. These channels contribute to both spike rate adaptation and accommodation. Using our phenomenological model ANF we have also shown that accommodation alone can produce a slow decay in ANF spike rates responding to ongoing stimulation.

The CI users that do not benefit from relatively high stimulation rates may be due to ANF accommodation effects. It may be possible to use electrically evoked compound action potentials (ECAP) recordings to identify CI users exhibiting strong effects of accommodation, i.e., the increasing strength of adaptation as a function of increasing stimulation rate.

abstract: Dissertation

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

abstract: Cochlear implants (CI) attempt to restore hearing to individuals with severe to profound hearing deficits by stimulating the auditory nerve with a series of electrical pulses. Recent CI stimulation strategies have attempted to improve speech perception by stimulating at high pulse rates. However, studies have shown that speech perception performance does not necessarily improve with pulse rate increases, leading to speculation of possible causes. Certain ion channels located in auditory nerve fibers may contribute to driving the nerve to reduce its excitability in response to CI stimulation. In some cases, those channels could force nerve fibers to cease responding to stimulation, causing a breakdown in communication from the CI to the auditory nervous system. Our simulation studies of the auditory nerve containing certain types of channels showed that the effective rate of communication to the brain is reduced when stimulated at high rates due to the presence of these channels.


title: An Analysis of Equally Weighted and Inverse Probability Weighted Observations in the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) Sampling Method

contributor:
Viveros-Aguilera, Roman
Shannon, Harry
Mathematics and Statistics

subject:
Expanded Program on Immunization
household surveys
spatial sampling
selection probabilities
Horvitz-Thompson estimator

abstract: Performing health surveys in developing countries and humanitarian emergencies can be challenging work because the resources in these settings are often quite limited and information needs to be gathered quickly. The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) sampling method provides one way of selecting subjects for a survey. It involves having field workers proceed on a random walk guided by a path of nearest household neighbours until they have met their quota for interviews. Due to its simplicity, the EPI sampling method has been utilized by many surveys. However, some concerns have been raised over the quality of estimates resulting from such samples because of possible selection bias inherent to the sampling procedure. We present an algorithm for obtaining the probability of selecting a household from a cluster under several variations of the EPI sampling plan. These probabilities are used to assess the sampling plans and compute estimator properties. In addition to the typical estimator for a proportion, we also investigate the Horvitz-Thompson (HT) estimator, an estimator that assigns weights to individual responses. We conduct our study on computer-generated populations having different settlement types, different prevalence rates for the characteristic of interest and different spatial distributions of the characteristic of interest. Our results indicate that within a cluster, selection probabilities can vary largely from household to household. The largest probability was over 10 times greater than the smallest probability in 78% of the scenarios that were tested. Despite this, the properties of the estimator with equally weighted observations (EQW) were similar to what would be expected from simple random sampling (SRS) given that cases of the characteristic of interest were evenly distributed throughout the cluster area. When this was not true, we found absolute biases as large as 0.20. While the HT estimator was always unbiased, the trade off was a substantial increase in the variability of the estimator where the design effect relative to SRS reached a high of 92. Overall, the HT estimator did not perform better than the EQW estimator under EPI sampling, and it involves calculations that may be difficult to do for actual surveys. Although we recommend continuing to use the EQW estimator, caution should be taken when cases of the characteristic of interest are potentially concentrated in certain regions of the cluster. In these situations, alternative sampling methods should be sought.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: A Stable Isotope Investigation of Diet at Vagnari

contributor:
Prowse, Tracy
Anthropology

subject:
Bioarchaeology
Stable isotope analysis
Roman archaeology
Diet

abstract: This thesis applies stable isotope analysis to the study of diet from a rural Roman estate, Vagnari (1st – 4th centuries AD), in southern Italy. The major objectives of this research are to identify the types of food eaten in the Vagnari skeletal sample from stable isotope ratios, as well as to explore individual variation in diet in the sample. Isotopic composition of collagen and carbonate indicate a diet heavy in C₃ plants with the incorporation of some animal-based proteins. Isotopes of carbon from collagen (δ¹³C) were relatively consistent across the sample, with some variation according to burial type. Nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) values varied with age-at-death and the number of grave goods buried with an individual, suggesting possible status-based variation in diet. Carbon isotopes from carbonate (δ¹³Cₐₚ) suggested variation in total diet with increased age-at-death. Isotope ratios from Vagnari were also compared with other Imperial Italian sites to situate the diet within a broader Roman context. Isotopically, diets at Vagnari were most similar to other inland and rural sites, and distinct from coastal urban diets based on marine fish. These results indicate the diversity in foods eaten in the Roman Empire, both at a local site level and between different settlements. Studying diet from Vagnari provides another window into the lives of people who lived and worked on industrial estates, and bolsters knowledge of the diets of rural residents, which are underrepresented in the literature.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: ON THE MYTHS OF CHILDHOOD: INNOCENT AND NAUGHTY CHILDREN IN 19TH CENTURY AND CONTEMPORARY CHILDREN’S STORIES

contributor:
Donaldson, Jeffery
English and Cultural Studies

subject:
children's literature
childhood innocence

abstract: Literature for children does more than simply entertain, or create fantastical spaces for children to occupy—children’s literature is instructive. I argue that didacticism in literary tales for children works according to the two main ideologies of childhood, which Marina Warner refers to as “myths” in her essay Little Angles, Little Monsters: Keeping Childhood Innocent (1995). This study analyzes the two main nineteenth-century attitudes regarding childhood and their presence in literary tales—childhood innocence and inherent naughtiness. I argue that these ideologies reveal the struggle to accurately and collectively define childhood. In particular, I discuss naughty children in selections from Heinrich Hoffmann’s Struwwelpeter (1845), and innocent/good children in Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales, including The Emperor’s New Clothes (1837), The Snow Queen (1844), Dance, Dolly, Dance (1871), etc... In addition, I argue that these attitudes from the Victorian era are still present in today’s discourse surrounding childhood and in the literature of today, which I demonstrate through Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book (2008) and Alvin Schwartz’ In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories (1984).

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Expressive writing as an exposure based therapy for depression: An investigation of emotion, cognition, and physiology

contributor:
Andrews, Paul
Psychology

subject:
depression
heart rate
respiratory sinus arrhythmia
exposure
expressive writing

abstract: Although we have several therapeutic interventions for depression, we lack an understanding of the mechanisms that underlie these interventions. To gain a better understanding of the mental health conditions we treat, diagnoses we make, and interventions we use, mechanistic understandings are necessary. There is evidence that exposure to depressive emotion and cognitions can yield therapeutic outcome. The current study examines the physiology associated with an intervention, expressive writing (EW), which other research has shown to produce therapeutic outcomes because it increases exposure to negative feelings. The current study tests the hypothesis that EW increases depressive emotion, cognition, and physiology. Depression has been associated with decreased respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and increased heart rate (HR). RSA and HR were measured while participants did either EW or a control writing (CW) task. Because measures of RSA can be confounded by respiratory rate (RR), RR was also measured and statistically controlled for. Results revealed that EW does not alter RSA or HR. Interestingly, exploratory regression analyses between HR and RR during EW suggest that EW might trigger exposure to a depressive physiological state. Further investigation into the relationship between HR and RR during EW is warranted.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)

abstract: The current study examines the emotion, cognition, and physiology associated with an intervention, expressive writing (EW), which is commonly used as a treatment for anxiety and depression. Research has suggested that EW produces therapeutic outcome because it increases exposure to negative feelings. The current study tests the hypothesis that EW increases depressive emotion, cognition, and physiology. Results suggest that EW increases depressive emotion and cognition but does not alter some of the physiological parameters that have been associated with depression in prior research. An unpredicted exploratory result was that EW affected the relationship between heart rate and respiratory rate. Further investigation into the relationship between heart rate and respiratory rate during EW is warranted.


title: Characterizing the mechanism and regulation of a rifamycin monooxygenase in Streptomyces venezuelae

contributor:
Wright, Gerard D
Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

subject:
Antibiotic resistance
Enzymology
Rifamycins

abstract:
The rifamycins are a class of antibiotics which were once used almost exclusively to treat tuberculosis, but are currently receiving renewed interest. Resistance to rifamycins is most commonly attributed to mutations in the drug target, RNA polymerase. Yet environmental isolates are also able to enzymatically inactivate rifamycins in a number of ways. Recently, rifamycin resistance determinants from the environment were found to be closely associated with a so called rifamycin associated element (RAE). The region containing the RAE from an environmental strain was shown to induce gene expression in the presence of rifamycins, hinting at an inducible system for rifamycin resistance. In this work, we examine the RAE from a model organism for Streptomyces genetics, Streptomyces venezuelae. We confirm that the promoter region containing the RAE upstream of a rifamycin monooxygenase rox is inducible by rifamycins. The strains of S. venezuelae generated in this work can be used in future genetic studies on the RAE.
	As well, the rifamycin monooxygenase Rox was purified for the first time and characterized biochemically. The structure of Rox was obtained with and without the substrate rifampin. Steady state kinetics for the enzyme were determined with a number of substrates, and its ability to confer resistance to rifamycins was examined. Monooxygenated rifamycin SV compound was purified and structurally characterized by NMR analysis. We proposed an aromatic hydroxylase type mechanism for Rox, in which the enzyme hydroxylates the aromatic core of the rifamycin scaffold and causes a non-enzymatic C-N bond cleavage of the macrolactam ring. This is a new mechanism of rifamycin resistance, and sheds some light on the decomposition of rifamycins mediated by monooxygenation, which is still poorly understood.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)

abstract:
Antibiotic resistance represents a major threat to global health. Infections that were once readily treatable are no longer so due to the rise in multidrug resistant bacteria. As our arsenal of effective antibiotics is depleted, new drugs are being discovered less and less frequently. This has caused the scientific community to get creative in coming up with treatments: trying combinations of antibiotics, using antibiotics which were once considered too toxic, and repurposing antibiotics for different bacteria.
	Rifamycins are a class of antibiotics most commonly used in the treatment of tuberculosis. However, they are becoming more widely used as a result of antibiotic resistance. There are a number of different ways bacteria can become resistant to the harmful effects of rifamycins: by modifying the target so the drug can no longer bind to it, actively pumping the drug out of the cell, or by changing the drug in some way so it is no longer effective. Bacteria in the environment use antibiotics as a form of chemical warfare to gain an advantage over their neighbours; therefore, they have had millions of years to evolve very effective methods of antibiotic resistance. By surveying what kinds of antibiotic resistance are in the environment, we can predict what we might see one day in a medical setting.
	In this thesis, I have studied a protein that bacteria make to inactivate rifamycins. The rifamycin monooxygenase Rox adds an oxygen to the rifamycin scaffold; this causes spontaneous cleavage of the rifamycin backbone and changes the conformation of the drug so it can no longer bind to its target. I have also investigated the regulation of this and other genes in the bacterial strain Streptomyces venezuelae. By understanding how this process works, we can potentially design inhibitors to stop this from happening, should this method of resistance ever become clinically prevalent.


title: TEMPORAL INFLUENCE OF NSAIDS ON MECHANICALLY INDUCED BONE FORMATION AND FLUID FLOW STIMULATED CELLULAR PGE2 PRODUCTION

contributor:
Wohl, Gregory
Biomedical Engineering

subject:
bone adaptation
NSAIDs
biomechanics
prostaglandin
fluid flow

abstract: Prostaglandins (PGs) are important signalling factors for bone mechanotransduction. The inhibition of cyclooxygenase, responsible for the synthesis of PGs, with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been shown to influence bone formation induced by mechanical stimulation. The purpose of this study was to examine the timing effects of NSAID administration on: 1) bone formation induced by multiple mechanical loading events in a rat model and 2) the PGE2 response of MLO-Y4 osteocyte like cells stimulated by fluid shear stress. The rat forelimb compression model was used to induce bone formation in male and female rats using a 1-month loading protocol (12 loading sessions). The right forelimbs were loaded and the left forelimbs served as non-loaded controls. NSAIDs were administered orally either before or after loading. Fluorochrome labels were administered to the rats to determine mineral apposition rate (MAR). The NSAIDs examined (indomethacin, NS-398 and ibuprofen) did not significantly affect periosteal MAR, administered either before or after loading, suggesting NSAIDs do not affect bone adaptation to multiple mechanical loading events. To examine in vitro effects of NSAIDs on PGE2 production, an orbital shaker was used to apply fluid shear stress to MLO-Y4 cells seeded in 6-well culture plates. Indomethacin was added to the culture media either before or after loading and media PGE2 concentrations were determined at various time points by enzyme immunoassay. Fluid shear stress increased PGE2 production of MLO-Y4 cells and indomethacin administration inhibited that response when administered both before and after fluid flow. However, PGE2 production was influenced by the media changes that occurred in the in vitro experiments, making it difficult to differentiate between indomethacin effects and media change effects. The in vitro experiments revealed the difficulties of modeling the timing effects of NSAID administration on MLO-Y4 PGE2 production in response to fluid flow.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

abstract: Bone is a dynamic tissue that can adapt to mechanical loading. Prostaglandins (PGs) are important signalling factors produced by osteocytes, the bone mechanosensing cells, that help to activate various cells and cell processes leading to changes in bone structure. Blocking PG signalling with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been shown to influence bone formation induced by mechanical stimulation in animals and humans. The purpose of this study was to examine the timing effects of NSAID administration on: 1) bone formation induced by multiple mechanical loading events in rats and 2) the PG production of osteocyte like cells in response to fluid flow stimulation. The results of this study suggest that NSAIDs, administered either before or after loading, do not affect bone responses to multiple mechanical loading events. Further investigation is needed to determine the translatability of these findings to NSAID use around the time of exercise in humans.


title: The Impact of Demographics on Residential Electricity Usage

contributor:
Mountain, Dean
Mathematics and Statistics

abstract:
The electricity consumption efficiency in the residential sector is commonly discussed in previous studies. Over the previous studies, different factors influencing electricity consumption have been covered, including economic factors, lifestyle and demographic factors, climate and environmental factors and technological development. With respect to estimation methodologies in these studies, there are three methods existing—conditional demand analysis, neural network and engineering method.
A significant amount of information for my thesis is drawn from the collaborative project involving McMaster University and Hydro One. My thesis mainly focuses on residential electricity consumption efficiency and the relationship between the total electricity consumption and a number of variables, including dwelling information, time-of-use prices, weather data and demographic factors. I am particularly interested in the influence of demographics. The data sources of variables include four categories---dwelling and household information, consumption data, weather data and price data in 2013. In my regression estimation, I include four systems components—heating system, water heating system, cooling system and other appliances system. Each system has its own error term. I discuss and estimate models where the error terms are correlated and uncorrelated. Seven versions of models are discussed with different combinations of variables in the model and variables in the variance model of the errors. I choose a final model after conducting Wald hypothesis tests. Finally, I list a table of illustrative examples explaining the influence of demographic factors---education distribution level, age distribution level and number of residents on electricity usage. From the results, I can conclude that education distribution level exerts a very significant impact on total electricity consumption.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Contextual Control of Selective Attention in a Two-Target Task

contributor:
Milliken, Bruce
Shore, David
Psychology

subject: cognitive control, sequence effects, context effects

abstract:
As we navigate in the world around us, previous experience generally prepares us well to deal with most situations. Cognitive control is required in situations that do not afford a rapidly retrieved solution to a current problem.  In the laboratory, cognitive control is usually studied in the context of distractor interference tasks with reaction time as the dependent measure. These studies investigate the ability to selective attend to relevant information presented amidst distraction in space. However, we must also attend to relevant information presented amidst distraction in time. A procedure used to study the temporal constraints of selective attention is the attentional blink (AB) task. Here, a modified AB task is utilized to investigate the memorial consequences of engaging in selective attention at one point in time, on the ability to encode new information presented shortly thereafter, with identification accuracy as the dependent measure. This new procedure enables the empirical investigation of the relationship between selective attention and memory processes that are generally studied in isolation.
	The current research systematically investigated the relative contribution of intentional and automatic influences over selective attention in an AB task, by manipulating the context in which difficult T1 selection trials were presented. The results suggest that contextual influences of control over selective attention occur via a blend of intentional and automatic processes. Whereas intentional processes may be required to establish control settings in novel contexts, once established, control settings can be recruited automatically. These results extend current research on contextual control of selective attention to a novel domain, and consequently, provide insight into the underlying processes that produce the AB effect. Moreover, these results highlight the important role of context-specific learning in the study of cognitive control.

Abstract

	As we navigate in the world around us, previous experience generally prepares us well to deal with most situations. Cognitive control is required in situations that do not afford a rapidly retrieved solution to a current problem.  In the laboratory cognitive control is usually studied in the context of distractor interference tasks with reaction time as the dependent measure. These studies investigate the ability to selective attend to relevant information presented amidst distraction in space. However, we must also attend to relevant information presented amidst distraction in time. A procedure used to study the temporal constraints of selective attention is the attentional blink (AB) task. Here, a modified AB task is utilized to investigate the memorial consequences of engaging in selective attention at one point in time, on the ability to encode new information presented shortly thereafter, with identification accuracy as the dependent measure. This new procedure enables the empirical investigation of the relationship between selective attention and memory processes that are generally studied in isolation.
	The current research systematically investigated the relative contribution of intentional and automatic influences over selective attention in an AB task, by manipulating the context in which difficult T1 selection trials were presented. The results suggest that contextual influences of control over selective attention occur via a blend of intentional and automatic processes. Whereas intentional processes may be required to establish control settings in novel contexts, once established, control settings can be recruited automatically. These results extend current research on contextual control of selective attention to a novel domain, and consequently, provide insight into the underlying processes that produce the AB effect. Moreover, these results highlight the important role of context-specific learning in the study of cognitive control.

Abstract

	As we navigate in the world around us, previous experience generally prepares us well to deal with most situations. Cognitive control is required in situations that do not afford a rapidly retrieved solution to a current problem.  In the laboratory cognitive control is usually studied in the context of distractor interference tasks with reaction time as the dependent measure. These studies investigate the ability to selective attend to relevant information presented amidst distraction in space. However, we must also attend to relevant information presented amidst distraction in time. A procedure used to study the temporal constraints of selective attention is the attentional blink (AB) task. Here, a modified AB task is utilized to investigate the memorial consequences of engaging in selective attention at one point in time, on the ability to encode new information presented shortly thereafter, with identification accuracy as the dependent measure. This new procedure enables the empirical investigation of the relationship between selective attention and memory processes that are generally studied in isolation.
	The current research systematically investigated the relative contribution of intentional and automatic influences over selective attention in an AB task, by manipulating the context in which difficult T1 selection trials were presented. The results suggest that contextual influences of control over selective attention occur via a blend of intentional and automatic processes. Whereas intentional processes may be required to establish control settings in novel contexts, once established, control settings can be recruited automatically. These results extend current research on contextual control of selective attention to a novel domain, and consequently, provide insight into the underlying processes that produce the AB effect. Moreover, these results highlight the important role of context-specific learning in the study of cognitive control.

As we navigate in the world around us, previous experience generally prepares us well to deal with most situations. Cognitive control is required in situations that do not afford a rapidly retrieved solution to a current problem.  In the laboratory cognitive control is usually studied in the context of distractor interference tasks with reaction time as the dependent measure. These studies investigate the ability to selective attend to relevant information presented amidst distraction in space. However, we must also attend to relevant information presented amidst distraction in time. A procedure used to study the temporal constraints of selective attention is the attentional blink (AB) task. Here, a modified AB task is utilized to investigate the memorial consequences of engaging in selective attention at one point in time, on the ability to encode new information presented shortly thereafter, with identification accuracy as the dependent measure. This new procedure enables the empirical investigation of the relationship between selective attention and memory processes that are generally studied in isolation.
	The current research systematically investigated the relative contribution of intentional and automatic influences over selective attention in an AB task, by manipulating the context in which difficult T1 selection trials were presented. The results suggest that contextual influences of control over selective attention occur via a blend of intentional and automatic processes. Whereas intentional processes may be required to establish control settings in novel contexts, once established, control settings can be recruited automatically. These results extend current research on contextual control of selective attention to a novel domain, and consequently, provide insight into the underlying processes that produce the AB effect. Moreover, these results highlight the important role of context-specific learning in the study of cognitive control.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

abstract: Cognitive control refers to our ability to direct our actions in accordance with our goals. Traditionally, the construct of cognitive control was assumed to be synonymous with the construct of free will.  In recent years, cognitive psychologists have questioned the volitional nature of cognitive control. Generally speaking, this thesis investigates the following question; to what extent is control over the allocation of our attentional resources governed by our conscious intentions, or, to what extent are such processes recruited automatically? The results suggest that controlled and automatic processes are not dichotomous in nature, but rather, contribute to performance interactively. While conscious intentions may play a role in the establishment of control procedures in novel contexts, once established these control procedures can be brought online automatically. Decisions regarding the need for effortful processing, given the current context, likely shape the construction of these automatized routines.


title: Muscle Inflammaging: The NLRP3 Inflammasome Contributes to Sarcopenia

contributor: Medical Sciences (Cell Biology and Metabolism)

abstract: Sarcopenia is the progressive loss of muscle mass and deterioration of muscle function during aging. This can affect quality of life and ability to perform daily tasks. During aging, muscles become weaker, slower, and have a reduced ability to generate energy quickly through glycolysis. It is unclear why this happens, but chronic inflammation during aging may contribute to these aspects of sarcopenia. NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) increases caspase-1 activity, which is a part of the immune system involved in multiple age-associated diseases. We determined the role of NLRP3 in sarcopenia using adult and old mice.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: NMR of Cathodes for Lithium Ion Batteries

contributor:
Goward, Gillian
Chemistry and Chemical Biology

abstract:
Polyanionic and layered oxide cathodes for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) have been studied using a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and galvanostatic cycling. The pyrophosphate series of 6Li-enriched and 7Li Li2Mn1-yFeyP2O7 were synthesized, and characterized by magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR. The four crystallographic sites in Li2MnP2O7 are resolved in its 6Li MAS spectrum, but as iron content increases across the series the resonances broaden, and in Li2FeP2O7 only one resonance is partially resolvable from the other overlapped resonances. Li2FeP2O7 shows the highest capacity in the series. Super-fast MAS rates of 60 kHz were obtainable using a 1.3 mm NMR probe, which enabled the effective analysis of electrochemical samples of Li2FeP2O7 using NMR. Spectra of cycled samples of Li2FeP2O7 reveal that one particular lithium site (Li4) is fully extracted by full charge (4.6 V).
The layered oxide cathodes studied here, Li(Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3)O2 and Li1+x(Ni0.5Mn0.5)1-xO2, possess large chemical shift anisotropies and wide isotropic regions such that, in the 7Li spectra, spinning sidebands overlap with the isotropic region even at high spinning rates (60 kHz). The pj-MATPASS experiment effectively removes all spinning sidebands, revealing the full isotropic region in 7Li spectra. NMR of cycled samples of NMC show that lithium in the transition metal layer and in the lithium layer is extracted upon charge, and a change of paramagnetic Ni2+ toward diamagnetic Ni4+ is reflected by resonances of the remaining lithium in the lithium layer at full charge. Lastly, the pj-MATPASS spectra of the Li1+x(Ni0.5Mn0.5)1-xO2 series reveals an increase in intensity in the transition metal layer region of the spectra as the amount of lithium (x) increases. Spectra of cycled lithium-rich Li1.2Ni0.4Mn0.4O2 show that structure is unaffected by reversible cycling between 2.5-4.4 V, whereas cycling between 2.5-4.8 V gives rise to irreversible loss in signal intensity.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)

abstract: The high energy density lithium ion battery (LIB) is one of the most important energy storage devices of the modern world. It has facilitated the widespread use of lightweight portable electronic devices and electric vehicles. The necessary shift towards renewable energy use in modern civilizations relies heavily on improvements to energy storage devices, specifically the LIB, of which the lithium-housing cathode is an essential component. Therefore, understanding and tailoring the chemistry of the cathode is crucial to making technological improvements to batteries. The following research aims to deepen the understanding of the structure and function of LIB cathodes using a technique called nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). NMR probes the nanoscale environments of lithium ions, ‘tuning into the radio station of the lithium ions’ in the material, so that knowledge of the location and movement of the atoms through the material is determined.


title: The Effect of Spatial Frequency and Orientation on Configural Face Discriminations in Adults with Synaesthesia

contributor:
Maurer, Daphne
Psychology

subject:
Synaesthesia
Synesthesia
Faces
Spatial Frequency
Configural
Orientation
Perceptual Attunement
Face Processing

abstract: The structural and functional differences observed in the brains of adults with synaesthesia is thought to arise, at least in part, from less-than-normal neural pruning of the exuberant connections present within and among sensory cortical areas in infancy (reviewed in Maurer, Gibson, & Spector, 2013). This hypothesis is supported by previous work that has demonstrated that synaesthetes are superior at processing foreign speech sounds and inverted faces (Maurer et al., in prep). The present study investigated a link between spatial frequency and face processing in adults with synaesthesia by testing synaesthetes and non-synaesthetes on their ability to discriminate upright and inverted faces filtered at high and low spatial frequencies. As predicted, synaesthetes (n=20) were significantly more accurate than non-synaesthetes (n=20) at discriminating among inverted full spectrum faces (p=0.0235), with no differences in upright faces, replicating previous findings that support the hypothesis that synaesthetes undergo less perceptual attunement (Ghloum et al., 2013). Unexpectedly, synaesthetes were faster at responding across all face conditions. Faster reaction times with no sacrifice to accuracy suggest that synaesthetes may be processing faces more efficiently. In addition, no significant differences in accuracy were observed for high and low filtered faces at any orientation between synaesthetes and non-synaesthetes. Future studies could further explore the basis of synaesthete’s face processing advantages by using eye movements and a narrow-band noise-masking paradigm.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Dissolved organic carbon concentration, patterns and quality at a reclaimed and two natural wetlands, Fort McMurray, Alberta.

contributor:
Carey, Sean K
Earth and Environmental Sciences

abstract: The oil sands extraction process in Northern Alberta is very extensive, as it requires the removal of vegetation and overburden materials from the landscape surface.  By law, mining companies are required to restore the land to its previous capability once operations have ceased.  To achieve this, reclamation practices have been initiated; however, limited research has focused on upland-wetland systems in the oil sands region.  In 2012, Syncrude Canada Ltd. (SCL) constructed a 52-hectare wetland, known as Sandhill Fen Watershed (SFW).  SFW is a highly managed system that is composed of a water storage and outlet pond, underdrains, hummocks and perched and lowland fens. DOC is a major source of carbon and plays an important role in wetland biogeochemical and ecological functions. In disturbed landscapes, it is unclear as to how the quantity and quality of DOC compare with natural analogies. The objective of this thesis is to determine the spatial and temporal patterns of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) quality and quantity of SFW and compare these findings with those from two natural wetlands near Fort McMurray, AB. In 2014 and 2015, water samples were collected and analyzed for DOC concentration and optical properties. To assess DOC composition, four fluorescence indices were used: Fluorescence Index (FI), Freshness Index (β/α), Humification Index (HIX) and Specific Ultraviolet Absorbance at 254nm (SUVA254).  Results indicate that there is significant difference between SFW and the natural fens for all fluorescence indices and DOC concentration.  More specifically, DOC concentrations and composition at SFW are greater and more variable than at the natural wetlands - Pauciflora (PC) and Poplar fen (PP). Additionally, DOC concentrations at SFW appear to be primarily controlled by water table (WT), sodium (Na+) concentration and electrical conductivity (EC), whereas PC and PP are influenced by additional variables such as peat depth and vegetation.  At SFW, fluorescence indices and a 3-component Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) model suggest that the carbon changes at a “transition zone” located at the boundary between the lowlands and margins from terrestrially-derived, old with high humification, aromaticity and molecular weight to microbially-derived, recently produced with low humification, aromaticity and molecular weight. Results from this research will help guide reclamation efforts through the characterization of carbon cycling processes and their relation to undisturbed systems.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Nonviolent resistance through counter-narrative in Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Lai’s Salt Fish Girl

contributor:
Coleman, Daniel
English

subject:
nonviolent resistance
The Handmaid's Tale
Larissa Lai
Margaret Atwood
storytelling
feminist dystopia
Salt Fish Girl

abstract: This thesis examines how patriarchal dystopian societies attempt to control their citizenry through the homogenization of discourse and the employment of Foucauldian panopticons. In the context of these power structures, I argue that nonviolent storytelling and restorative memory are more effective in resisting oppression than violent, openly subversive forms of rebellion. In my discussion of The Handmaid’s Tale, I examine how Gilead’s manipulation of public discourse through religious hegemony and restrictions on literacy suppresses the efficacy of individually heroic acts by characters such as Ofglen and Moira. I assert that Offred’s playful deconstruction of language, defiant remembering of her past experiences, and insistence on bearing witness to Gilead’s atrocities without the promise of a listener allows her to successfully resist power and maintain a distinct self. In the analysis of Salt Fish Girl that follows, I study how the Big Six employ a series of cooperative hegemonies to promote neoliberal policies, dehumanize Othered bodies, and rob people in diaspora of cultural memory. Though protagonist Miranda fails in a conventional sense, I conclude that she succeeds due to her remixing of Western texts, hybridization of histories and values, and role in birthing a new, more hopeful future.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: GUT FEELINGS: INVESTIGATING THE LINKS BETWEEN ACUTE GASTROINTESTINAL ILLNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH

contributor:
O'SHEA, TIM
Global Health

subject:
MENTAL HEALTH
ANXIETY
DEPRESSION
INFECTIOUS DISEASE
ACUTE GASTROINTESTINAL ILLNESS

abstract:
Background: Psychiatric patients have been well documented to have higher rates of physical illness compared to the general population. Treatments of chronic illnesses such as functional gastrointestinal disorders are beginning to incorporate integrated care models to simultaneously address psychiatric and physical symptoms. This is based on recent research emphasizing the importance of the gut-brain axis. However, the intricacies of connections between infectious diseases and mental illness remain unclear. Diarrheal disease and depression account for a disproportionate amount of the total global burden of disease, being the second and fourth greatest contributors respectively. This highlights the need to investigate the possible links between the two, and interactions along the gut-brain axis in general.
Objectives: The objectives of this scoping review and thematic analysis was to explore what is known about infectious acute gastrointestinal illness and its relationship to depressive and anxiety symptoms. Ultimately, this review was intended to act as a case study of novel connections between infectious illnesses and mental illness.
Methodology: Following Arksey & O’Malley’s framework, five databases (EMBASE, MedLine, PsychInfo, Global Health, HealthStar) were searched resulting in 1156 titles and abstracts. These were screened for inclusion and produced a total of 17 articles included for review and synthesis.
Results: Three major themes were identified: 1) Connections between physical and mental status within this context can occur via i) the microbiome, ii) the immune system, iii) the nervous system, and iv) the endocrine system; 2) Bidirectionality of the gut-brain axis is key in understanding cross-talk between symptoms; 3) Integration of care options might result in improved health outcomes.
Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that holistic and integrated interventions must be considered not only for chronic and mental illnesses, but also for infectious and mental illnesses, based on the connections between AGI and depressive and anxiety symptoms. More research is required, particularly with human subjects, in order to further understand the connections between the gut and brain. Incorporation of this knowledge into new treatment plans will allow clinicians to deliver more effective care to their patients who suffer from a dual burden of disease.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: THE ASSOCIATION OF PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR INHIBITOR-1  AND ANTEPARTUM DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS:  CONSEQUENCES FOR CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH

contributor:
Steiner, Meir
Neuroscience

subject:
Major Depressive Disorder
Pregnancy
cardiovascular health
PAI-1

abstract: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the most common psychiatric conditions affecting adults and afflicts approximately 5% of the world's population. MDD is highly co-morbid with cardiovascular disease, a major source of morbidity and mortality. Although a number of pathological changes observed in MDD may impact cardiovascular health, no single mechanism has been identified that can explain this association. Both MDD and CVD are more common in women, and pregnancy may represent a period of elevated risk for both depression  and changes in cardiovascular health that may never fully resolve in the years following pregnancy. This study of 61 pregnant women during their third trimester of pregnancy investigated whether depressive symptoms (as measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, or EPDS) are associated with decreased heart rate variability, a well-known marker of cardiovascular risk. Additionally, this study will investigate whether Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 and 2 (PAI-1 and PAI-2) mediate this association. These pro-thrombotic proteins have long been linked to the presence and severity of cardiovascular disease, and an emerging body of evidence suggests that plasma concentrations of these proteins may also be elevated in Major Depressive Disorder.  Heart rate variability was significantly reduced among participants who had clinically significant depressive symptoms during the third trimester (EPDS >14), although adjustment for age, body mass index, smoking, education level and use of psychiatric medication fully attenuated this relationship. PAI-1 and PAI-2 measured via ELISA assay in a subset of the study population (n=23) was found to not mediate this association. This study is the first of its kind to evaluate the role of PAI-1 in psychiatric illness during pregnancy, and may serve as the impetus for further research aimed at elucidating the relationship between mental health and cardiovascular risk during gestation.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Charter Review and a Community's Constitutional Morality

contributor:
Waluchow, Wilfrid
Philosophy

abstract: This dissertation participates in the ongoing debate around whether judicial review is justified and sets out to present a novel defence of it and to reconcile it with our democratic commitments. I argue that judges are the cornerstones of our legal system, and that their ability to review legislation is fundamental to a healthy political system. Yet some people have argued that their doing so is undemocratic. I set out to develop an improved theory of judicial review and to answer its opponents. A central aspect of my work focuses on the role of communities as moral agents. Previous defenses of judicial review have failed to fully appreciate the importance of group agency. I contend that communities are moral agents and that charters and the judicial review of legislation are democratic because they attempt to hold communities to their own most deeply held moral beliefs. Understanding communities as moral agents provides the basis for a strengthened theory of judicial review. Nations have a moral centre whose principles they sometimes infringe. A charter reminds the nations of what it really is as a moral agent and reminds the citizens of who they are and of what they owe their fellows. The judiciary calls foul when they do not play by the rules. With this shift in perspective we can understand judges in charter cases as trying to assess what the community is committed to through its constitution, its charter and its laws. To illustrate my defense of judicial review I analyze the status of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) in Canadian law. I explain and demonstrate the constitutional justification of the shift from the 1993 Rodriguez decision concerning the criminal ban on PAS to the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Carter that found that ban to be unconstitutional.

abstract: Dissertation

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

abstract: This dissertation participates in the ongoing debate around whether or not judicial review is democratic. Judicial review is the process by which judges review legislation for consistency with a nation’s constitution or bill of rights. Some opponents have argued that such a process is undemocratic because it replaces the will of the people, as expressed through their elected representatives, with the will of a few judges. In my dissertation I develop an improved theory of judicial review that is able to respond to this argument. A central aspect of my work focuses on the role of communities as moral agents. I argue I that communities are moral agents, and that charters and the judicial review of legislation are democratic because they attempt to hold communities to their own most deeply held moral beliefs. To illustrate my defense of judicial review I analyze the status of physician-assisted suicide in Canadian law.


title: Symmetrically Positive Definite Functions

contributor:
Stewart, J.
Mathematics

subject: symmetrically, positive, definite, functions, theorems

abstract: In this thesis we study the representation theorems for evenly positive definite functions on Euclidean spaces. A generalization of the concept of evenness on R^n to a concept of symmetry on any locally compact abelian group is given. In addition, a result analogous to the Weil-Povzner-Raikov Theorem is obtained for the representation of symmetrically positive definite functions on locally compact abelian groups.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


contributor:
Campbell, C.K.
Electrical Engineering

abstract: Title: Performance Enhancement of Evaporated Thin Film Field Effect Transistors, Author: Frank J. Vallo, Location: Thode

abstract:
Evaporated thin film Field Effect transistors were investigated in an attempt to improve their performance. High resolution masks were constructed to facilitate the evaporation of the devices. Subsequent treatment was examined as a means of improving device stability. As well,
some mask manipulation was tried as a means of reducing interelectrode capacitances.

The construction of the devices is discussed with particular reference to cleaning techniques. An attempt is made to relate instability problems in thin film devices to those encountered in MOS devices. Techniques such as mask construction, bonding, and packaging are also described.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (ME)


title: Transport and Destruction of Pelecypod Valves in the Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy

contributor:
Risk, M. J.
Geology

subject: transport, destruction, pelecypod valves, Bay of Fundy, intertidal channels, sediment

abstract:
 Processes affecting the transportation and destruction of empty valves of the pelecypods Mya arenaria and Macoma balthica, were examined within the intertidal zone off Portapique Beach in the Minas Basin(Bay of Fundy). It was found that valve transport was away from shore within channels and eastward alongshore on the flats. It was observed that the rate of
transport of left valves and small valves was greater than right valves large valves respectively. Transported valves are preferential oriented by currents of the flood and ebb tides and those within intertidal channels. Channel migration does not appear to be of significance in removing empty valves from these intertidal sediments. The loss valves from within the sediment is attributed to an unknown 'escape' mechanism. Once free of the sediment, valves are transported, weakened by boring thallophytes and mechanically destroyed during transport.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Bachelor of Science (BSc)


title: Psychometric Parameters of Zephyr Bioharness & Fitbit Charge

contributor:
MacDermid, Joy
Rehabilitation Science

subject: Reliability, Validity, Agreement, Zephyr Bioharness, Fitbit Charge

abstract: Technological innovations have lead to the development of Wearable Physiological Monitoring devices, that have enabled researchers and clinicians in real-time monitoring of physiologic function within a field setting. However, it is important to establish the psychometric properties of a device prior to its utilization. A systematic review was conducted to provide a summary and appraise the quality of the literature on psychometric parameters of Zephyr Bioharness and Fitbit devices. Based on this review, we addressed the current gaps in the literature regarding the reliability parameters of Zephyr Bioharness and Fitbit Charge devices, and established the validity and agreement properties of Fitbit Charge device. For our systematic review, we searched the Google Scholar and PubMed databases to identify articles. To establish the reliability, validity and agreement parameters of Zephyr Bioharness and Fitbit Charge devices, a convenience and snowball sampling approaches were used to recruit sixty participants (30 females) from university student, staff, faculty population, and MacSeniors Community Program at McMaster University. The performance of Zephyr and Fitbit devices were assessed throughout three phases; rest, Modified Canadian Aerobic Fitness Test and recovery. In our study, at rest, inter-session average heart rate (beats/min.) ICCs (SEM) for Zephyr and Fitbit ranged from 0.90 – 0.94 (1.73 – 2.37) and 0.88 – 0.94 (1.83 – 2.67) respectively. At mCAFT, the Zephyr ICCs (SEM) ranged from 0.91 – 0.97 (3.12 – 4.64) and 0.85 – 0.98 (3.28 – 4.88) for the Fitbit. Throughout the recovery, the ICCs (SEM) ranged from 0.93 – 0.97 (2.65 – 4.66) and 0.76 – 0.91 (3.17 – 4.67) for Zephyr and Fitbit devices respectively. Pearson’s correlation coefficients and (Mean differences) for heart rate variable were 0.97 – 0.99 (-0.60 – 0.02) at Rest, 0.89 – 0.99 (13.51 – 0.62) at submaximal testing and 0.70 – 0.84 (-0.54 – 2.52) throughout recovery. The average agreement bias of heart rate in pair-wise device comparison indicated mean differences of -0.20, 4.00 and 1.00 at rest, sub-maximal testing and recovery respectively. We identified fair to very good quality evidence from 14 studies. The Zephyr Bioharness and Fitbit Charge devices demonstrated excellent reliability measures, and the Fitbit Charge device heart rate variable demonstrated strong to very strong correlations when concurrently compared with Zephyr, and provided valuable information regarding its interchangeable use in a sample of sixty healthy male and female participants of various age groups during a resting, standardized submaximal fitness and recovery phases.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


contributor:
Taylor, S.M.
Geography

abstract: Title: A Case Study of a Community Action Group Using Greensville Against Serious Pollutions Inc. as a Local Example, Author: Sirio A. Vacca, Location: Thode

abstract:
The purpose of this research paper is to shed some light
on the relatively unexplored issue of community opposition to
proposed Municipal landfill sites. The first objective is to
identify the issues and concerns of citizens directly affected
by the proposal. The second objective is to identify the key
concerns of the community action group. The third objective is
to evaluate the success of the community action group in
achieving its strategic goals. Key informant interviews, local
newspaper articles, relevant reports, and Public Liaison
meeting minutes provide the data source base. The results show
that although the concerns of local residents vary slightly
from the concerns of the community action group, the action
group is a key voice in the government's site selection
approval process.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Bachelor of Arts (BA)


title: Petrography and Provenance of an Archean Conglomerate Manitou Lake Northwestern Ontario

contributor:
McNutt, R. H.
Schwarcz, H. P.
Geology

subject: petrography, provenance, archean conglomerate, iron formations, deposit, modal clast, sandstones, rocks

abstract:
 The Archean "Loose Pebble Bay" conglomerate, Manitou Lake, northwestern Ontario, contains a variety of clast types, not all of which can be readily ascribed to local lithologies. This study was undertaken to determine the modal clast composition of the conglomerate, and
investigate the origin of the clasts. The conglomerate lies near the top of a stratigraphic sequence which includes mafic and felsic volcanic rocks, iron formations, conglomerates, sandstones and argillites. The conglomerate unit itself consists of interbedded conglomerate and sandstone, and probably represents a channel-fill deposit of an ancient submarine fan.

 Modal percentages of clast types were obtained using a line-intercept method. They indicate that most of the debris in the conglomerate can be reasonably attributed to uplift and erosion of the lateral equivalents of the underlying stratigraphy, except for the granitoid clasts, which have no known origin within the area.

 Petrographic examinations of the clasts indicate that field identifications must be confirmed with thin
section investigations.

 The modal composition of granitoid clasts was determined utilizing both thin sections and stained slabs. Most of the granitoid clasts are granodiorite, or lie just within the granite field, adjacent to the granodiorite field. Textural studies of the granitoid clasts suggest that gneissic and allotriomorphic-granular textured rocks may have formed by deformation or partial recrystallization along grain boundaries of previously hypidiomorphic-granular rocks. Textures generally indicate intrusive origin and slow cooling,
although two granophyric samples may have solidified at relatively shallower depths than the other granitoid rocks.

 The textures and compositions of most of the granitoid clasts suggest that they were derived from one intrusive body. Intrusion of such a body into the
volcanic-sedimentary belt, followed by uplift and erosion, would account for the presence in the "Loose Pebble Bay" conglomerate of granitic clasts and clasts similar to the underlying rocks. However, no evidence of such an intrusion has been found in the Manitou Lake area,
and two of the granitoid clasts are noticeably different in composition from the others. The possibility of a pre-existing sialic basement cannot be ruled out.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Bachelor of Science (BSc)