title: pH- Triggered Dynamic Molecular Tweezers for Drug Delivery Applications

contributor:
Petitjean, Anne
Chemistry

subject:
Molecular Tweezer
pH responsive
Drug Delivery

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-06 00:29:04.248

abstract:
My MSc project aims at developing pH-responsive molecular tweezers for drug delivery applications. The project began with the synthesis of our 2nd generation tweezer, whose main objective was to improve our previous model, 1st generation tweezer, which contained a pH-responsive triad spacer and two naphthalene walls known to interact with hydrophobic drugs such as Mitoxantrone®. The naphthalene interaction sites were successfully modified to contain
oligoethylene glycol chains to improve their water-solubility, in anticipation for more accurate measurements of pKa and binding constants in aqueous media. However, all attempts to convert such naphthalene derivatives into their corresponding boronic acid or ester through standard protocols (halogen-lithium exchange, palladium catalyzed borylation) failed. Without
the required boronic acid/ester, the final Suzuki-Miyaura coupling with the di-bromo triad spacer was not achieved.
Synthesis of the 3rd generation tweezer, which was modified to contain theophylline as
the new interaction sites, was then attempted. The half-tweezer was successfully synthesized via copper (II) catalyzed coupling of theophylline with the 5-bromo-4-methoxyphenyl boronic acid. However, all attempts to convert it into the required boronic acid/ ester for the final Suzuki-
Miyaura coupling reaction with 2,6-dibromopyridine failed. We then focused our attention on the conversion of the triad spacer into its corresponding diboronic acid. The synthesis of the triad diboronic acid was a success, however, the final copper (II) catalyzed reaction with theophylline to form the tweezer only yielded the mono-coupled product.
Lastly, our 4th generation tweezer was engineered to avoid the synthetic difficulties encountered in the boronic acid/ ester synthesis stage. Using the commercially available 5-formyl-2-methoxyphenylboronic acid and o-phenylenediamine, we successfully synthesized a benzimidazole-derived “half tweezer” through ring condensation reaction. Alkylation of this half-tweezer was also successfully achieved, although purification of the alkylated product was not optimized. Using this crude product, we carried out the final tweezer reaction via Suzuki- Miyaura coupling with 2,6-dibromopyridine under microwave irradiation. 1H NMR results show
formation of new species that is believed to be the 4th generation tweezer (although the
presence of impurities made integration of the signals unreliable). Much work is needed in the purification of the alkylated half tweezer boronic acid in order to avoid complicated mixtures in the final tweezer reaction.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Spike train propagation in the axon of a visual interneuron, the descending contralateral movement detector of Locusta migratoria

contributor:
Robertson, Mel
Biology

rights: This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.

subject:
Axon
DCMD
Metformin
ZD7288
Hypoxia
HCN
Ih
AMPK
Na+/K+ATPase
Octopamine
Spike train

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-07 14:41:46.972

abstract:
Neurons perform complex computations, communications and precise transmissions of information in the form of action potentials (APs). The high level of heterogeneity and complexity at all levels of organization within a neuron and the functional requirement of highly permeable cell membranes leave neurons exposed to damage when energy levels are insufficient for the active maintenance of ionic gradients.
When energy is limiting the ionic gradient across a neuron’s cell membrane risks being dissipated which can have dire consequences. Other researchers have advocated “generalized channel arrest” and/or “spike arrest” as a means of reducing the neuronal permeability allowing neurons to adjust the demands placed on their electrogenic pumps to lower levels of energy supply. I investigated the consequences of hypoxia on the propagation of a train of APs down the length of a fast conducting axon capable of transmitting APs at very high frequencies. Under normoxic conditions I found that APs show conduction velocities and instantaneous frequencies nearly double that of neurons experiencing energy limiting hypoxic conditions. I show that hypoxia affects AP conduction differently for different lengths of axon and for APs of different instantaneous frequencies. Action potentials of high instantaneous frequency in branching lengths of axon within ganglia were delayed more significantly than those in non-branching lengths contained within the connective and fail preferentially in branching axon. I found that octopamine attenuates the effects of hypoxia on AP propagation for the branching length of axon but has no effect on the non-branching length of axon. Additionally, for energetically stable cells, application of the anti-diabetic medication metformin or the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channel blocker ZD7288 resulted in a reduced performance similar to that seen in neurons experiencing energetic stress. Furthermore both metformin and ZD7288 affect the shape of individual APs within an AP train as well as the original temporal sequence of the AP train, which encodes behaviourally relevant information. I propose that the reduced performance observed in an energetically compromised cell represents an adaptive mechanism
employed by neurons in order to maintain the integrity of their highly heterogeneous and complex organization during periods of reduced energy supply.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Exploring Youth Sport Contexts: a Look at Young Female Athletes' Perceptions of Their Specialized Sport Experience

contributor:
Côté, Jean
Deakin, Janice
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Early Specialization
Development
Sport
Female
Youth

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-11 21:50:33.779

abstract:
In sports like gymnastics and figure skating where peak performance occurs before physical maturation it logically follows that athletes need to be dedicated to their athletic development at a young age if elite performance is to be attained. However, countless studies have reported that early specialization in a single sport exposes youth to elevated risks of negative physical, psychological or emotional outcomes associated with sport participation (Côté & Fraser-Thomas, 2007). As such, it is important that we develop an understanding of the contextual factors or features of specialized youth sport environment(s) that are having positive impacts on youth growth, development and long-term commitment to sport. By harnessing an understanding of the features of specialized youth sport environments that positively contribute to the youth sport experience, we will be better equipped to mitigate the increased risk of negative outcomes in these environments.
Using the National Research Council Institute of Medicine’s (2002) eight setting features as a framework, the general goal of the current study was to explore the specialized youth sport environment as it is experienced by young athletes. Photo-elicitation was used to conduct interviews with 15 female athletes between the ages of 8 and 13 who primarily participated in one sport for 12 or more hours per week, for at least 9 months of the year. Two over-arching dimensions of the specialized youth sport experience emerged from the themes generated by the interviews: program design and interaction. Program design represents six themes underpinning the program’s inherent structure and organization: personal performance emphasis, consistent training structure, adaptable practice activities, rule guided engagement, appropriate equipment set-up and maintenance, and supervision by one or more adults. The interaction dimension represents six themes that emerged as a result of relationships with key social agents (e.g., parents, coaches, peers, community) of the sport environment: tangible support, informational support, emotional support, cultivation of camaraderie, achievement recognition, and opportunities for autonomy.  These findings add to the literature as they provide a first step in understanding the specialized youth sport environment from the athlete’s eyes. That is, they not only help us understand the elements of the youth sport environment that youth perceive as important, but they also provide us with a working framework of the key features that are likely to contribute to positive outcomes in specialized sport environments.

abstract: M.A.


title: The Effects of Metabolic Depression Induced by Food Deprivation on Hypoxia Tolerance of Juvenile Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

contributor:
Wang, Yuxiang S.
Biology

subject:
Hypoxia Tolerance
Metabolic Depression

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-12 23:21:04.517

abstract: Hypoxic condition   is a naturally occurring environmental stressor in aquatic ecosystems. However, due to modern anthropocentric activities, hypoxia has been increasing in prevalence and severity.  Rainbow trout, a keystone species in many North American lakes, is hypoxia intolerant.  As a result, this species is of particular concern when studying the effects of hypoxia on an organism’s physiological functioning.  Chronic starvation was used as a tool to induce metabolic depression to determine the effect that depressed metabolic rate had on hypoxia tolerance.  Juvenile rainbow trout were deprived of food for five weeks at 15oC.  Each week, routine metabolic rate (RMR) and critical oxygen tension (Pcrit) were measured. Concomitantly, resting and post-hypoxia fish (8 h at ~50% air saturation) were sampled to measure metabolites in blood, liver and muscle, as well as enzyme activities in select tissues. Food deprivation resulted in a decrease in routine metabolic rate (RMR) and shift towards an increased reliance on aerobic metabolism. Pcrit decreased significantly following four weeks of food deprivation respectively, indicating that metabolic depression induced by food deprivation may confer an increased tolerance to low environmental oxygen concentration ([O2]).  However, marginal metabolic scope (MMS), another indicator of hypoxia tolerance, did not change in response to metabolic depression.  Furthermore, subjecting trout to O2 limitation resulted in mobilization of carbohydrates from the liver subsequently leading to hyperglycemia.  This was likely a survival technique ensuring that if severe hypoxia ensues, anaerobic substrates are ready for transport to the necessary tissues.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The Last Triangle: Sex, Money and the Politics of Pubic Hair

contributor:
Naaman, Dorit
Cultural Studies

subject:
Female Grooming Practices
Body Hair

abstract: Thesis (Master, Cultural Studies) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-14 09:54:11.802

abstract: This paper provides the theoretical component to a blog I wrote as part of an academic program in Cultural Studies for a period from March 2, 2011 until September 30, 2011. Called The Last Triangle: Sex, Money and the Politics (http://www.thelasttriangle.com), I set out to explore the increasing normalization of pubic hair removal among women in North America. The reasons for the upswing in the popularity of pubic hair removal are hard to pinpoint, but seem to be motivated by a number of forces. From the ready accessibility of pornography, where pubic hair is currently so rare it has spawned its own fetish, to the widespread attention Brazilian waxing has received in the media, pubic hair removal is merely one among a myriad of body grooming practices many women increasingly indicate they feel obliged follow. This paper will explore some of those ideas, taking a critical view of the practice in light of questions around performing femininity, how pubic hair removal pertains to body control, and how pubic hair removal is, for many, increasingly viewed as a practice closely connected with good hygiene. Because it is intimately tied to the purchase of dedicated products, pubic hair removal will also be considered in as much as it relates to capitalism. Because the blog was a fundamental component of my research experience, excerpts of both my own writing, as well as comments from readers, will be included in conversation here with the theoretical questions.

abstract: M.A.


title: Quantitative Characterization of Nanovoids in Quenched Aluminum Using Small Angle X-ray Scattering Studies

subject:
Physics
Materials Science

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-14 12:36:24.023

abstract:
A small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) study of quenched-in nanovoids in 99.988 and 99.995 at.% aluminum (Al) is presented. Nanovoids are agglomerations of point defects
(vacancies) in the metallic host. SAXS is a non-destructive, dynamic probe which is ideally suited to characterize nanoscale electron density inhomogeneities, e.g., electron density difference between void and metal matrix. Previous SAXS studies of nanovoid structures in metals were limited by the presence of multiple scattering from the metal matrix. The first published report of nanovoid characterization in quenched Al using the SAXS method took place in 2008. In the present work, meticulous material processing methods were applied to induce a significant nanovoid concentration in nominally pure Al while minimizing the introduction of multiple scattering artifacts through sample deformation.
Absolute intensity calibration with a secondary glassy carbon standard was performed. Data analysis procedures were developed to extract void scattering by subtracting calibrated reference scattering from calibrated quenched sample scattering, independent of their thicknesses. SAXS analyses were used to estimate void size as well as the void-metal interface structure, void number distribution and void volume fraction in quenched aluminum samples, an extension over the previous work where only estimates of void sizes were obtained. This work, including identification of experimental tools that can be readily
improved, demonstrates that SAXS studies are capable of providing precise characterization
of nanovoid structure in aluminum. SAXS analysis provides statistically averaged
parameters from scattering data collected from a macroscopic sample volume, which is an
advantage over electron microscopy studies. Also, preliminary aging studies of nanovoids
in Al revealed some interesting trends in the kinetic properties of the nanovoids which can be extended to test and develop the existing phenomenological models of void nucleation and growth. This level of information, i.e., at the nanoscale and, ideally, yielding kinetic information about the early stage formation and growth of nanovoids, has the potential to be used to develop novel aluminum alloy materials.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Large-Eddy Simulations of Accelerating Boundary Layer Flows Over Rough Surfaces

contributor:
Piomelli, Ugo
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject:
Relaminarization
Roughness
Large-eddy simulation
Turbulent boundary layers
Free-stream acceleration

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-17 11:19:08.063

abstract:
Large-eddy simulations are carried out to study the combined
  effects of roughness and favourable pressure gradient in boundary layer flows,
  where the high acceleration (on smooth walls) may cause flow reversion to the
  quasi-laminar state. A sand-grain roughness model is used, with the
no-slip boundary condition modeled by an immersed boundary method.
The properties and accuracies of the scheme are studied,
 the roughness model is validated, and the spatial-resolution requirements are
determined.

The roughness model is applied to boundary layers subject to mild or strong
acceleration, with simulations carried out underlining the effects of
three parameters: the acceleration parameter, the roughness height,
and the inlet Reynolds number.
The roughness effects are limited to the roughness sublayer; the outer layer is
affected indirectly only, through the changes that roughness causes in the
relaminarization and retransition processes.
The roughness significantly affects the inner-layer
quantities like the friction velocity and the friction coefficient, while
the local Reynolds number, the outer-layer mean velocity, as well as the Reynolds
stresses beyond the roughness sublayer, are not sensitive to the roughness.
The acceleration decreases the Reynolds stresses in the
overlap region and promotes a laminar-like velocity profile.
The acceleration leads to stabilization of near-wall structures and causes
one-dimensional turbulence. The roughness generates small-scale structures
at the bottom wall, which disturb the larger structures originally
stabilized by the pressure gradient, leading to a decrease in the Reynolds-stress
anisotropy. Roughness increases the Reynolds stresses in the roughness sublayer
and tends to restore the fully turbulence flow early. The inlet Reynolds number
affects the flow stability by determining the viscous length scale
compared to the roughness length scales, and by determining how far
the roughness effect extents into the boundary layer.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Risk Governance and Border Security Policy Post 9/11: Beyond Borders in the Security Era

contributor:
Lyon, David
Sociology

subject:
Border Governance
Post 9/11 Crime Control Policy
Political-Socio-Legal Studies
Risk Governance
Border Studies
Security Studies
Border Security Policy
Surveillance Studies

abstract: Thesis (Master, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-14 13:59:44.787

abstract: This paper utilizes a critical (political) discourse analysis to examine security dialogue as revealed through policy; in order to facilitate this task, the following publically available political documents will be analyzed: Smart Border Declaration; Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), and the pending Beyond Borders deal. The objective is to highlight the complexities and realities of the security era as it pertains to North American border security. In other words, I am interested in the administration of border security policy in its practical context. Reviewing the Beyond Borders deal and situating it within the overall national security policies that govern the Canadian border facilitates the identification of limitations posed by the security mentality dominant in border governance. This thesis advocates that those studying border security policies in order to formulate alternative options do so in a manner that appreciates the unique polity milieu of the border. The analysis presented here has policy implications and concludes with recommendations and projections for the Beyond Borders deal.

abstract: M.A.


title: The influence of landscape on genetic structure of a threatened reptile: the eastern massasauga rattlesnake

contributor:
Lougheed, Stephen C.
Biology

subject:
population genetics
cdpop
landscape genetics
Sistrurus catenatus
assignment test
circuitscape

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-14 15:06:35.956

abstract:
Understanding the impacts of both natural and anthropogenic landscape features on genetic diversity, population structure and connectivity has important implications for conservation of species living in fragmented environments. Here, I combine population genetic data, detailed land cover information, and computer simulations to explore how landscape shapes genetic structure across two regional populations of the threatened eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus) in Ontario, Canada: one along the eastern shores of Georgian Bay and the other largely confined to the northern half of the Bruce Peninsula.
First I used spatial Bayesian assignment to quantify the genetic population structure within each regional population. I found marked subpopulation structure within eastern Georgian Bay with differentiation of island and mainland snakes, a north-south split within the mainland coinciding with the town of Parry Sound, and evidence of further subdivision within the cluster of snakes north of Parry Sound. In contrast I found no population subdivision within the mainland of the Bruce Peninsula, but genetic distinction of mainland and island snakes.
Next, I identified the landscape features that shape spatial genetic structure within regional populations. In eastern Georgian Bay I found local variation in the effect of landscape on populations. North of Parry Sound I found no effect of landscape on inter-individual genetic differentiation, but a strong pattern of isolation-by-distance. In contrast I found that both open water and roads restrict gene flow of snakes south of Parry Sound. I found no evidence of isolation-by-distance or that landscape shape genetic structure within the Bruce Peninsula.
Finally I used individual-based, spatially explicit simulations to identify the lag-time associated with the detection of contemporary landscape feature effects on genetic structure of massasaugas, and explore the consequences of using spatially correlated land cover elements in landscape genetic analyses. I found that the genetic consequences of roads could be detected within 2-12 generations when population sizes were small or juvenile dispersal was low. However, I also found that roads could be spuriously identified as impediments to gene flow when spatially correlated features such as water are included in genetic models.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Breaking New Ground: The First Generation of Women to Work as Professional Authors in English Canada (1880-1920)

contributor:
Ware, Tracy
English

subject:
Sara Jeannette Duncan
Joanna E. Wood
Edith Eaton (Sui Sin Far)
E. Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake)

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, English) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-14 20:59:21.45

abstract: In the later decades of the nineteenth century and the early decades of the twentieth, large numbers of Canadian women were stepping out of the shadows of private life and into the public world of work and political action.  Among them, both a cause and an effect of these sweeping social changes, was the first generation of Canadian women to work as professional authors.  Although these women were not unified by ideology, genre, or date of birth, they are studied here as a generation defined by their time and place in history, by their material circumstances, and by their collective accomplishment.  Chapters which focus on E. Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake), the Eaton sisters (Sui Sin Far and Onoto Watanna), Joanna E. Wood, and Sara Jeannette Duncan explore some of the many commonalities and interrelationships among the members of this generation as a whole.  This project combines archival research with analytical bibliography in order to clarify and extend our knowledge of Johnson’s and Duncan’s professional lives and publishing histories, and to recover some of Wood’s “lost” stories.  This research offers a preliminary sketch of the long tradition of the platform performance (both Native and non-Native) with which Johnson and others engaged.  It explores the uniquely innovative ethnographic writings of Johnson, Duncan, and the Eaton sisters, among others, and it explores thematic concerns which relate directly to the experiences of working women.  Whether or not I convince other scholars to treat these authors as a generation, with more in common than has previously been supposed, the strong parallels revealed in these pages will help to clarify and contextualize some of their most interesting work.

abstract: I hope to publish it.

abstract: PhD


title: Studies of Adsorption of Organic Macromolecules on Oxide and Perfluorinated Surfaces

contributor:
Horton, J. Hugh
Chemistry

subject:
Microfluidics
Protein Adsorption
Surface Characterization
Colloids
Surface Modification

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-14 21:08:31.617

abstract:
Humic-based organic compounds containing phenol or benzoic acid groups strongly compete with phosphates for specific binding sites on the surface of these colloidal particles.  To study the interactions between phenol groups and the surface binding sites of unmodified or modified colloidal particles, chemical force spectrometry (CFS) was used as a tool to measure the adhesion force between an atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip terminated with a phenol self-assembled monolayer and colloidal particles under varying pH conditions.  Two modification methods, co-precipitation and post-precipitation, were used to simulate the naturally-occurring phosphate and humic-acid adsorption process.  The pH dependence of adhesion forces between phenol-terminated tip and colloidal particles could be explained by an interplay of electrostatic forces, the surface loading of the modifying phosphate or humic acid species and ionic hydrogen bonding.
      Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a widely-used polymer in microfluidic devices. PDMS surfaces are commonly modified to make it suitable for specific microfluidic devices. We studied the surface modification of PDMS using four perfluoroalkyl-triethoxysilane molecules of differing length of perfluorinated alkyl chain.  The results show that the length of fluorinated alkyl chain has important effects on the density of surface modifying molecules, surface topography and surface zeta potential.  The perfluorinated overlayer makes PDMS more efficient at supporting electroosmotic flow, which has potential applications in microfluidic devices.
     The kinetic study of RNase A, lysozyme C, α-lactalbumin and myoglobin at different concentrations adsorbed on the self-assembled monolayers of 1-octanethiol (OT-Au) and 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctyl-1-thiol (FOT-Au) has been carried out.  The results show a positive relationship between the lower protein concentration and the increased adsorption rate constant
(ka) on both surfaces.  At low concentrations, the protein adsorption on an OT-Au surface has greater ka than it on a FOT-Au surface. Comparing ka values for four proteins on OT-Au and FOT-Au surface demonstrates that hard proteins (lysozyme and RNase A) have larger ka than soft proteins (α-lactalbumin and myoglobin) on both surfaces.  The discussion is based on the hydrophobicity of OT-Au and FOT-Au surfaces, as well as average superficial hydrophobicity, flexibility, size, stability, and surface induced conformation change of proteins.

abstract: PhD


title: Ecotourism Assessment: Applying the Principles of Ecotourism to Paddle-Based Recreation in St. Lawrence Islands National Park and Environs

contributor:
Whitelaw, Graham S.
Jamieson, Heather E.
Environmental Studies

subject:
St. Lawrence Islands National Park
Ecotourism Principles
Ecotourism
Paddle-Based Recreation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Environmental Studies) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-19 18:23:57.163

abstract: This study explores the concept of ecotourism in terms of Honey’s (2008) seven principles of ecotourism (involves travel to natural destinations, minimizes impacts, builds environmental awareness, provides direct financial benefits to conservation, provides financial benefits and empowerment for local people, respects local culture, and supports human rights and democratic movements) and their application to the paddling industry of St. Lawrence Islands National Park (SLINP) and environs. SLINP and environs is located within the Thousand Islands Region of Eastern Ontario, and for the purpose of this research, includes all of the land and waterways along the St. Lawrence River extending as far as Jones Creek in the northeast to, but not including, Howe Island just southwest of Gananoque. The market and demand for paddle-based recreation in SLINP and environs is examined to determine if ecotourism is a feasible alternative to conventional tourism. Subsequently, Honey’s (2008) principles of ecotourism are applied to explore the role of paddle-based recreation within an ecotourism framework of the defined region. Specific recommendations were developed to better comply with these principles. General recommendations concerning the universal applicability of the principles were also prepared and included considerations for quality control measures and established tourism destinations. Ecotourism has traditionally been viewed as a panacea concept for developing countries to stimulate the economy, as well as, directly provide support for conservation efforts. This research instead examines the concept of ecotourism for a relatively sustainable, single activity within an established tourism destination of a developed country. If the recommendations are correctly implemented, the long term implications could include a reshaping of, first, the regional tourism industry and then, potentially the tourism industry at large, by encouraging a more holistic approach to tourism.

abstract: M.E.S.


title: On the regioselectivity of H-atom abstraction from model polyolefins by alkoxyl radicals

contributor:
Parent, J. Scott
Chemical Engineering

subject:
Polyolefin graft copolymerization
Hydrogen atom abstraction

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-20 16:48:38.083

abstract: Solvent-free peroxide-initiated polymer modifications are widely used to improve the physical and/or chemical properties of commodity plastics and elastomers. Although the reactions that underlie polymer grafting are known, our understanding of H-atom transfer reactions in this context is incomplete. Fundamental questions remain unanswered, such as the difference in reactivity between different polymers (polyethylene versus polypropylene and polyisobutylene) and differences in the regiochemical outcomes of grafting reactions upon them. Herein, experimental data pertaining to the H-atom transfers involved in polyolefin graft modifications were obtained to improve our fundamental understanding of these reactions by using radical-trapping techniques and quantum chemical calculations. In this project, experimental measurements of the efficiency of H-atom abstraction by t-butoxyl radicals from polyolefins, and suitable model compounds such as pentane, 2,4-dimethylpentane and 2,2,4,4-tetramethylpentane were determined. Insight is gained from alkyl-trapping experiments to quantify the relative reactivities of the primary, secondary and tertiary positions of the model compounds. Experimental data were compared to quantum chemical calculations, which revealed that entropic effects dictate the regioselectivity and preclude abstraction at the secondary position in favour of the less enthalpically-favourable primary abstraction site. MP2 and CBS-QB3 level calculations were able to reproduce experimental trends in model compound reactivity, while the highly common B3LYP density functional, used in other investigations on the subject, could not.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: The Contribution of Geomechanics and Engineering Geology to Mine Enterprise Value

contributor:
Martin, Jim
Mining Engineering

subject:
Geomechanics
Rock Failure
Engineering Geology
Economics

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mining Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-06 14:03:21.589

abstract:
The objective of this thesis is to identify the value of geomechanics and engineering geology to mine enterprise value for hardrock underground mines.  It was decided that the most effective way to highlight the value of geomechanics and engineering geology was by identifying an increase in expenditure that could be economically justified in the present to mitigate the cost of a future event, thus providing a means for showing the economic value of the work performed.

Cost models were generated for several events based on the direct cost, value of ore lost and decline in value of ore due to the event.  A cost associated with fatalities was also included.  Six rockburst events were developed into cost models from publicly available information.  A further 13 were developed from confidential information provided by mining companies, bringing the total number of events analyzed to 19.

A probabilistic approach was then taken to identify the probability of a rockburst with a certain magnitude occurring and, if an event occurs, the probability it will cause damage.  The former is based on the Gutenberg-Richter Frequency-Magnitude relationship while the latter was derived from Unusual Occurrence Reports provided by the Ontario Ministry of Labour.  Three case studies were then developed to show how to use the average cost of a rockburst event in conjunction with the probability analysis to arrive at an increase in expenditure above baseline spending.

It was found that the total average cost of a rockburst based on the 19 events analyzed from 13 mines in 4 different countries for events occurring between 1984 and 2009 is $35.4 million (2010 CAD) with a range of $1.1 to $263.5 million (2010 CAD).  Using the probabilistic method outlined above and cost models from the specific region involved, the increase in expenditure for the Ontario hard rock underground case study, Mine A and Mine B was found to be $12.1 million (2010 CAD),  $5 million (2010 CAD) and $4.0 million (2010 CAD) respectively.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Limnology and paleolimnology of adjacent High Arctic lakes with an emphasis on terrestrial-aquatic linkages: Cape Bounty, Melville Island, Nunavut

contributor:
Lamoureux, Scott F.
Geography

subject:
Lipids
Paleolimnology
Organic Geochemistry
Limnology
Paired-Watershed
Diatoms
Climate Change
Arctic

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-26 09:34:01.144

abstract:
Our knowledge of how Arctic freshwater ecosystems will respond to continued climate change and variability is fundamentally limited by logistical difficulties of such remote research, resulting in relatively sparse long-term baseline data on these systems. This research applies a unique paired-watershed approach (i.e., two similar, adjacent lakes and catchments) to help address these limitations, which provided an opportunity to identify how broad-scale factors are filtered or modified by site-specific characteristics.
My first main objective was to document the seasonal hydrochemical variability of runoff and influences on lake chemistry. Both lakes appear to be relatively insensitive to seasonal hydroclimatic variability, largely because periods of high discharge were also characterized by lower concentrations of dissolved and particulate matter, but also because of the relatively long lake water turnover time that suggests the effects of climatic and environmental changes would be felt later in these systems than in lakes and ponds with smaller lake volumes.
My second objective was to investigate spatial and temporal trends in the lake diatom communities in order to refine subsequent paleoenvironmental reconstructions. A critical aspect of this objective was testing how faithfully the whole lake diatom community was represented in deep lake surface sediments where sediment cores are routinely collected. Most differences between the two lakes were largely accounted for with micro-environmental conditions associated with the specific sampling location. Also, both lakes exhibited a degree of disconnection between littoral benthic and profundal zones that manifested as an under-representation of the benthic community in deep lake surface sediments, with implications for paleoenvironmental interpretations.
Finally, I present a multi-proxy record of environmental conditions in adjacent lakes spanning the period from pre-industrial times. Biogeochemical records reflected major changes in lake primary productivity and terrestrial organic matter accumulation beginning prior to 1950 in both lakes, pointing to profound environmental changes that culminated with the establishment of an appreciable diatom community in both lakes in the 1980s. Differences in the timing of changes between the two lakes point to differing threshold capacities to external forcings, and suggest that East Lake’s response to post-industrial climate change is advanced compared to West Lake.

abstract: PhD


title: Analysis and Parallelization of JPEG-2000 Reference Software for General-Purpose Processors

contributor:
Manjikian, Naraig
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Image Processing
Parallel Processing

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-29 00:10:43.437

abstract:
Like many other multimedia applications, image compression involves a significant amount of data processing for coding images. Sophisticated general-purpose processors with parallel architectures and advanced cache systems can be dedicated to enhancing performance for serial multimedia applications through parallelization.

This thesis describes parallelization of the JasPer reference software for the JPEG-2000 image compression standard and presents results from simulation, and from hardware execution on a multicore processor where speedups of more than 2 are obtained with 4 processors. Results from execution and cache behavior analysis are presented to establish the expected speedup and to further characterize JasPer execution.

The JasPer encoding process has been analyzed on a single processor for both simulated and hardware execution in order to obtain more insights into application behavior. On recent hardware platforms, the significant contributors to the total execution time have been identified through profiling. The granularity of parallelism for parallelizable loops have been analyzed for execution on real hardware. Cache behavior and memory access pattern have been studied closely for the simulated execution.

To facilitate parallelization, selected parallelizable loops have been transformed in order to assist the partitioning of loop iterations for parallel execution and to increase workload granularity and reduce synchronization overhead. These modifications include loop index and body transformation, and loop fusion.

A memory access pattern tracking feature has also been introduced for serial and parallel execution of a program in simulation. This feature tracks the number of memory accesses in a particular data region during a particular interval of time in order to gain additional insights into execution behavior.

The multithreaded execution of the parallelized JasPer encoder presents a relatively balanced workload which indicates a reasonable efficiency for parallel execution. The generated images have been compared against their original images by using analytical tools to ensure the image quality and to verify correctness.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: High-Speed Electronic Signal Processing for Pre-Compensation in Optical Communications

contributor:
Cartledge, John C.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Electronic signal processing
Optical communications
Pre-compensation

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-29 13:01:01.347

abstract:
Narrowband optical filtering and chromatic dispersion are two important issues that affect optical fiber transmission performance. Recent technological developments in high-speed digital signal processors, digital-to-analog converters and analog-to-digital converters have enabled the implementation of electronic signal processing (ESP) in optical transmission systems leading to adaptive and cost efficient integrated solutions. This thesis focuses on applying ESP at the transmitter to pre-compensate for narrowband optical filtering and chromatic dispersion.

A novel electronic pre-compensation approach was proposed to deal with narrowband optical filtering. The effectiveness was demonstrated by a straight-line experiment and a recirculating loop experiment for 10 Gb/s non-return-to-zero on-off-keying (NRZ-OOK). Moreover, the work was extended to NRZ differential-phase-shift-keying as well as 20 Gb/s NRZ differential-quadrature-phase-shift-keying. Experimental results demonstrate that electronic pre-compensation effectively reduces the degradation in system performance induced by narrowband optical filtering.

Electronic dispersion pre-compensation was investigated using a semiconductor InP Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) for the NRZ-OOK modulation format at 10.709 Gb/s aiming at providing a cost efficient implementation for core and metro transmission networks. A brute-force method was developed to determine the requisite drive voltages due to the nonlinear voltage dependent attenuation and phase constants of the InP MZM. The transmission results for the recirculating loop and straightline experiments demonstrate that an InP MZM provides comparable dispersion precompensation performance with a conventional LiNbO3 MZM. Use of the NRZ-OOK modulation format and InP MZM provides a simple and cost-efficient solution for core and metro transmission network.

Dispersion pre-compensation was also performed for a 85.672 Gb/s polarization multiplexed 16-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (PM-16QAM) modulation format with digital coherent detection and offline digital signal processing. The transmitter was characterized to ensure the quality of the 16QAM signal generation. Simulation results indicate the impact of the modulator bias voltage error on system performance. Recirculating loop experimental results demonstrate that the performance of dispersion pre-compensation is comparable with dispersion post-compensation, thus providing the possibility to combine dispersion pre- and post-compensation for PM-16QAM coherent transmission for further performance improvement.

abstract: PhD


title: Liberal Ethics & Political Obligation

contributor:
Lister, Andrew
Moore, Margaret
Political Studies

subject:
Liberalism
Neutrality
Political Obligation
Perfectionism

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Political Studies) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-30 21:13:30.823

abstract: This is a study in the political ethics of liberalism. It uses political obligation theory to shed light on the neutrality-perfectionism debate. My thesis is that neutralism cannot provide a coherent foundation for liberal political morality because a viable account of general political obligation relies on background assumptions about persons and conduct that are reasonably contestable even though they are not illiberal. To make this case, Section I reviews the conceptual details of neutrality across two generations of thinking. Second-generation neutrality, under political liberalism, is the more plausible rendering because it acknowledges that liberalism must stake a middle-ground between non-moral instrumentalism and moral absolutism. Liberalism, in other words, needs a moral reason to be neutral. I question whether political liberalism remains sufficiently moral and sufficiently neutral by asking if it offers mutually sustaining legitimacy and obligation principles. Section II discusses perfectionist ethics and highlights a crucial kind of value, called inherent value, often invoked but rarely scrutinized in political theory. Inherent value marks the main ethical difference between liberal neutrality and illiberal perfectionism, showing how liberal-perfectionist positions on controversial matters can be taken without prescribing for the whole of life. Including this type of value, I then outline the precise neutralist and perfectionist conditions that liberals adopting either perspective would have to meet in justifying general political obligation. Section III then answers my main research question about whether political liberalism’s moral account of political obligation coheres with its neutralist position on legitimacy. My essential claim here is that our responsibility to comply with the moral and epistemological standards of civility is a position from inherent value. And since political liberalism cannot escape these inherent value assumptions while explaining and justifying its account of general political obligation, it is there that we can most clearly see political liberalism’s perfectionist leanings. My dissertation therefore shows a new way to understand that only liberal-perfectionist valuation can hang-together a coherent and viable liberalism for today’s pluralistic polities.

abstract: PhD


title: Radio Frequency Identification as Surveillance: A Critical Analysis of Myth and Risk in an Emerging Technology

subject: Surveillance RFID

abstract: Thesis (Master, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-31 13:39:15.157

abstract: Radiofrequency identification (RIFD) is a significant player in the spread of computation out of the box and into the environment and is becoming a key component in what some have titled the “digital era”.  In its capacity to identify and classify material objects often associated with human beings, RFID should also be considered as a mechanism of surveillance.  Rather than focusing on the often inflated claims of the transformative power of RFID (from both its boosters and its critics), current applications of RFID are analyzed firstly, through the lens of the digital sublime as employed by Vincent Mosco (2004), and secondly, from the risk society thesis as coined by Ulrich Beck (1992) and explored in light of Bauman’s analysis of the production of fear and its associated capacities (2007).  From the viewpoint of the digital sublime, RFID promises revolutionary potential in communication, distribution and efficiency and belief in these properties seems to override actual evidence of the more limited impacts of RFID.  In the risk society thesis, RFID is implemented for its perceived contribution to greater security, understood at several levels but is simultaneously feared for its grandeur of capabilities.  This critical analysis of RF technologies explores the current understanding of RFID: what the perception is, how the perception was built, and what sustains it, while pointing both to the propensity of RFID to alter time-space patterns and extend surveillance but also to the ways in which both proponents and opponents of RFID may exaggerate this contribution.

abstract: M.A.


title: State Estimation and Parameter Identification of Continuous-time Nonlinear Systems

contributor:
Guay, Martin
Chemical Engineering

subject:
State Estimation
Adaptive Identifier
Nonlinear Systems
Parameter Identification
Adaptive Observer

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-10-31 22:04:58.762

abstract:
The problem of parameter and state estimation of a class of nonlinear systems is addressed. An adaptive identifier and observer are used to estimate the parameters and the state variables simultaneously. The proposed method is derived using a new formulation.  Uncertainty sets are defined for the parameters and a set of auxiliary variables for the state variables. An algorithm is developed to update these sets using the available information. The algorithm proposed guarantees the convergence of parameters and the state variables to their true value. In addition to its application in difficult estimation problems, the algorithm has also been adapted to handle fault detection problems. The technique of estimation is applied to two broad classes of systems. The first involves a class of continuous time nonlinear systems subject to bounded unknown exogenous disturbance with constant parameters. Using the proposed set-based adaptive estimation, the parameters are updated only when an improvement in the precision of the parameter estimates can be guaranteed. The formulation provides robustness to parameter estimation error and bounded disturbance. The parameter
uncertainty set and the uncertainty associated with an auxiliary variable is updated such that the set is guaranteed to contain the unknown true values.
The second class of system considered is a class of nonlinear systems with timevarying
parameters. Using a generalization of the set-based adaptive estimation technique proposed, the estimates of the parameters and state are updated to guarantee convergence to a neighborhood of their true value. The algorithm proposed can also be extended to detect the fault in the system, injected by drastic change in the time-varying parameter values. To study the practical applicability of the developed method, the estimation of state variables and time-varying parameters of salt in a stirred tank process has been performed. The results of the experimental application demonstrate the ability of the proposed techniques to estimate the state variables and time-varying parameters of an uncertain practical system.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Cholinesterase Inhibitors: A population-based assessment of resource utilization for patients with Alzheimer's dementia in Ontario

contributor:
Gill, Sudeep
Johnson, Ana
Community Health and Epidemiology

subject:
Alzheimer's
Dementia
Cholinesterase Inhibitors
Donepezil
Galantamine
Rivastigmine
Resource Utilization
Ontario
Cost-Minimization
Comparative Study
Epidemiology
Economics

abstract: Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-01 15:49:58.417

abstract:
Background: Dementia leads to progressive cognitive and functional decline.  Population aging is a concern, and the healthcare system must refocus its limited resources to keep up with service demands.  Three cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) – donepezil, galantamine and rivastigmine – have been approved for the treatment of dementia and are covered under Ontario’s formulary plan, but there has been little research regarding their economic impact.

Methods: The purpose of this study was to describe the patterns of use of ChEIs, and to assess associated health resource utilization and costs to Ontario’s healthcare system.  Anonymized patient-level data from seven provincial administrative databases were linked at the Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences at Queen’s University.  First-time users of ChEIs aged 66 years and older were identified between April 1st, 2004 and March 31st, 2009, and were followed until treatment discontinuation or up to one year following their index date.  Health resource use was classified into six care categories: prescription drugs, physicians, long-term care, home care nursing, emergency department, and hospitalizations.  Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA and linear regression were employed to compare resource use between users of the three ChEIs.

Results: In the cohort (N=40,057), the majority were prescribed donepezil (n=24,347), were female (60.5%) and had at least one other co-morbid disease.  The odds of discontinuation were 1.47 (1.36, 1.60) and 1.26 (1.17, 136), higher for rivastigmine users than galantamine and donepezil users, respectively.  Between 2005 and 2008, overall healthcare costs increased from $95.2 million to $106.1 million.  Prescription drugs comprised 33% of all healthcare costs.  ChEIs accounted for half of all prescription drug costs.  Overall mean annual healthcare system cost per patient was $12,679.47 ($12,510.86, $12,848.08).  Predictors of overall healthcare costs included long-term care, co-morbidity status, hospitalization and hip fractures.

Conclusions: Prescription drugs account for a substantial proportion of healthcare costs for patients with dementia, and the amount attributable to ChEIs alone is significant.  Knowing the health service utilization patterns for dementia patients can help healthcare professionals and decision-makers plan patient care and timely resource allocation.  The results stress the utility of administrative databases and the need for further research for this disease.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Interest Point Sampling for Range Data Registration in Visual Odometry

contributor:
Greenspan, Michael A.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Visual Odometry
3D Registration
ICP
Localization
Range Imaging

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-03 11:12:43.596

abstract:
Accurate registration of 3D data  is one of the most challenging problems in a number of Computer Vision applications.
Visual Odometry is one such application, which determines the motion, or change in position of a moving rover by registering 3D data captured by an on-board range
sensor, in a pairwise manner. The performance of Visual Odometry  depends upon two main factors, the first being the quality of 3D data, which itself depends upon the type of sensor being used. The second factor is the robustness of the registration algorithm. Where sensors like stereo cameras and LIDAR scanners have been used in the past to  improve the performance of Visual Odometry, the introduction of
 the Velodyne LIDAR scanner is fairly new and has been less investigated, particularly for odometry applications.

This thesis presents and examines a new method for registering 3D point clouds generated  by a Velodyne scanner mounted on a moving rover. The method is based on one of the the most widely used registration algorithms called Iterative Closest Point (ICP).   The proposed method is divided into two steps. The first step, which is also the main contribution of this work, is the introduction of a new point sampling method, which prudently select points that belong to the regions of greatest geometric variance in the scan. Interest Point (Region) Sampling plays an important role in the performance of  ICP by effectively discounting the regions with non-uniform resolution and selecting regions with a high geometric variance and uniform resolution. Second step is to use sampled scan pairs as the input to  a new plane-to-plane variant of ICP, known as Generalized ICP.

Several experiments  have been executed to test the compatibility and robustness of Interest Point Sampling (IPS) for a variety of terrain landscapes. Through these experiments, which include comparisons of  variants of  ICP and past sampling methods, this work demonstrates that the combination of IPS and GICP  results in the least localization error as compared to all other tested method.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Essays on Political Parties, their Organization, and Policy Choice

contributor:
Boadway, Robin W.
Economics

subject:
Voting
Activism
Redistribution
Societal consensus
Political parties
Special interests

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Economics) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-03 12:16:33.632

abstract:
The primary aim of this thesis is to advance economics' understanding of the organization of political parties, for the purpose of explaining the policy choices that result from collective decision procedures. Motivating this inquiry is the benign neglect that the political party as an organization has long suffered from in economics, in a manner that mirrors depictions of the firm in early neoclassical analysis.

Accordingly, this thesis first considers the question of the relative influence of different contributors to the political parties' electoral activities, i.e. special-interest groups contributing money and individual party activists volunteering their time, on their choice of policy platforms. It is found that the presence of activists induces parties to offer differentiated policy platforms, even in the presence of a special-interest group whose contributions are perfectly substitutable with those of activists. Concurrently, the special interest's influence is to bias the parties' platforms towards its preferred policy.

Second, the internal dynamics of parties organized into factions sharing common goals are investigated. It is studied how they affect the party leader's choice of policies while in office and her accountability to voters, through the threat of her removal from the party's helm. While occasionally acting as a distortion on the election mechanism's effectiveness for keeping politicians accountable, the presence of the politician's party is accountability-enhancing especially in the presence of other distortions. This contributes to a second-best theory of politics.

This thesis' secondary aim is to contribute to restoring the use of moral and ethical concerns in normative analysis and political economy. This is warranted by the fact that moral and ethical motives matter more in such contexts than in most market transactions, where rational self-interested behaviour largely prevails.

This objective is primarily represented in this thesis' study of normative analysis as conditioned on a societal consensus. This study asks how redistributive policies are to be optimally-chosen when the extent of societal co-operation regarding work participation depends on a social norm. Its main finding is that constraining the social planner's choices on the extent of societal cohesion restricts the scope of redistribution compared with an unconstrained social planner.

abstract: PhD


title: Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon PV as an Absorber Coating for Photovoltaic Thermal Systems

contributor:
Harrison, Stephen J.
Pearce, Joshua M.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject:
Staebler-Wronski Effect
PVT
a-Si:H
PV
Solar Simulator
Amorphous Silicon
Photovoltaic Thermal Hybrid

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-14 11:09:16.727

abstract: Driven by the limitations of solar-optimized roof space and International Energy Association (IEA) Task 35, there is a renewed interest in photovoltaic solar thermal (PVT) hybrid systems. Current PVT systems focus on cooling the solar photovoltaic (PV) cells to improve the electrical performance. This however, causes the thermal component (T) to underperform. An exergetic study was completed comparing a PVT, PV + T and a PV only system in Detroit, Denver and Phoenix. It was found that the PVT system outperformed the PV + T system by 72% for each location and by 8, 8.6 and 9.9% for Detroit, Denver and Phoenix when compared to the PV only system. To further improve the PVT system, using hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) PV as the absorber layer of the solar thermal device was explored. The temperature coefficient and annealing properties of a-Si:H allow the thermal component to run more efficiently, while enabling the a-Si:H i-layers to be thicker resulting in more electricity production. It was found that running i-layer thicker cells (630nm and 840nm) stabilized at higher efficiencies at 90°C (potential PVT operating temperatures) than the thinner cell (420nm) by 2% and 0.5% respectively. In addition, spike annealing, which is a new concept of stagnating a PVT system to allow for the a-Si:H PV to anneal and return it to its original efficiencies was also investigated. It was found that over the lifetime of the system with the spike annealing occurring once a day 10.6% more electricity was produced than a system without stagnation.

abstract: This thesis is a manuscript thesis and there are some chapters (just need to be reformatted to papers) which are to submitted to several journals soon.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Electromagnetic Interference Mitigation in Switched Mode Power Converters Using Digital Sampling Techniques

contributor:
Jain, Praveen K.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Digital EMI filters
Power converters EMI
DC-DC converters EMI supression
Photovoltaic inverters EMI supression

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-07 10:48:49.191

abstract:
Increasing power density of switch mode power supplies, by increasing their switching frequency has becoming a challenging obstacle for EMI mitigation. The passive EMI suppression technique has always been the primary solution to fulfill the EMC requirement in terms of conducted emission limits. However, the call for stringent power supplies specifications renders the passive techniques less desirable, due to their increasing size and power losses. In other words, the greater the power density of the converter, the bigger the passive filter. Other suppression techniques such as the spread spectrum frequency modulation (SSFM), and soft switching, prove to have less performance and much complex to implement. The active analog EMI filters provide the basic noise suppression technique; however, their performance is dramatically impeded at higher frequency. This solution requires an additional small size passive filter to complete the EMC spectrum for conducted emissions.
Digital active filtering techniques offer advantages of flexibility, fewer external components and reduced overall size and power losses as compared to conventional passive filtering techniques.
In this thesis DSP-based and FPGA-based EMI control techniques to mitigate the conducted emissions of switch mode power converters are proposed. These techniques are implemented in-lieu of the passive filtering techniques, by keeping equal or better performance. Moreover, these solutions can be configured as a stand-alone or integrated into the converter digital controller algorithm.
Finally, the proposed solutions are implemented into three types of power converters, namely, a AC-DC power factor corrected converter, DC-AC micro-inverter for Photovoltaic application, and DC-DC for Electric Vehicle (EV) battery charger. Analytical, simulation and experimental results are provided to verify the proposed solutions.

abstract: PhD


title: Constructing pairing-friendly algebraic curves of genus 2 curves with small rho-value

contributor:
Kani, Ernst
Mathematics and Statistics

subject:
Pairing-Friendly Genus 2 Curves
Algebraic Geometry
Cryptography
Number Theory

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mathematics & Statistics) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-08 18:57:59.988

abstract:
For pairing-based cryptographic protocols to be both efficient and secure, the underlying genus 2 curves defined over finite fields used must satisfy pairing-friendly conditions, and have small rho-value, which are not likely to be satisfied with random curves.

In this thesis, we study two specific families of  genus 2 curves defined over finite fields whose Jacobians do not split over the ground fields into a product of elliptic curves, but geometrically split over an extension of the ground field of prescribed degree n=3, 4, or 6. These curves were also studied extensively recently by Kawazoe and Takahashi in 2008, and by Freeman and Satoh in 2009 in their searches of pairing-friendly curves.

We present a new method for constructing and identifying suitable curves in these two families which satisfy the pairing-friendly conditions and have rho-values around 4. The computational results of the rho-values obtained in this thesis are consistent with those found by Freeman and Satoh in 2009. An extension of our new method has led to a cryptographic example of a pairing-friendly curve in one of the two families which has rho-value 2.969, and it is the lowest rho-value ever recorded for curves of this type. Our method is different from the method proposed by Freeman and Satoh, since we can prescribe the minimal degree n =3,4 or 6  extension of the ground fields which the Jacobians of the curves split over.

abstract: PhD


title: Development of a Perfusion Bioreactor Strategy for Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Expansion

contributor:
Flynn, Lauren E.
Chemical Engineering

subject:
Perfusion bioreactor
Stem cell

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-09 20:28:34.252

abstract:
Developing an optimized growth environment for adipose-derived stems cells (ASCs) to obtain clinically useable cell quantities from relatively small tissue biopsies would significantly impact the field of tissue engineering. To date, ASCs have been differentiated into adipose, bone, cartilage, smooth muscle, endothelial, skeletal muscle, nervous, and cardiac tissue. Therefore, ASCs have potential for use in the treatment of a wide variety of clinical conditions ranging from myocardial infarction, to musculoskeletal disorders, and the repair of soft tissue defects.
In this work, a custom-designed, 3-dimensional (3-D) scaffold-based perfusion bioreactor system was investigated in the culture of ASCs. Decellularized adipose tissue (DAT) was used to provide a 3-dimensional scaffold, as it possesses the native extracellular matrix (ECM) architecture and composition of human adipose tissue. The DAT had a permeability of 149 m2, based on a perfusion rate of 1.5 mL/min over a 200 mg DAT sample, and the culturing medium was evenly perfused throughout the DAT, thereby permitting possible cell growth within the central regions. Initial culturing studies of human ASCs on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) demonstrated that hypoxic (5% O2) conditions decreased the doubling time, and resulted in enhanced cell proliferation, as compared to normoxic (21% O2) conditions.
The cell imaging and DNA quantification results showed that suspension seeding of the ASCs permitted cell attachment to the DAT scaffold, but did not support long-term ASC growth. In contrast, when the ASCs were seeded as multicellular aggregates, the cells attached and underwent measurable proliferation. The optimal seeding density observed was 1 x 106 ASCs/scaffold; or 50 aggregates (20,000 ASCs/aggregate) per scaffold. Based on the confocal imaging, the ASCs remained spherical in morphology during the entire culturing period. Moreover, results illustrated that the perfusion bioreactor provided an improved culturing environment for ASCs over traditional static culturing. Hypoxic (5% O2) conditions showed improved proliferation over normoxic (21% O2) conditions, within the bioreactor system. After a 14-day hypoxic culturing period in the perfusion bioreactor, the seeded ASCs retained the ability to undergo adipogenesis, as indicated by Glycerol-3-Phsophate Dehydrogenase (GPDH) enzymatic activity measurements, demonstrating the promise of this approach for soft tissue engineering applications

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Towards Highly-Reactive Pyri(mi)dinol-Based Fluorescent Antioxidant Indicators And Cyclopropane Lipids: Autoxidizability and Potential as Inhibitors of Lipoxygenases

contributor:
Pratt, Derek A.
Chemistry

subject:
pyridinol pyrimidinol antioxidants
lipoxygenase inhibitors
cyclopropane fatty acids
BODIPY

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-10 16:15:05.643

abstract:
Chapter 2
In solution, py(mi)ridinols 1.33, 1.34 and 1.35 are 2-, 5- and 28-fold more reactive antioxidants, respectively, than α-TOH (the most potent lipid-soluble antioxidant in nature). In order to develop a highly-reactive fluorescent indicator of lipid peroxidation in cells, we sought to couple these antioxidants with boron-dipyrro- methene (BODIPY) dyes, such that the resulting conjugates will display a significant fluorecence enhancement upon oxidation. This chapter details efforts towards the synthesis of these compounds.

Chapter 3
Lipoxygenases are a family of important enzymes that catalyze the dioxygenation of arachidonic acid to yield a variety of potent lipid mediators that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous degenerative conditions. We have undertaken a preliminary study of the effect of replacing the unsaturation in the related polyunsaturated lipid linoleic acid with cyclopropane rings on both the oxidizability of the lipid, as well as lipoxygenase’s ability to utilize it as a substrate. We anticipate that these analogs will be useful in co-crystallization studies with the enzyme that will provide unique insight into substrate acquisition, binding and the necessary conformation for catalysis.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Absences, Bias, and New Identities: the Representation of Aboriginal Peoples in Ontario Textbooks and Curricula,  1988-1999

contributor:
Mullings, Beverley
Osborne, Brian S.
Geography

subject:
Post-Colonial
Aboriginal Peoples
Multiculturalism
Education

abstract: Thesis (Master, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-14 07:57:57.566

abstract:
Arguably, all Canadian students should have a profound knowledge of Aboriginal peoples’ contribution to Canada’s development as the original inhabitants of Canada. However, Aboriginal peoples continue to be marginalized as though unimportant, and subordinate to other cultural groups in Canada’s culturally plural society. The Ontario mainstream education system plays an important role in perpetuating these social distances. Under the mandate of the provincial government, the public education system is responsible for the delivery of educational programming to all Ontario students.
In the 1970s, the federal government introduced the concept of multiculturalism to extend citizenship rights to all culturally diverse groups into Canadian society. To help Canada to become more competitive in a globalizing world, the government has sought to change the image of Canada as a White settler state to one of a global and multicultural society. Yet Aboriginal peoples continue to be marginalized in Canada’s socio-cultural landscape in mainstream education, regardless of heightened awareness for their rights and culture, as well as their being recognized as having the fastest growing demographic in Canada. It is in the context of multiculturalism that this thesis examines the influence of multiculturalism on Aboriginal coverage in mainstream school textbooks.
Despite Canada’s proclaimed commitment to multiculturalism, I argue that the production of educational curricula and texts still produces a national imaginary that erases the experiences and concerns of Aboriginal population. Far less effort has been made to change the image of Aboriginal people in that narrative, and how students imagine a globalizing Canada with little attention given to the ongoing forms of discrimination that affect how Aboriginal peoples interact with the rest of the world.

abstract: M.A.


title: Spectrum Sensing of Multiple Channels Using Multiple Sensors

contributor:
Blostein, Steven D.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
sequential analysis
spectrum sensing

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-17 10:35:56.751

abstract:
Cognitive radio (CR) is a class of wireless communication technologies that have the ability to learn from the surrounding radio environment and the intelligence to adapt communication resources to enhance quality of service. The problem of acquiring information from a CR's radio environment is called spectrum sensing, which can take on many forms. In particular, this thesis concerns the determination of whether a spectrum band (or channel) is in a busy or idle state. The binary nature of a channels availability means that spectrum sensing can be cast as a hypothesis testing problem. While an abundant literature exists on spectrum sensing as a signal detection problem, this thesis treats spectrum sensing differently, and features the following elements: 1) the system is equipped with an arbitrary number of sensors; 2) sensing is performed over multiple channels; 3) each channels availability is modelled by random periods of busy and idle times corresponding to packet transmission; and 4) the optimization criteria minimizes detection delay subject to a reliability constraint.
A related spectrum sensing problem formulation based on the use of a single sensor has been proposed in the recent literature. The previous research employs an optimization framework based on modeling channel uses as an on-off process via partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDP). This thesis generalizes previous results from single-sensor to multiple-sensor spectrum sensing, i.e., detecting idle periods with multiple sensors. In addition, an alternative reduced-complexity algorithm is proposed. For both proposed detectors, the performances are evaluated based on Monte Carlo simulation with calculated confidence intervals, and the results show that 1) adding sensors generally improves the system performance by reducing detection delay (improved agility); 2) the application of previously existing quickest detection methods result in error floors complicating test design. Finally, performance assessment using a channel model derived experimentally from the wireless local area network (WLAN) traffic is conducted and compared to that obtained using a geometrically-distributed channel traffic model.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: The characterization, persistence, and bioaccessibility of roaster-derived arsenic in surface soils at Giant Mine, Yellowknife, NT

contributor: Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering

subject:
geochemistry
arsenic
arsenic trioxide
geology

abstract: Thesis (Master, Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-22 16:16:24.721

abstract:
Approximately 20,000 tonnes of arsenic (As)-bearing emissions from roasting
arsenopyrite ore were aerially released from 1949-1999 at Giant Mine, located outside
Yellowknife, NT. As part of the process used to free refractory gold (Au) from arsenopyrite (FeAsS), roasting created As-bearing roaster off-gases that condensed into As2O3, one of the most toxic As compounds to humans. Roaster emissions also contained some As-bearing iron (Fe)- oxides. Arsenic emission controls were first implemented in 1951, and by the time the emission control process was completely refined in 1963, 86% of the total aerial As emissions at Giant had been released into the surrounding area. The continued presence of roaster-derived As2O3 in surface soils at Giant has been previously documented despite its theoretical instability in oxidizing surface environments. Wrye (2008) found As concentrations in roaster-affected soils
occurring on rock outcrop (covering ~30% of the Giant property) greater than in many other surface soils; most outcrop soils were not considered when delineating areas of contaminated material for future removal in the Giant Mine Remediation Plan (currently undergoing environmental assessment).
To investigate roaster-derived As  persistence, outcrop soils and soil pore waters were analyzed. Comparing proportions of As, Sb, and Au concentrations in soil samples and historic As2O3-rich dust captured by emission controls show that most of the roaster-derived As in soils at
Giant was likely deposited before 1964. Thin section examination has shown that while the vast majority of discrete As hosts in soils are As2O3, textural relationships and  certain secondary As hosts in soils indicate that As2O3 is not static in surface soils and could be transforming over time, albeit very slowly. Bulk chemical relationships among As, antimony (Sb), and carbon support
this. Topographic restriction by rock outcrops and dry, cold climate probably play a large role in elevated As concentrations and As2O3 persistence in outcrop soils. In light of possible future human exposure, As bioaccessibility from three adjacent samples was determined for synthetic human gastric (34%) and lung (18%) fluids.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: The Role of Cadherin-11 and gp130 in Transformation by Activated Src

contributor:
Raptis, Leda
Pathology and Molecular Medicine

subject: Cadherin-11, Src, gp130, Stat3

abstract: Thesis (Master, Pathology & Molecular Medicine) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-27 18:54:05.777

abstract:
Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3, Stat3, has been associated with cytokine-induced proliferation, anti-apoptosis and neoplastic transformation, while constitutively active Stat3 has been found in many human tumors. Stat3 activation by the Src oncoprotein leads to specific gene regulation and the Stat3 mediated signaling pathway is one of the critical signaling pathways involved in Src oncogenesis. Our laboratory demonstrated that engagement of cadherins, which are a class of cell-cell adhesion molecules, can activate Stat3, even in the absence of direct cell to cell contact. Interestingly, a significant increase in total Rac1 and Cdc42 protein levels triggered by cadherin engagement, and an increase in Rac1 and Cdc42 activity, which led to Stat3 activation by a mechanism involving gp130, a common subunit of the IL-6 family of cytokines, was also observed. To investigate the role of gp130 in vSrc transformation, we knocked down gp130 in vSrc transformed cells and found a decrease in the levels of phosphorylated Stat3, the rate of cell migration, rate of cell proliferation and the anchorage-independent growth.
      It was also previously demonstrated that vSrc had a negative effect on the function of cadherins. Surprisingly, however, despite the fact that vSrc may reduce cadherin adhesion, previous results in our lab showed that cell density still caused a significant increase in Stat3 activity in vSrc transformed cells. Moreover, Stat3 downregulation induced apoptosis in transformed cells which was more pronounced at high cell densities. This may reflect an increased need for Stat3 activity at high densities, possibly to overcome apoptosis, which raised the question of the actual role of cadherins in the density-mediated activation of Stat3 in such cells.
      The expression of cadherin-11, a type II cell adhesion molecule, is associated with invasive breast cancer and many studies suggest that it may play a significant role in facilitating tumor cell invasion and the formation of metastatic tumors. Since Src and its family members participate in many aspects of tumor progression and metastasis, it was interesting to see if Src needed cadherin-11 for neoplastic transformation. To this effect, when we knocked down cadherin-11 in Balb/c3T3 cells, we observed a significant reduction in levels of phosphorylated Stat3-ptyr705 which was also observed when vSrc was expressed in them. Moreover, expressing vSrc in cells in which cadherin-11 was knocked down also decreased the anchorage –independent growth and increased apoptosis indicating that cadherin-11 is needed for transformation and survival respectively, in vSrc transformed cells.
     Our results thus demonstrate that cadherin-11 may be a good target for the selective elimination of cells expressing Src and presumably other oncogenes as well. Stat3 activation by cadherins is so potent and important that tumor cell death can be enhanced by cadherin inhibition. In our experiments, the inhibition of cadherin-11 induced apoptosis in Src expressing cells, while the normal cells were not affected. Elucidation of the functions and regulation of cadherin-11 may enhance our understanding of the roles of cadherins in invasive cancer and may provide future targets for therapy. Through our work, the cadherin/IL-6 pathway may emerge as a crucial Stat3 activator in vSrc expressing cells.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: An Augmented Reality Haptic Training Simulator for Spinal Needle Procedures

contributor:
Hashtrudi-Zaad, Keyvan
Mousavi, Parvin
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Simulator
Haptics
Medical
Augmented Reality
Ultrasound
Electrical Engineering

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-27 00:04:32.173

abstract:
Medical simulators have become commonly used to teach new procedures to medical students and clinicians. Their accessibility allows trainees to perform training whenever they desire, and their flexibility allows for various patient body types and conditions to be simulated. This is in contrast to {\it in-vivo} training, which requires direct supervision from a trained clinician, and access to a live patient or cadaver, both of which have restrictions.
This thesis proposes a novel prototype system for spinal anesthesia procedures which combines the use of both a haptic device for virtual, ultrasound-guided (US) needle simulations, and a physical mannequin registered to a patient specific computed tomography (CT) volume in order to create an augmented reality (AR) overlay. The mannequin will provide the user with a greater sense of spatial awareness that is not present in a purely virtual simulation, as well as providing physical visual clues to navigate the patient. Another novel aspect is the simulation of US images from CT images deformed via a finite element model (FEM).
The system is composed of a torso mannequin from Sawbones Inc., a MicronTracker2 optical tracking system from Claron Technology, a Sensable PHANToM Premium 1.5A haptic device and a graphical user interface (GUI) to display relevant visual feedback. The GUI allows the user to view the AR overlaid on the video feed, and the CT slice and simulated US image based the position/orientation of a dummy US probe.
Forces during the insertion are created via the FEM and sent to the haptic device. These forces include force from needle tip insertion, friction along the length of the needle inside the body, and from displacing the needle off its original insertion axis. Input to the system consists of a patient CT volume.
The system is able to create forces that closely match those reported in the literature. A user study consisting of subjects with expertise ranging from familiarity with medical imaging to clinical experience with needle insertion procedures, was performed to qualitatively analyze the performance of the system. Three experienced physicians were also consulted for input and improvements. The feedback received from the questionnaire, and comments from the subjects and physicians, showed the system is able to simulate a real needle insertion quite well, and the graphical aids added were helpful during the training procedure.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: The Belonging Paradox: The Belonging Experience of Committed Uncertain Members

contributor:
Dacin, Peter
Management

subject:
Belonging
Groups
Membership
Consumer Behaviour
Self-Verification
Uncertainty-Identity Theory
Belonging Paradox
Symbolic Self-Completion Theory
Belonging Uncertainty
Symbolic Consumption
Subculture
Marketing
Skateboarding

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Management) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-27 17:42:26.54

abstract:
The existing literature in marketing and consumer behavior tends to adopt a somewhat static view of membership and belonging, focusing on the status uncertainty that surrounds new group aspirants. In the literature, the portrayal of becoming a member is one of a logical step-by-step process as members move toward the top of the social hierarchy and secure status. An underlying assumption of this process is that once an individual secures membership through status, that individual is no longer uncertain about their membership or belonging. This thesis presents an alternative to this static step-by-step view and introduces the idea of the belonging paradox.
  A belonging paradox is a recursive cycle of an unsolvable duality of simultaneous inclusion and exclusion that can result from idiosyncratic factors such as gender, race, disability or self-doubt. This thesis also develops a new conceptual framework or perspective on the concept of belonging by integrating Uncertainty-Identity Theory, Self-Verification Theory and Symbolic Self-Completion Theory into a more dynamic and fluid understanding about the nature of belonging. Through the introduction of the belonging paradox and the new conceptual framework of belonging, a more comprehensive understanding of belonging emerges. Specifically, the belonging paradox suggests that beyond the initial stages of striving for group membership, uncertainty of belonging can continue to be a pervasive, continuous struggle even for committed hardcore group members.
  Through an analysis of the skateboarding subculture, this thesis illustrates how members continuously construct and shape their own belonging experience within groups. It also demonstrates the different ways members use consumption to try to cope with the duality and constant tension of the belonging paradox as well as explores the link between uncertainty and the ability to play with identities. This leads to a number of theoretical and managerial contributions.

abstract: PhD


title: Efficient Over-the-air Remote Reprogramming of Wireless Sensor Networks

contributor:
Hassanein, Hossam S.
Computing

subject: Wireless Sensor Networks, Reprogramming

abstract: Thesis (Master, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-29 14:11:44.138

abstract: Over-the-air reprogramming is an important aspect of managing large wireless sensor networks. However, reprogramming deployed sensor networks poses significant challenges due to the energy, processing power and memory limitation of sensor nodes. For improved energy efficiency, a reprogramming mechanism should use less transmission and flash writing overhead. Past research has proposed different mechanisms for reprogramming deployed sensor networks. However, all of these mechanisms produce large patches if software modifications involve changing program layouts and shifting global variables. In addition, existing mechanisms use large amounts of external flash and rewrite entire internal flash. In this thesis, we present a differential reprogramming mechanism called QDiff that mitigates the effects of program layout modifications and retains maximum similarity between old and new software using a clone detection mechanism. Moreover, QDiff organizes the global variables in a novel way that eliminates the effect of variable shifting. Our experiments show that QDiff requires near-zero external flash, and significantly lower internal flash rewriting and transmission overhead than leading existing differential reprogramming mechanisms.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Chalcogenopyrylium Dyes as Modulators of Multidrug Resistance Protein (MRP) 1, MRP2 and MRP4 Transport Activities

contributor:
Cole, Susan P. C.
Pathology and Molecular Medicine

subject:
Multidrug Resistance Proteins
Chalcogenopyrylium Dyes

abstract: Thesis (Master, Pathology & Molecular Medicine) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-28 17:50:49.432

abstract: MRPs mediate the ATP-dependent efflux of a structurally diverse array of compounds. Certain MRPs, including MRP1, MRP2 and MRP4, are involved in multidrug resistance in tumour cells, while in non-malignant cells these MRPs can influence the distribution and/or elimination of many clinically important drugs. In addition, these MRPs mediate the efflux of physiological metabolites, many of which are conjugated organic anions. Modulation of the drug transporting activity of MRP1 (and to a lesser extent MRP2 and MRP4) has been a long sought after therapeutic objective. In this study, the modulatory abilities of five structurally distinct classes (I-V) of chalcogenopyrylium dyes (CGPs) were examined utilizing an in vitro assay which measures inhibition of radiolabeled estradiol glucuronide ([3H]E217βG) (a prototypical MRP substrate) uptake into inside-out membrane vesicles prepared from MRP-transfected human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells. Additionally, some CGPs were tested in a calcein efflux assay using intact MRP1-transfected HEK cells. Sixteen of 34 CGPs initially tested at a single concentration (≤30 μM) inhibited MRP1-mediated uptake by >50%, with IC50’s ranging from 0.7-7.6 μM. Of the 9 CGPs with IC50’s ≤2 μM, five belonged to Class I, two to Class II, and two to Class IV. When tested in the calcein efflux assay, only 4 of 16 CGPs inhibited MRP1-mediated cellular efflux by >50% (I-3, -4, -6, IV-1) while a fifth (II-5) inhibited efflux by 23%. These five CGPs were then tested as modulators of [3H]E217βG uptake by MRP2 and MRP4. Their effects on MRP2 transport activity were differential with two (I-4, I-6) inhibiting transport (IC50’s 2.0, 7.1 μM), two (I-3, IV-1) stimulating transport (>2-fold), while II-5 had no effect. On the other hand, all five CGPs inhibited [3H]E217βG uptake by MRP4, but less effectively than by MRP1. Finally, five analogs of CGP IV-1 were tested for their effects on MRP1, MRP2 and MRP4 [3H]E217βG uptake, but none were more efficacious than CGP IV-1. The CGPs tested here represent novel MRP1, MRP2 and MRP4 modulators with variable effects on transport activities. These CGPs may represent a new avenue for the development of clinically applicable modulators of MRP proteins involved in multidrug resistance.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Mitigation of Web-Based Program Security Vulnerability Exploitations

contributor:
Zulkernine, Mohammad
Computing

subject:
Security Vulnerability
Cross-Site Request Forgery
Phishing
Content Sniffing
Parser-Based Analysis
Browser-Based Checking
Cross-Site Scripting
Trustworthiness Testing
Web-Based Program

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-29 09:44:24.465

abstract: Over the last few years, web-based attacks have caused significant harm to users. Many of these attacks occur through the exploitations of common security vulnerabilities in web-based programs. Given that, mitigation of these attacks is extremely crucial to reduce some of the harmful consequences. Web-based applications contain vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers at a client-side (browser) without the victim’s (browser user’s) knowledge. This thesis is intended to mitigate some exploitations due to the presence of security vulnerabilities in web applications while performing seemingly benign functionalities at the client-side. For example, visiting a webpage might result in JavaScript code execution (cross-site scripting), downloading a file might lead to the execution of JavaScript code (content sniffing), clicking on a hyperlink might result in sending unwanted legitimate requests to a trusted website (cross-site request forgery), and filling out a seemingly legitimate form may eventually lead to stealing of credential information (phishing). Existing web-based attack detection approaches suffer from several limitations such as (i) modification of both server and client-side environments, (ii) exchange of sensitive information between the server and client, and (iii) lack of detection of some attack types. This thesis addresses these limitations by mitigating four security vulnerabilities in web applications: cross-site scripting, content sniffing, cross-site request forgery, and phishing. We mitigate the exploitations of these vulnerabilities by developing automatic attack detection approaches at both server and client-sides. We develop server-side attack detection frameworks to detect attack symptoms within response pages before sending them to the client. The approaches are designed based on the assumption that the server-side program source is available for analysis, but we are not allowed to alter the program code and the runtime environments. Moreover, we develop client-side attack detection frameworks so that some level of protection is present when the source code of server websites (either trusted or untrusted) is not available. Our proposed solutions explore several techniques such as response page parsing and file content analysis, browser-level checking of requests and responses, and finite state machine-based behavior monitoring. The thesis evaluates the proposed attack detection approaches with real-world vulnerable programs. The evaluation results indicate that our approaches are effective and perform better than the related work. We also contribute to the development of benchmark suites for evaluating attack detection techniques.

abstract: PhD


title: Does in-hospital breastfeeding self-efficacy predict breastfeeding duration?

contributor:
O'Connor, Kathleen Steel
Stuart, Heather
Community Health and Epidemiology

subject: duration

subject: self-efficacy

subject: breastfeeding

abstract: Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2011-12-06 14:46:41.103

abstract:
Background: Health Canada recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months postpartum with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years and beyond. While 88% of Canadian mothers initiate breastfeeding, only 70% of mothers continue to do so at 4 weeks postpartum and only 14% are exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months. Breastfeeding self-efficacy is a potentially modifiable variable that has been associated with mothers’ breastfeeding practices. The Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale (Short-Form) is an instrument that could potentially identify women with low breastfeeding self-efficacy during the in hospital period.

Purpose: To describe the breastfeeding practices of new mothers in the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington area and to assess the association between in-hospital scores on the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale (Short-Form) and duration of breastfeeding.

Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of a dataset from the 2008 Infant Feeding Survey, a prospective study of 463 mothers with 12-month longitudinal follow-up. Data were weighted according to the maternal age distribution of the general population of new mothers. Breastfeeding practices were described using Kaplan-Meier survival distributions. Four outcomes were described: ‘exclusive breastfeeding from birth’, ‘exclusive breastfeeding from discharge’, ‘high breastfeeding’, and ‘any breastfeeding’. Using logistic regression, scores from the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale (Short-Form) were assessed for association with duration of ‘exclusive breastfeeding from birth’ and duration of ‘any breastfeeding’ (dichotomized as ‘less than 6 weeks’ and ‘6 weeks or beyond’).

Results: The sample was highly educated (75% had post-secondary education) and reported high levels of household income (37% reported >$80,000/year). Six percent of mothers exclusively breastfed to 6 months. Close to one quarter (24%) of women sustained some extent of breastfeeding for 12 months. The relationship between scores on the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale (Short-Form) and duration of ‘exclusive breastfeeding from birth’ and the relationship between self-efficacy scores and duration of ‘any breastfeeding’ were identical (OR = 1.05) and non-significant (95% CI 1.0-1.1).

Conclusion: This study did not show a significant relationship between in-hospital scores on the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale (Short-Form) and duration of breastfeeding. Given the high socioeconomic status of women in this study, further studies are warranted to confirm these results.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Innovative Hybrid FRP/STEEL Splice Details for Modular Bridge Expansion Joints

contributor:
Green, Mark F.
MacDougall, Colin
Civil Engineering

subject:
Expansion Joint
Steel
Fatigue
Bridge
Adhesive
Bond
Splice Detail
Finite Element
FRP

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-30 16:53:07.385

abstract:
Bridge expansion joints are directly subjected to traffic load, and thus prone to premature fatigue failure. Replacement of components such as modular bridge expansion joints is typically done in a staggered schedule to minimize traffic blockage. Field splices are used to connect the successively installed segments. These splices typically include a combination of field welding or bolting, and experience has shown that they often fail due to fatigue cracking.
This thesis reports the investigation of hybrid FRP/steel splice details that avoid the use of field welding.
Two configurations have been examined: A GFRP pultruded square tube section, adhesively bonded to the soffit of the spliced beam, consists the moment resisting component in one configuration, whereas the other takes advantage of two series of FRP plates for this purpose. Bolted steel plates splice the beam through web in both cases. The behaviour of these details has been studied extensively under vertical static loads. The effect of several parameters including bond length, FRP end shape, bond surface treatment, adhesive, etc. for each detail has been investigated. A three-dimensional, non-linear finite element model has been developed for each detail and validated using the experimental results.
The bond strength of two adhesives was investigated experimentally using double shear lap splice tests.
A new method is proposed to analyze the strength of the splice details. This method is based on the results obtained from shear lap splice tests and the verified finite element model developed for the splice detail. The finite element model could thus be used for further parametric studies. More experiments, however, are statistically required before using this model with confidence.
The fatigue behaviour of one of the promising splice details has been investigated both experimentally and numerically. A special fatigue test set-up has been designed and used successfully for this purpose. Two fatigue tests to 1,000,000 cycles were run. One failed at 719, 347 cycles and the other survived 1,000,000 cycles. The predicted fatigue life as per the developed model was 871,840 cycles. More experiments are required to understand the fatigue behaviour of the splice detail under various stress ranges.

abstract: PhD


title: Sights of Desire; Sites of Demise: The Environment in the Works of Edward Burtynsky and Olafur Eliasson

contributor:
Jessup, Lynda
Art History

subject:
Edward Burtynsky
Olafur Eliasson
Nature
Landscape Traditions
Contemporary Art
Environmentalism
Aesthetics
Environmental Ethics

abstract: Thesis (Master, Art History) -- Queen's University, 2011-12-03 14:03:08.43

abstract:
This thesis argues that the environmental undertones of artists Edward Burtynsky’s and Olafur Eliasson’s work have clearly aligned them; however, the focus of my study is not an evaluation of the artists’ abilities to express environmental concerns, but rather an exploration of the effects of their representations on our understanding of the surrounding environment, and of the artists’ contributions toward a definition of Nature that now includes its own demise as a site of aesthetic pleasure.
This study focuses on Olafur Eliasson’s New York City Waterfalls and on Edward Burtynsky’s Nickel Tailings photographs. Burtynsky’s Nickel Tailings photographs, among them in particular, his well known Nickel Tailings No. 34, depict a barren grey and black landscape centered primarily around an intensely coloured red and orange river of molten metal. Eliasson’s recent New York City Waterfalls consists of four artist-constructed waterfalls, ranging from 90 to 120 feet tall, located within the waters of Lower Manhattan, Governs Island, and beneath the Brooklyn Bridge.
In his monumental New York City Waterfalls, Eliasson has made an intervention into the landscape that effectively works to contaminate the established aesthetic upon which it is based. In his monumental photographs, in contrast, Burtynsky does the opposite; he aestheticizes the contaminated. Here I would add that both artists have carefully called upon the elemental in order to reference the idea of wilderness or a “pure” form of Nature. Reference to the elemental in Nature—to air, water, and fire— has allowed these artists to challenge the viewer’s perception and experience of the nonhuman world. These manufactured landscapes are undeniably owned by humanity, yet is this the type of landscape we are comfortable to claim as our own?

abstract: M.A.