title: Using fuction-based CBT with parent involvement to treat OCD in two school-age children with high-functioning autism

subject: Obsessive compulsive disorder in children--Treatment.

subject: Cognitive therapy.

abstract:
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) involves excessive worry coupled with engaging
in rituals that are believed to help alleviate the worry. Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PODs)
are characterized by impairments in social interaction, communication, and the presence of
repetitive and/or restrictive behaviours (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Research
suggests that as many as 81% of children with a POD also meet criteria for a diagnosis ofOCD.
Currently, only a handful of studies have investigated the use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
(CBT) in treating OCD in children with autism (Reaven & Hepburn, 2003 ; Sze & Wood, 2007;
Lehmkuhl, Storch, Bodtish & Geflken, 2008). In these case studies. the use of a multi-modal
CBT treatment package was successful in alleviating OCD behaviours.
The current study used function-based CBT with parent involvement and behavioural
supplements to treat 2 children with POD and OCD. Using a multiple baseline design across
behaviours and participants, parents reported that their child 's anxiety was alleviated and these
gains were maintained at 6-month follow-up. According to results of the Children 's Yale-Brown
Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Goodman, Price, Rasmussen, Riddle, & Rapoport, 1986) from preto
post-test, OCD behaviours of the children decreased II"om the severe to the mild range. In
addition, the parents rated the family's level of interference related to their child 's OCD as
substantially lower. Last, the CBT treatment received high ratings of consumer satisfaction.


title: Vitamin D status and latent tuberculosis infection : a preliminary study in a group of healthy Mexican agricultural workers

subject: Tuberculosis--Ontario.

subject: Vitamin D deficiency.

subject: Agricultural laborers, Foreign--Ontario.

abstract:
Vitamin D metabolites are important in the regulation of bone and calcium
homeostasis, but also have a more ubiquitous role in the regulation of cell differentiation
and immune function. Severely low circulating 25-dihydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]
concentrations have been associated with the onset of active tuberculosis (TB) in
immigrant populations, although the association with latent TB infection (LTBI) has not
received much attention. A previous study identified the prevalence of LTBI among a
sample of Mexican migrant workers enrolled in Canada's Seasonal Agricultural Workers
Program (SA WP) in the Niagara Region of Ontario. The aim of the present study was to
determine the vitamin D status of the same sample, and identify if a relationship existed
with LTBI.
Studies of vitamin D deficiency and active TB are most commonly carried out
among immigrant populations to non-endemic regions, in which reactivation of LTBI has
occurred. Currently, there is limited knowledge of the association between vitamin D
deficiency and LTBI. Entry into Canada ensured that these individuals did not have active
TB, and L TBI status was established previously by an interferon-gamma release assay
(IGRA) (QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube®, Cellestis Ltd., Australia). Awareness of
vitamin D status may enable individuals at risk of deficiency to improve their nutritional
health, and those with LTBI to be aware of this risk factor for disease.
Prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among the Mexican migrant workers was
determined from serum samples collected in the summer of 2007 as part of the cross
sectional LTBI study. Samples were measured for concentrations of the main circulating
vitamin D metabolite, 25(OH)D, with a widely used 1251 250HD RIA (DiaSorin Inc.®,
Stillwater, MN), and were categorized as deficient «37.5 nmoI/L), insufficient (>37.5
nmollL, < 80 nmol/L) or sufficient (2::80 nmoI/L). Fisher's exact tests and t tests were used
to determine if vitamin D status (sufficiency or insufficiency) or 25(OH)D concentrations
significantly differed by sex or age categories. Predictors of vitamin D insufficiency and
25(OH)D concentrations were taken from questionnaires carried out during the previous
study, and analyzed in the present study using multiple regression prediction models.
Fisher's exact test and t test was used to determine if vitamin D status or 25(OH)D
concentration differed by LTBI status. Strength of the relationship between interferongamma
(IFN-y) concentration (released by peripheral T cells in response to TB antigens)
and 25(OH)D concentration was analyzed using a Spearman correlation.
Out of 87 participants included in the study (78% male; mean age 38 years), 14
were identified as LTBI positive but none had any signs or symptoms of TB reactivation.
Only 30% of the participants were vitamin D sufficient, whereas 68% were insufficient
and 2% were deficient. Significant independent predictors of lower 25(OH)D
concentrations were sex, number of years enrolled in the SA WP and length of stay in
Canada. No significant differences were found between 25(OH)D concentrations and
LTBI status. There was a significant moderate correlation between IFN-y and 25(OH)D
concentrations ofLTBI-positive individuals.
The majority of participants presented with Vitamin D insufficiency but none were
severely deficient, indicating that 25(OH)D concentrations do not decrease dramatically
in populations who temporarily reside in Canada but go back to their countries of origin
during the Canadian winter. This study did not find a statistical relationship between low
levels of vitamin D and LTBI which suggests that in the presence of overall good health,
lower than ideal levels of 2S(OH)D, may still be exerting a protective immunological
effect against LTBI reactivation. The challenge remains to determine a critical 2S(OH)D
concentration at which reactivation is more likely to occur.


title: Muscle strength and activation characteristics of power- trained and non-athlete boys and men

subject: Muscle strength.

subject: Weight training--Physiological aspects.

subject: Exercise for men--Physiological aspects.

abstract:
During maturation, muscle strength is enhanced through muscle growth, although
neuro-muscular factors are also believed to be involved. In adults, training for power
sports has been shown to enhance muscle strength and activation. The purpose of this
study was to examine muscle strength and activation in power-trained athletes (POW)
compared with non-athletes (CON), in boys and in adults. After familiarization subjects
performed ten 5-s explosive maximal voluntary contractions for elbow and knee flexion
and extension. The adults were stronger then the boys and the adult POW were stronger
then the adult CON, even after correction for muscle size. Normalized rate of torque
development was higher in the adults then in the boys and higher in the POW then CON
boys. The rate of muscle activation was higher in the adults and POW groups. The results
suggest that maturation and power-training have an additive effect on muscle activation.


title: Acknowledging mother's lived experience of raising a child with Autism : a phenomenological inquiry

subject:
Autism in children.
Mother and child.

abstract:
Autism is one of those human ambiguities that forces vigilant open-mindednesssometimes
this open-mindedness comes without choice, for example when you become
the mother of a child with autism. Recent reports indicate that Pervasive Developmental
Disorders affect 1 in 150 children (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007).
This also means that there are many families caring for children with autism. The purpose
of this research was to explore the day to day lived experiences of mothers caring for a
child with autism.
With a drastic increase in children diagnosed with autism, and very little research
on mothers themselves, assisting in articulating lived experiences from mothers
themselves seemed like an acceptable first step. Mothers were asked to journal for a
period of one month, once a week, as well as participate in a focus group. Findings from
both of these techniques were analyzed using underpinnings from Amelio Giorgi and
Max van Manen. General findings indicate that mothers present poignant narratives about
living with their child. It becomes clear that mothers are stressed, and live a complicated
and often contradictory existence. Many days are fraught with struggle, anticipation,
watchful eyes, judgment and guilt. There is a constant battle waging; the one within
themselves, and the one with an uninformed and uncooperative public.
Given that this research contributes to an extremely small body of qualitative
research on mothers, future research should continue to gain insight from mothers,
without classifying or categorizing their words. Their words speak volumes.
Professionals may know autism, but mothers know their children.


title: An investigation of individual differences in diffusion of attention and the attentional blink

subject:
Attention.
Implicit memory.


title: Bioindication of ozone using milkweed plants in Southern Ontario

subject:
Indicators (Biology)
Milkweeds--Ontario.
Environmental monitoring--Ontario.

abstract:
Ambient (03) ozone concentrations were compared to ozone damage on milkweed
plants to determine if there was a correlation. Eight survey sites of at least 100 plants
each were located within 5 kilometers of Air Quality Index (AQI) stations in southern
Ontario. Sites were visited nine times from June-September (2007) and milkweed
leaves from 75 plants were assessed using methods pioneered in the United States.
Ambient 0 3 results were calculated into SUM65, seasonal cumulative 0 3, and total 03.
The 0 3 exposure indices SUM65 and cumulative 0 3 were tested statistically to
determine which index is biologically relevant to milkweed as an 0 3 damage indicator
species. The milkweed damage indices were incidence of leaves damaged per plant,
incidence of plants damaged per site, and total 0 3• The incidence of plants injured per
site was the best damage parameter with an F(1,28)=17.37, p=0.0003 for SUM65 and
F(1,28)=7.5, p=O.0106 for cumulative 03 .. Milkweed plants showed quantifiable ozone
damage with minimal spatial differences in damage and thus have potential use as a
biomonitor species in southern Ontario.


title: Blessed thorns : a meditation on Spinoza's God

subject: Philosophical theology.

abstract:
Despite having been published over three hundred years ago, Spinoza's Ethics is a
text that is still, even today, widely misunderstood. Two of the more common and
persistent misunderstandings revolve around the accusations of some who have
labeled his philosophy both atheistic and materialistic. These two misunderstandings
date back to the first time the Ethics was published, immediately following Spinoza's
death. In an attempt to not only address these accusations, but as well to clear up any
misunderstandings surrounding them, this thesis will be split into four chapters that
are divided into two main parts. The first half will deal with the question of whether
or not Spinoza is an atheist. The second half will deal with the question of whether or
not Spinoza is a materialist. In so doing this thesis will establish and defend the
position that it is a misreading to characterize Spinoza's philosophy as atheistic and
materialistic.


title: Bounds on edit metric codes with combinatorial DNA constraints

subject:
Biologically-inspired computing.
Molecular computers.
DNA--Analysis.

abstract:
The design of a large and reliable DNA codeword library is a key problem in DNA based
computing. DNA codes, namely sets of fixed length edit metric codewords over the alphabet
{A, C, G, T}, satisfy certain combinatorial constraints with respect to biological and
chemical restrictions of DNA strands. The primary constraints that we consider are the
reverse--complement constraint and the fixed GC--content constraint, as well as the basic
edit distance constraint between codewords.
We focus on exploring the theory underlying DNA codes and discuss several approaches to
searching for optimal DNA codes. We use Conway's lexicode algorithm and an exhaustive
search algorithm to produce provably optimal DNA codes for codes with small parameter
values. And a genetic algorithm is proposed to search for some sub--optimal DNA codes
with relatively large parameter values, where we can consider their sizes as reasonable
lower bounds of DNA codes. Furthermore, we provide tables of bounds on sizes of DNA
codes with length from 1 to 9 and minimum distance from 1 to 9.


title: Canadian investors and the discount on closed-end funds

subject:
Closed-end funds.
Stockholders--Canada.
Stocks--Prices

abstract:
Small investors' sentiment has been proposed by behaviouralists to explain the
existence and behavior of discount on closed-end funds (CEFD). The empirical tests
of this sentiment hypothesis so far provide equivocal results. Besides, most of
out-of-sample tests outside U.S. are not robust in the sense that they fail to well
control other firm characteristics and risk factors that may explain stock return and to
provide a formal cross-sectional test of the link between CEFD and stock return. This
thesis explores the role of CEFD in asset pricing and further validates CEFD as a
sentiment proxy in Canadian context and augments the extant studies by examining
the redemption feature inherent in Canadian closed-end funds and by enhancing the
robustness of the empirical tests. Our empirical results document differential
behaviors in discounts between redeemable funds and non-redeemable funds.
However, we don't find supportive evidence of CEFD as a priced factor. Specifically,
the stocks with different exposures to CEFD fail to provide significantly different
average return. Nor does CEFD provide significant incremental explanatory power,
after controlling other well-known firm characteristics and risk factors, in
cross-sectional as well as time-series variation of stock return. This evidence, together
with the findings from our direct test of CEFD as a sentiment index, suggests that
CEFD, even the discount on traditional non-redeemable closed-end funds, is unlikely
to be driven by elusive sentiment in Canada.


title: Death anxiety and experiences of transcendence : peak experiences of skydivers

subject:
Death--Psychological aspects.
Fear of death.
Spirituality.

abstract:
Terror Management Theory (TMT) suggests that human beings battle to protect
ourselves from the potential terror resulting from the juxtaposition of our need for selfpreservation
and our unique human ability to realize that we cannot avoid death. Over
150 studies have shown that when people are primed with the awareness of mortality they
grasp onto their cultural world view more tenaciously than when they are primed with
another unpleasant stimulus (i.e., show "cultural world view defense"). Applying the
principles ofTMT, the first purpose of the present research was to examine whether the
amount of peak experiences reduce the tendency to show cultural world view defense (an
indicator of unconscious death fear) after a death prime. The second purpose was to
examine a new model of implicit spirituality, by testing proposed relationships between
implicit spirituality, peak experiences and intrinsic religiosity, and by testing whether
peak experiences and/or intrinsic religiosity mediate the relationship between implicit
spirituality and conscious and/or unconscious death fears.
Skydivers were chosen as the primary participants for this research because of
their unique characteristics in the context of TMT research. Previous research suggests
that veteran skydivers have peak experiences as they skydive, and I assumed that their
peak experiences would not be influenced by intrinsic religious beliefs. Novice skydivers
may have their implicit spirituality brought forth because of their proximity to possible
death. The willingness of both groups to place themselves close to death allowed their
reactions to unconscious and conscious death fears to be assessed in a real setting. Novice
skydivers' proximity to death made them an ideal group to study to see whether intrinsic
religiosity mediated the relationship between their implicit spirituality and conscious
and/or unconscious death fears.
One hundred and twenty-five people participated in this research: 38 veteran and
46 novice skydivers, as well as 41 people who accompanied them to the drop zone. Of
these, 23 veterans, 19 novices, and 22 friends returned a follow-up packet of
questionnaires three weeks later. As expected, the veterans' unconscious death fear
scores remained stable from pre-jump to post-jump (after the death prime), and three
weeks later, whereas the novices' scores increased, but only marginally.
As predicted, the novice skydivers' implicit spirituality was significantly higher
than the veterans' and was negatively correlated with their conscious death fear, which
was not mediated by their intrinsic religiosity. Only the novices' follow-up (trait) implicit
spirituality correlated negatively with their pre-jump unconscious death fear.
Among both groups of skydivers, there were significant relationships between
implicit spirituality and peak experiences, and although the novices were significantly
higher on peak experiences after the jump, peak experiences did not mediate the
relationship between implicit spirituality and unconscious death fear for either group. In
both groups follow-up intrinsic religiosity correlated with implicit spirituality. Peak
experiences and intrinsic religiosity were not related with one another, suggesting that
these are different ways of accessing an implicit spirituality. Results imply that implicit
spirituality was brought forth (in the case of novice skydivers who were consciously
close to death) and can be accessed through both peak experiences and intrinsic
religiosity.


title: Decoding algorithms using side-effect machines

subject:
Computer algorithms.
Bioinformatics

abstract:
Bioinformatics applies computers to problems in molecular biology. Previous
research has not addressed edit metric decoders. Decoders for quaternary
edit metric codes are finding use in bioinformatics problems with
applications to DNA. By using side effect machines we hope to be able to
provide efficient decoding algorithms for this open problem. Two ideas for
decoding algorithms are presented and examined. Both decoders use Side
Effect Machines(SEMs) which are generalizations of finite state automata.
Single Classifier Machines(SCMs) use a single side effect machine to classify
all words within a code. Locking Side Effect Machines(LSEMs) use multiple
side effect machines to create a tree structure of subclassification. The goal
is to examine these techniques and provide new decoders for existing codes.
Presented are ideas for best practices for the creation of these two types of
new edit metric decoders.


title: Developing a numerical inverse-theory-based extraction of orientation-dependent relaxation rates from partially- relaxed spectra

subject: Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

subject: Lipids--Analysis.

abstract:
Second-rank tensor interactions, such as quadrupolar interactions between the spin-
1 deuterium nuclei and the electric field gradients created by chemical bonds, are
affected by rapid random molecular motions that modulate the orientation of the
molecule with respect to the external magnetic field. In biological and model membrane
systems, where a distribution of dynamically averaged anisotropies (quadrupolar
splittings, chemical shift anisotropies, etc.) is present and where, in addition,
various parts of the sample may undergo a partial magnetic alignment, the numerical
analysis of the resulting Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectra is a mathematically
ill-posed problem. However, numerical methods (de-Pakeing, Tikhonov regularization)
exist that allow for a simultaneous determination of both the anisotropy
and orientational distributions. An additional complication arises when relaxation
is taken into account. This work presents a method of obtaining the orientation
dependence of the relaxation rates that can be used for the analysis of the molecular
motions on a broad range of time scales. An arbitrary set of exponential decay
rates is described by a three-term truncated Legendre polynomial expansion in the
orientation dependence, as appropriate for a second-rank tensor interaction, and a
linear approximation to the individual decay rates is made. Thus a severe numerical
instability caused by the presence of noise in the experimental data is avoided. At
the same time, enough flexibility in the inversion algorithm is retained to achieve a
meaningful mapping from raw experimental data to a set of intermediate, model-free


title: Electrocortical responses in reward paradigms and their variation related to personality

subject:
Evoked potentials (Electrophysiology)
Reward (Psychology)

abstract:
This thesis was conducted in order to investigate two issues: (1) how sensitive
event related potentials (ERPs), and more specifically the medial frontal negativity and
the P3 components, are to the valence and magnitude of reward-related stimuli, and (2)
whether individual differences have an effect on the sensitivity of these ERP components
to these characteristics. This was investigated using two reward-related paradigms.
In the "pure gambling task" participants were asked to choose between two cards,
each containing varying dollar amounts (large or small). The outcome of the choice (i.e.,
win or loss) was revealed after the choice was made. Additionally, participants were
shown whether the non-chosen card would have been a win or a loss. In the "simple
response task", participants were presented with five cues (large win, large loss, small
win, small loss or zero) that labelled the trial as either a potential win, a potential loss or
no change. Following the cue, a target appeared on the screen and the participant's task
was to press the response key while the target was still visible. A success led to a win
(gain in money) or no loss (no change) depending on the cue. Thirty participants
completed both tasks; afterwards they filled out a set of questionnaires measuring
personality and other individual differences relating to risk-taking behaviour.
The results of both tasks showed that ERP components can differentiate between
the valence and magnitude of reward-related stimuli, although no single component was
uniquely related to either of the characteristics as previous suggested in the literature.
Additionally, the context of the stimulus presentation (e.g., the task structure, condition
within the task) affected the relationships between the ERP components and stimulus
characteristics.


title: Examining the inclusion experiences of students with intellectual disabilities : a study focusing on the transition from elementary to secondary school

subject:
Learning disabled children--Education.
Inclusive education.
Adjustment (Psychology) in adolescence.
Student adjustment

abstract:
Transitioning from elementary to secondary school is a major event in adolescents' lives
and can be associated with academic, social, and emotional challenges (Shaffer, 2005; Sirsch,
2003). Considerably less research has focused on the transitional experiences of students with
intellectual disabilities (lD) as they enter secondary school and the role of educational inclusion
in this process (Noland, Cason, & Lincoln, 2007). Conceivably, students with ID who leave
inclusive elementary schools, where they have been educated alongside their peers without ID,
and who enter segregated secondary educational placements may experience unique social and
emotional challenges (Farmer, Pearl, & Van Acker, 1996; Fryxell & Kennedy, 1995; Shaffer,
2005). This study examined the transitional experiences of 6 students with ID and the role of
educational inclusion, with a focus on elementary to secondary school transitions from inclusive
to segregated settings and vice versa. This study included the collection of multiple sources of
data. Semi-structured interviews with 6 caregivers and students with ID were conducted.
Students' Individual Education Transitional Plans were discussed in caregivers' interviews to
determine how they shaped students' educational inclusion experiences (Ontario Ministry of
Education & Training, 1999/2000/2004). Parts ofthe following questionnaires were "qualitized"
(Tashakkori & Teddlie, 1998) and administered orally: "Youth Self-Report" (YSR; Achenbach,
2001 c) and "Child Behaviour Checklist Caregivers Form" (CBLC/6-18; Achenbach, 200la). The
findings of this study contribute to the literature on educational inclusion by highlighting the
positive/negative social and emotional impact of congruent and incongruent transitional
experiences of students with ID and the role of educational inclusion.


title: Exploratory study : exploring the effectiveness of a literacy-based intervention with children with language impairments

subject: Language disorders in children--Education.

subject: Reading--Remedial teaching.

subject: Preschool children--Education.

abstract:
Research points clearly to the need for all concerned stakeholders to adopt a
preventative approach while intervening with children who are at-risk for future reading
disabilities. Research has indicated also that a particular sub-group of children at-risk for
reading impairments include preschool children with language impairments (Catts, 1993).
Preschool children with language impairments may have difficulties with emergent
literacy skills - important prerequisite skills necessary for successful formal reading.
Only in the past decade have researchers begun to study the effects of emergent literacy
intervention on preschool children with language impairments. As such, the current study
continues this investigation of how to effectively implement an emergent literacy therapy
aimed at supporting preschool children with language impairments. In addition to this,
the current study explores emergent literacy intervention within an applied clinical
setting. The setting, presents a host of methodological and theoretical challenges -
challenges that will advance the field of understanding children within naturalistic
settings.
This exploratory study included thirty-eight participants who were recruited from
Speech Services Niagara, a local preschool speech and language program. Using a
between-group pre- and posttest design, this study compared two intervention approaches
- an experimental emergent literacy intervention and a traditional language intervention.
The experimental intervention was adopted from Read It Again! (Justice, McGinty,
Beckman, & Kilday, 2006) and the traditional language intervention was based on the
traditional models of language therapy typically used in preschool speech and language
models across Ontario.
5
Results indicated that the emergent literacy intervention was superior to the
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traditional language therapy in improving the children's alphabet knowledge, print and
word awareness and phonological awareness. Moreover, results revealed that children
with more severe language impairments require greater support and more explicit
instruction than children with moderate language impairments. Another important finding
indicated that the effects of the preschool emergent literacy intervention used in this
study may not be sustainable as children enter grade one. The implications of this study
point to the need to support preschool children with language impairments with intensive
emergent literacy intervention that extends beyond preschool into formal educational
settings.


title: Investigating the potential of thecamoebians (testate amoebae) as bio-indicators of impact of oil sands mining operations on freshwater environments in Northeastern Alberta, Canada

subject:
Indicators (Biology)
Oil sands--Alberta.

abstract:
Thecamoebian (testate amoeba) species diversity and assemblages in
reclamation wetlands and lakes in northeastern Alberta respond to chemical and
physical parameters associated with oil sands extraction. Ecosystems more impacted
by OSPM (oil sands process-affected material) contain sparse, low-diversity
populations dominated by centropyxid taxa and Arcella vulgaris. More abundant and
diverse thecamoebian populations rich in difflugiid species characterize environments
with lower OSPM concentrations. These shelled protists respond quickly to
environmental change, allowing year-to-year variations in OSPM impact to be
recorded. Their fossil record thus provides corporations with interests in the
Athabasca Oil Sands with a potential means of measuring the progression of highlyimpacted
aquatic environments to more natural wetlands. Development of this metric
required investigation of controls on their fossil assemblage (e.g. seasonal variability,
fossilization potential) and their biogeographic distribution, not only in the
constructed lakes and wetlands on the oil sands leases, but also in natural
environments across Alberta.


title: Margin requirements and volatility : evidence from Canadian stocks

subject:
Margins (Security trading)--Canada.
Stocks--Canada.

abstract:
Margin policy is used by regulators for the purpose of inhibiting exceSSIve
volatility and stabilizing the stock market in the long run. The effect of this policy on the
stock market is widely tested empirically. However, most prior studies are limited in the
sense that they investigate the margin requirement for the overall stock market rather than
for individual stocks, and the time periods examined are confined to the pre-1974 period
as no change in the margin requirement occurred post-1974 in the U.S. This thesis
intends to address the above limitations by providing a direct examination of the effect of
margin requirement on return, volume, and volatility of individual companies and by
using more recent data in the Canadian stock market. Using the methodologies of
variance ratio test and event study with conditional volatility (EGARCH) model, we find
no convincing evidence that change in margin requirement affects subsequent stock
return volatility. We also find similar results for returns and trading volume. These
empirical findings lead us to conclude that the use of margin policy by regulators fails to
achieve the goal of inhibiting speculating activities and stabilizing volatility.


title: Medicalization and women : O, the Oprah Magazine diagnosed through critical discourse analysis

contributor: Social Justice and Equity Studies Program

subject:
Advertising--Drugs.
Drugs--Marketing.
Women consumers.

abstract:
This thesis uses critical discourse analysis (COAl to explore and examine direct-toconsumer
(OTC) pharmaceutical drug advertisements appearing in four issues of 0, The
Oprah Magazine in 2006. The theoretical underpinnings of this thesis emerge from social
scientists and feminists analyses regarding the medicalization of everyday life. The
findings of this study highlight three types of discourses used by pharmaceutical
companies. First, I explore the use of historical and contemporary gender norms to seJi
pharmacological products; second, J examine discourses which normalize the use of
chemical solutions as the first line of defense to address a wide range of everyday
problems; and finally, I assess how phannaceutical advertisements provide an illusion of
autonomy by responsibilizing individuals as patients, at the same time as they suggest
that real independence can only be achieved with medication. My discussion of these
themes also includes an analysis of why 0 Magazine, which explicitly promotes
women's empowerment through holistic approaches to health and personal growthmight
support such advertising. Thus I explore: how does OTC advertising benefit both
pharmaceutical companies and 0 Magazine itself? I conclude through a brief discussion
of the larger implications of OTC advertising for women's health.


title: Problem children with and without communication delays : the changes in their parents' report of challenging behaviour, parental hassles and family conflict over a two -year period

subject: Developmentally disabled children--Language.

subject: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

subject: Stress (Psychology)

subject: Families

abstract:
The goal of this study was to examine the change, over a two year period, in mothers' reports of
children's challenging behaviour and family conflict as they relate to change in parenting hassles
(stress) among families who have preschool children with and without communication delays.
Forty-four parent-child dyads participated in this Family Resource Project study that was funded
by the Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network. Thirty-one ofthese families had
preschool children with communication delays and 13 children were identified as not having
communication delays. Child behaviour was evaluated using the Oppositional Subscale and
ADHD Index of the Conners Parent Rating Scale (CPRS-R:S), the Conflict Subscale ofthe
Family Environment Scale was used to examine family conflict, and the Parent Hassles Scale
was used to examine parental stress. Results showed that change in mothers' daily hassles was
influenced by change in their preschool children's ADHD behaviour and change in family
conflict. Change in child oppositional behaviour did not predict change in mothers' hassles
scores.


title: Properties and algorithms of the (n, k)-arrangement graphs

subject:
Topological graph theory.
Computer algorithms.

abstract:
The (n, k)-arrangement interconnection topology was first introduced in 1992. The
(n, k )-arrangement graph is a class of generalized star graphs. Compared with the
well known n-star, the (n, k )-arrangement graph is more flexible in degree and diameter.
However, there are few algorithms designed for the (n, k)-arrangement graph
up to present. In this thesis, we will focus on finding graph theoretical properties
of the (n, k)- arrangement graph and developing parallel algorithms that run on this
network.
The topological properties of the arrangement graph are first studied. They include
the cyclic properties. We then study the problems of communication: broadcasting
and routing. Embedding problems are also studied later on. These are very
useful to develop efficient algorithms on this network.
We then study the (n, k )-arrangement network from the algorithmic point of view.
Specifically, we will investigate both fundamental and application algorithms such as
prefix sums computation, sorting, merging and basic geometry computation: finding
convex hull on the (n, k )-arrangement graph.
A literature review of the state-of-the-art in relation to the (n, k)-arrangement
network is also provided, as well as some open problems in this area.


title: Properties and algorithms of the hyper-star graph and its related graphs

subject:
Computer networks.
Multiprocessors.
Computer algorithms.

abstract:
The hyper-star interconnection network was proposed in 2002 to overcome the
drawbacks of the hypercube and its variations concerning the network cost, which is
defined by the product of the degree and the diameter. Some properties of the graph
such as connectivity, symmetry properties, embedding properties have been studied
by other researchers, routing and broadcasting algorithms have also been designed.
This thesis studies the hyper-star graph from both the topological and algorithmic
point of view. For the topological properties, we try to establish relationships between
hyper-star graphs with other known graphs. We also give a formal equation for the
surface area of the graph. Another topological property we are interested in is the
Hamiltonicity problem of this graph.
For the algorithms, we design an all-port broadcasting algorithm and a single-port
neighbourhood broadcasting algorithm for the regular form of the hyper-star graphs.
These algorithms are both optimal time-wise.
Furthermore, we prove that the folded hyper-star, a variation of the hyper-star, to be
maixmally fault-tolerant.


title: Quadtree representation and compression of spatial data

subject:
Spatial data infrastructures
Computer algorithms

abstract:
Spatial data representation and compression has become a focus issue in computer graphics
and image processing applications. Quadtrees, as one of hierarchical data structures, basing
on the principle of recursive decomposition of space, always offer a compact and efficient
representation of an image. For a given image, the choice of quadtree root node plays
an important role in its quadtree representation and final data compression. The goal of
this thesis is to present a heuristic algorithm for finding a root node of a region quadtree,
which is able to reduce the number of leaf nodes when compared with the standard quadtree
decomposition. The empirical results indicate that, this proposed algorithm has quadtree
representation and data compression improvement when in comparison with the traditional
method.


title: Supporting fathering through infant massage

subject:
Massage for infants
Father and infant

abstract:
Developing a strong relationship is essential for optimal child development and it is
possible for fathers to fully participate in developing this close bond. Men often develop
this relationship through interactive play which usually occurs later in their child's
development. As a result, fathers often feel dissatisfied with their ability to form a close
attachment in the early post-partum period, which in turn may increase their stress level.
However, men can be prepared for the transition to fatherhood if they develop the
knowledge and skill necessary to create positive relationships with their infants. Infant
massage appears to be a viable option for teaching fathers care-giving sensitivity. To
build on the notion of teaching fathers attachment system behaviour in early infancy, a
quasi-experimental, mixed methods study was employed. Twenty-four infant-father
dyads were recruited for the study. The fathers were asked to fill out the Parent Stress
Index and a facial cues rating scale at two times, one month apart. The experimental
group also participated in an infant massage intervention taught by a Certified Infant
Massage Instructor of the International Association of Infant Massage. A repeated
measures MANOVA revealed infant massage decreased paternal stress. Qualitatively, the
fathers provided rich descriptions of their experience in the baby massage class which
provided useful insight into the efficacy of the intervention. Overall, the fathers enjoyed
the experience but did not necessarily see the direct benefit of the intervention on their
relationship. Recommendations for pre and postnatal education for fathers are made.


title: The association between blood pressure and vascular characteristics in children

subject:
Blood pressure--Measurement
Hypertension in children.
Blood-vessels

abstract:
Hypertension is thought to exist in up to five percent of children. A select number of studies have
investigated the role elevated blood pressure plays in pediatric atherosclerotic progression.
However these studies contain significant methodological flaws and fail to recognize important
confounding factors. Therefore, the influence of elevated blood pressure on arterial health in
children remains to be clearly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the
association between blood pressure (BP) and arterial thickness and stiffuess in children. Common
carotid artery (CCA) intima-media thickness (IMT) and distensibility (Dist), as well as systemic
pulse wave velocity (PWV) were measured in 21 elevated blood pressure (EBP; BP ~ 95th
percentile) and 83 normal blood pressure (NBP; BP < 90th percentile) children 11-14 years of age.
Both EBP and NBP groups demonstrated BP within the normal clinical range, but EBP showed
significantly elevated BP as compared to the NBP group. Independent t-tests failed to show
significant differences between the EBP and NBP groups for CCA IMT (0.43 ± 0.05 mm and
0.42 ± 0.06 mm, respectively) and Dist (0.0058 ± 0.0024 mmHg-1 and 0.0064 ± 0.0019 mmHil
respectively). In contrast, a significantly elevated PWV (p<O.OOl) was found in the EBP group
(423 ± 35 cmls) compared to the NBP group (389 ± 24 cmls). This finding remained constant
following an analysis of covariance controlling for the effects of maturation, age, sex and obesity.
This study shows for the first time that children with elevated BP do not have significantly altered
central arterial structure and function as measured through CCA Dist and IMT, but do possess
significantly altered systemic arterial stiffuess as measured through PWV. This may be the result
of sympathetic predominance and its significant influence on the peripheral vasculature. More
studies are needed to clearly illustrate the temporal sequence of pediatric atherosclerotic
progression in response to elevated BP.


title: The Clemente Course in the Humanities and critical pedagogy : a comparative analysis of Earl Shorris and bell hooks on poverty, racism, imperialism and patriarchy

subject:
Poor--Education.
Poor children--Education.
Economic assistance, Domestic
Poor--Political activity.

abstract:
The Clemente Course in the Humanities is an anti-poverty intervention for adults
who self-identity as "poor" and humanities instructors. The course was created in 1995
by journalist Earl Shorris, who based the curriculum on a Socratic method of pedagogy
and the "great books" canon of Robert Hutchins. It began as a community-based initiative
in urban US settings, but since 1997 Mayan, Yup'ik and Cherokee iterations have been
created, as well as on-campus bridge courses for non-traditional students to explore
college-level education in Canada and the USA.
The course potentially conflicts with critical pedagogy because the critical
theories of Paulo Freire and contemporary cultural studies reject traditional notions of
both the canon and teaching. However, a comparison between Shorris' and bell hooks'
theories of oppression reveals significant similarities between his "surround of force" and
her "capitalist imperialist white supremacist patriarchy," with implications for liberal
studies and critical pedagogy.


title: The effect of lysobisphosphatidic acid (LBPA) on α-tocopherol transfer protein (α-TTP) binding to lipid membranes

subject:
Vitamin E
Protein binding.

abstract:
The a-tocopherol transfer protein (a-TTP) is responsible for the retention of the atocopherol
form of vitamin E in living organisms. The detailed ligand transfer
mechanism by a-TTP is still yet to be fully elucidated. To date, studies show that a-TTP
transfers a-tocopherol from late endosomes in liver cells to the plasma membrane where
it is repackaged into very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and released into the
circulation.
Late endosomes have been shown to contain a lipid known as lysobisphosphatidic
acid (LBP A) that is unique to this cellular compartment. LBPA plays a role in
intracellular trafficking and controlling membrane curvature. Taking these observations
into account plus the fact that certain proteins are recruited to membranes based on
membrane curvature, the specific aim of this project was to examine the effect of LBP A
on a-TTP binding to lipid membranes. To achieve this objective, dual polarization
interferometry (DPI) and a vesicle binding assay were employed. Whilst DPI allows
protein binding affinity to be measured on a flat lipid surface, the vesicle binding assay
determines protein binding affinity to lipid vesicles mimicking curved membranes.
DPI analysis revealed that the amount of a-TTP bound to lipid membranes is
higher when LBPA is present. Using the vesicle binding assay, a similar result was seen
where a greater amount of protein is bound to large unilamellar vesicles (LUV s)
containing LBP A. However, the effect of LBP A was attenuated when small unilamellar
vesicles (SUVs) were replaced with LUVs. The outcome of this project suggests that aTTP
binding to membranes is influenced by membrane curvature, which in turn is
induced by the presence of LBP A.


title: Transmission of West Nile virus in the Niagara Region among a population at risk for exposure

subject: West Nile virus--Ontario--Niagara (Regional municipality)

subject: Agricultural laborers--Ontario--Niagara (Regional

abstract:
Background. West Nile Virus (WNV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, is one of an
increasing number of infectious diseases that have been emerging or re-emerging in the
last two decades. Since the arrival ofWNV to Canada to present date, the Niagara Region
has only reported 30 clinical cases, a small number compared to the hundreds reported in
other regions of similar conditions. Moreover, the last reported human case in Niagara
was in 2006. As it has been demonstrated that the majority of WNV infections are
asymptomatic, the question remains whether the lack of clinical cases in Niagara truly
reflects the lack of transmission to humans or if infections are still occurring but are
mostly asymptomatic.
Objectives. The general objective of this study was to establish whether or not active
WNV transmission could be detected in a human population residing in Niagara for the
2007 transmission season. To fullfil this objective, a cross-sectional seroprevalence study
was designed to investigate for the presence of anti-WNV antibodies in a sample of
Mexican migrant agricultural workers employed in farms registered with the Seasonal
Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP). Due to the Mexican origin of the study
participants, three specific research objectives were proposed: a) determine the
seroprevalence ofanti-WNV antibodies as well as anti-Dengue virus antibodies (a closely
related virus prevalent in Mexico and likely to confound WNV serology); b) analyze risk
factors associated with WNV and Dengue virus seropositivity; and c) assess the
awareness of study participants about WNV infection as well as their understanding of
the mode of transmission and clinical importance of the infection. Methodology: After obtaining ethics clearance from Brock University, farms were
visited and workers invited to participate. Due to time constraints, only a small number of
farms were enrolled with a resulting convenience and non-randomized study sample.
Workers' demographic and epidemiological data were collected using a standardized
questionnaire and blood samples were drawn to determine serum anti-WNV and anti-
Dengue antibodies with a commercial ELISA. All positive samples were sent to the
National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, Manitoba for confirmation with the
Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test (PRNT). Data was analyzed with Stata 10.0.
Antibody determinations were reported as seroprevalence proportions for both WNV and
Dengue. Logistic regression was used to analyze risk factors that may be associated with
seropositivity and awareness was reported as a proportion of the number of individuals
possessing awareness over the total number of participants.
Results and Discussion. In total 92 participants working in 5 farms completed the study.
Using the commercial ELISA, seropositivity was as follows: 2.2% for WNV IgM, 20.7%
for WNV IgG, and 17.1 % for Dengue IgG. Possible cross-reactivity was demonstrated in
15/20 (75.0%) samples that were positive for both WNV IgG and Dengue IgG.
Confirmatory testing with the PRNT demonstrated that none of the WNV ELISA positive
samples had antibodies to WNV but 13 samples tested positive for anti-Dengue
antibodies (14.1 % Dengue sereoprevalence). The findings showed that the ELISA
performance was very poor for assessing anti-WNV antibodies in individuals previously
exposed to Dengue virus. However, the ELISA had better sensitivity and specificity for
assessing anti-Dengue antibodies.  Whereas statistical analysis could not be done for WNV seropositivity, as all samples
were PRNT negative, logistic regression demonstrated several risk factors for Dengue
exposure_ The first year coming to Canada appeared to be significantly associated with
increased exposure to Dengue while lower socio-economic housing and the presence of a
water basin in the yard in Mexico appeared to be significantly associated with a
decreased exposure to Dengue_ These seemingly contradictory results illustrate that in
mobile populations such as migrant workers, risk factors for exposure to Dengue are not
easily identified and more research is needed. Assessing the awareness of WNV and its
clinical importance showed that only 23% of participants had some knowledge of WNV,
of which 76% knew that the infection was mosquito-borne and 47% recognized fever as a
symptom. The identified lack of understanding and awareness was not surprising since
WNV is not a visible disease in Mexico. Since WNV persists in an enzootic cycle in
Niagara and the occurrence of future outbreaks is unpredictable, the agricultural workers
remain at risk for transmission. Therefore it important they receive sufficient health
education regarding WNV before leaving Mexico and during their stay in Canada.
Conclusions. Human transmission of WNV could not be proven among the study
participants even when due to their occupation they are at high risk for mosquito bites.
The limitations of the study sample do not permit generalizable conclusions, however, the
study findings are consistent with the absence of clinical cases in the Niagara Region, so
it is likely that human transmission is indeed neglible or absent. As evidenced by our
WNV serology results, PRNT must be utilized as a confirmatory test since false positivity
occurs frequently. This is especially true when previous exposure to Dengue virus is
likely.


title: Adenovirus-based exogenous gene expression in mammalian cells

subject:
Gene expression
Adenoviruses.
Genetic vectors
Mammals--Genetics.

abstract:
Adenoviruses have been used as a model system for understanding gene
expression, DNA replication, gene delivery and other molecular biological phenomenon.
In this project, adenovirus was used as a model to study exogenous gene expression in
mammalian cells. More specifically, several adenoviral components were identified to
enhance gene expression together with components needed for viral DNA replication.
The adenoviral elements that enhance gene expression were assembled in an expression
vector (pEl). These include the viral inverted terminal repeats (ITRs), the El region, the
major late promoter (MLP) and the tripartite leader sequence (TPL). The green
florescence protein (GFP) was used as a reporter gene. Various aspects of gene
expression were examined including DNA delivery and stability inside the cells as well
as mRNA transcription and protein expression.
First, the effect of DNA quality on its delivery, stability and expreSSIOn III
mammalian cells was studied. Five different conditions of the major DNA contaminants
were used in this investigation including ethidium bromide (EtBr) , cesium chloride
(CsCl), EtBr/CsCl, endotoxins and ethanol. CsCl, EtBr/CsCl and endotoxins affected the
delivery process while EtBr affected the expression process but not the delivery. The
used EtOH had no significant effect on both. In addition, the effect of all the
contaminants was reversible.
Next, we looked at the factors that enhance mRNA transcription and translation
levels. Three approaches were tested, the first was the co-transfection of pEl and a
plasmid that contains adenoviral genes involved in replication (PE2: contains E2 and
viral protease). The second was the establishment of a cell line expressing these
adenoviral genes involved in replication and the third approach was the super-infection
with the wild type adenovirus. The co-transfection did not show any significant increase
in gene expression or vector stability. On the other hand, the construction of CHO-E2
cell lines yielded five cell lines but none of them showed expression of all the integrated
adenoviral E2 genes or enhancement of stability.
Adenoviral super-infection enhanced gene expression. CHO cells showed higher
enhancement in intensity and time than human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells. In
addition, such enhancement was dependent on the multiplicity of infection (MOl).
Finally, this study emphasizes the importance of DNA quality on gene expression.
However, the use of adenoviral elements to enhance exogenous gene expression is successful only when the complementary viral proteins and sequences are present. Active
expression of the adenoviral proteins does not depend on a few major elements, but
depends on the combination of different elements that work in cis or trans to activate
gene expression.


title: When job dissatisfaction leads to customer-oriented citizenship behaviors

subject:
Job satisfaction
Service industries workers
Consumer behavior

abstract:
This thesis places boundary conditions on the withdrawal model in the frontline setting of
service organizations by considering continuance commitment and supervisory support as
moderators of the relationship between job dissatisfaction and customer-oriented citizenship
behaviors (COCBs).  Departing from traditional research in the areas of the service-profit chain
and employee withdrawal, the author advances our understanding of conditions that may lead
frontline service employees who are dissatisfied to deposit COCBs into the organizational
system.  Specifically, based on principles derived from social exchange theory, high continuance
commitment and high supervisory support are expected to lead to COCBs, because under this
condition the benefits of performing such behaviors are increased (i.e., promotion-based,
reciprocity-based), while the costs are decreased (i.e., opportunity costs).  Utilizing a sample of
127 frontline employees from both the financial services and travel agency industries, the
hypothesized relationships are empirically supported using moderated hierarchical regression
analysis.  To conclude discussion, implications of the results for both academics and
p


title: Unique and unifying themes in the mechanisms regulating the expression of the arabidopsis thaliana PR-1 and Solanum tuberosum PR-10a inducible defense genes

subject:
Arabidopsis -- Molecular aspects
Solanum -- Molecular aspects

abstract:
Arabidopsis  is  a model  plant  used  to  study  disease  resistance;  Solanum  tuberosum  or
potato  is  a  crop  species.  Both  plants  possess  inducible  defense  mechanisms  that  are
deployed  upon  recognition  of pathogen  invasion.  Transcriptional  reprogramming  is
crucial  to  the  activation of defense  responses.  The Pathogenesis-Related (PR)  genes  are
activated in these defense programs. Expression of Arabidopsis PR-l and potato PR-10a
serve as markers for the deployment of defense responses in these plants.
PR-l  expression  indicates  induction  of  systemic  acquired  resistance  (SAR).
Activation  of SAR  requires  accumulation  of  salicylic  acid  (SA),  in  addition  to  the
interaction of the  non-expressor of pathogenesis-related genes  I  (NPRI), with  the TGA
transcription factors.
The PR-10a  is  activated  in response  to pathogen invasion, wounding and elicitor
treatment. PR-10a induction requires recruitment of the Whirly  I  (Whyl) activator to  the
promoter. This  locus  is  also negatively  regulated by  the  silencer element binding  factor
(SEBF).
We  established  that both the PR-l  and PR-10a are  occupied by repressors under
non-inducing conditions. TGA2 was  found  to be a constitutive  resident and  repressor of
PR-l, which mediates  repression  by  forming  an  oligomeric  complex  on  the  promoter.
The DNA-binding activity of this oligomer required the TGA2 N-terminus (NT).
Under  resting  conditions  we  determined  that  the  PR-10a  is  bound  by  a
repressosome  containing  SEBF  and  curiously  the  activator  Pto  interacting  protein  4
(Pti4).  In  the  context of this  repressosome,  SEBF  is  responsible  for PR-10a binding, yet
rWe  also showed  that PR-l  and PR-10a are activated by different means.  In PR-l
activation the NPRI NT domain alleviates TGA2-mediated repression by interacting with
the TGA2 NT.  TGA2  remains  at  the PR-l but adopts  a dimeric  conformation and  forms
an  enhanceosome  with  NPRl.  In  contrast,  the  PR-10a  is  activated  by  evicting  the
repressosome and recruiting Why!  to  the promoter.
These  results  advance our understanding of the mechanisms  regulating PR-l  and
PR-10a  expression under resting  and  inducing  conditions.  This  study  also  revealed  that
the  means  of regulation  for  related  genes  can  differ  greatly  between model  and  crop
s


title: Mechanisms underlying Retinoic acid-induced chemoattraction in molluscan neurons

subject:
Retinoids
Vitamin A
Mollusks

abstract:
Retinoic acid, a derivative of vitamin A,  is known to play diverse roles in development
and  regeneration.  Previous research  in  the mollusc Lymnaea stagnalis has shown that a
gradient of all-trans retinoic acid attracts the growth cones of cultured neurons.  The
present study investigates the sub-cellular mechanisms within the growth cones of
Lymnaea pedal A neurons which mediate the attractive response to a gradient of alltrans retinoic acid.  In  this study, the mechanism of growth cone turning is  shown to be
local, as  neurites mechanically isolated from their cell body retain the capacity to turn
towards an exogenous gradient of all-trans retinoic acid.  The turning response is
dependent on the initiation of protein synthesis and calcium  influx, but does not appear
to involve signaling through protein kinase C (PKC).  The  retinoid X receptor (RXR), which
classically functions as a transcription factor, was also shown to be  involved  in  the
turning response, functioning locally through a non-genomic pathway. These data show,
for the first time in any species,  that all-trans retinoic acid's chemotropic action involves
a local mechanism involving non-genomic signaling through the RXR.  As  retinoic acid  is
known to playa role in  regeneration, understanding the mechanisms underlying retinoic
acid signaling may lead to further advances in regenerative neuroscience.


title: Enantiodivergent chemoenzymatic synthesis of Balanol and approaches to the synthesis of (+)-Codine

subject:
Organic compounds -- Synthesis
Codeine -- Synthesis

abstract:
The  present  thesis  reviews  the  development  of  a  formal  enantiodivergent
synthesis  of the  (+)- and  (-)-isomers  of balanol.  This  approach  commences  from  a
cis-dihydrodiol  derived  from  the  enzymatic  dihydroxylation  of bromobenzene.  The
stereochemistry of the diol  is  used  to  direct  the  synthesis of two different  aziridines,
each used  in  the  formal  synthesis  of one  enantiomer of balanol. Also  described  are
several  enantioselective  approaches  to  (+ )-codeine.  Each  strategy  begins  with  the
enzymatic  dihydroxylation  of  p-bromoethylbenzene  and  involves  a  Mitsunobu inversion and intramolecular Heck reaction as key steps.


title: Evaluation of a professional development curriculum in movement education and adapted physical activity for invisible disabilities : a critical cross-case analysis

subject: Movement education -- Curricula

subject: Physical education for children with disabilities

abstract:
Movement education and adapted physical activity are content areas not
addressed in pre-service education or in-service training for Ontario practitioners
working with individuals with disabilities in physical environments. Consequently,
physical activity is often overlooked by service providers in programming and
intervention for exceptional young learners. A formative evaluation, multiple-case
study design was employed in this research in which a purposeful sample of expert
practitioners performed a guided, descriptive evaluation of a three-day professional
development workshop curriculum designed to supplement these areas lacking in
professional preparation within their respective cohorts. Case-by-case and
comparative analyses illustrated the inherent assumptions and societal constraints
which prioritize the structure of professional development within the education
system and other government organizations providing services for school-aged
persons with disabilities in Ontario. Findings, discussed from a critical postmodern
perspective,  illustrate the paradoxical nature of Western values and prevailing
mind/body dichotomy that guide professional practice in these fields.


title: Self concept, acculturation, and fashion orientation

subject: Self-perception Acculturation Fashion

abstract:
The  research  begins  with  a  discussion  of the  worldwide  and  the  Canadian  market.  The
research  profiles  the  examination  of the  relationship  between  a  person's  self concept  (as
defined  by Malhotra)  and  fashion  orientation  (as  defined  by  Gutman  and Mills),  and  to
understand  how  these  factors  are  influenced  by  acculturation,  focusing  in-depth  on  their
managerial  implications.  To  study  these  relationships;  a  random  sample  of 196 ChineseCanadian  female  university  students  living  in  Canada  was  given  a  survey  based  on
Malhotra's  self-concept  scale,  and  the  SLASIA  acculturation  scale.  Based  on  multiple
regression  analysis,  findings  suggest  that  the  adoption  of language  and  social  interaction
dimensions of acculturation constructs have  significant effects on  the  relationship  between
self concept and fashion orientation.
This research contributes significantly to both marketing theory and practice. Theoretically,
this research develops new insights on  the dimensionality of fashion  orientation,  identifies
various moderating effects of acculturation on  the  relationship of self concept and  fashion
orientation dimensions,  and  provides  a  framework  to  examine  these  effects, where  results
can be generalized across different culture. Practically, marketers can use available findings
to  improve  their understanding  of the  fashion  needs  of Chinese-Canadian  consumers,  and
target  them  based  on  these  findings.  The  findings  provide  valuable  implications  for
companies  to  formulate  their  fashion marketing  strategies  for  enhance  fashion  orientation in terms of different dimensions, based on different levels of acculturation.


title: Using genetic algorithms for the single allocation hub location problem

subject:
Transportation -- Planning
Transportation -- Cost effectiveness

abstract:
Hub  location  problem  is  an NP-hard  problem  that  frequently  arises  in  the
design of transportation and distribution  systems, postal delivery  networks,  and
airline  passenger  flow.  This work  focuses  on  the Single Allocation Hub Location Problem (SAHLP). Genetic Algorithms (GAs) for the capacitated and uncapacitated variants of the SAHLP based on new chromosome representations and
crossover operators are explored.  The GAs  is  tested on two well-known  sets of
real-world problems with up to 200 nodes.  The obtained results are very promising.  For most of the test problems the GA obtains improved or best-known solutions  and the computational time remains  low.  The proposed GAs can easily be
extended to other variants of location problems arising in network design planning
in transportation systems.


title: Identifying language needs of ESL students in a Canadian university based intensive English language program

contributor: Department of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies in Education

subject: English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers

subject: College students -- Canada

abstract:
This study investigated the needs of adult ESL learners intending to pursue higher
education in Canada. Its chief purpose was to enable educators and administrators to
design ESL programs that would prepare students to function at optimal levels in
academic and social settings during their university studies. The study adopted a mixed
research method that was predominantly qualitative in its orientation and narrative in its
implementation. It focused on an Intensive English Language Program (IELP) offered at
an Ontario university. Using a holistic approach, the study sought to represent the various
perspectives of all the participants in the program: the students, the instructors, and the
administrators. Analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data gathered from 17
students, 6 instructors, and 1 administrator in the IELP showed that to a large extent the
academic needs ofESL learners in the IELP were generally not being met. Most notably,
the study found that learners were not receiving sufficient training in speaking and
listening skills, a factor that contributed to their sense of insecurity and lack of
confidence in their ability to communicate successfully in academic and social settings.
The study also revealed that the solutions to many of the problems it identified lay not in
the classroom but in the way the ESL program was structured administratively. One
major recommendation to come out of the study is that programs like the IELP should be
restructured so as to give them greater flexibility in meeting individual needs. While the
study labored under certain limitations and did not achieve all of its goals, it did succeed
in creating awareness ofthe problems and in establishing a methodological approach that
can serve as a framework within which future research may be conducted in this
somewhat neglected area.


title: The interpretation of environmental sustainability (ES) by the IOC/Olympic Games 1994-2008

subject: International Olympic Committee

subject: Olympics -- Environmental aspects

subject: Economic development -- Environmental aspects

abstract:
The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to examine the
interpretation of environmental sustainability (ES) within the Olympic
11
Movement. Two research questions guided the inquiry - first, how has the concept
of ES been defined by the International Olympic Committee (lOC), and second,
how has the concept of ES been defined and enacted by the Organizing
Committees ofthe Olympic Games (OCOGs)? During the past two decades, the
International Olympic Committee (lOC) established several policies and
programs related to ES. Its actions reflect a broader trend of environmentalism
within economic and social spheres around the world (Milton-Smith, 2002).
Despite the numerous initiatives, the Olympic Games continue to cause
significant environmental damage. Frey, et al.  (2007) argued that the Olympic
Movement contradicts the fundamental premises of ES because the Games are
hosted in a two week time period, are situated in a confined area, and accumulate
operating and infrastructure costs in the billions of dollars. Further, Etzion (2007)
stated "there is positive and significant correlation between firm siz~ and
environmental performance" (p. 642) and in the context of the Olympics the sizeimpact relation is striking. Since 1972, the year the UN launched its international
environmental awareness efforts, the Summer Olympics grew to 201  nations
(39% increase), 10,500 athletes (32% increase), 28 sports (30% increase), and 302
events (43% increase) (Johnson, 2004; Girginov & Parry, 2005; Upegui, 2008).
The proliferation of Games activities counters the ES principles that exist within
many of the IOC declarations, policies and programs.


title: Two enantiodivergent syntheses of balanol and the chemoenzymatic synthesis of oseltamivir

subject:
Organic compounds -- Synthesis
Antiviral agents
Carbamates

abstract:
The present thesis outlines our latest findings  on the reactivity of the Burgess
reagent  with  oxiranes.  Structural,  mechanistic,  and  computational  studies  are
presented.  Included  is  the  development  of a  (-)-menthyl  version  of  the  Burgess
reagent and its application to  the synthesis of enantiomerically pure ~-amino alcohols.
This methodology has been exploited in the  formal  enantiodivergent synthesis of the
(+)- and  (-)-isomers  of balanol.  Also  described  is  a  second  generation  approach  to
both  balanol  enantiomers;  each  commencmg  with  the  chemoenzymatic
dihydroxylation of bromobenzene. This  study also describes  the steric  and functional
limitations  of the  toluene  dioxygenase-mediated  oxidation  of benzoate  esters.  The
metabolite  derived  from  ethyl  benzoate  was employed  in  a  formal  synthesis  of
oseltamivir.  Finally,  several  synthetic  approaches  to  oseltamivir  and  its  analogs  are
presented,  each  proceeding  through  a  different  vinyl  aziridine  derived  from
bromobenzene and ethyl benzoate.


title: Characterizing the impact of multiple potential enemies (predators and parasites) on the behaviour of ranid tadpoles

subject:
Tadpoles -- Behavior
Tadpoles -- Parasites
Tadpoles -- Predators of
Animal defenses

abstract:
In order to fully understand an organism's behaviours the interactions between
multiple enemies or selective pressures need to be considered, as these interactions are
usually far more complex than the simple addition of their effects in isolation. In this
thesis, I consider the impact of multiple enemies (fish predators and parasites) on the
behaviour of three larval anurans (Lithobates sylvaticus, L.  clamitans and L.
catesbeianus). I also determine whether species that differ in life-histories and habitat
preferences possess different antipredator mechanisms and how this affects species
responses to multiple enemies. I show that the three Ranid larvae respond differently to
the trade-off imposed by the presence of both fish predators and trematode parasites
within the environment. The two more permanent pond breeders (L.  clamitans and L.
catesbeianus) increased activity when in the combined presence of predators and
parasites.  In contrast, the temporary pond breeder (L.  sylvaticus) decreased activity in the
combined presence of predator and parasites, in the same manner as they responded to
fish alone. Further, the presence of fish along with parasites increased the susceptibility
of both L.  sylvaticus and L. clamitans to trematode infection, whereas parasite infection
in L.  catesbeianus was unaffected by the presence of fish. A second experiment to assess
palatability of the three anuran species to fish,  revealed a range of palatabilities, with L.
catesbeianus being least palatable, L. clamitans being somewhat unpalatable, and L.
sylvaticus being highly palatable. This result helps to explain the species differences in
tthe observed behaviour to the combined presence of fish and parasites. In conclusion, the results from this study highlight the importance of considering multiple selective pressures faced by organisms and how this shapes their behaviour.


title: Mechanisms for sustainable accountability : a case study of a nonprofit educational organization

subject: Educational accountability

subject: Nonprofit organizations -- Canada -- Evaluation

abstract:
A qualitative case study of the capacity to be accountable in one nonprofit
intennediary educational organization yielded an emergent conceptual framework of four
mechanisms: structural, governing, communicative, and educative mechanisms to build
and sustain the capacity of accountability. Drawing attention to the purposeful creation of
structures that support accountability, purposeful navigation of the complex matrix of
accountability relationships, and purposeful transfer of knowledge to infonn future
accountability, this study calls for mindfulness in practice in broader educational
contexts. Protocols to pass on knowledge gained in building the four capacities reveal a
new dimension of accountability: continuity. In this model, the educative mechanism is
the life force that feeds the other three mechanisms to increase accountability and sustain it over time.


title: Fitness to stand trial : how discourses of rationality, reasonableness and culpability inform the law and psychiatry to create standards of normal

subject:
Competency to stand trial
Insanity (Law)

abstract:
The objective of this thesis is to demonstrate the importance of the concepts of
rationality, reasonableness, culpability and autonomy that inform and support our
conception of both the person and the punishable subject. A critical discourse analysis
tracing these concepts through both the law and psychological tools used to evaluate the
fitness of a person reveals that these concepts and their implied values are inconsistently
applied to the mentally disordered who come into conflict with the law. I argue that the
result of this inconsistency compromises a person's autonomy which is a contradiction to
this concept as a foundational principle of the law.  Ultimately, this thesis does not
provide a solution to be employed in policy making, but its analysis leaves open
possibilities for further exploration into the ways legal and social justice can be reconciled.


title: Stereoselective synthesis of 5-substituted pyrrolo[1,2-c]imidazol-3-ones. Access to aldosterone synthase inhibitors and chiral precatalysts

subject:
Organic compounds -- Synthesis
Aldosterone -- Synthesis
Pyrrolidine

abstract:
Compounds  containing  the  pyrrolidine  moiety  are  key  substructures  of
compounds  with  biological  activity  and  organocatalysts.  In  particular,  annulated
chiral  pyrrolidines  with  alpha  stereogenic  centers  have  aldostereone  synthase
inhibition activity.  In  addition,  5-substituted pyrroloimidazol(in)ium  salts precursors
to  N-heterocyclic  carbene  (NHC)  precatalysts  are  rare  due  to  a  lack  of convenient
synthetic routes to access them.
In  this  thesis  is  described  a  rapid  synthesis  of NHC  precursors  and  a  possible
route  to  5-substituted pyrroloimidazole  biologically  active  compounds.  The method
involves  the  preparation  of chiral  saturated  and  achiral  unsaturated  pyrrolo[I,2-
c]imidazol-3-ones  from N-Cbz-protected  t-Butyl  proline carboxamide.  The  resulting
starting materials may be used  to prepare the  target chiral annulated imidazol(in)ium
products by a two-step  sequence involving first stereoselective lithiation-substitution,
followed by POCh induced salt formation.


title: Mechanism of tocopherol transfer by human α-tocopherol transfer protein (α-hTTP)

subject:
Protein binding
Vitamin E

abstract:
Vitamin E  is  a well known fat  soluble chain breaking antioxidant.  It is a general
tenn used to describe a family of eight stereoisomers of tocopherols.  Selective retention
of  a-tocopherol  in  the  human  circulation  system  is  regulated  by  the  a -Tocopherol
Transfer Protein (a-TIP).
Using  a  fluorescently  labelled  a-tocopherol  (NBD-a-Toc)  synthesized  in  our
laboratory,  a  fluorescence  resonance  energy  transfer  (FRET)  assay  was  developed  to
monitor  the  kinetics  of ligand  transfer by a-hTTP  in  lipid vesicles.  Preliminary  results
implied  that NBD-a-Toe  simply  diffused  from  6-His-a-hTTP  to  acceptor membranes
since the kinetics of transfer were not responsive to a variety of conditions tested.  After
a series of trouble shooting experiments, we  identified a minor contaminant, E coli.  outer
membrane  porin F  (OmpF)  that  co-purified with  6-His-a-hTTP  from  the metal  affinity
column as  the source of the problem.
In order to completely avoid OmpF contamination, a GST -a-hTTP fusion protein
was  purified  from  a  glutathione  agarose  column  followed  by  an  on-column  thrombin
digestion  to  remove  the  GST  tag.  We  then  demonstrated  that  a-hTTP  utilizes  a
collisional mechanism  to  deliver its  ligand.  Furthennore,  a higher rate of a-tocopherol
transfer  to  small unilamellar vesicles (SUV s)  versus  large  unilamellar vesicles  (LUV s)
indicated that transfer is sensitive to membrane curvature.  These findings  suggest that ahTTP mediated  a-Toc  transfer  is  dominated by  the  hydrophobic nature  of a-hTTP  and
the packing density of phospholipid head groups within acceptor membranes.
Based  on  the  calculated  free  energy  change  (dG) when  a protein  is  transferred
from water  to  the  lipid bilayer,  a model was  generated  to  predict  the  orientation  of a-hTTP  when  it  interacts  with  lipid  membranes.  Guided  by  this  model, several
hydrophobic  residues  expected  to  penetrate  deeply  into  the  bilayer  hydrophobic  core,
were mutated  to  either  aspartate  or  alanine.  Utilizing  dual  polarization  interferometry
and  size  exclusion vesicle binding assays, we  identified  the  key  residues  for membrane
binding to be F 165, F 169 and 1202.  In addition, the rates of ligand transfer of the u-TTP
mutants were  directly  correlated  to  their membrane  binding  capabilities,  indicating  that
membrane binding was likely the rate  limiting step in u-TTP mediated transfer of u-Toc.
The  propensity of u-TTP  for  highly  curved membrane  provides  a  connection  to  its  colocalization with u-Toc in late endosomes.


title: ReAlM - a system to manipulate relations

subject:
Relation algebras
Computer science -- Mathematics

abstract:
Given  a  heterogeneous  relation  algebra R,  it  is  well  known  that  the  algebra of matrices  with  coefficient  from  R  is  relation  algebra with  relational  sums  that  is  not
necessarily  finite.  When a  relational  product  exists or  the  point  axiom  is  given,  we
can  represent  the  relation  algebra by  concrete  binary  relations  between  sets,  which
means  the  algebra may  be  seen  as  an  algebra  of Boolean matrices.  However,  it  is
not  possible  to  represent  every  relation  algebra.  It is  well  known  that  the  smallest
relation algebra  that  is  not representable has only  16  elements.  Such an algebra can
not be put in a Boolean matrix form.[15]
In  [15,  16]  it was  shown  that  every  relation  algebra R  with  relational  sums  and
sub-objects is equivalent to an algebra of matrices over a suitable basis.  This basis is
given by  the integral objects of R,  and is,  compared to R, much smaller.
Aim  of my  thesis  is  to develop  a  system  called  ReAlM  - Relation Algebra Manipulator - that  is  capable of visualizing computations  in  arbitrary relation algebras
using  the matrix approach.


title: A phenomenological approach to understanding the psychological response to chronic low back pain

subject:
Chronic pain -- Psychological aspects
Backache

abstract:
Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a complex health problem of psychological
manifestations not fully understood. Using interpretive phenomenological analysis, 11
semi-structured interviews were conducted to help understand the meaning of the lived
experience of CLBP; focusing on the psychological response to pain and the role of
depression, catastrophizing, fear-avoidance behavior, anxiety and somatization.
Participants characterized CLBP as persistent tolerable low back pain (TLBP) interrupted
by periods of intolerable low back pain (ILBP). ILBP contributed to recurring bouts of
helplessness, depression, frustration with the medical system and increased fear based on
the perceived consequences of anticipated recurrences, all of which were mediated by the
uncertainty of such pain. During times of TLBP all participants pursued a permanent pain
consciousness as they felt susceptible to experience a recurrence. As CLBP progressed,
participants felt they were living with a weakness, became isolated from those without
CLBP and integrated pain into their self-concept.


title: Cell wall degrading enzymes and interaction between Trichoderma Aggressivum and Agaricus Bisporus

subject: Cultivated mushroom -- Diseases and pests

subject: Bacterial diseases of plants

subject: Trichoderma

abstract:
Agaricus  bisporus  is  the most commonly cultivated mushroom  in North America
and  has  a  great  economic  value.  Green mould  is  a  serious  disease  of A.  bisporus  and
causes major  reductions  in mushroom  crop  production.  The  causative  agent  of green
mould  disease  in  North  America  was  identified  as  Trichoderma  aggressivum  f.
aggressivum.  Variations  in  the  disease  resistance  have  been  shown  in  the  different
commercial mushroom strains.
The purpose of this  study  is  to  continue  investigations of the  interactions between
T.  aggressivum  and A.  bisporus  during  the  development  of green mould  disease.  The
main focus of the research was to study the roles of cell wall degrading enzymes in green
mould disease resistance and pathogenesis.
First,  we  tried  to  isolate and  sequence  the  N-acetylglucosaminidase  from  A.
bisporus  to  understand  the  defensive  mechanism  of mushroom  against  the  disease.
However,  the  lack  of genomic  and  proteomic  information  of A.  bisporus  limited  our
efforts.  Next,  T.  aggressivum  cell  wall  degrading  enzymes  that  are  thought  to  attack
Agaricus  and  mediate  the  disease  development  were  examined.  The  three  cell  wall
degrading enzymes genes,  encoding endochitinase (ech42),  glucanase  (fJ-1,3  glucanase)
and protease  (prb 1), were  isolated and  sequenced  from  T.  aggressivum  f.  aggressivum.
The  sequence  data  showed  significant  homology  with  the  corresponding  genes  from
other  fungi  including  Trichoderma  species.  The  transcription  levels  of  the  three  T.
aggressivum cell wall degrading enzymes were  studied during the  in vitro co-cultivation
with  A.  bisporus  using  R T -qPCR.  The  transcription  levels  of the  three  genes  were
significantly upregulated compared to  the solitary culture  levels but were upregulated to a lesser extent in co-cultivation with a resistant strain of A.  bisporus than with a sensitive
strain.
An  Agrobacterium  tumefaciens  transformation  system  was  developed  for  T.
aggressivum  and was used to  transform  three  silencing plasmids  to  construct  three new
T.  aggressivum  phenotypes,  each  with  a  silenced  cell  wall  degrading  enzyme.  The
silencing  efficiency  was  determined  by  RT-qPCR  during  the  individual  in  vitro  cocultivation of each of the new phenotypes with A.  bisporus. The results showed that the
expression  of the  three  enzymes  was  significantly  decreased  during  the  in  vitro  cocultivation when compared with the wild type. The phenotypes were  co-cultivated with
A.  bisporus on compost with monitoring the green mould disease progression. The data
indicated that prbi and ech42 genes is more important in disease progression than the p-
1,3 glucanase gene.  Finally,  the present study emphasises  the role of the three cell wall
degrading  enzymes  in green mould disease  infection and may provide a promising tool
for disease management.


title: Analyzing the learning of the taking personal and social responsibility model within a new physical education undergraduate degree program in El Salvador

subject: Responsibility -- Study and teaching -- El Salvador

subject: Sports -- Moral and ethical aspects -- El Salvador

subject: Physical education and training -- Sociological aspects -- Study and teaching -- El Savador

abstract:
EI Salvador presents an unfortunate history that includes a military regime and a
civil war that together created a legacy of violence in which the country still struggle
nowadays. Salud Escolar Integral (SEI) was created in 2005 as a program to combat
youth violence throughout the re-formulation of physical education (PE) classes in public
schools, promoting life skills learning that supports the resolution of conflicts with nonviolent ways.  In 2007, SEI supported the creation of a physical e~ucation teacher
education (PETE) degree at the Universidad Pedag6gica de EI Salvador (UPES), having
the goal to assist pre-service teachers with a better understanding of humanistic
principles. The present research analyzed if after attending all three years ofUPES PETE
program, students presented high self-perception levels of competence and confidence
related to attitude, skills and knowledge to teach PE within humanistic principles. Taking
Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) was the theoretical framework used to
analyze the development of humanistic principles. The study had a mixed-method
longitudinal design that included questionnaires, reflection templates and interviews. In
conclusion, although it is suggested that UPES should provide better support for the
development of the teaching principles of empowering students and transfer learning,
most of the humanistic principles were highly promoted by the program. At last, it is
suggested that future research should track teachers' progress while teaching in schools,
in order to analyze if the theory of promoting humanistic principles have also become a
daily practice.


title: Is more information always good? : investigating the impact of website interface features on e-retailer's sales performance

subject: Electronic commerce

subject: Consumer satisfaction

subject: Retail trade -- Computer network resources

abstract:
A number of frameworks have been suggested for online retailing, but still there exists
little consensus among researchers and practitioners regarding the appropriate amount of
information critical and essential to the improvement of customers'  satisfaction and their
purchase intention. Against this backdrop, this study contributes to the current practical and
theoretical discussions and conversations about how information search and perceived risk
theories can be applied to the management of online retailer website features. This paper
examines the moderating role of website personalization in studying the relationship between
information content provided on the top US retailers' websites, and customer satisfaction and
purchase intention. The study also explores the role played by customer satisfaction and purchase
intention in studying the relationship between information that is personalized to the needs of
individual customers and online retailers'  sales performance. Results indicate that the extent of
information content features presented to online customers alone is not enough for companies
looking to satisfy and motivate customers to purchase. However, information that is targeted to
an individual customer influences customer satisfaction and purchase intention, and customer
satisfaction in tum serves as a driver to the retailer's online sales performance.


title: Children's rights in rural Punjab : the story of a border-dweller

subject:
Children's rights -- India -- Punjab
Punjab (India) -- Social conditions
Panjabis (South Asian people)

abstract:
There is currently a disconnect between the universal and general children's rights as
presented in the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child and the lived experiences
of children in various countries. This thesis uses the authors' struggle to exist between two
cultures as a lens through which the disconnect is explored. The author returns to her village in
Punjab and looks at spaces created for children through institutions such as the education system
and spaces that children create on their own.  Luhmann's social systems theory is used to critique
anti-humanist institutions and systems. As an alternative to Luhmann, H~dt and Negri's concept
of the multitude is explored to provide insight into the political spaces that children create for
themselves.


title: Impact of considering the effects of latent heat on caldera-hosted hydrothermal systems

subject:
Geothermal resources
Hydrothermal alteration
Calderas

abstract:
To  investigate  the  thennal  effects  of latent  heat  in  hydrothennal  settings,  an
extension  was  made  to  the  existing  finite-element  numerical  modelling  software,
Aquarius.  The  latent  heat  algorithm  was  validated  using  a  series  of column  models,
which  analysed  the  effects  of penneability  (flow  rate),  thennal  gradient,  and  position
along  the  two-phase  curve  (pressure).  Increasing  the  flow  rate  and  pressure  increases
displacement  of the  liquid-steam boundary  from  an  initial position detennined without
accounting  for  latent  heat  while  increasing  the  thennal  gradient  decreases  that
displacement.  Application  to  a regional  scale model  of a  caldera-hosted  hydrothennal
system  based  on  a  representative  suite  of calderas  (e.g.,  Yellowstone,  Creede,  Valles
Grande)  led  to  oscillations  in  the  model  solution.  Oscillations  can  be  reduced  or
eliminated  by  mesh  refinement,  which  requires  greater  computation  effort.  Results
indicate  that  latent  heat  should  be  accounted  for  to  accurately  model  phase  change
conditions in hydrothennal settings.


title: Moving from values inaction to values-in-action : an exploration of how values can be managed intentionally by national sports organizations

subject: Sports -- Moral and ethical aspects -- Canada

subject: Sports -- Social aspects -- Canada

abstract:
The study examined the intentional use of National Sport Organizations'  (NSOs) stated
values. Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) was applied to an Appreciative
Inquiry (AI) approach of interviewing NSO senior leaders. One intention of this research
was to  foster a connection between academia and practitioners, and in so doing highlight
the gap between values inaction and values-in-action. Data were collected from nine
NSOs through multiple-case studies analysis of interview transcripts, websites, and
constitutional statements. Results indicated that while the NSOs operated from a
Management by Objectives (MBO) approach they were interested in exploring how
Management by Values (MBV) might improve their organization's performance. Eleven
themes from the case studies analysis contributed to the development of a framework.
The 4-1 framework described how an NSO can progress through different stages by
becoming more intentional in how they use their values. Another finding included
deepening our understanding of how values are experienced within the NSO and then
transferred across the entire sport. Participants also spoke about the tension that arises
among their NSO' s values as well as the dominant values held by funding agents. This
clash of values needs to be addressed before the tension escalates. Finally, participants
expressed a desire to learn more about how values can be used more intentionally to
further their organization's purpose. As such, strategies for intentionally leveraging
values are also suggested. Further research should explore how helpful the 4-1 framework
can be to NSOs leaders who are in the process of identifying or renewing their
organization's values.


title: I must walk through the gate : an ontological necessity

subject:
Reflective learning
Self-perception
Psychology -- Biographical methods

abstract:
This research is a self-study into my life as an athlete, elementary school teacher,
leamer, and as a teacher educator/academic.  Throughout the inquiry, I explore how
my beliefs and values infused my lived experiences and ultimately influenced my
constructivist, humanist, and ultimately my holistic teaching and learning practice
which at times disrupted the status quo.  I have written a collection of narratives
(data generation) which embodied my identity as an unintelligent student/leamer, a
teacher/learner, an experiential learner, a tenacious participant, and a change agent
to name a few.  As I unpack my stories and hermeneutically reconstruct their intent,
I question their meaning as I explore how I can improve my teaching and learning
practice and potentially effect positive change when instructing beginning teacher
candidates at a Faculty of Education.
At the outset I situate my story and provide the necessary political, social,
and cultural background information to ground my research.  I follow this with an
in depth look at the elements that interconnect the theoretical framework of this
self-study by presenting the notion of writing at the boundaries through
auto ethnography (Ellis, 2000; Ellis & Bochner, 2004) and writing as a method of
inquiry (Richardson, 2000).
The emergent themes of experiential learning, identity, and embodied
knowing surfaced during the data generation phase.  I use the Probyn' s (1990) ..  metaphor of locatedness to unpack these themes and ponder the question, Where is
experience located?  I deepen the exploration by layering Drake's (2007)
KnowlDo/Be framework alongside locatedness and offer descriptions of learning
moments grounded in pedagogical theories.
In the final phase, I introduce thirdspace theory (Bhabha, 1994; Soja, 1996) as
a space that allowed me to puzzle educational dilemmas and begin to reconcile the
binaries that existed in my life both personally, and professionally.  I end where I
began by revisiting the questions that drove this study.  In addition, Ireflect upon
the writing process and the challenges that I encountered while immersed in this
approach and contemplate the relevance of conducting a self-study.  I leave the
reader with what is waiting for me on the other side of the gate, for as Henry James
suggested, "Experience is never limited, and it is never complete."


title: Social neuroendocrinology of competition

subject:
Psychoneuroendocrinology
Competition (Psychology)

abstract:
The relationship between testosterone concentrations and aggressive behaviour in studies
of people has produced very inconsistent findings. However, one consistent fmding that
has emerged is that competitive and aggressive interactions potentiate testosterone release
in both human and non-human species. It has been argued that socially-induced
alterations in testosterone concentrations may function to influence ongoing and/or future
social behaviour. Nonetheless, few studies have empirically tested this hypothesis. The
current series of experiments was designed to address the extent to which competitioninduced fluctuations  in testosterone concentrations were associated with ongoing and/or
subsequent social behaviour. In Study 1, men (n =  38) provided saliva samples prior to,
and at the conclusion of, the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP). Although
baseline testosterone concentrations were not related to aggressive behaviour, there was a
positive correlation between change in testosterone and aggressive behaviour such that
men who were most aggressive on the PSAP demonstrated the largest increase in
testosterone concentrations. Furthermore, a rise in testosterone during the PSAP predicted
willingness to choose a subsequent competitive task.  In Study 2, men and women
provided saliva samples prior to and after competing against a same-sex opponent on the
Number Tracing Task (NTT). The outcome of the competition was rigged such that half
of the individuals won most of the races, while the other half lost most of the races, thus
experimentally creating a winner and loser in the laboratory. Following the competitive
interaction, men and women played the PSAP with their same-sex partner. Results
indicated that men selected the aggressive response (but not reward or protection
responses), more frequently than women. For men assigned to the loss condition, an increase in testosterone concentrations in response to the NTT predicted subsequent
aggressive behaviour. For men assigned to the win condition, an increase in testosterone
concentrations in response to the NTT predicted subsequent aggressive behaviour, but
only among those men who scored high on trait dominance. Change in testosterone and
trait dominance did not predict aggressive behaviour in women. In Study 3, men provided
saliva samples prior to, during, and at the end of the PSAP. They were randomly assigned
to one of four experimental conditions that differed in the extent to which they were
provoked and whether they received reward for behaving aggressively (i.e., stealing
points). Results indicated that baseline testosterone concentrations did not correlate with
aggression in any of the experimental conditions. Consistent with Study 1, there was a
positive correlation between change in testosterone and aggressive behaviour among men
who were provoked, but did not receive reward for aggression (i.e., reactive condition).
Men who were provoked but did not receive reward for aggression enjoyed the task the
most and were more likely to choose the competitive versus non-competitive task relative
to men assigned to the other experimental conditions. Also, individual differences in
aggressive behaviour among these men were positively correlated with the extent to
which they enjoyed the task. Together, these studies indicate that testosterone dynamics
within the context of competition influence subsequent competitive and aggressive
behaviours in humans and that testosterone may be a marker of the intrinsically rewarding
nature of costly aggressive behaviour.


title: Manufacturing 'authenticity' : a case study of the Niagara wine cluster

subject: Wine and wine making -- Ontario -- Niagara Peninsula

subject: Wine industry -- Ontario -- Niagara Peninsula

abstract:
In  this  thesis,  I use  "Fabricating  Authenticity,"  a model  developed  in  the  Production  of  Culture
Perspective,  to explore the evolving criteria for judging what constitute "real" and authentic Niagara
wines,  along  with  the  naturalization  of  these  criteria,  as  the  Canadian  Niagara wine  cluster has
come under  increasing  stress  from  globalization. Authenticity  has been  identified as a hallmark of
contemporary  marketing  and  important  to  cultural  industries,  which  can  use  it  for  creating
meaningful  differentiation;  making  it  a  renewable  resource  for  securing  consumers,  increasing
market  value;  and  for  relationships  with  key  brokers.  This  is  important  as  free  trade  and
international  treaties  are  making  traditional  protective  barriers,  like  trade  tariffs  and  markups,
obsolete and  as  governments  increasingly allocate  industry  support  via  promotion  and marketing
policies  that are directly  linked  to  objectives  of  city and  regional  development,  which  in  turn  carry
real  implications for what gets to be judged authentic and  inauthentic local culture.
This  research  uses  a mixed  methods  research  strategy,  drawing  upon  ethnographic
observation,  marketing materials,  newspaper  reports,  and  secondary  data  to  provide  insight  into
the processes and conflicts over efforts to  fabricate authenticity,  comparing  the periods before and
after the passage of NAFT A to the present period. The Niagara wine  cluster is a good case  in point
because  it  has  little  natural  advantage  nor was  there  a tradition  of  quality  table  wine  making  to
facilitate  the  naturalization  of  authenticity.  Geographic  industrial  clusters  have  been  found
particularly  competitive  in  the  global  economy  and  the  exploratory  case  study  contributes  to  our
understanding  of  the  dynamic  of  '1abricating  authenticity,"  building  on  various  theoretical
propositions  to  attempt  to  derive explanations of  how global  processes affect strategies  to  create
"authenticity," how these strategies affect cultural homogeneity and heterogeneity at the  local  level,
and how the concept of "cluster"  contributes to the process of managing authenticity.