title: Geochemistry of shallow and deep water archean meta-iron formations and their post-depositional alteration in western Superior Province, Canada

subject: Sedimentology of the meta-iron formations

subject: Geochemistry

subject: Petrography

abstract:
One purpose for studying banded meta-iron formations is to determine the chemical composition of
seawater in the Archean ocean and the oxygen content of the Archean oceanic-atmospheric system.
Geologists use the geochemistry of meta-iron formations to make interpretations on the chemical
conditions in the Archean. However, post-depositional alteration can affect the element geochemistry
preserved in the meta-iron formations. This thesis explores the role of post-depositional mechanisms
and determines element provenance in four Archean banded meta-iron formations.
The four different locations hosting Archean metamorphosed meta-iron formations chosen for this
study are: meta-iron formations from the Beardmore/Geraldton greenstone belt of the Eastern
Wabigoon Domain, Lake St. Joseph greenstone belt of the Uchi Domain, North Caribou greenstone belt
of the North Caribou Terrane and Shebandowan greenstone belt of the Wawa Subprovince. The metairon
formations from the Beardmore/Geraldton and Lake St. Joseph greenstone belts are interpreted to
have been deposited in a shallow water setting, while meta-iron formations from the North Caribou and
Shebandowan greenstone belts are interpreted to be deposited in deeper water environments. This
thesis also investigated element and oxygen ocean stratification by comparing the geochemistry of
shallow and deep meta-iron formations.
The main source of iron and silica to the oceans was hydrothermal venting fluids. Iron and silica
precipitated out of seawater as iron oxyhydroxides and amorphous silica. Elements dissolved in the
Archean ocean were adsorbed onto iron oxyhydroxides and silica during deposition. Crystallization of
quartz, magnetite and hematite occurred during diagenesis and magnetite continued to grow during
progressive metamorphism.
The lack of cerium anomalies, absence of significant Y/Ho anomalies and deficiency of authigenic
chromium supplied to the ancient suggests that the oceans were anoxic. Therefore, oxygen stratification
did not occur between shallow and deeper water environments in the Archean.
Significantly most of the elements were derived from multiple sources, including the siliciclastic phase,
seawater or hydrothermal venting fluids, at various proportions. Al2O3, TiO2, Th, V, Nb, U, REEs and Y
were determined immobile during post-depositional alteration.
Mobility during diagenesis is clearly exhibited by sodium and potassium in the meta-iron formation
samples from the Beardmore/Geraldton, Lake St. Joseph and North Caribou greenstone belts.
Diagenetic modification mobilized sodium in the hematite-, jasper- and chert-dominated samples, while
potassium was mobilized in the magnetite-dominated samples.
Element stratification occurred in the Archean due to the source provenance. Deeper oceans were more
enriched in Cs, Na2O, CaO, MnO, Cr and HREEs relative to shallow waters. Shallow oceans were more
enriched in K2O, Rb and LREEs relative to deeper waters. This indicates that the Archean oceans were
heterogeneous.


title: Determination of a physical health index based on the national population health survey and an evaluation of the index on a workplace sample

subject:
Health status indicators Canada
Industrial hygiene Canada
Health surveys Canada

abstract:
There have been myriads of health factors identified in the literature that influence human health
and well-being. Often times, health is broken up into several dimensions such as social, physical,
spiritual, emotional, psychological, and intellectual. Physical health status, as opposed to health
status, only focuses on the measures that influence physical health. In essence, it can be viewed as
a complex on it's own; the complexity of the interactions that exist between the various measures
of physical health. In the current investigation, the third wave (1998/1999) of the National
Population Health Survey (NPHS) was used to derive a physical health index based on the
number of chronic conditions reported. Regression analysis was conducted on the NPHS and
identified variables that predict the number of chronic conditions reported. These variables were
utilized to derive a physical health questionnaire which was delivered to 262 full-time Lakehead
University employees yielding a response rate of 38%. Regression analysis performed on the
workplace data identified have statistically signifcant (p < 0 .001) predictors of the number of
chronic conditions reported. These variables included the number of jobs an employee held, the
level of physical activity for a usual day, the number of repetitive strain injuries, a distress score,
and a measure o f the respondent's general health. The physical health equation was then applied
to individuals in the NPHS that worked full-time hours (>30 hrs/week) and were between the
ages of 22 to 64 as identified in the demographics of the workplace data set. An independent test
identified that the physical health index o f the workplace (N=100, 1.75 ± 0 .79,) was
statistically different (p < 0.001) from the physical health index of the NPHS data set (N=6813,
281 ± 0.75). The variables that led to a statistical difference in the scores of the physical health
index included the number of jobs, level of physical activity for a usual day, the number of RSI reported and distress scores. More research is needed to validate the physical health index using a
drSerent sample There is also a need to apply the physical health index to another Ontario or
Canadian University as well as a different workforce, to determine if any of the characteristics of
physical health are unique to the University in the present investigation.


title: Tweezing and Manipulating Nanomaterials on Tapered Optical Fiber to Develop SurfaceEnhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) Substrate

contributor:
Das, Gautam
Linhananta, Apichart
Gallagher, Mark

subject:
Optical tweezing
Tapered fiber
Optical fiber
Gold nanorods

abstract:
A compact and cost-effective fiber-based probe was manufactured for the detection of chemicals
at low concentrations using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). Multi-mode optical
fiber was tapered with a dynamic etching process using Hydrofluoric (HF) acid. The desired
length, tip diameter, and cone angle of the tapered fiber were obtained by using this process. The
SERS substrate was prepared by depositing Gold Nanorods (GNRs) on the tapered fiber surface
by the phenomenon called Optical Tweezing (OT). The tapered fiber was characterized by using
a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Optical Microscope. Light from a a He-Ne laser was
coupled to the untapered end of the tapered fiber to study the distribution of GNRs using the
Optical Microscope. The effect of different tweezing wavelengths, and the tapered length on the
distribution of GNRs on the tapered fiber surface was investigated. It was observed that the
maximum surface area of tapered fiber was covered with GNRs when tweezed consecutively
with two different wavelengths (1064 nm and 632 nm). The application of the tapered fiber
covered with GNRs as a SERS substrate was investigated for a chemical and material,
Rhodamine 6G (R6G) and Graphite, respectively. Furthermore, we presented the tweezing of an
another compound Zn (OH)2 on the tapered fiber surface when mixed with GNRs solution using
two lasers consecutively.


title: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of breastfeeding women in Krong, Kep municipality, Cambodia / by Hilary M. Wren.

contributor:
Chambers, Lori
Zakus, David
Burnett, Kristin

subject: Breastfeeding Cambodia

abstract:
South-Eastern Asia has the highest levels of undernourishment among children in Asia. Cambodia remains one of the least developed and poorest countries in this region; the probability of a child dying before age five is roughly 1 in 10. Given this information, there is an international expectation that Khmer mothers of newborns initiate and maintain exclusive breastfeeding for the recommended six months. There is also a
concomitant expectation that Cambodian society will provide these mothers with essential health services, education, and support systems in order to ensure that breastfeeding is a success. The purpose of this study was to;
1. Determine mothers’ knowledge related to infant feeding.
2. Determine attitudes that affect mothers’ decisions to initiate breastfeeding and to continue exclusive breastfeeding for the recommended six months minimum.
3. Determine current breastfeeding practices and to identify cultural barriers to breastfeeding.
4. Determine if there are existing breastfeeding promotion programs and what, if any, changes could be made to these health promotion programs to reduce the suggested barriers to breastfeeding.
Descriptive statistics were used to organize and summarize the information
obtained from a sample (n = 141) o f the population. Analysis was used first to determine whether or not a mother chose to breastfeed, and second to determine for how long a mother breastfed exclusively. Reasons why mothers chose to breastfeed or chose not to breastfeed/to discontinue breastfeeding were also analyzed. The results from the KAP study suggest most Khmer mothers have a high level of confidence regarding their  breastfeeding skills. Most women are not shy to breastfeed in public and feel a strong sense of belonging to their communities. Similarly, Khmer mothers are more likely to breastfeed if they are older, well-educated, and feel supported. Likewise, a mother’s decision not to breastfeed/to discontinue breastfeeding is largely influenced by the social inequalities in her  environment. The decision not to breastfeed cannot be attributed solely to any one factor yet each contributing factor is greatly compounded by the injustice of poverty. The conditions in which Cambodian mothers must make decisions for their health and the health or their children are appalling. Moreover, professional breastfeeding support programs do not exist in Krong Kep, Cambodia. Unlike in Canada where almost all women have access to many health promotion programs (Healthy Babies, Healthy Children, La Leche League, prenatal classes, etc.) mothers in Cambodia do not have this luxury. It is extremely hard for Cambodian mothers to overcome the barriers to breastfeeding without the correct support
and without access to culturally sensitive public health breastfeeding programs.
Lastly, breastfeeding in Cambodia is a cultural experience between mother and child. Khmer women are experts in their own culture and health promotion programs must take a humble approach to traditional practices such as roasting and the use of traditional medicines following childbirth. Khmer mothers must not be induced to breastfeed through guilt and thus international recommendations regarding breastfeeding initiation and duration should be examined in a Cambodian context. Further research and
respectful cross-cultural dialogue is needed in order to enable Khmer mothers to increase control over health based decisions in their lives and to and improve maternal and child health in Cambodia.


title: A novel metadata analysis approaches for analyzing and understanding wood-decaying mechanisms exhibited by fungi

contributor:
Qin, Wensheng
Leung, Kam
Linhananta, Apichart

subject:
Fuel alternatives
Forest biomass
Lignocellulosic biomass conversion
Geo-carbon cycle
Wood-degrading mechanisms

abstract: Fuel has become an essential commodity in our day to day life. Increase in global population and decreasing fuel reserves have forced mankind to look for other fuel alternatives. Forest biomass serves as a potential renewable resource for substituting the conventional fossil-based fuels. In the last few decades, several chemical, physical and microbial based methods were being developed for the breakdown and conversion of lignocellulosic components to commercially valuable products including bioethanol and other platform chemicals. The separation of lignocellulosic biomass plays a significant role in conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol and other valuable products respectively. Naturally, lignocellulosic components are arranged in intricate networks leading to its high recalcitrance nature. Over years research groups around the world have isolated and characterized several lignocellulose degrading microorganims. Naturally, fungi play a crucial role in maintaining the geo-carbon cycle by decaying all the dead organic matter on the earth’s surface. Majority of the wood-decaying fungi are grouped under Basidiomycota division. Based on their decay patterns the basidiomycetous fungi were classified into white-rot, brown-rot and soft-rot fungi. Understanding these natural fungal decaying mechanisms will benefit the growing biofuel, biorefining and bioremediation industries.


title: Pre-service teacher perceptions of White privilege in a two-year teacher education program

contributor:
Agbo, Seth
Melville, Wayne

subject:
Whiteness
Privilege
Pre-service teachers
Diversity
Multiculturalism
Racial relations
Critical Whiteness Studies

abstract:
The purpose of this study was to examine pre-service teachers’ perceptions of
White privilege in a two-year teacher education program. This study employed a
qualitative approach and interviews were utilized as the primary form of data collection.
The participants of this study consisted of four pre-service teachers enrolled in Lakehead
University’s two-year consecutive Bachelor of Education program at the Orillia campus.
The study was examined through the theoretical framework of Critical Whiteness Studies
with the purpose of better preparing pre-service teachers for teaching in diverse
educational settings. The study ultimately revealed that participants held a thorough
understanding of White privilege and acknowledged the existence of their own privileges.
It was found, however, that this was largely due to the participant’s own lived
experienced and not entirely through their experiences in their teacher education
program.


title: Personality compatibility and group cohesion among musicians

subject:
Social groups
Small groups
Interpersonal relations

abstract:
Tliis study examined the relationship between personality compatibility and cohesion
among 50 musical groups (191 subjects). Two novel approaches were used; (1) aggregated
ratings of personality; and (2) Neuroticism as a potential moderator variable. Participants
completed circumplex measures of Assured-Dominance, Gregarious-Extraverted, Arrogant-
Calculating and Warm-Agreeable, as well as measures of group cohesion. It was found that
aggregated ratings on some personality dimensions were good predictors of group cohesion and
that Neuroticism moderated the relationship between Warm-Agreeable and group cohesion.
Group mean sccHes on Gregarious-Extraverted and Assured-Dominance were positively correlated
vnUi groiq) cohesion. No support was found for a [U'edicted inverted curvilinear ”U" relationship
between group o^esion and Assured-Dominance. Researcher-defined personality similarity was
associated widi cohesion for some traits. Participants also provided global ratings ofpersonality
similarity and complementarity, and both were positively related to group cohesion. The results
suggest that while single personality dimensions considered in isolation may not correlate
substantially with group cohesion, stronger effects are found when many personality traits are
considered simultaneously.


title: Assessment and evaluation of soil health indicators with changes from boreal forest to agriculture in Thunder Bay, Ontario

contributor:
McLaren, Brian
Kolka, Randy
Diochon, Amanda
Sakota, Tarlok

subject:
Boreal forest
Soil ecosystem
Biological soil health indicators
Land conversion
Boreal forest to agriculture
Soil health assessment

abstract:
The boreal forest is one of the most extensive biomes in Canada at an estimated 2.7 million ha.
The requirement for a growing agricultural sector, along with a currently warming climate, has
accelerated the conversion of boreal forest to agriculture. The resulting more intensive soil use
may have a significant impact on the soil ecosystem, potentially degrading some ecosystem
services, such as carbon sequestration, water purification, climate regulation, nutrient cycling,
flood regulation, habitat for organisms, climate control, and the provision of food, fibre, and fuel.
Analysis of soil health using a structured synthesis of physical, chemical, and biological
indicators can provide information on the sustainability of soil use. Soil health as a metric of soil
change can inform farm managers and policy-makers of the status of soil and increase awareness
of sustainable farm practices in a region. In this dissertation, I assessed the impact of land
conversion from boreal forest to agriculture near Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. I found that
land conversion created declines mainly in biological soil health indicators, along with total
nitrogen and carbon. Soil health indicators related to soil carbon were the most informative to
land disturbance in plots < 10 years since land conversion; indicators associated with forage
cropping systems on Thunder Bay dairy farms. Carbon and nitrogen mineralization increased
with time since conversion from forest. Archaeal and fungal abundance increased after land
conversion. In addition, land conversion altered the microbial functions related to carbon,
nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling. New knowledge about the effects of land conversion in the
boreal forest will play a critical role in developing and implementing environmental and
agricultural policies supporting Canada’s soil sustainability and soil health.


title: Psychological effects of lay-off from training on competitive swimmers

subject: Swimming.

abstract:
The purpose of this study was to examine the psychological effects
of lay-off from training on competitive swimmers. The subjects were 20
swimmers (M = 8, F =12) competing at either a national or provincial
level. Subjects were given the Speilberger, Gorsuch and Lushene Self-
Evaluation Questionnaire and a Likert Mood Scale Self-Evaluation
Questionnaire on four occasions: during training (pre-test), two days
into lay-off, five days into lay-off and again during training (post-test).
A ten-item scale that measured self-reports of commitment and addiction to
swimming using a nine-point Likert-type scale was also administered on
days two and five of lay-off. An Activity Assessment Questionnaire was
used to determine what activities, if any, the subjects participated in
during their lay-off. This was administered on day five of their lay-off.
No significance was found using ANOVA (p < 0.05) between the pre- and post-tests and lay-off days two and five, for either the mood scale or
state anxiety self-evaluation questionnaire. Of the 20 subjects tested,
five subjects exercised during the course of the testing period, and one
subject became injured. Therefore, analysis was completed for both N = 14
and N = 20. The means for both mood and state anxiety for day two
indicated an addiction pattern, while the means for both mood and state
anxiety for day five indicated a relief pattern. Subjects were categorized
into one of two groups on the basis of the pattern of their state anxiety
and mood scores. These patterns were addiction, (low mood, high anxiety)
and relief (high mood, low anxiety). T-tests revealed a significant
difference between the relief and addiction groups (N = 14) for the level
the subjects competed at (relief x = 1.6, addiction x = 1.1), and for the number of days per week the subjects trained (relief x = 5.4,
addiction x = 6.0). Data compiled from day five showed a significant
difference between the addiction and relief groups for the subjects'
preference to taking a day off from training, and from training, and from
the subjects' perceived addiction scores. All subjects in the relief
group indicated that they felt that they needed a day off from swimming
to rest. Half of the subjects in the addiction group indicated the same.
The addiction group (x = 6.8) perceived themselves more addicted to
swimming than the relief group (x = 8.6). Subjects who experienced
addiction during lay-off tended to compete at higher levels (national)
and did not wish to take a day-off from training. Those who competed at
lower levels (provincial) experienced relief during lay-off perhaps due
to the coach controlled training schedule where time-off was viewed as
a welcome relief. Further research in this area should involve a larger
sample size across a variety of sports involving elite athletes.


title: Advanced ultrafiltration technology for lignocelluloses recovery and purification from thermomechanical pulp (TMP) mills process waters

subject:
Thermomechanical pulp
Hemicelluloses
Lignin
Ultrafiltration
Biorefinery

abstract:
Process waters of thermomechanical pulp (TMP) mills contain a large valuable quantity of lignocellulosic materials that end up in the wastewater for biological treatment. In recent years, interest in utilizing such compounds has increased, and plenty of applications have been proposed. Thus, the recovery of hemicelluloses and lignin from these process waters as value-added chemicals would be beneficial for TMP mills not only to increase their profitability and competitiveness but also to reduce the organic loading to the wastewater treatment facility. However, this implies adoption of different types of appropriate separation technologies. Among the proposed separation methods, membrane technologies have been studied in a wider range of perspectives, and have been shown to play a key role in products recovery and purification in biorefining processes. In this study, the feasibility of the advanced UF technology for hemicellulose recovery and concentration from thermomechanical pulp (TMP) mill process waters was evaluated. In particular, the influence of ultrafiltration membrane cut-offs and volume reduction factors on membrane flux, and recovery and purity of hemicelluloses were investigated.
Based on this study, the three tested membranes had shown different ability to recover hemicelluloses from the TMP process water. 5KDa membranes achieved the highest percent recovery of hemicellulose (95.7%), followed by 10KDa membranes 89.2% for the volume reduction (VR) of 95%. 30KDa membranes had the lowest percent recovery of 52% for VR value of 95%. Compared to 5kDa membranes, a cut-off of 10kDa seems to be feasible for the separation of lignin from hemicelluloses; it retained hemicelluloses while allowing the lignin to pass through it. Retentions of lignin were markedly low with the tested 10kDa membranes, compared with hemicelluloses retention. Volume reduction had a significant influence on the amount of hemicelluloses and lignin held back by the membrane. In this study also the characteristics of permeates and concentrates of UF membrane with different cut-offs were studied.


title: Finding a natural alternative from forest resources for plastic single use utensils

subject:
Single use plastics
Environmental sustainability
Plastic cutlery alternative

abstract:
The use of plastics by society has increased tremendously due to the high
durability of the product and low cost of production. High production has changed many
products being made of natural materials such as wood to being created from this
polymer material. One of the most common single use plastics is plastic utensils such as
the cutlery provided by fast-food chains. To suggest the best alternative to plastics, a
standardized decay and swelling test was completed on three different potential wood
species. Betula papyrifera, Populus tremuloides, and Tilia americana were each tested
for both decay and swelling. In the decay test, each of the wood species were tested
against three decay fungi, Fomitopsis cajanderi, Fomitopsis pinicola, and Trametes
pubescens.
Over the four-month test duration, each of the 10 trials for each combination
declined in weight excluding the control blocks. Two of the three fungi decayed Betula
papyrifera the most. The statistical analysis of the results showed that there is no
statistical significance between the different wood species in the experiment. However,
Fomitopsis cajanderi showed the most decay for each of the wood species compared to
the other fungi. The difference in fungi was deemed to be statistically significant by the
2-way anova. This is of interest because Fomitopsis cajanderi primarily targets conifer
species in a natural setting. The lab setting may have provided an easier environment for
the fungi to decay the hardwood compared to the harsh natural environment. The
environmental benefit of wooden single use utensils to reduce the current 40 billion
plastic single use utensils now produced each year globally could be significant.


title: Androgyny and women in competition

subject:
Androgyny (Psychology)
Sex differences


title: Joining hands in hope: an autoethnographical analysis of a non-Indigenous educator engaging in Indigenous pedagogy

contributor:
Russell, Connie
Desmoulins, Leisa

subject:
Indigenous epistemology
Decolonization
Indigenous education systems
Non-Indigenous teachers

abstract: I am a South African who is now a Canadian, with lived experience in both Indigenous contexts. I use these experiences as a springboard into an autoethnography about me as a non-Indigenous educator, understanding authentic relations in Indigenous contexts. I use stories, poetry, reflections and academic literature braided together as an exploration of self in relation to Indigeneity, and a discussion of implications for other non-Indigenous educators working in Indigenous contexts. Within this thesis, I use the word Indigenous as meaning a group of people who were first on any particular piece of land and have lived on it continuously.


title: Impact of the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway on the cities of Port Arthur and Fort William, 1959-1969

subject:
Shipping
Fort William (Ont.)
Port Arthur (Ont.)

abstract:
By its very nature, the St. Lawrence Seaway project,
completed in 1959, can be seen as the last of the great
Canadian mega-projects. An international venture, involving
the expense of millions of dollars and employment of thousands
of Canadians and Americans, it effectively changed the course
of the St Lawrence river: sections of the river were deepened,
others by-passed, while still others flooded, all the name of
making this river, connecting the great Lakes with the ocean,
navigable to ocean-going vessels. For the Canadian
government, the primary motivation in the Seaway's improvement
was the country's continued economic growth.


title: Age trends in expert chess: is aging kinder to the initially more able?

subject:
Chess
Expertise
Aging
Multilevel linear modeling
MLM

abstract: The “aging is kinder to the more initially able” hypothesis has received varied support across different domains of expertise, but within the chess domain is largely accepted. Some suggest that tournament participation has little effect on the ratings of older chess experts. This has led to conclusions about the importance of solitary practice for older experts as well as provided support for chess experts maintaining their performance ratings well into old age. Twenty-five World Chess Federation (FIDE) rating lists (2006-2010), consisting of 99,608 players and over 1.5 million observations were assessed using multilevel linear modeling (MLM). Findings demonstrated that aging was indeed kinder to the initially more able, but more importantly, that playing more games was associated with higher ratings. This has implications for aging expert players, such that active tournament participation counts.


title: "Lord I know I been saved" : religious experience in James Baldwin's Go Tell it on the Mountain / by Andrew Connolly.

subject: Religion in literature.

subject: Baldwin, James.  Go tell it on the mountain.

abstract: "The world of Go Tell It on the Mountain is a theological world. Not only do the characters themselves follow a theology, but a version of the Christian God arguably appears as a character in the novel. Rather than promote or celebrate this Christian understanding of God, the novel critiques it, especially as it appears in the Black Holiness context of the novel. Theories on religious experience provide a way of understanding the focus and scope of this critique: Louis Dupre's theories provide a way of breaking down religious experience into parts and finding what significance the novel gives each of each of those parts; Ron Grimes' theories provide a way of uncovering the underlying theological assumptions inherent in the practices of the characters, and ways of linking those assumptions to race relations; William James' theories provide a contrast through which it is easier to see where and how Baldwin breaks away from the idealized, Protestant expectations of conversion experiences. These theories become tools for understanding the ways that Baldwin uses religious experiences to explore the intersection between religious practices, sexuality, and racial tension in the Black Holiness tradition in the novel."--Abstract


title: Characterization of rooting patterns in mixedwood forests of white spruce and trembling aspen: Is competition reduced belowground?

contributor:
Luckai, Nancy
Meyer, Lense
Shahi, Chander
Newmaster, Stephen

subject:
Facilitation
Fine roots
Image analysis
Microsatellites
Picea glauca
Populus tremuloides

abstract: This study examined the rooting patterns of white spruce (Sw, Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and trembling aspen (Pt, Populus tremuloides Michx.), and the effect of stand type upon such patterns. Specifically, contrasts were drawn comparing patterns in monospecific stands of these species with mixedwood stands. General rooting patterns of other species, i.e., shrubs, herbaceous plants, etc. were also contrasted. To begin, however, the question should be addressed: Why study mixedwood forests at all?


title: Hydrogen sulfide modulates gluconeogenesis and mitochondrial biogenesis in mouse primary hepatocytes

contributor:
Wu, Lingyun
Wang, Rui
Khaper, Neelam
Zehbe, Ingeborg

subject: Glucose homeostasis

subject: Insulin-facilitated glucose utilization

subject: Hepatic glucose production

subject: Pathophysiology of glucose metabolism

subject: Insulin resistance and uncontrolled glucose production

subject: Hydrogen sulfide (H2S)

subject: Catabolism of H2S

subject: H2S-releasing drugs

abstract:
Among many endogenous substances that regulate hepatic energy production is the gasotransmitter hydrogen sulfide (H2S). In the liver, H2S production is largely catalyzed by cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) and, to a lesser degree, by cystathionine β-synthase. We previously showed that H2S stimulates glucose production in an immortalized carcinoma liver cell line (HepG2 cells) as well as induce ATP generation in isolated vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Furthermore, we found that H2S upregulates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator (PGC)-1α expression in rat VSMCs. PGC-1α is a crucial regulator of hepatic gluconeogenesis and mitochondrial biogenesis. Both of these PGC-1α-mediated energy processes are pivotal to maintain whole-body energy homeostasis, whereby their sustained disturbance may lead to the development of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Therefore, we investigated the regulation of gluconeogenesis and mitochondrial biogenesis by CSE-generated H2S under physiological conditions in isolated mouse hepatocytes. We found that CSE-knockout (KO) mice had a reduced rate of gluconeogenesis, which was reversed by administration of NaHS (an H2S donor) (i.p.). Interestingly, isolated CSE-KO hepatocytes exhibited a reduced glycemic response to chemical-induced activation of the cAMP/PKA and glucocorticoid pathways compared to wild-type (WT) hepatocytes. Treatment with the inhibitors for PKA (KT5720) or glucocorticoid receptor (RU-486) significantly reduced H2S-stimulated glucose production from both WT and CSE-KO mouse hepatocytes. NaHS treatment upregulated the protein levels of key gluconeogenic transcription factors, such as PGC-1α and CCAAT-enhancer-binding proteins-β (C/EBP-β). Moreover, exogenous H2S augmented the S-sulfhydration of the rate-limiting gluconeogenic enzymes and PGC-1α and increased their activities, which were lower in untreated CSE-KO hepatocytes. Finally, knockdown of PGC-1α, but not C/EBP-β, significantly decreased NaHS-induced glucose production from the primary hepatocytes.
After determining that H2S stimulates hepatic glucose production through the PGC-1α signaling pathway, we focused on whether or not H2S induces hepatic mitochondrial biogenesis. We found that CSE-KO hepatocytes produced less mtDNA compared to WT hepatocytes. Mitochondrial content was decreased in CSE-KO hepatocytes compared to normal hepatocytes, which was restored with NaHS treatment. CSE-KO hepatocytes exhibited lower levels of mitochondrial transcription factors and the mitochondrial transcription coactivator, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-related protein (PPRC) compared to WT hepatocytes. Interestingly, NaHS administration upregulated PPRC, yet downregulated PGC-1β protein level in mouse hepatocytes. Moreover, exogenous H2S induced the S-sulfhydration of PPRC, which was lower in untreated CSE-KO hepatocytes, but not that of PGC-β. Finally, knockdown of either PGC-1α or PPRC significantly decreased NaHS-stimulated mitochondrial biogenesis in hepatocytes, where knockdown of both genes were required to completely abolish NaHS-induced mitochondrial biogenesis.
Overall this thesis demonstrates the stimulatory effect of endogenous H2S on liver glucose production and reveals four underlying mechanisms. 1) H2S upregulates the expression levels of PGC-1α and PEPCK via glucocorticoid receptor pathway. 2) H2S upregulates the expression level of PGC-1α through the activation of the cAMP/PKA pathway, as well as PGC-1α activity via S-sulfhydration. 3) H2S upregulates the expression and the activities (by S-sulfhydration) of G6Pase and FBPase. 4) H2S augments the protein expression level and activity (via S-sulfhydration) of PPRC. By stimulating the combined activities of PPRC and PGC-1α, iv
H2S induces mitochondrial biogenesis, thereby supplying energy to support its induction of hepatic glucose production.
This study may offer clues to the regulation of hepatic energy homeostasis under physiological conditions and its dysregulation in insulin-resistance diseases.


title: Indicators of forest sustainability for Ontario boreal forests : a first approximation

subject:
Sustainable forestry Ontario
Forests and forestry Ontario
Taigas Ontario
Adaptive management
Biodiversity
Ecosystem management
Environmental impact assessment
Forest management planning
Forest sustainability
Geographic information systems
Landscape ecology
Sustainable development

abstract:
If humankind is to cope with the cumulative effects of its expanding populations on
the earth’s ecosystems, a new relationship is required with natural systems. Serious
adoption of the concepts of forest sustainability and adaptive management of forest
ecosystems has meant a shift from a commodity focus in forest management to a
focus on maintenance of ecosystems. A key step within an adaptive management
framework is to identify indicators of essential ecosystem features. Forest managers
thus need to identify and apply indicators that can show whether forest sustainability
is being achieved.
The working definition of forest sustainability developed and incorporated in this
project is that a forest, to be sustainable, will retain its essential ecological
composition, functions, and patterns, which support the full range of societal values,
in both the present and the long-range future. Indicators were determined by
developing measures for ecosystem features critical to ecosystem function and that
satisfy a broad range of public values. Public involvement in this process included
circulation of a preliminary suite of indicators, and a workshop to prioritize indicators
for development. Economic values were not directly considered in the study.
Indicator development and application are embedded in the principles of landscape
ecology, necessary for the implementation of an ecosystem management philosophy.
A first-approximation set of indicators designed for application to the managed
boreal forests of Northern Ontario is presented, as well as a test application of the
indicators to a boreal forest near Thunder Bay. Indicators identified and tested in
relation to wilderness are remoteness, size of wilderness, and naturalness. Indicators
presented in relation to biodiversity are: forest cover type diversity, forest age
diversify, forest fragmentation, old growth forest and old growth interior forest
fragmentation, forest edge length, and habitat supply for specific species - marten.
Finally, road-related indicators identified and tested are road density, and forest
conversion by roads and landings.
Recommendations for operational use of sustainability indicators in forest planning
include the following. The public must be involved in the choice and formulation of
indicators. Existing digital FRI databases, although problematic in some respects, can
be an adequate starting point for indicator measurement. As a key component of
managing for forest sustainability, indicator measurement will require additional
personnel and effort.
Although indicator development and use will require more effort and money,
development of at least a few indicaors for each forest management unit in Ontario
should begin immediately. Indicator development is hampered by serious deficiencies
in biophysical and socio-economic understanding of boreal forests. Indicators must
be tested on a range of forecasts for the future structure of forests, under alternative
management strategies. Since forest sustainability has become the first priority for
forest managers, they will have to demonstrate to the public their success in the
achievement of forest sustainability.


title: Collaborative professionalism by way of collective efficacy

contributor:
Melville, Wayne
Walton, Gerald

subject:
Collaborative professionalism
Collective efficacy
Professional learning communities
Ontario education
Student learning

abstract: This project portfolio explores how, by improving teacher efficacy and enhancing collaborative professionalism, there are accompanying gains in student learning. The project is based around Ontario’s Policy and Program Memorandum (PPM) 159: Collaborative Professionalism. It explores how existing Professional Learning Community (PLC) structures can be modified to better incorporate the potential of collaborative professionalism. The literature review explains the challenges of a managerial professionalism but also the difficulties of a fully collaborative model. It explores the possible middle ground, where professionals have agency, but a final reporting feature allows for increased accountability. As a meaningful product, a potential protocol which facilitates the work of a PLC team during a school year is provided. The protocol uses Jenni Donohoo’s Collaborative Teacher Inquiry model as a base. It is modified and extended upon, to focus PLC teams in their collaboration. The PLC protocol is designed to increase the agency of those involved in the PLC, while generating both a measure of accountability for the work of the PLC team, as well as a way of generating possible future PLC foci.


title: Effects of electrical stimulation, isokinetic exercise and concurrent isokinetic exercise with electrical stimulation on acquisition and retention of strength, endurance and bilateral transfer in females

subject:
Exercise
Electric stimulation
Muscle strength

abstract:
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of four
different training methods (isokinetic exercise, electrical muscle
stimulation, concurrent electrical muscle stimulation with
isokinetic exercise, and no training) on the acquisition and
retention of strength, endurance and bilateral transfer in females.
Subjects consisted of 30 female volunteers aged 17-25. Subjects
were randomly assigned to one of the four treatment groups. Those
subjects performing exercise trained only their right leg.
Following an explanation as to the premise of the study, subjects
were pretested on the four dependent variables of static extension
(0°/sec), dynamic extension (60°/sec), dynamic extension
(180°/sec), and dynamic muscular endurance (180°/sec). Groups were
trained Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week for a six week duration. Every training session required subjects to warm up with
6-8 repetitions followed by a training phase consisting of 3 sets
of 10 repetitions. Subjects trained isokinetically were exercised
at a speed of 60°/sec. Electrical stimulation was delivered by way
of a 10 second contraction, followed by a 20 second recovery phase.
Maximum current was delivered at 50 pulses/sec with a corresponding
wave width of 200 microseconds. The protocol utilized for the
concurrent treatment was identical to the other two methods. Surge
and rest times, however, were altered to allow for a two second
contraction followed by a one second recovery phase. Subjects were
assessed for strength and endurance at the beginning of the 6 week
training program, at the conclusion of training and after a 4 week detraining period. Data were analyzed with a MANOVA in a 4 x 2 x 3
design. Percentage differences between tests and among groups on
variables were presented.
An alpha level of .05 was accepted for all statistical
procedures. Results showed: (a) the strength training methods
employed did not significantly improve either static or dynamic
strength; (b) no significant increase in endurance was noted with
any of the training procedures; (c) there was a wide variation of
training responses among all the subjects; (d) none of the
training groups were found to be superior for improving strength
and endurance; (e) none of the training procedures resulted in a
significant transfer of strength; and (f) following 4 weeks detraining, none of the training procedures resulted in a significant loss of strength.


title: Asymptotic performance of M-ary signals on Rician fading diversity channels / by Hongwei Zhang.

subject: Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing

subject: Adaptive signal processing

subject: Phase shift keying

abstract: In this thesis, we will study the average symbol error rate of M-ary signals on wireless Rician fading channels at high average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in both single-carrier and multicarrier orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. In the system discussed, diversity reception with maximal ratio combining (MRC) and equal gain combining (EGC) is adopted. A general theorem relates the asymptotic error rate to the multidimensional integral of the conditional error probability is presented. Two other theorems are presented for the special cases where the conditional error probability is function of the sum of received SNR's and the sum of received amplitudes corresponding to the cases using MRC diversity and EGC diversity respectively. Then theorems are provided to analyze the asymptotic error rate performance of M-ary signals including M-ary phase-shift keying (MPSK), M-ary pulse amplitude modulation (MPAM), and M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (MQAM) signals in both single-carrier and multicarrier OFDM systems.


title: The influence of stimulants on truck driver culpability in fatal collisions

subject:
Stimulant use
Sleep loss
Fatigue
Truck drivers
Culpability in collisions
Monotonous driving conditions

abstract: Given the monotony and extended driving periods inherent in transport truck driving, truck drivers might rely on stimulants to sustain attention and combat fatigue. Research indicates stimulants improve some cognitive functions but impair driving ability, and stimulant use is common among truck drivers. In addition, stimulant use is linked to collisions. Research to date on collision culpability among stimulant-positive truck drivers is sparse and presents with limitations due to small sample sizes and a lack of control over confounding variables. The present study investigated the influence of stimulants on unsafe driving actions (UDAs) in collisions. The odds of being stimulant-positive were expected to be statistically significantly higher for drivers who committed at least one UDA that led to a collision. Using the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database, the author compared truck drivers who had at least one UDA recorded to a control group of drivers who had none. Logistic regression was used in order to account for the influence of confounding variables (age, previous driving record, and other drug-use) and to calculate the odds ratio of being stimulant-positive in the event of an UDA. Results indicate that the odds of being stimulant-positive are statistically significantly greater for truck drivers who committed an UDA (OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.7-3.0). In addition, Pearson’s Chi-square models indicated stimulant-positive truck drivers were significantly more likely to have a history of infractions on their driving record and to have other drugs in their system. The results suggest stimulants negatively influence driving ability and truck drivers should not use stimulants while driving. In addition, the results support the inclusion of previous driving record and other drug use data as control variables for future studies. Despite this, the finding that 0.58% of truck drivers in the FARS database tested positive for stimulants suggests that stimulant use is not common.


title: It was neither Confucian nor confusion: dynamics of intercultural sensitivity among East-Asian students at Canadian universities

contributor:
Kaefer, Tanya
Pluim, Gary

subject:
Intercultural sensitivity
Intercultural communication competence
Culture shock
Global citizenship education
Sociocultural adjustments

abstract:
International students from Confucian heritage culture countries are often perceived
by westerners as having low intercultural communication competence (ICC) (Zhu &
Bresnahan, 2018). In popular media and mainstream cultural-psychological research,
Confucian culture is often the scapegoat for subjecting East Asian international students
(EAISs) to cultural archetypes of reticence, obedience, unassailability, and similar. In the
present study, intercultural sensitivity was used to measure the affective domain of ICC, and
quantitative analyses were performed to investigate 1) whether international students (EAISs
vs non-EAISs) reported different capacities of intercultural sensitivity in cross-cultural
interaction. 2) Did EAISs particularly identify with Confucian values as widely perceived? 3)
Did EAISs rate stronger social confusion than non-EAISs that may contribute to low ICC? 4)
How did social and cultural factors of international students’ adjustment impact their
intercultural sensitivity? A total of 120 international students enrolled at Canadian
universities completed an online questionnaire. The results of the group comparison show
that there was no difference in intercultural sensitivity and identification of Confucian
cultural attributes between EAISs and non-EAISs. However, non-EAISs unexpectedly
reported much higher social confusion than EAISs, as measured by culture shock and
language apprehension. [...]


title: Attachment styles and functions of self-harm in adults with nonsuicidal self-injury

subject:
Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI)
NSSI reinforcement processes
Attachment style
Self-harm
Mental health
Self-mutilative behaviour

abstract:
Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a direct and deliberate act that involves damage to one´s body
tissues without suicidal intent. Research shows that it is maintained by four reinforcement
processes (automatic positive and negative, social positive and negative) and to be related to
insecure types of attachment styles. However, whether there is a relationship between
attachment styles and the reinforcement functions is unknown. Participants (N = 753; age M =
36.01 years, SD = 12.58) recruited from the general community of Canada and USA were
classified into the NSSI group (participants with at least one NSSI act in their lifetime; n =358)
and the Control group (participants with no history of NSSI; n =395). Results indicated that
participants in the NSSI group endorsed anxious attachment style to a greater degree than the
Control group. In contrast, the Control group endorsed secure attachment style to a greater
degree than the NSSI group. Those with anxious attachment style reported that they engaged in
NSSI for reasons related to automatic negative reinforcement and automatic positive
reinforcement, indicating that self-harming among these individuals serves an emotional
regulation purpose. Besides anxious attachment, sex was found to be another critical factor to
consider in predicting the function of NSSI. Women and those with anxious attachment style
were more likely to endorse NSSI automatic positive and negative functions, while the men and
those with depression were more likely to endorse NSSI social negative functions. Overall, the
findings point to the importance of anxious attachment style in predicting the reasons for
nonsuicidal self-harm. These findings and their implications are discussed with limitations of
the study in mind.


title: Participatory action research as a tool for community development : experiences from Northwestern Ghana

subject:
Participant observation
Community development Ghana Charia
Rural development Ghana Charia
Environmental management
Participatory action research

abstract:
This study reports on a community development project conducted in Charia, a small village
in northwestern Ghana. The primary intent of the study was to field-test the participatory action
research approach of actively involving local people in their own development efforts. Traditional
approaches to helping rural communities have seldom provided the opportunity for people in
problem situations to influence the solutions to those problems. In this study, a participatory action
research approach was used to actively involve local people and other stakeholders in the design,
execution, evaluation and implementation of activities influencing the lives of the people of Charia.
Through strategic planning processes, community members envisioned the desired conditions for
their village, the obstacles preventing them from achieving those conditions, the strategic directions
to overcoming those obstacles, and the necessary actions required to fulfill those strategic directions.
Results from this West African village seem to verify the predictions of intervention theory that was
developed within a North American business and professional context. Specifically, I found that
when people are helped to develop valid information about their situation and to make free and
informed choices about the remedies to their own problems, then feelings of emancipation,
empowerment, and psychological success are enhanced. The end result is internal commitment to
implement the necessary actions leading to their own development.


title: Effect of feedback and motivational orientations on intrinsic motivations

contributor:
Farrell, Joey
Dorsch, Kim
Twynam, Dave

subject:
Intrinsic motivation (Testing)
Sports (Psychological aspects)

abstract:
The purpose of the study was to investigate how dispositional motivational
orientations effect the perception of external rewards and the resulting effect on
intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation was assessed with the Intrinsic Motivation
Inventory (IMI) while Motivational orientations were assessed with the Task and Ego
Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (TEOSQ). High school students (n=64) enrolled in
physical education courses volunteered to participate in a study which was purported to
collect data for a new fitness test (Illinois Agility run). In the practice session, students
completed two untimed practice runs and the TEOSQ (Ouda & Nicholls, 1992)
combined with a modified, task specific version of the IMI (McAuley, Duncan, &
Tammen, 1989). Approximately two weeks later, in the actual session, students
completed the runs again. In this session students thought they were being timed by a
computer, but in reality the computer was programmed to generate false feedback
respective to the randomly assigned treatment condition (positive, negative, or no
feedback). The IMI was administered again after the for real runs were completed.
Motivational orientations were discarded as a factor due to measurement difficulties. A
3 x 2 (feedback by time) AN OVA was used to investigate the effect of feedback on
intrinsic motivation. Negative feedback significantly decreased levels of intrinsic
motivation from pre- to post-testing. The three IMI subscales specifically affected were
interest/enjoyment, perceived competence, and effort/importance. Contradictory to
other studies, positive feedback did not significantly increase levels of intrinsic
motivation.


title: Impact of a community based exercise programme for people with Parkinson disease

subject: Parkinson's disease (Exercise therapy)

subject: Exercise (Health aspects)

subject: Parkinson's disease (Patients Rehabilitation)

abstract:
Objective: To develop and evaluate the impact of an 8-week community based exercise
programme delivered by a community fitness facilitator upon performance and self-report
measures in participants with Parkinson disease.
Design: Prospective, single group pre/post test
Setting: Older Adults Community Centre in Northwestern Ontario
Participants: Eleven participants (6 men, 5 women; mean age, 70.45 ± 1.98; mean length of
disease, 3.27 years) with Idiopathic Parkinson disease, Hoehn & Yahr stages 1.0 to 2.5 and
stable medication use.
Intervention: An 8 week exercise programme, developed by physiotherapists and delivered
in the community by a community fitness facilitator trained through a competency based
approach.
Outcome measures: The Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale motor subsection score
(UPDRSm), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), the Parkinson
Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39), and the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale
(ABC scale) were assessed at baseline and after the 8 week exercise programme. Attendance
rates and the occurrence of any adverse events were recorded throughout the 8-week exercise
programme by the fitness facilitator.
Results: Analysis of the outcome measures resulted in the removal of one participant outlier.
Subsequent analysis of the remaining 10 participants resulted in a statistically significant
decrease in the UPDRSm from baseline to 8 weeks (7.70, p = 0.001), and a statistically
significant increase in TUG scores (2.03, p - 0.005). Although no statistical significance was
demonstrated in the other outcome measures, significant effect size was demonstrated for all outcome measures. All eleven participants completed the study with an adherence rate o f
90.8% attendance in the exercise programme. There were no adverse events reported.
Conclusion; A community based exercise programme, developed by physiotherapists and
delivered by a community fitness facilitator, can be provided safely to a group of people with
Parkinson Disease. The exercise programme also appears to have demonstrated sufficient
intensity to elicit changes in motor function, as measured by the UPDRSm, and there is
potential for changes in all outcome measures with a larger sample population. It is hoped
that this unique process o f identifying and addressing the needs o f a particular client
population in Northwestern Ontario will help to facilitate the ongoing development of
physiotherapy initiatives which address the changing reality of healthcare.


title: Examination of the relationship between passenger, driver, and situational characteristics in fatal crashes

subject:
Traffic accidents
Automobile driving
Traffic fatalities

abstract:
Both the youngest and oldest drivers in our society are overrepresented amongst fatal
crashes. As such, there is a need for prevention strategies which may reduce crashes in
each cohort. Passenger presence is one factor that has been shown to be both an
obstruction and an aid in reducing fatal crashes. This study aimed at determining which
types of passenger characteristics and driving conditions benefited either teen (16-19
years of age) or elderly drivers (65 years of age or older). The effects of passengers in
fatal crashes in the PARS database through 1975-2003 were examined. Results showed
that whether a passenger was useful for various age groups differed for driving
circumstances both inside and outside of the vehicle. Overall elderly and middle age
drivers experienced a protective effect for the presence of a passenger whereas teen
drivers experienced an increase risk for unsafe driving behaviours when a passenger was
present. An analysis of gender and age of both passenger and driver suggested that the
relationship of these variables might be an important consideration. It was also found
that certain situational variables such as weather and time of day may moderate the
degree to which a passenger is effective. Implications of these findings are discussed.


title: The effects of hippocampal stimulation in a one-trial appetive learning situation

subject:
Hippocampus (Brain)
Memory

abstract:
The phenomenon of retrograde amnesia has been widely investigated
in connection with the study of memory consolidation. Localized
electrical stimulation of the brain has been useful in examining
the degree of involvement of different areas of the brain in the production of retrograde amnesia. One of the areas that has been implicated as playing an important role in the consolidation process is the hippocampus. However, it is unclear whether the hippocampus plays a general or a specific role in consolidation, since the majority of the studies examining the effects of hippocampal
stimulation used the passive-avoidance paradigm. Therefore, the present study examined the generality of the role of this structure in consolidation by using a one-trial appetitive learning task which involves a different motivational system and different responses than the passive-avoidance task. Experiment 1 established the effectiveness of the one-trial appetitive training procedure in producing learning in the subjects receiving it by comparing the performance of two groups of rats on the task. It was found that rats receiving appetitive training showed superior learning as compared to rats receiving no training.


title: The effect of block composition on the severity of spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) damage in northern British Columbia

subject:
Hybrid spruce
Stand management
Spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis)
Blue-stain fungi
Spruce beetle infestations & outbreaks

abstract:
The spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) is a natural part of the
western North American landscape, feeding on the phloem of trees in the Picea
genus. The spruce beetle generally feeds on downed trees but can also feed on
standing living trees if beetle populations and host trees are plentiful. If this
occurs, it can result in an outbreak of spruce beetle populations. With the help of
blue-stain fungi, these outbreaks can cause high mortality in spruce tree
populations and devastate forests. Multiple factors can contribute to an outbreak
of spruce beetle, with most linked to climate change. The government of British
Columbia has a list of management practices to mitigate the effects of the
spruce beetle, but prevention remains elusive. It is known that a more diverse
tree stand can mitigate severity of insect attacks, most notably for spruce beetle
if there are more diverse coniferous species. Here, an assessment of five blocks
of forest set for harvest in two different areas with different levels of tree species
diversity in the Omineca landscape unit of BC agrees with these results. The two
areas in the Omineca landscape unit consisted of the Mischinsinlinka (MIS) area
with low tree diversity and the Gaffney (GAF) area with high tree diversity. The
MIS area, which had only two prominent tree species on the sites, experienced
high amounts of beetle predation. The GAF, with up to four prominent species of
trees, had lower amounts of beetle predation. It was also discovered that the
correlation between tree diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height to
beetle attack severity is much stronger in the MIS than the GAF. This suggests
that damage correlation is strongest in less diverse stands and less so in more
diverse stands.


title: Examination of species of wood decay fungi present on hazard street trees in Thunder Bay, Ontario

subject:
Urban forest
Wood decay
Sap rot
Cerrena unicolor
Forest disease

abstract:
Urban forests are an integral component in modern day urban infrastructure.
Forests systematically planted in unnatural growing conditions are predisposed to injury,
deficiency and disease, therefore requiring regular maintenance. Species of wood
decaying fungi are the most significant threat to the structural integrity of urban trees.
These organisms are capable of colonizing suitable host trees, most commonly through
wounds on the stem, branches or roots of trees in distress. Once established, wood
decaying fungi can enzymatically break down wood components into easily digestible
compounds. Overtime, infected trees can become structurally weakened and hazardous,
resulting in branch breakage and stem failure. In this study, urban street trees were
examined in Thunder Bay, Ontario for the presence of fungal fruiting bodies, with the
purpose of identifying the hazard severity and host specificity among trees colonized by
wood decaying fungi. The tree species, condition, location, size and species of decay
fungi were recorded. A total of 102 infected trees were recorded, with 117 different
occurrences of decay fungi. There were 19 different species of decay fungi identified
and 12 different tree species infected. The three most commonly infected tree species
included silver maple, white birch and Manitoba maple whereas the three most
frequently occurring species of decay fungi were Cerrena unicolor, Pholiota squarrosa
and Pholiota aurivella. The study found that the canopy cover of silver maple in
Thunder Bay will likely decline significantly in the future as a result of an excess of
overly mature trees susceptible to the opportunistic pathogen, Cerrena unicolor. Street
trees only colonized by Pholiota squarrosa are less likely to become a hazard tree as
opposed to trees infected with multiple species of decay fungi. Street trees found with
fruiting bodies of Chondrosterum purpureum likely contain large portions of progressive
sapwood decay and should be viewed as being a high-risk hazard.


title: Effects of a Taiji Quan exercise intervention on balance, mobility, and quality of life of people treated for cancer / by Yijian Yang.

contributor:
Taylor, Jane
Kelley, Mary Lou
Farrell, Joey

subject:
Tai Chi
Cancer patients - Quality of life
Tai Chi - Therapeutic use

abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a Taiji Quan intervention on balance, mobility, and quality of life in cancer patients experiencing side effects of treatment. A sample of 18 people aged 42 to 85 (mean age of 54) with varying types of cancer and side effects participated in this study. Eleven participants comprised the Taiji group and took part in twice weekly 60 minute Taiji Quan 6-form Qigong for nine weeks. Seven participants were assigned to a waiting-list control group and did not practice Taiji Quan exercise during the nine week waiting period. All participants completed pre and post assessments of postural control on the AMTI force platform, the ATGUG, the RMI, and quality of life questionnaires including MOS SF-36, EORTC QLQ-C30, and ESAS. Paired samples t-tests were used to evaluate the changes from pre to post assessment within each group. Statistically significant decreases in AP, AS and PL in quiet standing with eyes closed, ATGUG time, and fatigue were observed in the Taiji group. The Taiji group also had significant increases in all measures of the balance space task, physical, mental, and social function. On the other hand, the control group showed significantly decreased measures in balance, mobility, and quality of life. A two by two mixed factorial ANOVA was also conducted to determine the effects of Taiji Quan intervention. Strong interactions of time* group with small to medium effect sizes were found in the balance space task, RMI, ATGUG, mental and social function, fatigue, and nausea. It was concluded that Taiji Quan exercise intervention may be beneficial for people experiencing side effects from cancer treatment. Due to the small sample size in this study, the exact role of the Taiji Quan intervention has to be defined by a randomly controlled design with larger sample sizes and homogenous participants.


title: Variation of wood properties in a single stem of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.)

subject:
Jack pine growth
Jack pine anatomy
Radial and tangential shrinkage
Juvenile and mature wood

abstract:
Radial and axial variation of tracheid length, relative density, ring width, radial
and tangential shrinkage, and juvenile and mature wood volume were studied in a single
stem of jack pine, 37 km north of Thunder Bay. The tree was 60-year-old and was from
a naturally grown stand in the Jack Haggerty Forest of Lakehead University, Thunder
Bay, Ontario. Specimens were taken from the tree stem at heights of 0.15, 1.4, 3.4, 5.4,
7.4, 9.4, 11.4, 13.4, 15.4 m along west and east aspect. Juvenile and mature wood
boundary was demarcated by using the radial variation pattern of tracheid length as the
criterion.Tracheid length increased from pith outward in the juvenile wood, reaching a
maximum, then remained constant or leveled off towards the bark in the mature wood.
The rate of increase in tracheid length with ring age increased with increasing height
with an exception at 13.4 m. The mean tracheid length in the juvenile and mature wood
increased from the base upward, reaching a maximum at 3.4 m and 5.4 m for the
juvenile and mature wood, respectively, followed by a decrease further to the top.
Relative density decreased from the pith outward with ring age in the juvenile wood and
remained less variable in the mature wood, with an exception at 0.15 m. Relative density
decreased with increasing height with an exception at 13.4 m in both juvenile and
mature wood. Ring width increased with ring age from the pith outward in the juvenile
wood and fluctuated in the mature wood. Ring width decreased with increasing height in
the juvenile wood. No axial trend for ring width variation in the mature wood was found.
Tangential shrinkage was greater than radial shrinkage. The mean tracheid length of the
west aspect was significantly different from that o f the east aspect. Relative density of
both juvenile and mature wood in the east aspect was significantly higher than that in the
west aspect. Ring width in the west aspect was significantly wider than that in the east
aspect for mature wood. For both tracheid length and ring width, there was no difference
between west and east aspects in the juvenile wood. Radial, tangential shrinkage (overall
and the two outermost wood strips) increased from pith outward to the bark, reaching a
maximum then followed by a leveling off. Radial, tangential shrinkage (overall and the
two outermost wood strips) decreased with increasing height with an exception at 0.15
m. The percentage of juvenile wood accounted for 16% and 30%, respectively, of the
entire stem volume based on ring age and stem diameter as criteria. The juvenile wood
zone was conical in shape. There was a strong negative correlation between juvenile
wood width and cambial initial age. The values for percentage of juvenile wood volume
at breast height can be used to predict the entire stem value.


title: An exploration of university students' experiences with depression

contributor:
Reynolds, Karen
Bartley, Anthony

subject:
Mental health
Depression (youth)
Health literacy
Stigma (mental health)
Adolescent depression
Depressive disorders

abstract:
This thesis explores how university students have experienced depression during their life in an attempt to develop a greater understanding of current mental health issues. Links between depression and schooling were also investigated in addition to factors which influence depression.
The study employed a phenomenographical research approach. Semi-structured interviews, field notes, and document analysis were the three forms of data collection. Interview participants were seven university students (19-25 years of age) who had a self-declared form of depression. They partook in an hour-long interview directed by a semi-structured interview guide. The data from all sources was organized into an outcome space to display the categories of description which illustrate a number of ways in which university students experience depression.
Findings showed that internal feelings and perceptions, environmental circumstances, family interactions, perceptions of others, positive processes, relationships, interactions at school, accessibility to aid, and mental health awareness were all prominent descriptive categories which the participants discussed in the study. Experiences could also be grouped into internally guided experiences, externally guided experiences, or mutually guided experiences. From connections between the findings and construction of an outcome space, a discussion regarding implications was composed to better understand the human experience of depression and what information might be useful in aiding initiatives to support those with depression.


title: Lithogeochemistry of the sedimentary stratigraphy and metosomatic alteration in the Musselwhite gold deposit, North Caribou Lake belt, Superior province, Canada : implications for deposition and mineralization

contributor:
Fralick, Philip
Hollings, Peter
Hill, Mary Louise

subject:
Geochemistry
Petrology
Northwestern Ontario
Musselwhite Mine
Gold ores

abstract: The Musselwhite gold deposit, 100% owned and operated by Goldcorp Inc., has cumulatively produced in excess of 2 million ounces since opening in 1997 and has a projected mine life through 2013. It is situated in the North Caribou Lake metavolcanic/metasedimentary belt in the central northwestern portion of Superior Province, approximately 430 km northwest of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. The belt occurs along the contact between the North Caribou Terrane and the Island Lake Domain, with a large, crustal-scale deformation zone forming its eastern margin. The Musselwhite gold deposit is hosted by amphibolite facies metamorphic rocks dominated by banded iron formation (BIF). This study primarily focuses on the Northern Iron Formation (NIF) metasedimentary assemblage, host to the majority of gold mineralization at Musselwhite ....


title: Adaptive habitat selection by a single celled alga?

subject:
Single-celled alga
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Habitat selection
Adaptive movement

abstract: Faculty and students in the Department of Biology are bound together by a common interest in explaining the diversity of life, the fit between form and function, and the distribution and abundance of organisms. The research reported here shows how habitat selection and adaptive movement influence population dynamics. I first demonstrate by theory why habitat selection should vary with density. I then describe experiments in which I measured per capita population growth rates of the single-celled alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, in separate shaded and unshaded (light) habitats across a range of densities, and used them to predict the number of cells that one should observe in adjacent habitats. Fitness was higher in the light habitat than in the shade. Using these observations, theory predicts that all individuals should occupy the light habitat at low density, but as density increases individuals should increasingly occupy the shade. More generally, individual cells should move to habitats of higher mean fitness (adaptive movement). My experiments on Chlamydomonas demonstrated a rather novel form of adaptive movement that only partially confirmed the predictions. The fitness of cells released in the light habitat in rich environments was not different from that in shade because density was higher in light. Cells released in shade, and those released in poor environments, moved such that there were no differences in density between habitats, even though fitness was usually higher in light. Adaptive movement thus depends not only on the quality of the occupied habitat, but also on mean environmental quality.


title: Boosting performance of transactional memory through transactional read tracking and set associative locks

subject: Transaction systems (Computer systems)

subject: Parallel processing (Electronic computers)

subject: Parallel programming (Computer science)

abstract:
Multi-core processors have become so prevalent in server, desktop, and even embedded systems that they are considered the norm for modem computing systems. The trend is likely toward many-core processors with many more than just 2, 4, or 8 cores per CPU. To benefit from
the increasing number of cores per chip, application developers have to develop parallel programs [1]. Traditional lock-based programming is too difficult and error prone for most of programmers and is the domain of experts. Deadlock, race, and other synchronization bugs are some of the challenges of lock-based programming. To make parallel programming mainstream, it is necessary to adapt parallel programming by the majority of programmers and not just experts, and thus simplifying parallel programming has become an important challenge.
Transactional Memory (TM) is a promising programming model for managing concurrent accesses to the shared memory locations. Transactional memory allows a programmer to specify a section of a code to be "'transactional", and the underlying system guarantees atomic execution of the code. This simplifies parallel programming and reduces the possibility of synchronization bugs.
This thesis develops several software- and hardware-based techniques to improve performance of existing transactional memory systems. The first technique is Transactional Read Tracking (TRT). TRT is a software-based approach that employs a locking mechanism for transactional read and write operations. The performance of TRT depends on memory access patterns of applications. In some cases, TRT falls behind the baseline scheme. To further improve performance of TRT, we introduce two hybrid methods that dynamically switches between TRT and the baseline scheme based on applications’ behavior.
The second optimization technique is Set Associative Lock (SAL). Memory locations are mapped to a lock table in order to synchronize accesses to the shared memory locations. Direct mapped lock tables usually result in collision which leads to false aborts. In SAL, we increase
associativity of the lock table to reduce false abort. While SAL improves performance in most of the applications, in some cases, it increases execution time due to overhead of lock tables in software. To cope with this problem, we propose Hardware-SAL (HW-SAL) which moves the
set associative lock table to the hardware. As such, true power of set associativity will be harnessed without sacrificing performance.


title: Black bear attacks in Canada and a review of the factors influencing them

subject:
Defensive behaviours
Predatory bears
Urbanization
Ursus americanus

abstract:
Canada has experienced numerous black bear attacks over the last several
decades. The purpose of this study is to determine if there is an increase in the number
of black bear attacks in Canada. Data came from various news sources in each province
and the Northwest Territories to gather information about the attacks. The gathered
information was then separated into a variety of tables and examined to gain insight on
the number of attacks, where they occurred, and the age of the victims. There was a
slight increase in the total number of fatal attacks and a larger increase in the number of
nonfatal attacks over the last 31 years. Encounters were interpreted to be from both
predatory and defensive bears.


title: Application of Walki®Biomass cover as a better alternative to plastic mulching

subject:
Mulch
Plastic mulching
Walki Biomass cover

abstract:
Mulch is a material that works as a protective layer over the soil so as to retain water and
prevent excess evaporation. They are either in the form of continuous sheets like plastic
mulch or they come in a shredded form, like wood chips etc. Plastic mulching, though
it’s not good for the soil is one of the most widely used mulch materials. The main
problem with plastic mulching is its disposal after use, since it being non-biodegradable
it cannot be decomposed. So, all that plastic accumulates in the soil, and can cause
environmental hazards. In recent years research has been conducted to find a better
alternative to plastic mulching, including invention of the biodegradable plastic. It was
found that biodegradable plastic had remarkably similar temperature and water retention
properties but was coming at a higher price than regular plastic. This thesis is focused on
achieving the purpose of mulching using Walki Biomass cover, a paper-based laminate
that also has a mesh of biodegradable plastic which is partly water resistant and is a
100% biodegradable.


title: Abstract convexity spaces

subject: Convex sets

abstract:
The principal question discussed in this dissertation
is the problem of characterizing the linear and convex
functions on generalized line spaces. A linear function
is shown to be a convex function. The linear and convex
functions are characterized, that is, a function f:[right arrow] X—
is linear [convex] if and only if f[subscript l] is linear [convex]
in the usual sense on each line of a generalized line
space X. We prove that if a function has at least one
support at each point on its graph, then it is a convex function.
In the first chapter the basic concepts of abstract
convexity spaces are introduced. The next chapter is
concerned with join systems which are shown to be examples
of abstract convexity spaces. On the other hand, a
domain-finite, join-hull commutative abstract convexity
space with regular straight segments satisfies the axioms
of a join system. Consequently, such abstract convexity
spaces satisfy the separation property.
In Chapter III, the linearization of abstract spaces
is done using a linearization family.
The following chapter is on generalized line spaces
and graphically it is shown that Pasch’s and Peano's axioms
do not hold in a certain generalized line space. It is
also proved that the separation property may not hold, in general, in a generalized line space.
Finally, the convex and linear functions are studied
on generalized line spaces. The linearization of generalized
line spaces is done by means of the properties of
a linearization family.


title: Police work experiences and their relationship to burnout and organizational citizenship behaviour

subject:
Burn out (Psychology)
Police Job stress

abstract:
Recent police stress literature has consistently asserted that organizational aspects
of work, rather than operational ones, are identified by officers as being the most
stressful. Exposure to perceived workplace stress can culminate in burnout, a state of
diminished well-being and functionality. Although studied among police populations, no
attempt has been made to examine the link between burnout and the perceptions of
officers regarding chronic exposure to both organizational and operational aspects of
police work. Positive perceptions of work experiences have also been found to influence
employee behaviour at work, specifically organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB),
extra-role discretionary behaviours that contribute to overall organizational efficiency.
The purpose of the present study was to examine the degree to which police officers
appraised organizational and operational facets of work as stressful or uplifting, and to
investigate the relationships among such appraisals and burnout and OCB, respectively. In
order to do so within an integrated framework that addressed a conceptualization of stress
as a process occurring within the person-environment nexus, the moderating effects of
coping style and personality were considered. Officers from the Thunder Bay Police
Service and the Northwest Region of the Ontario Provincial Police completed self-report
measures of these variables. Whereas negative appraisals tended to depend on the
frequency of exposure to the different facets of work, potentially positive organizational
experiences were identified as being more uplifting than operational ones. Some evidence
was found for expected associations among appraisals of work, burnout, and OCB, with
organizational hassles and uplifts being more strongly associated with burnout and OCB,
respectively, than operational ones. Some of the associations were moderated by
disposition and coping style, although not always in expected directions, supporting the
contention that chronic exposure to stress may impact on officer well-being over and
above third variable influences. The study highlighted the importance of considering both
positive and negative appraisals of the working environment in the study of police stress,
and the potential adaptive function of both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping.


title: Plant microfossil analysis of middle woodland food residues, northern Minnesota

contributor:
Boyd, Matthew
Hamilton, Scott
Varney, Tamara

subject: Extraction of plant microfossils (starch, phytoliths and pollen)

subject: Woodland tradition in the upper Great Lakes

subject: Paleodiet of woodland peoples

subject: Phytolith and starch analysis in archaeology

subject: Food residue analysis

subject: Woodland period

abstract: Northern Minnesota lies within the southern edge of the Boreal Forest and, as a result, archaeological sites in this region typically have poor organic preservation and thin, disturbed, stratigraphy. For this reason, little is known about specific plant foods and their importance at many sites. In order to fill this gap, my research focuses on the extraction of plant microfossils (starch, phytoliths and pollen) from carbonized and non- carbonized food residues associated with Middle Woodland (100 BC – AD 500) components. My results show that wild rice was widely consumed during this time along with cultigens such as maize. No additional evidence suggested farming, so there is a possibility of trade with periphery groups to acquire the cultigens recovered from the microfossil analysis. These results demonstrate the importance of plant microfossil studies as a tool for identifying subtle evidence of wild and domesticated plants in regions characterized by poor organic preservation, small seasonally-occupied sites and other fundamental limitations. The mixed economic strategy apparent in some Northern Minnesota sites re-defines a diet of native and domesticated cultigens, which can be applied to the wider archaeobotanical literature of northeastern North America.


title: Test of the influence of interpersonal rigidity on the behaviour and experiences of others

subject:
Interpersonal relations
Rigidity (Psychology)
Social interaction

abstract:
Interpersonal rigidity is defined as the extremeness of an individual’s behaviour and
the narrowness of the behavioural repertoire measured according to the Interpersonal
Circumplex (Kiesler, 1983). While acknowledged as an important influence on
interpersonal behaviour, rigidity has been examined in very few studies to date. The
influence of interpersonal rigidity was therefore explored using sequential analytic
techniques designed to assess the impact of specific behaviours on the course of
ongoing interactions. Pairs of undergraduate students completed the Revised
Interpersonal Adjective Scales (lAS-R; Wiggins et al., 1988), from which their
rigidity scores were calculated. They then played a modified, sequential version of
the Prisoner’s Dilemma Game, set up so that the two dimensions of the Interpersonal
Circumplex (Dominance and Love) were reflected respectively in the choice of which
player went first on each turn, and whether to cooperate or compete (defect). In
general, vector length (rigidity) scores were either negatively or not related to indices
of sequential dominance, suggesting that rigid individuals are not those who control
interactions, but rather are those whose behaviour becomes more predictable from
that of more flexible individuals. In addition, the sequentially dominant participants
had more positive views o f their own and their partners’ behaviour, suggesting that
making others’ behaviour more predictable is somehow interpersonally satisfying.
Some alternative statistical techniques are suggested for future research to clarify
these somewhat counterintuitive relationships.


title: Pull-down of human papillomavirus 16 E6 variants for interactome analysis: a methods development and analysis

contributor:
Zehbe, Ingeborg
Lees, Simon
Schraft, Heidi

subject:
Human Papillomavirus
HPV16 E6 variants
Proteomics
HPV16 cancer (treatment)
E6 Oncoprotein

abstract:
Human Papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) is a double-stranded DNA virus known as a causative
agent in almost all cervical cancers and an increasing number of oropharyngeal cancers.
Variants of HPV16, such as the Asian-American (AA) and L83V, have been found to have
increased abilities to promote carcinogenesis. Even though previous interactome studies
identified which proteins interact with HPV16 E6, few have looked at interactions between
variants of E6 in particular AAE6 and the European Prototype (EPE6). This thesis had two
objectives: develop a method to co-immunoprecipitate host cellular proteins that interact
with E6 variants; and identify potential differences between cellular host proteins and
variant E6. We were successful in developing a method that not only could pull-down and
identify E6 variant interacting proteins but the E6 variant proteins themselves. Using liquid
chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC MS/MS), we identified 13 proteins that interact
with both AAE6 and EPE6, along with six unique AAE6 interacting proteins and six unique
EPE6 interacting proteins. Of the interactors we found, seven were of particular interest:
TRIP12, GNL2, INO80B, CHMP4B, MX2, RPSK6K4A, and PROK2. These proteins
affect a variety of cellular functions, including DNA replication and repair, telomere
maintenance, cellular proliferation, ERK1/2 signaling, signal transduction, and immune
response. Identification of different proteins using different bioinformatic analyses further
provide evidence that AAE6 and EPE6 may have unique interactions with their host cells
resulting in varied abilities to promote carcinogenesis. The identification of these proteins
has furthered our understanding of potential mechanisms that allow AAE6 to promote
carcinogenesis more than EPE6. More wet lab work is still required to confirm these
interactions and determine their exact effects on the host cell.


title: The Witch : A Pedagogy of Immanence

subject:
Autoethnography
Witchcraft
Archetype
Biophilia
Storytelling
Indigenous pedagogy

abstract:
This thesis examines three key texts which serve as a means of exploring the process of
reclamation, of delving into a process of reconstruction of Indigenous identity but also of social
identity within a philosophical and moral structure of the biophilic. This is done through an
autoethnographic lens, as I have chosen three formative texts that have served as foundational
stories in my coming to know myself. Through reflecting on this process, I investigate how one
may relocate the self through the process of storying, as an immanent part of nature and in so
doing, I posit that even those living within structures of colonialism may begin to reconfigure the
fragmented spaces of the modern into something that recognizes and elevates lived relations with
the land as a form of authentic and vital knowledge of the self. Through the figure of the witch, I
examine the potential of archetypes to participate in this storying of the self into relation with the
world, considering the special nature of the witch as deriving their power from sources outside of
human control and as a natural and, often, subversive figure. I theorize the ways in which the
witch as an archetype has participated in my own storying of self as well as the potential for
archetypes such as these to participate in a relocation of humanity as manifesting within and
through nature.


title: Mental training for endurance sports

subject: Endurance sports (Psychological aspects)

subject: Psychological skills training

abstract:
The effects of a cognitive behavioral mental training intervention on endurance
performance were explored using a time lagged multiple baseline single subject design.
Seven local and provincial level endurance athletes were educated on goal setting,
imagery, relaxation, and self-talk. The two dependent variables used to explore the
effects of the intervention were perceived mental skills, assessed by a questionnaire,
and power output at ventilatory threshold, a physiological-based performance measure.
Training load, volume, frequency, and intensity were monitored during the length of the
study and were kept constant. Results demonstrated that a short-term cognitive behavioral
intervention enhanced participants’ self-evaluation in a number of mental
skills. Power output at Ventilatory Threshold (VT) did not demonstrate significant
changes after the intervention, showing no physiological adaptations as a consequence
of the intervention. Two other studies using similar interventions found a consistent field
performance enhancement effect on gym triathlon performance and 1600 metres
running times (Patrick & Hrycaiko, 1998; Thelwell & Greenless, 2001). Because
physiological adaptations were not found in this study, the possible sources of the field
performance enhancement effect found in other investigations are discussed. Social
validation scales indicated positive effects of the intervention on the participants’
satisfaction, importance, and usefulness of the intervention, and significance of the
perceived changes in the performance. Qualitative data also support the participants’
perceived usefulness and satisfaction with the outcome of the study.


title: Physiological and biomechanical profile of the athletes competing in a world cup cross country ski relay event

subject: Cross-country ski racing Physiological aspects

subject: Skiers Physiology

subject: World Cup (Ski racing)

abstract:
A variety of studies have been conducted which
have attempted to relate biomechanical and
physiological variables to cross-country skiing
performance. These investigations have taken place in
different settings including in the laboratory, outside
on roller skis, or on-snow on skis during time trials
and competitions. The design of these studies
undoubtedly provided the researchers with considerable
control over a variety of confounding variables.
However, these attempts at controlling variables may
have inadvertently created artificial situations with
little or no relevance to actual racing situations.
Forsberg (1992) pointed out that no one variable can
fully account for the observed differences in skiing
performance. A more integrated approach to studying the
sport was suggested by Hoffman & Clifford (1992)
combining physiological and biomechanical measurements
in order to achieve a better understanding of which
variables affect performance. The primary purpose of
this study was to develop a physiological and
biomechanical profile of the athletes competing in the
free technique legs of the 1994 World Cup Men’s Cross-Country Ski Relay event in Thunder Bay, Ontario,
Canada. The secondary purpose was to describe the
statistical contributions of specific kinematic and
temporal variables to the race velocity of World Cup
level cross-country skiers. The tertiary purpose of
this study was to compare the top international skiers
to the Canadian skiers on the basis of specific
physiological and kinematic variables.
The study involved the collection of physiological
data from six male members of the Canadian National
Cross-Country Ski Team four months prior to the relay
event and the collection of physiological,
biomechanical, and timing study data during the event.
Further biomechanical and timing study data were
collected from the remaining 18 international
competitors in the skating legs of the relay.
The lab testing involved V02peak testing and
monitoring of heart rates. The race site testing
included the monitoring of heart rates during the race,
of whole blood lactates immediately before and after
the race, of kinematic and temporal analysis of the
offset skating technique on a steep uphill, of skating
techniques used on different terrain, and of times
taken to ski different parts of the race course. The physiological, technique census, and timing study data
were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The
kinematic and temporal data were analyzed using a
combination of descriptive, multiple correlation, and
multiple regression statistics.
The kinematic and temporal analysis revealed
several significant relationships with race velocity.
Cycle length was positively correlated with race
velocity at the p<.01 level of significance. Cycle
velocity and percentage of the full cycle skating on
the downhill ski were positively correlated with race
velocity at the p<.05 level of significance. Further
significant correlations were found among the remaining
selected variables. Cycle length was negatively
correlated (p<.05 level) with the percentage of the
full cycle skating on the downhill ski. Cycle time was
negatively correlated (p<.05 level) with the percentage
of the full cycle time skating on the uphill ski.
Percentage of the full cycle time skating on the uphill
ski was negatively correlated (p<.05 level) with
percentage of the full cycle time skating on the
downhill ski. A multiple regression equation revealed
that cycle length was the best predictor of race
velocity.
The Canadian skiers were found to differ in terms
of their physiological and biomechanical profiles as
they related to race performance.
The physiological analysis of the Canadian
subjects revealed several interesting relationships
between heart rates and whole blood lactate values and
race velocity. The subjects anaerobic thresholds were a
good indicator of their relay race performance. The
faster subjects raced close to 90 percent of their
maximum heart rate. Pre-race and post-race whole blood
lactate values were similar to values reported by other
studies for top skiers. The peak post-race lactate
values did not show any trend in relation to race
velocity. However, the fastest subjects had the highest
whole blood lactate clearance rates.
A comparison of the Canadian subjects on the basis
of several kinematic and temporal variables did not
show any trends in relation to their race performance.
However, a closer look at their skating technique
preferences on different terrain showed some variation.
The fastest subject preferred to use the 2-skate
technique on 1-5 degree slopes, but the other subjects
used a combination of the 1-skate, 2-skate, or offset
skate techniques.
There were some distinct differences between the
top skiers and the Canadian skiers in terms of their
physiology, skating technique, and mean race velocities
for different parts of the race course. The relatively
low peak VO2 values for the Canadian skiers compared to
previous values reported for top skiers may have set an
upper limit to their anaerobic thresholds. The top
skiers had higher mean race velocities throughout the
course, higher cycle velocities, longer cycle lengths,
a more balanced skate off either ski, and a smaller
uphill pole angle at the moment of pole plant as
compared to the Canadian skiers. The full cycle times
and the percentage of the full cycle poling were
similar between the two groups. The top skiers
preferred to use the 2-skate technique on the 1-5
degree slopes while the Canadians used a variety of
techniques. Both groups of skiers used the offset skate
on slopes greater than five degrees.
The intent of this study was to develop a
physiological and biomechancial profile of World Cup
level cross-country skiers. Clearly the lack of
physiological data on the competitors other than the
Canadian subjects limited the inferences that were made
regarding the two groups. Despite these limitations this study has revealed some interesting physiological
and biomechanical differences between the top skiers
and the Canadian skiers. Further studies need to be
conducted on the physiological and biomechanical
demands of cross-country ski skating on elite level
athletes.


title: Factors influencing women's participation in mathematical disciplines

subject:
Mathematics (Study and teaching)
Sex differences in education
Women in mathematics

abstract:
Few high-achieving, university-bound, female high school students are choosing
to pursue a mathematics degree at university. Researchers have discussed a wide
range of factors that may account for this situation. This thesis is a two-stage mixedmethods
research investigation of the factors that influence mathematically-able
(above 70% in advanced mathematics courses), university-bound women’s decision
to pursue or not pursue a mathematics degree. Students in two Grade 12 advanced
level classes in mathematics were surveyed regarding their post secondary career and
schooling intentions. The data were analyzed in three different ways: comparing male
to female mathematics students generally, comparing men and women who intend to
pursue mathematics after high school versus those who do not, comparing women
who intend to pursue mathematics as a major to those who do not. Findings from the
first stage survey indicated that women and men had chosen to pursue mathematics at
university in equally low numbers. Females’ intentions to pursue a particular career
were linked to genuine interest whereas males’ reasons were linked to pay as well as
genuine interest. Women who were intending to pursue a mathematics degree
identified teachers as their person of greatest influence.In the second stage of the study five female students who were intending to
pursue mathematics at university and five who were not were selected from the larger
group for interviews. Interview data indicated that despite equally strong achievement
levels in high school the two groups of women differed greatly in their self-confidence in
their mathematical ability and their view of mathematics teachers. Recommendations for
further research are discussed.