title: Activity dependent plasticity in pathways between subcortical and cortical sites

contributor:
Racine, R.J.
Psychology

subject: Psychology Psychology

abstract: Information storage between subcortical and cortical structures may include the occurrence of synaptic modifications such as those expressed following the induction of long-term potentiation, or LTP. It is well known that the hippocampus is important for memory, but certain adjacent and anatomically related cortical structures in the temporal lobe, especially entorhinal, perirhinal, and parahippocampal cortex also participate. It seems likely that the hippocampal system influences memory and consolidation primarily through an extensive set of reciprocal connections within the system and between this system and widespread areas of the neocortex. LTP has been extensively studied in the intrinsic connections of both the hippocampus and the neocortex. LTP in the pathways and structures thought to convey information between the hippocampus and the neocortex, however, have received little attention. It is unlikely that these structures simply relay information passively. Considerable additional processing must occur within them. Are they also involved in information storage? If so, and if LTP reflects a general synaptic encoding mechanism, then these systems should support LTP. Another focus of this thesis is the reciprocal thalamo-cortical system. Some of these pathways may also utilize LTP as a mechanism for information storage. Although much is known about the transmission of information from thalamus to cortex, little is known about the information transmitted along the reciprocal pathways back to the thalamus. In most cases these pathways are as large as, or larger than, those running from the thalamus to the cortex. The current studies were designed to investigate LTP in the reciprocal projections in both the hippocampal-neocortical and thalamo-neocortical systems. Whereas the latter is often viewed as a hardwired system, the former system is believed to remain plastic throughout the lifetime of all mammals. One of the goals of this thesis was to test this hypothesis, using the parameters required for induction of LTP in cortico-cortical pathways in the chronically implanted rat. LTP was found in all pathways in the hippocampal-neocortical system that were examined. There were, however, differences in induction and decay rates that are of particular interest. These results are discussed in relation to the presumed memory functions of the medial temporal lobe. None of the thalamocortical pathways sustained LTP with multiple stimulation sessions, but the corticothalamic pathway, showed a lasting potentiation. This finding is of great interest. These results are discussed in relation to a filtering mechanism and the response of thalamo-cortical systems to mismatch information.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Fracture Development Around Moshaneng and Kanye, Southeast Botswana

contributor:
Clifford, P.M.
Geology

subject: Geology Geology

abstract:
SE Botswana, located in the NW part of the Kaapvaal Craton is a long lived tectonically stable environment dominated by brittle deformation for more than 2.6 Ga.

Relative chronologies in the development of fractures are rationalized according to major unconformities that developed during the Proterozoic in areas around Moshaneng and Kanye in SE Botswana. Periods of brittle deformation are divided into pre-Transvaal Supergroup, post-Transvaal Supergroup/pre-Waterberg Group and post-Waterberg Group times. Pre-Transvaal lineaments trend ENE and NE and were probably formed as fractures in a rifting environment. Dikes are intruded along some of these lineaments. Post-Transvaal/pre-Waterberg fractures consist of strike-slip faults that form a conjugate system of two major sets rending NE and NW. These fractures probably formed as a result of E-W compression. The displacement along the NE trending faults depicts reactivation along pre-existing fractures. Regional patterns of fault termination are discernable. Epidermal folds and thrusts were produced in the Transvaal Supergroup rocks. Rotational bulk strain is locally significant. Post-Waterberg deformation was dominated by dip-slip faults, vertical displacements and drape folds.

An orthogonal system of bedding-normal joints predominates in the layered rocks. Inversion of the relative magnitudes of σ₂ and σ₃ probably accounts for a two phase tensile failure of layered rocks during the formation of the joint system. A diagonal system of bedding normal joints is superimposed on the orthogonal system possibly because of pre-existing folds that perturb the remote stress field. Joint spacings have a negatively skewed normal frequency distribution. Systematic joints show that spacing of set1

Relics of joint patterns in chert breccia provide insight about post-Transvaal/pre-Waterberg karstification residuum. The joint pattern accounts for the initial process of fragmentation that resulted in the formation of chert breccia.

On the subcontinental scale, high strain tectonic belts provide a chronology of large scale stress fields that could explain the intracratonic brittle deformations.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Understanding the impact of pre-interview information on the reliability, validity, accuracy and differential validity of employment interview decisions: Comparisons across interview question type, rating scale and scoring protocols

contributor:
Wiesner, W.H.
Business Administration

subject: Business Business Business

abstract: The impact of pre-interview impressions on the reliability, validity, accuracy and bias of interview decisions was examined in the context of different interview types. Although it is generally well accepted that structuring the interview improves its reliability and validity, little research has been conducted with respect to resistance to interviewer bias. Dipboye (1982) proposed that pre-interview impressions can impact on post interview decisions through the interviewer's behaviour and cognitive processes. This study used videotaped interviews to assess the impact of a negative/inaccurate pre-interview impression on subsequent interview ratings via the cognitive process. Predictor data consisted of pre- and post interview ratings and criterion data consisted of supervisor ratings of 'on-the-job' performance. Three types of interview formats were manipulated: question type (job relevant versus general), rating scale (graphic versus behaviourally anchored), and combination of ratings (clinical versus mechanical). There were considerable differences in the interview results when the pre-interview information about a candidate was positive (accurate) versus negative (inaccurate). Specifically, when positive (accurate) information preceded the interview the greatest contributor to interview reliability and validity was the use of job relevant questions. However, when the interview was preceded by negative (inaccurate) information about a candidate the use of job relevant questions, behaviourally anchored rating scales and a mechanical combination of ratings were all necessary to eliminate any impact of bias on the reliability and validity of the interviewer's decision. These results indicate that structuring the interview can minimize the potentially negative effects of interviewer biases on the reliability and validity of interview decisions.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Effect of reservoir boundaries on the seismic response of gravity dams

contributor:
Ghobarah, A.
Civil Engineering

subject:
Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering

abstract: Dam safety is an important issue of current interest. In seismic regions, dynamic forces on the dam may be significant and may lead to crack initiation and propagation in the dam. A significant component of the dynamic forces is due to the hydrodynamic effects of the impounded water in the reservoir. The developed hydrodynamic force on the dam is highly dependent on the physical characteristics of the boundaries surrounding the reservoir including the reservoir bottom and sides. In this study, the effects of the reservoir boundary conditions on the seismic response of the dam are investigated. This study consists of four components. First, a mathematical model is proposed to account for the absorption effect of a sedimented reservoir bottom on the seismic response of the dam-reservoir system. Secondly, a study is conducted to examine the possibility of reducing the earthquake response of concrete gravity dams using hydrodynamic isolation at the dam-reservoir boundary. Thirdly, an analytical procedure is developed to compute the response of the hydrodynamic pressure and the seismic response of the dam impounding a reservoir of general shape and boundary conditions. Finally, the earthquake response of the dam was studied with special attention to the stresses in the dam. An index for the evaluation of the overall state of stress in the dam subjected to different load combinations is proposed. The dynamic component of stress and the proposed index in the dam are computed when the dam-reservoir system is subjected to different ground motion records. The effect of the reflected waves from underlying reservoir foundation rock on the calculated response of the dam when subjected to earthquake ground motion was found to be very important. It is concluded that the effect of the stiffness of a semi-infinite reservoir foundation on the reduction of the dam seismic response is more significant as compared to the dissipation effect of the sedimentation layer. It is shown that the isolation layer needs to be very soft and with sufficient thickness so as to effectively reduce the hydrodynamic pressure acting on the dam. The effects of the reservoir length and the type of boundary condition at the truncated reservoir boundary on the calculated response of hydrodynamic pressure were found significant. The proposed index for the stress in the dam (Stress Factor) was shown to have an acceptable correlation with the intensity of the input ground motion and can be used as a complementary design factor for seismic design of concrete gravity dams.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Residents' reappraisal of the Halton Regional Landfill site: A longitudinal study of psychosocial impacts

contributor:
Taylor, Martin S.
Geography

subject:
Geography
Earth Sciences
Environmental Sciences
Earth Sciences

abstract: This thesis examines psychosocial effects in a population living near the Halton Regional Landfill site in Milton, Ontario. The data described and analyzed in this research were collected between 1990 and 1995 and capture key events in the landfill site's history--site approval, construction and operation. This longitudinal study, which examines indicators of stress, reappraisal and coping at three different points in time from the same individuals, is designed to document and examine the process whereby these people have experienced and come to live with the landfill facility over time. The theoretical basis for understanding this process of appraisal, reappraisal and coping is derived from environmental stress and coping theory generally, and from the framework proposed by Lazarus and Folkman (1984) specifically. Three research objectives are addressed: (1) to document changes in psychosocial effects in Milton area residents between 1990 and 1995; (2) to explore the processes of reappraisal and coping among Milton area residents; and, (3) to evaluate the appropriateness and usefulness of the Lazarus and Folkman (1984) framework in the context of a population living proximate to a solid waste facility. These objectives are addressed through three administrations of a telephone survey instrument comprised of a combination of pre-validated scales and open- and closed-ended items to a random stratified (by distance) sample of households immediately after the landfill site was approved (1990), shortly after the site was constructed and began operation (1992-3), and two years after operation had begun (1995). Due to attrition, the baseline cohort (n = 187) was reduced to 108 by time 3, although no significant bias was introduced. Data from all three surveys were obtained for a sub-group of 87 respondents. Five constructs derived from environmental stress and coping theory guide the examination of individual responses to the landfill over time: psychological distress, perceptions of the landfill site, concerns about the landfill site, actions and neighbourhood satisfaction. A series of hypotheses, which capture expectations about how Milton area residents have experienced the introduction of the landfill site into their community over time, were generated from the constructs and guide the analysis. Overall, the results portray a community that has changed from one actively opposing plans to locate a landfill site in its midst to one that has, for the most part, resigned itself to and accepted the presence of the new facility. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Active and passive coupling in WDM photonic ring and bus networks

contributor:
Todd, Terence D.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering

abstract: Wavelength division multiplexing technologies are proving to be an effective method for bring high bandwidth to data communication networks. Such networks utilize some form of wavelength agility at stations in order to access a set of wavelength channels. Since each channel is represented by a unique wavelength, transmissions on one channel are independent from other channels. Unfortunately, this multi-channel nature acts to complicate system operation and often results in increased optical hardware requirements. Recent advances in photonic amplification have re-motivated the use of ring and bus topologies in single-hop wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) networks (Muk92). Most often stations on a ring or bus WDM network utilize multiple transmitters and receivers which are coupled to the fiber via passive devices. Compared to networks based upon passive optical stars, ring and bus networks offer much simplified station synchronization requirements. However, when minimal station hardware is desired, network operation can be complicated. In this thesis, four different WDM bus/ring networks based upon passive coupling technology are considered. All four have user station hardware designs with various reductions in the number of tapping points, number of transmitters and receivers and their tunability requirements. With each reduction in hardware, protocol complexities and performance reductions are introduced. In all cases, dynamic packet-switched operation is achieved. The designs thus give an indication of the cost/performance tradeoffs which are possible as the amount of hardware is reduced at the user stations. Common to each of the designs is the use of a headend controller which attaches to each WDM channel. Media access is achieved through information provided by the controller. In the more hardware intensive designs, media access is achieved through a mini-slot contention mechanism (GT94). The remaining designs rely on a hybrid opto-electronic request/allocation protocol motivated by DCCN (JT93). Analytical models are presented which are validated through discrete-event simulations for each design. Although this passive tap arrangement is very simple, synchronizing to upstream transmissions is much more difficult compared to existing single-channel busses and rings. This affects the types of protocols which are practical in passive designs. In this thesis, we also investigate protocols for multichannel photonic bus/ring LANs which use active wavelength-selective taps rather than passive ones. An example of such an implementation might use couplers based on acousto-optic devices (Che90). There are a number of advantages in such a design. Since stations actively tap the wavelength channel that they are accessing, synchronization is identical to existing single-channel rings. This results in much simpler media access protocols than in the passive case. In addition, spatial re-use is possible in the ring designs. In LANs with active taps, when stations re-tune their couplers at an inappropriate time, transit packets may be destroyed. This action is referred to as a "re-tuning collision". The media access protocols must take special actions in order to prevent this from happening. This places restrictions on the physical parameters over which system performance is efficient. Capacity and delay models are also derived, and comparisons are made with the conventional passive designs developed in this thesis.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: A probability based unified model for predicting electrical, mechanical and thermal characteristics of stranded overhead-line conductors

contributor:
Findlay, Raymond D.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

abstract: This thesis is a report on a Unified Model to predict the performance of Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced (ACSR). The Model combines electromagnetic, mechanical, radial conduction, and steady-state thermal models, and uses a probabilistic method to take account of system loads and the stochastic nature of the meteorological parameters. The four models, developed during the past thirty years, have been used by the industry individually to predict the electrical, mechanical and thermal behaviour of stranded overhead conductors. Each aspect was analyzed separately, neglecting dependencies of the involved variables on other aspects of the conductor behaviour. Most results obtained in this way were acceptable while conductors were operating at lower temperatures. However, at high temperatures, the effects that each aspect of the behaviour has on another are no longer negligible. Until now there has not been a feasible mechanism to link the models in order to predict all aspects of the behaviour of the conductor simultaneously, and to take into consideration all the interdependent influences among models. The Unified Model, developed as a result of this work, is a new approach for the simultaneous prediction of all the aspects of conductor behaviour. For the first time all four models: electromagnetic, mechanical, steady-state thermal, and radial conduction models, are coupled such that the conductor is viewed as a whole. In addition, the statistical distribution of system loads, ambient temperature, and rise of conductor temperature above ambient are included in the Unified Model to determine a realistic thermal history of the conductor and to assess annealing in the aluminum layers. This has not been done before. The usefulness of the probability based Unified Model for predicting characteristics of the conductor, such as sag, power loss and loss of tensile strength of nonferrous wires is demonstrated. An example of application of the Model to an ACSR conductor is given. The results are used to study the sensitivity of the electrical, mechanical, and thermal characteristics of the conductor to various parameters and to determine how the electrical, mechanical, and thermal characteristics affect each other. The results are presented in the form of recommendations for the design of the overhead conductors.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Evolutionary studies based on the 70-kDa heat shock family of protein sequences

contributor:
Gupta, Radhey S.
Biochemistry

subject: Biochemistry Biochemistry

abstract: The 70-kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) is one of the most conserved proteins known to date. The HSP70 genes from Mycoplasma capricolum, Giardia lamblia, Rhizobium meliloti, and Pseudomonas cepacia were cloned and sequenced. Sequence comparison of HSP70 shows that homologs from gram-positive bacteria and archaebacteria share a number of sequence signatures that are not found in other prokaryotic or eukaryotic species. Other sequence features were found to be specific to eukaryotes and gram-negative bacteria. Phylogenetic analyses of HSP70 sequence strongly support a specific evolutionary relationship between gram-positive bacteria and archaebacteria on the one hand, and gram-negative bacteria and eukaryotes on the other. The mycoplasma homologs of HSP70 contain all sequence signatures that are characteristic of gram- positive bacteria and archaebacteria. In the HSP70 tree, mycoplasma branch with the low-G+C-content gram-positive group of bacteria indicating their close evolutionary relationship to this group. The G. lamblia HSP70 homologs (from the cytosol and endoplasmic reticulum), similar to other eukaryotic homologs, were found to contain sequence signatures specific to gram-negative species. Phylogenetic analyses show that G. lamblia homologs are the deepest homologs in the eukaryotic tree. The cytosolic and endoplasmic reticulum homologs in eukaryotes, including those of G. lamblia, are similar and form two distinct subfamilies indicating that they evolved from a common eukaryotic ancestor by gene duplication early in the evolution of eukaryotic cells. The early divergence of G. lamblia and its evolutionary linkage to gram-negative bacteria indicate that eukaryotes evolved from a gram-negative bacterium. The cloning of the endoplasmic reticulum-HSP70 gene from G. lamblia suggested the existence of endoplasmic reticulum in this ancient eukaryote. The existence of endoplasmic reticulum in G. lamblia has been investigated using the endoplasmic reticulum-HSP70 protein as a molecular marker. The endoplasmic reticulum-HSP70 gene of G. lamblia was expressed in Escherichia coli and a polyclonal antibody was raised to the purified protein. Using cryoelectron microscopy and antibody to endoplasmic reticulum-HSP70, we demonstrated the presence of endoplasmic reticulum in G. lamblia. The presence of endoplasmic reticulum in G. lamblia, which is one of the earliest diverging eukaryotic species lacking mitochondria, supports the view that both the nucleus and endoplasmic reticulum co-evolved in a common ancestor of eukaryotic cells. We have used the HSP70 sequences from Rhizobium meliloti, and Pseudomonas cepacia to study the evolution of mitochondria. Rhizobium meliloti, and Pseudomonas cepacia belong to the $\alpha$- and $\beta$-subdivisions of gram-negative proteobacteria, respectively. On the basis of sequence alignment, several sequence signatures have been identified that are distinctive to mitochondrial homologs and gram-negative proteobacteria. Phylogenetic analyses of HSP70 sequences suggest the endosymbiotic origin of mitochondria from a member of the α-proteobacteria and that all mitochondrial homologs are monophyletic in origin.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Assessment of antithrombotic drugs in vivo and ex vivo

contributor:
Hirsh, J.
Engineering

subject: Engineering Engineering

abstract:
The usefulness of drugs which inhibit platelet function and may be effective antithrombotic agents can only be demonstrated in clinical studies. Unfortunately, since the stimuli which cause thrombosis in patients are likely to vary extensively and since the mode of action of these drugs on such stimuli, although not completely understood, are likely to be different, the results from clinical studies cannot be generalized either for drug or thrombotic condition. Furthermore, the initial investigations with promising drugs cannot be made clinically for economic and ethical reasons. Therefore, there exists the need for some screening test(s) with which these drugs can be evaluated in vitro. In addition, there exists a need for an experimental in vivo test in order to study in greater detail the drug effects, their modes of action and possible synergism. Three drugs have been identified as possible anti-thrombotic drugs, these are aspirin, sulfinpyrazone and dipyridamole. Both dipyridamole and sulfinpyrazone appear to correct shortened platelet survival seen in patients with prosthetic heart valves whereas aspirin does not. However, aspirin in combination with a low dose of dipyridamole, which itself has no effect, does appear useful in correcting reduced platelet survival seen in similar patients. Sulfinpyrazone also has been shown to reduce the incidence of thrombosis of A/V shunts in patients undergoing renal dialysis. Nonetheless, when these drugs are tested ex vivo, different results are observed. Dipyridamole and sulfinpyrazone appear to have little or not effect on platelet adherence, aggregation and release whereas aspirin has been shown to inhibit platelet function for the lifespan of the aspirin-exposed platelet. In spite of these in vivo-ex vivo inconsistencies, all three drugs have been shown to effectively inhibit thrombosis in various animal models.

In addition, little data is available on the relation between drug effect, dosage and plasma level. Aspirin, which appears to have a permanent effect on the platelet, has circulating life span of less than 60 minutes. No studies have previously examined the effects of dipyridamole and sulfinpyrazone in vivo and their relation to their circulating plasma concentrations determined ex vivo.

The general objective of this study was to investigate the effects of these three drugs in vivo in an attempt to answer some questions concerning the dose-response and mechanisms of action of the drugs. Specifically, this study undertook: 1) to determine some possible explanations for the discrepancies observed between the results of platelet survival studies and ex vivo tests of platelet function observed with aspirin, dipyridamole and sulfinapyrazone, and 2)having established the existence of some possible artifacts of ex vivo testing, to use an in vivo test to study i) the dose-response relationship of the drugs and ii) some aspects of the mechanism of action of aspirin and sulfinpyrazone.

The results of this study have 1) provided a better understanding of some of the problems which exist when assessing potential useful antithrombotic agents, 2) introduced a useful in vivo model with which to study the effect of these drugs in vivo, and 3) provided new data concerning the mechanism of action of aspirin and sulfinpyrazone. The following conclusions can be drawn from the results:

1) Screening of drugs in vitro and ex vivo are limited and probably not appropriate in their present form. this is because citrate masks the effect of dipyridamole. Possibly a substitute anticoagulant such as heparin may avoid this problem. Alternatively, such investigations may require the use of washed platelet suspensions in which no anticoagulants are present. But even this type of preparation has its limitations. In addition, by limiting the investigations of the effects of these drugs on platelet function ex vivo and in vitro, any effects produced by drug characteristics such as distribution, metabolism and elimination would be overlooked.

2) The use of an in vivo model such as the one described in this study appears to be a useful test for examining the in vivo effects of these and other drugs. Furthermore, various stimuli can be used in place of collagen (i.e., arachidonic acid, ADP, thrombin) in order to evaluate the effects on or interaction between the drug in question and a variety of stimuli.

3) the relationship between drug-plasma concentration and drug-effect varies with each drug studied. The effect of dipyridamole is directly related to the concentration of the drug present in the platelet poor plasma. In order to maintain a dipyridamole effect, it may be necessary to increase the frequency of dipyridamole ingestion if the same relationship exists in humans. With aspirin, the effect is influenced by the initial plasma concentration, suggesting that this drug could be taken less frequently. The relationship between sulfinpyrazone-plasma concentration and sulfinpyrazone-effect is complex. The results from this study suggest that further studies must be made before any conclusions can be made about the optimal dose regime.

4) The "synergistic effect" of aspirin/dipyridamole observed clinically may be due, in part, to the alterations of the pharmacokinetics of dipyridamole bu the salicylate moiety of aspirin present in the plasma.

5) the prolonged in vivo effect of aspirin is not due to acetylation of megakaryocyes not exchange of the acetyl group from the plasma proteins onto new platelets entering the circulation. The aspirin effect slowly disappears with time and is consistent with the hypothesis that the appearance of new platelets into the circulation can overcome the aspirin effect.

6) the inhibitory effect of sulfinpyrazone is bi-phasic. Part of the effect is due to sulfinpyrazone per se and part of the effect is due to a metabolite not previously described. If a similar metabolite exists in humans, the current thoughts about sulfinpyrazone therapy may need revision.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The incarnational theology of Charles Williams

contributor:
Weeks, Ian G.
Religion

subject: Religion Religion

abstract: Charles Williams (1886-1945) was an Anglican theologian who developed two main theological ideas, that of "Exchange" or "Substituted Love", and that of "the Beatrician Vision". These two formed aspects of what Williams called "Romantic theology"; the ideas are separate but complementary, as both spring from Williams' assumption of the reality of incarnation. Williams sought to rehabilitate the idea of Romanticism by giving the word his own definition: the perception of the Divine as it is present in and as it shines through created things. For Williams, the meaning of incarnation is precisely this presence of the Divine in the created order, and the accessibility of God through created things and beings, which thus become revelations of incarnation. Since Williams holds incarnation to be the constituent fact of human (i.e. redeemed) reality, he maintains that men have become in a literal through mysterious sense members of Christ and members of one another. This gives a profound efficacy to the acts we perform on behalf of others. This is a brief description of the radical concept Williams called "Substituted Love" - the concept for which he is most widely known and the one to which critics have devoted most attention. My thesis is one of the few studies that have focused on Williams second concept, the "Beatrician Moment" or "Beatrician Vision" (so named after Dante's beloved Beatrice). For Williams the Beatrician vision is sexual love personified for the lover in a particular person, who thus becomes a revelation or locus of incarnation. One can be temperamentally disposed to this kind of revelation, but for those who are not, I have provided an exhaustive explanation of this idea. I then synthesize the relevant passages from Williams' theological works, examine and criticize in depth his attempt to rehabilitate the theology of sexual love, and his insistence that his idea is a legitimate development of the principle of incarnation, which the Church has often betrayed by depreciating the body and sexuality. I also examine Williams' criteria for distinguishing between true and false or pseudo-Romanticism, and consider the possibility that Romantic adoration need not always occur in a sexual content. I conclude that Williams' complaint about the Church's historical attitude to the redeemed body is justified, and that he has offered a valid alternative. After promulgating some criteria which help us to assess the genuineness of a religious vision. I conclude that Beatrician adoration as Williams develops it satisfies these criteria. Finally, I conclude that it is possible to experience the Beatrician Vision without feeling logically compelled to accept a Christian theological explanation, although one must still admire and profit by Williams' examination of Beatrician love.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Separating habit and recollection in young and elderly adults

contributor:
Jacoby, Larry L.
Psychology

subject: Psychology Psychology

abstract: Memory slips are errors in performance that result when an automatic basis for responding (e.g., habit) opposes recollection for a prior event. Prior research has focused on factors that influence the probability of a memory slip while neglecting factors that facilitate performance. Using an extension of Jacoby's (1991) process-dissociation procedure, performance was examined in both a memory slip and a facilitation condition, revealing the separate contributions of habit and recollection. Results showed that manipulating the strength of habit affected estimates of habit but left recollection unchanged (Experiment 1). In contrast, manipulations of presentation rate and response time selectively influenced recollection (Experiments 2-3). Such results support a model of memory in which automatic and consciously controlled influences make independent contributions to performance. The process-dissociation procedure was also used to examine the effects of aging on habit and recollection. It was shown that elderly adults produced more memory slips than young adults but also performed more poorly in a facilitation condition (Experiments 4 & 7). These results demonstrated age-related impairments in recollection in the presence of intact automatic responding. A similar pattern of results was observed using self-report measures of memory (Experiment 7). Older adults were also less able than the young to exploit distinctive contextual information to enhance their ability to recollect (Experiment 4). However, given more supportive study and retrieval conditions, elderly adults were able to benefit from distinctive contextual information at a level comparable to the young (Experiments 5 & 6). Quantitative and qualitative age-related deficits in recollective abilities are interpreted within a dual-process model of memory (e.g., Jacoby, 1991). The problem of distinguishing between a deficit in recollection and a deficit in inhibitory processes in older adults (e.g., Hasher & Zacks, 1988) is discussed, as is the importance of this distinction for purposes of repairing memory performance.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: "They Look in vain": British Foreign Policy Dissent and the Quest for a Negotiated Peace during the Great War with Particular Emphasis on 1917

contributor:
Rempel, R.A.
History

subject: History History

abstract: Within the extensive literature on British dissent in the First World War, there is a significant lack of study on the critical year of the War, 1917. This thesis addresses this omission by examining the period from December 1916 to January 1918. In the orthodox view of dissent in the Great War, the dissenters became an increasingly powerful political movement which succeeded in capturing the Labour Party and in driving the Coalition Government into accepting a moderate set of war aims. This thesis revises the orthodox view by arguing that by August 1917 dissent was becoming a spent political force whose ideas were coopted by less radical groups who had little or no commitment to real dissenting objectives. The chronological approach focuses on the contribution of five leading representatives of Liberal-Radical and Independent Labour Party dissent: Noel Buxton, Arthur Ponsonby, E. D. Morel, Ramsay MacDonald and Philip Snowden. The analysis reveals that these dissenters assumed the prominent role in the call for a negotiated peace in the first half of 1917. In mid-1917, however, their cause suffered serious setbacks with the Southgate Brotherhood Church Riot of 31 July, the Special Labour Party Conferences of August and the creation of the Government-sponsored National War Aims Committee. Throughout the fall of 1917, the dissenters came under growing Government repression and, for a variety of reasons, increasingly found themselves displaced from their preeminent position in the leadership of the peace-by-negotiation movement. Seen in this light, the Labour Party's 28 December 1917 War Aims Memorandum, Lloyd George's 5 January 1918 speech at Caxton Hall and American President Woodrow Wilson's 8 January 1918 speech to Congress, all attributed to dissenting pressure, in actuality represent defeats for dissent. By mid-February 1918 the dissenters were even further removed from political influence than they had been before December 1916. It has been observed that the dissenters lost the War but won the peace. The epilogue examines this presumed paradox and finds it to be more apparent than real.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Visions of justice, the question of immortality: A study of the nature of oppression and liberation in the work of Rosemary Radford Ruether and Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki

contributor:
Robertson, John C.
Religious Studies

subject: Religion Religion

abstract: This thesis examines the ways in which two Christian, feminist theologians, Rosemary Radford Ruether and Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki, understand the relationship between liberation, the fulfillment of justice and the concept of an immortal self. Central to this discussion are Suchocki's and Ruether's differing views of immortality. Suchocki argues that without subjective immortality (the possibility of continuing to experience some form of "life" after death as a subjective centre of consciousness) there can be no justice. Ruether, however, contends that the concept of an immortal self is the root of injustice. While Ruether reproaches the concept of subjective immortality, this thesis shows that she nevertheless defends a form of "objective" immortality (that all that occurs within the creation is taken up within the divine). In Part One, I discuss Ruether's understanding of oppression and liberation. I conclude that while Ruether provides a good analysis of the role of freedom in the development of oppressive social conditions, she neglects to explain the nature of finitude within which human activity is carried out and the limitations which finitude places on human freedom. I also conclude that while Ruether's understanding of liberation addresses forcefully the emancipative aspect of liberation, her characteristic understanding of God's redemptive activity as a form of objective immortality does not address satisfactorily the consequences of injustice as at once individual and relational. In Part Two, I discuss Suchocki's understanding of the nature of oppression and liberation. Her appropriation of Whiteheadian metaphysics figures significantly in her account of both enabling her to account for oppression as arising from freedom and from the limitations of finitude. It, moreover, enables her account of liberation to address fruitfully not only liberation as emancipation and salvation, but also as redemption. In regard to the latter, Suchocki develops a somewhat original argument for the necessity and possibility of subjective immortality. I conclude that while both Suchocki's and Ruether's theologies are driven by a concern for justice, Suchocki provides a better understanding of the nature of oppression which results in injustice, and a better understanding of liberation as the fulfillment of justice. I, moreover, conclude that while for the most part the concept of subjective immortality has been viewed as anathema by feminist theology, Suchocki's view of subjective immortality may in fact open up the possibility of reassessing the concept of an immortal self within feminist theology as not only consistent with but as an aid to developing its own deepest concerns for liberation and justice.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: A structural and functional analysis of cyclin interactions with the retinoblastoma protein family member P130

contributor:
M., Peter F.
Medical Sciences

subject:
Medical Sciences
Medical Sciences

abstract: pRb, p107 and p130 are structurally and functionally related polypeptides which comprise the retinoblastoma family of proteins. All three proteins are found in complexes with several cell cycle-regulating proteins, including cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (cdk's) which are thought to regulate the function of the pRb family members through phosphorylation. In vivo, p130 is observed in cyclin A/cdk2 and cyclin E/cdk2 complexes but not in complexes containing D-type cyclins and cdk4. This thesis examines these observations by identifying regions within the p130 sequence required for cyclin interactions. In vitro binding studies determined that D-type cyclin interactions require the majority of the "pocket domain" of p130. These interactions are disrupted upon phosphorylation of p130 by the cyclin D-associated kinase cdk4. Additional in vitro binding studies determined that a short sequence within the "spacer region" of p130 is required for interactions with cyclins A and E. This sequence contains an "RRL" motif which is present in several other cyclin A and cyclin E binding proteins. In vivo, the amino terminus of p130 is required to stabilize p130 interactions with cyclins A and E and this may be a result of inhibition of cdk2-associated kinase activity. Taken together, these results suggest that stable complexes containing p130 and cyclins A and E are not disrupted by phosphorylation of p130, perhaps because p130 inhibits the kinase activity of cdk2. In contrast, p130 interactions with D-type cyclins are disrupted in vivo because of cdk4-mediated phosphorylation of p130. This analysis concludes that D-type cyclin interactions with p130 are structurally and functionally distinct from interactions between p130 and cyclins A and E and these differences may be important in the regulation of p130 during the cell cycle.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Modelling the Effect of Non-Acoustical Variables on Individual Response of Community Noise

contributor:
Hall, F.L.
Geography

subject: Geography Geography

abstract:
This thesis is concerned with the effects of non-acoustical variables on individual response to noise.

Starting with some fundamental ideas about the nature of qualitative response, a specific mathematical model of individual response is derived. The model developed, a binary logit model, is suitable for the analysis of dichotomous (0,1) response variables.

Two methods by which this model can be used to study the effect of respondent-specific, non-acoustical variables on response to noise are described and a two-stage analytical design which incorporates both approaches is developed.

The first part of the analysis combines characteristics of the respondent with noise level measurements in multivariate models of response. The second stage looks at differences in response across groups of individuals which are internally homogeneous with respect to certain key characteristics which influence response.

The general conclusions of the study are that (i) noise levels alone give a very poor explanations of the variable in individual response and (ii) the variables which influence response tend to be psychological in nature rather than socio-economic or demographic.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Mitochondrial alterations in tumour cells

contributor:
Singh, Gurmit
Medical Sciences

subject:
Medical Sciences
Medical Sciences

abstract: Drug resistance limits the clinical efficacy of many cancer treatment modalities. Mutations, as a result of genomic instability within tumours, are thought to generate subpopulations of tumour cells which are less responsive to cytotoxic agents. This thesis investigates the hypothesis that drug resistance is associated with alterations in the mitochondria of cancer cells and these mitochondrial alterations provide a means to restore drug sensitivity in drug-resistant cell populations. A human ovarian carcinoma model was used to further characterize mitochondrial changes associated with cisplatin resistance (Chapter 1). It was observed that mitochondria in a cisplatin-resistant variant, C13*, accumulated and retained more of a lipophilic cation, rhodamine 123 (Rh123), compared to its parental line, 2008. This extended mitochondrial retention of lipophilic cations rendered C13* cells sensitive to another lipophilic cation, dequalinium chloride (Deca), compared to 2008 cells. Moreover, combinations of Deca and cisplatin induced synergistic cell kill in both cell types. These data suggest that disruption of mitochondrial function may sensitize tumour cells, including cisplatin-resistant tumour cells, to the cytotoxic effects of cisplatin. An association between mitochondrial alterations and resistance to another type of cancer therapy was also examined (Chapter 2). Photofrin II-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) is thought to destroy tumour cells, in vitro, by disrupting mitochondria. It was observed that a variant resistant to Photofrin II-mediated PDT, RIF-8A, contained mitochondria that differed structurally and functionally compared to its parental line, RIF-1. This was the first report to associate mitochondrial changes with PDT resistance. Similarities between RIF-8A mitochondria and C13* mitochondria at the ultrastructural level, suggested that RIF-8A may be resistant to cisplatin compared to RIF-1 cells. This hypothesis was supported by the observations that RIF-8A cells were cross-resistant to cisplatin (Chapter 3). These data indicate that mitochondrial characteristics may modulate the sensitivity of tumour cells to certain cytotoxic agents. Since cisplatin's cytotoxicity is believed to be mediated through its interactions with nuclear DNA, the mechanisms through which mitochondria influence cisplatin sensitivity, are unclear. Several of the steps involved in the repair of cisplatin-DNA lesions require ATP hydrolysis. Therefore, an increase in mitochondrial activity may augment the production of ATP, which can then be used for DNA repair. A host cell reactivation (HCR) assay indicated that C13* cells did not have an enhanced capacity to repair cisplatin-damaged DNA compared to either 2008 or RH4 cells suggesting that changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential do not influence the repair of cisplatin-DNA lesions. Independent observations have implicated the proto-oncogene, c-fos, as a potential regulator of mitochondrial activity and/or cisplatin sensitivity. This hypothesis was examined in three different model systems (Chapter 5). In both instances where there was an overexpression of the c-fos gene there was no corresponding increase in mitochondrial membrane potential. Similarly, in C13* cells which have an elevated mitochondrial membrane potential compared to 2008 cells, there was no significant difference in either c-fos mRNA or protein levels. Cells that overexpressed c-fos were resistant to cisplatin however, reducing c-fos expression did not sensitize cells to cisplatin. These data suggest that alterations in both mitochondria and c-fos expression may modulate cisplatin sensitivity but these two characteristics are not interdependent.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: External inhibition of ethanol tolerance

contributor:
Siegel, Shepard
Psychology

subject: Psychology Psychology

abstract: According to a conditioning analysis of tolerance, pharmacological conditional responses (CRs) contribute to tolerance. It has previously been reported that, as expected on the basis of this model, tolerance to the hypothermic effect of ethanol is attenuated by "external inhibition" i.e., by the presentation of a novel stimulus (a strobe light). However, results of more recent research indicate that novel stimuli augment the hypothermic effect of ethanol in rats receiving the drug for the first time. It is possible, therefore, that a novel stimulus apparently attenuates ethanol tolerance because it augments ethanol-hypothermia, rather than because it functions as an external inhibitor. Results presented in this thesis confirm reports that ethanol-induced hypothermia is augmented by a novel stimulus, thus prior demonstrations of external inhibition of ethanol tolerance is equivocal. Further experiments in this thesis evaluated external inhibition tolerance to another effect of ethanol--ataxia. Although the initial ataxic effect of ethanol (unlike the hypothermic effect) is not enhanced by a novel stimulus (a strobe light/white noise combination), the stimulus reinstated ethanol-induced ataxia in tolerant rats. Tolerance was also disrupted by the novel omission of the strobe/noise stimulus. Thus, experiments in this thesis demonstrate external inhibition of ethanol tolerance in a preparation not confounded by the effects of the novel stimulus on initial responding to ethanol. Experiments reported in this thesis also demonstrate that tolerance to the ataxic effect of ethanol is mediated by a compensatory CR, termed "hypertaxia." The compensatory CR was disrupted by the novel addition and novel omission of the strobe/noise stimulus providing converging evidence that the attention of tolerance by a novel stimulus results from external inhibition of Pavlovian conditioning. Finally, external inhibition of ethanol tolerance was not evident when there was a long delay between tolerance development sessions and testing. These data are consistent with an associative analysis of tolerance which suggests that contextual control of tolerance should be minimized as the interval between training and testing is increased.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Cooperative windowing for real-time visual tracking

contributor:
Capson, David
Elbestawi, M.A.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

abstract: A new, computationally efficient windowing methodology for motion tracking is described. The proposed approach is well suited to real-time focus-of-attention applications in which regions-of-interest, or windows, are used to reduce image data rates. Applications include robot guidance, where high speed image processing is required for real-time position control in operations such as fixtureless assembly for flexible manufacturing. A hierarchy of windowing functions which includes motion detection and target detection and tracking has been developed. This has resulted in a new algorithm for corner detection in image windows, as well as a proposal for measuring the information content of an image based on corner location accuracy. The techniques have been experimentally verified with the implementation of a vision system based on a high speed digital camera, a custom-built video interface board, and a network of digital signal processors. Dynamically positioned at video frame rates, windows within the camera field-of-view are made cooperative by exchanging information among their corresponding processors to allow real-time adaptation to visual motion. A cooperative windowing scheme using two networked target tracking windows is demonstrated. Motion tracking is based on the best-case output of the simultaneous application of a feature-based algorithm applied in the first window and a model-based algorithm running in the second. The experimental results demonstrate the advantages of motion tracking using this cooperative windows approach.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Studies of carnitine metabolism in rabbit arterial tissue and plasma : influence of dietary cholesterol

contributor:
Bell, F.P.
Engineering

subject: Engineering Engineering

abstract: Arterial and plasma carnitine metabolism was investigated in normal and atherosclerotic rabbits. Atherogenic cholestrol-supplemented diets induced hypercholesterolemia in rabbits; hypercholesterolemia was associated with hypercarnitinemia and increased levels of carnitine and acylcarnitines in atherosclerotic aortas. Carnitine derived from the bloodstream started to accumulate in aortas of animals fed cholesterol-supplemented diets before the development of gross atherosclerotic lesions; this response of the aorta to hypercholesterolemia and hypercarnitinemia was not shared by the heart. Carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT), a key enzyme in fatty acid metabolism, was also investigated in normal and atherosclerotic aortas. CPT activity was associated with mitochondrial and microsomal fractions isolated from rabbit aortas. The location of CPT activity in the aorta differed from that reported for heart and liver; in these tissues, CPT activity is exclusively mitochondrial. Arterial CPT activity was not affected by the addition of cholesterol to the animal's diet. It is hypothesized that acyl-CoA in atherosclerotic tissue is predominantly esterified to carnitine rather than to glycerol-3-phosphate; supporting this hypothesis was the observation that long-chain acylcarnitines increased in atherosclerotic aortas. The hypothesis offers an explanation for several biochemical changes that occur in fatty acid metabolism in atherosclerosis.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: TWO-PHOTON SEQUENTIAL ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY OF THE IODINE MOLECULE

contributor:
King, G. W.
Chemistry

subject: Chemistry Chemistry

abstract: Two independently tunable dye lasers have been used to examine under high resolution two-photon sequential absorption processes for molecular iodine. One laser was used to pump selected rotational levels of the B state while the second laser excited transitions from the pumped level(s) to excited states of higher energy. Five separate electronic states which have ion-pair character have been examined in the 5 to 5.5eV energy region and their spectroscopic constants evaluated. Two of the excited states have 0g⁺ symmetry was identified by rotational analysis; the remaining three are either 0g⁺, 1g⁺, or possibly 2g⁺. At least three of these excited gerade states have been shown to likely contribute to previously reported emission spectra of iodine. A new two-photon method for the direct determination of molecular dissociation limits was developed from the sequential absorption studies described above. The technique permits selective excitation of rotational band structure near the convergence limit and is generally applicable to molecules with vibronic states (E) accessible by single-photon sequential absorption from an intermediate state (B). The amount of rotational structure which can be selectively displayed by the method can be adjusted by varying the ratio of the bandwidth of one of the exciting dye lasers to the E state rotational constant. This technique has been applied to analysis of the B⟵X iodine transition near dissociation and has provided an improved value for the B state dissociation limit. In addition, vibrational and rotational constants for energy levels near D are reported and applied to an investigation of the B state potential function at large internuclear distances.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: A study of the mechanisms of degradation of iron ore pellets during reduction

contributor:
Lu, W-K.
Engineering

subject: Engineering Engineering

abstract: Minor impurities in iron ore pellets such as lime and alkali oxides or in the reducing gas (alkali metal vapors) may cause the pellets to degradate when reduced under conditions relevant to the operation of the iron blast furnace. New techniques have been designed to clarify the mechanisms of iron whisker formation during metallization, since the relationship between their growth and abnormal swelling has been established. In the absence of a significant amount of impurities, it has been observed that the reduction of heterogeneous wustite incurs iron whisker growth. Calcium oxide, as the main impurity with wustite, promotes iron whisker growth when it is unevenly distributed in the calcio-wustite. It is reasonably confirmed that nucleation and growth of iron occurs at sites higher in calcium oxides on the wustite surface. Magnesium oxide has no pronounced effect on the growth of the iron whiskers. In the present work, the effect of magnesium oxide has been surmounted when lime is also added. The influence of CaO and MgO in solid solutions on enhancing the kinetics of wustite metallization have been related to the extent of disturbing the wustite lattice structure. Alkalis cycling inside the blast furnace affect the stability of the silica-rich gangue in iron ore. The mechanism and certain measures to control the degradation of commercial pellets subject to alkali, attack have been investigated. The silica-rich gangue plays an important role in bearing with the destructive forces suffered by the iron oxide grains during reduction. When they are available during reduction of pellets, alkalis would flux the silica and react with ferrous oxide to form low melting point primary liquid slags which cause the pellets to degradate long before metallization.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Sex, birth order, and the nature of kin relations: An evolutionary analysis

contributor:
Daly, Martin
Psychology

subject: Psychology Psychology

abstract: This thesis presents research on the nature of human kin relations, with an emphasis on the impact of sex and birth order on familial sentiment. This aspect of human kinship is viewed from the perspective of evolutionary psychology and a brief explanation of what this entails is given in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 examines sex differences in the salience and meaning of kin relations for contemporary Canadians. The studies here demonstrate greater kin knowledge on the part of sisters, a greater inclination on the part of women to place value on their kinship roles in self-characterizations, and a greater inclination to be emotionally attached to kin. Chapter 3 focuses specifically on the unique nature of middleborns, especially with regard to familial relations, illustrating that they tend to be less close to parents, less inclined to turn to them in need, and less likely than first and lastborns to engage in genealogical research. Chapter 4 presents work on the evocative nature of kin terms when used in political rhetoric, indicating that such terms are effective in eliciting support but also that they are more effective with first and lastborn audiences than middleborn ones, another reflection of the impact of birth order on aspects of kin relations. Chapter 5 examines the relationships between sex, birth order, and contact with kin, particularly grandparents. These two studies demonstrate the strength of maternal kin ties and the intergenerational impact of birth order. The results of all these studies suggest that sex and birth order play major roles in shaping the interactions between an individual and his, or her, kin.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Mechanisms of local osteolysis in bone metastasis: Direct role of cancer cells and their matrix metalloproteinases

contributor:
Orr, William F.
Singh, Gurmit
Medical Sciences

subject:
Medical Sciences
Medical Sciences

abstract: Bone is a common site of metastatic involvement. The mechanisms by which bone metastasis occurs are partially elucidated. Interactions between tumor cells and the bone microenvironment are being scrutinized, since their unravelling could lead to novel therapeutic approaches targeting bone metabolism additionally to tumor cells. This thesis summarizes experimental efforts addressing the role of metastatic cells in directly causing local osteolysis. Traditionally it has been thought that tumor cells, once in the bone, can only cause bone degradation by paracrine activation of osteoclasts. This work demonstrates that cancer cells are capable of degrading bone matrix and that their matrix metalloproteinases are partially responsible for this effect. The evidence reviewed here provides in vivo observations suggesting that this may occur during late "osteoclast-independent" phases of experimental bone metastasis by murine B16/F1 melanoma cells. In vitro documentation of bone and bone-related matrix degradation was obtained using these metastatic murine cells. A similar approach with human cell lines obtained from bone metastases demonstrated that these cell lines produce osteolysis in vitro. Since type I collagen is predominant in bone matrix, the potential involvement of tumor-derived matrix metalloproteinases was addressed. These studies showed that, in addition to murine B16/F1 melanoma cells, human prostate PC-3 adenocarcinoma, SK-N-SH neuroblastoma and Hs696 adenocarcinoma cells all produce these enzymes. Neutralizing their activity abrogated matrix degradation by melanoma cells. Induction of enzyme activity correlated with increase in the degradative ability of these cells. Additionally, B16/F1 and PC-3 cells degraded type I collagen, further implicating collagenases as mediators of these effects. These findings are of potential clinical use since they put forward the possibility of using inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases, already in clinical trials for other neoplastic conditions, in addition to the currently used antineoplastic and antiosteoclastic approaches, for the prevention and treatment of bone metastases.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Experiments in taxation and labour supply

contributor:
Mestelman, Stuart
Economics / Economic Policy

subject: Economics Economics

abstract: Five laboratory experiments were conducted to test five predictions about labour supply from single-period, single-person utility maximization theory where utility is a function of consumption and leisure. These predictions were at the same time about the relative effects of different types of taxes on labour supply. Three of the experiments were repeated attempts to test hypotheses tested in prior laboratory experiments. Two were new. Two of the replication experiments were inconclusive. The other experiments supported theory. One further laboratory experiment was conducted to test a prediction about labour supply from optimal tax theory. The experiment supported the theory. Laboratory experiments in general are important tools for verifying or refuting theory. The particular theorems tested were important in themselves because they have social welfare improving policy implications for the design of wage taxation systems.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Design and implementation of Collective Bargaining Support System (CBSS- a Web-based negotiation support system

contributor:
Yuan, Yufei
Management Science/Information Systems

subject:
Management Information Systems
Management Information Systems

abstract: Negotiation is an important part of the life in many organizations. Many works have been undertaken to build tools for conducting negotiations, such as theoretical models and computerized support systems. Some of the existing computerized support systems provide suggestions and solution alternatives to the users. Other systems support the negotiation process, including: support for communications, structuring the process, and managing the documentation. The advent of the World Wide Web as widely available networking platform, the Client/Server as a computing architecture, and Java language as a programming language for the Web, creates new and promising ways to conduct negotiations as an alternative if face-to-face negotiations are not possible. This article describes the design, implementation, and validation of a computerized process support for negotiation, a Web-based Collective Bargaining Support System (CBSS). This system is implemented on Microsoft's Windows 95 environment, written in Java (Sun's JAVA SDK version 1.0), and accessed through the Web. Simulated union-management contract negotiations were conducted in an experiment to test the validity of CBSS as a negotiation stool, and to investigate the effectiveness and the efficiency of this negotiation support system. The data analysis (of questionnaires distributed during the experiment) shows that CBSS is a valid alternative, both when face-to-face negotiation is not possible and when it is combined with face-to-face negotiations. It is also concluded from the experiment that, although CBSS is perceived to be slower than face-to-face negotiation, it is an effective tool for negotiators, and it does not negatively affect bargaining outcomes.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: A Study of Kinetics and Mechanisms of Iron Ore Reduction in Ore/Coal Composites

contributor:
Lu, W-K.
Materials Engineering

subject:
Materials Science and Engineering
Materials Science and Engineering

abstract: For environmental and economical considerations, it is desirable to use iron ore concentrates directly without agglomeration and coal directly without coking for ironmaking. The present work is a study of the kinetics and mechanisms of iron ore reduction in ore/coal composites. An experimental system has been designed and experiments have been conducted with in-situ measurements of temperature and pressure to establish profiles within the ore/coal packing with the furnace temperature maintained at 1200 or 1300ºC. Samples were taken at various locations for chemical analysis in the partially reacted specimens. These experiments lead to a better understanding of this non-isothermal and non-isobaric system. A non-isothermal and non-isobaric mathematical model has been developed and validated by the experimental data. Mechanisms of heat transfer, mass transfer and interfacial reactions were studied using the mathematical model. The contribution of the individual kinetic steps to the rate of overall reaction were compared to evaluate the rate controlling step. The contribution of the author is the design of the experimental system which has demonstrated the non-isothermal and non-isobaric nature of the reaction system, and the development of the mathematical model. The present study may be used in new ironmaking processes and carbothermic process, such as FASTMET and cokemaking processes.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Neocortical long-term potentiation in the adult, freely moving rat

contributor:
Racine, Ronald J.
Psychology

subject: Psychology Psychology

abstract: Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a lasting enhancement of synaptic transmission following high frequency electrical stimulation. It has been widely studied as a memory model, primarily because it has associative properties and is long-lasting. If LTP reflects a mechanism for information storage, then it should be readily induced within structures believed to encode long-term memory. The neocortex, however, has proven resistant to LTP induction. Most of our knowledge about neocortical LTP has come from anaesthetized and in vitro slice preparations. If LTP is to be considered seriously as a memory model, then it must be demonstrated in awake animals and shown to last for periods longer than a few hours. This thesis provides the first parametric analysis of neocortical neocortical LTP in the freely moving rat including: (i) the variables governing the induction and decay of LTP; (ii) the critical role played by the NMDA receptor in LTP induction; (iii) GABAergic and cholinergic modulation of LTP and; (iv) the effects of maximal electroconvulsive shock on the induction of LTP. Neocortical potentiation resulted in robust changes in an early and two late components of the evoked EPSPs, as well as the superimposed population spikes. Stronger potentiation effects were obtained by increasing the number of trains delivered/session, the number of stimulation sessions, the pulse intensity of the trains, or the interval between train delivery. Moreover, the delivery of either 1 train/day, or very low intensity trains, resulted in LTP. An NMDA antagonist blocked potentiation and unmasked a long-term depression effect. GABAergic agonism or cholinergic antagonism retarded the development of LTP while cholinergic agonism enhanced LTP of a polysynaptic component. GABAergic antagonism slowed the development of LTP. Maximal electroconvulsive shock (MES) resulted in a blockade of LTP induction that was dependent on the interval between the trains and the MES stimulation. These results are discussed relative to in vitro data and considered in the context of the different information processing features of the neocortical and hippocampal learning systems.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Delocalization and functional group fingerprinting in the core excitation spectroscopy of molecules and polymers

contributor:
Hitchcock, A.P.
Chemistry

subject: Chemistry Chemistry

abstract: Core excitation spectroscopy is a sensitive probe of the local geometric and electronic structure of materials. Functional group "fingerprints" arise in core excitation spectroscopy from a balance between local structural sensitivity and electronic delocalization. Delocalization can add complexity and extended-structure sensitivity to core excitation spectroscopy. In this thesis, Inner Shell Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (ISEELS) was used to acquire core excitation spectra of molecules that are structural analogues to polymers, and both ISEELS and Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) was used to acquire core excitation spectra of organosilane molecules. Core excitation spectra of structural analogues of polyurethane, polyurea and polyphthalate polymers were used to model and interpret the spectra of polymers. "Finger-printing" of polymer-relevant functional groups and the sensitivity to polyphthalate substitutional isomerism is demonstrated. Functional group fingerprinting is extended to organosilane molecules for the identification of bond-specific features and electronic delocalization. Molecular orbital calculations were performed to assist spectral interpretation and to examine structure-spectral relationships. Developments in X-ray and electron spectromicroscopy techniques have improved the capability of core excitation for the chemical microanalysis of polymers. In spectromicroscopy of "real-world" materials, the core excitation spectra of these materials must be well understood for meaningful chemical analysis. This thesis provides some of the fundamental underpinnings for the application of core excitation spectroscopy to spatially resolved chemical analysis of organic and organosilane polymers

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: GSMBE growth on V-groove patterned substrates for InP-based quantum wires

contributor:
Thompson, D.A.
Simmons, J.G.
Engineering Physics

subject:
Engineering Physics
Other Engineering
Other Engineering

abstract: Quantum wire (QWR) lasers are of interest because of predicted improvement of performance compared to quantum well lasers. For fiber optical communication, lasers are required that operate at wavelengths of 1.3 μm or 1.55 μm. This requires lasers grown in the InP-based materials. In the GaAs-based system, it has been shown that good QWR lasers can be achieved through epitaxial growth onto GaAs substrates having etched V-grooves. However, to date, no InP-based QWRs have been successfully grown in V-grooves. This arises from two problems: (i) the tendency for InP to planarize during growth, in contrast to the resharpening effect of AlGaAs; (ii) the potential for lattice-mismatch between InGaAs(P) and InP, which could result in strain relaxation and defect formation. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to establish the conditions whereby InGaAs/InGaAsP QWRs can be achieved and to confirm and characterize the one-dimensional behaviour. V-grooves with both(111)A and(111)B sidewalls are used in this study. They are obtained using chemical etching. The etching process is explained and conditions necessary to achieve each type of V-groove are established. Gas source molecular beam epitaxy has been used to grow various epitaxial structures. For InP layers grown under different growth conditions, it is found that the V/III flux ratio significantly affects the shape of a V-groove bottom and the roughness of both the V-bottom and the sidewalls. With the growth conditions optimized, InP layers can be grown which retain the sharpness and the smoothness of the V-groove. The sharpness of the bottom of the groove is related to growth conditions that decrease the growth rate at the bottom by limiting the supply of the group V component. InGaAs/InP quantum well structures have been grown using the optimized conditions. For (111)A V-grooves, transmission electron microscopy shows that all epilayers are defect-free and that InGaAs/InP quantum wires are successfully obtained with well thickness variation as high as a factor of 6. Lateral subband separations are estimated by a simple one-dimensional parabolic potential model with the thickness determined by TEM. Photoluminescence emission from the InGaAs quantum wires is spatially resolved with a spatially selective etch technique. For (111)B V-grooves, defects such as dislocations are observed in the bottom. However, the growth of bulk InGaAsP and InGaAs/InGaAsP yields different results. No extended defects have been observed in the InGaAsP layer grown in either (111)A or (111)B V-grooves. This is because, at the groove bottom the layer is both P and In rich, as analyzed by using energy dispersive X-rays. This tends to reduce the strain compared to InGaAs deposition, where the absence of P leads to In-rich, strained material. The growth of an InGaAsP layer in a (111)A V-groove results in a flat and wide bottom, which excludes the possibility of forming InGaAs/InGaAsP quantum wires. However, the growth of an InGaAsP layer in (111)B V-grooves results in a sharper bottom, such that crescent-shaped InGaAs/InGaAsP structures are formed when the InGaAs layer is very thin. Quantum-wire behaviour has been confirmed through the observation of lateral subbands in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra. This is further supported by polarization measurements. Also, the subband separation observed in PL spectra is consistent with a calculated value using the one-dimensional parabolic potential model. The InGaAs/InGaAsP QWRs should be able to be incorporated into laser structures.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Neural network model of memory reinforcement for text-based intelligent tutoring system

contributor:
Montazemi, Ali R.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

abstract: Information technology is generally believed to enhance learning processes. As a result, researchers are beginning to seek new theories and approaches towards developing information technology enabled learning environments. The focus of the research in this thesis is to provide the structure of an intelligent tutoring system (called MIS-Tutor) that we developed in support of mastery learning for students registered in a university-level management information system course. We adopted formative evaluation, spanning over 4 years and that included the participation of 1,328 students, to evaluate the effectiveness of the MIS-Tutor. An important component of this intelligent tutoring system is the ability to adapt its interaction to individual learning behaviour. This is achieved by means of neural network models to reinforce long-term memory retention and to assess the required time-on-task for each student. The results of our formative evaluation support the effectiveness of the proposed models in support of students' mastery learning.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Supplementation of mothers' milk for preterm infants: Mineral bioavailability

contributor:
Atkinson, S.A.
Medical Sciences

subject:
Medical Sciences
Medical Sciences

abstract: Use of multi-nutrient supplements for preterm infants fed mother's milk is common practice in neonatal intensive care units to provide sufficient amounts of minerals and other nutrients. The research delineated in this thesis investigated calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron bioavailability from supplemented mother's milk for preterm infants. Multi-nutrient supplementation to mother's milk had the benefit for preterm infants of achieving short-term growth rates parallel to the fetus of similar gestational age without reducing the dietary bioavailability of calcium, magnesium and zinc. In the infant-piglet model it was demonstrated that the addition of calcium and phosphorus to the diet in similar proportions as to preterm infants fed fortified mother's milk did not reduce iron bioavailability. Multi-nutrient supplementation to mother's milk did not result in better short- or long-term growth, greater whole body bone mineral content or better zinc status in comparison to supplementation with calcium and phosphorus alone. If it is, however, desirable for the preterm infant to attain short-term growth rates similar to the intrauterine fetus of the same post-menstrual age, future investigations should address the impact of multi-nutrient supplementation on the bioavailability of other minerals important for growth and development. Long term outcomes of whole body bone mineral, lean and fat mass and zinc status appeared to be determined by post-hospital discharge nutrition rather than nutrition in early neonatal life. Growth and body composition of breast-fed premature infants in the first year of life followed a different pattern in comparison to preterm infants fed a standard term formula. Therefore, future investigations should establish appropriate references for growth and body composition derived from breast-fed term infants in order to evaluate these outcomes in preterm infants fed mother's milk. The research described in this thesis has contributed to the concept that moderate nutrient and mineral intakes from mother's milk supplemented with a multi-nutrient fortifier or from mother's milk alone with only supplemental calcium and phosphorus may be appropriate for the healthy preterm infant even though current nutrient recommendations are not met. Based on the information provided in this thesis, functional responses to mineral nutrition should be considered in setting nutrient recommendations for preterm infants.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Dam-reservoir interaction effect on the seismic response of concrete gravity dams

contributor:
Ghobarah, A.
Civil Engineering

subject:
Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering

abstract: A study was conducted to investigate the dam-reservoir interaction effect on the linear and nonlinear seismic response of concrete gravity dams. A mathematical approach was developed for the solution of the coupled dam-reservoir interaction problem which can be implemented in the nonlinear seismic analysis of concrete gravity dams. Two methods of staggered solution procedures are proposed for the dam-reservoir interaction. Using Routh-Hurwitz criteria, both methods are shown to be unconditionally stable when the two differential equations of the fluid and structure include damping terms. The staggered pressure method was modified for use when the equation of motion includes a lumped (diagonal) mass matrix. A finite element program was developed to include the staggered solution schemes for seismic analysis of concrete gravity dams. The program considers the dam-reservoir interaction. The reservoir can be considered as infinite in which an appropriate boundary condition can be applied at the desired distance from the upstream face of the dam. The finite reservoir condition is also an option that can be included in the analysis. The effect of the travelling wave where nonuniform earthquake ground motion is applied to the boundary of the reservoir can be evaluated. The nonlinear analysis of the concrete gravity dam was considered based on nonlinear fracture mechanics crack propagation criterion. Seismic response of a concrete gravity dam subjected to travelling seismic excitation is investigated. The analysis is applied to the case of a gravity dam with infinite and finite reservoirs of different lengths to evaluate the effect of the travelling seismic wave on the dam crest displacement. Various wave speeds representing the speed of wave travel in the reservoir foundation, are used in the analysis. Earthquake waves are considered to travel in the upstream or the downstream directions. The nonlinear seismic fracture response of the Pine Flat dam is investigated under the effect of reservoir interaction. Smeared crack analysis model based on a nonlinear fracture mechanics crack propagation criterion was used to study the cracking behaviour of a concrete gravity dam. The staggered method is used to solve the dam-reservoir interaction problem and results of the analysis were compared with the case when the added mass was used to represent the interaction effects. An experimental program was conducted on small scale models of the concrete dam. A loading mechanism with two actuators was designed to apply four concentrated loads on the upstream face of the dam model. Dynamic load was applied cyclically by an actuator to represent the effects of the earthquake loadings. The static load which represent the hydrostatic pressure was kept constant. The material properties of the model was maintained the same as the prototype. In the proposed approach, the stress distribution at the top part of the dam model and prototype of the same material properties are found to be in close agreement.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Mechanisms of pulp loss in flotation deinking

contributor:
Pelton, Robert
Chemical Engineering

subject:
Chemical Engineering
Chemical Engineering

abstract: A key unit operation in most recycled paper mills is the flotation deinking process. In an ideal flotation cell, the froth (rejects) should only contain ink and other hydrophobic contaminants. In actual flotation cells, however, the rejects also contain small amounts of useful cellulosic pulp material. These pulp losses are a waste of raw material. The objectives of this thesis were to identify the dominant mechanism(s) responsible for pulp loss in flotation systems, and to attempt to quantify these mechanisms. Three potential causes of pulp loss were investigated: pulp flotation by bubble adhesion, pulp flotation by bubbles mechanically-trapped within fibre networks, and the transport of pulp fibres and pulp fines into the froth by hydraulic entrainment. Direct observation of bubble-fibre interactions in both bubble generation tests and in flow visualization studies revealed that bubbles are unlikely to adhere to wetted pulp fibres. The flow visualization studies also demonstrated that while bubbles can become trapped in fibre networks, these bubbles are easily released under flowing conditions. Mechanical entrapment is considered to cause significant pulp flotation only under quiescent conditions where pulp flocs were present. Based on results obtained from batch flotation experiments, it was determined that hydraulic entrainment is the dominant pulp loss mechanism. Entrainment was largely affected by flocculation, as rising bubbles tended to be channeled around the flocs. Two regimes of entrainment were proposed, which depended on flocculation. When no flocs were present, the consistency of the foam and feed were similar. In flocculated pulp suspensions, the consistency of the foam represented that of the pulp existing in regions between the flocs. A three-parameter model was derived which predicted the consistencies and the pulp fines fractions of the foams from the flotation experiments. By combining these experimental results with independently-measured pulp sedimentation curves, the model characterized the pulp suspensions' state of flocculation in terms of floc volume fraction, floc consistency and the distribution of pulp fines between the flocculated and non-flocculated regions. The model was more applicable when flow conditions were such that small bubbles were channeled around the flocs. The model also indicated that pulp fines tend to be excluded from flocs.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Writing of the Primal Scene(s): The Death of God in the Novels of Wilkie Collins

contributor:
Ross, MIchael
English

subject:
English Language and Literature
English Language and Literature

abstract: Combining Derridean deconstruction with Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis, my thesis explores the relationship between the nineteenth-century novel and the death of God as a transcendental signified, through two of Wilkie Collins's best known works. It argues that such texts repeat and destabilize one of the founding gestures of Western metaphysics--the distinction between mnēmē and hypomnēsis--and, indeed, are themselves put forth as a form of hypomnēsis. The Introduction suggests that the death of God constitutes the primal scene of the nineteenth-century novel. It explores the two primary figures involved: the labyrinth and the Ariadne figure, a substitute centre whose role is to curtail the play of language and help recall and resurrect the absent logos. It explores the relationship between the movement of this recollection and the movement of writing and, more particularly, the ways in which both are characterized by the idealizing movement of metaphor which allows hypomnēsis to masquerade as a form of anamnesis. Finally, it explores the phonologocentric similarities between the nineteenth-century detective novel and psychoanalysis. Chapter One is devoted to the relationship between realism and sensationalism. It suggests that the former is a repetition of the primal scene of philosophy as established in several Platonic dialogues. This chapter also defines and explores the ways in which sensationalism foregrounds the scene of writing which results from God's death. Chapter Two, concentrating on The Woman in White, explores the relationship between crime, detection and writing and accords particular attention to the ways in which the text questions the metaphysics of presence through the failure of the father and memory. The third and final chapter, a reading of The Moonstone, returns to the relationship between detective fiction and psychoanalysis as participants in Western metaphysics and follows the play of the pharmakon throughout Collins's text.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Reactive polymer enhanced miscible displacement in porous media

contributor:
Pelton, R.H.
Chemical Engineering

abstract: The displacement of aqueous Kraft model black liquor (MBL) from a porous bed with cationic polymer solution (polyDADMAC) was investigated to determine the mechanisms by which polyDADMAC influenced the miscible displacement. The porous bed consisted of a 1.7 cm diameter central channel of 638 μm glass beads surrounded by an annulus of 121 μm glass beads contained in a 5.2 cm internal diameter cylindrical glass column. Flow visualization experiments and displacement washing experiments were performed. Conductivity probes were installed at twelve locations inside the beds to monitor the velocity and locations of displacement fronts. Flow visualization experiments in a transparent cell gave direct evidence of the presence of cross flow of fluid elements from annulus to the channel in a model channel bed during water displacement. After selective plugging of the channel with precipitate formed from reaction of lignin and polyDADMAC, fluid elements in annulus were observed to move straight down the model channel bed. Results of the displacement experiments in the model beds confirmed that washing efficiency, a measure of the miscible displacement performance, increased by 1.7 to 2 times and permeability of channel decreased by 34% to 18% when the bed was displaced with polymer solution instead of water. The improvement in the displacement performance with polymer solution resulted due to the reduction in channeling of polymer solution in the model channel bed. Results of data obtained by the probes gave direct evidence of the reduction in velocity and mixing length of front in the channel confirming reduction in the channeling in a model channel bed during displacement with polymer solution. Increased velocity of front in the annulus during displacement with polymer solution confirmed better miscible displacement in a channel bed with polymer solution than that with water. A communicating channel bed model was developed based on a technique called network of zones. The model predicts the breakthrough curves and the profiles of interstitial velocities inside the model beds during different displacement washing conditions. The model successfully predicts pressure drop profiles across homogeneous beds during displacement with either water or polymer solution and channel bed during washing with water. However, the pressure drop predicted by the model was higher than that obtained experimentally during washing with polymer solution in a model channel bed.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: A Preliminary Evaluation of the Effect of Dissolved Oxygen on Nitrification and Other Biological Process Parameters

contributor:
Murphy, K.L.
Chemical Engineering

abstract:
This work examines the relationship between dissolved oxygen level and the nitrification process in municipal wastewaters. Carbon removal, chemical oxygen demand removal and sludge viability were also investigated. Parallel bench scale continuous activated sludge reactors operating at dissolved oxygen levels of approximately 2 mg/l and 8 mg/l were used.

The high dissolved oxygen level sludge produced significantly more nitrate nitrogen and exhibited significantly greater nitrification rates overall. The nitrification rate differential increased with temperature. The nitrification rate appeared to be more sensitive to temperature and sludge age at the higher dissolved oxygen level.

Significantly greater overall TOC reduction and TOC removal rates were observed at the high dissolved oxygen-level although no one set of experimental conditions exhibited a significant difference at the 99% confidence level. No significant difference in effluent COD quality or removal rate was observed.

There was a significant difference at the 95% confidence level in unit ATP levels, indicating that the high dissolved oxygen level sludge may have been more viable.

abstract: Master of Engineering (ME)


title: The 'old savage' and the scientific outlook: Religion, science and social ethics in the writings of Bertrand Russell, 1919-1938

contributor:
Greenspan, Louis
Religious Sciences

subject:
Religious Studies
Religion
Religion

abstract: While the intellectual concerns of Bertrand Russell and his Anglo-American contemporaries were indisputably shaped by the Great War, there was also a general feeling of apprehension that made "the Next War" a psychological reality long before the outbreak of war in 1939. This gave a special urgency and a pragmatic cast to numerous discussions about the emerging scientific society in what I have termed "the interwar period." The interwar period constitutes a more distinct period in the work of Bertrand Russell than has previously been acknowledged by scholars, particularly in terms of what he published on the topics of science, religion and social ethics between 1919 and 1938. Whatever his concern with philosophical questions, after 1918 Russell seemed compelled to address the practical question of "what ought we to do?" in a way that took him into the heart of the problem of trying to prevent the Next War. Throughout the interwar period Russell developed and expressed his ethical ideas as a "preacher," thus making both his delivery and the understanding of his intended audience into crucial components of what he wrote. Russell's conception of science constitutes a link in his published works between two significant themes found in Anglo-American literature of the interwar period: First, the Great War demonstrated that a new social ethic appropriate to the scientific society was necessary, if humanity was to survive its potential for self-destruction in the modern age. This was popularly referred to as the problem of "the old savage in the new civilization." Second, there was also considerable discussion on the relationship between science and religion during the interwar period as a result of "the philosophical implications of the new physics." On his part, Russell opposed the representation of science as technique alone, struggling instead to articulate a "moral outlook" in science, and objected to any reconciliation between science and religion. Because Russell understood the relationship between science and religion only in conflictual terms, however, his attempt to articulate a moral outlook in science was unsuccessful. By 1938 he had invalidated the association of science and metaphysics in a way that left him no other grounds than the utilitarian exercise of power on which to establish a modern social ethic. Individual moral progress might be accomplished, through education or whatever means, but there was no assurance it could ever be translated into the political or social structures of the new civilization.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Effects Of The Integration Of Oral And Gastric Stimulation On Fos-Like Immunoreactivity In The Hindbrain And Behavioural Outcome

contributor:
Weingarten, H.P.
Psychology

abstract: Conceptual and empirical analyses of the controls of feeding have emphasized the role of peripheral factors in the control of ingestive behaviour. Currently, it is understood that feeding is under the control of multiple peripheral factors. It follows that if eating is the result of multiple signals, it is necessary to design experiments that examine the ways in which these signals interact and combine to influence eating. The experiments in this thesis accommodate the acknowledged multifactorial control of eating by examining the interaction of two classes of peripheral signals--oral (from the mouth) and gastric (from the stomach). The aim of the experiments is to determine how these two classes of signals interact to influence activity in the CNS (central nervous system) Fos immunohistochemistry was used as the marker of neural activity because of its practicality in determining brain areas activated by experimental treatments and since the technique provides a means to quantify the number of neurons activated. The first experiment was designed to confirm that Fos immunoreactivity could be used as a marker of neural activity induced under "physiological" conditions of feeding. The second experiment used sham feeding and real feeding to compare the patterns of neural activity stimulated by oral stimulation in isolation (sham feeding) or oral and gastric stimulation in combination (real feeding). The third experiment specifically compared FLI patterns induced by oral and gastric stimulation, each presented alone, or in combination under conditions of strict experimenter control. The fourth experiment continued this line of inquiry by addressing whether the order of the two stimulations, one appropriate (oral followed by gastric) and the other reversed (gastric followed by oral), influenced the Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) patterns seen in previous experiments. The final experiment examined whether the effect of order also had functional consequences with regard to the control of eating.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Diversions of History: A Nonphenomenal Approach to Eighteenth-Century Linguistic Thought

contributor:
Clark, David L.
English

abstract: This thesis offers a critique of the methods and assumptions of the discipline of linguistic historiography--the study of the history of linguistic thought. Linguistic historiography has grown rapidly since the late 1960s. The formation of a loosely-defined canon of works of language study has been accompanied by the publication of many articles and books and the development of a scholarly superstructure of journals, societies, and conferences whose explicit objective it has been to develop both the practice and the theory of this new field. As I argue in this thesis, however, linguistic historiography remains an area which has yet to theorize its activity radically. Often basing their practice on the history of science, works of linguistic historiography, I argue, tend to assume too readily that "language," the putative subject of the texts they study, constitutes a determinate object of knowledge. In the wake of Ferdinand de Saussure, however, philosophers and literary theorists (curiously, however, not linguistic historiographers) have argued that the nonsemantic aspects of a text such as grammar often function in a manner which is in conflict with the text's semantic element--its statements. In the difference between these two aspects of language, poststructuralist readings expose a "non-phenomenal" dimension of linguistic operation which, lacking a positive or determinate identity, defies description and, as such, marks a horizon of cognition. In this thesis I argue that no writer is more likely to confront this limit as absolutely as he or she who writes explicitly about language. For this reason, the significance of the texts which comprise the canon of linguistic history extends beyond that of merely helping us to understanding the development of linguistic science or of illuminating the history of those areas of study with which it has, at various times and in various configurations, overlapped, important as such endeavours may be. In the resistance these texts pose to their own descriptions of their "proper object of study," there is an opportunity for considering language not as a determinate object of knowledge but rather as an indeterminate space in knowledge which, because of its lack of identity is also a site of contest among ideological forces. Through close readings of John Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Samuel Johnson's Dictionary, various works on language by Joseph Priestley, and John Horne Tooke's Diversions of Purley, I argue that the representation of language in eighteenth-century meta-linguistic texts is concerned with matters other than the strictly linguistic which, it becomes clear, is not one object of knowledge among others, and that these matters are invariably bound up with questions of class, power, and privilege.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)