identifier: Mabiza, N. (2018). Genetically Modified Crops and Food Sovereignty: The Case of GM Matooke and Ugandan Small-Scale Farmers. College of Sustainability Honours Theses.


title: EXAMINING THE PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF FRAILTY DETERMINED BY A MULTIDIMENSIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE, THE FRAILTY ASSESSMENT IN CARE-PLANNING TOOL (FACT), IN CARDIAC SURGERY

contributor: Department of Community Health & Epidemiology

subject:
Cardiac Surgery
Clinical Research
Epidemiology

abstract: We assessed whether the Frailty in Care-Planning Tool (FACT) added discriminatory power to a standard cardiac surgery risk prediction model for mortality and major adverse cardiac events (MACE). To date, risk prediction models employed in cardiac surgery do not include frailty. We assessed whether the FACT, and each of its domains, were predictive of MACE, and MACE and/or mortality, after adjustment for the EuroSCORE II, a prominent risk prediction index.  Likelihood ratio tests, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the ROC curve were used to compare models.  For mortality and/or MACE, as well as MACE alone, certain domains of the FACT (Social, Daily Tasks, and Memory) provide improved fit over the EuroSCORE II alone; however, this was not the case for mobility or the overall FACT score. Traditional risk assessment scores such as the EuroSCORE II may benefit from having a measure of frailty included as a risk factor.


title: DELINEATING THE ROLE OF CALCINEURIN A ALPHA IN THE MAST CELL FCϵRI-MEDIATED IMMUNE RESPONSE

contributor:
Department of Pathology
Master of Science
Dr. Zhenyu Cheng
Dr. Wenda Greer
Dr. Karen Bedard
Dr. Jean-Franҫois Légaré
Dr. Andrew Stadnyk
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Immunology
Mast cells
Allergy

abstract: Allergies are a health challenge resulting from excessive and inappropriate responses to innocuous antigens (allergens), and a key cellular player is the mast cell. Mast cell activation by allergen initiates a response through the FcϵRI culminating in the release of multiple inflammatory mediators. Calcineurin inhibitors have been used to treat allergies; however, there is a lack of understanding of the contributions of calcineurin isoforms. Knowledge of calcineurin isoforms may reveal specific targets to treat allergy. Therefore FcϵRI-mediated events were examined in mast cells from mice lacking calcineurin Aα. While appearing morphologically normal, the cells show decreased degranulation and release of cytokines and chemokines in vitro. Upon adoptive transfer into mice, the reduction in mediator release was detected in the early but not late phase response. The reduction in mediator release was associated with a reduction in the NF-κB signaling pathway. Thus, specifically blocking calcineurin Aα may reduce FcϵRI-mediated allergy.


title: Understanding Ecologies: Post-Conflict Service Provision and the Resilience of Children Born in Captivity

contributor: Department of International Development Studies

abstract: The conflict in northern Uganda often provokes images similar to those in the 2012 viral video of a warlord abducting young children and forcibly recruiting them to battle in a civil war. While these images helped to garner large-scale international efforts to assist victims of the conflict, this enthusiasm was relatively short-lived. As such, many of the most vulnerable victims, including children who were born within the captivity of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), continue to struggle. Moreover, although the conflict has been over for almost a decade, the longer term impacts of post-conflict initiatives have not been thoroughly investigated. The continued vulnerability of youth in Uganda, particular of children born in captivity, provokes the question – to what extent have post-conflict initiatives helped the most vulnerable overcome extreme adversity and hardship? This thesis examines this question by exploring how post conflict initiatives have shaped the environments in which children born in captivity live and develop within. Two main conclusions are suggested from this study. Firstly, in many cases post-conflict initiatives have either failed to remedy, or in some instance perpetuated the negative impacts of the conflict. Secondly, a small amount of initiatives have recognized that youth exist within multiple, interrelated environments and that the most effective post-conflict programming attempts to engage with a variety of these environments, rather than targeting solely the individual.


title: Nonbreeding distributions and potential carryover effects in a sentinel north pacific seabird, the Cassin's auklet

contributor:
Department of Biology
Master of Science
Dr. Paul Bentzen
Dr. J Mark Hipfner
Dr. Joanna Mills Flemming
Dr. Glenn T Crossin
Dr. Sara J Iverson
Received
Yes
Not Applicable

subject:
migration
feather corticosterone
stable isotope
egg size
geolocator
environmental context
habitat selection
Alcid

abstract: Factors influencing animal fitness during the nonbreeding period are critically important but remain largely unknown for many species. Here, I employed tracking and physiological sampling to gain insight into nonbreeding distributions, migratory behavior, and potential carryover effects in a North Pacific seabird. From 2014-17, nonbreeding Cassin’s auklets from British Columbian colonies occupied nearshore waters from Alaska to Baja California, utilizing regions north of the colony in summer/fall, south of the colony in fall/winter, and returning to the colony region >1 month prior to laying in early spring. Four general migratory tactics were expressed – North, South, North-South, and Local migration – with individuals exhibiting substantial variability in finer-scale phenology and choice of residency areas. Diverse nonbreeding experiences were expected to drive variability in the strength of carryover effects; however, indicators of pre-breeding physiologic state and diet did not predict reproductive investment (egg size) in an additional year, potentially due to oceanographic context.


title: INVESTIGATING TARGETED DRIVER MUTATIONS AND PD-L1 EXPRESSION FOR IMPROVED THERAPY OF NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER

contributor:
Department of Pathology
Master of Science
Paola Marignani
Wenda Greer
Paola Marcato
Wenda Greer
Mathieu Castonguay
Zhaolin Xu
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

abstract: Most lung cancer patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, limiting their treatment options to chemotherapy. New therapies that target driver gene mutations, are used to treat patients who have tumours with these mutations. In addition, immune checkpoint inhibitor is being used to treat lung cancer patients. Thus, being able to identify the presence of driver mutations and PD-L1 in tumours will help patients to benefit from different therapies. A total of 851 cases of lung cancer samples have been profiled for EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA mutations. Moreover, PD-L1 mRNA expression was quantified to assess its correlation with PD-L1 protein level. Statistical analysis revealed that EGFR mutations were significantly linked to the absence of vascular invasion and PD-L1, and KRAS mutations do not associate with PD-L1. Moreover, we found a positive correlation between mRNA levels of PD-L1 with PD-L1 expression. Together, these data provide insightful information for clinical implications.


title: Investigating the Use of Cellular Precision Biopatterning for Generating Functional Skin Equivalents

contributor:
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Dr. Robert Adamson
Dr. Paul F. Gratzer
Dr. Brendan Leung
Dr. Robert Adamson
Dr. Geoffrey Maksym
Dr. John P. Frampton
Not Applicable
Yes
Yes

subject:
Aqueous Two-Phase Systems
Skin
Biopatterning

abstract: The production of skin equivalents for treating full-thickness wounds has been a long-standing challenge in the field of skin tissue engineering. Although several techniques (e.g., skin substitutes and cell-based therapies) have shown promise in restoring extensive skin loss, these approaches are cost-prohibitive and require a large number of autologous cells to accelerate wound healing. As a result, precision biopatterning approaches have been used to improve epidermal regeneration. One of the most commonly used biopatterning approaches for printing cells is extrusion-based bioprinting (EBP). While efficient, the standard bioinks can result in loss of pattern fidelity on moist and irregular, complex substrates. This limitation can be overcome using aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs). ATPSs involve two or more phase-separating polymers, such as PEG and DEX, that can pattern cells precisely and retain pattern fidelity. Using this approach, ATPS EBP was applied as a novel cell delivery method to promote growth and differentiation of human epidermal keratinocytes cells (HEK001) on both standard tissue culture plates and acellular dermal matrices (DermGEN™). In order to demonstrate the application of ATPS EBP, optimal concentrations of PEG and DEX were identified for stable pattern formation and cell viability. The results from these experiments suggested that 5.0% PEG and 5.0% DEX resulted in a stable interface and pattern formation on wet substrates. This formulation was selected for precise patterning of cells. Using 5.0% PEG and 5.0% DEX, cells were patterned in colonies to promote cell expansion and differentiation in culture. As a control, the same number of cells were dispersedly-seeded on standard tissue culture plates. The efficiency of the ATPS EBP method was evaluated by comparing the differences in growth properties of keratinocytes between the patterned and dispersedly-seeded conditions. Cells patterned in colonies on tissue culture plates displayed superior cell viability as well as improved barrier formation than cells in the dispersedly-seeded condition. Finally, the clinical application of ATPS EBP was demonstrated by patterning the cells directly on DermGEN™ (an acellular dermal matrix that retains the properties of native dermal tissue) as a model for patterning cells directly on tissues. Cells patterned in discrete colonies on acellular dermal matrices were able to preserve their pattern fidelity, suggesting that ATPS EBP can be used to print biomolecules on complex, non-uniform substrates. Moreover, cells patterned in colonies on DermGEN™ demonstrated improved cellular engraftment and stratum basale formation compared to cells in the dispersedly-seeded condition. These findings suggest that biopatterned cells using ATPS EBP holds promise in promoting epidermal regeneration, which may be useful for generating functional skin equivalents.


title: The Impact of Palliative Care Consultation on Overall Survival and Aggressive Care at End-of-Life in Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer

contributor:
Medical Research Program
Master of Science
Jason Berman
Swarna Weerasinghe
Nathan Lamond
Robin Urquhart
Ravi Ramjeesingh
Tallal Younis
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma
Palliative Care
Survival
Aggressiveness of Care

abstract:
Background: Early Palliative Care (PC) consultation has been associated with improved overall survival (OS) and less aggressive care at end-of-life in a number of malignancies. For patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer (UPC), aggressive and resource-intensive treatment at the end-of-life can be costly, but not necessarily of better quality.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study examines the potential impact of early PC consultation on indicators of aggressive care at end-of-life and OS in all patients diagnosed with UPC in Nova Scotia between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2015.
Results: In total, 365 patients were identified for inclusion in our study. Patients seen by PC late in the trajectory of their disease (>8 weeks following diagnosis) had better OS than those receiving either early PC (< 8 weeks following diagnosis) or no PC (median OS 191.0 days vs 64.0 days and 23.5 days, p < 0.001). These findings were further supported by analysis through a multivariable adjusted statistical model, which indicated that late PC intervention was associated with 62 times decreased risk of death (Hazard Ratio = 0.38, p < 0.001) while early PC intervention was not (Hazard Ratio = 0.92, p = 0.610). PC consultation, either early or late, was associated with decreased odds of experiencing one or more indicators of aggressive care at end-of-life, as indicated by multivariable adjusted logistic regression (Odds Ratio = 0.18, 95% CI 0.08 - 0.39, p < 0.001; Odds Ratio = 0.20, 95% CI 0.08 - 0.47, p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Regardless of timing, PC consultation was associated with decreased odds of experiencing an indicator of aggressive care at end-of-life. However, early PC consultation was not associated with decreased risk of death.


title: DISCOURSE AND DISEMPOWERMENT: EXAMINING INDIGENOUS CONSULTATION POLICY IN NOVA SCOTIA

contributor:
Department of Political Science
Master of Arts
Dr. Lori Turnbull
Dr. Katherine Fierlbeck
Dr. Marcella Firmini
Dr. Robert Finbow
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Yes

subject:
Duty to consult
Indigenous Politics
Canadian Politics
Nova Scotia
Mi'kmaq
Indigenous Rights
Aboriginal Affairs
Resource Development
Environmental rights
Micmac Indians
Indigenous peoples--Civil rights

abstract: This research focuses on the duty to consult as exercised currently in Nova Scotia, to explore whether or not government discourses of reconciliation have led to formal policy changes, which recognize the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples as separate nations. The research conducts a historical-discursive institutional analysis to examine the legislative relationship between Indigenous peoples and colonial governments. The analysis shows that institutions, and the dominant ideas of Indigenous peoples which influenced them, developed alongside the priorities of the settler-state. Racist, paternalistic, and assimilatory discourses have worked to justify government policies which deny the sovereignty and rights of Indigenous peoples, as dictated by the historic treaties signed between Indigenous peoples and the Crown. While consultation is recognized by the provincial government in theory, in practice, colonial discourses from Canada’s past undermine the possibility for meaningful consultation and ultimately, reconciliation.


identifier: Talan B. Iscan, “Backward Linkages in the Auto Industry,” in Investment, Credit Constraints, and Exports Evidence from the Mexican Manufacturing Industry, 1970–1990, Ph.D. dissertation, Cornell University, 1994

title: Backward Linkages in the Auto Industry


title: Doxorubicin Loaded Polyphosphate Glass Microspheres for Transarterial Chemoembolization

contributor:
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Dr. John Frampton
Dr. Rob Adamson
Dr. Daniel Boyd
Dr. Paul Gratzer
Dr. Bob Abraham
Dr. Mark Filiaggi
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Cancer
Drug Release
Polyphosphate

abstract:
Polyphosphate glass microspheres (PGM) are currently under development for application in transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), the standard of care treatment for intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma. PGMs are radiopaque, hemostatic, and resorbable. This thesis investigates the compatibility of doxorubicin (DOX), a chemotherapeutic, with this PGM system.

A process was developed to synthesize PGMs that were efficiently loaded with DOX, spherical in nature, and in the clinically relevant size range. DOX release and PGM degradation were assessed as a function of elution media pH, PGM composition, and %DOX loading. In vitro cytocompatibility of PGM degradation products and the pharmacological activity of released DOX were also evaluated.

Composition, therapeutic loading, and pH minimally affected PGM degradation. DOX release was mediated by eluant pH, and was highly linear while appearing to retain its pharmacological activity. However, PGM degradation products were also found to be cytotoxic. Overall, this PGM system shows promise as a TACE device.


title: IMPROVING ELECTROCHEMICAL CAPACITOR PERFORMANCE THROUGH STUDIES OF MANGANESE OXIDE HYDRATION AND REDUCED GRAPHENE OXIDE SELF-DISCHARGE

contributor:
Department of Chemistry
Master of Science
Mark Stradiotto
Mita Dasog
Peng Zhang
Heather Andreas
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Electrochemical Capacitors
Self-discharge
Energy Storage

abstract:
Electrochemical capacitors (ECs) store energy in a double layer of charge at an electrode/electrolyte interface and/or through rapid redox reactions. The first project discussed herein is a comprehensive study of the effect drying/storage procedures have on manganese oxide (MnOx)’s performance as an EC material. Capacitive properties are enhanced in hydrous MnOx; power-related properties are enhanced in anhydrous MnOx. A novel film synthesis combining hydrous and anhydrous films is developed, generating films with benefits of both hydrous and heat-treated MnOx.
The second project discussed herein addresses self-discharge (SD), a spontaneous potential loss following charging, in reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Carbon oxidation is a minor contributor to SD, while charge redistribution, the spontaneous movement of charge within a material, causes significant SD. Differentiating between these phenomena proves challenging; both processes present similar SD profiles. A method to discern between these mechanisms is presented, determining both processes contribute to rGO SD.


title: MODELING DISPERSION INTERACTIONS ON METAL SURFACES USING THE EXCHANGE-HOLE DIPOLE MOMENT

contributor:
Department of Chemistry
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Phillip Egberts
Dr. Peng Zhang
Dr. Josef Zwanziger
Dr. Aaron Kelly
Dr. Peng Zhang
Dr. Erin R. Johnson
Received
Yes
Yes

subject:
DFT
density functional theory
dispersion interactions
graphene
metal surfaces
physisorption
tribology
Density functionals

abstract: Graphene is a two-dimensional material possessing unique electrical and physi- cal properties. London dispersion interactions play a significant role in its adsorp- tion and friction on metal surfaces. Accurate computational modeling of these processes is complicated by the fact that conventional density-functional methods do not include the proper physics to describe dispersion interactions. Model- ing dispersion between a metal surface and substrate is found to be particularly complex as models based on properties of the free metal atoms alone cause the interaction strength to be over-estimated. As an alternative, the exchange-hole dipole moment (XDM) method is a density-dependent dispersion correction that has previously been shown to model dispersion interactions accurately for both molecules and solids. In this thesis, we first test the validity of XDM for model- ing surface-substrate dispersion interactions for a set of small aromatic molecules physisorbed on noble-metal (111) surfaces. Upon validation of XDM for molec- ular adsorption, we investigated interfaces of single and double-layered graphene on selected transition-metal surfaces in two rotational orientations. Our results show that thermal effects greatly affect the potential energy surface for graphene on a nickel surface. In general, the rotational orientation significantly affects graphene interlayer distances and interactions and there is an energetic preference for substrate alignment. Our results also demonstrate that metal substrates af- fect interlayer distances and exfoliation energies for bilayer graphene systems that chemisorb to metal surfaces. The sliding of multi-layered graphene is investigated in detail for copper surfaces. It is shown that the energetically preferred sliding interface is between graphene and the copper surface, even when subjected to an applied constraint. Our results consistently demonstrate that XDM captures the proper physics required to model surface dispersion interactions.


title: Fisheries co-management: A case study in the Canadian Beaufort Sea Large Ocean Management Area [graduate project].

abstract:
In the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR), fisheries have been jointly managed by the Inuvialuit and the Government of Canada (DFO) through the Fisheries Joint Management Committee (FJMC) for over thirty years. Given such a long history of cooperation on a broad range of fisheries-related issues that go from developing joint workshops and integrating science and traditional ecological knowledge to the establishment of marine protected areas and fisheries management plans, it is recognized that co-management strategies have been implemented successfully in managing the fishery resources in the Beaufort Sea Large Ocean Management Area (BS LOMA). This research aims to identify the conditions that contribute to the success of fisheries co-management practice in the BS LOMA.

Keywords: co-management; fisheries; Beaufort Sea Large Ocean Management Area; Inuvialuit Settlement Region; Fisheries Jointly Management Committee; beluga.


title: Influence of Stand Age, Micro-climate, and Litter Composition on the Decomposition of Ten Litter Types in White Spruce Plantation Forests in Nova Scotia, Canada

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Dr. Gordon Price
Dr. Peter Duinker
Dr. Gordon Price
Dr. David Burton
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Decomposition
Nutrient Cycling

abstract: The influence of stand age, micro-climate and litter composition on calculated decomposition rates of litter types was determined to gain information regarding soil nutrient supply in white spruce plantation forests in Nova Scotia, Canada. The decomposition rates of ten litter types were calculated using the litterbag method in 12 sites, with results ranging from 0.19-0.82 year-1. Site quality was indicated to have less of an impact on decomposition rate than stand age. Principal component analysis determined decomposition rates are correlated to litter type and litter quality. PC1 (nutrient content) accounted for 46% of the variation in rates, while PC2 (chemical complexity) accounted for an additional 25%. Litter calcium, manganese, and nitrogen concentrations increased with time, while potassium and magnesium significantly decreased. Litter with low Klason lignin and low C:N ratios had faster decomposition rates, indicating that Klason lignin and C/N ratios are suitable predictors of rate.


title: Tai Chi: A New and Ancient Reality: The Socio-Cultural Context of Older People who Practice Tai Chi in Halifax, Canada and Jinan, China

contributor:
Interdisciplinary PhD Programme
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Shane Pegg
Dr. Lynne Ronbinson
Dr. Jerome Singleton
Dr. Marilyn Macdonald
Dr. Jerome Barkow
Received
No
No

subject:
older people
Tai Chi
Perceptions
Canada
China

abstract:
We reside in an aging global society. What people do as they age has been studied extensively in the leisure and aging literature. A variety of theories, such as the activity, continuity, disengagement, and innovation theories, have been developed to understand how older individuals engage in opportunities. “Leisure” is a Eurocentric term that does not exist within all cultural frameworks. The question arises: how do older people find meaning in opportunities in which they engage, such as Tai Chi?

This study examined the meaning of Tai Chi for older participants in Halifax, Canada, and Jinan, the People’s Republic of China. An ethnographic approach guided my research. Nineteen participants were recruited in each city. Data were collected through participant observation and individual in-depth interviews using open-ended questions. The interviews in Canada were carried out in English, whereas the ones in China were conducted in Mandarin or the Jinan dialect. Four main themes emerged from the collected data: 1) Health and wellbeing; 2) Socializing; 3) A sense of group identity; and 4) Cultural pride. The themes were interactive and reflected the complexities of cultural influence.

The findings of this study suggest that although Tai Chi does have different philosophical meanings for participants in the two cities, it serves a similar role with regard to socializing with “Tai Chi friends,” experiencing a sense of group identity, and seeking good health. The characteristics of the Tai Chi experience may provide insights into future research similar to Susan Shaw’s characteristics of “leisure.”


title: Reclaiming Porosity: A Multi-Layered Scalar Approach to Retrofitting Infrastructure, Public Space, and Thresholds in Flood-prone Bangkok

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Anne Cormier
Steve Parcell
Susan Fitzgerald
Catherine Venart
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Delta Landscape
Urban Flooding
Bangkok (Thailand)
Infrastructure
Water
Temple
Thresholds

abstract: For centuries, the Thai have adapted to live with water by altering the landscape and modifying building methods. With increased climate change and urbanization, infrastructures must be reconsidered to handle the growing frequency and intensity of floods. This thesis examines the role of architecture in mitigating such impacts and reconnecting local communities with water. By studying historic and modern landform and water infrastructural systems in urbanized Bangkok, the thesis develops a multi-layered scalar approach that reintroduces porosities as a means to reconnect and control water by: (1) resurfacing historic canals, (2) connecting public space with blue-green infrastructure, and (3) retrofitting buildings with threshold connections that connect to ritual and flexible programming that celebrate intersections between the flow of people and water. The design strategy therefore reconnects urban inhabitants along the Chao Phraya Delta to water as a cyclical and celebratory element that reinforces the specificity of place and their culture.


title: Infrastructural Landscapes:  Integrating Renewable Energy with Landscape and Community in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia

contributor:
Faculty of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Anne Cormier
Steve Parcell
Catherine Venart
Susan Fitzgerald
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Architecture
Landscape
Community
Renewable
Energy
Fundy, Bay of
Nova Scotia

abstract: The Bay of Fundy is home to the highest tides in the world and among the strongest currents. The Minas Passage is a narrow body of water in the upper Bay of Fundy with a 13-metre tidal range and water speeds of 7-8 knots, providing an ideal landscape for tidal energy. The only in-stream tidal demonstration facility in North America is located along the Minas Passage, connected to the Nova Scotia Power grid. Tidal energy supply is intermittent, varying with the tides. Supplementing tidal with energy storage allows for a continuous supply of renewable energy. This thesis proposes a pumped hydro energy storage facility along the Minas Passage that integrates renewable energy infrastructure with landscape and incorporates community program, to provide an interactive architecture that makes evident the natural and energy processes that sustain it.


title: Playing on the Tracks: Rethinking Transit Infrastructure as Event Space to Generate a City of Culture and Play

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Anne Cormier
Steve Parcell
Steve Parcell
Elisa Dainese
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Event
Infrastructure
Hybrid
Edmonton (Alta.)
Transit Oriented Development
Tranportation-Alberta-Planning

abstract: This thesis investigates the potential of a combination between event spaces and transit infrastructure. The project explores the city of Edmonton, Alberta, and a new typology of infrastructure called transit oriented development that will encourage people to rely on public transit as part of their everyday routine. An element of play is introduced by integrating event programming with transit program. This new hybrid of infrastructure and architecture will encourage the mixing of people and cultures as a celebration of the everyday events of the city and it will allow the city to grow into a corridor of transit oriented developments and event space designed at a human scale. This new hybrid architecture creates a corridor of opportunities for new and unplanned events of the everyday, which will create a city and culture of play.


title: Why Architecture: The Intersection of Architectural Education and the City

contributor:
Faculty of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Nichole Wiedemann
Steve Parcell
Benjie Nycum
Diogo Burnay
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Edmonton (Alta.)
Schools of architecture
adaptive reuse
Royal Alberta Museum
Public
architecture pedagogy
Canada Centennial buildings

abstract:
This thesis questions the potential relationship between a school of architecture and the
public. Redefining the role of architecture education as advocacy for better designed
cities, a new dialogue between the public and architecture will flourish. The ideas
produced within a porous school will filter out into the city, changing it for the better.
The thesis question was investigated through the adaptive reuse of the former Royal
Alberta Museum, a Canadian Centennial Building contributing to the national effort to
define itself through the use of architecture. Identifying the former exhibition volumes as
the school, and introducing a perpendicular indoor street creates a moment to celebrate
the intersection of architecture and the public. This monument once containing static
artifacts, is reimagined as a dynamic exposition of architectural ideas. This school
envisions engaging the public to discuss architecture, aspiring to empower its citizens to
ameliorate the future of the city.


title: Examining the Effects of High Intensity Interval Exercise (HIIE) on Corticospinal Excitability and Motor Learning

contributor: School of Physiotherapy (Rehabilitation Research)

subject: Exercise Neuroscience

abstract: High-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) is effective in modulating corticospinal excitability (CSE), and it has been shown to facilitate improvements in motor learning. This study examined the effect of HIIE on motor learning when HIIE was performed prior to multiple sessions of motor task practice. The effect of HIIE on CE was investigated using single and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) before (Pre), directly after (Post 1), and 30 min after (Post 2) HIIE. The effect of HIIE on motor learning was assessed using a complex movement execution (CME) task, during which participants reproduced complex trajectories presented on a touchscreen. Engaging HIIE was shown to significantly increase CE, as evidenced by an increase in CE from Pre to Post 1 (p=0.048) and Post 2 (p=0.003) time points. However, a significant decrease in intracortical facilitation from Pre to Post 1 (p=0.031) and Post 2 (p=0.002) time points was also observed. Performing HIIE before engaging in repeated sessions of motor task practice failed to demonstrate a significant effect on motor learning compared to non-exercising controls. Additionally, we were unable to detect a significant correlation between changes in CE and motor learning in participants who underwent TMS and engaged in the CME task after HIIE.


title: A STUDY OF THE TRANSPORT PROPERTIES OF ELECTROLYTES FOR LI-ION BATTERIES

contributor: Department of Physics & Atmospheric Science

subject:
Energy storage
Li-ion batteries
Electrolytes

abstract: Measuring the transport properties of electrolyte solutions can be an effective way to screen for candidate electrolytes for use in a given Li-ion battery application. In this thesis, ionic conductivity and viscosity are measured for a wide range of electrolytes falling under two main classes: carbonate-based electrolytes with added low-viscosity co-solvents to increase ionic conductivity for high charge rate applications, and  carbonate electrolytes that do not contain ethylene carbonate (EC), which has been found to negatively affect cell lifetime at high voltage. Of the different co-solvents studied, the ester, methyl acetate (MA) gave one of the largest increases in conductivity in these electrolytes. The impact of MA on electrolyte conductivity and viscosity was studied as a function of salt concentration, solvent composition, and temperature. Removing EC from the electrolyte caused a decrease in the solution viscosity, but also a decrease in the maximum conductivity. This phenomenon was investigated further using Walden-type analyses, concluding that significant ion association occurs in solutions with low EC content. Charge-discharge data for full Li-ion cells confirm that electrolytes containing MA improve the charge rate capability of cells, and removing EC improves long-term cycling at elevated voltage. The data collected in this thesis was compared to a theoretical model of electrolyte properties, the Advanced Electrolyte Model (AEM), which was able to correctly predict the viscosity and conductivity of the different electrolytes studied in this thesis in its current form.


title: PROBIOTIC METABOLITES OF OLIGOMERIC PROANTHOCYANIDIN REDUCE NICOTINE-DERIVED NITROSAMINE KETONE ACETATE-INDUCED DNA DAMAGE IN HUMAN LUNG EPITHELIAL AND FETAL HEPATIC CELLS IN VITRO

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Dr. Gordon W. Price
Dr. Svetlana Yurgel
Dr. Eric Albert
Dr. H.P. Vasantha Rupasinghe
Not Applicable
No
No

subject:
Chemoprevention
proanthocyanidin
probiotic metabolites
DNA damage response
biotransformation

abstract: M.Sc. Thesis

abstract: Potential of proanthocyanidin (PAC) in cancer risk reduction is dependant on the biotransformation process by colonic microbiotia. Seven selected microbial metabolites of proanthocyanidins (MMP) were evaluated for their ability to reduce 4-[(acetoxymethyl) nitrosamino]-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNKOAc)-induced DNA damage in human lung epithelial (BEAS-2B) and fetal hepatic (WRL-68) cells. Pyrogallol (PG) in BEAS-2B cells and pyrocatechol (PC) in WRL-68 cells reduced the DNA damage as measured by the γ-H2A.X assay. Western blot analysis suggested that PG- and PC-mediated DNA damage reduction is driven by alterations in the DNA damage response (DDR) pathways. Oligomeric apple peel (AP)-PAC and commercial grape seed (GS)-PAC were biotransformed by Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus casei. Phenolic metabolites identified after biotransformation of GS-PAC by L. rhamnosus were PG, PC, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-coumaric acid, methyl hippuric acids, 4-hydroxyphenylvaleric acid, and sinapic acid. To confirm the PAC-mediated chemoprevention, an experimental animal model of NNKOAc-induced A/J mice can be recommended.


title: On the Importance of the Study of Past Connectivity to Understand Present and Future Patterns in a Freshwater Fish

contributor:
Department of Biology
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Michael Hansen
Dr. Hal Whitehead
Dr. Paul Bentzen
Dr. Mark Johnston
Dr. Daniel Ruzzante
Not Applicable
Yes
Yes

subject:
Molecular Ecology
Patagonia
Galaxias platei
Glaciations
Dams
Invasive species
Conservation

abstract: Conceptually, in evolution, the variable “time” is fundamental. Extant populations are the result of long- and short-term historical processes affecting them through time. Populations in areas near the poles have been exposed to extreme changes in landscape during the Quaternary glacial cycles. This is the case for Galaxias platei, a species that survived the Quaternary in the lakes and rivers of Patagonia, a region that experienced significant changes following the Last Glacial Maximum during deglaciation as well as more recently, as a result of the construction of dams and the introduction of invasive salmonids during the Anthropocene. With these processes in mind I used genetic markers to try to (1) elucidate the effect of long- and short-term historical processes on the genetic diversity and divergence of contemporary G. platei populations, and (2) predict what would happen to future populations. I found that while the Quaternary glaciations had a great influence in contemporary populations, most of the configuration of extant populations took place during the Holocene and Anthropocene (Chapters 2, 3, and 4). Dams can have an extremely negative effect, especially for low diversity populations experiencing recent expansion, where population isolation could lead to local extinctions (Chapter 3). The difference in genetic diversity between G. platei populations inhabiting lakes with and without salmonids is similar to that observed in marine species between populations that are pristine and those that are threatened by overfishing (Chapter 4). Finally an analysis of simulated populations demonstrated the importance of spatial arrangement in the prediction of the effects of dams (Chapter 5). Thus, by using G. platei populations as a model species for the region I revealed the importance of interpreting patterns of diversity and population structure considering processes that act over different temporal scales. I thus used information from the past to understand the present and project what would happen with future populations as consequence of landscape modifications induced by humans.


title: USE OF OIL, SOLVENT-EXTRACTED MEAL AND PROTEIN CONCENTRATE FROM CAMELINA (CAMELINA SATIVA L. CRANTZ) FOR SALMONIDS AT THE EARLY LIFE STAGE

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Haibo Liu
Santosh Lall
Jim Duston
Sean Tibbetts
Derek Anderson
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
camelina
oil
meal
protein concentrate
Atlantic salmon
rainbow trout
first feeding
fry
growth

abstract: Studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of using camelina products including camelina oil (CO), solvent-extracted camelina meal (SECM) and camelina protein concentrate (CPC) as feed ingredients for salmonid fish at early life stages. Replacing up to 100% fish oil with CO had no adverse effect on growth performance of first feeding rainbow trout (0.105 g), Atlantic salmon fry (1.1 g), and rainbow trout fry (1.0 g). Diet with the highest SECM inclusion rate tested, 18%, significantly increased feed consumption and subsequently weight gain of first feeding trout. Both salmon and trout fry performed well on 18%SECM diet (p>0.05). The 18%CPC treatment resulted in over 50% mortality rate of first feeding trout and significantly poorer growth after 56 days. The highest level of CPC tested, 12%, in trout fry diet did not lead to any difference in growth when compared to remaining treatments.


title: “Yesterday it was One Man One Vote, Today it is One Man One Gun:” Competing Nationalist Narratives and the Zimbabwe African People’s Union, 1961-1980

contributor:
Department of History
Master of Arts
Dr. Colin Mitchell
Dr. Philip Zachernuk
Dr. John Bingham
Dr. Gary Kynoch
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Zimbabwe
Rhodesia
Zimbabwe African People's Union
African Nationalism

abstract:
This thesis is a political history of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), a significant, yet neglected, African nationalist party active in Zimbabwe’s liberation war between 1961 and 1980. A political history of ZAPU offers an opportunity to challenge and problematize entrenched narratives which privilege the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) as the singular, legitimate expression of African nationalism during the struggle to end minority rule in Zimbabwe.
	ZAPU has been criticized by politicians, war veterans, and scholars as a toothless, opportunistic party. This study disrupts this strain of historiography by arguing that ZANU’s victory was far from inevitable. By incorporating ZAPU’s substantial political and military contributions, a clearer picture of African nationalism in Zimbabwe emerges: ZAPU provides historians of Zimbabwe with a discursive tool to explore how resistance to colonial authority involved complex, contested processes, rather than a teleological movement from oppression to independence through a single party.


title: Sexual Violence and Trauma: Exploring Contemporary Feminist Approaches

contributor: Department of Sociology & Social Anthropology

subject:
feminism
feminist theory
sexual violence
trauma
medicalization

abstract: Feminist research and activism has attempted to challenge the notion that sexual violence is insignificant. In part, this has been accomplished through forging connections between sexual violence and trauma and advocating for the inclusion of sexual violence into the diagnostic criteria for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Yet the increasing reliance on trauma and psychiatric models in the feminist campaign against sexual violence has also been debated. This project draws on a case study of twenty-four feminists in Halifax, Nova Scotia to explore how feminist debates around sexual violence and the usefulness of trauma are addressed by self-identified feminists in conversations about sexual violence. Drawing on focus group and interview data, this study finds that three concepts – choice, experience, and trauma – shaped participants’ understanding of sexual violence and limited participants’ ability to engage structural analyses of sexual violence. This study also demonstrates that feminists may be perpetuating a ‘trauma-of-rape’ discourse.


title: Investigating Skilled Reading in School-Aged Children: An EEG Study

contributor:
School of Human Communication Disorders
Master of Science
Dr. Michael Kiefte
Dr. Patricia Cleave
Dr. Elizabeth Kay-Raining Bird
Dr. Aaron Newman
Dr. Steven Aiken
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Reading Development
Electroencephalography
Reading

abstract: There exist conceptual gaps between the behavioural and electrophysiological accounts of skilled reading development that limit the ability to interpret them cohesively. The goal of this study was to bridge these gaps and determine how behavioural measures of ortho-semantic learning – skills thought to be involved in the transition to skilled reading – relate to N170 print and lexical tuning, established neurophysiological markers of visual word expertise. Thirty-six grade 3 children completed assessments of ortho-semantic learning. Electroencephalography (EEG) was then used to record their neural activity during a lexical decision task. Group-level EEG data revealed significant bilateral N170 print and lexical tuning effects. The print tuning effect was significantly modulated by orthographic learning, but not by fluency or semantic learning. Lexical tuning was not modulated by any of the behavioural measures of reading. Future research should further investigate these relationships using contrasts of additional conditions and more robust measures of reading skills.


title: Regret, Determination, and Honour: The Impact of the Single Ship Losses in North American Waters on the British Royal Navy, 1812-1813

contributor:
Department of History
Master of Arts
Justin Roberts
Roger Marsters
Justin Roberts
Mona Holmund
Jerry Bannister
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Naval History
British History
Atlantic Canadian History
Canadian History
Naval Cultural History
Naval Social History

abstract: In 1812, after nineteen years of warfare, the Royal Navy was humiliated when five of its ships were taken by their American counterparts in the Atlantic Ocean. Whereas British naval historiography focuses on victories, there has not been sufficient attention paid to Britain’s experience with loss. This thesis examines the impact of these losses on the post-Nelsonic culture and fighting spirit of the Royal Navy. Whereas civilians and historians tend to rationalize these losses as the inevitable result of lighter frigates tackling the truly impressive American heavy frigates, the officers of the Royal Navy refused to accept that their standard frigates could not fight them and win. As defeats piled up, that frustration built and result in the direct defiance of orders. Officers driven y vengeance risked their ships and their missions for the chance to defend the honour of themselves and of their beloved fleet.


title: Sex- and age-specific acute beneficial effects of an estrogen receptor agonist added to a cardioplegic solution in adult and aging mouse hearts

contributor:
Department of Pharmacology
Master of Science
Dr. Morgan Langille
Dr. George Robertson
Dr. T. Alexander Quinn
Dr. Susan Howlett
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Cardioplegic solution
GPER agonist
cardioprotection
ischemia/reperfusion injury

abstract: This study investigated effects of G1, a G-protein estrogen receptor (GPER) agonist, in a Langendorff-perfused mouse heart model of cardioplegia in adult and aged mice of both sexes. The recovery of cardiac function using St. Thomas’ Hospital cardioplegic solution No. 2 (STH2), prior to ischemia/reperfusion insult was better in adult female hearts compared to adult males. By contrast, hearts from old mice of both sexes recovered similarly or recovery was even better in males. However, the extent of recovery with STH2 was sub-optimal. When G1 was incorporated in STH2 results showed enhanced cardiac recovery in adult female mouse hearts but not in males. This protection with G1 was, however, observed in old mouse hearts from both sexes. The effect of G1 was also blocked by the GPER antagonist, G15. Together these findings suggest that addition of G1 in STH2 is a useful strategy to improve outcomes of cardiac surgery.


title: Investigation of marginal explosibility of organic dusts in the 20-L and 1-m3 explosion chambers

contributor: Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science

subject:
dust explosion
marginally explosible dusts
polyethylene
niacin
lycopodium
overdriving
dust flash fires

abstract: Experimental research has been conducted to investigate the explosibility behaviour of the so-called marginally explosible dusts, using well-calibrated standard apparatus and ASTM standard procedures. These dusts have been defined based on a KSt value ≤ 45 bar.m/s in the 20-L chamber and there are uncertainties about their explosibility on the industrial scale. Out of the 4 dust samples tested, Pmax and KSt values from 3 showed good correlation between the 20-L and 1-m3 chamber, except for coarse polyethylene. This sample could not be classified as marginally explosible despite its low KSt (23 bar.m/s) in the 20-L. It was clearly explosible as confirmed by its KSt value in the 1-m3 chamber (72 bar.m/s), measurable MEC (<100 g/m3) and MIT (420 oC) values. Thus, it was concluded that definition of marginal explosibility based on a KSt value from the 20-L may not be entirely accurate since explosibility behaviour differs for different materials.


title: DETERMINATION OF PROTON RADII OF NEUTRON-RICH OXYGEN ISOTOPES FROM CHARGE-CHANGING CROSS SECTION MEASUREMENTS

subject: Nuclear structure physics

abstract: The nuclear charge radius is an important bulk property of the nucleus for investigating nuclear structure. The nuclei lying close to the boundaries of the nuclear chart (the drip lines) have revealed new exotic features like the halo and skin. Another new phenomenon that has emerged in the neutron-rich region is the changing or vanishing of magic numbers. The systematic study of the proton radii along an isotopic chain is crucial for understanding the halo and skin formation and also the shell evolution in neutron-rich nuclei near the drip-line. We present the first determination of the proton radii of neutron-rich oxygen isotopes. The proton radii of 16,18-24O were measured using the charge-changing cross sections,  σcc, which is the total cross section for the change of the atomic number of the projectile nucleus due to any interaction with the protons in the projectile nucleus. The experiment was performed at the fragment separator (FRS) at GSI, Germany, at a relativistic beam energy of around 900A MeV. The proton radii were extracted from the measured  σcc using the finite-range Glauber model analysis. The measured proton radii of stable isotopes of oxygen, 16O and 18O, are consistent with the proton radii derived from the electron scattering experiments. A decrease in proton radii of 22O and 24O was observed, showing signatures of the unconventional shell closures at N = 14 and N = 16. This thesis also reports the first determination of neutron skin thickness (∆R) in neutron-rich oxygen isotopes, determined using the measured proton radii reported in this work and measured matter radii available from the literature. ∆R rapidly increases from 22-24O approaching the neutron drip-line, establishing a thick neutron surface for the neutron-rich oxygen isotopes. We have compared the measured proton radii to the predictions reported using various ab initio approaches with different interactions. The experimental proton radii presented have challenged these predictions.


title: Public Reason and Political Critique: Toward a Kantian Reading of Rawls' Political Liberalism

contributor:
Department of Philosophy
Master of Arts
Greg Scherkoske
Duncan MacIntosh
Chike Jeffers
Greg Scherkoske
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Kant
Rawls
Public Reason
Critique
Political Liberalism

abstract: This thesis presents and defends a newly Kantian understanding of John Rawls’ political thought.  Focusing on his doctrine of public reason and his view of political justification more generally, I offer a reading of Rawls’ work that emphasizes some crucial, yet unappreciated connections to Kant’s critical project.  After providing an overview of Kant’s account of reason, an exposition of Rawls’ work, and considering some epistemic objections against Rawls’ view of political justification, I argue that embedded within Rawls’ doctrine of public reason is a political adaptation of Kant’s notion of critique.  I define and develop the idea of ‘political critique’ as a vital component to Rawls’ view of public reasoning, his definition of reasonable persons, and the capacity of citizens to abide by public norms of justification.  In short, I advance an interpretation of Rawlsian public reason as both deeply indebted to and emboldened by its Kantian lineage.


title: Where to Start? Developing Injury Prevention Priority Scores for Traumatic Injury Resulting in Hospitalization or Death Among Canadians

contributor: Department of Community Health & Epidemiology

subject: Injury Prioritization Trauma

abstract:
Background: Given limited resources, it is essential to determine which mechanisms of injury (MOI) should be prioritized for injury prevention. We developed objective, Injury Prevention Priority Scores (IPPS) for the Canadian population across four priority metrics: mortality, severity, resource utilization, and societal cost.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed examining Canadians with traumatic injuries from 2009-2014 resulting in hospitalization or death, from the Canadian Institute of Health Information’s Discharge Abstract Database and Statistics Canada Vital Statistics database. For each MOI, an IPPS was calculated by balancing both the standardized relative frequency of the injury and a secondary metric: mortality rate; severity [ICD10-derived Injury Severity Score (ICISS)]; resource utilization (hospitalization costs); and societal burden [Years of Potential Life Lost; (YPLL)]. The ICISS represents the probability of death from the specific injury. Separate IPPS were computed across each domain at the provincial level and in three separate age groups: young (0-19 years old), middle-aged (20-59 years old) and elderly (over 60 years old). IPPS across each priority metric were also compared in provinces with inclusive trauma systems and provinces without.

Results: 694,535 injuries were identified: 629,490 non-fatal hospitalizations and 65,045 deaths. The top three most frequent MOI included falls (56.3%), motor vehicle collisions (10.5%) and other (9.2%). The overall mortality rate was 0.09 and was highest in intentional-self harm (0.72), drowning (0.66) and suffocation (0.32). The overall median ICISS was 0.019 and was highest in drowning (0.148), suffocation (0.101) and pedestrian incidents (0.037). The overall median hospitalization cost was $6099 per injury and was highest in fires ($9500), suffocation ($9100) and falls ($7800). The overall median potential years of life lost was 0 and was highest in legal interventions (38 years), assault (38 years) and firearm incidents (38 years).

The top three MOI for mortality were falls (IPPS 75), self-harm (IPPS 67) and drowning (IPPS 66). The top three MOI for injury severity were falls (IPPS 77), drowning (IPPS 70) and suffocation (IPPS 61). The top three MOI for resource utilization were falls (IPPS 81), fires (IPPS 61) and suffocation (IPPS 60). The top three MOI for PYLL were falls (IPPS 72), assault (IPPS 62) and firearms (IPPS 59).

The top three MOIs are consistent across provinces in all priority metrics examined, except Prince Edward Island and the Yukon/Territories. There are marked differences in IPPS rankings in different age groups. The presence or absence of an inclusive trauma system did not change the IPPS rankings across each domain.

Conclusion: IPPS provides a useful tool to evaluate the relative burden of mechanisms of injury. Falls consistently demonstrate a high IPPS across all domains of injury prevention, and if prevented, would provide the most benefit to the largest population in Canada.


title: Responsible Investing: Access Denied

contributor:
Faculty of Law
Master of Laws
Lucie Guibault
Meinhard Doelle
Kim Brooks
Sara Seck
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
responsible investing
advisor licensing
mutual funds
etfs
advisor training
comparative law
accessibility of investment

abstract: Retail investors are increasingly demanding responsible investments.  Retail investors also require the services of an advisor. Many responsible funds may not be responsible.  This is due to many factors, including incomplete disclosures, and lack of financialization of risks. The thesis shows that traditional mutual funds, while structurally able to provide responsible investments, have not provided responsible holdings to mass affluent clientele. Institutional investors, and wealthy retail investors, have options to avail themselves of responsible investments; mass affluent investors have less choice to invest responsibly. The thesis recommends enhanced material disclosures and financial valuation models to better identify responsible investments.  Advisors and investors do not have access to the majority of responsible investments, nor are advisors properly trained or compensated to provide advice on these products.  Regulatory changes to advisor licensing and advisor training are recommended to address these problems, to provide mass affluent investors with better access to responsible investments.


title: An Investigation of the Anti-Cancer Effects of Apple Flavonoids Fraction 4 on Breast Cancer Cells

contributor:
Department of Pathology
Master of Science
Carman Giacomantonio
Wenda Greer
Paola Marcato
HP Vasantha Rupasinghe
David W. Hoskin
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Breast cancer
AF4
Phytochemical
Apple
Triple-negative

abstract: Cancer remains to be the one of the leading causes of death in Canada and the United States. In Canadian and American women, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths behind lung cancer, despite large advancements in our understanding of the disease. One major reason for this is the lack of novel therapeutics that can selectively target triple-negative breast cancers. This project attempts to solve this problem using a collection of phytochemicals found in the peels of Northern Spy apples, called AF4. Using a variety of flow cytometry techniques and western blotting, apple flavonoids fraction (AF4) was found to kill triple-negative breast cancer cells while being non-toxic to healthy epithelial cells. This cell death occurred without the cleavage of caspases or poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) and was determined to be at least in part dependent on reactive oxygen species (ROS). In addition, AF4 inhibited the proliferation of triple-negative breast cancer cells via G1 cell cycle arrest. AF4 seems to inhibit the phosphorylation of Akt via a ROS-dependent mechanism; however, inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway does not seem to be responsible for decreased proliferation. In addition, AF4 altered the expression of enzymes involved in epigenetic modulation in both triple-negative breast cancer and epithelial cell lines. The findings of this project highlight the potential of AF4 as a possible selective triple-negative breast cancer treatment.


title: NOVEL SUPERCONDUCTOR-BASED LOW-LOSS PLASMONIC WAVEGUIDE

contributor: Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

subject: LOW-LOSS PLASMONIC WAVEGUIDE SUPERCONDUCTOR

abstract: In this thesis, a novel plasmonic waveguide, with an insulator-superconductor (SC)-insulator (ISCI) configuration, was proposed and numerically investigated at telecommunication (TC) wavelength range. By optimizing the key parameters, the ISCI waveguide was shown to possess a superior guiding performance for the simultaneous realization of the extended propagation length (from 8600 μm to 36000 μm) and subwavelength mode confinement beyond the diffraction limit (ranging from λ/4 to λ/2). We believe the proposed waveguide shows great potential for the development of the next generation of low-loss integrated optical circuits.


title: IN VITRO AND PRE-CLINICAL EVALUATION OF ANTI-METASTATIC ACTIVITY OF PHLORIDZIN DOCOSAHEXAENOATE (PZ-DHA) VERSUS TRIPLE-NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER

contributor:
Department of Pathology
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Luc Martin
Dr. Wenda Greer
Dr. Kerry Goralski
Dr. Paola Marcato
Dr. David Waisman
Dr. David Hoskin
Dr. Vasantha Rupasinghe
Received
Yes
Yes

subject:
Breast cancer
Pharmacokinetics
Proliferation
Metastasis
Angiogenesis
Phloridzin docosahexaenoate

abstract: The World Health Organization identifies breast cancer as the most common cancer among women worldwide. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks receptors for estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), and human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2); therefore, TNBC does not respond to hormone- or HER2-targeted therapy. Even though TNBC responds initially to chemotherapy, these cells eventually develop resistance to chemotherapy and metastasize to distant organs. Therefore, research is continued to identify novel remedies to treat TNBC more effectively. Phloridzin docosahexaenoate (PZ-DHA) is a novel polyphenol fatty acid ester derivative that combines a flavonoid precursor compound known as phloridzin (PZ) with an omega-3 fatty acid known as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) through an acylation reaction catalyzed by lipase B enzyme extracted from Candida antarctica. The current project was designed to investigate the pharmacokinetic parameters, anti-proliferative, anti-metastatic, and anti-angiogenic activities of PZ-DHA using in vitro, ex-vivo and in vivo models of breast cancer. PZ-DHA improved the cellular uptake of PZ and intracellular stability of DHA. PZ-DHA was absorbed following intraperitoneal administration into Balb/c female mice and underwent phase I and II metabolism. PZ-DHA and its metabolites were readily distributed throughout the body. PZ-DHA was selectively cytotoxic to mammary carcinoma cells, including TNBC cells (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, 4T1), and showed minimum cytotoxic activity against non-malignant cells (MCF-10A mammary epithelial cells and human dermal fibroblasts). Sub-cytotoxic concentrations of PZ-DHA attenuated the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells by arresting the cell cycle at G2/M, and inhibiting protein kinase B (Akt) and mitogen activated protein kinase signaling. PZ-DHA inhibited the migration, invasion, TGF-β-induced small molecular Rho GTPase signaling, and expression of transcription factors (β-catenin, Slug and ZEB1) involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Furthermore, PZ-DHA inhibited the expression of MMP2 and increased E-cadherin levels in MDA-MB-231 cells. Intraperitoneal administration of PZ-DHA inhibited the growth and metastasis of orthotopically implanted 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 cells to the lungs of Balb/c and NOD-SCID female mice, respectively, as well as suppressing the expression of Ki67, MMP2 and CD31in primary tumors. Sub-cytotoxic concentrations of PZ-DHA suppressed the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC), and arrested HUVECs at G0/G1. Furthermore, PZ-DHA blocked tube formation by HUVECs and HMVECs in vitro, and vessel sprouting by thoracic aortic sections harvested from Wistar rats. PZ-DHA-induced inhibitory effects on Akt and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF165)-stimulated Rho GTPase signaling in HUVECs was also documented. Intraperitoneal administration of PZ-DHA inhibited angiogenesis within VEGF165- and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-containing Matrigel plugs implanted into Balb/c female mice, confirming anti-angiogenic activity of PZ-DHA. These findings provide strong evidence for PZ-DHA-mediated inhibition of TNBC cell metastasis by inhibiting multiple aspect of the process; therefore, PZ-DHA shows promise as a therapeutic agent to inhibit the progression of TNBC in patients.


title: EXPLORING DENTAL STUDENT ATTITUDES TOWARD DENTIST-PATIENT COMMUNICATION SKILLS LEARNING: A MIXED METHODS APPROACH

contributor:
School of Health & Human Performance
Master of Arts
Anna McLeod
Lynne Robinson
Debora Matthews
Cynthia Andrews
Lynne Robinson
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
dentist-patient communication
provider-patient relations
dental education
communication skills
student attitudes
oral health

abstract: RATIONALE: Dentists’ communication skills (CS) are linked to patient oral health outcomes. Communication skills learning (CSL) in dental education includes the formal and informal experiences that strengthen the CS of dentists. The present study sought to provide detailed accounts of dental student attitudes toward CSL in order to inform optimized CSL components and therefore offer upstream opportunities to promote patient health. METHODS: This mixed methods study employed three phases of data collection. A quantitative questionnaire adapted from the Dental Communication Skills Attitude Scale, along with qualitative survey questions was completed by dental students in one school (n=124).  A subsample (n=13) of respondents later participated in qualitative interviews. A principal components analysis and analysis of variance were applied to the questionnaire data. Thematic analysis was conducted for the survey and interview data, respectively. All three datasets were later triangulated. RESULTS: Participants felt positively about their CSL, with differences based on year of study, gender, and ethnic/racial identity reported. Participants reported viewing CS as integral to practicing dentistry, succeeding in business, and having strong patient relationships. Participants had diverse ideas regarding how CSL should be implemented. CONCLUSION:  Incorporating student needs and accommodating the competing demands of dental education in design and delivery of CSL activities shows promise for improving the CS of future dentists.


title: SEAWEED EXTRACT AND HUMIC ACIDS BIOSTIMULANTS TO IMPROVE GROWTH AND POST-HARVEST QUALITY OF SPINACH AND LETTUCE

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Dr. Gordon W.Price
Dr.Samuel Asiedu
Dr. Svetlana Yurgel
Dr. Balakrishnan Prithiviraj
Not Applicable
No
Not Applicable

subject:
Seaweed extract
Humic acids
Biostimulants
Lettuce
Spinach

abstract: The leafy greens are highly perishable vegetables that are affected by pre-harvest and post-harvest conditions. Biostimulants can be utilized to enhance germination, growth, yield and quality of the crops. In this study, the effect of two plant biostimulants, Ascophyllum nodosum extract (ANE) and humic acid (HA) and their combinations (ANE+ HA) were evaluated for their potential to improve growth and minimize post-harvest losses in lettuce and spinach. Thirteen combinations of ANE and humic acids were assessed for seed germination and early growth of lettuce and spinach. Among these, most effective treatments were used to analyze postharvest quality of lettuce and spinach. In the laboratory, the application of ANE, HA, and ANE+HA significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved germination and early growth parameters of lettuce and spinach. The combination treatment, 0.25 % ANE and 0.2 % HA (T12) showed 103.2% and 13.1% increase in the radicle length of lettuce and spinach, respectively. Similarly, plumule length was also higher in the presence of ANE, HA, and ANE+HA. Under the greenhouse conditions the weekly application the biostimulants improved biomass in all treatments but fresh and dry biomass in lettuce treated with 0.25 % ANE and 0.2 % HA (T12) were 103.1% and 113.9% respectively, compared with control. Whereas in spinach T12 had increased fresh and dry biomass by 62.9% and 103.3%, respectively. Pre-harvest treatment of lettuce and spinach with the combined ANE and HA significantly reduced fresh biomass loss during storage at 4⁰C for up to 21days. Further visual appearance quality (color, turgor and reduced softening of tissue) was also maintained while the nutritional quality of total antioxidants and phenolics were 1.7 and 1.5 folds, respectively, higher than the control. The preliminary results suggest ANE, HA and combination ANE + HA would enhance seed germination, plant growth and retain post-harvest quality of lettuce and spinach.


title: Language's Empire: A Counter-Telling of Administrative Law in Canada

contributor:
Faculty of Law
Master of Laws
Richard Devlin
Kim Brooks
Richard Devlin
Sheila Wildeman
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Law
Jurisprudence
Administrative Law
Deconstruction
Pragmatism

abstract: This thesis renders the unstated assumptions that animate statutory interpretation in the administrative state. It argues that the current approach is a disingenuous rhetorical overlay that masks the politics of definitional meaning. After rejecting the possibility of structuring principles in our (post)modern oversaturation of signs, the thesis concludes with an aspirational account of interpretive pragmatism in the face of uncertainty.


title: Exploring the Potential of the Native Microbial Consortium in Municipal Organics Composts for Biodegradation of Plastic Wastes

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Dr Gordon Price
Gordon Price
Young Ki Chang
Lord Abbey
Svetlana Yurgel
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Compost
Metagenomics
Microbiome
Compost age

abstract: One of the biggest challenges to the compost industries is plastic contamination. Microorganisms have been reported to have the potential to decompose plastics. A research using next generation amplicon sequencing was conducted to study the microbial diversity and structure of compost piles ranging in age between 2 and 10 years from four compost facilities within Nova Scotia. Five different compost with partially decomposed plastics were randomly collected from compost piles at each location. Additionally, bulk compost samples within 10-cm radius around the sampled partially decomposed plastics were also collected. The bacterial phyla: Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and fungi Ascomycota were abundant across all facilities.  Our result indicated significant differences in compost microbiomes within compost facilities, which might be related to compost chemical parameters, age of piles and feedstock. However, the presence of plastics in compost had no significant effect on the structure of microbial community the emphasizing inert nature of plastic.


title: Decolonizing Childbirth: Inuit Midwifery and the Return of Delivery to the Canadian North

contributor: Department of International Development Studies

subject:
Midwifery
Inuit
Maternal Health
Decolonial
Midwife

abstract:
Since the 1970s, the mandatory evacuation of Inuit women to southern Canada for hospitalized
childbirth has resulted in many negative impacts on communities including a loss of culture in
the form of traditional knowledge and midwifery practices, negative health and social outcomes
due to emotional, physical, and economic stressors, and a loss of autonomy and decision-making
in pregnancy and childbirth. Furthermore, it is part of a larger historical pattern of Western
biomedicine enforced on northern populations as a method of colonization and assimilation.
Using the framework of colonial governmentality, this research examines two Inuit midwifery
programs currently operating in Inuit land-claim areas of Northern Canada—the Inuulitsivik
Maternities in Nunavik, QC and the Rankin Inlet Birthing Centre in Rankin Inlet, NU. A social
determinants of health framework is applied to identify the ways in which Inuit midwifery
programs provide a holistic and culturally respectful childbirth option by addressing social
determinants in a way that the mandatory evacuation system cannot. These programs address
maternal health in a holistic community-based model, taking into account cultural and social
determinants of health, and provide a viable way of returning birth to the North. This is a return
of both the physical birth event and a restoration and revitalization of Inuit childbirth knowledge
to the community. Inuit midwifery further works as a force for decolonization, taking into
account the historical trauma of colonial medicine and providing a model for Indigenous
midwifery systems across Canada.


title: Violence Against Refugee Women and Mitigation Programs: Highlighting the Perspectives of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

subject:
violence against women
gender based violence
social ecological theory
PGN
SGN
Lebanon
Syria
Refugees
GAD theory

abstract: Refugee women and girls are among those most vulnerable to violence. This thesis examines how Syrian refugees view efforts to prevent and address such violence in their host community. Through interviews with both NGO staff and Syrian refugees in Lebanon in 2017, the research highlights the context of violence against refugee women, examines what refugees consider violence against women to be, outlines services available, and discusses the views of refugees hesitating in availing themselves of the services such organizations offer, focusing on cultural norms, priorities, privacy, and lack of trust of the system. Nevertheless, this research shows that despite such hesitations, participants also recognize that these organizations are providing safe spaces for women and girls and contributing to changing patriarchal attitudes which are at the root of violence against women everywhere.


title: Evaluation of Machine Learning Models for Patient Data De-identification in Clinical Records

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Computer Science
Michael McAllister
Dr. Vlado Keselj
Dr. Srinivas Sampalli
Dr. Stan Matwin
Dr. Aaron Gerow
Not Applicable
No
No

subject:
Privacy
De-identification
Protected Health Information
HIPAA
Natural Language Processing
Sequence Labelling
Conditional Random Fields
Semi-CRF
Neural-CRF

abstract: In research that involves medical records, it is important that patient-identifiable details are removed before the records are made available for research, a requirement enforced by the HIPAA Privacy Rule and Public Law 104-191. De-identification is the redaction or masking of individually identifiable pieces of patient health information (PHI) from the clinical notes to protect the patient's identity from being exposed. With an increasing adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) in healthcare industries, there is an increasingly large amount of medical information available in digital format. Performing de-identification on such large collections of records is a challenging task to complete manually. Automated de-identification systems address this issue by automatically tagging the free-text medical records. The primary objective of this research is to explore automated techniques in natural language processing for de-identifying unstructured health records. To facilitate studies in automatic de-identification using statistical models, my work provides an overview of the evaluation results of a core NLP based de-identification model. My thesis describes the complexities in learning the variants of the model in the parameter space, explains performance metrics (precision, recall, and F1 measure) of the models, compare results with a rule-based de-identification system and finally provides directions for future research. The data used for evaluation consisted of three different types of medical notes: discharge summaries, longitudinal medical records, and nursing notes. Through model-specific feature engineering and introduction of hidden neural gates (model parameter) to the core model, a highest tag-level F1-measure of 0.967 on discharge summaries was achieved. For this task, in cases where more importance should be given to precision, the F1 measure can over-weight recall. The performance results from all models are encouraging and provide scope for future work. Overall this thesis intends to increase practitioners' understanding of the nature of de-identification models and how they are trained, to help preserve medical information while not compromising the privacy of individuals.


identifier: Poirier-McKiggan, R. (2018). Motivations in Grassroots Bartering Economies: A Case Study on Bunz Trading Zone Halifax [K’jipuktuk, Mi’kma’ki]. College of Sustainability Honours Theses.

abstract: As a result of a mainstream economy believed to be ill equipped to counter pressing issues of climate change, ecological overshoot, wealth inequalities, corporate concentration, poverty and job insecurity, declining democracy, and trends in individual and collective wellbeing that lag behind Gross Domestic Product increases, everyday people are turning to grassroots alternative economy projects to enact a different economic future responsive to their needs and aspirations. This study inquires into alternative systems of provision in grassroots alternative economy projects. It contributes to a greater understanding of the values, concerns and needs that motivate and sustain members’ participation in a grassroots bartering economy, and features a case study on a grassroots barter system in Halifax, Nova Scotia [K’jibuktuk, Mi’kma’ki], known as Bunz Trading Zone Halifax. At present, Bunz Trading Zone Halifax and its spinoffs of Bunz Helping Zone, Housing Zone, and Baby Zone, have an impressive membership of over thirty thousand people, and accounts for 6.4 percent of the Halifax Regional Municipality population. Bunz Trading Zone Halifax forms part of a national and international network of over 250 Bunz communities in which Bunz Trading Zone Halifax is the fastest growing in the network. Through exploratory, qualitative and in-depth interviews with leaders and general members, this study probes the motivations in participating in Bunz Trading Zone Halifax, the extent to which motivations were shared among participants and the barriers and opportunities in meeting those motivations.


title: Smart Devices in Criminal Investigations:  How Section 8 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms can better Protect Privacy in the Search of Technology and Seizure of Information

contributor:
Faculty of Law
Master of Laws
Professor Robert Currie
Lucie Guibault
Professor Lucie Guibault
Professor Stephen Coughlan
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Criminal
Technology
Search
Seizure
Digital information
Internet of Things
Surveillance
Biographical Core
Dignity

abstract: This thesis examines the jurisprudence from the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) on informational privacy under section 8 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as it relates to searches of technology in the context of criminal investigations.   The development and use of technology in criminal investigations will be detailed along with an overview of the current state of the law in this area.  Challenges with the interpretation of section 8 demonstrate a prevalent uncertainty.  This thesis proposes a new approach for the SCC to apply to cases where technology intersects with section 8 of the Charter.  The proposal rests on a clearer and broader understanding of privacy along with measurable categories for more predictable outcomes.


title: Aesthetic Scandal and Accessibility: The Subversive Simplicity of Rupi Kaur’s milk and honey

contributor:
Department of English
Master of Arts
Dr. Jason Haslam
Dr. Erin Wunker
Dr. Julia Wright
Dr. Leonard Diepeveen
Dr. Erin Wunker
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
aesthetics
Poetry
Kaur, Rupi
CanLit
difficulty
scandal

abstract: Rupi Kaur’s debut poetry collection, milk and honey, has been accused of inadequate difficulty by critics and consumers seeking to discredit her work. What is difficulty in poetry, and why is it so central to poetic value? Difficulty in poetry is an affective response to a variety of writing strategies that obstruct a reader's interpretive capabilities. It has remained a central aesthetic priority in poetry since the early twentieth century, a legacy of high modernism. It can also be understood as a reading practice, by which readers can work through such interpretive challenges. Kaur’s poetic style is direct and accessible, which disrupts the systems of value that typically support poetic work by resisting difficult reading practices. Kaur’s non-difficulty frustrates many of her readers and critics, creating an aesthetic scandal around her work. Her non-difficulty, however, can be valued as a subversion of dominant aesthetic values in poetry.


title: Management of goldenrods (Solidago spp.) in wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) fields

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Dr. David Yarborough
Dr. Gordon Price
Dr.Qamar Zaman and Dr.Nathan Boyd
Dr.Scott White
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: Goldenrods Wildblueberry

abstract:
Weeds are considered a major yield limiting factor in wild blueberry fields, and creeping
herbaceous perennials have become common and problematic. Goldenrods are creeping
herbaceous perennial weed that reproduces by seeds and extensive underground rhizomes. Current
management plans do not provide adequate control of goldenrod in each production year.
Therefore, it remains a serious problem in wild blueberry cropping systems. Multiple experime nts
were conducted over two years to evaluate 1) summer broadcast herbicide applications, 2) summer
and fall spot herbicide applications, 3) mechanical control, 4) optimum timing of mechanical and
chemical control, and 5) main and interactive effects of mechanical and chemical control on
goldenrods to develop an integrated management plan to control goldenrod species in wild
blueberry fields. Post-emergence broadcast applications of mesotrione followed by sequentia l
mesotrione application at 14, 21 and 28 days after initial application (DAIA), as well as mesotrione
alone or tank mixed with bicyclopyrone, effectively controlled goldenrod shoots in the non-bearing
and bearing year. Summer spot applications of glyphosate and mesotrione reduced goldenrod shoot
density in both the non-bearing and bearing years. In addition, fall spot applications of glyphosate
significantly reduced goldenrod shoots in the following year after application. Repeated cutting at
the floral bud stage significantly reduced goldenrod shoot density in the non-bearing year, but not
the bearing year. Glyphosate application at all growth stages, but particularly at flowering, caused
a significant reduction in goldenrod shoot density in both the non-bearing and bearing years. In
another experiment, glyphosate applied alone followed by nothing at the floral bud stage
significantly decreased shoot density in both years. Based on these results, cutting twice had
limited effects on goldenrod, and herbicides are recommended for goldenrod management in wild
blueberries.


title: THE EFFECTS OF SOLUTE CARRIER ORGANIC ANION TRANSPORTERS ON JADOMYCIN PHARMACOLOGY IN BREAST CANCER

contributor:
College of Pharmacy
Master of Science
Dr. David Jakeman
Dr. Vasantha Rupasinghe
Dr. David Jakeman
Dr. Kerry Goralski
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Breast Cancer
Drug Transporters
SLCO
Jadomycins
Multi-drug Resistance

abstract:
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, and often becomes multidrug-resistant (MDR). Jadomycins are experimental chemotherapeutics that maintain cytotoxicity in MDR breast cancer cells and investigating the jadomycin uptake mechanism is critical. We hypothesized that solute carrier transporters (SLCO) mediate jadomycin uptake, facilitating jadomycin cytotoxicity in MDR breast cancer cells. The objectives were to determine the expression patterns of 11 SLCOs in seven breast cancer cell lines (using quantitative polymerase chain reaction), and then determine the impact of SLCO knockdown on jadomycin cytotoxicity (using lentivirus transduction and MTT assay).
   The expression of the SLCOs varied with breast cancer cell type and MDR status. Knockdown cells of the highest expressed SLCOs, SLCO4A1 and SLCO3A1 in MCF7-CON cells did not alter jadomycin S or doxorubicin cytotoxicity. The lack of effect of knocking down individual SLCOs suggests that several SLCO transporters may govern jadomycin uptake allowing for their broad-spectrum activity in MDR breast cancer.


title: Face validity of the Multiple Errands Test with youth in a community setting

contributor:
School of Occupational Therapy
Master of Science
Leanne Leclair
Grace Warner
Diane MacKenzie
Brenda Merritt
Joan Versnel
Diane MacKenzie
Received
Yes
Not Applicable

subject:
Multiple Errands Test
executive function
adolescent
young adult
face validity

abstract: The Multiple Errands Test (MET) is a performance-based assessment of the impact of executive dysfunction in the real-world. For youth (age 16-24) who sustain acquired brain injury, distinguishing gaps in typical development of executive function from acquired impairment(s) can be challenging. A scoping review found no studies examining youth performance on the MET. A revised youth MET (yMET) was developed from a focus group and field tested.  The yMET was relevant and cognitively challenging for youth, with older youth performing better than younger.  Preliminary results indicate that future studies with the yMET are feasible and warranted.


title: STUDYING LONG TERM LI-ION ELECTROLYTE DEGREDATION USING LITHIUM ION DIFFERENTIAL THERMAL ANALYSIS

contributor: Department of Physics & Atmospheric Science

subject: Lithium ion Differential Thermal Analysis

subject: Electrolyte

subject: Experimental Techniques

subject: Lithium ion batteries

abstract:
Lithium ion cells contain liquid electrolytes that degrade over the lifetime of the cell. Though the results of this degradation are well understood, the pathways are not.  Lithium ion differential thermal analysis (Li-ion DTA) is a non-destructive in-situ method for probing the state of an electrolyte in a cell.  This functions by controlled cooling and heating through the freezing point of the electrolyte.  The temperature signal of the cell will then show phase transitions that can be associated with the components of the electrolyte.
This thesis discusses several experiments using this method.  These are: a proof of concept of the creation of salt-solvent diagrams, a long term study of the effects of cycling on standard electrolytes, a short term test, that examines the effects of high voltage on electrolyte composition.  These experiments have resulted in the creation of a method to study electrolyte molarity in situ.


title: IDLE, ABLE-BODIED AND UNDESERVING: THE PERSISTENCE OF UNDESERT IN WESTERN POLITICAL THOUGHT

contributor:
Department of Political Science
Master of Arts
Dr. Ruben Zaiotti
Dr. Katherine Fierlbeck
Dr. Louise Carbert
Dr. Florian Bail
Dr. Katherine Fierlbeck
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Distributive justice
Guaranteed income
Basic income
Political theory
Theories of Desert

abstract: A philosophical essay that interrogates the coherence and normative force of the work ethic-based conceptions of desert, in relation to contextual factors. It also offers an explanation for their persistence by demonstrating that they reflect relations of power and secure different loci of influence.

abstract: This essay argues against the idea that desert of a good life must be contingent on work. To do so, I document the increasing preeminence, over time, of conceptions of desert based solely in the work ethic. The idea that some people wilfully choose not to work due to moral perversity – and are thus undeserving of social assistance – stems from these conceptions. I argue that this position suffers from normative and logical weaknesses and is increasingly anachronistic in advanced post-industrial societies. If the scope of analysis is limited in this manner, and we assume that, in this context, goods and wealth are increasingly abundant, and redistributable without adverse economic consequences, while opportunities for employment are scarce – particularly during recessions – then the force of these ideas is considerably weakened. However, their persistence is explained not by their philosophical force, but rather by how they sustain the diffuse power relations endemic to market society.


title: A Change Can Do You Good? The Adaptability of Three Forest Birds to the Moose-browsed Grassland of Cape Breton Highlands National Park

contributor: School for Resource & Environmental Studies

subject:
Forest Ecology
Moose browse
Forest songbirds
Song types
Song modes
Black-and-white Warbler
Forest fragmentation
Songbird territory habitat

abstract: Bird Studies Canada (BSC) found that Blue-headed Vireo (BHVI) (Vireo solitarius), Yellow-bellied (YBFL) (Empidonax flaviventris), and Black-and-white Warbler (BAWW) (Mniotilta varia) showed no preference for forest amongst the moose-browsed grassland of North Mountain, Cape Breton Highlands National Park (CBHNP). We used point-counts and forest vegetation metrics from remote sensing data to test whether expanding the scale of vegetation characterization around point locations would increase the association of these songbirds to forest. We used song modes to determine BAWW pairing success in the grassland as well as vegetation sampling to identify differences between paired and unpaired territories. Results showed more unpaired males, weak evidence of differences between the song modes between paired and unpaired BAWW males, as well as no differences in habitat quality. BHVI and BAWW showed seven significant relationships to forest in some years, but overall there was high between-year variation for all the three species.


title: MONNICA’S CONVERSION: A COMMENTARY ON CONFESSIONS IX.VIII.17 – IX.XIII.37

contributor:
Department of Classics
Master of Arts
Eli Diamond
Eli Diamond
Peter O'Brien
Michael Fournier
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Yes

subject:
Monnica
Augustine, of Hippo, Saint, 354-430
Book IX
Confessions

abstract:
Augustine’s biography of his mother, Monnica, in Confessions IX.viii.17 to IX.xiii.37 is
the story of her conversion. Augustine presents her biography using the same pattern of
conversion with which he structures his own conversion and the Confessions as a whole.
First identified by Robert Crouse, this pattern is summarised in Augustine’s commentary
on Psalm 145, in which he describes the soul’s conversion as a movement away from carnal
experience to a vision of the intelligible principles by which the soul is able to comprehend
the meaning of those experiences, and finally to a vision of the divine source of the whole
created order which includes the soul’s own being, knowing, and willing: ab exterioribus
ad interiora, ab inferioribus ad superiora. By means of his mother’s conversion, Augustine
achieves the final step necessary for his own conversion.


title: SETTING THE AGENDA: AN EXAMINATION OF NON-STATE ACTORS' IMPACT ON FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY DISCUSSIONS

contributor: Department of Sociology & Social Anthropology

subject: Paris Agreement

subject: environmental policy

subject: agenda-setting

subject: claims-making tactics

subject: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992 May 9). Protocols, etc. (2015 December 12)

abstract: Literature on social movement studies and public management both question whether non-state actors play an influential role in forming public policies. This thesis contributes to these debates by examining non-state actors’ agenda-setting capacity, which is a precursor to influencing policy decisions. This is achieved by comparing environmental non-governmental organizations’ (ENGOs) advocacy versus official policy debates concerning the Paris Agreement to assess the presence of other non-state actors. Overall, I find little evidence that ENGOs or other non-state actors play an agenda-setting role in the public climate change policy field, suggesting that public discussion of policy formation remains the exclusive purview of the state. I offer two possible explanations of ENGOs’ limited impact on public policy discussions, firstly that ENGOs frame their claims in a way that policy makers are not receptive to and that their use of institutional claims-making tactics are easily ignored by policy makers.


title: Tlilnuo'lti'k - Weji-sqalia'timk - How we will be Mi'kmaq on our land: Working together with Pictou Landing First Nation to redefine a healthy community.

subject:
Indigenous
environment
risk assessment
Indigenous methodology
Two-eyed seeing
land displacement
environmental dispossession
First Nation
Pictou Landing First Nation
health

abstract:
For decades Pictou Landing First Nation (PLFN), a small Mi’kmaq community on the northern shore of Nova Scotia, has been told that the health of their community has not been impacted by a pulp and paper mill dumping 85 million litres of effluent per day into a lagoon that was once a culturally significant body of water, known as A’se’k, which borders their community. Yet, based on lived experience, the community believes otherwise. Despite countless government and industry-sponsored studies, their concerns have not gone away. In 2010, the Pictou Landing Native Women’s Group committed to find out whether their health was being affected by the Boat Harbour Effluent Treatment Facility (BHETF). This dissertation is a result of those efforts.
I employ biopolitical theory and biopower to explore the role of the state in maintaining a narrative that diminished the concerns raised by the community. I then use environmental and social justice theory to determine whether the (in)action of the state constitutes an environmental and social injustice. I use a Piktukowaq environmental health theoretical framework to explore the intimate and sacred connection of the Piktukowaq to A’se’k. Guided by Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing), which brings together the strengths of western and Indigenous knowledge systems, I employ a community-based participatory research methodology to gather culturally appropriate health data, and use a Piktukowaq environmental health research methodology to guide the interpretation of oral histories coming from the Knowledge Holders in PLFN. Through this approach I was able to determine that the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health of PLFN has been impacted by the BHETF, which has been compounded by structural determinants of health reflective of the colonial relationship of the state to Indigenous peoples in Canada, which has put the community at risk. The findings reveal that not only does methodology matter, but that a new approach to environmental health risk assessment is appropriate in instances where Indigenous communities may be impacted by land displacement and environmental dispossession.


identifier: Ames, D. (2018). Shifting Views: The Citadel Hill Viewplanes and Historic Functions. College of Sustainability Honours Theses.


title: Phase Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage

contributor:
Department of Chemistry
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. John M. Shaw
Dr. Peng Zhang
Dr. Josef Zwanziger
Dr. T. Bruce Grindley
Dr. Mark Obrovac
Dr. Mary Anne White
Not Applicable
Yes
Yes

subject:
Energy Storage
Phase Change Materials
Supercooling
Fatty Acids
Nucleation
Form-Stable

abstract:
Phase change materials (PCM) offer promise for thermal energy storage. PCMs store heat primarily through the enthalpy change of a phase transition, typically melting. A PCM’s melting and crystallization temperatures should both be within the application’s temperature range. Thus, supercooling presents a challenge for some PCMs. Other challenges include low thermal conductivity and containment of the liquid phase.
Two types of organic molecular materials are identified here as promising for PCM use: compounds with long alkyl chains (e.g., fatty acids), and materials with extensive hydrogen bonding in the solid phase (e.g., sugar alcohols).
Fatty acids are attractive PCMs, in part because they crystallize with minimal supercooling. Fatty acid nucleation was studied here to understand why they crystallize so easily, as a step toward identifying potential mechanisms to suppress supercooling in other PCMs. The crystallization of fatty acids was studied by differential scanning calorimetry, and liquid phase organization was investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering, NMR spectroscopy, and dielectric constant measurements. It is proposed that fatty acids nucleate via a non-classical pathway involving aggregation of ordered clusters in the liquid, and that supercooling in sugar alcohols could be suppressed by templating similar regions of order using hydrogen bonding-active surfaces.
Novel freeze-cast form-stable PCMs were prepared to combat the low thermal conductivity of organic PCMs while containing the liquid phase. Thirteen types of freeze-cast scaffolds were prepared and were used in combination with six different PCMs. Composites were evaluated based on PCM loading, cyclability, heat capacity, thermal conductivity, melting point, enthalpy of fusion, microstructure, and hardness. Alumina/dodecanoic acid composites were found to be especially promising with thermal conductivity of 3.2 W m-1 K-1 at 300 K and 38 mass % loading.
NaOH-treated pyrolyzed chitosan scaffolds prepared with zirconium acetate were used to make form-stable PCMs with extremely high PCM loading. These scaffolds had active surfaces that promoted nucleation in erythritol. Supercooling of erythritol was reduced from ~ 80 K to ~ 2 K using the templating agent. This is the first report of near-total suppression of supercooling in erythritol by passive means.


title: Examination of Measurement Techniques Used for Current and Emerging UV Treatment Technologies

contributor:
Department of Civil Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Dr. Hany El Naggar
Dr. Rob Jamieson
Dr. Jan Haelssig
Dr. Graham Gagnon
Not Applicable
Yes
Yes

subject:
UV Disinfection
Wastewater
UV-LED
E.coli
Monitoring
ATP

abstract: A rapid monitoring technique for UV disinfection and the impact that characterizing UV-LED based collimated beam apparatuses has on computed inactivation rates were studied. A biomass recovery method was developed to monitor UV disinfection efficacy using adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP quantification immediately before and after UV treatment, which takes only minutes, shows little reduction in the microbial population. The biomass recovery method incorporates an incubation step to encourage life cycling of microbes and allows for quantification of UV disinfection using an ATP assay in 4 hr. UV-LEDs are inherently different then traditional mercury-based technologies. This study found that inactivation rates of E. coli were underestimated when a radiometer was used to determine average intensities. A protocol which accounts for the inherent differences of UV-LEDs was developed to more accurately determine UV inactivation rates. Overall, two new methods are presented to further the ability to monitor and research UV based technologies.


title: STACKED DENOISING AUTOENCODER BASED PRICE PREDICTION AND CLUSTERING OF REAL ESTATE PROPERTIES

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Computer Science
Dr. Michael J. McAllister
Dr. Evangelos Milios
Dr. Luis Torgo
Dr. Stan Matwin
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Machine learning
Data Analytics
Neural network
Real estate analysis

abstract:
This work develops a framework for residential real estate price prediction and clustering properties in Nova Scotia province. It differs from other studies by covering large geographic area and by defining submarkets. We also used stacked denoising autoencoder to reduce the dimensionality and used two-level clustering approach (self organizing map and K-means) for clustering real estate properties. In addition, we test with different submarkets, different training period, different geographical features,
and regularizer to improve the accuracy of the model.