contributor:
Goellnicht, Donald
English and Cultural Studies

subject:
Asian Canadian Literature
Pedagogy
Canadian Literature
Social Justice
Trauma Fiction
Risk
Ecological Justice
Detective Fiction

abstract:
Teacher, Detective, Witness, Activist: On Pedagogy and Social Justice in Asian
Canadian Literature undertakes a critical consideration of the relationship
between pedagogy, social justice, and Asian Canadian literature. The project
argues for a recognition of Asian Canadian literature as a creative site concerned
with social justice that also productively and problematically becomes a tool in
the pursuit of justice in literature classrooms of Canadian universities. The
dissertation engages with the politics of reading and, by extension, of teaching
social justice in the literature classroom through analyses of six high-profile,
canonical works of Asian Canadian literature: Joy Kogawa’s Obasan (1981),
SKY Lee’s Disappearing Moon Café (1990), Kerri Sakamoto’s The Electrical
Field (1998), Madeleine Thien’s Certainty (2006), Ruth Ozeki’s A Tale for the
Time Being (2013), and Rita Wong’s forage (2007). These texts are in many ways
about the reproduction of national, colonial, and neo-colonial pedagogies, a
reproduction of teachings informing subject formation and citizenship from which
higher education is not exempt. The dissertation analyzes the texts’ treatment of
familial and national reproduction, and the narrative temporalities this treatment
invokes, in order to think through the political and social reproduction that occurs
in classrooms of Canadian post-secondary education. This project raises a number
of questions: Do literature instructors engage their students as investigators in the
pursuit of justice? And, if so, what type of justice do we seek to reproduce in
doing so? What happens when instructors engage students in the work of
witnessing fictional testaments of historical trauma, albeit indirectly, as readers?
How might we acknowledge and work through the resistance to learning that
traumatic testimony can invoke? And finally, might it be productive to think of
the work that literature instructors do as a form of activism? Can social justice be
conceived of as a pedagogical project that unfolds in the literature classroom?

abstract: Dissertation

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

abstract: This dissertationt turns to the literature of Asian Canada to think through how we learn and are resistant to learning from historical injustice and about social justice. Chapter One argues that Joy Kogawa's Obasan, Kerri Sakamoto's The Electrical Field, and SKY Lee's Disappearing Moon Cafe each play with the detective fiction genre in their treatments of anti-Japanese and -Chinese racism in Canada to upset a definition of justice as stable and finite. Chapter Two examines Madeleine Thien's Certainty and Ruth Ozeki's A Tale for the Time Being as works of trauma fiction that can tell us a lot about the resistance difficult knowledge can provoke. Chapter Three turns to a book of poetry, Rita Wong's forage, to contemplate the temporal and emotional dimensions of everyday, anti-racist and ecological activism; this chapter highlights the limits of discourses of social justice predicated on risk and anxiety.


title: THE PALLIATIVE AND THERAPEUTIC HARMONIZATION (PATH) PROGRAM IN THE LONG TERM CARE HOME SETTING

contributor:
Kaasalainen, Sharon
Nursing

subject:
advance care planning
long-term care home

abstract: The Palliative and Therapeutic Harmonization (PATH) program was designed to help frail older adults and their family members prepare for and make medical decisions, in the context of frailty and dementia. This sandwich thesis includes three manuscripts that present the findings from a mixed methods study exploring the implementation and outcomes of the PATH program, in three long-term care (LTC) home settings. The purpose of the first sub study was to describe both the perceived need for the PATH program, and initial reactions following its training and implementation. Quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with bereaved family members showed that prior to implementation, they were mostly satisfied with their relatives’ end-of-life care. Through qualitative interviews, clinical leaders shared a positive impression of the training and PATH principles. They also explained how the PATH program could help them improve palliative and end-of-life care planning and communication with residents and families. In the second sub study, qualitative interviews were conducted with family members to learn about their experiences with and perceived outcomes from the PATH program. All family members had a positive experience. They shared perceived outcomes such as, opportunities to share and learn about their relative’s health status and trajectory, creating a mutual understanding of directions for care, and receiving support and reassurance for health care decision making. Finally, the purpose of the third sub study was to describe both the perceived outcomes of the staff who implemented the PATH program, and differences in documenting residents’ advance care plans and discussions. Staff described both personal and practice related outcomes. In addition, documentation around advance care planning changed with the program’s implementation. Overall, the PATH program offered frail older adults, their family members and their professional caregivers an opportunity to communicate about and prepare to make decisions for palliative and end-of-life care.

abstract: Dissertation

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: How Hospital Social Workers Address Poverty

contributor:
Sammon, Sheila
Social Work

subject: Poverty, healthcare, barriers, system, stigma

abstract:
This research study began with an interest in understanding how social workers address poverty and/or low income in hospital settings. It discusses the ways in which hospital social workers address poverty in front line practice, while connecting how the experience of poverty and/or low income can further complicate one’s health and access to healthcare.  This paper also discusses the ways that macro political ideologies, structural barriers and societal stigma impact how social workers address poverty in frontline hospital practice.
Poverty is a social determinant of health, which is why understanding how hospital social workers address poverty in front line practice is important.  Given the influence of neoliberalism and its impact on the growing gap between the rich and poor, it is suggested that poverty and low/income will continue throughout Canadian society.  This paper also discusses, how accessing healthcare and navigating the system may become difficult for those experiencing poverty.
This study is based on a thematic analysis of the findings from six semi-structured interviews with individuals practicing as social workers in two large teaching hospitals in southern Ontario. The data is interpreted and discussed using a critical framework, specifically, anti-oppressive practice and Marx theory.
The subsequent findings indicate that in practice front-line social workers address poverty in practical ways. Major themes that emerged from this research include: addressing stigma, navigating “the system”, systemic and structural barriers, no family, no friends, and connecting with resources.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Social Work (MSW)


title: Addressing Inequalities: Aboriginal Health Access Centres in Urban Ontario

contributor:
Kapiriri, Lydia
Health and Aging

subject:
health inequalities
social determinants of health
Aboriginal health
urban
integrated healthcare
service provision
Ontario
Canada

abstract: Despite the development of an Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy (AHWS), which implemented Aboriginal Health Access Centres (AHACs) to provide integrated healthcare including both mainstream and traditional services, health inequalities persist among the urban Aboriginal population in Ontario. There are multiple social determinants of health (SDOH) besides access to healthcare that affect Aboriginal health. The objectives of this study were to describe the past and current policy strategies to address Aboriginal health in Ontario, and to investigate the ways that service providers perceive health inequalities, demonstrating whether the SDOH are considered in service provision to urban Aboriginal clients. In addition to a document review, interviews were held with representatives from three provincial ministries involved with the AHWS. Through a community engagement research strategy, nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with service providers from various departments within an urban AHAC. Interviews were analyzed using a modified grounded theory, which was guided by the SDOH framework. In understanding policy development, themes included: collaboration with Aboriginal communities and improving access to holistic care. In approaching service provision, themes included: perceived health inequalities and their determinants, what is being done and what must be done to address health inequalities and the use of the SDOH framework in practice. Findings suggest that service providers accurately identify the health needs of their clients, and utilize the SDOH to understand the causes of inequalities, however the SDOH cannot be fully addressed at the service provision level. The SDOH framework must be utilized at the policy level, in order to effectively address the wider determinants of health through intersectoral collaboration between provincial ministries and Aboriginal communities.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: mCPP modulates compulsive checking behaviour in rats: Neurobiological and behavioural correlates of a potential role for serotonergic stimulation in the quinpirole sensitization model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

subject:
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Animal model
Compulsive checking
Rat
Dopamine
Serotonin
Quinpirole
mCPP
Security motivation

abstract:
The 5-HT agonist drug mCPP contributed to a 5-HT hypothesis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but the effects of the drug in human and animal studies have been inconsistent.  The objective of this thesis was to shed light on the behavioural and neurobiological effects of mCPP using the quinpirole sensitization rat model of OCD and in a reciprocal manner, to use the drug to further reveal behavioural and neurobiological components of the animal model.  The utility in using the quinpirole model is that the process of analysis by experimentation can be employed to observe effects of the drug on three separate behavioural components identified to underlie the model compulsive behaviour: vigor, focus and satiety.
	Four original studies were designed to address this objective, and the findings yielded novel contributions to the literature.  We suggest that mCPP attenuates compulsive checking by attenuating the exacerbated vigor and satiety characteristic of compulsive behavior, but this effect may not have been captured in previous clinical studies because OCD was measured as a unitary phenomenon across different symptom subtypes.  We also reveal that separate systems underlie the development and performance of compulsive behaviour in the animal model, and mCPP reduces its performance but not its development.  Hence, the animal model findings suggest that mCPP can attenuate performance of OCD behavior but the drug does not reverse the pathology of OCD or arrest the pathogenesis of OCD.  Neurobiologically, we hypothesize that the underlying mechanism mediating the response to mCPP is mediated downstream of the nucleus accumbens core (NAc), at the substantia nigra pars reticulata, based on the finding that the effects of mCPP on vigor and satiety are present in NAc lesioned animals. Finally, although findings of this thesis indicate that 5-HT2A/C receptors do not mediate the response to mCPP, an oppositional role for DA and 5-HT on the model of compulsive behaviour is proposed, consistent with a security motivation theory of OCD.  Overall, this thesis shed new light on the effects of mCPP on OCD, and reveals novel neurobiological and behavioural correlates of the quinpirole model.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The 2nd-Order Smooth Variable Structure Filter (2nd-SVSF) for State Estimation: Theory and Applications

contributor:
Habibi, Saied
Mechanical Engineering

subject: Robust State Estimation, 2nd-Order Smooth Variable Structure Filter, Fault Detection and Diagnosis

abstract:
Kalman-type filtering methods are mostly designed based on exact knowledge of the system’s model with known parameters. In real applications, there may be considerable amount of uncertainties about the model structure, physical parameters, level of noise, and initial conditions. In order to overcome such difficulties, robust state estimation techniques are recommended. This PhD thesis presents a novel robust state estimation method that is referred to as the 2nd-order smooth variable structure filter (2nd-order SVSF) and satisfies the first and second order sliding conditions. It is an extension to the 1st-order SVSF introduced in 2007. In the 1st-order SVSF chattering is reduced by using a smoothing boundary layer; however, the 2nd-order SVSF alleviates chattering by preserving the second order sliding condition. It reduces the estimation error and its first difference until the existence boundary layer is reached. Then after, it guarantees that the estimation error and its difference remain bounded given bounded noise and modeling uncertainties. As such, the 2nd-order SVSF produces more accurate and smoother state estimates under highly uncertain conditions than the 1st-order version. The main issue with the 2nd-order SVSF is that it is not optimal in the mean square error sense.
In order to overcome this issue, the dynamic 2nd-order SVSF is initially presented based on a dynamic sliding mode manifold. This manifold introduces a variable cut-off frequency coefficient that adjusts the filter bandwidth. An optimal derivation of the 2nd-order SVSF is then obtained by minimizing the state error covariance matrix with respect to the cut-off frequency matrix. An experimental setup of an electro-hydrostatic actuator is used to compare the performance of the 2nd-order SVSF and its optimal version with other estimation methods such as the Kalman filter and the 1st-order SVSF. Experiments confirm the superior performance of the 2nd-order SVSF given modeling uncertainties.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: A Comparison of Kinematic Flood Routing Methods

contributor:
Smith, A.A.
Civil Engineering

subject:
kinematic flood routing
algebraic examination
numerical experiemtns

abstract:
 To provide a logical framework for the comparison of various methods of kinematic flood routing a general method of kinematic flood routing is developed.

 After presenting the general framework, the properties of the numerical model are investigated by: l. Algebraic examination of the finite difference scheme.
2.Numerical experiments using a high speed digital computer.
3. Comparison of the kinematic flood routing results with results of simulations using the complete one dimensional dynamic representation.

 Particular facets of the numerical kinematic model that were studied included:
1. The stability of the numeric schematizations.
2. The degree of approximation with the finite difference system.                                                                                3. The applicability of kinematic methods to unsteady flow systems.
4. Methods of extending the kinematic solutions to predict attenuation as well as translation of the flood wave through the channel systems.

 The results indicate that kinematic flood routing methods differ primarily in the point about which the finite difference equation is formulated, hereafter termed the nucleus, and that the general framework is capable of emulating such methods as the Muskinghum Method, other non-linear kinematic methods and reservoir routing. By varying the location of the nucleus the stability and degree of approximation is significantly altered. This results in the outflow hydrograph being sensitive to the location of the nucleus and the size of the finite difference steps.

 To facilitate further research and application of the methods outlined in the thesis, a computer program was developed to enable kinematic flood routing to be performed in a natural channel with arbitrary geometry. Furthermore, the data is compatible with a program that is capable of performing a flood routing analysis using a numerical solution of the complete Saint-Venant equations. Documentation of the computer program for kinematic analysis is included with this thesis.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (MEngr)


title: Carbon Balance in a Batch Biochemical Reactor

contributor:
Norman, J.D.
Civil Engineering

subject:
measurement of cellular carbon
combustion

abstract:
 Measurement of cellular carbon has been accomplished by gravimetric, titrimetric or directly measuring CO₂ produced in the combustion of organic carbon in the Carbon Analyzer Gravimetric and titrimetric methods are cumbersome, inaccurate at concentrations higher than 600mg/l.

 The purpose of this series of experiments is to find an alternative method for measuring cellular carbon. The proposed method is based in a carbon balance in which the soluble and gaseous forms of carbon are monitored. Cellular carbon is calculated by subtracting the sum of the soluble and gaseous forms of carbon from the initial total carbon found in the reactor.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (MEngr)


title: Linking Visual Deficits with Neurobiological Changes in Visual Cortex

title: Neural Correlates of Vision Loss

contributor:
Murphy, Kathryn
Neuroscience

subject: visual neuroscience

abstract: During postnatal development, visual experience initiates synaptic plasticity mechanisms that guide the refinement and maturation of visual cortex necessary to support the emergence of visual functions.  Lack of normal visual experience during development can lead to vision loss, a condition called amblyopia.  Additionally, even if our vision developed properly early in life, our vision naturally declines as we age.  The mechanisms underlying vision loss associated with amblyopia and aging are not fully understood, and the studies in this thesis were designed to increase our understanding of the neural basis of vision loss through the linkage of synaptic protein expression to changes in vision.  In the first part of this thesis, I examined the impact of monocular deprivation on synaptic proteins in visual cortex, and on vision.   Using Western blot analysis I showed that monocular deprivation causes a rapid, and sustained loss of AMPAR proteins in the region of cat visual cortex representing the center of vision. Because AMPARs play a key role mediating visual processing, I extended these findings by using behavioural measurements to show that the sustained loss of AMPARs in the central region is correlated with long-lasting binocular acuity deficits that are most severe in the center of vision. These findings showed that disrupting binocular vision early in development leads to experience-dependent changes that are greatest in the center of vision.  In the second part of this thesis, I examined age-related changes in the expression of a group of synaptic proteins associated with glutamatergic and GABAergic synapses. I found an age-related decline in the expression of Ube3A, a protein necessary for ocular dominance plasticity, across sensory and non-sensory regions of cat, macaque, and human cortex.  However,  there was a selective loss of Ube3A relative to other synaptic proteins that occurred only in human cortex.  Finally, I found a substantial age-related decline in expression of both glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic proteins across cat visual cortex, suggesting fewer synapses in aging.  Together, the findings from this thesis provide new insight into the neural basis of vision loss, and provide a foundation for the development of therapeutic interventions for cortical vision loss.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Bending of Sandwhich Beams and Columns

contributor:
Drysdale, Robert G.
Civil Engineering

subject:
structural analysis
sandwich beams
methods of analysis
dimensions and loadings

abstract:
 A detailed synopsis of the state-of-the-art in the field of the Structural Analysis of sandwich beams is presented. Deficiencies, inaccuracies, lack of clarity, and the imposition of unnecessary assumptions of behaviour found in the related bibliography are presented in a comparative fashion. A method of analysis with obvious advantages over the others studied in this thesis is derived, and its use is suggested. The presentation of all methods of analysis is made under the most general cases of dimensions and loadings to make them as applicable as possible to the common cases encountered in sandwich components for the building industry.

 Experimental work carried out on several materials with some potential to be used in sandwich members for buildings and the tests carried out on some sandwich beams and beam-columns are reported.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (MEngr)


title: The Axiom of the One-Mind: Li 理 ("Principle") and Yongming Yanshou's Ontological Paradigm

contributor:
Benn, James A.
Religious Studies

subject: Axiom, Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism, Chan, Li, Principle, Yanshou, Yongming Yanshou, Zongmi

abstract: Yongming Yanshou has been defined in previous scholarship as a "Chan Master," though I contend this designation does little to clarify the type of Buddhism he professed. In this thesis I argue that Yanshou viewed the Chan tradition as a movement completely integrated with the scriptural-based Chinese Buddhist traditions of his day, and Chan lineage, a primary feature around which the Song Chan tradition would base themselves, was only of peripheral concern. Instead, Yanshou took the Chan teachings and the scriptural traditions present in the mid-tenth century and organized them all under the "axiom of the one-mind" (yixin zong). This axiom formed the ontological foundation on which all of Yanshou's Buddhist theory and concepts are based, and through an investigation centering around the concept of li ("principle") in the extant writings of both Yanshou and Zongmi, I argue that Yanshou equated the one-mind (yixin) with li in a way that Zongmi never did, and li for Yanshou became synonymous with the axiom of the one-mind as Yanshou's ontic basis.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Velocity-Dependent Nucleon-Nucleon Potentials

contributor:
Preston, M.A.
Physics

subject: nuclear-matter

subject: hard-core potential

abstract: An investigation is carried out to see whether a nonsingular two-nucleon velocity-dependent potential can give similar results as those of a model hard-core potential in the a-state in nuclear-matter. Reasons for failure of some earlier velocity-dependent model potentials to give saturation in nuclear-matter at reasonable densities are examined and a new velocity-dependent potential is proposed which gives results similar to the model hard-core potential.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: "The Mother is a School": Muslim Mothers and Their Religio-Educative Roles

contributor:
Rothenberg, Celia
Religious Studies

subject: Islam Motherhood Education

abstract: Using found poetry extracted from in-depth ethnographic interviews, this study seeks to explore the experiences and imaginations of eleven Muslim mothers of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), particularly focusing on their religio-educative, child-rearing roles. With strikingly spatial language, participants describe themselves in terms of heroines and poets, while also expressing overwhelming feelings of failure to fulfill self-defined “ideal” motherhood. Using poetic inquiry, this research moves beyond apparent paradoxes, offering the concept of poetic spaces –in-between spaces that are fluid and transformative, navigating everyday truths in relation to religious Truths- to demonstrate the complexity of mothers’ imaginations. This work is also part of a small yet growing line of inquiry, seeking to explore Muslim imagination from an aesthetic perspective, rather then through a predominantly legal lens. Within this small yet important area of inquiry, this work is the first of its kind to focus exclusively on Muslim mothers.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Diagnostic Accuracy Of Patient-reported Lower Extremity Physical Function To Determine Suitability For Total Knee Arthroplasty In Patients With Osteoarthritis

contributor:
Norma, MacIntyre
Rehabilitation Science

subject:
knee osteoarthritis
physical function

abstract:
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating and costly chronic health condition affecting approximately 10% of Canadians.  Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) is an effective procedure restoring quality of life and providing pain relief for patients with knee OA.  The benefits of TKA are well established for patients with knee OA, but determining those who would most benefit is a challenging task.  Physical functioning in patients with knee OA has been shown to be a key factor for appropriateness for TKA.  The Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) and the Oxford Knee Score (OKS) are two patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) measuring physical function that can be utilized to assist health care professionals in determining the need for TKA among this population. The LEFS is a regional PROM consisting of 20 questions asking about activities relating to lower extremity functioning. Questions are scored on a 5-point descriptive scale from 0 (extreme difficulty or unable to perform the activity) to 4 (no difficulty) with a total score of 80.  Higher scores represent higher functioning.  The OKS is a site-specific PROM that asks questions about pain and function and consists of 12 items ranked on a 5-point descriptive scale.  Scores range from 1 to 5 (total score of 60) for each item with lower scores representing higher function.
The purpose of this thesis was to determine the diagnostic accuracy for the LEFS and the OKS for determining appropriateness for TKA in people with primary knee OA.  The hypothesis for the current study was that the LEFS would have higher diagnostic accuracy for appropriateness for TKA compared to the OKS.  A cross-sectional retrospective study of patients with knee OA attending a Regional Joint Assessment Program (RJAP) from January to September 2013 was conducted. Classification of appropriateness for TKA was determined by the attending orthopedic surgeon’s decision at the end of the assessment.  Diagnostic accuracy for the OKS and the LEFS were determined using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve. Cut-off scores were calculated for both outcome measures.
Four hundred and twenty one patients eligible for the study (41.8% males; 66.9 years old) completed the OKS and the LEFS. The diagnostic accuracy for the OKS and the LEFS was determined using the AUC of the ROC curve for each patient-reported measure using Stata ® version 12.1. The cut-off scores were determined as the point on the ROC curve yielding the best sensitivity and specificity for the two outcome measures.  The results showed the LEFS did not have higher diagnostic accuracy (LEFS AUC = 0.686 (95% CI = 0.636 – 0.736); OKS AUC =  0.674 (95% CI = 0.623- 0.724)) for determining appropriateness for TKA in patients with primary knee OA in isolation.  The best cut-off score for those deemed appropriate for TKA among patients with knee OA was 26 out of 80 LEFS points and 42 points out of 60 OKS points.
The results of this thesis agree with previous research reporting that decision-making regarding the need for TKA in patients with knee OA is multi-factorial. Our data confirm that this decision cannot be based on patient-reported physical function alone.  Factors other than or in addition to patient-reported lower limb physical functioning should be considered when determining which patients with knee OA would most benefit from TKA.  Further research evaluating these factors is warranted to improve triage services for patients with knee OA most likely to benefit from TKA.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science Rehabilitation Science (MSc)


title: Growth Response of Eutrema salsugineum Seedlings on Media Containing Different Levels of Potassium

contributor:
Weretilnyk, Elizabeth
Biology

abstract: Potassium (K+) is a macronutrient essential for optimum plant growth and yield. Despite its agricultural significance, farmers frequently overlook the benefits of K+ fertilizers so K+ deficiencies can develop in crops. A defined nutrient medium was devised to assess the response of seedlings of the extremophile crucifer, Eutrema salsugineum (Yukon and Shandong accessions), to conditions lacking added K+ (0 mM K+) or K+ at concentrations of 0.5 and 2.0 mM. Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings were also grown to provide a comparison to a well-documented phenotype for K+ deficiency symptoms. Due to different growth rates, the experiment ended on Days 10 and 15 for Yukon and Shandong Eutrema, respectively, compared to Day 7 for Arabidopsis. Like Arabidopsis, Eutrema shoot and root biomass was reduced in seedlings grown on media lacking K+ relative to plants on 2 mM K+ plates but the reduction in root biomass was most pronounced for Arabidopsis (5-fold) compared to Eutrema (2-fold). Eutrema had significantly shorter primary roots on 0 mM K+ plates and the 1.8-fold decrease relative to Yukon seedlings on 2 mM K+ plates was similar to the 2-fold reduction for Shandong plants. Eutrema seedlings had significantly reduced lateral root growth on 0 mM K+ plates although the 1.8-fold reduction relative to seedlings on 2 mM K+ plates was not as great as the 7-fold decrease for Arabidopsis roots. Shandong seedlings did not show K+- specific changes in root hair morphology but root hairs of Yukon seedlings were over 2- fold longer on 0 mM K+ plates compared to those of roots on 0.5 mM or 2 mM K+ plates. Overall, the data shows that Eutrema seedlings cope well with low K+ conditions but there are accession-specific differences that distinguish Yukon from Shandong plants.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Role of Synapsin II in Neurodevelopment: Delineating the Role of Developmental Medial Prefrontal Cortical Synapsin II Reductions in the Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia

contributor:
Mishra, Ram
Neuroscience

subject:
Synapsin II
Schizophrenia
Neurodevelopment
Prefrontal Cortex
Preclinical Animal Model
Olanzapine

abstract:
Synapsins are primarily neuron-specific proteins critical for neurotransmission, synaptogenesis and synapse maintenance. Synapsin II has been specifically linked with increased susceptibility towards developing schizophrenia. Reduced synapsin II mRNA levels were found in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) of patients with schizophrenia. Moreover, synapsin II knockdown in the medial PFC (mPFC) of the adult rat was previously shown to cause schizophrenia-like behaviour and altered expression levels of vesicular proteins involved in glutamatergic and GABAergic signaling within the mPFC.
The study of schizophrenia in recent years has shifted to focus on neurodevelopmental players which influence disease outcome. This study was designed to establish the link between neurodevelopmental dysregulation of synapsin II and schizophrenia. Specific knockdown of synapsin II was performed in the mPFC at postnatal day (PD) 7 and PD 17-23. Schizophrenia-like behavioural abnormalities were assessed at pre-pubertal (PD 32-35) and post-pubertal (PD 65-70) stages. Protein estimation of vesicular transporters involved in glutamate, GABA, and dopamine neurotransmitter systems were also assessed in the mPFC.
Results from this study indicate (1) synapsin II knockdown during PD 17-23, but not PD 7, caused lasting schizophrenia-like abnormalities (2) abnormalities exhibited permanence at pre-pubertal and post-pubertal stages, and manifested as a function of brain development, (3) behavioural abnormalities were reminiscent of symptoms in established animal models of schizophrenia (i.e. deficits in prepulse inhibition, social withdrawal, locomotor hyperactivity), (4) neurodevelopmental synapsin II alterations induced hypoactive glutamatergic activity through decreased synapsin IIa expression levels (pre-pubertal) and decreased VGLUT-2 expression levels (post-pubertal), and (5) acute olanzapine treatment effectively attenuated schizophrenia-like abnormalities through normalized synapsin IIa expression levels (pre-pubertal) and increased GAD65/67 expression levels (post-pubertal).
Results show the causal link between synapsin II expression during critical neurodevelopmental stages and schizophrenia. Additionally, evidence has been provided for the face, construct, and predictive validities of this newly developed animal model of schizophrenia.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: A MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE PRIMARY MOTOR CORTEX IN HUMANS USING HIGH RESOLUTION ANATOMICAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI)

title: A MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE PRIMARY MOTOR CORTEX USING MRI

contributor:
Bock, Nicholas
Medical Physics

subject:
Magnetic resonance imaging
Myelin
Primary motor cortex
Human
Longitudinal relaxation time
Cortical morphology

abstract:
Myeloarchitecture is a prominent feature that can identify the primary motor and sensory areas in the cerebral cortex and is increasingly imaged in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of cortical parcellation in humans. However, MRI studies of cortical myeloarchitecture are technically difficult for two reasons: the cortex is only a few millimeters thick, and intracortical contrast due to myelin is much smaller than the overall anatomical contrast between cortical tissue and underlying white matter that is typically utilized in imaging. The research in this thesis thus presents specific MRI protocols to visualize intracortical myelin, image processing protocols to delineate the heavily myelinated cortex from the adjacent typical cortex and the application of these techniques in the precentral motor cortex to study morphology of the highly myelinated dorso-medial part, consisting of Brodmann area (BA) 4 and part of BA 6.
Optimization of the MRI protocols involved determining the sequence parameters for a T1-weighted MRI sequence to obtain maximal intracortical contrast at 0.7 mm isotropic resolution in imaging time of 15 min, based on T1 differences between cortex that is myelinated (GMm) or unmyelinated (GM). As part of the optimization, T1 values were measured in the following brain tissues: GM, GMm and white matter (WM). The optimization was carried out by simulating the MRI signal for a 3D, magnetization prepared, gradient echo sequence, using the measured T1 values in the analytical signal equations. It was found that lengthening the time delay at the end of each inner phase encoding loop increased the intracortical contrast. The optimization of MRI protocols also included implementing techniques to reduce radio frequency field (B1) inhomogeneities. It was found that dividing the optimized, T1-weighted MRI with a predominantly proton density weighted image resulted in a ratio image with significantly reduced B1 inhomogeneities.
The goal of the image processing protocols developed in this thesis was to visualize the variation of intracortical myelin across the precentral motor cortex and to delineate its well-myelinated dorso-medial part. The myeloarchitectonic feature that was selected to visualize the variation in intracortical myelination was the thickness of GMm in the deeper parts of the cortex relative to the cortical thickness, referred to as the proportional myelinated thickness (p). To measure p, the following processing steps were performed. The ratio image was segmented into four tissues: GM, GMm, WM and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using fuzzy C-means clustering technique. Using a level set approach, thickness of the cortex was determined as the distance between the outer boundaries of GM and WM and thickness of GMm or myelinated thickness (m) was determined as the distance between the outer boundaries of GMm and WM. The proportional myelinated thickness p, was calculated as follows: p= m/t. The well-myelinated dorso-medial part of the precentral cortex, referred to as Mm, was distinguishable from the adjacent cortex when the proportional myelinated thickness was projected on the outer cortical surface.
The optimized MRI and image processing techniques developed in this thesis were used to investigate cortical plasticity in amputees. Two morphological features of the myeloarchitecture over Mm, the mean proportional myelinated thickness and area, were measured in four lower limb amputees and four matched controls. A comparison of these morphological features showed no statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the two groups.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: EFFECT OF WRIST POSTURE AND RATE OF FORCE DEVELOPMENT ON FINGER CONTROL AND INDEPENDENCE

contributor:
Keir, Peter
Kinesiology

subject: finger force enslaving control muscle electromyography isometric biomechanics

abstract: The anatomical structure of the extrinsic finger muscles suggests that posture may play a role in the production of enslaved forces in the fingers. This phenomenon also appears dependent on contraction conditions. The purpose of this thesis was to determine the effect of: (i) wrist posture on the enslaving effect (EE) during ramp and isotonic exertions, and (ii) the rate of force development on EE and accuracy during ramp exertions.  Twelve male participants performed 3 submaximal finger flexion and extension trials with the index and ring fingers at 30° wrist flexion, neutral, and 30° wrist extension.  Trials consisted of a 5 second isotonic contraction at 25% MVC (maximum voluntary contraction), and two ramp contractions.  Ramp contractions were performed at 25% MVC/s and 10% MVC/s up to 50% MVC, a 0.5 second hold, and decreased to zero at the same rate.  Surface electromyography was recorded from the compartments of extensor digitorum and flexor digitorum superficialis and analyzed at 25% of maximum.  Wrist posture had a significant effect on EE during extension exertions (F4, 44 > 2.6, p < 0.05); specifically, higher EE, error, and muscle activity were found at shorter muscle lengths.  Contraction condition significantly affected EE for both index (p = 0.001) and ring finger exertions (p = 0.001).  In the fingers adjacent to the task finger, descending phase EE was higher than the ascending phase, which appeared independent of muscle activity.  This thesis found that, in extension exertions, neural factors affecting EE were dependent on muscle length, while mechanical factors appeared dependent on the type of exertion.  These findings further our knowledge of the complex relationship between neural and mechanical control of the hand and fingers.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Vanishing Acts: Absence, Gender, and Magic in Early Modern English Drama, 1558-1642

contributor:
Ostovich, Helen
English and Cultural Studies

subject:
early modern drama
Shakespeare
absence
magic
Jonson
gender
Elizabethan
Jacobean
Merry Wives of Windsor
The Sad Shepherd
Birth of Merlin
image magic
witch
witchcraft
Masque of Queens
Rowley

abstract: This dissertation examines how early modern English playwrights employ absence to enrich their representations of the unknown, including witchcraft and the supernatural. Throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries magical themes were often dramatized through visual and linguistic excess. Whether this excess was manifested through the use of vibrant costumes, farcical caricatures, or exaggerated dialogue, magic was often synonymous with theatricality. Playwrights such as William Rowley, Ben Jonson, and William Shakespeare, however, challenge stereotypical depictions of magic by contrasting excessive magic with the subtler power of restrained or off-stage magic. Embedded in the fantastical events and elaborate plots of Shakespeare and his contemporaries, absence, whether as an unstaged thing or person or an absent ideology, becomes a crucial element in understanding how playwrights represented and understood occult issues during the early modern period. Further, when gendered feminine, magical absences serve to combat oppressive silences within scripts and provide female subjects with an unimpeded and inherently magical space from which to challenge pre-established patriarchal systems of control. Each chapter in this dissertation, therefore, appraises the magical possibilities that theatrical absences provide to women as a platform from which to develop their narrative voice. Partnered with a complementary discussion of Jonson’s The Masque of Queens and two thematically linked witchcraft cases, my first chapter argues that Mistress Ford uses the complete stage absence of both a witch and a queen in The Merry Wives of Windsor to reform her community and critique her society’s unjust categorization of women. In chapter two, I examine a series of “vanishing acts” in The Birth of Merlin and argue that Rowley’s female characters use their final moments on stage to contextualize their impending absences for audiences as moments of magical defiance rather than defeat in the face of male tyranny. In my final chapter, I look at how magical objects, such as the handkerchief in Shakespeare’s Othello or the belt in Jonson’s The Sad Shepherd resist the absence of their female creators and continue to provide physically absent or dead women with magical agency. By structuring my dissertation on these three specific gradations of absence, I provide a nuanced analysis of the purposes these dramatic omissions serve by focusing on how these shades of absence subtly alter the ways in which we interpret and define early modern magical belief.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: SHORT-TERM FORMATION KINETICS OF THE CONTINUOUS GALVANIZING INTERFACIAL LAYER ON MN-CONTAINING STEELS

contributor:
McDermid, Joseph R.
Materials Science and Engineering

subject: Continuous Hot-Dip Galvanizing, Fe-Al Interfacial Layer, Bath Dissolved Al Content, Mn Containing Steels, Aluminothermic Reduction, MnO

abstract: Aluminium is usually added to the continuous hot-dip galvanizing bath to improve coating ductility and adhesion through the rapid formation of a thin Fe-Al intermetallic layer at the substrate-liquid interface, thereby inhibiting the formation of brittle Fe-Zn intermetallic compounds. On the other hand, Mn is essential for obtaining the desired microstructure and mechanical properties in advanced high strength steels, but is selectively oxidized in conventional continuous galvanizing line annealing atmospheres. This can deteriorate reactive wetting by the liquid Zn(Al,Fe) alloy during galvanizing and prevent the formation of a well developed Fe-Al interfacial layer at the coating/substrate interface, resulting in poor zinc coating adherence and formability. However, despite Mn selective oxidation and the presence of surface MnO, complete reactive wetting and a well developed Fe-Al interfacial layer have been observed for Mn-containing steels. These observations have been attributed to the aluminothermic reduction of surface MnO in the galvanizing bath. According to this reaction, MnO is reduced by the bath dissolved Al, so the bath can have contact with the substrate and form the desired interfacial layer. Heat treatments compatible with continuous hot-dip galvanizing were performed on four different Mn-containing steels whose compositions contained 0.2-3.0 wt% Mn. It was determined that substrate Mn selectively oxidized to MnO for all alloys and process atmospheres. Little Mn surface segregation was observed for the 0.2Mn steel, as would be expected because of its relatively low Mn content, whereas the 1.4Mn through 3.0Mn steels showed considerable Mn-oxide surface enrichment. In addition, the proportion of the substrate surface covered with MnO and its thickness increased with increasing steel Mn content.A galvanizing simulator equipped with a He jet spot cooler was used to arrest the reaction between the substrate and liquid zinc coating to obtain well-characterized reaction times characteristic of the timescales encountered while the strip is resident in the industrial continuous galvanizing bath and short times after in which the Zn-alloy layer continues to be liquid (i.e. before coating solidification). Two different bath dissolved Al contents (0.20 and 0.30 wt%) were chosen for this study. The 0.20 wt% Al bath was chosen as it is widely used in industrial continuous galvanizing lines. The 0.30 wt% Al bath was chosen to (partially) compensate for any dissolved Al consumption arising from MnO reduction in the galvanizing bath.The Al uptake increased with increasing reaction time following non-parabolic growth kinetics for all experimental steels and dissolved Al baths. For the 0.20 wt% dissolved Al bath, the interfacial layer on the 1.4Mn steel showed the highest Al uptake, with the 0.2Mn, 2.5Mn and 3.0Mn substrates showing significantly lower Al uptake. However, increasing the dissolved bath Al to 0.30 wt% Al resulted in a significantly increased Al uptake being observed for the 2.5Mn and 3.0Mn steels for all reaction times. These observations were explained by the combined effects of the open microstructures associated with the multi-phase nature of an oxide-containing interfacial layer and additional Al consumption through MnO reduction. For instance, in the case of the 1.4Mn steel, the more open interfacial layer structure accelerated Fe diffusion through the interfacial layer and increased Al uptake versus the 0.2Mn substrate for the same bath Al. However, in the case of the 2.5Mn and 3.0Mn substrates and 0.20 wt% Al bath, additional Al consumption through MnO reduction caused the interfacial layer growth to become Al limited, whereas the very open structure dominated growth in the case of the 0.30 wt% Al bath and resulted in the changing the growth kinetics from mixed diffusion-controlled to a more interface controlled growth mode. A kinetic model based on oxide film growth (Smeltzer et al. 1961, Perrow et al. 1968) was developed to describe the Fe-Al interfacial layer growth kinetics within the context of the microstructural evolution of the Fe-Al interfacial layer for Mn-containing steels reacted in 0.20 wt% and 0.30 wt% dissolved Al baths. It indicated that the interfacial layer microstructure development and the presence of MnO at the interfacial layer had significant influence on the effective diffusion coefficient and interfacial layer growth rate. However, in the cases of the 2.5Mn and 3.0Mn steels in 0.20 wt% Al bath, the kinetic model could not predict the interfacial layer Al uptake, since the Fe-Al growth was Al limited. In fact, in these cases, additional Al was consumed for reducing their thicker surface MnO layer, resulted in limiting the dissolved Al available for Fe-Al growth.

abstract: Dissertation

abstract: Doctor of Science  (PhD)


title: Characterization of the Salmonella enterica Two-Component Regulatory System SsrA-SsrB and the SsrB Regulon

title: The Salmonella enterica Regulatory System SsrA-SsrB

contributor:
Coombes, Brian
Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

subject:
Salmonella
two-component regulatory system
sensor kinase
response regulator
transcription factor
regulation
secretion system
bacterial pathogenesis
regulatory evolution

abstract: Salmonella enterica is an intracellular bacterial pathogen of humans and the causative agent of the acute gastrointestinal disease, salmonellosis, and the chronic systemic infection, typhoid fever. Sensor proteins convert environmental signals, including signals detected within the host environment, into biochemical signals to control cellular responses. It has been previously established that the two component regulatory system SsrA-SsrB, consisting of the integral membrane sensor kinase protein SsrA and the cytoplasmic DNA-binding response regulator SsrB are essential for regulation of bacterial factors during systemic intracellular infection. The first chapter of this thesis describes characterization of the sensor kinase SsrA. The structure of the periplasmic sensor domain is modeled and evidence is presented that it is involved in enhancing signaling activity in response to environmental acidification encountered within the intracellular environment. A mechanism whereby protonation of histidine residues within this region in response to acidification drives conformational strain and thereby signaling is proposed. The second chapter describes identification of the DNA-binding motif of SsrB within regulated promoters as well as its regulon. Integration of experimental data with comparative genomics data resulted in identification of the palindromic heptameric DNA recognition motif of SsrB as well as identification of novel SsrB-regulated promoters. In addition, a DNA microarray analysis is described wherein the complete SsrB regulon is identified. Finally, the third chapter describes regulatory input of SsrB to the S. enterica type VI secretion system. This chapter also describes the contribution of this system to systemic dissemination of S. enterica during host infection. Altogether, these data advance understanding of how Salmonella controls factors essential for disease in response to the host environment during infection.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Middle Way: An Analysis of the Yogacara Reinterpretation of the Madhyamika Concept of Madhyama Pratipad

contributor:
Arapura, J. G.
Religious Studies

subject: Madhyama Pratipad, interpretations, Yogacara thinkers,

abstract: This thesis examines the concept of Madhyama Pratipad in light of the interpretations given by the Yogacara thinkers Vasubandhu and Asanga and by the Madhyamikas Nagarjuna: and Candrakirti. I also discuss madhyama pratipad in relation to the concepts of Sunyata, trisvabhava, and pratitya samutpada, and attempts to show in what ways the Yogacara acaryas differ from the Madhyamikas, and in what ways they are similar.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: THE MIGRATION, WORKING, LIVING AND INTEGRATION EXPERIENCES OF IMMIGRANT LIVE-IN CAREGIVERS IN ONTARIO, CANADA

title: THE EXERIENCES OF IMMIGRANT LIVE-IN CAREGIVERS IN ONTARIO

contributor:
Bourgeault, Ivy
Sociology

subject: social networks, immigrant live-in caregivers, intersectionality, migration, integration, working experiences, living experiences

abstract:
This thesis aims to fill in the gaps in our knowledge of the experiences of immigrant live-in caregivers in Canada as a means to better understand the role of social networks and how this is informed by intersectionality theory. More specifically, based on 34 qualitative interviews with current and former live-in caregivers, this dissertation explores the migration, working, living and integration experiences of immigrant live-in caregivers in Ontario, Canada. In particular, I focus on: 1) their experiences with processes of decision making, migration and finding a job with a particular focus on role of social networks in these processes; 2) the impact of the type of care on live-in caregivers’ working and living experiences as well as the role of networks in the process of their adaptation to life in Canada; and 3) their integration experiences (with a particular focus on role of social networks in these processes).
Although some researchers relied on some sociological perspectives in their studies focusing on live-in caregivers in Canada, none of the previous studies used these in conjunction with social network theory. My research shows that while social network theory is useful in considering the role of social networks in migration, living and integration experiences of LCP workers, it is not sufficient to come to a complete understanding of these issues. On the basis of my findings, I conclude that one should combine social network theory and intersectionality when exploring such issues with regards to not only LCP workers in particular, but also immigrant workers in general. By bringing such new empirical and theoretical insights, my dissertation contributes to the body of previous research on experiences of LCP workers in Canada and more broadly to the literature on domestic workers in an international context, immigration research focusing on social networks and sociological theory.

abstract: Dissertation

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Weakness of Words: Implications of Foucault's Late Lectures for Reflecting on the Platonic Dialogue

contributor:
Planinc, Zdravko
Religious Studies

subject: Plato, Foucault, the Platonic dialogue, ergon and logos, ethics, the self, Gadamer

abstract: A central claim in Foucault’s 1982-1983 lectures, published as The Government of Self and Others (2008), is that Plato, in wanting to escape the possibility that his philosophical discourse would be “mere logos,” ultimately conceived of philosophy’s “reality” or “veridication” in terms of its capacity to facilitate the “work of the self.” This thesis argues that Foucault’s analysis positions us to read Plato’s dialogues as philosophical “deeds” that aim to advise the reader with respect to his or her “mode of being.” I corroborate the analysis that leads to Foucault’s highly suggestive conclusion that a text like the Republic or the Laws must in some respect not be “serious” works and are, therefore, discursive “games” whose aims lie elsewhere than in the formulation of political prescriptions. In so doing I link Foucault’s characterization of Platonic philosophy as being informed by a “weakness” in logos to the claim, put forth by scholars attentive to the dialogic form, that Plato’s dialogues are written in deference to the obstacles that the written and even spoken word presents for the transmission of his philosophy. I claim that some of the key concepts of the later Foucault’s “ethical turn,” namely askēsis, the arts of life, and ethics construed as the work and formation of a relationship of self to self, are helpful when trying to discern not only the content of Platonic writings, but also the purpose behind their form. To the extent that the elaboration of theoretical knowledge in discourse inhibits the awareness that the subject must form a practical relationship with his or her own self, and to the extent that such a work is the fundamental task of philosophy to which the acquisition of theoretical knowledge plays a secondary role, the logos of philosophical discourse must be modified in order to facilitate this ergon “of the self.” I claim that, when we consider Foucault’s understanding of what philosophy ought to do we are equipped with a basic set of criteria for evaluating the aims and benefits of the dramatic and dialogic form of Plato’s writings and I show that an extant body of scholarship verifies such criteria are met.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Mitochondrial DNA Inheritance in the Human Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus gattii

title: Masters Thesis

contributor:
JIANPING, XU
Biology

subject: Masters Thesis

abstract: The inheritance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is predominantly uniparental in most sexual eukaryotes, including the human pathogenic basidiomycetous yeast Cryptococcus neoformans. In this study, we examined the mitochondrial inheritance pattern of Cryptococcus gattii, a closely - related sister species of C. neoformans responsible for the recent and ongoing outbreak of Cryptococcal infections in the US Pacific Northwest and British Columbia (especially Vancouver Island) in Canada. Using molecular markers, we analyzed the inheritance of mitochondrial DNA in 9 crosses between strains within and between divergent lineages in C. gattii. Our analyses identified significant variations in mtDNA inheritance patterns among strains and crosses. For two of the crosses that showed uniparental mitochondrial inheritance in standard laboratory conditions, we further investigated the effects of the following environmental variables on mtDNA inheritance: UV exposure, temperature, exposure to the methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine, and exposure to the ubiquitination inhibitor ammonium chloride. Interestingly, one of these crosses showed no response to these environmental variables while the other exhibited diverse patterns ranging from complete uniparental inheritance of the MATa parent mitochondria, to biparental inheritance, and to complete uniparental inheritance of the MATalpha parental mitochondria. Our analyses indicated that the mtDNA inheritance pattern in C. gattii differs significantly from its closely related species C. neoformans. We discussed possible mechanisms underlying these divergent mitochondrial DNA inheritance pattern.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: FPGA Acceleration of Decision-Based Problems using Heterogeneous Computing

contributor:
Nicolici, Nicola
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
FPGA
heterogeneous computing
Boolean satisfiability
hardware acceleration

abstract:
The Boolean satisfiability (SAT) problem is central to many applications involving the verification and optimization of digital systems. These combinatorial problems are typically solved by using a decision-based approach, however the lengthy compute time of SAT can make it prohibitively impractical for some applications.
We discuss how the underlying physical characteristics of various technologies affect the practicality of SAT solvers. Power dissipation and other physical limitations are increasingly restricting the improvement in performance of conventional software on CPUs. We use heterogeneous computing to maximize the strengths of different underlying technologies as well as different computing architectures.
In this thesis, we present a custom hardware architecture for accelerating the common computation within a SAT solver. Algorithms and data structures must be fundamentally redesigned in order to maximize the strengths of customized computing. Generalizable optimizations are proposed to maximize the throughput, minimize communication latencies, and aggressively compact the memory. We tightly integrate as well as jointly optimize the hardware accelerator and the software host.
Our fully implemented system is significantly faster than pure software on real-life SAT problems. Due to our insights and optimizations, we are able to benchmark SAT in uncharted territory.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: REWRITING THE FALL: LYRA BELACQUA’S RESISTANCE TO ADULT IDEOLOGY IN HIS DARK MATERIALS

contributor:
Bruce, Iris
English

subject:
Philip
Milton
Pullman
Blake
Resistance
Aetonormativity
Young Adult
Adolescent

abstract: This thesis examines resistance to adult ideology by child/adolescent characters in Philip Pullmans’ His Dark Materials. Drawing on terminology provided by Maria Nikolajeva (aetonormativity) and Roberta Trites (power within repression) this paper describes the development of Lyra Belacqua, the protagonist of The Golden Compass. It identifies in Pullman’s text a particular emphasis on allowing children to develop into adolescents before subjecting them to religious or secular ideologies. This thesis works with the terms Entwicklungsroman and Bildungsroman in order to illuminate and complicate the subject-positions: adolescent, child and adult. This thesis demonstrates the particular attention to qualities of adolescence and childhood in Pullman’s works, and the effect that reconstructing adolescence as an end-point for child characters has on child protagonists, by contrast to adulthood as a destination.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: A Survey of Attitudes Towards Abortion in Indian Buddhist Monastic Literature

contributor:
Clarke, Shayne
Religious Studies

subject: Buddhism, Abortion, Buddhist Monastic Literature, Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, India, Indian Buddhism

abstract:
Scholars, including Peter Harvey, Robert Florida and David Stott, assume that the authors/redactors of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya—the monastic code of the Mūlasarvāstivāda school—agreed with those from the Theravāda school on the topic of abortion. This assumption appears to be primarily based on one prātimokṣa rule as it is found in two locations in the Tibetan Buddhist Canon. Moreover, a longstanding scholarly preference for sources extant in Pāli, such as the Theravāda Vinaya, and the preconceived notion that all Indian Buddhists were anti-abortion, impact contemporary studies of Buddhist attitudes towards abortion in Vinaya.
	The primary goal of this thesis is to offer an extensive comparison of passages related to abortion recorded in a number of locations in Buddhist monastic literature. I examine three main pieces of evidence: 1) the third pārājika rule addressing monastic involvement in homicide; 2) word-commentary and cases illustrating this rule; and 3) stories that do not illustrate a pārājika offence but include abortion in the narrative. 		Although Mūlasarvāstivādin authors/redactors, like their Theravādin counterparts, include anti-abortion attitudes in their monastic literature, I uncover a number of discrepancies in comparable passages related to abortion in the Vinaya of these two schools. To give but one example, Mahāsāṃghika-Lokottaravādin and Mūlasarvāstivādin authors/redactors appear hesitant to include in their Vinayas narratives that portray monks assisting laywomen in procuring abortions: something the Theravādins record in a number of locations. While the ramifications of such differences are not immediately clear, we can at least conclude, in contrast to what previous studies imply, that Buddhist attitudes toward abortion are not recorded in a simple one-to-one correlation across extant Indian Vinayas.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts in Religion (MAR)


title: CHARACTERIZATION OF VIRULENCE-ASSOCIATED PROTEINS OF THE TYPE III SECRETION SYSTEMS IN ENTERIC PATHOGENS

title: VIRULENCE-ASSOCIATED PROTEINS OF TYPE III SECRETION SYSTEMS

subject:
Virulence
Enteric Pathogens

abstract:
Enteric pathogens have a substantial impact on human health as they can cause
outbreaks and severe disease outcomes. These pathogens employ many virulence
strategies to evade host defenses and cause disease. While some virulence strategies have
been carefully studied, other mechanisms remain largely uncharacterized. In addition,
there are a number of putative virulence factors that have yet to be phenotypically or
biochemically characterized. In order to facilitate the development of novel and effective
treatment strategies for enteric pathogens, an understanding of how these putative
virulence-associated proteins contribute to pathogenesis is required. In this work, the
characterizations of two proteins implicated in the processes of motility and type III
secretion are presented. The Escherichia coli O157:H7 protein Z0021 is found in an O-island unique to the most virulent serotypes of Shiga-toxin producing E. coli. Z0021 was
found to encode for a repressor of motility that exerted its regulatory effect prior to the
activation of class II promoters in the flagellar cascade. This work provided the first
identification and characterization of a fimbrial operon-encoded motility repressor in E.
coli O157:H7. The second protein, SsaN, from Salmonella enterica is a putative type III
secretion system ATPase. This work examined the role of SsaN in virulence and effector
secretion, and moreover provided insight into the mechanism by which SsaN binds to a
chaperone to facilitate effector secretion. Together, these findings contribute to the
understanding of the virulence strategies of two enteric pathogens that have had, and
continue to have, significant impacts on human health worldwide.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: “TRAVELLING THE DOMESTIC”: A STUDY OF CECILIA

contributor:
Zuroski-Jenkins, Eugenia
English

subject:
Frances Burney
William Hogarth

abstract: Frances Burney’s novel Cecilia, travels through England geographically and through numerous modes of transport. It explores the concept of national identity in an England that is still determining its own. William Hogarth’s rules for determining the beauty of the Serpentine s in The Analysis of Beauty offer a model for the type of natural and beautiful travel around England that Burney attempts to construct, determining the most beautiful moral values of such an identity. Both the social implications and the modes of travel consider how this sense of beauty emerges throughout the novel, as Cecilia’s own subjective growth travels in tandem with her physical motion. Burney offers a model for travel that challenges the masculine Grand Tour, a type of travel that worked to divide that nation. Cecilia’s tour, in contrast, through England serves to promote social inclusivity and cohesion.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)

abstract: The thesis considers the importance of William Hogarth’s principles in The Analysis of Beauty to Frances Burney’s novel Cecilia, through the perspective of travel.


title: A Comparison Of Differing Modalities Of Exercise on the Acute Satellite Cell Responses in Older Adults

contributor:
Parise, Gianni
Kinesiology

subject:
Satellite Cells
Aging
Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage
Human
Sarcopenia
Exercise

abstract:
Introduction: A hallmark of the human aging process is the gradual loss of muscle mass and strength, a phenomenon commonly referred to as sarcopenia.  Although sarcopenia is likely the result of both a reduction in fiber size and a loss of muscle fibers, it has become abundantly clear that sarcopenia is primarily characterized by the reduction in type II fiber size.  The mechanism(s) driving this fiber type-specific loss still remain largely unknown, but it has become evident that the dysregulation of a muscle-specific stem cell population called satellite cells (SC) plays an important role in its progression.  Luckily, older adults still retain the ability to activate and expand their SC in response to exercise; what remains unclear is which modality of exercise is optimal for promoting SC contribution to skeletal muscle remodelling.  We sought to test the hypothesis that both resistance exercise (RE) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) would stimulate greater expansion of SC when compared to traditional aerobic exercise (AE).  Furthermore, we also sought to determine potential extrinsic/intrinsic factors that might contribute to regulating the differences in SC behavior across the different modalities of exercise

Methods: Sedentary older men (n=22; 67 ± 4 yr; BMI: 27.0 ± 2.6 kg•m-2 [mean ± SEM]) were randomly assigned to complete an acute bout of either RE (3 sets of leg extensor and press, 95% 10RM, n = 7), HIIT (10 x 1min, 95% maximal heart rate [HRmax], n= 8) or AE (30min, 55-60% HRmax. n = 7).  Muscle biopsies were obtained before and at 24h and 48h following each exercise bout, while blood samples were taken before and at 24h after exercise.  The SC response was analyzed using immunofluorescent microscopy and whole-muscle mRNA analysis, while the variability in exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) was estimated by analyzing serum samples for creatine kinase (CK) concentration.

Results:  The muscle SC content increased 45% (p < 0.001) and 52% (p = 0.001) relative to baseline at 24h and 48h respectively following RE, while HIIT stimulated a significant increase of 33% (p = 0.007) at 48h.  Fiber type-specific analysis further revealed that both RE and HIIT were capable of inducing significant increases in both type I and type II-specific SC by 48h post-exercise.  Further analysis of individual SC responses also revealed a correlation (r = 0.737, p < 0.001) between the change in SC content across the acute time-course and the relative change in creatine kinase (CK) activity levels 24h post-exercise.  The lack of any notable SC expansion following AE was to some degree explained by insufficient changes to cell cycle and myostatin (MSTN)-related genes.  Conversely, RE produced the greatest reduction in MSTN mRNA over the 48h time-course while inducing a noticeable decrease of 124% in SMAD3 (a mediator of MSTN signaling) mRNA at 48 post-exercise.

Conclusions: These data illustrate that RE is the most potent stimulator of acute SC activity in older men, while also showing for the first time that of HIIT can induce a SC response in the same population.  The positive relationship between the changes in SC content in response to exercise and CK activity levels suggests that the level of muscle damage induced by an exercise type may influence the magnitude of the subsequent SC response.  The magnitude of each SC response is also likely influenced by unique changes in MSTN signaling that follow each modality of exercise.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science in Kinesiology


title: A Narrative-Critical Analysis of Luke 1-3: The Census of Quirinius Reconsidered

contributor:
Reinhartz, Adele
Religious Studies

subject: Quirinius, birth of Jesus, Lucan narrative, Luke 1-3, God

abstract:
The Lucan gospel alone makes mention of the census of Quirinius in relation
to the birth of Jesus (2:2). This temporal marker has consequently been used to date the
birth of Jesus, but not without problems. The census reference, when understood in
relation to its historical referent, causes chronological incongruity and faulty technical
details within the Lucan narrative. In contrast to the many attempts which seek to
maintain the historical integrity of the Lucan gospel by reconciling temporal incongruity,
I contend that the census is a constituent element of the narrative. As such, the key to
understanding the census reference lies in appreciating its narrative function rather than
its unlikely referential function.
This thesis involves a narrative-critical analysis of Luke 1-3. After an
examination of the state of the Quirinius question in chapter one, I investigate three ways
in which the census of Quirinius interacts with the other elements of the narrative in
Luke 1-3. In the second chapter the census is discussed as a part of the setting of the
narrative. Through temporal analysis I demonstrate that the census is an integral part of
the Lucan temporal framework. The third chapter focuses on plot in Luke 1-3, and
shows how the census contributes to its overall development. Lastly, I explore the
narrative processes of characterization which contrast the respective roles of Jesus and
John. The census assists in distinguishing Jesus as the primary agent of God. The
analysis of these three aspects of the narrative illustrates that the census of Quirinius is
an essential component, skilfully interwoven with the other elements of the narrative.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Anti-Cult Movement: A Nativistic Response

contributor:
Badone, Ellen E.F.
Religious Studies

subject: anti-cult movement, religions, Second world war, way of life, protect, nativism

abstract:
The anti-cult movement, or ACM, in the United States is a counter-movement to the wide variety of new religions which developed in the years following the Second World War. The anti-cult movement is opposed to new religions because it perceives in them a threat to the American family, traditional values and morals, and way of life which it is attempting to protect. This perception reflects a nativistic response to new religions. Nativism is understood to be a conscious attempt on the part of a society's members to protect that society's culture from the threat posed by contact with other cultures. The anti-cult movement is attempting to protect those elements of American culture which it perceives as being threatened by new
religions. The sections of American society which feel most threatened, and which make up the body of the anti-cult movement, are family groups and Evangelical Christian and Jewish religious groups. The nature of the anti-cult movement, its methods, motivations, and possible implications of its existence, are all illuminated by the theory of nativism as it applies to the ACM.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Examination of melatonin receptor expression in the 6-hydroxydopamine rat model of Parkinson’s disease

contributor:
Niles, Lennard
Neuroscience

subject:
Melatonin receptor
Parkinson's disease
6-hydroxydopamine
Striatum
Substantia nigra

abstract: Melatonin has a neuroprotective function, which is mediated via its G-protein-coupled MT1 and MT2 receptors. When activated, various downstream pathways are triggered promoting cell protection and survival. By utilizing this function of melatonin, studies have shown positive effects in animal models of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD). In our previous studies, a physiological dose of melatonin was shown to have neuroprotective effects in the nigrostriatal pathway, as indicated by preservation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity in a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) model of PD. We also have reported that transplantation of MT1 receptor-expressing mouse neural stem cells (C17.2) along with melatonin treatment, preserved TH immunoreactivity in a similar PD model. Moreover, others have reported an increase in striatal melatonin levels in 6-OHDA-induced hemiparkinsonian rats. Based on these implications of a close relationship between the dopaminergic and melatonergic systems, we hypothesize that degeneration of dopaminergic neurons induced by 6-OHDA will affect the melatonergic system in the nigrostriatal pathway. In this study, 6-hydroxydopamine was unilaterally injected in the rat striatum or medial forebrain bundle. An apomorphine rotation test showed significant increases in net contralateral rotations (p<0.01) in lesioned animals as compared to sham. Also, a loss of TH immunoreactivity in the striatum and substantia nigra was seen in striatum lesioned groups, confirming lesion-induced degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway. There were no significant differences in MT1 receptor protein expression in the striatum and substantia nigra, between all intrastriatal lesioned groups and the sham group. However, 6-OHDA lesions in the medial forebrain bundle caused a significant increase in MT1 receptor mRNA expression on the lesioned side (right) of the ventral midbrain as compared with the contralateral side. These results suggest that MT1 receptors are upregulated in the ventral midbrain following lesion-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration, and may be involved in an endogenous neuroprotective mechanism.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Hans Küng's Alternative to Nihilism

contributor:
Vallée, G.
Religious Studies

subject: Hans Küng, alternative to nihilism, fundamental trust, uncertain reality,

abstract:
In his book, Does God Exist?, Hans Küng proposes an alternative to nihilism, namely fundamental trust or "Yes to Reality". Through a detailed study of Küng's interpretation
of nihilism and his alternative to nihilism, I discuss
whether Küng can help people to find a way out in face of the challenge of nihilism, as predicted by Friedrich Nietzsche.
I conclude that fundamental trust still cannot be a more convincing choice than nihilism for those people who do not believe that there is a fundamental identity, meaningfulness
and value of reality, and for those who cannot experience the
being of this uncertain reality, even if they venture out in trust. In my opinion, Küng is not very successful in convincing people that fundamental trust rather than nihilism
is the right option for them.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Characterization of Catalyst Coated Membranes using Electron and X-ray Microscopy

contributor:
Botton, Gianluigi
Materials Science and Engineering

subject: Proton exchange membrane fuel cell

subject: Transmission Electron Microscopy

subject: Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy

subject: Ionomer

subject: Focused Ion Beam

abstract: Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells are an alternative source of electricity generation for automobiles and stationary power plants. With increasing concerns on environmental issues, recent research has focused on maximizing the efficiency and durability as well as minimizing the costs of fuel cells. One of the main areas of research is optimizing the structure of the cathode catalyst layer. The main driving force of this thesis was the effective visualization of nanostructure of the ionomer, which is responsible for proton conduction in the cathode catalyst layer. However, challenges regarding sample preparation and radiation damage still need to be well understood. Different sample preparation techniques of catalyst inks and catalyst coated membranes were used for Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy, such as freeze fracturing, ultramicrotomy and Focused Ion Beam. Comparisons of the microstructure and chemical differences of all components, especially the ionomer, prepared by ultramicrotomy and Focused Ion Beam, was done with Transmission Electron Microscopy and Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy applied to the same catalyst coated membrane sample. Detailed spectroscopic information regarding components in both specimens was compared with C 1s and F 1s near edge X-ray absorption spectra recorded in a Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscope. Focused Ion Beam causes extensive damage to the carbon support and ionomer but prepares thinner sections than ultramicrotomy. This work makes it possible to understand the limitations of each sample preparation and compositional analysis technique in order to later apply one of them to image the ionomer in the catalyst layer at the nanoscale, hopefully using tomography techniques.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Materials Science and Engineering (MMatSE)


title: Assessing the barriers and facilitators to food security that influence dietary changes among refugees

contributor:
Moffat, Christina
Global Health

subject:
food security
refugees
barriers
facilitators

abstract:
Objective: Refugees experience food challenges upon resettling in their host country. However, there is currently limited Canadian literature that reviews food security among refugees who resettle in Canada. This thesis will assess the barriers and facilitators to food security that influence the dietary changes of refugees who resettle in Hamilton, Ontario, from the perspective of the service providers as well as the refugees.
Methods: A qualitative method was applied. Nine individual semi-structured interviews were carried out with service providers in Hamilton. Twelve refugees participated in one of three focus group interviews conducted in the languages of Arabic, Somali, or Spanish. Interviews were transcribed. The data was coded using a qualitative analysis software, NVivo 10. A social ecological model was used to analyse how facilitators and barriers at various levels of influence affect food security among refugees. Levels of influence included: intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and public policy.
Findings: While several diet-related health concerns were mentioned by refugees, it is difficult to attribute these to diet-related causes since the psychological stress of resettlement was also cited as a causal factor of refugees. While both service providers and refugees agree upon certain facilitators and barriers to food security among refugees at each level of influence in the social ecological model, there were also differences between the two perspectives identified. Different issues were also identified between refugee claimants and government assisted refugees (GARs) who came from refugee camps.
Conclusion: The complex relationship between various factors identified at different levels of the social ecological model demonstrate a need for a collaborative, multi-level intervention approach to optimize changes required to improve food security among refugees living in Hamilton.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Genomics of Ancient Pathogenic Bacteria: Novel Techniques & Extraordinary Substrates

contributor:
Poinar, Hendrik
Anthropology

subject:
Ancient DNA
Paleogenomic
Paleogenetic
Pathogen
Metagenomics

abstract: Palaeogenetic research on human pathogenic and microbiomic bacteria has been largely restricted to bloodborne pathogens from skeletal tissue and, due to short lengths of degraded ancient DNA, small-scale single loci studies. My thesis has expanded the breadth and depth of palaeomicrobial knowledge via the study of novel specimen types with next-generation technologies. Presented in sandwich thesis format, I discuss genome-scale studies of three previously-unstudied historical pathogens: 19th century Vibrio cholerae (cholera) from an alcohol-preserved intestine from Philadelphia, and medieval Staphylococcus saprophyticus (urinary tract infections) and Gardnerella vaginalis (bacterial vaginosis) from calcified urogenital infections of a Trojan woman. Cholera persists as a dangerous modern disease that was also responsible for severe historic epidemics. My research confirms that 19th century pandemics were caused by an O1 classical strain that may have possessed genomic features that contributed increased virulence. S. saprophyticus and G. vaginalis are opportunistic pathogens of the urogenital microbiome, especially in reproductive-age females. Using very high endogenous DNA content of the calcified infections, I have reconstructed one of the most complete ancient bacterial genomes for S. saprophyticus and coding genome for G. vaginalis. Both ancient pathogens possess most of the virulence and urogenital adaptive genes of modern strains, indicating similar ecological roles for these species in past female health. Finally, I successfully use LLMDA microarray technology (never before utilized for ancient DNA research) to detect ancient pathogens. LLMDA provides an inexpensive and informative alternative to high-throughput sequencing for assessing the metagenomic content of ancient samples. Together, my findings provide a framework emphasizing the need to broadly study past microbiomes in conjunction with specific pathogens. Using molecular data, this work supports anthropological views of infectious disease ecology related to the first epidemiological transition and historical narratives. Taken together with the recent literature on ancient pathogen genomes, my findings indicate that palaeogenome sequences may not necessarily reveal any specific signatures of greater virulence, and interpretations of past diseases must necessarily take into account additional host, environmental, and cultural factors.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Narrating Transcendents: Gender in Chinese Hagiographies

contributor:
Benn, James A.
Religious Studies

subject:
Gender
China
Daoism
Hagiography
Biography
Religion
Song Dynasty
Zhao Daoyi
Taoism
Transcendent
Immortal
East Asia
Chinese Religion
Yuan Dynasty
Translation
Chinese Translation
Narrative

abstract:
Chinese people, like those of many other cultures, understand themselves as belonging to a specific gender, one with social rules and positions that can be difficult to stray from. Such gender norms have existed in China for millennia. There are a number of ways to examine what these gender norms are (or have been), and a number of ways in which one can understand how they dictated the lives of the Chinese people they defined.
The present thesis is a translation and study of two Chinese hagiographical collections from the late Song or early Yuan Dynasty. These collections detail the exploits of Daoist transcendents. The first collection translated is concerned with male transcendents, the second with female transcendents. In translating these texts, I seek to understand how gender is portrayed in the lives of exceptional religious figures. As an examination of gender within a patriarchal—or at least male-dominant—society, I expected the female transcendents to be relegated, somehow, to a lesser station.
Through my translations I argue that, though they could not wholly extricate themselves from gender norms, religious Daoism, as portrayed in the hagiographies, offered both men and women from certain social obligations. These social obligations include such institutions as marriage and reproduction (for both men and women). The hagiographies also depict a greater sense of equality for Daoist women than they might have found otherwise. At its most ambitious, Narrating Transcendents serves to demonstrate the multivalent function of hagiographies as tools religious communities used to define and guide themselves.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: International Migration and Occupational Integration of Skilled Health Professionals

contributor:
Grignon, Michel
Sweetman, Arthur
Wong, Anne
Health Policy

abstract:
This thesis comprises three chapters (two are empirical) that focus on the international migration and occupational integration of foreign-trained health professionals and their labour market outcomes in host nations. Chapters 1, 2 and 3 are presented sequentially.
In chapter 1, the objective is to survey and discuss the relatively small economic literature on the frontier interdisciplinary policy issue of international migration of health professionals taking both developed and developing country perspectives. Health workforce shortages in developed countries are perceived to be central drivers of health professionals’ international migration, one ramification being negative impacts on developing nations’ healthcare delivery. After a descriptive international overview, selected economic issues are discussed for developed and developing countries. Health labour markets’ unique characteristics imply great complexity in developed economies involving government intervention, licensure, regulation, and (quasi-)union activity. These features affect migrants’ decisions, economic integration, and impacts on the receiving nations’ health workforce and society. Developing countries sometimes educate citizens in expectation of emigration, while others pursue international treaties in attempts to manage migrant flows.
Chapter 2 empirically investigates whether the possession of foreign credentials affects the integration of health professionals in the labour market. It examines eight selected regulated health occupations. We perform statistical multivariate analyses using the 2006 Canadian Census to investigate the effects of location of birth and highest education on the likelihood of employment as a healthcare professional and on labour market outcomes. The results show that immigrant, foreign-trained degree holders are less likely to work as licensed healthcare professionals after controlling for foreign experience, socio-demographic factors, and family compositions. A similar pattern emerges for labour market outcomes among those holding licensed health credentials; however, in some occupations we find mixed results. The results show earnings deficits associated with immigrants holding foreign credentials, not foreign birth exclusively (in some occupations), controlling for labour market activities, demographic and human capital factors.
Finally, in chapter 3 we find that foreign-trained dentists practicing in Canada earn approximately 30% less than their locally (Canada/US) trained counterparts. What explains such an earnings gap and what does it tell us about the content of services dentists provide? To address the issue, we apply a two-fold Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition to disentangle composition and market factors. We find that individual characteristics (such as gender, potential Canadian experience, visible minority status, geographic location and language) explain 61% of the gap, but 39% can be attributed to differences in rates of return for individual characteristics and unobservable characteristics. Possible causes of such differences in rates of return include differences in quality of training, dentists’ productivities, language skills, and duration of stay in Canada for foreign-trained persons. The foreign-trained dentists have positive rates of return for characteristics, but suffer training location effects (or penalties) for being trained abroad. Moreover, significant negative effects are associated with being a foreign-born, foreign-trained dentist in comparison to being a foreign-born Canada/US-trained dentist. We conclude that the location of a dentist’s highest training is the major factor influencing his/her labour market outcome, not immigration status exclusively.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: THE ROLE OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE AS A PRO-RESOLUTION MEDIATOR IN COLITIS

contributor:
Wallace, John L
Health Sciences

subject:
Gastroenterology
Hydrogen Sulfide
Inflammation
Inflammatory Bowel Disease

abstract:
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has emerged as an important mediator of host function. In the gastrointestinal tract H2S is enzymatically produced and plays a vital role in cytoprotection, inflammation, and tissue repair. During a bout of colitis, the ability of the colon to produce H2S is markedly increased and drives the resolution of colitis. However, little is known about how the production of H2S is regulated in the colon and how dysregulated production can affect the course of colitis in vivo. Additionally, the mechanisms through which H2S can promote the resolution of colitis remain to be fully investigated.
In Chapter 3 of this dissertation, the regulation of H2S production in the colon was explored by examining the contributions of three enzymatic pathways to colonic H2S synthesis. The largest source of the H2S synthesis was from a pathway previously unrecognized in the GI tract involving the enzyme 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3MST). Additionally we found that the upregulation of H2S production during colitis occurred specifically at sites of mucosal ulceration. At the same time H2S inactivation via the enzyme sulfide quinone reductase (SQR) was significantly reduced at these sites. We propose that the site-specific alterations in H2S production and inactivation during colitis promote the resolution of inflammation and injury.
Chapter 4 examined whether the ability of hyperhomocysteinemia (Hhcy) to exacerbate colonic inflammation occurred through impaired H2S synthesis. Hyperhomocysteinemia is often reported in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and is a consequence of decreased vitamin B intake. In all three models tested, diet-induced Hhcy significantly exacerbated colitis. Being dependent on vitamin B6 as a co-factor, the increased H2S production normally observed during colitis was abolished during Hhcy. Administration of an H2S donor to Hhcy rats significantly decreased the severity of colitis. These results also uncovered a novel role for IL-10 in promoting H2S production and homocysteine metabolism, which may have therapeutic value in conditions characterized by Hhcy.
Finally, in Chapter 5 we looked for a mechanism through which H2S can promote resolution of colitis. Using CSE-deficient mice we found that H2S production was required to maintain HIF-1α signaling in the colon. Additionally, proper HIF-1α signaling was required for H2S-donating molecules to promote the resolution of colitis. These results suggest that HIF-1α signaling is a critical event through which H2S promotes resolution of colitis. Collectively, these chapters further highlight the importance of H2S production in colon during inflammation and injury and offer insight into new therapeutic targets mediated through H2S.

abstract: Dissertation

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Symbolism of Sovereingty

title: An Examination of the Placement and Function of Nonurban Sanctuaries in the Outlying Territories of the Achaean Colonies in Magna Graecia

title: 800-500 BCE

contributor:
Pope, Spencer
Corner, Sean
Mattison, Kathryn
Classics

subject:
Magna Graecia
Metaponto
Sybaris
Croton
Poseidonia
Sanctuary
Extraurban Sanctuary
Rural Sanctuary
Suburban Sanctuary
Frontier Sanctuary
colonization
Achaea
Greek archaeology
chora

abstract: This study provides an abstract look at the movement of Greek religion into Magna Graecia with the arrival of Achaean settlers in Southern Italy. Through an investigation into the proliferation of sanctuary construction in the nonurban territory of the colonies, it is evident that the sanctuaries were not only used for religious purposes, and served as symbols of the authority of the city. Metaponto, Croton, Sybaris, and Poseidonia are the colonies in question, whose systematic development relied on the construction of these sacred compounds. This study takes a twofold approach; by investigating the physical placement of sanctuaries in various areas around the chora, their functions will be extrapolated. In the Achaean colonies in Southern Italy, sanctuaries in the nonurban territory did have a sacred significance, but more importantly they demonstrated ownership over the areas they presided over, and thus aided in the delineation of the chora. Nonurban sanctuaries also held the responsibility of sustaining order amongst the outlying populations, bringing together Greeks and indigenous and serving as a mediator amongst them. Furthermore, the sanctuaries positioned at the frontiers of the territory strongly demonstrated the identity of the Greeks, reinforcing their claim to the land. Thus, dissimilar to their counterparts on mainland Greece, the sanctuaries constructed in the nonurban territory of the Achaean colonies were part of a clearly defined development plan, and serviced the political necessities of the Greeks above all.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: CALF INTESTINAL ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE  APTAMER BASED BIOSENSORS

contributor:
Filipe, Carlos
Chemical Engineering

subject:
aptamer
selex
Calf intestinal phosphatase
biosensor

abstract:
In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for newer, more accurate, technologies that can detect and identify biomolecules or biological entities related to health, agriculture or the environment. With the discovery of new properties of nucleic acids beyond the storage and transfer of genetic information, a new class of nucleic acid-based biosensors is emerging, using DNA and RNA as target recognition elements with the advantage of being simpler and more cost-effective compared to antibodies-based biosensor.

	Two sequences, TrG14MC and TrG10SC, with evidence to suggest that they are capable of inhibit the metalloenzyme CIP, were isolated from a selection conducted by Dr. Razvan Nutiu. Here we study the inhibitory properties of these two aptamer candidates and measure the IC50 value, determined as 94 nM for TrG14MC and 83 nM for TrG10SC. Different bivalent constructs, designed to increase the inhibitory effect of the isolated sequences, are studied showing a pronounce influence of the linker length improving the inhibitory effect over CIP.

	Modulating the interaction of the isolated sequences and the CIP is of key importance in order to develop a successful biosensor. Therefore, we try to recover CIP from the inhibition effect by using antisense sequences complementary to different segments of the construct. The maximum recovery, 75%, was achieved by an antisense sequence fully complemented to the inhibitory bivalent construct. We also study here the use of a linker in the bivalent construct that forms a secondary hairpin structure, and the effect of linearizing that structure with an antisense sequence complementary to the linker. This resulted in as 12% of the inhibitory effect.

	The purpose of this investigation was to establish the first steps toward the development of a new class of biosensors capable of disinhibiting CIP upon the recognition of a specific target, taking advantage of the suggested CIP-inhibitory properties of the isolated sequences TrG14MC and TrG10SC.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Structuralism and "The Story of Asdiwal"

subject:
structuralism
ethnonography
Levi-Strauss' Analysis

abstract: This thesis shows that the criticisms of Levi-Strauss' analysis, entitled "The Story of Asdiwal", arise out of the careless application of structuralist principles on the part of Levi-Strauss. They are not due to problems inherent in structuralism itself. To further this point, the story of Asdiwal is re-analyzed using a rigourous application of structuralism which avoids the mistakes made by Levi-Strauss. That is, it takes all the versions into account, considers the ethnographic material in detail, and uses those ethnographic sources with attention to focus and method of collection. The result is an analysis which shows the theme of the story of Asdiwal to be rivalry while the basic binary opposition is between competition and cooperation and not between the matriline and the patriline as Levi-Strauss supposed.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Investigation of the Preparation of A1xGa1-x as Double Heterostructure Laser Diodes by Liquid Phase Epitaxy and System Parameters and Image Characteristics in Neurtron Radiography

contributor:
SpringThorpe, A.J.
Harms, A.A.
Engineering Physics

subject:
lasers
refraction
light
refractive index barrier
reflection
neutron radiography
gadolinium converter
edge-spread function

abstract:
This thesis contains two parts; Both of which are parts of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Engineering

 Part A: Industrial Project

 Part B: McMaster (On-Campus) Project

abstract: This document reports the results of a study of several parameters of a neutron radiographic system of the direct conversion type, and of their effects on certain image characteristics. These parameters are: thickness of the converter, backing material of the very thin converter layers, level of water in the beam tube, exposure time, and film type. The image characteristics are relative optical density, specific contrast, and unsharpness, the latter interpreted quantitatively through the edge-spread function. Theoretical treatments and empirical data are presented and compared. Emphasis is put on investigations of the perfonnance of thin (~2000 A) layers of gadolinium converter, and on the experimental analysis of the edge-spread function.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (ME)