title: A randomized controlled trial of Bikram yoga and aerobic exercise in the treatment of depression:  Efficacy and underlying physiological and psychological mechanisms

contributor:
Harkness, Kate
Psychology

subject: Depression

subject: Complementary and Alternative Medicine Approaches

subject: Nontraditional Treatment

subject: Yoga

subject: Exercise

subject: Rumination

subject: Mindfulness

abstract:
Empirical interest in alternative treatment options for major depression has been on the rise, in part because of the shortcomings of conventional approaches. Despite a growing body of evidence supporting the use of various alternative treatments as either stand-alone or adjunctive therapies for depression (Ravindran et al., 2016), methodological limitations have plagued numerous individual trials. The current study aimed to examine the antidepressant effects of yoga in a study design that made several methodological improvements over previous trials. Bikram yoga was used as the yoga intervention because it is a standardized style of yoga that is readily available, thus lending itself well to subsequent replication. In addition to comparing its effects to those of no treatment, Bikram yoga was compared to an aerobic exercise intervention, as the latter has been well-supported for its mood-enhancing benefits and has even been incorporated into treatment guidelines for depression.

Participants were 53 adult women who met diagnostic criteria for a depressive disorder. They were randomized to one of three 8-week conditions: Bikram yoga, aerobic exercise, or waitlist control. Results from an intention-to-treat analysis demonstrated response rates (i.e., >50% reduction on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression; HAM-D; Hamilton, 1960) of 61.1%, 60.0%, and 6.7%, respectively, for the yoga, exercise, and waitlist groups. When considering the sample of completers, 73.3% and 80.0% of participants in the yoga and exercise groups, respectively, achieved remission (i.e., no longer meeting diagnostic criteria for depression and HAM-D≤7) compared to only 8.3% in the waitlist condition.

A secondary objective of this study was to examine relevant physiological and psychological variables that may underlie the antidepressant effects of Bikram yoga and aerobic exercise. Physiological variables included pre- to post-treatment changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol response to a psychological challenge test. Psychological variables were changes in level of perceived hassles, rumination, and mindfulness. Although these variables have been linked to depression and have also been found to be influenced by yoga and exercise, their role in mediating the antidepressant effects of yoga and exercise have gone largely unexplored. Rumination emerged as a significant mediator for both active treatment conditions. Acceptance, which is a component of mindfulness, also mediated the antidepressant effects of exercise. Possibly owing to methodological issues and extraneous factors that may have been inadequately controlled for, none of the physiological variables emerged as significant mediators. Suggestions for future research, including other potential mechanisms of action that may help better understand the mental health benefits of yoga and exercise, are highlighted.

abstract: PhD


title: An Investigation into Cerium Oxidation Under Acidic Conditions

contributor:
Ghahreman, Ahmad
Mining Engineering

rights: Queen's University's Thesis/Dissertation Non-Exclusive License for Deposit to QSpace and Library and Archives Canada

rights: ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement

rights: Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University

rights: This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.

subject:
Cerium
Rare Earth
Oxidation
Acidic
Potassium Permanganate
Hydrogen Peroxide
Sodium Hypochlorite
Caro's Acid
Rare Earth Elements
REE

abstract: Separation of rare earth elements (REE) is often achieved by acid leaching of mineral concentrates followed by subsequent solvent extraction, to produce individual rare earth metals. Cerium, the most abundant of these elements, is usually the largest component of commercial ores. Demand for less prevalent REE, such as neodymium and dysprosium; have led to a market saturation and price collapse of cerium. One method of improving the economics of REE separation is to remove cerium from solution prior to solvent extraction. This is accomplished via the oxidation of cerium (III) to cerium (IV), which precipitates as cerium hydroxides. In general this process is undertaken at basic pH, however this requires large quantities of base to raise the solution of leach liquors to levels suitable for these processes. Oxidation in acidic solutions would allow for savings on reagents as well as lower water use, increasing the financial viability and environmental profile of rare earth purification processes. This study probes the efficacy of four oxidants; hydrogen peroxide, sodium hypochlorite, potassium permanganate, and Caro’s (peroxymonosulfuric) acid in this endeavor. Cerium oxidation was tested using these oxidants at varying stoichiometry, a pH range of 1.0 to 4.0, temperatures of 25, 45, and 65 °C, varying cerium concentrations, and in the presence of other REE. Kinetic constants were calculated from time-sampled data. 99.9% cerium removal is achievable using potassium permanganate and Caro’s acid in the absence of other REE. The greatest cerium removal, 98.4%, was achieved using permanganate in multi REE solutions leaving a product with a cerium to total REE (Ce/TREE) quiotient of 0.62. Varying levels of cerium removal were achieved with lower selectivity using the other oxidants. To investigate adsorption of other REE to cerium, adsorption isotherms of neodymium and terbium were created using ceric hydroxide and fitted to the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The cerium solids produces were examined using transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravemetric analysis, and x-ray diffraction to gain a better understanding of their form.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Corrections to Signal Saturation on the DEAP-3600 Dark Matter Search

contributor: Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy

subject:
dark matter
liquid argon
WIMP
SNOLAB
Gold deconvolution
photomultiplier tube

abstract: Dark matter is currently a topic at the frontier of astroparticle physics research. Its discovery or refutation would have profound implications for particle physics, cosmology, and astrophysics. There are numerous experiments trying to detect potential dark matter interactions with ordinary matter. The experiment at the focus of this thesis is the Dark matter Experiment using Argon Pulse-shape discrimination (DEAP). The DEAP collaboration has built a tonne-scale detector, dubbed DEAP-3600, which is part-way through its three-year data acquisition run. The detector utilizes roughly 3300 kg of liquid argon as a scintillating medium in order to detect potential dark matter interactions, which are expected to be in the form of rare elastic collisions with argon nuclei. The detection instrumentation comprises an array of 255 photomultiplier tubes, which can turn trace amounts of light into measurable electrical signals. In addition to these devices which generate the signals, DEAP-3600 has a data acquisition stream which includes a signal shaping/amplification stage and a digitization stage. The signal generation and digitization stages are especially prone to saturation effects which are associated with large electrical currents. These effects manifest themselves in data to varying degrees, depending on event energy, position, and how "prompt" the light is. What follows is a detailed overview of an algorithm devised to correct signal saturation in all forms of data collected by the detector.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Symmetric Gaussian Rearrangement with Applications to Gaussian Noise Stability

contributor:
Mansouri, Abdol-Reza
Mathematics and Statistics

subject:
Noise stability
Gaussian measure
Symmetric sets
Rearrangement

abstract: We introduce a new symmetric Gaussian rearrangement that applies to sets and functions which are invariant with respect to a given finite subgroup of the orthogonal group. The properties of this rearrangement are developed, connecting it with the existing theory, and we show that the Hardy--Littlewood inequality holds for this rearrangement. As an application, certain integrals involving the Ornstein--Uhlenbeck semigroup are shown to be non-decreasing under rearrangement of their initial data. This in turn demonstrates a new form of Borell's inequality: the (positive correlation) Gaussian noise stability of a set is non-decreasing under appropriate symmetric Gaussian rearrangement.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Examining Factors That Influence Youth Sport Coaches' Transformational Leadership Behaviours

contributor:
Côté, Jean
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Coach Education
Leadership
Interpersonal Behaviours
Behaviour Change
Evidence-Informed

abstract:
There is growing recognition that Transformational Leadership (TFL; Bass & Riggio, 2006) may hold significant potential for exploring coaches’ influence on athlete development (Vella, et al., 2013a).  Although previous research demonstrates that transformational coaching behaviours may have important implications for athlete outcomes (Arthur et al., 2011; Charbonneau, et al., 2001), studies examining how these behaviours can be developed through coach education programs are limited.  Recent reviews on coaching education reveal that there is need for programs that (a) focus on coaches’ interpersonal knowledge/behaviours (Lefebvre et al., 2016), (b) integrate behaviour change theories into their design (Allan et al., 2017), and (c) are systematically designed and evaluated (Evans et al., 2015).  To address these limitations, the purpose of this study was two-fold: First, to explore the factors that influence coaches’ perceptions of their capability, opportunity, and motivation to execute TFL behaviours (COM-B model; Michie et al., 2014), and second, to obtain recommendations from coaches, using the RE-AIM framework, for a future interpersonal coach education program.  The goal of this study was to provide pragmatic results to aid in the development of an interpersonal focused coach development program grounded in TFL theory.  Using a mixed methods design, one-on-one interviews were conducted with 20 youth sport coaches.  Coaches’ perceptions of their capability, opportunity, and motivation to perform TFL behaviours were assessed using both Likert-scale and open-ended questions.  Results indicated that coaches perceived opportunity as the most noteworthy barrier to executing TFL behaviours, followed by capability, F(1, 18) = 18.55, p < 0.05, and motivation, F(1, 18) = 18.55, p < 0.01.  Thematic analysis of the open-ended questions revealed a myriad of enablers and barriers to the execution of TFL behaviours such as time, (opportunity), experience (capability), and coaches’ roles (motivation).  Lastly, coaches
recommendations for a future workshop revealed themes that were mapped onto the domains of the RE-AIM framework.  Recommendations included using reputable sources (reach), adopting a person-centered approach (effectiveness), establishing credibility (adoption), using qualified educators (implementation), and creating sustainable connections (maintenance).  These findings offer insight into youth sport coaches’ use of TFL and provide practical recommendations for future interpersonal coach education programs.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: An Event-Based Approach to Modeling Complex Data in Critical Care

contributor:
Maslove, David
Rudie, Karen
Morin, Evelyn
Computing

subject:
Exploratory Data Analysis
Machine Learning
Time Series Analysis
Critical Care
Data Visualization

abstract:
Precision medicine is an emerging field in critical care research where treatments are individualized, ensuring the right patient receives the right medication at the right time. In this work, the focus is on the data analytics, however, interpreting and understanding biomedical data is challenging due to the heterogeneity, noise, potential interrelationships, and dynamic nature that makes the data complex. Computer science is needed to help organize and utilize this data.
Exploratory data analysis is an approach to research that combines computing power and human involvement, to enable the interactive exploration of data through visualization with the goal of generating new hypotheses.

Intensive care units (ICUs) are becoming a popular setting for precision medicine and exploratory data analysis due to the abundance and complexity of the data collected. One specific area of interest is in physiologic waveform monitoring and the responsiveness of these waveforms to treatment with vasoactive medications.

In this thesis we first investigate statistical techniques for analyzing physiological waveform data. Problems with this approach are discussed, including the preponderance of significant p-values, and the obscuring of important relationships between data types. Due to these problems, time series analysis and machine learning methods including clustering are explored. We undertake a prospective observational study which generated a novel multi-modal dataset of waveform data with associated clinical events.

Data from this study led to the development of EVENTIVe, an exploratory event-based interactive data visualization platform. EVENTIVe provides an efficient and user-directed means of investigating complex physiological and clinical time series. An event-based data structure is described, including semi-structured document-style storage formats. Time series changepoint detection, hierarchical clustering, and K-Means clustering are included as exploration options. EVENTIVe encourages users to review individual data points through visualization, in addition to measures of central tendency and dispersion. Through EVENTIVe insights into the effects of vasoactive interventions in the ICU on physiological parameters were explored with new hypotheses generated. This work sets the stage for many future studies into the short-term physiological disturbances occurring in critically ill patients, helping the progression towards the use of precision medicine in these settings.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: From Knowledge to Action: Quality Participation and Coaching Effectiveness in Disability Sport

contributor:
Latimer-Cheung, Amy
Côté, Jean
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Disability Sport
Participation
Coaching
Athlete Development
Knowledge to Action Framework
Qualitative Methods
Narrative Inquiry

abstract:
Limited research attends to the quality of participation in sport for persons with disabilities (i.e., disability sport), or the role of coaches in shaping the quality of athletes’ disability sport experiences. To address these knowledge gaps, this dissertation examined quality participation and coaching effectiveness in disability sport. Guided by the Knowledge to Action framework, the knowledge created in Manuscripts 1-3 contributed to the development of a learning tool for disability sport coaches in Manuscript 4.
Manuscript 1 (Chapter 3) explored the meanings that athletes with physical disabilities attribute to their participation in disability sport over time. Two-part life history interviews were conducted with 21 athletes with a physical disability and narratively analyzed. Five distinct narrative types were identified, representing differential developmental trajectories and meanings of participation in disability sport.
Manuscript 2 (Chapter 4) examined athletes’ perceptions of effective disability sport coaching throughout development. A subset of the data collected for Manuscript 1 focused on athletes’ experiences with disability sport coaches. These data were separated and thematically analyzed. Two overarching themes reflected patterns in coaches’ knowledge, beliefs, and behaviours related to (a) positive and negative experiences in disability sport, and (b) the context.
Manuscript 3 (Chapter 5) investigated how effective (i.e., model) disability sport coaches shape successful programs for athletes with disabilities. A collective case study of six disability sport programs was performed, including document review, mobile interviews, and semi-structured interviews with coaches and athletes. Cases were independently analyzed and compared. The beliefs and vision of each coach corresponded to the implementation of core values that translated into quality experiences for athletes across four layered themes.
Manuscript 4 (Chapter 6) produced an evidence-informed learning tool for disability sport coaches. The findings of Manuscripts 1-3 were synthesized alongside other relevant sources of knowledge to identify target behaviours and behavioural determinants. Following stakeholder review, an ethnographic creative nonfiction was crafted to demonstrate and provide information about coach behaviours that facilitate quality experiences for athletes with a disability.
Overall, this dissertation contributes toward deepening our understanding of athlete development, quality participation, and coaching effectiveness in disability sport. These findings may be used by researchers and practitioners to create, deliver, and promote quality programs for athletes with a disability.

abstract: PhD


title: Rhodium-Catalyzed Cyclocarbonylation Reactions: Construction of Unsaturated Six-Membered Rings and Enantioselective Pauson–Khand-Type Reactions of 1,6-Chloroenynes

contributor:
Evans, P. Andrew
Chemistry

subject: Rhodium Cyclocarbonylation Carbocyclization Pauson–Khand

abstract:
Transition metal-catalyzed higher-order carbocyclization reactions provide a versatile and atom-economical approach to the construction of carbo- and heterocyclic ring systems.  The ability to efficiently assemble complex and often functionalized (poly)cyclic molecules from relatively simple starting materials in a highly regio-, diastereo- and/or enantioselective manner, depending on the substrate(s) and metal catalyst employed, provides an attractive method for target-directed synthesis.  In this regard, rhodium-catalyzed cyclocarbonylation reactions afford a convenient route to the synthesis of various cyclic ketone derivatives, and the utility of these transformations is emphasized by the number of natural product syntheses incorporating this transformation as a key ring-forming step.  The following thesis is divided into three key chapters, encompassing a literature review followed by two research chapters, further divided according to the type of transformation discussed.
Chapter 1 commences with an overview of transition metal-catalyzed higher order carbocyclization reactions and an introduction to the Pauson–Khand reaction, which is followed by a detailed account of various rhodium-catalyzed semi-intermolecular [(m+n)+1] cyclocarbonylation processes.  The final section in this chapter presents the application of rhodium-catalyzed cyclocarbonylation reactions to the total synthesis of several complex natural products.
Chapter 2 describes the development of the rhodium-catalyzed [(3+2)+1] carbocyclization reaction of alkylidenecyclopropane (ACP) derivatives with carbon monoxide (CO).  Following a brief introduction on the chemistry of three-carbon components in metal-catalyzed carbocyclization processes, our work on the carbocyclization reaction of ACPs with CO for the construction of bicyclic phenols will be presented.  The last section in Chapter 2 will discuss the development of the cyclocarbonylation reaction of ACPs containing tetrasubstituted olefins with CO to provide bicyclohexa-2,5-dienones.
Chapter 3 begins with an introduction to the enantioselective Pauson–Khand-type (PK-type) reaction of various 1,6-enyne derivatives with CO.  The remainder of Chapter 3 is given to the discussion of our efforts towards the enantioselective rhodium-catalyzed PK-type reaction of 1,6-chloroenynes containing trisubstituted olefins for the preparation of bicyclopentenones containing vicinal quaternary and tertiary stereogenic centers.  The preliminary scope and some of the limitations of this process will be outlined.

abstract: PhD


title: "Are You High?": Emotional geographies of everyday life with diabetes

contributor:
Schwartz, Joan
Geography and Planning

rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States

subject:
Diabetes
Emotional Geographies
Archives
Opensource Mapping
Textmining
Reddit
Lifeworlds
Feminist Geographies
Cyborg
Biomedical Waste
Digital Ethnography
R
Diabulimia
Governmentality
Biocitizenship
Biohacking
Insulin

abstract: Geographies of everyday life intersect diabetes in interesting ways with emotional and physical consequences. How do those with diabetes seek and create spaces of freedom from these consequences in everyday life? Looking to archival materials and social media discourse, I use a geographical, feminist lens to argue that the diabetic body is a place, a site, for historical and current applications of biomedical technologies that have embodied, emotional consequences for lifeworlds of people with diabetes. Before the discovery of insulin, everyday life with diabetes consisted of persistent high blood glucose levels, starvation diets, calorie counting, hopelessness, diminished lifeworlds, and early death. Now, nearly a century later, for those with access, treatment of diabetes may include the use of an increasing number of pharmaceutical innovations and technological devices to quantify and manage life with diabetes. These pro- grammed/programmable devices are interfaced with human flesh, described as part of an individual’s body and identity, creating diabetic cyborgs. Those embodying these devices seek liberation from negative consequences by hacking them, meaning to use or program the devices in ways not intended or against medical advisement, in order to individualize improvements to the device’s function. Management of diabetes produces personal biomedical waste from daily use of ‘disposable’ items. I use Reddit data to show how some seek freedom from the burden of waste management, while others seek freedom from guilt within a framework of biocitizenship.

abstract: PhD


title: Moduli spaces of vector bundles on toric surfaces

contributor:
Ren, Owen
Mathematics and Statistics

subject:
Mathematics
Moduli spaces
Algebraic geometry
Toric surfaces

abstract: The moduli spaces parametrizing isomorphism classes of vector bundles are poorly understood. For certain choices of the first Chern class and a suitable second Chern class, we show that there exists an ample line bundle on a smooth complete toric surface for which the moduli space of rank two vector bundles is isomorphic to projective space. For the other choices of the first Chern class, we demonstrate with an example that the moduli space can still be isomorphic to projective space. To compute the topological Euler characteristic of a moduli space of rank two vector bundles, we look at its set of torus-fixed points and give it an interpretation in terms of the torus-equivariant vector bundles. Using a correspondence between collections of filtrations and torus-equivariant vector bundles given in [Kly89], we interpret the torus-fixed points of the moduli space as configurations of points on the projective line. We use this configuration to compute Euler characteristics of moduli spaces on a Hirzebruch surface.

abstract: PhD


title: Best case utilization of residual forest biomass streams in the pulp and paper industry

contributor:
Mabee, Warren
Geography and Planning

subject: Pulp and Paper

abstract:
Drawing on Canada’s abundant forest resources, the Canadian pulp and paper industry has long been a significant contributor to GDP and a major consumer of industrial energy. In recent years, however, the industry has faced declines due to declines in paper consumption and increased overseas competition. Our study seeks to examine how the industry can be revitalized through the exploitation of waste residue streams for chemical and energy production.
The Millar Western BCTMP mill at Whitecourt, AB and the Tembec (now Rayonier) sulphite mill in Temiscaming, PQ were examined, and flow streams and waste residue generation were identified and quantified. At the Tembec mill, daily flow data was used to make predictions on quantities and consistencies of various residual streams. The potential of these flows to support chemical and energy production at the mills was explored. Using natural gas cost as a proxy for price, the economic value of residual biomass as energy was determined and contrasted against potential value from chemical products. Although limited by lack of compositional analyses of residue streams and incomplete economic data, use of pilot plant examples facilitated this comparison.
Waste residue streams were identified at both sawmill and pulping phases. Sludge flow was recognized as having the greatest potential for exploitation; it was the largest stream producing on average between 260 and 440 tonnes per day, and currently not being used at either mill for economic gain. Analysis of Tembec data displayed that daily flow streams were highly variable in their values. Correlation analyses, however, suggested that practices such as stockpiling could be exploited to decrease this variability in daily quantity.
ii
It was found that the value of biomass as energy was highly volatile, fluctuating from C$ 34-153/ tonne of biomass during the study period. Such value was additionally seen to be highly sensitive to the heating value of the biomass, which can be expected to change with the moisture content and type of residue. Similarly, based on literature reviews, exploitation of residues for chemical production of NCC and isolated lignin was determined to plausible, and quantities from sludge were deemed capable of meeting pilot scale levels. Further compositional analyses, investigation into dewatering processes, and research into the economics is needed to consider scaling these chemical productions to a larger level.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: A Pedagogy of Discomfort: A Qualified Defense

contributor:
Guenther, Lisa
Philosophy

subject:
social justice education
epistemic vulnerability
critical pedagogy

abstract:
This thesis considers Megan Boler’s proposal for a pedagogy of discomfort, an approach to social justice education that harnesses students’ emotional responses of felt discomfort, such as anger or guilt, in order to prompt them to critically interrogate their existing beliefs, assumptions, and ways of seeing. Upon highlighting critiques of politicized curricula, I consider one potential objection that may be levelled against a pedagogy of discomfort, namely, that this pedagogy constitutes an imposition on students by the educator, infringing on students’ freedom to hold certain beliefs, assumptions, and ways of seeing. I argue that in cases where the would-be participants in a pedagogy of discomfort are the beneficiaries of the particular unjust social structure under scrutiny, this imposition is justified as a lesser evil.

I then address some of the challenges that may arise from implementing a pedagogy of discomfort in classrooms in which some individuals are harmed by the particular unjust social structure under scrutiny. I suggest that two tensions arise from imposing this pedagogy on these individuals. First, subjecting these individuals to the process of critical inquiry appears to reproduce the conditions whereby they are denied status as epistemic agents. Second, the act of collective witnessing through which the process of critical inquiry takes place requires that all participants recognize one another as epistemic agents. However, I argue that this mutual recognition may not be present in classrooms in which some individuals are harmed by the particular unjust social structure under scrutiny. I argue that the presence of these two tensions gives reason for caution when imposing a pedagogy of discomfort on students who are harmed by the particular unjust social structure under scrutiny.

abstract: M.A.


title: Autocratization of Parliamentary Democracies: the Case of Hungary and Macedonia

contributor:
Csergo, Zsuzsa
McGarry, John
Political Studies

subject:
autocratization
primordializing nationalism
competitive authoritarianism
parliamentary democracies
Hungary
Macedonia

abstract: In the last decade, the democratic failure that appeared in parliamentary democracies in parts of post-communist Europe defies earlier expectations about democratic consolidation in that region. This doctoral dissertation develops an explanation for the question of why and how some new parliamentary democracies regress into authoritarianism. It analyzes the autocratization of two countries in Central and Eastern Europe, Hungary and Macedonia, that had previously been cited as “success stories” in their respective sub-regions. The question is addressed through a structured comparative analysis of post-communist political development in Hungary and Macedonia. The main argument developed in this study is two-fold. First, the analysis explains the way in which a democratic parliamentary system can transform itself into a particular form of authoritarianism—competitive authoritarianism. Second, it offers an explanation about the conditions under which autocratization occurred in the two countries. Autocratization transpired through both institutional and extra-institutional mechanisms. The institutional mechanisms included targeted legislative changes that undermined the democratic checks on executive power in the parliamentary system, without completely dismantling democratic institutions. The extra- institutional mechanisms included a targeted dismantling of civil society checks on executive power—through the co-optation or elimination of free and independent media, reconfiguration of the non-governmental sector and independent civil associations, as well as the take-over of business by the inner circles of the prime ministers. These cases demonstrate that a parliamentary democracy can transition into a non-democratic form of governance, regardless of the degree of its prior democratic consolidation.

abstract: PhD


title: Laboratory Investigation of Shear Behaviour in Rock Joints Under Varying Boundary Conditions

contributor: Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering

subject:
direct shear
laboratory testing
rock joints
constant normal stiffness
joint stiffness
joint strength
dilation
numerical modelling

abstract:
Discontinuities (joints, fractures, faults, bedding planes etc.) in rockmasses are an important mechanical component of a rockmass.  In low to moderate in situ stress conditions where gravity-driven failure dominates, these discontinuities act as planes of weakness and govern the material response.  Discontinuity behaviour can have a large impact in geotechnical design, and therefore it is essential to determine their geomechanical properties in order to predict rockmass behaviour and prevent any potential failure that would pose a threat to personnel safety or damage property.  A common method of determining the mechanical properties (e.g. stiffness, strength, and dilation) of rockmass discontinuities, which are used as inputs for numerical geotechnical design, is through laboratory direct shear testing. Direct shear testing is typically conducted using two different boundary conditions: constant normal stress (CNL*) and constant normal stiffness (CNS). The CNL* boundary condition represents fracture behaviour in slopes and near surface conditions where gravity loading dominates, while the CNS boundary condition is considered to better reflect behaviours of fractures in underground excavations where in situ and induced stresses control rockmass stability and joint opening (dilation) is suppressed during shear.
This research addresses the further refinement of direct shear laboratory testing protocols (sample selection, test program creation, and test procedure) and understanding of the behaviour of rock joints under constant normal stiffness boundary conditions.  Furthermore, a machine normal stiffness estimation tool for CNS testing is developed in order to improve the reliability and applicability of CNS direct shear testing programs for tunneling applications.  Finally, intact geomechanical laboratory testing was completed (unconfined compressive strength and Brazilian indirect tensile strength testing) was completed to determine intact geomechanical properties.  A new secant dilation angle is created to characterize the post-yield behaviour of rock joints to be used an input to account for post-yield behaviour in numerical models. Measured geomechanical properties (fractures and intact rock) were then used to complete a preliminary numerical modelling program of laboratory scale direct shear tests.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Time for a new story: Circulating alternative narratives of parasport participation

contributor:
Latimer-Cheung, Amy
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
parasport
messaging
narrative
health promotion
disability
supercrip
behaviour
health action process approach
message processing
extended elaboration likelihood model
health communication

abstract: Narrative messages are effective health promotion tools when the plot evokes positive feelings and when viewers identify with the characters; however, the dominant narrative of parasport participation currently circulated in the media (i.e., the performance narrative) likely perpetuates psychosocial barriers to parasport participation (e.g., low self-efficacy). The performance narrative is defined by its focus on athletic ability and overcoming disability. Alternative parasport narratives (i.e., relational, discovery) exist but are seldom used in parasport media. Guided by the Extended Elaboration Likelihood Model and the Health Action Process Approach as theoretical bases, this thesis aimed to explore whether (a) the type of parasport narrative and (b) identification with characters influence parasport participation. This online, longitudinal randomized controlled trial was completed by 194 Canadian adults with a physical disability who currently do not participate in parasport. Participation entailed completing quantitative surveys pre, post, and two weeks following three consecutive days of viewing a set of media messages capturing one of the three parasport narratives or control messages and completing thought listing tasks. The findings suggest that the discovery narrative may have an advantage in promoting parasport participation. Most participants (45%) preferred the discovery narrative, and chi-square analyses and repeated-measures ANOVAs revealed that the discovery narrative encouraged more positive thinking about the self (X2=6.32, p=.042) and about parasport (X2=5.95, p=.05), and led to increased barrier self-efficacy (F=6.89, p=.002). Intentions, risk perceptions, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity increased regardless of narrative viewed (p<.05). Identification with characters was revealed as an important component of parasport behaviour change with task self-efficacy (R2=0.17) and outcome expectancies (R2=0.19) mediating the relationship between identification with characters and intentions to participate in parasport. Despite the importance of identification with characters, participants in all intervention groups expressed feeling dissimilar to the characters in the messages in terms of their competitiveness, elite status, and body types. This finding emphasizes the importance of including characters who persons with physical disabilities can identify with in parasport media. This work presents important considerations for researchers and parasport communicators who aim to develop inclusive messaging that facilitates parasport participation among persons with physical disabilities.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Putting Food Back into the Curriculum: Key Informants’ Perspectives on Implementing a Mandatory Food Literacy Component in Ontario Secondary School Curriculum

contributor:
Power, Elaine
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
children/youth
education
food literacy
policy
health promotion
secondary school curriculum

abstract: Introduction: The food environment has changed over the last few decades with a sharp rise in individuals eating outside of the home and the availability of packaged and ultra-processed products. These types of foods are desirable because they are convenient and also very palatable (Monteiro, et al., 2013; Slater, 2017). They are also branded and marketed intensely. As a consequence of this, we tend to over-consume them (Slater, 2017). Not surprisingly, young people’s diets have been adversely affected and many scholars have noted a “de-skilling” trend, such that young people’s food and cooking skills have deteriorated (Scrinis, 2007; Slater, 2017). However, the physical health, well-being, and food skills of adolescents can be positively impacted by food literacy, defined as the scaffolding that empowers individuals, communities, and nations through knowledge and skills that protect diet quality (Vidgen & Gallegos, 2014). Purpose: This study sought to understand key informants’ perspectives on food literacy goals and objectives, as well as the process by which food literacy might become a mandated component of Ontario secondary school curriculum. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 key informants from three groups of Ontario-based participant pools: experts in the field of food literacy; experts in the curriculum process; and current high school teachers. Results: Thematic analysis was utilized to analyze participant transcripts. The goals and learning objectives of a food literacy component as well as five major themes were identified that pertain to the research questions. These themes are: need for a common definition of food literacy; changing perceptions of food literacy; need for collaboration; need for resources; and lobbying the government. Discussion: Participants had similar responses to most questions. There are several strategies food literacy advocates must consider to overcome the barriers preventing a mandatory food literacy component in Ontario secondary school curriculum. These strategies include utilizing collaborative work efforts in order to come to an agreed upon definition of food literacy and the use of advocacy strategies to change perceptions and lobby the government.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: An ERP Investigation into the Influence of Spatial Relevance on Attentional Deployment

contributor:
Castelhano, Monica
Psychology

subject:
visual cognition
visual search
attention
scene perception

abstract:
In visual search, top-down task knowledge and bottom-up stimulus salience interact to determine where observers are most likely to attend. Past research has demonstrated that during search tasks, scene regions with a high probability of containing the target (spatially relevant regions) are more likely to be attended than regions with low target-probability (spatially irrelevant regions; Chastain & Cheal, 1997; Pereira & Castelhano, 2018; Travis, Mattingley, & Dux, 2013). Pereira and Castelhano (2018) demonstrated that abrupt-onset distractors are more likely to be fixated when they appear within spatially relevant regions; however, the attentional mechanisms underlying this differential processing are not fully understood. Two hypotheses could explain the attentional mechanisms involved: firstly, information in spatially relevant regions may be enhanced, such that distractors in this area are more likely to capture attention. Secondly, information in spatially irrelevant regions may be inhibited, such that distractors in spatially irrelevant regions are actively suppressed. The present study assessed these two possibilities, which are not mutually exclusive.
Here, we aimed to assess three classic ERP components – two associated with attentional capture (the P1 and the N2pc), and one with active suppression (the PD). There were two types of searches: object search, wherein scene context was relevant, and letter search, wherein context was not relevant.  We found that overall task engagement was low, as reflected in both ERP data and accuracy scores. As such, we were unable to perform statistical comparisons on our ERP results; however, qualitative analyses suggest that attentional distributions did not vary depending on the spatial relevance of distractor positioning. This is more likely to reflect limitations of our paradigm than the nature of attentional deployment during visual search. We conclude with recommendations for future paradigms that concentrated on strengthening task engagement as well as distractor saliency.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Adult Readers and the Growing "New Girl" in Major American Girls' Fiction, 1900-1920

contributor:
King, Shelley
English Language and Literature

subject: girls' fiction

subject: United States

subject: 1900-1920

subject: Wiggin's Rebecca books

subject: Stratemeyer Syndicate's Ruth Fielding series

subject: Stratemeyer Syndicate's Dorothy Dale: A Girl of To-Day

subject: textually imagined implied readers

subject: New Girl

abstract:
The early twentieth century was a time of high-profile commentary in the U.S. regarding new roles for women, the convention-defying “New Woman,” and adolescence in the context of girls’ lives. Girls’ fiction included family-oriented texts, as well as, to borrow from Nancy Tillman Romolav, “series books” that “did not attempt to woo the adult through their language, subject or pedagogical value . . .” (90). This study explores major books (from both kinds of girls’ fiction, namely Wiggin’s Rebecca books and the Stratemeyer Syndicate’s Ruth Fielding series, along with, to a lesser extent, its first Dorothy Dale text) concerned with “New Girls” as they grow from their pre-teen/early-teen years to young womanhood; I examine whether differences relating to whether adult readership is sought affect how the books compare in terms of addressing adult-imposed impediments that the girls face.

I argue that, underneath such differences, the books share the assumption that young-girl readers—as imagined by the texts—are not the right audience, or at least not the right primary audience, for a comprehensive look at the mixture of ageism and patriarchy. The books assume that outright dislodging adult-imposed limitations is beyond what young-girl readers can do. This assumption constitutes a unifying feature of major American coming-of-age “New Girl” fiction for girls of the time. At a broader political level, in lacking signs of a belief that the imagined girl readers deserve to be fully aware of their social situation, the texts themselves actually confirm the pervasiveness in their society of a lamentable adult conservative attitude towards girls.

This finding is relevant to discussing the social context and this genre in 1900-1920, and should also matter more generally to scholars of American girls’ fiction (including works of our era, given how girls and women are still oppressed), as well as to critics who might pursue cross-national comparisons. Crucially, this study is not about what actual child readers know, think, or understand; rather, it discusses how the texts imagine girl readers. As Lukens, Smith, and Coffel note, “Children’s literature is written by adults for children as adults imagine children to be” (6).

abstract: PhD


title: Enhancing surgical education using video playback: A case study on the influence of video playback on the nature and experience of feedback between supervising surgeons and surgical residents.

contributor:
Pyper, Jamie
Education

subject:
Video playback
Feedback
Surgery
Postgraduate medical education

abstract:
Introduction:
Feedback about intraoperative performance remains a cornerstone of surgical training, and yet perceptions of feedback quality by supervising surgeons and surgical residents differ. Video playback offers one potential method for more effective feedback to surgical residents. More research is needed to better understand this tool. This study explores the nature of instructional interactions and feedback in the operating room and when using video playback during post-operative review.
Methods:
Three surgical residents and five supervising surgeons were involved in six laparoscopic cases. Data collected included the intraoperative and video playback conversations between the resident and supervising surgeon and semi-structured interviews exploring the resident and supervising surgeon experience of using video playback as a feedback tool. A combination of deductive, inductive and hermeneutic analytic approaches was used. Data was triangulated to develop the big ideas.
Results:
Analysis of the intraoperative verbal interactions identified that the majority of these interactions (48%) were instrumental and didactic in nature. By contrast, most interactions during video playback were teaching in nature (65%) and the sessions were dialogic. Video playback was perceived as a valuable tool by residents and supervising surgeons for feedback on surgical performance. Participants valued the exact visual representation of the surgical performance provided by the video as it provided cues for specific feedback. They also perceived the video playback environment to be calm and lower in cognitive load, allowing for optimized learning. Both the residents and supervising surgeons found the video was a useful tool to self- reflect on their own performance. These results were further explored through the lenses of social cognitive theory and cognitive load theory.
Conclusions:
The two big ideas which emerged from this research were: the environment in which video playback occurred contributed positively to the feedback experience, and feedback using video playback is a dialogic critical visual review of the performance. Video playback provided a surgical learning opportunity outside of the operating room which maintained the contextual verity of the surgical case performed.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Branding in the promotion of healthy movement behaviours

subject:
social marketing
brand
brand equity pyramid
brand resonance model
ParticipACTION
brand extension
physical activity
sedentary behaviour
sleep
health

abstract:
Organizations and health resources or products with strong brands can augment interventions encouraging people to move more, sit less, and sleep better. This manuscript-based dissertation is composed of four studies that were designed with the purpose of enhancing our understanding of what makes a strong brand for promoting the full continuum of movement behaviours from sleep to vigorous physical activity.
Study 1 examined a physical activity organization brand to test the brand equity pyramid. Participants were a large, representative sample of Canadian adults. The analyses indicated that there was a five-factor brand equity framework (i.e., brand identity, brand meaning, brand responses, brand resonance, and intentions), and that each factor positively predicted the next.
Study 2 examined a product brand to test the brand equity pyramid. Participants were a representative sample of Canadian parents with a child 5-12 years of age. The study demonstrated a four-factor brand equity framework in this case (i.e., brand identity, brand meaning [performance beliefs and imagery beliefs], and brand resonance), and that brand identity predicted performance and imagery, and performance and imagery predicted resonance.
Study 3 also explored the brand of a product to test the brand equity pyramid. This study was an experiment comparing a brand intervention group to a control group. Participants in this study were similar in make-up to those in Study 2. Most importantly, the intervention group displayed a more positive attitude toward reducing their child’s sedentary behaviour and this effect was mediated by product credibility, warmth, and fun.
Finally, Study 4 investigated determinants of attitude toward an organization’s promotion of a behaviour (i.e., brand extension attitude) to their child. Participants in this study were similar to individuals in Studies 2 and 3. The results generally indicated that participants were most amenable to the organization’s promotion of more light and moderate to vigorous physical activity, more sleep, and less sedentary behaviour when participants had a positive organizational attitude and when the participants perceived strong fit between the organization and the behaviour.
This dissertation demonstrated that branding matters in the promotion of optimal movement patterns. The results identify brand equity variables that organizations can target to enhance their interventions.

abstract: PhD


title: Integrating ACC-FMCW Radar for Multi-sensor Navigation in Challenging GNSS Environments

contributor:
Noureldin, Aboelmagd
Korenberg, Michael
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
GNSS
ACC-FMCW Radar
Multi-Sensor Integration
Fast Orthogonal Search (FOS)
Navigation
Positioning

abstract:
Autonomous vehicles’ positioning and navigation (POS/NAV) systems provide drivers with route guidance information relying mostly on the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). The GNSS–based POS/NAV systems suffer from satellite signal blockage, interference and multipath usually experienced by land vehicles in urban areas. The integration with vehicle motion sensors enhances the overall performance for a short period of time. Autonomous land vehicles are now equipped with cameras, radars, and laser ranging devices utilized for blind spot display, collision avoidance, and lane departure warning. The availability of these systems provides an attractive opportunity to increase the POS/NAV system accuracy.
This research focuses on the development of an integrated multi-sensor POS/NAV system capable of offering seamless positioning at meter level accuracy for autonomous land vehicles. To bridge the GNSS outages a multi-sensor system utilizing magnetic azimuth from a calibrated magnetometer is developed to enhance the performance of the overall POS/NAV solution by limiting the gyroscope bias drift over time. A new calibration technique is developed to reduce the errors associated with the magnetometer measurements and produce a robust azimuth. Furthermore, a new algorithm is developed to obtain robust positioning information from the adaptive cruise control frequency modulated continuous wave (ACC-FMCW) radar which is used to update the navigation system during GNSS outages.
The proposed system is further improved by augmenting magnetic-azimuth update to limit the position drift for long GNSS outages. A further enhancement is added to the system by utilizing fast orthogonal search (FOS) to provide nonlinear error modeling of the residual errors associated with the ACC-FMCW radar positioning solution in order to reduce the error growth over extended and frequent GNSS outages.
The proposed system is evaluated on several real road test trajectories involving different types of land vehicles experiencing different motion dynamics. GNSS outages of up to 10 minutes were intentionally introduced to examine the performance. The results show that the proposed method has resulted in a significant performance improvement in the positioning accuracy that can reach more than 80% if compared to the present methods that rely only on integrating the inertial sensor technology with GNSS.

abstract: PhD


title: Design and Synthesis of Acrylic Dispersants for Non-aqueous Dispersion Polymerization

contributor:
Hutchinson, Robin
Chemical Engineering

subject:
macromonomer
dispersion polymerization
automotive coating
mathematical modeling
ATRP
cobalt chain transfer polymerization
nanoparticles

abstract:
Non-aqueous poly(acrylic) dispersions (NADs) used in automotive coating formulations are heterogeneous high-solids suspension of polymeric nano-size particles (< 200 nm) produced by radical polymerization in organic hydrocarbon medium. An important component of the system is the low molecular weight (MW) reactive polymeric dispersant (5000-6000 Da), which stabilizes the particles formed. A vinyl-terminated butyl methacrylate (BMA) macromonomer dispersant (type A) has been shown to be more effective at stabilizing the nanoparticles formed during the NAD synthesis than a BMA based grafted dispersant with vinyl groups attached at random positions along the backbone. However, incorporating 10 mol% 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) as a functional comonomer in the macromonomer dispersant, a necessary addition for end-use properties, caused the final dispersion to lose stability.  A series of experiments was conducted to show that the particle size distribution, viscosity and stability of the final dispersion can be correlated to the thermodynamic solubility distances among the dispersant, solvent and polymer particle compositions. The investigation led to the use of ethylhexyl methacrylate (EHMA) as the main component of the macromonomer, with a stable NAD system achieved even with 28 mol% HEMA added to the macromonomer composition.
  The macromonomer, although having controlled double-bond placement through catalytic chain transfer chemistry, still has a molecular weight dispersity of close to two. Thus, a low dispersity P(BMA) macromonomer was synthesized by sequential atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and catalytic chain transfer polymerization (CCTP) to achieve a similar number-average MW and terminal double bond functionality. Using both methyl acrylate homopolymerization and methyl methacrylate/methyl acrylate (70/30 w/w) copolymerization to produce NADs, the lower dispersity P(BMA) macromonomer provides better stabilization per dispersant chain, as characterized by smaller average particle size and higher weight fraction of incorporated dispersant. A model was developed in the Predici® software package (Version 11) to improve the understanding of the sequential ATRP-CCTP process.

abstract: PhD


title: The experimental investigation of the micro-vibrations underlying Temporal Enhanced ultrasound

contributor:
Mousavi, Parvin
Loock, Hans-Peter
Computing

subject:
Temporal Enhanced Ultrasound
tissue characterization
fiber-optic sensing
micro-vibrations

abstract:
Temporal enhanced Ultrasound (TeUS) is a non-invasive imaging approach, recently proposed by our group.  TeUS makes use of ultrasound time series for tissue classification, and it has been successfully applied to ex vivo prostate tissue classification, breast cancer detection, and prostate cancer grading.

Of particular importance is the physical phenomenon underlying the tissue characterizing capability of TeUS. Our group previously proposed that physiological micro-vibrations are a source of tissue differentiation. These micro-vibrations are induced by blood perfusion (heart beat: ~ 1 Hz) and breathing (0.2-0.4 Hz). Our group then derived a theory that integrates the effect of micro-vibrations into the standard imaging equation. We validated this theory by digitally simulating micro-vibrations in benign and cancerous pathology and demonstrated that response to the micro-vibrations can be the basis for differentiating the tissues.

This thesis aims to find experimental evidence to support the theory. Specifically, I accurately simulated and measured micro-vibrations; I then studied the mechanical properties of the tissue and their relationship to TeUS, through tissue mimicking phantom studies.

First, I adapted a fiber optic sensor for micro-vibration detection. The sensor was shown to be capable of simultaneously capturing low frequency micro-vibration as well as megahertz ultrasound transmission waveforms. The sensor is expected to be an invaluable tool for studying micro-vibrations and developing advanced ultrasound tissue characterization technologies.

I then developed and characterized tissue mimicking phantoms with an integrated micro-vibration mechanism. To investigate the effects of micro-vibrations on TeUS, I built the tissue mimicking phantoms that differed in ultrasound scatterer size and elasticity. I collected TeUS signals and showed that TeUS is sensitive to scatterer size and elasticity through micro-vibrations. These results provided experimental evidence to the hypothesis that physiological micro-vibrations are a cause of TeUS differentiation, as proposed by our group's previous work. They also warrant the translation of TeUS to other types of material characterization tasks.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Peer Victimization in the School Context: A Study of School Climate and Social Identity Processes

contributor:
Craig, Wendy
Psychology

subject:
Bullying
School Climate
School Belonging

abstract: Schools provide adolescents with opportunities to form healthy relationships and feel a sense of belonging connected to others. Although youth are provided with opportunities to belong at school, some adolescents are victimized by peers within their school communities. Adolescents who are bullied may be at risk for feeling excluded at school. Students’ feelings of not belonging at school may explain the link between peer victimization and adverse mental health and school-related problems. While peer victimization increases the risk of negative outcomes, experiences of victimized youth can differ across schools. School climate assesses characteristics of the school environment, including the quality of relationships, norms, and expectations of the school community. Understanding how school climate may buffer the risks associated with peer victimization can inform efforts to cultivate safe and supportive school environments. The current thesis consists of two studies. These studies examined how school belonging may explain the link between peer victimization and both mental health and school-related outcomes. In both studies, we examined how positive school climates may reduce the risk of negative mental health and academic outcomes associated with peer victimization. Results indicated that school belonging partially explained the relationship between peer victimization and adolescent outcomes. Peer victimization was negatively associated with adolescents’ sense of school belonging, which in turn, was related to negative mental health and school-related outcomes. While positive school climate and high levels of school safety protected victimized boys in higher grades, these school characteristics exacerbated the risks among girls in specific grade-levels. Together, these findings demonstrate the importance of helping adolescents feel that they belong at school. In addition, our findings highlight a need to better understand how to cultivate school environments that foster feelings of belonging among victimized adolescents.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Sensorless Digital Control for Solar DC Optimizers Used in DC Microgrids

contributor:
Eren, Suzan
Jain, Praveen
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
DC-Optimizer
DC-Microgrids
Differential Power Processing
Current Sensorless Control
Observer-Based Estimation

abstract:
This thesis presents novel control techniques to improve the performance of DC optimizers for harvesting solar energy in DC microgrids. The focus of this thesis is to implement a reliable and efficient structure to harvest the maximum power from solar panels.
	To increase the efficiency of the system, a control scheme is presented that provides the converter with zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) capability. ZVS can significantly eliminate switching losses and provide highly efficient and reliable operation for the DC optimizer. This task is done through a variable frequency peak current mode (PCM) control technique. Implementing this ZVS control scheme increases the input inductor current ripple. Therefore, an interleaved structure is used, which is able to reduce the input current ripple through the phase shifting of the inductor currents in the system. To implement the phase shifting technique, the first interleaved converter is selected as the base converter. The switching period of the base converter is measured by a switching frequency indicator unit. The one-third point and two-thirds point of the base converter’s switching period is calculated and imposed as delays to the second and third interleaved converters’ gate signals, respectively. Finally, an observer-based control technique is proposed that can estimate the control parameters, including the precise inductor current, both in continuous conduction mode (CCM) and discontinuous conduction mode (DCM). Thus, instead of an expensive and complex current sensor-based analog variable frequency PCM design, the inductor values in the system are estimated by a digital observer-based estimation block and used in the closed loop control system. Therefore, the whole closed-loop control system is implemented by a fully digital controller. This control scheme eliminates the need for expensive and inaccurate current sensors in the system. The proposed techniques are verified for performance through simulation and experimental results.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Femoral Plaque Quantification by Ultrasound for the Prediction of Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease in Symptomatic Men and Women

contributor:
Johri, Amer
Biomedical and Molecular Sciences

subject:
coronary artery disease
sex differences
vascular ultrasound
femoral artery
atherosclerosis

abstract: Cardiovascular risk remains difficult to assess, particularly in women. It is known that patients with ankle-brachial index (ABI)-indicated peripheral arterial disease (PAD) have an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Femoral ultrasound, a sensitive marker of PAD, has potential value as a screening tool. However, the association of femoral plaque burden with coronary artery disease (CAD) severity and extent remains unknown. Furthermore, little information is available on sex differences in the burden of PAD and its relationship to CAD, a consideration that may improve patient risk management algorithms. To explore this, five hundred study participants (34% female) underwent bilateral carotid and femoral ultrasound within 24 hours of coronary angiography. A subset of 124 participants underwent ABI measurements. It was found that in women, increased combined common femoral and carotid bulb plaque area yielded the strongest association with significant CAD (odds ratio (OR) 7.3 (95% CI 3.5-16.8)), independently of age and traditional cardiac risk factors, while in men, this was achieved by increased combined plaque height at the carotid bulb and femoral bifurcation (OR 4.3 (CI 2.4-8.2)). Additionally, ultrasound-detected femoral plaque burden more accurately identified participants with significant CAD (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.731) than ABI (AUC = 0.578) (p = 0.02). Femoral plaque burden had a higher sensitivity (84%) than ABI (25%) for ruling out disease. In conclusion, we determined sex-specific markers of ultrasound-detected atherosclerotic disease that may improve risk stratification when used uniquely in women and men. A combined assessment of common femoral and carotid plaque area is most advantageous in women, while men may benefit most from a combined analysis of carotid and femoral bifurcation plaque height. Furthermore, femoral ultrasound, while being an equally safe, inexpensive, and rapid tool, more accurately predicts significant coronary disease than a traditional ABI assessment. Used clinically, vascular ultrasound may have immense value when incorporated into cardiovascular management algorithms, especially for those patients in which risk remains uncertain despite the use of conventional stratification tools.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Shift work, sleep quality, and hypertension among working adults in Ontario

contributor:
Tranmer, Joan
McIsaac, Michael
Public Health Sciences

subject:
Shift work
sleep quality
Hypertension
Cardiovascualr diseases

abstract:
Background: The epidemiological evidence supporting an association between shift work, and cardiovascular diseases and hypertension is growing. However, few population-based studies have explored the relationship between shift work and hypertension risk and the potential mechanism(s) linking them.

Objectives: 1) To determine the association between shift work status and rates of hypertension in a cohort of Ontario working adults during a 12-year follow-up period; 2) To determine whether sleep quality mediates this relationship.
Methods: The cohort included Ontario adult respondents of the 2000-01 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), which was linked to health administrative databases within the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES). Baseline shift work status, sleep quality, and covariate measures were obtained from the CCHS; time of hypertension diagnosis was ascertained from the ICES databases. The inception cohort included individuals who reported working with no pre-existing hypertension.  Follow-up was 12 years. We conducted a mediation analysis using the natural effects models that use marginal structural modeling to directly parameterize the natural direct and indirect effects of shift work on the rates of hypertension in a Cox proportional hazard model.

Results: Shift workers reported lower frequency of refreshing sleep, more trouble sleeping, and poorer sleep quality overall. Night shift work was not associated with increased hypertension rates in either men (HR=1.15, 95% CI:0. 93-1.43) or women (HR=1.23, 95% CI: 0.96-1.57) during 12 years of follow-up, but the hazard ratios were in the hypothesized direction. Other shift work (including evening shifts, split shifts, irregular schedules, on-call, or other schedules) was associated with increased hypertension rates in men (HR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.03-1.62) during 12 years of follow-up, but this association was not mediated through sleep quality (HR=1.00, 95% CI: 0.99-1.01). Similar results were found among women (HR=1.30, 95% CI: 0.97-1.74) during 12 years of follow-up.
Conclusions: Irregular working hours appear to increase hypertension rates. Shift work does disrupt sleep, but sleep quality does not appear to be a mediator between shift work and increased hypertension rates.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Statistical Inferences of Two-Stage Phase II Cancer Clinical Trials with Two Co-primary Endpoints

contributor:
Tu, Dongsheng
Mathematics and Statistics

subject:
Point estimate
P-value
Confidence region
phase two cancer clinical trials
likelihood ratio test

abstract:
In cancer research, two-stage designs are usually used to assess the eﬀect of a new
agent in phase II clinical trials. The optimal two-stage designs with two co-primary
endpoints have been proposed to assess the eﬀects of new cancer treatments, such
as cytostatic or molecularly targeted agents (MTAs), based on both response rate
and early progression rate. Statistical inference procedures, such as, point estima
tion, p-value, and conﬁdence region, for the true response rate and early progression
rate based on the data from the phase II trials conducted according to the optimal
two-stage designs would be very useful for further testing of the agents in phase III
trials but have not been addressed in the literature. In this thesis, I ﬁrst provide a
review of the optimal two-stage design for phase II clinical trials with one endpoint
and statistical inference procedures developed for this design. Then I propose some
new statistical inference procedures for the optimal two-stage design of phase II clin
ical trials with two co-primary endpoints, which include naive maximum likelihood
estimate (MLE), bias-corrected estimates, and uniformly minimum variance unbiased
estimate (UMVUE) for the point estimation, naive p-value and likelihood ratio test
(LRT) based p-value for the hypothesis testing, and LRT based conﬁdence region.
Simulation studies were performed to evaluate the performance of these procedures.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: A Numerical Investigation of the Impact of Inclinations on the Estimates of Photometric and Dynamical Properties of Galaxies

contributor: Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy

subject:
Astrophysics
Galaxies
Numerical Simulations
Photometry

abstract: We exploit N-body simulations (GalactICS, Illustris, NIHAO) to study the impact of inclination on the estimates on various photometric and spectroscopic quantities of galaxies such as sizes, surface brightnesses, stellar masses, velocities, and dynamical masses. With the help of radiative transfer codes, we create mock images of galaxies to study the variation in sizes and various structural parameters as a function of inclination. We also generate observed rotation curves for Illustris and NIHAO galaxies to derive dynamical masses after correcting the rotation curves for inclinations. We  find that in the dust-free (transparent) case, sizes derived for edge-on and face-on orientations diff er on average by 10% (6%) for the half-light (isophotal) radii of massive galaxies. However, for the same galaxies, the relative change in stellar masses due to inclination is insignificant, as expected for transparent systems. We compare our simulated size and mass measurements against the observed size-mass relation of CALIFA galaxies and conclude that inclination effects can contribute up to 20% of its slope. The inferred slope of the simulated size-mass relation remains in agreement with the observed relation within calculated errors. After correcting rotation curves of galaxies for basic projection effects, we also  find the maximum circular velocity for Illustris galaxies varies by as much as 17%. Moreover, the velocity-stellar mass relation of Illustris galaxies is a poor match to observations (Ouellette et al. 2017). These discrepancies are attributed to numerical resolution issues and inadequate feedback prescriptions in Illustris. To circumvent these issues, we use NIHAO zoom-in simulations given their adequate and robust sub-grid physics implementation and  find better agreements with observations. The future extension of this study will involve high-resolution zoom-in simulation that account for dust attenuation in a clumpy medium. With dust in the mix, projected galaxy sizes are expected to change significantly.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Preserving Accuracy and Privacy in Participatory Sensing Systems

contributor:
Hassanein, Hossam
Zulkernine, Mohammad
Computing

subject:
Trust
Privacy
Reputation System
Data Quality
Participatory Sensing
Crisis Response System
Crowd Sensing

abstract:
Participatory Sensing (PS) is an approach that offers individuals and interest groups the opportunity to contribute to an application using their handheld sensor devices such as smartphones and tablets. These sensor devices are able to sense, collect available data and use cellular and Internet communication infrastructure such as LTE and WiFi to transmit the data to the application server. The application server processes the collected data and makes the data available to the end-users. Participant contributions consist of sensor data, location, date and time. In addition, PS applications usually need to collect additional data about participants such as identity, age, gender and contact.
Notwithstanding the numerous benefits the PS approach brought to the application domain, there are two main challenges that threaten the success of PS: data trustworthiness and participant privacy. The additional data collected from participants’ devices are essential to verify the credibility of participants and the accuracy of their contributions. Moreover, these additional participant data are considered private. Thus, ensuring data trustworthiness and accuracy sacrifices the participant privacy, and vice versa.
In this thesis, we propose a framework for PS that involves three major schemes to overcome the challenges of accuracy-privacy trade-off. The framework ensures participant contribution data trustworthiness in PS applications, verifies the accuracy of participant contributions in critical situations, and protects participant privacy in critical situations.
PS applications are usually open to the public, and receive sensor data from multiple participants. This openness feature of PS applications allows inaccurate and corrupted contributions to affect the quality of the application services negatively. A way of ensuring contribution validity is by evaluating participant reputation values through a designed reputation system. Therefore, we propose a Reputation System to Evaluate Participants (RSEP) to ensure participant contribution data trustworthiness and provide accurate participant contributions.
When a crisis occurs, immediate response by rescue personnel is crucial. Decisions for a rescue plan are based solely on data about the crisis from the location. Receiving data from the public could potentially result in corrupted and inaccurate data that will negatively impact the rescue plans. Therefore, we propose a Participant Contribution Trust scheme (PCT) that allows the PS application to verify the accuracy of contributions before sending the data to the crisis response system that requires all available data in order to reach its optimal performance.
In critical situations when a crisis occurs, the accuracy-privacy trade-off becomes more complex. Adding more weight to one side needing accurate data, over the other, risking breach of privacy, may become essential due to the specific situation. When a participant is at risk, data accuracy becomes more important than participant privacy. Thus, we propose a Context-Aware Privacy scheme (CAP) that balances the privacy-accuracy trade-off. The CAP scheme eventually provides privacy-preserved data to authorized recipients based on the status of the participants. Depending on the recipient category, their role and policies enforced, a different level of participants’ private data may be received.

abstract: PhD


title: Enhancing the Performance of Pt(II)-Based Oxygen Sensing Probes by Expanding the Scope of N,C-Chelate and Ancillary Ligands.

contributor:
Wang, Suning
Chemistry

subject: Oxygen Sensing

abstract: A library of cyclometalated Pt(II) complexes have been established for their uses as luminescent probes for the detection of molecular oxygen. By varying the N,C-chelates of the OSPs (oxygen sensing probes), it was determined that benzothiophene-pyridyl chelates have greater sensitivities compared to the benzofuran-pyridyl and pyridyl-indole chelates. By further altering the backbone with the attachment of dimesityl boron, an enhancement in the oxygen sensitivity was observed, establishing borylation as a sensible strategy to improve an OSPs performance. The second part of this study examined phenyl-triazole N,C-chelate Pt(II) complexes as OSPs and it was observed that functionalization with a diphenyl amine moiety substantially increased the quenching of phosphorescence. These changes are mainly due to the increase in phosphorescence decay lifetime allowing for a greater interaction between the excited state complex and O2, leading to efficient quenching. Majority of the films showed high photostability due to minimal photobleaching (oxidation in the excited state), are fully reversible in conjunction with having acceptable sensitivities; paving the path for potential topical applications.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Household Food Insecurity Among Older People in Canada: the Exploration of a Public Health Issue Rendered Invisible

contributor:
Rosenberg, Mark
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Food Insecurity
Aging
Older People
Canada

abstract: Food insecurity, an issue of inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints, is under-researched among older people. Of this limited literature, the relevance of aging to food insecurity remains unclear. My goals with this thesis were to: i) synthesize and critically examine the literature on food insecurity and aging; ii) contribute a profile of food insecurity among older people to the population estimates of food insecurity in Canada; and iii) examine more closely key predictors of food insecurity among older people in Canada. I undertook a scoping study, and characterized this collection of literature by methodological, empirical, and conceptual contributions. Population estimates varied greatly between studies, with an overall emphasis on individual risk and experience, alongside attempts to explicate a perceived complexity of this issue with respect to health. Of the very limited inclusion or application of theory overall, most emphasis was placed on frameworks of disease and disability, with many assumptions made about how aging relates to food insecurity. Taken together, these findings suggest a strong tendency towards biomedicalization. The two subsequent empirical studies involved the use of data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). In the second manuscript I found the overall prevalence of food insecurity among older Canadians to be 2.4%, and using a generalized linear model in the second manuscript, I found sex, age, racial background, self-perceived health, marital status, living arrangement, and low household income to be predictive of food insecurity. In the third manuscript, logistic regression revealed that women are at greater risk of food insecurity and this inequity largely operates through household income. Younger old people were most vulnerable to food insecurity, and age modified the relationship between household income and food insecurity. In the discussion chapter I offer a brief political-historical context of hunger and aging in Canada, explore the relevance and implications of the major findings from each study, and demonstrate the connection between consistent monitoring of food insecurity in exploring the geographic heterogeneity of this issue. Overall, I argue that, like younger populations, food insecurity among older people is an income-based issue.

abstract: PhD


title: Structure-guided Disruption of the Pseudopilus Tip Complex Inhibits the Type II Secretion System of Pseudomonas  Aeruginosa

contributor:
Jia, Zhongchao
Biomedical and Molecular Sciences

subject: T2SS, pseudopilus tip complex, structural biology, structure-guided molecule, inhibition

abstract:
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative bacterium, is known for its opportunistic way of infecting humans as well as other animals. Due to its pathogenicity, P. aeruginosa has been considered to be one of the top bacterial threats by the World Health Organization. It tends to infect targets with reduced immune systems and various tissues and organs, causing pneumonia, necrosis, and intestinal infection etc. P. aeruginosa, like other bacteria, has evolved different types of secretion systems to secrete a wide spectrum of virulence factors, especially various proteins and nucleotides. Bacteria use these molecular ‘weapons’ not only to adapt for surviving environments in the hosts but also to penetrate into hosts tissues to facilitate their colonization and proliferations, which further results in infections.
        To date, out of seven identified types of bacterial secretion systems, the Type II secretion system (T2SS) is one of the best-characterized secretion systems, known for its capability of translocating large, structured protein molecules from the periplasm though the outer membrane into the extracellular milieu.
        In P. aeruginosa, the T2SS is established through the synergistic combination of four structural assemblies formed by twelve Xcp proteins.  These four subcomplexes, from the perspective of function, can be divided into platform, engine, channel and piston, in which the piston, called pseudopilus, is of pivotal importance in the system as its tip complex, comprised by XcpU, -V, -W and -X, recognizes and binds to various virulence factors.
        Aiming to better clarify the function-dependent structural features of this pseudopilus tip, we utilized X-ray protein crystallography to fully depict the architecture of the ternary complex of XcpVWX as well as to identify the core complex of XcpVW. The reconstruction of the entire tip complex was done using small-angle X-ray scattering, which exhibits an overall architecture of the pseudopilus tip and the plausible working model during the secretion. Through the elucidation of the detailed interaction interface of XcpV and -W, we developed two inhibitory peptides and four inhibitory compounds. It is confirmed that these structure-based molecules can interfere the interaction between XcpV and -W and compromise the pseudopilus tip complex. Due to the critical role of the XcpVW complex to the Type II secretion, the disruption of the XcpVW complex leads to the inhibition of the entire Type II secretion system. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as an investigation model, our research shows that the virulence of P. aeruginosa towards C. elegans has been reduced in the presence of the structure-based inhibitory molecules and that these molecules are able to alleviate the infection.

abstract: PhD


title: The Honest Man/L’Homme Honnête: The Colonial Gentleman, the Development of the Press, and the Race and Gender Discourses of the Newspapers in the British “Province of Quebec,” 1764-1791

contributor:
Errington, E. Jane
History

subject:
loyalty
fashion
slavery
indigenous warriors
Province of Quebec
honest man
newspapers

abstract:
This dissertation examines the new public world of print that emerged and developed in the “Province of Quebec” from 1764 to 1791. Using discourse analysis, it argues that the press reflected, and contributed to producing the race and gender privileges of the White, respectable gentleman, also called the “honest man,” regardless of whether he was Canadien or of Anglo-descent.

A British colony created by the Royal Proclamation of 1763, the Province of Quebec existed until 1791 when it was divided into the separate colonies of Upper and Lower Canada by the Constitutional Act. The colony’s development and dissolution corresponded with a growing population and changing demographics in the Saint Lawrence Valley, a brief increase in racial slavery in Montreal and Quebec City, and altered political and economic alliances between the White settler population and Native peoples of the North American interior after the defeat of the French in 1763 and following the emergence of the American Republic in 1783. Internally, changes brought about by the conclusion of the British Conquest in 1760, such as the introduction of British rule and English law in Quebec, were implemented alongside French ancien régime structures of legal and political governance that persisted mostly unhampered and fostered the preservation of an authoritarian-style government in the new “old” colony. At the same time, as of 1764, attempts by British authorities at cooperation with the Canadiens bred conflict between two groups of elites. This same conflict engendered cooperation across ethnic lines. Against this backdrop, the newly founded newspapers allowed for spaces where White gentlemen of diverging ethnic, political, and economic interests came together to engage in print sociability.

This dissertation concludes that when Quebec’s only newspapers, the Quebec Gazette, the Gazette du commerce et littéraire, the Montreal Gazette, and the Quebec Herald and Universal Miscellany disseminated discourses that associated manhood with loyalty to the English king, fashionable women with male status and problematic womanhood, “Blackness” with enslavement, an infantile nature, and exotic origins, and Indigeneity with violence, they legitimized the dominance of loyal White gentlemen in society regardless of their ethnic, political, or economic interests.

abstract: PhD


title: Promoting Healthy Urban Environments for Young Indigenous Peoples: The Case of M'Wikwedong Native Cultural Resource Centre

contributor:
Masuda, Jeffrey
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
health promotion
environmental repossession
community based participatory research
urban
arts-based research
Canada
Indigenous
decolonization

abstract: Background: In the Canadian context, ethical tensions for health promotion in relation with Indigenous health have received limited attention. Urban environments are particularly relevant for an anti-colonial critique of health promotion because urbanization processes have worked to exclude and marginalize Indigenous peoples. For this research, I partnered with M’Wikwedong Native Cultural Resource Centre, a friendship centre in Owen Sound, Ontario. Objectives: Firstly, to explore how M’Wikwedong fosters health in the city of Owen Sound from the perspective of Indigenous youth. Secondly, to suggest ways in which anti-colonial health promotion approaches can be advanced. Thirdly, to reflect on digital storytelling’s potential as an anti-colonial research method. Methods: In May 2017, I moved to Owen Sound. Ongoing volunteer work at M’Wikwedong allowed me to establish a research team. From January to August 2018, I worked with five youth co-researchers using a modified digital storytelling process that facilitated a critical and in-depth inquiry of my co-researchers’ perceptions about M’Wikwedong’s work and produced four videos (1-4 minutes). There were 13 research team meetings and 17 individual video-coaching sessions. We used semi-structured interviews and note-taking to document co-created data. I performed thematic analysis on interview transcripts, observation notes, and video scripts followed by discussions of emergent interpretations with youth co-researchers. Findings: Four thematic categories emerged. The first category highlights M’Wikwedong’s role in intervening in the city to foster welcoming places for Indigenous youth. The second focuses on the conditions that foster a sense of safety in urban environments. The third tackles the relevance of access to Indigenous ways of knowing and living in urban environments. Finally, the fourth emphasizes M’Wikwedong’s supports for youth in carrying on their ideas for making their city a better place to live. Implications: Using environmental repossession as a conceptual lens, M’Wikwedong’s work brings attention to the opportunities of an epistemic shift in health promotion: from an onus on ‘controlling’ health to an onus on fostering ‘connection’ as inherently health promoting. Methodologically, digital storytelling can be a successful process for advancing anti-colonial health promotion agendas if it is properly adapted to the local context and oriented by Indigenous research.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: A Cognitive-Motivational Approach to Understanding Gendered Sexual Response: the Role of Attentional Mechanisms

contributor:
Chivers, Meredith L.
Psychology

subject:
Sexual Response
Attention
Gender
Cognitive-Motivational Model
Eye Tracking
Gender-Specificity

abstract: Sexual arousal involves changes in physiology, emotions, and cognitions, and is positively associated with sexual outcomes (e.g., sexual activity, sexual desire) and well-being (e.g., physical and mental health, overall quality of life). As such, factors that influence sexual arousal are expected to also influence sexual outcomes and well-being. Theoretical models propose that sexual arousal and subsequent sexual outcomes are the product of a cognitive-motivational processes; however, relatively little research has investigated these underlying processes in samples of men and women. This has resulted in a large body of literature documenting gender differences in sexual arousal and sexual outcomes, with little understanding of how these outcomes develop. My program of research seeks to understand the attentional processes involved in processing sexual cues, with a specific focus on elucidating cognitive-motivational factors contributing to the gender effects observed in sexual response patterns. Informed by cognitive-motivational models of sexual response, the three studies investigate different stages of attentional processing and examine how features of these stages influence sexual response in men and women. Results of these studies confirm gender similarities and differences in automatic, initial, and controlled attentional processing of sexual cues, as well as the stimulus features capable of capturing attention. The results of these studies indicate the presence of several distinct information-processing mechanisms that may be relevant to the regulation of sexual response (i.e., attentional orienting and capture, difficulty disengaging, and attentional adhesion). Implications of this research include greater understanding of the cognitive-motivational processes involved in sexual arousal contributing to normative sexual functioning and how this may differ for men and women. The paradigms and processes identified in the current studies may have direct implications for the development of new measures to assess sexual interest, identifying mechanisms underlying sexual function and dysfunction, as well as informing the development of attention-based interventions for individuals who have difficulties regulating their sexual arousal.

abstract: PhD


title: Securing Vehicle Electronic Control Unit (ECU) Communications and Stored Data

contributor:
Zulkernine, Mohammad
Computing

subject:
Connected vehicles
Vehicle data security
Blockchain

abstract:
Nowadays, the automobile industry is integrating many new features into vehicles. To provide these features, various electronic systems are being added. These systems are coordinated by different ECUs (Electronic Control Unit). Vehicle ECUs are internally connected through multiple communication buses. Any ECU connected to the bus can read or send data to other ECUs. As a result, if an adversary can compromise one of the ECUs, then the adversary will be able to access and exploit data of other important ECUs. The absence of confidentiality is the main reason for that. Furthermore, the absence of data integrity and authenticity make the communications more vulnerable. In the past, it has been shown that an adversary can take control of the vehicle exploiting the inadequacy of CIA (Confidentiality, Integrity, and Authenticity). Moreover, an adversary can modify the stored data of an important ECU, if it is compromised. To solve these problems, we propose the use of symmetric key cryptography and elliptic curve-based Public Key Encryption (PKE) for ensuring confidentiality and the use of digital signature for ensuring integrity and authenticity. In addition, we propose the adoption of an identity-based access control in Mother ECUs (MECU, also known as a domain controller) to control the communication permissions. We also introduce Blockchain in vehicles to protect the stored data of ECUs. Finally, we integrate a watcher to monitor the stored data and report if it is modified.

We implement the proposed technique in two platforms, namely Docker and the ARM architecture-based Raspberry Pi Board. Our experiments show that the proposed technique can improve security in ECU communications. The watcher reports when an ECU data is modified which helps limit the damage when an ECU is compromised.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: A Snapshot of Quality Participation in Physical Activity for Individuals With Developmental Disabilities: a Photo Elicitation Study

contributor:
Latimer-Cheung, Amy
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Developmental Disability
Participation
Physical Activity
Exercise
Community-Based
Photo Elicitation
Intellectual Disability

abstract: Not only do adults with disabilities have a right to participate, they have the right to full participation. Enabling full participation means having access to and engaging in a range of opportunities that are satisfying and enjoyable, and generate personally valued outcomes. Currently, it is unclear how community-based physical activity programs provide individuals with developmental disabilities the opportunity to participate regardless of their abilities. Additionally, there is a need to understand how community-based physical activity programs promote full participation through increasing quality experiences. According to Martin Ginis and colleagues (2017) a quality experience includes one or more of the following elements: autonomy, belongingness, challenge, engagement, meaning and mastery. The purpose of this study was to explore the subjective experience of participation to understand how community- based physical activity programs for adults with developmental disabilities foster full participation. Eleven adults with developmental disabilities were given a disposable camera to take photos of their participation experience in a community-based physical activity program. Participants discussed their photos in a semi-structured interview; interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Three facilitators to physical activity engagement associated with community-based physical activity program emerged: the opportunity to participate regardless of ability, partnerships with community organizations and familial/caregiver support. These three strategies helped individuals with developmental disabilities overcome barriers to physical activity, allowing access to participation experiences. In relation to quality experiences, all six elements of a quality experience as identified by Martin Ginis and colleagues (2017) emerged. Three factors that foster quality elements were discussed: positive social relationships, the role of a volunteer and the adaptability of the program. Finally, two outcomes of quality experiences were discussed by participants: pride and fun. This study is the first to investigate the subjective experience of community-based physical activity program participation for individuals with developmental disabilities through a quality participation lens. Results highlight factors within a community-based physical activity program that are important for providing access to participation experiences and fostering quality elements among individuals with developmental disabilities.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Characterization of insulin signaling in a Caenorhabditis elegans Alzheimer’s disease model

contributor:
Chin-Sang, Ian
Biology

subject:
Alzheimer's
insulin
genetics
molecular biology
neurobiology

abstract: Insulin is a key hormone in the regulation of blood glucose levels in many animals. Dysfunctional insulin signaling is one of the leading mechanisms of interest for the pathogenesis of diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Despite the claim of a link between diabetes and AD, the results in the literature have been incongruent. Some studies have claimed that insulin resistance is a major implication of AD, while others have reported that the risk is increased by excess insulin in the blood. Using the microscopic worm, Caenorhabditis elegans, we have developed a model to study the link between insulin signaling and AD pathologies, including changes in neuronal morphology and abnormal behaviour. Furthermore, we have examined the effects of hyperactive insulin signaling on the expression of the two characteristic proteins of AD, amyloid-beta and tau. By genetically modifying the key players of the insulin-signaling pathway and the 40 insulin-like peptides in C. elegans, we may be able to identify novel targets for the prevention or treatment of AD. In this research, we tested whether the 40 insulin-like peptides are inhibitors or activators of the insulin-signaling pathway, based on the aforementioned phenotypes associated with AD. Alternatively, some of these 40 insulin-like peptides may work through the non-canonical insulin-signaling pathway, with the potential of pointing us to novel genetic interactors. Our work has shown that of the 40 insulin-like peptides, some exacerbated AD-related pathologies, while others reduced them. Understanding the function of the components of the insulin-signaling pathway and the 40 insulin-like peptides in C. elegans may clarify the link between defective insulin signaling and AD and present novel treatment strategies for the disease.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Music Production and Cultural Entrepreneurship in today’s Havana: Elephants in the Room

contributor:
Dubinsky, Karen
Lord, Susan
Cultural Studies

subject:
Cuban music industry
Cultural Policy
Cultural entrepreneurship
Music scenes
creative economy

abstract: Cultural production and entrepreneurship are two major components of today’s global economic system as well as important drivers of social development. Recently, Cuba has introduced substantial reforms to its socialist economic model of central planning in order to face a three-decade crisis triggered by the demise of the USSR. The transition to a new model, known as the “update,” has two main objectives: to make the state sector more efficient by granting more autonomy to its organizations; and to develop alternative economic actors (small private businesses, cooperatives) and self-employment. Cultural production and entrepreneurship have been largely absent from the debates and decentralization policies driving the “update” agenda. This is mainly due to culture’s strategic role in the ideological narrative of the ruling political leadership, aided by a dysfunctional, conservative cultural bureaucracy. The goal of this study is to highlight the potential of cultural production and entrepreneurship for socioeconomic development in the context of neoliberal globalization. While Cuba is attempting to advance an alternative socialist project, its high economic dependency makes the island vulnerable to the forces of global neoliberalism. This study focuses on Havana’s music sector, particularly on the initiatives, musicians and music professionals operating in the informal economy that has emerged as a consequence of major contradictions and legal gaps stemming from an outdated cultural policy and ambiguous regulation. The research privileges the analysis of alternative music scenes such as hip-hop, electronic dance music, rock and reguetón. Several case studies of cultural producers/entrepreneurs that operate at the margins of the state institutions are presented. By using a tailored variation of the creative economy paradigm applied to the Cuban context the study demonstrates the importance of recognizing the new models of cultural management that have emerged in Havana as legitimate economic actors. Although the potential of partnerships between private and state actors is acknowledged, the research concludes that the majority of these new models would have a larger positive impact by operating from a properly regulated non-state sector, where the most important incentives for artists and cultural entrepreneurs are currently located. This would require major transformations in Cuba’s cultural policy.

abstract: PhD