title: (Th)ink Culture: Motivation and Meaning Making in Modern Tattoos

contributor:
Freeman, John G.
Education

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subject: Tattoo Education

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-24 18:58:45.639

abstract: Tattoo culture and the community it has created have undergone a renaissance since the 1980s. Persons with tattoos now account for an estimated 34% of the North American population between the ages of 18-30. Despite this relatively recent surge towards acceptance of tattoos in the current social context, much of the academic literature and media portrayals of tattoos characterize social deviancy among tattoo enthusiasts. Tattoo enthusiasts are pushed to the periphery of society and marginalized as bikers, criminals, and people with psychological problems. The purpose of this study is to describe and understand tattoo culture in a way that is accessible to non-members of that culture, particularly teachers and parents. The primary research questions proposed by this study include what motivates people to become tattooed, what motivates members of the tattooed community to stay minimally involved in the culture or to increase their involvement, and how members of the community perceive their tattoos within the current social context. To answer these questions, this study focuses on the lived experiences of six tattoo enthusiasts from one small community. Through the study of these shared experiences, this study questions the nature of tattoos in this small community and whether these acts can be considered deviant or culturally normative.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Regulatory Mechanisms of Myosin I in Dictyostelium discoideum

contributor:
Côté, Graham P.
Biochemistry

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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:
Class I myosins in Dictyostelium
Specificities of myosin I isoforms

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biochemistry) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-24 19:51:55.032

abstract:
The class I myosins are an ubiquitous family of non-filamentous, single-headed actin-binding motor proteins. The objective of this study was to identify the light chain composition of the short-tailed Dictyostelium class I myosins, MyoIA and MyoIE. Flag-tagged MyoIA head-neck and MyoIE head-neck constructs were generated and expressed in Dicyostelium discoidem. The MyoIA and MyoIE head-neck constructs both co-purified with a 17-kDa protein that reacted with an anti-calmodulin antibody and exhibited a mobility shift on SDS gels in the presence of calcium.  Mass spectrometry analysis confirmed that the light chain bound to MyoIA and MyoIE was calmodulin. The finding that the short-tailed class I Dictyostelium myosins use the generic calcium-binding protein calmodulin as a light chain contrasts with previous work showing that the long-tailed Dictyostelium class I myosins MyoIB, MyoIC, and MyoID each bind a unique, specialized light chain called MlcB, MlcC, and MlcD, respectively. Despite having a calmodulin light chain, calcium did not affect the actin-activated Mg-ATPase activities of MyoIA or MyoIE.
The p21-activated kinases (PAKs) are serine-threonine protein kinases that are activated by the small GTPases Cdc42 and Rac.  PAKs phosphorylate a site in the motor domain of Dictyostelium class I myosins that is required for myosin activity. Studies were carried out to determine whether Dictyostelium RacB, which is known to bind to and activate Dictyostelium PAKs, promotes the phosphorylation of MyoID in vivo. A vector that expresses a constitutively active RacB under the control of a doxycycline-inducible promoter was created and transformed into Dictyostelium cells.  Immunostaining demonstrated that the constitutively active RacB increased actin filament formation in AX3 cells by ~3-fold but by only ~1.5-fold in PakB-null cells.  A rabbit polyclonal antibody against the MyoID tail was made. An anti-phospho antibody raised against a phosphorylated peptide corresponding to the MyoID TEDS site was tested and found to specifically recognize purified phosphorylation MyoIA and MyoID.  The anti-phospho antibody did not detect phosphorylated MyoIA or MyoID in crude Dictyostelium cell extracts or in immunoprecipitates prepared using the anti-MyoID antibody.  Further work is needed to improve the specificity of the anti-phospho MyoID antibody.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: SFO Neurons are Glucose Responsive

contributor:
Ferguson, Alastair V.
Physiology

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subject:
Glucose-Responsiveness
Subfornical Organ
Circumventricular Organs
Electrophysiology

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physiology) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-24 20:20:33.319

abstract:
Glucose is the primary metabolic signal reflecting the current energy state of the body.  Glucose influences the excitability of neurons in the area postrema (AP), a circumventricular organ (CVO), prompting my interest in investigating whether the subfornical organ (SFO), another sensory CVO can also detect glucose.  Using patch-clamp electrophysiology, we investigated the influence of changing glucose concentrations on the excitability of SFO neurons.

In dissociated SFO neurons, altering the bath concentration of glucose (1mM, 5mM, 10mM) influenced the excitability of 49% of neurons tested (n=67).  Glucose-inhibited (GI, hyperpolarized by increased glucose or depolarized by decreased glucose) and glucose-excited (GE, depolarized by increased glucose or hyperpolarized by decreased glucose) neurons were observed.  GI neurons (27%, n=18) depolarized in response to decreased glucose (n=10, mean 4.6 ± 1.0 mV) or hyperpolarized in response to increased glucose (n=8, mean -4.4 ± 0.8 mV).  In contrast, GE neurons (22%, n=15) depolarized in response to increased glucose (n=9, mean 6.4 ± 0.4) or hyperpolarized in response to decreased glucose (n=6, mean -4.8 ± 0.6 mV).  These data show that glucose acts on a subpopulation of SFO neurons to produce both excitatory and inhibitory actions.

Using voltage-clamp recordings two groups of SFO neurons were identified: those producing an outward current (GI) and those producing an inward current (GE) in response to increasing concentrations of glucose from 1 to 10 mM (n=23).  The mean glucose-induced inward current had a reversal potential of -24 ± 12 mV (mean input resistance 2.0 ± 0.4 GΩ, n= 5), suggesting it may be mediated by a NSCC.  The mean glucose-induced outward current (mean input resistance 1.7 ± 0.3 GΩ, n=7) had a mean reversal potential of -78 mV ± 1.2 mV (n = 5), suggesting it may be mediated by an activation of either K+ or Cl-current (ECl = -67 mV, EK = -89 mV).

The SFO has projections to the PVN, a
regulator of energy balance.  I investigated the effects of increasing concentrations of glucose (1 to 10 mM) on the membrane potential of dissociated SFO neurons projecting to the PVN.  Thirty percent of SFO-PVN neurons tested (n=10) responded with membrane hyperpolarizations (mean -4.2 ± 0.8 mV, n=3) suggesting a proportion of these cells are GI neurons.

These data indicate that SFO neurons are glucose-responsive, which supports a role for the SFO as a regulator of energy balance.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Gap Bridging in Laser Transmission Welding of Thermoplastics

contributor:
Zak, Gene
Bates, Philip J.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

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subject:
Laser Welding
Plastics
Gap Bridging

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-24 22:24:11.734

abstract:
Contour laser transmission welding (LTW) is a technology that has potential for joining large and complicated thermoplastic parts.  Thermal expansion is the primary driving force to bridge potential gaps at the weld.  A comprehensive investigation into gap bridging was performed using experimental studies, finite element (FE) thermal-mechanical coupled modeling, and analytical analysis of the contour welding process for polycarbonate (PC), polyamide 6 (PA6) , and glass fibres reinforced polyamide 6 (PA6GF).  The effects of material properties (carbon black level, glass fibres and crystallinity), process parameters (laser scan power, scan speed) and weld gap thickness on weld shear strength were assessed.
The experimental study indicated that low concentration of laser absorbing pigment accompanied with high power laser scan improves gap bridging.  Damage on the top surface of the laser-transparent part limited the allowable laser power that could be delivered onto the weld interface.  Maximum gaps of 0.2, 0.4 and 0.25 mm were bridged in the experiment for the three types of polymers respectively.
The thermal behavior of polymers in contour LTW was analyzed by the 3-D quasi-static thermal FE models.  Thermal expansion into the gap was simulated by the simplified 2-D transient, thermal-mechanical coupled FE models.  An analytical model describing laser beam transmission and absorption in light-scattering polymers was developed and applied in the FE simulation for PA6 and PA6GF.  FE simulated results agree well with the experiment in contour welding with gap of PC and PA6.  The optimum material and process parameters have been searched in the model to maximize gap bridging for PC.
An analytical model has been developed to predict the temperature rise and the thermal expansion in high speed contour welding of amorphous polymers.  The model indicates that the maximum temperature at weld increases linearly with the laser line energy and the laser absorption coefficient.  Thermal expansion and hence gap bridging increases with laser line energy.  Lower laser absorption coefficient allows higher laser scan energy to be delivered onto the weld interface so helps bridge larger gap.  The predicted thermal expansions by the model agree well with the measured maximum gaps bridged for polycarbonate.

abstract: PhD


title: Simulations of Scale-Free Cosmologies for the Small-Scale Cold Dark Matter Universe

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subject:
Dark Matter
Halos
N-Body Simulations

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-25 01:01:39.714

abstract:
Cosmological simulations show that dark matter halos contain a wealth of substructure. These subhalos are assumed have a mass distribution that extends down to the smallest mass in the Cold Dark Matter (CDM) hierarchy, which lies below the current resolution limit of simulations. Substructure has important ramifications for indirect dark matter detection experiments as the signal depends sensitively on the small-scale density distribution of dark matter in the Galactic halo. A clumpy halo produces a stronger signal than halos where the density is a smooth function of radius.
However, the small-scale Universe presents a daunting challenge for models of structure formation. In the CDM paradigm, structures form in a hierarchical fashion, with small-scale perturbations collapsing first to form halos that then grow via mergers. However, near the bottom of the hierarchy, dark matter structures form nearly simultaneously across a wide range of scales.
To explore these small scales, I use a series of simulations of scale-free cosmological models, where the initial density power spectrum is a power-law. I can  effectively examine various scales in the Universe by using the index in these artificial cosmologies as a proxy for scale. This approach is not new, but my simulations are larger than previous such simulations by a factor of 3 or more.
My results call into question the often made assumption that the subhalo population is scale-free. The subhalo population does depend on the mass of the host. By combining my study with others, I construct a phenomenological model for the subhalo mass function. This model shows that the full subhalo hierarchy does not greatly boost the dark matter annihilation flux of a host halo. Thus, the enhancement of the Galactic halo signature due to substructure can not alone account the observed flux of cosmic rays produced by annihilating dark matter.
Finally, I examine the nonlinear power spectrum, which is used to determine cosmological parameters based on large-scale, observational surveys. I find that in this nonlinear regime, my results are not consistent with currently used fitting formulae and present my own empirical formula.

abstract: PhD


title: The Weight of the World: Rhetorics of Choice, Freedom and Responsibility in Green Consumption

contributor:
Hand, Martin
Sociology

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subject:
Green Consumption
Advanced Liberalism
Governmentality

abstract: Thesis (Master, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-25 08:48:47.876

abstract: This thesis begins with the simple observation that the term ‘green consumption’ would have appeared, at the very least, oxymoronic to those concerned with environmental issues some thirty years ago. Yet now it is a commonplace aspect of popular, academic and policy discourse in the global north. In recognizing the diversity of products and services that fall under the rubric of ‘green consumption,’ this project situates it as a form of discursive positioning and a potential set of a practices that indicate a ‘friendly’ or benign association between consumption and the environment. The thesis has three components. Firstly, it reviews the literature on consumer culture and environmentalism, highlighting relevant thematic debates concerning the critique of consumer culture and its potential effects upon the environment. Secondly, the thesis constructs a post-Foucauldian ‘analytics of green consumption’ in order to understand such a radical shift in representations of consumption and environmental thinking. Thirdly, the thesis employs this analytics to examine two dominant ‘environmentalities’ or programmes of green consumption – Eco Labelling and the Ecological Footprint – wherein the advanced liberal rhetorics of ‘choice,’ ‘freedom’ and ‘responsibility’ are found to operate in different ways. Drawing upon the work of Rose (1999), Barry et al. (1996) and others, the thesis shows how these ‘informational’ techniques are predicated upon and reproduce specific conceptions of consumer behaviour, encouraging the formation of ‘green consumer-subjects.’ It is argued that the terrain of consumption has become the primary locus where political, social, economic and cultural elements overlap to shape the decisions of consumers. The field of consumption is being restructured around lifestyle choice-driven models of responsible subjectivity, with consumption becoming the key means for shaping the conduct of individual citizens. The thesis goes on to argue that such a market-based approach to engendering green consumption is problematic in terms of its conception of how consumer choice and freedom are constrained, raising difficult issues for policy efforts in this area. The thesis also points toward the limits of post-Foucauldian analyses of green consumption, especially the impossibility of knowing whether, and for what reasons, practices of green consumption are taken up by consumers.

abstract: M.A.


title: Delayed maturation of secondary sexual signals in first-year male American redstarts

contributor:
Ratcliffe, Laurene
Marra, Peter
Biology

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subject:
sexual selection
delayed plumage maturation
American redstart
delayed song maturation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-25 10:42:19.794

abstract:
Male birds of many species use conspicuous song and plumage displays in both courtship and territorial interactions. In some species, one or both of these signalling traits may not reach full adult maturity until a male’s second year of life. While the prevalence of delayed plumage maturation is well documented, delayed song maturation may be more difficult to detect. As a result, there are few studies which report age-based song differences between first-year and adult males. Additionally, despite the potentially large degree of variation of each trait within yearling males, little work has examined the benefits for young males who appear or sound more adult-like. Here, I investigate variation in both song and plumage displays of yearling male American redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla) as they relate to success during the breeding and non-breeding seasons.
I first demonstrate a relationship between the degree of adult-like black plumage and both non-breeding season habitat quality in Jamaica and breeding season arrival date in Ontario. Previous studies have linked breeding season arrival date with winter habitat quality in adult males using stable-carbon isotope analysis. Together, these results suggest that variation in yearling male appearance may signal an individual’s competitive ability for high-quality resources. Next, I quantified the mate-attraction songs of both adult and yearling males and demonstrate a delayed maturation in this song type. I also present evidence of the potential benefits of expressing a more adult-like song by linking song structure with reproductive success in adult males. Finally, I demonstrate a potential relationship between the degree of adult-like song and plumage expression in yearling males, but not adult males. This work demonstrates that the delayed maturation of sexual signals may play an important role in the life-history of yearling male American redstarts, and highlights the need for in-depth analyses of individual variation of multiple sexual signals in this poorly-studied age class of birds.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: I. Progress in Directed ortho Metalation and II.	Generating Chirality in Periodic Mesoporous Organosilica

contributor:
Snieckus, Victor A.
Crudden, Cathleen M.
Chemistry

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subject:
Organic Chemistry
Organosilica Materials

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-25 11:38:25.029

abstract:
Chapter 1 constitutes a review of current methods of aromatic substitution focusing on Directed ortho Metalation (DoM) and Directed remote Metalation (DreM). The field of mesoporous silica is reviewed in Chapter 2, focusing on the preparation, characterization, and application of mesoporous silicates.
Chapter 3 presents an introduction of phosphorus based Directed Metalation Groups (DMGs). The development of the directed ortho metalation (DoM) reaction of the tetraethyl phosphorodiamidate DMG is described. In addition to being one of the most powerful DMGs, migration of the OPO(NEt2)2 group to the ortho and remote positions is demonstrated, constituting new reactions as well as affording new organophosphorus compounds.
Attempts to improve the synthetic utility of the DMG led to the discovery and optimization of a two new nickel-catalyzed cross coupling reactions, which is described in Chapter 4. Both the OPO(NEt2)2 and OCONEt2 DMGs are demonstrated to undergo cross coupling reactions with aryl boronic acids.
By means of DoM and cross coupling tactics, the concise synthesis of a chiral binaphthol bridged silasesquioxane is described. Chapter 5 explores new methods to prepare chiral periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) materials using this monomer. PMOs are prepared by the co-condensation of a relatively small amount of chiral binaphthyl dopant which acts to twist the bulk prochiral biphenylene framework.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Exploring the Ability to Deceive in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

contributor:
Kelley, Elizabeth
Psychology

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subject:
autism
deception
theory of mind

abstract: Thesis (Master, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-25 23:03:37.259

abstract: This study was conducted to explore the ability and propensity to verbally deceive others in children with and without autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We also explored the relationships among lie-telling ability, false belief understanding as measured using a standard battery of false belief tasks, and verbal mental age as measured using a standardized test of language ability. To explore antisocial lie-telling ability, we used a modified temptation resistance paradigm in which children were tempted to commit a transgression in the experimenter’s absence and given the opportunity to tell a lie about their transgression and to exercise semantic leakage control (SLC)—that is, to maintain consistency between the lie and subsequent statements that they make. To explore prosocial lie-telling ability, we used a modified undesirable gift paradigm in which children were awarded an unattractive prize for winning a game and given the opportunity to lie about liking the prize that the experimenter gave them. We found that children with ASD, like typically developing children, can and do tell antisocial lies to conceal a transgression, and prosocial lies in politeness settings. However, children with ASD were less able than typically developing children to exercise SLC. Furthermore, we found that, unlike in typically developing children, lie-telling ability in children with ASD was not related to their false belief understanding. The pattern of relations among lie-telling ability, false belief understanding, and verbal mental age are discussed with respect to possible contentions regarding the underlying processes by which children with ASD tell lies and succeed on false belief tasks.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Waiting for Care: a Study of Physical and Psychological Symptoms and Healthcare Utilization for Pain Whilst Waiting for Gynaecological Surgery

contributor:
Van Den Kerkhof, Elizabeth
Nursing

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subject:
Pain
Psychological Symptoms
Gynaecological Surgery
Waiting
Healthcare Utilization

abstract: Thesis (Master, Nursing) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-25 12:31:28.298

abstract: There is a growing interest in the impact of waiting for surgery, a common experience for many Canadians. Pain and psychological symptoms prior to surgical management are frequently problems for women with gynaecological conditions, however minimal research was found to investigate pain and psychological symptoms in these women prior to surgery. Also pain is recognized to increase healthcare utilization, but this has not been previously examined in this population. The objectives of this research project were to examine levels of pain, psychological factors associated with pain and frequency of healthcare utilization due to pain in a population of women waiting for gynaecological surgery, predominantly undergoing hysterectomies. Four hundred and twenty nine women in a tertiary care centre in southeastern Ontario were included in the study. Anxiety was measured using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), depression with the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), somatization using the Seven Symptom Screening Test (SSST) and catastrophizing was measured using an abbreviated coping strategies questionnaire (CSQ). Pain was assessed using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). Women also reported on their healthcare utilization for pain over the past 12 months. The length of wait was obtained from hospital waiting data. Results showed a moderate to severe pain intensity score occurred in 30.5% of women and a moderate to severe interference score in 31.5%. Being younger, married, employed and with high trait anxiety were factors associated with higher rates of healthcare utilization. High levels of depression, somatization and catastrophizing were associated with higher pain intensity and interference scores. This study supports the need for preoperative assessment of physical and psychological symptoms in women waiting for gynaecological surgery. Improving patients’ health prior to surgery will potentially reduce their healthcare demands on a financially constrained healthcare service.

abstract: MNSc.


title: Visions which Succeed: Regional Publics and Public Folk Art in Maritime Canada

contributor:
Jessup, Lynda
Art History

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subject:
Folk Art
Public History
Visual Culture
Material Culture
Regionalism
Art Exhibitions
Maritime Provinces
Globalization

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Art History) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-25 13:45:16.05

abstract: This thesis examines the intersections of visual culture with processes of folklorization in Maritime Canada between 1964 and 2007. Throughout this thesis, I explore how visual culture helps make history public in the Maritimes for local and tourist audiences alike. Ultimately, I question which visions succeed when it comes to looking at this “region’s” past in order to visualize its future. I outline chapters that consider how Nova Scotia’s first provincial gallery, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS), labelled the cultural production of local self-taught artists “folk” art and, by collecting these objects, became the foremost expert in a category of artistic expression it had itself created; how the provincial state ideologically and economically invested in a certain “folk” aesthetic by gathering objects under the authority of a few prominent collectors; how those institutions and collectors who sought to develop contemporary folk art for the art market also became concerned with the new confrontation of a global mass culture by the last few decades of the twentieth century; how the AGNS transformed self-taught artist Maud Lewis from a local tourist attraction in the 1960s into an internationally recognized cultural icon by the 1990s through the institutionalization of her life story’s public history; and how those with state and corporate authority came to brand the Maritimes for global tourism at the turn of the twenty-first century, by employing what they understood to be the region’s strongest cultural resources. Part of my rationale here is to explore what it means to label the cultural production of self-taught artists “folk” art and the implications of state and corporate investment in this cultural form for the public narrative associated with the experience of culture in Maritime Canada. I posit a complex hegemonic relationship here between relatively powerful artworld professionals and relatively powerless self-taught artists that speaks both to the inequities and contradictions of a capitalist liberal order. In doing so, I also tackle the broader implications of writing “the history of region” in an age of “global” analyses.

abstract: PhD


title: Analysis of Lipoprotein(a) Catabolism

contributor:
Koschinsky, Marlys
Biochemistry

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subject:
Biochemistry
Lipoprotein(a)
Apolipoprotein(a)
Catabolism
Binding
Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor
Low-Density Lipoprotein
Plasminogen
Plasminogen receptor

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biochemistry) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-26 02:15:50.754

abstract: Elevated plasma concentrations of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] have been identified as an independent risk factor for vascular diseases including coronary heart disease and stroke.  In the current study, we have examined the binding and degradation of recombinant forms of apolipoprotein(a) [r-apo(a)], the unique kringle-containing moiety of Lp(a), using a cultured cell model.  We found that the incubation of human hepatoma (HepG2) cells with an iodinated 17 kringle-containing (17K) recombinant form of apo(a) resulted in a two-component binding system characterized by a high affinity (Kd = 12 nM), low capacity binding site, and a low affinity (Kd = 249 nM), high capacity binding site.  We subsequently determined that the high affinity binding site on HepG2 cells corresponds to the LDL receptor.  In the HepG2 cell model, association of apo(a) with the LDL receptor was shown to be dependent on the formation of Lp(a) particles from endogenous LDL.  Using an apo(a) mutant incapable of binding to the high affinity site through its inability to form Lp(a) particles (17KΔLBS7,8), we further demonstrated that the LDL receptor does not participate in Lp(a) catabolism.  The low affinity binding component observed on HepG2 cells, familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) fibroblasts and human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells may correspond to a member(s) of the plasminogen receptor family, as binding to this site(s) was decreased by the addition of the lysine analogue epsilon-aminocaproic acid.  The lysine-dependent nature of the low affinity binding site was further confirmed in HepG2 binding studies utilizing r-apo(a) species with impaired lysine binding ability.  We observed a reduction maximum binding capacity for 17K r-apo(a) variants lacking the strong lysine binding site (LBS) in kringle IV type 10 (17KΔAsp) and the very weak LBS in kringle V (17KΔV).  Degradation of Lp(a)/apo(a) was found to be mediated exclusively by the low affinity component on both HepG2 cells and FH fibroblasts.  Fluorescence confocal microscopy, using the 17K r-apo(a) variant fused to green fluorescent protein, further confirmed that degradation by the low affinity component on HepG2 cells does not proceed by the activity of cellular lysosomes.  Taken together, these data suggest a potentially significant route for Lp(a)/apo(a) clearance in vivo.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Activation of the corticolimbic brain by visual food cues; Effect of menstrual cycle phase and mood

contributor:
Van Vugt, Dean
Ferguson, Alastair V.
Physiology

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subject:
fMRI
Appetite
Menstrual cycle

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physiology) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-25 15:35:15.609

abstract:
Hypothalamic control of food intake may be overridden by cortical and limbic brain regions that process reward and the hedonic aspect of food, affecting the ability to discriminate between homeostatic and hedonic feeding. Women, in particular may be affected since cognition and perception of reward change during the menstrual cycle. Changes in estrogen and progesterone levels during the menstrual cycle induce changes in appetite and eating behavior. Food intake declines in the peri-ovulatory period when estrogen levels peak, but increases in the luteal phase when progesterone levels increase. In this novel study we introduce a different context in which to study appetite regulation; the menstrual cycle.
The two main study objectives were: 1) to compare the BOLD response between the peri-ovulatory and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle and 2) to compare the BOLD response between women in a negative and positive affect state in response to visual food stimuli using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Pictures of food, regardless of their caloric content stimulated greater activation during the follicular phase compared to the luteal phase in the orbitofrontal cortex, fusiform, amygdala and inferior operculum. Activity was present in the hippocampus, ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens in response to high calorie images but not low calorie images during the follicular phase. The insula showed selective activity responding to high calorie pictures in the luteal phase and low calorie pictures in the follicular phase.
High calorie food cues elicited greater BOLD signal for women reporting negative affect in the putamen, amygdala, pulvinar, prefrontal cortex, pallidum, fusiform and ventral tegmental area.
In summary, visual food cues produced a more robust response during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle and during a negative mood state in brain regions modulating the rewarding and motivational effects of food images. An increased understanding of how appetite-regulating brain regions respond during the menstrual cycle and in different mood states may facilitate the development of new therapies to reduce the incidence of obesity.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Bioretention for Phosphorus Removal: Modelling Stormwater Quality Improvements

contributor:
Champagne, Pascale
Filion, Yves R.
Civil Engineering

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subject:
Bioretention
Best Management Practice
Stormwater Management
Phosphorus
Rain Garden
Water Pollution

abstract: Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-25 17:00:03.173

abstract:
Bioretention systems are best management practices (BMPs) that make use of the biogeochemical processes within a forest-type ecosystem to provide at-source stormwater retention and pollutant removal. Laboratory studies and field monitoring have shown great potential for water quantity and quality control through the use of bioretention, but reported nutrient removal has been inconsistent between these systems. In particular, the processes involved in the cycling of phosphorus within bioretention systems are not clearly understood. Some studies report high phosphorus removal from bioretention systems, while phosphorus leaching was observed in other systems.
Phosphorus is a macronutrient required by all forms of life. It is also an important water pollutant, as it controls algal growth in most freshwater environments. High phosphorus loadings to these aquatic ecosystems can lead to eutrophication, which has significant ecological, environmental and economical impacts.
The Bioretention Phosphorus Removal Model (BPRM), an event-based one-dimensional finite difference model, was developed to simulate phosphorus removal in bioretention systems. The model includes four completely-mixed layers to simulate hydrologic processes as well as both soluble and particulate phosphorus transport in a bioretention system. Model processes include evapotranspiration, infiltration, overflow, exfiltration to native soils, underdrain discharge, soluble phosphorus sorption and vegetative uptake, and particulate phosphorus capture.
Monitoring data collected by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) at a bioretention system installed on Seneca College’s King City campus, in Ontario, Canada, was used to evaluate the performance of BPRM. The model was found to overestimate total underdrain discharge volumes, but total phosphorus concentration and mass predictions were found to be useful for design purposes. BPRM correctly predicted phosphorus leaching from the Seneca College bioretention system for all storm events considered but one. The model can be used by practitioners to evaluate the potential for phosphorus leaching in a bioretention system.
A detailed sensitivity analysis revealed that BPRM phosphorus transport predictions are particularly sensitive to the drainage properties of bioretention soils, which highlights the importance of hydrologic transport processes for water quality control in bioretention systems. Modelling results suggested that soluble phosphorus desorption from bioretention soils was responsible for phosphorus leaching from the Seneca College bioretention system.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Performance Optimization and Parallelization of Turbo Decoding for Software-Defined Radio

contributor:
Manjikian, Naraig
Sudharsanan, Subramania
Electrical and Computer Engineering

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subject:
Parallel Algorithm
Turbo Decoder
Software-Defined Radio
Hardware Simulation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-25 16:22:47.288

abstract:
Research indicates that multiprocessor-based architectures will provide a flexible alternative to hard-wired application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) suitable to implement the multitude of wireless standards required by mobile devices, while meeting their strict area and power requirements.  This shift in design philosophy has led to the software-defined radio (SDR) paradigm, where a significant portion of a wireless standard's physical layer is implemented in software, allowing multiple standards to share a common architecture.

Turbo codes offer excellent error-correcting performance, however, turbo decoders are one of the most computationally complex baseband tasks of a wireless receiver.  Next generation wireless standards such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), support enhanced double-binary turbo codes, which offer even better performance than the original binary turbo codes, at the expense of additional complexity.  Hence, the design of efficient double-binary turbo decoder software is required to support wireless standards in a SDR environment.

This thesis describes the optimization, parallelization, and simulated performance of a software double-binary turbo decoder implementation supporting the WiMAX standard suitable for SDR.  An adapted turbo decoder is implemented in the C language, and numerous software optimizations are applied to reduce its overall computationally complexity.  Evaluation of the software optimizations demonstrated a combined improvement of at least 270% for serial execution, while maintaining good bit-error rate (BER) performance.  Using a customized multiprocessor simulator, special instruction support is implemented to speed up commonly performed turbo decoder operations, and is shown to improve decoder performance by 29% to 40%.

The development of a flexible parallel decoding algorithm is detailed, with multiprocessor simulations demonstrating a speedup of 10.8 using twelve processors, while maintaining good parallel efficiency (above 89%).  A linear-log-MAP decoder implementation using four iterations was shown to have 90% greater throughput than a max-log-MAP decoder implementation using eight iterations, with comparable BER performance.  Simulation also shows that multiprocessor cache effects do not have a significant impact on parallel execution times.  An initial investigation into the use of vector processing to further enhance performance of the parallel decoder software reveals promising results.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Regulation of the Gene Encoding Thrombin-Activable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor

subject: Gene Regulation

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Biochemistry) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-25 16:56:46.043

abstract:
Disequilibrium between coagulation and fibrinolysis can lead to severe haemostatic disorders such as thrombosis and hemophilia. Thrombin-activable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) is a carboxypeptidase B-like pro-enzyme that, once activated, attenuates fibrinolysis. TAFI may also mediate connections between coagulation and inflammation. Studies have associated high plasma TAFI levels with risk for thrombotic diseases. Interestingly, steroid hormones, such as estrogen and progestogens used in hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptive preparations, have been shown to affect plasma TAFI levels. Regulation of the expression of the gene encoding TAFI, CBP2, is likely an important determinant of the role of the TAFI pathway in vivo; this concept motivated the investigations described in this thesis.
	In Chapter 2, the results of my research lead to the identification of key transcription factors regulating CPB2. Specifically, we described the binding of NF-Y and HNF-1 to the CPB2 promoter. NF-Y was shown to be an important factor for the basal CPB2 promoter activity. Binding of HNF-1 is essential for the activity of the promoter and is potentially responsible for the liver specific expression of CPB2.
	In Chapter 3, we set to investigate the effect of female sex hormone on hepatic expression of CPB2. We demonstrated that the levels of TAFI protein secreted from cultured hepatoma cells (HepG2) are decreased by 17beta-estradiol and progesterone. The change in protein expression was paralleled by decreases in CPB2 mRNA abundance and promoter activity. Deletion analysis of the CPB2 promoter indicated that the genomic effects of estrogen and progesterone are likely mediated via a non-classical mechanism.
	In Chapter 4, we evaluated the effects of various inflammatory mediators on expression of the gene encoding mouse TAFI (Cpb2). Our results showed that Cpb2 mRNA abundance and promoter activity are up-regulated by inflammatory mediators IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNFalpha. We also showed that TNFalpha mediates its effect via the binding of NFkB. Additionally, our results suggest that TNFalpha promotes the binding of NFkB to the promoter by increasing its translocation to the nucleus. The NFkB site is not conserved between human and mouse and may explained the different responses to inflammation observed in vivo.

abstract: PhD


title: Numerical Study of the Airflow and Temperature Distributions in an Atrium

contributor:
Oosthuizen, Patrick H.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

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subject:
numerical study
atrium
airflow
CFD
buildings
computer modeling

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-25 17:29:46.857

abstract:
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been extensively used in the study of building energy usage and thermal comfort in buildings, however there remains the need to thoroughly evaluate the accuracy of the results given by such CFD methods.
The present study involves a numerical investigation of the flow and temperature distribution in the atrium situated in the Concordia University Engineering Building. The study involved a steady-state simulation of the conditions in the atria on August 1, 2007, a date for which experimental data was available for validation of the numerical results. The commercial CFD solver FLUENT was used to solve the equations that govern the flow in the atrium. The realizable k- turbulence model incorporating buoyancy force effects was used. During the period studied a forced airflow through the atrium existed due to a mechanical air supply vent near the floor level. The natural convection in the atrium, induced by the temperature differences resulting mainly from the incoming solar radiation, was modeled using the bousinessq approximation. In general, good agreement was obtained between the numerical and experimental results. The numerical results also predicted the thermal stratification in the atrium relatively accurately.
A parametric study was performed to assess the sensitivity of the numerical results to the assumed boundary conditions used in the study. An evaluation of the thermal comfort levels in the atrium was also undertaken using the numerical results. This indicated that while regions of thermal discomfort did exist in the atrium, these regions constituted only a small part of the atrium.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Mineral Paragenesis, Geochemistry and Geochronology Investigations of the Carlin-Type Gold Deposits at the Goldstrike Property, Northern Nevada: Implications for Ore Genesis, Igneous Petrogenesis and Mineral Exploration

contributor: Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering

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subject:
Carlin-Type Gold Deposits
Magmatic-Related
Goldstrike Property
Eocene
Metal Sources

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-25 21:37:33.76

abstract:
The Goldstrike property is located in northern Nevada and contains one of the largest and highest-grade Carlin-type gold deposits. The majority of the Eocene Au mineralization (e.g., Ore I) is hosted in intensely altered Paleozoic lower-plate impure carbonate rocks, and is characterized by strong to moderate silicification, higher calculated pyrite and ore-related element concentrations (e.g., As, Cu, Hg, Ni, Tl, Sb, W, and Zn) than Ore II, which is weakly altered. However, both ore types contain similar Au concentration in whole rock and pyrite chemistry analyses.
Lithogeochemical and microprobe data suggest that the Paleozoic sedimentary rocks may have been a major source of Cd, Mo, Ni, U, V, and Zn and minor As, Cu, Hg, and Se. The Jurassic lamprophyre dikes might have been a significant source of Ba, Co, and Se, and minor Au, and some of the Jurassic and Eocene intrusive rocks may have provided some Fe. Moreover, the Eocene magmas are interpreted to be the main source of auriferous mineralizing fluids and ore-related elements.
Trace element abundances and ratios of the Jurassic intrusive rocks suggest that they are shoshonitic and formed from a metasomatized mantle-derived magma, crystal fractionation, and crustal contamination. The Eocene dikes, also shoshonitic, are considerably more evolved and contaminated than the studied Jurassic rocks. Furthermore, Ar-Ar results show that the Jurassic intrusive rocks were negligibly affected by the Eocene thermal event, and that temperature of mineralizing fluids were below the closure temperature of biotite (> 3500C).
A magmatic-related model is proposed to explain the formation of the Carlin-type gold deposits at the studied area. In this model, Au and the ore-related elements were exsolved along with volatiles by degassing of a deep and large plutonic complex during its early stage of crystallization. As these magmatic-hydrothermal fluids moved upward along major conduits (e.g., NNW-striking faults), they may have interacted with a Fe-rich fluid, pervasively altering the Paleozoic impure carbonate rocks (e.g., carbonate dissolution, silicification, pyritization) and forming Ore I. Subsequently, these fluids moved laterally further away from the major conduits, became cooler, less acidic, and depleted in ore-related elements and interacted with the Fe-bearing host rocks (e.g., sulfidation), favoring the precipitation of Ore II.

abstract: PhD


title: Sperm Production and Variance in Sperm Quality

contributor:
Montgomerie, Robert
Day, Troy
Biology

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subject:
sperm quality
variance
fertility
abnormal spermatozoa

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-25 21:53:23.172

abstract:
An unusually high level of inter- and intraspeciﬁc variability in spermatozoa has been well documented. However, recent evidence indicates that the level of variation within spermatozoa differs markedly across taxa. In particular, it appears that the variability in spermatozoa
tends to decrease across species as the risk of sperm competition increases.

In this thesis, I present a model that explains how variability in spermatozoa may arise due to errors made during the sperm production process. In doing so, I also provide an explanation for why variability in sperm traits tends to decrease as the level of sperm competition experienced by males of a given species increases.

The model presented in this study provides a novel perspective on spermatozoa and their production. While many sperm traits are thought to be selected upon, I suggest
that variability in spermatozoa may also be the result of evolutionary forces such as sperm competition. Variability in spermatozoa, then, can be adaptive and can represent an optimal reproductive strategy.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Examination of Metal Contamination within the UNESCO Designated Rideau River Waterway

contributor:
Campbell, Linda M.
Biology

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subject:
Mercury
Metals
Rideau Canal
Sediment
Northern Pike
Lead
Cadmium
Zinc

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-26 00:02:42.317

abstract:
The Rideau River Waterway, also known as the Rideau Canal, is a constructed navigation channel that links Ottawa to Kingston, Ontario. Opened in 1832, it was designated a Canadian Heritage Site in 2003 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. South of Smiths Falls, the Rideau Canal consists of a series of 14 interconnected lakes, primarily used for recreational purposes, as well as commercial fishing. The objectives of this study were to examine the spatial and temporal distributions of anthropogenic elements to three headwater lakes of the Rideau Canal system and to examine the relationship between sport fish Hg and historical sediment Hg concentrations.
Utilizing paleolimnological techniques, historical records of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, K, Ni, Pb, Rb, and Zns were analyzed from chronologically deposited lake sediments. Overall, Indian Lake, though the smallest of the three studied lakes, consistently had the highest overall As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn concentrations. While all peak concentrations were buried, recent surface sediment Hg, Cd, and Zn concentrations still remain above the federal interim sediment quality guideline and the concentration of Pb remains above the federal probable effect level within Indian Lake, leading to continued concern for human and ecosystem health. The general agreement between lake sediment profiles for Cd, Pb and Zn and then Cu and Ni suggest that each group of elements is primarily contributed from the same source. The similarity in trends and timing of peak concentrations between the study lakes and other Ontario lakes suggests large-scale, atmospheric contributions of elements to the freshwater systems in the area.
Although only historical northern pike (Esox lucius) THg tissue concentration data was available for analysis, results indicate that concentrations in fish have decreased more than 60% since the late 1970â€™s, while sediment THg concentrations have decreased 35% within the same time period.  Overall, this study has demonstrated that the headwater lakes to the Rideau Canal are presently impacted by elements, at concentrations which are of potential concern for human health.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Controls on Seasonal Nitrogen Cycling in Canadian Low Arctic Tundra Ecosystems

contributor:
Grogan, Paul
Biology

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subject:
Ecosystem Ecology
Arctic Tundra
Soil Microorganisms
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Carbon

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-25 23:29:53.103

abstract: Soil nitrogen availability to plants is a fundamental control on the structure and functioning of arctic tundra ecosystems.  Despite recent evidence that biogeochemical and microbial dynamics during the non-growing season impact nitrogen availability to plants in tundra ecosystems, very little is known about soil microbial patterns and mechanisms for nutrient mobilization in the winter, spring and fall.  In this dissertation I have examined the environmental and microbial controls on seasonal nitrogen mobilization in a widespread Canadian low arctic birch hummock tundra ecosystem.  In particular, I have investigated the potential for increased winter snow depth and different above-ground vegetation-types to alter soil microbial community patterns and nutrient mobilization from organic matter into plant-available pools.  First, I demonstrated that experimentally deepened winter snow altered soil microbial physiology during winter, defined as increased microbial carbon limitation to growth and activity. Second, I established that deepened snow enhanced spring nutrient mobilization during distinct environmental phases, producing large peaks in the soil microbial biomass and soil solution carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus during snow thaw.  Third, I showed that laboratory predictions of early-spring air temperature freeze-thaw cycles promoting tundra soil nitrogen loss are not relevant, as the soil environment and soil biogeochemistry were relatively stable after snow melt and before plant growth began.  Fourth, I demonstrated that microbial functional groups did not differ strongly under different tundra vegetation types, but higher quality shrub litter induced positive feedbacks on soil carbon availability and soil nitrogen mineralization in the late summer.  Finally, I illustrated that annual patterns of tundra soil microbial community structure and composition were strongly linked to soil biogeochemistry and that significant shifts in fungal/bacterial ratios occur during snowmelt.  This research suggests two broad conclusions: a) that soil microbial activity is responsive to changes in above-ground vegetation; and b) that seasonal changes in microbial community structure and microbial biochemistry are strongly correlated.  Therefore, the synchronicity of microbial seasonal succession and plant species-specific timing of nitrogen uptake is a critical factor restricting the potential for ecosystem N losses at spring thaw and ultimately in supplying growth-limiting nutrients to plants in the following summer.

abstract: PhD


title: Experimental Study of Grain Interactions on Rolling Texture Development in Face-Centered Cubic Metals

contributor:
Diak, Bradley J.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

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subject: Rolling texture, cube, brass, copper, goss, grain interaction, plane strain compression, aluminum, quaternion

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-25 23:59:11.809

abstract: There exists considerable debate in the texture community about whether grain interactions are a necessary factor to explain the development of deformation textures in polycrystalline metals. Computer simulations indicate that grain interactions play a significant role, while experimental evidence shows that the material type and starting orientation are more important in the development of texture and microstructure. A balanced review of the literature on face-centered cubic metals shows that the opposing viewpoints have developed due to the lack of any complete experimental study which considers both the intrinsic (material type and starting orientation) and extrinsic (grain interaction) factors. In this study, a novel method was developed to assemble ideally orientated crystalline aggregates in 99.99\% aluminum (Al) or copper (Cu) to experimentally evaluate the effect of grain interactions on room temperature deformation texture. Ideal orientations relevant to face-centered cubic rolling textures, Cube $\{100\}\left<001\right>$, Goss $\{110\}\left<001\right>$, Brass $\{110\}\left<1\bar{1}2\right>$ and Copper $\{112\}\left<11\bar{1}\right>$ were paired in different combinations and deformed by plane strain compression to moderate strain levels of 1.0 to 1.5. Orientation dependent mechanical behavior was distinguishable from that of the neighbor-influenced behavior. In interacting crystals the constraint on the rolling direction shear strains ($\gamma_{_{XY}}, \gamma_{_{XZ}}$) was found to be most critical to show the effect of interactions via the evolution of local microstructure and microtexture. Interacting crystals with increasing deformations were observed to gradually rotate towards the S-component, $\{123\}\langle\bar{6}\bar{3}4\rangle$. Apart from the average lattice reorientations, the interacting crystals also developed strong long-range orientation gradients inside the bulk of the crystal, which were identified as accumulating misorientations across the deformation boundaries. Based on a statistical procedure using quaternions, the orientation and interaction related heterogeneous deformations were characterized by three principal component vectors and their respective eigenvalues for both the orientation and misorientation distributions. For the case of a medium stacking fault energy metal like Cu, the texture and microstructure development depends wholly on the starting orientations. Microstructural instabilities in Cu are explained through a local slip clustering process, and the possible role of grain interactions on such instabilities is proposed. In contrast, the texture and microstructure development in a high stacking fault energy metal like Al is found to be dependent on the grain interactions. In general, orientation, grain interaction and material type were found to be key factors in the development of rolling textures in face-centered cubic metals and alloys. Moreso, in the texture development not any single parameter can be held responsible, rather, the interdependency of each of the three parameters must be considered. In this frame-work polycrystalline grains can be classified into four types according to their stability and susceptibility during deformation.

abstract: PhD


title: Physician-Community Integration: A Case Study of Practitioner Experiences and Retention Challenges on British Columbia's Haida Gwaii/Queen Charlotte Islands

contributor:
Rosenberg, Mark W.
Geography

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subject:
health geography
physician supply
rural medicine
healthcare retention
northern British Columbia

abstract: Thesis (Master, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-26 18:55:16.51

abstract: Social life, and particularly health care delivery, in a small isolated community is more complex and nuanced than has been reflected in much of the literature on physician retention, which has never extended the notion of the “workload” past the physician’s formal role in the health care setting.  Despite having been acknowledged by provincial and national government policies, few of what Anderson and Rosenberg (1990) describe as “unidimensional solutions” have resolved the “multidimensional issues” of physician retention in northern Canada. This thesis employs a qualitative framework to investigate the practice and lifestyle experiences of general practitioners on the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii) to provide a local analysis of physician retention problems experienced by isolated communities. By including both physicians and community members as key informants, the project attempts to determine whether a difference exists between physicians’ perceptions of place and their roles and the voiced expectations of the communities they serve.  The research uses a combination of in-depth interviews and questionnaires with physicians (n=6) and community members (n=12) to determine the various roles played by a physician in a small community.  It queries whether the community in question expects physician to take up roles outside of the medical space, whether physicians are influenced by these expectations and whether these may contribute to the cessation of practice in remote communities.  This thesis examines not only health care-related factors involved in medical practice, but also the informal settings of the community at large, including the general interactions that are incorporated into a physician’s character in a close-knit and isolated place.  The findings of the thesis demonstrate that there are significant gaps between what community members and physicians believe is reasonable behaviour and the reality of physicians’ experiences in their respective island communities. The lack of boundaries perceived by physicians in their communities often leads to social isolation, which has the opposite intended effect of respite, instead leading to further disengagement from the local community, finally resulting in a decision to locate elsewhere.

abstract: M.A.


title: Microturbine for Micro-Cogeneration Application

contributor:
Birk, Michael A.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

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subject: Cogeneration Microturbine

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-26 22:03:57.11

abstract:
A micro-cogeneration system based on an ArtesJet KJ-66 hobby microturbine may be able to provide a single family dwelling with required heat and power, increasing total efficiency due to utilization of waste heat.  The feasibility of such a system was investigated.  An engine model based on the similar JG-100 engine was developed, written in Microsoft Excel™ and Visual Basic™.  The predicted running characteristics of the KJ-66 were simulated, and a prediction of how these characteristics would be shifted if a diffuser was attached to the engine was made.
	An experimental test program was carried out on the KJ-66 engine to determine if this prediction was correct, and to more accurately characterize the performance of the engine.  Two diffusers were constructed to use with the testing, along with the nozzle that was supplied with the engine.  Having the diffusers on the engine reduced the fuel air ratio by approximately 20% as predicted.
	A hypothetical micro-cogeneration system was simulated building on the earlier engine model, with modified turbomachinery maps and combustor performance based on the experimental data.  An 85% effective recuperator was included in the model, as well as a recovery heat exchanger.  The simulation showed an electrical output of 8.9 kW, a heat output of 30.9 kW, an electrical efficiency of 15.5%, and a total efficiency of 69.0%.  While these efficiencies are low, improvements could be made by modifying the turbomachinery and by using a condensing recovery heat exchanger to give a better overall efficiency for the micro-cogeneration system.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Filming the Folk Artist-Genius: The "Documentation" of Maud Lewis

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subject:
Folk Art
Maud Lewis

abstract: Thesis (Master, Art History) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-27 11:52:16.512

abstract:
In this thesis I critically analyze the ways in which the work of Nova Scotian artist Maud Lewis circulates within the categories of “fine art” and “Folk art” by examining three documentary films that deal with her life and work.  My aim is to draw attention to Lewis’s current status in Canada as an artistic genius –an individual of seemingly exceptional talent who is also a Folk artist – that is, paradoxically, a “Folk artist-genius.”  As vehicles through which to explore the construction of Maud Lewis and the concept of the Folk artist-genius I examine three films about Maud Lewis produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the National Film Board (NFB): The Once-Upon-A-Time World of Maud Lewis (CBC, 1965), Maud Lewis: A World Without Shadows (NFB, 1976) and The Illuminated Life of Maud Lewis (NFB, 1998).
Lewis exemplifies the qualities identified with the Folk, including geographic isolation, rusticity, simplicity, closeness to nature, industriousness and innocence.  Yet, while she is thoroughly imbued with Folkishness, she is simultaneously viewed as the artist-genius, an individualized and mythologized character of sublime talent.  Her originality, prodigy, virtuosity and spirituality are hailed as indicative of her genius, in the expression of which she is perceived to have overcome ordinary relations to the material world – social seclusion, physical disability and poverty.  This thesis explores the paradoxical conflation of the concepts of the “Folk” and the “artist-genius” in the figure of Lewis, an under-analyzed yet superlative example of this phenomenon. Lewis, as Folk artist-genius, navigates between these two domains; she possesses the qualities of the traditional artistic “master,” but remains representative of the quintessential Folk, at once transcending and “typical” of the rustic Nova Scotian people.  This is a seemingly impossible position to occupy; by the very definition of “Folk,” the concept of a “Folk artist-genius” should not exist, yet cultural institutions and agents unproblematically hail Lewis as such.

abstract: M.A.


title: Topics in Combinatorics and Random Matrix Theory

contributor:
Speicher, Roland
Mathematics and Statistics

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subject:
Combinatorics
Random Matrices

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mathematics & Statistics) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-27 12:27:21.479

abstract:
Motivated by the longest increasing subsequence problem, we examine sundry
topics at the interface of enumerative/algebraic combinatorics and random matrix theory.

We begin with an expository account of the increasing subsequence problem,
contextualizing it as an ``exactly solvable'' Ramsey-type problem and introducing
the RSK correspondence.  New proofs and generalizations
of some of the key results in increasing subsequence theory are given.  These include Regev's single
scaling limit, Gessel's Toeplitz determinant identity, and Rains' integral representation.  The double scaling limit (Baik-Deift-Johansson theorem) is briefly described, although we have no
new results in that direction.

Following up on the appearance of determinantal generating functions in increasing subsequence type problems, we are led to a connection between combinatorics and the ensemble of truncated random
unitary matrices, which we describe in terms of Fisher's random-turns vicious walker model
from statistical mechanics.  We prove that the moment generating function of the trace
of a truncated random unitary matrix is the grand canonical partition function for Fisher's
random-turns model with reunions.

Finally, we consider unitary matrix integrals of a very general type, namely the ``correlation functions'' of entries of Haar-distributed random matrices.  We show
that these expand perturbatively as generating functions for class multiplicities in symmetric functions of Jucys-Murphy elements, thus addressing a problem originally raised by De Wit and t'Hooft and
recently resurrected by Collins.  We argue that this expansion is the CUE counterpart of genus expansion.

abstract: PhD


title: Mechanical Characterization of Zirconium Hydrides with High Energy X-Ray Diffraction

contributor:
Daymond, Mark R.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

format:
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subject:
Materials Science
Nuclear Materials
Fracture
Zirconium
Hydrides

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-27 20:32:01.455

abstract: Zirconium and its alloys are of technical importance, finding application as a structural material in the nuclear industry. Engineering components fabricated from zirconium slowly pick-up hydrogen as a result of in-reactor corrosion, degrading the components mechanical properties as a brittle hydride phase forms. This dissertation applies high energy X-ray diffraction to directly measure the mechanical properties of zirconium hydrides in the bulk and at stress concentrations in zirconium alloys. The current study is presented as a manuscript format dissertation comprised of three manuscript chapters. Chapter 3 reports the in-situ loading of hydrided Zircaloy-2 and discusses hydride/Zircaloy-2 matrix interactions as a function of applied load. Chapter 4 reports the mechanical behavior at a fatigue pre-crack in un-hydrided Zircaloy-2, comparing the results to finite element and polycrystalline plasticity models of the crack tip. Chapter 5 reports the effect of hydrides on the notch tip strain field. The three manuscript chapters are followed by a general discussion in Chapter 6 and conclusions in Chapter 7.

abstract: PhD


title: Nucleophilic Catalysis of Brominated Butyl Rubber Substitution Reactions

contributor:
Whitney, Ralph A.
Parent, J. Scott
Chemical Engineering

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subject: Bromobutyl Rubber Nucleophilic Substitution

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-28 09:50:26.649

abstract:
The allylic bromide functionality within brominated poly(isobutylene-co-isoprene), or BIIR, is amenable to substitution by a wide range of nucleophiles. The objective of this work was to gain insight into the dynamics of these substitution reactions, and to develop methods for accelerating these processes.  Of particular interest was the reactivity of exomethylene (Exo-Br) and bromomethyl (BrMe) isomers found within BIIR toward various nucleophiles, and catalytic techniques for affecting the proportion of these isomers.

BIIR isomerization can be catalyzed through ionic chemistry involving soluble Lewis acids such as zinc stearate and through a nucleophilic SN2’ rearrangement with soluble bromide salts such as tetrabuylammonium bromide (TBAB). The compatibility of TBAB with other nucleophiles makes it a preferable choice, but further rate enhancements can be realized using the corresponding iodide salt (TBAI).  TBAI serves not only as nucleophilic isomerization catalyst, but also accelerates halide displacement from BIIR by an in-situ formation of an allylic iodide intermediate.

Studies of BIIR isomerization and substitution reactions involved solvent-borne reactions of tetrabutylammonium acetate (TBAAc) and solvent-free reactions with PPh3 and 2-[2-(dimethylaminoethoxy)ethanol].  In all cases, the BrMe isomers were more reactive to nucleophilic substitution than Exo-Br.  Since the esterification of BIIR with TBAAc generates TBAB as a reaction by-product, displaced bromide catalyzes the isomerization of Exo-Br to the more reactive BrMe isomers.  As a result, these esterifications exhibit auto-accelerating dynamics.  Similar behaviour is observed for solvent-fee alkylations of PPh3 and tertiary amines, since the resulting onium bromide salts are effective isomerization catalysts.  All reactions show some increase in rate with the addition of TBAI, supporting the concept of nucleophilic catalysis.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Sensory exploitation in a sit-and-wait predator: Exploring the functions of stabilimenta in the banded garden spider, Argiope trifasciata

contributor:
Montgomerie, Robert
Biology

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subject:
Orb-Web
Stabilimenta
Prey Attraction
Aggregation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-28 10:57:18.156

abstract: Attracting prey by exploiting a visual sensory bias is a common theme in stationary predators across many taxa, particularly for obligate ambush predators, such as orb-weaving spiders, because they construct complex prey traps. Mimicry of UV-reﬂecting ﬂoral-guides has been suggested as the mechanism behind the tendency for spiders and silk web decorations (stabilimenta) to reﬂect in the UV, to attract pollinators that they then prey upon. Also, many insects are attracted to UV because it most  commonly indicates open sky, or a safe ﬂight path. My study focuses on the prey attraction function of stabilimenta, in Argiope trifasciata in eastern Ontario. Decorated webs were no more likely to contain prey than undecorated webs, but for adult spiders, longer stabilimenta were associated with increased likelihood of prey capture. For both adults and juveniles, larger webs were more likely to contain prey in undecorated webs, but for decorated webs, web size was not a predictor of prey presence. I interpret this as evidence for a trade-off between two alternative prey capture strategies: building a web with a  large capture area, or building a small web with a stabilimentum. In further support of this trade-off, smaller webs were more likely to contain a stabilimentum, for both juveniles and adults. My data also suggest that close neighbours compete rather than cooperate with each other. Adult webs were spaced farther apart from each other than juvenile webs, more than would be expected based on web diameter difference. For juveniles, webs with a closer neighbour were more likely to be decorated, implying an increased need for prey attraction in the presence of a nearby competitor. For adults, prey was more likely to be found in webs that were more solitary. My results do not support the hypothesis that visually attractive spiders increased prey capture by aggregating.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Mechanical Analysis of Osseointegrated Transfemoral Implant Systems

contributor:
Mechefske, Chris K.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject:
Osseointegration
Prosthesis
Tightening Torque
Preload
Elongation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-29 12:14:18.438

abstract:
Osseointegrated transfemoral implants have been introduced as an alternative to conventional, socket-based prostheses for above knee amputees. This method is showing great promise; however, the frequency of device failure is of concern. As a means to understand some of these failures, this study investigates the mechanical behaviour of three osseointegrated transfemoral implant systems; an in-house prototype design and two assemblies comprised of implant-grade parts provided by Integrum AB, Sweden. A series of mechanical tests were administered to evaluate the effects of tightening specifications and connection geometry on the material response, and mechanical behaviour of the assemblies. The tests included torque-elongation measurements, torque to failure tests, and strain analyses during loading.
This research was carried out in an attempt to better understand the behaviour of components under loading, in order to optimize the assembly specifications and improve the useful life of the system.
The results obtained confirm that the Integrum assemblies exhibit improved performance when tightened to a level beyond the current specified tightening torque of 12 Nm. Increased tightening torque provides an improved connection between components, leading to increased torque retention, decreased peak tensile strain values and a more gradual, primarily compressive distribution of strains throughout the assembly.

abstract:
Restricted due to affiliation with commercially produced implant components.
Restriction was previously accepted by Janice Deakin, dated September 26th 2009.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: On-Line Optimization for a Batch-Fed Copolymerization Reactor with Partial State Measurement

contributor:
Hutchinson, Robin A.
Guay, Martin
Chemical Engineering

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subject:
State Estimation
Kalman Filter
Polymerization
Optimization

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-28 16:02:55.974

abstract: Polymerization processes require adequate monitoring to ensure that the final product meets specification. Various on-line measuring techniques have been developed and implemented to track polymer properties in reactors. For most processes, however, on-line measurement cannot be implemented. In other situations, certain polymer properties or states might not be measurable and hence have to be estimated. This work deals with improving an on-line optimization technique and demonstrating its eff ectiveness by sensitivity analysis. In addition, state estimation is used as a tool to reconstruct states that are unavailable for measurement in a styrene and butyl methacrylate batch-fed solution free-radical copolymerization process subject to on-line optimization. A hybrid extended Kalman filter is used to observe the nonlinear dynamic system which is subject to real-time dynamic optimization. With very limited measurement information, the states of the system were reconstructed. Additional unobservable quantities were reconstructed using the process model and estimated states.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Seniors as Volunteers at the Kingston Region - Seniors Association

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subject:
volunteering
senior volunteers

abstract: Thesis (Master, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-28 19:13:42.693

abstract: The goals of this study are to examine why seniors volunteer and how where they volunteer affects their everyday lives. A group of volunteers from a seniors association in southeastern Ontario are used to investigate how seniors become volunteers, why individuals continue to volunteer at a particular place, what tasks senior volunteers perform, and the number of years and hours seniors volunteer at a particular organization.  The study makes use of 23 interviews with volunteers aged 54 to 89.  The findings from the interviews were then compared to national data on senior volunteers gathered from the 2004 Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering, and Participating (CSGVP). The secondary data were used to examine such things as, the tasks senior volunteers perform and the reasons seniors volunteer across Canada.  The analysis reveals that the group of volunteers show several similarities to volunteers aged 55 and over across Canada.  The interviews show that the specific characteristics of the place influence why seniors volunteer and continue to volunteer at this particular organization.  In addition to the characteristics of the place, the interviews disclose the potential to view the seniors centre as a therapeutic landscape, where healing, well-being and maintained health are enhanced.

abstract: M.A.


title: Translating the Constitution Act, 1867: A Legal-Historical Perspective

contributor:
Walters, Mark D.
Law

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subject:
constitutional law
bilingualism

abstract: Thesis (Master, Law) -- Queen's University, 2009-10-06 18:32:47.602

abstract:
Twenty-seven years after the adoption of the Constitution Act, 1982, the Constitution of Canada is still not officially bilingual in its entirety. A new translation of the unilingual English texts was presented to the federal government by the Minister of Justice nearly twenty years ago, in 1990. These new French versions are the fruits of the labour of the French Constitutional Drafting Committee, which had been entrusted by the Minister with the translation of the texts listed in the Schedule to the Constitution Act, 1982 which are official in English only. These versions were never formally adopted.
Among these new translations is that of the founding text of the Canadian federation, the Constitution Act, 1867. A look at this translation shows that the Committee chose to depart from the textual tradition represented by the previous French versions of this text. Indeed, the Committee largely privileged the drafting of a text with a modern, clear, and concise style over faithfulness to the previous translations or even to the source text.
This translation choice has important consequences. The text produced by the Committee is open to two criticisms which a greater respect for the prior versions could have avoided. First, the new French text cannot claim the historical legitimacy of the English text, given their all-too-dissimilar origins. Its adoption through a constitutional amendment will not grant it the requisite legitimacy, as the nature of such an amendment is generally misunderstood by lawyers, let alone the ordinary citizen.
In addition, the new text is, in many instances, anachronistic, as a result both of the purism and the modernism of the Committee. This desire to erase the “mistakes” of our ancestors, to “refrancize” the language of the era, leads to the drafting of a text which is entirely divorced from its original context, a text which cannot be a true reflection of the historical source text. This necessarily results in a lack of historical accuracy in the new translation.
These two problems might have been avoided by giving greater weight to the translations of the past. In the current circumstances, the unreflecting adoption of the new text would have unfortunate effects for the understanding of our constitutional law and its history.

abstract: LL.M.


title: Effects of Lifestyle-Based Interventions on Obesity and Related Metabolic Risk Factors with Minimal or No Weight Change

contributor:
Ross, Robert
Kinesiology and Health Studies

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subject: Effects of exercise with minimal or no weight loss

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-29 13:18:27.916

abstract:
Background: Recent evidence suggests weight loss is not necessary to reduce obesity related co-morbidities.  The principal finding within these reports is based on examination of group mean values.  Accordingly, it is possible that within a given group, the subjects who failed to lose weight did not experience any health improvement, a finding masked by the exaggerated improvement in those who did lose weight.  We sought to determine whether a gradient exists between the inter-individual change in bodyweight and corresponding changes in body composition and metabolic risk factors in response to minimal or no weight loss.

Methods: Total adipose tissue (AT) and skeletal muscle (SM) were determined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 46 men and 42 women participating in lifestyle-based programs designed to reduce obesity and related metabolic risk factors.  Visceral AT (VAT) and abdominal subcutaneous AT (ASAT) were calculated from a single image at the L4-L5 inter-vertebral space.  Glucose uptake was calculated using a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp procedure.  Blood pressure (BP) was determined using an electronic cuff or manually using standard procedures.  Waist circumference (WC) was taken at the level of the last rib.

Results: Bodyweight did not change in men or women (p>0.10).  Collapsed across gender, with the exception of ASAT, SM, and systolic BP, all other anthropometric, body composition, and metabolic risk factor measures improved significantly following treatment (p<0.05).  With few exceptions, regression analysis revealed that changes in bodyweight or WC were not associated with corresponding changes in body composition measures or metabolic risk factors (p>0.05).  To further consider whether a gradient existed between weight change or WC change on body composition and metabolic risk factors, subjects were cross-classified according to their level of weight/waist change (tertiles) and their respective change in either body composition or metabolic risk factor.  Neither weight nor WC change tertile was related to any body composition or metabolic risk factor in a gradient fashion (p>0.05).

Conclusion: These findings reinforce and extend the observation that independent of gender, lifestyle-based interventions are associated with reductions in obesity and related metabolic risk factors despite minimal or no weight loss.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: A Convenient Synthesis of Pyrrolnitrin and Related Halogenated Phenylpyrroles

contributor:
Pratt, Derek A.
Chemistry

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subject: pyrrolnitrin, halogenases, Schmidt reaction, Directed ortho Metalation, 2,6-dihaloanilines, 2,6-dihalonitrobenzenes, 3-substituted pyrroles, cross-coupling with pyrroles

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-29 13:58:35.186

abstract:
This thesis details a straightforward synthetic route to the antifungal compound pyrrolnitrin 1.2, along with several analogous halogenated phenylpyrroles. The proposed synthetic protocol involved the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of appropriately halogenated pyrrole pinacolboronate esters and aryl compounds.
In the efforts towards preparing the cross-coupling partners, we report a regiospecific and high yielding synthesis of a 3-chloro pyrrole compound 2.14, its brominated analog 2.16, an iodinated analog 2.17, and the corresponding pinacolboronate ester 2.18. We also report a generalized reaction sequence (lithiation/carboxylation/Schmidt reaction/oxidation) for the preparation of halogenated benzoic acids, anilines and nitrobenzenes. In particular, we synthesized the desired halogenated nitrobenzene coupling partner 3.27 in excellent yield. We were also able to show that the conditions employed in this sequence were mild enough to allow preparation of the 2-bromo-6-iodo compound 3.33.
Once the coupling partners were prepared, we developed the optimal conditions for our Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions. In doing so, we were able to prepare our target compound 1.2 and several halogenated analogs in good yields. We also prepared brominated and deuterated arylpyrroles 4.27 and 4.28, respectively, for future use in mechanistic studies of the pyrrolnitrin biosynthetic enzymes, PrnB, Prn C and PrnD. This required preparation of the corresponding brominated and deuterated pyrrole pinacolboronate esters 4.24 and 4.26.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The relation between emotional acceptance and emotion regulation in adolescent girls

contributor:
Hollenstein, Tom
Psychology

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subject:
Emotion Regulation
Physiology
Acceptance
Adolescence

abstract: Thesis (Master, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-29 14:18:38.431

abstract: Adolescents experience heightened emotional arousal and difficulty regulating that arousal. Adolescent girls have emotion regulation difficulties particularly associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety. In adults, the emotion dysregulation associated with depression and anxiety has been linked to not accepting emotions. Emotional non-acceptance is the act of judging certain emotional experiences as inadmissible and trying to avoid, suppress, or ignore those experiences. In adults, non-acceptance is thought to paradoxically lead to amplified emotional arousal and difficulty regulating arousal. Previous research supports this idea for the subjective experience of emotion but not the physiological response. The goal of the current study was to elicit these differences in physiology in order to better understand the effects of emotional non-acceptance on emotion regulation. Eighty-two adolescent girls were asked to perform a spontaneous speech while physiological and subjective responses were measured. These same measures were taken before and after the speech. Trait-like emotional non-acceptance was also measured. Although trait non-acceptance predicted differences in one aspect of physiology, there were no other effects of emotional acceptance or non-acceptance on physiological response. In line with previous research, emotional acceptance and non-acceptance had their effects on the subjective experience of emotion, both in reaction to, and recovery from, the speech. Interestingly, in the current sample, induced non-acceptance had no effects on arousal or regulation. Also, greater effects were found for self-reported positive emotion than any other measure of emotional response. Results support the idea that emotional non-acceptance and acceptance affect the appraisal of emotional experiences but do not affect the emotional arousal itself. Also, the findings of this study suggest that emotional non-acceptance has more qualities of a trait than a state. The implications for the model of emotional acceptance and the effects of puberty on emotion regulation are discussed.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: HIV/AIDS and Identity Recovery:  STITCHing the Self Back Together

contributor:
Jessup, Lynda
Art History

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subject: HIV/AIDS Identity Activism Dolls Crafts Oppression

abstract: Thesis (Master, Art History) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-29 14:29:09.34

abstract:
In this thesis I explore and evaluate the grounds upon which we can claim that community and activist art makes a difference in peoples’ lives.  To do so, I examine an ongoing art project that seeks to transform the lives of American women with HIV/AIDS through artistic creation, the STITCHES Doll Project.  To evaluate the efficacy of the Project, I position the Project in relation to the history of HIV/AIDS in America, popular and medical understandings of the illness, connections between HIV/AIDS and oppressive structures, representations of the illness, as well as Western conceptions of embodiment, illness, and identity.  Against this history, I provide visual and textual analyses of several of the works produced through the STITCHES Doll Project, in combination with interviews and reports from participants themselves, to determine how these dolls affect these women’s sense of self and agency.
	This thesis argues that Western understandings of the meaning of HIV/AIDS, combined with its physical, emotional, social, and psychological effects, violently erodes a sense of self for those who contract the illness. Specifically, I argue that because identity in the West is predicated upon self-control, self-containment, mental control, and a repression of embodiment, illness, and death, HIV/AIDS has been experienced at both a personal and cultural level as corrosive of identity.  In response to such pain, the STITCHES Doll Project provides an opportunity for HIV+ women to use a variety of strategies to re-establish their identity.  Strategies such as sharing the illness or displacing it, when enacted through the Project, can successfully assist in re-affirming identity for participants.  I suggest that this is where the value of the Project is best situated, and that this case study provides reason to believe in the value and power of community and activist art.  Nevertheless, the Project’s success at individual, social, political, and pedagogical levels is tempered by the challenges posed by cultural codes, discourses, institutions, and practices.  In light of this, my research explores how negotiation of these cultural codes, norms and practices helps to both re-build, as well as un-do, identity for participants.

abstract: M.A.


title: Invariants of Modular Two-Row Groups

contributor:
Hughes, Ian
Wehlau, David
Mathematics and Statistics

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subject:
Invariants
Modular
Two-Row Group
Complete Intersection
Nakajima p-Group

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mathematics & Statistics) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-29 15:08:40.705

abstract:
It is known that the ring of invariants of any two-row group is Cohen-Macaulay.
This result inspired the conjecture that the ring of invariants of any two-row group is a complete intersection. In this thesis, we study this conjecture in the case where the ground field is the prime field $\mathbb{F}_p$. We prove that all Abelian reflection two-row $p$-groups have complete intersection invariant rings. We show that all two-row groups with \textit{non-normal} Sylow $p$-subgroups have polynomial invariant rings. We also show that reflection two-row groups with \textit{normal} reflection Sylow $p$-subgroups have polynomial invariant rings. As an interesting application of a theorem of Nakajima about hypersurface invariant rings, we rework a classical result which says that the invariant rings of subgroups of $\text{SL}(2,\,p)$ are all hypersurfaces.

In addition, we obtain a result that characterizes Nakajima $p$-groups in characteristic $p$, namely, if the invariant ring is generated by norms, then the group is a Nakajima $p$-group.

abstract: PhD


title: The Politics of Legibility: Writing and Reading Contemporary Arab American Women's Literature

contributor:
Bongie, Christopher
Jolly, Rosemary
English

subject:
Arab American Literature
Contemporary Women's Literature
Literature and War
9/11
Islam
Race and Racism
Middle East
Gender
Literature and Politics
Feminist Theory
Transnational Feminism
Islamic Feminism
Reception Theory

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, English) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-29 15:24:21.993

abstract:
This dissertation focuses on contemporary literature produced by Arab American women authors. My study utilizes the works of Diana Abu-Jaber, Mohja Kahf, Suheir Hammad, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Laila Halaby, to raise questions about the processes, methods, and practices of writing, publishing, and reading Arab American women’s literature. Influenced by developments in contemporary Arab American studies, postcolonial, and reception theories, this dissertation examines, from an interdisciplinary perspective, novels, poetry, prose, and online articles that these authors produced in the aftermath of the First Gulf War until today (1993-2007). A study of this literature, I argue, facilitates a more comprehensive understanding of the history of Arab American literature, its recent trends, and possible futures.
	Chapter Two focuses on the work of Diana Abu-Jaber, one of the most important Arab American women authors today. Tracing literary developments, shifts, and alterations in the author’s work, I argue that Abu-Jaber uses her writing to humanize Arab Americans for her predominantly western audiences. Focusing on what I see as shifts in the author’s political commitments and ideals, I analyze her large body of works in order to understand how they are influenced by the western publication industry, marketing strategies, reader demand, and literary fame.
Chapter Three deals explicitly with the works of Mohja Kahf as I examine the author’s attempt to reconfigure Islam’s negative status in the United States by defying the politics of literary representation and challenging the restrictive cultural, racial, and religious boundaries of the Muslim ummah or community. I argue that the author’s work challenges both the mythologies of representations surrounding the figure of the Muslim woman in the West and the gendered and sometimes exclusionary parameters of the Muslim ummah in the United States.
	In Chapter Four, I shift my focus to the writings of Naomi Shihab Nye, Suheir Hammad, and Laila Halaby. I examine how these authors negotiate the national trauma of September 11, 2001 and state of emergency ensuing in the wake of the attacks. I assess how these authors render legible Arab American and Muslim American encounters of 9/11 and its aftermath.

abstract: PhD


title: Functional Analysis of an α-Helical Region in the Human Multidrug and Organic Anion Transporter MRP1

contributor:
Cole, Susan P. C.
Pharmacology and Toxicology

subject: MRP1

subject: TM17-PROXIMAL

abstract: Thesis (Master, Pharmacology & Toxicology) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-29 16:54:45.378

abstract: Multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1/ABCC1) is a 190 kDa phosphoglycoprotein that mediates the efflux of structurally diverse endo- and xenobiotics across biological membranes, and is known to play roles in drug disposition and resistance. The goal of the present study was to examine the functional importance of the region proximal to transmembrane helix 17 (TM17) of MRP1 by mutational analysis of seven conserved amino acids in this region. Thus, Glu1253, Glu1255, Val1261, Glu1262, Arg1263, Glu1266, and Tyr1267 were initially replaced by Ala, and after expression in HEK293T cells, the properties of the mutant proteins were investigated. All of the mutant proteins were expressed at levels comparable to wild-type MRP1, indicating that these residues are not critical for MRP1 biosynthesis. Vesicular transport assays showed that Ala-substitution of Glu1253 and Glu1262 significantly reduced 17β-estradiol 17-(β-D-glucuronide) (E217βG) and leukotriene C4 (LTC4) transport by 30-75% (p < 0.05), while Ala-substitution of Glu1255 and Glu1266 had no effect. Transport activity of the same-charge mutant E1253D was comparable to wild-type MRP1, while transport by E1262D remained reduced (by 50-75%) (p < 0.05). Kinetic analysis suggests that E1253A and E1262A exhibit reduced E217βG uptake as a result of a decreased uptake affinity (Km), while the reduced transport of E1262D was associated with a reduction in Vmax. Reciprocal mutations of potential interhelical bonding partners of Glu1253 and Glu1262 (Lys1141 and Arg1142, respectively), identified by examination of an atomic homology model of MRP1, did not significantly enhance MRP1 function. This suggests that even if bonding interactions exist between the side-chains of these two pairs of amino acids, the interactions are not exclusive. These findings also suggest that Glu1253 and Glu1262 have unique and complex roles in substrate binding and/or translocation. Ala-substitution of Val1261, Arg1263 and Tyr1267 caused a small reduction in E217βG transport (by 25-35%) (p < 0.05), while reductions in LTC4 transport were somewhat more substantial (by 30-55%) (p < 0.05). In conclusion, these studies have provided the first evidence of the functional importance of anionic residues in the COOH-proximal region of TM17 of MRP1.

abstract: Hi, please restrict online publication of this thesis for 1 year because it contains certain intellectual properties. Thank you.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Pairwise Optimization of Modulation Constellations for Non-Uniform Sources

contributor:
Takahara, Glen
Alajaji, Fady
Mathematics and Statistics

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subject:
Modulation Constellations
Optimization
Non-Uniform Sources
Modulation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mathematics & Statistics) -- Queen's University, 2009-10-06 22:22:40.096

abstract: The design of two-dimensional signal constellations for the transmission of binary non-uniform memoryless sources over additive white Gaussian noise channels is investigated.  The main application of this problem is the implementation of improved constellations where transmitted data is highly non-uniform. A simple algorithm, which optimizes a constellation by re-arranging its points in a pairwise fashion (i.e., two points are modified at a time, with all other points remaining fixed), is presented. In general, the optimized constellations depend on both the source statistics and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the channel.  We show that constellations designed with source statistics considered can yield symbol error rate performance that is substantially better than rectangular quadrature amplitude modulation signal sets used with either Gray mapping or more recently developed maps.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: The View from Here:The Perspectives of Inner City Youth in Experiential Education Programs

contributor:
Sharkawy, Azza
Education

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subject:
Youth Development
Low-Income Youth
Art Education
Outdoor Education
Experiential Education

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-30 14:30:02.386

abstract:
This collective case study analyzed the experiences of current and past participants of two experiential education programs for low-income inner city youth in order to understand how participants developed personally and socially through their participation. Drawing on research on risk and resilience, this study focuses on programs that attempt to provide inner city youth with ‘protective factors’ against risks they face. One case represents the experiences of participants in an arts education program and the other in an outdoor education program. At each research site, open ended, semi-structured interviews were conducted with current participants (aged 13-15) and past participants (aged 16-21).
Past and current participants in both programs described a series of developmental stages of coming out of one’s shell starting with experiencing success, leading to feelings of competence in abilities, feeling trust for group members, and thus, building the confidence to be one’s self. The agents of change in the arts program were: opportunities for self-expression without formal evaluation in dance, drama, music, and visual arts activities; encouragement from staff; and receiving positive feedback for performances from peers, staff, and parents. The major agent of change in the outdoor education program was overcoming challenges in a supportive atmosphere. Group and individual challenges were encountered during canoe tripping, ropes course activities, and the solo experience. A supportive environment was created by respectful relationships with staff and peers built through overcoming challenges together.

abstract: M.Ed.