title: Method Development, Feasibility and Clinical Pilot Study of Air Displacement Plethysmography for Longitudinal Body Composition Measurements of Preterm Infants in Hospital

contributor:
Fusch, Christoph
Stephanie Atkinson, Keith Lau
Medical Sciences

subject: Preterm Infant

subject: Body Composition

subject: Air Displacement Plethysmography

subject: Longitudinal

subject: Nutrition

subject: Growth

subject: Biochemical Phenomena, Metabolism, and Nutrition

subject: Pediatrics

abstract:
Background: Inadequate nutrition during the postnatal period may be associated with adverse outcomes in later life. Tailoring nutrition to promote optimal growth requires monitoring body composition (BC). This could guide nutritional strategies to promote optimal outcomes, however preterm infant BC data is lacking.

Objectives: To introduce and assess the feasibility of air displacement plethysmography (PEA POD) as a bedside tool in the NICU; Second, to longitudinally measure preterm infant BC in hospital.

Methods: This was a longitudinal, observational study. Inclusion criteria: infants 24-37 weeks gestational age (GA); informed consent. Exclusion criteria: chromosomal/congenital abnormalities; hydrops fetalis. Preterm infant BC assessed by PEA POD; anthropometric measures were collected. Infants assessed from study inclusion to hospital discharge. For reference, 23 term infants were measured.

Results: PEA POD was a feasible bedside tool to measure preterm infant BC that was accepted by parents and free of adverse events. Longitudinal measures demonstrated preterm infants (n=65) gained fat mass (FM) and fat free mass (FFM) at differing rates, leading to an overall %FM increase in hospital. Our data suggests that, at term corrected age, preterm infants may achieve a BC similar to full term infants at birth.

Discussion: This study established PEA POD as a useful bedside clinical tool for preterm infants. Longitudinal BC changes in preterm infants using PEAPOD in hospital is described for the first time. Future application of PEA POD can expand longitudinal measures to create reference preterm infant BC data for evaluating quantity and quality of growth in relation to nutritional management.

abstract: Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS)


title: The Puzzle of Grammatical Gender: Insights from the Cognitive Theory of Translation and the Nature of Polish Hybrid Nouns

contributor:
Stroińska, Magda
Cecchetto, Vittorina
Service, Elisabet
Cognitive Science of Language

subject:
grammatical gender
translation process
hybrid nouns
gender assignment
personification of death
Modern Languages
Modern Languages

abstract:
The category of grammatical gender has gained considerable attention in the linguistic literature. Previous studies focused primarily on describing the often very complex system of genders in particular languages, on the understanding of the category per se (e.g. the origin of gender differentiation) or the acquisition of grammatical gender and the processing of this category in language production.

In contrast, the present dissertation looks at grammatical gender from a cognitive point of view. For the sake of this dissertation, cognitive perspective is defined as the assumption that human language cannot be separated from the way human beings perceive the world since language and thought are inextricably related. This approach also implies that research cannot be limited to theoretical explorations, but rather, that it must employ experimental methods and use research tools traditionally associated with other disciplines to collect data about authentic language use. All studies included in this thesis concentrate on the topic of grammatical gender, but they approach the category from a variety of perspectives.

It was found that the grammatical gender, at least to some degree, shapes the worldview of speakers of those languages in which the category operates, since the gender of the personification of concepts usually agrees with the grammatical gender of the respective nouns. In the context of translation, grammatical gender proved to be much more challenging than had been expected; there were many mistakes found in the translation product and many hesitations observed in the translation process.

The findings of the studies included in this thesis add to the general understanding of the complexities of the category of grammatical gender and its relationship to the way language users perceive the world. What is more, the investigations and proposals presented here emphasize the need for a more interdisciplinary approach to the study of grammatical gender.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Use of Public Involvement in Canadian Health Policy Decision-Making

contributor: Mita Giacomini and Damien Contandriopoulos

subject:
public involvement
use
health policy
decision-making
accountability
Canada
Health Policy
Health Policy

abstract: In this age of accountability, responsiveness, and transparency, governments are increasingly pressured to develop ways to demonstrate the value of public involvement in policy decision-making. Yet the extent to which policy decisions actually reflect citizens’ views and input from public involvement processes remains relatively unknown. The main purpose of my dissertation is to examine the internal dynamics of how public involvement is used in the health policy decision-making process. It is guided by two research questions: i) How is public involvement used in the health policy decision-making process; and ii) What factors influence the use of public involvement in the health policy decision-making process? These questions are explored through three independent but complementary studies: i) through a concept analysis, to clarify the concept of public involvement use in health policy decision-making; ii) through a document analysis, to examine the values and assumptions that underpin current and proposed relationships between publics and government, how these have evolved over time, and the meaning of public involvement itself; and iii) through a literature review and key informant interviews, to identify the range of factors influencing the nature of how public involvement is used. The concept of public involvement use, as presented in this thesis, is a complex concept that may be understood, interpreted and operationalized through three interrelated questions: What is the meaning of use in relation to other similar concepts? What is public involvement used for? And, how do we know public involvement was used in health policy decision-making? The results of this dissertation also reveal numerous tensions that characterize the dynamics of how public involvement is used in policy decision-making. Taken together, the three studies provide insights into ways in which public administrators and policy decision-makers could respond to calls for greater accountability and transparency regarding the use of public involvement in policy decision-making.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: WASTE GLASS - A SUPPLEMENTARY CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL

contributor:
Chidiac, S. E.
Civil Engineering

subject:
SCM
waste glass
pozzolan
ASR
alkalinity
grinding
Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering

abstract:
This study investigates the feasibility of using waste glass as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM). By further defining some of the parameters by which waste glass may be incorporated into concrete as a cement replacement, the environmental, economical, and engineering benefits of this material may be realized. Past observations, including the production of alkali silica reaction (ASR) gel, and the lack of pozzolanic reactivity, have limited the acceptance of waste glass as a SCM,

Mechanical treatment was used to improve reactivity and provide a particle size at which waste glass performs comparably to ground granulated blast furnace slag and nearly as well as silica fume. At 6.6 µm, the pozzolanic reactivity of waste glass was demonstrated through consumption of Ca(OH)2 and heat of hydration. Waste glass at a larger particle size (16.5 µm) was as reactive as slag. Use of waste glass at 10% replacement of Portland cement by mass and at a particle size below 100 µm proved useful as a SCM.

A relationship between pozzolanic and alkali silica reaction (ASR) was identified with intermediate phases of the reaction present. Calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H) from the pozzolanic reaction have a Ca/Si ratio of 1.5-2. ASR products generally have a Ca/Si ratio of 0.01-1. The products observed with agglomeration of glass particles had a Ca/Si ratio from 0.5-2. The affects of silica concentration and alkalinity of the solution on the reaction products were explored.

A reaction rim was identified around glass agglomerates where fluorescence was observed. The results indicate that ASR can be induced even in low alkalinity cement, and the rate of reaction influences both the characteristics and composition of the reaction product.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: EXPLOSIVE BOILING FORCE OF A SINGLE DROPLET ON SOLID HEATED SURFACES

contributor:
Luxat, J.
Hamed, M.
Engineering Physics

subject:
Explosive boiling
single droplet
superheat limit
Heat Transfer, Combustion
Nuclear Engineering
Heat Transfer, Combustion

abstract:
Explosive boiling is a phenomenon encountered in severe nuclear reactor accidents during quench cooling, core relocation or through fuel-coolant interactions. The mitigation of accident conditions is important from a safety standpoint since explosive boiling is potentially capable of destructive forces. Explosive boiling occurs when coolant water encounters a hot solid surface and absorbs a high degree of superheat. The resultant boiling mode is violent and features the rapid decomposition of liquid on a microsecond timescale with liquid atomization and ejection. In this study, the explosive boiling force of a single water droplet impacting hot solid surfaces was estimated with secondary droplet analyses using high-speed imaging.

A water droplet at 25°C with a Weber number of 432 impacted perpendicular to solid surfaces at temperatures from 30-700°C. Solid surfaces of copper, brass and stainless steel varied in thermal diffusivity from 3.48 x10-6 to 1.17 x10-4 m2/s. Curved and flat impact surfaces were also tested. Explosive boiling was most prominent when the instantaneous interface temperature attained the superheat limit temperature (300°C ±17°C). Maximum boiling force was encountered at the superheat limit with reduced force at surface temperatures in the nucleate boiling regime and near zero force in the film boiling regime. Thermal disintegration dominates over inertial break up of the droplet near the superheat limit region. Thermal diffusivity effects were only distinguishable in the 250-450°C region where increasing thermal diffusivity translated to larger boiling forces. Secondary droplet counts, size, trajectories were dependent on the boiling mode present at the interface with very strong variances caused by thermal break up of the initial droplet. Explosive boiling caused greater fragmentation creating more secondary droplets with smaller sizes and larger ejection trajectories. A curved surface showed slightly higher explosive boiling force in the superheat limit region but with negligible effects on secondary droplet properties.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: The Effect of Conceptual and Contextual Teaching Strategies for the Transfer of Basic Science Knowledge in Medical Education

contributor: Clinical Health Sciences (Health Research Methodology)

subject:
Transfer
Basic Science
Education
Cognition
Practice
Cognitive Psychology
Medical Education
Cognitive Psychology

abstract:
Application of previously learned knowledge to new problems or contexts is a cognitive process known as transfer. Undergraduate medical education is optimized when learners are able to transfer basic science knowledge to clinical learning. A long history of transfer research suggests that spontaneous transfer of conceptual knowledge is not easy for learners, thus creating an educational challenge during undergraduate training. However, not all transfer tasks are equally difficult. When conceptual problems are presented in familiar contexts (e.g. similar surface details or semantic content in word problems), this near transfer is facilitated for learners. But when contextual familiarity does not exist, the problem is one of far transfer and becomes more difficult. Previous research suggests that using contextual information and focusing on conceptual teaching can improve transfer performance for novices.

This thesis investigates how emphasizing contextual information versus conceptual information can impact transfer of principles of physics relevant to physiology (the concepts) to different organ systems (the contexts). Across three experimental studies, students were assigned to different learning and practice conditions where conceptual and contextual teaching were manipulated. The results showed 1) while emphasizing conceptual information can improve transfer, contextual alignment (near transfer) between learning and problem solving had the highest performance for all students. 2) Novices use contextual information as

recognition cues for new problems but can be shifted to examine deep conceptual structure when provided with in-depth conceptual teaching as well as varying the number of contexts used to practice concepts. This shifts novices to equal success at near and far transfer. 3) Novices can revert to relying on contextual information if teaching interventions do not provide contextual variation and instead promote a close association between contextual details and conceptual information.

This research suggests that shifting novices to examine conceptual problems at the deep structure level should be a key goal for teaching basic science for transfer. Novices default to using surface details to encode and retrieve conceptual information. While in some near transfer problems this can be an effective strategy, for far transfer it can lead to errors. Basic science teaching during undergraduate training must emphasize transferability of concepts by providing more relatable ways to understand conceptual information and showing the variation of a concept’s presentation.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Tectonomorphic and kinematic characterization of Neogene deformation in the southern Central Andes (23˚-28˚S, NW Argentina)

contributor:
Riller, Ulrich
Boyze, Joe
Schwarcz, Henry
Earth Sciences

subject:
Central Andes
fault-slip analysis
kinematics
gravitational spreading
mountain front sinuosity
T-factor
Geology
Geomorphology
Other Earth Sciences
Sedimentology
Stratigraphy
Tectonics and Structure
Geology

abstract:
This thesis focuses on the tectonomorphologic evolution of the Central Andean Puna Plateau and its eastern foreland. The collective findings of fault-slip and tectonomorphic analyes help in understanding the mechanical behavior of non-collisional orogens at convergent plate boundaries and result in an improved Neogene tectonic record of the Central Andes.

Fault-slip analysis indicates Neogene WNW-ESE horizontal shortening of the thickened crust of the Puna Plateau and Eastern Cordillera and simultaneous lateral gravitational spreading. The less thickened of Pampean Ranges continue to undergo horizontal shortening only. The importance of N-S extension in the kinematics of elevated parts of the Central Andes is underscored by the strike-slip components on prominent dip-slip faults. Strain axis configurations in the southern Central Andes are generally controlled by (1) overall WNW-ESE horizontal shortening imposed by plate convergence and (2) differences in crustal thickness, i.e., gravitational potential energy. Therefore, a geodynamic interpretations in which still increasing elevation and crustal thickness significantly influence upper-crustal kinematics of the southern Central Andes is suggested.

To allow regional-scale tectonomorphic studies, including Valley-Width-to-Valley-Height (Vf) ratio and the Transverse-Topographic-Symmetry (T-) factor, an Esri ArcGIS compatible software tool was developed. This Geographical Information System (GIS)-based tool, was coded in Python to enable conversion to other ArcGIS versions. This herein presented first version of the tool is fully functioning and drastically reduces the otherwise long processing times.

A qualitative main basin symmetry description, Mountain-Front-Sinuosity (Smf) indices, and Vf-ratios of second-order drainage basins, indicate ubiquitous Quaternary deformation on reverse and thrust faults in the southern Central Andes. The recorded Quaternary deformation strongly influences Quaternary landform development, as shown by main drainage basin asymmetries and second-order drainage basins shapes. However, non-systematic T-factor distribution for second-order basins indicates that basin asymmetry is subject to litholigcal variations.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Theory of Phase Behavior of Weakly Charged Polyelectrolytes

contributor:
Shi, An-Chang
Physics and Astronomy

abstract: A self-consistent field theory is developed for weakly charged polymeric systems composed of charged-neutral diblock copolymers and homopolymers. This generic model can be used to describe the phase behavior of a number of different charged polymeric systems, including charged polymer/homopolymer blends and ionic liquid/homopolymer mixtures. It is found that the miscibility of the system is increased by the increase of the charge fraction and the anion volume. Random phase approximation has also been used to calculate the spinodal lines for polyelectrolyte/homopolymer blends and polyelectrolyte solutions. Both systems exhibit micro- and macro- phase separated regions. It is also shown that an increase of the charge fraction stabilizes the homogeneous phase over the inhomogeneous ones and a decrease of the Bjerrum length stabilizes the microphase separated state over the macrophase separated state. Finally, the reciprocal-space method is used to solve the self-consistent field equations for the polyelectrolyte/homopolymer blends. Full phase diagrams showing microphase separated structures of lamellae, hexogonal and body-centered cubic lattice, as well as 2-phase region of coexistence of lamellae and homogeneous are obtained.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: An Energy Dispersive Method for Resonance Neutron Capture Gamma Ray Spectroscopy

contributor:
Kennett, T.J.
Physics

subject: Physics Physics

abstract: A method for the determination of partial radiation cross sections based on the energy dispersion of the capture process was undertaken. A description of the experimental reactor facility and details of the method has been presented. Measurements of gamma rays following neutron capture in isotopes of silicon, chromium and nickel revealed resonances which were analyzed for resonance parameters. The characteristics of the resonance decay properties for the different isotopes were discussed.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Violent Masculinities of The Faerie Queene

contributor:
Grise, Cathy
Silcox, Mary
Savage, Anne
English and Cultural Studies

subject: Spenser

subject: masculinity

subject: mythology

subject: gender

subject: early modern

subject: Literature in English, British Isles

subject: Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

subject: Literature in English, British Isles

abstract: Utilizing the strategies of feminist criticism, this study seeks to define masculinity and the issues confronting it as presented in Books III and IV of Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene. The thesis analyzes the means by which Spenser’s poem challenges conventional notions of violence as inherent to masculinity. This includes examining the tropological use of rape to represent masculine lust as animalistic, as seen in the various male pursuers and aggressors of Florimell and Amoret, and the metaphorical conceptualization of love as a violent conquest as a means of contributing to homosocial status elevation.Thus this study contributes to the understanding of the didacticism of Spenser’s allegory concerning the fashioning of a proper gentleman.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: EFFECTS OF CONSTRUAL LEVELS AND SELF-CONTROL STRENGTH IN EFFORTFUL CYCLING EXERCISE

contributor:
Bray, Steven
Martin Ginis, Kathleen A.
Kwan, Matthew Y.
Kinesiology

subject: self regulation; self control; construal level theory; exercise; endurance cycling

subject: Psychology of Movement

subject: Psychology of Movement

abstract: Self control is affected by self-regulatory strength depletion (Hagger et al., 2010) as well as construal-level mindset (Fujita et al., 2006). However, two conflicting perspectives have emerged predicting differential interactive effects of construals and depletion. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the independent and interactive effects of construal levels and self-control strength in an effortful cycling exercise task. Using a randomized 2 X 2 factorial design, undergraduate participants (N = 67, n = 34 women) completed a baseline cycling task, followed by a self-control depletion manipulation (Stroop task vs. quiet rest; Wallace & Baumeister, 2002), a construal-level manipulation (category vs. exemplar naming task; Fujita et al., 2006), and then a 10-minute strenuous cycling test trial. The results showed no main effects for either self-control strength depletion or construal level (p > .20). However there was a near-significant interaction effect (p = .07) indicating the depleted group outperformed the non-depleted group in the low-construal condition, whereas the opposite effect occurred in the high-construal condition. The results provide novel insights of the effects of self-control strength depletion and construal mindsets on exercise performance and implications for the design of construal level and self-control depletion research.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Bayesianism and the Existence of God: A Critical Examination of Bayesian Arguments for the Existence of God

contributor:
Hitchcock, David
Gedge, Elisabeth
Arthur, Richard
Philosophy

subject: bayesianism

subject: existence

subject: god

subject: swinburne

subject: arguments

subject: probability

subject: Epistemology

subject: Metaphysics

subject: Philosophy of Science

subject: Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

subject: Epistemology

abstract: This thesis looks at one example of a Bayesian argument for the existence of God in order to evaluate the quality of such arguments. It begins by explicating a general trend in philosophical apologetics towards probabilistic arguments for God's existence, most notably represented in Richard Swinburne's 2004 book, The Existence of God. Swinburne's arguments are presented as the pinnacle of the probabilistic movement. In order to judge the worth of such arguments, I carefully lay out the principles and assumptions upon which Swinburne's case is based. I show that his argument requires both the truth of substance dualism and the valid application of the simplicity principle to a set of possible hypotheses which purport to explain the existence of the Universe. Swinburne depends on the willingness of philosophers to accede to these points. I proceed to show that no agreement exists on the topic of dualism, concluding that Swinburne has a lot of work ahead of him if he wants this assumption to firmly support his argument. I then show that, while the simplicity principle is generally agreed to be a good tool for real-world situations, there are important differences when attempting to use it to adjudicate between hypotheses to explain the universe. The simplicity principle requires both background knowledge and a mutually exclusive and jointly exhaustive set of hypotheses in order to be properly applied, both of which are here lacking. If I am right, then we will be unable to reasonably assign several values necessary in order to utilize Bayes' Theorem. Thus the Bayesian approach cannot be used for the problem of the existence of God. Finally, I show that Swinburne's own assumptions can be used to generate a different conclusion, which casts further doubt on his methodology.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: MEANINGS OF MEMORY: UNDERSTANDING AGING AND DEMENTIA IN FIRST NATIONS COMMUNITIES ON MANITOULIN ISLAND, ONTARIO

contributor:
Warry, Wayne
Anthropology

subject:
dementia
First Nations
aging
Aboriginal
medical anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology

abstract: This thesis reports results from my PhD research investigating experiences of aging and dementia among First Nations seniors on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. Dementia has been identified as a growing problem in Aboriginal communities by researchers and Aboriginal stakeholders. However, little research has documented First Nations peoples’ explanatory models of dementia or aging. In this thesis I explore Manitoulin Island First Nations people’s knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours related to healthy aging and dementia. I present data that documents explanatory models of successful aging and dementia, issues surrounding help-seeking and treatment, and practices relating to care-giving. This research uses an ethnographic approach following a community-based participatory action research design. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were carried out with seniors, people with dementia, informal family caregivers, health care providers, and traditional healers in seven First Nations communities on Manitoulin Island. Focus groups were carried out with nurses and personal support workers. A total of 59 participants were involved in this research. Participant observation was used to enrich interview data. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to interpret participants’ lived experiences of aging and dementia. This research demonstrates that First Nations seniors strive to remain healthy and engaged in life as they age. However, it also demonstrates that dementia is a growing problem in First Nations communities. Although First Nations people are generally accepting of memory loss in old age as a natural occurrence, a conflicting perception of dementia as pathological was also present. This research demonstrates that changes to culture and ways of life are perceived to have a significant impact on First Nations peoples’ ability to age successfully and on the emergence of dementia as a growing health concern. I conclude that improving access to culturally safe supports and services is needed to ensure that people can better cope with the challenges of aging and dementia.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Verification of an Activity Method Approach to Determine the alpha-Partial Width of the 4.03 MeV State of Ne-19

contributor:
Chen, Alan
Prestwich, William
Harris, William
Physics and Astronomy

subject:
Nuclear Astrophysics
Type I x-ray bursts
Nucleosynthesis
Experimental
HCNO Breakout Reactions
Instrumentation
Nuclear
Other Astrophysics and Astronomy
Instrumentation

abstract: This thesis describes a new experimental approach that has been designed to determine the alpha-branching ratio of the 4.03-MeV excited state of Ne-19. A precise measurement of this quantity is needed to reduce reaction rate uncertainties in Type I x-ray bursts models. The alpha-branching will be measured by the detection of the beta+ activity of the associated alpha-decay product. This activity method has been modelled using two separate simulations. The first, a Monte Carlo code to simulate the reaction process and energy distributions of the decay products. Secondly, a GEANT4 simulation was created to predict the detector response to the O-15 beta+ activity. Along with the simulations two NaI(Tl) detectors, which were customized to this experiment's geometric constraints, have been tested and their response and resolution have been determined. The results of this work will be used to refine the experimental setup such that the proposed test run and eventual alpha-branching ratio measurement of the 4.03-MeV state will be successful. With the results of the simulations and subsequent yield calculations, it has been found that reasonable statistical significance in the O-15 yield from the 4.03-MeV excited state in Ne-19 can be achieved within 10 days of beamtime.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: POST-MODIFICATION OF THERMOSENSITIVE MICROGELS IN BLEACH

contributor:
Pelton, Robert H.
Shiping Zhu, Yingfu Li
Chemical Engineering

subject:
Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)
Chloramide
Bleach
Thermosensitive
Microgels
Primary Amine
Polymer Science
Polymer Science

abstract:
N-chloramide containing and primary amine-containing microgels were prepared by post-modification of thermosensitive microgels in alkaline bleach. The objective of this project was to develop simple strategies for preparation of functionalized microgels.

N-chlorination of linear poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) in bleach at high pH resulted in a novel N-chloramide containing copolymer: poly(NIPAM-co-NIPAMCl). The chlorinated PNIPAM showed controlled phase transition temperature and oxidative ability. The N-chlorination of linear PNIPAM inspired the preparation of N-chloramide containing PNIPAM microgels in a similar way. The phase transition temperature of the resulted chlorinated microgels, which corresponds to the extent of N-chlorination, was affected by the reaction temperature and salt concentration. The reaction between the chlorinated microgels and glutathione is proposed as diffusion controlled.

The N-chlorination of poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PNIPMAM) microgels in bleach was restricted, in comparison with PNIPAM microgels. The active chlorine content of chlorinated PNIPMAM microgels was about one-tenth of that of chlorinated PNIPAM microgels under the same N-chlorination condition. It is proposed that the high stability of PNIPMAM in bleach is a result of the electron-donating effect of methyl groups on PNIPMAM backbone. Hence, core-shell microgels with PNIPAM cores and poly(NIPAM-co-NIPMAM) shells showed improved colloidal stability after N-chlorination because the shell was less chlorinated and served as a steric stabilizer.

Finally, primary amine-containing microgels were prepared via Hofmann rearrangement of copolymers of methacrylamide, which decomposed to give amines, and NIPMAM, which did not react. The method was further extended to give amphoteric microgels by including acrylic acid in the starting microgels. Although other approaches to aminated and amphoteric microgels have been developed, this approach is particularly attractive because of the ease of the reaction and the ability to control the microgel isoelectric points.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Darwinian Revolution: The Responses of Four Canadian Scholars

contributor:
French, G. S.
History

subject: History History

abstract:
The Origin of Species in 1859 produced a revolution in the history of ideas. Arguing that species were not immutable but evolved through a process of natural selection, Charles Darwin challenged the basic scientific, religious, and philosophical assumptions of his age. The debate over his hypothesis extended to Canada where it coincided with a period of remarkable growth for Canadian universities. Canada's physical environment supplied numerous examples of the struggle for survival in Darwin's concept of nature. Its universities provided a nexus for the formulation of scientific, theological, and philosophical responses to the Darwinian revolution. Principal John William Dawson of McGill University, President Daniel Wilson of the University of Toronto, Professor John Watson of Queen's University, and Chancellor Nathanael Burwash of Victoria College were four Canadian Scholars whose responses to Darwin's hypothesis contribute to a better understanding of Canadian intellectual history in the last half of the nineteenth century.

The responses of John William Dawson and Daniel Wilson rejected Darwin's hypothesis for a theistic alternative. Beginning with an 1860 review of the Origin of Species, Dawson recorded an opposition which he maintained steadfastly for over thirty years. A noted geologist, he based his arguments on the geological record and on a defense of the inductive method in science. His writings on the subject, however, reveal that his religious faith prevented him from accepting the mutability of species. He held that nature reflected the operation of a divine plan and not the mechanistic development which he found in Darwinism. Although Daniel Wilson asserted his initial acceptance of evolution when applied to physical development, Darwin's The Descent of Man in 1871 prompted him to reply in Caliban: The Missing Link that man's reason and moral sense indicate the need for a Divine Creator. His position on evolution was also influenced by the fear that, if correct, the evolutionary explanation of man would unite all men in a brotherhood which contradicted his concepts of racial distinctions and the difference between primitive and civilized man.

An attempt to reconcile the Darwinian hypothesis and religious faith was central to the responses of John Watson and Nathanael Burwash. Canada's most important nineteenth-century philosopher, John Watson defended in 1876 the primacy of man' reason rather than the Darwinian concept of instinct as an explanation of morality. In his philosophy of Speculative Idealism, he subsequently presented a teleological view of existence which was not compatible with the mechanistic operation of natural selection. Believing, however, that the universe was rational and possessed a spiritual unity, he argued by the time of his Gifford Lectures, 1910-1912, at the University of Glasgow that a proper understanding of the Darwinian hypothesis led man to look beyond mechanism for the underlying motive and power of human development. Theologian Nathanael Burwash shared Watson's belief that Darwinism and religion need not conflict, although his reconciliation also could not encompass natural selection. From his days as an undergraduate and young Methodist minister, the intuitive certainty of his faith provided him with the means of accepting modern science. In lectures at Victoria College which culminated in his Manual of Christian Theology in 1900, Burwash found a place for a properly understood Darwinian hypothesis within the perfect harmony of the universe.

Natural Selection proved an insurmountable barrier for all four responses. All four embodied a concept of teleology in arguing against mechanistic development and reflected the need felt for a metaphysical answer to the questions raised by Darwin's hypothesis, especially concerning a theistic interpretation of man's mental and moral development. Dawson defended the two theologies' tradition. Watson and Burwash went beyond it to consider evolution as a revelation to man of the spiritual unity of the universe. Belief in the spiritual unity and teleological reality of the universe was complemented by a philosophical idealism most evident in Watson's response but found in the other three as well.

The enduring significance of each response is not equal and the four men exercised little influence upon the international debate on Darwinism. In part, this was due to their relative isolation in Canada. Their arguments, nevertheless, become distinctive within the intellectual context of late ninettenth-century Canada. A fervent and vigorous religios climate has had a fundamental effect upon the development of ideas in Canada. Through their responses to the Darwinian revolution, Dawson, Wilson, Watson, and Burwash revealed the continuing importance of their religious tradition and provided ideas which helped to ensure its survival during the perilous challenges of their age.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Adam's Dust and Adam's Glory: Rethinking Anthropogony and Theology in the Hodayot and the Letters of Paul

contributor:
Westerholm, Stephen
Schuller, Eileen
Machiela, Daniel
Religious Studies

subject:
Hodayot
Apostle Paul
Anthropogony
Theological Anthropology
Dead Sea Scrolls
Image of God
Biblical Studies
Biblical Studies

abstract:
This study presents an investigation into and reassessment of the theological frameworks within which traditions of anthropogony, or the origin of humankind, are best comprehended in the Qumran Hodayot and the letters of Paul. The dominant framework in which such traditions are usually comprehended is that of the creation, fall, and restoration of humankind. The argument put forward is that this framework does not adequately account for the manner that both the Hodayot and the apostle Paul severely problematize created human nature and anticipate a transformation of human ontology as determined by its initial creation by God.

The study of anthropogonic traditions in the Hodayot demonstrates that the creation of Adam from dust presents an obstacle to the fulfillment of “all the glory of Adam/adam.” Through a deconstruction of the adam-of-dust motif that is inspired by the book of Job and assisted by the equation of creation from the earth and gestation in the womb, the Hodayot severely problematize the moral integrity and innate impurity of the human condition as represented by the creation of Adam. In this way, the creation of humankind from Gen 2:6-7 is put into tension with the accounts of creation in Gen 1:26-29 and Psalm 8, which stand behind exalted depictions of humankind in the Hodayot. This is shown to be an adaptation of the theodicy contained in the Treatise on the Two Spirits.

The study of anthropogonic traditions in the apostle Paul is undertaken in two parts. In the first, which deals with letters outside Romans, Paul is found to be preoccupied largely with the category of the “image of God.” It is argued that Paul assumes the continuing operation of Adam’s creation in the “image of God” in his descendants and that conformation to the heavenly image of Christ is, therefore, modeled not on fall-restoration but the duality of heaven and earth, reflected in the creation of humankind after a heavenly prototype.

In the second part, which deals with Romans, Paul is found to be preoccupied with Adam’s relationship to creation and his proven inability to carry forward God’s ordering work of creation, a perspective Paul introduced in 1 Cor 15:20-28. Here it is argued that the framework that comprehends Adam’s initial state is not that of a supernatural condition of grace or glory, but of initial innocence and immaturity and yet also innate corruptibility, not only materially but morally. Consequently, it is only in assimilation to the heavenly image of Christ that “Adam” can exercise dominion over creation.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: sIHF IS A NOVEL NUCLEOID-ASSOCIATED PROTEIN SPECIFIC TO THE ACTINOBACTERIA

contributor:
Elliot, Marie
Finan, Turlough
Brown, Eric
Biology

subject: Streptomyces

subject: sIHF

subject: small RNA

subject: topoisomerase

subject: sporulation

subject: nucleoid-associated protein

subject: Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology

subject: Biology

subject: Other Microbiology

abstract:
The relatively recent discoveries of bacterial small RNAs (sRNAs) and their important regulatory functions prompted us to conduct a genome wide survey for sRNAs in Streptomyces coelicolor. We used a combined bioinformatics and experimental approach to identify and characterize six sRNAs. sRNA expression profiles were determined throughout S. coelicolor development, including vegetative and reproductive growth, during growth on minimal and rich media. Additionally, we also tested sRNA expression in various S. coelicolor developmental mutants. Two sRNAs were expressed exclusively during growth on one medium type and all but one were expressed constitutively throughout growth apart from the late sporulation timepoint. One of the identified sRNAs, scr1906, appeared to be closely associated with development. scr1906 was only expressed in nutrient limiting conditions just prior to aerial development and sporulation. Expression of scr1906 was abolished in a mutant that was defective in sporulation (due to a mutation in the sporulation sigma factor gene, whiG); however, expression was detected in mutants of both known σWhiG target genes, whiH and whiI, which encode sporulation transcription factors. Intriguingly, in silico analysis predicted whiH to be a direct target for scr1906-mediated regulation based on potential nucleotide binding sites. The effects of deletion and overexpression of scr1906 on WhiH levels were tested, but require further experimentation.

In a separate line of investigation, we sought to characterize a novel actinobacterial-specific protein named sIHF. The sIHF mutant strain revealed that sIHF influenced DNA compaction and segregation during S. coelicolor sporulation and also affected antibiotic production. sIHF associated with the nucleoid, and in vitro, it bound to DNA non-specifically in a length dependent manner, although it was determined to have a preference for three distinct DNA motifs. Like most nucleoid-associated proteins, sIHF affected gene expression indicating the potential for an additional role as a transcription factor. Interestingly, sIHF impacted the activity of topoisomerase. Leveraging information that we have gained from the sIHF-DNA co-crystal complex, studies aimed at characterizing the sIHF regions that are important for DNA interaction and topoisomerase modulation are currently underway.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Inappropriate Use of Emergency Medical Services in Ontario

contributor:
Giacomini, Mita
Health Research Methodology

subject:
Emergency Medical Services
Paramedicine
Health Services Research
Health Services Research

abstract:
Inappropriate ambulance use can be defined broadly as the use of emergency medical services (EMS) transport for non-urgent medical conditions, or when the patient does not use alternate transportation available. It drains health system resources, contributes to low morale among paramedics, and can delay care for patients who may be appropriately treated in alternative settings. An increasing number of studies indicate that inappropriate EMS use occurs, but few studies investigate how perspectives of inappropriate use are constructed. This study explores the construct of appropriateness in the context of ambulance use, and examines the implications of varying perspectives on ambulance billing policies.

We present a grounded theory on the construct of appropriate ambulance use from interviews with paramedics in Ontario, national media reports and online reader commentary. Findings show that the role of paramedics varies across regions, and includes various types of care (e.g., emergency response, primary care and preventative care), and transportation (e.g., to the emergency department or urgent care clinics). In turn, constructs of appropriateness vary. In ambiguous cases, paramedics use their perception of the patients’ ability or attempts to cope with the medical situation to evaluate the appropriateness of ambulance use. Unexpectedly, the most frustrating cases of inappropriate ambulance use tend to be initiated by organizations, such as long-term care facilities, rather than members of the general public. These findings raise questions about the potential for ambulance user fees conditional on ‘appropriateness’ to improve either the effectiveness or the efficiency of ambulance services.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: A High-Throughput Screening Campaign To Discover Novel Inhibitors Of Human L-glutamine: D-fructose-6-phosphate Amidotransferase 1

contributor:
Capretta, Alfredo
Werstuck, G. H.
Brennan, John D.
Chemical Biology

subject:
GFAT
HTS
diabetes
hexosamine biosynthesis pathway
Morgan-Elson assay
Analytical Chemistry
Biochemistry
Medicinal-Pharmaceutical Chemistry
Molecular Biology
Organic Chemistry
Analytical Chemistry

abstract:
Human L-glutamine:D-fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase 1 (hGFAT1) is the first and rate-limiting enzyme of the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP) and is a potential target to help prevent secondary complications of type II diabetes. GFAT catalyzes the irreversible reaction between L-glutamine and D-fructose-6-phosphate to produce L-glutamate and D-glucosamine-6-phosphate. hGFAT1 is not commercially available and is difficult to obtain from natural sources. Thus, a recombinant method to generate and purify the enzyme was developed and is discussed herein.

There are only a handful of known inhibitors available to study the enzyme and the majority of these are toxic, non-specific, or substrate analogs. A high-throughput screening campaign was undertaken in pursuit of novel hGFAT1 inhibitors. The bioactive subset of the Canadian Compound Collection was assayed in duplicate for GFAT inhibitory activity using a modified version of the Morgan-Elson assay. Out of the 3950 bioactives, 9 were identified as lead compounds. All of the compounds identified from the bioactive collection are novel GFAT inhibitors.

A structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis was performed on the lead compounds. Derivatives of the leads were also purchased or synthesized for inhibitory testing. Four distinct classes of compounds were identified as GFAT inhibitors: isoquinolines, aminothiazoles, pyridinones and quinones. The most potent lead compound elucidated from the SAR was dehydroiso-β-lapachone (IC50 1.5±0.5 µM). The mode of inhibition of dehydroiso-β-lapachone was determined to be non-competitive for both binding domains of recombinant hGFAT1.

To validate the lead compounds as inhibitors of native hGFAT1 and to determine their cell permeability, a cell based assay was developed. HepG2 cell cultures were treated with an inhibitor and HBP metabolism was determined by measuring the levels of the end-product uridine diphosphate N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc). UDP-GlcNAc was separated and detected by UPLC-ESI-TOF-MS and metabolite levels were normalized to cell concentration. The leads, alloxan, lapachol and amrinone all displayed hGFAT1 inhibition in cell culture.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: An Alternative Authorization Institution for Legitimate Humanitarian Intervention

contributor:
Sciaraffa, Stefan
Igneski, Violetta
Waluchow, Wil
Philosophy

subject:
Human Rights
Security Council
Humanitarian Intervention
Ethics and Political Philosophy
Ethics and Political Philosophy

abstract:
At present, the United Nations Security Council has exclusive power over the authorization of humanitarian intervention. Any intervention, regardless of intentions or success, which proceeds without explicit authorization from the Security Council is both illegal and of questionable legitimacy. However, there are strong reasons to believe that the Security Council is a sub-optimal decision making body and therefor ill-suited for this task. The purpose of this thesis is to explore these reasons and propose that Standardized Regional Organizations are an ideal alternative to the Security Council.

This thesis proceeds in three chapters. The first chapter discusses the intricacies of humanitarian intervention and the inherent conflict between state sovereignty and international human rights protection. This chapter explores the core issues which an authorizing institution would have to weigh in any humanitarian crisis. The second chapter outlines the exact role which an authorizing institution plays in the norm of humanitarian intervention and the specific qualities which an ideal institution requires. The third and final chapter utilizes conclusions drawn in the first two to critically examine potential alternatives to the Security Council. After demonstrating that all the alternatives available in the literature are problematic, and Standardized Regional Institutions are proposed and defended.

The Standardized Regional Organization proposal calls for Regional Organizations to adopt a new, standardized institutional model which will massively improve their ability to properly deal with humanitarian crises. By building transparency safeguards and accountability mechanisms into Regional Organizations’ decision making procedures they become highly reliable bodies for the authorization of humanitarian intervention. This approach captures the standing practical benefits inherent to Regional Organizations and adds philosophical rigour to their decision making procedures.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: IDENTIFYING FACTORS DRIVING TNF-α EXPRESSION IN THE DUAL CLOSED LOOP EX-VIVO PLACENTAL PERFUSION MODEL: A METHODOLOGICAL STUDY

contributor:
Fusch, Christoph
Medical Sciences

subject:
placental perfusion model
lipopolysaccharide
depyrogenation
cytokine

abstract:
The pathophysiology of how a maternal infection induces fetal inflammation and subsequently premature birth is a growing area of research. The ex-vivo dual closed-loop placental perfusion model has been widely used to study placental physiology. To address the association between bacterial chorioamnionitis and fetal inflammation, TNF-α induction following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge – a pyrogen of Gram-negative origin – was measured in the perfusion model. Preliminary analysis of perfusates unexpectedly revealed markedly elevated levels of TNF-α in control and LPS-treated groups indicating contamination of material(s) capable of activating innate immune responses.

To identify source(s) driving high background TNF-α expression in perfusates, bovine serum albumin (BSA) – the chief component of the perfusion media – the perfusion system and the materno-feto-placental unit were independently examined. To validate a cleaning protocol effective in LPS removal, acid-base and oxidative depyrogenation techniques were also additionally assessed in the perfusion system.

Using TNF-α as a surrogate marker of contamination, high background TNF-α expression in previously conducted placental perfusions were attributed to (1) LPS contaminated perfusion media and (2) LPS build up in the perfusion system. Additionally, results from depyrogenation experiments revealed both acid-base and oxidative techniques effectively reduced LPS buildup in the perfusion system to levels that were in accordance with FDA guidelines for medical equipment (< 0.5 EU/mL). Thus, to circumvent LPS-derived contamination placentas should be perfused using endotoxin-free perfusion media and the perfusion system should be cleaned with acid-base or oxidative depyrogenation techniques prior to its use.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Two-Dimensional Investigation of Void Growth and Coalescence during Deformation

contributor:
Wilkinson, David S.
Materials Science and Engineering

subject:
void growth
void coalescence
in situ test
lateral shrinkage
shear localization
local volume fraction
Metallurgy
Structural Materials
Metallurgy

abstract:
Void growth and coalescence in a single layer model material with holes were visualized by the environmental electron scanning microscope coupled with in situ tensile test. Single sheet model materials were manufactured with a line of laser drilled holes through thickness. In order to investigate the effect of shear localization, the line of holes were oriented with the misorientation angle θ = 0°, 15°, 30°, and 45°. The α-brass samples were studied to introduce the work hardening effect in comparison with the pure copper samples.

By taking images at intervals with small strain increments, the void growth behaviors were visualized during the interrupted tensile testing. The void coalescence (defined consistent with Hosokawa et al (2011), as the point at which the voids stopped shrinking laterally) was successfully captured for the first time in the two dimensional studies. The evolutions of void shape change and void rotation during deformation were also studied quantitatively. The results showed that the higher work hardening behaviors can suppress the void coalescence. It also showed that the effect of local volume fraction dominated the coalescence event rather than the void spacing and shear localization. A comparison of the classic models with the experimental results were also made.

abstract: Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering (MSMSE)


title: The Impact of Environmental Change and Water Conservation on Dryland Groundwater Resources in Northern Egypt: Modeling Aquifer Response Using Sparse Data

contributor:
Coulibaly, Paulin
Adeel, Zafar
Civil Engineering

subject:
Groundwater
Egypt
Climate Change
Water Conservation
Sparse Data
Modeling
Water Resource Management
Water Resource Management

abstract: Please contact the author with any questions. A compressed tar.b2z file is attached with the groundwater model input files.

abstract: Wadi El Naturn, located in the Western Desert in northern Egypt, has been subject to significant groundwater degradation since the 1990s, attributed primarily to agricultural development. Information required to diagnose the drivers of groundwater degradation and assess management options in dryland environments like Wadi El Natrun is however, frequently sparse. This research presents an approach for modeling the impacts of dryland environmental change on groundwater in the context of sparse data. A focus is placed on understanding the potential impacts of conservation strategies in the context of climate change. Water use, hydrostratigraphic and groundwater flow data were collected from literature, monitoring records, satellite imagery and a survey of local landholders. MODFLOW-NWT was used to model the multi-layer aquifer system, and algorithms were developed in R to create realizations of groundwater recharge, and well-pumping at a monthly time-step from 1957 to 2011. The model was deemed to be reasonably capable of capturing the cumulative impact of environmental change over this historical period. A risk assessment approach was then used to assess the impact of climate change and conservation-focused management scenarios on groundwater locally over a 50-year future planning horizon. The optimization of irrigation systems and increased cultivation of drought/salt tolerant crops have the potential to significantly reduce the risk of groundwater depletion compared to an across-the-board 20% water use reduction scenario. The influence of groundwater pumping also outweighed that of climate change, and the most vulnerable water users/ecosystem were found to be the most exposed to groundwater degradation.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Thermodynamics of Self-Organising Systems

contributor:
Kirkaldy, J.S.
Physics

subject: Physics Physics

abstract: This dissertation is concerned with increasing the understanding of self-organising systems by a detailed investigation of several simple radiation absorbing models. We identify two important thermodynamic functions, the rate of entropy production and the free energy, which can be used to characterize the self-organising characteristics of the models. In addition to the minimal behaviour usually associated with the rate of entropy production we recognize a maximal behaviour. This mini-max principle for the entropy production rate, recognized in the models, is utilized as an evolutionary criterion for inanimate and animate systems. It is also demonstrated that the evolutionary character of the force dependent part of the entropy production rate for the models agrees with the earlier prescriptions of Prigogine and Li. Finally it is demonstrated that the multi-level models exhibit a kind of kinetic phase change which is accompanied by a population inversion in the models.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL HOUSING RESIDENTS

contributor:
Dunn, Jim R.
Gillett, James
Harris, Richard
Health and Aging

subject:
rent-geared-to-income
health
public housing
seniors
subsidized housing
Human Geography
Human Geography

abstract:
The social determinants of health are the social and economic conditions in which people live that determine their health and housing is a determinant of health. The home holds important significance to individuals as it offers protection and privacy from the surrounding physical and social conditions, aids in the development of relationships, and is the centre of family life. However, many individuals are not able to experience the benefits stemming from an acceptable home.

This thesis explores the socio-economic aspects of housing through the transitional experiences of individuals moving from the private market level housing into rent-geared-to-income housing. The aim was to offer a descriptive account of individuals who have moved into social housing from private market housing and to find which of the dimensions of housing (physical conditions, psychological benefits, social environment and financial dimensions) most definitely contribute to individuals' everyday lives, health and well-being.

Through the use of in-depth interviews, this cross-sectional research study involves 12 individuals paying rent-geared-to-income and living in social housing in Hamilton, Burlington and Oakville, Canada.

Individuals reported several improvements to the different dimensions of housing that can influence health. Better housing conditions did improve their general and mental health. Individuals reported a greater sense of security, autonomy and self-identity. Social interactions and support were more commonly experienced and individuals did feel a decrease in the burden of rent. The most substantial changes were living in a less stressful environment and the financial security of social housing.

This thesis shows that securing social housing had an influence on participants' everyday lives, health and well-being. The findings may contribute to literature on the impacts of affordable housing on lower-income individuals’ health and well-being. Additionally, the findings have important housing policy implications for addressing affordable housing.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: MITOCHONDRIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO BONE HEALTH, AN INVESTIGATION USING TWO DIFFERENT ANIMAL MODELS OF MITOCHONDRIAL CAPACITY

contributor:
Tarnopolsky, Mark A.
Wohl, Gregory R.
Raha, Sandeep
Health Sciences

subject: bone

subject: mitochondria

subject: exercise

subject: aging

subject: translational medicine

subject: Biochemical Phenomena, Metabolism, and Nutrition

abstract: Mitochondrial dysfunction has been linked to a number of age-associated disorders and recent evidence has shown that mitochondrial function is necessary for osteoblast differentiation and osteoclast survival. Although bone tissue was once thought to be an ‘inert’ tissue, research from the past decade in bone metabolism has demonstrated pathways linking bone and whole body energy metabolism. However, with mitochondria being the central energy provider in cells there is a paucity of research exploring the impact of mitochondrial function on bone tissue, with the bulk of work focused in cell culture. This thesis aimed to explore mitochondrial content and function after endurance training and an exhaustive bout of running in two different animal models. The first study explored the effect of progressive mitochondrial dysfunction on mitochondrial gene expression and bone strength in the polymerase gamma mouse model of mitochondrial dysfunction. The therapeutic efficacy of endurance training on mitochondrial parameters and bone strength were evaluated as well. The second study utilized the Koch-Britton rat model of low capacity and high capacity runners. This model has demonstrated that selection for low and high running capacity has led to a significant divergence in mitochondrial content and function between these two groups. Mechanical strain in the form of exercise has been established as playing a key role in regulating bone health however the underlying mechanisms are still being described. The untrained status and inherent differences in aerobic capacity allow for the elucidations of bone adaptations that may be a result of aerobic capacity. The effect of an exhaustive bout of exercise on mitochondrial gene expression and enzyme activity in LCR and HCR rats was studied. Taken together these studies demonstrate that exercise is beneficial for promoting bone health and may do so by altering mitochondrial content and stress resistance through the FoxO family of transcription factors.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science)


title: Intensified Work, Intensified Struggle: Solidarity Unionism and The Edmonton Postal Workers' Fight Against Forced Overtime

contributor:
Lewchuk, Wayne
Storey, Robert
Labour Studies

subject:
Solidarity
Unionism
Postal
Worker
Edmonton
Union Bureaucracy
Work, Economy and Organizations
Work, Economy and Organizations

abstract: In February 2011, a wave of creative direct action swept across postal depots in the city of Edmonton which saw rank-and-file workers organizing outside of the channels of formal-legal unionism. Fighting against management’s imposition of compulsory overtime as a staffing measure, Letter Carriers and other “outside” postal workers relied on solidarity and resistance at the point of production in a successful campaign to put an end to this practice. The relevance of this particular struggle to the Canadian labour movement is twofold. First, the intensified workloads of Edmonton postal workers reflect a wider shift in the nature of employment relationships away from the existence of employer support as part of the rise of neoliberal capitalism. Second, the choice of workers to organize at a distance from the historically militant Canadian Union of Postal Workers reveals both the predicament facing labour of a highly restrictive formal labour relations system as well as an alternative path of resistance. For Edmonton postal workers, this path was forged in large part as a result of the influence of IWW dual-carder organizers and, more specifically, their introduction of a mode of union praxis known as solidarity unionism

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Unveiling Transient Behaviors in Heterostructure Nanowires

contributor:
LaPierre, Ray
Engineering Physics

subject: nanowire

subject: epitaxy

subject: electron microscopy

subject: III-V semiconductors

subject: vapor liquid solid

subject: heterostructures

subject: Electronic Devices and Semiconductor Manufacturing

subject: Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

subject: Nanotechnology fabrication

subject: Semiconductor and Optical Materials

abstract:
GaAs/GaP heterostructure nanowires (NWs) were grown on GaAs(111)B and Si(111) substrates by gold (Au) assisted vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth in a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system. NW morphology and crystal structure were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Early results indicated substantial differences in the length and crystal structure of the GaAs/GaP heterostructures. Efforts to remove these inhomogeneities required an improved Au VLS seed deposition method as well as a better understanding of VLS growth across GaAs/GaP hetero-interfaces.

Experiments with GaAs/GaP heterostructures yielded the observation of changes in crystal phase in GaP, including the first reported occurrence of the 4H polytype. These observations revealed the presence of transient growth behavior during the formation of the GaAs to GaP hetero-interface that was unique to the VLS technique. Further characterization required the need to move from VLS seeds formed by annealing thin Au films to Au particles formed precisely by electron beam lithography (EBL). NW growth using EBL patterned Au seeds was discovered to be inhibited by the formation of a thin silicon oxide layer, formed at low temperatures by Au-enhanced silicon oxidation. Elimination of this layer immediately prior to growth resulted in successful patterned VLS growth.

A systematic study of the transient GaP growth behavior was then conducted using patterned arrays to grow GaAs/GaP heterostructure NWs with frequent, periodic oscillations in the group V composition. These oscillations were measured by high angle annular dark field (HAADF) to determine the instantaneous growth rate of many NWs. A phenomenological model was fit to the data and transient growth rate behavior following a GaAs to GaP hetero-interface was understood on the basis of transient droplet compositions, which arise due to the large difference in As or P alloy concentrations required to reach the critical supersaturation.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Some Results on the Slice-Ribbon Conjecture

contributor:
Boden, Hans U.
Mathematics and Statistics

subject:
Slice Knot
Ribbon Knot
Slice-Ribbon Conjecture
2-Bridge Knot
Pretzel Knot
Geometry and Topology
Geometry and Topology

abstract: Slice-ribbon conjecture has been proved for some special families of knots. In this thesis, we briefly mention some of these results.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Gaussean Equality: A Critical Evaluation of the Free and Equal Ideal in Public Reason Liberalism

contributor:
Sciaraffa, Stefan
Doubleday, Nancy
Waluchow, Wil
Philosophy

subject:
Gerald Gaus
Public Reason Liberalism
Public Reason
Social Morality
Ethics and Political Philosophy
Ethics and Political Philosophy

abstract: A fundamental problem in political philosophy is how the freedom and equality of persons can be reconciled with the authority of social morality or law. The Kantian solution is to hold that the exercise of authority can be legitimate if and only if it is freely endorsed by the subjects of its exercise; thereby allowing persons to act as both subject and legislator. However, the fact of reasonable pluralism makes this approach problematic. A recent attempt to solve this conflict between authority and the free and equal idea, while also accounting for the fact of reasonable pluralism, is the theory of public reason liberalism developed by Gerald Gaus. The aim of this thesis is to give a critical evaluation of how successful Gaus is in solving this fundamental problem, while also situating public reason liberalism within the larger debate. The first chapter gives an overview of Gaus's theory and introduces some preliminary worries about the possibility of successfully converging on a workable set of socio-moral rules under public reason liberalism. Chapter two goes further, developing an internal critique of Gaussean public reason liberalism, and showing how this critique could play out using real-world examples. Chapter three explores alternative approaches to realizing the free and equal ideal in an attempt to situate Gaus's theory within the larger debate; finally concluding that Gaussean public reason liberalism is deeply problematic, both on a theoretical and a practical level, yet still offers important insights into the relationship between social-morality and the freedom and equality of persons.

abstract: Master of Philosophy (MA)


title: Quality Control for Batch Processes Using Multivariate Latent Variable Methods

contributor:
MacGregor, John F.
Chemical Engineering

subject:
Chemical Engineering
Chemical Engineering

abstract:
The main goal in many processes is to obtain consistent and reproducible operation and end-quality properties. In this thesis the problem of product quality control in batch and semi-batch processes is addressed. Unlike from much of the published literature that uses first principles models, this thesis studies the end-quality feedback control problem using only empirical Partial Least Squares (PLS) models. Several simple, practical and effective regulatory control strategies are proposed.

The thesis consist of four main chapters: i) On-line control of a distributed end quality property (particle size distribution, PSD) using mid-course correction strategies (MCC), ii) an inferential-adaptive control approach that combines on-line and batch-to-batch control, iii) a novel reduced dimensional space control algorithm to obtain complete manipulated variable trajectories (MVT) consistent with past operation, and iv) incorporation of prior batch-to-batch information for batch analysis and monitoring.

In the first section, three on-line empirical MCC strategies are proposed for the control of bimodal PSDs in emulsion polymerization systems. The performance of the control strategies is evaluated using a detailed theoretical simulator. Control is applied only when the predicted properties falls outside a statistically defined "no-control" region. Each control strategy corresponds to a control objective: i) Control of second mode of the distribution, ii) control of the full bimodal PSDs and iii) control of relative distributions. Advantages and disadvantages of each one of the control strategies are discussed.

In the second part a combined on-line and batch-to-batch control strategy is presented. The approach extends MCC strategies used before to include multiple decision and correction points, batch-to-batch information to reject batch-wise correlated disturbances, and an adaptive PLS approach to update the models from batch-to-batch to overcome model error, changing process conditions and unknown disturbances. The methodology is also illustrated with the control of PSD in emulsion polymerization. The problem of regulation about a fixed set-point PSD in the face of disturbances, and the problem of achieving new set-point PSDs are both illustrated.

In the third part a novel strategy for controlling end-product quality properties by solving on-line for complete MV trajectories, for the remainder of the batch, is presented. Control through the optimal solution for complete trajectories using empirical models is achieved by performing the model inversion and the MVT reconstruction in the reduce space of a latent variable model. The approach is illustrated with a condensation polymerization example for the production of nylon and with data gathered from an industrial emulsion polymerization process.

In the last section an extension of the multi-block multiway Principal Component Analysis (MPCA) and MPLS approaches is introduced to explicitly incorporate batch-to-batch trajectory information. It is shown that the advantage of using information on prior batches for analysis and monitoring is often small. However it can be useful for detecting problems when monitoring new batches in the early stages of their operation. The approach is illustrated using condensation polymerization and emulsion polymerization systems as examples.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Design and Implementation of Color-Shift Keying for Visible Light Communications

contributor:
Hranilovic, Steve
Chen, Jun
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Optimization
Electrical and Electronics
Systems and Communications
Electrical and Electronics

abstract:
Color-shift keying (CSK) is a visible light communication (VLC) intensity modulation scheme, outlined in IEEE 802.15.7, that transmits data imperceptibly through the variation of the light color emitted by a red, green, and blue (RGB) light emitting diode (LED). Unlike other intensity modulation schemes, CSK guarantees that the intensity of the luminary will not fluctuate, thus limiting potential human health complications related to flickering light.

In this work, a rigorous design framework for CSK constellations is presented. The benefits of the frame work are that it can optimize constellations while accounting for cross talk between the color communication channels formed by the colored LEDs. Unlike previous works, the method applies the study of colorimetry to optimize higher order CSK constellations such that the luminary functions with a desired operating color, allowing constellations to be designed to meet lighting industry quality metrics.

This work concludes with the implementation of a CSK communication channel for the purposes of measuring the symbol error rate (SER) versus signal to noise ratio (SNR) of CSK constellations. It is demonstrated that the optimized constellations can achieve equal performance to the standardized constellations, outlined in Section 12 of IEEE 802.15.7, while only requiring half the transmitted power.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Characterization of the Mechanism of Action for Novel Dopamine D2 Receptor Allosteric Modulators

contributor: Medical Sciences (Division of Physiology/Pharmacology)

subject:
Allosteric
D2 receptor
Schizophrenia
Antipsychotic Drugs
Medical Neurobiology
Medical Pharmacology
Neurosciences
Medical Neurobiology

abstract: Allosteric modulators are a newly emerging concept in the field of drug discovery which have shown remarkable success in their ability to alter G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) activity in a precise and subtle manner. A GPCR of particular interest for allosteric targeting is the dopamine D2 receptor. This receptor has repeatedly been implicated in the etiology of complex neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders including Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia. Previous studies from our lab have effectively developed allosteric modulators targeting the D2 receptor based on the pharmacophore of the endogenous tripeptide L-prolyl-L-leucyl-glycinamide (PLG). PLG and its potent peptidomimetics, particularly 3(R)-[(2(S)-pyrrolidinylcarbonyl)amino]-2-oxo-1-pyrrolidineacetamide (PAOPA) (PCT/CA2011/000968), have shown robust preclinical efficacy in treating models of Parkinson’s disease, depression, tardive dyskinesia and schizophrenia. These ligands modulate agonist binding to the D2 receptor in a biphasic manner, although further information on their mechanisms of action are currently unknown. Therefore, the overarching objective of this thesis was to enhance our knowledge on the mechanisms of action of the promising D2 allosteric ligands PLG and PAOPA. Results of the studies presented here show PAOPA to cause significant upregulation of D2 regulatory proteins and downstream signaling kinases, as well as cause an increase in D2 internalization. Additionally, the PLG allosteric binding site was narrowed down to be localized between transmembrane domains 5 and 6 on the D2 receptor. The collection of work presented here enhance our understanding of the mechanisms of action of the potentially therapeutic D2 allosteric ligands PLG and PAOPA, progressing them closer to helping clinically affected populations. The findings of these studies prove globally significant as they highlight the diverse cellular pathways which could be affected by allosteric modulators, and bring to light the importance of studying these candidate ligands for eventual improvements in the treatment of human health.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science)


title: MS-275 (ENTINOSTAT) PROMOTES SUSTAINED TUMOR REGRESSION IN THE CONTEXT OF BOOSTING ONCOLYTIC IMMUNOTHERAPY

contributor: Medical Sciences (Molecular Virology and Immunology Program)

subject: oncolytic immunotherapy

subject: vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)

subject: adoptive transfer therapy

subject: histone deacetylase inhibitor (MS-275)

subject: regulatory T cells (Tregs)

subject: myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs)

subject: Medical Immunology

subject: Medical Immunology

abstract: We showed previously that histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition with MS-275 in the context of boosting oncolytic immunotherapy can drive heightened antitumor responses, leading to increased survival in mouse intracranial melanoma models. However, it is currently unclear how the co-administration of MS-275 directly impacts tumor growth. Here, we investigated the role of MS-275 in preventing the outgrowth of antigen-deficient tumor variants as a result of suboptimal treatment protocols. By adoptively transferring tumor antigen-specific memory T cells (Tm) that were expanded in vivo with recombinant Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV-gp33), we observed complete regression of 5-day old, intradermal B16-gp33 tumors (B16-F10 overexpressing the LCMV GP33-41 epitope); however, the tumors relapsed within a month of treatment. Relapsing tumor explants were able to grow in mice that were prophylactically immunized with recombinant Adenovirus (Ad-gp33), indicating that the tumor could no longer be recognized. Strikingly however, there was zero tumor recurrence if MS-275 was co-administered with Tm and VSV-gp33, suggesting that MS-275 may prevent the emergence and/or escape of antigen loss variants. Such a benefit is lost if the administration of the drug is delayed as little as five days post VSV treatment, suggesting that its synergistic effects coincide with early immune responses and oncolytic activity. Furthermore, transplantation studies of relapsing tumor explants showed that combination treatment was unable to provide tumor protection, confirming that the mechanisms by which MS-275 prevents tumor recurrence are unlikely through direct up-regulation of antigen presentation in low- or non-antigen-expressing variants in vivo. Indeed, CD4 depletion in the absence of MS-275 resulted in sustained tumor regression, implying that immunoregulatory cells such as CD4+ Treg play a prominent role in sustaining tumor regression. Moreover, MS-275 modulates the phenotypic status of tumor-infiltrating MDSCs toward the differentiation of inflammatory macrophages. Taken together, the data suggests that combination therapy with HDACi with oncolytic immunotherapy mediates a synergized immune attack against the tumor through subversion of immunomodulatory mechanisms.

abstract: Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS)


title: Revealing interactive sensorimotor processes for trajectory formation in oculo-manual actions and isolated saccades.

contributor:
Lyons, Jim
Neuroscience

subject:
oculomotor
motor timekeeping
coordination
oculo-manual
saccades
finger tapping
Cognition and Perception
Experimental Analysis of Behavior
Cognition and Perception

abstract: Trajectory formation is an important quality of human movement wherein the analysis of its kinematic structure often permits inferences regarding the underlying sensorimotor organization. The studies reported herein aimed to reveal how task-specific encoding of saccades contribute to two movement models. We first examined saccades for changes in the evidence for online spatial corrections in response to different instances of visual tracking. Results from our first study indicated the sensorimotor operations associated with making timed series responses permitted unhindered operation of online corrections in predictive saccades. These saccades imposed a demand on spatial working memory without suffering diminished corrections typical of single delayed memory-guided saccades. Next, we queried the role of ventral stream visuomotor processing, as well as the contribution of basic stimulus features to explaining known modulations of online saccadic corrections. Our results are consistent with the explanation that ventral stream contribution to target metrics influence trajectory kinematics, but did not induce diminished online corrections if vision of that illusory target was available at saccade onset. Using another movement task, we examined how different saccadic tracking behaviours dissociated the contribution of various sensorimotor operations involved in oculomotor preparation and execution to eye-hand coupling. By observing changes in manual trajectory in an oculo-manual task, we contrasted the effects of saccadic tracking in predictive and reactive modes, overt and covert, horizontal and vertical, spatially congruent or perpendicular axes of primary motion relative to eye-hand coupling. From these data we concluded that saccadic encoding induced execution-dependent coupling, and optionally motor planning-dependent coupling when task constraints specified temporal synchrony between eye and hand movements. Moreover, eventual motor execution was a prerequisite for the emergence of oculomotor planning-dependent coupling effects. This implied no apparent contribution to the coupling dynamic as an exclusive function of shifts in the spatial allocation of attention without oculomotor output.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Anti-Psychotic Drug Induced Tardive Dyskinesia: A Role for the Anti-Apoptotic Molecule Curcumin

contributor:
Mishra, Ram
Medical Sciences (Neurosciences)

subject: TARDIVE DYSKINESIA

subject: ANTI-PSYCHOTIC DRUGS

subject: VACUOUS CHEWING MOVEMENT

subject: CATALEPSY

subject: LOCOMOTOR ACTIVITY

subject: CURCUMIN

subject: BclXL

subject: Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms

subject: Medical Neurobiology

subject: Medical Pharmacology

subject: Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry

subject: Medicine and Health Sciences

subject: Musculoskeletal, Neural, and Ocular Physiology

subject: Natural Products Chemistry and Pharmacognosy

subject: Neurosciences

subject: Pharmaceutical Preparations

subject: Psychiatric and Mental Health

subject: Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms

abstract: Anti-psychotic drug (APD) administration can induce movement disorders including tardive dyskinesia (TD), characterized by abnormal movements of the oro-facial region and occasionally the trunk and limbs. The most widely accepted model of TD is the APD-induced vacuous chewing movement (VCM). While the mechanism of induction of TD remains unclear, there are two prevailing hypothesis: oxidative stress and dopamine supersensitivity. Currently available APDs antagonize dopamine D2 receptors (D2R) which can result in excessive dopamine accumulation and oxidation which was demonstrated to induce striatal neurodegeneration and increased oxidative stress. The dopamine supersensitivity hypothesis proposes that APD treatment causes an up-regulation of high affinity D2Rs to compensate for D2R antagonism. Curcumin, a derivative of turmeric, has been demonstrated to affect dopamine levels and hold significant anti-apoptotic potential. Thus, the goal of this study was to investigate curcumin’s potential to prevent haloperidol-induced behavioural and biochemical abnormalities. Four groups of rats were treated daily: control; haloperidol (at 2mg/kg intra-peritoneally); curcumin (at 200mg/kg orally in jello) and curcumin plus haloperidol. VCMs, catalepsy and locomotor activity were assessed. Animals were sacrificed and tissues removed for qPCR, immunoblot, receptor binding, and UPLC assessments. At day14 there was a significant increase in VCMs and catalepsy following haloperidol treatment, which was prevented by curcumin treatment. However, curcumin did not alter locomotor activity. Curcumin was demonstrated to increase the expression of the anti-apoptotic molecule BclXL and to increase striatal D2Rs. These investigations support the potential of curcumin in the prevention of TD and provide insight into the complex pathophysiology of this disorder.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science)


title: Orbital Models and the Electron Distribution: Applications and Extensions of the Theory of Atoms in Molecules

contributor:
W., R. F.
Chemistry

subject: Chemistry

abstract: This thesis explores the relationship between the recently developed theory of atoms in molecules and the simple orbital models of electronic structure which form the basis of current chemical thinking. In so doing it provides a new viewpoint from which to study many essential chemical concepts; concepts originating from qualitative orbital models. The formal aspects of the theory of atoms in molecules are reviewed. Developed in the laboratory of Professor Bader, this theory provides a quantum mechanical definition of an atom in a molecule and its properties. It also exploits the observed topology of the electron density to define molecular structure an its change. The relationship between qualitative orbital models and atomic bond critical properties is analysed, first qualitatively and then quantitatively. The analysis starts with a study of atomic properties and the properties of bond critical points in diatonic hydrides and some simple organic molecules. A theoretical framework is then developed within which chemical effects on molecular electron distributions can be studied and interpreted. This framework is used in a study of substituent effects on the ethyl, vinyl and carbonyl groups, and then applied to two other problems -- the interpretation of protomation energies of carbonyl compounds and an investigation of the concept of homoaromaticity.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: TARGETING THE TUMOUR ASSOCIATED ANTIGENS PLAC1 AND GP100 WITH ONCOLYTIC CANCER VACCINES

subject:
Medical Immunology
Medical Immunology

abstract:
In spite of the tremendous body of cancer research, cancer remains a significant health issue requiring development of better therapeutics. The elucidation of the relationship between cancer and the immune system and the identification of tumour associated antigens together suggest that novel therapeutics using the immune system to target cancer is a promising avenue of research. Since immunological tolerance is a barrier to generating immune responses to self antigen, strategies to circumvent tolerance need to be investigated to target given antigens.

Plac1 is a novel tumour associated antigen with expression restricted to placenta, testis and many tumour cells. Initial reports concerning the expression, immunogenicity and potential tumourigenic function of Plac1 suggest that it would be an ideal tumour antigen. Initial experiments in mice indicated that generating an immune response against the murine Plac1 would be difficult and the subsequent work sought to employ strategies to facilitate anti murine Plac1 immune responses and anti tumour efficacy in Plac1 expressing tumours.

Another more studied tumour associated antigen is gp100. Unlike Plac1, immune responses against the murine gp100 can be generated through vaccination. These responses are unable to demonstrate any anti tumour activity in gp100 expressing cells. The bulk of the gp100 studies described here sought to modify the immune:tumour interaction such that the anti tumour activity of the anti gp100 responses could be improved.

While the specific barriers to Plac1 vaccination and efficacy and gp100 vaccination and efficacy are different, they have in common that they represent likely issues in using therapeutic cancer vaccines clinically. In both cases investigating how these barriers can be overcome is important and relevant to the understanding of these barriers to success when they appear in the clinic.


title: The Role of Intestinal Microbiota on the Regulation of Gut Function and Immunity

contributor:
Verdu, Elena F.
Stephen Collins and Manel Jordana
Health Sciences

subject:
Intestinal microbiota
Celiac disease
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Intestinal immunity and homeostasis
Intestinal inflammation
Probiotics
Digestive, Oral, and Skin Physiology
Digestive, Oral, and Skin Physiology

abstract: Intestinal microbiota are key determinants of gut homeostasis and affect various gut physiological and immune processes. Co-evolution has enabled the host and intestinal microbes to exist in a mutualistic relationship. However, interactions between the host and its intestinal microbiota exist in a delicate balance between mutualism and pathogenicity. Maintenance or disruption of this balance depends on a complex interplay between the microbiota and the host, as well as other gut luminal factors, including diet, that are poorly understood. The main goal of this thesis has been to study the host-gut luminal interactions that regulate gut physiology and immunity. In particular, Chapter 2 centers on investigating the effect of perturbing the intestinal barrier using a non-steroidal inflammatory drug on host-microbial and dietary interactions in a mouse model of gluten sensitivity. I demonstrated that indomethacin-induced increase in intestinal permeability is associated with altered intestinal microbiota composition, systemic antibody development against intestinal bacteria and a shift in immune responses to the dietary antigen, gluten. Chapter 3 focuses on investigating whether modulation of the intestinal microbiota can affect the host’s susceptibility to intestinal injury. I used mice with defective intracellular bacterial receptor signaling because discrimination between commensals and pathogens is, in part, achieved by a family of receptors that recognize conserved bacterial components. I demonstrated that the microbiota with which these mice are colonized influences the expression of RegIII-γ, a type of antimicrobial peptide, and susceptibility to intestinal injury. To gain further insight on the effect of microbiota on antimicrobial peptides, in Chapter 4 we conducted a combination of gnotobiotic and in-vitro experiments where we identified that specific components of the microbiota differentially regulate RegIII expression. Further examination showed that MyD88 and Ticam1 genes, which are signaling adaptor proteins of pattern recognition receptors, are essential regulators of microbial–induced RegIII expression by intestinal epithelial cells. Collectively, the work presented in this thesis provides novel insight on the bi-directional interaction between the host and the gut luminal content as well as of potential beneficial effects of microbiota-modulating strategies in maintaining homeostasis and preventing disease.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science)


title: Comparison of Oxygen Demands and Muscle Activity Patterns During Different Forms of Body Weight Supported Locomotion in Individuals With Incomplete SCI

contributor:
Hicks, Audrey
Kinesiology

subject:
spinal cord injury
gait rehabilitation
supported walking
Other Kinesiology
Other Kinesiology

abstract: Body weight supported devices available to enhance locomotor recovery following an incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) include treadmills with (LokomatTM) and without (Manual Treadmill) robotic assistance, and the overground ZeroGTM system. Cardiovascular and muscular demands of these devices were compared during steady-state locomotion at the same level of body weight support (BWS) in 7 individuals with incomplete SCI (42.6±4.29 years) and matched able-bodied controls (CON). Questionnaires evaluated consumer preference based on walking experience. Oxygen uptake (VO2), heart rate (HR) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were expressed as percentage of peak values obtained using arm ergometry. Additionally, VO2 was expressed relative to resting metabolic equivalents (METS). Filtered electromyography (EMG) signals from tibialis anterior (TA), rectus femoris (RF), biceps femoris (BF) and medial gastrocnemius (MG) were normalized to ZeroGTM stepping. LokomatTM sessions were the least demanding in terms of oxygen uptake compared to the Manual Treadmill and ZeroGTM, and considered the least appropriate device for the SCI group’s current level of function. For SCI, the a) ZeroGTM required 3.0 METS, 54.7% of VO2peak, 84.7% of peak HR, b) Manual Treadmill required 2.8 METS, 52.9% of VO2peak, 80.8% of peak HR and c) LokomatTM required 1.7 METS, 30.1% of VO2peak, 67.3% of peak HR. Central RPEs were 3.8, 3.7, 0.5 and peripheral RPEs were 5.1, 4.1, 0.7 for the ZeroGTM, Manual Treadmill and LokomatTM respectively. For CON, walking required minimal effort (at most 31.5% of VO2 peak), with ZeroGTM sessions requiring greater muscle activation. For SCI, muscle activation was higher in treadmill conditions compared to the ZeroGTM due to increases in TA and BF activity. The Manual Treadmill and ZeroGTM should be considered progressions following LokomatTM training where hip extension can be encouraged using the treadmill and additional components of gait (e.g. balance, torso stability) can be focused on using the ZeroGTM.

abstract: Master of Science (MS)


title: The Development of the Ontario Decision Aid in Rectal Cancer for Stage II or III Patients (ODARC)

contributor: Amiram Gafni, Cathy Charles, Erin Kennedy

contributor: Clinical Health Sciences (Health Research Methodology)

subject:
rectal cancer
patient decision making
decision aid development
decision board
shared decision making
Medical Education
Other Medicine and Health Sciences
Medical Education

abstract: Focus of Thesis This thesis focuses on the initial stages of developing the Ontario Decision Aid in Rectal Cancer for Stage II and III patients (ODARC). The ODARC is a DA meant to facilitate relevant information exchange among physicians and patients. Such a tool should enhance patient knowledge and accuracy of treatment expectations by effectively conveying to patients relevant information on treatment options and associated benefits and risks. The ODARC is designed for use during a physician-patient consultation. The ODARC prototype development was guided by a workbook on developing & evaluating patient DAs published by O’Connor & Jacobsen (for efficiency we will call this the Workbook).24 This latter document provides detailed instructions for a 7-step DA development process including: 1) assess patient and provider need 2) assess DA feasibility 3) define objectives of the DA 4) identify the framework to guide DA development 5) select tailored methods of decision support to be used in the DA 6) select the designs and measures to evaluate the aid and, 7) plan dissemination.24 In this thesis we have created a prototype ODARC as informed by Steps 1 to 5 of the Workbook. The last two steps covering evaluation and dissemination are beyond the scope and available resources of this current research effort, and can be considered as future research endeavours. This will be reviewed in the final chapter.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: PAIN MEASUREMENT AND MANAGEMENT IN PEOPLE WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

contributor:
MacIntyre, Norma
Rehabilitation Science

subject:
Pain Measurement
Management
Patient preference
knee Osteoarthritis
Orthopedics
Other Rehabilitation and Therapy
Physical Therapy
Orthopedics

abstract:
The purpose of this thesis was to improve the understanding of pain measurement and management in people with knee OA through: 1) Developing a theoretical model that may help in pain management and measurement; 2) Exploring the knee OA individuals’ views about three pain measures and 3) To determine if low frequency (≤100 Hz) pulsed subsensory threshold electrical stimulation produced either through pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) or pulsed electrical stimulation (PES) versus sham PEMF/PES intervention is effective in improving pain and physical function in the knee OA population.

After pain theories literature review, a theoretical model was developed to address the gap between pain theories and clinical pain measurement and management. The patient’s views about three pain measures were not explored before 96 participants were recruited and completed the Verbal Numerical Rating Scale (VNRS), Intermittent and Constant Osteoarthritis pain Questionnaire (ICOAP) and the Short Form-McGill Pain Quetionnaire-2 (SF-MPQ-2). Participants were asked how well each pain measure describes their pain on a 10 cm Visual Analogue Scale (0 = does not describe your pain at all, and 10 = describes your pain completely. The time taken to complete and score the pain measure as well as the number of errors and questions while filling the pain measures were recorded. Systematic electronic searches were performed. Duplicate title, abstract and full text screening, risk of bias assessment, data extraction and grading the quality of evidence were performed. Data analysis was performed using Revman 5 software.

Our sample of individuals with knee OA showed that VNRS, SF-MPQ-2 and ICOAP describe knee OA pain experience with no preference of one over the others. The systematic review conclusion was that PEMF/PES may be beneficial to improve physical function but not pain in people with knee OA with low and very low quality of evidence respectively

abstract: Master of Health Sciences (MSc)


title: ROLE OF PRE-OPERATIVE WEIGHT, DEPRESSION, SELF-ESTEEM AND HISTORY OF SEXUAL ABUSE IN PREDICTING WEIGHT LOSS AFTER GASTRIC BYPASS

contributor:
Taylor, Valerie
McCabe, Randi E.
Frey, Benicio
Neuroscience

subject:
Obesity
Bariatric Surgery
Roux en y Gastric Bypass
Psychosocial Factors
Body Mass Index
Depression
Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases
Psychiatric and Mental Health
Surgery
Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases

abstract: Background: The objective of this thesis was to examine the role of psychosocial factors in weight loss success after bariatric surgery. It was proposed that a higher pre-operative body mass index (BMI), greater weight, depression, low self-esteem, and a childhood history of sexual abuse (CSA) would predict poor outcomes one year after Roux-en-y gastric bypass as evidenced by a BMI > 35 kg/m2 and a lower percent total weight loss (%TWL). Methods: We administered a battery of psychological screening tools, including the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and a self-report measure assessing CSA, to 262 patients seeking bariatric surgery at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton. Patients completed the questionnaires prior to surgery and again one year post-surgery. Results: On average patients (n = 79) achieved good weight loss outcomes (BMI = 32.8 kg/m2) at one-year follow-up. Through multiple regression analysis we found that pre-operative BMI accounted for a significant proportion of variance in postoperative BMI [R2 = .60, F(1, 77) = 114.4, p < .001]. Weight before surgery, however, did not predict %TWL after surgery. None of the psychosocial variables significantly predicted post-operative BMI or weight loss. These results are preliminary and are limited by the fact that participants did not present with clinically significant symptomatology and those with active psychopathology were excluded as suitable surgical candidates. Conclusion: These findings indicate that pre-operative BMI is a significant predictor of BMI one year after bariatric surgery, suggesting that more attention should be directed toward managing pre-operative BMI for heavier patients.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)